Yep, it certainly seems the NFL is fixed on measurables, and it's been that way for a while.
John Madden took the opposite approach as an NFL coach on draft day. He would work himself ragged watching countless hours of film of potential draftees and make his picks solely based on film/performance on the field. He said he didn't care what someone's 40 time was or how much they could lift in a weight room. He could tell if they were fast enough (functional football speed) and strong enough (functional football strength) by watching lots and lots of film.
76.3% NFL winning percentage. Super Bowl champion. Just saying...
He also told a story of how he was a young assistant Junior College coach and went to a day-long football coaching seminar by Vince Lombardi because he had to. He thought he already knew everything and it would be a big waste of time. After watching Lombardi lecture at a chalkboard for over 8 hours on only one play (the power sweep), Madden said he walked out of there realizing that (in his own words) he "didn't know sh!t."
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Last edited: Apr 29, 2019