"Let me put it this way, it was a garden-variety spring practice, which we can't afford," vonAppen said. "We kind of went out today expecting to correct the mistakes we made in the scrimmage. "We also continued to add plays on both sides of the ball and that kind of slowed the practice down. But our expectations are going up and so should theirs." The Rainbows were in shells yesterday, but will be back in full pads today. VonAppen will give them tomorrow off before returning for three more practices on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
No depth chart yet: VonAppen entered the second week of workouts with his fluid depth chart still flowing. He wants to wait a few more days to keep the spirit of competition in place. The head coach also wants to make sure he and his assistants have time to discuss each position before announcing their decisions. "But if we're going to keep this kind of free-flowing depth chart in place, each guy has to realize he has to come out and work hard on every play," vonAppen said. It also figures that this Saturday's second scrimmage will help solidify things somewhat entering the final week of spring. Granted, there won't be an official Green-White game, but there will be a major scrimmage scheduled for sometime late next week.
Injury update: The Rainbows exited the first spring scrimmage relatively free of injuries. "I expected today's injury sheet to be two pages long and it was only a page-and-a-half," vonAppen said, then smiled. "We've probably had our fair share of injuries because of playing on the turf. "But it would have been a lot worse had we worked out on those two grass fields. They're harder, slicker and more dangerous in the rain than Cooke Field." Punter Chad Shrout is lost for the spring. He had arthroscopic surgery on his knee, but should beat full speed in time for fall camp in August.
Also expected to return this fall are Ben Bright and Mark Hernandez. Bright is out with a broken foot and Hernandez has a broken toe. There were the normal bumps and bruises after yesterday's workout, but vonAppen is pleased that, so far, the casualty list is a short one.
No comparisons: Former Bob Wagner assistant coach Trent Miles won't get into the comparison game. The defensive backs coach, who joined Wagner's staff late last year as a receivers coach, figured someone would ask him eventually. "I just don't want to comment on that," Miles said. "There's nothing to be gained from it." Miles wasn't so reticent when asked to talk about a secondary that has struggled mightily the last few years. In his mind, the improvement is forthcoming. "But it's going to take time," Miles said. "We've made progress. The kids are excited about the different coverages and schemes. "The players are making adjustments and so are we on the coaching staff. It takes time for everybody to get to know each other and how each of us does things. But it has been a lot of fun."