groo
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WARNING: VERY LONG POST, but only because I had such a great day at camp and want to tell all to my fellow zoners.
Made my way to camp today for both the morning and afternoon practices. This is my third time attending camp -- the first was Campo, then Parcell, now Phillips (more later on my thoughts of their differences). The previous times I attended camps I wasn't focused on what I wanted to see. This time I wanted to watch the non-starters. We all know pretty much who the 22 starters will be. It's the rookies, 2nd teamers, 3rd teamers who are the ones that don't get that much coverage from the press. So here go my observations:
STRONG BUY RECOMMENDATIONS
Amendola. This guy is so quick and catches everything. Yes we have heard he's not that big and fast but he has these super quick short steps that allow him to change directions on a dime. He dives for balls. He jumps up to fight for them. On one out and up route, the ball was already thrown before he broke out of his turn. Once he picked out the ball in the air he accelerated to another gear and chased after it. He caught it in stride 30 yard downfield to a loud cheer. I love watching this guy and would bet that there's no way that he can even be sneaked on to the practice squad.
Jenkins was getting lots of rep with the first team and more than held his own. He had several nice pass breakups and is really physical at the line jamming receivers. He doesn't seem like the game is too fast for him.
BUY RECOMMENDATIONS
Mile Austin and Sam Hurd. Both guys look smooth running their routes. They caught pretty much everything their way. I had the impression that Austin was more of a fast straight line guy but not quick in and out of cuts. I'm glad he proved me wrong. He was definitely quick making turns.
Felix Jones. Dang this dude has another gear. He is super fast getting to the corner and make great cuts. There were two plays I recalled. The first was supposed to be a run up the middle. He was met by a LB who had broken through the line but he stopped and turned 90 degree to his right before the LB had a chance to tackle him. Then he beat everybody to the sideline before turning upfield for a nice gain. The second play he ran a sweep to his left and he just outran everybody. Several fans around me shook their heads at how fast Felix was.
Carpenter was very active working with the 2nd team. He directed and called out pre-snap adjustments. He had a couple nice pass breakups including a really good interception on a sideline route that he would have returned for a TD. He also broke through the line a few times on running plays and got to the RB. Maybe he's starting to get it.
Martellus Bennet. This kid is much bigger than I thought but not clumsy big. He runs quite smooth for such a big guy. He dove for one ball close to the ground the way a small receiver dove. He caught pretty much everything his way. I think for him the challenge won't be a lack of physical talent. It would be more how fast he can learn the mental side to the position.
HOLD RECOMMENDATION
Stanback. Physically Stanback is more like a TE with speed --kinda reminds me of Vernon Davis in SF. My impression is he still far behind Austin and Hurd because mainly of his footwork. At this point he seems like more a straight speed guy. When going in and coming out of his breaks he seems to waste too many extra steps. So this slows him down and gives the DB the chance to close. Certainly this is something that can be improved with more practice.
Brad Johnson. He may not win many games but he is serviceable as a backup. His arm strength is not as bad as I had read. There is some zip to his throws although his windup is so slow compared to Romo's. Johnson is definitely better with short and middle-of-the-field routes. The route that he has trouble with is that deep out to the sideline when the ball really has to get there fast before the DB can react. He would be OK to go in for a couple games but we would not get very far if he has to play extensively. Few things I saw interesting about Johnson. He is ambidextrous. During warmups he would throw with both arms, although the right is clearly stronger. Easy to pick him out of the crowd when he is the only one wearing baggy sweat pants. He is constantly stretching and throwing to keep warm between reps.
SELL
Someone was touting Oglesby so I'm not sure if he just had a bad day today. He was getting toasted frequent and often not just by TO but by other receivers as well. On one play he opened his hips too early and the receiver turned him completely around and was open by 5 yards on a post route.
STRONG SELL
God forbids if we have to go to Bartel. He looked awful even in warmups. He has a long slow delivery. He is inaccurate. Romo's balls hit his receivers in stride and at the numbers. Bartel's passes were often too high or behind, even on a short 10 yard crossing route. He makes slow decisions. They brought in some unlisted lefty QB #10 to throw and Bartel didn't look any better than that guy. They say Bartel has a strong arm but I didn't see it. And it doesn't matter how strong your arm is when it is inaccurate.
NO COVERAGE ON THESE STOCKS.
Wished I got to see more of Choice and Scandrick, especially Orlando. The couple times I watched Choice he is a tough inside runner who bounces around like a pinball. On one play he broke through he got a "good job" hammer from Tank. The way Tank tapped Choice was a downward fist on top of Choice's head. Choice looks like maybe 5'8"-5'9" and much shorter next to Tank. So the motion looked like hammer pounding down a nail. I thought that was funny because it probably made Choice even shorter.
OTHER TIDBITS
Speaking of Tank, he is really having a good time. I saw him run around Flozel in circles the way 5 year olds circle their parents. Flo was totally ignoring Tank. Also, Tank was the first to get out on the field for the afternoon practice. I think TO was the last.
There is clearly a really strong camaraderie on this team. I saw Canty, Tank, Flo and several linemen stood with arms leaning on the other guys' shoulders while watching drills
Camp Wade certainly looks more like Camp Campo in how relaxed everyone is. Parcells camp was more like a military camp. With Parcells players were running from drills to drills. Here they walked. During stretch sessions, Parcells camp had a whistle to tell players when to move to the next stretch. Here the players were kinkda out of sync and some didn't seem to stretch seriously. Parcell's required linemen to wear knee braces. I saw only Flo and Columbo wore braces. I have one of those braces myself after my ACL injury. They are actually comfortable to wear and really help protect your knee. I think linemen should definitely wear them. It's hard to argue against a 13-3 result but I sure hope the lax attitude won't translate into lack of toughness to handle times when the season gets difficult. Parcells style has worked great for teams that need to be turned around with a roster of young players. Maybe Phillips is a better fit for a more mature team. I want to see what a Dungy camp looks like since everyone says he is a nice coach but he gets consistent winning results.
JERRY THE MASTER
Jerry Jones is a master marketer who doesn't miss any trick. There was one moment during practice when AJ tossed a ball into the crowd. One guy close by to where I was caught it but the security asked him to give it back. The guy reluctantly gave it back. The crowd booed loudly. Five minutes later here was Jerry walking across the field with two footballs and five cameras following him. Jerry gave one ball personally to the guy. The crowd cheered. Jerry then tossed the other ball into the crowd which followed by a the craziest scramble for football, kinda like a fumble on ice. One lady got ran over and came out the scrum crying. It was quite a sight. Anyway that moment sure got Jerry on all the TV shows.
Another Jerry marketing machine at work. The previous two camps I attended I didn't see they were selling these VIP passes. This camp, one very attractive young woman walked around selling these $10 VIP passes that gets you a few minute access with designated players. The trick was that these are raffle passes. So $10 gives you a lottery chance for a VIP pass and not the actual pass itself. People were buying them up like there's no tomorrow. That girl hardly made 10 yards before she sold out all those VIP raffles.
TRAINING CAMP TIPS
When you get here, if you want to know where most of the scrimmage will be on the field, find where the camera towers are located. In the morning we were at the wrong end and didn't get to see much. In the afternoon they move the end zone camera tower to the opposite end zone and we got great views.
If you want to convince your wife/gf to come to camp with you, tell them that one of the largest outlet stores (Camarillo) in CA is only about 5 miles south of camp. They can go there to shop. We found some great bargains during our lunch break between practices.
Made my way to camp today for both the morning and afternoon practices. This is my third time attending camp -- the first was Campo, then Parcell, now Phillips (more later on my thoughts of their differences). The previous times I attended camps I wasn't focused on what I wanted to see. This time I wanted to watch the non-starters. We all know pretty much who the 22 starters will be. It's the rookies, 2nd teamers, 3rd teamers who are the ones that don't get that much coverage from the press. So here go my observations:
STRONG BUY RECOMMENDATIONS
Amendola. This guy is so quick and catches everything. Yes we have heard he's not that big and fast but he has these super quick short steps that allow him to change directions on a dime. He dives for balls. He jumps up to fight for them. On one out and up route, the ball was already thrown before he broke out of his turn. Once he picked out the ball in the air he accelerated to another gear and chased after it. He caught it in stride 30 yard downfield to a loud cheer. I love watching this guy and would bet that there's no way that he can even be sneaked on to the practice squad.
Jenkins was getting lots of rep with the first team and more than held his own. He had several nice pass breakups and is really physical at the line jamming receivers. He doesn't seem like the game is too fast for him.
BUY RECOMMENDATIONS
Mile Austin and Sam Hurd. Both guys look smooth running their routes. They caught pretty much everything their way. I had the impression that Austin was more of a fast straight line guy but not quick in and out of cuts. I'm glad he proved me wrong. He was definitely quick making turns.
Felix Jones. Dang this dude has another gear. He is super fast getting to the corner and make great cuts. There were two plays I recalled. The first was supposed to be a run up the middle. He was met by a LB who had broken through the line but he stopped and turned 90 degree to his right before the LB had a chance to tackle him. Then he beat everybody to the sideline before turning upfield for a nice gain. The second play he ran a sweep to his left and he just outran everybody. Several fans around me shook their heads at how fast Felix was.
Carpenter was very active working with the 2nd team. He directed and called out pre-snap adjustments. He had a couple nice pass breakups including a really good interception on a sideline route that he would have returned for a TD. He also broke through the line a few times on running plays and got to the RB. Maybe he's starting to get it.
Martellus Bennet. This kid is much bigger than I thought but not clumsy big. He runs quite smooth for such a big guy. He dove for one ball close to the ground the way a small receiver dove. He caught pretty much everything his way. I think for him the challenge won't be a lack of physical talent. It would be more how fast he can learn the mental side to the position.
HOLD RECOMMENDATION
Stanback. Physically Stanback is more like a TE with speed --kinda reminds me of Vernon Davis in SF. My impression is he still far behind Austin and Hurd because mainly of his footwork. At this point he seems like more a straight speed guy. When going in and coming out of his breaks he seems to waste too many extra steps. So this slows him down and gives the DB the chance to close. Certainly this is something that can be improved with more practice.
Brad Johnson. He may not win many games but he is serviceable as a backup. His arm strength is not as bad as I had read. There is some zip to his throws although his windup is so slow compared to Romo's. Johnson is definitely better with short and middle-of-the-field routes. The route that he has trouble with is that deep out to the sideline when the ball really has to get there fast before the DB can react. He would be OK to go in for a couple games but we would not get very far if he has to play extensively. Few things I saw interesting about Johnson. He is ambidextrous. During warmups he would throw with both arms, although the right is clearly stronger. Easy to pick him out of the crowd when he is the only one wearing baggy sweat pants. He is constantly stretching and throwing to keep warm between reps.
SELL
Someone was touting Oglesby so I'm not sure if he just had a bad day today. He was getting toasted frequent and often not just by TO but by other receivers as well. On one play he opened his hips too early and the receiver turned him completely around and was open by 5 yards on a post route.
STRONG SELL
God forbids if we have to go to Bartel. He looked awful even in warmups. He has a long slow delivery. He is inaccurate. Romo's balls hit his receivers in stride and at the numbers. Bartel's passes were often too high or behind, even on a short 10 yard crossing route. He makes slow decisions. They brought in some unlisted lefty QB #10 to throw and Bartel didn't look any better than that guy. They say Bartel has a strong arm but I didn't see it. And it doesn't matter how strong your arm is when it is inaccurate.
NO COVERAGE ON THESE STOCKS.
Wished I got to see more of Choice and Scandrick, especially Orlando. The couple times I watched Choice he is a tough inside runner who bounces around like a pinball. On one play he broke through he got a "good job" hammer from Tank. The way Tank tapped Choice was a downward fist on top of Choice's head. Choice looks like maybe 5'8"-5'9" and much shorter next to Tank. So the motion looked like hammer pounding down a nail. I thought that was funny because it probably made Choice even shorter.
OTHER TIDBITS
Speaking of Tank, he is really having a good time. I saw him run around Flozel in circles the way 5 year olds circle their parents. Flo was totally ignoring Tank. Also, Tank was the first to get out on the field for the afternoon practice. I think TO was the last.
There is clearly a really strong camaraderie on this team. I saw Canty, Tank, Flo and several linemen stood with arms leaning on the other guys' shoulders while watching drills
Camp Wade certainly looks more like Camp Campo in how relaxed everyone is. Parcells camp was more like a military camp. With Parcells players were running from drills to drills. Here they walked. During stretch sessions, Parcells camp had a whistle to tell players when to move to the next stretch. Here the players were kinkda out of sync and some didn't seem to stretch seriously. Parcell's required linemen to wear knee braces. I saw only Flo and Columbo wore braces. I have one of those braces myself after my ACL injury. They are actually comfortable to wear and really help protect your knee. I think linemen should definitely wear them. It's hard to argue against a 13-3 result but I sure hope the lax attitude won't translate into lack of toughness to handle times when the season gets difficult. Parcells style has worked great for teams that need to be turned around with a roster of young players. Maybe Phillips is a better fit for a more mature team. I want to see what a Dungy camp looks like since everyone says he is a nice coach but he gets consistent winning results.
JERRY THE MASTER
Jerry Jones is a master marketer who doesn't miss any trick. There was one moment during practice when AJ tossed a ball into the crowd. One guy close by to where I was caught it but the security asked him to give it back. The guy reluctantly gave it back. The crowd booed loudly. Five minutes later here was Jerry walking across the field with two footballs and five cameras following him. Jerry gave one ball personally to the guy. The crowd cheered. Jerry then tossed the other ball into the crowd which followed by a the craziest scramble for football, kinda like a fumble on ice. One lady got ran over and came out the scrum crying. It was quite a sight. Anyway that moment sure got Jerry on all the TV shows.
Another Jerry marketing machine at work. The previous two camps I attended I didn't see they were selling these VIP passes. This camp, one very attractive young woman walked around selling these $10 VIP passes that gets you a few minute access with designated players. The trick was that these are raffle passes. So $10 gives you a lottery chance for a VIP pass and not the actual pass itself. People were buying them up like there's no tomorrow. That girl hardly made 10 yards before she sold out all those VIP raffles.
TRAINING CAMP TIPS
When you get here, if you want to know where most of the scrimmage will be on the field, find where the camera towers are located. In the morning we were at the wrong end and didn't get to see much. In the afternoon they move the end zone camera tower to the opposite end zone and we got great views.
If you want to convince your wife/gf to come to camp with you, tell them that one of the largest outlet stores (Camarillo) in CA is only about 5 miles south of camp. They can go there to shop. We found some great bargains during our lunch break between practices.
