Alabama Crimson Tide

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- Depending on which way you look at it, Alabama's scrimmage on Saturday was either good or bad for the future of the football team. Good because the offense scored 11 touchdowns and didn't cough the ball up once, and bad because the defense failed to make many stops and didn't generate a single turnover.

Ah, the joy of spring football. When you play against yourself no one really wins. The players simply get to hit one another, and that's a pleasant enough experience.

"Defensively, I guess it’s good and bad news," Alabama coach Nick Saban said. "We didn’t create any turnovers but the good news is we didn’t turn it over on offense, so that’s probably a good thing. But we practiced a lot of different situations out there, which is great exposure for our players."

Saturday marked the 12th practice and second scrimmage of the spring for the Crimson Tide. The next scrimmage will be the last when the doors to Bryant-Denny Stadium are swung open on April 20 for A-Day.

And even then, the result of the game-like practice will be the same: either the offense will look spectacular and the defense horrendous, or vice versa.

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TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- It's a good problem to have, losing players early to the NFL draft. Alabama coach Nick Saban knows all too well what it's like to watch talent walk out the door, especially from the secondary. In two of the last three drafts he's seen at least one of his defensive backs get taken in the first round. This year will be no different as Dee Milliner is likely to go among the top 10 picks.

"We keep losing first-round picks back there," Saban told ESPN on Wednesday afternoon. "For guys to step up on a consistent basis is the biggest concern I have."

Not a rebuilt offensive line, a thin linebacking corps or a defensive line replacing two of three starters. It's the secondary that worries Saban most.

"Even though we have a lot of guys back at safety, we don't have the depth or quality corners and experience at corner that we've had in the past," he said, "so that's the challenge."

With top reserve cornerback John Fulton out all spring recovering from a turf toe injury, the depth in the secondary has been left wanting. As a result, Alabama opened camp with three offensive players trying their hands at cornerback: running back Dee Hart and wide receivers Christion Jones and Cyrus Jones.

It was an experiment, Saban said, one he hoped would yield at least one player who could make the move to defense full time. And after 10 practices it appears he's found his man. Cyrus, who caught four passes as a reserve wideout last season, has practiced every day at corner and has even spent some time with the first unit at nickel back.

"The first couple weeks out there, it felt weird because [Cyrus] used to be right next to me, running routes with me," said UA receiver Kenny Bell, "but he took ownership of the position."

Bell went on to say that Cyrus has become a "great player" on defense, a spot he's familiar with from his time at Gilman School in Baltimore. Cyrus was the No. 4-rated athlete in the 2012 class and could have played on either side of the ball, according to scouts. It just so happens he would play both in his first two years on campus.

"He picked up on it fast and he comes out there and competes," Bell said.

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TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- Spring is a time for change. The ice breaks, leaves blossom and nature starts over again. For the University of Alabama football team, this time of year is treated much in the same way.

New players are tested and familiar faces try out new roles. There's return and there's turnover. It's a time for reinvention, head coach Nick Saban said on Saturday, the first day of spring camp for the defending national champion Crimson Tide.

"Like I've said before," the 61-year-old coach said, "every year you've got to reinvent your team. Who are going to be the leaders? Who are going to be the guys that set an example? Who steps forward as young players who show that they have the responsibility to do a job and be dependable in doing that job so we that have a chance to play winning football with them?"

Alabama won the national title just three months ago, but when Saban took the podium at the Mal Moore Athletic Facility following the first day of practice, it felt like eons ago. The coach wears no championship rings and counts the minutes, not the days or hours, until he can forget a win and move on to the next thing. He jovially asked the assembled media if they had a pleasant off-season, smiled when one reporter said it was short and shot back with, "You think it was short for you."

Saban and a renovated coaching staff went back to work months ago, the process never quite giving into themes like a finish line. And when he looked at the product of 2012 and the players he lost to the draft and graduation, he and the staff decided to do some tinkering. Jack linebacker Xzaiver Dickson practiced at defensive end in a possible attempt at increasing a rather lackluster pass rush and the wide receiver position was shaken up in order to give the secondary some added depth. Wideouts Cyrus Jones and Christion Jones spent time at cornerback, along with running back Dee Hart, who practiced in a black no-contact jersey during the media viewing portion of practice.

The position changes, Saban knew, would be a source of speculation. Rather than let it hang there in the room like a white elephant, he addressed the moves in his opening remarks.

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Editor’s note: Each day between now and Alabama's date with Notre Dame in the BCS National Championship, we will review the season for a key Crimson Tide player or coach and attempt to project what’s next for him. Today we’ll look at quarterback AJ McCarron.

No. 10 AJ McCarron
Quarterback
Third team All-American selection

Role in 2012: McCarron didn't have to think about battling to become the full-time starting quarterback this season as backup Phillip Sims transferred to Virginia.

The good: The junior took his game to another level in his second year starting under center. For most of the season he led the country in passing efficiency, andn despite a few below-average performances at the tail end of the year, he finished that way, beating out the likes of Georgia's Aaron Murray and West Virginia's Geno Smith. McCarron threw 26 touchdowns to three interceptions, with 2,669 passing yards so far.

The bad: Beyond seeking out another national championship, there's a reason McCarron decided to return for his senior season. His inconsistency down the stretch revealed that there's still work to be done on his game. Whether it was getting happy feet in the pocket, making uncharacteristic reads or letting a ball sail too high, McCarron underwhelmed in key moments against LSU, Texas A&M and Georgia, and with so many NFL scouts watching, he couldn't afford to.

Crystal ball: The good news for McCarron is that while his dream of playing in the pros waits, his receiving corps at Alabama gets stronger. He'll benefit from a number of quality receivers. Outside of the projected starters Kevin Norwood, Christion Jones and Amari Cooper, Alabama will tout talented backups in Kenny Bell, DeAndrew White, Chris Black and Cyrus Jones. As cornerback Dee Milliner put it, "If he comes back with the weapons we have at receiver, he can be unbelievable."

Editor’s note: Each day between now and Alabama's date with Notre Dame in the BCS National Championship, we will review the season for a key Crimson Tide player or coach and attempt to project what’s next for him. Today we’ll look at wide receiver Kevin Norwood.

No. 83 Kevin Norwood
Wide receiver
26 receptions, 395 yards, 4 touchdowns

Role in 2012: Norwood picked up where he left off late last season, becoming a consistent possession receiver for the Crimson Tide.

The good: The junior stepped up as a leader of the young receiving corps that lost all three of its starters from a season ago. Despite battling his own nagging injuries, Norwood became a reliable target for quarterback AJ McCarron, especially late in games. His three straight receptions in the fourth quarter against LSU kept the Tide's perfect season alive.

The bad: Norwood's inability to stay on the field consistently hampered the passing game as a whole. Outside of Norwood and Amari Cooper, there were no reliable outside receivers. DeAndrew White and Kenny Bell both went down with season-ending injuries, Chris Black never started a game after injuring his shoulder in pre-season camp and neither Marvin Shinn or Cyrus Jones were able to step up in their absence.

Crystal ball: Norwood's return will allow for more flexibility in the receiving corps next season. If he can stay healthy, he would presumably start alongside Cooper and slot receiver Christion Jones. That would leave Bell, White and Black coming off the bench, plus any unknowns that might present themselves in spring or fall camp.

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- Alabama freshman wideout Chris Black will be on the sidelines and ready to play Saturday afternoon when the No. 2-ranked Crimson Tide face No. 3 Georgia in the SEC Championship Game, according to coach Nick Saban.

The staff had been weighing whether or not to burn the speedy receiver's redshirt before this week. A number of injuries at the position, most notably the loss of DeAndrew White and Kenny Bell for the season, forced the staff's hand.

"The decision was made with him and his family, not just by me," Saban said on Wednesday. "Chris wants to play and can help the team by playing."

Black, who was expected to contribute this season before injuring his shoulder during fall camp, has practiced in contact drills all week in preparation of the conference title game. The 5-foot-11, 178-pound product of Jacksonville, Fla., was an early enrollee and completed spring camp.

"We're trying to get Chris ready to play and he's had good carry over from what he knew before," Saban said.

If Black plays, he would be the fourth freshman receiver in the rotation, joining Amari Cooper, Cyrus Jones and Marvin Shinn. Cooper, another top-10 receiver in the 2012 signing class, has become a starter alongside junior Kevin Norwood and sophomore Christion Jones. Cooper leads all receivers in catches (45), yards (767) and touchdowns (eight) this season.

Black's addition would make up for the loss of Bell, who went down with a broken leg against Auburn last week. Bell filled in at multiple positions for the Crimson Tide, coming in to spell Norwood on the outside and Jones in the slot.

"Oh, great player for us," cornerback Dee Milliner said of Black, as the Tide's top defensive back has gone against Black often in practice. "Wish he could have played for us this season. He could’ve been another receiver we could have used very much. … He’s been practicing against us for, like, the last three weeks -- doing things, giving us a great look of different receivers from different teams. He does a great job with that. Hopefully, if he can play he’ll be a big step for us."

Norwood said Black coming back this late in the season would be "very difficult" because he hasn't practiced with the team as much as others. Still, he remained optimistic Black could make a contribution.

"With his mentality, I'm pretty sure he can come away with something," Norwood said.