Training
Volume 2, Issue 2 – 8/09/06
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
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
Happy reading and let's have a great 2006 season,
Joe Bryant and
Owners, Footballguys.com
QB:
Nothing has changed on the
Matt Leinart front. Leinart’s absence is John Navarre’s gain, at least for now.
“I am glad to get as many reps as I can,”
Kurt Warner says the offense is continuing to
improve every day, acknowledging that the defense usually has the upper hand
early in training camp. “The big thing is that we are improving every day,”
offered Warner. “The first practice was a little sluggish and disappointing but
I think we are starting to realize when we get things moving and the tempo
going, that it just benefits us. Coach does a good job of throwing a lot of
situations at us and it gets us thinking.”
RB: The preseason isn’t about Edgerrin James. Or should
we say Edgerrin James isn’t about the preseason? James would be just as happy
to practice hard, but leave the preseason games to the guys fighting for spots
behind him. That doesn’t prevent him from setting the tone in practice though.
His banter is just as good as his play and his teammates seem to enjoy it, too.
“He talks a good game too,” said Dennis
Green. “Defensively we have a lot of guys that are good at it and he is too. He
brings a good intensity but has a lot of fun with it and he likes being out
there. That is what we really try to emphasize and that is what we have tried
to do from the start. You really have to love the game. You have to love coming
out onto the field and Edge has always done that.” Darnell Dockett confessed,
“We look forward to hitting him in practice because if you don’t you hear about
it all day. He is one of the best running backs in the league and we have to go
up against him all of the day and it is just going to help us be ready when the
season comes around. We’ll be ready to face good running backs and it is a good
challenge and key to having him on our team.”
Fullback
James Hodgins remains hopeful that he’ll return to practice next week after
rehabilitating his surgically repaired knee for the first week of camp. He was
initially upset after being held out of practice. He’s been mentoring converted
tight end John Bronson as he learns the position – even if it might cost
Hodgins a roster spot. The Cardinals
signed Diamond Ferri on Tuesday, August 1st. Roger Robinson is expected to miss
four to six weeks. Ferri, 24, played for
WR: Larry Fitzgerald
and Anquan Boldin were asked about becoming the best receiving duo in the NFL
and becoming synonymous with the Dolphins’ Mark Duper and Mark Clayton. “That
is something you have to do year in and year out,” Fitzgerald said. “One year
is not going to get it done. We were on a terrible team last year. We moved the
football and we produced in terms of us two, but we didn’t produce wins.”
Boldin added, “Hopefully, we will get there one day. We’re starting to get
recognized in that department, but the only way to get recognized as the best
duo in the league is to put up numbers consistently. We are still working on
that.” Edgerrin James enjoyed the benefits of playing with Marvin Harrison and
Reggie Wayne and admitted the Cardinals duo helped lure him to the desert. “I
never put a rank on it,” James said. “Both sets are good. I am friends with
both of them and if I see something that Marv did or Reggie did that I can tell
Anquan or Fitz, I would. They know what they have to do. As a receiver, you
only get better as time goes. It’s amazing how hungry these guys are.”
Bryant Johnson continues to hold off LeRon McCoy for
the No. 3 job, but that doesn’t mean McCoy can’t overtake him at some point.
Dennis Green was asked if there’s a scenario where McCoy could take the job
over Johnson. Green said, “I don’t know...LeRon is young and ambitious and he
wants that number three spot.” Johnson is a prime candidate to be the team’s
kick returner and Green still believes Johnson is due for a breakout
season. Johnson is taking it all in
stride. “I don’t feel there is a battle,” said the former first round pick. “I
know Q and I tried to take LeRon under our wings, and the better our entire
receiving corps are, the better our team will be.”
TE: On Wednesday, August 2nd, the Cardinals released
tight end Ben Hall.
Defense: DT Kenny King will be sidelined for a month
after breaking his right hand. He injured it during last Thursday’s morning
workout. King spent the last two seasons on injured reserve and missed most of
his rookie season after breaking his right wrist twice. MLB Gerald Hayes has
recovered from reconstructive knee surgery and he’s up to 253 pounds. He added
the weight to help him make a run at the starting job. Dennis Green is making
him earn the spot against James Darling. SLB Karlos Dansby heard rumors that
the coaching staff was down on him during the off-season, but he didn’t know
what to make of it. “I was productive (in organized team workouts) until my
injury happened, and once my injury happened I still went through a whole week
of practice,” Dansby said. “People didn’t know what was going on, but I
finished the week out. All that stuff in the news, I don’t know how it came
about; I didn’t even read it. I was in the blind with that. I never found out
anyone was disappointed in my offseason workouts. I thought I did pretty
doggone good.”
Antrel Rolle is expected to make a bigger impact in
his second season. He has impressed the staff with his playmaking skills in
camp. “Every day he makes a big play,” spouted Green. Rolle had an interception
in Friday morning’s practice during team drills. “He made a big play today and that is his
style as a defender,” confirmed Green. During red zone drills on Thursday
morning, Rolle picked off another Warner pass. Rolle has been aggressive since
camp began a week ago; batting down passes and talking smack with receivers.
Rolle remains cautious though and Darnell Dockett talked about the return of
Rolle and others from injury last year. “We keep looking at film and some of
the mistakes we made last year. We made a lot of big mistakes and we have a lot
of guys coming back from injury and that is going to help us. A big key is
Antrel Rolle. He’s back and we needed that in a huge way so we’re going in the
right direction.” With Rolle, Dansby, Dockett, Chike Okeafor, Bert Berry and
Adrian Wilson the Cardinals have a potentially explosive defense.
Special
Teams: Kicker Neil Rackers displayed his precise accuracy during practice last
week, taking aim at a staff member operating a camera perched on a lift between
the uprights. Rackers forced him to move twice to avoid being hit. Meanwhile,
the debate rages on regarding the authenticity of Rackers’ video clip on the
NFL Network. RB Marcel Shipp recently discussed his revised role on the team
now that Edgerrin James is a Cardinal, “I'm on pretty much every special team.
I'm hard core. I don't mind. That's how I made it into this league, and it's a
very important part of the game." HC Dennis Green continues to mention
that they’re hopeful that WR Bryant Johnson will be more involved on returns.
WR Troy Walters however remains the favorite in that department. The other
primary return candidate, WR Michael Spurlock, has looked like the rookie he is
practice, occasionally putting the ball on the ground.
Other: Starting right tackle Oliver Ross suffered an injury to his right knee
on Tuesday, August 1st. Ross is expected to miss several weeks of action and
former defensive tackle Fred Wakefield moved from backup LT to take Ross’s
spot. Jeremy Bridges is also working into the mix in Ross’s absence.
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
(inj), 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), Aaron Francisco, Ernest Shazor, Jack Brewer, Chris Harrell
QB: On
Tuesday, August 1, Michael Vick left the Falcon’s practice with a hamstring
injury. Head coach Jim Mora didn’t think Vick would miss more than a couple of
days, but Vick remained out of Friday’s practice marking his third straight day
with the “tweaked” hammy. Vick didn’t require any assistance to leave the
field, but he did pull up during a drill midway through the session. On his way
into the locker room he insisted, “It’s no big deal.” As expected, Matt Schaub
took the first team snaps in his stead.
Bryan
Randall and D.J. Shockley have both impressed the coaching staff as they vie
for the No. 3 job. Mora likes Shockley’s presence in the huddle and his field
generalship saying that it eased his concerns of him being a rookie and feeling
overwhelmed. Mora can’t wait to see them
in preseason game action. "I've been really impressed with D.J. Just his
personality, the way he conducts his business. The way he goes about running
the show. He's got a real maturity to him. I can tell now why people love him.
He's got a certain persona about him. Plus, he's got a whip. When he decides to
throw it, he can sling it.” He notes that Randall is doing well, too, "Bryan
Randall certainly is not backing down."
RB: The Falcons
like their backs to be “one cut” backs just like the Broncos do. To that end,
veteran RB Warrick Dunn is putting on a clinic so far in training camp, but
perhaps almost impressive has been the speed and elusiveness that rookie
Jerious Norwood is flashing.
WR: With Brian Finneran on the shelf for the entire
season, the Falcons are said to be exploring trade opportunities.
TE: Alge Crumpler isn’t expected to play in the team’s
upcoming preseason game against
Defense: Patrick Kerney has been a terror at times in
camp. Last Thursday, he was a beast during pass drills as he punished just
about every lineman that lined up against him. Kerney and John Abraham give the
Falcons their best pass rush in years – perhaps the best in the NFL if both
players stay healthy. The improved pass rush should be a help to the team’s
secondary, which underwent a makeover in the offseason. Rookie corner Jimmy
Williams is penciled in to start as the team’s right corner when the season begins.
Jason Webster, last year’s starter, missed four days of practice with a
sprained foot before returning on Thursday. "I don't take it
personal," said Webster, who knows Williams wants to start just as he does.
"I see it as a good thing. We can both make each other better."
DeAngelo Hall practiced with the receivers during the last week. At one point,
he sported the offense's red practice jersey. After about 30 minutes, he
returned to playing defense, and put his white practice jersey back on. Darrell
Shropshire was promoted to starter over Chad Lavalais, but Mora indicated the
move is not set in stone.
Special
Teams: After Zac Derr was injured and released, the Falcons quickly added
Carlos Martinez to join the kicking competition. He spent the last three years
playing for the AFL’s Dallas Desperados, who happen to be owned by Jerry Jones,
who happens to also own the Dallas Cowboys, who for many years employed kicking
coach Steve Hoffman, who was hired by the Falcons this year to develop a cheap
kicker.
Falcons Depth Chart
QB Michael Vick, Matt
Schaub, D.J. Shockley, Bryan Randall
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, Adam
Jennings, Cole Magner, Troy Bergeron, Jamin Elliot, Javarus Dudley,
Brian Finneran (inj)
TE Alge Crumpler, Dwayne Blakely, Eric Beverly, Daniel Fells. Boone
Stutz
K Tony Yelk, Michael Koenen
DE Patrick Kerney, John Abraham, Chauncey
Davis, Constantin Ritzmann, Paul Carrington
DT Rod Coleman, Darrell Shropshire (NT), Chad Lavalais (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 DeAngelo Hall, Jimmy Williams, Jason Webster, Allen Rossum (KR), Leigh Torrence,
Kevin Mathis
S Lawyer
Milloy (SS), Chris Crocker (FS), Antuan
Edwards (SS), Omare Lowe (FS), Chris Reis, Nick Turnbull
QB: Steve McNair has lofty expectations after coming to
"You've got a responsibility - kind of like the
Spiderman movies. He's got those powers. Now, with those powers comes great
responsibility. That's what Steve has to uphold, and I don't see any indication
of him not upholding that responsibility of being our starting quarterback and
our leader. So everything he does is going to be scrutinized. Even if he does
it perfectly, somebody's going to find some way where that gets scrutinized.
But it's been that way his whole life, his whole career." McNair just needs
some time to acclimate himself to the Ravens offense and offensive coordinator
Jim Fassel. Later in the scrimmage, Drew Olson completed a 24-yard touchdown
pass to Romby Bryant.
RB: Jamal Lewis started in the scrimmage Saturday
night, but only for the 7-on-7 drills. He did not play in the full-team
scrimmage. The Ravens used Mike Anderson as a fullback during the 11-on-11
drills increasing the possibility the Ravens could use them both on the field
at the same time. According to RBs coach Tony Nathan, it might happen.
"That's in the plans, that's in the works,"
said Nathan.
WR: It’s
been an up and down training camp so far for Devard Darling. On Thursday,
Darling dropped a possible long touchdown, but bounced back with two great
efforts later – beating Ed Reed for a short touchdown catch on one play, and
then hauling in another touchdown later. Darling is competing for the No. 3 job
against Clarence Moore and rookie Demetrius Williams. During last Thursday’s
practice, starter Mark Clayton (hamstring),
TE: The Ravens know they have a major weapon with Todd Heap at the position,
but they intend on using him even more this year in short-yardage and goal-line
situations. "We're going to move him around, not just play him on the wing,"
said Jim Fassel said when talking about Heap. "Moving him outside will
definitely be part of the package. He will cause a mismatch. That's what I like
about TE's when they are athletic like that, you can place them in different
spots and that's the hardest match for the defense." The Ravens added
Quinn Sypniewski in the fifth round because of his blocking. Yet so far in
Defense: Rookie
DT Haloti Ngata sprained the MCL of his left knee during the 11-on-11 drills in
Saturday’s scrimmage. Ngata said the injury was not serious and expected to be
back in practice by midweek. "It feels good," Ngata said. "It's
just a minor sprain. I'll be back in a couple of days." Rex Ryan had a
funny quote when talking about the Ravens 12th pick. "If his upper body
ever catches up to his lower body, he could really be a 380-pound guy. Right
now, he's a little puppy, but he could become a really big puppy." Ryan said
of Ngata. The Ravens' first-team defense seemed to be in midseason form in the
scrimmage, especially when matched up against backup quarterback Jason Campbell
instead of starter Mark Brunell. The Ravens' starters allowed 2 yards on six
plays, stuffing the Redskins behind the line twice. "They got a good
chemistry going," Billick said. "The communication was very good.
That's something that we've really been stressing. We caught ourselves short
last year a few times because of communication." Some of the players
weren't satisfied by their brief but dominating effort. "We still have a
long ways to go," linebacker Adalius Thomas said. "We set a higher
standard than anybody else." Rookie Dawan Laundry joined Ed Reed and
corners Chris McAlister and Samari Rolle when the secondary took the field with
the first-team defense. Landy might have surpassed Gerome Sapp as the starter
opposite Reed. "That's pretty encouraging, but at the same time, I've
still got to stay on my game and do a lot of film study," he said. "I
want to be on the same page with those guys." Earlier in the week during
practice, Rolle snatched a McNair pass and took it 50 yards for a “would be”
touchdown. Last Wednesday, McAlister dropped an interception and did 10 pushups
as a penalty. He came back strong the next day when he stepped in front of a
quick slant from McNair to Mason during red-zone drills.
Special
Teams: The Ravens were dismissed from practice 15 minutes
early the other day when kicker Matt Stover just cleared the crossbar on a
48-yard field goal, which is near the end of his range. Attempts much over 50
yards have been handled by the kickoff specialist in recent years. Kicker Aaron
Elling continues to compete with punters Sam Koch and Leo Araguz on kickoffs in
practice. All have looked good, although Elling has looked the strongest, often
getting the ball across the goal line. Running back / kickoff returner / punt
returner B.J. Sams has been expanding his versatility by practicing at safety.
He also handled all the returns in practice the other day, when his only
competition at the position, rookie RB Cory Ross, sat out with a strained
hamstring. Ross returned to practice the following day.
Ravens Depth Chart
QB Steve McNair, Kyle
Boller, Brian St. Pierre, Drew Olson
RB Jamal Lewis, Mike Anderson (FB), Musa Smith, P.J. Daniels, B.J.
Sams (KR/PR), Cory Ross
FB Justin Green, Ovie Mughelli
WR Derrick Mason, Mark Clayton (inj), Clarence Moore, Devard Darling, Demetrius Williams, Ronald
Bellamy, Romby Bryant, Rufus Skillern, Brian Bratton, Tre Moses, Matt Cherry
TE Todd Heap, Daniel Wilcox, Quinn Sypniewski
K Matt Stover, Aaron Elling
DE Terrell Suggs, Trevor Pryce, Jarrett Johnson, Roderick Green, Gary Stills
DT Kelly Gregg, Haloti Ngata, Dwan Edwards, Aubrayo Franklin, Justin
Bannan, Cedric Hilliard, Remi Ayodele
MLB Ray Lewis, Mike Smith
OLB Adalius Thomas (S), Bart Scott (W), Dan Cody (S/DE) (inj), Dennis Haley, Ryan LaCasse, Tim Johnson
CB Chris McAlister, Samari Rolle, Corey Ivy, David Pittman, Evan Oglesby, Derrick
Martin, Ronnie Prude
S Ed Reed (SS), Dawan Landry (FS), Gerome Sapp (FS), B.J. Ward (FS)
QB: Kelly
Holcomb and J.P. Losman continued to battle each other for the starting QB this
past week while Craig Nall was sidelined with a hamstring injury. Holcomb has
been noticeably more accurate, but he appears to lack arm strength. His throws
don’t seem to going more than 20 yards. New offensive coordinator Steve
Fairchild’s offense is predicated on short and intermediate throws – a scaled
down version of Mike Martz’s offense. That would appear to favor Holcomb, but
whoever does win the starting job will still need to throw the deep ball and
there is no question that Losman has the stronger arm of the two. Losman looked
sharp in Saturday’s practice completing nine straight passes during the team’s
7-on-7 drills, including a touchdown to TE Robert Royal. Craig Nall hopes to
return to the practice field sometime in the next week. He still hopes to
compete for the starting job. "Not to put any extra pressure on myself,
but I know I have to come out and pick up right where I left off when I get
back,” he said realistically.
RB: During the first week of camp it’s become apparent
that Steve Fairchild intends to use Willis McGahee much differently than the
former Bills staff. The Bills are working with him in the passing game with the
hope he’ll become a true three-down back. So far in his career, McGahee has
largely been a 1st and 2nd down back often leaving the field on third downs.
For his part, McGahee is noticeably thinner than last year and he’s running
decisively, too. The backup job remains up in the air with Anthony Thomas,
Lionel Gates and last year’s backup Shaud Williams competing. Anthony Thomas
reported to camp at 218 lbs, the best shape of his career, but Dick Jauron has
been taking longer looks at Lionel Gates and Shaud Williams. Perhaps he’s
familiar with Thomas from their days in
WR: So far,
Josh Reed seems to be leading the pack for the starting job opposite Lee Evans.
Reed is competing against Peerless Price, Andre Davis and to a lesser extent
Roscoe Parrish, who will probably be the team’s slot receiver. Oddly enough,
many think Reed is a better fit in the slot, but for now he’s in the starting
lineup. In Saturday’s 7-on-7 drills, Price was the top receiver with eight
catches and a TD. Lee Evans wasn’t able to play due to an ailing shoulder, so
the defense was focused on Price as the No.1 receiver. The team is taking it
easy with Evans’ shoulder so they won’t rush him back onto the field even
thought it’s considered a minor injury. He was sidelined from Wednesday, when
he fell awkwardly while catching a pass, through Saturday when he took part in
individual drills fully dressed in pads.
Defense: The most
noteworthy change this past week was the move of WLB Takeo Spikes to SLB with
former backup Angelo Crowell lining up as the team’s starting WLB – as he did
while filing in for Spikes last year when he was out. Crowell beat out veteran
Jeff Posey; who was subsequently waived by the Bills this past week. The move drops Spikes’ fantasy value, while
‘spiking’ Crowell’s considering they’ll use the cover-2 defense and the WLB is
usually the leading tackler in that scheme. After missing the first eight days
of camp, first round pick safety Donte Whitner agreed to terms. He’ll compete
with Matt Bowen to start alongside veteran Troy Vincent at strong safety. The
Bills are using Vincent against slot receivers in the dime package.
Special
Teams: Punter Brian Moorman remains the starting holder for
Rian Lindell on kicks. Quarterbacks J.P.
Losman and Kelly Holcomb practiced as backups last week for the first time this
year in that role. Camp leg kicker Nicholas Setta has been working with the
kickoff return group. Terrence McGee is, of course, the starting kickoff
returner. Competing for the backup role, and in some cases competing to make
the final roster, have been RB Shaud Williams, WR
Jonathan Smith, WR Roscoe Parrish, CB Nate Clements, WR Andre Davis, S
Jim Leonhard, and RB Fred Jackson. RBs Lionel
Gates and Anthony Thomas have been practicing in the upman role. When the team practiced running reverses, WR Sam Aiken,
S Matt Bowen, S Rashad Baker, and DB Kiwaukee Thomas took handoffs from whoever
fielded the kickoff. Nate Clements, Jim Leonhard, Roscoe Parrish, Jonathan
Smith and Shaud Williams have also been practicing punt returns. The latter
three are the top contenders.
Bills Depth Chart
QB Kelly Holcomb, J.P. Losman,
Craig Nall
RB Willis McGahee, Shaud Williams, Anthony Thomas, Lionel Gates, Fred
Jackson
FB Damien Shelton, Alan Ricard, Joe Burns
WR Lee Evans, Josh Reed, Peerless Price, Andre' Davis, Roscoe Parrish
(PR), Sam Aiken, Jonathan Smith, George Wilson, Martin Nance, Chris
Denney
TE Robert Royal, Brad Cieslak, Kevin Everett, Ryan Neufeld
K Rian Lindell
DT Larry Tripplett, Tim Anderson (NT), Lauvale Sape (inj), John McCargo, Jason Jefferson,
Kyle Williams
DE Aaron Schobel, Chris Kelsay, Ryan Denney, Mark Word, Ryan Neill, Jason Hall,
Joshua Cooper
MLB London Fletcher, Liam Ezekiel,
Courtney Watson (inj)
OLB Takeo
Spikes (S), Angelo Crowell (W), Josh Stamer
(S/W), Mario Haggan (W), Keith Ellison,
John Digiorgio
CB Nate Clements (PR), Terrence McGee
(KR), Eric King, Jabari Greer, Ashton Youboty,
Kiwaukee Thomas, Eric Bassey
S Troy Vincent (FS), Donte Whitner (SS), Matt Bowen (SS), Coy Wire (SS),
Ko Simpson (FS), Rashad Baker (FS), Jim Leonhard (SS), James Bethea
QB: The Panthers are taking it easy with starter
Jake Delhomme. In their first scrimmage, Delhomme was on the field for only
five plays and did not throw a pass. "It's not the shoulder," said
Delhomme, who also was given Friday's practice off. "I could've thrown it
this morning, but Foxy just wanted (me) to rest. That was his decision, but I
was ready to go today. It's hard not to be out there and throw a little bit. I
almost called a couple of passes. But hey, that's just part of it. We want to
be smart, because we're throwing a ton of balls." Delhomme’s rest gave
Stefan Lefors an opportunity to mix it up against the starting defense. Lefors,
grouped with several other backups, drove the team to the 32-yard line before
they were stopped when LB Dan Morgan tipped a pass that was intercepted by
safety Mike Minter.
RB: In
addition to Delhomme resting, starting RB DeShaun Foster was held out of
action, too. "We just rested them," Fox said. "We kind of know
what both those guys can do; we still have a lot of camp left and there's a lot of hits to be taken." So far in camp,
Foster has looked good showing no ill-effects from a broken ankle suffered last
year in the team’s playoff loss to
DeAngelo
Williams is competing with
WR: So far,
Keyshawn Johnson has been the perfect teammate, playing hard consistently
throughout practices. Due to Steve Smith’s hamstring injury, which will
sideline him for a couple more weeks, Johnson has been able to work more with
Jake Delhomme on their timing. Keary Colbert looks like a different player than
last year. "He is a different player," quarterback Jake Delhomme
said. "You can just see the way he runs his routes. He has explosion. He
has separation." Said offensive coordinator Dan Henning: "It's
markedly different. He is 100 percent quicker and stronger than he was last
year." Colbert and Drew Carter are having their moments in camp as they
battle for the team’s No. 3 WR. The Panthers added another body for camp last
Tuesday signing free agent WR Terrance Metcalf to a deal.
TE: Starter
Kris Mangum will be out for several weeks after partially tearing the plantar
fascia in his left foot. Mangum struggled with the injury during the first few
days of camp, but was then put into a cast and walking boot on Thursday. The
team hopes he can play in at least one preseason game. That gives Michael
Gaines an opportunity to get more reps and develop consistency. That’s the main
drawback with Gaines. Dan Henning was asked if Gaines needs to practice and
play with more consistency. Henning replied, "Yes, the answer to that
question is definitely yes.” In a recent press conference, HC John Fox talked
at length about his young backup tight end. “He's a young player that continues
to improve. I saw great improvement last year, and he worked hard this
offseason. He even went back to college and got his degree. He's continuing to
work… He was always a mature kid. The more you do something the better you get.
He just lacked experience. He's further along now and he's continuing to work
on that aspect of his game. He's got all of the physical tools.”
Defense: If the
Panthers are to become the No. 1 defense in the league, (they were No. 3 last
year) the prevailing opinion is that second year LB Thomas Davis needs to have
a breakout season. It’s not whether DT Kris Jenkins can stay healthy. The team
did fine last year when he went down for the second straight year. They are
deep at tackle. Frankly, the front four are stacked with talent. The team’s
corners are solid, too.. Dan Morgan was asked about
Another
player the team is watching closely is rookie linebacker James Anderson. John
Fox recently discussed
Special
Teams: Kicker John Kasay continued to miss practices with
muscle tightness in his kicking leg. He has been doing some light kicking and
stationary bike riding. Like Kasay, temporary kicker MacKenzie Hoambrecker is
also a leftie. This has allowed long snapper LB Jason Kyle and holder P Jason
Baker to stay in sync. Kasay’s importance has been reinforced as Hoambrecker
has missed several short range kicks (26, 39, 40, and 40 yards). WR/PR Steve
Smith continued to miss practice due to his hamstring injury. He has done some
light agility drills and caught a few balls. WR Efram Hill has been getting
some work on punt returns. Rookie RB DeAngelo Williams persisted in his quest to
return kicks, “Every time I pass the special teams coach I say, 'When are we
doing kickoff returns, coach?' I bet he's probably tired of hearing that.” He
got his wish and has been working as the primary kickoff returner. RB Jamal Robertson and rookie CB Richard Marshall have been practicing as
backups.
Panthers Depth Chart
QB Jake Delhomme, Chris
Weinke, Stefan Lefors, Brett Basanez
RB DeShaun Foster, DeAngelo Williams, Eric Shelton (SD), Jamal
Robertson
FB Brad Hoover, Nick Goings, Casey Cramer
WR Steve Smith (PR) (inj), Keyshawn
Johnson, Keary Colbert, Drew Carter,
Karl Hankton, Jovon Bouknight, Daniel Smith, Justin McCullum, Lynzell Jackson,
Taye Biddle, D.J. Smith
TE Kris
Mangum (inj), Michael Gaines, Mike Seidman, Jeff
King
K John Kasay
DE Julius Peppers, Mike Rucker, Al Wallace, Jovan Haye, Stanley McClover, Devan Long
DT Kris Jenkins (inj), Ma'ake Kemoeatu, Damione Lewis, Jordan Carstens, Atiyyah Ellison,
Tony Brown
MLB Dan Morgan, Vinny Ciurciu (W/M)
OLB Thomas Davis (S), Keith Adams (W), Na'il Diggs (W), Adam Seward (W), James
Anderson (W), Chris Draft (S/M), Sean Tufts
CB Chris Gamble, Ken Lucas, Reggie Howard, Richard
Marshall, Jermaine Hardy, Marcus Cassel, Jarrett Bush, DeShane Dennis
S Mike Minter (SS), Shaun Williams (FS), Colin Branch (FS), Kevin
McAdam, Nate Salley (FS)
QB: Backup
quarterback Brian Griese had surgery during the off-season to repair a torn ACL
and MCL in his left knee. Yet so far he has shown no ill effects from the
surgery, but he’s only practicing once per day during two-a-days. His mobility
looks good and he’s reporting no problems. "I haven't had as much swelling
as I expected to have, and I've really been pleased with it,'' he said. During
Friday’s practice Griese showed good accuracy, putting passes into tight spots
along the sidelines. On Thursday, Griese was given the day off allowing Kyle
Orton to work with the second team. Orton’s two minute drill ended when Dion
Byrum intercepted his pass along the sideline.
RB: Cedric
Benson was carted off the field on Friday evening after injuring his left
shoulder after catching a short pass over the middle. He’s expected to miss two
or three weeks – best-case scenario. Benson was hit by LB Brian Urlacher and
then safety Mike Brown, but the hits looked clean and nondescript. Benson then
went down to one knee and it quickly became apparent he was hurting as he
grabbed his wrist writing in pain. "He broke through, a freak accident,
those kind of things happen," head coach Lovie
Smith said. "Hopefully it isn't too serious." “The X-Rays were
negative. I'm doing pretty good," Benson said.
"I don't think it's nothing severe. Everything seems good. I did a little
treatment this morning and was moving it around. I felt pretty strong. I just
feel really sore today." Benson will likely miss the team’s preseason
opener on Friday against
The injuries to Benson and Thomas Jones give Adrian
Peterson a chance to work as the starter for the time being. P.J. Pope will
work with the second team and the Bears signed rookie free agent Andre Hall to
a contract on Friday to give them another back in camp. Hall was released by
WR: Leave it to
Muhsin Muhammad to lead by example. The veteran receiver reported to camp 10
pounds lighter. Offensive coordinator Ron Turner saw him from a distance last
week and thought they signed a new player. Bernard Berrian even walked past him
without recognizing him. ''When a guy loses weight like that, it tells you he
is trying to do something, trying to make himself better,'' Bears coach Lovie
Smith said. ''When you lose weight, that is normally some
kind of commitment you've made to get pounds off like that. Moose has
worked extremely hard. It seems like the All-Pros, the ones I have been around, they seem to get better as the years go on. They
take care of their body year-round. He didn't have the type of year he wanted
last year. Normally, when that happens you say, 'Hey, what can I do?' All you
can do is get your mind right and then come in the best physical shape you
can.''
As for the heated competition for the starting job
opposite Moose, Bernard Berrian holds a slight edge over Mark Bradley. "Bernard has played well throughout
camp," said Smith. "He's making a move. It's been documented about
the second receiver (competition), and somebody needs to step up. Who's to say
that it won't be him?" Berrian is more comfortable in his third camp, he
is completely healthy and he got some experience in the playoffs last year,
catching five balls for 68 yards against
TE: There has been little to no news out of Bears camp
regarding the tight ends, but Desmond Clark continues to work as the starter
and he made a nice catch over his head in Friday’s practice between Charles
Tillman and Mike Brown.
Defense: Defensive
coordinator Ron Rivera said the team is converting Dwayne Slay, out currently
with a hamstring pull, to outside linebacker. Safety Cameron Worrell has looked
good playing with the second and third team defenses after missing all of last
year with a dislocated shoulder. Todd Johnson is being used as the backup
nickel back at the moment while rookie DB/WR/KR/PR Devin Hester could be the
team’s fifth corner and wide receiver.
Special
Teams: Robbie Gould and rookie Josh
Huston continue to compete for the kicking job. WR/PR Bernard
Berrian has missed time with a hip flexor. The Bears signed free agent RB Andre
Hall, who was released by
Bears Depth Chart
QB Rex Grossman, Brian Griese, Kyle Orton
RB Cedric Benson (inj), Thomas Jones (inj), Adrian
Peterson, P.J. Pope, Andre Hall
FB Bryan Johnson (inj), Jason McKie, J.D. Runnels
WR Muhsin Muhammad, Bernard Berrian, Mark Bradley, Justin Gage, Airese
Curry (inj), Alex Bannister, Devin Hester (KR/PR/CB), Rashied Davis (PR), Craig
Bragg, Bryan McClendon
TE Desmond Clark, Gabe Reid, John
Gilmore, Tim Day, Cooper Wallace
K Robbie Gould, Josh Huston
DE Adewale Ogunleye, Alex Brown, Israel Idonije, Michael Haynes (DT), Jamaal Green,
Mark Anderson, Khari Long
DT Tommie Harris, Ian Scott (inj), Terry Johnson (inj),
Alfonso Boone, Dusty Dvoracek
MLB Brian Urlacher, Jeremy Cain
OLB Lance Briggs (W), Hunter Hillenmeyer
(S/M), Joe Odom (S), Leon Joe (W),
Brendon Ayanbadejo (S), Dwayne Slay, Brandon Marshall, Jamar Williams
CB Charles Tillman, Nathan Vasher, Ricky Manning, Dante Wesley, Alfonso Marshall,
Abraham Elimimian, Carlos Hendricks
S Mike Brown (SS), Chris Harris (FS), Danieal Manning (FS), Todd Johnson (SS/FS), Cameron Worrell, Brandon
McGowan (SS) (inj), Dion Byrum, Donnie McCleskey
Cincinnati Bengals
QB: Carson
Palmer’s return is going well with no setbacks, but he’s still working hard to
shake the rust off his game. On Friday, following a slow start, Palmer
completed four of his last five passes featuring a six-yard touchdown flip to
WR Tab Perry. Offensive coordinator Bob Bratkowski said they’re evaluating
Palmer weekly. They gave him about 40% of the snaps last week and they would
decide whether to increase his reps over the weekend. "I’m going to do whatever I get cleared
to do," Palmer said. "If the doctors think I need more reps and give
me more reps, I’ll do it. If they want me to back off and say I need more rest,
I’ll do it. I’m just going on what they say." Despite the optimism
surrounding Palmer and his steady progress, neither he nor the team are making
any guarantees that he’ll be in the starting lineup when the Bengals open the
season at
With Palmer sidelined, Anthony Wright worked with
the first-team offense and Doug Johnson with the second team during the team’s
mock game Saturday. Wright went 23-of-33 for 291 yards with one touchdown and
three interceptions, two of which were tipped and should have been caught by
Chad Johnson. Doug Johnson finished 16-of-30 passing for 130 yards with no
touchdowns or interceptions. Wright may have locked up the backup job, but he
did have the benefit of working with Chad Johnson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh while
Johnson did not. Wright struggled in the team’s scrimmage the previous night
completing only seven out of 17 passes. Johnson went 5-of-11 with one touchdown
and one interception on Friday night.
RB: Rudi Johnson looks great in camp. He’s down
to 218 pounds and appears to be even stronger throughout his upper body and
shoulders. His knee is healthy and he’s breaking tackles like usual. As a result
of his workout regimen, he appears quicker getting to and through the hole.
During the mock game the offense mostly threw the football, but Johnson still
had one of the most noteworthy plays breaking through for a 21-yard gain off
the left side. He ran eight times for 41 yards. Backup Chris Perry remains on
the PUP giving veteran Kenny Watson an opportunity to work as the third down
back – a role he previously held before Perry was drafted. “It hurt me watching
everybody play. Now I'm back and ready to make some plays." Watson said,
"It's important for a guy like me… The more you can do, the better chance
you have to be on the field. Whatever they put me out there to do, I'm going to
take advantage of it."
Quincy Wilson and rookie
tailback DeDe Dorsey also broke long runs, thanks to dominant offensive line
play at times. Dorsey also worked as a kickoff returner with Reggie McNeal and
Bennie Brazell, as special teams coach Darrin Simmons looks for a top backup to
No. 1 kickoff returner Tab Perry.
"We're all trying to earn a spot," Dorsey said. "For us
rookies, special teams is where it's going to be at. Tab's the guy, but if I
can, I'll come in and take his place." Rookie free agent FB Naufahu Tahi
broke a bone in his foot on Friday and will be out for a few weeks.
WR: The mock game was dominated by
big passing plays. Chad Johnson had 142 yards on 11 catches, despite letting
two balls go through his hands for interceptions. T.J. Houshmandzadeh added
seven catches for 107 yards. Chris Henry did not participate, but rookie Reggie
McNeal has three catches for 20 yards. McNeal said he’s finally adjusted to the
extra running that comes with his new position in the pros. McNeal is a
project, but his presence gives the Bengals the ability to call trick plays much
like the Steelers have done with Antwaan Randle El in the past. While Henry
didn’t play Saturday night, the team got plenty to see from him the previous
night. On Friday, Henry dominated the team’s scrimmage catching five balls for
117 yards, including a 44-yarder, and a 10-yard TD. His play caused Carson
Palmer to draw comparisons between he and Randy Moss. Henry simply had his way
against whoever tried to cover him making plays with his 6-foot-4 frame,
jumping ability, and sure hands. Marvin Lewis wasn’t overly thrilled, but he
did offer Henry some reassuring words following his troubled offseason.
"He has faced some adversity," Lewis said. "He’s learning to
deal with it. And in dealing with that, he is becoming a more mature person and
accepting responsibility for what has occurred. He gets the opportunity to
defend himself, and that will happen." Receivers coach Hue Jackson added,
"I've never had a football problem with Chris… I never anticipated it
would be, but I also never anticipated it would be the other…He's a talented
player who is working his way back into shape and he's trying to earn the
respect of his teammates by being out there every day and fit in and do his
job. That's all he can do. Chris has to learn to do the right thing in society.
Chris' problem is not on this team as a player. Chris puts himself in jeopardy
away from here. That's what's gone on. Other than that, his talent will always
show up. That's why we drafted him. I'm not in awe. It's like, 'OK, but I
expect more.' I'm not surprised by anything he does."
Besides Henry, Tab Perry and
Bennie Brazell also stole the show. Perry caught a 6-yard TD from Palmer on the
opening drive. After the TD, Perry and fellow wideouts Chad Johnson and T.J.
Houshmandzadeh drew a 15-yard penalty following their celebration. Perry stood
on the back line of the end zone and "bowled" the football toward his
three teammates, who acted like bowling pins, falling backward simulating a
"strike." "I didn't see it," head coach Marvin Lewis said,
"but from what I understand… it was pretty good, though." Brazell had
one catch where he ran 52 yards only to pull up with a cramp in his leg. He
appeared to be fine afterward giving the fans a "thumbs up” as he left the
field. HC Marvin Lewis said his injured receivers are healing well. Kelley
Washington (hamstring) and Antonio Chatman (hip) are expected to be ready soon.
Defense: It didn’t take rookie MLB
Ahmad Brooks long to make some plays in training camp. On Tuesday, August 1,
Brooks was literally a human highlight film on his own. He intercepted a pass
from Anthony Wright, then not long after that, he grabbed Quincy Wilson on a
sweep and rode him out of bounds crashing into a photographer. "I was
thinking they were going to slow down," said the AP photographer.
"But they just kept coming." Brooks continued to hustle saying
afterwards, “I'm just trying to get better. I'm trying to take my game from
college to pro practice. Hopefully, I can do it in a game. It's imperative for
me to go out there every day and compete hard. Every day, I've got to do
good." In Saturday’s practice Keiwan Ratliff intercepted two passes then
broke up several more during the mock game in the afternoon. Ratliff returned
on interception 33 yards for a score, while Patrick Body had another interception.
Ratliff is engaged in an intense battle with rookie Johnathan Joseph for the
team’s nickel back job , but the team’s other corners – Rashad Bauman, Greg
Brooks and Body - are also playing well. "Keiwan isn't giving anything up,
and Rashad didn't even have a ball thrown at him today, so he's doing something
right over there," defensive coordinator Chuck Bresnahan said. "Greg
Brooks is playing his butt off. And Pat Body is doing some good things. They're
all competing, and it's making us a better team." Coach Marvin Lewis is
pleased, too. "Keiwan did some good things today," Lewis said.
"We have a real battle between Keiwan and Johnathan. Rashad Bauman is
probably having his best camp, and Greg Brooks ... a great competition between
those four guys."
LB David Pollack didn’t play
Saturday night because of a hamstring injury. His injury is allowing Landon
Johnson, the team’s projected starter at WLB, to also get some work in
Pollack’s position. Johnson can play all three LB positions. As for Pollack, the
hamstring could be day-to-day or sideline him for as much as three weeks. Other
injuries of note include DT John Thornton, who is getting some rest due to a
hip contusion. DT Sam Adams has been on the PUP list as he works himself back
into football shape. Their absence has allowed backups Shaun Smith and rookie
Domata Peko to run with the starting defense.
Special Teams: In last Friday’s scrimmage, kicker Shayne Graham went 6-of-6 on field goals (27, 32, 35, 39, 42 and 46 yards). He was less perfect in Saturday’s practice, missing wide right from 48 yards and hitting the left upright from 36 yards. Starting punt returner WR Antonio Chatman has missed practices and the scrimmage with a groin injury. In his absence, CB Keiwan Ratliff, WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh and CB Deltha O’Neal have handled punts. WR/KR Tab Perry also joined in