It was nice to see the sun shining in Indianapolis today. It certainly made getting around outside the RCA Dome and Indiana Convention Center much easier. Not that you would really need to go outside here, though. The Dome and CC are connected to much of the city with indoor walkways. I get a big kick out of this. I can walk all over the city without putting on a jacket in the middle of winter. And yes, I’m easily entertained.

The Media Work room was kind of quiet early on, but things picked up as the day progressed with defensive linemen and linebackers being shuttled in and out. One of the most anticipated players was Virginia defensive end Chris Long. Chris, of course, is the son of Pro Football Hall-of-Famer and former Oakland Raiders DE Howie Long. But he made no case for playing in Oakland nor did he make any predictions on where he might wind up being drafted:

“No matter where I was picked, any opportunity to play in the National Football League is an opportunity I would cherish. To be in that position you have to work even harder and show up with more humility and more of an open mind, because people will be looking at you. Wherever I go and whoever I go play for, I’m a football player. I enjoy playing football, I enjoy the game, I enjoy being a teammate. I won’t change. I’ll be the same guy.”

More coaches made their way to the Media Work Room. I sat in on pressers with Mike Smith (Falcons), Ken Whisenhunt (Cards), Jeff Fisher (Titans) and John Harbaugh (Ravens). Coach Smith is obviously very happy with his new position in Atlanta. Seriously, he smiled the entire time. He never stopped smiling. It was nice to see that. Coach Smith said there wasn’t much difference between a 4-12 team and a 12-4 team in the National Football League. And you know what, he’s right. In today’s NFL, a team could flip their record that drastically in one season. He also noted that the “new” Atlanta Falcons will be a more physical football team, much like the punishing defense he led in Jacksonville. Offensively, he said the Falcons would control the line of scrimmage and run the football first and foremost. The Falcons need to address their quarterback situation and Coach Smith mentioned an interest in a number of QBs at the Combine, although me didn’t mention any names.

Today was also the first day for player workouts on the RCA Dome floor. (Note: This is the last sporting event in the RCA Dome. Everything moves to nearby Lucas Oil Stadium post-Combine.) Offensive linemen and tight ends were the focal point of today’s workouts. Here are the winners’ results:

Offensive Line – Bench Press (Jake Long, Michigan, 37); Broad Jump (Cody Wallace, Texas A&M, 9′5″); Vert Jump (Cody Wallace, Texas A&M, 30.5″); 3-Cone Drill (Michael Gibson, Cal-Berkeley, 7.21); 20-yard Shuttle (Mike Pollak, Arizona State, 4.47); 40-yard Dash (Jeremy Zuttah, Rutgers, 4.99).

Tight End – Bench Press (Craig Stevens, Cal-Berkeley, 27); Broad Jump (Dustin Keller, Purdue, 10′11″); Vert Jump (Dustin Keller, Purdue, 38″); 60-yard Shuttle (Gary Barnidge, 11.29); 3-Cone Drill (Derek Fine, Kansas, 6.8); 20-yard Shuttle (Dustin Keller, Purdue, 4.14); 40-yard Dash (Dustin Keller, Purdue, 4.55).

NFL Draft Scout senior analyst Rob Rang reported that USC’s Fred Davis, widely considered the top TE in this class, struggled with these drills. Fred had been impressive early with 24 reps of 225 pounds, but dropped several passes today and elected not to run the 40-yard dash. He could be a classic case of a player struggling with the pressure of the Combine because he stood out at the Senior Bowl and won the Mackey Award as the nation’s top tight end. His struggles with drops definitely caught the attention of scouts.

Post from: Every Morning Quarterback

NFL Scouting Combine 2008: Day Three