Training Camp Update Volume 3, Issue 1 8/02/07
RB: Steven Jackson, Travis Minor, Kay-Jay Harris FB
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RB: Steven Jackson, Travis Minor, Kay-Jay Harris FB: Brian Leonard, Madison Hedgecock, Chris Massey, Brad Lua WR: Torry Holt, Isaac Bruce, Drew Bennett, Dante Hall (PR/KR), Dane Looker, Derek Stanley, Dominique Thompson, Lamart Barrett, Nate Morton TE: Randy McMichael, Joel Klopfenstein, Dominique Byrd, Aaron Walker, Mark Anelli, Steve Buches K: Jeff Wilkins, Kevin Lovell DT: Adam Carriker (DE), La'Roi Glover, Claude Wroten, Clifton Ryan, Keith Jackson DE: Leonard Little, James Hall (inj), Victor Adeyanju (inj), Ryan Willis MLB: Will Witherspoon OLB: Pisa Tinoisamoa (W), Brandon Chillar (S), Chris Draft (S/W), Jon Alston (W), Raonall Smith, Kevin McLee, Tim McGarigle CB: Fakhir Brown (susp), Tye Hill, Jonathan Wade, Mike Rumph, Lenny Walls, Josh Lay S: Corey Chavous (SS), Oshiomogho Atogwe (FS), Ronald Bartell (FS/CB), Todd Johnson (FS), Jerome Carter (SS), J.R. Reed (FS), Jeffrey Dukes (FS) San Diego Chargers QB: Philip Rivers is more confident in his leadership ability this year after leading the team to 14 wins in 2006 and earning an invitation to the Pro Bowl in his first season as a starter. He injured his foot at the end of last season, but showed no signs of a limp as training camp got underway, and by all accounts looked sharp. There is quite a large drop-off between Rivers and backups, however. Charlie Whitehurst, in his second season, will try to work his way ahead of Billy Volek for the number two spot on the depth chart, but neither QB was impressive during the first few days of training camp. RB: LaDainian Tomlinson broke more than his fair share of records last season, and returns fully healthy. Head coach Norv Turner has stated that he’d like to get backup Michael Turner more involved in the offense, but look for Tomlinson to once again get the large majority of the work. Darren Sproles is fully recovered from the broken leg he suffered last season. He has excellent quickness and open-field running ability, but must improve his consistency catching the ball. Sproles may have to win the punt- or kick-return job to make the final roster, as he will face competition for the third RB spot from Tyronne Gross. Rookie Legedu Naanee has been lining up at a variety of positions, including fullback, wide receiver, tight end, and running back. While his athleticism and versatility practically assure him of at least a place on the practice squad, Naanee is unlikely to receive a lot of playing time for the Chargers as a rookie. WR: Vincent Jackson was the Chargers’ best wide receiver by the end of last season, and is being counted on to fill the WR1 role this year. He has a fantastic size-speed combination, but must prove that he can be consistent catching the ball. The talk of training camp so far, however, has been rookie Crag Davis. With Eric Parker missing time early in camp with an injured toe, Davis has worked with the first team and impressed everybody with his deep speed, smooth routes, and soft hands. Davis has already established a rapport with Philip Rivers, and appears to be the early favorite over Eric Parker and Malcom Floyd to start across from Jackson. Parker is quick and normally reliable, but is coming off a rather poor performance in the playoff loss to New England last year. Parker’s toe injury is not considered serious, but every practice he misses will hurt his chances to start if Davis continues to shine. Floyd, meanwhile, has tantalizing big-play ability but hasn’t been able to stay healthy. Barring injury, he will be part of the WR rotation, but is probably behind both Davis and Parker in the bid to start. The sleeper of the WR bunch is Greg Camarillo. He runs excellent routes, has reliable hands, and has shown a knack for making plays in training camp. His lack of speed may prevent him from making the roster, but as long as he continues to make plays he is someone to watch. Kassim Osgood is a standout special teams player, but his hands are too inconsistent for him to work his way into the WR rotation. TE: Antonio Gates had a bit of an off year last year – for him – but still finished as the number one fantasy tight end. Norv Turner has indicated that the Chargers will try to find additional ways to get their start tight end the ball this season. Rookie Scott Chandler has been getting favorable reviews early in training camp. The former wide receiver probably won’t play much unless Gates is injured, but has shown an ability to get open and catch the ball working with the second team. Brandon Manumaleuna is primarily a blocker. He lacks speed to get downfield, but has good hands at close range. Kelly Griffith has surprising speed for a 300-pounder, but there may not be enough room for him on the final roster. Defense: Two of the biggest training camp battles this year are for starting jobs at safety and at corner. At this point, it looks like Clinton Hart will hold off rookie Eric Weddle to start at safety along with Marlon McCree. Hart had a strong offseason and looked sharp in the first few days of training camp. He got all the first-team reps at strong safety while Weddle’s only action with the first team was in nickel and dime packages. One of the more spectacular plays in the first few days of training camp was Hart’s interception of a deep pass that initially looked like it would be caught by Malcom Floyd. Weddle appeared somewhat slow to react on the first day of camp, but showed his playmaking ability on the second day. At cornerback, the battle is between Antonio Cromartie and Drayton Florence to start alongside Quentin Jammer. Cromartie and Florence are both getting reps with the first team, but early in camp the advantage has generally gone to the offense over the defense in the passing game. Cromartie and Florence have each been beaten by both Craig Davis and Malcom Floyd. Florence did pick off an underthrown Philip Rivers pass on the first day of camp, but Cromartie has the edge in size and speed, and (unlike Florence) is signed beyond this year. We’ll have more to report on this battle in the next update. Rookie CB Paul Oliver has not made an impact so far. At linebacker, Matt Wilhelm has looked good early in pass coverage, as he tries to fill the shoes of the departed Donnie Edwards. Tim Dobbins, Anthony Waters and Brandon Siler will all compete to rotate in at ILB with Wilhelm and Stephen Cooper, but there’s little to report on that front right now, as the early training camp practices have not been full-contact. Special Teams: Nate Kaeding enters camp as the only kicker on the Chargers roster. He has quickly developed into one of the better kickers in the league. RB Darren Sproles should resume his role as the lead kickoff returner, after missing last year with a broken fibula. If he isn’t good to go, then RB Michael Turner can fill in once again. The special teams’ position to watch during camp will be punt returner. Darren Sproles started his rookie year in that role, but struggled and was replaced by WR Eric Parker. Darren Sproles looked improved on punt returns last summer before breaking his leg. Eric Parker again returned punts last year. Both will compete for the starting role, and will be joined by rookie WR Craig Davis. Rookie SS Eric Weddle may also join the competition. Chargers Depth Chart QB: Philip Rivers, Billy Volek, Charlie Whitehurst, Brett Elliott RB: LaDainian Tomlinson, Michael Turner (RFA), Darren Sproles (KR/PR), Tyrone Gross, Eldrick Buckley FB: Lorenzo Neal, Andrew Pinnock, Mike Warren WR: Vincent Jackson, Eric Parker, Malcom Floyd, Craig Davis (inj), Kassim Osgood, Legedu Naanee, Greg Camarillo, Mark Simmons, Rich Musinski TE: Antonio Gates, Brandon Manumaleuna, Scott Chandler, Kelly Griffeth K: Nate Kaeding NT: Jamal Williams, Ryon Bingham DE: Luis Castillo, Igor Olshansky, Jacques Cesaire, Derrick Robinson, Brandon McKinney ILB: Matt Wilhelm, Stephen Cooper, Tim Dobbins, Brandon Siler, Anthony Waters OLB: Shawne Merriman (S), Shaun Phillips (W), Marques Harris (W/S), Carlos Polk, Akbar Gbaja-Biamila (S) CB: Quentin Jammer, Drayton Florence, Antonio Cromartie, Paul Oliver, Cletis Gordon (PR), Steve Gregory, Gabe Franklin S: Marlon McCree (FS), Clinton Hart (SS), Eric Weddle (FS), Bhawoh Jue (SS) San Francisco 49ers QB: The 49ers hope Alex Smith improves as much entering his 3rd season as he did in his second season following a horrific rookie year. "I expect him to keep getting better," Head Coach Mike Nolan said. "I will be disappointed if he doesn't have a better year (than '06). Alex is real steady and consistent. He's not a hot-and-cold guy. Alex plays well for real good reasons: He works hard, he's extremely intelligent and he's tough as hell." At Utah, it was Smith’s third season when he emerged, but for him to take off this year he’ll need to adjust quickly to a revamped WR corps and learn his third offense in as many years, although the 49ers says they’ll retain much of the terminology used by last year’s HC Norv Turner and most of the offense will remain the same or similar. Trent Dilfer will provide a steady veteran presence, as much a 2nd QB coach as an active player. RB: The team has high hopes for the offense to take off this year. For that to happen, Frank Gore needs to have another huge year as he did in 2006. Gore produced over 2,200 total yards last year with 9 TDs, and was rewarded with a monstrous new contract extension as a result. After staying healthy last season, Gore’s training camp got off to a rough start when he broke his hand. Gore will be out most, if not all of camp but the injury should heal and not be a persistent problem once the season gets underway. The 49ers hope to build on what they accomplished last year, especially if TE Vernon Davis stays healthy and Smith improves as much as people expect in his third season. Behind Gore, the backup spot is a competition with Michael Robinson currently holding a slight edge over veteran RB Maurice Hicks and rookie RB Thomas Clayton. In the team’s OTAs and minicamp, Clayton earned a few carries and some thought (at 225 pounds) that he’d be a potential short-yardage guy because he outweighs Gore and Hicks. Nolan doesn't necessarily see it that way, "He's more a first- and second-down back." WR: The 49ers have high expectations out of their revamped WR corps. Newcomers include veterans Darrell Jackson and Ashley Lelie as well as 3rd round pick Jason Hill. Jackson, who comes over from division rival Seattle, is expected to step into the WR1 role and make big plays. After sitting out OTAs with a lingering turf toe issue, Jackson is eager to make his mark in camp. "I want to be a big part of this offense and a big part of the success we're going to have this year," Jackson said. "It's a more vertical offense than I was in at Seattle, but I definitely think I can be as productive in this. My job is just to get open, and I will be open." Jackson, Lelie and rookie Hill will look to fill out the main receiving corps alongside incumbent starter Arnaz Battle. Hill brings adds top flight speed along with holdover Bryan Gilmore and 2nd-year WR Brandon Williams. Taylor Jacobs, Marcus Maxwell, Dominique Zeigler and C.J. Brewer will compete for the last roster spot or two. TE: Vernon Davis is healthy as camp got underway, and the team hopes he will stay that way. With Davis’ ridiculous size/speed combination he figures to be a major part of the team’s passing attack. Davis believes they have the right mix of veteran leadership and youth to be successful this season, saying “This team has a lot of potential, a lot of leadership, a lot of guys who can make plays. The confidence level is so far ahead of last year.” Second year backup TE Delanie Walker had work done on his shoulder during the offseason, but he was able to full participate in practice. Defense: Shortly before midnight on Saturday, the 49ers signed 1st-round draft pick LB Patrick Willis to a five-year contract. Willis, the 11th overall player selected in the draft, was the last of the team’s draft picks to sign allowing the team to open camp with no rookie holdouts. His contract has a maximum value of $16.7 million with total guarantees of $12 million. Willis will immediately become part of the team’s third down package, but he projects to start alongside Brandon Moore on the inside. On the outside, free agent addition Tully Banta-Cain will start opposite Manny Lawson. The secondary received a major boost with the signing of Nate Clements, the premiere free agent on the market this offseason. Clements signed an $80 million deal with $22 million guaranteed. On Thursday, the 49ers added SS Darnell Bing off waivers after he was released by the Raiders the previous day. Special Teams: Joe Nedney remains the 49ers kicker. Special teams coordinator Al Everest noted, “Joe is a veteran kicker and he knows how to pace himself during camp. He's healthy right now. He prepared himself well to come into camp ready to have a good season for us. He's in good spirits and he is fired up and we're looking for a good solid year from him.” Nedney will be joined in preseason by camp leg MacKenzie Hoambrecker, who was in Carolina’s camp last summer. Kickoff returns should once again be handled primarily by WR Brandon Williams and/or RB Maurice Hicks. RB Michael Robinson and TE Delanie Walker will practice as backups. Brandon Williams should again be the lead punt returner, with WR Arnaz Battle serving as the primary backup. CB Nate Clements, rookie CB Tarell Brown, WR Taylor Jacobs are expected to practice in backup roles. 49ers Depth Chart QB: Alex Smith, Trent Dilfer, Shaun Hill, Luke Getsy RB: Frank Gore (inj), Michael Robinson (SD/3RB), Maurice Hicks, Thomas Clayton FB: Moran Norris, Steve Dildine WR: Darrell Jackson, Ashley Lelie, Arnaz Battle, Bryan Gilmore, Brandon Williams, Jason Hill, Taylor Jacobs, Marcus Maxwell, Dominique Zeigler, C.J. Brewer TE: Vernon Davis, Delanie Walker (FB), Billy Bajema, Zach Hilton, Zac Herold K: Joe Nedney NT: Aubrayo Franklin, Isaac Sapoaga, Joe Cohen, Ronald Fields DE: Marques Douglas, Bryant Young, Sam Rayburn, Ray McDonald, Jerry DeLoach, John Syptak, Melvin Oliver (inj) ILB: Brandon Moore (O), Patrick Willis, Derek Smith, Jeff Ulbrich, Colby Bockwoldt OLB: Manny Lawson, Tully Banta-Cain, Parys Haralson (inj), Jay Moore (S), Roderick Green, Hannibal Navies, Mark Washington, Andre Torrey (inj) CB: Nate Clements, Walt Harris, Shawntae Spencer, Marcus Hudson, Tarell Brown, Donald Strickland (inj), Markus Curry, B.J. Tucker (IR) S: Michael Lewis (SS), Mark Roman (FS), Keith Lewis (FS/SS), Darnell Bing (SS), Dashon Goldson, Vickiel Vaughn (inj) Seattle Seahawks QB: Matt Hasselbeck’s non-throwing shoulder is healthy. Hasselbeck suffered knee and hand injuries in 2006, and then he underwent offseason surgery to repair a torn labrum on his non-throwing shoulder. But he was able to participate in the June minicamp and HC Mike Holmgren does not expect him to be limited at all in training camp. Seneca Wallace, who has shown glimpses in limited time, may serve double duty as a punt returner this year. The team is desperate to get Wallace on the field in whatever way it can. 3rd year passer David Greene could push for QB2 duties with a strong camp, while Derek Devine and Erik Meyer are viewed primarily as camp arms. RB: Alexander has once again set lofty goals for himself after his most frustrating season as a pro that ended with him missing 6 games due to a broken bone in his left foot. Alexander looked slimmer in minicamps and he appeared to have his shiftiness back, too. The Seahawks need a healthy Alexander to have a legitimate chance to compete in 2007. We’ll watch Alexander closely to make sure he’s “back” as he could turn into a huge value in the bottom half of the first round if he plays 16 games this year. HC Mike Holmgren has declared it a "non-story." "Last year was last year," Alexander said Friday, two days before Sunday's first practice. "You can't live in the past. I can't live on the year when I had 27 touchdowns (in 2005), just like I can't worry about what happened last year." Leonard Weaver was impressive in last year’s camp, but he went on IR after suffering a severe high ankle sprain. He’s a former tight end that, according to some, has the best hands amongst the team’s backs and tight ends. He’ll push veteran and long-time starter Mack Strong for a bigger role. RB Kenny James was waived by the team on Thursday prior to the beginning of camp. WR: Deion Branch took all season to learn and fit into the team’s offense. He started 13 games and finished second on the team with 53 catches for 725 yards and 4 TDs. The Seahawks need him to produce this year with Darrell Jackson’s departure. Branch is being counted on as Matt Hasselbeck's #1 target, so there’s some pressure for him to prove he can handle the WR1 duties. Holmgren talked about the depth at WR and the competition for the starting job opposite Branch after the first day of practice. He mentioned that D.J. Hackett has the inside track on that job leaving Bobby Engram as the likely No. 3 receiver in the slot. Nate Burleson is competing for the starting job with Hackett. Ben Obomanu will compete with rookies Courtney Taylor and Jordan Kent for the last roster spot(s). Obomanu spent last year on the practice squad, but improved during the offseason, earning another shot in camp. TE: Marcus Pollard is the new TE with Jerramy Stevens hitting the road this offseason. Pollard is 35 years old, but the coaches expect him to be productive in the team’s offense and catch 35 or more balls. Will Heller and Benny Joppru are the backups. Defense: DT Marcus Tubbs was the only player who sat out of the team’s first morning practice. Tubbs is on the PUP list and Holmgren said he’s more day-to-day but remained confident that he’ll play. New addition DE Patrick Kerney was itching to go, despite the scheduled two-a-days. He hadn't played since suffering a torn pectoral muscle ended his season last November, and kept his participation in minicamps to a minimum. "This has been the longest offseason for me," Kerney said. "I'm pretty excited to get out and start proving myself to my new teammates." Deon Grant and Brian Russell begin camp atop the depth chart at free and strong safeties with veterans Mike Green and Michael Boulware pushing them. Two rookies made good impressions on the first day. LB Will Herring broke up a pass intended for TE Joe Newton, intercepting the pass and returning it for a touchdown. CB Josh Wilson made a diving interception attempt, that he says he scooped but it was a nice play whether he caught it or not. Safety Jordan Babinaux injured his right leg during the first practice, but Holmgren said he was fine. Special Teams: Josh Brown will be kicking for the Seahawks this year under the franchise player tag. He was clutch last year, and also improved significantly on kickoffs. The latter makes it somewhat surprising that the Seahawks recently signed camp leg Kurt Smith, who came out of last year’s draft as a kickoff specialist. The Seahawks may be willing to consider letting Brown focus on placekicking, and utilizing another player for kickoffs. WR Nate Burleson emerged as a very capable return specialist for the Seattle during last season. He enters camp atop the depth chart for both kickoff and punt returns. He could face a challenge on kickoff returns from rookie CB Josh Wilson from Maryland. The primary backups are RB Marquis Weeks on kickoff returns and WR Bobby Engram on punt returns. The Seahawks have also had QB Seneca Wallace fielding punts in the early going at camp. Seahawks Depth Chart QB: Matt Hasselbeck, Seneca Wallace, David Greene, Travis Lulay, Erik Meyer RB: Shaun Alexander, Maurice Morris, Marquis Weeks FB: Mack Strong, Leonard Weaver, David Kirtman, Josh Parry WR: Deion Branch, D.J. Hackett, Bobby Engram, Nate Burleson (PR), Ben Obomanu, Courtney Taylor, Jordan Kent, Logan Payne, Joe Fernandez, Chris Jones TE: Marcus Pollard, Will Heller, Benny Joppru, Joe Newton K: Josh Brown DT: Chartric Darby, Marcus Tubbs (inj), Robert Bernard, Brandon Mebane, Craig Terrill, Russell Davis, Marcus Green DE: Patrick Kerney, Bryce Fisher, Darryl Tapp, Baraka Atkins, Brandon Green, Jeb Heckuba, Robert Pollard MLB: Lofa Tatupu, Niko Koutouvides OLB: Leroy Hill (L), Julian Peterson (R), Kevin Bentley (L), Will Herring, Lance Laury CB: Marcus Trufant, Kelly Jennings, Josh Wilson S: Deon Grant (FS), Michael Boulware (SS), Brian Russell (FS), Jordan Babineaux (SS) (inj), Mike Green (FS) (inj), Kevin Hobbs Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB: As training camp opened, it was Jeff Garcia’s wife, Carmella DeCesare (former Playmate of the Year), and not Jeff, that created a bigger stir. The Garcias were married in April, but they didn’t take a honeymoon. “Coach Gruden wouldn’t let us,” said Carmella. “But at least he didn’t bring the playbook to the wedding. He told us he was going to, but he didn’t.” All kidding aside, Garcia’s presence has allowed Gruden to expand the playbook, adding roll-outs and bootlegs to take advantage of Garcia's mobility. Gruden is also giving thought to the shotgun formation as another option. "I think it [shotgun] allows us to do some more things," Garcia said. "We'll have a running game out of the shotgun. It's a nice little change-up. It's not something we're going to lean on an awful lot, but I can see five to six times a game being in the shotgun." Expect more from RBs Cadillac Williams and Michael Pittman in the passing game with Garcia behind center. "Watching film, Garcia really does use everybody and he loves to dump the ball to the tailback," said Williams, who caught 30 passes last season. "Since Day One, he told us backs to stay alive out there." Former starter QB Chris Simms says he’s feeling fine physically and ready to compete, even if it’s for the backup job. "I'm doing fine, I really am," Simms said after practice on Sunday. "I continue to work and get better and not worry about anything else that's going on. Things will fall as they may." Physically, Simms said he is 100 percent. His mechanics, which were poor in June, are close to being where they were at the start back in 2005 before he was hurt. Some reporters thought he had some pop back in his ball. At a minimum, Simms will provide more competition for Bruce Gradkowski than he did in OTAs. RB: Cadillac Williams hopes to stay healthier and more productive in his third season, but his three herniated disks will remain a concern. Williams played all last season and said his back is fine despite having spasms. They were apparently not too serious. The injury occurs when the disk surrounding a bone in the spinal cord is jarred loose and presses against the nerve. In Cadillac's case, the pain wasn’t enough to keep him from playing. Williams, Michael Pittman and Lionel Gates had their hands full early practices. Williams was knocked down in the backfield and then Pittman was greeted the same way a play later. Gates had a nice run over right tackle to get the offense back in gear, and then Williams followed with a big run up the middle through an enormous hole. A few plays later, DE Gaines Adams read a pitch to Williams, fended off the blocker and met Williams on the outside, but Cadillac made a nice cut back inside and zipped right past Adams untouched. The crowd responded loudly on that play. In red zone drills, FB Mike Alstott got an even bigger ovation when he bounced a handoff to the outside and sprinted to the end zone, willingly absorbing a hit from LB Sam Olajubutu as he neared the line. Michael Pittman sat out of Saturday’s AM practice, but it’s not considered serious. Directory: 2007 2007 -> Bbc archives: Beyond the programme download 2007 -> The environment in the news 2007 -> - 2007 -> Out On The Prairie Cowboys fall for each other in Ang Lee’s riveting, landmark “Brokeback Mountain.” 2007 -> An Extension Cord to mars 2007 -> Pricing Closing Price $3,578 (June 22) 52-Wk High $3,825 52-Wk Low $2,982 Market Data 2007 -> Weather Research Center 2007 -> Student enquiry teacher background information 2007 -> The environment in the news tuesday 31 July, 2007 unep and the Executive Director in the News 2007 -> Student enquiry hurricanes in the caribbean Download 0.56 Mb. Share with your friends:
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