- Joined
- Aug 21, 2011
- Messages
- 340
- Name
- Jim Fadler
There are some changes in the practice routing from last year. The mid practice stretching session has not happened this year as of yet. After they stretch and warm up there is generally a special teams session followed by unit work. While the special teams are working the linemen are usually working on either drills or assignments.
Then the team breaks up into units for skills and agility work. I have been watching the running backs for the most part during that phase. Then they start mixing in the quarterbacks with each skill unit, usually the running backs first before the tight ends and wide receivers.
They them move onto red zone work that is usually 2-3 receivers and/or running backs matched against 4 defenders. They close out the first half with 7 on 7 before they have punt drill.
While they are doing the 7 on 7 stuff the linemen are locked in the Oklahoma drill which is essentially one-one pass rush/blocking drill with all the offensive linemen in place.
During the punt practice on the far end they will keep working on special teams pursuit. Today the gunners went through a drill designed to help them get free.
When they go to 11 on 11 its almost exclusively first string vs first string and so. Today they also mixed in two minute situational drills with a clock and one time out.
QB-Sam's deep passes look effortless, I was with a friend today and my youngest son and all commented on how easy it looked for him to throw long. Clemens continues to bail on drills and take off and run even with no pass rush. Why they don't make him stand in and throw is beyond me. There was an 11 on 11 rep where he did need to take off however as no one, no one at all got blocked by the second unit. Clemens got the majority of the second team reps today and there was no Hekker offense practice.
RB-I thought Richardson out performed Pead today in the agility drills. Later on in the practice I saw a formation with Richardson split out wide, not in the slot but out wide in a twins formation.
They did a blocking drill versus what looked like a boxing "heavy bag" today. Monday is in pads and I really want to see how Pead and Richardson hold up there. I thought Cunningham had the best blocking form today.
Ganaway still looks slow in the agility drills but I will say he looks much better in the 11 on 11 running reps he gets. He has a decent body lean and runs behind his pads. He uses his blockers well...bullets aren't flying yet.
WR-Helmick got reps in the gunner drill. Given that the first five receivers are as much in stone as anything ever is there appears to be a spot open for him to grab. The crowd today cheered everything he did anything and he had several good catches. I think he could be an inch or so taller than Amendola and faster but not as quick.
Both Harkey and Cook had very good catches today. Harkey works in the seam from either Hback or inline and Cook all over the place. Cook in particular burned Finnegan deep at one point in 11 on 11.
A kid named Phil Lutzenkirchen (henceforth to be known as Phil Lutz) made his first appearance today after an ankle injury kept him out for the first two days. They pair up the tight ends for a few reps on the Oklahoma drill with a tight end. Seems cruel and unusual and most of the time a tight end gets blown up. However today Phil Lutz stoned Gerald Rivers. He also had some really good catches one in particular for a TD in red zone drill. I am biased because I have a good friend in Illinois that is his cousin. Phil Lutz is 6:03 and 258 out of Auburn.
I thought Pettis and Quick had the best practices of the receivers. Pettis caught two touchdown I believe and one was aided by a double pump by Sam and stop and go up the sideline. Sam hit several deep passes today aided off fake pumps.
In the three days so far I have noticed a lot more quick hitches, and bubble screens to the receivers so far. I am not so much a fan of that as I just find it interesting that so far they are doing that a lot more than last year.
Oline and Dline-Second unit in particular struggled in 11 on 11. Clemens and Davis would have been beheaded on a couple of plays. And Sam would have been killed by Quinn on one rep against Long.
In the Oklahoma drill Quinn killed Long today. There is no other way to put it. The drills were right in front and I think Quinn won every one of them.
Brockers was fought to a standstill initially by Barnes on a couple of reps but he is so strong he just kept pushing Barnes back....
Chris Williams returned to the first string, I think it may continue this way for some time until they settle on one of them.
Together Nysehke and Washington struggled with their mates in 11 on 11 but in the Oklahoma drills both had some moments where they looked very good.
I thought with the linemen and later on in the 11 on 11 the team just needs to start hitting for real. I noticed Dunbar and Ogletree giving some more significant nudges than may have seemed necessary. I think the linemen need to start playing real football.
Linebackers-There is not a practice where someone does not send me a text message or tweet asking about Ray Ray. Its a great football name, he looks the part and I did get a good look at him today in some of the pass drills. He has decent lateral movement, runs around blocks instead of taking them on and seems to be better at pass defense than the run.
DBacks-Giordano and McLeod are the second string right now. DStew and McDonald had a really good day defending the deep stuff. They got burned quite a bit on Thursday but recovered well today. Brandon McGee had quite a day with two interceptions on a tip drill and the other when he undercut a route. He looks very good so far.
Sunday is a closed special teams only practice with pads. Monday will be the real thing.
Then the team breaks up into units for skills and agility work. I have been watching the running backs for the most part during that phase. Then they start mixing in the quarterbacks with each skill unit, usually the running backs first before the tight ends and wide receivers.
They them move onto red zone work that is usually 2-3 receivers and/or running backs matched against 4 defenders. They close out the first half with 7 on 7 before they have punt drill.
While they are doing the 7 on 7 stuff the linemen are locked in the Oklahoma drill which is essentially one-one pass rush/blocking drill with all the offensive linemen in place.
During the punt practice on the far end they will keep working on special teams pursuit. Today the gunners went through a drill designed to help them get free.
When they go to 11 on 11 its almost exclusively first string vs first string and so. Today they also mixed in two minute situational drills with a clock and one time out.
QB-Sam's deep passes look effortless, I was with a friend today and my youngest son and all commented on how easy it looked for him to throw long. Clemens continues to bail on drills and take off and run even with no pass rush. Why they don't make him stand in and throw is beyond me. There was an 11 on 11 rep where he did need to take off however as no one, no one at all got blocked by the second unit. Clemens got the majority of the second team reps today and there was no Hekker offense practice.
RB-I thought Richardson out performed Pead today in the agility drills. Later on in the practice I saw a formation with Richardson split out wide, not in the slot but out wide in a twins formation.
They did a blocking drill versus what looked like a boxing "heavy bag" today. Monday is in pads and I really want to see how Pead and Richardson hold up there. I thought Cunningham had the best blocking form today.
Ganaway still looks slow in the agility drills but I will say he looks much better in the 11 on 11 running reps he gets. He has a decent body lean and runs behind his pads. He uses his blockers well...bullets aren't flying yet.
WR-Helmick got reps in the gunner drill. Given that the first five receivers are as much in stone as anything ever is there appears to be a spot open for him to grab. The crowd today cheered everything he did anything and he had several good catches. I think he could be an inch or so taller than Amendola and faster but not as quick.
Both Harkey and Cook had very good catches today. Harkey works in the seam from either Hback or inline and Cook all over the place. Cook in particular burned Finnegan deep at one point in 11 on 11.
A kid named Phil Lutzenkirchen (henceforth to be known as Phil Lutz) made his first appearance today after an ankle injury kept him out for the first two days. They pair up the tight ends for a few reps on the Oklahoma drill with a tight end. Seems cruel and unusual and most of the time a tight end gets blown up. However today Phil Lutz stoned Gerald Rivers. He also had some really good catches one in particular for a TD in red zone drill. I am biased because I have a good friend in Illinois that is his cousin. Phil Lutz is 6:03 and 258 out of Auburn.
I thought Pettis and Quick had the best practices of the receivers. Pettis caught two touchdown I believe and one was aided by a double pump by Sam and stop and go up the sideline. Sam hit several deep passes today aided off fake pumps.
In the three days so far I have noticed a lot more quick hitches, and bubble screens to the receivers so far. I am not so much a fan of that as I just find it interesting that so far they are doing that a lot more than last year.
Oline and Dline-Second unit in particular struggled in 11 on 11. Clemens and Davis would have been beheaded on a couple of plays. And Sam would have been killed by Quinn on one rep against Long.
In the Oklahoma drill Quinn killed Long today. There is no other way to put it. The drills were right in front and I think Quinn won every one of them.
Brockers was fought to a standstill initially by Barnes on a couple of reps but he is so strong he just kept pushing Barnes back....
Chris Williams returned to the first string, I think it may continue this way for some time until they settle on one of them.
Together Nysehke and Washington struggled with their mates in 11 on 11 but in the Oklahoma drills both had some moments where they looked very good.
I thought with the linemen and later on in the 11 on 11 the team just needs to start hitting for real. I noticed Dunbar and Ogletree giving some more significant nudges than may have seemed necessary. I think the linemen need to start playing real football.
Linebackers-There is not a practice where someone does not send me a text message or tweet asking about Ray Ray. Its a great football name, he looks the part and I did get a good look at him today in some of the pass drills. He has decent lateral movement, runs around blocks instead of taking them on and seems to be better at pass defense than the run.
DBacks-Giordano and McLeod are the second string right now. DStew and McDonald had a really good day defending the deep stuff. They got burned quite a bit on Thursday but recovered well today. Brandon McGee had quite a day with two interceptions on a tip drill and the other when he undercut a route. He looks very good so far.
Sunday is a closed special teams only practice with pads. Monday will be the real thing.
