The Combine's Here, Bitch!

[Direckshun]

http://www.arrowheadpride.com/2014/2...-list-workouts

2014 NFL Combine schedule: TV channel, online streaming, invite list, workouts and more
By Matt Conner
on Feb 20 2014, 10:12a

he road to the NFL Draft is longer in 2014 than any other offseason given the league's decision to push it back a few weeks to May 8-10. For the next three months, draftniks will circle around prospects like hawks, analyzing their every move and weighing the pros and cons of each player.

The process starts en masse this week with the start of the 2014 NFL Combine in Indianapolis. If you love the Draft, then this is a big week for you.

For those who are new to the NFL Combine, it's a seven-day event broken up into four-day shifts for each position group (quarterbacks to punters). Each group comes to Indy for four days to meet with representatives from each NFL team for medical assessments, interviews and a number of workouts. It's termed the Underwear Olympics for that reason, as teams fall in and out of love with prospects based on 40-yard dash times and vertical leaps.

The quick guide to the Combine

• NFL Network will televise; NFL.com will stream
• Andy Reid (Thursday, 2:15 p.m.) and John Dorsey (Friday, 12:15 p.m.) will speak to the media (full schedule here)
• Workouts take place Saturday-Tuesday
• Here are the players invited

Now that you have the basics, let's dive into a little more what's going down this week in Indianapolis.

The Combine workout schedule

Here are the days the actual workouts for each position group:

Saturday, Feb. 22: Tight Ends, Offensive Linemen, Special Teams

Sunday, Feb.23: Quarterbacks, Running Backs, Wide Receivers

Monday, Feb. 24: Defensive Line, Linebackers

Tuesday, Feb. 25: Defensive Backs

There are four groups of players arriving as shown above. Each group has four days of events.

Day 1: Travel to Indianapolis* ~ Registration ~ Hospital Pre-Exam & X-rays ~ Orientation ~ Interviews

Day 2: Measurements ~ Medical Examinations ~ Media ~ Interviews

Day 3: NFLPA Meeting ~ Psychological Testing ~ PK/ST Workout ~ Bench Press ~ Interviews

Day 4: On-Field Workout (timing, stations, skill drills) ~ Departure from Indianapolis

With the first arrivals coming on Wednesday, that puts the first day of workouts on Saturday.

The players invited

Every top college football player will likely be in attendance in Indianapolis, even if some of the top athletes won't participate in the workouts. The NFL invited over 300 players to attend. Teddy Bridgewater to Jadeveon Clowney, your favorite college players will likely be there.

Who is eligible to be invited to the Combine? Basically, seniors without college eligibility left and those who have declared early.

And how are players selected to the Combine? Read this:

Participants are determined annually by a Selection Committee. The Directors of both National and BLESTO scouting services, which combined represent twenty-five NFL teams, are joined by members of various NFL player personnel departments to form the committee. The participating NFL executives can rotate on a yearly basis, and remain anonymous. ALL eligible players are reviewed and voted on by the committee members. Each athlete receiving the necessary number of votes, by position, is then extended an invitation. While it is not a perfect science, the goal of the committee is to invite every player that will be drafted in the ensuing NFL Draft.

You can find the full list of players expected to attend at the bottom of this post. While the list is comprehensive, there are a few players every year who are drafted but didn't get invited to the Combine.

The workouts

The most important one is not a workout -- it's the interview. Teams will have the opportunity to interview players where they'll get about 15 minutes with them. With so little time, the questions have to be precise and all have a purpose.

The second most important item there is getting the medical check-up -- essentially confirming that the player is healthy or checking out previous injuries. Team doctors will want this information so the GMs and coaches can make an informed decision.

Some of the other workouts, via Big Blue View:

40-yard dash: Measures straight line speed over a distance. Not very important for non-skill position players, but coming from the 40-yard dash is the "10-yard split." That is the time it takes to travel the first 10 yards of the event and gives a measurement as to the player's explosion and first step. Very important for defensive and offensive linemen. Dontari Poe had a 10-yard split of 1.7 at 330 pounds, which is decent for a linebacker.Bruce Irvin at 235 pounds had a 10-yard split of 1.57, which is a good number for a defensive back. Both help push those players into the middle of the first round.

Bench press: Fairly simple, it measures upper body strength. Moreso it shows if you have stayed in good condition over the offseason. Poor numbers here possibly indicate not working hard enough.

Vertical and Broad jump: Another measurement of explosion and lower body strength. Also important for wide receivers and defensive backs to show off their leaping ability.

3-cone drill: Essentially a change of direction drill. Most important for skill position players. Shows off lateral agility and ability to accelerate out of a turn. One of the drills that translates best on the field. A good score in the 3 cone is often a marker for a high draft pick.

20/60-yard shuttles: Shows the ability to come to a complete stop and accelerate. Obviously important for any position and a good score here is indicative of explosion and body control. As you can see, explosion is a big factor here and one that the NFL is keen to see.

Position-specific drills: Each position has specific drills that test for many different attributes. Change of direction and hip swing for defensive backs, hands skills for wide receivers during the "gauntlet," kick slide drills for the offensive linemen, power for the defensive linemen in hitting bag drills and accuracy for quarterbacks in throwing drills.

How do I watch the Combine?

NFL Network will televise some of it.

NFL.com will stream the action.

KCChiefs.com will have full video of Andy Reid and John Dorsey's press conferences but will not stream them live.

[Direckshun]

Jim (Memphis)

Whose combine workout are you most wanting to see?

Mel Kiper (2:05 PM)

I would say right now it would be these players: Blake Bortles, QB, Central Florida; De'Anthony Thomas, RB, Oregon; Jarvis Landry, WR, LSU; Donte Moncrief, WR, Ole Miss; Troy Niklas, TE, Notre Dame; Dee Ford, OLB, Auburn; Kendall James, CB, Maine; Bradley Roby, CB, Ohio State.

[Mav]

Originally Posted by Direckshun

Matt Miller ‏@nfldraftscout · 1h
Do the #Jaguars expect Justin Blackmon back? "We haven't really thought about it." - Caldwell

There is a good chance if they take Sammy Watkins, I may kick Kittens.

[Mav]

Originally Posted by Direckshun

Jim (Memphis)

Whose combine workout are you most wanting to see?

Mel Kiper (2:05 PM)

I would say right now it would be these players: Blake Bortles, QB, Central Florida; De'Anthony Thomas, RB, Oregon; Jarvis Landry, WR, LSU; Donte Moncrief, WR, Ole Miss; Troy Niklas, TE, Notre Dame; Dee Ford, OLB, Auburn; Kendall James, CB, Maine; Bradley Roby, CB, Ohio State.

D'anthony Thomas will probably run a 4.32, and bench the bar 4 times.

[Direckshun]

Originally Posted by Mavericks Ace

D'anthony Thomas will probably run a 4.32, and bench the bar 4 times.

[Direckshun]

@ChrisBurke_SI: Ebron also says he'll run a faster 40 than Gio Bernard did.

Bernard ran a 4.50.

[Direckshun]

Interesting:

Short-Area Quickness

When looking for drills whose top performers tend to have the best future success for specific position groups, two stood out.

First is the 20-yard shuttle for offensive linemen.

Though it fails to account for upper-body strength and skills, the 20-yard shuttle effectively showcases which offensive linemen have an ability to bend, plant, and burst quickly in their lower body as well as move in open space. This is important because nimble linemen can react and redirect against quick-twitch pass rushers. Since 2006, Eagles C Jason Kelce, Colts C Samson Satele, Panthers C Ryan Kalil, Patriots OT Nate Solder, Jets C Nick Mangold, Colts OT Anthony Castonzo, Redskins C Will Montgomery, Vikings G Brandon Fusco, Chiefs T Eric Fisher and long time T Eric Winston make up 10 of the top 14 clocked times in the 20-yard shuttle.

Not all of these offensive linemen are stars, but they have all played at a high level or have displayed promise early on in their careers.

In 2013, we saw the likes of Fisher, Lane Johnson, Terron Armstead, Kyle Long, and Jonathan Cooper display great movement skills for a heavy-set position. I doubt we see that along the offensive line again this year. All eyes will be on Auburn’s Greg Robinson, and I would be shocked if he is not the first offensive lineman off the board in May. Other easy movers could include North Dakota State’s Billy Turner, Clemson’s Brandon Thomas, Furman’s Dakota Dozier and UCLA’s Xavier Su’a-Filo

The other test that projects future success better than others is the 3-cone drill for edge players.

Much is made of a pass rusher's initial upfield get-off, but an ability to plant and quickly change direction can be equally effective. The 3-cone drill puts different types of pass rushers on an equal playing field. Since 2006, pass rushers like the Cardinals’ Sam Acho, Seahawks’ Bruce Irvin, Chargers’ Melvin Ingram, Browns’ Barkevious Mingo, Eagles’ Connor Barwin, Texans’ J.J. Watt, Lions’ Devin Taylor and Vikings’ Brian Robison make up eight of the top 10 times in the “DL” group, all running under a 6.90. The Seahawks’ Cliff Avril is also in the next grouping.

Von Miller would also fit in this grouping but worked out with “LBs,” and Clay Matthews is in Avril’s category after posting a 6.90.

CBS Sports’ Bruce Feldman noted South Dakota edge player Tyler Starr is hoping to shatter these numbers. Not only does Starr want to break Sam Acho’s 6.69, he wants to break the Combine record (since 2006) of 6.42 seconds run by wide receiver Jeff Maehl. If an edge prospect does not waste movement and combines that agility, bend and balance with meaningful hand use and strength, watch out. The Patriots are one team that values the 3-cone times, not only for the positions previously listed but also for cornerbacks.

Along with Starr, take note of UCLA’s Anthony Barr, Buffalo’s Khalil Mack, Georgia Tech’s Jeremiah Attaochu, Auburn’s Dee Ford, Boise State’s Demarcus Lawrence, South Carolina’s Jadeveon Clowney and one final edge player who fits in my next category…

Incidentally:

Dan Kadar ‏@MockingTheDraft · 1m
Belichick is now breaking down combine drills. He seems to value the three-cone.

[OldSchool]

Originally Posted by Direckshun

Interesting:



Incidentally:

Dan Kadar ‏@MockingTheDraft · 1m
Belichick is now breaking down combine drills. He seems to value the three-cone.

I'm really intrigued by Starr. He reportedly clocked a 6.29 3 cone drill in training and his quickness and ability to accelerate does show up in the limited tape that I saw of him (draftbreakdown). He's just really raw and looks indecisive a lot of the time; he also needs to improve his strength because he gets driven back fairly easily in the run game.

[Direckshun]

2014 NFL Combine Rumors: Thursday, Feb. 20, 3:05 p.m.
By Tony Pauline, http://draftinsider.net/

The 2014 NFL Combine kicks-off with the first workouts starting this Saturday. Its also the unofficial start of free agency. Who's expected to surprise scouts this weekend? And where may some of the top free agent tackles land? Here's the Thursday edition of Combine News & Notes.

Chicago Bears:
I gushed over Aaron Donald's performance at the Senior Bowl and have been told to expect much of the same during his combine workout on Monday. Donald, a 500+ pound bench presser, is expected to total in the mid 30's on the bench then run his forty somewhere in the 4.7's after tipping the scales in the low 290-pound area. I'm told Donald will also put up some pretty spectacular times in the agility drills. Where could Donald end up in May? After the combine we said teams late in the first round would have to start giving the Pittsburgh lineman consideration but recent rumblings have the Chicago Bears very interested in his services with the 14th pick of round one.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers:
Most mock drafts have the Tampa Bay Buccaneers selecting a tackle with the 7th pick of the draft. But free agency may negate that opinion. I'm told you can expect the Buccaneers to be big players in the Branden Albert sweepstakes if the Kansas City Chiefs don't resign sign him as expected. It should come as no surprise but the other NFL team from Florida, the Miami Dolphins, are also expected to be suitors for Albert if he hits the free agent market.

New York Jets:
As I posted on Twitter yesterday, the New York Jets will meet with representatives of Austin Howard at the combine in the coming days with the hopes of locking up their starting right tackle. I'm told the Jets are making Howard a priority, and as first reported in New York papers a week ago, the team has already sent off an initial offer. How much will Howard receive? Yesterday a league insider told me it could be similar to the deal Phil Loadholt signed with the Minnesota Vikings almost a year ago.

St. Louis Rams:
It's a similar situation with Rodger Saffold and the St Louis Rams, so I'm told. The team met with Saffold's agents last month and are expected to sit down with them again in Indianapolis.

Tennessee Titans:
The top cornerback in free agency is expected to be Alterraun Verner. Recent reports state the Tennessee Titans won't place a franchise tag on their coveted defensive back. Insiders tell me Verner is expected to sign a free agent contract that will start at $9 million annually.

Martavis Bryant, WR, Clemson:
Forty times of the receivers are always something to watch and I'm told the wide out who could surprise everyone is Martavis Bryant of Clemson. Bryant, who goes an unofficial 6-feet, 5-inches, is expected to run in the low 4.3's and could even breach the high 4.2's.

Paul Richardson, WR, Colorado:
I'm told Paul Richardson of Colorado is expected to run faster than expected and could break into the 4.3's. Scouts I've spoken with compare Richardson's style to Philadelphia Eagles wide out DeSean Jackson, though not quite as fast.

Jimmie Ward, S, Northern Illinois:
Jimmie Ward of Northern Illinois is one of our favorite defensive backs but his size and athleticism are questioned. I'm told Ward, who lined up at both cornerback and safety at NIU, will pleasantly surprise NFL decision makers on Tuesday.

Richard Rodgers, TE, California:
I'm told Cal tight end Richard Rodgers will tip the scales around 265-pounds and is expected to run in the 4.7-area. Low 4.7's could seal him as a 4th rounder.

[jonzie04]

Originally Posted by Direckshun

Longest arms of the Combine, it's official: Kansas State's Cornelius "Luke" Lucas, who's over 6'8", has nearly 37" arms, lol.

My god. Too bad he's slow as molasses.

Mother of god.

[Dante84]

Lets go ahead and sticky this.

Surely we can get rid of one of the 2013 threads up there.

[jonzie04]

Read on that walterfootball site you posted the chiefs were interested in christian jones . Hed br a hell of a pick up in the 3rd!

[Direckshun]

Originally Posted by Dante84

Lets go ahead and sticky this.

Surely we can get rid of one of the 2013 threads up there.

We'd need one of the mods to give enough of a shit about the Draft to read this forum.

[Direckshun]

Originally Posted by jonzie04

Read on that walterfootball site you posted the chiefs were interested in christian jones . Hed br a hell of a pick up in the 3rd!

Ugh. Does not seem to fit our defense at all.

[htismaqe]

Originally Posted by Direckshun

Jimmie Ward, S, Northern Illinois:
Jimmie Ward of Northern Illinois is one of our favorite defensive backs but his size and athleticism are questioned. I'm told Ward, who lined up at both cornerback and safety at NIU, will pleasantly surprise NFL decision makers on Tuesday.

Me likey.

[Dante84]

Originally Posted by Direckshun

We'd need one of the mods to give enough of a shit about the Draft to read this forum.

we can always try flagging/reporting the thread so they see the request