2011 NFL Scouting Combine: Offense Finishes Workouts, Defense Takes Center Stage

The last "event" for members of the media was hosted by another member of the media, NFL Network analyst and lead draft expert Mike Mayock.  Mayock took questions for over 20 minutes, ranging from the deepest position in the draft, how he'd grade the quarterbacks' performances today, and his thoughts on Bill Polian:

Based on what you saw today, how do you rate the quarterbacks on today's performances?

It's so hard when I sit there, because we're on camera looking at wide outs and quarterbacks and I can only comment on what I see. So here's the statement I'm going to make about Cam Newton, because I know everyone's going to want to know about it. I don't take the 15 or 20 or 30 throws he made here and have it change my mind about anything. It's important to me as an evaluator is to watch as much tape as I can, and I gotta see a Quarterback live: see how the ball comes out of his hands. 

That was the first opportunity to see the ball come out of his hands, and I think he was a little frustrated by his inaccuracies.  He didn't throw a bunch of completions.  What happens here is when you don't have your receivers, and they are throwing the 10 yard speed out and you're hitting the fifth step, and they're telling you, the coaches are telling you to throw to an area. You've been coached your entire life to complete passes, so there's a little bit of a contradiction in your head, as a kid who's never done this before. So I kind of feel empathy for these kids, and I appreciate the fact they chose to throw the football today, because they might expose exactly what you saw, which is sometimes the ball hits the ground.

So what do I think about Cam Newton? With all that as a preface nothing has changed for me.  He's got a big arm, and better mechanics than Vince Young or Tim Tebow, or any of those other big guys. I still have the same questions I had coming in on Cam Newton, and for the next two months I'm going to try to answer.

Secondly, you need to figure the kid out. That's the most important thing to me at the Quarterback position. You look at the last 3 years in the NFL, they've done a great job at it.  Every Quarterback's been a hit; all first round QBs have been phenomenal. So I think the NFL is doing a better job that once you get a certain baseline skill set of a QB, the most important thing to me is what kind of kid are you. You guys know me: Are you the first one in the building in the morning? Are you a leader of men? Do you watch as much tape as your QB coach? Can you process and assimilate information? They're the hard parts about evaluating the QB, more than his feet or arm strength.

What is the deepest position in the draft, and which is the thinnest?

You're going to see the deepest position tomorrow.  The defensive line, in general, is phenomenal.  I've got 9 Defensive Ends with First Round grades. Typically 3.8 to 4 go in the first round over the last 5 years, so that gives you an idea how good I think the Defensive Ends are. The Defensive Tackles are going to be fascinating especially at the top end. I guess (Oregon St. Stephen) Paea did 49 bench presses today, which, I love that kid. It just reinforces he plays with strength. He's only my, I believe he's my 4th rated DT. Love Paea, love (Alabama DT Marcell) Dareus, can't wait to see (Auburn DT Nick) Fairley work out because he could play any position on the Defensive Line. (Illinois DT) Corey Liuget, not many people know, but I think will be really good tomorrow. (Temple DT) Muhammad Wilkerson, any of you 3-4 guys, any of you who work for a 3-4 team, Muhammad Wilkerson and (Wisconsin DT) J.J. Watt are both starting 5 Techniques in the NFL, both are first round picks in my opinion. The deepest position, in my opinion, is the defensive line.

And then you get to some positions, as I look down my list, Tight End is probably the worst position in the draft. There's one potential first round pick, and you're going to have to trust your instincts from watching tape, because you might get a workout from him at Notre Dame on April 7th, but Kyle Rudolph is the only talent at the first round, then there's a lot of question marks after that. And I think the Safety class is below-average, so I'd say Tight End and Safety are the worst.

Mike, you mentioned this is a passing league now.  The Colts are picking at No. 22, and have a crying need at left tackle. Would you be surprised, knowing Bill Polian's history of first rounds being skill positions, do you think he'll go against his own tradition and go for the left tackle this time?

I think Bill's one of the best drafters in the league, and has been for a long time, and I think he's tried to get by because he has a QB that gets rid of the ball so quickly, and he's tried to get by with the high picks being at the skill positions, and Tony Ugoh getting picked in the 2nd round didn't work out. So if there's a natural Tackle sitting there at 22, and I think there might be, but a guy that can plug and play immediately, and, you know, not somebody who's a project that's going to get his QB killed.  If there's somebody who can step in and play immediately, I think Tackle has to be the position of interest to Bill right now.

You can listen to the full interview with Mayock here: Mike Mayock Combine Interview

Indianapolis native and Indiana University WR Tandon Doss sat down with members of the media on Saturday afternoon.  Doss talked about the surgery he had back in December, what it means to attend the combine, and whether he'd like to play for the hometown Colts. You can view the interview here.

How has Indiana's pass-first offense prepare you for NFL?

It helped out a lot with learning all different kinds of routes and the depth and what they expect. It's being able to read defenses and find my spots. It's helped out a lot.

Being from Indy, what does it mean to be a part of combine?

They told me I wouldn't have time to do anything and that's pretty much how it's been. It's been a great experience, and I'm meeting a lot of new people down here and trying to make some friends around here.

Do you discuss the labor situation?

I can only control what I can control. I'm not worried about that right now. I'm just trying to experience this right now.

Do players talk about labor situation here?

We really don't know too much about it so we don't have a lot to say. We're worried about it of course, but we
really don't know what's going on.

Many people believe your status has gone up more than any player. What about your skills make you so attractive?

I think the fact that I’m able to play special teams, I’m able to take hand-offs. I’m able to play on a kickoff team. Wherever teams need me I’ll be able to fill in that spot.

What the biggest selling points for you on your resume.

My versatility, my work ethic, and the fact that I’m a playmaker wherever you put me.

Has it been important to be a versatile player?

Yes. In high school I played running back, tailback, quarterback, defense. It was great being able to have that experience at IU. Hopefully I’ll be able to do that in the NFL.

Talk about your experience at Ben Davis (IN) High school.

They have a great coaching staff, a great weight room program, great training. They basically run the program like a
college so going into IU I knew I could make that transition easily.They play tough competition so it prepared me for the next level.

Who offered you scholarships out of High School?

Purdue, Kentucky and IU. I chose IU because Billy Lynch is a great recruiter, he's like family to me and he got me.

Is there a receiver in the NFL you pattern your game after?

I take a little bit of everything from everybody, but a guy I really look up to is Reggie Wayne. I like his routes, his hands, his work ethic. Hopefully I can model my game after his.

Do you still keep contact with James Hardy?

We do sometimes. We text each other if we have a chance to, but there hasn't been a lot of contact right now.

Do you feel you can learn from (Hardy's) struggles?

He's a great player and athlete. He's a freak athlete. He had some things along the way that kept him down. Hopefully he gets back into it. I'm going to learn from the experience and take as much out of it as I can.

What about Reggie Wayne do you emulate?

You can watch his routes, his size. He's always breaking down receivers, he knows depth. He knows how to read defenses to get open. He and Peyton (Manning) work together a lot so (the game) comes easy and natural to him.

Do you watch film on Wayne?

I didn't have the opportunity to watch a lot of film, but anytime I get a chance to watch the pros, I do.

Why did you leave Indiana early?

There were a lot of things going on there. The coaching staff was fired, we had two freshman quarterbacks fighting for the position. The O-line wasn't all there. We had a great group of receivers though, we were sharing the ball.

Was it difficult to leave Indiana?

Yes. I had a lot of friends there. At the end of the day you have to make the decision for yourself and do what's
best for your friends and family. That's what I did.

What was it like working with Ben Chappell?

It was great. That's one of my boys. He took care of me when I was (at IU). He's a great leader. He's a great role model. I'm surprised he didn't get invited to the combine. He's a great player and very underrated.

What effect did the IU coaching change have on you declaring?

If you're a playmaker and a receiver, you don't want to go to a high running formation and take that chance like that. I felt like I didn't know what was going on with that situation so I made this decision.

Notre Dame RB Armando Allen sat down with the media on Friday afternoon, and gave some insight on his injuries, the differences between former Head Coach Charlie Weis, and current Head Coach Brian Kelly, and how he started to break tackles his senior season:

What teams have contacted you?

That's very restricted (laughs).

What do you think you'll run in the 40?

I'm actually not running here, and I'm going to perform at my Pro Day.

Your Pro Day would be?

April 7^th.

Are you going to be back to 100% by your Pro Day?

Yes sir.

Do you think you picked up some things from Coach Weis in his time at Notre Dame that'll help in the NFL?  Obviously his system is geared towards the NFL game.

Without a doubt.  I think if you look at Coach Weis and the system he had set up for us you kind of pick up those traits and similarities that you can kind of compare to the NFL.  Obviously most definitely I picked up some good things.

What's the biggest difference between Coach Weis and Coach Kelly?

Just a different style of plays being called, I'll say that for one thing. Pretty much just two different styles. Both coach hard, and both know how they want it, and how they want it done, so that would be the only difference.

Was it easy to pick up the new offense?

It actually wasn't too difficult to pick up.  I think the biggest thing for me with being a Senior was to be open minded.  You never know what situation you're going to be put in, and you just have to take it in stride.

Do you think that transition maybe prepared you for the transition you'll go through now, learning a brand new offense?

Ya, I'd say it's been a great experience.  I've actually had 3 different running back coaches in the four years I've been at Notre Dame, so I really know and understand how that works.

Do you think you were under-utilized at Notre Dame?

You know, I really can't say. At the end of the day there are some things you have control over and some things you don't. I think the biggest thing for me was when I was utilized to take advantage of it.

Do you think you have an advantage over some of the other Running Backs because you caught the ball out of the backfield so much in college?

I wouldn't say an advantage over other backs, I'd say an advantage for me, in particular when you're talking about self, I think ya, being able to be a versatile back can help you out a lot and I'm hoping and praying it will.

You had three broken bones, was it bad bones or bad breaks?

Actually it was some cartilage in my hip. Just the fibula and my hand just bad breaks.  Those were definitely some injuries I couldn't have avoided. I just think it was just my luck with those injuries, and the most important thing is to just bounce back.

Any issues with the hip?

I'm about 90% right now, actually doing much better than some people think I should be.

Do you have a team you'd like to play for?

It really doesn't matter to me.  At the end of the day, being the fact that I've had a couple injuries, the biggest thing for me is just being able to play football. At the end of the day it doesn't matter.

Last season, you seemed to break more tackles than your first 3 seasons.  Is there something specific you did in the offseason to upgrade yourself?  Did the new coaching staff help?

I'd say a combination of both. This offseason I watched a lot of film and noticed in particular that I needed better leg drive and things pertaining to my legs, so in the offseason I paid more emphasis to my legs.  The coaches obviously helped me out tremendously.

You can listen to the audio file here: Armando Allen Combine Interview

Auburn QB Cam Newton addressed the media Saturday afternoon in front of a packed house at the 2011 NFL Scouting Combine, held in Indianapolis.  There might have been 10 people who did not cram in front of Newton, who definitely loved the spotlight.

He started with a short statement about some comments he made earlier in the week, calling himself "not only a football player, but an entertainer and an icon."  He tried to clarify what he had said, saying he was a football player first, and that was solely what he was focusing on.

He took questions for about 12 minutes, longer than most players here at the Combine, and they ranged from what he hopes to accomplish here at the Combine, his problems he had at Florida, and his relationship with his father.  He didn't shy away from any of them, although at the end he gave a Mark McGwire-type answer in response to a question about stealing things from other players lockers at Florida: "The past is the past, and I don't want to focus on the past".

He also said he'd be participating in all the drills this weekend, as he's a competitor and "that's what he does: compete".  Newton, along with all the other top QBs except Missouri's Blaine Gabbert, will be throwing Sunday, a stark contrast from Combine's past.  It shows that these guys want to perform during the big stage, and should help them in the end.

JimmyK from Bleeding Green Nation recorded the press conference of Purdue DE Ryan Kerrigan, given Saturday afternoon at the 2011 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis:

A full transcript will be available soon, as well as just the audio.

Notre Dame early entrant Kyle Rudolph spoke to the media Friday afternoon, and here are some quotes from his press conference:

On the deciding factor that led him to enter draft early:

It just came down to being the best decision for myself and my family. It was something I thought about for a long time and got a lot of opinions. I had a lot of great people on my side. Coach Kelly and coach Weis and our personnel director at school, getting as many opinions as I could and putting the facts together. I sat down with my mom and dad and we decided this was the best decision.

On playing in two different offenses:

Playing for coach Weis for two years was great. He's the reason why I went to Notre Dame and I loved playing in his offense. Then coach Kelly came in with the spread offense and I was able to pick up on that pretty quick. He created a lot of mismatches offensively and I got to play a lot of different spots.

On his greatest strength:

I think my greatest strength is just to be a complete tight end, a tight end who can hold the point and block at the line scrimmage as well as a tight end who can get down field and catch balls. I'm a tight end who can play on all downs.

On walking out of the tunnel into Notre Dame Stadium for the first time:

It was something that I'll never forget. We played San Diego State the first game. I still remember the first play. Going into the stadium I didn't get too nervous but when the offense finally had its time to go on the field you look around. But after the first play it's back to football and you don't even think about it.

On how close he is with former Irish TEs Anthony Fasano and John Carlson:

I'm very close with Anthony and John. Every time I visited Notre Dame I was stuck with John. I was at his hip and everything I did I followed John. It's a great compliment whenever anybody compares me to John Carlson because he was so successful at Notre Dame and has been successful in the NFL, and he does it the right way. He's a good guy, he keeps his nose clean and he does things the right way.

I didn't get to know Anthony until my sophomore year. He and I had the same shoulder surgery and I was able to reach out to him and get a feel for what it was going to be like and what it was that I was going to be going through. Since then our relationship has continued to develop.

On whether his injured hamstring had any influence on his decision to come out early:

Initially, right after I had my surgery in October I wasn't sure but as things went along and as I progressed, this is something that I'll make a complete recovery from and knowing that it's not a factor anymore and I'm just moving forward.

On how he's preparing for the draft:

I've moved out to Irvine, Ca., and we're training out there with guys like Von Miller and Jake Locker and Ryan Kerrigan, some of the best athletes in this draft. Being able to go out there and work with them every day is something that is going to better me. It's a great time, it's great competition and at the same time we have about 11 guys who get along and that makes it fun.

On whether it was hard to leave Ohio:

Not really. For me, I felt like Notre Dame was the best place for me. Obviously Ohio State is a great program and they've had a lot of success. For most Ohio kids grow up dreaming to go to Ohio State but for me I was always just a fan of football and I went in with an open mind and fell in love with Notre Dame.

On biggest differences between Coach Weis and Coach Kelly:

Their approach on a daily basis. If you watch the games you could see how different they were on the sidelines, and then you bring scheme into things. Coach Weiss runs the pro-style offense with multiple tight ends and then coach Kelly has the spread. You're not going to change 11 personnel, you're going to stay with three wide receivers, a tight end and a running back for the majority of the game. You're going to spread it out and create mismatches and take advantage of what the defense is doing.

On which is better, a great catch or a great block:

I think it depends. When you make a big catch it's something that can change all of the momentum in a game but at the same time if you make a big block it's something that satisfies you more than anyone can see.

On ND finally beating USC:

It was great. Like you said, it was great for our program. For me personally it was upsetting not being able to play. I went through the two years, out there my freshman year and then my sophomore year losing at the end. We were so close and we were getting there every year. After that game and not being able to play it was definitely upsetting but at the same time I couldn't have been happier for the guys in the locker room and coach Kelly and just the program in general. After that you could definitely see the happiness throughout the Notre Dame community and the fans.

On whether Tight Ends are pigeon-holed into pass-catchers or blockers:

I think that is something that is rare. You don't see many guys that are able to play first down, second down and third down. That's my goal every day when I'm working. I want to be a tight end that is an all-down tight end.

On which current NFL Tight End he models himself after:

Tony Gonzalez is the best tight end who has ever played in my time and I really try to model myself after him. But I feel that Jason Witten, I feel really comparable to his game, a guy that can hold the point and is a great blocker but at the same time he makes huge plays in the passing game.

Thursday afternoon, Louisville Tight End Cameron Graham sat down with the media and answered a few questions about his draft prospects, and who he thinks he plays like:

What do you need to do to make yourself one of the top 5 Tight Ends in this Draft?

Show my athleticism, and do what I do best: Catch the ball well, run well, basically just show them how healthy I am.

Do you feel you need to work on your blocking?

Definitely.  I feel like every Tight End needs to work on his blocking. No tight end is perfect. Everybody has something they need to work on, and for me its blocking.  It's something I work on on a daily basis, and something I'll continue to work on.

What else do you bring to an NFL team on and off the field as well as being athletic and catching the ball?

I'm very intellignet on the field I read defenses well.  Off the field I'm gonna do the right thing.  I'm going to do what I'm supposed to do.

What do teams ask you X's and O's wise in meetings to test your intelligence?

A lot of teams will draw up my favorite plays or draw up a certain defense and they draw up how I'd attack a certain defense or how I would be able to read it. It's basically simple football. It's something I've been doing since I was young, so it's no real challenge to me.

Is there a team you grew up hoping to play for?

To me, it's any team.  Any team that thinks I can help their franchise, that's the team I want to play for. Basically, I don't have a favorite team.  I'm going to go out there and compete and if somebody likes me they'll be able to pick me up.

Is there a current NFL player you think you are similar to?

Antonio Gates.  I feel like we're similar.  He's not an overly big guy or fast guy, but he knows how to use his body well, he knows how to catch the ball well, and I feel like he'll do whatever he needs to do to get the job done for his teammates.

Did you play basketball like he did?

In High School yes I did.

What about playing for Rick Pitino?

I never got that opportunity. I wish I could, but my focus was on football at Louisville.

Mocking the Draft's Dan Kadar has Graham ranked the 111th rated player overall in the draft, and the 5th best Tight End.