2009 Training Camp Updates

[Keith]

First day of camp is here!!

Anyone going to practice this morning? (If so, you are probably already there.) ItB.com will be there on Sunday morning, hopefully filing a first-hand report by Sunday night. I know several of you may also be there for Saturday morning as well... please post your initial 2009 impressions here!

Some player tweets on the eve of camp:

Brandon Harrison:

Yes I'm tweeting at 1:30 in the morning. Yes I have camp in the morning. Yes, tomorrow is gonna be a loooong day. Pray for me tweets

Cato June:

First day of camp.. Always exciting..the mentally weak won't survive

Andre Johnson:

Good morning twitter world. Training camp is finally here on my way to practice

Yes, this is a subtle reminder to look up @IntheBullseye and others on Twitter...

[papabear]

I was out of town when TC tickets went out....so if anyone's got extras for this weekend let me know

[Keith]

I'm told Owen Daniels is on the field. No sign of Cushing though.

Dunta was a predictable no-show:
http://www.inthebullseye.com/archive/2009/20090731.html

[Nconroe]

I have two tickets available for Sat. morning, if you can pick them up today near 290 and Hollister area.

Just listening to 610 during practice, sounded like Schaub and Orlovsky were throwing good, Andre Johnson, Andre Davis and Jacoby Jones and Owen Daniels were catching well, and Slayton was running well. Sounded like one RB was injured, I think Clifton Dawson, not sure of that name. Couldn't listen too long.

[Keith]

Report from the chron:

Dawson injured: Running back Clifton Dawson left Friday’s morning session early with an apparent leg sprain. Coach Gary Kubiak said the team's medical staff will evaluate Dawson. -- JOSEPH DUARTE
Tribute to Elway: Texans backup quarterback Dan Orlovsky will wear No. 7 for the Texans because of his admiration for John Elway. He wore No. 6 for his first four NFL seasons in Detroit because the No. 7 was retired in honor of Dutch Clark. - JORDAN GODWIN

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/...t/6556103.html

Not much else of interest in there, but given we're starved for news on the first day, thought I would pass the link along.

[Arky]

Lopez on 790AM reported that there was a whole different atmosphere at the first morning practice. Sounds like lots of optimism among fans and players....

[NBT]

Cushing agent Conlan, is busy with his other clients picked before Cushing, so it may be mid to end of week next getting him signed. Too bad, rookies need TC.

Update - glad to hear Cushing has signed.

[Keith]

Originally Posted by NBT

Cushing agent Conlan, is busy with his other clients picked before Cushing, so it may be mid to end of week next getting him signed. Too bad, rookies need TC.

Yeah, heard this angle before, and if I were Cushing, that would make me mad. SHOW ME THE MONEY!! Showmethemoney. SHow. ME. Da. MonAYYYY!!!

fyi - Rosenhaus just tweeted that he had all his clients in camp on time. Just sayin'.

[Keith]

Some Day1 observations from aj_:

...
Second team LBs were Cato June at Sam (surprise), Kevin Bentley in the middle and Adibi at the Will.
Barber and Harrison were second team safeties. ...

http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-7...p-report-Day-1

[mussop]

Originally Posted by Keith

Some Day1 observations from aj_:



http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-7...p-report-Day-1

Who were the starters?

[painekiller]

Dang it had a long post written out and it got lost due to my walking away from the box too many times.

So short version

I want to say I have been a Kasey Studdard hater, well today he made me change my mind. He has improved a ton, not starter quality yet, but he understands anchoring himself now.

Butler is a solid back up.

Okam is going to stay 3rd team unless he learns to explode like Bulman, Robinson, and Cody.

Young kids to watch Tim Jamison, Nading, Josh Leonard, on the DL.

Quin and McCain looked good.

David Anderson has improved a lot.

Dan O throws a nice pass. He looked good.

Sorry for the short report my last copy was much more complete. Hope to see some of you tomorrow.

[papabear]

I was at the Saturday morning practice today. Thanks again to Nconroe for giving me tickets.
They're not in full pads so it's hard to really see much. Especially on the defensive side. Anyway, here are my mental notes.
-Adibi is noticeably bigger. He said he's gained 20 lbs since last year when he was sick and had trouble keeping on weight. He was spltting time with Diles at WLB. Cato June and Chaun thompson were splitting first team reps at SLB....Cushing signed this morning, but he wasn't out there.
-Mccain(rookie late round CB) is FAST....but he's small and had trouble jamming WR at the line. He also was lining up as gunner on the punt coverage team and had a LOT of trouble getting around the guys jamming him.
-Okam took some reps with the first team. Travis Johnson was out there, but limited and I didn't see him do anything. The coaches seem to be coaching Okam pretty hard...not that he was screwing up, but they really seemed to be trying to push him...like they know he's the only true NT on the roster. They did seem to get on him a little once though.
-Jacoby had two nice catches. One was an out that he had to go up and get and he did a nice job dragging his feet at the sideline. The other one was on a deep route where the CB had outside leverage. He did a really nice job leaning into him to create space back inside and had a nice little veteran push off before making a nice diving grab. Winston said he muffed a couple of punts at mini-camp, but he caught them all off the jugs machine today.
-Owen Daniels looked like a man on a mission....to get paid
-Casey had a great catch with two guys all over him. Gibbs was talking to him a lot on his blocking.
-Duane Brown looked really athletic getting to the edge on an outside zone play
-Demeco was pretty vocal, and he seemed to be enjoying himself. Lot's a laughing and smiling.
-glover Quinn looked decent at Corner....I think he's got the size for safety.
-David Anderson looked good catching the ball....but the best part was when they were stretching and he's singing and dancing the whole time while everyone else still looks like they are asleep. He cracks me up.
-Buster Davis is short
-heard the coaches atta boy Barwin a couple of times, but I really couldn't see what he did either time.

[NBT]

PK's report on Okam is dissapointing to say the least. You would have thought he would have worked on his leg strength in the weight room. You can't have explosion out of your stance without it. I fervently hope he gets it worked out because without TJ, we are going to need his NT bulk in the run defense.

[Keith]

Thanks for the reports guys! Hopefully I'll have something more to add after tomorrow morning.

Read that James Casey is getting the reps at FB with Vonta Leach out (death in family). Pretty thin on the depth chart there I suppose if Casey is already Plan B.

Camp Quotes - Day Two

[Keith]

Uh oh?

From Mario via Twitter:
"Big toe sore"


Keep up with ItB on Twitter via the link below. Account registration is a breeze if you don't have one already.

[Keith]

Intrigue re: Antonio Smith at practice Saturday morning via Lance Z:

...The defense had been jumping offsides all morning and Bill Kollar said that tomorrow there would be "up-downs" for players who continued to jump offsides. On the next snap, Antonio Smith gave a half-assed effort. Kollar, unhappy with the effort level, asked Smith to come back and take another rep. While Kollar was displeased he didn't scream Smith down or cuss him out. Here is where it gets bad.

As Smith starts walking back toward the defensive line, he tells Kollar that this drill is bulls***, and when Kollar starts to go back at Smith a little bit, Smith just starts letting the F-bombs fly as he directs them to Kollar. He got up in Kollar's face and Mario Williams had to step in and separate things. ...

http://blogs.chron.com/fantasyfootba.../post_111.html

Worthwhile to read the entire post, btw, as there are some good notes on other players, but this hasn't really been reported elsewhere.

[TheMatrix31]

Smith needs to know his f'n role.

[Keith]

Tweeting live as I can from today's morning practice. Link in sig.

[bckey]

Keith. SpursTexansAstros over on the texanstalk bb was at training camp yesterday. He posted this over there:

Yeah it was intense...the defensive line coach made a comment that if smith had made the sack they would have won the superbowl and the next play smith got blocked and I didnt hear what was said but Smith went at the coach and had to have two players block him.

Also Tim Bulman and an o lineman mixed it up..but Bulman was the one who got it going ..his motor was just higher...nothing ..the ol player cooled him down.

I'm not saying it makes what Smith did excusable it just gives some insight to what helped fire Smith up. Looks like Kollar is going to be firing these guys up.

Its post 198 under the official training camp thread.

[nunusguy]

That's a disappointing report about this years most expensive FA and a player the team is surely looking to as a leader since he's one of the more senior starters and a SB vet.
I dunno maybe Smith has a problem taking direction including being reprimanded by men not of his race ? I know plenty of white men who can't deal with that. But if there's an incident whenever Kollar disciplines Smith in a manner he can't accept, frankly the team has a very big issue.