Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy made a bold decision this week regarding his plans for next week. McCarthy heads into the 2024 season on the hot seat and needs to find impact players in April’s draft who can help the Cowboys win playoff games.
Mike McCarthy will not attend the scouting combine
However, McCarthy made one pre-draft decision that could complicate the Cowboys’ efforts to select the right fit. Per Todd Archer with ESPN, McCarthy will not attend the NFL scouting combine next week as the head coach will work with new defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer to plot their offseason:
Dallas Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy will not be at next week’s NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis as he and defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer continue to set the staff and changes to the scheme.
McCarthy said the workload capacity and time efficiency made more sense for them to remain at The Star.
“Zim and I will have a full week together here and cover a lot of ground with things we’re working on,” McCarthy said. “At the same time, we can still participate in the combine process and have direct contact through video calls and meetings, while having our coaches on the ground there as well.”
McCarthy is working on the Dallas Cowboys’ defense
This is the second year in a row McCarthy snubbed the combine. He flew to meet with the media but did not attend the workout portion of the event.
Last year’s excuse was about the offense. McCarthy wanted extra time to prepare for his new role as the Cowboys playcaller. Now, he’s using his defense as an excuse.
McCarthy is snubbing the league
Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur and Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay are also skipping this year. They risk devaluing the importance of the event for the league.
While the scouting combine is considered an overhyped event by many coaches, teams can still benefit from meeting with the players during the combine process. McCarthy has now limited himself to 30 pre-draft visits this offseason.
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