Section 227's TC Report ~ Wednesday, July 30

The following is my Training Camp observations from the Wednesday, 1:30PM practice. I had to break it down into two parts because the number of words exceed the space allowed for a single post.

I will preface this TC report by saying that I?ve been to enough camps to know that it?s impossible to see all 44 things happening on the field at the same time, so I had to choose what I?m going to watch. Since I consider the QB competition to be extremely important, I decided to focus on this. I think we?ve done a reasonably good job at all the other positions, but this one key position is paramount right now and could well be the most critical, singular starting position that could determine our eventual win-lose record for the year, and whether or not we make the playoffs.

So, with that in mind, if you are not as interested in the QB stuff and you?ve been ?QB Competition?-ed to death, do not bother reading most of what is contained below. It is impossible to watch O-line standoffs, other match-ups and things going on downfield and still concentrate on what the QB is doing in general.

I arrived around 12:30, headed immediately for the tent to pick up a ?40 Years On Long Island? T-shirt, commemorating the training camp years 1968-2008. Along the way, I passed Craig Carton, Boomer?s radio-show co-host, wearing a #16 Vinnie jersey. He was talking to about 4 fans in the parking lot. I found out later that he was there to put on his ?Get Favre? rally, the video of which is in another thread.

I can tell you that the rally was not very effective, because I was not even aware that a ?rally? was in progress, that?s how uneventful it was. I can?t believe that I actually saw some idiots asking this JO for his autograph. The whole thing was quite lame. After seeing this moron in person, preparing for this lamest of personal attention-getting side shows, I now have ZERO respect for him or his opinions.

Anyway, on to the practice. At 1:10pm things start heating up. Mike Nugent (1) is always out there early with Graham (7) doing their thing. Nuge is looking very accurate and strong. Graham?s punts were good to, although he did shank several that I saw. But, by and large, both were having exceptional practices. Nugent (1) even hit the camera cage to the delight of several teenagers by the fence, just after one of them asked me if he ever hits the cage and I answered affirmatively.

Leon Washington (29) had the day off for some reason. He wasn?t wearing his jersey, but I recognized him and spoke to him when he wandered over near the fence. In front of him were the two RB rookies, Musa Smith (32) and Jehuu Caulcrick (39), chatting with one another. Both of these guys strike me as very thick, solid-looking RBs. Smith, at 6?0-232 is a big enough looking guy in his own right, but Caulcrick, at an amazing 6?0-254, looks like an insane handful to tackle. I think one of these guys will be our answer for a Brandon Jacobs, wear-?em-down-type. Jerrico Cotchery (89) was taking PR/KR returns early on with Chansi Stuckey (83). Stuckey had a great practice yesterday and looks completely healthy in every respect (knock on wood), but I was wondering why Cotch was fielding them and then figured it was because Leon was not on the field. Later on, Justin Miller (21) and Darrelle Revis (24) were taking the PR/KRs and both looked very good at it, especially Revis.

On to the 11-on-11?s. Drew Coleman (30) batted away a perfect pass from Kellen Clemens (11) to Cotchery (89). Cotch would have had it but Coleman (30) made the leap he needed to and knocked it away. Then David Clowney (17) beat Eric Smith (33) on a very deep pass from Clemens? nice smooth route and Clemens caught him in stride. The ball had juice on it and he was fairly accurate on that one.

Chad Pennington (10) in there now, hooking up with David Ball (18) on a very accurate (if not zippy) pass being defended by Ahmad Carroll (42). Ball had him beat and had no trouble scooping in the well-timed throw.

Clemens (11) back in, with a bullet to Cotchery (89), who was wide open and got good separation from Justin Miller (21). Penny at it again and tossing a terrific pass to David Ball (18) again. I have to say that Ball (18) and Clowney (17) both have excellent hands. In fact, I am extremely impressed with all the young wideouts I saw yesterday, Coles (87) not withstanding because he was not even on the field for comparison. But this is the point? we did need to bring in these young WRs and I?m not disappointed in what I see as a crop of youngster who will eventually fill the roster spot left by the aging, perhaps injury-prone Coles at some point.

Eric Ainge (9), at 6?5-221, clearly towers over the other QBs in height. He resembles a very young Vinnie Testaverde in appearance, although I?m not sure he actually weights 221? looks lighter than that in person, but that could be because of his height. Brett Ratliff (5) appears only an inch taller than Clemens (11), although he?s listed at 6?4 and Clemens at a more accurate 6?2?, I think. But my point is, Ainge clearly possesses the physical attributes you?d like to see in a more prototypical, taller QB. Both Ainge and Ratliff have good, strong arms. In fact, Ratliff throws a very accurate laser.

Ainge (9) proceeded to hit the ever-present Ball (18), who continued having a great practice, with a nice laser-like pass right on the numbers. Clemens (11) gets back in and hits the 6?2?-248-pound Dustin Keller (81) with a very deep rocket. Keller shakes off Kerry Rhodes (25) on that one (who would have been called for pass interference) and scoops it in for the completion anyway. This kid is a GREAT find? what hands! This was one of several passes I saw Keller catch Wednesday. He gets himself open and then turns around to see what adjustments he needs to make to get the catch. This kid is going to spread defenses and torture them like there?s no tomorrow.

Ratliff (5) is up again, having a good camp I?ve been told, and was looking good Wednesday too, until he let go a wobbly deep pass that was grabbed up by James Ihedigbo (44). I really think something mechanically went wrong on his release, because his other passes were nice spirals.

After the Ratliff INT, in comes Pennington (10) again. Penny fakes the handoff and attempts one to Cotchery (89) on an out pattern down the left line. He passes it with some authority and zip, but Cotchery is covered well, so Penny has to throw it more toward the sidelines than he wanted to, and the pass goes incomplete. Within several plays of this, however, Pennington goes right back to that same play,? twice! And this time, Penny delivers two in a row? his classic 15-yarders to Cotchery, who grabs both. All three of these passes had some decent velocity on them, I have to say.

Clemens looked okay for most of the day? I?m not going to say he didn?t run the offense well. But Pennington ran the offense with his precision, classic Penny confidence. Penny?s passes still have the classic ?Pennington arch? to them, but at this point in my report, it?s only fair that I inject my own personal comments on the QB competition. These are only my own personal opinions, mind you, and they are ONLY based on what I saw yesterday and what I?ve been hearing and reading in other reports so far.

PART TWO CONTINUED BELOW...

 

PART TWO CONTINUED:

I?m going out on a limb here and going to say something I didn?t expect to have to say or though I would be saying. I?ve been a Kellen Clemens supporter for a while now and secretly (or maybe not so secretly) have been rooting for Clemens to be our answer. I?ve been saying all along that the starting QB job is Clemens? to lose? that is, I have been presuming all along that Mangini would like nothing more than to see Clemens come out this year and show that he?s the man? that he can handle it better, totally and generally, than Pennington. And because Penny ALWAYS looks good in camp (he really does), it?s somewhat anticipated by the CS that we all know this and we also know how bad things have gotten once the regular season started with him under center. Of course, this was behind a putrid O-line, so this is all still up in the air. But the presumption is, that given the choice between the weaker-armed Pennington and the stronger-armed Clemens, all other things being equal, Clemens should be the man.

But yesterday I?m seeing that all other things are not equal. And again, just basing this on yesterday?s experience, watching each QB in just about every snap? focusing between Clemens and Pennington. If I?m Mangini and I have to make a decision right now? Which will it be, fella? Time to put in your QB now!

I?m starting Chad Pennington. I know? crazy, right? Back to the land of Dink and Dunk again? No way!

But here?s the thing. Clemens is 6-0 right now with an INT on each of his days of practice. And much is said of his velocity, and he certainly has it. But if you want to talk about accuracy (and few writers have talked about this? even in all the reports from Wednesday), he had some passes yesterday that were clearly off the mark and others that were marginal, IMO. And he threw several clearly uncatchable passes. Yes, he has good chemistry with guys who can make the catch (Cotch, Keller and Stuckey) if it?s reasonably close, but there were passes I was looking at that sailed wide and short and too deep and whatever. With velocity, yes.

There is also the ?field general? aura about the way in which the offense is run. By comparison, Pennington still runs this offense like a well-oiled machine. I mean, the timing, the smoothness, the rhythm, it?s still all there... just like 2002. Not saying Clemens? offense is not looking okay, I?m just saying that between the two QBs, Pennington runs a very, very well-oiled machine. And no one? no one, is as good at the play-action stuff as Penny? no one. He could fool a TV cameraman? even had me fooled a couple of times. The guy just runs a very efficient offense, and did so again yesterday with no INTs. Mangini said the other day (I?m paraphrasing), ?The one thing our QB cannot do is turn the ball over.? Well, Clemens has done that each and every day so far, and it?s quite disconcerting.

Put a gun to my head. If it?s now September, and tomorrow morning we face the Dolphins in Game One and I have to choose who my QB is going to be, I?m putting Chad Pennington in there. I?ve said all along that I thought this was Clemens? job to lose, and so far, he?s losing it.

 

LOL...

You know, no one has been more vocal than I've been over the red-shirted one... the illusion Penny creates while wearing it. Seriously, we've all seen it far too many times to get sucked in. So I purposefully went to camp yesterday with that in mind!... LMFAO...

And now, look at my report. My God, what have I done? I've been duped again! (LOL)