Buckeye News Around the net for 08/23/08
Santonio Holmes,
Troy Smith, Joey Galloway, Donte Whitner, Anthony Gonzalez, Dustin Fox, Ashton
Youboty, Roy Hall, Antonio Pittman, Ryan Pickett, Tyler Everett and A.J. Hawk.
By Bill Smith
The Good
WR Santonio
Holmes said he is a bit excited and nervous to be returning punts in the
team's next preseason game. He has not done it since his rookie season in 2006.
Because he has developed so well as a wide receiver, head coach Mike Tomlin
feels comfortable letting him return punts.
Maybe it is the sensation of the shaking underneath your feet when 21
players are running toward you with a majority of them having one goal—remove
the ball and perhaps parts of your body from you.
As a WR,
Holmes looks outstanding. Expect him to
have a great year. On a per-game basis
last year, Santonio Holmes averaged more fantasy points than Wes Welker and
Plaxico Burress, among others.
Head coach
John Harbaugh said the team may not know who their starting quarterback is
until the week leading up to their regular-season opener. QBs Kyle Boller and
Troy Smith have not done anything to separate themselves in the battle while
the team has ruled out starting rookie QB Joe Flacco. However, he did announce
that QB Troy Smith will start the team's preseason game Saturday, Aug.
23.
WR Joey
Galloway (groin) participated in practice Wednesday, Aug. 20. He may play
in the team's preseason game Saturday, Aug. 23.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Jon Gruden said Galloway
(groin) is a "work in progress" in his return from a groin injury. Galloway practiced on a limited basis Tuesday, Aug. 19.
"He's getting better. He's not 100 percent, and therefore it's hard to
play. But he is back in a limited capacity," Gruden said. At Galloway's
age, groin injuries can be very slow to heal.
Galloway has been struggling with the
injury all preseason.
Donte
Whitner got a key interception in the Bills game against the Steelers.
In Weeks 12
through 16 last season, Anthony Gonzalez was top 10 in receiving yards
and had three touchdowns.
CB Dustin
Fox worked with the hands team on special teams Wednesday, Aug. 20. That is usually in indication that his roster
spot is pretty safe. That is very good
news for a player that has played in only 7 games with 3 teams in his 3
previous years as a pro. If Fox does
make the 53 man roster, there is a good chance that it will come at the expense
of fellow ex-Buckeye Ashton Youboty.
From
Yahoo: Roy Hall, WR, Colts:
Marvin Harrison is healthy. The Colts say it, so it must be true, right? Now,
Marvin did catch three passes in Indy's first exhibition game, which is good.
But what if he goes down again? Sure, Anthony Gonzalez would be the primary
beneficiary, but who becomes the third receiver? Hall, like Gonzalez, is an Ohio State
product; unlike Gonzalez, he's a physical freak. Hall is 6-foot-3, 240 pounds,
and runs a 4.35. That makes him David Boston (before Boston got fat), but bigger and faster. Now,
Hall never did much in college, missed all of last year with a separated
shoulder, and hasn't shown the greatest hands. But remember the name.
Antonio
Pittman had 38 carries for 139 yards in limited action for the Rams last
year.
Antonio Pittman, RB, Rams: I've been asked a dozen times
over the past week what I think of the Steven Jackson holdout, and in each
case, I've remarked that the whole thing smells like an Emmitt. Which is to say
that it's evocative of those halcyon days when Emmitt Smith would stay out of
camp for all but the final three days, sign a new deal, then come storming in
Week 1 (or Week 3 or whatever) and dominate. Still, it's never unwise to have
contingencies, and Pittman seems the likely starter if Jackson stays away. Cut by the Saints after
last year's draft, he was solid as a backup for St. Louis last year, is a very good pass
catcher and has nice elusiveness. The presence of fellow sophomore Brian
Leonard would complicate things, but I'd prefer Pittman.
Steven
Jackson RB St. Louis has agreed to come back to camp to try to get a new deal
negotiated. While it will send Pittman
to the second team, Jackson's
absence has given Pittman a chance to solidify his position as the #1 reserve.
The Bad
Ryan
Pickett is still suffering with a hamstring. He hopes to be back on the field late this
week.
Dallas Cowboys FS Tyler Everett has a tough uphill road to make
the 53 man roster. He is not practicing
due to an undisclosed injury and that is not helping his cause. He is competing for the No. 5 and No. 6 cornerback
jobs on the roster in a very crowded and talented group of DB's.
The chances
that Youboty will be traded to Cleveland
were reduced significantly when the Browns traded a future draft choice to the
Dolphins for CB Travis Daniels.
The Ugly
A.J.
Hawk was hurt in a practice this week.
The injury involves the chest but the team is being VERY quiet about
it. The rumor is that Hawk has a torn
peck. If so, it could easily be a season
ending injury. We will do our best to
keep you posted.
Bill Smith is a
former coach of several semi-pro teams and has scouted talent. He is a senior writer for http://BrutusReport.com. He has
also published several novels on http://ebooks-library.com/index.cfm and edits http://fryingpanpolitics.blog.com