On Saturday, NFL Network’s Mike Mayock looked into the camera and pleaded with Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III, and Justin Blackmon to fully participate in the Scouting Combine workouts on Sunday.
On Sunday, Griffin visited the main NFLN set at Lucas Oil Stadium, and Mayock pressed the Heisman winner on his decision not to throw passes to the assembled receivers.
“I thought it was in my best interests not to come and throw to guys I haven’t thrown to before, running a game plan I’m not familiar with, and in an environment that I’m not prepared for,” Griffin said in response to a question from host Rich Eisen regarding the decision not to show off a multi-million-dollar arm. “So I’ll do it at my Pro Day, it kind of helps out the guys at Baylor that are coming out, they can get more scouts there and watch us do our thing.”
(Actually, Griffin could have thrown at the Combine and at his Pro Day.)
Mayock then pressed Griffin a bit, pointing out that Griffin said “I’m a competitor” in audio that played before the interview. “Don’t your juices get going a little bit when all the boys are throwing out there and you’re standing there in sweats?” Mayock said. “Every decision maker in the league is here. Don’t you just want to get there and rip it?”
“I really did,” Griffin said. “I kept inching forward. The Cleveland coach was telling me he could see it in me. He saw that I wanted to be out there throwing.”
The question of the team for which Griffin will be throwing come September remains wide open. Griffin said that his Combine interviews included sit-downs with the Browns, Dolphins, Redskins, and Chiefs.
But not the Seahawks.
“Ah, that’s the team that’s gonna move up and take him!” Mayock said, pointing out that the Broncos and former coach Mike Shanahan showed no interest whatsoever in Jay Cutler before trading up with, coincidentally, the Rams to draft Cutler in 2006.
Though Griffin’s decision not to throw won’t affect his draft stock, it would have made the Sunday afternoon games of the underwear Olympiad slightly more interesting.