[YAHOO] NFL to add 8 regional combines

[Texans34Life]

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=ap-nflcombines

The NFL has added eight regional combines to the main combine it stages each year in Indianapolis.

The regional combines will begin Jan. 28 in Los Angeles and also will be held in Houston, Baltimore, Tampa, the New York area, Chicago, Atlanta and Cleveland through March 17. The Indianapolis event is at the end of February.

Players who attend a regional combine could be invited to a super-regional at Ford Field in Detroit on March 30-31. That event will be attended by NFL team scouts and player personnel directors.

Designed to spotlight players who are not invited to the Indianapolis event, the eight combines also will be conducted specifically for players with college playing experience who want to gauge their pro potential, and for players with some pro experience who have been out of the game for a period of time.

“The NFL regional combines program provides players who may not have had the chance before the opportunity to work out for NFL personnel executives,” said NFL Executive Vice President of Football Operations Ray Anderson. “It allows all 32 clubs a chance to further evaluate future prospects.”

The schedule:

Jan. 28—Orange Coast College-Lebard Stadium

Feb. 4—Houston Texans Training Center

Feb. 11—Baltimore Ravens Training Facility

Feb. 18—Tampa Bay Buccaneers Training Facility

Feb. 25—New York Jets Training Facility

March 3—ChicagoBears Training Facility

March 10-11—Atlanta Falcons Training Facility

March 17—Cleveland Browns Training Facility

[Goatcheese]

Great news. There are a lot of talented players who don't get invited to the combine and this will give them a chance to make a splash and get noticed.

[Rey]

That's awesome...

Gonna have to sort through a lot of trash though...

[badboy]

I like this. More info to review.

[ArlingtonTexan]

I don't know how long they hae been doing this but this is not the first year of the regional system. It has not been well publicized, but has been in place to help lesser prospect out.

edit:

https://www.nflregionalcombines.com/

It helped a current texan

“The first year it was an NFL entity, I believe, really helped legitimize it, being able to do it in the stadium, the atmosphere and having the scouts present."

“It helped as far as being able to actually put something on record. It was a problem, me being able to get other workouts, pro days, and stuff like that with NFL scouts being present, so that way I could perform in front of them. It definitely helped having the scouts there.”

“Probably the biggest part was the fact that it [Super Regional Combine] was a combine that you were invited to. Obviously, you have to perform a certain way [in the Regional Combine] and then they evaluate you and then they decide whether or not you performed well enough to actually compete in the National [Super Regional Combine] Combine."

- Bryan Braman, Houston Texans’ LB and 2011 Regional and Super Regional Combine Attendee

[ObsiWan]

Any word on if the public can attend?
who does one have to bribe to get an entry pass?