As everybody will tell you, we can't read too much into the first 2 days of Training Camp.
In general, that's because they're not in pads or hitting, some of the guys on the field have never worked together, and the Offense always has an early advantage.
But this Camp is different:
1: Steve Wilks and his Defensive system are new. Freddie Kitchens brings some continuity to the Offense, but Todd Monken brings some changes too.
2: Kitchens and co have moved players up and down the depth chart; they seem to be experimenting. Austin Corbett was the first team RG thursday, and the second team center (Kalis at RG with the ones) friday.
Greedy Williams got a little taste of the first team today, and picked off a Mayfield TD pass aimed at this err...OBJ(?) guy?
My man Terrence Mitchell has been getting toasted. Since I haven't heard anything about Carey, he must be doing ok.
We can understand OBJ beating him, but undrafted street free agent microbe Damon Sheehy-Guiseppi cleaned his clock as well.
Just as he did in OTAs, Greedy Williams took a whole 24 hours to get up to speed and start deflecting and intercepting balls out the yinyang.
It's almost funny to hear Freddie say "nothing's going to be handed to" Williams. Coach-speak...gotta love it.
Baker Mayfield and his receivers generally beat up the secondary both days, but it wasn't one-sided, and the second and third units did a little worse.
These non-contact practices aren't as meaningless as shallow analysts tell you, because the receivers and coverage guys do make as much contact as they do in actual games.
Still, when the pads come on, we'll find out who will start at Right Guard, and sort out the Defensive Line and Linebacker depth chart--and who Wilks's LB/S hybrid will be.
Notably, Myles Garrett and Olivier Vernon have lined up at different spots, which is great news!
Garrett himself said he doesn't much care where he lines up. He went on to say that he and Vernon would shift around and they would go with the "hot hand".
I like Myles Garrett (the person) more every time I hear from him. This is a deep guy with a good heart.
Sure, he wants 20 sacks (with 5 on Big Ben), but he's talking about playing the "hot hand" between himself and Vernon: Myles Garrett isn't selfish, or egotistical, like some ex-Steelers we know...
Anyway this is great, as several posts ago I took off from a Jake Burns Film Room (which pointed out that Vernon had been much less effective as a passrusher from the strong side than from the weak side), and said that Myles Garrett should have no problem on the strong side, and that the two should just find the best individual matchups, regardless of which side (blush-blush).
Myles Garrett is a rocked-up 6'4", 278 (or so). Terry Pluto didn't notice this much, but Gregg Williams lined him up at DT often in 2018, and he'll have no problems lining up on the strong side, where he overmatches Right Tackles and can brush Tight Ends off like dandruff.
And Vernon should do better on the strong side, with Garrett on the weak side and (you know) those other guys between them?
...but expect Myles Garrett on the strong side more than Vernon in 2019. That's just how it probably shakes out...with a Coach who will really max out the sum of his individual players (for a change/I hope).
Okbye
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