Combine Comments 2/19

One of the things that goes with the NFL Scouting Combine for the players is meeting with the media. Those sessions began on Thursday with the tight ends and offensive linemen.

Here are some excerpts:

Missouri Tight End Chase Coffman, who is not working out this week as he recovers from an injury suffered on the last play of the Alamo Bowl. He broke the fifth metatarsal in his foot and had surgery six weeks ago.

What do you remember about the last play when you were injured?
“I wasn’t sure it was broken. I planted wrong, felt a pop, saw that we scored a touchdown to go ahead … I didn’t think it was broken. I went to the sideline and was going to go back in if we got the ball again. Fortunately, we didn’t get the ball again, they didn’t score and we won the game.”

On transition from playing in a spread offense to being a conventional TE in the NFL:
“I haven’t done it that much, being in the spread offense at Missouri, but I think I’ll get the hang of it real soon, once I start practicing it more and more. They’re definitely wondering about it. A lot of them have seen me on film doing open-field blocking and see that can possibly transition well to being aggressive and blocking on the line of scrimmage. Very rarely did we get in a three-point stance, but I’m definitely willing to learn, willing to do whatever it takes to be the best in-line blocker down with my hand in the dirt, doing whatever I can. I wouldn’t necessary say it hurts me, but it leaves the scouts or whoever is watching film possibly wondering … until I show them or they see I’m willing to learn and do whatever it takes to get into that position and be the best I can, the spread definitely leaves some questions.”

Any regrets about not coming out as a junior?
“I did the right thing. I got my degree, which is something you always want to accomplish. If you start something you want to finish it, and I got to do that. I was lucky enough to be a member of quite a few all-American teams; win the Mackey Award. We had a successful season and it was great to be around the guys I played with for the last three years another year. It was something I don’t regret.”

On an unprecedented six Missouri players at the Combine this year:
“It’s great for the University of Missouri. The coaches have done a great job bringing people in, building the program, more and more people are wanting to come to Mizzou now, we had a record number of freshmen enrolling at Missouri, it’s come a long ways since I’ve been there … we all take a lot of pride in bringing Mizzou from where it was to how it is now, and hopefully the rest of the people will keep that going.”

On what NFL tight ends he likes to watch and who he likes to emulate:
“Being from Kansas City, I’m a big Tony Gonzalez fan. He does a great job of making himself open when he’s not. He uses his body well. It would be great to go to Kansas City, if that’s who ends up drafting me, but I’m just looking for the opportunity. Whoever wants to give it to me, I’ll be glad to go there and work my tail off to be the best I can.”

Mississippi OT Michal Oher

Where have you improved the most?

“I think my junior year, I was very athletic as an offensive linemen. I was kind of too athletic a lot of the time. I was channeling my abilities and doing the work, and my senior year, I showed every how physical I was and that I could be a nasty player, and finish plays and took my game to a whole new level my senior year. I worked a lot more on my technique, staying low, firing off the ball and just finishing plays.”

Oklahoma G Duke Robinson

Do people undervalue the agility required to play an interior offensive lineman position?
“At any position on the o-line, you need to be able to have agility, foot quickness and
technique. Foot quickness is a strength at the guard position because you’ve got a guy lined right up on you. You don’t have time to kick back. It’s usually only one step. That’s probably why [in some respects] that a guard would have more agility than a tackle because he doesn’t kick back as far or kick back as wide because the guy is right there on you already.”

Baylor OT Jason Smith

On his selling points to NFL teams:

“First of all, I’m tough, I’m physical, and I have a great attitude. I show up every day willing to work. And I’m productive. And I have 12 games that shows it. And I have 12 weeks of practice that also shows it. So if you want to see a guy that practices hard, plays hard, look at my practice or look at my games — you won’t be able to tell the difference. I’ll be going full speed, and every day you walk in there I’ll have a smile on my face, ready to go to work. There’s a lot of technique involved. You don’t just walk out there and hit somebody. But once you get your hands on a guy and grab him and squeeze him and slam him, or whatever goes on in the trenches, it’s a great feeling.”

Virginia OT Eugene Monroe

On how his friend and former Virginia linemate Branden Albert handled the Chiefs 2-14 season?
“In speaking with him I could tell he wasn’t satisfied with the way things were going,
but he’s just going to keep working to improve things. I’m very proud of him. I’ve seen
the work that he put in – even coming out of high school, nobody knew who he was, so to be drafted in the first round. I felt that watching his game and working with him for three years together, he showed me how to get to a similar level.”

Alabama OT Andre Smith

Describe yourself as pass blocker?
“I’m not a waist bender. I bend my knees. I have a pretty good kick slide. Probably the only thing I need to work on is making sure I stay inside and out instead of out leveraging the defensive end and letting him beat me inside.”

It’s a tightly bunched group of OTs in this draft
It’s good to have great competition. It’s only going to bring the best out of you.

Is it important to be the first tackle taken?
“It’s very important to me. I wouldn’t want anything else but to have the best opportunity for myself. But I just have to compete.”