But it seems like he'll get in pretty soon. Maybe.
Anyway, Lane Adkins (OBR.com--I PAY for dis stuff!) observed the first couple days. Anderson looked terrible. so did Frye t first, but as of the latest session, he came out with quick, accurate throws; looked like a different player. So Frye has, for the moment, reclaimed the lead in the QB Derby.
Seven on seven drills are mainly for passing. The QB isn't under pressure, except the pressure of a Coach with a stopwatch. However, the defenders are covering the recievers to the best of their abilities, so the QB must adjust and progress through his reads as he would in a real game.
...and get rid of it quickly. This is a good sign.
Now, some corrections:
1: Davin Holly does not default to nickel CB if...WHEN Eric Wright takes his job opposite Bodden. A nickel cornerback has to have good man coverage skills, and Holly covered last season mainly in zone. I don't know enough about Holly to be definitive here; he may or may not be a good man guy. But if he aint, he will not be the nickel cornerback.
This was an ASSumption made by a person who doesn't understand football.
2: Shawn Smith is not here to just "spot-play" behind Washington. He probably takes the MAJORITY of snaps at nose tackle. He will NOT play DE, unless it's a technical thing in a defacto 4-3, and he's really a tackle. He doesn't have the height or range for the DE.
Now: Lane, as if he just thought of it first, said to keep an eye on Rodney Harrisonfield, the running back. At last, the obvious is beginning to dawn on somebody besides me. Jerome is currently the favorite to be the third-down back, and gets a lot of work in the 7-on-7's catching passes.
This is one of the factors ignored by those in Oblivia: Jamal Lewis is not here to be an every-down back. He will be replaced on passing downs, almost certainly by Harrison, the future starting running back for the Browns.
Edwards is now fully healed. He's faster, and explodes out of his cuts. And he dropped a pass. Naturally.
Travis Wilson is now bulked up a bit. I don't know what this means, but would guess that he weighs 220 or more. Maybe he'll become another Jurevicious. He's listed at 213.
CORRECTION: A Grossi-reader generalized the recievers as being "big, but slow". Edwards is fast, and gets separation. Wilson is not Jurevicious, and while not as fast as Edwards, does get separation. The ONLY reciever this guy was right about was Jurevicious--but it doesn't seem to matter. The defender can be right on top of him, and he can still make the catch.
Jamal Lewis has gone the opposite way from Harrison, and LOST about 15 lbs. I hadn't known that he was that much over his ideal weight. This is a good sign as well. Remember: No more bone-spurs, and now 15 lbs. lighter.
Lewis was never a very shifty runner, but basicly a north-south tackle-breaker. I'm slightly optimistic about his returning to form. Ideally, this offense will run first, and just plain kick people's teeth in, and Lewis (IF he regains some of his earlier form) is the ideal "hammer". You simply cannot be sending extra people after the quarterback when the offense has a run bias, and when the hammer blows through the zone you just left empty and tramples a cornerback or safety.
Nobody smaller than a linebacker is a match for Jamal Lewis. He's not even tall enough to cut his legs out from under him. So you can't be very aggressive with your big people with a guy like this.
The moment that Joe Thomas hit the field, he went to left tackle, and Shaffer to right. Don't read a lot into the latter part of that yet. Don't kid yourself (or let Romeo kid you), Thomas is going to be the left tackle, period. But Shaffer isn't a lock for right tackle. They do, however, need to see him work there, and give him his shot to win the position. That's why he went there right away--to get some reps.
I'm back to the zone-blocking, Denver Broncos style of offensive line again. It would probably have to be that way for Shaffer to play right tackle over Ryan Tucker. This would also make it hard for Tucker to fit in at right guard...but again, creative coaches can adapt a scheme to the personnel--in that case, Tucker could fit.
Shaffer will almost certainly be traded next season, when he no longer carries the huge price-tag he does now. Tucker is pretty old, and may not be here either. McKinney, if he holds up, probably has at least two years left. This will be considered. And, in a zone line, the three young guys DO have a shot of winning that right guard slot.
My favorite dark horse here is Matua. He was a mauler in college, very strong for his size (maybe 305), and is on the short side. Most of his weight is MUSCLE, and he should be able to pull and move around pretty well, despite what about half the scouting reports say about him having trouble blocking in space. Ah! Now he's 315 lbs.
Winslow is running around catching passes. Cool.
The players describe this as an aggressive offense. It will run first, but will also attack down the field. This is an old scheme, and works thusly:
If one safety is shallow and the linebackers are a little closer to the line in order to stop the run, you send Edwards or somebody deep, behind him. If they play 2-deep, you run or pass short.
BRILLIANT! But really, it's awfully smart for a brand new O.C. with a new scheme and a bunch of young guys. It's very basic and fundamental, and each player just has to defeat their defender. More complex stuff can be added gradually in order to minimize the inevittable mental errors that will happen until the whole system becomes second nature.
Nobody told me this, but it just seems pretty obvious that the base offense will set up with only two wide recievers. There will be a fullback, an H-back, or a second tight end on every down except third and a mile. We're talking about a big, muscular offense demanding a big, base, defense.
Heiden could start for many NFL teams and is a good blocker AND reciever. With Winslow also present...now who covers the one, and who the other? It doesn't appear to matter with either guy--they get open anyway. Winslow can set up wide, and take a run-stuffer out there with him. They'll try to stop him with a safety or a linebacker (more often a safety). They'll use a linebacker on Heiden. And Lewis will go between them--haha.
Harrison can set up in the slot or wide. With Winslow there, this could turn it into a 4-wide at any time. It's a big problem for a defense, and the defense has no choice on neutral downs but to field their base personnel.
Heiden has proven that he can consistantly beat linebackers. Winslow can consistantly defeat ANYBODY. And while Winslow is pretty average as an in-line blocker, he excels at blasting people in space, and that's where he'll be used as a blocker. Edwards..if Chandler forces him to stop dropping passes--can't be single-covered, will go anywhere, is big, and happy to block as well. Jurevicious/Wilson will cross underneath all day long, and even when covered can still often make catches underneath a free safety who doesn't dare let Edwards go. Harrison will be covered by...who?
Mismatches and overloads in passing, and smash-mouth running. I LIKE it.
Le Charles is a month away, and that's just fine. Let him get as healthy as possible before he takes his physicals. He has a personal trainer and is working with the Browns staff, so he should report back in pretty good shape, and have a couple weeks to acclimate himself.
Savage said he's not sure what "cleared for football activities" means. I'm pretty sure that since "activities" include playing, that's what it means, and that he will start the season as our center.
Correction: Fraley will not automaticly shift to right guard if this happens, although it's possible. He's a good player, but pretty light. Centers require more mental and physical skills than guards--or at least different ones, and he is probably less qualified for right guard than at least two of the other candidates. A zone-blocking scheme, however, could make him the favorite.
LEFT guard, he could play--so it'd be nice to have him backing up those two spots.
Adkins mentions Antwan Peek. Says that he stood next to Leon Williams, and made him look small. And he's all cut up, solid muscle. I checked the roster, and was surprised to find Williams listed at a mere paltry 238. (Peek is allegedly 255).
Williams is going to play at least as much as Jackson and Davis, and Davis may well be the ultimate loser. Davis lacks Williams' speed and range. Savage really just plain STOLE this guy! Give the man his props, dammit. Just about every time I hear you guys demanding to know "what was he thinking?" I know he found a winner.
WOW! Lookie here: D'Qwell Jackson 6'0", 240! Now I know that these weights are current and actual. When drafted, he was only about 226, so I guess he packed on some muscle this off-season. Oh yeah, Andra--I think you got a problem. (Not this season, unless there's a good trade offer. Davis is still an excellent player, and it's smart to rotate them and keep them sharp/fresh.)
Peek is allegedly to back up Gramps McGinnest. Well, maybe like Smith will "back up" Washington. McGinnest wasn't just injured a lot last season: He is old, and getting older. Peek will probably be on the field more than he is.
The additions of Eric Wright (world class speed) Peek, and Robaire Smith (compared to McKinley) and incresed playing times for Orien Harris, Simon Fraser (300 lbs. 12 lbs. heavier TOLD YA duh), Poole, and Williams add up to a much faster, quicker defense overall...which you won't hear over there in Oblivia. Even Shawn Smith, compared to Washington, adds speed and quickness.
AH! Oshinowo weighs 325 now!!! Where did he put it? There wasn't any room on him! I hope he didn't just go to McDonalds all off-season because a bunch of...people said he was "too small". Lard won't help him whatsoever...well...except as an ANCHOR, like ballast.
Let's hope that at least ten pounds of it is muscle, and he's still as quick off the snap as he was before. If so, he's a big sleeper at nose tackle. This guy was rated the second-best nose tackle prospect in his draft, and projected to be taken much higher. Despite his size (305 lbs.) he consistantly took on and beat double-teams.
But the bigger, more accomplished NFL guards and centers got the best of him. Now he's bigger, and (I presume) also stronger, and he's had some experience to work on with some dirty tricks Uncle Ted taught him. Yeah, don't count him out.
Trouble is, I don't know if they can keep three. And you know Romeo: Even if Oshi is all that and a bag-o-chips, he's just GOT to keep Ted Washington no matter what. Well, Savage seems to know all about Romeo's irrationality now, and might step in and save him, releasing Washington instead.
Classic case: No way Washington can return for another season after this one, and rather than keep the young guy who could play for you and maybe even start for eight years, you kick him to the curb, and next season are looking for another one!!
This guy coached for BILL BELLICHICK? Didn't learn much, did he? Every year, Bill lets old former superstars go in favor of young guys who are cheaper and will be there for several years. Nothing personal, and they all understand how it works. But Romeo? He won't get off a dying horse for a fresh mount. He'll ride the wore out nag into the desert and die there with it.
Man, oh, man. And I doubt that he'll change. He just didn't get it from the meistro. Maybe Grantham did. The wheels are greased, Romeo: You'd better use your damn head, or Grantham takes over and there's not a big disruption. Grantham is a great DC. They SAY he's got the tools to be a head coach.
Good luck to both of you guys. And whoever is the QB. (Quinn: Savage called you before the draft to spare you when he didn't take you third. Then he gave up a lot to get you anyway. Reciprocate. Call your agent and tell him to leave the last freaking two cents on the damn table. You're really pissing me off.)
I HAVE SPOKEN.
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