NFL Announces Combine Invitees

[Dann]

i say we put griffins name. create a twitter "griffin to the combine" or something like that and we nicely and professionally make his case to the public atleast.

 

[RMS25CT]

A bit surprised that Griffin didn't make the list and I'm sure he's disappointed. I still hope / think he gets drafted.

When you are a TE and the offensive (that word has dual meanings in this context) scheme has you often times lined up as the widest receiver as a decoy, well I would say the term "under utilized asset" is applicable. That certainly did not help from an exposure standpoint.

 

[Carl Spackler]

NFL personnel that are sucked into drafting players based on eye-popping physical performances only at the combine, are usually the personnel with the worst track records for evaluating player potential. The value of the combine, is not the physical tests. Every player that is invited, is assumed to have the minimal physical attributes to be able to compete in the NFL as a baseline. A good performance in the physical tests is certainly desireable becuase it shows that a player is committed to training, and more importantly, it can get the attention of personnel that may not have previously had a player on the radar - for interviews.

It's the face to face interviews, to evaluate all the things other than physical attributes, that go into evaluating a player. That's the value of the combine, and having all those potential players in one single location for a fixed, short period of time over a weekent to do it.

It stinks for Ryan that he did not get an invite to the job fair, because without it, he's got less chance of impressing as many NFL personnel people as possible.

But it doesn't necessarily mean anything negative for him otherwise, because all it takes is to impress one NFL person enough, to get the call to suit up, and I'm sure that anyone that has come knocking, already knows all they need to know about the kid, without having to have a face to face at the combine. The kid is a class act, and so is family and background.

 

[Husky25]

NFL personnel that are sucked into drafting players based on eye-popping physical performances only at the combine, are usually the personnel with the worst track records for evaluating player potential. The value of the combine, is not the physical tests. Every player that is invited, is assumed to have the minimal physical attributes to be able to compete in the NFL as a baseline. A good performance in the physical tests is certainly desireable becuase it shows that a player is committed to training, and more importantly, it can get the attention of personnel that may not have previously had a player on the radar - for interviews.

It's the face to face interviews, to evaluate all the things other than physical attributes, that go into evaluating a player. That's the value of the combine, and having all those potential players in one single location for a fixed, short period of time over a weekent to do it.

It stinks for Ryan that he did not get an invite to the job fair, because without it, he's got less chance of impressing as many NFL personnel people as possible.

But it doesn't necessarily mean anything negative for him otherwise, because all it takes is to impress one NFL person enough, to get the call to suit up, and I'm sure that anyone that has come knocking, already knows all they need to know about the kid, without having to have a face to face at the combine. The kid is a class act, and so is family and background.

Tangentally, it also likely means is that a player isn't projected to get a sniff in the first 3 rounds. You are correct about the physical. Coaches know the speed at which the elites are playing. They don't need a time or straight 40 time(Besides they will get it at the pro day). They want to lower the risk of having the $$millions that go along with a top pick are not wasted.

A lower pick does not necessitate as large of a monetary investment, ergo a lesser time/energy investment for background and mental checks on the teams' part.

 

[johnhuskies95]

Misunderstood the time frame of two years, assuming it to be the two years prior to this. Who pissed in your Fruit Loops this morning?

Agreed that we need to upgrade our offensive skill players 100%. Other than Labelle, not sure we've done that the last two years at WR/RB. We'll see.

Are you talking about Lemelle? He's not even the highest rated wide receiver recruit in this class.

 

[Carl Spackler]

Yup. Personnel people, the good ones, aren't going to the combine to find physical specimens. For the most part, NFL people already know exactly who they want to interview, at the combine, and will pay attention to teh physical tests to see if anybody else catches their eye, that they haven't evaluated before and didn't already have plans to interview. They are goign there to make sure that the people they have on their draft boards, are worth what they might end up spending on them, depending on how things go on draft day. THey're going to put them under a microscope when it comes to personality, social, emotional and mental kinds of stuff. Some guys will do some tinkering with the physical tests, a popular one is hand timing 10 yard splits, on the 40. especially for the linemen and linebackers.

Which is why I don't read too much into Griffin not being there. Anybody that meets with the kid, is going to come away impressed, and he's got the body and tools, to compete. It's highly unlikely that Griffin will be a high draft pick, or a draft pick at all.

I was blinded in 2010, by the Fiesta Bowl, and only thought about his good performances, in thinking he'd be drafted, but Griffin reminds a lot of where Zach Hurd was. Zach's a guy that could play in the league, and compete, but just didn't have the consistency when you dug back into his performances to warrant the draft pick contract. Jordan Todman's another one. Boy did I get crucified around here when I said he wasn't going to go high, adn should have stayed another year. THere just wasn't enough film, and unlike a guy like Jason Pierre Paul for instance, you just don't have the overwhelming physical attributes in a Ryan Griffin, or Jordan Todman, to warrant investing the high draft pick money. Pierre-Paul is a guy that I like to watch continue to develop. Holy crap, I don't think I"ve ever seen a physical body like that. He's got arms and legs like tree trunks, and they're so long he looks like he's got 4 arms and 4 legs like an octopus running around out there and can get his hands on anybody or the ball, pretty much anywhere on the field. It's no wonder that our OT, that was matched up with him on occasion, and held his own, is also a New York Giant. They still probably bang heads regularly. Anyway - I tangent.

Griffin is a low cost, high value player, entry level into the NFL, and the fact that he wasn't invited, is all you need to know.

THe guys we ahve going? Have huge opportunity to get themselves nice paychecks, by simply representing what they've been educated and coached to be at UCONN, both on and off the field.

Sio Moore, has done an amazing job, and just might cash himself in some nice coin for the work he's put in.[/quote]

 

[Third and one]

NFL personnel that are sucked into drafting players based on eye-popping physical performances only at the combine, are usually the personnel with the worst track records for evaluating player potential. The value of the combine, is not the physical tests. Every player that is invited, is assumed to have the minimal physical attributes to be able to compete in the NFL as a baseline. A good performance in the physical tests is certainly desireable becuase it shows that a player is committed to training, and more importantly, it can get the attention of personnel that may not have previously had a player on the radar - for interviews.

It's the face to face interviews, to evaluate all the things other than physical attributes, that go into evaluating a player. That's the value of the combine, and having all those potential players in one single location for a fixed, short period of time over a weekent to do it.

It stinks for Ryan that he did not get an invite to the job fair, because without it, he's got less chance of impressing as many NFL personnel people as possible.

But it doesn't necessarily mean anything negative for him otherwise, because all it takes is to impress one NFL person enough, to get the call to suit up, and I'm sure that anyone that has come knocking, already knows all they need to know about the kid, without having to have a face to face at the combine. The kid is a class act, and so is family and background.

Thanks guys, there are quite a few Griffins (Ryan included) who were disappointed. There are some very good tight ends attending this combine, and Ryan would have been honored to attend with his peers. We will be watching the combine, and rooting for his fellow defensive players, and the other tight ends from the Big East to have good showings.

I appreciate your (mostly) kind words. Ryan is still committed to his goal of reaching the NFL, perhaps through roads less traveled. I thought Ryan did pretty well at his position, considering the very inconsistent offenses he played in, due to the myriad of QB changes, position coaches, Coordinators, playbooks, etc. I honestly feel he was a victim of circumstance, but he made lemonade from lemons for the most part. He had some great coaches and good QB's, but there was never anything that you could call concrete, it always seemed very fluid, his whole college career was built on a marsh, not pilings. That is college football today.

Here are his final UConn stats. I for one, am proud he is in your record books. He dropped a few, but he also caught some very important first downs to help get to the BCS bowl. I will never forget Notre Dame. What a ride. He is not done. Will keep you guys posted. Appreciate the love.

Griffin, who earned his second-straight second team honor from the BIG EAST and was on the Mackey Award Watch List to start the year, was honored as the Huskies' Offensive Player of the Year. Griffin assaulted the UConn record book for receptions by a tight end throughout his career and after catching 29 passes; six for touchdowns and 484 yards in 2012, his 10 career TDs and 116 receptions are both second all-time by a tight end.

 

[Carl Spackler]

My favorite play, is one that will never be in the record books, and has nothing to do with playing tight end. It was the run down and tackle on the fumble recovery by West Virginia in 2011 in Morgantown. I think I may have mentioned this to you before. If you're putting together film on Ryan, to demonstrate who he is as player, make sure that play from start to finish, is in there, and highlight the ground he covered, from start to finish.