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- Jul 11, 2005
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This will be a short one. Hey you can't be inspired all the time 
.
Finally got this SHAWN Springs thing figured out. He's #29 and he's BIG. He could be the biggest Pats CB since OTIS, back in the day. I spent most of the afternoon focusing on him. He started with the first group when they worked in group and team work. But he was never the outside CB. Butler and Boddin were the outside CBs and Wheatley and Boddin sometimes. But Springs was always lined up on a slot receiver. At any rate he seemed to be just a step behind all afternoon. A step behind getting aligned. A step behind recognizing the routes and a step behind breaking on the ball. As the practice went on I thought he got more into the flow of things, but for a while I thought we were going to lose him to a concussion, since he kept slapping his head after every play. So I'm not worried about him. He knows what he'd doing wrong and has 6 weeks to correct it, and I doubt it will take more than a practice or two. Did I mention he was BIG.
He looked best when covering in the short zones, and like Boddin is very physical. Once they got Moss between them, and Down went Randy, though the ball was throw away from Moss. I can't tell you how happy I am to see Boddin and Springs on the field, it gives us a physicality at CB that we haven't had since Ty Law left.
I can see the Pats using Springs in several ways beyond just starting as a straight CB. I think he'll be a wild card that will allow BB to be very flexible all year (if he lasts all year). But once again the Pats will be able to create a new defense for each week, and man it based on what the match up are each week. I can see him being a real challenge to TO, especially underneath. WRs like TO would have eaten up the midgets we've had out there the past few years.
I missed Wilhite out there in the PM, I haven't heard anything about why (I am shocked). And sorry Box, but your binky Vince Redd was also among the missing.
THe only other thing worth mentioning (besides the monsoon) is how the offensive side of the Practice is being run. We all know that BB is the defacto OC, but I couldn't see him take any overt part of the offensive side of the Practice. I don't know if it means anything, just thought it was worth mentioning.
Finally I watching practice from by usual spot (standing in the last row of the middle of the stands), when I couldn't help notice a mass exodus of fans. At first I thought it was curious since I hadn't felt a drop of rain.....and then I looked back as saw the ugliest, blackest, lowest thunderhead I have ever seen bearing down on the field. But NOOOOOOO. I wasn't going to turn tail and run, so I turned around watched a few more plays. Then I turned as looked at that ominous cloud again and thought WTF, I'm a bit strange, but I'm not nuts, and I too joined the crowd exiting stage left.
I was parked by the Bed and Bath store area, and was about 50 yds from a short tunnel/overpass that runs to that area when it hit. And when I mean hit, I mean HIT. It went from no rain to a torrential downpour in a nanosecond, and went from dry to drenched in the 5 seconds it took me to get to the shelter of the tunnel
I don't know if Pats played through it, there was only about 10 minutes left to practice when I left, but I was sure they didn't have to bother with autographs. Welcome to the Summer of Seattle
.Finally got this SHAWN Springs thing figured out. He's #29 and he's BIG. He could be the biggest Pats CB since OTIS, back in the day. I spent most of the afternoon focusing on him. He started with the first group when they worked in group and team work. But he was never the outside CB. Butler and Boddin were the outside CBs and Wheatley and Boddin sometimes. But Springs was always lined up on a slot receiver. At any rate he seemed to be just a step behind all afternoon. A step behind getting aligned. A step behind recognizing the routes and a step behind breaking on the ball. As the practice went on I thought he got more into the flow of things, but for a while I thought we were going to lose him to a concussion, since he kept slapping his head after every play. So I'm not worried about him. He knows what he'd doing wrong and has 6 weeks to correct it, and I doubt it will take more than a practice or two. Did I mention he was BIG.
He looked best when covering in the short zones, and like Boddin is very physical. Once they got Moss between them, and Down went Randy, though the ball was throw away from Moss. I can't tell you how happy I am to see Boddin and Springs on the field, it gives us a physicality at CB that we haven't had since Ty Law left.
I can see the Pats using Springs in several ways beyond just starting as a straight CB. I think he'll be a wild card that will allow BB to be very flexible all year (if he lasts all year). But once again the Pats will be able to create a new defense for each week, and man it based on what the match up are each week. I can see him being a real challenge to TO, especially underneath. WRs like TO would have eaten up the midgets we've had out there the past few years.
I missed Wilhite out there in the PM, I haven't heard anything about why (I am shocked). And sorry Box, but your binky Vince Redd was also among the missing.
THe only other thing worth mentioning (besides the monsoon) is how the offensive side of the Practice is being run. We all know that BB is the defacto OC, but I couldn't see him take any overt part of the offensive side of the Practice. I don't know if it means anything, just thought it was worth mentioning.
Finally I watching practice from by usual spot (standing in the last row of the middle of the stands), when I couldn't help notice a mass exodus of fans. At first I thought it was curious since I hadn't felt a drop of rain.....and then I looked back as saw the ugliest, blackest, lowest thunderhead I have ever seen bearing down on the field. But NOOOOOOO. I wasn't going to turn tail and run, so I turned around watched a few more plays. Then I turned as looked at that ominous cloud again and thought WTF, I'm a bit strange, but I'm not nuts, and I too joined the crowd exiting stage left.
I was parked by the Bed and Bath store area, and was about 50 yds from a short tunnel/overpass that runs to that area when it hit. And when I mean hit, I mean HIT. It went from no rain to a torrential downpour in a nanosecond, and went from dry to drenched in the 5 seconds it took me to get to the shelter of the tunnel
I don't know if Pats played through it, there was only about 10 minutes left to practice when I left, but I was sure they didn't have to bother with autographs. Welcome to the Summer of Seattle
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