OT: NFL Combine
A topic squarely in the 'general what have you' category:
Michael Crabtree abruptly discovers hairline fracture giving him an injury that will still be hampering him beyond draft day. Andre Smith goes MIA, ducking out early to go home and start working out with a new trainer.
Legit happenings....or crafty subterfuge to dodge the Lions and the number one pick.
Discuss.
February 21st, 2009 at 6:30 PM ^
I read "subterfuge" as "superfudge."
February 21st, 2009 at 6:34 PM ^
"superfudge" you speak of.
February 21st, 2009 at 6:43 PM ^
I don't know; I think it's a kids' book. There was an episode of Family Guy where Brian finds President Bush hiding out in a treehouse, and the president tells him, "Go away; I'm reading Superfudge. Don't make me do stuff."
February 21st, 2009 at 6:52 PM ^
I remember reading Superfudge when I was younger.
February 22nd, 2009 at 1:07 PM ^
Yep, it's the sequel to Tales of a Fourth-Grade Nothing.
February 21st, 2009 at 7:17 PM ^
Mackinac Island has super fudge.
February 21st, 2009 at 7:50 PM ^
You're confusing superfudge with überfudge.
February 21st, 2009 at 8:33 PM ^
im saying crabtree knows his 4.6 time will look bad next to 4.35 you are going to see from some of the others..
im saying Andre smith might have been told to stay away, can you say something in your system that will show up? drugs im thinking..
both gave away millions today..
February 21st, 2009 at 8:54 PM ^
perhaps there was some wrongdoing by Smith but you can't fault Crabtree for 'giving away' millions because he needs surgery. Also, IMO i think the combine is a lot of horseshit. Even if Crabtree did run a 4.5, 4.6 does that make him a worse football player? He looked pretty good the last few years catching almost everything thrown his way and running crisp routes. He was a consensus AA the last 2 years and the Biletnikoff winner last year. He's legit.
February 21st, 2009 at 9:15 PM ^
anything about crabtree not being great, but the numnbers they run in the combine are so so important... like nfl coaches say, its the biggest job interview of your life... crabtree refused to run BEFORE he reported being hurt, in otherwords he was never planning on running... he could have had that strees fracture all year.. that might be the reason he didnt want to run... every year you see a lot of the big recievers not wanting to run at the combine, where they are there next to all the fast smaller ones.. cant really blame him for it. i agree with you, im just saying that it hurts his draft status...
doesnt really matter what either of us think of the combine... it is more important than season statistics to nfl coaches...
February 21st, 2009 at 9:32 PM ^
yeah i guess that's the part that i don't understand. the part about your combine performance outweighing what you've actually shown to do on the field. Doesn't seem to make much sense.
February 21st, 2009 at 9:39 PM ^
NFL coaches have the biggest egos. They think if they guy has the measurables, they can turn any guy into whatever they want.
February 21st, 2009 at 9:54 PM ^
it is what it is...
and more time than not, at the end of the day, their combine numbers is what makes them the millions... look at long, his combine numbers his what made him the first round pick... not that his career didnt, but he had the coaches nuts in the combine..
one reason is becasue, just like highschool recruits... competition, technique taught, system player, etc can all have an impact on a players success or lack of. but at the combine, its a controlled enviornment, with coaches getting to see exactly what they want to see about each player...
the same reason why highschool combines mean more to highschool star rankings than their on the field performances...
February 21st, 2009 at 9:41 PM ^
I forgot who said this, but if the combine's events translated to the NFL in a meaningful way, then the NFL would be filled with personal trainers.
Sure, I know there is something to be said about the motivation for kids who show up out of shape or otherwise ill-prepared for the combine, and there are some players (looking at you, Tebow and Crouch) who will dominate college but then struggle in the pros because of some physical/skill limitations; but I hope that what some of these players did on the field for 3-4 years still means something compared to a no-technique CB with 4.3 speed.
February 24th, 2009 at 12:50 PM ^
Mike Hart agrees.
February 24th, 2009 at 1:32 PM ^
This is somewhat ridiculous.
In order to get INVITED to the combine, you have to do something on the field. If you don't accomplish on-field success, you're not invited.
So some people get cut (or knocked down the draft board).
When you get to the combine, you better be in shape.
If you're too fat or too light, you get cut (or knocked down the draft board).
If you're too slow, the draft board gets pared down even farther.
If you can't catch, see above.
If you can't throw, see above.
Everyone makes out the combine to be ridiculous, but if it was actually useless, the NFL wouldn't send so many scouts and GM's and put so many resources into it. So it must be of some use.
Now, it might be overrated, but you can't tell me that judging a player's strength, speed, agility, intelligence, throwing accuracy, etc. is a bad way for an NFL scout/general manager to spend his time. It's only a part of the equation, but IT'S A PART OF THE EQUATION.
February 24th, 2009 at 1:48 PM ^
How often do players stink it up at the combine, but blow up in the pros? Can anyone think of specific players?
February 24th, 2009 at 8:00 PM ^
Terrell Suggs
February 25th, 2009 at 6:36 PM ^
Jerry Rice ran a 4.71 forty.
February 22nd, 2009 at 9:42 AM ^
Here's something else that happened at the combine...
INDIANAPOLIS – The Michigan-Ohio State rivalry rages even at the NFL scouting combine.
Michigan defensive tackle Terrance Taylor was asked today how hard it was to lose offensive lineman Justin Boren, who transferred to Ohio State.
“Justin Boren?” Taylor said. “It was easy if he wanted to go to Ohio State.”
The reporter rephrased the question, asking about losing a teammate, “your brother,” to a rival.
“He ain’t my brother if he transfers to Ohio State,” Taylor said. “I’m a Michigan man. Nah. He made his choice. He’s a good player. He’s my friend. But brother? No.
“Tim Jamison’s my brother, guys who stayed. Those who stay will be champions. He didn’t stay. I’m a Michigan man. He’s a Buckeye.”
February 22nd, 2009 at 10:43 AM ^
That's a legit statement.
February 23rd, 2009 at 1:38 PM ^
Good for you Terrance.
February 22nd, 2009 at 10:52 AM ^
Not for the next twenty years. Not after the Millen fiasco. Not even if it makes sense.
I do hope they start drafting some linemen.
February 23rd, 2009 at 1:46 PM ^
Aaron Curry will be the number one overall pick in the draft. That kid is a freak of nature. Even the Lions couldn't screw this pick up.
(Closes eyes and prays to god that Mayhew reads this)
February 25th, 2009 at 12:28 AM ^
All signs point to Curry right now. With Sims in the middle they could have a nice LB corp. Wonder what position they will look to take with the 20th pick.
February 25th, 2009 at 5:29 PM ^
I would be cool with Aaron Curry at #1. I think they should go O-line with #20 and Josh Freeman with the first pick in the second round. ALL DEFENSE for the rest of the picks, DL's and DB's.
February 23rd, 2009 at 3:42 PM ^
The Lions need everything, so they need linemen on both sides.
February 24th, 2009 at 5:17 PM ^
Trent's numbers are in: 4.53 40.
One of the fastest guys on the team last year can't break 4.5. WHERE'S OUR SEC SPEED!???!?!!?!?1?
Oh, right, trying to qualify academically. =(.
February 24th, 2009 at 5:33 PM ^
Pat White was apparently one of the better QB's, and he's bulked up to close to 200 pounds. Kudos to you PW, good luck in the pros, and fuck you to all those scouts who told him to play receiver.
February 24th, 2009 at 5:45 PM ^
You might want to save that comment until he's actually playing QB in the pros. Most still think he'll be a receiver.
February 24th, 2009 at 7:07 PM ^
The NFL Network people said Pat White was the best of the Qb's who threw the ball and really helped himself.
February 24th, 2009 at 7:11 PM ^
They also said that Matthew Stafford has "a nice little body on him" so, yeah.
http://www.nfl.com/combine/videos/topperformers#page:1/video:09000d5d80…
February 24th, 2009 at 7:22 PM ^
That's true but Mike Mayock(sp.) does a pretty good job.
February 24th, 2009 at 7:48 PM ^
I also heard he performed fairly well at the combine. However, there are still a number of QBs who will most likely be drafted ahead of him, and this is a pretty thin draft class at QB.
February 24th, 2009 at 8:27 PM ^
Actually, they're not necessarily saying he'll be a receiver:
http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/blog/dr_saturday/post/Pat-White-i…
February 25th, 2009 at 2:37 PM ^
I have to say, it seems congratulations are in order for Morgan Trent.
"HELPED: Morgan Trent/Michigan -- Bettering the expectations placed upon you by NFL scouts is part of the game at the combine and Trent did a complete job of that on the final day. He was faster, stronger and more athletic than scouts ever thought. The feeling is Trent can play either cornerback or safety, a versatility you cannot place a price on in the age of salary cap football. Trent was a fringe top 100 choice after the season but his Senior Bowl and combine performances have pushed him into the draft's initial 60 picks."
"Morgan Trent may have moved into the second round with his combine performance."
February 25th, 2009 at 6:38 PM ^
I'm happy that NFL scouts just ignore technique.
February 25th, 2009 at 7:02 PM ^
I'm happy you're not an NFL scout.