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In terms of new players on Alabama's team, you can tell a lot on the first day of work for the...

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In terms of new players on Alabama's team, you can tell a lot on the first day of work for the first opponent. Freshman tailback Trent Richardson was not assigned to scout team duty. Neither was freshman receiver Kevin Norwood, offensive lineman D.J. Fluker, cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick and linebacker Tana Patrick. This isn't really fair, since I'm sure there were other rookies that apply here. But those were the ones I immediately noticed during the media viewing period today.

That blurb comes from Gentry Estes' daily practice recap, who is doing his usual fine job as of late with keeping everyone up to date regarding the goings on in Tuscaloosa. The mention of D.J. Fluker really caught my eye. Here's my thought... Fluker has been running as a third-team offensive tackle pretty much to date, and given that he obviously needs some technical refinement and is a true freshman, that would almost certainly put him in line for guaranteed duty on the scout team, right? Yet, of course, as Gentry points out, he's not assigned to scout team duty. Why? It's obviously all speculation on my part, but I cannot help but wonder if the staff thinks he will work in on down the stretch in 2009, much like Brad Smelley did a year ago. Maybe the staff feels that in a few weeks that he might be good to go in some role. Again, my thinking is that the staff probably loathes the idea of possibility redshirting Fluker, and thus having him possibly be only a two year player for the Tide.