>>>>For more pics, go here: 2008-07-25 Afternoon
As Randy suggested, likely because of an hour-long rain this afternoon, they were on the game field – which is artificial turf. They were in shorts and shoulder pads. Shockey was in no pads. He sure seemed fine when talking to the press yesterday. Then again Payton has suggested he was going to be eased back in gradually. Benson was on the west sideline under a pop-up tent. Free from hecklers? He has gotten earfuls from some fans here before.
After finding out the hard way that today’s roster hand-out guy thought nothing of abandoning his post for a few minutes (!@#$%&*), I walked into the east stands. Lo and behold, there’s Randy. This proves that we are not the same person – we have witnesses. The team was in an 11-on-11. During this session they were mainly working on run plays. In the two 11/11 periods I saw yesterday, it was all pass. [*air horn*] Yeah, really just caught the tail end.
[Girl from Ipanema]
The next period was actually two short periods for special teams. It started with some 11/11 PKs. Martin [Marteeeeeeeen] Gramatica is not an imposing presence. The resounding boom his kicks make, really is. Believe me, I’ve never had the sound of any PK catch my attention before. After a few from ~20 and a few from ~40, a whole new 22 rotated. This included R Taylor Mehlhaff. His kicks were more sotto voce.
After about 5 minutes of kicking, the team broke into two squads on either side of the field for kick coverage drills. One side was is threes, the other in pairs. But they both did the same thing: Forearmed a dummy and then ran thirty yards to catch a live ball carrier. It looked like one side was backer-types and the other was DB-types. [*air horn*]
More 3 rotations of 11/11, but this time it was all pass. Just as Randy was commenting that Brees has yet to throw any long passes this camp, he throws a 30-yarder that Devery, even though double covered, should’ve had. It bounced off his hands, really. However, when Brunell came in, Tree Arrington caught seemingly the same route with ease. It got a big cheer. “He even waited on it,” quoth the Randy. Arrington looks good so far – tall and quick. Too bad he comes from the Maize & Blah.
[Girl from Ipanema]
Right back to more of the same. Colston fired up the crowd with a text book under route that should be credited to all 11 guys. It was undeniably poetic in every aspect: Receivers race down field, here comes Colston across the abandoned middle, Brees releases the timing arch to the right sideline [*POP*]. Beautiful. Brees also got a nice one to Ghent on a downfield stop. Bress looked sharp. Reggie got ambushed on a poorly executed backfield screen. But Brunell came in for nice swing to Reggie that he was able to dart up the left side. Palko to Hamilton also made for an efficient dump/swing in stride. But the rest of 3’s turn was soured by an OL procedure and a figurative sack. What’s up 2 OL? Drew received another applause break for a 40-yarder that made Lance Moore look smooth. He capped off the practice with a jaw-dropping needle-threader to Ghent in traffic, 12 yards up the middle.
Curve ball? Payton let them off with no conditioning today. Hmm.
Each of the three practice sites has their understood autograph areas. With about 20 minutes left in the practice, people started making their way to the south end zone fence. They became a little restless when the Sharpie’s mounted a three-front attack - the real curve ball. On the east side, I was thrilled to get some good snaps of Deuce and Brunell. I really lucked out when straggling, a few of us got a good look at Shockey (see pics) as he ran up into the Athletic Complex – the new(er) field house is on the west side now.
Autograph Props: Drew (who had been throwing reps post practice), Reggie, and Payton giving the west side all they wanted.
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