The NFL Scouting Combine got underway Wednesday in Indianapolis with press conferences from coaches and general managers around the league.
Cleveland's Head Coach Hue Jackson, Pittsburgh's General Manager Kevin Colbert and Oakland's Head Coach Jon Gruden were among those who spoke with the media, and here were some of the news and notes from the day:
- Steelers Pro Bowl linebacker Ryan Shazier will not play this season as he continues to recover from a back injury that threatened his ability to ever walk again, Colbert announced. Shazier will remain with the organization even though he won't be on the field. "We're going to continue to support him in his recovery," Colbert said. "He will be part of our team officially, and really unofficially, because he will be with us day to day as he rehabs. He involves himself with the team and team issues so that he can be a formidable member in 2018."
- Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger's long-term future has been murky for the last few offseasons and Colbert didn't give any indication about how much longer the veteran quarterback plans to play. There's no limit on his competitiveness, his wanting to win," Colbert said. "Last year he made mention that maybe it's a year-to-year thing. Fortunately for us, when we lost that [playoff game to Jacksonville], as disappointing as we were, he came out that night and said he wants to play. That gave me a great lift because I know that the most important position on our team will hopefully be secure for a few more years."
- The Dolphins placed the franchise tag on wide receiver Jarvis Landry last week, which means they can keep him in Miami if they want. But there have been reports the Dolphins put the tag on Landry with the hope of trading him. Miami Head Coach Adam Gase said that Miami tagged Landry with the expectation he will be on the team next year, but "we'll see how it goes."
- The Browns are clearly in the market for a quarterback after winning one game over the last two seasons. Jackson stressed that the Browns are still in the information gathering stages in terms of which quarterbacks to pursue in the draft and/or free agency, but he suggested they could end up adding both a veteran and a rookie. Cleveland has the No. 1 and No. 4 overall picks this year. Jackson also said that drafting a quarterback with a first-round pick doesn't necessarily guarantee that the rookie will play immediately. Jackson has experience with letting a rookie quarterback sit for a season from his time with the Cincinnati Bengals when they had No. 1 overall pick Carson Palmer spend his entire rookie year on the sidelines.
- Veteran left tackle Joe Thomas has not announced whether he plans to return for his 12th NFL season, but Jackson said he expects a decision "fairly soon." Thomas is a future Hall of Famer who has spent his entire career in Cleveland, and Jackson believes he will make a decision at least before the draft.
- Wide receiver Josh Gordon is an exclusive rights free agent this offseason, but Jackson said the team has no plans to let him hit the open market. "I truly believe Josh is going to have a terrific season for us," Jackson said. "We want Josh to be a Brown for a very long time."
- Jackson previously said that he would jump in Lake Erie if the Browns went winless and he plans to make good on his word. He will jump into the lake at some point this offseason as part of a charity event and said he wants to get the entire organization involved. "It's going to be a cleansing of the Cleveland Browns," he said.
- Tennessee Titans Head Coach Mike Vrabel convinced Dean Pees to join his staff this offseason after the defensive coordinator's brief retirement. Vrabel said that he actually reached out to John Harbaugh first to let him know of his intentions to pursue Pees, and then he "begged and begged and begged" Pees to come out of retirement.
- Gruden drew a big crowd for his first Combine presser as the Raiders' new coach, and he was certainly entertaining. The NFL has gone through some changes during the decade he's spent as a broadcaster, and he doesn't sound like he's a big fan of the new-age analytics. "I'm trying to bring the game back to 1998," he said. "I still think doing things the old-fashioned way is a good thing."
- Buffalo Bills Head Coach Sean McDermott indicated that his team does not plan on cutting quarterback Tyrod Taylor, but he was non-committal about whether he would remain the starter. "We're still going through that process," McDermott said. "We're in a good position with some options out there. So that will work itself out."
- Cincinnati Bengals Director of Player Personnel Duke Tobin discussed the looming free agency of quarterback AJ McCarron, who is expected to be a highly sought-after player this spring. McCarron will command one of the biggest contracts in free agency, but Tobin said the Bengals never considered putting him in the starting lineup over Andy Dalton.
- The Philadelphia Eagles are going to have to purge some expensive players to create salary cap over the next few weeks and wide receiver Torrey Smith has been mentioned as a potential cap casualty. Eagles General Manager Howie Roseman would not discuss the specifics of any players' contracts, but said the team would have to part ways with some players. "It's not like we can just bring the band back together and expect the same results," Roseman said. "We have to make some tough choices."
Different prospects have different questions to answer, including about athleticism/speed, health, size or off-field character.
Sutton has the size at 6-foot-4, 215 pounds. He has the production. But does he have enough speed? Sutton could launch himself up draft boards and challenge Calvin Ridley as the first wideout off the board if he runs the 40-yard dash in the low 4.5s. Scouts will also look to see how much polish is on his route tree.
Perhaps the most important part of the Combine for the consensus No. 1 wideout is before he even steps on the field. If Ridley's wiry frame measures in at 185 pounds instead of 190-200, it could raise durability questions. Plus, just how fast is he?
Kirk has first-round talent, but his height and quickness are the questions. He needs to run a fast 40-yard dash in the low 4.4s and show good change-of-direction movement, especially as a high-level returner prospect. The question is how Kirk will best separate in the NFL.
A big-play threat in college, it will be interesting to see how fast Washington runs to see if that part of his game should translate to the NFL. He needs to get in the 4.4s to maintain his momentum.
Moore has the college production and will ace interviews. It's his size that has some concerned. He's listed at 5-foot-11 in college, but he might be more in the 5-10 or even high 5-9 range.
Miller suffered a right foot injury in his final bowl game, which knocked him out of the Senior Bowl. Depending on its severity, it could impact the dynamic playmaker's draft stock.
Gallup impresses with his smooth route-running and big-time college production. There are questions, however, about his speed. If Gallup runs a good 40-yard dash, he'll have the total package and perhaps emerge from a clump of wideouts in the second and third rounds.
Lasley was reportedly suspended multiple times in high school and college for immaturity. Last year, it was a three-game suspension for violating team rules. He has speed, size, production and big-play tendencies that evaluators look for, but how will he come across in interviews?
Calloway was an explosive prospect as a freshman and sophomore, posting 89 catches for 1,399 yards and seven touchdowns in his first two seasons. But legal trouble (marijuana possession, credit card fraud) led him to be suspended for all of 2017. Obviously, he'll be asked to give an explanation.
Andrews is in competition to be the first tight end off the board. The Mackey Award winner led all FBS tight ends with 958 receiving yards and posted 22 career touchdowns. Team doctors will be interested in hearing how he handles his Type 1 diabetes
Gesicki is an example of a prospect that needs to live up to the hype. He's projected as a Day 2 or early Day 3 pick because of his athleticism. Keep an eye on his vertical jump considering he was first offered a volleyball college scholarship before football. The 6-foot-6 prospect will look to maintain the belief that he'll be a matchup problem at the next level.
Fumagalli may have the best hands of any tight end in the class (despite missing an index finger), but there are questions about how dynamic of an athlete he is overall. Good numbers could make him an early Day 3 selection amidst a crowded tight end group.
A player often mocked to the Ravens, Brown is known for winning with power more than quickness. That's generally fine considering he's massive. But scouts will be looking to see just how nimble (or stiff) those feet are when compared to the other premier tackles.
Williams was dominant as a sophomore in 2016, leading to top-five projections, but was uneven last season after suffering an early-season knee injury. He injured his MCL and PCL during his second game and opted for rest over surgery so he could return later that season. He's a potential first-round pick, but there will be much scrutiny over that knee.
After turning a lot of heads at the Senior Bowl, Wynn underwent surgery to repair a torn labrum. It's a major process, and teams will be looking look for an update on the possible late-first or second-round pick.
Barkley is another player that could put on a show in Indy with his blend of strength, quickness, speed and agility. A consensus elite prospect, there's a decent chance he could end up in Cleveland considering the Browns have two of the first four picks.
Georgia's workhorse running back has plenty of power and production, but he's not quite as nimble looking on tape as teammate Sony Michel. Chubb can erase some of that talk when he participates in the on-field position workouts and three-cone drill. Chubb's medicals are important as well after he tore three ligaments in his knee (not the ACL) in 2015.
NFL Network's Mike Mayock named Jones as one of the players he's most excited to see at the Combine. A dynamic athlete with a track background and huge college production as a runner, it will be interesting to watch him run routes. He had just 32 receptions in three years at USC. His weight will also be key, as he has a leaner frame.
Jackson's on-field athleticism was eye-popping. If he puts on a ridiculous showing in Indianapolis, it will elevate him into more top-15 pick conversations.
Lauletta lit up the Senior Bowl with 198 passing yards and three touchdowns on 8-of-12 passing. Now he'll be in an apple-to-apples comparison with (pretty much) all the other quarterbacks to show whether the small-school prospect can keep his momentum rolling and is worthy of a mid-round pick.
James was one of the biggest recruits (at any position) coming out of high school, but never showed his full potential in part because of a knee injury. James is expected to explode at the Combine. If he does, could he be too enticing to pass up at pick No. 16?
An inside linebacker with outstanding instincts and production who doesn't check the boxes of ideal height and length. Sound familiar to a Hall of Fame Ravens linebacker? Sub-ideal measurements could make Smith slide down first-round boards.
Landry suffered an ankle injury that ended his season and kept him out of the Senior Bowl. The potential first-round pick could shoot into the top half of Day 1 with a clean medical check and strong on-field performance. His quickness has been compared to Von Miller.
Key was mocked to the Ravens in the second round by NFL.com's Chad Reuter. Key took a three-game leave of absence for personal issues last year, came back out of shape, then shut it down in his final three games because of a broken pinkie. He's a first-round talent, however.
As Owner Steve Bisciotti said, don't expect to see the Ravens draft a defensive tackle in Round 1. With that said, Vea should be a fun prospect to watch regardless. At 340-plus pounds, he could run the 40-yard dash in under five seconds. That's insane.
