Ohio State football: Laurinaitis, Freeman post 40 times
by Doug Lesmerises
Monday February 23, 2009
Here are some unofficial 40 times from the NFL Combine, according to the NFL Network, and Ohio State's James Laurinaitis did not blow away the field. But he did run faster than Rey Maualuga. The official leaders in all the drills are posted at NFL.com as they become available.
Laurinaitis ran a 4.80 and a 4.81. The fastest time for USC's Maualuga's was 4.83, according to the Network. Maualuga aggravated what he said had been a lingering hamstring injury running the 40. Those two are expected to be the first two inside linebackers taken, and they are very different animals than the outside linebacker prospects who put up faster times.
Ohio State's Marcus Freeman ran a 4.67 and a 4.70, his fastest time putting him eighth among the linebackers. Wake Forest outside linebacker Aaron Curry, who could be on the radar of the Browns if he's still around at No. 5, ran well, posting a 4.54 to rank third among the linebackers.
A couple of Maualuga's USC teammates ran well, with Clay Matthews running a 4.59 and Brian Cushing posting a 4.64.
As a point of comparison, A.J Hawk ran a 4.65 at the combine three years ago before he became the No. 5 pick in the draft.
As for Laurinaitis, some of the NFL Network analysts said what we said earlier in the year. Charles Davis, one of those analysts, we know is a fan of Laurinaitis. But former Tampa Bay coach Jon Gruden put himself in the Laurinaitis camp as well.
"I think sometimes these guys that play four years and have great success as freshmen and sophomores and you sense a little decline there, sometimes overanalysis hurts these guys," Gruden said during the NFL Network's coverage this afternoon. "I would love to have Laurinaitis on my team. He's going to be a factor for you."