Measuring the Combine

The 2014 NFL Scouting Combine is underway in Indianapolis. The prospects have been weighed and measures, and they are now going through their on-field workouts. And for the first time, the biggest discussion concerning the quarterbacks has been the hand measurements. I have already posted about why I feel the Houston Texans should take Teddy Bridgewater with the 1st Overall Pick of the draft. Now there are concerns about the size of his hands and whether he can hold onto the ball and make accurate passes in bad weather. I get the feeling that analysts are trying to raise the bar on nit-picking in leading up to the draft. Don't get me wrong. I understand the concerns. If a quarterback has a bigger hand, they can hold on to the ball better, especially in colder weather. But don't they make gloves to help a quarterback do just that? Jim McMahon wore gloves back in 1985 for the Chicago Bears, and he said it helped him throw a better pass. So much that he even wore them in the Super Bowl indoors at the Superdome. So to me that is less of a concern. But if you want to see how well Bridgewater can handle bad weather, go back and take a look at his game film from his sophomore season at Louisville. Having watched the Cardinals play that season on their way to the Sugar Bowl, Bridgewater played in rain and even more rain in over half of the games that season. Bridgewater played exceptionally all season, and I have no doubts that he can handle the weather in the NFL. What does worry me about Bridgewater is that he will not be participating in on-field drills at The Combine. I'm watching the wide receivers work out now, and they are catching passes from Blake Bortles and A.J. McCarron. I have always been a foremost advocate of quarterbacks throwing in the receiver drills, as it shows just how quickly a passer can adapt to changing instructions and how well they can adjust to different receivers. But Johnny Manziel and Derek Carr are not throwing in these drills either, for what it's worth. When I see a a quarterback not throw at The Combine, I think back to Cam Newton and Blaine Gabbert. Newton did throw, and didn't look very good. Gabbert didn't throw at all, on the advice of his agent, just like Bridgewater, Manziel and Carr this year. But the teams saw the ability and desire of Newton to work on his game, and he threw much better at his Pro Day. It almost looked like Gabbert was trying to hide his flaws, and those have been exposed in his time with the Jaguars. If I were giving advice to a quarterback, I'd tell him to go out and throw as much as possible at The Combine, show how much and how readily you are wanting to learn, and to have fun. Go out and show that the size of your hands have no bearing on how well you can throw the ball. But most of all have fun and enjoy yourself. It's a job interview. Show your potential employers how much you enjoy playing football, and how much your chosen path means to you. It's tough to do that standing on the sidelines.