Working out at The Workout

The NFL Scouting Combine is quickly approaching, and when it comes to the quarterbacks there is one question that is always asked: Who is going to throw at the Combine, and who is going to pass on the opportunity, so to speak.

This year, Andrew Luck has already stated that he will not. Robert Griffin III will participate in all the on-field workouts but will not throw. Ryan Tannehill is recovering from an injury and will have to wait until his pro day. But looking at the 2011 Combine, there are two quarterbacks who did throw and it paid off for them.

One was Cam Newton. The Heisman Trophy winner was not a clear choice to go first overall in the draft heading into The Combine. He was not expected to throw but chose to do so anyway. The results were not impressive, to say the least. Questions about his accuracy surfaced right away when he was having trouble hitting his targets on even short routes. But one thing that impressed the Carolina Panthers was that he did choose to participate in the drills in the first place, and put himself out there for all to pick apart and criticize. One aspect of leadership is courage. Having the courage to go out on a limb and take a chance when you can very easily walk away is something every team should look for in its quarterback. Carolina saw what Newton was made of, and it paid off to the tune of 4,000 yards passing and 14 rushing touchdowns, both NFL rookie records.

The other quarterback who took advantage of an opportunity to throw at the 2011 NFL Combine was T.J. Yates from North Carolina. Yates led a team that would have been a national title contender if not for a long list of players who were suspended for the entire 2010 NCAA season for rules infractions. Yates got his chance to throw not as a top invitee but as one of the quarterbacks who got to throw to the receivers during the wideouts workouts. Yates could have just worked out at the UNC pro day, but the opportunity to impress all 32 teams was there and he too advantage. He looked good enough that the Houston Texans selected him in the 5th Round. He made the team as the 3rd string QB, and after injuries to Matt Schaub and Matt Leinart he got his chance. Yates led Houston to their first AFC South title and a win in the playoffs against Cincinnati. The Bengals were impressed by Yates at The Combine to the point where Coach Marvin Lewis said that if they had not been able to select Andy Dalton they were going to take Yates. It makes you wonder how many other teams had Yates on their radars after the 2011 Combine workouts, and how many would have overlooked him if he had not had the opportunity that was presented him last February.

The quarterback I see that has the best chance to impress at The Combine is Case Keenum. He is smaller in stature than most of the other quarterbacks, and is seen by many as a product of the Houston Cougar system. But he is a very accurate passer, and if he can make all the throws and hit the targets in unfamiliar surroundings teams may start to say 'He's about the same stature as Drew Brees, and he turned out to be a pretty good quarterback. Perhaps we should take a chance on him.'

That's all a lot of the players at the NFL Scouting Combine are looking for: a chance. Let's hope that those who take that chance can make it pay off in the end.