Training Camp Update Volume 9, Issue 2 8/12/14
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- John Greco
- Jason Pinkston
- Dallas Cowboys QB
- QB coach Wade Wilson highlighted Romo’s Saturday efforts
- Cowboys Depth Chart QB
- Denver Broncos QB
- Broncos Depth Chart QB
WR: The league hasn’t given a timetable for a final decision on Josh Gordon’s appeal of his indefinite suspension. The team hopes that the punishment will be reduced to eight games but legal observers have said that the suspension is an all-or-nothing decision. There would have to be negotiations between the league and the player for a reduced suspension; those negotiations reportedly have yet to happen. Gordon started the preseason game alongside Miles Austin, with Andrew Hawkins filling the third wide receiver role in passing packages. Austin looked healthy and was targeted three times. One of those targets was a bad drop down the sideline on a Hoyer play fake and bootleg that would have resulted in a big gain inside the five yard line. Nate Burleson (hamstring) and Travis Benjamin (knee) did not play, which opened up playing time for Anthony Armstrong (1 target, 1 catch, six yards), Charles Johnson (6 targets, 3 catches, 30 yards) and Taylor Gabriel (7 targets, 3 catches, 32 yards). Johnson was the most impressive, showing some separation and open field running ability on short routes and screens. He’s a big receiver that should be able to get open downfield. Expect both Burleson and Benjamin to see live action soon. Willie Snead drew some praise during practice last week but wasn’t able to make a play on his three targets in the second half. TE: Jordan Cameron has an AC sprain. The team says it’s just being cautious with their starting tight end and there are no indications his injury is significant enough to last into the regular season. Jim Dray started in Cameron’s place, but H-back MarQueis Gray was the most productive of the backup tight ends. He got open out of the backfield often and turned an outlet pass into a 28-yard gain in the first quarter. Defense: The first team defense allowed a field goal to a first team Detroit offense who played one series and was without Calvin Johnson. The front seven played the run and pass well and did not give up any splash plays. Paul Kruger and Barkevious Mingo started at outside linebacker, with Jabaal Sheard working in on some packages. Mingo was aggressive pursuing the run and easily won a back-on-backer confrontation for a sack in his second series. Craig Robertson drew the start next to Karlos Dansby, but Christian Kirksey continues to impress in practice and it may not be long until the rookie takes over. Rookie first round pick Justin Gilbert missed the preseason game with a reportedly minor groin strain. K/P: Last week, kicker Billy Cundiff discussed his NFL travels: “When I was out, I knew I had the talent. I was getting enough feedback from scouts on numerous NFL teams saying I had the talent. My wife and agent kept me focused. I was always ready when I had a tryout. When I’m done with this, I don’t ever want to say, ‘I wish I would have.’ I know I’ve given everything I have.” This week he accounted for all of the Browns’ scoring in the loss to Detroit, with field goals of 43, 26, 41 and 41 yards. OL: When pitted against a pretty good Lions defensive line, the Browns’ first team offensive line kept starting quarterback Brian Hoyer’s jersey clean. The line was led by an outstanding effort by right guard John Greco. Greco executed a vicious “de-cleater” hit against Lions’ defensive end Darryl Tapp. The play initially drew a flag but the referees conferred and picked it up. Greco has been battling Garrett Gilkey in camp, but it seems increasingly unlikely that Gilkey can overcome Greco in preseason. Meanwhile, guard Jason Pinkston’s blood clot condition has returned; he is likely to retire. Browns Depth Chart QB: Brian Hoyer, Johnny Manziel, Rex Grossman, Connor Shaw RB: Ben Tate, Dion Lewis, Terrance West, Isaiah Crowell, Edwin Baker, Jamaine Cook FB: Chris Ogbonnaya, Chris Pressley WR: Josh Gordon (susp), Andrew Hawkins, Miles Austin, Charles Johnson, Nate Burleson, Willie Snead, Travis Benjamin (PR/KR),Marlon Moore, Tim Smith TE: Jordan Cameron, Gary Barnidge, MarQueis Gray, Keavon Milton, Jim Dray, Andre Smith, Kyle Auffray, Martell Webb LT: Joe Thomas, Reid Fragel, Chris Faulk LG: Joel Bitonio, Paul McQuistan C: Alex Mack RG: John Greco, Garrett Gilkey, Jason Pinkston RT: Mitchell Schwartz, Martin Wallace K: Billy Cundiff, Brandon Bogotay NT: Phil Taylor (DE), Ishmaa′ily Kitchen DE: Ahtyba Rubin (NT), Desmond Bryant, Billy Winn, Armonty Bryant, John Hughes, Cam Henderson ILB: Karlos Dansby, Christian Kirksey, Craig Robertson, Tank Carder, Keith Pough OLB: Paul Kruger (S), Jabaal Sheard, Barkevious Mingo, Eric Martin, Darius Eubanks, Jamaal Westerman CB: Joe Haden, Justin Gilbert, Buster Skrine, Leon McFadden, Pierre Desir, Isaiah Trufant, Jordan Poyer, T.J. Heath, Aaron Berry S: Donte Whitner (SS), Tashaun Gipson (FS) (inj), Johnson Bademosi (FS/KR), Jim Leonhard (FS), Josh Aubrey (SS) Dallas Cowboys QB: Tony Romo has been smart about his recovery from offseason back surgery; making sure to not overdue early practices as he did coming back from his first back injury last year. Although Romo sat out of this week’s preseason contest versus the Chargers, he and his coaches are pleased with the pace of his recovery. Romo told the press this week about the importance of core strength in combating his back injuries: "Not everyone knows but once you have back surgery you kind of have to change the way you do things," Romo said. "You have to constantly work on your glutes, your hamstrings, your abs and strengthen everything around that area and so life will be different after that. But that doesn't mean you can't do the things that it takes to be successful on the field or whatever you want to do. There's been plenty of people who've done it. You just got to go do it. It just takes work." Both head coach Jason Garrett and QB coach Wade Wilson highlighted Romo’s Saturday efforts, indicating he is finally starting to look like himself. Brandon Weeden got the start against San Diego and played well (13-for-17 for 107 yards and a touchdown) including the Cowboys lone score of the night – a 4-yard touchdown to backup TE James Hanna. It’s difficult to read too much into Weeden’s performance, and given his play in Cleveland would be a high risk proposition to all the Cowboys skill players if he had to step in for an injured Romo. Dustin Vaughan was less successful (7-of-14 for 80 yards) while Caleb Hanie played sparingly (2-of-4 for 17 yards and two sacks). RB: Neither Demarco Murray nor Lance Dunbar played against the Chargers, although both are healthy and have looked good throughout the early preseason. Their absence provided Joseph Randle and Ryan Williams chances to stake their claims on the RB3 role. Randle led the Cowboys with 13 carries for 50 yards (3.8 per carry) while Williams logged 8 carries for 29 yards (3.6 per carry). Williams caught five receptions for 31 yards, showing he can be a capable 3rd down option when needed. Williams and Randle are likely fighting for one roster spot, and special teams may ultimately be the deciding factor. Beat writer Bryan Broaddus notes Randle serves as a personal protector on punt duties, which could make the difference if their running skills are on even keel. In related news, Broaddus questions whether the Cowboys will keep a fullback on the active roster. WR: Dez Bryant has looked dominant in the early weeks of camp; not surprising but notable considering the presence of OC Scott Linehan – the play-caller that’s led Calvin Johnson to dominance in Detroit. Bryant, like many of the Cowboys top skill players, sat out against the Chargers. Terrance Williams played and caught two receptions for 19 yards and has been locked in with a string of great practices over the last week. The backup roles remain in flux, particularly with Dwayne Harris struggling. Harris failed to catch a pass against the Chargers (targeted only once) and then had multiple drops on Saturday – on a day when the passing offense was clicking otherwise. Rookie Devin Street led the team with 43 yards receiving (4 receptions) while Jamar Newsome (3 for 38 yards), Tim Benford (3 for 23 yards) and Cole Beasley (1 for 6 yards) all figured into the box score. TE: With Jason Witten sitting out against the Chargers, it was James Hanna shining (2 receptions and the Cowboys lone touchdown) over more heralded backup Gavin Escobar. Escobar had a 26-yard gain but was otherwise uninvolved in the offense. Neither poses a threat to Witten’s playing time once the regular season gets underway. Defense: It’s important not to overvalue the early preseason but the Cowboys porous defense vs. the Chargers did little to assuage the belief that Dallas’ defense is going to be a problem throughout the season. San Diego only attempted 16 passes (completing the first 12 attempts) and was able to control the game on the ground (42 carries for 153 yards and 2 touchdowns). The final score (27-7) could’ve been worse had Dallas not come up with two goal-line stops. Optimists will point to those stops (including a forced fumble) as a sign that Dallas can “bend and not break” while the pessimist will note that San Diego was moving up and down the field at will against the 1s, 2s and 3s. K/P: Last week, rookie punter Cody Mandell commented: “It has been hard to find that balance sometimes, but it has been fun. I am out here to earn a job and play in the NFL.” He appeared to help his cause in the preseason opener by averaging 43.7 yards on three punts, placing all of them inside the 20-yard line. Incumbent Chris Jones averaged 38.5 yards on two punts. Mandell was released two days later, and the team suggested they may add a kicker to ease Dan Bailey’s preseason workload. Bailey kicked an extra point in the loss to the Chargers. OL: The overall news from the Cowboys’ preseason has been very positive. Tyron Smith absolutely embarrassed Martez Wilson in pass rush drills. A beat writer calls this, “the best line Tony Romo has ever played behind.” Still, the left guard spot remains a concern. Both Mackenzy Bernadeau and Ronald Leary played at sub-replacement level in the first preseason game against the Chargers, giving up pressures and penalties. Bernadeau showed some push in the run game and was working with the second team as a center, which helps with depth. He probably has the lead at this point, but it is also possible that the team finds another outside option at the position, as they did with Brian Winters last year. Cowboys Depth Chart QB: Tony Romo, Brandon Weeden, Caleb Hanie, Dustin Vaughan RB: DeMarco Murray, Lance Dunbar, Joseph Randle, Ryan Williams, Ben Malena FB: Tyler Clutts, JC Copeland WR: Dez Bryant, Terrence Williams, Dwayne Harris (KR/PR), Cole Beasley, Devin Street, Jamar Newsome, LaRon Byrd, Chris Boyd, Tim Benford, Dezmon Briscoe TE: Jason Witten, Gavin Escobar, James Hanna, Jordan Najvar LT: Tyron Smith, Darrion Weems LG: Ronald Leary, Mackenzy Bernadeau C: Travis Frederick RG: Zack Martin RT: Doug Free, Jermey Parnell K: Dan Bailey DT: Henry Melton, Nick Hayden, Ken Bishop (NT), Ben Bass, Amobi Okoye, Terrell McClain, Chris Whaley (IR) DE: George Selvie, Demarcus Lawrence (inj), Jeremy Mincey, Anthony Spencer, Tyrone Crawford, Ben Gardner, Ken Boatright, Adewale Ojomo MLB: Justin Durant (S), Anthony Hitchens, Rolando McClain, Will Smith, Orie Lemon (RFA), Sean Lee (IR) OLB: Bruce Carter (W), Kyle Wilber (S), DeVonte Holloman (S/M),Martez Wilson, Caesar Rayford, Jonathan Stewart, Cameron Lawrence CB: Brandon Carr, Orlando Scandrick (susp), Morris Claiborne, B.W. Webb, Sterling Moore, Terrance Mitchell, Korey Lindsey S: Barry Church (FS), J.J. Wilcox (SS), Jeff Heath (SS), Matt Johnson (FS), Jakar Hamilton (FS), Ahmad Dixon, Johnny Thomas Denver Broncos QB: Peyton Manning continues to look healthy and unaffected by age. Against the Seahawks’ first-string defense, he overcame a series of penalties to lead Denver on a 14-play, 61-yard touchdown drive that took 9:09 on the game clock. The drive was longer than any Denver produced in 2013, and Manning converted 3rd and 9, 3rd and 7, and 3rd and 7 plays to keep it alive. Once the first-string offense left the field, Brock Osweiler handled all of the snaps in Denver’s first preseason game. His deep accuracy was not where it was last season, going 1-of-4 on attempts downfield and throwing an interception on a terrible decision. Osweiler did show off some solid scrambling ability and bounced back from his interception by leading a 10-play, 80-yard game-winning touchdown drive, capped off with a 34-yard pass for the score. RB: Montee Ball underwent an emergency appendectomy on Monday and should be able to return by Denver’s regular-season opener. Coach Fox suggested Ball will not play again during the preseason, saying “We saw plenty of him a year ago and saw plenty of him in the offseason.” In Ball’s absence, Ronnie Hillman started against Seattle. Hillman found little room to run, finishing with 15 yards on 6 carries, but did manage to punch a carry right up the middle for a 1-yard score on 3rd-and-1. C.J. Anderson also received reps with the first-team offense against Seattle and was active in the passing game, but suffered a concussion and left the game early. Anderson was still suffering headaches on Saturday, though Coach John Fox said that is “normal at this stage.” Juwan Thompson found plenty of holes against Seattle’s second-stringers, ripping off gains of 18, 15, 22, and 20 yards, (though one play was called back due to offensive holding.) Thompson also showed off pass protection skills, executing a phenomenal blitz pickup to keep Osweiler upright and extend a drive. With Ball sidelined and Anderson’s recovery timeline uncertain, Thompson might see an expanded role in Denver’s second preseason game. Kapri Bibbs had a handful of carries Denver’s game against Seattle and showed reasonably well against the Seahawk backups. With Ball and Anderson ailing, Bibbs will have more opportunities to show what he can do. He is currently fighting to make Denver’s final roster. WR: Demaryius Thomas began 2014 like he ended 2013: as the focal point of Denver’s offense against the Seahawks. Thomas was in midseason form, converting on three separate third-and-long plays to extend Denver’s scoring drive and finishing the day with five receptions for 52 yards in a quarter’s worth of action. Wes Welker had a quiet week in Denver as most of the starters received a light workload. He should see more action next week against the San Francisco 49ers. Emmanuel Sanders had a quiet day against the Seahawks as Denver’s first-string offense left the field after just two drives. Despite the limited game action, Cecil Lammey of ESPN Denver says Gase has been “very creative” with Sanders in practices. Since Demaryius Thomas’ return to the team following his grandmother’s death, Cody Latimer has returned to the second string. Andrew Mason of www.DenverBroncos.com reports that Latimer has been hard at work developing a timing with backup Brock Osweiler that could certainly come in handy in the future. TE: Just four years removed from playing college basketball, Julius Thomas continues to work on the finer points of playing tight end in the NFL. He spent some time during special teams drills this past week working on timing routes with Peyton Manning and rookie Cody Latimer. Defense: Even with Von Miller sitting out of the matchup against the Seattle Seahawks, Denver showed a very deep and effective class of pass rushers. Demarcus Ware started the game off with a statement, sealing the edge on a run, forcing an incompletion, and registering a sack on Seattle’s first three plays. Quanterus Smith, who spent his rookie year on the IR, registered four hurries on 17 pass rushes. DE Malik Jackson and DTs Terrance Knighton and Marvin Austin were also terrors rushing the passer. Early returns suggest a much improved pass-rush in 2014. On the other end of the defense, Denver’s back seven struggled with the new emphasis on illegal contact, giving up seven automatic first downs via penalty, but newcomers T.J. Ward, Aqib Talib, and Brandon Roby all showed an aggressiveness and willingness to mix things up in run support. On Tuesday, Danny Trevathan was carted off the practice field with a fractured knee. He will be sidelined for 6-to-8 weeks and he avoided any damage to his ACL or MCL. K/P: Camp leg Mitch Ewald made two extra points in the win against the Seahawks. Starting kicker Matt Prater added another, but missed wide left from 54 yards on his lone field goal attempt. Britton Colquitt had one good punt (48 yards) and one not-so-good punt (35 yards). OL: In the first preseason game, the Broncos’ offensive line did a much better job of pass protection. Fans will remember this being a problem in the Super Bowl, and the team obviously hopes that problem has been corrected. The early returns are good. In his return to game action, left tackle Ryan Clady looked solid, blocking effectively against the Seahawks’ offensive line. Getting Clady, a former All-Pro, back from injury could have one of the biggest impacts in the entire league. Orlando Franklin, playing at left guard for the first time, also looked good, opening up holes for the Broncos’ tailbacks. In terms of depth, the team will likely cut someone who can play elsewhere, as there appears to be 10 (or more) quality players at this position currently on the roster Broncos Depth Chart QB: Peyton Manning, Brock Osweiler, Zac Dysert, Bryn Renner RB: Montee Ball, C.J. Anderson, Ronnie Hillman, Juwan Thompson, Brennan Clay, Kapri Bibbs, Jerodis Williams WR: Demaryius Thomas, Wes Welker (PR), Emmanuel Sanders, Cody Latimer, Andre Caldwell, Jordan Norwood, Gregory Wilson, Bennie Fowler, Nathan Palmer, Gerell Robinson TE: Julius Thomas, Jacob Tamme, Virgil Green, Cameron Morrah LT: Ryan Clady, Winston Justice, Vinston Painter LG: Orlando Franklin, Ramon Harewood 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. 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