Scouting Combine on horizon for Arizona Cardinals

New Arizona Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury is about to embark on his first NFL Scouting Combine

It will be a series of firsts for new Arizona Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury as the offseason continues.  Next up is the NFL Scouting Combine, which starts this upcoming Tuesday February 26th in Indianapolis.

The Cardinals will be looking for players at many positions.  Despite the additions the team has already made at cornerback, linebacker, and at tight end in the past couple of weeks, there is still plenty of talent to look at from those positions.

They will also need to pay attention to defensive linemen, offensive linemen, and receivers.  Many believe the Cardinals will spend their number one pick on one of the top defensive linemen.

However the Scouting Combine is about preparing for the entire draft.  The Cardinals want to add veterans at the needed positions but will need talented youth to carry them for years to come.

Granted, as noted in years past, the Scouting Combine is something different than what we may actually see when it comes time to put on the uniform.  Take the 40-yard dash for example.

People want to obsess over how players did in the 40.  While it does give some insight as to what we may see on the playing field, it doesn’t tell the whole story.

It gets really interesting when it gets to running backs.  You may have a guy with a sub-par 40 but when it comes time to lace them up, he can break tackles and show breakaway speed.  That doesn’t get measured in the 40.

So take stock in what you see but don’t allow the numbers you see at the Scouting Combine make or break your decision on a player.  It goes both ways too.  If a guy does well in Indianapolis, that doesn’t mean he will perform once he hits the field this summer.