Rookie Camp Day 1 (Reports and Discussion)

[BBlink]

Paris Cotton stood out for me at RB. He just looks like a CFL back, small but strong and fast. They had him catching some punts too.  Renaud is here to fight, great effort and good hands.  The one on ones were deceiving to me. Give the receiver all day, no pressure on the QB and knowing the DB has no help and yeah they are going to win that 90% of the time. The biggest cheer came on a pick on which I thought was a terribly thrown ball so not sure why so happy. Etch seemed like a real teacher, lots of explanations and direction. I'm thinking I may have judged him too soon. Wiley I didn't recognize at first, he's put on a ton.

 

Agreed on Cotton. When all of the RBs were doing the ladder drills with Buck, I thought he looked the quickest and most precise in his steps (shows good balance and quickness I guess).

 

As for the interception, it was a 1 on 1 drill.  The receiver runs a route and the QB throws the ball to the spot.  It was actually a well thrown ball, it's just that Matt Pierce absolutely read the mail of the route being run and got there before the receiver.  I think the QB knew it was going to be intercepted before he even threw it...but it's just a drill and he had no other options.  That's how I saw it anyway.

[bearpants]

Wylie's put on a ton? I wouldn't have thought that was possible... unless you're talking about an addition to his legendary moustache!

[gbill2004]

Paris Cotton stood out for me at RB. He just looks like a CFL back, small but strong and fast. They had him catching some punts too. Renaud is here to fight, great effort and good hands. The one on ones were deceiving to me. Give the receiver all day, no pressure on the QB and knowing the DB has no help and yeah they are going to win that 90% of the time. The biggest cheer came on a pick on which I thought was a terribly thrown ball so not sure why so happy. Etch seemed like a real teacher, lots of explanations and direction. I'm thinking I may have judged him too soon. Wiley I didn't recognize at first, he's put on a ton.

I think Wylie has troubles moving around. He stood in the same spot on the field all practice yesterday.

[Blitzy]

My Rookie Camp Thoughts:

 

Willy and Marve stood out as the two best QBs on the day. As previously mentioned, in the team skelly drill Marve rolled out fast and delivered a bullet to Kemp. I actually exclaimed 'Wow!'.

 

Paris Cotton has my vote for best RB on the day, didn't seem out of place at all.

REC Urritia is huge and caught everything thrown at him. Kemp dropped at least 3 in the single skelly drills, and the coaches had to scream at him to go get his dropped ball more than once. He seemed disheartened.

 

Didn't catch much of the O-lineman other than the 4-6-8 (Right side of the line) holes seemed to be a lot more succssful than the opposite side.

 

 

D-line Gatling stood out to me for his motor, he was constantly right in the scrums and never gave up on the ball.

 

Briggs and Eisho didn't look out of place at all IMO, which is a very positive sign.

 

DBs looked alright, most of them were beat on the deep balls but I wouldn't look into it much.

 

Liam booooooomed a few punts, and Maher looked pretty good as well, minus a couple of shanks.

 

 

Edit: I also noticed the player who was sprinting up and down the sidelines all practice.. who was it? I don't think it was Aaron Woods. But man he could fly!

[Brandon]

of coffee in the NFL doesn't mean anything yet either. Whats the fascination with the NFL pedigree? You seem to be under the impression that just cuz these guys held a clipboard in the NFL for a season or 2, they are automatically better. Disagree completely with your reasoning as you seem to be basing your opinion on guys just because you heard of them. Brohm or hall are both pretty average, they aint nothing special. Marve? he's an unknown but... i'll tell you this much, If the young kid marve looks almost as good or equal to one of hall or brohm, he's on the roster ahead of one of them. That third spot is used for a developmental qb, not for some guy who held clipboards in the NFL.What does NFL experience really have to do with the CFL? how many NFL "experienced" qb's have come to the CFL with all the hype and done absolutely nothing..

So many that i cant even name them all.

NFL pedigree does mean something, with Brohm he was projected to be a first round pick went back to school for his senior year and ended up falling to 2nd round which is still very impressive.

Marve lost his job and moved schools and was never on the NFL radar.

Brohm was in Green Bay behind Rodgers which pretty much would be impossible to overtake and ended up starting a few games with the Bills.

The blue traded for him and clearly McManus thinks the guy has something.

His credentials are much better , he is much more experienced in pro ball and he has had zero personality or off field problems.

It'll be very hard for Marve to overcome that.

[bearpants]

the point is you can have all the credentials in the world but if you don't show up on the field it means nothing.... If Marve shows much better than Hall and Brohm then I'd have no objection to him being #2

[blitzmore]

Funny how people watching the same practice see different things

 

QB's

 

I thought Marve was a standout, my wife who only knows a small amount about football, said to me "look at that #16...does he ever have an arm" What I liked about him is that not only does he zip the ball in there but he appears to be very accurate.

 

I also thought Max Hall had a good day as well.

 

Nothing wrong with Willy...he will get there the more he plays

 

I thought the QB from the Bisons...name escapes me...also has a very good arm. Too bad he will never be a QB in the CFL

 

Brohm didn't really do anything to impress me at this point.

 

Receivers

 

We have some big dudes. I actually thought Urritia dropped a few that he should have had, he was not the standout for me.

 

I like Braylon Bell #88 who is also a very big dude, and he was catching almost everything thrown at him, and moves in a very fluid motion, and makes the catches look easy.

 

The receiver I really liked was #71 CJ Tarver. He has to be the smallest guy on the field. He has really good moves and always catches with his hands and makes the

catches look easy as well. I don't recall him dropping a ball all practice.

 

Brescasin....looks like a bigger and stronger Etienne to me, perhaps not as fast but much better at route running than when I first saw Jade. Only problem for me is that he seldom

catches with his hands, and that is likely to be a problem for him, unless he can correct that.

 

Jaymar Johnson also had some good moments, but not consistently.

 

Jason Barnes and Donavan Kemp were not two of the best.

 

Running Backs...I can only say that we will have very good competition at this position.

 

I liked Nic Grigsby, and at first I thought Kevin Smith just looked slow, but later on though he had some moves. Interesting how we have several pretty small guys and he stands out as

being considerably bigger.

 

I didn't have any problem with Cotton Paris either, both those guys look like they can play.

 

I also really liked Errol Brooks...has really good moves and is very fast.

 

CJ Tarver is listed as a RB/KR but he played mostly receiver.

 

I didn't really pay any attention to the OL

 

One defence Matt Pierce stood out for me, hustles all over the field and always looking to make a play.

 

Briggs and Eisho seemed to be platooning every play.

 

Etch at one point yelled out "practice like professionals" He was mad.

 

He also had a good tongue lashing for Briggs at one point.

 

Bob Wylie is "huge" and it's all around the middle. I really fear for his health!

 

liram hajrullahu booted some great kicks with lots of hang time.  Brett Maher was pretty good too, but shanked a couple.

 

Lots and lots of off sides which can be expected when no one had their timing down yet.

 

Well that's my take on Day 1...might go this afternoon as well.

[Blueandgold]

Brian Brohm lost his job to Matt Flynn who was a 7th rounder in the same draft as him.

[Bomber_fanaddict]

Keep the reports coming!  I can't make it until the weekend

 

Always so much optimism this time of year

[Brandon]

the point is you can have all the credentials in the world but if you don't show up on the field it means nothing.... If Marve shows much better than Hall and Brohm then I'd have no objection to him being #2

This is based on one practice.

How many times we see a guy look solid in practice only to stink in game time.

They have a lot more time looking at Brohm and if they didn't like him they wouldn't of traded for him.

Marve only makes third string if he plays fantastic in the pre season games and Brohm shits the bed.

No way Hall loses backup to Marve unless he gets hurt.

The team isn't going to go with zero experience at back up.

I'm willing to put money on that.

Marve is the project guy who will only see the field in the reg season if we get injuries or we are killing a team or being hammered.

[BBlink]

Random-ish thought: I think Hall will be a very good backup QB for us.  Can easily come in and do the job if Drew is struggling.

[Mike]

 

the point is you can have all the credentials in the world but if you don't show up on the field it means nothing.... If Marve shows much better than Hall and Brohm then I'd have no objection to him being #2

This is based on one practice.

How many times we see a guy look solid in practice only to stink in game time.

They have a lot more time looking at Brohm and if they didn't like him they wouldn't of traded for him.

Marve only makes third string if he plays fantastic in the pre season games and Brohm shits the bed.

No way Hall loses backup to Marve unless he gets hurt.

The team isn't going to go with zero experience at back up.

I'm willing to put money on that.

Marve is the project guy who will only see the field in the reg season if we get injuries or we are killing a team or being hammered.

 

 

Food for thought - you're challenging people who are making predictions based off one practice and in response, you're making predictions based off nothing.

 

Both opinions are valid.

[Brandon]

Have to keep people in check, when was the last time a guy came in and surpassed NFL guys with cfl experience?

[Valderan_CA]

Random-ish thought: I think Hall will be a very good backup QB for us.  Can easily come in and do the job if Drew is struggling.

 

I totally agree on this

[Brandon]

If Hall can get some sort of protection he might really surprise folks.

It will also help having an elite receiver this season.

[Mike]

Have to keep people in check, when was the last time a guy came in and surpassed NFL guys with cfl experience?

 

Cleo Lemon and Cody Pickett immediately come to mind.

[mbrg]

I have no doubt that Willy and Hall are locked in at 1 and 2. I have no reason to believe that Brohm will beat out Marve for number 3 because of his "NFL experience."

Ideally the better man wins the job. Today, it was Marve by a long shot. Tomorrow, it may not be.

The most likely scenario coming out of camp will be Willy as starter, Hall as backup, Brohm and Marve fighting for that 3rd spot, Yantz gets some good press clippings.  Perhaps the 4th guy sticks on the PR or IR if he shows enough.

 

The less likely scenario is Willy starts, both Brohm and Marve show enough in camp that the Bombers don't feel they need Hall as a safety net to cover for everyone's lack of CFL experience and is outright released.  I don't see any scenario where Hall stays on in that 3rd spot.

 

Brohm does not have any kind of an advantage over Marve at this point.  Trading for him carries no weight.  NFL experience carries no weight.  Neither of these things make him the better player, and the better player will get the job.

[mbrg]

Thanks to all who posted info, it's greatly appreciated.  I tried to throw a few likes around.  Don't spend them all in one place.

[blitzmore]

 

the point is you can have all the credentials in the world but if you don't show up on the field it means nothing.... If Marve shows much better than Hall and Brohm then I'd have no objection to him being #2

This is based on one practice.

How many times we see a guy look solid in practice only to stink in game time.

They have a lot more time looking at Brohm and if they didn't like him they wouldn't of traded for him.

Marve only makes third string if he plays fantastic in the pre season games and Brohm shits the bed.

No way Hall loses backup to Marve unless he gets hurt.

The team isn't going to go with zero experience at back up.

I'm willing to put money on that.

Marve is the project guy who will only see the field in the reg season if we get injuries or we are killing a team or being hammered.

 

So glad you're the only one who knows exactly what is going to happen in advance!

[sweep the leg]

 

Random-ish thought: I think Hall will be a very good backup QB for us.  Can easily come in and do the job if Drew is struggling.

 

I totally agree on this

 

Me too. I like Hall.

[Bomber_fanaddict]

 

Have to keep people in check, when was the last time a guy came in and surpassed NFL guys with cfl experience?

 

Cleo Lemon and Cody Pickett immediately come to mind.

 

who?

[Tracker]

 

 

Random-ish thought: I think Hall will be a very good backup QB for us.  Can easily come in and do the job if Drew is struggling.

 

I totally agree on this

 

Me too. I like Hall.

 

Hall ate a lot of Astroturf last season and there were probably mornings after a game when he had trouble moving, so he deserves an honest shot-nothing more. If Brohm or Marve beat him out for the backup spot (unlikely, but it has happened) I would feel for him, but that is the nature of the game. I still feel that Marve will be a gamer once/if he figures out the CFL game, and yes, it is baseless speculation.

[kelownabomberfan]

Random-ish thought: I think Hall will be a very good backup QB for us.  Can easily come in and do the job if Drew is struggling.

 

I totally agree on this

Me too. I like Hall.

I liked Hall's guts, he was the anti-Brock Ralph. I just don't see him as a starter, held on to the ball too long in the pocket and got nailed far too often, much like Buck in that way. Hopefully this year the game slows down a lot for him as he gets some confidence and more experience, and above all, half-decent QB coaching.

[kelownabomberfan]

Random-ish thought: I think Hall will be a very good backup QB for us.  Can easily come in and do the job if Drew is struggling.

 

I totally agree on this

Me too. I like Hall.

Hall ate a lot of Astroturf last season and there were probably mornings after a game when he had trouble moving, so he deserves an honest shot-nothing more. If Brohm or Marve beat him out for the backup spot (unlikely, but it has happened) I would feel for him, but that is the nature of the game. I still feel that Marve will be a gamer once/if he figures out the CFL game, and yes, it is baseless speculation.

what's Astro-turf?

[Fatty Liver]

Marve's reconstructed knees make me a bit nervous.  I don't fully understand the procedure that was done to them but with his history of injury I don't put much stock in him holding up for long.  If I was him I'd be looking for a career outside of football, his knees will thank him when he reaches 50..