February 26, 2008
Some notable forty times Tuesday at cornerback and safety. Cornerback is so tightly bunched that the Combine is looming larger than ever for this group. All these times are unofficial.
Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie - 4.28
Justin King - 4.31
Leodis McKelvin - 4.35
Mike Jenkins - 4.40
Aquib Talib - 4.47
Antoine Cason - 4.49
Brandon Flowers - 4.54
Kenny Phillips - 4.55
Chevis Jackson - 4.58
Continue reading "Defensive Back Times" »
Some news and notes picked up from this morning's news ...
The always quotable Antonio Pierce is requesting a new segment in NFL Films highlight films.
"Show the highlights of all the players we beat, crying, with that stupid look on their faces, saying, 'How did we lose?"
Darren McFadden ran a 4.33 in tennis shoes.
Continue reading "Skinny Posts: Giant Schadenfreude" »
February 25, 2008
The linebackers didn't provide too many fireworks at the combine Monday. One player that stood out for the wrong reasons was LSU's Ali Highsmith. He built his second-round rep as a burner, but ran slower than 4.9 officially on both of his forty runs. His second time was over five seconds. The Combine, like politics, can sometimes be all about expectations. Highsmith fell well short Monday.
Unofficially, no one ran faster than a 4.5 forty by the NFL Network's clock.
Dustin Keller, like Greg Olsen last year, may have have secured a first-round grade with his big Combine performance. I just heard Mike Mayock say that Keller could now be the first tight end drafted. He was graded as a second-round pick on tape, and his measurables could push him up a round.
For redraft fantasy leaguers, I don't see a rookie tight end that will be worth drafting, no matter where they land. But Keller could be the top tight end pick in dynasty leagues.
There could be seven defensive linemen taken in the first round, and they are all working out at the Combine today. Some forty times ...
Cliff Avril - 4.51
Vernon Gholston - 4.67
Chris Long - 4.75
Patrick Sims - 5.06
Trevor Laws - 5.07
Sedrick Ellis - 5.21
Continue reading "DL Forty Times" »
The more I thought about it, the less I thought Darren McFadden's forty time helped him Sunday. 4.33 is flying and it certainly won't hurt him. But his primary competition, Reshard Mendenhall and Jonathan Stewart, had equally impressive days. Guys that big running sub 4.5 will push them into consideration for any team looking at a back in the top-20.
The overall depth of the running back class could also work against McFadden. I'm not saying his stock is sliding, just that teams have a lot of options this year at the position. And I don't think it's outrageous to suggest some teams would prefer the bigger backs because they may be more ready to play every down.
Continue reading "Running backs move up as a group" »
February 24, 2008
Chris Johnson ran the fastest time in ten years
Darren McFadden was expected to put up a blazing forty time, and he didn't disappoint with an official 4.33. That was good for second among running backs - who ran much faster as a group than the '06 class.
Here are the top ten times, courtesy of Reiss' Pieces.
Continue reading "McFadden doesn't disappoint" »
Yes, the forty-yard dash is overrated. But for a 185-pound speedster like Michigan wide receiver Mario Manningham, you have to play the part.
He didn't Sunday, running a 4.59 forty time. He appeared nervous and struggled to get out of the blocks the second time. As Mike Mayock said, "I didn't think he'd have any problem running a 4.45. I thought he could roll out of bed and run a sub 4.5."
The wideout position is very tough to project at this point. Manningham and DeSean Jackson are among the big names, but don't really have early first-round size. Limas Sweed doesn't have a lot of tape of him on college, but he's an imposing physical talent who ran a 4.45 Sunday and has a shot to be the first one taken.
San Diego QB Josh Johnson was a nice sleeper quarterback going into the combine. Now he could be a late second or third-round pick.
Johnson ran a blazing 4.44 forty time Sunday, faster than almost all the receivers he's throwing to. Mike Mayock says Johnson's stock has been rising since he tore up the East-West shrine game. He won't be ready to play right away, but could be a nice fit for a West Coast offense looking to develop someone. Tampa immediately comes to mind.
Surprisingly, my wife didn't feel like spending Saturday morning watching Men in tight shorts run forty-yard dashes. So I caught up on Day one of the Combine this morning before beginning to watch Sunday's skill position coverage.
In a nutshell, the big stories of the day were ...
1) Jake Long is a stud. Each year, one tackle solidifies his dominance at the Combine. After D'Brickashaw Ferguson in 2006 and Joe Thomas in 2007, Long did the trick this year. Ryan Clady has been mentioned in his same class, but Clady didn't work out. And the NFL Network guys think Clady is closer to the next group of tackles than a top five-pick like Long.
Continue reading "Day One Recap" »
January 15, 2008
Does Maroney's strong finish make him a better '08 fantasy pick?
Philip Rivers has played well enough in the playoffs to adjust my expectations for his 2008 season slightly. So who else has affected their value? I'll list some names and decide if their postseason effort mattered.
Vincent Jackson, Chargers - Here was the guy we expected to see all season. I think San Diego's maturation in the passing game has a lot to do with understanding Norv Turner's system. Jackson will be ignored after a lost year, but he still has potential to score a lot of touchdowns.
Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs, Giants - Give credit to the GIants offensive line. Everyone looks like a superstar playing behind them. (Except for Reuben Droughns). Now that Bradshaw looks like a legitimate threat, Jacobs is going to wind up sharing carries with him and possibly Derrick Ward next year. Good for the Giants, bad for Jacobs. Although maybe lesser work can keep him healthy. 15 touches-per-game and a lot of scores would keep him a RB2.
Continue reading "Playoff adjustments" »
February 27, 2007
Daymeion Hughes, Cal - Officially he ran a 4.65. Mike Mayock had him in the 4.7's. A smart, instinctive player, Hughes probably isn't explosive enough to play cornerback except in a Tampa 2 system. Deion Sanders couldn't help asking, "Are you kidding me" after a weak vertical jump.
Brandon Merriweather, Miami - A cross between Ed Reed and Sean Taylor, Merriweather is another physical safety from the U. People expected him to run under 4.49.
Reggie Nelson, Florida - His unofficial 4.53 won't help. (It was later upped to 4.48) Probably overrated by draftniks, Nelson may not necessarily be a first round pick.
I posted my new column about Combine Winners and Losers, focusing on the offense.
I mentioned the elite names like LaRon Landry, Chris Houston, and Leon Hall in the last post, but other lesser names helped themselves Tuesday. Here's a few ...
Marcus McCauley, Fresno State - He ran an unofficial 4.33 forty. After a lost senior season, the physical corner is trying to rehab his image. Belichick and his disciples will get an advanced scouting report from their former coaching cohort Pat Hill.
Continue reading "More DB Winners " »
If this Combine had a theme, it's the big players stepping up and cementing their status in the top 15 of the draft. The defensive backs look no different.
LaRon Landry, who earns the nickname "Popeye", seems like a lock for the top 10-12 picks after running a 4.35. Combo safeties like him gain in value every year.
There were some speed questions about Michigan's Leon Hall, considered by many the best corner in the draft. He put those questions to bed with a 4.39. That should help him get taken in the top 15.
Continue reading "DBs are flying " »
February 26, 2007
calling Michigan DT Alan Branch "Suge Knight." Now that would be a scary person to see on the other side of the line.
I also like when Nebraska DE Adam Carriker was nervous enough to say his name, then "Texas" as his school before realizing his mistake a few seconds later. He still had a huge showing Monday.
Mike Mayock's top linebacker Jon Beason ran an unofficial 4.64 on the first forty. Other notables include Patrick Willis with a 4.49, Buster Davis ran a 4.67, and Paul Posluszny ran a 4.67. Willis running that time as an inside linebacker is huge. Here were some of the other top and notable times from Monday's linebackers ...
Continue reading "Unofficial LB Times " »
Texas DE Brian Robison is looking like a workout warrior, tying the Combine high with a 40.5 inch vertical leap. He also ran an unofficial 4.66 forty, leading group 8 on the first run through. He could be threatening to move into the first day of the draft.
The rest of the top five of group eight unofficially...
2. Jarvis Moss - 4.68
3. Anthony Spencer - 4.73
4. Charles Johnson - 4.81
5. Quentin Moses - 4.82
Continue reading "Robi$on" »
Today is all about defense. There are 50 defensive lineman and plenty of linebackers working out today.
The first half of the linemen have run and the official top ten forty times are in.
Clemson DE Gaines Adams locked himself into the top ten with a scorching 4.64, with a 1.57 ten-yard split.. He's only 258 pounds so he will work out later as a linebacker as well. Michigan DT Alan Branch ran a 5.04 with a 1.72 ten-yard split, which is great for a 6'5, 320-pound+ player. Unofficially, the NFL Network had Georgia's DE Quentin Moses with a disappointing 4.82.
Here are the rest of the official top ten after Adams ...
Continue reading "Monday morning runs" »
February 25, 2007
Eating brunch alone, on a break from 'work', reading our baseball annual while the hipsters on each side regaled each other with tales of Saturday night, I couldn't help wondering how many of these dorky obsessed Sundays are in my future. I can imagine my boss Rick thinking, "Plenty, I hope." My wedding is about two months away, and with it, possibly something closer to balance on these gray winter days. We'll see.
Back to the men in shorts. I wrote earlier that Sidney Rice's forty time did him no favors. But this report indicates he had a great day catching the football. Perhaps the first round isn't out of reach after all. That second tier of wideouts will be fascinating to watch.
Continue reading "Rice Redux" »
I need to grab a bite to eat for a while before my brain explodes, but here were the first unofficial times from the running backs before I go. Adrian Peterson ensured himself some money today. He ran an unofficial 4.38 forty.
Other unofficial interesting running back times: Rutgers FB/RB Brian Leonard ran a 4.49, Florida State RB Lorenzo Booker was at 4.45, Antonio Pittman ran at 4.44, Notre Dame RB Darius Walker was at 4.57, and Cal product Marshawn Lynch was at 4.52. Arizona's Chris Henry was tops thus far at 4.33. Again, all the times are unofficial.
A few remaining numbers I thought were interesting this morning...
Michigan State QB Drew Stanton ran in a 4.74 unofficially. His athleticism could set him apart in his quest to be the third quarterback drafted in April.
Fresno WR Paul Williams continued a strong post-season, running a 4.44. The Patriots need a wideout and love Fresno players because of the connection to coach Pat Hill. Don't be surprised if they draft Williams or CB Marcus McCauley, another Bulldog with good size.
Continue reading "Odds and Ends" »
Not every story from the Combine can be a happy one.
South Carolina's Sidney Rice ran a 4.51 unofficially. He runs nice routes, has good body control, and has good hands and size (6'3), but there were questions about his explosiveness off the line of scrimmage. This didn't quiet those concerns at 200 pounds. He could have a hard time getting into the first round.
Clemson's Chansi Stuckey is supposed to be a vertical threat, but ran a 4.61 unofficially. He's had a poor post-season showing, including the Senior Bowl.
New Hampshire record setter David Ball dropped balls all over the place in drills.
Two players who really boosted their draft stock today were USC wideout Steve Smith and Tennessee WR Robert Meachem. Unofficially, NFL Network had Smith running a 4.37 and Meachem running a 4.36. (Update: later, NFL amended the numbers to 4.39 for Meachem and 4.44 for Smith).
Continue reading "Big day for Smith, Meachem" »
The official times from the first group of wideouts is up.
Other than Jason Hill, I think one player that helped himself was Anthony Gonzalez of Ohio State. He's a lightweight guy at 193 pounds, so 4.4 speed is important. He's also known as a very heady player who knows how to get open and fits the "possession" receiver mold. This show of long speed is proof he could be more than a slot guy in the pros.
David Clowny of Virginia Tech ran a 4.36, helping his stock.
Dawan Moore of Oklahoma just made the best catch I've ever seen at the Combine: A one handed grab running at full speed over his shoulder. He palmed the ball, squeezing it immediatley like it was a Nerf.
I'm done with morning news and going to catch up with the Combine events of the day. Some risers at receiver because of their forty times.
LSU wideout Dwayne Bowe ran in the 4.5's unofficially. He lost some weight before this week to improve his time. Bowe is one of my favorite players in the draft because he's a physical receiver with good hands. He can also block like hell, which helps a young receiver get on the field quickly.
This time seems like it won't affect Bowe's late-first round grade much either way.
Early juicy tidbits from the Combine.
Calvin Johnson surprisingly ran, and ran very well: a 4.35. 239 pounds and 4.35. He's a freak. I don't see how he gets out of the top four picks and he's a legitimate number one candidate.
Washington State's Jason Hill, one of my favorites, ran a 4.32. He has good ball skills and should be a good value in the second round.
Dwayne Jarrett reportedly didn't run because he was clocking in the mid 4.7's while training for the Combine. That won't help.
February 24, 2007
Today's linemen and tight ends was a good introduction to on-field activities at the combine. Joe Thomas solidified his top-three status. C Ryan Kalil stood out, and T Tony Ugoh showed some toughness. TE Michael Allen of Whitworth got himself noticed. Greg Olsen has been explosive is now the clear favorite to be the first tight end drafted.
Tomorrow's quarterback, running back, and wide receivers day are the main event, especially for fantasy leaguers. We'll see Adrian Peterson and Marshawn Lynch battle each other. We'll see the quarterbacks and wideouts spin it. It's no mistake the NFL is putting the most exciting Combine day on Sunday.
I'll check on some of the pressers going on the rest of the day, and the remaining action, but check back with the blog on Sunday morning. Thanks for stopping by.
Arizona State TE Zach Miller and Rutgers TE Clark Harris both ran in the 4.8's on their second forty time unofficially.
Miami TE Greg Olsen could have pushed himself into the first round by running 4.45. We'll get the official times later, but Olsen made himself some money. Olsen also made a nice grab with his hands in the first passing drill. In the second drill, his speed helped him make a great long grab.
Miami didn't have a good passing game because of their quarterbacks, which kept Olsen's numbers down in college. He had a nice vertical leap.
The second fastest tight end was DIII Michael Allen, out of Whitworth. Allen has looked great. Olsen also looked great in the gauntlet drill, while Zach Miller was all over the place.
Okay, so maybe Arkansas T Tony Ugoh isn't out for the day. He just blew the doors off the broad jump, going for 9'9. The longest jump last year was at 9'2. Wow.
Just a note about all our forty times. They are unofficial, and from the NFL Network. It was just announced that Joe Thomas actually ran a 4.92. He ensured himself some money today.
We have some draft stock affecting news! Arizona State's Zach Miller ran an unofficial 4.84 forty, which is a little disappointing for a speedy tight end type. He had a bad take-off. Of course, the hosts pointed out that Tony Gonzalez runs about a 4.8.
Greg Olsen of Miami, however, just ran an unofficial 4.47! Okay, so he can't block. But if Olsen was graded close to Miller, well, he's probably the top tight end in the draft now. He's the fastest tight end thus far and it's not close. Delaware's Ben Patrick ran an unofficial 4.74.
Arkansas tackle Tony Ugoh pulled his quadriceps and is out for the rest of the day. Dick Vermeil speculated he'll probably miss at least a few weeks of workouts.
Luckily for Ugoh, Arkansas has two pro days. The second one is April fourth.
Herbert Taylor of Texas Christian has made the interesting choice of working out in sunglasses. Indoors.
Anyhow, here's Mayock's top five tight ends...
1. Greg Olsen - Miami
2. Zach Miller - Arizona State.
3. Ben Patrick – Delaware
4. Martrez Milner – Georgia
5. Scott Chandler - Iowa
Olsen and Miller may have a chance to be drafted in the first round since this draft class at tight end is so weak. I'm not so sure. As recently as 2005, only one tight end (Heath Miller) was drafted in the top 70 picks. The talent of the draft didn't justify higher picks. There is no Heath Miller in this class from the sound of it.
Tony Ugoh from Arkansas ran a 4.99 on his second crack at the forty. Joe Thomas got his time down to 4.96 unofficially. Vermeil pointed out that Thomas was more impressive in his final 30 than his first ten, which isn't a good thing.
Either way, Thomas isn't getting past the first three picks. And the lineman are almost done with their four days at the Combine. Let's get to the speed positions!
Cal C Ryan Kalil may be the best center prospect of the last few years, even better than Nick Mangold last year. He surprisingly has added almost 15 pounds since the season ended, checking in at 296 pounds today. He still ran a speedy 4.96 forty.
NFLN's Mike Mayock and Dick Vermeil wonder why Kalil bother adding the weight. He's a technician and isn't going to play for a team that wants a mauler. Either way, he's probably a first round pick.
Mayock comes with another good scouting term: a guy that can only "play in a phone booth."
Justin Blalock from Texas and Manuel Ramirez set the bar for the weightlighting among the OL Friday, tieing with 40 reps at 225 pounds each. Forget the car show, this is why Manny's late to spring training.
The record was set by Mark Kudla last year with 45, and he wasn't drafted.
The top center in the draft, Ryan Kalil, tied with a group of players for third with 34 reps. Penn St. T Levi Brown got the bar up 31 times.
Best scouting term of the day thus far is "ankle flexion", courtesy of Dick Vermeil.
Okay, not really. Live from my apartment. But NFL Network is live covering the Scouting Combine Saturday, so we are too.
Today isn't the flashiest of the next four: OL, TE, and K's are on the field. Some higher profile players are in interviews.
Early news, courtesy of profootball.talk.com, is that Penn state tackle Levin Brown only ran a 5.39. He says that's real bad, but the average is around 5.30. And it really doesn't matter. Coaches want to know a lineman's first ten yards. Brown should be the second tackle drafted.
Texas G Justin Blalock, at 330 pounds, ran a 5.31 forty.
Likely top five pick T Joe Thomas looked quite athletic, breaking five seconds at 4.98.
February 23, 2007
If you have nothing better to do Saturday, drop by the blog for some Combine coverage. NFL Network coverage is from 11A-2P, plus a few hours of interviews after, so I'll be liveblogging while avoiding real life responsibilities.
Reading through the combine stories all week, I have been regaled with an endless supply of stories about Mike Mamula, the former B.C. and Philadelphia Eagle that is the poster boy for a "workout warrior." There is no doubt Mamula is a perfect example for this peculiar breed of human, but we all know the story by now, right? We knew it a few years ago.
I propose we find some other examples of Combine success stories gone wrong in the NFL. Just so we have some other options to hear about in these articles.
Troy Williamson comes to mind for me, although it's a little early to put dirt on his career. Anyone have any other ideas for a new Mamula?
February 22, 2007
Blurbs have been flying fast and furious on our news page the last 36 hours, and it's only going to pick up with the entire NFL at the combine.
Here are some good combine links before I get back to the news ...
Our very own Evan Silva looks at players to watch this week.
FootballOutsiders' always excellent Michael David Smith previews the week.
For Blogs at the combine with live coverage, Bills.com's Chris Brown, the Boston Globes' Reiss' Pieces, Mason's Morsels from DenverBroncos.com and Tom Kowalski's Lions blog have all been active on day one.
Scout.com also has a lot of information on their blog and an Adam Caplan blog, but I'm not sure if it's subscription only.
The NFL Network starts their live coverage of the Combine today at 2 PM. While there should be a lot of good stories and NFL rumors coming out of the media room in Indy, there isn't actually any action on television until Saturday.
Today and tomorrow will just be players being weighed and getting medical tests. NFL Network will air two hours of press conferences with the players, but you aren't missing much if you are working today.
I'm up in Stamford ready to tape a baseball and football edition of the Fix today in our new studio, so I will miss the coverage today as well. Starting Saturday and continuing until Tuesday, I'm going to try to liveblog as much of the event as possible, so check back this weekend.
February 20, 2007
All 15 meatheads who have watched each NFL Scouting Combine will be happy to know that breakout star, strength and conditioning coach John Lott, will be at the 2007 Combine.
Lott, who is far better at giving nicknames than Chris Berman, was let go by the Browns earlier this off-season. Thankfully Ken Whisenhunt and the Cardinals hired him, and he's going back to Indianapolis this week.
An interview Tuesday night on the NFL Network was pretty tame. One gets the idea that Lott doesn't feel right outside a weight room.
The network did run a good montage from last year. My favorite line was, "I see you all yoked up. Now put yer shirt on, this ain't Playgirl."
I'm going to try to liveblog the Combine as much as I can later this week and weekend.
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