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Star search New coaches being combing college ranks for talent
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- Butch Davis has been to the NFL Combine before -- just not in this capacity. Davis, the Cleveland Browns' head coach, isn't here as Jimmy Johnson's assistant or helping his own college players. This is Davis' first draft as a head coach and he wants to build a foundation for a winner. "In Dallas, I think we were extraordinarily balanced," Davis said. "That's kind of what we'd like to do. I don't want to have someone throw for 4,000 yards and we can't get to the line of scrimmage in the running game. And I don't want to run for 200 yards and not be able to complete a pass." Such attention on offense wouldn't seem Davis' style, given that he spent six seasons as Johnson's defensive coordinator in Dallas. Even so, Davis knows that to win in the NFL, coaches must adapt. This weekend, six new coaches will attempt to do just that in this fast-paced atmosphere. Two coaches -- Dick Vermeil and Marty Schottenheimer -- are back in the league, albeit in new locations. Four others -- Herman Edwards, Gregg Williams, Marty Mornhinweg and Davis -- are NFL head coaches for the first time. "There will be some surprises, certainly," said Mornhinweg, the new Detroit Lions head coach who spent the previous six seasons as an NFL assistant. "We'll go through them with a fine-tooth comb and then we'll say, 'Wow, this guy has some great athleticism.' And then we'll check him out." While the coaches focus on interviews and tests, players turn their attention to the matter of performing. Some are finding their own surprises. "For some reason when I talked to Cleveland, I wasn't thinking about coach Davis being there," running back LaDainian Tomlinson said. "I was thinking coach Davis was still at Miami, so when I walked in there, I said, 'Hey, I know this guy.' Then it clicked." Davis, the lone newcomer from the college ranks to the NFL, may actually have a big advantage over some of his colleagues -- and not just because he holds the No. 3 pick in the draft. He worked under Johnson, when the Cowboys went from cellar-dweller to Super Bowl champions. Plus, he has a deep knowledge of many players here because he recruited many of them while coaching the University of Miami the last six seasons. "We've been tracking an awful lot of these kids since they were sophomores in high school," Davis said. "We've been in the homes of a lot of them, we know their backgrounds. It's been a benefit in the past and we hope it's a benefit in the future." The newcomers carry common themes. Davis, Mornhinweg and Williams, the former defensive coordinator of Tennessee, all speak about the same things: team chemistry, athleticism and using the Combine as a tool in the evaluation process. "Our scouting department has been working on this the whole year," Mornhinweg said. "But the thing that's nice about the Combine is that you get to sit down with each player and learn a little about him." Davis may already know that information. But to succeed in the NFL, Davis knows he needs players. "I'd like to sign about nine of them," Davis said when asked if he'd like to sign any of his former college players. "College is good and Miami was a good job. It gave you access to a lot of players and I wouldn't be here today if not for those players." Notes: Many of the top running backs plan to participate in the full workouts Saturday. Michael Bennett, LaDainian Tomlinson and Anthony Thomas all said they intended to work out. Only Deuce McAllister, whose college career was plagued by injuries, said he would not participate. ... Leonard Davis, considered a Top 10 pick, measured in at 6-foot-5 3/4 and 370 pounds. Davis, too, said he would work out Saturday. ... Davis may be the biggest man in Indianapolis, but the University of Michigan may make the biggest impact. Five former Wolverine offensive stars -- tackles Jeff Backus and Maurice Williams, guard Steve Hutchinson, wide receiver David Terrell and Thomas could all go in the first round.
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