2010 NFL Combine Report — The No. 1 Pick, Brandon Marshall’s Replacement, and Mike Shanahan

When the first person you meet on your first visit to the NFL Combine is ESPN’s Adam Schefter, you take it as a good omen. Scratch that. You take it as an amazing omen (Schefter seems like a great guy, by the way).

And when you realize that you’re meeting him while the St. Louis Ram’s General Manager, Billy Devaney, is speaking at the podium mere feet away, it’s almost staggering. Sure, I only talked to Schefter for a short time, but he still had more interesting things to say than Devaney. It’s hard to blame Billy, though, with the Rams in a handcuffed spot holding the number one pick in the 2010 NFL Draft. There’s not much he can say. It’s a cloak and dagger NFL.

Thankfully, I can say anything I want. And I will: Devaney fielded only about 100 questions relating to former Nebraska defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh. Quips of “How interested are you in Suh,” “What’s the best part of Suh’s game,” and even “What are you most looking forward to with Suh on your team next year?” were aimed at him, and they were all expertly deflected with blanket answers about Suh being a “great player” and “any team would be lucky to have him.” Well, every question but one.

When asked if St. Louis would be willing to let a defensive tackle become the face of the franchise, ole Billy’s eyes lit up, just a bit.

“Absolutely we would consider a defensive tackle as the possible face of our franchise.”

No, it doesn’t sound like much. But with the theme of Indy 2010 fast becoming a race to be the first, second, or eightieth guy to call former Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford a lock as the Rams’ pick, this was an oddly rare ray of hope for possibly the most anticipated defensive line prospect in history. The smart money (or at least the majority of it) is still on the Sooners’ passer, but I wouldn’t count Suh out. I’m telling you, there was a gleam in Devaney’s eyes when talking about Ndamukong.

Devaney wasn’t the only team official in attendance. The crowd surrounding Chicago Bears Head Coach Lovie Smith was like something out of a Britney Spears concert circa 2002. Brad Childress, who is a lot shorter than I thought he was, was followed by reporters until he ducked away, out of the media’s reach. And Mike Shanahan had an actual line of grown men waiting to talk to him.

Okay, I was in that line. Here’s what the the former Broncos’ headman and Trice Jewelers’ spokesman had to say about his new team.

INDT: Coach, you’ve long been known for your eye for late-round running back talent. Is the depth there to steal another rusher?

Mike Shanahan: You know, you’ve got to find them. They’re always there. I have not been that deep in the draft yet, so I can’t tell you specifically. But hopefully we can find a couple.

INDT: You’ve got a safety in Laron Landry who has drawn a few comparisons to former Bronco great Steve Atwater. Do you see any of Atwater in Landry? Can he be that type of player for Washington?

MS: You know, it’s really hard to say. I think they’re different type players. Landry is a 4.4 40 yard dash guy. Steve was not that fast. Just a bruising hitter and a great football player. Laron is more of a faster guy where he can go out there and play like the the third cornerback. He’s got that ability. So, different type guys, but obviously both great safeties.

INDT: Do you feel like the offensive line you have now is strong enough for any on the roster quarterback to succeed behind? Can they be an old Denver-type line?

MS: First of all, you don’t know who the offensive line is right now. You had people get hurt. So is Chris Samuels back? Is Randy Thomas back? What is the situation? So, until those questions are answered, you don’t know.

My money’s on the Redskins finding a steal at running back, but finding out that both Samuels and Thomas are no longer the players they once were, healthy or not.

Of course, with the receivers, running backs, and quarterbacks weighing in, head coaches taking the podium and a few of them heading over to the media room, there were more than a few quotable moments outside of my conversation with Coach Shanahan.

Atlanta Falcons Head Coach Mike Smith had no qualms about Julius Peppers’ departure from Carolina.

“Julius Peppers not playing in the NFC South is a good thing.”

Former Northwestern quarterback Mike Kafka defended his team’s last second OT loss to Auburn in the Outback Bowl when asked about a controversial decision to go for on 4th down on the game’s final play.

“No, it was the right call. We were playing to win the entire game. That’s how we tried to finish.”

A field goal would have sent the game into a second extra period, but Kafka’s pass came up short on 4th down inside the Auburn five-yard-line.

And former Connecticut wide receiver Marcus Easley wasn’t bashful about his goal in the 40 yard dash.

“I’m pushing for a 4.3″

For a guy that stands 6’2″ tall and weighed in at 210 pounds, that would be one heck of an eye-opener. He’s somewhat raw, and an admitted late-bloomer after only receiving a scholarship during the summer before his senior season (his only productive season), but the upside, physicality, and desire are there.

“I didn’t get a scholarship until last year, so I feel like I still have a lot to prove,” he said. “Being physical is what got me on the field.”

It’s no secret that popular opinion around Denver favors a release of wide receiver Brandon Marshall. After Eddie Royal’s sophomore disappearing act, a replacement is a must if, for once, Marshall actually combines talking the talk with walking and signs elsewhere. And while the spotlight rests on former Oklahoma State receiver Dez Bryant, there was another freakish prospect in attendance today that could end up an attractive option for Denver in round one, and an absolute steal in round two.

Arrelious Benn just looks the part. He’s 6’1″, so he’s got enough height. And he weighed in at 216 pounds. But it’s his build that’s so impressive. The guy’s a rock. He’ll take some heat for a career that never saw him post elite stats, but his quarterback play was consistently subpar at best, and when you watch him move it’s almost surreal. Someone this big shouldn’t be that quick. Some still don’t think he is. When asked about his shortcomings, Benn said that he’d been working harder than he’d ever worked, and that he believed that could become a strength of his. And when asked repeatedly what kind of time he expected to run in the all-important, often-overrtated 40-yard-dash, he coolly responded, “If I run what I’ve been running [in training], then I’ll do really well.”

I told you, it’s a cloak and dagger NFL. Even for the guys who aren’t part of the league. Yet.

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