Who has been ready to hear about linebackers and defensive linemen? Last night during the second session of Day 2 of training camp, several men in those units stood out. Did they stand out for the right reasons? Let's find out:
- Veterans Resting: During the night practice, some of the veterans were given time off to hit the weight and exercise machines instead. Guys like Ted Washington, Orpheus Roye, and Willie McGinest were prime examples, with some veterans taking the time to coach the younger players.
- Making an Impression: Which defensive player stood out the most? It may have been defensive tackle Shaun Smith, who was acquired from the Cincinnati Bengals in the offseason. Smith was quick and athletic at the point of attack in the middle of the line, and reportedly dominated offensive linemen Rob Smith and Isaac Sowells. Smith spent most, if not all of his time with the first unit during the evening and held his own.
- Schooling Thomas: Although Joe Thomas looked good in the morning, he was taken to school in the evening with quick moves. Kamerion Wimbley had his way with him on several occasions, and Chase Pittman beat him once on a speed move to the outside. Thomas was playing left tackle with the first unit again near the end of the session.
- Linebacker Smash: On a swing pass to rookie Jerome Jackson, linebacker Andra Davis came in and completely blew the play up. That sounds uncharacteristic of Davis, who is known for not making tackles until running backs are already five yards beyond the line of scrimmage.
- Buckeye Native: During one-on-one drills, Simon Fraser dominated Andrew Hoffman on two straight occasions. It doesn't sound like the Hoffman project is working out very well.
- Robbie Smith: Defensive lineman Robarie Smith had a successful evening of practice, creating significant pressure on guards and even getting the better of Eric Steinbach on one occasion.
- O-Linemen: A couple of quick hitters on some of the offensive linemen. Kelly Butler saw action with the first team and looked very good, just as he stepped up last year when the unit had so many injuries. Ryan Tucker looked sharp as well, and he's showing no signs of giving up his starting right tackle role in any way, shape, or form. Nat Dorsey has been pretty poor again, making you wonder why in the world we ever traded Melvin Fowler for this guy. I've never seen such a big dude get burned so often on gameday.
- Peaking Quick: Linebacker Antwaan Peek, who is challenging for the starting role held by McGinest, had a good evening of work. He saw some reps with the first team and looked smooth while attempting to rush the passer. Then again, part of that success came against Nat Dorsey, so take it for what it's worth.
- Quarterback Battle: Now that we're pretty much done covering the offensive line, defensive line, and linebackers, it's time to shift back to the offensive weapons. Not much changed in the nightcap in terms of the quarterback battle. Charlie Frye still appeared as the better quarterback, as Derek Anderson continued making poor passes. However, Frye did underthrow a fullback fly route down the sideline, and it was intercepted by Leigh Bodden.
- Cribbs Solid: Joshua Cribbs is going to make a splash on special teams again this year. During a no-contact kick return drill, Cribbs took a kick back the distance for a touchdown. he also made a nice, low catch on a pass from Frye.
- Redemption for Wright: In case you haven't heard, Tim Carter made the play of the day this morning on a deep reception while Eric Wright was covering him. Later on, Carter admitted that he in fact did not catch it cleanly, so it was an incomplete pass.
- Ken Dorsey: Quietly, backup Ken Dorsey has been off to a nice little start to camp. Dorsey has an opportunity to make the team if the team does away with the loser of the quarterback competition, and he probably realizes that. Dorsey had a nice completion to receiver Mike Mason at one point.
- Offensive Schemes: Expect a lot of creative shifting in the offense this year, and that includes fullbacks. Also, Kellen Winslow has been used all over the field in camp thus far.
- RB Hands: At the moment, Jamal Lewis hasn't shown that he is a great receiver, which is why he probably will be off the field often in third down passing situations. Jerome Harrison, Chris Barclay, and Jerome Jackson catch catch the ball well, and are competing for that role.
- Shake it Off: This morning, Travis Wilson had just an awful practice. In the evening, receiving coach Wes Chandler worked with him and the result was pleasant. Wilson was running his routes better and held onto the football as well. Nothing special, but nothing embarrassing either.
- Punter/Kicker: Punter Dave Zastudil is in mid-season form, just like he was last year in training camp. He could probably punt it perfectly with his eyes closed. Ted Dashier is tweaking Phil Dawson's footwork to try and improve upon the accuracy issues that the kicker had at the end of last season.
- Secondary Depth: Defensive back Mike Adams hasn't looked too bad with the second unit on defense.
- Punt Return: Unlike this morning's report, Syndric Steptoe looks better at fielding punts. Although Cribbs has improved from last year, Steptoe may be a little more comfortable at this point with fielding them.