* OFFICIAL * 2012 Training Camp / Preseason News & Tidbits Thread (1 Viewer)

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Chad Johnson emerges as Miami Dolphins' top receiver

By Gregg Rosenthal

Around The League editor

Chad Johnson looks like the best wide receiver in Miami Dolphins training camp thus far, according to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald. In related news, he wasn't one of the New England Patriots' best six receivers.

The former Ocho's ability to climb the depth chart quickly after missing most of the offseason in Miami says more about the Dolphins than it does about Johnson. But it's an early sign that Johnson is on his way toward making the Dolphins, rather than just improving "Hard Knocks" ratings.

It's also a reminder what an uphill climb the Dolphins' offense has this year. No matter who wins the quarterback job, this just isn't that talented of a group at the skill positions.

A New Era

No one knows if Jahvid Best will play football again. There is a lot of hope. There is a different source of optimism regarding Best’s future every day. There is no medical clearance, however, nine months after Best’s last concussion.

The Lions are waiting for more information from a team of medical experts. They are starting to make alternate plans, moving returner Stefan Logan to running back.

"If this was four or five years ago," Best said, via the Detroit News. "I probably would have played last season. Now that everything's under a microscope, it takes a lot longer."

He’s probably right. If it wasn’t four to five years ago, Jaguars linebacker Clint Session’s career wouldn’t be up in the air. But these are different times.

The Lions said all offseason Best would be cleared for camp. The reality is they just don’t know anymore. No one does.

Position Battling

1. Russell Wilson took the majority of the first-team snaps with the Seattle Seahawks on Monday and reportedly looked sharp. Seahawks coach Pete Caroll is taking this three-way competition thing seriously.

2. Vincent Brown might be the odd man out of the San Diego Chargers' wideout competition. Brown likely will sit and wait for either Malcom Floyd, Robert Meachem or Eddie Royal to get hurt before seeing the field.

3. The good news: Kevin Kolb was listed as the Arizona Cardinals' starter on their first official depth chart. The bad news: He left practice with a thigh injury, however, after a scrimmage in which the team's offense looked sloppy.

Aggressive Jim Harbaugh Quote

"I don't even know what that means. What do you mean by one constant?" Harbaugh responded when asked if Frank Gore was the one constant in the San Francisco 49ers' backfield.

A Good Day for ...

1. Darren McFadden built on a strong OTA season with an impressive first full practice at Oakland Raiders training camp. He's the key to the Raiders' season.

2. Based on multiple reports, Greg Salas is the early riser in the Rams' battle royale at wide receiver. Danario Alexander is hurt and might be running out of time.

Unlucky Team of the Day

A year ago at this time, New York Giants cornerback Terrell Thomas was one of the most underrated and well-respected cornerbacks in the NFL. He was entering a contract year. Two anterior cruciate ligament injuries later, Thomas' 2012 season and career are in question. He signed with the Giants before this year, but that deal contained just $1 million guaranteed.

Last year's first-round draft pick, Prince Amukamara, and 2012 third-rounder Jayron Hosley will be asked to step up. If you are looking for a weakness on the Giants, it might be on the back end which features a lack of cornerback depth and overrated Antrel Rolle.

Not a Good Day for ...

1. The Jacksonville Jaguars paid Laurent Robinson like a No. 1 receiver instead of a journeyman. Perhaps the pressure is getting to him. Coach Mike Mularkey called Robinson out on Sunday for drops, and the receivers continued to struggle to get open Monday.

2. Baltimore Ravens tight end Dennis Pitta looks questionable for the season opener after breaking his hand.

3. As one of the last people left who still thinks Felix Jones could put together a breakout season, I was disappointed to see he failed his conditioning test to start Dallas Cowboys camp Monday. It was not terribly surprising.

4. Michael Crabtree missed his third straight day at 49ers camp. Crabtree remains dead last among all qualifiers in camp-practice percentage over the last three years. (Note: That's not a real stat.)

Around the NFC South

By Pat Yasinskas | ESPN.com

Time for our morning run through the headlines from around the division.

ATLANTA FALCONS

Coach Mike Smith said quarterback Matt Ryan is a better athlete than people give him credit for. I agree with that. Ryan may not have top-end speed, but he can get a first down when needed. His throwing arm is much better than most people give him credit for.

Speaking of Ryan, offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter says he’s one of the league’s top 10 quarterbacks. I don’t think that’s off base.

D. Orlando Ledbetter writes that the Falcons have some competition at wide receiver beyond Roddy White, Julio Jones and Harry Douglas. It appears Kerry Meier, Kevin Cone and Drew Davis are in the mix for the fourth and fifth receiver spots.

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS

Ryan Jones writes that a federal judge might not issue a ruling on Jonathan Vilma’s request for an injunction to stop his suspension until Aug. 10. Vilma already had his hearing on the matter and is awaiting a ruling. But the same judge also is scheduled to hear a the NFL’s request to dismiss Vilma’s filings that same day.

Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo still is getting to know his players and their abilities. But he’s experimenting a bit and one thing he’s trying out is moving defensive end Cameron Jordan to defensive tackle on third down. That might be a bad idea since the Saints don’t seem to have any interior players who are capable of generating much of a pass rush.

The Saints are switching up their practice schedule this week. They went late in the afternoon at the start of camp, but they’re moving to early-morning sessions this week. The Saints ran into some heavy storms and extreme heat when they were on the afternoon schedule.

CAROLINA PANTHERS

Offensive tackle Jordan Gross, who has been with the Panthers since 2003, said he’s never seen a Carolina player draw more attention than quarterback Cam Newton. But Gross said Newton still acts like “one of the guys."

Add Panthers owner Jerry Richardson to the list of people who approve of center Ryan Kalil taking out a newspaper ad to promise a Super Bowl win. Richardson described the gesture as “pretty cool."

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS

With a couple of cornerbacks banged up, local product Leonard Johnson has been stepping up and making some plays. If that continues, he could put himself in the mix for a roster spot.

The diet that helped quarterback Josh Freeman drop about 20 pounds in the offseason was pretty simple. Freeman said he dropped the weight mostly by eliminating fast food from his diet.

 

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Julio Jones lighting up Falcons' camp

By Pat Yasinskas | ESPN.com

If I had to pick just one player who has stood out most during my training camp tour so far, Atlanta’s Julio Jones would be the easy choice.

In each of the practices, I saw the second-year receiver make several spectacular plays. Let’s keep in mind that he was going up against some big-name cornerbacks in Brent Grimes, Dunta Robinson and Asante Samuel. On at least two plays, I saw Jones use athleticism to beat Grimes, who many Falcons will point to when you ask them to name their most athletic player.

This shouldn’t come as a total surprise from Jones, who caught 54 passes for 959 yards and eight touchdowns as a rookie, despite sitting out three full games and missing parts of others.

“In my mind, he missed five and a half games,’’ coach Mike Smith said. “If you extrapolate his numbers out, it’s a monster year. We know he’s going to impact the game.’’

But not everyone thought Jones had a great rookie season. There was a notable exception.

“I did all right,’’ Jones said. “I could have done so much better. I was coming off the foot surgery and I couldn’t really work out in the offseason. My whole core was weak, and coming out here and running full speed and my hamstring kind of gave way.’’

Like all rookies last season, Jones was at a disadvantage because the lockout eliminated offseason programs. Even in the players-only workouts, Jones’ foot limited the time he could spend working with quarterback Matt Ryan.

Jones had a full offseason this time around, and wide receiver is a position where there often is strong improvement from the first year to the second. Throw in the fact that Jones didn’t have any injuries to deal with during the offseason, and we might have the reasons why he’s playing so well in camp.

“I’m out here and stronger than ever,’’ Jones said. “It’s so much easier when you’re not tired. You can come out here and really focus. Everything has just been so much easier this time around.’’

But Jones’ fast start to training camp might not be simply because he’s healthy and a player’s second training camp always is easier than what he goes through as a rookie. Ryan said there’s another important factor at work.

“I think it’s a lot of myself understanding exactly how good he is and having a better feel for his gait, for his speed and for his ability to go up and make some plays when the ball is in the air,’’ Ryan said.

Yep, Ryan said even he didn’t realize last year just how talented Jones is. The quarterback is just grasping that now, which begs the question -- how good can Jones be?

“I think he can be one of the very best in the league, for sure,’’ Ryan said. "His talent is off the charts. His speed and burst and power is as good as anybody’s. I think his understanding of defenses is continuing to improve. I think that, as he gets better with that, there’s no telling how good he can be.’’

I felt like I took a little bit of a leap when I ranked Jones No. 11 in my projections for the top 25 NFC South players in 2012 a few weeks ago, especially when I put him ahead of guys like teammate Roddy White, Tampa Bay’s Vincent Jackson and New Orleans’ Marques Colston. All three of those guys have been around for a while and have put up bigger numbers than Jones did as a rookie.

Again, I was projecting when I did the top 25. After what I saw out of Jones in camp and what I heard from his coaches and teammates, I no longer slightly question if Jones’ ranking was too high. In fact, I’m wondering if I should have placed him in the top 10.

 

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Atlanta Falcons training camp: Matt Ryan and Co. seek swagger

By Albert Breer

Reporter, NFL.com and NFL Network

WHERE IS NFL.COM?

Flowery Branch, Ga., about 45 minutes north of downtown Atlanta -- a quiet place for a training camp that's been devoid of hype. In the NFC South, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are bringing in Greg Schiano, the Carolina Panthers are bringing back Cam Newton, and the New Orleans Saints have brought all kinds of trouble to this offseason. Meanwhile, the Falcons are here, content to remain firmly under the radar.

OBSERVATION DECK

1. The Falcons want to play with guns blazing this season. There's some feeling here that the Falcons have played tight in their three playoff failures over the last four years. And the club's coordinator hires of Dirk Koetter (offense) and Mike Nolan (defense) reflect, at least implicitly, the idea that everyone needs more of a gunslinger mentality. It might be quarterback Matt Ryan taking a risk downfield because receiver Julio Jones is capable of redefining what "open" means. It might be new acquisition Asante Samuel putting the gambling nature of his cornerback play to good use on defense. I asked general manager Thomas Dimitroff about the difference between a playoff team and a champion. He responded by describing the groups he was around when he was with the New England Patriots as "teams that had swagger, belief and drive to finish every play. And a belief there was no one in the NFL that could take them down. There's something special about that." It's overly simplistic to think that mentality is all that's standing between Atlanta and the Super Bowl. But it's not a stretch to think it's been a factor.

2. Don't run away from the problem -- embrace it. Head coach Mike Smith and Dimitroff have built what the general manager calls "an analytical organization," which explains the research the coach did in trying to fix the postseason problem. Smith didn't go into exactly what he found the issue to be other than to point to a confluence of small things, rather than a couple of big things. But in calling dozens of his coaching friends, and studying dozens of playoff teams -- successful and less so -- Smith confirmed that he's unwilling to minimize the problem by attributing it to three bad days in January, or chalk it up to the fact that the three teams that beat Atlanta made the Super Bowl. "That's no consolation, believe me," he told me. "You can't justify it -- 'Well, they ended up here.' We didn't play well enough or compete well enough to move on, and that's the bottom line." Talking to players, too, it's clear there's no backing away from the failure. "We haven't gotten it done," linebacker Sean Weatherspoon told me. "We've won in the regular season, but it's nothing until you progress to the main goal. You gotta get some wins in January and hopefully make it to February. That's the goal."

3. Ryan's hoping to become Matty Right in Year 5. Ryan has, as any quarterback would, become the symbol of the Falcons' shortcomings. So it makes sense that in this offseason, Ryan has fixated on doing everything he can to make things right when the stakes are at their highest. The quarterback packed on five to seven pounds of muscle and dropped two to three percent in body fat in an effort to strengthen his core, which should help him as a passer. Ryan's build is not unlike Tom Brady's; Brady underwent a similar transformation in his 20s. But the broader idea is simply to be in a better position to succeed come January. "If you're stronger at the beginning of the season, you can't not be in a better position at the end of the season," Smith said. "You're gonna get worn down." Mentality's important, too, under a new coordinator in Koetter, with the hope being that the quarterback is more aggressive with more spread principles in the offense.

4. Julio's a horse. The word "unique" gets thrown around too much -- if something is truly unique, there is no equal -- but Smith was willing to make the leap and use the word to describe Jones in a physical sense. Dimitroff and Smith see the receiver as a composite, possessing a blend of the capabilities that other elite playmakers bring to the table. And there's reason to think Jones is on the verge of really capitalizing on that considerable upside, especially if you watch him dominate in practice against an experienced group of corners. He had no offseason program last year and struggled with injuries at midseason, yet piled up 24 catches for 461 yards and six touchdowns in the Falcons' last five games. Over 16 games, that pace projects to 77 catches, 1,475 yards and 19 touchdowns. Safe to say, the sky is the limit.

5. Nolan holds the keys to Atlanta's breakthrough. The idea with both coordinators, according to Smith, is to make the Falcons more multiple. Atlanta hopes to find more ways to deploy the talent base that this regime, now in its fifth year, has amassed, and blend new ideas with old. Nolan brings all of that, having spent seven years running a 4-3 and seven years running a 3-4 in his 14 years as a coordinator. But there are specifics here, too: Atlanta needs to get more pressure from its pass rush, spearheaded by defensive ends John Abraham and Ray Edwards, and more playmaking from of its secondary. As Smith says, "If you go back and see where his strengths were year-in and year-out, it's on third-down efficiency. We've been one of the top five teams the last four years in scoring defense, but we've not been very good on third down." And when you're in the same division as the Saints, with an offense that treats every down like third down, you need to be.

THE NEW GUYS

Samuel: You can't be within 100 yards of the practice field in Atlanta without hearing Samuel chirping about who's making plays and who isn't. (Just like it was with Samuel in New England and Philadelphia.) The upside of this mentality is obvious: Samuel makes practice more competitive because he's always competing and judging others in competition, and he puts a premium on playmaking. "You can sense his energy level," Weatherspoon said. "It rubs off on people. ... You see him having a great time, and you wanna get in on it." Ideally, if he can stay healthy, he'll add an edge and bring some swagger to a defense that needs both.

Peter Konz/Bradie Ewing: The first two Big Ten draft picks of the Dimitroff era are both Wisconsin alums, and both are prototype Badgers. Konz should start right away at right guard, and Ewing has every chance to be the team's fullback. Each could bring juice to a run game that finished 17th last year, a low-water mark for the Smith/Dimitroff era.

Jacquizz Rodgers: OK, so Rodgers isn't new. In fact, he played in all 16 games last year as a rookie. But get this: The slash back out of Oregon State caught just one screen pass all year. You can bet Koetter is going to use the diminutive dynamo differently. And the potential is there, with all the other weapons around him, for Rodgers to become a dangerous check-down option for Ryan.

OVERHEARD

The general sense of needing to "cut loose" pervades Falcons camp. It's pretty apparent the coaches are looking for their players to play faster and freer, and one example that has been referenced is the Houston Texans' defensive transformation last season. The Falcons looked at how Wade Phillips turned things around there, and a big reason cited is that Phillips lightened the mental load on his players. It's kind of simplistic to say, "Just go play football," but it sounds a lot like that's the idea, for Nolan's group in particular and the Falcons in general.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Slot receiver Harry Douglas has put on weight to better withstand the rigors of the season and become more consistent. Kind of like Rodgers, he has a jitterbug quality in space that could allow him to take advantage of defenses focusing on the more imposing weapons around him.

2. Too bad about Lofa Tatupu's season-ending torn pec. He was no sure thing to start -- set to battle with Akeem Dent -- but by the sounds of it, Tatupu was a good presence in the club's building.

3. Did you know Koetter and Andy Reid were staffmates at San Francisco State in 1985? Yup. Koetter was the offensive coordinator. Reid coached the offensive line. Smith raised the point to me when I asked about Koetter being a "spread" guy and the one who started Boise State's amazing run.

OUTLOOK

A year ago at this time, Atlanta was a popular Super Bowl pick, with the logic being that the Jones trade was a sure sign the Falcons thought they were a piece away (though they didn't exactly see it that way themselves). This year, no one's picking them to win their division, let alone make it to February. And while that's just fine with the folks in Atlanta, there is a sense that everyone in the building had better be thinking big. To that end, Smith is using the ever-popular "Finish" as the team's mantra. "We want to finish the day. Finish the play. Finish the series. Finish the game. Finish the season," he explained. "But it starts now. You can't talk about finishing strong at the end of the year. It starts with, 'Hey, we gotta finish this practice.' " Using the well-worn term certainly keeps the bigger picture in the heads of these Falcons. And -- just a hunch -- I kind of think that's the idea.

 

[-jb-]

I am so geeked on the Falcons potential this year. Julio in the third + Ryan in the sixth = brohan bank takers

 

[Faust]

New York Jets training camp: Mark Sanchez trumping Tim Tebow

By Kimberly Jones

Reporter, NFL.com and NFL Network

WHERE IS NFL.COM?

SUNY Cortland, site of Jets training camp for the third time (camp was held at the team's headquarters in 2011). Following their first two camps here, Gang Green ended the season in the AFC Championship Game. And that's been mentioned, oh, just a few times so far.

OBSERVATION DECK

1. Mark Sanchez seems secure. He's in great shape, sounds confident and is easily the best quarterback during practices (as he was all offseason). Entering his fourth season, Sanchez noted that he's researched the career paths of championship signal-callers, including Eli Manning, who won the first of his two Super Bowls after just four years with the New York Giants.

2. The case of the rapidly shrinking Jets. It's not just coach Rex Ryan and his weight loss (he's dropped more than 100 pounds) that stand out. Veterans, including linebacker Bart Scott (235 pounds) and center Nick Mangold (308), are also noticeably leaner. An emphasis on quickness across the board and playing at a fast tempo has had an obvious effect on this roster.

3. Tony Sparano is showing an early commitment to the ground attack. At one point during Sunday's practice, the Jets ran the ball 22 straight times. Ryan called that a "tremendous" development, one that he hadn't planned. Perhaps that illustrates, as well as anything could (especially in July), that the Jets will be committed to a ground-and-pound philosophy in Sparano's first year as offensive coordinator.

THE NEW GUYS

Quinton Coples: Ryan said Coples is on the right track and has been "impressive" -- at times. At other times, the defensive end has looked lost. No doubt, the rookie's head could be swimming, with the Jets employing 3-4 and 4-3 looks, base fronts and their self-titled "taco" look, which features an extra tackle on the field. The bottom line: Coples was taken 16th overall in the 2012 NFL Draft to significantly improve the Jets' pass rush. Anything less, and he'll be viewed as a bust.

Stephen Hill: The rookie receiver caught a Darrelle Revis-tipped pass on the first play of team drills, and he's getting plenty of tips from Santonio Holmes. After playing in Georgia Tech's run-heavy offense -- his 28 catches were the most on the team last season -- Hill looks ready to start immediately.

LaRon Landry and Yeremiah Bell: A weakness last season could become a strength for the Jets in 2012. The veteran safeties -- both free-agent signings -- could platoon with Eric Smith to provide a playmaking and physical back end to the defense. Or the Jets could use a three-safety look. The oft-injured Landry is healthy right now; the Jets have their fingers crossed.

Tim Tebow: Perhaps you think you've heard enough about this guy, a backup QB who is working as personal protector on the punt team. But there's more. The unfailingly affable Tebow, who is working on a quicker release, says his celebrity won't allow him to go to a movie on Tuesday's day off in Cortland. He also says he's still awaiting the installation of a Wildcat package. As are we all.

OVERHEARD

"We're still holding the ball a little too long. We have to get that ball out. I talked to Tony (Sparano) about doing that. We did it last year a little. It was a little thing that drove everyone crazy, (but) we're going to go back to it."

-- Rex Ryan, on putting a clock on his QBs.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Revis continues to talk about his contract, which has two years left and will be addressed -- one way or another -- by this time next year. But no one expects the issue to affect his play, or his participation in practice, this season.

2. Beginning Aug. 1, Ryan will delay the start of practice by 30 minutes, pushing it to 8:30 a.m. to give his players adequate time to warm up and stretch. The coach is wary of soft-tissue injuries, such as the tight hamstring that caused Revis to miss team drills Sunday.

3. How about some love for nickel corner Kyle Wilson? He's put in a lot of time in the film room and on the physical parts of the game. Ryan said he sees "huge improvement."

4. Yes, Tebow ran shirtless through the rain. And yes, he took some ribbing from teammates. But does Sanchez, who has a GQ spread on his résumé, feel any pressure? "I've been doing some extra abs lately, so I feel good," Sanchez said with a laugh. "I'll probably buy a Bowflex or something."

OUTLOOK

Last season was very disappointing, and this is a pivotal year for Ryan, Sanchez and Co. So the Jets have no choice but to be good.

They're playing fast, they're leaner overall and they seem highly motivated. But if Sanchez struggles or the defense can't generate a consistent pass rush up front, all bets are off.

 

[Faust]

Pittsburgh Steelers training camp: Prepping sans Mike Wallace

By Aditi Kinkhabwala

Reporter, NFL.com and NFL Network

WHERE IS NFL.COM?

At St. Vincent's College in Latrobe, Pa., where the idyllic campus is spread out wide, Steelers fans are plentiful and our ambassador to Ireland, Dan Rooney, has been a regular.

OBSERVATION DECK

1. The Steelers might not miss Rashard Mendenhall much in the early going. Mendenhall, the Steelers' starting running back, tore his anterior cruciate ligament in 2011 and is on the physically unable to perform list, where he'll most likely start the season. In his stead, third-year back Isaac Redman has looked awfully forceful. The 6-foot, 230-pound Redman is solid, strong and doesn't waste time dancing behind his line. He has deceptive speed, too, and can definitely bust one out (see the 32-yard run that punctuated a 17-carry, 121-yard showing in Pittsburgh's playoff loss to the Denver Broncos). Steelers tackle Willie Colon said it best, though, regarding Redman's grind-it-out mentality: "He doesn't mind getting three yards, he doesn't mind getting five yards."

2. Yes, there was a message in receiver Antonio Brown's contract extension. Only it wasn't for receiver Mike Wallace, as the chattering classes initially thought. "If you're here and you keep working hard, you can earn yourself something," third-year receiver Emmanuel Sanders said, confirming it was him -- and his fellow teammates -- who saw a missive in Brown's five-year deal. Wallace, of course, is the Steelers' No. 1 receiver, who as of this writing is still not in camp. The restricted free agent refuses to attend until the Steelers offer him a new contract. The Steelers have refused to re-open contract talks until he signs his $2.7 million tender and comes to camp. Still, veteran receiver Jerricho Cotchery insisted there is no transitive relationship -- or any veiled threat -- to be read between Brown's deal and Wallace's situation. "Here, they tell you exactly what they're thinking. There's no games," Cotchery said.

3. The Steelers have an impressive group of receivers, but they still need Wallace. Brown and Sanders run great routes, have good hands and are fast. Save for the recently retired Hines Ward, Cotchery is as tough a veteran leader as the Steelers could want (remember Cotchery's diving third-and-long catch -- WITH a pulled groin -- against the Cleveland Browns when he was with the New York Jets?). And yet, Wallace is, well, special. Santonio Holmes once told Cotchery that Wallace is absurdly fast. Cotchery didn't quite get it, until he became Wallace's teammate; now, Cotchery says Wallace is easily the fastest player he's seen in the NFL. And he runs clean routes, too. "I think the fear is," Cotchery said, "if you get up there and miss him at the line of scrimmage, you might as well just scream, 'Help!'"

4. Brett Keisel is everything you think he is. Yes, the beard -- already in midseason form -- is fun. Yes, the fact that the veteran defensive end drove a tractor to camp was fun -- ludicrously so. But Keisel is still motoring on the football field, too. He doesn't even look remotely like a guy entering his 11th season -- or like he's thinking about slowing down. "What? No," Keisel said when asked if camp gets old a decade in. "I love this."

THE NEW GUYS

Chris Rainey. If not for the scraggly goatee, the rookie running back out of Florida might look like he's 12. Maybe it's because he's always happy. Rainey is very serious about his role on this team, though; while the speedster might currently project as a change-of-pace back, don't tell him that. "I can do anything they ask me to. I can start," he said. Of course, he also said he was the fastest player on the team, and challenged veteran defensive back Ike Taylor to a race. (Taylor said that after nine full seasons in the NFL, he doesn't need to race anyone to prove anything.)

David DeCastro and Mike Adams. The Steelers chose the offensive linemen in the first and second rounds of April's draft with an eye on helping quarterback Ben Roethlisberger stay upright for longer periods of time. (DeCastro rolled an ankle Sunday; coach Mike Tomlin said he's day-to-day.) Both look the part and both are learning. Center Maurkice Pouncey -- a starter from his first day in the NFL who has been a Pro Bowler and All-Pro in both of his pro seasons -- said DeCastro is further along than he was at this stage. ("He went to Stanford," quipped Pouncey, a former Florida Gator.) The pads have only just now come on, though; as Colon said, the most obvious thing about the rookies is that "they're young."

Todd Haley. Brown said he loves the Steelers' new offensive coordinator. Running back Jonathan Dwyer said he's been great. Sanders said the Steelers "are definitely going to be attacking," and all the hullaballoo over Haley's arrival hasn't resulted in much drama. Roethlisberger appears to be getting along just fine with his new play-caller, and the offense is looking comfortable. And yes, Big Ben does seem to have a lot of options these days.

OVERHEARD

"My bad on the block, bro."

-- Brown, to cornerback Ike Taylor on the sideline during Sunday's practice, after an unexpectedly hard block. Taylor laughed, the two bumped fists and hugged. Then Taylor watched -- and offered input -- while Cotchery and Brown discussed how and why Brown's cut on the route could've been sharper.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Why Troy Polamalu is so great, part I: After practice Sunday, the veteran told a ball boy to throw to him, so he could get some work in catching. Spying that, fellow safety Ryan Clark waited until Polamalu was done, then followed Polamalu's example.

2. Why Polamalu is so great, part II: He caught every single one of those throws with one hand.

3. Rooney might be one of the most loved owners in the NFL. In a ball cap and suspenders, a bit hunched over by age, he still moves easily among his players, who uniformly say he's one of the best people to talk to about life (not just football). Check out Taylor's Twitter avatar. Yep, that's the 80-year old ambassador, striking a 'swaggin' pose.

OUTLOOK

For all the talk about the Steelers and Baltimore Ravens getting older, both teams are better for it: veterans help coaches teach on the sidelines, sometimes to greater effect. (Isn't it always easier to hear a critique from a peer than a coach?) The Steelers' defense, No. 1 in 2011, is returning everyone but retired linebacker James Farrior and defensive end Aaron Smith, while the offense should be more vertical. Why should this year be different from any other? The AFC North will come down to the Steelers and Ravens.

 

[Faust]

Postcard from camp: Chiefs

Jim Trotter

Where's SI.com?

At Missouri Western State University, in St. Joseph, Mo. This is the Chiefs' third summer on the tiny, tucked-away campus, which is roughly 45 minutes north of Kansas City's main airport and a good one-plus hours from the team's year-round training facility near Arrowhead Stadium. Mother Nature was kind during my visit, hitting the reset button and turning down the heat and humidity that had blanketed the region. Fans can watch from grass knolls and temporary bleachers that border two fields along one goal line and one sideline. A personal disappointment is that the media are not allowed to walk the sidelines during practice. Instead, they can watch while sitting or standing with fans, or from a reserved section at the top of knoll overlooking the fields. Might not sound like a big deal, but one of the charms of training camp is getting as close to the action as possible so you can hear and see what players are being taught. Improved insight by the media often translates into greater detail and color for fans.

Three Observations

1. Unlike teams that have mastered the art of saying as little as possible, the Chiefs have no problem telling you they expect to win the AFC West for the second time in three years. Their optimism is well-founded. Despite losing three of their top players (safety Eric Berry, running back Jamaal Charles and tight end Tony Moeaki) to season-ending injuries by Week 3 -- not to mention top draft pick Jon Baldwin for the first five games with a broken hand, and quarterback Matt Cassel for the final seven games with a broken hand -- they still had a chance to win the division on the final Sunday of last season.

Now they get those five back, and have added defensive tackle Dontari Poe via the draft and right tackle Eric Winston, running back Peyton Hillis and cornerback Stanford Routt through free agency. The roster is deeper and more talented than at any point since GM Scott Pioli arrived in 2009.

"I don't think it's out of line at all," coach Romeo Crennel says of picking KC to prevail in the division. "Being a coach and being in this business as long as I have, I know you have to temper things because it's a new year and you start over. But ... if we can get that team chemistry and camaraderie together, coming out of this preseason, then I think it would bode well for us going into the regular season."

2. No one is fretting the absence of wide receiver Dwayne Bowe, partly because it's wasted energy and partly because he's expected to join them before the season kicks off. Bowe, who received the franchise tag in the offseason after leading the team in catches and receiving yards for the third consecutive year, has yet to sign his one-year, $9.5 million tender; consequently, the team can't fine him for staying away. I'm told, however, there is virtually no chance that Bowe will pass up game checks that amount to $559,000 a week. He skipped offseason workouts while hoping to land a multi-year deal, so he could be behind when he finally reports. The Chiefs have a new offensive coordinator and new playbook; how long that will take him to get up to speed -- and how severely his absence might limit his effectiveness -- are questions no one can answer.

Still, it's enticing to think of the offensive possibilities when he's in the lineup. Bowe, Jon Baldwin and Steve Breaston are big, fast threats on the outside; Tony Moeaki and Kevin Boss are capable pass-cathers at tight end and Jamaal Charles and Hillis are formidable running backs when healthy and on their games. "When I look at Jamaal Charles, I see so much potential," says Hillis. "I see him as one of the best backs in the league. I look up to him. He's a great player. ... I hope to really produce for this team and win ball games. We have all the ingredients to have a really successful team."

3. Matt Cassel is getting very little love around town. Sports talk radio has been particularly hard on him after a 10-touchdown, nine-interception season (nine games) last year. Barring injury, I expect Cassel to regain his form of 2010, when he threw for 27 scores and only seven picks. Not only does he have better talent around him, which means the Chiefs are going to rely on the run and use play-action to hurt teams down the field, but the playbook is more quarterback-friendly than past seasons. "It's very similar conceptually speaking to what we were doing before, but the terminology is much different from what we've used in the past," Cassel says. "For me it was a lot of flashcards in the offseason, where I was writing down plays and having my wife give me pop quizzes at night. But once you get it down, you can roll with it. Coach Daboll did a great job of simplifying and categorizing everything to where it wasn't as difficult for me to learn this offense compared to the previous ones."

Cassel's first three seasons were a rollercoaster ride, with 16 TDs and 16 INTs in 2009; 27 and seven the following year; and 10 and nine last season. If the trend continues, he's due for a big year. Still, the former long-time Patriot says the line between good and bad is not as wide as some think. "The line is super thin. Every quarterback goes through his ebbs and flows. You look at last year, we started off on a bad note. That first week we got beat by 34 points against Buffalo, and the next week at Detroit we lost by 45. When you're playing from behind in those types of games, they know you have to pass and they're rushing the passer, and sometimes you force things trying to make plays. If you're going to try to make up ground in a short amount of time, you know you have to get the ball down the field and sometimes bad things happen."

Step On Up

Jon Baldwin, receiver. The 2011 first-round pick had a rough rookie season. He was unable to have contact with the team during the offseason because of the lockout, then broke a hand during a training camp fight and missed the first five games due to the injury. Once on the field he was limited to two or fewer catches in eight of the 11 games he appeared in and averaged just 23.1 yards receiving per game.

However, the 6-foot-4, 230-pound Baldwin had an outstanding offseason this year and is being counted on to pick up the slack if Bowe doesn't report soon or struggles after returning. People in and around the organization say he has displayed greater maturity and focus and consistently made catches during workouts that had teammates and media members shaking their heads.

"I feel like I'm so much farther ahead, just in terms of understanding all the defenses clearly and being able to react to what you see on the field and play naturally," he says. "Last year that wasn't the case, but now I feel like I have a better understanding, going through the OTAs and minicamps and being able to be talked through the routes."

New Face, New Place

Eric Winston, right tackle. This was a major signing for the Chiefs, who struggled at the position last season and want to establish a strong ground game. Winston was a key factor in Houston being so successful running the ball the past few seasons, and once he was on the open market the team aggressively went after him. GM Scott Pioli called at least three times trying to persuade Winston to sign.

Looking At The Schedule

The early schedule is tough, with home games against Atlanta, San Diego and Baltimore offsetting trips to Buffalo, New Orleans and Tampa Bay in the first six weeks. Even the Chiefs stumble there, though, they'll have a chance to right themselves, because five of their six divisional games are after the Week 7 bye. The key for them could be the season opener against the Falcons. A victory would give them momentum heading to Buffalo, which is much improved but still breaking in new players. If they can get past the Bills, they get the Chargers and Ravens at home after visiting the Saints. Tough teams? Yes. But Arrowhead Stadium is an imposing place when the Chiefs are playing well.

 

[Fiddles]

2. Vincent Brown might be the odd man out of the San Diego Chargers' wideout competition. Brown likely will sit and wait for either Malcom Floyd, Robert Meachem or Eddie Royal to get hurt before seeing the field.

interesting. all ive read is he has been lighting camp up with acrobatic catches.

 

[bicycle_seat_sniffer]

I am so geeked on the Falcons potential this year. Julio in the third + Ryan in the sixth = brohan bank takers

LOLOLOLOLHFS

 

[Faust]

Postcard from camp: Vikings

Dennis Dillon

Where's SI.com?

At Minnesota State University in Mankato, an easy, 90-minute drive south from the Twin Cities, where the Vikings are summering for the 47th consecutive year. No other NFL team that goes away for training camp has such a continuous relationship with the same school. Almost as a welcome-back greeting, the weather broke upon the team's arrival last Thursday, with the mercury dropping from near triple digits to the much more palatable high 70s-low 80s during the day. The Vikings will camp here until Aug. 16, about a week longer than usual.

Three Observations

1. If you come here hoping to see Adrian Peterson do some of his fancy dance steps on the field, you're going to be disappointed. The running back still is recovering from reconstructive knee surgery after tearing both his ACL and MCL in a Dec. 24 game against the Redskins. Ever the optimist, Peterson has his sights set on playing in the Sept. 9 season opener against Jacksonville -- less than a full nine months after his surgery. For now, though, he is on the PUP (physically unable to perform) list and is working on specific exercises with head athletic trainer Eric Sugarman. Is it possible Peterson could play in a preseason game?

"He's such a unique athlete, it's hard to draw conclusions this early," coach Leslie Frazier said. "He's done so well at every juncture with his rehab. He's been ahead of just about everybody our trainers and doctors have worked with. We'll just monitor it daily and see where he is as time goes on."

In the meantime, third-year back Toby Gerhart will do the heavy lifting in the running game. Gerhart started five games last season and rushed 109 times for 531 yards.

2. What a difference a year makes. Last summer, quarterback Christian Ponder reported to camp as a first-round rookie (12th pick overall) and backup to Donovan McNabb. Now, Ponder is the unquestioned leader of the offense, with 10 starts to his credit.

The former Florida State QB had a decent rookie season -- he completed 158 of 291 passes (54.3 percent) for 1,853 yards, 13 touchdowns and 13 interceptions -- but he admits a four-turnover performance marred further by a hip pointer in a late-season loss to Detroit rattled his confidence. Ponder spent the offseason focusing on getting a better feel for his reads and getting the ball out of his hands more quickly. He looked like a different quarterback early in camp.

"It's night and day different," said center John Sullivan, who spent a lot of time with Ponder during the offseason doing recreational boating on Minnesota's lakes. "He's in control of everything now. His reactions to defensive looks are much quicker and he's confident where he's going with the ball. I don't want to overstate it, because we're only [a few days] in, but he looks a lot better."

3. The pass defense has to improve. The Vikings tied with Philadelphia for the league lead in sacks (50) last season, and end Jared Allen (22) came within half of a sack of tying the NFL single-season record. Yet, the Vikings allowed an alarming 4,019 passing yards and a league-high 34 touchdown passes. You could argue that they had cornerback Antoine Winfield for only five games because of injuries, but no matter how you couch it the secondary didn't hold up its end.

That group will have some turnover in personnel this season. Chris Cook is supposed to start opposite Winfield at cornerback, and second-round rookie Harrison Smith is eventually expected to replace Jamarca Sanford at strong safety -- maybe in time for the season opener.

Step On Up

Matt Kalil, tackle. The Vikings drafted Kalil fourth overall out of USC with the vision of him anchoring the left tackle position for, oh, the next dozen years or so. After the team parted ways with long-time starter Bryant McKinnie last year, Charlie Johnson moved in at tackle. But Johnson is more comfortable at guard. With the 6-foot-7, 308-pound Kalil at left tackle and Johnson on his right hip, the line should be stronger at two positions.

Do you think Ponder was eager to see Kalil get to Mankato on time for the start of training camp? Not only did Ponder pick up Kalil at the Minneapolis airport last week, but also he took him to Winter Park, where Kalil stopped in to sign a four-year contract worth a reported $20 million, and then chauffeured him to Mankato.

New Face, New Place

Jerome Simpson, receiver. The Vikings didn't exactly burn a path through the free-agent market, but former Bengals wide receiver Jerome Simpson was a key acquisition. Simpson had a career season in 2011, catching 50 passes for 725 yards and four touchdowns, and he became a YouTube sensation when he vaulted and flipped over Cardinals linebacker Daryl Washington at the goal line en route to a touchdown. The Vikings think Simpson can add an element to their offense that was missing last year, even if he won't be available for the first three regular season games (he will be suspended for violating the league's substance abuse policy).

When opponents would use two and sometimes three defenders to take away Percy Harvin last season, the Vikings didn't have another receiving weapon who could stretch the field vertically. With Simpson and Harvin on the field at the same time, teams will have to be more judicious in their coverage.

"We didn't have an answer away from Percy," Frazier said. "We think with Jerome, we've got that and we can take some of the pressure off of Percy."

Looking At The Schedule

The Vikings went 3-13 in 2011 -- the worst record in the franchise's 52-year history. They have a chance for some early success this season because they open with Jacksonville at home and then travel to Indianapolis, where they will face a rebuilding Colts team. They'll face only four playoff teams from 2011 -- the 49ers, Texans, Packers (twice) and Lions (twice) -- but they face a challenging stretch run. Five of their final six games are against the Bears (twice), the Packers (twice) and Houston.

The Vikings have a largely young roster that includes a second-year quarterback and a rookie left tackle, and their franchise running back had knee surgery less than eight months ago. This has the look of a 6-10 season, which won't get the Vikings to the postseason but would be an appreciable improvement over last season.

 

[Faust]

Camp Confidential: Miami Dolphins

By James Walker | ESPN.com

DAVIE, Fla. -- Don't tell linebacker Karlos Dansby and defensive end Cameron Wake the Miami Dolphins aren't contenders in 2012.

"We can be great," Dansby said at the opening of training camp.

Added Wake, "We have the talent [to make a run]."

There is a feeling of newness in Miami. The Dolphins believe a revival is coming this year, sooner than most expect.

Dolphins rookie head coach Joe Philbin has instilled a calm, quiet confidence in this team, which finished 6-10 last season. The change also includes new offensive and defensive schemes. First-year defensive coordinator Kevin Coyle is switching Miami to a 4-3 defense, while new offensive coordinator Mike Sherman is implementing a West Coast offense.

Miami's practices are faster and better organized. Even owner Stephen Ross has been impressed with the way the new-look Dolphins have operated since the spring.

"[Changes] are pretty evident and you can feel it," Ross said. "People can talk the talk, but you can see that we’re walking the walk and I think that’s what’s important. If fans feel that and see that, I think they’re going to be very excited about that."

There are plenty of new faces. With just three weeks of training camp, will Miami and its new coaching staff have enough time to sort everything out? It also adds an extra challenge that HBO's "Hard Knocks" is there to document Miami's every move until the start of the regular season.

Most outsiders project 2012 to be a rebuilding year for the Dolphins. But it's clear the Dolphins have higher expectations internally.

THREE HOT ISSUES

1. Which quarterback will prevail? Miami's quarterback competition between Matt Moore, David Garrard and rookie Ryan Tannehill is in full swing. Every play is being watched closely by the Dolphins' coaches and the media.

But who is Miami’s best option? Grading the first several practices, I give the edge to Garrard.

The nine-year veteran, who missed all of 2011 with a back injury, looks the most poised and in control of the offense. Garrard played in a West Coast system before. He knows the reads, progressions and what's expected.

"I think my chances are pretty good," Garrard said of winning the starting job. "I don't think they would have me here or even say that it was open competition if my chances weren't good. I know I can still play. I've just got to continue to prove it on the field."

Moore is the incumbent, but you wouldn't know it from his early practices. Moore has not looked consistent dating back to spring workouts. The tricky part is Moore has never been a great practice player. He performs best when the lights are on in an actual game. Moore proved that last year by going 6-3 in his final nine starts.

Moore's best chance to win this job is to outperform Garrard in preseason games. Tannehill arrived to camp two days late and is a long shot to get in the race.

2. What is the plan at receiver? Miami has a hodgepodge group of mostly unproven receivers who need to settle in. Currently, Miami has 12 receivers on its roster and zero defined roles at the position. The Dolphins do not know their No. 1, No. 2 or No. 3 receiver after several practices.

Philbin, a former offensive coordinator of the Green Bay Packers, said he doesn't believe in putting numbers on his receivers. But Philbin does need receivers who can get open and make tough catches. There have been tons of drops dating to organized team activities. In the first two training camp practices alone, I counted five drops.

For what it's worth, Miami began camp with Chad Johnson and Legedu Naanee as its two starting receivers and Davone Bess in the slot. Brian Hartline, Roberto Wallace, Julius Pruitt and Clyde Gates also are in the mix.

But Johnson has been particularly impressive. This is the first time in a while that expectations are not high for the 34-year-old receiver. Johnson was a bust for the New England Patriots, catching just 15 passes last season. But he is making some eye-opening plays in Miami's training camp.

"He's very serious. I think he's very passionate about what he does," Philbin said. "He’s been impressive. We like his work ethic, the energy, the enthusiasm that he brings. He wants to do well. He certainly wants to let the quarterback know when he’s open."

If Johnson turns out to be a No. 1 receiver again -- or close to it -- that would take a lot of pressure off the rest of the group. It would at least give Miami's quarterback someone reliable to throw to on a weekly basis.

3. Defense wants to be elite. There has been so much talk about Miami's quarterbacks and offense during the offseason that it's easy to forget about the defense. This is a physical group that wants to be elite. Miami finished No. 15 in total defense last year, but its ranking was a bit skewed due to its 0-7 start. The Dolphins' defense played like a top-10 unit in the second half of last season.

Miami's run defense is one of the best in the league, although you wonder if the adjustment to the 4-3 defense will hurt continuity. Miami returns many of the same players in the front seven, but switching from a 3-4 to a 4-3 will force some players into different roles.

Miami's secondary is the biggest question mark defensively. The team has a pair of budding, young corners in Vontae Davis and Sean Smith looking to make a jump, while the safety position is in flux. Reshad Jones and Chris Clemons began camp as the starting safeties, but versatile defensive back Jimmy Wilson also worked with the first team.

REASON FOR OPTIMISM

Philbin has his head on straight. He has a good demeanor for a rookie head coach, and you have the sense things won't be too big for him in his first year.

Philbin already faced several challenges. Miami agreed to do "Hard Knocks," which can be a coach's nightmare because it allows an outsider an all-access pass. Philbin also has a three-way quarterback competition, and the front office added a colorful personality to the locker room in Johnson. But Philbin has taken each challenge in stride and even has a good sense of humor about things.

I have no idea if Philbin can match wits with Bill Belichick on Sundays or properly manage the final five minutes of a game. We will have those answers soon enough. But I like what I've seen from Philbin so far.

REASON FOR PESSIMISM

I don't see this team scoring a lot of points. In a scoring league, that's a big problem.

Miami's plan is to run an up-tempo passing offense with questions at quarterback and unproven receivers. In theory, this is a strategy that is doomed to fail.

The Dolphins' offensive strength is their running backs. But a West Coast offense is, by nature, pass-heavy. If Philbin thinks he can run his Green Bay-style offense in Miami with Garrard or Moore at quarterback instead of Aaron Rodgers, he is sadly mistaken.

I expect plenty of growing pains for Miami's offense and the team losing plenty of low-scoring games. The defense will keep the scoring down most weeks, which is good because Miami's offense won't be lighting it up.

OBSERVATION DECK

[*]Speaking of Miami's running backs, the group looks solid. Starting tailback Reggie Bush looks in the best shape of his career and is coming off his first 1,000-yard season. Bush says his goal is to lead the NFL in rushing. That seems like a long shot, but another 1,000-yard season would be great for Bush. Backups Daniel Thomas and rookie Lamar Miller also have run hard early in camp and have plenty of potential.

[*]Dansby enters this season in tremendous shape. He checked in at a trim 247 pounds. Last year Dansby was a victim of the lockout. He began last season around 270 pounds and didn't get down to his usual playing weight until midseason. Not coincidentally, Dansby played his best football in the final eight games of 2011. "You live and you learn," Dansby said.

[*]I like what I'm seeing in the daily corner-receiver battles between Smith and Johnson. Both are competitive and want to push each other. Smith, 25, has made it a point to line up against Johnson, a six-time Pro Bowler, every chance he gets. Sometimes Johnson wins and sometimes Smith wins, but both players are getting better.

[*]I'm predicting a breakout season for third-year defensive lineman Jared Odrick. He gathered some momentum at the end of last season and looks ready to put it all together this year. Odrick, a 2010 first-round pick, will be a full-time starter for the first time in his career. He has a good combination of size and quickness and has been tough to block in camp.

[*]Miami's tight ends have yet to flash this offseason. The position was huge in Green Bay, where Jermichael Finley developed into a star under Philbin. Dolphins veteran Anthony Fasano and rookie third-round pick Michael Egnew are trying to fill that role. Fasano has the experience and Egnew has the edge in athleticism, but neither is making many plays.

[*]It's early, but Hartline has fallen down the depth chart. Many projected Hartline to be the No. 1 receiver in Miami’s offense, but he missed most of the spring with a leg injury and began training camp on the second team. He's already in and out of practices due to his leg, and that's not helping his chances of earning the No. 1 role.

[*]The Dolphins have worked rookie right tackle and second-round pick Jonathan Martin exclusively with the first team in training camp. He's a virtual lock to start in Week 1. Martin played in a pro-style offense at Stanford and was Andrew Luck's left tackle. Martin is switching to the right side this year to pair with Dolphins left tackle Jake Long.

 

[Faust]

Packers camp report: Leadership, quality players may lead to Super Bowl

By Mike Freeman | National NFL Insider

GREEN BAY, Wisc. -- There are many key components of the Green Bay Packers' success. They possess one of the better head coaches in Mike McCarthy. Their quarterback is the best in football. And their front office might also be the best.

And there is something else: their players don't get arrested en masse. Knock on wood.

Make no mistake: there have been Packers who have gotten in trouble with the law but, for the most part, a key reason why this franchise wins is because most of their players mostly stay off the police blotter.

"We're able to manage a lot of that stuff," said Aaron Rodgers. "We don't have a lot of distractions."

Rodgers called it the Packer Way.

"Keep your mouth shut and play."

When I asked how the arrests in Detroit would affect that team, Rodgers initially laughed. Then he said, in no uncertain terms, that what happened in Detroit would never happen in Green Bay because of "good leadership" on the Packers. Knock on wood.

Again, the Packers have had troubled players, but in small doses, and there is a larger story here that exemplifies a sub-current of success for franchises like the Packers.

According to a database created by the San Diego Union-Tribune, the Minnesota Vikings have had 36 players arrested since 2000, the most in the league. Cincinnati is next with 35, Denver at 32 and Tennessee with 30. Not a lot of Super Bowls among that group.

In fact, look at the list of Super Bowl winners since 2000: the Rams, Ravens, Patriots, Bucs, Steelers, Colts, Giants, Saints and Packers. Some of those teams have had some issues, but none of them are among the top group of troublemakers previously mentioned.

Rodgers credited McCarthy and general manager Ted Thompson for drafting guys who like to stay out of jail. That's a huge part of it but the Packers' leaders are the key. When there are guys like Rodgers and cornerback Charles Woodson, among others, running the Green Bay locker room, younger players, indeed all players, just don't want to screw around. No one wants to let Rodgers down. No one wants Woodson mad at them.

Rodgers finished our conversation with a common joke that is made by players about the city of Green Bay. The reason we don't have a lot of people getting into trouble, he smiled, isn't because it's Green Bay. Meaning it's not due to the fact that Green Bay is a sleepy town. It's because the Packers know what it takes to stay out of trouble.

Knock on wood.

Team Objectives

• Make the defense better. Sounds simple, but of course it's not so easy to execute. In last season's divisional-round loss, instead of stopping the Giants on defense (and outscoring them), the Packers tried to outlast them -- and finally saw the danger in that approach. If the Packers can transform their defense into a top-notch unit, they would be unstoppable.

• Blend in a great deal of new talent. Rodgers spoke with marvel about how there are 31 new players on the team. That's good but that's also a challenge. "We're going to have to figure out what a lot of these guys do best," Rodgers explained.

• Enjoy the energy. Rodgers talked about the influx of energy guys and how it's already transforming the locker room for the better. When speaking to Rodgers, the locker room was so loud from the energetic chatting that I could barely hear Rodgers when he was speaking to me.

Camp Battles

• On a team this stacked and set there are not a lot of major camp battles. One good one is the No. 2 cornerback job. Davon House is fighting with veterans Jarrett Bush and Sam Shields and rookie Casey Howard. House has a good shot to win. This week he had a nice pass deflection and an interception that caught McCarthy's eye.

• The last wide receiver spot. Tori Gurley has the edge. Gurley has made some big catches and he's solid on special teams.

Somebody to Watch

Anthony Hargrove. It's still not clear when exactly he'll play. He's scheduled to miss half the season after Roger Goodell suspended him for his alleged involvement in the Saints bounty scandal. That's probably what will happen. When he plays, he'll be a huge difference maker. Hargrove isn't just talented, he brings energy to the defense, something that was missing last season

Injury Roundup

• Tight end Eric Lair has a knee injury.

• Tight end Jermichael Finley is slowly returning back to practice after suffering a concussion.

• Wide receiver Greg Jennings is still out with an elbow injury.

The Last Word

Rodgers is right. The Packers won't duplicate their one-loss regular season but they will actually be better. The defensive line will be better. The offense could be better. Rodgers talked about how in team meetings the players and coaches are looking, for example, to get one extra third down conversion a game. They'll get better one small step at a time.

And because of that this team will reach the Super Bowl. The better players on defense will make the difference and the Packers will get to the Super Bowl despite the brutal division.

 

[Faust]

Five questions from Patriots camp

By Pat Kirwan | NFL Insider

The New England Patriots are coming off a heart-breaking Super Bowl loss to the Giants, but you would never know it after spending a day with them at camp.

In my opinion, the Pats are a better team today than the team that lost in the Super Bowl back in February. On top of the improvements in personnel, they only play four games against teams that had winning records last year.

As Bill Belichick said, "We are just trying to get a little better each day and make sure we keep the right 53-man roster."

There is enough roster depth that the Pats will have some tough decisions to make when the end of August rolls around. Organizing multiday scrimmages with the Saints and Buccaneers is a brilliant idea to evaluate his personnel.

Here are five critical questions the franchise has to answer this summer:

Five questions about the Patriots

1. Can the Patriots improve their pass rush?

Last year New England got 20 of its 40 sacks from Mark Anderson and Andre Carter, and neither player is on the 2012 roster. The pass rush at this point looks like a "by committee" approach, and much is expected of rookies Chandler Jones, Dont'a Hightower and even Jake Bequette. Jones is a work in progress and needs time to develop his skills and strength. Hightower will pick up a few sacks on pressure calls. Bequette was an interesting guy to watch in practice and appeared more advanced than the other two in rush techniques. Veteran additions Jonathan Fanene and Trevor Scott will create pressure but it may not show up in the sack column. It's really impossible to judge a group off one practice but I didn't get the feeling the five men mentioned above could duplicate the Anderson/Carter production. I wouldn't be surprised if Belichick re-signs Carter right after the season starts.

2. Can New England overcome the loss of RB BenJarvus Green-Ellis and build a better running game?

The Patriots were the 20th-ranked run team in the NFL last year. Green-Ellis accounted for 11 of the 13 rushing touchdowns by backs. Tom Brady was quick to point out to me that the Pats need a better four-minute offense, and need to take the run when the defense is playing the pass. New England is determined to improve in all run areas over last year, when the Patriots passed on 54 percent of first downs. At practice it was clear Stevan Ridley will be the workhorse on early downs and was much better catching the ball than advertised. Look for Ridley to carry the ball 12-14 times a game and be close to a 700-yard rusher. Shane Vereen and Danny Woodhead will handle the third-down situations and both looked solid in the draw and screen game, but both still need some work in the physical aspect of the pass-protection game.

3. What impact will Brandon Lloyd have on the offense?

The Patriots' passing game in 2011 featured a short, inside attack with slot receiver Wes Welker and tight ends Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez combining to catch 291 passes. That aspect will still be very much a factor in 2012, but Lloyd brings another dimension. He is going to keep defenses on alert for the deep outside passing game, forcing them to not overplay the short inside game. It was funny to me that a few people I respect bought into the notion that Brady had lost his deep ball and the 2011 offense was really about his diminishing arm strength. I don't buy into that notion after watching practice. Brady threw three balls over 55 yards in the air during the team period, he completed a dozen balls from the far hash mark to the deep out on the wide side of the field and after practice ran a deep ball drill and no receiver could outrun his passes. I talked with Brady about his deep game and Lloyd and he said, "We are preparing to take what defenses give us and Lloyd as well as other outside receivers will get the ball when the coverages dictate we should go there." Lloyd told me, "Tom is so precise about my route running even on the deep stuff and even on a deep corner route that I dove for and made a great catch Tom told me to change that route ever so slightly and I wouldn't have to dive for it again."

4. What if Brady gets injured?

There's no doubt the Patriots go as Brady goes but this camp visit revealed something else to me: Ryan Mallett is really starting to look the part. As Belichick told me, "It will be interesting to see the competition between [veteran backup QB Brian] Hoyer and Mallett for the second spot now that Ryan has had a whole offseason to learn the offense." Let me start by saying that Mallett was impressive in the padded practice I watched. I can confirm that Mallett didn't throw a bad pass in practice and spread the ball around with exceptional accuracy. The defensive players warned me before practice that Mallett was starting to stick the ball into tight spots with great velocity, accuracy and he understood where to go with the ball. Hoyer doesn't have the same natural physical gifts that Mallett has but he can run this team if need be. It is safe to say the Patriots are better off at quarterback than most teams in the NFL.



5. Can the Patriots solidify their offensive line?

The Patriots have two starting linemen on the PUP list (Logan Mankins, Sebastian Vollmer). The starting five at camp on Saturday didn't have one player in the same position as the starting five in the Super Bowl and it was a different combination on Sunday. I talked with new starting left tackle Nate Solder and he emphasized how much work has to be done to be ready for the season. Solder's pass blocking was coming along just fine but he needs to work on his run blocking, specifically staying lower and winning the leverage game. Robert Gallery is more than an adequate replacement at left guard while Mankins is out and looked very good in the short pull aspect of the run scheme. He looks fully recovered from groin surgery. Brady and Belichick both spoke about last season's problems at center, with four guys rotating through the position. As Belichick said, "They all graded out pretty good considering the circumstances." Brady talked about the consistency of the shotgun snap and the ball coming back in the right spot so he could execute the "fast pass" game with little hesitation trying to get the laces in the proper spot. On the right side, Marcus Cannon looked solid working in place of Vollmer, which tells me when Vollmer is back the Patriots will use their three-tackle offense once again. Brady will protect any line combination the Patriots put on the field with his quick decision making. It was clear in practice the team wants the quick pass out of the shotgun to be a big part of the offense.

 

[gebz306]

Chad Johnson emerges as Miami Dolphins' top receiver

By Gregg Rosenthal

Around The League editor

Chad Johnson looks like the best wide receiver in Miami Dolphins training camp thus far, according to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald. In related news, he wasn't one of the New England Patriots' best six receivers.

The former Ocho's ability to climb the depth chart quickly after missing most of the offseason in Miami says more about the Dolphins than it does about Johnson. But it's an early sign that Johnson is on his way toward making the Dolphins, rather than just improving "Hard Knocks" ratings.

It's also a reminder what an uphill climb the Dolphins' offense has this year. No matter who wins the quarterback job, this just isn't that talented of a group at the skill positions.

A New Era

No one knows if Jahvid Best will play football again. There is a lot of hope. There is a different source of optimism regarding Best’s future every day. There is no medical clearance, however, nine months after Best’s last concussion.

The Lions are waiting for more information from a team of medical experts. They are starting to make alternate plans, moving returner Stefan Logan to running back.

"If this was four or five years ago," Best said, via the Detroit News. "I probably would have played last season. Now that everything's under a microscope, it takes a lot longer."

He’s probably right. If it wasn’t four to five years ago, Jaguars linebacker Clint Session’s career wouldn’t be up in the air. But these are different times.

The Lions said all offseason Best would be cleared for camp. The reality is they just don’t know anymore. No one does.

Position Battling

1. Russell Wilson took the majority of the first-team snaps with the Seattle Seahawks on Monday and reportedly looked sharp. Seahawks coach Pete Caroll is taking this three-way competition thing seriously.

2. Vincent Brown might be the odd man out of the San Diego Chargers' wideout competition. Brown likely will sit and wait for either Malcom Floyd, Robert Meachem or Eddie Royal to get hurt before seeing the field.

3. The good news: Kevin Kolb was listed as the Arizona Cardinals' starter on their first official depth chart. The bad news: He left practice with a thigh injury, however, after a scrimmage in which the team's offense looked sloppy.

Aggressive Jim Harbaugh Quote

"I don't even know what that means. What do you mean by one constant?" Harbaugh responded when asked if Frank Gore was the one constant in the San Francisco 49ers' backfield.

A Good Day for ...

1. Darren McFadden built on a strong OTA season with an impressive first full practice at Oakland Raiders training camp. He's the key to the Raiders' season.

2. Based on multiple reports, Greg Salas is the early riser in the Rams' battle royale at wide receiver. Danario Alexander is hurt and might be running out of time.

Unlucky Team of the Day

A year ago at this time, New York Giants cornerback Terrell Thomas was one of the most underrated and well-respected cornerbacks in the NFL. He was entering a contract year. Two anterior cruciate ligament injuries later, Thomas' 2012 season and career are in question. He signed with the Giants before this year, but that deal contained just $1 million guaranteed.

Last year's first-round draft pick, Prince Amukamara, and 2012 third-rounder Jayron Hosley will be asked to step up. If you are looking for a weakness on the Giants, it might be on the back end which features a lack of cornerback depth and overrated Antrel Rolle.

Not a Good Day for ...

1. The Jacksonville Jaguars paid Laurent Robinson like a No. 1 receiver instead of a journeyman. Perhaps the pressure is getting to him. Coach Mike Mularkey called Robinson out on Sunday for drops, and the receivers continued to struggle to get open Monday.

2. Baltimore Ravens tight end Dennis Pitta looks questionable for the season opener after breaking his hand.

3. As one of the last people left who still thinks Felix Jones could put together a breakout season, I was disappointed to see he failed his conditioning test to start Dallas Cowboys camp Monday. It was not terribly surprising.

4. Michael Crabtree missed his third straight day at 49ers camp. Crabtree remains dead last among all qualifiers in camp-practice percentage over the last three years. (Note: That's not a real stat.)

Around the NFC South

By Pat Yasinskas | ESPN.com

Time for our morning run through the headlines from around the division.

ATLANTA FALCONS

Coach Mike Smith said quarterback Matt Ryan is a better athlete than people give him credit for. I agree with that. Ryan may not have top-end speed, but he can get a first down when needed. His throwing arm is much better than most people give him credit for.

Speaking of Ryan, offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter says he’s one of the league’s top 10 quarterbacks. I don’t think that’s off base.

D. Orlando Ledbetter writes that the Falcons have some competition at wide receiver beyond Roddy White, Julio Jones and Harry Douglas. It appears Kerry Meier, Kevin Cone and Drew Davis are in the mix for the fourth and fifth receiver spots.

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS

Ryan Jones writes that a federal judge might not issue a ruling on Jonathan Vilma’s request for an injunction to stop his suspension until Aug. 10. Vilma already had his hearing on the matter and is awaiting a ruling. But the same judge also is scheduled to hear a the NFL’s request to dismiss Vilma’s filings that same day.

Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo still is getting to know his players and their abilities. But he’s experimenting a bit and one thing he’s trying out is moving defensive end Cameron Jordan to defensive tackle on third down. That might be a bad idea since the Saints don’t seem to have any interior players who are capable of generating much of a pass rush.

The Saints are switching up their practice schedule this week. They went late in the afternoon at the start of camp, but they’re moving to early-morning sessions this week. The Saints ran into some heavy storms and extreme heat when they were on the afternoon schedule.

CAROLINA PANTHERS

Offensive tackle Jordan Gross, who has been with the Panthers since 2003, said he’s never seen a Carolina player draw more attention than quarterback Cam Newton. But Gross said Newton still acts like “one of the guys."

Add Panthers owner Jerry Richardson to the list of people who approve of center Ryan Kalil taking out a newspaper ad to promise a Super Bowl win. Richardson described the gesture as “pretty cool."

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS

With a couple of cornerbacks banged up, local product Leonard Johnson has been stepping up and making some plays. If that continues, he could put himself in the mix for a roster spot.

The diet that helped quarterback Josh Freeman drop about 20 pounds in the offseason was pretty simple. Freeman said he dropped the weight mostly by eliminating fast food from his diet.

Josh Freeman... Actually its more like he stopped drinking and eating like crap all the time. I used to see him on bar crawls in Tampa constantly

 

[Faust]

Mark Sanchez staying a step ahead

By John Clayton | ESPN.com

CORTLAND, N.Y. -- Tim Tebow has already made one of the most interesting training camps in the NFL even more interesting.

Since Rex Ryan was hired in 2009 to be the New York Jets' head coach, he has brought a swagger to a franchise that now competes for space on the back pages of the New York tabloids with the Giants, Yankees, Mets and Knicks. Tebow-mania puts the Jets over the top.

It will be fascinating to see whether Jets fans will be different than Denver fans in regards to Tebow. As a thrower, Tebow is as inconsistent as he was in Denver, but Broncos fans largely ignored it. They idolized Tebow.

Over the weekend, Jets fans weren't as supportive. Some heckled his throwing. Because Tebow is so popular, he will win over fans who might want to see him challenge Mark Sanchez for playing time. But New York can be a tough market. The support for Tebow might not be as strong as it was in the Mile High City.

Here are some observations from Jets camp:

1. Sanchez in control: For now, Sanchez has responded well to the Tebow challenge. He's throwing the ball well and seems to have improved his mechanics. The most casual observer can see Tebow isn't ready to unseat Sanchez as the starter. Of course, the same could have been said last year in Denver. Tebow was behind Kyle Orton and Brady Quinn, and after Orton crumbled as a starter, Tebow came in and helped take the Broncos to the playoffs. The lesson here is that training camp isn't the place to judge. You have to wait until the regular season to see how things play out. Sanchez can win the practice battles throughout the summer, but can he keep fans satisfied during the regular season? Any regular-season slump will create a call for Tebow. In his fourth season, Sanchez has proved himself to be a winner, but he's not an elite quarterback.

2. Supporting cast still questionable: For the second consecutive year, the Jets appear to have a weapon deficiency on offense. When I was at Jets camp two years ago, I concluded that Sanchez may never again have as many weapons as he did in 2010. At his disposal were five players who could catch 50 passes in any given season -- Santonio Holmes, Dustin Keller, Braylon Edwards, LaDainian Tomlinson and Jerricho Cotchery. Now, he might have only two in Holmes and Keller. Second-round draft choice Stephen Hill is an impressive, tall, fast target, but he's raw.

Last year, the Ravens drafted Torrey Smith to add speed and separation to an older group of receivers. Smith came up with 50 catches and seven touchdowns. I'm not sure Hill can have that type of impact. Chaz Schilens should help. In Oakland, he had some of the best hands on the team, but injuries prevented him from catching more than 29 passes in a season. The big void may be in the slot. Last year, the Jets tried Derrick Mason there and found he was too old. Jeremy Kerley was the next option, but that doesn't seem to be working. Ryan has already expressed disappointment in the way Kerley is picking up the offense. The Jets need to be looking for more receiver help.

3. Can Greene get it done? The play of Shonn Greene could be the second-most important story of the season behind Sanchez. When the Jets moved away from dependable running back Thomas Jones two years ago, they felt Tomlinson and Greene could fill the void. The strategy worked in 2010 because Tomlinson still had a little left and Greene was a good inside runner as a backup. Despite rushing for 1,054 yards last year, Greene still has the look of a good backup. More will be expected of him this year, with plans to get him to the 280-300 carry level. If he can't gain 1,200 yards, there could be problems. It's hard to sign off on Joe McKnight as a dependable backup before he proves himself. Bilal Powell might be the third-down back and a lot will be expected of him. For the Jets to be better than 8-8, Greene needs to prove his worth in what is a contract year.

4. Ryan is an equalizer: With Ryan as coach, the Jets will likely never be terrible. Ryan caused a stir last week when he said he was the best defensive coach in football. Some checked out the stats, and the numbers backed up some of his claim. All you have to do is watch Ryan coach the defense in camp to see why he is so good. Though he's a players' coach, he pushes defenders hard in drills. As a defensive unit, the Jets might be aging in some spots and losing some athleticism. Regardless, Ryan gets the most out of what he has, and he is a master at improving defensive lines. The Jets may or may not make the playoffs, but they will contend thanks to Ryan.

 

[Faust]

Vick's transformation stands out

By John Clayton | ESPN.com

BETHLEHEM, Pa. -- As the Philadelphia Eagles learned in 2011, a "Dream Team" label can be a curse.

The Eagles loaded up in the 2011 free-agent market because they could. Coach Andy Reid believes in building through the draft and rewarding his best young players with contract extensions.

For more than a decade, the Eagles worked the salary cap better than their competitors and they looked at 2011 as a rare opportunity.

Last season offered the Eagles a chance to bid for top players in a market that was watered down for competition. They had the cap room and they took the chances. They outspent the league and ended up being a disappointing 8-8.

Now the Eagles are back to being the Eagles. DeSean Jackson and LeSean McCoy got their contract extensions. And from watching practice at Lehigh University, the Eagles have the look of a dream team that isn't going to disappoint.

Here are four observations from Eagles camp:

1: Michael Vick looks better than ever: On Monday, the Eagles worked a lot of two-minute offensive drills and deep and intermediate pass plays. Vick put on an impressive show. Observers marvel at his ability to scramble, but Monday was a reminder how great he is as a thrower. His deep throws exploded downfield with pretty spirals. More important, Vick is in a good place in his life on and off the field. The former Atlanta Falcons leader who used to let disks of game tape collect dust in the back of his car has become an intense student. As soon as the 2011 season was over, he came to the Eagles' office to watch tapes and review his game. Vick can't remember how many times he watched tapes of his disappointing Week 10 game against the Arizona Cardinals, when he passed for only 128 yards and was intercepted twice. Vick spent so much time working on his game, Reid ordered him to get away for a few days. Vick is spending time working with a quarterbacks coach to become more precise with his footwork. In Atlanta, he was so fast with his backpedal, no receiver was able to completely run his route. His timing with Jackson, Jeremy Maclin and Jason Avant was fun to watch.

2. Playing to their cornerbacks' strengths: From the start of practice, Nnamdi Asomugha, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and others worked on their press man-to-man skills. With Asante Samuel traded, the Eagles can go to their physical strengths in the secondary. They can play man. It didn't make sense last year to take Asomugha and Rodgers-Cromartie and play them in zone coverages most of the season. Asomugha is one of the best press coverage cornerbacks of his era. With the help of secondary coach Todd Bowles, second-year defensive coordinator Juan Castillo is adjusting his scheme to the talents of his corners. The addition of Oshiomogho Atgowe gives the Eagles a quality safety to use in packages along with starters Nate Allen and Kurt Coleman.

3. New defensive leader: The Eagles' acquisition of DeMeco Ryans in a trade with the Texans might be one of the best offseason moves in the league. Reid has had good middle linebackers in the past, but he's also struggled to find good ones. Ryans is the perfect fit. Not only is Ryans a big, physical presence in the middle, he's a good leader. Last year, the Eagles had a young linebacking corps; this year's group is also young. Having a leader such as Ryans will only make this group better.

4. Look for improved line play: Part of last year's dream team promise was the additions of defensive line coach Jim Washburn and offensive line coach Howard Mudd, legendary teachers in football. The lockout provided Washburn and Mudd little time to coach their pupils during the offseason. Expect good years from both lines, particularly on offense. Mudd has already worked his magic with center Jason Kelce, who is quietly becoming one of the best centers in the NFC. The right side of the line is coming together with Todd Herremans and Danny Watkins. The question mark will be whether Demetress Bell can fill in for injured left tackle Jason Peters. Were Peters healthy, the Eagles would be a top-five line. Bell interestingly was Peters' replacement in Buffalo when Peters was traded to the Eagles. Bell looked adequate, but because Vick is a left-handed quarterback, Bell won't be as pressured as he would be in a normal situation because he's not protecting Vick's blind side. Plus, Vick is mobile enough to avoid sacks if there are breakdowns.

 

[Faust]

CampTour'12: Packers Day 2

By Kevin Seifert | ESPN.com

GREEN BAY, Wis. -- I didn't forget ya. Yes, I realize the Green Bay Packers' practice ended about seven hours ago, but, well, a bunch of things happened in between. Without further ado, let's run through some Tuesday practice thoughts -- if I can remember back that far.

[*]Second-year cornerback Davon House took his turn with the starting defense, replacing Jarrett Bush as the outside cornerback in base and nickel on the heels of a strong practice Monday. The Packers have already rotated several players into that role, but House sure seemed to have received at least a temporary promotion. Coach Mike McCarthy spoke after practice about the importance of "stacking success" for young players and ensuring that they maintained confidence gained from a good play or practice.

[*]Many of you have asked about the arm of backup quarterback Graham Harrell. Sometimes on-site judgments on him can be unfair because it usually comes after seeing Aaron Rodgers rifle a pass, but Harrell's arm doesn't appear to be an impediment to running the Packers offense. Tuesday, I watched him throw an accurate pass that went about 45 yards downfield but also from one hashmark to the far sideline. That's NFL-caliber.

[*]Receiver Randall Cobb put a nifty double move on cornerback Otis Merrill and hauled in a deep pass down the right sideline from Rodgers in 1-on-1 drills. Everything I've seen from Cobb suggests he's ready to take the next step in the Packers' offense.

[*]Defensive end Jarius Wynn came out of nowhere to intercept a Rodgers screen pass and return it for a touchdown. Wynn has been pretty quiet in a camp that has featured a number of possible replacements for his job.

[*]Receiver Donald Driver had a nice practice, beating House and Bush for touchdowns during team drills to wild applause from the crowd. Afterwards, Driver said he is going to enjoy "proving the critics wrong" this season.

[*]On the last play of practice, receiver Tori Gurley made a jumping catch in the corner of the end zone over cornerback Sam Shields.

[*]Today's interesting fundamental drill at Packers camp: Offensive linemen practiced diving for loose balls, which a coach tossed onto a padded mat with blocking dummies scattered about to create the sense of players standing at the line of scrimmage.

[*]Earlier Tuesday, I posted some thoughts on safety Morgan Burnett, whom the Packers think is a rising star.

 

[Faust]

Tuesday Redskins training camp thoughts

By Dan Graziano | ESPN.com

ASHBURN, Va. -- You guys want to know who stood out in Washington Redskins practice today, and the easy answer for me is left tackle Trent Williams. The No. 4 overall pick in the 2010 draft, who missed the final four games of the 2011 season on a drug suspension, is impressing folks all over the building this month. Outside linebackers Brian Orakpo and Ryan Kerrigan are switching sides on certain plays this year, which means each is getting a turn trying to get past Williams. And they're not enjoying it very much.

"Trent's a beast," Kerrigan said. "I mean, we were just talking in the meeting room earlier today. He's having a phenomenal training camp and there's no reason why he can't be one of the top tackles in this league. He obviously has the talent, but I think this offseason he's really put his mind to it and gotten after it. What can you do against him? He's strong as an ox and quick as a cat. He's awesome."

The issue of Williams' potential awesomeness has never been in question. He was, after all, the No. 4 pick in the draft. He is strong, quick and athletic in ways that could make him one of the very best at his position. The only questions with Williams have been about focus and demeanor. And when he got popped for the drug suspension last year, those questions came into clear focus.

But Williams now knows he can't mess up again, or he's going to forfeit more millions of dollars than most people can even imagine having in the first place. And it looks and sounds as though he's re-dedicated himself.

"He's different this year," Redskins coach Mike Shanahan told me after practice. "There is a sense of urgency. Everybody can see it. I'm just hoping he keeps it on a straight line. I told him, 'I'm never going to compliment you again. You can make a great play, and I'm still going to be on your butt.'"

Sounds like a pretty good plan. And it sounds as though, so far, it's working.

Some other thoughts/observations/sights/sounds from my second and final day here:

[*]Yes, in answer to a question I've received a few times, Orakpo and Kerrigan are switching sides of the field depending on the plays and the matchups. "We do it just to give different looks," Orakpo explained "We see a lot of teams around the league doing it, and we started doing it towards the end of the season last year and had a lot of success, and we're going to continue to do so. We're going to take the mismatches and continue to roll with that. If Kerrigan's better on my right side, we're going to put him on my right. If he's better on the left, we're going to put him on the left." It looked as though Orakpo spent more time over the left tackle in practice Tuesday, but Kerrigan was there toward the end.

[*]Rookie quarterback Robert Griffin III throws a very pretty deep pass and looks remarkably natural as a runner. He does take a little too long with some of his drops, though, and that's something that has to be worked out with more and more training camp reps. No one seems worried. Griffin is smart and talented enough that the expectation is that he'll iron it all out. It's just important for fans to remember that the ironing does need to be done.

[*]Running back Tim Hightower still isn't participating in team drills. Shanahan said he decided not to put Hightower on the PUP list because he thought there'd be some benefit to having him do the individual drills so he could get more comfortable with making his cuts again after last season's knee surgery. It remains to be seen when Hightower will start to see more action. Meanwhile, Evan Royster seems to be getting the most first-team reps and impressing the coaching staff the most. Roy Helu looks fine, though he did drop one pass. And rookie Alfred Morris is someone to watch as well, though he had a fumble. I get the impression after talking with Shanahan in his office Tuesday night that he would be comfortable starting any of the four.

[*]They're still going with Maurice Hurt at first-team left guard and Tyler Polumbus at first-team right tackle with starters Kory Lichtensteiger and Jammal Brown out with injuries.

[*]Several different guys have played the slot position, but if I had to bet right now I'd bet on Santana Moss as the slot receiver with Pierre Garcon and Leonard Hankerson as the starters outside. The Redskins believe Josh Morgan can play any of the three spots.

[*]Orakpo had his battles with Williams, but he looked remarkably quick snuffing out a bubble screen to Hankerson during the outdoor portion of Tuesday afternoon's practice (before thunderstorms forced the second half of it indoors).

[*]Strong safety Brandon Meriweather got to Griffin twice on safety blitzes. He didn't hit him, of course, but he let everybody know how excited he was. As he ran back to the huddle after the second, Meriweather could be heard crowing, "I got him again!" Madieu Williams continued to start at free safety, though once again Tanard Jackson wasn't allowed to practice since it was just his second day off of PUP. He'll be allowed to practice from now on.

[*]Rex Grossman threw an interception, but you were probably already assuming that.

[*]I am headed up the road now to Bethlehem, Pa., where I will be checking out the Philadelphia Eagles for the next two days. But I still have plenty more from Redskins camp that I'll roll out in the coming days. Our Redskins "Camp Confidential" is scheduled to run Thursday, so look for that. But beyond that, I'll have some more of my own reporting to share with you, including that Kerrigan interview that one guy keeps bugging me about.

 

[Faust]

Fisher helps Rams beat 103-degree heat

By Mike Sando | ESPN.com

EARTH CITY, Mo. -- The St. Louis Rams were deep into practice Tuesday when Jeff Fisher gathered players around him.

Reporters not yet familiar with Fisher's ways figured the team's new coach was calling an end to the session, a move that would have seemed merciful given the 103-degree heat and direct sunlight blasting down upon everyone in attendance.

But practice wasn't finished. Fisher, drawing upon research collected over the years, had called for a stretching session. Practice then resumed, with Steven Jackson breaking a long run in work featuring the starting units.

"We've come to realize that the third day (of camp) there's a an increased pull history," Fisher explained, "so we intended on just taking a moment and getting stretched out so we didn't have any fatigue issues and fatigue pulls in the weather."

NFL teams have become more proactive, particularly since Minnesota Vikings offensive lineman Korey Stringer died from the heat at training camp on Aug. 1, 2001.

The Rams weigh players before and after practices to ensure they've done enough to replace spent fluids. Times have changed.

"We're an air-conditioned society now," Fisher said. "In the old days, we spent summertime outside. I remember when you got in trouble, Mom said, 'Go to your room.' You say that now and they go, 'Yeah, cool, we got all kinds of stuff to do in the room.' Moms need to say, 'Go outside' now. ... We're very much aware of it."

A few more notes from the Rams' latest practice:

[*]Breakout player: Second-round cornerback Janoris Jenkins has fit right in with the starters. Asked to project a potential breakout player from the Rams' defense this season, veteran safety Quintin Mikell named Jenkins. Mikell: "He is a young guy who is coming in with a lot of confidence. He has come in and made a lot of plays already. I can see it coming. He's going to have a good year. They're going to test him and he might have a little bit of struggles here or there, but he has a lot of confidence and is a guy who can make plays."

[*]Work in progress: Another rookie second-round choice, receiver Brian Quick, is adjusting. He beat cornerback Cortland Finnegan with a beautiful inside release, breaking into the clear in the end zone. Sam Bradford delivered the ball a little high, but the 6-foot-3 Quick got both hands on it. The pass bounced off his hands. Quick could easily make that catch, but rookies sometimes are thinking so hard while they learn an offense, they forget to finish. Later, Quick made a catch away from his body when Bradford went his way in the end zone. At first I thought Bradford was throwing away the ball. Quick put his reach to use in snatching the ball cleanly.

[*]DB shortage: The Rams practiced without cornerbacks Josh Gordy and Kendric Burney. Tight hamstrings sidelined them. That left the secondary shorthanded under extreme weather conditions. The receivers fared well and wondered if the depth issues in the secondary contributed in some way. Steve Smith got behind Jenkins to make a hands catch (as opposed to body catch) of a ball Bradford threw with velocity. Austin Pettis might have made the catch of the day, rising high above Quinton Pointer and falling into the end zone with the ball. Rookie Chris Givens also showed up with a couple strong catches, although assistant head coach Dave McGinnis ruled him out of bounds on one (offensive players protested).

[*]Alexander running: Receiver Danario Alexander was running under a trainer's supervision during practice. He's rehabbing a hamstring injury.

[*]Sims scare: Defensive end Eugene Sims, a player the Rams expect to play extensively this season, left practice with what appeared to be an injury to his right arm or shoulder. He was walking slowly with his right elbow pointing to the side and his hand pointing forward, limiting movement. I'm checking with the Rams to find out more.

[*]Kendricks update: Tight end Lance Kendricks was one of the Rams' most impressive players during camp a year ago. He had some problems with drops in this practice.

[*]Good from 60: Rookie kicker Greg Zuerlein continues to impress with his strong leg. One attempt from 60 yards cleared the crossbar with several yards to spare. Another from 64 yards had the distance and barely missed to the right.

That's it for now. I've got a long list of interviews to process before putting together our annual "Camp Confidential" file for later in the week. Those wondering about Bradford's performance to this point in camp should know he continues to perform at a high level, impressive coaches and teammates alike.

 

[griff321]

Jesus I can't believe this is the first time I've seen this thread. Here's the first of hopefully many more Vikings related contributions. Sick work faust.

John Carlson could miss the majority of training camp

Bad news for the Vikings on Tuesday as their top free agent acquisition entering the 2012 season left practice with a sprained medial collateral ligament in his knee. The good news is the injury won't require surgery, and Carlson should be ready for the regular season opener September 9th against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

"You dnot' have to have any surgery," head coach Leslie Frazier said. "It heals by itself."

Carlson, a Litchfield, Minnesota native, missed all of last season because of a shoulder injury. He signed a five-year, $25 million contract in March.

 

[griff321]

STrib camp notes

First down ...

Matt Kalil not only looks as if he was built to play left tackle, it seems he might also be able to do it at a high level in the NFL. That's the initial reaction after Day 1 of the much-anticipated Kalil-Jared Allen matchup passed with a fizzle because Kalil held his own for the most part.

Unlike last year, when Allen ran circles around Charlie Johnson on Johnson's first practice, there were no glaringly dominant plays one way of the other between Kalil and Allen.

"Good matchup," coach Leslie Frazier said. "Looking forward to watching that over time. It looked like Matt held his own for the most part. There were a few times that Jared got around him. But that's to be expected for the most part."

When asked to judge his performance, Kalil, the fourth overall pick in this year's draft, said: "It was a good first day. There's always something I can improve on. I was rusty on some things. You only get better at those things by practicing in pads. I'm looking forward to getting better every day."

Second down ...

During the afternoon practice, it was announced that former Vikings linebacker Matt Blair will become the 20th member of the team's Ring of Honor. He'll be inducted at halftime of the Oct. 25 game between the Vikings and the Buccaneers at Mall of America Field.

"It's an honor, for one thing, to be inducted into the Ring of Honor," said Blair, a six-time Pro Bowl selection. "It's one of those things that you'll look back in a lifetime and [while] you work hard, you don't get there because of yourself. You get there because of your teammates. The guys I played with, the Purple People Eaters, that was huge."

Blair, who ranks second in team history in tackles (1,452) and first in blocked kicks (20), now spends his time in the Twin Cities doing two of the things he loves most, playing golf and taking photos. He'll be playing in Tuesday's 3M Championship pro-am at the TPC of the Twin Cities in Blaine.

Third down ...

The transition from defensive end to weak-side linebacker is not going to happen overnight for Everson Griffen. He's still one of the best young defensive talents on the team. But he's also trying to do something incredibly hard, so he's going to have days like he did Monday. He's going to get out of position and get flattened in space by a third-string center named Quentin Saulsberry. He's going to be a step slow trying to get to his assigned guy, fullback Ryan D'Imperio, on a pass to the right flat that went for a touchdown near the goal line. If anyone can make that transition at this size, it's Griffen. Just don't expect it to be a smooth one. That's why Griffen likely will be stuck on the third team for a while, and could end up back at defensive end at some point.

Fourth down ...

It was assumed that Frazier would give both Brandon Fusco and Geoff Schwartz at least one preseason start apiece as they compete for the starting right guard job. Turns out that's a false assumption, said Frazier, who added that their starts will be determined by how they practice. Fusco is slightly ahead of Schwartz in a battle that's still likely to include Fusco starting the first preseason game and Schwartz starting the second one. ... In the only transaction of the day, the Vikings added Chris Stroud, a rookie cornerback from Webber International, after placing rookie cornerback Nick Taylor on the waived/injured list. Taylor will have major shoulder surgery and is done for the season. Stroud worked out for the Vikings and was at the team's rookie minicamp in May.

 

[griff321]

Vikings.com wobcast blog

The competitive spirit was as thick in the air as the sweltering humidity on Tuesday at 2012 Verizon Vikings Training Camp, as the Vikings conducted their second padded practice that included a couple periods of live, tackle-to-the ground work. Those periods featured short-yardage and goal line situations, perfect opportunities to jot down some notes.

Here are a few of them from Tuesday’s practice…

One-On-One

A large crowd of scouts, special guests and members of the ownership group gathered around one end of Field #2 to watch the RBs, FBs and TEs go one-on-one against the LBs. The drill is competitive as it is, but the unusually large crowd that gathered near the drill only intensified the atmosphere.

The first part of the drill required the offensive players to pass protect against the defensive players. LB Jasper Brinkley got home on his first three rushes and RB Jordan Todman jumped up and displayed some striking pass protection. Rookie LB Audie Cole got in the mix with a great swim move to get past his blocker in a flash and LB Everson Griffen showed his explosion by winning two of his three matchups.

The offense saw much more success in the pass receiving/coverage portion of the drill. The star of the show was TE Kyle Rudolph, who had no trouble wiggling open and hauling in receptions. He made an inside move on LB Chad Greenway and then broke to the outside, creating plenty of separation for Christian Ponder to loft a pass toward the TE. John Carlson got in on the action, too, utilizing an out-breaking route to separate from Griffen and haul in a pass. Todman also flashed once again, shaking free from Cole to win his matchup.

Goal Line Battles

There was outstanding back-and-forth between the offense and defense in the team’s goal line drill. The drill was setup for the offense to have it 1st-and-goal from the 2-yardline. In all three matchups (first team, second team, third team), the defense stymied the offense on 1st and 2nd down, but yielded a TD on 3rd down.

Greenway made one of the better defensive plays of the day when he registered a pass breakup (PBU) on a fade route from Ponder to Rudolph. On the next play CB Chris Cook, DT Letroy Guion and Greenway combined to stuff RB Lex Hilliard short of the goal line. On 3rd down, though, Hilliard burrowed his way into the end zone.

The second team offense threw an incomplete pass on their 1st down try and then saw Todman get stuffed. On 3rd down, RB Derrick Coleman surged past the defense and into the end zone for the score.

Coleman took a handoff on 1st down for the third team, too, and was stopped by a trio consisting of Cole, Griffen and DE Ernest Owusu. QB McLeod Bethel-Thompson threw an incomplete pass on 2nd down and then he hit FB Ryan D’Imperio for a TD on 3rd down.

Booming Blair Walsh

It’s standard for the Vikings begin practice with a special teams period or two, and today practice began very well for the Vikings. And it was largely because of K Blair Walsh, whose leg strength was on full display. Of the kicks I saw, Walsh booted touchbacks on six of six tries, with two of those kickoffs flying over the goal post and through the uprights.

Walsh also ended practice on a solid note, hitting a 43-yard FG to close the final period.

Fans have expressed concern to me about the potential for Walsh to struggle on FG accuracy during his rookie season. Nothing that I’ve seen suggest Walsh will have that struggle, but even if he does I expect the increase in field position the defense will see this year because of Walsh’s touchbacks will counterbalance the loss in points from missed FGs. The Vikings ranked 31st in opponents’ drive start last season (24.4-yardline), and that statistic will only improve for the Vikings this season with Walsh in the fold. Missed FGs show up in the stat sheet and are directly reflected on the scoreboard, while average drive start for your opponent is a much more subtle influence. But both are equally important to the outcome of a game, and Walsh has shown that he has the ability to improve the Vikings in both areas.

 

[Faust]

griff321,

Thanks for adding to this thread as is very much appreciated! Netnalp is the go-to guy in this thread for Giants updates and if you want to add anything Vikings related to this thread, please do that!

Cheers,

Faust

 

[ldizzle]

Awesome thread. I cant wait for fbg training camp articles. Props to faust for the contributions to this thread.

 

[Faust]

Training Camp Buzz: A sunny Jay Cutler for Bears

By Gregg Rosenthal

Around The League editor

Jay Cutler is happy because Mike Martz is gone. Jay Cutler smiles because his buddy Brandon Marshall is in town. Jay Cutler loves new weapon Alshon Jeffrey.

If offseason puff pieces about "comfort" lead to on-field success, this is the year that Cutler changes the way you think about him. He's in a group with Tony Romo, Joe Flacco and Michael Vick, quarterbacks who could elevate their stature with one Eli-in-2011 type of year.

All the positivity worries me. Sunniness is not the Cutler Way. Under Lovie Smith, the Chicago Bears only seem to play well when no one expects it.

A Good Day for …

1. The Tennessee Titans want Jake Locker want to win the starting job. NFL Network's Michael Lombardi reports the team expects it to happen and Locker is the favorite. This news could make Titans at Patriots the best 1 p.m. ET game in Week 1. Not that I'm planning ahead or anything.

2. Norv Turner indicated the team could run four to five Wildcat plays per game, with Ronnie Brown often at the helm. Apparently this means Brown will make the San Diego Chargers. The man clearly needs more run-pass options.

3. Under attack recently in Houston, meat came back with a strong performance Tuesday thanks to cornerback Johnathan Joseph.

Aggressive Jim Harbaugh Quote

"We just feel a more certain assurance of success when all that's written is written against us," Harbaugh said. "It's when honeyed words of praise are flowered upon us that we begin to feel exposed before our enemies."

Okay, I cheated a little with this one because Harbaugh said it last season when the 49ers were 3-1. But I saw for the first time in the San Francisco Chronicle and you cannot deny it is glorious. He came up with this off the top of his head?

Not a Good Day for ...

1. Just when I was ready to talk up Golden Tate in our daily Training Camp Buzz, the Seattle Seahawks had to go and sign Braylon Edwards. Following the Antonio Bryant move, it's clear the Seahawks still are looking for a split end. That should be Tate's job.

2. Out of work free agents are growing antsy. Dan Hanzus had a good look at the best of the rest.

3. Mark Sanchez can't win even when he's reportedly impressing in camp. The right tackle battle looks like Wayne Hunter vs. the world again after Jeff Otah's failed physical. And even Sanchez's receiver depth is getting dogged by ... New York Jets cornerback Antonio Cromartie.

Oddly embarrassing picture

Here is the Dallas Cowboys' remedial running group of players that failed their team conditioning test: Felix Jones, Mike Jenkins, Brodney Pool and Andre Holmes. That picture is one of the 87 tweets Tuesday you missed if you aren't following Ian Rapoport aka "Papa John."

Position Battling

1. Washington Redskins running back Tim Hightower clearly isn't close to recovered from his anterior cruciate ligament injury. Evan Royster appears to be getting the most snaps with the starters at running back in Washington. Hightower could take a while to get ready for the season.

2. The New York Giants' third-round draft pick from a year ago Jernal Jernigan is making a run at significant playing time. When Hakeem Nicks is healthy, The Giants' wideout group will be frightening even after losing Mario Manningham.

Unlucky team of the Day

The Indianapolis Colts lost two players to season-ending ACL injuries, including last year's second-round draft pick G/T Ben Ijalana. It's an especially sad story because Ijalana missed all of last season too.

On the Agenda

We're holding our first ever full-squad, padded Around the League practice Wednesday in Los Angeles. Drop us a line if you have any bright ideas to put on the agenda. Thanks for reading. Only four days until there's a football game during which they keep score and everything.

 

[Faust]

San Diego Chargers training camp: Time is now for Norv Turner

By Ian Rapoport

Reporter, NFL.com and NFL Network

WHERE IS NFL.COM?

The Chargers hold training camp at their usual facility, right outside downtown San Diego. Think it's boring? You've got it wrong. Surrounded by postcard-style mountains, the Chargers practice in paradise. It's 75 and sunny every day and it's as relaxed a setting as one could imagine. Fans had no problems mingling with players after the session ended, and the enthusiastic public-address announcer only added to the ambience.

OBSERVATION DECK

1. The best free-agent acquisition is Antonio Gates. San Diego had a busy offseason, picking up 18 new veteran free agents. The best, however, is the player who only appears to be new. After several seasons of battling a series of ailments, tight end Antonio Gates looks like ... Antonio Gates. He is fast, in shape and unable to be covered by a cornerback. Just watch one practice, and your mind will race back to what he was in 2009. This automatically changes things for opposing defenses. "It just gives us another option in a sense where, in the past, teams were able to put linebackers on me because of my health," Gates said. Not anymore.

2. One player won't make up for the loss of Vincent Jackson. And that's fine. Jackson is a dynamic receiver, and he'll shine for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. It doesn't look like any one wideout will step in and account for the 1,106 receiving yards Jackson racked up in 2011. The only possibility is that fellow beanstalk Malcom Floyd mimics Jackson's production, but it's not a safe bet to assume he'll be healthy. Instead, expect more out of athletic and sticky-fingered Vincent Brown and Floyd, along with new additions Eddie Royal and Robert Meachem. If there's one thing quarterback Philip Rivers can do, it's distribute. With so many weapons, he'll be in heaven.

3. The defense is already starting to look different. In February, upon learning that they would keep their jobs, general manager A.J. Smith and head coach Norv Turner got together and had some serious discussions. They resolved to focus on upgrading the talent base and increasing the level of athleticism. They also decided to tinker with the defense, and that included installing John Pagano as defensive coordinator. The goal was to create more takeaways, more negative plays and do anything to get them off the field on third down, something they failed to do in 2011. Drafting outside linebacker Melvin Ingram and end Kendall Reyes in the first two rounds signaled that focus. But San Diego's defensive changes go beyond player acquisitions. "We've been stressing accountability and communication and trust in one another," said cornerback Antoine Cason, who had an interception the day I attended camp and looks primed for a resurgence. "For me, I just know I need to take care of my responsibilities, be accountable for what I'm doing, and that will help the team."

4. If Ryan Mathews is going to break out, this is the year. He has already been dubbed a draft steal and a bust during his two-year career. Now, it's time for Mathews to just be a really good player. The former Fresno State star battled injuries early on, and still he rushed for a sneaky 1,091 yards last year. The Chargers expect more. Mathews reported to camp in great shape, and watching him cut on a dime in the hole and break arm tackles only reinforces the notion that he's in for a big year. It's almost laughable just how many offensive weapons this team has. Just crazy. If they can pound it, watch out. (Note: Mathews was reportedly involved in a car accident in San Diego on Monday night, according to U-T San Diego. The report says Mathews was taken to a local hospital for examination after suffering minor injuries.)

5. Did I mention it's a big year for the Chargers? That six-game losing streak in the middle of last season put Turner and Smith on the brink before a 4-1 closing stretch earned them one more year. But after talking to executive vice president A.G. Spanos, it appears the review process wasn't as grueling as so many of us assumed. "It was an easier decision, once you look at both of their track records," Spanos said. "Our offense has been more prolific under Norv Turner than at any time in team history. And you look at A.J.'s time here, and it's the winningest period in Chargers history. When you look at the success they've had, it was hard not to continue that." Still, one imagines that this era can't continue if the Chargers don't make the playoffs this year.

THE NEW GUYS

Le'Ron McClain: Is there anything more boring than a team picking up a fullback? In this case, I'm making an exception. A big reason for all the optimism surrounding Mathews entering this season is that he'll have the 260-pound McClain destroying linebackers in front of him. McClain received a lot of publicity for his lighthearted campaign to be a running back, but his devastating impact as a blocker is overlooked. Just ask Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice, who benefitted from McClain's presence early in his career. To me, this is the best fit of an escort with a runner since Alge Crumpler was paving the way for Chris Johnson as a blocking tight end with the Tennessee Titans in 2009.

Ingram: The defense was starting to look ragged and thin on talent, and the Chargers addressed that in the draft. Ingram was a do-it-all edge player at South Carolina, and he'll be more of the same in San Diego. Ingram is a great athlete who can do a backflip, but the Chargers were drawn to him by more than his physical skills. They were also drawn in by his awareness. Watching him recognize a screen and blow it up during a team session made that clear. He made countless plays in college, and a playmaker is exactly what this team needs.

Aubrayo Franklin: With 18 new free agents, I could've gone a lot of ways here. But no one is talking about this signing, so I figured I would. The massive nose tackle is in his 10th year, and he was available deep into July. No one wanted him, perhaps because it seemed like his play slipped last year when he was with the New Orleans Saints. But remember, he was a franchise player just a few years ago with the San Francisco 49ers. And bowling balls who clog the middle are essential in defenses like the Chargers'. If Franklin has the will -- and it looked like he did at times during the workout we watched -- this could be a tremendously underrated signing. He will still draw two blockers.

OVERHEARD

"Oh, I was thrilled. I think I speak for the majority of the team in saying we all hoped (Norv Turner would return). The familiarity, the continuity in keeping Coach here, the staff with our systems, it's huge. And we have a nice mix of free agents and the core group we have here. We have a chance to be -- obviously you gotta go do it -- but we have a chance to be a great team."

-- Rivers, on the Chargers bringing back his coach for another year.

EXTRA POINTS

1. McClain relayed a story about how hard Mathews has been working that's worth sharing. When he signed his contract in March, Turner told McClain to look out the window; there was Mathews, doing additional running on his own. Good to hear.

2. There were questions last year about whether there was an issue with Rivers' arm. Don't be surprised if those continue to come this year. He can make every throw, just like he always has. But to the lay person -- and based on just one practice -- the ball doesn't quite look like it has the same zip it used to.

3. Backup quarterback is a problem area for the Chargers. Charlie Whitehurst suffered a knee injury, while Jarrett Lee and Kevin O'Connell simply aren't good enough to bridge the gap if anything happens to Rivers.

OUTLOOK

It might sound like a broken record, but the Chargers have more than enough talent to do everything they want to do. A restocked defense, an athletic and tall group of receivers, a quarterback who runs the system perfectly -- it could be a big year. But isn't that the case every year? It's put-up-or-shut-up time for the Bolts. No one has said it's Turner's and Smith's last year to make it happen, but it would be surprising if it isn't. Given San Diego's talented roster, anything less than a playoff victory would be a major disappointment.

 

[Faust]

Bengals training camp: For Andy Dalton, A.J. Green, time is now

By Albert Breer

Reporter, NFL.com and NFL Network

WHERE IS NFL.COM?

Cincinnati, Ohio, where the skyline, looming over the practice fields, signifies the team's first-ever downtown training camp after 15 years of practicing in Georgetown, Ky. It's different, to be sure, from the many camps around the NFL that are held in the woods or the mountains. But when I asked coach Marvin Lewis about it, he cited the same reasons others have in moving their camps home. "I think the fact that we have an opportunity to continue with our own learning environment, that's been exceptional," Lewis said. "It's enabled us not to have to uplift our whole infrastructure of technology and so forth. It's a real positive, and I think it's been a great move for the fans." And yup, it also makes it easier for the people of Cincinnati to see their hometown team -- though with the cramped set-up, there's room for just 1,600.

OBSERVATION DECK

1. These Bengals are big. Which they need to be, given that they compete in the AFC North. Their size stuck out, though, in the locker room and on the practice field. The Bengals have positioned a huge line in front of quarterback Andy Dalton and have paired him with a downhill runner in BenJarvus Green-Ellis. The defense, meanwhile, is loaded with first- and second-round picks, both drafted by the team and picked up off others' scrap heaps. While I was watching (and loving) the old-school Oklahoma drills that the Bengals rolled out on Monday, it was easy for me to see what kind of mindset Lewis is looking for in his players. "You have to win football games with your pads," Lewis said ahead of that practice -- the team's first in pads. And my sense is, there's more to that than the gear the Bengals will be wearing on gameday.

2. Expectations couldn't be higher. Walking around Paul Brown Stadium, it was hard to miss the T-shirts emblazoned with the words "Born to ... Prepare to ... Plan to ... Expect to ... WIN." Then there were the shirts that were simply decorated with the letters "DNO." Several players tipped me off on the meaning -- Destination: New Orleans. Lewis wasn't pumped that I'd found out. "That's between us -- somebody must've squealed, huh?" he said with a sheepish smile. "That's the goal you set every year," Lewis went on to say. "That doesn't change. We all have the goal to get to the final game and win it." The Bengals haven't won a playoff game in more than 21 years. I have to believe that whatever visualization tactics they use can only help -- particularly with a roster stocked with rising young players.

3. Dalton and A.J. Green have limitless potential. The Bengals' big-play connection didn't hook up for any unofficial workouts this summer -- both were buying houses in their downtime (Dalton in Texas and Green in Georgia). However, the two second-year stars have done plenty to ensure a strong encore to their grand debut. By all accounts, the passer, the receiver and offensive coordinator Jay Gruden enjoy an outstanding rapport, in large part because they arrived in Cincinnati in the same year. "We're going to be linked together for the rest of our careers, because we came in together as quarterback and receiver," Dalton told me. "And it's nice, because if A.J.'s not saying anything to Jay, and A.J. says something to me, I can relay it to Jay. It's the same for everybody. I think that's helped us out; we had that relationship early on." Dalton is well aware of what he's got in Green. "I mean, I think everyone realizes it," Dalton said. "He's so gifted... I have never been able to throw to a guy who's completely covered and know he's going to come down with it. He's special. We have to find ways to get him the ball."

4. Dalton's next step is coming. When Gruden was breaking down the quarterbacks available in the 2011 NFL Draft, one thing that jumped out at him was the sheer volume of responsibility Dalton had been given as a senior at TCU. That's why Gruden resolutely endorsed the idea of drafting Dalton. That's why Gruden was fine with making Dalton a starter from Day 1. And that's why Dalton can now openly ask for a bigger role. "It's taking control of the offense," Dalton told me. "Last year, I was just a part of the offense, it seemed like. Coming in as a rookie, it's hard to take over. Now, it's, 'OK, I have the experience, I was able to do some things where I've got some credibility.' That's the big area where it's going to be different this year." Gruden didn't object when I relayed what Dalton had said. "He wants more freedom, and he's going to get it. He's shown that he can handle anything that I throw at him," Gruden said, a smile cracking. "I mean, I might just toss him the keys and let him drive away, and I'll just stand there with a box of popcorn."

5. The situation at cornerback must be sorted out. Rookie Dre Kirkpatrick is on the shelf for the next few weeks with a knee injury, Nate Clements just returned from the physically unable to perform list and Leon Hall's comeback from a torn Achilles is being carefully managed. With a mix of young and old cornerbacks, the Bengals are going to have some tough cuts to make -- should they bet on an experienced hand to help a ready-to-win team, or should they go with the promise and potential longevity of a younger player? Six of the cornerbacks on the roster are former first-round draft picks (that's not a typo), including Kirkpatrick, Clements, Hall and newcomers Terence Newman, Jason Allen and Adam Jones. The team also likes a few other young players, such as Brandon Ghee. Here's the thing, though. If this position shakes out the way the Bengals hope it does -- and the right roster calls are made -- this defensive group could be the best that coordinator Mike Zimmer's led since he joined the team in 2008.

THE NEW GUYS

Terence Newman. The former Dallas Cowboy reunited this spring with Zimmer, his defensive coordinator in Dallas from 2003 to 2006, with better-than-expected results. Many thought the Bengals were simply taking a flier on a past-his-prime defensive back when they signed Newman, who had been cast aside after nine seasons with the Cowboys. To be clear, Newman is not what he once was. However, he does look to be carving out a role as a valuable player for the Bengals.

Devon Still and Brandon Thompson. The Bengals used second- and third-round draft picks on Still and Thompson, respectively, to add depth at defensive tackle behind Domata Peko and Pro Bowler Geno Atkins. It looks like they've accomplished that; the agile, 300-pound Still and the ox-strong, 320-pound Thompson both have a chance to see the field early.

Mohamed Sanu. The former Rutgers standout torpedoed his chances at being a first-round draft pick with a slow 40-yard-dash time. But Sanu has shown why he was once considered a potential No. 1 pick. Sanu has quick feet and good football smarts, impressing coaches with his readiness to step in and assimilate, as well as his ability to outfox veteran cornerbacks. He could eventually be the perfect possession complement to Green.

OVERHEARD

Kirkpatrick is plenty frustrated with his struggles to stay healthy. He told me he's "probably only practiced with the team four times... I want to be out there, I want to let these guys know that I'm ready to step up any time my name is called. Right now, it's just staying focused mentally." Normal stuff, right? Well, guess who's helping Kirkpatrick through this? None other than Adam Jones himself. Kirkpatrick explained that the corner formerly known as "Pacman" has been drilling him on the defense -- popping questions when the rookie least expects it -- and trying to help, in a broader sense, with the transition to life as a pro. "I'm just trying to do my part," Jones told me. "I wish I had someone do that for me when I was coming in the league, on the field and off the field. I ain't trying to be no hero, I'm just trying to be me and do my part." Between helping young players here and at the rookie symposium, it at least seems like Jones' effort is sincere.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Troubled Arizona State product Vontaze Burfict is here and, believe it or not, the linebacker has done plenty to turn the perception of him within the Bengals organization. It's still early, and there's plenty of time for things to go the other way, but Burfict has lost weight and he's shown good instincts on the field. He's also behaved himself off of it.

2. Interesting talking to veteran tackle Andrew Whitworth about the team's new iPad playbooks. He said the best thing about them is that they help with efficiency. He can now, for example, study film in the cold tub. The worst thing? No more scribbling notes on plays or marking down reminders in the margins. The team has combated that by asking players to carry spiral notebooks with their iPads.

3. Saw a young fan carrying a sign that said "Your a good man, Mike Brown" at practice. Would've been better if the fan had used the grammatically correct "you're" instead, but still, it marked a departure from the horrific perception problem Paul Brown's son has battled in the Queen City over the last few decades.

OUTLOOK

Could this be the best team of the Lewis Era? Privately, the Bengals believe it could be. And the behavioral issues that dogged the Bengals in recent years seem to be largely gone. The coaches will tell you, this is a likable group. That staff, too, is loaded, with perhaps the best 1-2 punch of coordinators in the NFL in Gruden and Zimmer, both legitimate leading prospects to land a head-coaching job in 2013. (They've also locked up their head coach; on Tuesday, Lewis signed a contract extension to stay with the Bengals through 2014.) The rookie class is promising, with guard Kevin Zeitler and Sanu adding to the offense and Kirkpatrick, Thompson and Still jumping in on defense. It seems the risk-taking style Brown has employed forever is starting to bear fruit. So ... DNO? "I think every team has some kind of slogan or T-shirt," Gruden said when I brought it up. "It's a matter of backing it up, doing what's necessary to get there. Saying what you want to do, having initials of where you want to go and all that good stuff, is nothing if you're not coming out here and working hard and staying after practice like these guys are doing. Going to the weight room, getting a little more in, watching a little more film with your coaches, that's how you get there." Read closely what Gruden is saying. He's laying out what he thinks it takes to win -- and he's saying the players are doing all of it. In the rugged AFC North, these Bengals certainly look like they have a shot.

 

[Faust]

Postcard from camp: Rams

Jim Trotter

Where's SI.com?

At Rams Park, the team's year-round training facility in Earth City. Mother Nature gave the players a break for the first full-squad practice of the Jeff Fisher Era. Four days after temperatures topped out at 108 degrees -- it was the 11th day of 105 or higher in St. Louis this summer -- a cooling rain moved through the area and made the afternoon relatively pleasant. Just over 1,600 fans attended the opening practice, which might not sound like much after the Cardinals drew 14,500 and the Broncos nearly 6,000. But it was an impressive showing considering space is limited and the team has not had a winning season since 2003.

Three Observations

1. You'd never know the Rams are coming off a season in which they set a league record for most losses (65) in a five-year span. The reason for the optimism is Fisher, who won three division titles, appeared in one Super Bowl and had only five losing seasons in 16 full years with the Oilers/Titans. The 54-year-old has set the bar high in his first year in St. Louis, telling SI: "Since I took this job nobody has told me that I can't win a championship this year." Perhaps not, but the numbers are daunting. Over the past five seasons the Rams have ranked in the bottom seven in points scored and points allowed four times. Four times. In two of the past three seasons they were last in scoring, and on three occasions they were 31st among 32 teams in points allowed. Which could cause you to shake your head at my next observation.

2. The roster isn't bereft of talent. Once Fisher solidifies the offensive line and adds experienced weapons on the perimeter, Sam Bradford will develop into one of the game's elite quarterbacks. There's nothing the 2010 No. 1 pick can't do. He has a strong arm, tremendous accuracy and more athleticism than outsiders realize. Running back Steven Jackson is getting older, but has run for more than 1,000 yards in seven consecutive seasons. Chris Long is emerging as a top defensive end; middle linebacker James Laurinaitis is a high-impact performer; second-year defensive end Robert Quinn has the skill set to be an elite pass rusher and left tackle Rodger Saffold showed great promise as a rookie before slipping last season and ultimately winding up on injured reserve with a torn pectoral.

Additionally, first-year GM Les Snead and Fisher signed cornerback Cortland Finnegan, who played six seasons for Fisher in Tennessee, and crafty wideout Steve Smith during free agency, and brought in expected starters Michael Brockers and Janoris Jenkins through the draft. Jenkins has been particularly impressive. He moves smoothly and is so poised you'd never know he's a rookie.

3. The NFC West is going to be the most physical division in football. Let me repeat: The NFC West is going to be the most physical division in football. The NFL may be a quarterbacks' league, but the coaches in this division -- save for Arizona's Ken Whisenhunt -- lean heavily on their run games. San Francisco's 498 rushing attempts last season ranked third overall; Seattle's Marshawn Lynch went over 100 yards rushing six times during a late-season nine-game stretch; and Fisher's teams teams ranked in the top 10 in rushing in half of his 16 full seasons.

You can look at Fisher's offensive assistants to know what he wants to do on offense. Brian Schottenheimer coordinated the Jets' ground-and-pound attack with the Jets; line coach Paul Boudreau was with Atlanta the past four seasons when the Falcons ranked 11th or higher in rushing attempts per season, including two stints in the top five; and tight ends coach Rob Boras, whose unit helped Maurice Jones-Drew lead the league in rushing last season. "In our first meeting it was made very clear that as an offense we're going to be a physical running team, and we're going to wear teams out," Bradford says. "It's an attitude that has to show up on the field, and these next five weeks in training camp that's something we've got to develop. It's something we're going to work at, so by the time the regular season gets here it's our identity. It's second nature."

Step On Up

Rodger Saffold, left tackle. The 2010 second-round pick played at a high level as a rookie, but didn't handle the lockout well and reported to camp last season in less-than-optimum condition. His year only got worse from there. He missed time because of a concussion, then was lost for the year after tearing a pectoral muscle lifting weights in November. It's critical that he regain his 2010 form and protect Bradford's blind side. According to Football Outsiders, Bradford has absorbed 159 knockdowns (sacks + hits) the past two seasons. If you think that's not an issue, think again. Bradford admits that at times he found himself looking at the pressure or running instead of sliding in the pocket. The Rams plan to run the ball to take pressure off Bradford, but they need Saffold in particular to step up in situations where they put the ball in the air.

New Face, New Place

Cortland Finnegan, cornerback. The Rams had a revolving door at cornerback last season, where injuries decimated them. Finnegan has missed only three games in six seasons and has 77 starts the past five years. His experience and presence is critical not only because he understands what Fisher wants out of the defense, but also because he has been a good tutor for Jenkins, who will start as a rookie. "I'm kind of picking his brain," says Jenkins. "I see what his preparation is like, how he goes about studying film, what he keys on in 7-on-7, and I'll ask him what he sees that gives him that recognition during a play. I'm just trying to learn from him, and follow in his steps. He knows the ins and outs of the NFL game."

Looking At The Schedule

The schedule is a monster early. The Rams not only travel to Detroit and Chicago and host Green Bay and New England in the first eight weeks, but they also have divisional games against Seattle and Arizona. The final eight weeks are no less daunting; four of their final six games are on the road, including rematches against the Seahawks and Cardinals.

 

[Faust]

Camp Confidential: Buffalo Bills

By James Walker | ESPN.com

PITTSFORD, N.Y. -- Buffalo Bills general manager Buddy Nix and coach Chan Gailey are not afraid.

Both know this is a huge year in Buffalo. On paper, this is the best Bills team Gailey has coached and the best group Nix has put together. Many are expecting a playoff year from the Bills, who haven't made the postseason in 13 years.

This is new territory for Buffalo. For more than a decade, the Bills have been lovable losers. They finished 6-10 and last in the AFC East in 2011. But a stellar offseason has breathed new life into the franchise and created new expectations.

"We're not backing off from [expectations]. We expect to win and we expect to contend," Nix told the AFC East blog. "I think sometimes when you're afraid to say you expect that is because you're preparing yourself to lose. We're not afraid to say it. We've laid some groundwork for two years, and we're to the point now where we need to take the next step."

The groundwork included landing the top free agent not named Peyton Manning: defensive end Mario Williams. Buffalo also signed 10-sack defensive end Mark Anderson, re-signed No. 1 receiver Steve Johnson and drafted highly touted cornerback Stephon Gilmore and potential starting left tackle Cordy Glenn.

Buffalo did a great job putting a deep and talented roster together. The front office bought quality groceries. Now, it's time for Gailey and his coaching staff to cook a good meal.

"That's exactly right," Gailey said, responding to the metaphor. "That's my job: to get us to a winning program and playoffs and a championship."

THREE HOT ISSUES

1. Will Mario Williams live up to top billing? Williams and Gailey have a lot in common. Both are under pressure to produce in 2012. But Williams is also under the microscope due to the $100 million contract ($50 million guaranteed) he signed in March, the biggest contract in Bills history.

With that comes the expectation of double-digit sacks and game-changing plays. That is what Williams does best, and he said he's "ecstatic" to wreak havoc in Buffalo this year. But Williams, a former Houston Texan, is returning from a season-ending pectoral injury and must stay healthy.

Williams certainly looks the part. He checked in at 292 pounds and is a mountain of muscle. He adds an intimidating presence to the Bills' defense.

In many ways, the Bills have built their defense around Williams. They switched back to a 4-3 scheme, which better suits Williams' strengths. Buffalo will plug Anderson in on the other side to take some of the pressure off Williams.

2. Will Ryan Fitzpatrick be consistent? Fitzpatrick’s career has been marked with inconsistency. He is one of the streakiest quarterbacks in the NFL, one who can get really hot or really cold at any moment. Fitzpatrick led the NFL with 23 interceptions last season.

Bills quarterbacks coach David Lee believes the streakiness is due to inconsistent fundamentals. Lee and Fitzpatrick worked extensively on mechanics this offseason to reduce the number of bad games.

"At this point I feel like it is easy to have better mechanics, but it is when you get into the games that it is really going to be the test for me," Fitzpatrick said. "And not just Week 1 through Week 5. It is going to be the whole season."

Fitzpatrick's streakiness was on display in practice Tuesday. On one play in team drills, he threw a beautiful deep ball to receiver Derek Hagan for a touchdown. Fitzpatrick then threw an interception into coverage on the next play.

By nature, Fitzpatrick is a gunslinger. But reduced turnovers will put the defense in better position and it could produce more wins for the Bills. A lot is riding on Fitzpatrick this season. The Bills recently gave him a $59 million contract, and it's time to prove he can lead a franchise.

3. Can Buffalo win in the AFC East? The biggest thorn in the side of the Bills has been their division rivals. Buffalo is just 2-10 against the AFC East the past two years.

The Bills can't quite put a finger on the reason. Part of it was inconsistency, part was lack of toughness. Another part was missed opportunities.

"They were better than us, but we gotta change that," Nix said candidly. "We hadn’t measured up in the two years we’d been here, even though if we could’ve stayed healthy I thought we could’ve been in contention at the end. I felt all along we could win nine or 10 games if we could keep everybody healthy. But we didn’t have a lot of depth anyway, and the ones we lost were our best leaders."

The gap between the New England Patriots and everyone else in the AFC East appears wide. No team outside of New England finished with a winning record last year. However, the Bills are confident they did enough this offseason to close the gap. Part of that confidence is due to splitting with New England last season.

"We still feel like we should win the division -- every team does," Gailey said. "Miami feels that way. The Jets feel that way. The Patriots feel that way. That's the goal going in."

Reason for optimism

Buffalo's defensive line should be one of the best in the NFL. Defensive tackles Marcell Dareus and Kyle Williams are paired with defensive ends Mario Williams and Anderson. That's a lot of money and high draft picks invested in rushing the quarterback and winning in the trenches.

But the starting defensive linemen aren't the only quality players. Buffalo has a deep bench, led by backup defensive ends Chris Kelsay and Shawne Merriman and backup defensive tackle Dwan Edwards. The rotation along the defensive line should wear down many opposing offensive lines.

"I feel like everybody on our defensive line could be a starter one way or the other, whether it is here or somewhere else," Mario Williams said. "Our competition level is extremely high. Every day we are pushed and we push each other. We hold each other accountable. I think that is the biggest thing."

Reason for pessimism

Buffalo is a team still learning how to win and is fighting plenty of bad history. As noted, it's been 13 years since Buffalo qualified for the postseason, a playoff run that was ended by the Music City Miracle.

It takes a lot of focus, maturity and consistency to win throughout a 16-game season. Past Bills teams lacked those traits. Once things went downhill, it was too easy for Buffalo to fall back into the "same old Bills" mentality.

Buffalo had a little taste of success last year. The Bills started 5-2 and were in first place in the AFC East. But things turned sour quickly and the losing snowballed. Buffalo lost eight of its last nine games and finished last in the division.

The Bills were the unexpected media darlings of the NFL for a couple weeks before things fell apart.

"You learn how to take that with a grain of salt, because it’s what you do on Sundays that count," Gailey said. "I hope we learned that lesson. I hope we learned not to let that affect our play and our thought processes in any way."

OBSERVATION DECK

[*]The Bills said they have a better plan for tailback C.J. Spiller this season. He was mostly ignored as a running back until starter Fred Jackson was put on injured reserve with a broken leg. But Spiller, a former first-round pick, is getting more carries in practice and looks sharp heading into his third season. He broke a couple of big runs in Tuesday's practice. Expect Spiller to get more carries this season, but it's still going to be a major challenge taking Jackson off the field.

[*]The early reviews are in, and Gilmore looks legit. He's fluid and a good athlete. But perhaps the best thing about Gilmore, the No. 10 overall pick in the draft, is his competitiveness. Gilmore has lined up against Johnson, Buffalo's No. 1 receiver, at every chance in practice. The rookie wants to go against the best the team has to offer, and at times things have gotten physical between the two. Gilmore might already be Buffalo's best cornerback.

[*]Speaking of cornerbacks, I would be surprised if longtime Bills corner Terrence McGee makes this team. McGee has been a leader and a consummate professional in Buffalo for nine years. But a youth movement at cornerback and many injuries could mean McGee's days are numbered. He's missed at least five games in each of the past three seasons. A season-ending knee injury forced McGee to miss 10 games in 2011 and he's still not 100 percent. He could bring leadership and depth to the secondary when healthy, but he may not get enough time on the field in camp or the preseason to show he's worthy of making the 53-man roster.

[*]The Bills are definitely a bigger team. They have 23 players on their roster who weigh 300 pounds or more; at 292 pounds, just misses making the 300-pound club. Not all are going to make the team, but Buffalo has made it a point to get quality depth in the trenches.

[*]I didn’t really see much separation between the backup quarterbacks. Vince Young and Tyler Thigpen are battling for the No. 2 spot, and the loser of this battle may not make the team because Brad Smith also is getting a lot of work at quarterback. Young and Thigpen made some good and bad throws Tuesday. This duel likely will be decided in the preseason.

 

[Bronx Bomber]

Here's some notes I took from Giants camp today. Im no Cecil and I doubt I could get Faust to quote this so take it for what its worth. Also posted in the Giants thread.

Practice was cut short due to thunder but we had probably 20 minutes of contact scrimmage.

From Drills: If these were any indication of the depth chart then this is what it looks like:

RB: In every drill it followed the same order. Bradshaw would go first followed by Ware, Scott then finally Wilson

WR: It was pretty consistent with Cruz and Hixon lining up together first; followed by Barden, Jernigan, then Randle, Collins

Observations: Cruz looked like a superstar making acrobatic catches all over the place. He even had some fun during a broken drill working on goal line post-corners where he had a ball under thrown, stopped, turned around jumped up and caught it waist high, between his legs with one hand (kind of like you would a frisbee). He had another during the live scrimmage where he was running a deep corner route and had to make an adjustment to a ball thrown short. He was able to turn around, high point the ball and catch it while falling down/backwards.

Nothing else really stood out with the WRs as most of the drills were being run a 3/4 speed. Jernigan looked quick though and Randle had some nice moves/physicality getting off the line during press coverage drills.

TE: I was sitting right by the TEs during blocking/releasing drills and Bennett showed that lack of concetration/work ethic concerns by twice getting yelled at by the coach. 1st was when he tried lining up in a 2 point stance and had to be told to get down in a 3 point. Then he went offsides another time.

Defense was on a separate field and as I was focusing mostly on offense I only saw a limited amount of what was going on here. I didn't see any of the Linebackers as the were way on the other side where I couldn't see.

DBs: I looks like Prince was getting reps lining up across Webster. He did have to do some push-ups after missing a pass about waist high during back pedaling drills. Coe and Tyron were the next ones out in drills and scrimmage. I saw Coe with Webster once and then he was out for a few during some drills so I might have missed something while watching offense. Might be between him and Prince for that spot.

 

[Faust]

Jets camp report: With Ryan, Sanchez under pressure, no shortage of intrigue

By Clark Judge | Senior NFL Columnist

There are no guarantees with this year's New York Jets, only a promise that the team will improve.

We'll see about that. The Jets could be the third-best team in an AFC East that should belong to New England again. Only this time, it's Buffalo -- not New York -- that's the trendy choice for second, with the Jets left to battle themselves.

Of course, they tried that last season and failed miserably. They missed the playoffs for the first time in coach Rex Ryan's career as head coach and battled team discord as much as they did the rest of the AFC East -- with about as much success.

Something had to give and something did. Ryan announced in February that he would not guarantee the Super Bowl for his team as he did in previous years, saying it was "a mistake."

"I felt it did place some undue pressure on our team," he said.

OK, fine. But then the Jets put some undue pressure on quarterback Mark Sanchez by going out and hiring Tim Tebow, a move that had people questioning what it meant for Sanchez. Well, it shouldn't mean squat. Sanchez is the quarterback who led the Jets to two AFC Championship Games in his first two seasons and who is 31-22 in three years as a pro -- including 4-2 in the playoffs.

Yet he and Ryan are under fire as the season unfolds, with critics ready to pounce if the Jets stumble at the beginning.

"It's all about: What have you done lately?" Sanchez said. "But that's the nature of this game and this league. If we had gone 8-8 [my rookie year] and then gone to two conference championship games things would be fine.

"I just keep that in perspective and remind myself of that. And I remind myself that I can't change that perception unless we play well."

Exactly.

Team Objectives

• Return to Ground and Pound. The Jets ranked first in rushing in 2009 and went to the AFC Championship Game. They ranked fourth in 2010 and went to the AFC Championship Game. They ranked 22nd last year and failed to reach the playoffs. Ryan thinks there's a connection, and he's determined to return to grinding out yards. That's one reason he hired Tony Sparano as his offensive coordinator, and Sparano opened practice the other day by having the Jets try 22 straight runs -- a figure that had Ryan saying, "I don't know if I ever remember [running] that much." Wait until this season.

• Reduce turnovers. The Jets had 34 a year ago, and, no, there was no AFC team with more. The biggest problem: 16 fumbles, which were the second highest in the conference. That must stop. So do the 18 interceptions, and Sparano might be just the guy to do it. "I remember playing against a Tony Sparano offense," linebacker Bart Scott said, "when they had the least amount of turnovers. I know what that's like, and I know what it does for a defense -- allowing it to stay rested and be able to go out and get the ball back. You can literally wear teams out that way." The Jets can only hope.

• Developing team chemistry. Obviously, it wasn't there in 2011, and you didn't need LaDainian Tomlinson to tell you. Just rewind the videotape to last year's season finale when the Jets pulled Santonio Holmes from the huddle in the fourth quarter of their loss to Miami. There was something missing, and it was chemistry. So Sanchez and Holmes got together in the offseason, brokered a détente and now believe that everyone will live happily ever after. "I don't know how many games we'll win," Ryan said, "but we are going to be a close football team, and we are going to compete our tails off. At the end of the day, I think we'll be successful." We'll see.

Camp Battles

Placekicker: Nick Folk is the incumbent. Josh Brown is the challenger. But Folk is inconsistent, solid on the short kicks but only 8 of 13 on tries from 40 yards and beyond last season. He also hit only 76 percent of his total field-goal tries. Brown, who kicked for St. Louis the past four seasons, nailed only 75 percent of his kicks in 2011. Worse, he did it for a team that plays indoors. Once upon a time, Brown appeared to have the inside track on the job. But Folk has looked good and may hold on.

Punter: T. J. Conley should win this job, but he, too, must be more consistent than he has been. Conley has so much talent that special teams coordinator Mike Westhoff said he had one practice where he outkicked any punter Westhoff ever coached -- and that includes Reggie Roby and Rohn Stark. Conley tied for third in the league last season in punts inside the 20 (33) but was only 20th in net average (38.8). If he doesn't improve the Jets may be forced to make a change.

Right tackle: Wayne Hunter called himself the "weakest link" of the Jets' offensive line, and at least the guy is honest. He's also right. Hunter was a turnstile through which pass rushers ran again and again last season. According to Pro Football Focus, he allowed 11 sacks, 11 quarterback hits and 32 pressures. Oh, yeah, he also took 11 penalties. The Jets need to upgrade the position, and they tried with the addition of Jeff Otah. But Otah failed the physical and was sent back to Carolina. Hunter may wind up holding on to the position. Not because new offensive line coach Dave DeGuglielmo promised in mid-May that Hunter would start "until they ship him out of the building or until they shoot me dead in the office," but because he's outplaying the competition, and the competition here -- if you call it that -- is Austin Howard. "[Hunter] is our starting right tackle," general manager Mike Tannenbaum said, "until that changes."

Wide receiver: Yes, Santonio Holmes is the go-to guy, but then what? Chaz Schilens? Jeremy Kerley? Stephen Hill? There is such a crowd behind Holmes that cornerback Antonio Cromartie -- who will take occasional snaps at wide receiver -- proclaimed himself the second-best receiver on the club because of what he called "raw ability and talent."

Somebody to Watch

LB Aaron Maybin. The guy is everywhere in practice, hammering ball-carriers, pressuring quarterbacks and even lining up on special teams. "He runs 100 mph," said Ryan. "He doesn't play with any brakes." That about sums it up. The former Bills first-round draft choice is a designated pass rusher with one speed, and that's fine when you point him at a quarterback. The Jets did last season, and Maybin responded with a team-high six sacks in 13 games. Look for more this fall.

Injury Roundup

WR Jeremy Kerley is sidelined with a bad left hamstring after an injury to his right hamstring kept him out of much of the team's offseason program. When CB Darrelle Revis missed Sunday's practice with a tight hamstring, too, Ryan decided to change his practice schedule -- adding 10 more minutes of morning warmups to allow players to stretch more.

S LaRon Landry returned to workouts after recovering from foot injuries that sidelined him this spring.

Three rookies -- LB Demario Davis (hamstring), WR Jordan White (foot) and G Terrence Campbell (hamstring) -- were activated from the PUP list this week and should be able to wear pads for the first time Friday.

The Last Word

"This is a pivotal year," Bart Scott said, and he has that right. The Jets are coming off an 8-8 fizzle that saw them lose their final three games, including a 45-19 blowout in Philadelphia, and miss the playoffs for the first time in three years.

Ryan promised to make changes, and one of his first moves was to take over the defensive play-calling. Ryan insists it's not a big deal; that he called some signals at the end of last season. But any change is big when it happens with the Jets.

"It might be unusual," Ryan said, "but I think it works better for me if I'm more involved."

Players have no complaints. They say that Ryan is more visible and more involved with on-the-field teaching, and they believe that's not just good for one side of the ball; it's good for the entire team.

"It's Rex's defense," Scott said. "Nobody can teach a defense the way [he] can. He's the defense's version of Rain Man. He sees things that other people don't see."

But it's not the defense that is New York's concern. It's the offense. The Jets failed to score more than 19 points in any of their past three starts, and with the same offensive line, the same quarterback and the same running back, people are wondering how in the world their running game improves -- because coaches and players insist it will.

Then, of course, there's the whole Sanchez/Tebow thing, and say this about the Jets: If they're not successful, at least they should be intriguing. They always are.

 

[Faust]

Here's some notes I took from Giants camp today. Im no Cecil and I doubt I could get Faust to quote this so take it for what its worth. Also posted in the Giants thread. Practice was cut short due to thunder but we had probably 20 minutes of contact scrimmage.From Drills: If these were any indication of the depth chart then this is what it looks like:RB: In every drill it followed the same order. Bradshaw would go first followed by Ware, Scott then finally WilsonWR: It was pretty consistent with Cruz and Hixon lining up together first; followed by Barden, Jernigan, then Randle, CollinsObservations: Cruz looked like a superstar making acrobatic catches all over the place. He even had some fun during a broken drill working on goal line post-corners where he had a ball under thrown, stopped, turned around jumped up and caught it waist high, between his legs with one hand (kind of like you would a frisbee). He had another during the live scrimmage where he was running a deep corner route and had to make an adjustment to a ball thrown short. He was able to turn around, high point the ball and catch it while falling down/backwards. Nothing else really stood out with the WRs as most of the drills were being run a 3/4 speed. Jernigan looked quick though and Randle had some nice moves/physicality getting off the line during press coverage drills. TE: I was sitting right by the TEs during blocking/releasing drills and Bennett showed that lack of concetration/work ethic concerns by twice getting yelled at by the coach. 1st was when he tried lining up in a 2 point stance and had to be told to get down in a 3 point. Then he went offsides another time.Defense was on a separate field and as I was focusing mostly on offense I only saw a limited amount of what was going on here. I didn't see any of the Linebackers as the were way on the other side where I couldn't see. DBs: I looks like Prince was getting reps lining up across Webster. He did have to do some push-ups after missing a pass about waist high during back pedaling drills. Coe and Tyron were the next ones out in drills and scrimmage. I saw Coe with Webster once and then he was out for a few during some drills so I might have missed something while watching offense. Might be between him and Prince for that spot.

Bronx Bomber,Thanks for adding to the thread. I am very interested in the Giants camp this year and especially on the RB and WR depth chart battles!Faust

 

[Faust]

Cowboys training camp: Dez Bryant testing Morris Claiborne

By Ian Rapoport

Reporter, NFL.com and NFL Network

WHERE IS NFL.COM?

America's team hits the road during training camp to make sure a different part of the country sees it ... while also avoiding the brutal Dallas heat. In Oxnard, Calif., it's 70 and sunny with a light breeze; that's better than 100 in Texas. The weather's not just aesthetically pleasing; it also allows the players to work more freely. The scene is quite the circus, though, with sponsors' blow-up displays on one side, floats and booths on the other, and thousands of autograph-hunting fans lining the field. For Cowboys crazies seeking access, it's a perfect spot. (Although one might argue that having three skydivers commemorate the opening of practice is a bit much.)

OBSERVATION DECK

1. Leadership isn't an issue with the Cowboys. One theme of the offseason has been that team leadership is no longer a question. That's been playing out on the field. During practice, veteran cornerback Orlando Scandrick pulled rookie Morris Claiborne aside between whistles to teach him proper technique. Dallas is counting on that kind of help from Scandrick. Later, I was having a post-practice conversation with coach Jason Garrett when he stopped and said, "Look at that." Pro Bowl pass-rusher DeMarcus Ware was walking off the field, taking rookie defensive tackle Tyrone Crawford through some technique. "He's the best in the world at what he does, and he's teaching a rookie," Garrett said. All that talk about improved leadership was not merely lip service.

2.Dez Bryant's issues are most certainly not on the field. All offseason, plenty of attention has been paid to Bryant and his lack of maturity. None of that has translated to the field. It's no stretch to say the receiver has been the team's most electric player through two days. He's torching cornerbacks (especially Claiborne), catching nearly everything thrown his way, and has shown off his knack for keeping his feet when he's off-balance. Owner Jerry Jones described Bryant's work as "very impressive," saying that "he's practicing lights out." Bryant has had his problems, though the Cowboys have stood behind him. The Cowboys would like to know him better off the field, but they seem to be making headway in that regard in camp. His potential is so immense, and Bryant is ridden hard when he makes a rare mistake. It's easy to see why the Cowboys would stick with him.

3. Receivers should expect in-your-face coverage. Optimism is high regarding the Cowboys' defense in Year 2 of the Rob Ryan regime, and one reason is their new crop of cornerbacks. Claiborne, the sixth overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, has been thrown into the fire; free-agent pickup Brandon Carr is a savvy veteran. The best thing is, both can play press coverage. Carr has been all over receivers early, getting physical, which was Claiborne's specialty at LSU, too. "It allows me to play my game," Carr said. "I like to get up and challenge receivers, get my hands on them." Ryan added that if you don't have corners who can press without drawing penalties or giving up first downs, "it takes half your playbook away."

4. Plan on a quieter, gentler Cowboys team (seriously). Few coaches boast more than Ryan ... and the defensive coordinator has decided he's not going to boast this year. "I'm going to keep my mouth shut and work," Ryan said. After a year of working in the intense media environment around the Cowboys, Ryan's idea is to avoid the backlash that can come from casually delivered comments. There has always been talk around the Cowboys in the past, but there have been so few results. This year? Less noise from everyone. "Really, your actions (have) got to speak louder than your words," tight end Jason Witten said. "None of y'all are believers, and why should you be? That's the approach we're taking. We want to be the team, and we're capable of it. But we got to show it."

5. DeMarco Murray is healthy, and he needs to stay that way. Cowboys rookie DeMarco Murray burst onto the scene with a 253-yard performance against the St. Louis Rams in Week 7. But he finished 2011 with just two touchdowns, and the team had a total of just five on the ground. "Definitely unacceptable," Murray said. For that number to improve, and for this team to run the ball in the physical NFC East, Murray needs to make it happen. The Cowboys have plenty of offensive skill players, with three marquee threats in Witten, Bryant and receiver Miles Austin. If they can get the run game going, everyone will improve. The NFL is a passing league, but the Cowboys are undoubtedly committed to running the ball better.

THE NEW GUYS

Claiborne. The Cowboys traded up to select the LSU cornerback in April's draft, claiming they'd given him their best grade for a defensive prospect since Deion Sanders. They aren't wasting their time putting him out there. Claiborne worked with the first team during the opening practice, which is something he'll continue to do. He'll be challenged throughout camp by the Cowboys' receivers, and he'll make mistakes; Bryant has been making life difficult for him. Ryan is leaning on his previous experience as defensive coordinator of the Cleveland Browns when it comes to handling Claiborne. When Browns cornerback Joe Haden was a rookie in 2010, "we didn't start him in the first four games and we didn't have any success," Ryan said. "Finally, (we) put the kid in, and he grew quick. He took off." That's the plan for Claiborne.

Dan Connor. Given that the Cowboys used a second-round draft pick on inside linebacker Bruce Carter in 2011, signing Connor, a former starter with the Carolina Panthers, was a slightly curious move. Connor is smart and experienced. But to give him a $2.7 million signing bonus? That means the Cowboys expect him to play. Carter has been fighting to get on the field after a knee injury marred his rookie year. But is he ready? The battle between Connor and Carter is on. "He's got a lot of experience that's going to help," outside linebacker Sean Lee said of Connor. Don't be surprised if Connor ends up playing alongside Lee for the majority of the time, giving the defense a more secure feel.

Mackenzy Bernadeau. Nothing is more important than protecting the quarterback, and the Cowboys believed they were doing exactly that when they signed the guard in March. Adding Bernadeau was not a sexy move, but it could really pay dividends if it allows Romo to relax in the pocket. Bernadeau has turned out to be slightly damaged goods, however, undergoing hip surgery in May. He hasn't been on the field yet, creating an open competition at his spot; undrafted rookie free agent Ronald Leary has taken some snaps with the first-team offense. Bernadeau has time to heal, but he is missing a valuable opportunity to build cohesiveness. The offensive line could be leakier than anyone wants it to be when the Cowboys start the season.

OVERHEARD

"I'll be dammed if I let this opportunity slip away and not come away with a championship. It's been a heck of a run, but it's time to grab it. It goes for all of us, this core group. That's what Coach Garrett's talked about. This group trying to go do it. I think we got the right type of guys to do that. We gotta put in the work to give ourselves a chance."

-- Jason Witten, tight end.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Putting teams away in the fourth quarter is a focus. "We just had way too many games come down to one possession," Romo said. The Cowboys will try to apply pressure early.

2. Two under-the-radar players to keep an eye on, based on the two days of practice I saw: linebacker Orie Lemon and safety Barry Church. Both backups demonstrated they are playmakers with solid instincts, always showing up around the ball.

3. Garrett is comfortable in his own skin. Heading into his third season as the man in charge, he's been relaxed, funny and expansive. Perhaps he's finally reached a point where he feels at home as a head coach.

4. The Cowboys need a center who can snap behind Phil Costa, who has battled through his own issues with that. One injury could make this situation ugly.

5. Trying to explain how running back Felix Jones, receiver Andre Holmes and safety Brodney Pool failed their conditioning tests is impossible. Garrett is right: They simply need to pass.

OUTLOOK

The atmosphere around the Cowboys has been business-like compared to the way it's been in past years. The hoopla around the "opening ceremonies" aside, the emphasis has been on camp competition and finishing games. For instance, the Cowboys have ended practices with intense sprints, harping on the message that players need to get things done even when they're tired. Window-closing comments or no, the Cowboys feel the urgency of the moment. The NFC East is wide open and should be hotly contested. There is no reason the Cowboys can't be looking at a 9-7 or 10-6 record to finish the regular season, with a chance to get on a roll in the playoffs.

 

[netnalp]

Giants Camp Reports Day 5

BBI

Inside Football

ESPN

 

[Faust]

Jaguars training camp: Maurice Jones-Drew sorely missed

By Bucky Brooks

Analyst, NFL.com and NFL Network

WHERE IS NFL.COM?

The Jaguars are hosting training camp at the Florida Blue Health and Wellness Practice Fields, adjacent to EverBank Field in Jacksonville, Fla. The skies were overcast, but it was ridiculously hot and humid.

OBSERVATION DECK

1. The Jaguars' offense is lost without Maurice Jones-Drew. The offense -- not surprisingly -- struggled in drills against the first-team defense without MJD in the lineup. The NFL's reigning rushing king -- currently absent while attempting to negotiate a richer contract -- is unquestionably the Jaguars' most explosive offensive weapon, and he sets the table for the unit's complementary players. While he certainly is not the home-run hitter he used to be, Jones-Drew still attracts eight-man boxes, creating one-on-one matchups on the perimeter in the passing game. Without Jones-Drew churning out yardage on the ground or creating favorable matchups through the air, the Jaguars' offense struggled to find a rhythm for most of the day. If this is any indication of how the offense would fare in his absence, the Jaguars would seriously struggle to put points on the board.

2. Quarterback Blaine Gabbert is showing more confidence and swagger in the pocket. After enduring an offseason full of criticism regarding his performance as a rookie starter, Gabbert showed tremendous improvement as a passer in team drills. He looked more comfortable and confident in the pocket, and made better decisions while under duress. Several times while I was there, Gabbert scrambled up the gut or took sacks rather than throwing the ball up for grabs when the pocket collapsed. Such negative plays would hurt the offense in the short term, but Gabbert frequently turned the ball over last season while attempting desperation throws against pressure. Coach Mike Mularkey has harped on the quarterbacks to avoid making big mistakes in the pocket; his young pupil has certainly heeded the message. If Gabbert can continue to improve on his accuracy -- particularly when going to his left -- his second season in the league will be leaps and bounds better than his first.

3. Justin Blackmon needs to get to camp. The Jaguars' prized rookie receiver has been sitting out while squabbling over the final details of his contract, but the lost practice time could significantly diminish his chances of making an immediate impact. Rookie receivers typically struggle with the speed and tempo of the pro game, and those usual struggles will be amplified if Blackmon is uncertain of his assignments. While I certainly understand the importance of fighting for every penny in negotiations, the lingering holdout will hamper not just the start of Blackmon's career but the rhythm and chemistry of the Jaguars' passing game, as well.

4. Don't be surprised if Jacksonville finishes this season with the NFL's top-rated defense. Few recognized the dramatic improvement of the Jaguars' defense a season ago (they finished sixth in total defense after ranking 28th in 2010). Soon, however, the rest of the NFL will learn how tough it is to move the ball against one of the league's stingiest units. Pass-heavy offenses will struggle with the Jaguars' overall physicality, while power running outfits will be overwhelmed by Jacksonville's collective speed and quickness. I was impressed with the front seven. The defensive line, in particular, routinely played on the other side of the line of scrimmage, allowing linebackers Paul Posluszny and Daryl Smith to flow aggressively to the ball. I was also impressed with the physicality and toughness of the Jaguars' secondary, which blanketed receivers in press coverage. Playing bump-and-run should give an improved pass rush more time to harass the quarterback, leading to more turnovers.

5. Mel Tucker will be a head coach within a year. Teams seeking a new head coach after the 2012 season should give Tucker a good look. League circles are buzzing about the work the coordinator has done with the Jaguars' defense since taking over in 2009, and he's impressed outsiders with his attitude, adaptability and attention to detail. Those traits stood out to me over the two practice sessions I watched. Tucker repeatedly and relentlessly emphasized fundamentals, regardless of a player's experience, status or position. He also showed the organizational skills and leadership traits a head coach needs to succeed. Since his arrival in 2009, Tucker has showed off his technical expertise by transforming a downtrodden unit into one of the NFL's elite defenses. It's only a matter of time before he gets a shot to direct a team.

THE NEW GUYS

Laurent Robinson: The Jaguars' marquee free-agent acquisition has gotten off to a slow start in camp. He has not developed chemistry with Gabbert and has struggled to come down with the big catch. Is he ready to be the No. 1 receiver after shining as a complementary player in Dallas? To his credit, Robinson appeared unfazed by the pressure of making that jump. He told me in the locker room that he has not changed his preparation and that he'll work hard to develop a better rapport with Gabbert. For the Jaguars' sake, he needs to become a dynamic weapon on the perimeter, or else the offense will remain a pedestrian unit unable to attack vulnerable areas of passing defenses.

Bryan Anger: Some snickered when Jacksonville expended a third-round pick on a punter, but it seems like it was well worth the investment, based on his performance in practice. Anger repeatedly launched high-arcing bombs with hang times of 4.5 seconds or longer, the kinds of kicks that will lead to numerous fair catches. He also displayed outstanding accuracy and placement on pooch punts, which are designed to pin opponents inside the 10-yard line. The Jaguars are going to rely heavily on defense and special teams to win; Anger will be a valuable weapon in the field-position battle.

Aaron Ross: The Jaguars' secondary needed an infusion of talent and playmaking ability at the cornerback position, and Ross could be the answer. He has extensive experience as a starter over five seasons with the New York Giants, but also spent time playing in the slot as a nickel corner. He is currently battling Rashean Mathis for the starting position at left corner; the loser will get nickel duties. NFL defenses spend 70 percent of the game in sub packages; with Ross, the Jaguars have three starting-caliber corners with the size and versatility to handle the bigger receivers currently dominating the league.

Andre Branch: The rookie pass rusher isn't guaranteed a starting spot at defensive end, but he has certainly impressed thus far. Jaguars coaches lauded Branch's professionalism, physicality and athleticism, and believe he has made major strides since joining the team. Branch has great first-step quickness and movement skills. A non-stop motor will allow him to collect sacks based on extra effort. Branch could provide the Jags with the spark they need along the defensive line.

OVERHEARD

"You can be a good defense if you don't force turnovers, but you can't be a great defense. A great defense scores touchdowns. A great defense creates turnovers and gives the offense opportunities."

-- Jaguars defensive end Jeremy Mincey.

EXTRA POINTS

1. As a former member of the Jaguars, I must tip my cap to the ownership group for completely renovating the players' locker room. The Jaguars' new digs are among the best in the league; the décor and lighting are reminiscent of a nightclub scene. Lured by abundant hot tubs and a posh player's lounge, the Jaguars will certainly hang around the facility longer, which bodes well for Mularkey's plan to get them to put in more preparational work.

2. Ross will depart training camp for a few days to watch his wife, Sanya Richards-Ross, compete in the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. Richards-Ross, who will compete in the 200- and 400-meter sprints, is viewed as a favorite to win a gold medal in the 400. Ross will catch her running in the semifinal and final races of the 400 before returning to Jacksonville for the Jaguars' preseason opener.

OUTLOOK

The Jaguars will be more competitive than most expect, based on the potential dominance of their defense, which is capable of single-handedly carrying the team to six or seven wins. The offense, however, will need to become more dynamic -- and rely less on Jones-Drew -- if the Jaguars want to surpass the .500 mark.

 

[Faust]

Tampa Bay Buccaneers training camp: Greg Schiano era begins

By Jeff Darlington

Reporter, NFL.com and NFL Network

WHERE IS NFL.COM?

As one practice drill melted into another on Monday, triggering a frenzy of organized chaos at the Bucs' training camp, new coach Greg Schiano was barking orders in the deep, scratchy voice that has already changed the culture at One Buccaneer Place. Everyone was doing something. Everyone was moving. Everyone was working. "This might actually be the calmest practice yet," a member of the Bucs organization said. Sure, many NFL camps deliver this type of high intensity. But in Tampa, as Schiano will tell you, the clock can be your best friend or your worst enemy. He hates wasting time, which is vividly apparent at his practices. That's good news for the Bucs, who will need all the time they can get to put the franchise back on a better path after a terrible 2011 campaign.

OBSERVATION DECK

1. Vincent Jackson is drawing rave reviews. Easily the biggest addition to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' roster this season, the veteran wide receiver has already started earning his cash this training camp with a work ethic and level of production that's rubbing off on the rest of the team. Schiano wanted guys who would help him change the culture in Tampa -- and it appears he found one. Jackson has been openly tutoring younger players, like third-year receiver Mike Williams, while serving as a much-needed vocal force, according to several members of the organization. Not to mention, he's also providing quarterback Josh Freeman with the kind of high-caliber hands that haven't been seen in these parts for a very long time.

2. Rookie running back Doug Martin's versatility could earn him the starting job over LeGarrette Blount. During the first two days of practice, Martin appeared to many observers to be getting the bulk of the carries with the first-team offense. But when I attended camp on Monday, I saw an almost even split between the rookie and Blount. So what would it take to eventually sway this competition in one direction or the other? Two factors: versatility and ball security. In theory, these players could easily wind up serving as a one-two punch, since Martin is a shifty, fast back and Blount is more of a bulldozer. However, if Martin continues to impress in a wide array of areas -- from sweeps to receptions -- that might be enough to turn him into a featured player. Blount can keep this competition close by keeping the ball off the ground. He's fumbled nine times in the last two years -- a huge negative when playing for a coach who is particularly adamant about securing the football.

3. There's more optimism regarding the defensive line -- but that's not hard to muster after a dismal 2011. Tampa Bay posted just 23 sacks last season -- easily the lowest total in the NFL. If the Bucs are really going to rebound in 2012, it's going to take a far more ferocious pass rush. Now, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that tackle Gerald McCoy missed 10 games due to injury. And defensive end Adrian Clayborn should be even better after a solid rookie season. Finally, the line added some coaching (in new assistant Bryan Cox) and some depth. But with Da'Quan Bowers likely out of the mix for a big chunk of time thanks to a ruptured Achilles, the rest of this group must stay healthy. If that happens, they'll absolutely be better.

THE NEW GUYS

Carl Nicks: While it's fair to say that Jackson is the key to Freeman being able to rebound from his struggles of 2011, you could also make an argument for the importance of Nicks. The Bucs needed better players to protect and support the quarterback -- and they proved willing to invest heavily in Nicks to do just that. With Davin Joseph playing guard opposite Nicks, Tampa boasts one of the best guard tandems in the NFL. The Bucs need a big year from tackle Donald Penn; Nicks, who will be playing alongside him, should help in that area, too.

Eric Wright: The signing of Wright is part of the reason that Tampa Bay was able to successfully transition Ronde Barber to the safety spot this offseason. The Buccaneers got creative, giving Wright a five-year deal worth $37.5 million, drafting Mark Barron to start alongside Barber at safety and coupling Wright with Aqib Talib at cornerback. The secondary has a very different look, and it might just work, though Wright could be facing a suspension after this offseason's felony arrest on suspicion of driving under the influence. Charges were dropped against Wright, but the league hasn't indicated whether it will punish him. Barber could shift back to cornerback for any span of time that Wright misses. Wright skipped practice Monday with an undisclosed injury.

Barron: The best way to describe Barron's presence on the Bucs' defense? Ready. The seventh overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft looks like a beast -- capable of easily and seamlessly making the jump from college to the NFL. Barron has opened the eyes of some defensive veterans, who say he already looks and acts like a grown man in the NFL. He's physically and mentally prepared to make a major impact, and he might prove worth watching as a prime candidate to be the top defensive rookie. He hasn't had a chance to do any full-blown hitting, an activity that always provides a better idea about a safety's promise, but the early reviews are extremely positive.

OVERHEARD

"I'd be lying if I said I didn't want 20 to 25 carries per game, but no running back in the league is ever going to deny that. As a team player, I'm not opposed to splitting carries with any back on this team, whether that's Doug (Martin) or someone else."

-- Blount, on the situation at running back.

OUTLOOK

Before training camp even began, Schiano had already altered the expectations of the Bucs. Last year, this was a young team playing for a young coach who had loose rules. No more. Schiano is a strict disciplinarian who can't stand anything other than structure. So far, the players have proven fully willing to buy into this new system. But Schiano's tough ways have to bear fruit sooner rather than later if he's going to keep this locker room on board. That doesn't mean he needs to make the playoffs -- nor does it mean anyone expects him to. But it won't be hard to tell if this system has the Buccaneers headed in the right direction.

 

[Faust]

Eagles Wednesday practice observations

By Dan Graziano | ESPN.com

BETHLEHEM, Pa. -- Yeah, they hit pretty hard at Philadelphia Eagles training camp. They go at it for about two hours in pads and in anger. When they're not in 11-on-11 drills, they're off to the side hitting each other. The most entertaining drill in camp is the ferocious one-on-one work the offensive linemen and defensive linemen do against each other, though part of the entertainment is the coaching duo of Howard Mudd and Jim Washburn.

Too much hitting? Too hard? Maybe. The Eagles have a bit of a walking-wounded thing going on. Starting defensive ends Jason Babin and Trent Cole are out (though Babin's injury isn't a contact injury), and defensive tackle Cullen Jenkins left practice Wednesday with a hamstring injury and is scheduled for an MRI on Wednesday night. Backup quarterback Mike Kafka took a hard shot from the first-team defensive line as he dove for the end zone in goal-line drills. And wide receiver Jeremy Maclin sat out a few plays after injuring his left hand on a hard hit he took in 11-on-11 drills, though he went back in and said afterwards that he was fine.

Yeah, if you need your football fix in early August, I'd say come on out to Lehigh and watch the Eagles pound on each other for a couple of hours. It was certainly the most lively and entertaining practice I've yet seen on my trip.

Some other thoughts from said practice:

[*]Michael Vick didn't have his best day. He threw into double coverage too often, was picked off twice and didn't dazzle the way we've seen him dazzle in training camp practices in the past. I doubt it's any cause for concern, but I know some people are going to ask how he looked, and the answer is I've seen him look better. And expect that I will again.

[*]Backup quarterback Mike Kafka shows a decent command of the offense, but they reason the Eagles are in trouble if he has to go into a game is that he really can't throw the deep ball very well. And it's not as if this offense is going to want to live on dump-offs to the backs and tight ends and short passes over the middle. Maclin and DeSean Jackson are on this team, which makes the offense about field-stretching speed. Kafka's shortcomings in the deep passing game would be an issue if he had to play extended time.

[*]Sticking with the quarterbacks for a second, it's easy to see what they like about rookie Nick Foles. First of all, he's 6-foot-6 and 243 pounds. But he has a big arm that really stands out when he takes the field with the third-team offense after Kafka's had his turn. He hit Mardy Gilyard with a beautiful deep pass down the right sideline at one point in practice, and while he can look scatter-armed at times, you can see the raw ability.

[*]The first-team defense had a rough time against Kafka and the second-team offense in team drills, as the offense went down the field and scored on a Kafka touchdown pass to tight end Brett Brackett from the 1-yard line. (Brackett beat rookie linebacker Mychal Kendricks in coverage.) Of course, that first-team defense was without Cole, Babin and Jenkins, so that has to factor in. But it's not as though the replacements for those guys are no good. It suffices to say that the linebackers and defensive backs weren't thrilled with the way that series went.

[*]I saw a fair bit of the two rookie running backs, and to my untrained eye Bryce Brown looks better than Chris Polk. Brown needs to get his pads lower, but he's running forward with burst and some power while Polk seemed to me to be running side-to-side too much. At some point, you need to go forward. They used Brown at the goal line.

[*]With the injuries on the defensive line, the first-teamers up front were Brandon Graham and Darryl Tapp at the ends and Derek Landri and Fletcher Cox at the tackle spots. Graham looks fantastic. He was the star of those one-on-one lineman drills and looked good in the 11-on-11s as well.

[*]Kendricks and Brian Rolle were the first-team linebackers flanking middle linebacker DeMeco Ryans. Kendricks also got some work with the first team, along with Jamar Chaney.

[*]As expected, Nate Allen and Kurt Coleman are working at the starting safety spots. When I spoke with Andy Reid this morning, he called O.J. Atogwe the backup at Coleman's spot and Jaiquawn Jarrett the backup to Allen. Curtis Marsh and Brandon Hughes were the second-team corners, with Brandon Boykin in on nickel packages.

[*]A lot of people have asked me about rookie receiver Marvin McNutt. He's big (6-2, 216) and there was at least one play on which he was able to use his size to beat Marsh on an inside route by shielding the ball with his body. So it looks as though he has good instincts.

[*]I'm back for one more day here tomorrow, then I'll head home for a couple of days before completing my NFC East training camp tour with a trip to Oxnard to see the Cowboys early next week.

 

[Hipple Long Ware & Peete]

No. 30: Seattle Seahawks running back: Robert Turbin vs. Leon Washington vs. TBA

• This wouldn't have made the list before Marshawn Lynch's arrest. Suddenly the identity of Seattle's backup running back is crucial.

• Don't assume that Lynch will be suspended just yet. It's possible NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell won't view Lynch as a repeat offender after more than three years of staying out of trouble. It's also possible Lynch's suspension could come during the middle of the regular season rather than the start.

chances of this is about zero.

 

[Faust]

Kyle Rudolph, Julio Jones leaders in training camp

By Gregg Rosenthal

Around The League editor

Around the League looked at the rookies making noise early in training Monday. Now, it's time for the veterans.

First, a disclaimer. We are wary of putting too much stock in practice reports. A player that looked great one day can struggle the next. The players listed here have received consistent back slaps as standouts day after day.

1. Kyle Rudolph, Minnesota Vikings TE: Perhaps no player has received more love letters from media and coaches than Rudolph. NFL Network's Michelle Beisner said Rudolph has been the team's "MVP" according to team insiders. During one practice, he was listed as "option No. 1, 3 and 5" for quarterback Christian Ponder.

We'd be stunned if Rudolph wasn't option 1A behind Percy Harvin for the Vikings this year.

2. Jonathan Baldwin, Kansas City Chiefs WR: He's taking advantage of Dwayne Bowe's absence. We care less about all the "newfound maturity" talk. We like hearing more about the jaw-dropping plays we heard about each day. Last year's camp for Baldwin was a nightmare.

3. Antonio Gates, San Diego Chargers TE: Ian Rapoport of NFL Network joined the chorus of observers that have said Gates looks healthier and quicker than he has in years. The proof is in the practice reports. Gates isn't sidelined or recovering for the first time in years.

4. Julio Jones, Atlanta Falcons WR: Pat Yasinksas said Jones is the most dominant player he's seen at any training camp. There is no hole in Jones' game. He's ready to pass Roddy White in Atlanta and can be a top-five wideout starting now.

5. Aaron Hernandez, New England Patriots TE: It was the "summer of Gronk" but it may be the season of Hernandez. Cornerbacks aren't big enough to cover Hernandez; no one else is quick enough because he runs routes like a wideout. With Brandon Lloyd also impressing in camp, the Patriots are loaded with weapons.

6. J.J. Watt, Houston Texans DE: Next stop, Canton.

 

[Faust]

Camp Observations: Day 7

By Field Yates & Mike Rodak | ESPNBoston.com

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- The Patriots held their annual in-stadium practice for season ticket-holders on Wednesday evening, with 22,633 turning out to watch the full-pads practice.

Here are some observations:

Branch, Ninkovich limited. Receiver Deion Branch, who did not participate in team drills on Tuesday, was on the field and in uniform for the start of Wednesday's session but was not spotted by the latter portion of practice. This could indicate that Branch is dealing with an injury issue. In addition, defensive end Rob Ninkovich remained limited for a third straight practice, only taking part in positional agility drills.

Kopa banged up. Offensive tackle Matt Kopa was slow to get up and was limping after one play during 11-on-11 work. He left the field with medical staff and did not return.

Solder scuffles, shines. Offensive tackle Nate Solder kick-started what became a large fracas between the offense and defense when he shoved linebacker Brandon Spikes, who was already on the ground, after the whistle during an 11-on-11 play. But that wasn’t the only reason Solder caught some eyes on Wednesday night. He showed a greater level of physicality than what was witnessed last season. Solder plays with excellent bend in his stance, allowing him to fire out at the snap, play with body control when he engages defenders and exert power in his blocks. He moved well to the second level in the running game, knocking over linebackers on multiple occasions.

Ridley decisive. Running back Stevan Ridley looks to be out front in the Patriots’ running back competition, flashing a number of traits that make him an intriguing package. Here’s one that continues to show up: his decisiveness. Ridley wastes little time in finding his path between the tackles, generating forward push from the time he takes the football from the quarterback. That, along with his improved ball security (he’s yet to fumble in training camp), are evident already.

The good and bad of Ryan Mallett. Quarterback Ryan Mallett’s up-and-down camp continues, as he concluded his practice with an errant throw right into the frame of linebacker Bobby Carpenter during an 11-on-11, which he easily snared for an interception. The ball looked like a force. What stands out most about this throw was that on two occasions earlier in practice, Mallett took what amounted to a coverage sack, holding onto the football. While it would be easy to chide the second-year quarterback for not making a throw without defenders in his face (these occurred during 7-on-7), it’s important to keep in mind that in game situations we’d likely decry a forced throw. Without knowledge of the play call and offensive concept, it’s tough to tell what went awry on those plays, but perhaps Mallett’s patience is a sign of development.

Offensive line in focus. With Dan Connolly missing the practice for unknown reasons, guard Robert Gallery slid up to the top unit, alongside center Ryan Wendell. Veteran Dan Koppen remains as the second center on the field and looked frustrated on Wednesday night, getting into small scuffles with linebacker Dane Fletcher and safety James Ihedigbo. He also had a tough time handling pass rushers in one-on-one drills. Gallery also has generally struggled in that drill in recent practices.

McCourty squares off with Davis. Once again the receivers and defensive backs squared off in one-on-one drills. Devin McCourty lined up against Britt Davis, the Patriots' biggest receiver on the roster (6-foot-3, 215 pounds). McCourty had a sufficient effort against Davis, but didn’t shy away from physicality at the line of scrimmage. Every rep matters in practice, but this matchup was particularly noteworthy with the Patriots scheduled to face a number of big receivers in the opening weeks of their schedule, highlighted by Kenny Britt (6-foot-3, 215 pounds) of the Titans in Week 1 and Larry Fitzgerald (6-foot-3, 218 pounds) of the Cardinals in Week 2. Although Davis isn’t nearly of the caliber of either of those players, reps for McCourty against a bigger receiver are good practice for regular-season action, when he figures to draw some of the opponents’ top targets.

Wilson, Arrington time the blitz. The defensive backs worked some blitzes, and a pair of players stood out with both their timing and force: rookie safety Tavon Wilson and slot cornerback Kyle Arrington. Timing blitzes is difficult to teach, and both showed some solid instincts.

Coordinators put on the headsets. For a team period featuring the offense against the defense, coordinators Josh McDaniels and Matt Patricia put on their respective headsets. Never too early to practice such details.

Nonverbal communication. With practice being held on the field of Gillette Stadium, the media found itself looking on from the press box, a few hundred feet up and behind a set of windows. It was interesting to observe the nonverbal communication taking place. That’s an area that defenses need to be especially adept in, and a few players stood out from this vantage point: safety Patrick Chung and defensive ends Jermaine Cunningham and Justin Francis.

Love throws a beauty. Defensive tackle Kyle Love executed the move of the night during one-on-ones, using a club-rip to dust past Koppen. Love thrust his right forearm to Koppen’s left side, forcing him off his center of gravity, and ripped through his body with his left arm. Textbook interior rush.

Bulman impresses. Early impressions on defensive lineman Tim Bulman: He shows impressive linear strength. He locked out on his offensive lineman during a one-on-one, displaying good ability to play with his head up and feet underneath him, while the strength to shed his block and make a play. His linear power and frame (6-foot-4, 281 pounds) are reminiscent of former Patriots defensive linemen Bobby Hamilton (6-foot-5, 285 pounds), an underrated performer for many seasons.

Davis steps up. With Brandon Lloyd absent and Branch a minimal participant, it gave an opportunity for the less-experienced receivers to seize the opportunity with additional reps. Britt Davis stood out. His night was highlighted by a tiptoe catch over Tavon Wilson and Ross Ventrone in the corner on the end zone. Nice night overall.

Barrett intrigues. Josh Barrett stepped into a defensive role for the Patriots last season, albeit for a short stretch of games. This year, he looks more like a core special teamer and that seems to suit his skill set. Barrett’s size, strength, speed and aggressiveness continue to pop when watching practice.

Other notes. Rob Gronkowski looks about 100 percent from this view and was tantalizing in beating double coverage near the goal line for an easy score. … Partner-in-crime Aaron Hernandez was once again a nightmare to cover, slipping past and around defenders. … Kyle Arrington got physical again in one-on-ones. Although not the biggest guy, he plays big. … Brandon Bolden has a nose for the end zone. … Patrick Chung has had durability issues throughout his career, but he’s not afraid to play physical and throw his body around. … One note that is a continuation thought from previous practices: Some players have a nose for defending screen passes. Former Patriots Mike Vrabel and Tedy Bruschi did. It looks like top draft choice Dont’a Hightower does too.

Attendance report. Players not spotted on the field: fullback Tony Fiammetta (unknown); receiver Brandon Lloyd (unknown); tight ends Daniel Fells (leg) and Jake Ballard (ACL); offensive linemen Dan Connolly (unknown), Brian Waters (did not report), Jamey Richard (concussion), Sebastian Vollmer (back), Logan Mankins (ACL), Nick McDonald (unknown); defensive linemen Jonathan Fanene (unknown) and Myron Pryor (shoulder); linebacker Tracy White (unknown); cornerback Alfonzo Dennard (hamstring); safety Will Allen (unknown). ... Players in T-shirts and shorts: receiver Jeremy Ebert (leg), offensive lineman Markus Zusevics (pectoral) and safety Nate Ebner (unknown). ... Players remaining in red jerseys: receiver Matthew Slater and safety James Ihedigbo.

 

[footballfreek]

Faust. Want to thank you for the contribution!

 

[Dinsy Ejotuz]

From NFL.com:

Demaryius Thomas to be Featured, says Manning

While Eric Decker has emerged as one of Peyton Manning's favorite new Denver Broncos targets, Demaryius Thomas has taken advantage of the opportunity to work more with the quarterback as Decker battles a tweaked groin.

Decker injured the muscle Wednesday and saw limited action Thursday.

"I think Demaryius has had a really good camp," Manning told reporters Thursday. "Demaryius is a guy that we're going to feature."

Manning noted the receiver's size, strength and speed "just allow you to do certain things with him that other players just can't do."

Thomas told Around the League's Dan Hanzus last month that with a Hall of Fame bound quarterback like Manning on the field the pressure is on to do everything correct.

"Demaryius, these past two days, has really made some big plays," Manning said. "Done some big things with the ball after the catch, which what we're going to need. You can’t just throw the ball down the field every time. You've got to take a five-yard hitch or a 10-yard hook route and turn it into a 20- or a 30-yard gain, and he's kind of shown us those type of plays."

 

[Jercules]

Awesome thread. Thank you Faust & Co.

 

[Faust]

Ben Roethlisberger looks healthy at Steelers camp

By Dan Hanzus

Around the League Writer

Ben Roethlisberger was nice enough to let us in on the secret about his injured right shoulder on Wednesday.

Thursday began the media's process of studying the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback for signs of trouble caused by a slight rotator cuff tear. Big Ben looked crisp in practice at St. Vincent College in Latrobe, Pa., throwing to teammates with velocity and accuracy.

All seemed well, just as the quarterback told reporters on Wednesday.

"He looks like the same old Ben to me, which is a great quarterback," tight end Heath Miller said, according to The Associated Press. "Nothing new on that front."

Roethlisberger's production dipped last season after he suffered shoulder injury in a Nov. 6 loss to the Baltimore Ravens, although that decline was likely best explained by the badly sprained ankle that limited him over the season's final month.

"You didn't see any drop-off in my play throwing the ball (last season)," he said. "And you haven't seen it yet (this summer)."

Of course, that won't stop the questions from continuing throughout training camp and into the season. Roethlisberger gave birth to this little drama -- now he'll have to feed it.

 

[Faust]

Matt Hasselbeck fights to be Tennessee Titans starter

By Dan Hanzus

Around the League Writer

Jake Locker might have emerged as the early favorite in the Tennessee Titans' quarterback competition, but don't expect Matt Hasselbeck to go down without a fight.

Hasselbeck had another strong practice Thursday, going 17 of 22 with an interception while running a "crisp" two-minute drill, according to The Tennessean.

Hasselbeck is playing well, but he believes there is room for improvement.

"I could do better," Hasselbeck said. "I could definitely do better."

"Calling the plays better, new concepts ... and then obviously making better decisions and better throws."

Hasselbeck has not had a career in which things have been handed to him. He didn't get his first crack at a starting job until he was 26. A 13-year veteran, he knows how tune out outside noise.

"That's not hard for me at all," he said. "I just have not taken that (worried) approach ever, really," he said. "Maybe aside from my first year in the league when I was comparing every throw I had to Brett Favre. That was a little depressing, so I came up with a new strategy."

 

[Faust]

Titans: Thursday night practice report

By Paul Kuharsky | ESPN.com

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Notes and thoughts from the Titans Thursday night practice:

[*]At his best, Jake Locker gives the Titans a big spark. But on a night like tonight, he came up far short of that -- hitting 1-of-10 or 11 passes in team periods with an interception to Jordan Babineaux, who wrestled a pass away from tight end Cameron Graham. The accuracy issue is alive and well. One miss was for a crossing Jared Cook on the left side in a ton of space near the line of scrimmage. He should be fielding an easy ball and turning upfield. Instead he was reaching for one that was beyond catchable. Locker did make one of the best throws of the night in a red zone period, but Nate Washington let a ball that was fit beautifully over his left shoulder bounce off his hands.

[*]The other best ball was Matt Hasselbeck to Cook -- a looped throw up the right side that the tight end pulled in over defensive backs Christian Scott and linebacker Zach Brown.

[*]Cook’s looking, and sounding, confident. He stoned Akeem Ayers in a rush drill pitting tight ends against linebackers as Ayers tried to run through him and found solid resistance. (Though in a team period just a bit later, Kamerion Wimbley zipped inside Cook into the backfield and “sacked” Hasselbeck.) Later Cook was chirping at middle linebacker Colin McCarthy about how he was beating him.

[*]Center Eugene Amano left the field after suffering a triceps injury. He either got his arm caught up in something or banged it, Mike Munchak said. Kevin Matthews was already out with concussion symptoms. The Titans were intending to get Fernando Velasco back in the center mix, so he moved there. Life in the NFL: Amano was still down and in pain, being tended to by trainers, when the Titans simply moved 20 yards and resumed the team period the injury interrupted.

[*]Receiver Kenny Britt looked to be running comfortably in rehab work on the side under the watch of strength and conditioning coach Steve Watterson. Britt ran straight, in figure eights and laterally, appearing smooth and unbothered.

[*]Recently signed rookie receiver Kendall Wright was not allowed to participate in any contact and the Titans reminded everyone. He ran some early routes, then watched. He was in a red jersey like the quarterbacks. He won’t be a full go until Saturday.

 

[Faust]

Chargers' defensive front stepping up

By Bill Williamson | ESPN.com

SAN DIEGO -- One of the early impressions from visiting San Diego Chargers is the potential the team has on the defensive line.

This unit has a chance to be good in 2012 and terrific in the future. The line is one of San Diego’s deepest areas and it has a chance to set the tone for much improved overall play by the defense. What stands out about the group is the mixture of youth and veteran experience. This is a unit that can offer a lot of different looks and personnel sets.

A player who has been a standout is second-round pick Kendall Reyes. While it is early, all indications are the Chargers have potentially found something special in Reyes.

The Connecticut product has fit right into camp and does not look overmatched so far. He has a combination of pass-rushing and run-stuffing ability that gives him the chance to be a complete player for a long time. While he has yet to prove anything, I think the Chargers feel comfortable playing him right away.

The team also feels good about 2011 first-round pick Corey Liuget. They think he will make strides under new defensive coordinator John Pagano. Along with 2012 first-round pick Melvin Ingram, who will play some on the line, but will also be a rush linebacker, the Chargers have a terrific young building blocks on the edge. They also feel good about youngsters Cam Thomas and Vaughn Martin on the line.

San Diego’s depth and talent on the defensive line is not relegated to the youth, though. The team is thrilled about recent signing Aubrayo Franklin because of the depth it creates at nose tackle. Thomas, Franklin and veteran Antonio Garay will rotate and will give the Chargers a lot of strength in the middle of the line.

If we see a vast improvement on defense in San Diego, a major reason may be because of the front three.

 

[Faust]

CampTour'12: Vikings Day 1

By Kevin Seifert | ESPN.com

MANKATO, Minn. -- A few thoughts and observations after our first day of practice with the Minnesota Vikings:

[*]Compared to my other stops in this tour, the Vikings spend a lot of on-field time installing plays and reviewing at slow speeds. Their hour-long morning walk-through is, by definition, a half-speed practice. And for the first hour or so of the full-pads afternoon practice, players moved quietly and deliberately through movements that were clearly focused toward mental execution.

[*]The final 75 minutes of the afternoon practice were active. Off the top, the Everson Griffen Fan Club will be happy to note their hero crashed through the line in a goal-line team drill and crushed tailback Jordan Todman short of the end zone. Todman sprained his ankle on the play and did not return.

[*]I'll have more on this later, but I spoke with coach Leslie Frazier about Griffen to understand how permanent or full-time his move to linebacker might be. Frazier absolutely left open the possibility of Griffen getting some time at defensive end but said this is the time to find out what he could give the team as a linebacker. The reality is Griffen is probably the Vikings' third-best defensive end behind Jared Allen and Brian Robison.

[*]Rookie receiver Greg Childs made the catch of the day in the corner of the end zone, leaping over cornerback Brandon Burton and trapping a Joe Webb pass on Burton's back. He held on for the touchdown.

[*]Quarterback Christian Ponder missed on a few throws you would like to see him make, but the difference between now and what we saw at training camp last summer and is night and day. Ponder stayed in the pocket and was decisive on most of the throws I saw, which is always an important point for a young quarterback. The best throw I saw him make was about a 35-yard floater down the right sideline, one that sailed over the shoulder of cornerback Chris Cook and into receiver Percy Harvin's hands.

[*]Cook made two nice interceptions that I saw, including one of quarterback Sage Rosenfels about one second after he whipped his head around to look for the ball.

[*]Speaking to reporters afterwards, Ponder said that tight end Rhett Ellison has "some crazy" in him and suggested that receiver Jerome Simpson is pushing Harvin to be better this summer. I'll be looking for evidence of both in the coming days.

 

[Faust]

Eagles Thursday practice observations

By Dan Graziano | ESPN.com

BETHLEHEM, Pa. -- Real quick, before I head home...

[*]Thursday's Philadelphia Eagles practice wasn't as hard-hitting as Wednesday's was, but it was much hotter and there was a parade of guys leaving early with cramps and/or injuries. Those included running back LeSean McCoy and safety Nate Allen (cramps), safety O.J. Atogwe (groin) and linebacker Jamar Chaney (hamstring). Chaney was headed for an MRI, but none of the other issues were thought to be serious. It seems as though Andy Reid is trying to see how much his players can take, perhaps in an effort to make sure they don't lack toughness or stamina once the season begins and there are fourth-quarter leads to protect.

[*]I thought DeSean Jackson was very active in Thursday's practice, and after speaking with him in the morning I took notice of the variety of routes he was running, including the underneath ones. "Defenses game plan on me," Jackson told me in the morning. "So all the downfield routes, all the deep routes that we always had success with, last year teams tried to prevent that and started backing up deeper. So I think whatever it is as far as underneath routes, getting the ball in our hands earlier and faster just so we can catch and make runs, I think that's going to be huge for us this year as well. Just not always trying to go deep for the home run."

[*]Middle linebacker DeMeco Ryans looked like the proverbial "quarterback of the defense" as he called out the offense's formations and ordered the players around him into different looks and coverages depending on what he saw. Ryans left practice briefly with some kind of physical issue, but he only missed a play or two and was able to finish without any problems.

[*]Once McCoy left, running back Dion Lewis ran with the first-team offense and looked good. I thought he was particularly impressive in traffic, whether it was catching the ball with a crowd around him or skittering around and finding a hole. He's clearly the primary backup to McCoy. As for the rookies, Bryce Brown still looks like the better, quicker and more decisive runner than Chris Polk, though he needs to do some work on his blocking.

[*]Chaney was working as a first-team linebacker before he got hurt. His injury could result in an opportunity for Brian Rolle or Casey Matthews to assert himself as a possible starter along with Ryans and rookie Mychal Kendricks.

[*]The defensive linemen who are playing as the first-team unit with all four starters out -- Brandon Graham, Fletcher Cox, Darryl Tapp and Derek Landri, made life difficult for McCoy as the Eagles worked on their inside running in 9-on-7 drills, though it should be noted that the defense is the side that has nine in that drill.

[*]Second-year safety Jaiquawn Jarrett made a nice play to close on and break up a deep pass from Michael Vick to Jackson in team drills.

[*]Cox, the first-round draft pick, got through the line a few times against third-team offensive linemen, but in general he looks like a rookie tentatively working his way through drills as he learns. He's massive and athletic, but he definitely looks like someone who's learning. Which is to be expected.

[*]That's it for me from Eagles camp, though you will see plenty more posts based off of the interviews I did while here. Eagles Camp Confidential is currently scheduled for Monday, so look out for that. And I will complete my NFC East training camp tour with a stop in Oxnard, Calif., on Monday and Tuesday to see the Cowboys. That's all for now. Heading up the highway. Enjoy your evening.