2014 Spring Practice - Day 5

[RunInRed 16,409]

Not a ton from today but Coach Ellis Johnson did speak after practice ... the biggest news:

• LaDarius Owens and Javy Mitchell both out w/ a broken foot, won't practice in spring
  
• Elijah Daniel (groin injury) could return next week
  
• Robenson Therezie has a broken hand
  
• Tyler Nero hospitalized due to incident at practice
  

Ellis Johnson on facing fast-paced offenses: "It's something we're getting more and more of, so we just have to be prepared for it."

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Ellis Johnson on 10-sec. rule proposal: "It doesn't make any sense to me."

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Ellis Johnson said Elijah Daniel is out with a sore groin suffered in the first practice and Robenson Therezie has a broken left hand.

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Johnson on Derrick Moncreif: "Moncreif has been an extremely pleasant surprise. … I think at this point he's way ahead of the other new safeties."

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Johnson on shifting positions: "We've got a lot of flexibility and lot of moving parts." Wants continuity coming out of spring.

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Johnson on LBs: "Kris (Frost) has made a real quick transition (to will LB) but Cassanova (McKinzy) has been bothered by a bruised hip."

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Johnson said LB JaViere Mitchell broke a bone in his foot during the SEC title game, won't practice this spring, creating depth issues at LB

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Johnson on CBs: "We're starting to develop some depth out there again."

@AUBlog

Ellis Johnson said there's "been a real emphasis" on personnel since spring practice began.

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Johnson said Trovon Reed has "had a really good spring" thus far as he's continuing to learn the corner position.

@wareaglextra

JaViere Mitchell broke a bone in his foot in the SEC Championship Game, won't practice this spring.

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Boundary corner is a possible landing spot for Josh Holsey. There's a lot of moving parts.

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Ellis Johnson on the pace-of-play debate: "The whole thing, to me, is people arguing for what's an advantage for them."

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Ellis Johnson says he's been happy, a lot of retention, big advantage having the same system two years in a row

@JoelAEricksonAU

Johnson said if a game was played tomorrow, Cameron Toney would be the Tigers' third linebacker in.

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Johnson said working Mon Adams and Gabe Wright to DE is a move of necessity, and doesn't think those moves are permanent.

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Ellis Johnson said Cassanova McKinzy is working MLB and Kris Frost is working at WLB. Both still work both positions at times.

@JHokanson

Johnson says if they were lining up this week Josh Holsey would be on the field

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Johnson says T.J. Davis has come on at the cornerback position

@ITATJason

via @AUGoldMine

[CameronCrazy 1,061]

Great to hear that guys like TJ Davis are developing and stepping up. His size could be a real plus for the cornerback position. I would love to see he and Khari Harding get plenty of playing time this year in the secondary.

[AU_Tiger_88 417]

Thanks Red!

[AUEngineer2016 407]

Any word on Nero? I saw in the other 5th practice thread that people were talking about him being taken away in an ambulance.

[WarNole 141]

Thanks for the updates, RiR.

[passthebiscuits 6,846]

I will post here: Nero had a non-contact injury this morning during light activity. He had some concerning symptoms and was evaluated out of precaution. Preliminary tests look very good.

Further details only if the University and Tyler release them.

[WarEagle84 0]

I will post here: Nero had a non-contact injury this morning during light activity. He had some concerning symptoms and was evaluated out of precaution. Preliminary tests look very good.

Further details only if the University and Tyler release them.

Thanks for the update. Sounds minor ... I'm hoping we'll see him back at practice soon.

[Weegle777 78]

Thanks PTB. Was worried about the kid.

[3rdgeneration 6,469]

Thanks for the info that we are able to receive. I totally respect his privacy and felt bad that I had asked about it when there was no real information shared. I'll still be saying a prayer for him, whatever he may have experienced.

On another note, I just LOVE to hear CEJ talk! I have no real defensive knowledge to speak of, but his accent is so nice to listen to and it is obvious that HE knows what he's talking about!

[RunInRed 16,409]

On Nero ...

An Auburn football player was hospitalized due to an incident during Thursday morning’s practice.

Tyler Nero, a defensive lineman who completed his redshirt freshman year last season, was transported by ambulance from the Auburn Athletic Complex, where the

Tigers held their fifth spring practice, to an area hospital. A picture posted by fellow defensive lineman Elijah Daniel via Instagram shows Nero awake in a hospital bed with several members of the Auburn defensive line surrounding him smiling.

“D-line out showing respect for our brother much respect to Nero,” Daniel wrote in the post.

Details are unclear, though Nero was not believed to have suffered a contact injury.

An Auburn spokesman was unable to comment earlier Thursday.The Advertiser requested a comment following the publication of the photo by Daniel and Auburn has not responded.

A spokesman for the East Alabama Medical Center was unable to confirm Nero was taken to the nearby facility, deferring comment to Auburn athletics officials.

http://www.montgomer...cident-practice

[douggwilliams 61]

On Nero ...

An Auburn football player was hospitalized due to an incident during Thursday morning’s practice.

Tyler Nero, a defensive lineman who completed his redshirt freshman year last season, was transported by ambulance from the Auburn Athletic Complex, where the

Tigers held their fifth spring practice, to an area hospital. A picture posted by fellow defensive lineman Elijah Daniel via Instagram shows Nero awake in a hospital bed with several members of the Auburn defensive line surrounding him smiling.

“D-line out showing respect for our brother much respect to Nero,” Daniel wrote in the post.

Details are unclear, though Nero was not believed to have suffered a contact injury.

An Auburn spokesman was unable to comment earlier Thursday.The Advertiser requested a comment following the publication of the photo by Daniel and Auburn has not responded.

A spokesman for the East Alabama Medical Center was unable to confirm Nero was taken to the nearby facility, deferring comment to Auburn athletics officials.

http://www.montgomer...cident-practice

So what up here? Hope everything is ok with him. Man our team really looks and acts like a family.

[gravejd 3,270]

Thanks for the update Red. A lot of positives to take from what Ellis said. I love to hear that Hosely might be sliding over to corner and that Moncrief has been so impressive this spring. Those 2 things hold true then that is good news for our secondary. I'm also really encouraged by Toney being the 3rd LB up. A lot of people write of guys who redshirt but always remember Ronnie Brown redshirted. A redshirt can still be a baller and I hope that is tha case for Toney. Hate to hear Cass is hurting, he needs as many reps as possible. Hope Nero is able to get whatever happened straightened out and gets better fast!

[aucanucktiger 1,794]

What does Ellis mean by "there's been a real emphasis on 'personnel' this Spring?"

Injuries to guys we need for Fall depth, glad Mitchell's sitting out so his foot doesn't end up in a Garrett situation where a 5 month healing process becomes 10 months because of going back on it too soon.

[sprewellrimz 0]

Frost moving to the will spot is really good news. He was really good at dropping back into coverage in high school and he's a really fluid athlete so I feel pretty comfortable with him being matched up with opposing backs.

[WarEagle84 0]

What does Ellis mean by "there's been a real emphasis on 'personnel' this Spring?"

They are evaluating personnel rather than having to teach schemes because almost everyone was here last year. A lot of the shuffling of positions is being done to evaluate different skill sets and find out who fits best where.

[ReidMcLain 75]

mincy and holsey at corner and whitehead and moncrief and safety? now that sounds like a great secondary. Probably our best bet this year