Day Three At The Combine
Next Level's John Murphy reports live from Indianapolis

posted February 26, 2005 - print me!
neworleansprofootball.com

11:00am (Indianapolis)

Tennessee senior punter DUSTIN COLQUITT, who had an average day punting on Friday, ranged between 3.61 and 4.82 on his hang time, while his punts ranged between 35 and 48 yards.

Ball State senior punter REGGIE HODGES ranged between 4.04 and 4.80 on his hang time, while his punts ranged between 38 and 60 yards.

Oklahoma State senior punter/kicker COLE FARDEN ranged between 3.68 and 4.55 on his hang time, while his punts ranged between 40 and 54 yards.

UTEP senior punter BRYCE BENEKOS ranged between 3.82 and 4.75 on his hang time, while his punts ranged between 38 and 52 yards.

Ohio State senior kicker MIKE NUGENT converted 12 of 15 field goal attempts, but all three of his misses came from beyond 40 yards.

Kansas State senior kicker JOE RHEEM converted 14 of 15 field goal attempts, but failed to impress on his kickoffs, as several came up short and with below average hang times.

Boise State senior kicker TYLER JONES converted 11 of 15 field goal attempts, including 7 of 9 beyond 40 yards, while his kickoffs ranged between 67 and 70 yards with an average hangtime between 3.75 and 3.80.

Maryland senior kicker NICK NOVAK converted 11 of 15 field goal attempts, including 4 of 6 beyond 45 yards, while his kickoffs were better than advertised, as they ranged between 64 and 67 yards.

Michigan State senior kicker DAVID RAYNOR converted 10 of 15 field goals, but four of his five misses came from beyond 40 yards, although he did come back with some very effective kickoffs, both in terms of distance and hangtimes.

Miami senior tight end KEVIN EVERETT was 6045, 241 pounds, but will not be able to workout until late March or early April due to a shoulder surgery that was done in January, which will require about another 4-6 weeks of rehab.

Oklahoma senior defensive end/outside linebacker DAN CODY will not workout until his Pro Day, as he weighed in at 6054, 255 pounds, which is down from what he played at this past season. He spoke about a sinus infection that he had recently which cost him to lose approximately ten pounds. Cody predicted that he will go in the first half of the first round in the draft with a decent chance to be a Top 5-10 pick. He also spoke about the incident where he passed out this previous season, saying that there was no correlation between the “blackout” and his prescribed medication. In 2001, Cody was diagnosed with clinical depression shortly after his grandmother died, so it is still to be determined whether any of the NFL teams will be concerned about those issues.

12:30pm (Indianapolis)

Lehigh senior tight end ADAM BERGEN was 6043, 265 pounds, and should perform a full workout here at the Combine.

North Dakota State senior center ROB HUNT ran between 5.01 and 5.08 in the 40 today.

Fresno State senior offensive lineman LOGAN MANKINS ran between 5.10 and 5.14 in the 40 today.

Oregon State senior offensive lineman DOUG NIENHAUS ran between 5.16 and 5.22 in the 40 today.

BYU senior offensive lineman SCOTT YOUNG ran between 5.01 and 5.08 in the 40 today.

Alabama senior offensive lineman EVAN MATHIS ran between 4.97 and 5.05 in the 40 today.

Former Nebraska junior offensive lineman RICHIE INCOGNITO ran between 4.90 and 4.95 in the 40 today, but may have suffered a strained left knee during the positional drills. There was no formal announcement, but he was taken for an MRI after the on-field drills portion of the workout. He could be seen shortly after returning from the hospital walking around the hotel, so there does not seem to be any structural damage.

Central Michigan senior center ERIC GHIACIUC ran between 5.08 and 5.14 in the 40 today.

Central Michigan senior offensive tackle ADAM KIEFT ran in the 5.50 range in the 40 today, but he was one of the leaders in the vertical jump with 33". He plans to improve his time at his Pro Day at Central Michigan on March 9th, CMU is having a junior pro day on March 2nd, but Kieft and the rest of the Senior’s will be working out on March 9th. Teams that have shown interest in Kieft is Detroit, Chicago, and Cincinnati. Kieft has interviewed with most NFL teams and thinks that there is a lot of interest.

Michigan senior offensive lineman DAVID BAAS ran between 5.02 and 5.10 in the 40 today.

Georgia senior defensive end DAVID POLLACK was 6020, 265 pounds, and will perform a full workout here at the Combine. He is very versatile, and also spoke about his ability to play linebacker in a 3-4 defensive scheme, which will work well since teams are expecting to see him perform both defensive end and linebacker drills at the Combine. Spoke of himself as playing crazy, excited, energetic, and having a love for the game.

Florida State senior defensive tackle TRAVIS JOHNSON was 6035, 305 pounds, but will wait to workout until his Pro Day, except for doing the bench press here at the Combine. He made the comment to the media that they only thing that can stop him is himself, that he has the speed and quickness to be a great player in the NFL, and also said he thinks that the NFL is overlooking his teammate, defensive end Eric Moore.

Tennessee senior running back CEDRIC HOUSTON was 5102, 225 pounds, but decided not to workout here at the Combine because he has been ill the past few weeks. Carolina, Cleveland, Dallas and NY Giants were among the teams mentioned by him, as having shown the most interest to date.

2pm (Indianapolis)

Notre Dame junior defensive end/outside linebacker JUSTIN TUCK was 6050, 268 pounds, but will not be working out until his Pro Day. Said that he feels like he has first round talent, and is better suited playing the defensive end position in the 4-3 defense then a 3-4 outside linebacker. Admitted the reason that he came out is because Coach Tyrone Willingham told him that it was time for him to leave Notre Dame. Tuck said that if Willingham would have still been the head coach that he would have considered staying for his senior season.

Oklahoma senior offensive tackle JAMMAL BROWN ran between 5.02 and 5.08 in the 40 today, as well he mentioned the fact that he wears a wristband that features pictures of both his mom, who passed away when he was a junior in high school, and his daughter, on his left wrist during every game or big event with football in order to help give him strength and confidence.

TCU senior offensive tackle ANTHONY ALABI recorded a 32.5" vertical today.

Florida State senior offensive tackle ALEX BARRON recorded a 35.5" vertical today.

Washington State senior offensive lineman CALVIN ARMSTRONG recorded a 34" vertical today.

Vanderbilt senior offensive lineman JUSTIN GEISINGER recorded 34 reps of 225 pounds on Friday.

Washington senior offensive tackle KHALIF BARNES ran between 4.88 and 4.97 in the 40 today, while also recording 35" vertical, previously he had done 26 reps of 225 pounds.

Maryland junior defensive end/outside linebacker SHAWNE MERRIMAN was 6042, 272 pounds, but will not be working out until his Pro Day on March 16th. Has a total of 16 meetings setup with teams over the next few days. Said teams are talking about using him at either defensive end or outside linebacker, although one team mentioned to him about even playing inside linebacker. He thinks that he can be the type of player on a defense that can do a lot of different things by him lining up in different positions. He said that the best part of playing football is hitting people. There have been some comparisions made to former Dallas Cowboys All-Pro Randy White.

Colorado State senior tight end JOEL DREESSEN was 6040, 262 pounds, and did 22 reps of 225 pounds today.

Ohio State sophomore running back MAURICE CLARETT ran between 4.72 and 4.85 in the 40 today, as he participated in several other pre-40-yard dash events, but opted to sit out the remaining positional drills after the 40-times were complete. He looked visibly upset after he ran the 40, and said that he had worked for over a year and had run better times leading up to this day. There have also been conflicting reports about whether he will workout at Ohio State's upcoming Pro Day or wait until later in the month, so he can schedule a private workout for himself with the chance to get back down to the 4.6 range. One positive note is that his total body fat was down from 17% a year ago to 11.4% this year.

Auburn senior running back RONNIE BROWN ran between 4.32 and 4.48 in the 40 today.

Citadel senior fullback/running back NEHEMIAH BROUGHTON ran between 4.48 and 4.55 in the 40 today.

California senior running back J.J. ARRINGTON ran between 4.41 and 4.49 in the 40 today, and did 35" vertical.

West Virginia senior running back KAY-JAY HARRIS ran between 4.48 and 4.56 in the 40 today, and did 38" vertical.

Notre Dame senior running back RYAN GRANT ran between 4.45 and 4.54 in the 40 today.

Louisville senior running back LIONEL GATES ran between 4.58 and 4.72 in the 40 today, and did 36" vertical.

Wisconsin senior running back ANTHONY DAVIS ran between 4.45 and 4.48 in the 40 today, and did 38" vertical.

Michigan State senior running back/return man DEANDRA COBB ran between 4.38 and 4.45 in the 40 today.

Arkansas senior running back DECORI BIRMINGHAM ran between 4.53 and 4.73 in the 40 today.

Montana senior fullback JUSTIN GREEN ran between 4.77 and 4.83 in the 40 today.

Texas A&M senior fullback KEITH JOSEPH ran between 4.67 and 4.75 in the 40 today.

Michigan senior fullback KEVIN DUDLEY ran between 4.86 and 4.90 in the 40 today.

North Carolina senior fullback MADISON HEDGECOCK ran between 4.77 and 4.85 in the 40 today.

Minnesota junior running back MARION BARBER III recorded the highest vertical of today's running back groups at 40".

3:30pm (Indianapolis)

Virginia senior offensive lineman ELTON BROWN has evidently left the Combine, but it has not been confirmed what his reasons for leaving were. One report said that he left without much notification, which may have upset a number of teams that wanted to interview him, but another report said that he had left because he was not scheduled to workout due to a knee injury, so that he may have been scheduled to return home on an earlier flight than most.

Louisville junior running back ERIC SHELTON did not bench press here at the Combine because of an AC joint sprain, but should be able to lift at his Pro Day.

Marshall senior defensive end/linebacker JONATHAN GODDARD was 6000, 240 pounds, which is up from his season playing weight of 225-228 pounds. Says teams have told him they are evaluating him at defensive end, outside linebacker, inside linebacker and he said one team even mentioned strong safety to him. He will not run the 40-yard dash until his Pro Day, as he has been bothered by a sore hamstring, while training. He scored a total of four defensive touchdowns during his college career, and led the nation in tackles for loss, as a senior.

Portland State senior tight end ANTHONY CURTIS was 6050, 269 pounds, but did not get to bench press with his group today, as he was still going through his medical evaluation. He will makeup his bench press at 7:30am tomorrow morning.

South Carolina senior defensive end/outside linebacker GEORGE GAUSE was 6042, 275 pounds, but will not be working out until his Pro Day on March 16th. He would prefer to stay at defensive end, and said that while he could play OLB in a 3-4 scheme, he likes the 4-3 defensive scheme better. Has interviewed with Dallas, Green Bay, Jacksonville, Kansas City and Minnesota.

Stanford senior tight end ALEX SMITH was 6040, 258 pounds, but will not be working out until his Pro Day, as he suffered a bruised knee, while at the Senior Bowl. Said that the Detroit Lions have expressed interest in him, and that he knows they have a need for a tight end.

5:30pm (Indianapolis)

Wisconsin senior defensive end ERASMUS JAMES was 6044, 266 pounds, but will not be doing a full workout here at the Combine, although he will run the 40-yard dash with his group. He will also do some linebacker drills, as teams want to look at him, as a possible 3-4 outside linebacker. There is a good chance that he will get asked back for the re-check physical closer to the draft because of his past shoulder and hip injuries.

Fort Hays State senior tight end KELLY GRIFFETH was 6052, 284 pounds, and did 21 reps of 225 pounds today. He is fully recovered from a sprained MCL that caused him to bulk up to 298 pounds, which is the wait he showed up at to the Cactus Bowl. Some teams are looking at him as an offensive lineman, although he played primarily defensive line before moving to tight end. Has spoken with nearly 20 position coaches, including those from Cincinnati and Detroit. May look to setup a Pro Day date close to the ones for Colorado State and Kansas State.

Ohio State senior defensive lineman SIMON FRASER was 6054, 288 pounds today, and plans to perform a full workout at the Combine.

Tennessee Tech senior offensive lineman FRANK OMILAYE was 6042, 310 pounds, ran between 5.10 and 5.20 in the 40 today, while also recording a 4.7 short shuttle, 8.10 three-cone drill and 22 reps of 225 pounds. Has been interviewed by Chicago, Jacksonville, Kansas City and Tennessee.

Virginia junior tight end HEATH MILLER was 6050, 256 pounds, but will not workout until his Pro Day on March 23rd, as mentioned in our "Pre-Combine Report" he is still rehabbing from a groin injury that required off-season surgery in January.

LSU senior defensive lineman MARCUS SPEARS was 6040, 307 pounds, but will not workout until a second Pro Day on March 31st at LSU, which has been added to the schedule. Dr. Bankston was the doctor who performed the arthroscopic procedure on his right knee two weeks ago, but he got it examined here at the Combine with no flags being raised. Has a total of 16 interviews setup for the next two nights, including Denver.

USC senior defensive lineman SHAUN CODY was 6041, 293 pounds, but will not be doing a full workout here at the Combine, although he intends to bench press on Sunday. Has interviewed with Dallas, Minnesota and San Diego.

OTHER COMBINE NOTES:

Next Level Scouting, Inc. will be featured in the Sunday editions of the Miami Herald and Times-Picayune (New Orleans), as well as Sirius' NFL RADIO broadcast "Live" from the NFL Combine for the second consecutive day along with host Vic Carucci, the national editor of NFL.com.

A wide discrepancy was reported in the 40-yard dash times today, as the NFL Network widely reported several very fast times for players, while members of the National Combine Service, who runs the event for the league, released times that were much slower across the board, so we have reported both times to give the most accurate account to date.

27 of the 31 offensive linemen in Group One competed in the 40-yard dash today, as Elton Brown (Virginia), Alex Barron (Florida State) and Chris Myers (Miami) were medically excused.

14 of the 18 running backs/fullbacks in Group Three competed in the 40-yard dash today, as Marion Barber III (Minnesota), Cedric Benson (Texas), Ciatrick Fason (Florida) and Frank Gore (Miami) all decided to pass on running here at the Combine.

The proposed trade of Arizona Cardinals offensive tackle L.J. SHELTON to the Buffalo Bills for running back TRAVIS HENRY is supposedly being held up because Henry would like to have his contract re-structured by the Cardinals front office before the trade goes through, according to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald.

The Detroit Lions are expected to sign veteran free agent quarterback JEFF GARCIA, who actually flew to Indianapolis, so he could take a physical for the team, which would include an MRI on his right shoulder.

Indianapolis Colts general manager BILL POLIAN did not seem overly impressed by the fact that Ohio State running back MAURICE CLARETT decided not to finish off all of the positional drills after running his unimpressive 40-times.

Buffalo Bills general manager TOM DONOHUE discussed the lack of top-notch prospects in this year's draft. "All drafts are crapshoots, but this one may be more of a crapshoot than most (years), as usually when you come to the Combine, you have some idea who the top 5-7 players are; I don't know that you know that this year."

Chicago Bears have signed free agent wide receiver MUHSIN MUHAMMAD to a contract, but there were no numbers or length of the contract released, although it has been speculated that he received $12 million guaranteed on a four-year deal.

Former Akron wide receiver/quarterback NICK SPARKS will be catching passes from standout senior quarterback CHARLIE FRYE at the school's upcoming Pro Day on March

Former Nebraska running back THUNDER COLLINS, who played in the Las Vegas All-Star Classic three years ago, has been in attendance the past few days with the hopes of earning an opportunity to workout for an NFL team in the near future. His most recent workout numbers include 4.28 in the 40, 16 reps of 225 pounds, 38" vertical, 10'3" broad jump and 7.01 three-cone drill, which were done while working out with renowned trainer Chip Smith at CES. He currently lives in Lincoln, Nebraska and can be contacted through his representative, Elite Sports Management.

Elite Sports Management has the following players working out at upcoming Pro Days... Nebraska linebacker IRA COOPER (March 8th)... Vanderbilt defensive tackle MATT CLAY (March 18th)... Northern Iowa tight end ANDY THORN, offensive guard LUKE STIGLER and linebacker TITUS IVORY (March 23rd)... Tulane linebacker WES HEATH (March 15th).

North Carolina State has dismissed senior-to-be wide receiver RICHARD WASHINGTON, who was the team's #2 receiver last fall as a junior, from the team for undisclosed reasons. He had 29 receptions despite missing three games with a knee injury.

North Carolina has booted a pair of sophomores defensive tackle ISAIAH THOMAS and wide receiver ADARIUS BOWMAN, both of whom were charged with marijuana possession after it was found in their apartment.

*Next Level Scouting Staff members Justin Van Fulpen, Dean Zarafonetis and Jared Van Fulpen also contributed to this report.

*All rights reserved by Next Level Scouting, Inc. and John Murphy... any use of the material enclosed without the express written or verbal consent of Next Level Scouting, Inc. or John Murphy is prohibited... John Murphy can be reached via phone or email at 504.415.9979 and draftjm13@aol.com.

Pre-Combine Material from NOPF and Next Level Scouting:
NFL Team Notes | Pre-combine prospects | Breakdown of Combine trends | Invitee List

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