Talking heads

Combine participants may scale the charts after interviews

Every year there are some players who really help themselves at the NFL Scouting Combine, and not just with their performances inside the RCA Dome. Prospects interview with coaches from around the league, and the process -- like job interviews in any other profession -- really carries a lot of weight.

Will Overstreet was an afterthought coming out of Tennessee, considering two of his teammates, John Henderson and Albert Haynesworth, are first-round prospects. But Overstreet convinced a number of coaches that he can line up as a rush end on passing downs, he could learn to play Sam linebacker and he can long snap. One coach even told me he could play some tight end if he had to. Clubs that spent time with Overstreet saw a guy who had been tabbed a "tweener" transformed into a versatile commodity.

A number of personnel people told me that one of the best interviewees was LSU wide receiver Josh Reed. One GM said, "When that kid got done talking about himself [then] got up and walked out of our room, not a man in there didn't want him." I said, "He's kind of short, isn't he?" The GM replied, "He didn't look short after he finished the interview."

I spent more than an hour talking with Alabama-Birmingham defensive lineman Eddie Freeman. He certainly passed the initial eyeball test -- he's 6-foot-5, 310 pounds and he did 32 reps on the bench. But even more impressive was the way Freeman convinced me that football is the most important thing in his life. One defensive line coach was also impressed by Freeman in his interview. He said Freeman wasn't a polished speaker but he was a tough, no-nonsense guy, someone talented enough to play left end in the mold of a Michael Strahan.

Maryland center Melvin Fowler only ran a 5.4 in the 40. But he managed to convey to one offensive line coach whom I spoke with a strong football knowledge, coachability and, most important, love of the game. Fowler overcame a bad 40 time with a good meeting.

Of course, there are some quirky elements to the evaluation process that resonate after all the testing is done. A few years ago, the size of Ricky Williams' hands were a point of contention. At 8 3/4 inches, they were considered small for a ballcarrier. This year, I heard two personnel directors addressing the same concern over Florida's Jabar Gaffney. Gaffney is a probable first-round pick and you would think that hand size for a 6-1, 193-pound receiver with a productive college resume would be a minor issue, but you never know. I just hope he sat on his size 7 1/2 mitts during his interviews, just in case.

Pat Kirwan, who spent 12 years as a pro football coach, scout and personnel administrator, is an NFL analyst for CNN/Sports Illustrated.

 

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