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]

I'm getting less interested in Ealy for the Chiefs. Don't think he has a place in our defense.

But hey, I said the same thing about Hali.

[Direckshun]

Matthew Fairburn ‏@MatthewFairburn · 1h
UT OT Ja'Wuan James said Michael Sam was the best DE he played against this yr.

[jonzie04]

sounds like colt lyerla said all of the right things. I really hope he meant it and can have a successful career. he could be a pro bowler by year 2 in the chiefs offense. I've never seen a tight end run like him in the open field.

[OldSchool]

Originally Posted by bowener

NFL.com mocks show Ealy going after the Chiefs pick. Anybody else here see him as a potential rushbacker for the Chiefs? He is a big ****er with great physical potential and still learning his skill set.

Too stiff, IMO. He is a perfect fit as a 4-3 DE but he isn't quite athletic enough to play 3-4 OLB. He might be able to follow Justin Smith's footsteps and pack on weight and become a dominant 3-4 DE, but he doesn't have the natural speed to power conversion that Smith has so I don't know how good he'll be in that role. As for now though, he's a 4-3 DE.

[Rudy tossed tigger's salad]

I like this thread.

**** Sac.

[Direckshun]

Originally Posted by OldSchool

Good stuff, may end up going around the 4-5th round if teams feel he is being truthful about everything. He has top talent, just red flags off the field will move him off of a lot of boards.

He's just gotta go undrafted. I can't see any team drafting Colt Lyerla.

Cocaine's just a world of hurt, and the guy needs help, not millions of dollars and world-class pressure.

[Saccopoo]

Originally Posted by Rudy lost the toss

I like this thread.

**** Sac.

You ever go into a bar and everyone just looks like they are missing a chromosome?

I'm glad the short bus let you out at the correct stop.

(No offense to your thread Direckshun. You know I think you're aces for your draft proclivities. And I think it's nice you've become the Draft Planet's Farmer Ted.)

[Rudy tossed tigger's salad]

Johnny Manziel
5' 11 and 3/4" (expected)
205 (good)
9 and 7/8" hands (great)

Teddy Bridgewater
6' 2 and 1/4" (good)
214 (decent)
9 and 1/4" hands

Blake Bortles
6'5" (dumb)
232 (fat)
9 and 3/8" hands (inaccurate)

[htismaqe]

Originally Posted by Rudy lost the toss

Blake Bortles
6'5" (dumb)
232 (fat)
9 and 3/8" hands (inaccurate)

[htismaqe]

Originally Posted by Direckshun

I'm not an expert, but I don't think he'll have any trouble translating to guard at all.

Neither of us are "experts" but I'd like to think we know a little something when we watch a lot of these guys play often enough.

He looks like a guard to me, that's why I asked.

[htismaqe]

Originally Posted by Direckshun

I'm getting less interested in Ealy for the Chiefs. Don't think he has a place in our defense.

But hey, I said the same thing about Hali.

See, I thought Hali could make the transition. Why? Because he played all over the line at Penn State. The guy proved he could move wherever the team needed him.

I had no idea he'd be as good a 3-4 OLB as he's become but I wasn't one of the ones that thought he was a lost cause.

There's so many things to like about Kony Ealy. I really think they would have to find a place for him if he were the target at #23.

[O.city]

Originally Posted by htismaqe

See, I thought Hali could make the transition. Why? Because he played all over the line at Penn State. The guy proved he could move wherever the team needed him.

I had no idea he'd be as good a 3-4 OLB as he's become but I wasn't one of the ones that thought he was a lost cause.

There's so many things to like about Kony Ealy. I really think they would have to find a place for him if he were the target at #23.

Players like that seem to be ones who are so talented, you take them and fit your scheme to them not vice versa

[Direckshun]

Originally Posted by Saccopoo

You ever go into a bar and everyone just looks like they are missing a chromosome?

I'm glad the short bus let you out at the correct stop.

(No offense to your thread Direckshun. You know I think you're aces for your draft proclivities. And I think it's nice you've become the Draft Planet's Farmer Ted.)

Power to you, brother. YOLO.

[Direckshun]

Originally Posted by Rudy lost the toss

Johnny Manziel
5' 11 and 3/4" (expected)
205 (good)
9 and 7/8" hands (great)

Teddy Bridgewater
6' 2 and 1/4" (good)
214 (decent)
9 and 1/4" hands

Blake Bortles
6'5" (dumb)
232 (fat)
9 and 3/8" hands (inaccurate)

God, Bortles looks amazing.

[Direckshun]

http://walterfootball.com/combine2014weighinOL.php

2014 NFL Combine: Weigh-In Recap - Offensive Linemen
By Charlie Campbell

The consensus top-rated offensive lineman, Texas A&M left tackle Jake Matthews, checked in at 6-foot-5, 308-pounds with 33 3/8-inch arms. The height and weight are good numbers, and Matthews should have the ability to gain 10 pounds once he enters an NFL strength and conditioning program. His arms are a little short of ideal, but that shouldn't hold him back as a pro. It was good for Matthews that he didn't measure in smaller than his listed measurements from Texas A&M (6-5, 305).

Auburn left tackle Greg Robinson (6-5, 332) checked in 12 pounds heavier than his listed weight and at the exact height. As long as the extra weight isn't bad weight, Robinson should excel in the Combine drills because he has shown a rare combination of size and speed. With 35-inch arms, Robinson has the length block the edge as well. There are already projections of him passing Matthews as the first tackle selected, and that could become more common after the Combine.

There are some who believe that Alabama tackle Cyrus Kouandjio could rise up draft boards from the Combine. Kouandjio is a good athlete with nearly ideal measurements. At the weigh-in, he checked in at 6-foot-6, 322-pounds with long 35 5/8-inch arms. Kouandjio has the strength and athleticism to be a star in the Combine field work. Don't be surprised if he is a hot prospect in a week's time.

Both of the Tennessee offensive tackles showed excellent size at the weigh-in. Left tackle Antonio Richardson (6-6, 336) and right tackle Ju'wuan James (6-6, 311) both have 35-inch arms. Richardson enters the Combine as a potential first-round pick, while James could go early on Day 2.

Michigan left tackle Taylor Lewan measured out as 6-foot-7 and 309 pounds. Those are good numbers that are nearly identical to Eric Fisher (6-7, 306) last year. The only bad number for Lewan was short arms at 33 7/8 inches. Lewan looks steady as the third-rated offensive tackle in this draft class.

Stanford guard David Yankey (6-5, 315), who has 34-inch arms, has just about quality numbers for a guard. He should fit as a man or zone blocker in the NFL. If Yankey has a strong Combine, he could put himself in contention to be a late first-round pick.

Xavier Su'a-Filo (6-4, 307) definitely fits the body type of a guard. He played both tackle and guard at UCLA, but for the NFL, he would be best on the inside. The Bruins listed u'a-Filo at 6-foot-5, 315 pounds, so he's a little smaller than advertised. That only serves to reinforce the move to the inside.

USC center Marcus Martin (6-3, 320) is very heavy for a center. If he can show quickness and athletic ability in the field drills, that could help give his stock a boost. If Martin proves to be a slow plodder, he may have to move inside to guard.

Two tackles are in the running to be this year's Justin Pugh. He was a first-round pick of the Giants in the 2013 NFL Draft after being an undersized left tackle for Syracuse. Notre Dame's Zack Martin (6-4, 308) and Nevada's Joel Bitonio (6-4, 302) are nearly identical in size. Martin has very short arms, 32 7/8 inches, but that didn't hold him back in an excellent 2013 season or Senior Bowl performance. If Martin and Bitonio perform well at the Combine, they could solidify a first-round and second-day grade, respectively.

North Carolina left tackle James Hurst was significantly smaller than what the Tar Heels listed him at. Hurst was (6-5, 296) was two inches shorter and almost 15 pounds lighter than what North Carolina billed him as (6-7, 310). His arm length, 33 3/4 inches, is on the short side for tackles. Hurst broke his left leg in the Tar Heels' bowl game against Cincinnati, so he won't be a full participant in the Combine. Sources have told WalterFootball.com that they were projecting Hurst to the third round, but slipping to Day 3 is possible as Hurst has the body type more like a guard than a tackle.