Training Camp Report 7/30 A.M. Edition

by Jeremy Bolander on Jul 30, 2008 3:24 PM MDT in 2008 Season Preview Comment 15 comments

2008trainingcampreport_medium

Notes and Highlights

-Injuries-

It looks like hydration will continue to be an issue as players are battling tight muscles. Pittman was the latest addition to the inactives as he sat out with a hamstring injury with Hillis and Mustard.

-Nickel Packages-

The team is looking at different nickel packages, including a Moss/Mallard/Ekuban/DOOM line, DJ and Boss doing the 'backing, and Bly, Champ, Foxy, Hamza and McCree doing the covering. The front six in particular with this group looks fast. It has been mentioned in several places that guys are knocking down passes on the defensive line, something we haven't talked about much when we consider the virtues of guys like Moss, Mallard, and Ekuban. And for a "short" guy, DOOM has a knack for getting his hands up too, swatting 7 last year...

-Eddie Royal-

Speaking of Royal, Wednesday seemed to be his coming-out party. He has made great plays before, but this morning he made several grabs including one where he layed out to catch a laser from Cutler in between Jack Williams and Roderick Rogers. During 7 on 7 drills, he also got away from Bly and made a long over-the-shoulder catch for a nice gain, and later caught another bomb for a touchdown.

You really have to love a guy who is laying out in practice to get his chances. I haven't heard anything negative about Royal in a week's worth of practices, and better still, he seems to be catching everything that comes his way. Nothing gives a coach or a quarterback more confidence in what you might be able to do on gameday. Royal is getting it done.

-Josh Barrett-

Rookie Josh Barrett made a big play during 7-on-7 drills. Tony Scheffler made a great grab in traffic and starting running up the sidelines, but Barrett ran at him and stripped away the ball. Not only did he cause the fumble but he recovered it as well and ran to the opposite sideline before the entire offense chased him out of bounds.

A look at the safety position will go up later tonight, so any news on the position seems particularly relevant. This is one of the ultimate roles of a safety, to turn the tide of a game just when it seems the opponent has the upper hand. A knock against Barrett was always that he never put the whole package together like a Laron Landry type of player. Plays like this show us that he is on the right track.

-MLB Battle-

During 11-on-11 drills, Niko Koutouvides had a big stop lined up when a run came up the middle of the line. Then he realized it was Cutler on a keeper, and he quickly slowed up and let his quarterback go with a light tap.

Not a huge piece of news, but a heads up call by Niko not to lay into Cutler. A huge component of the MLB's game is keeping his head on straight amongst the fury, and we know from the past that Webster can't even keep his helmet on straight. This competition looks stiff, with Webster perhaps having an edge in regards to comfort level with the team, and Niko with more focus, and they both have showed up prepared. Stay tuned.

-Aggressiveness-

Speaking of tackles, Abdullah got a light rebuke from Head Coach Mike Shanahan when he wrapped up Selvin Young and actually tackled him on a run play. Abdullah fell back into good graces later in practice when he lept to snag the second interception of the day.

I like what I'm reading, when I'm reading that our defense is being aggressive. Admittedly what he did wasn't allowed, but I like to think that these guys are really starting to get into the heat of battle, and that they might be turning the intensity up a bit. That is just what this team needs, and small moments like this have the potential to build into the fiery competition it is going to take to forge a competitor out of these guys.

Speaking of Hamza, here is a nice interview and article that talks a little bit about how he is faring in the battle for the starting Strong Safety spot. It makes a great prep for tonight's edition of "Breaking down the Roster" where we will be talking about Safeties. I volunteered to give my thoughts on the position while Guru was en route to Mecca, so I hope everyone will check back in to see how I think these guys stack up.

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Comments

Nice write-up styg

Guru is travelling and you step up with quality work. THAT is the kind of teamwork at MHR! I expect nothing less from our team.

What lies behind us and what lies before us are small matters compared to what lies within us. - Emerson

by firstfan on Jul 30, 2008 4:16 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs

Ditto

Great work Styg.

by jonahsilas on Jul 30, 2008 5:19 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Thanks Styg . . .

Excellent comments.

Looks as if Fast Eddie is doin’ it !! I’ve been excited ever since he was drafted, and he hasn’t let me down.

I figured much of Webster’s problem was playing out of his natural position. We don’t have another Al Wilson in their, but from what I’ve heard about Webster and Niko, we don’t have any worries, either.

Never pass up the opportunity to keep your mouth shut. - my daddy

by AZDynamics on Jul 30, 2008 4:39 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs

Love the nickel news

and the team they are putting out there. A lot of speed, a lot of power.

Over at BroncosDenverBroncos they are reporting that in the nickel Foxy is playing the 2 with Bly on the slot receiver – something I speculated about with glee in the offseason. I feel like Bly’s ball hawking skills from that position are going to be even more successful. And Foxy’s rise is the cherry on top….

by jonahsilas on Jul 30, 2008 5:18 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs

I speculated earlier this year

that Foxy had moved back ahead of Paymah and this seems to confirm that. I hope at some point we lock him up with a longterm deal. There are still MHRers who want to get rid of him. I can’t imagine why. I think if we do we’ll be sorry down the road.

"In the empty spaces - lacunae, vacuums, pauses, voids, black holes - new things begin. We are born anew from the unexplored space, the badlands, the outlaw territory." - Sam Keen

by spock on Jul 30, 2008 6:42 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

I don't think it's a matter of how good Fox is.

Assuming that Williams works out well too, can we (afford to) keep 5 CBs on the roster? I’m thinking Williams was brought in because we’ll have to deal with Bailey and Bly at nearly the same time, and I’m not sure that Fox or Pay is ready to be a #1 CB (though I think either one could play at #2). That a player is very good on a team with depth and could be a trade potential isn’t a knock on the player.

Still, I don’t think this perspective means I want to get rid of him. But you might be writing about me since I see the advantages of either keeping or trading him.

"Greater is an army of sheep led by a lion, than an army of lions led by a sheep" Defoe

by Steve Nichols on Jul 31, 2008 5:40 AM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

It wasn't you

that I was thinking about, HT, although it’s true that I’m more reluctant to trade him that you are. It’s somebody else, I can’t remember who, who seemingly has an itchy trigger finger when it comes to trading Foxy. Personally, I think Foxy will supplant Bly
next year if not this. I realize you think differently, and your reasoning is sound. Call it a hunch.

"In the empty spaces - lacunae, vacuums, pauses, voids, black holes - new things begin. We are born anew from the unexplored space, the badlands, the outlaw territory." - Sam Keen

by spock on Aug 1, 2008 8:18 AM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

I would love to keep foxy

but also see the business case for trading him. Especially if he is pushing Bly out of the #2 spot – he then becomes a rising young CB which is a hot commodity. I imagine in the league there is much more interest in that than an aging Pro-Bowler in Bly.

But I also could see Foxy and Williams as long term solutions in an aging secondary. Paymah has got a tough row to hoe this year…

by jonahsilas on Aug 1, 2008 2:26 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

If our resident pro bowlers

were fifth year rather than tenth year (or whatever it is) players, and if we could get a young superstud defensive tackle for him, I could sort of see it though I’d still be reluctant to see him go. But I’m seeing him and perhaps Williams as longterm solutions. HT made a good case awhile back for Foxy not supplanting Bly even if he did edge past him in terms of on-the-field performance, but Bly can only cover, albeit damned well, while Foxy is a very good tackler and therefore a more complete player. Given our recent run-defense problems that might weigh larger than it has in the past. If he can’t beat out Bly this year or next we might have to trade him, unless he likes Denver so much he’d willing to stay as a top nickel at a nickel’s pay. That’s been one of the advantages of keeping him so far, that he wants to stay in Denver badly enough that he’ll accept less, both in pay and playing time, than he would elsewhere. It’d be nice to have a rising young CB who’s also that loyal to Denver.

"In the empty spaces - lacunae, vacuums, pauses, voids, black holes - new things begin. We are born anew from the unexplored space, the badlands, the outlaw territory." - Sam Keen

by spock on Aug 1, 2008 5:26 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Not saying I want it to happen

but I can sorta see the logic of moving foxy. I think we could get an up and coming player for him, in whichever part of the lineup is looking thin.

That being said, I would love to see the front office reward him for the loyalty he has shown, and his huge contributions to the community. Foxy, Williams, Paymah as long term solutions, all under the tutelage of Champ in his last years. Sounds like a winner to me.

And if HT is right (which he usually is) Bly will still be a valuable commodity at year end as he will play #2 corner on most snaps this year. Foxy is pressuring him (he is playing the #2 in the nickel already, with bly on the slot) as it is. If other political/personnel issues are the thing limiting Foxy’s snaps, I say trade Bly away to a team on the verge looking for a quick fix at CB. NFC, preferably. ;-)

by jonahsilas on Aug 1, 2008 6:53 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Nickel Down

I am excited about our Nickel and Dime package this year. If we can stay healthy, and force teams into third and long, it will be a long day for our opponents. Josh Mallard is a good inside pass rusher, and will make the team as such.

With the way they have played things in TC, and with Powell out for the year, it looks like our D-Tackles will be Robertson, Thomas, Peterson, McKinley, Ekuban, and Mallard. And with Peterson and Ekuban both able to play end and tackle, it looks like these six D-lineman will be matched with the obvious four DEs- Moss, Dumervil, Crowder, Engleberger. So I guess it will be Steven Harris to the practice squad again.

Usually if Shanny has someone pegged for the practice squad, they try to hide them through camp, not playing them much, so not much is made of them. That sounds like the case so far for Harris, Woodyard, Lictensteiger, & Larson. With as much as they have been playing Barrett, it looks like he does have a good chance of making the 53.

by The Gun Young on Jul 30, 2008 5:21 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs