First day of mini-camp is over, and Megan Manfull reports that it's not all sunshine and lollipops at Reliant Park. Seems master thespian and incumbent LT Ephraim Salaam was none too pleased to learn that some dude who's been a Texan for less than a month was getting all the reps with the first team:
On one hand, I think I'd be bent if I was Salaam too. Brown has done nothing to earn the job besides being drafted in the first round. You'd think that Brown would have to show he could beat Salaam out on the field before being handed a promotion. On the other hand, Salaam may be getting bent out of shape over nothing. It's the first mini-camp. Brown is raw, and he's going to get beat early and often. The coaching staff will see that, and the guy who's better situated to protect The Schaub come September 7, 2008 will be the guy who gets the starting nod, first-round draft pick or not. On yet another hand (yes, I realize that's three (3) hands; bear with me here), it makes all the sense in the world to get Brown as many reps with the first team as humanly possible. As Matt observed, the relative inexperience possessed by Brown, the relatively short-term presence of Alex Gibbs, and the indisputable fact that D. Brown was drafted to protect the QB's blind side for the next ten (10) years practically demands that Brown take his share of lumps as rapidly as is necessary to get him entrenched and comfortable on the OL.
Kubes' actions thus far aside, I do not think we can pencil D. Brown in to start come Week One just yet. He's going to have to convince the coaches that he's less likely to get The Schaub killed than Salaam is over the next three (3) months to earn the gig. The good news for Brown (and the bad news for Salaam) is that it looks like the coaches are going to give him every opportunity to do it.
Salaam refused to talk to the media after either of the practices. That is unusual for the media-savvy 10-year-veteran. He is clearly unhappy with the decision by Gary Kubiak to put him on the second team.
On one hand, I think I'd be bent if I was Salaam too. Brown has done nothing to earn the job besides being drafted in the first round. You'd think that Brown would have to show he could beat Salaam out on the field before being handed a promotion. On the other hand, Salaam may be getting bent out of shape over nothing. It's the first mini-camp. Brown is raw, and he's going to get beat early and often. The coaching staff will see that, and the guy who's better situated to protect The Schaub come September 7, 2008 will be the guy who gets the starting nod, first-round draft pick or not. On yet another hand (yes, I realize that's three (3) hands; bear with me here), it makes all the sense in the world to get Brown as many reps with the first team as humanly possible. As Matt observed, the relative inexperience possessed by Brown, the relatively short-term presence of Alex Gibbs, and the indisputable fact that D. Brown was drafted to protect the QB's blind side for the next ten (10) years practically demands that Brown take his share of lumps as rapidly as is necessary to get him entrenched and comfortable on the OL.
Kubes' actions thus far aside, I do not think we can pencil D. Brown in to start come Week One just yet. He's going to have to convince the coaches that he's less likely to get The Schaub killed than Salaam is over the next three (3) months to earn the gig. The good news for Brown (and the bad news for Salaam) is that it looks like the coaches are going to give him every opportunity to do it.