Bart Scott speaks out on eliminating 2 a days

[visajets]

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2011/07/jets_linebacker_bart_scott_say.html

[Bleedin Green]

Jets linebacker Bart Scott recalls enduring three-a-day practices when he was in college. So the news that the NFL may eliminate two-a-day practices in training camp did not sit well with him.

"I think it’s wimping out; making football more soft," Scott said today at TEST Sports Clubs in Martinsville, where he has trained with several teammates during the lockout. "No reason to try and make camp easy.

"I get concerned you're making football players weaker because you don’t push them past that threshold. ... I get concerned with the same thing with the quarterback stuff, that they turn it into flag football; they turn it into little pansy stuff."

Training camps held on the heels of a months-long NFL lockout -- provided the lockout is indeed resolved -- were expected to be out-of-the-ordinary. But another wrinkle reported by ESPN this week is that the owners conceded to eliminate twice-a-day sessions during training camp, a critical health and safety issue for the players during negotiations for a new labor deal.

Some non-contact walk-through practices, without helmets and pads, would be permitted in place of a second practice, the report said.

Last summer, the Jets scheduled two-a-days through their two-and-a-half week stay in Cortland, N.Y. Generally, morning practices were in pads, and afternoons alternated between a full-team practice in helmets and shorts or a special-teams session. Scott liked that schedule and worries what will happen if coaches have to cram reps into one extra-long practice each day.

"You're stealing reps from coaches," Scott said. "Even if you put those reps into the front of practice, what's the quality going to be? Eventually that cuts down on the quality of the product, (when) we’re already behind. Now you're trying to go full-speed running, when you're absolutely dog tired, and that’s when you get pulls and stuff like that."

Scott said the Jets' morning practices at camp usually included about 70 reps, and they would often focus on run defense since the sessions were in pads and could be very physical. The afternoon sessions without pads lasted about 30 reps, Scott said, and allowed his unit to go over defenses they didn't get to in the morning -- namely against the pass, practiced at high speeds.

Scott wondered how teams would fill the extra time during the day. He said he might wind up doing extra conditioning or harder lifts if he feels he's not getting enough work in.

"Two-a-days, it’s what football is all about," he said. "It’s about endurance, pain, will, putting yourself through something when your body is telling you it doesn’t want to go. Your mind controlling your body. That’s what camp is all about. With one-a-days, guys might not be in as good of shape as they would have been. Camp tears you down, and then a smart coach starts pulling back in enough time that allows players' bodies to build back up."

Safety Eric Smith felt differently, calling the elimination of two-a-days "great." But he also was skeptical on if the change would improve player safety.

"Less hitting is always less toll on your body, but I don’t know if it would improve player safety or not," Smith said. "A lot of these things are freak accidents that you can't really stop."

Receiver Jerricho Cotchery saw the positives in the elimination of two-a-days coming out of the lockout: less wear and tear for veteran players, and more time for the rookies to get up to speed with the mental side of the game after missing the offseason.

"A lot of times, that first week guys are hitting twice-a-day consistently; the coaches want to get everything out of you that first week or so," Cotchery said. "That approach would have killed the rookies because they wouldn’t have time to catch up. They're focusing on that physical part, but that mental part, they wouldn’t have been able to catch up."

* * *

With the possibility of the NFL and the players reaching a new labor deal this week, the Jets notified their coaching staff within the last couple days to report to the team facility today. Coaches were dismissed for vacation in late June.

* * *

Quarterback Mark Sanchez joined more than a dozen of his Jets teammates training at TEST this summer and led several throwing sessions with the offensive skill players at nearby Bernards High School and Bridgewater-Raritan High School, which TEST founder Brian Martin helped arrange. Among those who joined Sanchez were receivers Jerricho Cotchery, Pat Turner and Scotty McKnight; tight end Dustin Keller; and running back LaDainian Tomlinson.

Sanchez ran his teammates through the route tree and worked on timing. Scott and Smith, along with Bengals defensive back Jeromy Miles -- who are also training at TEST -- occasionally joined in, defending the targets.

Sanchez also has met with former Giants quarterback Scott Brunner, a coach at TEST, who offered insight on a passer's core rotation and ball protection.

* * *

Smith, who is a free agent, returned to New Jersey to train and still owns a house here.

"I didn’t sell it, because I didn’t know," Smith said. "I'd definitely like to (stay). I like the guys, I like the staff, I like the defense. There's a business side; I've got to see if they want me back and see where the cards fall."

Smith said he is in the best shape of his career. He added muscle mass and is up to 215 pounds, after playing last season at 207.

There is expected to be a three-day window for teams to re-sign their own players before free agency begins, if and when the lockout is lifted, but Smith said he isn't sure how the process will play out for him.

"It doesn’t matter what we do as long as the lockout ends sometimes soon," Smith said.

Definitely an interesting set of takes from a number of different players, and I think they're all right to an extent. You have to love Scott's attitude towards the game of football, and it's clear that it plays so much into the kind of player that he is. Not a lot of guys wouldn't exactly be unhappy with less work, but he is and I wouldn't want to have it any other way. Smith said he was happy, but he does make the good point about how much impact it will really have on player safety. Particularly this year with the lack of offseason work, I'm not sure how much it will help. Injuries always seem to be worse the earlier in the process (and thus less in shape) guys are, and I'm not sure if simply having less practices is really going to make that any different, or if any slight benefit will just as easily be offset by coaches putting more emphasis onto those one practice sessions each day.

The one good point in favor of it that I thought was made was by Cotchery, at least for this particular year, the rookies are definitely in a tough spot both physically and mentally and could probably use a lot less on field beating in exchange for more studying and working out. Either way, I still think we're in for some ugly a$$ football to start the season, but it's definitely interesting hear the varying opinions from the players themselves on the current status of things.

[Lupz27]

If I was a coach I would just turn the afternoon session into a suicide running marathon, to teach these pansy as LAZY, SOB's. Danger **** that, thats why they get paid MILLIONS of dollars, meanwhile there are cops and fireman out there RISKING THEIR LIVES and only making 5 figures. God bless Bart Scott for understanding that the coaches are running these 2 a day practices for their own good not to punish them.

[RutgersJetFan]

Articles like this should just be titled: Bart Scott Continues His Awesome

[Matt39]

He's right. I know they're pro's but nothing matches live reps in terms of preparation. These guys need them.

[T0mShane]

Basically, the owners locked players out so they could take back roughly 4% of all revenue, and the players absolutely raped them for everything else. Got it.

[Klecko73isGod]

Articles like this should just be titled: Bart Scott Continues His Awesome

+1000

All Bart Scott has done since the Jets signed him is validate the love I had for him long before he was on most people's radar screens.

[T0mShane]

+1000

All Bart Scott has done since the Jets signed him is validate the love I had for him long before he was on most people's radar screens.

I remember when you called Ozzie Newsome and said, "Oz, I gotchoo a guy you gotta see."

[The Crusher]

Articles like this should just be titled: Bart Scott Continues His Awesome

If Bart Scott and James Harrison had a baby it would kick Chuck Norris's a$$.

[Klecko73isGod]

I remember when you called Ozzie Newsome and said, "Oz, I gotchoo a guy you gotta see."

I don't go back that far. But back when everyone was drooling all over Adalius Thomas I was telling anyone who would listen that Thomas was the 7th or 8th best player on the Ravens D and that's why he had such a huge year in '06 and that signing him would be a waste of money and guess what?

Bart Scott was one of the guys I listed as being of more concern to OCs. Guy is a rampaging beast. He had 9.5 sacks as an ILB and did all the grunt work to make RayRay look good. How many times do you see him slash off the snap and take down the RB in the backfield? He's good for 2-3 of those a game. He was doing those same things in Baltimore back then. He was just surrounded by superstars so nobody paid any attention to him nationally.

[LWC611]

The elimination of two-a-days will also make it that much more difficult to evaluate players. The additional reps give players opportunities to shine. By eliminating the second practice, the union have unwittingly increased the importance of the exhibition games.

[Sperm Edwards]

Scott could set an example by voluntarily doing 2-a-days.

[LWC611]

Scott could set an example by voluntarily doing 2-a-days.

He might......

[Sperm Edwards]

He might......

We'll see -- er, uh, can't wait.

[Apache 51]

Defense, a killer, a true LB. Phuck em' all Bart.

[Apache 51]

[Barcs]

So they all missed tons of training camp time, but now they're limited to practicing? GTFO. These guys make millions to risk their safety. Let them do it. Goodell is the worst thing to hit the NFL in decades. We'll be playing flag football soon enough.

[Aqua4ever04]

The elimination of two-a-days will also make it that much more difficult to evaluate players. The additional reps give players opportunities to shine. By eliminating the second practice, the union have unwittingly increased the importance of the exhibition games.

It also is a good measure of mental toughness. When it's 100 degrees, your legs are jelly, and you have to go up against someone who is fighting for their livelihood, can you maintain focus and beat him?

I would judge a big part of my evaluations on what some of my players do in the final hour of the second session of a hot, tough 2-a-day session.

[serphnx]

I got an idea Bart. You start looking to pass downfield while Mangold and Brick take turns tackling you, then we'll see how much of a pansy you think the QBs are. Although it still wouldn't be fair comparison wise, since QBs are about 220 and these defensive guys can be in the 300s.

Also please show up for the championship game this time kthx. 2 years in a row the defense won't show up in the championship game after all their talk.