The 2015 NFL Scouting Combine, a vital event in the path to the draft, gets underway this week in Indianapolis, Ind.
Here are nine things 12s should know before everything gets going at Lucas Oil Stadium:
1. The Schedule
We outlined the players' complete combine schedule in Tuesday's Round-Up, but what kind of stuff will you get to see on T.V.?
Well, at 11 a.m. PT on Wednesday, Feb. 18 and Thursday, Feb. 19, NFL Network's *NFL Total Access *will air combine press conferences from the home of the Indianapolis Colts.
Then, starting Friday, Feb. 20, fans will be able to see on-field workouts featuring the offensive linemen and tight ends, continuing with the running backs, quarterbacks and wide receivers on Saturday, Feb. 21, linebackers and defensive linemen on Sunday, Feb. 22, and defensive backs on Monday, Feb. 23. NFL Network's coverage of combine drills begins each day at 6 a.m. PT.
- The Drills
On top of interview sessions with team personnel, medical and psychiatric evaluations, and meetings with the media, combine participants will be tested in what you see on T.V. - the measureables.
The on-field setup remains the same as years past, with players participating in six different workouts: the 40-yard dash, bench press, vertical jump, broad jump, 3-cone drill, and shuttle run while wearing a pair of athletic shorts and shirt. No helmets, no pads.
You can read up on the specifics of each drill, and what each is testing for, right here.
3. The 'Mayockisms'
If you do decide to tune into this year's combine coverage, or plan on returning to Seahawks.com through the next week, you'll likely come across a few scouting terms you haven't heard before as analysts break down what they see from NFL prospects in Indianapolis.
One of those analysts is NFL Media's Mike Mayock, who's in his 11th year of covering the event for NFL Network. Mayock will lean toward terms like, 'Dancing Bear,' 'Phone Booth,' and 'Taffy Pull' to describe the action on the Lucas Oil turf. ... What?
Thankfully, NFL.com put together a glossary defining each of these 'Mayockisms,' which you can study up on right here.
4. Plenty Of Current NFL Players Didn't Get Invited
More than 300 players have been invited to participate in this year's combine, but several athletes that didn't get invited out of college have established productive careers at the pro level.
In fact, a few combine snubs have become key contributors for the Seahawks. This past season's leading receiver Doug Baldwin, starting defensive tackle Tony McDaniel, and Super Bowl XLVIII MVP linebacker Malcolm Smith didn't receive an invitation to the combine coming out of college.
Other big names who missed the invite to Indy's annual meat market? San Diego Chargers tight end Antonio Gates, Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison, Denver Broncos wide receiver Wes Welker, New York Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz, and New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman.
5. Two Players Will Dominate The Headlines
Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston and Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota are the consensus top-two signal callers in this year's draft. They're also the two most-recent winners of the Heisman Trophy.
Winston, who ran a pro-style system with the Seminoles, and Mariota, who ran a spread offense with the Ducks, will likely control headlines at this year's combine with several teams slotted in the top of the first round searching for a franchise quarterback.
As of this writing, Winston and Mariota were up in the air about whether or not to participate in Saturday's throwing drills at Lucas Oil Stadium.
UPDATE (2/17, 8:30 p.m. PT): Mariota and Winston will reportedly participate in Saturday's throwing drills at the NFL Combine.
6. There's Plenty Of Local Flavor
Four University of Washington defenders are expected to go in the early rounds of the 2015 NFL Draft - defensive tackle Danny Shelton, cornerback Marcus Peters, linebacker/running back/safety hybrid Shaq Thompson, and linebacker Hau'oli Kikaha.
Mayock talked about each prospect on Monday and thinks Shelton, Peters, and Thompson will go in the first round with Kikaha going off the board by round two or three. All four Huskies are scheduled to be at this week's combine.
East of the mountains, Washington State Cougars defensive tackle Xavier Cooper, quarterback Connor Halliday, and wide receiver Vince Mayle received combine invites, as did Eastern Washington free safety Tevin McDonald.
7. Pete Carroll & John Schneider Will Meet With The Media
Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Schneider will be in attendance at this year's combine along with top representatives from each of the League's 32 teams.
Carroll and Schneider are each slated to meet with the media in between scouting sessions this week. The pair will likely discuss their combine evaluation process, the team's draft strategy, pending free agents, and more offseason nuggets that we'll recap right here at Seahawks.com as soon as they become available.
Schneider is up first - at 8 a.m. PT on Thursday, Feb. 19, with Carroll following up at 12 p.m. PT on Friday, Feb. 20.
8. Somebody Might Win A Porsche
Yes, a Porsche. As in, the car.
Thanks to adidas, if a combine participant signs with the apparel brand before running the 40-yard dash and proceeds to run one of the event's three fastest times, adidas will award the player a Porsche 911 Carrera. The Porsche has a massive cheetah graphic detailed on the side.
adidas ran a similar promotion at last year's combine, when wide receiver Brandin Cooks took home $100,000 for running the fastest 40-yard dash in the company's cleats.
9. Run Rich Run!
This year, NFL Network personality Rich Eisen is running the 40-yard dash - in full suit and Under Armor shoes - for a charitable cause.
The NFL's 'Run Rich Run' initiative will pledge $75,000 to benefit its Play 60 relationship with St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.
If you're looking to get in on the action, fans are encouraged to run a 40-yard dash of their own - in their work clothes - and share it on Twitter using the #RunRichRun hashtag. Your video might even be shown during NFL Network's live combine coverage.
Eisen's run will cap the network's combine analysis on Monday, Feb. 23. In the meantime, you can check out Eisen's 10-year history with the 40-yard dash right here.
