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Gaining notice Ravens' Heap among impressive players early in camp
During my summertime tour of NFL camps, I always pay close attention to the draft picks. In this era of the salary cap and coaching turnovers, just about every draft pick is expected to make his team and contribute. My first stop this year was Baltimore, and the Ravens' first-round pick, tight end Todd Heap, looks like a guy in the right place at the right time. Heap will benefit from the offensive ingenuity of Brian Billick and the presence of Hall of Fame tight end Ozzie Newsome, plus he won't have to be the focal point of the offense right away with Pro Bowler Shannon Sharpe around. Look for the Ravens to use a ton of two-tight-end packages. Another young tight end who caught my eye is David Martin, Green Bay's sixth-round pick. When Tyrone Davis was lost for the season with an injury, the Packers signed Troy Drayton, but Martin has been impressive. He can get off the line of scrimmage, has soft hands and runs excellent routes. He could be a dangerous weapon in red-zone situations.
Green Bay's first-round pick, Jamal Reynolds, also impressed me. Reynolds is not just a speed rusher, like so many undersized guys coming in the league are today. He has surprising lower-body strength and flexibility to beat a tackle's block and has at least two good moves to get to the quarterback, which will make him an excellent pass rusher in a very short time. I didn't spend all my time watching rookies, two particular veteran "big guys" stood out and seemed poised for big seasons. Baltimore's Sam Adams has a reputation for being a moody underachiever, but that label doesn't fit anymore. He had an excellent season last year and is practicing like he wants to go to the Super Bowl and the Pro Bowl. He was first in the drills all day long when I watched him, even when it meant having to sprint to beat Michael McCray to the other end of the field for the one-on-one pass-rush period. Not long ago, Green Bay's Gilbert Brown had eaten himself out of the league. But he's in great shape this summer and could be a force in the Packers' defense. If anyone is an early candidate for comeback player of the year, it's Brown. Pat Kirwan who spent 12 years as a pro football coach, scout and personnel administrator is an NFL analyst for CNN/Sports Illustrated and a regular contributor to CNNSI.com.
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