9:07a – Pinellas Park, Largo, FL
Oh boy, the Patriots looked good for the 1st day of full pads. It’s funny how things work out. 1st day of pads, lots of sun, big white clouds and a cool breeze. Head Coach, Ken Crawford is a firecracker and runs a demanding and entertaining ship. His kids respond to him and seem to like and respect him. The Patriots started practice with offensive walk thru. Offensive line stepping to their blocks, running backs working on footwork, QBs opening up in the right direction…then it got real! A 26 play, live to the ground scrimmage. Starting offense versus the best of the rest. Human nature works like this, when the best player on the teams is on your side of the ball, your confidence level raises a bit. When I say starters, I’m talking about 6 players over 6-2ft and 3 of those are skill guys. The starting offense ran slap through the scout defense, but the tide turned when Jeremy Powell and Iman Smith switched over to the defensive side of the ball. The full out scrimmage was very productive. A tad sloppy, but that is to be expected on the 1st day. But, when it was good…it was good.
Show Stopper
Tyree Graves – 2013, TE/DL: The time is now for this stud. No verbal offers yet, not much recruiting mail, but all that should change around mid season. The kid is a shade under 6-3 and about 230 pounds. He is athletic as heck and loves football. I think he grows even bigger and turns into a big time defensive tackle prospect. His 1st play on defensive scout team, he blew up the whole play in the backfield. I asked myself, what the heck is he doing playing on the outside (defensive end)? Coach Crawford thinks he may even be the starting QB next year. He can rush the passer, tackle in space, throw the football, kick the football, catch the football; shoot…what can’t he do with the football? I am super excited to watch this kid in 2011.
The Hero
Brandon Hames – 2012, QB/DB: Powell, Smith and Graves will command the bulk of the recruiting and opponents attention. But, Brandon could be the guy that the team rallies behind. He is not a true QB. However, he is an athlete who can direct traffic, manage the offense and motivate his teammates. I did not see him on defense today, but on film, he looks great. He stands about 5-9ft and is very athletic with great feet. I can see Hames winning a few games for his team on both sides of the ball.