River Falls Recap: 8/5 AM Practice

It was a sunny start to another day of training camp with the temperature at 72 degrees and low humidity Wednesday morning.

Tight end Brad Cottam, guard Wade Smith, running back Kolby Smith and linebackers Weston Dacus and Mike Vrabel spent practice on the exercise bikes. Head Coach Todd Haley has stuck to the policy of only talking about those players practicing. With no major injuries reported it is assumed that Vrabel’s time on the bike was a precautionary step to prevent injury, as was the case with linebacker Zach Thomas yesterday.

A punt return drill started practice. The return team worked on lane assignments for blocking up field.

At 9:15 a.m. the team gathered for warm-up runs the width of the field and a team stretch. By 9:22 a.m. the team split for position-specific drills.

Right off the bat the defense got off to an energetic start running trough high knees and quick-hand exercises.

The receivers caught dump passes to the middle before turning the corner around four cones in a box formation for passes. The quarterbacks paired with the tight ends for short passes. The running backs worked on blocking one-on-one with blocking pads. The offensive line worked against a two-man sled, driving it off the line and going for the block.

Defensive end Alex Magee continues to be a presence on the field. He is at his spots and has shown to be an aggressive lineman with a lot of speed and strength.

At 9:41 a.m. an air horn sounded. The team began its next round of position-specific work.

Safeties and cornerbacks worked in the red zone and practiced preventing touchdown pases.

By 10:00 a.m. the special teams unit engaged in another punt drill. There were no actual punts or pressure, rather the team focused on the fundamentals of creating space for the returner.

The offense and defense gathered for a long-range touchdown pass drill. The defense covered but was not allowed to intercept any passes.

Linebacker Andy Studebaker took reps with the first-string defense in Vrabel’s place. Another player who continues to impress is running back Jackie Battle. He’s been in rotation with the first-string and has been showcasing his speed and ability to accelerate through the hole.

Linebacker Tamba Hali appears to be on target with learning his new position. He is getting to his spots and displaying effort. Hali has spent time talking to coaches about his responsibilities.

Quarterback Brodie Croyle is throwing the ball well. At today’s practice he took reps with the second string. Croyle has alternated between the second and third string but is starting separate himself from Tyler Thigpen.

Practice ended with a competitive period of third-and-one situations. Safety Bernard Pollard got heated during the session and started running his mouth. With a fight close to breaking out, head coach Todd Haley threatened to run his team as punishment.

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