Alabama football conducted its next to last practice of the spring on Tuesday. One more tune-up on Thursday and then A-Day wraps up the spring season.
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 19
The spring practice season is winding down for Alabama football. Tuesday and Thursday are the last practice days before the A-day game on Saturday.
The Rep (Depth) Lineups on Tuesday
- The offensive line returned to an earlier grouping of (left to right) Williams, Pierschbacher, Bozeman, Cotton and Womack
- The two’s in the same arrangement were: Lashley, Casher, Hassenauer, Brown and Leatherwood
- The three’s were: Baker, Warmack, Owens, Kennedy and Petitbone
- Ben Davis and Dylan Moses practiced with the inside linebackers
- The secondary was unchanged with Trevon Diggs at left cornerback
As we said in an earlier post, the secondary starters are set for 2017. The experiment is over. Trevon Diggs is a cornerback. Averett, Fitzpatrick, Harrison, Brown and Hootie Jones will be the other five starters as needed in base, nickel and dime.
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It is hard to know what to make of the offensive line. Williams and Bozeman are sure starters. Pierschbacher may be as well despite being less than stellar last season. Insiders report the coaches are very pleased with Cotton. Right tackle remains a mystery. Best bets are Womack or Leatherwood or Lashley or maybe even Jedrick Wills who arrives in Tuscaloosa this summer.
The A-Day game will be worth our attention to see new offensive wrinkles and if a backup QB stands out. Maybe even more important will be the play of the second team secondary. The 2017 team needs at least one corner and one safety to be dependable backups in case of injuries.
The new running backs should be fun to watch. The bevy of immensely talented linebackers should be a sight to behold.
Maybe the Thursday practice and A-Day will not satisfy our desire to know all is well throughout the roster. That is okay. Fall camp will answer most questions and hopefully assuage most doubt.
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