The NFL National Scouting Combine continued with a busy day at Lucas Oil Stadium.
The top prospects at quarterback, wide receiver and running back made their way through the media room, drawing big crowds from the hundreds of reporters in attendance.
Here are nine takeaways after the interviews with prospects and officials from around the league:
- Cleveland Browns General Manager Ray Farmer faced the media for the first time since details were revealed of an NFL investigation into him texting the coaching staff on the sidelines during games. Sending texts to the coaching staff during games is prohibited, and the Browns could lose draft picks as a result of the investigation. Farmer opened his press conference apologizing for the texts, and said it was solely his decision to send them. There was speculation that Farmer had sent the request at the suggestion of Owner Jimmy Haslam, but Farmer denied that.
- The Browns quarterback situation is as uncertain as ever. A day after Head Coach Mike Pettine said that the team could re-sign veteran Brian Hoyer, Farmer emphasized that the team hasn't made any decisions about who their starter will be next year. Cleveland could go with Hoyer, Johnny Manziel, a high draft pick, a veteran free agent or orchestrate a trade. "All options are on the table," Farmer said several times.
- Maryland product Stefon Diggs said he believes he's the best wide receiver in the draft.
- Michigan's Devin Funchess has been linked to the Ravens in a handful of mock drafts, and one of the biggest questions regarding him is whether he will play receiver or tight end in the NFL. Funchess (6-foot-4, 232 pounds) played both spots at Michigan, and he downplayed the question about his natural position by simply saying, "I see myself as a ball player."
- Denver Broncos Executive Vice President of Football Operations/General Manager John Elway said that hiring Gary Kubiak as his head coach had more to do with their history together than Kubiak's success in his one season with the Ravens. "What I knew came from my history with Gary," Elway said. "We're like-minded thinkers."
- Talented wide receiver Dorial Green-Beckham has almost identical size to Detroit's Calvin Johnson. Green-Beckham measured in at 6-foot-5, 237 pounds, and Johnson is listed at 6-foot-5, 236 pounds. Some analysts believe that Green-Beckham may be the most talented receiver to enter the draft since Johnson was the No. 2 overall pick in 2007. Off-the-field missteps are expected to hurt Green-Beckham's draft stock, and he addressed those miscues by saying, "I made mistakes. … I do feel like those mistakes have put me back."
- Seattle Seahawks General Manager John Schneider would not be surprised if running back Marshawn Lynch retired this offseason. Lynch is reportedly contemplating hanging up his cleats, and the Seattle general manager doesn't appear to have any more clarity than anyone else. "He's a guy that kind of beats to his own drum. He does what he wants. He would never let you know one way or the other. There's been a lot of great running backs that have just walked away. So I have no idea."
- Bengals Head Coach Marvin Lewis is on the league's competition committee, and he said that the committee has continued to discuss the possibility of expanded playoffs during meetings at the combine. No changes to the playoff format would be put into place until the annual owner's meetings in March.
- Lewis also said that he's not in favor of expanding the instant replay rules to include pass interference. Ravens Head Coach John Harbaugh has voiced support of expanding replay to include penalties like helmet-to-helmet hits on defenseless players and Patriots Head Coach Bill Belichick has advocated that every call should be reviewable, but Lewis indicated that the competition committee will not be in favor of allowing coaches to challenge everything.
