Training Camp Update Volume 3, Issue 1 8/02/07
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- Vikings Depth Chart QB
- Kevin Faulk , RB Laurence Maroney , WR Wes Welker , RB Sammy Morris , WR Bam Childress
- Patriots Depth Chart QB
- New Orleans Saints QB
- Saints Depth Chart QB
RB: Adrian Peterson wasn’t in camp for the first two days of practice, but he signed a 5-year deal on Sunday worth (potentially) $40.5 million including $17 million in guaranteed money. His appearance at camp couldn’t come soon enough for Childress. The Vikings have plans for Chester Taylor and Peterson being in the same backfield, so they needed Peterson into camp. "It's a turns thing," HC Brad Childress said. "We install things a number of times. The more you can carry it, the more you understand it, so it's not just rote. We don't go back to things. You've got to catch up." In the first day of camp with Peterson back in Norman, Okla., Artose Pinner and Mewelde Moore rotated with starter Chester Taylor. Vikings fans got a scare when Chester Taylor was carted off the field holding his arm; but X-rays were negative and it’s just a severe bruise. He should be back at practice within a week or sooner. With the two-headed monster of Taylor and Peterson, the backup spots are going to be fiercely contested. Moore is a proven receiver but hasn’t shown a knack for the endzone, while Pinner has failed to live up to lofty draft expectations coming out of Kentucky. WR: Believe it or not, veteran free agent Bobby Wade is the Vikings WR1 heading into camp. Troy Williamson and Sidney Rice are battling for the WR2 job, though Childress predicted a breakout year for Williamson, who spent the offseason working on his infamously bad hand-eye coordination. After 11 drops last season, Williamson has some work to do. Rice (and Peterson) missed Friday’s practice prompting Childress to say “Those turns are important, and there is a point where you can't make up for those. And my best advice to them would be to get their tails in camp." Rice signed his deal Friday evening and was at practice Saturday morning, getting some work as the 2nd and 3rd receiver, but he didn’t do anything noteworthy. “I know there’s a lot of stuff, and there’s a lot of stuff I have to catch up on," Rice said. "I didn’t want to miss time, but things happen. So I’ll have to get in and ask a lot of questions." During Friday’s practice Brooks Bollinger and Cortez Hankton hooked up for a couple of nice plays. Todd Lowber made a nice catch over the middle of the field. 5th round pick Aundrae Allison filled in for Rice on Friday as the team’s third WR and the best catch of the day; a one-handed grab while running toward the left sideline. True to form, Troy Williamson dropped a pass, but to his credit, he came right back and made a difficult diving catch going against Cedric Griffin during 7-on-7s. TE: The Vikings put their money and their faith in free agent Vishanthe Shiancoe even though he’s unproven as a starter in the league. He’ll compete with veteran Jimmy Kleinsasser for the starting job. In Friday’s practice, Shiancoe left the field with a minor injury, but he later returned and appears to be fine. Defense: The team has been unable to reach agreement on a contract extension with DT Pat Williams leading most to believe this could be the 11-year veteran’s last season in the twin cities, especially after Williams terminated negotiations on Friday. HC Brad Childress doesn’t seem too concerned, "I've had great conversations with Pat," Childress said. "Just as long as my relationship with Pat is good and I know where Pat stands, he knows where I stand," Childress said. "He's a team guy who wants to be here. He's a valuable member of our football team and I appreciate everything he does for us on the field and off of it." Meanwhile, in the team’s third practice, Williams forced a fumble after anticipating the count on a goal line play, Dwight Smith recovered. Rookie DE Brian Robison recorded the best play while working with the first-string defensive line. Robison knifed through the line and dropped Mewelde Moore for a three-yard loss. Rookie Marcus McCauley is playing well; he picked off Brooks Bollinger on one play then deflected another pass later. So far so good for Chad Greenway, he hasn't held back at WLB. E.J. Henderson stuffed Chester Taylor on an inside run and he appears to be comfortable. Darren Sharper was kept out of the Friday afternoon session after taking a hard shot from Tony Richardson earlier in the day. Mike Doss took his place with the first team. Ben Leber missed the Friday morning practice, but DC Leslie Frazier said he’s expected back in a few days. Dontarrious Thomas worked in Leber’s place. Special Teams: Ryan Longwell spent the offseason working to improve his kickoffs, after having the worst average in the NFL last year. He’ll have plenty of opportunity to practice as he’s the only kicker on the roster. The first choice for kickoff returner will likely be newcomer WR Bobby Wade, although that may hinge on how much work he gets at wide receiver, which may hinge on well some of the younger receivers fare. Second choice would be WR Troy Williamson, who began last year as the kickoff returner but gave way to now departed WR Bethel Johnson. Williamson has room to improve as both a returner and a receiver. After those two come a large collection of players that will jockey for backup roles. The punt returner picture is clearer, where RB Mewelde Moore remains the starter. Bobby wade also has experience in that role. Vikings Depth Chart QB: Tarvaris Jackson, Brooks Bollinger, Drew Henson, Tyler Thigpen RB: Chester Taylor (inj), Adrian Peterson, Mewelde Moore (3RB/PR), Artose Pinner, Ciatrick Fason, Wendell Mathis, Arkee Whitlock FB: Tony Richardson (inj), Naufahu Tahi WR: Bobby Wade, Troy Williamson, Sidney Rice, Billy McMullen, Martin Nance, Cortez Hankton, Aundrae Allison, Jason Carter, Todd Lowber, Chandler Williams, Justin Surrency TE: Visanthe Shiancoe, Jim Kleinsasser, Jeff Dugan (FB), Richard Owens (FB), Stephen Spach, Braden Jones K: Ryan Longwell DT: Pat Williams (NT), Kevin Williams (DE), Spencer Johnson (RFA), Howard Green, Joe Bradley, Conrad Bolston, Alex Guerrero DE: Kenechi Udeze, Erasmus James (inj), Darrion Scott, Ray Edwards, Brian Robison, Jayme Mitchell, Khreem Smith MLB: E.J. Henderson (M/W), Dontarrious Thomas (W/M), Vinny Ciurciu OLB: Ben Leber (S), Chad Greenway (W/M), Rufus Alexander (W), Heath Farwell (S) , Jason Glenn, John Kerr, David Herron CB: Antoine Winfield, Cedric Griffin, Dovonte Edwards, Marcus McCauley, Charles Gordon, Ronyell Whittaker, Jerron Wishom, Sergio Gilliam S: Darren Sharper (FS), Dwight Smith (SS), Mike Doss (SS), Tank Williams (SS), Greg Blue (FS/SS), Patrick Body, Mike Hawkins New England Patriots QB: Tom Brady threw 24 TDs and 12 INTs last year with Reche Caldwell as his #1 WR hauling in 61 balls. With the acquisitions of Randy Moss, Donte Stallworth and Wesley Welker in the offseason, Brady is primed for another strong season. Matt Cassel figures to get plenty of work in the preseason as the QB2, however he could find himself out of a job once the regular season comes along. The Patriots have acknowledged plans to sign Vinnie Testaverde as the team’s backup, but are waiting until the end of camp because Testaverde doesn’t want to put his body through the rigors of camp at his age. Matt Gutierrez is the third QB in camp, but stands little chance of landing a roster spot. On the first day of camp, Cassel and Jabar Gaffney made the play of the day on a bomb that Cassel dropped in over Gaffney’s outside shoulder in stride for a TD. RB: Laurence Maroney opened camp wearing the red, non-contact jersey, but he declared himself ready to go after weighing in at last year’s weight of 220 lbs. Maroney believes he’s ready for contact, but the team is being cautious for now. When asked about being the team’s workhorse back (25 carries a game), Maroney held back just a little bit. "Nobody said anything about me being a feature back," he said. "I'm just getting a little more carries than last year, that's all." Maroney doesn’t need to be the physical runner that Corey Dillon was, nor is that his style. "Being a very physical back like Corey is definitely not a part of my game. That's not what I'm going to do, run into somebody every day," Maroney said. "Every time I hit the hole, I'm looking for the best route to get around you. If I can outrun you, that's what I'm going to do. If I can put a move on you, that's what I'm going to do. If I have to drop the shoulder, I'll do it, but dropping my shoulder every time is not my game, so if that's what you're all expecting, I'm sorry." In other news, the Patriots released RB Justine Hairston on Friday. WR: The Patriots start training camp with 12 receivers on the roster. Randy Moss, Donte Stallworth and Wes Welker, all acquired this offseason, are the only locks. Welker may be farther along than the other new receivers and it is evident he’s already worked his way right into the team’s framework. Tom Brady had nothing but good things to say about his new main weapon, Randy Moss. "One of Randy's greatest strengths, I think, is he tracks the ball in the air very well," Brady said. "Everything looks effortless down the field. He really judges the height of the ball, like a center fielder. He knows when to put his hands out, knows not to do it too early because that really triggers the defensive back to put his hands up. That's a big strength of his game. I hope I can throw it as far as he can run." Reche Caldwell and Troy Brown will be difficult to unseat, but Jabar Gaffney, Kelley Washington and slew of other less notable WRs will keep the pressure on. Last year’s first round pick, Chad Jackson, is a candidate to start the season on the PUP list. In the first two days of practice, Jabar Gaffney took advantage of Donte' Stallworth and Troy Brown being on the PUP list. Gaffney looked sharp running routes alongside Randy Moss and Wes Welker. Washington is on the PUP list for now, so he has an uphill battle to make the roster if the team only keeps 5 or even 6 WRs. TE: Ben Watson enters camp as the starter while David Thomas and Garrett Mills are on the PUP list. Kyle Brady has been lining up in some formations as the TE with Watson in the slot. Brady is the most accomplished blocker of the lot, so expect Watson, Thomas and Mills to be used more on the receiving end with Brady taking care of the blocking duties. On the first day of practice, Watson put a move on Rodney Harrison sending him flying over his back in one-on-ones, but Watson later had a bad drop in the middle of practice. Defense: Asante Samuel remains in a contract dispute leaving the Patriots defense thin in the secondary. With Samuel unavailable, Ellis Hobbs was lining up with Randall Gay while Mike Richardson and Gemara Williams also took reps. Rookie DB Brandon Meriweather missed some early practice sessions, but once he signed his five-year deal worth $8.75 million with $6 million in bonuses and guarantees, he gave the secondary a boost, getting some of his early work at cornerback. Meriweather was primarily a safety at Miami, but he did start three games at corner last year. Belichick said he’d play a variety of roles, “We’ll work him at both spots. He’s played a lot of different positions in college. He’s played the nickel position, the corner position, and the safety position. We’ll use him in some different spots and see how it goes. People on our team are going to have to have some versatility and play different spots anyway, so he falls into that category.” Chad Scott was carted off the field Friday evening, and placed on IR with a season-ending leg injury. Fourth-year veteran Randall Gay took his spot opposite of Ellis Hobbs, and intercepted a Tom Brady pass intended for tight end Benjamin Watson. S Rashad Baker and DL Kareem Brown are on the PUP list. Junior Seau looked rejuvenated for another season, but he was wearing a red jersey along with LB Eric Alexander. Special Teams: Kicker Stephen Gostkowski does not have to compete with anyone for the kicking job this year. In fact, there is no other kicker currently in camp. The specter of Adam Vinatieri is also one year further removed. How has Gostkowski responded? He went 8 of 8 on field goals the first day of practice, and the 7 of 7 on the second day. On returns, just about everyone on the Patriots’ roster is a capable returner as always, and just about everyone practices that role as usual. Everyone currently includes RB Kevin Faulk, RB Laurence Maroney, WR Wes Welker, RB Sammy Morris, WR Bam Childress, CB Ellis Hobbs, CB Gemara Williams, CB Willie Andrews, WR Donte Stallworth, and WR Troy Brown. Early speculation is that Ellis Hobbs is the favorite to be the kickoff returner and Wes Welker the punt returner, with Kevin Faulk nipping at their heels. Patriots Depth Chart QB: Tom Brady, Matt Cassel, Matt Gutierrez RB: Laurence Maroney, Kevin Faulk (3RB), Sammy Morris, Quinton Smith, Justice Hairston (IR) FB: Heath Evans, Quadtrine Hill WR: Randy Moss, Donte Stallworth, Wesley Welker (KR/PR), Reche Caldwell, Troy Brown (PUP), Jabar Gaffney, Chad Jackson (PUP), Kelley Washington, Bam Childress, Kelvin Kight, Chris Dunlap, C.J. Jones TE: Ben Watson, David Thomas (PUP), Kyle Brady, Garrett Mills (FB) K: Stephen Gostkowski NT: Vince Wilfork, LeKevin Smith, Mike Wright DE: Richard Seymour (DT)(PUP), Ty Warren (DT), Jarvis Green, Kareem Brown (DT), Kenny Smith, Rashad Moore ILB: Tedy Bruschi, Mike Vrabel (S/I), Junior Seau, Eric Alexander, Oscar Lua, Justin Rogers, Justin Warren OLB: Adalius Thomas (S/I), Rosevelt Colvin (W/DE), Larry Izzo, Pierre Woods (S), Chad Brown, Corey Mays CB: Asante Samuel (UFA-F), Ellis Hobbs (KR), Tory James, Randall Gay, Mike Richardson, Eddie Jackson, Willie Andrews, Gemara Williams, Chad Scott (IR) S: Rodney Harrison (SS) (inj), Eugene Wilson (FS), Brandon Meriweather (SS/FS), Artrell Hawkins (SS), James Sanders (SS/FS), Rashad Baker, Mel Mitchell (PUP), Denny Poland New Orleans Saints QB: Drew Brees started where he left off last year making several nice throws in the opening days of camp. He had two nice plays in particular on Saturday that drew the crowd’s praise. On the first play, Brees dropped back and threw a high arching pass to Devery Henderson, who had a step on CB Anwar Phillips; Henderson looked the ball in over his right shoulder and tapped both feet in bounds before sliding out. On another play, Brees threw a perfectly-placed toss into the outstretched hands of David Patten, who had gotten behind the defense, 40 yards down field. The weather was hot and humid, but Brees didn’t seem to mind. Brees was asked what the best and worst things were on the first day of camp. The best? Brees said the tempo was good and players were flying around. The worst? “There was no worst part of the day,” he said. “I mean, hey, where would you rather be? Jackson, Miss. It’s 95 degrees, 1,000 percent humidity. You’ve got to love it.” Rookie QB Tyler Palko hid some rough spots in Saturday’s team drills. He threw a couple of passes off target, like a wobbly shovel pass that was picked off by LB Marvin Mitchell. ... Neither Palko nor Jason Fife has distinguished himself in the battle for QB3 yet. RB: Reggie Bush is eager to get his second season under way, and so is QB Drew Bress, who chided Bush for his various commercials as practice got underway. "I'm just glad to have him off those commercial shoots and have him here in camp with us," Brees said, just loud enough for Bush to hear. For his part, Bush was happy to get back at it, too. "After so much time off, you look forward to getting back to playing football, playing the sport you love to do, love to play and are so passionate about," Bush said. "For me, it's fun.... That stuff kind of takes a toll on you, all the meetings with the sponsors. It's fun but after a certain amount of time you just want to get back to football. I kind of took a break from that stuff, but it has its season." Bush chose to train on his own during the offseason, but HC Sean Payton wasn’t upset at all. "He's in good shape, he has trained well," Payton said. "We're real pleased with how he tested. He's running around and, I think, in real good shape." Brees agreed with Payton’s take. "If there's one thing about Reggie, obviously, he's got a lot of things going on, he's got a lot of people pulling at him," Brees said. "But he's always going to find a way to make sure he's ready to go. He's a competitor. He's a very prideful guy, so I'm never worried about Reggie." Deuce McAllister loves sharing the backfield with Bush. It's a blessing," McAllister said. "When he's on the field or when we're on the field together, it's a blessing for us to be able to look at the defense and see how teams are going to try to play us. I'm not having to carry that load as a running back or as the team leader. I can give some of that to him and know that he can do it in this league.” In Saturday’s session, after the defense made some big plays, backup Aaron Stecker helped the offense answer with some tough inside running where he bounced off a few tacklers for some extra yardage. Stecker faces a daunting challenge from rookie Antonio Pittman for RB3 honors. WR: One player who will be watched closely by Saints fans and coaches is rookie first round pick Robert Meachem, especially after he showed up for mini-camps overweight. Meachem was signed and in camp on time, though and midway through the first practice he made a nice play running past CB Jason David to pull down a tight spiral from quarterback Jamie Martin. Unfortunately, he didn’t finish the play. After the catch, he slid to the ground drawing the ire of his position coach Curtis Johnson, who was asking everyone around him, “Why did he go down? It should have been a touchdown.” Meachem is playing catch up to some extent after having arthroscopic surgery on his right knee in early June. The knee came after a sprained ankle in May limited him in the final part of the team’s OTAs. Johnson is known for getting on his players, and he was riding Meachem plenty during the opening sessions. At one point, he yelled, “This ain’t Tennessee anymore.” None of that seemed to bother Meachem, who said “I love that. As long as he’s talking to me, it means I’ve got a lot to learn. All my life, I was taught that you can learn something new every day. If he stays on me, I know that I’ve got a lot of improvement to do. And I know I can improve.” Meachem reported to camp at 208 lbs – two pounds below his prescribed weight, but he knows that he’s a bit behind the others after missing time with the injuries. “I was moving pretty good, but there are a lot of things I have to work on since I haven’t run in a long time,” he said. “It’s a learning process all over again. You have to teach yourself how to get back down low, and how to come in and out of your breaks. It’s a big process.” Marques Colston and Devery Henderson were the starters on Friday, with David Patten getting work at WR3. Meachem was working as WR4. Henderson has been terrific so far in camp. He made two outstanding catches in Saturday afternoon’s practice, drawing loud cheers from the fans. He seems to be pulling away from the others in the battle for the WR2 job. The biggest play on Friday came from Terrance Copper, who ran a slant-and-go route making a circus catch that drew a roar from the fans in the afternoon practice. CB Mike McKenzie had good coverage on the play, and he even tipped the ball, but Copper juggled it and then pulled it in for the completion from Drew Brees. Saturday morning, Copper nearly had another juggling catch but this time he wasn’t able to get his feet inbounds, although he did catch the ball. Looking for an early sleeper this preseason? WR/return man Lance Moore hopes to replace the departed Michael Lewis. At 5’ 9”, 177 pounds, Moore is even smaller than Lewis, but he is very quick and elusive. He has been working as a punt returner and a kick returner throughout the offseason. TE: Mark Campbell has looked good enough in the early going to remain the team’s “starting tight end.” But the Saints need to see more from newcomer Eric Johnson; who was signed to give the passing game another weapon. Johnson had a rough start to camp on Friday and Saturday. On Friday, he came down with a migraine and nausea during lunch and he was held out during the afternoon practice. He was back in action Saturday morning, but didn’t fare much better. On one play during two-on-two run-blocking drills, Johnson was met by WLB Scott Shanle, who knocked off Johnson’s helmet (accidentally) with a forearm. Johnson was OK and returned after a brief look by the team’s training staff. Defense: In Saturday morning’s practice, the defense had some nice plays: DE Charles Grant got things started when he blew by his blocker and wrapped up Reggie Bush in the backfield. Grant was all over the place making plays against the run and pass equally. DE Josh Cooper got to Jamie Martin on an outside rush for what would have been a sack in game action. CB Jason David drew cheers for the second straight day when he laid out to break up a pass intended for Lance Moore. Jason Craft drew the loudest cheer from the fans when he adjusted to an underthrown pass to make a leaping interception and nice return down the sidelines. Safety Curry Burns strung together a pair of nice plays when he laid a hit on Tramain Hall after a catch, then he applied pressure on QB Jason Fife on a well timed blitz. DT Hollis Thomas struggled on the first day of camp with the weather, mostly due to being overweight. “I’m heavy. I’m heavier than usual,” he said. “I’m a fat guy, and I’ll always be fat.” When asked how it felt working through the 2 hour practice with full pads on, Thomas rolled his eyes. “You can probably try to equate it to, with no disrespect to soldiers or anything, it’s kind of like going through a boot camp because you are away from everybody,” he said. “Somebody equated it to prison, but prisoners get a little leeway. They don’t have to do this.” In the afternoon session, Thomas was back with the 1st team after Kendrick Clancy replaced him in the earlier drills. Looking for a super sleeper? Undrafted rookie CB Joe Porter has impressed coaches with his speed and athleticism. The 6-foot 200-pounder was a track star at Rutgers. He's competing for a roster spot at cornerback and if he continues to play well he could land on the practice squad, at the very least. On Thursday the Saints placed S Steve Gleason on season-ending IR. DT Brian Young is still recovering from a broken foot and he will be limited for the beginning of camp. Special Teams: The Saints traded for kicker Olindo Mare, knowing that he can kickoff and hoping that last year’s low field goal percentage was just a one year slump. Undrafted rookie Brett Bergstrom from Eastern Washington will serve as the camp leg. Beloved return specialist Michael “Beer Man” Lewis is gone. Punt return duties will probably be shared by RB Reggie Bush and WR Lance Moore. The kickoff return picture is less clear. Lance Moore will get a chance to expand into that role and perhaps acquire a beloved nickname of his own. RB Aaron Stecker, WR Terrance Copper, and WR Jamal Jones are also possibilities. Reggie Bush is a remote possibility; however the Saints have been reluctant to use him in that role. CB Jason David, WR Tramain Hall, rookie CB David Jones, rookie CB Joe Porter, rookie WR Robert Meachem and WR Dante Ridgeway have also practiced on kickoffs. Saints Depth Chart QB: Drew Brees, Jamie Martin, Jason Fife, Tyler Palko RB: Deuce McAllister, Reggie Bush (KR/PR), Antonio Pittman, Aaron Stecker (3RB/KR) FB: Mike Karney, Keith Joseph (inj), Kevin Dudley 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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