Senior Bowl - Day 1

The first day of Senior Bowl has begun. There is a myriad of great info out there, so I'll start at the top.

Per Scott Wright, a major shakeup has come to the Senior Bowl rosters.

Out
Demetrius Byrd, WR, L.S.U.
Aaron Curry, OLB, Wake Forest
Michael Johnson, DE, Georgia Tech
Tyson Jackson, DE, L.S.U.
James Laurinaitis, ILB, Ohio St.
Eugene Monroe, OT, Virginia
Louis Murphy, WR, Florida
Brian Orakpo, DE, Texas
Javon Ringer, RB, Michigan St.
Duke Robinson, OG, Oklahoma
Jason Smith, OT, Baylor

In
Moise Fokou, OLB, Maryland
Tim Jamison, DE, Michigan
Kory Sheets, RB, Purdue
Ryan Shuman, C, Virginia Tech
Lawrence Sidbury, DE, Richmond
Mike Thomas, WR, Arizona
Mike Wallace, WR, Ole Miss

For whatever reason, a lot of big name talent decided to drop at the last minute. Maybe they feared injury, or their status was cemented. Outside of Byrd, Murphy, and Ringer, all those of those seniors listed are first round picks right now.

The players brought into replace them are only average. The only Day 1 prospects at this time are Jamison, and possibly Thomas. It's never good to see players drop, but at least the guys who want to be there are there.

Weigh-In

Another one of my favorite features that Mr. Wright brings us is notes on the Weigh-In. Usually this is a pretty telling day, the players can no longer hide behind the Media Guide listing. Nothing out of the ordinary showed up, but a few interesting notes:

Rey Maualuga (Southern California) showed up a notch shorter than listed, at 6'1". Apparently his lower body was slight, which is tough for a guy who weighs 254 pounds.

Victor Harris (Virginia Tech) came in about two inches shorter than listed, at 5"10". Being a 6' 0"corner can really boost a guy's draft stock...coming in at 5'10" make him just another name in the bunch.

Vance Walker (Georgia Tech) has fallen off a lot this season, but a defensive lineman with 11 1/8 inch hands is impressive. Hands that large will help in shedding blocks and batting down passes.

Speaking of beef, Phil Loadholt (Oklahoma) and Herman Johnson (Louisiana State) both came in at over 6'7". Johnson also weighed in 382 pounds. That is amazingly large for an offensive lineman. Loadholt also gained some positive reviews, and that he moved well for a large man, per PFW.

Practice Notes

Cincinnati defensive end Connor Barwin accepted an invitation to the game as a tight end. There was no other room on the defensive side of the ball. Barwin has only played one season of defense, but he is still being scouted as defensive end.

Oklahoma safety Nic Harris is playing linebacker this week in Mobile. It's a good thing, because he has looked stiff in coverage for the past two seasons.

Arizona wide receiver Mike Thomas has been making a good deal of noise. SI thinks he could be another Steve Smith type receiver. I thought he played great at the East-West Shrine Game, and he is a guy who could make his mark in the NFL. He didn't play in a good passing offense while with the Wildcats, mostly due to nine year starter Willie Tuitama's reign of terror.

Boston College's defensive tackle duo, Ron Brace and B.J. Raji had a good first day of practice. Raji especially has been the talk of the first day.

That's all for today...check back tomorrow for an update!