CardinalLaw
Registered User
- Joined
- Sep 12, 2004
- Posts
- 1,926
- Reaction score
- 0
NFL NOTEBOOK
Top backs grab attention in Indy
While Longhorn opts not to run, Tigers' stock soars
By JOHN McCLAIN
Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle
INDIANAPOLIS - Although University of Texas running back Cedric Benson won't work out for NFL scouts until the Longhorns' pro day March 23 in Austin, they expect him to be a No. 1 pick.
But that doesn't mean he's guaranteed to be the first back selected.
Auburn's Cadillac Williams and Ronnie Brown are rated ahead of Benson by many scouts.
While Benson refused to run the 40-yard dash at the RCA Dome on Saturday, Brown improved his stock with times ranging from 4.32 (hand timed) and 4.48 (electronically timed).
"Any time you get a back with that kind of speed and that size (235 pounds), he's going to open a lot of eyes," said Rod Graves, the Arizona vice president of football operations and Houston native. "Obviously, if his stock could move any further up than where it was before he ran, I'd imagine today he solidified the top position based on that.
"He's an outstanding talent with great character, and the time he ran today just solidified the fact that he's a top back in the NFL, or will be, I should say."
The Cardinals are looking for a big-time back. They've been talking to Buffalo about acquiring Travis Henry. If they fail to make a trade, they might use their No. 1 pick to fill a glaring need. That need might be Benson.
Because Ricky Williams walked out on the Dolphins before last season and left them with a hole to fill, teams are digging harder than ever into a player's character.
Benson, who followed Williams at Texas, is the focus of much scrutiny.
"Obviously, you try to do as good a job as you can to try and factor in what others say about a player's determination and interest in football, what he's given to the game," Graves said, not speaking specifically about Benson. "You try to quiz the coaches who have worked with him, the people who have been close to him on a day-to-day basis. And you try to make your judgments based on that.
"And sometimes circumstances arise that cause a player to act differently, for one reason or another. It could be a traumatic experience in their lives or some other life-altering event that may have caused someone like Ricky Williams to change his mind about the game.
"Some others question why someone like Barry Sanders would just walk away, and it was a surprise to a lot of us that he would do it in the fashion that he did. You just try to make your judgments on the history you're left with based on your research."
Clarett can't put pedal to metal at combine
After showing up in outstanding shape and impressing everyone with his maturity, running back Maurice Clarett was clocked at 4.82 and 4.72 seconds in the 40-yard dash Saturday. He'll run for the scouts again next month.
"It was a rough one," Clarett told the NFL Network. "I've been working for so long to get to this day, and then I get here and kind of mess it up. I'm a bit frustrated, but I have another workout day on March 8, so I can go there, and, hopefully, do better.
"I'm just frustrated. I've been working for this day for a long time, a lot of times waking up at 5 in the morning and going back to the gym at 12:30 and then at 7 o'clock and just working probably 20 times harder than I did here.
"Then to get here and just totally bust it is extremely frustrating."
Cedric the Entertainer
NFL scouts like a lot about Cedric Benson. The first thing most of them mention is how impressed they were when he elected not to leave Texas after his junior year and helped the Longhorns finish 11-1 last season.
"His biggest asset is that he was very productive at Texas, and he did it for four years," Texans general manager Charley Casserly said. "He was a workhorse for them, and that's what he can be in the NFL, too."
Part of the interview process involving Casserly's staff and others at the combine involves a lot of probing questions that can be uncomfortable.
Benson has been asked about his comment that he would rather win the Heisman Trophy than beat Oklahoma.
"I'll tell them like I told the guy who asked me the question," he said. "It was a tough question. It (the Heisman Trophy) was a childhood dream.
"When I was growing up, I didn't know anything about the Texas-OU game, but I knew about the Heisman. I was speaking from the heart. It was an honest question and an honest answer. If I could change it, I would, but then I'd be lying. Everybody can lie and be fake and seem like the rainbow's perfect."
Breeding ground
Houston is known for producing outstanding football players, but it also has spawned an impressive list of front-office executives, four of whom are scouting at the combine.
Cardinals vice president of football operations Rod Graves and Broncos general manager Ted Sundquist are highly respected personnel experts brought up in Houston.
New Packers general manager Ted Thompson played for Bum Phillips during the Oilers' Luv Ya Blue era. Longtime Titans general manager Floyd Reese was the Oilers' linebackers coach under Jerry Glanville before moving into the front office as assistant general manager.
Market mover
Free agency begins next week, and one of the best free-agent acquisitions last year was Arizona's signing of Denver defensive end Bertrand Berry, who grew up in Humble.
Berry had 14 1/2 sacks, second to Colts defensive end Dwight Freeney (16).
The lineman, who went from being out of the league to a part-time player with the Broncos to a premier pass rusher, made the Pro Bowl for the first time.
"We wanted someone like Bert Berry, who we knew was hungry and had something to prove," said Rod Graves, the Cardinals' vice president of football operations. "We knew he had talent, and our
only question was: 'Did he
have the size to be a full-time end?' "
Berry, 6-3, 270, became a role model for a lot of talented young defensive players.
"He's our defensive leader, and one reason he's so effective at it is because the players see him as a success story," Graves said. "He's a humble family man who'll tell you within 30 seconds of meeting you how blessed he is."
And so are the Cardinals.
No pressure on Favre
Green Bay quarterback Brett Favre is expected to return, but he hasn't told the Packers he will. They're not putting pressure on him but would like to know by the draft.
"Brett made a statement at the end of the season that he was going to take some time and think about what he wanted to do," Packers general manager Ted Thompson said. "I think he's still in that stage."
Long time coming
San Francisco has the first pick in the draft on April 23-24 and may use it on California quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
This will be the first time the 49ers have used the top pick since 1964, when they drafted Texas Tech receiver Dave Parks.
The top overall pick in 1979 went from the 49ers to the Bills.
Lightning quick
The fastest official (electronically timed) 40 recorded at the combine Saturday was turned in by Cal running back J.J. Arrington (4.46). Auburn running back Ronnie Brown was second (4.48).
Top backs grab attention in Indy
While Longhorn opts not to run, Tigers' stock soars
By JOHN McCLAIN
Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle
INDIANAPOLIS - Although University of Texas running back Cedric Benson won't work out for NFL scouts until the Longhorns' pro day March 23 in Austin, they expect him to be a No. 1 pick.
But that doesn't mean he's guaranteed to be the first back selected.
Auburn's Cadillac Williams and Ronnie Brown are rated ahead of Benson by many scouts.
While Benson refused to run the 40-yard dash at the RCA Dome on Saturday, Brown improved his stock with times ranging from 4.32 (hand timed) and 4.48 (electronically timed).
"Any time you get a back with that kind of speed and that size (235 pounds), he's going to open a lot of eyes," said Rod Graves, the Arizona vice president of football operations and Houston native. "Obviously, if his stock could move any further up than where it was before he ran, I'd imagine today he solidified the top position based on that.
"He's an outstanding talent with great character, and the time he ran today just solidified the fact that he's a top back in the NFL, or will be, I should say."
The Cardinals are looking for a big-time back. They've been talking to Buffalo about acquiring Travis Henry. If they fail to make a trade, they might use their No. 1 pick to fill a glaring need. That need might be Benson.
Because Ricky Williams walked out on the Dolphins before last season and left them with a hole to fill, teams are digging harder than ever into a player's character.
Benson, who followed Williams at Texas, is the focus of much scrutiny.
"Obviously, you try to do as good a job as you can to try and factor in what others say about a player's determination and interest in football, what he's given to the game," Graves said, not speaking specifically about Benson. "You try to quiz the coaches who have worked with him, the people who have been close to him on a day-to-day basis. And you try to make your judgments based on that.
"And sometimes circumstances arise that cause a player to act differently, for one reason or another. It could be a traumatic experience in their lives or some other life-altering event that may have caused someone like Ricky Williams to change his mind about the game.
"Some others question why someone like Barry Sanders would just walk away, and it was a surprise to a lot of us that he would do it in the fashion that he did. You just try to make your judgments on the history you're left with based on your research."
Clarett can't put pedal to metal at combine
After showing up in outstanding shape and impressing everyone with his maturity, running back Maurice Clarett was clocked at 4.82 and 4.72 seconds in the 40-yard dash Saturday. He'll run for the scouts again next month.
"It was a rough one," Clarett told the NFL Network. "I've been working for so long to get to this day, and then I get here and kind of mess it up. I'm a bit frustrated, but I have another workout day on March 8, so I can go there, and, hopefully, do better.
"I'm just frustrated. I've been working for this day for a long time, a lot of times waking up at 5 in the morning and going back to the gym at 12:30 and then at 7 o'clock and just working probably 20 times harder than I did here.
"Then to get here and just totally bust it is extremely frustrating."
Cedric the Entertainer
NFL scouts like a lot about Cedric Benson. The first thing most of them mention is how impressed they were when he elected not to leave Texas after his junior year and helped the Longhorns finish 11-1 last season.
"His biggest asset is that he was very productive at Texas, and he did it for four years," Texans general manager Charley Casserly said. "He was a workhorse for them, and that's what he can be in the NFL, too."
Part of the interview process involving Casserly's staff and others at the combine involves a lot of probing questions that can be uncomfortable.
Benson has been asked about his comment that he would rather win the Heisman Trophy than beat Oklahoma.
"I'll tell them like I told the guy who asked me the question," he said. "It was a tough question. It (the Heisman Trophy) was a childhood dream.
"When I was growing up, I didn't know anything about the Texas-OU game, but I knew about the Heisman. I was speaking from the heart. It was an honest question and an honest answer. If I could change it, I would, but then I'd be lying. Everybody can lie and be fake and seem like the rainbow's perfect."
Breeding ground
Houston is known for producing outstanding football players, but it also has spawned an impressive list of front-office executives, four of whom are scouting at the combine.
Cardinals vice president of football operations Rod Graves and Broncos general manager Ted Sundquist are highly respected personnel experts brought up in Houston.
New Packers general manager Ted Thompson played for Bum Phillips during the Oilers' Luv Ya Blue era. Longtime Titans general manager Floyd Reese was the Oilers' linebackers coach under Jerry Glanville before moving into the front office as assistant general manager.
Market mover
Free agency begins next week, and one of the best free-agent acquisitions last year was Arizona's signing of Denver defensive end Bertrand Berry, who grew up in Humble.
Berry had 14 1/2 sacks, second to Colts defensive end Dwight Freeney (16).
The lineman, who went from being out of the league to a part-time player with the Broncos to a premier pass rusher, made the Pro Bowl for the first time.
"We wanted someone like Bert Berry, who we knew was hungry and had something to prove," said Rod Graves, the Cardinals' vice president of football operations. "We knew he had talent, and our
only question was: 'Did he
have the size to be a full-time end?' "
Berry, 6-3, 270, became a role model for a lot of talented young defensive players.
"He's our defensive leader, and one reason he's so effective at it is because the players see him as a success story," Graves said. "He's a humble family man who'll tell you within 30 seconds of meeting you how blessed he is."
And so are the Cardinals.
No pressure on Favre
Green Bay quarterback Brett Favre is expected to return, but he hasn't told the Packers he will. They're not putting pressure on him but would like to know by the draft.
"Brett made a statement at the end of the season that he was going to take some time and think about what he wanted to do," Packers general manager Ted Thompson said. "I think he's still in that stage."
Long time coming
San Francisco has the first pick in the draft on April 23-24 and may use it on California quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
This will be the first time the 49ers have used the top pick since 1964, when they drafted Texas Tech receiver Dave Parks.
The top overall pick in 1979 went from the 49ers to the Bills.
Lightning quick
The fastest official (electronically timed) 40 recorded at the combine Saturday was turned in by Cal running back J.J. Arrington (4.46). Auburn running back Ronnie Brown was second (4.48).
