Training Camp Update Volume 2, Issue 1 8/02/06
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Defense: Ronde Barber is constantly being asked one question, "Ronde, do you have a new contract yet?" His answer is generally the same: "I don't know when it's going to get done," Barber said. There's no timetable, he says, but at least he, Bucs general manager Bruce Allen and Barber's agent, Ethan Lock, appear to have a sense of humor about it. "It's almost a running joke between Ethan and Bruce when this thing is going to get done," Barber said. "But they're getting there." Barber admits there is a lure to free agency, something he's never participated in. "I can't say I haven't thought about that (free agency)," Barber said. "I have. Not knowing in years prior to this if they were even going to think about getting me back here (I thought about it). It has its appeal. At the same time you have to re-establish yourself when you change." Shelton Quarles was talking about the difference between the team this year, compared to last year, when they reported to camp: “The bond’s a little bit closer. Last year we didn’t know what we had.” One thing that hasn’t changed is Quarles’ status as “Snack Man.” Quarles arrived at camp loaded down with boxes of sunflower seeds and Blow-Pops. He and his wife take a trip to the store every year before camp and will spend up to $300 on candy. Any of the leftovers go into a drawer in the linebackers’ meeting room at the team’s training facility. ‘’I’m the Candy Man. I take care of my guys on defense,’’ Quarles said. Special Teams: Last year Matt Bryant beat out Todd France in a close contest for the kicker job. This year it’s all his. He’ll be spelled in camp by Xavier Beitia, who spent the spring in NFL Europe. RB Michael Pittman has been designated the early frontrunner for the top kickoff returner spot this year. WR Edell Shepherd ended last year in that role, while CB Torrie Cox started out the year. RBs Earnest Graham and Derek Watson will practice as backups. WR Mark Jones joined the Bucs last year and handled every one of their punts. He could possibly do so again this year. Two rookies will look to make the final roster via special teams work in the pre-season. Undrafted RB Andre Hall who returned kickoffs during his junior year at South Florida, and is also getting a look on punts. Seventh round draft pick CB Justin Phinisee returned punts at Oregon and has been practicing in that role in camp. Buccaneers Depth Chart QB Chris Simms, Jay Fiedler, Tim Rattay, Bruce Gradkowski, Luke McCown (inj), Jared Allen RB Cadillac Williams, Michael Pittman (3RB), Earnest Graham, Derek Watson FB Mike Alstott, Jerald Sowell, Rick Razzano WR Joey Galloway, Michael Clayton, Ike Hilliard, Edell Shepherd, David Boston, Mark Jones (KR), Maurice Stovall, J.R. Russell, Paris Warren, Ben Nelson TE Anthony Becht, Alex Smith, Dave Moore, Tim Massaqoui (inj), T.J. Williams (inj) K Matt Bryant DE Simeon Rice, Greg Spires, Dewayne White (DT), Julian Jenkins DT Anthony McFarland, Chris Hovan (NT), Ellis Wyms, Jon Bradley, Anthony Bryant, Kevin Lewis MLB Shelton Quarles, Barrett Ruud OLB Derrick Brooks (W), Ryan Nece (S), Jamie Winborn (S), Marquis Cooper (S), Wesly Mallard (W), Jermaine Taylor (W), Charles Bennett, Anthony Trucks CB Ronde Barber, Brian Kelly, Juran Bolden, Torrie Cox, Alan Zemaitas, Justin Phinisee, Reuben Houston S Jermaine Phillips (SS), Will Allen (FS), Donte Nicholson (SS), Kalvin Pearson (SS), Steve Cargile (SS), Eli Ward (FS), Blue Adams, Jahmile Addae Tennessee Titans QB: Titans’ general manager Floyd Reese conveyed his confidence in starter Billy Volek this weekend to help squash reports that the Titans are interested in Kerry Collins. "This is his time to shine," Reese said. "We know him, he knows us, he knows the system and he knows the players. This is what he has wanted for a long time. I'll be surprised if he doesn't come in and compete and play well." Volek said he considers himself in a position to do that. “Obviously they have the quarterback of the future, but I feel this year is my year to go out there and get into a rhythm and I feel like I can play," he said. "People loved McNair because he was a warrior, and I know everyone is excited about Vince. But I am excited about playing and I'm going to go out and do my best and do everything I can to help get this team to the playoffs.'' Last Friday’s practice came complete with wet footballs. Volek and Young took the majority of reps. Young had a few passes flutter on him, but he was also impressive in stretches, like one particular deep throw to Courtney Roby and another completion that went to Bobby Wade. Young said throwing the wet footballs was "like throwing a weight… It's all about improving … I just want to go in and continue to compete and work hard and let coaches make the decision (about when I play). I want to let them know I am making progress." As for the Collins rumors Reese was asked if interest in Collins could grow at some point. Reese said: "I would be shocked. We are trying to look at these guys. We don't have any plans to bring anybody in." RB: The stage is set for a three-horse race during training camp. With the theatrics of Chris Brown’s agents aside, Brown is in camp and, for now anyway, the team’s starting back. Jeff Fisher responded to the trade demand rumors by saying, “Chris has had a great off-season. He’s in probably the best shape since he’s been here. He’s our starting running back. He [RB Chris Brown] changed agents and they came in wanting to talk extension. Right now it's not the time to talk extensions because we are working on others," he said. "They demanded a trade and went public with it…I'm going to throw this in the agent's lap and not Chris. Chris is probably in the best shape since he's been here, and he is our running back." Of course, that’s exactly what happened. Travis Henry will compete for a role as will second round pick LenDale White. "Chris starts out No. 1, but everybody is still competing," Henry said. "At the end of the day, we both want the ball. That's no secret. ... Once the roles are given, you have to accept it and go out and compete at the role you've been given and then go from there." In the first workouts, the team kept it simple rotating Brown and Henry through the lineup one play at a time. White was not present because he had not yet arrived to sign his contract. "What we're going to do is build reps," coach Jeff Fisher said. "The philosophy is to take one at a time and build to two and before the end of camp they will be taking five, six, seven reps at a time preparing themselves for a drive." On Saturday night, White arrived, signed his contract and met with the coaches. By Sunday morning, White was in the rotation with the other backs. “This is football,” White said. “I’ve been working all summer to come out here and play football, so Coach Fisher just told me to get ready and I came out and he threw me in the fire.” To White’s credit, he reported to camp weighing 227 pounds, down 25 pounds from the draft. “I haven’t weighed this low since I was 17 years old,” White said. “I actually weighed less than what I was supposed to weigh in at. I feel real good about that. It’s going to take a while to get adjusted to the heat, but for the most part I’m happy to be here and happy to start camp… I'm here to win the job." Jeff Fisher wasn’t worried about White falling behind in the playbook either. “He knows the offense,” Fisher said. “...his weight's down, he feels good, and he’s in shape so he won’t have any difficulty with the offense from a learning standpoint. It’s a physical thing." Another player that was looking for a roster spot is 2nd year back Damien Nash, but he showed up out of shape and was promptly released on Monday. WR: On Saturday, Drew Bennett sat out during the morning but returned in the afternoon while David Givens got some rest. Fisher said he plans to alternate giving the receivers practices off. In Sunday morning’s practice, Givens ended the first two-minute drive with a long touchdown catch on a ball thrown by QB Billy Volek. Corner Rich Gardner made a nice deflection on a Vince Young pass to receiver O.J. Small when Young tried to force the ball into zone coverage. Small ended the last two-minute drive with a long touchdown catch on a throw by Young, who had scrambled out of the pocket. The Titans have a wealth of numbers at receiver. Tyrone Calico, Courtney Roby, Roydell Williams, Brandon Jones, Bobby Wade and rookie Jonathan Orr are all looking for roster spots and roles behind Givens and Bennett. TE: The Titans are hoping Ben Troupe stays healthy this year. He’s showed flashes of his immense talent in each of his first two seasons, but he’s been constantly hampered by some form of injury. Bo Scaife (quad) missed Saturday’s practice as did Erron Kinney (knee), who will now miss two weeks of training camp after having arthroscopic surgery on his right knee – his third time under the knife on the right knee since Dec. 7. Kinney hurt his right knee last year at Indianapolis and had arthroscopic surgery that kept him out of two games. Also in camp is Greg Guenther, who had a strong showing a year ago to stick with the club. Defense: Pacman Jones was a distraction as a rookie last year. This year, he is hoping to find a groove after setting lofty goals for himself: seven interceptions, 10 touchdowns, 75 tackles and a trip to the Pro Bowl. "It was a growing experience last year,'' Jones said. "There was a lot of pain, but I dealt with it. That was the worst season I've had in my career. But last year is behind me, I am happy with that. For the most part I never really got into a groove last year. I never felt right. Things are going to be different. I am already feeling a whole lot better.'' For his part, he claims to be a better man and promises to be a better teammate in the locker room. "I would say I'm a better teammate, a way better teammate than I was,'' Jones said. "I feel a lot more comfortable around them. These guys know what I can do. As far as me proving myself to them, that part is over with. I just have to prove myself to myself. Some of them know how good I can be. I think some of them trust in me and I trust in everybody. But I wouldn't say I'm a different guy. I am just a guy with a new attitude and just happy to be here on time. Last year I had a lot of stuff on my plate, I had a lot of people against me, a lot of people just at me every day. It started with people on my back about holding out. But I am more comfortable now. I am more comfortable with myself and everyone else.'' Titans GM Floyd Reese agrees on some levels, "Obviously he has matured physically and emotionally and mentally… We have talked about the possibility of guys changing when they understand who we are and what we do and we certainly hope that is the case with Pacman. So far, so good.'' Keith Bulluck looks at it from a different way. "Pac is what, 22-23 years old?'' Bulluck said. "He is like a big kid. He likes to have fun. He likes to be around his teammates. Pac is here to work, and he is talking Pro Bowl this year and I like that talk.'' Titans DT Rien Long suffered a season-ending Achilles injury to his right foot during Saturday's afternoon practice. “It does not look good. There’s damage to the Achilles. We’re going to do an[] MRI and see how significant it is,” said Fisher. Long was working alongside Albert Haynesworth in the starting lineup. On Sunday morning, DE Antwan Odom batted down a Billy Volek pass during 11-on-11 drills. DT Randy Starks vomited in the end zone about 50 minutes into one workout. Safety Justin Sandy, who played for the Titans in 2004 and spent last season on the practice squad, was released over the weekend. Special Teams: Rob Bironas did a respectable job in his first year in the NFL last year, and he’s the only kicker on the roster heading into camp. That doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll be the kicker again this year. Unless it’s a motivational ploy, the Titans are openly advertising that they’re looking to add another kicker to compete with Bironas for the starting job. After early troubles catching the ball, CB Adam Pacman Jones emerged as one of the better returners in the league last year. Nonetheless, the Titans are looking to scale back his special team role in favor of his defensive work. The team is planning to use him primarily on kickoff returns, even though he’d prefer punts because as he notes "It's easier to score touchdowns." WRs Bobby Wade, O.J. Small, and Courtney Roby have also been practicing on kickoff returns. Wade enters camp as the favorite to take over the punt return role, which on the surface is surprising since the Bears cut him following his punt return misadventures. His only problem was keeping the ball in his hands rather than on the ground, and he appears to have corrected that. With the ball in his possession, he’s a threat to go the distance. Titans Depth Chart QB Billy Volek, Vince Young, Matt Mauck, Cody Hodges RB Chris Brown, LenDale White, Travis Henry, Jarrett Payton, Damien Nash, Quinton Ganther FB Troy Fleming, Ahmard Hall WR Drew Bennett, David Givens, Courtney Roby, Tyrone Calico, Brandon Jones (inj), Roydell Williams (inj), Bobby Wade, Jonathan Orr (inj), Sloan Thomas, Tramain Hall TE Ben Troupe, Erron Kinney (inj), Bo Scaife, Greg Guenther, Jamie Petrowski K Rob Bironas DE Kyle Vanden Bosch, Travis LaBoy, Antwan Odom, Bo Schobel, Copeland Bryan, Sean Conover, Tim Thompson DT Albert Haynesworth, Randy Starks, Rien Long, Jared Clauss, Jesse Mahelona, Daleroy Stewart, Marcus White, Wayne Dickens, Jeff Littlejohn, Chris Herring MLB Peter Sirmon (M/S), Stephen Tulloch, Robert Reynolds (S), Moses Osemwegie OLB Keith Bulluck (W), David Thornton (S), Cody Spencer (W), Jared Newberry (S), Marcus Randall, Terna Nande, Spencer Toone CB Pacman Jones, Reynaldo Hill, Andre Woolfolk, Rich Gardner, Michael Waddell (inj), Cedric Holt S Chris Hope (SS), Lamont Thompson (FS), Vincent Fuller (FS), Donnie Nickey (SS), Calvin Lowry (SS), Cortland Finnegan (FS) Washington Redskins QB: Mark Brunell enters camp this year as the unquestioned starter, but he also knows there is a young man playing behind him in Jason Campbell that the team believes to be the QB of the future. New offensive coordinator Al Saunders, formerly of the Chiefs, thinks Brunell will be fine with the adjustment to a new offense. "Mark has the ability to adjust to the quick passing game," Saunders said. "He has the ability to get the ball out of his hands quickly. From what I've seen, he's a more accurate thrower than what I expected him to be. And he can handle all of the terminology and all of the protections in this offense." Meanwhile, Campbell is expected to see the majority of snaps during the preseason games. "Ever since Jason's been here he's done every single thing we've asked of him," said head coach Joe Gibbs. "He's worked extremely hard. He'll play a lot in the pre-season games and we'll see how he does." Santana Moss likes what he’s seeing, too. "Jason looks pretty good," Moss said. "Remember, it's not easy being a first-year quarterback in the NFL." Backup Todd Collins is also confident the Redskins will be fine offensively. When commenting about Al Saunders, Collins was confident that "he has a great work ethic and no one is going to outwork him. We aren't going to have to worry about him not putting the time in. I think he'll do a good job playing us." RB: It didn’t take the colorful Clinton Portis long to pronounce his pleasure with the new additions to the Redskins offense from Antwaan Randle El to Brandon Lloyd to OC Al Saunders’ scheme. Portis looked around and declared, "I'm looking forward to a couple 90 yarders this year. I have to hit some home runs. We have a great guy they put behind me, in RB Ladell Betts, and a great guy behind him, with RB Rock Cartwright. The more opportunities they get, the more they play, the better they do. That's more pressure taken off of me. I'm not selfish. All I want to do is win. I know what it's like to be the most popular, and I don't care about any of that. I need a ring or two." Running back Rock Cartwright showed up to camp early. He was seen at Redskins Park back on Thursday, July 20th: "I just did some cardio work," Cartwright said during an interview on Thursday. "I did some running and caught some balls with Jason [Campbell]. I'm just getting ready for training camp and making sure I'm in shape." Al Saunders plans to get Betts more involved in the offense, too. Saunders said that Portis should get his 25-30 touches a game then added, "They'll be on the field at the same time. Sure, there are times they won't be, but there will be some down-and-distance circumstances where our best players are those two guys. Both are accomplished receivers and excellent blockers." Saunders went on to describe Betts. Apparently, he didn’t know what he had. "Ladell is a three-dimensional player," Saunders said. "He can run the ball well and he [holds the ball] in the right place, he catches the ball well and he can block well enough for our offense to be very successful … I didn't realize [Ladell] was as good as he is," Saunders said. Earlier this off-season he said "We won't be in pads until training camp, but going in I would think he is going to make a tremendous contribution this year." Also in the background fighting for a roster spot is Jesse Lumsden. The 6-2, 219-pounder ran a 4.43 40-yard-dash in his tryout with the Redskins. Lumsden just wants a chance. "This is a great opportunity for me here with the Redskins. I'll do whatever it takes: study all the film, work out, whatever." WR: The biggest competition in camp might be between Brandon Lloyd and Antwaan Randle El, both new additions to the Redskins revamped offense. Lloyd has gazelle-like speed and he’s quick and smooth getting off the line. With Moss, Lloyd, Randle El and David Patten the Redskins have a speedy, but diminutive group of WRs. "With the receivers we have here, we can do a pretty good rendition of 'The Greatest Show on Turf,'" Lloyd said, referring to the St. Louis Rams' high-scoring offense from 1999-2001. "I think we can bring that back to life." Randle El's skills will remind Redskins fans of Brian Mitchell, but to Al Saunders he’s more like Dante Hall, the multi-purpose performer for the Kansas City Chiefs. "You go back to the opportunity to be in an offense with Coach Saunders, who put up incredible numbers with the Chiefs," Randle El said. "If we get an offense like that, which we really feel that we can, and you have a defense playing the way that Washington does, we have a good chance." Then there is Taylor Jacobs, who faces the prospect of being cut if he’s unable crack the top five. "(Training camp) is going to be really big," said Jacobs, "They've told me that I have to go out and play hard and sometimes, good people don't make the team, so I'm out there working to be a Washington Redskin first and whatever happens, happens. I'm going to play my butt off regardless of the odds. They want to see me reach my potential and hopefully this year, I'll do that…” TE: Training camp will be important for Chris Cooley, too. He’s technically changing positions this year. He will play a more traditional tight end role, as opposed to the H-back position he played last year. Saunders expects to use Cooley similarly to how he used Tony Gonzalez. For starters, Cooley will be asked to run deeper routes. According to Cooley, it’s not much of a change at all. He says the only significant change is one letter. He is now a "Y" in offensive sets instead of an "H." The "Y" is often used as a standard description for tight ends in play formations. "I think a big misconception last year was that everyone thought I wasn't a tight end, but that's basically what I was," he said. "The 'H' is just what it was termed. I'll have a chance to run a little more and stretch out the field on some routes. I'll have a lot of help with the [wide receivers] on the outside and the speed they have. We'll have more [receiver options] out on the field than we did last year… A big focus is to get the ball in the hands of guys who can make plays--and we have a lot of guys who can do that." Christian Fauria was also added via free agency to help replace the departed Robert Royal and give the team a strong blocker at the position. "We signed Christian for his experience," tight ends coach Rennie Simmons said. "Christian was a very dominant blocker when he came out of Colorado [in 1995], and he still does a very consistent job. He's a little more physical than Robert." Defense: Sean Taylor is looking forward to the new season and says he’s still got a ways to go in his own development. "I can get better," he said. "I think I still have a way to travel to be with the Troy Polamalu's and the Ed Reed's-I mean, I'm still only getting two or three interceptions a year, so I'd like to see my interceptions go up. Just to see my production go up would help the team win. "Getting to the playoffs isn't good enough for us. We'd like to eventually win a Super Bowl one day--and sooner would be greater than later." The Redskins added Adam Archuleta during the off-season. He says coming to Washington has "breathed new life" into his career, but admitted the adjustment to a new team has been more challenging than he expected. "It has been a learning curve," he said. It takes a little bit of time, but the football aspect and being an athlete and competitor will start to kick in [during training camp]." Another new addition that has turned heads in workouts is DE Andre Carter. Renaldo Wynn described his frame as "freakish." Carter brings high energy and has a motor that's always running. He’s also back at his natural position at DE. "That's the position I have been playing since I was in the 10th grade and started playing football," Carter said. "So for me, it's great being back in the trenches because that's where it all started for me." Carlos Rogers figures to be much improved in his second year, too. "I'm up for the challenge," Rogers told reporters. "This year, I understand things a lot more." Another player looking to make a marked improvement, or in this case a rebound, is LB Warrick Holdman, who comes to camp much healthier than he did a year ago. Special Teams: Incumbent kicker John Hall is coming off two injury plagued seasons and off-season surgery. Kicker Tyler Jones is coming off a spring stint in NFL Europe. Special teams coach Danny Smith says, "Once they're on the field, it's competition and it doesn't really matter where they've come from, who they are or what their credentials are. We'll keep the best guy, period." Even if Hall wins, Jones might still make the final roster as a kickoff specialist. He’ll be competing for that role in camp against the two punter candidates, Derrick Frost and rookie David Lonie. Free agent acquisition WR Antwaan Randle El steps into the punt return role. WRs James Trash and Santana Moss are both capable backups. RB Ladell Betts will probably again be the primary kickoff returner, however Randle El is the wildcard. Depending on how they want to utilize him, he could be on occasional backup KR, or he could be the feature KR. Redskins Depth Chart QB Mark Brunell (inj), Jason Campbell, Todd Collins RB Clinton Portis, Ladell Betts (3RB), Rock Cartwright, Nehemiah Broughton (FB), Jesse Lumsden, Joe Rubin FB Mike Sellers, Manuel White WR Santana Moss (PR), Brandon Lloyd, Antwaan Randle El (KR/PR), David Patten, Taylor Jacobs, Jimmy Farris, Andrae Thurman, Mike Espy TE Chris Cooley, Christian Fauria, Robert Johnson, Jared Hicks, Buck Ortega, Dustin Denning, Brandon Sebald K John Hall, Tyler Jones DE Philip Daniels, Andre Carter, Renaldo Wynn, Demetric Evans, Manaia Brown DT Cornelius Griffin, Joe Salave'a, Cedric Killings, Ryan Boschetti, Anthony Montgomery, Kedric Golston MLB Lemar Marshall (S/W), Robert McCune (S/M) OLB Marcus Washington (S), Rocky McIntosh (W) (inj), Warrick Holdman (W), Chris Clemons (W), Khary Campbell (S/M), Kevin Simon, Spencer Havner (S) CB Shawn Springs, Carlos Rogers, Kenny Wright, Ade Jimoh, Dmitri Patterson, Christian Morton, Chris Hawkins, Dennard Wilson S Sean Taylor (FS), Adam Archuleta (SS), Pierson Prioleau (SS), Curry Burns (FS), Reed Doughty (SS), Bobby Godinez Download 366.51 Kb. 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