NFL Combine

[WTFchris]

Chats, numbers, etc posted here.

BTW, they are chatting with Alan Branch right now. If someone wants to post that at 1:30 that would be nice (i am leaving for lunch now).

[WTFchris]

Brian los angeles, ca: which team has showed the most interest in you? which scheme do you prefer: 3-4 or 4-3?

Alan Branch: A lot of teams have shown interest, especially the Panthers, Broncos, Detroit, Texans. As far as the scheme it does not matter to me, I know how to play in both and I have played in both. Last year I was playing the 4-3 so that is the freshest in my head, so if I had to pick I guess I would say the 4-3.

Jimmy (Illinois): Is there anywhere in particular you want to get drafted?

Alan Branch: Not really. I know certain people say they don't like playing in certain weather, but I just like playing football to tell you the truth.

Matthew (Richmond,VA): What is the best memory you have during your career at Michigan

Alan Branch: It would have to be either the win over Penn. St. on that last drive in '05, or the first half of last season when our D was shutting people down...I will never forget that.

Sergio (Dallas, TX): I've read alot about your experience in playing multiple positions along the DL, but if you were given the opportunity to choose by the team that drafts you, which position (DE, DT, or NT) and side (L or R) would you prefer?

Alan Branch: First of all i don't mind the side, I will play right or left because I am comfortable on both sides. But as far as choosing a position I would probably play the three, but if I wanted to get sacks I would like to play DE.

Deriek (Eugene, OR): Who would you compare yourself to in the NFL?

Alan Branch: Richard Seymour because he can play so many positions, inside and out. So he is a guy I would like to model my game after.

Isaac, Ann Arbor, MI: What goes into the decision of staying at UofM or declaring for the draft?

Alan Branch: What it really came down to is I am a competitor; since I was little I've been that way, and the NFL has the best in the world, and I wanted to test myself and show people what I am capable of.

Eric (DC): With the 6th overall selection, the Washington Redskins select "Alan Branch". How do you think its going to feel just to hear your name called in the Draft?

Alan Branch: I've been trying to imagine it, but I still can't really picture it. It is hard to explain, you have been working so hard all your life for something and it is on the verge of coming true, it is hard to describe.

Matt (Scottsdale, AZ): Alan, I have to say that I am sad to see you leave early but I wish you all the best in the pros. How do you see Michigan's D shaping up for next year?

Alan Branch: I think they will be just fine without me. We are a very deep team on both sides of the ball, and that is what makes us so good. And on O they have most of the leaders back. But we should be fine on both sides. And I have full confidence in the guys that will step in for all of us that left.

brian hewlett ny: after playing at michagin do you think the atmosphere at nfl games will let you down?

Alan Branch: I don't think I will be let down, but it may take a while to get used to not playing in front of 100,000 each game. But I will never be let down by something that I have been working for my whole life.

Sel (CA):: How do you feel about some critics saying that you could be better if you consistently worked-out and had a better work ethic?

Alan Branch: Everybody that knows me knows that I work hard so that is not even a question.

Riley (Pullman, WA): Why did you pick number 80 to wear in college and what number will you want to wear in the NFL?

Alan Branch: Honestly it is a funny story how I got 80, because I really wanted the number 90, but it wasn't available, and I picked receiver number hoping they wouldnt give it to me, but when I showed up that's the number I had...As far as the NFL anything in the 90s will be fine.

Aiden (Tampa, Florida): Hey Alan, how did you like your last year in Michigan? And who at the combine has impressed you the most?

Alan Branch: As far as the combine Akoye looked great, I mean the guy is only 19 and he is dominating which is crazy. He impressed me a lot, probably because of his age. And I loved my last year at Michigan; I had a great time.

Alan Branch: Thanks for the support and for stopping by to chat with me for a bit. And I just want to let you all know that I will play my heart out in the coming years just like I did in college. Bye!

[WTFchris]

From Mlive:

Steve Breaston appears to have raised his NFL Draft stock. Same with linebacker David Harris and cornerback Leon Hall.
Defensive tackle Alan Branch is on his way down, according to some reports. Prescott Burgess hurt himself with a slow 40-yard dash and no one seems sure about defensive end LaMarr Woodley.
Since the NFL scouting combine wrapped up earlier this week, draft prognosticators have begun adjusting their predictions based on the performances in Indianapolis, including those by University of Michigan players.
While ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. and the like will scramble from now until April's draft to try to accurately predict which player will go to which team when, athletes such as Breaston can breathe a sigh of relief.
"I'm definitely happy with how I did,'' the receiver said by telephone from Arizona. "I did a great job running routes, I always caught the ball and I ran a solid 40.''
Last week, Kiper said he anticipated Breaston would be selected during the second day, which includes rounds four through seven.
Breaston, who caught 156 passes in his Michigan career and smashed the school's all-time return records, said he's confident that he's now locked up a spot in the two-day draft. His 40 time of 4.41 seconds tied for 10th among the more than 40 receivers at the combine.
"A lot of people didn't expect me to get under a 4.6,'' Breaston said. "That was kind of weird because I always thought of myself as fast.''
Breaston, who out-quicked such notable wideouts as Ohio State's Anthony Gonzalez and Southern California's Steve Smith, couldn't quite match the speed of Hall, who trained for the combine with Breaston in Arizona.
Tied for fifth among 48 defensive backs with a time of 4.39 seconds, Hall proved to be an elite performer in other drills, too. Considered a mid-first round pick by Kiper, Hall may have jumped ahead of Branch, a defensive tackle.
The 6-foot-6-inch, 325-pound Branch - who left Michigan with a season of eligibility remaining - "looked sluggish and sloppy during the drilling portion of the workout, leading many to believe he is in poor shape,'' according to SI.com, which labeled him as one of its draft "sliders.''
But Branch and the other draft-eligible Michigan players will get an opportunity to perform for NFL scouts at the school's pro day, which is slated for March 16.
For Woodley, a first-team All-American, it will be his first chance to show the pros whether he's more suited for defensive end or an outside linebacker spot. At 6-foot-2, he's shorter than the ideal for an NFL defensive end, and he may not be fast enough for linebacker.
After injuring his hamstring during Senior Bowl practices in January, Woodley was measured and went through medical testing only at the combine, leaving scouts to wonder about how he'll perform in the drills when healthy.
In the case of Burgess, he'll use pro day to try to show that his 4.85-second time in the 40 was an aberration. He'll also attempt to improve on the 19 repetitions he did on the 225-pound bench press, one of the worst showings among the linebackers.
In comparison, Harris had 23 bench press reps and ran his 40 in 4.59 seconds, which tied him for ninth-fastest among 33 linebackers.
"That's what I've been consistently timing out (in training),'' Harris said. "But I didn't want to tell anyone else. They wouldn't have believed me.''
During his long weekend stay in Indianapolis, Harris was on the go for 16 hours a day, rotating from medical exams to psychological testing to interview upon interview with NFL coaches, scouts and even some owners.
"I saw all the faces you see on TV,'' he said. "(Indianapolis Colts coach) Tony Dungy, (New York Giants coach) Tom Coughlin. All the people you see on Sunday.''
Harris' days were so jam-packed that when he finished the required drills on Monday, he hustled off to the airport without the benefit of a shower. Cleaned-up and rested, Harris is back in Ann Arbor to continue working out until the draft arrives, where he could be picked in the first three rounds.
"Everybody said I did a good job, and did good in interviewing,'' he said of the feedback he received from NFL teams. "Now I have to sit around and be patient.''