~ Click HERE to Go PRO with our Footballguys Insider PRO: only $32.95 for our remaining Training
Camp Updates, our $35,000 Subscriber Contest & all our website content through the 2016 Super Bowl ~
is still competing for the third quarterback spot, although
he appears to be a step ahead of Phillip Sims so far. Reports of
Sims performances have all been positive, but only relative to
modest expectations.
Training
Camp Update
Volume 10, Issue 1 – 8/12/15
We say it all the time because it's true: Things change fast in
the NFL. And they never change faster than they do in August.
And nobody covers those changes and team situations more
comprehensively than Footballguys.com. Our Training Camp
Updates come out once a week in August and our staff covers
everything you need to know about every NFL team. This is
the deep stuff that gives you an edge. We're not going to rave
that Andrew Luck and Le’Veon Bell are great. You know that.
Read our weekly updates to get the inside scoop on how the
Jets running backs are practicing and which player is the best
bet for your draft. Or the Colts WR corps. Or which
Minnesota receivers are shining in practice. It's the kind of
information that will put you over the edge and on the way to
dominating your draft.
Happy reading and let's have a great 2015 season,
Joe Bryant and David Dodds
Owners, Footballguys.com
Follow our staff on Twitter: @Joe_Bryant, @fbg_dodds,
@theaudible, @sigmundbloom, @cecillammey,
@JayBWood, @Jene Bramel, @fbgchase,
@MattWaldman, @bobhenry, @Andrew_Garda,
@JeffHaseley, @Maurile, @HermanKickology, @cianaf,
@kylewachtel, @mpwimer, @draftdaddy
Arizona Cardinals
QB: Carson Palmer hasn't been fully involved in his return
from a torn ACL, but he has looked good in what he has
done. He is moving well while wearing a knee support. Palmer
even survived an inadvertent hit from one of his offensive
linemen when defensive back Tyrann Mathieu was a bit more
aggressive than he intended. Drew Stanton has also been
given time off during the early stages of camp, a sign that he is
firmly established as the team's primary backup. The
Cardinals released Chandler Harnish a few days into camp,
but that wasn't a sign of confidence in Logan Thomas. Thomas
RB: The most significant development of training camp so far
for the running backs didn't have anything to do with what
happened on the field. Andre Ellington received a vote of
confidence from Head Coach Bruce Arians. Arians said he
wants to get Ellington up to 20 touches per game. It's not a
good sign that Ellington has already had to deal with a
hamstring injury, a struggle that rookie David Johnson has
shared. Hamstrings are somewhat of an epidemic for the
Cardinals at this point, with Marion Grice also befallen by
one. Ellington and Johnson's absences have given Stepfan
Taylor greater opportunity to solidify his roster spot. Taylor
isn't old but he's one of the Cardinals’ most experienced backs.
Nobody is questioning the talent of running back Kerwynn
Williams, but he needs to prove his consistency to be relied
upon; he’s been fumbling early in training camp.
WR: All the excitement this offseason has been about John
Brown. Brown's impressive displays have pushed the
optimism for Michael Floyd to the side. That optimism
disappeared completely when Floyd went down with a
significant injury during the first week of training camp;
dislocating three fingers and requiring surgery. Floyd's
absence moves Jaron Brown into the team's three receiver sets.
Jaron had struggled early in camp, but a few spectacular plays
towards the end of the first week helped alter the mood around
him. Arians touched on that specifically, “He caught
everybody's attention with that catch, so he put a little more
money back in the bank because he withdrew a bunch. Finally
nice to see him make a deposit." Floyd's injury has only served
to highlight the quality of the Cardinals depth at receiver.
Rookie J.J. Nelson has impressed early and appears to have
already solidified the fifth spot on the depth chart.
TE: It's not easy to stand out as a tight end in Bruce Arians’
offense at the best of times, training camp is no exception.
Jermaine Gresham was signed to add a veteran presence and
likely starter. However, both Gresham and second-year player
Troy Niklas missed much of the first week of training camp
with injuries. Darren Fells appears to be the only player
capable of breaking up the Niklas-Gresham combination; he
has been the best, active tight end in camp.
Defense: The biggest change for the defense this year is on the
sideline, as James Bettcher replaces Todd Bowles. Early
reviews have been universally positive. It won't be a surprise
to anyone who watched him in college, but Markus Golden
has stood out early in camp. Golden's athleticism is what
attracted the Cardinals, and it’s showing. Looking good in
early camp doesn’t necessarily mean much in September, but
it's helping earn him opportunities. Bettcher has highlighted
his motor, “He’s playing phenomenally hard, working his tail
off to learn the system.” Bettcher also pointed out that he has a
tough job ahead of him to learn the Cardinals defense. Golden
is a rookie, but he and second-year player Kareem Martin are
~ Click HERE to Go PRO with our Footballguys Insider PRO: only $32.95 for our remaining Training
Camp Updates, our $35,000 Subscriber Contest & all our website content through the 2016 Super Bowl ~
in similar situations as athletes trying to prove their technique.
Martin has stood out with some impressive plays, but
questions remain if he and Golden are just feasting on
second-tier offensive linemen.
PK: Arians has increased trust in kicker Chandler Catanzaro
entering his second year and should allow him to try more
field goals from 50+ yards because he doesn’t fear hurting the
kicker’s confidence. Arians didn’t take as many chances from
distance last year because of the team’s strong defense and
Catanzaro’s inexperience. Catanzaro said, “That’s something
I’m definitely ready for and feel confident about.”
Cardinals Depth Chart
QB: Carson Palmer, Drew Stanton, Logan Thomas
RB: Andre Ellington, David Johnson (inj), Kerwynn
Williams, Stepfan Taylor, Marion Grice
FB: Robert Hughes
WR: Larry Fitzgerald, Michael Floyd (inj), John Brown
(KR), Jaron Brown, J.J. Nelson, Brittan Golden, Ryan
Spadola, Travis Harvey,Jaxon Shipley, Nathan Slaughter
TE: Darren Fells, Troy Niklas, Jermaine Gresham, Ifeanyi
Momah,Gerald Christian, Ted Bolser
LT: Jared Veldheer, Tavon Rooks
LG: Mike Iupati, Anthony Steen
C: AQ Shipley, Ted Larsen
RG: Jonathan Cooper, Earl Watford, Antoine McClain
RT: DJ Humphries, Bobby Massie, Bradley Sowell, Cameron
Bradfield
K: Chandler Catanzaro
NT: Alameda Ta′amu, Corey Peters
DE: Calais Campbell, Cory Redding, Matt
Shaughnessy, Frostee Rucker, Rodney Gunter, Ed Stinson
ILB: Sean Weatherspoon, Kevin Minter, Glenn
Carson, Darryl Sharpton, Kenny Demens, Daryl Washington
(susp)
OLB: Alex Okafor, LaMarr Woodley, Lorenzo
Alexander, Markus Golden, Kareem Martin, Shaq Riddick
CB: Patrick Peterson (PR), Jerraud Powers, Justin
Bethel, Shaquille Richardson, Damond Smith, Jimmy Legree
S: Tyrann Mathieu (FS) , Tony Jefferson (SS), Deone
Bucannon (SS), Rashad Johnson (FS), Chris
Clemons (FS), D.J. Campbell(SS)
Atlanta Falcons
QB: The Atlanta offense looked good during the annual
"Friday Night Lights" scrimmage in Buford. "There were
definitely some big plays by the offense that we’re real proud
off," said new head coach Dan Quinn. Also on Friday, new
offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan commented on Ryan,
"(Ryan is) not going to be running 4.4 down the sidelines and
breaking people off, but he's very quick in the pocket,
especially for how tall and lanky he is... That's a good
combination because he can see over the line of scrimmage,
keep his eyes down the field and he still has the athletic ability
that if he’s in trouble he has a chance to still make a play...
“He’s always been good at throwing on the run."
RB: Starting running back Devonta Freeman suffered a
hamstring strain midweek and will miss “a few weeks.” That’s
a shame because Freeman looked sharp in red zone drills prior
to the injury; he also caught the ball well. Coach Quinn did not
provide a timetable for Freeman's return, "Hopefully, for him,
it's a quick turnaround. He's such a passionate competitor. You
can see how disappointed he was not to be able to finish today.
So hopefully, we'll get him back out here soon. He is an
absolute competitor. Just every day, he brings it. And he
stands for a lot of the stuff I love about our team: attitude,
intensity, toughness and wanting to compete."
The Falcons also are without vaunted rookie Tevin Coleman.
Coleman also has a hamstring strain and has been out since
last Tuesday. Before the hamstring injury, Coleman had
mostly worked with the second-team offense. His injury – like
Freeman’s – is considered week-to-week.
Undrafted rookie Terron Ward has gotten first-team reps in
their stead, and he’s made the most of his opportunity. Veteran
Antone Smith and second-year pro Jerome Smith are also
taking first-team snaps right now. "It will be a unique
opportunity to get some of the guys some more turns," Quinn
said. "Hopefully the other guys will be back quickly, too. But I
love the group - I really do in terms of the attitude they're
trying to establish. It's unfortunate, but at the same time, the
next guy is up." Antone Smith is well along in his recovery
from last year's broken leg, "I'm right where I need to be at
this time right now." Smith had a long-gainer during the
annual Friday Night Lights event; he hasn’t lost his
explosiveness. "It was great to see Tone really coming to life,”
Quinn said. “For him to have an injury, to come back and
battle like he did in rehab, I feel thrilled for him tonight.”
Michael Ford (out of football last year after being with the
Bears in 2013) has been signed as a camp body while Freeman
and Coleman rehab.
WR: Julio Jones has been lining all over the field in early
camp, highlighting his versatility and prominent role in the
newly installed offense. He has lost five pounds since the start
of training camp and believes he “has another gear," as a
result. Team owner Arthur Blank proclaimed Jones would be a
Falcons' "lifer" as the team and Jones' representatives work on
a new contract. Leonard Hankerson has impressed: "I think
it’s the length, he’s got such a big catching radius," Coach
Quinn said last week. "You’ve probably seen some of the
sideline plays, he’s got such a knack for keeping it in bounds
and going to stretch for the ball, so that’s probably one of the
biggest things that stand out for me with Hankerson." Roddy
White had his knee drained prior to the Falcon's June
minicamp and expects the knee to be drained again during the
2015 season, but doesn’t see it impacting his play. Rookie
Justin Hardy missed practice last Thursday due to a stomach
illness. Nick Williams made a nice catch while sliding out of
bounds on the last play of Thursday's practice. During Friday's
~ Click HERE to Go PRO with our Footballguys Insider PRO: only $32.95 for our remaining Training
Camp Updates, our $35,000 Subscriber Contest & all our website content through the 2016 Super Bowl ~
scrimmage in Buford, Hardy came up with a big touchdown
catch on a bomb from quarterback T.J. Yates.
TE: Matt Ryan and Jacob Tamme are still working on their
chemistry. Ryan reportedly threw the ball behind Tamme
during Thursday's practice. Meanwhile, Levine Toilolo made
some impressive catches and earned praised from the coaches
on his continued improvement as a blocker.
Defense: Defensive end Vic Beasley was held out of
Thursday’s practice due to a stomach illness. During
Thursday's one-on-one passing drills, there were three straight
pass interference penalties committed by Jonathon Mincy,
Terrell Floyd and Ricardo Allen. After practice, Quinn
highlighted the safeties' play, “William Moore has been off to
a terrific start inside. Rico Allen is somebody that we’re still
excited about.” Regarding the corners, Quinn said, “Outside,
we’ve got some taller and longer guys. We are trying to see
what Jalen (Collins) can do. We are trying to see what Dez
(Southward) can do. They didn’t play a lot for us in the spring.
That competition is there and then who’s going to move inside
to play nickel. As we are getting started, the competition there
is real."
Falcons Depth Chart
QB: Matt Ryan, T.J. Yates, Sean Renfree
RB: Devonta Freeman (3RB) (inj), Tevin Coleman
(inj), Antone Smith, Terron Ward, Jerome Smith, Ronnie
Wingo
FB: Patrick DiMarco, Colin Mooney
WR: Julio Jones, Roddy White, Leonard Hankerson, Justin
Hardy, Devin Hester (PR), Eric Weems (KR), Bernard
Reedy, Freddie Martino, Carlton Mitchell, Nick Williams
TE: Jacob Tamme, Levine Toilolo, Tony Moeaki, Mickey
Schuler
LT: Jake Matthews, Lamar Holmes, Sam Baker
LG: Chris Chester, Mike Person, Harland Gunn
C: Joe Hawley, James Stone, Valerian Ume-Ezeoke
RG: Jon Asamoah, Peter Konz, Jared Smith
RT: Ryan Schraeder, Tyler Polumbus, Jake Rogers,
K: Matt Bryant
DT: Paul Soliai, Jonathan Babineaux, Ra′Shede
Hageman, Grady Jarrett, Ricky Havili-Heimuli, Cliff
Matthews
DE: Kroy Biermann, Tyson Jackson, Vic Beasley, O′Brien
Schofield,Adrian Clayborn, Malliciah Goodman, Stansly
Maponga
MLB: Paul Worrilow, Allen Bradford, Nathan Stupar
OLB: Brooks Reed (S), Justin Durant, Joplo Bartu
(S), Marquis Spruill (W), Tyler Starr (S), Jacques Smith (S)
CB: Desmond Trufant, Robert Alford, Jalen Collins, Phillip
Adams, Dezmen Southward, Jordan Mabin, Kevin White
S: Kemal Ishmael (FS), William Moore (SS), Charles Godfrey
(SS),Ricardo Allen, Akeem King, Brandon Bishop (FS), Sean
Baker (FS), Damien Parms
Baltimore Ravens
QB: Because of his consistency, it can be easy to overlook the
fact that Joe Flacco is on his fourth offensive coordinator in as
many years. This year, Marc Trestman comes to town with his
pass-heavy scheme and history of involving running backs in
the passing game. This fits with Flacco’s history, as he has one
of the best deep ball arms in the game and often utilized Ray
Rice as a receiving weapon early in his career. Flacco has
improved nearly every season (his lackluster 2013 excepted),
and there’s no reason to think that a new coordinator will
hinder that. After having Tyrod Taylor in town as a promising
backup, Baltimore let him go and brought in veteran Matt
Schaub to back up Flacco. Schaub has already struggled in
camp, throwing multiple interceptions. Flacco has never
missed a game in his career, and Baltimore certainly hopes
that continues. They would be significantly hampered with
Schaub starting.
RB: Justin Forsett, previously a veteran journeyman, burst
onto the scene last year with 1,266 rushing yards in relief of
Ray Rice after Rice’s legal issues and release. This season,
Forsett enters as the unquestioned starter, a role he has never
had entering any of his previous seven NFL seasons. Forsett’s
skill set aligns well with Trestman’s offensive scheme.
Doubling last year’s 44 receptions isn’t out of the question. In
fact, Forsett caught a long fade route up the seam in a
practice last week. Second-year player Lorenzo Taliaferro and
rookie Javorius “Buck” Allen will likely split backup duties
behind Forsett. Taliaferro is a bigger runner who isn’t very
creative in his style. Allen is a great receiver out of the
backfield and displayed excellent pass-blocking skills in
college at Southern California. Allen performed very well in
a practice at M&T Bank Stadium in front of the fans. He
looks to be a fit for the zone blocking scheme.
WR: The pass-catchers are the biggest group to watch for
Baltimore. Veteran Steve Smith Jr. is the only proven
commodity at wide receiver; and per his announcement on
Monday, this will be his final NFL season. It’s unclear who
will join Smith as a starter. In contention are first-round pick
Breshad Perriman, Kamar Aiken, and Marlon Brown. Both
Perriman and Brown have been hampered by injuries.
Regardless of who wins the job, there will be opportunity to
produce in Trestman’s high-volume passing game and with a
seasoned veteran like Joe Flacco throwing passes. Perriman
seems to have a grasp on the responsibility that comes with
being a first-round pick and has worked on his conditioning
and fundamentals in the offseason. Second-year player
Michael Campanaro will help in the slot, while size/speed
freak Darren Waller and veteran deep-ball specialist Aldrick
Robinson are likely to be on the wrong side of the roster
bubble.
TE: Second-year player Crockett Gillmore and rookie secondround pick Maxx Williams will battle to be yet another
starting pass-catcher who lacks experience. Gillmore is more
of a block-first player, while Williams showed the ability in
~ Click HERE to Go PRO with our Footballguys Insider PRO: only $32.95 for our remaining Training
Camp Updates, our $35,000 Subscriber Contest & all our website content through the 2016 Super Bowl ~
college to be a playmaker. Some of that ability was on display
in a practice last week. While rookie tight ends tend to
struggle in the NFL, a quick read between the lines suggests
that Baltimore is ready to utilize Williams. Gillmore bulked up
to 275 pounds in the offseason, suggesting he’ll be used more
as a blocker. Williams, however, has admitted to difficulty
grasping the playbook. The tight ends aren’t likely to make a
huge impact in the passing game.
Defense: Baltimore has one of the best general managers in
the NFL in Ozzie Newsome. They were able to trade one of
the NFL’s premier nose tackles in Haloti Ngata, and their front
three should still be among the league’s best. Brandon
Williams takes over in the middle, while Timmy Jernigan is
versatile enough to play all three spots on the line. In the
linebacking corps, Elvis Dumervil added ten pounds in an
attempt to stay strong against the physical AFC North. He’s
battling some Achilles tendinitis so far in camp but has
returned to practicing after missing a few sessions. Terrell
Suggs entered OTAs in what he called his “walking around
weight” so he could take it easy on his body and extend his
recovery period. He will intensify his workouts this month to
get in game shape. C.J. Mosley had offseason wrist surgery
but will be ready to play when the season begins. In 2014, the
secondary only recorded six interceptions. They were
decimated by injuries, especially at cornerback. That forced
Matt Elam to play out of position as a nickel corner, where he
struggled. Elam was expected to improve this season, but he
tore his biceps and will miss the season. Will Hill will start at
strong safety. Hill is a big but nimble player who is a big
hitter. Baltimore brought over Kyle Arrington from New
England. Arrington was torched by unknown Chris Matthews
in the Super Bowl and tends to struggle with big receivers.
He’ll likely be exclusively in the slot with Baltimore.
Ravens Depth Chart
QB: Joe Flacco, Matt Schaub, Bryn Renner, Jerry Lovelocke
RB: Justin Forsett (3RB), Lorenzo Taliaferro, Javorius
Allen,Fitzgerald Toussaint, Terrence Magee
FB: Kyle Juszczyk, Kiero Small
WR: Steve Smith, Kamar Aiken, Breshad Perriman
(inj), Marlon Brown, DeAndre Carter, Michael Campanaro
(KR/PR), Darren Waller, Jeremy Butler, Aldrick Robinson
TE: Crockett Gillmore, Maxx Williams, Nick Boyle, Konrad
Reuland, Allen Reisner, Dennis Pitta (inj)
LT: Eugene Monroe, James Hurst
LG: Kelechi Osemele, John Urschel
C: Jeremy Zuttah, Ryan Jensen
RG: Marshal Yanda, Robert Myers
RT: Rick Wagner, Jah Reid, Marcel Jones
K: Justin Tucker, Justin Manton
DT: Brandon Williams (NT), Carl Davis, Casey
Walker, Christo Bilukidi
DE: Timmy Jernigan, Chris Canty, Lawrence Guy, DeAngelo
Tyson (NT), Kapron Lewis-Moore, Zach Thompson, Brent
Urban (inj)
ILB: C.J. Mosley, Daryl Smith, Albert McClellan, Arthur
Brown, Zachary Orr
OLB: Terrell Suggs, Courtney Upshaw (S), Elvis Dumervil
(S), Za′Darius Smith (DE), Steven Means
CB: Jimmy Smith, Lardarius Webb (PR), Kyle
Arrington, Rashaan Melvin, Tray Walker, Cassius
Vaughn, Asa Jackson, Chris Greenwood, Aaron Ross, Quinton
Porter, Julian Wilson (inj)
S: Will Hill (SS), Kendrick Lewis (SS), Terrence Brooks
(FS), Anthony Levine, Brynden Trawick (SS), Matt Elam (IR)
Buffalo Bills
QB: The Bills have undergone a lot of changes this offseason,
but they are still looking for answers at the quarterback
position. There is an open competition for the starting job in
between Matt Cassel, Tyrod Taylor and EJ Manuel; so far no
favorite has emerged. Matt Cassel was acquired via trade and
has been seeing most of the time with the starters early in
camp, but he hasn’t impressed enough to pull away. He’ll start
the Bills first preseason game. Tyrod Taylor has turned some
heads with his mobility and could be a player to watch if he
can continue his strong play into the preseason. Former 1st
round pick EJ Manuel appears to be struggling early in camp,
but he impressed during an intrasquad scrimmage on Saturday
night. Cassel seems like the safe bet to start the season due to
his experience and consistency, but Taylor or Manuel may
offer more upside. Matt Simms is a dark horse candidate to
make the roster, but as the #4 QB in camp he may not see
enough reps to make an impression.
RB: The Bills traded for LeSean McCoy and are counting on
him to be their workhorse. He’s an elite runner, but it will be
interesting to see if the Bills plan to use him heavily on 3 rd
downs and goal line situations. He suffered a minor toe injury
that kept him out of some team drills, but he downplayed its
significance. 34-year old Fred Jackson is expected to see a
regular role on offense that could limit McCoy’s upside, but
he suffered a hamstring injury that will keep him out of
practice for a couple weeks. The Bills depth at the position is
being tested as Anthony Dixon also suffered an injury last
week that could keep him out for a month. That could create
an opening for players like Bryce Brown and rookie Karlos
Williams to stake a claim to one of the reserve roster spots.
Brown, however, continues to be plagued by fumbling issues
that could make it tough for the coaching staff to trust him.
Jerome Felton was also brought in to give the team a
prototypical blocking fullback as they transition to more of a
power running offensive scheme under new coordinator Greg
Roman. Former Jet John Conner is also in the mix, but there’s
probably not enough room for two fullbacks.
WR: Whoever wins the quarterback job will have an
impressive set of weapons at his disposal in the passing game.
Last year’s #4 overall pick Sammy Watkins figures to be the
leader of the group as he attempts to build on a solid rookie
season. He missed some practice time while dealing with
soreness in his surgically-repaired hip, but returned to action
the next day. The team signed Percy Harvin to a 1-year
~ Click HERE to Go PRO with our Footballguys Insider PRO: only $32.95 for our remaining Training
Camp Updates, our $35,000 Subscriber Contest & all our website content through the 2016 Super Bowl ~
contract, so he will be motivated to fit in and make a big
impact in hopes of landing a big contract next year. He’s also
getting some practice reps at cornerback after asking the
coaches to try him there. The Bills may not run as many 3WR
sets this year, so Robert Woods figures to take a step back
from his team-leading 65 receptions a year ago, but he is still a
reliable target who can help move the chains when called
upon. Chris Hogan also provides solid depth from the slot and
had the best night of any receiver in the team’s Saturday night
scrimmage. Marcus Easley is a strong bet to make the team
due to his play on special teams, so that may not leave much
room for other receivers. Marquise Goodwin has track star
speed, but has been underwhelming the past few years and
will need a strong camp to make the team. Dezmin Lewis was
a 7th round pick who brings much-needed size to the group,
but he has been plagued by drops early in camp.
TE: Charles Clay was signed to a huge contract that the
Dolphins declined to match, which strengthened the Bills and
weakened their division rival. He’s expected to play a big role
in the new offense, but was targeted very infrequently through
the first week of camp. The Bills also have some intriguing
young players at the position with Chris Gragg, Marqueis
Gray, and rookie Nick O’Leary all worth keeping an eye on. If
the team uses the tight end position as much as expected, at
least one of them should see significant playing time this year.
Defense: The Bills will transition back to more of a 3-4 front
this year, but nearly all pieces return. Up front, the focus is
mostly on the ongoing contract negotiations with defensive
tackle Marcell Dareus, who is entering the last year of his deal
and looking for a huge payday. At linebacker, the Bills traded
away Kiko Alonso but feel very comfortable with Preston
Brown and Nigel Bradham in the middle of their defense.
Brown has been tasked with calling the defensive plays, and
Rex Ryan has been impressed with his instincts. The
secondary will probably get most of the attention in the
preseason, as there are a few spots that could be up for grabs.
At corner, Leodis McKelvin suffered a setback during his
recovery from ankle surgery and his status for the season
opener appears to be in doubt. That could open up a spot for
2nd round pick Ronald Darby. Additionally, Corey Graham has
been moved to safety and figures to compete with Duke
Williams for playing time opposite Aaron Williams. Nickell
Robey has established himself as a very reliable inside corner
and signed a contract extension this week.
Bills Depth Chart
QB: Matt Cassel, Tyrod Taylor, EJ Manuel, Matt Simms
RB: LeSean McCoy, Fred Jackson (inj), Anthony Dixon
(inj), Karlos Williams, Bryce Brown, Corey Knox
FB: Jerome Felton, John Conner
WR: Sammy Watkins, Robert Woods, Percy Harvin, Chris
Hogan, Marquise Goodwin (KR), Marcus Easley, Dezmin
Lewis, Deonte Thompson, Marcus Thigpen, Andre
Davis, Tobias Palmer, Caleb Holley
TE: Charles Clay, MarQueis Gray, Nick O′Leary, Chris
Gragg, Chris Manhertz, Matthew Mulligan
LT: Cordy Glenn, Seantrel Henderson
LG: John Miller, Chris Williams, Cyril Richardson, Darryl
Johnson
C: Eric Wood, Kraig Urbik
RG: Richie Incognito, William Campbell
RT: Cyrus Kouandijo
K: Dan Carpenter, Jordan Gay
NT: Marcell Dareus, Corbin Bryant (DE), Andre
Fluellen, Jeremy Towns, Justin Hamilton
DE: Mario Williams, Kyle Williams, Stefan Charles, Jarius
Wynn, Alex Carrington, Cedric Reed
ILB: Nigel Bradham (W), Preston Brown (M), Ty
Powell, Tony Steward, Randell Johnson (W), A.J. Tarpley
OLB: Jerry Hughes (S/DE), Manny Lawson (S/DE), Jimmy
Gaines(S), Bryan Johnson
CB: Stephon Gilmore, Leodis McKelvin, Ronald
Darby, Nickell Robey, Ron Brooks, Rod Sweeting, Mario
Butler, Bobby Felder, Cam Thomas
S: Aaron Williams (FS), Corey Graham (SS), Duke Williams
(SS) ,Bacarri Rambo (FS), Kenny Ladler (SS), Jonathan
Meeks (SS), Wes Miller
Carolina Panthers
Coaching Staff: Six-year-old Braylon Beam was
inspirational on Friday night; leading the Panthers into their
Fan Fest.
QB: Cam Newton is commanding the offense and looks
"loose and confident" on the practice field so far this season.
However, he remains inconsistent and needs to maintain his
focus on every play, according to camp observers. Newton
threw the ball very well during the Fan Fest scrimmage on
Friday night.
RB: Rookie Cameron Artis-Payne and Jordan Todman are
battling for the third running back job; behind starter Jonathan
Stewart and #2 Fozzy Whittaker. Artis-Payne is "...incredibly
patient as a running back, and you don't see that a lot,"
according to fullback Mike Tolbert. "He's patient, and he
knows when to hit the holes and when to make the right
reads." Artis-Payne is also a solid pass protector. Artis-Payne
noted, "That's the easy part. One of my friends that was
already in the NFL told me that pass-blocking will keep you in
the league. Ever since I heard that... that's just something I
knew I had to do." Tolbert was impressed with the 55,000
attendees at Friday’s Fan Fest practice, "We've been in
training camp for... a week, and this is the best that I've seen
this team as a whole, offense, defense and special teams...
Coach is really honing in and tightening up the nuts and bolts,
getting the loose screws right. That’s all in the detail, and it’s
starting from the top. We’re more focused this year. We know
the time is now for us to make a run."
WR: Stephen Hill was waived after tearing his right ACL in
practice last Saturday. There were reports that Jerricho
Cotchery may be on the roster bubble if Devin
~ Click HERE to Go PRO with our Footballguys Insider PRO: only $32.95 for our remaining Training
Camp Updates, our $35,000 Subscriber Contest & all our website content through the 2016 Super Bowl ~
Funchess/Philly Brown pan out during camp, but those are
unconfirmed reports. Ted Ginn Jr. is making a splash and may
earn a role on offense in addition to role as a top-tier returner.
Kelvin Benjamin, who reportedly showed up to OTAs
overweight, entered training camp back at his prescribed 245
pounds and is reportedly past the hamstring issues that
hampered him during OTAs. An ESPN writer described
Benjamin as the MVP of the early part of training camp.
Funchess hurt his shoulder last week but the injury is not
significant. "Turns out he was OK but they (the trainers) did
want to put some ice on it," according to Coach Rivera.
TE: Olsen is unquestioned in his role atop the depth chart.
Sometimes it’s forgotten that Olsen is not merely a talented
receiver, but is an equally effective blocker. We got a glimpse
of that last Wednesday when he stopped linebacker A.J. Klein
in his tracks on a blitz.
Defense: Defensive tackle Star Lotulelei suffered a "stress
reaction" in his surgically-repaired right foot last Monday, and
will be re-evaluated in "a few weeks" (he's been in a walking
boot since the re-injury). Lotulelei broke his foot during the
playoffs and had corrective surgery in January. The loss of
Lotulelei for any length of time will degrade the Panthers' rush
defense. Tackle Kawann Short is battling a back injury and
hasn't practiced all week. Defensive end Kony Ealy has been
up and down so far. "I've seen some good and I've seen some
bad," Coach Rivera said, "The big thing that needs to happen
is that he needs to be consistent." Nobody has stood out as the
potential replacement for the departed Greg Hardy. Frank
Alexander and Mario Addison have taken the majority of
snaps at right defensive end with the first team defense, while
Ealy has been relegated to second-team. Despite the issues
around replacing Hardy, the defense has had the edge over the
offense thus far; they appear to be poised to remain a top-rated
unit this coming season.
PK: Dan Carpenter has been placed on the NFI (Non-Football
Injury) list and sidelined with a hamstring injury that the team
claims is just a tweak. Jordan Gay was 1-for-3 in the team’s
scrimmage and appears to be no threat to Carpenter or even to
be the Bills kicker if Carpenter somehow isn’t ready to begin
the season. The Bills terrific defense and seemingly futile
offense makes this one of the best kicker situation in the
league, so monitor Carpenter’s health before rightfully
targeting him in drafts.
Panthers Depth Chart
QB: Cam Newton, Derek Anderson, Joe Webb
RB: Jonathan Stewart, Cameron Artis-Payne, Fozzy
Whittaker, Jordan Todman (KR), Brandon Wegher
FB: Mike Tolbert, Richie Brockel
WR: Kelvin Benjamin, Devin Funchess, Corey Brown
(KR), Jerricho Cotchery, Ted Ginn (KR/PR), Jarrett
Boykin, Brenton Bersin, Marcus Lucas, Mike Brown, Damiere
Byrd, Paul Browning, Stephen Hill (IR)
TE: Greg Olsen, Ed Dickson, Brandon Williams, Kevin
Greene, Scott Simonson
LT: Michael Oher, Jonathan Martin
LG: Andrew Norwell, Amini Silatolu
C: Ryan Kalil, Fernando Velasco
RG: Trai Turner, Brian Folkerts, Chris Scott
RT: Daryl Williams , Mike Remmers, Nate Chandler, David
Foucault
K: Graham Gano
DT: Star Lotulelei (NT) (inj), Kawann Short, Dwan
Edwards, Colin Cole, Kyle Love, Darious Cummings, Terry
Redden
DE: Charles Johnson, Frank Alexander, Wes Horton, Kony
Ealy,Mario Addison, Arthu Miley, Steve Miller
MLB: Luke Kuechly, David Mayo, Ben Jacobs
OLB: Thomas Davis (S), A.J. Klein (W), Jason Trusnik, Shaq
Thompson, Adarius Glanton (W), Kevin Reddick (S), Horace
Miller(W)
CB: Josh Norman, Charles Tillman, Bene Benwikere, Melvin
White, Carrington Byndom, Teddy Williams, Louis
Young, Garry Peters
S: Roman Harper (SS), Tre Boston (FS), Kurt Coleman
(FS), Colin Jones (SS), Robert Lester (FS), Kimario
McFadden (FS), Dean Marlowe, Kimario McFadden
Chicago Bears
QB: The Bears decided to stick with Jay Cutler and are hoping
that new coordinator Adam Gase will be able to bring out the
best in him. Growing pains are to be expected, but the
potential for an explosive resurgence exists. Early reports been
mixed. Cutler strung a handful of good practices together, but
then completed just 1 of 5 attempts in a scrimmage against the
2nd team defense on Saturday at Soldier Field. Backup Jimmy
Clausen has had a harder time adjusting to the new system and
has looked a bit lost at times, so the Bears will need to keep
Cutler healthy. David Fales opened camp on the PUP list with
an illness, but should be cleared to practice soon. Undrafted
rookie Shane Carden has looked terrible and may have trouble
even making the practice squad.
RB: Matt Forte is entering the final year of his contract, so the
Bears may want to start looking for possible long-term
replacements. Forte doesn’t expect to get a ton of work in the
preseason, and it looks like Jacquizz Rodgers is currently next
up on the depth chart. Although likely too small for an every
down role, Rodgers has plenty of experience from his time in
Atlanta. Rookie Jeremy Langford has also been seeing regular
time with the 1st string offense and figures to compete with 2 nd
year pro Ka’Deem Carey for the #3 job. Langford is expected
to contribute more on special teams, which could give him the
edge.
WR: There are some big changes in this group as Brandon
Marshall was traded to the Jets, which will allow Alshon
Jeffery to take over as the team’s #1 WR. The team also
drafted Kevin White early in the first round, but he has not
been cleared to practice yet while dealing with a shin injury.
There are concerns that he might not be ready to go for the
~ Click HERE to Go PRO with our Footballguys Insider PRO: only $32.95 for our remaining Training
Camp Updates, our $35,000 Subscriber Contest & all our website content through the 2016 Super Bowl ~
season opener, but that is likely premature at this point. The
early star of camp has been new slot receiver Eddie Royal. He
has a history with Jay Cutler from their time together in
Denver, and should provide a reliable target in the middle of
the field. Marquess Wilson is also competing for a starting
spot outside, and should be ready to take on a bigger role this
year.
TE: Martellus Bennett skipped some offseason training
sessions in an attempt to try and get the Bears to renegotiate
his contract, but he has two years left on the deal. He has
earned raves early in camp for his receiving and blocking, and
figures to be in for another big year. Zach Miller hasn’t played
in a regular season game since 2011 due to a series of injuries,
but he is having another strong camp. The Bears have more
experienced depth at the position with Dante Rosario and Bear
Pascoe also competing for backup jobs.
Defense: The Bears defense has outplayed the offense early in
camp, but they are expected to take some time to adjust to the
new 3-4 scheme being implemented by coordinator Vic
Fangio. Up front, the team is hoping rookie 2 nd round pick
Eddie Goldman can continue his strong start and help solidify
the middle of the defensive line. At linebacker, the Bears have
been giving Christian Jones and Shea McClellin most of the
first team reps at inside linebacker, but Mason Foster is
making a push for one of those jobs as well. Jonathan Bostic
has missed time with injuries and is falling further behind. At
outside linebacker, Pernell McPhee sat out the Saturday
scrimmage so Jared Allen saw some additional work and
contributed a pair of sacks. Lamarr Houston is also making
positive steps in his recovery from an ACL injury. Willie
Young has been cleared to practice, but looks like a poor fit at
his new position. In the secondary, there is a battle for one of
the safety spots between Brock Vereen and Ryan Mundy.
Vereen appears to have an early lead, but Mundy is the more
proven and reliable option.
Bears Depth Chart
QB: Jay Cutler, Jimmy Clausen, David Fales, Shane Carden
RB: Matt Forte, Jacquizz Rodgers, Jeremy
Langford, Ka′Deem Carey, Senorise Perry, Daniel Thomas
WR: Alshon Jeffery, Eddie Royal, Marquess Wilson, Kevin
White (inj), Marc Mariani (KR/PR), Joshua Bellamy, John
Chiles, Rashad Lawrence, Cameron Meredith, Levi
Norwood, Ify Omodu
TE: Martellus Bennett, Dante Rosario, Zach Miller, Blake
Annen, Chris Pantele, Bear Pascoe, Brian Vogler
LT: Jermon Bushrod, Charles Leno
LG: Matt Slauson, Michael Ola
C: Hroniss Grasu, Will Montgomery
RG: Kyle Long, Vladimir Ducasse
RT: Jordan Mills, Jason Weaver, Tayo Fabuluje
K: Robbie Gould
NT: Eddie Goldman, Will Sutton
DE: Jarvis Jenkins, Jeremiah Ratliff, Ego Ferguson, Cornelius
Washington, Brandon Dunn, Jamil Merrell, Olsen Pierre
ILB: Mason Foster, Christian Jones, Jonathan Bostic, DeDe
Lattimore, Jonathan Brown, John Timu
OLB: Pernell McPhee, Jared Allen, Willie Young, Lamarr
Houston, Shea McClellin, David Bass, Jonathan Anderson
CB: Tim Jennings, Kyle Fuller, Alan Ball, Demontre
Hurst, Sherrick McManis, Al Louis-Jean Jr., Terrance
Mitchell, Tracy Porter, Bryce Callahan, Jacoby
Glenn, Qumain Black
S: Antrel Rolle (SS), Brock Vereen (FS), Ryan Mundy
(SS), Adrian Amos, Anthony Walters, Anthony
Jefferson, Sherrod Martin
Cincinnati Bengals
QB: The Bengals will be looking for more from Andy Dalton
this season with Marvin Jones and Tyler Eifert healthy and the
talented offensive line intact. Though offensive coordinator
Hue Jackson generally relies heavily on the running game, he
told reporters as camp began he was, “Going to open
Pandora’s box…going to open it up a little bit more this year
and be who I think we can be.” Jackson wouldn’t say more
about his plans, but A.J. Green, Tyler Eifert, Mohamed Sanu,
Gio Bernard, and Marvin Jones give the Bengals a diverse set
of options. A.J. McCarron, who is fully recovered from
shoulder surgery and looked comfortable during OTAs, is the
likely backup. After some early inconsistency in camp,
McCarron was sharp in the team’s weekend mock game.
RB: Jeremy Hill’s performance in the second half of last
season makes him a heavy favorite to carry the load on early
downs. Expect him to take at least two of three series, with
Gio Bernard working as a change of pace option and third
down back. Hill is likely to see the bulk of the goal-line work,
but it’s possible Bernard will be left in to finish drives during
his series. The team will look for creative ways to use Bernard
as a pass catcher. Behind the two primary backs, Rex
Burkhead and Cedric Peerman will make the team as key
special teams contributors. Burkhead also saw time as a
receiver during OTAs, but it’s unlikely he’ll see any
significant snaps as a receiver once the regular season gets
underway.
WR: A.J. Green would like a contract extension – and he’ll
get one soon enough – but he reported to camp on time; he
stuck to his word and had no interest in holding out as other
wide receivers have done. Marvin Jones is fully recovered
from offseason surgery to clean out his troublesome ankle but
missed time last week with hamstring soreness. Jones, when
healthy, has been a frequent target for Dalton and should
remain so. Mohamed Sanu will see snaps in many different
formations and should again be used in the running game.
Behind the top three receivers, veteran free agents Denarius
Moore and Greg Little will fight for a roster spot. Neither has
distanced themselves from the field. Brandon Tate and rookie
Mario Alford are competing for return duties. Alford has
impressed in the early days of camp and showed good
chemistry with A.J. McCarron in the team’s mock game.
~ Click HERE to Go PRO with our Footballguys Insider PRO: only $32.95 for our remaining Training
Camp Updates, our $35,000 Subscriber Contest & all our website content through the 2016 Super Bowl ~
TE: Tyler Eifert is back on the field after elbow and shoulder
issues cost him nearly all of 2014. As was the case last
summer, Eifert is drawing rave reviews. Geoff Hobson of
Bengals.com called Eifert uncoverable and noted that Dalton
is throwing to him in every high leverage situation. Hue
Jackson plans to use Eifert in a diverse set of packages,
including in the red zone, if the young tight end can stay on
the field. The Bengals took two tight ends in the May draft.
Third round pick Tyler Kroft and fifth round pick C.J.
Uzomah are both performing well, with Uzomah singled out
by observers as a standout performer in mini-camp.
Defense: Vontaze Burfict continues to recover from offseason
microfracture surgery. Head coach Marvin Lewis did not
sound positive this spring and it looked unlikely Burfict would
be ready for opening weekend. However, there appears to be
some optimism of late, with the team suggesting Burfict could
be cleared to return by the third preseason game. The defense
has been ahead of the offense in early 11-on-11 drills, led by a
strong pass rush. Geno Atkins has been unstoppable in early
practices. Unfortunately, the Bengals lost Michael Johnson to
a mid-grade MCL sprain on the first weekend of camp. The
injury will likely keep him out until the start of the regular
season. The secondary could get a big boost from Dre
Kirkpatrick, who finally seemed to turn the corner last year
with both consistent health and strong on-field play, and
Darqueze Dennard, last year’s first round pick who played
well enough this spring to threaten to join the starting lineup.
PK: Bengals kicker Mike Nugent was thought to be in some
danger of losing his job to offseason signing Tom Obarski if
he had a poor summer, but most observers believe Obarski is
only there for “list keeping” despite special teams coordinator
Darrin Simmons proclamation against “camp legs” in May.
Bengals Depth Chart
QB: Andy Dalton, A.J. McCarron, Josh Johnson, Keith
Wenning
RB: Jeremy Hill (SD), Giovani Bernard (3RB), Rex
Burkhead, Cedric Peerman, James Wilder Jr., Terrell Watson
FB: Ryan Hewitt (HB), Mark Weisman
WR: A.J. Green, Marvin Jones, Mohamed Sanu, Denarius
Moore, Brandon Tate (KR), Greg Little, Mario Alford, Tevin
Reese, Desmond Lawrence, Onterio McCalebb, Jake
Kumerow, James Wright (IR)
TE: Tyler Eifert, Tyler Kroft, C.J. Uzomah, Jake
Murphy, Matt Lengel, John Peters
LT: Andrew Whitworth, Jake Fisher, Matt ODonnell
LG: Clint Boling, Tanner Hawkinson
C: Russell Bodine, T.J. Johnson
RG: Kevin Zeitler, Trey Hopkins
RT: Andre Smith, Cedric Ogbuehi , Eric Winston
K: Mike Nugent, Tom Obarski
DT: Geno Atkins, Domata Peko (NT), Brandon
Thompson, Kwame Geathers, Marcus Hardison, Devon
Still, Pat Sims, DeShawn Williams
DE: Carlos Dunlap, Michael Johnson (inj), Wallace
Gilberry, Margus Hunt, Will Clarke, Sam Montgomery
MLB: Rey Maualuga, Vincent Rey, Paul Dawson, Nico
Johnson
OLB: Vontaze Burfict (W) (inj), Emmanuel Lamur (S), A.J.
Hawk (W), Jayson DiManche (S), Marquis Flowers
(W), Chris Carter, Sean Porter, Trevor Roach
CB: Dre Kirkpatrick, Adam Jones (PR), Leon Hall, Darqueze
Dennard, Josh Shaw (FS/CB), Chris Lewis-Harris, Troy
Hill, Brandon Ghee
S: Reggie Nelson (SS), George Iloka (FS), Shawn Williams
(SS), Shiloh Keo (SS), Derron Smith, Floyd Raven, Eric
Dargan
Cleveland Browns
QB: It’s only the first week of training camp and Johnny
Manziel is once again a major focus. Head Coach Mike
Pettine declined to guarantee that Josh McCown would be the
starter in Week 1 while reiterating that McCown remains
firmly ahead. The competition is wide open heading into the
second week with both players giving coaches and teammates
reason for optimism. Manziel has been competent and, by all
accounts, he is focused, working hard, and doing and saying
the right things. Count Browns Owner Jimmy Haslem among
those impressed, "I think he's starting to grow up, and he's
starting to understand that you have to work hard and you got
to get after it every day. Hopefully, he's learning to do that.
He's got to prove that he'll do it over a period of time. But so
far so good." On Friday night, both quarterbacks performed
well during their annual public scrimmage. McCown
connected with Brian Hartline for a touchdown on the opening
drive moments after finding Gary Barnidge for a 47-yard catch
and run. Pro Bowl tackle Joe Thomas offered praise for both
of his quarterbacks, while stating that McCown is their starter
and throwing his support behind the 14-year veteran: "Josh
(McCown) has done so many good things that to me it's not
really a conversation about who should be the starter right
now." At least Manziel is pushing McCown with three strong
consecutive practices. Manziel didn’t play with the first team
in the scrimmage, but he went 9-of-11 for 93 yards with a pair
of touchdowns. He made good decisions and got rid of the ball
quickly. “I wouldn't make a huge deal about it, but it's
progress for me," Manziel said. "It's better than I played last
year in the scrimmage. A year later, there's a lot of progress.
I'm happy about it and happy about stringing some good days
together. That's what I wanted to do."
RB: One week into camp and the running back situation
continues to frustrate not only fantasy owners, but running
backs coach Wilbert Montgomery, too. Montgomery was
critical of his group for not taking advantage of the
opportunity to grab the starting job and run with it. Terrance
West (calf) and rookie Duke Johnson (hamstring) succumbed
to injuries early on leaving the bulk of the work to Isaiah
Crowell., who appears to be the target of Montgomery’s
rancor. "How can you play and not want to be a starter?"
Montgomery said. "It just bothers me that guys don't want to
be the lead bell-cow guy." Montgomery then referred
~ Click HERE to Go PRO with our Footballguys Insider PRO: only $32.95 for our remaining Training
Camp Updates, our $35,000 Subscriber Contest & all our website content through the 2016 Super Bowl ~
specifically to Crowell, "He's got to show me that he's hungry.
If you want to be a starter, you practice like a starter ... You
take care of your body. You show up and do the things that are
going to keep you healthy, get treatment after practice,
hydrate, do all the little things you have to do in order to be
that guy." Crowell struggled out of the gate with a few
exchange problems and ball security has been one of his
primary concerns. Beyond that, Crowell has dominated first
team snaps over the first week with Shaun Draughn mixing in
on passing downs. Backup Glenn Winston underwent
arthroscopic knee surgery forcing the team to sign a few
veterans – Tim Slanders and Jalen Parmale. Once healthy,
Duke Johnson still projects as the favorite for passing downs
with Crowell the lead dog on early downs. Johnson opened
camp running with the threes behind Crowell and West,
though, and he needs as many reps as he can get to shore up
his lofty ADP and fantasy expectations. West may be on thin
ice after reports emerged of him reporting to camp a little
“chunky”.
WR: Beyond Johnny Manziel, Terrelle Pryor was arguably
the biggest story during the first few days of camp. Pryor
recently converted to receiver in an attempt to stick in the NFL
and he has at least looked the part with his size, speed and
athleticism. Pryor turned heads during the first few days of
practice, even earning some snaps with the first team offense
last Sunday. It was enough for beat writer Mary Kay Cabot to
consider Pryor a lock to make the final roster. "Pryor will
ease the loss of Josh Gordon. He can do this," said Cabot.
Coach Pettine even suggested the team will have special
plays for Pryor this season. "I’m just a firm believer in
always having that option," Pettine said. "If you get into a
game where there’s a lull on both sides offensively, you need
something to break it open. Having a guy like Terrelle
certainly gives us that ability." Unfortunately, Pryor missed
Friday’s intra-squad scrimmage after tweaking his hamstring
and missing two days of practice. Fourth-round pick Vince
Mayle had a rough start to his first camp dropping several
passes. Mayle broke his pinkie during the offseason and only
recently began catching passes. He remains a good bet to
make the team even if it’s via the practice squad. The top four
receivers are: Dwayne Bowe, Brian Hartline, Andrew
Hawkins and Taylor Gabriel. Pryor, Mayle, Travis Benjamin
and Marlon Moore are competing for the final roster spots.
TE: Sound the training camp fantasy alert! Rob Housler, the
presumed starter, is listed as the No. 3 tight end on the team’s
initial depth chart released this week. Gary Barnidge is at the
top followed by Jim Dray. Housler signed as a free agent, so
the current listing may have been a sign that he’s not learning
the offense quickly, or out of deference to the veteran
holdovers. The starter could have some sneaky value in deeper
leagues, but otherwise it’s one worth monitoring at this point
and not worth a draft pick. For now, keep Gary Barnidge’s
name on a list of wait-and-see players. One of these could be
on the short-list of waiver candidates if any of them emerges.
Defense: First round pick Danny Shelton made a good
impression in his first few days of camp even if he wasn’t
matching up against starting center Alex Mack, who was held
out while recovering from last season’s injuries. Still, Shelton
demonstrated his ability to apply constant pressure on the
quarterback as well as drop into coverage when needed. On
one pass play, Shelton read an outside throw, ran to the
sideline and waxed receiver Marlon Moore. Shelton won’t be
dropping into coverage much, but it shows why several teams
were high on him as an athletic, but physical run stuffer. It
wouldn’t be training camp without injuries and the Browns
have a few. Outside linebacker Barkevious Mingo tore his
meniscus and will be out for three to four weeks after
undergoing arthroscopic surgery on Thursday. Scott Solomon
will work with the starters in his absence. He was already
working ahead of Mingo and rookie Nate Orchard early in
camp, although all three players could rotate into this spot
when healthy. Billy Winn was carted off the field on Saturday
with an ankle injury. X-Rays were negative, so he should
return soon. Meanwhile, at corner, Pierre Desir continues to
run ahead of last year’s No. 8 overall pick, Justin Gilbert, as
the team’s No. 3 corner. The 127th pick out of division II
Lindenwood had a strong offseason. "He's a guy that's been
here every day in the offseason working as hard as he possibly
can," said strong safety Donte Whitner. "He's a guy that
doesn't really say too much, but you can always see him
working hard."
PK: Travis Coons and Carey Spear are competing for the
vacant kicker job. Coons hit on 47- and 53-yard field goals in
the first scrimmage. GM Ray Farmer said both kickers had
been accurate early in camp, but added that the team will be
watching the waiver wire for possible additions at the position.
Spear is seen as the better distance kicker, but Coons is more
accurate and consistent.
Browns Depth Chart
QB: Josh McCown, Johnny Manziel, Thaddeus
Lewis, Connor Shaw
RB: Isaiah Crowell (SD), Duke Johnson, Terrance
West, Shaun Draughn, Tim Flanders, Jalen Parmele, Glenn
Winston (inj)
WR: Dwayne Bowe, Brian Hartline, , Andrew
Hawkins, Taylor Gabriel, Travis Benjamin (PR/KR), Terrelle
Pryor, Vince Mayle, Marlon Moore (KR), Rodney
Smith, Shane Wynn, Josh Gordon (susp)
TE: Gary Barnidge, Jim Dray, Rob Housler, Malcolm
Johnson, Randall Telfer (inj), E.J. Bibbs, Manasseh Garner
LT: Joe Thomas, Michael Bowie
LG: Joel Bitonio, Vinston Painter
C: Alex Mack, Nick McDonald
RG: Cameron Erving, John Greco, Ryan Seymour, Karim
Barton
RT: Mitchell Schwartz, Andrew McDonald
K: Travis Coons, Carey Spear
NT: Danny Shelton, Phil Taylor, Ishmaa′ily Kitchen, Calvin
Barnett,Jamie Meder, Christian Tupou
DE: Desmond Bryant, John Hughes, Randy Starks, Billy
Winn, Xavier Cooper, Jacobbi McDaniel
ILB: Karlos Dansby, Christian Kirksey, Craig
Robertson, Tank Carder, Hayes Pullard, Keith Pough
~ Click HERE to Go PRO with our Footballguys Insider PRO: only $32.95 for our remaining Training
Camp Updates, our $35,000 Subscriber Contest & all our website content through the 2016 Super Bowl ~
OLB: Paul Kruger (S), Barkevious Mingo (inj), Scott
Solomon,Armonty Bryant, Nate Orchard
CB: Joe Haden, Tramon Williams, Pierre Desir, Justin
Gilbert, K′Waun Williams, Robert Nelson, Joe Rankin, Ifo
Ekpre-Olomu (inj)
S: Donte Whitner (SS), Tashaun Gipson (FS), Ibraheim
Campbell (SS), Jordan Poyer (FS), Johnson Bademosi
(SS/KR)
Dallas Cowboys
QB: Tony Romo is off to a strong start in camp; with team
owner Jerry Jones remarking that he’s never looked better.
“What I’m seeing out here is Tony Romo at his best. I can’t
remember a camp when I though he was playing any better,
looked any better, made me feel any better or made our
coaches feel any better as far as his execution and what he
needs to do for us to win.” The coaches plan on resting Romo
(and other key veterans) on Mondays during the preseason;
just to keep him fresh – as they did last season. There is no
mystery surrounding the depth chart, with Brandon Weeden
#2 and Dustin Vaughan #3. Jameil Showers has designs on the
#3 role, but early preseason work suggests that to be a
longshot.
RB: We all keep waiting for some indication that Joseph
Randle isn’t THE guy, yet at every turn the evidence is to the
contrary. While we never viewed Darren McFadden as a
credible threat for the starting job, his persistent injuries early
in camp reinforce our conviction. Beat writers and team
officials haven’t hinted that McFadden’s spot on the 53-man
roster is in jeopardy, but he needs to get on the field and
produce. Meanwhile, Randle has taken the bulk of 1st team
reps and has looked good. “Joseph is off to a good start,
there’s no question about that, said Head Coach Jason
Garrett. “Unfortunately, we haven’t seen McFadden yet in
this situation." Lance Dunbar, who is in line for a role as both
a backup and 3rd down specialist, has missed time with an
ankle sprain but is expected back this week. Meanwhile, he
too has been impressed with Randle: “Joseph, he’s matured
but he’s still learning a few things to get there. He sees holes
pretty fast and is explosive with sneaky speed, quick feet.
Sometimes people underestimate his speed, and he gets away
from them unexpectedly.” Late in the week, Randle suffered a
minor oblique strain and will miss the first preseason game as
a precaution. Recently signed rookie Gus Johnson will get
the start against the Chargers. Johnson was undrafted out of
Stephen F. Austin, but signed with the Cowboys early in camp
after the team waived Ryan Williams. Johnson has looked
capable, particularly up the middle and in goal-line drills. If he
plays well with the 1st team offense in the preseason opener,
he becomes an interesting late round handcuff for Randle.
WR: Dez Bryant is dealing with a minor hamstring strain, and
may be kept out of Thursday’s preseason game versus the
Chargers; but it’s nothing that should impact his availability
for the regular season. Prior to the hamstring tweak, Bryant
looked dominant in early practices – as expected. Tony Romo
was effusive in his praise for his top target: “He changes the
game. Sometimes I push the coaches like there’s big play
potential on every first down. We don’t need to get in a bunch
of crazy formations. Just line up Dez. Either they’re doubleteaming him or they’re not. It’s kind of a simple game from
that point. Dez is ultimately the guy that changes the way that
the defense rotates.” Terrance Williams and Cole Beasley are
secure in their roles, and have both looked great through a
week+ of camp. Beasley, in particular, looks deadly playing
inside as the slot receiver. In Sunday’s Blue-White
scrimmage, Beasley was uncoverable and scored a touchdown.
At the back of the depth chart, keep an eye out for Lucky
Whitehead – an undrafted rookie free agent out of Florida
Atlantic. He’s stood out in team drills and could push Devin
Street and A.J. Jenkins for a spot on the 53-man roster.
TE: Rumors of Jason Witten’s demise have been greatly
exaggerated. He remains the unquestioned starter and key cog
in the Cowboys first team offense. One beat writer mentioned
never seeing Witten out of the huddle in 1st team drills this
preseason. Tight ends coach Mike Pope is pleased with
backup Gavin Escobar’s work in the weight room, and
thinks Escobar needs a breakout year so the team can
confidently use 2-TE sets.
Defense: The defense will get its first test on Thursday when
it takes on the San Diego Chargers, but so far their
performance in camp has been encouraging. Sean Lee is back.
Last year’s positive momentum under defensive coordinator
Rod Marinelli came in spite of losing Lee for the entire
season. His recovery went well and Lee has reclaimed his
status as the team’s top defender. The Cowboys are excited
about their front seven, in particular the pass rush component
of the equation. Jeremy Mincey signed a contract extension
and will be paired up with Demarcus Lawrence on the ends.
Rookie Randy Gregory will be a pass rush specialist – for
now. That’s to say nothing of Greg Hardy’s impact once he
returns from the 4-game suspension. Brandon Carr has looked
sharp after a disappointing 2014; he had minor surgery on his
hand this week but should be back on the practice field by
week’s end. Beat writer Bob Sturm (Dallas News) said the
secondary is “pretty loaded right now.”
Cowboys Depth Chart
QB: Tony Romo, Brandon Weeden, Dustin Vaughan
RB: Joseph Randle, Darren McFadden, Lance Dunbar
(inj), Gus Johnson, Lache Seastrunk
FB: Tyler Clutts, Ray Agnew
WR: Dez Bryant, Terrance Williams, Cole Beasley, Devin
Street, Lucky Whitehead (PR), Antwan Goodley, Deontay
Greenberry, A.J. Jenkins, George Farmer, Reggie Dunn
TE: Jason Witten, Gavin Escobar, James Hanna, Geoff Swaim
LT: Tyron Smith, Darrion Weems, Ryan Miller, Lawrence
Gibson
LG: Lael Collins, Ronald Leary, Mackenzy Bernadeau
C: Travis Frederick
RG: Zack Martin, Donald Hawkins
~ Click HERE to Go PRO with our Footballguys Insider PRO: only $32.95 for our remaining Training
Camp Updates, our $35,000 Subscriber Contest & all our website content through the 2016 Super Bowl ~
RT: Doug Free, Chaz Green, John Wetzel
K: Dan Bailey
DT: Tyrone Crawford, Terrell McClain, Nick Hayden, Ken
Bishop, Josh Brent (res)
DE: Greg Hardy (susp), Demarcus Lawrence, Jeremy Mincey,
Randy Gregory, Jack Crawford, Ryan Russell, LaVar
Edwards, Ben Gardner
MLB: Rolando McClain (susp), Jasper Brinkley, Damien
Wilson, Cameron Lawrence, Troy Davis
OLB: Sean Lee (W), Anthony Hitchens (S), Kyle Wilber
(S), Mark Nzeocha, Keith Smith (W), Will Smith (W), James
Anderson (S)
CB: Brandon Carr, Orlando Scandrick, Morris
Claiborne, Byron Jones, Tyler Patmon, Corey White, Robert
Steeples
S: Barry Church (FS), J.J. Wilcox (SS), Jeff Heath
(FS), Keelan Johnson, Danny McCray
Denver Broncos
QB: Denver’s offense in 2015 figures to be a melding of new
coach Gary Kubiak’s old offense and the scheme Peyton
Manning has been running in Denver for the past three years.
While many of the shotgun concepts are still in use, Manning
has been spending more time lining up under center, and has
even practiced a few rollouts. While results in December and
January are what will ultimately matter, Manning’s arm has
looked livelier so far this year. Receiver Demaryius Thomas
said, “I don't know if you all are going to believe what I say,
but I think it's a little more zip on it. I feel like every year
around this time, there's almost more zip on his ball. You can
notice it. He threw a couple posts today, probably 50, 60
yards, and I'm like, 'Whoa.' It's making me excited.” In an
effort to keep his veterans fresh, Kubiak has held Manning,
(and other key veterans) out of two practices, giving Brock
Osweiler a rare chance to work with the first team. He looks to
have continued his strides forward from last season, and
seemed to relish the rare opportunity to get reps with starting
receivers Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders.
RB: C.J. Anderson seems to have solidified his grip on the
starting job, and his practice reps back that up. He suffered an
injury scare on Saturday when he left practice early with a
banged-up shoulder, but was fine by Sunday and received a
full workload. Coach Kubiak suggested that Anderson would
receive an extended look during Denver’s first preseason
action. The battle for Denver’s #2 tailback job is wide open,
with “home run threat” Ronnie Hillman taking a recent lead in
snaps in the battle with Montee Ball. Behind them, strong play
from Kapri Bibbs and Juwan Thompson means a standout
performance during preseason games will probably be a
necessity to secure a spot in Denver’s rotation.
WR: He may have gotten his new contract, but Demaryius
Thomas’ holdout during offseason activities left him behind
the eight ball coming into training camp. The Broncos have
eased him in slowly. Discussing whether Thomas would play
in Denver’s preseason opener, Coach Kubiak said, “I think he
very well could from what I have seen him do the last couple
days, but if we’re going to err on that decision, it’s probably
going to be on the other side.” Emmanuel Sanders has missed
several practices with a hamstring injury. Denver has
consistently been cautious with injuries, frequently erring on
the side of holding players out. Referring to the injury, Kubiak
said, “He could have practiced. It was my decision.” Prior to
his hamstring injury, Sanders was displaying the same
chemistry with Manning down the field that made his 2014
season so memorable. Taking advantage of Thomas’ limited
reps, Cody Latimer has made big strides this offseason.
Kubiak said of Latimer, “When he’s fresh in practice, things
are good. Things are sharp. He’s a vastly improved player
from OTAs to now, and that’s what we need.”
TE: New arrival Owen Daniels has quickly developed a
rapport with Manning in his bid to replace Julius Thomas as
Denver’s primary pass-catching tight end. Safety Darian
Stewart said of Daniels: “He has a little wiggle to him, so he
kinds of get you. He may out slow you a little bit. He's been in
the league a while, so he knows his way around it.” While he
lacks Julius Thomas’ athleticism and explosiveness, Daniels
has been a reliable security blanket for Manning to this point
in camp. Denver appears poised to make 2-tight-end set the
most-used personnel package, and Virgil Green will see plenty
of playing time. Green remains a blocker, first and foremost.
Defense: While Denver has limited contact in camp, its
defense has taken advantage and brought relentless pressure,
starting with standout pass rushers Von Miller and Demarcus
Ware and including defensive end Malik Jackson. Miller, in
particular, has looked as explosive as he has at any point since
his 2013 ACL tear. All of the pressure has created
opportunities for the secondary, with cornerback Aqib Talib
being the biggest beneficiary; he nearly averaged an
interception a day against Peyton Manning in recent days.
PK: Connor Barth is considered the incumbent in Denver, but
Brandon McManus stuck around despite missing 4-of-14 field
goals because of his leg on kickoffs. Barth is trying to win the
complete kicker job by improving his leg strength. Nothing
out of the early camp reports indicates that Barth is putting
himself in danger or McManus is closing the gap.
Broncos Depth Chart
QB: Peyton Manning, Brock Osweiler, Zac Dysert, Trevor
Siemian
RB: C.J. Anderson, Montee Ball, Ronnie Hillman, Juwan
Thompson,Kapri Bibbs, Jeremy Stewart
FB: James Casey, Joe Don Duncan
WR: Demaryius Thomas, Emmanuel Sanders, Cody
Latimer, Andre Caldwell (KR), Isaiah Burse, Jordan
Taylor, Jordan Norwood, Bennie Fowler, David Porter, Corbin
Louks, Kyle Williams (IR)
TE: Owen Daniels, Virgil Green, Dominique Jones, Marcel
Jensen, Jeff Heuerman (IR)
LT: Ty Sambrailo, Michael Schofield, Ryan Clady (IR)
~ Click HERE to Go PRO with our Footballguys Insider PRO: only $32.95 for our remaining Training
Camp Updates, our $35,000 Subscriber Contest & all our website content through the 2016 Super Bowl ~
LG: Ben Garland, Shelley Smith
C: Gino Gradkowski, Max Garcia, Matt Paradis
RG: Louis Vasquez
RT: Chris Clark, Ryan Harris
K: Connor Barth
NT: Sylvester Williams, Marvin Austin, Darius Kilgo
DE: Malik Jackson, Derek Wolfe (susp) (inj), Vance
Walker, Antonio Smith, Kenny Anunike
ILB: Brandon Marshall, Danny Trevathan, Lamin
Barrow, Steven Johnson, Reggie Walker, Corey Nelson, Josh
Furman, Todd Davis
OLB: Von Miller, DeMarcus Ware, Lerentee McCray, Shane
Ray, Shaq Barrett, Danny Mason
CB: Aqib Talib, Chris Harris, Bradley Roby, Kayvon
Webster, Tony Carter, Lorenzo Doss, Taurean Nixon
S: T.J. Ward (SS), Darian Stewart (FS), David Bruton
(FS), Josh Bush (SS), Ross Madison (FS)
Detroit Lions
QB: Matthew Stafford might be one of the most unchallenged
quarterbacks in the NFL, as there in no other quarterback on
this roster that is a threat to him. This is both good and bad; it
speaks to him as a player but it also speaks to the disaster that
could be if he were to get injured. By all accounts, Stafford is
having a very good training camp. Kyle Meinke of MLive
reported that Stafford had the first team offense rolling in their
mock game on Saturday. Meinke called it an impressive
performance and hinted that he thought Stafford and the
offense might be maturing together. Stafford needs to continue
to be more consistent, but this will be Year Two in this
offense. Dan Orlovksy and Kellen Moore remain the backups.
Moore had a very good preseason last year and comes into this
camp with a legitimate shot at winning the #2 quarterback
spot, and he’s doing what he can do. The Detroit Free Press’
Dave Birkett reported that Moore took second-team reps in
Saturday’s practice. This competition looks like it’ll persist
throughout the preseason.
RB: Starting back Joique Bell hasn’t practiced yet due to
clean up surgeries on his knee and Achilles. Kyle Meinke of
MLive reports that Bell is very close to returning to action. It
was thought that rookie Ameer Abdullah was drafted as a pass
catching compliment to the big bodied Bell, but on second
thought that may not be the case. The Detroit Free Press’
Dave Birkett reported that Abdullah is catching the ball very
naturally. General manager Martin Mayhew said, “He catches
the ball a lot better than I thought” and “they didn't use him a
lot in the passing game in college, so we were kind of unsure
how good he would be in the passing game.” These are not the
comments of a GM drafting a running back to be a
compliment; team executives clearly view Abdullah as a
complete player. To say that Abdullah has wowed during the
first week is an understatement. He has shown great balance
and vision, and his lateral cutting ability is constantly on
display. Defensive coordinator Teryl Austin said, “We can’t
even tackle that guy” and “we can’t even touch him. He’s like
grasping at air.” It is clear that Bell and Abdullah are RB1 and
RB2, in some order, most likely dependent on game situations.
The Lions #3 job is veteran Theo Riddick’s. He is a lock to
make the roster because of how well he catches the ball. That
leaves veteran George Winn and undrafted rookie and fan
favorite Zach Zenner competing for one roster spot; each will
have to prove their worth on special teams. Dave Birkett also
reports that running backs coach Curtis Modkins thinks
Zenner is a really good football player. Modkins said, “Really
good vision. He has rare vision. He sees things really well and
he’s going to be really exciting to watch in the preseason.”
Winn is a solid special-teams player and it’ll be tough for
Zenner to win that job, but he’s looked good to this point.
WR: Calvin Johnson is still a monster, that‘s really all you
need to know there. Josh Katzenstein of the Detroit News
says that Johnson is already in midseason form. Golden Tate
has been difficult to cover and there are no doubts as to who
the No. 1 and No. 2 receivers are in this offense. Both Johnson
and Tate have had a very good first week. Corey Fuller has the
speed that Offensive Coordinator Joe Lombardi covets and is
virtually guaranteed a roster spot as the No. 3 receiver. After
that, there is a full blown competition for the final roster spots
between Ryan Broyles, Lance Moore, T.J. Jones, Jeremy
Ross, Andrew Peacock, Greg Salas and Vernon Johnson. Ross
will make this roster as a returner, not necessarily as a
receiver, but he wasn’t very good down the stretch in
2014.The Detroit Free Press’ Carlos Monarrez is reporting
that Broyles took a big hit this week, but is out to prove he
belongs. The Pride of Detroit’s Alex Reno has been
impressed by T.J. Jones. Reno reported on a great catch Jones
made in practice on Friday. Moore is a savvy veteran that
knows this offense and that will help him to navigate this
training camp. Kent Platte of sidelionreport.com reported
that Vernon Johnson is threatening the intermediate and deep
areas of the field and that he has made some impressive
catches. The reality is that the bottom of the roster types are
working with lesser quarterbacks and have to do more with
less, and this battle will rage through training camp.
TE: Second-year tight end Eric Ebron has been heavily
criticized because of his lack of first-year production, but
more because there is a perception that he can’t catch the ball.
Some criticism is warranted as drops are problematic for the
offense; but he is a young man playing a very complicated
position. By all accounts, Ebron is having a good camp. Kyle
Meinke of MLive reported that outside of Calvin Johnson and
Matthew Stafford, Ebron was the best player on offense in the
first week. He reports that Ebron has been much more
professional in this camp. Last year when Ebron made a
mistake, he allowed it to carry over into his play, affecting him
for long periods. Golden Tate has noticed Ebron’s maturity,
"One thing I've noticed, he's not a repeat offender, he's not
making the same mistake over and over." Backup tight end
Joe Fauria is banged up as reported by Josh Katzenstein of
The Detroit News. Brandon Pettigrew is still here, and Sean
Yuille of The Pride of Detroit has quoted head coach Jim
Caldwell as saying that Pettigrew is capable of doing whatever
~ Click HERE to Go PRO with our Footballguys Insider PRO: only $32.95 for our remaining Training
Camp Updates, our $35,000 Subscriber Contest & all our website content through the 2016 Super Bowl ~
they ask him to do, but there’s only so many balls to go
around.
Defense: The Lions will be trying to overcome significant
losses on the defensive line this year and newly acquired
defensive tackle Haloti Ngata is a very big piece of the puzzle.
Ngata has not participated in training camp due to a hamstring
injury. There are questions about the defensive line, but the
Lions have added good depth and while Suh and Fairley are
gone, talent remains. Starting weakside linebacker DeAndre
Levy missed practice for the first few days, but the injury is
minor. Middle linebacker Stephen Tulloch returns from a torn
ACL and a little camp battle is brewing between second-year
pro Kyle Van Noy and veteran Tahir Whitehead for the
strongside linebacker position. The Lions have stability in the
secondary with cornerbacks Darius Slay and Reshean Mathis,
and safeties Glover Quin and James Ihedigbo. There is quality
behind the starters too; with players like safety Isa AbdulQuddus and cornerback Josh Wilson. There is a legitimate
battle for the nickel cornerback position between second-year
cornerback Nevin Lawson and rookie Quandre Diggs.
Lions Depth Chart
QB: Matthew Stafford, Dan Orlovsky, Kellen Moore, Garrett
Gilbert
RB: Joique Bell (SD) (inj), Ameer Abdullah (3RB), Theo
Riddick (3RB/WR), George Winn, Zach Zenner, Desmond
Martin
FB: Michael Burton, Emil Igwenagu
WR: Calvin Johnson, Golden Tate (PR), Corey Fuller, Jeremy
Ross (KR/PR), Ryan Broyles, TJ Jones, Lance
Moore, Andrew Peacock ,Greg Salas, Vernon Johnson, Jarrad
Haggins
TE: Eric Ebron, Brandon Pettigrew, Joseph Fauria, Jordan
Thompson, Casey Pierce, David Ausberry (IR)
LT: Riley Reiff, Corey Robinson
LG: Laken Tomlinson, Rodney Austin, Darren Keyton
C: Travis Swanson, Manny Ramirez, Braxton Cave
RG: Larry Warford, Taylor Boggs
RT: Cornelius Lucas, LaAdrian Waddle, Michael Williams
K: Matt Prater
DT: Haloti Ngata, Tyrunn Walker, Caruan Reid, Gabe
Wright, Jerel Worthy, Jermelle Cudjo
DE: Ezekiel Ansah, Jason Jones, Devin Taylor, Larry
Webster, Darryl Tapp, Corey Wootton
MLB: Stephen Tulloch, Travis Lewis
OLB: DeAndre Levy (W), Tahir Whitehead (S), Kyle Van
Noy (S), Josh Bynes (W), Brandon Copeland, Julian
Stanford, Jerrell Harris
CB: Darius Slay, Rashean Mathis, Quandre Diggs, Josh
Wilson, Alex Carter, Crezdon Butler, Christopher Owens, R.J.
Stanford, Nevin Lawson
S: Glover Quin (FS), , James Ihedigbo (SS), Don Carey, Isa
Abdul-Quddus (FS), Taylor Mays, Nate Ness, Isaiah
Johnson, Brian Suite, Nathan Lindsey
Green Bay Packers
QB: Aaron Rodgers is fully healthy entering camp and the
Packers do not plan to limit his reps at all. Rodgers should be
a top-three fantasy quarterback again this year.
RB: Eddie Lacy and James Starks are entrenched as the RB1
and RB2, respectively; which makes the 3rd running back spot
the only true position battle, according to reports on
Packersnews.com. There's no guarantee the Packers will keep
a third running back, after drafting fullback Aaron Ripkowski
in the fifth round of the 2015 draft. Lacy, Starks and All-Pro
fullback John Kuhn could join Ripkowski to give the Packers
four running backs; squeezing out guys like Rajion Neal, who
is battling for that hoped-for third running back slot. "I'm
pretty confident," Neal said. "This is my second go-around
with the plays. I feel like I'm doing a lot of good things as far
as just playing with instincts and just the familiarity with the
playbook, the quarterbacks, the checks, the calls. I feel I'm in a
good spot. I just need to continue to grow off of it, just be
consistent." John Crockett, who unfortunately sprained his
ankle during spring minicamp, just started practicing on and
looks to be far behind Neal at this point. Undrafted rookie
Alonzo Harris is also in the mix.
WR: Coach McCarthy said Jordy Nelson (offseason hip
surgery) is healthy, "Jordy's so consistent. [He] looks like he
hasn't missed a beat." After being dubbed the "MVP of OTAs"
by McCarthy, Davante Adams started slowly in training camp
before making a leaping touchdown in team drills last
Thursday. "It's just giving him opportunities," Aaron Rodgers
said after practice. "You watch the film last year and he was
open a lot on the backside of stuff and it just depended on
matchups whether the ball went his way a couple times in a
game or 10 times. We had two guys who caught more than 90
balls and as teams start to tilt even more to them (Nelson and
Randall Cobb), Davante's going to get more opportunities."
Adams has been referred to as a "star in the making" by
Rodgers and others. Rookie Ty Montgomery has been
impressive. "Strong, very powerful, obviously gifted,"
according to McCarthy. Although there were questions about
Montgomery's hands coming out of college, he has not
dropped a single pass so far in camp. Second-year receiver
Jared Abbrederis has yet to return to practice after sustaining a
concussion at the start of training camp. "It's unfortunate
(when) anybody gets a head injury like that," Receivers Coach
Alex Van Pelt said. "You just have to get healthy. Once he
gets healthy, we'll get him back in the mix. I think he's moving
forward." Jeff Janis drew some praise from Van Pelt: "Jeff, he
came in last year. He's gotten a lot better obviously. He's
productive for us in the spring. Continue to see his arrow
going up. Part of that is being more consistent daily." Rookie
wide receiver Javess Blue, who dropped an easy touchdown
pass earlier in camp, also could not secure an uncontested pass
along the sideline during practice on Saturday. Later in the
session, Blue left practice after colliding with a non-player
while trying to make a catch along the sideline. Trainers were
tending to his left arm or left hand, and Blue was taken to the
locker room.
~ Click HERE to Go PRO with our Footballguys Insider PRO: only $32.95 for our remaining Training
Camp Updates, our $35,000 Subscriber Contest & all our website content through the 2016 Super Bowl ~
TE: Richard Rodgers is listed as the first-string tight end; it
appears Rodgers has taken the lead in the race to be Aaron
Rodgers' relief outlet in the passing game. Andrew Quarless
missed the start of training camp due to the death of his infant
daughter from delivery complications. He was not held out
due to the July 4 incident when Quarless allegedly discharged
a firearm (in Miami).
Defense: So far, cornerback Casey Hayward reportedly has
the first crack at the starting job opposite Sam Shields. As
camp opened, rookie Quinten Rollins was placed on the
active/NFI list. Rollins is reportedly considered week-to-week
and "it might be later rather than sooner" before he gets on the
field. He hurt his hamstring working out on his own two
weeks prior to the start of camp. Clay Matthews opened
training camp lining up at inside linebacker; then Matthews
hurt a knee early in camp and has missed practice since last
Tuesday. Julius Peppers continues to look fresh despite being
35 years old. Peppers, one of four healthy outside linebackers
on the roster, threw a blocker aside to disrupt a running play
during the half-line drills on Saturday, and one rep later he
rushed into the backfield to notch a tackle for loss. Outside
linebacker Nate Palmer is currently playing with a large cast
because of an injury on his left hand. Palmer is one of several
Green Bay linebackers battling injuries early during training
camp.
Safety Micah Hyde and receiver Ty Montgomery are already
penciled in to be the starting returners against the Chicago
Bears opening day according to local reports; something that
fantasy owners in leagues that include return yards should
note. Special Teams Coach Ron Zook said: "He's (Hyde)
returned three for touchdowns in two years, and I don't know
if anybody in the league has returned three in two years. You
know Randall Cobb, you still have a guy who's a great, great
returner in Randall Cobb, too... I don't know who coach (Mike
McCarthy) is going to want back there, but there's no doubt in
my mind that if he wants Micah back there, Micah can do it."
PK: On Saturday night during a live-kicking session that
ended the event, Mason Crosby easily connected on all eight
of his attempts. Rotating from the right hashmark to the left
hashmark, he made attempts from 33, 36, 40, 43, 45, 46, 50
and 51 yards. "I just feel good with how I’m taking care of
my week-to-week work, my day-to-day stuff,” Crosby said.
“Obviously, it was good to get out there tonight and get on
Lambeau Field and hit some good kicks... Obviously, building
something here pretty special, and wanted to just continue that
process. I just kind of want to keep climbing as we go
forward, and keep hitting the ball the way I am coming into
the end of camp here."
Packers Depth Chart
QB: Aaron Rodgers, Scott Tolzien, Brett Hundley, Matt
Blanchard
RB: , Eddie Lacy, James Starks, Rajion Neal, John Crockett,
Malcolm Agnew
FB: John Kuhn, Aaron Ripkowski
WR: Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb, Davante Adams, Jared
Abbrederis, Ty Montgomery (KR), Jeff Janis, Myles
White, Ricky Collins
TE: Richard Rodgers, Andrew Quarless, Justin
Perillo, Kennard Backman
LT: David Bakhtiari, Aaron Adams
LG: Josh Sitton, Garth Gerhart
C: Corey Linsley, JC Tretter
RG: T.J. Lang, Lane Taylor
RT: Bryan Bulaga, Don Barclay
K: Mason Crosby
NT: Letroy Guion, B.J. Raji, Mike Pennel, Christian Ringo
DE: Mike Daniels, Datone Jones (susp), Josh Boyd, Khyri
Thornton, Bruce Gaston, Lavon Hooks
ILB: Clay Matthews (I/O), Sam Barrington, Jake Ryan, Carl
Bradford, Joe Thomas, Josh Francis
OLB: Julius Peppers, Mike Neal, Nick Perry, Jayrone
Elliott, Adrian Hubbard
CB: Sam Shields, Casey Hayward, Demetri
Goodson, Damarious Randall (FS), Quinten Rollins, Devonta
Glover-Wright, Bernard Blake, Ladarius Gunter
S: Morgan Burnett (SS), Ha Ha Clinton-Dix (FS), Micah
Hyde (FS),Sean Richardson (SS), Chris Banjo (SS), Jean
Fenor (FS)
Houston Texans
QB: The Texans appear no closer to naming a starter as Ryan
Mallett and Brian Hoyer continue to rotate between the first
and second team offense every other day. The decision could
come down before the first preseason game next week, but
there are no guarantees. Both quarterbacks have received their
share of positive reviews despite some up and down play
through the first week of camp. Mallett has shown off his
massive arm with the occasional ‘wow’ throw but also
struggled with accuracy at times. His best day of training
camp was the first day of joint practices with Washington
when he was able to complete his first fifteen throws. Hoyer
has had some strong moments as well and he too was
impressive against Washington. Hoyer has been able to
connect on some beautifully thrown deep balls and seems to
be developing a nice rapport with DeAndre Hopkins as the
two have hooked up regularly throughout camp.
RB: The huge news out of Texans camp is the serious groin
injury suffered by Arian Foster. Foster had surgery to repair
his groin on Friday morning and the procedure was successful
enough that there is now some optimism that Foster may not
miss as much time as was initially reported. According to beat
writer Aaron Wilson’s sources, the current estimate is that
Foster may only miss 4 to 6 weeks of the regular season.
However, he would have to be kept on the 53-man roster to
maintain the possibility of returning that early and the Texans
may not want to burn the roster spot on an injured Foster. If
instead the Texans decide to place Foster on the IRDesignated to Return list, he wouldn’t be allowed practice
until after Week 6 and would not be eligible to play until after
~ Click HERE to Go PRO with our Footballguys Insider PRO: only $32.95 for our remaining Training
Camp Updates, our $35,000 Subscriber Contest & all our website content through the 2016 Super Bowl ~
Week 8. With the Texans bye scheduled for Week 9, the most
likely return date for Foster appears to be Week 10 against the
Bengals. Half of a season of Foster would be highly valuable
for fantasy owners, so drafting Foster in the later rounds and
stashing him on the bench until he returns could pay off in a
major way. In the meantime, the battle to determine who will
replace Foster is heating up and the three primary candidates
are Alfred Blue, Chris Polk and Jonathan Grimes. Blue has
received the majority of the snaps with the first team.
DeAndre Hopkins noted that Blue, “has been working hard in
the offseason to come in and be a leader (of the) offense.”
Blue carries himself with a notable confidence and has said he
plans to “hold it down” until Foster returns. “I would say it’s
an opportunity. Just make the best of it…and seize the
moment,” said Blue. The biggest challenge for Blue will be to
cut down on dancing in the backfield and hit the hole harder.
As Head Coach Bill O’Brien noted, Blue is “at his best as a
downhill, slashing type of runner.” Jonathan Grimes appears
to have the inside track to emerge as the primary passing down
back. “Grimes has had a good training camp," O'Brien said.
"He’s strung about three good practices in a row here. He’s
done a good job. He’s a smart player. He’s one of our core
special teams players. He’s a guy that really knows our
offense well. He plays a lot on third down, but now with Arian
out, he’s playing more on first and second down in certain
packages. Really dependable guy.” Chris Polk has missed
much of training camp but was able to get back on the field
over the weekend and made some solid runs in goal line
offense drills. Polk’s biggest challenge will be proving he can
stay healthy. “I see him as a three-down back,” O’Brien said.
“He’s still learning our system. He needs to be out there every
day. He’s working hard to stay healthy. He’s a really good
guy. He’s a hard-working guy. Biggest thing with him is
health.” Rookie power back Kenny Hilliard has been making
his presence felt and finished a number of runs against
Washington with authority. In fact, Hilliard’s punishing
running style was one of the contributing factors in the
Texans-Redskins third and final joint practice devolved into
an all-out brawl with punches thrown and the teams having
to be separated multiple times before both teams decided to
hold their own separate practices.
WR: DeAndre Hopkins missed all of OTAs and summer
minicamps with injuries but has shown no signs of rust as he
has impressed in the early days of camp. Both Mallett and
Hoyer have repeatedly fed the ball to Hopkins when getting
snaps with the first team and Hopkins has been making tough
catches all over the field. In a red zone drill against
Washington’s first team defense on Thursday, Hopkins capped
off a big day with a touchdown catch that “drew ‘oohs’ and
‘ahs’ from the crowd.” While Hopkins is the undisputed
WR1 in Houston, there are a number of players getting a look
as the 2nd WR. Veteran Nate Washington is currently listed as
the starter and has had a strong first week of training camp,
consistently getting open at all different spots and levels on
the field. He has been especially effective as a security blanket
for the quarterbacks on underneath routes. O’Brien stated that
if the Texans had to play a game today, Washington would be
the starter opposite Hopkins. Cecil Shorts has been running
as the 3rd WR early in camp and been solid. Rookie Jaelen
Strong has worked primarily with the second team and made
some nice plays in traffic. He is coming on a bit after
disappointing the coaching staff when he showed up
overweight to minicamp in May and struggled through some
minor injuries. Since then, Strong has dropped 20 pounds and
looks better now weighing in at 211 pounds. “I think (Strong)
continues to improve,” Texans general manager Rick Smith
said. “When a guy, when a rookie, especially a rookie, comes
in and he’s injured early on, it presents problems for the guy in
his development. So, he’s fighting an uphill battle from that
perspective, but I think he continues to come out every day
and get better. I think he’s increasing in his confidence, and I
think the more confident he is, the more success he has, the
more I think you’ll see him play.”
TE: Garrett Graham has had a solid camp and has so far been
able to hold off second year pro C.J. Fiedorowicz in the battle
for the starting job. The most talked about highlight of camp
so far for the TEs has come from J.J. Watt’s one-handed
grabs in practice.
Defense: Vince Wilfork should provide a real boost to the
Texans’ run defense and made a spectacular play in the
scrimmage vs. Washington as he threw the center five yards
backwards and right into the running back. Jadeveon Clowney
is expected to start practicing on August 17th and the Texans
are hoping he can provide some real juice to their pass rush.
The Texans pass rush could improve immensely with the
addition of Clowney and the continued emergence of Whitney
Mercilus. After signing a big contract extension in the
offseason, Mercilus has impressed throughout training camp
and looks like a different player.
Texans Depth Chart
QB: Brian Hoyer, Ryan Mallett, Tom Savage
RB: Arian Foster (inj), Alfred Blue, Chris Polk
(3RB), Jonathan Grimes, Kenny Hilliard
FB: Jay Prosch
WR: DeAndre Hopkins, Nate Washington, Cecil
Shorts, Jaelen Strong, Damaris Johnson (KR), Keshawn
Martin (KR/PR), Keith Mumphery, Travis Labhart, Jace
Davis, Alan Bonner, Uzoma Nwachukwu, Chandler Worthy
TE: Garrett Graham, C.J. Fiedorowicz, Ryan Griffin, Anthony
Denham, Khari Lee, Mike McFarland
LT: Duane Brown, Jeff Adams, Will Yeatman
LG: Xavier Su•a-Filo
C: Ben Jones, Cody White, James Ferentz
RG: Brandon Brooks, David Quessenberry
RT: Derek Newton, Tyson Clabo
K: Randy Bullock
NT: Vince Wilfork, Louis Nix, Chris Neild
DE: J.J. Watt, Jared Crick, Jeoffrey Pagan, Keith
Browner, Brandon Deaderick, Tevina Finau, Christian
Covington, Dan Pettinato,Cameron McLeod, Jasper Coleman
ILB: Brian Cushing, Benardrick McKinney, Akeem Dent
(inj), Justin Tuggle, Mike Mohamed, Jeff Tarpinian, Max
Bullough
OLB: Whitney Mercilus (S), Jadeveon Clowney (J) (inj), John
~ Click HERE to Go PRO with our Footballguys Insider PRO: only $32.95 for our remaining Training
Camp Updates, our $35,000 Subscriber Contest & all our website content through the 2016 Super Bowl ~
Simon (S), Jason Ankrah (J), Kourtnei Brown, Tony
Washington, Lynden Trail, Carlos Thompson, Reshard Cliett
(IR)
CB: Johnathan Joseph, Kareem Jackson, A.J. Bouye, Kevin
Johnson, Andre Hal, Darryl Morris, Jumal Rolle, Charles
James II
S: Rahim Moore (FS), Eddie Pleasant (SS), Stevie Brown
(FS), Josh Aubrey (SS), Lonnie Ballentine (FS), Terrance
Parks (FS), Kurtis Drummond, Corey Moore
Indianapolis Colts
QB: Andrew Luck is Footballguys’ consensus top
quarterback, and you already know he is going to have a huge
fantasy season, but there is positive news to report
nonetheless. Luck kicked off training camp without
throwing an interception in the first three days. Things
didn’t go as smoothly at Thursday’s practice when he was
picked off three times, but he would rebound in a big way on
Friday, picking apart the Colts’ first team defense for five red
zone touchdowns. Veteran Matt Hasselbeck remains Luck’s
backup, with Bryan Bennett - an undrafted rookie free agent
out of Southeastern Louisiana - working as the third stringer.
RB: The Colts are counting on Frank Gore to revive a rushing
attack that ranked in the bottom third of the league last season.
By all accounts, the 32-year-old veteran is off to a good start
in training camp, breaking long touchdown runs in practice,
and earning the praise of Head Coach Chuck Pagano. “You
guys are watching the same stuff I’m watching,” Pagano said.
“He looks great.” Gore projects as a three down back thanks to
his pass blocking acumen, something that hasn’t gone
unnoticed by Andrew Luck. “I’ve always been impressed with
how Frank blocks and protects you,” Luck said. “Just the way
he sees things from the backfield and sort of self-talking in
communication with each other and ‘Watch the safety. Watch
the linebacker.’ He does a heck of a job with that.” It would
appear Daniel Herron is the Colts’ backup to own if Gore
were to go down with an injury. Zurlon Tipton, sixth round
draft pick Josh Robinson, and Vick Ballard will battle it out
for third string duties. Ballard, who is coming off a torn ACL
and torn Achilles the past two seasons, suffered a setback
when he suffered a hamstring injury early in the week.
Robinson is currently on the shelf with a hamstring injury
of his own.
WR: With Andrew Luck primed for a huge year, there will be
plenty of fantasy value to mine from the Colts’ wide receiver
depth chart. Starting at the top, it appears the team is making
progress towards a contract extension with last year’s top
wideout T.Y. Hilton. Newcomer Andre Johnson has made a
positive first impression on offensive coordinator Pep
Hamilton. “He approached joining our team as if he was a
rookie,” Hamilton said. “He took copious notes, he’s always
focused and engaged in meetings. He’s constantly asking
questions. He’s working overtime to build a relationship with
Andrew Luck and the rest of our guys for that matter.” After
watching the first two days of practice, one Colts’ beat writer
set the over/under at 80 receptions for Johnson this season.
The camp battle for Indy’s third wide receiver job is wide
open. First round draft pick Phillip Dorsett made headlines
this week when NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport stated, "The
Colts could not be higher on Phillip Dorsett. I think they think
they added a superstar." Pep Hamilton gave Dorsett a “double
thumbs up” for learning the offense. Last year’s third round
pick Donte Moncrief has reportedly seen the vast majority of
the no. 3 receiver reps, and was described by Hamilton as
being “ahead of schedule”. CFL import Duron Carter, signed
to a futures deal in the offseason, has also made his presence
felt. Carter said he felt “like a bigger, better player” after
adding 10 pounds of muscle since March, and it’s shown on
the practice field. Matt Hasselbeck found Carter for four red
zone touchdowns on Friday. Earlier in the week Hamilton
said Carter had made at least one “wow” play in every Colts’
practice this week. It’s worth noting, however, that Carter
tweaked his groin on Saturday, and missed Sunday’s
practice. Griff Whalen should make the Colts’ final roster as
their sixth receiver if he continues his strong start to camp.
TE: Dwayne Allen lost 13 pounds from last year, in an effort
to stay healthy, and become more of a weapon on offense. The
early returns have been positive. “He looks great. When he
flexes out and gets in the wide receiver stance when they
displace him in the formation, you can mistake him for a
bigger wideout at times he looks so good,” said Head Coach
Chuck Pagano. With Allen the more capable in-line blocker,
and the Colts’ crowded wide receiver depth chart, there’s
some concern Coby Fleener will become a forgotten man this
season. Pep Hamilton disagrees. "I think there will be many
opportunities for guys to make plays for us," Hamilton said.
"That hasn't been an issue for us in years past. I don't see it
being an issue as we move forward."
Defense: Chuck Pagano says he’s open to having Vontae
Davis shadow the opposing team’s top wide receiver. This
would be a departure from last season, when Davis covered
just one side of the field. "We have to be able to do whatever
we want to do with him," Pagano said. "If that means putting
him on somebody's best wide receiver instead of just playing
one side of the football then maybe that's the next progression
and we'll see.” It’s a schematic change that would have
significant fantasy ramifications for opposing teams’ top
wideouts. Davis was one of the best cover corners in the NFL
last season, by any metric. It appears linebacker Robert Mathis
won’t be back from his Achilles tear before October. The
34 year-old defensive leader had been hoping to be ready for
Week 1. Journeyman cornerback Jalil Brown turned heads
during the first week of camp by coming down with at least
four interceptions. Brown has a shot to beat out rookie D’Joun
Smith for fourth defensive back duties with continued strong
play. Fourth round strong safety Clayton Geathers has been
used as hybrid linebacker-safety early in camp. The Colts feel
he can be an x-factor for their defense.
~ Click HERE to Go PRO with our Footballguys Insider PRO: only $32.95 for our remaining Training
Camp Updates, our $35,000 Subscriber Contest & all our website content through the 2016 Super Bowl ~
Colts Depth Chart
QB: Andrew Luck, Matt Hasselbeck, Bryan Bennett
RB: Frank Gore, Dan Herron (3RB), Josh Robinson, Vick
Ballard, Zurlon Tipton, Tyler Varga
WR: T.Y. Hilton (KR/PR), Andre Johnson, Donte
Moncrief, Phillip Dorsett, Duron Carter, Griff Whalen, Quan
Bray, Vincent Brown, Ezell Ruffin, Ryan Lankford
TE: Dwayne Allen, Coby Fleener, Jack Doyle, Erik
Swoope, Sean McGrath, Justin Sinz
LT: Anthony Castonzo, Joe Reitz, John Ulrick
LG: Todd Herremans, Donald Thomas, David Arkin
C: Khaled Holmes, Jonotthan Harrison
RG: Hugh Thornton, Lance Louis
RT: Jack Mewhort, Denzelle Good, Demarco Cox
K: Adam Vinatieri
NT: Josh Chapman, Montori Hughes, David Parry, Zach
Kerr, Kelcy Quarles, Jeris Pendleton
DE: Kendall Langford, Arthur Jones, Henry Anderson, Earl
Okine
ILB: Jerrell Freeman (W), D′Qwell Jackson, Nate Irving
(inj), Amarlo Herrera, Henoc Muamba, Shawn
Loiseau, Andrew Jackson
OLB: Trent Cole, Robert Mathis, Jonathan Newsome, Erik
Walden (S), Bjoern Werner, Zack Hodges, Junior
Sylvestre, Terrell Hartsfield, Zachary Hodges, Daniel
Adongo, Cody Galea
CB: Vontae Davis, Greg Toler, Darius Butler, D′Joun
Smith, Sheldon Price, Deveron Carr, Jalil Brown, Al-Hajj
Shabazz, Donald Celiscar, Brandon Vitabile, Chance
Casey, Tevin Mitchel (IR)
S: Mike Adams (FS), Dwight Lowery (SS), Clayton
Geathers, Colt Anderson (SS), Dewey McDonald (FS)
Jacksonville Jaguars
QB: Blake Bortles had a great finish in Jaguars’
scrimmage on Saturday. Bottles struggled to start the day but
ended up gaining confidence and finished strong completing 9
or 15 passes for 96 yards and 3 touchdowns to receiver Allen
Robinson and tight ends Clay Harbor and Julius Thomas.
Coach Gus Bradley was beaming with pride while talking
about Bortles saying, “You can just see his confidence.
Accuracy, decision making, timing those things are key
factors for a quarterback, and I thought he showed some of
those components.”
RB: Rookie T.J. Yeldon had a bit of an injury scare in
Saturday’s scrimmage as he suffered a sprained finger on a
touchdown run. Yeldon banged his left hand on linebacker
Jeremiah George’s helmet and headed to the sidelines
immediately after clutching his left hand. He then was taken to
the locker room and later returned with his hand wrapped in
ice. Coach Bradley said X-rays showed no broken bones and
Yeldon should not be expected to miss any time, “He’s good,
should be good, they said a sprain.” John Oehser of
Jaguars.com also praised Yeldon, and the Jaguars new
offensive coordinator Greg Olson had glowing remarks for the
rookie runner: “We liked what we saw there. That was not a
question mark for us, but I think people outside questioned
whether or not he would be able to step into the National
Football League and be good enough as a pass protector. We
liked what he brought physically and I thought he attacked the
linebackers. We’re excited about him. He’s made a couple of
very nice runs in the open field and made some people miss.
We’ve been excited about what we’ve seen so far."
Denard Robinson took the first snap of the scrimmage but
both Yeldon and Toby Gerhart also saw opportunities with the
first team offense. Yeldon also had the opportunity to split out
wide during the scrimmage and caught a pass out of the
backfield. Toby Gerhart is penciled in as more of a third-down
player and has looked right at home in pass protection; he
stood up the blitzer in three of his four reps. Bernard Pierce is
also still a factor and has played well in limited opportunities.
Storm Johnson had a long run late in Saturday’s scrimmage.
WR: Allen Robinson continues to turn heads as he hauled in a
diving, 25-yard touchdown pass from Bortles. Marqise Lee
continues to battle an injured hamstring and is projected to
miss two weeks. He will likely miss preseason games against
the Steelers and Giants. Lee can ill afford an extended absence
as both Rashad Greene and Arrelious Benn are pushing for
bigger roles. Look for Bryan Walters and Tony Washington to
also get a few more snaps in Lee’s absence. With Robinson
and Allen Hurns continuing to take all the 1st team reps, it is
going to be hard for Lee to make a favorable impression
leading up to the start of the season. Robinson and Hurns have
been in a dead heat throughout camp for the mantle of the
Jaguars best receiver.
TE: On Saturday’s scrimmage Blake Bortles had a
connection with his tight ends. He found both Clay Harbor
and newcomer Julius Thomas for touchdowns. The Jaguars
will use more 2-TE sets this year. Julius Thomas has looked
like the real deal this preseason, and his 14-yard TD catch was
one for the highlight reel. Bortles spotted Thomas lined up on
strong-side linebacker Dan Skuta in a spread formation. From
there Thomas easily ran past Skuta and made an over the
shoulder catch. “There’s never going to be huge windows,”
Thomas said. “As a receiving option, that’s what you want to
do. You want to keep your defender on your back and be able
to screen them out so you can allow the ball to come in. Blake
threw a great ball and I was able to get under it.” At
practice on Friday, veteran Marcedes Lewis got a step on
linebacker LaRoy Reynolds and made a leaping catch in the
back of the end zone. It was a perfectly thrown ball from
Bortles placed where only Lewis could catch it.
Defense: Defensive end Chris Clemons has missed the first 7
days of training camp and Coach Bradley said that he expects
Clemons to miss the first preseason game. Sen’Derrick Marks
also remains out while recovering from reconstructive knee
surgery. He should be close to returning for the regular season
opener. Former Alabama quarterback Nick Marshall saw time
at cornerback with the second team defense and recorded a
~ Click HERE to Go PRO with our Footballguys Insider PRO: only $32.95 for our remaining Training
Camp Updates, our $35,000 Subscriber Contest & all our website content through the 2016 Super Bowl ~
pass defensed, and then nearly made an interception. Marshall
also surprisingly returned the scrimmage’s opening kickoff.
PK: Jason Myers has been booming kicks from long distance
in camp and could push Josh Scobee, who is scheduled to
make $3.4 million dollars this year. Myers is signed to a cheap
three-year deal, so the team could favor him if their
performances are close this preseason.
Jaguars Depth Chart
QB: Blake Bortles, Chad Henne, Stephen Morris, Jeff Tuel
RB: T.J. Yeldon, Denard Robinson (WR), Storm
Johnson, Corey Grant, Bernard Pierce
FB: Toby Gerhart
WR: Allen Robinson, Allen Hurns, Marqise Lee (inj), Rashad
Greene,Tandon Doss, Arrelious Benn, Bryan Walters, Neal
Sterling, Damian Copeland, Tony Washington, Greg
Jenkins, Kasey Closs, Justin Blackmon (susp)
TE: Julius Thomas, Marcedes Lewis, Clay Harbor, Ben
Koyack, Nic Jacobs, Conner Hamlet
LT: Luke Joeckel, Sam Young, Brennan Williams
LG: Zane Beadles, AJ Cann
C: Stefen Wisniewski, Luke Bowanko
RG: Brandon Linder, Tyler Shatley
RT: Jermey Parnell, Austin Pasztor
K: Josh Scobee, Jason Myers
DT: Senderrick Marks, Roy Miller, Tyson Alualu, Ziggy
Hood, Michael Bennett, Abry Jones, Eric Crume
DE: Jared Odrick, Chris Clemons, Andre Branch, Ryan
Davis, Chris Smith, Dante Fowler Jr. (IR)
MLB: Paul Posluszny, Jeremiah George
OLB: Telvin Smith (W), Dan Skuta (S), LaRoy Reynolds
(M/S), A.J. Edds (S), John Lotulelei (W), Khairi Fortt
(W), Thurston Armbrister, Matt Robinson, Todd Thomas
CB: Davon House, Aaron Colvin, Demetrius
McCray, Dwayne Gratz, Jeremy Harris, Nick Marshall
S: John Cyprien (SS), Sergio Brown (FS), Josh Evans
(FS), James Sample (FS) (inj), Craig Loston (SS), Jeremy
Deering, Matt Daniels
Kansas City Chiefs
QB: Alex Smith returns for his third season in Kansas City
and will remain the starter for the foreseeable future. Last
year’s deficiencies at wide receiver have been addressed and
the solid but unspectacular Smith will benefit from better
targets. The downfield passing game has been a focus. Smith
rarely took chances downfield last year but has been picking
his spots in practice and seven-on-seven drills. “I’m really
trying to push some of these windows and see what we can do.
That’s kind of what those drills are for,” Smith said. Chase
Daniel appears locked into the backup role. Second-year pro
Aaron Murray would have to seriously impress in the
preseason to push Daniel for backup consideration, but should
secure a roster spot. Murray did receive a full day of reps
early in camp while Smith and Daniel were given the day off.
Tyler Bray has yet to practice as he recovers from a torn ACL.
He has been observing practice from the sidelines while on
the non-football injury list (NFI).
RB: Jamaal Charles remains the focal point of the offense.
With an eye towards keeping the all-world back healthy for a
full season, Charles has seen his practice workload decline
and the club also plans to keep a keen eye on his touches
throughout the season. "You want to make sure he is healthy
late in the season, so if that means giving a guy like Knile
Davis some reps — whatever you have to do, number one, to
keep him healthy for 16 games, and you do that each week,"
said Offensive Coordinator Doug Pederson. Davis is locked
into the number two job and continues to focus on improving
his receiving and pass-blocking skills. Charcandrick West
spent most of 2014 on the practice squad but has stood out this
preseason showing elusiveness and open field ability. “He’s
got great quickness. That’s a positive from that standpoint. It
makes him a little bit different from the other two. He’s little
bit smaller. It’s a different look than the other two guys but in
a positive way,” said Andy Reid.
WR: Jeremy Maclin has been impressive and provides the
Chiefs with the downfield threat they were sorely lacking last
year. Maclin has made several spectacular grabs thus far, and
is quickly developing chemistry with Alex Smith. “He
understands defenses, complexity of defenses, and what
they're trying to do to stop him," said Doug Pederson. Albert
Wilson is listed as the other starter on the first depth chart of
training camp. Rookie Chris Conley has been on the shelf with
a knee strain, leaving Wilson in the driver’s seat for the No.2
job. De’Anthony Thomas converted to wide receiver and has
been seeing time with the first-team offense in three-receiver
sets. Thomas has explosive speed and could excel with a
larger workload in 2015.
TE: Travis Kelce will look to build on his breakout 2014
campaign and has embraced his role as the No.1 tight end.
"I've stepped up to kind of be the No. 1 role, with Fasano
leaving. But other than that, it's all focused on getting better
every day. You work on your fundamentals, you go into the
film room to see what you have to do. On top of that, there's
little things in terms of the schemes that we're doing. It's just
putting everything together," Kelce said. James
O’Shaughnessy has been one camp’s early stars. He has linedup alongside Kelce in two tight end formations thus far, a
role that should continue in the regular season.
Defense: First-round draft choice Marcus Peters has received
rave reviews for his work in camp and will help to solidify the
secondary. He has worked with the first-team in practice and
is expected to start at cornerback for the first three games
while starting corner Sean Smith serves his suspension. The
Chiefs have gradually increased Eric Berry’s workload as he
continues his inspirational return from battling cancer. Berry
has returned to full pads for live drills and has been lining up
with the second-team defense. Linebacker Josh Mauga has
received praise from defensive coordinator Bob Sutton for
what he brings to the Chiefs defense. “For one, Josh is a
~ Click HERE to Go PRO with our Footballguys Insider PRO: only $32.95 for our remaining Training
Camp Updates, our $35,000 Subscriber Contest & all our website content through the 2016 Super Bowl ~
bigger guy than you realize sometimes. He’s pretty athletic for
a big guy. He has some things that he can do there. In the past,
he’s played all the positions – in New York, he was a backup
outside linebacker as well – so he gives us a lot of flexibility,”
said Sutton. Nose tackle Dontari Poe continues to recover
from back surgery and is a candidate for the reserve/PUP list.
The Chiefs are expected to employ a committee approach at
nose tackle until Poe returns.
PK: Chiefs second-year kicker Cairo Santos is not in a
competition for his job, but he has had a few rough days early
in camp. If his woes continue and carry over to preseason
games, it could be worth monitoring.
Chiefs Depth Chart
QB: Alex Smith, Chase Daniel, Aaron Murray, Tyler Bray
RB: Jamaal Charles, Knile Davis (KR), De′Anthony Thomas
(WR/PR), Charcandrick West, Darrin Reaves, Keshawn Hill
FB: Anthony Sherman, Spencer Ware
WR: Jeremy Maclin, Albert Wilson, Jason Avant, Chris
Conley, Junior Hemingway, Frankie Hammond, Donatella
Luckett, Fred Williams, Da′Ron Brown, Armon
Binns, L′Damian Washington, Kenny Cook, Jeret Smith
TE: Travis Kelce, James O′Shaughnessy, Richard
Gordon, Demetrius Harris (inj), Ryan Taylor, Adam Schiltz
LT: Eric Fisher, Derek Sherrod
LG: Ben Grubbs, Laurent Duvernay-Tardif
C: Eric Kush, Mitch Morse
RG: Jeff Allen, Paul Fanaika, Zach Fulton
RT: Donald Stephenson, Ricky Henry
K: Cairo Santos
NT: Dontari Poe (inj), Nick Williams, Rakeem NunezRoches, Charles Tuaau
DE: Allen Bailey, Jaye Howard (NT), Mike DeVito, Vaughn
Martin
ILB: Derrick Johnson, Josh Mauga, James-Michael Johnson,
Dezman Moses, JoJo Dickson
OLB: Justin Houston, Tamba Hali, Dee Ford, Ramik
Wilson, D.J. Alexander, Josh Martin, Frank Zombo
CB: Sean Smith, Phillip Gaines, Marcus Peters, Marcus
Cooper, Steven Nelson, Jamell Fleming, Kevin Short, Justin
Cox
S: Eric Berry, Tyvon Branch (SS), Ron Parker (FS), Husain
Abdullah (FS), Daniel Sorenson (SS), Kelcie McCray
(FS), Sanders Commings (IR)
Miami Dolphins
QB: It will be Ryan Tannehill’s second year in Bill Lazor’s
offense and following last Friday’s scrimmage he mentioned
that he feels, “a lot more comfortable, (and is) making quicker
decisions, knowing exactly where to put the ball.” Lazor also
exclaimed, “We’re gonna go as fast as Tannehill and Mike
Pouncey can go.” Tannehill’s increased comfort may lead to
quicker snaps, more plays, and ultimately more fantasy points
for the offense as a whole. Chris Perkins of the Sun Sentinel
has seen improved footwork, which has aided Tannehill’s
accuracy, but admits there’s room for more improvement.
Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald agreed that
Tannehill’s deep passing still leaves much to be desired.
Despite his limitations, Matt Moore faces little serious
competition from Josh Freeman and McLeod BethelThompson for the backup job.
RB: No longer mired in a competition for the lead role, Lamar
Miller has entered training camp with more confidence and
more muscle (up to 225 lbs. from 218 lbs.) this year. He’s
even indicated a desire for more carries. Historically, Head
Coach Joe Philbin has favored a committee approach, but he
conceded that, “if one person can help us [score points] and
giving him [22] carries a game to get 350 carries, I have no
problem doing that.” Jay Ajayi has failed to impress coaches,
falling behind Damien Williams and LaMichael James on the
depth chart. His chances of making an impact as a rookie are
slipping away. Williams is the clubhouse leader for the No. 2
role, although James is receiving consistent praise from
Philbin and is a formidable challenger.
WR: Jarvis Landry continues to buzz and is entrenched as the
No. 1 target, but Philbin anticipates him being relegated to
the slot despite flashing the ability to play more downfield.
First round pick DeVante Parker remains sidelined following
foot surgery and it’s unclear if he’ll play at all in the
preseason. Fellow wideout Kenny Stills has missed recent
practices while recovering from a calf injury. Their absences
have allowed Rishard Matthews to get time with the starters,
although he’s failed to impress. Veteran Greg Jennings has
been relatively quiet in camp too, although he impressed
Tannehill with savvy route-running early on – his spot on the
depth chart is unclear. Michael Preston, who is fighting for a
roster spot, adds size (6’5” 220 lbs.) to a relatively small
receiving corps and has shown well as a deep threat so far.
TE: During the early part of training camp, the tight end unit
has focused heavily on blocking as opposed to receiving.
Jordan Cameron is onboard, describing the tight end’s role
as “whatever we can do to help this team.” Cameron did catch
two touchdowns in the Friday scrimmage, but his share of the
passing game is still unclear. Philbin has also praised Dion
Sims and offered assurances that there will be plenty of twotight end packages.
Defense: Defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh has looked every
bit as dominant as the Dolphins could have hoped for when
they signed him to a monster free agent contract. He joins ProBowl end Cameron Wake to anchor what will be one of the
NFL’s premier defensive lines. Wake and Olivier Vernon both
had sacks in the Friday scrimmage – the pass rush has
consistently disrupted all intrasquad drills and scrimmages.
Veteran tackle C.J. Mosley has been a non-factor; his chances
at a roster spot are slowly fading away. Rookie Jordan Phillips
is currently in line to play behind Suh and Earl Mitchell. Koa
Misi has seen the majority of snaps at middle linebacker, but
has moved to the strongside at times to allow snaps for Kelvin
Sheppard in the middle. Jelani Jenkins seems to have a strong
~ Click HERE to Go PRO with our Footballguys Insider PRO: only $32.95 for our remaining Training
Camp Updates, our $35,000 Subscriber Contest & all our website content through the 2016 Super Bowl ~
grip on weakside linebacker. Sheppard has an early lead on
Chris McCain for the third starting spot. Pro Bowl cornerback
Brent Grimes continues to shine, but the search continues for
his starting counterpart; both Jamar Taylor and Will Davis
have struggled at times. Davis has also missed time with a
knee injury. Brice McCain, who was originally locked in as
the starting nickel, has now been practicing outside and is a
contender. Strong safety Louis Delmas continues to be
handled with care after last season’s knee surgery, but free
safety Reshad Jones has seen regular snaps and has shown
well as a reliable tackler.
PK: Caleb Sturgis is embroiled in a battle with rookie Andrew
Franks after suffering an injury in a kickball game in the
offseason and struggling with accuracy so far in his career,
coming in under 80 percent in each of his first two seasons.
Both kickers were 3-for-3 in the first scrimmage. Early reports
say neither kicker has stood out and the competition has been
more about limiting mistakes to this point. Avoid Sturgis in
drafts even if he wins this competition as he is clearly on
shaky ground.
Dolphins Depth Chart
QB: Ryan Tannehill, Matt Moore, McLeod BethelThompson, Josh Freeman
RB: Lamar Miller, Damien Williams, Jay Ajayi, LaMichael
James, Mike Gillislee, Demetrius Bronson
WR: Jarvis Landry (KR/PR), Kenny Stills, DeVante Parker
(inj), Greg Jennings, Rishard Matthews, Matt Hazel, Michael
Preston, Tyler McDonald, LaRon Byrd, Damarr
Aultman, Tommy Streeter, Kevin Cone, Cobi Hamilton
TE: Jordan Cameron, Dion Sims, Arthur Lynch, Gerrell
Robinson, Jake Stoneburner, Tim Semisch
LT: Branden Albert, Jason Fox
LG: Dallas Thomas, Jacques McClendon, Jamil Douglas
C: Mike Pouncey, JD Walton, Sam Brenner
RG: Billy Turner, Jeff Linkenbach
RT: Ja••Wuan James, Donald Hawkins
K: Caleb Sturgis (inj), Andrew Franks
DT: Ndamukong Suh, Earl Mitchell, Jordan Phillips, C.J.
Mosley, A.J. Francis, Anthony Johnson, DeAndre Coleman
DE: Cameron Wake, Olivier Vernon, Derrick
Shelby, Terrence Fede, Kendall Montgomery, Emmanuel
Dieke, Ray Drew, Dion Jordan (susp)
MLB: Kelvin Sheppard, Koa Misi, Jeff Luc, Mike Hull
OLB: Jelani Jenkins (W) , Chris McCain (S), Jordan Tripp
(W),Spencer Paysinger (S), Neville Hewitt, Zach Vigil
CB: Brent Grimes, Jamar Taylor, Brice McCain, Bobby
McCain, Tony Lippett, Will Davis, Zackary Bowman, Sammy
Seamster
S: Reshad Jones (SS), Louis Delmas (FS), Walt Aikens
(FS), Jordan Kovacs (FS), Cedric Thompson, Don Jones
(SS), Shamiel Gary (FS),Michael Thomas (SS), Phillip
Thomas
Minnesota Vikings
QB: Teddy Bridgewater played well in the team’s first
preseason game completing five of six passes for 44 yards and
running once for another 6 yards. Bridgewater looked to have
some chemistry with Kyle Rudolph right from the start
connecting with each other twice for 22 yards and picking up
1st downs both times. Mike Kafka relieved Bridgewater and
did a nice job completing 7 of 10 passes for 66 yards which
included a 34-yard touchdown pass to rookie MyCole Pruitt.
Underrated rookie Taylor Heinicke also saw some game
action passing for 51 yards while throwing an interception.
Shaun Hill still remains the unchallenged QB2 but was rested
in this game so the coaching staff could give looks to the
younger guys in Kafka and Heinicke.
RB: Adrian Peterson didn’t play in the Hall of Fame game and
isn’t expected to play at all during any of the Vikings
preseason games. This will give opportunities to the backup
running backs Jerick McKinnon and Matt Asiata to battle it
out for any carries behind Peterson when the time comes.
McKinnon had three touches in the game, rushing twice for 2
yards and catching a screen pass for a 13-yard gain. Asiata on
the other hand ran six times for 30 yards and caught a pass for
five yards. It was Joe Banyard who punched in a one-yard
touchdown run following the 62-yard punt return from Stefon
Diggs. Peterson did get some praise from Vikings center,
John Sullivan who said, “He looks awesome. On the first play
(in 11-on-11s on Tuesday), we ran a zone read to the left, and
if it had been an actual game, he would have taken it to the
house. It was awesome."
WR: Rookie Stefon Diggs returned a punt 62 yards to the
Steelers 1-yard line, coming up just short of stretching the ball
across the goal line. Diggs continues to be electric in the
return game and is putting some pressure on fellow returner
Marcus Sherels. Vikings WR coach George Stewart recently
called Diggs a “more athletic” version of one talented former
Viking. “He’s very similar to Percy Harvin when Percy came
out,” Stewart said. “Same type of athlete but more athletic.”
Mike Wallace lost a yard on a reverse and dropped another
pass in his first action with the Vikings. It was reported that
Wallace has been catching everything thrown his way from
Teddy Bridgewater in practices. Most of the passes coming
Wallace’s way are quick slants as opposed to the deep routes
that he has been best known for. Charles Johnson continues to
develop his connection with Bridgewater as he has been the
main target during practices and drew the loudest fan reaction
by stretching for an over-the-middle grab.
TE: 5th round rookie MyCole Pruitt got some work with the
first-team offense as he caught a 34-yard touchdown pass from
Mike Kafka and showed some skill as a blocker also, setting a
nice block on a screen pass to Jerick McKinnon. Pruitt
finished the game with 4 catches for 51 yards and received
some praise from coach Mike Zimmer, “He’s very fast, He’s
had great hands all camp and that showed up a couple of
times.” Kyle Rudolph looked healthy in his first game action
~ Click HERE to Go PRO with our Footballguys Insider PRO: only $32.95 for our remaining Training
Camp Updates, our $35,000 Subscriber Contest & all our website content through the 2016 Super Bowl ~
in a while and had an instant connection with Teddy
Bridgewater as the two connected twice for 22 yards and two
first downs.
Defense: Audie Cole was the star of the defense during the
Vikings first preseason game as he recorded 3 tackles in his
short duty in the first half and forced a fumble while doing so.
“Audie knows where to be (around the ball),” Zimmer said.
“He shows up.” The 11th overall pick in this year’s draft,
cornerback Trae Waynes was quick on Sunday night but also
made some typical rookie mistakes. He was beaten down the
field and was flagged twice once for a pass interference
penalty and the other for defensive holding. Second-round
pick Eric Kendricks entered the game on 3rd-and-9 in a nickel
package after the likes of Audie Cole, Gerald Hodges and
Brandon Watts got some time on the field. Kendricks rushed
the quarterback on a bunch of plays, helping to force a punt as
the result of his quarterback pressure. Second year linebacker
Gerald Hodges was all over the field on Sunday night making
tackles and stopping plays at the line of scrimmage. He
finished the night with 3 solo tackles.
Vikings Depth Chart
QB: Teddy Bridgewater, Shaun Hill, Mike Kafka, Taylor
Heinicke
RB: Adrian Peterson, Jerick McKinnon, Matt Asiata, Joe
Banyard, DuJuan Harris
FB: Zach Line
WR: , Charles Johnson, Mike Wallace, Jarius
Wright, Cordarrelle Patterson (KR), Stefon Diggs (PR), Adam
Thielen, Donte Foster, Ryan Whalen, DaVaris Daniels (inj)
TE: Kyle Rudolph, MyCole Pruitt, Rhett Ellison, Chase
Ford, Brandon Bostick, Ryan Otten
LT: Matt Kalil, Tyrus Thompson
LG: Brandon Fusco, David Yankey
C: John Sullivan, Joe Berger
RG: Mike Harris, Austin Shepherd
RT: Phil Loadholt, TJ Clemmings
K: Blair Walsh
DT: Linval Joseph (NT), Sharrif Floyd, Tom Johnson, Chigbo
Anunoby, Shamar Stephen (inj)
DE: Brian Robison, Everson Griffen, Scott Crichton, Danielle
Hunter, Justin Trattou, B.J. Dubose, Leon Mackey, Caesar
Rayford
MLB: Audie Cole, Eric Kendricks, Michael Mauti, Justin
Anderson,Casey Matthews (IR)
OLB: Anthony Barr (S), Chad Greenway (W) , Gerald
Hodges (W),Brandon Watts (S), Edmond Robinson, Josh
Kaddu (S), Brian Peters(W)
CB: Xavier Rhodes, Terence Newman, Captain
Munnerlyn, Trae Waynes, Josh Robinson (inj), Marcus
Sherels (PR), Jabari Price, Josh Thomas
S: Harrison Smith (FS), Robert Blanton (SS), Andrew Sendejo
(SS),Ahmad Dixon (FS), Antone Exum (SS), Anthony
Harris, Jalil Carter
New England Patriots
QB: The Tom Brady ‘Deflategate’ controversy may never
end. It leaves the Patriots in an uncomfortable spot. Brady has
taken plenty of snaps in training camp, but Jimmy Garoppolo
is also being given his fair share. Garoppolo was even given
the majority of first team reps during one practice, but he
failed to impress, struggling with his consistency. The
injured Matt Flynn was waived and Ryan Lindley was added
to the mix.
RB: It appeared that the New England Patriots had a clear
starter with LeGarrette Blount atop the depth chart. However,
Blount suffered a sprained MCL that is going to keep him
out of training camp and the preseason. Blount was going to
enter the season under a 1-game suspension either way, but
this is an unwelcome injury to a potentially key player. Jonas
Gray is now in position to become a feature back and has been
impressive early on. The Patriots also have Tyler Gaffney to
challenge Gray, but he needs to get on the field to prove
himself. Travaris Cadet is leading the chase for a primary
receiving 3rd down receiving role, but he also has health
question marks to overcome. James White will have
opportunities to prove his ability as a receiver, but he has
struggled thus far. Dion Lewis and Brandon Bolden are
closer to known commodities so it's no surprise they've quietly
gone about their business during camp so far.
WR: Julian Edelman has been sidelined for a couple of days
because of an ankle injury that isn't considered serious.
Edelman's absence has pushed Danny Amendola back into the
fold. Aaron Dobson has failed to overcome both health and
performance issues throughout his career. Dobson made an
early impact, but missed time later in the week. The Patriots
have plenty of receivers missing time with Edelman, Brandon
LaFell(PUP), Dobson and Josh Tyms all missing multiple
practices. Brandon Gibson has been the benefactor, getting
more opportunities to impress while racking up receptions.
The Patriots need their top options to get healthy before they
can figure out what their depth chart is going to look like.
TE: Rob Gronkowski survived the offseason unscathed. A
contract restructuring is about the only notable aspect of
Gronkowski's training camp to this point. The Patriots only
need him to stay healthy through camp and the preseason.
Scott Chandler has dealt with some health issues, missing at
least one practice while icing his knee during another. Any
ambiguity in the Patriots tight end depth chart was erased
when the team moved on from Tim Wright. Michael
Hoomanawanui should be safe as the third option. Jake
Bequette is still on the roster after converting to tight end,
which bodes well for him moving forward. He needs to have a
huge preseason to force his way onto the final roster though.
Defense: The defense looks weak at cornerback, so the early
play of Super Bowl hero Malcolm Butler will come as a
reassurance for fans. Christopher Price writes, “Butler has
been the one who has made the most of his opportunities to
~ Click HERE to Go PRO with our Footballguys Insider PRO: only $32.95 for our remaining Training
Camp Updates, our $35,000 Subscriber Contest & all our website content through the 2016 Super Bowl ~
this point in the summer...At this point, he’s been the best and
most consistent cornerback in camp for the Patriots.” It's still
unclear who will start across from Butler, but Logan Ryan is
the favorite with veteran Tarrell Brown pushing him. Price
also points out that rookie safety Jordan Richards has
impressed enough that he should earn playing time during
the regular season. He isn't pushing for Patrick Chung's
starting job just yet, but it sounds inevitable. Jabaal Sheard is
the other defender that Price highlights and he's not alone in
praising the former Brown. The defensive line and secondary
is where the Patriots question marks are, but the return to full
health of Jerod Mayo at linebacker is also big news.
as we need to be. I think there were some good individual
efforts – as we watch the tape, all that stuff will kind of show
itself. But it just shows we've got a lot of work to do.”
RB: C.J. Spiller didn't practice on Friday, but the Saints
offered no reason for his absence (injury? family emergency?
other?). In any case, Spiller and two-down runner Mark
Ingram appear poised to play in a running-back-by-committee
this season. Curiously, Khiry Robinson was listed as the #2
back behind Ingram on the Saints first depth chart; which
either shows deference to Robinson as the incumbent or
speaks to Spiller picking up the offense more slowly than we
were hoping.
Patriots Depth Chart
QB: Tom Brady (susp), Jimmy Garoppolo, Ryan Lindley
RB: LeGarrette Blount (susp) (inj), Jonas Gray (SD), Brandon
Bolden (3RB), Tarvaris Cadet (3RB), James White
(3RB), Tyler Gaffney, Dion Lewis
FB: James Develin
WR: Julian Edelman (PR), Brandon LaFell, Danny Amendola
(KR),Aaron Dobson, Brandon Gibson, Josh Boyce, Bryan
Tyms, Matt Slater, Jonathan Krause
TE: Rob Gronkowski, Scott Chandler, Michael
Hoomanawanui (FB), Jake Bequette (DE), Jimmy
Mundine, A.J. Derby (IR)
LT: Nate Solder, Marcus Cannon
LG: Tre Jackson, Jordan Devey, Chris Barker
C: Bryan Stork
RG: Ryan Wendell, Josh Kline, Shaquille Mason
RT: Sebastian Vollmer, Cameron Fleming
K: Stephen Gostkowski
NT: Alan Branch, Sealver Siliga, Malcom Brown, Dominique
Easley, Joe Vellano, Antonio Johnson, Chris Jones (inj)
DE: Chandler Jones, Rob Ninkovich, Trey Flowers, Jabaal
Sheard, Zach Moore, Geneo Grissom
MLB: Jerod Mayo, Dane Fletcher, Eric Martin, Matt Wells
OLB: Jamie Collins (S), Dont′a Hightower (W), Dekoda
Watson (W),Jonathan Freeny (S), Chris White (W), Darius
Fleming (S), Xzavier Dickson, Rufus Johnson
CB: , Malcolm Butler, Bradley Fletcher, Logan Ryan, Robert
McClain, Darryl Roberts, Justin Green
S: Devin McCourty (FS), Patrick Chung (SS), Duron Harmon
(SS),Jordan Richards (SS), Tavon Wilson (FS), Nate Ebner
(SS), Dax Swanson
New Orleans Saints
QB: Drew Brees wasn't excited by the performance of the
Saints during Friday night's scrimmage – "A little sloppy.
Any time you transition from practice to a game-like scenario
where it's move the chains, you've got to get up and get lined
up correctly, you've got to be sharp – there's just a lot more
tempo and quick transition that happens in a move-the-chains
type of period or scrimmage, as opposed to practice where you
can stop it and make certain adjustments. So that part of it, I
think, might have surprised some guys. So we weren't as sharp
WR: Marques Colston is Brees' number one target so far this
preseason. At the Friday scrimmage, Brees led a touchdown
drive mainly by connecting on two big throws to Colston.
Colston, 32, missed almost all of OTAs and minicamp with an
unspecified injury, but he gradually worked his way into fullteam drills during the past week. Brees said throwing to
Colston was, "like riding a bike... He's a stud. He's such a
pro." However, Colston acknowledged after the scrimmage:
"But just going into Year 10, physically I’m not the same as I
was in 2006. With that comes some little nuances and just
things I can do technique-wise that can make up for that."
Head Coach Sean Payton said, "We have to be smart with
where Marques is at. The reps are one thing, but making sure
he’s getting into football shape... I think we’ll do a good job
with some veteran players, he being one of them." Brandon
Coleman has made an impression during the first week of
training camp, and may be challenging Nick Toon for the #3
job. Coleman has "consistently looked good" early in camp,
and is reportedly "separating himself from the pack." Brandin
Cooks spoke about his aims for the 2015 season: "That's why I
worked so hard throughout the offseason. That’s what I'm
focused on, to be able to come in and help my team and
ultimately be a dominant player like that." Senior assistant
Dennis Allen said of Cooks, "...he’s going to create some real
issues. I've been thoroughly impressed by what I've seen out
of Brandin Cooks. I think he's primed to have a really good
year."
TE: Josh Hill has been sidelined for the past week with an
undisclosed injury. His fantasy value has been overstated, and
that viewpoint was confirmed when Ben Watson was listed as
the starter in the Saints first depth chart. The NFL suspended
Orson Charles one game for violating the league's personal
conduct policy following his arrest last April for a road rage
incident. In a related move, the Saints signed Alex Smith this
week.
Defense: Free safety Jairus Byrd (undisclosed injury) remains
sidelined at camp. He is reportedly progressing, but isn't quite
where he needs to be. "There's a progression to it," Head
Coach Payton said of Byrd's recovery. "Land-based
movements, walk-throughs... Fortunately there haven't been
any setbacks, and I think that's encouraging." Delvin Breaux is
apparently earning reps as the Saints' nickel/slot cornerback,
and may be destined to make the 53-man roster. Breaux was
~ Click HERE to Go PRO with our Footballguys Insider PRO: only $32.95 for our remaining Training
Camp Updates, our $35,000 Subscriber Contest & all our website content through the 2016 Super Bowl ~
one of the most impressive players at spring practices,
according to local reports, and has maintained a significant
lead on Kyle Wilson and rookie P.J. Williams. Coach Payton
was not happy with the defense's execution during Friday's
scrimmage. He referenced the Saints’ inability to get the
proper players on the field defensively on several occasions, a
problem that migrated from practices to the scrimmage.
"We've got to be able to handle the substitutions better," he
said. "That’s one thing, for sure. Those are detail things and
those are things that’ll get corrected. It’s not a fine line. It’s a
wide, bright line. It’s obvious. You can’t play in a game – it
happened the other day in practice, we go three snaps in a row
with 10 guys on the field defensively. We go out there today,
we've got 12, we've got 12, we've got 10. That's got to be
cleaned up. That's all of it, that's not just players." Cornerback
Brandon Browner is optimistic: "I think we have the potential,
but it’s so far away. It’s training camp. We’ll know
midseason. I hope I have that same confidence in my guys
midseason.”
PK: Dustin Hopkins made his first 15 field goal attempts in
practices to take the early lead over Zach Hocker in the kicker
competition. Hopkins has also reportedly been better on
kickoffs. While he hasn’t secured the job yet, Hopkins is the
clear leader and it might his job to lose at this point.
Saints Depth Chart
QB: Drew Brees, Luke McCown, Garrett Grayson, Ryan
Griffin
RB: Mark Ingram, C.J. Spiller (KR), Khiry Robinson, Edwin
Baker, Tim Hightower, Marcus Murphy (KR/PR)
FB: Erik Loreg, Austin Johnson, Toben Opurum
WR: Marques Colston, Brandin Cooks, Nick Toon, Brandon
Coleman, Seantavius Jones, Willie Snead, Josh Morgan, Jalen
Saunders, Joseph Morgan, R.J. Harris, Kyle Prater
TE: Ben Watson, Josh Hill, Orson Charles, Kevin
Brock, Alex Smith, Jack Tabb
LT: Terron Armstead, Bryce Harris
LG: Tim Lelito, Senio Kelemete
C: Max Unger, Mike Brewster
RG: Jahri Evans
RT: Zach Strief, Andrus Peat, Nick Becton
K: Dustin Hopkins, Zach Hocker
NT: Brodrick Bunkley, John Jenkins, Lawrence Virgil, Tyeler
Davison, Bobby Richardson, Ashaad Mabry, Kaleb Eulls
DE: Cameron Jordan, Akiem Hicks, Kevin Williams, Tavaris
Barnes
ILB: David Hawthorne, Stephone Anthony, Dannell
Ellerbe, Ramon Humber, Jerry Franklin, Henry Coley
OLB: Anthony Spencer, Parys Haralson, Hau′Oli
Kikaha, Ronald Powell, Davis Tull, Kasim Edebali, Markus
Pierce-Brewster
CB: Keenan Lewis, Brandon Browner, Delvin
Breaux, Stanley Jean-Baptiste, Damian Swann, Kyle
Wilson, Brian Dixon, P.J. Williams, Terrence Frederick
S: Jairus Byrd (FS), Kenny Vaccaro (SS), Pierre Warren
(FS),Rafael Bush (SS), Jamarca Sanford (SS), Vinnie Sunseri
(SS),Kenny Phillips (FS)
New York Giants
QB: Eli Manning is coming off arguably his best season,
thanks in no small part to offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo.
Entering Year 2 of McAdoo’s offense could mean a career
year for Manning and the Giants passing attack. The 2-time
Super Bowl winner has looked sharp in camp, throwing very
few interceptions in team drills. He attributes that to a better
understanding of the system. “Just having a better plan,
having a better understanding of where to go with the ball,”
Manning said. “Not getting stuck in some bad situations (like)
free blitzers. A little better understanding (of the offense). I
think all those things play a factor.” There is no mystery to
the Giants depth chart – Ryan Nassib is the #2 and Ricky
Stanzi the #3.
RB: Ask three different beat writers and you’ll get three
different answers on which running back looks best. You
would get three equally different answers about which running
back looks the worst. In spite of mixed camp reports, the
Giants first depth chart lists Rashad Jennings as the starter,
Andre Williams as the backup and Shane Vereen as the 3rd
back. We don’t want to make too much out of a preseason
depth chart, but that does line up with the consensus view –
and lends credence to the idea Vereen will be a limited
contributor as a runner and more focused on his role as a 3 rddown specialist in obvious passing situations.
WR: Victor Cruz was an uncertainty entering camp, but his
progress thus far has exceeded even the most optimistic
expectations. Cruz – recovering for a torn patellar tendon –
surprised many by being cleared for the start of camp. The
Giants listed Cruz as a co-starter alongside Odell Beckham
and Rueben Randle on their first preseason depth chart. His
reps have been limited, but he’s traveling with the team to
Cincinnati and remains on track for goal of playing in
Week One versus Dallas. "I see a guy that resembles the guy
that was playing last year," Cruz said. "Still got that same pop,
that same ability, that same lateral quickness of the line. So it's
just a matter of building off of that. There's still a lot to work
on, but I'm happy that the quickness is pretty much still there
and I can still get upfield pretty quickly." Beckham has looked
smooth in the first week, and made another jaw-dropping onehanded catch a few days ago. Tom Coughlin tried to
downplay the theatrics, “Two hands, please," he said. "Two
hands on the ball, thank you very much.” The forgotten man
of this trio, Rueben Randle, has been impressive in his own
right. Unfortunately, he came up lame on Tuesday’s joint
practice with the Bengals, and was diagnosed with knee
tendinitis. It’s unclear how this will impact his preseason and
practice time. Dwayne Harris is the #4 and his role seems
ensured, but the other spots are wide open; Corey Washington,
Geremy Davis, Juron Criner and James Jones are all
competing for those slots.
~ Click HERE to Go PRO with our Footballguys Insider PRO: only $32.95 for our remaining Training
Camp Updates, our $35,000 Subscriber Contest & all our website content through the 2016 Super Bowl ~
TE: Larry Donnell is rehabbing from an Achilles injury, but
remains on track for a full recovery. In his absence, the
coaches have rotated Jerome Cunningham, Daniel Fells and
Adrian Robinson with the first team offense. Fells has been
the most impressive – in part because of his consistency. "...
you know what you're getting with Daniel. You know he's
going to be a consistent player, a consistent person, and a great
leader in that room—being a veteran and having those guys to
help them come along. Daniel makes the plays that are there to
be made and then he impressed you every now and then by
making one that you don't necessarily think he can make," said
coach Gilbride.
Defense: One of the biggest stories relates to someone who’s
not at camp – Jason Pierre-Paul. There’s no official timeline
for his return, but at least he and the team have opened a
line of communication. New York plans on using a rotation
at defense end comprised of Kerry Wynn, Owa Odighizuwa,
Robert Ayers, Damontre Moore and George Selvie. The battle
at safety has been a dead heat – with each of the four
candidates routinely being shuffled in and out of the first team
day by day. It’s rookie Landon Collins and 2nd year converted
cornerback Bennett Jackson that have been most impressive.
Not coincidentally, they’re listed as the starters on the Giants
initial depth chart.
PK: Josh Brown is facing a challenge from strong-legged
youngster Chris Boswell. Neither Brown nor Boswell has
done anything early in camp to suggest that Brown will be
unseated this summer.
Giants Depth Chart
QB: Eli Manning, Ryan Nassib, Ricky Stanzi
RB: Rashad Jennings, Shane Vereen (3RB), Andre Williams
(SD), Orleans Darkwa, Akeem Hunt
FB: Henry Hynoski, Nikita Whitlock
WR: Odell Beckham Jr., Rueben Randle, Victor Cruz, James
Jones,Corey Washington, Dwayne Harris (KR/PR), Preston
Parker (PR), Geremy Davis, Juron Criner
TE: , Larry Donnell, Daniel Fells, Adrien Robinson, Jerome
Cunningham, Will Tye
LT: Ereck Flowers, Will Beatty (inj), Marshall Newhouse
LG: Geoff Schwartz, Brandon Mosley
C: Weston Richburg, Dallas Reynolds
RG: John Jerry, Troy Kropog, Adam Gettis
RT: Justin Pugh, Eric Herman
K: Josh Brown, Chris Boswell
DT: Johnathan Hankins, Cullen Jenkins, Kenrick
Ellis, Markus Kuhn, Jay Bromley, Dominique Hamilton
DE: Jason Pierre-Paul (inj), Robert Ayers (inj), Damontre
Moore, Owa Odighizuwa, George Selvie, Kerry Wynn, Jordan
Stanton
MLB: Jon Beason, Terrell Manning, Unai Unga, Cole Farrand
OLB: Jameel McClain (S) (inj), Devon Kennard (W), Mark
Herzlich (S), James Davidson (W), J.T. Thomas (W), Victor
Butler (S) (susp)
CB: Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Prince
Amukamara, Trumaine McBride, Mike Harris, Jayron
Hosley, Josh Gordy
S: Landon Collins (SS), Nat Berhe (FS) (inj), Mykkele
Thompson (FS), Cooper Taylor (FS), Chykie Brown
(FS), Jeromy Miles, Bennett Jackson
New York Jets
QB: Years of frustration at quarterback seems to be wearing
on Jets fans, some of whom soundly booed Geno Smith over
the weekend at a Jets scrimmage, per Rich Cimini of
ESPN.com. That comes despite an interception-free beginning
to training camp and shows Smith has no margin for error
when it comes to the fans. The question will be, how much
room for mistakes does he have with new head coach Todd
Bowles? "I think he's night and day from the spring, and from
OTAs," Bowles said per NJ.com’s Darryl Slater. "Just the
confidence he has with the offense, and the no hesitation
thing. For the most part, I thought he's done a good job so far.”
The ‘so far’ is the part to pay attention to. It’s an open
competition, and Ryan Fitzpatrick was brought in to push
Smith in the truest sense of the word. As Fitzpatrick is familiar
with—and had success in—new offensive coordinator Chan
Gailey’s offense, it wouldn’t take much for him to step in and
at least hold the fort. Far behind both of them is rookie Bryce
Petty. A raw player out of Baylor, Petty is slowly adjusting to
NFL life, but is still far too raw to fight for the starting job. It
will be interesting to follow Petty as he improves, as he should
be a good fit for Gailey’s offense.
Breaking news: LB IK Enemkpali broke Geno Smith’s jaw
during a locker room dispute. Depending on how quickly he
heels, Smith is expected to miss 6 to 8 weeks. The best case
scenario could see Smith return by the end of September, but
Smith could wind up on the injured reserve/designated to
return list and miss the first eight weeks of the season. The
Jets will turn to veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick during the interim
with rookie Bryce Petty moving into the backup role.
RB: According to ESPN.com’s Kieran Darcy, this could be
Chris Ivory’s breakout year. There was some concern that, as
he was a holdover from the previous regime, Ivory could get
left out in the cold; especially as the new management brought
in Stevan Ridley and Zac Stacy. However, Ridley is still on
the PUP list as he recovers from an ACL/MCL injury and
NJ.com’s Darryl Slater thinks Stacy won’t make the final
roster as he expects them to keep just three backs (including
cutting their only fullback, Tommy Bohanon). This somewhat
flies in the face of ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini’s assertion that
the team could keep four backs. At the end of the day, Ivory
is currently the starter, with Stacy or Ridley as his backup and
Bilal Powell as the change of pace back. Powell is a very good
pass-catching back and he has the most versatility of the
group, so there’s a good chance he survives any cuts, as
Ridley and Stacy bring talents closer to what Ivory can do.
WR: As ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini pointed out after
Saturday’s Green and White scrimmage, Brandon Marshall
~ Click HERE to Go PRO with our Footballguys Insider PRO: only $32.95 for our remaining Training
Camp Updates, our $35,000 Subscriber Contest & all our website content through the 2016 Super Bowl ~
‘may not have the separation speed he once did, but the 31year-old wide receiver will win more than his share of battles
in tight coverage.’ He certainly seems to be making use of
battling Antonio Cromartie and Darrelle Revis in camp, and
he scored a pair of touchdowns in the scrimmage. He and Eric
Decker make a very nice tandem for Geno Smith, assuming
the quarterback can find a way to take advantage of them.
Rookie Devin Smith is down for the count right now, after
suffering what reports like NFL Network’s Andrew Siciliano
say were three broken ribs and a punctured lung. Siciliano
said that the timeline for recovery is 4-6 weeks, which means
Smith will not join the Jets until a few weeks into the season at
best. That’s likely to curtail any impact he was going to have,
while keeping Jeremy Kerley in the mix on more than just
special teams. The other big standout at wide receiver has
been Quincy Enunwa, who Cimini has reported has seen
time with the starters and made some nice catches.
TE: The initial plan at tight end for the Jets seems to be to use
Jace Amaro as a ‘move’ tight end, with Jeff Cumberland as a
more traditional in-line tight end. Amaro has to show he can
hold onto the ball. The hope is that, in addition to the effort he
put into his blocking skills (or, as NJ.com’s Dom Consentino
points out, lack thereof) he was able to improve upon his
ability to hold onto the ball. Consentino pointed out that Pro
Football Focus had Amaro with six drops, tied for fourth
among tight ends. Head coach Todd Bowles is optimistic, "As
a rookie, I don't think you get to catch it all. Your second year,
you kind of get an idea. Jace is working really hard on his
blocking and he's done some things in the passing game. You
just want to see continued progress." Of course, that allows
Cumberland to assist on the line to keep quarterback Geno
Smith upright and clear the way for running backs.
Defense: Lots of things are happening at once for the Jets
defensively. In terms of good news, Antonio Cromartie and
Darrelle Revis are back in house and appear to be in fine form.
The Jets secondary should be a strength again this year, and so
far in practices, they have been solid. Although nobody has
managed to pick off Geno Smith yet, once the hitting starts,
we should see more turnovers. On the bad news side, Sheldon
Richardson is suspended for violating the NFL’s drug policy.
Not long after telling ESPN Radio’s The Michael Kay Show
in NY he ‘got it’ reports surfaced that Richardson had been
arrested for speeding with a loaded gun and a minor in his car
(per The Wall Street Journal). Muhammad Wilkerson
continues to deal with a hamstring injury, but the team is
likely just being cautious and once the fur starts flying in
September, he should be fine. Both things have given rookie
Leonard Williams a chance to shine, something the former
USC Trojan is embracing. NJ.com’s Darryl Slater reports
that Williams has not had a letdown so far in camp, and Coach
Bowles is happy. "He's explosive," Bowles said Sunday per
Slater. "I mean, we all knew that. He's explosive, but it's more
than that playing down there. You have to read blocks, you
have to understand double teams, and you have to sacrifice
sometimes.” So far, Williams is playing well and making it
easier for the Jets to overcome the loss of Richardson.
PK: The Jets released Andrew Furney to make room for
UDFA rookie wide receiver Austin Hill, leaving Nick Folk as
the only kicker on the roster. Folk had a terrific scrimmage
should be seen as entrenched in the Jets kicker job.
Jets Depth Chart
QB: Geno Smith (inj), Ryan Fitzpatrick, Bryce Petty
RB: Chris Ivory, Bilal Powell (3RB), Stevan Ridley (inj), Zac
Stacy, Daryl Richardson
FB: Tommy Bohanon
WR: Brandon Marshall, Eric Decker, Jeremy Kerley, Devin
Smith (inj), Devier Posey, Chris Owusu, T.J. Graham, Quincy
Enunwa, Saalim Hakim (KR), Shaq Evans, Austin Hill, Walt
Powell
TE: Jeff Cumberland, Kellen Davis, Jace Amaro, Wes
Saxton, Steve Maneri, Zach Sudfeld (IR)
LT: D•Brickashaw Ferguson, Ben Ijalana, Charles Brown
LG: James Carpenter, James Brewer, Brian Winters
C: Nick Mangold , Dakota Dozier, Dalton Freeman
RG: Willie Colon, Oday Aboushi, Jarvis Harrison
RT: Breno Giacomini
K: Nick Folk
DT: Damon Harrison (NT), Leger Douzable, Deon
Simon, T.J. Barnes
DE: Muhammad Wilkerson, Sheldon Richardson
(susp), Leonard Williams, Kevin Vickerson, Ronald
Talley, Stephen Bowen
ILB: David Harris (M), Demario Davis (W), Jamari
Lattimore, Erin Henderson, Joe Mays, Chris Young
OLB: Quinton Coples (DE), Calvin Pace, Jason
Babin, Lorenzo Mauldin, Trevor Reilly
CB: Darrelle Revis, Antonio Cromartie, Buster Skrine, Dee
Milliner (inj), Dexter McDougle
S: Marcus Gilchrist (FS), Calvin Pryor (SS), Jaiquawn Jarrett
(FS), Durell Eskridge, Darrin Walls, Rontez Miles, Antonio
Allen (IR)
Oakland Raiders
QB: After sitting out OTAs with a finger injury, Derek Carr
returned at 100% health for the first day of training camp. He
has been able to quickly knock off the rust after taking some
time off of throwing the ball over the summer. While Carr is
learning a new offense, he feels like the game has slowed
down for him entering his second year. Matt McGloin has
outperformed Christian Ponder over the first week and a half
of camp as Ponder has been holding onto the ball too long.
RB: The Raiders hoped that the signings of Trent Richardson
and Roy Helu Jr. would provide real competition for Latavius
Murray, but it simply hasn’t happened thus far in training
camp. Murray has shown up for training camp healthy and fit
after an offseason of grueling training and taken all of the
first team reps in camp. "My mentality is to stay where I am at
and be that guy," Murray said. "For a big guy, Latavius has
extremely good quickness," Offensive line coach Mike Tice
~ Click HERE to Go PRO with our Footballguys Insider PRO: only $32.95 for our remaining Training
Camp Updates, our $35,000 Subscriber Contest & all our website content through the 2016 Super Bowl ~
said. "And when he gets behind his pads, he is hard to tackle.
Smaller linebackers might be in serious trouble." According to
general manager Reggie McKenzie, Murray has the talent to
be a 1,000-yard, workhorse #1 back. "No question," McKenzie
said. "He can do it all." Instead of pushing Murray for the
starting job, Richardson may face an uphill battle just to make
the roster. Richardson missed most of the first week of camp
with pneumonia and did not achieve the weight loss goals that
the Raiders set for him. His performance once he finally hit
the field has been described as “abysmal.” Helu has been
dealing with injuries throughout the first week of camp but
unlike Richardson, his roster spot is safe, as he will have a big
role on 3rd downs. Undrafted rookie Michael Dyer has also
been dealing with some injury issues the past couple days, but
he made his presence felt the first few days of training camp
showing off a nice burst and great pad level. Dyer has a real
opportunity to win the #3 job behind Murray and Helu. After
switching to cornerback the past couple seasons, speedster
Taiwan Jones has moved back to running back and broken off
some long runs. “He’s got speed to burn,” OC Bill Musgrave
said. “He’s done a nice job learning our system. I feel like he
has very few mental errors and it’s hard to replicate speed like
that. It’s hard to simulate that in practice. So, when he gets in
the game he can definitely have an advantage against some
defenders.” Jones could make the team as the 4th RB due to his
outstanding special teams ability.
WR: Amari Cooper has been impressive in camp for the
Raiders earning praise from his coaches and teammates. “He’s
going to be pretty special,” Charles Woodson said. “He can
do it all. The sky will be the limit for that young man.” Cooper
has hooked up with Carr for some big plays, including a 70yard touchdown during a scrimmage. Michael Crabtree has
had a strong start to camp and has established himself as the
starter opposite Cooper. The change of scenery seems to have
had a positive impact on Crabtree’s outlook and he has a good
chance to exceed the modest expectations he is facing. With
Rod Streater having been sidelined with an unknown nonfootball injury or illness, Kenbrell Thompkins and Andre
Holmes have been the 3rd and 4th WR and are having solid
camps. Holmes has been especially impressive on jump balls
and has made some big plays in the red zone. Kris Durham has
also had a solid camp and has a chance to win the final roster
spot at WR.
TE: Rookie 3rd rounder Clive Walford impressed during
OTAs and was touted as “the complete package” but he
suffered an injury right before training camp that has kept him
out of action for the first nine days of camp. He is expected
back soon. With Walford out, last year’s starter Mychal Rivera
has impressed the new coaching staff. "He's an athletic guy,"
said Jack Del Rio. "I think he showed some of that athleticism
here early in this camp with a couple of nice catches. We like
the way he's worked throughout the offseason. He's continued
to strengthen himself, continued to develop as a player." The
Raiders expect to use a lot of two TE sets this year with
blocking specialist Lee Smith, Rivera and Walford all likely to
see the field.
Defense: After a fantastic rookie season, Khalil Mack looks
even better in training camp this year and looks poised for a
monster season. Mack has been impressed with rookie Mario
Edwards, Jr., stating, “Oh man, the potential for that guy – the
sky’s the limit. As long as he locks in and focuses what he
needs to do and learns that he’s a professional now, he’s going
to be a great player in this league.” Rookie linebacker Ben
Heeney has also made a strong early impression at middle
linebacker with his coverage skills and instincts in the run
game.
Raiders Depth Chart
QB: Derek Carr, Matt McGloin, Christian Ponder, Cody
Fajardo
RB: Latavius Murray, Roy Helu (3RB), Trent
Richardson, Taiwan Jones (CB/KR), Michael Dyer, George
Atkinson III
FB: Marcel Reece, Jamize Olawale
WR: Amari Cooper, Michael Crabtree, Rod Streater
(inj), Andre Holmes, Kenbrell Thompkins, Brice
Butler, Trindon Holliday (KR/PR), Josh Harper, Seth
Roberts, Kris Durham, Andre Debose (IR)
TE: Mychal Rivera, Clive Walford, Lee Smith, Brian
Leonhardt, Gabe Holmes
LT: Donald Penn, Matt McCants
LG: Gabe Jackson, Tony Bergstrom, Lamar Mady
C: Rodney Hudson, Kevin Boothe
RG: Khalif Barnes, JMarcus Webb, Jon Feliciano
RT: Austin Howard, Menalik Watson, Anthony Morris
K: Sebastian Janikowski, Giorgio Tavecchio
DT: Dan Williams, Justin Ellis (NT), C.J. Wilson, Stacy
McGee (NT),Ricky Lumpkin, Leon Orr (NT)
DE: Kahlil Mack, Justin Tuck (DT), Mario Edwards Jr.
(DT), Benson Mayowa, Denico Autry, Shelby Harris, Max
Valles
MLB: Curtis Lofton, Ben Heeney, Spencer Hadley, Chase
Williams
OLB: Malcolm Smith (W), Ray-Ray Armstrong (S), Sio
Moore (W), Neiron Ball (S), Horace Miller, Gary
Wilkins, Josh Shirley
CB: D.J. Hayden, TJ Carrie, Keith McGill, James
Dockery, Neiko Thorpe, Ras-I Dowling, Dexter
McDonald, Chimdi Chekwa, SaQwan Edwards
S: Charles Woodson (SS), Nate Allen (FS), Brandian Ross
(FS),Larry Asante (SS), Jonathan Dowling (FS), Tevin
McDonald (FS)
Philadelphia Eagles
QB: Prior to the start of camp, many believed Mark Sanchez
and Sam Bradford would compete in camp for the starting job,
but Chip Kelly had different ideas. Once Bradford was
medically cleared, he’s taken nearly all of the first team reps;
and there are reports he and the team are working on a
contract extension. Sanchez is taking the situation in stride,
and promises to be ready if (when?) his number is called.
~ Click HERE to Go PRO with our Footballguys Insider PRO: only $32.95 for our remaining Training
Camp Updates, our $35,000 Subscriber Contest & all our website content through the 2016 Super Bowl ~
While there may not be a competition for the starting role,
there is a competition underway for the #3 position between
incumbent Matt Barkley and Tim Tebow.
RB: Chip Kelly has a unique process, and that was evident at
the start of training camp when marquee free agent DeMarco
Murray was held out of practice in spite of being 100%
healthy. Murray was irked about the decision and even
tweeted something that inferred his displeasure. But there
turns out Kelly had a reason – the Eagles test every player for
dehydration levels and Murray was flagged as being too
high. Murray has been in and out of the lineup, but nothing
that’s concerning in terms of his readiness for September.
Ryan Mathews has looked great and regardless of their
respective contracts, it seems Kelly won’t hesitate to go with
the hot hand between Mathews, Murray and incumbent Darren
Sproles.
WR: Any thought that Jordan Matthews would be lined up all
over the field has been put to rest in camp; Matthews
continues to play the majority of his snaps in the slot. Rookie
Nelson Agholor got off to an understandably slow start in
camp – and was running with the 2s while Riley Cooper and
Josh Huff started on the outside. Chip Kelly explained why
Agholor has the potential to be special: "He's got an extra
gear that a lot of guys don't have. I think when he beats press
coverage and takes off, you've got to make sure you
understand how fast he is. I think sometimes we have
underthrown him a couple times, just because we know how
well he can accelerate. He does a great job of catching the ball
and getting north and south and getting up the field. We've
been really pleased with him the last three days.'' In the last
few days Agholor has come on and seems back on track to
earn a starting outside role for the regular season; likely at the
expense of Cooper. Huff was a forgotten man last year but has
been making plays nearly every day; he has an instant rapport
with Sam Bradford.
TE: Brent Celek continues to be the nominal starter, which is
much a testament to his prowess as a blocker as an admonition
of Zach Ertz. Ertz has been one of the most impressive players
in camp – just like last season – but it remains to be seen
whether that translates into a significant jump in his stat line.
Defense: Eagles fans were distraught when the news broke
that Philadelphia had traded nickel cornerback Brandon
Boykin to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Their consternation was
exacerbated when rookie cornerback JaCorey Shepherd tore
his ACL a few days later. Not surprisingly, Coach Kelly
stands by his decision to trade the inexpensive-but-effective
veteran corner: "We just felt like we had real good depth in the
secondary, more than we've ever had here. Eric (Rowe),
JaCorey, Denzell (Rice), (Randall) Evans, (E.J.) Biggers, we
were deeper than we've ever been. So when they offered what
could be a four, we couldn't pass up that opportunity.'' At
safety, Earl Wolff is finally making plays and staying on the
field in his 3rd training camp. If he can maintain this intensity,
he’ll not only make the 53-man roster but will also factor into
the defensive back rotation. It wasn’t long ago the Eagles had
no depth at linebacker, but now it’s possible the team could
keep nine linebackers on the final roster. Kiko Alonso
continues to miss time with a concussion but is viewed as an
impact player once he’s healthy. He’ll join Connor Barwin,
DeMeco Ryans, Brandon Graham and Mychal Kendricks as
the regular contributors. Graham – finally in the position to be
a full-time starter in his sixth year – has set a goal of 2 sacks
per game. A daunting goal, but an admirable one.
PK: Eagles kicker Cody Parkey has been very impressive in
practices, even going 15-for-15 in one early session. He
continues to build on his fantasy value as one of the top five
kickers to target.
Eagles Depth Chart
QB: Sam Bradford, Mark Sanchez, Matt Barkley, Tim Tebow
RB: DeMarco Murray, Ryan Mathews, Darren Sproles
(PR), Kenjon Barner, Kevin Monangai
WR: Jordan Matthews, Riley Cooper, Josh Huff (KR), Nelson
Agholor, Miles Austin, Seyi Ajirotutu, Jeff Maehl, Rasheed
Bailey, Will Murphy, Quron Pratt, G.J. Kinne
TE: Zach Ertz, Brent Celek, Trey Burton
LT: Jason Peters
LG: Allen Barbre, Andrew Gardner, Josh Andrews
C: Jason Kelce, David Molk, Julian Vandervelde
RG: Matt Tobin, John Moffitt
RT: Lane Johnson, Dennis Kelly
K: Cody Parkey
NT: Bennie Logan, Beau Allen, Wade Keliikipi
DE: Fletcher Cox, Cedric Thornton, Vinny Curry, Brandon
Bair, Brian Mihalik, Taylor Hart, Travis Raciti
ILB: Kiko Alonso (inj), Mychal Kendricks, DeMeco
Ryans, Jordan Hicks, Emmanuel Acho
OLB: Brandon Graham, Connor Barwin, Marcus Smith
II, Brad Jones, Bryan Braman, Travis Long (IR)
CB: Byron Maxwell, Nolan Carroll II, Eric Rowe, E.J.
Biggers, Walter Thurmond (FS/CB), Randall Evans, Marc
Anthony, JaCorey Shepherd (IR)
S: Malcolm Jenkins (SS), Earl Wolff (FS), Jerome Couplin
(SS), Jaylen Watkins, Chris Prosinski (SS), Ed
Reynolds (FS), Chris Maragos (FS)
Pittsburgh Steelers
QB: When camp opened, Ben Roethlisberger said his goal for
this season is to average 30 points per game. Roethlisberger
also made news last week when he did an interview and said
he was a bad teammate early in his career. Today, however,
his teammates are saying he’s a great leader, and
Roethlisberger himself is acknowledging that it’s a team sport
and to be successful, he needs to lead. Bruce Gradkowski
enters his third season as Pittsburgh’s primary backup. He
injured his shoulder in early offseason workouts and is
continuing to recover. He’s still on the Physically Unable to
Perform list and hopes to return soon. He’s potentially
competing for a roster spot against Landry Jones. Jones will
~ Click HERE to Go PRO with our Footballguys Insider PRO: only $32.95 for our remaining Training
Camp Updates, our $35,000 Subscriber Contest & all our website content through the 2016 Super Bowl ~
see the most action of any Pittsburgh quarterback this
preseason. Tajh Boyd was signed as a depth player but could
push Jones if the latter once again fails to prove he’s ready.
Jones’ initial audition wasn’t very positive as he played the
entire Hall of Game, going just 16-32 passing for 135 yards
and no touchdowns. He wasn’t helped by his teammates,
though, as most of the starters didn’t dress. Backup tight end
Jesse James also dropped two passes – one of which would
have been a touchdown.
RB: Le’Veon Bell’s suspension was reduced from three
games to two, and he appears to be fully recovered from his
knee injury that occurred in Week 17 last season, as evidenced
by him making “explosive plays” as early as the opening day
of camp. Bell sat out the Hall of Fame Game, but it wasn’t
injury-related. Most of Pittsburgh’s star players didn’t dress
for the preseason opener. Backing up Bell this season is new
acquisition DeAngelo Williams. Williams provides a solid
veteran presence who should work hard to be a good
teammate, unlike LeGarrette Blount last season. Williams will
start the team’s first two games in Bell’s absence. Dri Archer
and Josh Harris provide depth in different categories. Archer
is an undersized speedster who projects to open the season as
the primary kickoff returner. Harris is a bigger player who
lacks elite tools but could be solid in the right situation and
will get what is blocked for him. Harris didn’t play in the Hall
of Fame Game, but with Bell likely to be rested through most
of the preseason due to his importance to the team and
Williams due to his status as a seasoned veteran; Harris could
be in for a big workload over the next few weeks.
WR: Antonio Brown is among the NFL’s best receivers and is
as close to a shoo-in for 100+ receptions as there is in the
league. The only question mark for Brown is whether or not
he will return punts. He hasn’t taken any reps there so far, but
the team hasn’t stated if he’ll be in that role when the season
starts. The biggest item of note at the receiver position is the
battle to see who will start opposite Brown. Markus Wheaton
is currently slated as the starter, but Martavis Bryant showed a
higher level of potential last season. Wheaton and
Roethlisberger never seemed to be on the same page early last
season, while Bryant was able to come in mid-season and
achieve instant rapport with his quarterback. Rookie thirdround pick Sammie Coates hasn’t shown much in camp as of
yet. He’ll need to perform on the field in some preseason
games, or he could be a game day inactive early in the season
due to the special teams contributions of his other fellow
backup receivers like Darrius Heyward-Bey. Rookie Devin
Gardner, a former college quarterback, is making the
transition to wide receiver. He’s had his ups and downs so far
in camp, showing great talent and adjustments to the ball but
also dropping some easy passes.
TE: Veteran Heath Miller is a great all-around player and will
continue to be a veteran presence and solid receiver. But most
of this offense will run through the wide receivers and
Le’Veon Bell. Backup Matt Spaeth is a blocking specialist
who won’t catch more than a few passes this season. Rookie
Jesse James has shown some skill in red zone drills but will
likely have a very limited role once the real games begin.
James will be evaluated on special teams during the preseason.
Defense: Third-year player Jarvis Jones hasn’t shown the
pedigree desired from a first-round pick but has a chance this
season to win the starting role on the outside. Fellow young
player Arthur Moats is also trying to unseat veteran James
Harrison on the outside. Moats’ ceiling is likely that of a
career backup and situational pass-rusher, but on a team like
Pittsburgh, Moats has an opportunity to play every down –
particularly if Jones continues to disappoint. The secondary is
a big story on defense as well. It was the weakest group on the
team in 2014, and it lost veteran stalwarts Troy Polamalu and
Ike Taylor to retirement. Stepping in a strong safety for
Polamalu is Shamarko Thomas. Replacing Polamalu and
being a carbon copy of the legend isn’t likely, but Thomas’
athleticism and hard-hitting style could lead to him being a
functional replacement. At cornerback, the team is weak.
Veteran William Gay, likely best suited to be a nickel back, is
basically a slam-dunk to start outside. Rookie second-round
pick Senquez Golson has a shoulder injury and hasn’t
participated in camp. The team plans to re-evaluate him this
week to determine if he will require surgery. If so, he could
miss the whole season. This led Pittsburgh to acquire Brandon
Boykin from Philadelphia in a trade. Boykin still has to learn
the defense, but he could earn his way into a starting role after
being a nickel player for Philadelphia. He has to unseat Cortez
Allen, who signed a five-year, $26 million contract at the
beginning of last season only to be benched because of very
poor play. This secondary will make offenses exciting – both
the ones they face and the one with which they share a locker
room.
PK: Shaun Suisham limped into the locker room after the
opening kickoff of the second half of the Hall of Fame Game.
The Steelers have no backup on the roster, but that could
change quickly. We'll have an update next week, but in the
meantime you might want to refrain from drafting Suisham
until we hear more on this injury. It could be resolved by early
or mid-week.
Steelers Depth Chart
QB: Ben Roethlisberger, Bruce Gradkowski, Landry
Jones, Tajh Boyd
RB: Le′Veon Bell (susp), DeAngelo Williams, Dri Archer
(KR), Josh Harris, Jawon Chisholm, Ross Scheuerman (IR)
FB: Will Johnson
WR: Antonio Brown (PR), Martavis Bryant (inj), Markus
Wheaton,Sammie Coates, Darrius Heyward-Bey, Devin
Gardner, C.J. Goodwin, Shakim Phillips, Eli Rogers
TE: Heath Miller, Matt Spaeth, Jesse James, Rob
Blanchflower, Cameron Clear
LT: Kelvin Beachum, Mike Adams
LG: Ramon Foster
C: Maurkice Pouncey, Cody Wallace
RG: David Decastro, Chris Hubbard
RT: Marcus Gilbert, Mitchell Van Dyk
K: Garrett Hartley, Shaun Suisham (IR)
NT: Steve McLendon, Daniel McCullers, Matt Conrath, L.T.
~ Click HERE to Go PRO with our Footballguys Insider PRO: only $32.95 for our remaining Training
Camp Updates, our $35,000 Subscriber Contest & all our website content through the 2016 Super Bowl ~
Walton
DE: Cameron Heyward, Stephon Tuitt, Cam
Thomas, Anthony Chickillo, Clifton Geathers, Ethan Hemer
ILB: Lawrence Timmons (R), Ryan Shazier (L), Sean Spence
(L),Vince Williams, Jordan Zumwalt, Terence
Garvin, Roosevelt Nix (FB)
OLB: James Harrison, Arthur Moats, Jarvis Jones, Bud
Dupree, Joe Kruger, Shawn Lemon, Howard Jones
CB: Cortez Allen, Brandon Boykin, William Gay, Senquez
Golson (inj), B.W. Webb, Doran Grant, Antwon Blake, Kevin
Fogg
S: Michael Mitchell (FS), Shamarko Thomas (SS), Will Allen
(SS), Gerod Holliman (FS), Robert Golden (FS), Ross
Ventrone (SS),Jordan Dangerfield (FS), Alden
Darby (FS), Isaiah Lewis (SS), Ian Wild (SS)
St. Louis Rams
QB: All the early reports of training camp suggest that Nick
Foles has been impressive; which explains why the Rams
signed him to a 2-year, $24.5mm extension that keeps him in
St. Louis through at least 2017. Jim Thomas noted the young
quarterback's arm strength. Foles himself told ESPN's Nick
Wagoner that he felt comfortable with his new team, while
Head Coach Jeff Fisher praised Foles individually and as part
of his quarterback group, “Nick is conscientious about [taking
care of the ball] and so are the guys, and for the most part, the
ball placement has been outstanding as far as all three of the
guys." Foles' biggest issue in Philadelphia was being effective
against pressure, so it's not really a surprise that he's earning
positive reviews early in camp without any pressure. It's been
a quiet beginning to camp for Austin Davis and Sean
Mannion.
RB: The biggest news out of Rams camp was the health of
rookie running back Todd Gurley. The star prospect was
always on schedule to finish ACL rehab before camp begun,
but the Rams had repeatedly talked about being cautious with
him. Gurley comfortably passed his conditioning test and
although he hasn't been a full go in camp, he has been
participating in drills. The Rams have no real reason to rush
Gurley into the lineup with Tre Mason available to start for
now. Gurley, Mason and Benny Cunningham appear safe atop
the Rams depth chart. After those three, it's going to take time
and preseason games to sort between Isaiah Pead, Malcolm
Brown, Trey Watts, Chase Reynolds, Terrence Franks and
Zach Laskey.
WR: Brian Quick was enjoying a breakout season last year
before being sidelined with a shoulder injury. That injury
could have ended his career. His recovery is considered
remarkable, but he is still dealing with it during the early
stages of training camp. The coaching staff isn't rushing Quick
back, but he remains in their plans as the #1 receiver. Fisher
praised Quick's commitment, “So he’s not there yet, you can
tell. We’re keeping him off the ground, but he’s running. He’s
still got a little bit of motion and flexibility to work on and
some strength. But by all means, we expect him to be back. It
was a pretty impressive offseason of rehab that he committed
to and that he got from our medical staff.” In Quick's absence,
Kenny Britt is the top option while Stedman Bailey and Tavon
Austin have clear separation over Chris Givens. Givens
remains in position for a roster spot with Devon Wylie’s
release.
TE: “I’m feeling great and this is probably the most excited
I’ve been about a season since I’ve been in the NFL.” Those
are the words of starting tight end Jared Cook. Cook is
entering his third year with the Rams and remains the team's
starter essentially by default. With that said, Cook is feeling
good because he's made a strong start to camp. He and
Lance Kendricks complement each other well and aren't being
pressured for playing time by Cory Harkey, Alex Bayer or
Justice Cunningham.
Defense: Although Aaron Donald and newly acquired Nick
Fairley are easier on the eye in terms of playing style, Michael
Brockers is still an important piece of the Rams defensive line.
The Rams acknowledged that by reaching out to Brockers’
representatives about a potential contract extension. The
Rams' front seven is largely settled, although Chris Long has
missed some time with what appears to be a minor back
injury. It's the secondary where most of the questions need to
be answered. E.J. Gaines and Trumaine Johnson are
competing for a starting spot across from Janoris Jenkins.
Gaines took over for Johnson as a rookie last season after he
was sidelined by a knee injury. The rookie proved to be one of
the most impressive defensive backs in his class despite being
a late-round pick. Gaines had his own injury scare when a
teammate stepped on him. Along with Gaines and Johnson,
Marcus Roberson has caught the coaches attention as the
Rams try to figure out their best combination atop the depth
chart.
Rams Depth Chart
QB: Nick Foles, Austin Davis, Sean Mannion, Case Keenum
RB: Todd Gurley (inj), Tre Mason, Benny Cunningham
(3RB/KR),Malcolm Brown, Isaiah Pead, Chase
Reynolds, Trey Watts (susp)
FB: Zach Laskey
WR: Brian Quick (inj), Kenny Britt, Stedman Bailey, Tavon
Austin (KR/PR), Chris Givens, Emory Blake, Damian
Williams, Devon Wylie
TE: Jared Cook, Lance Kendricks, Justice
Cunningham, Corey Harkey, Brad Smelley
LT: Greg Robinson, Jamon Brown
LG: Rodger Saffold, Cody Wichmann
C: Tim Barnes, Demetrius Rhaney
RG: Barrett Jones, Andrew Donnal
RT: Rob Havenstein, Brandon Washington, Steven Baker
K: Greg Zuerlein
DT: Michael Brockers, Aaron Donald, Nick Fairley, Doug
Worthington, Louis Trinca-Pasat
DE: Robert Quinn, Chris Long, William Hayes, Eugene
Sims, Ethan Westbrooks, Martin Ifedi
~ Click HERE to Go PRO with our Footballguys Insider PRO: only $32.95 for our remaining Training
Camp Updates, our $35,000 Subscriber Contest & all our website content through the 2016 Super Bowl ~
MLB: James Laurinaitis, Marshall McFadden, Bruce Hager
OLB: Alec Ogletree (W), Akeem Ayers (S), Jo-Lonn Dunbar
(S),Daren Bates (W), Korey Toomer (S)
CB: Janoris Jenkins, E.J. Gaines (inj), Lamarcus Joyner
(FS/CB), Trumaine Johnson, Marcus Roberson
S: T.J. McDonald (SS), Rodney McLeod (FS), Mark Barron
(SS),Maurice Alexander (SS), Cody Davis (FS), Christian
Bryant (FS)
San Diego Chargers
QB: There is not much mystery at the quarterback position in
San Diego, at least on the field. Philip Rivers is the leader of
this team, and he has looked strong early in camp, as you
would expect. Off the field, there are contract negotiations to
get done. Rivers is entering the final year of his contract, and
the team is trying to sign him to an extension that would
reportedly pay him more than $20 million per year. If a deal
doesn't get done before the season, Rivers is likely to play out
his contract and test the free-agent waters in 2016. Kellen
Clemens is the clear number two, and Brad Sorensen will try
to hang on as the number three, but may be an underdog to
make the final roster.
RB: The Chargers running game has looked strong early in
camp, and Melvin Gordon's big-play ability has been a big
part of that. Gordon has picked up the offense quickly. He
needs work as a blocker and has struggled catching the ball
away from his body, but once he catches it he is explosive in
the open field. Despite the Chargers' first-round investment in
Gordon, they are expected to use somewhat of a committee
approach at running back, with Danny Woodhead getting
most of the work on passing downs. Woodhead is fully
recovered from last season's broken leg, and has looked
fantastic throughout offseason workouts and in training camp.
Branden Oliver has been making some impressive moves in
practice, and his roster spot as the third running back should
be safe. Donald Brown will try to hold off challenges from
Dreamius Smith and Jahwan Edwards for the fourth spot.
Consider Brown the favorite because the coaching staff trusts
him as a blocker and receiver. David Johnson returns as the
fullback.
WR: Keenan Allen cleaned up his diet over the offseason and
showed up to camp in better shape than last year. He has
looked sharp in practice, and will seek to bounce back from
a down year. Malcom Floyd opened camp as the other starter.
He has been given a few days of rest so far, but no injury has
been reported for the 34-year-old. Stevie Johnson, meanwhile,
has been the talk of training camp for his smooth routes and
circus catches. Philip Rivers singled Johnson out as the most
exciting player during the first week of camp, when Johnson
has made one eye-popping catch per day. Johnson worked
out of the slot last year in San Francisco, but the 49ers didn't
use 11 personnel packages very often, so he didn't get a lot
of snaps. He will almost certainly play a substantially bigger
role in San Diego. Dontrelle Inman has the inside track to be
the fourth wide receiver. Jacoby Jones should win a roster spot
as a return man, but he could also become the Chargers' deep
threat. Austin Pettis hasn't gotten many first-team reps so far,
but he's been impressive working with the backups, showing
a good catching radius and quickness out of his cuts. He
appears to have an edge over Torrence Allen, Javontee
Herndon, Tyrell Williams, and Titus Davis for the last spot if
the team keeps six wide receivers. Some had high hopes for
Davis entering camp, but he has struggled with drops.
TE: Antonio Gates dislocated a finger during the first week
of training camp, but he'll have plenty of time to heal. He will
miss the first four games of the season while serving a
suspension for a failed drug test. Ladarius Green was looking
at an expanded role this season even before Gates was
suspended. He will fill in as the starter during the first month
of the season, and if he plays well enough, he could make it
hard to return him to the bench even after Gates returns. Green
is a better blocker than Gates, and some observers believe
that Green could have a breakout season if he can get off
the line more smoothly and earn his quarterback's trust. John
Phillips is mostly a blocker, and looks stronger in that role
than he did last season. David Paulson will probably remain
on the roster at least during Gates' four-game suspension.
Defense: There are a number of battles brewing for starting
positions on defense. Up front, Sean Lissemore returns as the
starter at nose tackle, but faces stiff competition from Ryan
Carrethers. The team has high hopes for Carrethers this
season, and he could win the job by opening day. At
defensive end, Corey Liuget returns as one starter, but the job
across from him is wide open. Kendall Reyes started last
season, but appears to be on the verge of a demotion. Reyes
has been playing on the second team behind Ricardo
Mathews, and has missed some tackles. Along with
Mathews, Darius Philon has also gotten some reps ahead of
Reyes. Philon's place on the roster seems secure given that
Tenny Palepoi broke his foot in training camp and was placed
on injured reserve. At inside linebacker, Donald Butler has
failed to live up to expectations over the last few years, but is
eyeing a bounce-back season. He is in terrific shape
physically, but has struggled some in pass coverage. He and
Manti Te'o will try to hold off a challenge from Denzel
Perryman to start inside. Perryman has made some big plays
during training camp and has his sights set on a starting job,
but he needs work to become more consistent in pass
coverage. At outside linebacker, Melvin Ingram has looked
strong as both a pass rusher and run defender. He appears to
be improved in all areas compared to last year. Jeremiah
Attaochu will start across from Ingram, while Tourek
Williams and Kyle Emanuel will battle to be first off the
bench at the position. So far the competition looks close.
Emanuel has not excelled in coverage, but has shown
impressive pass-rush ability. At corner, Brandon Flowers and
Jason Verrett make a formidable duo. Verrett has been a
standout thus far in camp. He is fully recovered from last
year's shoulder injury and has been dominant at times in
practice. Patrick Robinson has looked solid as the nickel
~ Click HERE to Go PRO with our Footballguys Insider PRO: only $32.95 for our remaining Training
Camp Updates, our $35,000 Subscriber Contest & all our website content through the 2016 Super Bowl ~
corner, and could get reps on the outside as well. Craig
Mager, meanwhile, struggled at the beginning of camp; he
has shown improvement since then, but he is still firmly
behind Robinson in the pecking order (and is behind Steve
Williams and possibly Chris Davis as well). Eric Weddle will
start at free safety, but is heading into the final year of his
contract and this could be his final year in San Diego. The
starting job across from him is wide open. Jimmy Wilson and
Jahleel Addae have been splitting reps with the first team,
and Darrell Stuckey has been making plays in camp as well.
Some observers believe that Stuckey should be the current
favorite to start.
PK: Josh Lambo was signed to give kicker Nick Novak some
competition, but he hasn’t been much of a match for Nick
Novak in early practices. Look for Novak to win this one
going away.
Chargers Depth Chart
QB: Philip Rivers, Kellen Clemens, Brad Sorensen
RB: Melvin Gordon, Danny Woodhead (3RB), Branden
Oliver,Donald Brown, Dreamius Smith, Jahwan Edwards
FB: David Johnson
WR: Keenan Allen, Malcom Floyd, Stevie Johnson, Dontrelle
Inman, Jacoby Jones (KR/PR), Austin Pettis, Torrence
Allen, Javontee Herndon, Titus Davis, Tyrell Williams
TE: Antonio Gates (susp), Ladarius Green, John
Phillips, David Paulson
LT: King Dunlap, Chris Hairston
LG: Orlando Franklin, Jeremiah Sirles
C: Chris Watt, Trevor Robinson
RG: D.J. Fluker, Johnnie Troutman, Kenny Wiggins
RT: Joe Barksdale, Bryce Quigley
K: Nick Novak, Josh Lambo
NT: Sean Lissemore, Ryan Carrethers, Chase Alecxih, Ricky
Tjong-A-Tjoe
DE: Corey Liuget, Kendall Reyes, Mitch Unrein, Ricardo
Mathews, Darius Philon, Damik Scaife, Damion Square
ILB: Donald Butler, Manti Te′o, Denzel Perryman, Kavell
Conner,Curtis Grant
OLB: Melvin Ingram, Jeremiah Attaochu, Tourek
Williams, Kyle Emanuel, Cordarro Law, Colton
Underwood, Ryan Mueller, Brock Hekking
CB: Brandon Flowers, Jason Verrett, Patrick Robinson, Craig
Mager, Chris Davis, Steve Williams
S: Eric Weddle (FS), Jahleel Addae (SS), Jimmy Wilson
(SS), Darrell Stuckey (FS), Adrian Phillips (SS)
can get it into tight windows, but he's making the touch throws
on the deep throws, and the ball is hanging and dropping over
the DBs. It's exciting to see." Kaepernick commented, "It is a
new offense. There's a lot of things that are different. There
are some things that are the same. You'll see those things
when the season comes... We’re just trying to become a better
offense all around."
RB: 49ers' new offensive coordinator Geep Chryst says he
does not want "tightly defined roles" in San Francisco's
backfield this season. Chryst also said he has "no idea" how
the depth chart will shake out. "That's what we need camp to
find out," he stated. Carlos Hyde, who started on the NFI list
due to a calf injury, was cleared to practice the second day of
training camp. The possibility of using the backs in the
passing game may bodes well for Reggie Bush, who has 466
receptions in nine NFL seasons. The return of Kendall Hunter
from his season-ending ACL injury and the drafting of Mike
Davis give the 49ers much-needed depth. Right now, it looks
like Hyde will handle early-down work with Bush coming in
on passing downs/third downs. Bush sat out of team drills
during the opening week, but he isn't injured, and he's been
taking reps in the special-teams portion of practices and
reportedly still shows top-end speed as a kick- and puntreturner.
WR: Bruce Ellington is sidelined due to a left leg issue that
cropped up last week; he’s slated to miss an entire week of
practice. Ellington's injury comes after he missed the majority
of the offseason programs due to a right hamstring ailment.
Rookie DeAndrew White has looked shaky, especially his
hands, and he dropped a Blaine Gabbert pass during
Saturday’s practice. However, he is getting opportunities to
show what he can do and will be worth watching during
exhibition games. White is a player who may rise during
training camp. The first week of camp was relatively quiet for
starters Anquan Boldin and Torrey Smith.
San Francisco 49ers
TE: Vernon Davis said he feels "faster, more explosive" than
he did last season. "Right now, I feel like a rookie," Davis
said, "been taking care of myself." Davis blames his struggles
on a number of factors, including coaching and the players.
He's since fired a financial advisor who talked him into
holding out for more money last offseason. Meanwhile, Vance
McDonald’s third training camp is going well, and the 49ers
appear determined to offer McDonald a chance to emerge
from the crowded, 8-man pack. Blake Bell, a fourth-round
pick this year, has had impressive grabs so far offset by some
drops. Local beat writers have noted the offensive line's
struggles so far and are predicting that the tight ends will need
to help out blocking often during the 2015 season; an ominous
sign for their collective fantasy value.
QB: Colin Kaepernick is reportedly throwing the ball well
during the first week of training camp, with more "touch" on
his passes than in years past. He's reportedly trying to not
throw a "fastball" on all passes this season. Safety Eric Reid
commented, "He's doing a number of things. He's throwing
with a little more touch. Everybody knows he has a rocket and
Defense: 49ers OLB Aldon Smith was arrested on DUI, hitand-run and vandalism charges Thursday night, and the 49ers
had no choice but to part ways with the talented yet troubled
defender. The latest in a string of DUI related problems (this is
the 25-year-old Smith's third arrest for drunken driving since
entering the league in 2011), Smith is likely to serve a lengthy
~ Click HERE to Go PRO with our Footballguys Insider PRO: only $32.95 for our remaining Training
Camp Updates, our $35,000 Subscriber Contest & all our website content through the 2016 Super Bowl ~
suspension for this latest incident. Remember, Smith was
suspended for the first nine games of last season for violating
the NFL's personal conduct and substance-abuse policies, in
connection to the second 2013 drunken-driving conviction.
"It’s a tough loss for us," wide receiver Anquan Boldin said.
"Aldon's a great football player and it's tough to replace
someone like that ... As a team, we have to move forward. We
have no choice. And I think we'll get over it. We've got some
guys behind him that are capable of getting the job done."
Corey Lemonier, Ahmad Brooks and Eli Harold rotated in
Smith's former spot at right outside linebacker in practice
sessions since the release. "We've played games without
Aldon before, in 2013, when he missed the five games and we
went 5-0 in that stretch," GM Trent Baalke noted. "But you
don't replace ... I mean, it's going to take a team effort. We feel
good about the group." Harold has displayed a very high
motor. Inside linebacker Navorro Bowman avoided
active/PUP to open training camp. Bowman participated in his
second consecutive padded practice on Friday; he continues to
look stellar since returning to action and his hits in warmups
reportedly sound the loudest of any of the linebackers.
Defensive end Darnell Dockett was fully cleared to practice
after recovering from the ACL tear that ruined his 2014
season. Reports out of Santa Clara indicate that the 49ers plan
to use Dockett as a nickel pass rusher this season.
PK: Phil Dawson is in a competition with rookie punter
Bradley Pinion for the kickoff job, but his role as the
placekicker for San Francisco remains secure.
49ers Depth Chart
QB: Colin Kaepernick, Blaine Gabbert, Dylan Thompson
RB: Carlos Hyde (SD), Reggie Bush (3RB), Kendall Hunter
(3RB), Mike Davis, Kendall Gaskins, Jarryd Hayne
FB: Bruce Miller, Trey Millard
WR: Anquan Boldin, Torrey Smith, Quinton Patton, Bruce
Ellington (KR/PR), DeAndre Smelter (inj), Jerome
Simpson, Dres Anderson, DeAndrew White, Darius
Davis, Chuck Jacobs, Trindon Holiday
TE: Vernon Davis, Vance McDonald, Blake Bell, Derek
Carrier,Garrett Celek, Rory Anderson, Asante Cleveland
LT: Joe Staley, Chris Martin
LG: Brandon Thomas, Trent Brown
C: Marcus Martin
RG: Daniel Kilgore, Joe Looney, Andrew Tiller
RT: Alex Boone, Erik Pears, Ian Silberman
K: Phil Dawson
NT: Ian Williams, Quinton Dial, Mike Purcell, Garrison
Smith
DE: Glenn Dorsey, Arik Armstead, Darnell
Dockett, Cornellius Carradine, Tony Jerod-Eddie, Lawrence
Okoye, Kaleb Ramsey
ILB: Navorro Bowman (inj), Michael Wilhoite, Nick
Moody, Desmond Bishop, Nick Bellore, Shane Skov
OLB: Ahmad Brooks (S), Aaron Lynch, Eli Harold, Corey
Lemonier,Marcus Rush, Chase Thomas (inj)
CB: Tramaine Brock, Shareece Wright, Dontae Johnson, Leon
McFadden, Marcus Cromartie, Kenneth Acker, Keith Reaser
S: Antoine Bethea (SS), Eric Reid (FS), Jimmie Ward
(FS/CB),Jaquiski Tartt (SS), Craig Dahl (SS), L.J.
McCray, Jermaine Whitehead
Seattle Seahawks
QB: Having signed his long-term contract extension, Russell
Wilson has been free to focus on football through the first
week of training camp. As you would expect from a
quarterback of his caliber and experience, he's been
comfortable in camp to this point. Wilson has already had a
number of impressive connections with new tight end Jimmy
Graham. Tarvaris Jackson remains secure as the backup and
R.J. Archer is trying to make the case for keeping three
quarterbacks on the 53-man roster.
RB: There's really not much to talk about at the running back
position. It's one of the most settled depth charts in the NFL.
Marshawn Lynch will be asked to do very little during camp
and the preseason, leaving the bulk of carries to Robert Turbin
and Christine Michael. Turbin is the established player, so it's
up to Michael to make an impact with those opportunities.
Carroll spoke at length about Michael recently, “Christine is
having a terrific start to this camp now. He has returned in
incredible shape. This is going to be a big preseason for him.
He’s going to get a lot of work. We really anticipate that he
should be one of the lead carriers during the preseason so he
can get comfortable and demonstrate his consistency and all
that. I think he is going to have a great camp.” Michael has
also seen time as a returner. Outside of the obvious names,
Thomas Rawls has been earning positive reviews for his
speed, but questions remain about his overall skill set.
WR: It appears that Chris Matthews is no longer fighting for
his career. Instead, he's competing for a role with the firstteam offense. Matthews has been given opportunities to
compete with Jermaine Kearse and Doug Baldwin, while also
featuring in heavier goal-line packages early in camp. Paul
Richardson's torn ACL from last season has kept him from
any involvement to this point. Richardson will likely land on
the PUP list, leaving room for Ricardo Lockette and Kevin
Norwood to compete with each other. Norwood struggled with
foot issues last season and Pete Carroll has highlighted his
clean bill of health early in camp. Offensive coordinator
Darrell Bevell has singled Norwood out for his impressive
performances. Rookie Tyler Lockett isn't competing for his
roster spot, but it's notable that he is earning praise for his
performances on offense rather than special teams.
TE: Early signs suggest that the Seahawks won't treat Jimmy
Graham any differently from their other tight ends. Graham
will be asked to block and the Seahawks intend to remain a
very run-heavy team if you buy everything they've been
selling this offseason. Graham suggested he'd be blocking
around 75 percent of the time, “Now I'm blocking quite a bit,
and I love it. It's very important to me to be a part of that here.
~ Click HERE to Go PRO with our Footballguys Insider PRO: only $32.95 for our remaining Training
Camp Updates, our $35,000 Subscriber Contest & all our website content through the 2016 Super Bowl ~
That's about 75 percent of the offense here. When you have a
back like that, you want to be in there on those explosive
runs.” Obviously this would seriously hinder Graham's fantasy
value, but it's still too early to really trust what he's saying.
Preseason games should be more indicative of how Graham
will be used.
Defense: The biggest stories to this point in training camp
have had very little to do with on-field play for the Seahawks
defenders. As expected, Jeremy Lane has spent the beginning
of camp on the PUP list. Earl Thomas was also there, which
was less certain of an outcome but nonetheless unsurprising.
The absence of Kam Chancellor is surprising though.
Chancellor is holding out for more money despite having
multiple years remaining on his current deal. Middle
linebacker Bobby Wagner is in camp though, after signing a
four-year extension. Tharold Simon has been working on the
side with Thomas, but he is expected to return from his
shoulder injury in time to play in the preseason. Simon's
injury led to a trade for Mohammed Seisay, a tall cornerback
formerly of the Detroit Lions. Despite suggestions to the
contrary, defensive end Michael Bennett is participating in
camp. Bennett and Cliff Avril are joined by rookie Frank
Clark, who isn't standing out as much as he is fitting in with
his new teammates, according to Rob Rang. Clark's power
has stood out even though it's tougher to recognize in the
environment of training camp.
Seahawks Depth Chart
QB: Russell Wilson, Tarvaris Jackson, R.J. Archer
RB: Marshawn Lynch, Robert Turbin, Christine
Michael, Thomas Rawls, Rod Smith
FB: Derrick Coleman, Will Tukuafu (DT), Brandon Cottom
WR: Doug Baldwin, Jermaine Kearse, Chris Matthews, Tyler
Lockett (KR/PR), Kevin Norwood, Paul Richardson
(inj), Ricardo Lockette, Kasen Williams, Douglas
McNeil, Kevin Smith, B.J. Daniels
TE: Jimmy Graham, Luke Willson, Cooper Helfet, Anthony
McCoy, Rashaun Allen
LT: Russell Okung, Garry Gilliam
LG: Alvin Bailey, Mark Glowinski
C: Lemuel Jeanpierre, Drew Nowak, Kristjan Sokoli, Patrick
Lewis
RG: J.R. Sweezy, CJ Davis
RT: Justin Britt, Terry Poole
K: Steven Hauschka
DT: Brandon Mebane, Ahtyba Rubin, Jordan Hill, D′Anthony
Smith, Jesse Williams, Landon Cohen, Jimmy Staten
DE: Cliff Avril, Michael Bennett (DT), Frank Clark, Greg
Scruggs, Obum Gwacham, Kristjan Sokoli, David
King, Cassius Marsh
MLB: Bobby Wagner, Brock Coyle (S/M), Michael Zimmer
OLB: K.J. Wright (W/M), Bruce Irvin (S/DE), Mike Morgan
(W), Eric Pinkins, Luke Ingram (S), Kevin Pierre-Louis
(W), Brendan Kelly (S),Quayshawn Nealy
CB: Richard Sherman, Cary Williams, Jeremy Lane
(inj), Tharold Simon, Mohammed Seisay, Will Blackmon, Tye
Smith
S: Kam Chancellor (SS), Earl Thomas (FS), DeShawn Shead
(FS),Ryan Smith-Murphy, Dion Bailey (SS), Steven
Terrell (SS), Ronald Martin, Robert Smith
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
QB: As of Sunday, Jameis Winston was on a hot streak. He
completed six of six passes during the first two-minute drill of
training camp. Winston reportedly completed 19 of 24 passes
in 11-on-11 drills. In seven-on-seven work, he completed
seven of 12 passes. Winston was intercepted only once during
the Sunday session, a dramatic improvement earlier in the
week when Winston was intercepted three times on his first
five passes during a team blitz practice period. Winston has
been up and down this week but he's improving and trending
upward entering the second week of camp. Head Coach Lovie
Smith commented on Winston's progress so far, “Our game
has to be a little bit harder than that, where you come in and be
perfect every day." However, cornerback Alterraun Verner
praised Winston on Sunday (despite intercepting Winston
during the practice), saying, "I don't feel like he's ever rattled
or shaken up. I've seen him make some bad plays and then
bomb, bomb. I like his poise. I like what I've seen. I can't wait
to see him in the preseason when the lights are on. I know he's
going to do something special."
RB: Last Monday, Lovie Smith anointed Doug Martin the
Buccaneers' lead back. "We talked about being able to
establish the run," said Smith. "Doug will be the lead guy
doing that, so it's very important that we open up some holes
and let him do his thing." Local reports indicate Martin looks
"leaner and quicker.” Meanwhile, #2 running back Charles
Sims lost a fumble during the first two minute drill of camp;
he cost the offense an easy field goal with the bad ball
handling.
WR: Veteran Vincent Jackson spoke to the press about his
health and the progress of the offense on Sunday: “I feel as
good as I did six or seven years ago. It’s a blessing. I’ve been
healthy and lucky. But, at the same time, I put in a lot of work
as well... I'm loving it (the new offense). The offensive system
we've got in, it's just been so balanced. We're running the ball
better already than we did last year. It's fun. As dynamic as
we’re going to be, it's not going to be where defenses are just
expecting jump balls on the outside. We're going to make it
tough for them crossing the field as well..." Coach Smith said
second-year slot receiver Robert Herron has been "out there
making plays" in camp. "Robert has excellent speed and
quickness. You noticed that right away," Smith said. "He's had
nagging injuries, but he's out there making plays. ... He's a
good slot player." Louis Murphy (ankle) is not participating
in practice and has been sidelined for the entire camp so far
because of an ankle injury. There is no timetable for his return,
according to local sources. Murphy was placed on the
Active/Non-Football Injury list Friday, July 31.
~ Click HERE to Go PRO with our Footballguys Insider PRO: only $32.95 for our remaining Training
Camp Updates, our $35,000 Subscriber Contest & all our website content through the 2016 Super Bowl ~
TE: According to ESPN's Pat Yasinskas, tight end Austin
Seferian-Jenkins is under close scrutiny. The Bucs would
like to use him heavily in the passing game, but SeferianJenkins has had too many drops so far in camp. He needs to
start showing he can hold on to the ball. Offensive
Coordinator Dirk Koetter believes in Seferian-Jenkins,
though, "I tell you, if Austin is healthy, he reminds me... I
coached Tony Gonzalez at the end of his career. Our tight
ends' coach, Jon Embree, had Tony in Kansas City. Austin's
talented." Seferian-Jenkins responded: "That's high praise to
be (compared) to Tony Gonzalez. That's really great. But that's
the best player to ever play the position - ever- in the game. So
I'm just going to worry about being the best version of me and
we'll see how that goes this season and what people think
about that."
Defense: Linebacker Lavonte David signed a 5-year, $50+
million extension on Sunday, with $25 million guaranteed.
He's locked down the starting role at outside linebacker for the
foreseeable future. Bruce Carter (a free agent signed from
Dallas over the offseason) is getting comfortable in his middle
linebacker role: “It’s going pretty good,’’ Carter said. “I’m
out there with experienced linebackers like Danny [Lansanah]
and Lavonte [David]. They’re able to help me with my
communication. [Linebackers] coach Hardy [Nickerson] has
been a great help with learning my keys and what I need to
look for in certain coverages and communicating with the Dline and also the secondary. For the most part, it’s going great.
I’m comfortable, and I’m excited... I think it’s starting to
become second nature to me as far as my keys. My main goal
coming to training camp was just to learn the run fits. Coming
from outside to inside is a little different as far as your keys
and who you’re reading. It's coming along good. I think Coach
[Lovie] Smith and Coach Hardy [Nickerson] have been proud
of me these past couple days." Defensive tackle Akeem
Spence will miss "a couple months" after undergoing back
surgery in early July, so he's not likely to participate in
training camp.
Buccaneers Depth Chart
QB: Jameis Winston, Mike Glennon, Seth Lobato
RB: Doug Martin, Charles Sims (3RB), Bobby Rainey, Mike
James, Dominique Brown
FB: Jorvorskie Lane, Joey Iosefa
WR: Mike Evans, Vincent Jackson, Louis Murphy, Kenny
Bell, Robert Herron, Russell Shepard, Kaelin Clay
(KR/PR), Tavarres King, Rannell Hall, Donteea Dye, Adam
Humphries
TE: Austin Seferian-Jenkins, Brandon Myers, Tim
Wright, Luke Stocker, Cameron Brate
LT: Donovan Smith
LG: Logan Mankins, Kadeem Edwards
C: Evan Dietrich-Smith, Garrett Gilkey
RG: Ali Marpet, Patrick Omameh
RT: Demar Dotson, Kevin Pamphile, Matt Patchan
K: Patrick Murray, Brandon Bogotay
DT: Gerald McCoy, Clinton McDonald, Henry Melton, Tony
McDaniel,Akeem Spence (NT) (inj), Da′Quan
Bowers, Quayshawne Buckley, Matthew Masifilo, Caushaud
Lyons
DE: Jacquies Smith, George Johnson, William
Gholston, Larry English, Lawrence Sidbury, T.J.
Fatinikun, Ryan Delaire, Jamal Young
MLB: Bruce Carter, Orie Lemon
OLB: Lavonte David (W), Danny Lansanah (S), Jason
Williams (S),Kwon Alexander, Damaso Munoz (S), Larry
Dean, Khaseem Greene
CB: Alterraun Verner, Johnthan Banks, Sterling
Moore, Leonard Johnson, Mike Jenkins, Isaiah Frey, Deshazor
Everett
S: Christopher Conte (FS), Bradley McDougald (SS), Keith
Tandy (FS), D.J. Swearinger (SS), Major Wright, Jocquel
Skinner
Tennessee Titans
QB: Ken Whisenhunt is standing strong in his battle to
prevent a quarterback competition between Marcus Mariota
and Zach Mettenberger. When the subject was broached at the
beginning of camp, Whisenhunt quipped that any competition
would take place behind Mariota as the starter. Maybe
more important than Mariota's impressive performances in
camp so far is how he's handled himself and won over his
teammates. Many of the draft question marks surrounded how
he would handle an NFL huddle. Both Delanie Walker and
Kendall Wright have given him positive reviews so far.
Walker said: “If you...interview him, he'll probably give you a
one or two word answer, but out there it's a different story.”
Wright elaborated for him, “He is loud, he gets the play out
and he is ready to go. On the side he is quiet, but he is loud in
the huddle.” It appears that Mettenberger must turn his
attention to fending off Charlie Whitehurst for the backup
role.
RB: As expected, Bishop Sankey opened training camp as the
starter. The departure of Shonn Greene meant that Sankey
didn't really have any competition to enter camp as the starter.
Whisenhunt wouldn't give a rookie or second-year player who
hasn't played that spot, while veteran Dexter McCluster is
obviously a role player. There is plenty of excitement about
David Cobb's power and ability as a runner, but he needs to
show better in pass protection to earn a role on offense. Pass
protection failures kept Tre Mason sidelined for a long time
last year when he was a rookie. If the same happens to Cobb,
then the door will open for Antonio Andrews to earn a spot as
the big back complement to Sankey.
WR: Second-round draft pick Dorial Green-Beckham is one
of the more fascinating players to watch ahead of this season.
Green-Beckham has game-breaking talent, but slipped in the
draft because of character concerns. A sore hamstring limited
him during the offseason leading up to training camp, so he
has had a limited package of plays to start. Kendall Wright
appears to be the only receiver certain of his starting spot, with
Harry Douglas, Green-Beckham, Justin Hunter and Hakeem
~ Click HERE to Go PRO with our Footballguys Insider PRO: only $32.95 for our remaining Training
Camp Updates, our $35,000 Subscriber Contest & all our website content through the 2016 Super Bowl ~
Nicks working behind him. Hunter is the only carry-over
from last year and is playing well after a tumultuous
offseason. Nicks has also impressed, but there was a reminder
of why he was available to the Titans when he pulled out of
practice early on with cramps. Nicks believes that he fits better
in the Titans offense than he did in the Colts offense last
season. Seventh-round draft pick Tre McBride looks set to
earn his roster spot as a kick returner rather than on offense.
TE: Starting tight end Delanie Walker is solidified as the
team's starting option and may be the leading receiving option
for Mariota. Most of the noise he's made in camp so far has
been just that, noise about Mariota's ability. His support for
the rookie quarterback has overshadowed his own impressive
play. Walker suffered a thumb injury, but it shouldn't have a
prolonged impact on his play. Anthony Fasano has the edge on
Chase Coffman and Craig Stevens to be Walker's primary
backup. Ken Whisenhunt praised Fasano's leadership, while
his greater versatility works in his favor over Stevens.
Coffman will need to continue to play well through camp
and the preseason to earn a roster spot. With Jalston Fowler's
versatility as a fullback already standing out, Coffman may
not have a chance of making the roster regardless of his play.
Defense: A knee injury has sidelined Sammie Lee Hill for at
least a couple of weeks. Hill may not be a high-quality starter,
but he's still an important piece for the Titans defense as their
starting nose tackle. A few weeks on the sideline could have a
major impact on his conditioning. As Hill heads towards the
sideline, new addition Brian Orakpo is returning from it.
Orakpo has spoken about how good he feels in camp after
finishing last season on IR, “I feel way more nimble and loose.
I've always been kind of a rock solid, stiff type of guy and I
just had to really get flexible. I've picked up yoga. It's
something I've been doing the last year. Different things to
work on my flexibility should really help.” Orakpo is going to
be an important player for the Titans, but maybe less so than
Avery Williamson, who is taking on a greater leadership
role at inside linebacker. The Titans appear to be very
confident in Williamson's ability. In the secondary, the team is
looking for a starter opposite Jason McCourty. According to
Jim Wyatt, Perrish Cox should be considered the favorite to
start outside but he rotated with Blidi Wreh-Wilson during the
first week of camp.
PK: Ryan Succop has had a strong open to camp after the
Titans brought in Mike Meyer to compete with him. Succop is
seen as vulnerable partially because of his low touchback rate
on kickoffs.
Titans Depth Chart
QB: Marcus Mariota, Zach Mettenberger, Charlie
Whitehurst, Alex Tanney
RB: Bishop Sankey, David Cobb, Antonio Andrews, Dexter
McCluster (3RB/WR), David Fluellen
FB: Jalston Fowler, Connor Neighbors
WR: Kendall Wright, Harry Douglas, Justin Hunter, Dorial
Green-Beckham, Hakeem Nicks, Tre McBride, Jacoby
Ford, Clyde Gates, Josh Stewart, Ricardo Richardson, Deon
Long
TE: Delanie Walker, Craig Stevens, Anthony Fasano, Chase
Coffman, Phillip Supernaw, Dorin Dickerson (IR)
LT: Taylor Lewan, Jamon Meredith
LG: Andy Levitre, Justin McCray
C: Brian Schwenke, Andy Gallik
RG: Chance Warmack, Gabe Ikard
RT: Bryon Bell, Byron Stingily, Jeremiah Poutasi, Terren
Jones
K: Ryan Succop
NT: Sammie Lee Hill, Angelo Blackson, Al Woods, DaQuan
Jones
DE: Jurell Casey (DT), Ropati Pitoitua, Mike Martin, Karl
Klug,Derrick Lott
ILB: Avery Williamson, Zach Brown, Wesley
Woodyard, Zaviar Gooden, Nate Askew
OLB: Brian Orakpo, Derrick Morgan, Deiontrez
Mount, Jonathan Massaquoi
CB: Jason McCourty, Perrish Cox, Blidi Wreh-Wilson
(inj), Coty Sensabaugh, Ri′Shard Anderson, Brandon Harris
(inj)
S: Michael Griffin (FS), Da′Norris Searcy (SS), Daimion
Stafford (SS), Marqueston Huff, Jemea Thomas (FS), Khalid
Wooten (FS), Cody Prewitt (IR)
Washington Redskins
QB: If there is a quarterback controversy in Washington, no
one told the quarterbacks. Robert Griffin has been the
unquestioned #1 through the first two weeks of camp, with
Kirk Cousins as the backup and Colt McCoy slotted as the #3.
McCoy has accepted his role. He noted, “Robert is the starter.
It’s been that way since OTAs. (I’m) just coming out here and
taking advantage of the reps I do get. I’m very comfortable,
being second year in the same system.” Head coach Jay
Gruden has been clear that he views last year’s discord with
Griffin as a) water under the bridge and b) part of a natural
evolution of the coach/quarterback relationship. He said,
"That's what you gotta do, that's part of being a young coach
and young quarterback. You gotta go through your ups and
downs and learn from your mistakes, and move forward and
get better as a group, and learn each other's strengths and
weaknesses and hopefully we'll continue to do that. But the
fact of the matter is he's still 25 years old, new to this system,
new to this type of offense, and we gotta be a little bit patient
with him and give him an opportunity to succeed. And
hopefully he'll take this second season, show the gradual
improvement that we want to see and be the quarterback we
want."
RB: Alfred Morris is in the final year of his rookie contract,
but has promised not to let his financial status impact his play.
In the meantime, Morris is working hard on becoming a more
well-rounded player; specifically working on his receiving
skills. “Just working on running routes and being open and
when they do throw the ball my way, make sure I catch the
~ Click HERE to Go PRO with our Footballguys Insider PRO: only $32.95 for our remaining Training
Camp Updates, our $35,000 Subscriber Contest & all our website content through the 2016 Super Bowl ~
ball and get my confidence up,” Morris said, per the
Washington Post. “There’s been times in the season that I can
think of, a simple checkdown when we played the Cardinals,
and I dropped it. I can’t do stuff like that if I expect them to
throw me the ball. So, yeah, I’m just building my confidence
out here in camp and in OTAs and just continue to press
forward and see what happens.” Rookie Matt Jones has had an
up and down camp, but responded well to public criticism by
his coaches. Specifically, Jay Gruden called out Jones for not
being physical enough at the point of contact, and since then
Jones’ ability to finish runs has improved markedly.
WR: DeSean Jackson suffered a sprained AC joint and will
miss 1-to-2 weeks. Prior to the injury Jackson looked sharp,
and had chemistry with Griffin, particularly on downfield
throws. Pierre Garcon has taken advantage of Jackson’s
absence and reclaimed his role as Griffin’s favorite target.
Garcon has been making plays downfield, something we saw
evaporate last year. Rookie Jamison Crowder is turning heads
seemingly every practice; it shouldn’t surprise if he breaks
camp with a spot in the rotation, perhaps at the expense of
Ryan Grant.
TE: Niles Paul was listed as the starter on the Redskins first
preseason depth chart, and Gruden attributed that to Paul
being a “more complete player” than Jordan Reed. In essence,
that’s a politically correct way of saying Paul is a willing and
able blocker, whereas Reed doesn’t give full effort in pass
protection. Regardless of who starts, Reed remains the best bet
for productivity in the receiving game.
Defense: The defensive line makeover is underway, with
Stephen Paea and Terrance Knighton listed as starters already.
At linebacker, Ryan Kerrigan signed a 5-year, $57.5mm
extension at the start of camp, which not only puts to be a
potentially contentious contract negotiation, but also sends a
message to the other players and Washington’s fans because
Kerrigan is a high character, home grown talent. Keenan
Robinson has embraced his role as the team leader,
suggesting that the success of the defense hinges on his
leadership. “For me, I have to be a guy that guys rally around,
because as a middle linebacker, the defense kind of flows
through me,” Robinson said. “If I’m not on, the defense will
be off. That’s why I bring the lunchpail every day. If I lead,
these guys will follow.”
PK: Forbath has had trouble with long field goals and
exhibited poor accuracy so far in training camp and could be
in some peril of losing his job if the trend doesn’t reverse.
Competitor Ty Long hasn’t been better than Forbath, but the
team could always bring in another kicker closer to the season
if Forbath doesn’t improve in preseason games. Head coach
Jay Gruden has said Forbath struggles in practices but comes
through in games. He needs to prove Gruden right to tighten
up his hold on this job.
Redskins Depth Chart
QB: Robert Griffin III, Kirk Cousins, Colt McCoy
RB: Alfred Morris, Matt Jones (3RB), Chris Thompson, Silas
Redd, Trey Williams, Mack Brown
FB: Darrel Young, Jordan Campbell
WR: DeSean Jackson (inj), Pierre Garcon, Andre
Roberts, Ryan Grant, Jamison Crowder (KR/PR), Evan
Spencer, Colin Lockett, Rashad Ross
TE: Niles Paul, Jordan Reed, Logan Paulsen, Chase
Dixon, Je′Ron Hamm
LT: Trent Williams, Morgan Moses, Xavier Nixon
LG: Shawn Lauvao, Josh LeRibeus
C: Kory Lichtensteiger, Tyler Larsen, Austin Reiter
RG: Spencer Long, Arie Kouandijo
RT: Brandon Scherff, Tom Compton
K: Kai Forbath
NT: Terrance Knighton, Robert Thomas, Travian Robertson,
Lakendrick Ross
DE: Stephen Paea, Jason Hatcher, Ricky Jean-Francois, Chris
Baker, Kedric Golston
ILB: Perry Riley, Keenan Robinson, Will Compton, Adam
Hayward, Ja′Gared Davis, Terrance Plummer
OLB: Ryan Kerrigan (inj), Junior Galette, Trent
Murphy, Preston Smith, Jackson Jeffcoat, Martrell
Spaight, Gabe Miller, Trevardo Williams
CB: Chris Culliver, Bashaud Breeland (inj)(susp), DeAngelo
Hall (inj), David Amerson, Justin Rogers, Bryan McCann
S: Dashon Goldson (FS), Duke Ihenacho (SS), Jeron Johnson
(SS),Trent Robinson (FS), Kyshoen Jarrett, Akeem
Davis, Da′Mon Cromartie-Smith