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Carlota69
05-11-2005, 11:38 AM
NFL focus: Minicamp mayhem
Posted: May 11, 2005


The Sporting News' 32 NFL team correspondents take a quick look around the NFL minicamps:

Seahawks starting TE Itula Mili decided not to participate in the voluntary portion of the team's recent minicamp and weighed in at 290 pounds, 30 pounds over last season's playing weight. TE Jerramy Stevens, a 2002 first-round pick, has lost 12 pounds and rarely dropped a pass while making plays in the passing game. ...

The Cardinals' offensive line must make great strides if it's going to adequately protect QB Kurt Warner. The unit struggled at times in pass-rushing drills, and the absence of LT Leonard Davis (knee) can't be blamed because his replacement, Jim Newton, was a pleasant surprise. ...

Ravens rookie WR Mark Clayton performed like an old pro. His routes were crisp, and he caught every pass thrown to him. He got in and out of breaks well and cut with relative ease. He was competing against other rookies, but it still was an impressive start. ...

The Jets unveiled a newfangled formation on offense. Well, newfangled for them. For the first time since 2000, they used the shotgun. New coordinator Mike Heimerdinger believes the shotgun gives the quarterback an extra half-second on blitzes. Using it just might work, especially because QB Chad Pennington played in the shotgun extensively in college. ...

OLB Derrick Johnson was every bit as athletic as the Chiefs hoped he would be, heightening expectations he will start in the season opener. Johnson showed the ability to cover a lot of ground and was particularly impressive in coverage by getting into throwing lanes and disrupting plays. ...
Bills rookie WR Roscoe Parrish is not afraid to go over the middle. He raised eyebrows by fighting for jump balls and making catches over taller cornerbacks. ...

Rookie C Eric Ghiaciuc showed signs of being able to oust Rich Braham as the Bengals' starter. Ghiaciuc has a natural feel for the position and is strong and athletic. His challenge will be learning the line calls and knowing which guard he needs to help on combination blocks. ...

DT Travis Johnson stood out at the Texans' rookie camp, not only for his obvious size and explosiveness but because of his leadership skills. ...

The Patriots love rookie OL Logan Mankins' versatility. He has the athleticism to play in space and take on speed rushers on the outside, and he has the strength and aggressiveness to take on bigger defensive linemen on the inside. ...

Redskins rookie QB Jason Campbell did a good job of understanding pass patterns and delivering the ball where the receiver was supposed to be. He impressed the coaching staff with his patience and willingness to take the blame when something went wrong. ...

CBs Marlin Jackson and Kelvin Hayden showed they were worthy of being the Colts' top two draft picks. Jackson was solid in coverage drills, although it must be noted he was going against several undrafted rookies. ...

Raiders TE Courtney Anderson stands to benefit from playing in an offense that features three standout receivers and a bruising running back. He is fast enough to get open downfield and strong enough to break tackles after short receptions. He needs to polish his blocking skills and become more consistent catching balls. ...

New Jaguars offensive coordinator Carl Smith filled practices with long play-action passes to wide receivers. The deep ball was a rarity in former coordinator Bill Musgrave's scheme. ...

Panthers rookie Evan Mathis seemed to pick up the offense quickly. He could be a legitimate challenger to Tutan Reyes for the starting right guard job because he has more athleticism than Reyes. ...

New Lions offensive coordinator Ted Tollner's influence was evident from the first set of snaps. The team is going to do a lot more shifting and will put more players in motion to create defensive mismatches. Opponents likely will play a lot of zone defense against Detroit's three-receiver offense, but getting a defender out of position at the start of a play could lead to more big plays downfield. ...

Rams rookie QB Ryan Fitzpatrick faces an uphill battle to make the roster, but there's no doubt he has caught coach Mike Martz's attention; Martz rarely was more than 10 feet away from him during minicamp. Fitzpatrick impressed Martz with his intelligence and ability to quickly grasp changes in technique and footwork, and Fitzpatrick seemed more than willing to do things the Rams' way. ...

The Buccaneers are raving about FB Rick Razzano, a seventh-round pick who should have no trouble winning a roster spot. Razzano is an excellent straight-ahead blocker who hits the hole with authority. He could become the lead man in short-yardage and goal-line situations. ...

Breaking from convention and tradition, the Broncos won't hold their mandatory minicamp until July 6-8, just three weeks before training camp opens. Coach Mike Shanahan says trying to shuttle in rookies after the draft is too hectic. He thinks a later camp will help the young players retain more of what they learn.