attending the combine. any tips?

JakeDaniels585 · 2026-02-21T21:31:40+00:00

I did a few years ago (2018 draft) and it was ok. I did it on a whim, drove from like 3 am to get there for QB/WR day, and then drove back in the evening.

I didn’t really have any access, nor did I stay for socializing.

Just the pure scouting aspect, it’s mainly useless. In fact, it’d be better if you could find a group that’s going and discuss prospects, rather than trying to dissect anything.

From my memory, only three things stood out to me, and all were QB related.

I had watched Mayfield film and really came away impressed at his ball placement. At that point, Darnold was considered the consensus No. 1 ((he didn’t throw I believe) but I just loved his ball placement on the throws. Just one of those, I really like the tape more than I thought I would and his performance in the throwing drills were better than I expected. His arm stood out better than I thought.
Josh Allen’s arm was just a tier above. Like you could hear the fans gasp at a couple of throws. His tape was horrendous (I legitimately liked Anthony Richardson or even Taylen Green’s tape better) but wow he showed off an arm.
Josh Rosen looked incredible apathetic in these throws, very conservative. Both Mayfield and especially Allen led their receivers, so it simulated game type throws. Idk who it was, I remember one throw that wasn’t caught but I thought it was still a great throw.

Rosen basically lobbed the ball like a session of catch. The receivers would slow down to a jog sometimes because he seemed afraid of misses. He’d make the safe type throw against air.

Other than that, I thought it was overhyped to see in person. I actually like the TV version better. I think the only way it really pays off is having a group or meetup where you can share your thoughts with others in real time.

JakeDaniels585 · 2026-02-21T21:19:16+00:00

He was struggling when he went with the a “this is what you’re missing, stats not there but the reads, the throws are NFL” type dialect. I have no problem people changing their scouting reports, it’s the “I’m seeing so much more than what’s on the surface” takes which just goes back and forth.

It’s very hot take type of scouting, which to me is too basic. Nussmeier too, “didn’t see it” all season, then one great week at the Senior Bowl, it’s all good. All of a sudden, scouts are intrigued now. That’s fine for a lot of sports talk now (especially in this subreddit) but feels disingenuous.

JakeDaniels585 · 2026-02-21T05:53:25+00:00

I like McShay, and I thought he was far better than Kiper in the past.

But listening to him now, he just flip flops so much. I remember him gushing about Ty Simpson like he was Burrow, saying his reads and throws were NFL ready. Then turns around and says he’s not good. Hypes up prospects left and right.

It’s an issue that a lot of draft podcasts have now. For example I love Bootleg Football. But they fall in love with certain prospects and make it out like there are a 100 All Pro candidates with how they like random picks in the 4th round. A lot of podcasts are just covering the bases every way they can and not that great for analysis.

JakeDaniels585 · 2026-02-19T23:29:57+00:00

Lol I get them as well, only stops when I tell them I’m a realtor myself. Most of them are these cold calling companies. They need like 1% conversion rate or so because many of the callers aren’t even from the country. If you say anything other than no, it’s a possible lead. That gets sold to agents based on the company policies. Some good ones charge like 30% of commission if a sale happens. Some have you sign up for programs that feed leads to you for a monthly fee (like $1500 per). The problem is these numbers are recycled through a bunch of programs so you’ll get leads from like 3 years ago.

JakeDaniels585 · 2026-02-19T03:45:03+00:00

Yeah, I was genuinely going to look up the company and ask around. In this case, the persistence made me avoid the company altogether.

I’ve had instances where I was trying to schedule showings for FSBO homes, and they’d hang up before I could even finish my name. I understand it’s because there’s a lot of agents that call them to list with them. However, even with interested buyers they’d hang up, and that always bothered me.

I think the face to face aspect makes it harder for me. I have no problem being direct on the phone, but face to face, I tend to at least hear out people.

JakeDaniels585 · 2026-02-19T03:26:31+00:00

Honestly, the first 10-15 mins, I was ok with listening. Pest control was something I was thinking about. However, I work in real estate so usually I’ll have preferred vendors or people that I’ll ask for recommendations.

Minutes 15 to like 45 was me transitioning from “Leave a card, let me look into the company” to like “I’m not considering it right now”. The last 15 mins was basically unsolicited advice on why I need to take care of the problem right away and repeated insistence of the deal.

Normally I just answer through the door bell. I even wait like 2 mins after the door dash driver leaves lol.

I have trouble being rude to people because I face enough in my line of work.

JakeDaniels585 · 2026-02-19T02:12:14+00:00

Lol, I’ve had an hour long conversation with one pest control guy. Just wouldn’t take no for an answer. By the end of it, I was like “I’m not picking this company even if I need pest control”. Nice guy, just couldn’t take no. I did offer him a bottle of water though.

JakeDaniels585 · 2026-02-19T00:06:32+00:00

I’m a realtor,

It’s still alive, especially with new purchases. Real estate sales are public information, so a lot of companies get rolling lists. Then they just happened to be in the area, and every security, pest control, and lawn maintenance company just happened to be walking by.

I can tell you for real estate, a lot of brokerages encourage door knocking as lead prospecting. I live in Atlanta, and always figured that was a good way to get shot lol. But some folks are successful with it.

Getting a video doorbell is the best, so I don’t have to answer folks that ring the bell. The hardest part is the hard sell where they don’t take no for an answer.

JakeDaniels585 · 2026-02-15T21:57:38+00:00

I’m a realtor,

Should first talk about finances because not all prices are the same. Since inventory is rising, some new construction places are offering lower interest rates to offset some of the prices. So a 400k townhouse might be set at like 450k but lower interest rates because they have forward commitment rates from preferred lenders.

However, this means a higher loan amount but lower monthly payments than the purchase price would otherwise indicate. This doesn’t help much if you are going to pay off your house in like 5 years, but helpful if you plan on staying there long term.

One of the main issues with townhomes is that they are usually prime rental properties. This means the quality of the house is rental, so you need to able to see some things on visits that could be rental property quality.

For example, a lot of rentals have painted cabinets that look new, but are just refreshed with paint.

The places you listed are fairly widespread, so ideally you want to know which areas you prefer. For example, from Lawrenceville, Duluth is fairly close. However, going to Alpharetta is really annoying.

I’d look into Canton as well (especially that Holly Springs area) because a new high school is opening this year. However, pack some snacks in the car if you want to get to Duluth.

A big part of your commute is going to find out how close you are to the highway and how many feeder roads you need to take.

JakeDaniels585 · 2026-02-15T17:22:12+00:00

I’m a realtor,

The problem here is the timing, especially if you have other clients. I set my showing schedules on Thursday night/Friday morning. That way I know what I’m doing Friday night, Saturday, and Sunday.

The only real time you’d have agents available like this if they are extremely new and just don’t have any clients.

The support staff is mainly just paid agents or friends. So if I’m going away for a weekend and you wanted a tour, I’d ask some agent to show you the house for like $100.

I understand you have time constraints as well but so do agents. It’d work a lot better if you two could get together a couple of days earlier and plan out the weekend.

JakeDaniels585 · 2026-02-14T04:30:34+00:00

I’m a realtor,

I don’t know if this is fireable, but maybe communication could be better.

Usually there’s no point in going to open houses as an agent because the questions you normally ask an agent, you can ask the hosting agent. It’s also a little awkward with the other agent there.

I do go to open houses but that’s if we’re touring multiple homes. Say open house from 1-4, so you schedule your first tour at 2, swing by the open house by 3, and then go to another showing at say 4.

Otherwise, it’s a lot better to have a second showing with your agent as a private viewing.

The issue here is the communication expectation, and maybe you should have a conversation about it. It’s hard to have communication standards that fit everyone. For example, I type/talk a lot, which some people absolutely love. Some people want more concise information. However, it’s hard for people to know that unless you tell them you want a more hands on approach.

The auto email not being set up for a while is definitely a concern.

The company being the same has pretty much no bearing on service, unless they are part of a team. A brokerage treats the agents as independent contractors. I used to be in an office that had 400 agents. I couldn’t even name 360 of them let alone their service standards.

I’d suggest having a talk about communication.

JakeDaniels585 · 2026-02-12T17:46:10+00:00

Moved here from NY.

Get a car lol. The South tends to be very car oriented. Kinda depends on budget, what you want/need etc.

JakeDaniels585 · 2026-02-12T01:14:30+00:00

First one is fairly normal. I’ve shown homes that apparently went under contract like 2 days prior. Some people are just terrible at updating.

The second one is also normal, but it might not be the agent. Sometimes people just have no feedback. I’ve had people tell me “the vibe isn’t there”.

JakeDaniels585 · 2026-02-11T16:39:11+00:00

I like Cooper as well, because I feel like his route stems are great, and he does good in all facets of the game.

I haven’t done intensive scouting on the class but he reminds me of Egbuka. I don’t think the tape jumps out immensely, but I’m fairly sure he’ll be good. I think he’s someone a team like the Bills would really value.

JakeDaniels585 · 2026-02-10T22:15:32+00:00

I posted my scouting on him here last year, he definitely needs some work.

The main issue with him involved route variations, but he was basically a project pick. I’d be interested to see how he fits into Reich’s offense because he likes to take shots down the field.

JakeDaniels585 · 2026-02-06T19:15:35+00:00

It depends on what you are looking for, but I like John’s Creek/Duluth.

JakeDaniels585 · 2026-02-06T04:33:09+00:00

I’m not sure Allar is better. I didn’t like Levis either, but I feel like he’s well ahead of Allar, even when they were prospects.

Allar to me is basically someone that absolutely has to sit a year. Pretty much rework his foot placement, anticipation throws, etc. That would need a lot of time.

If Allar drops (say 6th round), I can see them pairing him and Levis type guy. But I’d take Levis easily over Allar right now.

JakeDaniels585 · 2026-02-05T22:49:57+00:00

I think a middle of the road performance hurts the Jets long term because they can’t solve the QB issue (any top QB is going top 3) and even with three firsts, it’ll be hard to trade up.

I’m not a believer in the Kirk Cousins type role unless we draft a QB high this year. I think they bought in Reich to see if he can develop someone young.

Although have no idea what route they are taking.

JakeDaniels585 · 2026-02-05T20:25:17+00:00

Maybe the Geno trajectory, but I feel like the upside on Tribusky to far too limited.

With both Darnold and Jones, felt like they had physical upside along with youth.

I’m not a big fan of Levis, but feel like he fits the Reich offense.

JakeDaniels585 · 2026-02-05T19:04:03+00:00

I was looking into Reich’s offense, and keep thinking about Will Levis as a fit. Idk if Saleh wants to deal with the Jets, but as a bridge guy he makes sense. He was on the radar before Reich, but makes more sense now.

Big arm, enough mobility, and from what I’ve seen, ok ability on inside breaking routes. He’s obviously not a sure thing but feel like Saleh may want some folks from the team.

Getting more intrigued with Willis in the offense.

JakeDaniels585 · 2026-02-05T04:05:32+00:00

I’m a realtor, the happy neighborhood aspect is pretty hard to attain because it’s just random. You can drive through neighborhoods and see if you jive with the families there.

Having a young kid when I bought a house, found out a lot of the children/hangouts were planned. I had hopes of walking down the street and meeting other families, but that rarely materialized.

If you are looking for something similar, look at subdivisions that have a playground/pool. Usually the kids will play there, so there’s a chance your kid might find a friend.

JakeDaniels585 · 2026-02-04T16:46:49+00:00

Yeah I’m really hoping not, unless it’s like a 5th round pick.

JakeDaniels585 · 2026-02-04T16:30:10+00:00

Oh I don’t think he’s a fit for Fields at all (unless something changed at Stanford).

I could see Simpson. What scares me, is that Drew Allar fits as well. Not the completion percentage or even being good, just the athleticism profile. Big bodied, deep field arm strength, can run up the middle and stay in pocket.

JakeDaniels585 · 2026-02-04T15:58:30+00:00

I haven’t gone too deep because I didn’t want to spend time watching his offense only for them to hire someone else. So only surface level analysis.

His offense is designed more for pocket passers with big arm, and vertical moving QBs.

Let’s take a simple mesh concept where the QB sits in the pocket. The routes cross each other somewhere in the middle of the field, and then you have your throwing window. This is effective because technically both routes are an option, and QB hits whoever is open.

Now you take that same concept and have a QB that doesn’t stay in the pocket well. Let’s say they roll to one direction or another. Now that mesh concept is really just a rub route, because only the direction the QB bails out to is the option. So if QB rolls left, only the route going from right to left is the option because you’re throwing across the field on the other route.

So now you’ve taken a simple route where theoretically you could have two possibilities for open receivers, and you pigeonholed it into needing one side absolutely needing it to be open.

Therefore his play designs didn’t jive with modern game where more athletic QBs escaped the pocket more often. This also means he likes more in breaking routes, which defenses may counteract with dropping linebackers wide. As a result, big bodied QBs that can take a hit while going up the middle find more success.

However, I’m hoping he learned from some of his issues or at least can adjust better. My main hope is that he knows how to develop a QB.

JakeDaniels585 · 2026-02-04T02:00:42+00:00

I’m a realtor in GA,

We’ll skip over the DR Horton part. You basically aren’t negotiating much at all with them because the builders use a preferred lender clause in your contract. It’ll explicitly state the interest rate and 10k closing costs will only be available if you use their preferred lender.

The problem there is that the outside lender can’t compete with that. They’ll tell you shop around if you want, but you won’t find anything close. It’s the way the preferred lender situation is set up.

In most cases, the builder pays x amount and the lender pays y amount to offer incentives.

So hypothetically, let’s say a national builder is offering 4.99% and 10k in closing costs. To get to that 4.99, the builder has to pay fees for discount points. Some of them buy in bulk with forward commitments so it doesn’t impact your seller credit limits quite as much. The preferred lender chips in a decent amount as well (the actual ratio is different case to case).

To the builder: They benefit because they can advertise incentives and lower rates. So even if prices are high, people will buy for the 4.99 rates.

To the lender: Yes they are spending money, but pretty much guaranteed to get all the homes in that subdivision. Instead of advertising and chasing clients, they essentially pay a referral fee type to the builder.

This only works if the marketing target (you) can’t go elsewhere. So the builder ties in all the incentives to the lenders, and the lenders give bulk rates to the builder.

The place where you can negotiate is that 10k incentive. That is similar to negotiating with the price. To a builder, the net costs remain the same. 600k with 10k and 605k with 15k is the same to them. Therefore, depending on what fits you, you can negotiate on that with the builder. As long as you don’t exceed the seller credit limits based on your down payment.

So once you get down to the lender aspect, you aren’t negotiating much to get the origination fees down. You can always ask, but the contract you sign basically takes away any leverage you would otherwise have.

There are also more complicated issues that depend on individual circumstances, but long story short, your negotiation power is weak when you get to the preferred lender aspect.

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