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"The Tugboat"
Strong-arm Blake challenges receivers to 'set a standard'
Kent Somers
The Arizona Republic
May. 5, 2003 12:00 AM
Quarterback Jeff Blake spent the weekend throwing to a bunch of receivers who grew up watching him play in the NFL, and it's going to take awhile for them to fully adjust to each other, Blake said.
Blake put his arm strength on display in the three-day minicamp, throwing one pass Saturday that sailed about 65 yards into the wind. Most of his long passes wound up incomplete, although he's confident that will start to change by this fall.
"It's going to take a year for everybody to become accustomed to each other," Blake said. "Yet within that year we still have to be productive and win football games."
Blake was impressed with the receiving corps, which features just one player, Larry Foster, with more than two years' experience.
With Bryan Gilmore still recovering from a fractured leg, the starters during camp were Jason McAddley and Kevin Kasper.
"Somebody has to step forward and be a leader and set a standard," Blake said. "It hasn't been set yet. Dropped balls, running wrong routes, misalignments can't be tolerated. That's the standard the group sets as something we just don't do.
"We'll find out who is going to be that (leader). Who is going to be that Tim Brown? Who is going to be that Cris Carter?"
Pleasant development
Coach Dave McGinnis was curious Sunday about how his team would practice in the fifth and final workout of the minicamp. Afterward, McGinnis wore a big smile.
"You saw great energy today," McGinnis said. "That was tremendous because I know they're sore. You saw some of the vet guys step up and pull the young guys up with them.
"I was waiting to see today, without any prompting and without any coaches yelling or screaming, what kind of energy we were going to have. You could see some team leadership today."
Playing weight
McGinnis left a clear message with the team's 18 rookies as they departed camp: Get in shape.
The rookies aren't required to return until another minicamp next month, and McGinnis would like to see them in better shape. Not that they reported to camp fat and winded, but they aren't in condition to play in the NFL, either, McGinnis said.
"They better believe me, because I've been doing it for 18 years," McGinnis said. "They don't understand the kind of condition they have to be in. We've already got some of them out there sucking diesel. And this is nothing, what we've done now.
"That's the biggest hurdle rookies have to overcome in this league. If you're not in condition on this football team, you're not going to be around very long."
Tough year
Outside linebacker Levar Fisher is committed to avoiding becoming the latest in a series of second-round busts for the club.
Last year, Fisher's rookie season was ruined by a recurring knee injury that required surgery. He was expected to contend for a starting job. Instead, he played in just seven games.
"That was the worst feeling ever," he said. "That's probably the most I've cried in my life. That hurt. I had never been in that type of position where I could not (play)."
Fisher is running with the first team at right outside linebacker, but he faces competition from LeVar Woods, Greg Jones and possibly James Darling, who's currently backing up Ronald McKinnon at middle linebacker.
Fisher has worked hard this off-season and gained 13 pounds, up to 242.
"I am just going to be so strong this season," he said. "They drafted me for the job, and I'm staying there."
Fisher's knee isn't 100 percent, but he participated fully in every practice at minicamp.
"It's feeling better," he said. "It's sore and there's a little swelling, but when I come back in June it should be 100 percent."
Kent Somers
The Arizona Republic
May. 5, 2003 12:00 AM
Quarterback Jeff Blake spent the weekend throwing to a bunch of receivers who grew up watching him play in the NFL, and it's going to take awhile for them to fully adjust to each other, Blake said.
Blake put his arm strength on display in the three-day minicamp, throwing one pass Saturday that sailed about 65 yards into the wind. Most of his long passes wound up incomplete, although he's confident that will start to change by this fall.
"It's going to take a year for everybody to become accustomed to each other," Blake said. "Yet within that year we still have to be productive and win football games."
Blake was impressed with the receiving corps, which features just one player, Larry Foster, with more than two years' experience.
With Bryan Gilmore still recovering from a fractured leg, the starters during camp were Jason McAddley and Kevin Kasper.
"Somebody has to step forward and be a leader and set a standard," Blake said. "It hasn't been set yet. Dropped balls, running wrong routes, misalignments can't be tolerated. That's the standard the group sets as something we just don't do.
"We'll find out who is going to be that (leader). Who is going to be that Tim Brown? Who is going to be that Cris Carter?"
Pleasant development
Coach Dave McGinnis was curious Sunday about how his team would practice in the fifth and final workout of the minicamp. Afterward, McGinnis wore a big smile.
"You saw great energy today," McGinnis said. "That was tremendous because I know they're sore. You saw some of the vet guys step up and pull the young guys up with them.
"I was waiting to see today, without any prompting and without any coaches yelling or screaming, what kind of energy we were going to have. You could see some team leadership today."
Playing weight
McGinnis left a clear message with the team's 18 rookies as they departed camp: Get in shape.
The rookies aren't required to return until another minicamp next month, and McGinnis would like to see them in better shape. Not that they reported to camp fat and winded, but they aren't in condition to play in the NFL, either, McGinnis said.
"They better believe me, because I've been doing it for 18 years," McGinnis said. "They don't understand the kind of condition they have to be in. We've already got some of them out there sucking diesel. And this is nothing, what we've done now.
"That's the biggest hurdle rookies have to overcome in this league. If you're not in condition on this football team, you're not going to be around very long."
Tough year
Outside linebacker Levar Fisher is committed to avoiding becoming the latest in a series of second-round busts for the club.
Last year, Fisher's rookie season was ruined by a recurring knee injury that required surgery. He was expected to contend for a starting job. Instead, he played in just seven games.
"That was the worst feeling ever," he said. "That's probably the most I've cried in my life. That hurt. I had never been in that type of position where I could not (play)."
Fisher is running with the first team at right outside linebacker, but he faces competition from LeVar Woods, Greg Jones and possibly James Darling, who's currently backing up Ronald McKinnon at middle linebacker.
Fisher has worked hard this off-season and gained 13 pounds, up to 242.
"I am just going to be so strong this season," he said. "They drafted me for the job, and I'm staying there."
Fisher's knee isn't 100 percent, but he participated fully in every practice at minicamp.
"It's feeling better," he said. "It's sore and there's a little swelling, but when I come back in June it should be 100 percent."
