Edgerrin James already have played in two Pro Bowls. Polian follows the book his book. Every general manager has his style. The circumstances seem simple. For the best athletes, the NFL combine has become little more than an exercise in measurements.
Doctors weigh and measure.
They poke, prod and X-ray athletes to detect any physical flaws. That information is provided to all 31 NFL teams. But most of those considered top picks, including this year's likely No. 1 choice, Virginia Tech quarterback Michael Vick, will do nothing more. So Vick, like many other top picks, will hold a workout on more familiar turf at Virginia Tech. And while such maneuvering has become commonplace in today's draft strategy, executives like Polian get rankled by the evolution.