gregjcross
Footballguy
CREDIT THIS BLOG, it was a good un so i am tossing in....
http://www.hailredskins.com/TrainingCampReports2.htm
hR Reporting from Redskins Training Camp: Day 2
(8/1/06) Special thanks to hR Reporter JoeDaSchmoe!
Ladies and gentlemen, your 2006 backup quarterback… Antwaan Randle El.
He may only be 5’8” (or if you really want to believe the generous Redskins roster info, 5’10”), but Randle El had a perfect quarterback rating in Tuesday’s brick oven of a practice, completing his only throw for a touchdown to the equally diminutive Santana Moss. The play drew a loud cheer from the crowd, and was only one of many gadgets that the versatile Randle El will undoubtedly be used for. This particular trickeration began as a wide receiver screen, only to have Randle El catch the ball and immediately lob it 20 yards downfield to Moss, who caught it in the corner of the end zone. Given the number of wide receiver screens that the Redskins run, you can expect to see a throw like that more than once.
The real backup quarterback competition was, to put it lightly, an enormous disappointment. Todd Collins took an absolutely gargantuan number of snaps for someone who’s supposed to know this offense cold, and once again showed off his dynamic ability to throw to a check-down option five yards away. The one time (really, one time) he went downfield, it was a completion – but, unfortunately for Collins, the receiver was defensive back Aric Williams. Collins has yet to do anything that could even remotely resemble challenging the defense, making the speed Washington has on the outside virtually worthless while he’s under center.
Jason Campbell, on the other hand, has absolutely no problem going deep, but needs to work on his decision-making. In the rare moments he was actually allowed to play, the former Auburn star showed off a very lively arm and a bit of his mobility, but often threw into double coverage or tried to thread the ball through a preposterously small area in the middle of a zone defense. One particularly bad moment came on a very quick out to the flats, which Rocky McIntosh was about four inches away from picking off and taking to the house.
Mark Brunell, thankfully, provided a stark contrast to Collins and Campbell, making several plays that only come with experience and throwing one absolutely gorgeous deep ball to Santana Moss. Moss was being covered one-on-one by Shawn Springs, and Brunell put the ball in a window of about two square feet that was right in stride with Moss while still being out of Springs’ reach. Unfortunately, Moss was unable to haul in what would have been a fantastic catch, but the throw was something we didn’t see from Brunell yesterday, and was a strong sign that the incumbent starter is shaking off the rust.
Another man who’s shaking a few things off is Mike Sellers, who not only has some rust, but was carted off the field on Monday because of severe heat cramps. Always the warrior, Sellers was again in pads less than 24 hours later, and went right back to doing what he does best – scoring touchdowns that no one expects. Sellers caught what can only be described as a completely surprising fullback screen during the team’s red zone drills, which also involved some wide receiver screens, halfback screens, a few quick timing routes, and an end around to Antwaan Randle El. For all the blocking he does (and he made his fair share of smacks today), Sellers is extremely valuable on the rare occasions he gets his hands on the ball, and usually makes the most out of them with touchdowns. Apparently, his seven scores last year were enough to convince Al Saunders that he should remain a sneaky target near the goal line.
Sixty Seconds with a ‘Skin
With the arrival of free agent defensive end Andre Carter, longtime Redskin Renaldo Wynn was shifted to a versatile backup role that will see him play at both end positions as well as some defensive tackle. Wynn, perhaps the most dedicated and loyal member of the team, had nothing but good things to say about the move: “It’s a blessing, really. It’s all a plus, because the most important goal is getting to the Super Bowl. This gives me a chance to be the best player I can be. I’ve lost a little weight, gotten faster to be able to put more pressure on the quarterback, and the way I see it, we’ve got six guys who could start on the D-line, with myself and Demetric Evans able to fit in anywhere.”
When asked about Mark Brunell’s comments yesterday that anything less than a Super Bowl would be a disappointment, Wynn agreed with the former Jag. “He speaks for everybody, man,” Wynn said after Tuesday’s hot practice. “That’s what we’re all about right now – winning the whole thing.”
Joe’s Plays of the Day
Big Hit: Mike Espy might have gotten cheers for his spectacular tipped sideline catch in the 11-on-11 scrimmage, but any thought of celebration was quickly knocked out of him by Lemar Marshall, who launched himself into the rookie wide receiver and sent his helmet flying. To his credit, Espy still managed to hold onto the ball.
Big Catch: Maybe Tom Brady is a lot less accurate than all of us think, because Christian Fauria sure made it look like he was used to balls soaring five feet over his head in early 9-on-9 drills. Mark Brunell’s first throw in live action seemed to be intended for Yao Ming, but Fauria leapt off the ground with his arms stretched as high as they could go and made a near-fingertip catch in midair before gravity finally kicked in.
Nice Moves: In a very similar situation to Campbell’s near-fatal interception, Brunell had to pull back a screen to Santana Moss because he was covered by two defenders. The southpaw bought some time by scrambling to his left, then fired an eight-yard dart to a zigging and zagging Moss, who had created separation with his Road Runner-like quickness. It was a veteran, heads-up play, the kind that neither Collins nor Campbell has yet shown in camp.
Joe’s Thumbs Up
The opening Thumbs Up goes to a Scrabble player’s dream, Mr. Pierson Prioleau. Brought over from Buffalo last year, Prioleau was a complete unknown heading into the 2005 season, but won a lot of fans over with his excellent coverage skills. It was no different on Tuesday, as P-squared was all over the field, swatting several passes and even lining himself up for what would have been an absolute cannon blast of a hit on Mike Sellers when the fullback was catching a check-down from, who else, Todd Collins. Of course, whether or not Sellers even feels it when hit by a defensive back is unclear.
Thumbs Up part deux will be the first of what could be many awards for young Rocky McIntosh. Not only was he a millisecond away from making Jason Campbell’s day seem much worse, but he flashed very impressive speed chasing down outside runs, and came through untouched on a stunt blitz in 11-on-11 drills. McIntosh has the goods, no question – and he gets an extra Mini-Thumbs Up for telling his agent to make sure he was signed before camp. Nothing but positive signs from Gregg Williams’ newest weapon.
The final Thumbs Up goes to Chris Cooley, mostly for wearing shorts that haven’t been in style since 1972. The flamboyant tight end from Utah (of all places) was wearing what appeared to be sweatpants that were cutoff about two feet above the knee, which, if nothing else, allowed him to get a bit of a tan from the waist down. When not making a fashion statement, Cooley was making some excellent blocks, and seems to have adjusted to his new position without any struggle.
Joe’s Thumbs Down
Plenty has already been said about Todd Collins, but really, a Thumbs Down is being nice on the guy. Clearly Al Saunders feels the same way, as the only quarterback who wasn’t supposed to need any work has so far gotten the most snaps in camp, more than even Mark Brunell. It’s only been two days, but sooner or later it’s time to start wondering what’s wrong with Collins, who was generally expected to stand around and yawn as he watched the same plays being practiced for the sixth consecutive year. If he doesn’t have some sort of problem with his arm, then one can only hope that the extra practice is for nothing more than familiarity with the rest of the players on offense. Otherwise, Jason Campbell had better be studying hard.
The second Thumbs Down goes to Rock Cartwright, who committed the cardinal sin right in front of Al Saunders – fumbling the football. In normal circumstances, fumbling is very bad. When you’re practicing in half-pads and the hardest hits are love taps by real-game comparison… well, you’d better hold onto the damn ball. Rock’s got miles and miles of heart, but fan favorite Jesse Lumsden has made a few nice plays himself, and Nemo Broughton could easily take over situational roles. With no roster spot absolutely guaranteed, Cartwright had better make sure that he shines in tomorrow’s practice.
Thumbs Down numero tres goes to Sean Taylor, but it’s a bit of a double-edged sword. The man honestly makes everything he does look incredibly easy, and therein lies the problem. He’s jogging during drills that other defensive backs have to sprint to complete, he nonchalantly gets to his position before the snap, and he generally seems to be putting in about 70% of a complete effort. Redskins fans love the athletic ability that makes Taylor so mind-bogglingly good, but he would be even better if he tried as hard as possible – and so far, that doesn’t seem to be the case.
An important note for those of you planning on attending Wednesday’s camp: it’s been moved to 7 PM, due to the fact that several onlookers actually burst into flames during the latest 4 o’clock session. A bit of a reprieve from the heat will hopefully mean that practice will be more intense than usual, with more speed and bigger hits. This, of course, means that Todd Pinkston won’t be invited – better luck next time, Todd.
http://www.hailredskins.com/TrainingCampReports2.htm
hR Reporting from Redskins Training Camp: Day 2
(8/1/06) Special thanks to hR Reporter JoeDaSchmoe!
Ladies and gentlemen, your 2006 backup quarterback… Antwaan Randle El.
He may only be 5’8” (or if you really want to believe the generous Redskins roster info, 5’10”), but Randle El had a perfect quarterback rating in Tuesday’s brick oven of a practice, completing his only throw for a touchdown to the equally diminutive Santana Moss. The play drew a loud cheer from the crowd, and was only one of many gadgets that the versatile Randle El will undoubtedly be used for. This particular trickeration began as a wide receiver screen, only to have Randle El catch the ball and immediately lob it 20 yards downfield to Moss, who caught it in the corner of the end zone. Given the number of wide receiver screens that the Redskins run, you can expect to see a throw like that more than once.
The real backup quarterback competition was, to put it lightly, an enormous disappointment. Todd Collins took an absolutely gargantuan number of snaps for someone who’s supposed to know this offense cold, and once again showed off his dynamic ability to throw to a check-down option five yards away. The one time (really, one time) he went downfield, it was a completion – but, unfortunately for Collins, the receiver was defensive back Aric Williams. Collins has yet to do anything that could even remotely resemble challenging the defense, making the speed Washington has on the outside virtually worthless while he’s under center.
Jason Campbell, on the other hand, has absolutely no problem going deep, but needs to work on his decision-making. In the rare moments he was actually allowed to play, the former Auburn star showed off a very lively arm and a bit of his mobility, but often threw into double coverage or tried to thread the ball through a preposterously small area in the middle of a zone defense. One particularly bad moment came on a very quick out to the flats, which Rocky McIntosh was about four inches away from picking off and taking to the house.
Mark Brunell, thankfully, provided a stark contrast to Collins and Campbell, making several plays that only come with experience and throwing one absolutely gorgeous deep ball to Santana Moss. Moss was being covered one-on-one by Shawn Springs, and Brunell put the ball in a window of about two square feet that was right in stride with Moss while still being out of Springs’ reach. Unfortunately, Moss was unable to haul in what would have been a fantastic catch, but the throw was something we didn’t see from Brunell yesterday, and was a strong sign that the incumbent starter is shaking off the rust.
Another man who’s shaking a few things off is Mike Sellers, who not only has some rust, but was carted off the field on Monday because of severe heat cramps. Always the warrior, Sellers was again in pads less than 24 hours later, and went right back to doing what he does best – scoring touchdowns that no one expects. Sellers caught what can only be described as a completely surprising fullback screen during the team’s red zone drills, which also involved some wide receiver screens, halfback screens, a few quick timing routes, and an end around to Antwaan Randle El. For all the blocking he does (and he made his fair share of smacks today), Sellers is extremely valuable on the rare occasions he gets his hands on the ball, and usually makes the most out of them with touchdowns. Apparently, his seven scores last year were enough to convince Al Saunders that he should remain a sneaky target near the goal line.
Sixty Seconds with a ‘Skin
With the arrival of free agent defensive end Andre Carter, longtime Redskin Renaldo Wynn was shifted to a versatile backup role that will see him play at both end positions as well as some defensive tackle. Wynn, perhaps the most dedicated and loyal member of the team, had nothing but good things to say about the move: “It’s a blessing, really. It’s all a plus, because the most important goal is getting to the Super Bowl. This gives me a chance to be the best player I can be. I’ve lost a little weight, gotten faster to be able to put more pressure on the quarterback, and the way I see it, we’ve got six guys who could start on the D-line, with myself and Demetric Evans able to fit in anywhere.”
When asked about Mark Brunell’s comments yesterday that anything less than a Super Bowl would be a disappointment, Wynn agreed with the former Jag. “He speaks for everybody, man,” Wynn said after Tuesday’s hot practice. “That’s what we’re all about right now – winning the whole thing.”
Joe’s Plays of the Day
Big Hit: Mike Espy might have gotten cheers for his spectacular tipped sideline catch in the 11-on-11 scrimmage, but any thought of celebration was quickly knocked out of him by Lemar Marshall, who launched himself into the rookie wide receiver and sent his helmet flying. To his credit, Espy still managed to hold onto the ball.
Big Catch: Maybe Tom Brady is a lot less accurate than all of us think, because Christian Fauria sure made it look like he was used to balls soaring five feet over his head in early 9-on-9 drills. Mark Brunell’s first throw in live action seemed to be intended for Yao Ming, but Fauria leapt off the ground with his arms stretched as high as they could go and made a near-fingertip catch in midair before gravity finally kicked in.
Nice Moves: In a very similar situation to Campbell’s near-fatal interception, Brunell had to pull back a screen to Santana Moss because he was covered by two defenders. The southpaw bought some time by scrambling to his left, then fired an eight-yard dart to a zigging and zagging Moss, who had created separation with his Road Runner-like quickness. It was a veteran, heads-up play, the kind that neither Collins nor Campbell has yet shown in camp.
Joe’s Thumbs Up
The opening Thumbs Up goes to a Scrabble player’s dream, Mr. Pierson Prioleau. Brought over from Buffalo last year, Prioleau was a complete unknown heading into the 2005 season, but won a lot of fans over with his excellent coverage skills. It was no different on Tuesday, as P-squared was all over the field, swatting several passes and even lining himself up for what would have been an absolute cannon blast of a hit on Mike Sellers when the fullback was catching a check-down from, who else, Todd Collins. Of course, whether or not Sellers even feels it when hit by a defensive back is unclear.
Thumbs Up part deux will be the first of what could be many awards for young Rocky McIntosh. Not only was he a millisecond away from making Jason Campbell’s day seem much worse, but he flashed very impressive speed chasing down outside runs, and came through untouched on a stunt blitz in 11-on-11 drills. McIntosh has the goods, no question – and he gets an extra Mini-Thumbs Up for telling his agent to make sure he was signed before camp. Nothing but positive signs from Gregg Williams’ newest weapon.
The final Thumbs Up goes to Chris Cooley, mostly for wearing shorts that haven’t been in style since 1972. The flamboyant tight end from Utah (of all places) was wearing what appeared to be sweatpants that were cutoff about two feet above the knee, which, if nothing else, allowed him to get a bit of a tan from the waist down. When not making a fashion statement, Cooley was making some excellent blocks, and seems to have adjusted to his new position without any struggle.
Joe’s Thumbs Down
Plenty has already been said about Todd Collins, but really, a Thumbs Down is being nice on the guy. Clearly Al Saunders feels the same way, as the only quarterback who wasn’t supposed to need any work has so far gotten the most snaps in camp, more than even Mark Brunell. It’s only been two days, but sooner or later it’s time to start wondering what’s wrong with Collins, who was generally expected to stand around and yawn as he watched the same plays being practiced for the sixth consecutive year. If he doesn’t have some sort of problem with his arm, then one can only hope that the extra practice is for nothing more than familiarity with the rest of the players on offense. Otherwise, Jason Campbell had better be studying hard.
The second Thumbs Down goes to Rock Cartwright, who committed the cardinal sin right in front of Al Saunders – fumbling the football. In normal circumstances, fumbling is very bad. When you’re practicing in half-pads and the hardest hits are love taps by real-game comparison… well, you’d better hold onto the damn ball. Rock’s got miles and miles of heart, but fan favorite Jesse Lumsden has made a few nice plays himself, and Nemo Broughton could easily take over situational roles. With no roster spot absolutely guaranteed, Cartwright had better make sure that he shines in tomorrow’s practice.
Thumbs Down numero tres goes to Sean Taylor, but it’s a bit of a double-edged sword. The man honestly makes everything he does look incredibly easy, and therein lies the problem. He’s jogging during drills that other defensive backs have to sprint to complete, he nonchalantly gets to his position before the snap, and he generally seems to be putting in about 70% of a complete effort. Redskins fans love the athletic ability that makes Taylor so mind-bogglingly good, but he would be even better if he tried as hard as possible – and so far, that doesn’t seem to be the case.
An important note for those of you planning on attending Wednesday’s camp: it’s been moved to 7 PM, due to the fact that several onlookers actually burst into flames during the latest 4 o’clock session. A bit of a reprieve from the heat will hopefully mean that practice will be more intense than usual, with more speed and bigger hits. This, of course, means that Todd Pinkston won’t be invited – better luck next time, Todd.
