Let’s Get Physicals

Right now, in a hotel room in Indianapolis, Al Davis is sweating bullets accompanied by a grin reminiscent of the Joker. But he’s not sweating out of fear or exhaustion, even though walking from his bed to the mini-bar very well may have tired the old man out, but in sheer excitement over the week ahead. Yes, the Super Bowl is over and the next important date on the NFL calendar is now upon us: the NFL Scouting Combine, otherwise known as Al Davis’ personal menagerie of miscues.

Every year in the middle of February, Davis wakes up excited to ogle the newest products off of the college football assembly line and dream of the possibilities. Always out for the fastest guy in shorts or the quarterback with the cannon arm, Davis relishes the opportunity to be in the presence of world class athletes who in April he will gladly take higher than anyone else ever would have even dared, both to be different and send shockwaves through Radio City Music Hall and also because there are three things that Davis loves more than snazzy track suits: speed, big arms, and speed.  And there is no better place to see all of that on display than at the Combine? I mean, instead of looking at the three or four years of game film, why not eschew all of those meaningless games and just watch a guy run and jump and bench in shorts and a t-shirt?

Okay, so enough of picking on Davis, probably the most illogical owner/GM in all of sports (had to get in just one more).  My main point is that the annual scouting combine is a little bit ridiculous and way too overvalued by some. A guy that had a mediocre college career but wows scouts and coaches with his workout all of a sudden shoots up draft boards and becomes a top draft pick only to become a bust in the pros is a way too common occurrence (Mike Mamula, Vernon Gholston, Darius Heyward-Bey) and the teams have no one to blame but themselves. In this regard, Al Davis is far from alone. It is also disturbing to see the opposite happen, where a kid who was extremely productive in college but maybe was a split second slower than scouts had hoped or a benched a few less reps than they thought get passed over again and again, tumbling down the draft before finally being picked up by a team that valued tape over times. Again, Davis is not the only one at fault here.

As scary as it seems, Davis isn't the only one who gets infatuated with stopwatches.

But it does have its perks and can be a useful tool to franchises that happen to be stuck when setting up their draft boards. Perhaps they have two guys in a virtual dead-heat and cannot decide who to rank higher; the 40 times and strength tests could act as a tie-breaker. Maybe a player who feasted on weaker competition intrigues and they want to see how he stacks up against more established players from larger conferences and brand-name schools. It is also extremely important for players who suffered a major injury, or happened to get suspended, and missed significant amounts of time in their final collegiate season to prove that they are fully healed and back to their previous form and ready to make an impact at the next level. And, of course, conducting personal interviews to gauge a player’s character and their football acumen are extremely important as well.

So while the teams’ tendencies to overvalue certain aspects of the process will continue to pervade their preparations for the draft and ruin more than a few team’s foreseeable futures, those who enter Lucas Oil Stadium with a clear head and a focused agenda will be better prepared for the surprises and disappointments that surely await in Indy.

So with that in mind, I thought I’d give you a little primer for the week-long workout, and the official start of draft season, by giving you a list of guys who stand to benefit from the most important job interview of their life. That is, of course, unless they fall flat on their face and consequently down draft boards as well.

Jason Pierre-Paul. Nobody has shot up draft boards quicker than Pierre-Paul. Everyone is infatuated with the South Florida defensive end’s athleticism even though the guy who lined up on the opposite side of him in college, Geroge Selvie, was way more productive. But if he has the combine everyone is expecting, his lofty status will only be confirmed in the minds of scouts. He may turn out to be stud, but smells a little too much like the Gholston situation all over again.

Tim Tebow. I’ve already detailed my opinion of Tebow’s prospects so I won’t get into it again here. But what definitely cannot be disputed is that he has a lot to prove physically at the combine this week because we already know he’ll knock ‘em dead in the interview room. What has made his workout even more interesting is that he has apparently tweaked his delivery, attempting to shorten it and make it more appealing to NFL teams. We’ll see how it works out in the coming days. (UPDATE: apparently Tebow won’t be throwing until his pro day, but his workout should still be interesting nonetheless.)

There's no doubt about Bryant can do on the field, it's what he does off it that is cause for concern.

Dez Bryant. The former Oklahoma State Cowboy is probably the most physically gifted receiver in the draft and will likely be the first one off the board if all goes according to plan. But remember, he was suspended for the last nine games of the season for his undisclosed interactions with Deion Sanders. It’s a stupid rule in the first place, but a rule nonetheless and one that he just so happened to break so team’s will have to judge his sincerity and his true character before they’ll be willing to spend a high (likely top-10) choice on him.

LeGarrette Blount. Blount was one of the top running back prospects entering the 2009 season, but that was before he decided to level Boise State’s Byron Hout after his Oregon Ducks dropped their season opener in Boise. He was reprimanded rather harshly, suspended for the rest of the season before being reinstated before their regular season finale. He ran hard at the Senior Bowl, but he still has a lot to prove. The combine will provide him with just the opportunity to do so.

Taylor Mays. Quite possibly the best combination of size and speed in the draft, Mays is that rare freak athlete that teams drool over and if he would have left after his junior season may have been a top 10 pick. But he suffered a setback in his senior season and allowed a lot of big plays and his Senior Bowl performance left a lot to be desired, both of which should cause some worry to teams considering the USC safety in the first half of the first round. But if he can go out and run a 4.3 like expected and leave scouts in awe of his pure athletic ability, he could make them forget about his missteps and take a chance on a guy who is lightning fast and hits like a truck.

By driving drunk, Dunlap has put questions about his character at the forefront.

Carlos Dunlap. Dunlap’s a beast. His freakish talent off the edge was a big reason Florida had one of the best and most feared defenses in the country last year. But his DUI before the Sugar Bowl and suspension that ensued have to give teams pause when thinking about Dunlap in the first round. He shouldn’t worry about the workout portion and unless he bombs the interview process his talent should win out.

Jermaine Gresham. By far the most talented tight end prospect in this year’s draft, the former Oklahoma Sooner has to show scouts that he is fully recovered from the ACL injury that kept him out all of last season.

Jahvid Best. The California product is one of the more dynamic running back’s in this year’s class, but his horrific concussion late in the year has a lot of teams wondering, pardon the pun, where his head’s at. This will be very tough to gauge at a workout, but through extensive interviews teams should be able to tell if he is ready to return to the field at the high level he played at prior to falling on his head. Also will be interesting to see him run and how he matches up with Clemson’s CJ Spiller, the consensus top back in the draft.

Toby Gerhart. If anyone is in need of a decent 40 time at the draft it’s the former Stanford Cardinal running back. Already saddled with being a white running back and the negativity that comes with it, Gerhart has to prove that he is fast enough to be effective at the next level.

Edwards is entertaining to watch, but does he have what it takes to be just as entertaining on Sundays?

Armanti Edwards. The do-it-all quarterback from Appalachian State won the Football Championship Subdivision player of the year award twice, but probably doesn’t project to the NFL as a quarterback unless a team is willing to take a chance on him like the Dolphins did with Pat White. More in the Josh Cribbs mold, it will be interesting to see Edwards work out as a receiver and to see if he possesses the talent to be successful as a pass catcher or returner in the NFL.

Javier Arenas. Arenas did nothing but make plays at Alabama all throughout his career as a cornerback and returner. He’s electric with the ball in his hands and is a threat to take it to the house every time he touches it, whether through an interception or a kick. But for some reason a lot of teams think his height is a big detraction. But 5’9” corners have been successful in the past and he should be at least a nickel guy at the next level and could have a huge impact on special teams. If he jumps well and runs an impressive 40 time, he could remind everyone of exactly how productive he was with the Crimson Tide.

Myron Rolle. Remember this guy? Before Rolle decided to take a year off to pursue his academic dreams at Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar, the Florida State and Hun School of Princeton alum (Sean’s alma mater) has to prove to scouts that he is back to his 2008 form that had him as a third team All-American. More than that though is he also has to prove that his heart is in the game and that he is fully rededicating himself to the sport. Will he retire at a very young age because his future is extremely bright after his career is over or will he put his heart and soul back into it? All very interesting questions that a lot of teams would like to know the answers to.

If you have nothing better to do with your life over the next week, you could play the role of a scout yourself, pull out the old stopwatch that you haven’t used since high school and watch all of the workouts yourself on the NFL network (here’s a schedule of events and who will be working out when). If you’re like me, you probably can’t wait for this year’s Andre Smith run the 40 topless. What a sight that was. Let’s hope this year’s highlight is a little more aesthetically pleasing.