What’s Your Excuse For Skipping The Combine? 2024 Edition
Five head coaches are skipping out on the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine. That list includes Matt LaFleur, Mike McCarthy, Sean McVay, Robert Saleh, and Kyle Shanahan. As I stated the other day, if I’m running a team and my head coach doesn’t show up to the Combine, I’m firing them immediately.
Of course, I’d be hesitant to fire Shanahan and McVay. I wouldn’t want it to come to that. However, they’re at least getting punched in the face and permanently banned from the draft room if it has to come to that. It’s just the way it would have to be.
I don’t want to take too much of your time. I just want to quickly remind you why it’s criminal that they’re skipping out on the event.
Matt LaFleur
What’s your excuse for skipping the Combine, Matt? Actually, he has an okay excuse. The Packers are on the rise, Brian Gutekunst runs the draft, and the organization has done a good job collecting young talent. Oh, and the Jordan Love experiment is finally paying off.
The Packers haven’t been perfect in the draft under Gute, but they have done a solid B-level job. They still have holes to fill and need another top-tier draft to really join the list of contenders.
Verdict: LaFleur gets a pass. He’s not in charge of the draft and his front office has done a pretty good job. If he wants to skip, I actually think he has an okay excuse to not attend.
Mike McCarthy
We’re starting with the easy ones, I guess. Will McClay and Stephen Jones control the draft in Dallas. Say whatever you want about Jerry Jones, he’s empowered people who know what they’re doing. They haven’t just had good drafts. They have also collected star power with their picks like Micah Parsons and CeeDee Lamb.
Verdict: McCarthy gets a pass. His job is on the line in 2024 and this draft class likely won’t affect his job status regardless. McCarthy has to make a deep playoff run or he’s gone. We all know this. We also know that McCarthy is a loyal soldier. He coaches the players he’s given. Take the time, Mike. Make sure you find a way to improve as a coach. The Mike Zimmer hire was really smart. The truth is McCarthy probably doesn’t need to be there in person.
Sean McVay
Sean McVay has had quite the trajectory as a head coach, right? McVay goes from hot shot young offensive mind to the leader of the organization? I think the Rams know that he could leave for a big-money TV deal anytime he wants. Something that’s been teased in the past.
The truth of the matter is, McVay has the leverage in the building. If he leaves, they know they’re screwed. He probably should have won Coach of the Year because that team had no business making the playoffs. You would think McVay wants to be there. Especially after a year where they found so many gems like Puka Nacua that kinda reset the making of their team.
Verdict: McVay gets a pass but grudgingly. It wouldn’t fly in my building but it’s not my building. It’s Les Snead’s. The same guy that gave away all of their first round picks. They finally have a first round pick this year so he should be there. Especially you know… maybe finding a quarterback later that they can develop after Matthew Stafford is washed. Which, Stafford doesn’t have much left sooooo.
Robert Saleh
Robert Saleh’s original plan was to skip the Combine. Now it’s being reported that he’s randomly showing up on Saturday. Keep in mind that he’s a defensive line coach at heart and the DL works out on Thursday. The DL group leaves the Combine on Friday so Saleh will have skipped out on the only group that he’s supposed to be knowledgeable about.
Joe Douglas runs the draft but Saleh is supposed to be involved in the process.
Verdict: Saleh does not get a pass. They should have fired that idiot a long time ago. I’ve been doubting Saleh pretty much since he got hired and will continue to do so. The guy couldn’t be a worse leader and I genuinely have no idea what he does well other than being a lion tamer for his defensive line. Jim Tomsula also did that and we know he was never a real head coach. I mean c’mon. Even this showing-up late plan makes absolutely no sense.
Saleh could never be the head coach for my football team and I’d fight him on the spot today for not showing up to the Combine if I worked in that building. Are the Jets going to admit that Aaron Rodgers runs their team or are we going to keep pretending otherwise?
Kyle Shanahan
Kyle Shanahan is truly the CEO of the 49ers. He runs the show. This is his program. John Lynch works for him. I find it rather interesting that three out of the four other coaches skipping the event come from the Shanahan tree. That tells me as an organization, they don’t really value this event.
Verdict: No pass. I love Shanahan, but he should be ashamed of himself for this. I’m sure Kyle has it all figured out. Maybe he will take another running back in the third round that turns into a flop (Trey Sermon, Tyrion Davis-Price, Joe Williams). Want me to keep going?
Yeah, I’m sure Kyle has it all figured out. The same team that took a kicker in the third round that’s not any good. The same team that gave up everything for Trey Lance. The 49ers have $7 million in dead cap. $5 million of it comes from Lance. They’ve gotten almost nothing out of their last three draft classes. But hey, I’m sure Kyle can afford to skip the Combine. He knows everything already clearly.
Great coach; Very dumb talent evaluator. Hell, his only good pick is Deebo Samuel and they only picked him because they coached the Senior Bowl that year. Yeah, I remember…
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