Football Articles
NFL Combine Offense: WR/RB
Posted by Scipio Tex on February 22nd, 2009 under Football
Solid days for Longhorns Quan Cosby and Chris Ogbonnaya.
A fast group overall – 20 guys were sub-4.5 40 and Quan Cosby (4.48) was one of them. Are guys getting faster? No. They’re better trained and better prepared coming in. Spend six weeks training pre-combine with Michael Johnson learning technique and running theory and you’ll shave a lot of time. Many of these times won’t translate to a football field when a corner jams them off of the line or, God forbid, they’re forced to run wearing shoulder pads and run under enough control to catch a football.
That written, Quan’s run is a very good thing for him and it was in line with what he had predicted going in. That he did it at 196 was really good. Obviously, his game speed isn’t comparable to some of the guys he tested similarly to, but Quan now has a pitch that works as a 26 year old: a gutty chain mover do-everything guy wih quick schematic uptake who does all of the dirty work and can do damage in the slot. Wayne Chrebet Part II. If he can give you five good years, he’s a great investment.
You’ve been Quanned
I also suspect that Quan’s body composition, choppy steps, and toughmindedness makes him a quality bad weather player even if he never had a chance to prove it in Texas. Don’t discount that. Cleveland, Buffalo, Pittsburgh, Chicago need to know that you can play in awful conditions. A lot of “better” WRs will fold in those environments. Patrick Turner probably wouldn’t leave the locker room.
Obviously, Darius Heyward-Bey awed the combine with a 4.3 40 at 6-1 210, but it’s worth noting that some of the greatest WR times in combine history were turned in by NFL non-entities. Hayward-Bey is a track guy and his mediocre production, aversion to blocking, and inconsistent route-running are testament to that fact. He seems a sure 1st rounder, but I’d be very cautious and kick those tires several times.
I won’t bore you with numbers as there were several great physical performances that you can read for yourself and draw out for discussion, but Brian Robiskie impressed me again after seeing him first hand in the Fiesta Bowl. He’s a big guy with great hands and the polish you’d expect from a NFL coach’s son. He also runs a 4.5 40 in pads as well as shorts. I think he’s a good 2nd round value and a much better football player than several guys that tested better than he did. Kenny Britt from Rutgers is a similar kind of dude.
Ole Miss WR Mike Wallace is an intriguing physical specimen, but he showed me bad hands and a pretty rudimentary knowledge of the position in drills. He’d be an interesting project, but buyer beware.
Percy Harvin didn’t blow away the 40, but I didn’t think he would. His game is about quickness, which is spoken of interchangeably with speed, but ain’t the same. His refusal to run the route tree was revealing. Combine that with his fragility and you’ll have some NFL GMs talk themselves out of a potentially special player because he doesn’t fit perfectly into the NFL cookie cutter. If he can get with a NFL coach who will think outside of the box, I like his chances. In a traditional NFL offense, he may disappoint.
Crabtree will run at his pro day.
Maclin did fine. He’s fast in pads and at 6′ 200, he’s plenty big for the league.
A freak athlete like Titan Chris Johnson was nowhere to be found in this group.
The incredible shrinking man
Chris O shrank three inches during his college career (5-11.5 220), but his ability to run a somewhat respectable 40 (4.61) was important for his chances. I was concerned he’d drop a 4.75, frankly. He’s a tweener – not a game-breaker 3rd down back, not durable or talented enough to carry an every down load, but his hands and willingness to block are attractive. This is a commodity position and he’ll need to sell some value-added if he wants his name called on draft day.
Beanie Wells didn’t run a great 40, but that’s a distraction. He’s a pure runner, looked great physically, and he runs with a lot of agility for a big man. His primary problem is legitimate injury history and false injury history. He’s a frontrunner that will fake injuries when the tide of a game is going against him. He’s often compared to Jamal Lewis and that may be an apt comparison on a number of levels, good and bad. That would concern me as a GM. Iowa’s Shonn Greene may be the safer play and he’ll be available later in the draft.
Knowshon Moreno is, by contrast, a consistent warrior. He’s also a much better runner than his numbers suggest – he’s Walter Payton-like in his ability to make aggressive slashing cuts and punish bigger men at a run’s conclusion. I also like his hands. His pedestrian 4.6 may raise eyebrows, but I like his long term future as a durable NFL runner.
I’d avoid Mike Goodson like the plague and his presence on several top 5 RB lists proves that the experts aren’t doing their homework. He’s a human cancer and the kind of player who is just good enough to get your ass fired.
Northwestern’s Tyrell Sutton floundered. 5-8, 211 4.66 40. Injury history. Buh-bye.
Wildcard: keep your eye on Andre Brown from NC State. He had an injury plagued college career, but his physical numbers are spectacular, he’s a solid kid, and he has a good skill set. He may be worth a late draft flyer.
Wildcard
Thoughts?
Share This
26 Responses
Leave a Reply
Related Articles
-
2
NFL Combine: Offense OL/QB/TE
By Scipio Tex on February 22nd, 2009 -
34
Combine Saturday open thread
By HenryJames on February 27th, 2010 -
66
Combine Sunday Open Thread
By Patrick Bateman on February 28th, 2010 -
16
Texas players are slow footed at the combine
By HenryJames on February 29th, 2008 -
26
NFL Combine: Defense
By Scipio Tex on February 24th, 2009
Activity
-
dick commented on the blog post Barnes worst team 16 minutes ago
“Also because those other teams gave great effort almost every game. This team’s effort was questionable. Dumb and lazy, not a good combo…..”
This is what made this season so bizarre for me. This has never been a problem for Barnes’ teams. But I actually questioned this team’s heart and desire to play together
-
srr50 commented on the blog post March Madness Open Thread Part Deaux 29 minutes ago
Travis Ford spent the 2nd half channeling his inner Rick Barnes — lot’s of standing around on offense while one player tries to generate something off a ball screen — then taking a forced shot.
So the Big 12 goes 5-2 in Round One.
-
skymonkeyhorn commented on the blog post Barnes worst team 34 minutes ago
This is the worst coached team ever in Barnes era. Period.
Worst defense over the whole season,
Offense sucked big time and the bench coaching was horrible, ransom’s attitude was better then the coach’s overall this season.
Trips write up pre and post better then the game plan and O schemes.
Hell we could have -
srr50 commented on the blog post March Madness Open Thread Part Deaux 38 minutes ago
advertisers think they will probably get some deals for the additional 32 games that would be added. The feeling is that an ESPN would disount rates somewhat, since they already have a dual revenue stream — advertising dollars and subscription fees.
It’s all about content for ESPN — even mediocre content.
-
dick commented on the blog post FLV March Madness First Round Bets 39 minutes ago
a great first round of the tournament from an excitement standpoint, very mediocre from a gambling standpoint.
-
srr50 commented on the blog post March Madness Open Thread Part Deaux 55 minutes ago
Ga. Tech — last in the ACC in free throw shooting at 64% — 13 for 13 tonight.
-
srr50 commented on the blog post March Madness Open Thread Part Deaux 1 hour, 5 minutes ago
A poll of media buyers from the major agencies overhwhelmingly showed that advertisers believe that the NCAA will expand, and the tournament will join the BCS on ESPN.
-
whiskey wrote a new blog post: The week in news- Pariahs, Malcontents and Power Hour 1 hour, 7 minutes ago
In the midst of March Madness, St. Patrick’s Day, house guests, nice weather outside and a host of other distractions I still managed to come across quite a few interesting college football stories this week. Here we go.
Mike Leach and Craig James were apparently in the same room this week and nobody wrestled. Bummer. Leach
SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: ””, url: ”” });
-
srr50 commented on the blog post March Madness Open Thread Part Deaux 1 hour, 19 minutes ago
Anderson finds out what going to the paint is like when there is a big who knows how to defend the low block.
-
srr50 wrote a new blog post: March Madness Open Thread Part Deaux 1 hour, 29 minutes ago
So far on Day Two, no buzzer beaters, but there was the obligatory #12 over #5 with Cornell thumping Temple 78-65, but the Ivy League school was everyone’s “inside” pick for an upset. Still the day hasn’t come close to generating the action that Thursday had.
Today
#5 Texas A&M 69 #12 -
Patrick Bateman commented on the blog post Barnes worst team 1 hour, 54 minutes ago
I wasn’t trying to say they quit. They just didn’t play hard a lot of the time. Lazy = lack of effort. Example, our transition defense was about 75% effort and 25% stupidity. We loafed down court a lot. The kids didn’t like to lose so they would fight back,
-
Patrick Bateman commented on the blog post Barnes worst team 3 hours, 27 minutes ago
This the most disappointing team because our talent level is higher than those others.
The DGib/Buckman team was the least talented, barely, after the injury to LaMarcus and Tucker’s suspension.
Last year’s team was the hardest to watch. Just watching AJ Abrams, who I don’t hate as much as most, run around like a
-
uthookem commented on the blog post Barnes worst team 3 hours, 33 minutes ago
Agreed on Damo being my favorite Longhorn basketball player, I wish him all the best.
This was definitely the worst, by far.
-
Trips Right commented on the blog post Texas Hoops vs. Wake Forest: Post Mortem 4 hours, 46 minutes ago
Don’t have time to address each and every comment now, but I wanted to say thanks to everyone for contributing to the site this season. It’s made it a lot of fun to follow a team that’s tough to watch at times.
Also, I wanted to thank you for the kind words as
-
Hiphopopotamus commented on the blog post Big Dance: Day Two 4 hours, 47 minutes ago
And that’s all she wrote…relatively boring day so far. A&M out to a nice early lead.
SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: ””, url: ”” });
-
Art Vandelay commented on the blog post Texas Hoops vs. Wake Forest: Post Mortem 4 hours, 50 minutes ago
Trips,
Great work all year long. Love the passion. The fact that you kept writing these (even around the birth of a child), is fantastic, shows your commitment, and is a little freaky. :-)
I think you showed great restraint in this post. It would have been easier to “go off” on Barnes.
-
ghostofagroundgame commented on the blog post Barnes worst team 4 hours, 51 minutes ago
Second awesomest thing — Magnus gets his woman to go to Hooters with him.
-
Hiphopopotamus commented on the blog post Big Dance: Day Two 4 hours, 58 minutes ago
Missouri going to hang on…
Sconsin clinging to a 2 point cushion
SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: ””, url: ”” });
-
BrickHorn commented on the blog post Barnes worst team 5 hours, 11 minutes ago
Are there any women who are not skanks at any place on 1960?
-
Hiphopopotamus commented on the blog post Big Dance: Day Two 5 hours, 12 minutes ago
Make that a 1 point Wofford lead with 4+ to play…
SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: ””, url: ”” });
-
Hiphopopotamus commented on the blog post Big Dance: Day Two 5 hours, 18 minutes ago
Pitt rolling Oakland.
Purdue holds on against Siena…I missed it in my bracket, but I’m actually happy for them.
Missouri pulling away from Clemson (68-60) with 7 to play…knew I should have never bet on Oliver Purnell, even if it was against this Missouri team.
Amazingly, game of the day so far might be Wisco/Wofford – 2
SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: ””, url: ”” });
-
ghostofagroundgame commented on the blog post Barnes worst team 5 hours, 22 minutes ago
I ain’t talking about the girls Brick.
-
BrickHorn commented on the blog post Barnes worst team 5 hours, 24 minutes ago
The girls don’t wear jorts at Hooters. They dress like Richard Simmons.
-
ghostofagroundgame commented on the blog post Barnes worst team 5 hours, 27 minutes ago
That, by the way, was the best thing that’s come out of this basketball season. Knowledge of Magnus’ intimate familiarity with the service and cut-off threshold at Hooter’s as compared to BWW3. Hooter’s — worse food at a higher price than a titty bar, served with jean shorts, cheaper beer, and more stretch
-
Blake Stansbery commented on the blog post Arkansas Razorback Football Spring Practice Preview: Running Backs 5 hours, 52 minutes ago
Who thinks that one back could step up and be the go to this year?
I still think it is going to be a by committee approach, but someone could separate themselves this spring. You just never know.
SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: ””, url: ”” });
-
Nickel Rover wrote a new blog post: Barnes worst team 6 hours, 47 minutes ago
Basketball:
Texas lost to Wake Forest in the first round last night. Trips Right somehow found the inner strength to do a final post-mortem where he also prescribes a month of defensive drills for baby 2010-11 Texas basketball in order to foster its development into a team that can at least dribble towards the basket.
PeterBean was
-
Trips Right commented on the blog post Weekly Whispers 3/17/2010: Duke and Kentucky Do the Chomping 6 hours, 54 minutes ago
BigAaron, it’s what Ballerjunkie has been hearing in his circles. The information is certainly not an opinion, but what is out there at this time.
We’ll have more on a weekly basis.
SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: ””, url: ”” });
-
Patrick Bateman commented on the blog post Texas Hoops vs. Wake Forest: Post Mortem 7 hours, 9 minutes ago
BiH,
I actually agree with you. I think the charge and missing the two FTs earlier got in his head a bit. Also, he passed to Mason on the possession earlier which I didn’t think made sense. Mason had his pass knocked out of bounds, thankfully, but it seemed strange to me when
-
P.Drez commented on the blog post Champions League Draw 7 hours, 12 minutes ago
Inter got the team everyone wanted, which will more than likely set up a great semifinal against Barcelona. I believe Mourinho will be putting everything into the Champs League now, even if it means sacrificing Serie A.
SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: ””, url: ”” });
-
Sailor Ripley commented on the blog post Lucky 7 hours, 16 minutes ago
Great stuff, Ted.
Interesting discussion this has sparked about Calahan.
SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: ””, url: ”” });
dedfischer said:
February 23rd, 2009 at 5:41 am
- Good for Quan, he’s a guy that deserves a chance and a 4.48 should do it. A guy on TR compared him to Hines Ward, and the more I think about it, the more appropriate it is.
- I think Marko Mitchell from Nevada is a sleeper in this group, and he’ll probably be available in the 5th round.
- I thought Derrick Williams from Penn State was the fastest guy on the planet or something coming out of high school.
- Hakeem Nicks is another guy I was impressed with every time I saw him play, but he can’t be considered a sleeper at this point.
dedfischer said:
February 23rd, 2009 at 5:43 am
- Also, I would draft Jarrett Dillard in the 4th round and never look back.
dedfischer said:
February 23rd, 2009 at 6:10 am
- After more browsing, another big surprise to me was Ian Johnson throwing down a 4.46 at 212 lbs.
- So, you’re telling me Phil Loadholt runs a 5.54? Never would have thunk it.
Bateshorn said:
February 23rd, 2009 at 6:30 am
What’s the word on Ian Johnson on Boise St? I don’t know anything about his game, but those numbers are good in a weak year for RB’s.
dedfischer said:
February 23rd, 2009 at 6:57 am
He looks a little stiff the times I’ve seen him play, which may give him some problems in making people miss at the NFL level. I’m not exactly sure why you’re not hearing more about him. He’s strong, productive, and obviously, has better wheels than what people thought. Or, at least, me.
Bateshorn said:
February 23rd, 2009 at 7:45 am
I also agree that Jarrett Dillard is going to make some GM look like an absolute genius.
Spring Branch Horn said:
February 23rd, 2009 at 8:25 am
Dillards vertical is the best at 42.5
he is more than fast enough
hot stove steve said:
February 23rd, 2009 at 9:40 am
Scip, 2 things:
What’s your take on Pettigrew’s 4.89? I always considered him a gamer, and think he’s too good of a combo blocker/pass catcher to let slide.
Nebraska’s Lydon Murtha is having a good combine workout, and is supposedly shooting up draft boards. How was his actual play in B12 competition?
dedfischer said:
February 23rd, 2009 at 9:51 am
I thought Murtha was a pretty solid guard, but was more impressed with his counterpart, Keith Williams, in respect to performance.
dedfischer said:
February 23rd, 2009 at 9:55 am
Orakpo (4.70) and Stryker Sulak (4.77 and measured a little over 6′4.4″) a seem to be helping themselves. Brandon Williams not so much, measured 6′2.4″ and posted a 4.9.
coach Callahan said:
February 23rd, 2009 at 10:11 am
Murtha played tackle at NU
dedfischer said:
February 23rd, 2009 at 10:17 am
Maybe that’s why I don’t remember him. Your other guard was pretty solid and I thought his name was Slauson.
Scipio Tex said:
February 23rd, 2009 at 10:21 am
hot stove:
My take on Pettigrew is under the post labeled combine TEs.
Murtha played fine, but he was hardly dominating.
ded:
Slauson was the OG opposite Keith Williams.
I love Jarrett Dillard. I think he’s a steal in the later rounds.
dedfischer said:
February 23rd, 2009 at 10:57 am
Aaron Maybin just fucked himself.
dedfischer said:
February 23rd, 2009 at 10:59 am
On the other hand, Roy Miller just made a lot more money. 4.97, nice.
HenryJames said:
February 23rd, 2009 at 11:00 am
Moreso than Michael Bennett?
dedfischer said:
February 23rd, 2009 at 11:04 am
I wasn’t expecting Bennett to be fast. He didn’t sack anyone in college. The Wrecking Crew has been reduced to 11 guys wielding a ballpin hammer.
But WTF Do I Know? said:
February 23rd, 2009 at 11:19 am
- So, you’re telling me Phil Loadholt runs a 5.54? Never would have thunk it.
Well, to get a more accurate game simulation time, they should have Orakpo run the 40 and have Loadholt hanging from his jersey. Then he’d run a 5.1
Parlin Hall said:
February 23rd, 2009 at 11:42 am
“He’s a human cancer and the kind of player who is just good enough to get your ass fired.”
We need to know where you actually stand on this guy.
dedfischer said:
February 23rd, 2009 at 11:46 am
Dude, Aaron Curry, 4.56.
dedfischer said:
February 23rd, 2009 at 11:48 am
I would take Jasper Brinkley over Laurinitis or Maualuga. Or even Jason Phillips.
dick said:
February 23rd, 2009 at 12:20 pm
“- I thought Derrick Williams from Penn State was the fastest guy on the planet or something coming out of high school.”
it has been scientifically proven that playing in the Big 10 actually makes you slower
Bateshorn said:
February 24th, 2009 at 7:02 am
Too bad for Derrick William. Science has also proven that while you will be modestly productive at the University of Maryland and play for the most hit or miss football team in college, you will run a jaw dropping time at the combine and make an a$$load of money.
Bateshorn said:
February 24th, 2009 at 7:09 am
Aaron Curry is going to greatly benefit from the fact that about a dozen teams are kicking the crap out of themselves for passing on Patrick Willis a few years ago.
Bateshorn said:
February 24th, 2009 at 7:11 am
Sorry, Half Dozen.
coach Callahan said:
February 24th, 2009 at 9:22 am
Slauson and Murtha both played on the right side of the line. I’m sorta amazed that Slauson at 316 pounds had a 34 inch vertical and a 9′2 broad jump…that’s some explosive legs.