In what could portend as a wave of the future, the Broncos are not sending their assistant coaches to the scouting combine in Indianapolis this year because they believe there’s a better use of their time watching film back in Denver, league sources told ESPN on Friday.
Additionally, the Rams are not sending their offensive and defensive coordinators, Kevin O’Connell and Brandon Staley, to the combine because they would rather have them in Los Angeles, implementing the team’s new offensive and defensive schemes, sources said.
In a copycat league, the Broncos and Rams could be establishing a trend that other teams will follow, leaving coaches behind to watch the combine on TV and do their own scouting work in the office.
It is what Broncos head coach Vic Fangio, who will attend this year’s combine in person, decided for this combine, sources told ESPN. He thought there was better use of the assistant coaches’ time to study prospects on tape rather than in person.
In addition to studying the prospects on tape, the Broncos’ assistant coaches also will have access to the combine private interviews led by the personnel staff and Fangio in Indianapolis.
Rams head coach Sean McVay will attend the opening days of the combine, fulfilling his obligation to speak with the media, before returning to Los Angeles to continue implementing his systems with his two new coordinators, sources told ESPN. The rest of the Rams’ coaching staff will attend the combine.
Both organizations believed there was better use of their time than to attend the combine en masse, sources told ESPN. Though it did not drive either team’s decision, there also is a hefty financial savings for each organization by not having everyone travel to Indianapolis.