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By Jim Corbett, USA TODAY
Anquan Boldin proved the exception to the NFL scout's rule: The Indianapolis scouting combine should only be considered one piece of the predraft evaluation puzzle.
But the Pro Bowl receiver's below-average 40-yard dash time at the 2003 combine — Boldin ran a 4.72; 4.6 seconds is considered a minimum speed for receiver prospects — proved such a disturbing result that some teams downgraded him on their draft boards. At least one club removed him from consideration as a receiver.
But the Cardinals did their homework and saw past Boldin's 40, remembering that Jerry Rice, Terrell Owens and Derrick Mason ran slow 40s only to mock the teams that downgraded them with their perennial all-pro play. Arizona drafted Boldin as a second-round steal on the premise that football is based on game speed, not timed speed.
Any talent evaluators who forget that tenet at Indianapolis this week might again have reason to kick themselves.
"The whole combine process is overrated," Boldin says. "By scouting standards, I guess my combine 40 wasn't what they were looking for. Bottom line, you just have to watch film on a player, see how he plays the game, the way that he gets after it every day. That's the one thing the combine can't test."
Boldin went on to catch a rookie-record 101 passes for 1,377 yards. He surpassed that performance with 102 catches for 1,402 yards in 2005. Last season, with running mate Larry Fitzgerald sidelined by a hamstring injury for three weeks, Boldin again surpassed 1,000 receiving yards. Boldin's tenacious, physical running style after the catch is regarded leaguewide among the best at his position.
Too bad the combine could not measure Boldin's willpower — a fact many teams will pay for in the coming seasons.
The combine has become something of a speed trap with the emergence of training programs that prepare players for the event — from how to run a faster 40 to how to take the Wonderlic test. A tenth of a second, plus or minus, in the 40 can mean millions.
Saints quarterback Drew Brees fell to the second round of the 2001 draft based on a poor combine. He overtrained to strengthen his weaknesses and failed to accentuate his most important strength — accuracy.
"I worried so much about how people were going to evaluate me from the standpoint of speed and agility, I overcompensated," Brees says. "I worked too hard on all that stuff and really didn't work as much on the throwing. So I ran a good 40 time and threw like junk.
"The thing that disappointed about that whole process is that everybody is trying to break you down and find something negative. I realized after the fact that when people were saying, 'Well, you're too short.' Just go watch the film and then come talk to me."
But like many other players, Brees learned the combine is all about measurable numbers.
"That's the part of the combine process that stinks," he says. "So much of it is heavily weighted on the tangible stuff. Tom Brady has a whole lot of intangibles."
But the tangibles will get players such as 6-5, 236-pound Georgia Tech receiver Calvin Johnson noticed.
"Running at the combine can be the difference of millions," Johnson says from the Orlando-based Tom Shaw Performance Enhancement camp. "Being the No. 1 pick would be nice, but I don't care if I go first. I just want to play and feel like I can help my team."
NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock describes Johnson as this draft's player with the fewest holes.
"He's got the ball skills of Larry Fitzgerald," Mayock says. "He catches the ball well and is able to use body control better than any big guy I've seen.
"I'm anxious to see what his speed is at the combine. I think he'll run 4.45. He blocks people. And he's got great character and work ethic. I don't think he gets out of the top five."
Quarterbacks are sure to intrigue the Raiders, who own the top pick and haven't settled on a starter. LSU's JaMarcus Russell has the arm owner Al Davis covets.
"JaMarcus Russell has more physical tools than any quarterback I've ever seen coming out," Mayock says. "He can make every throw. He's got a Nolan Ryan fastball. He's 6-6, 260 pounds and sneaky athletic. He has a pretty good feel for the game and is a pretty good decision-maker.
"The only question is his work ethic."
That's a big question considering the signing bonus Russell probably will command. Teams have invested $300 million in first-round signing bonuses over the last three years.
Quarterback Brady Quinn could be this year's Matt Leinart because he's considered the most NFL-ready quarterback in this class after being groomed by former Patriots offensive coordinator Charlie Weis at Notre Dame.
"Brady Quinn has a tremendous skill set," Mayock says. "He can make every throw. He comes out of a Charlie Weis offense, understands pass protections and where to throw the football. Plus, he has unquestioned work ethic.
"There's a quarterback dilemma building, and it starts with the Raiders."
There's another quarterback question beyond Russell vs. Quinn.
"Who's No. 3?" Mayock asks.
He mentions Michigan State's Drew Stanton, Stanford's Trent Edwards and Houston's Kevin Kolb.
"Some people would make an argument for (Ohio State's) Troy Smith," Mayock says. "An average of five, six quarterbacks are taken the first day. Whoever throws well at the combine will help determine that because each quarterback has an issue."
Safety is yet another position earning a higher premium. Oakland took Michael Huff seventh last year, and Buffalo took Donte Whitner eighth overall.
"There's an evolution going on at the safety position," Mayock says. "They're looking for guys who can play both strong and free.
"You need a guy who can cover the deep zone and who can get up and be physical in the box and tackle. Last year we had Huff and Whitner. I think there's going to be three first-round safeties: LaRon Landry from LSU, Brandon Meriweather from Miami and Michael Griffin from Texas."
But there are bound to be other impact players available, even if their combine numbers don't lead to first-round draft status.
Boldin and undrafted Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo, another combine oversight, worked out together at IMG's Bradenton, Fla., pre-combine training program in 2003. Four years later they were NFC Pro Bowl teammates hooking up for a 47-yard touchdown.
"I could tell back then he was going to be pretty good," Boldin says of Romo. "We worked out together every day down there. He came from a small school (Eastern Illinois). You just have to watch a guy play. You can't look too hard at where he comes from or his combine numbers."
In 1996, Calico put up better numbers at the combine. Calico ran a 4.34-second 40-yard dash, while Owens ran a 4.64 in 1996. Calico's vertical leap is 38 inches; ...
query.nytimes.com/gst/ fullpage.html
Anquan Boldin proved the exception to the NFL scout's rule: The Indianapolis scouting combine should only be considered one piece of the predraft evaluation puzzle.
But the Pro Bowl receiver's below-average 40-yard dash time at the 2003 combine — Boldin ran a 4.72; 4.6 seconds is considered a minimum speed for receiver prospects — proved such a disturbing result that some teams downgraded him on their draft boards. At least one club removed him from consideration as a receiver.
But the Cardinals did their homework and saw past Boldin's 40, remembering that Jerry Rice, Terrell Owens and Derrick Mason ran slow 40s only to mock the teams that downgraded them with their perennial all-pro play. Arizona drafted Boldin as a second-round steal on the premise that football is based on game speed, not timed speed.
Any talent evaluators who forget that tenet at Indianapolis this week might again have reason to kick themselves.
"The whole combine process is overrated," Boldin says. "By scouting standards, I guess my combine 40 wasn't what they were looking for. Bottom line, you just have to watch film on a player, see how he plays the game, the way that he gets after it every day. That's the one thing the combine can't test."
Boldin went on to catch a rookie-record 101 passes for 1,377 yards. He surpassed that performance with 102 catches for 1,402 yards in 2005. Last season, with running mate Larry Fitzgerald sidelined by a hamstring injury for three weeks, Boldin again surpassed 1,000 receiving yards. Boldin's tenacious, physical running style after the catch is regarded leaguewide among the best at his position.
Too bad the combine could not measure Boldin's willpower — a fact many teams will pay for in the coming seasons.
The combine has become something of a speed trap with the emergence of training programs that prepare players for the event — from how to run a faster 40 to how to take the Wonderlic test. A tenth of a second, plus or minus, in the 40 can mean millions.
Saints quarterback Drew Brees fell to the second round of the 2001 draft based on a poor combine. He overtrained to strengthen his weaknesses and failed to accentuate his most important strength — accuracy.
"I worried so much about how people were going to evaluate me from the standpoint of speed and agility, I overcompensated," Brees says. "I worked too hard on all that stuff and really didn't work as much on the throwing. So I ran a good 40 time and threw like junk.
"The thing that disappointed about that whole process is that everybody is trying to break you down and find something negative. I realized after the fact that when people were saying, 'Well, you're too short.' Just go watch the film and then come talk to me."
But like many other players, Brees learned the combine is all about measurable numbers.
"That's the part of the combine process that stinks," he says. "So much of it is heavily weighted on the tangible stuff. Tom Brady has a whole lot of intangibles."
But the tangibles will get players such as 6-5, 236-pound Georgia Tech receiver Calvin Johnson noticed.
"Running at the combine can be the difference of millions," Johnson says from the Orlando-based Tom Shaw Performance Enhancement camp. "Being the No. 1 pick would be nice, but I don't care if I go first. I just want to play and feel like I can help my team."
NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock describes Johnson as this draft's player with the fewest holes.
"He's got the ball skills of Larry Fitzgerald," Mayock says. "He catches the ball well and is able to use body control better than any big guy I've seen.
"I'm anxious to see what his speed is at the combine. I think he'll run 4.45. He blocks people. And he's got great character and work ethic. I don't think he gets out of the top five."
Quarterbacks are sure to intrigue the Raiders, who own the top pick and haven't settled on a starter. LSU's JaMarcus Russell has the arm owner Al Davis covets.
"JaMarcus Russell has more physical tools than any quarterback I've ever seen coming out," Mayock says. "He can make every throw. He's got a Nolan Ryan fastball. He's 6-6, 260 pounds and sneaky athletic. He has a pretty good feel for the game and is a pretty good decision-maker.
"The only question is his work ethic."
That's a big question considering the signing bonus Russell probably will command. Teams have invested $300 million in first-round signing bonuses over the last three years.
Quarterback Brady Quinn could be this year's Matt Leinart because he's considered the most NFL-ready quarterback in this class after being groomed by former Patriots offensive coordinator Charlie Weis at Notre Dame.
"Brady Quinn has a tremendous skill set," Mayock says. "He can make every throw. He comes out of a Charlie Weis offense, understands pass protections and where to throw the football. Plus, he has unquestioned work ethic.
"There's a quarterback dilemma building, and it starts with the Raiders."
There's another quarterback question beyond Russell vs. Quinn.
"Who's No. 3?" Mayock asks.
He mentions Michigan State's Drew Stanton, Stanford's Trent Edwards and Houston's Kevin Kolb.
"Some people would make an argument for (Ohio State's) Troy Smith," Mayock says. "An average of five, six quarterbacks are taken the first day. Whoever throws well at the combine will help determine that because each quarterback has an issue."
Safety is yet another position earning a higher premium. Oakland took Michael Huff seventh last year, and Buffalo took Donte Whitner eighth overall.
"There's an evolution going on at the safety position," Mayock says. "They're looking for guys who can play both strong and free.
"You need a guy who can cover the deep zone and who can get up and be physical in the box and tackle. Last year we had Huff and Whitner. I think there's going to be three first-round safeties: LaRon Landry from LSU, Brandon Meriweather from Miami and Michael Griffin from Texas."
But there are bound to be other impact players available, even if their combine numbers don't lead to first-round draft status.
Boldin and undrafted Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo, another combine oversight, worked out together at IMG's Bradenton, Fla., pre-combine training program in 2003. Four years later they were NFC Pro Bowl teammates hooking up for a 47-yard touchdown.
"I could tell back then he was going to be pretty good," Boldin says of Romo. "We worked out together every day down there. He came from a small school (Eastern Illinois). You just have to watch a guy play. You can't look too hard at where he comes from or his combine numbers."
In 1996, Calico put up better numbers at the combine. Calico ran a 4.34-second 40-yard dash, while Owens ran a 4.64 in 1996. Calico's vertical leap is 38 inches; ...
query.nytimes.com/gst/ fullpage.html
