2009 NFL Scouting Combine 40 Times and Observations

I spent a good portion of this weekend watching the NFL Network’s coverage of the 2009 Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. I have read many positive reviews of the NFLN’s coverage, and I agree. They presented the workout portion of the combine in a manner that always kept the action moving forward, and I did not think that the talking heads were overbearing for the most part.

There was one annoying segment in which Jamie Dukes was discussing Andre Smith and jumping back and forth over the fence on whether Smith cost himself money with his bizarre antics (yes…no question). And apparently Dukes had one conversation with Andre Smith and in Dukes’ own mind this was the most influential conversation of Smith’s life. Get over yourself Jamie. Charles Davis and Steve Mariucci are a little annoying too, but nothing terrible. Something about Charles Davis seems overly haughty, and Mariucci just needs to settle down a bit.

Otherwise though, the Combine was very enjoyable to watch. And obviously the most exciting individual event to watch is the 40-yard dash. This is certainly not the most telling or predictive drill, but it is the “glamour” workout of the combine; and we are sure to hear players’ 40 times thrown around over and over again until the NFL Draft in April. So let’s get to it. Here are the top 40 times at each position, courtesy of NFL.com:

*Note: The Cornerbacks and Safeties had not yet run as of this posting, so I’ll add them later when the official numbers are posted.

And now, some quick-hit observations after reviewing the 40 times and from what I saw:

Why all the fuss about Mark Sanchez?

I’m not that sold on Matthew Stafford either, but Sanchez certainly did nothing to impress me. He is apparently slower than Curtis Painter (never a good thing) and it looked to me like Sanchez underthrew the deep balls. He did, however, reportedly perform very well in interviews. Still, the guy only started one year in college. I think any team who drafts him without the intention of letting him sit for at least a year, maybe two, is making a huge mistake.

What’s up with the speed, or lack thereof, from Nate Davis and Josh Freeman?

Maybe I just didn’t watch these two guys play enough this year, and perhaps I am showing a blatant expectation bias along racial lines, but I expected these two guys to run faster than Chase Daniel. Yet, neither Nate Davis nor Josh Freeman was in the top 10 40 Times for QBs. I always thought that these two guys were known as dual-threat QBs? I realize Nate Davis didn’t run a whole lot in college, but I still thought he was a little faster. Maybe if I was up more on my Ball State and Kansas State football this would not have surprised me so much.

Get ready for some fuss about Stephen McGee from Texas A&M.

One of my sleepers in this year’s draft. McGee is a really good athlete and a much better passer than he was ever able to show in college. Plus, he is a high character guy and is balding, which means he is mature. In all seriousness, I think whoever gets this guy will have one of the NFL’s best backups (a Jeff Hostetler-type) who could end up being a viable starter at some point in the future. Don’t scoff if your team drafts Stephen McGee. Good player.

Knowshon Moreno is that slow?

Another guy that I thought was faster. Correct me if I’m wrong, but didn’t he always look like a blur on the ESPN highlights? I thought this was a 4.4-4.45 guy. I guess not. He’s slower than Beanie Wells for goodness sakes!

Beanie Wells is a badass

I know that he only ran a 4.59 40 time, but guess what: that’s still faster than Emmitt Smith, who ended up having a decent career. Wells jumped well and is another guy who reportedly did well in interviews. His big question mark is staying healthy. If he does, he could carve out a career as the next Eddie George or Jerome Bettis.

The WRs were really fast…but who cares?

Everyone is going crazy about how fast the wide receivers are. That’s great, but can any of them catch or run routes? Jerry Rice famously ran a 4.6 40 and turned into the greatest receiver of all-time. We are routinely told that speed is nowhere near the most important aspect for a wide receiver; they just have to be fast enough. Obviously if two guys are equal in everything else, you want the fast guy. And having a speed threat to stretch defenses vertically helps, but I look at it as a luxury, not a necessity.

Brian Robiskie looked really good

It’s almost a cliche at this point, but I saw the same thing everyone else did: Brian Robiskie looks like an NFL receiver. He has great technique when he catches the ball, he runs precise routes, and his speed is good enough. This is a guy who can be a #2 receiver in the NFL for a long time.

I didn’t get to watch the other positions, so I can’t accurately assess how any of the guys looked. But feel free to chime in with comments about any players who impressed or disappointed you this week in Indianapolis.

And real quick before I go, here are some other resources if you are looking for info on the workout results of the 2009 NFL Scouting Combine:

• 2009 NFL Scouting Combine 40-yard Dash Results
  
• 2009 NFL Scouting Combine Bench Press Results
  
• 2009 NFL Scouting Combine Vertical Jump Results
• 2009 NFL Scouting Combine Broad Jump Results
• 2009 NFL Scouting Combine 3-Cone Drill Results
• 2009 NFL Scouting Combine 20-yard Shuttle Results
• 2009 NFL Scouting Combine 60-yard Shuttle Results

Trade Winds Blow at Combine: Will, and Should, the Browns Trade Derek Anderson?

The latest and most significant Cleveland Browns rumor coming out of the scouting combine in Indianapolis is the possibility that the Browns could trade quarterback Derek Anderson to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for as little as a 3rd round pick.

If the season were to start today, the Buccaneers would most likely be taking the field with Luke McCown under center, a new head coach roaming the sidelines in Raheem Morris. And while Luke McCown has a few physical tools, it does not take a genius to figure out that the Bucs are looking to upgrade at that position this offseason.

A report yesterday in the Bucs Report at TBO.com by Roy Cummings says that the possibility of a Derek Anderson-to-the-Bucs trade is very real; and that Anderson apparently can be had for as little as a third round pick:

Anderson has one of the strongest arms in the league as well as just about every physical tool you need to be a difference maker at his position. What he doesn’t have is a great understanding of defenses or the game’s nuances.

With a little work and a bit of a push he could be developed into one of the game’s better quarterbacks and word is the Brown might take as little as a third-round pick for him.

When you consider that he’s younger than Luke McCown but has more experience than McCown it doesn’t sound like a bad option for the Bucs to consider, especially with Jeff Jagodzinski running the offense.

Sounds like a pretty good and accurate assessment of Anderson: great physically, lost mentally. One of my first thoughts when Eric Mangini took over the team was that Derek Anderson just is not going to be a good fit. Mangini seems like a very cerebral coach who would want his quarterback to share the same advantage that Mangini must exploit for success: intelligence. And while Brady Quinn is not anywhere near a Peyton Manning-level understanding of the game, the nuances of football seem to come easier for him and he has better instincts that the oft-plodding and perpetually confounded Anderson.

From Anderson’s perspective, this would probably be a great move. Browns fans have soured on him quickly after the surprise Pro Bowl appearance in 2007. Derek Anderson could lead the team to the playoffs, cure cancer, and discover an elixer that would allow Jim Brown to reverse age back to his 50s and 60s self…and Browns fans would still clamor for Brady Quinn to be the starter. In Tampa Bay, Derek would only have to beat out Luke McCown and would have a chance to grow with a new coach in a new system. If I’m Derek Anderson, I’m having my agent stay on this one and help push it along however possible.

From the Browns’ perspective, the obvious first thought is: a third round pick for Anderson? I guess it makes perfect sense after last season’s debacle; it is just obviously disappointing considering how high D.A.’s value was after 2007. But such is the NFL. We rolled the dice on having two above-average quarterbacks heading into 2008 and realized that all we had was wishful thinking and a still-muddled QB picture. Does anyone have 100% confidence in our QB situation heading into next season? Hardly.

Either way, the Browns should certainly look into getting what they can for Derek Anderson. The team claimed Anderson off waivers from Baltimore and, assuming the hypothetical that they can trade him, would have turned a waiver claim into 18 starts, one magical run to the doorstep of the playoffs, 34 TDs, and a 3rd round draft pick in return. All in all, that’s not too shabby.

At the end of the day, if you think you’ve seen the best that Derek Anderson can offer (and I think 2007 was exactly that), you might as well cash in now while there is a buyer in need and add another draft pick to improve other areas of the team.

Then we could just get on with the Brady Quinn era and see if it will be a two-year disappointment (that makes us all what to skydive without a parachute) or a ten-year run of success. I love the Browns and I think they have a chance to rebound in a big way next season, but a lot of it will be up to Brady Quinn — who still has plenty to prove.

What do you think?

Should the Browns get what they can in a trade for Derek Anderson and move forward with Brady Quinn as the QB?

• No -- they should keep Anderson, but as the clear backup
• No -- and Anderson should clearly be the starter over Quinn
• Yes
• No -- and Anderson should compete for the starting job

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