NFL Combine: Casserly ranks Bradford, McCoy on top
Charley Casserly, a 16-year NFL general manager and now a CBS analyst, says Oklahoma’s Sam Bradford is rated ahead of Notre Dame’s Jimmy Clausen by every NFL organization he’s talked to and that most franchises have OU’s Gerald McCoy slightly ahead of Nebraska’s Ndamokung Suh in the great defensive tackle derby.
Casserly said he’s talked to scouts and officials from half the league’s teams but has personally evaluated only one player – Bradford. Casserly said his comments reflect what those team representatives said.
Casserly said the No. 1 question about Bradford, obviously, is his reconstructed shoulder. “How much velocity he has,” Casserly said.
Bradford weighed in at 236 pounds Friday, but Casserly said Bradford’s weight gain is a positive sign. “One reason he went back to school was building up that body,” Casserly said. “He’s done that. That’s a positive.”
Casserly said when he watched film of Bradford, from 2008, Casserly believed Bradford was a top-five, top-10 pick. “You like his decision-making, his accuracy.
“I don’t know Clausen well enough, but interviewing people, it’s unanimous, Bradford over Clausen.”
Casserly said the great unknown about Bradford, other than health, “is throwing under pressure. But I had no question about his toughness. Some guys were right in his nose, and he never flinched.”
Casserly said Bradford’s physical is “huge” in the evaluation process. “Then you can say, ‘now we’ve got all the pieces.’”
Casserly said teams generally have McCoy and Suh 1-A and 1-B, with McCoy a little ahead because he’s “a little better athlete. I asked, who’s the better athlete and who’s the better passrusher? McCoy comes up a little often as the yes guy there.”
Casserly said signability is an issue in the Rams’ decision among Bradford, McCoy and Suh. Casserly said he expects St. Louis to negotiate with all three players before making a decision.
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That’s odd. All of those that I spoke with clearly have Suh rated above McCoy because of the exact same reasons. We must have spoken with none of the same people!