bubba9497
February-28th-2005, 12:33 PM
Brown, Edwards impress scouts
By Todd McShay, Scouts Inc.
http://proxy.espn.go.com/nfl/draft05/columns/story?columnist=mcshay_todd&id=2001739
INDIANAPOLIS -- All the momentum Ohio State RB Maurice Clarett built by showing up in seemingly good physical condition, interviewing well and bench-pressing 225 pounds 22 times during the first two days in Indy came to a screeching halt in a 10-minute span Saturday afternoon.
Clarett ran two 40-yard dash times between the high 4.7's and the low 4.8's -- depending on which stopwatch you believe. Also puzzling was the decision not to take part in the agility and position drills. Ohio State has a notoriously fast track, and Clarett undoubtedly would have posted a faster 40 time during his pro-day workout.
Instead, he chose to run on what is considered to be a slower surface inside the RCA Dome, but sit out the drills in which he likely would have performed well. Nobody was expecting Clarett to run in the 4.4's and he wouldn't have hurt himself too badly if he ran in the low 4.6's. But running a 4.8 in front of the majority of decision makers in the NFL is downright disastrous.
In my opinion, Clarett came into this week hovering around the fourth round. With all the other alerts regarding his experience, maturity, character and durability, running in the 4.8's makes Clarett worth nothing more than a fifth-round pick, and he easily could slip to the sixth or seventh round.
The other unfortunate storyline of the weekend was Nebraska OC Richie Incognito going down with an injured right knee during pass-protection drills. The troubled center had done much in his first two days at the combine to repair a damaged reputation and put a lot of doubts to rest.
Two personnel officials said he carried himself well and explained a lot of things during his interviews. Furthermore, Incognito was putting on a show during his workout before the injury. He showed up in good shape, impressed with 29 reps on the bench press and ran both of his 40-yard dashes in the sub-4.9 range, which was the best combined time of any of the offensive linemen in attendance.
Incognito definitely improved his draft stock at the combine, but the severity of his injury, which is not yet known, will play a part in whether he can solidify a spot in the first day of the upcoming draft.
Not all news from the 2005 NFL scouting combine has been bad. In fact, there have been several players who have seized the opportunity. The most impressive performer to date was Ronnie Brown. The Auburn running back now has a slight edge in what has been a three-horse race at running back with teammate Carnell Williams and Texas' Cedric Benson.
Brown showed up in terrific shape, had a solid showing with 18 reps on the bench press and was the most fluid and explosive of the running backs in position drills. At 233 pounds, he was the fastest of the running backs with two 40-yard dash times in the low-4.4's (or high 4.3's by some scouts).
Others that have raised their draft value with strong showings at the combine include Carnell Williams, South Carolina WR Troy Williamson, USC WR Mike Williams, Washington OT Khalif Barnes, North Dakota OC Rob Hunt, Harvard QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, QB/WR Matt Jones, Hampton WR Jerome Mathis, Indiana WR Courtney Roby.
In the most impressive scene so far at this year's combine, Michigan WR Braylon Edwards elected to bench-press despite the fact that wide receivers -- along with quarterbacks, kickers and punters -- are not required to. Edwards simply walked into the designated weightlifting board room when the second group of running backs was in the middle of the lifting process and began to warm up as if he was supposed to be there. Edwards ripped off 22 reps in front of a confused, yet energetic crowd. Scouts and coaches in attendance were so impressed they gave him a raucous ovation as he departed the room, which is a rarity in this relatively subdued process.
After Edwards played the role of trailblazer, Hawaii WR Chad Owens, Cal WR Chase Lyman and former Florida State QB Adrian McPherson also decided to jump in. Owens and McPherson were extremely impressive, as Owens completed 23 reps and McPherson 22. Lyman's 16 reps didn't do much for him.
Virginia DE Chris Canty's absence Saturday has been one of the more talked about stories of the weekend. When it originally was announced that Canty was tardy because he could not fly to the event, many scouts and coaches assumed he was afraid to fly.
The real story is that Canty recently had eye surgery to repair an injury that occurred during a brawl outside of a bar while he was training in Scottsdale, Ariz. The doctor that performed the surgery told him he could not travel to Indianapolis via airplane because of the cabin pressure, so he had no choice but to take a cross-country train.
The real trouble began when his original train was delayed 14 hours. Since he was to miss one of his connections because of the delay, Canty had to get off the train at one point, take a bus to a station somewhere in Texas, then pick up another train that would take him to Chicago, where a family member was waiting to drive him to Indianapolis. Needless to say, Canty will not participate fully in Monday's defensive line workouts, but by getting here, he can at least have his "measurables" taken and interview with several teams.
In what had been a well-kept secret the past couple of weeks, LSU DE Marcus Spears had to tell NFL officials in attendance during Saturday's defensive line bench press event that he had injured his knee while training. The injury required arthroscopic surgery Feb. 17, and Spears is rehabilitating. LSU has set two pro-timing dates: March 9 and 17. Spears is hoping to be healthy enough to finish a complete workout on the second of the two. If not, he will need to schedule a private workout at a later date -- likely in early April.
By Todd McShay, Scouts Inc.
http://proxy.espn.go.com/nfl/draft05/columns/story?columnist=mcshay_todd&id=2001739
INDIANAPOLIS -- All the momentum Ohio State RB Maurice Clarett built by showing up in seemingly good physical condition, interviewing well and bench-pressing 225 pounds 22 times during the first two days in Indy came to a screeching halt in a 10-minute span Saturday afternoon.
Clarett ran two 40-yard dash times between the high 4.7's and the low 4.8's -- depending on which stopwatch you believe. Also puzzling was the decision not to take part in the agility and position drills. Ohio State has a notoriously fast track, and Clarett undoubtedly would have posted a faster 40 time during his pro-day workout.
Instead, he chose to run on what is considered to be a slower surface inside the RCA Dome, but sit out the drills in which he likely would have performed well. Nobody was expecting Clarett to run in the 4.4's and he wouldn't have hurt himself too badly if he ran in the low 4.6's. But running a 4.8 in front of the majority of decision makers in the NFL is downright disastrous.
In my opinion, Clarett came into this week hovering around the fourth round. With all the other alerts regarding his experience, maturity, character and durability, running in the 4.8's makes Clarett worth nothing more than a fifth-round pick, and he easily could slip to the sixth or seventh round.
The other unfortunate storyline of the weekend was Nebraska OC Richie Incognito going down with an injured right knee during pass-protection drills. The troubled center had done much in his first two days at the combine to repair a damaged reputation and put a lot of doubts to rest.
Two personnel officials said he carried himself well and explained a lot of things during his interviews. Furthermore, Incognito was putting on a show during his workout before the injury. He showed up in good shape, impressed with 29 reps on the bench press and ran both of his 40-yard dashes in the sub-4.9 range, which was the best combined time of any of the offensive linemen in attendance.
Incognito definitely improved his draft stock at the combine, but the severity of his injury, which is not yet known, will play a part in whether he can solidify a spot in the first day of the upcoming draft.
Not all news from the 2005 NFL scouting combine has been bad. In fact, there have been several players who have seized the opportunity. The most impressive performer to date was Ronnie Brown. The Auburn running back now has a slight edge in what has been a three-horse race at running back with teammate Carnell Williams and Texas' Cedric Benson.
Brown showed up in terrific shape, had a solid showing with 18 reps on the bench press and was the most fluid and explosive of the running backs in position drills. At 233 pounds, he was the fastest of the running backs with two 40-yard dash times in the low-4.4's (or high 4.3's by some scouts).
Others that have raised their draft value with strong showings at the combine include Carnell Williams, South Carolina WR Troy Williamson, USC WR Mike Williams, Washington OT Khalif Barnes, North Dakota OC Rob Hunt, Harvard QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, QB/WR Matt Jones, Hampton WR Jerome Mathis, Indiana WR Courtney Roby.
In the most impressive scene so far at this year's combine, Michigan WR Braylon Edwards elected to bench-press despite the fact that wide receivers -- along with quarterbacks, kickers and punters -- are not required to. Edwards simply walked into the designated weightlifting board room when the second group of running backs was in the middle of the lifting process and began to warm up as if he was supposed to be there. Edwards ripped off 22 reps in front of a confused, yet energetic crowd. Scouts and coaches in attendance were so impressed they gave him a raucous ovation as he departed the room, which is a rarity in this relatively subdued process.
After Edwards played the role of trailblazer, Hawaii WR Chad Owens, Cal WR Chase Lyman and former Florida State QB Adrian McPherson also decided to jump in. Owens and McPherson were extremely impressive, as Owens completed 23 reps and McPherson 22. Lyman's 16 reps didn't do much for him.
Virginia DE Chris Canty's absence Saturday has been one of the more talked about stories of the weekend. When it originally was announced that Canty was tardy because he could not fly to the event, many scouts and coaches assumed he was afraid to fly.
The real story is that Canty recently had eye surgery to repair an injury that occurred during a brawl outside of a bar while he was training in Scottsdale, Ariz. The doctor that performed the surgery told him he could not travel to Indianapolis via airplane because of the cabin pressure, so he had no choice but to take a cross-country train.
The real trouble began when his original train was delayed 14 hours. Since he was to miss one of his connections because of the delay, Canty had to get off the train at one point, take a bus to a station somewhere in Texas, then pick up another train that would take him to Chicago, where a family member was waiting to drive him to Indianapolis. Needless to say, Canty will not participate fully in Monday's defensive line workouts, but by getting here, he can at least have his "measurables" taken and interview with several teams.
In what had been a well-kept secret the past couple of weeks, LSU DE Marcus Spears had to tell NFL officials in attendance during Saturday's defensive line bench press event that he had injured his knee while training. The injury required arthroscopic surgery Feb. 17, and Spears is rehabilitating. LSU has set two pro-timing dates: March 9 and 17. Spears is hoping to be healthy enough to finish a complete workout on the second of the two. If not, he will need to schedule a private workout at a later date -- likely in early April.