DawgTalkers.net Forums The Archives 2013 NFL Season NFL Draft (2013) NFL Combine

Who's the one who didn't beat his GF, Rainey or Demps? I want which ever one isn't the scumbag.

Wasn't he arrested for threatening her? As far as I knew - which could be wrong - he was arrested then suspended all for threats. Obviously still serious but much different than actually beating her...

Eric Page is my secret late round man crush of a wr

I think he has slot WR written all over him, he has great lateral quickness he seems to have a nose for space and has great hands. I also think he plays much faster than he looks.


4.53 and 4.56 at the Scouting Combine Sunday morning.
Page is 5-foot-9, 186


http://www.youtube.com/v/XlqonNlEYJs


He set school records for both career receptions (306) and season receptions (125 in 2011). His 306 career receptions tied the Mid-American Conference record held by Marshall's Josh Davis and Western Michigan's Jordan White, and is 43 shy of the NCAA mark held by Robert Broyles of Oklahoma.

Page's three-year career at Toledo is loaded with accolades. As a freshman in 2009, Page caught 82 passes and made numerous Freshman All-America teams. In 2010, he hauled in 99 receptions and also made a huge impact as a kickoff returner. He was the only player in the BCS to return three kickoffs for touchdowns that year, earning a first-team spot on Walter Camp and Sporting News All-America teams. He was the first Rocket in 35 years to make first-team All-America.

This past season, Page caught a school-record 125 passes to lead Toledo to a 9-4 record. His 87-yard kickoff return for a touchdown helped key Toledo's 42-41 victory over Air Force in the Military Bowl. Page was named first-team All-MAC at wide receiver, kickoff returner and punt returner, only the third player in BCS history to make first-team all-league at three positions. He also was one of four finalists for the Paul Hornung Award, given annually to the nation's most versatile player.

As infatuated as I am with getting a slot WR w/ great speed.. I think we have something here with Jordan Norwood.. He isn't the fastest, but he is so shifty and can make guys miss. He also reads the defense well and can find holes in the defense.

I have a Toledo v. NIU game on my DVR that I haven't watched yet due to all the time I've spent on the combine. I can give you a breakdown of what I see from him (and Chandler Harnish) in the "Old Games" thread if you want.

I was one of the first people to pimp Norwood. It did take him longer to get into the offense last year than I thought, but I think that he will be a highly effective slot receiver, especially if we get a QB who can, and will, throw down the field.

Hey, I pimped Norwood as the best WR from Penn St. in that draft...the 2 other guys were drafted and are out of the league now I think..really liked that Heckert brought him over

Finished watching the 1st DB group drills and this is what I saw:

- If we cant get RG, I'm ok with Claiborn at 4

- Fleming looks like a nice press-CB with some speed

- I really liked what I saw from T.Frederick from T A&M and he made my "want" list for day 3, looks like a nice depth CB...looks like great value in the 6th, maybe even as late as a comp pick....I think his versatility is a plus as I think he can play inside and outside and from what I read is physical too, meaning he can contribute on ST

- Gilmore, Hayward and Jenkins looked good too...

- A.Jackson, M.Harris, Brooks and Bentley looked like inside guys only...like Skrine they are athletic 3rd day guys with some depth value

are there no Mount Union prospects this year?

INDIANAPOLIS -- The NFL's scouting combine has come and gone, which means it's time to look back on the official kickoff of what I call "paralysis-by-analysis" season.

I have to say I am not a big combine guy when it comes to evaluating players. But I do like the process. It brings the entire league together, gives us all a chance to gossip and lets us get a small feel for what the players are like in this draft -- even if much of what we get is canned, coached-up talk.

Over the course of my time in Indianapolis -- am I a resident now with 14 days in a month? -- I gathered a lot of stuff. Here's some of it.

• You know what drives me nuts? People who say a kid won the combine because of his interview session. Yes, Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III came off as a good kid, but does that really matter? Didn't we know that before he came in for a 15-minute session with the media? Yet you should have seen half the media room drooling as they wrote their stories about him. If he can't play, who in that room cares what kind of person he is? The NFL won't. The media won't. The kids are all so prepped now that it's taken some of the fun out of the media sessions. I want more raw talk like we used to get when there were only 20 or so media members at the combine, rather than the 700 or so who were there this year. He won the combine? Can we eliminate that talk, please?

• I expect Atlanta to put the franchise tag on corner Brent Grimes. And it makes sense. He is 29 and coming off a season where he finished on the sideline because of an injury. They can tag him, then see how he plays, and then maybe work out a long-term deal. If he struggles, he's gone. It's a smart move.

• So Notre Dame receiver Michael Floyd ran a 4.4 40 and Baylor receiver Kendall Wright ran a 4.6. You know what I say to that? Who played faster in college? It certainly wasn't Floyd. Michael Jenkins ran a better-than-expected 40 at his pro-day workout in 2004. That led to teams thinking he was fast. Did he ever play that way? No. Even so, the Falcons drafted him in the first round. His career per-catch average is 12.7, and he's now with the Vikings. Football speed and speed in the 40 are two different things. When teams realize this, they will do a better job of drafting.

• Even before Janoris Jenkins let it out that he had four kids by four different women to go with his other problems -- see marijuana -- a coach I respect said he would be a tough evaluation because he is so talented. The kid can flat-out play. But does a team overlook all his problems? "Somebody will, because we're all looking for those guys, with all the passing," the coach said. "But he's going to have to change his ways, that's for sure." In terms of coverage ability, he might be as good as Morris Claiborne, the top corner in this draft. Is that enough? Can he change?

• Am I surprised Arizona State linebacker Vontaze Burfict ran a 40 near 5.0? No way. He never played that fast at ASU. Having gone to ASU, I always wondered about the Burfict hype. He was always more bark than bite to me -- and I watched almost all his games. He was never sudden, and he seemed to lack foot speed. Now we know he isn't fast at all. Then there are the anger issues, which led to seemingly one or two personnel fouls a game. The personality isn't great either. As one scout told me, he once cursed at one of the old men who always watch ASU practices. The guy just said, "Nice game, Vontaze." The response was something like "[Expletive] you, old man." He's now a third-round pick -- at best. Always was in my book. You have to love how he blamed the coaches for his poor play last season. "I just know that I'm the best linebacker in this draft," Burfict said. "I thought I played average last year, I should've played better. Coaches kinda messed me up. I didn't know if I was going to start a game, didn't know if I was going to be benched -- it hurt me." Is he a good representation for the Harvard of the West? (OK, so that's a joke.)

• There are a lot of teams waiting to get their free-agent budgets from the owners. How much can they spend? There is a lot of cap room for many teams, but will they be allowed to spend to it? One team that bears watching is Jacksonville. New owner Shad Kahn has said he will spend. And he even did a video at a recent fan event where he was at a poker table and pushed his chips all in. But we'll see if he does that. There is some concern and talk that he might not. If he doesn't, it will open him and the team up to a lot of criticism, especially since his $112 million yacht was recently parked downtown on the river. The blue-collar Jaguars fans won't take too kindly if he doesn't spend in free agency. The Jaguars should make a run at Houston defensive end Mario Williams right out of the gate to appease a fan base that is restless for big-time change. Tampa Bay is another team that will be watched closely for free-agent spending. They have a lot of cap room and a new coach, so the Glazers -- who have a reputation for being thrifty -- have to spend. One name who could go there: Falcons middle linebacker Curtis Lofton, who is all but gone in Atlanta.

• Is RG3 worth two first-round picks, a second, a third and maybe a player? That's probably what the Rams will be asking for the second overall pick in any potential trade. That's a steep price, especially when next year's quarterback class could be a good one, led by USC's Matt Barkley. However, there are coaches who might need to win now, guys like Mike Shanahan in Washington. He needs a quarterback. He also calls the football shots. It's a tough decision. Griffin will be good. But how good? I guess if he's Cam Newton good, then it's worth it. Whoever makes a deal better hope he isn't Ryan Leaf bad. He went second overall in 1998 after a guy named Peyton Manning.

• If I had a good back that could become a free agent, I'd tag him every time. Ray Rice and Matt Forte will almost certainly be getting the tag, which will pay them $7.7 million if they sign it. Why not give it to them? You get another year out of them, putting more wear on their bodies, and you don't have to give them huge money. It makes sense. Backs get used up quickly and they aren't as valuable to teams as they used to be. Free-agent backs need to be ready for this strategy down the road.

• So the Jets have given permission to Bart Scott to seek a trade. No kidding, since he wasn't very good last season. Want to bet nobody bites?

• Don't count on Steelers receiver Mike Wallace going anywhere. The Steelers, who are trying to clear cap room to keep him, will not let him go. The idea that some team will sign him to an offer sheet that the Steelers won't match isn't going to happen. For one, it will cost a lot more to pay Mike Wallace than it would for a first-round receiver. Two, the Steelers would match -- so all you would be doing is their negotiating. "The thing I can say for sure about Mike is that we want Mike to finish his career with the Steelers," GM Kevin Colbert said last week. "And I'm very confident Mike wants to finish his career with the Steelers and play with a great quarterback like Ben Roethlisberger and the other receivers we have. We're going to do everything we can to keep Mike Wallace with the Steelers. We think he's only scratched the surface in what he can do. There's a lot left there that can still be developed. We're anxious to see it happen as a Steeler." It will.

• It looks as if Mario Manningham is out in New York. He's their No. 3 receiver, and the Giants can't afford to pay him a big contract. But is Manningham really that good? I spoke to one coach on a receiver-needy team who said he thought Manningham was overrated and wasn't worth the money will command. I know this much: He isn't a No. 1 and he might get paid like it. That would be a mistake.

• The NFL needs to change the rule on allowing assistants to move up on another team. There is something wrong when a position coach or a quality control coach has a chance to move to a better position with another team and isn't allowed to do so. League rules prohibit a coach from moving to another team for a position other than head coach without receiving permission from his current team. The Giants denied offensive quality control coach Kevin Gilbride Jr. a chance to leave to go to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as quarterback coach. "Our staff had lost two on that side of the ball," Giants coach Tom Coughlin said. "We're not training coaches so they can go somewhere else to work." The Cardinals denied receivers coach John McNulty a chance to become the Tampa Bay offensive coordinator, moving him to quarterbacks coach. I know there were some abuses in the past with some coaches, but why should a head coach stop somebody from bettering their situation? "Guys forget they were once in those shoes," said one head coach. "It's just not right to do." I agree.

• Close to the draft, I always come out with a list of guys I like better than the scouts. One who will almost certainly be on that list is Michigan defensive tackle/nose tackle Mike Martin. He is short at 6-foot-1, 306 pounds, but he is a tough guy to handle because of his low power base. "I can definitely handle it full time," Martin said of playing at his size. "My leverage is one of my strengths and I love being called small. I love it. I have a chip on my shoulder. I've been called undersized my whole life. I know I can play that position."

• I can tell you this: there are a lot of personnel people happy LSU defensive tackle Michael Brockers didn't have a great workout. Why? They might get him now. Forget that workout at the combine, which included really bad 40 time (5.36). The kid can play. web page

It bugs me a little that Griffin didn't throw at the Combine. Its great he can run a 4.38, but he's a QB, supposedly supremely confident in his abilities, striving - he says - to be the top pick in the draft. So he doesn't throw? I read that he was reluctant to throw because of unfamiliar receivers running unfamiliar routes, but isn't that part of the challenge?

Luck and RG3 not throwing is similar to Hillis not playing because his agent told him not to do so. It is the same thing. It bothers me when I hear a kid say I was chomping at the bit i really wanted to throw but I listened to my agent who advised me against it. Makes me think, these kids are the agent's hand puppets.

I don't believe it was good advise from the agent.

I like the fact that it almost forces the agents and front office brass to head down to Baylor and actually watch him.

Every single part about his day will be better of course - he can sleep in his own bed the night before, make the same drive to his stadium, go through the same pre-game routines, sit in his locker room - have HIS coach prep him on the actual script - throw on HIS field with HIS receivers that he is used to. Can you imagine going to the biggest job interview of your life and having to show your potential employer how you do it in someone else's office or workspace? Not knowing where the bathrooms are? Not knowing the time it will take to get from one of the hotels down to the stadium. Needing to make sure you have all of your credentials ... did you pack extra socks? What about breakfast? What about making sure to talk to the receivers and see where they want it? Do I have to be wired for this one?

"What do you mean "12 yard comeback?" Is the receiver driving to 15 then turning and working back to 12? Is he doing a fake step towards the post and then breaking back? Does he drive back to me or force the throw to the sideline? .."

So many details that can be so simple ... yet if you make a little mistake you KNOW everyone will be watching it. That's pressure for anyone.

I wanted to see him throw but it's definitely a smart decision.... and it also helps HIS teammates because it forces everyone to head down to waco and check out his teammates as well. Gives everyone one more look at Kendall Wright in his 40 time as well as any other potential draftees ...

It wasn't good advice.

It was great advice.

RG3 is not a proficient thrower of the football. It would be obvious to all in that setting. It's his only real weakness.

He chooses not to throw and now he's locked in to the 2 slot.

Thats why agents get paid to help with these decisions

Quote:

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RG3 is not a proficient thrower of the football.

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You are gonna get some blowback from a few folks about that comment

No amount of hype can change reality.

I've only seen one throw in four games that I'd qualify as very impressive.

Does that one throw offer hope? Yes.

But on the whole he's not mechanically a good prospect.

He needs time to realize his potential and I think he's unfortunately boosted his stock beyond his football abilities at this point

j/c

I always get a kick out of Rich Eisen running the 40.

link

I don't have NFL network so I was unable to watch any of the combine.

Did anyone see Bruce Irvin and Lavonte David in positional drills? They were favorites of mine watching games over the past two years

I only recorded the first five hours so I didn't get to see the LB positional drills. I was really bummed. Irvin did the drills with the DL for some reason. Obviously he looked great compared to them. Didn't get to see him do all the LB/hybrid drills, though.

A running back that WANTS to play Special Teams??

Heck yeah, bring that kid aboard

he wants to return kicks... not sure if that's what you had in mind when he said he wanted to play special teams.

David slipped a couple of times, looked pretty average through most of the drills.

Bruce moved pretty good and I thought he looked the part rushing the edge. 3-4 teams gonna be all over him.

When they have him against the guys who ran it, I just crack up.

Good fun there!

Alright, maybe you were on Norwood first ...... but I was there at the beginning as well.

Quote:

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And guess who falls into the Bengal's lap in the 2nd round . . . ?

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2nd round ... NACIH

But I have had a sick feeling they will draft him with one of their two first round picks.

Pair him with Haden and you have one of the best duo's in the League. He looks up to Joe and just because the kid did not come from Park place, doesn't make him a bad person.

Jenkins is not a head case either as some here have tried to put him in that group with Pac Man Jones. That's False!

Thanks!

I have a feeling that Irvin has earned himself into the back half of the first round.

Man I would love to have extra picks in that 20-60 range this year.

Maybe we can convince Philly to move up for their two second rounders