Combine Trash Talk: Dee Ford Says He Is Better Than Clowney

January 4, 2014; Newport Beach, CA, USA; Auburn Tigers defensive end Dee Ford (30) speaks with media during media day at the Newport Beach Marriott. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

The Vikings enter the offseason with a lot of needs.  One of the glaring holes right now is defensive end.

Minnesota may end up using one of their top picks on a pass rushing defensive end.  Two players that the Vikings must consider are South Carolina’s Jadaveon Clowney and Auburn’s Dee Ford.

Ford was presented with an interesting question during this year’s combine. He was asked who was better, him or Clowney.  Here is his response:

"Dec 7, 2013; Atlanta, GA, USA; Missouri Tigers quarterback James Franklin (1) is taken down by Auburn Tigers defensive end Dee Ford (30) during the fourth quarter of the 2013 SEC Championship game at Georgia Dome. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports“I’m better. Let’s put it like this. People like to talk about size all the time. Size is pretty much overrated in my eyes. You can look at guys like Robert Mathis, Elvis Dumervil, Von Miller. These are 6-2 guys and under. People are just looking at the fact that he’s a physical specimen. Honestly if you watch the film, he plays like a blind dog in a meat market, basically.”"

When given a chance in a later interview to soften up his words and be more diplomatic, Ford didn’t back down from his statement.

"“When I rely on my athleticism rather than bring the technical aspects, the fundamental part, watch film to become a great pass rusher, I become a blind dog in a meat market. When I watch Jadeveon that’s what I see. He’s 6-foot-6, 240 and he just plays. But at the end of the day, does that make you a great pass rusher or a better pass rusher than me? No. We’re not saying that dog can’t run. We’re just saying he can’t find the meat. That wasn’t a personal shot at him at all. It’s just fun, it’s competition.”"

It will be surprising if Ford is taken before Clowney in this year’s draft.  Ford just recently became a hot topic after a stellar bowl game and Senior Bowl appearance.  If you read my draft profile of both players, you’d see that I am very high on both players and would be happy to see either of them become Vikings if the team fails to get a starter from free agency.

Will this trash talk hurt Ford’s stock or will his frankness be seen as refreshing?  We’ll have to wait until the draft to see how NFL general managers feel about him when it comes to using their draft pick to add him to a team.