buckeye35
Footballguy
I find that you can always pull a few nuggets out of these blurbs...
PFW WhispersOur sources tell us that Dolphins DE Jason Taylor’s sore back won’t force him to miss the regular-season opener at Pittsburgh. However, after injuring the back early in camp and being sidelined for 12 practices, Taylor is taking things slowly and will play sparingly in the remaining preseason games.
With Tedy Bruschi out until September and with Monty Beisel ailing with an injured hand, word is the Patriots’ signing of recently retired Junior Seau is an indication of how concerned they are about their ILB depth. Though the 37-year-old Seau has played in only 15 games the past two years because of injury, the team believes his experience and ability are an upgrade over the reserves on the roster.
Word is the Jets’ medical staff made the determination that RB Lee Suggs’ surgically repaired knee would not hold up over the long haul. That resulted in the failed physical, voiding the trade that had sent CB Derrick Strait to Cleveland for Suggs. Interestingly, while Suggs has had a myriad of injuries (ankle, thumb, neck, toe, shoulder) during his short NFL career, the knee injury is an old one, suffered when he was at Virginia Tech. He hadn’t missed a practice with the Browns this summer.
Even though the failed trade with the Jets sent CB Derrick Strait back to New York, we hear the Browns like Strait enough that they may try to again trade for him.
The Browns are continuing to try to move RB Lee Suggs, who was sent back to the team after failing the Jets’ physical. Suggs doesn’t have a role in Cleveland after the emergence of rookie Jerome Harrison.
Ravens QB Steve McNair’s command of the huddle has been a breath of fresh air. The way we hear it, former starter Kyle Boller simply was too excitable in pressure situations. McNair is more even-keeled.
With strong competition both at the DL and LB positions, don’t be surprised if the Bengals release a couple of veterans with potential. At linebacker, 2004 third-rounder Caleb Miller could be the odd man out, while DLs Shaun Smith or Jonathan Fanene could be on the bubble.
The way we hear it, Bengals RB Chris Perry’s injuries continue to be a source of frustration to the club. Perry has been out with an ankle injury and could very well miss the start of the season.
Word from Pittsburgh is rookie QB Omar Jacobs has struggled in his transition to the pro game and is being pushed by Shane Boyd for the No. 3 QB job.
What has impressed people in San Diego the most with Philip Rivers is the fact he never seems to have an “off practice,” which is rare for a young quarterback. His accuracy has been excellent, but expect the Chargers to keep things on the conservative side early on, much as they did when Drew Brees took over the reins from Doug Flutie.
Sources in Oakland say the Raiders are not actively shopping disgruntled WR Jerry Porter, but they are allowing him and his agent to seek a trade. The good news for the Raiders is that a couple of young receivers, Johnnie Morant and Will Buchanon, have stepped up in training camp and the preseason. Buchanon, a college defensive back who went undrafted, has really turned heads with some acrobatic grabs.
Replacing retired OTs Willie Roaf and John Welbourn will be a tall order for the Chiefs, but so far, the combination of Kyle Turley and Kevin Sampson has fared well despite some difficulties keeping the Giants’ DE tandem of Michael Strahan and Osi Umenyiora out of the backfield in the second preseason game. Concerns, however, lie with Turley’s ability to hold up over the course of the year at around 280 pounds (some 25-30 pounds lighter than he played at two years ago) and Sampson’s ability to handle speed on the edge.
The Chiefs are eager to get rookie QB Brodie Croyle some work to see if he can elevate himself to the backup role behind Trent Green, but a shoulder injury had kept him out of action since the first week of camp as of this writing. Croyle said he was happy with his progress in the system prior to the injury. Another worry is the fact that new RB Michael Bennett hadn’t been able to see the field since his late-July trade from the Saints. A tender hamstring has prevented him from getting acclimated to the new offense. He is expected to spell Larry Johnson and serve as a change-of-pace option.
Second-round choice Bernard Pollard out of Purdue has been solid in Kansas City’s practices, but another safety, seventh-rounder Jarrad Page out of UCLA, has been the talk of camp with his willingness to hit and ability to cover, decipher a lot of information quickly and play several roles. He could see immediate action in nickel and dime situations and surely will be a force on special teams out of the gate, along with Pollard.
Darren Sproles‘ move to injured reserve with a broken leg may have opened the door for undrafted rookie CB Cletis Gordon to make the Chargers’ team as the primary return specialist. If he falters, the Chargers would look to WR Eric Parker or possibly CB Drayton Florence for punt-return duties and backup RB Michael Turner or possibly rookie CB Antonio Cromartie to bring back kickoffs.
Observers say the athleticism shown by rookie CB Antonio Cromartie in San Diego is impressive, and his long stride makes it look easy to make up ground when he does find himself out of position.
Word out of Panthers camp is the team is trying to steer superstar WR Steve Smith away from returning punts. We hear the Panthers are hesitant to expose Smith, who missed the first two weeks of training camp with a left hamstring strain, to further injuries while doing extra duty on special teams.
We hear Panthers DT Kris Jenkins, who suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in Week One last season and missed the final 12 games in 2004 with a shoulder injury, has been on the practice field regularly in training camp, but he does appear overweight and doesn’t seem to be in football shape just yet.
Our Falcons observers tell us veteran RS Allen Rossum could be on his way out of Atlanta. Rossum battled injuries most of last season and hasn’t come close to returning to his Pro Bowl form of 2004. Complicating matters for Rossum is that rookie WR Adam Jennings has excelled in training camp returning punts and kicks and is also competing for the No. 3 WR job. RB DeAndra Cobb, drafted last year as Rossum’s eventual successor, had a forgettable rookie year and is sidelined with a high ankle sprain. We hear it’s only a matter of time before Cobb gets waived.
We hear Falcons rookie, and Georgia native, QB D.J. Shockley holds a slight edge over second-year QB Bryan Randall in the competition for the No. 3 QB job behind Michael Vick and Matt Schaub. We’re told the Atlanta coaching staff loves Shockley’s intangibles — his leadership, huddle presence, ability to manage the clock — and they fear that if Shockley were put on the practice squad, another team would sign him.
Word out of Buccaneers camp is backup QB Tim Rattay has looked bad for most of training camp and he didn’t help his case to become Tampa’s No. 2 quarterback with his dismal performance in the Bucs’ preseason opener. That game was the first chance for the coaching staff to see Rattay, who was acquired in a trade with San Francisco last season, in a game situation in the Bucs’ system. Rattay’s struggles have opened the door for rookie QB Bruce Gradkowski to earn the No. 2 job if veteran Jay Fiedler (shoulder) isn’t healthy when the season begins.
Sources in Jacksonville tell us diminutive WR Chad Owens is moving up the Jaguars’ depth chart after a strong start to the preseason that included a 62-yard touchdown grab in the opener. We hear Owens, drafted in the sixth round last year largely for his skills as a returner, is facing plenty of competition in the return game, so his best chance to make the team will be as a receiver.
Our sources close to the Saints tell us starting C Jeff Faine has been a stabilizing presence on the team’s revamped offensive line. The Saints acquired Faine in a Draft Day trade with the Browns to replace Pro Bowl C LeCharles Bentley, who left New Orleans to sign a huge free-agent contract with Cleveland.
In addition to outplaying QB Todd Bouman in the Saints’ first preseason game, we hear there’s another sign QB Jamie Martin has a leg up in the competition for the No. 2 QB job. Martin is now the team’s top holder, a role Bouman had handled for the past few years.
The Redskins’ trade of WR Taylor Jacobs to San Francisco almost guarantees that David Patten will make the roster. The team wants to carry five capable receivers because it will use many four- and five-WR sets. Because James Thrash and Antwaan Randle El are key special-teamers, Patten should get a chance.
The Redskins’ OL depth could be a season-long concern, but the team liked what it saw when Mike Pucillo played center and Tyson Walter handled left tackle better than anyone expected.
The Cowboys, armed with depth at linebacker, and the Patriots, who have some extra offensive linemen, have been talking. Sources say the Patriots could be interested in Cowboys reserve Scott Shanle, who has experience in both 3-4 and 4-3 defenses but could be caught up in a numbers game in Dallas.
How bad has it gotten for Drew Henson in Dallas? On the day the team signed free agent Matt Baker, he — not Henson — got all the work with the third team. Henson is pretty expensive to keep as a third QB, especially if the team doesn’t believe he has made much progress.
Despite the late arrival, it appears that Eagles DT Brodrick Bunkley is going to be a force. Our sources tell us that the rookie is built as solidly as any defensive lineman the team has had in recent memory and that Bunkley has routinely found his way into the backfield during drills.
Cowboys LB Bradie James told PFW that DE Chris Canty is going to break out into stardom. “He’s a classic 3-4 end,” James said. “He looks like he is going to have a big season.”
Word is the Seahawks have been satisfied with the steady progress of first-round CB Kelly Jennings, who got picked apart pretty good by the Cowboys in the preseason opener. But while Jennings is expected to see plenty of action this season — we’re told one thing he needs to do is finish his plays a bit better — it could be a while before he earns a starting role over Kelly Herndon, who we hear might have had a better training camp than any Seahawks player this season.
Seahawks DE Grant Wistrom, who underwent shoulder surgery following the Super Bowl, recently revealed to our sources that he played most of last season with a torn labrum that worsened with each game. Wistrom concealed the injury to prevent opponents from taking advantage.
It’s only a matter of time, our sources in the desert believe, before Gerald Hayes takes over the Cardinals’ starting MLB job from James Darling. Hayes, we hear, finally looks fully recovered from the knee problems that sidelined him last season. But while the Cardinals couldn’t be happier with his resurgence, we hear they continue to be extremely frustrated with fellow LB Karlos Dansby, who continues to fall further into Dennis Green’s doghouse the longer he stays off the field due to health issues.
In addition to being a leading candidate as the Cardinals’ primary punt returner, we hear free-agent addition Troy Walters has looked good enough as a pass catcher in the slot to possibly overtake promising LeRon McCoy as the team’s No. 4 wide receiver.
Don’t expect new Rams head coach Scott Linehan to be shy when it comes to using starters on special teams in an effort to improve what has been a steady weakness the last few seasons. We hear key starters such as MLB Will Witherspoon and FS Corey Chavous could see more than a little action on special teams this season.
We hear the more mellow approach by new Rams D-line coach Brian Baker — as opposed to the tough-love style of his predecessor Bill Kollar, who dropped F-bombs seemingly with every other word — has received mostly positive reviews from the Rams’ linemen, who believe they may be benefiting from a bit more work on technique under Baker.
We’re hearing good things about Niners second-year backup DL Ronald Fields, whose motor was somewhat of an issue in his rookie season. Fields apparently has become good friends with second-year RB Frank Gore, and our sources believe Gore’s all-world work ethic and intensity have rubbed off on Fields, who appears a great deal more mature this season.
Word is the supposed two-way battle for the Colts’ starting RCB job between Jason David and Marlin Jackson has become a four-way battle, with first-year pro Kelvin Hayden and versatile third-year pro Von Hutchins entering the mix. Jackson, the Colts’ first-round pick last year, played badly enough in the team’s preseason opener to actually receive public criticism from head coach Tony Dungy, who rarely singles out any of his players.
We hear Colts second-year OL Dylan Gandy has played so well as the starter at left guard in place of the injured Ryan Lilja that he could end up giving Lilja a real run for his money for the starting job in Week One.
Second-year Lions CB Stanley Wilson had an impressive training camp and might wind up with more than the nickel CB job. Wilson outplayed Keith Smith to claim the nickel spot, but he’ll need to be more consistent to overtake Fernando Bryant. Smith’s ball skills and instincts made him a nice fit in the newly implemented cover-2 defense.
Unless injuries hit the team’s receivers, Lions WR Charles Rogers is very likely to be released, according to our moles in Motown. Rogers is working harder but, unable to claw higher than third string on the depth chart, hasn’t found his way into the good graces of the new regime. He’s running out of time and, unless someone stumbles in front of him, Rogers appears a lock to get the boot before the regular season begins.
Our sources indicate the Bears are monitoring the waiver wire for WR help but likely won’t make a trade to acquire help at the position.
Sources in Green Bay are stunned that fifth overall pick A.J. Hawk hasn’t been more of a steady presence this summer. In fact, there are some who believe third-round pick Abdul Hodge might be a better starter at this time than the ultratalented Hawk.
Team observers say the Bears are excited by the performance of rookie FS Danieal Manning. Manning, thrust into regular work since Mike Brown’s Achilles injury at San Francisco, has been able to learn on the job and excels in coverage. If he makes more of an effort to arrive early in run support, the Bears will really have something.
Word out of Detroit is LB Ernie Sims’ size could be a major detriment. Already the Lions consider him too aggressive for a third-down or nickel LB role. Sims should start on the weak side, but the big-hitting linebacker can be pushed around by bigger bodies.
Yes he was embarrassed he was invisible the whole day
