Training Camp Update Volume 9, Issue 2 8/12/14
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- Alex Kupper
- Indianapolis Colts QB
- Allen is the top tight end on the depth chart
- Pro Football Focus charted Hughes
- Thomas Austin
- Colts Depth Chart QB
- Jacksonville Jaguars QB
RB: The RB depth chart, beyond Arian Foster, is in complete upheaval. Arian Foster and Andre Brown were inactive against the Cardinals, giving Johnathan Grimes the start. Grimes gained 39 yards on 10 carries. Rookie Alfred Blue also worked with the first team and ran for 30 yards on five carries highlighted by a 14-yarder. On Monday, Andre Brown, Dennis Johnson and Tim Cornett were released – and replaced by Ronnie Brown and William Powell. Beat writers believe this cements Grimes as the primary backup, but it’s hard to take a firm stance on the depth chart given what just transpired. As if anyone needed any excuses to lay off Foster in the second round of drafts, he revealed last week that he contemplated retirement after last year’s season-ending back injury and spending some time with Texas legend and former league MVP Earl Campbell. "Any time an athlete goes through an injury like that -- a back, a neck, even knees or hips, something that puts you out for the entire season -- you kind of re-evaluate your life," said Foster, who will celebrate his 28th birthday later this month. WR: Andre Johnson continues to nurse his hamstring and has not resumed practicing since tweaking it on July 28th. As Johnson takes his time getting back to 100%, 2nd year DeAndre Hopkins is starring. Team scribe John Harris noted that Hopkins is “ready for the next step." With Johnson missing all of OTAs and most of camp, Hopkins has caught on quickly to the new scheme. "He's a very hard worker. ... He's a guy that really, in our opinion, gets better and better every day," head coach Bill O'Brien said. Hopkins’ ADP remains relatively low considering his talent level, but much of that has to do with the team’s iffy quarterback situation and Fitzpatrick’s underwhelming arm. That might not last long, though, if Hopkins continues to make leaping catches as he has in the first two weeks of camp. Even Johnson took notice of Hopkin’s increased confidence and improving rapport with Fitzpatrick. Mike Thomas is pushing DeVier Posey and Keshawn Martin for the team’s No. 3 job. Thomas led Texans receivers with 4-40-0 against the Cardinals and his solid play in camp continues, but it would still be a minor surprise if Thomas ends up winning that spot over Posey or Martin. Posey is taking advantage of Johnson’s missed time running with the ones opposite Hopkins and making some impressive catches during 11-on-11s. On Friday, the team released undrafted rookie Kofi Hughes. TE: Another mild surprise has been the play of rookie third-round pick C.J. Fiedorowicz, who is running ahead of second-year Ryan Griffin as the in-line tight end opposite “move” tight end Garrett Graham. It looks like O’Brien will feature the ‘12’ formation prominently as his base offense. Griffin performed well when called upon late last season after injuries thrust him into the starting lineup, but Fiedorowicz was drafted by O’Brien, perhaps giving him a leg up. On Friday, Fiedorowicz made a nice grab going against Shiloh Keo. He didn’t catch a ton of passes at Iowa but has shown consistently good hands in camp. Earlier in the week, the team released their unofficial depth chart that listed Fiedorowicz as a third-teamer but the team’s beat writers all confirmed Griffin seems to have fallen behind the rookie in practices. Defense: Much of the news from the defensive side of the ball centered around three of the team’s top players. Bob McNair made comments to ESPN about potentially using the franchise tag on DE J.J. Watt if needed. "You've got guys in the Hall of Fame that have been franchised in back-to-back years," McNair said. "The franchise tag is worth something to the team, and you can't be afraid to use it." Watt is under contract through 2015 and McNair made is clear that he wants Watt to be a Texan for many seasons to come. When he gets a new contract, Watt is likely to become the highest-paid non-quarterback in the league. Top pick Jadeveon Clowney returned to practice on Thursday and he came up with a tackle for a loss against Arizona; popping Stepfan Taylor in the backfield for a five-yard loss. He narrowly missed a sack on Carson Palmer, but Watt got there first. Clowney was tested in coverage as John Carlson beat him for a touchdown in the first half on a play that ended up coming back due to a penalty. O’Brien said he’s managing Clowney and Johnathan Joseph as they’re both coming back from offseason surgeries. Joseph expects to be fine for the regular season. Safety D.J. Swearinger, a former teammate of Clowney’s at South Carolina, is giving the team a bit of swagger with his non-stop talking during practices and games. "He talks trash all day. We'll be at the house and he's still talking trash," said teammate (safety) Eddie Pleasant. One battle that remains unsettled is who will start inside at linebacker next to Brian Cushing. It remains a close competition between four guys - Mike Mohamed, Justin Tuggle, Jeff Tarpinian and rookie Max Bullough. With Cushing still on the PUP, Tuggle and Tarpinian have been running with the ones. K/P: The preseason opener didn’t tell us much about the kicking competition between Randy Bullock and rookie Chris Boswell. Bullock sent the opening kickoff six yards shy of the goal line, and the both sat on the bench while the Texans were shut out. So far in practices, Boswell may have a very slight edge. Boswell did get a chance to punt against the Cardinals, averaging 47.3 yards on three punts. Starter Shane Lechler averaged 49 yards on three punts. OL: Despite the 32-0 final score against the Cardinals, the Texans’ first team offensive line actually played well. The running game was consistent, despite starting right guard Brandon Brooks still not being available for action. Brooks’ injury, plus those of Cody White and Will Yeatman, have left the depth somewhat lacking. Alex Kupper did an okay job in place of Brooks, but he was sometimes overmatched. Rookie Xavier Su’a-Filo is playing left tackle with the second team due to all the injuries there. Left tackle Duane Brown publicly came out in support of starting quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, despite his 14.6 rating in the exhibition. Texans Depth Chart QB: Ryan Fitzpatrick, Case Keenum, Tom Savage RB: Arian Foster (inj), Jonathan Grimes, Alfred Blue, Ronnie Brown, William Powell FB: Jay Prosch, Toben Opurum WR: Andre Johnson, DeAndre Hopkins, Keshawn Martin (KR/PR),Devier Posey, Mike Thomas (KR/PR), Alec Lemon, Anthony McClung, Travis Labhart, Uzoma Nwachukwu, Lacoltan Bester, Joe Adams, Alan Bonner (IR) TE: Garrett Graham, C.J. Fiedorowicz, Ryan Griffin, Zach Potter, Anthony Denham LT: Duane Brown, Will Yeatman LG: Ben Jones, Xavier Su’a-Filo C: Chris Myers, Cody White (IR) RG: Alex Kupper, Brandon Brooks (inj), Conor Boffeli, Bronson Irwin RT: Derek Newton, Tyson Clabo, Brice Schwab K: Randy Bullock, Chris Boswell NT: Jerrell Powe, Louis Nix (inj), Ricardo Mathews, David Hunter, Austin Brown DE: J.J. Watt, Jared Crick, Tim Jamison, Jeoffrey Pagan, Keith Browner, Julius Warmsley ILB: Brian Cushing, Jeff Tarpinian (S), Justin Tuggle, Mike Mohamed, Max Bullough, Akeem Dent, Paul Hazel, Chris Young OLB: Jadeveon Clowney, Whitney Mercilus, Brooks Reed, Ricky Sapp, Quentin Groves, Lawrence Sidbury CB: Johnathan Joseph, Kareem Jackson, Brandon Harris, Elbert Mack, Josh Victorian, Andre Hal, A.J. Bouye, Marcus Williams S: D.J. Swearinger (SS), Kendrick Lewis (FS), Chris Clemons (FS), Shiloh Keo (FS), Eddie Pleasant (SS), Jawanza Starling (SS), Lonnie Ballentine (FS) Indianapolis Colts QB: Andrew Luck continues to do nothing to shake anyone’s confidence in his ability to be a high-end quarterback this season. Luck went 4/5 for 53 yards against Rex Ryan and the Jets defense in Week One of the preseason. The third-year passer looked smart, efficient and was willing to take shots on a weak secondary. His surgical approach to the game bodes well for his prospects in any potential up-tempo offense, where he is the featured player. Yet, at least one Colts’ veteran wondered aloud whether that was the best course of action. Backup Matt Hasselback opined that the Colts might be putting a little too much on Luck’s shoulders too fast. While this is just one man’s opinion, there might some clues here. Hasselback’s worries at least lead you to believe that Indianapolis is gearing up to run an offense built with Luck and the passing game as the foundation. As for Matt Hasselback himself, he was excellent in the preseason opener. That’s to be expected from a longtime, experienced player battling second stringers. Third string quarterback, Chandler Harnish, went 4/7 for 16 yards and didn’t look like he belonged. RB: All the glowing reports surrounding Trent Richardson did not materialize on the field against the Jets. Richardson took his five carries for a meager 13 yards. It didn’t look like he was any more explosive, or decisive, than the 2013 rendition of himself. It doesn’t help matters that a shallow offensive line continues to lose players to injury. The latest news surrounding the Colts’ starter involves a new mentor in Edgerrin James. Indianapolis’ brain trust is hoping their former franchise icon can assist Richardson in making the necessary tune-ups. It remains to be seen whether that will help matters. A different running back caught observers’ eyes against the Jets, and that was Dan Herron. The 212-pound back hasn’t done much at the NFL level, but rumbled through the New York backups. What’s even more important is that he chipped in with six receptions out of the backfield. With Ahmad Bradshaw’s injury history, Herron bears watching. WR: During the first training camp report, everything surrounding Hakeem Nicks indicated his working with the first team. And while Nicks continues to insist he’s in “the best shape of his life”, the buzz seems to be dying down fast. Pep Hamilton gave about the farthest thing from an endorsement possible by saying, “I don't know if I can say that I've seen enough. I think he is still working to get himself in game shape.” You’d like to hear better quotes from the offensive coordinator, and time appears to be of the essence for Nicks. On the other hand, he did catch a sideline pass from Andrew Luck early in the first preseason game. T.Y. Hilton looks to have a strong hold on the title of the top dog in the passing game. With Reggie Wayne resting, Hilton snared three passes for 38 yards against the Jets. He looked in gear, and ready to be a reliable target beyond the deep portions of the field. Da’Rick Rogers and Donte Moncrief were each targeted twice, but only hauled in one catch apiece. Although, Moncrief was the receiver on field with Andrew Luck and company during the first drive of the game. TE: During the preseason loss to the Jets, Dwayne Allen and Coby Fleener both saw time with the ones. In fact, there were a few plays where both tight ends were on the field together. Neither play did much to stand out in the passing game. Both failed to catch a pass in limited action. However, Allen was noticeably used as an inline blocker on several occasions. While it’s not sexy, this is part of his appeal. If the Colts stick with a power run offense, he can help seal the edge for Trent Richardson. Should they go pass happy, Allen can chip in as a sixth blocker and assist a troubled offensive line. Blocking is part of the reason Allen is the top tight end on the depth chart, and the main man to monitor at the position. It’s clear Pep Hamilton missed Dwayne Allen last season. The offensive coordinator called his tight end “Robocop” and gushed about him as a player. Defense: The Colts defense kept the Geno Smith led Jets out of the end zone, and a few players stood out. Last year’s first round pick, Bjoern Werner, was one of the defenders with an eye-opening performance. He took snaps with the first team, while playing with intensity and physicality. Bleacher Report’s Kyle Rodriguez noted it was the fastest he’s ever seen Werner play during his time in Indianapolis. The Colts need Werner to step up and be a cornerstone of the defense. The early returns seem positive. Montori Hughes received nice reviews from the coaches during the early parts of camp, and he brought his good play to the field. Pro Football Focus charted Hughes with a quarterback hurry and defensive stop against the Jets. It looks like the big man continues to exceed expectations in his battle for a role. The Colts defense held up well considering they were without cornerstones like Robert Mathis, Vontae Davis and Laron Landry. Chuck Pagano thought, “The effort was outstanding” and “the tackling was good. The defense, other than one drive where we shot ourselves in the foot, played outstanding”. K/P: Adam Vinatieri made a 39-yard field goal in the preseason loss to the Jets, but was wide left on a 29-yard attempt at the end of the first half. Punter, holder, and kickoff specialist Pat McAfee got off to slow start, sending his first punt only 31 yards and out of bounds. He regrouped and ultimately averaged 46.5 yards on six punts during the game. McAfee noted: “First ball hailed from Shankesville, but some bombs followed.” Camp leg Cody Parkey had touchbacks on two of his three kickoffs. OL: Injuries are stacking up for the Colts’ offensive line. Starting center Khaled Holmes is out three weeks with an ankle sprain. The injury looked more serious at the time and the team hopes to have him back for Week 1 of the regular season. Undrafted rookie Jonotthan Harrison out of Florida replaced Holmes during the game against the New York Jets and had a mixed performance. Harrison had two bad snaps and the team signed Thomas Austin less than a day later. Rookie Jack Mewhort played decently at left guard and also could be an option at center, if needed. Backup tackle Ulrick John suffered a broken ankle during the Jets game and he should be out for an extended period. Colts Depth Chart QB: Andrew Luck, Matt Hasselbeck, Chandler Harnish RB: Trent Richardson, Ahmad Bradshaw, Dan Herron, Zurlon Tipton, Davin Meggett, Phillip Tanner, Vick Ballard (IR) FB: Stanley Havili (PUP), Mario Harvey, Cam White WR: Reggie Wayne, T.Y. Hilton (KR/PR), Hakeem Nicks, Donte Moncrief, Da′Rick Rogers, Grif Whalen, Josh Lenz, Ryan Lankford, Eric Thomas, Tony Washington, Nu′Keese Richardson TE: Dwayne Allen, Coby Fleener, Jack Doyle, Weslye Saunders, Erik Swoope LT: Anthony Castonzo, Jack Breckner LG: Jack Mewhort, Lance Louis, Donald Thomas (IR) C: Khaled Holmes, Joe Reitz RG: Hugh Thornton, Eric Pike RT: Gosder Cherilus, Xavier Nixon, John Ulrick K: Adam Vinatieri, Cody Parkey NT: Josh Chapman, Montori Hughes, Brandon McKinney, Fili Moala (IR) DE: Cory Redding, Arthur Jones, Ricky Jean-Francois, Zach Kerr, Tyler Hoover, Nnamdi Obukwelu, Gannon Conway ILB: Jerrell Freeman (W), D′Qwell Jackson, Kelvin Sheppard (M), Josh McNary, Andrew Jackson, Shawn Loiseau, Henoc Muamba OLB: Robert Mathis (susp), Erik Walden (S) (susp), Bjoern Werner, Jonathan Newsome, Andy Studebaker, Cam Johnson, Phillip Hunt, Jonathon Sharpe, Aaron Morgan (IR) CB: Vontae Davis, Greg Toler, Darius Butler, Sheldon Price, Josh Gordy, Marcus Burley, Loucheiz Purifoy, Johnny Adams, Kameron Jackson, Qua Cox S: LaRon Landry (FS), Sergio Brown (FS), Delano Howell (FS), David Sims (SS), Colt Anderson, Mike Adams, Dewey McDonald Jacksonville Jaguars QB: The team remains firm in its stance that Blake Bortles will redshirt his rookie season, but Bortles’ fine performance in the preseason opener might force the coaches to reconsider the strategy. The third overall pick was on top of his game completing 7-of-11 passes for 117 yards in relief of starter Chad Henne, working with the second-team against the Buccaneers second-team defense. "I thought he did a nice job," Head Coach Gus Bradley said. "He's shown some good poise. ... I thought he did some good things. I know that there's some things Jedd and I quickly talked about with the quarterbacks --areas of improvement. But the poise factor; we wanted to see that, and he did a nice job." The poise Bradley referred to was when Bortles stood tall in the pocket, took a shot to his face and still completed a 31-yard pass to Mike Brown. He only had one bad throw in four series, but still only mustered three points as three of his incompletions were drops – two by Brown and one by Chad Bumphis. Two other completions were negated by offensive pass interference penalties. "Felt pretty comfortable," Bortles said. "Felt comfortable with the plays Jedd was calling. Felt comfortable with the reads and where to go with the ball. That's just something that I have to get more [predisposed] to and more comfortable with. That'll take place over however long. I'll continue to study and continue to ask questions and try to learn." Henne also played four series completing 4-of-7 for 30 yards as the offensive line struggled to open lanes for the running game and center Mike Brewster sailed two shotgun snaps over Henne’s head for a combined loss of 37 yards. Bortles has yet to take a single snap with the first-team offense in camp. RB: Toby Gerhart (hip) hoped to play against the Bucs, but he was inactive after being sidelined since August 1st. Gus Bradley is playing it cautiously with his new starting running back. His availability for the season opener is not in question and he should be good to go by the team’s third preseason game. "He's made great progress but we just felt like at this point in time, for the number of carries he's going to get in there, we'd rather have that recovery time," Bradley said. Jordan Todman got the starting nod in Gerhart’s absence. With the line struggling he gained only five yards on five carries and he caught one pass for six yards. Robinson performed well against the Bucs second-team defense as he took a pitch 23 yards around the left end untouched for a touchdown that gave the Jaguars the lead for good. He finished with 36 yards on seven carries. Johnson ran nine times for 21 yards and he was the second back in the game after Todman. Undrafted rookie Terrance Cobb, out of Cumberland College, got some reps late in the game with six carries for 13 yards and one catch for 2 yards. WR: Cecil Shorts (hamstring) said he is ahead of schedule after running at 100% in a straight line during practice last week. Shorts was inactive against the Bucs and has been sidelined since suffering a Grade 2 hamstring strain on July 25. Second round pick Allen Robinson has also been sidelined with a hamstring strain since July 31. Tandon Doss suffered a severely sprained ankle on August 1st and is sidelined indefinitely. Rookie free agent Damian Copeland was placed on injured reserve with a wrist injury. Undrafted rookie Nathan Slaughter suffered a sprained foot and is out for several weeks. Beyond that, Ace Sanders is suspended for four games and Justin Blackmon most likely for the year. That left the cupboard bare for the Jags as rookie Marqise Lee and third-year backup Mike Brown started on Friday night. Even Brown was a question mark, though, after leaving Wednesday’s practice early with a tight hamstring. Brown and undrafted rookie Allen Hurns turned in decent performances with two catches each. Brown hauled in a 31-yard catch while Hurns had a 24-yard reception. Brown was recently praised by receivers coach Jerry Sullivan as he dubbed him the team’s best receiver through the first week or so in camp. Of course, that’s after six different players, Brown included, succumbed to injury. The surprise of the evening was the lack of involvement from Lee, who wasn’t targeted at all while playing with the first team and he finished without a catch. Lee has been the most impressive rookie on the team through the first two weeks of camp, but after the game Gus Bradley questioned Lee’s effort. "That’s one of those things we’re looking at. Run your routes [like the football] is coming to you," Bradley said. "I’d like to visit with him about what happened. He could have done some things more precise. It wasn’t exactly where we need him to be." The coaches want more consistency out of Lee, but make no mistake; he has been impressive enough that his highlights prompted Jaguars.com writer John Oehser to write last week that “this guy has … it.” Shorts agreed, “You see flashes of why he was so coveted coming out.” Directory: 2014 2014 -> For want of a nail 2014 -> The Global Warming that Wasn’t 2014 -> Assembly, No. 3901 state of new jersey 216th legislature 2014 -> Stop Militarizing Law Enforcement Act of 2014 2014 -> Ihbb asian Championships 2014 middle school bowl Round 4 First Quarter 2014 -> Unit: Automotive and Auto Body 2014 -> Ihbb european Championships 2014 Bowl Round 4 First Quarter 2014 -> International History Bee and Bowl 2013-14 Asian Division Question Set Bowl Round Six 2014 -> United states patent and trademark office 2014 -> Walnut creek, ca branch executive committee meeting minutes Download 1.05 Mb. Share with your friends:
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