Report:
I was able to make it back down there again before next Monday. I got there a few minutes late, but still staked out a great spot up on the hillside. It was pretty crowded today, I'm guessing somewhere in the 4,000-5,000 range.
-Early on, between drills, a spectator in the bleachers shouted "Spike it, Tommy!" as Brady was walking back. Brady responded by VERY affectionately spiking it to the delight of the crowd.
--EDIT: It appears it was actually "You gotta catch those Tommy" after he dropped a pass from a coach.
-Compared to last Friday, there was much less of the fundamental drills and much more of the 11v11 action, as well as 1v1 drills.
-In the 1v1 drills, Vrabel and Bruschi were probably the most manhandled of the group. Seau, although cheating a bit with some would-be holds, was able to hold his own against some of the quicker backs.
-Matt Kranchick (6'7", 265), who is just as large as Kyle "Godzilla" Brady (6'6", 280), was solid. He beat the LBs on two straight post routes and gobbled up the passes with his large frame. If Thomas and/or Brady aren't ready to go, Kranchick looks like he could step up.
-Maroney dropped a few passes early on. The first came in the QB and WR/RB/TE warmup drill, while the other came in the 1v1 drill, drawing some jeers from the crowd.
-Anam struggled some. On the punt return drills, Anam was a gunner and was able to get down to the endzone, but lost the ball in the blue sky and let it bounce right next to him and into the endzone. I also remember Anam screwing up something else, but I can't recall the specifics.
-The defense practiced picking off deep passes the returning them, which seemed to be more of a drill to warm-up the defense, as they all sprinted back on the run-back.
-Kight, also a gunner on a punt return drill, hustled down and made a nice diving catch/throw to save a touchback.
-Caldwell made a fantastic diving catch in tight double coverage on a bomb from Cassel. Take that, Keegs.
-Andrews picked off a Gutierrez pass in a 11v11 drill.
-Hobbs laid the smackdown on Welker on a skeleton drill after a catch.
-If I'd have to guess, some of the first cuts will probably be Anam, Dunlap, Bissinger, and Malone.
-Chad Brown was down at DE in the nickel package, a departure from 2005 when he was at ILB in the nickel, even in the playoffs.
-Malone and Seely worked 1v1 before practice. It looked like they were practicing catching the ball and getting the punt off.
-Kraft and Pioli, as they did Friday, had a lengthy conversation at midfield.
-After practice, BB lead a player's young son over to a water cooler for a drink then posed for a picture with him. Nice gesture.
-DBs signed today, but that's it. Brady stayed after to chat with BB then left. Bruschi, Moss, or Vrabel didn't sign either, meaning Rodney was the main attraction. He stayed after the horn as well to sign a couple more.
-More to come as I remember it...
Pictures:
They're in reverse-chronological order:
http://s11.photobucket.com/albums/a1...015/2007-7-31/
My camp report and pictures (7/31/07 PM)
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