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Email Update 6/20/02 Volume 3 Issue # 6
IN THIS ISSUE
1. Chris Chambers Having Success
2. Patrick Jeffers Still Hurting
3. Offseason moves for the Lions
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Chris Chambers Having Success
Clipped from the Palm Beach Post:
The ball clearly was overthrown. Or at least it seemed to be. Then
Chris Chambers jumped in the air and climbed over the cornerback. He
reached his right arm higher into the air. Like glue, the ball stuck
to his large hand.
Ultimately, he landed out of bounds. The practice field fell silent.
The 100 or so fans sat jaw-dropped. The players gave each other
knowing looks.
It was a what-did-we-just-see? moment.
"I just did that just to do it," Chambers said. "If that was in a
game the guys were saying they would of called it a touchdown because
it was so nice."
There's a sense the Dolphins' receiver can do anything after catching
48 passes and setting team rookie records in receiving yards (883)
and touchdowns (seven) last season. The right ankle injury Chambers
sustained late last season slowed his progress earlier this off-
season, then he strained a hamstring this month. Chambers didn't feel
completely healthy until this week.
On Wednesday, Chambers caught two touchdown passes in the two-minute
drill, and the aforementioned reception would have been a third.
"The guy is going to be special," wide receivers coach Robert Ford
said. "He's still learning. He's learning the new offense, the
communication, the landmarks. He's learning on the run and yet he
does one thing consistent -- you get the ball to him enough times
he's going to make big plays. Period. He's good at that."
And to think Chambers wasn't that pleased with his performance
Tuesday, when he outran the coverage at least two times for big
gains. The time off from the injuries had left him winded and
frustrated.
"I just want to get in camp and get something on tape," Chambers
said. "I see the other guys doing well and I wanted to see myself
doing good. I looked a little raggedy. I need to improve."
It's that attitude that has endeared Chambers to the coaches and wide
receivers. Sometimes success begets ego from younger players, but
they have not seen that from Chambers.
"He always wants to learn, and that's what's going to make him so
good," James McKnight said. "He doesn't know how good he is or how
good he'll be."
Quarterback Jay Fiedler and offensive coordinator Norv Turner have
been the happiest two at the final quarterback school because it was
the first time they have had a full complement of receivers. McKnight
has not missed a snap in the off-season. Oronde Gadsden (shoulder)
and Dedric Ward (foot) have recovered from surgery. And Chambers has
overcome the problematic ankle.
"It's good for Jay to start throwing to guys he's going to throw to
on Sunday," coach Dave Wannstedt said.
Chambers already has been told he will be a starter this season. He
started seven games as a rookie but only two of those starts came in
the traditional formation. The other starting spot will go to
Gadsden, who has started the past 30 games in which he has been
healthy, or McKnight, who caught a career-high 55 passes last year.
But Chambers will get the ball.
"I'd be real disappointed if he doesn't pick up where he left off
from last year," Wannstedt said. "He can be as good as he wants to
be."
[[[[[[[[[[[[[ OUR VIEW ]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]
Show me a young player with talent with an attitude to work and study
hard and I will show you a player poised for great things. The
coaches are all saying the right things about Chris Chambers. The
fact that he has already nailed down the #1 WR spot despite being
injured should also indicate that the Dolphins expect big things from
Chris this season.
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Patrick Jeffers Still Hurting
Clipped from the Charlotte Observer:
The Carolina Panthers are taking a cautious approach to receiver
Patrick Jeffers' latest comeback from knee surgery.
"That's a wait-and-see," coach John Fox said Wednesday. "It's
something that's been a little bit hampering to him. We've tried to
get it fixed."
Jeffers had a standout 1999 season, but tore an anterior cruciate
ligament the next preseason. Numerous complications have slowed his
recovery.
On May 4, he underwent arthoscopic surgery on his right knee for the
third time. Doctors tried to relieve a bone bruise by removing tiny
pieces of cartilage.
Asked if he expected Jeffers to be ready for the start of training
camp July 26, Fox said: "It's like speculating the stock market. With
medical issues, there's a time frame and sometimes it varies from
that."
Though Jeffers remains optimistic, he admitted he cannot be sure that
he will be able to pass the Panthers' pre-training camp physical.
"Right now," he said, "I'm just thinking about what sort of rehab I
can do to help myself."
During a three-week voluntary camp that ended Wednesday, Jeffers was
on the practice field for stretching and rehabilitation exercises
only. He also went indoors to ride a stationary bike and work out in
a pool.
He said he expects to begin running and doing weight-bearing
exercises in two weeks.
Before the operation, Jeffers was listed with the first-team offense.
The surgery was a setback, but was essential because of swelling and
pain in the knee.
"It was bothering me to the point that I wasn't doing the things I
wanted to do," Jeffers said. "I'd say I wanted to run a route this
way, but I just couldn't do it physically.
"I think the coaches could see it. It was bad for me. It's a bad
situation when you're out there looking bad. I'd rather get things
right and be able to do things healthy."
Jeffers said he especially had trouble stopping and making quick cuts
when he was running a pass route.
"Your knee just kind of shuts down and gives out on you when you're
trying to stop," Jeffers said. "You end up taking six steps to slow
down, where usually you could do it in two. My routes ended up being
rounded and choppy.
"Hopefully, this will take care of the problem."
[[[[[[[[[[[[[ OUR VIEW ]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]
Patrick Jeffers does not look to get picked in many drafts, but could
be an interesting pickup during the season should he get healthy.
But that continues to be a giant IF at present.
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Offseason moves by the Lions
Clipped from mlive.com website:
The most compelling proof that a team's off-season wheeling and
dealing can pay immediate dividends is this: Seven different teams
have played in the last four Super Bowls. Of those seven, only one
team (the Denver Broncos) had a winning record the year before it
made the championship game.
The St. Louis Rams have been to the Super Bowl twice during that
period, going 4-12 the year before their first appearance.
Because team chemistry isn't forged until training camp and the
preseason, it's impossible to determine how the Detroit Lions' large
group of new players will jell.
"There are some early indicators, like a willingness to work (in the
off-season program)," said Lions president Matt Millen. "You can also
see what kind of guys they are. Some guys know how to blend. But you
don't know what it leads to until you get to training camp."
While it's difficult to know how the complete unit will develop, it
is possible to assess how the team performed in terms of filling
needs and the quality of talent that was brought in.
These grades reflect the comings and goings of the personnel at each
position, not the overall talent or strength of the group:
QUARTERBACKS
Key loss: Charlie Batch.
Key addition: Joey Harrington.
Summary: It's a straight-up swap with Detroit drafting their
quarterback of the future while dumping a player head coach Marty
Mornhinweg could never warm up to. Mike McMahon will likely start the
season, but Harrington will move into that No. 1 role very quickly.
There are no guarantees, but it appears the Lions might have their
first "franchise" quarterback in decades.
Grade: A
RUNNING BACKS
Key loss: Reuben Droughns.
Key addition: Luke Staley.
Summary: The Lions will tell you how happy they are to have James
Stewart back, but they exposed him to the expansion draft and tried
to replace him. This might be a case where the Lions were saved from
themselves. Stewart might lack game-breaking ability, but he can get
hard yards when you need them most. While Stewart is a good receiver
out of the backfield, he'll likely give up that role to Staley, the
seventh-round draft pick who could be the steal of the draft -- if he
stays healthy.
Grade: B-
RECEIVERS
Key losses: Herman Moore, Johnnie Morton, Bert Emanuel and David
Sloan.
Key additions: Bill Schroeder, Az Hakim, Mikhael Ricks and John
Owens.
Summary: Clearly, the Lions wanted to upgrade their speed, but
there's more to the game than that; otherwise, league rosters would
be filled with track stars. Morton was very consistent, a trait that
neither Schroeder or Hakim -- especially Hakim -- has yet to show
throughout a full 16-game season. Sloan, a former Pro Bowl tight end,
was effective in the red zone, but he has a troubling injury history
and his blocking was nonexistent. The problem is that Detroit has
failed to find a suitable replacement at tight end. Counting on a
fifth-round draft pick like Owens is a reach.
Grade: D
OFFENSIVE LINE
Key loss: None.
Key addition: None.
Summary: This is an area where addition can actually be a
subtraction, so it's good that the Lions stood pat. As an offensive
line needs chemistry and timing to be effective, too much tinkering --
even well-meaning tinkering -- can backfire. Re-signing free agents
Tony Semple and Matt Joyce were keys to providing stability and
depth. The Lions have enough young talent here; now it's time for
them to develop into an individual unit, not a unit of individuals.
Grade: A-.
DEFENSIVE LINE
Key loss: Tracy Scroggins.
Key addition: Kalimba Edwards.
Summary: Like almost every other unit on the team, just staying
healthy would be a tremendous upgrade. Luther Elliss is back to 100
percent from an elbow injury, which puts three Pro Bowl-type players
on the line, along with Robert Porcher and Shaun Rogers. Right end is
the weak link, but James Hall and Jared DeVries --both were limited
by injuries last season -- should do a decent job until Edwards
develops into a solid contributor.
Grade: C.
LINEBACKERS
Key losses: Stephen Boyd, Allen Aldridge and Scott Kowalkowski.
Key addition: Jeff Gooch.
Summary: This group is the wild card of the entire team. There's no
solid history on which to base an analysis on any of the starters.
Chris Claiborne will be in his first full season in the middle while
Barrett Green -- the key to the unit -- will have his first full-time
starting job. Brian Williams played two games for the Lions last year
and did a solid job as a late-season replacement. Coming off a
serious knee injury, there's no telling if Williams can survive a
full season. Gooch was signed to play a role in the nickel package,
but this position lacks depth and the Lions might regret not bringing
Kowalkowski back for another year.
Grade: D.
DEFENSIVE BACKS
Key losses: Bryant Westbrook, Ron Rice and Kurt Schulz.
Key additions: Brian Walker, Corey Harris, Bracy Walker, Andre
Goodman and Chris Cash.
Summary: This is the area where the Lions really hurt themselves and
there's little chance they'll be able to remedy the situation. By
allowing Westbrook to leave and focusing on the safety position early
in free agency, it's clear that Detroit was counting on trading down
in the draft and acquiring either Quentin Jammer or Philip Buchanon.
When no trade materialized -- and Harrington was too good to pass up
in the draft -- the Lions left themselves very weak at one of the
game's most crucial positions. And, with no quality free agents
available at this late date, it doesn't look like much help will
arrive before the start of training camp. Goodman, a third-round
pick, could be a future contributor, but even the most talented
rookies need time to develop.
Grade: F.
[[[[[[[[[[[[[ OUR VIEW ]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]
These grades look about right except for the receivers. We expect Az-
Zahir Hakim and Bill Schroeder to at least be serviceable receivers.
We agree that Detroit did nothing to fill the void left by David
Sloan and that could be an issue moving the chains all season.
This still does not have a look of a playoff team from where we sit.
They have weaknesses across the board and nothing outstanding to
create mismatches. Their defense looks very weak and could result in
the team abandoning the run in the second half of games which could
make both Hakim and Schroeder value picks in most drafts.
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That's all for today,
David Dodds
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