As the previous article stated, Anthony Morelli is among 20 quarterbacks invited to perform at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis this week. Thus far, he has excelled in only one of six workouts in which he participated. The 6’4″ Morelli tied for seventh place in the vertical leap drill, bouncing an amazing 26.5 inches skyward. Whoop-de-doo! (As a relative indicator, the event-leading vertical jump was scored by 6’2″ running back Carl Stewart of Auburn, who jumped 39 inches; the top quarterback was 6’3″ Josh Johnson of San Diego, who jumped 33.5 inches.)

Hey, Ryan, Brennan, and Henne can eat their hearts out! Dis boy kin jump, massa! (He can’t pass worth a shit, he can’t run, he can’t see the field, but yazza, he sho’ kin jump!)

I heard one NFL commentator saying that Morelli made a lot of mistakes as a sophomore, and he continued to make those same mistakes as a senior. He didn’t get much PT as a sophomore, but what the guy said was correct anyway. Morelli failed to improve in his time at Penn State. He’s still a sophomore developmentally.

The same commentator posited that Morelli would probably be drafted. “This is one guy who looks the part,” he said. “Some team is going to want to see if they can mold him.”

More power to that team if it can. One thing is for certain: there are no Jay Paternos coaching quarterbacks in the NFL. So, perhaps someone can shape Morelli up.

The Turkey will return later this week with a look at the performances of Dan Connor and Justin King at the NFL Scouting Combine.

Shine shoes, that is. The NFL Combine, presently in progress in Indianapolis, is a good place for Morelli to learn about his future career, which in this Turkey’s opinion, probably tops out at Assistant Park Manager for North Park in Pittsburgh. Wait, North Park might be too ambitious. I’m thinking maybe the Bryant Street playground I used to play in as a kid 50 years ago, but I digress.

Twenty—count ’em—twenty quarterbacks were invited to show off their talents to prospective employers at the NFL combine. Among the legitimate prospects—Ainge, Booty, Brennan, Henne, Ryan, and Woodson, to name several, there are a few pretenders. Morelli would be one of them if he could climb that high. All he has going for him is NFL size and a big arm.

Here is the NFL scouting report on our dear Anthony, courtesy of NFLDraftScout.com:

Positives: Pocket-passer height and arm strength. … Can put balls in tight spaces when feet are underneath him. … Adequate footwork in five- and seven-step drops. … Most effective when in rhythm, getting good protection and using multiple receivers while not needing to make big plays on his own.

Negatives: Not strong in upper or lower body. … A bit of windup in his delivery. … Very inconsistent in accuracy. … Poor mechanics when any pressure arrives. … Happy feet and throws off back foot, even when there is no pressure. … Struggles to get past first read — birddogs that read from the snap. … Makes some questionable decisions. … Limited mobility, both running for first downs and moving within the pocket to free himself to make the throw.

In other words, the same old shit we’ve been observing for the past couple of years.

I’ll keep an eye on results of the drills, just in case Morelli surprises us in any way. I also have an interest in how Dan Connor and Justin King, PSU’s two other NFL Combine invitees, perform. Quarterbacks do their drills on Sunday; we’ll have to wait for Monday and Tuesday for linebackers and defensive backs.

Is there any way Morelli can redeem himself in this talented field? Perhaps if there were a job on a scout team where he could pose as Bobby Layne in his later years after drinking a half-pint of anti-freeze at halftime. Wait, no, Bobby was still more effective with half a load on than Morelli in his soberest moment. This Turkey cannot see an NFL job of any consequence for Morelli as long as the Gatorade boys are guarding their jobs with jealous passion.