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2008 NFL Combine — Tight Ends Are Athletes Too

Today marked the beginning of the 2008 NFL Combine brow raising as the Offensive Linemen, Kickers, and Tight Ends went through their respective agility drills. Most NFL Draft geeks believe 2008 features a hefty crop of offensive linemen. But I really didn’t pay much attention to their performances as they’re…well, they’re boring. And I don’t necessarily pay attention to their performances throughout the season. So, naturally it would be unfair for me to add any opinions as far as their draft status. But for $#!ts and giggles, here are the top offensive line performances in the bench press:

1. Jake Long. LT/RT, Michigan Wolverines — 37 reps
2. Jeremy Zuttah. RT, Rutgers — 35 reps
3. Kirk Barton. RT, Ohio State — 34 reps
4. Carl Nicks. LT/RT/DE, Nebraska — 31 reps
5. Brandon Keith. LT, Northern Iowa — 31 reps
6. Mike Gibson. LT, Cal — 31 reps

Tight Ends
The tight end performances were actually enjoyable to watch. There were definitely a bunch of unorthodox tight ends in the mix, which just made the traditional slow, blocking tight ends look uncoordinated. With the emergence of the spread offense in the college game, it’s no surprise that the 2008 NFL Combine featured a bunch of Belgian Blues at the tight end position.

Sometimes (ok, alot) I look at Mike Mayock’s Top 5 Lists and can’t help but chuckle. This is definitely one of those times. However, I think Mayock will change his list around a bit after today’s performances.

• John Carlson, ND. Disappointed on-lookers with a 4.96 40-yd dash, and followed it up with a 4.89. Mike Mayock is in love with this guy for his all-around ability (blocking/catching). While he wasn’t the best TE at the Combine per se, he definitely displayed his ability to catch the football in the Gauntlet the way he did throughout the season. His so-so 40-yd dash performance will undoubtedly give scouts another reason to go back and look at some tape. He’s definitely one of the top 5 tight ends, but not #1.
• Kellen Davis, Mich State. K3 (I’m sure he’d punch me for calling him that) was one of my favorites before his Combine performance. He played both ways for the Spartans this season…occasionally at Defensive End. Great showing in the 40-yd dash (4.58) not to mention he could have run with a full glass of water on his head and not spilled a drop because his stride was so smooth. Despite his Spartan stature, he does come with some flaws. He’s been criticized for his blah work ethic, and he was arrested back in 2006 for fighting. Regardless, he’ll be a great addition to most rosters.
• Derek Fine, Kansas. Like John Carlson, Derek didn’t have a fine (I had to) showing in the 40 (4.89). But he exhibited his catching abilities in the Gauntlet, and he always looked like he was trying his hardest. This is the one tight end whose blocking abilities I can remember. He made a couple of key blocks for teammate Jake Sharp (RB) during their game against Kansas State this season. I’m not sure if he’ll be drafted, but worth the mention. And I like his name.
• Jermichael Finley, Texas. The perfect example of why you can’t quantify a player’s ability with other drills. Despite a slower 40-yd dash (4.82), he caught every ball thrown to him in the Gauntlet including a David Tyree-like head catch to finish it off. He’s also the youngest tight end in the NFL Combine this year; he left Texas as a Sophomore. If you haven’t watched much Texas football lately, watch any of his YouTube highlight videos and you might be as impressed as I am.
• Dustin Keller, Purdue. Dustin Keller is the poster child for using the Combine to improve your draft stock. He earned a golf clap for his 26 reps @ 225 lbs in the bench press (#2), then more for his consistent 40-yd sprints of 4.54 & 4.53 (#1, officially 4.55), his Dwight Howard-esque 38″ vertical leap (#1), 10′11″ in the broad jump (#1), 6.88 seconds in the 3-cone (#2), 4.14 seconds in the 20-yd shuttle (#1), and a nearly perfect Gauntlet (1 drop). No doubt he’ll be the first tight end drafted. Not simply for his almost flawless Combine performance, but for his prodigious 2007 season.
• Brad Cottam, Tennessee. At 6′7 1/2″, 270 lbs, this guy blew through the 40 in 4.68 seconds! Are you kidding me? I can’t remember many highlights from this season even though I did catch a number of Vols games, but who wouldn’t want to throw to a guy that tall that runs a 4.68? Mayock likes him as #5. Who knows?
• Fred Davis, USC. He didn’t wow alot of folks in the Combine (or me at least). He appeared to be a little gimpy, but he still managed to participate. He did finish with 24 reps @ 225 lbs (#3) and a very decent Gauntlet. And anyone that watched USC football this season knows about his many accolades including the distinction as the nation’s best tight end (2007 John Mackey Award recipient).

My Honorable Mention tight ends include Martellus Bennett from Texas A&M and Darrell Strong from Pitt. Strong looked pretty good in the Gauntlet, but finished fair in everything else. He’s had some off-field issues in the past. Apparently he showed up out of shape for preseason workouts and was forced to wear a pink t-shirt during workouts that said “I work out at Curves”. Martellus Bennett will get the short end of the stick in this year’s draft. He’s a great athlete with great hands, but was under-utilized in the “Run First, Run Second” Texas A&M offense. He clocked a 4.69 in the 40-yd dash (#7) and a 34-inch vertical jump (#3). And he can dunk over his coach.

My Top 5 Tight Ends

1. Dustin Keller, Purdue
2. Jermichael Finley, Texas
3. Fred Davis, USC
4. John Carlson, Notre Dame
5. Kellen Davis, Michigan State

Tomorrow is QBs, RBs, and WRs. I can’t wait. You can keep track of the 2008 NFL Combine Top Performers on NFLNetwork.com.

Popularity: 16% [?]

Now This Is Happening — Lindsay Lohan Photos Trump $100 Oil

$100 Oil! C’mon…say it with me! “$100 OIL!!!” The crude (not refined) stuff ended above $100 per barrel yesterday for the first time ever. $100.10 to be exact. It’s up about 4% so far this year. Looks like Trump put that call into OPEC! “Get those prices down…and I mean now!” (6:01). Stockpile speculation on crude oil for March delivery dropped to $99.11 per barrel in after-hours electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange and traded at $99.30 at 1:50 p.m. in Singapore.

Not Jake Shimabukuro

Eat your heart out, Don Ho (R.I.P.). Jake Shimabukuro is better than you at the ukulele. Be sure to check out his recent performance on Conan O’Brien. It’s like Monte Montgomery at chipmunk speed. Pretty cool!

Lindsay Lohan’s mom, Dina, is ok with “LL”s nude photo shoot. The photos in New York Magazine are photographer Bert Stein’s recreation of his legendary 1962 nude shoot with Marilyn Monroe titled “The Last Sitting”. What a relief! I was waiting for Mrs. Lohan’s blessing before I checked those out. And by “those”, I mean her photos. If you’re at work, you might want to wait until you get home to see “those”.

Shaquille O’Neal will return to the hardwood tonight against his old crew, the Lakers. Shaq wasted no time talking Shmaq…calling out everyone from Kobe (of course) to Phil Jackson to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Shaq questioned Kareem’s lack of conversation and attention with regard to his place in the Lakers organization. Hey, Shaq. Hakim (see Game of Death) owns Kazaam.

Popularity: 20% [?]

Latrell Sprewell Is Broke

Does Citizens Bank have to choke a bitch? Apparently so. According to an AP article on USAToday.com, Sprewell has fallen on hard times.

In Milwaukee County Circuit Court, RBS Citizens NA, or Citizens Bank, filed a foreclosure suit last week for the $405,000 home Sprewell bought in River Hills in 1994.

In court documents, the bank alleges Sprewell owes $295,138 in outstanding payments plus interest after failing to make mortgage payments of $2,593 a month from September 2007 to January 2008.

I bet that $21 million extension looks pretty good about now. In addition to the foreclosure suit, Sprewell sold his yacht at auction to help pay off the $1.3 million he owes on his oversized dingy. Next up….liquidation of every set of “Sprewells” he has in the garage. Too bad they’re so 2000.

Maybe the Suns could hook him up. I hear they’re signing old has beens. To read the rest of the article on USAToday.com, click here. In the meantime, maybe you can catch Spree at the local IHOP for free pancakes.

Popularity: 13% [?]

That Just Happened — Cut Throat Pro Bowl Grammys

Florida Panthers’ forward Richard Zednick was accidentally struck by the skate of teammate Olli Jokinen in the neck. That’s smarts, eh? Best of luck, Richard…and God bless.

Adrian Peterson improved his reputation as the NFLs Official Badass. He became the second rookie to be voted as MVP of the Pro Bowl next to Marshall Faulk. Peterson rushed 16 times for 129 cubits and 2 scores. AP beat out NFC teammate and Cowboys WR Terrell Owens for the award. T.O. had an early case of the dropsies again, but quickly rebounded with 8 catches for 101 yards…and also 2 scores.

In case you don’t have NFL Network or if you missed its coverage of the Pro Bowl practices…well, this video is all you really missed. Courtesy of future Presidential hopeful, Peyton Manning.

There should be no doubt that my NBA allegiance falls with my own San Antonio Spurs. But after today’s 98-90 defeat by the [previously overhyped] Boston Celtics, I’m finally convinced that the Celtics are currently the best team in the NBA, not to mention 16-0 against the West. Hopefully both teams will be healthy by St. Patty’s Day when they rematch in the Alamo City.

Kevin Winter/Getty Images

And last, but certainly not least the Grammys were filled with excellent performances — Foo Fighters, Carrie Underwood & SPANK, er STOMP, the Rhapsody In Blue performance…and not Brad Paisley. (Does anyone know how old Tina Turner is?) Kanye’s performance was definitely the coolest. If you missed it, check it out here. Also did anyone keep hearing With or Without You in Alicia Keys’ performance of No One? Amy Winehouse? Really? And Ringo Starr is still the World’s Biggest Dork. That’s all I got.

Popularity: 21% [?]

Roger Clemens’ Wife Injected With HGH

According to the New York Daily News, Brian McNamee told congressional investigators Thursday that Roger Clemens’ wife took human growth hormone before she appeared along side Rog in Sports Illustrated’s swimsuit issue in 2003. She did look pretty good. While there was no hard evidence presented, the video below definitely portrays Debbie with some semblance of ‘roid rage. Just sayin’.

Seriously, McNamee? Now you’re throwing wives under the bus? To check out the rest of the article, click here.

Popularity: 21% [?]

Don’t Ask Chris Berman…

…who’s going to win the Super Bowl. He’ll just blow up!

Chris Berman Loses His Cool - Watch more free videos

Popularity: 11% [?]

See Tommorrow’s NFL Stars — Senior Bowl Practice Recap

So your team didn’t make it to the Super Bowl? “Well, cheer up! There’s plenty to look forward to,” as a bummed Peyton Manning puts it so plainly. How about the NFL Draft? Better yet, how about the Senior Bowl? Thanks to the NFL Network (and RotoWorld), you can watch the progress of college players who are anxious to be noticed by NFL scouts. Practices are aired everday on the NFL Network and are certainly worth a DVR slot.

North
The North arguably has the best QB trio of the two sides. The roster includes John David Booty of USC, Chad Henne of Michigan, and Joe Flacco of Delaware.

While much of the media is focused on the higher profile QBs (yeah I’m talkin’ to you, Mayock), particularly how well Chad Henne has practiced raising his NFL Draft stock, I couldn’t help but notice how impressive Joe Flacco has been. Despite the fact that he is an imposing 6-6, his arm and pocket presence is even more remarkable. I believe it’s called poise, and he’s got plently to go around. If anyone has improved their stock in the draft, it’s certianly been Flacco. He throws the long ball effortlessly, and he has been effective with the infamous out route. Lack of consistency is his downfall. He’s definitely got the best upside of all the QBs. Here’s a little sample of what he did at Delaware this season.

Other North players that have made a positive impact on their draft status include Kansas State WR Jordy Nelson, Lavelle Hawkins (WR) from Cal, and East Carolina RB Chris Johnson. And USC DT Sedrick Ellis is a beast. I can’t wait to see him throw down on Saturday.

South
The South squad features three QBs that are trying to gain some attention coming out of the Senior Bowl headed into the combine season. Kentucky’s Andre Woodson is the favorite of the group according to most NFL [over]analysts, but he has the ugliest throw ever. Regardless of my opinion of his motion, he boasts a strong arm and good size. The other two “question mark” QBs are Erik Ainge of Tennessee and Colt Brennan of Hawaii.

Colt seemed to be the “coaches pet” on Wednesday as Mike Martz ran a QB clinic and then some (if only I were still playing, I might be a better QB after watching Coach Martz for an hour). He’s certainly the most athletic QB of the bunch. However, he seemed aloof at times as Martz was yelling his name to “get over here, Colt” and to “hurry up and get some more snaps, Colt”…and to “stop wearing that ghey-ass visor, Colt”. All kidding aside, Colt will undoubtedly be the most watched QB on Saturday simply because he’s under the most pressure. Ceteris Paribus…both sides of the football will feature big-time talent…can he perform at that level or better?

Other notable players from the South were Appalachian State WR Dexter Jackson (that boy good..and fast), LSU RB Jacob Hester, and OL Heath Benedict from Newberry College. Heath was cheered by coaches numerous times during the practice. He not only resembles Goldberg or some World’s Strongest Man contestant, but also a brick wall.

NFL or UFC?
Defensive Tackle Red Bryant of Texas A&M may want to reconsider a career in the NFL for one as a UFC fighter…or WWE. At yesterday’s practice, he blew up at Vanderbilt OL Chris Williams landing every hand slap he threw to Williams’ grill. As if the Aggies needed more bad press.

The Senior Bowl rosters are available at SeniorBowl.com. The 2008 Under Armour Senior Bowl is scheduled for Saturday, January 26, 2008, in Mobile’s Ladd-Peebles Stadium. Ball meets toe at 3:00pm.

Popularity: 6% [?]

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