Pro-day updates and player news

[Barens]

http://nfldraft.scout.com/2/514564.html

 

Pro-day updates and player news

 

By: TFY Draft Preview

 

Date: Mar 29, 2006

 

As the scouting process moves into the final phase as teams travel to the final few pro-days and pare down draft boards. Here's the latest on Haloti Ngata, Charles Gordon, Jerious Norwood as well as what the Jets, Bears and Eagles are up to.

 

Oregon defensive tackle Haloti Ngata has received some bad press recently. Some are now saying NFL scouts question the big man's motor. Others have Florida State's Brodrick Bunkley as the top rated defensive tackle heading towards the draft. Yet none are looking at the entire picture. To say Ngata's post-season performances have been uninspired is justified yet to leave it at that is not telling the whole story. Two years ago Ngata lost his father in a tragic car accident. Sadly, two months ago Ngata unexpectedly lost his mother to kidney failure. The loss of his mother was sudden, as she had not been terribly sick for a long period. As one would expect, the 21-year old has been in the dumps after losing both his parents over the course of two-years. His support team and workout partners have tried to keep Ngata's spirits high, though no one can blame the big-man for being down. Scouts understand the situation and the recent talk of Ngata falling down boards is just that, talk.

 

Charles Gordon is garnering a wide range of opinions from franchises with teams grading him anywhere from an early second round choice all the way to a late second day. Besides the New England Patriots another team zeroing in on the Kansas All American has been the San Francisco 49ers. A team with a lot of need, the Niners are giving serious consideration to using their pick in round two on Gordon then using him at cornerback, wide receiver and as a return specialist. After an average pro-day last week sources have told us Vince Young's recent workouts have not been all that much better. Young has been experiencing many of the same problems throwing NFL-type passes during individual workouts. The hope is Young will quickly improve and be ready by the middle of April, when several more teams will work him out individually. Another Longhorn experiencing problems is Jon Scott. We documents how ill-prepared Scott was going into his pro-day workout last week. Now comes word of his uncooperativeness. Seems the tackle from Texas would not workout in a group setting prior to the combine and wants to go it alone. Also a problem is Scott seems more concerned about life after football then the immediate future, which has some wondering about his dedication to the sport. This does not bode well for Scott who could fall out of the first day.

 

Jerious Norwood of Mississippi State has been a player moving up charts recently. At his pro-day last week several teams were showing plenty of interest with some franchises setting up dates to bring the speedy skill player into their venues. The Chicago Bears, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Atlanta Falcons are all very high on Norwood with just about all planning to use the college running back at wide receiver. The Bears have been very active with another player, Miami-Ohio linebacker Terna Nande, who they feel would be a solid fit as a weak-side player in Lovie Smith's defense. Rice had their pro-day earlier this week and John Syptak worked out well for scouts. The college defensive end weighed 253-pounds and ran a 4.7 in the forty. Fifteen teams were on hand including the Cincinnati Bengals who sent most of their defensive staff and the Chicago Bears, who also worked out Syptak at fullback. That same day scouts made their way to Texas Southern University, working out linebacker Frederick Brock. Both New York teams were on hand with the Jets saying Brock would be a good fit on the inside for the 3-4 alignment they plan on installing next season.

[Pizan]

Thanks for the post. This is the first I have heard of this Frederick Brock. I read he is 6-4 245 but I have no other measurables.