NFL Warriors Start Camp

Below are some notes from the start of NFL training camp:

Tampa Bay coach sees the potential in former UH receiver Chad Owens.

Keep an eye on Jacksonville free-agent receiver Chad Owens, who has a shot to make it as a kick returner. At 5-foot-8, it's hard for Owens to stand out. But he has turned a few heads this offseason.

"You know, he's from the University of Hawaii, so a lot of us haven't seen him because we're in bed when they're playing," Gruden said. "But he's had a knack for making huge plays in the kicking game. Struggled hanging onto the ball. It's been well-documented at times in Jacksonville. He's got a real compact build, he's got power and instant acceleration and quickness and he'll be a guy that will make the kick return game interesting. And as a luxury receiver, a guy who can come in and play three or four positions, he has a knack for making plays."

I really hope he gets a shot at receiver, which he didn't really get in Jacksonville.

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Nate Ilaoa impressed a few fans in Philly.

First big cheer: With the team running through drills at the start of Saturday's morning practice, there wasn't much for a swelling crowd to cheer about.

That is, until "Nasti" Nate Ilaoa lit the fans up.

The Eagles' seventh-round draft choice out of Hawaii and a 5-9, 245-pound running back, Ilaoa wowed the crowd by hauling in a 30-yard Kolb pass along the left sideline.

This is going to be the perfect offense for Nate. He gotta make the team!

Nate is also profiled in this Free Lance-Star article.

But even with all his worldliness, Ilaoa admits to being a bit overwhelmed when he stepped on the field for an Eagles mini-camp earlier this summer.

"When you come out to practice and you take hand-offs from Donovan McNabb and you have to block Takeo Spikes, you realize you aren't playing with these guys on a video game anymore," Ilaoa said in a telephone interview last week. "These guys are actually real, and you're actually out there playing with them."

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Reagan Mauia is working hard on his fullback skills.

Long after players had left the field following morning practice, rookie fullback Reagan Mauia could be seen working on his blocking technique

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Ikaika Alama-Francis has a new diary entry on Detroitlions.com.

Honestly, I feel like I’m getting better every day. I didn’t know what to expect coming into camp; how it was going to be, the tempo and all these things, but it’s up-speed. You’ve just got to get used to it every day. I get more confident every day and when you get more confident, you feel better about yourself and that’s what I try to do every day: learn my plays, be on top of things. It’s been frustrating learning everything so fast, so quick, but I’ve just got to slow down and just let everything come to me.

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Ashley Lelie is ready to come back from his quad injury.

Asked if he was now "100 percent," Lelie said, "It feels close to that. I expect to practice. I can't wait to get out there and just play football."