I was going to start in on a whole diatribe about how the "experts" just talk out of their ass and offer this as proof positive that "reporting" is absolutely subjective. But I think it better to just keep my mouth shut and present the facts.
Here is an analysis of North Carolina defensive lineman Quinton Coples following his NFL Combine workouts yesterday. It was written by NFL.com's Bucky Brooks.
Quinton Coples, DE/DT, North Carolina
Coples confirmed his unique athleticism and movement skills at the workout. At 6-5, 284 pounds, he clocked 4.72 on watches in the stands, while also recording impressive measurements in the vertical jump (31 1/2 inches) and broad jump (9 feet, 1 inch). In position drills, Coples displayed balance and burst over the bags, though he didn't finish all of his drills with the urgency coaches demand. To his credit, he corrected the effort on the next series of drills and finished the day with a solid performance overall. If he can continue to display the effort and energy evaluators expect from a top 10-caliber talent, Coples could cement his status as one of the top defenders in the draft.
Now here is another analysis of Quinton Coples, written by Will Brinson for CBSSports.com.
Quinton Coples: Coples had a decent 40 time, but he was unimpressive on the broad jump (109 inches), the vertical jump (31.5 inches) and the bench press (just 19 reps). Coples is a guy that's taken heat for his on-field hustle, so seeing him come in to the combine motivated and dominate teams would've been a reason to allay some of those fears. Instead, Coples is proving that this defensive end class simply isn't that impressive.
Completely opposite. Even when it comes to hard numbers, Brooks and Brinson have absolutely differing viewpoints. One of these guys is completely wrong.
Pretty funny, huh?