Su'a Cravens is passing on the chance to work out for NFL teams privately in advance of the 2016 NFL Draft.
Is it smart?
It depends upon whom you ask and, of course, from what perspective they view the decision by the former USC star who figures to play a hybrid linebacker/safety role at the pro level. The first comes from Cravens' agent, Fadde Mikhail, who explained the rationale to ProFootballTalk:
"There have been too many teams that have called to set up private workouts and I think Su'a's body of work on film speaks for itself. Su'a is a football player. He is a playmaker at whatever position he's at, whether it's safety or linebacker. Su'a has three years of film while an All-American at USC, plus he did the combine and did everything at his pro day on March 23 where all 32 NFL clubs were present."
A very different opinion followed from former Chicago Bears director of college scouting Greg Gabriel:
Then, there is the backdrop for all opinions on the matter: Brandon Thomas. The former Clemson offensive lineman tore his ACL during a private workout for the New Orleans Saints two years ago, and later, expressed regret. Thomas was subsequently drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the 2014 draft at No. 100 overall, but hasn't yet cracked the 49ers' lineup entering his third pro season.
NFL Media analysts Daniel Jeremiah and Bucky Brooks addressed the matter on NFL Network's "Path to the Draft" on Wednesday.
"It's not only a chance for (a team) to work you out on the field, it's another chance for them to visit with you. I know (Cravens) is open to visits at the team's (facilities), that's one point of contact," Jeremiah said. "But why not get as many points of contact with these clubs as possible?"
Brooks took the opposite point of view.
"Guys are worried about the risk of taking on extra workouts and having someone get hurt," Brooks said. "If you're Su'a Cravens and you feel strong about your film, and you know your athletic numbers aren't going to change, why not cash it in and say 'I'm done'?"
While Cravens might not be participating in private workouts, his calendar is still full. He told PFT Live that he has visits scheduled with the Buffalo Bills, Detroit Lions, Miami Dolphins, Oakland Raiders and New Orleans Saints.
As for workouts, for better or worse, he's had enough.
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