Conventional thinking would lead one to the conclusion that a football team that is coming off a 4-12 season needs all the practice time it can get. However, as has been his tradition the last few years, Chargers Head Coach Mike McCoy cut minicamp short by one day.
“We told the players yesterday if we had a great two days then we would cancel tomorrow’s workouts so we’ve canceled tomorrow’s workouts,” said McCoy on Wednesday. “It was an outstanding off-season program. They’ve worked extremely hard and done a lot for the organization. I’m very pleased right with where the football team is at today.”
It is difficult to gauge a team when it has not put on pads yet. In June, every team looks good running around in shorts. McCoy, though, feels the energy level has been kicked up compared to 2015 and all the pieces they added (and subtracted) the last six months are on the right track.
“I’m very happy with the off-season program,” said McCoy. “I couldn’t be happier at this point in time. Very pleased with the way the players have worked, whether it’s bringing in the new free agents that we’ve brought in, the way they’ve practiced every day, the veteran leadership, and not always a vocal group but the way they practice, the way they approach every day in the meetings, when they say something everybody listens.”
Some of the younger players had another walkthrough on Wednesday afternoon and the rookies will have to return for another practice on Thursday. After that workout there will be a meeting with a very specific, important message.
“Don’t just throw it all away now in the next X amount of days before we come back to training camp,” said McCoy. “We’re going to take the Surfaces away from them, they’re not bringing them home with them. Now they’re all playing for jobs.”
The “Surfaces” are the tablets given to every player that hold the offensive, defensive and special teams playbooks. Now the young guys will have to rely on the notes they took in meetings to keep the new system they’re learning fresh in their minds.
There was one big scare on the practice field on Wednesday. Running back Danny Woodhead had his ankle rolled over by a defensive lineman. The Chargers say it’s just a sprain and will not hinder him when training camp starts in July.
