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Astro-Notes: Aug 18 Practice

Astrobot

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Astrobot

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It's the first time I've been here for the entire practice. 62 degrees at 7:55, dew on the grass and the silver aluminum bleachers in front of the grass practice field. The stands are half full by 8:05, full by 8:30. Nobody is going to church, I see.

 

The first players come on the field at 7:54: Shawn Powell, Robert Woods, Chris Gragg, Marcus Easley, Brad Smith, Nickell Robey, Garrision Sanborn, and Kevin Kolb. JUGS machine is already lofting kicks to Robey, Woods, Goodwin and McKelvin by 8:00. Powell and Sanborn are just playing catch. Kendall Gaskins and Kourtnei Brown are in ball caps, Hairston begins walking. There is a bandage on Gragg's leg, and a sleeve on Stevie's leg.

 

The D comes out to applause and some cheering. The guys are going 1/2 speed today. There is lots of standing around. I look for Chan Gailey because it's like a flashback to Training Camp Past.

 

Period 1 is Kick Return drill, and they run it 9 times in the 15 minutes allotted. It's full 11 on 11, with the defenders wearing those yellow shower caps over their helmets. Gunners on my side are Robey, Kaufman, Rolle. Searcy is on the sidelines with a red longsleeve sweatshirt, grey tights, red gloves. Not sure I understand football fashion.

 

Period 2 has the offense at my left and the defense on my right. The O is going through plays, Pettine is talking with the defense. 5 garbage cans represent the O-Line (not metaphorically, although you could go there),. The DL and LBs are lining up, and on the hike, they go through gaps between the garbage cans. It's likely some changes to their blitz packages.

 

Period 3 Calisthenics. Stevie does all the drills except one, the one where you kneel on one knee at a time. He does the squats longer than anyone else, and does all the stretches.

 

Period 4 is more positional drills. They have a game where D-line lines up on the ball. When the ball is hiked, players must drop to pushup position, get up and run to the sidelines where cones are set up, an equal number of cones to players (think Musical Chairs, just less cruel). Branch was the loser.

 

Period 5: The DLine must wait for the hiked ball (no more jumping offsides, as this starts a lot of drills), must sidestep over speed bumps, then hit a player holding a chest protector. OLine is doing a similar thing at their end. The WRs are running toward the passer, catching the pass. DBs are backpedaling full speed, then turning and running. LBs are right in front of me hitting the blocking sled, coming off the sled with an upward arm move to separate from the blocker. Lawson's left arm isn't generating the power that his right arm is; he's a true LDE. Wonder if he is favoring one arm. WRs are making crisp outs around cones--and Hogan is full go out there. Love his energy.

 

Period 6 is the regular O-Line vs the starting D-Line on one ball with Kolb, closest to the crowd. Another ball is midfield with Tuel and the twos. At the far side is a third ball, with an assistant with the threes. They are tripling their participation compared with last couple summers by doing this. It's mainly handoffs, but it's line against line. I noted that Zack Chibane was having a tough time. Sanders and Caldwell were the OG's with the twos.

 

Period 7 is 7 on 7.

Kolb is up first. He holds on to the ball way too long, and ends up throwing it away. After a handoff to Spiller he fires off a beauty to Marquise Goodwin for the likely TD. Kolb hands off to Spiller and he goes over LG, not for a lot, but there's some daylight there. Kolb's last play was a throw to Hogan where he leads him too much, and it falls incomplete. Hogan always looks as if he SHOULD be able to catch any ball and is mad at himself that he couldn't catch this one, even though it's thrown 5 yards too far.

 

Tuel hands off to Choice for a smidgen, then hands off to Choice again and it works better. He completes one to Dorin Dickerson in the flat on a nice throw. Tuel holds the ball for 2 progressions, then takes off to his left. His handoff to Choice goes nowhere, then on the next play he fakes the handoff (fooled me) and takes off around the left end. Tuel's last play is a dump-off to Fred Jackson, likely his 3rd or 4th read.

 

Kolb does a few more plays before the horn sounds, one where he takes off to his left, a handoff to Fred Jackson, and one where he runs right, but Carrington runs him down from behind.

 

Kolb had the better results, but practice is clearly different with two QBs. The silver lining is that we'll have a well-trained backup who's had more reps with the first team, and a #3 QB who's had more reps with the twos.

 

Period 8 is a break.

 

Period 9 is a return to kickoff drill. I'm watching Lindell's warmup, as Hopkins is pretending to kick off first (the JUGS machine actually kicks off). If you can imagine you're at a picket fence, standing sideways to it, and lifting your leg (like a dog peeing), you step over the fence with your one leg, then with the other. I know that he's stretching the piriformis muscle. From Webmd: " The piriformis muscle is a flat, band-like muscle located in the buttocks near the top of the hip joint. This muscle is important in lower body movement because it stabilizes the hip joint and lifts and rotates the thigh away from the body. " Marquise is returning them 2/3 speed, and we'd be unable to catch him. Brad Smith is also returning, but no Woods. He's on the sideline talking with TJ and Stevie. Stevie fist bumps Marquise after his return (those are definitely your 4 starting WRs). Gunners are Kip Edwards/Nickell Robey, and TJ Heath on the other side.

 

Period 11 is 11 on 11.

Kolb changes the play at the line, then throws low out to the flat incomplete. He runs L as if to pass, but thinks the better of it and takes off. He then throws the best ball of the day to the right sideline to Easley. Easley's in the right place to give Kolb somewhere to throw, Gilmore's covering him like a blanket, and Easley pulls it in. Spiller catches the next ball but he's out of bounds when he gains control. Kolb whips it to Hogan on a slant for the first down. On the next play he takes off after at least 2 reads. Drew Smith takes 2 handoffs for not much gain.

 

Tuel throws strikes to Brad Smith, then a pretty pass to Da'Rick for what might have been a TD (I like Da'Rick's fluorescent green shoes because I can tell who it is instantly--maybe Tuel can too). Tuel throws a gift to Summers in the flat, then comes back to Dorin Dickerson on a nice slant in. Tuel goes 5-5 with a pass to Kaufman. You certainly hear Hogan's name called more than Kaufman's. Tuel moves Kaufman and Sampson to the right end of the formation, but then hands off in a run play.

 

Period 12 is FG drill. This one will come down to the wire with Hopkins winning. I'm on my way home while it's on, but Chris Brown reports:

Edited by Astrobot
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CodeMonkey All Pro

CodeMonkey

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[still writing and saving as I go]

 

It's the first time I've been here for the entire practice. 62 degrees at 7:55, dew on the grass and the silver aluminum bleachers in front of the grass practice field. The stands are half full by 8:05, full by 8:30. Nobody is going to church, I see.

 

The first players come on the field at 7:54: Shawn Powell, Robert Woods, Chris Gragg, Marcus Easley, Brad Smith, Nickell Robey, Garrision Sanborn, and Kevin Kolb. JUGS machine is already lofting kicks to Robey, Woods, Goodwin and McKelvin by 8:00. Powell and Sanborn are just playing catch. Kendall Gaskins and Kourtnei Brown are in ball caps, Hairston begins walking. There is a bandage on Gragg's leg, and a sleeve on Stevie's leg.

Everyone there is in church my friend :)

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Green Lightning Veteran

Green Lightning

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Interested in how Tuel and Kolb compete today...not just them, but how their team mates consciously or unconsciously perform with each QB.

 

Also, in another thread, TSW is commenting on Kolb's body language. How's it look to you? Is he standing tall and confident or slumped and uncertain?

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Bills fan since 87 Veteran

Bills fan since 87

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You know I just don't care anymore. No EJ = Don't care. No EJ= SOSDD with Buffalo. Until he is QB and he progresses as QB and hopefully he is the answer this team won't ever be anything more than losers.

 

Having EJ out has left me as deflated as anyone. But not caring? I always care about my Buffalo Bills

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Green Lightning Veteran

Green Lightning

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You know I just don't care anymore. No EJ = Don't care. No EJ= SOSDD with Buffalo. Until he is QB and he progresses as QB and hopefully he is the answer this team won't ever be anything more than losers.

 

Ah, when the you are going through Hell, keep going!

 

All will be well.

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mrags Hall of Famer

mrags

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Everyone there is in church my friend :)

thats right! A long time ago I called my religion... Christmas. I don't follow any religious ways. I follow what is/should be respected by every faith.

 

My religion is Christmas. The most important day of the year is always Opening Day. Then the Super Bowl (unless the Bills are in it) then the Draft. All other days are basically the same.

 

 

I'm sure I offended some religious but with this. Don't really care. You do you. I'll do me.

Edited by mrags
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Chandler#81 Hall of Famer

Chandler#81

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You know I just don't care anymore. No EJ = Don't care. No EJ= SOSDD with Buffalo. Until he is QB and he progresses as QB and hopefully he is the answer this team won't ever be anything more than losers.

 

On your way out, may the door hit you in the ...

 

 

Thanks, Rastro!

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Tsaikotic Veteran

Tsaikotic

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went to my 1st training camp today...got auto's from Brooks, McKelvin, Lindell and Powell all on my full sized Bills helm...missed out on Gilmore, his line shut down b4 my niece could get into it...Powell looked at my helm and saw an auto from Antoine Smith and asked my sis if she really wanted him to sign the helm..lol...anyways:

 

I gotta say hats off to any of you guys who can go to a practice and figure out whats going on...i couldn't tell whether they were in 7-7 or 11-11...I was in front row of tall aluminum bleachers on defense side so it was kool to watch the LB's do stuff right in front of me...Manny Lawson looks way bigger then any of the other LB's...Kiko's arms didn't look that big to me tho, maybe next year with a full NFL weight training season under his belt he'll look bigger

 

was looking around for Astro but didn't see any signs to point him out to me..lol

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CodeMonkey All Pro

CodeMonkey

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went to my 1st training camp today...got auto's from Brooks, McKelvin, Lindell and Powell all on my full sized Bills helm...missed out on Gilmore, his line shut down b4 my niece could get into it...Powell looked at my helm and saw an auto from Antoine Smith and asked my sis if she really wanted him to sign the helm..lol...anyways:

 

I gotta say hats off to any of you guys who can go to a practice and figure out whats going on...i couldn't tell whether they were in 7-7 or 11-11...I was in front row of tall aluminum bleachers on defense side so it was kool to watch the LB's do stuff right in front of me...Manny Lawson looks way bigger then any of the other LB's...Kiko's arms didn't look that big to me tho, maybe next year with a full NFL weight training season under his belt he'll look bigger

 

was looking around for Astro but didn't see any signs to point him out to me..lol

My kids are autograph tent pros. They get there early and get in the top players (today Gilmore) line. Then they get the one of both of the other 2.

My oldest got his McLovin jersey autographed. He was very happy because it is an older #28 jersey and Leodis signed it #28 instead of his current number.

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Tsaikotic Veteran

Tsaikotic

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My kids are autograph tent pros. They get there early and get in the top players (today Gilmore) line. Then they get the one of both of the other 2.

My oldest got his McLovin jersey autographed. He was very happy because it is an older #28 jersey and Leodis signed it #28 instead of his current number.

 

nice..yea i did see a kid around 12-14 with a jersey with a bunch of autos on it..can't remember the # tho...I actually thought i did get there early...about 10:30 or so...did you guys go thru to the main field and get autos as well?...Powell and Lindell were signing out there..not sure if anyone else came out after i left tho

 

this was my first time getting autos tho..the one I had on my helm i bought with the helm

Edited by Tsaikotic
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