2013 NFL Combine: Random Musings From My Long Weekend In Indy

I was fortunate enough to spend this past weekend in Indianapolis along with a few other SB Nation NFL guys where I covered the 2013 NFL Combine. I talked to coaches as well as future players and had a blast from beginning to end. Here are some random thoughts collected during my long weekend in Indy.

• Margus Hunt is a man-monster that looks like he could eat a human for breakfast. He was also one of the coolest interviews throughout the entire process.
• Also, his last name literally means "wolf" in Estonian.
• Wolf
• That's awesome.
• Manti Te'o, while somewhat disappointing on the field at the Combine, couldn't have done a better job while addressing the media. In the face of the weirdest "hoax" that I can remember, he did a great job and held his composure the entire time.
• A 4.81 40 isn't terribly impressive.
• 40-yard dash times mean next to nothing in most cases.
• As Joe Reedy pointed out when I shot my video with him on Sunday, wishing Maualuga away may not be the answer. He could play SAM and that position was on the field in only a third of the defensive snaps. He can't hurt them from the bench like he can on the field at MIKE.
• I really felt bad for some of the lesser-known prospects, especially when a big name was called and reporters ran away from them in mid conversation. There were guys who sat at their tables alone for 15 minutes.
• By the way, these guys are friggin' huge. I don't know why it always surprises me, it just does sometimes.
• My hotel room was terrible and I hated every second of sleeping in that bed. Just so you know.
• If you find yourself hungry for beef in Indianapolis, go to St. Elmo's Steakhouse (bring your appetite and your checkbook). I suggest the ribeye. If God was a cow, I imagine that's what his rib meat would taste like.
• Montee Ball was extremely impressive during his press conference, as were Giovanni Bernard and Eddie Lacy.
• It doesn't take long to see that every players answer is completely canned and many of them have training on how to talk to the press. Weird questions sometimes catch them off guard, though.
• Which would you rather have: five 100-pound ducks or one 500-pound duck?
• Rex Ryan was funny.
• Jets GM John Idzik was not. Especially since he repeatedly said he couldn't talk about the Darrelle Revis situation. Every question was about Revis anyways. I felt bad for Idzik.
• Jim Harbaugh looked pissed off throughout his entire press conference. He also made a weird Judge Judy reference.
• Marvin Lewis was pleasant and smiles a lot more than I figured he would. He's been to the playoffs three of the last four years. Why shouldn't he smile?
• Both the Enquirer's Joe Reedy and Bengals.com's Geoff Hobson were a great help while I was there. My thanks to both of them.
• Sitting next to John Clayton during lunch is kind of trippy.
• I did not see Rodger Goodell at all. I don't think he was there.
• The food at the Combine was surprisingly terrible.
• Lucas Oil Stadium is impressive as hell, and that's just from the outside and the media room. The place is massive and blows Paul Brown Stadium out of the water from what I've seen.
• One of the best press conferences was given by Colts coach Chuck Pagano.
• A player that says he needed to be drafted to support his family financially, shouldn't turn around and say he made a $5,000 bet with a teammate about who would get drafted first.
• While there was a surprising lack of Tim Tebow questions, his name did pop up in the weirdest places.
• I've always been a big John Elway fan. Sitting ten feet away from him and asking questions about the Broncos was a huge thrill.
• There are sports reporters and there are insiders (sports reporters with much more access.... i.e. Peter King). There is a huge difference.
• Honey Badger said he's changed his ways and is ready to move on with football. In case you forgot, the Honey Badger went to rehab for marijuana.
• This (NSFW)
• I don't know if he'd be worth a risk in the first few rounds, but from the fourth round and on, bring it.
• Everybody asks the same questions.
• Every player has the same answers.
• Don't buy steak and eggs at House made of Waffles. Ever.
• For those of you living in Cincinnati, downtown Indy has quite bit more to offer. By quite a bit more, I mean a ton.
• I only got to enjoy one cold beer this weekend. It was a microbrew from The Ram. It was delicious.
• Not going to lie, this year's draft class is just kind of "blah" to me. There is a significant lack of star power that was supplied in the last two years by guys like RG3, Andrew Luck and Cam Newton.
• There are still a ton of great players to be had and a lot of depth at running back and safety.
• Kenny Vaccaro was impressive because he was the only safety to not say he's the best safety. He just said he thinks he brings the most to the table.
• Alec Ogletree is big and while he did a good job in his press conference, he wasn't nearly as impressive as Arthur Brown, who seemed like a real pro. Brown isn't nearly as big as Ogletree, though, and may not have the size to play SAM in a 4-3
• When Zeke Motta, a safety out of Notre Dame, was asked what he has in common with Harrison Smith, another safety out of Notre Dame drafted last year. He said, "We're both white."
• I don't know why I thought that was funny.
• Eddie Lacy looks like a truck with two legs instead of four wheels.
• A fast wide receiver is awesome. A wide receiver who weighs only 160 pounds might explode when he gets hit. If he gets hit.
• I wish I could have seen Leon Sandcastle.
• The Combine was an awesome experience and I'd love to go back next year.