NFL COMBINE

Georgia Tech WR Calvin Johnson reportedly had not planned to take part in today's on-field drills for QBs, RBs, and WRs but had a late change of heart. Good choice. Johnson, considered by many to be the best prospect overall in the 2007 draft class, made a statement as he went out and posted a blazing 4.35 40 time running in borrowed shoes.....


Buffalo officials in Indianapolis are reportedly doing more than just assessing college football talent at this week’s NFL Scouting Combine. According to New York Giants new G.M. Jerry Reese the Bills have let it be known that starting RB Willis McGahee is available via a trade. Other NFL sources also confirmed that the Bills are actively seeking a trade partner for McGahee, Buffalo's 2003 first-round draft pick. It is not known if any teams have approached the Bills about McGahee, but at least one appears to have some interest. It is also unknown what the Bills' asking price would be, but it is unlikely they would get more than a late-round pick in exchange as McGahee as he is entering the final year of his original five-year contract and will be a free agent as the end of the year if he isn’t signed him to a long-term contract. McGahee is also coming off a sub-par season during which he rushed for 990 yards, the first time in three years he failed to top the 1,000-yard mark. McGahee also brought on some bad publicity after the season when he became the defendant in a paternity suit for the third time in two years. Then in an interview with Penthouse Magazine, he suggested the Bills should move to Toronto, though he later said his comments were taken out of context. The interested team appears to be the Giants who are looking for replacement for Tiki Barber to pair with Brandon Jacobs. And whether McGahee remains in Buffalo or not, the Bills appear prepared to draft a RB. The position isn't considered very deep this year and the top back, Oklahoma's Adrian Peterson, likely will be gone by the time the Bills make their opening round pick, however, Marshawn Lynch of California might be an option for the Bills at the 12th pick.....

In the wake of Cleveland’s ‘win’ over Tampa Bay in the coin flip that gave the Browns the 3rd pick at this year’s draft, the emerging consensus around the NFL seems to be that Cleveland is leaning toward taking Oklahoma RB Adrian Peterson with that pick. However, at a post-flip press conference Browns’ G. M. Phil Savage let it be known that the third pick could be for sale. “We're going to keep that option open to us" said Savage when saying that getting the third pick put the Browns in a better position to trade down. At the same time, there have been rumors that the Browns might also make an attempt to try and trade up in order to select LSU QB Jamarcus Russell who is expected to be the first player taken this year. Savage said that it was doubtful the Browns would move up, but wouldn’t rule it out. One team that might be inclined to move up to the third spot is Atlanta, which has the tenth pick overall, but would like to get hometown WR Calvin Johnson. The Falcons do have an extra 4th round pick to work with however the Browns may not want to drop down quite that far, if they did, though, Cleveland might still get a top offensive line prospect like Levi Brown of Penn State.....


Washington, which doesn’t have picks in the 2nd, 3rd or 4th rounds this year, may be another team looking to trade down. The Redskins have the 6th pick overall and have indicated they may be interested in moving the pick in order to order to acquire additional picks further down in the draft. In fact, there is an interesting scenario developing for the Redskins, especially if Notre Dame QB Brady Quinn is still on the board when the Redskins make the 6th pick. If Washington stayed at #6 the Redskins reportedly would be most interested in taking Clemson DE Gaines Adams. However, there is a better than even chance that Gaines will go earlier than that – either to Arizona at #5 or even Detroit with the second pick. And if Quinn were still available at the #6 spot the three teams that pick right after Washington – Minnesota, Houston and Miami which pick 7th through 9th respectively – are all reportedly interested in Quinn. That could open the door for Washington to trade the pick to the highest bidder, drop down several spots and still get one of the top defensive linemen in this year’s draft such as Michigan DT Alan Branch or Arkansas DE Jamaal Anderson.....


Everybody's got way too much time on their hands!" So said Tennessee offensive co-ordinator Norm Chow in response to stories that Notre Dame QB Brady Quinn has been falling on draft boards around the NFL since the end of the season… One of the most interesting players in this draft is Quinn’s Notre Dame teammate OT Ryan Harris. Harris converted to Islam early in high school and ended up at the nation’s pre-eminent Catholic university. And in interviews at the combine Harris has reportedly indicated he’d eventually like to run for governor of Minnesota his home state. While it makes a cute story, it also has some NFL teams wondering just how committed Harris is to football.