Sunday's notes are sponsored by Pacifico beer.
After a long day of watching draft prospects run repetitive drills and being largely shunned by the more "name" media and NFL staff members, the Pacifico back at the hotel room tasted mighty nice.
Most of the running backs ran in the 4.5s and even 4.6s just after several wideouts notched times in the low 4.4s in the 40-yard dash. Many were visibly disappointed, as were lots of the evaluators hoping to see some serious speed.
Prospect Notes:
-- Clemson wide receiver Jacoby Ford lit it up with a 4.28 40 very early in the day, the second-fastest time ever at the Combine. He ran it with an effortless gait that drew some serious "wows" around Lucas Oil Field, reminiscent of Usain Bolt with his bright yellow shoes.
-- Not to be outdone, Ford's Clemson teammate C.J. Spiller matched his time towards the end of the day after so many in his running back grouping plodded to very unimpressive times. It should be noted his 20-second split time was faster than Ford's and identical to Chris Johnson's record-setting 4.24 run a couple years ago. I've said it before, I'll say it again: even though the running back market is oversaturated and teams are clearly looking at other needs higher in the draft, I will be shocked if someone with Spiller's speed falls out of the top 10. It might not be any teams picking there now, but trust me that no general manager wants to be the guy who failed to draft the next Chris Johnson.
-- Ryan Mathews is impressing with both his athletic prowess and his business-like demeanor. The Fresno State running back is impressively cut and showed great quickness in the short shuttle, not to mention his 4.41 40 time. He carries himself like he's heading into war at every drill, yet in interviews he comes across as affable and coachable. I get the strong sense he is now the #2 running back in this draft class on many team boards, if he wasn't already.
-- Toby Gerhart earned points for his low 4.5 time primarily because of how he went about it. Most guys carefully lined up every single muscle in a non-football 3-point stance, often waiting several seconds before launching themselves. Gerhart walked up to the line, slightly bent his knees, and took off. That shows more legit football speed, not track speed, and it was duly noted as such. He runs very upright, however, something that shows up on game film as well.
-- One receiver having a very bad day was Dezmon Briscoe of Kansas, who ran in the upper 4.6s despite a couple of DQ'ed runs for leaning too far. He comes from an offense where the system is often credited for getting receivers open, and at that speed and poor shuttle numbers, it's evident the cocksure, lanky Briscoe is a complete product of the system. He might be waiting a very long time to hear his name called on draft weekend.
-- Illinois wide receiver Arrelious Benn drew several comparisons to Anquan Boldin with his muscular build and hard-charging running style. He has humbly and successfully handled the questions about his rough 2009 season at Illinois, not casting stones despite clearly having some legit rocks he could chuck.
-- My fellow members of the Ohio Bobcat nation will be pleased to know that Taylor Price had a very strong showing in all the workouts, running the second-fastest 40 time (4.41) and also ranking near the top in the vertical jump. He measured in with large hands for his average height, and he wears his 204 pounds nicely. As one prominent draft writer noted to me, "If he came from Ohio State and not Ohio U. he'd be a second round lock."
-- His workout numbers weren't eye-popping, but I like the way Fordham quarterback John Skelton fit in with the big boys. He garnered a quick and genuine rapport with some of the receivers and the other quarterbacks. He is built almost identically to Joe Flacco.
-- One under-the-radar prospect that helped his stock in workouts was Louisville wide receiver Brandon Long, who rated near the top in almost every drill. He has decent size and very large hands, which he flashed at Louisville during a very difficult time for the program. He has a chance to stick as a possession receiver and special teams contributor, something he is amenable to based on talking to him.
NFL Notes:
-- The strong performances of the Clemson players today seemed to jog the memory of many people about former Tiger James Davis, who missed his rookie season with the Browns with a controversial injury. It was funny to watch Browns coach Eric Mangini sidestep all the Davis questions (Davis was injured in a post-practice drill that nearly got Mangini fired), and also fun to see a lot of draftniks scrambling to adjust their "Browns needs" once reminded of Davis, who allegedly beat both Spiller and Ford in foot races while at Clemson and had earned the sarign spot in preseason before his injury.
-- I'm surprised at how many people here are surprised by the Jets handling of running back Thomas Jones. If the drafting of Shonn Greene last year wasn't a clear indication that Jones' future was limited, a cursory examination of his contract should have told anyone with any sort of acumen that he was not heading back to New York in 2010. First-guessing his landing spot: Detroit.
-- There are a lot of rumors flying regarding several Oakland Raiders that might be on the move. Among the names being thrown around and getting legit interest from other teams: Michael Bush, Darren McFadden, Kirk Morrison, but the one name that really jumps out is cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha, one of the elite players at his position in the game today. I can't imagine Oakland giving him up, but too many people who would know are saying that no Raiders players except Richard Seymour, Darius Heyward-Bey, and Zach Miller are unattainable for the right price.
-- Pay close attention to Seattle this week, as venerable veteran left tackle Walter Jones is expected to announce his intentions before Friday. If he is coming back, that buys Pete Carroll another year up front. If the multiple-time Pro Bowler retires, then the Seahawks might be forced to address offensive tackle much earlier than they want in the draft. Despite what you'll read elsewhere, I do not believe they have any intention of drafting a tackle with either of their first round picks.
-- The press release from Pacman Jones' camp that he will hold workouts later this month for interested teams drew shameless guffaws from a few in the media center. Good luck with that, Mr. Rainmaker...
Random Thoughts:
-- There is palpable tension between the NFL Network and ESPN. Not so much between the on-air talent, but the behind-the-scenes guys have real hostility and it's clear the execs at both networks view one another with real enmity.
-- If you ever find yourself in Kokomo, Indiana, do your taste buds a favor and check out the Half Moon Brewery. I drove up there last night to meet with an old friend (hi Ryan!) and was very impressed with both the food and the on-site-brewed beer.
-- I sorely miss my Sirius radio in the car here. Indy just might have the worst radio of any city in the country. Note to the local rock stations: music has been recorded since 1980. Note to local program directors: 11 dedicated Christian music channels and right country music stations are far too many. I had to stop by Best Buy and pick up a couple of CDs last night to make it through my tenure here.
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