Observations From Training Camp - Day 1

CHESTNUT HILL - The Bill O'Brien era if officially underway.

While spring ball was a nice little taste, the team was outside Fish Field House in the blazing heat and humidity for the first day of training camp on Saturday morning.

Practice lasted over two hours and there are already some key takeaways. As I did during spring ball I'll just sort of go in order of everything I wrote down throughout each practice.

So, away we go...

-QB's walked out of the Alumni Stadium locker room at 8:16. I pulled in a little late so I didn't see which position group was out first.

-It didn't take Bill O'Brien long to raise his voice, ripping into the QB's & WR's at 8:30 when balls were hitting the ground during indy period.

-Spotted a Cardinals and Giants scout at this point early on. There was a third scout on hand as well but couldn't tell who he was representing.

-Logan Taylor, Jaylen Blackwell, Alex Broome and Tim Hays were all on the bikes and did not participate. Taylor was actually in a walking boot. Asked about them after practice, BOB said they're all just sort of slowly working back from various offseason procedures.

-Individual angles/tackling period around 8:57. When the team broke off, TC's deep ball accuracy stood out. It also looks like the staff may have changed his arm angle every so slightly.

-With no Taylor, it was Trapilo, Kendall, Bowry, Conley and Allick repping "first" O-line drills.

-At 9:21, BOB calls the team up again and lights into them. We can't directly quote what he said, but in very colorful language, he told the guys that spring ball is over and game prep has started, so practice has to look like it.

-The first true team period came around 9:35.

-Jalen Cheek and KP Price top safeties, Jackson, Johnson and Tucker top DB's.

*TC drive - Would-be hold/PI against Max Tucker on Bond, screen to Ward, PBU for Tucker vs. Jerand Bradley, run stuff for George Rooks.
*Grayson James drive - Reed Harris drops a short throw, bubble screen for Jayden McGowan, incompletion (missed to who), incompletion behind Harris.
*TC drive - PBU (missed who), offense then sent for a lap by both Will Lawing and O'Brien. O'Brien colorfully tells players a lack of discipline won't happen at BC anymore...short completion to Skeete, PBU deep in the end zone by Tucker on his CM teammate Skeete. The two chirped each other heading back.
*Grayson James throws one screen to Datrell Jones and is 'sacked' by Owen Stoudmire.

-Looked like full team punt coverage/gunner work for a few minutes up next, took a quick bathroom/water chug break here so I didn't see the full period.

-7-v-7's at 10:10...

*TC hits a short pass to Ward and a slant to Skeete.
*James hits a short pass to Dino Tomlin, Bryquice Brown gets a tip-drill INT and then a short scramble.
*TC goes short to the sideline for Ward, Matt Ragan drops a pass in the seam, Morales short catch, scramble to the sideline, short pass to Bradley on the sideline.
*James hits Harris on the sideline, scramble, Ragan catch on the right sideline, overthrow on a deep ball for Jones.

-Full team period about 10 after 10...

*TC gets 'sacked' by Cam Horsely, short run for Jones, run stuff, screen to Bond for no gain.
*James hands off to Kye Robichaux for a nice run, incomplete deep ball for Harris.
*TC hand off to Robichaux, screen to Robichaux, hand off to Ward, incomplete deep for Harris with Brown in coverage.
*James screen to Bond gets blown up by Khari Johnson and a mini scrum ensues with the DB's and WR's chirping each other. There were at least 3-4 mini scrums or arguments that were quickly broken up. Heat and intensity had a lot to do with it. Ward and Jones finish up the period with short gains.

-Punt time around 10:20. Sam Candotti first up punting with Sam Stone second and Ivan Zivenko third. Return guys were McGowan, Ward and (I think) Bond.

-Back to a team period right around 10:30...

*TC goes short right sideline to Ward back-to-back snaps, short pass to Bond (another scrum/shouting match ensues), Horsely blows up a screen.
*James hands off to Jones, incomplete pass low, little trick play to McGowan for a nice gain (can't provide details, but it's a nice little wrinkle).
*One more quick possession for TC where he hands off to Robichaux (stuffed by Arnold), short run for Jordan McDonald, diving catch by Bradley, run stuff for Horsely.

-Liam Connor and Luca Lombardo rotate PAT's. Didn't chart them but it feels like it's Connor's job until it's not.

-Sprints wrap up Day 1 at 10:45.

Loved seeing the scrums and intensity picked up after O'Brien got after guys. There's a clear message of "we are going to be different in every aspect" early on. The defense won the day, but that's usually the case early on. I'd say it was about 70-30 defense winning reps, but that should balance itself out as camp goes on.

BC is back at it on Sunday morning at 9:15.