Written by Jason Askew

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Now that the combine is over we can get into some of the things we learned from the world’s most athletic job fair. Before we get into the actual performances of the athletes I wanted to talk about some of the action going on behind the scenes of the combine.

In years past the combine usually ended the week before free agency starts. Because it was so close to free agency and all the agents and team executives were in attendance, you would typically hear a ton of talk about what teams were interested in which players and you would also even actually hear rumors of some contract numbers well in advance of the official start date of the free agency.

I actually began an article about the behind the scenes negotiations and meetings that take place at the combine but I decided not to put it out. I figured there was a chance it would work like it had in years past because this year fee agency would be happening two weeks after the combine ended. Not putting the article out was a good idea because the rumors flying out of the combine this year about “x” player going to “y” teams were few and far between compared to years past.

You hear some obvious matches being thrown around but nothing like in the past when you were hearing a list of teams that were interested in a guy and those lists turned out to be very accurate. There are more names coming out this week because the franchise tagging period is over and players now know if they will be free to test the market or not.

You did see a few contracts with team’s own free agents get done during the combine but the free agent rumor mill was nothing like it usually is coming out of the event. I also want to point out that the word ‘tampering’ used to be taboo to say but was actually normal during the agent and executive encounters at the Combine. Now I think most people accept the fact that agents are meeting with teams anyway about players currently on rosters who are in need of some type of salary adjustments either at the request of the team or player, and the event gives a good opportunity for agents and team management to speak in person.

The meetings have always taken place and will always take place as long as player contracts continue to be non-guaranteed. The NFL is really a performance based system in which players will ask for raises when the play well and teams will ask for reductions when they don’t, and as those discussions take place you will have some sidebar conversations about other players that may be a fit for a team in free agency.

I heard one former GM talking on the radio and he said the conversations did happen, and even though tampering rules are in place, it was a needed event to gauge interest so no one “wasted” their time pursuing a player or team that had no interest once the free agency period began. He said the conversations were usually pretty quick and simple about most players such as “what is your interest level and what are you are you looking for”. From there it would be pretty easy to see if mutual interest existed and if what they were looking for was in the ball park of what you were willing to spend so the two sides could have more in depth conversations once the free agency period began.

I am sure those conversations took place this year also, but I think the part that was a bit different came from teams not actually giving “soft” offers because the period is so far away. The other reason is the actually salary cap number hasn’t come out from the league office yet.

Sure, people have speculated on what the salary cap number would be, but recent reports have the league and players association scrambling to move figures around so the cap number is slightly higher than first thought. If these reports are accurate teams will have even more money to spend this year and players may get a bit more than expected.

Regardless if the numbers are increased or not, I imagine two weeks is too long for teams to give agents to shop their offer around so the interest meter was still probably used. It’s likely that money was either not discussed a whole lot or agents are keeping quite more than ever before, which for some reason is something I find hard to believe.

Combine Results

As usual there were some awesome displays of athleticism on display during the NFL Combine last week. Along with the great numbers there were also some disappointing ones as well.

When looking at some the raw data from the combine keep in mind that there are certain general expectations that teams will have in their mind as bench marks for players to be successful at certain positions in the NFL. There are exceptions to every rule but teams do have some standards that aid in the ranking of players and, like I said in the combine preview, it is really important to the players from smaller schools who have good film against lesser opponents to test well. That’s the first step in letting teams know if they can handle the step up in competition.

The combine produced some outstanding performances and some that were lackluster but what is most alarming are some of the reports that are starting to surface on players who represented themselves poorly in the interview process.

If you have had some off the field issues and are a player with some character red flags, it is imperative that you show an improved level of maturity in the interview process and some players failed to do so and will without a doubt slide down some draft boards because of it.

Let’s talk about some of the answers I got from the combine.

Quarterbacks

Robert Griffin III wowed athletically as expected. He ran so effortlessly that you saw his track background oozing out of every pore. He is the type of runner who would have gotten better with every run and would have probably run faster if he was running against someone.

Out of the players I wanted to see throw, Oklahoma St. product Brandon Weeden and Arizona St. QB Brock Osweiler, only Weeden threw. He had another good showing throwing the ball. He has the arm strength you need to throw on the outside in the NFL and he is accurate when he throws it. Once again he took full advantage of his time in front of scouts.

Osweiler, on the other hand, was dealing with a mid foot sprain he suffered in his bowl game and that injury didn’t allow him to work out. I wonder how much the foot bothered him and I am curious if he used it as a cop-out not to throw, but since I will never know, I will just let it go.

You can add him with Texas A&M QB Ryan Tannehill on the list of talented QBs people are still waiting to see work out this offseason.

RBs

Before the combine, and knowing the Browns have a big need for some explosive plays, I was interested the most to see how Cincinnati RB Isaiah Pead and Oregon RB Lamichael James stacked up to Lamar Miller (Miami) and David Wilson (Virginia Tech) in the speed department. Both Pead and James finished in the top six and ahead of Wilson (4.49) but behind Miller. Pead’s time was 4.47 and James’s time was 4.45…Lamar Miller led all RBs with an official time of 4.40

I was also interested how San Diego St. RB Ronnie Hillman caught the ball. He not only looked natural catching the ball, but he also turned in 4.45 official time in the 40 yard dash, which is impressive for a RB most people consider being quicker than fast. He seems to be putting himself in place to be a nice change of pace and 3^rd down back in the league.

It was also nice to see Ohio St. RB Boom Herron have a solid showing. He only clocked a 4.66 time in the forty but his strength and agility numbers were good and he performed very well in the position drills. We all knew he wasn’t a speedster but he has a chance to make a roster and contribute when called on.

WR

The WR group really impressed during the combine. The group seemed much more explosive than in years past. There were five guys with official times in the 4.3s and another five who clocked below the 4.4 mark on at least one of the 40 yard dash attempts.

The two guys I really wanted to see times from didn’t run. Justin Blackmon (Oklahoma St.) had an injured hamstring and only performed the on field drills while South Carolina St. WR Alshon Jeffery simply chose not to do anything except get measured and go through the interview process.

I understand sometimes players do this type of thing at the direction of their agents who are either giving the player more time to work out and improve before their pro day or simply generate more buzz, but it really doesn’t sit well with most teams. It especially doesn’t sit well if the player sits and waits and doesn’t perform well in his pro day.

One player that really has an incredible size to speed ratio is Georgia Tech WR Stephen Hill. This guy measured out at 6-4 215lbs and had and official time of 4.36. He played in an in a triple option offense (running offense) in college and only had 28 catches as a senior but he averaged an eye popping 30 yards a catch.

Hill is the exact type of player that personnel people earn their money on in the NFL. How does a guy like this project into the NFL when he really only runs 2 routes in college but has explosive ability? This is the question they will have to answer. They will also take into consideration two other players that came out of this offense with similar size to speed ratios.

Those two players were Calvin Johnson and Demaryius Thomas. Both were 1^st round picks and both suffered from the lack of production in college but had incredible ability. We can’t assume Hill will have similar success but they will surely put in some time to figure it out.

OL

I really liked watching the offensive line drills during the combine. You very rarely get to see the big guys move around like that without pads. It gives you a chance to see the ones who move smoothly and bend easily.

I will get into some of my favorites when I preview the group but one who jumped off the screen watching them work out was Cordy Glenn from Georgia. For a man 6-5, 345lbs he moves extremely well. He slides his feet with ease and is quick to change directions. Some wonder if he can play left tackle or not and he probably won’t play there in the NFL, but without a doubt he could line up at RT and he will also be the second best LT on more than a few team’s rosters.

DB

There were a few players I was interested to see work out from the DB group. CBs Stephon Gilmore (South Carolina) and Trumaine Johnson (Montana) were two of them. I think Gilmore had a great work out and made himself some money at the combine. His official time in the forty yard dash was 4.40 and he looked great in the position drills.

Johnson had a solid performance but he clocked in at 4.6 in the forty so he didn’t exactly pass the speed test. He looked good in the on field work and his size will make him a highly rated CB for the teams who run a lot of zone coverage, but he is one of those players you have to make the decision on whether you want him to be an average to good CB or a potentially great safety.

I think he can be a really good ball hawking safety in the NFL. He tracks the ball extremely well and catches it when he gets there. It will be interesting to see at what position he gets drafted.

Two more players I had my eye on before the combine were safeties Mark Barron (Alabama) and Harrison Smith (Notre Dame). Barron didn’t work out because of injury but Smith had a great workout, both in the testing and the on field drills. I have always thought he was more than just a in the box safety and his performance in the drills backed up the thought.

He looked smooth and tracked the ball great. He did have 7 Ints his junior year so I am not really making a leap by saying he can be a free safety as well as a strong safety, but there are people who are saying he is only a box player….we will see.

LB

The two LBs I said I had my eye on were Nebraska LB Lavonte David and Miami LB Sean Spence. I wanted to see what they tipped the scales at because both are lighter players for the position. Both checked in over 230 which is good for both of them.

I was a bit disappointed in the strength numbers from Spence who only put up 225lbs 12 times but they both looked good during the drills. David had the better performance both on the field and in the testing but I expected that because the tape says he is the better player.

Another player who torched the combine was Boston College LB Luke Kuechly. He was bigger and more athletic than anyone had him listed at and he made everything on the field look easy. He is much more explosive than people give him credit for and should be picked pretty high in the draft.

Just to give you some numbers to back his performance up, he checked in at 6-3 242lbs and was a top 5 performer in every test while running a 4.58 in the forty….add the performance to his 532 career tackles…Pure Stud!

DL

In my combine preview I listed 3 DEs I had my eye on and the first Quinton Coples (UNC) showed he had good straight ahead speed (4.78) but struggled in the 3 cone (7.57). The only players that were slower in the 3 cone were DTs which really falls in line with his film from his senior year. He brings versatility but he is more of a base end (LDE) and would be a Richard Seymour type of 3-4 DE because he would be able to generate some pass rush from the position. I would not take him in the top 5 as a rushing RDE.

I also had my eye on Vinny Curry (Marshall) and although Curry doesn’t have great long speed (forty yard dash 4.98) he had the third best 3 cone drill showing his ability to bend and change direction fairly well. His short burst and agility combined with his top notch motor should allow him to get to the QB in the NFL.

I was also watching Cam Johnson (UVA) so I could see if his measurables were going to show the explosion I saw him play with at times in Virginia. His 40 time was decent at 4.81 but his vertical (35 inches) at 6-3 268lbs matched the explosive first step I saw on film. He had a good showing and the size to be a solid DE in the 4-3.

From the DTs I wanted to see some of the players I thought could help in a rotation and play in the nickel package and a few guys who could go later in the draft caught my eye. I will get more into those players in my position reviews.

One player you couldn’t ignore during the testing and work outs was Memphis DT Dontari Poe. This is the exact type of athlete I was referring to when I said you can turn on the TV to watch the coverage and see incredible athletes perform. Honestly, unless you have been timed and tested before, you may not be able to fully grasp how impressive his numbers are, but even if you haven’t and know some “normal” figures for size to speed ratios you can understand what it means to be 346lbs and to clock a sub 4.9 forty yard dash.

His official average of the two runs was 4.98 but he clocked a sub 4.9 in one of his two forties which is incredible for somebody his size. If the speed numbers don’t impress you, take a look at the power numbers. He tossed up 225lbs 44 times.

That is not only incredible power but that takes tremendous muscle stamina. If you get a boring moment at the gym, jump on a bench and throw 25lb weight on each side of a bench press bar (95lbs) and pump that thing out 44 times and see how that feels (if you can even do it).… then imagine that being 225lbs….that’s pretty amazing.

Sometimes as fans you get desensitized to some of the numbers that come from the combine because we hear them every year. That’s fine, but just remember that numbers like that are incredible and 99% of us could train a lifetime and never come close to being able to accomplish some of these numbers…..no matter if it is the size to speed ratios or power numbers from the bench press players like Dontari Poe are gifted and posses special brands of DNA for any human, not just as football players.

Doesn’t Match

Let’s take a quick minute to talk about some of the players who seemed to have a mismatch of film and testing. There are always a hand of players who test much better than their film would indicate and there are also players who were expected to test better based on their game tapes but end up:

Kendall Wright WR Baylor- Wright is a player many people had listed as the 2^nd or 3^rd best WR available in the 2012 draft. On tape he looks fast, elusive, and explosive. At the combine he showed solid agility, performing the 3 cone in 6.93, but in the 40 yard dash only clocked at 4.61. His stock won’t drop like a rock but it will prompt GMs to look at the film a bit more and he will have added pressure during his pro day to improve on that time.

Joe Adams WR Arkansas- Adams is another playmaking WR who looks really fast on tape and clocked a 4.55 40 yard dash. He also can be seen on tape playing with great agility and burst but didn’t break 7.0 on his cone drill which is a bit odd. I am betting he improves these numbers on his pro day because when you watch him play against SEC competition, average is the last thing he looks like. He was either slightly injured or just had a bad day.

Lennon Creer RB Louisiana St.- Creer is a player who performed excellent at the Shrine game and was invited to the Senior Bowl because of it. He performed well in both games and practice, and picked up steam as the draft process continued. He clocked in at a 4.71 and put up a 7.26 in the cone drill which are FB and not RB numbers. He didn’t look slow playing against good talent in the Senior Bowl but those numbers will make you go back and double check your report, because I don’t think he is big enough to make up for that type of lack of speed. He will need to improve at his pro day.

Leonard Johnson CB Iowa St.- If you watch Johnson play, you don’t see him getting toasted and he is good in both man and zone coverage, but he ran a 4.71 in the 40 and you can’t play CB in the NFL running like that. Most will say you can’t even play safety running that slow, so I am interested to see if he improves on that number during his pro day….if not he will be waiting a long time to hear his name called if he hears it called at all.

Marcel Jones OT Nebraska- Jones is a player whose power you don’t question too much when watching him play. He is a solid run blocker and you don’t see him get out muscled. He does have a history of injuries so maybe he is recovering from something but he only put up 225lbs 13 times and that is not going to get it done in the NFL as an offensive lineman. He will need to get much stronger to last in the league.

What’s Next

With the Combine finished the next 5 or 6 weeks will be filled with pro days and on the 13^th of March free agency starts. Pro days are similar to the work outs done at the combine but they are on college campuses.

During these pro days you will have a few different groups of players as far as what they want to accomplish during the workout. Some players will be trying to improve on their performances from the combine, and some players will rest on their testing numbers from the combine performance and only perform position drills. You will also see all the QBs that didn’t throw at the combine go through a throwing regime for scouts and executives in attendance.

The players that benefit the most from pro days are the players who didn’t get invited to the combine and are working out in front of teams for the first time ( as well as  the players who were hurt at the combine and are now healthy enough to work out) also benefit from the workouts.

With NFL free agency starting on the 13^th you will also be able to see a little bit more of a team’s  offseason plan and  guessing what direction teams will go in the early rounds of the draft will be a bit easier. Remember, I said guessing because teams make surprise picks all the time, but for all the mock draft junkies it will give them the ability to hone it a little bit better on the possibilities.

If you are interested more about pro days or are curious about when a certain school is having their pro day you can click here and go to the NFL.com listing of dates and schools.

Be on the lookout for the next article in the series soon. In that article we will go over the Browns current roster and try to find the biggest holes before free agency begins, which should help narrow my list of player profiles I’ll need to run past you.