Chad Greenway, LB Iowa – Once thought to be a high first round pick, Greenway's draft stock plummeted at the Combine when he did only 16 reps of 225 and ran a 4.61 40-yard dash. Those aren't impressive numbers for a linebacker at all. Just remember one thing about Greenway: he's much more impressive on the football field than he is in testing drills. This is a guy who just makes play after play but because of his poor Combine, he'll now likely be a late first round pick at best. Greenway is the type of kid, however, that is a team leader and can come right in and help an NFL team. He could be this year's Lofa Tatupu.
Vince Young, QB Texas – Lets not get crazy here. Young is still most likely a top five selection in this year's draft but nothing he did at the Combine helped his draft stock. Actually, it was the nothing he did by not working out that was the first problem and the rumors swirling around about his score on the Wonderlic test didn't help matters either. Like I said, Young will still go very high in the draft but two things came from the Combine. If teams have him and another quarterback (Matt Leinart or Jay Cutler) rated very close, some organizations may decide to go with the quarterback they feel is the safer pick. The other thing it does is raise a red flag. Young was walking on water after his Rose Bowl performance and now at the very least, we know he isn't perfect. Not the best Combine but he's still going to be a very rich man in a couple of months, so needless to say you won't find Young standing out on a ledge anywhere.
Devin Hester, DB Miami – Hester is interesting because he's a great athlete but he really isn't great at any one position. He played defensive back, receiver and returned kicks in college and most scouts project him to be a corner in the pros. The thing about guys who don't have a natural position is they have to either impress at The Senior Bowl or pull a Vernon Davis at the Combine to be drafted high. Hester came out as a junior, so he wasn't invited to The Senior Bowl, and his performance at the Combine was very disappointing. Hester told the media he planned on running a 4.28 40-yard dash and then went out and ran a 4.42. That's not awful but if a team drafts Hester, they're drafting him based on his blazing speed and future upside. Hester had a chance to be an early second round draft pick with a good Combine but now it looks like he will slip to somewhere in the third round range.
Mike Bell, RB Arizona – A lot of running backs helped themselves a great deal at the Combine but Bell wasn't one of them. He said teams had questions about his speed and then showed why by running a 4.62 40 at the Combine. Bell was hoping to do much better than that but besides not running well, he also did poorly in a lot of other drills. After the top four or five running backs, there are a bunch of runners all grouped together. Some backs moved to the front of that group in Indianapolis, while others fell to the back of the pack. Unfortunately for Bell, his performance at the Combine has landed him in the latter.
Kai Parham, MLB Virginia – Both of Parham's 40-times were over 5.00. While that certainly wasn't what he was hoping for, people have to remember that Parham is one of the few pure run-stuffing middle linebackers in this draft. He's a Ted Johnson-type of player who knows how to shed blocks well and make a lot of tackles. His slow 40-times at the Combine are certainly a concern and hurt his draft stock but this is another example of where computer numbers don't tell the whole story. Teams looking for a run-stuffer at middle linebacker will still be intrigued with Parham. Only it's more likely to be in the third round instead of the early second like he was hoping.
A.J. Nicholson, LB Florida State – Nicholson was arrested twice for charges related to alcohol, so he came into the Combine with some character issues. I'll give him credit; he did stand up in front of the media and answer every question. However, when asked if he was running in an alley away from police he responded by saying he was running because he forgot his license someplace and was going back to get it. When asked if he was hiding in the bushes from police, Nicholson responded by saying he wasn't hiding in the bushes, he just tripped and fell into the bushes and ended up being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Don't believe him? Judging by all the chuckles I heard while he was up at the podium, a lot of other people didn't by Nicholson's story either.
New England Patriots Alumni Club to host fantasy camp
The New England Patriots Alumni Club and Sports Adventures, a leader in sports fantasy camps, are teaming up to offer Patriots fans a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
From June 2-6, Patriots fans will experience life as a pro football player as they practice, play touch football or simply hang out with their favorite Patriots alumni and The Patriots Cheerleaders at the New England Patriots Alumni Club Fantasy Camp. Steve Grogan, Andre Tippett, Steve Nelson, Stanley Morgan, Gino Cappelletti and Pete Brock - among others - will be on hand to spend four days with fans at the Sanibel Harbour Resort in Fort Myers, Fla.
Campers will form teams, go through drills, play touch football with the pros and get ready in a professionally staffed locker room. Even for those not sure about getting out on the field, most of the fun will be had hanging out with the pros and cheerleaders. In addition, golf, evening activities and plenty of time to spend with the Patriots are on tap. The Patriots Cheerleaders will be shooting their 2007 swimsuit calendar and will be attending many of the camp events.
For more information on the New England Patriots Alumni Club Fantasy Camp, call Sports Adventures at 1-888-901-PLAY (7529), visit their website at
www.sports-adventures.com or email info@sports-adventures.com.
