A fresh blanket of snow has fallen on Indianapolis this morning as we prepare for day two of the NFL Scouting Combine. On the docket today; quarterbacks, running backs and wide receivers make their way through the Lucas Oil Field media room. Additionally, General Manager Brian Xanders will address the gathered press at around 11 a.m. EST (9 a.m. MST).
As we speak, John Elway is meeting with a small group of media near the convention center. Gray Caldwell is there and he will report back shortly on what the Executive Vice President of Football Operations had to say. We will also bring you the video of that media session.
As always, please pass along any questions you have or any prospects you want us to keep an eye out for.
10:22 a.m. EST: Just got back from Elway’s media session. He said he and the team interviewed between eight and 10 players last night, and found that the 15-minute sessions are a perfect amount of time to find out about each guy.
The Hall of Famer said he takes a unique perspective when evaluating talent — he looks at the prospects the same way he did during his playing days.
“I look at it as if I were playing against them,” Elway said, noting he has a particular knowledge of what makes a good defensive back. “I know what I liked to go against and I know what I didn’t like to go against, the way that I thought about guys. When I was watching film (during my playing days,) it was more about going against them, so I’m not so sure that’s going to change. I know when I watched (draft prospects) on film the last month-and-a-half, I looked at, would the guy worry me?”
Elway also touched on the importance of getting the draft right, the defensive line and re-signing Champ Bailey among other topics that we will delve into in this evening’s top story notebook recapping the day’s biggest stories.
Brian Xanders is set to step to the podium in a few minutes.
11:26 a.m. EST: Xanders just concluded his press session touching on a variety of subjects. We will have an update and the video shortly, but check the twitter feed for some live tweets during his session.
While Xanders was speaking, a couple of players made their way through the room including Wisconsin offensive lineman John Moffitt and North Carolina wide receiver Greg Little.
Little (pictured above) is one of the 12 Tar Heels at the combine — the most from any school — and his size is one thing that immediately jumps out at you. According to the NFL Combine page, he stands 6-foot-3 and weighed in at 220 pounds. Little was declared ineligible for the 2011 season, but his combination of size, speed and play making ability make him one of the more intriguing draft prospects.
12:24 p.m. EST: Just back from talking with Xanders for a while. After his podium session, he spoke with a handful of reporters off to the side, touching on a variety of topics that included working with Elway and Head Coach John Fox, which we’ll delve into in this evening’s notebook. In the meantime, he made some insightful comments about the combine process.
“This is really a confirmation of what you see on tape,” he said of this week’s events. “The workouts here aren’t going to sway our draft board up and down drastically, but it confirms what the players’ raw traits are, in terms of what they can be for us.”
He mentioned the importance of “pure, raw speed,” because it creates “immediate mismatches” on either side of the ball. He also noted that this year’s crop at running back is “deeper than I’ve seen in a long time.”
Xanders said the coaching staff has been assigned more than 250 players to interview, including some potential college free agents, to get a feel for which players the team would want in the locker room.
We’ll have more from Xanders later in the day.
12:55 p.m. EST: Georgia’s A.J. Green, widely regarded as the top wide receiver in this year’s draft, just spoke at the podium. We will post his interview in full later this afternoon. In the meantime, John Elway’s media session has now been posted on DenverBroncos.com. Xanders’ press conference video is coming shortly.
1:01 p.m. EST: Top prospects are coming through the room rapidly now. Auburn receiver Darvin Adams just spoke, and Washington quarterback Jake Locker is surrounded by a swarm of media as I type this. He’s fielding a lot of questions about staying an extra year in college when many believe he could’ve been the No. 1 overall selection — or close to it — had he entered the 2010 NFL Draft. He said that he does not regret his decision at all, that he’s very happy and feels far more prepared to go through the combine process having another year of college football under his belt.
2:01 p.m. EST: Another top quarterback is at the podium now — Missouri’s Blake Gabbert (pictured below, on left) — and he’s drawn one of the biggest crowds of the day. He just said he looks at Tim Tebow’s rookie season as proof that he can succeed in the NFL. He declared that he played the vast majority of his collegiate snaps in the shotgun, similar to the college careers of Tebow and Cleveland quarterback Colt McCoy. He said the fact that both of those quarterbacks showed some success as rookies proves that he can do the same. In addition, the 6-foot-4, 238-pound quarterback said his plan to succeed is simply to “outwork everybody.”
2:30 p.m. EST: Three of the top tight ends met with the media at once a few minutes ago — top prospect Kyle Rudolph (pictured above, on right) from Notre Dame along with Wisconsin’s Lance Kendricks and Tulsa’s Charles Clay.
Kendricks said the experience has been “a little overwhelming — there’s a lot going on.”
For the past two days, the players have taken physicals and gotten their measurements taken, which provides for a bit of a stressful environment.
The former Badger said he’s excited that some physical activity finally gets started today, as the players will take on the bench press.
Clay said he’s still anxious to get to the running, which is what he prepared the most for.
“You get here and then you have to wait for the last two days (to run),” he said. “You’re just ready to knock that out.
He said he was a little surprised when he got to the combine to see that all the players get along. He figured that with so much competition going on, it could be an unpleasant atmosphere between the prospects.
Rudolph agreed that’s not the case.
“Guys’ personalities are starting to come out,” Rudolph said. “We’re becoming closer and it makes it fun.”
Rudolph drew the biggest crowd of the three tight ends. Speaking from a podium, he said he hopes to show that his strength is being a complete tight end — dominating at the line of scrimmage while also being able to stretch the field in the passing game.
“Tony Gonzalez is the best tight end that ever played in my time — I really try to model myself after him,” Rudolph said, mentioning his ability to stay on the field for first, second and third downs. “But I feel like Jason Witten, I feel really comparable to his game. He’s a guy that, like I said, can hold the point and is a great blocker, but at the same time he makes huge plays in the passing game.”
2:46 p.m. EST: More quarterback prospects have made their way into the room, including Florida State’s Christian Ponder and Virginia Tech’s Tyrod Taylor. But the only former national champion to step to a podium so far was Alabama signal caller Greg McElroy.
He gave one of the more entertaining pressers of the day, starting by sounding a little bitter that he had been poked and prodded all morning.
“After about 17 physicals today, I realized that I have a fractured second metacarpal, which, if you can believe it, is what I knew two weeks ago,” he joked.
McElroy has a cast on his arm that he hopes to have removed on Monday, when he can begin his rehab. He said he’s disappointed that his competition is getting better while he has to wait with an injury, but he hopes his college career speaks for itself.
“I’ve played in the big game — I think that’s definitely a strength — and I’ve been successful in the big game,” he said, mentioning his accuracy, efficiency and ability to protect the ball and get it to his playmakers as his tangible strengths.
One of his most interesting answers involved what he learned at Alabama. He said he learned to be a professional, thanks to Head Coach Nick Saban’s philosophies.
“Coach Saban runs it like a professional organization,” McElroy said. “He expects you to be punctual, he expects you to not wear a hat to meetings, he expects your hair to be a certain length — there are rules and regulations within the organization that are run like a professional franchise.”
2:58 p.m. EST: One of the top receiving prospects, Boise State’s Austin Pettis, gave a quick press session at a table surrounded by a few reporters.
He said his strengths are his size and understanding of the game, and what he needs to work on most are his deep routes.
I asked the former Bronco, who named Larry Fitzgerald as his favorite receiver, if he had talked to any former teammates — Ryan Clady, for example — about what to expect at the combine.
“Kyle Wilson, he talked to me a little bit before the Senior Bowl, kind of gave me a heads up and what to expect the next couple weeks,” he said. “He just told us to relax and go out and have fun.”
3:10 p.m. EST: Once USC offensive tackle Tyron Smith declared for the draft, pundits raved about his athleticism. But the one flaw they saw in him was his weight.
Standing 6-foot-5, Smith played most games at USC weighing just over 280 pounds. Considerably lighter than most of his contemporaries, Smith knew that in order to raise his stock he would need to put on some weight.
And he did just that, gaining over 20 pounds since the end of the season, weighing in at 307-pounds during combine check-in on Thursday.
“I surprised myself by hitting the 300 mark,” Smith said. “I didn’t think I would get higher than that so I really surprised myself weighing 307.”
How did he accomplish the feat? Smith said he did it by eating the right way and by cutting out his obsession with McDonald’s – which he said he ate all day and every day.
“I basically just started eating right,” Smith added. “I stopped eating so much junk food and eating my three meals a day with breakfast, lunch and dinner and some snacks in-between.”
That change in lifestyle is music to the ears of teams looking for help along the offensive line.
3:54 p.m. EST: Many of you had asked us to keep our eye out for Wisconsin running back John Clay.
A few minutes ago, a running back walked in the room and everyone said that it was indeed Clay. However no one recognized the former Badger because he had dropped over 30 pounds since leaving Madison.
“A lot of people were second-guessing how much I would come in and weigh in,” Clay said. “That was the first question that was on everybody’s mind. And by today’s weigh-in I think I impressed a lot of people right away.”
Measuring 6-foot-1 and weighing a svelte 230 pounds, Clay – like Tyron Smith – said he achieved his weight by eating three meals a day and not just one big meal.
He hopes that new size equals a faster 40 time and a boost to his draft stock.
4:44 p.m. EST: In 2008, Spencer Larsen became the first Bronco in club history and just the fourth player in the NFL since 1980 to start on both offense and defense in the same game when he opened the game against the Falcons at middle linebacker and fullback.
Stanford’s Owen Marecic knows what that is like. During his senior season with the Cardinal, Marecic excelled at both linebacker and fullback, earning the inaugural Paul Hornung Award given to college football’s most versatile player.
But heading into the NFL, Marecic says that he will focus on fullback rather than on defense.
“I think I feel most comfortable at fullback and that is how I project the best at the next level,” Marecic said. “I am just pouring myself into fullback.”
Marecic said that the teams he has talked with have specifically talked to him about playing fullback, but Marecic let it be known that as a football player he is happy to contribute any place he can.
5:02 p.m. EST: Figured we’d give you a quick rundown of some of the most recent players to talk. The highlight has been Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram. He said he’s feeling healthy and talked a little about his experiences at Alabama, calling himself an all-around back.
“I can be in the game first down, second down, third down, goal-line, short-yardage, pick up pass protections, go out of the backfield and catch the ball — things like that,” he said. “I’m a complete back.”
Two North Carolina running backs — Shaun Draughn and Johnny White — talked about being able to go through the combine experience with familiar faces. As we noted before, the Tar Heels have the most players of any school at this year’s event.
“It’s just a good feeling to see some of your boys that you call your brothers in the same place as you,” White said.
Draughn said that shows just how much talent UNC had, and he hates to think of what the team could’ve accomplished if it weren’t for injuries and NCAA sanctions.
“Man, I think it brings tears to my eyes when I think about what could’ve been,” he said. “But now it’s an afterthought. The good thing is those guys who sat out are getting a chance to come here and showcase their talents.”
Finally, a familiar name to Florida fans and Steelers fans alike stepped to the podium — Mike Pouncey, brother of Steelers center Maurkice.
Mike said he knows it was hard for his brother to miss Super Bowl XLV.
“We’ve both played football together since we were 6 years old and he hasn’t missed a game, so it was shocking that he missed that,” he said.
When Maurkice left, Mike moved to center for the Gators. It took him one game to get accustomed to it, and now he’s potentially set to be one of the top linemen taken in this year’s draft.
“I knew all the line calls, it was just tough after that first game,” he said. “I went out there and had a bad game, felt like crap, told myself when I left the locker room I would never play like that again, and since that game I went on to have a great season.”
5:38 p.m. EST: Virginia Tech running back Ryan Williams just concluded the final press session of day two. We will be back tomorrow with our first look at the defensive side of the ball. Look for a notebook on the day’s events and video from a pair of National Champions, Alabama’s Mark Ingram and Greg McElroy on DenverBroncos.com.
– Gray Caldwell & Kyle Sonneman
Tags: 2011, NFL Scouting Combine
Nobody has raised the biggest reason why there will be a lock out. There is a NFL vs NFLPA case being hear by the very NFLPA friendly Minnesota judge dealing will under what circumstances, if any, a team can force a player to return a bonus. With a high probability that the owners will once again lose, the owners will make being able to recoupe bonuses for assorted reasons a very big point. Remember, this is the judge who stopped the NFL from suspending 2 Minnesota Vikings for taking PE drugs. Also, this judge will be retiring soon I believe. It’s in the NFL’s interest to bide their time until August at the earliest.
Right or wrong we don`t want a judge to make a bias decision.
The 6th round pick is #188, only fifth pick from the bottom of the round since we acquired it from N-E in the Maroney trade (we got rid of our own pick in a trade I can’t remember, obviously by McD).
Our 7th round pick is a troubling thing, in my source it says that it is forfeit!!! I’ll look further into it.
Ok thanks.
It’s obviously a mistake, but this is how come it was made:
Posted Feb. 18, 2011 @ 1:58 p.m. ET
By Eric Edholm
The NFL has ruled that the Lions have been found guilty of tampering with the Chiefs and will have to forfeit a draft pick.
The violation of the league’s Anti-Tampering Policy will cost the Lions their seventh-round draft pick this April that they acquired from the Broncos. The Lions also will have to swap fifth-round picks with the Chiefs. As it stands, the Chiefs will have the ninth pick in the fifth round and the Lions will have the 23rd.
Anyway, none of this makes any sense unless we had two 7th round pick at one point since they say we traded our 7th round pick to Detroit, probably in the Phonzy trade or maybe even Sheffler.
Anyhow if we do have a seventh like I always thought we did it would be #194.
Cool, appriciate it.
Am I the bigger man? Hahahaha, just jiving you, LOL.
Anyway I’m stumped about our 7th round pick now….
Thats trippy though. Rather bazzarre.
I was just wanting to give Freak some constructive critisism is all.
Just like I said on the last page, this Fox saying Orton is the starter thing could get some repercussions, from NFL.com, just posted, didn’t take long, haha:
INDIANAPOLIS — Broncos general manager Brian Xanders denied an NFL.com/NFL Network report that second-year quarterback Tim Tebow lacks support within the organization.
“First of all, I think that report was false,” Xanders said Friday at the NFL Scouting Combine. “I think there’s a lot of people in our building that are behind Tim Tebow. He had a very successful career at Florida, and he’s working hard in his career to become a better quarterback at the NFL level. He’s somebody that the franchise invested a lot into in terms of draft picks and contract, but he’s going to create his role, and he’s done a good job so far with his limited opportunities. So, that report was false.”
“The big picture is, every player has to create their own role on the team and (coach) John Fox wants competition at every position.”
NFL Network insider Michael Lombardi stated in his “Monday Insider” column that Broncos personnel who were around when Tebow was selected in the first round of last April’s draft are looking to distance themselves from the pick under the new regime of Fox and team executive John Elway.
Fox told reporters Thursday that the team viewed veteran Kyle Orton as its starting QB heading into next season, and Xanders on Friday echoed the coach’s praise for Denver’s collection of signal-callers.
“We feel great about that position group as a whole. Brady Quinn, Tim Tebow, Kyle Orton — we have a strong group there. We feel they’ll all compete and fight for their jobs, their roles.”
I saw that on the NFL.com News Page. Fox just might need to rethink his thought proccesses. He`ll learn. We Denver fans will set him straight. It takes time.
Come September 11, 2011 Kyle Orton will not even be in a Bronco`s uniform. I just don`t see it.
Is that a storm I see brewing over the Rockies? What about it Tebow faithfuls? So many Tebow jerseys, so many worried faces….
Or Sept. 8th If we play @ G.B. opening day Thursday Night Football. It could happen.
Not even!! I don`t buy it. The smoke screen that is.
If there is an opening day in 2011 and Tim Tebow is the starting QB, Mile High is going to be ROCKIN N ROLLIN!! Just like the last two homes games we played last year. Tebow rocked the house. Better than Orton thats for sure.
You’ll get no arguments from me there, Tebow returned excitment into both our players and fans.
But seriously, how do you exactly figure that we will get a better trade for Orton simply because we say he is our starting QB, that makes no sense at all, nfl team executives are a little smarter than that, it’s kind of degrading them to think they are that stupid. Or maybe there is something to it, I personally can’t scratch that off for now.
That is a wierd spin on saying Orton is our starting QB just so we can get a higher better pick. I think some teams are going to want Kyle Orton and see what we are asking for. Thats if there`s a new CBA in place.
That’s what I mean, nobody is that stupid to give you a higher draft pick just because you say that player is your starter, or if that’s the way they do business I can run the show, haha.
If there is no CBA in the near future I think we just cut Orton unless the money is gauranteed. Not sure about that.
I know someone is gong to think he is valuable.
ooops. Valueable.
Ortons contract money is gauranteed isn`t it.
At least 2.5 mil is guaranteed I think, tough pill to swallow.
I just found it. 9 million contract signed and 5.5 million of it is gauranteed.
Some sources say 5.5 mil is guaranteed, but I think that’s wrong.
5.5 million is even a bigger pill to swallow. More like a horse pill. YIKES!!
That was info when the extension was originally signed but I have read different reports lately.
It would be nice to see the contract. Just don`t know what to believe.
Yeah, I do have a good memory, the newest figure I saw is 2.8 mil guaranteed.
OK. We`ll find out soon enough. This will be a huge topic if they are both still on the roster in july.
Either way I think it’s likely too much money to just cut him like you think.
Thats makes me feel better. Thats better than 5.5 mill.
I agree now. Thats why I was asking.
I was under the impression that both are owed 8 million each and that just doesn`t make any sense. Now I know.
And if I remember correctly Tim Tebow will get something like 8 million this year only if he plays 45% of the snaps this year. Not sure of the amount.
If you thought the Orton deal is complicated, check out Tebow’s:
Base salary
2010: $1.295 million (fully guaranteed)
2011: $1.618.75 million (fully guaranteed)
2012: $1.942.5 million (fully guaranteed)
2013: $2.266.75 million (fully guaranteed)
2014: $2.590.5 million ($567,500 guaranteed)
Advance/Signing bonus
# $975,000 on Friday (salary reduced to $325,000)
# $6.275 million due 29 days after start of 2011 league year. Typically season starts March 1, but it’s written this way in case work stoppage delays start of season. (Salaries from 2011-14 reduced to offset advance)
One-time playing time bonus (contractually considered likely to be earned)
Tebow collects $1.537.5 million if he plays 35 percent of the offensive snaps in 2010, or 45 percent of the snaps in any of the seasons 2011-14. The bonus rolls over from year to year until Tebow reaches the playing-time threshold, and expires the first time he hits it.
Mid-tier incentives (Contractually considered unlikely to earn)
Value of Tebow’s contract doubles from $11.25 million (including one-time playing time bonus) to $22.5 million if he reaches multiple thresholds, including:
# 55 percent playing time in two of his first three seasons, 2010-12, or 70 percent playing time in 2013.
# The Broncos make the playoffs, he reaches certain QB ranking thresholds, and receives unspecified honors.
Max value (contractually considered unlikely to earn)
The total value of Tebow’s contract can escalate to $33 million if the Broncos reach the playoffs multiple times in his first four years, he has multiple top 5 QB rankings, and he has multiple league honors such as NFL MVP and Super Bowl MVP.
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wow! all of that is making my eyes and head spin.
I knew that this year that if he played 45% of the snaps Tebow would make a mass amount of money. Crazy!
Is this just a case of over analysis? Maybe he’s just saying Orton is the starter because he was last year and he hasn’t had a chance to evaluate anyone. Bay, contrary to your recollection, I never heard the Broncos say Tebow is the starter last year. I only remember them staying with Tebow because Orton wasn’t back from injury. Maybe I’m misremembering, but thats what I recall.
You’ll learn that I always try to take things a step further, what would be the fun of going along with the masses without extrapolating. Anyhow Tebow came in to replace an injured Orton, but after a couple of games Orton declared himself ready to play and Studs said no Tebow gives us the best chance right now, hence Orton started poutting like Cutler on the sidelines. If that wasn’t a demotion I don’t know what is.
This was an article dated December 23rd:
QB Tim Tebow will start the rest of the season. That has a lot of fans excited to see what they have in Tebow but it also means QB Kyle Orton is now riding the bench.
“I don’t know what’s going to happen,” Orton said. “I do know I’m not the one who’s going to be making that decision. I’m not the one who made this decision. But (if) the organization wants to go a different way the rest of the year, then hey, that’s just how it is. If I’m back next year, my belief is I’m coming back as the starter. Like I’ve said, I don’t think anything I’ve done with my play warrants anything other than that. But they’ve made the decision, and I’m not going to fight the decision. It’s the decision. I’ll just prepare myself to play.”
That was from sbnation, sure sounds as if they saw it the way I did, come to think of it so did Orton even so he said he believed he would be the starter this year. And so far he is right. The whole thing is not transparent is all I’m saying when the organization has been preaching it will be, but that’s ok no big deal so far, and if they think that can get us a higher pick in an Orton trade more power to us but I’ve already said plenty on what I think about that. Anything could happen at this point, unlike Strand I am not sold that Tebow is the shoe in even so the arguments that he should be are plentyful, only time will tell.
It’s Friday and beer thirty and somewhere BFE is partaking. Cheers buddy! We miss you, hope everything is cool with you.
What is life anyway without a little debate. Here`s to BFE`s going AWOL. CHEERS!!
Although a lot WILL happen between now and start of 2011 season (if there is one) OF COURSE Kyle Orton is the current starter … you guys are nuts if you think otherwise … c’mon … if they named Tebow the starter, and he goes in the toilet between now and September, where do they go then??? … Orton is a proven veteran … they know pretty much what they get from him … there are a hell of a lot of worse quarterbacks in the league … his bad rap for not finishing games stems a lot from our lack of a running game last year … same goes for our red-zone failures … Tebow will probably get his time, but not right now, probably not this year, unless ORTON fails … then, we’ve got something to go to … a logical progression … but to got from Tebow to Orton again, just doesn’t make sense … you guys just have stars in your eyes … get real!!!!! it get’s tiresome to read all this carping …
I hear you. Carnagebronc is adamant about not going with Tebow and he is seldom wrong, I have mixed feelings about it, not on one side of the fence or the other, I do see a lot of the limitations Orton has but maybe in Fox’s system he can hide them better. One thing for sure he will have to have a strong running game to keep his throws to a minimum because the poor guy had no arm left by the second half of the season at the rate he threw. It would be the safe way to go but it sure will not be a popular decision regardless of how succesful we may be with Orton, of that I’m also pretty certain.