Virginia Tech’s pro day has come and gone. As usual, the Hokies did us media types no favors. The workouts, which were closed to the media, ended a half an hour earlier than they said they would. After that it was a mad scramble to catch guys on their way to the parking lot for a few questions.

As it was, I didn’t have a chance to grab Marcus Davis or Corey Fuller, the two Tech players most likely to be the first off the board in April’s draft. I did manage to catch up with Bruce Taylor, Martin Scales and Vinston Painter.

Briefly (and in bullet form), here’s what each had to say …

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Bruce Taylor, linebacker

– Taylor did everything he did at the combine again except the bench press. He didn’t have any exact numbers afterward — and, honestly, didn’t want them until the end — but thinks he improved in drills, including the 40, in which he ran a disappointing time in Indianapolis.

– What changed this time around? Taylor did a few more technique-related workouts related to the 40 to improve his form, which he thinks helped. Being on familiar ground was a boost too. “I got a good night’s rest, which I didn’t get on the combine,” he said. “My legs were a lot fresher than they were at the combine. Just overall, I felt a lot better.”

– Having a second chance at drills was a big factor as well. “You’ve already been through it once,” he said. “You already know what to expect, where at the combine, everything is kind of brand new. It’s still all brand new. Coaches want things run a certain way. Just the comfort of already knowing what to expect.”

– Taylor still doesn’t have a sense of what teams think of him. He said he’ll probably hear more about individual team workouts after April 1, once most schools are finished with the pro days.

– He said he’ll continue to train in the leadup to the draft in Tennessee and back home in Myrtle Beach, S.C.

Martin Scales, running back

– One of the Hokies who didn’t get an NFL Combine invite, Scales was pleased just to get a chance to showcase his stuff Wednesday. “For me, it was just fun,” he said. “I’m stretching my legs out, enjoying myself, because it’s not the end of the world for me. I just go out there and do my best. You can’t be mad at yourself if you just go out and do your best. That’s how I feel. So I enjoyed it.”

– He did all the drills — 40, vertical, bench, 20-yard shuttle, L drill, 60-yard shuttle — in addition to positional drills. He didn’t know a lot of his numbers but thought he ran a good 40. He was somewhat disappointed in the 16 reps he had on the bench press at 225 pounds. “I was a little slow on my start,” he said.

– Scales, who if anything will be an undrafted free agent, doesn’t have an agent, so he’s been working out in Blacksburg. He’s letting football play out as long as he can, with hopes of getting a shot somewhere, even if it’s a tryout situation. “I would like to be picked up, but if I don’t, that’d be all right too,” he said. “I believe I will, and I think I’m still young and an athlete, so I’m going to push it and see if I can go with it.”

Vinston Painter, offensive tackle

– Painter chose to forego the workouts, satisfied with his combine performance. He did do position drills for scouts. “It wasn’t too strenuous, just basic technique stuff,” he said.

– He’s encouraged about what he’s heard about his draft stock recently. After the season, he was projected to be an undrafted free agent. Now, after his combine performance he’s heard he could be a late-round pick. “I’m not sure where right now,” he said. “But I’m just glad that I’m not an undrafted free agent anymore.”

– Painter thinks the combine helped his cause immensely. He did well in the workout parts but surprised himself during the interview portion too. “Sometimes I’d question myself as far as being able to spit out what I’ve learned, as far as football IQ is concerned,” he said. “I kind of surprised myself with how well I did. But that was another thing that struck the coaches. This guy is a great learner. He’s very knowledgeable of the game. I kind of just showed myself, how far I’ve come as a football player.”

– Obviously, Painter’s size impressed scouts. He’s a chiseled 6-foot-4, 306 pounds, someone who doesn’t look like your typical flabby lineman. How’d he get that across to the scouts in Indy? “Took my shirt off,” he said. “I just walk around a little bit, get my Calvin Klein on. That’s all.”

– Painter said he has “maybe one or two” individual workouts coming up with NFL teams that he chose not disclose, per his agent’s advice.

– The fact that Painter didn’t play a whole lot in college is a big question mark about his draftability, but he said it has some positives to it too. He has no wear and tear on him. “As far as not having any surgeries, that’s a huge positive,” he said. “The doctors for the teams couldn’t really believe it. They tried to find any and everything that they could, but there was nothing there.”

– He’ll be working out in Blacksburg in the meantime, shuttling between Norfolk and here. He had worked out at a facility in Arizona before the combine. “That plane ticket there is a bit steep for my pockets right now,” he said. “So I’ll be here in Blacksburg. I’d rather pay for gas than a flight.”

NFL free agency started Tuesday, which meant there was some moving and shaking among former Hokies in The League.

Here’s a quick roundup of moves (some from a while ago, some recent) that affected former Virginia Tech guys …

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– Cornerback DeAngelo Hall was released by the Washington Redskins in what was largely a salary cap move. Washington saved $8 million by cutting him when it did. Contrary to some reports out there, he hasn’t already signed with the Lions. Hall was a polarizing figure during his time in Washington.

– Linebacker James Anderson was cut by the Carolina Panthers, only two years into a five-year, $22 million contract he signed. Just another lesson that those big contracts in the NFL don’t mean a whole lot. It’s the guaranteed money that counts.

– The Pittsburgh Steelers released long-time outside linebacker James Harrison, another move that was largely to save salary cap room. The move opens up a chance for former Hokie Jason Worilds to step into a starting role. This will be his first complete offseason that hasn’t been interrupted by lockout or injury.

– The Cardinals cut Beanie Wells, one of a handful of running backs in Arizona. Oft-injured Ryan Williams is still on the roster, looking to come back from his second major injury (shoulder) in the last two years. Fourth-year back Larod Stephens-Howling led the team in rushing last year with 356 yards and four touchdowns. Apparently, Arizona is also interested in Reggie Bush, though.

– The Giants cut starting running back Ahmad Bradshaw last month, opening up the spot for David Wilson. A dapperly-dressed Wilson told Giants.com that he’s ready for whatever New York puts on his plate.

– Philadelphia chose not to re-sign defensive end Darryl Tapp, making him an unrestricted free agent. He comes in at No. 66 on CBS Sports’ list of free agents this offseason.

– This isn’t free agency related, but I missed it late last month: Redskins receiver Josh Morgan had three surgeries this offseason, on his ankle and both hands. He was basically playing with torn ligaments in each of his hands last year. That sounds painful.

– Michael Vick re-upped with Philadelphia last month, but he’s in the news lately for canceling stops on his book tour after receiving death threats for his dog-fighting past.

– Ed Wang signed a two-year deal with Philadelphia last month. This is only notable now because, as some have pointed out, the Eagles recently signed Patrick Chung to a contract. Oh, to be in charge of music at Lincoln Financial Field.

Nick Becton is a soft-spoken guy, but when it came to talking about football at the NFL combine in Indianapolis last month with interested scouts, coaches and general managers, it was no sweat.

“It’s not anything I’m not used to,” Becton said. “It’s all football talk with different coaches. It’s kind of like rapid fire. Once somebody’s done with you, someone else is there waiting for you.”

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The offensive lineman was one of five Hokies to participate. While the 6-foot-5, 323-pounder didn’t garner any top-five finishes in workouts, he was satisfied with his results.

Never known for his sheer athleticism, Becton ran a 5.20-second 40-yard dash (t-19th of OL), had a 29.5-inch vertical (t-8th) and a 109-inch broad jump (t-8th). He had a 7.77-second three cone drill time (t-19th) and a 4.57-second 20-yard shuttle. That last category was his best. He finished seventh among linemen.

He bench pressed 225 pounds 19 times, just short of his goal of 20. Still, he came away satisfied enough with his numbers that he doesn’t plan on doing the individual drills again at Virginia Tech’s pro day on March 20.

“I’m just doing offensive line drills,” he said. “I think I did good enough at everything I tested at, so I don’t have anything else to prove.”

Like the other Hokies draft hopefuls, Becton has been working out since the season’s conclusion, getting past a turned ankle he suffered — and played through — in the Russell Athletic Bowl win against Rutgers.

He worked out at LeCharles Bentley‘s O’Line Academy in Scottsdale, Ariz., with Hokies teammate Vinston Painter, said he’ll stay in Blacksburg to work out for the next few weeks.

Becton doesn’t have an indication who might be interested or where he might go in the draft, if he is selected (he’s generally considered, at best, a late-round pick). Nevertheless, his goal remains the same in the upcoming weeks.

“Getting bigger, stronger, faster,” Becton said.

Previously …

– While workout numbers were great, Vinston Painter more pleased with interviews at NFL combine

– Corey Fuller flashes speed at exhausting NFL combine

– Bruce Taylor not letting slow 40 time put a damper on NFL combine performance

– Despite receiving bad news from home, Marcus Davis pressed through NFL combine

At 6-foot-4 and a lean 306 pounds, Vinston Painter doesn’t look or move like your average offensive linemen, so the former Hokies right tackle had plenty of confidence about the workout portion of the NFL combine last week.

The interviews worried him, though, a fear that proved unnecessary.

“I surprised myself with the interviews,” he said last week. “I felt like once I got in a room, I handled it very well. Better than even I expected.”

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As expected, Painter put up strong numbers in the workouts. He ran a 4.95-second 40-yard dash, repped 225 pounds 32 times on the bench press and had a 30.5-inch vertical, numbers that put him in the top five among linemen in each category.

He knew he’d perform well there, though, having trained hard along with Hokies teammate Nick Becton at the LeCharles Bentley O-Line Academy in Scottsdale, Ariz.

“It makes it a lot easier, having somebody out there I’ve known the last couple years, training and talking with him every day to get his take on the experience,” Painter said. “We both push each other.”

But Painter didn’t know exactly what to expect during the interview portion in Indy, although he settled in quickly. There were set 10-15-minute meetings with teams on certain nights. There were also informal meetings.

“A coach might grab you and sit you down for a few minutes and ask you questions, have you draw up a couple plays,” Painter said. “I was a little bit nervous. Once the questions started coming, it just became easier and easier. I just started getting a great feel for what to expect.”

Painter, a likely late-round pick or undrafted free agent, didn’t get a sense of which teams were most interested.

“It’s hard to tell, because there are so many meetings in such a short period of time,” he said. “It’s hard to kind of gauge whether a team really likes you or not.”

For now, he’s back training, waiting for Virginia Tech’s pro day on March 20. On the advice of his agent, he said he probably won’t do the workouts again, but he will do position drills.

“It’s been fun,” Painter said of the whole process. “Definitely interesting. I’m just training 24/7 almost, spending time with my family. I’m definitely enjoying the experience right now.”

Previously …

– Corey Fuller flashes speed at exhausting NFL combine

– Bruce Taylor not letting slow 40 time put a damper on NFL combine performance

– Despite receiving bad news from home, Marcus Davis pressed through NFL combine

Corey Fuller had some expectations for the NFL combine last week, but he didn’t think every day would be so exhausting.

“Nobody told me it was going to be so tiring,” the former Hokies wide receiver said. “You’re meeting with different teams until about 10 or 11 at night, then you’ve got to get up every morning before 7. I did not know that. Everything else is pretty standard. A lot of days are stretched out, but you have to do your best to stay comfortable at all times.”

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Fuller, whose stock rose considerably during a breakout senior season in which he caught 45 passes for 815 yards and six touchdowns, thought he handled himself well in Indianapolis.

He ran a 4.37-second hand-timed 40 that was adjusted to 4.43 seconds electronically  a number that put him in a tie for seventh place among receivers along with converted Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson.

“I was aiming for a 4.35 or faster,” Fuller said. “It is close, but I’m really picky on my times. I consider myself a fast guy, so I wanted to run one of the fastest times. I’m satisfied with it. I may run the 40 again at pro day. I’m not sure yet.”

The former track star wasn’t fazed by the sterile combine environment, with all eyes — and stopwatches — on each participant.

“I grew up running track,. so that whole having everybody watching and having the stopwatches, I’m pretty used to it,” Fuller said. “So there wasn’t too much pressure on me. I think the on-the-field workouts were the easiest parts of the whole trip.”

Fuller thought he did well enough in the other events. He said he’s never been much of a jumper, so he was satisfied with a 10-foot broad jump and a 31.5-inch vertical. He thought he was “pretty smooth, route running and catching” in positional drills.

For now, Fuller is back in Orlando working with Tom Shaw along with Hokies teammate Marcus Davis. Both are training for Tech’s pro day March 20, when they’ll have another shot to impress NFL scouts.

Fuller has been projected as a mid- to late-round pick, although getting a gauge on who might be most interested is difficult.

“Honestly, I’m not sure who is more or less likely to take me right now,” Fuller said.

Previously …

– Bruce Taylor not letting slow 40 time put a damper on NFL combine performance

– Despite receiving bad news from home, Marcus Davis pressed through NFL combine