With Mike McCarthy settling in as the new head coach, have you seen any differences from the last coaching staff in these first practices? What stands out about the new staff? — ARLEIGH DUFF / CROMWELL, CT
Nick: Yes, we see a lot of differences from the last staff. Before practices began, you see a philosophical change in how they make up the roster. You never would've seen this many talented players added in the offseason with other staffs. You can tell they are trying to get better players in here, which makes it harder for rookies to make the roster. I've seen different drills that I've never seen before. We're also seeing different time allotted to certain positions. It's different. I wish I could get into more detail. But it's definitely different with this staff.
David: On one hand, it's still a football practice. Mike McCarthy even said on Monday morning that, at the end of the day, football practices all the way from high school to the NFL look similar. But you can definitely see a difference in the tempo. You can see a difference in a coach's preferences. Al Harris is working with his cornerbacks on footwork points that he values, and Adam Henry has a much different routine with his receivers than what we've seen before. Mike Nolan seems to have a much more even-keeled approach than what we used to see from Rod Marinelli. So yes, there seem to be plenty of differences. But it is still a football practice.
I know it's early, but I've read a lot about the cornerbacks and I haven't seen Reggie Robinson's name mentioned. How is he coming along and are there still high expectations for him? — SEDDRICK BERRY /SULPHUR SPRINGS, TX
Nick: I think the expectations for him are more for special teams, at least this year. There are a lot of cornerbacks battling for spots here and it's going to be hard for Robinson to make an impact. It's going to be hard for Trevon Diggs to do that as well. It's very early and you can't forget that these guys haven't had a rookie minicamp or any OTAs. So this is really his first week of practice. It's going to be hard for these guys to jump in the mix and be better than Chido, Jourdan, Brown, Worley and those players. Robinson will make this team and maybe get into the mix on special teams. But let's remember how early this still is in the overall process.
David: I think that probably depends on what your expectations were. I'm excited about Robinson's future, but his prospects as a rookie are more about special teams, in my opinion. It was always unlikely that a fourth-round pick was going to beat out four experienced veterans and a second-round pick in Trevon Diggs. But to answer your question, he seems to be doing fine and has been taking part in John Fassel's special teams sessions. I think that's his best bet to make an early impact.
