Author: Rob Staton (Page 331 of 423)

Crazy in KC

The Chiefs turned an already unpredictable draft on its head tonight. By agreeing a new 5-year contract with Dwayne Bowe, it allowed them to spend the franchise tag on left tackle Branden Albert.

It means Albert will earn $9,828,000 in 2013. Considering the Chiefs already have right tackle Eric Winston under contract (4-years, $22m), it seems unlikely they’ll be spending the #1 pick on Luke Joeckel or any other offensive tackle.

They could theoretically move Albert back to guard, a move he’s been vocally opposed to. He played guard at Virginia. It still seems like a costly exercise. They’d have the 2013 #1 pick playing left tackle, Albert and his near $10m salary playing guard and Winston is taking up $7m against the cap this year as the right tackle. Sure, a good offensive line is important. But that looks like overkill.

Albert could also hold-out if they force him to change position. He knows any future big contract will be predicated by his ability to continue as a blind-side blocker. Nobody is going to pay multi-millions for his services as a guard. Surely the Chiefs didn’t just pay $10m for a headache?

So what happens now with the #1 pick?

They may intend to try and recoup picks after the Smith-deal with San Francisco — although that’s easier said than done. Why does anyone really have to get above Jacksonville and Oakland to own the top selection? The Chiefs saying they’d like to trade down would be like any of us saying we’d appreciate a night on the town with Megan Fox, with an invitation for coffee afterwards. Well.. duh. Neither situation, sadly, appears likely.

Bowe’s cap hit will likely be substantial after signing a long-term contract. The offensive line is now very expensive and Alex Smith is due nearly $10m in both 2013 and 2014. Jamaal Charles’ six-year contract pays him over $4m this season and next. They have playmakers, a line and a quarterback earning big money. A serious case can be made for the Chiefs turning their attention to defense.

If they stay put, I think it might come down to two guys — Dion Jordan and Sharrif Floyd.

There’s not a desperate need for an edge rusher in Kansas City with Tamba Hali and Justin Houston on the roster, but Jordan showed at the combine he has genuine elite athletic potential. I do think he has a chance to become a star at the next level. No offense to Mr. Houston, but putting Jordan across from Hali would create one of the best pass rushing tandem’s in the league. It’d certainly ask a few questions of Peyton Manning in Denver. Andy Reid knows he doesn’t just need a new offensive direction, he has to find a way to stop Manning to win the AFC West.

It’d be unusual for a team to draft a five technique with the #1 pick, but it seems like a lot of teams are really high on Sharrif Floyd’s back-story, upside and physical attributes. If he’s been graded as the best player in the draft then he has a shot to go first overall. If they have ambitions of transitioning to a 4-3 in the future, he’s also scheme diverse. The contract at #1 isn’t so big these days that you’re paying a ridiculous salary for a position of secondary importance. It might only be a matter of time before we see a non quarterback, left tackle or edge rusher go first overall.

Right now, I’d put Oregon’s Jordan down as the favourite to be the top pick.

Whatever happens, Andy Reid is making the off-season fun already.

Seattle’s options at defensive tackle dwindling

Sadly, neither Henry Melton or Randy Starks will be available in free agency. Both players were tagged by Chicago and Miami respectively. The two most attractive options for Seattle in free agency are no longer available.

Other players, such as Oakland’s Desmond Bryant or unattached Cullen Jenkins, are still out there. Jenkins is having his visit to Seattle today. Who knows, maybe he never makes that trip to San Francisco (his next scheduled stop)? The Seahawks also have the option of re-signing Alan Branch.

I suspect they’ll do something, whether that’s before March 12th with Jenkins or during free agency. The Seahawks only have two out of contract starters — Branch and Leroy Hill. Although not a starter, I think they view the Jason Jones position with equal importance. He too is a free agent. Going into the draft needing to replace two defensive linemen isn’t a desirable position to be in. It makes some degree of logic to at least entertain the possibility of a modest free agent investment to keep a few options open.

Depending on the price, I’d welcome Branch back at this stage. I think he’s had a solid two years with the team despite being asked to fill a position that’s quite foreign to a player of his size (three technique). The fact he can cover Red Bryant at the five and play inside has some value. Teams switching to a 3-4 this off-season might be willing to pay him more money to fill the nose tackle slot. At the right price, I say bring him back.

It is disappointing to see both Melton and Starks leave the market. It’s not a huge shock that Chicago held onto their prize asset, but it’s only recently that Starks emerged as a tag candidate in Miami. A likely target for Seattle based on his ability to anchor versus the run while still collapse the pocket, Miami made the right move keeping him alongside Paul Soliai. It’s basically a one-year $8m rental for the Dolphins.

While this is a good year for defensive tackles in the draft, there isn’t really anyone you want to fight for at #25. It’s easy to say in January and February (as we did) that this is a deep class. You could draft a Sylvester Williams, Kawann Short, Johnathan Hankins or Jesse Williams (for example). As we get closer to the draft though, most of those options just seem, well, underwhelming. The options at defensive end (LEO), receiver and tight end however seem more appealing.

Players to receive the franchise tag: Jairus Byrd (Buffalo), Henry Melton (Chicago), Michael Johnson (Cincinnati), Anthony Spencer (Dallas), Ryan Clady (Denver), Pat McAfee (Indianapolis), Branden Albert (Kansas City) and Randy Starks (Miami).

Notable players who weren’t tagged before the deadline: Ed Reed, Paul Kruger, Aqib Talib, William Moore, Brent Grimes, Cliff Avril, Sebastian Vollmer, Danny Amendola, Desmond Bryant, Jared Cook, Mike Wallace and Greg Jennings.

Matt Barkley back in pole position?

Here at Seahawks Draft Blog, we get a lot of things wrong. It happens. But one of the things I think we’ve got right this year is not buying into the Matt Barkley-is-garbage bandwagon.

Today I noticed two articles to support that stance. The first — by NFL.com’s Albert Breer — notes different quotes from personnel executives, GM’s and scouts on whether anyone can usurp Geno Smith to be the first quarterback off the board. The consensus generally seems to be that Barkley can:

One NFC personnel executive said that Barkley, from a “football smarts” standpoint, is rare, comparable with Andrew Luck when he came out last year. In fact, when asked on Monday if anyone could pass Smith, the exec texted to say, “I think (Barkley) already has.”

Second, Barkley’s 2012 stumble is explainable. He lost his left tackle, Matt Kalil, to the NFL, and an injury to his center, Khaled Holmes, left USC’s line in shambles. A series of injuries at tight end didn’t help, either. Besides all that, the locker room melted down around him.

Barkley admitted to some NFL folks in Indy that he tried to do too much as a senior. An NFC general manager who still likes Barkley said, succinctly, that the quarterback’s problem was that he was “coloring outside the lines” last fall.

I don’t know if it’s a California thing, or a USC thing, but a lot of people have been quick to come down on Barkley. The guy can play. Take away Russell Okung, injure Max Unger, have Pete Carroll replaced with Lane Kiffin and swap Seattle’s defense with eleven scarecrows and let’s see how Russell Wilson does in 2013. That’s basically what Barkley had to work with. The Trojans were a complete shambles last season.

Was the quarterback blameless? Not at all. But it’s funny how similar statistically he was in 2011 when many considered him a top-ten pick. Those condemning Barkley love to point to the fact he had Marqise Lee and Robert Woods to throw to. So did Max Wittek when he laid a couple of eggs against Notre Dame and Georgia Tech.

The other thing people love to point to is a lack of arm strength. Nobody will ever argue that Barkley has a big arm. He doesn’t. But neither is he Kellen Moore-standard as some joker suggested recently. That really is a laughable comparison.

He won’t be everyone’s cup of tea. Teams utilising a vertical passing offense won’t show much interest. Others who are prepared to play a similar way to Seattle — run the ball, lots of play action utilising a point guard quarterback — will probably love the guy. To quote again from Breer’s piece today:

Barkley is at his best when he’s playing quarterback like a point guard, focusing on setting up others to make plays rather than being asked to make plays on his own.

He also notes:

One NFC personnel executive said that Barkley, from a “football smarts” standpoint, is rare, comparable with Andrew Luck when he came out last year. In fact, when asked on Monday if anyone could pass Smith, the exec texted to say, “I think (Barkley) already has.”

This brings me to the second article I wanted to highlight today, written by Dan Pompei from the NFP. He notes that the focus within the NFL right now is to find the next Russell Wilson. Not by drafting another underrated 5-10 quarterback, but by finding a player that shares the same level of work rate and football IQ to put themselves in a position to be successful:

“The reason quarterbacks have success is because they are leaders,” one NFC general manager said. “Russell Wilson absolutely reinforces that. You have to feel comfortable with that. Did Christian Ponder have everything you look for? No, but he had some leadership to him. I’m not surprised he went in the first round. Minnesota got comfortable with the leader. That’s a valuable trait, over the arm strength.”

So which prospect in this draft has the best combination of intangibles and ability? According to multiple front office men surveyed by NFP, it’s Southern Cal’s Matt Barkley. As a result, some believe his stock is back on the rise after taking a season-long dip.

Different execs lauded Barkley for his anticipation, his communication skills, his personality that lights up a room, and his pocket presence. Another said he had the best instincts and ability to see the field.

Asked which quarterback was most impressive in terms of conveying leadership in his combine interview, one general manager said, “I think Barkley is special that way. He has some ‘it’ factor to him. The personality is there with Barkley. We ask them questions, try to get a feel for how much they love football, and see if they have a special trait that makes people want to be around them and listen to them. It all comes through with him.”

(Pete) Carroll has a better feel for Barkley than most because he coached him at Southern Cal. “No question Barkley is loaded with intangibles,” Carroll said. “He has everything everybody wants. He has had it for some time. He knows what it’s like to be on a big stage at an early age and handle it impeccably.”

When push comes to shove, some GM’s and coaches will be prepared to go into battle with Matt Barkley. They’ll know they need to surround him with a supporting cast, but they’ll work on that. For everyone who thinks this years group of quarterbacks is mediocre (it isn’t, it’s just not as good as last years), wait until you see what 2014 has to offer. I think Barkley will look like a pretty good investment in twelve months time.

I also suspect he’ll be the first quarterback off the board unless someone really has fallen for Geno Smith (it could happen). I think both could be top-10 picks. But Barkley certainly won’t be dropping into round two or even round three as some have suggested.

Lemonier, Joeckel and Swope game tape

Two pieces of game tape for you today. The first shows an interesting Corey Lemonier vs Luke Joeckel match-up from 2012. Well, it would’ve been an interesting match-up. But this is 2012 Auburn we’re talking about. And it’s hard to rush the passer when you’re 21-0 down at the end of the first quarter and 42-7 down at half time. We talked about Lemonier on the blog yesterday.

The second shows Texas A&M receiver Ryan Swope vs Auburn and Mississippi State:

Seahawks to meet with Cullen Jenkins

According to Adam Schefter, the recently released Eagle will be making a stop in Seattle.

Former Eagles DL Cullen Jenkins, who visited Giants on Friday, is scheduled to visit Seahawks on Monday and 49ers on Tuesday.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 2, 2013

John Schneider is familiar with Jenkins during their time in Green Bay and the Seahawks need the ‘Packers version’ of Cullen Jenkins. He has 21 sacks in the last four seasons, so Seattle’s interest is perfectly understandable.

He’s also 32. How much has he got left in the tank? Even on a one year deal, can he continue to be productive? The Seahawks don’t carry ineffective, past-their-best veterans. This is a young, vibrant roster and that’s likely to remain the case. Jenkins would have to be worth it.

This could be due diligence or there could be genuine intent to talk about a contract. It’s no surprise that the Giants, Niners and Seahawks are the three showing the early interest here. They’re all likely to target defensive line help in the draft, and none seem particularly likely to open the cheque book in free agency to address this need. With Henry Melton receiving the franchise tag and Randy Starks likely to follow, the interior defensive line options are dwindling.

I didn’t spend any time watching Jenkins in 2012, but he had an excellent 2011. He looked powerful, quick off the snap and he made a difference. He’s good enough against the run to anchor but he also has a playmaking streak in him. He’s developed a lot of veteran moves and counter’s during his career. This is what Seattle needs.

The only question is, will Jenkins still be up to the task in his 9th season as a pro?

Barkevious Mingo is still confusing

Last night was pretty eventful. I dropped boiling water all over myself which led to a night in serious pain without any sleep. Before that delightful experience, I watched a couple more LSU games to try and ‘get’ Barkevious Mingo. I’d watched five last week and came away so completely and utterly underwhelmed I dropped him out of my first round projection. Then at the combine, he showed enough athletic quality to make me re-consider and put him at #15 to New Orleans.

There are plenty of teams in the NFL looking for pass rushers. I guess that search never ends, really. There are teams transitioning to the 3-4 who could use a skilled outside linebacker. But more than anything, there are also teams looking to mimic the Seahawks. Pete Carroll has created an ‘en vogue’ team. Seattle is flavour of the month, the trendy outfit. Young, fast, skilled and aggressive. Who doesn’t want that?

There will be GM’s out there looking at the moves made by Pete Carroll and John Schneider and they’ll want a piece of that. Bruce Irvin — a much maligned pick 12 months ago — is now considered a great success because he led all rookies for sacks. The truth is, Irvin was the least effective of the three early picks last year. But the NFL loves production and eight sacks is considered a positive in season one.

Mingo doesn’t have the same blazing 4.4 speed or 1.53 ten-yard split, but he’s the player who most closely resembles Irvin in this draft. So while 3-4 teams might be coveting him for a switch to linebacker, 4-3 teams might consider using him as a LEO.

If there’s enough demand for pass rushers this year (remember, Irvin was the first to leave the board twelve months ago at #15), then he could go early. Much will depend on the stock of guys like Bjoern Werner and Damontre Moore. Could he fall? Absolutely. The 2012 tape is not very good for Mingo. He hasn’t got close to the level of production Irvin managed at West Virginia, even though he acted mainly as a third-down specialist. At LSU Mingo had the benefit of Sam Montgomery, Michael Brockes and Bennie Logan, not to mention some of the best secondary talent in college football. He had 4.5 sacks in 2012, one of which came against Towson University.

When speaking to John Clayton recently, Pete Carroll stated he wants another LEO. That might be to cover the possibility of Chris Clemons never quite being the same post-ACL surgery. The Seahawks need to plan for the future anyway with Clemons approaching his 32nd birthday in October.

If the top rated defensive lineman at #25 is a LEO, I think they take him. I think they’ll look at any player with that first pick and try to find the best pass rusher. Could be an end, could be a tackle. If Mingo was there at #25, would they pull the trigger? Is a pass-rushing double threat of Irvin and Mingo too good to turn down? After all, nobody is doubting his physical talent and speed. He’s got the kind of length they look for. It’s just the attitude, the motor, the application. Is he a relentless guy who thrives on impacting games? Or is he doing what team mate Sam Montgomery admitted at the combine — picking his moments, taking weekend’s off? To fall to #25 there’d have to be some issues, even considering his measly 4.5 sacks this past year.

I could imagine a scenario where Mingo’s off the board at #6 to Cleveland or #9 to the New York Jets. Keeping him in Louisiana also makes sense for New Orleans. But I could just as easily see him dropping a bit, especially if Werner holds position and other players like Dion Jordan and Ziggy Ansah go early.

So, would you take him at #25 if he’s there?

Snap judgement? More tape on Cornelius Washington

We published tape of combine warrior Cornelius Washington earlier in the week. Many people were pretty underwhelmed by what they saw in the game versus Buffalo. So it’s only fair we put a couple more video’s on here for a more rounded debate. See what you think.

Further thoughts on Datone Jones

Who is this guy? That’s the question I keep coming back to. In fact, it’s more like two questions.

– Just how explosive is he? He isn’t running a 4.64 like Cam Jordan. He’s running a time comparable to J.J. Watt but at 10lbs lighter. You put his times and measurable’s together and there are similarities to Lawrence Jackson. So are we talking about a difference making, explosive defensive lineman or not?

– What position will he play at the next level? He lined up everywhere for UCLA – nose tackle, three-technique, defensive end. That can be a positive or a negative. On the one hand, you can put him in all kinds of confusing looks — get him rushing from a variety of angles and gaps. At the same time, he might always be a ‘tweener’ without a defined role.

For the first question, I went back to my notes during our live blog for the combine. It’s very easy to look at a list of numbers and get caught up. Tape, tape, tape. That’s how to do this. Whether it’s a work out in shorts or watching a game. Trust your eyes. And I asked myself this week — why am I still doubting this guy’s athleticism? This is what I wrote about Jones when watching the drills:

“Datone Jones is a superb athlete.”

In the video below you’ll find the defensive lineman vs offensive lineman drills from the Senior Bowl. I’d recommend watching the first 3:50, even if you can’t watch the full 46+ minutes. At 3:18 Jones makes his first appearance. And he destroys the interior lineman. The reason I’d recommend watching the first 3:50 is simply to see how things suddenly kick into life when Jones turns it on. Prior to that play you see John Simon get absolutely stoned, Brandon Williams get floored, Alex Okafor struggle a little bit with bog-standard blocker Ricky Wagner. Eric Fisher dominates his guy. Then there’s Datone Jones.

Mike Mayock is commentating from the booth and it’s like someone just injected him with a shot of caffeine. You can picture his eyes lighting up as soon as Jones flies into the backfield. “Boy was that a quick, explosive move there. Wooof, I like that. Let’s see it again here.”

On the next play, he does beat his guy again. Pure athleticism. And yes, he looks like a difference maker.

I’m at the point now where I really don’t care what forty time he runs, or whether his vertical jump and bench press compare favourably to Lawrence Jackson. They are just numbers. When I watch the tape, his athleticism stands out. And I get the impression in a few years time we may well be comparing other 275-285lbs defensive lineman to Datone Jones when it comes to combine performances.

Over the last two nights I’ve gone over seven UCLA games to revise my position on this guy. I made the decision to place him at #25 last week based on how he might fit as a Jason Jones replacement in Seattle. He could still fit into that role. However, can he be more than that?

The question over whether he’s a tweener will be a legitimate one for a lot of teams. If you’re running an orthodox 4-3 you’ll need to decide whether he’s stout enough to play inside permanently or whether he’s a power end. A 3-4 team will need to know if he fits at the five-technique, or if he can be that same roaming pass rusher that J.J. Watt is in Houston’s scheme.

Some might just say, “too many question marks.” The thing is, I doubt the Seahawks will be one of those teams.

Pete Carroll and John Schneider appear to be spending less time on what a guy can’t do. Of course, you never ignore a player’s limitations. You just don’t want to be consumed by them. So while we can sit here and argue Jones is maybe a shade small to feature as a permanent three-technique, or a bit too big to play the LEO, Carroll and Schneider might be debating what he can do for this team. What he can be is a possible upgrade for Jason Jones in an underrated role for the Seahawks.

He had 19 tackles for a loss in 14 games this season. He’s strong enough at the point to push his blocker into the backfield — something we recently highlighted as a key need for Bill Walsh defensive tackles. He also has a good enough first step, repertoire of moves (swim, spin, club, rip) and explosion to shoot a gap and make his presence known.

One of my big issues is execution. Given how often Jones has success in 1v1 battles, he should be even more productive. I’m a little surprised watching the tape that he only manufactured 6.5 sacks in 2012. Yet it’s not all about pure sacks. We should know that from the Walsh article. Being able to impact plays by your very presence is good enough for an interior rusher. And Jones appears to impact his fair share of plays, even if he doesn’t always finish.

The Seahawks really benefited from using Jason Jones at an interior starting point while getting Bruce Irvin to stunt around and come at the offensive line from a different angle. As well as Greg Scruggs played in relief of Jones, I’m not sure this tactic was quite as effective in the second half of the season. It’s perhaps no coincidence that Irvin’s production fell of a cliff as a consequence. So it was pleasing to see UCLA running similar stunts with their edge rushers while Datone Jones worked inside.

Jones has some pretty good tape (see: Washington State) but he also has some pretty average tape (see: Nebraska). There are occasions where he just absorbs blocks and doesn’t have any influence on the play. There are times where he’s not blocked and given a free road into the backfield, but he makes a bad read — pursuing a running back on a QB-keeper or failing to detect a draw play. He’s not a brilliant run stopper working inside, although upon further review I’m less concerned about using him inside as a conventional three-technique. I also think he gets tired in games and despite being athletic enough to shift around at 280lbs like he does, he could maybe use some pro-conditioning to max-out his potential for sixty minutes. He tired a bit at the combine too.

When Seattle drafted Lawrence Jackson in 2008, it was seen as a copy-cat move to mimic Justin Tuck’s role in the Super Bowl winning Giants team. Of course, it never worked out. Jackson was a pure effort and hussle guy, not the kind of versatile, roaming athlete that Tuck’s been in New York. Jones is bigger than both Jackson and Tuck, but he appears primed to take on a role that puts him in different positions. That probably puts him on New York’s radar. He should be on Dallas’ too as they move to the 4-3.

If Jones ends up being a top-20 pick, it could push two or three other defensive lineman down the board — which wouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing for Seattle. If he is available, there’s a pretty good chance he’ll be on Schneider and Carroll’s radar. And even if they feel he isn’t an orthodox three-technique or end, don’t rule out this team drafting a specialist rusher in the first round. They want to play stout on early downs then create turnover opportunities in third and long by bringing the pressure and putting athletes in coverage. The Jason Jones role might be specialist, but it could also be crucial for this defense. Jones is the most likely candidate to fill that position in round one. If he’s available.

Here’s all the Datone Jones tape… this will keep you busy for a while…

When I was asked by Kenneth Arthur and Jacson Bevens who I thought Seattle should take if they had their choice of any player in the draft, it was an easy question to answer.

Sheldon Richardson.

Seattle’s defensive scheme is pretty creative. For the last two years they’ve used size up front in base while utilising a specialist LEO rusher. In nickel and passing situations, they’ve been pretty attack-minded. Bruce Irvin and Jason Jones were brought in for the ‘money downs’. And while I accept that Irvin has been talked up as a prospective full-time LEO, he made his money at West Virginia as a third down specialist. And I have no real issue if that’s all he ends up being in Seattle.

I don’t expect the Seahawks to make any great changes to this plan, which is why I projected Datone Jones to Seattle at #25 this week. Whether they use a first round pick on a nickel three-technique remains to be seen. But I think they’ll draft one, as Jason Jones re-signing seems unlikely. And we’ll see the specialists in for those obvious passing situations. We may also see a continuation of size at the one, three and five technique.

I still think it’d be great to get a defensive tackle who offers the pass rushing quality of a so-called ‘specialist’, but also has the ability to feature on early downs. Someone who can double up with the LEO and cause real problems on early downs. After all, the issues with the pass rush were not limited to simply third downs. In terms of a pure three-technique, Sheldon Richardson would be the ideal choice.

He’d represent a considerable downgrade in size from Alan Branch, but Richardson’s still incredibly strong at the point of attack. I thought for the most part Georgia’s John Jenkins struggled against Alabama’s offensive line in the SEC Championship. In the second half, Barrett Jones and D.J. Fluker dominated Jenkins and the rest of the Bulldog’s D-line. Missouri on the whole didn’t fair much better against the Crimson Tide earlier in the season, but Richardson as an individual gave Alabama headache’s throughout.

If the Seahawks are going to start a 6-2, 290lbs defensive tackle (in other words, an orthodox three-technique) I think he has to be stout against the run. The NFC West is different these days. St. Louis and San Francisco make up one quarter of Seattle’s schedule every year. And both of those teams are going to try and beat you with the run. For all the hype around Colin Kaepernick and the investment in Sam Bradford, Jim Harbaugh and Jeff Fisher will put a team on the field that wants to ram the ball down your throat. Seattle knows that.

It doesn’t mean you have to overreact and worry too much about what they’re going to do, but you have to be able to match-up at the same time. In using size and specialists I think the Seahawks are trying to get the benefits of both attack and defense. Pro-active and reactive. They can play stout on early downs to limit the run and capitalise in favourable down/distance situations later on.

Richardson isn’t going to anchor the run, but he’ll not be a liability either. He needs to be more disciplined and learn proper gap control. Yet he also plays with great leverage and 30 reps on the bench press was equal to Jesse Williams — so he has good upper body strength.

The fact that he’s capable against the run just makes his pass rush quality all the more exciting. He’s incredibly mobile and quick on his feet, has a great burst, he’s able to drive blockers back into the pocket but also show that great first step to beat a man with speed. He’s sparky — getting into a lineman or quarterbacks head (just like all great three-technique’s do). The motor never stops running, as witnessed by his willingness to chase to the sideline on the off-chance he might be able to make a decisive tackle. When he finds room to get into the backfield, he runs up the gears and finishes. While the sack numbers for 2012 weren’t great, he’s got as much potential as anyone to be another Geno Atkins (middling college production, superb as a pro).

Simply put, he’s one of the best players in this year’s draft. I personally cannot see him getting past Carolina at #14. Others disagree. Todd McShay has him as the #16 overall player on his post-combine big board. And today Daniel Jeremiah predicted he’d fall to Dallas at #18.

The Cowboys would undoubtedly love to get Richardson. Monte Kiffin tried in vain to get him to commit to USC during his time in the JUCO ranks. He stuck with Missouri, who’d originally sent him to California to improve his grades so he could feature for the Tigers. It’s unlikely anybody in the NFL has a better insight into Richardson than Kiffin.

I found him to be an engaging character during his interview with the NFL Network in Indianapolis. His personality seems confident without pushing it. Scouts Inc, in their 2012 report of Richardson, stated: “Mental capacity and maturity level are being closely investigated by NFL scouts.” There may be a few skeleton’s we don’t know about and I don’t even want to begin to speculate. It could also just be an overreaction, given he had to go and play in the JUCO ranks. After all, he’s a three-technique, not a quarterback.

Going back to Jeremiah’s mock where Richardson falls to #18 — if he starts to drop, what would it take to move up?

I’m fairly confident we won’t see any blockbuster trades where the Seahawks move into the top ten. To get up from #25 you’re looking at two first round picks and a mid-round pick as minimum compensation. That’s not a deal I think this team will be particularly interested in. In Jeremiah’s mock the Seahawks wouldn’t have to move up that far.

The old draft chart is fairly redundant in the new CBA, as witnessed by the sheer number of first round trades last year. Picks 2-7 all changed hands with no obvious rhyme or reason. The biggest jump saw Dallas move up eight spots from #14 to #6 to select Morris Claiborne. The deal cost the Cowboys their second round pick (#45 overall). According to the old chart, the Cowboys overpaid by 150 points.

Seattle would also need to move up eight spots to get ahead of Dallas. The Pittsburgh Steelers are a viable trade partner, considering they don’t meet the Seahawks again for a while and play in separate conferences. Would a straight up deal for Seattle’s second round pick (#56 overall) get it done? Would the Seahawks be willing to make that kind of move? In a deep draft, it’d be tough to part with a late second rounder. Yet the prize of landing Richardson could help solve the teams greatest remaining need.

On the old trade chart, the #25 pick would’ve been worth 720 points, with the #17 pick worth 950. Seattle’s #56 pick is valued at 340 points. Technically, the Cowboys would be getting a great deal. Combining Seattle’s third and fourth round pick creates 209 points, making it a better deal for the Seahawks. Given the teams success in rounds three and four so far — again — it’d be a tight call.

But as we touched on, the chart isn’t that accurate any more and teams appear to be prepared to look at a deal on face value and make a judgement call. How else do you determine Tampa Bay being able to move from #36 to #31 last year for basically swapping fourth rounders with Denver? According to the chart, that trade was worth a third or fourth round pick straight up. The Buccs got a steal (even more so considering that pick turned into Doug Martin).

If the Steelers want to accumulate picks and are looking to move down anyway (perhaps eyeing a particular player), they might be willing to take a deal worth a single third rounder. Moving from #25 to #17 to get Sheldon Richardson for a third rounder would, in my opinion, be a fantastic trade. What it basically comes down to is your opinion of Richardson versus whoever else is likely to be available at #25. Would you be willing to give up a second, third or fourth round pick to move up?

Of course it’s all fantasy football at the moment. Projecting trades in the draft is like trying to guess the lottery numbers (well, nearly). There are too many factors that have to align for these things to come off. However, for anyone hoping there’s a chance Sheldon Richardson lands in Seattle in April — they’ll need to start considering what it’ll take to move up. Because there’s hardly any chance he lasts until #25.

The combine is over for another year and this is always a pretty exciting time, more so than the event itself. The work-out’s highlight prospects you know little about, make you want to dig out the tape again. Cornelius Washington being a great example (I’ve put the request in for some game tape so stay tuned).

But it’s not just the unknowns that you need to check back on. It’s some of the big names too. Damontre Moore had a disastrous combine and could sink as a consequence. A few weeks ago he was pretty much a consensus top-20 pick, but what if he’s there at #25? I think it’s incredibly unlikely this team would draft any defensive end running a 4.95, but what if it was just a bad day at the office? What if he improves at the Texas A&M pro-day? These are the kind of questions you have to ask. We have to find out if a pathetic combine display is the real truth here and recalculate his stock.

Datone Jones is getting a lot of publicity at the moment and he did have an impressive work out. Yet I feel obliged to feather the breaks a little bit here. Running a 4.80 at 280lbs is not insane, difference making athleticism. Cam Jordan ran a 4.69 despite weighing a little more in 2011. J.J. Watt ran a 4.81 at the combine, but weighed 290lbs. If Jones needs to add weight to be a permanent interior feature, he’s not going to get any faster. On tape I watch his run defense and cringe at the thought he could be an every down three-technique for Seattle. As we’ve discussed before, being able to match-up with San Francisco is paramount for the Seahawks. And that means being big, aggressive and nasty up front to combat one of the leagues best offensive lines and a dominating power-running game. Can Jones deal with Mike Iupati? Or maybe even a double team? If he’s below average against the run, is he a good enough pass rusher to compensate? There are about ten UCLA games out there, we need to get into them and decide if the sudden hot favourite amongst mock drafts really is a realistic option at #25.

Barkevious Mingo’s tape was rank average in 2012. Flashes of quality, flashes of anonymity. A classic nearly man for the most part, he just did not impact any games last year. None. And while Bruce Irvin might’ve been a specialist for West Virginia, he made two or three plays a game that made a difference. Irvin’s sack numbers were right up there with the best college football had to offer. Mingo on the other hand was more reputation than production. I watched five LSU games recently and thought ‘meh‘. Mingo, Bennie Logan, Sam Montgomery — they all kind of played like they were coasting along. “We’re LSU, we’re going to the NFL, we’re the s**t.” That’s the impression I got. Other people like Mike Mayock watch the tape and make the same judgement. Then you see his combine performance and he looks incredibly athletic. You realise that there are a few teams out there who probably fancy their own Bruce Irvin. And if Irvin can go at #15 overall, then why can’t Mingo? So what’s his range? Is he a realistic option to drop into the 20’s? And is he an option for the Seahawks?

The defensive backs performed today and there were some interesting results. Who ever thought David Amerson would run a 4.44? He had a disastrous 2012 season but as a possible converted safety, that kind of speed will do. Dee Milliner’s 4.37 guarantees him a spot within the top-six picks I’d say. The only question mark with Milliner was straight line speed. Now there’s absolutely no reason to suggest he isn’t the complete cornerback prospect. He’s not a beast like Patrick Peterson or Morris Claiborne, but certainly good enough to be a pimped-up Joe Haden. Xavier Rhodes helped himself with a 4.43. Will Desmond Trufant make it passed Tampa Bay at #13 now that he’s run a 4.38? Tyrann Mathieu managed a 4.50 but yeah, the ridiculous off-field issues. I’m even more of a fan of Sanders Commings for Seattle after his 4.41. But what happens to Johnthan Banks after a 4.61? Not good for a potential first round pick, but not a death sentence given Joe Haden’s awful combine in 2010.

Tomorrow is mock draft day and it’ll be fun to see how things have changed after everything that happened in Indianapolis. I wanted to end today with an interview between John Clayton and Pete Carroll (see below). Seattle’s Head Coach is nothing but honest (again), admitting he has to get an interior pass rusher and another LEO. They seem to be the two top targets, although he does admit linebacker and receiver are also needs. This could be a classic smokescreen especially if they add a veteran LEO in free agency (Umenyiora? Avril? Freeney?) or a defensive tackle (Melton? Starks?). Assuming they don’t make the big splash, then it stands to reason that the first round pick is probably going to be a defensive lineman of some kind. They’ve attacked key needs so far, that probably isn’t going to change this year. And they need pass rush help more than anything.

Free agency begins on March 12th and it’ll be fascinating to see if the Seahawks re-sign Alan Branch. I suspect they’ll want to stay big and stout up front on first and second downs — they’ll need to against the 49ers and Rams. Signing Branch takes a lot of the bigger-bodied tackles in the draft out of the equation. Then the priority could be replacing Jason Jones with a more dynamic rusher inside. That’s where Datone Jones could fit. For me, that role is ideally suited to him. Is it worth a first round pick? Perhaps, if it helps Seattle get off the field on third down. I just need to be absolutely sure Jones is ‘special’ enough to go that early. I’m still a sceptic, for now.

Alternatively, they could go after another LEO. I think it’s more likely they pursue a Corenlius Washington or Corey Lemonier in the mid-rounds rather than spending another first round pick. But what if that unexpected player falls? Is Barkevious Mingo for example better value than Datone Jones? Or maybe there’s a defensive tackle they can rely on to play in any situation — Sylvester Williams for example — who is big enough to defend the run at a decent level but also offer one or two impact players as a pass rusher per-game? Is Kawann Short an option? Or a player we’re not talking about, but should be?

Finally, is there any way what so ever they can find a deal to trade up and get Sheldon Richardson? It’s probably a pipe dream, but watching his interview at the combine made me want him in Seattle even more than before. I can’t see him getting past Carolina at 14 as a worst case scenario. But man, it’d be good to see him in Seattle. If only…

This is an open thread to discuss the defensive back work outs today. You can watch live from 6am PST by clicking here.

Hit refresh for the latest from Indianapolis as it happens. You can also watch live yourself by clicking here.

HEADLINES

– Khaseem Greene runs an official 4.71, while Alec Ogletree clocks a 4.70

– Dion Jordan runs an official 4.60 and looks really impressive in drills

– Ziggy Ansah records an official 4.63, while it’s a 4.58 for Barkevious Mingo

– Sheldon Richardson is a little disappointing in drills and runs a 5.02

– Sharrif Floyd runs an official 4.92

Today the defensive linemen and linebackers work out. Given Seattle’s needs at defensive tackle, linebacker and maybe even defensive end, this is a crucial day in the lead up to the draft.

One of the big things on the NFL Network right now is to get a former GM or coach to compile a top-ten mock draft. We’ll update our full two-round projection on Wednesday as usual, but I thought I’d put together a quick top-ten myself based on what we’ve learnt so far and what I think we’ll see today…

#1 Kansas City – Luke Joeckel (T, Texas A&M)
#2 Jacksonville – Sharrif Floyd (DT, Florida)
#3 Oakland – Sheldon Richardson (DT, Missouri)
#4 Philadelphia – Dion Jordan (DE, Oregon)
#5 Detroit – Dee Milliner (CB, Alabama)
#6 Cleveland – Ziggy Ansah (DE, BYU)
#7 Arizona – Matt Barkley (QB, USC)
#8 Buffalo – Geno Smith (QB, West Virginia)
#9 New York – Cordarrelle Patterson (WR, Tennessee)
#10 Tennessee – Bjoern Werner (DE, Florida State)

The pick at #5 was influenced by this early report today…

If you want the draft’s top CB, Dee Milliner, you’ll probably have to trade ahead of Detroit at 5 to get him.

— Peter King (@SI_PeterKing) February 25, 2013

Interesting times. I’ve also moved Sheldon Richardson up to #3 in anticipation of today’s work out. He benched 30 reps of 225lbs, as many as Jesse Williams managed despite weighing 25lbs more. He moves like a linebacker so should post an excellent forty time and perform well in the mobility drills. Ansah and Jordan (if they work out) should do well too. I’ll post live updates below.

Unofficial 40 yard dash times (Group 1 – defensive linemen):

NOTE – The number in brackets is the ten yard split

Ziggy Ansah (DE, BYU): 4.62 (1.56) & 4.65 (1.57)
T.J. Barnes (DT, Georgia Tech): 5.22 (1.91) & 5.22 (1.88)
David Bass (DE, Missouri Western): 4.85 (1.67) & 4.84 (1.70)
Josh Boyd (DT, Mississippi State): 5.00 (1.67) & 5.18 (1.75)
Armonty Bryant (DE, ECOK): 4.78 (1.66) & 4.85 (1.67)
Michael Buchanan (DE, Illinois): 4.72 (1.59) & 4.71 (1.62)
Everett Dawkins (DT, Florida State): 5.00 (1.73) & 5.05 (1.73)
Lavar Edwards (DE, LSU): 4.82 (1.64) & 4.81 (1.64)
Sharrif Floyd (DT, Florida): 4.93 (1.73) & 4.87 (1.68)
Kwame Geathers (DT, Georgia): 5.40 (1.88) & 5.50 (1.91)
William Gholston (DE, Michigan State): 4.93 (1.73) & 5.06 (1.76)
Malliciah Goodman (DE, Clemson): 4.87 (1.65) & 4.90 (1.70)
Cory Grissom (DT, USF): 5.25 (1.74) & 5.35 (1.82)
Johnathan Hankins (DT, Ohio State): 5.28 (1.82) & 5.13 (1.80)
Jordan Hill (DT, Penn State): 5.15 (1.75) & 5.22 (1.75)
Montori Hughes (DT, UT-Martin): 5.13 (1.83) & 5.29 (1.80)
Margus Hunt (DE, SMU): 4.65 (1.62) & 4.60 (1.62)
Chris Jones (DT, Bowling Green): 5.30 (1.83) & 5.34 (DNR)
Datone Jones (DE, UCLA): 4.84 (1.63) & 4.84 (1.63)
Dion Jordan (DE, Oregon): 4.53 (1.57) & 4.63 (1.60)
Joe Kruger (DE, Utah): 4.88 (1.75) & 4.82 (1.75)
Corey Lemonier (DE, Auburn): 4.60 (1.58) & 4.53 (1.57)

Dion Jordan and Ziggy Ansah will be top ten picks. The little mock I did earlier at the top of this post was basically a review of what we expected to see today and neither player disappointed. Incredible.

Both players managed a sub-1.60 ten-yard split to go with blistering runs. Every mock draft will have them in the top ten from now until April.

Jordan in particular. Wow. I wouldn’t rule him out as a #1 pick option. Unlimited upside.

Margus Hunt also performed extremely well, that will give him a little kick start after a disappointing Senior Bowl. He ran in the early 4.6’s, benched 38 reps of 225lbs yesterday. All this at 6-8, 277lbs.

Armonty Bryant had one of the most bizarre running styles you’ll probably ever see. He looked like Scooby Doo pursuing a sandwich.

First Pete and John sighting of the day:

Corey Lemonier was the final player to run among the first group. He ended with a bang — matching Dion Jordan’s unofficial 4.53. If the Seahawks don’t grab a LEO to cover Chris Clemons in free agency or round one, then Lemonier could be in to play.

Seattle’s new defensive line coach Travis Jones was out on the field running mobility drills:

No big surprises during the first set of drills. Ziggy Ansah, Datone Jones, Margus Hunt, Dion Jordan and Corey Lemonier moved really well. Johnathan Hankins had to be stopped at one point to go over the drill again, something I’ve never seen before. His frame is extremely sloppy.

Now it’s onto the bag and cone drill, hurdling objects.

Everett Dawkins looked really good for his size and handled the bags perfectly. Sharrif Floyd kicked one of the bags over but generally moved well.

Johnathan Hankins looked a lot better in the second drill. Given how flabby he is, the guy can move. He needs to tone up though.

Datone Jones is a superb athlete. I just wonder if he’s maxed out at 283lbs. To play inside consistently you have to think he’d have to add another 10lbs.

The linemen are now onto the dummy drill where they get a chance to flash a swim and club move.

My favourite part of this drill? The coach in charge has a football on a stick and kind of waves it a bit to mimic a snap. It’s totally unnecessary, but I bet that guy loves dusting that thing off every year. I wonder if he ever got to the airport and thought, “Oh my god… I’ve left it in the garage!” I’d love to see that get through customs too.

Back to the football. Another drill, another chance for Datone Jones to look the best. Sharrif Floyd, Johnathan Hankins and Dion Jordan also looked effortless and explosive. Joe Kruger, William Gholston and Malliciah Goodman were underwhelming.

Armanty Bryant dominated at a small school, but he looks distinctly average in drills today. William Gholston really does not look all that impressive today. He’s fumbling through the drills a bit.

In the punch drills, Montori Hughes and Dion Jordan were the best. This was the first drill where Datone Jones rushed a little bit and had to be told to slow down.

We’re now back to the mobility drills and a few the bigger players are looking tired.

Brandon Jenkins (DE, Florida State) didn’t run a forty yard dash but he’s done the other drills. And he hasn’t looked particularly good so far.

In the current cone drill, Dion Jordan is sprinting around like a cornerback. His lean, change of direction, explosion and ability to go through the gears is incredible. This is one of the all-time great work outs.

Johnathan Hankins is getting better and better as the drills go on. Datone Jones seems to be tiring. LSU’s Lavar Edwards has flashed so far, he’s one to go back and have another look at after the combine.

That’s the end of the drills for the first group of defensive linemen. They’re moving on to the vertical jump. Coming up next, the likes of Sheldon Richardson, Barkevious Mingo, John Simon, Bjoern Werner, Jesse Williams and Sylvester Williams.

Unofficial 40 yard dash times (Group 2 – defensive linemen):

NOTE – The number in brackets is the ten yard split

Bennie Logan, Star Lotulelei, Kawann Short, Jesse Williams, John Simon and Alex Okafor are not running the forty yard dash.

Barkevious Mingo (DE, LSU): 4.53 (1.60) & 4.53 (1.55)
Sam Montgomery (DE, LSU): 4.79 (1.64) & 4.68 (1.64)
Damontre Moore (DE, Texas A&M): 4.87 (1.69) & DNF
Sheldon Richardson (DT, Missouri): 5.00 (1.77) & 4.97 (1.69)
Akeem Spence (DT, Illinois): 5.13 (1.67) & 5.15 (1.69)
Devin Taylor (DE, South Carolina): 4.75 (1.60) & 4.84 (1.59)
Bjoern Werner (DE, Florida State): 4.79 (1.68) & 4.81 (1.66)
Brandon Williams (DT, Missouri Southern): 5.25 (1.79) & 5.31 (1.80)
Sylvester Williams (DT, North Carolina): 5.00 (1.73) & 4.93 (1.72)

The number of non participants was very disappointing. We knew guys like Alex Okafor bailed at the last minute, but what’s the excuse for players like Bennie Logan and Jesse Williams?

One player who completely bombed? DaMontre Moore. He doesn’t look good in shorts with a really unrefined frame. He managed just 12 reps on the bench press yesterday and now a 4.89 forty. In his second attempt he pulled up with an apparent hamstring injury, but I suspect it may be more a damaged ego.

Bjoern Werner also doesn’t have the best physique and didn’t run a great time (4.79-4.81)

Barkevious Mingo matched Dion Jordan’s time from earlier but really had to run fast given his middling 2012 tape and lack of production. You watch Jordan and you can see his best is yet to come. You watch Mingo and you wonder how he fits. So while Jordan is trending upwards today, I’m not sure Mingo will get the same kind of boost.

Sheldon Richardson didn’t run as fast as I expected. In fact, Sylvester Williams posted a quicker time despite carrying an extra 20lbs.

We’re now onto the mobility drills again. Brandon Williams is moving well despite his massive size. Bjoern Werner tripped up and looked a little stiff.

Sylvester Williams looked incredible on the first drill. No waste bend, moved around freely. If only he wasn’t 25 this year, he’d be a top pick.

Bennie Logan, who didn’t run a forty, is now working out. Why?

Damontre Moore is out of the drills with the suspected hamstring injury mentioned earlier.

Onto the bag drills and Brandon Williams is again putting on a clinic, making light work of his huge size. He tip toes around like a 260lbs lineman.

Bjoern Werner, Devin Taylor, and the two Williams’ again all impressed in the rip and club drills. Surprisingly, Sheldon Richardson looked pretty average.

The NFL.com coverage has now moved away from drills to have some thoughts from Mike Mayock. Great timing, guys.

The official forty yard dash times are in for the defensive lineman:

Ziggy Ansah – 4.63
Armonty Bryant – 4.86
Michael Buchanan – 4.78
Everett Dawkins 5.06
Lavar Edwards – 4.80
Sharrif Floyd – 4.92
William Gholston – 4.96
Malliciah Goodman – 4.87
Johnathan Hankins – 5.31
Jordan Hill – 5.23
Montori Hughes – 5.23
Margus Hunt – 4.60
Chris Jones – 5.33
Datone Jones – 4.80
Dion Jordan – 4.60
Joe Kruger – 4.83
Corey Lemonier – 4.60
Barkevious Mingo – 4.58
Sam Montgomery – 4.81
Damontre Moore – 4.95
Sheldon Richardson – 5.02
Devin Taylor – 4.72
Bjoern Werner – 4.82
Sylvester Williams – 5.03
Brandon Williams – 5.37
Trevardo Williams – 4.57

The linebackers are about to run the forty yard dash, including Alec Ogletree and Khaseem Greene.

Tony Pauline is reporting the Star Lotulelei heat problem is not as grim as first feared:

“Lotulelei did not fail his physical but rather was given an incomplete designation pending the consultation with the specialist, the person said, adding it was Lotulelei’s decision to withdraw from drills after hearing the doctors’ recommendation that he sit them out.”

Lotulelei’s agent, Bruce Tollner, said in a statement Sunday that his client will visit a specialist later this week and is expected to participate in every drill at his pro day March 20. Tollner said Lotulelei will continue to interview with teams in Indianapolis.”

Tollner and doctors who examined Lotulelei are hopeful the situation will prove to be similar to that of Carolina Panthers defensive end Frank Alexander, who was pulled from combine drills last year following an abnormal test but was then cleared by specialists.”

One player a lot of fans are talking about today is Datone Jones. I thought I’d put some tape out there while we’re going through a lull in proceedings waiting for the linebackers to start. So here’s his performance vs Stanford in the PAC-12 title game:

Unofficial 40 yard dash times (linebackers):

Oregon’s Kiko Alonso is not running the forty yard dash. Why? Arthur Brown has also decided not to run. Again, disappointing.

Sam Barrington (LB, USF): 4.78 & 4.75
Steve Beauharnais (LB, Rutgers): 4.81 & 4.79
Jon Bostic (LB, Florida): 4.50 & 4.57
Jamie Collins (LB, Southern Miss): 4.60 & 4.59
Zaviar Gooden (LB, Missouri): 4.50 & 4.56
Khaseem Greene (LB, Rutgers): 4.67 & 4.69
Gerald Hodges (LB, Penn State): 4.72 & 4.84
A.J. Klein (LB, Iowa State): 4.68 & 4.75
John Lotulelei (LB, UNV): 4.75 & 4.78
Brandon Magee (LB, Arizona State): 4.69 & 4.66
Kevin Minter (LB, LSU): 4.82 & 4.81
Nick Moody (LB, Florida State): 4.72 & 4.69
Sio Moore (LB, Connecticut): 4.62 & 4.63
Alec Ogletree (LB, Georgia): 4.62 & 4.62
Sean Porter (LB, Texas A&M): 4.78 & 4.78
Keith Pough (Howard): 4.87 & 4.87
Kevin Reddick (LB, North Carolina): 4.72 & 4.66
Bruce Taylor (LB, Virginia Tech): 4.94 & 5.06
Manti Te’o (LB, Notre Dame): 4.81 & 4.80
Chase Thomas (LB, Stanford): 4.88 & 4.87
Cornelius Washington (LB, Georgia): 4.53 & 4.50
Tom Wort (LB, Oklahoma): 4.69 & 4.75

Alec Ogletree wasn’t as explosive as expected, running in the 4.6’s unofficially. I thought he’d be quicker than that.

Khaseem Greene ran the time I was expecting — in the 4.6’s. He’s a good enough athlete on tape but you never expected to see a 4.5.

Zaviar Gooden ran a great 4.50 while Jon Bostic was also impressive with a 4.5.

It’s worth remembering that Brian Cushing ran a 4.74 at the combine.

Cornelius Washington — more of a pass rusher from Georgia, ran a 4.50 (unofficial) with a 1.62 ten-yard split.

The NFL Network is doing it’s usual trick of showing highlights of earlier drills while current guys are on the field. They kindly showed some of Alec Ogletree and Manti Te’o going through some of the mobility work and both looked pretty stiff.

Finally back to the live feed… Khaseem Greene looked really fluid in the bag mobility drills. He’s looking really sharp out there.

They just ran a catching drill where five guys in a row got in wrong. Can’t say this has been a particularly eye catching work out so far. Ogletree has been a big disappointment.

Official 40 yard dash times for the linebackers:

Zaviar Gooden – 4.47
Manti Te’o – 4.82
Jon Bostic – 4.62
Jamie Collins – 4.64
Khaseem Greene – 4.71
Kevin Minter – 4.81
Sio Moore – 4.65
Alec Ogletree – 4.70
Kevin Reddick – 4.70
Chase Thomas – 4.91
Cornelius Washington – 4.55

I still don’t understand why Kiko Alonso is out there running drills but didn’t compete in the 40.

Zaviar Gooden and Khaseem Greene looked really smooth in the catching drills, showing great back pedal, change of direction skills and burst.

A.J. Klein tripped up during his drill and appeared to injure his ankle.

Ogletree is now officially on a 4.70 which is a big surprise. Greene was given an official 4.71.

Zaviar Gooden’s 4.47 stands out and he’s likely to get interest from the Seahawks. But I wouldn’t rule out anyone running in the 4.6-4.7 range. After all, Brian Cushing ran a 4.74.

This statistic is pretty interesting for Greene and his stock.

The linebackers are now onto the bag drills. What can I say? Greene continues to impress. Great lean round the edge, quick feet despite the fact he’s added size for the combine.

Ogletree seems to be starting to try too hard, just tripped up on his attempt. Kevin Minter and Manti Te’o both look quick despite their 4.8’s earlier.

FREE AGENCY UPDATE

Anyone want Desmond Bryant still? Take a look at the mug shot from his recent arrest. My word.

The drills are starting to wind down so we’ll call it a day for today. I need some food after six hours. Tomorrow I’ll be starting an open thread and will have all the vital defensive back info available later in the day. Hope to see you there and thanks for getting involved.