Looking more...Albert Haynesworth getting up and catching Reggie Wayne or Greg Jennings from behind seemed super-human, impossible, etc.
Lawrence Taylor could run from the DE spot and catch Eric Dickerson, Payton, young Randall (pick your player from that time) from behind.
I appreciate these last two most of all.
Which is why the 40 should be (for offensive skill guys) run with a ball in their hands in zigzags dodging targets.
Some sort of obstacle course for sure. This would be a more accurate(but still not) representation of speed in the game. I think people want straight away speed tested though.
I remember going to some NYG camps where despite all the catches or moves that were made, the fans got most excited when one of their top DL had to run down a RB. Can Strahan catch Tiki? Is Osi fast enough to run down Jacobs? Then some WR would be like long gone and the coaches wanted him to touch the endzone and come back, when a DB took off chasing him because he was dogging it, the fans loved that too. Somehow, I'd like to see some test for defenders where they have to catch people. Start the RBs running five feet ahead and see if these guys can't catchup and pull a flag off their belt or somesuch.
Personally I like tires. The last so many years, I've come to appreciate this old-fashioned workout. When I was young we just ran thru the tires with every step going into the next tire, til the whole line of tires was done. I've been floored watching guys turn 360 degrees and catch balls while doing this. Now I remember tripping a million times just running straight ahead myself so maybe my own failures when I was younger make this seem even more special, but my initial reaction when I first saw a player stay full speed and turn 360 degrees was how the heck did he just do that. IMO, it takes some awesome awareness and athleticism to run (30? 15 by 2) tires in 8(?) seconds and along the way be able to spin and catch a ball, never stepping on a tire nor ever stepping in the same tire twice.
Like others here, I want pads in these races. I find myself wanting it to be harder or indicate more or something. The tires....good luck doing it without pads. I want to see some "pretty feet."
Here's another odd one-at the end of drills some unlucky WR or RB gets stuck fielding the balls and putting them in that big square bucket/box/net(whatever you call it) so naturally there's like a dozen balls coming at him at once. They're lobbed nicely, softly, but still there's a bunch coming right at him. I've been impressed to see some players catch several. Very simple, nothing to it, happens all the time, but when I see a WR catch a ball in each hand, ditch em, grab more it's impressive.
The combine...we have two three or four years of tape on most of these guys. They're getting more from the tapes than anything else. Sure I want to see route running and pretty throws and all but still the bulk of info teams go on is in the tapes. I'd rather something unconventional at the combine to test hands or feet or whatnot. I don't care if the players take turns seeing whose strong enough to push a truck. Teams have piles of tapes, I'd rather see something new and unconventional.
