Combine Countdown -- WR Greg Little for NFL action and Matt
rs who have done the tape on defensive ends Robert Quinn and Da'Quan Bowers know that the former Tar Heel is the more explosive of the two pass rushers. That fact is the primary reason why Quinn could leapfrog Bowers as the draft's top defensive end and potentially even the No. 1 pick in the draft. There are two primary areas of concern with Quinn -- each of which he addressed in today's interview at the Combine. The most important is his health. As this excellent article by Andew Miller of the South Carolina Post and Courier explains, during his senior season in high school, Quinn underwent emergency surgery to deal with a brain tumor. The tumor, which was found to be benign, was causing Quinn headaches and even blackouts. It too close to Quinn's brain to be removed completely, so it remains a cause of concern for NFL teams. Quinn, however, is not concerned. He takes a CT scan every six months now and finds himself "falling asleep" each inside the chamber when asked to do so. He also claims that he hasn't had. nfl wholesale a headache "since high school [following the surgery]," as well. The other concern with Quinn, of course, is the fact that he, along with defensive tackle Marvin Austin and wide receiver Greg Little, was suspended for the entire 2010 season. Scouts relayed to me that the UNC staff had told them Quinn was "supposed to be a very good kid" but some questioned whether the fact that Quinn is still viewed as a top prospect despite the suspension made him less concerned about the impact his suspension had on the Tar Heels' disappointing 2010 season. Quinn seemed surprised when asked if he cared about his suspension. "I definitely cared," he said. "Watching the whole season, especially when UNC played LSU and I went down to support them, seeing our guys run on to the field, in the middle of the game I was about in tears in the stands. I made a selfish mistake and couldn't be out there..."Though he was unquestionably more poised in his responses, Auburn quarte. cheap jerseysback Cam Newton, like his SEC counterpart Ryan Mallett, would consider a contender for the job. Tony Pike, a rookie last season, isn't ready for NFL action and Matt Moore, who opened the '10 season as the team's starting quarterback, is a free agent.Cam Newton (Auburn) and Blaine Gabbert (Missouri) are the only worthy candidates if the Panthers spend the top pick on a quarterback. The Panthers dealt their second-round pick to the Patriots during last year's draft for project WR Armanti Edwards. The options for Carolina in free agency and via trade could be plentiful -- including Kevin Kolb (Eagles), Kyle Orton (Broncos) on the trade market and free agents such as 49ers' former No. 1 overall pick Alex Smith. Smith's candidacy would seem to be marginal at best -- he was 9 of 19 against the Panthers in a 23-20 Week 7 loss and 19 of 29 against Rivera's Chargers' defense in a Week 15 loss. . NFL JerseysStopgap options Matt Hasselbeck (Seahawks, unrestricted free agent), Vince Young (Titans, likely to be released) and Tarvaris Jackson (Vikings, unrestricted) could be added if the Panthers draft a quarterback at No. 1 overall. --Jeff Reynolds As I've noted previously, the most important element of the Scouting Combine to NFL teams lies with the medical testing and interviews.The most entertaining part of the Combine, however, is of course, the athletic drills. The 40-yard dash, in particularly, has taken on a life of its own as the Combine's preeminent drill.Ask five NFL scouts to predict who will be the fastest player in Indianapolis this year and you might get five different names. Rather than just identify one or five prospects who could turn in blazing times, I thought I'd give you my pick for each position.Disagree Perhaps in the greatest example of how big the NFL Combine has become, you can literally put your money where your mouth is and make prop bets through Bodog. I didn't make any bets. If I had, these would have been my picks.QB: Jake Locker, Washington -- I'm picking a bit of an upset from the start. Cam Newton is considered the favorite by most to the fastest and per