Training Camp Update Volume 6, Issue 1 8/3/10
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RB: Pierre Thomas reported to camp and was practicing while holding out hope for a long-term contract. Both sides appear to be on the same page and continue to work to find middle ground for a long-term deal. One of the players to watch in camp is Lynell Hamilton. At 235 pounds, Hamilton has the size and power to slide into the role created by free agent Mike Bell’s departure. Hamilton got into the groove early by running over safety Chip Vaughn in one of the afternoon workouts. Reggie Bush reported to camp as healthy as he has been since his rookie season. In Saturday afternoon’s practice, Bush looked as fast as ever running upfield with burst, power and determination during team drills. Also in the mix, P.J. Hill is back after the Eagles plucked him off their practice squad last season. He had a productive session on Saturday morning ripping off two long runs. WR: The star of the first few days of camp was clearly Lance Moore. Marques Colston (knee) and Robert Meachem (toe) began camp on the active/PUP list giving ample opportunity to Moore, Devery Henderson and the team‘s other receivers. Henderson didn’t look like he was 100% in Saturday morning’s practice after having offseason sports hernia surgery, but he had no problems in the afternoon. "I don't know that he's quite 100 percent yet," said Payton "But he's doing well." Meanwhile, Moore made numerous big plays, running sharp routes and showing off his great hands. In Friday morning’s practice, Moore snared a high pass and took a hit from safety Malcolm Jenkins, but held on and flipped over before hitting the ground while hanging on for the catch. Courtney Roby and Rod Harper also had their moments and caught the eye of the coaches. Moore talked about Colston and Meachem, comparing them to his own recovery from injuries a year ago. "I was in the same situation as last year, being on PUP early and not getting the full reps," Moore said. "Guys just have to step up and make plays. Younger guys have to come in and show that they're worth being here." TE: Jeremy Shockey reported to camp seemingly in great shape, but he was already sidelined by Sunday with a sore knee. "Nothing serious," HC Sean Payton said. "He had it looked at. We'll just get him some treatment and get him back as soon as possible." His absence will continue to open the door for rookie Jimmy Graham, who has the team buzzing from his performance during OTAs. Considered a developmental project after switching to football from basketball during his final year at the University of Miami, Graham has been one of the team’s biggest surprises. Graham has picked up things much faster than anyone anticipated prompting some to believe he may play a bigger role quicker than expected. In particular, Graham looks like someone that could contribute in the red zone. For his part, Graham is trying to lay low, especially after David Thomas told him that he’d have to buy him a meal every time his name comes up in the media. That might be a problem if he continues to make plays in practice. Graham made a dazzling, one-handed catch from Drew Brees in Friday’s afternoon session. "I guess I got lucky. Hopefully I can do that in a big game," said Graham. "I definitely think I can (make plays like that). I think that's why they brought me here." It hasn’t all been glossy for Graham though, he also dropped two balls in Saturday morning’s practice. Defense: Joining Colston and Meachem on then active/PUP list is veteran safety Darren Sharper (knee) and LB Clint Ingram (knee). Ingram has been a disappointment so far after signing as a free agent to help fill the void created by Scott Fujita’s departure. The team will employ a committee approach as Ingram, Jo-Lonn Dunbar and Troy Evans are all expected to compete for playing time at the strong-side backer spot. Patrick Robinson, the 32nd overall pick, was signed in time for camp and he didn’t waste any time. In Friday’s morning practice, Robinson broke up a pair of passes during 7-on-7s shortly after taking the field. "It made me feel good," Robinson said. "I was trying to stay as calm as I could, and that was pretty much it, stay as calm as I could and be focused. Just being there is not enough. I think I have to make plays and start getting on the field more." Another player making an impression early in camp is undersized, undrafted rookie DE Junior Galette. He might be able to push veteran Bobby McCray, who underwhelmed last year with only 1.5 sacks. For now, McCray is running with the first team, but most expect Alex Brown to emerge as the two will likely form a time-share opposite Will Smith. Special Teams: Two of last year’s playoff heroes are secure in their specialist roles as the Saints enter training camp. Garrett Hartley will handle the placekicking while Thomas Morstead will again handle the punting and kickoffs. Morstead could also add another task – as holder on placekicks, replacing the departed Mark Brunell. Others being tried in that role during camp are back up quarterbacks Patrick Ramsey and Chase Daniel along with wide receiver Lance Moore. It looked like there would be a competition to watch during preseason at long snapper; however rookie challenger Clint Gresham from TCU was released at the end of July. Incumbent Jason Kyle remains the only snapper on the roster. Saints Depth Chart QB: Drew Brees, Patrick Ramsey, Chase Daniel, Sean Canfield RB: Pierre Thomas, Reggie Bush (3RB), Lynell Hamilton, P.J. Hill FB: Heath Evans, Zak Keasey, Marcus Mailei (inj) WR: Marques Colston, Devery Henderson, Lance Moore (PR), Robert Meachem (inj), Courtney Roby (KR), Adrian Arrington, Rod Harper (inj), Larry Beavers, Matt Simon TE: Jeremy Shockey, David Thomas, Jimmy Graham, Tory Humphrey, Tyler Lorenzen K: Garrett Hartley DT: Sedrick Ellis, Remi Ayodele, Anthony Hargrove (DT), DeMario Pressley, Al Woods DE: Will Smith, Alex Brown, Bobby McCray, Jimmy Wilkerson, Jeff Charleston,Junior Galette MLB: Jonathan Vilma, Jonathan Cassilas, Stanley Arnoux OLB: Scott Shanle (W), Jo-Lonn Dunbar (S), Troy Evans (W/S), Clint Ingram (S),Anthony Waters, Marvin Mitchell (W) CB: Jabari Greer, Tracy Porter, Patrick Robinson, Randall Gay, Leigh Torrence,Danny Gorrer, Reggie Jones, Greg Fassitt, Rafael Priest S: Malcolm Jenkins (CB/FS), Roman Harper (SS), Darren Sharper (FS) (inj),Usama Young (FS/CB), Pierson Prioleau (SS), Chris Reis (SS), Chip Vaughn New York Giants QB: The Giants didn’t start camp until August 1st so there aren’t a ton of practice details to review just yet. Manning has looked fine in early practices, mainly working on timing with his receiving corps. The highlight of his first few days was a gorgeous deep vertical throw to Steve Smith; unfortunately Smith dropped the perfectly thrown ball. Manning was intercepted by Corey Webster during 11-on-11 drills Monday, on a pass intended for Mario Manningham. Jim Sorgi ran the 2nd team as expected and Rhett Bomar took quite a few snaps with the 3rd stringers. RB: A lot of fantasy owners are prepared for Ahmad Bradshaw to overtake Brandon Jacobs this year, but the first few days of camp don’t necessarily paint that picture. Coach Coughlin needs to see more from Bradshaw, “He made some nice cuts and nice runs this morning. He caught the ball in the individual drill. I'd like to see first he have confidence in himself, what he can and can't do. I want to see him extend that and fight his way through some of the tough days and continue out here with his teammates without having to take a step back. If you thought you could utilize Ahmad to the full extent, he's a guy who has run kickoffs back and has run punts back. He obviously is an outstanding runner in his own right and used in with a combination with Brandon and some of the other guys that we've got. You see how Danny (Ware) looks just to keep some of those guys on the field. I think that with Ahmad it's just practice, practice, and stay out there and prove to everyone, himself included.” WR: Hakeem Nicks has the opportunity to overtake Steve Smith as the Giants top pass catcher, but he’ll have to stay healthy to accomplish the task. Last year he played on a broken toe and many expect that problem to be in the rearview window. Unfortunately, Nicks is still bothered a bit by the toe, and the Giants are only going to practice him once a day for precautionary reasons. As long as Nicks looks dominant in his once-a-day workouts, there’s no cause for concern. But if this precaution turns into something more, the upside projections so many of us are banking on may need to be tempered. The other Giants receivers have had unassuming starts to camp, as Steve Smith lined up as a starter as expected, and then Mario Manningham, Sinorice Moss and Ramses Barden saw the most snaps with the backups. TE: Kevin Boss was given the option to skip the team’s conditioning test on Sunday because of his sore ankle, but he opted to participate. He passed and was a full practice participant on Day One. He skipped the Monday (August 2nd) session as the Giants plan on holding him to once-a-day sessions for now. Travis Beckum got off to a rocky start mishandling a few passes, but it’s very early to draw any kind of conclusions. Bear Pascoe has stood out in the early going, looking very comfortable running routes. Defense: New DC Perry Fewell is a massively different presence than Bill Sheridan, the man he replaced. Fewell is energetic and vocal, both when praising and damning his players. HC Tom Coughlin welcomes the change. “It is inspirational and they do know what's coming. I think it's a good thing. I've always been in favor of that over anything else. I don't care, even if you're wrong, if you're yelling and screaming, it creates something for you. They respond to it, they've been, and they do a nice of job it.” The most important news is that, save for S Kenny Phillips, the team appears healthy entering camp. Freshly signed FA Keith Bulluck will be transitioning from OLB in Tennessee to the middle, but his coaches think he’ll make the transition seamlessly. CB Corey Webster made the play of the weekend, jumping in front of Manningham for a one-handed interception of an Eli Manning pass. S Antrel Rolle is already establishing himself as a vocal leader on defense; a welcome addition to a unit that seemed to lack accountability at times last year. Clint Sintim appears ready to settle into his new starting role on the strong side. Special Teams: Back in July, the Giants released Australian Jy Bond. That ended the punting competition and left Matt Dodge, the seventh round draft pick out of East Carolina, as the replacement for retired Jeff Feagles. Dodge will also serve as the holder on placekicks for Lawrence Tynes, who in turn also handle kickoffs. The third of the Giants specialists, long snapper Zac DeOssie, commented regarding his goals for camp and this year, “Me personally, as a long snapper, just consistent short snaps and consistent play. That’s all it is, repetitions. It’s a mental game. You kind of find your grove by the end of training camp then you try and stay in that groove for the next 17 weeks, which is pretty tough. If you have a bad snap you forget about it.” Giants Depth Chart QB: Eli Manning, Jim Sorgi, Rhett Bomar RB: Brandon Jacobs, Ahmad Bradshaw (KR/3RB), Danny Ware, Andre Brown,Gartrell Johnson FB: Madison Hedgecock WR: Hakeem Nicks (inj), Steve Smith, Mario Manningham, Ramses Barden,Sinorice Moss, Derek Hagan, Duke Calhoun TE: Kevin Boss, Travis Beckum (HB), Bear Pascoe, Scott Chandler, Jake Ballard K: Lawrence Tynes DT: Barry Cofield (NT), Chris Canty, Jay Alford (inj), Rocky Bernard, Linval Joseph,Dwayne Hendricks DE: Justin Tuck, Mathias Kiwanuka, Osi Umenyiora, Jason Pierre-Paul, Dave Tollefson, Tommie Hill MLB: Jonathan Goff, Keith Bulluck (inj), Phillip Dillard OLB: Michael Boley (W), Clint Sintim (S), Chase Blackburn (M/W), Bryan Kehl (W) (inj), Gerris Wilkinson (inj), Zack DeOssie, Adrian Tracy, Alex Hall CB: Corey Webster (inj), Aaron Ross, Terrell Thomas, Bruce Johnson, Courtney Brown, D.J. Johnson S: Antrel Rolle (FS), Kenny Phillips (SS) (inj), Deon Grant (SS), Michael Johnson (SS), Sha'reff Rashad, Chad Jones (IR) New York Jets QB: The Jets signed veteran Mark Brunell to backup Mark Sanchez leaving Kellen Clemens possibly on the outside looking in. Clemens may ultimately stick as the team’s third quarterback. Erik Ainge was placed on the reserve non-football list with an undisclosed illness and won’t count against the team’s 80-man roster. Clemens (calf) opened camp on the PUP giving Kevin O’Connell an opportunity to get some extra snaps behind Sanchez and Brunell. In other news, check out thejetsblog.com’s photo of Tom Brady and Justin Beiber. The Jets camp promises to be entertaining with the HBO cameras on site filming “Hard Knocks” and, as Head Coach Rex Ryan joked, the only place where the cameras will be off-limits is his shower. While there wasn’t a lot of news regarding Sanchez in the opening days of camp, the Jets moved to secure their team’s leadership for the near future by extending the contracts of both GM Mike Tannenbaum and Ryan through 2014. RB: In Sunday’s morning practice, Shonn Greene set the tone with his trademark physical running. “He runs hard, he takes that extra hit sometimes,” Ryan said. “I talked to [RBs coach] Anthony Lynn about if we can put big pads on him, can he look like Leroy Selmon out there all padded up. But his running style has to be that. That’s what makes Shonn an unbelievable back.” Ryan also mentioned rookie FB John Conner for some pad-popping hits. “He was just blasting guys. He took the wind out of three linebackers. I don’t think I’ve ever seen that.” Rookie Joe McKnight was on the receiving end of a big hit from S James Ihedigbo. As for McKnight, he initially failed his conditioning run on the opening day of camp, only to return on Sunday and pass it. McKnight was then activated from the PUP, but he has some work to do if he has any designs of pushing LaDainian Tomlinson for snaps on passing downs. On Monday, Tomlinson and Greene split reps with the first team and Tomlinson promptly fumbled during 9-on-9 drills. Veterans Chauncey Washington and Danny Woodhead are also in the mix and hoping to earn a roster spot. Veteran Tony Richardson returns for his 17th season competing with Conner and veteran Jason Davis at fullback. WR: The signing of veteran Laveranues Coles, oddly enough, was the big news as camp opened. With Santonio Holmes facing a four-game suspension to open the season, Coles will be counted on to help fill the void at the team’s number three receiver spot. If nothing else, Coles will compete with Brad Smith and David Clowney and retire as a Jet when all is said and done. Holmes was not in attendance as camp opened. He has been excused until August 4th while he attends to a family matter. His son recently had surgery in Atlanta and has sickle-cell anemia. Jerricho Cotchery and Braylon Edwards will open the season as the team’s starters. On Monday, David Clowney got off to a tough start with a pair of drops, including a short pass from Sanchez that drew criticism from offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer. He came back later to make a nice catch with Antonio Cromartie in tight coverage. TE: Dustin Keller expects to play a pivotal role in the offense this season, particularly in the red zone. Rex Ryan has already predicted the tight end will score more touchdowns. Veteran Ben Hartsock returns to contribute primarily as a blocker while Matthew Mulligan has shown potential in the same area. Defense: The story that dominated the Jets training camp so far is the absence of standout corner Darrelle Revis. Revis decided to make good on his training camp holdout. "We waited until last possible minute with hope of getting something done. Darrelle won't be there." Meanwhile CB Kyle Wilson, the Jets 29th pick in the draft, was signed and ready for practice as camp began. Wilson and Dwight Lowery rotated in with the first team with Revis out. DT Kris Jenkins opened camp on the PUP list, despite losing 20 pounds while following a “cookie diet”. The team signed S Emmanuel Cook and cut LB Ezra Butler. Special Teams: There is something to watch at each of the Jets’ specialist positions during camp. Although Nick Folk is the only kicker on the roster, he’s competing against the ghost of his 2009 season in Dallas. He’ll need to prove that last year’s hip surgery is no longer hindering his game. He commented earlier, "Yeah, I have to prove myself again. But that’s something I enjoy. I don’t have any problem doing that. Mentally, I’m just as confident as I was my rookie year." Veteran punter and holder Steve Weatherford will face live competition in T.J. Conley, who was one of numerous punters in the Jets’ camp last summer. Veteran long snapper James Dearth is gone, setting up a competition between two younger inexperienced players: Tanner Purdum and Matthew Mulligan who also plays at tight end. Jets Depth Chart QB: Mark Sanchez, Mark Brunell, Kellen Clemens, Erik Ainge, Kevin O'Connell RB: Shonn Greene, LaDainian Tomlinson (3RB), Joe McKnight, Danny Woodhead, Chauncey Washington FB: Tony Richardson, John Conner WR: Jerricho Cotchery, Braylon Edwards, Santonio Holmes (susp), Laveranues Coles, David Clowney, Brad Smith, Aundrae Allison TE: Dustin Keller, Ben Hartsock, Jeff Cumberland K: Nick Folk NT: Kris Jenkins, Sione Pouha DE: Shaun Ellis, Mike Devito, Vernon Gholston, Ropati Pitoitua ILB: David Harris, Bart Scott, Lance Laury, Brashton Satele OLB: Calvin Pace, Bryan Thomas, Jason Taylor, Jamaal Westerman, Kenwin Cummings, Cory Reamer CB: Darrelle Revis (PR), Antonio Cromartie, Kyle Wilson, Dwight Lowery, Drew Coleman, Marquice Cole, Donovan Warren S: Jim Leonhard (SS), Brodney Pool (FS), Eric Smith (SS/FS), James Ihedigbo (FS/CB), Emmanuel Cook Oakland Raiders QB: As camp got underway on Wednesday, Head Coach Tom Cable confirmed the obvious – Jason Campbell will be the team’s starting quarterbback this season. Cable offered praise for Campbell’s "leadership and professionalism" noting that the team has responded. Bruce Gradkowski will likely backup Campbell, although Charlie Frye and Kyle Boller are also in the mix for that spot. After finishing last year as the team’s starting QB, Gradkowski responded with a positive attitude towards his new role. "You could take it two ways," he said. "I feel like I would be the best backup, but I also feel like I'd be the best starter. You have that confidence, and, whatever my role is, I know I'm going to be ready to play. We did it last year, and I'm going to do it again." RB: Cable was quoted earlier in the offseason as saying he wanted one of his two backs to emerge as a starter. However, as camp opened, he changed his tune a little saying he thinks that Michael Bush and Darren McFadden will have a great battle in camp, but that they could end up splitting carries. Given their complementary skills, Bush may end up being the primary runner with McFadden getting the bulk of the third-down work as the better receiver of the two. For his part, McFadden is eager to put his nagging injuries behind him and produce. “I want to show people I can go out there and run the ball,“ McFadden said Sunday. “I know I haven’t had the type of season I wanted to have the last couple of years, but I want to go out there and show people I can run the ball and it’s not just a lot of hype.“ Often described as going down too easily, Cable offered a slightly different opinion. “It’s not that he goes down too easily, he’s just been hurt too often.“ McFadden agreed, “That’s one of the main things that’s hurt me, being injured, you know if you’re injured you’re not even going to be able to get a chance to show what you can do. I’m going to do my best to stay healthy out there.“ WR: The offseason reports on Darrius Heyward-Bey are promising. He reported to camp bigger, stronger and ready to take a big step forward in his second season. Chaz Schilens, expected to be the team’s #1 receiver, continues to be in the same place he found himself for much of last year – the trainer’s room. He had X-rays on his left foot and missed both practices Friday after leaving Thursday’s afternoon practice with soreness in the same foot that required two surgeries to repair a broken fifth metatarsal bone. "There's no damage, anything like that," Cable said. "It's sore. We're going to have to work with him to find out what his workload is, what he can and can't do. We're going to have to deal with it, probably from here on out." Most likely, Schilens will be limited to one practice per day until he is past the soreness. Cable reiterated his confidence that Schilens will make a full recovery and that the team continues to envision him as their No. 1 receiver. As for DHB, he had a good start to camp and has caught nearly every pass thrown his way; which has earned him praise from teammates and coaches for his improvement. Campbell connected with DHB on a few nice passes in one practice. He ran a stop route, caught the ball then had a physical run after the catch, while catching a fade in the right corner inside the 5-yard line on another. He used a subtle push off to gain separation and make a catch on another play. Louis Murphy suffered a concussion in Friday’s afternoon practice. He was still sidelined on Sunday allowing rookie Jacoby Ford to get more snaps. Ford has looked good running routes so far, showing that he might be more than just another guy that can run fast. Johnny Lee Higgins will be pushed to make the roster this year. He had the biggest play in Thursday’s practice on a post against blown coverage from Charlie Frye. TE: The worst kept secret in camp is the plan to get Zach Miller more involved in the red zone this year with Jason Campbell bringing more stability to the Raiders passing game than what JaMarcus Russell offered a year ago. Campbell offered the following assessment on Miller: “Zach doesn’t have a whole lot of speed that he can try and outrun someone, but he’s going to use his ability and knowledge knowing how to run routes to get himself open,’’ Campbell said. “You can have a 4.4 guy on him or a 4.3 guy on him and somehow he always gets open. It’s not about how fast you can run from point A to point B but it’s about the details of your route.’’ Defense: The Raiders hope to be much better against the run this year with the addition of two key rookies – LB Rolando McClain and DL LaMarr Houston. Houston was inserted at left end with the first team defense while Richard Seymour moved inside to give the team a more physically imposing front line. Matt Shaughnessy and Tommy Kelly make up the right side of the defensive line while Kamerion Wimbley and Trevor Scott lined up as the starting outside linebackers flanking McClain. Jerry McDonald tweeted that Houston has been a fun player to watch, noting that he “plays with a lot of fire and has a knack for getting on the nerves of offensive linemen.” Cable added that he likes the team’s depth at linebacker referring to former starter Thomas Howard and newly acquired Quentin Groves. The team is also cautiously optimistic that DT John Henderson can still help stop the run. Download 0.59 Mb. Share with your friends:
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