2-28-12: Arizona Cardinals Bird Droppings - Combine

Time for some links on the combine, the NFL, a nice story relating to a former Cardinal, and a very bad day for Vontaze Burfict.

Ben Patrick rescues some folks who were trapped in an overturned van | Shutdown Corner - Yahoo! Sports
If you ever have the misfortune to be trapped inside a van laying on its side next to a busy highway, may it also be your good fortune to have a kind-hearted NFL player nearby. Preferably, former Arizona Cardinals tight end Ben Patrick, because he's good at it.

Word From the Birds Blog - Whither Deuce?
General manager Rod Graves talked last week about the Cards hoping to sign some of their own free agents back, and obviously, there has been a lot of speculation about how the Cards might/could/should draft offensive line in the first round. One of the mysteries the Cards must clear up is free-agent-to-be Deuce Lutui, who sat all last season as a backup after starting each of his first five seasons. Coach Ken Whisenhunt said he can see a Cards’ future with Lutui in it.

Big Red Runs the 40yd Dash
Inspired by all of the Combine coverage, Cardinals mascot Big Red decided to run the 40 yard dash.

Arizona Sports News:

Vontaze Burfict says reputation is wrong
If there are misconceptions about former Arizona State inside linebacker Vontaze Burfict, it seems everyone but Burfict has them. The NFL didn't attach a giant red flag to the Under Armour gear issued to Burfict when he arrived at the scouting combine, but it might as well have. Few of the 300 or so players here have as much to overcome.

Ex-Arizona stars Nick Foles, Juron Criner come up on slow side at NFL combine
Former Arizona Wildcats Nick Foles and Juron Criner weren't blazers in the 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine on Sunday. Foles was timed in 5.14 seconds for 40 yards, according to NFL.com, the worst of the 14 quarterbacks who participated in the 40-yard dash. Foles isn't noted for his speed, so the poor time doesn't come as a huge surprise, although he had been hoping to dispel his "lumbering" image. One of the other critiques of his game has been his accuracy on down-field passing.

Burfict shows what 3 years of avoiding the media will do - ArizonaSports.com
At an informal lunch with Phoenix-area sports media last week, new Arizona State football coach Todd Graham talked about the importance of dealing with the media. He spoke of using the media as a free resource for his program. He joked that he wouldn't recruit players that wouldn't or couldn't speak to the media. Of course, as someone who follows the ASU football program very closely, the first thought that popped in my head was 'he's taking a jab at Vontaze Burfict'.

Vontaze Burfict’s rough Combine continues | ProFootballTalk
First came Mike Mayock’s strong, negative comments about Arizona State linebacker Vontaze Burfict before the Combine. Once Burfict got to Indianapolis, things didn’t get any better. His interviews with teams and the media were described as disastrous.

Vontaze Burfict's NFL Combine Results Aren't Very Pretty - SBNation.com
Some players are having a better NFL Combine than others. A guy like Luke Kuechly, linebacker out of Boston College, is showing his athleticism and speed so the Combine is helping him more than anything. Other guys, like Vontaze Burfict, aren't doing so well.

Arizona, Arizona State out to change recruiting perception - NCAA Football - SI.com
The drama that surrounded Scottsdale (Ariz.) Chaparral wide receiver Davonte Neal's college announcement Tuesday produced a bizarre story with an all-too-familiar ending. Once again, an Arizona school failed to land one of the state's best prospects, as Neal signed with Notre Dame.

NFL News:

2012 NFL Mock Draft: NFL Combine Results Change Projections - SBNation.com
The 2012 NFL Combine is officially underway as the best NFL prospects in the country look to boost their stock over the coming week. Prospects will rise and fall as they run drills and are poked and prodded in a variety of ways.

NFL Combine 2012: 40-Yard Dash Results For Linebackers, Defensive Linemen - SBNation.com
Monday at the 2012 NFL Combine saw some defensive linemen and linebackers show off some incredible athleticism while other raised question marks. Mychal Kendricks out of California was the fastest of the group with a 4.47 40-yard dash time, while top 3-4 OLB prospect Bruce Irvin and top MLB prospect Luke Kuechly, also impressed. Melvin Ingram and Quinton Coples showed why they could be good fits for multiple systems while Vontaze Burfict hurt his stock. Here are some of the best performers in the 40-yard dash.

NFL Draft 2012: Rams Make It Clear No. 2 Pick Is For Sale - SBNation.com
The St. Louis Rams are making it well known that they're prepared to trade the No. 2 overall pick in the 2012 NFL draft. Common sense tells us they would be, considering Robert Griffin III lit it up at the NFL Combine over the weekend, making that second pick even more valuable.

Jets Give Bart Scott Permission To Seek Trade, According To Report - SBNation.com
The Jets have reportedly given linebacker Bart Scott permission to seek a trade, according to a report.

Seahawks' Leroy Hill Arrested For Marijuana Possession - SBNation.com
Seahawks linebacker Leroy HIll was reportedly arrested for marijuana possession at his apartment early on Saturday morning.

Griffin will grace cover of EA’s college game | ProFootballTalk
Good things have happened in threes this week for Robert Griffin III.

Dontari Poe Is Having A Good NFL Combine - SBNation.com
Memphis defensive tackle Dontari Poe is a potential first round pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, but just how high he'll go is the question. Poe has done nothing in the 2012 NFL Combine to hurt his draft stock testing out very well in almost all of the drills. The 6-foot, 4-inch, 346-pound defensive lineman put up 44 reps of 225 pounds at the combine, the most out of any other player. Not only did Poe display his upper body strength, but he showed just how nimble he could be at 346 pounds running a 4.98 unofficial 40-yard dash time.

Stephen Jones: We don’t have enough talent to win on defense | ProFootballTalk
The Cowboys have struggled badly against the pass for two years running. The Jones family usually talks about the team’s talent level in flowery terms, but VP Stephen Jones got real with his assessment this week.