Tag: pro day

Lions took advantage of scouting the few pro days that took place in 2020

Wisconsin and New Mexico State got their pro days in and the Lions took advantage

The college pro day circuit was just getting started when the coronavirus pandemic struck. Nearly every school was forced to cancel the workout exhibition that promotes its players to the gathered NFL scouts, coaches and GMs.

Two of the few schools that did get pro days in before the pandemic were New Mexico State and Wisconsin. The Detroit Lions were one of the few NFL teams to attend both of those pro days.

Detroit’s diligence paid off. The Lions selected WR Quintez Cephus from Wisconsin and RB Jason Huntley from New Mexico Stsate on Day 3 of the 2020 NFL Draft.

Cephus was prominent enough that the Lions would have had legit interest, pro day or not. But traveling to Las Cruces on March 10th proved fateful for the Lions in unearthing Huntley, who was not invited to the NFL Scouting Combine.

Huntley put on a show for the Lions and the 14 other teams in attendance.

Huntley emerged as one of the highest-drafted players that were not at the combine. His impressive pro day and the Lions being present for it paid off for both parties.

Joe Flacco posts little brother’s college film on Twitter

Former Ravens and Broncos quarterback Joe Flacco is doing his part to help his younger brother, Tom, reach the NFL.

Pundits will debate about whether or not Joe Flacco was an elite quarterback in the NFL. There’s no question that he’s an elite brother.

In an effort to slow down the spread of COVID-19, college pro days across the country have been canceled, taking away opportunities for many small-school athletes to impress NFL scouts and coaches.

Flacco’s younger brother, Tom, was not invited to the combine and his school, the Towson Tigers, won’t have a pro day. To help his younger brother get some exposure leading up to the draft, Joe shared Tom’s film on his Twitter page this week.

“From my brother Tom: ‘With no pro day, I wanted to share a cut up of film that could serve as an alternative. Highlighting my arm strength, accuracy, and athleticism, all of which would have been on display at my pro day.’ Check it out!” Flacco wrote.

Here are the highlights:

Tom (6-1, 205 pounds) threw for 6,082 yards and 50 touchdowns during his final two years with the Tigers. He also rushed for 1,406 yards and eight touchdowns during his time at Towson.

The younger Flacco will likely be considered a late-round or undrafted free agent prospect. The draft will be held from April 23-25.

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Watch: Tua Tagovailova works out ahead of NFL Draft

ESPN’s Chris Mortensen posted seven videos of Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa working out in a Pro Day-style format ahead of the NFL Draft.

It’s been quite an interesting off-season for Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. Since dislocating his hip last season, Tagovailoa has undergone surgery to repair his hip — among other ailments — and his health has been a constant topic of discussion leading up to the NFL Draft.

Through nearly the entire recovery process reports on Tagovailoa have been overwhelmingly positive, with countless updates reporting he was on track to make a full recovery.

In fact, the only negative report about Tagovailoa’s progress came to the surface yesterday when the Athletic’s Michael Lombardi reported on this podcast — the GM Shuffle — that two teams have “failed” him for medicals. If you’re interested in hearing/reading quotes from Lombardi, Pride of Detroit’s Jeremy Reisman did a nice job pulling the important quotes from the podcast.

Meanwhile, Tagovailoa’s agent Leigh Steinberg has said the “health concerns are overblown” (no surprise), while Tagovailoa himself has reported he feels “100-percent” and was planning on showing his skills in a Pro Day-style format ahead of the NFL Draft.

Those plans can to fruition and ESPN’s Chris Mortensen posted seven videos of Tagovailoa’s workout, which you can see below:

Former Detroit Lions quarterback turned ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky weighed in on Tagovailoa’s tape:

Medical reports will still likely be the final determining factor in deciding where Tagovailoa gets selected in the NFL Draft, but every little bit of information he can put out will help his chances of that being early.

The Lions are surely hoping Tagovailoa is drawing enough interest, because if he does, it only increases the value of their No. 3 overall pick.

See the leaked pro day video of Tua Tagovailoa, who looks good

Tua looks good and healthy.

Last season in college football was an absolutely whirlwind for Tua Tagovailoa. He went from being the surefire best quarterback in this year’s draft class to an uncertain future after injuring his hip against Mississippi State last November.

We haven’t seen Tagovailoa throw a football since then, but that all changed today when ESPN’s Chris Mortensen posted footage of Tagovailoa’s pro-day on Twitter.

And, honestly, for a guy who has been rehabbing a nursing hip for the last few months, he looked great. Maybe not “Aaron Rogers and Dan Marino” great like Trent Dilfer said, but still pretty great.

Take a look.

Yeah, he’s definitely ready for the draft.

NFL teams will put ‘the film doesn’t lie’ to the test this offseason

With no player visits and no pro days this offseason, NFL teams will have to reply on film more than usual.

In response to COVID-19, the NFL has shut down team facilities — no draft prospects may visit teams and clubs aren’t allowed to travel to go visit any prospects. That will make this spring a unique offseason for the NFL.

With no visits and no college pro days, the Broncos — and every other team — will have to rely on film to evaluate prospects more than usual.

“I think every year you hear people say — scouts and coaches and personnel people — that 90 percent of the evaluation is off the tape,” Denver coach Vic Fangio said during a conference call with reporters on March 31. “The other 10 percent is the combine and pro days and all the other stuff that goes on with it. This is the year it will really be tested.”

The Broncos did not take their coaches to the combine earlier this offseason, which allowed those coaches to focus on watching film of prospects. Thanks in part to that decision, Denver feels prepared for the draft despite unusual circumstances.

“A lot of times you can guess how fast a guy runs generally speaking,” Fangio said. “It’s more important what the tape is. That’s what everybody says. This will be the year that it is really put to the test.”

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Which Georgia football alumni are most affected by pro day cancellation

For several recently departed Bulldogs, it’s going to be a bit more difficult finding opportunities to prove what they want to prove.

This week, the SEC cancelled all remaining spring competitions amid COVID-19 concerns. In their official announcement, the plans to halt play include abandoning spring football scrimmages and each school’s pro day.

Pro days are the last setting in which college football standouts perform drills before a plethora of NFL coaches and scouts prior to the NFL Draft.

If a player wasn’t invited to the NFL scouting combine or performed less-than-ideally at the combine, this is typically their last chance to turn heads and earn a drafted rookie contract instead of going undrafted and having a lower-dollar contract with far fewer guarantees.

For several recently departed Georgia Bulldogs, it’s going to be a bit more difficult finding opportunities to prove what they want to prove.

Tyler Clark, defensive tackle:

Clark has been projected as a late-round pick on some of the many mock drafts floating around the internet. The recent graduate out of Americus considered declaring for last year’s NFL draft but chose to return to Athens following a lower-than-preferred draft grade. In his senior season, he recorded a career high in tackles for loss and tied his career high in sacks.

Former Georgia defensive tackle and NFL veteran Toby Johnson took to twitter to voice his displeasure over Clark’s omission from the NFL Combine.

Tyler Clark will certainly show up on a professional roster at some point before the ensuing NFL season, but the cancellation of pro day isn’t doing his career any long-term favors.

Jake Fromm, quarterback:

Georgia’s golden boy is one of three quarterbacks to go undefeated against Florida in more than three starts (including John Rauch, Buck Belue), but many Georgia faithful were surprised he chose not to go for a perfect 4-0 record against the reptiles. Fromm delved into what went behind that decision in the days preceding his performance the NFL Combine.

The problem for Fromm was that the aforementioned performance ended up being pedestrian.

Taking reps after former teammate Jacob Eason, an eventual Washington transfer for whom he took over in the 2017 season opener following an Eason leg injury, Fromm was decidedly the less impressive quarterback (at least in that specific day’s drills) between the two.

Fromm’s last season in Athens was the least productive of his three total campaigns. The judgment to declare early made sense as his draft stock has still been high and it’s easy to see his final collegiate season as a statistical outlier under a new quarterbacks coach.

Looking forward to a league that places value on quarterbacks ahead of almost every other positions, the cerebral Jake Fromm is sure to end up on a roster and still projects as draft pick. If he had received the opportunity to participate in a pro day, however, he could solidify himself as a second-day pick (draft rounds two through four) as opposed to a third-day selection (rounds five through seven) or even as an undrafted free agent.

Tae Crowder, inside linebacker:

Tae Crowder’s path to the University of Georgia was a meandering one.

Crowder was a last-minute addition to the Dawgs’ 2015 signing class, receiving his scholarship offer the morning before National Signing Day. He hadn’t taken an official visit. He spent no time in personal meetings with Georgia coaches. Yet he committed on the spot.

“It was always my dream to play at the University of Georgia,” Crowder told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution in 2015.

As Harris County’s offensive player of the year during his senior season, Crowder came to Athens as a dual receiver and running back.

He was quickly moved to inside linebacker, and, after redshirting his first year in Athens, spent another year fine-tuning his linebacking skills before spending three years starting, recording 122 tackles, and grabbing two takeaways along the way(s).

Considering his history of position changes and a lack of invitation to the NFL Combine, Crowder loses a lot of face time prior to the draft.

SEC cancels spring football games, pro days

SEC cancels spring football games, pro days.

BIRMINGHAM — The Southeastern Conference has announced that all spring football games are canceled and there will be no pro days conducted by SEC institutions.

In addition, the SEC announced that all regular season conference and non-conference competitions are canceled for the remainder of the 2019-20 athletic year.

SEC press release:

The Southeastern Conference today announced that all regular season conference and non-conference competitions are cancelled for the remainder of the 2019-20 athletic year, including all remaining SEC championship events, due to continuing developments related to the coronavirus (COVID-19).

In addition, all spring football games are cancelled and there will be no pro days conducted by SEC institutions.

“This is a difficult day for all of us, and I am especially disappointed for our student-athletes,” said SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey. “The health and well-being of our entire conference community is an ongoing priority for the SEC as we continue to monitor developments and information about the COVID-19 virus.”

Other athletics activities, including team and individual practices, meetings and other organized gatherings, whether required or voluntary, remain suspended through at least April 15.

SEC member institutions will continue to provide their student-athletes with care and support to meet needs in areas including academics, medical care, mental health and wellness, nutrition and housing as needed.

The SEC and its member institutions will continue to communicate with public health officials and medical experts to determine the best path forward related to coronavirus pandemic.

TICKET REFUND INFORMATION

For the SEC Softball Tournament and the SEC Baseball Tournament, automatic full ticket refunds will be made by March 31 to fans who purchased tickets from the SEC Office or an SEC university.

MSU Football tight end Matt Seybert hosting virtual Pro Day on Twitter

Michigan State football tight end Matt Seybert took matters into his own hands after MSU’s pro day was canceled due to COVID-19.

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While the COVID-19 Coronavirus pandemic has interrupted the day-to-day lives of millions of people around the world, along with many of our sports and entertainment outlets, there are some individuals on the periphery who are affected in a fairly unique way: college athletes vying for a shot in pro sports. While the NFL Draft is still scheduled as planned, the opportunity for less high-profile players to showcase their skills at Pro Days around the country has disappeared. Michigan State tight end Matt Seybert took matters into his own hands on Tuesday, doing his own ‘virtual Pro Day’ on Twitter with a 225 lb bench press test.

Here is Seybert imploring the school not to cancel Pro Day last week:

And here is Seybert on Tuesday taking matters into his own hands:

Michigan State fans, friends, and players were quick to encourage Seybert as he continues to try and realize his dream of playing pro football:

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Which players will be most impacted by NFL’s coronavirus policies?

In an effort to maintain safety among teams and draft prospects, the NFL has canceled all pre-draft visits to team facilities and colleges.

The President of the United States has declared a national emergency due to the coronavirus outbreak. Countless sporting events have been put on hold or canceled. NFL teams, including the Detroit Lions, have suspended travel for coaches and personnel staff.

And now, in an effort to continue safety efforts among teams and draft prospects, the NFL has canceled all pre-draft visits to team facilities and colleges.

While the league is being proactive in limiting physical interactions in the name of safety, their decision to not alter the current 2020 NFL calendar, could have a different type of negative impact.

On Wednesday of next week, the existing plan is to open the league’s new year and free agency period. This would also keep the 2020 NFL Draft schedule in place as well as the spring mini-camps and summer plans.

While maintaining this current schedule and safety standards appears workable on the surface — teams/agents can negotiate contracts over the phone — travel is still an essential part of free agency, as NFL contracts require medical checks to be completed.

Teams can, and probably will send private transportation to gather top-tier players in order to get their contracts done. But, will they be inclined to pay for private transportation for second and third-tier players? What about the fourth tier? At some point, teams will have tough spending decisions to make and it could cost these players opportunities.

Additionally, by maintaining the current schedule/safety plan prohibiting teams and prospects from interacting at pro days and facility visits, the second, third, and fourth-tier prospects will once again be the ones who feel the biggest impact.

These visits are where teams cultivate relationships and are often the difference between an undrafted player getting a shot in the NFL or potentially needing to look for a new line of work.

At the end of the day, the safety of individuals needs to continue to be a priority and to their credit, the NFL and their organizations are taking measures to ensure that it is. But if things continue down this path and the NFL schedule begins on time, there will be a significant amount of non-high profile players that will be a severe disadvantage.

Tennessee cancels Football Coaches Clinic, postpones Pro Day

Tennessee cancels Football Coaches Clinic, postpones Pro Day.

KNOXVILLE — The University of Tennessee has announced the cancellation of its Football Coaches Clinic.

The Tennessee Football Coaches Clinic was scheduled for March 26-28.

Pro Day
Photo by Dan Harralson, Vols Wire

UT also announced that Pro Day will be postponed until further notice. Pro Day was scheduled for March 26.

Cancellation of the Tennessee Football Coaches Clinic and postponement of Pro Day are due to the coronavirus pandemic.

UT statement:

Tennessee Athletics COVID-19 Info and Updates

The Tennessee Football Coaches Clinic, originally scheduled for March 26-28, has been canceled. Coaches who pre-registered for the event will be refunded. In addition, Tennessee’s Pro Day, originally scheduled for March 26, has been postponed until further notice.