Some early buzz from spring

DMoney

D-Moni
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Sharing some things I’ve heard from the first three days of camp. Remember, it’s only been three days of very limited contact.

- Tyler Van Dyke is very confident and carrying himself like QB1. Don’t be surprised to see him try more Mahomesish stuff like the 2-point conversion against UNC.

- Jacurri Brown is impressing with his size, personality and arm strength. He misses some easy throws (will improve with coaching) but has natural zip and a Lamar Jackson-like whip delivery. He drives the ball effortlessly.

- Thad Franklin has leaned up and is showing his athleticism in the passing game. Hands-catcher and very shifty for his size.

- Starting WRs have mostly been Keyshawn Smith, Xavier Restrepo and Jacolby George.

- Jaleel Skinner looks more advanced than expected. We knew he had speed and length, but he is showing some lateral quickness and is competing at a high level. IMG training clearly helped him.

- Starting OL has been Zion-Troure-Clark-Justice-Scaife. Logan Sagapolou has gotten reps as well. John Campbell and Jalen Rivers have been getting worked in and I won’t be surprised if they are starting by end of camp (with Scaife pushed in and Troure/Justice moving to second team). The three ‘21 signees show flashes, especially McLaughlin with his length and foot quickness.

- Harvey and Chantz have been starting defensive ends with Taylor, JHH, Lichtenstein and Miller rotating at tackle. Elijah Roberts will be in the end mix when his ankle heals.

- Steed and Keontra Smith getting majority of reps at LB.

- Blades has been a very pleasant surprise with his twitch and movement ability. He’s worked outside and inside. I wasn’t sure what his future was in football, but he looks ready to play a role. Malik Curtis is learning and moves better than anyone in the room.

- James Williams is lean and comfortable at safety. He is a leader on the team. Brian Balom looks healthy.

Overall, the biggest difference is the amount of coaches on the field (one source says it looks 3X as big) and the emphasis on physicality in practice.
 
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Hey @DMoney this is like a glass of cold ice water to a man dying of thirst.

The practice clips are fine, but they don’t really tell us a heck of a whole lot. At least now we’re starting to see the beginnings of what kind of team this might be. Yes it’s only the first three days of spring, but I’m not complaining. Thanks for this.
 
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Love the tools Brown has to work with, but a word of caution: inaccuracy is a problem that often can't be "coached" out of a passer.
I’m a believer that guys are either accurate or they’re not. Coaches can clean up mechanics and drill guys into being more consistent but you either have that pinpoint accuracy or you don’t. It doesn’t mean you can’t be a great quarterback though. There are high level NFL starters who don’t have that elite accuracy but they do other things well and have coaches that know what plays to call and what type of offense to run. You can get by with “B” accuracy if you’re a good athlete with a strong arm and your coach knows how to use your talents. Josh Allen couldn’t hit a target in college but Dorsey and Daboll used his other attributes to make him one of the leagues better quarterbacks.
 
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@DMoney fighting the urge to talk up DJ Ivey for a 4th consecutive offseason.
 
Comments are very refreshing. Jacurri's running capabilities are amazing (based on his HS stats). Wonder if he might get some reps for some wildcat packages since he is by far THE most mobile QB on the roster.
 
And people want James moved to backer, 6’5” and moves like he’s 5’11”

I think he should stay at S. But he needs to be in the box/near line of scrimmage in *certain situations* IMO. It is definitely not a bad thing to have Tae, Kam, and James on the field at the same time, I think we can all agree on that.
 
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I wish we could get eyes on that Douglas kid from 21 in individual drills. Future LT imo. Like Zion very raw coming in but a good big athlete as well.
 
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