Wilson: Combine interviews are well-rehearsed

INDIANAPOLIS -- One of the realities of the NFL scouting combine is how draft prospects are well-rehearsed for their interviews with coaches, executives and scouts.

Their agents spend a lot of time and money making sure their client is prepared for whatever might come up during an interview.

NFL teams are looking for candor and will try to trip a player up on occasion or run the old good-cop, bad-cop routine.

The idea is to delve into a player's mental makeup to learn as much as possible about the player's character and personality.

Because of the trend of players being somewhat programmed in several instances, the value of the interviews has decreased over the years. At least in the opinion of Kansas City Chiefs general manager Scott Pioli.

"It seems to shift from year to year, because there is this cat-and-mouse game that goes on, I think, between what we're trying to do and what the players are trying to do in terms of their preparation, and the agents preparing them," Pioli said "The interviews used to be a very important part of this process. They're not as important, because a lot of these players and their agents have spent a lot of money and a lot of time preparing for every question under the sun, every circumstance and every stress level imaginable.

"All of the other things have a degree of importance but again, as this thing has changed, the players and the agents have taught themselves that they need to prepare for this event more specifically."

Not every player follows the practice of sticking with a mental script.

There are several players who are extremely candid and willing to discuss anything, including run-ins with the law or personal family issues.

"It depends on the individual," Piolis said. "That becomes part of the process, that you have to filter through and sift through as much of that as you can. It has made other times of the year a little bit more important in terms of trying to get to know players and who they are.

"I don't think they're trying to be duplicitous in an intentional way, with any malice. I just think they're trying to look good. That's their job. Everyone wants to look good in a job interview."

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