Vontaze Burfict Combine: Poor Showing Will Cause LB's Draft Stock to Plummet

Vontaze Burfict didn't do himself any favors at the combine. His draft status was already up in the air after a tumultuous career at Arizona State, and his poor performance in Indianapolis both on and off the field will cause his stock to plummet.

His 40-yard time was the worst among all linebackers who ran and was the only one above five seconds. The former Sun Devil didn't do any better in the broad or vertical jumps, either. And those were the only three events he took part in.

In other words, his on-field workout was a complete disaster.

To make matters worse, his interviews didn't resonate well with teams. Bruce Feldman of CBS Sports reports Burfict could elicit red flags from certain franchises.

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"I wouldn't touch him," said one scout. "He does have some talent, but he is so undisciplined on and off the field. The guy is completely out of control. There's no way you could trust him. I can't believe they (ASU coaching staff) didn't cut him loose."

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Those are strong words from an individual whose only job is to evaluate talent. Usually it's those people in the organization who are willing to fight for a player with some upside like Burfict, but when the scouts are turning against him, you know it's going downhill fast.

It's more important than ever to have not only talented football players, but guys you can trust to stay out of trouble. Commissioner Roger Goodell has cracked down on anything that will cast a bad shadow on the NFL in any way, shape or form.

Players like Burfict, who even a decade ago would have likely been considered a first-round lock, now face uncertain futures because teams aren't going to take big risks.

If a front office isn't sure the player will be a good representative of the franchise and the league, they can't commit an early selection to him. It's really that simple.

Burfict could have saved himself from a total free-fall with eye-popping workouts, but instead he just gave teams more reason to ignore him altogether.

The question becomes: Where will he land after his most recent debacle? The second round? The fourth round? Undrafted?

It's impossible to say for sure, but the outlook is not promising. Somebody who was once cracking mock drafts of the opening round now might be sitting by his phone waiting for a team to sign him as a free agent.

All it takes is one team to fall in love with his potential, of course, but it's becoming tougher to imagine any team falling into a trap. Even a team like the Oakland Raiders that has long coveted players like him will have to think twice.

It's a story that should be a warning sign for any future NFL hopefuls. The process needs to be taken seriously, or things will get ugly.

Burfict is learning that the hard way.