IRVINE, Calif. — Despite not being invited to the NFL Combine, Maurice Price, the nations leading receiver in 2006, has impressed NFL scouts. His agent, Bert Briones of Hip Athletics, reports that a number of clubs have invited him to visit their facilities and hope to draft him. Next week, Price will visit the Kansas City Chiefs and also attend an additional individual workout.
Briones reports that Maurice has impressed a number of NFL teams in individual workouts and at the Pro Timing Day held March 27 at South Carolina State. Price recorded an 11-foot broad jump, a 41-inch vertical leap, and a low 40 time of 4.43 on a slow surface. One scout reported his 40 time at 4.47 and noted it was outstanding considering Price actually stumbled on the run.
“In the game of football often receivers will be forced to stumble by a defender, so to see that type of time recorded indicates Maurice runs strong with his feet in the ground with football speed and running ability,” said Briones. In the position drills Price excelled, displaying excellent hands and explosive moves in his routes. Ten NFL clubs interviewed Price that day.
Price is training in Orlando, Florida, with Tom Shaw, which has given him the opportunity to workout with Calvin Johnson (considered the top receiver in this draft). Previously, Price was training in California with Todd Norman of the Cutting Edge, where in five weeks, the 21 year-old Price’s weight increased by 11 pounds while seeing no increase in his impressively low body fat of 4.7%. At the same time Price’s speed, explosiveness, and quickness was not compromised. Price improved his 6-1 frame from 194 to 205 pounds.
Price has also trained with Coach Bill Cunerty. Mr. Cunerty reports that Price “is an exceptional talent. He runs a 4.43 40-yard dash and has smooth and fluid moves in his route progressions. He ‘snatches’ the ball out of the air and is a very physical presence on the field. He runs disciplined patterns and understands route adjusting and converting routes according to the coverage. He has a strong vertical jump and large hands and long arms. He is both a deep threat and a possession receiver with dynamic ‘run-after-catch’ skills. He is a very likeable and hard working young man who really took coaching suggestions and immediately produced the desired results.”
“Maurice is in a good position at this point,” reports Briones, “His physical attributes combined with his productivity of 103 catches are exceptional. NFL scouts have gone out of their way to work him out in his hometown of Orlando. Also, he played well all week in an All-Star Game with most of the league attending. I am willing to compare him with players considered to be first round picks.”
“Look at Dwayne Jarrett, who like Maurice, also caught 202 passes in the past three years; Maurice is much faster and a tougher more physical athlete. He is also faster than Sidney Rice. If they are drafted early, Maurice should be close behind. His 10 and 20 yard times compare with the top handful in the country and he has great hands. Most importantly he is a strong character kid; a non-drinker, non-smoker, who attends church regularly. When people talk about value in this draft, Maurice should be considered in the third or fourth round. Maurice offers teams with wisdom an excellent option in drafting a young player with tremendous upside.”
[tags]Maurice Price, NFL Pro Timing Day, Bert Briones, Hip Athletics[/tags]
