Notes on a draft report card …
In the end, it was about the numbers.
Baggage or no baggage, if Maurice Clarett had run a 4.5 40-yard dash at the NFL scouting combine, nobody would be questioning the Broncos for using a third rounder on him.
Instead, Clarett ran a 4.82, so the Mel Kiper Jrs. of the world are down on him.
This just in: That 4.82 clocking was the worst time Clarett ran in the weeks preceding the draft. During his personal workout a month ago, he was timed at 4.60 and 4.61.
OK, so that’s still below average for an NFL tailback. But let the record show it was considerably faster than some of Clarett’s predecessors in the Broncos’ backfield, including one Terrell Davis.
Davis ran a 4.69 40 at the 1995 combine. posted times of 4.67 and 4.68 during a personal workout before the 2000 draft. Olandis Gary, like Davis and Anderson a 1,000-yard runner in his rookie season, was timed at 4.59 and 4.63 in 1999.
Moral to the story: It isn’t about sheer speed. Not in the Broncos’ system. It’s about vision, foot quickness and cutback ability. It remains to be seen whether Clarett has enough of those traits to make it, but speed won’t be an issue. …
It’s not like the Broncos are taking a big financial risk on Clarett. He’ll receive a signing bonus of about $400,000. To give you an idea of how insignificant that is in today’s NFL, the Broncos gave $500,000 last year to free-agent tight end Jed Weaver, who was cut before ever playing a down. …
How shocked was Clarett by Saturday’s developments? Broncos GM Ted Sundquist, who reached Clarett on his cellphone moments before the pick: “He was driving and he could barely hear me. I told him we were about to pick him and he said, ‘I turned the draft off a long time ago.’ I told him who I was and he said: ‘Who is this? Are you kidding me?’ I said, ‘No, we’re getting ready to take you.’ He said, ‘You’re kidding me.’ I said, ‘Nope, Coach Shanahan would like to talk to you.’ I’m not sure he believed who was on the other end.” …
As could be expected, the Broncos are taking their share of hits for selecting Clarett so early. Don Banks of SI.com, on Shanahan crediting running backs coach Bobby Turner for recommending Clarett: “Sounds to me like Shanahan, without a playoff win since January 1999, is trying to spread the accountability around. (Relax, Mike. That was strictly tongue-in-cheek. Everybody in Denver knows you’re to blame.)” …
“Upset special” read The Post’s headline after the Nuggets’ Game 1 win. Either that or the better team won, but it won’t be apparent until the Nuggets win the series. At any rate, only one of the two teams has a swagger, and it isn’t the No. 2 seed. …
Not that Suns guard Steve Nash doesn’t fit the typical profile of an NBA MVP candidate, but he’s 6-feet-3, 31 years old and Canadian. Oh, and did I mention that, back in the day, only one Division I team, Santa Clara, offered him a scholarship? …
You can understand the Rockies’ bullpen blowing all those saves. The shocking part is that they have had so many leads to protect. Fact: They have led in 15 of their 18 games. …
Jay Leno, on his network shelling out hundreds of millions to televise NFL games: “The last time NBC had a contact sport, it was ice skating with Tonya Harding.”
Catch Jim Armstrong from 6-9 a.m. during “The Press Box” on ESPN 560 AM, and Thursday nights on Fox Sports Net’s “Insider Edition.” He can be reached at 303-820-5452 or jmarmstrong@denverpost.com.
