Like an apparent bombshell Wednesday morning came the revelation that Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. would not be working out for scouts at the school’s pro day. He also didn’t work out at the recent combine and skipped his scheduled interview with the media.
“Diva!” was the reaction of uniformed fans. The reality is far different because NFL teams, including the Cardinals, knew at the combine in Indianapolis this would be the case.
A source close to the Cardinals told Cards Wire they don’t have a problem with Harrison’s decision because he’s been working out at Ohio State to prepare for a long rookie season and that “he is staying in football shape for the long haul.”
When general manager Monti Ossenfort was asked Wednesday about Harrison’s decision, he said, “All the spring prep and the draft prep, I think that’s really a personal decision that players have to make. I’m a big fan of the more good information that we can have in the draft process the better. But it’s not going to be the first time that a player doesn’t check off every box for the spring process. It won’t be the last time. In Marvin’s case, it’s his decision what he thought was best for him and so we respect that and we’ll continue our evaluation process not only on him but every draft prospect and we’ll evaluate the best we can with the information that we have.”
Albert Breer of si.com tweeted Wednesday morning that Harrison “asked the nine teams he met with in Indy if they needed to see anything at pro day. They all said no.”
The Cardinals source essentially confirmed that, saying, “He said he wasn’t planning on doing anything at Pro Day unless we wanted to see something or wanted him to. So pretty close.”
Ossenfort was also asked about that conversation and said, “I’d have to go back … I have a tough time remembering yesterday. I’m not sure if that’s exactly how it went, but yeah we talked about what his plans were for the spring and he informed us what his plans were and so we’ll adjust accordingly. But, yeah, we had a good productive meeting with Marvin at the combine.”
Breer laid out Harrison’s plan prior to the combine when he wrote, “Marvin Harrison Jr.’s pre-draft plan is one to pay attention to. Ohio State’s reigning Biletnikoff Award–winning receiver hasn’t hired an agent. He also didn’t engage in the pre-combine training that most other players do ahead of Indianapolis. And all signs show Harrison’s plan is to continue working out in Columbus, Ohio with Buckeye strength and conditioning tycoon Mickey Marotti, among others, to prepare not to run a 40-yard dash, but play football in the fall.
Why?
Well, first of all, because he can. After putting up two consecutive 1,200-yard, 14-touchdown seasons to cap off his three years at Ohio State, Harrison has positioned himself to go inside the top five this April. He’s regarded as the best NFL receiver prospect since Julio Jones and A.J. Green in 2011, and maybe the best since Calvin Johnson went second overall in ’07. It’s been assumed now for well over a year that Harrison will be the top receiver in this April’s draft.
He can simply tell NFL teams to turn on the tape—how he runs a 40, or a three-cone drill, or routes on air probably won’t change how high he’s going to go. His sterling reputation as a worker and a person also give Harrison even more flexibility here. That allows everyone to view Harrison’s plan as strictly a business decision, made with an eye towards having a great rookie year, rather than as some reflection on his character.
The funny thing is that it’s not all that different from the decisions made by teams, more and more these days, to keep their coaching staffs home from Indianapolis. Those choices are said to be made because the benefit of going is outweighed by the work that can be done by staying home. In this case, Harrison is not quite staying home, but it’s similar in that there’s a greater benefit for a player of his caliber to get ready for the season, rather than for the standardized physical testing that’s been done at the combine and at Pro Days for decades.
Of course, it doesn’t help the NFL (as it tries to turn the combine into entertainment property) that Harrison’s doing things this way, or that his decision could set a trend for elite players going forward. But this way, no one’s spending six figures to get him ready for the combine, as agents often do on the very best prospects, and, really, there’s no reason for a 21-year-old to concern himself with what works for Park Avenue.”
As for the notion that Harrison will be the slam-dunk first receiver selected, we might consider tapping the brakes on that. There have been rumblings that some teams potentially have Malik Nabers of LSU and/or Rome Odunze of Washington ranked ahead of Harrison.
Smoke or truth? That’s the beauty of the run-up to the draft. Everyone has an agenda.
Still, when asked if he puts much stock in those reports, the source said, “Absolutely. This isn’t as automatic as everyone talking about it thinks.”
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