Steely Dan

IMO, the combine is overrated because of numbers. The interviews and doctors checkups are very important, but the drills not so much. Forty times are the biggest joke of the combine. If player A runs a 4.5 forty and player B runs a 4.25 forty that means that (approx.) at the end of eighty yards Player A will be a half second behind player B. How often do guys run straight line for 80 yards on a football field during a game? That half second IMO, is meaningless but it can mean the difference of a million dollars on a rookie contract. The other reason I hate forty times is that they don't gauge football speed. Some guys can turn on the jets during a game more easily than they can on a track. The forty times at the combine, as well as all other drills, are run in shorts and not in football gear. How that translates to guys in pads on the field is a little silly to even try and figure out. While the importance given by some to forty times of WR, CB, RB, LB and FB's is fairly easy to understand it is totally useless, IMO for DL, OL and QB's. DL and OL and QB's rarely run forty yards at one time in a game. The best QB's seem, to me, to be the guys who can stand in the pocket and make quick decisions with great accuracy. I could give a crap if he runs a 5.6 forty. Here are some articles about 40 times; http://bleacherreport.com/articles/351014-...ated-draft-tool For this upcoming draft, look at DE/OLB prospect Brandon Graham. Before I start, I think Graham will make a great player in the league. He has been talked about being picked anywhere from 25th to the early second round. When interviewed, Graham said he can run a 4.5* forty. Now people are talking about him going top 10 if he indeed can run that fast. How does that change anything? Show me the lateral movement speed he has, not vertical speed. Watch the game film, and see how he was the hardest working player for four years while at Michigan, and had a nonstop motor. Don't worry about how fast he can run. Sure, we were awed at Chris Johnsons' 4.24, and it does show on the field, when he has an open lane. If he did the three cone drill, I would of bet he would produce the fastest time of any running back. His acceleration is what gives him his burst to get to the open field. *Graham actually ran a 4.74 but the point is the same. http://blog.nola.com/saintsbeat/2009/03/40...a_waste_of.html Jabari Greer was a standout track athlete and football player at the University of Tennessee. Back in 2004, he ran a time of 4.37 seconds in the 40 on his pro day but clocked a sub-par time of 4.5 at the combine. Two months later he failed to hear his name called on draft weekend and had to settle for free-agent rookie contract with the Buffalo Bills. __________________________ In 2003, the Arizona Cardinals selected Penn State wide receiver Bryant Johnston with the 17th pick of the first round after watching him run a 4.37 40 at his pro day. Thirty-six picks later, with the No. 54 pick of the second round, they took Anquan Boldin, a wide receiver from Florida State, who clocked a pedestrian time of 4.71. Johnson signed a five-year contract that averaged $1.26 million a season. Boldin's four-year deal averaged about half of that annually. Yet Johnson never nailed down a full-time starting job in Arizona and is now on his third team in three years. Boldin, meanwhile, went on to win NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year honors after catching 101 passes for 1,377 yards and is a three-time Pro Bowler. That same year, Terrell Suggs was considered a consensus top 5 pick after setting an NCAA record with 44 career sacks at Arizona State. He slipped to No. 10, though, when he recorded a 40 time of 4.81 at the combine. Suggs went on to win the Defensive Rookie of the Year award and is also a three-time Pro Bowler. Enough about the forty. Why should I care if a guy can bench press 225 pounds 45 times? Why should I care about his 3 cone drill, or 20 yard shuttle? I can see how he translates those skills onto a football field by watching college tape. The vertical has some interest to me. Particularly for WR's and CB's but being able to see if a guy can out jump his competition can also be found on college films. The Wonderlic means nothing to me unless a guy falls below approx. 20 or goes above approx. 35. So when I read that Mitch Petrus tied Lief Larsen's bench press record I could care less. A guy who presses ten times less than Petrus but is better able to use his strength against an opponent through solid technique is more valuable to me. The other thing that I think the drills at the combine are good for is judging an athletes competitiveness, nerves under pressure and ability to follow directions. How much do they care about doing their best? Do they want to be #1 or are they just going through the motions? So, IMO there is some good to the combine but don't look at a guy who's impressive in the drills and think that those stats will any way translate to the football field. Give me the college football studs, not the combine studs.

Does anyone know if he's related to Takeo? I like some of your picks Astrobot but Jarrett Brown is a one year starter. I want someone with more experience. I like your local guy picks! These are three of my choices and since it's real early in the draft analysis available to fans, I have to pass on knowing what rounds these guys will be available in but from what I've read about them in mags and on the internet they intrigue me. If the Bills can trade back that would be ideal, IMO. Vladimir Ducasse - OT - Massachusetts - 6'5" - 326 - According to PFW draft guide he's best suited for a power running offense and since I think that's what Chansaw has in mind he seems like he'd be a good fit. Also according to them he is highly motivated, plays through pain and hasn't missed time. Highly motivated mean a lot to me. NFLDraftscouts on Ducasse I agree with you on Cam Thomas (NT - North Carolina - 6'4" - 331) he appears to be an every down NT. His sack production 3.5 in 28 starts is disappointing but he seems to be the best all around NT, IMO. The PFWDG says he's tough as nails and played with a broken hand his entire senior season. Draftscout.com on Thomas DT Cam Thomas - Thomas looked to be a first-round pick as the season began, but his stock has dropped since. He finished the year with just 23 tackles. Gee, I wonder if playing with a broken hand all season had anything to do with that. Dan LeFevour - QB - Central Michigan - 6'3" - 229 His college production is just sick., 66.4% completions, 12,905 yards passing 102 touchdowns and 36 ints. Why this guy isn't rated higher is beyond me. It appears the knock on him is he's a project one year or more away. I say take the kid. Draftscout.com on Lefevour.

How do you know what he does off camera? He doesn't for Fux Gnus so some people here will never acknowledge he could be a decent guy, even in the face of glaring facts. See what I mean. You obviously don't possess the ability to make character judgments based on what you see on TV. Obviously many more here can.

It would have immediately died then. You need to get back to your doctor RIGHT AWAY!!! RUN, SERIOUSLY!! RUN!!!

I believe a lot of people here say that, but when the Bills lose a coin flip in a playoff game thoughts will change. JMO

Ryan Miller will bring back a gold to Buffalo later this week! I think Bobsled driver would be the coolest thing to do in the Olympics.

Good post. I don't think you'll find any links from teammates because good teammates keep that stuff in the locker room and any comments would most likely be from anonymous sources. His ability to rub people the wrong way has been discussed in more than those two links but I can't remember enough to supply links to them. The fact that he's addressing the problem seems to validate that many think it's an issue. When Leaf came out he was very arrogant, IIRC, and when he struggled to cut it in the NFL he seemingly turned his anger toward anything but himself. There is a fine line between confidence and arrogance and I think all great QB's ride the edge of that line but straying too far either way isn't good. When a confident QB struggles, IMO, he keeps working hard because he believes he can solve his problems. When an arrogant QB struggles he blames anyone or anything but himself, whether he says it out loud or not. I don't think Kelly ever went waaaaayyyy over the line. He spouted off after he got an injury he thought was Ballard's fault. I think Thurman helped knock him down a peg and Kelly responded well. It's hard to know how Clausen will respond in adversity. I'm not saying it's the exact same thing as Leaf just that it reminds me of his situation.

I'm not a fan of the trade up. McCargo being a prime example. Why give up multiple picks for one guy? I believe in drafting for need when the grades are pretty much equal but moving up is a risky venture. I'd prefer to trade back and draft more guys and hope one of them turns out to be good.

and not getting the kicked out of him upon his return.

Because starting NT's worth anything are very difficult to find. The only true NT prospects in this draft have issues of one or another. (As always JMO based on scouting reports) Suh can play anywhere but he'll be gone and at 295 pounds NT would be the worst place to put him IMO. Cam Thomas seems to be the guy with the least questions. He played with a lot of talented guys around him so it's a little more difficult to see him as an individual player. Even with great talent around him he only made 3.5 sacks in 28 starts. Dan Williams may only be a two down player. Terrence Cody has been discussed here many times. Fat, lazy and two down player. Al Woods has only started one year. Terrell Troup looks like a two down player. He's also 6'4" and 310. He's a little light but at 6'4" he could probably pack on a few more pounds. He wouldn't be much help this year but could very good next if he could add and carry the extra weight. Kade Weston has not had a stellar college career and is probably best suited as a backup. With the 3-4 becoming more and more popular teams are grabbing the guys who can play NT and keeping them if they are solid. Wilfork, Hampton and Ryan Pickett all being franchised is no coincidence. IMO For those of you who are scared about the switch to the 3-4 I'm not that concerned. I doubt the 3-4 will be used exclusively. They'll probably throw in a few 4-3 alignments. If Maybin can be used at OLB they could start in a 3-4 look and then have the guys jump over and move Maybin up into a 4-3 alignment just before the snap of the ball.

I don't think the TV networks would allow that. Great description of Soccer. I like the one possession rule best but first to six is better than what they have now. JMO

Haven't paid that much attention to him, he's only got 24 posts.

I agree, I heard Brian Billick in an interview the other day and he said that players are so prepared by agents today for the interviews a team is wise to throw in questions that can't be anticipated. This was not about the answer as much as the reaction. Has there ever been a player/team doctor before?

Looks like this is a slam dunk case; http://www.myfoxdetroit.com/dpp/news/local...-for-sam-riddle It only takes one stupid idiot to cause a mistrial. It looks like bribery on the jury may have been involved. JMO

No problem here. (knocks wood)

I think Johnson could fill the number 2 role but I'd prefer to see a vet brought in. Anquan Boldin anyone?

Pro Football Weekly Draft Guide page 31; Lacks ideal intangibles for the position and could always struggle to fit into a locker room. Overly arrogant and rubs teammates the wrong way with his brash demeanor. http://www.profootballweekly.com/2010/02/2...s-health-leader "Some people say I'm cocky, I'm arrogant, I'm not a good leader, I'm not a good teammate," Clausen said. "I think the people that are out there saying those things really don't know me as a person. I'm a humble kid. I love having fun with my teammates." If the Bills are going to throw away draft picks it should be for Bradford, JMO

Reed surprises me. He's been really productive out of the slot.

Not like his has, if a guy is disciplined. If the Bills draft him we can call him Breast Mode.

SW is a surfer and skateboarder too, you'd think it would be up his alley. He may not be world class at the MPGS though.

I think it's gonna be a violent hard fought game. The Hosers, I'm sure, are NOT happy about being embarrassed on home ice a few days ago and they are gonna come out to make a statement. If Miller can stay in the zone he's been in so far the game will probably be very low scoring. My guess; USA - 2/ Hosers - 1

I thought he'd compete in all the snowboarding events. It's a bummer I'd like to see him compete.

BTW, my favorite way to sing that song is; "You're so dumb you probably think this song is a chicken." I have no idea why. I just came up with it one day and that's just about how I always sing it.

The more I hear about Clausen's inability to get along with teammates the more I'm reminded of Ryan Leaf.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/SHOWBIZ/Music/02/2...dex.html?hpt=C2 She looks terrible but here's something from the article; (CNN) -- Has Carly Simon finally told the world the subject of "You're So Vain"? In a new version of the 1972 hit song from her album "Never Been Gone," the singer whispers a name during an instrumental break. Played backward, the name is revealed to be "David." I remember seeing an interview with her in which she said the guy had a B in his name. I assumed, like a lot of other people, it was Warren Beatty but evidently it's not. Assuming the B in the name comment is true, then who could it be? They have to be capable of flying a Lear Jet. You can't get Heinz Ketchup out of your head?!