2011 Training Camp / Preseason Observations, News & Tidbits Thread (1 Viewer)

Offensive Play of the day: Kaepernick took the first-team practice reps with newly re-signed Alex Smith unable to practice until Aug. 4 because of the rules set in place for the transition after the lockout. Kaepernick displayed his strong throwing arm with a nicely thrown 25-yard corner route to Vernon Davis against the coverage of safety C.J. Spillman.

Three players reported with injuries and were placed on the physically-unable-to-perform list: receivers Michael Crabtree and Dominique Zeigler, and fullback Bruce Miller. Crabtree is expected to miss more than a month with a left foot injury. Zeigler is still rehabilitating a season-ending ACL surgery from last year. Miller (shoulder) is not expected to miss much time

The 49ers signed undrafted rookie Jeremiah Masoli as a running back. But with Smith unable to practice until Aug. 4, the beginning of the new league year, Masoli took second-team snaps at quarterback.

How big of an arm does Colin Kaepernick possess? He over-threw speedster Ted Ginn by 5 yards on a fly pattern.

Practice ended without Kaepernick or any of the other QBs throwing an interception. There were some passes tipped, and Kaepernick overthrew some short throws, but nothing landed in a defender's hands.

Safety Taylor Mays was relegated to second-team work. But when the first unit was on the field, he spent time deep in the secondary with assistant secondary coach Greg Jackson.

The 49ers' first-team offense: QB Colin Kaepernick, RB Anthony Dixon, FB Moran Norris, TE Vernon Davis, RT Anthony Davis, RG Nick Howell, C Adam Snyder, LG Mike Iupati, LT Joe Staley, and WRs Josh Morgan and Ted Ginn.

The second-team offense: QB Jeremiah Masoli, RB Kendall Hunter, TE Delanie Walker, RT Mike Person, RG Derek Hall, C Chase Beeler, LG Daniel Kilgore and LT Alex Boone. Nate Byham saw action as an H-back, and WRs Kyle Williams, Ronald Johnson and Lance Long got their share of reps. Third QB McLeod Bethel-Thompson saw limited work.

Click to expand...

Hernandez returns. Second-year tight end Aaron Hernandez (hip) returned to practice after spending the first two days of camp on the active/physically unable to perform list.

"They were taking it slow, making sure I was healthy because of the lockout. They were keeping an eye on me, because they didn't really know where I was at [physically]," Hernandez said after practice. "But I feel good and I'm ready to go."

Passing game in focus. The passing game got considerable work during Saturday morning's practice, and the results were mixed for the Patriots offense. Quarterback Tom Brady was intercepted by cornerback Devin McCourty during 11-on-11 work, while McCourty picked off rookie quarterback Ryan Mallett in 11-on-11 action as well. During 7-on-7 work, linebacker Rob Ninkovich snared a pass from quarterback Jonathan Crompton, while cornerback Jonathan Wilhite dropped a would-be interception of his own during a 11-on-11 action. There were also a number of dropped passes throughout the practice, including two each from wide receivers Darnell Jenkins and Matthew Slater.

Click to expand...

By Steve CorkranThursday, July 28th, 2011 at 7:19 pm in Oakland Raiders.Sixty five players participated in the Raiders first training camp practice in Napa on Thursday. That number will increase Friday and over the next week, as free agents are signed and those who have signed but aren’t allowed to practice join the fray.Teams are allowed to have as many as 90 players in camp and through most of August. Four players who were eligible to practice, failed to take part, for one reason or other.Rookie offensive tackle Joseph Barksdale signed his contract Thursday morning and didn’t make it to the field in time. Second-year offensive lineman, wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey and defensive end Trevor Scott are nicked up, according to coach Hue Jackson.Jackson refused to decline the nature of their injuries. Scott, obviously, still is recovering from the torn anterior cruciate ligament he suffered late last season. He was spotted working out on his own, away from the full-team activities. Campbell and Heyward-Bey arrived early on in practice and watched the proceedings.Jackson said Scott is on the physically-unable-to-perform list and that Campbell might be, too.The players absent include restricted free agent Michael Bush, exclusive rights free agents Marcel Reece, Desmond Bryant and Bruce Davis. They can sign their one-year tenders Friday and practice for the first time Aug. 4. Also missing were long-snapper Jon Condo and defensive end Jarvis Moss, who have agreed to contracts.Free agents signed since the lockout can make their deals official as of 3 p.m. on Friday, but they can’t practice until Aug. 4, either.So much for all the reports that guard Cooper Carlisle and cornerback Chris Johnson got cut by the Raiders on Thursday. Both participated in practice. It’s conceivable that one or both players restructured his/their contract(s), but we don’t have a definitive answer just yet.Jackson confirmed that the Raiders expressed interest in acquiring wide receiver Chad Ochocinco before he was traded by the Cincinnati Bengals to the New England Patriots on Thursday,“Like I said, we looked around at every guy. Yeah, we looked around at every guy that’s been out there. We didn’t just target one guy or another, we just looked for everybody. And, obviously, he was a guy that Cincinnati maybe made some decisions that they wanted to see if they could move him around. But we look at everybody.”Those curious as to how the Raiders defense might look, consider this alignment for numerous plays during practice:Stanford Routt and Chris Johnson at cornerback.Tyvon Branch at free safety, Mike Mitchell at strong safety.Kamerion Wimbley and Quentin Groves at outside linebacker, with Rolando McClain in the middle.Matt Shaughnessy and Lamarr Houston at defensive end, Tommy Kelly and Richard Seymour at defensive tackle.Branch at free safety, that’s corrrect. Jackson said there’s a real possibility that Branch will play the spot manned by Michael Huff the past five years.“ Those guys are kind of interchangeable,” Jackson said. “We play those guys all over the place. I know everybody is like, strong safety, free safety. For us, for the Raiders, those guys are safeties, and they can play either one. Both of those guys back there, him and Mitchell, they both have done it, they know how to do it, they’re getting very well coached. Kevin Ross does a great job. We just got to continue to keep seeing different looks, different situations that happen in practice to keep getting better.”The clear-cut standout on offense Thursday was second-year receiver Jacoby Ford. Twice he caught deep throws from Jason Campbell that turned into long touchdowns. He beat Stevie Brown on the first one. Routt and Branch fell prey the second time around.Receiver Louis Murphy also made a nice over-the-shoulder catch from Campbell, with Routt and Mitchell unable to get there in time.Receiver Chaz Schilens laid out head first for an overthrown pass that hit the ground before Schilens could reach it. No worries about injury. Schilens jumped to his feet in about one second and ran back to the huddle. Afterward, he said that if he is seen on the field, that means all is well with his foot and knee.“You know what’s coming. Now get it stopped. get it stopped.” That’s one sampling of the fiery personality Jackson displays throughout practice. And don’t expect him to change now that he is the coach.“I’m not going to change,” Jackson said. “I know one way. I go full speed, I go hard and I expect our players to go full speed and go hard. I don’t know anything else. And I’m not going to change as long as I’m here as the head coach. That’s all I know. I don’t know how to do it any other way, and it’s the best way for our football team.”Seymour made his presence felt on one play when he arrived in the backfield just as running back Michael Bennett received the hand-off. Seymour flattened Bennett with a firm left shoulder before Bennett could react. There were high-fives and slaps all around for Seymour.Jackson said that rookie David Ausberry has been converted to tight end. Ausberry played mostly wide receiver at Southern Cal. At 6-feet-4 and 245 pounds, he likely is better suited to play tight end in the NFL.Carlisle lined up at right guard with the first team on most downs, especially in full-team drills. Jared Veldheer played left tackle, Daniel Loper left guard, rookie Stefen Wisniewski center and undrafted rookie Alan Pelc right tackle.Campbell said he feels more at ease this year, in part because he isn’t the new guy on the block, with all the spotlights trained upon him, but also because he feels as if he doesn’t have to worry about losing his job on short notice.“It makes you feel like you earned something,” Campbell said. “It wasn’t nothing given to you. I remember when I got traded here, it wasn’t automatic. You’ve got to go out and earn it, and guys want to see you earn it. If something is given to you and you feel like you didn’t work for it, they’re not going to respect you as much. But if they see you go out and try to earn it and respect it and to earn it the right way, it means much more, then you get more respected. This is what you expect as a player.”Wisniewski received high praise from Jackson, especially for the way he held up against veteran tackles Seymour and Kelly breathing down his neck most snaps.“That was definitely a great welcome to NFL, blocking Richard Seymour and Tommy Kelly, two of the best in the league,” Wisniewski said. “I am excited about the challenge. They are going to kick my butt some time, but that’s fine. It’s going to make me better. To be honest, you want to be practicing against the best because when you get in the games it’s like, ‘Oh, these guys are good, too, but they’re no Richard Seymour.’ ”

Click to expand...

The clear-cut standout on offense Thursday was second-year receiver Jacoby Ford. Twice he caught deep throws from Jason Campbell that turned into long touchdowns. He beat Stevie Brown on the first one. Routt and Branch fell prey the second time around.

Click to expand...

'NajehHejan said:

Don't have anything of value to add at this time, just want to say great job so far faust. This thread was last year. Looking forward to this year's installment, am already loving it.I was high on Quizz and Ford going into this year, nice to see some positive buzz around them already. These guys could be great late round redraft fliers. Still curious where Snelling lands. If he resigns with Atlanta, that could dump some cold water on Quizz. Will be interesting to see. Lots of folks thought the Eagles reached on the Temple safety - nice to hear he's doing well so far.

Click to expand...

'Zaxxon said:

Orton was still taking first team snaps today over Tebow.

Click to expand...

'Faust said:

Peter King started his tour at Falcons camp and posted the following on twitter:

3 pts from steamy Falc practice: OreSt RB Jacquizz Rodgers shows power, jukes ... Very few mental errors ... Julio Jones looks like 5yr vet.

Update:

Peter King was very impressed with 'Quizz:

Peter King

RT @bld5: What's your impression of Quizz after today? ... He will be a top-20 NFL rookie. the Falcons love him.

Click to expand...

Julio Jones is hurt, but he says you shouldn't pay attention to it. "It's nothing,'' he said of the bone bruise on his right foot, suffered Friday in the first practice of his NFL career he got stepped on while going in motion. "I can go full-speed. They just want to be cautious.'' An X-ray and CAT scan showed no break Friday, and he was out on the practice field today, running -- apparently -- unencumbered. For what it's worth, he is one determined hombre. Interviewed him after practice today, and he looked me in the eye on every answer. "I don't care about stats,'' he said. "I never will. I just want to win.'' I relayed the quote to GM Thomas Dimitroff. "Music to my ears. A receiver with no diva qualities.''

I really liked Jacquizz Rodgers. The fifth-round pick from Oregon State is thicker than I thought, as fast and shifty as I thought, and, from what I hear, stronger than I thought at the point of attack. I just know this: When he took the ball behind the line in the two practices I saw, everyone on the coaching and scouting staff watched intently.

Step On Up

Kroy Biermann, defensive end. The man known more for his girlfriend (a Desperate Housewife) than his football saw the Falcons sign a free-agent defensive end, Ray Edwards, to take his place, in essence. The Falcons haven't lost hope in Biermann, but he had plenty of chances last year, and he had three sacks, and the fact that he can't get to the quarterback with any regularity left the Falcons no option but to go pay for Ray Edwards this week. He will be a revolving defensive end between the left and right sides, which is one step away from the revolving door out of the organization if he doesn't get to the quarterback more this year.

New Face, New Place

Quarterback coach Bob Bratkowski got drummed out of Cincinnati as offensive coordinator and found a home here as quarterback coach, replacing Bill Musgrave, who went to the Vikings as offensive coordinator. Of course, coaching Matt Ryan's not going to be the hard part. But the backup situation here is interesting. John Parker Wilson impressed the front office and coach Mike Smith last year, and he could push Chris Redman for the No. 2 job once he's able to practice; as an exclusive rights free agent (for some idiotic reason), Wilson can't practice till the ban on free agents practicing is lifted in the next few days.

Looking At The Schedule ...

September will not be kind to the Birds. At Bears, home the emotional Mike Vick reunion, at feisty Bucs. The good thing for Atlanta is that five of the last eight are home. Which, of course, conversely, means five of the first eight are on the road. One other thing about the schedule: Matt Ryan gets to relive his Tramon Williams nightmare in week five, when the Packers return to the Georgia Dome.

Click to expand...

The Steelers have aged gracefully. Will that continue? Seeing the 35-year-old Hines Ward begin camp on the physically-unable-to-perform list as he recovers from thumb surgery reminded me just how many prominent thirtysomethings the team has on its roster. On defense alone, Brett Keisel (32), Casey Hampton (33), Troy Polamalu (30), James Farrior (36), James Harrison (33), Aaron Smith (35), Larry Foote (31) and Ryan Clark (31) have all been through arduous seasons extending deep into winter. In an important way, their cohesion is an asset, especially following a lockout that robbed rookies and young players of much-needed learning time. Still, how much longer can Pittsburgh's veterans be effective? "[Coach Mike Tomlin] understands the type of people he's working with," Clark said. "He knows he can come to us and ask, 'Is this too much guys?' We'll be honest with him. We have the best interests of this team at heart also. He's still going to bring us along in the way he feels like he needs to so we're prepared to play in that first game [against Baltimore], but he's not going to try to kill us. We're a little bit older."

If there has been a consistent theme to recent Pittsburgh seasons -- even great Pittsburgh seasons -- it is an offensive line in flux. The release of veteran tackles Max Starks and Flozell Adams before training camp even started has the 2011 season beginning in a similar vein. Starks started 68 games with the Steelers since being drafted in the third round out of Florida in 2004. (Last season, a neck injury limited him to just seven starts, and he missed the Super Bowl). The 36-year-old Adams was the only Steelers lineman to start every regular season and postseason game last season. Their departures figure to leave Jonathan Scott and Willie Colon as the probable left and right tackles. Mitigating the shifting bodies is the emergence of center Maurkice Pouncey, who turned in a tremendous rookie season before a high-ankle sprain cost him a spot in the Super Bowl. Watching Pouncey rip through the Steelers' conditioning evaluation Thursday -- from a distance he looks as swift as a strong safety -- is a reminder that the Steelers will be their usual beasts in the running game.

The Steelers are lobbying free-agent wide receiver Plaxico Burress to return to Pittsburgh, where he played from 2000-2004, and they are lobbying hard. "Plax and I have been talking for the past couple of months," Ben Roethlisberger said. "We [have] a good young group [of receivers], and Plax is a veteran guy who can come in with Hines who can help our young guys." As rookies last season, receivers Emmanuel Sanders and Antonio Brown combined with Ward and Mike Wallace to form a productive and, at times, highly prolific receiving corps. But they all stand 6 feet in height or less. The 6-foot-5 Burress would add a different dimension to the offense. "He's going to upgrade our receiving corps," Sanders said. "The goal in our receiving room is to keep it hot. We're trying to be the best receiving corps in the league." The Steelers already have a tall, lanky receiver in camp -- Limas Sweed -- who ruptured his Achilles tendon during minicamp last year and missed the entire 2010 season. Asked about Pittsburgh potentially landing Burress, Sweed said he would welcome him. When asked about the impact of a tall receiver in the Steelers offense, Sweed says, "I am that guy. That's how I like to look at it. It's just a matter of me showing my teammates and my coaches that I am that guy. That's the attitude I'm going to have throughout this whole camp."

Step On Up

Rashard Mendenhall has logged back-to-back rushing seasons of 1,108 yards and 1,273 yards. He raised his rushing touchdowns total from 7 in 2009 to 13 last season. And with third-down back Mewelde Moore a free agent, Mendenhall could see an increased workload on third down. But Mendenhall's fumble in the Super Bowl against Green Bay was a costly error that some believe diminished his regular season play. "I think for a lot of other people it did, but for me, no," Mendenhall said. "It was just one play of many plays." Asked if he is ready to take on an even larger role in the offense, Mendenhall said, "I'll be ready to do that. It just depends on what the coaches ask me to do and what our identity is."

New Face, New Place

With no minicamps or OTAs to attend, Cameron Heyward, a 6-foot-5, 288-pound rookie defensive end from Ohio State, spent the lockout working out in Columbus, Ohio, waiting for his first NFL season to begin. He finally signed his contract Friday. How much he contributes as a first-year player will depend on how quickly he overcomes the lost months of learning. He has a number of factors in his favor, including the playbook he was able to receive during the brief lifting of the lockout in April. The Steelers need his depth along the line. He's also the son of former NFL fullback Craig "Ironhead" Heyward, who died in 2006.

Looking At The Schedule ...

A 12-4 record is possible, thanks to Pittsburgh's penchant for winning games and also a potential soft finish to the season. The Steelers close at home against Cincinnati on Dec. 4, home against Cleveland on Dec. 8, at San Francisco on Dec. 19, home against St. Louis on Dec. 24 and at Cleveland on Jan. 1. The start of the season is a bear, though, with three of the Steelers' first games on the road (Baltimore, Indianapolis and Houston) as well as back-to-back home games against the Patriots and Ravens on Oct. 30 and Nov. 6. The Steelers will play five primetime regular season games.

Click to expand...

Three Observations

1. Green Bay got better just by getting healthy. It's not mere hyperbole. Players such as running back Ryan Grant, tight end Jermichael Finley, safety Morgan Burnett, linebacker Brad Jones and defensive end Mike Neal have all returned healthy this year after missing most of last season on IR. Grant and Finley are especially eager to make up for missing out on so much of last season's Super Bowl run, and that should help the defending champs fight the post-Super Bowl letdown syndrome. "I did rehab every day, 24/8. I added an extra day to it,'' Finley said, in his trademark overstatement. "If anybody does try and relax this year, we got a bunch of guys who will step up and take over.''

2. Aaron Rodgers is definitely the man, but he's not the GM. Early last week, Rodgers was quoted on radio saying the re-signing of free-agent receiver James Jones should be the team's "No. 1 priority.'' In the same interview, he added his hope of the team retaining veteran offensive tackle Mark Tauscher. But I don't know if Packers GM Ted Thompson was listening, because Tauscher was one of five Green Bay veterans released last week in cap cuts, and Jones, the team's No. 3 receiver, remains unsigned as of Sunday morning. The Jets, Cardinals and Packers are reportedly all still interested, but it's fairly clear he's not Green Bay's top priority.

3. Who replaces Daryn Colledge? The left guard signed with Arizona last week after Green Bay showed little interest in retaining him. First-round pick Derek Sherrod, who was drafted as a left tackle out of Mississippi State, worked with the first team at left guard in Saturday night's camp-opening practice. The Packers have never been afraid to move guys around on the offensive line in an attempt to get their best five players on the field at the same time, even if some are playing new positions.

Step On Up

With ex-Packers defensive end Cullen Jenkins signing a five-year, $25 million deal with the Eagles (who else?) on Saturday, Green Bay is officially looking for someone to fill his old 3-4 defensive end slot. The Packers will probably use more of a rotation, but Mike Neal, a second-round pick out of Purdue in 2010, is going to get plenty of playing time. Neal missed all but two games last season due to rotator-cuff surgery, but the 6-foot-3, 294-pounder is powerfully built and looked impressive early on.

New Face, New Place

The Packers don't really do free agency, as you know, so our pick in this category is second-round rookie receiver/return man Randall Cobb, from Kentucky (someone has to call him "Tex'' by now, right?). The Packers return game was one of their real weaknesses last season, but Cobb should add more than just some speed and explosiveness to the punt and kickoff returns. He's a 5-10, 192-pound slot receiver who some have likened to Percy Harvin or Josh Cribbs, and Cobb even handled some Wildcat quarterback duties at Kentucky.

Looking at the schedule ...

I don't see the Packers doing any worse than 12-4 this year, but it's a weird schedule for the champs. They play on all the major holidays -- Thanksgiving, Christmas night and New Year's Day. There's four night games, five national TV games, all the usual treatment for a defending Super Bowl winner. And how's this for a quirk: Green Bay opens at home and plays its last two games at home, but in the 107 days that fall between Sept. 9 and Dec. 24, the Packers take the field just five times at Lambeau.

Click to expand...

'netnalp said:

GIANTSPractice Report: July 30 As for the rest of the offensive starters: D.J. Ware was the RB

Click to expand...

'Tick said:

'netnalp said:

GIANTSPractice Report: July 30 As for the rest of the offensive starters: D.J. Ware was the RB

Click to expand...

Does anyone know why it wasn't Jacobs?

Click to expand...

'sspunisher said:

Just a suggestion guys, I think the thread would be cleaner and easier to navigate if we posted links instead of copying pasting the article.

Click to expand...

New England's big gamble is off to a promising start.

DT Albert Haynesworth practiced for the first time as a Patriot Sunday after passing the team physical and conditioning test, a source of consternation last year in Washington.

In afternoon contact drills, the 6-foot-6, 335-pounder blew up Patriots offensive linemen during a short series. But Ian Rapoport of The Boston Herald tweets that Haynesworth spent much of the day watching the action.

Click to expand...

Rookie kicker struggles. Undrafted rookie kicker Chris Koepplin had some early struggles during field goal work, missing his first attempt wide right and then having his next attempt blocked. It should be noted that linebacker Rob Ninkovich continues to handle long snapping duties with veteran snapper Matt Katula sidelined. It appears that Stephen Gostkowski, who is coming off quad surgery last season, is still being eased back into action, with Kroepplin getting much of the kicking work in camp.

A lot of drops from receivers, led by Chad Ochocinco and including Wes Welker and Julian Edelman. Offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien wasn't happy. I spent a lot of time watching Ochocinco. He doesn't dazzle with speed, but is a solid route-runner, and one can see this is the start of developing a trust level with Tom Brady. Brady, by the way, stayed late to run sprints. Ochocinco also stayed late.

Speaking of Hernandez, it caught the eye that while fellow tight ends worked on a blocking drill, he stayed with the receivers to catch passes.

Along those lines, if tight end Alge Crumpler returns to full health in the coming weeks, I also think he'd be a good re-signing. Fifth-round pick Lee Smith is getting a lot of reps alongside Rob Gronkowski, but I think this offense and locker room would benefit from Crumpler's powerful blocking and presence.

Click to expand...

'eakfootball said:

Saw a tweet from a Panthers guy that Armanti Edwards was very impressive, and was making plays all over the field.

Click to expand...

ARMANTI PLAYING WELL: Rivera said WR Armanti Edwards has done “a great job” so far in camp.

“Apparently whatever Armanti has done this offseason in terms of his commitment has paid off,” Rivera said. “He’s had a good couple of workouts, and that was good to see. He’s transformed himself. He’s done a heck of a job…. He spent a lot of time working out with his teammates and developing that bond.”

Click to expand...

By Paul Kuharsky

At the Jaguars’ first of seven padded practices at training camp, I took notes on a bunch of stuff but feel compelled to feature one item in particular.

The snapshot sticking on this impressionable mind is of a Blaine Gabbert-to-Cecil Shorts connection the team hopes is a big one for the offense for a good while.

It’s super, super early of course.

But we’re at the stage of offering super, super early thoughts.

Gabbert, the 10th overall pick in April's draft, and Shorts, a fourth-rounder out of Mount Union, look to have some immediate chemistry. Reporters who’ve followed this camp from the start say they can’t remember a drop and already have a sense that Gabbert is regularly looking for Shorts.

At this practice they connected for a red-zone touchdown at the center of the goal line on a dart fitted between multiple defenders.

Gabbert throws a beautiful ball -- it zips out of his hand. Sunday night he found tight windows both from the pocket and on the move, hitting a variety of receivers including Shorts, Dontrelle Inman, Armon Binns and Jamar Newsome.

With no chance at an in-bounds catch, Binns impressively went up and pulled in one overthrown ball right in front of where I was standing.

Gabbert dropped a silly fumble when he took off running one time.

Unless Gabbert somehow blows David Garrard away in camp, Shorts is more likely of the draftees to have an early role for the Jaguars. He could easily be part of three-receiver sets.

“He’s off to a good start for not having the OTAs and the offseason work,” coach Jack Del Rio said. “He’s got some polish to him for a smaller school guy. He’s certainly been coached well. He’s fit. He’s all business. He’s made a nice impression to begin camp. … I think he’s going to be a real good player.”

Click to expand...

By Steve Corkran

Running back Darren McFadden looks rather serious about reaching the undisclosed lofty goals he set for himself this season. He is making players miss on a routine basis, making sharp cuts into the open field and blowing past would-be tacklers with ease. It says here, don’t be surprised if he surpasses his yardage total from his breakout season last year.

Linebacker Kamerion Wimbley was someone to stay away from during practice Sunday. Those who crossed his path usually ended up on the ground. Wimbley flattened tight end Kevin Brock with a forearm shiver during a seven-on-seven passing drill, and he later laid out Miller in full-team drills.

Rookie right offensive tackle Joseph Barksdale did an impressive job holding his own against second-year end Lamarr Houston during pass-protection drills. Barksdale is competing against veteran Khalif Barnes for the starting spot held by Langston Walker last season.

Jackson said that he is confident in the Raiders getting running back Michael Bush and tight end Zach Miller in the mix soon. “Those things are going to resolve themselves soon,” Jackson said.

Click to expand...

Three Observations

1. Tight end may have gone from a position of weakness to one of strength. It's been since Wesley Walls that the Panthers had a good offensive tight end. Now they have two if Greg Olsen and Jeremy Shockey can stay healthy, which is no gimme. Shockey signed as a free agent; the Panthers dealt a third-round pick to Chicago for former first-rounder Olsen the other day. Saw Shockey in the student union after lunch today, hunkered down with tight end coach Pete Hoener, working on learning the playbook. I like what they've done there.

2. All eyes on Cam. No kidding! Newton sat next to left tackle Jordan Gross in the cafeteria Saturday and said, "Man, this is a lot to learn.'' Six weeks to the opener, and Newton will win the job if he's able to do what do few rookies can -- master what opposing defenses are doing, master the playbook and know where your receivers are going. But he's an impressive thrower, that's for sure.

3. The money guys had better come through. Big signings, but also big gambles for GM Marty Hurney. In giving 25-year-old Charles Johnson $12 million a year, Johnson goes from being the underrated strongman no one could block to a guy who's going to have to justify being paid like a top-five defensive player in the league. Kicker Olindo Mare and his $3-million-a-year deal will be microscoped when he misses his first 31-yarder. Running back DeAngelo Williams and Jon Beason re-signed ... for an amazing $20.6 million a year, average. Meanwhile, they've lost value players like cornerback Richard Marshall.

Step On Up

Cam Newton, quarterback. It's rare to ask a rookie quarterback to carry so much weight, and rarer to ask one to do so without the benefit of an offseason with his team. But that is the lot Newton faces. On Sunday night, he threw the ball hard and in a tight spiral, but he was inaccurate for much of the practice until hitting wideout David Gettis on a deep bomb down the right sideline. The fans have welcomed Newton with open arms -- anything successful Sunday night got a rousing hand from the several thousand on hand on training camp -- but Newton knows, as do the Panthers, that he'll be judged on games, not the friendly environment of steamy camp workouts. Owner Jerry Richardson has already let Newton know he'll be under a very hot spotlight, because of being the first draft pick over and because Carolina has been looking for a quarterback of the future ever since letting Kerry Collins walk 13 years ago. It's unfair to ask a young player to shoulder so much of a franchise's burden, but fair or not, it's what Newton faces -- in a hurry -- in Carolina.

New Face, New Place

Tight end Greg Olsen, who came in trade from Chicago for a third-round pick, is a mystifying player. Why did the Bears draft an offensive tight end in the first round, and why wasn't Olsen given the chance to develop his skills in the Bear offense? Both good questions, but with Carolina offensive coordinator Rod Chudzinski calling the plays and loving tight ends, I like Olsen to re-emerge as an offensive threat if he stays healthy.

Click to expand...

Three Observations

1. Incumbent Kyle Orton has been the most impressive quarterback in camp, by a wide margin. The Broncos held over a number of principles from the previous offense so the transition has been fairly smooth for Orton, who, at the moment, has clearly separated himself from Tim Tebow and Brady Quinn for the starting job. His passes have been crisp, his reads on point. It's not out of the question that Tebow could still wind up being the starter in Week 1 -- Denver has not ruled out trading Orton -- but for the moment there's no doubt which player has been sharper.

2. Rookie Von Miller has the "it" factor. It has been some time since the Broncos have had an outside linebacker with Miller's type of explosion and pass-rush ability. In most cases he will line up opposite end Elvis Dumveril, who led the league two years ago with 17 sacks, so offenses could have to pick their poison.

"Von is a special player," says Pro Bowl cornerback Champ Bailey. "When you see his intelligence and some of his pass-rush moves, you can tell he's going to make plays. I've seen a lot of players, the special ones and the not-so-special ones. He's going to be one of the special ones."

3. The Broncos' formula for success is to run the ball on offense, be physical and attacking on defense and to win field position with their special teams. One of the unanswered questions through the weekend was, who's going to run the ball? Fox likes a two-back system where carries and punishment can be shared. But does he have the necessary pieces?

The Sunday signing of nine-year veteran Willis McGahee definitely helps. McGahee is a 235-pound, between-the-tackles back who most recently shared time with Ray Rice in Baltimore. Broncos assistant coach Eric Studesville knows McGahee well after coaching him from 2004-06 in Buffalo, where McGahee ranked ninth in the league with 3,365 yards rushing during that time.

The question now is: Can Knowshon Moreno hold up his end of the bargain? The third-year pro struggled with injuries his first two seasons and reported to training camp at 200 pounds, 15 lighter than last year. His slimmer body may help with quickness and agility, but will it allow him to absorb the hits that come during a full season?

LenDale White, on IR with a torn Achilles last season, is a bigger back but his forte with the Titans was goal-line running. It's unclear at this point how many backs Fox will carry, but there's no doubt there will be plenty of carries to go around. For instance, in two of Fox's final three seasons with Carolina, the top two backs combined for at least 437 rushes, with each getting no fewer than 184 carries.

Step On Up

After two years of trying to make the transition to a 3-4 outside linebacker, third-year pro Robert Ayers is returning to defensive end, the position he played in college at Tennessee. Ayers produced only 1.5 sacks in 26 games his first two seasons, but teammates and staff believe he could be ready for a breakout season because of his comfort level at end and an influx of talent around him. Dumervil, the league's sacks leader in 2009, returns after missing last season with a torn pectoral muscle, and the rookie Miller is expected to command the attention of offensive coordinators. Those things could create one-on-one opportunities for Ayers.

New Face, New Place

The most important change is at head coach, where the experienced Fox replaces Josh McDaniels, who was fired after just a season and a half. Wide receiver Brandon Lloyd, who is grateful to McDaniels because McDaniels revived his career last season, says the biggest difference between the coaches is that Fox is more even-keel. He says McDaniels tended to ride the emotional roller-coaster, that his highs were extremely high and his lows were painfully low.

There is none of that with Fox, who is known for being positive and steady. The former Carolina sideline boss also has the players' respect because he is known for being associated with outstanding defenses. The Broncos were last in many major statistical categories in 2010, and Fox and his staff are expected to turn that around. Denver is now on its sixth defensive coordinator in six years -- a fact that first-year executive vice president John Elway says is a prescription for failure. It's one of the reasons Elway was swayed toward Fox, whose defensive mind and steady demeanor were considered the perfect fit for a franchise in turmoil.

Looking at the schedule ...

The Broncos' schedule would be difficult for a team coming off a playoff appearance. For a club that has gone four straight years without a winning record, it appears to be downright brutal.

There are games against the defending Super Bowl champion Packers, the reloaded Patriots and a participant from each of last season's conference finals (Bears and Jets). Throw in a game against up-and-coming Detroit, two against AFC West champion Kansas City and four against the Raiders and Chargers, who have combined to beat them six straight times and in eight of the teams' last 10 meetings and, well, it's a tough road.

The tone could be set in the Monday night opener against the Raiders, who've won three in a row and four of five overall against the Broncos. The games last year were no contest. Oakland won by 16 and 45 points and in 2008 it beat the Broncos by 21.

After games against Cincinnati (home) and Tennessee (away) and a trip to Lambeau Field to face the Packers, the Broncos return home face the Chargers, who've won three straight, four of five and eight of 10 in the series. It's not implausible that the Broncos could win three of those first five, but it's also within reason that they could lose each of them. The key is the Oakland game. If the Broncos can beat a team that has physically bullied them in recent years, it could provide momentum against a Bengals team that might be breaking in a rookie quarterback and a Tennessee squad that has undergone dramatic changes since last season.

However, a bad showing against Oakland could send them reeling. Again.

Click to expand...

THREE HOT ISSUES

1. How will the Steelers get under the cap?

According to the new collective bargaining agreement, the Steelers have until Thursday to get under the $120 million salary cap. Despite a flurry of roster moves last week, Pittsburgh remains about $7-$10 million over, which is where the team started this summer.

The Steelers made several key salary cuts with veteran receiver Antwaan Randle El and offensive tackles Max Starks and Flozell Adams. But the re-signings of in-house free agents like cornerback Ike Taylor have basically nullified those moves.

Expect more tough decisions to be made this week.

"We have to find ways to get under [the cap] and in compliance," Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert said. "We're going to look at every and all possibilities."

There is some good news for the Steelers.

The new CBA allows teams to use three $1 million exceptions in 2011, and Colbert says he will use them all. Teams have this one-time flexibility to add an extra $3 million to the cap, which essentially brings the Steelers' number up to $123 million. This could allow Pittsburgh to retain some veterans it would otherwise lose.

2. Has Pittsburgh fixed its pass defense?

The last memory Steelers fans have of their defense is Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers carving up the secondary for 304 yards and three touchdowns in Super Bowl XLV. Since then, Pittsburgh hasn't made any significant additions to the secondary, leaving many to wonder if this problem is fixed.

Because Pittsburgh is fielding the same players in the secondary, it's difficult to imagine the pass defense being better than it was last season. The Steelers re-signed veteran corners Taylor and William Gay and also drafted rookies Curtis Brown and Cortez Allen.

"You can't worry about what people think outside the locker room, because we've been so successful on the field," Taylor said of the criticism. "So it really doesn’t matter. Everybody has their own opinion. It comes with the territory."

Expect many teams to spread the Steelers out this season by using three- and four-receiver sets. That will force backups like Gay or some of the young corners to play important roles on the defense.

3. How thin is Pittsburgh's offensive line?

Pittsburgh's offensive line could be the thinnest group in the league.

Outside of second-year center Maurkice Pouncey, who is a stud, the rest of the line is littered with question marks. Jonathan Scott plays the important role of left tackle and was inconsistent last year. Guards Ramon Foster and Chris Kemoeatu are decent run-blockers but struggle in pass protection. And right tackle Willie Colon is coming off an Achilles injury that forced him to miss the entire 2010 season.

Cutting Starks and Adams severely hurt the talent and depth of this group. Those were two of the most experienced linemen Pittsburgh had. Cap issues make it unlikely the team will sign another starting offensive lineman in free agency.

"You can't go into it and expect to have veteran depth at every position," Colbert admitted. "It just doesn't work out financially. You have to trust some of your young guys."

BIGGEST SURPRISE

It's only the first weekend of camp, but backup cornerback Keenan Lewis has been a pleasant surprise. Lewis is gaining valuable experience working with the first-team defense. Taylor signed a four-year contract in free agency and isn't allowed to practice with the team until later this week.

Despite a rocky two years in Pittsburgh, Lewis has always been a good athlete. He is displaying good size and quickness and is making fewer mental mistakes, which is key. The competition for the important nickel role in the secondary will be intense this summer, and Lewis could have the inside track.

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT

With the lengthy NFL lockout, someone was bound to show up out of shape. Backup running back Jonathan Dwyer was that person for the Steelers.

I expected to see more from Dwyer, a sixth-round pick in 2009. But he struggled mightily during the conditioning evaluations and hasn't done much in the practices. The Steelers' running back corps is deep and Dwyer is definitely on the roster bubble.

OBSERVATION DECK

I like the swagger this year of Pittsburgh's "Young Money" crew of receivers. Last year, Mike Wallace was going into his first year as a starter and Emmanuel Sanders and Antonio Brown were rookies just trying to fit in. But you can see that last year's success, particularly in the second half of the season and the playoffs, has helped this group and improved confidence. Instead of getting yelled at by Ward, Wallace is on top of everything so far in practice and is even helping Ward tutor other receivers. Sanders and Brown look much more comfortable in their roles and are displaying the same quickness and competitiveness they showed last year.

Pouncey already looks scary good in his second season. In my seven years covering the NFL, I've never seen a center who moves as well and fluid as Pouncey. Last week, longtime NFL writer Damon Hack of Sports Illustrated and I were sitting next to each other watching Pittsburgh's conditioning evaluation. We were amazed with how easily Pouncey, who is listed at 304 pounds, was running 100-yard sprints, while the rest of the linemen were lagging far behind. Pound for pound, Pouncey is easily one of the top athletes on the Steelers.

Linebacker Lawrence Timmons appears to have added some considerable muscle in his upper body. Timmons, who is in a contract year, said he trained mostly in Florida this summer. Timmons also is one of the best pure athletes on the team. The key will be for him to maintain his quickness and acceleration while also adding strength.

The fact that the Steelers tried hard to recruit big receiver Plaxico Burress says a lot about the status of Limas Sweed. The former second-round pick enters this training camp on thin ice and is down to his last shot. Sweed is coming off a season-ending Achilles injury and had issues with drops before that. Pittsburgh is taking the approach that anything it gets from Sweed is considered a bonus. He is currently the No. 5 receiver.

Keep an eye on rookie seventh-round pick Baron Batch. The running back has showed good explosiveness through the hole and the ability to pass protect, which is very valuable. He has been a pleasant surprise in camp so far.

Overall, Pittsburgh's situation at running back is getting crowded. Mendenhall, Isaac Redman and Batch were all impressive during the first weekend of training camp. The Steelers also re-signed veteran backup Mewelde Moore. There were rumors about Tiki Barber being interested in the Steelers, but I don't see it. Pittsburgh has considerable depth at that position.

Finally, another sleeper who is actually having a good camp is backup tight end and de facto fullback David Johnson. What the third-year veteran lacks in athleticism, he makes up in effort. Although not his specialty, he's made several nice receptions in practice and remains one of the best run-blockers on the team. The Steelers are still in the market for a No. 2 tight end following the departure of Matt Spaeth to the Chicago Bears.

Click to expand...

Andre Roberts continues to impress at WR. Could he be a #2? some here feel he can.

Click to expand...

Three Observations

1. It'll be a surprise if John Beck doesn't win the starting quarterback job. It's pretty clear Mike and Kyle Shanahan favor him over Rex Grossman -- as long as Beck isn't clearly outplayed this summer by Grossman. Kyle Shanahan, as a Houston assistant coach, told Texan brass when Beck was coming out of college that he was the best quarterback in that draft, so clearly the Redskins offensive coordinator loves him and pushed for him here.

2. Tim Hightower is the kind of back Mike Shanahan will use, and use often. Remember Olandis Gary? The 5-11, 220-pound Gary gained 1,100 yards for Shanahan in Denver 12 years ago, a one-cut-and-get-upfield back who fit well in the Denver system. Hightower's the same kind of upfield runner. He's 6-foot and 222, without great quickness but an inside-the-tackle power runner made expendable by Beanie Wells and rookie Ryan Williams. I see Hightower starting at some point early in the season.

3. Washington still pines, slightly, over the one that got away. The Redskins helped their secondary in the past week, acquiring safety O.J. Atogwe (Rams) and underrated cornerback Josh Wilson (Ravens), helped their backfield with the acquisition of Hightower and improved their locker room by trading Donovan McNabb and Albert Haynesworth. But Washington wanted to build its offensive line around Baltimore guard-tackle Marshal Yanda ... and Yanda stayed in Baltimore. Look for Shanahan and Bruce Allen to keep tweaking the roster.

Step On Up

Quarterback John Beck doesn't read the papers or listen to the omnipresent local electronic media that covers the Redskins, because he knows it can't help him play any better. But he understands the you've-got-to-be-kidding-me attitude that has accompanied reports he may wrest the starting job from Rex Grossman. "That doesn't surprise me,'' he told me after the morning practice Monday. "I haven't done much in the NFL for fans to have faith in me. But that's OK. If I'm the guy, I'm confident I'll prove myself.'' You'll want to read my longer dispatch coming up in the Aug. 8 Monday Morning Quarterback column, but what interested me the most about the Beck story is how integral a part Kyle Shanahan played in it ... and how much Mike Shanahan believes in him.

New Face, New Place

Cornerback Josh Wilson was the No. 1 target on the Washington reasonably priced cornerback hit-list, and he got a three-year, $13.5-million deal to play opposite DeAngelo Hall. Washington could use him in the slot in nickel downs, or on the outside, a bit of versatility the defensive staff loves. The Redskins didn't get all the free-agents they targeted, but Wilson upgrades a seriously suspect position -- especially with Tuesday's news that Philip Buchanon was suspended for the first four games of the season for violating the league's substance-abuse policy.

Looking At The Schedule ...

The marquee matchup is the emotional Sunday opener, when the Giants and Redskins remember 9/11 on 9/11. Most of the players in the game were playing high school football (or maybe Pop Warner) when the attacks happened, but it'll be a weird day to play a football game. And in one of the league's schedule oddities: Washington plays one home game between Sept. 19 and Nov. 5. That's not good.

Click to expand...

Three Observations

1. It's another fresh start for Donovan McNabb, and he's happy to be anywhere but Washington. McNabb can't practice until Thursday of this week, and he doesn't have a ton of time to learn the offense of new Vikings offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave. But those seemed to be minor irritations on Monday, and he told me he was just pleased that his escape from the Redskins transpired so quickly after the lockout ended.

"I'm just thankful that it was (dealt with), and thankful that it didn't get to an ugly situation,'' said McNabb, making it clear he didn't relish the idea of a second training camp with Washington. "It's good to get a breath of fresh air and get away from that mess. And that's exactly what it was, it was a mess. But I've put that behind me.''

McNabb said he doesn't anticipate a tough transition to Musgrave's offense, because there are similarities in both scheme and terminology with the offense he ran in Philadelphia for 11 years. We'll see about that, but he seems unconcerned. "I can get back to just playing football again and the way I was taught,'' McNabb said.

2. Bryant McKinnie either doesn't get it or doesn't care. The Vikings' starting offensive left tackle on Monday was placed on the non-football injury list to start training camp, giving the team and its already shaky offensive line a problem it really didn't need. No specifics were given as to what McKinnie's issue is, but it certainly appeared McKinnie reported to camp well north of his listed 335 pounds and out of shape. Despite his promises in recent years to pay more attention to his conditioning, McKinnie didn't likely spend gobs of time during the 4½-month lockout working out.

The Vikings probably used the non-football injury designation because McKinnie's lack of conditioning transpired during the lockout, and that should allow Minnesota to hold back some of his roster and workout bonuses, as well as a portion of his $4.9 million salary if need be. If he's not activated from the NFI list before the team's Sept. 11 opener, he couldn't return until the team's seventh game of the regular season. (The Vikings finally ran out of patience with McKinnie on Tuesday, unceremoniously releasing the nine-year veteran.) The Vikings responded to McKinnie's situation Monday by immediately signing ex-Colt Charlie Johnson to their roster, giving them some insurance at left tackle.

3. The best thing the 2011 Vikings have going for them is that Leslie Frazier's in charge. The team's former defensive coordinator commands the respect of the entire locker room, and when he talks in his somewhat soft-spoken way, everyone hangs on his words. These Viking players wanted him to be their head coach, and they very much want to produce for him and win with him. I know this much: Frazier is going to keep a steady hand on his team, and he'll guide it through the rocky parts of the season with a deft touch. I think he's going to be very Tony Dungy-esque in that way, and his best coaching might come when things looks the bleakest.

Step On Up

Bernard Berrian, wide receiver. The Vikings restructured Berrian's contract on Monday, dropping his scheduled $6.3 million salary cap figure this year down to a much more palatable number. That probably ensures that he'll be in Minnesota again this season, which wasn't looking likely before the move.

Having lost receiver Sidney Rice to Seattle in free agency, the Vikings need Berrian to rebound from a desultory 2010 season, in which he caught just 28 passes for 252 yards, with zero touchdowns. Frazier said he's confident Berrian and McNabb will click, but that certainly wasn't the case with Berrian and the Vikings' last veteran quarterback. It was thought that Brett Favre didn't like throwing the ball to Berrian and didn't trust him in key situations, and the hope is that no Favre means the return of the old Berrian.

New Face, New Place

With McNabb in house, who knows how long it'll take for the Vikings to fully launch their Christian Ponder era, but the rookie quarterback from Florida State has made a favorable early impression on almost everyone around here. He certainly looks, acts and sounds like a franchise quarterback, and Frazier told me he believes having those traits is an important component of the leadership half of the job. Now if the kid can play, the Vikings will really have something special on their hands. It's too early to know that at the NFL level, but people who have watched him in Minnesota so far say Ponder "gets it,'' and will do the work necessary to give himself the best possible chance to succeed.

Looking At The Schedule ...

The Vikings appear headed for another 6-10 finish this season, which probably puts them in the cellar of the NFC North unless Chicago collapses. We should know plenty about the Vikings after a tough four-game midseason stretch that includes a Week 6 Sunday night game at Chicago, a home date against the defending Super Bowl champion Packers in Week 7, a trip to Carolina in Week 8, and a Monday night rematch in Green Bay in Week 10.

Click to expand...

Tight end Jermichael Finley is back (most of him): Felled last season by a Week 5 knee injury and later a postsurgical infection, the Packers tight end reported to training camp in superb shape after a long rehabilitation. He has without question trimmed his already-wiry frame and drew skepticism when he insisted he weighed in at 240 pounds.

The Packers' medical staff prescribed a gradual return to football activities, but it didn't take long for Finley to display his unique receiving skills during an individual drill. When two quarterbacks inadvertently threw him passes, Finley calmly caught one and tucked it under his arm, then caught the other.

Finley's return will prove as challenging as it is exciting and should be a focal point over the next few weeks. After his injury, the Packers refocused their offense around receiver Greg Jennings. Rodgers said it will be a "challenge" to fold in the pre- and post-injury schemes.

"You add another talented guy back to the mix like that," Rodgers said, "and it's tough to get the ball around to all of our skill guys. You've got to find a way to get everyone else involved, realizing that you might be bringing back the most talented guy to the offense.

"When [Finley] is out there, we're a different team. Defensive coordinators have a difficult job when they're trying to figure out how to cover him. It's going to be important for us to find ways to get him the ball but also to keep the other guys involved who played big roles for us last year."

Backfield rotation: I saw no evidence that the Packers plan for anything other than Ryan Grant to be their starting tailback when the season opens. There has been plenty of discussion about Grant's future after the postseason emergence of James Starks and the arrival of rookie Alex Green, but Grant worked with the first team throughout the first three days of practice and had some runs, McCarthy said, "that looked like Ryan Grant looks like in the regular season."

Starks also got some time with the first team, and that kind of rotation is fully expected to continue. The one question mark is on third downs following the free-agent departure of Brandon Jackson. Neither Grant nor Starks is known for his receiving ability. Could Green be that guy? Or is that why Rodgers wanted Kuhn back? I'm guessing it's the latter.

OBSERVATION DECK

Rookie Randall Cobb is working at all three receiving positions as both a kickoff and punt returner and even as the backup holder. His acceleration and aggressiveness in the open field were eye-opening, at least with the team in shorts and helmets. Although much could change, McCarthy said he is giving Cobb a longer look at punt returner than at kickoffs. He is hoping Green emerges to handle the latter.

McCarthy has been complimentary of rookie tight ends D.J. Williams and Ryan Taylor. Both are athletic and have good hands. Because of Finley's return schedule and Andrew Quarless' hip flexor, Williams and Taylor both got good work with the first team. You have to wonder whether Williams, especially, will challenge Quarless' roster spot.

Matthews slimmed down with a focus on running this offseason and came to training camp determined to avoid the hamstring injuries he incurred in the Packers' previous two training camps. (Did he really need those camps? You decide.) I thought it was interesting that on the first play of team drills in full pads, Matthews stood up right tackle Bryan Bulaga and made the stop on a running play. One of the Packers' weaknesses last season was run defense on Matthews' side.

McCarthy hasn't always kept three quarterbacks on his 53-man roster, but he likes what he's seen from No. 3 quarterback Graham Harrell. I like keeping the third quarterback, and frankly it's risky the way we've gone about it," McCarthy said. "If you asked me my druthers, if I could keep three quarterbacks, I would always keep three, and I would have a fourth on developmental. It's the most important position in football. ... When it was Brett [Favre] and Aaron you never blinked. But Matt [Flynn] has also now shown he is durable and a tough guy, so he's also given us that flexibility to go and carry the extra DB. But if you're asking me to assess it from a risk standpoint, I would definitely lean toward keeping a third."

Click to expand...

Running back Arian Foster, who led the NFL in rushing last season in his first as a starter, doesn't want to hear any of that one-year wonder stuff. It annoys him in fact. When I brought it up, he got a little testy.

"What else is new?" Foster said. "There's always somebody saying you can't."

A year ago, Foster was battling for the starting job in camp. Now he's a Pro Bowl player with a rushing title on his resume. Not bad for a player who went undrafted out of Tennessee.

Foster wants people to know that he won't be a one-hit wonder.

For money reasons, he better not be. He is in the final year of his two-year deal that will pay him just over $500,000. The Texans have to do something with him, but they will likely wait until midway through the season to do so.

"He's got a chip on his shoulder every day," Kubiak said. "He came up the hard way. He's earned it. He's proud of what he's accomplished last year. He's expecting to be an even better player this year. That's what makes this kid what he is."

By signing corner Johnathan Joseph and safety Daniel Manning as free agents, the Texans will start four players in their secondary who have been corners in the NFL. The other starting safety will be Glover Quin, who started at corner the past two years for the Texans, and likely Jason Allen. In my mind, this is the prototype for the new NFL secondary. Coverage matters much more than how you play the run, thus the four cover people on the back end. "The way they are throwing the ball, you want as many proven cover guys back there as you can get," Joseph said. "Everyone wants to run four wides and spread you out and throw it 50 times a game. So having a 225-pound safety who can't cover doesn't make sense." Joseph and Manning can't work until Thursday when the CBA is completed, but they have been right in the middle of all the coaching on the field the first two days.

First-round pick J. J. Watt is already running with the first team at left end. The coaches were raving about how quickly he picks things up. He also practices with a high level of intensity. Second-round pick Brooks Reed, who is making the conversion from college defensive end to outside linebacker, has some pass-rush ability.

Keep an eye on rookie quarterback T.J. Yates. In the two days I watched him, he impressed. He is listed as the No. 3 behind Matt Schaub and Matt Leinart, so he won't play much, if at all, but he has some skills. The ball gets out of his hand.

The Texans have three good receivers in Andre Johnson, Kevin Walter and Jacoby Jones. They have an opening for a fourth. One player who has been impressive early on is undrafted free agent rookie Terrance Toliver. He is a big receiver at 6-2 who did some good things for LSU. He was hurt by bad quarterback play there, but he has a chance. Dorin Dickerson, who was a college tight end at Pittsburgh, is also in the mix in his second season.

Click to expand...

'Clifford said:

Bumping this cause I didn't see it and that's why I created the camp battles thread. Slightly more narrowed focus but Faust does a bang up job on these. Good work and keep em coming.ETA: MOds, please pin. Faust has the track record from last offseason/preseason

Click to expand...

Three Observations

1. The Bears believe Mike Martz will again bring out the best in Roy Williams. And there is some history to support that theory. In 2006 in Detroit, Williams had his career year while Martz was the Lions offensive coordinator, catching 82 passes for 1,310 yards (tied for third in the league) and making his only Pro Bowl trip. No wonder Williams quickly signed a low-risk, one-year, $2.5 million deal in Chicago, where his old University of Texas receivers coach, Darryl Drake, happens to be the Bears receivers coach.

"The thing about Martz, man, he believes in his players,'' Williams told me. "If I get on a roll and he sees I'm hot, I just give him the sign, 'Let's keep it going,' and he keeps it going. I'm just very comfortable in his offense.''

Williams will man the X receiver position in Martz's offense, which is the high-profile role Torry Holt played under Martz in St. Louis. "He's the guy who gets singled up a lot, and a lot of big plays go to that guy,'' Martz said. "That guy is going to have 1,300 yards and 80-85 catches, and we know Roy's got that in him. He's just now at the peak of his career. I don't know what happened in Dallas. But it doesn't make any difference to me. It doesn't change how I feel.''

Williams is confident that a career renaissance is at hand, and that he's the big receiver the Bears have been searching for. "I didn't come here to sit on the bench,'' he said. "I didn't come here to feed everybody water. I came here to play ball and help this team get one game further than last year, to the Super Bowl.''

2. Matt Forte's contract extension is on the front burner for the Bears, with a goal of having something done before the regular season opener. Forte seems cautiously optimistic the Bears will extend him and not make him play for $550,000 in the final year of his rookie deal. That's why he chose to report to camp on time and not go the holdout route. But the Bears always seek something of a hometown discount when it comes to contract extensions, arguing that the player is not yet in the unrestricted free-agent market and that there's always some inherent injury risk they incur by not letting the contract play itself out. The fourth-year running back is a clear priority for Chicago after last year's strong second half, and I'd be surprised if the two sides can't find enough common ground to strike a new deal in the coming month.

3. Chicago is suddenly one of the league's hot spots when it comes to offering a change of scenery. The Bears last week snatched up three former top 10 picks who disappointed in their most recent NFL venues: Williams (seventh overall in 2004), ex-Texans defensive tackle Amobi Okoye (10th in 2007) and former Jets bust of a defensive end Vernon Gholston (sixth in 2008). All got modest one-year deals, and the chance to remake themselves.

While Williams came to town to rejoin Martz, both Gholston and Okoye had similar motivation. Both wanted to try to make something of their career under the tutelage of Bears defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli, one of the best defensive line teachers in the game. "These guys are betting on themselves,'' Bears general manager Jerry Angelo said. "They were worth taking a shot on.''

Step On Up

Gabe Carimi, tackle. The Bears' offensive line issues still keep everyone up at night in these parts, but Mike Tice has a pretty good new building block to play with in first-round pick Gabe Carimi. The ex-Wisconsin Badger (he wore a Brewers T-shirt to lunch on Tuesday and it was noticed by some Cubs fans in the area) is going to start from day one at right tackle, opposite second-year left tackle J'Marcus Webb. Chicago loves Carimi's toughness and his no-nonsense make-up, and he and Webb have a chance to give the Bears bookends that could be in place for a long time.

At the moment, the rest of the line is a little bit up in the air. If newly acquired center Chris Spencer can beat out veteran Roberto Garza, and he hasn't yet, Garza will slide back to his starting right guard slot, ahead of Lance Louis. Chicago's 2008 first-round pick Chris Williams is barely hanging on to the top slot at left guard, but Louis is expected to push him for the starting job once the Garza/Spencer battle concludes.

New Face, New Place

There are plenty of choices for this category in Bears camp, but running back Marion Barber is as intriguing a selection as any. The ex-Cowboy contingent goes three deep (Williams, Barber and receiver Sam Hurd), but Barber's here to give the Chicago offense the pile-moving, short-yardage back it has lacked in recent years.

Bears coach Lovie Smith told me his own defensive players urged the team to land Barber, who's punishing running style is rather famous throughout the league. Barber also gives the Bears a little leverage in the Forte contract talks, but if that deal gets done, Chicago might opt to go with Forte and Barber as a backfield tandem, perhaps squeezing well-paid veteran running back Chester Taylor out of a roster spot.

Looking At The Schedule ...

Stringing together winning seasons hasn't been the Bears' calling card in quite some time. The 2005-2006 teams were the only clubs to top .500 back-to-back in the past 15 years, and this year's Bears again figure to be flying under the radar, despite going 11-5 and winning their way to the NFC title game last season.

We should know plenty early about Chicago, which opens at home against the tough Falcons, travels to New Orleans in Week 2, and plays host to the Super Bowl champion Packers in Week 3. A Week 5 Monday night date at Detroit (the Lions' first MNF game in years) will pose another stiff challenge. When I add it all up, it looks like an 8-8 type of year and a step back down in weight class for the defending NFC North champs.

Click to expand...