Report on Brooks' workout today (Brandt)

[Rack]

Was this after his eye surgery?

 

[Rack]

http://dallascowboyszone.com/forums/showthread.php?t=57317

 

[Gryphon]

Please delete or merge.

 

[AdamJT13]

When did Canty say that?

Do you have a link?

According to JJT, Canty said Brooks "is the best player he's ever seen or played with."

http://dallascowboyszone.com/forums/showthread.php?t=56681

"TAYLOR: I don't think they'll use that high a pick on him. If they pull the trigger, I see it coming in the fifth or sixth round. Books is a phenomenal athlete who reportedly was running the 40-yard dash in 4.75 at 275 pounds a couple of weeks ago. He wants to weigh about 260 for his workout day later this month. Current defensive end Chris Canty said Brooks is the best player he's ever seen or played with. That may be true, but Brooks comes with a lot of baggage, and the thing Dallas and other teams must figure out is whether he's a bad guy or a guy who makes bad decisions. You can work with a guy who makes poor decisions. It's almost impossible to successfully work with a bad guy."

Also, Alvin Pearman, now a running back for the Jaguars, said Brooks "is the best athlete that I’ve ever seen, period."

 

[silverbear]

I stand on my fourth round projection

With those numbers, it's a dead moral certainty that somebody will spend a first day pick on him...

First off, he's faster than the times he posted at this workout... eventually, he will get his 40 times down under 4.6 seconds... the guy just lost 30-odd pounds in ten weeks, fer cryin' out loud...

But y'know, even if he never knocks another hundredth of a second off his 40 time, a 260 pound inside linebacker who can run the 40 in under 4.7 seconds (particularly one with those 10 and 20 yard splits) is plenty fast enough to play in the NFL...

 

[silverbear]

Where was the 4.5 we were told was forthcoming?

I'd say it's unlikely that you're gonna be at your best when you lose over 30 pounds in ten weeks... but in a month or two, he'll be under 4.6 seconds again...

His people claim that he was running in the 4.5s less than a week ago, but of course we'd be right to view those claims suspiciously...

 

[silverbear]

Put him on a track and he prolly hits it. I would be curious to see what 'not good but average' conditions looks like.

In this case, the high in Charlottesville yesterday was in excess of 95 degrees, and it was reportedly 110 plus on the turf where he worked out...

It was very hot, and he was running on Astroturf... that's not a slow surface (certainly not when compared with grass), but it's not as fast as the rubber tracks that a lot of prospects run on...

 

[silverbear]

The scary part is that he'd gotten up to 292 (260 plus 32). Anytime a player lets himself go like that, it raises serious questions about what they're going to do once they get NFL $$$ in their pockets.

Well, that's just silly... you talk as if he got fat just because he's lazy, and that's simply not the case...

Nope, Ahmad hurt his knee in workouts some 15-16 months back (March of 2005)... it was bad enough that he didn't get back on the field until about midway through last season (early October)... he promptly went out and hurt first his ankle, then his back...

IOW, he got fat because he was HURT... that happens sometimes, and we should be giving him credit for getting back down to his suggested playing weight in just 10 weeks... this speaks to a strong work ethic, and a driven focus on being successful at his chosen trade...

Also, remember how Petitti was worn down towards the end of the season because he spent his spring, early summer losing weight?

A good point, which probably explains why his 40 times weren't quite as good as some expected (though not bad)...

Really, though, it's a joke to blame Brooks for getting fat, if you factor in all the injuries he battled the last year and a half...

 

[silverbear]

He said it. Trust me.

I remember reading that too...

 

[Bob Sacamano]

There were representatives from 31 teams at the workout, with only the Vikings not in attendance.

this means the Vikes will take him

Brooks nearly ran in the 4.8 range like I said, but not quite

 

[Bob Sacamano]

32 inch vert, not much explosion there

 

[Bob Sacamano]

His people claim that he was running in the 4.5s less than a week ago, but of course we'd be right to view those claims suspiciously...

and D'Angelo Hall's people were claiming that he ran a 4.19

 

[StanleySpadowski]

Well, that's just silly... you talk as if he got fat just because he's lazy, and that's simply not the case...

Nope, Ahmad hurt his knee in workouts some 15-16 months back (March of 2005)... it was bad enough that he didn't get back on the field until about midway through last season (early October)... he promptly went out and hurt first his ankle, then his back...

IOW, he got fat because he was HURT... that happens sometimes, and we should be giving him credit for getting back down to his suggested playing weight in just 10 weeks... this speaks to a strong work ethic, and a driven focus on being successful at his chosen trade...



A good point, which probably explains why his 40 times weren't quite as good as some expected (though not bad)...

Really, though, it's a joke to blame Brooks for getting fat, if you factor in all the injuries he battled the last year and a half...

That's absolutely ridiculous spin. Becoming a tub of goo then losing some weight shows a strong work ethic??? The bottom line is that anyone losing that much weight that quickly is going to lose muscle mass, can't be done any other way.

Seems more like the last desperate grasp at the $$ that his idiocy has peed away.


Overhyped as a player, his pedestrian numbers, drug addiction and other off-field issues leave him a poor risk/reward gamble with anything earlier than a second day pick.

 

[silverbear]

That's absolutely ridiculous spin. Becoming a tub of goo then losing some weight shows a strong work ethic??? The bottom line is that anyone losing that much weight that quickly is going to lose muscle mass, can't be done any other way.

Seems more like the last desperate grasp at the $$ that his idiocy has peed away.


Overhyped as a player

Oh, excuse me-- I didn't realize you were one of the knee-jerk haters... my bad, for thinking I could talk reasonably with you...

Yeah, when you FINALLY get healthy enough to work out again, and you drop 30-odd pounds in 10 weeks, that shows a drive that can be carried over on to the football field... it takes discipline to do that, a force of will...

And though Brooks has answered the questions about his weight, he plans on continuing his workout regimen with his trainers until he's actually drafted by somebody, and on his way to camp...

And I repeat, the ONLY reason he was fat in the first place was because he had all kinds of injuries going on... prior to getting hurt, conditioning was never once an issue in his career...

his pedestrian numbers,

Yeah, you haters all say that... and it's really stupid, every time...

Pedestrian numbers?? In simple rebuttal to that ludicrous claim, I offer one fact:

He was one of three finalists for the Butkus Award his sophomore year in college... that means he was considered one of the three best linebackers in college ball that year... clearly, calling his numbers "pedestrian" is asinine...

drug addiction

Once again, absent facts, you go spewing juvenile bile... simply put, you have no idea that he's an "addict"... all you know is that twice now, marijuana has messed him up...

To go from those two episodes to claims of "addiction" just shows how profoundly mindless your hatred is...

and other off-field issues

And what "issues" might those be?? Be very specific...

leave him a poor risk/reward gamble with anything earlier than a second day pick.

ROTFLMAO... you rip on the guy like he's a serial pedophile, then say you'd use a second day pick on him??

Flip... flop... pick a story, and stick to it... why in God's name would you spend ANY draft pick on what, in your own characterization, is a tub of goo idiot drug addict with pedestrian abilities and uspecified other off-field issues??

 

[Vintage]

These are the numbers I expected. He is going to be a bit rusty since he hasn't played football in awhile, if we were to take him.

If he's that big of a "bad person" as everyone claims, why is it reported Groh was at the workouts (or were they just rumors of him being there)?

Obviously teams are interested in him if 31/32 teams were represented there. Sure, some may just have been doing their due diligence...but 31/32 teams being there shows sign of interest.

He's an ILB. Ran a 4.7 40. Thats plenty fast. As for his weight, injuries do tend to add weight.

This kid was a top prospect for a reason and had he been in the draft, he'd probably been the first ILB off the board.

I am going to guess some team spends a 2nd on him....3rd at the latest. (I wouldn't part with a 2nd...but depending on how he looked, I'd at least consider a 3rd).

 

[InmanRoshi]

Even with a minor knee injury (its not like he had reconstructive surgery), he should stil be able to ride a stationary bike or other low impact cardio and watch his diet to keep from getting 40 lbs. overweight.

I, for one, was not impressed with the workout. His shuttle and change of direction drills were horrendous.

 

[Stash]

Too many factors going against any move by the Cowboys for me.

The "risk" seems greater than the "reward" in my opinion.

And the 4th round pick (or better) it would probably take to get him could better be used on an offensive lineman or receiver for next year.

I think the Cowboys have enough good prospects at ILB that they can afford to pass on Brooks.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

Current defensive end Chris Canty said Brooks is the best player he's ever seen or played with.

Note to Jerry: Do not hire Chris Canty to be a scout when his playing days are over...

 

[InmanRoshi]

Just to show where this stacks up with prospects in the 2006 draft...

First is Pat Kirwan's power and explosion formula that he took from the Jets where he takes Vert. Jump + Broad Jump + Bench reps and combines them into one comprehensive number. 70 is considered to be elite status.

Mario Williams 85.5
Ernie Simms 76.42
Kai Parham 74.75
AJ Hawk 73.58
Kamerion Wimbley 73.25
Manny Lawson 72.83
Demarco Ryan 72.75
Mark Anderson 72.58
Thomas Howard 70.33
Darryl Tapp 69.08
Tim Dobbins 67.66
Stanley McClover 67.5
Chris Gocong 66.75
D'Qwell Jackson 65.67
Parys Haralson 65.58
Abdul Hodge 65
Ahmad Brooks 60
Jason Berryman 59.91
Chad Greenway 59.25
Mathias Kiwanuka 59






In the spirit of Kirwan's power and explosion number, I combined 40 yard dash + 10 yard dash + short shuttle + 3 cone drill to come up with a comprehensive speed and agility number before the draft.




AJ Hawk - 16.93
Manny Lawson - 17.09
Thomas Howard - 17.22
Mark Anderson - 17.46
Chris Gocong - 17.46
Ernie Sims - 17.59
Chad Greenway - 17.6
DeMarco Ryans - 17.66
Kamerion Wimbley - 17.67
Gerris Wilkinson - 17.74
D'Qwell Jackson - 17.79
Mathias Kiwanuka - 17.8
Abdul Hodge - 17.87
Mario Williams - 17.88
Tim Dobbins - 17.88
Jason Berryman - 18.00
Ahmad Brooks - 18.14
Parys Haralson - 18.18
Darryl Tapp - 18.29
Stanley McClover - 18.4
Kai Parham - 18.4
Ray Edwards - 18.76


There are some guys like Chad Greenway who came up short on strength but good on speed. Kai Parham finished poorly on speed but showed up well on strength. Brooks managed to test poorly on both. He may have been an elite athlete at one time, but it appears that injuries, weight battles. a lackadasical approach and what appears to be an odd natural body type may have done him in. This combined with all of his off the field issues probably knocks him down in the 4th or 5th range. Maybe even lower. I probably wouldn't mind if the Cowboys used a 5th on him as a project player, but this guy isn't going to be ready to challenge for a starting spot for another 2 years.

(Edited - I've also included Jason Berryman's numbers)

 

[TNCowboy]

Kirwan said that his sense is most guys are thinking 4th round on Brooks.