http://www.nfl.com/news/story/7101750

"Clarett insists he has all of the maturity necessary to overcome what he readily acknowledges is a 'huge challenge'."

This guy is starting to test my patience ... I realise that there are guys every year who decide that they don't want to work out at the combine, but surely Clarett is only hurting his chances?

Something I was told a long time ago and came to realize how true it is: The more someone tries to say they are "mature," the more immature they really are. I thought I knew the whole fucking world at 20. At 31 I realize I still don't know a damn thing...

P.S. Lawrence Phillips is a grown up too...

Apparently, he's been depicted as possibly being the 8th RB drafted, according to an article on NFL.com....

Wouldn't really know who'd want to take the risk. I think the 'mystique' over Drew Henson's kind of died down publicity over Clarett. Then again, well, no one's talking much about Eli or Brian for the QBs.

That's the vibe I'm getting, at least.

:rolleyes: what the hell is he thinking??? As I've said before, he's in for a LONG season...

He's a bust waiting to happen. At least now that he's skipping workouts in the Combine, teams won't have to waste as high a draft pick. He had an entire freaking year to get in shape and now he's worried about being out of football shape?

I may be wrong, but I think Vick did not attend the combine, and it didn't hurt him.

But then again, Clarett is no where near Vick, so...yes, it will probably hurt him.

I may be wrong, but I think Vick did not attend the combine, and it didn't hurt him.

But then again, Clarett is no where near Vick, so...yes, it will probably hurt him.

He's going to drop at least a round because of this.

1. Even before the draft controvery, he was never one of the nation's best running backs. He was always overrated.

2. If he has put off his workouts because he's not in shape that shows dangerous character flaws and proves he's still the same delinquent he was as a Buckeye. How can you not be in shape for the most important events in your career, especially when you've been out of football for so long and were never expected to go in the first round?

I may be wrong, but I think Vick did not attend the combine, and it didn't hurt him.

But then again, Clarett is no where near Vick, so...yes, it will probably hurt him.

Well Clarett hasn't even played a full season... He quite obviously has no idea what he is in for when gets to the NFL...

I'll be surprised if Clarett goes in the first day. I I might be able to think of a few teams that might take a shot with him, but realistically I see him as a Day 2 draftee. At least right now. And yes, that's because he's skipped the combine.

Apparently, he's been depicted as possibly being the 8th RB drafted, according to an article on NFL.com....


Last year the 8th RB taken in the draft was Domanick Davis. Onterrio Smith if you want to consider B.J. Askew as a FB. Both guys were early 4th rounders. Thats basically where I would start consider drafting him.

He's going to drop at least a round because of this.

1. Even before the draft controvery, he was never one of the nation's best running backs. He was always overrated.

As an OSU fan I have to disagree :). When he wasn't injured (and admittedly that wasn't often) he was, simply put, unstoppable. And when injured (see Michigan when he had the bicep injury) he was still among the nations best.

That said, he's a bust waiting to happen in the NFL. Lawerence Phillips II.

He's got too many character issues for me to even consider wasting a day 1 choice on him. There's no way I'd want to see him in Black and Gold either, unless it was like via a 5th rounder or something.

What are his options if he is not drafted this year? I don’t know the rules. Will he be able to go back to school and come back to the NFL later?

You guys are making way too much of him not working out. Anyone who is (in their minds) certain to get drafted (and Clarett is) skips workouts at the combine. People working out there are rare anymore, most work out at their schools pro day, or at their agency's. The combine is now only for accurate height and weight, comprehensive physicals, and interviews. This is a complete non-story.

Okay let me put on my agent hat :D There is absolutely no way I let Clarett go to the Combine. I do not think he would gain anything in the Combine by going. He would probably bomb the interview session and the Wonderlic test. Also, he has not play competative football in over a year. When you compare that against running backs that perform as recently as a month and a half ago, he go from the 8th rated to the 15 rated RB. From what I understand, he is not going to workout with the rest of OSU at their Pro day on 12 March. He is going to go with a McGahee type workout the first week in April. I am sure he (with his agent) is pinning his hopes on being dominant at that workout and hoping there is a GM is "afraid" of missing the next great one. While I would not pick him myself on the first day, if he truly amazes scouts at that workout, I can see someone pulling the trigger. After all, Talent tends to win out

What are his options if he is not drafted this year? I don’t know the rules. Will he be able to go back to school and come back to the NFL later?

No, he's a free agent, with no option of returning to school.

What are his options if he is not drafted this year? I don’t know the rules. Will he be able to go back to school and come back to the NFL later?
I have a more intriguing question that that, as this is the most likely scenario. He'll be drafted in rounds 3 or below and won't like the fact he won't be receiving a multi-million dollar signing bonus and decides to hold out for the entire season. Any bets on what he does after that :)?

I thought this thread was going to be about Mo Cheeks.

You guys are making way too much of him not working out. Anyone who is (in their minds) certain to get drafted (and Clarett is) skips workouts at the combine. People working out there are rare anymore, most work out at their schools pro day, or at their agency's. The combine is now only for accurate height and weight, comprehensive physicals, and interviews. This is a complete non-story.

A lot of guys looking to go higher than the 2nd day (which is when Clarett will be drafted) work out at the Combine. Clarett is acting like he's a first round pick when he's far from it.

Lawrence Phillips is satan-incarnate.

Clarett may be an immature kid, but he is not the misanthrope that Phillips was or is.

I don't see his "character" as an issue at all...

Well Clarett hasn't even played a full season... He quite obviously has no idea what he is in for when gets to the NFL...

Yep. There's about 32 middle linebackers in the NFL who will be exceptionally eager to lay the lick on him that says "This isn't the Big 10, little boy."

Lawrence Phillips is satan-incarnate.

Clarett may be an immature kid, but he is not the misanthrope that Phillips was or is.

I don't see his "character" as an issue at all...

You don't see lying about the stereo equipment, suing his university when questioned about it, then saying that he's going to return to school, then saying he's not, as a character issue?

No, he didn't beat up on a girl like Phillips did, but he's hardly a model human being coming out of college.

Lawrence Phillips is satan-incarnate.

Clarett may be an immature kid, but he is not the misanthrope that Phillips was or is.

I don't see his "character" as an issue at all...

When you turn up and say that your mother advised you not to work out you definitely have some character. But I don’t think most GM and scouts in the NFL like it.

If he had turned up and said that his advisers had recommended him not to work out until later for whatever reason most people would have excused him. Now he just come out and look even more stupid and that’s not what he need if he wants to move up in the draft.

Why should he work out if he thinks it will cost him more than if he waited until the first week of April? If he has a fantastic personal workout in April, combined with good interviews it helps him a ton. If he runs at the combine, and performs poorly, his stock drops even more. All it takes is one team to want him.

And of course he sees himself as a first round pick. He may not go in the 1st round but he's unquestionably first round talent -- whether or not a team thinks he's a head case, injury prone, whatever -- all valid points, but to say that he's a bust waiting to happen is insane. We have no way of knowing how good/bad he will be. But the raw talent is unquestionably there. If you are a team that needs a RB and he's there in the 3rd round, you'd be crazy not to take him. You don't break the freshman rushing record at Ohio State and not be a special player. I think people forget just how good he was in 2002. Clarett is as good, right now, as Eddie George was when he entered the draft. Of course Eddie's the epitome of class...and Clarett is well, not.

And Clarett is hardly a 'little boy'. He won't even be the youngest player in the draft. He'll be 21 this year, and there are a whole lotta 21 year olds drafted into the NFL. This isn't some 18 year old underdeveloped kid fresh out of high school. This is a 230 pound 4.5 running 20 year old, who can run, catch, and block. Sounds like a potential 3rd round steal to me if he can stay healthy.

Clarett shouldn't work out. How can it get any better for him than scouts' memories of him playing for OSU? Right now, he's Rob Johnson and Scott Mitchell - memories of fantastic performances dancing in scouts/GMs heads, making it impossible for them to resist the temptation. Had the Lions actually seen Mitchell's flabby ass in camp, or had the Bills bothered to watch more than 1 games' worth of tape on Johnson, they surely wouldn't have signed/traded for either of them.

Since he feels like he has nothing to prove, he's got nothing to gain from going to the combine.

He'll work out at a private session in April. By the accounts I read he was fairly out of shape and not ready anyway to run.

I have serious questions about that since he's had all the time in the world to get in shape. Reports have said he was 5 11 and in the 237 range...significantly over his previous playing weight...

Ah, I can see some of the points about him not being at the combine. But this is just another problem with his character. Imagine if he were in tip-top shape like he SHOULD be. Imagine him going out there and running a badass 40 time. He would have scouts shitting their pants. I would think, that if this were one of THE MOST IMPORTANT 2-3 month periods, that would MAKE MY LIFE, i'd have my ass in shape.

There is no way that the NFL if going to give up its sweet deal of college being its minor-league system. The NFL LOVES going to court, and they will go early and often. Look for the NFL to pull every dirty-trick in the book and welcome getting themselves sued. Remember, even when the NFL loses they win ($3.00) damages (trebled from $1.00) after losing an anti-trust case vs. the USFL.

You don't see lying about the stereo equipment, suing his university when questioned about it, then saying that he's going to return to school, then saying he's not, as a character issue? Not when it comes to where he should be drafted by an NFL team, no.

There is no way that the NFL if going to give up its sweet deal of college being its minor-league system. The NFL LOVES going to court, and they will go early and often. Look for the NFL to pull every dirty-trick in the book and welcome getting themselves sued. Remember, even when the NFL loses they win ($3.00) damages (trebled from $1.00) after losing an anti-trust case vs. the USFL.
Hey... I didn't know Al Davis was a member here! :D