Feeling as though he has shown enough over the past three seasons as Alabama’s starting quarterback with nothing more to prove, AJ McCarron has decided to pass on participating in next week’s Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama. Leading up to Alabama’s appearance in the Sugar Bowl it was reported McCarron was not likely to participate in the senior showcase in his hometown.
As reported by AL.com, McCarron officially declined his invitation to the Senior Bowl. His absence leaves one roster spot open for a quarterback. Clemson’s Tajh Boyd, Fresno State’s Derek Carr, San Jose State’s David Fales, Miami’s Stephen Morris and Virginia Tech’s Logan Thomas are already on the roster. Underclassmen leaving for the NFL early such as Louisville’s Teddy Bridgewater and Texas A&M’s Johnny Manziel are not eligible to participate.
Th Senior Bowl offers a chance for players to work out and practice in front of NFL coaches and scouts under the instruction of NFL coaches. For many, the Senior Bowl and similar games also give players a chance to improve their NFL Draft stock or grab a scout’s eye for a potential undrafted free agent contract down the line. McCarron’s draft stock is particularly interesting, and his decision to not participate in the biggest offseason event for NFL Draft eligible players outside of the scouting combine is a tad puzzling.
McCarron is likely to be a third-round draft pick at best according to various NFL draft scouts and rankings. Would a good week at the Senior Bowl do much to change that? Perhaps not, but given the way his season ended it would have been a positive to see him get in to as close to an NFL environment as he has been in among other future NFL players. The flip side of that of course is the question about what a poor or less than impressive showing at the Senior Bowl would do his draft profile. Would it sink him to the fourth or fifth round?
Keep in mind there will be plenty of opportunities for McCarron to show off what he can do in front of NFL scouts. The scouting combine will continue to be the top event to look forward to, so McCarron is likely setting his sights on that moving forward.