Just two days into camp and things are already getting a little spicy. Robert Morris had its first little scuffle of camp, a mini dust-up between veteran linebacker Kyle Cooper and freshman linebacker Nic Lamica during a special teams drill. It's a common sight this time of year, but it typically happens after pads go on.
Yet it's no surprise to see emotions a little high to start camp. This is a team that has some pieces to do some damage in the Northeast Conference, but it's also a team that is coming off a mediocre finish in 2012. Robert Morris hasn't been able to challenge for the NEC title since winning the league in 2010, so there's naturally a lot of competition.
The coaches are playing into the concept of competition, as well, in certain areas. One would think that corners Marcelis Branch and Antwan Eddie are pretty safe, but secondary coach Bill Hurley had Clay Ilkin and Brian Jones work with the rest of the first team in 7-on-7s today. Few positions are locked down, as the case should be for a team coming off back-to-back losing seasons. Expect the rotations and the competition to continue throughout camp, as it's the best way for a team to improve.
TWO-DEEP DEPTH CHART
QB - Derik Abbott or Paul Jones
RB - Deontae Howard / Kenny Davis
FB - Ryan Thermil / Corey Garry
TE - Andrew Smith / D.J. Pearson
WR - Donte Jeter / D.J. Hayes
WR - Duane Mitchell / Chad Dawgiello
LT - A.J. Dalton / Dylan Knight
LG - Max Robertson / Blake Chambliss
C - Nick Faraci / Anthony Lucien
RG - Vince Mongelluzzo / Josh Thiel
RT - Jon Hill / Chris O'Connor
DE - Forrest Mason / T.J. Matrascia
DT - Farren Mason / R.J. Cook
DE - Chris Thompkins / A.J. Holderman
OLB - Mark Centofanti / Jake Tkach
MLB - Kyle Cooper / Luke Mueller
MLB - Mike Cook / Matthew Fox
OLB - Kimani Smith / Devon Cesario
CB - Brian Jones / Marcelis Branch
S - D.J. Myers / Eric Lowry
S - Sam Collins / Phil Peckich
CB - Clay Ilkin / Antwan Eddie
Fun With Numbers:
It didn't last a day. Not 24 hours went by before someone swapped numbers on me. This time, it was Corey Garry flipping to No. 34 and freshman Zach Cooper jumping to No. 32. Hopefully that's the last of the switcheroos until the week before the Eastern Kentucky game and the Colonials figure out who is dressing.
As for the newcomers, we figured out the rest of the numbers thanks to the help of incomparable equipment man Ray Butter:Quarterback Luke Brumbaugh is No. 13Quarterback Brian Johnson is No. 14Quarterback Joe Carroll is No. 15Quarterback Marcus Prather is No. 19Running back Caleb Stennis is No. 28Running back Perez Mackell is No. 39Wide receiver Alex Caratelli is No. 84Wide receiver Jordan Blackmon is No. 87Offensive lineman Carlton Watson is No. 63Defensive end Michael Woltz is No. 96Kicker Hunter Khaleghi is No. 29Punter Zach Sampson is No. 99Kicker Connor Shennan is No. 57
With the numbers done, here's an updated roster.
Day 2 News and Notes:
Chaq Nettles isn't the only freshman who hasn't hit the field yet. Defensive tackle Max Onyenwe is on the roster and even had a number assigned to him (No. 99), but he hasn't been on the field for the first two practices. From what I understand, he made it to Robert Morris, but it appears something else is holding up his debut.Another absence to make note of: Running back Billy Occean is not with the team. I'll try to figure out why, as RMU liked his potential impact as a return specialist this year.The quarterbacks are working in two sets of three. The first group features the veterans, with Derik Abbott and Paul Jones splitting first team reps. Marcus Prather, the redshirt freshman transfer from Akron, is working behind them. In the second group, Luke Brumbaugh and Joe Carroll are getting the bulk of the reps with Brian Johnson - a late addition - filling in. It's a rational start, and it leads credence to the likelihood that Abbott or Jones will start despite the staff leaving the competition open. We'll see if anyone swaps between groups, though.Speaking of those quarterbacks, they had some challenges today against the defensive backs. Clay Ilkin had his hands on multiple passes before finally holding on for an interception in 7-on-7 drills. Sam Collins had a pick in 7-on-7, as did Mike Cook (see below) and D.J. Myers. In 1-on-1 drills, David Taylor also picked off a pass intended for Sean Gavin. It's a natural development, as the defensive players are a step ahead at this point because they can rely on reads and their reaction. The quarterbacks - especially with so many young arms in camp - don't have the rapport or the steps down just yet.The special teams staff worked on punt returns today, which gave us a glimpse at the cast of candidates vying to be returners. Along with incumbent returner Brian Jones, corner Antwan Eddie, wide receiver Warren Fields, running back Caleb Stennis and safety Andy Smigiera all dropped back to return kicks. If they don't crack the line-up elsewhere, it might be an early way for Stennis and Smigiera to play a role as true freshmen. They would also probably be the fastest among the quintet, but punt returns aren't always about speed. Smart decisions and agility also play a factor. Sometimes quickness, not straight-ahead speed, is more valuable.
Finally, ColonialsCorner spent the final 7-on-7 period
closely monitoring the quarterbacks. We'll do this periodically to see
who has the strongest days (we also plan on doing it with a couple other positions. Robert Morris had 22 offensive snaps in that final 7-on-7 period, with six snaps each going to Derik Abbott and Paul Jones, four going to Marcus Prather, and three apiece going to Luke Brumbaugh and Joe Carroll.
Abbott went 1-for-6 in his snaps, with his first pass ending up picked off by D.J. Myers, who perfectly jumped a timing route. Abbott then threw an incomplete pass before being picked by Ilkin, who stepped in front of Dustin Lowman. In his second rep, Abbott tried to hit Alex Caratelli downfield in tight coverage but it was batted down by Phil Peckich. Abbott couldn't connect with Chris Rivers before finally throwing a nice pass to Warren Fields on the sideline.Jones was an efficient 5-for-6, but he also took a few less risks than Abbott. His tightest throw was one over the middle to Justin Kempka in tight coverage. He also completed passes to Gavin and Duane Mitchell, and successfully checked down to Caleb Stennis and Erich Maine. His only incompletion was when his throw for Andrew Smith fell short.Prather completed all three of his attempts, though one was a check down to Deontae Howard. He also decided to "run" on one attempt, as the coverage took away his options.Brumbaugh completed 2-of-3 attempts, including one pass to D.J. Pearson and a checkdown to Marty Thomas.Carroll went a little deeper with his three attempts, and he completed just one. His swing-pass to Rivers was complete, but a deep ball to Gavin in tight coverage was knocked away by Malik Johnson. David Taylor knocked away a pass intended for Uyi Akpan.
Give the session to Jones, but keep in mind that it's not just about the quarterbacks. Joe Walton's system is equally dependent on receivers running precise, well-timed routes. It was also just one session, and performances varied throughout the day.
Finally, our plays of the day:Throw of the Day: Paul Jones might have had the most accurate day, at least in the last batch of 7-on-7s, but Marcus Prather had a strong throw that deserves recognition. Prather zipped a pass over the middle to Tyler Digby right in between coverages in 7-on-7 drills that gave a nice glimpse at the Ohio native's accuracy.Catch of the Day: We'll give this one to tight end D.J. Pearson. Matched up with Codi Casper in 1-on-1s, Pearson made a nice move to get a step on the safety. Casper recovered nicely and got his hands in Pearson's way, but the big tight end stayed with it held on for the catch in the end zone.Pick of the Day: Linebacker interceptions don't come along all the time, so Saturday's award goes to Mike Cook despite the needling he got from secondary coach Bill Hurley. Cook reacted perfectly when D.J. Pearson couldn't hang on to a pass from Paul Jones and sent the ball back up into the air. Cook pounced on it for the interception.
That's all for today. Check back Sunday morning for the first batches of photos. We'll be right back at it tomorrow with Day 3.
Yet it's no surprise to see emotions a little high to start camp. This is a team that has some pieces to do some damage in the Northeast Conference, but it's also a team that is coming off a mediocre finish in 2012. Robert Morris hasn't been able to challenge for the NEC title since winning the league in 2010, so there's naturally a lot of competition.
The coaches are playing into the concept of competition, as well, in certain areas. One would think that corners Marcelis Branch and Antwan Eddie are pretty safe, but secondary coach Bill Hurley had Clay Ilkin and Brian Jones work with the rest of the first team in 7-on-7s today. Few positions are locked down, as the case should be for a team coming off back-to-back losing seasons. Expect the rotations and the competition to continue throughout camp, as it's the best way for a team to improve.
TWO-DEEP DEPTH CHART
QB - Derik Abbott or Paul Jones
RB - Deontae Howard / Kenny Davis
FB - Ryan Thermil / Corey Garry
TE - Andrew Smith / D.J. Pearson
WR - Donte Jeter / D.J. Hayes
WR - Duane Mitchell / Chad Dawgiello
LT - A.J. Dalton / Dylan Knight
LG - Max Robertson / Blake Chambliss
C - Nick Faraci / Anthony Lucien
RG - Vince Mongelluzzo / Josh Thiel
RT - Jon Hill / Chris O'Connor
DE - Forrest Mason / T.J. Matrascia
DT - Farren Mason / R.J. Cook
DE - Chris Thompkins / A.J. Holderman
OLB - Mark Centofanti / Jake Tkach
MLB - Kyle Cooper / Luke Mueller
MLB - Mike Cook / Matthew Fox
OLB - Kimani Smith / Devon Cesario
CB - Brian Jones / Marcelis Branch
S - D.J. Myers / Eric Lowry
S - Sam Collins / Phil Peckich
CB - Clay Ilkin / Antwan Eddie
Fun With Numbers:
It didn't last a day. Not 24 hours went by before someone swapped numbers on me. This time, it was Corey Garry flipping to No. 34 and freshman Zach Cooper jumping to No. 32. Hopefully that's the last of the switcheroos until the week before the Eastern Kentucky game and the Colonials figure out who is dressing.
As for the newcomers, we figured out the rest of the numbers thanks to the help of incomparable equipment man Ray Butter:Quarterback Luke Brumbaugh is No. 13Quarterback Brian Johnson is No. 14Quarterback Joe Carroll is No. 15Quarterback Marcus Prather is No. 19Running back Caleb Stennis is No. 28Running back Perez Mackell is No. 39Wide receiver Alex Caratelli is No. 84Wide receiver Jordan Blackmon is No. 87Offensive lineman Carlton Watson is No. 63Defensive end Michael Woltz is No. 96Kicker Hunter Khaleghi is No. 29Punter Zach Sampson is No. 99Kicker Connor Shennan is No. 57
With the numbers done, here's an updated roster.
Day 2 News and Notes:
Chaq Nettles isn't the only freshman who hasn't hit the field yet. Defensive tackle Max Onyenwe is on the roster and even had a number assigned to him (No. 99), but he hasn't been on the field for the first two practices. From what I understand, he made it to Robert Morris, but it appears something else is holding up his debut.Another absence to make note of: Running back Billy Occean is not with the team. I'll try to figure out why, as RMU liked his potential impact as a return specialist this year.The quarterbacks are working in two sets of three. The first group features the veterans, with Derik Abbott and Paul Jones splitting first team reps. Marcus Prather, the redshirt freshman transfer from Akron, is working behind them. In the second group, Luke Brumbaugh and Joe Carroll are getting the bulk of the reps with Brian Johnson - a late addition - filling in. It's a rational start, and it leads credence to the likelihood that Abbott or Jones will start despite the staff leaving the competition open. We'll see if anyone swaps between groups, though.Speaking of those quarterbacks, they had some challenges today against the defensive backs. Clay Ilkin had his hands on multiple passes before finally holding on for an interception in 7-on-7 drills. Sam Collins had a pick in 7-on-7, as did Mike Cook (see below) and D.J. Myers. In 1-on-1 drills, David Taylor also picked off a pass intended for Sean Gavin. It's a natural development, as the defensive players are a step ahead at this point because they can rely on reads and their reaction. The quarterbacks - especially with so many young arms in camp - don't have the rapport or the steps down just yet.The special teams staff worked on punt returns today, which gave us a glimpse at the cast of candidates vying to be returners. Along with incumbent returner Brian Jones, corner Antwan Eddie, wide receiver Warren Fields, running back Caleb Stennis and safety Andy Smigiera all dropped back to return kicks. If they don't crack the line-up elsewhere, it might be an early way for Stennis and Smigiera to play a role as true freshmen. They would also probably be the fastest among the quintet, but punt returns aren't always about speed. Smart decisions and agility also play a factor. Sometimes quickness, not straight-ahead speed, is more valuable.
Finally, ColonialsCorner spent the final 7-on-7 period
closely monitoring the quarterbacks. We'll do this periodically to see
who has the strongest days (we also plan on doing it with a couple other positions. Robert Morris had 22 offensive snaps in that final 7-on-7 period, with six snaps each going to Derik Abbott and Paul Jones, four going to Marcus Prather, and three apiece going to Luke Brumbaugh and Joe Carroll.
Abbott went 1-for-6 in his snaps, with his first pass ending up picked off by D.J. Myers, who perfectly jumped a timing route. Abbott then threw an incomplete pass before being picked by Ilkin, who stepped in front of Dustin Lowman. In his second rep, Abbott tried to hit Alex Caratelli downfield in tight coverage but it was batted down by Phil Peckich. Abbott couldn't connect with Chris Rivers before finally throwing a nice pass to Warren Fields on the sideline.Jones was an efficient 5-for-6, but he also took a few less risks than Abbott. His tightest throw was one over the middle to Justin Kempka in tight coverage. He also completed passes to Gavin and Duane Mitchell, and successfully checked down to Caleb Stennis and Erich Maine. His only incompletion was when his throw for Andrew Smith fell short.Prather completed all three of his attempts, though one was a check down to Deontae Howard. He also decided to "run" on one attempt, as the coverage took away his options.Brumbaugh completed 2-of-3 attempts, including one pass to D.J. Pearson and a checkdown to Marty Thomas.Carroll went a little deeper with his three attempts, and he completed just one. His swing-pass to Rivers was complete, but a deep ball to Gavin in tight coverage was knocked away by Malik Johnson. David Taylor knocked away a pass intended for Uyi Akpan.
Give the session to Jones, but keep in mind that it's not just about the quarterbacks. Joe Walton's system is equally dependent on receivers running precise, well-timed routes. It was also just one session, and performances varied throughout the day.
Finally, our plays of the day:Throw of the Day: Paul Jones might have had the most accurate day, at least in the last batch of 7-on-7s, but Marcus Prather had a strong throw that deserves recognition. Prather zipped a pass over the middle to Tyler Digby right in between coverages in 7-on-7 drills that gave a nice glimpse at the Ohio native's accuracy.Catch of the Day: We'll give this one to tight end D.J. Pearson. Matched up with Codi Casper in 1-on-1s, Pearson made a nice move to get a step on the safety. Casper recovered nicely and got his hands in Pearson's way, but the big tight end stayed with it held on for the catch in the end zone.Pick of the Day: Linebacker interceptions don't come along all the time, so Saturday's award goes to Mike Cook despite the needling he got from secondary coach Bill Hurley. Cook reacted perfectly when D.J. Pearson couldn't hang on to a pass from Paul Jones and sent the ball back up into the air. Cook pounced on it for the interception.
That's all for today. Check back Sunday morning for the first batches of photos. We'll be right back at it tomorrow with Day 3.
