The Winter Olympics may be going on in Sochi right now, but the NFL world is focused on the underwear Olympics that are happening this week in Indianapolis.
The 2014 Scouting Combine takes place over the next week, and several NFL prospects will see a change in their draft stock based on what they do during this process. Players will go through drills that measure their speed and quickness. Drills like the 40-yard dash, the three-cone drill, vertical leap and broad jump all give teams numbers they can compare prospects by.
There will be tests of their physical strength as well. All prospects will have the opportunity to bench 225 pounds to see how many reps they can push up. Most every player does this except for the quarterbacks.
The players will go through a mental test as well. The Wonderlic Test is a world-famous exam with questions that range from the bizarre to the mundane. “Would you rather be a dog or a cat?” If players haven’t contemplated this yet during their life, they will have to at the combine.
The most important test to pass is the medical checkup. Players will be poked, prodded, examined and asked questions about old injuries. These don’t even have to be football-related injuries. Players are sometimes asked about injuries they had as a kid.
And finally, there’s the interview process. Teams will get to question each prospect they’d like up close and personal. This is where information about a player’s background, previous trouble with the law and a player’s attitude can be gathered.
Oh yeah, the players also have to talk to us media types.
I’ll be at the 2014 Scouting Combine. For each of the last eight years I make what I call the “Ultimate Road Trip” following the pre-draft process. This takes me to the various all-star games held around the country in January. It also leads me to Indianapolis once again for the combine.
Who are the three quarterbacks with the most to prove at Indy? Let’s take a look.
Teddy Bridgewater (Louisville)
Bridgewater is my favorite quarterback in this draft class. He was a standout player during his college career, and Bridgewater is known as a strong team leader.
He doesn’t have a rocket arm, but Bridgewater has uncanny accuracy. During his final year in college, Bridgewater had a 71 percent completion rate. Bridgewater sees the field well, and he can distribute the ball quickly and on time.
Bridgewater has the accuracy to hit receivers in stride. He does a good job of leading his target, giving a wide receiver better run-after-the-catch opportunity. This ability maximizes the yards gained on most throws over the middle.
He can also hit targets near the sideline. Bridgewater can place passes over the correct shoulder on downfield throws. On passes over 15 yards he can put the football where only his man can get it. This ability cuts down on the interceptions and batted passes he throws when attacking a defense deep.
Former Chargers great Dan Fouts told me once that quarterbacks make their living on third down. In 2013, Bridgewater completed 68.6 percent of his passes on third down for 1,155 yards, 14 touchdowns and only one interception.
Quarterbacks also make their money inside the red zone. Bridgewater threw 17 touchdown passes in the red zone during the 2013 season. He’s cool under pressure, can move the chains and can regularly get his team into pay dirt.
What does he have to prove?
It’s simple. Bridgewater needs to prove he’s still the best all-around quarterback in this class. In recent weeks, we’ve seen guys like Blake Bortles (UCF) and Johnny Manziel (Texas A&M) wrestle away the quarterback spotlight.
Bridgewater had a fantastic finish to his college career. He threw for 447 yards and three touchdowns in Louisville’s victory over the Miami Hurricanes in the Russell Athletic Bowl. He could bring the spotlight back to himself with a strong performance at the combine.
Johnny Manziel (Texas A&M)
“Johnny Football” may be trying to ditch his alter-ego. Recently, Manziel spoke about learning from the behavioral decisions he made during his time in college. Manziel was the first freshman ever to win the Heisman Trophy, and his every move after that was seemingly documented by TMZ.
He’s talented, but Manziel has been controversial during his time with the Aggies.
Now, there are “character” reports coming out from the likes of NFL.com. Manziel may be “red-flagged” by some teams who are concerned with his perceived arrogance.
Draftniks are all over the board when it comes to Manziel. Taking character out of the equation, there are still plenty of question marks about his game as it pertains to pro football.
Manziel is a playmaker, there’s no question about that. However, does his skill set translate to the pro level? He’ll often hold onto the ball too long, run around for what seems like forever, then find a receiver to throw it up for.
Usually that receiver was Mike Evans, a likely first-round pick in this draft. There are some who feel Manziel needs a large target like that to bail him out of hairy situations.
Manziel will often use his improvisational skills to make a play. Any team that drafts him had better have a creative offensive coordinator who won’t try to make Manziel something he’s not.
Not only is the draft community split on Manziel, NFL teams also have wildly varying opinions about the young quarterback. At the East-West Shrine Game earlier this year, I talked to a few executives and front office people with various teams around the league.
One quarterback-needy team told me they had thoroughly examined Manziel’s background and found no problems. Another team told me they wouldn’t draft Manziel if he fell to them near the middle of the first round.
What does he have to prove?
Manziel’s team interviews will be huge. Any team that may be interested in Manziel will want to get a further look at his pro day and private workouts at a team facility. Coming from a well-off family, Manziel has dealt with money. After winning the Heisman as a freshman, Manziel has deal with celebrity. At the scouting combine he can prove to teams that he’s matured and is ready to prepare and behave like a professional.
Blake Bortles (Central Florida)
There is no other quarterback who has seen his draft stock rise like that of Blake Bortles. The UCF quarterback built buzz as his final college season went on, but it has reached a crescendo as we are on the eve of the combine.
Bortles is being tossed around as a potential number one overall pick for the Houston Texans. Their new head coach, Bill O’Brien, played against Bortles last year when he was at Penn State. Bortles beat the Nittany Lions back in September, throwing for nearly 300 yards and three touchdowns. The Texans are moving on from the Matt Schaub era, and they are certainly considering quarterbacks in the first round.
There’s a lot to like about Bortles. He’s big, standing 6’4” 230 pounds, and he has a strong arm capable of making every throw required at the pro level.
When blitzed, Bortles is tough to bring down. Like Ben Roethlisberger (Steelers), Bortles can sluff off smaller defenders and keep the play alive with his strength of will.
Bortles also keeps his eyes downfield while extending the play. He isn’t afraid to throw into tight coverage, and Bortles has the arm to thrive with that mentality. Bortles will challenge a defense deep, but he’s also willing to check down if necessary.
What does he have to prove?
Borltes has to prove that he’s more than hype. He made a wise decision to throw at the scouting combine this year. If he struggles throwing at the combine, he can always make it up at Central Florida’s pro day.
I believe it’s a good sign when a quarterback is not afraid of competition. Unlike other quarterbacks who skipped the Senior Bowl or declined throwing at the combine, Bortles wants to prove himself to the NFL any chance he gets.
A UCF insider told me Bortles is more of a “facilitator” than he is a “playmaker.” We’ll see if Bortles can keep the NFL world’s attention as a top-rated quarterback at the combine.
