04/24/2009 - John Matthews is tiring of draft labels. Bubble guy, fringe guy, draftable, not draftable, blah, blah, blah. "I just want to get things moving," said the most decorated wide receiver in USD history. "I don't care where I end up. I just want a chance to play and show what I can do." Whether Matthews is selected in this weekend's NFL Draft or signs as a free agent remains to be seen. His agent, Jack Bechta, says it's 50-50 if Matthews gets picked in the seven-round draft, but at least one expert has him off the board. "I haven't spoken to teams that have shown a draftable interest," said Nolan Nawrocki of Pro Football Weekly. "The really good NFL teams, they make their living drafting from Round 8 on. A lot of teams still find a lot of great talent. Look at what San Diego did in 2003. They came away with three pro bowl players in Antonio Gates, Kris Dielman and Kassim Osgood. All undrafted free agents. I'm not sure anyone has matched that feat." But Matthews isn't put off by the prophecy. He's confident his r??sum?? speaks for itself: FCS first-team All-American, Walter Payton Award finalist, Pioneer Football League Offensive Player of the Year. And with a slew of USD receiving records to his credit, Matthews said he'll open some eyes. "I feel confident once I end up in a camp that I'll surprise people and exceed people's expectations," he said. "I think I can be a guy who can show up and latch on to things quickly. I feel like I'm pretty well-versed in the pro-style offense and I adapt well and learn things pretty well on the fly." Should Matthews go undrafted, there are about a dozen teams, according to Bechta, that are interested in him as a free agent. The 6-foot, 200-pound Matthews has taken trips to Seattle and Indianapolis and has also worked out for the Chargers. - Kevin Gemmell, San Diego Union Tribune
