Fantasy Football - Footballguys Forums
This is a sample guest message. Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!
Santonio Holmes Practice Article (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter MU Seminole
- Start date
Mediocrity
Footballguy
In the Oscar-winning movie "Forrest Gump," the title character took off in a full sprint each time he heard the words, "Run, Forrest, run."
During the Steelers' three-day minicamp on the South Side, Santonio Holmes appeared to follow a similar directive from the coaching staff.
"Run, Santonio, run."
The speedy first-round pick from Ohio State flashed several glimpses of his 4.38-second speed by zipping through the Steelers' secondary and snatching deep balls, including a beauty of a 45-yarder from quarterback Charlie Batch on Monday, the final day of minicamp.
"He got behind guys four times clean during this camp," wide receivers coach Bruce Arians said. "He got a couple of PIs (pass interference calls against the defense), and he caught one today. The speed part of it, no doubt, he can go deep. He has excellent hands; he's fearless over the middle -- from what we've seen here without pads.
"He's in the process of learning how to run his patterns, so he's not as fast as he will be. When he understood things, he played fast. He has great hands. He can play inside or outside. He's everything we'd hoped he could be."
Now comes the difficult part for Holmes and the coaching staff. He is not permitted to participate in the team's 14 voluntary workouts, which start Wednesday and run through June 8, because of an NFL rule that prohibits rookies from working out with their teams if their semester of college is not complete.
That leaves Holmes, whom the Steelers drafted after trading up seven spots, with the responsibility of working out on his own and studying his plays. He won't be working with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, and he won't be around while offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt installs more plays over the next three-plus weeks.
Recent Steelers history suggests it is difficult for a first-round wideout to make a major impact, regardless of the circumstances. Plaxico Burress had only 22 catches in 2000. Holmes believes, however, his three days in Pittsburgh will carry him through the next month.
"My starting point is pretty good," he said. "I'm just going to take it day by day. I'll hear from the coaches with the things they've installed and be ready to go when I come back."
The plan is for Holmes to return to town in late June, review video with Arians from the voluntary sessions and get him up to speed. Arians also will be available by telephone over the next month to field any questions Holmes might have while going through his notebook of plays.
"I don't anticipate any problems," said Holmes, who averaged 18.4 yards on 977 catches with 11 touchdowns as an Ohio State junior last season. "I've been playing football for 14 years, so the mental part won't be a problem."
The physical part doesn't seem to be a problem, but Holmes conceded that he must improve his technique if he wants to compete at a high level in the NFL. That said, he opened the eyes of several teammates.
"What stood out about him was his ability to catch the ball -- and the confidence the coaches had in him in sending him on some of those deep routes," veteran cornerback Deshea Townsend said. "It says a lot about his talent. He was really good, and he'll get better the more reps he gets. But right now, he doesn't have that many things to work on, and that's a good thing for us."
On the first day of minicamp, Holmes ran by Ike Taylor on a post pattern, forcing the talented cornerback to grab his jersey to slow him down. Taylor liked what he saw in the mobile Holmes.
"He's still raw, still learning everything," Taylor said. "He's quiet when he gets on the field; it's all business. And he has that deceptive speed. He's more of a strider, but he has that burst to him. He can push that button and take off. And he's real smooth. The young dude still has a lot to learn, but you can see he's a really good player."
Time will tell where Holmes fits into the Steelers' plans. Veteran wide receivers Hines Ward and Cedrick Wilson are penciled in as starters. Meanwhile, 2005 free agent Nate Washington, who looked solid at minicamp, Quincy Morgan, still recovering from a broken bone in his leg, and rookie third-round pick Willie Reid, a highly regarded punt returner, will be part of the equation.
"This was a good experience, being around so many good players and getting to learn about this franchise and the pro game," Holmes said. "I just need to keep working, keep making myself better."
And, above all else, keep running.
During the Steelers' three-day minicamp on the South Side, Santonio Holmes appeared to follow a similar directive from the coaching staff.
"Run, Santonio, run."
The speedy first-round pick from Ohio State flashed several glimpses of his 4.38-second speed by zipping through the Steelers' secondary and snatching deep balls, including a beauty of a 45-yarder from quarterback Charlie Batch on Monday, the final day of minicamp.
"He got behind guys four times clean during this camp," wide receivers coach Bruce Arians said. "He got a couple of PIs (pass interference calls against the defense), and he caught one today. The speed part of it, no doubt, he can go deep. He has excellent hands; he's fearless over the middle -- from what we've seen here without pads.
"He's in the process of learning how to run his patterns, so he's not as fast as he will be. When he understood things, he played fast. He has great hands. He can play inside or outside. He's everything we'd hoped he could be."
Now comes the difficult part for Holmes and the coaching staff. He is not permitted to participate in the team's 14 voluntary workouts, which start Wednesday and run through June 8, because of an NFL rule that prohibits rookies from working out with their teams if their semester of college is not complete.
That leaves Holmes, whom the Steelers drafted after trading up seven spots, with the responsibility of working out on his own and studying his plays. He won't be working with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, and he won't be around while offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt installs more plays over the next three-plus weeks.
Recent Steelers history suggests it is difficult for a first-round wideout to make a major impact, regardless of the circumstances. Plaxico Burress had only 22 catches in 2000. Holmes believes, however, his three days in Pittsburgh will carry him through the next month.
"My starting point is pretty good," he said. "I'm just going to take it day by day. I'll hear from the coaches with the things they've installed and be ready to go when I come back."
The plan is for Holmes to return to town in late June, review video with Arians from the voluntary sessions and get him up to speed. Arians also will be available by telephone over the next month to field any questions Holmes might have while going through his notebook of plays.
"I don't anticipate any problems," said Holmes, who averaged 18.4 yards on 977 catches with 11 touchdowns as an Ohio State junior last season. "I've been playing football for 14 years, so the mental part won't be a problem."
The physical part doesn't seem to be a problem, but Holmes conceded that he must improve his technique if he wants to compete at a high level in the NFL. That said, he opened the eyes of several teammates.
"What stood out about him was his ability to catch the ball -- and the confidence the coaches had in him in sending him on some of those deep routes," veteran cornerback Deshea Townsend said. "It says a lot about his talent. He was really good, and he'll get better the more reps he gets. But right now, he doesn't have that many things to work on, and that's a good thing for us."
On the first day of minicamp, Holmes ran by Ike Taylor on a post pattern, forcing the talented cornerback to grab his jersey to slow him down. Taylor liked what he saw in the mobile Holmes.
"He's still raw, still learning everything," Taylor said. "He's quiet when he gets on the field; it's all business. And he has that deceptive speed. He's more of a strider, but he has that burst to him. He can push that button and take off. And he's real smooth. The young dude still has a lot to learn, but you can see he's a really good player."
Time will tell where Holmes fits into the Steelers' plans. Veteran wide receivers Hines Ward and Cedrick Wilson are penciled in as starters. Meanwhile, 2005 free agent Nate Washington, who looked solid at minicamp, Quincy Morgan, still recovering from a broken bone in his leg, and rookie third-round pick Willie Reid, a highly regarded punt returner, will be part of the equation.
"This was a good experience, being around so many good players and getting to learn about this franchise and the pro game," Holmes said. "I just need to keep working, keep making myself better."
And, above all else, keep running.
SoFresh&SoClean
Footballguy
Seriously, if we were to post any good news regarding a freshly drafted player there would be pages of these kind of articles. Even second-day picks get hype.BoltBacker
Footballguy
That's why I'm surprised to hear all the negative articles on Jimmy Williams(ATL). If he's getting beat badly by the less than formidable ATL group of WR's I'm strating to understand why he slipped so far in the draft.
Evilgrin 72
Distributor of Pain
Don't mention that to Patriots fans - they'll draw and quarter you for suggesting that anyone they draft might not be an absolute steal !
Similar threads
