FanPost

My observations from the first day of training camp


Finally! Real football to watch today! I could not have been happier watching practice today with my son. Here are a few of the things that I saw today.

First, the overall scheme of the practice was excellent. Last year, I went to a very early practice, and most of the practice was running plays. Fun to watch, did a lot of situational stuff. Today was very different. The first half of practice, players rotated from station to station, every player taking part in fundamental drills. EVERY PLAYER. I watched Calvin practice tackling the practice dummy. Teaching, fundamentals stressed, personally what I feel was the thing that was lacking from the team last year. It wasn't as exciting to watch, but it does seem to be the right way to go. I thought that there was an awful lot of teaching going on at every position. Also, when plays were being run, every defensive player has obviously been told to chase the ball and try to slap it away all the way to the end zone. And every ball carrier is to try to go to the end zone. Maybe they feel that we had a few too many fumbles last year. Clearly, fundamentals are being stressed. This can only help.

First guys to practice were the kickers. I watched backup PK Tavecchio drill a FG from 62 yds the was easily 2/3 's the way up the uprights. Would been good from 70 easy. There was a nice breeze behind him, but he smokes the ball. Freese seems to be more accurate though. We are fine at PK with either one.

Easily the best defensive player at the practice was Darius Slay. He did a great job covering in the team drills, although he did get burned by a great move by Calvin once. Slay defensed numerous passes today. Ihedigbo is a real good player. Already obviously leading the safeties around, in tremendous shape, I really think that he is a tremendous addition to the team. Greenwood oozes ability at CB, he is clearly a great athlete.Mathis looked very quick today. Jonte Green has been working out a lot, really is cut. One thing that going to practice can tell you pretty quickly is the pecking order. Players take turns in drills in order, best going first. Right now Green is down the list at CB right now, below Greenwood and Bentley. Green and Vaughn seem to be battling for a spot right now to me. At safety, I think that Abdul-Quddus seems to be ahead of others for the 4th safety spot to me. I thought that he played pretty well today.

At LB , Van Noy barely played and then left practice. Whitehead is very impressive out there, really seems quicker than the others. I think that he may play quite a bit this year, he is too good to just cover punts.

it is very hard to judge the linemen on both sides of the ball in practices that are not players wearing pads. Hilliard was with the first teamers today, Waddle played 2nd team. I bet these two will alternate til a starter is named. Suh is huge, and Fairley looks real good. Weight is way down right now. There was one play where Webster was chasing Steven Miller, Webster is really fast. Might have a long way to go, but he is fast for a lineman.

it is much easier to grade offensive players in a pad less practice. We are loaded at RB. LeShoure had about the best play of the day, catching a low pass and taking it the distance. LeShoure looks amazingly fit, much bigger than Bell. I thought that LeShoure was the best offensive player today. Montell Owens had a few nice plays today too. And Miller is super fast. We are very deep at RB. Collins is the clear leader at FB right now.

Stafford has a gun, much stronger arm than the others. He looked good to me. He threw a lot of balls to Tate and Ebron, clearly working on timing with those two. He threw a lot to Ebron after practice too. Ebron knows how to get open, gonna be good. In the pecking order right now, Calvin, Tate, Broyles, Durham and Ross worked with the first team. Ogletree, Fuller, and Edwards were on the second team. Edwards is a great practice player, played super today. But he needs to do it in preseason. Durham caught everything today. One player who will probably be on the PS is Andrew Peacock. No one talks about him, he is a long shot, but he gets open and catches the ball. He has great rapport with Kellon Moore, I bet he gets some throws in preseason. I could see him playing real well and getting some notice as the preseason goes on. Kellon Moore is terrible, and now I have watched 2 practices and I have not seen a single snap for Franklin, no way I see him on the 53. And Corey Fuller will not make it either. He does not track the ball well at all, many throws to him get picked. He is just not good enough.

as always, I will put up a few pics on Facebook, Larry Mortemore.

This is a very talented team, more so than last year for sure. I was very impressed with everything today.

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of Pride Of Detroit or its writers.