Yesterday’s practice was another very quick one that seemed planned. Rocky’s goal is to have the players get their legs back and refreshed for next week so the workload should stay light until Monday.
-The biggest change was obviously seeing Siragusa get reps at tackle and he looked very comfortable. He even talked some trash to the DEs during 1v1s and walked the walk. He played tackle throughout high school so this is not that big of a surprise, but seeing a guy with his type of frame slide his feet in pass pro really confirmed for me that he would be the best option as the team’s backup tackle. Sure, the staff would prefer Pope or Salcedo because that would mean the best five can be on the field if another injury were to happen, but they’re doing the best with what they got.
-Ismael continues to look like the better option than Roemer at the moment, which is why Siragusa’s comfort at tackle is even more important. That said, Ismael didn’t have his best practice yesterday. He didn’t finish out his blocks and didn’t seem as focused as usual. I did notice, though, that before he put his hand in the dirt during one rep, he rolled his head/neck just before getting into stance, so it was clear that he was feeling some soreness or irritation on his shoulder injury. (This is another reason why the next few practices will be light.).
Here were some of the OL lineups the staff tinkered with yesterday:
--Roemer, Siragusa, Ismael, Rosales and Brunskill with the first team
-Siragusa, Ismael, Flores, Rosales and Brunskill with the first team
-Roemer, Siragusa, Flores, Rosales and Brunskill with the first team
-Roemer, Ismael, Gerhard, Dixon and Achayo with the second team
-Achayo, Becar, Krum, Dixon, and Tucker with the second team but they likely will be the third group.
There was also a moment where Nick Gerhard had a rep at left tackle, only for Barrett to dip his shoulder and blow by him on the inside for an easy sack. Gerhard was immediately pulled back to the sideline for Roemer. It looks like his role on the team will stick at center for now. Krum is ahead of him at center too, by the way.
-Rosales stuck with the first-team again today but Dixon also had one of his better practices. Rosales should get the nod because of his consistency, however. My guess is that the first week depth chart will be out next Tuesday before the first press conference.
-Ryan Dunn was getting first team reps with Munson and Ricks, which means he’s not completely out of consideration of being the 3rd LB with the starting unit. Originally, the plan was for Dunn to backup Ricks and that was that. But, then again, injuries can happen so I’m thinking that Dunn’s reps at inside linebacker are just to keep the option of switching him back over open if an injury were to occur. I think Ronely Lakalaka and Kyavah Tezino are better suited to step in though. I actually think Lakalaka has made a very strong case to surpass Thayer during week 1. Thayer had a great spring but Lakalaka has been extremely competitive all fall.
-Damontae Kazee once again turned up the heat in practice and was unstoppable. He’s honestly starting to play like the best player on the team, and yes I’m talking even better than Pumphrey (but that’s a pointless hot take/discussion starter haha). He’s been amazing and I sincerely believe the level of play by the corners behind him have picked up because of it. Montgomery and Smith have really taken a step forward this fall and Woods has impressed as a freshman that could potentially be a starter contender next year. Kazee has also continued to be very very vocal during practices.
-Darryl Richardson continues to impress at a consistently high level. He routed Malik Smith during a 1v1 yesterday and he looks like a legitimate weapon that the coaches can actually trust out on the field this season. His play this year will be very intriguing to me.
-Drops have continued to be an issue, primarily with receivers that are wide open. Eric Judge left his cornerback in the dust during 7v7 but somehow dropped a perfectly placed pass. You’ll have to see the video to believe it. Then a few plays later, Nick Bawden was wide open in the flat but his hands looked like stones based on the way the ball ricocheted off his gloves. None of the FBs have proved themselves as consistent pass catchers and I get the sense that the starting job is still up for grabs and the competition may continue into the season-opener.
-Isiah Macklin made a nice step-back juke move after a quick curl catch to avoid a “tackle” by Na’Im McGee during 7v7. Macklin’s a great athlete no doubt, but I still am not sure if we’ll see either freshmen play this year as of now.
-I still feel like DB Dwayne Johnson going to play but he has had his freshman moments. He was tasked with covering Pumphrey during a 7v7 rep and he had a deer in the headlights look when he squared up to press Pumphrey during his route. Pumphrey juked him untouched and ran down for the easy catch and score. Johnson has actually really impressed me with his ability to attack the running alley - he does it like a linebacker would - so seeing that hesitation from him surprised me.
-As I mentioned earlier, Ron Smith has had a really good camp. I originally didn’t like the move from safety but it has been obvious that he can be way more productive as a corner. His physicalness has been a pleasant surprise (he had a huge hit on Warring during the scrimmage last week if any of you guys remember seeing that).
-Marcus Stamps was at practice walking around.
