NFL Training Camp Notes from Monday, 6/16
Training Camp Notes
Chiefs: S Armani Watts has been starting over Juan Thornhill, a fan favorite up until now apparently. TE Jody Fortson has been impressive all training camp and preseason. Lucas Niang appears to have won the job at RT. CB Mike Hughes could be ahead of CB DeAndre Baker to be CB2.
Bears: Any routine pass by QB Justin Fields in practice will be hyped up as the greatest throw in practice history.
Bills: S Micah Hyde is having a great camp. Hyde has made one Pro Bowl in his eight-year career and remains a solid starter at the safety position.
Eagles: Expectations on the way up for WR Jalen Reagor.
Jaguars: Urban Meyer thinks that RT Jawaan Taylor has had a great camp. He and Cam Robinson are both trying to hold off rookie tackle Walker Little. Though Little’s first preseason performance was far from perfect.
WFT: WR Curtis Samuel returned from PUP. Rookie CB Benjamin St-Juste, one of my favorite defensive backs in the 2021 class, is looking like a Week 1 starter.
Steelers: Are people only getting on the QB Dwayne Haskins bandwagon now because of Justin Fields? If one Ohio State QB makes it, they all must make it.
Colts: QB Sam Ehlinger is playing well beyond the expectations of a sixth round quarterback.
Lions: What is Dan Campbell like as a coach? (There really isn’t much to see here. What’s he like as a coach? He says stuff like “Good job, guys” and “C’mon, fellas.”
Titans: There were a lot of drops by WR Dez Fitzpatrick in practice.
Eagles: HC Nick Sirianni is running an “unconventional” training camp in his first year as a head coach, keeping practices to an average time of less than 90 minutes and spending more time in meeting rooms where his players can’t get hurt. The hope is that Philadelphia will also be fresh for games and not worn out. Will it work in Sirianni’s favor? If not, there are fans ready to laugh him out of a job for being unconventional. Fans claim to want unconventional, but many of them are just as happy to boo somebody out for going against the grain and failing.
Eagles: Vet RB Jordan Howard is earning a job through doing the little things that most rookie running backs won’t do. Like pass block. With RB Kerryon Johnson week-to-week with a knee injury, Howard’s opportunities go up even more.
“As a young guy when you first get into the league, pass pro is probably the hardest for a running back,” Howard said. “Because in college you’re not really asked to block that much, so that’s the first thing you have to lock in on. If you want to play you’ve got to protect the quarterback, so I feel like my pass protection is growing each year I’ve been in the league but still trying to get better at it.”
Packers: CB Kabion Ento has worked his way onto the second team.
Bengals: Rookie G D’Ante Smith works his way into starting left guard — so far. Nobody expected Smith to acclimate to the NFL this fast. Some WR Ja’Marr Chase footage.
Patriots: WR N’Keal Harry has been the talk of camp, but a preseason performance with a lot of snaps and few catches has Pats fans thinking “bust” again. Similarly, WR Kristian Wilkerson hasn’t been the standout that he was earlier in camp.
Dolphins: Vet WR Albert Wilson has had a great camp.
Giants: Austrian RB Sandro Platzgummer had a 48-yard run in his preseason debut.
Titans: The team has signed former Seahawks S Bradley McDougald.
More later.
I wish McDougald well in Tennessee. To me, he always seemed to be just on the cusp of being really good, but never really getting over the hump of marginal starter / good backup. Still, not bad for an undrafted FA, with career earnings closing in on $20M. He must be thrilled to be out of the Jets organization and with a competitor. I bet he balls out and, assuming his shoulder is okay, makes the active roster.