AJC > Sports > Tech > Blog > Archives > 2008 > August > 16
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Throwing it all out there
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
OK, last practice/scrimmage open to the public and media is in the books and …
I don’t know the severity of RT David Brown’s injury. X-rays were negative, Paul Johnson said. Most of you are probably aware that some rumors are circulating about ACL and others about a sprained ankle. I don’t know. When I do, I’ll write about it.
If Brown were to be down, I bet there’s a chance that either Cord Howard or A.J. Smith, tackles last year but guards this, would move over there at least for a look-see. Austin Barrick got most of the important work there Saturday, though.
Odds & ends …
Booker will play this year. One man’s opinion. No, he doesn’t run the baseline offense especially well, but he’s astute and I still think he’s the best passer. Change of pace.
Dwyer is going to be fantastic. No surprise there.
WR Tyler Melton doesn’t appear to far behind Demaryius Thomas to me. They’re your starters. Nothing Correy Earls can do about it now. Not enough time to catch up before the opener.
These guys look pooped, and sore. It’s that time. Lot of football, lot of hitting the past two weeks. Time to ease off the gas, coach. He knows that.
If Richard Watson returns to practice and plays well the next week-plus, I still think he might not redshirt at B-back. You’ve got Dwyer, Quincy Kelly (who has had injury issues himself) and then? Anthony Allen and Preston Lyons are not eligible to play this year after transferring. There is some debate, actually, on Lyons, but he seemed to confirm to me this year that he’ll be out. I’ll check. Lucas Cox was back at B-back today, and he has the build. Not great wheels, though. He’s a better blocker than runner, and that fits at A-back, actually, even though speed is more of a prerequisite there.
OLB Kyle Jackson has surprised me. He’s ahead of where I anticipated.
Don’t know OLB Anthony Barnes’ injury. It’s not serious, though.
Thinnest spot on the team? For my money, it’s CB. If Jahi were subtracted, whoa!
Thickest spot? D-line for sure. Everybody raves about the starters. There’s depth, too. Anyaibe, Peters, Hall, Anderson, maybe Logan Walls and Egbuniwe when he gets healthy. Best thing about that, you can rush the passer efficiently with your starters, then sub liberally without a huge dropoff, and not just by subbing one guy in and moving somebody (like Adamm Oliver from DE to DT when Michael Johnson entered). The D-line should be able to stay fresh from start to finish. That would be very important to the LBs and DBs, who are young, and don’t need to be asked — especially early in the season — to do too much, ie blitz and sacrifice coverage.
Time to go. Two more weeks.
Matt
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