2015 East-West Shrine Game: Tuesday’s West Team Practice Report
By Charlie Campbell –
@draftcampbell
The second practice of the West squad in the East-West Shrine was held in St. Petersburg, Florida under sunny skies with temperatures in the 70s. The West team is being coached by former Redskins head coach and Seattle Seahawks quarterback Jim Zorn. Zorn had the players practicing in full pads. On Monday, the rain-soaked high school field had the players slipping and sliding all over the place, so this session was much better for talent evaluation.
Oklahoma quarterback-turned-tight end Blake Bell gave scouts something to think about on Tuesday. He had an excellent practice as he caught a number of passes while getting open in zone coverage and man-to-man. This standout performanceled to Bell talking to scouts from four different teams after practice, the most of any player from the West squad on Tuesday.
Bell got his practice started by finding a soft spot in zone coverage for a reception of about 20 yards in the seven-on-seven drill. In the team scrimmage, Bell caught a number of passes, including beating man coverage from a linebacker to get open running down the seam for a gain of 20 to 30 yards. He caught a number of passes and looked big, athletic and fluid as a receiver. He concluded this impressive practice by catching a short slant near the goal line and holding onto the ball as USC cornerback Josh Shaw slapped at the pass. Bell used his size and strength nicely on that play.
Bell needed a strong week at the East-West Shrine, and Tuesday was big day for him.
North Dakota State running back John Crockett also had a quality day. He ripped off a long reception after running open on a wheel route. Crockett then darted downfield and weaved his way through defenders before anyone got close enough to touch him. Crockett and South Dakota State running back Zach Zenner ran well in the team scrimmage. Each one looks like a tough gritty player who could be a value pick as a late-rounder.
Washington wide receiver Kasen Williams played well on Monday, but he had a mixed session on Tuesday. Williams had a touchdown catch in the team scrimmage of about 30 yards when he caught a short pass and outraced the defense to the front corner of the end zone. However earlier in the practice, Williams had some problems getting off jams at the line of scrimmage.
Another receiver with that same issue is Regina’s Addison Richards. He dropped a lot of passes on Monday. While his hands looked better on Tuesday, Richards didn’t display the speed or suddenness to really challenge cornerbacks.
Northern Iowa defensive tackle Xavier Williams and Purdue defensive end Ryan Russell both played well on Tuesday. Williams had a quality session in the one-on-ones and had a tackle for a loss in the team scrimmage. Russell beat Western Kentucky offensive lineman Cameron Clemmons with a speed rush and used a powerful bull rush to beat Arizona’s Mickey Baucus.
Fresno State defensive tackle Tyeler Davison played well on Tuesday. He had a respectable showing in the pass-rushing one-on-ones including a win against Indiana’s Collin Rahrig with a bull rush. During the team scrimmage, Davison burned by Clemmons for a sack with an impressive rush.
TCU safety Sam Carter had a strong showing on Tuesday. In the 11-on-11 session, he showed his instincts to snuff out a screen at the line of scrimmage. Carter also came over the top in zone coverage to break up a pass from Cody Fajardo. Carter has been a vocal leader all week and is very communicative with getting the secondary lined up correctly.
Stanford defensive tackle David Parry had a great start to the week on Monday and followed it up with another impressive practice. He beat Rahrig with a leverage with a bull rush and used speed to dispatch Florida State right tackle Bobby Hart. In the team scrimmage, Parry got in on a sack of South Carolina quarterback Dylan Thompson. Parry has really helped himself get noticed at the East-West Shrine.
WalterFootball.com will have more recaps from the East-West Shrine practices on 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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