Combine Info- Great Blue North

1028 · Feb 28, 2006

March 1
(12:01 AM): NFL in turmoil as talks break off? For much of the past couple of days there was plenty of optimism around the NFL that there would in fact be a new collective bargaining agreement in place by the end of the week in time for the start of the off-season free agent signing period. Those hopes however came to naught late yesterday as talks between the league and its players? association broke off. That left both teams and players in a quandary about negotiating new contracts. Gene Upshaw, executive director of the NFL Players Association, had spent the last three days meeting in New York and Washington with commissioner Paul Tagliabue, but the NFL has acknowledged the talks have broken off and no further discussions have been scheduled. Despite the impasse, the league said it would not extend Friday's deadline for the start of free agency. If the deal is not extended, this would be the last year with a salary cap, so agents and team officials want to know how to structure contracts. For example, if there is no extension, the salary cap is expected to be about $95 million this season and annual raises after 2006 in a long-term deal would be limited to 30 percent. If the deal is extended the cap could be $10 million or more higher.
That?s a wrap? The final day of workouts at this year?s Scouting Combine in Indianapolis wrapped up with more fine times being posted as the LBs and DBs strutted their stuff. Among the LBs. for example, three players including Jon Alston of Stanford (4.40), Thomas Howard of UTEP (4.42) and rangy Brandon Johnson of Louisville (4.44) all ran under 4.5 seconds for the 40. Another half dozen or so LBs, including A.J. Hawk, arguably the top-rated LB in the draft class and one of the top 2-3 rated defensive prospects overall, clocked under 4.6 seconds. Hawk, for example, posted a solid 4.59 clocking running at 248 pounds, while Ernie Sims of Florida State clocked in at 4.5 even. Other LBs under 4.6 included Terna Nande of Miami of Ohio, Leon Williams of that ?other? Miami, James Anderson of Virginia Tech, and Clint Ingram of Oklahoma. Meanwhile, Chad Greenway of Iowa ran in the low 4.7s. OSU?s Hawk also helped solidify what is expected to be a top 10 grade when he posted the 3rd fastest ? not of the LBs but of everyone who worked out at the Combine ? time of 3.96 seconds in the short shuttle. The defensive backs also blistered the track, perhaps putting to rest once and for all the notion that the track at the Combine is slow. Indeed, Clemson CB Tye Hill ran the fastest time at this year?s Combine, clocking in at 4.30 flat, while South Carolina junior Johnathan Jackson blitzed a 4.31 and Tim Jennings of Georgia was timed in 4.32. Other DBs to run under 4.4 included Texas CB Michael Huff, Tennessee FS/CB Jason Allen, Nebraska SS Daniel Bullocks, Baylor SS Willie Andrews, and Howard CB Antoine Bethea. Meanwhile, CBs Dee Webb of Florida, Antonio Cromartie of Florida State, Texas' Cedric Griffin, Gerrick McPherson of Maryland, Richard Marshall of Fresno State, David Pittman of Northwestern State, Derrick Martin of Wyoming, Darrell Hunter of Miami of Ohio, Kelly Jennings and Devin Hester of Miami, and Abilene Christian's Danieal Manning all ran in the low-to-mid 4.4s, as did safeties Donte Whitner of Ohio State, Pat Watkins of Florida State, and Ko Simpson of South Carolina. If there was a big winner among the DBs, though it had to be Tennessee?s Allen who was a big question mark coming into the Combine after he missed the second half of the 2005 season with a nasty hip injury. In addition to running under 4.4 in the 40, Allen, who was considered a certain first-rounder prior to the injury, also posted two of the fastest times in the whole Combine in both the short shuttle and 3-cone drill. Same story for Florida State junior CB Cromartie, who missed the entire season with a torn ACL, but bounced back to post some good times yesterday in Indianapolis. And for the record, we will try and post a link to the full Combine results or post what we have ourselves to date ASAP.
No rest for the weary? The Combine was a grueling week for NFL coaches, scouts and other front office personnel peel, but they won?t be getting much of a chance to catch their breath as they are now in what is for all intents and purposes a two-month sprint to the draft. Indeed, with the Combine in the books the on-campus pro day schedule starts later today with a workout at Central Florida, while Bowling Green, with QB Omar Jacobs, Toledo, with QB Bruce Gradkowski, Boise State, with OT Daryn Colledge, and Northwestern, with DT Barry Cofield will work out on Thursday. Things really heat up on the weekend when both Miami and LSU holds pro days on Saturday. We?ll have a full list of pro days, as well as players to watch at each, will be up in the next couple of days.
What?s it all about Vinny??.. Texas QB Vince Young?s road to the 2006 draft has been nothing if not mercurial. Young, of course, launched himself into the very upper echelon of this year?s draft with a tremendous performance in the Rose Bowl as his Longhorns came from behind in the dying seconds to beat Southern California for the national title. That had folks in the know talking about Young as the potential first pick this coming April. However, word that Young had registered a very low score on an intelligence test this week rocked the NFL scouting community and had some whispering that that low score, combined with questions about Young?s mechanics and vision, could drop him out of the top 5 on April 29th. Certainly, the most anticipated pro day workout will be on March 22nd when Young finally throws for pro scouts. In the meantime, teams looking at Young will be scurrying around trying to make sense of the low Wonderlic score. Whether Young in fact scored a 6 or a 16, depending on who?s counting, certainly raises some red flags, but whether the low score in itself is enough to cause Young?s overall grade to drop significantly is another matter. Other successful players, including Hall-of-Fame QB Dan Marino, reportedly didn?t score much higher on the test than Young. As well, most NFL teams are aware that the Wonderlic is as much a reading comprehension test as it is about natural intelligence. As such, teams will do their homework and test Young in other ways; they?ll also sit him down and fire football related questions at him to see how quickly he learns football stuff. They will also spend some time talking with his past coaches. Indeed, Texas head coach, who is admittedly more than just an impartial observer, reacted angrily to the reports of Young?s original score saying: ?I know for a fact he did not make 6 on the test because I was told specifically, and I was also told the test was graded wrong the first time. So anyone that's reporting he did that poorly is wrong. The other thing I would say about Vince Young is he just had the highest passing efficiency of any quarterback in the country. We're very complicated with what we do offensively, and he's won 30 and lost two. He would have graduated next fall. Vince is very bright. I hate that people had to take a shot like that that's unfair and untrue. Also, I probably couldn't pass that test myself if I tried. I've read it, and it seems really stupid to me." End quote (as reported in the Houston Chronicle, as well as several other sources!!!)
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Just some stuff. So much for that 4.2 Hester was bragging about :breakdance:

Green Hurricane · Feb 28, 2006

I don't know if you caught it, but Devin was out there in running sneakers and baggy shorts running his 40. I have no idea what was going through his mind other than purposefully tanking it.

28rogerblaze51 · Mar 1, 2006

^huh all the players were wearing sneakers and shorts running the 40.

PRPitbull · Mar 1, 2006

oh, thats a bitch to read. thanks though

Green Hurricane · Mar 1, 2006

28rogerblaze51 said:

^huh all the players were wearing sneakers and shorts running the 40.
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They were wearing cleats for the field turf and bicycle/training shorts.

Martin&theJETS · Mar 1, 2006

who cares what the are wearing

Martin&theJETS · Mar 1, 2006

they******

Rambo13 · Mar 1, 2006

Martin&theJETS said:

they******
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Dude there's an edit button if you want to fix your mistakes...

Combine Info- Great Blue North

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Combine Info- Great Blue North

1028 Active Member

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