Dan Campbell said something worrisome on Wednesday at the NFL combine.
It seemed like an innocuous comment at first. But I’ve heard it said enough by other coaches and general managers over the years that feels like it’s time for teams to revamp their process for interviewing prospective draft picks.
It’s been no secret for a while that one of the major benefits for teams at the combine is the ability to interview players. The Detroit Lions coach reiterated that belief while speaking with reporters in Indianapolis.
“You know, obviously they get the medical during the week, but for us to be able to do these formal interviews, or informal, is to me the biggest part of all this,” Campbell said. “It’s not even the working-out portion. Like, to me, grade them off the tape. You know, grade off somebody out here in pajamas running around, the 40, with no defender around or offender.
“But the meetings are great, you know? The meetings are really pivotal.”
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Campbell is right about the testing. Game tape will tell you a lot more about a player’s potential than a great number in an artificial environment.
The interview allows teams get to know each potential draft pick better. NFL teams are allowed to interview 45 players during the week, for 15-20 minutes each. Most of the time, they want to hear a player tell his life story, look for red flags, probe a player’s football intelligence and figure out their level of commitment.
But here’s where some teams — and the Lions might be one of them — can get it wrong about players during these interviews. They are artificial by nature; it’s like speed-dating for a young player who goes from one team to the next. I would imagine a veteran would find the process daunting and dizzying, let alone a person in his early 20s who’s probably going through his first real job interview.
So Campbell and the Lions have been hard at work in these interview rooms, trying to find the players who best fit them. But not many have stood out. By Wednesday afternoon, the Lions had interviewed 30-35 players.
“And I’ve check-marked four guys,” Campbell said. “And to me, they’ve got the ‘it’ factor, just when you sit in there and you hear them talk about football. There’s a fire, there’s a fire burning in them and they cannot sit in their seat. They’ve got to get up to talk. They got to tell you what’s going on: ‘This is how I think.’
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“And that, you can’t fake that. You know when you have that, you love ball and you’ll eat and breathe anything for it, do anything for your teammates, you’re uber-competitive.”
What Campbell is saying is what a lot of coaches and teams say: The player they’re really looking for is, essentially, themselves.
New York Giants coach Brian Daboll loves to tell the story about how Campbell definitely couldn’t sit in his seat and threw a chair while interviewing for the Dolphins tight ends coaching job in 2011. Campbell took the opportunity Wednesday to pay back Daboll by mentioning a couple times that he has “hobbit feet.” So, there. Checkmate, Campbell.
On the face of it, Campbell’s viewpoint makes sense. He’s looking for passionate, smart, committed players. It’s the kind of rubric that leads to drafting Amon-Ra St. Brown. But it can also lead to drafting Jeff Okudah and Jarrad Davis.
Mike Tannenbaum, the former New York Gets general manager, wrote an extensive article for ESPN.com last year about the combine interview process in which he noted Rob Gronkowski’s playful and carefree approach to his 2010 interview, which belied his playing intensity. Gronk had injury issues in college, but I bet a big reason he slipped to the second round was because he came across as a meathead to some teams.
I’m not saying Campbell wants a bunch of mini-me’s on his team. He has consistently supported coaches and players being themselves. In some ways, owner Sheila Hamp has set the example for Campbell in this regard by not asking him to fit a certain mold.
“And look, we’re gonna let people be who they’re going to be,” Campbell said. “I mean, for God’s sake, Sheila lets me be who I am. I mean, she doesn’t tell me, ‘You know, can’t do this, look this way, what are you doing? That’s an embarrassment.’ She just, she wants me to be me. And I appreciate that.”
But that comes after a player arrives in Allen Park. Before then, Campbell and general manager Brad Holmes and the rest of the scouting department and coaching staff have to figure out which players fit them best.
I’ve known enough NFL players over the years to tell you with a high level of certainty that most don’t love football. They love the professional and monetary opportunity football provides. But the high rate of injury, the short playing careers and the non-guaranteed contracts doesn’t endear the NFL to most players. And there’s nothing wrong with that because, ultimately, it is a job.
The problem arises when a committed, passionate coach like Campbell seeks something of himself in players that’s rare, not easily duplicated and somewhat unrealistic.
If Campbell and coaches like him truly want players to be themselves, and find the best players in the process, it serves them best to meet players on their terms. What makes each young man tick?
Forget about throwing chairs and biting knee caps. That’s what makes up an NFL head coach. Instead, Campbell needs to figure out what honestly motivates each prospect to be his best. Maybe it really is a passion for the game, but maybe it’s money or helping his family.
This kind of honesty and acceptance can help coaches like Campbell avoid the pitfalls of unrealistic expectations. Who knows? It might even keep a team from winding up with Joe Lombardi, when it thinks it’s getting Vince Lombardi.
Contact Carlos Monarrez: cmonarrez@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @cmonarrez.