Watching the 2010 NFL Combine

[WhiZa]

Spiller just moved to #1 on Oakland's draft board

 

[WhiZa]

Hence why I laugh when patsfans want Darren Sproles.

Forget about being a RB, he would make the pats ST into a top 5 unit

 

[VJCPatriot]

Spiller just moved to #1 on Oakland's draft board

Spiller ran a 4.27 his second time. Yeah he is officially the fastest player in the NFL draft this year.
Oakland can't even use McFadden properly. I'm not sure how they'd use Spiller. And a good kid like that doesn't deserve to be banished to the black hole that is Oakland.

 

[patsinthesnow]

I have a feeling and the Chargers are going to get a great RB tandem for years to come.

1st round: Jahvid Best
3rd round: Ben Tate

 

[Schmo]

Matthews running a 4.41/4.49 is pretty impressive to me. LOVE his running style... any kind of speed is a bonus to his stock. Everyone will think I'm crazy, but I wouldn't mind him in the first round and I would easily take him with our first pick in the second.

 

[VJCPatriot]

And the significant thing about Spiller's combine performance? I already knew he was a great football player from watching him play in big college football games. But his 40 times just confirm his speed and athleticism. So this is not a case of a workout warrior. But more of - we knew he was great, and now we confirmed with objective measurements, the homerun speed that the naked eye already told us he had.

This is a great football player who is ALSO blessed with gamebreaking speed and athleticism. Spiller is the #1 RB in this year's draft. No doubt, he has solidified that.

Matthews running a 4.41/4.49 is pretty impressive to me. LOVE his running style... any kind of speed is a bonus to his stock. Everyone will think I'm crazy, but I wouldn't mind him in the first round and I would easily take him with our first pick in the second.

Best and Matthews proved they belong in the conversation for top RBs. It's just that Spiller's day blew everyone else away.

 

[WhiZa]

I have a feeling and the Chargers are going to get a great RB tandem for years to come.

1st round: Jahvid Best
3rd round: Ben Tate

I dont think Best will make it to #28. There going to have to trade up or deal with taking Dwyer/Matthews/Gerhart higher then they want to.

 

[VJCPatriot]

Dwyer just disappoints me. Gerheart looks like he has niftier feet in this little change of direction cone run exercise.
Matthews continues to look nice.
McCluster looks better at this drill than in the 40, but he had to actually touch the ground once with his hand. Hmmm.
Tate didn't show me much urgency in his run through.

 

[patsinthesnow]

Dwyer just disappoints me. Gerheart looks like he has niftier feet in this little cone run exercise.

Matthews continues to look nice.
McCluster looks better in this drill, but he had to actually touch the ground once with his hand. Hmmm.

Yeah, I was just about to post about Dwyer. You smell bust around him too? I'm not sure why, I just sense bust.

 

[VJCPatriot]

Yeah, I was just about to post about Dwyer. You smell bust around him too? I'm not sure why, I just sense bust.

Dwyer has had a terrible combine. There's no way to sugarcoat it. I don't think he's in optimal shape either. This hurts his draft stock.

 

[VJCPatriot]

The highlights they show on Jahvid Best look really good. He's also a kickreturner so that gives him added value. If he can pass protect well too... I'd be tempted to look at this guy at pick #22. He certainly shouldn't get by the Chargers at #28. But I think BB may prefer a bigger guy like a Matthews who weighs 220. And he might want to go with a defensive player in round 1 in any case.

Matthew with a solid catch on that route. Tate catching his ball easily.

Best can get after that ball. Nice catch on the wheel route.
Dwyer just flubbed that catch.
Mmm, real nice over the shoulder catch by Matthews on the wheel.
Tate reaches out and snares that catch on the wheel. He's showing off some all purpose skills here.
Hardesty makes his catch. No problem.

 

[patsinthesnow]

You see Mccluster's routes? You can tell he is fast in a game.

 

[VJCPatriot]

Flat routes. These are the most basic routes for a RB. If you can't run these well...

Gerhart looking decent on his flat.
Ouch Matthews flubbed his flat catch.
McCluster looks natural on his flat route, snaring that catch out in front of him.
Tate looks the ball in, forming the window, then running it out. Nice technique.

 

[VJCPatriot]

Matthews looks solid in his 3 catch drill.
McCluster looks smooth as well.
Tate making his catches.

Hmm. I think they are done with RB drills for today.

Winners
Spiller, Best, Matthews, Tate imo

I think Hardesty didn't look bad either.
Gerhart certainly improved his stock.
McCluster made up for a poor 40 in the catching drills.
But the lack of straight line speed concerns me. He can make up for that with fast 3 cone and shuttle times.

Biggest loser
Probably Dwyer. I thought I'd be seeing a 1st-2nd round pick material. He didn't even look close to that today.

 

[HarkDawg]

Mccluster is a wes welker clone. Close size, not fast, 4.5s, but is quick.

I have a hard on already. Get Him.




He can return kicks/punts etc....

speedy quick and a Pain.


get him with our las 2nd


He is projected 3rd Round... which I think is bs.

Dexter McCluster

 

[patsinthesnow]

I think Mike Mayock is the one who says if the bench press+Vertical Jump+Broad Jump is >70, the player is explosive.

Ben Tate:

26+40.5+10.4=76.9

Montario Hardesty:

21+41+10.4=72.4

Toby Gerhart:

22+38+9.9= 69.9

Top 3 based on that.

 

[VJCPatriot]

He is projected 3rd Round... which I think is bs.

Dexter McCluster

Speed matters. The 40 times will drop McCluster to 3rd or later. But he looked good in catching drills. He can improve his stock on agility drills tomorrow. I haven't seen his vert/broad jump numbers yet.

Basically for an explosive athlete you want to see 36" or higher verts and 10' or longer broads. There's been one study that posits broad + press + vert of 70 or greater indicates a good explosive pro athlete. I forget the exact article but it's been posted.

 

[patsinthesnow]

Speed matters. The 40 times will drop McCluster to 3rd or later. But he looked good in catching drills. He can improve his stock on agility drills tomorrow. I haven't seen his vert/broad jump numbers yet.

Basically for an explosive athlete you want to see 36" or higher verts and 10' or longer broads. There's been one study that posits broad + press + vert of 70 or greater indicates a good explosive pro athlete. I forget the exact article but it's been posted.

Ben Tate was #1 with a 76.9. He also had the 3rd fastest 40 at 4.45. I think we found the steal of the draft. I'm going to look at some highlight reels of him.

 

[PatsCanDoIt]

Ben Tate was #1 with a 76.9. He also had the 3rd fastest 40 at 4.45. I think we found the steal of the draft. I'm going to look at some highlight reels of him.

For the best size-speed combo I have a top ten of:

Ben Tate
Ryan Mathews
Jahvid Best
Montario Hardesty
Toby Gerhart
Lonyae Miller
CJ Spiller
James Starks
LeGarrette Blount
Jonathan Dwyer

 

[Metaphors]

McCluster made up for a poor 40 in the catching drills.
But the lack of straight line speed concerns me. He can make up for that with fast 3 cone and shuttle times.

This is a case where the combine results are just silly. I didn't see him run, but anyone who thinks that shows McCluster has a "lack of straight line speed" is not paying attention (not picking on you, this is a common theme with his 40 time). Anyone can use the google and see his straight line speed on display in game situations. Here is one against OK St.

That is super fast. With a football. Against real defenders from a major program.