DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Pure Football Forum Camp Observations 7/30- 8/3

I spent Monday through Friday at camp and saw a total of seven practices. This was my second year going to camp and was able to observe some differences from this year to last. For example:

The tempo on offense was much higher than last year. I didn’t have the internet in Berea (I traveled up from NC) but I understand that there’s an article about practice tempo on the official site. Well, the preparedness in the huddle during walkthroughs and scrimmages was much more impressive than last year’s camp, but I’d say that the team practiced with more vigor than last year. This year, there was far less sticking and jawing than there was last year. The team appeared to be going about its business more and there was not a lot personalities popping off. I’m not sure if this is a good thing or bad thing. Take it as you will.

Much has been written about the about the amount of motion and shifts in Chud’s offense and I certainly saw exactly that this past week. But I saw a similar amount of shifts and motion last year with Mo’s offense. Of course, we didn’t see too much disguising going on during the season last year. I asked Phil at the Backer’s event if there’d be a carry over from camp to the field. Phil said that Chud isn’t the type of guy to get gun shy when the bullets start to fly. But what else would you expect him to say?

So take it for what it’s worth, but this offense is going to give a lot of looks and defenses are going to have to scramble to keep up with all the pre-snap movement. There was a lot of attacking the middle of the field and stretch runs. Also saw a lot of work on gadget plays: reverses, double reverses, shuffle passes, bubble screens, and an end game pitch and catch all up and down the field. Again, the preparedness was evident.

Taking the playcalling what I saw aspect to the defensive side of the ball, if the corners stay healthy and Grantham calls it like they practiced then we’re going to see a lot blitzing this year. I figured we’d be crazy not to blitz given Pool’s coverage abilities, but I saw the house being brought time after time. There was a lot of rotating guys into the subpackages as well. DQ, Dra, and Leon all rotated at ILB. Kenny, Eric, and Daven all rotated in at corner opposite Leigh (who worked in the slot often). The two main subpackages being worked on were a 2-4 and a 1-5 with no six DB packages that I saw.

In the 2-4, Simon and Orpheus were at DT until Orpheus became limited by the knee (I only got to see him practice twice). In that same package, Peek and McGinest rotated opposite Wimbley and Dra and DQ rotated opposite Leon. In the 1-5, Willie played in the one and three gaps (like a tackle) and, while he rushed the passer hard, he struggled against combination blocks on running plays. There was lots of flying around the ball on defense and the team speed looked good as a whole on that side of the ball.






Encouraging Sights

-Brodney Pool and Leon Williams CLOSING on the ball. Leon looked especially good scrapping down the line of scrimmage and blowing up (touch tackling really but he was closing in a hurry) running backs on dump offs. Twice, I saw Grantham get in Leon’s butt for blowing an assignment during Inside Running drills. And both times, Leon made a play in the backfield on the very next snap.

-Antwan Peek really rushed with urgency and I was constantly noticing him during 11-on-11s. But he pulled up with a hamstring Wed. and was limited from then on, though he suited up everyday.

-Braylon still dropped balls. That’s been the case with him since college. But I noticed that he came back everytime and made a play, sometimes a spectacular catch with guys draped all over him.

-K2. I expected him to be limited as had been the expectations following his surgery, but Kellen showed long speed on a number of occasions. As I mentioned, this offense attacked the middle of the field and K2 down the seam was a big part of that.

-O spreading the ball around. I was really hoping to get to Berea and see the offense battle this defense that was three years into its system and I saw just that. While the D did have its moments, overall the offense won every scrimmage situation I saw. Now the defense was swarming but more often than not receivers were coming down with passes no matter how heavily they were contested. Both quarterbacks also flashed moments of decisiveness in beating the blitz.

-Joe Thomas got a lot of work with the first team even before word of Tucker’s suspension got out. With JT and Steinbach on the left side and Shaffer on the right, our O-Line is really athletic. There was a lot of good work in getting our running backs to the edge and up field.


-Our special teams will be fine w/o Rosburg. Not only has there been a lot of attention to the third phase in practice, but T Font, Mike Adams, Jason Short, and Chaun Thompson have all hustled there butts off on return run-throughs.


-Finally, I enjoyed the team earning a low key, no pads/ no shells walk through Fri morning rather than Romeo taking away a low key session because the team hadn’t looked sharp enough as has been the case the past two years.





Discouraging Points

-We don’t have a quarterback from what I’ve seen of practice. While Charlie has looked sharper than DA at times we still need a quarterback to “infiltrate the system.”

-Tim Carter. Even before he tweaked a hammy and missed five straight practices, Carter had done little to stand out or even make me hope that we got a player that could give us production equal to what we lost in Droughns (and yes I know that Ruben at best would be Jamal’s back-up, but Tim Carter has done really nothing in the league thus far).

-Demario Minter injured again and yet to practice.

-Travis Wilson. He looked better catching the ball as the week went on but whenever a play had to be blown dead because the offense was lined up incorrectly, it was Wilson not knowing his assignment half the time.



I had a great time at camp and suggest everybody to go out at least once and observe for yourselves.

That was a very well written review with detailed information many lack. Good job and many fine observations.



I would like to address this next comment....

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Discouraging Points

-We don’t have a quarterback from what I’ve seen of practice. While Charlie has looked sharper than DA at times we still need a quarterback to “infiltrate the system.”

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Many have said the same thing.

However, what I don't think is taken into consideration is that in the first 10 practices the team has been installing the offense. Most of what observers have been seeing from the quarterbacks is them in the middle of the "new offensive installation of the day" and not a practiced or rehearsed squad.

A brand new piece of the offense gets "installed" and observers watch the quarterbacks struggle in the beginning stages of that. It should be understandable that none of them look to have a firm grip on it yet. We all know that everything takes practice and to judge the quarterbacks on the first practice of a new installation is unfair at best. And that is pretty much what everyday has been so far. I'm sure if Quinn was in the mix there would still be no one looking to have a firm grasp at this point.

I just wanted to give that slant on the "quarterback competition" because it seems that many overlook this aspect of it and expect one of the quarterbacks to be the obvious leader, even at this point.

In addition, the rest of the offensive players are in the same beginning stages of a new "installment" each practice. I'm sure the receivers are not looking all that sharp at this point either. The reports of a lot of dropped balls bears that out.

Give them a couple of weeks after the entire offensive has been installed and then see how it's going. By then they will have had the opportuntiy to practice certain elements and schemes several times over and begin to look much sharper.

It's the only fair way to judge them.

However, what I don't think is taken into consideration is that in the first 10 practices the team has been installing the offense. Most of what observers have been seeing from the quarterbacks is them in the middle of the "new offensive installation of the day" and not a practiced or rehearsed squad.

Excellent point. I hadn't even given that a thought until you mentioned it.

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However, what I don't think is taken into consideration is that in the first 10 practices the team has been installing the offense.

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NO NO dd, Don't you know,,, our QB's MUST come out and play perfect from the first snap of Camp,,, otherwise, they are losers

Seriously good point,,

As for the write up,, wow, good job,, thanks Joe

Thanks for the post. If we are to do anything in 07, the D will be a big part of it.

Fun post... well done Joe, thanks!

I can't wait for tomorrow to get to see for myself how things are...hopefully the rain stays away.

thanks for taking the time to tell us your observations! good post!

Sounded just like a reporter man, great post there!

Good observations and detail on the specifics and info.

Thanks for the perspective.

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It's the only fair way to judge them.

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Since when has judging Qb's ever been fair around here?

I agree with your point. It is difficult to perform well when you have to stop, think what you are suppose to do then try to do it rather than knowing what to do and just having at it. Will the Qb's get better as they learn the O? I don't know but I sure hope so.

Someone commented about why the running game looked good if being in the learning stages is so detrimental to practice performance (may have been in the friday camp thread). Well that's because the running game is much less dependent on timing and precision.

As far as the Frye underthrown pass. What the reporters don't bother finding out is why was the pass underthrown? Was it because Charlie doesn't have a strong enough arm as implied? Certainly that is a possibility and probably the most likely. But let me offer a couple other suggestions. Was it a newer Wr? Somebody Charlie hasn't worked with much. Now post play Charlie says to the Wr: Dude you are a lot faster than I thought. OR maybe it was underthrown on purpose. We have all seen that play where the ball is underthrown by Peyton or Brady et al and the announcers say what a great throw, it allows the Wr who can see the ball to adjust whereas the Cb cannot see the ball and is helpless to defend it. Was Charlie thinking this or maybe the Browns were actually practicing this and that throw was right where it was suppose to be. I don't have the answer because our lazy journalist didn't put in the effort to find out.

And Tasty - I disagree with you. This is nothing like a reporter's. At least not a PD reporter. This is much better. Wish Joe had had a press pass and could get us some real inside scoop.

There is all that and still, fans cling to a sentence a reporter writes and get excited, pro or con, about it.