Monday (4/8/13) practice report

[PonyPride]

• Monday's practice involved more hitting and physical play than any practice this spring. Players weren't thrown to the ground, but the linemen were enjoying some full-contact blocking for the first time.

• New offensive line coach Wes Suan clearly is experimenting more with various combinations of linemen. Some players who were reserves at the start of spring workouts got reps with the starters, and vice versa. The two who have been working exclusively with the first team are LT Ben Gottschalk and C Taylor Lasecki.

• In 11-on-11 drills, several linebackers made excellent plays in coverage. Randall Joyner and Jordan Miller knocked down passes when diving in front of receivers, and Lincoln Richard made a juggling interception of a pass from QB Neal Burcham.

•├é┬áIt's no secret that RB Traylon Shead is pretty big (6-2, 225) for a running back ... but then again, so is the guy whose shoes he is trying to fill: Zach Line. But in addition to size and straight-ahead speed, Shead has shown surprising quickness and ability to change directions; on one play Monday, he took a handoff up the middle, where he ran into a gathering of linebackers, but he was able to stop, backpedal a couple of steps and bounce outside to the left, where he outran two DBs to the sideline before turning upfield.

• Best deep ball of the day was thrown by QB Conner Preston, who found CB-turned-WR Rodney Hubert several yards behind the secondary for a 45-yard strike.

• The spring experiment that is Kenneth Acker playing receiver is over, as Acker will have surgery Thursday to repair a small hernia.

"They said it's a small tear," he said of the feedback he got from doctors. "Some of the intestines came out, but the doctor was able to push it back in. They said there was no rupture, so that was a good thing. I won't be back this spring, but that's OK."

Acker said he is not sure how the injury was caused, whether through something he did on the field or in the weight room. He said he was told he'll be able to begin running again in about three weeks, and will be cleared to lift heavy weights again in five to six weeks.

"Not that I'm much of a power lifter, anyway," he said, laughing. "I'm not sure that's a big deal."

Acker said he didn't know whether the injury will prevent him from trying his hand - or hands - at receiver again, but he hopes that is not the case, adding that he and head coach June Jones have not yet discussed his role in his senior season.

"I assume I'm still playing defense in the fall," he said. "I hope I get some reps at receiver, too."

Asked his preference, Acker quickly took on the role of a diplomat.

"Whatever Coach Jones needs me to do," Acker said. "If it helps the team, that's what I want to do."

• Ronnell Sims, who has spent the spring working on moving from slot receiver to running back, also likely has practiced for the last time this spring after spraining his right ankle in Thursday's practice.

"I got tackled (by cornerback Ajee Montes), and as I was going down to the ground, he sort of slid down and fell across it," Sims said. "I didn't think it was that bad at first, but when I got up, I hopped around and tried to walk it off, but couldn't.

"I've got a little range of motion in it, but I have no strength. I can deal with the pain, but I haven't been hurt before, so this is new. But it's not broken, so I'll be OK."

• LB Jonathan Yenga was not practicing again, but he was walking around without a brace.

• Among those in attendance at Monday's practice: former LB Taylor Reed, former DE Margus Hunt and Highland Park High School head coach Randy Allen.

[BigT3x]

Are the practices more physical than in years past? We always seem a little shell shocked during the first game of the season.

[ponyscott]

Sounds like it....they Need some hitting in the fall for certain