PRACTICE REPORT FOR AUG 23, BY FAST EDDIEAdd yourself to The HERD's Official Roster (guestbook), if you think you are man enough!
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Some good news on the injury front: The Rams appear to be getting healthy. Lionel Barnes was out on the field with his jersey on, and though he didn't have his helmet or practice with the team, he did run sprints, stretch with the team, and looked to be running freely on the side field. Jay Williams had his helmet and shell on and did all that stuff, plus participate in low contact defensive drills with the 2nd team D at LE. Jeff Zgonina and D'Marco Farr participated in everything fully. Ernie Conwell was again working out on a side field, running and cutting the entire time. He also spent alot of time running routes and catching balls from Gus Ornstein... it's the first time I've seen him doing that. I don't know where these media guys are getting this stuff about one thigh being "visibly half the size" of the other. That's BS. Ernie looks to be in great shape, thighs and all. Greg Hill was dressed and took all the snaps with the 2nd team offense at tailback. And finally, the biggest surprise... Robert Holcombe was dressed, carried the ball in offensive drills, and saw some action in 7 on 7 passing drills with the defense, making a catch or two, although he didn't participate in the heavier contact stuff like 9 on 9 rushing drills or 11 on 11 scrimmaging. Holcombe looks strong and quick... intense as always. Oh yeah... Ike took his regular number of snaps with the first team offense and was fit as a fiddle.
The merry-go-round at middle linebacker continues to turn... today, Styles got most of the reps. with the first regular defense. Clemons got a few towards the end of the practice, but Fletcher got very few.
Each one of these guys has some things he does better than the others, although it appears to me that London Fletcher is pretty much out of the running because he doesn't have the strength to fight through a block the way Collins does as well as anyone on this team and the way both Styles and Clemons will do. This is pretty important for the MLB in this scheme. I think they'll try to get Fletcher on the field because he does too many things well to use him only on special teams. Today in practice they ran a couple of plays with Mike Jones lining up on the strong side, whichever it was, Fletcher playing the weakside, and Styles and Clemons alternating in the middle. So I think they will rotate Fletcher in with the nickel package. In fact they've been doing this throughout camp. He and Mike Jones play the nickel backers, and Clemons has taken Jones' place when Mike was hurt...and so I wouldn't be surprised to see some of this in an effort to keep Collins fresh and get Fletcher on the field because he does too many things well to use only on special teams. They could probably try Collins inside as well. I doubt we'll see this switch full time, but I think we'll see a some of it
Clemons does appear to have the best grasp on the position at this time. Still, don't underestimate Styles. He gets down the line well, he does not lack for speed, and I think his instincts against the run are perhaps the best of all three of these guys. Styles has two major problems that put him behind the other two guys IMHO... pass coverage and attitude. He looks absolutely lost in coverage, often drifting about indecisively in space. Perhaps more importantly, he just doesn't seem to have the fire that the other two guys have. Styles is very laid back, seems to be very easy going and quiet, usually smiling and in good humor, but it's just not the attitude that you are looking for at this position that needs to be a warrior and something of a leader on the defense.
The one thing that appears to be set in stone is that Mike Jones will be in the game with just about every package and he'll be playing the left or the strong side.
In case you care about depth charts... here they were today for the defense (you'll have to check your roster for the numbers because I'm not going to list all the names): 1st regular D: 93, 99, 75, 98, 52, 51, 54, 41, 22, 35, 21. 2nd regular D: 96, 95, 90, 77, 58, 56, 55, 20, 23, 24, 32. 3rd regular D: 79, 94, 97, 65, 57, 59, 91, 42, 39, 38, 43. 1st nickel D: 93, 99, 75, 98, 56, 52, 20, 41, 22, 35, 21.
Of note... I think both Carpenter and Hiles are ahead of Rich Coady. Rich could be in trouble for a roster spot. I still have no idea why they drafted him in the third round when they could have gotten an impact player at another position. Taje Allen is still the nickel back and I have NO idea why. Dre Bly is so much better than Allen in coverage that it isn't even funny. At all. Also, just as he did last year, Todd Lyght actually lines up in the slot in the nickel package and the nickel back plays LCB. They like Todd there because he's so physical.
Bly is very fun to watch in camp. He is not shy and he'll get right up on the line and cowboy whoever lines up across from him. Even when he gets out of position, he has the great recovery speed and instincts to make a play on the ball. He had some excellent battles with Mac Cody out wide on the right sideline today. Cody is so quick with his cuts that you cannot defend him any other way than the way Dre does, otherwise he'll catch the slant or sit down and turn before the defensive back could get back on him.
It's also very fun to watch Ike Bruce at the line of scrimmage especially when he comes up against a guy like Bly or McCleon. They try their damdest to jam him, but I've never seen it happen. Ike's too quick, he makes about 7 or 8 quick steps right off the line to juke them and they never get more than one hand on him. Then it's bye bye Ike:) Az Hakim also had a nice practice. He made the most amazing catch I've seen this summer. He ran a slant all the way across from the right side of the field to the left sideline about 15 yards deep, Green threw it to the sideline side in front of him... Az was laid out at about a 30% angle to the ground, he caught it on his fingertips about two feet out of bounds and somehow he kept his feet inside the white line. That was amazing ... tippy toes and fingertips and you should have seen Saunders fly down the field to congratulate Az on that play.
Could someone please explain to me how Jeff Robinson could have the kind of soft hands that he has? He doesn't drop anything. The guy looks sloppy, his shirt tail's always out and he just looks loose and round and ragged, not at all like the prototypical tight end, but he just does the right things. Every practice I attend, he gets his hands up over his head and extends himself and brings in a ball with his fingers that no one expected to be caught. It's scary. He made a very nice catch downfield and then turned and ran over Rich Coady, but he also had a fumble late in the day when he got absolutely popped by Van Hiles right after the catch. He caught the ball, but couldn't hold it--I don't think anyone could have. Robinson is very conscientious as well. After every route, he runs right over to Mike Martz and starts asking questions... "I should have been deeper out that way right Mike?"
Roland Williams had a couple of nice catches and also a drop when he looked up and saw Billy Jenkins bearing down on him. Martz yells, "Don't look in front of you Roland. He ain't going to kill you!" (I'm not so sure.:)
Marshall Faulk got all the carries with the first team offense and he looked as quick and elusive as I have yet seen him. He has such quick feet and the term is smooth and ELUSIVE. I finally got to watch Hill on the same field with Marshall and it's an interesting contrast in styles carrying the ball. Hill is much more of a slasher and a hopper, he hops back and forth from one foot to the other and then bursts through when he finally sees the hole. He's not nearly as subtle as Faulk in tight spaces, but I believe he's more explosive when he sees the hole; certainly he's faster in the open field.
The Rams closed out the practice with the two minute drill as they usually do... 1st nickel defense of course. 1st and 10 from their own 25, Green completes a quick slant to Torry Holt over the middle. Torry got out in front of Lyle who had the coverage and picked up 15 yards. The clock runs... 1:14 when they get set and Green throws deep to Torry along the left sideline, complete over the top of McCleon, but Dex brings him down in bounds. 25 yard pickup. Green spikes the ball with :53 seconds left. 2nd and 10 from the 35. Middle screen pass to Marshall Faulk with Mike Jones right on him, can't get out of bounds. Quickly to the line, Green smacks Chad Lewis right in the facemask with the ball, Lewis was cutting to the sideline with Clemons on his back and he never even saw it... Clemons laughs. 4th down and 5 at the 30 yard line. Faulk lines up in the slot on the right side with Az split wide, Ike and Torry on the left side and an empty backfield. Faulk curls to the sideline, makes the catch and gets out of bounds... just enough for the first down. 1st and 10 from the 23, 28 seconds left. Martz catches the linebackers napping, quick counter draw play to Faulk who sneaks through the LG hole without even being touched and... he's gone. TOUCHDOWN! Offense finally won. Defense was pissed and cussing a lot.