While there were certainly some bright spots in today’s camp practice, the injury epidemic extended itself even further today. Dan Lavoie noted the victims in his earlier article, so check there for detailed information on injuries. Today’s practice included some red zone work, two-minute drill opportunities for each of the quarterbacks, and the return of some familiar faces.
- 1st team offense shreds 1st team defense in 2 minute work: Tyrod Taylor hit Greg Salas on a deep gainer to set up a 5 yard LeSean McCoy touchdown run in the first part of the 2 minute drill work. The second and third teams, however, saw disappointing play from the quarterbacks. EJ Manuel telegraphed a throw and was intercepted by Sterling Moore, and Cardale Jones managed the clock poorly before turning the ball over on an incomplete pass on 4th and 13.
- Speaking of Tyrod and injury scares...: In red zone work, Taylor scrambled and was upended heading into the end zone, drawing some strong reactions from his teammates. While he walked away unscathed, Rex Ryan was not pleased, either.
- Sammy returns and impresses: After sitting out the 1-on-1 portion between DBs and WRs, Sammy Watkins jumped into the 11-on-11 portion of practice and immediately made his presence felt. While he did not catch the first pass thrown his way, he reacquainted himself with teammate Stephon Gilmore right away. He then caught a beautiful pass from Tyrod on the first play of red zone work, beating Nickell Robey-Coleman for the touchdown. Overall, it seemed as if everything was as close to normal as possible for the third-year wideout, leading to praise from Rex after practice.
- Marcell and Kyle participate in 11-on-11: Joining Sammy in the full team portions of practice were Marcell Dareus and Kyle Williams. Although neither DT ran with the ones in the two-minute drill, they each joined the unit when the team moved into the regular 11-on-11 session.
- Other lineup notes/position battles: The 1st three receivers to hit the field together were Watkins, Woods, and Goodwin, according to Sal Capaccio. The second-team safety tandem was Robert Blanton and Jonathon Meeks, while Colt Anderson and Duke Williams ran with the third team. Cyrus Kouandjio replaced Cordy Glenn as the first-team LT, with Ryan Groy filling in for Richie Incognito after he injured his ribs. Reggie Bush even got some run with the starting unit, leading to at least one big play on a screen pass and this humorous tweet from Michael Tanier. Jordan Gay re-entered the ring as a contender to Dan Carpenter’s job, going 6-for-6 on field goals. He’s now 11-for-13 in camp. Carpenter was sharp, too, going 6-for-7 on the day. IK Enemkpali and Zach Brown continued to fill in for Manny Lawson and Reggie Ragland, respectively.
- Brandon Spikes returns: Spikes jumped into the team portion of practice towards the end of the session, but it was his post-practice commentary that is sure to be most closely scrutinized. He discussed the “chip on his shoulder,” and how a year away from the game made him reevaluate his life. As for his role, Rex had some positive things to say about the veteran ‘backer.