2-26-12: Arizona Cardinals Bird Droppings - Combine

More NFL Combine stuff, Arizona Cardinals news, and other assorted goodies for you.


Nice little note on Whiz flustering one of the offensive linemen at the combine in an interview too.

Leaning On The QB
Position always been important, but stress increasing

Whisenhunt successfully gets under unnamed draft prospect’s skin | ProFootballTalk
It’s no secret that NFL brass like to push the buttons of draft prospects during interviews at the Scouting Combine, to see how the soon-to-be rookies respond. Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt did just that in his private meeting with an unnamed offensive guard prospect in Indianapolis late this week. (We suspect it was Stanford guard David DeCastro.)

Word From the Birds Blog - Acho Grande, Part II
Texas linebacker Emmanuel Acho sounded about as confident as a player can here at the Scouting combine. He has an ‘in’ that he believes that will benefit him big-time — his older brother Sam, emerging Cardinals linebacker.

Word From the Birds Blog - Stories from the interview room
While it’s the 40-yard dashes and the bench presses (with John Lott bellowing in the guy’s ear as he lifts) that get the TV time from Indy at the Scouting combine, it’s the medical checks and interviews that teams value the most.

azcentral.com blogs - Kent Somers - This Acho has a tutor
Players participate in the NFL Scouting Combine once, but Texas linebacker Emmanuel Acho feels like he's been here before. His brother, Sam, a Cardinals linebacker, has filled him in on everything to expect.

azcentral.com blogs - Kent Somers - A good reason Colts haven't watched Manning throw
Eyebrows were raised at the combine on Thursday when Colts General Manager Ryan Grigson said team officials had not seen quarterback Peyton Manning throw this off-season. There is a good reason for that. It appears the Colts would violate the collective bargaining agreement by watching Manning throw passes.

Arizona Sports News:

ASU's Brock Osweiler attends NFL scouting combine
Brock Osweiler won't lift, run or throw at the NFL scouting combine this week, and he came up a little short in one of few tests to which he submitted. To be exact, 1 1/8 inches short. Still, the former Arizona State quarterback believes he can show NFL scouts a lot about himself here, even if doesn't touch a football. "I want to show GMs, head coaches that starting only 15 games in my college career was enough," Osweiler said, when asked what he hoped to prove at the combine. "Get me in the meeting room and let me show you the person, the leader, the competitor that I am, and the football player." Osweiler is skipping the physical tests, he said, because he hasn't quite recovered from the mid-foot sprain suffered late in the bowl game in December. He plans to do all of the tests on March 30, ASU's pro scouting day.

Wrapping up Saturday with Brock Osweiler - NFC West Blog - ESPN
A few quick thoughts on Brock Osweiler after the Arizona State quarterback passed through Lucas Oil Stadium's media workroom:

Mike Smith stops 21 shots as Phoenix Coyotes top Edmonton Oilers
February is becoming a month to remember for Ray Whitney and the Phoenix Coyotes. Whitney scored a goal, Mike Smith stopped 21 shots for his 10th straight victory and the streaking Coyotes beat the Edmonton Oilers 3-1 on Saturday to move into sole possession of first place in the Pacific Division.

UA basketball wins home finale over UCLA
Kyle Fogg grabbed his framed jersey, held it over his head and walked to his place near midcourt. A full house of red-clad fans roaring inside McKale Center, he broke into a huge grin as he stood next to the rest of Arizona's seniors. Just as he had done so many times in his senior season, Fogg had carried his team to a victory with defense and clutch shooting. Doing it in his final home game, with so much still on the line, that made it even sweeter. Fogg hit a big 3-pointer while scoring 16 of his 20 points in the second half and hounded UCLA's Lazeric Jones into a horrible shooting day, helping Arizona hold on to beat UCLA 65-63 on Saturday.

ASU basketball holds on to beat Pac-12's worst team
With the game in his hands, Chris Colvin drove right with the shot clock winding down. USC 7-footer James Blasczyk jumped toward him. Colvin flipped the ball high off the glass and landed on the court in a pile of bodies. The shot dropped. An official called a foul. For one of the few times this season, Arizona State delivered in the clutch. Colvin's 3-point play with 19 seconds left lifted the Sun Devils to a 56-52 win over USC on Saturday in front of 6,316 fans at Wells Fargo Arena.

NFL News:

NFL Combine: Offensive Linemen, Tight Ends On The Field - SBNation.com
The NFL Combine is here. Follow the action here, and check out SBNation.com's 2012 mock drafts and our NFL draft blog, Mocking The Draft.

Randy Moss And The Most Adorable Photo Ever - From Our Editors - SBNation.com
So there they were, minding their own business on opposite sides of an aquatic tank. Their eyes met, the romantic slow jam suddenly began blaring on the speakers, and it happened just like the movies. The two began to move toward each other with open arms, almost gliding in slow motion, until...

West mum on Peyton; did Chiefs cross line? - NFC West Blog - ESPN
The Seattle Seahawks and Arizona Cardinals have avoided showing interest in quarterback Peyton Manning for fear of tampering charges. Kansas City Chiefs coach Romeo Crennel caught my attention at the NFL scouting combine Saturday when he expressed interest in Manning despite alluding to the tampering policy's prohibition of such comments.