Training Camp Update Volume 2, Issue 1 8/02/06
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Training Camp Update Volume 2, Issue 1 – 8/02/06 Training Camps are in full swing and we want you to feel like you have attended every practice and seen every preseason game. To keep all our Footballguys subscribers on top of everything, we've created our incredibly detailed Camp Updates. They're an exhaustive look each week covering every bit of news you need to know to stay completely on top of every team. Quite simply, they're the key to Dominating Your Draft. This is the fourth of five training camp updates from us. We'll break down every team's skill positions and position battles. It's the stuff you'd see if you were there at every camp. This Camp Update was created by our own Bob Henry and reflects the most up-to-date info regarding each of these teams. Happy reading and let's have a great 2006 season, Joe Bryant and David Dodds Owners, Footballguys.com Arizona Cardinals QB: The Cardinals are banking on two-time NFL MVP Kurt Warner to regain his old form and carry them into the playoffs this season. Warner was playing terrific football heading down the stretch last year but an MCL sprain forced him to miss the last two games of the season. Before that, he was on fire. He started 10 games in all. Given Warner’s penchant for injury, the Cardinals wasted little time bolstering their roster by making Matt Leinart the 10th overall pick of the draft. Leinart is expected to compete with John Navarre for the backup job, but there’s little doubt that Leinart is the quarterback of the future in Arizona. Matt Leinart is the only unsigned draft pick. Last Friday, he threw passes at the team’s Tempe facility, but his agents reiterated, “we’re committed to getting things done”. Rod Graves, the Cardinals vice president for football operations did not comment on the situation. Meanwhile, Head coach Denny Green remained hopeful that Leinart would be available for the start of camp, but added that he didn’t think a short holdout would hinder Leinart in his competition with John Navarre to be Kurt Warner’s backup. “I think he’ll still have plenty of chances,” Green stated. “With two good weeks of practice and four good preseason games . . . we’ll have a good opportunity to see if he can compete.” RB: The Cardinals hope that signing free agent RB Edgerrin James will provide a big impact to their woeful running game. Last year they were at the bottom of the league in terms of converting short yardage situations. Much of this could be attributed to the Cardinals offensive line play, but the RB talent was also subpar. Those who doubt Edgerrin James can sustain the production he enjoyed as a Colt are quick to point out these deficiencies, but let’s keep in mind the Colts were near the bottom of the league in short yardage conversions as well. That said, the addition of James boosts the Cardinals running game and gives them hope for a more balanced offensive attack. It also put ample pressure on J.J. Arrington, not to mention Marcel Shipp. Arrington and Shipp are competing for table scraps since James made it clear he wants to stay on the field most of the time. Meanwhile, FB James Hodgins is on the bubble after missing the last two seasons due to injuries while carrying about a $1 million cap number for 2006. John Bronson has been moved to FB after playing TE as a rookie. He missed nearly all of his rookie season after suffering a severe knee injury in the season opener against the Giants last year. Both players will be hard pressed to knock Obafemi Ayanbadejo from his starting job. Ayanbadejo caught 34 balls a year ago. WR: The addition of Edgerrin James means the Cardinals should be able to run the ball with more success this season. Does that mean the Cardinals terrific WR tandem might produce less? Of course, but it also means defenses will be less likely to focus on them with someone like Edge in the backfield. Larry Fitzgerald is excited entering his third season. "I feel the energy here in the city and I'm so excited to be a part of this up-and-coming franchise," WR Larry Fitzgerald beamed. When asked what Edge adds to the mix, Fitzgerald quipped, “he's really building team camaraderie… [which] is really important." Beyond Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin, the Cardinals are looking to improve their depth at WR during camp. Second year WR LeRon McCoy hopes to push former first round pick Bryant Johnson for the 3rd WR job. The Cardinals also drafted Todd Watkins in the seventh round. They believe undrafted former QB Michael Spurlock is a potential playmaker. Fellow WR Anquan Boldin said, "He is catching on real good and if you see him run routes you can’t really tell he was a quarterback all his life.” He’ll also get a shot as a punt returner and perhaps at returning kicks. “He is the playmaker we have been looking for,” Green said. Another player to keep an eye on is undrafted rookie Greg Lee, a former standout who was a college teammate of Fitzgerald at Pittsburgh. He signed with Arizona after being pursued by Detroit as well. On Sunday, the Cardinals waived Zamir Cobb. TE: There will be a dogfight for the starting job in training camp. The Cardinals third round pick Leonard Pope holds tremendous potential, but he’ll have to earn the job while competing against a pair of undrafted players in Eric Edwards and second year man Adam Bergen. After an OTA in June, TEs coach Carl Hargrove had this assessment of Pope, “We're really excited about him. He's a student of the game and is picking things up well. He should be in the mix (for a starting job) by the time the season gets going. He can stretch the field. He has good speed and a good body. We'll see once we put the pads on about the blocking." Expect Pope to challenge for the starting job and there’s a good chance he’ll be the starter on opening day if his blocking is up to snuff. Defense: As camp was ready to break last week, Dennis Green said three of his injured defensive players were cleared to practice - CB Antrel Rolle and LBs Gerald Hayes and Karlos Dansby. All three players are expected to fulfill key roles on the Cardinals young and improving defense. Green said James Darling will begin as the starting middle linebacker, although Hayes will have an opportunity to win the job back. Hayes won it last year before injuring his knee. Green said Dansby had pins removed from his thumb after undergoing recent surgery to repair a torn ligament, but he shunned rumors that he was concerned about Dansby’s mental game. “When (Dansby) is on his game,” Green said, “he is as good an outside backer/ playmaker as there is in the game.” The addition of DT Kendrick Clancy via free agency and draft pick DT Gabe Watson should further bolster the run defense, while the return of Bertrand Berry opposite Chike Okeafor gives the Cardinals a solid pass rush. If second year corner Antrel Rolle remains healthy and plays up to his potential, the Cardinals defense could be a major surprise. Special Teams: Kicker Neil Rackers will spend the pre-season getting acclimated to the retractable grass field in the brand new Cardinals Stadium. It will be hard for him to top his stellar 2005; however he says he’s hoping to improve upon his already lofty touchback percentage on kickoffs. Kicker Nick Novak has been with the team since early last December when Rackers missed a game due to injury. He’ll serve as a camp leg to keep Rackers from getting over worked, and will hope to keep his name near the top of other teams’ on-call list. Heading into camp, there are three primary candidates for the KR/PR role. The favorite is free agent acquisition WR Troy Walters, who handled returns for the Colts in recent years. Next in line is WR Bryant Johnson whom the coaches still feel has the ability to step up on returns. The dark horse candidate is undrafted rookie WR Micheal Spurlock. He played QB at Mississippi and did not handle any returns, however Dennis Green referred to him as “the playmaker we have been looking for.” Cardinals Depth Chart QB Kurt Warner, Matt Leinart, John Navarre RB Edgerrin James, J.J. Arrington, Marcel Shipp, Damien Anderson, Diamond Ferry FB Obafemi Ayanbadejo, James Hodgins, John Bronson WR Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin, Bryant Johnson, LeRon McCoy, Troy Walters, Todd Watkins, Carlyle Holiday, Michael Spurlock (QB), Greg Lee TE Leonard Pope, Adam Bergen, Eric Edwards, Alex Shor K Neil Rackers, Nick Novak DE Chike Okeafor, Bertrand Berry (inj), Anton Palepoi, Antonio Smith, A.J. Schable DT Darnell Dockett, Kendrick Clancy, Tim Bulman, Langston Moore, Gabe Watson, Kenny King, Jon Lewis MLB James Darling (W), Gerald Hayes, Lance Mitchell OLB Karlos Dansby (S), Orlando Huff (W), Darryl Blackstock (W), Calvin Pace (S), Mark Brown, Isaac Keys, Brandon Johnson, Lawrence Pinson CB David Macklin, Antrel Rolle, Eric Green (inj), Robert Tate, Dyshod Carter, Lamont Reid, Darrell Hunter, Jay McCareins, Damarius Bilbo, Justin Wyatt S Adrian Wilson (SS), Robert Griffith (FS), Ernest Shazor, Aaron Francisco, Jack Brewer, Chris Harrell Atlanta Falcons QB: This is Michael Vick’s third year in Greg Knapp’s version of the West Coast offense. Typically, quarterbacks make significant progress from year one to year three. That’s the hope for Vick this year as he will have the most talented WR corps around him since he became a Falcon. Vick flashed some of his big play potential as a thrower in Sunday morning’s practice. From the shotgun, Vick went through his progressions, sprinted out to his left and Michael Jenkins came free across the middle on a deep in-route. Vick rifled the ball across his body on a rope to connect with Jenkins in stride for a long completion. QB Coach Bill Musgrave has been successful grooming QBs in the past, but he’s never had a player like Vick. If all goes as planned, the Falcons could have a much more dangerous passing game, but they’re still likely to be a run-first team. Matt Schaub has a firm grip on the backup spot, leaving Bryan Randall and D.J. Shockley to compete for the third spot. RB: During mini-camps, Warrick Dunn showed he still has his burst despite turning 32 in January. Dunn’s a perfect fit for the team’s zone-blocking schemes because he hits the hole, cuts and changes direction quickly. T.J. Duckett is still looking to make an impact, but barring an injury to Dunn, he’ll continue to see most of his work near the goal line and as a change of pace. The coaching staff is impressed by rookie Jerious Norwood, who has looked good picking up blitzes and catching the ball. He enters camp with a shot at earning a significant role. If he blows up in the pre-season then expect to see more speculation about Duckett being moved. The Steelers are rumored to be interested. Hoping to earn a roster spot, Butchie Wallace signed a two-year, $650,000 contract. "He's kind of a combo back and I guess that worked really well in NFL Europe," his agent Harold Lewis said. "He dominated." Wallace earned World Bowl MVP honors after rushing for 143 yards and a touchdown. WR: According to GM Rich McKay, the most improved player on the team last year heading into camp was Michael Jenkins. This year the same might be said of 2nd year WR Roddy White. Unlike his rookie year, he’s healthy heading into training camp and he worked extensively with Vick during the offseason focusing on their timing and chemistry. "I'm prepping myself to have a breakout year, and I'm doing everything I can to be ready to do that," White said. Michael Jenkins also promises to be better after working with nutritionists and strength coaches to improve his speed and strength. Jenkins said, "Last year, things were still up in the air starting out. I'm much more comfortable this year. I got some game experience; it's my third year, and I know what to expect." In Saturday’s practice, White dropped several balls but rebounded well on Sunday playing with noticeably more energy and intensity. He’s starting to look like the player the Falcons selected with the 27th selection a year ago. The Falcons re-signed Jerome Pathon for depth. Unfortunately, Brian Finneran suffered a season-ending injury to his right knee during Sunday’s evening practice. All of a sudden, Pathon might be the first candidate to fill Finneran's role in the slot if the injury is as serious as the team fears. The Falcons are also evaluating other veteran additions; including Az Hakim who volunteered his services to Jim Mora on Monday. TE: Coming into training camp Thursday, Alge Crumpler hadn’t really tested his surgically repaired knee and shoulder. Crumpler participated and completed two hours of receiving, blocking and some individual drills. He reported no discomfort and remains on track for the season opener against Carolina. McKay acknowledged Crumpler’s surgery on the labrum and rotator cuff of his right shoulder in late February after playing in his third straight Pro Bowl. He may be limited early in the preseason for the first couple of games, according to McKay. With Crumpler limited, Vick has a golden opportunity to work with his talented young receivers. Crumpler's injury also provides extra reps for TE Dwayne Blakley. He’s a better receiver than Eric Beverly, who is a converted lineman. Defense: Right DE John Abraham looked as good as advertised in mini-camp and OTAs. With Abraham and Patrick Kerney on the outside, the Falcons defense has an elite pass rushing tandem. They compliment DT Rod Coleman, one of the league’s best inside pass rushers. Abraham’s durability has come into question, but Atlanta’s coaches will monitor him closely and limit his snaps during the season. DT Jonathan Babineaux spent the 2005 season splitting time at DT and DE. He’s expected to focus on defensive tackle this season with Abraham on board. Jim Mora will be watching the DTs looking for Chad Lavalais, Antwan Lake, or Darrell Shropshire to earn a starting spot at nose tackle. The Falcons also have a re-tooled secondary with Lawyer Milloy and Chris Cocker as their new safeties. LB Edgarton Hartwell returns after missing last year to injury. He thinks the team’s acquisitions will help. "We brought in a couple of guys who are going to take care of the back end and are going to come up and hit. We've got a nice defensive end. So we've taken care of the problem. Are we worried about it? No, because we feel like we've got that solved, and I know we do." CB DeAngelo Hall “believes we [Falcons] were as bad as we played in the second half of last season when nothing went right for us. But I think, coming out of the offseason workouts, we feel good about ourselves…There's a feeling that we can really bounce back in a big way." In practice Saturday, starting right CB Jason Webster injured his left foot during practice. He’ll have it X-rayed as a precaution according to Mora, who explained, “Coming inside on a different surface, I just didn't feel comfortable with having him practice.” Webster was pulled out of practice giving rookie CB Jimmy Williams time playing with the first-team defense. Special Teams: The great K experiment developed a plot twist at the beginning of camp. The Falcons had indicated they were willing to let assistant special teams coach Steve Hoffman continue developing relatively unknown kickers Zac Derr (Akron class of 2002) and Tony Yelk (Iowa State class of 2005) at least several weeks into preseason. Derr suffered a groin tear however, and was subsequently waived. If the experiment fails, they’ll sign a veteran free agent or some other team’s cast-off towards the end of preseason. Return specialist Allen Rossum was slowed last year by injury. He’ll need to hold off some youthful competition in order to not only keep his KR/PR role, but probably to also remain employed with CB-laden Falcons. Sixth round draft pick WR Adam Jennings from Fresno State is the strongest competition. He ranked in the top 20 in return average for both kickoffs and punts last year. RB Jerious Norwood, a third rounder out of Mississippi State, also has experience on both kickoff and punt returns. Falcons Depth Chart QB Michael Vick, Matt Schaub, D.J. Shockley RB Warrick Dunn (3RB), T.J. Duckett (SD), Jerious Norwood, Deandra Cobb (KR), Butchie Wallace FB Justin Griffith, John Pannozzo WR Michael Jenkins, Roddy White, Jerome Pathon, Cole Magner, Adam Jennings, Troy Bergeron, Jamin Elliot, Brian Finneran (inj) TE Alge Crumpler, Dwayne Blakely, Eric Beverly, Daniel Fells. Boone Stutz K Tony Yelk, Carlos Martinez, Michael Koenen DE Patrick Kerney, John Abraham, Chauncey Davis, Constantin Ritzmann, Paul Carrington DT Rod Coleman, Chad Lavalais (NT), Darrell Shropshire (NT), Jonathan Babineaux, Antwan Lake (NT), T.J. Jackson MLB Edgerton Hartwell, Jordan Beck OLB Keith Brooking (W), Michael Boley (S), Demorrio Williams (W), Ike Reese (S/W), Artie Ulmer, Travis Williams CB Jason Webster, DeAngelo Hall, Jimmy Williams, Allen Rossum (KR), Leigh Torrence, Kevin Mathis S Lawyer Milloy (SS), Chris Crocker (FS), Antuan Edwards (SS), Omare Lowe (FS), Chris Reis, Nick Turnbull Baltimore Ravens QB: On the first day of camp, Steve McNair did nothing exceptional at practice. He completed a few passes, missed on a few others, but most valuable was getting some reps in OC Jim Fassel’s offense. "I'm not trying to be Superman. I'm just going to play my style of game. You win with balance, having a good defense and a good offense," McNair said. "I'm not saying we're going to be an explosive offense, but we will methodically run this thing and execute." McNair progressed nicely from day two on. He had a few bad throws, but continually bounced back. McNair overthrew TE Daniel Wilcox in the flat on one play, but Wilcox made a leaping catch. McNair pounded his helmet in frustration. He wanted to hit Wilcox in stride. “Given the nature of the position and what you're asking a veteran quarterback to do, that's a fair assessment [that camp this year is about QB Steve McNair], in fact, quite frankly, one of the primary reasons we're coming in early is because of Steve McNair,” HC Brian Billick posited. After this early start, Billick has said "the players understand that and appreciate it. We've got to make up a little bit of ground. Those two days - those four extra practices - will help us be able to begin on Monday as we normally would, ahead of the curve." Practice began well for the receivers, who beat the defensive backs and linebackers for several big plays in one-on-one drills. McNair's chemistry with Derrick Mason was apparent when McNair perfectly placed a ball in Mason’s hands despite good coverage from another former teammate, Samari Rolle, for what would have been a big yardage play. RB: Jamal Lewis was one of two players played on the PUP list as the Ravens opened camp on Thursday. Lewis said he tweaked his left hip flexor during an offseason workout a couple of weeks ago. It’s not believed to be serious. "I felt pretty good today," Lewis said. "I didn't want to do anything in the last two weeks to strain it or pull it. I just kind of did some cardio and stayed easy until I got here with Bill T. and let him put me through a workout and just see where it's at." Veteran FB Alan Ricard was cut on Tuesday making it a three-way battle between Ovie Mughelli, Justin Green and rookie free agent B.J. Dean for playing time. Mike Anderson also has experience at FB and TE Daniel Wilcox can play the H-back position. Lewis has always been an I-back going back to his college days, so he’s used to making cuts off his fullback's blocks. Cutting Ricard indicates the Ravens will use more formations involving an H-back, so it will be interesting to see Lewis make adjustments. Other backs include 4th round pick P.J. Daniels, who just signed a three-year deal. Rookie free agent Cory Ross (5’6”, 201 pounds) has grabbed the coaches’ attention due to his special teams play and his quickness. Ross is small, but he’s incredibly elusive. "(He's a) good, very impressive young man," said Billick of Ross. "He protects you, just the overall knowledge of the game, the little things that he does I'm very impressed with him”. The Ravens primary return man and fellow RB B.J. Sams doubled as a reserve DB during Saturday’s morning practice. Sams even grabbed an interception and returned it for a touchdown prompting Billick to say, "For B.J. to be able to help us in that disaster situation, it just gives you that depth because you know he's going to be that returner. It's just a huge asset." WR: For the first time in three years, the Ravens begin training camp with no major injury concerns. Three previously injured receivers Clarence Moore (hernia), Devard Darling (heel) and TE Rob Abiamiri (heel) could be limited. Derrick Mason and Mark Clayton are starting, but there is a healthy competition for the No. 3 role. That’s where fourth-round pick, Demetrius Williams enters the picture. Williams is expected to compete against Clarence Moore and Devard Darling for the 3rd spot. Williams caught the attention of head coach Brian Billick during Saturday morning’s practice after making a series of acrobatic receptions, including one where he snatched the ball away from CB Evan Oglesby and getting the crowd fired up in the process. He was noticeably explosive in and out of his routes. Billick said, "He's still learning. He's on a curve that no one else is just because of the time he missed, so he's got to be swimming right now, but you could see the physical ability that he has." Darling has all of the tools to be successful, but he's running out of time to turn that potential into production. "He's had some learning curve. It's been long enough now," coordinator Jim Fassel said. "He's got to show that he's more than potential and that he can perform." He and Moore are both entering into their third seasons. Also in the mix are Brian Bratton and Romby Bryant, along with rookie free agents WR Tres Moses and WR Rufus Skillern. TE: The Ravens offensive plans this year include more from their tight ends and H-backs. That means TE/H-back Daniel Wilcox and FB Justin Green may take on larger roles. Green has impressed the team. He and Wilcox both got work with the first string during Saturday’s sessions. The Ravens also like fifth round pick Quinn Sypniewski. Expect a big year from Todd Heap providing he stays healthy. Defense: LB Ray Lewis claims to be perfectly healthy and even acknowledged that the down time last year proved beneficial to his body. "It gave the other parts of my body a lot of time to rest. I had hand injuries. ... Sometimes I think we forget the injuries we go through. I never came into this business to play 11 years and say I wasn't going to get hurt. I only play it one way--with reckless abandon. Whatever comes up, comes up. I can always come back and have fun and do what I do best." The Ravens welcome veteran DE Trevor Pryce (6’5”, 286 pounds) via free agency. Pryce is a four-time Pro Bowler who provides a strong pass rusher opposite Terrell Suggs and a worthy run defender. He’ll be a positive for the younger players. Corners Chris McAllister and Samari Rolle give the Ravens one of the best corner tandems in the league, but the nickel back job is up for grabs. Free agent CB Cory Ivy seems to have an inside track early in camp. Safety Ed Reed signed a six-year extension. He was entering the final year of his contract. Reed began camp with a great practice and seemed to be having a great time. He was excellent in coverage. Only one receiver caught a pass against him and he was out of bounds. Receivers coach Mike Johnson yelled, "Nice catch!" Reed shouted back, "Yeah, nice catch out of bounds. You know if that was in-bounds, I'd be running down that sideline!" Reed was jawing with rookie WR Demetrius Williams throughout the session. The Ravens also acquired DB Gerome Sapp from the Colts. Sapp was originally drafted by the Ravens in 2003. Download 366.51 Kb. Share with your friends:
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