“David has come in and has worked hard. He has tried to learn the system. I think that what we do offensively is quite a bit different from what he was doing in Chicago. I’m not saying that is good or bad. I’m just saying that is the way it is. It’s just different. So, he was worked hard to adapt to that. He spends extra time with the quarterbacks and with Brian Daboll the receivers coach to make sure that he understands how he wants everything done. He is very professional. He is a very hard worker. He is in good condition and kind of go all day. So far I think he’s certainly made a lot of progress and we’ll see how that continues to develop.”

I don’t think that is all he said positively that camp on Terrell either.

Here he is on Jeremy Mincey last year:

“Yeah. He’s certainly come a ways from where he was in the spring and even at the start of camp. He definitely has a long way to go, but he’s making progress and he is working hard. He is a tough kid. He is in good condition. He has been out there everyday, so he has gotten better everyday. But still the whole pass coverage thing for any player that is making that conversion from down to on their feet, it’s usually a considerable process that they have to go through and really understanding formations and routes and run pass keys and things like that. But he is definitely getting better. He is a big, physical kid. We’ll give him a chance in there and see what he can do in the kicking game and see how that relates to how his development is coming along on special teams. There are a lot of guys who are kind of in that same boat, especially at that position at linebacker and the secondary. A lot of guys kind of fall into that category.”

Here he is on Michael Jennings in 2004:

“Well, you just have to look at his improvement and see how quickly he is improving and see how quickly things come to him, similar to Stephen Neal. It’s the same type of situation, and we have gone through that. There’s a long way to go, and we don’t have a lot of time. It is not like you are in a college program where you have a four-year scholarship– that is just not the way it works. So, the improvement has to come relatively quickly, and you have to feel like the player is going to have a chance to get to a point that he will be able to play in the league. And that is obviously a projection because you are not going to see enough of that quickly, enough to be sure, but you just go with what you do see and what he does prove and how much he has improved. And Michael has improved a lot. He was with us in the offseason, and I thought that all of his football skills improved significantly during the offseason and during training camp, which sometimes there is a lull or a backslide when you put all the players out there and the pads come on. But, it really hasn’t for him. He still continues to improve and still has a long way to go, but he is certainly headed in the right direction and continues to show up and make plays for us in his role.”

These are just three examples. All three were cut by the end of camp. I don’t think he’s been especially effusive in his praise of Lua beyond what he has done for guys who’ve worked hard in the past and have some potential. Its no guarantee they’ll make it though.

Greg

Greg

“He gets better out there everyday. He pays attention. I know he’s very attentive to what the veteran players do in the classroom and on the practice field. He’s always alert and trying to pick up more information. I think he’s working hard and he’s getting better.”

Beli loves the guys who constantly improve. Add to that the fact that we clearly need youth at LB (particularly inside) and that the vets seem to think he’s not out of place, and I think Lua is a LOCK at this point.