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2017 Fall Camp Thread (Practice Reports and Press Conference Updates)

RollTide_HTTR said:
Agreed. Although the consistency with who has been playing with the 1st team seems to be a plus. It looks to me like the only likely change would come at RT if Leatherwood develops quickly enough to start.
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I'm more concerned with RG than RT. Cotton had a shot there and wasn't good last year. Guess we have to put faith in Coach Key seeing something different about him this time around.

That said, having the same 5 guys for this long is hopefully a good thing. One of our biggest issues over the last couple of seasons has been the RG and RT being in sync on combo blocks in the zone scheme. If we can keep the same couple of guys working together to develop better timing on the slide and release, we should be a lot better.
 
gtgilbert said:
I'm more concerned with RG than RT. Cotton had a shot there and wasn't good last year. Guess we have to put faith in Coach Key seeing something different about him this time around.

That said, having the same 5 guys for this long is hopefully a good thing. One of our biggest issues over the last couple of seasons has been the RG and RT being in sync on combo blocks in the zone scheme. If we can keep the same couple of guys working together to develop better timing on the slide and release, we should be a lot better.
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I'm fairly confident in Cotton over there. He's played a lot of snaps now and has had another year to be comfortable with what they are doing. Rooting for Womack. If can become just a pretty good lineman (and he certainly has the size to play the position so we are talking about attitude, technique and knowing the schemes) this offense could be very very productive. But you can bet whomever is the best of the front 7 on the other team is going to be lined up opposite those guys on every down. Hoping for the best.
 
gtgilbert said:
I'm more concerned with RG than RT. Cotton had a shot there and wasn't good last year. Guess we have to put faith in Coach Key seeing something different about him this time around.

That said, having the same 5 guys for this long is hopefully a good thing. One of our biggest issues over the last couple of seasons has been the RG and RT being in sync on combo blocks in the zone scheme. If we can keep the same couple of guys working together to develop better timing on the slide and release, we should be a lot better.
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I think we have to look at players like Cotton and make the same argument they are going to get better each year as I expect with Jalen. It was his first time as a starter in the SEC and he struggled at times. Let's hope he learned from it, worked hard to get better and will step up his play.
 
TiderJ said:
I think we have to look at players like Cotton and make the same argument they are going to get better each year as I expect with Jalen. It was his first time as a starter in the SEC and he struggled at times. Let's hope he learned from it, worked hard to get better and will step up his play.
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Agree, and guess my point wasn't clear. that's what I meant by Key seeing something different in him this year versus last year (different = improved). It's just till I see it on the field I'll keep it in the concern bucket.
 
TIDE-HSV said:
Man, I hope we don't have another season of scheming around a weakness in the right OL. I sure had hoped to see some fresh faces step up...
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Earle, I got a feeling that this won't be the case this year. Two things we can probably assume at this point:
1. They switch up on OL line a week before we play FSU. They did that last year and we were okay for most part of the season. I think theyre showing usual formation and then when it's time to close the practice, they switch up.

2. Cotton actually improved.
 
JustNeedMe81 said:
Earle, I got a feeling that this won't be the case this year. Two things we can probably assume at this point:
1. They switch up on OL line a week before we play FSU. They did that last year and we were okay for most part of the season. I think theyre showing usual formation and then when it's time to close the practice, they switch up.

2. Cotton actually improved.
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# 1 above could indeed happen, but I hope for #2 myself. One would hope that the recruiting evals for Cotton and Hammond were not way off the mark. Have to think that if they were, the staff would know it before now and they wouldn`t be running 1st group for this long. Timing`s so critical with combos and slides and such, you have to think that the prolonged time together has got to help.
 
JustNeedMe81 said:
Earle, I got a feeling that this won't be the case this year. Two things we can probably assume at this point:
1. They switch up on OL line a week before we play FSU. They did that last year and we were okay for most part of the season. I think theyre showing usual formation and then when it's time to close the practice, they switch up.

2. Cotton actually improved.
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1. I hope not. we weren't really ok last year for a while. switching guys around late in the game with zone blocking scheme makes it hard for them to be in sync.

2. I hope so, or we could see the same out of sync issues we had last year.
 
JustNeedMe81 said:
Earle, I got a feeling that this won't be the case this year. Two things we can probably assume at this point:
1. They switch up on OL line a week before we play FSU. They did that last year and we were okay for most part of the season. I think theyre showing usual formation and then when it's time to close the practice, they switch up.

2. Cotton actually improved.
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Or a third option: The staff has seen Cotton for all of Spring and the first week of camp and still realizes he's the best option even though he hasn't improved.
 
I'm thinking there are two spots in the OL line-up that will be determined by the development of two players. Deonte Brown and Alex Leatherwood. If Deonte comes on strong we plug him in at RG and move Cotton out to RT. If Leatherwood comes on strong he goes at RT and Cotton stays inside at RG. If both come on strong Cotton may be a back-up. If neither comes on strong it stays with Cotton at RG and Womack at RT.
 
CNS indicated that we had 4 offensive linemen playing winning football at the end of spring. So I guess we only need to find one more.
 
RTR91 said:
Or a third option: The staff has seen Cotton for all of Spring and the first week of camp and still realizes he's the best option even though he hasn't improved.
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Needless to say, that would be a rather grim scenario. I also think and hope that it`s the least likely.
 
Regarding the OL talk, didn't Chance Warmack have a pretty rough sophomore campaign in 2010? I'm not saying Lester will be the next Chance, but a poor sophomore season for an O Lineman doesn't necessarily mean that player is a lost cause or can't get much, much better.
 
RTR91 said:
Or a third option: The staff has seen Cotton for all of Spring and the first week of camp and still realizes he's the best option even though he hasn't improved.
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That's what I fear, the least bad option. I'm afraid that's what happened last season...
 
BamaGreek said:
It baffles me with all these prized OL recruits we have that there isn't one that can take that RG spot and play Bama football.
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over the last several recruiting cycles, we took mostly guys who played OT in HS, and then have tried to make some of them OGs. Even most of the ones rated as OGs by the recruiting services were still OTs in HS. Some can make that transition and some can't. While the OT typically will have better footwork and agility for pass pro on the edge, the OG has to be able to hold his ground better and be ready for the interior DL sooner and things just happen a bit faster in there with more traffic.
 
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