Day Three of the NFL Scouting Combine saw the first on-field action of the festivities, and yet the greatest buzz was generated by a couple of off-the-field situations.
First, Alabama tackle Andre Smith put the OL in AWOL when it was announced that he was no longer at the Combine. It turned out to be largely a misunderstanding, mostly by the agent that Smith spent so much time selecting that he couldn’t be bothered to train for the combine. Smith evidently has a couple private workouts scheduled in Alabama, and since he wasn’t doing any of the drills he bailed on the Combine.
It’s no secret that ultimately talent trumps everything else, so Smith will still be a first-round pick. However, questionable decision-making has raised some character red flags that could end up costing him millions. To wit: Jake Long was the first overall pick in last year’s draft, signing a five-year, $57.75 million contract with the Dolphins; Ryan Clady was the next offensive lineman off the board, going 12th overall to the Broncos and inking a five-year contract worth $40 million less. Crude math suggests that for every four spots Smith’s shenanigans may have dropped him in the draft, he’ll lose in the neighborhood of $10 million.
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