Kaiser
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So I went to training camp today and the obvious disclaimers apply – its really early in camp, the players are just doing drills so its basically meaningless until the Preseason Games, and a lot of these observations you have already read from the beat writers.
So fairly warned, these were my observations:
The practice began with the punt returners practicing. Which doesn’t sound eventful except that… Jameze Olawale, our new FB, was out there returning punts. I’m not making that up, he probably had 50 pounds on any other player back there. Probably 80 on Tavon Austin (who is as fast as advertised).
In the DL drills, Taco Carlton is the biggest guy out there. I didn’t see camp last year but when you watch the group doing drills, he really is the biggest guy. Staying with the DL, Jihad Ward looks like a LB. I’m sure he is the 295 pounds they list him at, but none of it is fat. He is just a solid guy with great movement skills.
The flip side of that is that Leighton Vander Esch looks like a DL. The first time I saw him line up at Mike I kind of did a doubletake, like a DE was out of position. You can see where the Urlacher comparisons come from, he is a pure LB and excellent in coverage – but he looks 30 pounds bigger than you would think a player like that would be.
Dorance Armstrong looks bigger than you would expect also, I was expecting a thinner guy and he is solid. Randy Gregory was still in shorts but was doing walk throughs in some drills.
Speaking of big, at one point the OL minus Conner Williams walked toward us and even following the team for years and watching every game, you see those four together and you still say “man, those dudes are monsters”.
Speaking of small, a girl that was like 2 or 3 walked in front of us with a cheerleader outfit, a 71 Collins jersey and the same haircut Lael Collins has. Super cute – it had to be his daughter or niece.
You are watching four fields at once so you only get glimpses, plus its not game reads. But the DBs were in front of us and looked good in the drills. Awuzie especially, but the group looked very good and Kris Richard is watching every last movement.
Also Kris Richard totally has that LEADER OF MEN thing. If you have ever been in the military there are just guys that men will follow into Hades with a gallon of gas (Wayne Downing, Wild Bill Garrison, etc) and Richard is totally one of those guys. He just has that Command Presence.
Charles Tapper looked quick and fast. Rico Gathers did look a touch slower than the other TEs but its early in camp, give him another week of 95 degree heat and he will be fine. He also showed smooth hands catching the passes thrown near him in the drills I saw, with his size he actually can be slower than the others and wall off defenders to make the catch.
Mike White has a gun for an arm but is so much slower than Dak. He looks like a guy that will be a very good backup and a great value for a #5 pick, but he isn’t going to start against an NFL pass rush any time soon.
I don’t see Mckale McKay making the roster but I think he could surprise to be a Practice Squad guy. He really has the physical skills.
Once they started 11 on 11s, the guy I focused on was Jaylon Smith. He is noticeably quicker than last year, just like you read. Not insanely quick like his ND game tape but clearly improved. He is just as quick as any LB out there and also clearly comfortable with the scheme because he was making adjustments like you see Sean Lee do. He also covered Rod Smith well on a sideline out that Dak completed perfectly, but the coverage was excellent.
Speaking of RBs, I only saw Bo Scarbrough for a couple of plays but liked what I saw. Also its crystal clear they are giving Zeke more plays in the passing game.
So fairly warned, these were my observations:
The practice began with the punt returners practicing. Which doesn’t sound eventful except that… Jameze Olawale, our new FB, was out there returning punts. I’m not making that up, he probably had 50 pounds on any other player back there. Probably 80 on Tavon Austin (who is as fast as advertised).
In the DL drills, Taco Carlton is the biggest guy out there. I didn’t see camp last year but when you watch the group doing drills, he really is the biggest guy. Staying with the DL, Jihad Ward looks like a LB. I’m sure he is the 295 pounds they list him at, but none of it is fat. He is just a solid guy with great movement skills.
The flip side of that is that Leighton Vander Esch looks like a DL. The first time I saw him line up at Mike I kind of did a doubletake, like a DE was out of position. You can see where the Urlacher comparisons come from, he is a pure LB and excellent in coverage – but he looks 30 pounds bigger than you would think a player like that would be.
Dorance Armstrong looks bigger than you would expect also, I was expecting a thinner guy and he is solid. Randy Gregory was still in shorts but was doing walk throughs in some drills.
Speaking of big, at one point the OL minus Conner Williams walked toward us and even following the team for years and watching every game, you see those four together and you still say “man, those dudes are monsters”.
Speaking of small, a girl that was like 2 or 3 walked in front of us with a cheerleader outfit, a 71 Collins jersey and the same haircut Lael Collins has. Super cute – it had to be his daughter or niece.
You are watching four fields at once so you only get glimpses, plus its not game reads. But the DBs were in front of us and looked good in the drills. Awuzie especially, but the group looked very good and Kris Richard is watching every last movement.
Also Kris Richard totally has that LEADER OF MEN thing. If you have ever been in the military there are just guys that men will follow into Hades with a gallon of gas (Wayne Downing, Wild Bill Garrison, etc) and Richard is totally one of those guys. He just has that Command Presence.
Charles Tapper looked quick and fast. Rico Gathers did look a touch slower than the other TEs but its early in camp, give him another week of 95 degree heat and he will be fine. He also showed smooth hands catching the passes thrown near him in the drills I saw, with his size he actually can be slower than the others and wall off defenders to make the catch.
Mike White has a gun for an arm but is so much slower than Dak. He looks like a guy that will be a very good backup and a great value for a #5 pick, but he isn’t going to start against an NFL pass rush any time soon.
I don’t see Mckale McKay making the roster but I think he could surprise to be a Practice Squad guy. He really has the physical skills.
Once they started 11 on 11s, the guy I focused on was Jaylon Smith. He is noticeably quicker than last year, just like you read. Not insanely quick like his ND game tape but clearly improved. He is just as quick as any LB out there and also clearly comfortable with the scheme because he was making adjustments like you see Sean Lee do. He also covered Rod Smith well on a sideline out that Dak completed perfectly, but the coverage was excellent.
Speaking of RBs, I only saw Bo Scarbrough for a couple of plays but liked what I saw. Also its crystal clear they are giving Zeke more plays in the passing game.
