NFL Combine '06 and Pro Days

[Feva]

DraftDaddy.com:

Ohio State defensive end/linebacker Mike Kudla's 45 reps on the bench press (225 lbs) ties a record set in 2000 by Norwegian strongman Leif Larsen. Larsen, who was a defensive tackle at UTEP and played 2 seasons with the Buffalo Bills (6th round pick), is currently a boxer in Europe.

****
Florida State defensive tackle Broderick Bunkley did 44 reps.

Holy farging shtein. Bunkley is supposed to be a solid DT, never heard much about Kundla though. 44 and 45 reps is amazing.

They interviewed that Kundla guy afterwards and he said his personal best is 52.

[PhillyPhanInDC]

Feb. 27, 2006, 12:34AM



False score gives Young wrong kind of buzz
UT QB's disputed Wonderlic grade talk of the combine
By JOHN MCCLAIN
Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle

INDIANAPOLIS - Like his performance in the Rose Bowl, quarterback Vince Young rallied from a huge deficit to pull out a personal victory that might have earned him millions of dollars.

On Saturday, a rumor that Young had scored a 6 on the Wonderlic test sent shock waves through the combine. No coach, scout or general manager surveyed could produce an example of a starting quarterback with a single-digit Wonderlic score.

The test — 50 multiple-choice, non-football questions in 12 minutes — is a barometer that teams use to gauge a prospect's ability to learn.

On Sunday, the combine said the test score of 6 that was being reported by some media outlets was false.

"I've been told it was inaccurate by a source good enough for me to quote it," Texans general manager Charley Casserly said Sunday afternoon.

Young took the test again and scored 16. According to Young's agent, Major Adams, the Sunday test was administered by Jeff Foster, executive director of National Scouting Combine.

"The combine officials assured us that score (6) was false and that the accurate score will be known when the combine results are given to each team," Adams said.

Wonderlic scores are supposed to be confidential and are never confirmed publicly by the NFL. Because they are included in combine results given to teams after the combine, scores leak out.

"The number really doesn't mean anything to us because we go through a process of four or five other ways to evaluate it," Casserly said. "The number's insignificant to us in the end. It's the other areas that we put more weight on."

Prospects can take the Wonderlic tests as many times as they want.

"I heard about the 6," Tennessee general manager Floyd Reese said Sunday morning. "I heard the test was improperly given, and I heard they're going to try and correct it.

"It could be improperly given because of time. It could be improperly given because when you correct it, there are like six or seven different tests. If you correct Test A with a correct sheet for Test C, it's not going to come out very well."


Rose-tinted glasses
Many executives believe the Wonderlic test is culturally biased, which is the reason they administer other tests they believe more accurately test a player's intelligence.

"I've seen players test in single digits and play 10 years, and I've seen some guys test in the 30s that couldn't walk across the street," said Reese, who has been in the NFL since 1975.

Before the combine, many prospects get help to prepare for the test. They take the tests almost every day to get ready for the combine. Young is expected to take the test again before the Longhorns' pro day March 22.

Scores for quarterbacks in the past five drafts vary, according to nfldraftscout.com. For instance, Michael Vick scored a 20, David Carr had a 24 and Eli Manning came in with a 39.

"The Wonderlic is just a red flag," Titans coach Jeff Fisher said. "Before the draft, everybody will sit down with Vince and find out if he can process information. The test has been the standard for decades, but it's only one part of the evaluation process. It's just a first step. There'll be a lot of other tests he'll undergo."

Sean Jones, a member of Oakland's personnel department, put little stock in Young's Wonderlic score.

"All I need to know about Vince Young is that he came up with one of the greatest performances ever in the Rose Bowl," Jones said. "In the fourth quarter, I saw (USC coach) Pete Carroll throw every kind of blitz at Vince. I saw Vince read the blitz and beat the blitz.

"I don't care what his Wonderlic score is. The only score I care about is 41-38."

Defensive tackle Rodrique Wright, Young's teammate at UT, came to the QB's defense.

"I think Vince's decision-making will be missed even more than his athleticism," Wright said about the Longhorns. "We knew all along that Vince was a great athlete who could run and throw, but the biggest improvement he made from his freshman year through his junior year was in the decision-making process.

"You don't lead a team to a national championship if you can't make good decisions."


Interview goes well

While Young's Wonderlic tests created a huge controversy, he was busy interviewing with different teams, including the Texans.

"I thought the interview went well," Young said. "I thought coach (Gary) Kubiak was cool.

"They asked me a lot of questions about offense. At the end, they asked me why I thought I'd be good for the team. I basically told them that I'm a high-character guy that wants to win. I said it's important to be a leader.

"I told them I wanted a chance to lead them to a Super Bowl win."

Kubiak was impressed with Young, too.

"We had a great interview with him," Kubiak said. "I wanted him to tell me why football's important to him. I wanted to talk to him about his leadership qualities. We talked a lot about offense.

"I was very, very impressed with the kid. But I was impressed with Reggie Bush, too."

[PhillyPhreak54]

DraftDaddy.com:

Ohio State defensive end/linebacker Mike Kudla's 45 reps on the bench press (225 lbs) ties a record set in 2000 by Norwegian strongman Leif Larsen. Larsen, who was a defensive tackle at UTEP and played 2 seasons with the Buffalo Bills (6th round pick), is currently a boxer in Europe.

****
Florida State defensive tackle Broderick Bunkley did 44 reps.

Holy farging shtein. Bunkley is supposed to be a solid DT, never heard much about Kundla though. 44 and 45 reps is amazing.

I love Bunkley. Not as much as love as I have for Mario Williams and D'Brickashaw Ferguson though. I also like Jerious Norwood (RB-Miss st.) and a few of the under the radar WRs like Jeff Webb and Brandon Marshall.

[PhillyPhanInDC]

Agreed. I like those guys too. It's strange this year, it seems as though it is easier to predict who the Birds will take in the later rounds than who they will pick early on. I just hope if they go defense in the first round, it's LB or a DE.

[rjs246]

Without having spent much time/effort to learn about it on my own, it seems as though this draft class has a whole lot of depth. That's nice for certain teams with tons of picks in the mid/late rounds.

[PhillyPhreak54]

A couple of guys whose bandwagons I've hitched up to and will be touting them until the draft:

1. RB - Jerious Norwood - Miss. St. (5'11 205 4.40) He would be a great 3rd back for the Eagles to look into. He's not the prototypical big back but he can mix it up inside. He also showed that he can catch the ball too.

2. RB - Cedric Humes - VaTech (6'0 227 n/a) He is more of the big bodies back that we would need to complete the three headed monster. He would be available in the later rounds.

3. WR - Jeff Webb - SDSU (6'2 200 4.36) He is a guy who the Eagles have spoken to. He had 92 catches for 1109 yards and 10 TDs last year.

4. WR - Brandon Marshall - UCF (6'4 230 4.50) He actually moved to safety in his junior year to help the team. He then proceeded to lead them in tackles. He moved back to WR his senior year and had 74 catches for 1195 yards and 11 TDs!!

5. WR - Willie Reid - FSU (5'10 186 4.34) He only had 50 catches for 634 yards and 1 TD as a receiver. But his game is kick returning. I'm sure you remember him taking one to the house against the Lions in the Orange Bowl. And we need a KR.

6. DT - Brodrick Bunkley - FSU (6'2 306) He is a disruptive force at the DT position. Remember what Corey Simon used to be? That is Mr. Bunkley's game. He collapses the pocket and makes plays. He had 44 reps on the 225 press.

[PhillyPhanInDC]

4. WR - Brandon Marshall - UCF (6'4 230 4.50) He actually moved to safety in his junior year to help the team. He then proceeded to lead them in tackles. He moved back to WR his senior year and had 74 catches for 1195 yards and 11 TDs!!

I like this guy a lot as well. According to Mayock during the combine, "they call this guy baby T.O, but not because of his attitude." He looked excellent at the combine.



Compare his size to the wee CB trying to cover him  .

[rjs246]

A big tough WR who is physical enough to play safety? Where is he predicted to be drafted? I would go after a dude like that in a heartbeat.

[PhillyPhanInDC]

A big tough WR who is physical enough to play safety? Where is he predicted to be drafted? I would go after a dude like that in a heartbeat.

From what I've seen he is projected to go in the fourth round, but that was before he showed his stuff at the combine. I think he'll come off the board probably late in the second or early in the third.

[rjs246]

The Eagles should trade 7 of their 13 4th round picks to move up and get him at the beginning of the 3rd.

[PoopyfaceMcGee]

I've been watching combine coverage like it's going out of style.

Surgery + Perkaset + NFL Network = Awsum extended weekend for me


GET CHAD JACKSON!  HE'S FAST!  (But seriously, get Avant.)

[PhillyPhreak54]

Starting up on NFL Network now.

TEs and DL today.

I get to drool all over Mario Williams today.

[PhillyPhreak54]

Uh, Vernon Davis ran a 4.38.

Yes.

No lie.

I swear.

[PoopyfaceMcGee]

I have to work today, so I'm just going to watch the recap tonight on Total Access.

[rjs246]

Holy crap. A TE ran 4.38?! That's pretty goddamned impressive.