Box_O_Rocks
One personality, many pieces
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http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/9472206/7-Points:-Don't-overlook-OSU's-Laurinaitis-
Point No. 3: Connor Barwin is this year's most versatile draft prospect ... period.
Sure, players like Missouri's Jeremy Maclin and Penn State's Derrick Williams are tremendous talents who can catch the football, run with it and be breakaway threats as return specialists. But what's made Cincinnati's Barwin so special in this year's draft class is that he's a defensive end who can put quarterbacks into a panic, a linebacker with the range and quickness to attack the line of scrimmage or cover a receiver, a tight end who can catch and block effectively and a special teams star who covers well, blocks kicks and is a capable long-snapper.
As teams have watched him put his athleticism on display, they've realized what he could do for their team. Barwin posted 11 sacks and had three blocked kicks during his senior year.
During the 6-foot-4, 256-pound player's official visit with the Patriots, he had an opportunity to meet with coach Bill Belichick.
"He told me stay versatile, do as much as I can do, because with the Patriots I won't know how they're going to use me until I get there, and even then, it could switch halfway through the season," Barwin said.
New England's belief that he could play on either side of the football was reflected by the fact that he met with three offensive coaches and the defensive coordinator during his visit.
Barwin had official team visits with the Buffalo Bills, Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions, Jacksonville Jaguars, Tennessee Titans, the Chiefs and the Rams. He also worked out for the Cincinnati Bengals, Seattle Seahawks, the Dolphins, Patriots and Broncos.
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Point No. 5: Jason Williams should send a thank-you note to the organizers of the combine.
The Western Illinois linebacker wasn't invited to participate back in February, despite his 289 tackles, 13 sacks, 42.5 tackles for a loss and 14 forced fumbles during his career. The snub just made him work even harder, helping him to put on a big-time show at both his school's pro day and then again at Northwestern's pro day, where he reportedly posted a 4.44-second and a 4.49-second 40-time on his two attempts.
"I've always been the kind of guy who is motivated by a challenge, and I kind of took that as a challenge," Williams said during a phone interview.
Eleven of the speedy linebacker's forced fumbles were created over the past two seasons.
"It's kind of an innate ability that a lot of guys don't really have. Fortunately for me, it's become one of my strengths the past few years," he said. "I've had that intangible ability to make big plays when the team really needed them, whether it's forcing a fumble or getting into the backfield to stop a play before they even get a chance to start."
Over the past three weeks, Williams has visited 12 teams, including the Oakland Raiders, New York Jets, the Colts, Packers, Dolphins, Buccaneers, Patriots, Titans, Seahawks, Jaguars, Browns and Cowboys. He's also had a private workout with the Patriots.
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Point No. 7: Kentucky's Dicky Lyons blames Peyton Manning for a serious knee injury that hindered his opportunity to position himself among the top receivers in this year's draft.
Of course, Lyons, the Wildcats' top receiver heading into the 2008 season, makes the statement with a mischievous laugh.
During his junior year, Lyons caught 56 balls for 655 yards and seven touchdowns. He headed into his senior year with lofty, but achievable goals and NFL dreams.
"First of all, I wanted to get into the record books, because I went into my senior year close to setting records in almost all of the receiving categories," he said. "I ended in the top five in all of them even though I only finished five games. To me, my senior year was all about proving that I could be that go-to guy who was instrumental in getting us into a bowl game."
But during the sixth game of the year, he caught a pass off of a quick out at South Carolina's four-yard line and turned up the field in an attempt to score. He tore his MCL and PCL on the play.
"A guy horse-collared me and brought my head down to my right knee. I heard two pops and that was all she wrote," he said.
Prior to the start of his senior year, Lyons had attended Manning's summer camp to help instruct high-school athletes. One morning, the Colts quarterback invited him to work out with him.
"I ran a five-yard out route, turned it up the field and Peyton was like, 'Dicky, that's great. I love that! Most guys catch that and just run out of bounds, and I hate that.' So that's what was in my mind on that play before I got injured. I was trying to turn it up. So I blame Peyton for that," he said with a laugh.
Lyons says that he's about 80-percent recovered, has no limits on what he can do, and is now working out every day to continue to build strength in the knee. The Patriots have already put him through a workout that lasted roughly two hours, so Lyons, who sees himself as being cut from the same mold as Brandon Stokley and Wes Welker, is still optimistic that he has a bright future in pro football.
"If you're looking for a guy to play the slot, there's nobody more reliable and who can do it better than I can, that's how I honestly feel," he said. "I think I have the intelligence to read the coverages and to find those weaknesses in a defense."