Assessing the fall’s starting passers, in no particular order. Today: Oklahoma sophomore Landry Jones

When NFL free agency kicks off March 5, the shelves will look a lot less stocked than in years past.

Between mock drafts, the scouting combine, upcoming “pro days” on various campuses and next month’s draft itself, the collective mind of the football universe is completely submerged its annual obsession with sizing up players bound for the next level, as well as the many, many others who desperately want to be. From inside the belly of the beast, the only mantra this time of year is “NFL or bust,” even for fringe players and obscurities the scouts seem to think have “bust” written all over them. One team interviewing former Florida State safety Myron Rolle during the combine reportedly asked the aspiring neurosurgeon how it felt to desert his team last year to pursue a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to study overseas as a Rhodes Scholar, perhaps a reasonable (if poorly-worded) question in a profession that demands total commitment for success

All Donald Butler did at the NFL scouting combine this weekend was the bench-press test.And all Butler did in that test was perform 35 repetitions at 225 pounds, the most of any linebacker and No. 6 among the 330-some players in attendance at the combine.”I thought I would bench press around there,” Butler said

LEBANON, N.H. (AP) — Latest skiing conditions, as supplied by SnoCountry Mountain Reports. Conditions are subject to change due to weather, skier/rider traffic and other factors.

To no one’s surprise after he went AWOL from Miami last month, ex-blue chip linebacker and Wichita native Arthur Brown is transferring home to Kansas State, per statements this morning by his father and notorious “adviser,” Brian Butler. Brown was the first Kansas prospect ever awarded five stars by Rivals back in 2008, when he joined a horde of local products in a hyped freshman crop in Coral Gables, but his contributions with the Hurricanes were limited mainly to special teams.

With another day completed at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis, it is once again time to hand out some grades. Monday we watched the linebackers and the defensive line players take center stage.

Alabama’s Terrence Cody, somewhat infamous for his size and pictures like this and this, took part in the NFL Scouting Combine on Monday. A review of his performance from Sporting News’ Russ Lande: It was a mixed bag for Alabama DT Terrence Cody.

View full size photo » I was checking down the combine participant list, and I noticed a name wasn’t there, that of Jan Jorgensen, a DE at BYU who would likely move to OLB in a 3-4 system. I could remember Jan from the season and so I went away and checked his stats. Four years at BYU (redshirted as a freshman) 30 sacks, 44 tackles for loss, I’m thinking this guy probably has deserved a chance.

Thirteen-year-old Hannah Bulian is scheduled to have a bone marrow transplant at Children’s Memorial Hospital this week.