Alabama Football Daily Insider: Practice News And Some Saban Candor
By Ronald Evans
Alabama football fans have a big appetite for information and we’ll be serving up healthy portions of hot food for thought with a side of seasonal inside information every morning this Spring.
There was a time when getting to the Waysider early on a weekday morning was the best way to learn what was really going on with Alabama football.
In the compact dining area, all you had to do was listen. Most conversations included tidbits of information about the University and the football program.
These days there is more to be gleaned by surveying the digital landscape of multitudinous sources. The problem with this wondrous abundance of information is in separating the sense from the nonsense.
That’s where we come in. This column will endeavor to guide that process of discernment.
We’ll peruse message boards, podcasts, tweets, talk radio and numerous digital communication platforms. We’ll ferret out the most worthwhile information and offer our take on what it means.
The Daily Insider: April 4
The first of three practices this week was inside with players in full pads. Alabama football will practice again on Wednesday and Friday and end the week with a scrimmage on Saturday, April 8.
The Trevon Diggs on defense experiment, continued Monday. The 2017 secondary is set with Averett and Fitzpatrick at the corners; Harrison and Jones at the safeties; and Brown at star. Money appears to be the only open slot and Diggs may be the sixth defensive back this fall.
In a small surprise, freshman Daniel Wright was working at cornerback on Monday. Another true freshman defensive back, Xavier McKinney has been working at safety. Alabama football needs corners, so Wright may be competing for a 2017 backup role.
During the post-practice media session, Nick Saban spoke highly of the progress made by redshirt sophomore Matt Womack. Womack is the current leader at right tackle but Scott Lashley will push Womack hard for the starting position.
Alabama Crimson Tide Football
Speaking of starters before the first spring scrimmage is typically viewed as heresy by Nick Saban. Today he willingly stated that Da’Shawn Hand and Rashaan Evans were showing great leadership in their starter roles. Such candor by Saban is a far cry from the normal rep chart, not depth chart lecture he so loves.
In previous posts, we have discussed the importance of listening carefully when Saban speaks. Outside of premeditated rant modes, his nature is to choose every word carefully but thoughtfully.
After a question about Daboll and more use of two-tight end sets, Saban fought back his irritation and said the use of such formations would be situational. He continued by saying that Alabama football has had more success spreading out defenses than with power football against bunched up defenses.
That particular comment may come close to defining Alabama’s offensive future. Situationally, Alabama will play power football in 2017, but it is clear Saban also wants to open up the field. Alabama football has the skill players to do just that.
Speaking of skill players capable of doing damage in space, Saban acknowledged the need to find roles for some of the running backs.
We will get into this more deeply in tomorrow’s report, but Alabama has not had this much talent in the backfield since the105 scholarship era. For those unclear what that means – it means a long time ago.
Here is the complete press conference, compliments of al.com
Next: Current Projected 2017 Depth Chart
The next Alabama football practice is Wednesday, April 5. Alabama fans let us hear from you. Check in with us on Facebook or Twitter.