FanPost

Training Camp Thoughts: 8/7 Full Team afternoon practice

HOT. Even hotter today than yesterday. My car thermometer said it was 111 degrees in my car at the end of practice. Yikes! Glad I didn't leave any live animals in there.

The afternoon practice was another full team practice, with a couple different drills I hadn't seen: Goal Line with downs marked and 2 Minute Drill with downs marked.

First up the non-practicing players. I noticed more this time so it's not like all the new ones got injured in this morning's practice. I hope. heh:

  • I think I saw DT Quinn Pitcock (#72) was out there again but I can't be sure. I wish the Colts would give an injury update on the team here soon.
  • RB Kenton Keith (#36)
  • DB Antonio Smith (#37)
  • DB Brandon Condren (#42)
  • LB Rocky Boiman (#50) Saw him later and he had tape on his left ankle.
  • LB Clint Session (#55)
  • C Jeff Saturday (#63) he didn't have any braces or tape so it didn't look like anything major. could be just holding him out of two a days.
  • OG Rick Demulling (#64)
  • OG Ryan Lilja (#65)
  • OT Gabe Hall (#72o)
  • OT Charlie Johnson (#74) That might explain why Federkeil has been getting so much time at LT.
Pre-Practice Observations
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  • WR Aaron Brown (#14) was first on the practice field by far. Was already out there stretching and catching passes from that ball-chucker machine.
  • WR Roy Hall (#83) also came out early and caught some balls from the machine. Can't say he's not working hard to make the team.
  • Gonzo, even with the shaved head, has the hairline of a 55 year old man.  Trainer! Get this man some Grecian Formula!!!
  • Not pre-practice, but later on in offense-only drills they had some offensive players lining up as 'defense' while the offense ran plays and formations. At one point Peyton was "playing" safety. kinda jogged toward a pass and didn't even try to swat it down. Come on Manning! You gotta knock those passes down! :D
  • It is WEIRD seeing #28 and #32 playing defense now...
Full Team KR/Coverage
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* Some players I noticed as blockers: RB Luke Lawton (#45), C/OG Dylan Gandy (#57), DE Jeff Charleston (#60), DT Dan Klecko (#90), DT Darrell Reid (#95)

*I know they can't tackle in this drill, but daaamn there were some wide open holes that would have been big gains in flag football. KR coverage doesn't have me convinced it's better over last year.

WR Drills
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* Having to round a dummy, then cut back, Gonzo made the first bad/dropped catch I've seen from him in two days. Of course Marvin and Reggie didn't drop a one I think. heh
*A drill where the WR had to smack/fight through 4 dummies in a line then catch a pass. Marvin went through like butter. Reggie actually got tripped up and got a laugh out of the crowd. WR John Standeford (#84) and WR Aaron Brown (#14) both were perfect on this drill, as was Roy Hall. I tell you, you can sure see his upper body strength in that drill.
* A drill with some passes highlighted something BBS said in his update: Roy Hall does indeed have trouble digging for those low passes.

2QB/2WR Drill
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This drill has two QBs drop back and two WRs go out in patterns.

  • QB Jim Sorgi (#12) looking a bit more accurate today at least early in the practice. .. no wait I was wrong.  Threw to the left and too high again.
  • Reggie "Not The Camp Fodder Punter One" made a great adjust along the back of the endzone on a high and behind him pass by QB Josh Betts (#9)
  • Roy Hall does look better today than yesterday, but I still think he's bound for the practice squad.
4-on-5 Passing Drill
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  • AWESOME over the shoulder catch by Dallas with a defender all over him.
  • You know, BBS didn't like his hands but RB Luke Lawton just made an excellent catch across the middle in traffic.
11-on=11
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  • They started piping in some crowd noise for the drills after this
  • Wayne had a greaaaat knee level catch on a low thrown ball.
  • DB Dante "The DB Formerly Known As Daymeion" Hughes (#20) is definitely getting reps in at corner. Had some decent passes defended.
  • Saw the defense make a couple really good reads on draw plays. Maybe they won't get burnt by this play OVER AND OVER like last year? I can dream.
  • In this drill they were really mixing the lineups around, first team line with 2nd team receivers and QB, all sorts of mish mashing on D.
  • They split RB DeDe Dorsey (#25) out wide left on one play. Now THAT is interesting....
  • WR Craphonso (hehe) Thorpe (#15) had a reallly good leaping catch along the back of the endzone and looked to keep is feet in bounds. I'll say it - I think he looks better than Hall.
  • On one play DE Jeff Charleston (#60) got a wide open rush on Sorgi. If this would have been contact drills Sorgi would still be putting his head together. Ugoh got beat on that one.... :\
  • Gonzo doesn't mind getting dirty run blocking either. On one play they  put him in motion in from the slot and he went in and did a decent job blocking a DE.
  • Standeford might actually do more than ride the practice squad this year. He's looked really solid.
  • There are flashes... FLASHES of the D looking good against the run, but it still will need work.
  • Speaking of, Dante Hughes showed some good run support ability on a couple plays. Gotta love DBs who can get up to the line quick on a run play.
  • Great pick by DB Michael Coe (#32) when he jumped in front of Moorehead and had open field. Pass by Betts.
7-on-7
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  • Addai is continuing to impress me with the improvement of his catching ability, making a crazy catch in traffic and somehow kept moving toward the goal like.
  • They're running the split backs again with Addai and DeDe in the backfield on either side of Manning. I really want to see them run this in the preseason to see what they might do with it.
  • DB TJ Rushing (#34) had a great pick off QB Mike McGann (#2). Looks like he'll get looks at DB as well as returner this season.
  • Mark it, dude. TE Gijon Robinson (#47) will make the 50 man roster. he's been taking reps at fullback and in these drills made two good catches in traffic.
  • Gonzo's hands are amazing. Surrounded by two defenders, he turned and attacked back at the pass, made a quick spin and gained an extra few yards before being "downed"
  • McGann intercepted again, this time by DB Antoine Bethea (#41).
  • Ahhh Rob Morris. I really owe you an apology for all those things I said about you prior to your triumphant saving of the LB corps last year. He had a couple good pass breakups in coverage so maybe he'll improve that part of his game this year (which would be most excellent). Of course it was against McGann and Betts, so .. grain of salt.
11-on-11 2 minute drill
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Manning at QB
  • LB Freddy Keiaho (#54) allllmost picked off Manning on the second play of the 2 minute drill. He FLEW across the field from covering the flat and had it right in both hands but dropped it. You could tell he was upset he let that go. Crowd gave him a good cheer though.  BBS is right, he is so much better than Cate June, and its so obvious, it's crazy that anyone would think losing June is a negative for this team.
  • Come on Gonzo, it's 2 minute drill! When you catch a pass near the sideline you DO NOT cut back inside.
  • Makes up for it two plays later with a great jumping catch and run right to the sideline. Manning really does seem to be looking for him alot in this 'drive'.
  • Manning to Harrison, TD. Poor DBs, they really have no chance.
Sorgi at QB
  • DeDe made a great catch in stride and headed for the sideline, first down. This is why I want to see that split back formation some.
  • heaven help us if Manning goes down. Sorgi just overthrew a pass to the left again.
  • False start, #76, LT Dan Federkeil. The spirit of Tarik Glenn haunts this place! :D
  • 4th and long, Sorgi holds on to the ball too long and gets 'sacked' by Darrell Reid.
That's it for my two days at Training Camp.  I would like to go back for possibly the Saturday night practice on the 18th. If anyone is interested in having a Stampede Blue get together at that practice, leave a note in this diary.

Hope you all have enjoyed the updates and the rambling, bullet point infested format.  

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of Stampede Blue's writers or editors. It does reflect the views of this particular fan though, which is as important as the views of Stampede Blue's writers or editors.