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Combine wrap, volume III 
February 23, 2008 5:48 PM
Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando
Testing results piled up late in the afternoon as offensive linemen and tight ends completed their workouts and began heading home from the combine.
The combine scene became more crowded as additional waves of players arrived. Quarterbacks, receivers and running backs began working out with bench-press tests. They also took Wonderlic exams. Defensive linemen and linebackers submitted to drug testing and medical exams after arriving Friday. The final two groups, consisting of defensive backs, arrived for check-in today as the first few groups were finishing up.
The NFL provided the following information on the offensive linemen and tight ends who posted the best results in the 3-cone drill, 60-yard shuttle, vertical jump, broad jump and bench press:
3-cone leaders among offensive linemen
Michael Gibson of Cal (7.21), Steven Justice of Wake Forest (7.4), Jake Long of Michigan (7.44), Donald Thomas of Connecticut (7.45), Cody Wallace of Texas A&M (7.45), Corey Clark of Texas A&M (7.47), Andrew Radovich of USC (7.47), Mike Pollak of Arizona State (7.49), Breno Giacomini of Louisville (7.56), Duane Brown of Virginia Tech (7.58), Mike McGlynn of Pitt (7.58) and Jameson Richard of Buffalo (7.58).
3-cone leaders among tight ends
Derek Fine of Kansas (6.8), Dustin Keller of Purdue (6.88), Gary Barnidge of Louisville (6.92), Joseph Haynos of Maryland (6.92), Jacob Tamme of Kentucky (6.99), Craig Stevens of Cal (7.07), Michael Santi of Virginia (7.08).
60-yard shuttle leaders among tight ends
Gary Barnidge of Louisville (11.29), Jacob Tamme of Kentucky (11.51), John Carlson of Notre Dame (11.59), Derek Fine of Kansas (11.59), Dustin Keller of Purdue (11.74) and Craig Stevens of Cal (11.78).
Vertical-jump leaders among offensive linemen
Cody Wallace of Texas A&M (30 1/2), John Sullivan of Notre Dame (30), Heath Benedict of Newberry (28.5), Chad Rinehart of Northern Iowa (28.5), Duane Brown of Virginia Tech (27 1/2), Jake Long of Michigan (27.5), Michael Gibson of Cal (27), Demetrius Bell of Northwestern State (26 1/2), Jameson Richard of Buffalo (26.5) and Jeremy Zuttah of Rutgers (26.5).
Vertical-jump leaders among tight ends
Dustin Keller of Purdue (38), Michael Santi of Virginia (36), Martellus Bennett of Texas A&M (34), Brad Cottam of Tennessee (33), Gary Barnidge of Louisville (31), John Carlson of Notre Dame (30 1/2), Joseph Haynos of Maryland (30 1/2) and Jacob Tamme of Kentucky (30).
Broad-jump leaders among offensive linemen
Cody Wallace of Texas A&M (9 feet, 5 inches), Tyler Polumbus of Colorado (9-4), Branden Albert of Virginia (9-3), Heath Benedict of Newberry (9-2), Michael Gibson of Cal (9-2), Mike Pollak of Arizona State (9-2), Demetrius Bell of Northwestern State (9-1), Carl Nicks of Nebraska (9-1), Breno Giacomini of Louisville (9-0), John Greco of Toledo (9-0), Chilo Rachal of USC (9-0) and Andrew Radovich of USC (9-0).
Broad-jump leaders among tight ends
Dustin Keller of Purdue (10-11), Joseph Haynos of Maryland (10-3), Michael Santi of Virginia (10-1), Gary Barnidge of Lousville (9-9), Martellus Bennett of Texas A&M (9-9), Kellen Davis of Michigan State (9-9) and Jermichael Finley of Texas-Austin (9-8).
Bench-press leaders among offensive linemen
Jake Long of Michigan (37 reps of 225 pounds), Jeremy Zuttah of Rutgers (35), Kirk Barton of Ohio State (34), Michael Gibson of Cal (31), Carl Nicks of Nebraska (31), Brandon Keith of Northern Iowa (31), John Greco of Toledo (30), Michael McGlynn of Pitt (30), Shawn Murphy of Utah State (29), Chris McDuffie of Clemson (29) and Mike Pollak of Arizona State (29).
Bench-press leaders among tight ends
Craig Stevens of Cal (27), Dustin Keller of Purdue (26), Brad Cottam of Tennessee (24), Frederick Davis of USC (24), Derek Fine of Kansas (24), Kolomona Kapanui of West Texas A&M (23), Gary Barnidge of Louisville (22), Kellen Davis of Michigan State (22) and Adam Bishop of Nevada-Reno (21).
Also Saturday:
USC's Ellis stresses versatility
February 23, 2008 4:43 PM
Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando
USC defensive tackle Sedrick Ellis measured at 6 feet and 309 pounds. A scout I spoke with compared him to Steelers nose tackle Casey Hampton, except that Ellis is more of a pass rusher. According to Ellis, an NFL coach asked him what he would change about himself. This is a not-so-veiled way to get players to reveal their weaknesses. Ellis appeared amused by the question, saying he told the coach he liked himself and wouldn't change much.
Ellis appears at ease while answering questions from reporters. He appears comfortable with himself and his accomplishments. He'll play defensive tackle in the NFL, as he did at USC, but reporters wanted to know which specific DT spot suited him best. Ellis said he played some nose tackle in a 3-4 scheme the Trojans incorporated into their defense. He said he wasn't sure how he would perform in such a system, "but I was actually pretty good at it."
Ellis said he has played zero technique (nose in the 3-4), one technique (shaded to one side of the center) and three technique (traditional 4-3 DT). Most defensive tackles in his weight range would play in a 4-3 scheme, but Ellis is only 6 feet tall, so he is thicker than the typical 309-pound tackle.
Ellis projects as a potential top-five pick in the draft.
LSU's Dorsey shows up unexpectedly
February 23, 2008 3:30 PM
Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando
LSU defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey has made it to the combine despite initial reports that he would miss the event because of a death in the family. NFL combine guru Gil Brandt just confirmed Dorsey's arrival in Indianapolis.
Dorsey's attendance allows NFL teams to better evaluate the medical issues that bothered Dorsey during his college career. Teams want to assess an old stress-fracture injury and lower-back issues.
A Long story about Al Davis
February 23, 2008 3:30 PM
Virginia defensive end Chris Long aka Son of Howie is still a bit embarrassed about his first meeting with Raiders owner Al Davis. The club had a non-visitation policy for families during training camp, so Chris was hiding in the floorboard of his mother's car in the parking lot.
"I wanted to see my father," Chris said sheepishly.
We didn't get the full story, but apparently Davis happened by and met Howie's little boy. Now, that little boy might be the No. 1 pick in the draft.
And that last line made me throw up in my mouth just a tad.
all my best,
Gene Iba
Long leads way in bench press
February 23, 2008 3:25 PM
Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando
The NFL is providing results from bench-press testing conducted Friday, featuring offensive linemen and tight ends.
Michigan's Jake Long set the standard for offensive linemen with 37 repetitions of 225 pounds. These are not the arch-your-back, bounce-it-off-your-chest reps often seen at the local health club. NFL officials count only those reps that meet standards for form.
Results from the other offensive linemen: Jeremy Zuttah of Rutgers (35), Kirk Barton of Ohio State (34), Michael Gibson of Cal (31), Carl Nicks of Nebraska (31), Brandon Keith of Northern Iowa (31), John Greco of Toledo (30), Michael McGlynn of Pitt (30), Shawn Murphy of Utah State (29), Chris McDuffie of Clemson (29) and Mike Pollak of Arizona State (29).
Combine, bench press, Jake Long
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Notre Dame TE posts slow 40 time, Walsh good in space
February 23, 2008 2:36 PM
My pal from Rivals.com Greg Ladky just informed me that Notre Dame tight end John Carlson ran 4.96 and 4.89 40-yard dashes. For a kid that was supposed to have good straight-line speed, those are really disappointing times.
I seem to recall Mel Kiper Jr. saying that Carlson was one of the top prospects at his position heading into the 2007 season. It's just another in a long line of setbacks for the Fighting Irish.
Now, I'm going to run a curl route toward the sandwich buffet. Wait, what is Matt Walsh doing here? He's filming me squirting mustard on my turkey and swiss. I'm seeking full indemnity before I say a word to him.
I actually talked to someone the other night who knew the former Pats filmmaker pretty well in New England. He said he remembered Walsh being highly intelligent and always telling wonderful stories about concerts he'd attended.
You should hear some of the whoppers he told Scott Pioli on those tapes. Oops! Maybe I'm not supposed to have those.
Folks, I love each and every one of you, but it's time for me to head home. My 7-month-old daughter is being dedicated (Baptist version of christening) tomorrow morning. I'm leaving you in very capable hands with Sando.
Beat Kansas State!!!
MM
Combine, John Carlson
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--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Some teams favor specific conferences
February 23, 2008 2:27 PM
Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando
Penn State linebacker Dan Connor said he thinks NFL teams, in preparing for the draft, look at a college program's record in producing NFL players. Mike Reinfeldt, the Titans' GM, said teams look at that early in the process, but college affiliation means little once teams break down players in greater detail.
The numbers suggest some teams prefer players from certain conferences over players from other conferences, whether they realize it or not.
The Colts (15), Chargers (13), Steelers (12), Dolphins (11) and Bills (11) have the most Big Ten players. Atlanta (4), Seattle (5), San Francisco (5), Baltimore (5), Tennessee (5), Denver (5) and Kansas City (5) have the fewest.
These numbers are fluid. They are based on NFL rosters through the Friday transactions, minus players scheduled to become unrestricted free agents. Based on that criteria, and after adding Rex Grossman, Zach Thomas and Larry Izzo to active rosters, my records show 281 players from the SEC, 259 from the ACC, 252 from the Big Ten and 180 from the Big 12.
I have Washington with 19 players from the SEC. No other team in the league has more than 15 players from a single conference.
Combine, Dan Connor, Penn State, Big Ten
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--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Illinois ILB, Texas DT believe in higher ed
February 23, 2008 2:14 PM
We just had a nice visit with Illinois inside linebacker Chris Leman, who measured 6-2, 245 pounds. Leman underwent surgery on his left ankle after suffering an injury in the Rose Bowl and is still wearing a protective boot.
He's a top-20 inside linebacker, but I'm not sure anyone will draft him. I do think he can blow teams away in the interview sessions. Leman completed his undergrad (speech communications) and Master's (human resources education) degrees in 4 1/2 years. In fact, he's a little disappointed that he didn't get a jump on his Ph.D work while still in school.
"I could've had 80 hours by now if I went straight into summer school," he said.
Texas defensive tackle Frank Okam, whom I used to play pickup basketball with when he attended Lake Highlands High School, has already taken the LSAT and plans to attend law school after his playing days are over. He learned how to play chess in the Gifted and Talented program at Aikin Elementary, and said it has helped his mental preparation for football.
"It's all about the next move in football and chess," he said. "What are you going to do on the next play?"
If you would like to watch Okam and I play basketball, show up at the North Lake Highlands YMCA on Monday and Wednesday nights. We'd love to have you.
February 23, 2008 5:48 PM
Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando
Testing results piled up late in the afternoon as offensive linemen and tight ends completed their workouts and began heading home from the combine.
The combine scene became more crowded as additional waves of players arrived. Quarterbacks, receivers and running backs began working out with bench-press tests. They also took Wonderlic exams. Defensive linemen and linebackers submitted to drug testing and medical exams after arriving Friday. The final two groups, consisting of defensive backs, arrived for check-in today as the first few groups were finishing up.
The NFL provided the following information on the offensive linemen and tight ends who posted the best results in the 3-cone drill, 60-yard shuttle, vertical jump, broad jump and bench press:
3-cone leaders among offensive linemen
Michael Gibson of Cal (7.21), Steven Justice of Wake Forest (7.4), Jake Long of Michigan (7.44), Donald Thomas of Connecticut (7.45), Cody Wallace of Texas A&M (7.45), Corey Clark of Texas A&M (7.47), Andrew Radovich of USC (7.47), Mike Pollak of Arizona State (7.49), Breno Giacomini of Louisville (7.56), Duane Brown of Virginia Tech (7.58), Mike McGlynn of Pitt (7.58) and Jameson Richard of Buffalo (7.58).
3-cone leaders among tight ends
Derek Fine of Kansas (6.8), Dustin Keller of Purdue (6.88), Gary Barnidge of Louisville (6.92), Joseph Haynos of Maryland (6.92), Jacob Tamme of Kentucky (6.99), Craig Stevens of Cal (7.07), Michael Santi of Virginia (7.08).
60-yard shuttle leaders among tight ends
Gary Barnidge of Louisville (11.29), Jacob Tamme of Kentucky (11.51), John Carlson of Notre Dame (11.59), Derek Fine of Kansas (11.59), Dustin Keller of Purdue (11.74) and Craig Stevens of Cal (11.78).
Vertical-jump leaders among offensive linemen
Cody Wallace of Texas A&M (30 1/2), John Sullivan of Notre Dame (30), Heath Benedict of Newberry (28.5), Chad Rinehart of Northern Iowa (28.5), Duane Brown of Virginia Tech (27 1/2), Jake Long of Michigan (27.5), Michael Gibson of Cal (27), Demetrius Bell of Northwestern State (26 1/2), Jameson Richard of Buffalo (26.5) and Jeremy Zuttah of Rutgers (26.5).
Vertical-jump leaders among tight ends
Dustin Keller of Purdue (38), Michael Santi of Virginia (36), Martellus Bennett of Texas A&M (34), Brad Cottam of Tennessee (33), Gary Barnidge of Louisville (31), John Carlson of Notre Dame (30 1/2), Joseph Haynos of Maryland (30 1/2) and Jacob Tamme of Kentucky (30).
Broad-jump leaders among offensive linemen
Cody Wallace of Texas A&M (9 feet, 5 inches), Tyler Polumbus of Colorado (9-4), Branden Albert of Virginia (9-3), Heath Benedict of Newberry (9-2), Michael Gibson of Cal (9-2), Mike Pollak of Arizona State (9-2), Demetrius Bell of Northwestern State (9-1), Carl Nicks of Nebraska (9-1), Breno Giacomini of Louisville (9-0), John Greco of Toledo (9-0), Chilo Rachal of USC (9-0) and Andrew Radovich of USC (9-0).
Broad-jump leaders among tight ends
Dustin Keller of Purdue (10-11), Joseph Haynos of Maryland (10-3), Michael Santi of Virginia (10-1), Gary Barnidge of Lousville (9-9), Martellus Bennett of Texas A&M (9-9), Kellen Davis of Michigan State (9-9) and Jermichael Finley of Texas-Austin (9-8).
Bench-press leaders among offensive linemen
Jake Long of Michigan (37 reps of 225 pounds), Jeremy Zuttah of Rutgers (35), Kirk Barton of Ohio State (34), Michael Gibson of Cal (31), Carl Nicks of Nebraska (31), Brandon Keith of Northern Iowa (31), John Greco of Toledo (30), Michael McGlynn of Pitt (30), Shawn Murphy of Utah State (29), Chris McDuffie of Clemson (29) and Mike Pollak of Arizona State (29).
Bench-press leaders among tight ends
Craig Stevens of Cal (27), Dustin Keller of Purdue (26), Brad Cottam of Tennessee (24), Frederick Davis of USC (24), Derek Fine of Kansas (24), Kolomona Kapanui of West Texas A&M (23), Gary Barnidge of Louisville (22), Kellen Davis of Michigan State (22) and Adam Bishop of Nevada-Reno (21).
Also Saturday:
- The Washington Commanders have less salary-cap flexibility than other teams, but even teams flush with cap room are talking about standing on the sideline during free agency.
Titans general manager Mike Reinfeldt isn't a big free-agent spender anyway. But with more than $30 million in cap space, Tennessee has the ability to become a big player in the market. Even so, Reinfeldt indicated there simply aren't marquee players worth a huge investment. He said the Titans will look for role players in free agency as they supplement a roster built through the draft.
Vinny Cerrato, the Commanders' top personnel man under owner Dan Snyder, said his team will also take a low-keyed approach to free agency this offseason.
- Boston College tackle Gosder Cherilus protects his quarterback on the field. He also looks out for Matt Ryan during interview situations.
"Matt is a great leader," Cherilus said. "He's one the toughest people I've ever been around, to the point that in '06 he broke his ankle in the first game, and played the whole season. I don't know if you know what it's like to have a quarterback behind you knowing that he's as tough as you. It was great playing with Matt. Great blocking for him."
- Michigan State running back Jehuu Caulcrick (video here) was part of a graduating class of 26 at his high school in Clymer, New York. He previously moved to the United States from Liberia. The NFL wasn't on his radar when he was running for his life as a youngster.
"I moved to America when I was 9 years old," he said. "I grew up with a lot of adversity, with my dad being assassinated and having to run from refugee camps to refugee camps for my life. But I was fortunate enough to come to America and start a new life. And now I have a great opportunity ahead of me."
- Oregon quarterback Dennis Dixon expects to work out April 3. He's 10 weeks into rehabilitation on the knee injury he suffered during the season. He played with a partially torn ACL until the knee gave out.
"The only people that knew (about the initial injury) was my immediate family, my offensive coordinator, and Mike Belotti, the head coach," Dixon said.
Everyone knows now, and the injury won't help Dixon in the draft. Dixon said he also anticipates some teams asking him about playing a position other than quarterback. He once ran the 40-yard dash in 4.48 seconds.
The combine runs through Tuesday. Blog coverage continues in the morning.USC's Ellis stresses versatility
February 23, 2008 4:43 PM
Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando
USC defensive tackle Sedrick Ellis measured at 6 feet and 309 pounds. A scout I spoke with compared him to Steelers nose tackle Casey Hampton, except that Ellis is more of a pass rusher. According to Ellis, an NFL coach asked him what he would change about himself. This is a not-so-veiled way to get players to reveal their weaknesses. Ellis appeared amused by the question, saying he told the coach he liked himself and wouldn't change much.
Ellis appears at ease while answering questions from reporters. He appears comfortable with himself and his accomplishments. He'll play defensive tackle in the NFL, as he did at USC, but reporters wanted to know which specific DT spot suited him best. Ellis said he played some nose tackle in a 3-4 scheme the Trojans incorporated into their defense. He said he wasn't sure how he would perform in such a system, "but I was actually pretty good at it."
Ellis said he has played zero technique (nose in the 3-4), one technique (shaded to one side of the center) and three technique (traditional 4-3 DT). Most defensive tackles in his weight range would play in a 4-3 scheme, but Ellis is only 6 feet tall, so he is thicker than the typical 309-pound tackle.
Ellis projects as a potential top-five pick in the draft.
LSU's Dorsey shows up unexpectedly
February 23, 2008 3:30 PM
Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando
LSU defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey has made it to the combine despite initial reports that he would miss the event because of a death in the family. NFL combine guru Gil Brandt just confirmed Dorsey's arrival in Indianapolis.
Dorsey's attendance allows NFL teams to better evaluate the medical issues that bothered Dorsey during his college career. Teams want to assess an old stress-fracture injury and lower-back issues.
A Long story about Al Davis
February 23, 2008 3:30 PM
Virginia defensive end Chris Long aka Son of Howie is still a bit embarrassed about his first meeting with Raiders owner Al Davis. The club had a non-visitation policy for families during training camp, so Chris was hiding in the floorboard of his mother's car in the parking lot.
"I wanted to see my father," Chris said sheepishly.
We didn't get the full story, but apparently Davis happened by and met Howie's little boy. Now, that little boy might be the No. 1 pick in the draft.
And that last line made me throw up in my mouth just a tad.
all my best,
Gene Iba
Long leads way in bench press
February 23, 2008 3:25 PM
Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando
The NFL is providing results from bench-press testing conducted Friday, featuring offensive linemen and tight ends.
Michigan's Jake Long set the standard for offensive linemen with 37 repetitions of 225 pounds. These are not the arch-your-back, bounce-it-off-your-chest reps often seen at the local health club. NFL officials count only those reps that meet standards for form.
Results from the other offensive linemen: Jeremy Zuttah of Rutgers (35), Kirk Barton of Ohio State (34), Michael Gibson of Cal (31), Carl Nicks of Nebraska (31), Brandon Keith of Northern Iowa (31), John Greco of Toledo (30), Michael McGlynn of Pitt (30), Shawn Murphy of Utah State (29), Chris McDuffie of Clemson (29) and Mike Pollak of Arizona State (29).
Combine, bench press, Jake Long
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--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Notre Dame TE posts slow 40 time, Walsh good in space
February 23, 2008 2:36 PM
My pal from Rivals.com Greg Ladky just informed me that Notre Dame tight end John Carlson ran 4.96 and 4.89 40-yard dashes. For a kid that was supposed to have good straight-line speed, those are really disappointing times.
I seem to recall Mel Kiper Jr. saying that Carlson was one of the top prospects at his position heading into the 2007 season. It's just another in a long line of setbacks for the Fighting Irish.
Now, I'm going to run a curl route toward the sandwich buffet. Wait, what is Matt Walsh doing here? He's filming me squirting mustard on my turkey and swiss. I'm seeking full indemnity before I say a word to him.
I actually talked to someone the other night who knew the former Pats filmmaker pretty well in New England. He said he remembered Walsh being highly intelligent and always telling wonderful stories about concerts he'd attended.
You should hear some of the whoppers he told Scott Pioli on those tapes. Oops! Maybe I'm not supposed to have those.
Folks, I love each and every one of you, but it's time for me to head home. My 7-month-old daughter is being dedicated (Baptist version of christening) tomorrow morning. I'm leaving you in very capable hands with Sando.
Beat Kansas State!!!
MM
Combine, John Carlson
Read comments or leave a comment
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Some teams favor specific conferences
February 23, 2008 2:27 PM
Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando
Penn State linebacker Dan Connor said he thinks NFL teams, in preparing for the draft, look at a college program's record in producing NFL players. Mike Reinfeldt, the Titans' GM, said teams look at that early in the process, but college affiliation means little once teams break down players in greater detail.
The numbers suggest some teams prefer players from certain conferences over players from other conferences, whether they realize it or not.
The Colts (15), Chargers (13), Steelers (12), Dolphins (11) and Bills (11) have the most Big Ten players. Atlanta (4), Seattle (5), San Francisco (5), Baltimore (5), Tennessee (5), Denver (5) and Kansas City (5) have the fewest.
These numbers are fluid. They are based on NFL rosters through the Friday transactions, minus players scheduled to become unrestricted free agents. Based on that criteria, and after adding Rex Grossman, Zach Thomas and Larry Izzo to active rosters, my records show 281 players from the SEC, 259 from the ACC, 252 from the Big Ten and 180 from the Big 12.
I have Washington with 19 players from the SEC. No other team in the league has more than 15 players from a single conference.
Combine, Dan Connor, Penn State, Big Ten
Read comments or leave a comment
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Illinois ILB, Texas DT believe in higher ed
February 23, 2008 2:14 PM
We just had a nice visit with Illinois inside linebacker Chris Leman, who measured 6-2, 245 pounds. Leman underwent surgery on his left ankle after suffering an injury in the Rose Bowl and is still wearing a protective boot.
He's a top-20 inside linebacker, but I'm not sure anyone will draft him. I do think he can blow teams away in the interview sessions. Leman completed his undergrad (speech communications) and Master's (human resources education) degrees in 4 1/2 years. In fact, he's a little disappointed that he didn't get a jump on his Ph.D work while still in school.
"I could've had 80 hours by now if I went straight into summer school," he said.
Texas defensive tackle Frank Okam, whom I used to play pickup basketball with when he attended Lake Highlands High School, has already taken the LSAT and plans to attend law school after his playing days are over. He learned how to play chess in the Gifted and Talented program at Aikin Elementary, and said it has helped his mental preparation for football.
"It's all about the next move in football and chess," he said. "What are you going to do on the next play?"
If you would like to watch Okam and I play basketball, show up at the North Lake Highlands YMCA on Monday and Wednesday nights. We'd love to have you.
