Whenever I come across some, I'll post them under this thread;
Ducasse: 'I'm just trying to compete' »
Vladimir Ducasse jumped offsides a few times during the morning practice, perhaps a little too eager and excited to be out on the field, but seems to have a good handle when it comes to fitting into the locker room. Asked if he had visions of starting as a rookie, Ducasse took a diplomatic approach:
"I don't know yet. I'm just trying to compete and we'll see after that," said Ducasse, who will compete with Matt Slauson for left guard job. "You can't come in and say, 'I want to be the starter,' it doesn't work like that. You've got to prove to everyone that you deserve to be on the team first, then after that you can talk about starting."
But does he feel confident in his ability to be a starter and fill the void left by nine-time Pro Bowler Alan Faneca?
"I don't know yet. I'm trying to prove myself first," Ducasse said. "I didn't realize he was a nine-time Pro Bowler, that's pretty good. But he's gone now, and I'm just trying to compete for his spot."
Safety Ross Ventrone is a carbon-copy of his older brother, Ray. The little sparkplug was usually the first man downfield on punt coverage drills, and he was flying around in pass defense, putting himself in position to make some hits if the players were allowed (they practice in shorts, jerseys, and helmets, but no other pads). He’ll be interesting to watch come full-pads time.
Also, there could be more depth and talent at the inside linebacker spot, which has been thin the last couple of years. The punting battle will be interesting, as will the new additions at wide receiver and defensive back (not just Devin McCourty, but Terrence Johnson, Sergio Brown, and Ross “Baby Bubba” Ventrone). There are jobs to be won in that secondary.
*Sixth round draft choice Adrian Tracy is making the conversion from playing defensive end at William & Mary to outside linebacker with the Giants.
"He is athletic; tries hard," Coughlin said. "We have seen him do it (play linebacker) in an all-star game, so I think he can do it. It is going to take a little bit. There are a lot of things to take place when you are out there in space. He doesn't have his hand on the ground like he has played most of his life."
Tracy said he played linebacker as a freshman in high school (Potomac Falls in Virginia) and in the Texas vs. the Nation college All-Star Game.
"It's fairly new to me," he said. "I'm making the transition. I'm learning. I'm getting more comfortable with my stance. I'm not in a rush to put my hand in the dirt, but wherever they need me, I will play. Right now, I'm trying the SAM linebacker spot out and seeing how that works. Hopefully, I can transition in and contribute to the team."
Last year, Hofstra running back Kareem Huggins used the same camp to earn a more permanent spot, was impressive on the practice field in the fall and eventually got a late-season call-up to the 53-man roster. Offensive
The Falcons announced the addition of two players to the active roster who tried out with the team during last weekend’s mini camp.
Quarterback Eric Ward and defensive back Daylan Walker will re-join the team May 17 when rookies return for a four-practice session.
An Atlanta native, Ward (6-foot-2, 210 pounds) played at Richmond, completing 784 passes for 8,969 yards and 61 touchdowns in his career. He also rushed for 1,406 yards and 22 scores. Ward threw for more than 2,300 yards and 16 scores last season.
He holds single-season school records in completion percentage, passing yards, attempts and completions. He also tied the single-season record with 17 touchdown passes in 2008. Ward ranked 26th in the nation with a career-best 141.5 passer rating the same season.
He joins Matt Ryan, Chris Redman, D.J. Shockley and John Parker Wilson on the quarterback depth chart.
Former Foes Now Falcons Friends
Prior to the start of this weekend’s mini-camp, the last time safety Shann Schillinger and wide receiver Brandyn Harvey were on the same football field was last Dec. 18, at Finley Stadium, in Chattanooga, Tenn. That day, they were fierce rivals -- or at least their schools were -- as Schillinger and his Montana Grizzlies battled Harvey’s Villanova Wildcats for the FCS Championship. Harvey's squad came out on top, winning 23-21.
When the rookies renewed acquaintances at Flowery Branch they couldn’t help but reminisce.
"He gave me a little bit of a hard time and rightfully so,” said Schillinger, a sixth-round selection of the Falcons. “It brought back memories. It seemed like yesterday that they beat us in the National Championship game."
"I didn't really say much," said Harvey, an undrafted free agent. "I said something the first day I met him, but besides that, nothing too much. That's over. We played them, it happened,"
While neither remembered playing against each other, either that December day or in Friday's camp, they admitted they're friends now, with a common goal.
On a related note, Head Coach Mike Smith was asked about Harvey, who's had steady hands thus far in camp.
"[Harvey] has caught my eye," said Smith. "He has very good length and height and has done some very good things catching the football."
Scouts said Jets OG Vladimir Ducasse lacked polish heading into the draft, but he won't be afforded the luxury of learning from afar before getting thrust into a game situation. The Jets maintain they're confident Ducasse can step in as the starting left guard spot that became vacant when nine-time Pro Bowler Alan Faneca was cut following the second-round selection of Ducasse, who played left tackle at Massachusetts. Ducasse will start from Day One, and the Jets really don't have any other proven, experienced player to plug in at the position should he struggle. Head coach Rex Ryan apparently liked what he saw from the rookie guard at his first minicamp.
Lineups....Sixth-round pick Danny Batten as expected played outside linebacker on the strong side while fellow sixth-round pick Arthur Moats was inside
3. Wide receiver: Smith has declared Roddy White, a two-time Pro Bowler, and Michael Jenkins as the No. 1 and No. 2 receivers. Harry Douglas is expected to claim the No. 3 spot if he fully recovers from knee surgery.
After those three spots, things get interesting.
Veteran Brian Finneran, Eric Weems and rookie Kerry Meier will be trying to hold off challenges from Ryan Wolfe, Brandyn Harvey, Tim Buckley, Troy Bergeron and Andy Strickland.
Meier, Wolfe and Harvey have been impressive in shorts and helmets. How they hold up under five days of padded practices is something else.
