Browns Notebook: Combine Starts, Notable Measurements, Players Not Testing, Old Faces in New Places
The NFL Scouting Combine got underway on Monday with players starting to get measured in to start the week. An uneventful day in terms of the events or news conferences, there were some notable tidbits that came out that impact the week and potentially players the Cleveland Browns could target in the upcoming NFL Draft.
Chase Young, who may well be in a position where he doesn't leave his couch for the next two months, and will still be the second pick of the NFL Draft to the Washington Redskins, is going to skip the drills this week and wait until Pro Day.
While Young has no impact on the Browns, players such as Ashtyn Davis opting not to work out in Indianapolis could. The free safety and track athlete out of Cal has reportedly not fully rehabbed from an injury he's been dealing with and will take advantage of another month to recover before testing.
Tyler Johnson is opting not to work out at the combine either. Minnesota has not set their date for Pro Day yet and Johnson's camp is not to this point, saying it's a preference to wait. Johnson is not expected to test terribly well and he doesn't necessarily have to, simply needing to test well enough to ensure it's not a problem. This news won't help ease concerns about his athletic viability.
There were a few notable measurements that came out today among the wide receivers and one that will only continue the conversation about Joe Burrow and his viability as the top overall quarterback. His hand was measured at 9", which is a topic no matter how much some would prefer to ignore it. Not only is 9" shorter than most any team's threshold, it becomes a little more problematic when playing outdoors, in climates that experience wind, rain and cold temperatures. Those circumstances can make it more difficult to hold onto the football.
The top receiver in the class is entirely in the eye of the beholder. One that is popular despite relatively low production in his collegiate career is Henry Ruggs III out of Alabama. His weigh in numbers were good, but his hands stuck out for being quite large. So Ruggs, who is expected to test among the fastest in the class as a potential game changing deep threat, he also has big hands to help secure those catches.
TCU's Jalen Reagor's weigh did nothing but help himself. Even if he drank enough water to almost make his blood basic, he still weighed in at 206 pounds, which is massive. Reagor has some similarities to former Baylor wide receiver and Browns first round pick, Corey Coleman. Both are incredibly fast while not being overly tall. Coleman weighed in 194 pounds, had shorter arms and smaller hands than Reagor. It remains to see if Reagor will test as well as Coleman did.
Finally, Arizona State wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk measured in with a massive wingspan for the position at 80". Another player that is impressive after the catch as well as going down the field, Aiyuk has a good sized frame even if he doesn't have notable height.
Chris Smith, who most recently played for the Cleveland Browns until he was waived late in the year, is going to continue his career and is now in the market for a job. The Browns waived him toward the end of last season in a move that saved cap space as well as creating a roster spot for some younger, fresher faces that were in a better position to help the team. The timing was criticized by some at the time, but Smith didn't have a future with the Browns after the season either and this only supports the notion that he was not in a great place to help the Browns, understandably given the tragic circumstances.
Former assistant general manager Eliot Wolf and director of personnel Alonzo Highsmith turned up in Indianapolis wearing Seattle Seahawks gear and are apparently working as draft consultants. Ryan Grigson, who is working in the same role for the Browns, was operating in that capacity with the Seahawks last year, meaning the Browns have effectively traded Wolf and Highsmith for Grigson.
