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How would hot prospect Connor Barwin fit in with Bengals?
University of Cincinnati DE/TE/OLB Connor Barwin has been the most talked about prospect leading up to April’s draft. Why? Everyone is talking about his freakish versatility. Barwin’s astonishing performance at the Scouting Combine in February took NFL teams by complete surprise. The converted tight end posted the best marks in four categories — the vertical jump (40.5 inches), broad jump (10 feet, 8 inches), 3-cone drill (6.87 seconds) and 20-yard shuttle (4.18 seconds) — among the defensive linemen, and also had the second-best 40-time at 4.66 seconds in Indianapolis.
What coaches and scouts learned during testing in Indy, I witnessed first hand days prior to the event.
It was at Ignition Athletics Performance Group in Mason, Ohio where I learned the real talent and athleticism that Barwin possessed. He was like a machine, running non-stop going from one drill to another. Barwin seemed to enjoy the rigorous workout he was being put through and showed no signs of ever wanting to quit. His hard work has been paying off because several NFL teams including the hometown Cincinnati Bengals are showing interest.
Barwin is racking up frequent flyer miles with scheduled visits to Buffalo, Kansas City, Tennessee, Jacksonville and St. Louis.
During a recent phone interview Barwin talked about how Clif Marshall, Performance Director at Ignition, prepared him for his date with NFL scouts.
“Cliff really critiqued me and made sure that I was efficient in every aspect of my training,” Barwin said. “I probably wouldn’t have put up the numbers that I did at the Combine and pro day if not for him. That was one of the biggest decisions I made and probably the best decision I made in my career thus far; to train with Cliff. He made sure he got everything out of me.”
Ignition is gaining popularity with draft hopefuls by spitting out potential pro prospects like Octomom spits out babies.
NFL teams are viewing Barwin much differently then their initial thoughts. Barwin’s stunning workout forced teams to go back and watch more film.
Where does Barwin fit in?
The majority of 3-4 teams see him as an outside linebacker while 4-3 teams view him as a defensive end, and there are a couple of teams who see him as a tight end.
Although Barwin has the skill set to be a productive tight end, his passion is for playing defense. Outside linebacker could potentially be his best position because that’s where he could utilize his athletic ability.
The 6-foot-4, 255-pound Barwin continued to improve his stock at the school’s pro day March 19. He ran in the high 4.4’s in the 40-yard dash and did 23 reps of 225 pounds on the bench press. Barwin stood on all his other numbers from the combine. I’m told that teams were impressed with his ability to play at the same speed at all three positions during position drills. He was consistent and showed a great motor throughout the workout.
Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis and former UC assistant Rex Ryan (New York Jets) were on hand for the school’s workout.
It is my understanding that on his pro day, Barwin asked team representatives in attendance after the workout if there was anything else they would like to see him do such as punt, kick or whatever.
Knowing what I know about Barwin, I’m sure it didn’t take teams long to recognize during the interview session that this guy exudes charisma. Not only is he smart, but refreshing to be around. I’m told he has great locker room presence.
Barwin is expected to come off the board no later than the second round. Scouts are saying that Barwin is not just some hyped up player, but is a legitimate pro prospect that has a promising future in the league. Barwin has incredible upside due to his ability to play a number of positions.
Marshall said in his nine years as a strength coach, including three years in the NFL, Barwin may be the most gifted athlete he has ever seen.
As for playing for the Bengals, Barwin welcomes the idea.
“I would love to play for the Bengals because I love the city of Cincinnati,” Barwin said.
There’s no place like home!
Athletes in action at Ignition…
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Comments
By ironmyke
March 30, 2009 8:48 AM | Link to this
I shudder to think of this talented Bearcat alumnus and super guy getting stuck with the perpetually hopeless and inept Bengals. That would just result in another frustrating waste of strong career potential. I hope the Bengals don’t draft any of the Bearcat alums. I’d much rather see them get selected by any another NFL team where there is a real opportunity for them to have some success.By Tony
March 30, 2009 10:54 AM | Link to this
Kick a*s piece! I think Barwin would be better in the Browns 3-4 defense.