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Astro-Notes: Aug 14 Practice


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Elliott's back and catching with the WR's, just to make the cuts harder. Hairston and Keith Williams are still wearing their Bills caps and doing lots of walking. I don't notice limps on either. Stevie is fine; you probably saw his Google glasses on the website. People behind me in the jam-packed stands are wondering where the term "Bills" come from. A guy (who should lose his man card) said, "Maybe it's a female bison".

 

The WR's are doing curl-ins, and I gotta say, Sampson is so smooth, he's like butter. Marquise drops one but makes up for it later. Stay tuned. There is a running back with the running backs dressed in Bills regalia, and he's laughing with the RBs.

 

In 7 on 7's, Period 6, the 3 QBs took turns for faster work.

----Set 1: EJ sees nobody open and takes off running. Kolb throws the under route to Freddie, and Tuel makes the longest throw to Chandler. Winner: Tuel.

----Set 2: EJ throws long to Dickerson for 15 yds., Kolb throws to Marcus Easley for a TD, Tuel throws out --to the flat to CJ. Winner: Kolb.

----Set 3: EJ throws long to Kevin Elliott and you know Elliott's back for sure. Kolb sees nothing and takes off, Tuel throws the under to Summers the FB. Winner: EJ.

----Set 4: EJ throws a beautiful ball to Gaskins that's right on the money. Kolb throws a snappy pass to Sampson, though not as long a gainer as EJ's. Tuel throws it in the dirt. Winner: EJ.

 

Period 7 is your first 11 on 11...

----Kolb throws long to Marquise Goodwin, but it's well defended by Nickell Robey, incomplete. Hands off to CJ for a modest gain. Then CJ around end for a better gain.

----Tuel throws to CJ but for no gain. He does an end-around to Woods that looks rough, needs more work. He then throws wide to Goodwin for incompletion out of bounds.

----EJ is practicing handoffs (big surprise after Colts game). Hands off to FB, LAwson engulfs him. 2 more handoffs to the RB, then a pass on the flat to Goodwin. Two more runs and a Moats sack.

Winner: Kolb.

 

Period 8 is a duel for kicker. The best part of this is Lindell making a 45, 48, then Hopkins making a 50 and 51 yarder. Lindell tries from 52 and misses, and re-kicks and makes it. Hopkins comes in on the "fire drill" (ten seconds), and drills a 52 yarder, whereupon Lindell matches him on the fire drill from 52.

 

Period 9 is kick return drills, and Marquise and Easley are both doing well. Marquise is going 90% speed tonight, Easley maybe 80% speed. Both are getting great blocks.

 

Period 10 and 11 are 11 on 11's. I kept track of completions as follows:

----EJ was 2 for 3, then 1 for 3, then 2 for 2, then 5 for 7. Total 10 for 15. 66%

----Kolb was 1 for 3, 2 for 4, and 4 for 4, Total 7 for 11. 77%

----Tuel was 3 for 4, 0 for 2, and 1 for 4. Total: 4 for 10. 40%

 

Highlights of each QB's play:

----EJ had a PBU by Duke Williams on a pass to Chandler, a PBU by Don Unamba on Hogan that surprisingly didn't draw a flag (ref was right there), a long pass dropped by Hogan (his 2nd drop of training camp), a sack by Moats, a touchdown by Marquise Goodwin (tied for the Play of the Night), and an INT by Gilmore (his daily INT, it seems).

 

----Kolb had a diving catch by Brad Smith at the first down stick, PBUs by Bradham, an over throw to Da'Rick, tipped ball by Unamba which was run back by Dangerfield, great completion to Kaufman, Hogan, and Lee Smith, and a TD to Marquise Goodwin. He led Goodwin perfectly and tied for the Play of the Night.

 

----Tuel was sacked by Blatnick, INT by Aaron Williams, PBU by Mana Silva, fumbled the ball as he went back to pass, and missed Sampson. He looked extremely third string tonight.

 

 

After everyone has seen the Colts and Vikings game, I will ask for your Positional Needs and submit them to DraftTek. I will suggest that WR won't be one of them.

~~~Astro

Edited by Astrobot
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Astro, thank you so much.

 

If you get a chance to watch some of the individual practices, could you please do the following?

 

Watch the DL and look who seems to be getting their first step out quickly and getting the most explosion off the line. With such tight competition on the DL, it will be nice to get some fuel to the debates there.

 

Another question I have is with the DB's. Who looks lost out there when working individually - the ones the coaches do not seem to be getting thru to...

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It looks like another practice without WR Rogers being mentioned in any notes. He was tearing it up at the start of camp but has been completely cold/quiet for the last week or so. Anyone know what's going on? Changing gears, but in the same vein, I'm starting to wonder if CB Justin Rogers is really going to come back.... I heard he returned to practice, but haven't heard him mentioned. I'm curious if he makes the cut.

 

Astro, did you notice either Rogers?

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It looks like another practice without WR Rogers being mentioned in any notes. He was tearing it up at the start of camp but has been completely cold/quiet for the last week or so. Anyone know what's going on? Changing gears, but in the same vein, I'm starting to wonder if CB Justin Rogers is really going to come back.... I heard he returned to practice, but haven't heard him mentioned. I'm curious if he makes the cut.

 

Astro, did you notice either Rogers?

 

Da'rick had a catch on a tipped EJ pass in 11. I watched him specifically and he really didn't have many catches or opportunities for catches. However IMHO he needs to have a more business like approach. A lot of the time he had his helmet off cracking jokes. He was open on most of his reps tho and drew double coverage on a deep route.

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----Tuel was sacked by Blatnick, INT by Aaron Williams, PBU by Mana Silva, fumbled the ball as he went back to pass, and missed Sampson. He looked extremely third string tonight.

Great stuff, Astro. Much appreciated by those of us thousands of miles away (also loved by the locals).

 

Must have been Mana Silva's replacement, eh? Maybe LaGree with the PBU?

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It looks like another practice without WR Rogers being mentioned in any notes. He was tearing it up at the start of camp but has been completely cold/quiet for the last week or so. Anyone know what's going on? Changing gears, but in the same vein, I'm starting to wonder if CB Justin Rogers is really going to come back.... I heard he returned to practice, but haven't heard him mentioned. I'm curious if he makes the cut.

 

Astro, did you notice either Rogers?

 

Roger that, Roger.

 

Seriously though, thanks a ton, Astro!

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Is Mana Silva back with the team? I thought he decided to quit football.

 

 

 

----Tuel was sacked by Blatnick, INT by Aaron Williams, PBU by Mana Silva, fumbled the ball as he went back to pass, and missed Sampson. He looked extremely third string tonight.

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Goodwin is sounding like Tavon Austin was supposed to be. And I heard he was going across the middle as well. The kid is a football player who did track, not vice versa.

 

Seriously. I'm starting to wonder if he might have been a better pick than Woods. I remember immediately post draft that people (myself included) were questioning the pick because we already had Graham. Goodwin can be used so many ways, and I can already imagining special teams coordinators reaching for a bottle of Jack after seeing those kickoff returns. They better kick it out the back of the end zone every time.

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Da'rick had a catch on a tipped EJ pass in 11. I watched him specifically and he really didn't have many catches or opportunities for catches. However IMHO he needs to have a more business like approach. A lot of the time he had his helmet off cracking jokes. He was open on most of his reps tho and drew double coverage on a deep route.

Thanks for the info on Da'Rick. He'd better keep working his arse off if he wants to make the team. I'm glad to hear he's getting open, but wonder why he's not being targeted more.

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So play of the night was either Goodwin or Goodwin? Cool. Thanks for these.

kj

But they're not selling Goodwin jerseys yet. He and Easley have impressed me more than Woods or TJ at camp.

 

Goodwin is sounding like Tavon Austin was supposed to be. And I heard he was going across the middle as well. The kid is a football player who did track, not vice versa.

Yes, Goodwin has had slot work, as well as lining up directly behind another receiver, usually TJ

 

Astro, thank you so much.

 

If you get a chance to watch some of the individual practices, could you please do the following?

 

Watch the DL and look who seems to be getting their first step out quickly and getting the most explosion off the line. With such tight competition on the DL, it will be nice to get some fuel to the debates there.

 

Another question I have is with the DB's. Who looks lost out there when working individually - the ones the coaches do not seem to be getting thru to...

 

Jarron Gilbert DT and rushbacker Blatnick are excellent. Branch gums up the middle but less effectively as Troup.

 

The coach was yelling the most at Unamba, Searcy, Kip Edwards, and Dangerfield. The guy that could be a surprise keeper is TJ Heath.

 

It looks like another practice without WR Rogers being mentioned in any notes. He was tearing it up at the start of camp but has been completely cold/quiet for the last week or so. Anyone know what's going on? Changing gears, but in the same vein, I'm starting to wonder if CB Justin Rogers is really going to come back.... I heard he returned to practice, but haven't heard him mentioned. I'm curious if he makes the cut.

 

Astro, did you notice either Rogers?

No.

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Yes, Goodwin has had slot work, as well as lining up directly behind another receiver, usually TJ

 

 

Is it me, or does that sound nigh impossible to defend if you have a QB who has the arm to deliver it? TJ is best as a pure edge burner, and if you can let Goodwin cut up inside, where do you put the safeties? Both can outspeed most CB's and can you imagine Marquise working on a nickel corner?

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Is it me, or does that sound nigh impossible to defend if you have a QB who has the arm to deliver it? TJ is best as a pure edge burner, and if you can let Goodwin cut up inside, where do you put the safeties? Both can outspeed most CB's and can you imagine Marquise working on a nickel corner?

Yep! :thumbsup: And having Goodwin (or Stevie or even Easley or Rogers) cross completely over the midline of the field, it makes it worse for safeties in Cover-2.

 

Edit: Both of Goodwin's long gains last night were crossing routes. Bad things, man.

Edited by Astrobot
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Thanks again Astro! I look forward to these everyday.

Man this sounds exciting, have a feeling they finally might have it!

 

Had that same feeling in 2003, 2004, 2007, 2008, and 2011. Turned out it was just indigestion.

Edited by eball
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I've gotta think Robey absolutely sticks on the final 53, don't you agree?

He is puny, but quick and an excellent anticipator. I am pleasantly surprised at how much production they have gotten from Robey. ST plus nickel or dime. He's in.

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He is puny, but quick and an excellent anticipator. I am pleasantly surprised at how much production they have gotten from Robey. ST plus nickel or dime. He's in.

 

I liked his couple of punt returns Sunday also. Very elusive.

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