Training Camp Update Volume 3, Issue 1 8/02/07
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- Cowboys Depth Chart QB
- Broncos Depth Chart QB
TE: Jason Witten is Mr. Reliable and will again patrol the middle and use his route-running ability to beat linebackers deep. The Pro Bowler knows that the Cowboys will be even better if his backup, Anthony Fasano, can be successfully worked into the offense. New offensive coordinator Jason Garrett likes what he sees of the 2nd year TE out of Notre Dame. "He can play both," Garrett said. "We can interchange him as the "F" (fullback) and as the "Y" (line of scrimmage) by play, and it's a stress on him mentally, but he's handling it. He's a really good athlete and he can catch and he's tough so he can go from being that skillful pass receiver to that online blocker or that lead blocker as a fullback." Defense: The team will continue to use a 3-4 defensive front under new head coach Wade Phillips, but it will look much different than the version Bill Parcells endorsed. Phillips believes in attacking from all positions, and there has been a clear emphasis on disrupting the quarterback in the first few days of camp. The new attacking scheme is expected to turn DeMarcus Ware into a full-fledged defensive star, and if the first few days of practice are any indication, expectations are well founded. "This defense allows me to do what I do best and that's get to the quarterback," Ware said. "I want to be a well-rounded player. That's one of my goals this year is to be more of a complete player. And that means getting better in coverage and my drops. But the main thing I still do in this defense is pass rush. So that's why I like it. It's going to allow us to make more plays and attack." DE/LB Greg Ellis remains unhappy with his contract situation, although the team doesn’t appear willing to part ways with him. CB Anthony Henry looks nothing like the inconsistent player who seemed ill fitted to his role last season. He’s been playing a physical brand of football and has an impressive number of interceptions and near-interceptions through the first few days of practice. Ken Hamlin, added to give the secondary a more reliable deep protector, has looked the part; which can only make Roy Williams better as he focuses on playing in the box. At linebacker, Bradie James has been making tackles all over the field whereas Bobby Carpenter has been inconsistent. He made a few plays of note including a middle blitz that took down Tony Romo; but he’s been a liability in coverage and stiff from sideline to sideline. Special Teams: Heading into camp, the popular consensus was that incumbent kicker Martin Gramatica would keep his job, and that sixth round draft pick Nick Folk might challenge for a roster spot as a kickoff specialist. Early results in camp have shown Folk to be stronger on kickoffs as expected. Both players were doing well on field goals until Saturday’s practice. Folk continued to do well, hitting 5 of 5, with a long of 51 yards. Gramatica struggled however, hitting only 2 of 6 attempts. Also up for grabs is the holder job, after Tony Romo’s infamous conclusion to last season. Backup QB Brad Johnson and punter Mat McBriar are the two contenders for the job. The kickoff returner role will test the age old question of whether one can lose their job due to injury. RB Tyson Thompson was a very solid returner before breaking his ankle last October. WR Miles Austin stepped in and did just as well, and enhanced his chances with a TD in the Wild Card game. CB Terence Newman should once again be the primary punt returner. WR Patrick Crayton, WR Jamaica Rector, CB Quincy Butler and CB Aaron Glenn have also been practicing on punt returns. The team also wants to take a look at rookie WR Isaiah Stanback in that role. Cowboys Depth Chart QB: Tony Romo, Brad Johnson, Matt Moore, Richard Bartel RB: Julius Jones, Marion Barber III (3RB/SD), Tyson Thompson (inj), Jackie Battle, Alonzo Coleman FB: Lousaka Polite, Deon Anderson, Oliver Hoyte WR: Terrell Owens, Terry Glenn (inj), Patrick Crayton, Sam Hurd, Jamaica Rector (PR), Isaiah Stanback, Miles Austin, Jerheme Urban, Jamel Richardson, Jerard Rabb, Mike Jefferson TE: Jason Witten, Anthony Fasano, Adam Bergen, Tony Curtis, Andy Thorn, Rodney Hannah K: Nick Folk, Martin Gramatica NT: Jason Ferguson, Montavious Stanley, Ola Dagunduro, Remi Ayodele DE: Marcus Spears, Chris Canty, Jay Ratliff, Jason Hatcher, Stephen Bowen, Marcus Smith ILB: Bradie James (M), Akinola Ayodele (S), Bobby Carpenter (S/I) OLB: Demarcus Ware (W), Greg Ellis (S)(inj), Anthony Spencer (S), Kevin Burnett (S/I), Junior Glymph, Dedrick Harrington, Blair Phillips, Alex Obomese, John Saldi CB: Terance Newman, Anthony Henry, Aaron Glenn, Alan Ball, Courtney Brown, Jacques Reeves, Nathan Jones, Quincy Butler, Joey Thomas S: Roy Williams (SS), Ken Hamlin (FS), Keith Davis (SS), Pat Watkins (FS), Damarius Bilbo, Abram Elam, Jasper Johnson Denver Broncos QB: Expectations are high for 2nd year QB Jay Cutler. After throwing 2 TDs in his first four starts as a rookie the expectations were set and they are even higher heading into this season. "Yeah, I've heard if I play well, the team's going to do well, and if I play badly, the team's going to do badly. How I go is how the team goes," Cutler said. "I think that's a little ridiculous. I mean, I don't think I have to throw for 300 yards every game for us to win football games. I need to manage the game and limit turnovers. I think our running game and our defense will be enough for us to put up enough points." On the first day of camp, Cutler looked calm, cool, and collected according to our own Cecil Lammey, who was in attendance. Cutler threw with plenty of zip, showing supreme confidence in his arm. He also threw with accuracy. On one play, from their own 40-yard line, Cutler did a 5-step drop and slung it down field to David Kircus who was running a post. It first appeared that Cutler was throwing into coverage, with safety help over the top, but the pass was plenty deep and Kircus skied for the ball above two defenders for the touchdown. If the first day is any indication, the bootleg is back. Cutler had the defense biting on that a couple of times. He looked good running the boot, so watch the Broncos throw that play in when teams least expect it. Patrick Ramsey was not as impressive, just okay. His passes looked good, but too often he was off the mark or behind his receivers. It didn’t help that he held onto the ball too long either. And when the play broke down he “tried” to scramble, but Vince Young he is not. Darrell Hackney looks like a mini-Donovan McNabb. Except that he’s not that good of a QB. He’s a scrambler – very athletic, and his arm is an absolute CANNON. His accuracy leaves a lot to be desired, however the buzz around him was pretty good, and the Broncos could keep him as their 3rd QB – or put him on the PS for some seasoning. Preston Parsons is a good guy, but just a camp arm. No more, no less. RB: If Travis Henry has it his way, he’ll get the rock as much as he possibly can this year. “Me, personally, I'm from the old school," Henry said. "From watching Emmitt Smith, Barry Sanders, Walter Payton, all those guys, it was one back. That's it. One guy got the ball. It's good to have the backup in case something goes wrong, but as far as rotating during the game, that takes away from a premier back trying to get in a rhythm. So, a two-back rotation? I guess I don't see it." Shanahan said, “It's up to the guy. If a guy is that productive, putting up those kinds of numbers and you're having success, there is no reason to use two backs. If he doesn't have that type of ability, that type of talent, then you switch them off to keep both guys healthy and be productive." Henry recorded six 100-yard games last season for an 8-8 Titans team. "Coach Shanahan has been watching me since I've been in the league, he knows what type of back I am," Henry said. "I think that's why he got me here. I think he pretty much knows my game and what I'm about." Henry signed a 5-year deal getting $12 million in guaranteed money from the Broncos. On the first day of practice, Henry showed why he’s a PERFECT fit for the Broncos system. Henry showed tremendous cutback ability and several times made the key moves that had defenders out of position. Linebacker DJ Williams even got yelled at twice in a row. Henry showed no problems catching the ball naturally. Henry’s burst was prevalent and he followed through nicely on all of his runs. He looked a little winded on a few plays, but maybe that was due to the altitude. Here’s what Henry had to say after practice, “I feel like I am in the best shape of my career. I’m healthy, and I feel like this team is special. We are here now just getting better and trying to gel together. OTAs have helped me out a lot. It’s just going back over everything. Right now, everything is going really well for me. I just have to get used to my players. Once we put the pads on and I get a feel of what these guys can do, it will all be first hand. Getting used to the individual players and knowing how they block will help me get better.” Cecil Sapp is running #2 and he ran with some zeal, too. Suffice to say, he won’t be giving up the RB2 job without a fight. Sapp, generally more of a run-you-over type, mixed in a couple of spin moves, but still delivered some shots to d-backs who got a little too close. Cecil Lammey described Sapp’s play as “feisty”. That’s definitely not a bad thing. Sapp was effective between the tackles; he showed good hands and dropped just one pass. Sapp also adds value because he can play FB and contribute on special teams. Mike Bell changed numbers during the offseason. While that might be considered blasphemous in some circles, Bell donned the #30 jersey in practice. Maybe that’s what had Bell all fired up. According to our Cecil Lammey, Bell ran with “a TON of burst”, more than he showed last year. Bell worked hard during the offseason and it’s apparently paying off. Bell ran with good power, but still seemed to be thinking too much instead of just playing. Regardless, Bell will put up a good fight for that #2 spot. Andre Hall and undrafted rookie free agent Selvin Young are also in the mix for a roster spot. Hall spent time on the practice squad last year after stints in Chicago and Tampa. According to Lammey, Hall was vastly improved since the last time we saw him. Here’s Cecil’s take on Hall: “He is a completely different type of runner from the other Broncos RBs. He has explosion, quickness, vision, and instincts. The one thing that he does have (and what makes him so different) is the fact that he is really, really shifty. It’s hard to get a bead to tackle this kid. He is elusive in the open field and looked very determined out there. He’ll make the team, (coaches have been raving about him on the PS), and he’ll contribute in some way if he continues to play this way.” Young was a disappointment. He appeared to be lost, missed his cutback lanes and sometimes just opted for less years. His balance seemed to be off, too. Three times he got into the 2nd level of the defense only to fall forward with a bit too much body lean. At this rate, Young will be hard pressed to make the team.
Brandon Stokley is a dark horse for the #2 role opposite of Javon Walker. The news on Brandon Marshall varies depending on who you talk to. Some people say he’ll be out just a few days, others say that he could miss over half of training camp – and maybe more. The buzz around Marshall was not good, as many people feel that while talented, Marshall may never put it together to be a consistent WR in the NFL. Backup David Kircus started out cold. He was dropping many easy passes during drills. However, when he and Cutler hooked up for a deep TD, something just clicked. After that Kircus seemed to be pumped up and was making catches all over the field. He’ll have to show more consistency, but with Marshall’s injury this WR corps is wide open. Domenik Hixon had a good first day. He is a different receiver from the other guys out there. He seems to have great speed, and is a bigger receiver. He’s not a polished route runner, but his hands are easily above average. He seems to have good run after the catch ability. David Terrell made some good plays, but is not a favorite among teammates and probably won’t make the team. Veteran Quincy Morgan made some nice catches in practice this week. TE: Tony Scheffler, who fractured his foot during May’s minicamp, was placed on the PUP, but didn’t expect to be out for long (days). Scheffler will have to play catch-up to projected starter Daniel Graham, who has looked brilliant in camp so far. On the first day, Cecil reports that Graham did not drop a pass all day. “He was even catching God-awful passes from Preston Parsons. Cutler was already looking to Graham early and often. When plays would break down, Jay would flick the ball to Graham (the guy knows how to get open). A fantastic day from this guy.” Stephen Alexander made several good catches this week. He’s a solid veteran that seems to have shaken the injury bug that hampered him earlier in his career. Defense: First round pick DE Jarvis Moss signed a 5-year deal on Saturday morning allowing the Broncos to have all four of their draft picks on the field for their first practice. Safety Sam Brandon was released after failing a physical. He’s recovering from torn ACL in November 2006. LB Eddie Moore failed his physical and was waived, but he may return in 6-to-8 weeks following minor knee surgery. That move should strengthen Warrick Holdman’s place in the battle to start on the strong-side. DC Jim Bates said he’ll take a look at several players, but Holdman is probably the best bet. Defensive players that stood out in camp to “Big Mex” Lammey? Look no further than Marcus Thomas. Lammey called Thomas a “BEAST”, adding that he leveled Greg Elsinger in one-on-one drills. If Thomas stays out of trouble the Broncos have a steal. When Thomas took the field at the beginning of practice he did so with a running cartwheel and a backflip. Shanahan commented on Thomas’ gymnastics abilities: “I actually saw it in college once and when he did his workouts for the pro scouts. A lot of his coaches were there. During that time, he started his workouts doing that so I had kind of anticipated it. Most of our players never see that, so they are a little bit surprised. He did a round off and a back flip, not many guys can do that at 325 pounds.” Sam Adams practiced, and he’s as big as ever, but he didn’t appear to be huffing too much. Jarvis Moss looked tentative. He’s slender, and needs to be more instinctive, but nothing to worry about early on. LB D.J. Williams was chided by coaches twice for being out of position. Newcomer Dre’ Bly got a chance to do some showboating, too. Bly made one catch in drill that was over-and-behind his head that was amazing. Champ Bailey welcomes Bly’s aggressiveness to the mix, saying it should open up things for him, “Definitely. I have to get more than last year. I can’t really get less. With Dre (Bly) on the other side, we’re going to make plays. Last year, I picked about a third of the balls. Some quarterbacks don’t care. There are a lot of young quarterbacks that think they can do it, so I’m all for it. I’m not going to say anything during the week about them not throwing it over there.” Special Teams: Kicker Jason Elam is back for yet another run at a top ten scoring finish. He’ll share the workload during preseason with camp leg Brandon Pace, an undrafted rookie out of Virginia Tech. After struggling for several years to find a kickoff returner, the Broncos finally got some decent results from WR Quincy Morgan the latter part of last year. He’s not a lock however to retain that job this year. WR Domenik Hixon was candidate with lots of potential last year; however he never got the chance to play due to a broken foot. He’ll compete with Morgan for kickoff returns and is the early favorite to replace Darrent Williams on punt returns. While many teams have a dark horse candidate on returns, Denver actually has two. Undrafted rookies RB Selvin Young (Texas) and WR Marquay McDaniel (Hampton) both fared well on returns in college, and should get a look during preseason. Broncos Depth Chart QB: Jay Cutler, Patrick Ramsey, Preston Parsons, Darrell Hackney RB: Travis Henry, Cecil Sapp, Mike Bell, Andre Hall, Selvin Young FB: Kyle Johnson, Paul Smith, Troy Fleming WR: Javon Walker, Brandon Marshall, Rod Smith (inj), Brandon Stokley, Domenik Hixon (KR), David Kircus, Quincy Morgan, David Terrell, Brian Clark, Glenn Martinez, Marquay McDonald TE: Daniel Graham, Tony Scheffler (inj), Stephen Alexander, Nate Jackson, Teyo Johnson, Chad Mustard K: Jason Elam, Brandon Pace DT: Gerard Warren, Sam Adams (NT), Jimmy Kennedy, Elvis Dumervil, Demetrin Veal, Marcus Thomas, Alvin McKinley, Antwon Burton, Amon Gordon, Steven Harris DE: Ebenezer Ekuban, John Engelberger, Kenard Lang, Tim Crowder, Jarvis Moss, Carlos Hall, Kenny Peterson (susp) MLB: D.J. Williams (M/S), Nate Webster (W/M) OLB: Ian Gold (W), Warrick Holdman (S), D.D. Lewis (S/M), Louis Green (W), T.J. Hollowell, Wesly Mallard, Cameron Vaughn CB: Champ Bailey, Dre' Bly, Dominique Foxworth, Karl Paymah, Jeff Shoate, Lamont Reid, Bill Alford S: John Lynch (FS), Nick Ferguson (SS), Curome Cox (SS), Hamza Abdullah (FS), Quentin Harris, Steve Cargile, Roderick Rogers Detroit Lions QB: Starting QB Jon Kitna made headlines when he said the Lions would win at least ten games this season. That did not bother Lions head coach Rod Marinelli. "The expectations are high and we set a bar. When you set a bar, you've got to be secure in your feelings that you'll reach that level of expectation,'' said Marinelli. Kitna has been extremely sharp throughout the early stages of camp. Not every play is working perfectly, but when receivers get open, he's snapping the ball quickly and accurately. Drew Stanton looked a lot more relaxed in the pocket and appeared surer under center than he did in offseason workouts. However, Stanton hurt his knee and underwent arthroscopic surgery which will sideline him for approximately a month. Stanton’s injury increases the reps both J.T. O’Sullivan and Dan Orlovsky will see. As long as Stanton can come back to start the season, there is probably only one roster spot open for Orlovsky and O’Sullivan. O’Sullivan has looked comfortable running the offense in practice, but the early edge in the battle has to go to Orlovsky. RB: Kevin Jones was placed on the PUP list at the start of camp. Jones is recovering from lisfranc surgery on his left foot and while his rehabilitation is ahead of schedule, he's not ready to take part in full-contact team drills. Jones is running full speed in straight-line drills, but is still not confident doing drills that involve cutting, planting and shifting. The Lions believe there is a 50-50 chance that Jones will be ready for Week One. In April, Tatum Bell was traded to the Lions for insurance in case Kevin Jones misses significant playing time because of his injury. Bell rushed for over 1,000 yards for the Broncos in 2006 but fell out of favor because of his propensity to fumble at inopportune times. OC Mike Martz said that Bell possesses the "wow" factor. "The ball all of a sudden is out of there, and it's in the end zone," Martz said. "And you don't know how he did it." The Lions signed T.J. Duckett, 26, to a free-agent contract. He reported to camp in perhaps the best shape of his life. The Lions scored touchdowns on just 40 percent of their red-zone opportunities and had just nine rushing TDs last year. Duckett scored 33 rushing touchdowns in his first four seasons. In practice, Duckett is running with the ball high and tight and looks very good, very solid. On the first day of practice, Brian Calhoun did not practice in the morning, but did practice in the afternoon. He will likely battle Aveion Cason for a roster spot. The Lions cut FB Shawn Bryson after he failed a physical. WR: Rookie Calvin Johnson, the second overall pick in the 2007 draft, remains unsigned. Obviously Marinelli and the rest of the team want him signed and in camp. The upside is that Johnson is not only a great athlete but also a fast learner and diligent worker. “He’s smart enough to learn this offense, but we do need him out here,” said wide receiver Roy Williams. Williams should benefit most from the drafting of Calvin Johnson. He is a tremendous athlete who is quickly becoming a complete receiver. Williams is already among the better players at his position and defenses will have a brutal time producing a game plan to stop this duo. Mike Furrey missed a couple of passes he thought he should've caught in practice and was visibly upset. One was a tough catch in traffic that he normally would've had while the other would've required a superhuman effort. Shawn McDonald, who signed with the Lions after spending four years with the Rams, began camp on the PUP list. He was removed and worked out with the team later in the week. Eddie Drummond made a nice catch on a long ball halfway through practice and then didn't take another rep the rest of the workout. Devale Ellis began camp on the PUP list and veteran Marcus Robinson was placed on injured reserve. TE: Dan Campbell began camp on the PUP list, but was removed Saturday morning and briefly took part in some padded drills. Campbell spent most of the workout lifting weights. The Lions are going to be cautious with him and ease him back into the routine. The Lions found themselves short a tight end when Eric Beverly suddenly announced his retirement. Sean McHugh saw some work in two tight end sets. Casey FitzSimmons is playing a great deal at the fullback and flex positions. Defense: Defensive tackle Cory Redding agreed to a seven-year, $49 million contract that includes $13 million in guaranteed money. Redding, who has played just a half season at the position, became the highest-paid defensive tackle in the NFL. Defensive tackle Shaun Rogers was placed on the PUP list. He appears to be quite a bit overweight. Defensive end DeWayne White sustained a minor groin pull in a morning workout and was pulled from action as a precautionary measure. Kalimba Edwards enters camp as the starter at right defensive end. Rookie second-round pick Ikaika Alama-Francis looks very quick. He’s very raw, but very quick. He has excellent hand speed and is still learning how to best utilize his hand placement. The starting linebackers are Ernie Sims, Paris Lenon and Boss Bailey and all three made some plays, especially in pass defense. Bailey made an instinctive and athletic play when he made a nice outside pass drop and then leapt high in the air to bat away a pass on a deeper "out'' route. Lenon made an excellent play during team drills when he knocked away a pass from RB Tatum Bell who was coming out of the backfield and then tried to cut across the middle. The athleticism of LB Anthony Cannon, now in his second year, is really starting to reveal itself. Don't be surprised if he moves ahead of Teddy Lehman into the backup nickel linebacker spot. Stanley Wilson and Fernando Bryant lined up as the starting cornerbacks and Bryant made several good plays in coverage. Travis Fisher and Keith Smith are making their presence felt in specified roles early in camp. Safeties Kenoy Kennedy and Daniel Bullocks practiced with the first team. Rookie Gerald Alexander signed a contract on the eve of training camp, but hasn’t made his mark in practice yet. 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