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I saw a few things... nothing earth shattering, but first off I feel the need to vent... Fank Gansz... What a complete jackass! I am so sick of this guy. I think he's a sorry excuse for a football coach, but I've always just tried to tune him out and not take the special teams sessions very seriously. I finally started to watch the special teams in earnest last week in Macomb and you can see some of the things he's trying to do with the various units... the problem is you have to contend with Gansz' continually puking meaningless cliches all over the field with that loud speaker in order to try and single out any sort of method to the madness. You just have to filter out 950f everything he says and I have no doubt that the players have to do likewise. Now if that's the way he wants to run the special teams practices, so be it... he's the coach, as ridiculous as he comes off. But what really ticks me off and has inspired me to slam the guy is when he gets out there during the other sessions of practice and screws with the players... one of the coordinators needs to politely take that loud speaker and ram it down his throat...
They are in 11 on 11 drills and Gansz is back their 5 yards away from Peter Giunta in the secondary, who is trying to align the defense and do some actual football coaching, but there is no way any of the players can hear what Giunta or Steve Brown have to say because they have to contend with this...
"Genghis Kahn always STARTED the fight with his Mangadie. Oh no, he never let the other guy start the fight. He always started the fight himself. Him and his Mangadie. I'll tell you that story sometime Rich Cody. Alright fellas. Now it's full speed ahead. First man tackles, second man strips. Alignment, assignment, tempo. That's what it's all about guys, you don't get a second chance. This is the game. The game is on the line. 3 minutes left. What's going to happen? I don't know! NOBODY knows. It's full speed. Alignment, assignment, and tempo. Close the gap. Who's going to close the gap? Get the ball out. 1st man tackles, 2nd man strips. Jazz session men. You can't win until you learn not to lose. Hustle! No mental letdowns. Where are we going to find that mentality? Sitting around drinking beer? Not likely. You won't last long around here that way. Start up the bus! We're right here. 4 minutes left and we're down by one. How's the offense going to get the ball back? They sure aren't going to punt! You gotta strip the ball. It all starts with tempo. Tempo, tempo, tempo! Alignment assignment and tempo. And then you close the gap. Close the gap Fletch. Let's see what you got Fletch. It's all on you baby!..."
For 30 minutes straight. The same garbage over and over. JUST SHUT UP ALREADY and let a real coach coach! It's all so much nonsense ... grrrrr!
Allright... I'm simmering down now.
As for the special teams, just a note... London Fletcher is really fun to watch. He has amazing speed for a guy as heavy as he is and with such short legs. He lines up inside next to the kicker with the coverage team, he turns on the jets and he's always the first man to the 20. What makes him so devastating though is not his speed down the field, it's the fact that he can come to balance and get control of himself with his feet underneath him so quickly. He comes to balance immediately and busts the wedge, and then accelerates to the ball. He makes adjustments at top speeds and rarely runs past the ball as so many will do. He's so good that he makes you forget momentarily about the jackass with the loudspeaker...
Robert Holcombe was out on the field this morning. He didn't have his helmet or participate in the team drills, but he had his jersey on and was out of the sling. He ran wind sprints with the team and did calisthenics, then he worked out by himself over on the side field. He was working his legs hard and swinging his arms, didn't appear to be favoring the shoulder. Of course, I realize that hitting in pads is something else entirely for a shoulder injury like that, especially for a fullback.
Kevin Carter was out on the field also in his jersey, but for some reason he didn't participate in the team practice either. He was laughing and joking and getting around fine, so I doubt it's serious, but on a sobering note, his absence meant that #65 Brian Lytle was the starting LE... Ugh:(
I still can't believe I miss Jay Williams!
D'Marco Farr was dressed and took all the snaps with the first string D. So did Billy Jenkins at strong safety. He had his right wrist either in a cast or in heavy tape. Jenkins made a couple of nice plays to break up Kurt Warner passes in coverage and also made a nice read on a reverse to catch Faulk in the backfield. Devin Bush played with the 2nd team D along with Carpenter at free safety. Bush has his left ankle heavily taped but seemed to be getting around on it freely. Maybe they want Devin to beat him out, but I don't think they'll be able to keep Billy off the field, he makes too many things happen. I know that seems like my own personal crusade and everyone else seems to be saying otherwise, but I only keep mentioning it because it keeps sticking out at me. Maybe Billy just knows when I'm coming to practice:)
At MLB, Charlie Clemons took all the snaps with the 1st regular D, and I can see Charlie growing in leaps and bounds every time I attend a practice. He read the run excellently today and was always in the right hole... that's probably the biggest reason that Marshall didn't stand out much. He gets there fast and closes the gap as my buddy Gansz would say:) Charlie also has made strides in coverage. He got himself in the passing lane and cut off a quick slant and then batted down a Trent Green pass in the final 11 on 11 session. Styles worked with the 2nd team and Fletcher with the 3rd.
The guy who really stood out in both 7 on 7 and 11 on 11 drills on offense was Roland Williams. I was very happy to see that. I have never seen Roland that involved in the passing game. He ran some smooth routes down the center of the field and got himself open and caught the ball. He extended himself with his arms in the air and made a catch after coming all the way across the middle to the right sideline on a rollout by the quarterback. He stayed with the route to the end and had the good hands to snare it and hold on when he hit the ground. He's really a big target coming across the field with his back to the defender like that. I'm also very impressed with Jeff Robinson's hands. He hangs onto the ball when he's hit as well. Maybe he is for real.
The other two guys who made a few plays this morning receiving the ball were Mac Cody and Tony Small. Ike and Torry were both dressed and on the field, but curiously, neither got any reps that I saw. Cody is so very quick, if you watch him, he is almost always open. He has some of the best hands in camp as well. He catches everything he gets a hand on. If he's competing with Tony Small for the 6th WR spot, however, he may not be a lock, because Small is a much bigger target and can get up to make the tough catches across the middle that Mac couldn't reach. Another theme that I've repeated over and over... if it was my choice I'd send Proehl packing and keep both these guys... all I saw Ricky do today was drop another one playing against the same defensive personnel against which these younger guys were shining.
Marshall looked human today. Dline and linebackers did a good job sealing up the inside and getting their hands on him at the line. Of course that doesn't mean much without pads. He's getting into the competitive swing however. He bobbled and dropped a screen pass right in front of me and smacked the ball off the ground at the defenders gathered on the sidelines and yelled something that made the moms cover the babies ears. I told the mom next to me, "Don't worry, I think he said 'FAULK!'" :)
Saw a little of the linemen's one on one pass protection drills. Watched Pace eat Wistrom for lunch over and over. I'm not sure about Grant's technique there. I was also pleasantly surprised by the strength of Tom Nutten, who is back with the first team at LG even though Spikes was also out there. Nutten doesn't lock them up with his hands like Spikes and Timmerman will do, but he does get a good smack on them off the snap and then stay with it and get back into position to smack them again and keep them off balance. Big Otis English was working as an offensive lineman in these drills and getting some ribbing from Carl Hairston for being a traitor I imagine. The 2nd team OL was Chanoine, Spikes, McCollum, Singh, and Tucker. That should give you some clue as to who is going to make it and who isn't... guys like Tucker and McCollum are working at a 2nd position in order to improve the overall depth once the cuts are made. Singh is a powerful run blocker at RG and he could be a darkhorse to make the team or the practice squad.
Another surprise guy that I think has a shot is #55 Phil Ward at ROLB, depending on how many linebackers they keep. If they keep 7, then I think he and Morton are the 6th and 7th guys until Little gets back from suspension. I like Ward in coverage, but they may prefer Pelshak for his pass rush.
Another fringe guy I've come to watch and be impressed with more often than not is Gaylon Hyder at DT. I think he'll make the team ahead of Weaver and English as the 5th tackle along with Zgonina (who's still out), Sears, Agnew, and Farr. Hyder shuts down the run inside in 11 on 11 and he was working very hard in pass rush drills, but he needs to learn some technique... he gets through or he gets out of position and thrown down. He gets leverage on some of the shorter guys that you wouldn't expect, however, and I was very surprised to see him make Gruttadauria look bad.