I'll do a dump here of stuff I've copied from other places around the web.
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Players
Anyway heres what I saw. On defense I believe MR. Hart will have something to say about who starts at strong safety. He got all and I mean all the reps with the first team. He was confident, quick and decisive in his movements. I didn't see any indication that he thinks he won't be the starter and from his interaction and converstations with Marlon on the field it really seemed like they were trying to sync it up. From what I saw today I think Hart will be the starter on opening day and that Weddle is going to be in on nickle and dime packages.
Davis looked good at receiver and was getting a significant number of snaps with the first team. Looks like he is likely to see action early in the season. Lerk was getting some reps with the first team - I think they seem him as very even with Olivea. Olivea is still the starter but they like Lerk.
I liked some of what I saw of Wilhelm in pass coverage. That seems like the issue how much of a dropoff are we going to have with Wilhelm's pass coverage compare with Donnie. Well there was a pass to the flat where LT was really flying and Wilhelm was right there with him. LT might have picked up 5 but that would have been it. It was real good to see nice speed on Wilhelm like that - That was encouraging.
Chandler had a nice corner pattern in 7 on 7 with the 2nd team. Osgood made a nice catch on a fade pattern he wasn't really open but kind of outjumped everyone on what was not a great throw by Volek.
Florence was kind of giving the new guys a hard time - On one play he actually just grabbed the guy and wouldn't give him a release off the line. Personally I like to see that kind of competition I think it makes everyone better.
Coaching
On coaching the overall demeanor of the place seemed quieter to me. For sure the linebackers didn't seem to be having as much fun as they usually do. Now this was the afternoon practice. But the linebacker coaches were not emphasizing technique as much as you would like to see. I really noticed that they didn't have the linebackers getting low enough. They just seemed to be going 3/4 through the drills. I will say watching the linebackers the last few years they were always the group having the most fun and you saw more communication of technque from the coaches. Of course this is the first day and they don't go in pads till Monday.
The passing offense will be better this year guaranteed. The attention to detail in the passing game is going to pay great dividends for the Chargers. Again not as many ooh's and ah's but I saw more precision in the 7 on 7 ' s and 11 and 11's than we have seen in the past. Again only the first day but to me it was noticible. One thing I noticed on the 2nd team was the coaches allowed the slot receiever to line up in illegal formation. He was on the line of scrimmage. There were very few dropped balls and I would estimate the completion percentage at 75 - 85% Very few balls were hitting the ground. I feel the passing offense is going to be significantly better this year.
Bill Bradley really seemed to be coaching up the secondary. He was watching the guys like a hawk and I saw him spending a little extra time with Cromartie which I thought was encouraging. As a matter of fact it was kind of like Cromartie approached the coach and they spent a few minutes with Cromartie actually drawing the play in the dirt and going over it with Bradley. Very encouraging.
So for a 1st day summary of the coaching I would say we will be better in the Offense, and secondary while we will have to see about the linebacker coaches - They need to pay more attention to detail and get those guys having some fun.
On scheme again just the first day but a couple of things jumped out at me. First is that on the passing plays we seemed to be really spreading the ball around. Again just the first day but we might see more crossing patterns this year. I didn't see Gates catching the ball nearly as often I kind of think our receivers will be more involved in the pass offense. Again just the first day so who really know'??
On Defense I can guarantee you we will be blitzing with our safeties a significant amount of times this year. They ran a good period of dime vs passing down offense and we were bring a safety 60% of the time - that will be fun to watch this year. By the way Weddle is a starter on the dime defense. Anyway I was just there for an hour so those are some things I noticed
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It looked like all Chargers except Parker suited up and participated. Not sure what's up with Parker.
Rivers was pretty sharp, markedly better than the other 3 QBs. He did throw a pass that seemed to slip out of his hand that resulted in an easy int for Florence. Rivers threw downfield more often than the others, relying less on dumpoffs to RBs and TEs. I didn't see him limping, so he must be recovered from his injury. He did a few bootleg and rollout type plays and seemed okay physically. One more thing, his hair is a lot shorter, almost a buzz cut.
LT was LT. Turner had a couple passes thrown to him. Maybe he will be getting more involved in the passing game. Sproles touched the ball a lot. I saw a pass clang off of his hands.
Speaking of clangs, Osgood had hands of stone today. I was disappointed, as I thought he looked decent in mini-camp.
Davis, on the other hand, caught almost everything. He did mostly short and intermediate patterns. He seems to have a knack for getting open. On one pass, he and Gates lined up outside on the left, Gates did a fly and Davis did a 15 yard out. Jammer made a good play on Davis (or it was pass interference ), and broke the pass up.
Jackson caught a few passes and looked pretty good.
Floyd was #2 today. Clinton Hart made an incredible interception on a Rivers pass to Floyd. Rivers threw a bomb to Floyd. The pass looked like it hit Floyd in the hands or chest (I couldn't see that well from my seat), and as Floyd fell to the ground, the ball either popped up or Hart stripped it. Hart ended up with the ball and the crowd roared.
I was impressed with Chandler and his soft hands. He is a freak, being able to move as he does at his size. He is not a burner, but he seems to be able to get open.
Jammer was the best DB today, I thought. No one caught anything thrown his way, it seemed. He broke up several passes.
Cromartie changed his number to 31. He was kind of quiet today, so his pass defense must have been good.
I didn't notice Oliver. I don't recall him being in on any plays. He probably was, but I didn't notice.
Weddle didn't show much. He seemed lost at times. He was the starting dime back today.
There seemed to be a lot of open RBs and TEs during the passing drills. Hopefully this is not indicative of how the LBs and safeties are going to play later on.
Scifres punting is markedly better than the training camp fodder that was brought in, both in hang time and distance. Sproles and Davis caught punts. They both performed well. Davis seemed smooth catching punts. He doesn't seem like a guy who will bobble or drop many.
That's it for now. I have some photos from my cheapo digitial camera. I'll try to upload them soon.
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- Hart playing with the first team
- Cromartie in with first team
- Some one on one with coach bradley and cromartie
- They are rotating in the db
- Cromartie is our biggest db. Hopefully he plays up to his size
- Is big jamal here?I see ryon bingham but where's jamal?
- Weddle playing a bunch of dime
- Rivers to davis equals completiom
- Gordon won vs osgood plus volek
- Weddle with number one def as nickle. Playing around with three linebackers
- Where's parker?
- Scifires 65 yard punt. How is he not a pro bowler
- Sproles and c davis fielding punts. Cromartie too
- Too bqd the punter from miami will gey cut. Scifres is too good
- Rotating davis flod and jackson as ones
- Florence making good use of his hands. Int on rivers to floyd
- Osgood not a great wr. incomplete
- Bad throw from whitehurst to nanee
- Whitehurst redeems himself. Chandler and the backup qbs are working well together
- Pi on jammer
- Davis is looking good. Possible number one. Where's parker?
- Aj smith likes to watch first teams
- Rotating in the rookie o linemen
- Tomlinson owned weddle
- Chandler looking good
- Siler is wide. I mean wiiiide!
- Mostly the second and third teams at this point I'm practice
- Volek lookin shaky...
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More than 3,000 fans showed up at Chargers Park this afternoon for the first open practice of training camp. Only two players did not participate -- wide receiver Eric Parker (toe) and tackle Shane Olivea (stomach virus). Both of the club's top draft picks, wide receiver Craig Davis and safety Eric Weddle were in for a lot of reps -- Davis in place of Parker and Weddle as a starter in the club's dime defense -- and Davis in particular showed well. Clinton Hart and Drayton Florence each made a nice interception, and Mike Scifres boomed a couple of 65-yard punts with his usual ridiculous hang time. The club returns to the field for an open practice from 3:45-6 p.m. tomorrow.
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Nice showing
The Chargers’ practice that was open to the public last summer drew roughly 2,000 fans. It’s obvious that Bolts Believers are excited about their team as app. 3,775 fans showed up for Saturday afternoon’s practice.
Highlight reel
The biggest play of the afternoon practice came from strong safety Clinton Hart. During team drills, wide receiver Malcom Floyd went up to make a leaping grab and appeared to secure the ball between a trio of defenders. Much to Floyd’s dismay, Hart got off the ground with the football when the dust cleared.
“I thought I had it and all of the sudden it was gone,” Floyd said. “Clinton made a great play.”
Hart followed up a strong offseason with a solid showing on the first day of training camp.
Sitting out
Parker did not participate in the afternoon workout, nor did offensive tackle Shane Olivea, who was battling a stomach illness. Cory Lekkerkerker took a majority of the first team snaps at right tackle.
This and That
- Running back Darren Sproles and wide receiver Craig Davis handled a majority of the punt return duties during special teams drills while cornerback Antonio Cromartie also got in the mix for a few snaps.
- Rookie safety Eric Weddle saw plenty of action in the afternoon practice as the team worked on its third down package. Weddle worked as the “dime safety” with the first group.
- Cornerback Drayton Florence added a dramatic, leaping interception on an under thrown ball during 7-on-7 period.
- The Chargers will be on the field for one practice Sunday. The workout will take place from 3:45 to 6 pm and is open to the public.
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Anyway, i agree on all your observations especially about the offense. More on that when i post my T/C thread. I felt a quietness about this practice that was never the tone at a Shottenheimer camp. All business , not much hooting or hollering which is interesting. I can't say if its good or bad but there did seem to be a concerted effort to go 3/4 speed and get things right as opposed to full blast with lots of vocalizing.
I heard all the hankster's remarks. Got to love him. I remember hearing him go through the offensive line and leading up to his introduction of a certain oline player described him as a little undersized at 6'7" and 340 lbs,............ he was talking about Marcus McNiel of all people! LOL
BTW, the place was pretty much packed so if any of you plan to attend i suggest you arrive early.
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Opening day of training camp kicked off on a typical, sunny San Diego afternoon. Both bleachers were filled at Chargers Park and the fence around the practice field was lined with fans. One of the biggest stories during the first full-team practice of 2007 was the Chargers having all of their draft picks signed, sealed and delivered in time for training camp, which had not happened since 1997.
Head Coach Norv Turner looked comfortable in his first public appearance with his new team. He ran the offensive and defensive squads through some light plays. For those looking forward to seeing some big hits, the pads will come out for the first time in Monday's practice.
Rookie Craig Davis lined up with the first team offense, as Eric Parker sat out with a toe injury. It seems like Philip Rivers is warming up to Davis, as the two connected on several completions. Hopefully, Davis can step right in and fill the void left by vacated Keenan McCardell, who just signed with the Houston Texans.
Second-year cornerback Antonie Cromartie, the self-proclaimed fastest player on the Chargers, was wearing his new jersey -- No. 31, the reverse of his No. 13 from Florida State. Perhaps he's looking to return to the playmaking form he showed in college, and if so, he seemed to be off to a good start as he was one of the first players on the field, spending time practicing fielding balls from the JUGS machine.
After the defensive linemen finished up with a round of drills, Luis Castillo stayed behind with rookie Keith Grennan, giving the young defensive-end some additional help and advice. Hopefully Castillo's tips can help Grennan, who's currently third on the depth chart behind Jacques Cesaire and Derreck Robinson, stick around. All in all, the atmosphere around opening day of training camp seemed to be pretty positive. This talented team looks like they're ready to build on last year's record by continuing to develop young talent.
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I just got back from the afternoon session. Man, it was crowded. And hot. Here's my non-expert, 2 cents worth:
It looked like all Chargers except Parker suited up and participated. Not sure what's up with Parker.
Rivers was pretty sharp, markedly better than the other 3 QBs. He did throw a pass that seemed to slip out of his hand that resulted in an easy int for Florence. Rivers threw downfield more often than the others, relying less on dumpoffs to RBs and TEs. I didn't see him limping, so he must be recovered from his injury. He did a few bootleg and rollout type plays and seemed okay physically. One more thing, his hair is a lot shorter, almost a buzz cut.
LT was LT. Turner had a couple passes thrown to him. Maybe he will be getting more involved in the passing game. Sproles touched the ball a lot. I saw a pass clang off of his hands.
Speaking of clangs, Osgood had hands of stone today. I was disappointed, as I thought he looked decent in mini-camp.
Davis, on the other hand, caught almost everything. He did mostly short and intermediate patterns. He seems to have a knack for getting open. On one pass, he and Gates lined up outside on the left, Gates did a fly and Davis did a 15 yard out. Jammer made a good play on Davis (or it was pass interference ), and broke the pass up.
Jackson caught a few passes and looked pretty good.
Floyd was #2 today. Clinton Hart made an incredible interception on a Rivers pass to Floyd. Rivers threw a bomb to Floyd. The pass looked like it hit Floyd in the hands or chest (I couldn't see that well from my seat), and as Floyd fell to the ground, the ball either popped up or Hart stripped it. Hart ended up with the ball and the crowd roared.
I was impressed with Chandler and his soft hands. He is a freak, being able to move as he does at his size. He is not a burner, but he seems to be able to get open.
Jammer was the best DB today, I thought. No one caught anything thrown his way, it seemed. He broke up several passes.
Cromartie changed his number to 31. He was kind of quiet today, so his pass defense must have been good.
I didn't notice Oliver. I don't recall him being in on any plays. He probably was, but I didn't notice.
Weddle didn't show much. He seemed lost at times. He was the starting dime back today.
There seemed to be a lot of open RBs and TEs during the passing drills. Hopefully this is not indicative of how the LBs and safeties are going to play later on.
Scifres punting is markedly better than the training camp fodder that was brought in, both in hang time and distance. Sproles and Davis caught punts. They both performed well. Davis seemed smooth catching punts. He doesn't seem like a guy who will bobble or drop many.
That's it for now. I have some photos from my cheapo digitial camera. I'll try to upload them soon.
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Morning: The Chargers began their first full-squad practice of training camp about 10:30 this morning, with all players present. Most of the early portion of the workout consisted of individual drills, although it was notable that Eric Parker and Vincent Jackson were working as first-team receivers, followed by Malcom Floyd and No. 1 draft pick Craig Davis on the second team. Billy Volek was the second-team quarterback, with Charlie Whitehurst on the third team. When it came time to return punts, Darren Sproles was up first, followed by Davis. A more intensive workout is scheduled for 3:45-6 p.m. this afternoon at Chargers Park. Check back later for more updates.
One down, 35 to go. The Chargers finished their first full-squad practice today, leaving 35 more before camp breaks Aug. 23. Today's practice was a walk-through; there will be more action at the first public practice later today (3:45-6 p.m.). All players reported to camp, Norv Turner said. Wide receiver Eric Parker did not participate in all of the morning workout because of a toe injury that Turner labeled not serious. "I think Eric will be fine,'' Turner said.
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There were no pads, no big hits and no huge fireworks, but football season is officially underway in San Diego. The Chargers opened camp Saturday morning with a slow-paced walkthrough that allowed them to review the work they did during the spring and ease into training camp.
“I love this format, giving us a chance to get back into it and really get our feet wet before we jump into going competitive,” running back LaDainian Tomlinson said. “I love the way Norv approaches this situation during camp.”
The Chargers will be in soft “shells” during the afternoon practice. Head Coach Norv Turner won’t have his men in full pads until Monday afternoon’s workout. Turner promised that the intensity would turn up and that the team will enjoy a high-tempo camp at times with the emphasis being on productive work rather than pace.
“We’re not going to take long to work our way back into it,” Turner said. “We let the guys catch their breath and made sure we remember the things we’ve been working on all offseason. We’ll be a real physical team and we’re going to have physical practices. My thought process would be that we’re going to have quality when we have those practices. Quantity might not be the premium, but the quality will be what we stress.”
Everyone on the Chargers roster reported to camp on time and was on the field Saturday morning. Turner said that he’ll monitor the work of a handful of veterans as camp opens. Wide receiver Eric Parker (toe) watched most of the walkthrough. Defensive tackle Jamal Williams will also be paced and most likely work only once per day as camp gets into full swing.
Consistency counts
As routine with the first day of camp, Tomlinson was asked to put a number on what he’d like to accomplish this year, but the NFL’s reigning MVP said he didn’t have one in mind.
“My thing is to always be consistent,” Tomlinson said. “There are going to be years that are better than others. There might be some that don’t live up to my expectation of being consistent, but if I can just be consistent and produce on the football field, I’m happy with that. That’s the way I’m going to approach it.”
Despite coming off a season that saw him rewrite history, Tomlinson said numbers are something he’s never put much thought in and he believes he’ll have no problem dealing with the personal expectations that are placed on him.
“I never set out to put up 31 touchdowns. It just kind of happened,” Tomlinson said. “I think as you approach it to just be consistent, to be right around 20-something touchdowns, at least 1,600 or 1,700 yards. If you approach it that way, I think as the season goes on like last year it just kind of happens. You get on a roll and all of the sudden you’re looking at 31 touchdowns or 1,800 yards or something like that.”
New do
Guard Mike Goff arrived at training camp with a very different look than he was sporting just weeks ago. After growing out his hair for the last three years,Goff recently cut his long mane and donated them to “Locks of Love,” a charitable organization that makes wigs for cancer patients who have lost their hair during treatment.
“He looks a lot younger,” guard Scott Mruczkowski said.
This is the second time Goff has made a donation to Locks of Love. He also did so three years ago just prior to joining the Chargers.
A little fun
While Gates was addressing the media following Saturday morning’s walkthrough, Merriman was waiting for his turn at the podium and began dousing his Pro Bowl teammate with water.
After being splashed several times, Gates smiled and said, “I can’t wait for that first third down to come up (in this afternoon’s practice). I don’t see him having any chance covering me on third down. I tell him all the time that I was in the Pro Bowl while he was still at Maryland.”
When Lights Out finally got his turn at the podium, Gates got his revenge with one big splash to Merriman’s back.
“Don’t worry, I always get the last laugh,” Merriman said.
As for their match-up in practice this afternoon: “Antonio doesn’t have a chance. I’ll just jam him at the line of scrimmage and won’t let him get off so I don’t have to chase him.”
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After today's first full-squad practice, LaDainian Tomlinson, Coach Norv Turner, tight end Antonio Gates and linebacker Shawne Merriman met with the local media. Here are a few highlights:
TOMLINSON
A devil's advocate question: Did this team look too far down the road last January?
"I think so. I think honestly we were kind of looking past New England in a way we figured it's going to be Baltimore. We knew we had lost to Baltimore so we were looking forward to that matchup. ... I think that was a situation where we wanted to revenge our loss. I would say we probably were looking past New England a little bit, but we shouldn't have been because as great of a team as they are and us being back in the playoffs and not being very experienced, we shouldn't have been looking past anyone.''
How do you fix that, assuming you go back to the playoffs?
"I think experience is the biggest teacher. You experience what happened and you experience different things that happened during that big game and you make sure they don't happen again because you've already been through that. You know not to look past anyone.''
TURNER
It looked like Eric Parker was on the sidelines for a while the last half of practice. Is that precautionary?
"Yeah, we're going to be smart with Eric. Obviously he had the toe so we're going to limit (him). He did some at the start. There's four or five guys we're going to practice once a day. I think Eric will be fine.''
Is there a speech that you gave the team to set the tone for what you're going to do in camp or do you just let the guys find out as they go along?
"I think the biggest thing is we talked about what we wanted to accomplish in training camp. What I like to do is every 2 or 3 days continue with that message and continue in short spurts in terms of what we're getting done and what we're accomplishing and why.''
GATES
You started last year with a (virtual) rookie quarterback. Can you talk about the difference between going into training camp with Philip (Rivers) last year vs. this year?
"It all comes back to the trust and chemistry to me when you think of a good team and a team that's evolving into becoming one of the champ teams or elite teams in this league. Obviously last year there was an unfortunate situation with Drew Brees and Philip stepped in and did a great job. But now we have that much more confidence.''
MERRIMAN
Do you like the way you're starting a little slow (with no full-pad practices until Monday?
"I like the way we're building up right now in the practices and the playbook. We're not throwing a whole bunch at each other right now, which is good. That way we can get down what we need to get down early and get good at it. I like the way things are going so far.''
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SDBoltReport.com is going to be covering training camp from all angles. We will have exclusive and unique coverage on the front page, in the premium message boards, on our MySpace page, and on a pair of blogs. There will be links to all this information on the front page as it becomes available. The following is a training camp report from our very own Danny Murphy.
Blue & Gold Report –
2007 Charger Training Camp – Day 1
The line started early as fanatics and casual fans alike flocked in mass to claim their spots in and around Charger Headquarters. The afternoon practice slowly evolved from a mini-camp session into real competition as players began to feel the weight of the public eye.
The line started early as fanatics and casual fans alike, flocked in mass to claim their spots in and around the Charger Headquarters. The afternoon practice slowly evolved from a mini-camp session into a real competition as players began to feel the weight of the public eye. Among those who thrived today were Craig Davis and Clinton Hart who stood-out among the pack of un-drafted hopefuls and future Hall of Famer’s.
Craig Davis confirmed AJ’s suspicions by repeatedly catching passes in bumper to bumper traffic with smooth routes, soft hands and deep speed. Clinton Hart made the play of the day with centerfield instincts as he stole a perfectly placed deep ball from the clutches of Malcom Floyd’s large hands.
In the 7 on 7 drills, Drayton Florence took advantage of an under-thrown pass from Rivers for the 1st of his many training camp interceptions. Rivers’ however, looked sharp as he threaded the needle with precision passes, many of whom were sent in Vince Jackson’s direction as the two seemed to have picked up right where they left off last year.
Tempers flared briefly as Ryon Bingham and Nick Hardwick exchanged a little more than words and Carlos Polk’s war chants could be heard all the way from Tijuana. Ron Rivera’s influence could be immediately felt as ball-carriers were repeatedly tested by upper-cut hand swipes from defensive players throughout the play. Eric Weddle showed savvy instincts in diagnosing the attack but was overmatched by Antonio Gates on occasion, who displayed a wicked stiff arm against Paul Oliver after a nice catch, for a long gain (Mike – see attached picture). LT, Darren Sproles and Tyronne Gross each had nice runs as the practice ended in a draw, with both offense and defense rallying back and forth throughout the day.
Overall, a good day to build a championship on….
Side observations –
•Igor Olshansky sported a knee brace as he ran with the 1st string.
•Eric Parker did not suit up.
•Scott Chandler will make you forget about Ryan Krause.
•Kelly Griffith is the fastest 300LB TE on our roster.
•Antonio Cromartie & Darren Sproles got the most reps on the punt return coverage.
•Every player patiently lined up for autographs after practice, to the delight of all fans.
That’s all till tomorrow…
Danny Murphy
B&GB
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Welcome to the San Diego Bolt Report's coverage of the San Diego Chargers' 2007 Training Camp! My name is Mike, and I will be in charge of updating everyone out there on what goes on every day at Chargers Park over the next few weeks. Today marked the official start to our Road to the Super Bowl, and it was great to finally see our Bolts in action after 6 long months of having to dwell on our disappointing playoff loss to the New England Patriots.
First of all, it was great to see some new faces out on the field (especially among our coaching staff), as well as some old ones whom we didn't think we would see in the Blue and Gold again (Kris Dielman comes to mind). It was also great to see some of our rookies getting some serious action in practice for the first time, and several of them really stepped up to the challenge (more on that later). But most of all, the best part of the opening of Training Camp was getting to see the Charger faithful turning out in droves to see our team take the field for the first time to get the season started off on the right foot.
From here, I would like to introduce something that I hope to make a daily occurence in my column, which is something which I would like to call my "Shock & Awe" section. The main idea behind this is to highlight the top performers of the practice ("Awe"), as well as to point out the players or groups that I thought to have underachieved in the day's practice session ("Shock"). This section will hopefully be different every day, as players who may end up on the day's "Shock" list have a new chance every day to make a positive impact and improve their stock on the team. So now, without any further ado, I would like to present the first "Shock & Awe" section for the San Diego Chargers' 2007 Football Season:
Shock
1. In watching the players warm up through some dynamic stretching at the beginning of the practice, I was very disappointed to see that Eric Weddle--a rookie whom I have been very excited to see on the field since we first drafted him--seemed to have very limited flexibility relative to the other Defensive Backs on the field. While it didn't seem to affect his speed or play on the field very much today, it is still very troubling to me because this lack of flexibility can possibly come back to haunt him later on by turning into a nagging injury that would really hamper his development as a player.
2. While there wasn't much noise on the injury front today, it was disappointing to see that Eric Parker did not practice today due to a toe ailment. I am thankful that his was the only injury of consequence to report for today's practice session, but overall I think that it's imperative that we get every single one of our players--no matter what their contribution to the team--onto the field so that Norv Turner and the rest of the coaching staff can get more than enough opportunities to get an idea of what each player has to offer. Plus, in a case such as Parker's, the sooner he can develop a rapport with our Pro Bowl Quarterback Phillip Rivers and the rest of the starting offense, the better off our team will be in the long run.
Awe
1. First and foremost, I would like to point out that the turnout from the San Diego fans was outstanding on this first day of training camp. There was barely any room around the field to stand, and the bleachers were packed to the brim as well. The fans were also quite spirited, and I would like to single out a certain fan dressed in a San Diego Chargers Mexican luchador mask who was so loud and spirited that the rest of the fans seemed to feed off of his energy. We will undoubtedly be seeing plenty of him on newscasts covering today's practice, as the cameras could not keep away from him for more than a few minutes at a time.
2. Since I know most fans are waiting to hear news about some of our rookies, I am glad to report that first round draft pick Craig Davis looked very comfortable out on the field with the rest of the receivers, and made several nice catches and plays downfield. I definitely started to see some glimpses of why A.J. Smith chose to select him with the 30th overall pick in the 2007 Draft. He has very good size to go with great speed, and I am looking forward to seeing just what he will do for our team this season.
3. My final Awe for the day will go out to Scott Chandler, our 6'7" rookie Tight End out of Iowa. He seemed to make plays all over the field, and looks to have very good speed for someone of his size. I only saw one pass intended for him fall incomplete the entire day, and even that one was through no fault of his own, just a great play by the Cornerback getting a great jump on the ball. While some may have questions the Chargers picking up another Tight End despite already having Antonio Gates and Brandon Manumaleuna, Chandler has already started to show why he has a good chance to have a very positive impact on the offense as a rookie even though he backs up the best Tight End in the game.
Well that is going to do it for today's coverage of Chargers Training Camp, and I look forward to providing more coverage of these practice sessions for you over the next few weeks.
