Dorsey prepares for scrutiny

• By RACHEL COHEN
• AP sportswriter
• Published: Feb 25, 2008

• Print
• Email
• Save
• Reprints
• Twitter
• Share

• Del.icio.us
• Digg
• Facebook
• Reddit
• 

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- Glenn Dorsey was at the hospital from about 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, getting poked and prodded as NFL teams checked out players' health at the annual scouting combine.

"MRIs, CT scans, everything," Dorsey recalled. "There's things from high school they want to check out."

A day later, the defensive tackle from LSU got poked and prodded by a swarm of media asking if any lingering injuries will affect his status as one of the top picks in April's draft.

Dorsey pronounced himself healthy. He's not participating in any drills at the combine, choosing to wait until LSU's Pro Day on March 26. He said it's because he missed training time after the death of his grandmother.

Dorsey fractured his right tibia before his junior season but played through it. He also played through a sprained right knee this past season.

"There's no health concerns to my knowledge," he said. "I haven't missed a game since I've been at LSU. Everybody gets nicked up."

Dorsey added, "None of the teams have come to me about injuries at all. I guess we'll have to see."

He chuckled about rumors that he wasn't attending the combine and said he's prepared for the scrutiny that comes with being one of the top prospects in the draft.

"I'm never surprised," Dorsey said. "I try to set myself up to hear wild things. Sometimes, I just wonder where they get it from."

NOT HIGH ON HIGH PICKS: Indianapolis Colts president Bill Polian isn't sure if having a top 10 draft pick would be worth it.

His Colts don't have a selection until late in the second round. Polian said good teams like the Colts are less likely than in the past to trade up for an early pick because of the required financial commitment. Last year's top pick, JaMarcus Russell, missed all of training camp in a contract dispute before getting $29 million in guarantees.

"Trades are a unique thing in the first round anymore because of the cost of the top 10 picks financially," Polian said. "To take on that cost ... is almost counterintuitive."

Polian said agents have driven up the cost of the early picks, making it more difficult than ever for struggling franchises to improve. He said that cost can hamper teams for years, especially if they make a mistake on a pick or the player gets injured.