Wednesday at league meetings, the NFL’s senior vice president of football operations, Troy Vincent, reportedly compared the scouting combine to a “slave auction.”
According to CBS Sports, this proposal angered some team owners, notably Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and Falcons owner Arthur Blank.
Vincent reportedly made the remark while outlining changes to the combine, including a less stringent medical screening procedure and a more emphasis on the questions clubs ask draft candidates.
According to insiders at the meeting quoted on the website, Blank quickly stood up and rebutted Vincent’s remarks. CBS said that Blank “took offense at the notion that he participated in or supported an event that may be considered racist.”
Jones then reportedly took the microphone and spoke on the “luxury” of playing in the NFL, noting that out of the thousands of college football players, only 300 are invited to the combine, and that even fewer get drafted.
According to CBS Sports, a Cowboys representative said Jones did not say “privilege” but rather “opportunity.”
Troy Vincent, EVP of Football Operations for the NFL, at the Leaders “An Evening With…” event on October 7, 2019 at Under the Bridge at Stamford Bridge in London, England.
Vincent, who played 15 seasons as a cornerback in the NFL, told reporters earlier in the day that the league is attempting to improve communication with players.
“We simply believe that the overall experience, in speaking with the athletes, may be improved,” he stated. “There was, I’d say, a good conversation about what that looks like and where we could go, bearing in mind that the combine is the player’s first exposure with the National Football League, and there must be dignity in that experience.
“This is a wonderful chance for the young guys, but they must be treated with dignity and respect as they go through the process. This was the overarching theme of our group conversation.”
Arthur Blank, owner of the Atlanta Falcons, during the fourth quarter of the November 20, 2022 game against the Chicago Bears at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia.
Reportedly, Steelers owner Art Rooney II, chairman of the NFL Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee, added that teams need the essential information at the combine to make educated judgments.
»NFL meeting heated after Troy Vincent compared draft combine to’slave sale’«