Vontaze Burfict: Maturity Issues Bigger Concern Than Poor NFL Combine

Arizona State linebacker Vontaze Burfict was arguably the worst performer in Indianapolis this week at the NFL Scouting Combine.

The junior linebacker checked in at 6'1 3/8", 248 pounds, but it all went downhill from there.

His workout, which was his final day at the combine, was miserable. He ran the 40-yard dash in 5.09 seconds and broad-jumped 8'8", both the worst numbers in the linebacker group. His 30" vertical was in the bottom five.

Unfortunately, these poor numbers weren't even the worst part of his experience.

After declaring himself the best linebacker in the draft to the media, he proceeded to say his coaches "messed him up" while at Arizona State.

Following his poor performances on the field, he went and sat near the medical table with his headphones on.

The talk around Burfict has been character concerns for quite some time. He plays with fiery emotion and gets himself in trouble too often because he can't keep it in check. He hurts his team too many times and scouts saw that.

There were legitimate instances where he actually wouldn't come off the field when his coaches told him to.

And with the opportunity to put these character questions to rest, Burfict failed and showed once again that he's still struggling to mature and will be a project regardless of when he is selected.

Teams with strong coaching staffs and trustworthy locker rooms will be the only ones interested in taking on Burfict without him sliding too far down the board. His workout was bad, but he'll have a chance to at least remedy that with a better performance at his pro day.

His attitude and demeanor, however, needed to be turned around and he didn't do it. That is the most troubling of all.