NFL ArmLengthGate is the Scandal We Should All Be Talking About

Gus Stark/LSU. Getty Images.

We're not breaking new ground to say that one of the biggest storylines of this draft is Will Campbell and his allegedly short, stubby, baby arms, which supposedly make him look more like a doll Sid tortured in his backyard in Toy Story than a legit NFL left tackle. The arms which were measured at the Combine below the league's standard minimum of 33 inches. 

The ramifications of those measurements are obvious. First to Campbell himself. They could mean the difference between a high draft selection and fat contract at one of the league's most lucrative positions, or falling down the board as a hybrid tackle/guard prospect. Either way there are millions on the line for him. 

Second, and more importantly, that fraction of an inch affects me personally. Which is to say, all Patriots fans, since left tackle is now it's eighth big offseason of neglect. Or ever since the franchise Nate Solder walk in 2018 and Isaiah Wynn became an injury prone first round bust. That need remains a huge priority, which Mike Vrabel addressed this morning:

And confirmed he views Campbell as a tackle only:

Which brings us back to the measurements from the Combine, which are being called into question more every time someone takes a tape measure to these guys' arms. Not just Campbell, but all around the draft:

Source - At the NFL Combine Campbell measured in for the first time and came in under that 33-inch number at 32 5/8 inches. However, remeasuring at his pro day (with an NFL official taking the measurement) he checked in right at the 33-inch number. …

The Combine number stood for Campbell until this point because there was nothing to compare it to. For players who participated in one of the pre-draft showcase games – mainly the Senior Bowl and Shrine Bowl – there was another number. And across the board, there’s a significant gap between that number and the number from the Combine (in fact, the difference for Campbell is on the smaller side compared to some of his peers).

That’s not to say that the Combine and showcase games always match up – they don’t. But it’s usually a difference of an eighth of an inch or two in either direction. Looking at top linemen (tackles, guards, and centers) from both games this year, the differences are bigger and are off in the same direction. This is something observers started making note of well before Campbell’s second measurement in Baton Rouge on Wednesday. 

Alex Barth then provides this chart, which is nothing short of alarming:

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Here's another:

These measurements vary in degrees, but all share on common factor: They're all too short. So they're to the detriment of the player. 

Everyone makes mistakes. It's part of being human. But when the mistakes only go in one direction, that's probably not a coincidence. Or simple negligence. It's a pattern. 

It cannot be stressed enough that all these corrected numbers are not the work of the staff at these Pro Days trying to give their own prospects a boost to get them drafted higher and help recruitment. These second, longer measurements were also taken by the NFL. Begging the question, what gives? If it was just one or two players, we could maybe chalk it up to simple inaccuracy. When it's all of them? Then something else entirely is going on here. Something sinister.

You can accuse me of peddling in conspiracy theories here if you wish. That's exactly what I'd expect to hear from anyone who's in the pocket of Big Measuring Tape. And this just proves you're compromised. But in any case like this, you should always follow the money. Or ask the question Que bono? Who benefits? 

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Not shockingly, in this case it's the NFL. Highly drafted offensive tackles are expensive. Lower drafted, T-Rex-armed guards or questionable hybrid OT/OGs are much cheaper. Put those arm measurements below the magic 33-inch cutoff line, teams stay away, and you get the same talent pool entering the league for a lot less money. It's simple economics. 

And if you think the league would never fudge measurements to it's own benefit, I have some officiating crews to sell you:

And I'd like to ask you what you think of those psi numbers Roger Goodell promised us like 10 years ago. The ones where they were going to carefully and scientifically test the air pressure in the balls in all kinds of weather to prove Tom Brady did, in fact, bribe some per diem employee to make his game balls extra squishy in order to beat those pesky Colts in the 2014 AFC championship game (final score: 45-7). As I recall, the two air pressure gauges they used were different sizes, different lengths, and were consistently 0.5 psi off from one another. Which didn't prevent anyone for making the case Brady was guilty. 

So you'll have to forgive anyone in New England if they're not willing to put all their faith in the integrity of Ginger Satan's Ministry of Truth and Cultural Enlightenment to tell us the truth about anything. Not even something as important as how long it is from a guy's shoulder to the tip of his fingers. Hopefully the truth will come out and the offensive linemen of the Class of 2025 will get justice. Just don't hold your breath.