Pre-Combine Workouts

[NePatriots]

A few notes on some pre - NFL Combine Workouts, with some interesting times from Ryan Matthews (4.35) and Brandon Ghee (4.30). Ricky Sapp has also bulked up some.

 

[Sciz]

No! My problem is that Mathews is that he isn't fast enough and Sapp isn't big enough. They can't change that!

 

[upstater1]

Ahh, the time of year for totally bogus 40 times.

 

[upstater1]

Studying for the wonderlic test???

BWAHAHAHA

 

[DaBruinz]

Studying for the wonderlic test???

BWAHAHAHA

There is an art to taking the Wonderlic.

You start off with questions that take up the least amount of room on the paper.. Then you go from there, skipping the ones you don't know..

Most people are ingrained with the idea that, on a test, you do each one, one at a time. From 1 through whatever.

That being said, it probably wasn't bright of Ricky to mention studying for that.

 

[NePatriots]

That being said, it probably wasn't bright of Ricky to mention studying for that.

If you have to study for the Wonderlic, that is a problem.

Ahh, the time of year for totally bogus 40 times.

If Ghee runs a 4.30 I'll be shocked. If Matthews runs a 4.36-4.40, I won't be shocked at all.

 

[WaterfallJumper]

Hm. JPP and Murphey clubbing instead of training for the combine is okay, but Sapp wants to be as prepared as possible, so he studies for the Wonderlic, and all we can do in response is make fun of him? Not very kind of us. We ought to commend him for his hard work. He's not overlooking any aspect of the Combine. How is this any different from interview coaching or strength training?

I've seen mock Wonderlics; they're essentially stripped-down IQ tests, which are easy to manipulate. I'm not terribly smart (cf. my "gm for a day thread" ) but I regularly score 150 + on standard IQ tests because I've learned how to play the system (and no, not the internet tests--real ones). Props to Sapp for taking the initiative to not only get his 40 time down, but also to sharpen his mind and take seriously the rigors of an NFL career.

Oh, and no way Ghee runs a 4.3. I'm guessing he's a 4.45 kind of guy, which, incidentally, is about where I'd put Matthews. That said, I have a suspicion that we'll see some blazing fast 40 times this year, with Ford and Holliday leading the way. Should be quite the show.

 

[NePatriots]

Hm. JPP and Murphey clubbing instead of training for the combine is okay, but Sapp wants to be as prepared as possible, so he studies for the Wonderlic, and all we can do in response is make fun of him? Not very kind of us. We ought to commend him for his hard work. He's not overlooking any aspect of the Combine. How is this any different from interview coaching or strength training?

While I agree that Sapp studying is better than clubbing, I'd rather have the guys the Patriots will draft working on football-related skills, not combine-related skills.

Studying playbooks = great. Studying putting fractions in order = not important.

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

A few notes on some pre - NFL Combine Workouts, with some interesting times from Ryan Matthews (4.35) and Brandon Ghee (4.30). Ricky Sapp has also bulked up some.

FYI - Your signature banner is a bit too large.

Here's another blogger's Feb 14 take on some small school prospects he finally got to see in the All-Star games, I'll add the link here for anyone interested.

Pigskin Paul?s Place

 

[DaBruinz]

FYI - Your signature banner is a bit too large.

His banner shows up just fine on my 23" monitor (1920x1080). Maybe you need to take yours off of the Blind settings (640x480)

 

[cstjohn17]

While I agree that Sapp studying is better than clubbing, I'd rather have the guys the Patriots will draft working on football-related skills, not combine-related skills.

Studying playbooks = great. Studying putting fractions in order = not important.

None of the players are working on 'Football related drills', they are trying to improve numbers related to bench press, 40 yard dash, vertical leap and the wonderlic.

Higher numbers = Mo Money

When rookie camps start we will know if they "Look like Tarzan but play like Jane", for now it is all about how they look in shorts.

 

[MaineMan]

While I agree that Sapp studying is better than clubbing, I'd rather have the guys the Patriots will draft working on football-related skills, not combine-related skills.

Studying playbooks = great. Studying putting fractions in order = not important.

Well, we really don't know how much time he's spending on either, much less the proportion. "Studying" for tests like the Wonderlic is really mostly a matter of becoming accustomed to the form of the questions. Or, perhaps, re-accustomed, remembering the "techniques" for responding, since it's not a test format that one sees very frequently during college.

I mean, you can be very well-educated, have a lot of facts down cold and a profound understanding of process, meanings, implications, etc. and not be able to bring all that to bear effectively if you're rusty WRT responding in that format. To me, it's comparable to NY Times crossword puzzles. If you do them every day, you'll have a significantly faster time solving the Saturday puzzle than you would if you haven't even looked at a crossword puzzle in a couple of years.

OTOH, if you don't know (or remember) your fractions (e.g.) off the top of your head at this point, probably no amount of "studying" is going to help.

And it's for precisely this reason that I've always questioned the value of the Wonderlic in this context. The results seem relatively useless and might even be misleading to some extent. It would seem more appropriate and meaningful to require a "mini-SAT" on football knowledge plus some questions relating to social skills.

In any case, simply getting re-accustomed to the test format is the kind of thing where a "daily study session" might last as long as the time it takes you to eat breakfast or lunch. Or to work on a crossword puzzle. Then, the hours in between meals are free for working out, improving your footwork/mechanics (and other Combine-related skills) and studying playbooks.

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

His banner shows up just fine on my 23" monitor (1920x1080). Maybe you need to take yours off of the Blind settings (640x480)

I ain't got your young eyes you damned whippersnapper, I've got my browser zoomed to 150% so widescreen monitor or no his new banner has me doing left & right scrolling to read his posts. And stay out of my yard, ain't you kids got no respect! :enranged:

 

[captain stone]

Is there anything that Sapp can do at the Combine (outside of the Wonderlic) & at his Pro Day that can change his standing in the eyes of those of us who do not see him as a great fit here?

 

[NePatriots]

Is there anything that Sapp can do at the Combine (outside of the Wonderlic) & at his Pro Day that can change his standing in the eyes of those of us who do not see him as a great fit here?

Eat a box of nails? I need to see him on the field setting the edge for a full 60 minutes.... just can't do that at the Combine/Pro-Day.

 

[Sciz]

Although not as extreme, Sapp reminds me of Maybin in the sense that both seemed a little light for the position, but added lots of weight AFTER the season so they would look better in the pre-draft stuff. After how Maybin turned out, I'm not overly excited about Sapp.

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

Combine preview: What to watch for at Indy show - NFL - CBSSports.com - NFLDraftScout.com

Buyer beware

Be cautious of great 40 times and flashy workouts from players whose performance on the field wasn't consistently good enough to be rated as a surefire NFL star of tomorrow.

OT Bruce Campbell, Maryland: Looks the part of an NFL tackle and will run well, but Campbell is undisciplined and his pass protection technique needs work.

WR Riley Cooper, Florida: Scouts will remember Cooper's half-hearted efforts on the Senior Bowl practice field -- even if Cooper looks every bit the two-sport athlete he is during testing.

DE Carlos Dunlap, Florida: NFL scouts were not happy about Dunlap's uneven play last season, and they already know he'll put up freakish numbers at 6-6, 290 pounds. He'll also have questions to answer about his December DUI arrest.

DE Everson Griffen, Southern Cal: He'll run 4.6 at 280 pounds and wow NFL personnel men with his physique, but a quick film review unveils only flashes of brilliance.

SS Chad Jones, LSU: Word is that Jones is ready to light up the combine with sub 4.5-speed at 230-plus pounds. If he and fellow linebacker-sized Southern Cal safety Taylor Mays perform that feat and look fluid in defensive back drills, they could be considered "risers" by some -- and "workout warriors" by others because they weren't consistent playmakers.

RB Joe McKnight, Southern Cal: The comparisons to Reggie Bush will continue during the combine, especially if he runs in the low-4.4's or high 4.3's and looks fluid in drills. His limitations as a back and inconsistent hands as a receiver will make him only a second- or third-round pick.

DE Jason Pierre-Paul, South Florida: He'll run and jump with the best of them, and occasionally look like a superstar pass rusher. But concerns about his inexperience, multiple transfers and inconsistency defending the run or chasing down plays might trump his athleticism for some teams.

DT D'Anthony Smith, Louisiana Tech: Scouts marvel at his athleticism. However, Smith is unable to consistently get off blocks and once inside, doesn't make many plays. It's possible he could thrive as a 3-4 defensive end, but teams shouldn't bank a top-50 pick on it no matter how he works out in Indy.

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

2010 NFL draft: Who's overrated, who's underrated - Matt Hayes - College Football - Sporting News

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

VanFulpen's Top 25 NFL Draft Prospects

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

2010 draft stock watch | National Football Post