The NFL offseason is only a little more than two weeks old an the next highlight of the league calendar is already on its way: the 2016 scouting combine. As has been the case for more than 30 years, the NFL's underwear olympics will take place in Indianapolis; the Colts' Lucas Oil Stadium will once again host the event which begins today and will end next Monday, March 6.
Let's take a look at what awaits us the next days (via nflcombine.net):
Day 1: Tuesday, February 28
Group 1 (PK, ST, OL), Group 2 (OL), Group 3 (RB): Arrival, Registration, Hospital Pre-Exams & X-Rays, Overflow Testing, Orientation, Interviews
Day 2: Wednesday, March 1
Group 1 (PK, ST, OL), Group 2 (OL), Group 3 (RB): Measurements, Medical Examination, Overflow Testing, Interviews
Group 4 (QB, WR), Group 5 (QB, WR), Group 6 (TE): Arrival, Registration, Hospital Pre-Exams & X-Rays, Overflow Testing, Orientation, Interviews
Day 3: Thursday, March 2
Group 1 (PK, ST, OL), Group 2 (OL), Group 3 (RB): NFLPA Meeting, Psychological Testing, PK/ST Workout, Media, Bench-Press, Interviews
Group 4 (QB, WR), Group 5 (QB, WR), Group 6 (TE): Measurements, Medical Examination, Overflow Testing, Interviews
Group 7 (DL), Group 8 (DL), Group 9 (LB): Arrival, Registration, Hospital Pre-Exams & X-Rays, Overflow Testing, Orientation, Interviews
Day 4: Friday, March 3
Group 1 (PK, ST, OL), Group 2 (OL), Group 3 (RB): On-Field Workout (timing, station, skill drills), Departure
Group 4 (QB, WR), Group 5 (QB, WR), Group 6 (TE): NFLPA Meeting, Psychological Testing, Media, Bench-Press, Interviews
Group 7 (DL), Group 8 (DL), Group 9 (LB): Measurements, Medical Examination, Overflow Testing, Interviews
Group 10 (DB), Group 11 (DB): Arrival, Registration, Hospital Pre-Exams & X-Rays, Orientation, Interviews
Day 5: Saturday, March 4
Group 4 (QB, WR), Group 5 (QB, WR), Group 6 (TE): On-Field Workout (timing, station, skill drills), Departure
Group 7 (DL), Group 8 (DL), Group 9 (LB): NFLPA Meeting, Psychological Testing, Media, Bench-Press, Interviews
Group 10 (DB), Group 11 (DB): Measurements, Medical Examination, Media, Interviews
Day 6: Sunday, March 5
Group 7 (DL), Group 8 (DL), Group 9 (LB): On-Field Workout (timing, station, skill drills), Departure
Group 10 (DB), Group 11 (DB): NFLPA Meeting, Psychological Testing, Media, Bench-Press, Interviews
Day 7: Monday, March 6
Group 10 (DB), Group 11 (DB): On-Field Workout (timing, station, skill drills), Departure
Overall, 330 players have been invited to participate in this year's scouting combine, only two of whom come from New England schools:
DB John Johnson (Boston College)
LB Matt Milano (Boston College)
Furthermore, head coaches and executives will hold press conferences during the combine. They will take place on Wednesday and Thursday and members of 29 of the league's 32 teams have so far been announced by the NFL. The three teams who are not yet scheduled to appear are the world champion New England Patriots, the New Orleans Saints and the Washington Redskins. The Patriots and Saints were also not part of last year’s media availability.
The press conferences, just like the on-field drills, will be broadcast live on NFL Network. The league's network will broadcast on-field drills and press conferences live throughout the entire week. The events can also be streamed on nfl.com – and will be analyzed and discussed on Pats Pulpit.
While the combine is the most famous, it is not the only pre-draft scouting event taking place and is only one piece of the complex puzzle that is college player evaluation. The Senior Bowl is already a month behind us, the combine kicks off today and college pro days will start next Tuesday – all this means one thing: draft season is upon us.