Football Galore

by Brock Huard

First off, let me speak for every man out there and wish you nothing but healing Adrian Beltre, wow.

Secondly, Safeco Field has not been kind to Ian Snell and that was one of the ugliest losses of the year. At least I was able to fast forward quickly through the M’s and get to some football, and here’s what I saw on the practice fields and on the tube:

1. For as much tempo and aggressiveness as I have spoken about at Seahawks practice over the last two weeks, I was surprised by what I saw out at the UW today. Not the size or athleticism, but the raw energy and intensity was a real eye-opener. The coaching staff is relentless and on the sidelines I ran into Gil Haskell, former Seahawk coordinator, and he and I were thoroughly enjoying the young kids competing so hard. It looked and sounded nothing like the UW practices over the last few years, and with music playing the entire practice from speakers on the track, it felt like this team enjoyed practice, yes practice.

2. I was glad Mike Salk was not with me at the Husky practice because he would have spent the entire two hours telling me how inaccurate Jake Locker is and college QB’s are in general. Jake does have to make more strides with his accuracy, but the positive I can take away is that Jake’s accuracy tends to improve in the team and 7-on-7 periods.

3. It was sure a welcome sight to see Walter Jones on the practice field, even if it was in a limited capacity. As long as there are no setbacks with his workouts and/or soreness, I expect to see him Monday in pads.

4. Arizona is a more physical team than people give them credit for, and I really enjoy the way Safety Adrian Wilson plays the game. He is a guy an offense must account for on every down which epitomizes a “difference maker.”

5. How much do you think JaMarcus Russell weighs?

6. If you have a son that wants to play QB, record every New England game and watch the way Tom Brady works his feet, balance and repetitive delivery to maximize his accuracy.

7. Lastly, and we’ll spend plenty of time on this Friday, I really like where Vick landed. Philly: Strong owner, strong head coach, strong QB, tough city. As for the football between the lines, I would fully expect Andy Reid and OC Marty Mornhinweg to utilize Vick’s explosiveness in many ways. We’ll get into it aplenty today at 11, talk to you then.