This week, head coach of the Green Bay Packers, Matt LaFleur, made a significant announcement on the pre-draft
plans of his coaching staff. LaFleur announced a couple things on Thursday at the Packers press conference.
The biggest statement made by LaFleur concerned Jeff Hafley, the new defensive coordinator. With the
formidable defense team of the Packers, Hafley will introduce a new offensive plan. LaFleur caused a stir when he
claimed that in January, the Packers had taken quarterbacks coach Sean Mannion from the Chicago Bears.
Within the following few weeks, LaFleur’s staff will be entrusted with creating a plan for the 2024 NFL Draft.
However, LaFleur’s selection for the NFL Scouting Combine in 2024 was intriguing. LaFleur stated that he and
his staff won’t be at the combine, according to Matt Schneidman of The Athletic. Staff members from LaFleur
were present at the combine in 2022 but not in 2023.
Brian Gutekunst, general manager of the Packers, will be present at the combine.
Sean McVay, the head coach of the Los Angeles Rams, declined to attend this year’s combine, according to NBC
Sports’ Mike Florio. In essence, McVay stated that he is less concerned with a player’s ability to compete in track
and field and more interested in reviewing their footage and getting to know them personally. The NFL “certainly
doesn’t love [McVay’s] response, because the NFL tries to sell the fans/viewers on the idea that the events of the
Scouting Combine have direct and clear relevance to a player’s football abilities,” according to Florio, who feels
McVay’s response is unpopular with the league.
Additionally, the league wants everyone to believe that the Combine is significant.
Florio believes that the league’s intentions to grow the event may encounter resistance from the public due to the
views of the McVays and LaFleurs of the world:
Some even want to transform it into a road show that travels around to increase the attention even further. The
issue lies in the fact that, should the procedure grow more difficult and time-consuming in a larger metropolis, an
increasing number of coaches will withdraw, further solidifying the Combine’s status as a significant event with
certain applications (mostly the exchange of medical data about prospects), but by no means a must-attend.
During the combine, LaFleur and McVay will not have the chance to meet and get to know players. Combine week
includes a lot of it as well. Each team is only permitted 30 pre-draft visits annually by the NFL.
Luckily for the Packers, Gutekunst will cover the game the following week. In order for LaFleur to receive
firsthand information on data obtained from the combine from his general manager.
