Michael Thomas was back, but it was the players participating in drills that brought high energy on a busy day of red zone work.
It started fast after moving inside due to lightning in the area, with Chris Olave beating Pete Werner in coverage -- a massive mismatch -- for a touchdown over the top from Derek Carr. It was one of several dimes from Carr on the day as he continues to settle in with the new system.
Carr went 3-for-6 in the first set of 7-on-7s, with three TDs. A pair of passes intended for Keith Kirkwood hit the turf. Juwan Johnson was the recipient of a pair of those balls, with the rest of the defense standing at the back of the end zones chirping away. It's the type of energy you'd expect midway through camp, and it was nice to see at an OTA practice in June.
Jameis Winston was also sharp, completing all four of his passes in 7s, three for TDs. Haener missed on both of his 7-on-7 throws, but bounced back well in 11s with a pair of TD passes to Tre'Quan Smith late in the practice.
TAKING ATTENDANCE
Not a ton changed on the attendance front, though there were a few arrivals that missed Week 2 after being on hand for Week 1.
In all, 12 players were not spotted at all:
- CB Ugo Amadi
- TE Taysom Hill
- WR Rashid Shaheed
- CB Marshon Lattimore
- CB Paulson Adebo
- RB Alvin Kamara
- G Cesar Ruiz
- LT Trevor Penning
- OL James Hurst
- G Andrus Peat
- DT Khalen Saunders
As always it's worth noting that these are optional OTAs, and head coach Dennis Allen said he had been in contact with all of his players. One change for this practice was the absence of Ruiz and Penning, both of whom had been on hand but not working in drills as they rehab from injuries. They were replaced in that regard by Nick Saldiveri, who is still recovering from a calf injury but was out on the field for the first time as his teammates went through drills. TE Miller Forristall, RBs Eno Benjamin and Kendre Miller, and Thomas were all in attendance but not working in drills.
This time next week absences will be worthy headlines with the start of mandatory minicamp.
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HOWDEN IMPRESSING
I wasn't sure what to expect from Jordan Howden, but he's exceeded it thus far. I'm not sure there's a roster spot for both 6th round rookies, and the safety has definitely leapfrogged WR A.T. Perry thus far. He's got an NFL-ready frame and good instincts, which he featured on a PBU of a Jake Haener pass to Lucas Krull during 11-on-11 drills.
STILL WAITING ON PERRY
As mentioned above, A.T. Perry continues to struggle in the contested catch department. It might be an unfair critique of a young receiver making his way in the NFL, but the fact is: He's not in the NFL if he can't make those catches. He had another two chances today, one on a beautifully thrown fade from Jake Haener in 7s, and he was unable to come down with either.
He's still got plenty of time to turn things around, but an inauspicious start for the former Demon Deacon.
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TRE'QUAN HEALTHY
Whenever I tweet things like "Tre'Quan Smith had a good day," folks will groan because we've seen it all before. But he certainly did have a good day on Tuesday, catching a trio of touchdown passes with lively celebrations each time. Dennis Allen said the WR is healthy for the first time in a while, and while people might be annoyed, he still feels like a very safe bet to make the roster even with limited production over the last few years. Being a "does the dirty work" type guy always helps in that regard.
TAYSOM STILL A TE
Taysom Hill hasn't been in attendance, but when he does arrive (presumably next week) he'll be working with the tight ends, just like last year. That's what Dennis Allen said when asked whether there'd be any changes. Does that last throughout camp? Who knows. But it's at least where we'll be starting with him.
LUCAS KRULL IS FAAAST
We've talked about it a lot, but Lucas Krull is an athletic marvel at the TE position. Can he block? That's a big question, but it's not hard to envision a scenario where he becomes a weapon in the passing game down the road. He was targeted three times on Tuesday.
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