Brandon Weeden is shooting for a perfect pro day performance.
The Oklahoma State quarterback will be back on campus in Stillwater, Okla., with many of his teammates - it doesn't yet feel right to call them former teammates - on Friday, working out in front of professional scouts.
Weeden plans to make about 65 throws to the receivers who helped him become an NFL prospect during two seasons starting for Oklahoma State, including All-American wideout Justin Blackmon.
I want to be as close to 100 percent as possible,'' Weeden said Thursday.That's my mindset.''
Weeden returned to Stillwater last week after spending about two months away from home, preparing for the NFL combine.
The 28-year-old former minor league baseball player came away from the combine feeling good. He showed off an NFL-caliber arm, which based purely on power ranks him with any quarterback in this draft.
And while his age might scare off some teams, he feels his maturity and poise are assets that plenty of franchises will covet.
Pro day is another chance to show off his skills, but this time on his terms. At the combine, the quarterbacks throw to receivers they have barely met. It's not an ideal setting for a quarterback - or a receiver for that matter.
Weeden has a script - short throws, long throws and everything in between - he's been working on with Blackmon, fellow receiver Josh Cooper and others.
The knock on Weeden is he lacks mobility and athleticism. Nothing wrong with being a classic pocket passer at 6-foot-4 and 220 pounds with a strong, accurate arm, but quarterbacks who can move around are becoming more common in the NFL.
Weeden doesn't need to run a 4.4 in the 40 like Robert Griffin III, or even a 4.6 like Andrew Luck, but he does need to show that he can throw on the move and be light on his feet enough to escape pressure.
Throws I make outside the pocket I think are crucial,'' he said.I throw just as good on the run. That's one of my strengths.''
The Cowboys are expecting a huge turnout for pro day, including television crews from ESPN and the NFL Network. Consider it a parting gift from Weeden, Blackmon and Co. to coach Mike Gundy. Another opportunity for Oklahoma State to show off a program that has been flourishing in recent years.
``It'll be a pretty big event,'' Weeden said.
Oklahoma State pro day hasn't always been must-see TV for draftniks and scouts. But the Cowboys are coming off a 12-1 season, a Fiesta Bowl win and a No. 3 ranking. The Cowboys aren't satisfied playing little brother to Oklahoma anymore.
``It's just a testament to where we're at as a program,'' Weeden said.
After pro day, Weeden will start holding individual workouts and meetings with interested teams. He figures to spend a few weeks bopping around the country.
His agent, Sean Howard, is in charge of gathering intelligence, finding out which teams are considering drafting Weeden. For now, Weeden prefers to be in the dark.
``I don't ask him,'' Weeden said.
There's still too much time and too much that can happen to start playing the guessing game, he said.
For example, where will Peyton Manning be playing next year? The team that signs Manning won't be looking for a quarterback in the first few rounds of the draft.
But while it seems half the NFL is interested in signing Manning, only one team can. And that works well for Weeden.
There's a lot of teams looking for quarterbacks,'' Weeden said.When (Manning) takes one of those slots, you get a domino effect from there.''
