In a move described at star-telegram.com as "shocking, and disappointing," the web site reported Texas Christian quarterback Casey Pachall did not receive an invitation to the NFL Scouting Combine.
Just about every NFL draft hopeful who isn't among the 300-plus athletes headed to Indianapolis next month to run a gamut of physical, medical and mental testing will at some point be asked the inevitable "snub" question. Pachall will be no different, and while he may express disappointment, shock isn't likely to be among his emotions.
The case for: His sophomore season in 2011, playing in the Mountain West Conference, was nothing short of spectacular with 25 touchdowns, seven interceptions and nearly 3,000 yards. ... Pachall stands 6-foot-5 and 230 pounds, same as LSU quarterback Zach Mettenberger, who is often described as having "prototypical" NFL size for the position. ... By the end of the 2012 season, he was the NCAA's No. 1-rated active quarterback in pass efficiency. In short, Pachall's talent isn't lacking.
The case against: In 2012, he left the team after four games, following a DWI arrest, for addiction treatment and missed the remainder of the season. ... Last year, after a broken arm cost him five games, he finished the season on the wrong side of the TD-INT ratio (6-10) and a career-low completion percentage (56.4). ... Based on appearances, what's gone right in Pachall's career happened before his arrest, and what's gone wrong has happened since.
Sometimes the best lines in a web report come from reader commentary, and this one from "Rob Tentoy" is hard to top: "Oh come on... this SHOULDN'T be a surprise at all. There are more question marks on Pachall than The Riddler's longjohns."
No doubt, the former backup to Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton will be fighting a perception problem in getting an NFL shot, drafted or otherwise.
But the TCU pro day, apparently, will have to serve as his sales pitch.
*Follow Chase Goodbread on Twitter **@ChaseGoodbread.*
