Observations from practice

[PonyPride]

Yup - greetings from Orlando (it's cloudy, but rumor has it there's snow headed to Dallas. Enjoy.)

Sam Bennett is still in school. I also saw Andrew Robiskie doing some longer snaps - not as deep as too a punter, but deeper than a standard shotgun. Maybe snapping for placekicks? Or warming up to snap for punts?

[PonyPride]

I wasn't out there the whole time, so I didn't get to take as many notes as usual, but here are a few nuggets:

• One of the most impressive players on the first day of practice was redshirt freshman WR Bradley Haynes. He appears to be every bit of his listed 6-foot-3 height and looks stronger than his listed 205 pounds. More importantly, he made all of the catches, both routine and the slightly off-target. He showed good speed and acceleration, separating from some defensive backs to get open downfield, and showed no effects of the knee injury that he suffered last year. He's very big and looks exceptionally strong. I'd say it's a safe guess that he's been working extremely hard in the weight room.

And here's one of the aforementioned Bradley Haynes. As big as advertised.


Speaking of big, I also noted Phillip Burley out there running and making catches.

Nice pics, fellow webdude!

Uh .... in that first picture, is Haynes expected to catch BOTH of those passes?

[smu diamond m]

Welcome to Orlando, pp.

I'll see you at the game tomorrow, watching the ladies kick Tulsa around the floor. We went swimming in the rain tonight. hah

[PonyPride]

Looking forward to it!

[RGV Pony]

This one is better than the other-meter in the upper left:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=frsId3go ... re=related

[Dr Death]

One other thing: didn't get a chance to talk to him, but Andrew McKinney — now listed at an un-scatback-esque 264 pounds — worked out with the running backs. They weren't doing anything fast, just cruising through plays to make sure they knew where running lanes would be, how to read the blocks in front of them, etc., and it was admittedly an odd sight to see a guy that big in the backfield ... but it sure looked interesting. If I was a C-USA linebacker, I sure wouldn't want to look over the line and see McKinney and Martin back there.

So you know, JJ has always preferred a huge RB in his scheme as it puts the defense at a dis-advantage. With the Falcons he had Ironhead Heyward and Jamaal Anderson and in 2006 Hawaii had Nate Ilaoa, who was 5'9" 250...

The reason? The defense floods the field with 6... and sometimes 7, DB's... and just imagine guys in the 5'9"-6'0" range weighing no more than 200 pounds at best, trying to tackle somebody 40, 50 or 60 pounds heavier...

Huge RB's also act as a sixth O-lineman in pass blocking...

[kent dorfman]

I can't wait to see Aldrick Robinson, Bradley Haynes and Burley. I don't care who are signal caller is if he can get these guys the ball we could be dangerous. It is also going to be a treat watching a 265lbs back rolling over DB's like bowling pins. JJ will teach this team a lot and I think the talent is around whoever plays QB for us to be successful. Kool-Aid, anyone?