Thursday (3/27) practice observations
Posted: Fri Mar 28, 2008 1:23 amAlumni in attendance: Zack Sledge, Tom Huemiller, Wilton McCray, Gerald J. Ford and Dave Richards
Catch of the day: Early in practice, backup quarterback Daniel Miller fired a pass out to the right on a short out route. Bradley Haynes slightly overran the route, and his feet slid a little when he turned back for the ball. Nonetheless, he reached out with one hand and snatched the TOP of the ball and pulled it in. No idea how he caught it, but it was very impressive.
Best adjustment: Everyone knows that being a good receiver involves more than hands and 40-yard dash times. Receivers have to be able to run crisp routes and adjust to the ball in flight. The best adjustment to the ball Thursday was made by Emmanuel Sanders. Miller fired a pass about 45 yards downfield, but it was several yards behind where Sanders was. Sanders curled around safety Seth Sloan and back to the ball, making the catch for a pickup of about 48 yards.
Interception of the day: With just a few minutes to go in practice, Logan Turner fired a pass that was a step behind Aldrick Robinson, who reached for it but wasn't able to pull it in. Instead, he tipped the ball up in the air, where Tyler Jones snagged it with one hand and took off toward the end zone.
• Runner-up: In the early minutes of practice, cornerback Tim Crosby stepped in front of receiver Jim Beckner to pick off a pass and basically walked the 10 yards to the end zone.
Drop of the day: Bryan McCann imitated Crosby's move, stepping inside a receiver to make an easy pick ... and dropped a pass that hit him right in the gut.
Patrick really is pretty Handy inside: At first glance, the decision to move senior-to-be Patrick Handy from defensive end in to defensive tackle is curious, to say the least. At a position where players who at least approach 300 pounds are the norm, Handy looks downright slim when he lines up his 6-foot-2, 256-pound frame inside. But he likely won't be as overwhelmed as many think. Handy has very long arms, and defies all logic by boasting the heaviest bench press of any player on the Mustangs' roster. With his arm length and strength, Handy should be able to keep many blockers at bay, creating at least enough separation to occupy them and keep them off linebackers. He also is probably the quickest defensive tackle on the team, and if he can keep blockers from lock on to him, should provide some pass rush from in the interior part of the line.
Increased pressure: The special teams "cover drill" that the Mustangs ran a couple of days ago, in which a return specialist would take off with the ball and try to juke a pair of would-be tacklers, got a bit more interesting Thursday, when the coaches sent four tacklers downfield, rather than two. Thankfully, they were merely getting in the right position, not gang-tackling the returners. No major hits. Best return of the day was by Aldrick Robinson, who shot up the middle and split both pairs of defenders before they had a chance to converge.
Catch of the day: Early in practice, backup quarterback Daniel Miller fired a pass out to the right on a short out route. Bradley Haynes slightly overran the route, and his feet slid a little when he turned back for the ball. Nonetheless, he reached out with one hand and snatched the TOP of the ball and pulled it in. No idea how he caught it, but it was very impressive.
Best adjustment: Everyone knows that being a good receiver involves more than hands and 40-yard dash times. Receivers have to be able to run crisp routes and adjust to the ball in flight. The best adjustment to the ball Thursday was made by Emmanuel Sanders. Miller fired a pass about 45 yards downfield, but it was several yards behind where Sanders was. Sanders curled around safety Seth Sloan and back to the ball, making the catch for a pickup of about 48 yards.
Interception of the day: With just a few minutes to go in practice, Logan Turner fired a pass that was a step behind Aldrick Robinson, who reached for it but wasn't able to pull it in. Instead, he tipped the ball up in the air, where Tyler Jones snagged it with one hand and took off toward the end zone.
• Runner-up: In the early minutes of practice, cornerback Tim Crosby stepped in front of receiver Jim Beckner to pick off a pass and basically walked the 10 yards to the end zone.
Drop of the day: Bryan McCann imitated Crosby's move, stepping inside a receiver to make an easy pick ... and dropped a pass that hit him right in the gut.
Patrick really is pretty Handy inside: At first glance, the decision to move senior-to-be Patrick Handy from defensive end in to defensive tackle is curious, to say the least. At a position where players who at least approach 300 pounds are the norm, Handy looks downright slim when he lines up his 6-foot-2, 256-pound frame inside. But he likely won't be as overwhelmed as many think. Handy has very long arms, and defies all logic by boasting the heaviest bench press of any player on the Mustangs' roster. With his arm length and strength, Handy should be able to keep many blockers at bay, creating at least enough separation to occupy them and keep them off linebackers. He also is probably the quickest defensive tackle on the team, and if he can keep blockers from lock on to him, should provide some pass rush from in the interior part of the line.
Increased pressure: The special teams "cover drill" that the Mustangs ran a couple of days ago, in which a return specialist would take off with the ball and try to juke a pair of would-be tacklers, got a bit more interesting Thursday, when the coaches sent four tacklers downfield, rather than two. Thankfully, they were merely getting in the right position, not gang-tackling the returners. No major hits. Best return of the day was by Aldrick Robinson, who shot up the middle and split both pairs of defenders before they had a chance to converge.
