issue 25 // volume 40

SeXy .»

and they know 1t

» ... because they work out?

Eric Wilkins
Sports Editor

i M sports
|, @theotherpress.ca

R® now is the worst time
to bean NFL reporter.
Scratch that. It’s the worst time
to be an NFL reporter if you
have any respect for yourself.
By late March, all of the major
free agent signings are done.
The NFL Combine is also in the
books. The NFL Draft, however,
is still a month away. As a result,
the world is flooded with mock
drafts which are just as likely

to be correct as anyone’s March
Madness bracket. Additionally,
minor off-season signings are
overanalyzed in the name of
producing content. Everyone’s
least-favourite part of the any-
kind-of-real-news drought has
to be the endless workouts and
pro days college players run
through.

The NFL Combine is
already a gyp. A whole season’s
(or few seasons’) worth of work
put in by a prospect can be
dismissed on a poor 4o-time.

A tape measure can put an end
to the discussion on whether a

player can be a first-rounder. A
slip in a drill can drop someone

forget football is played ina
dynamic environment, not

a controlled setting of cones
and timers. Pro days are just
like the Combine—except for
the fact that instead of all the
top eligible players, you’ve got
maybe a handful.

If a prospect didn’t measure
up well in a certain event, he'll
likely try to improve upon it
at his pro day. And if he does,
people will ooh and ahh, having
witnessed the fact that the
man is, in fact, every bit of the
player he appeared to be in
the 12 games scouts saw him.
However, if he stumbles, it’s
time to revaluate just how real
that record-setting season he
posted really was.

Quarterbacks, as always,
tend to get stuck under the
microscope even more so than

: the rest of the draft hopefuls.

: Teddy Bridgewater, considered
: by many to be the top pivot

: in the draft, had his pro day

: described by NEL Network

: draft guru Mike Mayock as “very
: average at best.” Bridgewater

: was nowhere near as crisp

: passing the football as expected.
: Sure, it’sa scripted environment
for the specific purpose of

? making a player look good—but
: still, even if the player doesn’t

: shine, who cares? When
JaMarcus Russell had his pro

: day, everyone in attendance

: couldn't stop raving about

: him. He had to be destined

: for stardom. Even dropping
weight from the Combine to

: his pro day spoke volumes,

: with then-Raiders coach Lane

: Kiffin saying, “Dropping nine

; pounds knowing this was a big

: day shows his commitment Fr
: and shows that his mind’s
: in the right place.” Kiffin’s
: comment comes across

: as more of a comedy

: opener than a scouting

: evaluation now.

that shouldn't mean
: anything at all,

: Johnny Manziel had
: a killer pro day

: : and did it in pads.
down the big board. You almost Stop the presses. A
: A quarterback

: throwing in pads?

: Casual football

: fans may be

: unaware of the fact,

: but these workouts

: are traditionally

: done sans protective

: equipment so as to

: give teams the best

: idea of how the player
: will perform in actual
: game action. Manziel
: cemented himself as

: a first-rounder by

: doing what each

: and every player a
: did all season.

: Somebody get this

: Mana massive

: contract.

EF

    

Final note on things

 
 

Teddy Bridgewater
www. walterfootball.com

f
x

sports // 19