Training Camp Update Volume 6, Issue 1 8/3/10
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- Chargers Depth Chart QB
- 49ers Depth Chart QB
- Red Bryant lining up at defensive end
- Seahawks Depth Chart QB
WR: Notably absent from training camp is Vincent Jackson. The Chargers’ disgruntled receiver is threatening to hold out the entire season, but could be traded before the October deadline. (The Redskins and Seahawks are reportedly interested.) The Chargers are reluctant to give Jackson the long-term contract he wants, in part because of his off-field issues (two DUIs, and caught driving with a suspended license on his way to the playoff game against the Jets), and in part because ~$50 million is a lot to spend on any wide receiver, no matter how skilled. In Jackson’s absence, Malcom Floyd is expected to be the team’s top wide receiver. In the last ten games of 2009, after moving into the starting lineup in place of Chris Chambers, Floyd caught 36 passes for 589 yards. Over the past two seasons, he has averaged 17.2 yards per catch. He is a big-play receiver with the speed to get deep, and the size and leaping ability to win jump balls. Legedu Naanee is expected to start opposite Floyd, and like Floyd, has an excellent size-speed combination and normally reliable hands. Naanee has 40 receptions so far in his three-year NFL career, and should get another 40+ receptions this season. Former first-round pick Craig “Buster” Davis has struggled through injuries for most of his three-year career, but is healthy now and is once again looking good in training camp. He is the favorite over free-agent acquisition Josh Reed to man the slot position. The fifth WR spot will likely go to an undrafted free agent, with Jeremy Williams the current favorite over Seyi Ajirotutu, Gary Banks, and Ernest Smith. Jeremy Williams is a decent sleeper in dynasty leagues, but likely won’t be active on game days this season even if me makes the final 53-man roster. TE: Antonio Gates led the Chargers with 79 catches last season, and had a career-best 1,157 yards to go with his 8 touchdowns. He averaged 14.6 yards per catch — tops in the league among tight ends. He was rewarded last week with a contract extension that makes him the highest-paid tight end in the league. Gates played through a foot injury last year, but rested it in the offseason and has felt fine so far in training camp. The Chargers signed free agent Randy McMichael in the offseason. He will likely be the Chargers’ second tight end, with veteran Kris Wilson — primarily a blocker — manning the third TE spot. Rookie seventh-round pick Dedrick Epps is in the mix, but is more realistically a candidate for the practice squad. Offensive Line: The Chargers’ offensive line struggled to open holes in the running game last season. Injuries were a partial excuse. They were without their starting center (Hardwick), right guard (Vasquez), and right tackle (Clary) for significant periods. They start training camp this year without starting left tackle Marcus McNeill, who is holding out for a long-term contract offer that may or may not be forthcoming. With McNeill absent, Brandyn Dombrowski and free-agent acquisition Tra Thomas will compete to start. Dombrowski is a solid run-blocker who lacks the quickness to be a stellar pass-blocker. Thomas is 35 years old and moves like it. Neither player has the potential to play at the same level as McNeill. Defense: The Chargers may not have any top fantasy prospects in their front seven, in part because they will rotate players so heavily that none will get enough snaps to rack up big numbers. They have nine solid (but unspectacular) defensive linemen in camp fighting for seven positions, and whichever seven make the final cut — it really is a wide open competition — all seven should see substantial action on game days. At outside linebacker, Shawne Merriman hasn’t reported to camp yet, but he is expected to show up before the start of the season. He and Shaun Phillips should start, but last year’s first-round pick, Larry English, is expected to play a lot this season. He has been one of the early stars of training camp this year, beating all the left tackles in camp pretty badly (though Marcus McNeill is absent). Inside, Stephen Cooper will start at one spot but will likely rotate with rookie third-round pick Donald Butler, who has proven to be a quick study so far. At the other ILB spot, Kevin Burnett will rotate with Brandon Siler. Burnett is better against the pass (both in coverage and on blitzes) while Siler is stronger against the run. In the secondary, Quentin Jammer will maintain his starting position on one side, while Antoine Cason will take over for Antonio Cromartie (traded to the Jets) on the other side. Cason is expected to be more consistent but less spectacular than Cromartie. At free safety, Eric Weddle has improved during each of the last two seasons, and will be expected to make more big plays this season. At strong safety, Steve Gregory started in the second half of the season last year, and enters training camp as the starter. But rookie fourth-round pick Darrell Stuckey is the favorite to become the starter by week one of the regular season. CB Donald Strickland is off to a strong start in camp, and will likely be the top nickel back. Nathan Vasher has the early edge over Brandon Hughes and Dante Hughes for the fourth CB spot. Special Teams: Although kicker Nate Kaeding is coming off a stellar 2009 regular season, his 2010 got off to rough start with the three missed FGs in playoff game and then a groin injury. In camp and preseason he’ll want to show that there are no lingering effects from either. Nick Novak was signed to handle spring kicking chores after Kaeding’s injury and remains on the roster heading into camp. Also still on the roster is punter Cort Johnson, who was out of football last year. He noted, "I graduated in 2008, so I put my life on hold turned down some jobs to pursue my dream. I definitely have the heart and determination to do it. It was a great sacrifice to put my life on hold, to train on my own, to spend money of my own -- money that sometimes I didn't have -- just to get noticed." He’ll serve as a camp leg to ease the load on starting punter Mike Scifres. David Binn is the lone long snapper on the roster. Chargers Depth Chart QB: Philip Rivers, Billy Volek, Jonathan Crompton RB: Ryan Mathews, Darren Sproles (KR/PR), Shawnbrey McNeal, Marcus Mason,Curtis Brinkley FB: Mike Tolbert, Jacob Hester WR: Vincent Jackson, Malcom Floyd , Legedu Naanee, Craig Davis, Jeremy Williams, Josh Reed, Seyi Ajirotutu, Gary Banks TE: Antonio Gates, Randy McMichael, Dedrick Epps K: Nate Kaeding, Nick Novak NT: Antonio Garay, Cam Thomas, Ogemdi Nwagbuo (inj), Ryon Bingham (inj) DE: Luis Castillo (inj), Jacques Cesaire, Vaughn Martin, Travis Johnson ILB: Stephen Cooper, Kevin Burnett (inj), Brandon Siler, Donald Butler OLB: Shawne Merriman (inj), Shaun Phillips (S), Larry English (W), James Holt,Jyles Tucker (inj), Antwan Applewhite (inj) CB: Quentin Jammer, Antoine Cason, Nathan Vasher, Simeon Castille, Donald Strickland, Brandon Hughes (inj) S: Eric Weddle (FS) (inj), Darrell Stuckey (SS), Steve Gregory (FS/SS), Paul Oliver (FS), C.J. Spillman San Francisco 49ers QB: Expectations are high for Alex Smith entering training camp. "They say I'm the guy. ... Hey, great," Smith said. "'I'm the guy' doesn't mean anything. I'm going to have to go out there in Game 1 and prove that I'm the guy. And then I'm going to have to go out in Game 2 and prove it again. I'm just at the point where it doesn't mean much to me. This league's not about talk." The 49ers have done enough to surround Smith with the talent needed to succeed; now it’s up to him to come through. Teammates like what they have seen from Smith, too. He has taken control of the huddle, demonstrated leadership and assured Head Coach Mike Singletary that he is ready to make the most of his opportunity. The team hopes so, as David Carr offers little hope as a backup although Nate Davis is an intriguing project entering his second year. So far in camp, Smith and the QBs have focused mostly on the short passing game. On one longer throw, Smith under threw the route and he was picked off by Dashon Goldson. He went 20-of-24 on the drill while Carr finished 7-of-12. RB: Frank Gore reported to camp at a svelte 215 pounds after going through his tough, annual workouts at Miami’s Tropical Park. Gore’s workout involved tying a truck tire around his waist and running forward, backward and sideways on the park’s hill. If he needed to kick it up a notch, he added weights. Gore looks primed for a big season as the team invested two first round picks in the offensive line and defenses won’t be able to focus on the run with Vernon Davis and Michael Crabtree emerging as big play threats. Fullback Brit Miller will give Moran Norris a run for the starting job this year after learning to play the position just a year ago. Miller’s special teams value will likely earn him a backup spot regardless. WR: Michael Crabtree feels like a rookie all over again having missed training camp last year. What will he gain from being at camp in his second season? "I think the first thing will be confidence," Mike Singletary said. "I think what he did last year showed a lot about the kind of talent he is, the kind of mindset that he has. The kid loves football. So what does he gain now? I think he gains a lot of confidence knowing that, 'I don't think I'm supposed to be here, I know I'm supposed to be in this position." Crabtree caught 48 passes for 625 yards and two TDs last year in 11 games without the benefit of camp. With that under his belt and a full offseason to learn the offense, Crabtree has a chance to take a big leap forward this year. Josh Morgan will start opposite him with Ted Ginn getting the first shot in the slot and returning kicks. Jason Hill, rookie Kyle Williams and Brandon Jones will compete for the last spot(s) along with rookie LeRoy Vann, who is more of a return specialist. TE: Vernon Davis noticed the big contract extension recently signed by the Chargers Antonio Gates, but he’s not overly concerned about it. He still expects to have a long-term deal in place before the regular season begins. Otherwise, he will be entering the final season of his contract. Davis is already a punishing blocker and Pro Bowl player, but he’s looking to improve in at least one key area this year – drops. David caught only 61% of his chances last year, which is on the low side, so he’ll need to improve that to maintain his productivity or perhaps Alex Smith will begin targeting Michael Crabtree more on those key plays. Backup Delanie Walker didn’t drop a pass last year and hopes to increase his production. Lastly, Nate Byham finishes out the group. The team hopes he can fill a blocking role. Defense: The team had all of its draft picks signed and ready for camp, but the same wasn’t true for holdout NT Aubrayo Franklin. Franklin was tagged as the team’s franchise player during the offseason and he may simply be holding out until the team is done with Singletary’s infamous “Nutcracker” drills. In his second straight contract year, Franklin may not want to risk the added contact or risk injury. Franklin has yet to accept his one-year, $7.003 million franchise tender. Ricky Jean-Francois had used Franklin’s absence to endear himself to the coaching staff as he continued his conversion to nose tackle. Singletary praised two players for their improvement - safety Dashon Goldson and outside linebacker Ahmad Brooks. "I think Dashon has really matured and gained more confidence as he's gotten more comfortable back there," Singletary said. Patrick Willis has embraced his role as a mentor to third-round pick Navorro Bowman. He stayed on the field after practice to work on his pass coverage skills, making sure Bowman did the same. “(Singletary) says all the time that he wants us to help those guys. Players learn better some times when they hear it from another player. If he has questions, I’ll help him.” Manny Lawson reported to camp in "tremendous physical condition" despite skipping the voluntary OTAs over his contract. Special Teams: While they may not receive as much publicity or money as their counterparts across the Bay, the 49ers specialists are experienced, cohesive, and possibly just as talented. Kicker Joe Nedney did his part to boost publicity during the offseason by beating a robot in a kicking duel. Punter Andy Lee and long snapper Brian Jennings were more low key. Heading into camp there is one other specialist on the roster – kicker Shane Andrus whom the 49ers re-signed during the offseason. He had been brought in for the final game of 2009 after an injury to Ricky Schmitt, who had been brought in for the next-to-last game after an injury to Nedney. He is expected to serve as a seasoned camp leg rather than as a challenger. 49ers Depth Chart QB: Alex Smith, David Carr, Nate Davis, Jarrett Brown RB: Frank Gore, Glen Coffee, Anthony Dixon FB: Moran Norris, Brit Miller, Michael Robinson, Jehuu Caulcrick WR: Michael Crabtree, Josh Morgan, Jason Hill, Ted Ginn (KR/PR), Brandon Jones, Kyle Williams (PR), LeRoy Vann (KR/PR) TE: Vernon Davis, Delanie Walker (KR), Nate Byham K: Joe Nedney (inj), Shane Andrus NT: Aubrayo Franklin (UFA-F), Ricky Jean Francois DE: Justin Smith (W/DE), Isaac Sopoaga (NT), Ray McDonald, Kentwan Balmer (inj), Demetric Evans (inj), Derek Walker ILB: Patrick Willis, Takeo Spikes, Scott McKillop, Navorro Bowman, Matt Wilhelm OLB: Manny Lawson, Parys Haralson, Ahmad Brooks, Marques Harris, Travis LaBoy CB: Shawntae Spencer, Nate Clements (FS/CB) (inj), Tarell Brown, Karl Paymah,Will James, Phillip Adams, Patrick Stoudamire S: Dashon Goldson (FS), Michael Lewis (SS), Reggie Smith (FS/PR), Taylor Mays (SS), Curtis Taylor (FS) (inj), Lewis Baker Seattle Seahawks QB: If there is one thing that could undermine Matt Hasselbeck’s potential bounce back season, it would be the lack of a blind-side protector. Top pick Russell Okung remains a holdout and one of the last of the first round picks to sign. If it weren’t for Okung not being on the field, the Seahawks camp started off well. On the first day of practice, Hasselbeck clearly stood out with his reads and the accuracy of his throws. Charlie Whitehurst has thrown the ball well, but Hasselbeck has a huge advantage with his understanding of the offense. On Sunday, Hasselbeck once again looked sharp. Against the starting defense at the end of practice, he finished the drive with a 25-yard touchdown to Deon Butler, who beat Kelly Jennings along the sidelines. Whitehurst had his moments, too. He threw a strike to TE John Carlson for twenty yards, but unfortunately fumbled the snap on the next play. Whitehurst is clearly getting more reps than J.P. Losman. Offensive coordinator Jeremy Bates plans to employ more bootlegs and has no reservations about Hasselbeck’s ability to run them. RB: The Seahawks were happy to see Leon Washington participate in the team’s first practice on Saturday. He passed all of his tests during the offseason and remains on track for the season opener. The team will limit him to individual drills at first as the team monitors whether he has regained his quickness and explosiveness. Washington said it felt good for now just to be back in pads. "I had a lot of juice in me. Just putting the pads on felt a little different because it's been since October since I put them on," he said. "But this was fun. Practice is energized. I can't wait to get that first carry and make things happen." If healthy, Washington will figure heavily in the mix for touches along with Justin Forsett and Julius Jones. Mike Sando reported that Forsett looked like the best of the group to him on the first day of practice. He and Jones are the current front runners, but expect Washington to become a factor. FB Owen Schmitt was sidelined for a few days with an elbow infection. WR: Deion Branch opened camp opposite T.J. Houshmandzadeh as the team’s starting receivers. Eric Williams, of the Tacoma News Tribune, believes the coaches are deferring to Branch's veteran status because he did nothing in the offseason. Branch at least made a few big plays in practices. He stayed with one ball after it was deflected to match the catch and turn it up field for a long gain. Branch’s surgically repaired knees will be something to watch, but for now, he’s in the driver seat. In Saturday’s practice, both Housh and Branch took the evening off along with Hasselbeck. In Saturday morning’s practice, rookie Golden Tate made the biggest play when he soared up into the air to snare a high pass that was barely out of the Marcus Trufant’s reach. Later in the drills, Tate delivered a brutal block downfield on rookie safety Kam Chancellor. In the same session, Mike Williams made a great catch on a dart from Hasselbeck in the middle of the field. When the team went to three receivers, Tate lined up with Houshmandzadeh and Branch. Tate made several nice catches over the weekend showing his potential as a playmaker. Williams has been a pleasant surprise for the Seahawks so far. Reporting at 233 pounds, Williams passed the conditioning test and has lowered his body fat. He has made an impact in practices, too. After spotting Tate talking to reporters, Williams ran over and jokingly asked Tate to carry his shoulder pads. Everyone enjoyed that one. TE: There were no nuggets from the Seahawks tight ends, save for John Carlson’s 20-yard catch that was among the practice highlights on Sunday. Chris Baker was signed to add depth behind Carlson while they drafted Anthony McCoy (former USC Trojan) and Jameson Konz. Defense: On Saturday, LB Aaron Curry laid some of the biggest hits with two of them coming against Justin Forsett. It spurred the first flair-up of camp. On Sunday, the running joke was that Curry was held out of practice because he was hitting his teammates too hard. As it turns out, it may have affected him, too. Will Herring moved onto the first unit alongside Lofa Tatupu and David Hawthorne with Curry sidelined. Leroy Hill continued working with the No. 2 defense. Safety Earl Thomas missed the opening of camp, but after signing his five-year, $21.1 million contract, was immediately inserted into the starting lineup at free safety. David Hawthorne, Chris Clemons and Marcus Trufant all had highlight plays for the defense on Saturday. The defensive line looks different with Red Bryant lining up at defensive end opposite Clemons. Lawrence Jackson worked with the second team. Lawyer Milloy opened camp as the first-team strong safety. Special Teams: During the offseason, the Seahawks retained the services of kicker Olindo Mare for another year with their franchise tag. He’s the only kicker on the roster and the only punter is Jon Ryan, who also serves as the holder for Mare on kicks. While those two positions have been and remain stable for the Seahawks, the long snapping position is a different story. Kevin Houser snapped most of last year until suffering a collapsed lung. Jeff Robinson snapped in the final two games, but was not re-signed. Patrick McDonald was added for awhile during the offseason but then released. Former IFL and UFL player Matt Overton was signed, broke his foot and released, but then eventually re-signed. He was almost the only long snapper on the roster heading into camp, however the Seahawks just claimed rookie Clint Gresham off of waivers from the Saints. Seahawks Depth Chart QB: Matt Hasselbeck, Charlie Whitehurst, Mike Reilly, J.P. Losman RB: Julius Jones, Justin Forsett (3RB/KR), Leon Washington (3RB/KR), Louis Rankin (KR), Quinton Ganther, Tyler Roehl FB: Owen Schmitt, Ryan Powdrell WR: T.J. Houshmandzadeh (inj), Deion Branch, Golden Tate, Deon Butler, Mike Williams, Ben Obomanu (KR), Ruvell Martin, Mike Hass (inj), Isaiah Stanback,Kole Heckendorf, Patrick Carter, Victor James TE: John Carlson, Chris Baker, Anthony McCoy, Cameron Morrah, Michael Allan K: Olindo Mare DT: Brandon Mebane, Colin Cole (NT), Kevin Vickerson, Craig Terrill DE: Red Bryant, Chris Clemons, Nick Reed, Lawrence Jackson, Ricky Foley,Dexter Davis, E.J. Wilson, Brandon Miller MLB: Lofa Tatupu OLB: Aaron Curry (S/W), David Hawthorne (W/M), Will Herring (S), Leroy Hill (W) (susp), Matt McCoy CB: Marcus Trufant, Josh Wilson (inj), Kelly Jennings, Walter Thurmond, Kennard Cox, Roy Lewis S: Earl Thomas (FS), Lawyer Milloy (SS), Jordan Babineaux (SS) , Kam Chancellor, Kevin Ellison, Quinton Teal, Jamar Adams Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB: Josh Freeman enters his second season as the team’s unquestioned starter having a full offseason and several starts as a rookie behind him for experience. "I feel really comfortable and I'm getting more reps. It's a little bit different when you're the number-one guy getting the majority of the reps, getting in there with the ones rather than getting maybe two a period like I was last year. I definitely feel like I'm getting more work. I have a lot better understanding of the offense. I'm really excited to see where this thing goes." To help his cause, the Bucs re-signed LT Donald Penn to a six-year, $43 million contract to lock up his blind-side protector for the next several years. Freeman, and backup Josh Johnson, got off to a rough start in camp as the defense generally was ahead of the offense on the first day. Dropped passes didn’t help, but they were mixed in with poor throws and generally poor play. "You're going to have fumbled snaps, you're going to have nervous jitters, all that stuff," Coach Raheem Morris said. "You want to get angry, and you will. I'll go yell at them when I go talk to those guys. But you expect it. They'll come out and do a great job of correcting it.” On Saturday, the biggest cheer from the crowd came when Johnson hit Michael Clayton on a bomb. Geno Hayes answered for the defense a coupleplays later with a pick over the middle. Finally, a cautionary tale of players leaving school too early. Sadly, Jevan Snead was waived by the team on the even of camp, unable to beat out Rudy Carpenter. RB: Carnell Williams entered camp as the clear cut starter for the Bucs, but after a couple days of practice, Williams was sidelined as "day to day" with a sprained ankle. Derrick Ward made a flashy entrance to camp that caught everyone’s attention. Ward drove up in a new black Lamborghini – still with a temporary tag – as players reported to camp. Ward said he is thrilled about the upcoming season and happy to be with his teammates. "I'm happier and more excited," Ward said. "I'm coming back with a new mentality this year and it's going to be a fun time at camp starting today," Ward said. "Everybody is excited. It's a new year. We're all 0-0. Everybody is in first place right now so I'm just ready to get back on the field and see what we can do this year." Earnest Graham’s focus this year is to become a Pro Bowl fullback. Graham noted that he’s not playing fullback just to get playing time, adding that he thinks he can be very effective in that role. Expect him to catch the ball and possibly get a few touches near the goal line, too. WR: Training camp seems to be a tale of two rookies for Mike Williams and Arrelious Benn. As camp opened, Williams was running with the first team a majority of the time at split end. Asked why a rookie is getting so much action with the starters, Coach Morris said, "He’s earned it." Williams was the team’s most explosive receiver during spring drills and probably the best receiver on the team. Bucs GM Mark Dominik said that he’s anxious to see Benn in pads after he was overshadowed in the spring by Williams. Benn is the more physical of the two and known for his ability to break tackles and block. Yet Benn "continues to make you wonder if he will ever impress." Benn and Williams are competing with veterans Reggie Brown and Michael Clayton for starting spots. Sammie Stroughter is thought to have an inside track on the slot receiver role. On Sunday, the offense bounced back when Freeman found Stroughter deep down the middle seam between a pair of defenders for a long gain. In the morning practice both Williams and Benn dropped passes. Freeman couldn't contain a smile when he was asked about Mike Williams’ effort in practice. "A heck of a day," Freeman said. Williams dropped an easy pass, but later made up for it with several acrobatic catches. In his first pro practice with pads, he played with the poise and athleticism that he flashed during OTAs. Download 0.59 Mb. Share with your friends:
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