The biggest thing for me, as for most of us I am sure, wil be how Chad looks in his first game situation since October. I know that after the game everyone will be highly critical of his arm strength and zip if he isn't throwing the ball like Favre...but I just want to see accuracy and sureness in his throws. Secondly I will be watching D'Brick because I really hope he can come in this year and already be one of the better tackles. I hope he gets alot of time, as I trust he will. The last big thing I will watch is Clemens. I am excited about the reports I have read from camp and hope he can go out there and have a good showing. I'll also be looking at Houston's new physique and this guy Eric Smith, and for Jerricho Cotchery's reported star-quality. I guess seeing how Mangold does will be interesting too but its always hard to see the interior line after the snap...
The quarterbacks. I still think Pennington should take the year off. One big hit this season and his career will probably end. Take this year off and get stronger and he may be able to hang around another half decade.
The Quarterbacks The hype around Jerricho Cotchery and Reggie Newhouse The tight-end situation The O-Line's progression (duh) The move to a 3-4 D-Rob trying to be a nose tackle in a 3-4 Jonathan Vilma's move to a 3-4 Bryan Thomas and Trevor Johnson's tryout as a 3-4 OLB. Justin Miller's trying to return a kickoff without fumbling Battle between the 3 runningbacks
-Can Houston be "the" back? -Washington in the pro's -Dewayne at NT -LB play in the 3-4 (specifically Vilma and Thomas) -Eric Smith/Rhodes/Dyson/Miller -Penny's arm -Anyone on the OL whos not named Kendall -Askew at FB we have alot to watch. lol
im not going to look for anything specifically, because when i do that i will miss something else that was important. just gonna watch it and see if the team as a whole works together.
I see where you are coming from with this but imagine the rust he would have to shake if he took another year off. I agree that watching him get his will be scary...I'll be nervous every time until he gets back up and gets in the huddle. And also, if he tok a year off and Clemens or Ramsey were half decent he could actually come in as an underdog next year. I believe that if he gets injured again his career is over but I also think that 10 months should be enough time to recover from the surgery.....
Baker should have the job right off the bat, he shows great hands and better blocking then jolley...I would like to see the jets use him as schott did gates in SD
Good Stuff. I will be watching this too. Remember, the pre-season will in some ways benefit our coaching staff, too.
- O-Line - Clemens - Lb corp. - WRs In that order. I am looking for overall play, nothing specific. Also the style of the new CS (Mangini, Sutton, and Schott.) on the sideline during a game situation.
I look at guys like Don Majkowski and Jim Miller and don't see how Pennington is going to be the guy to break the mold and come back from multiple shoulder surgeries. Sadly, I actually expect this to be Pennington's final year if he plays this season.
I agree with Baker over Jolley as I am and have been a HUGE Baker fan. But I have to say Dreessen is also looking very good now in camp this year. By a small margin, Dreessen is also the biggest of the three too, and he actually looks even bigger to me this year than his listed weight. A VERY big kid with good hands, who makes the catch and then has to be a real handful to bring down afterwards. I'll try to watch his blocking skills next time I go to TC, which may be as early as tomorrow.
i'm with you. sad but true. 1st off, Penny shouldve taken a full season off after the first injury. but we were looking at a SB trophy and not the best interest of the franchise. I'm sure he can play, but stay healthy? I'm not so sure. We'll see.
Dreessen is the best tight end on the roster and it is just a matter of time before he starts. Baker is a good blocker but is not a deep threat. Dreessen can do that. Dreessen is the most well-rounded of the three. Jolley would be a good H-back.
Dreessen could possibly emerge as a real physical Jeremy Shockey-type, but without the ego, the baggage, and the incapacity to think beyond the mental age of 13.
Dressen huh? Ive been hearing about his progress. I ABSOLUTLEY LOVED HIM coming out of college. lets just hope he makes the starting line up so he can get his notches under his belt ASAP.
boy it would be nice to have a weapon on the roster like that.....I don't remember anything about Dreesen from last year, but if he's really proving himself in TC this year I hope he gets ample opportunity to shine this year.
I think it's a fine line here. I want a healthy Chad to give it his best to come back. But you could argue that keeping Chad around a year without playing creates another year of indecision in the QB department, causes a distraction for all of '06 and the run-up to '07 and could undermine the development of whoever was to take over for CP in '06. While I didn't like the timetable set for his return in the '05 TC, I think he's had almost 10 months to rehab this time and if he can't make it back with this much rehab time, I'm not sure another year will change the story. That said, I'm no doctor.
