NFL Combine is the art of saying nothing

INDIANAPOLIS — The NFL Combine is where people never stop talking, but never start saying anything.

Sure, there are the random moments that actually matter. On Wednesday, New York Giants general manager Dave Gettleman all but told the media throng that placing the franchise tag on Landon Collins isn’t likely. Then there was Pittsburgh Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert, who actually kept a straight face when proclaiming his team — the one with Antonio Brown, Ben Roethlisberger and Le’Veon Bell — doesn’t have a drama problem.

For the large majority of the time, though, nobody says a meaningful word. Even though the entire week is one gigantic exercise in tampering, everybody associated with the teams has to declare that talking about a player on another team is heresy. Of course, right after they finish making that statement, they run off to spend time withs said player’s agent.

In the NFL, the art of reading between the lines is the true measure of gathering information. Rarely does somebody slip up and say something they weren’t intending on letting out to the public. After all, these men are extremely trained and polished on how to be cordial, spend 20 minutes talking to a group of microphones, and make sure to get away without creating a headline.

Still, there is ample value to be had in Indianapolis for reporters, players and teams. For the former, it’s all about heading out into the night and enjoying a nice meal at Prime 47 before hitting the bar and chatting up the gallery. For a player, the value is evident. Have a good week on the field — and more importantly in the medical and interview evaluations — and there is ample money to be made. For teams, at least the smart ones, they can control some of the narratives going forward while identifying some players who will be top targets come the NFL Draft.

With the weekend coming up, the attention around the NFL world is going to intensify. With running backs, quarterbacks and wide receivers about to hit the field with NFL Network’s cameras rolling, stocks are about to talked about for weeks to come.

In the meantime, teams will have finished up their media obligations. They’ll be hunkered down, hoping to get a jump on the other 31 franchises and maybe uncover a gem or two.

At the NFL Combine, nobody says anything. They wait, and watch, and hope that nobody can read between those pesky lines very well.