Oregon quarterback Jeremiah Masoli will be arraigned this morning on a charge of second-degree burglary in Eugene, Oregon. If he’s convicted, he faces up to five years in prison, which is the maximum sentence for a Class C felony in Oregon.

From SPORTSbyBROOKS.com:

The seriousness of the charge is also hard to believe considering Masoli has faced no punishment from Oregon Coach Chip Kelly, despite the coach’s assurances that he was closely following the matter.

Also charged in the alleged second-degree burglary is former Oregon football player Garrett Embry.

Embry, who didn’t figure to see a lot of playing time in 2010 for the Ducks, was dismissed from the football team by Kelly on Feb. 1. In the official statement about Embry’s release, Kelly claimed that the player had actually been kicked off the team on Jan. 8 for a previous team rules violation.

But after the theft report Ken Goe of the PORTLAND OREGONIAN reported that on Jan. 24, “Oregon officials refused to confirm he (Embry) had been dismissed (from the team).”

If Embry had already been dismissed from the team on Jan. 8, why didn’t Kelly report it then? Meanwhile, starting quarterback Masoli has faced no such penalties since the theft allegation - though both have now been charged with the same crime.

This is certainly a horrible situation for Kelly and the Oregon program. Not only does Masoli (who is a Heisman candidate by the way) face major legal issues, but Kelly will also come under fire if he booted Emrby off the team but not Masoli, who committed the same crime. Everyone knows there’s a huge difference between the way a starting quarterback is treated compared to a backup player, but the media will have a field day with Kelly if he indeed let Masoli off easy because he’s a star.

The entire situation is ugly.

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I waited a lot longer than I normally do to compile my first mock draft of the year. Normally I whip up my first batch of mock draft right after the scouting combine, but this year I wanted to see what happened at the start of free agency before I even remotely considered whom teams would select in April.

I get as excited as any true draftnik about mock drafts, but how could anyone venture a guess at what player a team will select without knowing what big free agents signed where? It’s like taking a long road trip to a place you’ve never been before without your GPS. (Wow, have the times changed. A couple of years ago, I would have ended that sentence with “without your map” but that damn technology continues to track us down like a bear preying on an injured deer.)

Below is my first crack at predicting the first round of the 2010 NFL Draft. I’ve posted only the first five picks but don’t worry, I’ll be adding to the mock throughout the day. As usual, feel free to argue my picks as much as you like but please, debate with some dignity. Don’t be the doucher that ruins the fun of mock drafts by spewing venom in the comments section of a sports blog. There may not be anything more pathetic.

1. St. Louis Rams: Sam Bradford, QB, Oklahoma
I have Nebraska’s Ndamukong Suh rated as the unquestioned best player in this year’s draft. (Well, I don’t have an official ranking per se, but in my head he’s No. 1.) But that doesn’t mean I think the Rams will take him. Teams usually get funny about the No. 1 overall pick. They feel as though they have to match the contract with the position in order to justify the player they’re taking, which is completely backwards when you think about it. A team should be most concerned with taking the right player that matches their scheme. But I digress. Bradford is the top rated quarterback and the Rams have a major need at the position with Marc Bulger proving over the past two years that he’s better suited to run the scout team offense in practice and then the first unit on Sundays. The Rams feel as though they need to breathe some excitement into their dull franchise and taking Bradford should do the trick. Is he the right player? That’s debatable.

2. Detroit Lions: Ndamukong Suh, DT, Nebraska
Their trade for DT Corey Williams kind of throws me off a little, but I still think that if Suh is available the Lions won’t pass him up. Jim Schwartz built one hell of a defense in Tennessee centered around Albert Haynesworth and he could view Suh the same way. He’s a difference-maker up front and regardless of whether or not he and Williams play the same position, if Suh is as good as I think he is then Schwartz will find a way to utilize him.

3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Gerald McCoy, DT, Oklahoma
If the Rams do wind up taking Bradford with the top pick, you might be able to hear the sounds of screams and jubilation coming from Tampa. That’s because the Bucs would love to land one of the two stud defensive tackles in this draft and if Bradford goes No. 1, then either Suh or McCoy would slip to Tampa here. Some people are down on McCoy after he only benched 225 pounds 23 times at the combine, but that’s not a justifiable reason for his stock to slip. A lot of defensive tackles are forced to shed weight for the combine and when they do, they lose strength in the process. Besides, not taking a player because of how he performed on the bench in the combine is ridiculous notion anyway. McCoy would be a great fit for the Bucs.

4. Washington Redskins: Jimmy Clausen, QB, Notre Dame
I would love to write OT Russell Okung’s name here, but he’s not really a fit for Mike Shanahan’s zone blocking scheme. Plus, even though the Redskins extended a first-round tender to restricted free agent Jason Campbell, it doesn’t mean Shanahan and more specifically, Daniel Snyder, are satisfied with their QB situation. If the Skins take Clausen here, the clock on Campbell’s (if he doesn’t request a trade) time in Washington will start ticking. Campbell could start in 2010 until Clausen is ready to take over the reigns in 2011.

5. Kansas City Chiefs: Russell Okung, OT, Oklahoma State
The Chiefs sunk a ton of money into quarterback Matt Cassel last year, so it would be wise if they took the necessary steps to keep him upright. Okung is the top offensive linemen in the draft, although he’s not necessary an elite prospect. Still, he’s a good all-around player that could play at either tackle position and would surely upgrade Kansas City’s under performing (that's a kind way of saying "brutal") offensive line.

6. Seattle Seahawks: Eric Berry, S, Tennessee
Yikes – what do I do here? The Hawks have been linked to Brandon Marshall and Kevin Kolb this offseason, so there’s a possibility that they won’t have this selection come April. But I don’t predict trades in my mocks and seeing as how Bradford, Clausen and Okung are already off the board I’ll admit I’m a little lost as to whom Seattle would take here. However, with Berry slipping in this mock, he seems like an ideal fit for a team that needs starters at both safety positions. and he would also be the best player available. Berry is the type of player that could make an immediate impact in his rookie year, depending on how well he grasped a team's scheme and playbook, of course.

7. Cleveland Browns: Joe Haden, CB, Florida
Given Mike Holmgren’s free agent moves thus far (OT Tony Pashos, LB Scott Fujita, QB Seneca Wallace), it appears that the Browns will target the secondary with this pick, whether it’s a safety or cornerback. Berry would be an ideal fit for Cleveland, but with him going to Seattle one pick before Haden makes a lot of sense here. Some scouts have expressed concern with his top end speed, but anyone who watched Haden play at Florida knows that he’s an excellent athlete with good size and coverage skills. The Browns need one starter at cornerback and one at safety and they should fill one of those voids with this pick.

8. Oakland Raiders: Anthony Davis, OT, Rutgers
This pick might be too logical for Al Davis’ liking, but the fact of the matter is that the offensive tackle position has been a major need for the Raiders for quite awhile now. There are some concerns about Davis’ conditioning habits, but he’s the most physically gifted lineman in the draft and he’s the type of athlete that Al Davis covets.

9. Buffalo Bills: Bryan Bulaga, OT, Iowa
With the selections of Eric Wood and Andy Levitre in last year’s draft, the Bills showed that they are committed to rebuilding the offensive line. Bulaga put himself on the map by making top defensive end prospect Derrick Morgan a non-factor in the Orange Bowl this year and has the type of work ethic teams covet from draft prospects. While the Bills have needs at other areas (QB, WR, etc.), the thought of Bulaga anchoring their line might be too hard for Buffalo to pass up.

10. Jacksonville Jaguars: Dez Bryant, WR, Oklahoma State
Second year GM Gene Smith is an advocate for taking the best player available regardless of position, which is why he selected offensive tackles Eugene Monroe and Eben Britton in the first two rounds of last year’s draft, even though they play the same position. In this mock, the best players available would arguably be Bryant and Georgia Tech defensive end Derrick Morgan. And with the Jags already filling their defensive end need with the signing of free agent Aaron Kampman, Bryant would make the most sense. Many teams are concerned with what is being deemed as Bryant’s “diva” attitude, but he’s such an outstanding prospect that he’s kind of a steal at No. 10. In fact, many scouts believe that he’s just as good of a prospect as Michael Crabtree was.

11. Denver Broncos (from Chicago): Rolando McClain, LB, Alabama
If Bryant didn’t come off the board at No. 10, I could certainly see the Broncos tabbing him to replace Brandon Marshall if/when the receiver is traded. Denver would be hurting for playmakers on the offensive side of the ball without Marshall and Bryant could help them address that need. But with Bryant gone, McClain is the pick and I think he’s a perfect fit at inside linebacker in new offensive coordinator Mike Nolan’s scheme. McClain is versatile enough to play either inside or outside in a 3-4 or 4-3 scheme given his size (6’4”, 258 pounds) and speed (he runs a 4.6 40-yard dash), and should be the first linebacker taken in April.

12. Miami Dolphins: Jason Pierre-Paul, DE/OLB, South Florida
Many mocks have Derrick Morgan long gone by this point and most have him rated higher than Pierre-Paul. But Morgan isn’t the ideal fit for Miami as Pierre-Paul is, which is the reason I have the Dolphins taking the South Florida product at this spot and not Morgan. Bill Parcells understands Miami’s need for a pass rusher, especially after the team released Joey Porter this offseason. Paired with the new addition Karlos Dansby and veteran Channing Crowder, Pierre-Paul could give the Dolphins the edge-rusher they so desperately need.

13. San Francisco 49ers: Trent Williams, OT, Oklahoma
The 49ers could go in a couple different directions here because they also pick at No. 17, but they’re desperate for offensive tackle help and won’t risk Williams coming off the board. The Oklahoma product is a tad short and doesn’t have real long arms, but he’s a great athlete and has outstanding strength. He’s also extremely tough and plays with a nasty demeanor, which are two characteristics that Mike Singletary will love to have in the trenches. Williams also got loads of experience while playing at Oklahoma and was a three-year starter.

14. Seattle Seahawks (from Denver): Derrick Morgan, DE, Georgia Tech
As I noted in the Dolphins’ write up, many mocks have Morgan coming off the board well before this spot. In fact, some have him going to the Seahawks with the No. 6 pick. But in this mock, he slipped to this spot and I doubt he’ll fall out of the top 15. I know many people believe the Hawks will address their offense with their two first round picks, but if both Berry and Morgan fall to them at No. 6 and No. 14, they could dramatically upgrade their defense. Running back C.J. Spiller is another candidate for the Seahawks if Morgan is long gone at this spot, as is safety Taylor Mays.

15. New York Giants: Brandon Spikes, LB, Florida
I know, I know – this would probably be a reach. But with McClain coming off the board at No. 11, Spikes makes sense for a couple of reasons. GM Jerry Reese has a history of drafting for need (see Aaron Ross and Kenny Phillips) and the Giants’ most pressing need right now is middle linebacker. Reese also likes players that were productive in college (again, see Ross and Phillips) and there’s no question Spikes (307 career tackles, 31.5 tackles for loss) was productive while at Florida. Yes, Spikes would be a bit of a reach here but with the team’s signing of safety Antrel Rolle, I believe Reese will target and fill the Giants’ most pressing need.

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Entering Senior Bowl week, Taylor Mays was drawing comparisons of Panthers’ defender Thomas Davis, which is both good and bad.

The good is that Davis has developed into one of the better outside linebackers in the NFL. He can play the pass just as well as the run and he’s a solid all-around playmaker and tackler.

The bad is that Davis was a safety in college, which is the position Mays played at USC. Mays would like to stay at safety, but reports have surfaced that pro teams view him as an outside linebacker or even a hybrid OLB/S in a 3-4 scheme. The reason for the potential position change is because Mays displayed poor ball skills in college and has trouble matching up with receivers in man coverage. He also plays too tall, doesn’t move his hips well and struggles in space.

That said, Mays is turning heads at the scouting combine. He ran an unofficial forty time of 4.24 on Tuesday, which would make him the fastest player at this year’s workout. He also turned in a 41-inch vertical and 10’5-inch broad jump, which are equally impressive. If he wanted to prove to teams that he can play safety at the next level, he’s certainly making a strong case at the combine.

Of course, the combine can only help a player so much. Once teams review film on him at Southern Cal, they’ll still see Mays’ weaknesses and might draft him as an OLB regardless of how he performs this week. Still, his numbers are impressive and he certainly didn’t hurt his draft stock in Indianapolis.

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Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer writes that Florida cornerback Joe Haden could be a perfect complement to Eric Wright in the Browns’ secondary. ESPN’s Mel Kiper agrees.

ESPN draft expert Mel Kiper Jr. predicts the Browns will take Haden in his current mock draft, compiled before the Combine.

"Joe Haden makes the most sense, in terms of value," Kiper said on a conference call. "We don't know if he's going to be Darrelle Revis [of the Jets] or [Oakland's] Nnamdi Asomugha. They're the two best cover corners in the NFL right now. They didn't [get drafted] in the top 10. But Haden will.

"Haden has potential to be an elite corner. He's a complete corner, effective on the blitz, outstanding in coverage."
"I haven't done a lot of work on him yet, but obviously he's highly regarded, so we'll look seriously at him," Browns coach Eric Mangini said at the Combine.

Browns General Manager Tom Heckert has studied him enough to be impressed.

"He's a heckuva football player," said Heckert. "He's one of the top corners, if not the top corner in the draft. He's played at a big-time program and they won a lot of games. He's going to go early."

Some people absolutely love Haden and say that he’s the safest pick in the top 10. Others, like the NFL Network’s Mike Mayock, believe he’s a borderline top-ten pick and that there’s some concern about Haden’s forty time. (Haden ran a 4.34 in high school, but Mayock says that he might only run a 4.52 or 4.55.)

That said, there’s no question that Haden is the top corner in this year’s draft and reminds me of Darrelle Revis. He racked up a ton of experience playing against top competition while at Florida and he has the ability to be a shutdown corner if he can develop. While having a good forty is important for defensive backs, it’s not everything and I doubt that teams would pass on him just because he ran a slower time (although if molasses beats him, then there could be a problem).

He seems like a perfect fit for the Browns.

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Notre Dame quarterback Jimmy Clausen expects to be ready to work out for his pro day on April 9 after having surgery to repair a toe injury. This goes against what the NFL Network’s Charley Casserly reported yesterday when he said that Clausen is unlikely to get a full workout in before April’s draft.

From the Chicago Tribune:

"I went through (the medical) process yesterday," Clausen said. "It took quite a bit of time. They said it looks really good and it's healing. They told me to take my time and not push it too much.

"That is what I am shooting for (to do everything at his pro day) and that is what the doctor told me."

Clausen says he injured the toe against Michigan State on September 19 and played the rest of the season taking painkillers.

It’s interesting that three of the top quarterback prospects in this year’s draft – Clausen, Sam Bradford and Colt McCoy – are all dealing with injury concerns. While teams will definitely want to see him throw, Clausen is in good shape because his injury is foot-related and not arm-related like Bradford and McCoy’s. Clausen should be fine by OTAs.

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Oh, the rumor mill is churning now that the NFL scouting combine has kicked off.

In the wake of Adam Schefter’s prediction that the Rams are set to take quarterback Sam Bradford with the No. 1 pick, ESPN.com is reporting that the Redskins may want to trade up to the top spot so that they could nab the Oklahoma product.

With word that the Rams might be taking Sam Bradford No. 1 overall this April, the other team that thinks quite highly of him risks missing out. We've been hearing for a while now that the Redskins value Bradford as a potential franchise QB, and he would not get past their spot in the first round.

Speaking to the press at the draft combine, Rams GM Billy Devaney indicated that the team was still weighing the merits of Ndamukong Suh vs. Gerald McCoy, as well as Bradford vs. Jimmy Clausen. In order for the Redskins to ensure that they could get Bradford -- and all indications seem to indicate that they value him ahead of Clausen -- they might need to trade up to that No. 1 slot. Bradford's price tag as the No. 1 overall pick might not be an issue for perennial big spender Daniel Snyder, especially if Mike Shanahan sells him on Bradford as a legit stud.

If the Rams have Clausen rated ahead of Bradford, this makes sense. But if they don’t, then there’s no way St. Louis is going to pass on a franchise quarterback that they like in order to take a franchise quarterback that they kind of like. The Rams hold the cards here – not the Redskins.

That said, if the Rams have Bradford and Clausen rated similarly, then it makes sense that St. Louis would want to trade down to acquire more picks and still have a shot to take a franchise quarterback at No 4 (which is where the Redskins pick).

It’s way to early to tell what intentions the Rams have with the top pick, but I love that the NFL draft rumor train is now picking up steam.

In other Redskins-related news, Mike Shanahan indicated on Friday that Clinton Portis will be his running back in 2010, despite rumors that the team would like to rid themselves of the 28-year-old back.

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ESPN’s Adam Schefter told a St. Louis radio station that the Rams will select quarterback Sam Bradford with the No. 1 overall pick this year. The caveat is that Schefter wasn’t reporting the news, but merely making a prediction.

Schefter is always good for information around this time of year, so I wouldn’t doubt it if the Rams did take Bradford No. 1. After all, they do need a quarterback and if Steve Spagnuolo and his staff feel as though the Oklahoma product is a franchise-type signal caller, then it will be hard for them to pass.

Schefter also noted that St. Louis is reluctant to pay No. 1 money to a defensive player such as Nebraska’s Ndamukong Suh or Oklahoma’s Gerald McCoy. Of all the Rams’ many needs, defensive tackle isn’t necessarily a high priority so it makes sense that the Rams would pass on Suh and McCoy and take Bradford or Notre Dame’s Jimmy Clausen.

That said, GM Billy Devaney is familiar with former Falcons quarterback Michael Vick from their days in Atlanta. It’s not a stretch to believe that Devaney will send a draft pick to Philadelphia for Vick and then take Suh or McCoy with the No. 1 pick, seeing as how those two players are the best on the board. Drafting in the top 5 is a different animal, as teams usually throw out the word “need” and just try to acquire talent to restock their roster.

We’ll see if Schefter called this one come April, but as of right now there’s still a lot of mystery and intrigue involving the No. 1 pick.

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It’s ultimately up to him and his agent to decide what the best course of action is in terms of how to approach April’s NFL draft. But it’s disappointing to say the least that Tim Tebow won’t partake in any drills at the NFL’s scouting combine this weekend.

It’s one thing if Tebow doesn’t want to throw. He’s been working on a new throwing motion and after a brutal showing at the Senior Bowl and it makes sense that he wouldn’t want to show pro scouts an unfinished product at the scouting combine. He’s probably hoping to unveil a more polished look at his Pro Day to up his draft stock, which is certainly understandable.

But unless he’s hiding an injury, it doesn’t make sense that he’s choosing not to run the 40-yard-dash, bench press or do any of the agility drills. I applaud his determination in wanting to prove to teams that he can be a quarterback at the next level. But the reality is that teams want to see if he can play another position and they can’t do that if he doesn’t workout this weekend. (Although again, teams will still have a chance to see him run at Florida’s Pro Day, albeit on his own terms in a comfortable setting.)

Tebow is a great guy who has tons of character and who is one hell of a football player. But scouts already know that he’s a good humanitarian and will no doubt impress them with his interview skills this weekend. What they want is whether or not he has a place in the NFL at another position and his decision not to work out puts the clamps on scouts’ evaluation process. As a football fan and someone who appreciates athletes that are good both on and off the field, I hope Tebow succeeds. But I wonder if he’s screwing himself with this latest decision.

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Texas quarterback Colt McCoy was hoping to use the NFL scouting combine this weekend to show scouts that his injured right shoulder won’t be a problem come OTAs this spring. But as ESPN’s Chris Mortensen is reporting via his Twitter page, McCoy has opted not to throw at the combine, which could send his draft stock plummeting.

After injuring his shoulder in the BCS title game in January, McCoy visited the acclimated Dr. James Andrews, who gave the quarterback a two-week recovery period. Early last week, McCoy told the media that he planned to participate at the combine, but Andrews has advised him not to throw this weekend, which means the signal caller has either been slow to recover or the injury is worse than the good doctor initially thought.

Granted, McCoy still has his Pro Day to prove to scouts that his shoulder is fine. But even though he’s only following his doctor’s advice, his inability to throw at the combine sends up red flags to NFL scouts about his overall health. He presumably was already behind other quarterback prospects Jimmy Clausen and Sam Bradford, but he may slip further down teams’ draft boards if he can’t throw at his Pro Day.

That said, he might become a steal in the later rounds, which could work out in his favor. I’m getting a little ahead of myself here, but if he’s taken late in the draft, he’ll be able to heal without having the pressure that comes with being a high draft pick. He could allow himself to heal 100% and use the draft as motivation to prove teams that passed on him wrong.

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USC head coach Lane Kiffin was apparently a little confused by comments made last month by Tennessee Athletic Director Mike Hamilton. Hamilton said Kiffin wound up not being a “good cultural fit” for UT.

From GoVolsExtra.com:

"I don't really know exactly what that means," said Kiffin, who was UT's coach for just 14 months. "I don't think at the end of day that has anything to do with whether you score points or whether you win games. Where you're from? I don't know. That's just my opinion.

"Is Nick Saban from Alabama? Is Urban Meyer from Florida? Those are two of the best coaches in the country. So I don't think that really means anything."

What’s funny about Hamilton’s comments is that he never would have made them had Kiffin stayed at Tennessee and won. Had Kiffin won with the Vols, he probably would have done so in the same brash manner he exhibited when he first set foot on UT’s campus. But since he was a cocky, abrasive loudmouth that didn’t fulfill his promises, all of a sudden he wasn’t a “good cultural fit.”

I’m no Lane Kiffin apologist, but I think Hamilton is reaching here. Steve Spurrier is from Florida and was one of the cockiest head coaches the SEC had ever seen. Yet the conference embraced him because they either loved him or loved to beat him.

Was he not a cultural fit in Gainesville?

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According to a report by ESPN.com, the NCAA is accusing the Michigan football program of breaking five rules violations under head coach Rich Rodriguez.

In its notice of allegations -- which Michigan received Monday -- the NCAA said Rodriguez "failed to promote an atmosphere of compliance within the football program." He tracked neither what his staff was doing nor whether his players were following NCAA rules, particularly those limiting the time spent on practice and football-related activities, the report said.

It also said the athletics department failed to make sure its football program was complying with NCAA regulations. Brandon said the department "clearly made mistakes," but "there was no charge of loss of institutional control" -- an allegation that in previous cases has led to severe NCAA sanctions for other schools.

Michigan has 90 days to respond and will appear at an NCAA hearing on infractions in August. The school will see how its internal investigation matches up with the NCAA findings and will consider implementing self-imposed sanctions, a move that could reduce NCAA penalties.

The NCAA said last October that it was looking into the Wolverine program following a report in the Detroit Free Press citing anonymous football players that said Michigan exceeded NCAA limits regarding practices and workouts in 2008 and 2009.

NCAA regulations allow players to spend eight hours a week on mandatory workouts during the offseason and several Michigan players have told the media that they spent two to three times that amount on required workouts. The players also said the amount of time they spent on football activities during the season exceeded the weekly limit of 20 hours, as well as the daily limit of four hours.

It would be naïve to think that other programs aren’t exceeding these practice times as well, but it sounds like what Rodriguez was doing was excessive. He, along with the Michigan program, have a serious problem on their hands.

Rodriguez has been nothing short of a disaster so far in Ann Arbor and if the Wolverines suffer another losing season (which would be their third straight), then I don’t know how the AD can keep Rich Rod on the sidelines. They’re showing support for him in light of these compliance issues, but one more bad year of football would probably end Rodriguez’s short tenure at UM.

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Depending on whom you ask, Central Michigan quarterback prospect Dan LeFevour is anywhere from a third round pick to a late round selection. And due to scouts’ concern about his lack of arm strength, the latter is probably more realistic.

After a lackluster week of practice leading up to the game, LeFevour threw for 97 yards and a touchdown on ten attempts in last month’s Senior Bowl. In effort to ride that success, he has decided not to throw at the NFL scouting combine, which kicks off Wednesday, February 24 and runs through March 2.

After racking up 12,905 passing yards, 2,948 rushing yards, 149 total touchdowns and a completion percentage of 66.4, his collegiate numbers speak for themselves. But is he taking a major risk by not throwing at the combine? Does he need to prove to scouts that he can make all the throws?

To gain a better perspective on the topic from someone who watched LeFevour play in college, I asked Central Michigan beat writer Drew Ellis of the Mt. Pleasant Morning Sun about the benefits and risks of LeFevour not throwing at the combine.

"The strategy behind not throwing at the combine could simply be to try and give LeFevour the best chance to impress scouts when he finally does throw in front of them,” said Ellis. “LeFevour has chemistry with Bryan Anderson and Antonio Brown and if threw at the combine, he could be throwing to some guy he has never met or worked with.”

While LeFevour opted out of throwing at the combine, he confirmed that he would throw at CMU’s Pro Day in March.

“The key to LeFevour's draft status will clearly depend on his throwing performance, so I think he and his agent want to make sure he has the best situation possible for throwing in front of scouts,” said Ellis. “Also, at CMU's Pro Day, he will be the lone quarterback on display. At the combine, he could get lost in the shuffle. Again, this is just maximizing his potential to move up in the draft.”

Of course, LeFevour is taking a risk by not throwing at the combine.

“The only setback to his choice could be in upsetting some teams, but for those that have covered LeFevour, you know he is not a diva or looking to big-time anyone. He is simply trying to give himself the best future possible, and you can't fault him for that."

Financially, the only thing that matters is being selected as high as possible come April. That’s why it’s vital for prospects to maximize their strengths and cover up their weaknesses until they get into their first camp.

For LeFevour, his strengths are his size, athleticism, accuracy, leadership, intelligence and work ethic. He can show most of those skills off at the scouting combine without worrying about picking up a ball until his pro day. Thus, it makes sense that he would skip the throwing portion at the combine and risk upsetting scouts in the process. It's a risk that could wind up paying dividends for the CMU product in the end.

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The agent for quarterback prospect Sam Bradford has informed all NFL teams that the Oklahoma product will not work out until March 25. Dr. James Andrews, who performed the quarterbacks’ shoulder surgery, has advised Bradford not to resume throwing until late next month.

From USA Today:

Bradford suffered a shoulder injury last year that limited him to just three games. He will participate in team meetings and interviews at the scouting combine next week, Jeremiah reported.

Bradford will not only miss the scouting combine, but also Oklahoma’s March 9 Pro Day. He’ll have another shot to throw on March 25 and if he performs well, then chances are his stock won’t fall too much come April.

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Colt McCoy is throwing 40-50 balls a day while rehabbing the right shoulder injury that knocked him out of the national championship. He hopes that he’ll be able to participate in the scouting combine next week.

From FOX Sports.com:

"Hopefully I'll be able to throw in the combine. That's my goal, I love to compete, I want to go out and compete with those guys, go out there and throw and be myself," McCoy said. "But obviously if the doctors don't let me, I'm not going to be able to do that."

"The injury and I think the way that my college career ended has kind of sparked a fire inside of me as far as I'm going to show that I'm going to be ready to go. I'm going to show them that I'm the best, I'm going to show that I'm confident," he said. "I can't wait to step out on the field again, forget the taste that's in my mouth for the last time I played a game. That's what's driving me every day."

McCoy, whose rehab is being overseen by noted sports doctor James Andrews of Birmingham, Ala., said if his doctors determine he can't throw at the combine that begins next week, he will still do everything else possible in Indianapolis. He also plans to participate in the Longhorns' pro day March 31.

The scouting combine will be important for McCoy, because pro scouts will want to know how the recovery is going. If he can work out for scouts and field questions about the injury, it’ll go a long way to improving his draft stock come April. (Or at the very least, not hurt his stock.)

But the thing he needs to keep in mind is that he still has his Pro Day in March, so if he needs the extra time to recover then he should take it. Scouts would certainly understand if he needs more time to recover, but at some point before the draft he’s going to have to work out. A team obviously isn’t going to take him in the middle rounds without seeing him throw.

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