Training Camp Updates

can continue to perform at that level, I'm very confident we'll
be pleased with Matt.” Kent Somers, of The Arizona
Republic, thinks that Leinart will hold off St. Pierre unless
he struggles badly.
Training Camp
Update
Volume 5, Issue 1 – 8/06/09
Training camps are in full swing and we want you to feel like
you have attended every practice and seen every preseason
game.
To keep all our Footballguys subscribers on top of everything,
we have created our incredibly detailed Training Camp
Updates. They are an exhaustive look each week covering
every bit of news you need to know to stay completely on top
of all 32 teams. Quite simply, they're the key to Dominating
Your Draft.
This is the first of five training camp updates from us. We
will break down every team's skill positions and position
battles. It's the stuff you'd see if you were there at every camp
watching practice yourself. The Training Camp Updates are
created by our own Bob Henry with significant contributions
from Jason Wood, Mark Wimer, Mike Herman, Jene Bramel,
Aaron Rudnicki, Colin Dowling, Sigmund Bloom, Maurile
Tremblay and Anthony Borbely. Each camp update reflects
the most up-to-date information from each of the 32 training
camps; the type of information that will help maintain your
advantage over the rest of your league mates.
Happy reading and let's have a great 2009 season,
Joe Bryant and David Dodds
Owners, Footballguys.com
Arizona Cardinals
QB: Kurt Warner is still having pain in his hip and not quite
100%, but has been reassured by doctors that it's just part of
the rehab process. "It's definitely better now than it was before
the surgery," Warner said. "But the pain is still prevalent." His
practice time isn’t expected to be limited because of the pain.
Warner said, ironically, the hip doesn’t bother him when he’s
playing, but standing in one place for long does. The surgery
was in March. Warner’s doctors have told him the typical
rehab time is six to 12 months. Matt Leinart reported to
camp at 227 pounds, his lowest since college, but he’ll have
to compete with Brian St. Pierre for the backup job in camp.
Both players worked with the second team in the first
practice on Friday. Coach Ken Whisenhunt said it’s not a
negative reflection on Leinart. “Matt did pretty good last year
when he was competing with Kurt,” Whisenhunt said. “If he
RB: Chris Wells showed up in Flagstaff during the wee hours
of Saturday morning, fresh after agreeing to a five-year
contract, only to get hurt in his Saturday morning’s practice.
Wells right ankle was rolled up on and it looks like he will
miss most of next week’s practices. Wells showed up to
camp in excellent shape having trimmed 22 pounds since the
draft. Wells played at 238 pounds last year at Ohio State and
weighed 246 on draft day, but his weigh-in at camp was a
svelt 224 lbs. He feels quicker and faster and the coaching
staff is pleased by his conditioning. "I'm really excited that he
came in with his weight so low," Whisenhunt said. "We'd
asked him to lose it and he's done a great job with John Lott
(conditioning and strength coach) and his teammates." Larry
Fitzgerald took great care of Wells after inviting him to his
home this summer and taking him to work out with him along
with numerous other NFL players. Wells has his sights set on
the starting job, so he’ll need to get healthy quickly since he
began camp behind Tim Hightower on the depth chart. For
now, Hightower is better at picking up blitzes and catching the
ball. Kent Somers speculates that Hightower is the starter
when the season begins, but Wells could take over during the
season if he earns it. Hightower also spent the offseason
slimming down to improve his speed and quickness. “I felt
like I needed to get another extra burst,” Hightower said. “In
this league, it's not all about power and it's not all about
breaking tackles. Sometimes you have to turn those 5 yards
into 10, sometimes into 40.” Whisenhunt won’t easily forget
the 10 TDs Hightower scored last year and key plays made in
the winning drive against the Eagles in the NFL title game,
either. Hightower welcomes the competition, “They brought
somebody in ultimately to push me and make the team better.
I'm going to compete and make him better.” Whisenhunt will
get them both the ball and will work Jason Wright into the
mix, too. “At the running-back situation, it's a little bit unique
because I don't think one guy can take every snap,”
Whisenhunt said. “So we're going to need everybody. And
we'll figure out a rotation and how that best works.” Even
though all three backs could be involved in the offense, there
will be plenty of touches to go around if Whisenhunt follows
through on his plan to run a more balanced offense after the
Cardinals threw the 2nd most pass attempts in the league last
season. Expect a slight decline in QB Warner’s numbers by
virtue of fewer attempts. Fullback Dan Kreider injured his
hamstring on Friday and he was listed as day-to-day. Justin
Green was taking snaps in his place.
WR: Despite not getting a new contract, Anquan Boldin
reported to camp, though he was a little late after stopping to
help teammates who had car trouble. Expect Boldin to be his
professional and productive self. Larry Fitzgerald revealed on
the first day of camp that he played with a broken left thumb
and torn ligaments in two fingers during the Cardinals playoff
run. Wow. Fitz reported to camp saying via his Twitter page
that this is the best he has felt coming into a season. Not yet 26
years old, Fitzgerald is in his prime. It’s hard to argue with
anyone taking Fitzgerald as the first WR off the board at the
end of Round One. Fitzgerald got the crowd fired up on
Saturday when he made a one-handed grab near the
sideline. Lance Long made a great leaping catch on a deep
ball and Warner was on target most of the day. It looks like
second-year WR Early Doucet may have a hard time being
active on gamedays if he doesn’t unseat Sean Morey, the
team’s special teams ace or Jerheme Urban, another special
teams contributor, for the #4 or #5 spots. Doucet practiced at
all of the positions last year and the coaching staff isn’t down
on him. So don’t fall asleep on him if injuries take place, but
his lack of special teams contributions mean he’ll probably
keep waiting.
Rodgers-Cromartie, WR Early Doucet, and undrafted rookie
WRs Michael Ray Garvin and Ed Gant. The primary question
during training camp is who will replace the departed J.J.
Arrington on kickoff returns. Breaston is certainly capable of
filling that role, although the team would prefer not to add too
much work to his plate. The long list of players who could
emerge as the kickoff returner includes newly acquired RB
Jason Wright, WR Sean Morey, first round draft choice RB
Chris Wells, WR Early Doucet, CB Dominique RodgersCromartie, seventh round draft pick RB LaRod StephensHowling, and UDFA rookie WR Michael Ray Garvin.
TE: Ben Patrick will serve a four-game suspension to begin
the season, so HC Ken Whisenhunt is looking for a spirited
battle between incumbent Leonard Pope, veteran blocker
Anthony Becht and Stephen Spach. Spach is coming off
ACL/MCL surgery and he was cleared to practice once per
day. That means Pope and Becht are the front-runners for
playing time in camp. The Cards typically have among the
least productive group of TEs from a fantasy perspective, so
don’t expect much from any of these guys.
Cardinals Depth Chart
Defense: New defensive coordinator Bill Davis expects to
utilize SS Adrian Wilson as a linebacker in dime packages,
much as he has been employed in the past. The Cards are
hoping, but not counting on NT Alan Branch to mature in his
third year after being a bust in his first two. DL Bryan
Robinson worked at nose tackle with the first-team defense
on Friday. If Branch and Gabe Watson ever make an impact,
Robinson could become the team’s top backup at all three
positions. Branch checked into camp at 332 lbs, his lowest
weight since being drafted 33rd overall. It’s early, but Branch
was showing some positive signs in practice by setting the
pace among linemen when the team did a second set of six
50-yard sprints. “I hope it is an indication,” Whisenhunt said
of Branch. “One of the things we said last year was that he did
show flashes but was inconsistent. At least coming in this year
he started ahead of the curve and he did an outstanding job
with his weight. I hope it’s a good sign.” Bob McManaman, of
The Arizona Republic, reports that LB Karlos Dansby is fine
without getting a long-term contract done believing his
payday is coming after this season. Dansby will earn $9.7
million this year. Rookie LBs Cody Brown and Will Davis
said they are not worried about switching to LB after
playing DE collegiately. One guy to keep an eye on in camp
is DL Keilen Dykes, who showed up in great shape. Coaches
think he could be a force as a solid, two-gap lineman. DE
Kenny Iwebema had a benign tumor removed from his
chest this summer, so may be limited early in camp.
Linebacker Ali Highsmith, coming off a torn ACL last fall,
appears good to go. In Saturday’s practice, free agent addition
Bryant McFadden was effectively defending Anquan Boldin;
at one point breaking up three passes in a row. McFadden
gives the team a physical corner opposite the playmaking
Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie.
Special Teams: Neil Rackers will handle all the kicking tasks
in camp, as he is the only kicker on the roster. The Cardinals
are also set at punt returner with WR Steve Breaston. Preseason will help determine the backups on punt returns.
Candidates include safety Antrel Rolle, CB Dominique
QB: Kurt Warner, Matt Leinart, Brian St. Pierre, Tyler Palko
RB: Tim Hightower (3RB), Chris Wells (inj), Jason Wright
(3RB), LaRod Stephens-Howling
FB: Tim Castille, Reagan Mauia, Justin Green (IR)
WR: Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin, Steve Breaston
(KR/PR), Jerheme Urban, Early Doucet, Lance Long, Sean
Morey, Justin Brown, Edward Gant
TE: Leonard Pope, Ben Patrick (susp), Anthony Becht,
Dominique Byrd, Steven Spach
K: Neil Rackers
DT: Bryan Robinson (NT), Gabe Watson (NT), Alan Branch
(NT), Rodney Leisle
DE: Bertrand Berry, Darnell Dockett (DE/DT), Calais
Campbell, Kenny Iwebema
MLB: Gerald Hayes, Pago Togafau
OLB: Karlos Dansby (W), Chike Okeafor (S/DE), Cody
Brown, Clark Haggans, Will Davis, Ali Highsmith, Reggie
Walker, Chase Bullock, Will Davis
CB: Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Bryant McFadden, Ralph
Brown, Michael Adams, Greg Toler, Jameel Dowling, Tony
Davis, Michael Ray Garvin
S: Adrian Wilson (SS), Antrel Rolle (FS), Aaron Francisco
(SS), Rashad Johnson (FS), Matt Ware (FS)
Coaches:
Head Coach: Ken Whisenhunt, Off Coord: Mike Miller, QB
Coach: Chris Miller, RB Coach: Curtis Modkins, WR Coach:
John McNulty, TE Coach: Freddie Kitchens, OL Coach: Russ
Grimm, SpecTm Coach: Kevin Spencer, Def Coord: Bill
Davis, DL Coach: Ron Aiken, LB Coach: Matt Raich, DB
Coach: Teryl Austin
Atlanta Falcons
QB: A year ago Matt Ryan was an unknown quantity at the
NFL level and Chris Redman was the starter at the opening of
camp. This year, Ryan is a proven winner and Redman is the
backup. According to Ryan, “At this point, it’s all about
getting ready to go Week 1 against Miami.” The big question
is not whether Ryan can succeed at this level - the question
now is, just how good (or great) will Ryan be in his
sophomore season from a fantasy perspective? Opposing
teams have to respect the very dangerous running threats that
the team deploys. The Falcons added a perennial Pro-Bowl TE
to the receiving mix during the offseason when Tony
Gonzalez was lured away from Kansas City. Roddy White is a
bonafide #1 WR, and Jerious Norwood provides a reliable pair
of hands out of the backfield in passing situations. Despite
White's ongoing holdout (“I’m hopeful that it gets done soon
and he’s back out there with us,” Ryan said of White's holdout
on Saturday Aug. 1st), the future looks bright for the Falcons'
passing attack.
RB: Sunday's morning practice was devoted to special teams,
and the first full practice in pads was held Monday morning we haven't seen a lot of what the Falcons are doing with their
2009 running game as of this initial report. However, we have
some indications from head coach Mike Smith that the team
plans to reduce Michael Turner's workload and to involve
Jerious Norwood more. Smith said, "We definitely know that
we have to reduce the load that we put on him this year...We
know that he can’t sustain 370 carries over a number of
years." Offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey stated in late
June that Jerious Norwood will go under center when the team
employs their version of the Wildcat formation this year.
Jason Snelling is third on the depth chart and Thomas Brown
(from University of Georgia) is listed as the fourth running
back on the depth chart to open camp. Brown missed his
rookie season due to a season-ending injury, so we have yet to
see him perform at the pro level.
WR: As camp opened on Saturday, the Falcons were
confronted with a holdout by top WR Roddy White. He failed
to report by 6:30 ET on Friday and is now subject to fines of
$15,888 each day he misses camp. Both sides appear to be
taking a concilatory, reasonable tone as of mid-evening on
Saturday: “I’m confident things are going to get done, and
they are going to work in the best interest of both the club and
Roddy,” Falcons GM Thomas Dimitroff said. White's agent
Jonathan Feinsod stated, "Negotiations are ongoing. Once his
contractual situation is resolved, Roddy is looking forward to
training camp and helping the Falcons to achieve their goal of
reaching the Super Bowl.” Coach Mike Smith commented, "I
want to state that I’m not angry. How can you be angry on the
first day of training camp, the first day of the 2009 season.... I
don’t believe it will be a distraction. You can’t concern
yourself with guys that aren’t here. All we can do is coach the
guys that are here...” White's absence allowed Harry Douglas
to get a lot of reps in the first team offense across from #2 WR
Michael Jenkins, until Wednesday when Douglas went down
with a torn ACL. The team planned on using Douglas in the
slot this year. Oft injured Brian Finneran is the "veteran depth"
player on the squad, and has been participating in practices
regularly so far.
improve...” With an attitude like this, it's no wonder that
Gonzalez has re-written the NFL record books for tight ends.
Defense: The departure of LBs Keith Brookings and Michael
Boley left some holes on the LB depth chart, but the team
acted to address the situation on Saturday by signing veteran
LB Jamie Winborn (Winborn had 74 solo tackles, 25 assists,
.5 sacks and 11 passes defensed last year in Denver). Winborn
was the 12th-best fantasy OLB in the land last year. The
Falcons are retooling their secondary this year, with a lot of
young players in the mix for the two starting jobs vacant
beside starting CB Chris Houston and FS Erik Coleman.
Coach Smith said after Saturday's practices that “Chris Owens
made a couple plays. William Moore. William Middleton.
There’s a lot of energy there. That’s an area [the secondary]
where we’re having a whole lot of competition. That’s what’s
training camp is all about.” On Sunday, it was reported that
Owens made several more plays during workouts. He
commented, "It’s tight. Those guys are good. [Brent Grimes
and Chris Houston] have helped me a lot. I learned a lot on the
field and in the meeting rooms. I’m going to do my best to get
on the field whether it’s special teams or playing nickel. I’m
just trying to contribute to the team.” Moore was also reported
to make several nice plays in the Sunday sessions at the safety
position. 2009's first-round pick DT Peria Jerry was signed
last Thursday and is expected to start immediately as a rookie.
“I’m very excited just to be in camp on time,” Jerry said as
camp opened. “That’s the biggest thing so I won’t fall so far
behind.” On Sunday, LB Curtis Lofton and CB Tony Tiller
were held out of the second practice with minor injuries Lofton tweaked a hamstring and Tiller injured his left ankle. “I
don’t think that anything is serious,” coach Smith said. “I
don’t really have a time frame on those guys.”
Special Teams: As has been the case for the latter part of his
career, Jason Elam’s role will be limited to placekicking.
Punter and franchise tagee Michael Koenen will handle
kickoffs. Elam was held out of OTAs for an undisclosed
injury, although that may have been simply to limit his
workload rather than due to an actual injury. On returns, WR
Harry Douglas will handle punts and RB Jerious Norwood
will handle kickoffs. The only question mark among those
four players is whether RB Thomas Brown will press
Norwood for the kickoff returner role. WR Troy Bergeron,
who is on the roster bubble, will vie for a backup a role. He
handled returns during his three years in the AFL.
Falcons Depth Chart
TE: Tony Gonzalez is ready to work hard and fully integrate
into the Falcons' offense. “Anything in life you have to keep
working on,” Gonzalez said Saturday after the first practice of
training camp. “I don’t care how good you are, there is always
more to learn and always things to know. I want to make sure
I know that playbook back and forward and side to side... I
just have to go out there and do what I’ve been doing for 10
years, and things will take care of themselves. I can’t control a
lot of things. I know I can control myself and what I do. I’m
going to keep preparing the way I always do. That’s always
trying to get better, always constantly studying, trying to
improve myself and my game. If I do that, this team will
QB: Matt Ryan, Chris Redman, D.J. Shockley, John Parker
Wilson
RB: Michael Turner, Jerious Norwood (KR), Jason Snelling,
Thomas Brown, Verron Haynes
FB: Ovie Mughelli
WR: Roddy White, Michael Jenkins, Harry Douglas (PR)
(inj), Brian Finneran, Aaron Kelly, Troy Bergeron, Eric
Weems, Chandler Williams, Dicky Lyons, Bradon Godfrey,
Darren Mougey
TE: Tony Gonzalez, Justin Peelle, Jason Rader, Ben Hartsock,
Keith Zinger
K: Jason Elam
DT: Jonathan Babineaux, Peria Jerry, Jason Jefferson, Trey
Lewis, Vance Walker, Thomas Johnson, Tywain Myles
DE: John Abraham, Jamaal Anderson, Chauncey Davis, Kroy
Biermann, Lawrence Sidbury, Willie Evans, Maurice Lucas
MLB: Curtis Lofton, Jamie Winborn
OLB: Stephen Nicholas (S), Mike Peterson (W/M), Coy Wire
(S), Tony Gilbert, Spencer Adkins, Robert James
CB: Chris Houston, Brent Grimes, Christopher Owens,
Chevis Jackson, Von Hutchins, William Middleton, Glenn
Sharpe, Tony Tiller
S: Erik Coleman (FS), William Moore (SS), Thomas DeCoud
(SS), Jamaal Fudge (SS), Antoine Harris (FS), Eric Brock
(SS)
Coaches:
Head Coach: Mike Smith, Off Coord: Mike Mularkey, QB
Coach: Bill Musgrave, RB Coach: Gerald Brown, WR Coach:
Terry Robiskie, TE Coach: Chris Scelfo, OL Coach: Paul
Boudreau, SpecTm Coach: Keith Armstrong, Def Coord:
Brian VanGorder, DL Coach: Ray Hamilton, LB Coach:
Glenn Pires, DB Coach: Emmitt Thomas, DB Coach: Alvin
Reynolds
Baltimore Ravens
QB: Joe Flacco may have had a strong offseason but got off
to a rough start at training camp according to the Baltimore
Sun’s Mike Preston, who suggested that Flacco was
"channeling Kyle Boller." Through the first few days of
practice, Flacco threw 5 or 6 picks and struggled with poor
decisions. On Saturday morning, Flacco had a particularly bad
interception in the red zone. He rolled to his left and threw
across his body, but came up about seven yards short. Head
Coach John Harbaugh wasn’t too worried, noting that the
coaching staff is opening up the playbook this year. “It’s
training camp,” Harbaugh said. “I think at this point we’re
throwing a lot of stuff at him. We don’t build our installs
around building a guy’s confidence. We just try to throw
everything at guys from Day One.” Harbaugh added, “We
think it all makes you better because we’re all trying to
improve from one day to the next. We want to put as much
pressure on Joe as we can, just like all the guys. If he throws a
pick, we’re going to learn from it. If he makes a good throw,
the defense is going to learn from it. We want to just challenge
him every day.” It hasn’t been all bad. On Friday, Flacco
threw a pretty pass in between two defenders to Todd Heap
over the middle for a first down. On Saturday morning, the
crowd came alive during 10-on-10s when Flacco found
Demetrius Williams on a perfectly thrown deep ball in which
Williams was covered well. Ray Lewis scolded Flacco after
batting down a pass on another play, “I told you not to test me
early.” Backup Troy Smith has been taking reps at receiver
and will be part of Baltimore’s version of the Wildcat package
this year.
RB: Ray Rice gave the Ravens coaching staff a favorable
impression with his “attention to detail and professionalism”.
Rice showed up to camp this year noticeably bigger than his
rookie season with a new tattoo across his forearm that says
“CHOSEN ONE”. Rice is also rocking a Mohawk with the
image of a bull shaved into the side of his head. The new
image was a reflection of his play in practice. He
demonstrated significant lower-body power throughout the
first few days of practice. The team expects big things from
Rice this season, especially catching passes out of the
backfield. During the first padded practice Rice made an
unbelievable play for a wide receiver, much less a running
back, when he shed a linebacker on an option route and came
up with a one-handed catch in stride. Rice opened training
camp as the starter, though offensive coordinator Cam
Cameron reiterated that they will continue to use a
committee approach saying, “You could see all three of them
in the game at the same time. You could see any combination
of the two. We’ve got three good running backs, and I think
everybody is clear that you need three guys." Cameron added
that Willis McGahee looked explosive and ran over some
defenders in practice once he was activated from the PUP list.
McGahee had arthroscopic knee surgery during the offseason
allowing Rice to get the majority of the reps during OTAs.
Le’Ron McClain added weight to prepare for playing fullback
this year. He reported at 270 pounds, but said he would slim
down to 255 or 260, what he calls his ideal playing weight.
“I’m in pretty good shape right now,” McClain said. “I’ve got
about 10 more pounds to lose. I want to be in that 12-play
drive kind of shape.” McClain hopes if he is in shape that
Cameron will give him more carries. “Coach Cameron wants
me at 260, and I’m working hard to get there... I’m trying to
do more in the offense and I’ll let Cam see that. He’s the
mastermind.” McClain added. “I’ve got to prove myself and
show that last year wasn’t a fluke. I take a lot of pride in my
blocking. It’s back to basics. I tell Willis McGahee every day,
‘Let’s get both of us back to the Pro Bowl.”
WR: On Saturday, Derrick Mason appeared at Ravens camp
and announced that he was returning to the team. As he
returned to practice for the first time, Mason spoke to
reporters, “I wanted to finish what I started. Once I said I'm
back with the team, I'm 100 percent back with the team.” On
why he came out of retirement, Mason added, “I had to
reevaluate my career and make an informed decision. When I
made my decision it was sincere and had nothing to do with
anything contractual.” Marcus Smith was asked about Derrick
Mason’s impact on the offense and put it succinctly, “A
thousand times better.” Before Mason’s return, Demetrius
Williams was making the most of the opportunity. He made
several good catches during Friday’s practice. Mark
Clayton also caught a few passes, but was also called for pass
interference once. On Saturday, Smith caught a long pass
behind Frank Walker, but got called for interference. Justin
Harper and Demetrius Willaism each dropped some passes in
the morning workout. On Sunday, Mark Clayton was carted
off the field with a hamstring injury and Demetrius
Williams also tweaked his hamstring, but it didn’t appear to be
serious. Clayton will miss 4-to-6 weeks, so Williams moves
into his spot in the lineup. Williams reportedly added about 15
pounds of muscle without giving up any of his trademark
speed. As always, the key for Williams is staying healthy.
Justin Harper was one of the most impressive players during
the first couple of days. Harper beat rookie Lardarius Webb
for a 99-yard TD during Wednesday's practice. Kelley
Washington was on the PUP list until Sunday. Yamon Figurs
isn’t practicing while he recovers from a broken toe. The
team signed Thomas White, Biren Ealy and Jayson Foster in
the last week, but waived Isaiah Williams. Drew Bennett
signed with the team but then promptly retired a day later in
the wake of Mason’s brief retirement.
TE: Cam Cameron expressed hope that Todd Heap might
return to a Pro Bowl level as a pass catcher. Heap is
completely healthy for the first time in years it seems. Flacco
is now in his second season and Heap spent a lot of time in
pass protection last year. They might be able to find favorable
matchups with Heap if newcomer L.J. Smith returns to form,
giving the team another threat. On Friday in practice, Heap
was sprinting out all of his catches about 30 yards past the
catch itself. Now 29, Heap wants to prove he still has it, too.
"There's no doubt in my mind that I can be a top tight end,"
Heap said. "I have confidence in myself and my abilities." He
probably had the catch of the day on Friday when he caught a
dart from Flacco over the middle over his outside shoulder. He
reached back and did a 360 before he being dropped by
Dawan Landry. Unfortunately, L.J. Smith is already limited
after straining his hamstring on Monday. Smith said. “The
best-case scenario is next week, middle to late portion of the
week. Luckily, it’s not a bad hamstring pull. It’s just a tweak.”
Fifth-round pick Davon Drew was placed on the non-football
injury list after flunking his physical, but was taken off the
list Wednesday morning. Drew looked good during OTAs
when Heap and Smith were sidelined. The team waived
Quinn Sypniewski.
Defense: At age 34, Ray Lewis reported to camp 15 pounds
lighter, looking leaner and quicker than a year ago. Ed Reed
was practicing with a red jersey, but it didn’t stop him from
hitting WR Marcus Smith on one play. Reed came off the PUP
list, but the team is using the red jersey as a precaution. Trevor
Pryce was carted off the field on Friday after his foot was
stepped on, but he’ll be fine. Sunday, Antwan Barnes laid on
the turf for about 90 seconds before walking off on his own
with a mild concussion. Defensive tackle Lamar Divens was
absent for undisclosed reasons. Terrell Suggs was happy to be
back, talking trash all day. “I want some of Spiderman,” he
yelled at Demetrius Williams. “Oh no, I’m going to take out
some Miami,” Suggs said to Willis McGahee. Tavares
Gooden almost had a shoestring interception, but otherwise
was all over the field. In Friday’s practice, safety Haruki
Nakamura went up with Demetrius Williams and broke up a
15-yard pass play, provoking Suggs to give him a bow for his
work. Gooden also got some props from his teammates for
breaking into the backfield and popping RB Jalen Parmele.
Dawan Landry is fully healthy from the spinal contusion
suffered last year. He blitzed on one play and met FB Le’Ron
McClain in the hole, but came away no worse for wear. “I feel
great,” he said. “Everything’s fine. I just went and hit Le’Ron.
I think they probably knew I was going to go. I never secondguessed it... Whenever the live period was going to come, I
knew I was going to hit somebody.”
Special Teams: The kicking competition to replace Matt
Stover is underway. Both kickers have had days where they
missed a kick or two. Steve Hauschka, last year’s kickoff
specialist, was razzed by LB Terrell Suggs after one such miss
from shirt range. Rookie Graham Gano had a few early
misses, although some were attributed to the Ravens using an
ever changing array of players and coaches as the holder. One
player that quickly proved he was not holder material was free
agent acquisition CB Chris Carr. He will however serve as the
return specialist. Joining Carr on kickoff return practice over
the weekend was RB Ray Rice, RB Willis McGahee, and third
round draft pick CB Lardarius Webb. Last years demoted
return specialist, WR Yamon Figurs, is on the PUP list due to
his broken toe and subsequent surgery. He noted, “I’m doing
conditioning now to get back out there, but the toe is all
healed. I’m just trying to get in shape. We’ll see what the
doctors think, but I’d like to get out there next week.”
Ravens Depth Chart
QB: Joe Flacco, Troy Smith, John Beck
RB: Ray Rice (3RB), Willis McGahee, Cedric Peerman, Jalen
Parmele, Cory Ross
FB: Le'Ron McClain (SD), Jason Cook
WR: Derrick Mason, Mark Clayton (inj), Demetrius
Williams, Marcus Smith, Justin Harper, Yamon Figurs (PR),
Kelley Washington, Biren Ealy, Thomas White, Ernie
Wheelright, Edward Williams, Eron Riley, Jayson Foster
TE: Todd Heap, L.J. Smith, Davon Drew, Edgar Jones, Isaac
Smolko
K: Steve Hauschka, Graham Gano
NT: Haloti Ngata, Kelly Gregg, Lamar Divens, Kelly
Talavou, Nader Abdallah
DE: Trevor Pryce, Dwan Edwards, Justin Bannan, Brandon
McKinney, Bryan Mattison, Will Johnson, William
VanDeSteeg
ILB: Ray Lewis, Tavares Gooden, Jason Phillips, Jameel
McClain, Dannell Ellerbe, Brendon Ayanbedejo, Robert
McCune
OLB: Terrell Suggs (UFA-F), Jarrett Johnson (S/DE), Antwan
Barnes, Paul Kruger, Prescott Burgess, Terrence Melton, Tony
Fein
CB: Fabian Washington, Dominique Foxworth, Samari Rolle,
Chris Carr (PR/KR), Frank Walker, Lardarius Webb, Evan
Oglesby, Derrick Martin, Kevin Gerard
S: Ed Reed (FS), Dawan Ladry (SS), Haruki Nakamura (FS),
Tom Zbikowski (FS), Daren Stone
Coaches:
Head Coach: John Harbaugh, Off Coord: Cam Cameron, QB
Coach: Hue Jackson, RB Coach: Wilbert Montgomery, WR
Coach: Jim Hostler, TE Coach: Wade Harman, OL Coach:
John Matsko, SpecTm Coach: Jerry Rosburg, Def Coord:
Greg Mattison, DL Coach: Clarence Brooks, LB Coach: Vic
Fangio, DB Coach: Mark Carrier
Buffalo Bills
QB: Now that J.P. Losman has moved on, Trent Edwards
enters camp as the unquestioned starter. With two years left on
his rookie contract, this will be a key season that helps the
Bills decide whether to commit to him long term. One of the
biggest stories of camp has been the use of the no-huddle
offense, which the Bills will make a key focus this year and
which will allow Edwards to play more aggressively. The
coaching staff has also given Edwards full authority to change
plays at the line of scrimmage, which is a great sign of his
development. Through the first week of camp, the young QB
has generally looked comfortable in the pocket and has
connected on plenty of big plays with WRs Terrell Owens and
Lee Evans. Backing him up will be Ryan Fitzpatrick, a smart
QB who makes quick decisions and started 12 games for the
Bengals last season. Fitzpatrick got off to a very slow start in
camp but his play has steadily improved as he gets more
comfortable in his new surroundings. Gibran Hamdan is
expected to remain as the #3 QB.
RB: Marshawn Lynch returns as the starter but he’ll miss the
first 3 games of the season while serving a league suspension,
which was upheld by the Commissioner on Monday. Lynch
has tried to bulk up this year to 230 pounds so that he can take
on a heavier workload, but he has had some early problems
keeping the weight on. Despite the extra weight, he looks
explosive in camp and he will likely remain one of the most
difficult RBs in the league to tackle. Fred Jackson has been the
primary backup for the past two seasons, but he’ll get some
added competition from veteran Dominic Rhodes this year.
Jackson is a versatile weapon who also has seen some time in
camp lined up as the QB in the Wildcat formation as well as
out wide as a receiver. Rhodes is experienced and he has
looked strong, both running and catching the ball. Head Coach
Dick Jauron announced on Monday that Jackson would start
while Lynch serves his suspension, but that Rhodes would
also see a lot of playing time. While Lynch has a strong hold
on the feature back role, both backups are good enough to
remain part of a committee approach even after Lynch returns.
Xavier Omon and Bruce Hall provide camp depth and they
will likely compete for a 3rd RB spot that will available while
Lynch serves his suspension. Omon likely has an edge since
he was on the roster last year and offers a bit more power and
size than the other RBs on the team. With the addition of the
no-huddle offense, the Bills appear to no longer have a strong
need for a true fullback, making Corey McIntyre a long shot to
make the roster.
WR: The biggest story of the Bills offseason and one of the
biggest around the NFL was the signing of Terrell Owens to a
1-year contract following his release from the Cowboys. He
has looked great to this point and has been catching long
passes from Edwards in pretty much every practice session.
As long as he can keep the off-field distractions to a
minimum, Owens should have a very positive impact on the
Bills offense this year. The Owens signing also figures to take
some attention away from Lee Evans. He’ll probably see a
drop in the number of targets, but should also see a lot fewer
double teams. Josh Reed is entrenched as the #3 WR, and he’ll
provide a reliable check down option for Edwards when the
outside receivers are covered. After that, the depth chart is in
flux. Roscoe Parrish has been the 4th WR for some time and is
the best punt returners in the league, but he’s expected to be
pushed by 2nd year pro Steve Johnson. Parrish has been taking
some snaps as the QB out of the Wildcat formation to get him
more opportunities, while Johnson is sitting out with a rib
injury after a great start to camp. Last year’s 2nd round pick
James Hardy opened camp on the PUP list while recovering
from knee surgery after tearing his ACL last year. Justin
Jenkins has been a valuable special teams player and will need
to play well this preseason to earn a roster spot. One of the
early surprises in camp has been Shaine Smith, who was
signed off the street to bolster the injury-depleted WR group.
TE: After releasing starter Robert Royal this offseason, the
Bills go into camp with a wide-open competition. The early
favorite is Derek Schouman, an undersized but good receiver
who has been doing an excellent job as a blocker thus far.
He’s been splitting 1st team reps with 2nd year pro Derek Fine,
who has been making plays as a receiver but struggled a little
in pass protection. The eventual starter is expected to be
rookie Shawn Nelson, a great athlete with soft hands. He’s
missed some time with an ankle injury and is still a very raw
blocker. Jonathan Stupar has looked good early in camp and
may have an outside chance to earn a roster spot with a strong
preseason.
Defense: The Bills entered camp using the same defensive
scheme and almost the same exact starting lineup from last
year. 1st round pick Aaron Maybin remained unsigned as of
Monday night. Although he wasn’t expected to compete for a
starting spot this year, he was supposed to help upgrade the
pass rush and any additional time he misses will just push him
further and further back. The Bills 2nd round pick Jairus Byrd
was expected to compete for the starting FS job but he’s
currently on the PUP list while recovering from sports hernia
surgery. Without Byrd, the team has been lining up Donte
Whitner at FS and Bryan Scott at SS, indicating that Ko
Simpson could be in a fight for a roster spot. Perhaps the
biggest addition for the Bills defense this year will be the
return of a healthy Aaron Schobel to the defensive front. After
missing most of 2008 with a Lisfranc sprain, he’s working
hard to get back to top form. "In my legs I don't feel as
explosive as I was two years ago at this time, but I feel like
there's no question I can do that," he said. The secondary lost
starter CB Jabari Greer in free agency but will replace him
with last year’s 1st round pick Leodis McKelvin who finished
2008 on a high note. Players like Reggie Corner, Drayton
Florence, and Ashton Youboty are competing for the nickel
back job.
Special Teams: Camp leg rookie kicker Dan Urrego was
released to free up a roster spot, leaving Rian Lindell as the
only kicker in camp. Lindell made a 50 yard FG at the end of
one practice amidst the requisite coach requested hoopla from
team mates and spectators. Practice on kickoff returns has
started with CB Leodis McKelvin, followed by RB Dominic
Rhodes, CB Terrence McGee, and WR P.K. Sam. Practice on
punt returns has started with WR Roscoe Parrish, followed by
free agent acquisition RB Dominic Rhodes, RB Fred Jackson,
CB Leodis McKelvin and CB Terrence McGee. Second round
draft pick DB Jairus Byrd will also likely practice on returns
once he recovers from sports hernia surgery.
Bills Depth Chart
QB: Trent Edwards, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Gibran Hamdan (RFA),
Matt Baker
RB: Marshawn Lynch (susp), Fred Jackson, Dominic Rhodes,
Xavier Omon, Bruce Hall
FB: Corey McIntyre
WR: Terrell Owens, Lee Evans, Josh Reed, Roscoe Parrish
(PR), Steve Johnson, James Hardy (inj), Justin Jenkins, Felton
Huggins, C.J. Hawthorne
TE: Derek Schouman, Shawn Nelson, Derek Fine, Jonathan
Stupar, Travis McCall
K: Rian Lindell
DT: Marcus Stroud, Kyle Williams (NT), Spencer Johnson,
John McCargo, David Lindquist, Ventrell Jenkins
DE: Aaron Schobel, Chris Kelsay, Aaron Maybin, Ryan
Denney, Copeland Bryan, Chris Ellis, Ryan Neill, Jermaine
McGhee, Marcus Smith, Corey Mace
MLB: Paul Posluszny, Pat Thomas (M/W), John DiGiorgio
(inj)
OLB: Keith Ellison (S), Kawika Mitchell (W), Nic Harris (S),
Alvin Bowen (S), Marcus Buggs, Ashlee Palmer
CB: Terrence McGee, Leodis McKelvin (KR), Reggie Corner,
Ashton Youboty, Drayton Florence, Cary Harris, Ellis
Lankster, Dustin Fox (RFA)
S: Donte Whitner (FS), Bryan Scott (SS), George Wilson
(SS/FS), Jairus Byrd (FS/CB), Ko Simpson (FS), John
Wendling (SS)
Coaches:
Head Coach: Dick Jauron, Off Coord: Turk Schonert, QB
Coach: Alex VanPelt, RB Coach: Eric Studesville, WR
Coach: Tyke Tolbert, TE Coach: Charlie Coiner, OL Coach:
Sean Kugler, SpecTm Coach: Bobby April, Def Coord: Perry
Fewell, DL Coach: Bob Sanders, LB Coach: Matt Sheldon,
DB Coach: George Catavolos
Carolina Panthers
QB: Jake Delhomme got a big payday this offseason (a $42.5
million contract extension) - the team clearly believes he's
overcome his "Tommy-John" elbow surgery and is poised to
return to top form. Last year (his first campaign since the
surgery) was less-than-impressive from the fantasy football
perspective. He finished 19th among QBs in fantasy points
last year. He did play in all 16 games, but it remains to be seen
if Delhomme can once again crack the fantasy top-12 as he did
in 2004 and 2005. His backups Josh McCown and Matt Moore
don't excite anyone, so it's do-or-die with Delhomme this year
in Carolina. Delhomme commented on the eve of training
camp: “Oh, I feel great, best I ever felt. I think [I'll continue to
play] a while. Physically, I've played five years here. One year
I didn't play. Last year didn't take a toll on me, I had one thigh
bruise. But other than that, it didn't take a toll on me because
we ran the ball so well. When you do that, it takes so much
pressure off. Usually a quarterback, your arm deteriorates.
Well, I got mine rebuilt. So we'll see.” While moving into the
dorms at Wofford on Sunday Delhomme commented, “Well,
the last time I played wasn't too darn good [6 turnovers vs.
ARI in the playoff loss]. So I'm looking to get back... I'm just
ready to go.” Delhomme has a mentor/quarterbacks coach this
year - Rip Scherer, who came over from Cleveland.
RB: The Panthers return their dynamic duo of DeAngelo
Williams and Jonathan Stewart this year, but as Stewart has
been hampered by a mysterious ankle ailment during spring
workouts, a new back had an opportunity to make a splash.
“I'm really excited about the whole opportunity to make some
guys miss and to make some plays,” said Mike Goodson on
August 1st, just prior to reporting to camp. Goodson, a fourthround draft pick this year, has wowed team officials during
spring workouts - he is slated to play a situational role as a
third-down back with some time as a slot receiver and the
team's kickoff returner. OG Keydrick Vincent commented:
“When he makes a cut, it's 110 mph. His stop-and-go is
amazing. This dude, to me, looks like a game-breaker.” Longtime Panther FB Brad Hoover returns to lead-block for
whoever is carrying the ball.
WR: Behind clear-cut starters Steve Smith and Muhshin
Muhammad are a lot of question marks on the depth chart.
Dwayne Jarrett has been a disappointment since entering the
league, and may be replaced by Jason Carter as #3 on the
depth chart at any moment. Ryne Robinson and Kenneth
Moore are also in the mix in an unsettled stable of young
receivers. Commenting on the youthful players behind his
established veterans, John Fox said, “When you start getting
your organization to a point where you've got good front-line
players, that's kind of what happens. Those guys have proven
themselves, been to Pro Bowls and it costs you a little more to
keep them. You're not going to have a high-dollar veteran
backup. So we have to develop young players and we
definitely will have our work cut out for us.” Steve Smith
opened training camp stating his intention to become "a better
team leader…I’m just kind of kicking myself coming down
here. I’m not too excited about being in camp with the
circumstances of last year [attacking Ken Lucas, getting a two
game suspension] and all of the things that are going to be said
and with a lot of things that happened...I’m really seeing the
blessings and opportunity that I have and looking at the team
and analyzing things (more). I really have to take my role and
my position on this team and become a better leader and a
more responsible leader and enjoy this time because it will
pass.”
TE: Dante Rosario overtook Jeff King as the Panthers' top TE
last year, but he had back surgery in May and hasn't been on
the field yet. Rosario is medically cleared to take part in
training camp, but is expected to concentrate on special teams
duties, leaving Jeff King the likely starter. King is primarily a
blocking TE in the current offensive scheme. There are
indications that Gary Barnidge might develop into the passcatching TE the Panthers need during his sophomore season.
"I feel like I know the playbook a lot better," Barnidge
commented in June. "As a rookie, you're learning everything.
Now, I can just go play. I know most of it. I'm just learning
more techniques now, so I feel really good out there." Due to
the signing of rookie CB Sherrod Martin on Sunday Aug. 2nd,
the team went over the 80-player limit, so they were forced to
cut TE Kevin Brock.
Defense: DE Julius Peppers, who expressed his desire to
depart from Carolina during the offseason, is entering camp
with an upbeat attitude. “I'm under contract to play for this
team. During this time, everything I can do to help this team
win is going to be done on my part. That's been my attitude
and approach in every season I've played. I have no reason not
to put forth full effort in any game that I play,” Peppers said
on Saturday. Rookie CB Sherrod Martin, a second-round pick,
signed his new four-year contract Sunday. The Panthers' first
injury of training camp happened within the first half hour of
the opening practice on Monday morning. DT Maake
Kemoeatu tore his Achilles tendon and was lost for the season.
Kemoeatu was replaced in drills by rookie FA Marlon
Favorite of LSU. Also, starting MLB Jon Beason had his left
hamstring taped and ended the workout watching the practice
from the sidelines. Beason said he "tweaked" his hamstring at
practice this morning and that it's not a serious injury. Beason
said he didn't warm up sufficiently. "My fault," he said briefly.
Special Teams: The Panthers are set in the kicking
department, with placekicking by John Kasay, whose contract
the team extended last year, and with kickoffs by Rhys Lloyd,
who justified the additional roster spot with his performance
last year. The return department is another matter. Training
camp will feature a wide open competition for the kickoff and
punt return role(s). WRs Ryne Robinson and Jason Carter
were among the return specialist candidates last year until
injuries ended their seasons. They’ll try again this year. WR
Kenneth Moore, drafted by Detroit last year, failed to seize
their return specialist role and the Panthers eventually
snatched him off the Lions’ practice squad. Two drafted
rookies, CB Captain Munnerlyn and RB Mike Goodson, will
get a shot. Two undrafted rookie WRs, Jason Chery and Larry
Beavers, should not be discounted, especially the latter.
Beavers holds the NCAA record with 13 career return TDs (10
on kickoffs, three on punts).
Panthers Depth Chart
QB: Jake Delhomme, Josh McCown, Matt Moore, Hunter
Cantwell
RB: DeAngelo Williams, Jonathan Stewart, Mike Goodson,
Jamall Lee
FB: Brad Hoover, Tony Fiammetta
WR: Steve Smith, Muhsin Muhammad, Dwayne Jarrett, Jason
Carter (PR), Ryne Robinson (KR), Kenneth Moore (PR),
Marcus Monk, Larry Beavers
TE: Dante Rosario, Jeff King, Gary Barnidge, Andrew Davie
K: John Kasay, Rhys Lloyd
DT: Damione Lewis, Corvey Irvin, Nick Hayden, Justin
Kershaw, Lonnie Harvey, Ma'ake Kemoeatu (inj)
DE: Julius Peppers, Tyler Brayton, Charles Johnson, Everette
Brown, Hilee Taylor
MLB: Jon Beason (W/M), Dan Connor
OLB: Thomas Davis (W), Na'il Diggs (S), James Anderson,
Landon Johnson (S), Anthony Heygood, Mike Juergens,
Mortty Ivy, Nick Sundberg
CB: Chris Gamble (PR), Richard Marshall, Sherrod Martin
(FS/CB), Dante Wesley, Captain Munnerlyn, C.J. Wilson, D.J.
Clark
S: Chris Harris (SS), Charles Godfrey (FS), Nate Salley (FS),
Quinton Teal
Coaches:
Head Coach: John Fox, Off Coord: Jeff Davidson, QB Coach:
Rip Scherer, RB Coach: Jim Skipper, WR Coach: Richard
Williamson, TE Coach: Geep Chryst, OL Coach: Dave
Magazu, SpecTm Coach: Danny Crossman, Def Coord: Ron
Meeks, DL Coach: Brian Baker, LB Coach: Richard Smith,
DB Coach: Mike Gillhamer, DB Coach: Ron Milus
Chicago Bears
QB: The biggest story of the Bears offseason was obviously
the huge trade for Jay Cutler. For a franchise that has had
trouble developing its own QBs, Cutler has helped rejuvenate
the fan base and should be a great fit. He has gotten off to a
great start in camp, completing his first 12 passes on Sunday
before finishing 18 of 23. On Monday, he led the team down
the field against the first team defense in the 2-minute drill.
The biggest question for the Bears offense entering camp is
whether the receivers are good enough for Cutler to produce
like an elite fantasy QB. So far, he has shown a good rapport
with TE Greg Olsen and WR Earl Bennett, his collegiate
teammate at Vanderbilt. The Bears plan to add in some
bootlegs and other plays to take advantage of Cutler’s
mobility. The backup job appears to be up for grabs as both
Caleb Hanie and Brett Basanez are alternating snaps with the
2nd string offense. Hanie is the early favorite since he has more
experience in the Bears system, but Basanez is a local kid who
starred at Northwestern before spending the last few seasons
developing with the Carolina Panthers. Neither player has any
real NFL experience so the Bears will likely give them
extensive playing time during the preseason.
RB: Matt Forte carried the Bears offense for much of 2008
and he’ll be relied on heavily again this year. Because of that,
the Bears are going to try and limit his workload during
training camp and in the preseason. Forte was kept out of
some drills early on but was actually Cutler’s leading receiver
with 3 catches on Monday. Kevin Jones will be the primary
backup this year and he came into camp lighter this year,
which has helped him regain some of the burst he had earlier
in his career with the Detroit Lions. According to Offensive
Coordinator Ron Turner, Jones figures to see an increased role
this year so he might be a solid handcuff for Forte owners.
Garrett Wolfe appears to have clearly overtaken versatile
veteran Adrian Peterson in the battle for the #3 job. Wolfe is a
small but effective change of pace back who is 5 years
younger than Peterson. At fullback, the Bears relied much less
on the position last year than they had in the past and there’s a
chance that they will only keep one on the final roster. Jason
McKie is the favorite, but he’s competing with Jason Davis for
the job.
WR: This will be the focal point for the Bears throughout the
preseason as there are a large group of young and unproven
players fighting for playing time. Gone are veterans Brandon
Lloyd and Marty Booker, and in their place are Deven Hester,
Earl Bennett, Brandon Rideau, Rashied Davis and rookies
Juaquin Iglesias, Johnny Knox and Derek Kinder. Bennett has
been one of the early stars in camp and looks like he’ll begin
the year as a starter after struggling through a 0-catch rookie
season in 2008. He was Cutler’s teammate at Vanderbilt,
where he set the all-time SEC receptions record and the two
appear to be picking up right where they left off. The other
starting spot will be held down by Devin Hester, who got off
to a slow start in camp with several drops before turning
things around. Getting open has rarely been a problem for
Hester so having a QB who can throw the deep ball as
accurately as Cutler should help open things up. The Bears
also got the crowd excited on Sunday by giving Hester a direct
snap out of the Wildcat formation. Another surprise in camp
has been the play of Brandon Rideau, who is currently third on
the depth chart ahead of Rashied Davis and the rookie WRs.
At 6’3”, Rideau brings some much needed size to the WR
rotation. He led the NFL with 3 TD receptions last preseason
but wound up spending most of the season on the practice
squad. The Bears have high hopes for draft picks Juaquin
Iglesias and Johnny Knox, but Rideau could hold them off
with another strong preseason.
desire to continue returning punts, with the goal of eclipsing
Brian Mitchell’s career return TD record. DB Danieal
Manning took over on kickoff returns part way through last
year, and will continue in that role this year despite being a
starter on defense. HC Lovie Smith noted, "I think a player
can be a full-time player and do one of the returns… Both
players feel comfortable doing that. Both players want to do
that. And in order for us to win, we need them to do that."
Bears Depth Chart
TE: Although it was inevitable, the Bears appear to finally be
turning the starting TE job over to Greg Olsen. Desmond
Clark has started 67 straight games, but Olsen has been taking
reps with the first unit in practice. Cutler had great chemistry
with Tony Scheffler in Denver and it looks like he will have a
similar connection with Olsen in Chicago. The two have been
making a lot of plays on the field and appear to be hanging out
together a lot off the field as well. There is a good chance that
Olsen will wind up as the team’s leading receiver if he can
stay healthy. Desmond Clark has recorded 40+ receptions for
the past 3 seasons and still expects to remain a big part of the
offense given how frequently the Bears use 2-TE sets. Michael
Gaines is a blocking specialist who was picked up in free
agency and will likely have an edge over 2nd year pro Kellen
Davis in the battle for the #3 job.
Defense: The Bears defense experienced its first setback when
starting CB Charles Tillman underwent back surgery in midJuly that will likely keep him out for most of the preseason.
The team is optimistic he’ll be ready to start in the season
opener and his absence opens up opportunities for some of the
young players in camp. One player who has been turning some
heads early on is 2nd year pro Zack Bowman, who has been
filling in for Tillman and making a lot of interceptions in
practice. One of the few jobs that is up for grabs is the free
safety position. Craig Steltz appeared to be the early favorite,
but he’s unproven and was thought to be a better fit at strong
safety when the Bears drafted him out of LSU last year.
Competing with him will likely be Josh Bullocks, an
experienced player who lost his starting spot in New Orleans,
and Corey Graham, who may wind up staying at corner due to
the Tillman injury. Nickel back Danieal Manning also remains
in the mix. Up front, the Bears like what they’ve seen from
rookie DT Jarron Gilbert thus far while Tommie Harris has
seen his participation limited at times and NT Marcus
Harrison has been kept out of practice after reporting to camp
out of shape. At linebacker, Pisa Tinoisamoa, who was signed
from the Rams, has brought a much needed physical presence
to the defense and should provide a significant upgrade at the
SLB position this year.
Special Teams: Although Robbie Gould is technically the
only kicker in camp, his workload was lightened when the
team recently signed punter Richmond McGee, who can also
handle some kicking tasks. Although WR Devin Hester
became mortal on returns last year and ended up being
demoted from kickoff returns, he will continue to handle punt
returns this year. The coaches know he still has explosive
potential and they suggested that last year’s drop off may have
had more to do with blocking issues than it did with Hester
being busy on offense. Hester himself has expressed a strong
QB: Jay Cutler, Caleb Hanie, Brett Basanez
RB: Matt Forte, Kevin Jones, Garrett Wolfe, Adrian Peterson
FB: Jason McKie, Jason Davis, Will Ta'ufo'ou
WR: Devin Hester (PR), Earl Bennett, Rashied Davis,
Brandon Rideau, Johnny Knox (KR/PR), Juaquin Iglesias,
Derek Kinder, Eric Peterman
TE: Greg Olsen, Desmond Clark, Michael Gaines, Kellen
Davis
K: Robbie Gould
DT: Tommie Harris, Marcus Harrison (NT), Jarron Gilbert,
Anthony Adams (NT), Dusty Dvoracek, Matt Toeaina
DE: Adewale Ogunleye, Alex Brown, Mark Anderson, Israel
Idonije (DT), Henry Melton, Ervin Baldwin
MLB: Brian Urlacher
OLB: Lance Briggs (W), Pisa Tinoisamoa (S), Nick Roach
(S), Hunter Hillenmeyer (S/M), Jamar Williams (W), Marcus
Freeman, Mike Rivera, Kevin Malast
CB: Charles Tillman, Nathan Vasher, Danieal Manning (KR),
Trumaine McBride, D.J. Moore, Marcus Hamilton
S: Kevin Payne (SS), Craig Steltz (FS/SS), Corey Graham
(FS/CB), Josh Bullocks (SS), Al Afalava (SS), Zackary
Bowman (FS/CB), Dahna Deleston
Coaches:
Head Coach: Lovie Smith, Off Coord: Ron Turner, QB Coach:
Pep Hamilton, RB Coach: Tim Spencer, WR Coach: Darryl
Drake, TE Coach: Rob Boras, OL Coach: Harry Hiestand,
SpecTm Coach: Dave Toub, Def Coord: Bobby Babich, DL
Coach: Rod Marinelli, DB Coach: Jon Hoke, DB Coach: Gil
Byrd
Cincinnati Bengals
QB: The 2009 season couldn’t come soon enough for Carson
Palmer and the Bengals offense. Palmer is finally back on the
field after missing 12 games with a partially torn elbow
ligament last season, and is intent on returning the offense to
form after its league-worst finish in 2008. By all accounts,
Palmer’s recovery is complete. Both Palmer and his receivers
felt his arm strength was back when OTAs ended in June. The
good news doesn’t end there. Unlike last season, when both
Chad Ochocinco and T.J. Houshmandzadeh were absent
during the majority of the team’s offseason practices and
much of camp with injuries and contact issues, Palmer has
been working with all his likely targets frequently this
offseason. Plenty of questions remain, including an offensive
line that went through a massive overhaul this offseason. The
Bengals will start three new linemen in 2009, with a fourth in
a new position. With prospective RT and first round pick
Andre Smith still unsigned after the opening weekend of
camp, the line has a long way to go to gel before Week 1.
After Ryan Fitzpatrick’s brutal performance last year in relief
of Palmer (eight TD passes against nine INTs over 12 games),
keeping Palmer upright is critical to the team’s success this
year. Though Fitzpatrick moved on to Buffalo, prospective
backup J.T. O’Sullivan isn’t much more inspiring as Palmer’s
backup.
RB: The Bengals have made it very clear this offseason that
they want to run the ball more frequently and effective in
order to take the pressure off Palmer and the passing game.
After an impressive performance over the final ten games of
2008 (nearly 1,000 total yards and three 100-yard rushing
games), the team re-signed former Chicago disappointment
Cedric Benson to carry the load. Benson seems to have finally
gotten serious about his craft and was drawing praise for
running hard throughout OTAs and early in camp. The team
would like to get him 20 carries a week. The renewed
emphasis on the running game was further evidenced in a
trade for Brian Leonard to provide depth behind Benson and
potentially play fullback in a more traditional two-back
alignment than the Bengals have used in recent seasons. The
team also drafted bruising FB talent Fui Vakapuna. He was
impressive enough during OTAs to be installed as the starting
FB on the first depth of training camp. Kenny Watson,
Bernard Scott and DeDe Dorsey will also compete for backup
snaps and third down duties.
WR: The story of the offseason was again mercurial wide
receiver Chad Ochocinco. According to Ochocinco, last
season’s trade demands, contract squabbles, poor fitness,
inconsistent play and general fussiness is behind him. He’s
shown a renewed dedication to his preparation and has
predicted a return to his former Pro Bowl form. The off-thefield show isn’t entirely behind him, however, as he seems
equally dedicated to stirring up trouble on his Twitter account.
Maybe more important to the success of the offense is the
search for a replacement for the steady and productive T.J.
Houshmandzadeh, who signed with Seattle in free agency. In
response, the team signed veteran Laveranues Coles, who was
impressive in OTAs and rapidly found chemistry with Palmer.
Coles will be the WR2, but the team has also been pleasantly
surprised with former troublemaker Chris Henry, who appears
to have matured since his last suspension. He regularly drew
praise from Palmer, who was impressed with his play
throughout OTAs. Barring another off-field setback, Henry
looks likely to get plenty of playing time as a downfield threat.
Andre Caldwell has shown improvement, as well, this
offseason and could take snaps as the team’s QB should the
Bengals install the Wildcat as a change-of-pace formation.
The news wasn’t all rosy, however, as last year’s other second
round pick, Jerome Simpson, continues to struggle. It’s
unlikely he’ll be cut, but the competition in this group could
make it difficult for him to be active on gamedays.
TE: The Bengals planned to have veteran Reggie Kelly back
in his usual blocking role, but a torn Achilles tendon has cost
him the 2009 season. Kelly’s blocking will be hard to replace
with anyone on the current roster, so don’t rule out a free
agent signing as camp cuts get underway. The team will again
try to get last season’s free agent signee Ben Utecht involved
as a pass-catching option, but he is already having issues with
dropped passes early in camp. Third round pick Chase
Coffman missed OTAs with a foot injury, but will push Utecht
for snaps if things go according to plan. Matt Sherry re-signed
with the team on Wednesday as Kelly went on IR.
Defense: The defense ended the season well, albeit against
some lesser competition, and will get a significant infusion of
talent this year. Last season’s first round pick, Keith Rivers,
will reclaim his starting OLB spot after missing most of last
season with a broken jaw. He’ll be joined by former USC
teammate and 2009 second round pick Rey Maualuga, who is
currently slated to compete at SLB with Rashad Jeanty. The
team also hopes to add talented rookie Michael Johnson and
free agent signee Tank Johnson to a defensive line rotation
that should be healthier this season with Antwan Odom fully
recovered from last season’s foot injury and Robert Geathers
hopefully recovered from microfracture surgery. Veteran
safety Roy Williams was also signed, and will be asked to
provide a more physical presence in the secondary. The pass
rush will continue to be a concern, but look for defensive
coordinator Mike Zimmer to dial up the aggressiveness and try
to create more turnovers this year. An improved offense will
be crucial to the success of the defense.
Special Teams: Although he would have preferred a lucrative
long-term contract, Shayne Graham will remain the Bengals
kicker for at least this year as the franchise tag designee. He is
the only kicker in camp. The returner positions however have
yet to be decided for 2009. With Glenn Holt having moved on,
WR Andre Caldwell is the early frontrunner for the lead
kickoff returner role. But he has plenty of competition.
Veteran RBs Kenny Watson and RB DeDeDorsey are
possibilities. Three rookies should also get a close look on
returns: sixth round draft pick RB Bernard Scott, undrafted
WR Quan Cosby, and undrafted safety Tom Nelson. All three
will also work on punt returns, hoping to unseat the
incumbent, WR Antonio Chatman.
Bengals Depth Chart
QB: Carson Palmer, J.T. O'Sullivan, Jordan Palmer
RB: Cedric Benson, Kenny Watson, Brian Leonard (3RB/FB),
Bernard Scott (3RB), DeDe Dorsey, Marlon Lucky, James
Johnson
FB: Fui Vakapuna, Jeremi Johnson, J.D. Runnels, Chris
Pressley
WR: Chad Ochocinco, Laveranues Coles, Chris Henry,
Jerome Simpson, Andre Caldwell, Antonio Chatman, Quan
Cosby, Maurice Purify, David Richmond
TE: Ben Utecht, Chase Coffman, Daniel Coats (HB), Darius
Hill, Matt sherry, Reggie Kelly (IR)
K: Shayne Graham
DT: Domata Peko, Pat Sims, Tank Johnson, Jason Shirley,
Clinton McDonald, Pernell Phillips
DE: Antwan Odom, Robert Geathers, Frostee Rucker,
Michael Johnson, Jonathan Fanene, Chris Harrington, Dan
Skuta
MLB: Dhani Jones (M/W), Abdul Hodge, Jim Maxwell
OLB: Keith Rivers (W), Ray Maualuga (M/S), Rashad Jeanty
(S), Daryl Blackstock (S/DE), Brandon Johnson (RFA)
CB: Leon Hall, David Jones (inj), Johnathan Joseph, Geoffrey
Pope, Morgan Trent, Jamar Fletcher, Rico Murray
S: Chris Crocker (FS), Roy Williams (SS), Chinedum
Ndukwe (SS), Marvin White, Corey Lynch, Kyries Hebert,
Tom Nelson
Coaches:
Head Coach: Marvin Lewis, Off Coord: Bob Bratkowski, QB
Coach: Ken Zampese, RB Coach: Jim Anderson, WR Coach:
Mike Sheppard, TE Coach: Jonathan Hayes, OL Coach: Paul
Alexander, SpecTm Coach: Darrin Simmons, DL Coach: Jay
Hayes, LB Coach: Jeff FitzGerald, DB Coach: Kevin Coyle
Cleveland Browns
QB: Another year and another training camp begins with an
unsettled QB situation in Cleveland. Last season, the Browns
split snaps between Brady Quinn and Derek Anderson before
finally awarding the job to Anderson. Neither Anderson nor
Quinn, who started three games last year, were effective, and
Eric Mangini and the rest of the new coaching staff have
opened the competition up again. Mangini has said that both
QBs are on equal footing to start camp, with the reps balanced
“in every angle you can look at.” Expect both QBs to get
significant reps in the first two preseason games, but look for
Mangini to make a decision soon after that. The new head
coach has made it clear he does not intend to rotate the
quarterbacks this season, nor does he intend to trade or release
whoever loses the camp battle. The ‘loser’ will serve as the
team’s QB2.
RB: The running game, stylistically, will look very much the
same this season. There have been suggestions that Mangini
may move to more of a power run blocking style than the zone
blocking schemes used in past seasons, but it will still be
veteran Jamal Lewis as the primary ballcarrier to open the
season. The offensive line returns mostly intact and adds
talented first round center Alex Mack. There will be some
competition for snaps in camp, but this unit should be solid if
healthy. Lewis looks healthy after offseason ankle surgery
and should see the bulk of the early down snaps. Behind him
will be veteran Jerome Harrison, who should play on passing
downs and spell Lewis now and then for a series or two, and
rookie James Davis. Davis has been impressive in OTAs and
camp, and could surprise a lot of people if Lewis falters. At
fullback, Lawrence Vickers is looking to rebound from an
inconsistent 2008 marred by nagging injuries. A healthy and
productive Vickers will help the Browns tailbacks immensely.
WR: Early in camp last season, Braylon Edwards suffered a
fluke non-football injury when Donte Stallworth spiked him
after practice and caused a heel laceration that kept Edwards
out of most of the preseason. This season, Edwards is again
dealing with a non-football injury. Edwards and the team will
not confirm the specifics of the injury, but it’s believed to be a
lower leg injury suffered during a pickup basketball game.
The injury kept Edwards from participating in the team’s
OTAs. Edwards has said that the injury is minor and that he’d
play if there was a regular season game, but he was reportedly
still limping as camp opened, failed his physical and was
placed on the non-football injury list. After a season fraught
with inconsistency and dropped passes, the team would like to
see a healthy and productive Edwards in short order. On the
bright side, Edwards was seen running and cutting at top speed
during a session with a trainer. Although he wasn’t practicing
with the team, he appeared to have plenty of juice in his
workouts. Edwards wasn’t the only wide receiver that suffered
through a tough offseason. Donte Stallworth was involved in a
tragic car accident in which he hit and killed a pedestrian
while impaired. He’s been suspended indefinitely by the
league and is extremely unlikely to be reinstated this season.
Battling for playing time alongside Edwards will be 2nd round
rookies Brian Robiskie and Mohamed Massaquoi in
combination with veterans Mike Furrey, David Patten, Joshua
Cribbs and Syndric Steptoe. Receiver/returner extraordinaire
Josh Cribbs reported to camp, but has said that he’ll not play
in a regular season game until his contract concerns have been
addressed. Robiskie was arguably the most impressive of the
group during OTAs and may have a leg up to start the season
as the team’s WR2.
TE: With Kellen Winslow, last season’s starter, now in
Tampa Bay, the Browns will look to replace his production
with a committee of veterans and a promising second-year
player. Free agent signee Robert Royal, formerly of the
Buffalo Bills, may see the bulk of the playing time. Steve
Heiden is coming off ACL surgery and may also figure into
the mix. It also wouldn’t be surprising to see Martin Rucker,
last season’s fourth round draft pick, garner more snaps as the
season progresses, particularly in receiving situations.
Defense: The Cleveland defense was well below average last
year, finishing 26th overall in yards per game and 28th in rush
yards allowed. Romeo Crennel and Mel Tucker are gone, but
the team will still use a 3-4 front under the tutelage of HC
Mangini and new coordinator Rob Ryan. Expect the defense
to be more aggressive this season if Ryan gets his way, and
possibly work out of multiple fronts. The pass rush is still a
major concern, with no primary rushing threat. The rush
defense may not be much better, with Andra Davis and Sean
Jones replaced by Eric Barton and Abram Elam, two players
Mangini knows well from his days in New York. If the
offense doesn’t improve, the defense may again have trouble
getting off the field.
Special Teams: The Browns’ camp is more about off-thefield contract issues than it is about on-the-field performance.
Speculation is that kicker Phil Dawson is looking for more
money, although he is not commenting on the subject,
complying with the team gag order. He has shown up for
camp and mandatory minicamps, after skipping voluntary
OTAs. The team also recently released kicker Parker
Douglass, whom they signed in the spring. Return specialist
Josh Cribbs has not hesitated to state that he wants more
money. But like Dawson, he also showed up for camp.
Nonetheless, the possibility of a regular season holdout still
looms for either or both players, with Cribbs appearing to be
the more likely one. Should they go that route, the Browns
would turn to the free agent market for a kicker and probably
to WR Syndric Steptoe on returns. On the practice field, CB
Gerard Lawson has looked good on returns early in camp.
Browns Depth Chart
QB: Brady Quinn, Derek Anderson, Brett Ratliff, Richard
Bartel
RB: Jamal Lewis, Jerome Harrison (3RB), James Davis, Noah
Herron
FB: Lawrence Vickers, Charles Ali
WR: Braylon Edwards (inj), Brian Robiskie, Josh Cribbs
(WR/KR/PR/QB), Mohamed Massoquoi, Mike Furrey, David
Patten, Paul Hubbard, Syndric Steptoe, Jordan Norwood,
Lance Leggett, Brent Casteel, Donte Stallworth (susp)
TE: Steve Heiden (inj), Robert Royal, Martin Rucker, Brad
Cieslak, John Madsen, Mike Massey
K: Phil Dawson
NT: Shaun Rogers, Shaun Smith, C.J. Mosley, Louis Leonard,
Ahtyba Rubin
DE: Corey Williams, Kenyon Coleman, Robaire Smith,
Santonio Thomas, Melila Purcell, Adam Hoppel
ILB: D'Qwell Jackson, Eric Barton, Leon Williams, David
Veikune, Beau Bell, Kaluka Maiava, Phillip Hunt
OLB: Kamerion Wimbley (S/DE), David Bowens, Alex Hall,
Antwan Peek, Shantee Orr, Titus Brown, Bo Ruud, Blake
Costanzo, Marcus Benard, Jonathan Foster
CB: Eric Wright, Brandon McDonald, Rod Hood, Corey Ivy,
Don Carey, Coye Francies, Daven Holly, Hank Poteat, Corey
Boudreaux, Nate Ness, Antonio Smith
S: Brodney Pool (FS), Mike Adams (SS), Abram Elam
(SS/FS), Nick Sorensen (SS), Hamza Abdullah, Gerard
Lawson, Bret Lockett
Coaches:
Head Coach: Eric Mangini, Off Coord: Brian Daboll, QB
Coach: Carl Smith, RB Coach: Gary Brown, TE Coach: Steve
Hagen, OL Coach: George Warhop, SpecTm Coach: Brad
Seely, Def Coord: Rob Ryan, DL Coach: Bryan Cox, LB
Coach: Matt Eberflus, DB Coach: Jerome Henderson
Dallas Cowboys
QB: Now that Tony Romo has broken up with Jessica
Simpson, we can hopefully get back to focusing on what he
does in the huddle. The 2009 season marks an important year
in Romo’s legacy, as he’ll not only try to fight off the view
that he struggles in big games, but will have to do so without
Terrell Owens in the lineup. Romo is clearly looking forward
to focusing exclusively on the gridiron. "I wish we practiced
year-round," he said. "Practice is a lot of fun. It's enjoyable.
You get to compete. We're out here twice a day. I talked to
Aikman this summer and we were talking about that some of
the funnest times you have is on the practice field, getting
better and enjoying the competition of it each day." The
difference between Brad Johnson and Jon Kitna was evident in
the first week of practice. On Sunday, Kitna threw a 65-yard
rope downfield to WR Kevin Ogletree and then hit Miles
Austin with a 40-yard strike a few snaps later. It’s clear that if
Tony Romo gets hurt again, the Cowboys won’t have to resort
to a stripped down dink and dunk attack as they did last
season. Rookie Stephen McGee has looked sharp in the early
going, showing a lot of zip on his passes. Considered more of
an athlete in college than a passer, coaches have been
pleasantly surprised by his footwork and throwing motion.
RB: Get ready for Smash, Dash and Tash. Marion Barber
(aka Smash), Felix Jones (aka Dash) and Tashard Choice (aka
Tash) are being marketed as a trio who, combined, should
vault the Cowboys running attack into the top 10 after a
disappointing 20th place finish in 2008. While their combined
effectiveness is exciting for Cowboys fans, the idea of a true
3-back committee is the stuff of nightmares for fantasy
owners. RB coach Skip Peete isn’t ruling out have a ‘starter’
but downplays the importance of the title. "It’s based on
packages and plays. I think it’s more about series," Peete said.
"It could be the start of the game and we say we want to do
this, and if Felix or Marion don’t fit that, they might not be in
there. Now, to have a true starter, we more than likely will
have a true starter, but I will probably say they will all
play…Hopefully, they will all play equal, so they will all be
fresh."
WR: Last year Roy Williams struggled as a Cowboys (19
catches in 10 games) but this season, with Terrell Owens
gone, he has no choice but to be the Cowboys top target. So
far, so good as Williams is in good shape and seems happy
and focused. Sam Hurd probably isn’t in line to displace
Patrick Crayton as a starter, but he’s played well enough to
push Miles Austin for the #3 spot. Crayton hasn’t stood out
particularly (good or bad) through the first few days of camp.
The key, of course, is whether he and Tony Romo can build
up chemistry. It’s too early to say for sure, but Williams is
happy with the progress. “I don't think we can go out and play
a game right now, but I think that in two weeks, three weeks,
we'll be ready to go,” said Williams. Backup Isaiah Stanback
has been hampered by a strained hamstring so far. Mike
Jefferson has opened some eyes by catching everything
thrown his way, but he remains a long shot to break camp with
the 53-man roster.
TE: Few teams use dual tight ends with regularity in the
passing game, but the strong play of Martellus Bennett hints
that Dallas might be an exception. Bennett was an impressive
red zone weapon in limited action last year, but has been the
talk of early practices at camp. He’s strong, shedding
defenders at will, and catching everything thrown his way.
Expect Bennett to see a ton of targets as the Cowboys use
their “Twelve Personnel” formation. Bennett and Witten
give the Cowboys flexibility because they can also block for
the running game and neither is solely a decoy as is the case in
many 2-TE sets.
Defense: CBs Orlando Scandrick and Mike Jenkins are
battling to a standstill for the starting RCB position. LB Bobby
Carpenter hasn’t lived up to expectations to date, but early
training camp signs point to a possible turnaround. In 11-on11 drills this weekend, Carpenter had the unenviable task of
covering TE Jason Witten and not only held his own, but kept
the ball out of the All Pros hands repeatedly. While Carpenter
is making plays, new starting ILB Keith Brooking isn’t ready
to concede the 3rd down snaps to the youngster, either. 20sack monster DeMarcus Ware remains the focal point of the
defense, which Anthony Spencer hopes he can use to his
advantage. "Teams are going to be focused on Ware no matter
what I do," Spencer said. "It's just how I respond to it and the
way I play. That's going to affect teams if I'm making plays
off the edge and making sacks. It's going to make teams have
to respect both of us."
Special Teams: Nick Folk kicked last week for the first time
since his hip surgery in May. He commented, "Everything's
fine. It's getting there. It's a little sore, but that's to be
expected. We've just got to push through it and take some
breaks. But it's feeling better than it did all of last year." Aside
from regularly putting kickoffs into the endzone, rookie David
Buehler has been practicing various special teams’ tasks, such
as onside kicks, holding, and punt coverage. Five players have
typically been fielding punts in practice each day: WR Patrick
Crayton and CB Terence Newman both of whom have
returned punts in recent years, RB Felix Jones who returned
kickoffs until getting injured last year, WR Willie Reid who
failed to secure the return specialist role in Pittsburgh, and
fifth round draft pick FS DeAngelo Smith.
Cowboys Depth Chart
QB: Tony Romo, Jon Kitna, Stephen McGee, Rudy Carpenter
RB: Marion Barber III, Felix Jones (KR), Tashard Choice,
Alonzo Coleman, Keon Lattimore
FB: Deon Anderson, Julius Crosslin, Asaph Schwapp, Jamar
Hunt
WR: Roy Williams, Patrick Crayton, SMiles Austin, Sam
Hurd, Kevin Ogletree, Isaiah Stanback (KR), Manuel Johnson,
Willie Reid, Julian Hawkins
TE: Jason Witten, Martellus Bennett, John Phillips, Scott
Chandler, Rodney Hannah
K: Nick Folk, David Buehler
NT: Jay Ratliff
DE: Marcus Spears, Igor Olshansky, Jason Hatcher, Stephen
Bowen, Jonas Seawright
ILB: Keith Brooking, Bradie James
OLB: DeMarcus Ware (W), Anthony Spencer (S), Bobby
Carpenter (S/I), Jason Williams, Victor Butler, Brandon
Williams, Matt Stewart, Justin Rogers
CB: Terance Newman, Mike Jenkins, Orlando Scandrick
(FS/CB), Alan Ball (FS/CB), DeAngelo Smith (FS/CB), Mike
Mickens
S: Ken Hamlin (FS), Gerald Sensabaugh (SS), Pat Watkins
(SS) , Michael Hamlin (FS), Courtney Brown (FS), Stephen
Hodge (SS)
Coaches:
Head Coach: Wade Philips, Off Coord: Jason Garrett, QB
Coach: Wade Wilson, RB Coach: Skip Peete, WR Coach: Ray
Sherman, TE Coach: John Garrett, OL Coach: Hudson Houck,
SpecTm Coach: Joe DeCamillis, Def Coord: Mike Zimmer,
DL Coach: Todd Grantham, LB Coach: Reggie Herring, DB
Coach: Dave Campo
Denver Broncos
QB: The Kyle Orton Era officially got underway on Friday
as the team had its first full practice. Orton enters camp as the
starter, but Coach Josh McDaniels made it clear there are no
guarantees. Orton has done a nice job since coming to Denver
though. He has impressed teammates with his arm as well as
his detailed notes taken over the past four months. "He's
always writing in his notebook. He's got books in there, at
least it looks like it to me," said backup Chris Simms. "He's
very meticulous with his notes. He's a smart guy, there's no
doubt about that." Orton stayed in Denver most of the summer
to spend extra time at Dove Valley with Simms and the
coaches and teammates that hung around. "That's where you
learn the most about guys and where you build the
relationships that carry over to the practice field," veteran WR
Brandon Stokley said. "When a lot of guys are back home,
we're out running routes, out working out together. That's
where you build that camaraderie with your quarterback and
get on the same page so that when you start training camp,
you're not starting from square one." Stokley has been
impressed by Orton, too. "He surprised me the first time I saw
him throw the ball. He really throws a really good ball,"
Stokley said. “A nice spiral. Receivers don't like the ball too
hard or too soft, just a nice speed, that's a good, catchable
ball." McDaniels is more cautious with his assessment, but
happy with Orton’s progress. "The command of the offense
and the understanding of what we are doing is great,"
McDaniels said of Orton and Simms. "I don't mean that they
are all the way where we want them to be ultimately, but I
think when they get in the huddle they know exactly what I
am asking them to do." Tom Brandstater has “looked” like an
NFL quarterback, meaning he has great size and he throws a
nice ball, with a good release.
RB: Even though first round pick Knowshon Moreno wasn’t
present through the weekend while his contract gets done, his
teammates were busy making highlights of their own. LaMont
Jordan looked good while working with the first team while
alternating reps with Correll Buckhalter. Ryan Torain was the
most impressive runner in the opening days. Torain showed
some quickness and the moves that made him the talk of camp
last year. On one play he jocked David Bruton during 11-in-11
drills. He came out firing on all cylinders. Torain and Peyton
Hillis were recovering from late-season ending injuries, but
both appear to be 100% or close. Hillis spent time in the
backfield, split wide and at H-back. More importantly, Hillis
showed a nice burst and he knocked the snot out of Tim
Crowder on Saturday. Josh McDaniels seems to be high on
Hillis, too, "[He is] versatile and creates some matchup
problems for defenses." As far as his role in the offense,
McDaniels said, "He will play as much as he deserves to play.
He can play as a fullback in a two-back offense. Obviously, he
can catch the ball very well out of the backfield. He is getting
plenty of opportunity right now to run in our one-back sets,
which he will continue to get that opportunity. He has done
some really positive things, but like everybody, there are
definitely some things that he needs to fix and improve upon.
Peyton is a very valuable player, I think. (He is) versatile and
creates some matchup problems for defenses if we can use
him right." McDaniels talked about Torain after Friday’s
practice, "Ryan made some good runs today and he is a
physical guy, big guy. (He is) the kind of back that we are
looking for. All of our backs are 215 (pounds) or more, so that
is the style that we have and we want. He fits in well with the
group that we have, and it will be exciting to see him progress.
This is really the start, for Ryan, of this year because he
wasn’t there all spring. (We are) looking forward to seeing
what he can do." Back to Jordan, don’t sleep on him. With
Moreno out, Jordan reported to camp at 228 pounds, the
lightest weight of his career and he even said, “The injuries
I’ve had in the past were a complete lack of preparation for the
season.” At least he’s honest saying that was probably the
reason he didn’t become a star, but at least this offseason he
came committed and in shape. Buckhalter has been catching
many passes out of the slot and split out wide. McDaniels’
offense favors throws to the running backs, and we know
Orton is friendly with checkdowns, so there would appear to
be an opportunity for Buckhalter, Moreno and Hillis to catch
quite a few balls this year.
WR: Brandon Marshall limped off the practice field on
Sunday with a hamstring injury. He appeared to be favoring
his surgically repaired hip, but McDaniels insisted it wasn’t a
setback. Marshall’s surgeon, Dr. Marc Philippon, said it would
take 6-12 months to fully recover from the operation, so
Marshall is at least ahead of that schedule. Jabar Gaffney took
his place with the first team opposite Eddie Royal. At least
Marshall kept his word. He reported to camp on time, but sat
out of the second of practice because the aforementioned
soreness. On Friday, Marshall was on fire. McDaniels had the
following to say of Marshall’s performance. "He definitely
showed up, made some good plays. He is an explosive guy,
and it is a good sign to see him out there running. We’ll see
how his body reacts to it… It was great to have him out there,
(he) definitely fit in and made some big plays and we will look
forward to more of that as we go." Marshall may not be happy
with his contract, or the team, but he stood out in more ways
than one. He was dancing, singing and jumping during wam
ups and then during practice he made play after play. He was
the show.
TE: No practice notes to report here. Daniel Graham and
Tony Scheffler return with Graham as the technical starter and
Scheffler the downfield receiver of the two. Richard Quinn
was drafted for his blocking ability. He should make the team
as the third tight end.
Defense: Champ Bailey began camp on the PUP list, but
returned to practice on Saturday. OLB/DE Jarvis Moss left
camp and was reportedly considering retirement. DT
Marcus Thomas told reporters on Sunday that Moss would be
rejoining the team on Monday. “I talked to him this morning.
He’s looking up now, so he’s going to be back,” said Thomas,
Moss’ closest friend on the team. The two have been
teammates since college at the University of Florida and both
were drafted by the Broncos in 2007. Rookie corner Alphonso
Smith has been impressive throughout the first few days of
practice. He displayed great instincts, speed and established
himself as potential impact special team player. He blocked a
FG attempt and showed off his skills as a returner. S Brian
Dawkins made his impact felt early with his on-field coaching
of David Bruton and Darcel McBath. Both rookies have
shown good instincts. The defensive line is full of questions as
the Broncos transition to the 3-4 this year. Jarvis Moss and
Elvis Dumervil lined up at outside linebacker, though Elvis
Dumervil and Darrell Reid were getting all of the work with
the first team. Tim Crowder saw action at OLB and DE with
mixed results. On a play as an end, offensive linemen ate him
alive, but on another from the LB position he burst through the
line for what would have been a tackle in the backfield. The
team came to terms with first round pick Robert Ayers on
Monday, signing him to a 5-year deal. The Broncos want to
get Ayers caught up quickly as he’s expected to take his place
with the starters at outside linebacker. On the defensive line,
Kenny Peterson and Ryan McBean were the ends and Ronnie
Fields was the nose tackle with the first team. Rookie Darcel
McBath was in the starting lineup with Renaldo Hill sidelined.
Jack Williams practiced in Bailey’s place at corner; Alphonso
Smith is still behind him on the depth chart.
Special Teams: For the second straight year, Matt Prater is
the only kicker in camp. He’s working to avoid the second
half of the season slump that he experienced last year. He
noted, “I got fatigued and it got hard to kick with the weather
changing. I started struggling and missed some kicks toward
the end of the season…. And I started over-thinking. I’d get
lined up, and I’d think about too many things instead of just
going out and kicking. That happens to a lot of kickers — they
overanalyze, and that’s what I think I did.” New head coach
Josh McDaniels indicated previously that WR Eddie Royal
will continue to serve as the primary punt returner, although
second round draft pick CB Alphonso Smith has shown strong
potential in the initial practices of camp. Rookie WR Kenny
McKinley and WR Mathew Willis have also been practicing
on returns.
Broncos Depth Chart
QB: Kyle Orton, Chris Simms, Tom Brandstater
RB: Knowshon Moreno, Correll Buckhalter (3RB), Lamont
Jordan (SD), Ryan Torain, Darius Walker
FB: Peyton Hillis
WR: Brandon Marshall, Eddie Royal (PR), Brandon Stokley,
Jabar Gaffney, Brandon Lloyd, Kenny McKinley, Chad
Jackson, Matt Willis, C.J. Jones, Nate swift, Travis Shelton,
Lucas Taylor (IR)
TE: Daniel Graham, Tony Scheffler, Richard Quinn, Jeb
Putzier, Marquez Branson
K: Matt Prater
NT: Ronald Fields, Marcus Thomas, J’Vonne Parker, Nic
Clemons, Carlton Powell
DE: Kenny Peterson, Ryan McBean, Matthias Askew, Rulon
Davis, Everette Pedescleaux
ILB: D.J. Williams (W), Andra Davis, Wesley Woodyard,
Mario Haggan, Spencer Larsen (FB/M), Nick Greisen (IR)
OLB: Darrell Reid (DE/LB), Robert Ayers (DE/LB), Elvis
Dumervil (DE/LB), Tim Crowder, Jarvis Moss, Lee Robinson
CB: Champ Bailey, Andre' Goodman, Jack Williams,
Alphonso Smith, Josh Bell, Dominique Johnson, Tony Carter,
Rashad Moulton
S: Brian Dawkins (FS), Renaldo Hill (SS/FS), Vernon Fox
(FS), Darcel McBath (FS), David Bruton (FS), Josh Barrett
Coaches:
Head Coach: Josh McDaniels, Off Coord: Mike McCoy, RB
Coach: Bobby Turner, WR Coach: Adam Gase, TE Coach:
Clancy Barone, OL Coach: Rick Dennison, SpecTm Coach:
Mike Priefer, Def Coord: Mike Nolan, DL Coach: Wayne
Nunnely, LB Coach: Don Martindale, DB Coach: Ed Donatell
Detroit Lions
QB: The Lions opened training camp on Friday and all eyes
were on the QB battle between veteran Daunte Culpepper and
1st overall pick Matthew Stafford. Stafford arrives with great
fanfare after signing a huge contract that includes a $41
million signing bonus. Both QBs are embracing the
competition. "(Stafford's) a guy that wants to be good and
wants to work hard, and that's how I am," said Culpepper, who
threw four touchdown passes and six interceptions in five
games for the Lions last season. "We kind of get along like
that. Ultimately, we're teammates, and we push each other."
When Stafford was asked if the pressure to play is lessened
because of the presence of an experienced guy like Culpepper,
he said, "It wouldn't really matter who was here," Stafford
said. "I'm gonna come in with the same mindset, that I want to
play as early as I possibly can.” While Culpepper and Stafford
are fighting for the starting job, Drew Stanton is trying to
cement his status as the No. 3 quarterback. General Manager
Mayhew also allowed for the possibility the Lions could add
another quarterback.
RB: Kevin Smith enters camp firmly entrenched as the starter.
Smith, a second year player out of Central Florida, had a solid
rookie season, rushing for 976 yards and averaging 4.2 yards
per carry. Smith said he and the other running backs are
working hard to learn Offensive Coordinator Scott Linehan's
system. "Linehan's got a mean playbook," Smith said. "So
we're going to go out there and execute. We do a lot of
different things than we did last year so it's going to be
exciting. We've got a good line, they're meshing good, so
we're going to do well. We're going to do some good things.
We've just got to keep on working." Veteran Maurice Morris
was signed as a free agent to be the primary backup. Morris
rushed for 574 yards in 2008 with Seattle. Rookie Aaron
Brown and veteran Aveion Cason will battle for the third RB
spot; special teams could play a role in determining the
winner.
WR: Calvin Johnson enters his third year looking to improve
on a tremendous 2008 season. It's not going to be easy to top
what he did last season, though. He had 78 catches for 1,331
yards and scored 12 touchdowns. Lions head coach Jim
Schwartz says a more balanced offense will help the Detroit
quarterbacks get the ball downfield to Johnson. "He's a
dynamic player who can change the course of the game just
with one big-time play," Schwartz said. "Wherever I go in
town, people say, 'Coach, you've got to get the ball to Calvin
deep.' Yeah, I'd love to do that, but to do that you're going to
see good play-actions, and you're going to see us run the ball
because that's the only way we're going free him up. I know
that as a defense coordinator." Bryant Johnson, who is
expected to be the other starting WR, was placed on the
Active/Non-Football Injury list with injuries suffered in a golf
cart accident. The Lions acquired veteran Dennis Northcutt
just before camp and he is projected to be the slot receiver and
also could return punts. It looks like the Lions have written off
rookie Derrick Williams as far as contending for the No. 3
WR role, and will instead have him focus on boosting the
special teams return units while he gets more comfortable
running routes and fitting within the offense. John Standeford,
Eric Fowler, Adam Jennings, and D.J. Boldin (Anquan’s
brother) are contending for roster spots.
TE: Rookie Brandon Pettigrew, who is expected to win the
starting job, is day-to-day with a minor thigh injury. Blocking
specialist Will Heller, Casey Fitzsimmons, and rookie Dan
Gronkowski are battling for roster spots.
Defense: Veteran Jared DeVries is currently penciled in as the
starter at left defensive end. Dewayne White and Cliff Avril
will battle for the other DE spot. LB Julian Peterson believes
Avril can be a top pass-rusher. "I'm just letting him know he
has the talent to be one of the better pass rushers in the
league," Peterson said. "He has a good frame -- not the biggest
guy, but strong enough to hold his weight and fast enough to
be like a linebacker, too.” Veteran DT Grady Jackson began
training camp on the non-football injury list. The Lions are
hoping Jackson and Chuck Darby can each give them 15-20
snaps per game. Rookie Sammie Lee Hill, a 6-foot-4, 330pounder, is trying to make the leap from small school Stillman
College to the NFL. DT Landon Cohen recently bench-pressed
225 pounds 50 times. Andre Fluellen and Ikaika AlamaFrancis are battling for spots in the DL rotation. Ernie Sims is
the only returning starting LB. Five-time Pro Bowl selection
Julian Peterson and veteran Larry Foote are expected to join
Sims in the starting lineup. Rookie DeAndre Levy and secondyear Jordon Dizon are likely to be two of the backups at LB.
Cody Spencer, rookie Zack Follett, Darnell Bing, and Curtis
Gatewood are contending for roster spots at the position. Free
agent Phillip Buchanon and Anthony Henry are currently
projected to start at CB. Eric King and Keith Smith are
expected to be the primary backups. Rookie Louis Delmas
was the star of offseason activities and is penciled in as the
starter at free safety. Daniel Bullocks, who started last year,
Marquand Manuel, Kalvin Pearson, and Stuart Schweigert are
the leading contenders to start at the other safety spot. Henry
may wind up starting at safety should the Lions find a viable
starter at CB to replace him
Special Teams: Kicker and elder statesman Jason Hanson
recently commented, "It seems like we always have hope this
time of year, but things are really different. The turnover has
brought in a new coach, new front office and a lot of new
players. All of that makes it easier to have hope." The Lions
are one of the few teams to have a camp leg on the roster…
rookie Swayze Waters from UAB. The primary camp question
is whether third round draft pick WR Derrick Williams can
become the Lions’ first true return specialist since Eddie
Drummond. He doesn’t face a lot of competition. WR Adam
Jennings failed to retain that role with the Falcons. RB Aveion
Cason handled kickoff returns the last few years by default.
His strongest competitors could be sixth round draft pick RB
Aaron Brown, whose speed has been evident in initial
practices, and Antone Davis, who made an impression in
OTAs.
Lions Depth Chart
QB: Daunte Culpepper, Matthew Stafford, Drew Stanton,
Justin Goltz
RB: Kevin Smith (3RB), Maurice Morris, Aaron Brown
(3RB/KR), Aveion Cason (KR), Antone Smith, Allen Ervin
FB: Jerome Felton, Terrelle Smith
WR: Calvin Johnson, Bryant Johnson, Dennis Northcutt (PR),
Derrick Williams (PR), Keary Colbert, John Standeford,
Adam Jennings, Chris Hannon, D.J. Boldin, Eric Fowler
TE: Brandon Pettigrew, Casey Fitzsimmons (inj), Will Heller,
Dan Gronkowski, Jake Nordin
K: Jason Hanson
DT: Grady Jackson (NT), Chuck Darby, Sammie Lee Hill,
Andre Fluellen, Orien Harris, Landon Cohen, John Gill
DE: Cliff Avril, Jared DeVries, Dewayne White, Ikaika
Alama-Francis, Sean Conover, Jason Hunter, Ryan Kees
MLB: Larry Foote, Deandre Levy (M/S), Cody Spencer
OLB: Julian Peterson (S), Ernie Sims (W), Jordon Dizon (S),
Zack Follett (M/W/S), Darnell Bing, Curtis Gatewood, Chris
Graham
CB: Philip Buchanon, Anthony Henry, Eric King, Keith
Smith, William James, Ramzee Robinson, Dexter Wynn,
Chris Roberson
S: Louis Delmas (FS), Daniel Bullocks (SS), Kalvin Pearson
(FS/SS), Marquand Manuel (SS), Stuart Schweigert,
LaMarcus Hicks, Otis Wiley, Dowayne Davis
Coaches:
Head Coach: Jim Schwartz, Off Coord: Scott Linehan, QB
Coach: Jeff Horton, RB Coach: Sam Gash, WR Coach: Shawn
Jefferson, TE Coach: Tim Lappano, OL Coach: George
Yarno, SpecTm Coach: Stan Kwan, Def Coord: Gunther
Cunningham, DL Coach: Bob Karmelowicz, LB Coach: Matt
Burke, DB Coach: Tim Walton
Green Bay Packers
QB: Aaron Rodgers enters his second training camp with
much less media attention than last year’s Brett Favre debacle.
In the opening days of camp Rodgers looked solid according
to Head Coach Mike McCarthy. “I thought he was put in some
tough spots… the protection part of it wasn't as clean. There's
times we were in sync and there's times when we weren't. I
think it was pretty much a normal first day of training camp.”
On Saturday, Rodgers completed 13-of-17 in competitive
team drills while Matt Flynn was 3-of-4 and Brian Brohm
went 3-of-6. Rodgers was picked twice; Brohm once. The
competition between Brohm and Flynn continues in their
second season after Flynn won the backup job last year in
camp. Offensive coordinator Joe Philbin said there’s no
pecking order right now. "I don’t know,” Philbin said when
asked if either one is leading the other. “They're battling it out.
You can see a world of difference in terms of their familiarity
with the system." On Flynn, Philbin said, “His arm is getting
better.” Aside from being more introverted (note to self: How
can a QB be shy?), Philbin offered the following update on
Brohm, "He's hungry," Philbin said. "He has practiced hard
and well. He has had a good offseason." Brohm then put to
bed any talk of adding a veteran such as Brian Griese. On
Sunday morning, Flynn made a pretty throw to JaRon Harris
over the middle splitting defenders during the team practice.
Later, James Jones dropped a Flynn pass and, keeping pace,
Jordy Nelson dropped a pass from Brohm. McCarthy informed
reporters that players would receive a $1,701 fine if their cell
phones went off. When asked about Twitter, McCarthy replied
that Twitter is considered part of the cell phone.
RB: Ryan Grant doesn’t need to worry about any contract
issues or lack of focus in camp this year. Having carried the
ball 500 times in the past two years, Grant has established
himself as just the type of big, physical back the team needs
when the weather gets cold. One NFC North scout described
Grant as a "straight-line, downhill, collision runner." He
sometimes runs into people, his speed and balance are
nominal, he doesn’t make many tacklers miss and he’s not a
fluid reciever, but he’s a solid blocker and a workhorse who
runs downhill. The #2 back heading into camp is Brandon
Jackson, who frequently takes the field on third downs
supplanting Grant. "He's not big but he does have power and
balance," said Philbin on Jackson. "He also has quick feet."
The Packers like their depth and believe that DeShawn Wynn
might even have more talent than Grant. Wynn can make
people miss and is a capable receiver with soft hands. He
simply needs to stay healthy. RBs coach Edgar Bennett is
impressed by DeShawn Wynn's newfound commitment
and maturity saying, "His preparation, the way he made
adjustments as far as from a physical standpoint, his
maintenance on his body, changing his eating habits, I think
he did a fantastic job of that and I think it’s paying dividends,
based off of his performance." Rob Reischel, of the
Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, thinks Wynn’s stock may be at
an all-time high within the organization. "I think of him
maybe as the most instinctive and possibly the most elusive,"
Philbin said. "He's one of those guys, if you were playing a
pickup game in the backyard, you'd want him on your team.
He has picked up his game a little bit in terms of
accountability and understanding the scheme." Kregg
Lumpkin is another back who shouldn’t be overlooked. He’s a
power back, built similarly to Grant, but with better feet. Like
Wynn, Lumpkin has struggled to stay on the field. Mike
McCarthy warned not to count out Lumpkin from the
picture. "I think everybody will be excited once the preseason
games start to see him healthy and ready to go.” Recall that
Lumpkin passed Wynn and was pushing Jackson last season
before a hamstring injury. He enters camp fourth on the charts.
Quinn Johnson was drafted in the fifth round to push Korey
Hall and John Kuhn at fullback. He may be the team’s best
lead blocker, while Hall is a better receiver and special-teams
player. Kuhn is probably the better short-yardage runner of the
three. Undrafted rookie Tyrell Sutton will attempt to make the
roster.
WR: On Saturday, James Jones made the play of the day
when he got behind Al Harris and Nick Collins and hauled in
a long pass from Rodgers during 11-on-11s. Jordy Nelson was
reportedly more impressive than Jones during OTAs, but the
two have both played well during the offseason and they’ll
compete for the team’s No. 3 role. Nelson is viewed as more
of a possession receiver and Jones more of a playmaker, so
don’t be surprised if the two split this role during the season
depending on what the situation calls for. Also on Saturday,
Donald Driver made a nice catch on a throw from Rodgers
between three defenders over the middle. Greg Jennings
dropped what appeared to be sure TD early Sunday after he
made a great move on Tramon Williams and Rodgers’ pass
skipped off his hands. "I should have taken all my pads off
and went one-by-one and apologized to every fan who had to
watch that," Jennings said with a smile. "Greg was very
disappointing. He had a horrible day today. I promise Greg
will be better." The third person reference bit is something
we’ll have to monitor, but don’t worry about Jennings, he’ll be
fine.
TE: The gap between starter Donald Lee and second-year
backup Jermichael Finley has reportedly narrowed. The
coaches thought Lee was on the field too much last year and
they expect Finley’s role to increase this year. Finley is a poor
blocker and he is undersized, but more athletic than Lee. He’s
still developing, but figures to be on the field more on passing
downs this year. Last year, Lee was on the field for 778 plays
(74.2%) while Finley saw just 98 plays, but this year the
coaches expect Finley to be involved in around 400 plays.
Finley flashed his 4.6 speed at the end of last year and showed
he can make plays downfield as a matchup headache for
opposing safeties and linebackers. On Saturday, reserve Evan
Moore caught a nice pass on a crossing pattern from Brian
Brohm off a bootleg.
Defense: DE Cullen Jenkins missed last year due to injury, but
he was among the first players to standout from the pack in the
early going of camp. McCarthy was asked if Jenkins appeared
rusty at all after sitting out so long. “He was in our backfield a
bunch on offense, so Cullen doesn't look like he has missed a
beat. It's good to have him back. He looked good today.” Top
pick B.J. Raji continues to miss practice time while waiting
for his contract. McCarthy was asked if he is concerned by his
absence, “B.J. is a young player. It's always important for all
of your players to be here, particularly the young ones.
Business sometimes gets in the way of football. That's part of
the National Football League. That's just the way it goes
sometimes.” With Raji out, the team is pushing Justin Harrell
after two disappointing seasons. McCarthy on whether Harrell
will hold up, “Fully test him? He's full-go. He's out there in
the padded work. We're keeping an eye on all our players,
especially the ones that are coming off of injures. But he's a
full-go participant.” LB Nick Barnett was also missing from
the first unit on the PUP list still recovering from ACL
surgery. Brandon Chillar worked in his place while Johnny
Jolly ran in Raji’s post at DT. Barnett is on schedule, but he’s
not ready for full practice yet. On the eve of camp, Clay
Matthews signed a five-year, $10 million contract. The team
hopes to utilize him on the weak-side in Dom Capers new 3-4
defense, but starts camp working behind Jeremy Thompson.
The top plays during practice this weekend were turned in by
A.J. Hawk, who tipped and almost picked off a pass intended
for Donald Driver. Aaron Kampmann had a “sack” on a playaction passing play and Nick Collins registered the hit of the
day on Saturday when he dropped his pads to decleat
DeShawn Wynn, who broke free for a nice run. Tramon
Williams made an easy interception and would’ve had a long
return when Brett Swain took his pattern inside and Rodgers
threw an out, while Joe Porter intercepted a deep ball intended
for Patrick Williams. Anthony Smith is filling in for Atari
Bigby at safety, but on Sunday, he was burned by Donald
Driver, who showed he still has some nifty moves despite
creeping into his mid-30s.
Special Teams: Although it doesn’t impact most fantasy
owners, the primary focus in camp will be the competition
between Jeremy Kapinos and Durant Brooks for the punting
job. Newly promoted special teams coordinator Shawn
Slocum assessed kicker Mason Crosby, “With Mason’s talent
there’s no reason in the world why he shouldn’t be one of the
better kickers in the NFL. But when it’s time to make a gamewinner they must make it in order to have a legacy, to
maintain status in the NFL.” Crosby had a rough practice over
the weekend, missing three consecutive run-on FG attempts
from 40 yards. He is the only kicker in camp. CB Will
Blackmon is once again the return specialist. Slocum noted
regarding Blackmon, “I think he is totally committed to being
an outstanding returner. His body of work in the spring was
awesome.” CB Tramon Williams and WR Jordy Nelson will
also see work on returns.
Packers Depth Chart
QB: Aaron Rodgers, Matt Flynn, Brian Brohm
RB: Ryan Grant, Brandon Jackson (3RB), Kregg Lumpkin,
DeShawn Wynn, Tyrell Sutton
FB: Korey Hall, John Kuhn, Quinn Johnson
WR: Greg Jennings, Donald Driver, Jordy Nelson (KR),
James Jones, Ruvell Martin, Brett Swain, Kole Heckendorf,
JaRon Harris, Patrick Williams
TE: Donald Lee, Jermichael Finley, Tory Humphrey, Evan
Moore, Carson Butler, Travis Dekker, Devin Frischknecht
K: Mason Crosby
NT: Ryan Pickett (NT/DE), B.J. Raji (NT/DE), Brian Soi,
Anthony Toribio
DE: Cullen Jenkins, Johnny Jolly, Justin Harrell, Mike
Montgomery, Jarius Wynn, Alfred Malone, Ronald Talley,
Dean Muhtadi
ILB: A.J. Hawk, Nick Barnett, Brandon Chillar, Desmond
Bishop, Danny Lansanah, Spencer Havner
OLB: Aaron Kampman, Clay Matthews, Jeremy Thompson,
Brady Poppinga, Brad Jones, Cyril Obiozor
CB: Charles Woodson, Al Harris, Tramon Williams, Jarrett
Bush (CB/FS), Will Blackmon (PR), Brandon Underwood,
Patrick Lee (KR), Joe Porter, Trevor Ford
S: Nick Collins, Atari Bigby (inj), Anthony Smith, Aaron
Rouse, Charlie Peprah
Coaches:
Head Coach: Mike McCarthy, Off Coord: Joe Philbin, QB
Coach: Tom Clements, RB Coach: Edgar Bennett, WR Coach:
Jimmy Robinson, TE Coach: Ben McAdoo, OL Coach: James
Campen, SpecTm Coach: Shawn Slocum, Def Coord: Dom
Capers, DL Coach: Mike Trgovac, LB Coach: Kevin Greene,
LB Coach: Winston Moss, DB Coach: Joe Whitt, DB Coach:
Darren Perry
Houston Texans
QB: The first few days of camp were quiet as far as the
Texans QBs are concerned. Matt Schaub needs to prove to his
teammates and coaching staff that he can play a full 16-game
slate after missing five games in each of his first two seasons
with Houston. The team added two quarterbacks to compete
for the backup job during the offseason. They surprisingly
gave Dan Orlovsky more money than most pundits expected,
but Orlovsky (aside from his famous self-induced safety)
played reasonably well for the winless Lions last year and has
a leg up on Rex Grossman as camp gets underway.
RB: Head Coach Gary Kubiak said Steve Slaton continues to
develop as he enters his second camp with high expectations.
Kubiak hopes Slaton’s skills can be utilized even better in the
team’s offense in year two. "It was a lot of raw ability that
took over last year and there's a lot of it, and a great deal of
speed. Now he's another year in the system, listening to John
and Alex coach the running game, and Kyle coach the passing
game, so he's just become more of a pro. Understanding a
little bit better should help him reach another level." Kubiak
noted that Slaton still needs to work on blitz protection as just
one area for improvement. Coaches hope to get a healthy
Chris Brown back on the field this year to take the load off
Slaton, suggesting that he will get inside carries and shortyardage work as a complement to Slaton. "He's got a good
sense of inside run skills, and he's a big 234-pound guy that
can give us that added dimension of a hammer effect and then
you have Steve coming in," running backs coach Chick Harris
said. Offensive Coordinator Kyle Shanahan agreed, but also
cautioned that Brown needs to stay healthy first and foremost.
Clifton Dawson suffered a knee injury on Saturday. Kubiak
commented on it after practice. “He has a Grade-2 MCL, I
think. Kap (Texans head athletic trainer Geoff Kaplan) can
probably tell you more, but it's not as bad as it could have
been." Fullback Vonta Leach, arrested last week on a simple
assault charge, missed practice over the weekend to deal with
a death in the family. Boomer Grigsby took his spot while
rookie TE James Casey also took some reps.
WR: It wouldn’t be training camp if Jacoby Jones wasn’t
turning heads and making a strong impression. Jones is at it
again this year. On Saturday morning, Jones turned in one of
the most impressive plays with a catch on a perfectly thrown
deep bomb down the left sideline from Rex Grossman. Jones
needs to keep making progress, but he caught long and short
passes and showed some toughness when he took the ball
away from a corner on another play. “When you're watching
Jacoby, growing up is the key,” Kubiak said. “He's got to
grow up as a player, but he's got to grow up in his
accountability to the team and everybody else off the field and
in the classroom. And he's doing it. It's a long process, though.
I told him it's not about doing it in spurts; it's about doing it on
a daily basis. So let's just keep our fingers crossed and hope he
keeps heading in that direction.” On Sunday morning, Jones
dropped a ball from Rex Grossman after he got behind the
secondary along the sidelines. Baby steps, Jacoby, baby steps.
TE: Owen Daniels doesn’t have a new deal or a contract
extension, but he reported to camp on time. "This is the
place I want to be for the rest of my career," Daniels said.
Both sides have confirmed there are no long-term contract
talks underway right now, but Daniels reiterated his intent by
saying that “we’d like to talk.” Smith already protected the
team’s interests by drafting two tight ends, Anthony Hill and
James Casey, in April’s draft. Anthony Hill started camp on
the PUP with a hamstring injury. The fans (and reporters)
love watching Casey, who played collegiately nearby at Rice
where he caught over 100 balls last year playing numerous
positions. By all accounts, Casey is a great guy and a dynamic
player. The coaches are excited about his potential, but first
they want him to learn to play tight end at the NFL level,
specifically focusing on improving his blocking skills before
moving him around to other spots. As soon as they said that,
Casey took reps at fullback with Vonta Leach absent. Kubiak
talked about Casey, "In this league it's about opportunity
knocking for a player. All of a sudden, (FB) Vonta (Leach)
has a problem, he's not here, he's with his family, so somebody
has to go in there and get some reps. James is getting some
reps at fullback. We'll see. His versatility will probably be a
big key to him helping this team early, so we'll see what
happens." Hill was viewed as one of the top blocking tight
ends in this year’s draft, so his chance to make an impact will
be in two-tight end sets.
Defense: Linebacker Brian Cushing agreed to terms on a
contract early Saturday morning and was in attendance for the
afternoon practice session. Connor Barwin was signed and
delivered in time for camp, too. He will start the season as a
backup to Mario Williams and Antonio Smith, but he should
see playing time on passing downs if he keeps making plays in
practice like he did on Sunday. He looked good in line drills
and also batted down a pass from Matt Schaub at the line.
John McClain, of the Houston Chronicle, blogged to keep an
eye on rookie corners Glover Quin and Brice McCain. Quin
is working as a nickel corner and making many plays on the
ball, while McCain is the fastest player on the team. McCain
mentioned that his makeup speed is impressive. The team
signed veteran Jeff Zgonina to give them another body for
practice, which invoked a humorous interaction between OT
Eric Winston and former Texans DE N.D. Kalu, who was
attending practice with media credentials. As the linemen went
over to the side to run pass rush drills, Winston yelled at Kalu
to join them, offering, "If Jeff can do it, you can!" The team is
without DTs Travis Johnson and Amobi Okoye, both
recovering form surgery. Dunta Robinson hasn’t reported to
camp. He’s holding out after being given the team’s franchise
tag, but not working out a long-term contract before the
deadline.
Special Teams: Kicker Kris Brown indirectly handled the
punting in the first practice of camp, by operating the JUGS
machine. Brown is the only kicker in camp. WR Andre Davis
will again be the primary kickoff returner. WR Jacoby Jones
remains the punt returner, although HC Gary Kubiak
continues to watch him closely, “When you're watching
Jacoby, growing up is the key. He's got to grow up as a player,
but he's got to grow up in his accountability to the team and
everybody else off the field and in the classroom. And he's
doing it. It's a long process, though. I told him it's not about
doing it in spurts; it's about doing it on a daily basis. So let's
just keep our fingers crossed and hope he keeps heading in
that direction.” Aside from Jacoby, other players that have
been practicing on punt returns include Andre Davis, WR
David Anderson, WR Glenn Martinez and rookie CB Glover
Quin.
Texans Depth Chart
QB: Matt Schaub, Dan Orlovsky, Rex Grossman
RB: Steve Slaton (3RB), Chris Brown (SD), Arian Foster,
Ryan Moats, Jeremiah Johnson
FB: Vonta Leach
WR: Andre Johnson, Kevin Walter, David Anderson, Andre
Davis, Jacoby Jones (PR), Darnell Jenkins, Glenn Martinez,
Mark Simmons, Mike Jones, Aubrey Bell
TE: Owen Daniels, Joel Dreessen, James Casey (HB/FB),
Anthony Hill (inj), Clark Harris (LS)
K: Kris Brown
DT: Amobi Okoye, Travis Johnson (NT), DelJuan Robinson
(NT), Frank Okam, Shaun Cody, Jeff Zgonina, Josh Leonard,
Jake Visser
DE: Mario Williams, Antonio Smith, Connor Barwin, Stanley
McClover, Tim Bulman, Jesse Nading, Tim Jamison
MLB: DeMeco Ryans, Buster Davis
OLB: Brian Cushing (S), Xavier Adibi (W), Zac Diles (S) ,
Cato June (W), Kevin Bentley (S), Chaun Thompson (W),
Toddrick Verdell
CB: Dunta Robinson (UFA-F), Jacques Reeves (inj), Fred
Bennett, Brice McCain, Glover Quin, Antwaun Molden,
David Pittman, A.J. Davis, Matterral Richardson, Mark Parson
S: Nick Ferguson (SS), Eugene Wilson (FS/CB), Dominique
Barber (FS), Brandon Harrison (SS), John Busing, Troy Nolan
Coaches:
Head Coach: Gary Kubiak, Off Coord: Kyle Shanahan, RB
Coach: Chick Harris, WR Coach: Larry Kirksey, TE Coach:
Brian Pariani, OL Coach: John Benton, OL Coach: Alex
Gibbs, SpecTm Coach: Joe Marciano, Def Coord: Frank Bush,
DL Coach: Bill Kollar, LB Coach: Johnny Holland, DB
Coach: David Gibbs
Indianapolis Colts
QB: The Colts opened training camp on Sunday, and for
Peyton Manning it was sort of a return to normalcy after
battling an infected bursa sac and frequent swelling last year.
Manning is hitting the ground running and even looked
forward to two-a-days noting that he felt guilty last year when
he didn’t partake in them. “I’ve always believed that training
camp is when you form the foundation of your team and truly
iron out the little details that you’re going to need to be on the
same page as you go into the season. I definitely think it had
an effect on the way I started the season last year, so I’m
looking forward to going through the entire camp hopefully
healthy this year, and hopefully we can get off to a faster
start.” Aside from the departure of Tony Dungy, normalcy is
back after long-time assistants Tom Moore and Howard Mudd
rejoined the team after a pension-related flap prompted them
to retire in May. "Howard and Tom are both returning, doing
the same job they've been doing over the years," new Head
Coach Jim Caldwell said as camp opened. Manning is known
for running a quick tempo in practice and plans to put in extra
time with young receivers Pierre Garcon, Roy Hall and Austin
Collie. Reggie Wayne offered his two cents on what it was
like without Manning last year. “It was lovely. I really enjoyed
it. I didn't have to worry about no extra nothin'. No extra
passing, no extra film, but one thing about it is we're not the
same without him out there, so I'll take having him out there
instead of not having him out there." Consider this: Manning
led the Colts to a 9-0 record down the stretch last season. He
completed 72.1% of his passes averaging 7.8 yds/attempt with
17 TDs and 3 interceptions. His passer rating in the first half
last year was just 79.0, but 109.7 in those final 9 games.
RB: It went down to the wire, but first round pick Donald
Brown agreed to terms on Sunday on a five-year deal.
Brown is expected to compete with incumbent Joseph Addai,
who is coming off a down year in which he struggled with
injuries and saw his production slide. Brown led the nation in
rushing last year and fits the team’s style with good speed,
great hands and a similar build to Addai. Competing for the
third spot in camp will be second-year RBs Mike Hart, Chad
Simpson and Lance Ball. Hart flashed plenty of ability in
camp last year but went down with a torn ACL in October just
as he was emerging as a contributor. He participated in some
of the OTA sessions, but clearly wasn’t 100% considering
ACL injuries typically require a full year to recover. Hall will
be pushed by Simpson, whose quickness was on display
during OTAs and minicamps. The key for Simpson is
improving his blocking and blitz pickups. Ball was on the
practice squad last year, but got the call in the season finale
and rushed for 83 yards on 13 carries. Realistically, he’s a
long shot to make the roster.
WR: All eyes will be on Anthony Gonzalez in camp this year.
Just about everyone expects Gonzalez to be the Colts
breakout player. Gonzalez should have started last year
opposite Reggie Wayne, but out of respect for Marvin
Harrison, he stayed inside and manned the slot. This year,
Gonzalez takes his rightful spot in the lineup while a host of
younger receivers compete for the No. 3 role – Pierre Garcon,
rookie Austin Collie and Roy Hall. Entering camp, Garcon
seems to have the edge after spending his rookie season
returning kicks and making the transition from Division III
Mount Union. During OTAs, Garcon was impressive, often
getting open deep and making difficult catches in traffic.
Nothing has been decided yet though, so Collie and Hall can
still make a run at the job. Collie was ultra productive at BYU
where he finished with 215 receptions for 3,255 yards and 30
touchdowns. Hall has a ton of physical talent and potential,
but partly due to injuries, hasn’t lived up to his billing yet. It’s
hard not to take notice of his 6-4, 225-pound frame, but he has
some work to do to make the team, much less compete for the
No. 3 spot. Sam Giguere fractured a fibula early in OTAs and
began camp on the PUP list, but should be ready soon, and he
could also work his way into the mix. John Matthews could
stick on the practice squad after impressing coaches during
OTas. He was another super productive collegiate player who
caught 195 passes for 3,615 and 30 touchdowns at San Diego.
TE: Nothing noteworthy to report here. Dallas Clark
developed nicely the past two years as Marvin Harrison
slowed down and Anthony Gonzalez worked himself into the
offense. Clark caught 135 passes for 1,464 yards and 17 TDs
over the past two years. Barring injury, he should easily be a
Top 5 fantasy TE again. The team has a bevy of players to sort
out behind Clark beginning with Gijon Robinson, who plays
more of an H-back role. The team hopes he can continue
developing into a complimentary run-blocking TE. Tom Santi
enters his second season out of Virginia, after missing much of
his rookie camp with a bursa sac problem. Jacob Tamme is
another second year player who has some receiving skills, but
playing behind Clark hasn’t yielded much of an opportunity
for him thus far. Jamie Petrowski and Colin Cloherty are also
in camp, but face long odds of making the roster.
Defense: The Colts came to terms with rookie DT Fili Moala
on a four-year contract just before camp opened. Moala is
expected to add some much-needed girth to the team’s interior
run defense. For the second year in a row, Bob Sanders was
absent from practice at the start of camp and on the PUP
list as he recovers from knee surgery. HC Jim Caldwell said
his recovery is going well. “He’s making good progress. He’s
really looking good. He’s been diligent about his rehab. We
feel he’ll be ready in a short amount of time.” DE Curtis
Johnson spent the offseason focused on getting bigger and
stronger, while also working to get better mentally and
improve his off-the-field skills, too. Besides Sanders, other
defenders began camp on the PUP list including: CB Marlin
Jackson (knee) and DT Antonio Johnson (knee). The team
also waived S Brannon Condren, QB Chris Crane, CB
Brandon Foster, CB Brandon X. Harrison, DL Pat Kuntz, OG
Cornelius Lewis and LB Tyrell Sales before camp began.
Special Teams: Adam Vinatieri continues his recovery from
hip surgery and the just recently disclosed off-season
arthroscopic knee surgery. He commented on Sunday, “We're
just going slow back into it now, but we should be ready to go
for sure by the time the season starts…. I would say I've
gotten a lot less practice this offseason than I have in the past.
But thankfully for me, I've done it a bunch of years, so it
shouldn't take too long to get it all back. It's one of the timing
things, with the new holder and that chemistry. We haven't
gotten a lot of work in yet, but we'll do some major catch up
and major work during training camp.” In the interim, kicker
Shane Andrus remains on the roster. WR Pierre Garcon and
CB T.J. Rushing will be competing for the return roles. RB
Chad Simpson and fourth round draft pick WR Austin Collie
will probably also factor into the mix for kickoff returns.
Colts Depth Chart
QB: Peyton Manning, Jim Sorgi, Curtis Painter
RB: Joseph Addai, Donald Brown, Mike Hart, Chad Simpson
(KR), Lance Ball
WR: Reggie Wayne, Anthony Gonzalez, Pierre Garcon (PR),
Austin Collie, Roy Hall, John Matthews, Sam Giguere, Taj
Smith, Brett McDermott
TE: Dallas Clark, Gijon Robinson, Jacob Tamme, Tom Santi,
Jamie Petrowski, Colin Cloherty
K: Adam Vinatieri, Pat McAfee, Shane Andrus
DT: Ed Johnson, Fili Moala, Eric Foster, Terrance Taylor,
Antonio Johnson, Daniel Muir, Adrian Grady
DE: Dwight Freeney, Robert Mathis, Raheem Brock (DT),
Keyunta Dawson (DT), Curtis Johnson, Marcus Howard
MLB: Gary Brackett (W/M), Adam Seward
OLB: Clint Session (W), Philip Wheeler (S) , Freddie Keiaho
(S/W/M), Tyjuan Hagler (W), Jordan Senn (W), Michael
Okwo, Brandon Barnes, Ramon Humber, Mike Tauiliili
CB: Marlin Jackson, Kelvin Hayden, Tim Jennings, Dante
Hughes, Jerraud Powers, Nick Graham, T.J. Rushing, Michael
Coe, Travis Key, Brandon Anderson, Jacob Lacey
S: Bob Sanders (FS), Antoine Bethea (SS), Melvin Bullitt
(SS), Matt Giordano (FS), Jamie Silva
Coaches:
Head Coach: Jim Caldwell, Off Coord: Tom Moore, QB
Coach: Frank Reich, RB Coach: Gene Huey, WR Coach:
Clyde Christensen, TE Coach: Ricky Thomas, OL Coach:
Howard Mudd, SpecTm Coach: Ray Rychleski, Def Coord:
Larry Coyer, DL Coach: John Teerlinck, LB Coach: Mike
Murphy, DB Coach: Alan Williams
Jacksonville Jaguars
QB: David Garrard reported to camp lighter than last year
after spending the offseason focused on improving his
conditioning and ability to “play at a higher pace for longer”.
Garrard played last year at 250 pounds, but is now around 238
pounds. The lower weight should help Garrard bounce back
after a tough 2008 season. If anything, Garrard’s ability to
extend plays with his legs should continue to be a problem for
opposing defenses and continue to boost his fantasy value. He
also hopes to benefit from the addition of veteran tackle Tra
Thomas and rookies Eugene Monroe and Eben Britton, who
were taken with the team’s first two picks. The Jags also get
Vince Manuwai and Mo Williams back from injuries this year.
Clearly, the Jags intend to improve their offensive showing,
but they didn’t stop on the line. They also gave Garrard a trio
of receivers via the draft. Head Coach Jack Del Rio thinks
Garrard’s play will improve this year. “I like David. I’m glad
we have him. I think he’s a fine young man and a fine football
player. We want to get him back to what we saw in ’07, but
we must remember that what we saw in ’07, that 6-1
(touchdown to interception) ratio, is rare. I think he’s going to
benefit from our offensive line. We want him to be the
maestro. I see David having a big year for us.” On Friday, the
team waived Todd Boeckmann leaving Todd Bouman as the
backup and Paul Smith as the 3rd QB going into camp.
RB: The team decided to let Fred Taylor leave during the
offseason, believing that Maurice Jones-Drew can move into
the lead role. While MJD will see a bigger role in 2009, he
will get some help from the team’s other backs, too. The
Jaguars didn’t make any free agency moves to bolster the
position, opting for the draft to unearth a potential gem. They
might have done just that when they selected Rashad Jennings
in the seventh round. As for reasons why Jennings slid on
draft day? Character wasn’t one of them. Reportedly, Jennings
has never even had a sip of alcohol in his life. Jennings is a
bigger back who comes with NFL measurables and a potential
to earn a significant role as the team’s change-of-pace back
behind MJD on the depth charts. Jennings was one of the stars
in OTAs and he’s a player to watch during camp to see if he
can continue his push to displace Chauncey Washington and
FB Greg Jones for playing time. Jones may very well be the
incumbent to Taylor after getting short-yardage work in the
past. None of these backs have Taylor’s ability to make people
miss, but all are more physical between the tackles. "It's a little
different not having [Taylor] around, but we're still the same
guys," Jones-Drew said. "Greg [Jones] is here, Montell
[Owens], AP [Alvin Pearman] and we got a couple of new
guys. We're just going to try to keep it going and have fun."
Stay tuned as this competition unfolds, but the team hopes
Jennings is as impressive in pads as he was in shorts. The team
may be working on a package to get Jones-Drew and Jennings
on the field together.
WR: The Jaguars made wholesale changes at the receiver
position. Mike Walker and Troy Williamson return as the Jags
got rid of perennial headaches in Reggie Williams, Matt Jones
and to a lesser extent Dennis Northcutt (who was traded to the
Lions for safety Gerald Alexander). Torry Holt is the hopeful
#1, but he seemed to struggle with his mobility during the
spring, a byproduct of his aging knees that also limited him
the past couple of seasons. Opposite Holt, Mike Walker hopes
to stay healthy for the first time as a pro and live up to his
potential. Walker registered a 100-yard game last year against
the Steelers in his brief opportunity before injuries again took
him off the field. The draft brought the Jags three young and
potentially explosive players in Mike Thomas, Jarett Dillard
and Tiquan Underwood. By dealing Northcutt, the team
cleared the way for them to establish themselves
immediately. “I’m confident they’ll work at it. We’ve added
some quickness we haven’t had. In time, they’ll separate
themselves and allow us to determine the best way to utilize
their abilities. Two of them (Thomas and Underwood) can fly,
and the other one (Dillard) has good hands. We’re going to be
smart with Torry Holt, and Mike Walker had a real good
camp,” HC Jack Del Rio said. Walker opens camp as the
starting flanker, but expect him to be pushed by the
youngsters. Thomas, meanwhile, has been penciled into the
slot replacing Northcutt. Thomas is small, but his speed, thick
build and ability to make plays after the catch have prompted
comparisons to the Panther’s Steve Smith. Dillard might have
the best hands on the team and a ridiculous vertical to
overcome his lack of height. If injuries limit Holt or Walker,
Dillard and Thomas could emerge sooner than expected.
Underwood was taken in the seventh round and Jags beat
writer Vic Ketchman called him a “home run pick” after
watching him during the OTAs. He is super thin, but super
fast, too. He and Kenny Britt became the first WR tandem in
Big East history to post 1,000-plus receiving yards in the
same season.
TE: The Jags have an abundance of rookies to watch in camp
this year for those of you in dynasty leagues. TE Zach Miller
is another intriguing player in that mold. The former college
QB is making a transition to tight end where the team feels his
athleticism gives them added flexibility to line him up at a
variety of spots. He’s raw and will need plenty of coaching
and work before he’s ready, but some of the team’s insiders
believe he will get on the field this year and cut into Marcedes
Lewis’ production. Lewis has never been featured much in the
red zone and his hands are inconsistent, so the team will look
at Miller during the preseason to see what he can offer. Until
then, he’ll need to compete with holdovers Greg Estandia and
Richard Angulo for roster spots.
Defense: Change is evident all around Jaguars camp. Like the
offensive line and receiving corps, the defense has undergone
some retooling as Jack Del Rio hopes he can lay the
foundation for the Jaguars to return to the top group of NFL
defenses where it was just a few years ago. There are issues to
be resolved on the defensive side, but Del Rio said, “We’re
open-minded in terms of battles in camp and in terms of new
concepts and principles. The concerns are for bringing it all
together and for the amount of work that has to be done. The
encouraging thing I see is the commitment, starting with the
linebackers.” The linebackers were indeed the primary
attraction during OTAs. Daryl Smith, Justin Durant and Clint
Ingram looked great adapting to their new roles. Smith moved
to the weak-side, Durant to the middle and Ingram’s ankle is
finally healthy allowing him to showcase his talents on the
strong-side. The team expects to sprinkle in some 3-4 looks as
well with Quentin Groves and Ingram playing key roles on
the edges as the rush linebackers. These plans are not final, but
Del Rio likes what he is seeing from the situational rushers.
At free safety, Reggie Nelson hopes to improve on a mediocre
second season, but he’ll be pushed by Gerald Alexander, who
might play a little bit of free and strong safety to give the team
some extra options. Del Rio said that Alexander will line up
at free safety at the beginning of camp, but his play will
determine where he ends up. Del Rio added that Sean
Considine, another free agent addition, should also have a
favorable impact to the secondary.
Special Teams: Josh Scobee is the only kicker in camp. DB
Brian Witherspoon on the other hand is not the only kick
returner on the roster. Although he is the favorite to retain the
return specialist role, he’ll have to hold off two rookies.
Fourth round draft pick WR Mike Thomas and third round
draft pick CB Derek Cox are both capable returners, especially
on punts. RB Maurice Jones-Drew is definitely capable,
although with his anticipated increased role on offense, his
work on returns is likely to decrease or be eliminated. Overall,
Witherspoon sees good things ahead, “Everything has been
going great. We are practicing, having fun, challenging each
other and it’s more competitive and it’s fun at the same time.
Things are looking a whole lot better than last year.”
Jaguars Depth Chart
QB: David Garrard, Todd Bouman, Paul Smith
RB: Maurice Jones-Drew (SD/3RB), Rashad Jennings,
Chauncey Washington, Alvin Pearman (KR)
FB: Greg Jones, Montell Owens
WR: Torry Holt, Mike Walker, Mike Thomas, Jarett Dillard,
Troy Williamson, Tiquan Underwood, Jason English, Nate
Hughes
TE: Marcedes Lewis, Greg Estandia, Zach Miller, Richard
Angulo, Tyler Lorenzen
K: Josh Scobee
DT: John Henderson, Rob Meier, Derek Landri, Terrance
Knighton, Atiyyah Ellison, Jonathan Lewis, Nader Abdullah
DE: Reggie Hayward, Derrick Harvey, Quentin Groves,
Jeremy Mincey, James Wyche, Jeremy Navarre, Julius
Williams
MLB: Justin Durant, Tim Shaw
OLB: Clint Ingram (S), Daryl Smith (W) , Brian Iwuh,
Thomas Williams, David Holloway, Lamar Myles
CB: Rashean Mathis, Brian Williams, Scott Starks, Derek
Cox, Tyron Brackenridge, Brian Witherspoon (KR/PR), Peter
Ittersagen, Mesphin Forrester
S: Reggie Nelson (FS), Sean Considine (SS), Gerald
Alexander (FS/SS), Marlon McCree (SS), Kennard Cox,
Kevin Patterson, Michael Desormeaux
Coaches:
Head Coach: Jack Del Rio, Off Coord: Dirk Koetter, QB
Coach: Mike Shula, RB Coach: Kennedy Pola, WR Coach:
Todd Monken, TE Coach: Mike Tice, OL Coach: Andy Heck,
SpecTm Coach: Russ Purnell, Def Coord: Mel Tucker, DL
Coach: Ted Monachino, LB Coach: Mark Duffner, DB Coach:
Thom Kaumeyer
Kansas City Chiefs
QB: Matt Cassel opened camp on a high note having recently
signed a six-year, $63 million contract with $28 million
guaranteed. For that, Cassel said, “I’m honored and humbled
by the commitment they’ve made to me. Obviously, I’m
excited to be here for the long term.” In the first few days of
camp, Cassell was picking new Head Coach Todd Haley’s
brain on a regular basis. “Matt’s Matt,” Haley said. “He’s this
way every day. He’s got great enthusiasm. He’ll be standing
by me, and I’ve got to tell him to be quiet five or six times.”
Cassel added, “I’m not very patient. I’ll get out there and get
in his ear as much as I can with whatever input I can give him.
If he needs to tell me to shut up sometimes, that’s fine. I’ll
keep coming at him.” While it’s easly, Cassel seemed to
develop a quick rapport with veteran WR Bobby Engram (big
surprise huh?). Haley’s offense loves to utilize the quick, short
passes. Engram and Cassel were hooking up on those early,
with Engram turning a couple into long gains. “Right now he’s
been spot-on,” Engram said. “One thing I like about him is his
mentality. He’s got that short memory. If he throws an
incomplete ball or an interception, he’s right back throwing it
with just as much confidence on the next ball. Not every
quarterback has that, but the great ones do.” Competing for
spots behind Cassel are Tyler Thigpen, Brodie Croyle and
newly acquired Matt Gutierrez. Croyle was in pads for the
first time since October 19th when he suffered a seasonending injury. Thigpen expects to win the backup job, though
Croyle is not a lock to win the third job against Gutierrez, who
GM Scott Pioli claimed off waivers on Wednesday. Martin
was released to make room.
RB: New head coach Todd Haley didn’t waste any time
setting the tone for camp this year. On Friday, Haley put the
whole team through exhausting pre-camp physicals that some
of the players didn’t pass. Later, as practices began, Haley
continued his point penalizing the entire team with a 200-yard
run after a player fumbled. Accountability matters.
Apparently, Larry Johnson got that memo during the
offseason. Johnson talked up Haley and new GM Scott Pioli
providing several compliments and stating his overall
happiness and desire to be with the Chiefs. “I love Todd. He is
somebody you can really be impressed with.” Haley wouldn’t
name a starter following Friday’s practice, and referred to it as
“an interesting battle”. He offered praise for both Johnson and
impressive second-year back Jamaal Charles. On Johnson,
Haley said, “I have not had an issue with Larry Johnson. Larry
has obviously proven in the past that he capable of being a
very good running back in the league. He’s a top echelon guy
and right now running back in general is one of the groups I’m
excited to see how it plays out because I think we have some
talent there and we’ve got some competitive guys.” In
Saturday’s morning session, Johnson ran hard and drew
appreciation from the crowd in attendance as he ran out his
plays 40+ yards after the whistle. He appeared leaner, quicker
and was clearly having a lot of fun. Charles, meanwhile,
showed up to camp 10 pounds heavier, now over 200
pounds. "I haven't lost any speed," said Charles. In Saturday’s
morning practice, Cassel and Charles hooked up on a nice
screen pass. In goal line drills, Johnson beat LB Zack Thomas
to the pylon for a TD. Kolby Smith is recovering from
reconstructive knee surgery and isn’t practicing yet. Smith
faces competition from rookie seventh-round pick Javarris
Williams, who was the Ohio Valley Offensive Player of the
Year. Williams has decent size (5'10”/223) and adequate speed
(4.52) which makes him a fun player to watch during the
preseason.
WR: Dwayne Bowe checked into camp at 210 pounds, about
12-to-15 pounds lighter than last year. "I just feel better," said
Bowe. "I feel like I can run faster and jump higher." He also
mentioned that he doesn’t like Todd Haley’s offense, rather he
LOVES it. With his size and physical nature, Bowe draws
inevitable comparisons to Anquan Boldin, who previously
starred in Haley’s offense. Who starts opposite Bowe is the
bigger question. Mark Bradley is expected to be there on
opening day, but in the opening days of camp, Devard Darling
was working at that spot. Meanwhile the Chiefs signed cagey
veteran Amani Toomer on Tuesday and he’ll certainly want
that starting spot, too. Bobby Engram is the team’s slot
receiver. Early in camp, Haley was concerned by the number
of drops made by the receivers. "That’s something that we
can’t have," he said. "These guys have to mature, develop, and
start to show signs that they’re competitive players, probably
here pretty quick. We had the whole offseason where we had
some of that; now it’s time to pick it up for sure." After
dropping a tough ball on Friday, Bowe made a nice catch on a
hook route on Saturday. Rookie Taurus Johnson made an
acrobatic catch down the left sideline in Saturday’s early
session. Bradley showed soft hands with a number of catches
away from his body. Rookie Quinten Lawrence hopes to stick
on the roster, but to do so he’ll need to make an impression on
special teams as a returner.
TE: The Chiefs aren’t sure what they have at tight end after
dealing Tony Gonzalez during the offseason. Brad Cottam was
expected to start, but he struggled mightily during OTAs and
he never was much of a receiver at Tennessee either. Cottam
is competing against veterans Sean Ryan and Tony Curtis,
while seventh-round pick Jake O'Connell tries to get into that
mix. O’Connell began camp on the PUP list. In Saturday’s
afternoon session, Cottam had one of the best plays of the
practice as he took a pass and ran for a long gain after taking a
hit from Bernard Pollard.
Defense: The Chiefs defense will take some time to sort out.
Tyson Jackson, the team’s top pick, remained unsigned and
Glenn Dorsey began camp on the PUP list after failing Todd
Haley’s rigorous physical. Defensive line coach Tim Krumrie
was giving rookie Alex Magee an earful on several occasions,
before praising him later for picking up the pace and
responding to his coaching. The outside linebackers are
unsettled, but Mike Vrabel gives the team experience while
Tamba Hali, Turk McBride and Demorrio Williams adjust to
their roles and compete for playing time. ILB Zach Thomas
said he and Vrabel have formed an unlikely bond after
being bitter AFC East rivals for years. “I’ve always hated that
guy,” Thomas said with a laugh. “He was in New England,
and I was in Miami every year. I always thought he was a real
jerk. But I’ll tell you what: I really like playing beside him.
Being veterans, our communication clicks.” As for practice
highlights, LB Monty Beisel reached out and made a onehanded pick during a morning session. Safety Jarrad Page
broke nicely on a ball to jump in front of Bobby Engram for
an interception. Travis Daniels later broke up a pass behind
the line on a slip-screen. In the afternoon session, Derrick
Johnson spent most of his time riding a bike and lifting
weights as other players were held out. LB Weston Dacus
made a couple of nice plays with an interception, and a pass
break-up shortly afterward.
Special Teams: The Chiefs released incumbent kicker Connor
Barth last week. That move became a likely possibility when
the team had hired Steve Hoffman as their new special teams
coordinator, and became a near certainty when the team
selected Ryan Succop with the last draft pick at the urging of
Hoffman. The move came a little earlier than anticipated,
however HC Todd Haley indicated they wanted to maximize
Succop’s preseason opportunities, “Through the preseason, a
field goal kicker, you may only have one field goal in a game.
So in order to get this guy seasoned enough to see if he could
do it, we thought it was the best direction to go right now.” He
further commented that if Succop didn’t pan out, they would
turn to the free agent kicker pool, including possibly Barth.
While Succop will be competing with everyone not on a
roster, two players on the roster will be primary competitors
for the return specialist role. The incumbent, RB Dantrell
Savage, will face the challenger, sixth round draft pick WR
Quinten Lawrence. RB Jamaal Charles could also be involved
on kickoff returns. In addition to Savage and Lawrence, quite
a few others have also been practicing on punt returns: WR
Bobby Engram, WR Rodney Wright, CB Maurice Leggett, CB
Jackie Bates, CB Londen Fryar and WR Taurus Johnson.
Chiefs Depth Chart
QB: Matt Cassel, Tyler Thigpen, Brodie Croyle, Matt
Gutierrez
RB: Larry Johnson, Jamaal Charles (3RB), Kolby Smith (inj),
Javarris Williams, Jackie Battle, Dantrell Savage
FB: Mike Cox
WR: Dwayne Bowe, Mark Bradley, Bobby Engram, Devard
Darling, Amani Toomer, Jeff Webb, Quinten Lawrence (KR),
Terrance Copper, Taurus Johnson, Rodney Wright
TE: Brad Cottam, Sean Ryan, Jake O'Connell, Jed Collins
K: Ryan Succop
NT: Tank Tyler, Ron Edwards, Derek Lokey
DE: Glenn Dorsey, Tyson Jackson, Alfonso Boone, Alex
Magee, Pierre Walters
ILB: Derrick Johnson, Zach Thomas, Monty Beisel, Weston
Dacus
OLB: Mike Vrabel, Tamba Hali, Turk McBride, Demorrio
Williams, Andy Studebaker, Corey Mays, Vince Redd,
Wallace Gilberry
CB: Brandon Flowers, Brandon Carr, Travis Daniels, Maurice
Leggett, Donald Washington, Ricardo Colclough
S: Bernard Pollard (SS), Jarrad Page (FS), DaJuan Morgan
(FS/SS), Mike Brown (SS/FS), Jon McGraw (SS)
Coaches:
Head Coach: Todd Haley, Off Coord: Chan Gailey, RB
Coach: Maurice Carthon, WR Coach: Dedric Ward, TE
Coach: Bob Bicknell, OL Coach: Bill Muir, SpecTm Coach:
Steve Hoffman, Def Coord: Clancy Pendergast, DL Coach:
Tim Krumrie, LB Coach: Gary Gibbs, DB Coach: Joel Collier
Miami Dolphins
QB: Head coach Tony Sparano looks forward to seeing Chad
Henne in different situations this preseason, but he also was
quick to point out that this is “Chad Pennington’s team” and
not to expect a QB battle in training camp. Sparano said he’s
especially interested in how Henne responds when playing at
the end of a half, making adjustments at halftime and making
it happen in the second half. "That doesn't sound like much,
but there's a lot of things that go on in that eight minutes when
we are in the locker room that a quarterback has to handle,”
said Sparano. For his part, Pennington has worked long and
hard to make sure he doesn’t regress or provide any opening
for Henne to replace him. Pennington’s has a history of
following up good years with forgettable ones. Omar Kelly,
from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, believes if the Dolphins
aren’t contending by midseason, the coaches could give Henne
a shot. Pat White figures into the mix as well, but more so as
the team’s Wildcat QB. The coaches hope White can add a
passing element to the Wildcat formation that wasn’t prevalent
in last year’s version. White struggled as a passer in mincamps, but it bears mentioning that White has one of the more
accurate deep balls of the rookie QB class. That’s a nice asset
to have running the Wildcat. In the first two days of camp,
White already looked better than he did in OTAs. Pennington
had the pleasure of throwing the first interception of camp to
CB Will Allen.
RB: Ronnie Brown is now a year removed from his ACL
injury, but he also will probably lose snaps to Pat White when
the team goes to the Wildcat 2.0 this year. Brown took the
final snap of Sunday’s practice out of the Wildcat formation,
but rest assured the team won’t showcase any of the 2.0 stuff
in practice. Barry Jackson, of the Miami Herald, reports that
Brown's agent, Todd France indicated the Dolphins have
expressed interest in a multi-year extension for Brown.
Meanwhile, Brown is healthy and primed for a big season. He
will continue to share carries with Ricky Williams and the
team is exploring ways of getting Patrick Cobbs more touches
after the success he had last year. Lex Hilliard and Anthony
Kimble are also camping with hopes of making the roster.
WR: Amazingly, Greg Camarillo opened camp practicing
without a knee brace while running with the first unit.
Camarillo has been the team’s most technically sound receiver
all preseason according to beat writer/blogger Armando
Salguero. That’s impressive when you consider Camarillo is
only eight months removed from ACL surgery. Despite the
glowing reports, skepticism was warranted until we saw how
he responded to getting hit in practice. So far, so great for the
undervalued receiver. On Sunday, he made several nice
catches over the middle while seemingly playing at or near
full speed. Further down the depth chart is Davone Bess, who
had a tremendous offseason by all accounts. If Camarillo has
any setbacks, expect Bess to hit the ground running. It’s quite
probable that one of these two will lead the Dolphins in
receptions this year. Opposite them is Ted Ginn, who is
working hard at getting off the line better and developing into
the team’s #1 receiver. The team added Patrick Turner in the
draft and he has done nothing but impress. Turner, a kingsized receiver at 6’5”, may play a role in the red zone as a
rookie if OTAs are any indication. On Sunday, Turner put a
nice move on corner Eric Green on a quick screen that left the
crowd buzzing. Turner has immense talent and has been a
difficult matchup for defensive backs in practices. He just
might be everything they hoped to get in Ernest Wilford, but
didn’t. Brian Hartline is the fifth receiver at this point, though
rookies Brennan Marion and Chris Williams will compete
along with Brandon London and Anthony Armstrong for a
roster spot. London is a special teams ace while Armstrong
has been mentioned repeatedly for making strides during the
offseason.
TE: David Martin was pronounced healthy and ready to go
as camp got underway. He underwent sports hernia surgery in
the offseason and rumors whirled in the spring about Martin’s
job security, but all of that is moot now. Anthony Fasano led
the team with 7 TD catches last year, but the coaches think he
can further improve. The team, in traditional Parcells fashion,
makes heavy use of the tight ends in the red zone. Competing
for roster spots behind Fasano and Martin are Joey Haynos,
fifth-round pick John Nalbone, converted WR Ernest Wilford
and Jared Bronson (who was aptly put on the reserve/did not
report list Sunday). Haynos enters camp as the team's No. 3
tight end. Wilford continues to look sluggish in practice and
this might be his last camp. Nalbone is probably headed for
the practice squad.
Defense: It’s early in camp, but aside from Patrick Turner,
two other rookies have stood out already: CBs Sean Smith and
Vontae Davis. Smith demonstrated fluid hips to go with his
6’3” frame as he picked up where he left off after a strong
series of OTAs. Davis was solid and he has made strides after
heeding the advice of coaches and veterans. He could even
edge Eric Green to claim the nickel job and Smith may have
the inside edge on the starting job opposite Will Allen. Former
CFL star OLB Cameron Wake looked great in OTAs, but
struggled in the first day of practice before showing flashes on
Sunday breaking free twice for potential sacks. The Dolphins
hope he and Jason Taylor will improve an already solid pass
rush. The team hasn’t closed the door on re-signing veteran
Vonnie Holliday either, but so far Kendall Langford and
Phillip Merling appear up to task.
Special Teams: Unlike last year when he was the long shot
rookie kicker behind an established veteran, this year Dan
Carpenter is the only kicker on the roster. WR Davone Bess
will probably hang onto the punt returner role. Possible
challengers include two rookie WRs: fourth round draft pick
Brian Hartline and undrafted Chris Williams. The biggest
question on special teams is whether WR Ted Ginn Jr. will
earn the kickoff returner role. Bess, Hartline, and Williams are
all potential challengers, along with RB Patrick Cobbs and
WR Anthony Armstrong.
Dolphins Depth Chart
QB: Chad Pennington, Chad Henne, Pat White (WR/RB)
RB: Ronnie Brown, Ricky Williams, Patrick Cobbs (KR), Lex
Hilliard, Anthony Kimble
FB: Lousaka Polite, Chris Brown
WR: Greg Camarillo (inj), Ted Ginn, Davone Bess (PR),
Patrick Turner, Brian Hartline (KR/PR), Brandon London,
Anthony Armstrong, Chris Williams, Brennan Marion (IR)
TE: Anthony Fasano, David Martin, Joey Haynos, Ernest
Wilford (WR), John Nalbone
K: Dan Carpenter
NT: Jason Ferguson (NT), Paul Soliai, Joe Cohen, Louis Ellis
DE: Philip Merling, Kendall Langford, Randy Starks, Tony
McDaniel (NT/DE), Rodrique Wright, Lionel Dotson, Ryan
Baker
ILB: Channing Crowder, Akin Ayodele, Reggie Torbor,
William Kershaw, J.D. Folsom, Orion Martin
OLB: Joey Porter (W), Matt Roth (S/DE), Jason Taylor (W),
Charlie Anderson (S), Cameron Wake (S), Erik Walden (S),
Quentin Moses, Tearrius George
CB: Will Allen, Sean Smith, Eric Green, Vontae Davis,
Nathan Jones, Jason Allen (FS/CB), Joey Thomas, Will
Billingsley
S: Yeremiah Bell (SS), Gibril Wilson (FS), Chris Clemons
(FS), Tyrone Culver (SS), Courtney Bryan (SS), Ethan Kilmer
(FS)
Coaches:
Head Coach: Tony Sparano, Off Coord: Dan Henning, QB
Coach: David Lee, RB Coach: James Saxon, WR Coach: Karl
Dorrell, TE Coach: George DeLeone, OL Coach: Dave
DeGuglielmo, SpecTm Coach: John Bonamego, Def Coord:
Paul Pasqualoni, DL Coach: Kacy Rodgers, LB Coach: Jim
Reid, LB Coach: George Edwards, DB Coach: Todd Bowles
Minnesota Vikings
QB: For now, the Brett Favre story is over, or is it? On the
opening day of camp, Tarvaris Jackson was working with the
first team in practice when he went down with a sprained
MCL. Reports are a grade 1 sprain meaning Jackson will be
day-to-day. That means Sage Rosenfels will get all of the first
team reps until Jackson returns. Before getting hurt, Jackson
and Rosenfels split snaps but by most accounts Jackson was
the better of the two. He threw the best pass of the day about
60-yards downfield to Sidney Rice who had Marcus Walker
draped all over him. John David Booty is the team’s only
other quarterback, so if Jackson ends up missing more time
look for the team to add a free agent. The team said it’s
possible for Jackson to be back on the field by early or midweek.
RB: After much offseason ballyhoo around Adrian Peterson’s
weight, he reported to camp at at 220 pounds on Friday. He
added a few pounds, mostly to his legs and upper body. “It
was overblown a little bit,” he said. “That’s one thing I learned
I must say. Not to talk about my weight because it’s
something you’ll hear about the whole summer. I came in at
220. I feel like that’s a pretty good weight if I can stay in the
220-range. I’m feeling good. I’m not feeling too heavy. I put
on some good weight this offseason. I’m just ready to get it
going.” Peterson spent his offseason focused on running better
routes, positioning, preparing to block and all of the little
things needed to improve his overall game. He also mentioned
that rookie Percy Harvin should help open things up for the
offense with his speed and playmaking ability. “The potential
is great,” he said. “We have the potential with the guys we
have here to really make a defense switch up the scheme. Not
able to stack the box and add that extra defender. Hopefully
when the season comes around we won’t be getting that full
box.”
WR: The Vikings agreed to terms with Percy Harvin on a
five-year contract a day after camp began. The team plans to
feature him in a variety of ways this year – as a slot receiver,
Wildcat quarterback and potentially in the backfield, or on
end-arounds. Head Coach Brad Childress is glad to have
Harvin in camp after talking about how quickly a player can
fall behind when they miss practice and meetings. “We go at a
very rapid pace here, and we usually don't go back and start to
re-do those things,” Childress said. “You hate to see players
miss, because those reps are vital, those meetings are vital,” he
said. “There are building blocks that have to go along the
way.” Sage Rosenfels formed an opinion of Harvin after
minicamps, saying, “He is just a really good football player.
He’s not so much a receiver as he is almost a tailback with the
way he runs the plays. He didn’t make too many mental
mistakes in picking up the plays. He seems very sharp.”
Sidney Rice is finally healthy and lining up opposite Bernard
Berrian. Bobby Wade will get some looks in the slot, like
Harvin. Jaymar Johnson had a strong offseason and made
some nice plays in the first few days of practice and Aundrae
Allison also had a couple of nice plays; although Allison is
expected to be traded or released in the coming days.
TE: Visanthe Shiancoe is one player that wishes Brett Favre
was joining the team. Ask Texans TE Owen Daniels how his
production dipped when Matt Schaub went down last year.
Granted, the Vikings are a different offense, but Shiancoe
caught a team-high 7 TDs last year (tied with Berrian) and
caught 42 balls, enough to rank among the Top 10 fantasy
TEs. This year, he’ll have a difficult time producing those
numbers with Sidney Rice potentially healthy and Percy
Harvin looking to get on the field. Shiancoe doesn’t have a
high ADP, so he’s still worth a gamble as a viable backup with
upside.
Defense: It remains to be seen if the “Williams Wall” will be
suspended for the first four games or not, but it’s not worrying
Pat Williams any. “I’m just letting it play out as it plays out.
Whatever happens, happens. That’s how I look at everything.
I’ve blocked it out. I don’t control that. I’m just here having
fun,” said Williams. DE Jared Allen pronounced himself in
“phenomenal” shape and said he hasn’t felt this good after the
opening day of camp in years. Even Brad Childress agreed,
“He’s a little spunkier, if you can believe that.” Linebacker
E.J. Henderson is back and feeling great after missing most of
last year with a foot injury. He thinks he’s still a step slow, but
looked forward to getting to work in full pads and tackling. He
also believes the Vikings can be the top defense in the league.
“I was looking in the huddle today,” he said. “I told the guys
there’s a lot of familiar faces, a lot of football on that starting
defense so the sky’s the limit. Of course we’re shooting to be
that No. 1 defense.” Marcus McCauley and Benny Sapp
worked on the second-team at corner, while Karl Paymah was
on the third team. Fred Evans and Letroy Guion were the
second-team tackles, who we may see in extended action
pending the outcome of the Williams’ case.
Special Teams: Ryan Longwell remains the placekicker. The
Vikings have a second kicker on the roster, Taylor Mehlhaff
who is hoping to land a specialist role, “If I can contribute and
be an asset to the team from a kickoff standpoint and if I can
prove that to the kickoff team, hopefully I'll be around here in
the fall." As is the case very year, the returner roles are up for
grabs. Practicing at kickoff returner has been WR Darius
Reynaud, WR Jaymar Johnson, RB Chester Taylor, WR Glenn
Holt, WR Aundrae Allison and rookie WR Percy Harvin.
Third round draft pick CB Asher Allen may also join that list.
Allison, Johnson, and Harvin should also work on punt
returns, along with WRs Bernard Berrian and Bobby Wade.
Harvin commented on his anticipated role, "Definitely a return
man, slot (receiver), a little bit in the backfield, the motions,
the screens, and some of the reverses. I'm looking to be all
over.”
Vikings Depth Chart
QB: Sage Rosenfels, Tarvaris Jackson (inj), John David Booty
RB: Adrian Peterson, Chester Taylor, Albert Young, Ian
Johnson
FB: Naufahu Tahi, Nehemiah Broughton
WR: Bernard Berrian (PR), Sidney Rice, Percy Harvin
(KR/PR), Bobby Wade, Jaymar Johnson (KR), Glenn Holt,
Darius Reynaud, Bobby X. Williams
TE: Visanthe Shiancoe, Jim Kleinsasser, Garrett Mills, Jeff
Dugan
K: Ryan Longwell, Taylor Melhaff
DT: Kevin Williams, Pat Williams, Fred Evans (NT), Letroy
Guion, Jimmy Kennedy
DE: Jared Allen, Ray Edwards, Brian Robison, Jayme
Mitchell, Otis Grigsby, Martail Burnett
MLB: E.J. Henderson, David Herron Jr, Jasper Brinkley, Erin
Henderson
OLB: Chad Greenway (W), Ben Leber (S), Heath Farwell,
Kenny Onatolu, Andy Schantz, Robert Francois
CB: Antoine Winfield, Cedric Griffin, Benny Sapp, Marcus
McCauley, Karl Paymah, Asher Allen
S: Madieu Williams (FS), Tyrell Johnson (SS), Eric Frampton
(SS), Jamarca Sanford (FS), Husain Abdullah (FS), Roderick
Rogers, DeVon Hall
Coaches:
Head Coach: Brad Childress, Off Coord: Darrell Bevell, QB
Coach: Kevin Rogers, RB Coach: Eric Bieniemy, WR Coach:
George Stewart, TE Coach: Jim Johnson, OL Coach: Pat
Morris, SpecTm Coach: Brian Murphy, Def Coord: Leslie
Frazier, DL Coach: Karl Dunbar, LB Coach: Fred Pagac, DB
Coach: Joe Woods
New England Patriots
QB: All reports out of Patriots camp are positive as Tom
Brady returns from a torn ACL. Brady said that he expects to
get some playing time in the preseason after being held out
last year by an injured foot. “I think it's really important for a
quarterback to be out there playing,” Brady said. “If you're the
leader of the offense, you have to be out there leading in the
preseason and the practices. I'm excited for those games,
because I think we can make improvements in those games.”
Brady also mentioned that the knee brace no longer bothers
him. For the TMZ crowd, Brady also offered a non-denial in
reference to reports that Gisele Bundchen is pregnant. On
Saturday, Brady and Randy Moss were working one on one at
the opposite end of the field working from within the 10-yard
line. That was one of the biggest differences for the Patriots
last year when Matt Cassel replaced Brady in the lineup.
Kevin O’Connell had some good and bad moments over the
weekend. In 7-on-7s, he was picked off by Brandon
Meriweather on a pass that probably should not have been
thrown. Later, he made a nice throw to Julian Edelman in tight
coverage to beat Patrick Chung and Shawn Springs for a big
play. He also had some nice throws in the two-minute drills,
one to receiver Terrence Nunn. On Monday, the Patriots
dropped Matt Gutierrez and signed former Raider Andrew
Walter.
RB: The Patriots RB competition is one of the more
interesting from around the league. The Patriots don’t
typically produce a fantasy stud RB, yet as a team they are
consistently among the better running units year after year.
Patriots beat writer Mike Reiss anticipates "matchups"
being a big factor in how they use their backs this season.
Sammy Morris, Fred Taylor, Kevin Faulk or Laurence
Maroney could be the featured back in any given series or
game. Morris has the power and size, and could get the most
carries, but so could Taylor, who has the best agility and
elusiveness, while Maroney has the speed. Kevin Faulk’s
name is becoming synomymous with “3rd down back.”
BenJarvus Green-Ellis is probably the odd many out. As
players arrived on the practice field in camp, several writers
noted how Maroney and Taylor seemed to be attached at the
hip. Apparently, Maroney took to Taylor, who was also an
injury-plagued, but supremely talented back earlier in his
career. “From his perspective, he’s been through a lot,” said
Maroney. “He’s been through his fair share of injuries, how he
took it, how he made it out of it, how he kept everything
positive and how he’s (now) labeled as one of the greatest
backs to play the game.” Ironically, Maroney said he didn’t
know that Taylor was dubbed “Fragile Fred.” When the action
began, Taylor didn’t take long to show his wares as he broke
through traffic running off-tackle, switched the ball to his
outside arm and delivered a straight arm to break into the
open. Earlier in position drills, Faulk had a splendid onehanded grab after beating coverage. Faulk was his sharp self in
the first few days with his quickness and trademark hands
consistently on display. Maroney showed a nice burst in 11on-11s in the red zone. He ran up the middle before making a
cut to the outside for an easy score. Maroney ran instinctly and
without hesitation, encouraging the coaching staff with his
early play.
WR: It was the first dap of camp and to nobody’s surprise,
Randy Moss was on fire. He had one deep ball from Tom
Brady broken up on a nice play made by corner Leigh
Bodden. Otherwise, Moss flew by Jonathan Wilhite on a deep
route in 1-on-1 drills and caught a Brady bomb for a TD. Moss
made several impressive catches along the sidelines as the fans
in attendance were treated to an show. Shawn Springs made a
joke about going against Moss on a daily basis in practice,
“We’re both about a couple of years from getting our AARP
cards.” The Patriots lost Jabar Gaffney but gained Joey
Galloway and Greg Lewis during the offseason. Galloway
mishandled a bullet thrown by Brady that wound up being a
defensive touchdown on one play. Too many footballs were
hitting the ground on Day Two of practice. Julian Edelman
dropped back-to-back punts, then another pass, before Greg
Lewis dropped a long pass and Wes Welker couldn’t haul in
nicely thrown ball in 11-on-11s. Edelman put in extra work
after struggling in the morning. He was the first player on the
field the nexst day working one-on-one with the JUGS
machine. Later, Edelman bounced back with one of the best
catches of the day. Brandon Tate (knee) was placed on the
non-football injury list to begin camp. He isn’t expected back
for now and could end up on the PUP list. Greg Lewis beat
Terrence Wheatley on a deep ball from Tom Brady, then later
hooked up with Matt Gutierrez.
TE: Head coach Bill Belichick called the competition at tight
end this year the best he has seen in his 10 years with the
Patriots. Ben Watson didn’t practice on Monday, but he’s
competing with Chris Baker, Alex Smith, David Thomas and
Tyson DeVree. On Thursday, DeVree made several tough
catches downfield continuing the strong play he had during
spring practices and OTAs. The 6’6” DeVree could become a
sleeper if he continues to perform well with the pads on.
Defense: Nose tackle Vincent Wilfork reported to camp and
said that he is putting contract talks behind him for now and
concentrating on football. Wilfork said the contract, “will take
care of itself.” Strong safety Brandon Meriweather took the
field as camp opened after sitting out all of the OTAs. DE Ty
Warren (groin, knee) and OLB Shawn Crable (undisclosed)
began camp on the PUP list, but both could be activated at
any time. Rookie Ron Brace was working at defensive end
when the Patriots were in their 3-4 alignment showing his
penchant for stuffing the run and generally being an
immovable force at 6’3” and 330 pounds. In 11-on-11s, James
Sanders broke early on a pass to tip it into the air for Leigh
Bodden to intercept. The Patriots are waiting to see who will
replace LB Mike Vrabel. Pierre Woods will get first crack
and, so far, nobody has emerged to challenge him. Vince Redd
was behind him, but was waived last week leaving Tully
Banta-Cain as a possibility or second-year Shawn Crable.
Special Teams: Kicker Stephen Gostkowski commented this
weekend, "What I did in the past couple of years, whether it
was good or not, has no bearing on what I'm going to do this
year so I've got to prove again that I can be a consistent fieldgoal kicker and kickoff guy." One training camp battle that
directly affects his work is the long snapper position, where
rookie Jake Ingram and veteran Nate are competing to replace
the departed Lonnie Paxton. WR Wes Welker, RB Kevin
Faulk, WR Joey Galloway and rookie WR Julian Edelman
have been practicing on punt returns. Edelman struggled, as he
worked to learn yet another new job. As is commonplace for
the Patriots, just about everyone on the team aside from Tom
Brady has been practicing on kickoff returns. The list includes
RB Laurence Maroney, WR Matt Slater, rookie WR Terrence
Nunn, WR Greg Lewis, Julian Edelman, Kevin Faulk, Wes
Welker, CB Terrence Wheatley and rookie CB Darius Butler.
Patriots Depth Chart
QB: Tom Brady, Kevin O'Connell, Andrew Walter, Brian
Hoyer
RB: Sammy Morris (SD), Kevin Faulk (3RB), Fred Taylor,
Laurence Maroney, BenJarvus Green-Ellis
WR: Randy Moss, Wesley Welker (PR), Joey Galloway, Greg
Lewis, Julian Edelman, Sam Aiken, Brandon Tate (KR) (inj),
Terrence Nunn, Robert Ortiz, Tyree Barnes, Shun White
TE: Ben Watson, Chris Baker, Alex Smith, David Thomas,
Tyson DeVree
K: Stephen Gostkowski
NT: Vince Wilfork, Ron Brace (DE/NT), Myron Pryor,
LeKevin Smith, Titus Adams
DE: Richard Seymour, Ty Warren (DT), Jarvis Green, Darryl
Richard, Mike Wright, Stephen Williams
ILB: Jerod Mayo (W), Tedy Bruschi, Gary Guyton, Paris
Lenon, Tank Williams (I/SS), Eric Alexander, Tyrone
McKenzie (IR)
OLB: Adalius Thomas, Pierre Woods, Tully Banta-Cain,
Shawn Crable, Vinny Ciurciu
CB: Shawn Springs, Leigh Bodden, Darius Butler, Jonathan
Wilhite, Terrence Wheatley, Mike Richardson, Jamar Love
S: James Sanders (SS), Brandon Meriweather (FS), Patrick
Chung (SS/FS), Brandon McGowan (SS), Matt Slater (KR),
Ray Ventrone (SS), Herana-Daze Jones
Coaches:
Head Coach: Bill Belichick, QB Coach: Bill OBrien, RB
Coach: Ivan Fears, WR Coach: Chad Oshea, TE Coach: Shane
Waldron, OL Coach: Dante Scarnecchia, SpecTm Coach:
Scott OBrien, Def Coord: Dean Pees, DL Coach: Pepper
Johnson, LB Coach: Matt Patricia, DB Coach: Josh Boyer
first interception of Brees. “You know, I'm pretty sure
someone might throw a ball out to a fan or something if we
can get Drew,” safety Roman Harper said. “You know, Drew's
pretty smart about that. He doesn't throw many, especially
against us. He kind of knows what we're doing a lot of times,
and he's such a good quarterback and he's so accurate, he
doesn't throw many to us. So we're just trying to take
advantage of him if he ever does hang one up to us.” While
Brees has looked great, the offense wasn’t without its own
miscues. During team drills, Brees had his second pass attempt
tipped at the line. He missed Marques Colston over the middle
due to pressure and Tracy Porter stripped Colston after a short
completion on another play. “I feel like there were times when
we got the upper hand and some times when they had the
upper hand,” said Brees. “But the competitiveness and energy
is good for all of us.” If Brees ever gets hurt, the Saints could
be like the Cowboys last year. They don’t know what Mark
Brunell has left in the tank and Joey Harrington has
underwhelmed everywhere he’s played. So far, those two are
sharing time with the second team and it appears to be an open
competition at this point.
RB: Reggie Bush was a full participant when the team opened
camp late last week. Coming off microfracture knee surgery,
Bush said, “I wouldn't say I'm 100 percent. I would say
strength-wise 100 percent, health-wise at about 99.5 percent,
which is expected on the first real day back.” Bush rested on
Saturday and didn’t appear to have any problems with the
knee. Head coach Sean Payton said they planned to give Bush
rest throughout the two-a-day practices. He returned on
Sunday and had a great day of practice showing no hesitation
on his knee when making cuts. Payton said that Bush has not
had any swelling in the knee. "It's really kind of one of the
things we wanted to do with him just to keep that from coming
up," Payton said about giving him rest. Two days later, it was
a different story as Bush had his knee drained after
experiencing some swelling. The Saints plan to hang their hats
on Pierre Thomas as the lead back anyway this year. Thomas
reported to camp looking bigger than OTAs while Mike Bell
showed up looking smaller. Thomas added about 10 pounds
and weighed in at 221 pounds. He knows he won’t keep it all
on during camp. "I still want to keep that speed, but I want to
have that power, too," said Thomas, who said he felt bogged
down with full pads on for the first time Friday. He expects to
get quicker and stronger as camp goes on. Bell reported at
219, down from 230 earlier in the spring. "I'm light. Light like
my rookie year. Skinny," said Bell. "I remember watching
some old tape of me from my rookie year, and I liked what I
saw when I was flying around, making some good cuts, being
able to move left to right. So I figured, why not just get back
to when I was at my best? I'm excited. If I can stay under 220
the whole year, I feel like I'm going to be a force to be
reckoned with." For now, he appears to be the leading
candidate for the No. 3 job ahead of Lynell Hamilton, who
also had some nice moments on Friday.
New Orleans Saints
QB: Defenses often have the upper hand in the early days of
training camp, and while that has been the case with the
Saints, nobody got the best of quarterback Drew Brees.
After three practices, the defense was still searching for its
WR: Interestingly, the Saints have the second oldest roster in
the league, but their receiving corps is anything but old.
Devery Henderson is the veteran among the group as he enters
his sixth season. That doesn’t mean the team is looking to add
a veteran either. "We're pretty comfortable with the group that
we have," Payton said. "We're spending time evaluating some
of the younger guys, but I think the reps that Marques
(Colston) has had, Devery (Henderson), and even Lance
Moore and Robert Meachem for that matter - those guys have
had a lot of work. A couple of the other free agents that we
signed have been around for a while, like Paris Warren (four
years), but we'll see. Those guys have had a lot of reps. I don't
know that purposely it worked out that way or if it was just a
matter of where we were with the roster." Colston comes into
his fourth season following microfracture surgery on his left
knee in January. "This is his first full work," Payton said. "All
of these guys are carrying their pads for a second day now, so
really it's a process that takes place to get used to that. So far
he's doing well." Colston showed no effects from practicing
and said he’s as healthy as he’s been in a long time. "I'm
definitely 100 percent injury-free," Colston said. "It's just a
matter of now trying to manage it so I can come out of
preseason feeling the same way. I'm always going to be leery
of that and keep working hard." The Saints have a
competition for the other starting job as Lance Moore is
recovering from shoulder surgery and only working on a
limited basis. Devery Henderson could end up starting
opposite Colston if Moore isn’t ready. Adrian Arrington was
limited by a hamstring and did individual work with trainer
Scottie Patton. Moore took part in 7-on-7s but also worked on
the side with Patton. "Lance's lower body is fine, he's doing
real well," Payton said. "Adrian needs to get his hamstring
right before he gets back out here." Moore said that he’s doing
what they let him, "They don't want me to have any contact
for another two weeks at least, so I won't be in team drills."
Brees expects big things from Robert Meachem this year, but
somehow it seems like we’ve heard that one before. "He's
somewhat of our big play guy, but ... I feel that he's starting to
move towards more of an every-down guy," Brees observed.
"He's getting to the point where he's a complete receiver." On
Saturday, Meachem caught a pair of long balls during one-onones beating cornerbacks Jason David and Reggie Jones.
TE: I suppose no news is good news when it comes to the
world of Jeremy Shockey. That appears to be the case in the
first few days of camp. Shockey had an opportunity on Friday
during team drills when he broke free after catching a short
pass over the middle, but LB Jonathan Vilma closed quickly
and ripped the ball loose for a fumble that was recovered by S
Roman Harper. Such has been the story for Shockey since
joining the Saints. On another play, Shockey didn’t come
down with a high, but catchable pass that was broken up by
Scott Shanle. For whatever reason, Shockey and Brees are still
searching for that elusive connection. Whatever Cajun mojo
Shockey lacks, Billy Miller oozes is. If Shockey can’t stay
healthy again, Miller will once again be a consistent target and
a worthy fantasy consideration.
Defense: As the team opened camp, new defensive
coordinator Gregg Williams made an open declaration to his
unit: “There are no starters ... everybody is interviewing ...
everybody is looking for their positions.” Williams went on to
add, “I like versatile players. Corners have to play safety;
safeties have to play corner; linebackers have to play
defensive end; defensive ends have to play linebacker. You'll
see defensive tackles move out and defensive ends move
inside.” Rookie first-round pick Malcolm Jenkins was absent
and still without a contract while Jonathan Vilma did more
than anticipated after having abdominal surgery on July 6.
Coach Payton said they cut Vilma’s reps back but he still
participated fully. Williams was happy with the first two days
of practice by the way his defense played. When asked who
won those practices, Williams quipped, "An honest answer?
It's not even close who won either practice." Williams
reportedly tracks who won every play in every practice.
Among the competitions in camp are at the starting corners
and left defensive end. Randall Gay, Tracy Porter, Jabari
Greer and Malcolm Jenkins are all in the mix for the starting
corners. Gay and Porter started during the spring, but who
wins this battle will likely come down to the two players that
prevent big plays the most consistently. At LDE, Bobby
McCray is competing with Charles Grant, who could miss the
first four games depending on the result of the Starcaps ruling.
If so, McCray has an open lane to the starting job. The New
Orleans Times-Picayune thinks that Anthony Hargrove could
be a hidden jewel and the sleeper of the offseason. In
Saturday’s practices, Porter, safety Roman Harper, Vilma and
fellow LB Scott Shanle and DT Kendrick Clancy all broke up
passes working against the first-team. Jason David got the
defense an interception, albeit against the second team (not
Brees).
Special Teams: After several years of question at kicker, the
Saints enter camp with the apparent answer, Garret Hartley, as
the only kicker on the roster. Although he was spotted fielding
punts in practice, he will stick to just kicking in game
situations. The main punt returner will once again be RB
Reggie Bush. The main kickoff returner will not be RB Pierre
Thomas, given his increased workload on offense. The team
will look elsewhere, just as they did when Thomas started at
RB late last year. That once again opens the door for WR
Courtney Roby or WR Skyler Green to earn a roster spot as
the primary kickoff returner. Roby is the initial favorite.
Although Green can also contribute on punt returns, he didn’t
help his case when he muffed several punts in one of the first
practices.
Saints Depth Chart
QB: Drew Brees, Mark Brunell, Joey Harrington
RB: Pierre Thomas, Reggie Bush (3RB), Mike Bell, Lynell
Hamilton, P.J. Hill, Herb Donaldson
FB: Heath Evans, Olaniyi Sobomehin
WR: Marques Colston, Lance Moore (PR) (inj), Devery
Henderson, Robert Meachem, Adrian Arrington (inj), Skyler
Green, Courtney Roby (KR), Paris Warren, D'Juan Woods,
Chris Vaughn
TE: Jeremy Shockey, Billy Miller, Dan Campbell, Darnell
Dinkins, Buck Ortega
K: Garrett Hartley
DT: Sedrick Ellis, Kendrick Clancy (NT), Remi Ayodele, Rod
Coleman, Demario Pressley
DE: Will Smith (susp), Charles Grant (susp), Bobby McCray,
Anthony Hargrove, Paul Spicer, Jeff Charleston, Jermey
Parnell
MLB: Jonathan Vilma, Mark Simoneau, Anthony Waters,
Stanley Arnoux (IR)
OLB: Scott Fujita (S), Scott Shanle (W), Troy Evans (W/S),
Marvin Mitchell (W), Jo-Lonn Dunbar, Jonathan Casillas
CB: Tracy Porter, Randall Gay, Jabari Greer, Malcolm
Jenkins (CB/FS), Jason David, Leigh Torrence, Danny Gorrer
S: Darren Sharper (FS), Roman Harper (SS), Pierson Prioleau
(SS), Usama Young (FS), Chip Vaughn (SS/FS), Chris Reis
(SS)
Coaches:
Head Coach: Sean Payton, Off Coord: Pete Carmichael, QB
Coach: Joe Lombardi, RB Coach: Bret Ingalls, WR Coach:
Curtis Johnson, TE Coach: Terry Malone, OL Coach: Aaron
Kromer, SpecTm Coach: Greg McMahon, Def Coord: Gregg
Williams, DL Coach: Bill Johnson, LB Coach: Joe Vitt, DB
Coach: Dennis Allen
New York Giants
QB: The big news through the first week of camp was off-thefield as Eli Manning was close to signing an extension for a
reported $97.5 million over six years. GM Jerry Reese
acknowledged the talks but was careful to say that a deal
wasn’t finalized yet. On the field, Manning and the passing
attack are off to a slow start. Ralph Vacchiano of the NY
Daily News noted that Tom Coughlin is already losing his
patience. “It’s obviously not in midseason form,” Tom
Coughlin said after the morning practice today. “It’s early, but
I’m not very patient. I’d like to see some progress. On offense
it’s got to be more than good play, bad play. We can make a
big play everybody remembers. But to me it’s ‘Come on back
and let’s get the next play. What are we going to do now?
Let’s feel good about making a big play, but let’s make
another one, not turn around and go backwards.” Rhett Bomar
is trying to supplant Andre Woodson as the 3rd QB and is
doing a fine job of it through the first week of camp. Bomar
has looked sharper and more decisive.
RB: No news is good news for the Giants ball carriers, as the
first few days have been quiet. Brandon Jacobs broke off a
long TD run on Tuesday morning, but wasn’t on the field
much beyond that. Ahmad Bradshaw is clearly being worked
into the passing game aggressively, and save for a few yips
here and there, he’s been solid running routes and catching the
ball away from his body.
WR: Steve Smith and Domenik Hixon opened camp as the
starters and nothing the other receivers have done in camp so
far would suggest they’re in danger of losing those jobs
anytime soon. Smith has been a model of consistency, save for
a two drop practice on Tuesday. That same day, Hixon had his
best showing so far including a deep TD catch as well as
several plays in tight against multiple defenders. Sinorice
Moss was considered the odd man out by most after the Giants
drafted Hakeem Nicks and Ramses Barden in April. But Moss
has been the star of OTAs and early training camp, making the
decision to get rid of him much harder. Rookie Hakeem Nicks
has been slow to make his mark, with only a handful of
receptions so far; none particularly noteworthy. Fellow rookie
Ramses Barden may struggle to make the active roster this
year. He’s been slow in and out of his cuts thus far.
TE: Not a lot to report on the tight end front yet. Kevin Boss
is clearly the #1 and has showed glimpses, but for every good
catch he’s made, there have been lapses in his blocking. Lee
Vickers is having a good stat to camp, but remains a long shot
to make the team.
Defense: Star DE Osi Umenyiora is back on the practice field,
a welcome sight after missing last year with a torn ACL. Osi
has looked good, and the coaches are keeping him fresh by
limiting his practice time. LB Antonio Pierce wants to bounce
back after an off 2008, and appears to have a clear path to
focus on football after a grand jury decided against indicting
him for his role in the Plaxico Burress gun case. The Giants
expect big things from S Kenny Phillips this season and he
appears ready to answer the call. Phillips made a statement
with not one, but two interceptions in the Giants opening
practice and hasn’t skipped a beat since. The competition at
WLB between Gerris Wilkinson and Bryan Kehl has been
one-sided in favor of Kehl so far. If B.K. can match this level
of intensity into the regular season, the Giants won’t miss
Michael Boley much while he rehabs.
Special Teams: After spending most of 2008 on the bench
watching John Carney, Lawrence Tynes is the only kicker in
camp. He discussed his goals for 2009, “I just want to have a
solid year. What was John last year [on field goals] -- 92
percent? That's the bar for this year. I'd like to be there or
higher. Hopefully, I'll get as many opportunities as he had.”
Both returner roles will be determined during the preseason.
During the first practice of camp, WR Domenik Hixon, WR
Sinorice Moss, WR Mario Manningham and RB Ahmad
Bradshaw work on punt returns. Seventh round draft pick CB
Stoney Woodson, WR Steve Smith and CB Aaron Ross are
also possibilities on punt returns. Bradshaw, Moss, and Hixon
should also be among the candidates on kickoff returns, along
with first round draft choice WR Hakeem Nicks and RB
Danny Ware.
Giants Depth Chart
QB: Eli Manning, David Carr, Rhett Bomar, Andre Woodson
RB: Brandon Jacobs, Ahmad Bradshaw (KR/3RB), Danny
Ware, Andre Brown, Allen Patrick
FB: Madison Hedgecock
WR: Domenik Hixon, Steve Smith, Mario Manningham,
Hakeem Nicks, Sinorice Moss, Ramses Barden, David Tyree,
Derek Hagan, Taye Biddle, Shaun Bodiford
TE: Kevin Boss, Travis Beckum (HB), Michael Matthews,
Darcy Johnson, Lee Vickers
K: Lawrence Tynes
DT: Fred Robbins, Barry Cofield (NT), Jay Alford, Rocky
Bernard, Jeremy Clark, Legeder Douzable
DE: Osi Umenyiora, Justin Tuck, Chris Canty, Mathias
Kiwanuka, Dave Tollefson, Jerome McDougle, Maurice
Evans, Robert Henderson, Tommie Hill
MLB: Antonio Pierce, Chase Blackburn (W), Jonathan Goff
OLB: Danny Clark (S), Michael Boley (W/s) (inj), Bryan
Kehl (W), Clint Sintim (S), Gerris Wilkinson (W), Zak
DeOssie, Kelvin Smith
CB: Aaron Ross, Corey Webster, Kevin Dockery, Terrell
Thomas, R.W. McQuarters (PR), DeAndre Wright, stoney
Woodson, Vince Anderson
S: Kenny Phillips (SS), Michael Johnson (FS), C.C. Brown
(SS), Kenny Ingram, Sha'Reff Rashad
Coaches:
Head Coach: Tom Coughlin, Off Coord: Kevin Gilbride, QB
Coach: Chris Palmer, RB Coach: Jerald Ingram, WR Coach:
Mike Sullivan, TE Coach: Mike Pope, OL Coach: Pat
Flaherty, SpecTm Coach: Tom Quinn, Def Coord: Bill
Sheridan, DL Coach: Mike Waufle, LB Coach: Jim Herrman,
DB Coach: Peter Giunta, DB Coach: David Merritt
New York Jets
QB: The Jets quarterback “competition” will be one of the
most critiqued in football this August. Mark Sanchez is the
anointed one while Kellen Clemens attempts to hold onto
whatever fragile grasp he may have on the starting job going
into camp. The results have been mixed so far. On Saturday,
Clemens had the first-team defense on their heels. During 7on-7 drills, Clemens hooked up with Brad Smith for a long
TD. Later, Sanchez had his turn. He shot a pass to David
Clowney, who made a nice catch and run. Then, he tried to
force a ball into Smith, but Dwight Lowery broke up the pass
in coverage. In the morning, Clemens had two interceptions
thrown, one that went back for a TD. Sanchez also had a pick.
Overall, Clemens finished 6-of-13 and Sanchez 4-of-11
combined between 9-on-9s and 11-on-11s. Clemens had a 60yard TD to Leon Washington and a 40-yard completion to
Jerricho Cotchery. On Sunday, Sanchez got the first team
reps and outshined Clemens. In the rain, Sanchez completed
6-of-9 connecting with Clowney for a 10-yard TD. Clemens
completed his first three before going south. He wound up 7of-14 with an interception giving him four picks in three days.
Sanchez seemed more content to check down on safer passes
to his backs and Clowney. He did make a nice throw deep to
Marcus Henry on a comeback. "He'll be getting more reps
with the 1s as we go on," Ryan said of Sanchez. "He's got a lot
of talent. He makes some throws that are hard to
make...Obviously, that's one of the reasons that we jumped up
and tried to go get him (in the draft)."
RB: The highlights from the first couple of days amongst the
RBs came down to Thomas Jones breaking his media
boycott on Friday and Shon Greene’s NFL welcome courtesy
of The Rex Box – a drill used by Rex Ryan pitting running
backs against blitzing defenders. In the drill, Greene was
rocked backward into the turf by DE Bryan Thomas. “That’s
what I like to call Run Over Drill, and that’s why we call it
Run Over Drill. Usually on offense, when you don’t have pads
on and the running backs are 1-on-1 with the linebackers, we
call that Run Away Drill. And when you gotta pass-block,
that’s Run Over Drill — they get ‘em back. Shonn’s got to
realize, oof, they’re not messing around over there. But it was
good, man,” Ryan said. “I tell you what. That’s exciting to me.
I love watching that drill, because you have to be an
unbelievable competitor to sit in there and take on some of
those big rushers. You see Thomas Jones, you see Leon, and
Shonn, too, to his credit, he got nailed, but he came right back.
I like the way our backs compete.” A lot of that, Rex beamed,
comes from his RBs coach, Anthony Lynn. “Anthony’s a
tough guy and they want to please him. Sometimes a coach
will rub off on a team.” Leon Washington arrived a day late
to training camp. On Sunday, Greene had a brief scare as he
crumpled to the ground after getting run over again in 1-on-1
pass blocking drills, this time by LB Kenwin Cummings.
Greene grabbed his right ankle in pain, tried to walk it off,
then hobbled off the field. A few minutes later, he was back
on the field and running as hard as ever. "Some guys would
say, 'I'm going to take this practice off,'" Ryan said. "That's not
this kid. He is a tough kid. He kind of rolled an ankle as
somebody was rolling him." Greene was run over by LB Larry
Izzo yet another time in the same drills, but none of it
dissuaded his confidence in protecting the quarterback. "I felt
pretty comfortable (at Iowa)," Greene said. "It's pretty much
going to be the same thing here. They're just bigger guys and
stuff and they're a lot quicker. So I just have to keep working
on it." Danny Woodhead missed some practice time after
taking a blow to the head, but he returned to the field after
sitting for a couple days.
WR: The Jets are trying to find the pecking order among the
receivers. Jerricho Cotchery is the clear #1, but Chansi
Stuckey, David Clowney, Brad Smith and Wallace Wright are
all competing for time alongside him. Rex Ryan thinks Smith
could be the team's No. 2 receiver, “I don't know if he is the
No. 3 guy because he might be the No. 2 guy. There is great
competition at that spot. He will be given every single chance
to be that guy.” On the first day of practice, Stuckey made a
good first impression with a 40-yard touchdown catch from
Sanchez over CB Lito Sheppard. Ryan talked a little more
about the No. 2 spot, “We have a lot of very capable guys,
whether it is (David) Clowney or (Chansi) Stuckey. Everyone
knows that Stuckey is a great receiver in the slot. It seems to
me that he should play in the slot. Clowney has great vertical
speed, so there he is. Then you (have) Brad (Smith) and
maybe somebody else will emerge. I am comfortable with
those guys. I really am. I think Wallace Wright did a lot of
great things in the minicamp then he came out yesterday (and
had) two drops. Now we have to work on being consistent
because he really did show a lot of good things in the
minicamp. Sometimes you take a little step back and then you
move forward. I'd like for him to take another jump as well.”
TE: On the first day of practice rookie J’Nathan Bullock came
up with a nice leaping catch from Erik Ainge between two
defenders as the crowd cheered loudly. The team was also
experimenting with Wayne Hunter, a backup lineman, as part
of their “Wild Hog” package. In this formation, Hunter was
motioning as a tight end with starter Dustin Keller lining up
off the line of scrimmage.
Defense: Eric Smith picked up in camp where he left off
during OTAs and minicamp; he’s an interception machine.
Smith and fellow safety Jim Leonhard earned big praise from
Coach Ryan for their instinctive play during the first few days.
“He disguises coverages better than anybody in the league
other than Ed Reed,” Ryan said of Leonhard, who along with
Darrelle Revis got off to white-hot starts. Revis and
Leonhard each have three interceptions in as many days. On
Day Two, NT Kris Jenkins, who checked into camp at a svelt
360 pounds, went down with a calf injury. Ryan said he might
be out longer than anticipated. "It could be a little longer
than I thought," said Ryan. "Sometimes those calves are a little
slower to heal." For now, he’s day-to-day. Sione Pouha will
get more snaps. Overall, the defense was ahead of the
offense on the first couple of days of camp. LB Bart Scott is
bringing some intensity. As if Shon Greene hadn’t been
thumped on enough, Scott yelled at Greene for not getting
back to the huddle quickly enough, giving him a nice shove.
Ryan heaped some unsolicited praise on Rutgers product
Jamaal Westerman, an undrafted rookie that caught Ryan's eye
at the team's rookie minicamp. "I'll be shocked if he doesn't
make a name for himself this year," Ryan said. "He is really
working good." Lastly, Vernon Gholston was quiet on the
first day of practice as he played behind Calvin Pace with the
second unit. On Sunday, Ryan went out of his way to
compliment Gholston despite his average first few days. "He's
a big physical guy that has all the tools," Ryan said. "We just
got to give him an opportunity. That's our job as coaches.
(Was it) merited when we made Haloti Ngata the starter in
Baltimore? Because what he did on college tape and what we
think he can do -- how we project him -- that's why he's the
starter. We did the same thing with Haloti. I think that worked
out pretty well for us." Ryan admitted to challenging Gholston
to run through people, which he did on one blitz when he went
over center Nick Mangold. "If he can move Nick Mangold
like that, he can move anybody," Ryan said. "That's what
we're trying to get. We're going to find out. We'll see. It's all
going to come out in the end. He's going to be our starter for
the first four games for sure. We'll evaluate him after those
games."
Special Teams: After driving a U-haul, golfing, and tweeting
his way up the east coast, Jay Feely arrived as the only kicker
in Jets camp. Mike Nugent had declined an offer to remain a
Jet during the off-season and headed down the east coast to
Tampa. Return specialist RB Leon Washington is looking for
a new contract and skipped the first day of camp, however he
arrived on day two. Both parties are still negotiating, and at
this juncture it looks like something will probably get worked
out and that a regular season holdout will not occur. Joining
Washington in returning kickoffs in a recent practice was RB
Danny Woodhead and CB Dwight Lowery. Joining him in
punt return practice was the likely primary backup, safety Jim
Leonhard who ended up returning punts for the Ravens
towards the end of last year.
Jets Depth Chart
QB: Kellen Clemens, Mark Sanchez, Erik Ainge, Chris
Pizzotti
RB: Thomas Jones, Leon Washington (3RB), Shonn Greene,
Danny Woodhead
FB: Tony Richardson, Jehuu Caulcrick
WR: Jerricho Cotchery, Chansi Stuckey, Brad Smith, David
Clowney, Wallace Wright, Marcus Henry, Aundrae Allison,
Huey Whittaker, Britt Davis
TE: Dustin Keller, Kareem Brown, J'Nathan Bullock, Kevin
Brock
K: Jay Feely
NT: Kris Jenkins, Sione Pouha, Howard Green
DE: Shaun Ellis, Marques Douglas, Jamaal Westerman, Mike
Devito, Zach Potter, Matt Kroul
ILB: Bart Scott, David Harris, Jason Trusnik, Kenwin
Cummings, Craig Kobel
OLB: Calvin Pace (susp), Bryan Thomas, Vernon Gholston,
Marques Murrell, Larry Izzo, Brandon Renkart, Brock
Christopher
CB: Darrelle Revis, Lito Sheppard, Dwight Lowery, Drew
Coleman, Ahmad Carroll, Donald Strickland
S: Jim Leonhard (SS/KR), Kerry Rhodes (FS), Eric Smith
(SS), Doug Ihedigbo (FS/CB), Emanuel Cook, Keith Fitzhugh
Coaches:
Head Coach: Rex Ryan, Off Coord: Brian Schottenheimer,
QB Coach: Matt Cavanaugh, RB Coach: Anthony Lynn, WR
Coach: Henry Ellard, TE Coach: Mike Devlin, OL Coach: Bill
Callahan, SpecTm Coach: Mike Westhoff, SpecTm Coach:
Kevin Odea, Def Coord: Mike Pettine, DL Coach: Kerry
Locklin, LB Coach: Bob Sutton, DB Coach: Dennis Thurman
Oakland Raiders
QB: JaMarcus Russell was sharp in Sunday’s practice
correcting receivers, throwing with accuracy and generally
playing better than he had in the previous practices. Russell
conceded reporting to camp heavier than hoped. On the
opening day of camp, Russell frequently took a knee during
practice, not exactly leading by example. Russell was asked
about competing with Jeff Garcia, “We’re all for the same
team and if he is going to push me to do my best, then if he
goes out there and does better than me that week, I'm going to
be his biggest cheerleader, but we’re all for the same team. I
wish him the best with whatever happens.” He continued,
“There's going to be a lot going on this year. You have a lot of
doubters counting the Raiders out. But it's the beginning of a
new year." This offseason, Russell hosted a passing camp for
his young receivers to build some chemistry down in
Alabama. Unfortunately, only Louis Murphy, Todd Watkins,
Will Franklin and Jonathan Holland attended. Tackle Mario
Henderson and WR Johnnie Lee Higgins both offered support
of their quarterback. On Thursday, the Raiders released
Andrew Walter leaving Charlie Frye and Bruce Gradkowski
to compete for the No. 3 job.
RB: After a few days of practice, the Raiders are clearly intent
on getting Darren McFadden more involved in the offense.
Head Coach Tom Cable confirmed via last year's game tapes
that the Raiders were indeed "noticeably better" when Darren
McFadden was on the field. Cable will call the plays this year
and he fully intends on using McFadden more as a runner,
receiver and even as a Wildcat quarterback. McFadden
frequently lined up as a wideout in practice. Cable was asked
if the Raiders will use a Wildcat formation. “I think there’s a
whole package of that you can do,” Cable said. “Right now
what I want to do is just get our base installation in and then
the situations taught, which is where we’re at right now, and
then from there, that’s down the road. That’s kind of extra.”
McFadden said he’s more comfortable this season and that the
turf toes are behind him. Justin Fargas is still very much in the
picture, along with Michael Bush, for touches, but McFadden
should top 200 carries, catch 40+ passes and probably throw
several passes as well. McFadden reported to camp thicker,
more muscular than last season and appeared to be in
excellent shape. FB Oren O'Neal practiced once a day during
the two-a-days as the team limits his reps at first.
WR: Chaz Schilens emerged, as expected, as the best receiver
on the team after the first four days of practice, continuing the
pace he set during offseason workouts. Darrius Heyward-Bey
struggled badly dropping three passes in an offense-only drill.
Owner Al Davis was looking on in attendance, and he stopped
to speak with Heyward-Bey and his position coach after
practice. What wasn’t expected was how well Javon Walker
looked working with trainers off to the side. Walker was seen
running with speed, cutting, jumping over blocks and working
hard. If Walker gives the team anything this year, it will be
like winning the lottery. While some of the young receivers
worked with Russell at his camp, Schilens was unable to
attend and worked out in San Diego, oddly enough, with Jeff
Garcia. "I heard they got some good work done (but) I was
able to throw with Jeff (Garcia)...a couple of times down in
San Diego," Schilens said. "That was good.” Johnnie Lee
Higgins projects as the Raiders starter at split end ahead of
Heyward-Bey, who may emerge and move Higgins inside to
the slot at some point. In one practice, Heyward-Bey got past
Stanford Routt during a drill that drew the praise of Willie
Brown, “He’s so fast and quick, got a nice release . . . we’ve
got something for you next week, though.” Routt slowed
Heyward-Bey with an initial shove moments later prompting
Brown to say, “Nice hands.” Routt agreed: “Gotta slow him
down.” Walker claims to have undergone some sort of secret
surgery this offseason, saying it is “something new” and that
it will “benefit a lot of athletes.” Walker wouldn't reveal any
details, not even what country it was performed. "I don't know
where it was done. I'm clueless." But Walker offered up this
nugget, “When they let me loose, it's on after that.” Murphy, a
fourth-round draft pick from Florida, has impressed, too.
"He's a guy that came out of a good program and is very
passionate about playing the game," Cable said. "For him, it's
just learning our offense, a new system for him and just keep
doing it but he's progressing very well." The Raiders released
Arman Shields.
TE: Zach Miller is expected to get more opportunities to
catch the ball this year with rookie Brandon Myers onboard.
Myers expects to be used strictly in a blocking capacity. Bill
Williamson, of ESPN.com, reported that Miller improved in
all phases of the game during the offseason, saying to "keep an
eye out for him."
Defense: To nobody’s surprise, the Raiders are reportedly
shopping DE Derrick Burgess around the league hoping to
get third- and fourth-round picks according to Adam Shefter,
via Twitter. Burgess was the only player under contract who
did not report for duty. "He is not here by choice," HC Tom
Cable said, who named Greg Ellis as the starting left defensive
end in his place. Ellis can play in either a 3-4 or 4-3 scheme,
meaning Jay Richardson, Trevor Scott and Matt Shaughnessy
will now compete for snaps at right end. Trevor Scott was
lining up as the starter at left end. Tommy Kelly got off to a
rocky start by jumping offside numerous times. Chris Johnson
and Stanford Routt are sharing snaps with the first team.
Johnson got a new contract in January, but this will be a tight
competition for the starting job. Ricky Brown worked at the
strongside and in the middle with the first team on the opening
day of camp, but Cable cautioned that depth charts won’t be
established until Monday at the earliest.
Special Teams: The Raiders have a very strong group at the
key special teams’ positions with punter Shane Lechler, kicker
Sebastian Janikowski, punt returner WR Johnnie Lee Higgins,
and kickoff returner CB Justin Miller. DB Tyvon Branch
should serve as the primary backup on returns. Traditional
practice didn’t occur during the first four days, as HC Tom
Cable implemented his classroom, techniques, and no-contact
approach to the start of camp. Lechler threw rather than kicked
the ball during punt drills, on which there was no subsequent
coverage. One player that did manage to make a showing on
returns in those circumstances was undrafted rookie WR Nick
Miller.
Raiders Depth Chart
QB: JaMarcus Russell, Jeff Garcia, Charlie Frye, Bruce
Gradkowski
RB: Darren McFadden, Justin Fargas, Michael Bush (FB),
Gary Russell, Louis Rankin
FB: Lorenzo Neal, Oren ONeal, Luke Lawton, Marcel Reece
WR: Chaz Schilens, Johnnie Lee Higgins (KR), Darrius
Heyward-Bey, Javon Walker (inj), Louis Murphy, Todd
Watkins, Will Franklin, Jonathan Holland, Shawn Bayes, Nick
Miller
TE: Zach Miller, Tony Stewart, Brandon Myers, Darrell
Strong
K: Sebastian Janikowski
DT: Tommy Kelly, Gerard Warren (NT), Terdell Sands (NT),
William Joseph, Ryan Boschetti, Desmond Bryant
DE: Greg Ellis, Trevor Scott, Derrick Burgess, Jay
Richardson, Matt Shaughnessy, Greyson Gunheim, Derrick
Gray
MLB: Kirk Morrison
OLB: Thomas Howard (W), Jon Alston (S), Ricky Brown
(S/M), Isaiah Ekejiuba (W), Slade Norris, Sam Williams,
David Nixon
CB: Nnamdi Asomugha, Chris Johnson, Stanford Routt,
Justin Miller (KR), Jason Horton, John Bowie
S: Hiram Eugene (FS), Michael Mitchell (SS), Tyvon Branch
(SS), Michael Huff (FS/SS), Jerome Boyd, Darrick Brown
Coaches:
Head Coach: Tom Cable, QB Coach: Paul Hackett, RB Coach:
Kelly Skipper, WR Coach: Sanjay Lal, TE Coach: Adam
Henry, OL Coach: Jim Michalczik, SpecTm Coach: John
Fassel, Def Coord: John Marshall, DL Coach: Dwaine Board,
LB Coach: Mike Haluchak, DB Coach: Lionel Washington
Philadelphia Eagles
QB: The QBs seem settled and in a groove through the first
week in camp. McNabb has been calm and on fire in 7-on-7
and 11-on-11 drills. He’s completed deep passes to just about
everyone that’s gotten reps with the first team. Kevin Kolb has
been sharp running the 2nd teamers, including some line of
scrimmage adjustments that got the team out of difficult
situations. On Saturday, Kolb hit Reggie Brown deep down
the sideline for a long score, and even threaded the needle for
a TD to (now waived) Marcus Thigpen over projected starter
Quintin Demps.
McNabb’s long-time protectors, Tra Thomas and Jon Runyan,
are no longer on the roster and their replacements have been a
mixed bag so far in camp. LT Jason Peters missed two days
with a sore quad, but returned to practice on Monday. Shawn
Andrews, who was supposed to move outside and start at RT,
has missed a majority of camp with a sore back. Turnstile
Winston Justice has started in his place and been shockingly
good, although Eagles fans won’t buy that until Justice plays
well when the games actually matter. OC Marty Mornhinweg
said, “It sounds kind of crazy, but he really is a good pass
protector now. I've been impressed with Winston. There's no
question he has dramatically improved his game. Sometimes it
takes guys until their fourth or fifth year before it clicks for
them. I think it has clicked for Winston.”
RB: All eyes have been on Brian Westbrook as he works with
trainers on the side of practice. He’s been doing a multitude of
agility and strength drills, but the coaches have made no
indication of when we can expect Westbrook back in practice.
Rookie LeSean McCoy has been a bright spot in the first week
of camp. "LeSean is doing a terrific job up-to-date, and we ask
an awful lot of the halfback spot in our offense. The protection
part is taxing mentally and he's picked that up very well,” said
Mornhinweg. “We move him outside strong, outside weak,
inside strong, inside weak, we motion him out of the backfield
and he's done an excellent job with that. Now, that's not to say
he's not making some mistakes but, the mistakes that he's
making are minimal and correctable. He's doing a fine job. I've
been impressed with LeSean." Donovan McNabb is pleased
with both McCoy and new fullback Leonard Weaver. "We
have another dimension with Weaver. He can play the tailback
position, he can play the fullback position, he can catch the
ball out of the backfield, he's picking up blitzes for us, doing a
great job with that. So that helps us in so many ways, to be
able to have a versatile guy like that."
WR: 1st round pick Jeremy Maclin missed the start of camp
because his contract wasn’t done, but the team got a 5-year,
$15.5mm deal completed over the weekend. DeSean Jackson
has gotten better; a scary thought for NFC East defensive
backs. In Friday practice, Jackson caught a McNabb pass 40
yards downfield and ran away from the CB and safety on his
way to a 70-yard score. Kevin Curtis seems fully recovered
from his sports hernia that robbed him of his explosiveness
last year. On Monday in 11-on-11 drills, McNabb completed a
70-yard bomb to Curtis who beat Rashad Baker deep. There’s
really no clear-cut separation between the other WRs
currently, which is actually good news for Reggie Brown.
TE: Rookie Cornelius Ingram has been a surprise to many,
because he missed last year with an ACL injury. He’s
noticeably more athletic than the other TEs in camp, including
starter Brent Celek, and has made some highlight catches
including what would’ve been a TD from Donovan McNabb
during goal-line drills.
Defense: The Eagles suffered a blow early in camp as MLB
Stewart Bradley tore his ACL and is lost for the season. The
Eagles moved quickly to sign Matt Wilhelm for depth, but Joe
Mays and Omar Gaither will compete for the starting role. On
a positive front, CB Asante Samuel was back in practice after
missing two days with a sore hamstring. Trent Cole has been
more vocal in practice, as has S Quinten Mikell. Mikell looks
ready to take over Brian Dawkins role in the secondary as the
quarterback of the defense. On a coaching note, new DC Sean
McDermott has been all over the field, and appears a bit more
hands on than his predecessor, the late and great Jim Johnson.
Special Teams: David Akers is the only kicker on the roster.
Punter Sav Rocca will share the workload with camp leg Ken
Parrish. On fan night, Rocca bested Parrish by being the first
to land a punt in the luxury boxes. Last year, the Eagles finally
found the long sought after return game with safety Quintin
Demps on kickoff returns and WR DeSean Jackson on punt
returns. Although both are presently designated as starters in
those roles again, that could change since they are also starters
at their respective defensive and offensive positions. Next in
line on returns would be trade acquisition CB Ellis Hobbs on
kickoffs and first round draft pick WR Jeremy Maclin on
punts. Special teams coordinator Ted Daisher described how
the final determination will be made, "That's real easy,"
Daisher said. "When (head coach) Andy (Reid) says he's out
there, he's out there. When Andy says he's not, he's not. That's
just the way it is."
Eagles Depth Chart
QB: Donovan McNabb, Kevin Kolb, A.J. Feeley
RB: Brian Westbrook (inj), LeSean McCoy, Lorenzo Booker,
Marcus Thigpen
FB: Leonard Weaver, Kyle Eckel, Dan Klecko (DT), Marcus
Mailei
WR: DeSean Jackson (PR), Kevin Curtis, Jeremy Maclin
(KR), Reggie Brown, Jason Avant, Hank Baskett, Brandon
Gibson, Brandon Robinson
TE: Brent Celek, Matt Schobel, Cornelius Ingram, Eugene
Bright
K: David Akers, Sam Swank
DT: Brodrick Bunkley, Mike Patterson, Trevor Laws, Willie
Williams
DE: Trent Cole, Victor Abiamiri (inj), Juqua Parker, Chris
Clemons, Darren Howard (DT), Bryan Smith, Jason Babin,
Josh Gaines
MLB: Joe Mays, Omar Gaither (W/M), Matt Wilhelm,
Stewart Bradley (inj)
OLB: Chris Gocong (S/DE), Akeem Jordan (W), Tank
Daniels (S/M), Moise Fokou, Tracy White
CB: Asante Samuel, Sheldon Brown, Joselio Hanson, Ellis
Hobbs (KR/PR), Jack Ikegwuonu, Victor Harris, Courtney
Robinson
S: Quintin Mikell (SS), Quintin Demps (FS/KR), Sean Jones
(FS), Rashad Baker, Reshard Langford
Coaches:
Head Coach: Andy Reid, Off Coord: Marty Mornhinweg, QB
Coach: James Urban, RB Coach: Ted Williams, WR Coach:
David Culley, TE Coach: Tom Melvin, OL Coach: Juan
Castillo, SpecTm Coach: Ted Daisher, DL Coach: Rory
Segrest, LB Coach: Bill Shuey, DB Coach: Sean McDermott
Pittsburgh Steelers
QB: Ben Roethlisberger made the news before training camp
began, but not for a good reason. He was accused of sexual
assault in a civil lawsuit filed in Nevada. Roethlisberger
apologized to his teammates for the questions they had to face
regarding his situation, and he told his teammates his side of
the story during the team's first meeting of the preseason. "It
means a great deal," Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward said.
"You can step up and instead of hearing what we're hearing on
the news you really want to know what happened. We as
players, we understand, that can happen to anyone. He said his
piece and we're moving on from it.". Roethlisberger wasn't a
man of many words when answering questions about the
lawsuit. Head coach Mike Tomlin dismissed the possibility of
the lawsuit becoming a distraction. "I understand it's that time
of year and it's something to talk about, but it's not going to be
an issue for us. It's really not," Tomlin said. "If this derails our
football team, then we've got a lot more problems than this
story." The Steelers have been mentioned a lot as a possible
destination for Michael Vick. Tomlin had a predictable
response, "I'll say this, we'll be prudent and do our due
diligence as far as exploring people that could potentially help
us win, guys who can throw, run, catch, block, tackle on a
professional level. I'm just focused on the Steelers that are
here and not interested in discussing potential free agents."
The Steelers apparently will not follow the current trend
towards using the Wildcat formation that is sweeping the
NFL. OC Bruce Arians is clear on his views, “I’m not a
Wildcat guy, and Dennis (Dixon) would get broken in half.”
Dixon has to worry about beating out Charlie Batch for the
backup QB job, and so far, he hasn't done much to give Batch
concern.
RB: Rashard Mendenhall and Willie Parker are both in great
shape. It’s the best Parker has felt in two years, and
Mendenhall says he is in even better shape than last year.
Parker is the clear-cut starter, but welcomed the idea of
Mendenhall getting significant work. "It's a long season, (and)
most NFL teams are merging into a two-back system," said
Parker, who is going into the final year of his deal with the
Steelers, "so I think it would be great for me not to get as
many carries as I got two years ago." Anyone who wrestled
with the Steelers RB situation will tell you not to forget
Mewelde Moore, and OC Bruce Arians agrees. “If we didn’t
have Mewelde last season,” Arians said, “we wouldn’t have
been in the Super Bowl.” Moore should get some work on
third down, and if Parker goes down, he could be a very
valuable back in PPR leagues. Rookie running back Frank
“The Tank” Summers got his "welcome to the NFL, rookie"
moment out of the way. CB William Gay lowered his shoulder
into the 5-foot-10, 240-pound rookie during a running play
near the end of an early practice, causing a fumble. Summers
outweighs Gay by 50 pounds, but that didn't stop Gay from
attacking him. “When you carry a nickname like ‘The Tank,’
guys are going to try you,” Tomlin said. “They want him to
prove that that nickname is earned. That’s the story of the
National Football League. This is a show-me game. He’s
starting to understand that.” One last running back note, 6-
foot, 230-pound rookie free agent running back Isaac Redman
of Bowie State is turning heads. He is his school's career
rushing leader.
WR: The starting WRs are settled; Hines Ward and Santonio
Holmes. But, the third wide receiver job is up in the air
between Limas Sweed and Shaun McDonald. Sweed has been
the subject of a lot of attention at camp. Scott Hanson, from
the NFL Network, said that one team official told him to
watch Sweed because he has put in a ton of work this
offseason, but a former Browns and Ravens scout said that a
league source told him that the team was worried about
Sweed's demeanor and fit. For the most part, Sweed has been
terrific in camp, making acrobatic catches that get the crowd
fired up. "Night and day," Sweed said, describing the
difference in his comfort level between last year and this year.
Steelers beat writer Jim Wexell commented on Twitter that
third-round pick Mike Wallace is the fastest WR in the history
of the team after he beat Joe Burnett by five yards on a deep
route. Maybe that's hyperbole, but he's the fastest WR they
have right now for sure. Steelers college scout Dan Rooney Jr.
has been given credit for finding undrafted free agent Tyler
Grisham, a great blocker and possession receiver who is trying
to beat the odds and make the team.
TE: It was a big week for Heath Miller, who got a six year,
$35.3 million dollar contract with a $12.5 million dollar
signing bonus. The contract is the third highest in the league at
TE in total value, and fifth highest in annual value. Miller is
being eased back into the mix at training camp because he is
recovering from offseason sports hernia surgery, the same type
of surgery he was coming back from when the Steelers drafted
him in the first round of the 2005 draft. Coach Tomlin
commented, “He did have surgery. I don’t know if it was
directly related to what he dealt with in the past. We were
quickly able to address it because he’s familiar with what it
felt like. Notice that he didn’t go the last couple of Organized
Team Activities. We had it looked at. We acted pretty quickly
and got it out of the way. He should be ready to go but we’re
going to proceed with caution with him to make sure that
when fatigue sets in we don’t move backward instead of
forward.” Seventh round pick TE/H-back David Johnson from
Arkansas State has had a good early camp according to
observers and could help the running game as a blocker.
Defense: There haven't been any major injuries yet, but the
Steelers did keep Lawrence Timmons out of practice after he
had cramps caused by dehydration over the weekend. Coach
Mike Tomlin said the Steelers were simply being cautious
with Timmons. Strong safety Troy Polamalu and cornerback
Deshea Townsend participated in most of the early practices
while they are trying to recover from hamstring pulls. Unlike
years past, DT Casey Hampton passed the run test. Tomlin
said he was pleased with Hampton's conditioning; last year,
Hampton opened camp on the physically unable to perform
(PUP) list after he arrived to camp grossly out of shape. Firstround pick Ziggy Hood is making his mark at St. Vincents. “I
just watched the film and he really did have a good practice,”
said one team source. “He was throwing people around,” said
another. Hood denied it. “I wouldn’t say 'Throwing people
around’; I was probably getting thrown around a bit myself.”
Hood beat fellow rookie Kraig Urbik so bad in one-on-ones
that Tomlin immediately went to Urbik to correct him. Hood
is doing well, but he's not letting it go to his head. “Even I
needed to watch the film before I felt good about the practice,”
Hood said. “Overall, I felt I had a great practice, but I’m
always more concerned about getting better in the next
practice.”
Special Teams: Kicker Piotr Czech will pull double duty as a
camp leg. In addition to spelling starter Jeff Reed on kicking
tasks, he’ll also assist with some punting chores since starter
Daniel Sepulveda is coming off a year lost to a torn ACL.
Training camp will once again involve a competition for the
return roles. The two primary candidates are both rookies:
fifth round draft pick CB Joe Burnett and third round draft
pick WR Mike Wallace. The dark horse candidate is RB
Stefan Logan from the CFL; however a mid-foot sprain has
placed him on the PUP list and made his odds that much
longer. If none of them pan out, RB Mewelde Moore and WR
Santonio Holmes remain as possibilities once again.
Steelers Depth Chart
QB: Ben Roethlisberger, Charlie Batch, Dennis Dixon, Mike
Reilly
RB: Willie Parker, Mewelde Moore (3RB), Rashard
Mendenhall, Justin Vincent, Stefan Logan, Isaac Redman
FB: Carey Davis (RFA), Frank Summers
WR: Hines Ward, Santonio Holmes, Limas Sweed, Mike
Wallace, Shaun McDonald, Dallas Baker, Martin Nance,
Brandon Williams, Tyler Grisham, Steven Black
TE: Heath Miller, Matt Spaeth, David Johnson, Sean McHugh
(FB/TE) (RFA), Dezmond Sherrod
K: Jeff Reed, Piotr Czech
NT: Casey Hampton, Chris Hoke, Ra'Shon Harris, Scott
Paxson
DE: Aaron Smith, Evander Hood, Brett Keisel, Travis
Kirschke, Nick Eason, Steve McClendon
ILB: James Farrior, Lawrence Timmons, Keyaron Fox
OLB: James Harrison (W), LaMarr Woodley (S), Bruce Davis
(S), Patrick Bailey, Arnold Harrison, Donovan Woods,
Andrew Schwartz
CB: Ike Taylor, William Gay, Deshea Townsend, Keenan
Lewis, Anthony Madison, Keiwan Ratliff (FS/CB), Joe
Burnett (KR)
S: Troy Polamalu (SS), Ryan Clark (FS), Tyrone Carter
(FS/CB), Roy Lewis, Ryan Mundy, Derrick Richardson
Coaches:
Head Coach: Mike Tomlin, Off Coord: Bruce Arians, QB
Coach: Ken Anderson, RB Coach: Kirby Wilson, WR Coach:
Randy Fichtner, TE Coach: James Daniel, OL Coach: Larry
Zierlein, SpecTm Coach: Bob Ligashesky, Def Coord: Dick
LeBeau, DL Coach: John Mitchell, LB Coach: Keith Butler,
DB Coach: Ray Horton
St. Louis Rams
QB: So far, the Rams quarterback play has been nondescript.
On Saturday morning, they completed 17-of-22 in one-on-one
drills. Marc Bulger was 4-for-4, Brock Berlin 6-for-9, and
Keith Null 7-for-9. Kyle Boller was working elsewhere in a
different drill. On Thursday afternoon, it was the competition
between Berlin and Null for the third spot that was of interest.
In one practice, Kyle Boller threw up an offering to safety
Craig Dahl who stepped in front of Brooks Foster for the pick.
Thursday morning, Bulger and Boller were on hand, but
Berlin and Null took nearly all of the reps in team drills. David
Roach picked off a Null pass in the end zone. Null is
attempting to make the switch from a spread offense at West
Texas A&M to the West Coast offense the Rams have
installed under new OC Pat Shurmur.
RB: Steven Jackson showed up to camp excited and ready to
put the pads on and play right away. “I just hope everyone has
their chinstraps buckled,” Jackson said. By Saturday, Jackson
was getting a little chippy after taking some big hits by the
defense. HC Steve Spagnuolo encouraged the team to play
physically, setting the tone for his style of camp. Jackson said
the only thing he did differently during the offseason was
weight training. He had a more aggressive approach this year
than in the past. "The past three or four years I really focused
on trying to just work conditioning and make sure my lungs
are strong, but this year I really focused on weight lifting and
making sure I am strong.'' Asked whether he feels leaner,
Jackson said, "My body fat is still five percent. But, I do feel
leaner." Spagnuolo didn’t have to wait to assess Jackson's
readiness. Spags bumped into Jackson running on a treadmill
late one night a few days before camp opened. "I thought he
was great when he came through the door two days ago,''
Spagnuolo said. "He was on the treadmill at 10 o'clock one
night before we even started, so I think he's ready." On
Monday, Samkon Gado was taken down hard on a carry and
was shaken up, but continued to practice. Saturday morning,
Gado was getting a lot of reps as the team seemed to be using
Jackson and Kenneth Darby lightly. Last Thursday, rookie
Chris Ogbonnaya was the only back active for the day’s two
practices. Ogbonnaya wasn’t complaining, “Just to get that
one-on-one time with Coach Croom is good,” Ogbonnaya
said. “Without all the other running backs, you can talk to him
a little more. It definitely helped.”
WR: As camp opened on Friday, it was Laurent Robinson,
and not Keenan Burton, that lined up across from Donnie
Avery as the starting wideout. It was commonly believed that
Burton had an edge on the starting job, but Robinson
apparently has the first crack after Burton missed spring
practices with hamstring problems. Ronald Curry also should
figure into the mix. As for Burton, make no mistake, he wants
to start. He made it crystal clear he wants the starting job on
opening day. “That’s definitely my goal,” Burton said. “You
always want to be the one that starts the game. Competition
brings the best out of you. You can’t do anything but come out
here and compete and try to win a job.” Three young
receivers: Sean Walker, Nate Jones and Jarrett Byers are
making good impressions as they compete for a roster spot.
Jones made a couple of nice catches on Saturday. Walker
looked good on Thursday afternoon playing in shorts and
shells. On Saturday morning, Donnie Avery stood out while
working against Ron Bartell, once turning Bartell completely
inside out on a corner-type move. Curry looked good in
passing drills working against the inexperienced Quincy
Butler, while Nate Jones once again stood out.
TE: Randy McMichael hopes to rejuvenate his career after
missing almost all of last season due to injury. McMichael is
slated to start with Joel Klopfenstein backing him up along
with Daniel Fells and Billy Bajema competing for a spot. On
Saturday, McMichael got a lot of looks during 7-on-7s and
Daniel Fells was making nice plays after the catch.
Defense: So far so good for DTs Clifton Ryan and Adam
Carriker, both players are off to good starts in camp. DE
James Hall is showing off his versatility and Coach Spagnuolo
likes what he’s seeing as Hall has been working inside and
outside during practices. Saturday morning, Ron Bartell did
some trash talking to Donnie Avery. "He got me on a double
move in one-on-ones," Bartell said. "I told him you get a little
pass rush out there, and it's different. You don't have as much
time." Bartell is a fan of the new defense installed by DC Ken
Flajole and HC Spagnuolo. "It fits us well. I think we have the
athletes to fly around and play a lot faster." On Saturday, LBs
David Vobora, Chris Draft and Will Witherspoon took most
of the first-team snaps. "In this league you settle on three
starters at linebacker, and then anybody that backs up has got
to play them all," said Coach Steve Spagnuolo on how he
handles the backup linebacking positions. Larry Grant worked
with the first team on the strongside on Friday, with Draft and
Witherspoon at the other spots.Grant seems to be the leader at
SLB for now with Vobora pushing him. LB James Laurinaitis
worked with the first team on Saturday afternoon. James
Butler picked off a Marc Bulger pass in the end zone during
team drills and Justin King had his best practice of the
offseason on Saturday afternoon. Oshiomogho Atogwe made
the play of the day with a diving interception on Friday, while
rookie Darell Scott made a favorable impression in live drills.
Special Teams: Josh Brown is the only kicker in camp and
Donnie Jones is the only punter. Although HC Steve
Spagnuolo would consider adding a camp leg if absolutely
needed, he noted, “When the NFL decided to change the rule
and limit it to 80, one person actually makes a big difference.”
WR Derek Stanley is back after undergoing knee surgery at
the end of last year. The return specialist role is his job to lose.
He noted, "The knee's great, in real good shape. It's just a
matter of being able to handle the load during these two-adays. We'll have to gauge during camp how much I'll do,
where I'll back off in places. But I think I'll definitely be ready
to go…. I definitely believe I can be a big key to this team in
the return game." He was joined on punt returns in a recent
practice by WRs Donnie Avery and Ronald Curry.
Rams Depth Chart
QB: Marc Bulger, Kyle Boller, Keith Null, Brock Berlin
RB: Steven Jackson, Kenneth Darby (3RB), Antonio Pittman,
Sam Gado, Chris Ogbonnaya (3RB)
FB: Mike Karney, Chris Massey (LS), Jerome Johnson
WR: Donnie Avery, Laurent Robinson, Keenan Burton,
Ronald Curry, Derek Stanley, Brooks Foster, Tim Carter, Nate
Jones, Sean Walker, Jarrett Byers, Quentin Chaney
TE: Randy McMichael, Joe Klopfenstein, Daniel Fells, Billy
Bajema, Eric Butler
K: Josh Brown
DT: Adam Carriker, Clifton Ryan (NT), Antwon Burton (NT),
Dorell Scott, Hollis Thomas, Claude Wroten (susp), Mike
Newkirk
DE: Chris Long, Leonard Little, Victor Adeyanju, James Hall
(DT), C.J. Ah You, Eric Moore, Ian Campbell
MLB: James Laurinaitis (M/S), David Vobora (S/M),
Dominic Douglas
OLB: Will Witherspoon (W), Chris Draft (S/M), Larry Grant
(S), Chris Chamberlain (W), Quinton Culberson (S),
Ekenemchukwu Asiodu
CB: Ronald Bartell, Jonathan Wade, Tye Hill, Justin King,
Bradley Fletcher, Quincy Butler, Cordelius Parks
S: Oshiomogho Atogwe (FS), James Butler (SS), Todd
Johnson (SS), Eric Bassey (FS), Craig Dahl, Marcus Brown,
Mark Rubin (SS)
Coaches:
Head Coach: Steve Spagnuolo, Off Coord: Pat Shurmur, QB
Coach: Dick Curl, RB Coach: Sylvester Croom, WR Coach:
Charlie Baggett, TE Coach: Leonard Frank, OL Coach: Steve
Loney, SpecTm Coach: Tom McMahon, Def Coord: Ken
Flajole, DL Coach: Brendan Daly, LB Coach: Paul Ferraro,
DB Coach: Andre Curtis, DB Coach: Clayton Lopez
San Diego Chargers
QB: Philip Rivers is coming off a season where he led the
NFL in touchdown passes and passer rating. While he had a
stellar 2008 season, his offseason review of the game film
indicated that most of his missed passes were intended for the
running backs. He’s therefore focusing on becoming more
accurate on his short and intermediate throws to his running
backs. In his first 48 NFL starts, he has 33 wins (in the modern
era, only Ben Roethlisberger and Dan Marino had more), a
passer rating of 92.9 (only Marino’s was higher), and a TDINT ratio of 2.16 (nobody has been better). He will wear a
brace on his right knee again this season, as he did last year.
Billy Volek and Charlie Whitehurst are the second and third
quarterbacks on the depth chart, respectively. Volek is an
above average backup with some starting experience on his
résumé, but there is still a huge drop-off from Rivers to Volek.
Keeping Rivers healthy will be key to any Super Bowl
aspirations the team has.
RB: LaDainian Tomlinson, now 30 years old, is eager to
prove he can bounce back from a subpar 2008, when toe and
groin injuries limited his effectiveness. He had only 17 runs of
10+ yards last season, the fewest in his career by far. He’s
always worked hard during the offseason, but spent more time
in the weight room this year than in the past, and showed up at
camp looking more cut than usual. Tomlinson’s backup,
Darren Sproles, outplayed Tommlinson last season and many
are expecting him to play a larger role in the offense this
season. Coach Norv Turner, however, has emphasized that a
healthy Tomlinson will get a bigger workload than he had last
year and that Sproles’ greatest value is in the return game. The
team will pick its spots with him on offense. The Chargers
used the franchise tag to keep Sproles from bolting for a team
likely to give him a bigger role in the offense. Rookie Gartrell
Johnson and 31-year-old Michael Bennett provide insurance;
at least one of them would likely rotate with Sproles if
Tomlinson becomes unavailable. Johnson’s bruising style
started turning heads once the pads went on, and Bennett has
impressed the coaches with his quickness. He entered the
league the same time Tomlinson did, but has far less tread on
his tires. At fullback, Jacob Hester is ten pounds heavier this
season. Mike Tolbert, who started the first twelve games of
the 2008 season, is on the bubble to make the final roster.
WR: Vincent Jackson, Malcom Floyd, and Legedu Naanee
have all made highlight reel-worthy catches early in training
camp. Jackson was arrested in January for his second DUI
offense, but his appeal won’t be heard until after the 2009
season, making a suspension this year unlikely. He may be
suspended in 2010, pending the outcome of his appeal. Chris
Chambers was slowed by a midseason ankle injury in 2008,
and finished with a career-low 33 receptions. He had a quiet
season – he caught fewer than three passes in eight of the 14
regular season games he played in – but may benefit from
Vincent Jackson’s emergence since opposing defenses roll
their coverages toward Jackson. Craig Davis, the Chargers’
first-round pick in 2007, has been impressive early in training
camp. He’s been unable to stay healthy thus far in his career,
but he’s got the speed and hands to be an effective slot
receiver if he can avoid the injury bug. Unfortunately, he’s
already missed this Monday’s practice with a tight quadriceps
muscle.
TE: Antonio Gates is sporting a more chiseled look this
season. During the spring, he rehabbed the sprained ankle that
limited him in 2008; and as long as he had to be in the weight
room, he decided to work on his upper body strength as well.
At 263 pounds, he’s added some weight while decreasing his
body fat, and expects the added strength to help him get more
movement in his blocks. UDFA Kory Sperry, a tall, athletic
pass-catcher, is probably the undrafted rookie most likely to
make the final roster.
Defense: The big news on defense is the return of outside
linebacker Shawne Merriman. He played in only one game
last season before undergoing surgery to repair two ligaments
in his left knee. Merriman, Shaun Phillips, and rookie Larry
English may all be on the field at once in certain packages in
an effort to generate a strong pass rush, which was lacking last
year. At safety, there is a three-way battle between Clinton
Hart, Steve Gregory, and rookie Kevin Ellison for the starting
position opposite Eric Weddle. Steve Gregory is off to a great
start; he stole the show at Sunday’s practice, breaking up two
passes and picking off another. All three will likely see action
in various personnel groupings. At inside linebacker, Matt
Wilhelm was released before the start of training camp. Freeagent acquisition Kevin Burnett will compete with veteran
Tim Dobbins to start alongside Stephen Cooper. Whoever
wins that battle, Burnett will see action on passing downs. 33
year-old nose tackle Jamal Williams is healthier than he’s
been in years. His knees gave him trouble in 2007, and he
played through a triceps injury in 2008; but he’s reportedly 20
pounds lighter this year and participated fully in each of the
first five training camp practices. Jacques Cesaire enters
training camp as the starting right defensive end. He’ll face
challenges from Ryon Bingham and rookie Vaughn Martin for
playing time. CB Antonio Cromartie played last season with a
fractured hip, and was distracted by off-the-field issues
(including five paternity suits). His rigorous offseason
workouts, he hopes, will help him return to the Pro Bowl-level
he showed in 2006.
Special Teams: The Chargers fantasy special teams scenario
is simple. Nate Kaeding is the kicker and RB Darren Sproles
is the return specialist. Both are good. Kaeding is the only
kicker on the roster. The one concern regarding Sproles is that
based upon results last year; he could see an increased
workload on offense, and subsequently less work on returns.
HC Norv Turner suggested otherwise, “Darren is going to
complement [LaDainian Tomlinson]. But Darren's starting
point is in the return game and we'll pick our spots with him
on offense." Sproles has already assessed the resulting impact
of a rule change eliminating blocking wedges on returns,
“Without a third (blocker) there floating, you’ve got to hit it
quick. Right when they lock on, that’s when you’ve got to
go. Before, when they locked on was when I was starting to
get going.” Training camp will be opportunity to see who will
backup Sproles on returns. One possibility is CB Antonio
Cromartie who has been practicing on punt returns.
Chargers Depth Chart
QB: Philip Rivers, Billy Volek, Charlie Whitehurst
RB: LaDainian Tomlinson, Darren Sproles (KR/PR), Jacob
Hester, Michael Bennett, Gartrell Johnson, Curtis Brinkley
FB: Mike Tolbert, Billy Latsko, William Rentmeeser
WR: Chris Chambers, Vincent Jackson, Malcom Floyd, Craig
Davis, Legedu Naanee, Kassim Osgood, Demetrius Byrd,
Gary Banks, Charles Martin, Greg Carr, Rodriqus Smith
TE: Antonio Gates, Brandon Manumaleuna, Kris Wilson
(FB), Kory Sperry, Jerimiah Wurzbacher, Charles Davis
K: Nate Kaeding
NT: Jamal Williams, Ryon Bingham, Ian Scott, Ogemdi
Nwagbuo
DE: Luis Castillo, Jacques Cesaire, Vaughn Martin, Keith
Grennan, Andre Coleman
ILB: Stephen Cooper, Tim Dobbins, Kevin Burnett, Brandon
Siler, Darry Beckwith
OLB: Shawne Merriman, Shaun Phillips (W), Larry English
(W), Jyles Tucker (S), Antwan Applewhite (S), Erik Bakhtiari,
James Holt
CB: Quentin Jammer, Antonio Cromartie, Antoine Cason,
Cletis Gordon, Brandon Hughes, Wopamo Osaisa, Ramarcus
Brown
S: Eric Weddle (FS), Clinton Hart (SS), Kevin Ellison (SS),
Steve Gregory (FS), Paul Oliver, Claude Spillman
Coaches:
Head Coach: Norv Turner, Off Coord: Clarence Shelmon, QB
Coach: John Ramsdell, RB Coach: Ollie Wilson, WR Coach:
Charlie Joiner, TE Coach: Rob Chudzinski, OL Coach: Hal
Hunter, SpecTm Coach: Steve Crosby, Def Coord: Ron
Rivera, DL Coach: Don Johnson, LB Coach: John Pagano, DB
Coach: Steven Wilks
San Francisco 49ers
QB: Through the first handful of days in camp, the 49ers
battle at quarterback is about what we expected. Shaun Hill
has looked better in some practices, while Alex Smith has
flashed his strong arm and pedigree that made him the top pick
at other times. On Monday, Hill looked better in the
morning practice. He was able to evade the rush and adjust
within the pocket. Hill's best throw was a 40-yarder to
Brandon Jones. He finished 5-of-6 in the session. The same
thing on Saturday morning – Hill got the better of Smith.
Hill checked down less frequently and seemed to get to his
reads quicker. It didn’t hurt that he had better protection
working with the first team offensive line most of the time.
When Hill was asked about the competition he said, “I keep
hearing, ‘It’s your to lose. I’ve been taking the approach of,
‘It’s mine to take.’” Head coach Mike Singletary didn’t have
much of an opinion at that juncture, "I'm not in the business of
guessing. Right now, I don't want to guess I want to see these
guys compete." Rookie Nate Davis and veteran Damon Huard
also took a couple of turns. Davis showed his big arm
completing his first pass for a 30-yard gain to TE Bear Pascoe.
Then, his second pass came out late and was tipped, then
picked off by Curtis Taylor. As for Smith, on Saturday hours
after being booed, he came right back with two nice throws –
one was a 40-yard spiral to Brandon Jones. A few minutes
later, Smith launched a deep throw off a flea-flicker to Jones
for a 60-yard TD. The crowd went gaga. Smith said earlier in
the day, “You’re going to go a couple of quarters when you’re
not playing well and you’ve got to be able to come back.
That’s how it’s going to be on game day.” Singletary had this
to say on the crowd booing Smith: “I think it’s outstanding
because Alex needs to learn how to deal with it. The fans,
that’s what they are here for, that’s what they do. They are
fans. The most important thing for Alex is to know it is going
to happen. He just needs to move forward and keep getting
better and overcome those little idiosyncrasies in his mind.”
RB: As of Saturday morning, Frank Gore was the most
polished player on the field. Gore showed good vision
finding holes during run drills and broke off several long runs.
Gore appears to be in tiptop shape after spending time with his
old conditioning coach at the University of Miami. Gore said
it involved “a whole body workout” and plenty of running in
sand. One of the beat reporters noted that after the first few
days of camp, the team’s run blocking seemed to dominate
practice. One of the more impressive backs has been undrafted
rookie Kory Sheets. So far, Sheets has played more snaps than
Thomas Clayton. His quickness has stood out and some even
think he looks better than third-round pick Glen Coffee.
Fullback Moran Norris was absent for the first couple of days
for personal reasons. Mike Singletary was aware of the
situation and excused him. Upon his return, Norris made an
immediate impact with a few crushing lead blocks, one that
sent LB Ahmad Brooks sprawling. "I didn't have any problem
with the physical part of it today," Norris said. "I still have to
work on my technique."
WR: It looks as if Michael Crabtree and the 49ers are at an
impasse that may take a while to settle. Crabtree may end up
being the last of the rookies to sign. “When he signs, I’ll be
excited about it,” said HC Mike Singletary. “But I’m not
wondering when it is going to happen. The most important
thing I can do is make the team understand that one guy
coming in will not make the whole picture different.” With
Crabtree absent, Josh Morgan and Brandon Jones ran with the
first team offense. Jones ran ahead of Isaac Bruce, while
Morgan continued to perform like the team’s best receiver,
although Matt Maiocco said that Bruce was actually still
starting, but that Jones lines up inside in the slot while Bruce
remains outside opposite Morgan. On Monday, Dominique
Zeigler registered the play of the day when he went up high
for a short pass from Alex Smith. He caught the ball, spun
away from a tackler and broke a 30-yard gain downfield. In
the same practice, Morgan completely outmuscled Dre Bly
for the ball on a 12-yard comeback route. Arnaz Battle was
held out of practice until Saturday. Coach Singletary was
asked whether Josh Morgan could emerge as the top receiver:
“Josh has a lot of potential. We have a lot of confidence in
him. It is just a matter of Josh continuing to get better. Does he
have the potential? Absolutely. But a guy like Isaac Bruce
isn’t around a long time for nothing. He knows what he is
doing. He knows the workout routine he has to have. He
knows how to be effective. He knows the routes. So, I think
time is one of the things that will answer that question.”
TE: Barring injury, the tight ends appear set with Vernon
Davis, Delanie Walker and rookie Bear Pascoe. Of course,
there are questions about Davis ever fulfilling that massive
potential he displayed at the NFL Combine. Davis said that he
would keep it toned down this year in camp and that he
wouldn’t be talking trash or invoking fights. "It's behind me,"
Davis said before admitting he might not be able to resist
temptation and throw a haymaker somewhere along the line.
On Monday, Walker made a nice play for a 20-yard gain when
he broke free over the middle following an accurate toss from
Shaun Hill. Vernon Davis made a 12-yard completion in the
same practice session. Smith later threw a 12-yard out to
Walker, who danced along the sidelines getting both feet
inbounds.
Defense: The first team defense opened camp with Isaac
Sopoaga, Aubrayo Franklin and Justin Smith along the line,
Manny Lawson, Patrick Willis, Takeo Spikes and Parys
Haralson at linebacker and Nate Clements, Michael Lewis,
Dashon Goldson and Tarell Brown in the secondary. The
second team was Dre Bly, Reggie Smith, Mark Roman, and
Shawntae Spencer in the secondary, Ahmad Brooks, Scott
McKillop, Jeff Ulbrich and Marques Harris at linebacker and
Demetric Evans, Sopoaga at the nose and Kentwan Balmer on
the line. Sapoaga was probably the best player the first day as
he made several plays behind the line. On Saturday afternoon,
Tarell Brown suffered a left toe sprain and was listed as day to
day. Parys Haralson suffered a right hip flexor and was being
evaluated later. DE Ray McDonald was placed on the PUP.
Walt Harris was placed on IR officially. DL Babatunde
Oshinowo signed to a one-year contract on Thursday as rookie
DL Ricky Jean-Francois was placed on the non-football illness
list after contracting a staph infection in Miami before arriving
at camp.
Special Teams: Joe Nedney remains the starting kicker. He’ll
share the workload during August with camp leg Alex
Romero, who played for the AFL’s New Orleans VooDoo last
year. DB Allen Rossum is the incumbent return specialist and
should retain his job, although WR Micheal Spurlock will
have a chance to pull off the upset. Both players took the
majority of returns in practice the other day. Next in line
behind them will likely be TE Delanie Walker on kickoff
returns and CB Nate Clements on kickoff returns.
49ers Depth Chart
QB: Shaun Hill, Alex Smith, Nate Davis, Damon Huard,
Kirby Freeman
RB: Frank Gore, Glen Coffee, Kory Sheets, Thomas Clayton
FB: Moran Norris, Michael Robinson, Zak Keasey, Brit
Miller
WR: Josh Morgan, Isaac Bruce, Brandon Jones, Michael
Crabtree, Jason Hill, Dominique Zeigler, Arnaz Battle,
Dobson Collins
TE: Vernon Davis, Delanie Walker, Bear Pascoe, Brian
Jennings (LS)
K: Joe Nedney
NT: Aubrayo Franklin, Isaac Sopoaga, Babatunde Oshinowo
DE: Ray McDonald, Justin Smith (W/DE), Kentwan Balmer,
Demetric Evans, Ricky Jean-Francois, Pannel Egboh, Khalif
Mitchell
ILB: Patrick Willis, Takeo Spikes, Jeff Ulbrich, Scott
McKillop, Ahmad Brooks, Mark Washington
OLB: Manny Lawson, Parys Haralson, Roderick Green,
Marques Harris, Jay Moore, Diryal Biggs
CB: Nate Clements, Dre Bly, Tarell Brown, Shawntae
Spencer (inj), Marcus Hudson, Allen Rossum (KR/PR), Jahi
Word-Daniels, Terrail Lambert, Carlos Thomas, Walt Harris
(IR)
S: Michael Lewis (SS), Dashon Goldson (FS), Mark Roman
(FS), Curtis Taylor (FS), Reggie Smith (FS), Lewis Baker
Coaches:
Head Coach: Mike Singletary, Off Coord: Jimmy Raye, QB
Coach: Mike Johnson, RB Coach: Tom Rathman, WR Coach:
Jerry Sullivan, TE Coach: Pete Hoener, OL Coach: Chris
Foerster, SpecTm Coach: Al Everest, Def Coord: Greg
Manusky, DL Coach: Jim Tomsula, LB Coach: Vance
Singletary, LB Coach: Jason Tarver, DB Coach: Vance
Joseph, DB Coach: Johnnie Lynn
Seattle Seahawks
QB: On Sunday, Matt Hasselbeck had a strong practice
finishing full-team drills by completing 10-of-12 passes with
completions to six different receivers. Nate Burleson, T.J.
Houshmandzadeh, rookie Deon Butler and tight end John
Carlson each caught a pair while Deion Branch and running
back Justin Forsett had a reception apiece. He completed eight
in a row before trying to loft a pass to TE John Owens on a
broken play. At the end of the first day of practices,
Hasselbeck was asked how it went, “It was OK, but not good
enough.” General Manager Tim Ruskell was asked if
Hasselbeck was limited at all heading into camp: “No. That’s
been absolutely great. He’s in the best shape of his life, he
feels great and strong and ready to go full.”
RB: The Seahawks are looking to reestablish a strong running
game this year under the guidance of new offensive
coordinator Greg Knapp, who quickly worked to establish an
identity to the groud game: “One cut and go.” Knapp yelled it
repeatedly during practice. Those words ring in all of the
Seahawks offensive players’ heads. It’s a different mentality
under Knapp after years of Mike Holmgren’s pass-first
approach. Starter Julius Jones was asked how often he has
heard Knapp’s rally call. "Oh, all day. All day," Jones said.
"When I wake up in the morning, and before I go to bed.”
Knapp’s offenses have finished among the league’s top 10 in
rushing in all eight of his seasons as a coordinator, including
2004-2006 in Atlanta as Jim Mora’s offensive coordinator.
The coaches, and Ruskell, have stated that while Jones is their
lead back, T.J. Duckett and Justin Forsett will also have
opportunities. "We told him, 'The ball is yours right now, so
take it and run,'" Mora said of Jones. "I think he relishes in
that. I think that's what any running back wants to be told."
Jones agrees. "I feel comfortable, a lot more comfortable than
I did last year," he said. "The atmosphere - everything just
feels better." Jones showed up to camp about 10 pounds
lighter at 212 pounds, his lightest weight since his rookie year.
Jones said, "I had a decent year that year, so maybe this will
work." On Saturday, the play of the day was Justin Forsett's
"little big man" block on linebacker David Hawthorne.
Despite giving up 46 pounds, Forsett rocked Hawthorne with a
block in pass blitzing drills pitting backs against linebackers.
Later, Forsett had a nice run as he slashed through the line to
pick up big yards.
WR: The best player through the first few days was Nate
Burleson (with apologies to John Carlson). Burleson has
looked great in camp after coming off an ACL injury in his
left knee last year in the season opener. Burleson shed the
brace from his knee on Friday. First, he got behind cornerback
Josh Wilson to haul in a deep pass from Hasselbeck, then later
he made a nice catch along the sidelines against Ken Lucas.
Not done yet, he also made a reaching catch over the middle
from Hasslebeck. Asked about his first day, Burleson
downplayed it saying, “I dropped one, too. So it could have
been better.” Hasselbeck was much nicer. “Nate has never
looked bad to me. He moves really, really well. He’s very
explosive when you get the ball in his hands. Something
electric is going to happen. Practice doesn’t look hard for
him.” Burleson added, “It was a real good feeling,” when
asked about losing the brace before practice. T.J.
Houshmandzadeh made a quick impression as he excelled
during red zone drills making numerous grabs in traffic.
Jordan Kent, Billy McMullen and Michael Bumpus also made
nice catches during team drills. Deion Branch has also been
full go and he’s made some plays in camp as well, but he’s
just not standing out the way Burleson has. Rookie Deon
Butler was very impressive in May’s mini-camp and the team
hopes to utilize his 4.3 speed to potentially replace the
departed Bobby Engram in the slot. He’ll also back up at split
end and return kicks. Courtney Taylor is back. After bombing
last season after having a strong camp, he’s working his way
into another opportunity this year. He had a diving reception
of a pass from Seneca Wallace in an offense-only drill, then
made another nice play going against corner Marquis Floyd.
TE: On Friday, John Carlson turned in the play of the day on
a one-handed catch while falling to the turf. This is one of
many such grabs that Carlson has made during the preseason
prompting local writers and the coaching staff to speak of
Carlson with glowing praise. Joe Newton, who spent the last
two seasons on the practice squad, might finally be in position
to make the team. He’s competing against rookies Cameron
Morrah and John Tereshinski for the job. At 6-foot-7 and 250
pounds, Newton has the size the team is looking for at the
position. After Saturday, Newton seemed to have a slight edge
after playing well in practice.
Defense: Unfortunately, the Seahawks are without top pick
Aaron Curry, who remains unsigned. Several players have
stood out during the first few days of practice including Lofa
Tatupu, Red Bryant, Ken Lucas and safety C.J. Wallace.
Bryant was the best player during Saturday’s session making
two big plays during 11-on-11 drills. During the morning
practice, it was Lucas, who returns to the team for second go
around, who starred. “Ken made a lot of plays today,” coach
Jim Mora said after the nearly two-hour practice. “He’s got an
intensity level about him when he practices that you really
admire. He looks like he’s determined to have a great year,
and I believe he will.” Lawrence Jackson was schooled by
tackle Ray Willis on Friday. The two tangled a few times and
Willis came out on top each time. Corner Marcus Trufant was
placed on the PUP list with a sore back.
Special Teams: “He’s a good kicker. He was 7 for 7 last year
in the preseason. Teams noticed. There was a lot of chatter.
Nothing really manifested itself in terms of a trade, but we’re
still getting calls on the guy. So he’s either going to be our
kicker or we’ll make a move, but we’re not going to have two
kickers this year. I’m going to go on record and say that.” GM
Tim Ruskell gave this response regarding Brandon Coutu,
who sat on the bench all of last year while Olindo Mare was
reviving his career. The two kickers will compete against each
other in camp for the second year in a row. Hoping to improve
his chances, Coutu recently obtained some personal coaching
from Morten Andersen. Among those practicing on returns so
far has been RB Justin Forsett, WR Nate Burleson, WR Ben
Obomanu and WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh.
Seahawks Depth Chart
QB: Matt Hasselbeck, Seneca Wallace, Mike Teel, Jeff Rowe
RB: Julius Jones, T.J. Duckett (SD), Justin Forsett (KR),
Devin Moore, Tyler Roehl
FB: Owen Schmitt, Justin Griffith, David Kirtman
WR: T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Nate Burleson, Deion Branch,
Deon Butler, Jordan Kent, Ben Obomanu, Logan Payne,
Courtney Taylor
TE: John Carlson, John Owens, Joe Newton, Cameron
Morrah
K: Olindo Mare, Brandon Coutu
DT: Brandon Mebane, Cory Redding (DE), Red Bryant, Colin
Cole, Craig Terrill, Marcus Tubbs
DE: Patrick Kerney, Darryl Tapp, Lawrence Jackson, Baraka
Atkins, Brandon Miller, Chris Cooper, Nick Reed, Michael
Bennett
MLB: Lofa Tatupu, David Hawthorne
OLB: Aaron Curry (S/W), Leroy Hill (W), D.D. Lewis, Will
Herring, Lance Laury, Dave Philistin
CB: Marcus Trufant, Ken Lucas, Josh Wilson (KR), Kelly
Jennings, Kevin Hobbs, Travis Fisher
S: Deon Grant (SS), Brian Russell (FS), C.J. Wallace (FS) ,
Jordan Babineaux (SS) , Courtney Greene (SS), Jamar Adams
Coaches:
Head Coach: Jim Mora, Off Coord: Greg Knapp, QB Coach:
Bill Lazor, RB Coach: Kasey Dunn, WR Coach: Robert
Prince, TE Coach: Mike DeBord, OL Coach: Mike Solari,
SpecTm Coach: Bruce DeHaven, Def Coord: Casey Bradley,
DL Coach: Dan Quinn, LB Coach: Zerick Rollins, DB Coach:
Tim Lewis
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
QB: Under new Head Coach Raheem Morris the Bucs will
take on a different look and identity. All indications are that
Morris prefers a “downhill” rushing attack, but don’t think
they won't take their shots down the field. That was evident
on the first day of practice. The QBs took advantage of the
opportunities and they threw deep. Under Jeff Jagodzinski the
team will open things up a little compared to the short passing
game preferred by former coach Jon Gruden. In the morning
practice, Byron Leftwich threw a pretty ball to Antonio Bryant
for a catch and Brian Clark reeled in a Luke McCown offering
against Aqib Talib. Leftwich had the throw of the day on a
bomb to Kelly Campbell on what would have been a 50-yard
play. The long balls begged the question to Morris: Should we
expect more of this? "When you’re a power team, you run the
ball," coach Raheem Morris said. "People tend to load up the
box. It’s common sense. . . If you get a nice little gash in there,
you get Derrick Ward coming in there with a full head of
steam on your safeties. Then you can exploit them with
(Bryant). We saw some things happen today. You have the
ability to have explosion plays when you have explosive
players like Antonio Bryant, like Kellen Winslow, like
Michael Clayton – he showed some explosiveness, too." All
three of the quarterbacks – McCown, Leftwich and Josh
Freeman have sufficiently strong arms, while last year’s QBs
didn’t. Morris probably won’t name a starter until the third
week, so you can’t read anything into who is playing with
what unit. On Saturday, McCown worked with the first team,
Leftwich with the second team and Freeman shared the
remaining snaps with Josh Johnson. If anything, McCown
seems to have a slight edge in the early going, but Leftwich’s
arm has been impressive.
RB: The Bucs consider the battle for the starting RB job more
of a friendly competition because both Derrick Ward and
Earnest Graham will see a lot of playing time. How and where
the two backs will be used isn’t clear at this point. Clifton
Smith may get some snaps, too. Don’t count out Cadillac
Williams either. Amazingly, Cadillic was cleared to practice
in training camp. HC Raheem Morris said, “Cadillac is ready
to go. I’m just as fired up about Cadillac as you are. I know he
looks great. He looks great today, knock on wood.” His
recovery from a torn patellar tendon in his left knee was even
quicker than the same injury he suffered in his right knee in
2007. In Saturday morning’s practice, Williams was moving
well. He had a few sharp cuts and looks as though he just
might be a factor in the Bucs backfield this year after all.
Williams was anxious for camp to get underway: "I was
talking to my mom and told her, ‘I'm probably the only guy
looking forward to practicing in pads.’'' Undoubtedly,
Williams’ comebacks in back to back seasons from knee
problems have been a source of inspiration for teammates.
Williams weighed in at 214 pounds, the same weight as his
rookie season, and he’s happy with the coaches and offense,
too: “The scheme we’re using this year is nice, with zone
blocking and one cut,’’ he said. “I couldn’t ask for a better
scheme. I’m done with rehab and I’m ready to play some
football.”
WR: Antonio Bryant and Michael Clayton enter camp as the
starters. The heated competition will come at the No. 3 spot
between Brian Clark, Maurice Stovall, Sammie Stroughter
and, not to be discounted, Dexter Jackson. Clark entered camp
with an early lead. On Saturday, Jackson came up with the
play of the day. Against double coverage, Josh Freeman hit
Jackson on a 30-yard fade route for a touchdown. Clark and
Stovall are both special teams performers but hope to become
more integrated into the offense. Kelly Campbell and Patrick
Carter have both drawn praise from the coaches, too. Sammie
Stroughter is a seventh round pick who might be the most
intriguing considering his performance over the summer.
Stephen Holder, of the St. Petersburg Times, reported that
Antonio Bryant banged his knee during Saturday's late
practice, but returned for Sunday's workout. The knee was
swollen on Monday and the team decided to give him some
rest. Morris called Bryant day to day.
TE: Kellen Winslow, according to the PewterReport.com, is
still learning the team's offense. "It's a wide zone scheme
offense and go with the play-action off of that. It's not a
complicated offense and I really like it, a lot of guys like it so
we're excited." Winslow should be excited now that he
escaped the staph infection-ridden Browns. Winslow was
slowed by a mild injury suffered in Monday’s morning
practice. Morris said that Winslow's ankle, like Bryant’s, was
day to day.
Defense: Coach Morris made a bold declaration that DE
Gaines Adams will be a bust if he doesn't reach double-digit
sacks this year. "That's what he's graded on, there's no secret
about it," explained Morris. In Jim Bates’ new system, Adams
will line up outside of the tackles and Morris believes that will
free him up to use his athleticism to get to the quarterback
more consistently. “I've got no problem telling him, ‘Hey
Gaines, if you don't do it this year, you're going to be
considered a bust.' I told him that in a team meeting. I tell him
that every once in awhile when we walk out together. He can't
wait. He's embraced it. He's going to come out ready to play.”
Former safety Jermaine Phillips opens camp as the team’s
starting weakside linebacker, but the coaches want to see
how he does when the pads go on and the real hitting begins.
If Phillips doesn’t pan out, Geno Hayes will get his shot. On
the strongside, Angelo Crowell is contending, but the team
also has Quincy Black and Hayes as fall back options. Elbert
Mack has a slight edge in the competition for the nickel corner
spot. Torrie Cox could be a factor, too, if he can stay healthy.
E.J. Biggers is a darkhorse, too.
Special Teams: The kicking competition between incumbent
Matt Bryant and challenger Mike Nugent is under way. Both
made all five of their field goal attempts in the first day of
practice. Early grapevine talk is that Nugent’s leg has looked
the stronger of the two so far. On day two, Nugent made three
field goals, missed one, and had one blocked. Last year WR
Dexter Jackson started out as the return specialist, but gave
way to RB Clifton Smith who went to earn Pro Bowl honors
as a returner. Smith will keep that role, although Jackson is
working hard, both on offense and on returns, to redeem
himself after his disappointing rookie year. Smith and Jackson
both have stayed late after practice to get in some extra work,
and then stayed even later to sign autographs.
Buccaneers Depth Chart
QB: Luke McCown, Byron Leftwich, Josh Freeman, Josh
Johnson
RB: Derrick Ward (3RB), Earnest Graham (inj), Cadillac
Williams, Clifton Smith (KR), Josh Vaughan, Kareem
Huggins
FB: B.J. Askew, Jameel Cook
WR: Antonio Bryant, Michael Clayton, Brian Clark, Maurice
Stovall, Sammie Stroughter, Dexter Jackson (KR), Kelly
Campbell, Cortez Hankton, Amarri Jackson, Pat Carter
TE: Kellen Winslow Jr, Jerramy Stevens, John Gilmore, Ryan
Purvis
K: Matt Bryant, Mike Nugent
DT: Chris Hovan (NT) , Ryan Sims (NT), Roy Miller, Neefy
Moffett
DE: Gaines Adams, Greg White, Jimmy Wilkerson (DT),
Kyle Moore, Greg Peterson, Jarrett Buie
MLB: Barrett Ruud, Rod Wilson, Niko Koutouvides
OLB: Jermaine Phillips (W), Angelo Crowell (S) (inj), Geno
Hayes (W/S), Quincy Black (S), Adam Hayward (S), Matt
McCoy
CB: Ronde Barber, Aqib Talib, Elbert Mack, Torrie Cox, E.J.
Biggers, Sammy Davis, Marshall McDuffie, Evan
McCullough
S: Tanard Jackson (FS), Sabby Piscitelli (SS), Donte
Nicholson (SS), C.J. Byrd
Coaches:
Head Coach: Raheem Morris, Off Coord: Jeff Jagodzinski,
QB Coach: Greg Olson, RB Coach: Steve Logan, WR Coach:
Richard Mann, TE Coach: Alfredo Roberts, OL Coach: Pete
Mangurian, SpecTm Coach: Richard Bisaccia, Def Coord: Jim
Bates, DL Coach: Todd Wash, DL Coach: Robert Nunn, LB
Coach: Joe Barry, DB Coach: Joe Baker
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans will open the preseason against the
Buffalo Bills in the annual Hall Of Fame Game. Tennessee
will play 5 preseason contests and if history is any guide,
expect at least one game to be dedicated to filling out roster
spots as opposed to getting starters extra reps. Similarly, Head
Coach Jeff Fisher indicated that the team will have fewer “two
a day” practices this year to help avoid injuries before the
season. Early practices took place outdoors under ominous
rain clouds with each side of the ball producing well. In the
first practice, the defense looked much more aggressive than
the offense, partially due to the narrow range of plays being
run by the offense. As the weekend drew to a close, the
players were clearly affected by the intense heat. Coach
Fisher said that it was nice to have an indoor facility available
to deal with the elements but wasn’t willing to concede just
yet that the heat would force the team inside. The team has
already begun practicing different game-type scenarios
including the two-minute offense and working inside the 5
yard line on both sides of the ball. Fisher and many players
admitted that while they might prefer the first week of camp
being focused on fundamentals and the playbook, the early
preseason game against Buffalo means they have to spend
time on game scenarios as well. The Titans will be wearing
Houston Oilers “throwback” jerseys in four games this season.
QB: Quarterback Kerry Collins arrived in great shape and
declared that his arm feels as strong as ever. Fisher agreed,
but conceded that training camp for Collins is more about
maintaining his health and helping younger players as opposed
to practicing at full-speed all of the time. The backup
quarterback race between Vince Young and Patrick Ramsey
hasn’t been much of a race so far; perhaps due to his
familiarity with the team’s offense and desire to get back on
the field, Young is clearly the better quarterback of the two.
And while there is still a lot of practicing left to do, the Titans
historically only keep two quarterbacks on the active roster.
Ramsey could be a late-camp cut.
RB: Third year running back Chris Henry saw extended
repetitions in early practices leading many observers to think
that he is on the hot-seat to keep his job through camp. That
said, the Titans desperately need depth at kick-returner so a
strong special teams performance in the preseason could help
Henry finally find his niche. Most predictions have the Titans
keeping LenDale White, Chris Johnson, Ahmard Hall, and
either Chris Henry or rookie Javon Ringer (selected in the 5th
round). LenDale White showed up to camp significantly
lighter this season, owing much of his weight loss to no longer
drinking alcohol. White is in a contract year as well, which
could be contributing to his motivation for a great season. So
far the “split” between Chris Johnson and LenDale White that
fantasy owners will be focusing on hasn’t materialized,
although we’ll be keeping an eye on how both players are used
right up until Week 1.
WR: First round selection Kenny Britt was signed to a
contract over the weekend but will begin camp on the PUP list
with a lingering hamstring injury. Coach Fisher reported that
Britt was not ready to play yet but he did not think the injury
would keep him out of the entire training camp. Free agent
acquisition Nate Washington drew praise for adjusting quickly
to the team’s offense and Kerry Collins’s passing.
Washington and Justin Gage are expected to be the team’s
starters at this point. Over the weekend, notable standouts
came from the receiver position with Lavelle Hawkins and
Chris Davis making a number of fine catches. Davis is likely
battling for a roster spot so getting off to a quick, positive start
in training camp should serve him well.
TE: Third round pick Jared Cook is the Titans most intriguing
rookie this year. His physical gifts are well-documented and
the Titans are already moving him around the field in different
formations to find the places where he will be most effective.
With Alge Crumpler slowing down and Bo Scaife playing
under a one-year qualifying offer as a restricted free agent,
Cook projects as the team’s future starter.
Defense: The standout unit on either side of the ball so far in
practice has been the defensive line. Despite the offseason
departure of Albert Haynesworth to the Washington Redskins,
the Titans line is clearly aiming for a big season. “They do a
good job of rushing the passer,” Fisher said. “Hopefully we
can carry on the successful pass rush pressure that we had last
year.” William Hayes came to camp significantly stronger
than last season. Second year Jason Jones has stepped in to
Haynesworth’s position at defensive tackle. Defensive line
coach Jim Washburn has already begun drilling into the
players that they should set out for the quarterback on every
snap. Rather than call front-line blitzes, players like Jevon
Kearse and Jones feel that each snap will be treated as an
opportunity to get to the passer. Rookie Sen’Derrick Marks is
already rotating in at defensive tackle and will be expected to
contribute immediately.
Special Teams: Kicker Rob Bironas returned to practice on
Monday, after missing several days with a leg strain. Just prior
to camp, special teams coordinator Alan Lowry commented on
Bironas, “He is probably more relaxed now, yet is still focused
and it means a lot to him. But I think his whole deal is about
consistency because that is what separates kickers. Getting
into that 90 percent area is important.” Bironas is the only
kicker in camp. The favorite to take over the return specialist
role from departed Chris Carr is free agent acquisition Mark
Jones. Lowry noted, "That's the hope. That's why we signed
him because he did have comparable numbers on punts and
kickoff-return wise. I thought he got better as the year went on
because he didn't start the year off as their kickoff returner. He
took that over during the season. Punt return-wise, he was
pretty consistent all year long." Jones has missed several days
with a hamstring injury. WR Chris Davis and CB Tanard
Davis have been practicing on punt returns. Those practicing
on kickoff returns have included WR Lavelle Hawkins, RB
Rafael Little and rookie CBs Ryan Mouton and Jason
McCourty
Titans Depth Chart
QB: Kerry Collins, Vince Young, Patrick Ramsey, Alex
Mortenson
RB: Chris Johnson (3RB/KR), LenDale White, Chris Henry,
Javon Ringer, Quinton Ganther, Rafael Little
FB: Ahmard Hall, Casey Cramer
WR: Justin Gage, Nate Washington, Kenny Britt, Lavelle
Hawkins, Justin McCareins, Chris Davis (PR), Mark Jones
(KR/PR), Paul Williams, Dominique Edison, Dudley Guice,
Phillip Morris
TE: Bo Scaife, Alge Crumpler, Jared Cook, Craig Stevens,
Matthew Mulligan
K: Rob Bironas
DT: Tony Brown, Jovan Haye, Jason Jones, Sen'Derrick
Marks, Kevin Vickerson, Mitch King, LaJuan Ramsey,
Derrick Jones
DE: Kyle Vanden Bosch, Jevon Kearse, Dave Ball, Jacob
Ford, William Hayes, Larry Birdine
MLB: Stephen Tulloch, Ryan Fowler, Gerald McRath
OLB: Keith Bulluck (W), David Thornton (S), Josh Stamer,
Stanford Keglar, Colin Allred, Ken Amato (LS)
CB: Cortland Finnegan, Nick Harper, DeMarcus Faggins,
Reynaldo Hill, Ryan Mouton, Jason McCourty, Tyrone Poole,
Cary Williams, Tanard Davis, Jeremy Haynes
S: Michael Griffin (FS), Chris Hope (SS), Vincent Fuller (FS),
Donnie Nickey, Nick Schommer, Tuff Harris
Coaches:
Head Coach: Jeff Fisher, Off Coord: Mike Heimerdinger, QB
Coach: Craig Johnson, RB Coach: Earnest Byner, WR Coach:
Fred Graves, TE Coach: John Zernhelt, OL Coach: Mike
Munchak, SpecTm Coach: Alan Lowry, Def Coord: Chuck
Cecil, DL Coach: Jim Washburn, LB Coach: Dave McGinnis,
DB Coach: Marcus Robertson
Washington Redskins
QB: Jason Campbell is nothing if not professional, and
whether the Redskins wanted him or not, he’s now clearly
their best and only hope at a successful season on offense.
With so many rumors this offseason ranging from Jay Cutler
to Mark Sanchez to, most recently, Michael Vick, Campbell
spoke candidly to Sports Illustrated senior writer Peter King.
“I am fine now, but there were a couple of times in the
offseason I felt like a piece of tissue they were flushing down
the toilet,” said Campbell. On the field, camp is off to a rocky
start as the offensive line battles consistency and injury while
the new-look defensive line has put continuous pressure on the
passing attack. Campbell was ineffective in 11-on-11 drills on
Sunday, notably ending the drill by throwing a ball at the feet
of his intended receiver. In fairness to Campbell, his receivers
haven’t done him any favors. On back-to-back days he threw
perfect 50-yard passes downfield for sure-fire TDs only to
have the receivers (Devin Thomas and Antwaan Randle El)
drop them. Colt Brennan hopes to displace Todd Collins as the
backup, but that battle is too early and close to call right now.
RB: Another year, another training camp where coaches insist
Clinton Portis will play less in the coming season in order to
keep him fresh. HC Jim Zorn is singing a familiar song,
insisting that backup Ladell Betts will be a more regular
component of the game plan. "There's going to be flexibility in
that, and part of it will be how much Clinton can really go,"
Zorn said. "Part of it will be is how ready -- and I don't have
any problem with it -- how ready is Ladell going to be. I think
he's ready. He's pushing hard in this training camp already."
Fullback Mike Sellers is like having a mobile 6th offensive
lineman on the field, but he’s unhappy with his contract. It’s
unusual in this era to hear a fullback make demands, but he
wants a new contract. Good luck with that.
WR: Devin Thomas had a strong start to camp, and is giving
the team its first legitimate chance at displacing Antwaan
Randle El as a starter. However, the last few days have thrown
some cold water on the excitement, as Thomas has sat out
with what the team calls mild knee pain. The Redskins drafted
Malcolm Kelly and Thomas last year with that in mind, but
both struggled to make their mark. As long as Thomas gets
back on the field soon, he looks like a good bet to win the
starting Z slot. D.J. Hackett was signed to compete for a roster
spot that opened up after the team cut the injured Roydell
Williams.
TE: The good news is 2nd year Fred Davis looks like a
different player. He hasn’t been eye-popping, but he’s been
good enough to give the Redskins a legitimate reason to use 2TE sets with regularity. Chris Cooley has been quiet so far, but
the only thing he really needs to worry about in camp is
staying healthy. Todd Yoder seems well positioned to make
the active roster again.
Defense: $100mm man DT Albert Haynesworth caused a stir
when he missed two days of practice after receiving an
injection in his knee. But he returned to practice on
Wednesday and insists that the injections are a semi-regular
component of his offseason program. The Redskins
desperately need rookie 1st rounder Brian Orakpo to contribute
immediately, and the early camp returns are encouraging. In
Wednesday’s practice, Orakpo beat veteran LT Chris Samuels
twice on one-on-one drills. Fred Smoot has been burned in
practice, but has taken a hands-on role as a quasi-coach for the
younger players in the secondary. LaRon Landry appears
ready to live up to his lofty expectations; he’s been noticeably
active every time the 1st team defense gets chances to strut
their stuff. He did give up a TD in 11-on-11 drills to backup
TE Todd Yoder, but both he and Yoder admit that had that
been in real-game action, Landry had the velocity and
leverage to have decleated him.
Special Teams: The under-the-radar kicking competition is in
Washington this year, with Shaun Suisham and Dave Rayner
vying for the job. Special teams coordinator Danny Smith
commented, "It's going to be a real deal competition, I mean it
really is. And they're battling. They're both good players,
they're both good people, they're both good competitors,
they're both tireless workers. It's a match up." RB Rock
Cartright remains the primary kickoff returner. RB Ladell
Betts, WR Devin Thomas and RB Anthony Alridge have also
been practicing kickoff returns. The punt return role is less
defined. Possibilities to join or replace the incumbent, WR
Antwaan Randle El, include WR Santana Moss, CB DeAngelo
Hall, RB Anthony Alridge, and former CFL RB Dominique
Dorsey. But Randle El has given up just yet, "When you have
your back against the wall, you have a little pressure, you've
got to have a fire under your butt and you got to get going.
And that's what I'm going to do this year."
Redskins Depth Chart
QB: Jason Campbell, Todd Collins, Colt Brennan, Chase
Daniels
RB: Clinton Portis, Ladell Betts (3RB), Rock Cartwright
(KR), Marcus Mason, Anthony Alridge, Dominique Dorsey
FB: Mike Sellers
WR: Santana Moss (PR), Devin Thomas, Antwaan Randle El,
Malcolm Kelly, D.J. Hackett, Marko Mitchell, Marques
Hagans, Jaison Williams, Trent Shelton, Keith Eloi
TE: Chris Cooley, Fred Davis, Todd Yoder, Eddie Williams
(HB/FB), Robbie Agnone
K: Shaun Suisham, Dave Rayner
DT: Albert Haynesworth, Cornelius Griffin, Anthony
Montgomery, Kedric Golston, Lorenzo Alexander, Antonio
Dixon, Mike Marquardt
DE: Andre Carter, Phillip Daniels, Chris Wilson, Jeremy
Jarmon, Rob Jackson, Renaldo Wynn, Alex Buzbee, Derek
Walker, Justin Brown
MLB: London Fletcher
OLB: Rocky McIntosh (W), Brian Orakpo (S/DE), H.B.
Blades (S/M), Alfred Fincher (W/M), Cody Glenn (W),
Robert Thomas (S), Robert Henson
CB: Fred Smoot, Carlos Rogers, DeAngelo Hall, Kevin
Barnes, Byron Westbrook, Justin Tryon, Doug Dutch
S: Laron Landry (FS), Chris Horton (SS) , Reed Doughty
(SS), Kareem Moore, Michael Grant
Coaches:
Head Coach: Jim Zorn, Off Coord: Sherman Smith, RB
Coach: Stump Mitchell, WR Coach: Stan Hixon, TE Coach:
Scott Wachenheim, OL Coach: Joe Bugel, SpecTm Coach:
Danny Smith, Def Coord: Greg Blache, DL Coach: John
Palermo, LB Coach: Kirk Olivadotti, DB Coach: Steve
Jackson, DB Coach: Jerry Gray