FLOWERY BRANCH — Each year shortly after the Lombardi Trophy is hoisted into the air, the focus turns to the NFL draft.
Much of the talk leading to the draft is centered around how fast, strong, tall or short a player is and if his measurables project to the next level.
However, every team in the league has players on their rosters — such as quarterback Tim Tebow in Denver — that don’t fit the job description for his position.
“We have prototypes for every position, and it’s an ideal gauge and yet, in the very end, it’s how they produce on the field,” Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff said. “That’s combined with their passion, fire and understanding of the game that makes them good, great or not able to play in this league.”
Tebow, despite not being able to pass proficiently at the pro level, is enjoying a degree of success. The read-option offense that the Broncos are using is a throwback to the days of the single-wing attacks before the forward pass came into vogue in professional football.
While he may develop into a professional passer, he’s clearly not there yet. But, to some, that’s the beauty of the league.
“We have some guys that don’t fit the ideal model like every team does, but some of those guys are the best players on the field,” Dimitroff said.
Some of the Falcons who don’t “fit” the prototype for their positions are center Todd McClure (too short), running back Jacquizz Rodgers (too short), Pro Bowl special teams player Eric Weems (too short, too slow) and cornerback Brent Grimes (too short).
Linebacker Curtis Lofton, the team’s leading tackler, dropped out of the first round in part because he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.71 seconds. But his “football speed” and ability to recognize plays makes up for any foot-speed deficiency. He’s started since his rookie season in 2008 and with 117 tackles appears headed for his first Pro Bowl trip.
“Bigger and faster is always good in a heavyweight game like football,” defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder said. “But hey, a good football player can come in a lot of different ways and their ability to play in the league can take on a lot of different production results.”
Intangibles also play a part in the success of NFL players.
“Some guys are very dependable,” VanGorder said. “They are smart. You trust them and other guys are going to be more productive.”
McClure, who’s in his 13th season with the Falcons, was a seventh-round pick in 1999. At 6-foot-1 and 296 pounds, he’s considered a little short and about 20 pounds too light for the position.
“That’s the tag that I had coming out,” McClure said. “That’s one thing that I thought they’ve looked at the wrong way. I thought they put too much emphasis on what a guy looks like rather than what he can do on the field.”
Those knocks have fueled him throughout his career that has spanned four head coaches and couple of interim head coaches.
“That’s something that has stuck with me my whole career,” McClure said. “If you add two inches to me, then I think the way I’ve played, then people would just look at you differently.”
Over the years, McClure has seen some of the better players in the league blow away prototype models. That’s why he is rooting for Tebow to make it.
“You know what I like, is when a lot of people don’t give a guy a chance,” McClure said. “You have a lot of guys that don’t really like the way he plays or don’t like his style. The bottom line, he goes out and he’s been winning games. ... I’m glad to see a guy like that have success.”
Weems had to make it as an undrafted player from Bethune-Cookman. He didn’t fit the prototype for a wide receiver at 5-foot-9.
“That makes you go harder toward your goals when someone says you can’t do something and you know that you can,” Weems said. Last season, he made the Pro Bowl as a specialist after leading the team in kickoff returns, punt returns and special teams’ tackles. He’s a Tebow supporter, too.
“I’m rooting for him because so many people doubt him,” Weems said. “He’s starting to come up with victories. You really can’t coach that.”
When the Falcons face the Houston Texans on Sunday, one of the players they are most concerned about is outside linebacker Connor Barwin. He was named the AFC defensive player of the month this past week and leads the Texans in sacks.
Coming out of the University of Cincinnati, teams weren’t sure where he’d fit in the NFL.
“He’s a big, lanky, long guy; the ideal body structure that you want for an outside linebacker in a 3-4 defense,” Falcons coach Mike Smith said. “He’s had an interesting path to the NFL; played tight end in college. Some people were drafting him as a tight end. Some people were drafting him as a defensive end. ... He is a unique athlete.”
Still, the Falcons plan to keep using their list of position prototypes, but with a caveat.
“In the end, we’ll never get away, at least as an organization, from the fact that it’s how these guys produce on the field,” Dimitroff said.
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