Practice Tuesday overall comments, mostly about Watkins

Comments on Practice for Tuesday the 15th

Please note that I left my paper to take notes on in my car so all my notes were on the white space of my roster. In trying to decode things I may have some of this out of order.

First, today’s practice seemed to be only the 1s and 2s when they went to WRs/DBs, 7 on 7 or 11 on 11. Those further down the roster only practiced when the team split into position groups.

In regard to the wide receivers, Watkins, Reynolds, and Thomas were all playing and neither Austin nor Spruce were dressed. This led to big changes in who ran with the 1s and 2s. Last week the 1s were Woods, Kupp, and Cooper and the 2s were Spruce, McRoberts, and Shippen. Today, after the first two three and out drives, the 1s were Woods, Kupp, and Watkins and the 2s were Cooper, Thomas, and Reynolds. Sometimes Cooper ran with the 1s, and McRoberts got some playing time with the 2s. In terms of the TEs, Higbee ran with the 1s, Everett with the 2s (some with the 1s), and Hemmingway got some playing time. Harkey was on the field a lot with the 2s as well. Outside of special teams I did not see Shippen or Shakeir Ryan get any playing time (both fielded punts along with Kupp at the start of practice). The three new WRs not named Sammy (Justin Thomas, Canon, and Gemany did not get any practice time either.
It seems that Woods, Kupp, Watkins, and Cooper are solid for making the roster (and being active for games). The next tier is Reynolds and Thomas. I am interested in seeing where Tavon Austin and Spruce fit when/if healthy. Some people have liked McRoberts’ performance in camp when he was running with 2s. However, that was prior to Watkins and with Tavon, Thomas and Reynolds not playing. With three of those now practicing, McRoberts has probably dropped to 8th/9th (not sure if he is ahead or behind Spruce). Now Thomas is a special case and does not initially count toward the 53 so Spruce/McRoberts may still be battling for a short term 7th spot (until Thomas is back).

Here is a Watkins update. He started off practice fielding throws from Mannion. In the first two sets (one with the 1s, one with the 2s), Watkins ran with the 1s. From then on, he ran with the 1s. He was moved around a lot. The two positions he seemed to get the most playing time was split wide on the right side (sometimes isolated – the other WRs/TEs on the left), or in the slot on the left. Cooper was often on the same side of the field as Watkins. He displayed nice hands in drills and had some nice moves in 7 on 7 and 11 on 11.

One of the times he was isolated on the right side, he juked the defender at the line and any pass with a little arc would have been a TD. I was watching from the other end zone stands and yelled deep to Watkins (the only time I yelled anything), but Goff did not look his way and threw to the left side of the field. A few plays earlier, Watkins was in slot on the left side of the field and Goff went to him with a quick short pass that was almost picked as the defender jumped the route. I wonder if that play was in Goff’s head in any way (why he did not look Watkins way), or the fact that he had three options on the left side drew his attention that way. Later on in practice, Goff led Watkins too much when heading toward the left sideline, Watkins tried to one hand it, got his right hand on it, tipped it up and batted it again, before he had a chance to catch it a third time, he was out of bounds (he did not snare it out of bounds). In a later set with Goff he caught a quick out to the right that would have gone for about 20 yards. Goff did air it out once to Watkins but overthrew him in the end zone. Watkins had two defenders running with him on that pass.

After practice ends, some players stay and practice some go to an assigned for signing autographs. The players who sign autographs while still on the playing field tend to be those trying to make the squad. Interestingly when I was leaving one player was signing autographs in the end zone in the area between the two fields on the opposite side of where the players go to leave the field. It turns out it was Watkins and he was signing for kids who were there from a boys and girls club.

I will post later on about the rest of practice (the non-Sammy info).