Training Camp Update Volume 2, Issue 1 8/02/06
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Defense: Top draft pick OLB Bobby Carpenter was on the field for practice after signing a five-year, $12 million contract, but Parcells is making him start from the bottom. Carpenter spent his first day of practice working with the third team behind starter Al Singleton and Rocky Boiman. He also received the rookie treatment and had to fetch Parcells a cup of water during a break. Fierce battles are expected between Bobby Carpenter and Al Singleton, as well as at free safety where Keith Davis, Marcus Coleman, Pat Watkins, Willie Pile, and Justin Beriault will compete. The team’s defensive leader, Roy Williams, couldn't wait to get the pads on. The hard-hitting safety delivered a few bone-rattling hits during Saturday’s drills, including a couple of nice hits on RB Julius Jones. Another standout from the first day was corner Terence Newman. LB Kevin Burnett, a disappointment as a rookie, sent a message during goal-line drills that he’s much improved and pushing for a bigger role. Burnett delivered the hit of the day when he dove over the top and whacked Lousaka Polite. "He really didn't get that much work last year," Parcells said of Burnett. He’s working at OLB behind DeMarcus Ware, but he will also slide inside when the team goes to the nickel. "I'm hopeful that he can stay out there more consistently this year and be a contributor." Promising DE Marcus Spears sprained his knee. Parcells said the prognosis was a damaged meniscus and Spears would have surgery to repair the damage. He’s expected to miss two weeks of practice, but he should still be able to play in some preseason games. "Problem is he misses all that work and he needs it badly," Parcells said. Kenyon Coleman and Jay Ratliff will get more reps while Spears is out. Parcells indicated he may also move third-round pick Jason Hatcher from the right side if needed. Hatcher was told to run a 50-yard sprint when he tackled RB Marion Barber in the backfield in Saturday’s morning practice. He had great penetration on the play, but Parcells has made is clear that he doesn’t want unnecessary injuries in camp. Once again DE Greg Ellis stated his displeasure with the team’s 3-4 scheme and said he wants out of Dallas. Tell that to Parcells, who flatly outlined his choices, "He's going to have to play here, or he could retire if he wanted to," … Those are his two choices right now." Special Teams: Camp will be an opportunity for kicker Mike Vanderjagt to demonstrate that he can still kickoff adequately. The Colts said he couldn’t. Vanderjagt says he can. Bill Parcells says “show me.” The team worked out free agent PK/P Tyler Fredrickson, suggesting they’re already looking into a contingency plan. Kicker Shaun Suisham is still on the roster and will provide a camp leg. Fourth round draft pick WR Skyler Green should be the punt returner, and will probably also overtake RB Tyson Thompson as the kickoff returner. Parcells has had many things to say about Green. On the negative side he mentioned poor stamina and being overweight. On the positive side he said, “He has pretty good skill catching punts and kickoffs, I can see that. Whoever was coaching him at LSU in that regard, I would look to as someone who knew what they were doing because he had a lot of good information.” Green has shown great hands in initial practices. Parcells informed CB Terence Newman that he’ll be spelling Green on punt returns and that he’d better be ready. WR Patrick Crayton, WR Jamaica Rector and CB Byron Parker have also been practicing on punt returns in practice. Cowboys Depth Chart QB Drew Bledsoe, Tony Romo, Drew Henson, Jeff Mroz RB Julius Jones (3RB), Marion Barber III, Tyson Thompson (KR), Demetrius Summers FB Lousaka Polite (HB/TE) WR Terrell Owens, Terry Glenn, Patrick Crayton (PR), Terrance Copper, Skyler Green, Jamaica Rector TE Jason Witten, Anthony Fasano, Ryan Hannam, Sean Ryan K Mike Vanderjagt DE Greg Ellis (LB), Kenyon Coleman, Marcus Spears, Chris Canty, Jason Hatcher, Junior Glymph, Jay Ratliff NT Jason Ferguson, Montavious Stanley, Samuel Taulealea ILB Bradie James (M), Akinola Ayodele (S), Scott Shanle (J) (RFA), Ryan Fowler, Kai Parham, John Aldi OLB Demarcus Ware (W), Kevin Burnett (S), Bobby Carpenter, Rocky Boiman, Al Singleton, J.J. Horne CB Terance Newman, Anthony Henry, Aaron Glenn, Jacques Reeves, Quincy Butler S Roy Williams (SS), Keith Davis (FS) (inj), Marcus Coleman (FS/CB), Pat Watkins (FS), Willie Pile (FS), Justin Beriault (SS) Denver Broncos QB: Jake Plummer’s tenure as the Broncos starting QB may not last much beyond this season since the Broncos selected QB Jay Cutler with their first round pick. Early in camp, Head coach Mike Shanahan was asked what he’s seen so far from Cutler prompting a tongue-in-cheek response. "He's a Hall-of-Fame player," said Shanahan as he smiled, "He's pretty good. Obviously, he has the tools. It's a big growing curve." Bradlee Van Pelt was seen struggling at times during the first few days of camp. RB: The focus of every Broncos training camp is always the RB position. This year is no different. Our own Cecil Lammey is at Broncos camp with the inside scoop. In Saturday’s practice, Ron Dayne displayed good cutback running. On one play he cut one back to a wide-open field on the left side. Dayne did a nice job to keep his feet moving after making contact and consistently showed a good lean. He even ran out of his shorts once. Mike Shanahan says he likes what he's seeing so far. "The proof is in the pudding, obviously, but he ran that style offense when he was at Wisconsin and was a Heisman Trophy winner because of it. They ran pretty close to 100 percent zone-blocking scheme, very similar to what we're running. A zone-blocking scheme, for a running back, is a one-cut back where you don't have to dance. It's not a lot of counters. It's taking the ball downfield and making plays. At his weight and his size, he does have some power. We think he fits our system pretty good." On Sunday, Dayne managed to keep his shorts, but continued to keep his knees high and even made a nice catch after losing his feet. Meanwhile, Tatum Bell has looked good, too. On Friday he kept trying to break his runs outside, but on Saturday he showed more discipline and continued to show improved hands, something that should earn him more playing time this season. On one play, he cut back instead of sprinting to the edge, but he was clobbered for a 5-yard loss by Nate Webster. On Sunday, Bell was even better catching the football. His best run of the day was when he started off tackle, got to the 2nd level of the defense, then broke it outside for a big gain. It's very evident what this guy could do if he puts it all together. If he can string together some practices like that it will make it tough for the Broncos to decide on a starter. Rookie Mike Bell started slowly but bounced back in a big way over the weekend. He was berated by coaches for fumbling and lax effort, but came out determined on Saturday running through the middle with good power and he was actually the best cutback runner that day. He had his helmet knocked off two days in row finishing off runs which impressed the coaches and veterans. He will find a spot on the roster if he continues to play like that. Shanahan had this to say about Mike Bell after Sunday morning’s practice: "Mike's having a heck of a camp. He really has stepped up and has been very impressive. A lot of players see him making plays that they haven't seen for awhile. He's right in the mix." On Bell losing his helmet when LB T.J. Hollowell thumped him, "Some of the guys don't double buckle their helmets," said Shanny, "I think from now on we'll double buckle it. We had a couple helmets coming off." Meanwhile, Cedric Cobbs was up and down. On Saturday, he was rather disappointing. He was regularly tackled in the backfield and he didn’t burst through the hole when it opened up for him. He improved on Sunday, but still didn’t look as good as the others. He had one nice run where he cut back against the grain for a big gain, but then he fumbled a hand off from Bradlee Van Pelt that was returned for a TD. Marty Johnson, a former Utah RB also looked good at times. He ran with some “pop” and could earn a spot on the practice squad. Fullback Cecil Sapp was running with the first team Saturday morning in place of Kyle Johnson. WR: Early in camp, newcomer Javon Walker will practice once a day. He’s expected to play in the pre-season and should be full-go for the season opener. "He's going to be full speed," Shanahan said. "He's going to be ready." After Friday’s practice, Walker woke up sore on Saturday morning. "The soreness kicked in… It's been a year since I pretty much did this type of football action. It's a good sore, though." GM Ted Sundquist said. "Javon's looking better than all of us thought." His addition to the lineup should prove to be a great asset for Jake Plummer, but also for veteran Rod Smith, who remains Plummer's favorite target, but he’s building a rapport with Walker, too. "It's going well," he said. "I'm finally getting to work with Javon full speed; it's been nice.” Plummer was asked what Smith meant to him as his primary receiver, "It would take a long time to tell you all that," Plummer said. "He's the epitome. He does everything that a quarterback loves. His head is so deep into mine." As for working with the other receivers, Plummer chimed in, "Obviously, for Rod, it's like clockwork for me and him. Getting Darius (Watts) involved, Brandon (Marshall) and Charlie (Adams), all those guys are competing and trying hard and that's what you like to see." With Ashley Lelie holding out and demanding a trade the 3rd WR spot is wide open. Darius Watts is the leader early in camp, but he’s facing competition from rookie Brandon Marshall (dubbed “baby T.O.” for his incredible physique), David Terrell, Charlie Adams, Domenik Hixon and Todd DeVoe. On Lelie’s absence, Sundquist made it clear he didn’t want to talk about it. "We feel really good about the group we have out there right now," he said. "You're going to win with the guys on the field and that's what we've got. Some organizations don't have that kind of depth or ability to absorb a loss like that.” On Saturday morning, Marshall made a nice catch on a pass from QB Bradlee Van Pelt, but had the ball poked away by CB Domonique Foxworth. On another play Cutler threw a 25-yard strike to WR David Kircus that drew applause from the crowd. Unfortunately, Kircus dropped several balls on the first days of camp and he’ll have a difficult time earning a roster spot. Watts, as usual, is having a strong camp. He made several good catches, specifically in the end zone drills and put a nice juke on Darrent Williams that left him reaching for his jock strap on one play. Plummer commented on Watts after practice, “He definitely is comfortable. He’s a very smart kid, very smart, who knows what he’s doing. With him, it’s just being consistent, and he has definitely stepped up in that regard. He’s making a lot of catches, he’s in the right spot, he’s running the right routes and he’s getting confidence. I like throwing to him because he gets open, he gets separation just like Rod (Smith) does. Receivers can be fast and have the great hands but if they don’t give you that separation on a DB like Champ (Bailey) you can never get the ball to them. If he gets separation and allows me to get him the ball, I like throwing the ball to him.” Shanny added, "Darius has played exceptionally well. I think he feels a lot more comfortable with the system (and) a lot more comfortable with himself being around the NFL. You can see he's playing with a lot more confidence." As for Charlie Adams? He struggled and he’ll need to pick it up to make the team. TE: With all the hype going to draft pick Tony Scheffler, it might be easy to overlook holdover Nate Jackson. The former practice squader has been around for 3 years but has only eight catches to his credit. Shanny seems to like Jackson and there’s definitely an opportunity for him as the team is hoping for someone to emerge and fill Jeb Putzier’s shoes on third downs. "We felt like Nate Jackson looked very good," Shanahan said. "We were very impressed by him. ... Without question, he can run." Scheffler has also impressed the team. On one play he beat DJ Williams on a corner route and looked very smooth doing so. The Broncos even used a unique formation with both Scheffler and Dayne split out wide. Scheffler will be difficult to cover and he has textbook technique for catching passes. Surprisingly, perhaps, his blocking hasn’t been a hindrance. Defense: As one of the Broncos veteran leaders defensively, safety John Lynch was out to set the tone early in camp, but he pulled back after having a golden opportunity to drop the lunchbox on Javon Walker after made a catch over the middle in Saturday morning's practice. Lynch could've waxed Walker, and Walker was bracing for the collision, but Lynch held up. "I could've really laid him out," Lynch said with a grin. "He said, 'What happened?' I said, '$20 million and up, I let them go." Broncos defensive coordinator Larry Coyer likes what he sees in fourth round pick DE Elvis Dumervil, "In the Pro Bowl, we looked at (Dwight) Freeney, and (then) we looked at Dumervil. ... Same guy." Seems like crazy talk to put a second day pick in the same sentence as the NFL's best pass rusher, but Coyer explained, "He's got the potential.. He's the same size as Freeney and God gave him some of the attributes. He's no Dwight Freeney - yet - but it's a good comparison." Special Teams: Could kicker Jason Elam, who punted in college at Hawaii, handle punting in the first four games of the regular season while punter Todd Sauerbrun serves his ephedra suspension? Possibly, but very unlikely. Kicker/punter Paul Ernster, whom the Broncos drafted last year, is the likely choice. He’ll compete in camp against punter Micah Knorr, whom the Broncos recently re-signed, on both punts and kickoffs. CB Darrent Williams will probably be the top punt returner, an area where he did quite well last year before getting injured. He and WRs David Kircus and Brandon Marshall have been practicing on punt returns. WR Charlie Adams should also see some time on punt returns. The kickoff return role is up for grabs in camp. Williams and Adams can also return kickoffs, along with CB Roc Alexander and RBs Mike Bell, Cedric Cobbs and Ron Dayne. A possibility on both kickoff and punt returns is fourth round draft pick WR Domenik Hixon. Unfortunately, injuries have slowed him down and he has yet to practice with the team. Other: The Denver Broncos officially signed OL Adam Meadows to a three-year contract over the weekend. The Packers and Saints also made formal offers to Meadows, while the Dolphins and Redskins also showed interest. Broncos Depth Chart QB Jake Plummer, Jay Cutler, Bradlee Van Pelt RB Tatum Bell, Ron Dayne, Cedric Cobbs, Mike Bell, Marty Johnson FB Kyle Johnson, Cecil Sapp, Rashon Powers-Neal WR Rod Smith, Javon Walker (inj), Ashley Lelie, Darius Watts, Charlie Adams, David Terrell, Brandon Marshall, Todd Devoe, Domenik Hixon, Brian Clark TE Stephen Alexander, Tony Scheffler, Nate Jackson, Chad Mustard, Landon Trusty (IR) K Jason Elam DE Courtney Brown, Ebenezer Ekuban, John Engelberger, Kenard Lang, Elvis Dumervil, Randy Garner DT Gerard Warren, Michael Myers, Demetrin Veal, D.J. Renteria, Amon Gordon, Antwon Burton, Bryan Save MLB Al Wilson, Nate Webster, Keith Burns OLB Ian Gold (W), D.J. Williams (S), Raymond Wells, Louis Green (W), Patrick Chukwurah, Cameron Vaughn, Kevin Harrison, T.J. Hollowell CB Champ Bailey, Darrent Williams (PR), Dominique Foxworth, Karl Paymah, Roc Alexander (KR), Willie Middlebrooks S John Lynch (FS), Nick Ferguson (SS), Sam Brandon (FS), Curome Cox, Hamza Abdullah, Tyler Everett Detroit Lions QB: New Lions Head coach Rod Marinelli wasted no time in naming Jon Kitna the starter at the onset of camp. "I think there were three things that really went through my mind," Marinelli said. "I thought the time was right. He really had an exceptional offseason. The competition was there. I think this team really needs veteran leadership. He really brings something special to the table in a leadership role, too. I want to move away from distractions. The team doesn't need distractions.” Kitna responded, "I really feel like that for the last 10 years of my career, it's all been preparation for this time right now. I'm excited to get back out there and put my own identity and personality on a team again." Offensive coordinator Mike Martz also sang praises for Kitna, giving him an A+ in intelligence, toughness and accuracy. He even compared Kitna to Kurt Warner, "He is like Kurt in his ability to learn things quickly and go out and do it without a lot of reps." Martz said, "Jon has a God-given gift of awareness behind that center that is very unusual. I've watched him throughout his whole career and wondered how great it would be to have him on my football team." How did Josh McCown take the news? He seemed to go right along with the flow. "Coming here, it was an option to compete, but I kinda felt like I knew that Jon would get the first shot at it.’Cause he's a veteran, and he's been around a little bit longer. He made the most of his opportunity. He and I said from the get-go when we came here that I have his back and he's got my back 100-percent. We believe a lot of the same things, there's more of a friendship there than just coming in and competing. There's never going to be any back-biting. And that's good, that's what you have to have. Especially at this position." RB: The Lions are expecting big things from tailback Kevin Jones this season. The early indications are that Jones is indeed much more comfortable catching passes out of the backfield and his blocking is also improved. Jones doesn’t want to leave the field on third downs this year. On Friday, Jones had the day’s best catch in practice on a one-handed grab while going full speed over the middle during individual drills. The greatest competition will be for the four remaining spots. Rookie third round pick Brian Calhoun worked with the No. 2 offense last Friday, but on Saturday, Arlen Harris (whom Martz is familiar with from St. Louis) was back with the 2nd team. Artose Pinner looked good in limited appearances on Friday, but he could be the odd man out with Calhoun and Harris appearing to be in the driver’s seat for two of those spots. The last spot will likely come down to veterans Cory Schlesinger and Shawn Bryson at fullback. Second-year FB Will Matthews has shown that he can be a nice blocker, but he will also have a difficult time earning a spot. Bryson is the leader at fullback, and of course, he’s capable of lining up at halfback and has some of the best hands on the team as a receiver. Getting back to Jones, Mike Martz summed it up best when asked about his new pupil. "Kevin Jones really understands what we're trying to accomplish," Martz said. "He's doing a great job with his run routes. He's really starting to show what he really is. I think he's just going to have a terrific year. I really do." WR: It’s only the first week of camp, but already there’s a lot of talk about the improvement made by Charles Rogers during the offseason. Rogers was asked if he’s finally taken control of his life. He told reporters: "Yeah, I've got control of my life. Probably wasn't doing nothing what you all was doing when you all was 24, 25 years old. Yeah, I've been to college. Some of you all did Jager bombs and all that, too. So I ain't going to say too much." Probably best if he doesn’t elaborate further. Rogers has played with the 2nd team mostly, but he and Mike Williams also worked with the first team alternating between drills. For all his past wares, Rogers does seem serious this year. "As long as I come out here and work and catch the ball and show my work ethic and play better than the guy in front of me, I don't feel like they can hold me back from that," Rogers said. On Thursday, Rogers made his assigned weight of 195 pounds -- the lightest of his career. "It's the first time I've ever been that low," Rogers said. He had played between 200 and 210 pounds in the past, but Marinelli wanted him lighter. “I think my speed is here. You know one thing about it, you got to come in this weight, come in that weight, they didn't know where they wanted me as far as weightwise (in the past). Be littler, be bigger, so you do what you are told to do, but today I feel good, and my speed is there. I'm 195. First time I was told to come in that weight. I'm doing what I'm supposed to so I don't get fired. (They) just want (me) to make plays, score some touchdowns, win some ballgames.” That would be a nice start for sure. Elsewhere, Roy Williams made the best play of camp so far during Saturday afternoon’s workout. Running a crossing pattern around 15 yards downfield, he reached all the way behind him with his right hand and snagged the pass without losing stride. Rogers had some drops, but still looked good. Mike Williams didn’t talk to reporters following practice, but did acknowledge that he missed his weight “by a couple pounds”. The team wanted Williams at 230 lbs, but then lowered the number to 220 lbs prompting Williams to spout, "But I haven't been 220 since high school. I'm out here working, and the more I'm out here working, three or four pounds will come off like that. I have a period of time to where I weigh in again. I'll make it the next time I weigh in. I'll try Thursday. So I'm not worried about that." Williams did show, though, why he could be a big target. He was being covered by CB Dre Bly on a deep ball down the middle, while Bly is clearly faster than Williams; the 2nd-year receiver used his size to keep Bly behind him and easily caught the touchdown pass. Corey Bradford left practice with cramps giving Mike Williams a chance to run with the No. 1 offense. For that practice anyway, Charles Rogers and Glenn Martinez stayed at No. 2. TE: The coaches are mixing it up at receiver, tight end and RB so far in camp. On Saturday, Casey Fitzsimmons took all the snaps with the No. 1 offense and Marcus Pollard was with the second unit, but everyone knows that Marinelli is shaking things up to get a good look at all his players. Pollard was asked about the changes in camp brought about by Marinelli and said, "It's challenging, very demanding. It's high energy. It's high tempo. With all the changes, hopefully it helps us become a better team. That's the goal." Defense: On Friday’s first practice the Lions were without all three of their projected starters at linebacker. LB Donte Curry, DB James Davis and rookie LB Anthony Cannon worked with the first unit. Ernie Sims finally signed a five-year contract on Sunday, but he missed all of the on-field work during the first three days of camp. Sims looks like an ideal fit to Marinelli's system which requires linebackers to cover running backs. The detractor for Lions fan is that Sims has a history of concussions at Florida State. The Lions desperately need him to be healthy and make an impact since Ted Lehman and Boss Bailey were placed on the PUP list when camp got underway. Lehman wants to be back on the field badly, but added, "I'm not sure when I'm going to be back," said Lehman. "We're pushing it. Every day I'm pushing it to the limit of where I can't go anymore. We're pushing it to get it there." There is no set timetable for his return. Bailey (ankle) expects to make a quicker return than Lehman. "Linebacker is a position of concern because of the injuries," Lions president Matt Millen said. "When they're all healthy and in there, we're very talented." Second-round safety Daniel Bullocks was signed, and reported to camp on time, but Terrence Holt remains the starter for now at free safety. DE Kalimba Edwards is getting work at both end positions and not just in nickel situations. During Saturday’s practice DT Shaun Cody suffered a minor left knee sprain late in the morning while corner Stanley Wilson (knee) was taken off the PUP list and practiced with the team in the afternoon. Download 366.51 Kb. Share with your friends:
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