1. Another blitz pickup session for the running backs vs. the linebackers. Didn’t think fullback Darrel Young had his best day in this drill; his first two attempts, vs. Brian Orakpo and then Ryan Kerrigan, resulted in pressure. Young needed to do a better job steering Orakpo outside; and he allowed Kerrigan to get inside him.
2. Rookie b struggled again, though there was some mild improvement. He still keeps his head down a little too much, which was a problem vs. Keyaron Fox and later vs. Lorenzo Alexander, who ran right into him and drove him back. Helu did stop Alexander once, but another time running backs coach Bobby Turner told him, “Hit him in the mouth!” Markus White also showed his strength, plowing into Helu.
3. Linebackers coach Lou Spanos to Kerrigan after he was stopped by rookie Evan Royster, “Run his [butt] over! Use your hands!” Kerrigan really is a long way from being a good pass rusher, as you would expect. He is still learning how to get the edge and dip his shoulder, something Orakpo does well. But what Kerrigan does now is go too wide; he needs to take a harder angle to the QB.
4. But he did power into Young and drive him back the next time he went after Spanos yelled at him.
5. By far the most aggressive running back in this drill is Tim Hightower. Nobody goes to meet the linebacker as fast as Hightower does, as if he relishes the chance for contact. He did this vs. Obi Ezeh and stoned him, drawing a collection of, ‘whooooaaa’s’ from teammates. However, that aggressiveness can also get him in trouble, at least in a drill in which a defender doesn’t have to worry about running into anyone else. Once, Hightower rushed up to meet Kerrigan, but the rookie quickly stepped inside and beat him. Another time Orakpo went right around him. So Turner made Hightower go once more and this time Rob Jackson tried a spin move vs. him and was stopped.
6. Royster, again, was mixed in this drill. He did stop Kerrigan, but Perry Riley ran through him and he lost a matchup with Ezeh. Thought Royster was better in this drill last week. And he was OK in this area Friday; had a couple nice blocks but also missed at least two.
7. Kerrigan intercepted Grossman in the first 11-on-11 series; Josh Wilson also picked him off in the same series. Hard to see what happened on the first play (our vision was blocked by players standing behind the offense), but on the second one Grossman just overthrew Donte Stallworth.
8. DeJon Gomes seems to do a good job when playing near the line. He blitzed quick enough that Young failed to get a shoulder into him; Gomes would have sacked the QB. On the next play, Gomes took on blocker Mike Sellers, did not get moved back and in fact got off the block. Sellers has him by 64 pounds.
9. Kerrigan tried to get past Jammal Brown with a speed rush; didn’t work and Brown just rode him out. Again, Kerrigan needs to work on those angles.
10. Watching Helu and Royster cut, this is clear: Helu is much quicker and more efficient with his feet. It’s why Helu is able to make more guys miss.
11. Niles Paul made a nice adjustment on a deep ball from Kellen Clemens. Paul was running down the right sideline vs. Gomes, looking inside. But the ball was thrown outside; Paul adjusted and made a tumbling catch. Saw him make a similar play a week or so ago.
12. Receiver Leonard Hankerson had his best day catching the ball, grabbing a variety of throws, one down low another where he had to reach up high and others that were between the numbers. Got ‘em all. He ran a good route vs. Brandyn Thompson in which he planted out, in and back out. He shook Thompson, squared his shoulder and came back for the ball.
13. Adam Carriker beat Chris Chester a couple times in the one-on-one pass protection drill. This is not an area where Chester excels; he’s much better on the move. Oh, and Carriker shoved him back during the 11-on-11 portion too.
14. Big Mo Hurt had a rough day in this drill, getting moved back by Jarvis Jenkins, who got his hands into his pads/face and drove him. OK, Jenkins is a better player so that happens. But Hurt also got driven back by Jeff Stehle.
15. But Hurt needn’t worry as fellow guard Selvish Capers had another rough day. Doug Worthington (who seems to flash each day, albeit vs. lesser competition) got him twice, including once on a stunt in which he knocked Capers down. Capers also held Rob Jackson. Have to believe that Capers was hurt by the lockout as much as any player, from the loss of working with the strength and conditioning staff to the coaches.
16. Like Markus White’s strength, but he got swallowed up by Jammal Brown on a rush. Once Brown got his hands on him, he stopped White.
17. Trent Williams stopped Orakpo on a rush; Orakpo tried to turn the corner but Williams just rode him out. But Williams was beaten by the immortal Edgar Jones on a speed rush. Just went right around him.
18. John Beck must be rusty (cutting him some slack) because he was throwing behind too many receivers Monday. But that’s also been an issue in other sessions. However, he did throw a terrific deep ball to Logan Paulsen – you were expecting someone else? – on a bootleg and throwback the other way. Paulsen leapt over Rocky McIntosh to make the catch.
19. An example of trust/timing: Grossman connected with Santana Moss on an out route to the right. Moss took two steps after the ball was thrown before turning around. I can’t say I’ve seen that sort of timing yet with Beck. Grossman also connected with Jabar Gaffney on a throw to the corner of the end zone. Grossman absolutely trusts those two wideouts. What I do wish is that Grossman wouldn’t throw so much off his back foot. You see this happen every practice. And he did throw a near interception on a bootleg. Phillip Buchanon read the play (considering they see it five times a day he should) and sat right in front of Fred Davis. Buchanon dropped the easy pick.
20. Graham Gano missed three straight field goals from varying distances (hard to tell exactly what they were from where we were standing). None were that long. But he did make his final two kicks. So let the confetti fly.
