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Spring Practice 3/22 - Early Portion Notes

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Stefan Adams said:
**Maybe you can chalk it up to the first day jitters, but the QB's looked much better today in the second spring practice. They were much more confident stepping into their throws, hitting receivers between the numbers, and none stood out in a negative light. The patterns today were out routes to the sidelines, skinny posts up the middle, bubble screens, and play-action rollout to the strongside.

**The rotation was the same as two days ago: Malik Rosier (1's) and N'Kosi Perry (2's) threw every pass on the money, with Jarren Williams (4's) not far behind them; Cade Weldon (3's) had one low and away throw, but was otherwise good.

**The tight ends continued to struggle with drops. Brian Polendey was the big culprit today, but Michael Irvin II and walk-on Nicholas Ducheine had their fair share as well. At one point after a Ducheine drop, Todd Hartley was fed up and was barking up a storm at the group, threatening to kick Ducheine off the team and also yelling he'd be happy to play with two tight ends instead of three. Not a good start from a unit many were really hoping would step-up their play with Chris Herndon off and graduated. Brevin Jordan and Will Mallory can't get here soon enough.

**The first team defense today was like so:

DE Jon Garvin
DT Gerald Willis
DT Jon Ford
DE Joe Jackson
LB Derrick Smith
LB Shaq Quarterman
LB Michael Pinckney
CB Jhavonte Dean
S Sheldrick Redwine
S Robert Knowles
CB Michael Jackson

**Redwine stayed on the field at safety and was joined by Amari Carter when the second team took the field. Carter also got heavy reps at first team safety rotating in for Knowles. This looks to be a true position battle between the three to start alongside Jaquan Johnson at safety, who was in class for the early portion of practice today.

**Despite what Mark Richt says about being in nickel, how he reps players at different positions, and changes not being permanent, Derrick Smith looks awfully natural at SAM linebacker and fits well into the first team. If this is truly Miami's nickel package, it seems like something they'll be going to a lot this year and could become their base defense. It's the second practice in a row they've started with that defensive alignment.

**Trajan Bandy and Gilbert Frierson were second team at corner. Frierson is really physically impressive as someone that should still be in high school right now and he moves well with that build; I honestly mistook him for an upperclassman until I checked the roster. His progress will be intriguing to monitor this spring as someone who I think will play a huge role on this team come fall.

**Second team at linebacker was De'Andre Wilder, Mike Smith, and Zach McCloud. Didn't take note of the second team D-Line because the QB's started throwing routes around that time.

**LATE EDIT: In the interview portion after practice, the offensive line stayed on the field to hit the sleds after everyone already left (Tre Johnson was not present). The depth chart was:

First Team: St. Louis - Jones - Gauthier - Donaldson - Brown
Second Team: Herbert - Scaife - Gaynor - Mahoney - Hillery
Third Team: Campbell - Milo - Dykstra
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Was Mccloud a full go today?
 
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Diaz needs to cut the nonsense with the Bob Knowles experiment. It’s over. Move on. Get someone else ready. Coaches sometimes fall in love with the head nodders and their yes coach no coach verbiage and knowledge of the system.

You know who knows the system inside out? The Barkeep. And I don’t want Banda out there trying to cover space as a P5 football Safety any more than I want Bobonce’ Knowles.

As for TE, can we change Mike Irving Junior’s name out of respect to his dad? Maybe he can be Mike Gminski for all the Duke facquits on here. I had a feeling we were getting a loaf when I read about him rolling around in HS in a brand new Hummer. That hunger and anger that fueled his dad was extinguished. Then when he wheezed out onto the field with a butt and legs that had Parrotnose thinking impure thoughts, the ship had officially sailed.

Good news is that as awful as Gminski is Brevin is that good.
 
We're finally looking at a legit replacement for McCloud. Although I don't think Smith is that much of an upgrade at least Smith will know where the play is. McCloud lacked awareness and often lost the track of the play/ball. Everyone would go one way and McCloud on his own island would go the other way. Not to mention when he did find the ball/play he would miss tackles or was easily juked because of how stiff he is.

Anyways who still thinks McCloud should be starting or getting 1st team rep is a victim to the hype he came here with. Dude needs to sit and learn because we're playing him and he is lost on every play 90% of the time.

Also why the **** is Knowles even on the field? He should never see the field, even in practice. Why are we giving up reps to someone like Knowles when those reps could go to Hall or Carter.

Looks like Irving just doesn't have the dog that his dad had when we came to the U (Like most of the Canes fancy we've signed over the years). Milo might as well transfer at this point. He doesn't seem like he will ever play here.
 
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The Franchise said:
As for TE, can we change Mike Irving Junior’s name out of respect to his dad? Maybe he can be Mike Gminski for all the Duke facquits on here. I had a feeling we were getting a loaf when I read about him rolling around in HS in a brand new Hummer. That hunger and anger that fueled his dad was extinguished. Then when he wheezed out onto the field with a butt and legs that had Parrotnose thinking impure thoughts, the ship had officially sailed.
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Killing me, man.
 
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The Franchise said:
Diaz needs to cut the nonsense with the Bob Knowles experiment. It’s over. Move on. Get someone else ready. Coaches sometimes fall in love with the head nodders and their yes coach no coach verbiage and knowledge of the system.

You know who knows the system inside out? The Barkeep. And I don’t want Banda out there trying to cover space as a P5 football Safety any more than I want Bobonce’ Knowles.

As for TE, can we change Mike Irving Junior’s name out of respect to his dad? Maybe he can be Mike Gminski for all the Duke facquits on here. I had a feeling we were getting a loaf when I read about him rolling around in HS in a brand new Hummer. That hunger and anger that fueled his dad was extinguished. Then when he wheezed out onto the field with a butt and legs that had Parrotnose thinking impure thoughts, the ship had officially sailed.

Good news is that as awful as Gminski is Brevin is that good.
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When he said he'd be as happy with two TEs as three, I think he meant he'll be happy with the two he has coming. Jordan and Mallory are taking the two top TE spots the second they get here, and everyone else will be an afterthought.
 
Umbra said:
Milo still repping that third string I see...
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Next time some dope on the recruiting board says we can’t do a package deal because we don’t have any room to take the lesser end of the package deal, point them to Milo, the star of the Yiddish Roadhouse sequel, Hillel House. As long as there’s a guy like that to cut then there’s room for Sanders’s brother.
 
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Canesfan1899 said:
Thanks for the info. Smith ahead of McCloud already? Time for McCloud to start playing consistently or he's going to get left on the bench.
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not sure I would read too much into that as Stefan mentioned he had the impression that this might be what the nickel package looks like. They could have been primarily working out of that alignment against the offense which is understandably more pass oriented as they are also evaluating the qbs.
 
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simplycanes said:
The weak spot in Cager's game has been playing-to-size and physicality, yet we constantly endure people wanting to see him at TE.

The TE situation is what happens when your team still has JAGs you're relying on for playing time. The only way to solve that is through recruiting and waiting it out. Stack 'chips.

Thankfully we have 2 elite TEs who will be here soon and they will both play about 80% of the reps this season.
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Please stop. Mallory is 207, he’s redshirting. Irvin had a bad day, he’s got really good hands.

I said earlier how majority on this board love switching players positions but this obsession with crowning high school kids stars before they even get on campus needs to stop.

Yes Jordan will get lots of reps but we are not playing two fresh te’s the majority of snaps when one is under 210 lbs.
 
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