March 1, 2008
Another Saturday at the NFL Combine
The Combine ended on Tuesday, so how is this post even relevant? I blame the NFL.
See, somehow, the NFL found out I was given a free ride to Indianapolis last week for their Combine - which apparently was a mistake or an oversight that I was granted.
When finding out about me, in typical league fashion they didn't kick me out of the RCA Dome. No, they let me stay as promised. Instead, they just gave me the ten year flu. It's not fun to fall asleep on Saturday night and not wake up again until Saturday morning. So, I had to watch the whole damn combine thing on tv just like all the other scum bags.
This is what they tell me: this is a very deep draft. It doesn't hold the top heavy talent at 1-5 that would maybe draw more attention to the class, but overall there will be some very good NFL players taken long past the second and third rounds.
At the top, everyone was talking about Darren McFadden's 4.33 forty time that came the day after I predicted his stock would continue to fall out of the top 20. I'll admit to being wrong about how others view McFadden, but given the talent at running back this year, I wouldn't touch this guy with a first round pick. Consider the body type that Rashard Mendenhall possesses at 210lbs. He ran a 4.45 forty, and had a RB best 4.18 20 yard shuttle time. Ball security problems (something McFadden has too) is really the only weakness to Mendenhall's game. His thighs are huge. He's dreamy.
Two other running backs who answered big questions at the Combine were Ray Rice and Jonathan Stewart. Both were known to be great, powerful inside runners but scouts wondered if they had the long speed to be NFL starters. Stewart ran a 4.48 and Rice ran a 4.49. Rice also placed at the top of the charts for the 20 yard shuttle and 3 cone drill. He's probably got the best lateral movements of any back in the draft, while Stewart is more of a run you over type at 225lbs. Both are guys that give you what you need at the running back position: yards after contact.
More to come as my mind becomes unjambled.
See, somehow, the NFL found out I was given a free ride to Indianapolis last week for their Combine - which apparently was a mistake or an oversight that I was granted.
When finding out about me, in typical league fashion they didn't kick me out of the RCA Dome. No, they let me stay as promised. Instead, they just gave me the ten year flu. It's not fun to fall asleep on Saturday night and not wake up again until Saturday morning. So, I had to watch the whole damn combine thing on tv just like all the other scum bags.
This is what they tell me: this is a very deep draft. It doesn't hold the top heavy talent at 1-5 that would maybe draw more attention to the class, but overall there will be some very good NFL players taken long past the second and third rounds.
At the top, everyone was talking about Darren McFadden's 4.33 forty time that came the day after I predicted his stock would continue to fall out of the top 20. I'll admit to being wrong about how others view McFadden, but given the talent at running back this year, I wouldn't touch this guy with a first round pick. Consider the body type that Rashard Mendenhall possesses at 210lbs. He ran a 4.45 forty, and had a RB best 4.18 20 yard shuttle time. Ball security problems (something McFadden has too) is really the only weakness to Mendenhall's game. His thighs are huge. He's dreamy.
Two other running backs who answered big questions at the Combine were Ray Rice and Jonathan Stewart. Both were known to be great, powerful inside runners but scouts wondered if they had the long speed to be NFL starters. Stewart ran a 4.48 and Rice ran a 4.49. Rice also placed at the top of the charts for the 20 yard shuttle and 3 cone drill. He's probably got the best lateral movements of any back in the draft, while Stewart is more of a run you over type at 225lbs. Both are guys that give you what you need at the running back position: yards after contact.
More to come as my mind becomes unjambled.