The Senior Bowl, where NIU’s Michael Turner played, provided a relief from my boredom that non-NFL playing weekends present.

The game is the most prestigious of all the college football postseason bowl games. As expected, only seniors are allowed to participate, and unless you are predicted to be the top pick, players don’t turn down an invitation.

The same held true for “The Burner,” who participated in the week’s events to learn, participate and perhaps improve his position for the NFL Draft on April 24.

The actual game may be the most insignificant part of the week. The practices and drills are where the players show their stuff to the scouts. Each team is coached by a current NFL staff.

During the week of practice, just about every head coach in the NFL shows up to check out the prospects in action. Several reports are given out each day, and thanks to ESPN.com and ProFootballWeekly.com, you could follow Turner’s day.

The news for the NIU star probably wasn’t as good as he had hoped. ESPN.com’s review was critical of some of Turner’s intangibles including blocking and pass-catching out of the backfield. Despite these issues, it was reported that Turner spent some time at fullback during the week.

While they aren’t the primary duties of the running back, these activities usually help to separate the good from the best. The good news is, many of these problems aren’t Turner’s fault. The NIU system doesn’t have Turner blocking or running routes out of the backfield, so he has room for improvement. Each negative listed was considered very correctable, while some of Turner’s best qualities are natural to the player: speed, strength and toughness.

Following the event, Turner received mixed, if not unclear, reviews. Most reviews agree that his time at the Indianapolis Combine (Feb. 18 to 24) will be critical.

As for the game, Turner saw marginal action. He completed a reception on fourth-and-seven and rushed three times for 6 yards as his team lost 28-10. None of the reports considered the game action for their review of Turner.

Draft projections have been mixed on Turner, as well. SI.com lists Turner as a mid-second-round pick, while ESPN.com lists him as a third-round pick. Mel Kiper Jr. lists Turner as a fourth- or fifth-round pick at best.