I get the numbers stuff with football, especially in terms of scouting players.

I really do.

That means I get the analytics stuff. And I do. I really, truly do.

I had a long, hard time getting to that point. Now that I’m there, I’m there. I’m not moving off it. It’s not really the wave of the future because it’s already here. It’s the wave of the present. As such, to ignore it would be . . . well, ignorant.

At the same time, though, I also know that the smartest thing to do in making good judgments on what players can do, is taking the traditional football scouting and putting it together with the analytics and the numbers.

As such, I hope – I very much hope –that the Browns are using that approach as well as they look at players at this week’s scouting combine in Indianapolis.

The Browns are all in on analytics. I have to think that they’re one of the leading teams in the NFL in that respect.

Understanding that, then, I hope they don’t miss on a great player because they fail – or refuse – to appreciate how good a prospect is in terms of having a history of making plays on college football fields even though he doesn’t measure up so well in terms of analytics.

Balance, you know, is always a good thing, especially when it comes to football scouting.

Are you listening, Browns?

Steve King