In general I was once again struck by the physical conditioning and how sharp the practices were. It is not like a decade ago where lineman would show up fat and no one was sharp. It was obvious that the early spring voluntary workouts are having an affect.
As usual I started out looking at the kickers. The big surprise was Lokey is the #1 snapper for place kicks. He has good technique, a quick release and was getting it back there pretty fast. With some experience I think he could become very good at it. (The NFL will love this do-it-all guy) As it was the Lokey-Shipley-Bailey combo was nearly perfect. Lawrence looked good too but was struggling with a less experienced snapper (#76). Gerland wasn't punting, so I guess he is running track. Curtis Brown was shagging kicks from the kick machine along with the usual suspects. I missed other special teams workouts while I watched the OLs.
Checking out the OL I first noticed that Dockery was moving pretty well and appears to have maintain his playing weight. My biggest worry about him would be weight gain while he was off his feet. Keeping in mind that all you can really see when the lineman in pads is their physical development, Huey's calves are about twice the size of Tanner's or Hall's and are not flab. If that translates into physical strength, he is a run away favorite for the open guard spot. He also showed good foot work and agility during drills, for a true freshman. I also like the development and footwork of Burnette. He needs to get get some playing time somewhere. Webb has not added as much muscle as I hoped and has a way to go to fill out his frame ala Hills. Overall I was impressed with the O-lineman's conditioning. No one looks like they swallowed a turkey over the holidays.
Checking out the DTs, Brian Ellis has really grown and filled out his frame. He looks like he is ready to make a contribution. Dre Jones is also in fantastic shape for a true freshman. I can see those two battling it out to see who backs up Okam at the 3 tech spot. Marshall's ship has probably sailed. Okam, Lokey and Miller all looked solid. Like the OL's you can't tell much in shorts, but they are all in great shape.
Not much to report on DE's since I couldn't see much from the cordoned off area. It was kind of sad to see Melton going last in all the drills as he tries to learn them. Orakpo, Lewis, Houston and Jones all looked solid. It will be interesting to see who steps up in the spring game.
I am so glad we have Mac Duff. The change in linebacker drills is significant. While I am not a coach, it looks to me that he has drills that are designed to benefit linebackers, and not treat them like DBs as much as last year. All the LBs looked good physically. My major concern was when they ran some 3 on 3 against RBs and TEs, the linebackers could not cover anyone. A walkon throwing to a 3rd string offensive player was a lethal combination going against any of our linebacker corp. Ogbannaya and McGee looked impressive against them.
At WR the had Webber running second team SE behind Sweed. He has matured a lot and leaned to catch better than last fall. He doesn't looked stone handed anymore. Payne looks like he is ready to join the rotation at Fl/Slot so overall it looks like we have 7 WRs who can play. Having a taller backup to Sweed, especially one who can stretch the field with 10.7 100m speed, should add another dimension to the offense.
Going in I was expecting the DBs to get dominated., and in 1 on 1 pass drills the 5 experience WRs + Payne- Webber were generally able to get open. I was encouraged by Palmer's improvement. He did a good job of staying with the receivers near the line and was able to use his speed to maintain tight coverage. The starting unit had Foster and Beasely and corner and Griffin and Jackson at Safety. Griffin had a nice INT at the sideline on a pass intended for a WR covered by a corner. Curtis Brown mostly watched during 7 on 7 and 11 on 11, but in one play I watched he had man coverage on Webber and managed to stay ahead of him 30 yards down field, so he has some impressive speed and quickness. The only knock I have on Curtis is that he is skinny as a post, and needs to bulk up some to play at this level.
I was impressed by Chiles' throwing and overall grasp of the drills. He probably more than anyone benefited from the earlier workouts. Colt was sharp and in command and Harris looked very good as well. I like Harris' arm and overall command of the offense. Anyone thinking that Chiles will waltz past him on the depth chart is dreaming. Harris has the makings of a solid #2 QB. Both Harris and Chiles tried running in 11 on 11, but the defensive pursuit was good, and neither would have gotten far in a game situation.
I am really impressed by McGee. Studying him more closely he has short legs and a long torso, much like Ricky and Ced, but more so, and with better speed. His hips are probably a good 3 inches lower than Charles'. This gives him excellent balance even when cutting. He is very smooth, and doesn't hesitate in the hole the way some backs do. I expect great things from him. Fozzy is also a very similar type of runner, although not as extreme a body type.
I'll post more when I think of something I missed.
