Report: Green Bay Packers HC Makes 1 Massive Decision For 2024 NFL Draft; Snubs NFL

LaFleur’s staff will be tasked to develop a plan for the 2024 NFL Draft in the next few weeks. But LaFleur made an interesting choice for the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine. Per Matt Schneidman with The Athletic, LaFleur said he and his staff will not be at the combine. LaFleur’s staff was not at the combine in 2023 but was present in 2022.

Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst will be in attendance at the combine.

The Los Angeles Rams made the same choice for the 2024 NFL Draft

Mike Florio with NBC Sports wrote about Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay’s decision not to attend this year’s combine. McVay basically said he is more interested in a player’s tape and vetting them as a person than worrying about whether they can compete in track and field. Florio believes McVay’s answer is unpopular with the league:

“The NFL surely doesn’t love [McVay’s] response, because the NFL tries to sell the fans/viewers on the idea that the events of the Scouting Combine have direct and clear relevance to a player’s football abilities.

The league also wants everyone to think the Combine is a big deal.”

Florio thinks the public opinions of the McVay’s and LaFleur’s of the world could make it harder for the league’s plans to expand the event:

“And some would like to make it an even bigger deal, by turning it into a traveling road show. The problem is that, if the process becomes less convenient and more cumbersome in a bigger city, more and more coaches will stay away — making the Combine seem even more like what it is: important in some specific ways (mainly, the shared medical information on prospects) but hardly a must-see event.”

The Packers only have 30 visits before the 2024 NFL Draft

LaFleur and McVay will miss the opportunity to meet with players and get to know them during the combine. That is also a big part of combine week. The NFL only allows each team to have 30 pre-draft visits each year.

Fortunately for the  Packers, Gutekunst will work the event next week. So LaFleur can get secondhand knowledge from his GM on information gathered from the combine.