Monday Afternoon
Monday, August 15, 2005
-This practice was, without question, the most spirited of training camp. It might even have gotten a little too spirited, causing coach Mike Martz to end it early.
-The highlights were provided by slightly overzealous defensive end Anthony Hargrove. With the players in shells, Hargrove engaged rookie
Alex Barron in one-on-one pass rush drills. Something that has to be understood is that with these players in shells, the defensive line is already at an advantage. They are the group applying the blow while the offensive linemen are expected to take it. Hargrove and Barron got tangled up and battled well past the whistle. While tangled up, though, tempers flared and a shoving match ensued. Of course it didn’t take long for members of both units to get involved. Center Andy McCollum quickly pulled Hargrove away and then nearly got into it himself. Brian Howard lost his helmet and an all-out melee nearly ensued. Eventually calmer heads prevailed.
-Hargrove has a tendency to get a little overzealous, but most of it comes from his insatiable desire for football. Hargrove hates to lose and will not allow anyone to beat him without at least getting a shot or two of his own in first. It's a great quality to have when the opponent is on the field, but he needs to control it a little better.
-Barron deserves a lot of credit for the shape he showed up in. It was obvious that he worked hard to be in shape and ready to play and he has a chance to improve more quickly than originally thought. I have to admit that I am/was skeptical about his learning curve, but at least he did his part to be right physically when he came in. There will be no wasted time on getting in shape, rather he will be able to focus on his technique and learning the system.
-DeJuan Groce had a bit of a scare in the morning practice when he suffered a bruised knee but he was back for the afternoon workout and everything appeared fine. Groce is having a solid camp and is doing his best to take advantage of the unfortunate injury to Jerametrius Butler.
-Speaking of Groce, he said Thursday afternoon that he is no longer in the mix on punt returns. That could change, but because of his newfound status as the starter, he is focusing all of his efforts on becoming a solid cover man.
-Brandon Chillar had a shoulder injury that could have been worse, but the reports on it turned up clean and he is back on the field.
-If Corey Ivy hasn’t made at least one legitimate interception during every practice in camp I would be surprised. He always seems to be in the right spot at the right time and has a knack for taking advantage of the opportunities presented. He made another impressive pick off a deflection Monday afternoon. If he wasn’t so small he would probably be starting somewhere right now. As it stands, he has a good shot to make this team based on his special teams skills and as a nickel or dime back.
-Tuesday’s practice is closed to the public because of the weather conditions that have made the field too wet to practice on. With camp breaking on Wednesday, there might be no more open practices, but Wednesday’s availability will essentially come down to how the weather holds up.
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