Draft Spotlight: Quarterback

How Many First Round Picks?

Three, and this one is pretty close to a slam-dunk. Matthew Stafford (Georgia) is the number one guy, which is why he is the only signal caller in the conversation for the number one overall pick. If you ever watched a full Stafford game as a Bulldog, you thought at least once or twice, “No one in else in college football could have made that throw”. Of course, that doesn’t guarantee anything at the next level. He didn’t always make the best decisions, but always seemed to be dealing with slippery-handed pass catchers and an inexperienced offensive line. Georgia football coach Mark Richt compares Stafford to NFL legends John Elway and Dan Marino.

“He is very strong and durable, he is very agile,” Richt adds. “His arm is unquestioned in its strength, but he can also make any throw you would want a guy to make. He is highly intelligent. He loves the game. He’s a humble guy who wants to put the team first; he’s exactly what everyone is looking for. I think he will be a very high pick, if not the first pick.”

As for number two, it’s a toss up. Before you put Mark Sanchez (USC) in the top ten, could you find one person who called him a first round pick before his Rose Bowl performance? Didn’t think so. Sanchez has potential, but is a borderline first-round talent who will get over-drafted.

Finally, we come to the brick-house named Josh Freeman out of Kansas St. Yes, he is raw, but he has more potential than Sanchez and maybe as much as Stafford. I like Freeman more than I liked JaMarcus Russell coming out…the difference? Freeman didn’t have Dwayne Bowe, Buster Davis and Early Doucet to throw to or a defense stocked with future NFL talent constantly giving him the ball back.

Who Are the Top Senior QBs?

No senior quarterback will approach the first round and they all may have to wait until day two to hear their name called. The candidates include Pat White (West Virginia), Curtis Painter (Purdue), Thomas Brandstater (Fresno St.), Stephen McGee (Texas A&M) and Brian Hoyer (Michigan St.).

White is the most likely to go in the second round, but that has more to do with his “slash” potential than his ability to go under center in 2009. Hoyer appears to be a rising player on some people’s draft boards despite the fact he struggled to complete 50 percent of his passes as a senior.

The upside that Painter, Brandstater and McGee bring shouldn’t be underestimated. Don’t be surprised if one or more of this trio outperforms one or two of the big three as pros. It happens all the time. Quarterback coach Bob Johnson, who worked with Sanchez, Painter, Brandstater, White and Nathan Brown had especially high praise for the former Boilermaker.

“Curtis Painter is going to surprise people and end up starting in this league,” Johnson told the NFL Draft Bible in a radio interview. Brandstater and McGee may not have the arm strength of Painter, but provide a little more in terms of mobility.

What Happened to So-and-So?

“Sometimes your senior year doesn’t go quite the way it’s supposed to and maybe his didn’t, but there are a lot of things to be said about that whether it was protections or receivers or a new coordinator, whatever it was.”

That was Coach Johnson on Curtis Painter, but he easily could have been talking about Hunter Cantwell (Louisville), Cullen Harper (Clemson), Rudy Carpenter (Arizona St.) or Todd Boeckman (Ohio St.). Of this quartet Cantwell and Boeckman have the best arms. Cantwell is inexperienced and spotty, but if a team can be patient and coach him up, he possesses the raw tools. Boeckman was a victim of circumstance at OSU—after their National Championship hopes vanished, it was time for the Terrelle Pryor era to begin. Boeckman is a statue in the pocket, but he has a pro arm and could be a Free Agent bargain.

Coming out of the Big XII, Graham Harrell (Texas Tech) and Chase Daniel (Missouri) were as productive as anyone in this class of quarterbacks, but they simply don’t stack up physically. Yes, people have questioned the fact they are coming out of spread offenses, but scouts wouldn’t be as worried about the “system” label if Daniel was three or four inches taller and Harrell had a stronger arm.

John Parker Wilson (Alabama) is a solid game manager who led the Crimson Tide to an 11-win season, but he doesn’t offer much potential.

Who Could Be This Year’s Joe Flacco?

If you’re looking for someone who is going to step in as the starter and win a playoff game, the answer is “nobody”. The top small school candidate is Rhett Bomar (Sam Houston St.), who has the size, arm and athleticism to start under center in the League. Like Flacco who began his college career as a Pitt Panther (before transferring to Delaware), Bomar started at the Bowl Subdivision level, leading the Oklahoma Sooners to their last bowl victory before moving on to Sam Houston St. Accuracy is the biggest question make with this small school stud.

Not far behind is D-III standout Jason Boltus (Hartwick), who throws an impressive fastball. He's an intriguing prospect and it’s amazing that someone with his kind of arm slipped through so many cracks. Two other names to keep an eye on are Michael Reilly (Central Washington) and Nathan Brown (Central Arkansas).

Who Are Some Sleepers?

His stock may have dropped more than any other quarterback's throughout the evaluation process, but there is still a lot to like about Nate Davis (Ball St.), namely his rocket arm. His did not put his best foot forward on his way out the door, playing his worst two games of 2008 in his final two games as a collegian, but if you can snag him anytime after the third round, he could end up being a steal. Another strong-armed mid-major quarterback who could surprise is David Johnson (Tulsa). A one-year starter, Johnson did the most with his opportunity and proved himself to be capable threat. Unlike most spread offenses, the Golden Hurricane stretched the football field and not many throw a prettier deep ball than Johnson. Willie Tuitama (Arizona), like Davis, is short, stocky and athletic with a good arm, while Chase Patton (Missouri) hopes to be the next Matt Cassell and overcome zero college starts before embarking on an NFL career.

Who Are the Stars of Tomorrow?

If you heard enough of Pat White and what position he should play on Sundays…wait till next year! Everyone and their mother will have an opinion on Mr. Tim Tebow (Florida). Is he a quarterback? Tight end? H-Back? Fullback? Maybe even a linebacker? If he does stay “under center”, he will be asked to do very different things on Sundays than he does as the Gators' star. Dan LeFevour (Central Michigan), Zac Robinson (Oklahoma St.) and Juice Williams (Illinois) are three more dual threats, with Colt McCoy (Texas) coming out of the Texas spread. And keep an eye on 6’ 5 mid-major quarterbacks Tim Hiller (Western Michigan) and Rusty Smith (Florida Atlantic).

Red-shirt junior Sam Bradford (Oklahoma) will be the favorite to go number one overall heading into the season, but don’t sleep on former Longhorn Jevan Snead (Ole Miss), with Jake Locker (Washington), Jimmy Clausen (Notre Dame), Colin Kaepernick (Nevada) and Pat Devlin (Delaware) all talented juniors.

No one looks the part of the old school prototypical pocket passer more than the 6’5/255 pound sophomore Ryan Mallett (Arkansas), while fellow second-year studs Terrelle Pryor (Ohio St.) and Robert Griffin (Baylor) are 100 percent new school.

Part I of an VIII Part Series - Tomorrow: Running Backs

Photo Credit: SEC Sports Media, College Press Box (Louisville), Sam Houston State Athletics, Walt Beazley, University of Tulsa, Purdue University Sports Information

Don't Sleep On Small School Transfers

In the last few years, there have been several small school players that have achieved a success in the NFL. Many of them were transfers. Names like Joe Flacco, the former Pittsburgh Panther who transferred to Delaware, or Brandon Jacobs, the former Auburn Tiger who moved to Southern Illinois.

Flacco wanted to start and didn’t want to wait on Tyler Palko, while Jacobs was stuck behind Cadillac Williams and Ronnie Brown. But in the NFL landscape, being from Pitt or Auburn as opposed to Delaware or Southern Illinois greatly affects how you're judged.

I think the first step is to realize that these players were at top schools in the nation. Then, for whatever reason, they decided to move on.

This year the NFL Draft Bible took a look at some of the guys who were at high profile schools when entering college but—like the names mentioned above—ended up moving to smaller schools. In the process, I think they sort of fell off the radar; you can bet your bottom dollar that for the most part, a player from Florida is going to get a closer look than a kid from Southern Illinois.

Rashad Jennings from Liberty was originally at Pittsburgh but transferred to be closer to his father due to his battle with diabetes. When one thinks of Liberty, they think of justice for all, not a tiny school in Lynchburg, Virginia. Jennings did play at Pittsburgh, he was one of only four true freshmen to start a opener for the Panthers. He sort of reminds me of a poor man's Chris Wells. This 6’1 231-pound back possesses the skill set to make a big impact at the next level. During the NFL Scouting Combine, Jennings' results in the 3-cone drill were off the charts for a man his size and he proved to have the muscle as well, logging 29 reps on the bench. Jennings will be lucky to be a day one back, but like Brandon Jacobs who was selected in the fourth round, he's going to be yet another example of how the name of the school affects the ranking of the player.

Having captured the last three Big 12 Championships, the Oklahoma Sooners football program takes a back seat to no one. Could it have been Rhett Bomar instead of Sam Bradford holding the Heisman Trophy if he wasn’t dismissed after breaking NCAA rules? Bomar was recruted to play at Sam Houston State, where he ended up. He was also recruited to play for a team that has gone 102-22 since Bob Stoops took over the program. Bomar broke the rules and now his Draft stock is feeling the effects of those mistakes. Think about it—do you really think Bomar would be ranked where he is now if he was still with Oklahoma? He stands 6’2 and 225 pounds, brings good arm strength and a competitive attitude to the huddle, and is a presence on the field, as a Bearkat or Sooner.

Even though his college career was marred by injuries, former Miami Hurricane Andrew Johnson, who transferred to Akron, is really the super sleeper of the three. At the time when Johnson was recruited by Miami, Larry Coker was the coach and the ‘Canes were a force in college football. They produced elite talent from all positions, maybe none more so than running back, where names like Edgerrin James, Clinton Portis, Willis McGahee and Frank Gore echo in the halls of the U. But like a high-end night club, not just anybody was getting in. For Johnson, the future never turned out like the others—he never made it behind the velvet rope. Johnson has 4.3 speed to go along with size at 5’11 and 215. Time will tell if this former Hurricane will go unnoticed as a Zip before showing up, and lighting it up, in the pros.

Many talented players share the same situation as Jennings, Bomar and Johnson and they'll each be seeking to make a big impact as second day selections.

Photo Credit: Sam Houston State Athletics, Mark Campbell, UD Athletics Media Relations Photo

On Location: QB Notes From Indy - II

QB Drew Willy, Buffalo:
Workout: Will be doing all drills at the combine.
Teams Met With: Bengals, Steelers, Bears, Bucs, Bills, Lions

QB Mike Reilly, Central Washington:
Workout: Will be doing all drills at the combine.

QB Brian Hoyer, Michigan State
Workout: Will be doing all drills at the combine.
Teams Met With: About 20-25 teams

QB Stepen McGee, Texas A & M:
Workout: Working out at School

QB Pat White, West Virginia:
Workout: Will be doing all drills at the combine.
Miscellaneous: Willing to play quarterback and wide receiver

QB Rhett Bomar, Sam Houston State:
Workout: Will work out.
Training: CES
Pro Day: March 24.

QB Cullen Harper, Clemson:
Workout: Will work out
Training: Athletes Performance
Teams Met With: Texans, Niners, Redskins.

QB Jason Boltus, Hartwick:
Workout: Will work out
Teams Met With: Vikings, Browns, Jags, Lions and Rams

QB Hunter Caldwell, Louisville
Workout: Will work out

QB Chase Daniels, Missouri
Workout: Will work out.

As reported by Justin VanFulpen

SENIOR BOWL – NORTH PRACTICE NOTES

Quarterback: Of all the quarterbacks, Rhett Bomar has the most potential, but he needs a lot of work in terms of his mechanics and consistency. Don’t expect him to be an instant impact rookie a la Joe Flacco regardless of the similarities. Like Flacco, Bomar transferred from a FBS school (Oklahoma) to a FCS school (Sam Houston St.) before earning a Senior Bowl invite. (Flacco ended up at Delaware after starting his college career at Pittsburgh) In addition to having the best arm of this group, Bomar is the most athletic quarterback of the North threesome. He had some issues taking the ball from under center, making the transition from a shot-gun quarterback.

Going under center, Graham Harrell did a nice job dropping back and talking the ball. He didn’t look like a quarterback who spent his entire career (high school and college) in shot-gun spread offenses. Too bad he wasn’t as impressive when asked to throw the football – his ball flutters. Even on the rare occasion when he threw a tight spiral, Harrell simply didn’t have the arm on the deep comeback throws.

Nathan Brown had some issues under center and fumbled a couple of snaps. He is short and doesn’t have the strongest arm, which makes his lack of crisp mechanics and side-arm delivery even more concerning. Like Harrell, Brown didn’t show the arm strength to make sideline throws. Brown looks his best in “game situations” – in the 11-on-11 he was able to settle in and make some solid throws. Thursday was Brown’s best day as he ran the 11-on-11 very well.

Running Backs: Jeremiah Johnson stood out among this group. He has very good lateral quickness – simply put, he can make you miss. Coming out of the backfield, this former Duck is a tough cover and while he is not a feature back, he will make somebody very happy with his ability as a number two.

Cedric Peerman looks like a natural route runner. He should land somewhere as a third down back.

Syracuse product Tony Fiametta had a stellar week. Fearless and physical as a blocker, he also looked good as a receiver coming out of the backfield. At this point, he is the odds-on favorite to be the first fullback off the board come April.

Wide Receivers: Brian Robiskie has terrific hands, maybe the best of this group. He also has no peers in terms of his route running skills. A true technician who plays like his father is a receiver’s coach in the NFL…which he is (Terry Robiskie coaches wide receivers for he Minnesota Vikings).

Ramses Barden had trouble adjusting to playing against a higher level of competition. Even with his big school size, Barden had some trouble getting off jams at the line of scrimmage.

Juaquin Iglesias showed good quickness and the ability to change direction. He plays faster than his 40-time.

None of these defensive backs on the North – and there were some good ones – were able to stay with Derrick Williams in terms of his speed/quickness. After making most of his yardage at Penn St. on screen and junk passes, Williams showed he can in fact run routes and get down the field.

Before he was injured, UNC’s Brooks Foster flashed the ability to stretch the field, but he can also be pushed around. He needs to get tougher and more physical.

In addition to displaying skills as a pass catcher, Brandon Gibson laid an impressive crack back block on defensive end Will Davis in 11-on-11 drills. Gibson showed great hands and could not be held in check – he always found a way to get open.

Malcolm Johnson was a late (injury) addition but quickly became a favorite target of the North quarterbacks, seeing a lot of action in 11-on-11, flourishing in the Red Zone.

Tight End: Brandon Pettigrew pushed Scott McKillop out with relative ease in one-on-one blocking drills. He is a man at tight end, one of the few legitimate in-line blockers at the position.

Big man John Phillips is known as much for his blocking as he is his pass catching, if not more so, but he displayed excellent hands in 11-on-11 drills. He doesn’t necessarily get a lot of separation so he won’t be an explosive pass receiver but appears to be a safe/reliable option.

Offensive Tackles: One of the more intriguing prospects is UConn tackle William Beatty. He needs to do a better job of keeping his back upright and bending his knees, but you have to love the upside he possesses. He got better as the week went on, which is how his pro career will likely go. He needs to put on weight or he’ll be vulnerable to a bull rush, but he has the frame to do so and he’s got the athleticism and footwork to protect the quarterback’s blindside.

Early on, the weakest offensive tackle on the North team was Illinois product Xavier Fulton, who was beaten pretty regularly in one-on-one situations. I did like that he improved throughout the week, rather than hanging his head after his early struggles.

Phil Loadholt was very inconsistent in one-on-one pass blocking drills. The problem is his footwork and lack of lateral mobility. When he gets his hands on pass rusher, it’s game over. The size and length (excellent wingspan) are there for him to play left tackle, but in all likelihood his lack of footwork will prevent him from playing the marquee position. He will shift to the right side on Sundays. Against some of the lesser talent, Loadholt was able to block them, but when he had to block the premier pass rushers on the North, he couldn’t handle them – yet another sign he belongs on the right side.

Guards: Wisconsin guard Craig Urbik was the most consistent interior lineman all week. How do you not love this guy? While most of the centers and guards were getting outplayed by a strong group of defensive tackles, Urbik held his own on almost every snap. He anchors well and even showed excellent footwork when the opposition changed direction. You're not going to overpower Urbik

Andy Levitre is making the move inside after playing tackle at Oregon St. He simply lacks the length to play in the perimeter as his short arms prevent him from pushing linemen away and knocking them off their moves. Levitre had trouble when asked to block speed rushers but has good technique and uses his hands well.

Centers: Max Unger had some trouble handling the faster/quicker players and powerful linemen. When matching up with a noseman like Ron Brace, he was pushed right back into the pocket – the same happened when he was asked to block B.J. Raji. He does a better job when the opposition tries to out-quick him – he’s more athletic than your typical center.

Alex Mack is tougher than Unger, but he had troubles with Ziggy Hood’s spin moves. He was also overpowered by B.J. Raji (in 11-on-11), putting in doubt whether he will be able to handle premier defensive tackles one-on-one. Mack has a nasty streak and does a good job of maintaining leverage.

Defensive Tackles: At his best, B.J. Raji was dominant, pushing around most guards and centers throughout the week. He displayed both the quickness to get around offensive linemen as well as the strength to overpower them. Raji can be so disruptive – at one point breaking up a hand-off in 11-on-11, pushing Alex Mack back into the quarterback.

The other Boston College defensive tackle, Ron Brace, is a one-trick pony. He’s not trying to trick anybody – it’s a straight power bull rush every time. At times he comes out of his stance too high, a no-no for man expected to make his living over the center. It was disappointing to see Brace get handled on back-to-back plays by Virginia Tech’s Ryan Shuman, a borderline draftee. He easily had the most false starts in one-on-one drills. Brace will get solid push from time-to-time, but rarely will flat out beat his blocker.

If you’re looking for moves, Mizzou’s Ziggy Hood had the O-Line baffled with his spin move. While he typically put the offensive linemen through the spin cycle, Hood also busted out an occasional swim move to beat his man. He is tough to block one-on-one.

Mitch King blew by several offensive linemen using his quickness on inside moves, as well as speed off the edge. He also uses hands well. The one-on-one scenarios play to his strengths. When he tried to use a power move, he was cut off at the path – he had no chance to get into the backfield. He is explosive, but simply lacks the size NFL teams are looking for, which doesn’t mean he can’t create a niche for himself as a role player at the next level.

Alex Magee who was added to the roster on Tuesday, exploded by Andy Levitre, using his hands to get by the former Beaver. Magee displayed a speed rush and showed a nice combination move when he powered outside to set up with spin move back inside. I really like his quickness.

Defensive Ends: Larry English showed some glimpses as an edge pass rusher. It looks like he put on some weight for Senior Bowl week, but has he robbed himself of some quickness? He picked up his play as the week went on, displaying a variety of pass rush moves, which is how he’s going to make his money on the next level. English looked solid when asked to cover. He is an ideal candidate to move to outside linebacker in a 3-4 scheme.

Tim Jamison had some moments, but often goes too wide, always trying to beat his man on the perimeter. He looks like a ‘tweener – to small to play on the line of scrimmage, not long enough to be an outside pass rusher.

Cody Brown plays a little too upright. He could not get by Phil Loadholt on numerous one-on-one opportunities. Brown responded later in the week, at times attacking the blocker – he knocked both Xavier Fulton and college teammate William Beatty on their rear ends.

After spending most of his time at tight end, Connor Barwin did get an opportunity to show what he could do as a pass rusher. He was able to drop his inside shoulder and go around the pass blocker and also showed his natural instincts and quickness setting up linemen with a hesitation move.

Linebackers: Tyrone McKenzie, out of USF, looks like a solid three-down linebacker. He’s not very explosive but he can cover and there is something to be said for not having to leave the field. He did a great job sticking with Brandon Pettigrew and knocked some balls away.

Marcus Freeman had trouble shedding blockers, although he did avoid Brandon Pettigrew in 11-on-11 as the former Cowboy was trying to block him. He will be a productive pro, but is likely limited to being a weakside linebacker in a 4-3 defense. Freeman is at his best playing in space, whether he is trying to avoid a block or make a tackle. He may be the best linebacker in coverage – so smooth and natural when dropping back.

Clint Sintim is trying to prove he can play in a 4-3 defense after flourishing in a 3-4 system at Virginia. He might be able to play the strongside, but is probably better suited to be a rush linebacker. On that note, he struggled in one-on-one coverage when asked to stay with running backs.

Cornerbacks: Darius Butler displayed good footwork throughout the week. He’s a little undersized, but his hips are as fluid as any corner playing this week. At times, Butler disappointed a bit with his speed – does his 40-time translate to the field? For a corner who lacks ideal size, he needs to show more closing speed. He did impress with his physical play at the line of scrimmage, at one point spinning Brooks Foster completely around right at the line. He looks like he has the skills to play bump-and-run.

Coming out of Oregon St. Kennan Lewis is a physical corner, not at all afraid to mix it up.

I believe Macho Harris had a better week than he’s being given credit for. He’s never going to be an on the island corner, but will find a place in the NFL. He was very physical with Ohio St.’s Brian Robiskie, simply not allowing the former Buckeye to go where he wanted to go (by most accounts, Robiskie was one of the tougher receivers to cover). He also showed the ability to play off-man coverage, which is not his strength.

Safeties: William Moore lacks the fluid hips to be effective in coverage, which is why some scouts are speculating he may have to make the move to linebacker, like Oklahoma’s Nic Harris. He seemed to get pushed back step-by-step by Brandon Gibson in coverage and then was completely turned out of position.

Coming out of Western Michigan Louis Delmus also struggled as a coverman. On one drill, he gave Derrick Williams a ton of cushion only to see the Penn St. product run right by him anyway. This Bronco is at his best running down hill and will flourish against the run. Delmus will get caught peeking into the offensive backfield on play-action.

One safety who was solid when asked to cover wide receivers one-on-one was Oregon’s Patrick Chung, who surely helped his stock this week.

Photo Credit: Mizzou Media Relations; OU Athletics Department; David Knachel, Virginia Tech Athletics Communications; USF Athletics Communications; OSU Athletics; Sam Houston State Athletics, College Press Box

All Star: Senior Bowl Report - Day 1

Mobile, AL – A total of 104 senior prospects started the process of impressing the NFL scouts, coaches and front office staff that has traveled to Alabama following a week of doing evaluations in Houston, Texas at the East-West Shrine Game.

A host of star names failed to depart their current training facilities, so the group features a handful of possible first round picks, but mainly 2nd to 4th round choices following this year’s group of underclassmen entering the draft.

I headed over to the North practice site on Monday afternoon as both teams spent 90 minutes on the field at the same time, which will not happen the next two days. I had two evaluators, one a former NFL scout, in attendance for the South practice, which is reflected in the proceeding report.

Tuesday and Wednesday’s workouts will feature two-hour workouts in full pads, so the 1-on-1 sessions and team drills will provide some lively action and big hits.

INITIAL IMPRESSIONS:

Oklahoma State tight end Brandon Pettigrew… stood out as a clear cut above the other tight ends thanks to his natural size and than today showing he can get open down-field and be a solid blocker at the point of attack. Has good, but not great straight-line speed; still carries a mid-to-late first round grade at the moment.

- Sam Houston State quarterback Rhett Bomar… had the most “Live” arm of the three North QB’s; Graham Harrell (Texas Tech) and Nathan Brown (Central Arkansas). He had the most velocity on his out routes and the windy conditions had little or no effect on his ball. Well-built has a sturdy frame and among this group his physical traits have a real chance to shine.

- San Jose State cornerback Coye Francies… passed the eye-test during the morning weigh-in. Shows fluid hips and very good make-up speed, closing on the ball several times. His excellent size and footwork helped make him someone scouts were talking about at the South practice.

- Iowa defensive tackle Mitch King… won most of his 1-on-1’s thanks to impressive quickness and use of his hands. Did not stay blocked too often during the first practice. Quick to see and read the play, very good penetrating his gap off the snap, but lacks ideal size to play every-down inside.

- USC linebacker Brian Cushing… made a very good impression during the morning weigh-in; he’s a solidly built 6’3”, 245 pound ‘backer. Can look a little stiff at times, struggles to get proper depth on drops, needs to turn and run sometimes rather than being fluid enough to just adapt on the move. Looks best attacking the line of scrimmage and making plays in front of him.

- Cal-Poly wide receiver Ramses Barden… great natural size, long, lean frame and did not appear to be 227 pounds as he did not have much fat on his body. Not a natural route runner. Had some trouble adjusting to similar level of competition in terms of ability, caught some balls against his body. Will still do well on jump balls or vertical routes, but he had some issues gathering himself and accelerating in-and-out of his cuts.

Purdue running back Kory Sheets… showed good hands out of the backfield and opened some eyes with his burst in the open field. Had good vision as a runner and several scouts noted he could be a very good all-purpose type back at the NFL level.

SECOND LOOK:

- Cincinnati defensive end Connor Barwin… he was given jersey #82 and practiced the entire afternoon at tight end after spending his senior campaign on the defensive side of he ball. Following practice he said that a lot of teams wanted to watch him practice at tight end, but that he could still take reps at defensive end or even play both ways in the game itself.

- West Virginia quarterback Pat White… struggled throwing the ball, handling the windy conditions and then when he did throw a good ball it was dropped by one of his receivers. Not sure if he was not use to the NFL football or it was just a bad day at the office, but at Tuesday’s practice it will be huge for him to rebound before scouts think about seeing him at wide receiver.
WHAT WE’RE HEARING:

* A quick poll of those watching the afternoon practice session at Ladd-Peebles Stadium revealed that most believe Mike Singletary (49ers), Rex Ryan (Jets) and Raheem Morris (Buccaneers) will have the most success as first-year head coaches next season.

* An assortment of underclassmen and even some of the seniors that opted to pass on playing in the actual Senior Bowl game are expected to arrive on Tuesday and be around the practices and team hotel in order to attract the attention of NFL scouts and coaches.

* According to several sources the annual Monday night welcome cocktail party was far less attended than in years past. It also seems like although Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and Miami Dolphins executive VP of Football Operations Bill Parcells were in attendance Monday morning that the total number of decision-makers currently in Mobile is also down a significant amount.

* The wheeling-and-dealing among current staff members, both coaches and scouts, that have seen major adjustments in their head coach or front office was obvious during the weigh-in process and shortly there after as those wearing Chiefs, Browns, Buccaneers and Lions gear were all concentrating on making contact with friends throughout the room after taking care of the initial business at hand; charting the height, weight arm and hand of the 104 senior prospects.

Photo Credit: WVU Sports Communication, College Press Box (USC, Oklahoma St.)