Numbers and such

And in NFL Combine news ...

Everyone was all a-twitter yesterday because Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson (whose Draft Stock Is Rising according to all the gurus) absolutely killed it in running and jumping. Ran a 4.43 40, and set combine records for a quarterback in the vertical jump (40.5) and broad jump (10 feet, 9 inches).

What this tells the Blob is whoever drafts Richardson will get a hell of a decathlete.

"But Mr. Blob," you're saying now. "Aren't teams wanting him to play quarterback?"

Well ... yeah. And therein lies the rub.

See, no one really knows if Richardson can actually play quarterback at the NFL level. Those aforementioned numbers are eye-popping, but they're just numbers. And they don't have a thing to do with whether or not Richardson can read a Cover Two or see a blitz coming or squeeze the ball through the tight windows with which fast-closing NFL D-backs usually leave you.

I suspect he can. His size (6-4, 244 pounds) and athleticism unavoidably remind you of Cam Newton, with whom Richardson identifies. And Cam was good for a few years -- good enough to win the league MVP and get the Carolina Panthers to the Super Bowl one year.

But numbers are just numbers. Especially irrelevant numbers such as how high or far a guy can jump.

Unless they change the rules and add rebounding and dunking from the 10-yard line to football, those skills aren't going to be of much use to a quarterback. Peyton Manning was never known for his hang time, after all. And I never thought Tom Brady and Bob Beamon had a lot in common, long-jump-wise.

Speaking of the two greatest quarterbacks of their generation.

Richardson?

For the Gators last season he threw for 2,549 yards, and his completion percentage was a tick under 54 percent. He threw for 17 touchdowns and was intercepted nine times. His QBR of 71.2 ranked 30th in the country.

In 22 college games, he threw 24 touchdown passes. He also threw 15 picks.

I don't know how you define pedestrian. But that kinda looks like it to me.

"But the gurus say his draft stock is rising!" you're saying now.

Yeah, well. All that means is he really could be Cam 2.0 ... or he could be JaMarcus Russell 2.0, an alltime NFL bust who also killed it at the combine.

The jury deliberates.