2009 NFL Combine: Thursday's Recap

With everyone settling in, offensive linemen, tight ends, and specialists were measured today. Like Al Pacino said in Any Given Sunday, football is a game of inches. I don’t think he was talking about the heights and arm lengths of offensive tackles, but there’s never a bad time or excuse to bring up that memorable monologue. Let’s briefly look into these unofficial numbers and chart out the developing stories.

On the whole, I was fairly disappointed with the tight ends, but it emphasizes the trend of athletic pass catchers and the new breed of tight ends. Nearly half weighed in at less than 250 pounds. Hopefully this means that we’ll be in for some fast times and explosive numbers on Saturday when the group takes the field for their workouts.

Michael Oher has been the talk of the town, with personnel from all 32 teams here to talk to the players. Some have said they already feel as if they know Oher through The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game, a book by Michael Lewis. Oher labels his athleticism as his best asset among other things. Oher, I’m holding you to your word and expect to see some good numbers this weekend.

The more intriguing story among top tier offensive tackles is Alabama’s Andre Smith. While his height may be a little concerning (6’4 unofficially), his arms measured in at 35 3/8 inches. To put that in comparison with others from the Combine: Oher…33 ½”, Monroe…33 7/8”, and Jason Smith…33 ¾”. Smith has said he’s unsure whether he’ll work out here, but he’s done his part and put to rest doubts about his arm length.

If the numbers hold true, Herman “The House” Johnson weighed in at 364 pounds. While this number may seem incredibly high, he’s lost 18 pounds since the Senior Bowl and was rumored to have played his last game at LSU at over 400. While it’s a good sign that the number has significantly dropped, fluctuating weight may be a cause for concern. I’ll be interested to see how well he moves his feet this week.

After struggling with power at the Senior Bowl, center/tackle Max Unger put on 10 pounds to weigh in at 309 in Indy. More importantly, I’m curious to see how well he tests in the agility drills to get an idea on how quick his feet are. I’d love to see Unger get a chance at tackle in the NFL.

There are two other developing stories prior to the Combine to report. Barring a last minute, Calvin Johnson-esque change of heart, Michael Crabtree will not be running the 40 yard dash at the Combine, a norm for top end prospects. In all likelihood, Matthew Stafford will not be working out in Indy. It’s a financially sound move from Stafford who will be able to throw back at this school’s Pro Day to his own wide receivers. This does give Sanchez and Freeman the opportunity to bridge the gap, so to speak, should they decide to workout.

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