AJC > Sports > Falcons > Blog > Archives > 2008 > February > 23
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Falcons to meet with McFadden; combine results
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Indianapolis — Arkansas running back Darren McFadden is set to interview with the Falcons on Saturday night in a downtown hotel.
The Falcons hold the No. 3 pick in the draft and need to decide if McFadden is worth the character risk. Given Michael Vick’s federal dogfighting conviction, the team is being extra cautious with background checks.
McFadden may have cost himself millions with a previous interview at the NFL scouting combine. He came off as indifferent about character issues, including a club scene gone bad and a Maury Povich Show-style paternity suit issue.
“There have been some red flags with him,” said Billy Devaney, St. Louis’s executive vice president of player personnel.
SOME OF SATURDAY’S RESULTS AT THE COMBINE
60-Yard Shuttle - Tight ends
1. Gary Barnidge, Louisville 11.29 seconds
2. Jacob Tamme, Kentucky 11.51
3. John Carlson, Notre Dame 11.59
4. Derek Fine, Kansas 11.59
5. Dustin Keller, Purdue 11.74
VERTICAL JUMPS
OFFENSIVE LINE
1. Cody Wallace, C, Texas A&M 30.5 inches
2. John Sullivan, C, Notre Dame 30
3. Heath Benedict, OT, Newberry 28.5
4. Chad Rinehart, OL, Northern Iowa 28.5
5. Duane Brown, OL, Virginia Tech 27.5
TIGHT ENDS
1. Dustin Keller, Purdue 38
2. Michael Santi, Virginia 36
3. Martellus Bennett, Texas A&M, 34
4. Brad Cottam, Tennessee, 33
5. Gary Barnidge, Louisville, 31
BROAD JUMP
OFFENSIVE LINE
1. Cody Wallace, C, Texas A&M 9 feet, 5 inches
2. Tyler Polumbus, OT, Colorado, OT, 9-4
3. Branden Albert, OG, Virginia, OG, 9-3
4. (tie) Michael Gibson, OT, California 9-2
Mike Pollak, C, Arizona State 9-2
Heath Benedict, OT, Newberry 9-2
TIGHT ENDS
1. Dustin Keller, Purdue 10 feet, 11 inches
2. Joseph Haynos, Maryland 10-3
3. Michael Santi, Virginia 10-1
4. (tie) Gary Barnidge, Louisville 9-9
Martellus Bennett, Texas A&M 9-9
Kellen Davis, Michigan State, 9-9
225-POUND BENCH RESULTS
OFFENSIVE LINEMAN
1. Jake Long, Michigan 37 times
2. Jeremy Zuttah, Rutgers 35
3. Kirk Barton, Ohio State 34
4. (tie) Michael Gibson, California 31
Carl Nicks, Nebraska 31
Brandon Keith, Northern Iowa 31
TIGHT ENDS
1. Craig Stevens, California 27
2. Dustin Keller, Purdue 26
3. (tie) Brad Cottam, Tennessee 24
Frederick Davis, Southern Cal 24
Derek Fine, Kansas 24
Permalink | Comments (29) | Categories: Scouting combine
Combine Report: Wheeler ready for workout; Falcons, Long meet
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Indianapolis — Georgia Tech linebacker Philip Wheeler can’t wait to run his 40-yard dash.
“A lot of coaches think I run a little bit slower than I actually do,” Wheeler said. “I think I’m faster than what they think.”
Wheeler was measured at 6-foot-1 3/4 and weighs 248 pounds. He played inside and outside linebacker in college.
“I think my versatility will allow me to play with just about any team,” Wheeler said. “I think I’m pretty quick and I’ve gotten a little bit bigger since the end of the season.”
Wheeler was one of the stars of the Senior Bowl, where he was coached by San Francisco 49ers assistant head coach Micheal Singletary.
“I was honored to be coached for a week by him,” Wheeler said. “I think he is a great coach.”
Wheeler is projected as a second- or third-round pick. He had an interview with the 49ers on Friday night. He has 11 interviews set up for Saturday night.
LONG, FALCONS MEET
Virginia defensive lineman Chris Long, possibly the top player available in April’s NFL draft, has met with the Atlanta Falcons.
“I met with a couple of their assistant coaches and the defensive coordinator [Brian VanGorder],” Long said on Saturday at the NFL Scouting Combine. “They really seemed like they are on a mission to get something started.”
It’s doubful that Long, the son of Hall of Famer Howie Long, will slip past Miami and St. Louis, the teams with the top two picks in the draft. But if he does, the Falcons will have a chance to improve their defensive line with the No. 3 selection.
Billy Devaney, St. Louis’ executive vice president of player personnel, compares Chris Long to former Falcons and Virginia standout Patrick Kerney for his “high motor.”
“My dad taught me to work hard,” Long said. “If that’s going 100 miles an hour and working hard, that’s what I’m going to do.”
Long, was measured at 6 feet 3, 272 pounds, suffered a sprained thumb in the Cavaliers’ bowl game. He will participate in the full workout here except for the bench press.
Boston College’s Gosder Cherilus, a offensive tackle with a mean streak, has also met with the Falcons. He has a second-round grade.
With the Falcons intent on rebuilding their offensive and defensive lines, Long and Cherilus are players to track.
MULARKEY OFFENSE ‘A LOT OF FUN’
Arizona head coach Ken Whisenhunt, the former Georgia Tech and Falcons player, is quite familiar with new Falcons offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey.
They coached together in Pittsburgh, and Whisenhunt took over as offensive coordinator in 2004 when Mularkey left to become Buffalo’s head coach.
“You’ll have an multiple-set offense, with a lot of formations and shifts,” Whisenhunt told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Saturday at the NFL Scouting Combine. “They’ll run a power-based offense. He’ll mix in the pass and take some shots down the field.”
Pittsburgh is where Mularkey developed his “Inspector Gadget” reputation for his penchant of the well-timed trick plays.
“Some of the things we did gadget-wise came from a bunch of guys sitting in a room having fun coming up with ideas,” Whisenhunt said. “We were trying to put some of players in good positions to make plays. It was a lot of fun because we had a number of different individuals who had good ideas to come up with those plays.”
But the root of the attack was led by a strong rushing attack powered by Jerome “The Bus” Bettis.
“He always called it kind of an exotic smash-mouth football,” Whisenhunt said. “That’s what he wanted. He wanted never to lose the roots of being a physical offense.”
‘RED FLAGS’ ABOUT MCFADDEN
New York Giants general manager Jerry Reese kicked off things Saturday at the combine, sharing his secrets of the team’s successful draft in 2007 that helped catapult the underdogs into Super Bowl champions.
But the buzz going into the day was still on how Arkansas running back Darren McFadden cost himself millions with a porous interview.
He came off as indifferent about his character issues, including a club scene gone bad and a Maury Povich Show-style paternity suit issue.
Teams, including the Falcons at No. 3, will have to determine if McFadden is worth the risk. They can put in the LSU game tape and marvel at his talent. Or they can decide he’s a character risk and scratch him off the board.
“There have been some red flags with him,” said Billy Devaney, St. Louis’ executive vice president of player personnel.
BRIAN BROHM Q&A
Highlights of what Louisville quarterback Brian Brohm had to say during his session with the media:
Q: How does the college system you were in help you and hurt you?
A: I think the system I was in is going to help me tremendously to play in the NFL. Under [Former Falcons] Coach [Bobby] Petrino, it was pretty much the same type of system the New York Giants run. It’s where he got the offense when he was with Tom Coughlin out at the Jacksonville Jaguars. We were in that system for pretty much three years. Switched over to more accountable one back spread with zone running my last year. But just being able to adjust to new systems and being in a pro style system, I think is going to help me out a lot.
Q: Talk about possibly playing for Bill Parcells’ Dolphins. Have you talked to them yet?
A: I have spoken to them briefly. Obviously, it would be great to be on the Dolphins and play for the Dolphins but I am here to showcase my skill to all the teams and try to get my draft stock as high as possible.
Q: Is it important to you to be the first quarterback taken?
A: I think it is important as a competitor. You want to be the first guy from your position taken. You want to be taken as high as possible. That’s just what all competitors want but at the same time I can’t worry about what other guys are doing. Can’t worry about what they are going to be doing. Just got to go out there and worry about myself. Go out there and perform.
Q: There are always different opinions about the quality of positions each year and if it is a good year for quarterbacks or receivers. You hear mixed views of this group. How do you see your group representing?
A: I think we have a very deep quarterback class. I think there are a lot of good quarterbacks here. Guys who have had very successful careers in college. Guys who will probably translate well into the NFL. I think there is a good group here and good competition. I’m looking forward to the competition.
Q: Who is the best quarterback in this class?
A: That is a tough question. If you are going to ask me, I’m going to say it is me. There are a lot of opinions out there. I just need to go out and compete, get my stock up as high as I can and not worry about the other guys.
Q: What role did Coach Petrino play in your development?
A: Coach played a huge part in my development. He’s a tremendous Xs and Os coach. He’s a hard-nose, tough coach. We ran NFL-style offense. He geared things for the quarterback to be successful. He did a large part of coaching the quarterbacks. He really helped me out a lot to become a better player and take my game to the next level.
Q: What was your reaction when he went to Atlanta?
A: It was obviously a difficult situation for him. Maybe his style of coaching isn’t necessarily a perfect fit for the NFL and more of a better fit for college. But he wanted to give that a shot, you could tell he really did want to give it a shot and go to the NFL and see what he could do. But I guess that after the first 13 games, he had a change of heart and felt he was better suited at the college level.
Q: What are your impressions of [Boston College QB] Matt Ryan?
A: I’ve never seen a full game of his. From what I have seen, I think he is a great quarterback. It looks like he has a lot of poise, a lot of skill. Looks like he has good leadership qualities and his team follows him. He seems like a great quarterback. Just talked to him briefly and he seems like a great guy.
Q: Do you find yourself gauging yourself against him at all just because you are considered the two top guys here?
A: It’s hard for me to gauge him because I haven’t really watched any film of him or studied him that much. It’s hard to put in perspective.
MAYOCK RANKS THE PROSPECTS
A look at NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock’s top 20 prospects heading into the combine:
Matt Ryan, QB, Boston College
Sedrick Ellis, DT, Southern Cal
Chris Long, DE, Virginia
Glenn Dorsey, DT, LSU
Vernon Golston, DE, Ohio State
Jake Long, OL, Michigan
Ryan Clady, OL, Boise State
Keith Rivers, LB, Southern Cal
Phillip Merling, DE, Clemson
Leodis McKelvin, CB, Troy
Brandon Flowers, CB, Virginia Tech
Rashard Mendenhall, RB, Illinois
Jeff Otah, OL, Pittsburgh
Derrick Harvey, DE, Florida
Kentwan Balmer, DT, North Carolina
Aqib Talib, CB, Kansas
Chris Williams, OL, Vanderbilt
Mario Manningham, WR, Michigan
Limas Sweed, WR, Texas
Branden Albert, OL, Virginia
Mayock’s top prospects at each position:
Quarterback
Matt Ryan, Boston College
Chad Henne, Michigan
Brian Brohm, Louisville
Joe Flacco, Delaware
Andre Woodson, Kentucky
Running back
Rashard Mendenhall, Illinois
Darren McFadden, Arkansas
Jonathan Stewart, Oregon
Felix Jones, Arkansas
Chris Johnson, East Carolina
Fullback
Jacob Hester, LSU
Peyton Hillis, Arkansas
Owen Schmitt, West Virginia
Wide receiver
Mario Manningham, Michigan
Limas Sweed, Texas
DeSean Jackson, California
Malcolm Kelly, Oklahoma
Early Doucet, LSU
Tight end
Fred Davis, Southern Cal
John Carlson, Notre Dame
Dustin Keller, Purdue
Jermichael Finley, Texas
Brad Cottam, Tennessee
Offensive tackle
Jake Long, Michigan
Ryan Clady, Boise State
Jeff Otah, Pittsburgh
Chris Williams, Vanderbilt
Gosder Cherilus, Boston College
Interior offensive line
Branden Albert, Virginia
Chilo Rachal, Southern Cal
Roy Schuening, Oregon St.
Mike Pollak, Arizona State
Mackenzy Bernadeau, Bentley College
Defensive end
Chris Long, Virginia
Vernon Golston, Ohio State
Phillip Merling, Clemson
Derrick Harvey, Florida
Lawrence Jackson, Southern Cal
Defensive tackle
Sedrick Ellis, Southern Cal
Glenn Dorsey, LSU
Kentwan Balmer, North Carolina
Trevor Laws, Notre Dame
Letroy Guion, Florida State
Inside linebacker
Dan Connor, Penn State
Curtis Lofton, Oklahoma
Spencer Larsen, Arizona
Beau Bell, UNLV
Jo-Lonn Dunbar, Boston College
Outside linebacker
Keith Rivers, Southern Cal
Erin Henderson, Maryland
Xavier Adibi, Virginia Tech
Tavares Gooden, Miami
Ali Highsmith, LSU
Cornerback
Leodis McKelvin, Troy
Brandon Flowers, Virginia Tech
Aqib Talib, Kansas
Mike Jenkins, South Florida
Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Tennessee State
Safety
DaJuan Morgan, N.C. State
Kenny Phillips, Miami
Thomas DeCoud, California
D.J. Wolfe, Oklahoma
Tyrell Johnson, Arkansas State
Permalink | Comments (12) | Categories: Scouting combine
Services »
