Cal pro day: Hughes improves 40

Cal had its pro day today (March 6) for NFL teams and scouts interested in pro prospects on the team. According to NFL.com:

CALIFORNIA: MARCH 6
22 teams were there. Two NFL position coaches worked out RB Marshawn Lynch — Tom Rathman (Raiders) and James Saxon (Chiefs). DB Daymeion Hughes ran a better time than he did at the Combine, in the mid 4.5s.

This is great news for Hughes and it should keep his stock up for the draft.

EDIT: The SF Chronicle has a more in-depth article about pro day, mentioning the four NFL combine participants but also Marcus O’Keith, David Gray, Andrew Cameron, Mickey Pimentel, and more.

Restraining order against Lynch revoked

As expected, Marshawn and his attorney proved he was never informed of the restraining order filed against him, and it has been revoked. The Daily Cal also reports on this development.

According to court documents, process server Andre Cox delivered documents to Lynch in mid-January at a gym on Cal’s campus informing him that a hearing on the woman’s request had been scheduled.

However, the Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Year could not have known about the hearing because he was in Arizona when the process server claimed to have delivered the notice, said Lynch’s agent, Doug Hendrickson.

Hughes, Mebane, Bishop at the NFL combine

While CB Daymeion Hughes was praised highly at the Senior Bowl for his elite cover skills until a hamstring injury forced him to sit out, suspicions about his speed were confirmed at the NFL Combine as he logged a 4.65 in the forty (the top 10 fastest DB’s all ran in the 4.3’s and 4.4’s). My guess is he is still affected by his injury and he’ll run a faster time before the draft. However, with top-end speed valued in the NFL, some say it may be a stretch for him to be picked in the first round as earlier predicted.

SI.com: “Combine winners and losers: The Losers”
Daymeion Hughes/CB/Cal: Speed was the biggest question mark about his game and Hughes ran terribly slow. Timing in the 4.7s, this one time potential first-round choice will now slide into the second round.

There hasn’t been much about DL Brandon Mebane, except he shows up in the bench with 24 reps. I’ll post more data as it comes in. Unfortunately, LB Desmond Bishop also received some negative attention for his performance in the forty:

SI.com: “For the Defense: Sliders”
Desmond Bishop/MLB/California: Bishop did nothing to dispel the belief that he is just a two-down linebacker. After running a pair of slow 40s which averaged almost 4.8-seconds, Bishop looked stiff and struggled to move in anything other than a straight line.

However, it appears that this 4.8 average came from a a decent time in the forty being averaged out by a bad time. In addition, Bishop was a monster on the bench and beat out all other linebackers (and most defensive lineman for that matter), making 33 reps. Hopefully, the scouts and teams will be able to see his upside and why Bishop led the Pac-10 in tackles.

Lynch at the NFL combine

The official NFL combine results for Marshawn Lynch are in.

His forty time is 4.46, tied for fifth overall (Oklahoma’s Adrian Peterson clocked a 4.40 and tied for the best time with Arizona’s Chris Henry and Ohio St.’s Antonio Pittman). This is a solid number for Lynch, considering he was clocked unofficially at 4.52/4.49 beforehand. Also, Lynch lacked pure track form like some of the other RBs.

On the NFL Network, Coach Dick Vermeil commented that Lynch’s time was more than adequate for a running back, pointing out that he is more of a natural running back than a track athlete. In addition, Marshall Faulk mentioned that given his excellent skills and wide running base, Lynch had plenty of speed.

His vertical jump is 35 1/2 and broad jump 10’5″, compared to Peterson’s 38 and 10’7″. Lynch also clocked a 11.80 in the 60 shuttle and a 7.05 in the three cone.

The overall consensus among scouts and analysts is Lynch had a decent to good showing with no surprises, and he seems to be solidifying his position as the second running back taken in the draft (after Peterson). Most are suggesting that the Green Bay Packers will choose him with their 16th pick.

Meanwhile, Lynch is having to respond to alleged character issues. This article from a Wisconsin (note: Green Bay’s state) paper sums up that most teams aren’t buying the allegations against him:

When an ex-girlfriend claimed he assaulted her in December, red flags about Lynch immediately were raised – even though, four days after the woman’s Jan. 25 accusation came to light, an Alameda (Calif.) County deputy district attorney who specializes in domestic violence cases declined to press charges, citing a lack of evidence and “grave inconsistencies” in the alleged victim’s accusations. Lynch never was arrested or charged.

Lynch’s agents at Octagon Sports took a proactive approach to the matter, sending a letter to all 32 teams that included the DA’s remarks. One league source said the woman was looking to extort money from Lynch, a near-certain first-round pick. Four NFL personnel sources interviewed Friday all said that they think Lynch is a “good kid.”

“I was innocent,” Lynch said. “It was a mistake. I moved on from it. I was faced with adversity and felt it made me stronger. I learned a lesson from it, and now I have to keep moving forward.”

Asked what he’ll do when the subject comes up in interviews, Lynch said, “Tell them the truth. It’s probably not fair, but it’s something they want to know and I have nothing to hide.”

Predictions for 2007

With spring drills coming up, the analysts are already starting to come up with predictions for 2007. ESPN’s Mark Schlabach is optimistic about Cal, predicting a Rose Bowl appearance against Wisconsin (but USC in the national championship game).

Meanwhile, Yahoo/Rivals has a Pac-10 preview with Cal #2 in the conference:

2. California (10-3, 7-2): DeSean Jackson gives the Golden Bears arguably the nation’s most exciting player. Justin Forsett shouldn’t have much trouble stepping in for star tailback Marshawn Lynch. The bigger question is how the Bears will replace All-America defensive players Desmond Bishop and Daymeion Hughes. …

It also projects quite a few accolades:

California quarterback Nate Longshore and wide receiver DeSean Jackson could emerge as one of the nation’s most dynamic passing combinations. …

Five players who will emerge this season
1. California RB Justin Forsett: He has rushed for 1,625 yards the last two seasons as Marshawn Lynch’s backup. Imagine the numbers Forsett might put up now that he finally has the starting job all to himself.

Five impact newcomers
5. California DT Derrick Hill: This four-star prospect and redshirt freshman is the favorite to replace Brandon Mebane, a three-year starter who earned Rivals.com third-team All-America honors last season.

And, the Bears earn some spots on their “Best by position” list, including Nate Longshore (#2 QB), Justin Forsett (#3 RB), DeSean Jackson (#1 WR), Craig Stevens (#2 TE), Alex Mack (#3 OL), Tom Schneider (#2 K), and Andrew Larson (#1 P).

Tim Mixon headed to NFL

According to sources, Cal’s AD compliance office has confirmed that senior cornerback Tim Mixon will no longer be seeking a sixth year of eligibility and will make a try for the NFL. Mixon was injured in fall camp and missed the 2006 season. He was previously looking to extend his eligibility for another year, but most speculated that his chances to get another year were very slim–making this news disappointing but not surprising.

Thanks Timmy for the leadership as well as the hard work at cornerback and punt returns. We wish him the best of luck in the NFL.

Charges not filed against Marshawn

As I speculated in my last post, the smoke has cleared about the accusations against Marshawn and the DA will not file charges. Thanks to the guys at TBIOOTF for posting about this right away. A new article in the SF Chronicle states:

Prosecutors said a lack of evidence — including no visible injuries or photographs of injuries, a witness’ statement contradicting the accuser and inconsistencies in the woman’s own story — meant the case couldn’t go forward. …

“We have an ethical obligation that we have to prove it beyond a reasonable doubt. And I don’t think we can,” said Alameda County senior deputy district attorney Kim Hunter.

And, in regard to the restraining order that Lynch was supposedly served:

According to court filings in the application for the restraining order, Lynch was served in mid-January at a gym on Cal’s campus with notice of Friday’s hearing. But Lynch’s lawyer said Lynch could never have received the notice because the star running back was out of the state training at the time.

So, that’s that. I’m glad these allegations were short-lived. Look for Marshawn high in the first round of the NFL draft.

Nothing to see here, move along

Yes, many are reporting that there are allegations and a restraining order out there against Marshawn Lynch. But these are exactly that — allegations. Is it suspiciously near Lynch’s NFL payday? Absolutely. So, I feel no need to give some ex-girlfriend’s accusations the exposure she wants before the facts are known. As serious as this is, I couldn’t help but have a song called “Gold Digger” stuck in my head since I’ve heard about this.

I think Lynch needs to respond to these claims quickly and get this all sorted out. If he really is guilty of these accusations, he deserves to be punished. But for now, he has the benefit of the doubt from me. Updates will be posted as more news is released.

Hughes, Mebane standouts in Senior Bowl

Cal seniors Daymeion Hughes (cornerback) and Brandon Mebane (defensive tackle) are getting noticed in the Senior Bowl. Scouts, Inc/ESPN’s Todd McShay has a lot of good things to say in “Monday’s Buzz”:

The defensive player that impressed us the most was Cal cornerback Daymeion Hughes. The 5-10, 192 pounder displayed outstanding agility and instincts throughout practice. There wasn’t a receiver on the team, including standouts such as Jason Hill (Washington State), Rhema McKnight (Notre Dame) and David Clowney (Virginia Tech), who could shake Hughes in one-on-one drills. While it’s important to put everything into perspective this week, I think it’s safe to say that Hughes showed better man-to-man cover skills this afternoon than Michigan’s Leon Hall, who is widely considered the top cornerback prospect and a potential top-15 pick in this year’s class.

There’s more about Hughes and Mebane in the Tuesday article:

Cal CB Daymeion Hughes continues to stand out in practice. He has good size with wide shoulders and a natural feel for making plays and getting his hands on the football. He is fluid and closes suddenly. His lack of pure speed is a clear drawback, however, and he will not be able to keep up with the faster receivers in the NFL if left alone deep downfield in man-to-man coverage. Therefore, we think Hughes has the looks of a starting Cover 2 cornerback to best use his skill set — which is impressive if utilized correctly. …

Cal’s Brandon Mebane and Louisville’s Amobi Okoye aren’t doing a great job of holding their ground when they get reached. However, both defensive tackles are showing good quickness and getting into the backfield.

McShay also talks highly of Hughes in a TV segment on SportsCenter. You can watch the video segment here. Meanwihle, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers also have an article expressing how impressed they are with Mebane:

Cal DT Brandon Mebane (left) surprised Bucs coaches with his quickness off the ball …

California’s Brandon Mebane, a 6-1, 304-pound defensive tackle who might measure out as a bit undersized but who showed off impressive power during a lengthy one-on-one session with the North’s offensive linemen. … At one point, Mebane went head-to-head with the left guard and left him on the ground as he simply bulled over him.

“[He has] a bunch of power,” said the coach, who was essentially in his first day on the job with Tampa Bay. “He’s got a great center of gravity, gets his hips under him and he understands pass rushing. He understands how to use his hips. I’m shocked by him and how quick he is off the ball. He showed great intensity.”

It’s great to see our Cal players raise their draft status and get noticed for the next level of play. I think we’ll be seeing both Hughes and Mebane taken high in the upcoming NFL draft.

Lynch declares for the NFL draft

Junior running back Marshawn Lynch has decided to forgo his last season of eligibility and declare for the NFL draft. He said:

“I also want to thank all of my teammates and the Cal staff and all the mentors that have taken time to come and talk to me as well as all of the Cal Bear fans. My time at Cal has been great; I really enjoyed the chance to play with my cousins and all the friendships I made with the coaches and players. I will always consider myself a Golden Bear.”

This move is not surprising to Cal fans, as Marshawn has been projected by many experts as a first-round draft pick and either the first or second running back taken. With running backs having the shortest careers in the NFL, moving on to the NFL makes sense for Marshawn and his family.

We appreciate Marshawn for his contribution to Cal football and his positive impact on the program. He has one-of-a-kind talent and playmaking ability, and he will be remembered as one of Cal’s greats. Marshawn will be sorely missed next year but a fresh crop of talented running backs, led by Justin Forsett, are lined up to take his place.