ZippyBoy

Hixon starts first preseason Broncos game - Cutler attempted to throw to him on his first pass of the game, but skipped it to him...he finished with 1 catch; 21 yards:http://scores.espn.go.com/nfl/boxscore?gameId=270813025

Hate to be cliche, but you can find a stat to argue anything. Huard is a career backup QB with the exception of starting a couple of games for a crappy Dolphins team in 1999. Lucky to have one of the best offensive lines in football, he had a couple of good games last year when Green almost died on the field. If you like a guy who can call plays in from the sideline, he's your guy! He's so good at it, that he'll do it again tonight against the Browns when Croyle starts (http://www.kansascity.com/sports/chiefs/story/227659.html)I stand by my previous argument on Jacksonville. The fact that the QB position is an open competition between Leftwich and Garrard, and the fact that they looked into signing numerous QBs this offseason (i.e., Cullpepper and Couch) means they are not satisfied with either.Garcia is easy is an easy argument...would you want someone like this leading your team?!?! I know the Browns didn't a couple years ago...if the Browns can't find a spot for you on their roster, you are not good!"if it looks like a rat and smells like a rat, then by golly it's a rat." -T.OwensDoesn't matter if you don't think Charlie has skills...the fact is none of these other guys do...that's why he could challenge for a starting spot on these teams. That was the point of the conversation in the first place.

Domenik Hixon impressive in return from broken footBy ARNIE STAPLETON - AP Sports WriterENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) -Champ Bailey, owner of 19 interceptions over the last two seasons, is hard to impress.It's not every day the perennial Pro Bowl cornerback doles out praise for a young receiver, but the Denver Broncos' defensive star is dazzled by second-year pro Domenik Hixon, who missed his entire rookie season because of a broken foot.``I'll tell you what, man, he's a guy that we could have used last year,'' Bailey said. ``He's got great ability, great talent. You wonder how it's going to translate to games, but he looks good. He looks as good as most of our receivers. He has the ability to start. I just hope he fights for it.''Hixon, a fourth-round draft pick from Akron, is going to get plenty of opportunities to impress the coaching staff when the exhibition games start because the Broncos' receiving corps is spending more time rehabbing than running routes.Rod Smith (hip) and Brandon Marshall (thigh), who was slated to start alongside Javon Walker, have yet to step on the field during training camp, and Brandon Stokley (thigh), Marquay McDaniel (hamstring) and Glenn Martinez (thigh) have all come up limping of late.Hixon has been impressive in his own right.``The funny thing is he's 6-foot-2 but he can run like crazy and then he can stop on a dime,'' Bailey said. ``I mean, you don't see a lot of receivers who can do that with blazing speed like he has.''Special teams coach Scott O'Brien also is salivating over Hixon and can't wait to see him returning punts against the San Francisco 49ers on Monday night.``He's got speed for big plays,'' O'Brien said. ``The history of the NFL shows you don't need great speed to be a great returner: Dave Meggett, Mel Mitchell. But then you have the guys that had it, too. And he's got great explosive speed that can get you big plays if you get him in the open.``But for his size, he's got really good short-area ability. So, he can make the first guy miss.''He's shifty like a scatback but has the speed and size to be something special in a variety of roles.``Yeah, he can stop on a dime and then get off that dime in a hurry,'' O'Brien said. ``He's got great body control. My thing is now is he's starting to see the big picture, starting to set up blocks, that kind of stuff. He can do it. But all the good ones have to make the first player miss and he's got those physical skills.''Hixon seems just as enthusiastic to showcase his skills on special teams as he is to go long for Jay Cutler's deep throws.``I'm hungry. I'm going to take advantage whether I get one play or 100 plays,'' Hixon said.Hixon sustained a stress fracture on his pro workout day 16 months ago but didn't realize it and ran on it for two more weeks, figuring it was just a painful sprain that would go away. The Broncos went ahead and selected him in the fourth round but he missed all of training camp and then was a spectator all last season, his adjustment to this level limited to mental work.``I did a lot of undercover scouting last year,'' Hixon said. ``I sat there with paper and pen during practice taking notes to myself.''He also scribbled down bits of advice from Walker and Smith, pieces of wisdom he's putting to use on the field now that he's healthy.Last year was hard on Hixon, who had never been seriously hurt before. So, while his teammates are slogging through two-a-days in 90-plus-degree weather this summer, Hixon's smile has barely taken a break.``It was tough sitting out because it's been a dream of mine since I was a young kid, so to actually make it but then to put it on hold for another year? I couldn't wait to get out there,'' Hixon said. ``When we started our little conditioning phase this offseason, I was excited. Everybody was like, 'What's wrong with this guy?' But I couldn't wait.``This is a dream, a blessing. This is my shot. So, let's go.''

Jacksonville has Leftwich and Garrard, both better than Frye. KC has Brock Huard, who did pretty ell replacing Trent Green. Tampa has Garcia, who isn't what he used to be but is a former pro bowler and still pretty good. Baltimore has McNair (better now) and Smith (better prospect for the future). Detroit has Kitna, who isn't great but is better. Maybe Atlanta...maybe Minnesota...but even on those two teams he wouldn't be a clear-cut favorite. Jacksonville was rumored to be dumping Leftwich in the offseason, and their starting QB situation is said to be "open" going into this preseason. They were even in the market for Cullpepper before signing Tim Couch...yes, this is the same Tim Couch that blew in Cleveland.Kansas City has Damon Huard, not his brother Brock. Right now, he wouldn't even be their starter - Brodie Croyle is listed atop their depth chart and is said to be having a far better camp than the 34-year-old Huard so far this year.Tampa Bay is going to start Garcia. This is the same Garcia that got run out of Cleveland because he was so bad. The same Garcia they couldn't wait to get rid of. If the Bucs had that much faith in him, would they really have pursued Plummer and still invest money in Luke McCown? (BTW, they also have Chris Simms and Bruce Gradkowski on their roster). For the record, they also looked into Cullpepper when he was dumped by Miami and picked up by OaklandSo, to say that Frye wouldn't have a chance to start over Leftwich/Garrard, Croyle, and Garcia is nuts. I'd take him over this bunch of stiffs in a hearbeat.

How about Jacksonville (Leftwich, Garrard, and even Couch), Kansas City (Huard, Croyle), Minnesota (Jackson, Bollinger), Tampa Bay (Garcia, Gradkowski, and about 16 other worthless QBs)? Frye seems just as good as any of these players and they all have better offensive lines than Cleveland had last year!!!

No matter who it is, they may be running for their lives every play like Charlie did last year:More Browns worriesFree-agent prize Steinbach exits field with knee injuryPosted: Tuesday August 7, 2007 8:04PMBEREA, Ohio (AP) -- Offensive lineman Eric Steinbach, the Browns' top free-agent acquisition, left practice Tuesday after he fell on his right knee.Steinbach was being examined by team doctors following Cleveland's afternoon practice, which took place indoors because of rain. He walked off the field with a trainer and did not return."I would say he bruised it," Browns coach Romeo Crennel said. "That's what I would say because we didn't have pads on inside and we were on the turf and he came down on the knee."The Browns, who have been cursed by injuries, particularly to their offensive line, can't afford to lose Steinbach, who signed a seven-year, $49.5 million contract in March.Cleveland signed Pro Bowl center LeCharles Bentley to a six-year, $36 million contract last season and he was injured on the first play of contact in training camp, tearing the patellar tendon in his left knee.Bentley has said his injured knee is about 70 percent and he hopes to join the team for practice by the end of the month. He hasn't given up on his goal of playing this season.The Browns thought they had some depth on their line for the first time in years, but announced last week that offensive tackle Ryan Tucker would be suspended for the first four games of the season because of steroid use.Crennel reported a list of injuries Tuesday, including linebacker Willie McGinest, who had tightness in his back Monday and was being evaluated by his doctor in Los Angeles.Wide receiver Tim Carter got hit on the thumb and missed practice.Steinbach's backup at left guard, Andrew Hoffman, got hit on his elbow and also was being evaluated.Source: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/foot...s.steinbach.ap/

Does anyone believe that he was only joking?!?!? I think this may be the way Crennel has been coaching since arriving at Cleveland

Fun to watch him if you are in the 10% of the public that actually pays for the NFL Network!

I think he may have been referring to the site listed above (http://www.uakron.edu/stadium/)...looks like the "Stadium-Live" link at the top may be an active link once construction begins. There is also a "Stadium Cam" in the left-hand portion of the page where the sponsors are listed.

I think he may have been referring to the site listed above (http://www.uakron.edu/stadium/)...looks like the "Stadium-Live" link at the top may be an active link once construction begins.

From www.fanball.com:Broncos wide receiver Domenik Hixon suffered a right shoulder injury on Tuesday. The injury is not believed to be serious. "First-degree shoulder separation - at least that was (Head Athletic Trainer) Steve's (Antonopulos) first thought," head coach Mike Shanahan tells the team's official web site. "We'll get an MRI on it to be sure. He doesn't think it's too serious, but I'll let you know further after the MRI." Hixon was running with the first-string offense at the time due to injuries to Brandon Marshall, Rod Smith, and Brandon Stokley.

Weird...if you click on the Akron link from this site (http://cfn.scout.com/2/645627.html), he (Pete Fiutak) has us beating Buffalo and finishing 5-7. Make up your mind there Pete!!! There is no way are going to lose to Buffalo!!!

Beautiful stadium indeed. Anyone know of plans for additional parking? Besides the little lot between the stadium and the field house, as well as the student lot adjacent to Route 8, there doesn't seem like enough. Just trying to envision the new hot pre-game tailgating spot

As far as I can tell, it still looks as if he is on Denver's roster. I know they were high on him being a special teams return guy until his injury (and eventual placement on the reserve/non-football injury list) last year.Some of the early 2007 depth charts have him listed (such as http://subscribers.footballguys.com/apps/depthchart.php), some don't. I don't know the status of his injury or rehab.

Also found a Q&A from last week on the same site...sounds like he's fitting in well. I wish he had a better mentor than Trent Dilfer!!!Q & A with Rookie QB Luke Getsy 2007-07-10Although the players have a few weeks off before training camp gets underway at the end of July, rookie quarterback Luke Getsy took time to check in with 49ers.com to update everyone on his progress so far and how he’s spending his vacation time.Q: How did your first OTAs go for you?A: They went well. It was a good experience for me because I got to learn a lot about the offense and see how guys like Alex Smith and Trent Dilfer manage the offense and run the show. So, it was good for me and I got to learn a lot. I feel like I’m a lot further along than I was at the mini-camp.Q: Is it beneficial to have veteran quarterbacks like that to show you the ropes?A: Definitely. Those guys know a lot about the game, especially Trent. He’s been in the league for a while and he knows what it’s all about. It’s been good to be behind them and see how they do everything.Q: Had you been out to California before signing on with the 49ers?A: I had only been to California once before when I came to the Oakland area last December. I grew up just southeast of Pittsburgh in a town called Munhall. I liked California though when I came out back then.Q: What are your plans for the next few weeks before training camp?A: I’m just spending some time back home in Pennsylvania. I went to one of the beaches on the east coast for the Fourth of July, but that’s about the extent of my vacation time.Q: How nice is it to spend some time with your family?A: It’s great. I got a few chances to spend some time with them while I was in college since my family would come to all my home games and my parents would even travel to the away games, but I definitely wasn’t able to see them as much as I would have liked. I have a pretty big family so I’ve been spending a lot of my time off with them.Q: What do they think about your opportunity to play in the NFL?A: They’re really excited. It’s definitely something I’ve always dreamed of. They’re all just eager to see what’s going to happen now.Q: With training camp just around the corner, how have you been staying in shape while also giving yourself some time to rest?A: I don’t have the burden of a demanding training camp schedule yet, so I’ve been enjoying the fact that I get to work out when I want to. Sometimes you get a little tired of always having some place you have to be. I’ve been going running on my own and lifting on my own and I also have a buddy who I’ve been throwing to since I've been home.Q: What are your expectations for your first training camp?A: Coming in as an undrafted free agent, I know I’m not going to have the same kind of opportunities that Alex Smith had when he was drafted first overall. I’m not going in there with the expectation that I’m going to win the starting job. I’m just trying to be a valuable member of this football team. It’s an opportunity where I have to go out and do everything I can. I’ve been using this time to study my plays so I can go in prepared. Preparation is going to be huge for me because I want to be able to run the offense and make sure everything goes smoothly.Q: How much of the offense have you been able to pick up already?A: It’s coming along very well. Things are starting to flow for me and I’m very excited to show what I’ve got in training camp.Q: What has it been like to work with offensive coordinator Jim Hostler?A: He’s a great coach. I love being around him. He’s a guy who doesn’t have an ego and he’s very intelligent. I couldn’t be more fortunate to be around a coach like him.Q: Can you imagine what it’s going to be like to stay in a hotel room with the rest of the team for a month?A: I’m sure it will be fun and I’m excited about it. I love the game and I love the atmosphere around it. I just can’t wait until the day we get to go out there and I get to show what I have got. Source: http://www.sf49ers.com/pressbox/news_detail.php?PRKey=3148

Sounds like Getsy will be given every opportunity to win the 3rd string QB job in SF...this is from an article from www.sf49ers.comPosition Preview: Quarterbacks 2007-07-17QUARTERBACKS (4)Returners: QB Trent Dilfer (14th year), QB Shaun Hill (6th year), QB Alex Smith (3rd year)New: QB Luke Getsy (Rookie)Alex Smith showed his leadership and toughness in 2006, becoming the first player in team history to take every snap from scrimmage. It was a breakout year for Smith, who improved on his rookie campaign exponentially in touchdown passes (1 in 2005, 16 in 2006), passing yards (875 in 2005, 2,890 in 2006) and completions (84 in 2005, 257 in 2006).Hostler feels that Smith can improve upon those numbers in 2007. When asked about the communication between the coordinator and the young quarterback Hostler’s words spoke volumes.“I think it’s excellent. Alex and I have a great relationship. We’ve been through two coordinators so speaking the same language and getting us all on the same page, we’ve all worked very hard at that.”The third-year veteran also emerged into a big play threat. In 2006, 34 of Alex Smith’s completions were “explosive plays,” or plays that gain 20 or more yards. In all of 2005, he only had 13 such plays.Smith saved his best performance of his career for a key division match-up against the Seattle Seahawks on December 12, 2006. He engineered a fourth-quarter comeback with two touchdown passes and an 18-yard touchdown run in the 24-14 victory at Seattle. Only two other players in NFL history threw at least two touchdown passes in one quarter, while also running for a touchdown of at least 15 yards in that same quarter. Phil Simms did that as a rookie for the 1979 Giants (against the 49ers) and Kordell Stewart did it for the Steelers in 1997 (against the Ravens).Backing up Smith for the second consecutive year will be 14-year veteran Trent Dilfer. Although he did not participate in any on field game action, Dilfer’s impact was instrumental in helping San Francisco both on and off the field."I couldn't have devised a better situation for me," said Smith about Dilfer. "I'd heard different stories about some veteran guys, how they were kind of cranky about helping other guys out, but it just speaks to the type of guy he is. He's going to do anything he can to help the team win."Dilfer echoed Smith’s sentiments."The best thing you can do as a quarterback is make those around you better," Dilfer said. "When you're not doing it as a player on Sundays, you need to find other ways to do it. Hopefully, we're a better football team because of the commitment I made to it, and the way I've approached this thing, and the experience and the wisdom that, hopefully, I bring."In his career, Dilfer has started 107 career games, completing 1,646-of-2,953 passes with 106 touchdowns and 117 interceptions. He won a Super Bowl Championship in Baltimore and earned Pro Bowl recognition in Tampa Bay in 1997, after passing for 2,555 yards and 21 touchdowns.Quarterbacks competing for the third position are Shaun Hill and rookie free agent Luke Getsy. Hill saw time as both a backup and third quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings for four seasons before joining San Francisco last year. He enjoyed success in 2003 with the Amsterdam Admirals where he led NFL Europe in passing yards with 2,256 and ranked tied for second with 13 touchdown passes.Getsy played two seasons for Akron after transferring from the University of Pittsburgh following his sophomore season. He threw for 6,117 yards in two years for the Zips, which ranks third on the school’s all-time list, and helped lead Akron to its first Mid-American Conference championship and Division I-A bowl game in 2005 Source: http://www.sf49ers.com/pressbox/news_detai...ction=PR%20News

Interesting - this is from the "2007 Preseason All-VanDelay MAC Football Team" page...2007 Preseason All-VanDelay Team1st Team OFFENSEQB - Nate Davis - Ball StateRB - Kalvin McRae - OhioRB - Jalen Parmele - ToledoWR - Herb Martin - Western MichiganWR - Bryan Anderson - Central MichiganTE - Darius Hill - Ball StateC - Kory Lichtensteiger - Bowling GreenOL - John Greco - ToledoOL - Andre Ramsey - Ball StateOL - Chris Kemme - AkronOL - Andrew Hartline - Central Michigan1st Team DEFENSEDL - Larry English - NIUDL - Trevor Scott - BuffaloDL - Landon Cohen - OhioDL - Nick Varcadipane - Western MichiganLB - Dan Holtzclaw - Eastern MichiganLB - Joey Hudson - MiamiLB - Thomas “Red” Keith - Central MichiganS - Barry Church - ToledoS - Louis Delmas - Western MichiganCB - E.J. Biggers - Western MichiganCB - Londen Fryar - Western Michigan2nd Team OFFENSEQB - Dan LeFevour - Central MichiganRB - Dennis Kennedy - AkronRB - Mark Bonds - Western MichiganWR - Britt Davis - NIUWR - Dante Love - Ball StateTE - Chris Hopkins - ToledoC - Robbie Krutilla - Western MichiganOL - Matt Miller - OhioOL - Eric Tunney - Central MichiganOL - James Blair - Western MichiganOL - Joe Marafine - Can't State 2nd Team DEFENSEDL - Steven Friend - Central MichiganDL - Jason Jones - Eastern MichiganDL - Colin Ferrell - Can't StateDL - Jameson Hartke - OhioLB - Cortland Booker - Ball StateLB - Wallace Bates - TempleLB - Tim McCarthy - NIUS - C.J. Wilson - Western MichiganS - Kareem Byrom - BuffaloCB - Mark Parson - OhioCB - Nigel Morris - Toledo SpecialistsPK 1 - Chris Nendick - NIUPK 2 - Trevor Cook - MiamiP 1 - Chris Miller - Ball StateP 2 - Brett Kern - ToledoKR 1 - Travis Shelton - TempleKR 2 - Brandon West - Western MichiganPR 1 - Chris Garrett - OhioPR 2 - Cory Partridge - BGSU(1) first team; (2) second teamOffensive Player of the Year1. QB - Nate Davis - Ball State2. RB - Kalvin McRae - Ohio3. RB - Jalen Parmele - ToledoDefensive Player of the Year1. LB - Red Keith - Central Michigan2. S - Barry Church - Toledo3. LB - Dan Holtzclaw - Eastern MichiganTop MAC Pro Prospects for the 2008 Draft1. John Greco, OL, Toledo2. Kory Lichtensteiger, C, BGSU3. Joe Marafine, OL, Can't St4. Trevor Scott, DE, Buffalo5. Jack Williams, CB, Can't St6. Jalen Parmele, RB, Toledo7. Red Keith, LB, Central Michigan8. Robbie Krutilla, C, Western Michigan9. Tyrrell Herbert, FS, Toledo10. James Blair, Western Michigan11. Kalvin McRae, RB, Ohio12. Jabari Arthur, WR, Akron13. Jamey Richard, C, BuffaloSource: http://www.vandelaysports.com/football/mac...l-vandelay.html