General manager Ryan Pace will lead a contingent of about 75 Bears staffers to Indianapolis this week for the NFL Scouting Combine.
More than 330 of the nation's top draft-eligible college players will be poked, prodded, timed, weighed and interviewed at the annual event, which runs through next Monday at Lucas Oil Stadium.
The Bears will be well-represented at the seven-day gathering, with Pace being joined by head coach Matt Nagy; assistant coaches; staffers from the college scouting, pro personnel and video departments; and doctors, trainers and strength coaches.
The NFL prospects will participate in position drills and be timed in the 40-yard dash, three-cone drill and shuttle run; tested in the vertical jump and broad jump; and asked to bench-press 225 pounds as many times as they can.
Medical examinations remain a key aspect of the Combine. Players who have suffered injuries in college typically are sent to a nearby hospital for an X-ray, and those who've had surgery are usually asked to undergo an MRI test.
The players also will be administered the Wonderlic test, an exam of problem-solving ability that measures intelligence. They'll have 12 minutes to answer 50 questions. One of the questions might ask: "The words 'benevolent' and 'magnanimous' have what type of meanings: Similar, contradictory or unrelated?
There will be several major changes at this year's Combine. The on-field drills will move from morning and afternoon to afternoon and prime-time in an attempt to attract a larger television audience.
With drills shifting into evening hours, the number of players that teams can formally interview will decrease from 60 to 45, though the interviews will increase from 15 to 18 minutes. For the first time this year, the team interviews will be conducted in suites at Lucas Oil Stadium instead of a downtown hotel.
According to NFL.com, 16 new drills will be introduced in the position-specific workouts, while 10 drills from previous years will be eliminated. One new drill will be a 10-yard end zone fade route to the back corner pylon. One that will be eliminated will be a toe-tap drill for pass receivers.
A total of 337 prospects have been invited to the Combine: 17 quarterbacks, 30 running backs, 55 receivers, 20 tight ends, 52 offensive linemen, 46 defensive linemen, 44 linebackers, 61 defensive backs and 12 specialists.
The players are expected to participate in on-field drills as follows: Quarterbacks, receivers and tight ends Thursday; running backs, offensive linemen and specialists Friday; defensive linemen and linebackers Saturday; and defensive backs Sunday.
The prospects are scheduled to be available for media interviews from 8-11 a.m. (ET) daily with quarterbacks, receivers and tight ends Tuesday; running backs, offensive linemen and specialists Wednesday; defensive linemen and linebackers Thursday; and defensive backs Friday.
Beginning Tuesday when Pace and Nagy are scheduled to speak to the media, ChicagoBears.com will provide complete coverage of the Combine via articles, videos and photo galleries.
