Lions General Manager Bob Quinn isn't much of a fan of the NFL's rule that bars players who commit certain crimes from the NFL Combine.
Even in the controversial case of Joe Mixon, the talented Oklahoma running back caught on tape punching a woman, Quinn feels the rule goes too far.
Quinn went even further in remarks to reporters in Indianapolis, as reported by several media outlets:
"We come here to see the best college football players ... so there's 330, 40 some odd players here and for him not being here because of those issues, personally, I don't think that's real fair because we have a lot of investigation that we want to do on him and to get him in one spot for all the teams would've been great. I'm not part of those decisions on how those guys are chosen, but I think it is a disappointment that guys like him — and there's a few others you can put in that category — we're going to be chasing around in the months of March and April, and it's really unfair to the players to be honest with you. The door's open, and I'd like to be able to get a chance to sit down with the people that know Joe, or Joe, and see what the circumstances were around the incident."
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"Other players" not invited to Combine include Ole Miss quarterback Chad Kelly, who some say is the fifth-best signal caller in this draft class, and Baylor's Ishmael Zamora, who was suspended for abusing his dog.
It's an interesting turnabout for Quinn, who announced a zero-tolerance policy for players involved in domestic disputes and certain weapons offenses.
However, the Lions have real needs at running back, and Mixon is still considered one of the most talented options available. That need for talent, and wins, often trumps principal. Walter Football has him ranked as the 10th-best prospect in this year's loaded running back class, and says the 6-foot-1, 226 pounder: Sources have said that they think Mixon is a first-round talent with three-down starting potential in the NFL. Some teams, however, already have ruled him out because of the incident from 2014 in which he punched a woman
The punching incident occurred in 2014, and Mixon was suspended for the entire season. It took two years before a court ordered the video's release, and it sparked outrage. Mixon cut a deal that allowed him to perform community service and undergo counseling in exchange for not having a criminal record.
