2015 East-West Shrine Game: Tuesday’s East Team Practice Report
By Charlie Campbell –
@draftcampbell
The second practice of the East-West Shrine for the East teams was held in St. Petersburg, Fla. under sunny skies with temperatures in the 70s. The East team is being coached by former 49ers head coach and Chicago Bears Hall of Fame linebacker Mike Singletary. Singletary had the players practicing full pads. After a sloppy day on Monday, better evaluations could be made from Tuesday�s practice.
There was one wide receiver who has really stood out the past two days, and that is William & Mary�s Tre� McBride. McBride (6-0, 205) started the practice by getting separation on a go route during one-on-ones with a nice over the shoulder catch. He continued to show quickness and was sudden as a route-runner. In reaching out to some team sources, they agreed that McBride was impressing and is helping himself this week with his ability to get separation from defensive backs.
Another small-school player who has looked good to NFL evaluators is Texas State�s Craig Mager. He did a good job of running with receivers and had an impressive breakup along the sidelines in the one-on-ones. Mager did a nice job of timing his contact and playing the ball. After the practice, the Chargers were meeting with Mager and he certainly would make sense for San Diego as a day-three pick.
There are two running backs who are off to strong weeks. Louisville�s Dominique Brown and LSU�s Kenny Hilliard both stood out. Brown was impressive in terms of picking up blitzers and blocking linebackers. Brown also had a few good runs. Coming from the Cardinals� passing offense, Brown could be ready to spell a starter in passing situations with his blocking skills.
For the second straight day, Hilliard was impressive running the ball. The power back has a burst to him, as he can fire to the second level and charge hard between the tackles. Hilliard ripped off a good run in the team scrimmage that could have been a big play in a game. It speaks well for Hilliard that he is looking quick and agile, as he should be even better in full contact with tackling, as Hilliard has an ability to run through tacklers and get yards after getting hit.
Along with pass protection one-on-ones, the linebackers and backs went head-to-head in pass routes out of the backfield. The linebackers didn�t have a strong showing in coverage. Two of the bigger-name linebackers also had struggles. Michigan�s Jake Ryan is a good run defender, but he had problems in pass coverage. Backs were quickly getting separation on their cuts, and Ryan couldn�t keep up with them as they ran away from him downfield. LSU�s Terrence McGee and South Alabama tight end Wes Saxton Jr. burned Ryan to get open.
Georgia linebacker Amarlo Herrera is another linebacker who struggled to cover. He was beaten by Saxton on a few plays, although Saxton dropped one easy reception. Both Herrera and Ryan look like backups that could see the field in obvious running situations, but they have a long ways to go in pass coverage before becoming three-down starters.
Louisville left/right tackle Jamon Brown had a respectable day. He has to improve his technique so he doesn�t reach after edge rushers and work on his bending, but he had some wins in the one-on-ones. Brown (6-6, 328) used his strength and length to push Central Michigan defensive end Leterrius Walton around the pocket. Walton also lost a rep to West Virginia�s Mark Glowinski on a speed rush. Brown looks like a right tackle project to develop, but he could be a valuable swing tackle backup on game days with experience as a left and right tackle.
Miami defensive end Anthony Chickillo had an impressive win going against Kentucky offensive tackle Darrian Miller. Chickillo used a nice dip and rip move to beat Miller. Chickillo is a tough football player who could be used for depth purposes. It was good to see him use a pass-rushing move for a win because he didn�t do that enough at Miami.
Miller (6-5, 290) and college teammate Za�Darius Smith both flash at times. They looked impressive at times with strength and athleticism, while looking completely lost on other plays. Miller could be worth development on a practice squad to see if he can become more consistent. Smith has a better shot of making a 53-man roster as a backup. Smith (6-5, 265) has some athletic potential as a base end, but he needs more pass-rushing moves and overall improvement in his technique.
WalterFootball.com will have more recaps from the East-West Shrine practices on Tuesday and Wednesday along with a run-down of the post-practice team interviews. Follow @walterfootball for updates.
2015 East-West Shrine Game: Recap - 1/18
2015 East-West Shrine Game: Stock Report - 1/16
2015 East-West Shrine Game: Wednesday's East Team Practice Report - 1/14
2015 East-West Shrine Game: Wednesday's West Team Practice Report - 1/14
2015 East-West Shrine Game: Wednesday's East Team Interviews - 1/14
2015 East-West Shrine Game: Wednesday's West Team Interviews - 1/14
2015 East-West Shrine Game: Tuesday's East Team Practice Report - 1/13
2015 East-West Shrine Game: Tuesday's West Team Practice Report - 1/13
2015 East-West Shrine Game: Tuesday's East Team Interviews - 1/13
2015 East-West Shrine Game: Tuesday's West Team Interviews - 1/13
2015 East-West Shrine Game: Monday's East Team Practice Report - 1/12
2015 East-West Shrine Game: Monday's West Team Practice Report - 1/12
2015 East-West Shrine Game: Monday's East Team Interviews - 1/12
2015 East-West Shrine Game: Monday's West Team Interviews - 1/12
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