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Pro Days
TCU’s Schlueter works his way into draft consideration
Posted: March 6th, 2009 | NFL.com Staff | Tags: Blake Schlueter, Jason Phillips, Stephen Hodge
(Courtesy of TCU)
(Courtesy of TCU)
He entered college as a 236-pound (with his clothes wet) freshman. He left a well-chiseled 290-pound NFL prospect.
And now TCU center Blake Schlueter, who was not invited to last month’s scouting combine, might just have gotten himself into the latter rounds of April’s NFL draft with a pro-day workout on Friday morning that really opened some eyes.
The 40 scouts from all 32 teams came to see a pair of combine-invites, linebacker Jason Phillips and strong safety Stephen Hodge. They left talking about Schlueter.
Schlueter (6-2 3/8, 290 pounds) ran the 40-yard dash in 4.7 seconds, had a 35-inch vertical jump, a 9-foot-3-inch long jump, a 4.28-second short shuttle, and a 7.42-second three-cone drill.
He reminds me of Colts center Jeff Saturday when Saturday came out of North Carolina. Same body build, although Schlueter is a little faster. A pure athlete, everything you want out of a center … except maybe size.
I don’t know if a 290-pound guy can play center in the NFL, but he was 236 when he came to TCU and still has room to grow. Probably moved into the seventh round with his performance on Friday. The guy’s a football player.
Schlueter’s an interesting fellow, too. His position coach at TCU, Eddie Williamson, told me he’s from a one-stoplight town named Ganado, Texas. Williamson remembers visiting the area — he goes to every corner of Texas to recruit — in 1999 and asked if they had anyone with D-I potential. Everyone had the same answer: No, but there’s this kid in the ninth grade you should keep your eye on and follow.
That kid was Schlueter, who ended up committing to TCU very early and kept his promise to the university even though he had multiple offers by the time he was a senior. That says a lot about him, that he would honor his word in this day and age.
Friday’s pro day at TCU was run with precision. One of the most efficient and well-organized pro days I’ve seen. I don’t even know if the Pentagon is that well organized.
C.O. Brocato, the Tennessee Titans’ national supervisor of college scouting, orchestrated the event, and it took all of 1 hour and 50 minutes. Everyone was served breakfast by TCU’s End Zone Club, and we were off and running by 8 a.m. on the FieldTurf of TCU’s beautiful new indoor facility. By the way, 10 years ago the Horned Frogs’ facilities — when LaDainian Tomlinson was there — were probably in the bottom 10 percent; now they’re in top 10 percent, and coach Gary Patterson and a generous alumni should be thanked for that.
Among those in attendance were Chargers senior executive Randy Mueller, Panthers GM Marty Hurney, Steelers special assistant Joe Greene, Broncos scouting consultant Cornell Green and Deion Sanders, who brought eight prospects from his Prime U. training program to witness how the pro-day process works.
Thirteen players worked out, but Phillips wasn’t among them. The linebacker revealed for the first time that he has a torn meniscus, an injury he believes he suffered at the combine last month.
Hodge, who measured 5-foot-11 5/8 and weighed 233 pounds, only participated in the broad jump, in which he had a leap of 10-feet, 2 inches.
Linebacker Robert Henson (6-0 1/8, 240) ran the 40 in 4.7 seconds, had a 35-inch vertical jump, a 9-foot-11 long jump, a 4.62-second short shuttle and a 7.38-second three-cone drill. Henson, one of Sanders’ Prime U. guys, seems to have another drill down pat, the old schmooze drill. He walked around and introduced himself to all the scouts in attendance, much to Deion’s liking.
– Gil Brandt
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Draft, News, Pro Days
TCU linebacker Phillips has left knee injury
Posted: March 6th, 2009 | NFL.com Staff | Tags: Jason Phillips, Pro Days
Linebacker Jason Phillips revealed at TCU’s pro day Friday morning that he has a torn meniscus in his left knee, an injury that he believes he suffered at the scouting combine last month.
Phillips, who underwent surgery on Wednesday, is expected to be on crutches for the next eight weeks and in rehabilitation for another four weeks. That takes him well beyond the draft and into minicamps, but he should be ready for training camp.
Phillips’ numbers at the combine were exceptional, so it shouldn’t affect his standing too much in the draft. In Indianapolis two weeks ago, he ran the fifth-fastest 40-yard dash (4.69 seconds), was sixth in the broad jump (10-0) and finished eighth in the 20-yard shuttle (4.32 seconds).
Phillips is the No. 3 inside linebacker on Mike Mayock’s list of top draft prospects.
– Gil Brandt
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Pro Days
Missouri has good prospects, great atmosphere
Posted: March 5th, 2009 | NFL.com Staff | Tags: Evander Hood, Missouri, William Moore
The scouts just love going to Missouri’s pro day. They get lunch, the people are ultra friendly and it’s just a great stop. This year there are also several Tigers prospects worth watching. The offensive stars — QB Chase Daniel, TE Chase Coffman and WR Jeremy Maclin — will work out March 19, but a number of the defensive players ran drills.
One player who performed really well was S William Moore. He looked good in his positional drills and was impressive overall. He measured in at 6-foot and a 1/2-inch, 221 pounds. He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.51 and 4.49 seconds and the three-cone drill in 6.94 seconds. He also posted a 10-foot, 6-inch broad jump.
Defensive tackle Evander ‘Ziggy’ Hood kept his 40 time from the combine, but did do the other drills. He ran the short shuttle in 4.45 seconds and the three-cone drill in 7.32 seconds. He had 35 reps in the bench press, jumped 34 1/2 inches in the vertical and leaped 9-feet, 8-inches in the broad jump.
Defensive end Stryker Sulak kept all of his combine numbers and did position drills.
Linebacker Brock Christopher checked in at 6-1 5/8, 238 pounds. He ran the 40 in 4.92 and 4.93 seconds, the short shuttle in 4.34 seconds and the three-cone drill in 7.32 seconds, as well as having a 32-inch vertical jump, a 9-foot broad jump and 20 bench press reps.
– Gil Brandt
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Pro Days
Troy’s Martin has eye-catching Pro Day workout
Posted: March 5th, 2009 | NFL.com Staff | Tags: Sherrod Martin, Terence Moore, Troy
Sherrod Martin stole the show at Troy’s pro day. The cornerback, who was also at the combine, looked excellent in the positional drills.
He was solid in the workout drills as well, running the 40-yard dash in 4.46 and 4.49 seconds and posting a 36.5-inch vertical jump.
Fifteen teams, and two DB coaches — Baltimore’s Mark Carrier and Miami’s David Carrao — showed up to watch the workout that took place outdoors and featured a number of players, because North Alabama and Concordia prospects were included.
Troy’s Terence Moore, who was not at the combine, also worked out and put up a 39-inch vertical, a 9-foot, 8-inch broad jump, a 4.37-second short shuttle, a 7.18-second three-cone drill and 21 bench press reps.
– Gil Brandt
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Pro Days
RB Summers impressive at UNLV Pro Day
Posted: March 5th, 2009 | NFL.com Staff | Tags: Brock Smith, Frank Summers, Rashad Jennings, UNLV
A good indication of whether a prospect may get drafted is if positional coaches show up to his Pro Day workout. That was the case for a pair of smaller school players this week.
At UNLV’s Pro Day, 14 players worked out outdoors on FieldTurf, in front of representatives for 16 teams. RB Frank Summers, who was not invited to the combine, got a positive sign because of the presence of Steelers running backs coach Kirby Wilson.
Summers checked in at 5-foot-9 1/8, 241 pounds and ran a 4.63-second and a 4.64-second 40-yard dash. He put up a 34.5-inch vertical jump, a 9-foot, 4-inch broad jump, a 4.35-second short shuttle, a 7.23-long shuttle and 30 bench press reps.
Another player benefitting from positional coaches coming to watch him work out was Liberty’s Rashad Jennings, who also opened eyes at the combine. He worked out Tuesday in front of six teams, including the Panthers and their RB coach Jim Skipper. He worked out on an indoor track. He weighed 231 pounds, ran a 4.52 in the 40 and a 6.79 in the three-cone drill.
QB Brock Smith used Liberty’s Pro Day to get his name out there as well. He was impressive in his workout and measured in at 6-1 7/8, 242 pounds. He ran 4.87 and 4.84 in the 40, 4.34 in the short shuttle, 7.12 in the three-cone drill and had a 29-inch vertical and a 8-foot, 8-inch broad jump.
Western Illinois’ Pro Day was on Monday and the player to watch was LB Jason Williams. He was one of 11 players working out (including one Arena Leaguer from the Iowa Barnstormers), in front of 14 teams.
He worked out on a wooden gym basketball floor and measured in at 6-1 1/4, 238 pounds. He ran the 40 in 4.49 and 4.52 seconds, had a 39-inch vertical jump and went 10-foot, 9-inches in the broad jump. His shuttle run times were not good, but the basketball floor was so slippery, it is not a good barometer of his ability.
– Gil Brandt
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Pro Days
Wisconsin RB Hill sheds weight, does all the drills
Posted: March 4th, 2009 | NFL.com Staff | Tags: Andy Kemp, Kraig Urbik, P.J. Hill, Travis Beckum, Wisconsin
Kraig Urbik works out at the NFL Scouting Combine. (Scott Boehm / Getty Images)
Kraig Urbik works out at the NFL Scouting Combine. (Scott Boehm / Getty Images)
There were 28 teams represented at Wisconsin’s pro day. The Badgers’ NFL prospects ran on FieldTurf. Wisconsin did not put a rubber matting across the field like it did last year.
Two position coaches — Carolina’s offensive line coach Dave Magazu and Jaguars tight ends coach Mike Tice — were in attendance. A total of 11 players worked out and they all ran position drills.
Wisconsin head coach Bret Bielema spent a great deal of time answering questions prior to the workout and was very helpful.
* Running back P.J. Hill measured in at 5-foot-10 1/8, 218 pounds. It is the lighest he’s been since junior high school. He ran 4.65 and 4.63 in the 40-yard dash. He had a 37-inch vertical jump and a 10-foot 2-inch broad jump. He ran a 4.24 in the short shuttle and had a 7.09 in the three-cone drill. He had 16 bench press reps.
* Tight end Travis Beckum checked in at 6-2 3/4, 239 pounds. He ran a 4.61 and 4.63 in the 40-yard dash as well as recording a 9-foot 10-inch broad jump. He had a 38.5 inch vertical, a 4.10 short shuttle and a 7.05 three-cone drill. He did not lift.
* Guard Kraig Urbik came in at 6-5 3/8, 328 pounds. He ran 5.30 and 5.25 in the 40 and tallied a 4.75 second short shuttle. He did not run the three-cone drill. He put up a 25.5-inch vertical jump and an 8-foot 2-inch broad jump. He did not lift.
* Guard Andy Kemp was measured at 6-4 3/4, 306 pounds. He ran 5.35 and 5.38 in the 40 and had a 7-foot 11-inch broad jump. He also put up a 27.5-inch vertical jump and ran the short shuttle in 4.83 seconds.
* Defensive end Matt Shaungnessy checked in at 6-5 1/8, 263 pounds. He ran a 4.86 40, but did not do any other drills.
* Linebacker Jonathan Casillas is injured and did not work out, nor did linebacker DeAndre Levy. They will work out on April 2.
* OL Eric VandenHeuvel, who declined a combine invitation, has made the decision to attend medical school rather than pursue a career in the NFL.
– Gil Brandt
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Pro Days
Aggies QB McGee shines in Texas A&M Pro Day
Posted: March 4th, 2009 | NFL.com Staff | Tags: Danny Gorrer, Justin Brantly, Mike Goodson, Stephen McGee, Texas A&M
Stephen McGee.
Remember this name because he could be a real sleeper in next month’s draft:
(Scott Boehm / Getty Images)
(Scott Boehm / Getty Images)
Certainly the 17 NFL scouts and one coach who showed up at Texas A&M’s pro day will remember the quarterback and his workout. The Aggies held their pro day on Wednesday, but it actually began with meet-and-greets Tuesday night at Wings-n-More in College Station, where scouts had an opportunity to conduct personal player interviews as well as ask questions of the A&M coaching staff.
The only non-scout at the pro day was Jaguars quarterbacks coach Mike Shula, who put McGee through QB drills. And let me tell you, McGee looked outstanding.
McGee, who ran the second-fastest 40 among quarterbacks at the combine (4.66), measured 6-2 7/8 and weighed 222 pounds, down 3 from his combine weigh-in.
Watch out for this kid on draft day.
Among the 14 players who worked out for scouts:
* Running back Mike Goodson (5-11 ¾, 212 pounds) ran the 40 in 4.43 and 4.47 seconds and did positional drills for the scouts. His 40 times might be inflated a little because A&M is one of three schools (Wisconsin and Ohio State are the others) to lay down a rubber surface over the top of their indoor field turf, which can result in quicker times. Goodson ran a 4.54 40 at the combine, the seventh-fastest among running backs in Indy two weeks ago.
* Defensive end Michael Bennett (6-2 7/8, 222) ran two 40s, both in 4.86 seconds, and had a vertical of 36.5 inches. The vertical jump event was conducted by A&M coaches.
* Punter Justin Brantly (6-3 3/8, 247 pounds) looked pretty good in his workout.
* Cornerback Danny Gorrer (5-11 5/8, 185 pounds) ran the 40 in 4.42 and 4.40 seconds, had a 35.5-inch vertical, a 9-foot 5-inch broad jump, and a 6.90-second 3-cone drill. He slipped in his short shuttle and no time was recorded.
– Gil Brandt
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Pro Days
Smith is main attraction at Baylor’s pro day
Posted: March 3rd, 2009 | NFL.com Staff | Tags: Baylor, Jason Smith
(Darron Cummings/AP)
(Darron Cummings/AP)
WACO, Texas — When you get on the main street leading into Baylor University, you immediately see the signs directing visitors to the football team’s pro-day workouts. That’s what happens when you have a top draft pick in your midst.
Representatives from 15 NFL teams attended today’s workout, including three offensive line coaches — Andy Hecht (Jacksonville), Paul Alexander (Cincinnati), and Mike Solari (Seattle). The main attraction was offensive tackle Jason Smith, projected to be a top-10 draft pick next month.
Smith was one of 12 players participating — 11 from Baylor and one player from nearby Mary Harden Baylor University. Baylor passed out a helpful information packet on its 11 players, complete with contact information for agents and where to reach the players on draft day.
Pro day was well organized. Players ran outdoors on grass. The overall event took a little over two hours, followed by extra time in which the three NFL line coaches worked out Smith and fellow Baylor OL Dan Gay.
Smith did position drills but stood on his combine numbers for the other drills. Gay participated at the combine but did everything Tuesday morning in hopes of improving his numbers.
Gay measured in at 6-foot-4 and 303 pounds. He ran the 40-yard dash in 5.48, running with the wind. He had a 24 ½-inch vertical jump, a 7-foot, 1 ½-inch broad jump, a 5.40-second short-shuttle run, a 8.47-second 3-cone drill, and he did 20 repetitions on the bench press.
All 15 NFL reps in attendance will be at Texas A&M’s pro day Wednesday morning.
The St. Louis Rams, who have the second overall pick in the draft, will be back in Waco on March 12 for a private workout with Smith.
Prospect updates
» Missouri WR Jeremy Maclin, who hurt his knee at the combine, has been cleared by Birmingham, Ala., specialist Dr. James Andrews to do all workouts.
» Ole Miss OT Michael Oher has changed agents, leaving Bus Cook and signing with James Sexton.
– Gil Brandt
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Pro Days
DB Clark, five others work out at Idaho St. Pro Day
Posted: March 2nd, 2009 | NFL.com Staff | Tags: D.J. Clark, Idaho State
Eight NFL teams sent representatives to Idaho State University to watch six players work out at the school’s pro day.
DB D.J. Clark, who did not participate at the NFL combine in Indianapolis, turned in the most impressive performance.
Clark, who measured in at 6-foot-1 1/8 and 200 pounds, ran the 40-yard dash in 4.55 and 4.52 seconds indoors on AstroTurf. Clark had a 36-inch vertical and a 10-7 broad jump, and did the 20-yard shuttle drill in 4.01 seconds and the 3-cone drill in 6.91 seconds. Clark put up 14 repetitions of 225 pounds in the bench press.
Clark was a second-team All-Big Sky Conference performer, finishing his college career tied for third on the school’s career interceptions list with 15. He led the team in picks in all four of his seasons with the team, including five interceptions in 2008.
– Gil Brandt
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Pro Days
Baylor’s Smith to stand pat with combine numbers
Posted: February 28th, 2009 | NFL.com Staff | Tags: Baylor, Jason Smith
Offensive tackle Jason Smith will keep all of his combine numbers and will not run workout drills at Baylor’s March 3 Pro Day. He is willing to run any position drills for scouts.
– Gil Brandt
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Pro Days
Miami’s Johnson improves on combine numbers
Posted: February 27th, 2009 | NFL.com Staff | Tags: Bruce Johnson, Carlos Armour, University of Miami
Ten NFL teams sent representatives to Miami (Fla.) to see the private workout for 15 prospects on Friday. The players ran on grass.
CB Bruce Johnson worked out just three days after running drills at the combine. He checked in at 5-foot-9 and 3/4 inch, weighing 167 pounds.
Johnson posted better times in most categories than he did in Indianapolis. He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.42 and 4.45 seconds, had a 38.5 inch vertical, a 10.4 inch long jump, a 4.03 inch short shuttle and a 6.92 second three-cone drill. Johnson did not do the bench press.
The most notable player to work out besides Johnson was fellow CB Carlos Armour. The defensive back was not at the combine, but looked good in Friday’s work out. He measured in at 6-2 and 1/8 inch, 201 pounds.
He ran a 4.55 and 4.59 second 40-yard dash, recorded a 37.5 inch vertical, a 10-foot long jump and 10 bench press reps.
The most high-profile member of a team to show up was Giants VP of Player Evaluation Chris Mara.
– Gil Brandt
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Pro Days
Florida Atlantic LB Joseph gets his day in spotlight
Posted: February 27th, 2009 | NFL.com Staff | Tags: Florida Atlantic, Frantz Joseph, Gil Brandt
Ten NFL teams sent representatives to Florida Atlantic to see the private workout for 14 prospects on Thursday. The players ran on field turf.
LB Frantz Joseph — who did not work out at the combine — was the headliner. He checked in at 6-foot-1, 242 pounds.
Joseph had an impressive workout with two 40-yard dashes at 4.85 seconds, a 27.5 inch vertical, a 9-foot, 7.5-inch long jump, a 4.41-second short shuttle, a 7.34-second three-cone drill and 19 bench press reps at 225 pounds.
– Gil Brandt
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Pro Days
Brewster, Davis sit out; Hill runs fast 40
Posted: February 26th, 2009 | NFL.com Staff | Tags: Ball State, Chris Miller, Darius Hill, Nate Davis, Robert Brewster
Fourteen NFL teams sent representatives to Ball State to see the private workout for 10 prospects on Thursday. OT Robert Brewster and QB Nate Davis, both of whom worked out at the combine, chose not to participate and will instead work out for teams on March 20.
Tight end Darius Hill had an impressive workout. He measured 6-foot-7 and weighed 246 pounds, had a 31-inch vertical leap, a 9-6 broad jump, and ran two 40-yard dashes in 4.75 and 4.74 seconds indoors on a hard surface. His 40 times would have been among the fastest run among tight ends at the combine.
Because of inclement weather, all the workouts were held indoors, which didn’t allow punter Chris Miller to participate. Miller, who measured 6-foot-1 and weighed 213 pounds, will work out for teams with Brewster and Davis next month.
– Gil Brandt
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Pro Days
Brandt to provide daily pro-day workout reports
Posted: February 26th, 2009 | NFL.com Staff | Tags: Pro Days
In between the combine and the draft, NFL coaches and personnel — not to mention the prospects themselves — turn their attention to the various college “pro day” workouts. These are not as all-encompassing as the combine, but they are important enough for the key decision-makers in the league to travel around the country for more than a month to see the talent up close and personal. NFL.com’s Gil Brandt has his sources at each of these workouts and will provide updates as they happen.
To see a list of when schools will be holding their pro-day workouts, click here.
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TCU’s Schlueter works his way into draft consideration
Posted: March 6th, 2009 | NFL.com Staff | Tags: Blake Schlueter, Jason Phillips, Stephen Hodge
(Courtesy of TCU)
(Courtesy of TCU)
He entered college as a 236-pound (with his clothes wet) freshman. He left a well-chiseled 290-pound NFL prospect.
And now TCU center Blake Schlueter, who was not invited to last month’s scouting combine, might just have gotten himself into the latter rounds of April’s NFL draft with a pro-day workout on Friday morning that really opened some eyes.
The 40 scouts from all 32 teams came to see a pair of combine-invites, linebacker Jason Phillips and strong safety Stephen Hodge. They left talking about Schlueter.
Schlueter (6-2 3/8, 290 pounds) ran the 40-yard dash in 4.7 seconds, had a 35-inch vertical jump, a 9-foot-3-inch long jump, a 4.28-second short shuttle, and a 7.42-second three-cone drill.
He reminds me of Colts center Jeff Saturday when Saturday came out of North Carolina. Same body build, although Schlueter is a little faster. A pure athlete, everything you want out of a center … except maybe size.
I don’t know if a 290-pound guy can play center in the NFL, but he was 236 when he came to TCU and still has room to grow. Probably moved into the seventh round with his performance on Friday. The guy’s a football player.
Schlueter’s an interesting fellow, too. His position coach at TCU, Eddie Williamson, told me he’s from a one-stoplight town named Ganado, Texas. Williamson remembers visiting the area — he goes to every corner of Texas to recruit — in 1999 and asked if they had anyone with D-I potential. Everyone had the same answer: No, but there’s this kid in the ninth grade you should keep your eye on and follow.
That kid was Schlueter, who ended up committing to TCU very early and kept his promise to the university even though he had multiple offers by the time he was a senior. That says a lot about him, that he would honor his word in this day and age.
Friday’s pro day at TCU was run with precision. One of the most efficient and well-organized pro days I’ve seen. I don’t even know if the Pentagon is that well organized.
C.O. Brocato, the Tennessee Titans’ national supervisor of college scouting, orchestrated the event, and it took all of 1 hour and 50 minutes. Everyone was served breakfast by TCU’s End Zone Club, and we were off and running by 8 a.m. on the FieldTurf of TCU’s beautiful new indoor facility. By the way, 10 years ago the Horned Frogs’ facilities — when LaDainian Tomlinson was there — were probably in the bottom 10 percent; now they’re in top 10 percent, and coach Gary Patterson and a generous alumni should be thanked for that.
Among those in attendance were Chargers senior executive Randy Mueller, Panthers GM Marty Hurney, Steelers special assistant Joe Greene, Broncos scouting consultant Cornell Green and Deion Sanders, who brought eight prospects from his Prime U. training program to witness how the pro-day process works.
Thirteen players worked out, but Phillips wasn’t among them. The linebacker revealed for the first time that he has a torn meniscus, an injury he believes he suffered at the combine last month.
Hodge, who measured 5-foot-11 5/8 and weighed 233 pounds, only participated in the broad jump, in which he had a leap of 10-feet, 2 inches.
Linebacker Robert Henson (6-0 1/8, 240) ran the 40 in 4.7 seconds, had a 35-inch vertical jump, a 9-foot-11 long jump, a 4.62-second short shuttle and a 7.38-second three-cone drill. Henson, one of Sanders’ Prime U. guys, seems to have another drill down pat, the old schmooze drill. He walked around and introduced himself to all the scouts in attendance, much to Deion’s liking.
– Gil Brandt
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Draft, News, Pro Days
TCU linebacker Phillips has left knee injury
Posted: March 6th, 2009 | NFL.com Staff | Tags: Jason Phillips, Pro Days
Linebacker Jason Phillips revealed at TCU’s pro day Friday morning that he has a torn meniscus in his left knee, an injury that he believes he suffered at the scouting combine last month.
Phillips, who underwent surgery on Wednesday, is expected to be on crutches for the next eight weeks and in rehabilitation for another four weeks. That takes him well beyond the draft and into minicamps, but he should be ready for training camp.
Phillips’ numbers at the combine were exceptional, so it shouldn’t affect his standing too much in the draft. In Indianapolis two weeks ago, he ran the fifth-fastest 40-yard dash (4.69 seconds), was sixth in the broad jump (10-0) and finished eighth in the 20-yard shuttle (4.32 seconds).
Phillips is the No. 3 inside linebacker on Mike Mayock’s list of top draft prospects.
– Gil Brandt
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Pro Days
Missouri has good prospects, great atmosphere
Posted: March 5th, 2009 | NFL.com Staff | Tags: Evander Hood, Missouri, William Moore
The scouts just love going to Missouri’s pro day. They get lunch, the people are ultra friendly and it’s just a great stop. This year there are also several Tigers prospects worth watching. The offensive stars — QB Chase Daniel, TE Chase Coffman and WR Jeremy Maclin — will work out March 19, but a number of the defensive players ran drills.
One player who performed really well was S William Moore. He looked good in his positional drills and was impressive overall. He measured in at 6-foot and a 1/2-inch, 221 pounds. He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.51 and 4.49 seconds and the three-cone drill in 6.94 seconds. He also posted a 10-foot, 6-inch broad jump.
Defensive tackle Evander ‘Ziggy’ Hood kept his 40 time from the combine, but did do the other drills. He ran the short shuttle in 4.45 seconds and the three-cone drill in 7.32 seconds. He had 35 reps in the bench press, jumped 34 1/2 inches in the vertical and leaped 9-feet, 8-inches in the broad jump.
Defensive end Stryker Sulak kept all of his combine numbers and did position drills.
Linebacker Brock Christopher checked in at 6-1 5/8, 238 pounds. He ran the 40 in 4.92 and 4.93 seconds, the short shuttle in 4.34 seconds and the three-cone drill in 7.32 seconds, as well as having a 32-inch vertical jump, a 9-foot broad jump and 20 bench press reps.
– Gil Brandt
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Pro Days
Troy’s Martin has eye-catching Pro Day workout
Posted: March 5th, 2009 | NFL.com Staff | Tags: Sherrod Martin, Terence Moore, Troy
Sherrod Martin stole the show at Troy’s pro day. The cornerback, who was also at the combine, looked excellent in the positional drills.
He was solid in the workout drills as well, running the 40-yard dash in 4.46 and 4.49 seconds and posting a 36.5-inch vertical jump.
Fifteen teams, and two DB coaches — Baltimore’s Mark Carrier and Miami’s David Carrao — showed up to watch the workout that took place outdoors and featured a number of players, because North Alabama and Concordia prospects were included.
Troy’s Terence Moore, who was not at the combine, also worked out and put up a 39-inch vertical, a 9-foot, 8-inch broad jump, a 4.37-second short shuttle, a 7.18-second three-cone drill and 21 bench press reps.
– Gil Brandt
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Pro Days
RB Summers impressive at UNLV Pro Day
Posted: March 5th, 2009 | NFL.com Staff | Tags: Brock Smith, Frank Summers, Rashad Jennings, UNLV
A good indication of whether a prospect may get drafted is if positional coaches show up to his Pro Day workout. That was the case for a pair of smaller school players this week.
At UNLV’s Pro Day, 14 players worked out outdoors on FieldTurf, in front of representatives for 16 teams. RB Frank Summers, who was not invited to the combine, got a positive sign because of the presence of Steelers running backs coach Kirby Wilson.
Summers checked in at 5-foot-9 1/8, 241 pounds and ran a 4.63-second and a 4.64-second 40-yard dash. He put up a 34.5-inch vertical jump, a 9-foot, 4-inch broad jump, a 4.35-second short shuttle, a 7.23-long shuttle and 30 bench press reps.
Another player benefitting from positional coaches coming to watch him work out was Liberty’s Rashad Jennings, who also opened eyes at the combine. He worked out Tuesday in front of six teams, including the Panthers and their RB coach Jim Skipper. He worked out on an indoor track. He weighed 231 pounds, ran a 4.52 in the 40 and a 6.79 in the three-cone drill.
QB Brock Smith used Liberty’s Pro Day to get his name out there as well. He was impressive in his workout and measured in at 6-1 7/8, 242 pounds. He ran 4.87 and 4.84 in the 40, 4.34 in the short shuttle, 7.12 in the three-cone drill and had a 29-inch vertical and a 8-foot, 8-inch broad jump.
Western Illinois’ Pro Day was on Monday and the player to watch was LB Jason Williams. He was one of 11 players working out (including one Arena Leaguer from the Iowa Barnstormers), in front of 14 teams.
He worked out on a wooden gym basketball floor and measured in at 6-1 1/4, 238 pounds. He ran the 40 in 4.49 and 4.52 seconds, had a 39-inch vertical jump and went 10-foot, 9-inches in the broad jump. His shuttle run times were not good, but the basketball floor was so slippery, it is not a good barometer of his ability.
– Gil Brandt
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Pro Days
Wisconsin RB Hill sheds weight, does all the drills
Posted: March 4th, 2009 | NFL.com Staff | Tags: Andy Kemp, Kraig Urbik, P.J. Hill, Travis Beckum, Wisconsin
Kraig Urbik works out at the NFL Scouting Combine. (Scott Boehm / Getty Images)
Kraig Urbik works out at the NFL Scouting Combine. (Scott Boehm / Getty Images)
There were 28 teams represented at Wisconsin’s pro day. The Badgers’ NFL prospects ran on FieldTurf. Wisconsin did not put a rubber matting across the field like it did last year.
Two position coaches — Carolina’s offensive line coach Dave Magazu and Jaguars tight ends coach Mike Tice — were in attendance. A total of 11 players worked out and they all ran position drills.
Wisconsin head coach Bret Bielema spent a great deal of time answering questions prior to the workout and was very helpful.
* Running back P.J. Hill measured in at 5-foot-10 1/8, 218 pounds. It is the lighest he’s been since junior high school. He ran 4.65 and 4.63 in the 40-yard dash. He had a 37-inch vertical jump and a 10-foot 2-inch broad jump. He ran a 4.24 in the short shuttle and had a 7.09 in the three-cone drill. He had 16 bench press reps.
* Tight end Travis Beckum checked in at 6-2 3/4, 239 pounds. He ran a 4.61 and 4.63 in the 40-yard dash as well as recording a 9-foot 10-inch broad jump. He had a 38.5 inch vertical, a 4.10 short shuttle and a 7.05 three-cone drill. He did not lift.
* Guard Kraig Urbik came in at 6-5 3/8, 328 pounds. He ran 5.30 and 5.25 in the 40 and tallied a 4.75 second short shuttle. He did not run the three-cone drill. He put up a 25.5-inch vertical jump and an 8-foot 2-inch broad jump. He did not lift.
* Guard Andy Kemp was measured at 6-4 3/4, 306 pounds. He ran 5.35 and 5.38 in the 40 and had a 7-foot 11-inch broad jump. He also put up a 27.5-inch vertical jump and ran the short shuttle in 4.83 seconds.
* Defensive end Matt Shaungnessy checked in at 6-5 1/8, 263 pounds. He ran a 4.86 40, but did not do any other drills.
* Linebacker Jonathan Casillas is injured and did not work out, nor did linebacker DeAndre Levy. They will work out on April 2.
* OL Eric VandenHeuvel, who declined a combine invitation, has made the decision to attend medical school rather than pursue a career in the NFL.
– Gil Brandt
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Pro Days
Aggies QB McGee shines in Texas A&M Pro Day
Posted: March 4th, 2009 | NFL.com Staff | Tags: Danny Gorrer, Justin Brantly, Mike Goodson, Stephen McGee, Texas A&M
Stephen McGee.
Remember this name because he could be a real sleeper in next month’s draft:
(Scott Boehm / Getty Images)
(Scott Boehm / Getty Images)
Certainly the 17 NFL scouts and one coach who showed up at Texas A&M’s pro day will remember the quarterback and his workout. The Aggies held their pro day on Wednesday, but it actually began with meet-and-greets Tuesday night at Wings-n-More in College Station, where scouts had an opportunity to conduct personal player interviews as well as ask questions of the A&M coaching staff.
The only non-scout at the pro day was Jaguars quarterbacks coach Mike Shula, who put McGee through QB drills. And let me tell you, McGee looked outstanding.
McGee, who ran the second-fastest 40 among quarterbacks at the combine (4.66), measured 6-2 7/8 and weighed 222 pounds, down 3 from his combine weigh-in.
Watch out for this kid on draft day.
Among the 14 players who worked out for scouts:
* Running back Mike Goodson (5-11 ¾, 212 pounds) ran the 40 in 4.43 and 4.47 seconds and did positional drills for the scouts. His 40 times might be inflated a little because A&M is one of three schools (Wisconsin and Ohio State are the others) to lay down a rubber surface over the top of their indoor field turf, which can result in quicker times. Goodson ran a 4.54 40 at the combine, the seventh-fastest among running backs in Indy two weeks ago.
* Defensive end Michael Bennett (6-2 7/8, 222) ran two 40s, both in 4.86 seconds, and had a vertical of 36.5 inches. The vertical jump event was conducted by A&M coaches.
* Punter Justin Brantly (6-3 3/8, 247 pounds) looked pretty good in his workout.
* Cornerback Danny Gorrer (5-11 5/8, 185 pounds) ran the 40 in 4.42 and 4.40 seconds, had a 35.5-inch vertical, a 9-foot 5-inch broad jump, and a 6.90-second 3-cone drill. He slipped in his short shuttle and no time was recorded.
– Gil Brandt
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Pro Days
Smith is main attraction at Baylor’s pro day
Posted: March 3rd, 2009 | NFL.com Staff | Tags: Baylor, Jason Smith
(Darron Cummings/AP)
(Darron Cummings/AP)
WACO, Texas — When you get on the main street leading into Baylor University, you immediately see the signs directing visitors to the football team’s pro-day workouts. That’s what happens when you have a top draft pick in your midst.
Representatives from 15 NFL teams attended today’s workout, including three offensive line coaches — Andy Hecht (Jacksonville), Paul Alexander (Cincinnati), and Mike Solari (Seattle). The main attraction was offensive tackle Jason Smith, projected to be a top-10 draft pick next month.
Smith was one of 12 players participating — 11 from Baylor and one player from nearby Mary Harden Baylor University. Baylor passed out a helpful information packet on its 11 players, complete with contact information for agents and where to reach the players on draft day.
Pro day was well organized. Players ran outdoors on grass. The overall event took a little over two hours, followed by extra time in which the three NFL line coaches worked out Smith and fellow Baylor OL Dan Gay.
Smith did position drills but stood on his combine numbers for the other drills. Gay participated at the combine but did everything Tuesday morning in hopes of improving his numbers.
Gay measured in at 6-foot-4 and 303 pounds. He ran the 40-yard dash in 5.48, running with the wind. He had a 24 ½-inch vertical jump, a 7-foot, 1 ½-inch broad jump, a 5.40-second short-shuttle run, a 8.47-second 3-cone drill, and he did 20 repetitions on the bench press.
All 15 NFL reps in attendance will be at Texas A&M’s pro day Wednesday morning.
The St. Louis Rams, who have the second overall pick in the draft, will be back in Waco on March 12 for a private workout with Smith.
Prospect updates
» Missouri WR Jeremy Maclin, who hurt his knee at the combine, has been cleared by Birmingham, Ala., specialist Dr. James Andrews to do all workouts.
» Ole Miss OT Michael Oher has changed agents, leaving Bus Cook and signing with James Sexton.
– Gil Brandt
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Pro Days
DB Clark, five others work out at Idaho St. Pro Day
Posted: March 2nd, 2009 | NFL.com Staff | Tags: D.J. Clark, Idaho State
Eight NFL teams sent representatives to Idaho State University to watch six players work out at the school’s pro day.
DB D.J. Clark, who did not participate at the NFL combine in Indianapolis, turned in the most impressive performance.
Clark, who measured in at 6-foot-1 1/8 and 200 pounds, ran the 40-yard dash in 4.55 and 4.52 seconds indoors on AstroTurf. Clark had a 36-inch vertical and a 10-7 broad jump, and did the 20-yard shuttle drill in 4.01 seconds and the 3-cone drill in 6.91 seconds. Clark put up 14 repetitions of 225 pounds in the bench press.
Clark was a second-team All-Big Sky Conference performer, finishing his college career tied for third on the school’s career interceptions list with 15. He led the team in picks in all four of his seasons with the team, including five interceptions in 2008.
– Gil Brandt
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Pro Days
Baylor’s Smith to stand pat with combine numbers
Posted: February 28th, 2009 | NFL.com Staff | Tags: Baylor, Jason Smith
Offensive tackle Jason Smith will keep all of his combine numbers and will not run workout drills at Baylor’s March 3 Pro Day. He is willing to run any position drills for scouts.
– Gil Brandt
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Pro Days
Miami’s Johnson improves on combine numbers
Posted: February 27th, 2009 | NFL.com Staff | Tags: Bruce Johnson, Carlos Armour, University of Miami
Ten NFL teams sent representatives to Miami (Fla.) to see the private workout for 15 prospects on Friday. The players ran on grass.
CB Bruce Johnson worked out just three days after running drills at the combine. He checked in at 5-foot-9 and 3/4 inch, weighing 167 pounds.
Johnson posted better times in most categories than he did in Indianapolis. He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.42 and 4.45 seconds, had a 38.5 inch vertical, a 10.4 inch long jump, a 4.03 inch short shuttle and a 6.92 second three-cone drill. Johnson did not do the bench press.
The most notable player to work out besides Johnson was fellow CB Carlos Armour. The defensive back was not at the combine, but looked good in Friday’s work out. He measured in at 6-2 and 1/8 inch, 201 pounds.
He ran a 4.55 and 4.59 second 40-yard dash, recorded a 37.5 inch vertical, a 10-foot long jump and 10 bench press reps.
The most high-profile member of a team to show up was Giants VP of Player Evaluation Chris Mara.
– Gil Brandt
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Pro Days
Florida Atlantic LB Joseph gets his day in spotlight
Posted: February 27th, 2009 | NFL.com Staff | Tags: Florida Atlantic, Frantz Joseph, Gil Brandt
Ten NFL teams sent representatives to Florida Atlantic to see the private workout for 14 prospects on Thursday. The players ran on field turf.
LB Frantz Joseph — who did not work out at the combine — was the headliner. He checked in at 6-foot-1, 242 pounds.
Joseph had an impressive workout with two 40-yard dashes at 4.85 seconds, a 27.5 inch vertical, a 9-foot, 7.5-inch long jump, a 4.41-second short shuttle, a 7.34-second three-cone drill and 19 bench press reps at 225 pounds.
– Gil Brandt
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Pro Days
Brewster, Davis sit out; Hill runs fast 40
Posted: February 26th, 2009 | NFL.com Staff | Tags: Ball State, Chris Miller, Darius Hill, Nate Davis, Robert Brewster
Fourteen NFL teams sent representatives to Ball State to see the private workout for 10 prospects on Thursday. OT Robert Brewster and QB Nate Davis, both of whom worked out at the combine, chose not to participate and will instead work out for teams on March 20.
Tight end Darius Hill had an impressive workout. He measured 6-foot-7 and weighed 246 pounds, had a 31-inch vertical leap, a 9-6 broad jump, and ran two 40-yard dashes in 4.75 and 4.74 seconds indoors on a hard surface. His 40 times would have been among the fastest run among tight ends at the combine.
Because of inclement weather, all the workouts were held indoors, which didn’t allow punter Chris Miller to participate. Miller, who measured 6-foot-1 and weighed 213 pounds, will work out for teams with Brewster and Davis next month.
– Gil Brandt
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Pro Days
Brandt to provide daily pro-day workout reports
Posted: February 26th, 2009 | NFL.com Staff | Tags: Pro Days
In between the combine and the draft, NFL coaches and personnel — not to mention the prospects themselves — turn their attention to the various college “pro day” workouts. These are not as all-encompassing as the combine, but they are important enough for the key decision-makers in the league to travel around the country for more than a month to see the talent up close and personal. NFL.com’s Gil Brandt has his sources at each of these workouts and will provide updates as they happen.
To see a list of when schools will be holding their pro-day workouts, click here.
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