The NFL is about ready to wrap up their annual Dog and Pony show. The show to see who the next NFL stars will be. Heights have been measured, weights have been weighed, forties have been run, swords have been swallowed, pyrotechnics have exploded and etched a picture (of gladiators in shoulder pads wrestling 3-headed beasts to the ground) into the night sky. (Hey, the combine is an Event, baby. That’s right, with a capital “E”.)

Players stocks have risen, player stocks have fallen, in large part due to talents that don’t even show themselves on a football field (”Jones, from as complete standstill, jump for that first down now, damnit!”). GM’s have seen these test results-and some (I’m looking in your direction, Al Davis) will fall in love with them, and forget about the three years worth of game film that preceded these showings. In fact, “Arbitrary test results over on-field production” could be the combine’s slogan.

True, the combine is a gathering of more information that might prove to be valuable, and certainly is a measure of athletic ability, but should never overshadow what talent evaluators see when the pads are on. Management should always remember this.

Even knowing this, the fact is that the combine is a huge event, and a means to gain the NFL more exposure in the off-season, so it is here to stay. And, since it is still worth talking about, here are some random combine notes gathered by the Blarney, complete with a deciphered meaning.

Pitt tight end Dorin Dickerson runs a 4.4, and vertical leaps 42“.

What it means:

This guy will be in the running for “freak awards”. I though only SEC athletes were supposed to boast his kind of athleticism. But for all his athletic prowess, he was still only the third most dangerous weapon on the Pitt roster, behind Dion Lewis, and Jonathan Baldwin. He’ll last a long time in the NFL, but don’t expect stardom out of him.

Clemsons’ C.J. Spiller, Cal’s Jahvid Best, and Fresno State’s Ryan Matthews all run legit 4.4’s (and under).

What it means:

Fast, fast running backs, that have homerun ability. (Also, USC’s Joe McKnight ran a high 4.4, and Stanford’s “Toby the Tank” somehow ran a 4.5 with his huge frame.) That is a nice ability to have, but in the NFL, you have to run between the tackles. Chris Johnson’s 4.24 works because he is more than just speed. I think Toby Gerhart and Spiller have the best chance to be impact pros.

Maryland’s Bruce Campbell, a 300lber plus tackle, ran a 4.8, with a 32″ vertical.

What it means:
I read about this guy once. I think he was called Superman. It’s a bird… it’s a plane… or something like that.

Florida’s Tim Tebow ties quarterback record with a vertical jump of 38.5“.

What it means:

That, as suspected by the Blarney, Tebow has a better chance to win the NBA’s slam-dunk competition than to quarterback in the NFL.

Notre Dame’s Golden Tate runs a 4.4.

What it means:

Not a damn thing. For some reason, draft expert Mel Kiper Jr. thought it would be important to run well due to speed questions (Tate made many of his catches in traffic-he didn’t “separate” from defensive coverage, and this won’t cut it against defensive backs with more ball skills in the NFL.). for Tate, athleticism and speed was never the issue. Separation among great athletes comes from route-running technique. This is exploding out of cuts. This is not slowing down when making breaks or changing direction in the route. This is disguising your route by coming off the line of scrimmage the same way each time (confusing defenders for a split-second). This is the only thing Tate must improve to be a next-level receiver. The 4.4 will probably stop him from slipping too far down in the draft, but if Kiper really thought speed was the issue, than it is possible he has not learned one thing about actual football in the twenty-plus years he has somehow made a career out of scouting players. (Maybe you just need great hair to land the best gigs.)

(These are the thoughts for now, look for part II-coming soon!)