Matt Barkley may not throw at NFL Combine

Update: Well, this isn’t quite as set as first noted. From Barkley himself:

Here’s the original post:

Former Southern California quarterback Matt Barkley won’t be throwing at this month’s NFL Combine, despite missing the Trojans’ final two games of the season. Barkley is rehabilitating a shoulder injury that also forced him to skip the Senior Bowl.

Barkley told Colin Cowherd of ESPN Radio on Friday that he won’t be throwing in Indianapolis, but seemed to backtrack a couple sentences later. From ESPN Los Angeles:

“It seems to be the trend not to (go to the combine), and I don’t feel that I have to,” Barkley said. “We’ll see when that time gets closer. It will be more of a game-day decision as to whether I’m going to. I want to do as much as I can. ... I don’t feel I have to necessarily prove anything.”

Southern Cal also tweeted this about Barkley not throwing at the NFL Combine:

In our latest mock draft, Barkley is pegged to be taken in the early part of the second round. Entering last season Barkley was viewed by many as being the top quarterback prospect for the 2013 NFL Draft. For his senior season, Barkley completed 63.6 percent of his passes for 3,273 yards and 36 touchdowns. It was his 15 interceptions and questionable ball placement that has led to the perception that his NFL Draft stock is on the downswing.

The book on Barkley is that he’s a quarterback that can read a defense, but he doesn’t have the arm strength to make the big throws. Had he chosen to throw at the NFL Combine, he could calm the concerns about his arm strength. By running a scripted pro day throwing session, that concern will likely linger up until draft weekend.