Bears Blitz

APMark Sanchez

Mark Sanchez’s first day as a New York Jet was productive, according to reports from the team’s training camp, but what stuck out to me was what head coach Rex Ryan said when he talked about the rookie’s ability to throw the deep comeback and the deep out—the two toughest throws for an NFL quarterback.

If we think about it, every quarterback in this league can throw the deep ball—and usually with some accuracy—but the deep out and comeback, two throws that need to be thrown with power and accuracy at the same time, are essential to the success of the quarterback position.

NFL cornerbacks react fast, and come out of their breaks with quickness—and a throw to the sidelines that’s late, or behind the receiver, will lead to an interception.

Yes, Kellen Clemens is listed as No.1 on the depth chart right now, which he should be given the time he has already put in the league over Sanchez. But in my opinion, it’s only a matter of time before Sanchez moves ahead of him—although he will have to earn it.

Ryan isn’t the type of coach who’s going to play guys based on where they were drafted, but being consistent and practicing at a high level is the first step for Sanchez. Next, he will have to show it in preseason games, make those throws and protect the football.

Remember, Ryan is a defensive coach. Turnovers from the quarterback in August can lose you the job.

Four-time Pro Bowl guard Brian Waters arrived with the Chiefs on Thursday in River Falls, Wis., and reportedly didn’t speak to reporters. Waters made it known he wants to be traded after a run-in with first-year coach Todd Haley.

The Chiefs have already looked to rid themselves of some players who aren’t with the program. Meeting Waters’ demands won’t help Haley’s first season. Waters boycotted the offseason program, arriving only for the mandatory mini-camp.

“I’m looking forward to training camp [with Waters],” Haley told the NFP. “He was in here for the mandatory mini-camp. He was on time, he paid attention, he practiced hard. I’ve got nothing but optimism.”

Word out of Bears camp is that Jay Cutler is as good as advertised when it comes to arm strength and the ability to get the ball down the field with accuracy and placement. Friday, in the Bears’ first full practice, Cutler hit WR Devin Hester down the field as well as TE Greg Olson—both in tight coverage.

But what caught my attention was how the Bears utilized Olson in his first day with Cutler.

APJay Cutler

We were told that the Bears used Olson in a variety of alignments, but the majority of balls he caught from Cutler came when he was aligned out wide, away from the formation, matched up against linebackers and safeties—which should be part of the Bears’ game plan every week this fall and could put Olson is favorable matchups against teams that play Cover One.

When the Bears align Olson as a wide receiver, a safety will be put over him—usually in off-coverage—on Olson’s outside shoulder, as his help will be toward the middle of the field. What this does for the Bears is allow Olson to run a multiple of inside breaking routes and use his big body to shield the defender from the football.

We saw some of this last season in offensive coordinator Ron Turner’s weekly game plans, but with Cutler now at quarterback, the ball will come out faster and it will be on target. Expect Olson to be Cutler’s No. 1 option in 2009.

The Michael Vick rumors spiraled out of control Friday with reports of sightings at airports, in workouts and on the practice fields of the New England Patriots. It got to the point where I didn’t know what to believe with so many conflicting reports and some media outlets going so far to state reports as facts.

The questions still remain where Vick will sign and when it will all go down. But from my point of view, the team that comes out with Vick in uniform at some point this season is the team that offers Vick, and his agent Joel Segal, the opportunity to play quarterback.

Sure, I like the idea of aligning Vick in the wildcat formation, or even used in creative ways in the passing game, but Vick—the former Falcons QB—is coming back to the NFL with eventual hope of playing quarterback again.

The Andre Smith holdout in Cincy, in full effect now that the rookie from Alabama missed Friday’s practices, is a bad sign for this football team if it continues for an extended period of time.

I’ve talked before about the effect of rookies missing time in training camp, but there is a major difference between a wide receiver holding out and Smith, who is expected to start for the Bengals this season. This Cincinnati team gave up 51 sacks in 2008 and drafted Smith with the No. 6 overall pick for that exact reason.

APAndre Smith

But the more time he misses, the farther he falls behind. Plus, his conditioning has always been a concern, and when he’s not at practice, he’s not getting into the proper shape it takes to compete at this level.

Talk of a contract extension for Vikings coach Brad Childress doesn’t seem to be a major concern for Vikings owner Zygi Wilf as Minnesota opens training camp, and after a summer that was met with broken hope over the Brett Favre situation, I have to believe that the seat that Childress is sitting on is getting pretty warm.

Add in the fact that Percy Harvin is a holdout and we have to believe that this is not the way Childress wanted to start off the month of August—which could be the most important training camp of his coaching career.

He now has to pick an option to start at quarterback between Sage Rosenfels and Tarvaris Jackson (which are both backup plans to Favre), his coaching staff is going to have to spend extra time after practice and in the film room working with Harvin when he shows up to get him up to speed and he has to find a way to bring this team together before September.

A much different football team that we expected just weeks ago.

The Roddy White holdout in Atlanta, which started last night when the wide receiver missed the first meeting of camp, is something that can’t cause a distraction for this team—but it will if it continues to linger into next week.

I understand why White is holding out—he’s in the last year of his rookie contract and just had a Pro Bowl season (88 receptions, 1,382-yards, seven TDs) for the Falcons, who made the postseason.

But this team added another Pro Bowler in TE Tony Gonzalez in a trade with Kansas City, and although Matt Ryan was the NFL’s Rookie of the Year, he still needs the month to develop as he goes into his second season.

Without White at practice, this offense isn’t complete, and that’s not the way to go into the huddle for the first time—which the Falcons will do today.

If I’m the Falcons, I’d find a solution to this issue as soon as possible. There are far more expectations in Atlanta this season, and they all include Ryan hooking up with White in the passing game.