SoCalBronco
02-25-2006, 07:01 PM
2006 Combine Blog: Day 3
Over 300 of this year's draft prospects will be under the microscope at the Scouting Combine. Here, a host of scouts, coaches and personnel executives time players in the 40-yard dash at last year's Combine. Broncos college scout Ed Lambert, director of football administration Mike Bluem and pro scout Chris Trulove are in the front row of the main stands. PHOTO: ASSOCIATED PRESS
SCOUTING COMBINE
It's time for the Scouting Combine once again. We'll have stories from Indianapolis throughout the weekend, as well as video of some prominent players' press conferences to give you a taste of the talk from the Combine. Look for much more video on the draft class of 2006 in March and April.
2/25: In Full Bloom
2/24: Day 2 Combine Blog
2/24: Broncos TV: WR Jeremy Bloom, Colorado
2/24: Broncos TV: QB Vince Young, Texas
2/24: Broncos TV: QB Marcus Vick, Virginia Tech
2/23: Day 1 Combine Blog
2/23: Broncos TV: RB Reggie Bush, USC
2/23: Broncos TV: OL D'Brickashaw Ferguson, Virginia
2/23: Broncos TV: OL Rashad Butler, Miami (Fla.)
You can also watch NFL Network at various times throughout the weekend for coverage of both the press conferences and the workouts from the RCA Dome. Below are the times when you can watch the live stream on-line.
2/23: Archived Show
2/24: Archived Show
2/25: 6-8 p.m. MST
2/26: 6-8 p.m. MST
2/27: 6-8 p.m. MST
2/28: 6-8 p.m. MST
EDITOR'S NOTE: For a fourth consecutive year, DenverBroncos.com is at the National Scouting Combine, and for a third straight year, Managing Editor Andrew Mason will be blogging his way through the four days of player interviews. Check back throughout the Combine for updates and tidbits from one of the most important weekends for all 32 NFL teams!
10:02 A.M. EST
I want to get this off to a good start early today, so look for a morning barrage of entries while I actually have time to post some entries between my dashes around the room to keep two cameras running and pointed at the potential draftees. So far, we've filled up six tapes at 90 minutes apiece and we begin the day 25 minutes through a seventh tape and 45 minutes into an eighth, so that's plenty of soundbites to share with you on Broncos TV as we count down to the draft.
We've been here for about 30 minutes now. The cameras are set up, the batteries are charged, the mics stand at the ready and the complimentary breakfast danish is gone, with nothing more than crumbs left on a black plastic plate. An apple danish and a Diet Coke -- the breakfast of champions. A few coaches mill about in the hall, exchanging morsels of conversation. One of them is Broncos defensive front coach Andre Patterson, who we'll try and corral shortly.
10:25 A.M. EST
Scads of parentheses to follow ...
Just completed a 10-minute "stop-and-chat" (that's for us Curb Your Enthusiasm fans) with Patterson, who spoke about a number of subjects, including the coaches' compressed offseason schedule (the deep playoff run plus Pro Bowl week equals very little time to watch tape on players before the Combine), the potential advantages of coming to the Combine without having watched much film (a more open-minded perspective), dealing with potential change on the defensive line, the efforts to make sure Gerard Warren returns to the Broncos (Patterson said he's been talking to him, but that the city of Denver and the Broncos had already done an outstanding sales job on trying to ensure he stays) and defen lineman Corey Jackson, for whom Patterson had nothing but raves.
Much more to come from Patterson in a story I'll file later this weekend.
10:37 A.M. EST
Speaking for everyone in the room -- or at least those few of us who are both handling writing, photo cropping, video filming, editing and production duties -- former Purdue tight end Charles Davis offered perhaps the most ambiguous sign-off yet of the players to step to the Combine podiums.
"You guys have a good night, or a good day," he said. "I don't even know what time it is."
It's morning -- I think.
10:42 A.M. EST
Colorado's Joe Klopfenstein is near the head of a solid draft class at tight end, but he didn't assume those duties until he began playing for the Buffaloes. His desire to play tight end, however, predated his arrival in Boulder.
"I actually wanted to play tight end (in high school)," he said, "but our offense didn't have one, I had to play something else.
"It's a pretty stacked tight end draft," he added. "I think I'm towards the top. That's what I'm here to prove this weekend."
10:48 A.M. EST
One camera operator is paying little attention to Virginia Tech tight end Jeff King, leaning back in his chair and absorbing a novel as he sits on the raised camera platform in the middle of the room. This makes the nameless reader easily the most underworked person in this room.
10:51 A.M. EST
John Mackey Award winner Mercedes Lewis has the floor at one end of the room as the tight ends continue to roll in. The UCLA product stacks himself up with Pro Bowlers Tony Gonzalez and Antonio Gates because of his basketball background (he played for the Bruins as a freshman) and his ability to adjust to the ball in mid-air.
Hoops, though, was something that Lewis merely did "for fun." He obviously did it pretty well, as schools such as Connecticut and Arizona offered him scholarships to play basketball, he said. But as with skiier/footballer Jeremy Bloom, the pigskin took priority.
"Basketball was something I did to pass the time," Lewis said. "I went to UCLA to play tight end ... I wanted to become a tight end; I felt my future was in football, not basketball."
11:14 A.M.
As Americans, our schedules are on a perpetual, slavish march towards complete gridlock. We work more hours (especially when computers go blue-screen belly-up), we spend more time on our commutes and even mundane excursions to the supermarket entail more time and effort since we have to unload the blasted carts and scan and bag the merchandise ourselves.
Amidst all that and more which represents the cacophony of life itself, the NFL sees an audience that can fill up the remaining crevices in its schedule with football, football and more football. Hence, the creation of the NFL Network in 2003, and now, the constant coverage of the Scouting Combine, with workouts airing live for at least three hours on each of the next four days.
It is testament to the sleeper hold that football has over the sporting public that people watch -- and keep watching. They're now witnessing the 40-yard dashes of offensive linemen, which gives rise to one of the great pleasures in the athletic realm: watching big guys run. The only sweeter words in sport are "goalie fight."
Incidentally, we were just reminded by the league that the times on NFL Network's coverage of the Combine workouts are unofficial. The official times will be posted in the media room later in the day, and we'll report those to you as we receive them.
12:32 P.M. EST
NFL.com's Gil Brandt strode to the podium and reported the following details from the morning offensive-line workouts:
In the first group, 23 of 28 players ran the 40-yard dash, with one being medically excused. Neither D'Brickashaw Ferguson of Virginia nor USC's Winston Justice took part in the workouts. Rashad Butler of the University of Miami (whose video you can watch here) was medically excused from running the 40, but he still participated in the lineman drills.
In the second group, 21 of 25 players ran, with three being medically excused, including Ohio State's Rob Sims. Miami's Eric Winston posted the best 40-yard dash time of "around" 4.9 seconds.
1:10 P.M. EST
Oklahoma offensive lineman Davin Joseph is the only player who worked out today to come visit the media room; the balance of the players in the media room today are tight ends and defensive linemen, who work out Monday.
1:54 P.M. EST
Tennessee defensive tackle Jesse Mahelona named the Broncos as one of the teams with whom he spoke at the Combine. He won't work out here in Indianapolis because of an injury he incurred during Senior Bowl week.
2:34 P.M. EST
Getting longer between updates as we troll the hallway more searching for some Broncos personnel. Fortunately, we come across defensive coordinator Larry Coyer. This interview will take a long while to transcribe, and I probably won't get to it until after they stop bringing players into the media room, but he touched on many topics, including the state of the defensive line as free agency nears, the idea of teaching D.J. Williams to play middle linebacker so he can occasionally spell Al Wilson in addition to his outside duties (Coyer pointed out that Wilson has played more snaps than any Broncos defender in the last six years) and the fact that the offseason point of emphasis will be improvement on third downs -- and that is not just due to the Steelers' ability to exploit Denver on third downs in the AFC Championship.
4:44 P.M. EST
Time to take a break from transcribing this behemoth of an interview with Coyer to share the best 40-yard dash times from the day's work.
The offensive linemen were divided into two groups. Here are the best five times in each grouping:
GROUP 1
1. Chris Chester, Oklahoma: 4.88 seconds
2. Daryn Colledge, Boise State: 5.04 seconds
3. Nick Mangold, Ohio State: 5.05 seconds
4. Marcus McNeill, Auburn: 5.07 seconds
4t. Paul McQuiston, Weber State: 5.07 seconds
GROUP 2
1. Eric Winston, Miami (Fla.): 4.94 seconds
2. Guy Whimper, East Carolina: 4.95 seconds
3. Pat Ross, Boston College: 4.96 seconds
4. Michael Toudouze, TCU: 5.10 seconds
5. Joe Toledo, Washington: 5.11 seconds
The first group of running backs ran, as well.
GROUP 2
1. Maurice Drew, UCLA: 4.39 seconds
2. Joseph Addai, LSU: 4.40 seconds
3. Andre Hall, South Florida: 4.42 seconds
4. Wali Lundy, Virginia: 4.45 seconds
5. Jerome Harrison, Washington State: 4.47 seconds
Over 300 of this year's draft prospects will be under the microscope at the Scouting Combine. Here, a host of scouts, coaches and personnel executives time players in the 40-yard dash at last year's Combine. Broncos college scout Ed Lambert, director of football administration Mike Bluem and pro scout Chris Trulove are in the front row of the main stands. PHOTO: ASSOCIATED PRESS
SCOUTING COMBINE
It's time for the Scouting Combine once again. We'll have stories from Indianapolis throughout the weekend, as well as video of some prominent players' press conferences to give you a taste of the talk from the Combine. Look for much more video on the draft class of 2006 in March and April.
2/25: In Full Bloom
2/24: Day 2 Combine Blog
2/24: Broncos TV: WR Jeremy Bloom, Colorado
2/24: Broncos TV: QB Vince Young, Texas
2/24: Broncos TV: QB Marcus Vick, Virginia Tech
2/23: Day 1 Combine Blog
2/23: Broncos TV: RB Reggie Bush, USC
2/23: Broncos TV: OL D'Brickashaw Ferguson, Virginia
2/23: Broncos TV: OL Rashad Butler, Miami (Fla.)
You can also watch NFL Network at various times throughout the weekend for coverage of both the press conferences and the workouts from the RCA Dome. Below are the times when you can watch the live stream on-line.
2/23: Archived Show
2/24: Archived Show
2/25: 6-8 p.m. MST
2/26: 6-8 p.m. MST
2/27: 6-8 p.m. MST
2/28: 6-8 p.m. MST
EDITOR'S NOTE: For a fourth consecutive year, DenverBroncos.com is at the National Scouting Combine, and for a third straight year, Managing Editor Andrew Mason will be blogging his way through the four days of player interviews. Check back throughout the Combine for updates and tidbits from one of the most important weekends for all 32 NFL teams!
10:02 A.M. EST
I want to get this off to a good start early today, so look for a morning barrage of entries while I actually have time to post some entries between my dashes around the room to keep two cameras running and pointed at the potential draftees. So far, we've filled up six tapes at 90 minutes apiece and we begin the day 25 minutes through a seventh tape and 45 minutes into an eighth, so that's plenty of soundbites to share with you on Broncos TV as we count down to the draft.
We've been here for about 30 minutes now. The cameras are set up, the batteries are charged, the mics stand at the ready and the complimentary breakfast danish is gone, with nothing more than crumbs left on a black plastic plate. An apple danish and a Diet Coke -- the breakfast of champions. A few coaches mill about in the hall, exchanging morsels of conversation. One of them is Broncos defensive front coach Andre Patterson, who we'll try and corral shortly.
10:25 A.M. EST
Scads of parentheses to follow ...
Just completed a 10-minute "stop-and-chat" (that's for us Curb Your Enthusiasm fans) with Patterson, who spoke about a number of subjects, including the coaches' compressed offseason schedule (the deep playoff run plus Pro Bowl week equals very little time to watch tape on players before the Combine), the potential advantages of coming to the Combine without having watched much film (a more open-minded perspective), dealing with potential change on the defensive line, the efforts to make sure Gerard Warren returns to the Broncos (Patterson said he's been talking to him, but that the city of Denver and the Broncos had already done an outstanding sales job on trying to ensure he stays) and defen lineman Corey Jackson, for whom Patterson had nothing but raves.
Much more to come from Patterson in a story I'll file later this weekend.
10:37 A.M. EST
Speaking for everyone in the room -- or at least those few of us who are both handling writing, photo cropping, video filming, editing and production duties -- former Purdue tight end Charles Davis offered perhaps the most ambiguous sign-off yet of the players to step to the Combine podiums.
"You guys have a good night, or a good day," he said. "I don't even know what time it is."
It's morning -- I think.
10:42 A.M. EST
Colorado's Joe Klopfenstein is near the head of a solid draft class at tight end, but he didn't assume those duties until he began playing for the Buffaloes. His desire to play tight end, however, predated his arrival in Boulder.
"I actually wanted to play tight end (in high school)," he said, "but our offense didn't have one, I had to play something else.
"It's a pretty stacked tight end draft," he added. "I think I'm towards the top. That's what I'm here to prove this weekend."
10:48 A.M. EST
One camera operator is paying little attention to Virginia Tech tight end Jeff King, leaning back in his chair and absorbing a novel as he sits on the raised camera platform in the middle of the room. This makes the nameless reader easily the most underworked person in this room.
10:51 A.M. EST
John Mackey Award winner Mercedes Lewis has the floor at one end of the room as the tight ends continue to roll in. The UCLA product stacks himself up with Pro Bowlers Tony Gonzalez and Antonio Gates because of his basketball background (he played for the Bruins as a freshman) and his ability to adjust to the ball in mid-air.
Hoops, though, was something that Lewis merely did "for fun." He obviously did it pretty well, as schools such as Connecticut and Arizona offered him scholarships to play basketball, he said. But as with skiier/footballer Jeremy Bloom, the pigskin took priority.
"Basketball was something I did to pass the time," Lewis said. "I went to UCLA to play tight end ... I wanted to become a tight end; I felt my future was in football, not basketball."
11:14 A.M.
As Americans, our schedules are on a perpetual, slavish march towards complete gridlock. We work more hours (especially when computers go blue-screen belly-up), we spend more time on our commutes and even mundane excursions to the supermarket entail more time and effort since we have to unload the blasted carts and scan and bag the merchandise ourselves.
Amidst all that and more which represents the cacophony of life itself, the NFL sees an audience that can fill up the remaining crevices in its schedule with football, football and more football. Hence, the creation of the NFL Network in 2003, and now, the constant coverage of the Scouting Combine, with workouts airing live for at least three hours on each of the next four days.
It is testament to the sleeper hold that football has over the sporting public that people watch -- and keep watching. They're now witnessing the 40-yard dashes of offensive linemen, which gives rise to one of the great pleasures in the athletic realm: watching big guys run. The only sweeter words in sport are "goalie fight."
Incidentally, we were just reminded by the league that the times on NFL Network's coverage of the Combine workouts are unofficial. The official times will be posted in the media room later in the day, and we'll report those to you as we receive them.
12:32 P.M. EST
NFL.com's Gil Brandt strode to the podium and reported the following details from the morning offensive-line workouts:
In the first group, 23 of 28 players ran the 40-yard dash, with one being medically excused. Neither D'Brickashaw Ferguson of Virginia nor USC's Winston Justice took part in the workouts. Rashad Butler of the University of Miami (whose video you can watch here) was medically excused from running the 40, but he still participated in the lineman drills.
In the second group, 21 of 25 players ran, with three being medically excused, including Ohio State's Rob Sims. Miami's Eric Winston posted the best 40-yard dash time of "around" 4.9 seconds.
1:10 P.M. EST
Oklahoma offensive lineman Davin Joseph is the only player who worked out today to come visit the media room; the balance of the players in the media room today are tight ends and defensive linemen, who work out Monday.
1:54 P.M. EST
Tennessee defensive tackle Jesse Mahelona named the Broncos as one of the teams with whom he spoke at the Combine. He won't work out here in Indianapolis because of an injury he incurred during Senior Bowl week.
2:34 P.M. EST
Getting longer between updates as we troll the hallway more searching for some Broncos personnel. Fortunately, we come across defensive coordinator Larry Coyer. This interview will take a long while to transcribe, and I probably won't get to it until after they stop bringing players into the media room, but he touched on many topics, including the state of the defensive line as free agency nears, the idea of teaching D.J. Williams to play middle linebacker so he can occasionally spell Al Wilson in addition to his outside duties (Coyer pointed out that Wilson has played more snaps than any Broncos defender in the last six years) and the fact that the offseason point of emphasis will be improvement on third downs -- and that is not just due to the Steelers' ability to exploit Denver on third downs in the AFC Championship.
4:44 P.M. EST
Time to take a break from transcribing this behemoth of an interview with Coyer to share the best 40-yard dash times from the day's work.
The offensive linemen were divided into two groups. Here are the best five times in each grouping:
GROUP 1
1. Chris Chester, Oklahoma: 4.88 seconds
2. Daryn Colledge, Boise State: 5.04 seconds
3. Nick Mangold, Ohio State: 5.05 seconds
4. Marcus McNeill, Auburn: 5.07 seconds
4t. Paul McQuiston, Weber State: 5.07 seconds
GROUP 2
1. Eric Winston, Miami (Fla.): 4.94 seconds
2. Guy Whimper, East Carolina: 4.95 seconds
3. Pat Ross, Boston College: 4.96 seconds
4. Michael Toudouze, TCU: 5.10 seconds
5. Joe Toledo, Washington: 5.11 seconds
The first group of running backs ran, as well.
GROUP 2
1. Maurice Drew, UCLA: 4.39 seconds
2. Joseph Addai, LSU: 4.40 seconds
3. Andre Hall, South Florida: 4.42 seconds
4. Wali Lundy, Virginia: 4.45 seconds
5. Jerome Harrison, Washington State: 4.47 seconds