Vandermeer: Underway and Upbeat

[Arky]

Underway and Upbeat | Vandermeer's View:

"We're off and running with 2020 Training Camp. The Texans are working in a very different environment that J.J. Watt said was sort of like a Terminator movie set, complete with facial recognition doors and personal tracking devices.

..............

The team is still in the ramp-up process and isn't scheduled to have a padded practice until August 14, the original date for the first preseason game. So far (everybody knock wood) there have been no reported positive tests but Watt pointed out that without a true bubble it might be tough to pitch a perfect game in this category.

...............

We're less than two weeks away from us really letting you know how the new guys, young guys and all the guys look on the field. And we're about five and a half weeks away from the opener."

More at link....

[HPF Bob]

The NFL is the worst of both worlds regarding COVID. They are a physical contact sport but they aren't being quarantined into a bubble like NBA and the NHL. Sports like golf, tennis, baseball and auto racing can basically social distance with a few precautions. Football can't do that. Plus football is a sport that demands you go all out on every play. But I also think the NFL is the most willing to jeopardize their players to get a full season in.

[barrett]

Originally Posted by HPF Bob

The NFL is the worst of both worlds regarding COVID. They are a physical contact sport but they aren't being quarantined into a bubble like NBA and the NHL. Sports like golf, tennis, baseball and auto racing can basically social distance with a few precautions. Football can't do that. Plus football is a sport that demands you go all out on every play. But I also think the NFL is the most willing to jeopardize their players to get a full season in.

I don't think you could bubble for a 4 month regular season with almost 2000 players. The NBA brought under 300 players to Orlando for 3 weeks of games. Players would never agree to quarantine rules for that long.

[Keith]

In related news, this was supposed to be the first full weekend of preseason games. What, no one missed this?

Bye Felicia, as the kids would say (if those kids were from 2014).

[Arky]

Sense of Urgency | Vandermeer's View:

David Johnson – He's big, fast and can catch the ball. John Harris showed how he can improvise, in the Telestrator of a Cardinals play with Kyler Murray pulling the trigger.

Even though Lamar Miller and then Carlos Hyde weren't known as prolific receiving backs, they had some highly memorable moments (Like Miller against the Colts on SNF in '16 or Hyde taking a lateral pass from a would-be-sacked Watson in London last season and turning it into a first down). Johnson's ability to adjust and make plays as a receiver should mix well with Watson doing his typical magical things on the field.

Jordan Thomas – Bill O'Brien would probably say right here to not 'put him in Canton' but he's definitely off to a good start and looks more chiseled than in last season's camp.

The defense – They came up with a couple of big picks and also made it so the offense didn't totally win the day in late game and late half situational work. It's a work in progress but it was a nice showing on this day.

The numbers – As the play by play man, I just got used to Duke Johnson wearing Kareem Jackson's old 25 and now Karan Higdon is sporting JJoe's old 24. Oh, and there's rookie Jan Johnson wearing 56 while old 56, Brian Cushing, is helping in linebacker individual drills.

John Reid wearing 34 is going to take some getting used to and props to Isaiah Coulter for wearing an old school 82. Wide receivers wearing numbers in the 80s are an endangered species. Although he might have only done this because all the teens were unavailable. I promise to ask him at some point.

More at link....

Just not a whole lot of info flowing out of training camp this year.....