Tin Bits - 2010 NFL Combine Edition - Part 3 of 3

• Every year, NFL Network hypes up the defensive back portion of the combine as the main event, due to the speed and athleticism usually shown there.  And as a former failed DB myself, I tend to look forward to these workouts the most as well.  But the last two years they've been rather drab, especially in the 40.  Well, I should say whomever is calibrating the official time clock is making it rather drab.  For the second year in a row, the official times were shockingly different and not in a good way from the unofficial hand times.  Now, it should be noted that the hand times will always be faster, because the timer wouldn't hit the button until the runner actually started moving forward, and would hit it again almost in anticipation of the finish line, whereas the electronic timer starts as soon as the player makes a motion out of his 3 point stance and ends exactly as he touches the line.  But still, the Taylor Mays times are so far off as was George Selvie's time the day before it makes you wonder.  Most NFL teams pay next to no attention to the official time anyway because they realize it's innacurate.  That's why you see them have half a dozen staff members all timing - some are only timing the first 10 yards, and the others time the whole thing, and then they average them out.  So Mays will likely be attributed closer to 4.3 than 4.4 when all is said and done.

•  With that said, there were some standouts in this group, and I thought the following statements to be true:

1. Eric Berry is the top safety in the draft.  He can play both free and strong but he's probably a better fit at Free Safety in the NFL.
2. Earl Thomas is a cornerback.
3. Taylor Mays is a safety, he's just not as good as everyone thinks he is.  Chad Jones and Nate Allen are better than him, but I have the Raiders drafting him in the 1st in my mock and I'm sticking to that.  But I see him as a strong safety in the NFL, not a Free Safety.
4. Joe Haden was the biggest failure of the whole combine, IMO.  I still think Patrick Robinson is the top corner in this draft (hence why I ranked him #1 in my top 10 CB list) and I think Devin McCourty's stock has been rising steadily all off-season.
5. Myron Rolle must have gotten used to the slower pace of life in the UK.

• Overall I didn't think there were many risers and fallers in this group, because I think the cornerback class is relatively weak in this draft anyway.  However, the Free Safety group is relatively deep, at least a lot deeper than last year.  

• The Herald is reporting that Miami is interested in Antrell Rolle of the Cardinals and may make an offer and stand a good chance because of the inability of 'The Drew' to not be able to come to terms with the Cards.  However, Rosenhaus himself reported that the Cards were going to release Rolle to avoid paying him a massive roster bonus, but that they were first in line to resign him afterwards.  He's quite expensive, but I'm sure they'll take him back with a little restructuring and a whole lot of savings.

• The Dansby and Boldin to Miami rumors are still white hot, and I still believe it's pure hearsay or Miami spreading the rumors themselves, which would mean they're trying to drive up the price.  Ultimately I expect the rumors are started by Dansby's agent.  I don't see J-Lo wanting to pay this much for anything outside her wardrobe.

• And finally, I noticed a little blurb on Patrick Cobbs the other day and how his rehab is going.  At this point in the year it's almost moot where he thinks he is in that process, what matters is how effective he'll be once he comes back from the injury in August/September.  Meanwhile, his main competition, Kory Sheets has been working hard in the gym since the end of the season, and has not taken time off like most of the other players.  Keep in mind this is the same work ethic shown by Chad Henne and Jake Long last year, and it turned out pretty well for them.