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Vontaze Burfict to the Saints??

Vontaze Burfict played really well in 2010 but seems to be dropping like a rock in the pre-draft ratings. There is even talk about him going undrafted after being considered a certain first round pick.

Could this be a guy for the Saints to pick up in the late rounds or as a UDFA?

"At Arizona State, the downward spiral continues for linebacker Vontaze Burfict. The one-time highly rated linebacker, who struggled through a disappointing 2011 campaign then ran poorly at the combine, looked no better today. Scouts thought Burfict looked poorly conditioned and out-of-place in drills. He was not smooth changing direction, dropped passes in drills and generally looked like a free agent compared to the first-round pick most predicted just six months ago. Several scouts said they felt bad for Burfict, who'll have another chance to redeem himself on March 30."

Read more: 2012 NFL draft pro day updates - Tony Pauline - SI.com

If he looks that bad, I'm not sure I want him, but I think he'd be worth taking a look at if he does go undrafted or perhaps in the 7th round. He has had a reputation for being very athletic, so this news surprises me. If they work him hard and whip him back into shape he could be the latest draft or free agent steal by the Saints. It's obvious that this whole off season is going to be about finding the diamond in the rough.

I'm hearing he's lazy with a low football IQ.

That doesn't sound like Saints material.

Quote:

This isn't the first time Burfict has made the "fallers" list, but his draft stock continues to tumble with every test. He produced extremely disappointing numbers and poor reviews from the interview process at the Combine, turning off NFL decision makers and coaches.

And at Arizona State's pro day, he didn't do much to change the minds of his doubters. He ran a 4.65, which would be great in the 40-yard dash, but unfortunately it was his short shuttle number.

At the Combine, Burfict's 40-yard dash numbers were north of 5.00 and as NFLDraftScout's Rob Rang pointed out "that's not only the slowest among all Combine linebackers, it was also slower than 36 of the 48 defensive linemen tested in Indianapolis this year."

Burfict did work out on the bench press, something he didn't do at the Combine, but produced only 16 reps.

NFL Draft Risers and Fallers - CBSSports.com - NFLDraftScout.com

He just doesn't seem like a guy who would be worth bringing into the Saints' system, and he is soooooooooo slow.

yeah with the reviews I'm seeing...pass

Has self-control issues, frequently blames others for his own shortcomings ... prior to the NFL Combine I thought he'd be an excellent addition to a linebacking corps, even with a few of his problems, but his performance at the Combine nixed it. Bad seed, do not draft.

Quote:

Originally Posted by SloMotion (Post 390819)

It's the bad reviews of his 1-on-1 interviews that have me worried, because you can do things to improve the physical side and also hide some of those weaknesses with the role he is assigned (i.e. Shanle), but it's harder to change the mental and attitude side because those affect everything else also.

If he's undrafted, there's really no point in not bringing him in. No-risk and a high, medium, or low reward is still good value. If he's awful we haven't lost anything.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jcp026 (Post 390826)

If he's undrafted, there's really no point in not bringing him in. No-risk and a high, medium, or low reward is still good value. If he's awful we haven't lost anything.

True, but I firmly believe that there will be better UDFA options available than Burfict.

The talent is definitely there - but the character flaws limit the actualization of his potential...

Think Ryan Leaf...