Combine Starts Tomorrow

[MickeyDavis]

Good article in USA Today about how, while the Combine is interesting, performances can be misleading.

"For every Chris Johnson, who blazed the 40 in 4.24 seconds and had a sensational rookie year with the Tennessee Tians last fall, there's a Vernon Gholston, who outran defensive backs, outlifted offensive linemen and parlayed his sensational workout into the No. 6 overall draft slot - but couldn't even get on the field with the New York Jets last season".

NFL Networks has extensive coverage. Players do testing Thursday and Friday and then work out by position Saturday through Tuesday.

[MickeyDavis]

Favorite combine moment:

[PkrsBcksGphsMqt]

Haha, I actually remember watching that on tv live and couldn't believe my eyes.

[dbrodz7]

That explains a lot. He must have been sleeping when Ahmad Carroll was out there.

[notoriousTJ11]

That explains a lot. He must have been sleeping when Ahmad Carroll was out there.

Careful, he did give us Kampman and Jenkins. His drafting was nowhere as bad as his personnel moves involving cutting nate wayne hours after his bonus kicked in, giving absurd contracts to Hunt, KGB, and Joe Johnson

[Ryan5UW]

Favorite combine moment:

I don't remember the thing about Nate Wayne, but that definitely sums up his performance as GM.

[an_also]

Favorite combine moment:

LOL

[bigkurty]

Can't wait. Should give us some good stuff to talk about.

[ReasonablySober]

I'm sort of ambivalent about the Combine this year. I guess I'm really just no longer that interested in what a guy runs, jumps and lifts.

[Wade-A-Holic]

I'm sort of ambivalent about the Combine this year. I guess I'm really just no longer that interested in what a guy runs, jumps and lifts.

Agreed. If a guy does extremely well or poorly, it might affect my view of him a little bit, but for the most part the combine is just splitting hairs amongst a group of great athletes. I'd rather watch these guys play.

[El Duderino]

I'm sort of ambivalent about the Combine this year. I guess I'm really just no longer that interested in what a guy runs, jumps and lifts.

Agreed. If a guy does extremely well or poorly, it might affect my view of him a little bit, but for the most part the combine is just splitting hairs amongst a group of great athletes. I'd rather watch these guys play.

It has importance though. Look at a guy like Mario Williams, he was productive in college, but nothing crazy productive. It was his crazy size/speed that that made Houston willing to draft him first overall and it's been proven they made the right call.

For every player that gets overrated via a great combine, there are the Chris Johnson types that light it up at the combine to boost their draft stock and rightfully so.

[Ill-yasova]

I'm sort of ambivalent about the Combine this year. I guess I'm really just no longer that interested in what a guy runs, jumps and lifts.

Agreed. If a guy does extremely well or poorly, it might affect my view of him a little bit, but for the most part the combine is just splitting hairs amongst a group of great athletes. I'd rather watch these guys play.

It has importance though. Look at a guy like Mario Williams, he was productive in college, but nothing crazy productive. It was his crazy size/speed that that made Houston willing to draft him first overall and it's been proven they made the right call.

For every player that gets overrated via a great combine, there are the Chris Johnson types that light it up at the combine to boost their draft stock and rightfully so.

Rodgers Cromartie jumped up quite a bit due to the combine also.

[ReasonablySober]

I don't think Mario Williams, Rodgers-Cromartie or Johnson surprised anyone, though. Their freakish athleticism was widely known long before the combine.

[El Duderino]

I don't think Mario Williams, Rodgers-Cromartie or Johnson surprised anyone, though. Their freakish athleticism was widely known long before the combine.

But it also provides confirmation and without question the combine plays a role in some players going up on draft boards and others taking a dive. Some guys look good on film, then go to the combine and perform much worse than expected, their draft status often takes a big hit and there can be good reason for that.

[Wade-A-Holic]

It has importance though. Look at a guy like Mario Williams, he was productive in college, but nothing crazy productive. It was his crazy size/speed that that made Houston willing to draft him first overall and it's been proven they made the right call.

For every player that gets overrated via a great combine, there are the Chris Johnson types that light it up at the combine to boost their draft stock and rightfully so.

Eh, the combine might raise awareness about a guy's athleticism, but private workouts are much more important. When a team's coaches get to put a guy through their workout and see how he does there, I think that makes a much bigger impact than the combine, where you can learn only so much about a guy's ability.

I'm just saying that for me personally, it doesn't affect my evaluations of guys all that much. If a guy does something spectacular, I'll take notice, but generally combine results are blown way out of proportion.

[Ill-yasova]

I don't think Mario Williams, Rodgers-Cromartie or Johnson surprised anyone, though. Their freakish athleticism was widely known long before the combine.

To a point I agree. Rodgers-Cromartie and Johnson were small school guys who were projected to go a bit later than they ended up being taken mostly due to 40 times.

[El Duderino]

It has importance though. Look at a guy like Mario Williams, he was productive in college, but nothing crazy productive. It was his crazy size/speed that that made Houston willing to draft him first overall and it's been proven they made the right call.

For every player that gets overrated via a great combine, there are the Chris Johnson types that light it up at the combine to boost their draft stock and rightfully so.

Eh, the combine might raise awareness about a guy's athleticism, but private workouts are much more important. When a team's coaches get to put a guy through their workout and see how he does there, I think that makes a much bigger impact than the combine, where you can learn only so much about a guy's ability.

I'm just saying that for me personally, it doesn't affect my evaluations of guys all that much. If a guy does something spectacular, I'll take notice, but generally combine results are blown way out of proportion.

One nice thing for teams about the combine vs private workouts is all the players are running on the same track, whereas a player in a private workout can get inflated times by running on a faster track.

I understand what you and DB mean about putting more value on what a player does on the field, but if a guy performed quite a bit better or worse than expected at the combine i see it as both a reasonably valuable tool to put in their evaluations along with it's interesting because the odds simply are likely that it will raise or drop those players some on draft boards, which then does impact the draft.

[ReasonablySober]

I guess I think it's overrated if you're already considered an elite athlete, which most of the first rounders each season are. By the time the combine came around, everyone knew Chris Johnson and DRC were special athletes. What took people by surprise is the premium Tennessee put on Johnson's jets.

But there are guys that looked good in pads that could help their stock if they really excel in the next week. These are the guys I think I'm keeping the closest eye on:

Robert Ayers
Larry English
Paul Kruger
Patrick Chung

If they do well I think they stay where they're projected.

But if they put up eye catching numbers, you could see someone like Ayers jump into the top 20 and English go in the top 15 (maybe even to Green Bay). Chung could solidify himself as the top safety on the board if he runs and tests well.

[MikeIsGood]

Beckum had some numbers that should help him.

He had the top TE bench press (28 @ 225), and measured 6'3, 243 pounds.

Doubt he runs, especially given his injury.

[Ill-yasova]

Beckum had some numbers that should help him.

He had the top TE bench press (28 @ 225), and measured 6'3, 243 pounds.

Doubt he runs, especially given his injury.

He must have put on like 20lbs. Good for him.