OFFICIAL 2013 Training Camp & Preseason: News & Tidbits Thread (1 Viewer)

[Faust]

More thoughts on Rams' preseason opener

By Nick Wagoner | ESPN.com

EARTH CITY, Mo. -- A few leftover thoughts from the St. Louis Rams' 27-19 loss to the Cleveland Browns in the preseason opener Thursday night.

Quarterback Sam Bradford played the offense’s first three series and looked sharp, completing 5-of-8 for 102 yards with a touchdown. He could have completed all eight attempts with a little help from his pass catchers, as at least two of his incompletions would be counted as drops.

• Former Browns quarterback Bernie Kosar, who was broadcasting the game for Cleveland, offered plenty of praise for Bradford but was critical of the Rams receivers early, including the pass that rookie Tavon Austin failed to bring down. Of course, he changed his opinion moments later.

• While tight end Jared Cook and receiver Austin have been the talk of training camp, receiver Chris Givens has quietly staked his claim to the role of No. 1 receiver. His three catches were varied and while the 59-yard strike to setup his touchdown catch garnered the most oohs and aahs, the best route he ran came on a 20-yard deep out he grabbed on the opening drive. Givens has proven he can get deep and is a better catch and run player than he gets credit for but his intermediate routes have been a focus for him. The deep out was a positive sign of progress in that regard last night.

• The first-team offensive line did a nice job in pass protection; even after losing right tackle Rodger Saffold to a left shoulder injury two plays into the game. Left tackle Jake Long, in particular, looked stout. I’ll have more on Saffold after coach Jeff Fisher’s news conference today but it was noticeable how Fisher’s tone changed from “he’s OK” to “he’s going to miss some time” in the final two quarters. Injuries have been a consistent issue for Saffold in his three-plus years in the league.

• Joe Barksdale, who replaced Saffold at right tackle, was solid. He struggled a bit when he moved over to the left side, though.

• Kicker Greg Zuerlein looks every bit as strong as he did last year at this time. He converted field goals from 54 and 55 yards out and made it look easy. His biggest test will be maintaining that throughout the season.

• The first-team defense played very basic schematically but they still had trouble with some of the simple things like tackling and assignments. Rookies Alec Ogletree and T.J. McDonald looked the part of the inexperienced starters amongst a veteran defense.

• Receiver Brian Quick carried his two strong practices from Monday and Tuesday into the game and came down with a pair of nice catches plus a third that was brought back because of holding. The physical approach that former Ram Torry Holt has been drilling into Quick’s head was more apparent for Quick, who needs to keep up the consistency.

• Some off-the-radar guys who caught my eye:
  
  Receiver Raymond Radwayhad three catches for 78 yards including a 53-yard touchdown but missed a golden opportunity to really make an impression when he couldn’t come up with a deep ball down the left sideline.
  
  Running back Benny Cunningham showed a nice combination of burst and toughness, gaining 20 yards on five carries, but his 36-yard kickoff return was even better. In what figures to be a battle for a potential fourth running back roster spot, special teams value can be a deciding factor.
  
  Defensive tackle Matt Conrath and end Mason Brodine flashed some potential with the backup defense. Both are tall and have the wingspan to be a nuisance for quarterbacks. They combined for seven tackles.

 

[Bob Magaw]

typically comprehensive and incisive breakdown from my favorite rams game recapper...

http://www.ramsrule.com/herd/read.php?11,373459,373522#msg-373522

RamView, August 8, 2013
From The Couch
(Report and opinions on the game.)
Preseason Game #1: Browns 27, Rams 19

The Rams come out wobbly for the second straight preseason under Jeff Fisher, but hey, rookies are going to be rookies... get the mistakes out of the way now and get them ready for real games. The Rams look ready for the regular season already in some aspects...

Position by position:
* QB: ...the most important aspect being Sam Bradford, who looked as sharp as he's looked in his career. Bradford (5-8-102, TD, 145.8 PR) looked confident in the pocket and comfortable in the offense, standing tall and dealing. All eight passes he threw should have been caught. Bradford’s field-reading was terrific and his passing was close to pinpoint. He had Daryl Richardson wide open on an early 2nd-and-7. After that was dropped, Bradford got the first down with a gorgeous 20-yard sideline throw to Chris Givens, then perfectly timed a screen pass to D-Rich for 17 more. He had Tavon Austin deep over the middle for a play that should have been very big but was another drop instead. Drops and bad special teams buried the Rams in a 17-0 hole before Bradford dug them out with a pretty 60-yard bomb to Givens, who capped that drive with an easy TD catch. Bradford looking as good as he did, while barely even using his top two receiving weapons, was the biggest takeaway of the night for me, so the rest of the game didn’t bother me too much. Clean up the rest of the team’s miscues and this offense can take over games. Austin Davis (9-16-96, 74.0 PR), who looks tiny, came in late in the 2nd and got a quarter-plus of work, with Kellen Clemens playing the 4th. Davis only looked very comfortable in the 2:00 offense. No surprise to camp watchers, on his first snap, he looked indecisive, held the ball far too long and got sacked. He needs to be on the move and needs to take off and run when trouble arrives, but he’s playing like he’s being discouraged from running. Bad idea. Davis’ touch was also very questionable. Wide open quick slant for Nick Johnson in the 3rd, he throws it about 90 mph. Rolling into a wide open throwing lane late in the 3rd, with Brian Quick very open on the sideline, Davis takes too much off the throw and lets the DB catch up for the break-up. Clemens (6-13-116, TD, 63.8 PR) fared as well as he could with the scrubs. He had two INTs, but neither were his usual stupid kind; one was tipped at the line, and the other was the game-ending Hail Mary, which probably should have been caught by Emory Blake. Clemens did roll out and shot-put a short throw to Raymond Radway for a 53-yard TD and some late excitement. Bradford’s the one who’ll be the primary cause for excitement, though, if he keeps playing like he did tonight.

* RB: Well, it doesn’t look like that lasted long. But do I mean the RB1 battle or Isaiah Pead’s career? That’s why I’m not an NFL GM; I would have cut the frustrating Pead (3-1 on the flight home for fumbling on his first carry of the game, which helped bury the Rams in their early hole. Phil Taylor hacked it out with a normal tackle; Pead was carrying it high but not tight. Pead was also a disaster on kickoff returns. I’ve already run out of patience with the guy; hopefully Jeff Fisher’s will pay off. Pead did have one of the night’s better blitz pickups. Daryl Richardson (4-24) started, and showed he deserves that job and most of the carries, though he had a bad drop as a receiver. Looked as good as he did last year otherwise. Just hits the hole and runs bigger and tougher than his size, bouncing up quickly from a couple of impressive hits. And defenses have to respect his speed, a threat that set up Givens’ TD as D-Rich drew extra attention going into motion. at the goal line. Zac Stacy (7-23) did about what you’d expect from a rookie running behind the scrub o-line. He dropped a pass, danced a little too much, got himself drilled a couple of times… learning experience. He showed nice running power and used his blocks well. Benny Cunningham (4-20) got the trash-time carries, with a little Chase Reynolds mixed in. Hard not to like Cunningham; he moves the pile on every carry. If he starts reading the field better, he’ll be a decent threat. There’s more than enough good competition here to inspire Pead to pick up his game, and he needs to.

* Receivers: There were a couple of highlight performances, but what mainly sticks from this group this week is dropped passes. Austin Pettis (0-0), Tavon Austin (0-0), Brian Quick (2-27), Raymond Radway (1-53), Emory Blake (0-0), Nick Johnson (0-0), Richardson and Stacy all had passes in their hands that wound up on the ground, and three of those, Austin, Radway and Blake, cost the Rams likely touchdowns. That UPS truck at Rams Park Friday morning better be delivering extra JUGS machines. Fortunately, Chris Givens (3-82, TD) had an excellent first half, burning Trevin Wade deep for a 60-yard bomb and finishing the starters’ only TD drive with an easy scoring catch in the back of the end zone. Stedman Bailey (2-27) stood out as the next best WR, making a couple of dynamite catches from Davis outside his frame. That’s supposed to be Pettis’ strength, but instead, he muffs a simple comeback to kill the Rams’ 2nd drive. Bailey’s going to be the one catching passes from Bradford if that keeps up. The Rams must really have wanted to get a good look at Quick, going to him a lot. Didn’t notice him getting open by a lot but he’s making himself a better target. His 17-yard catch over the middle set up Greg Zuerlein’s half-ending FG. A super leaping catch to convert a 3rd-and-16 in the 3rd unfortunately got called back. Davis threw him too much of a softball on an open sideline route in the 3rd, but that’s one where we want to see Quick get physical and make the play anyway. Still, I think there’s progress there. Austin got 1-on-1 coverage from a LB on a deep cross in the first and dropped the ball. Tavon vs. LB should = a TD every time. Radway sprinted away with a Clemens dumpoff for a 53-yard TD late in the game but dropped a deep pass that would have given the Rams a chance to tie the game. He’s still making himself a tough cut. The Hail Mary pass to end the game was in Blake’s hands but Justin Cole ripped it out for an INT. Tight ends did not have much to do in tonight’s game plan, but Philip Lutzenkirchen (2-1 flashed with an impressive sideline catch. Still a lot of sorting out to do at the receiver positions.

* Offensive line: The season got off to a very poor start for Rodger Saffold, who got whipped by Desmond Bryant on the Rams’ second play of the game and injured himself reaching out in a diving attempt to blatantly hold him. Fisher says Saffold “is going to be OK,” and reports say he injured his shoulder when he hit the ground. Looking at replay, if you asked me, I’d say he felt something before he hit the ground. I’ll gladly be wrong; it’s a season-ending injury if I’m right. Joe Barksdale was up-and-down in Saffold’s place. He had some problems in pass pro but was pancaking people as a run-blocker. He played RT and LT tonight but his grade tops out at OK depth, not a long-term solution. Going deeper on the depth chart, though, things just got laughable. Ty Nsekhe got whipped by Quentin Groves on his very first snap of the game in the 2nd, had to hold him… and still gave up the sack. In the 4th, he got smoked again and forced Davis to scramble, and come up short, on 4th-and-5. He also got rag-dolled around on running plays. Nsekhe’s looked bad in camp and is completely inadequate at tackle. So was Sean Hooey, who spent most of trash time getting turnstiled. (The scrubs were so bad as to make former Ram Justin Cole look like a world-beater.) The good news is the Rams do have an anchor at LT in Jake Long. He got run over once but was usually dominant in pass pro. Harvey Dahl was impressive run-blocking, especially on the two Richardson runs that set up Givens' TD. Chris Williams looked good at LG and can be awarded the starter's job there already. Shelley Smith had some excellent mauling run blocks, but he had no answer at all for speedier pass-rushers, getting beaten repeatedly. The backups also continue to struggle mightily with stunts. Cleveland's other sack came when Mingo and Brian Sanford stunted, and Barksdale and Smith got confused and lost Sanford. Tim Barnes is making himself a tough cut, doing some tough run-blocking at center. He blew the line open on an 11-yard Pead draw play in the 2nd. The line's starring moments, though, came with Bradford in the game. Corey Harkey was awesome on the long bomb to Givens, fighting off Mingo forever before Bradford finally unloaded. Protection was immaculate on Bradford's TD pass as well; Sam had enough time back there to read the Obamacare bill. The o-line's challenge now is keeping up that level of protection with Saffold missing significant action.

* Defensive line: Even with Cleveland’s top two RBs out, run defense was a pleasant surprise, allowing only 82 yards total on 2.8 yards a rush. Chris Long and Kendall Langford had early stops. James Laurinaitis played strong against the run. He blitzed on a play in the 1st, blew up the up-blocker, and Alec Ogletree and Jo-Lonn Dunbar followed him through to stuff Brandon Jackson for a loss. Laurinaitis also had a great fill that set up Dunbar for another TFL. An unpleasant surprise, though, was the top-sacking defense in the league last year giving Brandon Weeden and company too much time to throw. Chris Long got good penetration most pass plays, but Robert Quinn contributed little against Joe Thomas but a good stop on an end-around, and the Rams got surprisingly little push up the middle from Michael Brockers and Langford. Unable to get the Browns off the field the first eight minutes, the starters left the game after one drive. The Rams scored just two sacks and both were really gifts. Eugene Sims got one near halftime because the RG didn’t know the snap count and Matt Conrath flew by him and blew up the play. Garrett Goebel got a gift in the 4th when the RG, maybe the same guy, stepped on Bobby Hoyer and tripped him for a loss. Conrath and Mason Brodine had more impressive games than the starting DTs. Conrath continues to be super-quick off the ball and played the run well. The new surprise of camp, though, appears to be the very active Brodine. He stopped the run, and in the 2nd – this is a defensive tackle, people – got out on the wing and shut down a screen pass. Brodine’s most impressive play came near the goal line in the 1st. Cleveland came with a super jumbo set, double-teaming Brodine, and he still beat it to help stuff Jackson at the 3. The Rams need to combine run defense that good with pass rush a lot closer to what they got last season, though, or like tonight, they’re not going to get the opposing offense off the field. The most lamentable play was 900-year-old Jason Campbell keeping a drive alive with a 12-yard scramble in the 2nd. William Hayes and Josh Hull were supposed to contain, but were running like they each had a piano on their backs. Make that two pianos. And a camel. I don’t see rookie help coming. Gerald Rivers has inherited this year’s role of rookie DE who’s only interested in pass rush and not run defense. Gave up a big run on his side late in the game, and a guy who gets token pressure as a speed rusher and shows no bull rush at all isn’t worth the risk. The Rams, though, don’t need a rookie DE to spring up and save their season; their deep veteran rotation just needs to make sure to hit its groove by the time the games are for real.

* Secondary: Given that it’s preseason, and the Rams defense under Tim Walton is apparently going to continue its annoying tendency to lay the DBs ten yards off the receivers on 3rd-and-short, the secondary played as well as you could expect of it. The Browns might have thrown at Janoris Jenkins once. Cortland Finnegan made several good plays and smothered Greg Little at times, including perfect coverage on a 3rd-and-goal end zone pass in the 1st. Trumaine Johnson beautifully shut down a back-shoulder fade for Josh Gordon the previous play. Unfortunately, that drive had been kept alive by T.J. McDonald whiffing on a 3rd-and-5 draw play. Why are the Rams the only team that ever falls for these worthless 3rd-down draws and screens in preseason? Darian Stewart and James Laurinaitis did shut down an end-around perfectly in the 1st. The rookie linebackers had some unsurprising stumbles in pass coverage. Cleveland’s first TD was set up by a 30-yard completion to TE Jordan Cameron on a simple drag route that Alec Ogletree misplayed. He kept dropping back in coverage instead of picking up the receiver. Ogletree closed impressively to track down Dion Lewis on a screen in the 1st. Ray Ray Armstrong misplayed a screen in the 2nd. He looked unsure what to do and also dropped back off the back instead of picking him up. Good job to close down on the play, but at the cost of a facemask penalty. Learning quickly, though, he swallowed up a dumpoff pass for little gain later. They’re both excellent athletes who are going to make valuable contributions. At safety, Rashard Hall and Cody Davis both had moments in the 2nd half. They’re both good run supporters. Davis broke up a downfield pass, while Hall blew up a run and a screen but also, shades of the Rams receivers, dropped an interception in the 4th. Throw Robert Steeples into what’s becoming a spirited contest for 8th or 9th DB. He had several tackles and closed well on short passes. Andre Martin doesn’t appear to react all that quickly and looks well behind those other DBs. The Rams are going to rely on a ton of youth for pass coverage this season, but so far it looks like youth is going to serve them well.

* Special teams: John Fassel has a LOT of work ahead of him; special teams did NOT look good. Pead was fatally indecisive on kickoff returns and his blockers were consistently beaten downfield by the Browns anyway. Cunningham got the late returns and was infinitely more decisive than Pead, even got one out to the 30. Coverage was awful on a 91-yard punt return TD by Travis Benjamin in the 2nd. Johnny Hekker (55.7 avg) outblasted his coverage with a 66-yard rocket. No Ram was within 20 yards when Benjamin fielded it. Sims may have been the only defender on the play in the correct lane, and when he got held and couldn’t hold the edge, Benjamin was gone. Well, there was Hekker, with a woeful tackle attempt. Ram coverage teams showed a disturbing lack of speed all game. They looked like they were running in peanut butter and got outrun to every ball. Fassel also might want to tell Tavon Austin not to expect 60-yard punts if he’s going to use him as a returner. Austin never got close to a 37-yard punt in the 4th, but he had dropped back at least 10 yards too deep. On the good side, there’s the Return of Legatron, as Greg Zuerlein blasted 54- and 55-yard FGs. Hekker launched a couple of punts over 60 yards. Rodney McLeod swallowed a punt returner whole in the 3rd, and rookie UDFA Daren Bates pops up in my notes a lot for being around the ball. The kickers saved the night from being a complete disaster, but special teams need to get a lot faster, and a lot better, quickly.

* Strategery: Apparently, Jeff Fisher’s teams are not going to look very good coming out of training camp, losing 38-3 last year and digging an immediate 17-0 hole this year. Coming out strong is not Fisher’s main objective, unless you just beat him in the Super Bowl; then he’ll get ridiculously vindictive, have his guys hitting in non-contact scrimmages and run Eddie George 15 times in the first quarter of a preseason game. As annoying as it is any time of year to see teams worse than the Rams get the drop on them, I can live with games like this as long as they’re not reflected in the regular season results. The Rams got a good look at a lot of players in lifelike situations, which is what they were looking for. Penalties (6-45) weren’t terrible, and Pead’s was the only really bad turnover. That’s tolerable. The defense was more vanilla than Duck Dynasty, with almost no blitzing at all; that won’t happen in the regular season, Jack. And hey, talk about keeping your cards close to your vest – Jared Cook and Tavon Austin were targeted a combined total of ONCE. Let’s all hope this is the last time Jared Cook doesn’t get mentioned in a RamView until the Strategery section. My main concern after tonight is what exactly Fisher has down on his 2-point conversion card. Down 27-19 after Radway’s TD, you kick the PAT. Then, since it’s preseason you can afford to go for two to win the game if you get another TD. Was Fisher going to try to tie the game if the Hail Mary had worked? Coach, rule #1 of preseason: don’t let a game go to overtime!

* Upon further review: And now for the “it’s preseason for these guys, too” section of the recap, starting with John Parry’s officiating crew. They missed a hold on the punt return TD and a pretty obvious false start early on in Cleveland’s 3rd-quarter FG drive. My biggest concern, though, is what they let somebody called Ishmaa’ily Kitchen, all 330 pounds of him, do to Stacy in the 3rd. The play’s dead, though Stacy and Kitchen don’t know it yet, and Kitchen gets a ten-yard run at him, levels him with a forearm to the head, knocking his helmet practically into the stands, and then steps over him and taunts him after the play. That is arguably THREE personal fouls by one guy on one play. No flag. Isn’t the NFL supposed to be cracking down on these kind of things? C-minus

* Cheers: The “Rams Broadcasting Network” has added Torry Holt to last year’s excellent booth of Marshall Faulk and Andrew Siciliano, and we got an entertaining broadcast, with some bugs. Siciliano had trouble with spots, called Eugene Sims “Ernie” (I usually try to call him Kenneth), called Radway “Raddaway” (not to be confused with Haddaway), and botched the end-of-game run-off rule. There’s no run-off on a false start when the clock is already stopped. Torry had occasional trouble with grammar and needs not to chuckle while he’s emphasizing a point he’s trying to make. Marshall continues to be the best in the business in breaking down plays, like the screen to Richardson in the 1st, but marveled a little too much at the Rams making plays when the real reason for the play being made was a Browns lineman getting tripped or forgetting the snap count. Favorite call: a completion to #81, (Cameron Graham), who Siciliano jokingly identified as Holt, who then objected to someone else using his old number. This should be a fun crew to listen to the rest of the summer.

* Waiver bait: It's preseason for the Rams website, too, which does not list Justin Veltung (who's been in camp for a week), says two tight ends wear #89, and does not list whoever that was wearing #82 last night. Was that Mike McNeill? Whoever it was won't last long, the way he got beaten downfield and blocked poorly on kickoffs. Tonight better have been a wakeup call for Pead. Les Snead doesn’t need a wakeup call, but the Saffold injury should have set off alarms in the GM’s office, because it puts the Rams one injury away from Nsekhe taking the field. That won’t be pretty. Jermelle Cudjo’s probably giving his foot dirty looks after watching Conrath and Brodine speed by him on the depth chart tonight. Football is a cruel and unforgiving business.

* Who’s next?: Next Saturday we'll see if the Rams can do any better against the Green Bay Packers than they did the last time the Pack was here. The Packer offense has taken some hits already in 2013. They lost Greg Jennings in free agency and Jordy Nelson for the time being to an injury. A line that hasn't really protected Aaron Rodgers all that well the last couple of seasons took a hit with a season-ending injury to tackle Brian Bulaga. Rodgers is still Rodgers, and can uncork throws that just can't be defended, but these injuries level the field a bit, and it would be nice to see the Rams get after the Packer QBs with success. The Ram offense's main tasks will be to hold on to the ball much better and keep protecting Bradford. Clay Matthews and Nick Perry will offer Barksdale a worthy test. The Rams' main challenges so far, though, don't look like anything this coaching staff can't handle.

-- Mike
Game stats from nfl.com

 

[Faust]

Matt Flynn thriving in competitive Oakland Raiders training camp

By Ian Rapoport

Reporter, NFL.com and NFL Network

NAPA, Calif. -- Sitting on a patio in Napa, surrounded by wine and wine lovers; this is not your typical setting for a hardcore football discussion. But it's the Oakland Raiders' reality -- and they wouldn't want it any other way.

Tucked inside a Napa Marriott, with practice fields right outside the window and anything they need a few steps away, the Raiders have gone to summer camp. It's where, they hope, the rebuilding process accelerates toward the 2013 season.

General manager Reggie McKenzie believes the team is coming together: "Personalities are meshing."

I spent Thursday afternoon hanging with the Raiders, and here are five things I heard:

1) In the quarterback battle, all signs point to ... :

Officially, it's still a competition in Oakland. Matt Flynn is still trying to hold off Terrelle Pryor, who has come a long way from where he ended 2012 in terms of his preparedness. But the vibe I got from the Raiders was clear: Everyone expects Flynn, the former Green Bay Packers/Seattle Seahawks backup, to seize the starting job. Flynn served as a backup to Aaron Rodgers for four years in Green Bay, and then he lost out to rookie wunderkind Russell Wilson in Seattle last year. Now, as McKenzie tells me, things might be crystalizing for Flynn. When I asked if it's safe to assume Flynn will be the starter, though, McKenzie hedged: "That's how they're going into the preseason game." The GM refuses to reach any conclusions this early in the preseason: "If guys like that get beat out, that means the backup guys are really showing themselves, and that would be encouraging for me, because you know you got a backup that's taking preseason by storm." Still, Flynn consistently has shown up in practice. As far as McKenzie (who was in Green Bay at the same time as Flynn) is concerned, "I can't see him giving it up, because he wants it so bad. His nature, I don't think he's going to let it go. But you never close the door on it. Let these guys compete."

2) Competition is king in Oakland:

Quarterback isn't the only gig that's up for grabs -- not by a long shot. Look at Oakland's roster and try to find entrenched starters who aren't in position battles. Slim pickings. Instead, it's mostly unproven rookies and second-year players, along with veterans on short-term "prove it" deals, guys like cornerbacks Mike Jenkins and Tracy Porter. Then there are examples like veteran defensive back Charles Woodson, whose market failed to materialize like he'd hoped it would. (Woodson, by the way, has been "surprisingly better, physically" than the Raiders expected, according to McKenzie.) But that mix of players -- hell-bent on scratching and clawing -- creates an identity for the team. "You got a group of guys hungry to prove themselves," head coach Dennis Allen told me. "It's a lot of young guys competing and, really, a lot of old guys competing for a spot on this 53-man roster." And the players aren't the only ones eager to establish worth -- Allen and McKenzie are in Year 2 in their respective roles, while owner Mark Davis hasn't held his post much longer. This type of uncertainty has many doubting the Silver & Black. Allen has used that. "Listen, you're looking for anything you can to motivate these guys to play well." The coach continued: "We're giving a lot of people the chance to prove themselves." Thus far, it's a good mix. One coach mentioned how, in each position group, there is at least one rock-solid leader (Andre Carter with the defensive line, Nick Roach with the linebackers, etc.), some established vets and some rookies. There are also a lot of personalities. "I didn't want to bring in a bunch of robots," McKenzie said. "What you want is everybody to have their own personality, but trying to fit to be one. This group really seems to have come together."

3) Darren McFadden might be gearing up for big things:

Remember when McFadden was an electric offensive weapon, someone around whom opposing defenses based their game plans? Allen does. In the 2011 opener, McFadden torched the Denver Broncos for 150 yards on 22 carries in a Raiders win -- and Allen had an up-close-and-personal view as the Broncos' defensive coordinator. But injuries and poor scheme fits have hampered the running back's game-breaking ways over the years. Can McFadden finally fully realize his immense potential in 2013? New offensive coordinator Greg Olson's power running system should be a big boost. Last year's experience with Greg Knapp? Well, it wasn't good for McFadden. "Obviously, he never felt comfortable in what we were doing last year," Allen said. "That led to some questions about him, but if you watch practice, the guy's still explosive. He's still a threat to take it all the way. And he feels more comfortable. If you don't quite trust it, there's always that doubt." McFadden is entering a contract year, and the team has checked in with him about an extension. But McFadden wants to return to his old self and be in position to command big dollars after the season rather than talk now. The reality is, that scenario would be a win-win for both sides.

4) DJ Hayden, other rookies showing promise:

Hayden provided a scare in the offseason, as abdominal surgery knocked him out until camp. In Napa, he has worn a red "non-contact" jersey, like so many of the quarterbacks, and he won't be playing in Friday night's preseason debut against the Dallas Cowboys. Yet he's spent the last few practices trying to sneak into contact drills, champing at the bit to get in the mix. After next week, though, McKenzie told me that the team will "let him go full-bore -- that third (preseason) game, the gloves come off." Despite limited involvement, McKenzie loves what he's seen from the player who overcame a near-death experience to be drafted No. 12 overall in April. The GM thinks Hayden is the real deal. Now the rook just has to prove it. "It's the mental part," McKenzie said. "He's going to have to pull the trigger on some things, get the big hit, make plays; he'll be back to normal, mentally. Physically, he's already there. His weight is right back; his strength, he's been normal. I'm excited to have him. It's going to be interesting because people are still going to wonder, how good is he? Let him show some people." There's optimism about the rest of the rookie class, too, especially tackle Menelik Watson (a second-round pick), outside linebacker Sio Moore (third round), tight end Mychal Rivera (sixth round) and receiver Brice Butler (seventh round). Watson has battled calf issues, but he's nearly overcome them. McKenzie said Moore has had a "great camp," and he also believes Rivera can be the "total package," especially given his maturity. As any evaluator knows, hitting on a sixth- or seventh-round pick is gold. "Because your team isn't just first- and second-rounders," he said. "You got to go down the line."

5) Raiders ready for Year "1" in rebuilding:

Last year was almost Year 0 for Oakland. McKenzie and Allen took over a roster with little-to-no talent, no salary-cap space and few draft picks. The past year, let's be honest, was spent getting the house in order. And building through the draft takes time. What should this year be like? Probably still hard. But with a young and hungry team, the Raiders might surprise a few opponents. They must avoid major injuries, which they've done thus far. They'll need to create with scheme -- Olson and second-year defensive coordinator Jason Tarver should be in position to do just that. On defense especially, Tarver will create confusion and mismatches, particularly through the blitz. With a young team, the defensive boss has struck the right chord in communicating a simple, effective message, and he's not alone. That's been a lot of the focus in Oakland: Don't overcomplicate things; get the team playing football and moving fast. Allen feels more comfortable in his second year at the helm: "I think I'm seeing the big picture of things a little bit more clearly. Talk to any coach in the league, and a lot of being the head coach ends up being more about leading a group of men and managing situations more so than it is X's-and-O's of football. It's more about the big picture of what we're trying to do."

Follow Ian Rapoport on Twitter @RapSheet.

 

[Faust]

Observation deck: Texans-Vikings

By Tania Ganguli | ESPN.com

When Houston Texans quarterback T.J. Yates threw up what seemed to be a jump ball, the ensuing play revealed exactly why the Texans loved DeAndre Hopkins in this year's draft.

Well-covered by Minnesota defensive back Bobby Felder, Hopkins leaped, secured the ball, then came down with his first NFL touchdown.

Texans coach Gary Kubiak often says that Hopkins is at his best on contested catches. It's something he thrives on during practices when the Texans' starting cornerbacks don't give him much room.

Even better for the Texans is that the touchdown play came very shortly after an uncharacteristic drop by Hopkins. He wasn't happy with himself for that play, but didn't let it linger long.

A few more observations from Friday night's game:

1. I wrote earlier today that quarterback Case Keenum struggled in Wednesday's practice and that my feeling was the backup quarterback job was Yates' to lose. That wasn't a feeling based on just that practice, of course. While I still think Yates is ahead, Keenum had a really nice game in Minnesota. On Twitter, John McClain of the Houston Chronicle suggested Keenum should be first off the bench next week against Miami. It's a good point. Keenum looked good, but he did it against worse players than Yates did. Flipping the two to see how Keenum does against second-string defenders could allow a more accurate assessment. Against the Vikings, Keenum completed 13 of 18 passes for 125 yards and a touchdown. Yates completed 13 of 21 passes for 151 yards.
2. Earl Mitchell will take over as the Texans' starting nose tackle this season, and if tonight was any indication, the Texans are getting a serious upgrade at the position. Mitchell, another player in a contract year, led the team with four tackles in the first quarter, three of them for loss, one of which was a sack. He was constantly in the backfield early in the game.
3. The Texans' punting and kicking Friday was greatly improved, even though Andrew Shapiro, not Shane Lechler, did the punting. Shapiro's second punt was downed inside the 10-yard line. Coverage, however, struggled at the start of the game when Vikings rookie Cordarrelle Patterson returned the opening kickoff 50 yards.
4. The Texans don't do live tackling in practice, and at times it showed. A short pass by Vikings backup Matt Cassel into a 61-yard touchdown catch by Zach Line when three different Texans defensive backs missed tackles.
5. Minnesota's first series ended with Houston safety Shiloh Keo intercepting a Christian Ponder pass. Keo has had a good training camp, but the players who made that interception happen were two linebackers fighting for a starting role: Joe Mays and Darryl Sharpton. Sharpton broke through to pressure Ponder as he released the ball, and Mays disrupted receiver Jerome Simpson's route. The pass bounced off Simpson and into Keo's arms.
6. Running back Cierre Wood helped himself. The undrafted rookie out of Notre Dame came into Friday night's game second to Dennis Johnson in the battle to be the Texans' third running back. Wood had 10 carries for 59 yards, including a 20-yard run. Johnson had seven carries for 11 yards, though he had four carries for 14 yards in the first quarter.
7. Oh, and the Texans won 27-13. Don't care? Good. You shouldn't.

 

[Faust]

Observation deck: Saints-Chiefs

By Pat Yasinskas | ESPN.com

For those of you who thought coordinator Rob Ryan could come in and turn around the New Orleans Saints' defense overnight, think again.

This chore is going to take some time. That was apparent in Friday night’s 17-13 victory against the Kansas City Chiefs at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.

The Kansas City first-team offense, which wasn’t very good last year, had no problem marching 80 yards on 14 plays for a touchdown on the opening drive of the game. The Chiefs also got a field goal on the second drive, when the starters still were on the field. I did see some good moments by the defense, particularly the pass rush, later in the game when the starters were out.

But Ryan needs to use the next few weeks to get this defense ready for the regular season.

Some other observations on the Saints:

With Marques Colston sitting, rookie receiver Kenny Stills got the start. He didn’t have a great night. He dropped a deep pass from Drew Brees and also was called for offensive pass interference.

The Saints handed the ball to Mark Ingram on the first two plays of the game. I think that’s a sign of things to come. The Saints have said they want to run the ball more often and they want Ingram more involved in the offense.

Rookie defensive tackle John Jenkins, who has had a nice camp, recorded a sack of Chase Daniel. Jenkins has had a nice camp and could end up with a spot in the rotation.

Charles Brown got the start at left tackle and didn’t seem to have any major problems. But rookie Terron Armstead got a lot of playing time and still could have a chance to start.

Wide receiver Preston Parker probably enhanced his chances of making the roster by catching two touchdown passes.

Luke McCown may have solidified his lead over Seneca Wallace in the competition to be the backup quarterback. McCown completed 18 of 28 passes for 216 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. Wallace, who has been dealing with a groin injury, did not play.

 

[Faust]

Observation deck: Packers-Cardinals

By Rob Demovsky | ESPN.com

GREEN BAY, Wis. – Not much went right for the Green Bay Packers in their 17-0 loss to the Arizona Cardinals in the preseason opener.

Here’s a rundown of the night:

• Quarterback Aaron Rodgers played one series, completed 3-of-5 passes for 62 yards – 50 of which came on a go route to James Jones – but the starting offense couldn’t get the ball into the end zone. Packers coach Mike McCarthy went for it on fourth-and-goal from the 2 (enter your joke here about McCarthy not having any faith in kicker Mason Crosby), but running back James Starks was ruled down before he crossed the goal line. McCarthy challenged the play but referee Carl Cheffers upheld the call on the field. That was the Packers’ best chance to score.

• David Bakhtiari played the entire first half at left tackle. Most of it came against the Cardinals’ No. 2 defense, but the rookie held up well. He missed a block on outside linebacker Matt Shaughnessy, and the result was just a 2-yard gain by running back James Starks. But that was Bakhtiari’s only obvious bad play. He looked solid in pass protection and didn’t appear to give up any pressures. He played longer than any other starter on offense.

• On the other side, right tackle Marshall Newhouse had one of those lapses that he seemed to have once or twice a game as a left tackle the past two seasons, and the result was disastrous. Thirty-five-year-old John Abraham smoked Newhouse with an outside speed rush and strip-sacked backup quarterback Graham Harrell to end what had been a decent drive by the No. 2 offense. Newhouse and Don Barclay alternated series at right tackle. Barclay was called for a false start.

• Harrell turned it over twice in the first half – an interception on his first series and the sack-fumble on his second. On the interception, there was a miscommunication between Harrell and receiver Jeremy Ross. Harrell threw the ball to the inside, and Ross broke toward the sideline. But Harrell couldn’t get much else done. He got no points out of six possessions and completed 12-of-19 passes for 76 yards with the one interception and one lost fumble. He was sacked twice.

• With just three practices under his belt, newly signed quarterback Vince Young replaced Harrell with 2:18 left in the third quarter and played two series. He completed 1-of-3 passes for 7 yards and had a pair of runs for 12 yards. His lone completion was for a first down. McCarthy ran several play-action bootlegs for Young, and his mobility looked good.

• B.J. Coleman went fourth in the quarterback rotation and played just two series. He was 2-of-7 passing for 15 yards.

• How badly did the Packers miss starting cornerback Tramon Williams and nickel corner Casey Hayward? Davon House started in place of Williams at left cornerback and struggled. He gave up an 18-yard completion on an out route by Cardinals receiver Michael Floyd on the game’s first play from scrimmage and later in the first quarter got burned deep for a 38-yard touchdown pass from Carson Palmer to receiver Andre Roberts. Then, in the second quarter, House didn’t recognize a double move by receiver Charles Hawkins, who caught a 36-yard pass from backup quarterback Drew Stanton. A year ago at this time, House looked like he was on his way to winning a starting cornerback job until a shoulder injury in the preseason opener at San Diego ruined his chances. Rookie Micah Hyde started in Hayward’s spot in the nickel. He tackled well but didn’t turn his head in time to make a play on the ball on Stanton’s 1-yard touchdown pass to Jaron Brown on a fade route.

• First-round draft pick Datone Jones played just one snap, in the nickel package paired with B.J. Raji on third-and-6 on the game’s opening series. The defensive end went to the bench and had his left ankle retaped but did not return. That was the only injury McCarthy announced after the game.

• Backup offensive lineman Greg Van Roten showed his versatility. He played three different spots – center, left guard and right tackle.

• Neither Crosby nor Giorgio Tavecchio attempted a field goal.

• Backup running back Johnathan Franklin got the first shot at punt returns, while Ross went first on kickoff returns.

• Those who did not dress were WR Kevin Dorsey (leg), WR Charles Johnson (knee), WR Randall Cobb (biceps), RB DuJuan Harris (knee), RB Eddie Lacy (hamstring), S Sean Richardson (neck), OL JC Tretter (ankle), T Bryan Bulaga (knee), T Andrew Datko (concussion), T Derek Sherrod (leg), TE Andrew Quarless (quad), TE Ryan Taylor (knee), WR Jordy Nelson (knee), DE Mike Neal (abdominal), DE Jerel Worthy (knee), Hayward (hamstring) and Williams (knee).

 

[Faust]

Rapid Reaction: Patriots 31, Eagles 22

 

[Faust]

Rapid Reaction: Panthers 24, Bears 17

 

[Faust]

What we learned Friday: Quarterback battles, Round 1

By Gregg Rosenthal and Chris Wesseling NFL.com

With 16 teams in action Friday night, there were no shortage of storylines to follow. But let's be real: Nothing mattered more than the three quarterback battles.

In Philadelphia, Michael Vick held serve with a sharp performance. Nick Foles also led a touchdown drive, which means Eagles coach Chip Kelly continues to have a good problem. Kelly has two decent quarterback options, while the New York Jets and Jacksonville Jaguars search for one.

Mark Sanchez threw a pick-six on his first drive, and he outplayed Jets rookie Geno Smith overall. (Smith also suffered an ankle injury.) Blaine Gabbert threw for just 19 yards in 10 attempts, including an interception. That's hard to do. Chad Henne looked much better, but the Jaguars scored just three points on the night.

Here's what else we learned Friday night:

New England Patriots 31, Philadelphia Eagles 221. On Friday's Around The League Podcast, we warned against overrating preseason performances from veteran players. Still, it was hard not to appreciate Tom Brady's ability to seamlessly integrate all his young players into the offense.

Undrafted rookie wide receiver Kenbrell Thompkins backed up all the training-camp hype with four catches in one drive. Undrafted rookie Zach Sudfeld started at tight end; rookie Aaron Dobson caught a 23-yard pass from Brady, and second-year pro Shane Vereen caught a touchdown while lined up at wideout. This offense looked very different, but it was totally fascinating.

2. Ryan Mallett never quite impresses in August. He was inaccurate before leaving with a head injury that doesn't appear serious. Tim Tebow subsequently got a ton of playing time and fared worse. Tebow ran a lot of read-option plays.

3. LeGarrette Blount might have sewn up a roster spot with 101 yards and two scores, including a wild 51-yard scamper that looked like Marcus Allen's Super Bowl play on sizzurp. The Patriots could wind up keeping five running backs.

4. Eagles backup running back Bryce Brown had a strong effort. He's trying to hold off Felix Jones and Chris Polk for his job.

5. Philadelphia didn't huddle a lot or take many snaps from center, especially when Foles was in the game.

Houston Texans 27, Minnesota Vikings 131. The first-round wide receivers impressed for both teams. After returning the opening kickoff 50 yards, Vikings rookie Cordarrelle Patterson hauled in four passes for 54 yards and just missed another sideline grab. Although he's playing behind Jerome Simpson at this point, Patterson's talent will be hard to keep off the field. He's not quite as freakishly athletic as Julio Jones, but there are similarities in their games.

Texans first-rounder DeAndre Hopkins made up for a drop with a highlight-reel 34-yard touchdown over the top of Vikings cornerback Bobby Felder. It's the type of play Hopkins has been making routinely in Texans camp.

2. Christian Ponder attempted just two passes, including an interception off Simpson's hands, before he was replaced. Backup Matt Cassel was a misleading 12 of 19 for 212 yards and one touchdown with a troubling interception. Cassel was shaky against pressure; the majority of his yards came after the catch on big plays by Stephen Burton and Zach Line.

3. Vikings rookie defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd was forced from the game with a left knee issue but downplayed the injury after the game.

Miami Dolphins 27, Jacksonville Jaguars 31. It was a discouraging night all around for Jacksonville. Gabbert struggled badly, and Justin Blackmon had to be escorted to the locker room. Blackmon wasn't even dressed for the game.

2. Another performance like this out of Gabbert next week, and Jaguars coach Gus Bradley might have no choice but to go with Henne.

3. Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill had spotty protection once again, but he showed great chemistry with Dustin Keller. Mike Wallace didn't have a catch. Keller is a fantasy sleeper.

4. The Jaguars forced the ball to "Offensive Weapon" Denard Robinson, who had 32 yards on nine carries. The blocking wasn't great.

Detroit Lions 26, New York Jets 171. Sanchez bounced back nicely from an early game pick-six to complete 10 of 13 passes for 125 yards and the Jets' first preseason touchdown since 2011. Smith went three-and-out on two of three series before exiting with a sprained ankle. Sanchez gets the decisive edge for the preseason opener, though Smith expects to be back for the Jaguars game next week. Greg McElroy enjoyed a fine performance as the third quarterback.

2. Jets running back Bilal Powell might have ascended past an injured Chris Ivory on the unofficial depth chart, but it's only a temporary move. Powell gained more than 3 yards on just one of nine carries versus the Lions.

3. Shaun Hill doesn't receive the national attention he deserves, but he remains in the discussion for NFL's best backup quarterback. He and former Denver Broncos receiver Matthew Willis hooked up several times for the Lions, highlighted by a beautiful 15-yard touchdown.

Carolina Panthers 24, Chicago Bears 171. Panthers rookie running back Kenjon Barner had some nice moments off the bench. He could have a decent role if Jonathan Stewart can't get healthy.

2. Carolina's first-team offense did very little. Cam Newton threw an interception that Bears linebacker Jon Bostic returned for a touchdown.

3. Armanti Edwards' improbable run at Carolina's No. 3 receiver job continued with two catches for 38 yards.

4. Jay Cutler threw an interception on his first pass, just like he threw an interception on his first pass of team drills in Bears camp. We hope this isn't an omen.

5. Bears defensive tackle Henry Melton suffered a concussion.

Arizona Cardinals 17, Green Bay Packers 01. Playing it cautiously, the Packers sat Randall Cobb (biceps) and Eddie Lacy (hamstring) for the preseason opener. James Starks started at running back, with rookie Johnathan Franklin as the first back off the bench. Neither took advantage of the opportunity to gain on Lacy and injured incumbent DuJuan Harris.

2. Cardinals rookie Tyrann Mathieu backed up the training-camp hype, showing the same natural playmaking ability that made him a star at LSU.

3. Carson Palmer hooked up with Larry Fitzgerald, Michael Floyd and Andre Roberts for plays of 15-plus yards against the Packers' first-string defense, finishing 4 of 6 for 77 yards with a touchdown. So far, so good.

4. The Cardinals got a long look at fifth-round pick Stepfan Taylor, with Rashard Mendenhall, Ryan Williams and Andre Ellington all banged up. Taylor isn't a dynamic talent as a runner, but his excellent pass protection and route running skills could land him the backup job if Williams' knee doesn't cooperate.

New Orleans Saints 17, Kansas City Chiefs 131. The Chiefs got a scare when No. 1 overall pick Eric Fisher went to the locker room for X-rays on his thumb, but those turned up negative. He should be fine.

2. New Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith led a methodical 15-play, 80-yard touchdown drive, capped by a Jamaal Charles touchdown. A nice start for Andy Reid.

3. Kenny Stills is the Saints' No. 3 receiver. He had a fantastic catch and a fumble in successive plays. That's the life of a rookie.

4. Chase Daniel facing Drew Brees and the Saints reminded us of when Joe Montana faced Steve Young and the 49ers.

Oakland Raiders 19, Dallas Cowboys 171. Operating as a read-option quarterback, Terrelle Pryor had more success with the Raiders' second-team offense than Matt Flynn did with the starters. Pryor marred an otherwise positive night with a brutal end-zone interception, throwing across his body in the middle of the field.

2. The Tony Romo-to-Dez Bryant connection showed no signs of rust, the two Cowboys picking up where they left off in the second half of last season. Bryant looks even more confident and physical than he did in his breakout season, bullying the Raiders' secondary for 58 yards and three receptions on one late first-quarter drive.

3. Cowboys wide receiver Cole Beasley was sent for X-rays after suffering a left foot injury in the second half. He hauled in a 15-yard touchdown pass from Kyle Orton in the second quarter.

4. Seventh-round pick Brice Butler might have pushed past Andre Holmes for the Raiders' final wide receiver spot after hauling in two passes for 70 yards and a touchdown. An impressive physical talent, Butler checks in at 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds with 4.37 speed.

The Around The League Podcast is now available on iTunes! Click here to listen and subscribe.

 

[Faust]

Patriots' young receivers see heavy workload in win

By Marc Sessler

Around the League Writer

Talk of New England's demise on offense remains a topic in vogue, but after what we saw from the Patriots on Friday night, the doomsday chatter feels premature.

A flock of Patriots rookie receivers -- Aaron Dobson, Josh Boyce and Kenbrell Thompkins -- saw action early and often in a 31-22 win over the Philadelphia Eagles, combining for 77 snaps on the night, per ESPNBoston.com. Spending plenty of on-field time with quarterback Tom Brady, Dobson (44 snaps) was used liberally, followed by Boyce (32) and Thompkins (31). All three looked the part.

Rookie tight end Zach Sudfeld -- a Chris Wesseling favorite -- had another 34 snaps, indicative of coach Bill Belichick's intentions to waste little time meshing the youngsters into this year's attack.

"We spread the ball to different guys," Brady told reporters after the game. "(Thompkins) did a good job, Aaron did a good job, Josh had some opportunities, Danny (Amendola) -- everyone contributed."

The Patriots had their way with the Eagles' defense all week in scrimmages, and that continued Friday. The tempo was fast -- with 46 plays and 334 yards at halftime -- as Brady spread the ball around. The Patriots heavily leaned on a run game highlighted by LeGarrette Blount's 101 yards and two scores on just 11 carries. New England rolled for 248 yards on the ground, with 212 of those coming in the first 36 minutes.

Then there was runner Shane Vereen, who was lined up wide when Brady found him in the end zone on a 13-yard fade route on the team's second scoring drive. We heard whispers all summer of Vereen playing a "joker" role, and he did just that against the Eagles. Vereen's touchdown came with Brady in the shotgun out of an empty set, an approach we expect to see plenty of this season.

As for the rookies, Thompkins's four catches for 23 yards led the way, but Dobson (two for 35 yards) and Sudfeld (one for 22) also produced. The early buzz on Thompkins seems well-placed. ESPNBoston.com noted Thompkins "redirected Boyce to the proper alignment after Boyce broke the huddle and went to the wrong side of the formation" on one play.

That, right there, is what Belichick and Brady melt over in a receiver. These newbies are off to a solid start.

The Around The League Podcast is now available on iTunes! Click here to listen and subscribe.

 

[Faust]

Le'Veon Bell on sidelines as Steelers fall to N.Y. Giants

By Chris Wesseling

Around the League Writer

The most attractive selling point for Saturday's matchup between the New York Giants and Pittsburgh Steelers on NFL Network was a chance to see how the backfield distribution is breaking down for each team.

NFL fans were robbed a chance to see the favorite for the Steelers' starting job when second-round draft pick Le'Veon Bell was declared inactive with what team president Art Rooney described as stiffness in his knee. Coach Mike Tomlin downplayed the injury, telling the local telecast that Bell will be fine, according to NFL Network's Aditi Kinkhabwala.

Coordinator Todd Haley wants the rookie to prove he can stay on the field and play through these types of injuries, but there's no reason for the team to take chances in a preseason game. The Steelers' kid-glove approach toward such a minor injury shows how valuable Bell is to the team's offense this season.

Here's what we learned from the Giants' 18-13 victory over the Steelers:

1. With Bell in street clothes, Isaac Redman drew the start at running back. LaRod Stephens-Howling was the most impressive of the Steelers' backs, however, rushing seven times for 40 yards in a committee attack. Clearly behind Redman and Stephens-Howling, a slimmed-down Jonathan Dwyer could join Green Bay Packers tailback Alex Green on the "conditional late-round pick" trade market.

2. Veteran Jerricho Cotchery entered as the Steelers' third receiver, but it won't be long before more explosive third-round pick Markus Wheaton leapfrogs him. Wheaton was robbed of a fantastic sideline catch by replay review, only to come back with a diving reception in traffic.

Daniel Jeremiah ✔@MoveTheSticks

I'm excited to watch Steelers WR Markus Wheaton tonight. Loved his combo of speed & toughness at Oregon St

3. The Steelers' run blocking was more advanced than the pass blocking Saturday. Last year's first-round draft pick, right guard David DeCastro, made an especially good impression.

4. First-round pick Jarvis Jones didn't play with the starters, but the pass rusher did come through with a big third-down stop to force a punt late in the third quarter.

5. David Wilson appears to be the Giants' primary early-down running back. Saturday's game suggests he's trusted near the goal line, but not as a pass protector. Andre Brown routinely replaced Wilson on third downs. Although Wilson has a reputation for shaky ball security, it was Brown who fumbled a pitch into the Steelers' hands. Wilson didn't have much room to run, but he showed well in picking up Lawrence Timmons on a blitz and consoling Brown after the muffed pitch.

6. The Eli Manning-to-Victor Cruz connection is in fine form, as the two hooked up on a "Heinz" 57-yard touchdown. Starting in place of Hakeem Nicks, No. 3 receiver Reuben Randle was relatively quiet after a sparkling first two weeks of camp.

7. Competing for a roster spot, Giants wide receiver Kris Adams went down with a nasty lower leg injury that was later announced as a fracture. His season is almost certainly over.

8. Rookie quarterback Ryan Nassib's preseason couldn't have gotten off to a shakier start. The fourth-rounder's first series included a false start, sack, delay of game penalty and a bad snap that was fumbled into the end zone for the Steelers' lone touchdown.

The Around The League Podcast is now available on iTunes! Click here to listen and subscribe.

 

[Faust]

Injury roundup: Seahawks' Michael has back spasms

By Chris Wesseling

Around the League Writer

Seattle Seahawks second-round draft pick was impressive enough in Thursday's preseason opener to headline Marc Sessler's "Rookie Watch" column Friday.

That early momentum came to a halt Sunday. Coach Pete Carroll told The News Tribune that Michael "might be out a little bit" after suffering back spasms this weekend

While Michael was sidelined, second-year running back Robert Turbin returned from his foot injury to practice for the first time in training camp.

Michael wasn't the only Seahawks starter with a disappointing injury update, however. Tight end Zach Miller (foot), defensive end Cliff Avril (hamstring) and guard James Carpenter (foot) are all a couple of weeks away from playing, according to Carroll.

Injury updates from around the league:

» Kansas City Chiefs offensive tackle Eric Fisher, the No. 1 overall pick in April's draft, is in jeopardy of missing Friday night's game against the San Francisco 49ers after suffering a shoulder injury in the preseason opener. "He can't quite get the motion he needs, but again, it's not structural. It's a muscle bruise," coach Andy Reid said, via The Associated Press. "We'll just get it settled down and see where it goes. It's day to day."

» Minnesota Vikings defensive tackle Sharif Floyd will undergo an MRI on his left knee after downplaying the injury Saturday. Coach Leslie Frazier insists the Vikings are simply erring on the side of caution.

» New York Jets tailback Chris Ivory returned to individual drills Sunday. Buoyed by two consecutive days without tightness in his hamstring, Ivory expects to play against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Saturday.

» With his roster spot suddenly on the line, Montario Hardesty finally returned from his own hamstring injury to take part in Sunday's Cleveland Browns practice.

» The Chicago Bears have to be growing concerned over Earl Bennett's latest concussion. The No. 3 receiver has yet to graduate to even watching practice after sustaining the injury 10 days ago. With Bennett sidelined, impressive seventh-round rookie Marquess Wilson has begun receiving second-team reps.

The Around The League Podcast is now available on iTunes! Click here to listen and subscribe.

 

[Faust]

Training camp roundup: Steelers WR Wheaton has nice debut

Training camp roundup: What's going on with Santonio Holmes?

 

[Faust]

After slow start, Bills rookie QB EJ Manuel heats up in debut

By Rob Rang | The Sports Xchange/CBSSports.com

For the first five series of Bills' rookie quarterback EJ Manuel's NFL debut, he completed 7 of 12 passes for only 39 yards. Buffalo was tied with the Indianapolis Colts mostly because rookie kick returner Marquise Goodwin took one back 107 yards for a touchdown.

A textbook scoring drive led by Manuel in the final two minutes of the first half, however, staked the Bills to a 20-13 lead and provided the rookie quarterback with a parachute after a disappointing start.

The Colts were predictably pretty vanilla on defense and had subbed out their starters on Manuel's final drive, but the rookie showed poise and accuracy in completing all nine on his passes on the drive for 68 yards, including a 17-yard strike to tight end Dorin Dickerson for each player's first NFL touchdown.

Manuel's initial pass came on the heels of star running back C.J. Spiller gashing the Colts for 33 yards on the Bills' first three snaps from scrimmage.
Lining up quickly after going no-huddle, Manuel stood calmly in the pocket. Rather than scan the entire field, however, he appeared to lock in on fellow rookie Robert Woods breaking over the middle. Manuel fired a dart but led Woods slightly too far and the pass was incomplete.

Manuel's first pass attempt set some trends in this game. Most of the plays Manuel ran the rest of his day were without a huddle -- indications of Buffalo's aggressive plans on offense this season and Manuel's intelligence.

A more disturbing (but not surprising) trend also showed up.

Just as he had throughout much of his career at Florida State, Manuel focused on his primary read. His best throws came on quick-hitting digs and slants to wideouts (as well as the touchdown) in which he threw the ball based on a pre-snap decision. Other than a dazzling 24-yard scramble, Manuel was generally less effective the longer he held the ball over his first five series.

With a go-ahead TD the final throw of his day, however, Manuel took positive steps toward beating out veteran Kevin Kolb for the starting job. Kolb did not play because of a knee injury. Manuel was replaced in the third quarter by undrafted free agent Jeff Tuel from Washington State.

While his final completion was certainly memorable, the first completion of Manuel's NFL career was one the rookie would likely rather forget.

Facing third and 9, Manuel dropped back, looking right before swinging back to his left to lob a quick screen to Fred Jackson. The Colts read the predictable call and swallowed up Jackson instantly for a loss of 6. Manuel threw another screen for more success (12-yard gain) to Jackson, helping to extend Buffalo's initial scoring drive (Dustin Hopkins 23-yard field goal).

While Manuel did not throw an interception, he did participate in a turnover, as he and Spiller mishandled a hand-off in the first quarter. The error seemed to be on Spiller's part, who appeared to attempt making a move before securing the ball, which was recovered by the Colts.

Manuel possesses all of the physical and intangible traits scouts are looking for at the quarterback position. In terms of pure talent, Manuel offers a blend of size, arm talent and running ability to justify comparisons to Cam Newton. Where there have been plenty of questions about Newton's leadership, Manuel was a voted a team captain three times with the Seminoles. He also quickly earned admiration of Senior Bowl teammates, earning the same designation for the South team.

Drafting Manuel was panned by many, but multiple teams have since told me they saw him as the clear-cut top quarterback in the 2013 draft class.

Frankly, Manuel's final numbers look better on paper than they were. He completed 16 of 21 passes for 107 yards and the touchdown and did not throw an interception. While his 76 percent completion rate looks good, too many of his passes were relatively simple tosses that won't do much to silence critics.

 

[Faust]

Ravens' answer at slot receiver? How about RB Ray Rice?

Jason La Canfora

Anyone who watched Ray Rice collect a check down on fourth-and-forever against the Chargers last season and dance through their entire defense to convert it, knows what the running back can do as a receiver in the open field.

And with receiver Anquan Boldin gone and tight end Dennis Pitta -- who was primed for a vital role in this offense -- out for the season following hip surgery, Rice is going to remain a big cog in the passing game. He may also end up doing it from places other than the backfield. For years Ravens coach John Harbaugh watched Eagles running back Brian Westbrook catch balls out of the slot as a member of Andy Reid's coaching staff in Philadelphia, and perhaps we see more of that from Rice this season.

Baltimore has no shortage of running backs. Bernard Pierce emerged as a force in a limited role last year, and the Ravens will need to think creatively to find matchup scenarios without Pitta being that top target option in the slot.

Quarterback Joe Flacco is among those who believe Rice could excel there.

"Ray can definitely do that stuff, and it definitely will be something we need to look at," Flacco said, "because a lot of his effectiveness comes from catching the ball out of the backfield, and when we do motion him out and get him lined up on a linebacker, he's good at that stuff. It's just matter of getting reps with him and allowing him to do it, and our coaches getting some confidence in all of that."

Flacco seemed excited by the prospect of Rice in the slot and Pierce (who will miss some time with an injury picked up in Thursday's game) in the backfield at running back.

"That would afford us to be a little more creative," Flacco said of Pierce's presence as a run threat as well. "It's definitely a possibility we do some of that."

Westbrook himself, who is doing NFL analyst work in the Mid-Atlantic region, maintains a dialogue with Rice and believes he could thrive in the slot.

"It's a different mind-set in the slot," Westbrook said, "and you really want to let your guys prepare for that before the season starts so they can get their body set, thinking totally different than just running between the tackles.

"If you run between the tackles, that extra 10-15 pounds is good. If you're in the slot, that's not needed and you want to be as agile as possible. I've seen Ray's body change some and in the last few years it seems to be a little bit thicker, but I definitely think he can do it. There's no doubt in my mind he can do it; he has hands and agility to do it. I think it's something they should do more of."

Observations[SIZE=xx-small]•[/SIZE] Terrell Suggs, being scrutinized by some more closely as a team leader with Ray Lewis and Ed Reed departed, handled a situation in the preseason opener with aplomb. A young defensive back attempted to lateral a ball after an interception -- something Reed made famous -- and Suggs, still engaged in the game long after he had stopped playing, raced to the field on the change of possession to scold him but also to pump him back up. Suggs' focus could be questioned at times, ditto for his conditioning, but he's been an inspiration in this camp and could be back to his 2011 form.

[SIZE=xx-small]•[/SIZE] Haloti Ngata says he is healthier than he has been in a long time and with the Ravens looking to have their deepest rotation along the defensive line in a long time, it stands to reason he too could be on the cusp of getting back to his dominant ways.

[SIZE=xx-small]•[/SIZE] After Torrey Smith, the Ravens have a wide-open competition for receiving spots. It has become the biggest question mark on what is again a strong roster, and it could play out for quite some time.

Jacoby Jones didn't have a great start in the preseason opener and isn't a natural catcher of the ball, though he has great speed and instincts. Still, he isn't the typical No. 2 guy.

After that, things really get muddled. A few years ago the staff thought David Reed would emerge -- he hasn't come close but is getting another shot. LaQuan Williams, in his third year out of Maryland as an undrafted free agent, and seventh-round pick Aaron Mellette had strong outings in Thursday's win (Mellette struggled at Saturday's practice, however). It would be difficult to call this a particularly deep position group and at some point maybe the Ravens explore the free-agent market (and it's slim pickings there as well), or sign players who get cut elsewhere.

The organization is confident that candidates will emerge and Flacco will hasten their development, and the competition between these guys, as well as Tandon Doss, a fourth-round pick in 2011; Marlon Brown, who missed last season due to injury; and Deonte Thompson, a 2012 undrafted free agent, will likely go down to the final cuts.

"Tandon and Deonte, they've caught my eye for a while," Flacco said. "Deonte with the way he runs and Tandon with the way he catches the ball. And Marlon Brown tore his ACL last ear, but I think he's got potential. He's big, fast, strong. He doesn't know that much yet, and he's just really starting to get out there and run around for us, but I think he's got a good amount of potential. I'm not sure how much we'll be able to use him, but he's a guy I think could be pretty good."

[SIZE=xx-small]•[/SIZE] Left tackle Bryant McKinnie has clashed with the Ravens at times over his weight, conditioning or contract, but it was shrewd of them to retain him on the cheap as a free agent, and even some in the organization who have been skeptical of him in the past have been enthusiastic by the "fire" he's showing in this camp, as one team official put it. A year ago he was AWOL from the start of camp but ended up regaining his starting spot late in the year and was a key part of their Super Bowl run. [SIZE=xx-small]•[/SIZE] The battle between Gino Gradkowski and AQ Shipley for the center spot could go on for quite a while. I asked if there was a need to settle the center/quarterback exchange sooner rather than later given its import, but got the sense it could continue through all the preseason games if need be.

[SIZE=xx-small]•[/SIZE] One player who could emerge in the absence of Pitta, and by the return of fullback Vonta Leach, is rookie fullback Kyle Juszczyk. The Harvard product is being used as a "move tight end" with the ability to get out in the slot. He must continue to work hard on his blocking, though the return of Leach, a superb lead blocker, should lessen that somewhat. Even Juszczyk's Ivy League background didn't prepare him for the full volume of the Ravens' playbook, the rookie said, but expect to see more and more of him as the real games approach.

[SIZE=xx-small]•[/SIZE] Veteran linebacker Daryl Smith is likely another in a long line of value, late-signing free agents who provides big dividends -- something this astute front office has made a habit of. Harbaugh, not one for false platitudes, was gushing about Smith's performance in the preseason opener.

"There wasn't one negative aspect in his performance," Harbaugh said, saying he expects the former Jaguar to be "a big part" of his defense.

[SIZE=xx-small]•[/SIZE] Don't worry about any complacency around here. Even after his team spanked Tampa in the preseason opener, Harbaugh was loud, vocal and critical of his players for missteps in Saturday's practice. Feisty as ever.

[SIZE=xx-small]•[/SIZE] Backup quarterback Tyrod Taylor won't see the field much as long as Flacco is healthy, but he executed read-option principles very well in the opener and provides a great look in that regard for the defense when need be.

"It definitely throws the defense off," he said of the option look.

 

[Faust]

Observation deck: Bills-Colts

By Mike Rodak | ESPN.com

Observations from the Buffalo Bills' preseason opening win over the Indianapolis Colts, a 44-20 victory:

Bills set franchise record for points: The Bills' 44 points set a franchise preseason record. Scoring came from all three phases of the game, including touchdowns on a 107-yard kickoff return from rookie Marquise Goodwin and a 17-yard interception return by cornerback Jumal Rolle.

Rookie quarterbacks impressive: With veteran Kevin Kolb serving as the emergency backup, the Bills had two rookie quarterbacks take all of snaps. EJ Manuel started and played the whole first half, while Jeff Tuel took over for the second half. Combined, they went 35-of-44 passing for 319 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions. Manuel was credited with a fumble on a botched hand-off in the first quarter, while Tuel was strip-sacked early in the fourth quarter, with the Colts returning the fumble 72 yards for a touchdown. That play appeared close to being an incompletion, as Tuel's arm looked to be moving forward, but the result was upheld upon official review.

15 players on receiving stat sheet: Bills offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett tested all parts of his team's passing offense, with 15 different players recording at least one catch in the contest. Wide receiver Marcus Easley led the way with 7 catches for 94 yards. In the running game, C.J. Spiller was limited to just four carries early in the game, but broke runs of 17 and 15 yards on the first two offensive plays for the Bills. The Bills kept up the tempo on offense, using the no-huddle even late in the fourth quarter.

Goodwin provides special teams spark: In addition to his 107-yard touchdown return in the second quarter, Goodwin got off to a fast start in the first quarter, returning a kickoff 53 yards. On both plays, his break-away speed was hard to miss. There are always questions if a player like Goodwin, who had a 4.27-second 40-yard dash time, can translate his speed into the NFL. But on Sunday, he put special teams coaches across the NFL on notice.

Penalties, fumbles both issues: The Bills were penalized nine times for 74 yards, compared to six flags against the Colts. In the first quarter, Goodwin was docked for unnecessary roughness, while cornerback Ron Brooks was flagged for taunting an opponent after a play. In the second half, offensive tackle Thomas Welch was penalized twice for holding. Added to four fumbles, including a bad snap by backup center David Snow on 3rd-and-2 from the Colts' 11-yard line, and head coach Doug Marrone will have plenty to pick apart with players in Monday's meetings.

Colin Brown gets nod: Left guard may be the most up-for-grabs position on the Bills roster, with the coaching staff making several changes at the spot through two weeks of training camp. On Sunday, Brown started and played the full first half, while Doug Legursky took over in the second half. The upcoming week in practice will shed light on how coaches feel each player performed in the opener.

Mario Williams starts, plays two series: Defensive end Williams had a slow start to training camp after telling team medical personnel that he had a sore foot. He hasn't gotten a full workload yet in practice, but received the start Sunday, playing two drives. On the second possession, Williams sacked Colts quarterback Andrew Luck for a 10-yard loss. Meanwhile, defensive tackle Kyle Williams, who has been eased back from Achilles surgery, also played just the first two series.

Injury update: While they had 11 players who did not dress due to injuries, it was a relatively quiet game on the injury front. Welch left the game in the fourth quarter, and trainers appeared to be looking at his jaw on the sidelines.

What's next: The Bills travel back to St. John Fisher College tonight, and will be back on the practice field Monday afternoon, from 2:10 p.m. to 5:10 p.m. They play their next preseason game on Friday against the Minnesota Vikings, at Ralph Wilson Stadium.

 

[Faust]

Dolphins notes: Jordan doesn't practice

By James Walker | ESPN.com

DAVIE, Fla. -- The Miami Dolphins hit the practice field for the first time this week in preparation for Saturday’s preseason game against the Houston Texans.

Here are some notes and observations from Sunday’s session:

• Noticeably absent from practice was Dolphins No. 3 overall pick Dion Jordan. He got increased reps in Friday’s game against the Jacksonville Jaguars but did not practice once the team went outside. Miami head coach Joe Philbin didn’t discuss Jordan absence, which is consistent with his training camp policy. But Jordan has been recovering from shoulder surgery all offseason. This is something to keep an eye on during the week.

• Miami’s practice focused mostly on individual work and fundamentals. But when the first-team offense lined up inside the bubble, backup Nate Garner was inserted at right guard in place of Josh Samuda. Samuda struggled against Jacksonville. “He’s a contender right now,” Philbin said of Garner. “He’s got a lot of snaps in and we know a lot of about him. ... But our philosophy is we’re going to find the five best guys and line them up and get them ready to go. Right now, we’re not exactly sure who those five guys are.”

• Second-round pick Jamar Taylor looks increasingly healthy from hernia surgery and was full-go in practice Sunday. Taylor needs to show what he can do now if he wants to carve out an early role with the team. He’s missed most of camp and showed early rust. He was beat easily on a deep ball during one-on-one drills by Miami receiver Andrell Smith.

• Dolphins guard Lance Louis is a name you may hear a lot in the next few weeks. He’s recovering from an ACL tear and his workload is finally increasing. Louis will start to put his name in the competition for the starting guard spot. But Louis struggled at times and remains a work in progress. “I’m just working hard as much as I can and trying to get back,” Louis said. “[The knee] responded pretty good. It’s not swelling. It’s just me working at it and knowing it’s going to get sore and working through it.”

• Projected starting guard John Jerry is showing progress. He didn’t participate in practice but worked on the side with trainers. Jerry’s absence has caused a lot of issues on Miami’s offensive. If he’s progressing enough to return by Week 1 against the Cleveland Browns, that may save the Dolphins some headaches. But Jerry must stay sharp and in shape.

• Dolphins offensive coordinator Mike Sherman said he’s impressed with his tight ends, both as blockers and pass-catchers. Dustin Keller and Dion Sims both made players in the passing game against Jacksonville. Michael Egnew caught the ball well in the Hall of Fame Game against Dallas. “I think as a group they’re pretty solid,” Sherman said. “They will keep getting better. [Tight end coach] Dan Campbell does a great job.”

• After practice, Miami rookie defensive tackle A.J. Francis was doing individual drills as a pass blocker. Francis is a long shot to make the Dolphins as a defensive lineman, which is one of the deepest areas of the team. So the Dolphins could consider a position change to see if Francis can provide depth on the offensive line, which is one of the team’s weakest areas.

 

[Faust]

Camp Confidential: St. Louis Rams

By Nick Wagoner | ESPN.com

EARTH CITY, Mo. -- While crowds at Rams Park are up about 70 percent from last year’s training camp, the longtime attendees who have muddled through the summer heat in recent years must feel like they’re watching practice with the fast forward button permanently pushed.

That’s because, if nothing else, the 2013 edition of the St. Louis Rams is noticeably faster after an offseason in which big money and valuable draft picks were spent to upgrade an offense that’s been sorely lacking in the speed department.

“There’s no doubt that this offense has a totally different feel than the one last year,” quarterback Sam Bradford said. “I think if you look at some of the pieces that we’ve added, we’re faster. We’re faster at almost all the positions on the field now. I think that puts a lot of stress on the defense. If they hesitate for a second, we’re by them. We’re going to have to figure out how to best utilize that speed and the things that we can do with that.”

Therein lies the challenge for Bradford and, more specifically, offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer.

Like Bradford, Schottenheimer says this season’s offense has more speed than any group he’s ever been around. In addition to returning starting receiver Chris Givens, the Rams added one of the fastest tight ends in the league in Jared Cook via free agency and the most dynamic multipurpose weapon in the draft in Tavon Austin.

They also have a speedy stable of running backs, headlined by Daryl Richardson and Isaiah Pead.

How that all manifests itself when the regular season arrives remains to be seen, but all signs in this camp point to a far different offensive personality than the grind-it-out Rams of the Steven Jackson era.

Bradford is quick to point out that the Rams are using a lot more "11" (one running back, one tight end, three receivers) and "12" (one running back, two tight ends, two receivers) personnel. The alignment options they have within those personnel groupings vary nearly every play during camp.

Those personnel groupings will likely turn into a more up-tempo offense meant to play off the additional speed the team has added.

“I think that gives us the flexibility to move people around and play them in different spots,” Bradford said. “Last year, I think, there were times where we were pretty predictable as far as who was going to be where and what we were going to do. I think just changing the looks, changing the formations slightly, moving guys around … I think that confuses the defense a little bit.”

Entering his second season in Schottenheimer’s offense, Bradford’s understanding of the scheme is advanced beyond any of the offenses he’s worked in previously. This is the first time he’s been in the same offense for more than one season.

That wouldn’t mean much if coach Jeff Fisher, general manager Les Snead and Schottenheimer hadn’t taken steps necessary to surround him with talent.

In fan and media circles, the phrase "make or break" has been thrown around quite a bit as it pertains to Bradford, but Fisher insists those conversations aren’t taking place within the walls of Rams Park.

“He’s improving, which is good,” Fisher said. “But I’ve said this all the time, the better the people that are surrounding him are, the better chance he has of taking another step. I think we’ve done everything we can to this point doing that with Cook, and the young receivers from last year, Austin [Pettis] is improving, so it’s a good group around him. Now we’ve got to protect him, which I feel like we can. It’s early, but our offensive line is certainly a lot different than it was to start last year.”


THREE HOT ISSUES

1.Who steps up at the skill positions?

All of the speed the Rams added to the offense won’t mean much if the young Rams receivers and running backs don’t turn raw potential into production.

Pettis is the longest-tenured receiver or running back on the roster, and he’s entering just his third season in the league. Cook, who is in his fifth season, is the most experienced pass-catcher of the group but technically qualifies as a tight end. He’s clearly formed an early bond with Bradford in camp.

Givens looks to be the one receiver whose spot on the depth chart is etched in stone as he heads into his second season. Second-year wideout Brian Quick has been mostly inconsistent in camp, but his size makes him an appealing possibility as a potential foil opposite the speedy Givens. For now, it’s Pettis holding firm in that spot.

Rookie Stedman Bailey could also force his way into the picture as he’s made a solid first impression during camp.

At running back, Richardson looks to be the leader in the clubhouse as he and Pead enter their second NFL seasons. Rookies Zac Stacy and Benny Cunningham, as well as second-year back Terrance Ganaway, are also trying to work their way into the mix.

In a perfect world, all of those players will be ready to contribute right away and Schottenheimer can find ways for everybody to be a factor.

“I think, honestly, if we just design good plans and the guys work hard and know what they’re doing, the ball’s going to get spread around -- that’s the key,” Schottenheimer said. “Sam’s got to read his progressions. The ball is going to go to the open guy. You get in trouble when you’re limited and you try to force a ball to a guy or two, but when you have multiple weapons, the ball gets spread around pretty good.”

The Rams have made it clear they have no issue with relying on young players, but it could be asking a lot of such an inexperienced group to take big steps forward for the offense to take shape right away.

2. The Walton Effect

Although he’s just entering his first season as an NFL defensive coordinator, Tim Walton is certain to be an upgrade over the person who filled the position in 2012: nobody.

Walton comes to the Rams from Detroit, where he coached defensive backs in a similar system under head coach Jim Schwartz.

The Rams played the entire 2012 season without a defensive coordinator after the NFL suspended Gregg Williams for his role in the Saints bounty scandal. Williams’ son Blake, who was working as the linebackers coach, handled most of the defensive play-calling duties but was not asked to return after he didn’t mesh well with the rest of a veteran defensive coaching staff.

The defense won’t take on any major modifications under Walton as the system remains the collaboration of Fisher, assistant head coach Dave McGinnis and others. Those collaborative efforts will remain in place when it comes to game planning, but Walton will call the plays on game day.

Walton’s history working with defensive backs has also come in handy with a young group aside from cornerback Cortland Finnegan. Throughout camp, Walton has been regularly seen working with the secondary during individual periods.

While opinions about whether having a defensive coordinator will make a big difference are mixed, Finnegan believes it can only help a unit that improved to the middle of the pack in 2012 make another move up in the upcoming season.

“I think that’s huge for us,” Finnegan said. “You talk about not having that voice last year, and we still did well. I think, this year, having him being able to say yea or nay to stuff and really working on fundamentals, I think that’s something someone like myself and the guys can really benefit from him.”

3. Can the offensive line stay healthy?

The only position group on the Rams offense that boasts plenty of meaningful NFL experience is the offensive line. That’s a great place to have it, so long as that group can stay intact.

While the left-guard job still needs to be sorted out between Chris Williams and Shelley Smith, the other four on the line -- left tackle Jake Long, center Scott Wells, right guard Harvey Dahl and right tackle Rodger Saffold -- have combined for 289 regular-season starts. If Williams wins the job, that number jumps to 327.

Expecting any group of offensive linemen to remain healthy for an entire season is probably an exercise in folly, but it might be even more wishful given the age, injury history, or both, of each of the four already entrenched on the line.

Long, brought in to protect Bradford’s blind side, was the team’s biggest offseason addition and has been sharp in camp. But he’s 28 and coming off a season during which he missed four games because of a triceps injury on the heels of a back injury that cost him a pair of games in 2011.

Wells is 32 and never had an injury history of note before a foot issue cost him nine games in 2012. That came after offseason knee surgery that cost him part of last season’s training camp.

Like Wells, Dahl has never had many injury issues, but, also like Wells, he’s 32 and coming off a triceps injury that kept him out of the team’s final two games of 2012.

While Saffold is the youngest of the group at 25, he actually has the most problems staying on the field. He missed six games in 2012 after hurting his knee and seven in 2011 because of concussion, ankle and pectoral injuries. He suffered a dislocated left shoulder injury Thursday against Cleveland and is expected to miss a preseason game or two because of it.

Injury issues for Saffold could complicate things further given that he’s moving to right tackle after spending his first three seasons on the left side.

None of those concerns would matter much if the Rams had a roster stocked with experienced depth on the line, but as experienced as the starters are, the backups are pretty green.

Smith started six games last season, and swing tackle Joe Barksdale got his first two starts under his belt in 2012, but that’s it in terms of game experience among the backups.

Fisher has taken steps in camp to protect his linemen, regularly offering them repetitions off throughout practice. That leaves the members of the line hoping for the type of good luck that doesn’t come easily to many teams.

“I hope so,” Long said. “The last couple years for me, I have had the injury bug. And I know Scott has had some injuries and Rodger and Harvey. Hopefully, we can all stay healthy and strong. We are all feeling good right now, so, hopefully, we can continue that and just keep getting better.”

REASON FOR OPTIMISM

The Rams defense moved into the top half of the league in 2012, buoyed by a dominant defensive line, which returns all of its key players from a season ago. That group helped the Rams tie Denver for most sacks in the league (52), and the front seven was further fortified with the addition of linebacker Alec Ogletree. The offense boasts more raw speed and athleticism than any group the Rams have put together in nearly a decade. Bradford finally has some stability with the scheme as he and Schottenheimer embark on Year 2 together.

REASON FOR PESSIMISM

While talented, the Rams are almost entirely unproven at the offensive skill positions. Bradford is the elder statesman of the group, and he’s entering just his fourth season in the league. Compounding matters is an offensive line that takes on the complete opposite look from the skill positions with a group of mostly older players who have dealt with various injury issues in recent seasons. The defense will return eight starters but has some questions on the back end at safety. Taking the next step to compete in a treacherous NFC West against a difficult schedule will require big progress for young players at running back and receiver and a fair amount of luck in terms of health on the offensive line.

OBSERVATION DECK

• While Austin and Cook are garnering a lot of the attention, Givens has been perhaps the most consistent pass-catching option the Rams have in camp. Matched up against cornerback Janoris Jenkins more often than not, Givens has continued to make tough, contested catches and is running crisper routes than he did as a rookie, particularly in the intermediate areas.

• Rookie safety T.J. McDonald has been better than expected in coverage. He struggled in that regard for most of his senior season and again at the Senior Bowl, but aside from some problems covering Cook and a couple of mixups in the preseason opener, he’s been solid on the back end.

• Defensive tackle Michael Brockers remains the most physically intimidating presence on the roster and actually added about five to seven pounds in the offseason while packing on muscle to get to 326 pounds. If there’s one player here who seems poised for a true breakout, it’s Brockers.

• In February, Fisher all but anointed second-year quarterback Austin Davis as Bradford's backup. Not long after, the Rams re-signed Kellen Clemens, and neither has done much in camp to separate from the other.

• After parting ways with blocking tight end Matthew Mulligan as a salary-cap savings move in the offseason, the Rams already had some in-house options. Cory Harkey is the presumptive favorite in the role, but don’t sleep on veteran Zach Potter. He brings more experience and could be in the mix to compete with, or be kept in addition to, Harkey.

• It’s highly unlikely the Rams will have as many undrafted free agents make the opening-day roster as they did a season ago, when they started with seven, but it seems as though there is room for one or two to make it, specifically at linebacker. Ray-Ray Armstrong has been consistent throughout camp, and if he can perform on special teams in the preseason, he could make it.

• The Rams have three running backs jockeying for position in Pead, Richardson and Stacy, but if they opt to keep a fourth, there’s a good battle brewing between Ganaway and Cunningham for the spot. Fisher personally called Cunningham after the draft to sway him to sign, and he’s flashed the type of speed that could give him a leg up.

 

[Faust]

Rapid Reaction: Giants 18, Steelers 13

By Ohm Youngmisuk | ESPN.com

PITTSBURGH –- Eli Manning and Victor Cruz showed they are still very much on the same page, and rookie defensive end Damontre Moore looked impressive in the Giants' 18-13 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday in their preseason opener.

What it means: The Giants have some work to do, but there are reasons to believe they can be explosive on offense. Manning and Cruz looked like they were in midseason form.
It's clear the Giants have a variety of personnel options on defense. The run defense, however, had difficulty slowing down Pittsburgh's ground game in the first half.

The Salsa is back: Cruz missed valuable offseason training time with Manning due to the Pro Bowl receiver's contract negotiations. But Cruz showed why the Giants gave him $45.879 million over six years. Cruz burned the Steelers' secondary for a 57-yard touchdown catch from Manning near the end of the first quarter, which led to his first salsa dance of the year.

"It's great to be on the same page with your quarterback," Cruz said. "Eli and I work hard on that. When things are clicking, you really get the results you want."

DaMonster: Moore lived up to his college nickname of "DaMonster" in his preseason debut. After looking impressive in camp, the team’s third-round pick blocked a punt and had three tackles, a couple of pressures and one quarterback hit all in the first half. Moore disrupted a couple of short passes and looked incredibly active.

Moore's blocked punt with 11:27 to go in the first quarter was recovered by Louis Murphy and set the Giants up with first-and-goal at the Pittsburgh 5-yard line. The Giants' offense, though, failed to gain a yard and settled for a field goal.

Moore has been competing with Adrian Tracy to be the fourth defensive end once Jason Pierre-Paul returns from back surgery. If Moore keeps this up, he'll see snaps in the defensive end rotation behind JPP, Justin Tuck and Mathias Kiwanuka.

Stop the run: The Giants made a concerted effort in the offseason to bolster their run defense. But the Steelers racked up 81 yards on 17 carries in the first half, including 36 yards on a 13-play drive in the first quarter. The Steelers had success running the ball without their prized rookie Le'Veon Bell, who did not play due to a knee injury.

Defensive coordinator Perry Fewell shuffled in many of his tackles and ends. Cullen Jenkins started at defensive end as the Giants opened with Linval Joseph and Shaun Rogers inside. Second-round pick Johnathan Hankins and Mike Patterson also saw a lot of first-half snaps.

The Giants also took a long look at starting linebackers Mark Herzlich, Spencer Paysinger and Keith Rivers while shuffling in Jacquian Williams a bit in the first half.

Injuries: Backup wide receiver Kris Adams suffered a fractured lower leg in the third quarter.

Tuck (back), wide receiver Hakeem Nicks (groin), right guard Chris Snee (hip), cornerback Terrell Thomas (knee), tackle Justin Pugh (concussion), tackle James Brewer (concussion), safety Cooper Taylor (hamstring) and running back Ryan Torain (concussion) did not play.

What's next: The Giants won't play again until Aug. 18 at home against Andrew Luck and the Colts. Hopefully Ahmad Bradshaw will be active and make a homecoming.

 

[Faust]

Camp Confidential: Tennessee Titans

By Paul Kuharsky | ESPN.com

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Look at the Tennessee Titans from any angle and the focus winds up on the same spot: starting quarterback Jake Locker.

The Titans did a lot of overhauling after a miserable 6-10 season. All of it puts the third-year quarterback in a better position to succeed.

“I think throwing with confidence makes a big difference, and that’s what I feel like I am doing this year,” Locker said.

The Titans parted with Matt Hasselbeck and brought in Ryan Fitzpatrick as the No. 2. They are confidant Fitzpatrick can step in and win games if needed, but they have no leash on Locker. The entire organization is committed to him and believes he’s the right guy to quarterback the team to a turnaround.

“He’s really taken ownership,” Fitzpatrick said. “You can see he’s a confident guy, and that’s one thing that you really need as a quarterback. He’s really worked at his game mentally. We’re progression-based now, and he’s really trying to take it to the next level in terms of his footwork and accuracy. This whole offseason I’ve definitely seen improvement.”

Locker will be running an easier, more straightforward system. He’s got a "move" tight end in Delanie Walker (not currently healthy) who adds a dynamic the Titans haven’t had since Locker was drafted with the eighth overall pick in 2011. The receivers are deep and talented. The offensive line could be a dominant group, which should mean a Chris Johnson/Shonn Greene run game will provide great balance. And the defense should get Locker the ball back more often and with better field position.

I’ve seen steady progress and more consistent play in recent practices. But he needs to carry that over into games, and he needs to address two things that might qualify as habits: a tendency to start slow, and a propensity to throw more comfortably and more accurately to his left than to his right.

THREE HOT ISSUES

1. The pass rush.

The Titans generated a reasonable total of 39 sacks last season, with 6.5 from Derrick Morgan and six apiece from Kamerion Wimbley and Akeem Ayers. The Super Bowl Champion Baltimore Ravens ran the same number of defensive plays (1,086), and they had 37 sacks.

But no single player on the Titans’ defensive front ranked as a scheme-changer that offenses had to account for before every play. And the committee work in conjunction with coverage that was far too soft, far too frequently, played a big role in allowing a league-worst 471 points.

They didn’t change a lot at end. They added size in end Ropati Pitoitua, who figures to play a lot of run downs, and depth in fifth-rounder Lavar Edwards. Ayers will be a much more regular presence as a pass-rusher, and both Morgan and Wimbley will play much less than 80 percent of the snaps, which wore them down a year ago. Does all that and a more aggressive scheme influenced by Gregg Williams turn the Titans into a more threatening pass-rushing team? I can’t say yes yet.

2. Two important coaches.

Dowell Loggains took over as offensive coordinator with five games left last season, but it’s not like he could revamp everything Chris Palmer was doing. Given an offseason, he has. These Titans will be less reactive and try to dictate more, and the options routes that complicated things and counted on receivers and the quarterback to read things the same way are gone. Things are tailored to Locker now, and Loggains has more talent at his disposal than Palmer did in 2011 or 2012.

On defense, Williams returns from his year in Bountygate exile with a simple promise he expected would help him win players over: That he can make them better. He’s not the same guy he was back when he was the Titans' defensive coordinator from 1997-2000, but the season suspension certainly made him reflect and he comes back a different guy from the one who was coordinator for the Saints. I suspect he will positively impact key guys on this defense like Ayers, cornerback Tommie Campbell, safety Michael Griffin and defensive tackle Jurrell Casey.

3. The offensive line.

Last season was a disaster, as the Titans had to call on more depth than any team can have. But the franchise counted on coach Mike Munchak and another offensive line Hall of Famer, line coach Bruce Matthews, to develop guys. A couple they counted on who never reached the expected level are gone now, and the Titans have much better players in place of Leroy Harris and Eugene Amano.

With a line of Michael Roos, Andy Levitre, Fernando Velasco/Robert Turner/Brian Schwenke, Chance Warmack and David Stewart, Tennessee feels like it has re-identified its identity.

“If we’re going to win, it’s going to be because our offensive line is a lot better than it was last year, and we’re physical, and we’re relentless, and we’re going to move people around on both sides of the ball,” Munchak said at the start of camp.

REASON FOR OPTIMISM

They identified last season’s issues and have addressed them all in some fashion. That’s with coaching staff alterations, changes in thinking and scheme, major player additions in free agency and a draft that looks solid. This isn’t a team that sat back and assumed that given another year of seasoning, its 6-10 record could turn into 10-6. It took action. Now we have to find out if the moves and changes total up and produce a big difference in overall outcome.

REASON FOR PESSIMISM

The unproven quarterback and the schedule. The Titans open at Pittsburgh and at Houston, and also play San Diego, a team Tennessee always struggles with, at Seattle and San Francisco before the Oct. 27 bye. It’s impossible to predict how the competition will be. But through the first seven games, 4-3 might qualify as pretty good but might still leave them having to chase to get into playoff contention.

OBSERVATION DECK

• Campbell has looked really good, and his physical makeup is tremendous, but is he ready to handle the mental end of the job? The team wants to play more press, physical coverage, and he’s suited to do so. They hyped him a year ago in camp then didn’t trust him enough to play him. We heard even better things about him this offseason, but recently they’ve put out the word not to count out Alterraun Verner and Campbell was tentative in the preseason opener. If they can’t get Campbell onto the field given his physical characteristics, I’ll question the effectiveness of the coaches who have raved so regularly.

• Linebacker Colin McCarthy finally climbed back into the starting unit recently, then was sidelined the very next day with a hamstring injury. He’s a good player, but he’s always dealing with something. They are prepared to go with Moise Fokou, and I expect it’ll be very much a two-down job. The Titans are relying on all defenders getting a signal from the sideline, so the coach-to-player communication device won’t be a factor that helps keep a middle linebacker on the field.

• Undrafted kicker Maikon Bonani has a giant leg, but he has to improve his control. Rob Bironas is recovering from back issues.

• Weakside linebacker Zach Brown came into the league facing a charge by a prominent draft analyst that he was allergic to contact. He’s been anything but, and his growth as a rookie was a bright spot. He and rookie Zaviar Gooden are blazers at linebacker who can help the Titans deal with some of the tough coverage mismatches created against other offenses.

• I expect offenses to target strong safety Bernard Pollard in the passing game. He’s an in-the-box safety, though he bristles at conversation about his coverage skills. The Titans plan to use George Wilson also, and he’s a more sound coverage safety. Pollard has brought needed swagger. But I wonder if Wilson won’t ultimately wind up with more snaps.

• Two eye-catching undrafted rookies at camp have been tight end Jack Doyle and defensive tackle Stefan Charles.

 

[Faust]

Camp Confidential: New Orleans Saints

By Pat Yasinskas | ESPN.com

METAIRIE, La. -- The first thing I noticed when watching the New Orleans Saints practice was the silence.

There was no messing around and no coaches screaming at players. Instead, the Saints looked like a veteran team that is intensely focused -- more focused than last year, when chaos surrounded the entire season. Maybe even more focused than in 2009, when the Saints eventually won their first Super Bowl championship.

The quiet practices are a firm sign that coach Sean Payton is back in charge and that this team wants to put last season as far in the past as possible. The bounty scandal that led to the season-long suspension of Payton and a disappointing 7-9 record is over, and the Saints want to return to their winning ways.

“Last year was an apparition," quarterback Drew Brees said. “It was a different time with all the situations that had taken place. This year, just knowing that we’ve got everybody here, this is our team. Nobody’s missing. This is the team that can accomplish great things, and there’s a lot of work that needs to be done. Here’s our window of time to bring it together. We know there’s going to be tough times. We know there’s going to be adversity. Build that attitude, build that chemistry, and get ready to make a run at it.”

Payton’s return alone should make a big difference. He’s one of the league’s best coaches and possesses a brilliant offensive mind. After watching his team from a distance last year, Payton had some strong critiques for his players, even the superstars.

Soon after Payton was reinstated, he called tight end Jimmy Graham and told him that a season in which he caught 85 passes but led the league in drops, according to ESPN Stats & Information, wasn’t good enough.

“First, he called me and I didn’t recognize the number so I didn’t pick it up," Graham said. “He was pretty mad because it took like two or three days for me to call him back. The conversation was very serious, talking about his expectations for me and the things that I need to correct from last year and how he’s ready to be back. He’s ready to see my growth even more."

Payton needs to see growth from more than Graham. He’s made it clear that he wants to run the ball more often and that the Saints have to be substantially better on defense.

If the Saints can combine those things with Brees and the passing game, they should be right back in playoff contention.

THREE HOT ISSUES

1. The defensive overhaul.

Payton is an offensive guru, but the first order of business upon his reinstatement was to replace defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo with Rob Ryan. Spagnuolo’s defense never caught on in New Orleans, and the Saints finished last season ranked No. 32 in total defense.

The Saints aren’t just switching coordinators. They’re switching schemes. With Payton’s blessing, Ryan is installing a 3-4 scheme. The pass rush now will have to come from the outside linebackers, particularly Junior Galette, Will Smith and Martez Wilson, a trio of guys that previously played defensive end.

The secondary also is going through some major changes. The Saints signed free-agent cornerback Keenan Lewis and drafted safety Kenny Vaccaro in the first round.

The defense will look a lot different because Ryan uses a lot of exotic looks. If the results are different from last season, the Saints will be in good shape.

2. Ingram’s time?

Payton repeatedly has said the Saints need to get back to running the ball more efficiently. They were good in that area in their Super Bowl season but got away from the run last season.

There really is no reason the Saints shouldn’t be able to get production from the running game. They have a good offensive line and three talented running backs -- Mark Ingram, Darren Sproles and Pierre Thomas.

The real wild card is Ingram. Payton and general manager Mickey Loomis used a first-round pick on Ingram in 2011, but he hasn’t produced a lot in his first two years. I think Payton is going to make it a point to give Ingram more carries this season.

3. A new age of receivers.

A few years ago, the Saints had a receiving corps as deep as any in the league, which came in handy because they use so many three- and four-receiver sets. But Robert Meachem and Devery Henderson left over the past two seasons. Joe Morgan, who had been ticketed for the third receiver spot, suffered a season-ending injury in camp.

That leaves starters Marques Colston and Lance Moore as the only sure things. Beyond them, there’s a lot of uncertainty. But the Saints hope veteran Steve Breaston, who was signed this week, and second-year pro Nick Toon, who missed his rookie season with an injury, can fill the void.

REASON FOR OPTIMISM

Any team that has Brees as its quarterback is going to be competitive. With weapons such as Graham, Colston and Sproles, the Saints are going to score plenty of points. It would be difficult for the defense to be any worse than last season.

If the Saints can just put a middle-of-the-pack defense on the field, they can be a dangerous team.

REASON FOR PESSIMISM

The Saints already have had some tough breaks when it comes to injuries. Defensive end Kenyon Coleman and outside linebacker Victor Butler, who were brought in specifically to fill important roles in Ryan’s defensive scheme, already have suffered season-ending injuries.

Ryan is an aggressive coach, and the 3-4 has had plenty of success around the league in recent years. But I’m not sure Ryan has the personnel to make this defense succeed. It could take another offseason to get this defense fully stocked.

OBSERVATION DECK

• One of the brightest spots in training camp has been the play of second-year defensive lineman Akiem Hicks. I saw him make several big plays during my visit. Hicks is going to get his chance to shine in the regular season, and with Coleman out, it looks like he'll be a starter at defensive end.

• In another sign that the Saints are serious about running the ball more, Graham has bulked up. The tight end said he now weighs about 270 pounds and that he’s focusing on becoming a better blocker.

• The Saints have a history of finding unheralded running backs who end up making a contribution (see Chris Ivory and Travaris Cadet). They might have found another one in Khiry Robinson, an undrafted free agent out of West Texas A&M. Robinson has flashed big-play ability in camp. The Saints have so much depth at running back that it might be tough for him to make the roster, but he could end up on the practice squad.

• There was some thought that Jason Smith, a former first-round pick by the St. Louis Rams, could end up as the starting left tackle. But it doesn’t look like that’s going to happen. Charles Brown has been getting virtually all the first-team work. Smith has fallen to third on the depth chart and is working behind rookie Terron Armstead. It’s looking like Smith might not even make the roster.

• In recent years, the Saints have brought rookie defensive backs along slowly. Malcolm Jenkins and Patrick Robinson didn’t play significant roles in their first seasons. But I don’t think the Saints are going to be cautious with Vaccaro. Whether it’s at one of the safety spots or as the nickelback, Vaccaro is going to play a lot this season.

 

[Faust]

Coughlin Report: Mixed review for RBs

By Ohm Youngmisuk | ESPN.com

Tom Coughlin was still agitated with Andre Brown's fumble a day later.

And the head coach didn't like that New York Giants were unable to run the ball with a ton of success. But he did see some positives in pass protection from his backs.

First, let's get to Coughlin's feelings on the fumble, when Brown mishandled a pitch to the right during the second quarter of the Giants' 18-13 win over the Steelers.

"It concerns me," Coughlin said. "It concerns Andre, too. I don't care how much and how long you play the game -- there are certain things that have to happen before you run the ball. You have to look the ball in if it is going to be a toss or pitch or pass.

"First, you got to catch the darn thing and cover it up before you can go on to the next objective. I am sure he will learn a lot. To his credit he went right back in and did some good things."

Brown and starter David Wilson combined for a total of 39 yards on nine carries. The Giants are going to need better production, although they did play without right guard Chris Snee on Saturday night.

"[One of the] areas of concern was our inability to rush the ball with any kind of consistency," Coughlin said.

Coughlin did see good signs with the running backs' pass protection. This is an area of emphasis for Wilson, who on one passing play went to block an oncoming defender low only to see the linebacker hurdle his block.

"He had one very, very good cut block when he stepped up and took on the blitzing linebacker," Coughlin said. "And he tried to carry on that same route of execution out, and the 'backer stepped over him one time. He has got to learn that you really don't cut people at the feet of the quarterback. That is not going to accomplish anything.

"If you step up and take up the slack and you are far enough away from the quarterback, you can use it as a changeup. But basically you have to stand in there. But he will learn that. They did a good job [pass protecting]. Andre did a real good job of chipping and helping where it was obvious that the help was needed."

Grading run defense: Coughlin said the first-team run defense had "two wins and seven losses against Pittsburgh's running game."

"We got to shore that up and be able to stop the opponents' run," the coach said. "Right off the bat, we were reached. Didn't get to a point where we could reject the front and the ball carriers were able to flash and make yardage and a couple of times cut the ball back. I think we will do a better job once we get a look at this tape and understand our gap responsibilities. ... This is going to continue to be an objective for us."

The Steelers racked up 81 yards on 17 carries in the first half, including 36 yards on a 13-play drive in the first quarter.

Linebackers' grade: Coughlin said middle linebacker Mark Herzlich does an "outstanding job" of getting the signals and making calls in the game. But he added that no one particular linebacker stood out individually.

"We are analyzing the linebacker play the entire preseason," Coughlin said, "so we can get the right people on the field in the right spots. It is ongoing."

"There were flashes," he added by certain individuals. "I don't know if there was any one particular individual that made enough or a whole lot of plays for me to say [someone stood out]. We didn't give up a touchdown so somebody was doing a good job of that."

 

[Faust]

Miami Dolphins Stock Watch

By James Walker | ESPN.com

It’s only the preseason, but the Miami Dolphins had an easy 27-3 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars.

There were a lot of impressive performances in Miami’s blowout win. So in my latest “Stock Watch,” I’m only going to focus on whose stock is up this week.

Here is a look at whose stock is on the rise:

Rising

1. Caleb Sturgis, kicker: Sturgis had a stellar preseason debut against Jacksonville with two made field goals of 58 and 36 yards, three successful extra points and four touchbacks. The rookie fifth-round pick displayed all the skills that made him the first kicker taken in the April draft. He was the favorite to beat out Dan Carpenter entering the game due to his modest salary. His performance Friday night will make it extremely tough for Carpenter to make up ground. Sturgis also celebrated his 24th birthday on Friday, which made his NFL debut that much sweeter.

2. Will Davis, cornerback: I don’t know if there is a Dolphins player who improved more from the start of training camp to now than Davis. The rookie third-round pick was getting torched in camp through the 10 days. But suddenly, the light has come on in the past week and Davis is making many plays. Davis got an athletic, leaping interception in the third quarter against Jacksonville. He also got two picks off Miami starting quarterback Ryan Tannehill in practice last week. After a slow start, Miami’s third-round pick is making a name for himself and is closer to carving out a role on the team.

3. Nolan Carroll, cornerback: Perhaps no bubble player needed a good game this weekend more than Carroll. He’s had a decent, but not spectacular, training camp. And the number’s game at cornerback will make it tough for Carroll to make the 53-man roster. Carroll got a lot of playing time Friday and led Miami with four tackles and an interception that led to the team’s second touchdown. Carroll caught a dropped pass by the receiver and returned it 22 yards. Carroll also got into the heads of the Jacksonville sideline. Reportedly, a jawing match on the sideline between Carroll and suspended Jaguars receiver Justin Blackmon led to Blackmon being forced to go into the locker room by Jacksonville’s coaches.

4. Ryan Tannehill, quarterback: It was not the most impressive preseason performance. But Tannehill finished his day strong with an 80-yard touchdown drive. Tannehill completed three passes on that drive for 52 yards, which included a 22-yard touchdown pass to tight end Dustin Keller. Tannehill has been up and down in training camp and the preseason, there is plenty of time left to work out the kinks. Tannehill showed some flashes for the first time Friday in the preseason game.

5. Jonas Gray, running back: It wasn’t a great night statistically, but backup tailback Jonas Gray showed some versatility and toughness by getting into the end zone twice against Jacksonville on goal-line situations. Gray finished with 32 yards rushing and two touchdowns on 14 carries. The week before he showed some burst in the open field with 76 total yards rushing and receiving. Gray is making a strong push for a roster spot as the backup tailback. Daniel Thomas currently holds that position but has been underwhelming thus far. Keep an eye on Miami’s young running backs like Gray and rookie Mike Gillislee in the coming weeks.

 

[Faust]

Camp Confidential: Detroit Lions

By Kevin Seifert | ESPN.com

ALLEN PARK, Mich. -- The Detroit Lions opened training camp expressing unprecedented confidence in the direction of their program, and, if anything, their steam has picked up since then. A relatively injury-free camp, the obvious impact of multiple newcomers and a rousing victory in the first week of the preseason have the Lions and many of their fans convinced they will bounce back from last season's 4-12 record.

"We're every bit as optimistic now as we were then," coach Jim Schwartz said late last week, "and probably more so -- particularly with some of our rookies and younger players. Now, we're saying that two weeks into camp, before we've even played a preseason game. The tale of the tape is going to be consistency over the course of time. But certainly our stance hasn't changed."

Importantly, that optimism isn't based solely on anticipation of another year of development between quarterback Matthew Stafford and receiver Calvin Johnson. It's a nod toward the early returns on the fit with tailback Reggie Bush. There is relief that receivers Nate Burleson and Ryan Broyles, who both suffered significant leg injuries last season, have returned healthy.

There's more. Defensive tackles Ndamukong Suh and Nick Fairley were unblockable during the practices I watched last week. Rookie defensive end Ziggy Ansah returned an interception for a touchdown in the first quarter of his first NFL game action. New safety Glover Quin's leadership is notable, and rookie punter Sam Martin has been perhaps the most impressive newcomer of all.

The good vibes, and presumed results, come at a crucial time for the franchise. The Lions are entering their fifth season under Schwartz and general manager Martin Mayhew, and there might not be a sixth if this team misses the playoffs.

"I'm a vet," Burleson said. "I've been at this 11 years. I'm trying to get everyone to understand that if we don't do what we need to do, these name plates above these lockers, this furniture, [everything] is going to be shipped up out of here -- including myself. So I've got to be productive, and everybody has to have the mindset that the time is now, so in order for us to do something special and bring something special to this city, we're going to have to win."

THREE HOT ISSUES

1. Offensive line transition:

The Lions will have three new starters on the line, and here's the good news: The player in the most important position appears to be making a smooth transition. Riley Reiff, the Lions' first-round draft pick in 2012, has replaced retired left tackle Jeff Backus, and he held his own against the Lions' talented defensive line during my training camp visit last week.

Reiff bulked up this offseason after spending his rookie year in a quasi-tight end role. He might be the most soft-spoken player in the Lions' otherwise-boisterous locker room -- when I asked him about the job, he shrugged his shoulders and said, "They asked me to play left tackle so I'm playing left tackle" -- but he more than passed the eyeball test as a credible left tackle.

The same can't be said, at least not yet, about the wide-open jobs on the right side of the line. The Lions are rotating two players at right tackle and up to four at right guard, and no clear leaders had emerged by the weekend. (It was notable, however, that the Lions played rookie right guard Larry Warford for three-quarters of Friday night's game against the New York Jets.) In this case, time will tell.

2. Stafford's next step:

He failed to build on his breakout 2011 season in 2012, but in the big picture, Stafford is an experienced starter who has thrown for 10,005 yards in two seasons and who, at 25, still has plenty of room to grow.

That status, however, has generated rare expectations for a Lions quarterback, leading to training camp reports of missed passes and microanalyses of mechanics in a space once reserved for delineating various levels of incompetence. The franchise endorsed his progress with a contract extension that in essence locks him in for another three years at the helm, but the football world is waiting anxiously to see whether Stafford can elevate his career to an elite level.

My time at Lions camp suggested he is aware of but unaffected by those expectations. I saw no worrisome incompletions, no signs of malaise and an important sense of context as voiced by Schwartz.

"You don't [want to] take him for granted," Schwartz said. "We have a couple of guys new to our organization that come out to practice, and that's one of the first things that they want to say is, 'Holy mackerel, did you see the throw he made here?' It's a little bit like Calvin. You watch him a lot, and you forget how big he is and the plays he made."

3. Special-teams overhaul:

Lost in the Lions' busy offseason was a near-total reconstruction of their special teams. New coordinator John Bonamego has welcomed newcomers at place-kicker (likely David Akers), punter (likely Martin) and returner (a wide-open competition to replace Stefan Logan). The Lions also signed longtime special-teams ace Montell Owens to anchor their coverage units.

Akers is working on a limited regimen after an injury-plagued season with the San Francisco 49ers, but he appears healthy and will benefit from both indoor home games and Martin's strong kickoff skills. Martin has been booming punts throughout camp, and his three touchbacks (in as many attempts) in the preseason opener suggest the Lions might have found a long-term answer at the position.

The return game is unsettled and probably dependent on bottom-of-the-roster decisions at other positions. Undrafted rookie Steven Miller has demonstrated elite quickness while getting the majority of reps in training camp, but can the Lions squeeze a return specialist onto their roster? His minimal action as a returner in the preseason opener makes you wonder whether he is a candidate for the practice squad.

REASON FOR OPTIMISM

Of all the factors I rattled off earlier this post, the most significant might be the attention the Lions placed on their defense this offseason. You're doing pretty well if the worst thing you can say is that the strongside linebacker position is unsettled, especially when you realize that whoever wins the job will come off the field in nickel situations, anyway.

The Lions invested heavily at defensive end (drafting Ansah and Devin Taylor, signing Jason Jones and Israel Idonije), cornerback (re-signing Chris Houston, drafting Darius Slay) and safety (re-signing Louis Delmas and acquiring Quin). After two weeks of camp, Stafford said, "This is probably the most talented secondary we've had since I've been here," and Schwartz was lauding the leadership Quin will provide.

"A lot was made a few years back when we signed Kyle Vanden Bosch and Nate Burleson," Schwartz said, "and the difference that they made on the team was a big part of us making it to the playoffs [the] next year. I think the same thing, when it's all said and done, will be said about Quin because he brings that same kind of leadership, that same sort of professionalism."

We all expect the Lions' offense to score this season. If their defense can keep pace, as it appears it is equipped to do, the Lions will be a playoff team.

REASON FOR PESSIMISM

Schwartz said "there is no doubt" that the Lions have enough good pieces to make up a competent offensive line. But on the list of potential problem spots that could derail their season, the Lions' offensive line sits most prominently. If you believe in the law of averages, you wonder whether any team could come up with three good starters in one offseason, as the Lions are hoping to accomplish.

Warford has his work cut out to win the right guard job, as many have assumed he would. (The Lions got him 53 snaps in the preseason opener to accelerate that process.) Many have considered Jason Fox the favorite to win the right tackle job, but competitor Corey Hilliard got the first start of the preseason.

It's too early to judge the outcome of this overhaul, but there is no doubting the challenge it entails and the ramifications if it falls short.

OBSERVATION DECK

• Excitement about the Bush acquisition has centered around his receiving skills and ability to break long runs. But you'll have to trust me on this: The Lions are just as intrigued by his ability to run between the tackles. There will be just as many opportunities for that kind of yardage in a Calvin Johnson offense as there will be anywhere else. "The things that Jahvid [best] was able to do for us, when he got outside of the tackles, Reggie can do those things," Johnson said. "But Reggie can run inside the tackles as well. He's a good overall back."

• Along those lines, the Lions also are trying to identify a change-of-pace back behind Bush, and my sense is that they're past the point of giving Mikel Leshoure an inherent advantage over Joique Bell because of his pedigree as a second-round draft pick. If Leshoure isn't any more explosive than he was last season -- and I didn't see any evidence of that at camp -- there is a real opportunity for Bell to win the job.

• One of the more intriguing prospects in camp is rookie running back Theo Riddick, who has a relatively similar skill set as Bush. He is quick, a good receiver, smart in the open field and in contention for a kick return job. And like Bush, he isn't afraid to bust it inside the tackles, either.

• Another interesting prospect who has gotten plenty of attention is 6-foot-7 tight end Joseph Fauria. He can get to balls no one else on the field can reach, with the exception of Johnson when he leaps, and he is a natural receiver. It will be really tough for him to be a good blocker with his lean build, but the Lions need him to be just good enough. I sensed real optimism that he can qualify for that modest expectation.

• Players such as Riddick, Fauria, tight end Michael Williams and others will give the Lions some interesting roster decisions. You wonder whether they will find some room by deciding against having a No. 3 quarterback on their roster. Kellen Moore looks improved and Thaddeus Lewis is intriguing, but the only real reason to keep one of them is if he is projected to someday succeed No. 2 quarterback Shaun Hill. Otherwise, that roster spot might be more valuable elsewhere. "It's about talent and about having a plan for guys," Schwartz said. "We're flexible, and that's not just at quarterback. That's all positions."

• Receiver Patrick Edwards has gotten plenty of work with the first team in camp and has the unwavering support of Burleson, who said: "In my eyes, he is going to be the surprise player that changes games this year." But Edwards didn't show much in 29 snaps Friday night, going without a catch amid two targets. He got a step on Jets rookie cornerback Dee Milliner in the end zone, but Milliner out-jumped him to knock away Stafford's pass. At some point, Edwards will need to demonstrate some game production if he is going to be in the Lions' receiver rotation.

• Delmas (knees) has worked in a little less than half of the Lions' practices and did not suit up for the preseason opener, but the Lions remain confident his limited schedule will leave him ready to play in games when the regular season starts. Schwartz: "We're working hard to get there right now. ... He's feeling good right now, and we're trying to keep it that way. Lou has the advantage of having played in this defense the past few years, even though we have new wrinkles each year. The terminology is the same. He's a really hard worker. We need to balance being on the field and practicing with the point of diminishing returns. I think we've been very proactive in camp doing that. Time will tell how effective that plan has been."

• Much like his week at the Senior Bowl, Ansah wasn't nearly as noticeable during practice as he was during the preseason opener. Nothing he did in three days of training camp jumped out to suggest he was on the cusp of being an elite playmaker, but he stood out immediately against the Jets. In addition to his 14-yard scoring return of an interception, he nailed running back Bilal Powell for a 2-yard loss among his 20 snaps.

• Take this for what it's worth: Even the amateur observer could notice a big upswing in man coverage from the Lions' defense during 11-on-11 drills. Stafford concurred but suggested the shift was more about evaluating the Lions' newly fortified secondary than it was a scheme change. "They're trying to figure out who can cover and who can't," he said. "But they're doing pretty good out there."

 

[Faust]

Camp Confidential: Washington Redskins

By John Keim | ESPN.com

RICHMOND, VA -- The focus is on the right knee of a certain quarterback. Every day, there’s an update. Every day, there are questions about when Robert Griffin III will do more. And his health is often listed one through five as keys to the Washington Redskins season.

Except that the Redskins are confident in backup Kirk Cousins. And even if Griffin is healthy and productive, there’s another massive key to the season: the development, and success, of the defense.

So it’s good news for the Redskins that Brian Orakpo is back and, for now at least, spry and healthy. His impact on the pass rush is dramatic. The Redskins struggled to generate a consistent four-man rush in 2012 minus Orakpo, who was lost in Week 2 to a torn pectoral muscle.

"Rak being back makes Ryan [Kerrigan] better, makes [stephen] Bowen better, makes the secondary better,” nose tackle Barry Cofield said.

And it’s good news for them that their rookie defensive backs show promise, with at least one likely to emerge as a starter and a second who could join that group by season’s end. Safety Bacarri Rambo learned in the preseason opener versus Tennessee the need to take proper angles to the ball carrier, but a strength in practice has been his ability to quickly learn -- and to not get beaten deep. Corner David Amerson’s skills are impressive and he fared well in his debut, playing more physically than he did at North Carolina State. Safety Phillip Thomas hurt his foot in the opener and is day-to-day; he, too, needs to learn what angles he must take and how to tackle in the NFL, but the coaches like his progress.

“They’ve been better than advertised,” corner DeAngelo Hall said before the preseason win over Tennessee.

“They all look the part,” Cofield said. “Our future is bright."

It’s also good they can be creative with their linebackers, thanks to depth on the outside. Eventually, their secondary could offer versatility as well. And it’s good news that nine projected starters will enter their third season in Jim Haslett’s system.

But hold on.

It’s not good news that the secondary needed such a youthful infusion or that the team doesn’t have a full-time slot corner (though the flip side is they feel they have a few who can play here). Nor is it good news that defensive end Jarvis Jenkins will miss the first four games. Or the starting defense has rarely worked together because of a secondary that has players who are either returning from surgeries or getting nicked in practice.

Having two rookies, minimum, playing key roles in the secondary equates to many lessons learned. It could pay off in the future, but what will be the impact in the present? There is, after all, a natural learning curve in the NFL.

The defense ranked 22nd in points allowed last season, 28th in yards allowed and 30th versus the pass. But their regular-season performance must be broken down by their performance in the first nine games (a 3-6 record) and the last seven (all wins). The first nine games: 27.6 points per game (27th in the NFL) and 397.9 yards (28th). The final seven games: 20 PPG (ninth), 351.7 yards (19th).

“Guys really honed into the details of the game plan a lot better, understood situational football a lot better,” linebacker London Fletcher said.

Considering the young players in the secondary, another split of first-half and second-half success could be in store this season.

If the Redskins want to return to the playoffs in consecutive seasons for the first time since 1991-92 -- and become a legitimate postseason threat -- the defense must build off those last seven games of 2012.

THREE HOT ISSUES

1. RG III’s health.

As a rookie, Griffin was knocked from one game with a concussion, and his knee caused him to exit two games early and miss one full one. And because of his knee, he couldn’t practice in the spring and hasn’t yet worked in 11-on-11 work this summer. He’s a smart and talented player, but missing a full offseason isn’t the best way to progress. And Griffin’s improvement as a passer -- in terms of reading defenses, etc. -- will help propel this offense further. He also needs to be smarter when he runs; many times last season he ran and took hits when he had an open target. He can’t tuck the ball 10 yards behind the line as he did at times last season and take off running. With a healthy Griffin, the Redskins can rightly call themselves Super Bowl contenders. Without him? There are more question marks. Also, will he bristle if the Redskins continue to call designed quarterback runs, as they will do?

2. Defensive backfield.

The Redskins will start a rookie safety as much for what they don’t have as for what Rambo offers. It’s a tough spot to place a rookie sixth-round pick, even if his college production warranted him going higher. The corner play was inconsistent last season, to say the least; how much will Amerson help as a rookie? Brandon Meriweather hasn’t been healthy with Washington and has been in and out of practice this summer. There are equal amounts of promise and question marks in the secondary.

3. The pass rush.

The Redskins’ secondary struggled in part because of the inability to mount a consistent pass rush in 2012, minus their best pass-rusher, Orakpo, as well as improving end Adam Carriker. Orakpo is back, and his impact should be noticeable in the way he sets up others, even when he doesn’t get a sack. Without him, the Redskins resorted to more blitzes and other tactics, often leaving the secondary more exposed. For the defense to improve, the rush must be more like in 2011 (41 sacks).

REASON FOR OPTIMISM

The offense. The Redskins averaged 6.2 yards per play, the best for a Mike Shanahan-coached team, a season ago. It’s not just Griffin; it’s also running back Alfred Morris. Both had standout rookie seasons while still learning the NFL and their own offense. The (so far) healthy return of receiver Pierre Garcon and tight end Fred Davis is also important. If Griffin is healthy, the Redskins have a dynamic quarterback. Griffin was raw as a passer in 2012 in terms of reading coverages and going through progressions. Yet he only tossed five interceptions because he’s a smart player and rarely threw into danger. As he improves as a passer, he’ll rely less on his legs, and the offense will evolve. Even if Griffin must sit out, second-year quarterback Cousins has shown good signs of being able to take over for stretches. Morris is not just a product of the zone read. His patience and vision are outstanding, and his strong legs lead to broken tackles.

REASON FOR PESSIMISM

Griffin’s health/defensive depth. Yes, the coaches are confident in Cousins, and he’s shown little reason to have them feel otherwise. He tosses more picks in practice than, say, Griffin did a season ago. But Cousins is smart, understands the offense and is progressing in the pocket, though he only threw 48 passes as a rookie (four touchdowns, three interceptions). Could he, like Griffin a season ago, avoid the back-breaking turnovers? He’ll have to prove that’s the case. Meanwhile, the defensive depth is thin at inside linebacker and now along the line for the first four games because of Jenkins’ suspension and Carriker’s injury. If everyone stays healthy, the Redskins could have solid depth at corner, but they still have inexperience here. Safety is thin, too, because of injury concerns and/or talent level.

OBSERVATION DECK

• Roy Helu has looked like he’ll help in a big way on third downs. There was some rust in the preseason opener. He was too fast to the hole at times; he failed to lower his shoulder at times. But his skills as a runner in the open field were evident. He can make quicker cuts than the other veteran backs on the roster, which will make him dangerous in space. He had two cuts versus the Titans that showed his quick feet. The screen game could be more interesting for Washington this season. The Redskins lacked such a runner last season, but Helu needs to prove he’s durable. If he is, the Redskins will benefit. They point to his 28-yard touchdown run versus Seattle two seasons ago as proof. To refresh, he hopped over a Seahawk at the line en route to a score.

• Linebacker Kerrigan took too wide a path to the quarterback last season, going too much upfield rather than taking a more direct route to the passer (something Orakpo does). But Kerrigan continues to work on his game, and it shows. He’s made it a point to use his hands even more -- especially his left hand on inside counter moves. Kerrigan has shown quick hands in rushes versus right tackle Tyler Polumbus, enabling him to win to the inside.

• The Redskins used Kerrigan in a four-point stance at left tackle in a nickel package versus Tennessee on the play in which he recorded a sack. It helped that rookie Brandon Jenkins was next to him and Orakpo at right outside linebacker. It provides Kerrigan with another pass-rusher on his side to take away a possible double-team and a pass-rusher on the other side who commands offensive attention. Kerrigan was more successful rushing inside, where his quick hands work well versus guards.

• Former Tampa Bay starting right tackle Jeremy Trueblood, who was benched by the Bucs last season, has struggled in camp. He’d have to make major strides in order to earn a roster spot. Another veteran former starter, receiver Devery Henderson, is in the same spot. Henderson, once known for his speed, isn’t getting much separation in camp.

• The Redskins will have some issues at inside linebacker if veteran Nick Barnett doesn’t have much left. Roddrick Muckelroy struggled against Tennessee and worked with the third unit. Bryan Kehl didn’t do much in that game, either, and too often looked a step slow. He looked better last summer, but it’s clear they could be in trouble here if something happens to starters Fletcher or Perry Riley.

• The Redskins like rookie running back Chris Thompson’s explosiveness, but it’s tough to see it on the sideline, where he’s spent most of camp while still recovering from last fall's ACL surgery. Thompson, a fifth-round pick, did not practice during the spring, either, so he’s far behind when it comes to working in this offense. But former Florida State teammate Jenkins continues to flash as a pass-rusher. The Redskins are already working him in with the first defense in various nickel packages.

• Tight end Niles Paul is catching the ball much better this season than last. An underrated part of switching from receiver to tight end was that he’d be running routes from different areas and often shorter routes -- so he’d need to turn and catch a harder-thrown pass. Not every pass he dropped last season can be blamed on that, but it was something Paul had to adjust to and, based on camp, he’s done so. Paul has rarely dropped a pass this summer, if at all. He also played fullback with the second and third string against Tennessee. If the Redskins keep only one fullback, as expected, they would need one of their tight ends to play the spot in a pinch.

• Whether Fletcher can still play at a high level remains to be seen, but there’s no doubt about his desire to compete, especially if you just watch him in practice. When it’s a competitive team portion, Fletcher is vocal and demanding. He even chastised the third unit once for a coverage breakdown during 11-on-11 work. He is not coasting to the end of his career.

• Don’t be fooled by the numbers Griffin is posting in 7-on-7 work, when he routinely completes at least 13 or 14 passes out of 17. Most of the throws are shorter or checkdowns. When he throws downfield, his accuracy has been spotty. There has to be an impact on missing so many workouts, and this is one of them. He’ll occasionally launch a beautiful deep ball, but it’s the 20- to 25-yard throws on which he’s still shaking off the rust.

• Morris has had a quiet camp, but don’t read that as him not doing as well. He shows all the same skills. And if Morris weren’t so humble, perhaps there would be concerns about his ability to sustain success. But those who trained with him in the offseason rave about his work ethic (and leg strength). Morris is one of the more in-demand interviews, yet continues to constantly stop and answer questions -- often for 10-15 minutes at a time. When Morris says things like “I’m just Alfred,” it’s not an act. He hasn’t allowed himself to bask in his rookie-year glory.

• There are still question marks along the offensive line, with Polumbus still needing to prove he can be an effective pass-blocker at right tackle. He needs to do a better job with his hands. He’s not a long-armed tackle, so he can’t bail himself out of trouble if he’s a little off with his technique. His margin for error is smaller. It’s something he worked on in the offseason, but it needs to show up more consistently. Behind him, veteran Tony Pashos has the most aggressive punches of the right tackles, and it’s helped him versus the backup rushers. But after not playing last season and playing hurt the previous, he still needs to become more consistent. The Redskins say they have more depth along the line in general, but it’s young and unproven.

 

[Faust]

Packers practice report: Kicking intensifies

By Rob Demovsky | ESPN.com

GREEN BAY, Wis. -- Before practice on Tuesday morning, kicker Ryan Longwell will retire from the NFL as a member of the Green Bay Packers.

Before he does, the Packers might want to put their all-time leading scorer through one last workout. Even at age 38, he might be a better option than what they have.

Longwell, who asked for permission to retire as a Packer, played in Green Bay from 1997-2005 before signing with the Minnesota Vikings. He spent six years in Minnesota but was out of football in 2012 until the Seattle Seahawks signed him for their divisional playoff game after kicker Steven Hauschka strained a calf muscle. Longwell still holds the Packers’ records for points (1,054), field goals (226) and field goal percentage (81.6).

Now, the Packers are staging a full-fledged kicking competition between veteran Mason Crosby, who last season converted an NFL-worst 63.6 percent of his field goals, and first-year kicker Giorgio Tavecchio.

Coach Mike McCarthy ramped up that competition on Monday in large part because the Packers were so inept on offense in Friday’s 17-0 loss to the Arizona Cardinals that they didn’t attempt any field goals. And once again, there were signs of problems by Crosby on Monday. On a perfect day with little wind, Crosby had the only miss of a 16-kick period, when he was wide left from 46 yards. Both kickers attempted two kicks each from 36, 42, 46 and 53 yards. Crosby went 7-for-8, while Tavecchio made all eight. For the entire camp, Crosby is 22-of-31, while Tavecchio is 27-of-31.

“I thought they hit the ball better than the last time we lined them up,” McCarthy said. “We increased the volume; we need to continue to do that. We’re kicking every other day, and we just can’t do enough of it.”

While Tavecchio’s numbers look better, there are reasons for the Packers to be concerned about him, too. He uses a three-step approach, unlike Crosby’s two-step method, which means it could take him more time to get to the ball after it is snapped. Packers special-teams coach Shawn Slocum wants the ball to be kicked 1.3 seconds after it is snapped to avoid getting blocked.

“I know Coach Slocum has brought up a couple of good points about being quick on the get off,” Tavecchio said.

Tavecchio’s leg strength also is a question. On Monday, he showed more distance than in some recent sessions, but it remains to be seen whether he’s strong enough to handle cold-weather kicking conditions.

“I haven’t experienced that kind of weather yet,” said Tavecchio, a native of Italy who played college football at the University of California. “When I get there, hopefully I get there because that means I’m still around, I’ll deal with it.”

Here were some other developments from Monday’s practice:

• It was the first session this summer that was closed to the public. It was a non-padded practice that McCarthy said focused on “potential concepts” that he did not want seen or written about.

• Rookie receiver Tyrone Walker, the undrafted free agent from Illinois State, who had a team-high five receptions in the loss to the Cardinals, received increased playing time with the starting offense and may be challenging Jarrett Boykin and Jeremy Ross for the No. 4 or 5 receiver spot.

• Rookie cornerback Micah Hyde, a fifth-round pick from Iowa, replaced Davon House as the starting right cornerback. House struggled against the Cardinals, allowing a 38-yard touchdown pass and completions of 18 and 36 yards. When the Packers went to their nickel package on Monday, House replaced Hyde on the outside, and Hyde played in the slot. Hyde and House have received increased reps while Casey Hayward (hamstring) and Tramon Williams (knee) remain sidelined.

• McCarthy defended his decision to practice last Thursday, the day before the preseason opener. It was originally scheduled as a full-pads practice but was held without pads. He said that workout had nothing to do with the team’s poor performance against Arizona. “I don’t think there was a player who played above 35 plays,” McCarthy said. “If we can’t play with energy for 60 minutes after practicing Thursday, then those individuals aren’t going to be here. We’ve been very conscientious how we’re repping our football team, and I can’t be any more conscientious, frankly.”

Medical report: With right guard T.J. Lang resting his sore back, it was impossible to tell what the Packers have planned at right tackle. Don Barclay, who outperformed starting right tackle Marshall Newhouse against the Cardinals, played almost exclusively at Lang’s spot on Monday while Newhouse remained at right tackle.First-round draft pick Datone Jones missed practice because of the sprained left ankle he sustained against the Cardinals but isn’t expected to be out for more than a few days.

Receiver Randall Cobb, who missed the Arizona game because of a biceps injury, practiced with a wrap on his upper right arm.

Others who missed practice were WR Kevin Dorsey (leg), WR Charles Johnson (knee), RB Eddie Lacy (hamstring), S Sean Richardson (neck), OL JC Tretter (ankle), T Bryan Bulaga (knee), T Andrew Datko (concussion), T Derek Sherrod (leg), TE Andrew Quarless (quad), TE Ryan Taylor (knee), WR Jordy Nelson (knee) and DE Jerel Worthy (knee)

What’s next: The Packers have a full-pads practice that is open to the public on Tuesday at 11:15 a.m. CT.

 

[Faust]

Big takeaways from Week 1 of preseason

By Gregg Rosenthal

Around The League Editor

Our season has already started. The Around The League crew was up late Thursday and Friday night recapping all the preseason games and storylines before covering the two weekend games and the rest of the fallout over the weekend.

But we understand that not every reader out there is watching Preseason Live with four screens open as religiously as we are. This column is for those of you with families, vacations or "activities" this August. Here's what you need to know from the first week of the preseason:

No separation at QB
1. We didn't learn much about the respective quarterback battles around the league. New York Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez threw a bone-headed pick six, but otherwise looked competent. Geno Smith didn't do enough to make much of an impression either way before leaving with an ankle injury. Smith is already back at practice, but is consistently limping. His momentum has slowed down over the last week, but it's not like Sanchez is pulling away.

(We discussed the quarterback issues at the top of our latest Around The League Podcast before welcoming Rich Eisen into the studio with us.)

2. Blaine Gabbert threw the ball 10 times in his preseason opener, and gained 19 yards on those throws. He needs to improve his performance or coach Gus Bradley will have no choice but to start Chad Henne.

3. Michael Vick was sharp in his two series against the New England Patriots. Nick Foles also acquitted himself well, but this should be Vick's job to lose. He hasn't lost it.

4. Everyone is thrilled about EJ Manuel's first outing for the Buffalo Bills. We'd like to point out he averaged roughly 5 yards-per-attempt (The Gabbert Zone) and executed his great two-minute drive against the Colts' third-string defense. Manuel wasn't asked to do a lot in his first game, which isn't his fault. But let's not get carried away.

Injuries
Thankfully, there weren't a lot of notable injuries during the four days of games. There were a lot of close scares, but the majority of big names that got hurt over the weekend are already back on the field or close. There weren't a lot of devastating injuries for key players.

1. Linebacker Manti Te'o will miss at least a week of practice with the San Diego Chargers because of a foot injury. It's never a good sign when the team announces right away that a player will miss a week. That often means he'll be out for much longer.

2. Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Deonte Thompson has a sprained foot. This will hurt his bid to be the team's No. 3 receiver.

3. Perhaps the biggest injury nugget came from practice on Monday. Kansas City Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles has a foot sprain. Keep a close eye on this one.

4. Three potential starting running backs returning to practice Monday: Green Bay Packers' DuJuan Harris, the Colts' Ahmad Bradshaw, and the Jets' Chris Ivory.

5. The Steelers announced presumptive starting tight end Matt Spaeth underwent surgery on a Lisfranc fracture in his foot. They are really hurting at the position with their usual starter Heath Miller unlikely to be ready for the start of the season.

6. Arizona Cardinals running back Ryan Williams can't get his troublesome knee healthy. He's going to miss another preseason game this week and may be losing his chance of making the team.

Depth chart
1. Cordarelle Patterson is going to force his way on to the field in Minnesota. He was dynamic in the team's preseason opener and should start climbing out of the No. 4 spot on the wide receiver depth chart.

2. LeGarrette Blount and Branden Bolden could be fighting for one roster spot in New England. Blount's big preseason debut gives him an edge, but Bolden was a better player last year. Don't be shocked if both players make the team.

3. New England's hyped up rookie receivers lived up to their billing. Zach Sudfeld is going to have a big role at tight end. Fellow undrafted rookie Kenbrell Thompkins caught four passes

4. Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Markus Wheaton continues to impress. After a nice preseason effort, he appears to be locked into the team's No. 3 receiver role. It was a nice weekend for rookie wideouts: Houston Texans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins had one of the best plays of the weekend.

The Around The League Podcast is now available on iTunes! Click here to listen and subscribe.

 

[Faust]

DuJuan Harris now off Packers' PUP, gets starting jobBy Chris Wesseling

Around the League Writer

The Green Bay Packers won't be solving their tailback glut by stashing DuJuan Harris on the reserved/physically unable to perform list to start the season.

Less than a week after coach Mike McCarthy revealed that he still views Harris as the starter, the Packers activated Harris from the training-camp PUP list.

Finally over a minor knee injury that put him on the shelf for three weeks, Harris immediately began seeing first-team reps in Monday's practice, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

"DuJuan Harris, the way we ended the season, I would classify him as a starter on our football team," McCarthy reiterated with emphasis Monday. "I have that confidence in him."

Although second-round draft pick Eddie Lacy appeared to be gaining a toehold on the early down role a week ago, the rookie still is rehabbing a hamstring injury. For now at least, McCarthy is rewarding Harris for averaging roughly 0.8 more yards per carry than the rest of the Packers' disappointing running backs last season.

Other Packers news:

» Wide receiver Randall Cobb returned to practice Monday, albeit with his upper right arm wrapped. Cobb sat out the preseason opener after injuring his biceps in practice last week.

» McCarthy indicated that first-round pick Datone Jones will remain out a couple more days with an ankle injury. The defensive end's status is in question for Saturday's game versus the St. Louis Rams.

The Around The League Podcast is now available on iTunes! Click here to listen and subscribe.

 

[Faust]

Injury roundup: Kolb rushes back to Bills practiceBy Chris Wesseling

Around the League Writer

Buffalo Bills quarterback Kevin Kolb is feeling the heat after coach Doug Marrone said he was "very pleased" with EJ Manuel's preseason debut on Saturday.

Kolb conceded Monday that he was trying "push the envelope a little bit" in returning to practice while his left knee is less than 100 percent, according to The Buffalo News.

Still moving gingerly at times, Kolb was the third quarterback in the rotation behind Manuel and Jeff Tuel. He did get a chance with the first team on the second time through the rotation.

Marrone said Monday that it's too early to know if Kolb will play in Friday's game versus the Minnesota Vikings. He's running out of time to give the Bills a reason not to hand the offense over to their prized rookie.

Injury updates from around the league:

» It appears that the Chiefs skirted disaster on Jamaal Charles' injured foot.

» The Colts were forced to activate Ahmad Bradshaw from the active/PUP list when the NFL ruled his Aug. 4 practice handoffs a violation of league rules.

» Running back Bernard Pierce sprained his knee on a 20-yard touchdown run last week, but sustained no structural damage. The Ravers were able to breathe a sigh of relief Monday, when Pierce returned to practice albeit on a limited basis.

» A.J. Green is tentatively expected to attempt a practice return on Wednesday, according to the Bengals' website. A Wednesday return would be 19 days since Green went down with a knee bruise early in camp.

» Kenny Britt missed his second consecutive practice after coming down with swelling and soreness in his surgically repaired right knee. Titans coach Mike Munchack still expects Britt to play Saturday versus the Bengals, and the receiver insists his knee feels great. "No concerns at all," Britt said via the Tennesseean. "I wish I could be out there practicing with the fellas, but I am just taking a few days off and making sure I don't have any setbacks."

» Oakland Raiders coach Dennis Allen expects first-round pick D.J. Hayden to be cleared for contact for the first time on Friday. Hayden has yet to face live contact since nearly losing his life in a freak accident on the University of Houston's practice field last year.

The plan is for the cornerback to return to game action in the third preseason contest versus the Bears on Aug. 23.» Montario Hardesty's return from a hamstring injury didn't last long. Battling for a Browns roster spot, Hardesty was forced from Monday's practice after injuring his right thumb on a high direct snap.

» Sean Weatherspoon returned from a finger injury to practice Monday, but Falcons coach Mike Smith said the linebacker is unlikely to return to game action until week at Tennessee.

The Around The League Podcast is now available on iTunes! Click here to listen and subscribe.

 

[Faust]

Dolphins camp report: Tannehill solid

By James Walker | ESPN.com

DAVIE, Fla. -- The Miami Dolphins continued their preparation for their third preseason game, which is Saturday night against the Houston Texans.

Here are some observations from Monday’s full-padded practice in training camp:

• Miami starting quarterback Ryan Tannehill had a solid practice. He was, however, asked a lot of questions afterwards about the overall inconsistency of the offense. Tannehill has been up and down in training camp and the two exhibition games. He is 7-of-14 passing (50 percent) for 86 yards and a touchdown against the Dallas Cowboys and Jacksonville Jaguars. Tannehill admitted that he knows a lot rests on his shoulder this season. “It’s a quarterback league and I have to play well,” he said.

• Miami No. 3 overall pick Dion Jordan dressed but didn’t participate outside in practice for the second straight day. Dolphins head coach Joe Philbin won’t discuss Jordan’s status, but Jordan has been recovering from offseason shoulder surgery in February. He got increased work in the second preseason game and hasn’t been full-go in practice since.

• One of the toughest positions to make cuts on Miami’s roster this year will be at cornerback. I asked Miami defensive coordinator Kevin Coyle how many corners he usually keeps on a 53-man roster. “Generally speaking, you have either five or six [corners] on the active roster when you get into the final 53,” Coyle said. “It depends on the cornerback position and it also depends on the safeties that are developing. Do you have safeties that can swing and do some of the jobs that a cornerback might be able to do? It all comes into play at the end.”

• The Dolphins did team drills for the first time this week, and Nate Garner was officially inserted as the team’s new right guard. This position has been an issue since John Jerry (knee) went down in the first week of training camp. Miami has tried various combinations that included moving center Mike Pouncey and trying Josh Samuda at right guard. Now, Garner is getting his shot with the first team. The Dolphins didn’t rotate anyone else at right guard with the starting offense on Monday.

• Dolphins rookie cornerback Jamar Taylor looked healthy for a second day in a row after missing most of camp with a sports hernia injury. Taylor is a second-round pick who has some pressure to make an immediate impact. However, the missed time in organized team activities, minicamp and training camp has pushed him far behind the rest of the corners. “You try to get him as many reps as you possibly can,” Philbin said. “You can’t replace [the missed time]. What’s happened has happened. So those repetitions, they’re are gone and will never return. So we will take it one day at a time and see him progress.

• Another injury to keep an eye on is defensive tackle Randy Starks. He’s been held out of practice for the second straight week and wore a sleeve on his right leg when he walked by in practice. Starks is playing on a one-year franchise tag and is falling behind Jared Odrick in the competition for a starting spot at defensive tackle.

• Miami running back and kick returner Marcus Thigpen is getting a lot of work as a slot receiver. He did all his individual drills with the receivers Sunday and didn’t get any work at running back. Thigpen was Miami’s best returner last year, but the Dolphins have a lot of players ahead of him at running back. Miami’s coaching staff is exploring whether Thigpen can help in other areas.

• It was Dan Carpenter's kicking day for the Dolphins. He was 2-for-3 with his only miss being a short attempt on a 54-yard field goal. Carpenter is falling behind rookie Caleb Sturgis in the kicking competition. Unless there’s an injury, Carpenter’s days appear to be numbered.

The Dolphins will take the day off Tuesday and return to the practice field on Wednesday.

 

[Faust]

Rotoworld updates:

Coach Jason Garrett says second-round TE Gavin Escobar has "got to get stronger."
"He knows that; we know that," Garrett continued. "He just has to keep working at it. But one of the things I have been impressed with has been his nastiness and his toughness." Escobar has been invisible during camp and two preseason games. He's caught just one pass for three yards, and Pro Football Focus has Escobar graded out as the worst run-blocking tight end so far this preseason.

Source: Fort Worth Star-Telegram

According to CSN Philly, DeSean Jackson is "catching everything" in Eagles camp and "appears rejuvenated" under Chip Kelly's staff.
"I’m just trying to get back to where I was at the first couple years coming in and taking the steps I need to better myself," said D-Jax. Jackson burned Aqib Talib repeatedly in last week's Eagles-Patriots joint practices, and then torched him on a 47-yard TD bomb in the preseason opener. With Jeremy Maclin out of the mix, Jackson has big upside as the focus of Philly's pass game.

Source: CSN Philly

Dolphins coach Joe Philbin says he's been pleased with Daniel Thomas' running and pass blocking through two-plus weeks of camp.
Thomas has been mixed in with the first-team offense behind Lamar Miller, and the Fins say the camp battle is ongoing. "I like what he’s doing this camp," Philbin said. "I’m very happy with the way he’s practicing. He’s running the ball hard. He’s been doing a good job in pass protection." In 2012, only four NFL backs with as many carries as Thomas averaged a lower YPC: Alex Green, La'Rod Stephens-Howling, Darren McFadden, and Rashad Jennings.

Source: Miami Herald

The Miami Herald reports the Dolphins are "much higher" on Daniel Thomas than fans, and believe he can handle short-yardage duties.

Why the Dolphins remain so high on Thomas is the real question. He has shown absolutely nothing since being the No. 62 overall pick in the 2011 draft, and he's averaged just 3.0 YPC on eight preseason totes. The Dolphins would be wise to consider keeping Jonas Gray as the short-yardage pounder. Instead, they seem oddly locked in on the plodding Thomas as their No. 2.

Aug 10 - 2:40 PM

Source: Miami Herald

Santonio Holmes (foot) says he's "week to week," and "definitely" making progress.
Holmes is circling the wagons after the Jets questioned his rehab through the media on Sunday. "Week to week" is still a hopelessly vague timeline for a player who's been sidelined since last September. There's little reason to believe Holmes will be ready for Week 1. This will be Holmes' final Rotoworld blurb until he resumes running full speed. Unless he does something truly notable.

Source: Manish Mehta on Twitter

A "team insider" tells the New York Daily News Santonio Holmes (foot) "desperately" wants to return, and that the Jets are "happy with (his) work ethic."
So begins the Holmes "Report:" war. ESPN New York reported Sunday that the Jets were concerned Holmes might be "milking" his injury, which has certainly seemed to be the case from afar. Holmes apparently got the message loud and clear, as we'd assume the "team insider" talking of his desperation to return is likely in Holmes' camp. Stowed away on the PUP list, Holmes is rapidly running out of time to get ready for Week 1. The talented, but mercurial, wideout isn't worth a late-round pick in fantasy leagues.

Source: Manish Mehta on Twitter

Joe Webb is being evaluated solely as a receiver in Vikings camp.
Coach Leslie Frazier hinted strongly that Webb's past quarterbacking won't be a consideration at cut-down time. That's a problem for Webb, as the Vikes' top four receivers are already set, and they may only keep five. Webb proved once and for all that he's not an NFL quarterback with his cringe-worthy performance in Minnesota's Wild Card loss.

Source: Minneapolis Star-Tribune

Second-year Colts WR T.Y. Hilton says the "game is slowing down for me."
"So now I can just play fast," Hilton quipped. The big-play threat picked up where he left off last season in Sunday's preseason opener, catching three passes for 61 yards, one of which he took to the house for a 45-yard touchdown. That's despite the fact he was only playing in three-receiver sets with the first-team offense as the Colts bafflingly gave starter's reps to stiff deep-threat Darrius Heyward-Bey. Clearly Indy's second best receiver, we hope Hilton is rewarded with his proper depth chart placement before camp is through.

Source: Indianapolis Star

SI's Peter King says he has "not seen a better offensive weapon" this summer than Jared Cook.
Per King, the Rams "don’t know quite why" Cook caught only 44 passes with the Titans last season. The implication being, fantasy owners weren't the only ones miffed at Tennessee's usage of its talented tight end. Although Cook's camp reports have been nothing but glowing — and suggest he could be a high-end TE1 — he has generated hype before only to fall flat on his face. The difference this time around, however, is that his coaching staff is intent on making him a focal point of the offense.

Source: Sports Illustrated

 

[Faust]

A look at Bills rookies in preseason opener

By Mike Rodak | ESPN.com

Led by quarterback EJ Manuel, the Buffalo Bills' win over the Indianapolis Colts in Sunday's preseason opener was powered in large part by the team's rookie class.

In fact, 32 of the team's 44 points -- a preseason franchise record -- were scored by rookies.

Here's a look at how Buffalo's draft choices, plus some undrafted free agents, performed:

Quarterback EJ Manuel (first round) -- Started and played the full first half, going 16-of-21 passing for 107 yards, one touchdown, and no interceptions. Was credited with a fumble on a botched handoff in the first quarter.

Wide receiver Robert Woods (second round) -- Started and was targeted five times, all in the first half. Finished with four receptions for 32 yards, but muffed a punt return on the opening drive.

Linebacker Kiko Alonso (second round) -- Started and made a key pass breakup in the end zone, swatting the ball away from Colts tight end Coby Fleener to prevent a touchdown.

Wide receiver Marquise Goodwin (third round) -- Returned the Colts' first kickoff 53 yards in the first quarter, then took another kick 107 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter. Was flagged for unnecessary roughness on Woods' muffed punt on the opening possession.

Safety Duke Williams (fourth round) -- Had three tackles in his preseason debut.

Safety Jonathan Meeks (fifth round) -- Had one tackle and one pass defensed, but was unable to corral a would-be interception.

Kicker Dustin Hopkins (sixth round) -- Was 2-for-2 on field goals, but had a kickoff in the second quarter go out of bounds, setting the Colts up from their own 40-yard line.

Tight end Chris Gragg (seventh round) -- Was targeted four times, making two catches for 12 yards.

Quarterback Jeff Tuel (undrafted) -- Played the entire second half, completing 19 of 23 passes for 212 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions. Had a strip-sack fumble early in the fourth quarter that was returned by the Colts 72 yards for a touchdown.

Wide receiver Brandon Kaufman (undrafted) -- Lanky receiver had a 29-yard catch on the final play of the third quarter, and added a 5-yard touchdown grab late in the fourth quarter.

Wide receiver Da'Rick Rogers (undrafted) -- Was targeted just once in the game, but his 6-yard touchdown reception capped an 80-yard drive to begin the third quarter.

Cornerback Jumal Rolle (undrafted) -- A Division II prospect from Catawba College, Rolle returned an interception 17 yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter.

Cornerback Kip Edwards (undrafted) -- Recorded two quarterback hits, including a 9-yard sack of Chandler Harnish in the third quarter.

 

[Faust]

Robert Griffin III practice report

By John Keim | ESPN.com

Here are some notes and observations after Robert Griffin III's practice Monday.

• Griffin was rather honest about what he thought of the Redskins' plan, how he didn't always understand why they were taking it slower than he'd like and why, if he was feeling good, the Redskins couldn't deviate -- or alter -- the original plan. But Griffin is not a doctor, or a coach, and the team discovered last season it could not go by what he says he's feeling. Coach Mike Shanahan did not want to bring Griffin back too soon; any sort of setback in camp would have led to second guessing of, and by, Shanahan. So they've taken it slow. If Griffin plays in the opener, the Redskins would have taken it smart,too.

• Griffin completed 15 of 17 passes in the 7-on-7 portion, though he did show more accuracy downfield, something he had not always done in previous sessions. He had his usual share of shorter passes, but Griffin had a couple excellent throws.

• On his first throw, Griffin connected with tight end Fred Davis down the seam, a good hard delivery. Griffin followed that with a perfectly placed pass over the top of linebacker Brian Orakpo to receiver Pierre Garcon, about 15 yards out along the sideline. A nice touch. Griffin later hit Davis and Garcon in stride along the sideline.

• Of his two incompletions, one was a crossing route that was a bit out in front of receiver Aldrick Robinson and the ball skipped off an outstretched hand. The other was a low ball to receiver Dezmon Briscoe. On that play, Griffin looked left and then threw back to the right where Briscoe was covered by DeAngelo Hall. Had Griffin not thrown it low, Hall would have had a pick-six, but the quarterback has a knack for delivering passes away from pressure and that's what he did here. It was a harmless incompletion.

• Griffin said going through an ACL injury and subsequent return at Baylor prepared him for what he's going through now, with intense interest in his return. The Redskins limit access to him to once a week, which helps Griffin. But the stories persist with or without his comments. He's learned to tune out the endless stream of commentators and pundits who say what he should, or shouldn't, do. "Everyone will have a different opinion, but in the NFL that opinion gets heard more," Griffin said. "I don't listen to it."

• Griffin also said at this point in his recovery in college he was already back practicing in full. "It's no difference now," he said. "It takes time to heal. It's been a lot of time healing, at least in my mind."

 

[Faust]

Rotoworld updates:

Chargers coach Mike McCoy says TE Ladarius Green has "improved his blocking," and "done a nice job of just getting into the flow of the game."


Invisible as a rookie, Green caught two passes for 26 yards and a touchdown in San Diego's preseason opener. "He’s a young football player with a good future in front of him and it’s just a matter of buying in," McCoy said. "He’s getting better every day." Green has a fourth-round pedigree, but needs to show something this season if he's to remain Antonio Gates' heir apparent.

Source: ESPN.com

ESPN Rams blogger Nick Wagoner considers Daryl Richardson "the leader in the clubhouse" for St. Louis' starting tailback job.


Isaiah Pead is No. 2 on the depth chart, although he hurt his cause with a lost fumble in St. Louis' preseason opener. Richardson meanwhile racked up 44 yards on six touches against Cleveland, and has been a steadier performer. Rookies Zac Stacy and Benny Cunningham have yet to make much noise.

Source: ESPN.com

Dolphins OC Mike Sherman told reporters Sunday he wants a running back who can "do it all" and function as an every-down player.


"Yeah, we need someone who does it all," said Sherman. "You hate to just substitute, he’s this guy, he’s that guy, we want complete players back there. I’m not a believer in the third-down back necessarily, I think you tip your hand." Sherman also stated he wants his offense's "identity" to be run-based. This is all good news for Lamar Miller, assuming he beats out Daniel Thomas. (He will.)

Source: miamidolphins.com

Dolphins OC Mike Sherman said Sunday the team's running back competition is "pretty close" between Lamar Miller and Daniel Thomas.


It's laughable, but perhaps the Dolphins are trying to motivate Miller by being noncommittal on the depth chart in the media. Miller has started both Miami preseason games, and racked up 27 yards on four carries (6.75 YPC). Thomas has averaged 3.0 YPC on eight runs. Perhaps Sherman's words will drive down Miller's Average Draft Position, benefiting fantasy owners. Miller is the Dolphins' best running back, and that much is not close.

Related: Daniel Thomas

Source: Miami Herald

Redskins coach Mike Shanahan was "really impressed" with Evan Royster and Roy Helu's performances in Thursday's preseason opener.


Helu rushed 13 times for 57 yards, while Royster took the rock 14 times for 62 yards. "I thought Royster did a great job when he was in there," Shanahan said. "I’ve got to take a look at film, but my initial thoughts were I’m very impressed with both." Royster is squarely on the bubble, but eliciting public praise from his coach is a good sign. Ideally, Helu would serve as the Redskins' third-down back while Royster acted as more of a direct backup to Alfred Morris. It's unclear where rookies Chris Thompson and Jawan Jamison fit.

Related: Roy Helu

Source: Washington Post

The Boston Herald believes LeGarrette Blount and Brandon Bolden are competing for the same roster spot.


The New England media isn't hesitating to draw conclusions from Blount's solid Friday performance against an embarrassingly bad Eagles defense. Bolden showed much more on the field than Blount last season, but hurt his standing with his four-game PED ban. He's also had trouble staying healthy. Whoever wins the "battle" would project as Stevan Ridley's direct backup on early downs.

Related: Brandon Bolden

Source: Boston Herald

CSN Philly considers WR Greg Salas in the lead for a roster spot.


Salas was dumped by the receiver-needy Rams last fall and subsequently waived by the Patriots, but was apparently having an "outstanding" camp before leading Philly in receiving (3-54) in the preseason opener and securing a 12-yard TD from Matt Barkley. It speaks to how serious the Eagles' issues at receiver are behind DeSean Jackson. Salas won't approach fantasy relevance this season.

Source: CSN Philly

The Denver Post believes Peyton Manning appears "improved physically" on last season.


Eric Decker agrees. "It definitely shows how hard he's worked, and it's paying off," Decker said. "He came in here in better shape. You'd have to ask him how he feels, but it looks like he's feeling a lot better than he did a year ago." The Post reported last month that there was still concern about Manning's ability to grip the football, but it appears alleviated. Manning is locked in as a high-end QB1.

Source: Denver Post

The Nashville Tennessean calls sophomore WR Kendall Wright a standout of Titans camp.


Per beat writer Jim Wyatt, it's been "difficult to recall" Wright dropping a pass. Wyatt believes he "looks faster" than he did as a rookie, and has made "one acrobatic catch after another." Wright shed 14 pounds after playing near 201 last season. For what it's worth, Wright did muff a pass in Thursday's preseason opener, but we're not surprised he's having an impressive camp. He's a top-flight talent. Only Jake Locker can hold him back.

Source: Nashville Tennessean

The Nashville Tennessean calls Chris Johnson the most impressive player of Titans camp.


Per beat writer Jim Wyatt, Johnson has appeared "fresher and more explosive," and is "catching the ball better than he did last season." CJ?K took Redskins CB Bacarri Rambo to school in Thursday's preseason opener, juking him out of his shoes for a 58-yard touchdown. Johnson hasn't run with consistent energy or effort the past two seasons, but might finally be ready to go all out with the Titans sporting a much improved offensive line. He's Rotoworld's No. 15 running back.

Source: Nashville Tennessean

According to the National Football Post, the "word" is that Philip Rivers has been a "lot more accurate in camp."

We'd hope Rivers, a nine-year veteran, was looking accurate in camp. Rivers was sharp in Friday's preseason debut, but played just one series. In theory, Rivers should stop averaging the pick a game he's tossed the past three seasons with vertically-minded coach Norval Turner now gone, but we're highly skeptical a new coaching staff will suddenly make him a more patient player. The Chargers' line remains a mess, while the receiver corps is in flux. Rivers is a middling QB2.

Source: National Football Post

The Detroit Free Press believes Lions sixth-round RB Theo Riddick has already secured a roster spot.

Riddick rushed just four times for 12 yards in Friday's preseason opener, but has been impressing with his ability between-the-tackles. He's also contributed on returns. Riddick will likely open the season as Detroit's fourth running back, but could push Mikel Leshoure if he continues to show well in camp.

Source: Detroit Free Press

Ravens coach John Harbaugh lit into seventh-round WR Aaron Mellette during training camp practice Saturday.

"Get [Mellette] off the field," said Harbaugh. "He’s lackadaisical. He’s lazy." Harbaugh also ripped CB Asa Jackson for getting into a scuffle. "Get your squirrelly [butt] out of here," Harbaugh yelled. "If you ever do that again, you are cut. It’s a penalty and an ejection. Learn the rules." Mellette is actually coming off a strong preseason opener, where he caught a 21-yard touchdown pass from Tyrod Taylor. He's still on the roster bubble and can't afford to take plays off.

Source: Baltimore Sun

Seventh-round pick Brice Butler is pushing Juron Criner for the Raiders' No. 4 receiver job after a strong preseason opener.
Butler has generated some buzz in practices, and on Friday night led Oakland with two catches for 70 yards and a touchdown, both via UDFA QB Matt McGloin. Criner had one catch for 23 yards. The Raiders have an open competition at fourth wideout behind Denarius Moore, Rod Streater, and oft-injured Jacoby Ford.

Source: San Francisco Chronicle

 

[Faust]

Camp buzz: Julius Thomas a 'big part' of Broncos' O?

By Chris Wesseling

Around the League Writer

Excerpt:

Already boasting the NFL's premier wide-receiver trio, the Denver Broncos appear to be on the verge of adding another weapon to their first-string offense. Former Portland State hoops star Julius Thomas has been running as the first-team "F" or "receiving" tight end in training camp, according to The Denver Post, while Joel Dreessen battles a setback to his surgically repaired knee.

A far more dynamic athlete than Dreessen, Thomas will be a handful for defenses to cover with Demaryius Thomas, Eric Decker and Wes Welker drawing coverage away.

"He continues to make plays in practice, and he made some nice catches (against the 49ers,)" Peyton Manning said this weekend. "So I think he'll just continue to improve and I think he can be a big part of the offense this year."

If Thomas wants to hang onto the job once Dreessen returns, he's going to have to clean up the errors he made in both the running game and the passing game in the preseason opener.

More training-camp buzz:


» Chris Johnson's 58-yard touchdown run in the preseason opener came as no surprise to Tennessee Titans beat writers. Johnson has been the most impressive player in camp, according to the Tennessean, looking "fresher and more explosive" than last season.

» A streamlined Kendall Wright has backed up a strong offseason by catching everything in his direction at Titans camp. He looks more "acrobatic" this year, which is a relief after losing his dynamic playmaking ability as a rookie.

» Offensive coordinator Mike Sherman insists the competition between Lamar Miller and Daniel Thomas for the Miami Dolphins' starting running back job is "pretty close." Don't believe the Thomas hype. Miller is a much better player.

» After an impressive showing in Houston's preseason opener, Case Keenum is giving T.J. Yates a run for the Texans' backup quarterback job.

» I'm shocked, shocked to discover there's a minority faction within the New York Jets organization that believes Santonio Holmes might be milking his Lisfranc injury, as ESPNNewYork.com reported Sunday.

The Around The League Podcast is now available on iTunes! Click here to listen and subscribe.

 

[Faust]

Peter King's MMQB Excerpt:

Saturday: Earth City, Mo.

Rams

The Rams have some weapons, finally.

A year ago, the young Rams defense was winning most training camp practices. In routs, really. Quarterback Sam Bradford had one weapon he could rely on in the passing game—slot receiver Danny Amendola—but he was hurt a lot, and everyone else was a kid, still going to chemistry class with Bradford. The offense held a rising team back, averaging just 18.7 points a game in a pass-happy league.

As the sun beat down and the humidity lay on top of a late afternoon practice here, two men looked like they were about to change that. Three times in a five-play span in red-zone seven-on-seven drills, Bradford found Jared Cook, with a catch radius as wide as Jeremy Shockey’s used to be (and that’s a good thing), at the goal line; it’s like the defense knew what was coming and just couldn’t stop it. The Rams don’t know quite why Cook caught only 44 balls for Tennessee in his free-agency walk year, but they’re happy he was a free agent, and that he walked. What an afternoon he had in the St. Louis sauna, and how happy Bradford looked to have an offensive weapon in the middle of the field. I have not seen a better offensive weapon in all the practices I’ve seen on this training camp tour than I saw in the athletic and imposing Cook on this afternoon.

Then there’s the eighth pick in the April draft, slot receiver/kick returner/slot back Tavon Austin. (Want to see a few more slashes in his title? Just watch. Offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer might expand Austin’s job as the season goes on.) Come to practice now, and watch the eight-yard curl he ran on Cortland Finnegan.

Austin, a 5-8, 174-pound whippet, sprinted out hard, right at Finnegan. Austin stopped suddenly and turned to face Bradford. Finnegan—a $10 million a year corner, by the way—backpedaled two more steps after Austin turned, leaving him wide open for the easy completion from Bradford. Austin’s so quick it was almost unfair, and Finnegan explained why later.

“Pick your poison,” Finnegan said. “That’s what’s going to be so tough on corners covering Tavon. If I think he’s going to do that little eight-yard curl, and I play him tight, I might be able to stop it. But if he reads me, he can blow past me and then he’s off for a deep one, and there’s no way I can catch up after I’ve committed to the eight-yard route. He’s going to be a headache.”

“His cutting ability,” I said, “and the way he changes course so suddenly …”

“I know,” Finnegan said. “He stops on a dime, and he leaves change.”

I don’t know what that means, but it sounds good. I do know, though, what “stops on a dime” means, and you’ll see that a lot this year—particularly with half of Austin’s games on the fast track of the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis. “That surface will make me feel like I’m back at West Virginia,” Austin said before practice.

When you watch Austin, the only thing you worry about is durability. But as he points out, he missed one practice or game in his four seasons at WVU. If he’s that durable—and it’d be stunning to see someone his size stay that healthy for a long time in the NFL—we’re going to have fun watching an explosive player in the Percy Harvin mold.

 

[SWC]

here is a neat tidbit for you brohans at packers camp the players ride kids bycicles after practice and the community likes it and it is normally on the paper and stuff like that such as the news at night but not channel 4 because they are having a fight with our cable company so most of us brohans in milwaukee that have shelled out clams for cable can not even see the packers games except on telemundo which is sort of fun because hey who even knows what they are saying anyhow so there is your tidbit report from the old swcer take that to the bank brohans

 

[Biabreakable]

Thanks for keeping us updated SWC

 

[Sir Psycho]

here is a neat tidbit for you brohans at packers camp the players ride kids bycicles after practice and the community likes it and it is normally on the paper and stuff like that such as the news at night but not channel 4 because they are having a fight with our cable company so most of us brohans in milwaukee that have shelled out clams for cable can not even see the packers games except on telemundo which is sort of fun because hey who even knows what they are saying anyhow so there is your tidbit report from the old swcer take that to the bank brohans

Bump Finley ?

 

[Faust]

Broncos have depth, desire to live up to mile-high expectations

Pat Kirwan

ENGLEWOOD -- Last year the Broncos made one mistake in a playoff game to the Ravens and lost the opportunity to go to the Super Bowl. It reminded me of the same slip the Brett Favre-led Vikings made that sent the Saints to the Super Bowl. The difference is Peyton Manning is back and more intense than ever while Brett Favre couldn't decide if he was going to play and showed up late for camp. This Broncos team is driven to get to the Super Bowl and has made significant improvements to complete the mission.

Last year Denver dominated the AFC West, winning all six games by an average score of 31-13. In division games, Manning threw for 16 touchdown passes and 1,816 yards and was only sacked eight times in 230 pass plays. Things look just as good again in 2013.

Things I heard or saw at practice1. I watched the Broncos' version of the 'pistol' and can see how it will fit in with the offense. Just because Peyton Manning can't threaten the flank with the keeper off the running back ride doesn't mean it doesn't present a threat to a defense. Manning pointed out that putting the RB behind him makes it difficult for the defense to set their pressure call since the back can go either way. It also presents a run threat either way, something an offset back has trouble convincing a defense it can do. Don't be surprised if the Broncos get real creative with the package and you see a guy like Wes Welker behind the QB before the season is over.

2. Last year Manning convinced me his arm was strong enough to throw enough quality deep passes to keep defenses honest. At camp he was overthrowing wide receivers, and I saw a number of balls in the air that went over 50 yards. Manning said it was nice to not have to throw the perfect deep ball but launch some bombs the receivers could run under. Beware of the deep speed now.

3. The Broncos top two tight ends are on the sideline with injuries but the ripple effect of that problem is the emergence of former basketball player Julius Thomas as a big-time receiving threat in an already dangerous passing game. John Fox and Elway both love the receiving skills of Thomas, and Manning loves the way he works at his blocking and route running. Thomas may be operating as the third or fourth read in this offense, but he will have a few 10-reception days if teams fall asleep on this guy. I watched Manning spend a lot of time working on the nuances of the bootleg game with Thomas and he quickly adjusted to the recommendations from Manning.

4. Demaryius Thomas is always open right over the top of his head. If I saw one throw I saw 10 thrown to Demaryius Thomas when Manning simply threw the ball slightly over the head of Thomas and he went up and caught most of them. I asked Manning about his passing game, and he said each one of these guys have a key spot they want the ball and Thomas is a leaper that can't be covered by the average corner.

5. What makes the Bronco linebackers unique is how many positions all of these men can play. Von Miller and Stewart Bradley told me they like the way Coach Richard Smith moves everyone around so they are capable of playing multiple spots. Stewart is competing for the middle linebacker spot but could easily play strongside (Sam). Wesley Woodyard can play all three spots and as well as Nate Irving. The Broncos could keep just five linebackers and be ready for any situation. Keep in mind that the Broncos already know they should once again play 65 percent of their defense in nickel or dime packages with reduced linebackers on the field.

6. With three weeks to go in the preseason, the Broncos could have injuries that quickly dissolve their quality depth, but if they stay healthy there will be quality players potentially cut or tradable at running back, tight end, wide receiver, and in the secondary. John Elway said the cornerback position is the deepest on the roster.

7. I really like to go to practice with little background about the young nondescript players on the roster and see who jumps out at me. The Broncos didn't disappoint as running back C.J. Anderson, cornerback Aaron Hester and safety Duke Ihenacho look like they belong on the active roster.

8. Ex-Chargers guard Louis Vasquez should have never been available as a free agent after watching him in a live practice. Assistant offensive line coach Alex Gibbs had a smile on his face watching Vasquez run block and, later in the day, pass block. Vasquez is a starting guard and the team will run the ball behind him, but he can also slide outside to right tackle if need be and play well enough to win.

9. Cornerback Chris Harris started 12 games last year and looks like a solid starter once again, but he could wind up at the nickel corner spot if Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie is the 4-deep starter. Harris told me he dropped five interceptions last year and couldn't care less about the four picks he had last season. He is working to not drop another pick and he spends time on the jugs machine getting it right.

10. John Fox loves to tell players that 'I don't pick the team you do.' This team is talking technique, mistakes and all the things to make them better during practice. Not every team operates on the practice field like the Broncos. It looks like the work ethic of Peyton Manning is rubbing off on the whole team.

 

[Faust]

Bills Observations: Manuel capitalizing while Kolb watches

Jason La Canfora

PITTSFORD, NY -- EJ Manuel had another strong practice following a strong overall showing in Sunday's preseason debut, Kevin Kolb fiddled with a brace on his injured leg and still might have to miss another week of game time, and the decision on the Buffalo Bills' Week 1 starter may prove to be one of the least complicated decisions rookie coach Doug Marrone will have to make.

Manuel was able to execute a decent two-minute offense, albeit against back-ups, in Buffalo's thrashing of the Colts over the weekend and he sprayed the ball around nicely at practice against today at St. John Fisher College.

Bills fans, so desperate for a quality quarterback, oohed and aahed even when Manuel completed long throws against air, and in those individual drills – often with Marrone serving as the center, his visor tucked backward -- it was easy to see the way the ball shot out of Manuel's hands compared to the other quarterbacks here. Marrone said it's too "too early" to know whether Kolb, who injured his knee in a freak slip after a practice last week, can play Friday, which means probably another half of work at least for Manuel and a chance to further cement the job.

"I was very pleased," Marrone said after reviewing film of Manuel's debut. "… You saw him settle into the game and start to do some really good things."

It's hard not to feel sorry for Kolb, who was having his best practice when he slipped on a mat that leads players off the field toward the path to the locker room. His grandmother also passed away, keeping him away from the team a little longer, and he didn't seem comfortable with the brace he was wearing at times today, eventually discarding it. Bad luck has been routing for Kolb in recent years.

"For something goofy like that to happen was very frustrating," Kolb said.

[SIZE=xx-small]•[/SIZE] Marrone certainly has some old-school in him. With the CBA very restrictive on how often and how long teams can practice, the Bills are the rare team to actually take the field the day after a preseason game. They played in Indianapolis Sunday, but were back at St. John Fisher College, near Rochester, NY, for a morning walkthrough and then a two-hour practice this afternoon, with plenty of breaks and ample special-teams periods.

It was a brisk practice and not heavy hitting, but accomplished a lot and it's refreshing to a young coach not so caught up with conventional wisdom.

"I feel like we're hungry as coaches and hungry as players," Marrone said, "and players have to trust me that we go out there and do the right thing and I thought what we did today was very good.

"It's not like we've played one game, and 'Here we are, we're ready to go.' We still have a lot of progress we have to make, and days off will come and players will be rested and ready to go, and that's where the trust factor comes in and I respect the players trusting in me."

More observations• A healthy Fred Jackson -- and he looks refreshed and rejuvenated here -- will give Buffalo the best backfield in the league. With a rookie quarterback and few proven pass catchers, there will be plenty of carries for both he and C.J. Spiller. That would be a very good problem for this team to have.

• With top receiver Stevie Johnson ailing, rookie Robert Woods is getting a great opportunity to feature in practices and games. He's showing good hands and could end up clicking well with Manuel.

• Watching veteran Kyle Williams work with youngster Marcell Dareus at the defensive tackle spot is a joy. Williams has battled injuries but could still be a beast this season and the Bills should be equipped to run the heck out of the football and, well, there is nowhere to go but up when it comes to stopping the run. Buffalo ranked 31st overall in 2012, and dead last in terms of most 10-plus yard runs allowed. Alan Branch is another big body who looks good so far and there is a buzz about defensive tackle Alex Carrington as well, a third-round pick in 2010.

"We're fortunate that we've got a couple of them at tackle," Marrone said. "A lot of teams might have one, but with Alex Carrington and Corbin Bryant and [Torell] Troop, to go with Williams and Dareus, those are some pretty stout guys there and all have the ability to be pretty productive for us."

Getting Williams and Dareus anchoring for an entire season would be a big boost, and Marrone is banking on a strong rotation up front. Defensive line coach Anthony Weaver said he can see Williams getting more confident each day as he's finally healthy.

"Our back-ups can play, now, too, I'm telling you," Weaver said. "I've got some studs in this group. They're going to be fun to watch."

• The hiring of Weaver could turn out to be a sage move. Mario Williams, the highest paid defensive player in the league when he signed with Buffalo in 2012, is coming off a poor first season in Buffalo, he's the subject of scorn from fans and he wasn't exactly a leader in the locker room, sources have told me. He can be a little bit of a different cat, not always part of the group, but Weaver played three years with him, is a young coach who can relate to him, and I have a hunch he gets Williams playing closer to the level he did in Houston. If so, and the Bills finally have a real edge rushing presence, look out.

Williams, who battled injury issues last year (real or perceived) is being noticed for the right reasons so far in this camp.

• Quarterback Jeff Tuel, an un-drafted rookie out of Washington State, was impressive again today after faring well in his debut game Sunday. He completed a bomb for a touchdown in 11-on-11s and doesn't look out of place. (He's also one of a handful of rookies who didn't want to take off their helmets today, as they had recently received butchered haircuts by teammates as part of their indoctrination into the league).

Marrone keyed in on Tuel during the rookie free agent process and has liked what he's seen even dating back to the very limited reps he got in the spring (with Kolb hurt Tuel has gotten more reps.

"We spent a lot of time on him," Marrone said. "It wasn't just like, 'hey, let's just sign any kid.' Even when he wasn't getting reps I kept saying, 'We feel good about this kid, he's a good quarterback.' And he's gone out and played extremely well."

• The speedster who caught that deep touchdown from Tuel was third-round pick Marquise Goodwin, who has been outstanding. Goodwin was a dervish on special teams in the return game against the Colts and is flashing good hands and instincts.

Goodwin ran track and played football at Texas and represented the US in the 2012 Olympics. He continues to flash big potential.

"A lot of us have been around a lot of track guys and sometimes they get labeled that way, and that's unfair," Marrone said. "Anyone who steps on the football field has a high level of toughness, and he's a tough guy and he has elite speed. He needs to keep working and we've been very pleasantly surprised. He's caught the ball very well during this camp, and after the catch he's strong and can break tackles and he can run by people. And not too many people can catch him."

Overall, this certainly seems like one of the fastest Bills teams in quite some time, which isn't a bad place to start.

 

[Faust]

Training Camp Roundup: Rex Ryan rips West Virginia for Geno

 

[Faust]

Camp Confidential: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

By Pat Yasinskas | ESPN.com

TAMPA, Fla. -- There’s a perception out there that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers can’t wait to let quarterback Josh Freeman walk away after this season.

Trace it to coach Greg Schiano’s hesitance to firmly endorse Freeman at the end of last season or chalk it up to the quarterback’s lack of consistency or look at the fact that the Bucs are letting Freeman go into the last year of his contract without an extension. But nothing could be further from the truth.

“I have a lot of confidence in Josh," general manager Mark Dominik said. “I know coach has a lot of confidence. That position is the position in the National Football League. Win or lose, regardless of if you get too much blame or not enough kudos when you do win and people take it for granted, the more time you have to evaluate that player at that position, the more of a chance you have to be correct. I think Josh is looking at it with a confidence and saying he believes in himself and there were some parts of last year he wasn’t happy with, but there were good parts last year. We’ve talked to Josh and his agent, and we feel like we’re at a good spot. Everybody feels comfortable with where we’re at."

Even though they used a third-round draft pick on Mike Glennon, the Bucs desperately want Freeman to succeed. If he plays well, that probably means the team will be in the playoffs for the first time since the 2007 season. That would give Dominik and Schiano job security.

It also would give Freeman job security, because the Bucs probably would turn around and reward him with a big contract before free agency starts. That would fit the team’s plan of building from within. (If things go as expected, 18 of Tampa Bay’s 22 starters this year will have come through the draft, off the practice squad or through free agency.)

But it will all come down to Freeman’s performance. He needs to avoid slumps like the three-game stretch late last season when he threw 10 interceptions. He needs to play the way he did when the Bucs got off to a 6-4 start.

“He knows it," Dominik said. “We know it. But I think the thing that’s kind of been lost is some of the great things he did last year. Some of the big games where he played really well and showed he can do it. I think what he’s doing in camp right now is playing really smart with the football. You can’t underestimate the second year in a system. Continuity is so important. If you keep it together, that gives you a chance to have more success."

If Freeman plays well the Bucs will wrap him up, and they’ll have continuity at quarterback. If consistency continues to be an issue, the Bucs will have to start from scratch next year and Freeman will be playing for another team.

THREE HOT ISSUES

1. Secondary matters.

The Bucs poured a ton of resources into their secondary in the offseason. They traded for cornerback Darrelle Revis, signed safety Dashon Goldson as a free agent and used a second-round draft pick on cornerback Johnthan Banks. Those are the types of things you have to do when you’re coming off a season in which your pass defense ranked last in the league.

That should be enough to bring about some dramatic changes. All indications are that Revis is healthy and, if he is, he’s the best cornerback in the league. Banks could start immediately and, if he doesn’t, will be the third cornerback. Goldson’s arrival at free safety means strong safety Mark Barron, last year’s top draft pick, should be able to concentrate on playing more in the box -- where he’s at his best.

The Bucs believe in building from within. But they went outside to patch up the team’s biggest weakness.

2. The pass rush.

This goes hand in hand with the secondary. If the defensive backfield really is going to shine, it’s going to need some help from the pass rush.

The Bucs let defensive end Michael Bennett, last year’s leading sacker, walk away in free agency. But that was a calculated move. The Bucs believed Bennett already had hit his full upside. But the team thinks third-year pros <a href="http://espn.go.com/nfl/player/_/id/14046/da" data-ipb="nomediaparse" data-cke-saved-href="http://espn.go.com/nfl/player/_/id/14046/da" quan-bowers"="">Da’Quan Bowers and Adrian Clayborn are ready to blossom to heights that Bennett never approached.

That’s a leap of faith, because Clayborn is coming off a knee injury and Bowers wasn’t a full-time player in his first two seasons. However, if the Bucs are right about Bowers and Clayborn, the pass defense is going to rank a lot better than No. 32 in the league.

3. The tight ends have to come through.

The Bucs have done a nice job of surrounding Freeman with plenty of talent at running back, receiver and offensive line. But at tight end, the cupboard looks close to bare. The team didn’t re-sign last year’s starter, Dallas Clark. Luke Stocker, who seemed to have the inside track to the starting job, has missed a lot of camp with a calf injury.

But the Bucs are quietly optimistic about Tom Crabtree, whom they brought in from Green Bay. The Bucs aren’t going to throw to their tight ends as much as Atlanta or New Orleans do, but they need Stocker or Crabtree to be a threat in the passing game to take some coverage away from the wide receivers.

REASON FOR OPTIMISM

The team has a surprising amount of individual talent. Revis, Goldson, guard Carl Nicks, guard Davin Joseph, defensive tackle Gerald McCoy, running back Doug Martin, and receiver Vincent Jackson have been to the Pro Bowl. Plus, the Bucs have plenty of other young talent -- guys like Freeman, Barron, linebackers Lavonte David and Mason Foster and receiver Mike Williams.

Tampa Bay has been rebuilding ever since coach Jon Gruden was fired following the 2008 season. There’s no such thing as a finished product, because you’re always looking to upgrade your roster. But the Bucs no longer are in rebuilding mode.

They have enough talent to get to the playoffs.

REASON FOR PESSIMISM

Schiano still is somewhat new to the NFL and to his players. His hard-edged approach drew all sorts of attention last year, and he has said he’s relaxing things a bit now that he has changed the culture of the locker room.

But this team isn’t completely past the culture shock that came with Schiano. That’s why it’s critical for the Bucs to get off to a fast start. If they do, the players will fully embrace Schiano’s ways.

If the Bucs start poorly, players won’t buy into Schiano and things could fall apart in a hurry.

OBSERVATION DECK

• The Bucs are ecstatic with what they’ve seen from McCoy this offseason. He earned a Pro Bowl trip last year, and that seems to have taken his motivation to another level. He worked out harder than ever and came to camp about 10 pounds lighter than last season. He’s emerging as a leader of the defense, and the Bucs think he can become one of the league’s most dominant interior linemen.

• When the Bucs brought in Gabe Carimi, some fans thought he might end up starting ahead of Demar Dotson at right tackle. That’s not going to happen. Carimi is being looked at as an insurance policy behind Dotson and Penn at left tackle. Dotson is having one of the best camps of any Tampa Bay player, and the Bucs believe he’s only starting to scratch the surface of his potential.

• Martin had a phenomenal rookie season, but I’m expecting him to be even better this year. Martin rushed for 1,454 yards with Joseph missing the entire season and Nicks missing half of it. With the two guards back, Martin should be an even better runner. Martin also caught 49 passes as a rookie, and I can see that number going up because the Bucs have been throwing to him a lot in camp.

• The Bucs brought in veteran Peyton Hillis as insurance behind Martin. But Hillis, who hasn’t done much the past two seasons, isn’t a lock to make the roster. Veteran Brian Leonard looked good in the preseason opener, and the Bucs believe sixth-round draft pick Mike James has the potential to be an all-around back.

• Strongside linebacker was expected to be one of the more competitive spots in camp. But veteran Dekoda Watson has taken the mystery out of that battle. He started off ahead of free-agent pickup Jonathan Casillas and has widened the gap with a strong performance in camp.

• Kevin Ogletree appears to have the lead over Tiquan Underwood and Chris Owusu in the competition for the third receiver spot. But Underwood and Owusu have had strong showings that could earn them some playing time. Without a lot of certainty at tight end, the Bucs could resort to some four-receiver sets.

• The addition of veteran Spencer Larsen made me wonder if fullback Erik Lorig's job was in jeopardy. But that’s not the case. Lorig is safe as the starter. The Bucs were very impressed with Larsen’s workout and view him as a quality backup and special-teams player.

 

[Faust]

Camp Confidential: Denver Broncos

By Jeff Legwold | ESPN.com

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- Live on Colorado's front range long enough, and you live with an unshakable, that's-the-way-it-is truth. That most days, as in 300 or so a year, the sun shines brightly and the skies are blue.

But when the storm clouds come rolling down the mountains, it's an ambush -- they come fast and with menacing intent. And that, really, is the story of the Broncos' offseason."

Hey, you have to deal with all kinds of things along the way," said Broncos cornerback Champ Bailey, now entering his 10th season with the team. "And we've had plenty of things to deal with around here over the years; sometimes we've done a good job with it, sometimes we haven't. I tell the young guys all the time, we'll see how we handle things. We can be good, but we have to get to work, because thinking you're good and being good are always two different things."

The Broncos entered free agency as Super Bowl favorites, then they signed Wes Welker to a Peyton Manning-led offense that had already been good enough to be No. 2 in scoring in 2012. They drafted well, and filled some other needs with veteran signees Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Stewart Bradley and Shaun Phillips.

Yep, football sunshine and blue skies.Then there was Faxgate and Elvis Dumervil's rather messy exit from the team that drafted him in 2006.

Then two high-ranking front-office executives -- director of pro personnel Tom Heckert and director of player personnel Matt Russell -- were arrested on drunken driving charges a month apart. Heckert was eventually suspended a month without pay -- he's due to return to the team Thursday -- and Russell was suspended indefinitely.

Then defensive playmaker Von Miller was slapped with a four-game suspension for violating the league's substance abuse policy, a revelation that came with the rather troubling fact that Miller had previously violated the policy to get to the suspension phase.

Miller's appeal will be heard Thursday by league officials, and a decision is expected before the regular-season opener against the Ravens.

Toss in a pile of injuries, especially to the offensive line, and it's clear coach John Fox's task will be to keep a talented team on track as it wrestles with the expectations around it, as well as the pothole-filled road it has already traveled.

"It's been my experience if you don't expect a lot, you don't get a lot," Fox said. "Keep the bar low, and that's where people go. We're going to keep the bar high -- I don't mind expectations -- and I think the guys have had good focus. They know the work that has to be done, and I know they'll do it."

THREE HOT ISSUES

1. Deal with it.

Former Broncos defensive end Alfred Williams might have said it best. Williams said the Broncos are the only team in the league "with 20 preseason games."

So true. After a 13-3 finish that included an 11-game winning streak dissolved into a crushing playoff loss to the Ravens, the team's fan base essentially sees the coming regular season as little more than an inconvenience before another postseason chance.

That can be a lot to handle for a team, especially if players and coaches get too focused on the potential lack of appreciation from the outside world for anything that happens along the way. More than one person inside the team's Dove Valley complex has expressed frustration in the past six months over the fact that few folks bring up the 13-3 record, the win streak or the division title, and that it is all Ravens, all the time in any discussion about the 2012 season.

Frustrating indeed, but the Broncos have to find some peace of mind somewhere as they move through the next four months.

2. Front-line issues.

Left tackle Ryan Clady, a newly minted five-year, $52.5 million contract in hand, is still working back from offseason shoulder surgery and is not yet 100 percent.

Center J.D. Walton had ankle surgery just before minicamp and isn't expected back in the lineup until late October or early November at the earliest. He was just seen at the Broncos' complex this past week without a walking boot on for the first time since the operation.

Walton's backup, Dan Koppen, tore his ACL in the first week of training camp and is done for the year.

It leaves Manny Ramirez, who just started his first career game at center in the Broncos' preseason opener in San Francisco, and 31-year-old Ryan Lilja, who was signed out of retirement after two surgeries (knee, toe) earlier in the offseason, as the options in the middle.

Given that defensive coordinators routinely believe the best way to pressure Manning is through the middle of the formation, the Broncos will need an answer to protect him.

3. Defense will tell the tale.

We get it, it's a quarterback league. The rulebook essentially begs/demands that people put the ball in the air almost nonstop in any situation. Offense puts people in the seats.

Whatever. Remind me, but wasn't the Super Bowl -- a Super Bowl played by the two teams that ran the ball the most during the playoffs -- won on a goal-line stand when an offense couldn't/wouldn't punch it in from the doorstep?

The Broncos put up 35 points this past January and were sent home to the collective couch. And when you get right down to it, in back-to-back playoff losses, the Broncos have surrendered 694 passing yards and nine passing touchdowns with just one interception and one sack combined against Tom Brady to close out the 2011 season and Joe Flacco to close out 2012.

So, Manning to Welker, Demaryius Thomas and Eric Decker looks nice on a magazine cover, but how the guys on the other side of the ball do will have plenty to say about how far this team goes.

REASON FOR OPTIMISM

It's a talented roster with one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time behind center and a remember-when defensive talent bursting with potential in Miller. Denver is a balanced team that finished in the top five in both offense and defense last season with one of the great home-field advantages in the league. Oh, and the guy running the team is a Hall of Fame quarterback who knows a thing or two about what a title-winning locker room should look like.

REASON FOR PESSIMISM

There are some in the league who looked at the Broncos' drama-filled offseason and said they had the tumultuous profile of a team that had won the Super Bowl instead of losing two rounds before the title game. The Broncos have had the infamous fax issues, the off-the-field troubles, a reality show, a looming suspension of a superstar and more than their share of injuries. Maybe when the games count, none of that will matter, but history is littered with teams that put the championship cart before the horse, content to enjoy the fruits of potential rather than the actual title.

OBSERVATION DECK

• Welker's signing is going to work out -- barring injuries, of course -- exactly the way everybody wanted it to, including Welker. He fits the offense. Broncos offensive coordinator Adam Gase will even expand Welker's reach in Denver's playbook compared with what Welker did in New England, and Welker has worked hard to fit in. There has been some hand-wringing both near and far about where the "catches" were going to come from for a guy with five 100-reception seasons. The answer is that the catches are already in the offense. Working mostly out of the slot last season, tight end Jacob Tamme and wide receiver Brandon Stokley combined for 97 receptions, 1,099 yards and seven touchdowns. Those numbers from Welker would fit quite nicely.

• The offensive line is an issue to keep an eye on until the Broncos prove it's not. Getting Clady back in the lineup -- he's still on track to start the opener -- will help greatly, but they've struggled to protect the quarterbacks in practice against their own high-end defense, as well as in the preseason opener. If things don't improve, the Broncos will spend an awful lot of time tossing dump-offs to the hot receiver or shallow crosses because they can't protect long enough to go down the field.

• Miller's potential and ability are almost limitless. Former longtime Broncos defensive coordinator Joe Collier, the guy who called the shots for the Orange Crush defense, has said Miller has the potential to be the franchise's best-ever defensive player. But Miller, the results of his appeal of his four-game suspension notwithstanding, has to hold up his end of the bargain, both on and off the field, to make that happen. And the Broncos will have to decide over the next season or so -- his contract is up after 2014 -- just how high they'll want to go on an extension and whether the investment will be worth it over the long term.

• Folks can wish it were different, especially as they wrestle with their fantasy lineups each week, but every indication on the practice field -- as in EVERY indication -- is that Ronnie Hillman and Montee Ball are going to share the workload in a variety of down-and-distance situations. And Knowshon Moreno and Jacob Hester figure to at least be in the third-down mix as well at times.

• Hillman, however, should benefit from Gase's concerted effort to create more impact in the run game outside the hashmarks. The Broncos weren't all that good, or committed, to the outside runs last season. And if Hillman runs with decisiveness and the Broncos can get it done up front -- they brought longtime assistant Alex Gibbs back to help with the zone-run game -- there are some big plays waiting.

• The games will ultimately be the gauge, but safety Rahim Moore has had a quality camp in an offseason in which many wondered how he would bounce back from the ill-fated leap in the playoff loss to the Ravens. But the bottom line is Moore played more snaps (1,044) than any other player on the defense last season with substantial improvement over his rookie year in 2011, and if everyone else had played their assignments on the Jacoby Jones touchdown, Joe Flacco wouldn't have even thrown the ball that way in the first place. So, those guys should buy Moore a nice dinner for taking the heat and watch him in the starting lineup again.

• Thomas sported a heady 15.3 yards-per-catch average on the way to 1,434 yards receiving last season. But that per-catch average should go up given the choices defenses are going to have to make with Welker in the formation. If defenses double in the short and intermediate area to deal with Welker, the Broncos' tight ends and Thomas can overpower most defensive backs down the field.

• Defensive end Robert Ayers has consistently said, since the team made him the 18th pick of the 2009 draft, that he has far more to offer when the opportunity comes. And the opportunity has arrived with Dumervil's departure. Ayers has just 6.5 career sacks in his four seasons and has played for four defensive coordinators along the way, each of whom wanted something a little different from him. But Jack Del Rio is back for a second consecutive year, and Ayers is the starter at rush end. Now's the time.

• Reports of Bailey's demise are exaggerated, but he is certainly a 35-year-old entering his 15th season. Or as he put it: "I had some plays in the playoff game I should have made, pure and simple. I didn't, but I can let it drag me down or just get back to it. I still think I can play and I think I have shown I can still play at a high level." The Broncos will pick their spots more when they single him up, but he has been top-shelf throughout training camp while running stride for stride with the Broncos' best receivers.

• The Broncos have an awful lot riding on how Gibbs and offensive line coach Dave Magazu get things worked out on the offensive line. If the Broncos can add some pop out of the play-action run game and consistently protect Manning out of a three-wide receiver set, the points should follow.

• Some say Welker's presence in the offense means the Broncos will throw more in '13. However, Manning's 400 completions last season amounted to the second-highest total of his career, and his 583 attempts were the third-highest. In a perfect world, the Broncos would like those totals to be slightly lower this time around -- Manning himself has said "we'd like to run it more" -- because it would mean they simply ran the ball to close out games in which they already had the lead.

 

[Faust]

Which RBs will stick with Dolphins?

By James Walker | ESPN.com

DAVIE, Fla. -- The Miami Dolphins have a problem at running back. But if you poll Miami's coaching staff, most would say it's a good problem to have.

Based on their performance in training camp and the preseason, the Dolphins may have too many solid running backs to choose from. So much is the case that backup tailback and primary kick returner Marcus Thigpen is already switching positions to become a slot receiver. There simply aren't enough carries to go around.

The top four players at tailback for the Dolphins are Lamar Miller -- Miami's probable starter -- and backups Daniel Thomas, Jonas Gray and rookie Mike Gillislee. All have shown flashes and caught the eye of their coaching staff.

Typically, most teams keep three tailbacks, which could set up an interesting numbers game when it’s time to trim down to a 53-man roster.

“Yeah, I would say it’s pretty close, the running back competition,” Dolphins offensive coordinator Mike Sherman said this week. “I thought that Daniel Thomas did a really nice job in the game the other day. Certainly Miller has had his shining moments as well, and some of the younger guys have stepped up.

“So some of the finer points are going to come up. How well do you catch? How well do you pass block? I think from a running standpoint we have some pretty good runners, but to be the complete back, they have to be able to do all of those things.”

Sherman brought up an interesting point that Miami is searching for a complete running back. Miami’s top four tailbacks all have their strengths and weaknesses.

Miller is by far the best pure runner. His speed, quickness and ability to dart through defenses helped Miller lead the Dolphins last year with 4.9 yards per carry. Miller is most likely Miami's Week 1 starter, barring injury.

The Dolphins' backups have a lot to prove. Thomas is a former 2011 second-round pick who hasn’t panned out. This is a big training camp for him after a slow and injury-plagued 2012 season. Thomas must prove that he can fit in head coach Joe Philbin’s offensive system.

“I’m very happy with the way he is practicing,” Philbin said of Thomas. “I like what he is doing. I was watching him just today in special [teams]. He’s going about his business in a very professional manner.”

Miami’s two younger backs -- Gillislee and Gray -- are inexperienced but have shown eagerness to make an immediate impact. Gillislee, a rookie fifth-round pick, has run well in training camp, and Gray has done well in both exhibition games. Gray recorded 76 total yards from scrimmage in the Hall of Fame Game against the Dallas Cowboys and led the Dolphins with two touchdown runs in last week’s 27-3 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars.

If both young players continue to do well for the Dolphins, that could make keeping only three tailbacks a tough decision. Miller is the only lock at this point. But the story continues to unfold for Thomas, Gillislee and Gray with three preseason games remaining.

Could the Dolphins really keep four running backs?

“There’s a possibility that could happen,” Sherman admitted. “I tell those guys all the time that they have to be a factor on special teams to have a role as a fourth or third running back. So really that decision, if they’re in the mix, that decision will come down to special teams, so they better make sure that they’re picking up our special-teams coach in the morning, and driving him home at night and getting him breakfast.”

 

[Faust]

Sidney Rice full speed at Seattle Seahawks practice

By Chris Wesseling

Around the League Writer

Two weeks after a fun-filled 10,000-mile round trip to Switzerland for a 20-minute blood-manipulation treatment on his knee, Sidney Rice was going full speed in Seattle Seahawks practice Monday.

The Seahawks' offense enjoyed one of its best days of camp, according to the Seattle Times, scoring almost at will in a red-zone drill. It's no coincidence that the passing attack is starting to jell with its No. 1 receiver approaching full strength.

With Rice back on track and Golden Tate poised for a breakout season, Russell Wilson is confident the Seahawks can withstand the extended absence of Percy Harvin.

Throw in steady third receiver Doug Baldwin, and an intriguing wild card in Jermaine Kearse, and there's more depth than expected.

Coach Pete Carroll's squad rushed a league-high 536 times last season while bringing up the rear in pass attempts. Even with Wilson emerging as one of the league's best young quarterbacks, the Seahawks simply don't lean on their wide receivers as much as other teams.

The Around The League Podcast is now on iTunes! Listen to the latest episode featuring Rich Eisen.

 

[Faust]

Rotoworld:

WGR 550 Buffalo calls rookie WR Marquise Goodwin getting free for long receptions a "daily occurrence" at Bills practice.
Beat writer Joe Buscaglia goes as far as to call Goodwin "flourishing." Goodwin is already one of the fastest players in the NFL, but caught just 120 passes in four years at Texas. He'll serve as a situational deep threat, but will likely make his greatest rookie contributions on special teams.


Source: WGR 550 Buffalo

According to the Sacramento Bee, the "early signs have been good" for 49ers WR Austin Collie.
Per beat writer Matt Barrows, Collie is "picking up the offense quickly." Collie caught two passes for 20 yards in San Francisco's preseason opener. Collie could be an X-factor for a 49ers team that's woefully thin at receiver, but his injury history is a major factor working against him. He'll have to wow in practice and exhibition action.


Source: Sacramento Bee

ESPN's Jeff Legwold says "EVERY indication" from the practice field is that Ronnie Hillman and Montee Ball will "share the workload in a variety of down-and-distance situations."
At this point, it's clear the Broncos will use some kind of a committee. What's not clear is exactly how the carries will be divided. Although Ball played behind Hillman in the preseason opener, he still has plenty of time to seize the starting job/majority of inside runs and relegate Hillman to change-of-pace/outside duties. This remains a position battle with just over three weeks to go before the Broncos open the season against the Ravens.

Related: Ronnie Hillman

Source: ESPN.com

Clay Harbor confirmed he's been moved to wide receiver.
Harbor was buried as the fourth-string tight end. With the Eagles now desperate at wideout, they'll give the 6'3/250-pounder a shot at lining up out wide. We wouldn't expect much success. Although Harbor has good athleticism, he's extremely limited as a route-runner. Harbor has just 47 catches for 421 yards with four touchdowns in his three-year career.


Source: CSN Philly

The Texans continued to downplay Arian Foster's calf and back injuries Tuesday.
Foster still hasn't participated in a single practice as he remains on active/PUP. Coach Gary Kubiak continues to insist that it's just a case of the team being smart with their franchise back. We have no reason to believe he's being misleading, but this extended absence could result in more work for Ben Tate once the season gets going. The Texans appear aware Foster could be a little worn down after averaging 371.6 touches over the last three years.


Source: Stephanie Stradley on Twitter

Jimmy Graham has looked "very good" physically throughout training camp.
In a contract year and fully healthy in the prime of his career, Graham is among fantasy's safest fantasy bets this season. Although he dropped 15 passes last season and has struggled with drops again during camp, his raw athletic ability and volume in the Saints' pass-happy scheme keeps his floor extremely high. Even in a "down" 2012, he was fantasy's No. 1 tight end with a 85/982/9 line.


Source: New Orleans Times-Picayune

CSN Houston suggests Cierre Wood may have passed Dennis Johnson for the Texans' No. 3 running back job.
Johnson rushed seven times for 11 yards in the preseason opener while Wood ripped off 59 yards on 10 carries. "He had a couple plays where he got a little negative and a return at the end of the game where he's messing around a little bit back there," coach Gary Kubiak said of Johnson. This remains a camp battle to watch as Ben Tate heads into a contract year and Arian Foster continues to rack up mileage with an inability to shake injury.

Related: Cierre Wood

Source: CSN Houston

Mike Wallace was not targeted among 17 snaps in last week's second preseason game against the Jaguars.
The Jags actually used single coverage on Wallace, but coach Joe Philbin admitted they couldn't exploit that matchup because the pass protection "wasn't very good" early in the game. Always more of a vertical burner than a precision route-runner, Wallace remains a questionable scheme fit in Philbin's West Coast offense. He's a prime candidate to be overdrafted in fantasy. The Miami Herald notes Wallace's chemistry with Ryan Tannehill has also been off in practices as well. They "rarely" connect more than three times in a day.

Related: Ryan Tannehill

Source: Florida Times Union

Third-round rookie Knile Davis has been the clear-cut No. 2 running back at Chiefs camp.
Davis has zoomed past Shaun Draughn and Cyrus Gray without issue, showing "game-breaking speed" and "uncanny elusiveness" as a runner. His notorious fumble issues haven't cropped up yet. It's something to file away as we await official word on Jamaal Charles' foot injury.

Related: Shaun Draughn, Cyrus Gray

Source: ESPN.com

Dion Lewis has taken more first-team reps than anyone in Browns camp.
Trent Richardson has been coddled thanks to his minor shin issues and former second-round pick Montario Hardesty has missed time with hamstring/finger woes. Regardless, Lewis has played well enough to win the No. 2 job outright. "The stuff that he can bring to the table, much like a (Darren) Sproles, it's very rare you can find a smaller guy like him that moves and plays hard like him every down," Richardson said. Hardesty's roster spot is in serious danger.

Related: Montario Hardesty

Source: ESPN Cleveland

 

[Faust]

Breaking down Packers' 2013 draft class

By Rob Demovsky | ESPN.com

GREEN BAY, Wis. -- In his first eight drafts as the Green Bay Packers general manager, Ted Thompson picked 76 players.

Of those 76, a total of 61 played for the Packers at some point during their rookie seasons, which helps explain why they’re usually one of the youngest teams in the NFL, if not the youngest.

In Thompson’s ninth draft this past spring, he picked 11 more players. Here’s a player-by-player look at how each player has fared so far in training camp:

• Datone Jones, DE, first round (26th overall): Until an ankle injury in Friday’s preseason opener against Arizona, Jones was on track to be one of the two inside rushers in the nickel package. Through two weeks of camp, Jones’ record of 11-12 in the one-on-one pass-rushing drill was tops among defensive players with five reps or more. Jones has excellent quickness and uses his hands well, two essentials for pass rushers. “Everybody can see the big-play potential that he has,” defensive line coach Mike Trgovac said. “But he’s still making some rookie mistakes out there.” His injury does not appear to be serious, but it limited him to just one snap in his preseason debut and may keep him out of Saturday’s game at St. Louis. If Jones gets back in a timely fashion, he can still push for snaps in the base defense, too.

• Eddie Lacy, RB, second round (61): After an impressive showing in the Aug. 3 scrimmage, Lacy looked like a good bet to start at running back. He showed the kind of power to fight for extra yards that the Packers lacked last season. Running backs coach Alex Van Pelt said Lacy was “as good as I’ve seen, as good as (any of) our guys” at reading the play and finding a hole. “He can feel where the hole is going to be before it’s there by the flow of the defense,” Van Pelt said. “Very rarely do you see him making the wrong cut.” But a hamstring injury kept him out of the preseason opener and questions remain about his ability to stay healthy.

• David Bakhtiari, T, fourth round (109): Perhaps the most impressive of the draft picks, Bakhtiari opened camp as a candidate to start at right tackle but was installed as the starting left tackle following the season-ending knee injury to Bryan Bulaga on Aug. 3. Though undersized for a left tackle at just 300 pounds -- he’s the lightest tackle on the roster -- he’s athletic and smart. Through the first two weeks of practice, the coaches noted that he made only one mental error. “He’s a student of the game and the thing about him, he’s very mature,” offensive line coach James Campen said. Bakhtiari had no obvious bad plays in a 38-snap stint against the Cardinals.

• J.C. Tretter, G/T, fourth round (122): Sustained a broken ankle in the first OTA practice in May and remains on the physically unable to perform list. He likely will stay on PUP and try to make a late-season return. His injury may have opened up a spot for another rookie, undrafted guard Lane Taylor, to make the team.

• Johnathan Franklin, RB, fourth round (125): Has shown some of the open-field quickness he displayed at UCLA. For example, he turned a short screen pass into a 9-yard gain against the Cardinals, but he has struggled to find a rhythm in the running game. He averaged just 2.3 yards on six carries against Arizona and has to improve his footwork, according to the coaches. “As he becomes more comfortable, finds his niche in our offense, we find how we want to use him, what personnel groupings and what style of plays we use with him, I think he’ll become more comfortable,” running backs coach Alex Van Pelt said. Franklin also has taken reps as a kick returner but doesn’t appear ready for the job.

• Micah Hyde, CB, fifth round (159): With Tramon Williams and Casey Hayward sidelined because of injuries, Hyde has moved into a starting role at least for now. Although he allowed a touchdown against the Cardinals on a difficult-to-defend fade pattern, Hyde’s physical style of play has been apparent from the beginning. His lack of top-end speed may make him more suited to play in the slot, where Hayward typically plays, but he also has repped at Williams’ spot on the outside. “He still has a ways to go, but he still shows that it’s not too big for him,” cornerbacks coach Joe Whitt said.

• Josh Boyd, DE, fifth round (167): At 6-foot-3 and 310 pounds, he has good size and moves well enough to be effective inside but has a ways to go in terms of footwork, hand placement and pad level. Questions remain about his ability to play hard on a consistent basis. He hasn’t shown much pass-rush ability, going 4-24 in the one-on-one drill. “He could be a good run player,” Trgovac said. “He’ll put his face and his hands in there and separate. He’s got strong hands where he can just shed a blocker.”

• Nate Palmer, OLB, sixth round (193): After playing defensive end at Illinois State, Palmer was drafted to play outside linebacker, and it’s been a difficult conversion. In fact, he might even be behind undrafted rookie Andy Mulumba of Eastern Michigan on the depth chart. “Palmer has shown some pass-rush ability and like all those young guys, he’s learning the position,” defensive coordinator Dom Capers said. “It’s new to him with all the dropping (into coverage) and all of that.” Palmer’s best chance to contribute might be on special teams, but he hasn’t cracked many of the top units yet.

• Charles Johnson, WR, seventh round (216) and Kevin Dorsey, WR, seventh round (224): These two are grouped together because they have yet to put the pads on. Both were hurt on the opening weekend of camp, Dorsey with a leg injury and Johnson with a knee injury, and there’s no timetable for their return. They were drafted to compete for the Nos. 4 and 5 spots behind Randall Cobb, James Jones and Jordy Nelson, but their injuries have all but taken them out of the competition. “These two young men do a good job in the classroom environment, but the most important part after you’re well prepared is to now go out on the practice field and show us,” receivers coach Edgar Bennett said.

• Sam Barrington, LB, seventh round (232): His ability to locate the ball and run make him an ideal candidate for a core special teams player, which at this point might be his best chance to get on the field. “He’s one of those guys who can make flash plays because he can plant his foot in the ground and go from point A to point B, and I think you’ll see those same things show up with him on special teams,” Capers said.

 

[SWC]

brohans i am pretty sure that faust is a robot from the planet updatatron and i bet that guy picks up guys about four years before we even know they have news about them and those guys then turn in to payers like rt2rc take that to the knowlege is power bank brohans

 

[Faust]

Training Camp Roundup: Harrison expounds on 'Hard Knocks' hate