James met with the media today at the combine. Here are some snippets from his time at the podium:

On where he projects at the next level:

“I feel like I can play in both systems. I think I can handle all three positions in the 4-3 and both inside positions in the 3-4.”

On his preference for the ILB position:

“For me, I like being in charge, making calls and having a chance to be in on every play. You are held more accountable, and I love being the guy making the checks, being the second coach on the field.”

On where his work ethic came from:

“My dad taught me two big lessons: One is to never feel fully satisfied with yourself because you can always improve. And the second thing is that, no matter how hard you think you’re working, somebody else is probably working harder. I will never be fully satisfied. The guys who are self-motivated and self-driven last the longest.”

And, of course, he addressed the Senior Bowl absence criticism. The Minneapolis Star Tribune has his official explanation and note that many are still skeptical. Did James need to show up with a note from his doctor or something? Geez.

[soapbox] James doesn’t shy away from challenges without good reason. The competitor in him would have participated if it was at all possible. And if people don’t want to believe that, then it’s on them. It’s also a shame so many in the media just want to believe the worst about others without those suspicions being truly warranted. If James was “scared” of the USC guys, he would have declared for the draft last year and been a Top 5-10 selection. [/soapbox]

He mentioned that he’s already spoken with the New Orleans Saints. And he also expects to be in contact with other teams, including the Miami Dolphins, who he is supposed to meet with tonight.

NFL.com’s Combine Blog has up a short story about James’ comfort in front of cameras. Nice little read, even if it’s pure fluff.

Laurinaitis met with the media on Saturday and looked comfortable and polished in front of all the cameras, giving articulate answers to every question.

That just backs up my claim that he’s very good with the media. No stuttering, overuse of the words “uh” or “um”, or anything like that. The scouts have to be impressed with that.

O/T: I quite like that the NFL.com blogs also use WordPress blogging platform; the same one I use here.