8-10-2005 Morning Practice report

[CardinalLaw]

I hope you are staying up at training camp for the duration. Your report was great.

 

[40yearfan]

Totally Red, you are a man among men, a prince of a fellow as well as a scholar and a gentleman.

I suggest we get this man a full time job with one of the valley newspapers as their sports reporter.

 

[thirty-two]

Totally Red - Your reports rock!!

 

[40yearfan]

Joe, disregard the stupid part. She's just saying she agrees with you.

 

[D-Dogg]

Dan Sheldon is looking like Kevin Kasper: The Sequel. Boy, we don't need that.

Kasper couldn't hold Sheldon's jock. Sheldon will be the primary punt returner for this team, and he will be electric.

 

[azdad1978]

 

[Codeofhammurabi]

Thanks for the great report. Can't wait to see them on the field.

 

[Duckjake]

Alternativley, you could say that BJ has been matched up with this calibur of CB for the last two camps and did nothing.

But now in his third year, he is torching these guys and hopefully it is going to translate to a breakout season.

I hope you are right. I have to like the guy just because he hasn't turned out like Simeon Rice, Tom Knight, Andre Wadsworth, David Boston, Thomas Jones and Wendall Bryant.

BTW: Anybody seen Calvin Pace?

 

[Rats]

I hope you are right. I have to like the guy just because he hasn't turned out like Simeon Rice, Tom Knight, Andre Wadsworth, David Boston, Thomas Jones and Wendall Bryant.

BTW: Anybody seen Calvin Pace?

Calvin was there today running with second team and in pass rushing situations. This was my first day there and I do love the reports we are getting ....however..... I think they are overly optimistic. From what I saw we are not going to be a very good runingg team out of the gate with JJ or Shipp or Jackson. I was glad to see BJ catching balls and hope he breaks out but how many balls will he have thrown to him anyway with Boldin and Fitz there and healthy all season. I dont get the giddiness over his transformation. It will all start up front and with Bridges and Wells and Step we are still undersized and it shows in the running area. I love camp and watching the Defense being so far ahead of the offense is a good thing but if this Oline does not jell....this offense is dead in the water...even if Kurt stays healthy( which is a big if ). Kurt is very gracious with the fans and signed my boys articles and even signed and gave his wristband to my son. Rolle also signed and gave a good assessment of his first day by saying...hard work still needs to be done. I felt it was obvious that this team has a long way to go...but good hard working guys to try and get it done. With the schedule we have I want to see the production before getting to hyped about another young team relying on a seasoned injury prone QB and suspect running game. The receivers will have to be all that for this team to really excell and win consistantly. Thats how I see it at this point anyway.

 

[clif]

nice.



BTW work sucks

 

[az1965]

I suggest we get this man a full time job with one of the valley newspapers as their sports reporter.

What??? Do you hate him? Do you want to destroy him???

 

[BACH]

Calvin was there today running with second team and in pass rushing situations. This was my first day there and I do love the reports we are getting ....however..... I think they are overly optimistic. From what I saw we are not going to be a very good runingg team out of the gate with JJ or Shipp or Jackson. I was glad to see BJ catching balls and hope he breaks out but how many balls will he have thrown to him anyway with Boldin and Fitz there and healthy all season. I dont get the giddiness over his transformation. It will all start up front and with Bridges and Wells and Step we are still undersized and it shows in the running area. I love camp and watching the Defense being so far ahead of the offense is a good thing but if this Oline does not jell....this offense is dead in the water...even if Kurt stays healthy( which is a big if ). Kurt is very gracious with the fans and signed my boys articles and even signed and gave his wristband to my son. Rolle also signed and gave a good assessment of his first day by saying...hard work still needs to be done. I felt it was obvious that this team has a long way to go...but good hard working guys to try and get it done. With the schedule we have I want to see the production before getting to hyped about another young team relying on a seasoned injury prone QB and suspect running game. The receivers will have to be all that for this team to really excell and win consistantly. Thats how I see it at this point anyway.

I understand and agree to a point, but when I compare it to last year I'm not that worried...

We finished 22nd in the league in rushing with a 35 year old RB and new starters at every position on the OL.

Upgrades:
- Ross is a much better runblocker than Shelton/Clement

- Big, Wells and Step are starting their 2nd second at their position and should be (and reportedly are) improved

- Bridges was signed in september last season and basicly thrown into action. This year he knows the system better, is surrounded by better players and should be improved, but is still somewhat the weak-spot. Brown is better than any back-up we had last year and Leckey and Reuber are improved through experience as well.

- Rowen has upgraded the blocking-schemes and Step should make less mistakes given his experience (Line-calling were terrible at the start of the season last year)

- JJ + a healthy Shipp is an upgrade over Emmitt

- An improved passing game should help the run game (Warner, a healthy Boldin, improved Fitz and BJ)

Maybe I'm too optimistic, but with these upgrades we should at least jump to 15th in the league.

 

[DakotaCardsFan]

Better question: How long has it been since we had an offense that did anything good consistently?

I seem to remember one play we had down pretty well. The quarterback would do a behind-the-back pitch to the running back while his back was turned to him. It would cost us some yards, but saved us a lot of time by not having to bring the punting unit in.

 

[Russ Smith]

Calvin was there today running with second team and in pass rushing situations. This was my first day there and I do love the reports we are getting ....however..... I think they are overly optimistic. From what I saw we are not going to be a very good runingg team out of the gate with JJ or Shipp or Jackson. I was glad to see BJ catching balls and hope he breaks out but how many balls will he have thrown to him anyway with Boldin and Fitz there and healthy all season. I dont get the giddiness over his transformation. It will all start up front and with Bridges and Wells and Step we are still undersized and it shows in the running area. I love camp and watching the Defense being so far ahead of the offense is a good thing but if this Oline does not jell....this offense is dead in the water...even if Kurt stays healthy( which is a big if ). Kurt is very gracious with the fans and signed my boys articles and even signed and gave his wristband to my son. Rolle also signed and gave a good assessment of his first day by saying...hard work still needs to be done. I felt it was obvious that this team has a long way to go...but good hard working guys to try and get it done. With the schedule we have I want to see the production before getting to hyped about another young team relying on a seasoned injury prone QB and suspect running game. The receivers will have to be all that for this team to really excell and win consistantly. Thats how I see it at this point anyway.

Wow I was almost taking for granted that we'd run the ball a lot better this year with Rowen as OC and with so many guys on the OL who seem to be run blocking specialists. I was much more concerned with how Big, Wells, Ross etc would protect Warner.

A bit disappointing to hear they're not even run blocking well, but it is early.

The key to Green's offense and also to the one that Rowen worked with in KC is they do that "stretch" play where they use their passing game and formations to spread out the defense giving the RB seams and big openings to run through. That's why when you watch the Vikings in recent years it seems like they could put the waterboy in at RB and get 4.5 YPC, if the runner can find seams and hit them, he'll excel. I really think that's what Green liked about JJ and I'm pretty confident he WILL be effective, but if the OL doesn't jell, there won't be seams to hit.

It's early, if we hadn't signed Rowen I'd be very concerned about an OL with a totally unproven OL coach, but with Rowen at OC I have a hunch things will pull together.

 

[spanky1]

........"with Bridges, Step and Wells we are undersized".......

I don't buy this one bit. Wells, at 6'4"/325; Step at 6'4"/305 are very close to NFL Optimum. I will concede that Bridges is light at 300, but I believe that Brown replaces him quickly as the season unfolds.

Our O-Line is going to be good when it's time for the rubber to meet the road.

 

[duckfallas]

Just wanted to say thanks again for this report and all the others that you've taken the time to write. Everyone who goes to the games should buy you a beer for your efforts. I'll be happy to buy you a bomber or two this season.

 

[Rats]

Wow I was almost taking for granted that we'd run the ball a lot better this year with Rowen as OC and with so many guys on the OL who seem to be run blocking specialists. I was much more concerned with how Big, Wells, Ross etc would protect Warner.

A bit disappointing to hear they're not even run blocking well, but it is early.

The key to Green's offense and also to the one that Rowen worked with in KC is they do that "stretch" play where they use their passing game and formations to spread out the defense giving the RB seams and big openings to run through. That's why when you watch the Vikings in recent years it seems like they could put the waterboy in at RB and get 4.5 YPC, if the runner can find seams and hit them, he'll excel. I really think that's what Green liked about JJ and I'm pretty confident he WILL be effective, but if the OL doesn't jell, there won't be seams to hit.

It's early, if we hadn't signed Rowen I'd be very concerned about an OL with a totally unproven OL coach, but with Rowen at OC I have a hunch things will pull together.

I agree it is early and the Oline will be the true measuring stick of how our season will be offensively. If they can space and create seams and lock up there assignment they will be fine in the running game. Big does this well but the others are suspect. Oliver Ross should help in this regard but I am still not sold up the middle. They will have to gel early with our schedule.

 

[Duckjake]

I agree it is early and the Oline will be the true measuring stick of how our season will be offensively. If they can space and create seams and lock up there assignment they will be fine in the running game. Big does this well but the others are suspect. Oliver Ross should help in this regard but I am still not sold up the middle. They will have to gel early with our schedule.

So who are everyone else's offensive linemen?

Pop Quiz: Who are Jamaal Jackson,Calvin Armstrong,Artis Hicks, Steve Sciullo and Dominic Furio?

Hint they are not members of Tony Soprano's crew.

 

[kerouac9]

So who are everyone else's offensive linemen?

Pop Quiz: Who are Jamaal Jackson,Calvin Armstrong,Artis Hicks, Steve Sciullo and Dominic Furio?

Hint they are not members of Tony Soprano's crew.

Without any research or anything, I'd hazard that this is the Pats' O-line...

 

[CaptTurbo]

Pop Quiz: Who are Jamaal Jackson,Calvin Armstrong,Artis Hicks, Steve Sciullo and Dominic Furio?

Hint they are not members of Tony Soprano's crew.

Imagine the panick on here if these were our starters.