Geno Smith, Matt Barkley Will Skip Senior Bowl
Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Kansas City Chiefs fans hoping to get one more look at the top QB prospects in the 2013 NFL Draft will have to wait until the scouting combine.
According to Liz Mullen od Sports Business Journal, both QBs will skip the Senior Bowl.
<blockquote class=”twitter-tweet”><p>QBs Geno Smith & Matt Barkley will not play in Senior Bowl, Exec Dir Phil Savage told SBJ. <a href=”https://twitter.com/search/%23NFLDraft”>#NFLDraft</a></p>— Liz Mullen (@SBJLizMullen) <a href=”https://twitter.com/SBJLizMullen/status/289027442541215745″ data-datetime=”2013-01-09T15:14:46+00:00″>January 9, 2013</a></blockquote>
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Fans may not like it but this is a smart move for both these guys. Playing in the Senior Bowl probably won’t do much good for them but it could hurt their draft stock. QBs in the Senior Bowl have to go in and learn a basic, hastily thrown playbook very quickly in order to play in an exhibition game with teammates they aren’t familiar with. That could mean some bad looks in front of NFL scouts.
Since these two are already considered two of the top QBs in the class, they will be better served controlling their exposure from here on out. They’ll have pro days with their own receivers where they’ll get to go through scripted plays and throws that they’ve practiced. Then they will go to the combine which will be another chance for them to prepare to show themselves at their best.
Truth be told, NFL scouts have plenty of tape on both these guys to study. The Senior Bowl is more of an opportunity for players who are still trying to get noticed to impress scouts one last time.
What do you think, Addicts? Should Smith and Barkley have turned down their Senior Bowl invites?