I have a collection of notes from early practices from various teams, and I am going to spit some of them out on a special post/report instead of filling up ‘RC Notes’ with ALL of them.
So, from my recent observations, phone calls, texts...here’s the more interesting tidbits I’ve received (another wave of early notes coming tomorrow or Sunday):
*in no particular order.
-- The breakout star of Bills camp, so far...’surprise’...it’s Curtis Samuel. He is gonna be the #1 WR...not Khalil Shakir, not Keon Coleman...and as we projected all along.
The real question/debate is -- the distribution of targets between Samuel and Kincaid as Allen’s ‘top guy’...AND how many carries will Samuel take/get.
-- Patriots camp note: Great news for one of ‘my guys’, CB Marcus Jones is running as their slot WR...AND was seen getting some work in on offense (as he has that WR ability). The starting CB trio for NE appears to be...the ace Christian Gonzalez with Jon Jones with Marcus Jones in the slot.
-- Titans camp notes...
Tracking Will Levis’s pass distribution on day two of their practices (7-on-7 and 11-on-11), the targets to receivers (for what it is worth):
2 = Hopkins
2 = Okonkwo
2 = Boyd
2 = Vannett
2 = Whyle
1 = Pollard
1 = Burks
1 = Ridley
1 = Spears
No real strong ‘lean’ for Levis, potentially by design of the practice...but I do see that six of the 14 targets were to the TEs.
Levis was 12-of-15 in the drills.
One other note from Titans camp...Chidobe Awuzie hurt his calf, left practice (either day 1 or 2) and is expected to miss a couple weeks. That’s not good news...but it’s early, and they may be being cautious...I get flashbacks to Burrow’s 2023, however...Awuzie is key to loving this Titans team to get out of the gates OK (against a rough early schedule) and then finish strong.
-- Saints practice notes...
Juwan Johnson is out of his walking boot (from his summer foot injury), which is good news for him...but he is not practicing yet.
Chase Young is working 2nd-team?? Wow. Might be just a learning thing...or is he really a 2nd-team guy? Can’t believe he’s 2nd-team with the money they gave.
-- Lions PK Michael Badgley tore his ACL...and that should launch UFL long-distance kicking star Jake Bates to the starting kicker role for one of the best offenses in the NFL. And Bates will likely be moving towards PK1 status in our 2024 projections.
-- Chargers camp...
Jaret Patterson is running ahead of Kimani Vidal, and I can very much believe that...Patterson is a talented, grinder runner. The Isaiah Spiller RB coach pump/hype from OTAs isn’t playing out at all early practices. J.K. Dobbins is boosting/looks healthy...Patterson coming on...Vidal ‘not there yet’ and Spiller a ghost. Our next draft guide and Dynasty projections will reflect the shifts.
From observing Chargers practice, I would say the RB pecking order is (so far, just a few days into camp)
Edwards-Dobbins clearly treated as the #1-2 duo.
Three-way tie for third, but in the order of: Patterson-Vidal-Spiller
Distant, but not dead yet: Elijah Dotson...saw a few snaps with 1st-team/Herbert on some 11-on-11s.
-- Daniel Bellinger is working 2nd-team some...while our guy Lawrence Cager is getting more looks with the 1st-team. Bellinger assumed as the obvious starter for NYG...it may not be as cut-and-dry as any of us Cager fans suspected...which I am getting a little excited for.
-- Bad news, for me, so far from Colts camp...
Jelani Woods is running behind Kylen Granson and Drew Ogletree (who won’t go away as a prospect...injury, arrest...and he’s still getting good run from the coaches). Woods is getting some 1st-team reps, but not getting the full starter treatment I had hoped for right off the bat...not at all.
Jelani is not helping his case with a couple of drops in red zone work...which he is not a ‘hands’ issue, so it may be a ‘rust’ issue...but whatever it is, Jelani is not firing out of the gates yet.
Jelani’s OTAs were shining...his training camp, so far, ‘meh’...not great.
-- Colts defensive news...
Laiatu Latu is not running with the starters consistently...Paye/Ebukam are. Eventually, Latu will take out (probably) Ebukam, but it’s not being handed to him yet.
Starting corners: Brents-Jones-Moore...Dallis Flowers behind them, battling Jones for snaps with the 1st-team.
Starting SAF: Blackmon and Nick Cross.
