From the no-kidding-it’s-hot morning edition:
Studs
LB London Fletcher. Blew up a couple screens to the right flat. Once, he drilled fullback Eddie Williams, laying him flat.
LB Robert Thomas. Came up strong on a goal-line play to stop Ladell Betts off the edge. Another time he drove Williams back on a block. But Thomas must show better in coverage.
WR Malcolm Kelly. One play showed what he could do for a QB. Jason Campbell threw wide to Kelly over the middle. With other receivers, it would have been an incompletion. With Kelly, it was a chance for a nice catch. He stretched his arms wide to make the grab. He could do this more, but only if he stays healthy.
CB Fred Smoot. They tried to get him deep, going against Marques Hagans. But Hagans never came close to getting past him. Smoot made an easy pick downfield off Campbell.
DE Jeremy Jarmon. Did a nice job getting inside Scott Burley. Jarmon plays with good balance and leverage, which is why he beats a lot of the backups.
DE Lorenzo Alexander. Starting to flash more these days. In the full-team work, got off Derrick Dockery to stuff a run. Also got the better of him in one-on-one drills.
RT Mike Williams. The big fella had his issues in pass blocking; his hands MUST be more consistent. Yes, it deserves all caps. But in the run-blocking full-team work he once buried Rob Jackson and later Antonio Dixon. But just remember: One won’t make the roster and the other one is on the fringe.
DT Kedric Golston. Kept beating the backups, especially RG Chad Rinehart.
Duds
FB Eddie Williams. Needs to beef up to become a better lead blocker. Had a couple times today where he was involved in loud collisions on lead blocks, but he did not budge his man — and on one occasion the defender beat him to the spot. Once, it was safety Lendy Holmes he collided with and he could not move Holmes. He has potential, but right now he’s practice squad material.
RB Clinton Portis. OK, we’re being tough here. But during individual drills, Portis helped out by throwing a swing pass to Marcus Mason. But Portis shotput the ball. An ugly shotput at that.
LG Derrick Dockery. In the one-on-one drill, allowed Lorenzo Alexander to shoot past him because he lunged for him (an old habit). Dock got him on the next play, but he must be more consistent.
RG Randy Thomas. We offer this excuse for Thomas: it was his first time doing this in a few days. Golston got past him once and then Alexander did another time. Thomas has looked better, but, again, first time back. In the nine-on-nine work, allowed Jarmon to get inside.
LG D’Anthony Batiste. Not sure what he was doing wrong in the full-team work, but I do know that Joe Bugel kept yelling at him, ”You’re doing the same thing over and over!” And that’s not good.
S Kareem Moore. Blew the coverage in a goal-line drill because he went with the wrong guy. Gotta know it better.
TE Fred Davis. Actually had a decent day, but he dropped a perfect pass from Todd Collins in the back of the end zone. Had to reach up for it and had a defender a yard in front of him, but the ball was there.
LT Devin Clark/RG Chad Rinehart. The daily double.
