Minicamp Stars

[Guest Aloysius]

Good stuff from John Clayton about what happened at other teams' minicamps:

 

Curry, Raji among minicamps' stars

 

By John Clayton

 

The first weekend after the draft is always the biggest for minicamps.

 

Twenty-six teams held either full or rookie camps to orient their draft choices and get a read on how they did over the two-day draft in New York City. It's hard to make conclusive judgments on selections. Players aren't allowed to wear pads. No hitting is allowed. Rookies' heads are swimming with the overload from the new playbook being thrown at them.

 

Still, any time you can put 26 coaching staffs on a field with new players, things can be learned. Here are eight things we learned from this weekend.

 

1. Mark Sanchez is destined to be the starting quarterback of the New York Jets in Week 1. Politically, the Jets did the right thing by having offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer say Kellen Clemens was ahead of Sanchez. Clemens is entering his fourth season. He has eight NFL starts. He should be ahead of Sanchez. But anyone doubting Sanchez' ability to win over the coaching staff and Jets fans is wearing a blindfold. Sanchez showed everyone at the minicamp that he can make all the throws. More than that, he showed leadership. The story of how he got a good portion of the offense together at the hotel Thursday night to go over the playbook is a classic example of how Sanchez's head might be more important than his arm. It's pretty clear what direction the Jets are heading. Head coach Rex Ryan is going to try to run the ball 35 times a game in order to give Sanchez light throwing days during the regular season. Of all the draft choices working this weekend, Sanchez was probably the biggest winner.

 

2. Matthew Stafford isn't going to be rushed into service as the Detroit Lions' starter. General manager Martin Mayhew concluded the Lions' minicamp by saying he trusts Daunte Culpepper as a starter and he'd like to sign a veteran backup. The Lions' roster isn't like the Jets. The Lions are coming off an 0-16 season, and they don't have the offensive line or two-back combination to run the ball 35 times a game. Despite playing only 16 games as a collegian, Sanchez was supposed to be more prepared to play earlier in the NFL than Stafford. Minicamp proved that. Stafford unleashed incredible throws, but he's still a work in progress. That's not to say Stafford won't play this season. The plan is for Stafford to work with the coaching staff. When he's ready, he will play. The Lions are handling Stafford's entry into the NFL the right way.

 

3. Seattle Seahawks coach Jim Mora wasted no time making Aaron Curry his starting strongside linebacker. Curry was one of the stars of the Seahawks' minicamp. He's 15 pounds heavier than traded linebacker Julian Peterson, but he moves so well and has such a natural instinct for moving to the ball. Middle linebacker Lofa Tatupu marveled at how naturally Curry fits into the defense during his first weekend. With Curry, Tatupu and Leroy Hill, the Seahawks have one of the best linebacking corps in football.

 

4. The Washington Redskins have a completely different plan for first-round choice Brian Orakpo than some people expected. At the Redskins' minicamp, Orakpo was used as the starting strongside linebacker. The plan is for him to blitz from the strong side on first and second downs. On passing downs, he will line up at right defensive end next to Albert Haynesworth, the former Tennessee Titans star who appeared dominating at his first Redskins camp. Orakpo was drafted to rush the passer. The surprise is that he won't just be doing it from a defensive end position.

 

5. Linebacker Shawne Merriman served notice that he plans to be a dominating force again this season for the San Diego Chargers. "Lights Out" knows the spotlight is on him. He missed all but one game of the 2008 season because his knee needed surgery. He also knows management is looking at him with a judgmental eye. The Chargers drafted Larry English as a possible replacement if Merriman doesn't come back and dominate. Merriman is in the last year of his contract. English, though not tall, showed a relentless pass-rushing style. He's not ready to unseat Merriman, who questions those whom he said questioned his "football-hood."

 

6. The Carolina Panthers liked what they saw from second-round choice Everette Brown, who cost them a 2010 first-round pick to acquire in a trade. Coach John Fox knows the importance of getting a pass rush, and Brown showed he can help. Everyone noticed his first step and how he can get an edge on a blocker with that first step. One of the knocks on the pass-rushers of this draft was their lack of height compared to previous crops. For whatever reason, scouts feel more comfortable using first-round choices on pass-rushers who stand 6-foot-4 or taller. On the Panthers' official roster Brown is listed as 6-1, but he showed he can get around blockers. Julius Peppers wasn't at the minicamp because he hasn't signed his franchise tag. He probably will miss a good portion of training camp, but management feels he will be there for the regular season. In the meantime, the plan is to develop Brown as a rusher.

 

7. Even though Green Bay Packers head coach Mike McCarthy plans to have Ryan Pickett as the starting nose tackle, it's pretty clear the 3-4 defense is being built around first-round choice B.J. Raji. The former Boston College star didn't disappoint. For a while, Raji was practicing as the first-team nose tackle and second-team defensive end. He moves well for his size. He also seemed to fit in well with his teammates.

 

8. The Philadelphia Eagles' draft for offense looked even better on the field because fifth-round choice Cornelius Ingram did well over the weekend. The 245-pound tight end is coming off ACL surgery, yet caught the ball well and moved well on the field. He left camp with the thought that he could be in the playing mix this year. The team is also cautiously optimistic about the first-year impact of first-round draft pick wide receiver Jeremy Maclin. Head coach Andy Reid warns it might be hard for Maclin to match DeSean Jackson's 62-catch rookie season because Maclin comes from a spread offense. Jackson played in more of a West Coast offense at Cal. Reid said the intermediate routes are different in the spread because spread receivers run downfield or break shorter routes. Fortunately for the Eagles, Maclin seemed to pick up the intermediate routes well over the weekend.

 

John Clayton, a recipient of the Pro Football Hall of Fame's McCann Award for distinguished reporting, is a senior writer for ESPN.com.

 

[heckofajobbrownie]

I said pretty consistently that the best players in the draft were Curry and Raji and that we should try and take one.

 

But I like what we did.

[Brownshirt]

I said pretty consistently that the best players in the draft were Curry and Raji and that we should try and take one.

 

But I like what we did.

 

 

I think our minicamp stars are the guys who drafted them.

 

 

http://www.nflgridirongab.com/2009/05/03/n...first-minicamp/

[DTBH]

Doesn't the part about having Orakpo blitz from the strong side on the first two downs seem a little too predictable? We ought to know about that watching Wimbley lose his effectiveness due to predictability.

[YtownBrownsBacker]

Doesn't the part about having Orakpo blitz from the strong side on the first two downs seem a little too predictable? We ought to know about that watching Wimbley lose his effectiveness due to predictability.

 

Hopefully that will change for us under Ryan.

[Guest Aloysius]

I said pretty consistently that the best players in the draft were Curry and Raji and that we should try and take one.

Definitely the two elite defensive talents in this draft, with Orakpo a close third (in my view). Should be interesting to see if Raji keeps his head on straight and becomes the dominant player he's capable of being.

 

Doesn't the part about having Orakpo blitz from the strong side on the first two downs seem a little too predictable? We ought to know about that watching Wimbley lose his effectiveness due to predictability.

I'm guessing they want him to become something close to a real strongside linebacker. I remember hearing Orakpo say at the Combine that Washington talked to him about playing linebacker, so this is a plan they've had in the works for a while.

 

Going into the draft, the Redskins needed to add a pass-rusher, linebacker, and offensive tackle. Because of the Jason Taylor trade, they didn't have picks in the 2nd or 4th rounds, making filling all of those need impossible. And with '07 6th round pick H.B. Blades projected to start at strongside backer, I can see why they'd want to try out Orakpo at that spot.

 

Orakpo probably will blitz a lot from that spot and have somewhat limited coverage responsibilities. And when he lines up next to Haynesworth on passing downs, the two of them are going to be pretty hard to stop. With teams keying on those two guys, Andre Carter should have a good year rushing off the other edge.

 

The problem for Washington is that their offense is going to suck. They tried to get their young QB some good weapons in last year's draft, but ended up drafting a one-year wonder with attitude issues (Devin Thomas), a talented wideout with broken down knees (Malcolm Kelly), and a tight end who hasn't yet been able to put it all together (Fred Davis). And they still don't have a guy they like at right tackle.

[Guest Aloysius]

More on Aaron Curry:

 

Curry was introduced to the Seattle media the day after the draft and didn't have much time to worry about his suit for the initial press conference. The Seahawks held a post-draft minicamp only four days later.

 

"It was weird. I've watched those press conferences when a player is drafted or signed as a free agent and he is holding up the jersey. It was weird sitting in between [general manager Tim] Ruskell and [coach Jim] Mora and holding up the jersey. It was like, 'Wow, welcome to the NFL.'"

 

Curry said his real "Welcome to the NFL moment" wasn't then -- he'll wear No. 59 just like he did at Wake Forest -- in New York or facing the Seattle media for the first time.

 

"No, the real 'Welcome to the NFL moment' didn't happen until the first day of minicamp. Then, they threw me in with the starters and said, 'Just play.'"

 

Seattle is counting on Curry to step in as an immediate starter next to star linebackers Lofa Tatupu and Leroy Hill. Curry showcased his versatility in coverage by tipping a pass early in his first practice.

 

Later, he was sent off the edge to rush the passer. Pro Bowl quarterback Matt Hasselbeck faked the handoff and dropped back to pass. Curry didn't buy the fake and showed his rare acceleration to the ball, ultimately "tapping" Hasselbeck for a sack.

 

"They probably would've sent me home if I'd hit him," Curry laughed.

 

[Oldcrow1945]

Doesn't the part about having Orakpo blitz from the strong side on the first two downs seem a little too predictable? We ought to know about that watching Wimbley lose his effectiveness due to predictability.

 

I think you may have missed Clayton's point.

 

He's not saying he will be blitzing all the time on first and second down. He's just saying the opportunity for him to blitz will only be on the first two downs as on third down he'll be playing DE. I'm sure there will be first downs that he doesn't blitz and if a blitz is called, it may come from the weakside. I'm sure there will be times that he doesn't blitz on second down and it will come from somewhere else if an extra rusher is called for.

Clayton's point is that he wouldn't be doing it on third down at all as he will be playing end on those downs. That doesn't mean there still may not be a blitz from another strongside LB. It just won't be brian as he'll be coming from an DE position.

 

I think this idea is a brilliant one. It allows Orakpo to do what he does best on Third down. Match up against a slower OT and beat him while still having another Strongside LB either blitzing or dropping into coverage.

I'd hate to have to defend Orakpo, Haynesworth and a LB all from the same side.

 

[Guest Aloysius]

Interesting report on Jeremy Maclin:

 

MACLIN TAKING IT ALL IN: When watching first-round pick Jeremy Maclin move around, he appears to be what many thought. He has really good speed and looks smooth running routes, but perhaps too smooth. Maclin looked to be going half speed during some routes during Friday and Saturday's practices. In fact, during Saturday's early practice, Maclin was just a hair late on a crossing route which caused the ball to go incomplete. Maclin had to do the play over a few more times and the passes thrown by starting QB Donovan McNabb were right on the mark. Because Maclin didn't play in a West Coast offense in college, he's not a precise route runner just yet. He needs to get used to the speed of the game and he'll get more exposure to that in a rookie camp in two weeks. But you can see why he was a first-round pick based on a few selected plays. He has terrific run-after-the-catch burst and is almost impossible to catch if he gets a step on a defender. He also has soft hands. He just needs to speed up his game just a bit--typical of most rookie receivers who come out of spread offenses.

[broncoinskinland]

I'd hate to have to defend Orakpo, Haynesworth and a LB all from the same side.

 

Agreed, the Redskins got brutal on the Deffensive side of the ball very quickly. I don't know if it will work out well, everything Schneider touches seems to fall apart, but on paper it is impressive. I would guess that the Skins will end top 5 in sacks at the end of the year, but we will have to see if it does anything for them in the W/L column as the year goes along.

[Flugel]

My 2 cents and allowance from the Warden:

Be careful not to get too carried away with how guys look in mini-camps. They once made Worthlessberger sound like he deserved praise if he put his cleats on the right feet and found his way back to the huddle in his first mini-camp. This led to a need to give Tommy Maddox an enormous raise. Just remember, Dennis Northcutt always looked like Hall of Fame material in every early mini-camp without contact. When they added the contact AND the opponent, he looked like Mini-skirt material. We couldn't miss a May, June or July without hearing about the wide world of "he's gonna" this time around which always translated to "he still hasn't" in the real world.

 

Guys like Vernon Gholston are gonna look good in shorts and t-shirts because they're GREAT athletes. The question is will he play like Tarzan or Jane? David McMillan was rumored to run in 4.5s, which intrigued ANYONE with a pulse BUT we never saw the carryover to the gridiron. I would always ponder HOW does a guy THIS quick get lost on a ho-hum Big 12 defense and subsequently get drafted so late? Prolly because he's one of countless great athletes that won't have legit NFL starter in his fate. Chaun Thompson did everything from place kicking to punting to LBer in his college and he could dazzle anyone in a workout. He had good size and great 40s. Guess what? He wasn't ANY better in Houston than he was in Cleveland.

 

Courtney Brown was once unveiling his spin moves like he was going to be the quicker more agile version of Bruce Smith. The ONLY time I ever saw him looking the part was when he sacked Pitt's backup QB Kent Graham 3 times in 1 game against a backup tackle. Keyword in that sentence is backup. Jamir Miller faced all the same tackles with LESS pass rushing experience and aced the gig as our ONLY All Pro Defender between 1999 and Shaun Rogers of 2008. Mike Mamula looked terrific in shorts and t-shirt but very forgettable when they added an opponent, shoulder pads and contact. Many of us played this game and have seen the kids that looked terrific BEFORE the contact. It's just amazing how adding 100% of the pads to the scenario can change how FAST and CONFIDENT someone plays. Did we ever REALLY need to get rid of Ernest Byner for Mike Oliphant? Or how about Mike Baab for the MORE athletically gifted (and former soccer player turned Center) Greg Rackoczy? Hell no! Byner became the All Pro workorse for the Superbowl Champion Redskins while Oliphant became the same idea Northcutt would later become. "What if" we could only play football without pads on a track. Kosar NEVER seemed to have trouble with the blitz when the snaps and line-calls came from Baab. Can we say the same when we replaced Baab with the guy that looked more the part in shorts and t-shirt? I'm gonna say no with a great deal of confidence.

 

As much as some contend Raji is a stud - he had the SAME history William Green had at Boston College with the marijuana issues. History tells me that is NOT the kind of guy you want getting a sizable signing bonus accompanying a #5 overall pick before down #1. Gerrard Warren became "Big Money" to his teammates but "Tiny Heart" to all the fans he was holding hostage awaiting the exchange value of a #3 overall pick. I'm not sure I'm sold Raji has placed football as #1 in his life and you can count the number of strikes he had in college to confrim that.

 

Remember when Ricky Williams had to PROVE football was #1 over his affection for baseball? The guy began his NFL career on prozac and intervened with a marijuana sebatical. Has he EVER justified where he was drafted overall to date? Trust me when I tell you Philly hit the home run on McNabb instead which would also make room for the addition of Brian Westbrook a year or 2 later without the franchise cap hit of the hyperinflated Ricky Williams in the top 5. Without Ricky Williams' 3 fumbles against us in 1999, we would have ONLY beaten Pittsburgh.

 

If you got this far, thanks for reading!

 

As you were...,

- Tom F. (Don't show me the money - show me the FOOTBALL PLAYER once they put on the pads and add the opponent)

[Oldcrow1945]

Agreed, the Redskins got brutal on the Deffensive side of the ball very quickly. I don't know if it will work out well, everything Schneider touches seems to fall apart, but on paper it is impressive. I would guess that the Skins will end top 5 in sacks at the end of the year, but we will have to see if it does anything for them in the W/L column as the year goes along.

 

They were good last year on defense. They should be very, very good this season!

 

The Skins have to be better at putting the ball in the air and getting it in the end zone. They play good defense, they run the ball well, but it won't matter how much you go up and down the field if you don't score. The QB play has to get better too.

 

[Oldcrow1945]

As much as some contend Raji is a stud - he had the SAME history William Green had at Boston College with the marijuana issues. History tells me that is NOT the kind of guy you want getting a sizable signing bonus accompanying a #5 overall pick before down #1. Gerrard Warren became "Big Money" to his teammates but "Tiny Heart" to all the fans he was holding hostage awaiting the exchange value of a #3 overall pick. I'm not sure I'm sold Raji has placed football as #1 in his life and you can count the number of strikes he had in college to confrim that.

 

I'm the first one to jump on the "Character counts" bandwagon, but I'm not sold that Raji's smoking of Weed is a big deal.

Now if he had been smoking prior to the combine then I would say it was a big deal because it would show a lack of common sense and rationality. Anyone who test postive at the combine has a real problem in my book.

But smoking weed in college doesn't have to mean you are a risk. I smoked in my younger days and I still worked hard and showed up for work every day.

 

[Tobalaz]

I like smart high character guys with a clean past that just love the game.

You know what you're getting with them, well, mostly.

Guys that liked to party worry me when you're picking in the big money because they're young and might want to live it up more than play the game, so it's always something that lurks in the back of your mind when you draft a kid with a sketchy past.

[Guest Aloysius]

Raji also threw a punch during a game and had chronic academic issues. Great talent but definitely not a Mangini guy.

[Tobalaz]

Raji also threw a punch during a game and had chronic academic issues. Great talent but definitely not a Mangini guy.

Lunchmoney 2.0 anyone?

 

[Guest Aloysius]

Sounds like a lot of us were right to be high on Louis Delmas:

 

Before the Lions signed Larry Foote last week, defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham met with reporters. One kept trying to ask about rookie safety Louis Delmas but was getting interrupted by questions about linebackers. Cunningham noticed.

 

"I've got to answer the Delmas question," Cunningham said at the end of his interview, "because I kind of like that guy."

 

In his 28th year in the NFL, Cunningham has seen plenty of great players. He thinks he sees another in Delmas, whom he compared to Dale Carter, a four-time Pro Bowl cornerback with Kansas City.

 

"Dale Carter was kind of wiry, long and looked like he was out of control sometimes, and then he'd have the ball," Cunningham said. "When I look at Delmas now, I go, 'My God, it is like I got younger and there is Dale in front of me again.' ... We don't want to anoint the guy at all. But he came on the practice field like I believe you should come on the practice field."

 

Over three days of rookie minicamp last weekend, Delmas, a second-round pick from Western Michigan, outshone everyone. He made good on a promise to pick off Matthew Stafford and showed the kind of energy, enthusiasm and joy recently missing from the Allen Park practice field.

 

"From what I see in this young kid, he loves football," Cunningham said. "I don't know where he got it, but there's something about him that, he's not very big, and yet you see him on college tape just blowing guys up on tackles.

 

"Then he comes in here and threatens our first pick in the draft, and he says, 'I'm going to get it sooner or later.' He missed about three or four early, and then he took it away from him. A lot of my buddies have been texting me, saying, 'Boy, we were going to draft him.' I said, 'Well, you should have.' "

[Canton Mike]

I like smart high character guys with a clean past that just love the game.

You know what you're getting with them, well, mostly.

Guys that liked to party worry me when you're picking in the big money because they're young and might want to live it up more than play the game, so it's always something that lurks in the back of your mind when you draft a kid with a sketchy past.

 

 

Agreed.....When a team pays the kind of money they do for these guys, "question marks" about character should not be part of the package.

Mike

[Flugel]

I'm the first one to jump on the "Character counts" bandwagon, but I'm not sold that Raji's smoking of Weed is a big deal.

 

And it wasn't supposed to be a big deal with William Green either until it was.

 

Same with Kenny Wright, same with Ricky Williams, same with Rashan "outtahere" Salaam. Where it BECOMES a major question as I see it is when/where it intervenes with placing football as priority #1; ESPECIALLY after you're going to give this type of guy a hefty signing bonus.

 

When the average Joe smokes marijuana - I don't have a problem with it. When it's a guy slated for the 5th spot in the draft for a franchise that hasn't had the greatest luck in round one since 1999, I don't want the guy. WHEN I learned Percy Harvin couldn't refrain from using marijuana too close too what was supposed to be the most important auditions of his life - I completely changed my tune that previously suggested he'd be a first round steal. If he can't refrain - what's his #1 priority? It wasn't football or we're looking at clean urine right? That tells me ALOT more than a Wonderlic score about him. It shows me stupidity and the decision making skills of a raccoon crossing the highway at nighttime more than it shows me difference making X-factor.

- Tom F.

[Canton Mike]

And it wasn't supposed to be a big deal with William Green either until it was.

 

Same with Kenny Wright, same with Ricky Williams, same with Rashan "outtahere" Salaam. Where it BECOMES a major question as I see it is when/where it intervenes with placing football as priority #1; ESPECIALLY after you're going to give this type of guy a hefty signing bonus.

 

When the average Joe smokes marijuana - I don't have a problem with it. When it's a guy slated for the 5th spot in the draft for a franchise that hasn't had the greatest luck in round one since 1999, I don't want the guy. WHEN I learned Percy Harvin couldn't refrain from using marijuana too close too what was supposed to be the most important auditions of his life - I completely changed my tune that previously suggested he'd be a first round steal. If he can't refrain - what's his #1 priority? It wasn't football or we're looking at clean urine right? That tells me ALOT more than a Wonderlic score about him. It shows me stupidity and the decision making skills of a raccoon crossing the highway at nighttime more than it shows me difference making X-factor.

- Tom F.

 

Tom,

I couldn't agree more & I couldn't say it better.

Mike