Takeaways about the offense from first two media availabilities

Stanford fans will have their first chance Sunday to see the Cardinal in action this training camp during an open scrimmage. That will offer the clearest picture of how the team looks at this stage, but some details have already emerged.

Preseason Rimington Trophy watch list member Jesse Burkett is still not practicing after missing all of spring due to a knee injury. The fact that months later the fifth-year center is not participating is possibly a major red flag for the Cardinal.

If things don't turn around soon for Burkett then more and more attention will be diverted to how the other center prospects are doing. Drew Dalman (R-Fr.), Brian Chaffin (R-Jr.) and Dylan Powell (R-So.) are all competing in Burkett's absence.

Brandon Fanaika (R-Sr.) also is not practicing and the left guard is watching as Devery Hamilton (R-So.) and Nick Wilson (R-Jr.) compete there until he comes back. Head coach David Shaw made it clear Monday that Fanaika would have every opportunity to retain the starting job once he's healthy.

Wilson has excelled in the Ogre position the past couple seasons and is a human wrecking ball in the run game. Hamilton provides an intriguing high ceiling of potential because of his athleticism and size (listed 6-7, 287).

Stanford's recent history of tight end play is well established, but not since the 2009-2012 stretch of years have the Cardinal fielded a group as deep as this one. That has been suggested before, but that should be the level of expectation for the group that likely features two future NFL players.

Kaden Smith made a significant leap last year from the start of training camp to the end of the season. Position coach Morgan Turner said the next step is for him to become dominant at the line of scrimmage. That word, "dominant", may come to describe Smith's play in general this season.

Colby Parkinson put in a lot of work this offseason to add strength to his imposing 6-7 frame and so far the reviews are very positive. Parkinson has a physical skill set to be a major problem in his second year in the offense.

For most teams that duo would be more than enough. But Turner said that redshirt freshman Tucker Fisk and redshirt sophomore Scooter Harrington are battling for time on the field. They offer the versatility to be great blockers on the line and even play in the backfield.

Love averaged 20 carries a game last season, but that number probably would have been higher if he hadn't severely injured his right ankle during the Oregon game. On Aug. 2 Shaw said that the plan is to avoid 30-carry games and keep the number around Love's average last year.

But the staff wants the total touches to be about 30 with catches and "things we want to do with him to add to his versatility".

Well, in football there aren't many other options after running and catching, and Love probably won't be getting some throws in during games. That leaves the return game and the idea of Love having some room to pick up speed, pick his lane and go should be terrifying to opponents.

Cameron Scarlett did a serviceable job last year as a kick returner but was stopped short of a big run by the last tackler on several occasions. The last man on defense will have a harder time if it's Love.

Foster Sarell got some cameo appearances last season, but it was a slower start to his career than some people expected from the mammoth tackle. Although, A.T. Hall's considerable progress at right tackle made it unlikely Sarell could have gotten on the field much more than he did.

During the spring, offensive line coach Kevin Carberry tried Sarell at guard and both tackle positions. In June Carberry said that Sarell had settled in as a full-time tackle who "in a pinch" can play guard, but his considerable potential is best at tacke. Shaw was effusive Monday when asked about Sarell:

"Yeah, Foster Sarell is doing really well right now. Unlike what we did in the spring when we tried to put him in a bunch of different places, which I think is great for him in the long run. We're leaving him at tackle right now. He's doing a little of left tackle and a little of right tackle and looking really good. He's quick, he's explosive, he's bending better. This is the best he has looked since he has been a college football player. We're very excited about where he is."

Davis Mills was healthy for the first part of last season before suffering a major leg injury that sidelined him the entire spring. He is still not 100 percent. But he's close and, according to Shaw, is offering glimpses of what made him the most touted quarterback recruit to sign with Stanford under Shaw.

When he was healthy on scout team last year his performance forced smiles from Shaw and quarterbacks coach Tavita Pritchard no matter how hard they tried to hide them. Stanford fans may finally, for the first time since he got to The Farm, get to watch Mills throw a football in the next couple weeks.