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By Marla Ridenour
Beacon Journal staff writer
POSTED: 08:24 p.m. EST, Feb 22, 2009
INDIANAPOLIS: Ohio State's Chris Wells and Northwestern's Tyrell Sutton felt the frustration Sunday on a disappointing workout day for running backs at the NFL Scouting Combine.
Wells, from Garfield High School, turned in times of 4.57 and 4.54 seconds in his two attempts in the 40-yard dash at Lucas Oil Stadium. Sutton, an Archbishop Hoban product, was clocked in 4.66 and 4.72. Those times are unofficial, shown on the NFL Network.
Official results were released later, and Wells was listed with a 4.59, tied for 10th among running backs. Sutton's was unavailable.
Knowshon Moreno of Georgia and Donald Brown of Connecticut, rated the top two backs in the April 25-26 draft by Mike Mayock of the NFL Network, didn't fare much better. The times for Moreno shown on television were 4.55 and 4.63, and Brown clocked 4.48 on both attempts. Brown was officially listed at 4.51.
''What the 40 tells me with running backs is go check the tape again,'' NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock said after the workout. ''With Beanie Wells, there's explosion. He had one of the best, if not the best broad jumps. He had a good vertical jump. He has lower-body explosion, but he isn't going to run away from a corner that runs 4.3. What he will do is run over that corner, hopefully, and stay healthy because that's his biggest issue.''
Wells hit 10 feet, 8 inches in the broad jump, the best among running backs and would have been good for second among wide receivers.
Ohio State receiver Brian Robiskie had unofficial times of 4.51 and 4.49 in the 40, and teammate Brian Hartline's best shown time was 4.52. Maryland's Darrius Heyward-Bey clocked 4.3, the second-fastest time since 2000.
GlenOak's Hartline had a great day in the other drills. His time of 10.92 seconds in the 60-yard shuttle was first among receivers, while he tied for second in the three-cone drill (6.65) and was fourth in the 20-yard shuttle (4.12).
Sutton was 10th at his position in the three-cone (6.94).
Trying to sneak into the bottom of the first round, Robiskie also turned in a 37.5-inch vertical jump, ninth among receivers, was fifth in the three-cone drill (6.72) and eighth in the 20-yard shuttle (4.19).
Robiskie's father, Terry, the former Browns receivers coach who is now with the Atlanta Falcons, said Brian won the combine's GMAC performer of the day award. He said Brian's official 40 time was 4.48.
''I thought he'd run faster than that,'' Terry Robiskie said. ''I was surprised. I thought he was a little herky-jerky on his starts.
''He excelled in all the drills. I thought he did a great job running routes. He was very sharp on all his cuts; I don't think any balls hit the ground; he was very, very smooth. Then to top it off at the end, he ran a corner route into the TV and made a one-handed, left-handed catch. I thought it was tremendous.''
Mayock was also wowed by Robiskie's performance.
''I loved him. He looked good,'' Mayock said. ''And he really didn't surprise me, because that's who he is. He ran high 4.4s. He grew up with football. I thought 4.55 or better for him would be great.
''He caught everything. He runs every drill. He's just a professional because of his dad. He runs great routes. If there's a more solid second-round pick out there, I haven't seen him. And some teams at the end of the first round might say, 'If we don't have our guy, he's a guy we'd like to have in our back pocket.' ''
Tales of Kokinis
New Browns General Manager George Kokinis broke into the NFL as an intern in the Browns' operations department in 1991-92 before becoming a college scouting assistant from 1993-95. But New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick, the Browns' coach then, said Kokinis had a shaky start.
''I was this close to firing him,'' Belichick said. ''One of the jobs when he was first there was driving guys to the airport, and he got into an accident. I wasn't too happy about that.''
Where is everybody?
Belichick spent part of his rare appearance on the podium talking about veteran coaches who are unemployed.
''It just doesn't seem right not to have people like Mike Shanahan, and Jon Gruden, Brian Billick, Steve Mariucci, guys I've coached against, and in some cases, not very well, not be head coaches in the NFL,'' Belichick said. All but Shanahan were at the combine working in television. ''It's just odd for them to be here, but not in a coaching capacity. But that's the NFL. That's not my decision.
''Mike Shanahan is certainly a hall of fame coach. I know I've got to be on the list of people he'll thank because all the games that have been scheduled against us, he's done pretty well. Even when I was an assistant with the Jets, even with the Patriots, I know I haven't beaten him too many times. I'm not disappointed to not have him on the schedule, believe me.''
Belichick also mentioned the absence of veteran assistants like Mike Martz and Jim Haslett.
Asked if the trend toward young coaches is unfair, Belichick said: ''I don't know, I'm just trying to coach the Patriots. I'm not trying to solve the world's problems.''
Mangini adds coach
The Browns hired Matt Eberflus out of the University of Missouri as linebackers coach. A Toledo native, Eberflus spent the past eight years with the Tigers, most recently as associate head coach/defensive coordinator and safeties coach.
Mangini is still looking for a receivers coach, his last spot to fill.
Notebook
Ohio State's Marcus Freeman lifted 225 pounds 30 times in the bench-press, second among linebackers behind Brian Orakpo of Texas. . . . Seattle Seahawks quarterback Charlie Frye, the University of Akron product who began his career with the Browns, is an unrestricted free agent. Frye came to Indianapolis this weekend so he and his agent could negotiate with the Seahawks, hoping to get a new deal done before Friday's start of free agency. . . . Former Browns offensive lineman Shaun O'Hara, now with the New York Giants, is getting married next month. At the combine for an NFLPA meeting, O'Hara said he contracted a staph infection shortly after he arrived in New York, and his fiancee was his nurse while he was hospitalized.
Marla Ridenour can be reached at mridenour@thebeaconjournal.com. Read her Browns blog at http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/browns/.
INDIANAPOLIS: Ohio State's Chris Wells and Northwestern's Tyrell Sutton felt the frustration Sunday on a disappointing workout day for running backs at the NFL Scouting Combine.
Wells, from Garfield High School, turned in times of 4.57 and 4.54 seconds in his two attempts in the 40-yard dash at Lucas Oil Stadium. Sutton, an Archbishop Hoban product, was clocked in 4.66 and 4.72. Those times are unofficial, shown on the NFL Network.
Official results were released later, and Wells was listed with a 4.59, tied for 10th among running backs. Sutton's was unavailable.
Knowshon Moreno of Georgia and Donald Brown of Connecticut, rated the top two backs in the April 25-26 draft by Mike Mayock of the NFL Network, didn't fare much better. The times for Moreno shown on television were 4.55 and 4.63, and Brown clocked 4.48 on both attempts. Brown was officially listed at 4.51.
''What the 40 tells me with running backs is go check the tape again,'' NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock said after the workout. ''With Beanie Wells, there's explosion. He had one of the best, if not the best broad jumps. He had a good vertical jump. He has lower-body explosion, but he isn't going to run away from a corner that runs 4.3. What he will do is run over that corner, hopefully, and stay healthy because that's his biggest issue.''
Wells hit 10 feet, 8 inches in the broad jump, the best among running backs and would have been good for second among wide receivers.
Ohio State receiver Brian Robiskie had unofficial times of 4.51 and 4.49 in the 40, and teammate Brian Hartline's best shown time was 4.52. Maryland's Darrius Heyward-Bey clocked 4.3, the second-fastest time since 2000.
GlenOak's Hartline had a great day in the other drills. His time of 10.92 seconds in the 60-yard shuttle was first among receivers, while he tied for second in the three-cone drill (6.65) and was fourth in the 20-yard shuttle (4.12).
Sutton was 10th at his position in the three-cone (6.94).
Trying to sneak into the bottom of the first round, Robiskie also turned in a 37.5-inch vertical jump, ninth among receivers, was fifth in the three-cone drill (6.72) and eighth in the 20-yard shuttle (4.19).
Robiskie's father, Terry, the former Browns receivers coach who is now with the Atlanta Falcons, said Brian won the combine's GMAC performer of the day award. He said Brian's official 40 time was 4.48.
''I thought he'd run faster than that,'' Terry Robiskie said. ''I was surprised. I thought he was a little herky-jerky on his starts.
''He excelled in all the drills. I thought he did a great job running routes. He was very sharp on all his cuts; I don't think any balls hit the ground; he was very, very smooth. Then to top it off at the end, he ran a corner route into the TV and made a one-handed, left-handed catch. I thought it was tremendous.''
Mayock was also wowed by Robiskie's performance.
''I loved him. He looked good,'' Mayock said. ''And he really didn't surprise me, because that's who he is. He ran high 4.4s. He grew up with football. I thought 4.55 or better for him would be great.
''He caught everything. He runs every drill. He's just a professional because of his dad. He runs great routes. If there's a more solid second-round pick out there, I haven't seen him. And some teams at the end of the first round might say, 'If we don't have our guy, he's a guy we'd like to have in our back pocket.' ''
Tales of Kokinis
New Browns General Manager George Kokinis broke into the NFL as an intern in the Browns' operations department in 1991-92 before becoming a college scouting assistant from 1993-95. But New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick, the Browns' coach then, said Kokinis had a shaky start.
''I was this close to firing him,'' Belichick said. ''One of the jobs when he was first there was driving guys to the airport, and he got into an accident. I wasn't too happy about that.''
Where is everybody?
Belichick spent part of his rare appearance on the podium talking about veteran coaches who are unemployed.
''It just doesn't seem right not to have people like Mike Shanahan, and Jon Gruden, Brian Billick, Steve Mariucci, guys I've coached against, and in some cases, not very well, not be head coaches in the NFL,'' Belichick said. All but Shanahan were at the combine working in television. ''It's just odd for them to be here, but not in a coaching capacity. But that's the NFL. That's not my decision.
''Mike Shanahan is certainly a hall of fame coach. I know I've got to be on the list of people he'll thank because all the games that have been scheduled against us, he's done pretty well. Even when I was an assistant with the Jets, even with the Patriots, I know I haven't beaten him too many times. I'm not disappointed to not have him on the schedule, believe me.''
Belichick also mentioned the absence of veteran assistants like Mike Martz and Jim Haslett.
Asked if the trend toward young coaches is unfair, Belichick said: ''I don't know, I'm just trying to coach the Patriots. I'm not trying to solve the world's problems.''
Mangini adds coach
The Browns hired Matt Eberflus out of the University of Missouri as linebackers coach. A Toledo native, Eberflus spent the past eight years with the Tigers, most recently as associate head coach/defensive coordinator and safeties coach.
Mangini is still looking for a receivers coach, his last spot to fill.
Notebook
Ohio State's Marcus Freeman lifted 225 pounds 30 times in the bench-press, second among linebackers behind Brian Orakpo of Texas. . . . Seattle Seahawks quarterback Charlie Frye, the University of Akron product who began his career with the Browns, is an unrestricted free agent. Frye came to Indianapolis this weekend so he and his agent could negotiate with the Seahawks, hoping to get a new deal done before Friday's start of free agency. . . . Former Browns offensive lineman Shaun O'Hara, now with the New York Giants, is getting married next month. At the combine for an NFLPA meeting, O'Hara said he contracted a staph infection shortly after he arrived in New York, and his fiancee was his nurse while he was hospitalized.
Marla Ridenour can be reached at mridenour@thebeaconjournal.com. Read her Browns blog at http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/browns/.
Comments
Click here to post your comments
Akron, OH
Posted 08:28 PM, 02/22/2009
@ Hang in there Chris. You'll do just fine.
Sagamore Hills, OH
Posted 09:08 PM, 02/22/2009
Pittsburgh is a filthy city loaded with filth. Disarmed and Old Man Grump ARE NOT allowed to be Indians, Cavs, or OSU fans. Go root for the Pirates you spineless frontrunners!
NAVY... Born in Akron, OH
Posted 12:15 AM, 02/23/2009
Both of these guys are going to be just fine, this is just the begging in there journey to greatness. Wells is going to be a great PURE strong running back, and Sutton will be a great player.
GO BUCKEYES!!!!
Akron, OH
Posted 12:31 AM, 02/23/2009
Ms Ridenour, I thought that you were in Arizona covering the Indians
Akron, Oh
Posted 07:50 AM, 02/23/2009
Just remember a guy named Eddie George - he didn't have speed either. Wells will be fine and the Clowns would be wise to draft him.
Columbus, OH
Posted 03:43 PM, 02/23/2009
Wells may have wanted to (and possibly could have) run faster but I wouldn't describe his time as "poor".
He is not, and has never been, a back whose reputation rests on blazing speed. He is a big, power running back suited to run between the tackles, in the mold of Brandon Jacobs (4.56 Combine 40 time).
He is not Reggie Bush, or Adrian Peterson, or Darren McFadden.
Given that his time was faster than Knowshon Moreno (his main competitor for top RB drafted and regarded as a speedier back), Beanie's performance was not as disappointing as it may first seem.
Stow, OH
Posted 05:51 PM, 02/23/2009
Speed is about as important to a running back as arm strength is to a quarterback,not too important.
Durability and quickness to hit the hole is what makes a good back ,most backs don't get to do a lot of open field running in the NFL .
