Scouts take close look at Barnes

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio (WUPW) - It's fair to say this was the biggest day in Freddie Barnes' life.

Even though he caught an NCAA record 155 balls this season, Barnes wasn't invited to the NFL Combine in Indianapolis.

Too slow, the scouts said. So Tuesday afternoon's Bowling Green NFL Pro Day was his chance to prove his doubters wrong.

Barnes knew the biggest knock on him was speed, or a lack thereof. He still feels that way.

"Some guys clocked me around 4.6, around 4.6," he said. "Last week, I was running way better, so I'm real disappointed with that. But it is what it is and we'll see what happens. My legs felt heavy. I was slipping on the field. It was frustrating."

No official 40-yard dash times were made available, but if one scout's opinion is any indication, Barnes may have exceeded his own expectations.

"I think he did improve his time today," said Shawn Jefferson, former San Diego Chargers wide receiver and current Detroit Lions wide receivers coach. "sometimes, you know, speed is overrated. There are a lot of guys that play the receiver position that aren't blazers but they're just damn good football players."

Jefferson said he can see Barnes as a third-down type of receiver.

"He's very tough and he can catch anything," he said. "That's the thing when you're watching film on him. Right away he doesn't mind going over the middle, sacrificing his body, going up in there to make the catch. He comes out with the catch. Little DBs will have their hands full with him because he's not going to go down with just an arm tackle."

Jefferson was very interested in Barnes' performance for the Falcons in 2009.

"Kid has tremendous hands," he said. "Anytime a kid puts up these kind of numbers like he did this past year, you want to get out and have a hands-on look at this guy. This kid had a good workout and he'll definitely be playing on Sundays for somebody. In my book, he's worthy of getting drafted. now whether he actually gets drafted or not, I don't know. Numbers are numbers."

Sounds like Barnes' number could be called, if not during the draft, then for sure, to some NFL training camp. The NFL Draft takes place April 22-24 in New York City.