Pro Day Rewind

By ANDREW GARDA

As we head toward the end of the 2009 NFL Combine, we do so knowing that many of these players will be getting another chance to shock and awe the scouts at their individual school’s Pro Days. An athlete might have struggled in Indianapolis but could recover his momentum with a second look. On the other hand, a guy can just as easily fritter away all the buzz he gathered at the Combine by not being ready at his Pro Day.

Over the course of the next six weeks, this column will follow the ups, downs, and occasional sideways movement of the NFL Draft Class of 2009.

Now you may be asking yourself is it time for a Pro Day Rewind Column when the Combine isn’t even finished?

Well, not every future NFL star is working out in Indianapolis. Every year, athletes who weren’t present at the Combine end up in the NFL anyway, some to eventual fantastic effect. For examples, please see Welker, Wes and Parker, Willie from 2004.

And of course, there are some players every year who choose not to compete in Indy. Whether it's because of an injury or a concern about losing momentum, these players leave scouts wanting and needing more.

Today’s column is focused on the players who are not performing during the Combine, for whatever reason. For these athletes, their Pro Days are even more vital.

1. WR Michael Crabtree, Texas Tech (INJURED): During his medical examination, the seventh ranked player on the NFLDB Big Board was diagnosed with a small stress fracture in his foot. The news put the kibosh on any plans Crabtree had to work out in some capacity at the Combine and sent scouts scrambling for their notebooks as they tried to determine what, if any, impact this might have on his value.

Crabtree has announced he will delay the surgery until after his Pro Day, which is scheduled for March 26th, and work out on that day. Opinions range widely on whether this could cause more injury and whether he needs to run at all. Clearly he feels the need to perform and that the benefits outweigh the risk. March 26th will be a huge day for the Texas Tech receiver and worth watching. Some teams will downgrade him over the injury and a poor showing, or further injury, could really hurt his draft stock.

2. OT Andre Smith, Alabama (PERSONAL CHOICE): Nobody hurt themselves more this weekend than the big tackle from the Crimson Tide. First, Smith stood up and explained to the assembled media and scouts that he would not be participating in the Combine because he was not in proper shape. That candor might have actually won him points had he not gone missing Saturday morning. While there seems to be some confusion about the complete chain of events, he ended up heading to Atlanta to train and nobody seemed to know about it.

Smith, sixth on the NFLDB Big Board heading into Indianapolis, already had some red flags prior to this weekend. He was suspended for Alabama’s Bowl game for reasons he wouldn’t quite clarify and there had been some reports that he was out of shape, confirmed perhaps by his decision not to work out in Indianapolis. Leaving the Combine, even if it was to work out, was a poor choice and Smith may have been given some very bad advice.

He will need to be on point for Alabama’s Pro Day which is just two and a half weeks away, on March 11th. He won’t easily slide from the first round, but another bad day from Smith will certainly push him down the draft ladder and cost him a lot of money. Teams who have already begun to be concerned by his choices may write him off entirely.

3. QB Matthew Stafford, Georgia (PERSONAL CHOICE): As the top ranked quarterback on most analyst’s boards, Stafford didn’t have much to gain by doing much more than cheerleading on Sunday. However, as one of the knocks against him by some evaluators is occasional sloppiness and lazy fundamental execution, not working out isn’t really putting that doubt to rest.

Still, if you’re the top Bulldog, why not do your work on March 19th in the most comfortable setting possible with familiar receivers and your teammates and coaches looking on? Stafford may lose some of the lead he has now before then, but if he has a sharp day, he will solidify his standing.

4. TE Ryan Purvis, Boston College (NOT INVITED): Purvis, the tenth ranked tight end on NFLDB’s tight end rankings, may have suffered from a down senior year but in 2007, he was a safety net for 2008 Offensive Rookie of the Year, Matt Ryan (not to be confused with Overall Rookie of the Year, Joe Flacco.).

While Purvis is a sure-handed receiver and made strides as a blocker this past season, there are questions about his speed, ability to get separation and upside. Purvis may not be a finished product and he’ll need to show the scouts some shine on Boston College’s Pro Days, March 12th and 13th.

5. LB Frantz Joseph, Florida Atlantic (NOT INVITED): This physical linebacker will actually get an early chance to impress as his Pro Day falls on February 26th. Joseph had a productive career and can make plays, but lacks top end speed and ideal size. He’ll need to come out hard on Thursday and prove that he can hang with the big boys. Joseph has to make a lasting impression on scouts, since it will have to serve him until April and hopefully convince teams to bring him in for a private workout between now and then.

We’ll be back next Monday with a look at the few Pro Days taking place this week and a preview of what to watch for in the coming month.

MOTOR CITY BOWL NOTES: FAU 27, CMU 24

Big Game Russ

“When pressure rises, it’s one of my strong points not to crack under the pressure,” Florida Atlantic quarterback Rusty Smith told CFI Radio after his first practice in Detroit for the Motor City Bowl. “I don’t really know where I got it from. It’s just something where I’ve been able to stay calm whenever the pressure builds up.”

Smith, or Big Red as he is known (his father is Bigger Red), was at his big game best once again. It wasn’t the five-touchdown performance he had a year ago at the New Orleans Bowl, but it wasn’t too shabby either. Smith completed 20-of-35 passes for 306 yards and two touchdowns (zero interceptions).

Throughout the game, Smith did a nice job going through his progressions and the Jacksonville native made throws outside the hash marks with relative ease, working the sidelines on several occasions. His arm doesn’t warrant comparison to Matthew Stafford’s, but it appears to strong enough to “make all the throws” – there was more than enough zip on his passes.

The FAU signal caller shows good pocket presence and steps up when pressured--he doesn’t panic.

Smith has an unorthodox throwing motion, which seems to impact his accuracy more than his arm strength. Several passes sailed on him, particularly when he stepped up in the pocket. Rolling to his right, Smith looked good, displaying a strong arm when he was able to square his shoulders on a pretty 53-yard touchdown pass to Chris Bonner.

His completion percentage was also hurt by drops – leading receiver Cortez Gent dropped two passes – a problem all year for the Owls.

Smith also needs to work on his ball security. Twice he fumbled the football (lost one) and the second time he wasn’t even hit that hard by the defender. Protecting the football should be a point of emphasis for the soon-to-be senior quarterback.

A second straight bowl win adds another building block for the FAU program, a piece that didn’t appear would come this season when they were 1-5 and Smith had only five touchdown passes to go with nine interceptions. With the win over Central Michigan, the Owls ended the year on a 6-1 run with Smith’s touchdown-to-interception ratio improving to 19-to-5.

What was different?

“Not taking everything into my own hands,” was Smith’s answer. “Early on in the season I was trying to do a little too much, trying to force passes that really weren’t there. I realized it’s not really helping the team if I’m trying to do too much, so I decided I should take what the defense gave me and not try and force a 20-yard throw that wasn’t there. I realized if I could hit a five-yard route, the receiver would catch it and get 15 yards.”

Killer Hankies

Number One: With the score tied at 10 in the third quarter, it appeared CMU were going to force Florida Atlantic to punt…until they were flagged for roughing the passer. So instead of giving up the ball, the Owls had a first down on the 48-yard line, setting up Rusty Smith’s 52-yard scoring strike for a 17-10 lead. IMPACT: Minus seven points

Number Two: Antonio Brown breaks off a 78-yard scoring scamper to take a 20-17 lead…until a face mask penalty brought it all the way back. On the next play, they ran the same exact reverse to Brown, but this time he lost six yards and CMU had to punt the football. IMPACT: Minus seven points (Total = 14 points lost)

Number Three: Down 24-13, the Chippewas drove to the FAU one yard line with a chance to pull within one-score…until a false start penalty pushed them back to the six-yard line. There is not a worse spot on the field to commit a false start penalty. Dan LeFevour threw incompletions on the next two plays and they turned the ball over on downs. IMPACT: Minus eight points potentially (Total = 14-22 points lost)

Of course, one might ask, WHY ARE THEY GOING FOR IT? Inexplicably, Coach Butch Jones went for it on fourth-and-goal from the six-yard line with over 5:00 remaining. A field goal would have cut it to an eight-point game. Jones’ decision added insult to penalty.

Defensive Studs

Senior inside linebacker Frantz Joseph was all over the field, recording a team-high 13 tackles. Joseph is a big time hitter who takes names later and possesses good timing in open field when looking to lay the wood.

You can’t run right at Joseph – he’s a very sure tackler. He has excellent footwork and does a good job of sliding by potential blockers and squaring up to the ball carrier.

Joseph stays on the field in passing situations – he’s a legit three-down linebacker. He made an excellent open field tackle on Central Michigan’s playmaking wide out/return man Antonio Brown, allowing zero yards after the catch. Later in the game, Joseph knocked down a fourth down pass in the end zone, preserving the Owls’ 11-point lead.

Effort is not an issue, as Joseph doesn’t give up on plays. Even when he doesn’t make initial play, he cleans up a lot.

A couple of times, Joseph was pushed around by the Chippewas offensive line; disengaging is something he needs to work on, but it’s nothing to be too concerned about. He also can get a little too deep penetrating the offensive backfield, losing sight of the football.

Not as explosive as Joseph, but solid in his own right was CMU’s middle linebacker Nick Bellore, who recorded 12 tackles. The junior displayed good closing speed in zone coverage and quickness when he pounced on a Smith fumble. Bellore was active throughout the contest.

Unsung Heroes

Fullback Willie Rose was one of the top prospects on either team, paving the way for many of FAU’s rushing yards with his excellent lead blocks and providing solid pass protection to boot. Not just an extra offensive linemen, Rose saw some time as the lone running back in one-back sets. He showed good vision and showed toughness inside when asked to run the football. Coming out of the backfield, he can catch the ball and make yards once he gets the ball in his hands.

Following Rose’s blocks much of the time was senior tailback Charles Pierre, a physical runner who possesses good size. Pierre runs hard and is not afraid to put his hat down. Even when he was heading out of bounds, the tailback put his head down to get a little hit in on defender. He gained most of his yards (16 carries, 77 yards) running between the tackles, using his center of gravity and balance. Even when contact is made, Pierre keeps his legs churning.

He played his final game with passion and tremendous poise, so it was no surprise that headman Howard Schnellenberger went to his senior runner to milk the final minutes to secure the win. The Owls took over with 3:09 remaining in the game and Pierre touched the ball on five straight plays, converting three first downs before Smith took a knee on the final two plays of the game.

In the Trenches

Several of the top players and pro prospects will not see their name in the box score, but FAU guard Ryan Wischnefski and CMU tackle Andrew Hartline each made his presence felt. Wischnefski, just a sophomore, did an excellent job of run blocking which is where Pierre did most of his damage. Most of the Chippewas’ productive runs came when they ran behind senior Hartline, who made his 51st straight start.

On the first play of the game, Central’s defensive end Frank Zombo read screen pass, got his hands up and deflected the pass. He was quiet for most of the day, but did record a half a tackle for a loss and his pressure on Smith set up a sack for a teammate. For the Owls, their most productive defensive lineman was senior Jervonte Jackson. The defensive tackle was able to get penetration, as well as a couple of big hits on the Chippewas’ quarterback Dan LeFevour. A bit undersized to play on the inside, Jackson can get beat up physically, but has the quickness to make impact plays.

Stars of Tomorrow

Central Michigan: WR Kiro Poblah, Sophomore; LB Matt Berning, Sophomore; DT Sean Murnane, Sophomore; Florida Atlantic: CB Tarvoris Hill, Sophomore