There's certainly great camaraderie on this team, and the relaxed atmosphere has given players a lot more time and energy to laugh and joke around a bit between drills. The starting receivers are a tight group. Stephen Adekolu is a vocal leader of that group, even though he hasn't had a big on-field role before this year. Douglas McNeil is part of that group, having been on the practice squad last year. Nick Moore too is always smiling and right in the middle of the action, although injuries have limited his on-field contribution over the years.WestCoastJoe wrote: ↑Mon May 29, 2017 7:01 pmGreat reports, BCFAN, even on a "quiet" day. Three posts in one day, keeping us up to date and informed.
This business of going easy ... What is too easy? What is too tough? Coaches have run the gamut, trying it every which way. If guys are going to get dinged, it can happen under a heavy load or light. I don't seem to recall guys getting more injured under Vic Rapp, but they certainly did seem to run out of steam as the season progressed (some of that could even have been from mental stress, as Rapp was a high pressure guy). Don Matthews was more of an easy rider, but his guys definitely came to play. Bum Phillips of the Houston Oilers was one of the early practitioners of no hitting in practice, but they hit like gangbusters in games, as exemplified by Robert Brazile. What Wally is doing is more of the modern way. Hey, it ain't all old school.
Running backs Chris Rainey and Jeremiah Johnson are also tight and seem to love hanging out with teammates. The tight friendship and mentorship between Travis Lulay and Jonathon Jennings is well documented. The DBs are another tight group. I haven't noticed as much on-field fraternizing by the offensive and defensive lines, but linemen are cut from a different cloth. They don't like to waste energy on the field.