By TomE. Curran
CSNNE.com
INDIANAPOLIS - The question isn't whether or not the Patriots would like a player like Cal's Cam Jordan. The question is whether he'd be around for them to take a run at with the 17 pick. He's a four-year player at Cal, his father Steve was a six-time Pro Bowl tight end for the Vikings, he's 6-foot-4, 282 pounds but has a great build andreally presents himself well. He wouldn't comment on whether he talked to the Patriots on Saturday at the NFL Combine but did say, "I've talked to a couple different teams. East Coast, West Coast, all over."The tweak with Jordan is whether or nota team like the Patriots would use him as a defensive end lined up either on the inside shoulder or outside shoulder of the tackle (3 and 5 techniques) or whether he'd be better standing up as an outside linebacker. Asked what he prefers, Jordan said, "My hand on the ground technically. I have the most experience with my hand on the ground. Whether that be as a three or five (technique), that doesn't matter. If they say Cam, we want you to play middle linebacker, I'd play it. I don't care. I just really love to play football."Jordan is almost a tweener for the Patriots. Even if he bulked up to 290, he might beon the small side forNew England's 3-4.And if he dropped weight and went to outside linebacker, could hetransition smoothly?"I don't like him at all standing up," said National Football Post draft expert Wes Bunting. "At 285 pounds, he's looked at as a 5-technique let alone standing him up. I think he's a base defensive end. I think he can play on the right side (of the defense over the left tackle) if he had to, maybe more on the left side if you had to. But I'd play him in the 3-technique in a 3-4 before I'd stand him up."Last season, the Patriots kicked Vince Wilfork out to defensive end frequently and used some of their younger players (Kyle Love and Myron Pryor) on the nose. With Gerard Warren's contract up and Mike Wright coming back from a debilitating concussion, the Patriots may look to depth on the edge of their defensive line.Big enough to play there? "At 285, he's a strong guy and plays with leverage. He'll be on every team's draft board. He may be better suited for the 4-3. In the 3-4, I could see him playing outside on first and second down and then kicking inside on third down to rush the passer."One other thing that may work in Jordan's favor: some of the other defensive end prospects are underclassmen. They may need all the time they can get to develop before training camp. But if there's a lockout, it's going to be hard for them to prepare on their own. An experienced player like Jordan may be more football ready if there's a lockout. Tom E. Curran canbe reached at tcurran@comcastsportsnet.com.Follow Tom on Twitter at http:twitter.comtomecurran