Dysert impressive despite conditions at pro day

Representatives from at least 14 NFL teams were in frigid Oxford on Thursday to watch Miami University quarterback Zac Dysert and several other RedHawks go through drills at MU’s pro day.

“It could have been worse,” Dysert said of the conditions. “There were probably 15-20-mph winds yesterday, so it could have been windier. I’ll take the cold over the wind any day.”

Dysert threw approximately 65 short, intermediate and deep balls to Miami teammates Andy Cruse and Luke Swift, as well as former NFL wide receiver Javon Walker, who has been working out with Dysert under the direction of former NFL quarterback Chris Weinke at the IMG Academy in Florida.

“I thought it went pretty good,” Weinke said. “Most pro day workouts I do with quarterbacks, you’ve got at least five guys. I wanted to be able to show some deep throws down the field, but it’s hard when you’ve only got three guys.”

Among the teams in attendance were the Buffalo Bills and New York Jets, a pair of cold-weather teams with quarterback needs.

They also were two of the six teams Dysert had formal interviews with at last month’s Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. The Bengals also were on that list, and offensive coordinator Jay Gruden and quarterback coach Ken Zampese were at Yager Stadium on Thursday.

“He’s got the arm talent to make all the throws,” Gruden said of Dysert. “You can see that. It’s a tough day out here, freezing cold and only three wideouts. But he’s done a good job. He’s an interesting prospect. He’s got good size, a thick frame and spins it pretty good.”

Cincinnati needs a backup for Andy Dalton. They have met with former Buccaneer Josh Johnson and reportedly were interested in former Bengal Ryan Fitzpatrick before he signed with Tennessee.

“We still have a lot of questions at the quarterback spot behind Andy,” Gruden said. “But as far as whether we draft one or sign a veteran, that’s still up in the air. We’re still evaluating all the guys before we get to the meetings here in the next couple of weeks.”

In addition to Cruse and Swift, who is a junior, the other Miami players who worked at the pro day were cornerback DJ Brown, linebackers Evan Harris and Luke Kelly, safety Pat Hinkel and defensive end Jason Semmes.

“I’ve been training for two and a half months pretty hard, so it’s kind of nice to put it all together on this one day,” Cruse said. “A lot of my numbers I was pretty happy with. I’m not planning on getting drafted, but being an undrafted free agent is something I’m definitely hoping for.”

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