Training Camp Update

Transcription

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but rebounded to solidify his status as the backup with one
solid drive before Matt Barkley came in. Barkley had a rough
game, with head coach Bruce Arians deeming it, “Good, bad
and ugly.” He may have the edge on Jake Coker but Barkley
still has much to prove.
Training
Camp Update
Volume 11, Issue 2 – 8/17/16
We say it all the time because it's true: Things change fast in
the NFL. And they never change faster than they do in August.
And nobody covers those changes and team situations more
comprehensively than Footballguys.com. Our Training Camp
Updates come out once a week in August and our staff covers
everything you need to know about every NFL team. This is
the deep stuff that gives you an edge. We're not going to rave
that Cam Newton, Antonio Brown or even David Johnson is
great. You already know that.
Read our weekly updates to get the inside scoop on how the
Bears running backs are practicing and which player is the
best bet for your draft. Or the Saints WR corps. Or which
Browns receiver is shining in practice. It's the kind of
information that will put you over the edge and on the way to
dominating your draft.
Happy reading and let's have a great 2016 season,
Joe Bryant and David Dodds
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Arizona Cardinals
QB: Carson Palmer took a day off during the lead up to his
preseason debut against the Oakland Raiders. He may as well
have taken off game day, too. Palmer played just one series,
throwing five passes and leading the offense to a field goal.
Drew Stanton threw an awful interception in the first quarter,
RB: David Johnson is the unquestioned starter but Chris
Johnson is going to have a role. Against the Raiders, David
Johnson marched down the field with 31 yards on three carries
before Chris Johnson came in at the goal line. Chris may be
better suited to be the goal line back because of his nimbleness
but chances are it was just a move to give David a breather
after a 23-yard gain. David's rushing ability is well understood
but his standout play from this game was a block he made in
space against Khalil Mack. For David Johnson to stay on the
field, he needs to be a reliable blocker. Andre Ellington
reminded fans that he was still on the roster with a 35-yard run
that showed off his explosiveness and elusiveness. Ellington
followed that up with five-yard touchdown between the
tackles. Stepfan Taylor had a touchdown run but it was called
back for holding. He was limited to four carries for five yards
otherwise. Elijhaa Penny got 15 carries in the second half but
didn't make a positive impression.
WR: John Brown remains sidelined because of the concussion
he suffered at the start of training camp. J.J. Nelson did return
from his groin injury in time to play against the Raiders,
though he may have been better off not playing since he
fumbled a punt. Nelson's main competition, Jaron Brown,
didn't have a catch against the Raiders but received praise
throughout the week for his consistency. Carson Palmer
described him as a “security blanket, that if a guy goes down,
he can come in and he's just one of those guys that makes
plays.” Jaxon Shipley has benefited from the injury-related
absences ahead of him. Shipley was singled out by Darren
Urban for his play during practices. He was questionable with
a foot injury ahead of the game but proved to be the star with
three receptions for 54 yards.
TE: Troy Niklas appears to be forcing his way into relevance.
Niklas has had extra reps because of Jermaine Gresham's
hamstring issue. Arians praised his young tight end for what
he did with those reps, “Niklas has played really well, has put
together eight days of good production.” Niklas is a blocking
tight end who could be a key in the running game but also
caught two passes for 44 yards against the Raiders. Niklas
may have had the play of the game when he went 32 yards on
a crossing route after play action before breaking the tackle of
the arriving safety.
Defense: Robert Nkemdiche and Frostee Rucker both missed
the first preseason game. Nkemdiche is working his way back
from his ankle injury. He, Tyrann Mathieu and Justin Bethel
continue to rehab and are reported to be moving well. Mathieu
was back pedalling and jumping off of his surgically repaired
knee. Arians noted that there was a chance that Mathieu,
Rucker and Bethel could come off PUP next week but won't
return to full practices. Nkemdiche should be back “soon.”
Rookie Brandon Williams had a rough welcoming to the NFL
as Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree both beat him
downfield. Crabtree and Cooper are good receivers so this was
a tough first assignment for the rookie. Arians appeared to
account for that in his comments after the game, suggesting
that Williams held up well despite getting beaten. Safety
Tyvon Branch had his own issues against the Raiders, he left
the field at one point after getting poked in the eye, but has
been impressive on the whole.
Returners: If Arizona wants to give their all-pro cornerback
Patrick Peterson a break on punt returns this year, it’s looking
like speedy receiver J.J. Nelson will be the one to spell him.
OL: Left tackle Jared Veldheer arrived at camp looking
jacked, reportedly adding twenty-five pounds of muscle. He is
in the best shape of his career. The team rewarded Veldheer
(and freed up salary cap space) with a new contract extension.
During the first preseason game against the Oakland Raiders,
new right tackle starter D.J. Humphries had a mixed night
against Khalil Mack. He settled down after the first series, and
after the game, Humphries admitted to having a case of the
“first night jitters.”
Cardinals Depth Chart
QB: Carson Palmer, Drew Stanton, Matt Barkley, Jake Coker
RB: David Johnson, Chris Johnson, Andre
Ellington, Kerwynn Williams (KR), Stepfan Taylor, Jared
Baker
WR: Larry Fitzgerald, Michael Floyd, John Brown (KR)
(inj), Jaron Brown, J.J. Nelson (PR), Brittan Golden, Jaxon
Shipley, Amir Carlisle, Damon Powell, Chris Hubert, Jeff
Beathard
TE: Darren Fells, Jermaine Gresham, Troy Niklas, Gerald
Christian, Ifeanyi Momah, Hakeem Valles
LT: Jared Veldheer
LG: Mike Iupati, Taylor Boggs
C: AQ Shipley, Earl Watford
RG: Evan Mathis
RT: DJ Humphries, Cole Toner
K: Chandler Catanzaro
NT: Rodney Gunter, Red Bryant, Xavier Williams, Corey
Peters,Olsen Pierre
DE: Calais Campbell, Frostee Rucker, Robert Nkemdiche, Ed
Stinson, Josh Mauro, Jason Babin
ILB: Deone Bucannon (SS), Kevin Minter, Donald
Butler, Alani Fua,Zack Wagenmann, Kenny Demens, Daryl
Washington (susp)
OLB: Chandler Jones, Markus Golden, Alex Okafor, Kareem
Martin, Shaq Riddick, Lamar Louis
CB: Patrick Peterson (PR), Justin Bethel, Brandon
Williams, Harlan Miller, Mike Jenkins (inj), Alan Ball, Joel
Wilkinson, Ronald Zamort, Trevon Hartfield, Eli Bouka
S: Tyrann Mathieu (FS/CB), Tony Jefferson (SS), Tyvon
Branch (FS),D.J. Swearinger (SS), Marqui Christian, Chris
Clemons, Matthias Farley
Atlanta Falcons
QB: Matt Ryan was ineffective in two series (0-for-4 passing,
back-to-back 3-and-outs) in the preseason opener. “Obviously
tough field position to start with, we've got to do a better job
of being able to punch that out and change field position,”
Ryan noted after the game. Backup Matt Schaub was more
effective; he completed 10 of his 15 passes for 179 yards in
the 23-17 win over Washington. Head coach Dan Quinn
praised Schaub, “We are not surprised. He's had a good
training camp.” Sean Renfree went 5/9 for 101 yards while
longshot Matt Simms went 0-for-3.
RB: Devonta Freeman (five rushes for nine yards in the
opener) and Tevin Coleman (2/9/0 rushing) both collected a
mere nine yards in cameo appearances vs. Washington.
Brandon Wilds led the team with 10/26/1 (1/1/0 receiving) and
Gus Johnson ran for 18 yards on nine carries. Cyrus Gray,
signed last Wednesday, did not play against Washington.
Terron Ward is in a walking boot after suffering an ankle
injury. He is not expected to practice this coming week. Tevin
Coleman (illness) had to leave practice early Sunday because
of heat-related issues.
WR: Aldrick Robinson had three catches for 118 yards in the
Thursday preseason game, including long gainers of 47 and 68
yards. Though undrafted rookie J.D. McKissic didn't catch
either of his targets, he did return a kickoff 101 yards for a
touchdown; he may have cemented a roster spot due to his
special teams play. Starters Julio Jones (zero catches on two
targets) and Mohamed Sanu (2/18/0 on four targets) had
predictably quiet games given Matt Ryan's struggles. #3
receiver Justin Hardy caught 1 reception for 17 yards.
Recently signed veteran Lance Moore decided to retire on
Monday.
TE: Reports on Thursday indicated that Levine Toilolo may
be on the roster bubble this season. Jacob Tamme and draftee
Austin Hooper (one target for zero receptions during the
preseason game) are considered roster locks while D.J.
Tialavea, Joshua Perkins (one target for 1/11/0) and Arthur
Lynch are pushing Toilolo for the final spot at tight end.
Coach Quinn said, “D.J. Tialavea, we had him back in a rehab
run so we are hopeful to have him back for the next game (the
second preseason game).”
Defense: The Falcons waived cornerback David Mims II on
Saturday. Coach Quinn said that Dwight Freeney, who signed
a one-year deal last week, is expected to play in next
Thursday's second exhibition game at Cleveland. “The
purpose of him not playing the first one [is] he only had three
practices with us. For all players, I think there are times where
they like to get going. And getting his timing down will be
important. I don't think he'll lead the league in playtime in the
preseason. I think we want to get him back in the mix and get
him back out there with the guys.” Atlanta opened the
preseason game with Vic Beasley at left defensive end,
Derrick Shelby at left tackle, Jonathan Babineaux at right
tackle and Adrian Clayborn at right defensive end. Freeney
will likely slot into the right defensive end position once he is
up to speed. Free safety Kemal Ishmael left the preseason
opener with a shoulder injury. “(Kemal Ishmael) has a
shoulder strain and he’ll likely be down this week,” said
Quinn. Safety Ricardo Allen thought the defense played well
in the opener: “We swarmed. Everybody was running. The
communication was on point.” Linebacker Sean
Weatherspoon agreed: “We had a chance to finish some plays
- guys did a good job of that.” Free safety Keanu Neal
(abdomen injury) returned to practice on Sunday after missing
the preseason opener.
PK: Matt Bryant missed a recent practice with “tightness”, but
he should be more than secure in his position after he made
both of his field goals in the preseason opener and UDFA
rookie Nick Rose missed a 39-yarder on one of his two
attempts.
Returners: Originally a longshot to make the roster, J.D.
McKissic made a forceful case to fill the void left by longtime return specialist Devin Hester with a 101 yard kickoff
return for a touchdown against Washington.
OL: The first team offensive line had a shaky night against
Washington in the preseason opener. Limited by bad field
position (their first possession started inside their own oneyard line), the offense could only manage two three-and-outs
before starting quarterback Matt Ryan left the game. Still,
Ryan had nice things to say about the offensive line, which is
led by free agent signee Alex Mack at center. The starting
five looks settled and the unit should rise in the rankings as
they build cohesion.
Falcons Depth Chart
QB: Matt Ryan, Matt Schaub, Sean Renfree, Matt Simms
RB: Devonta Freeman (3RB), Tevin Coleman (KR), Terron
Ward, Brandon Wilds, Gus Johnson
FB: Patrick DiMarco
WR: Julio Jones, Mohamed Sanu, Justin Hardy, Devin
Fuller, Aldrick Robinson, Eric Weems (KR/PR), Nick
Williams, Jordan Leslie, David Glidden
TE: Jacob Tamme, Austin Hooper, Levine Toilolo, D.J.
Tialavea, Arthur Lynch
LT: Jake Matthews
LG: Andy Levitre, Mike Person
C: Alex Mack
RG: James Stone, Chris Chester
RT: Ryan Schraeder, Tom Compton
K: Matt Bryant, Shayne Graham
DT: Tyson Jackson, Grady Jarrett (NT), Ra′Shede Hageman,
Jonathan Babineaux, Joey Mbu (NT)
DE: Derrick Shelby, Brooks Reed, Dwight Freeney, Adrian
Clayborn, Malliciah Goodman, Brandon Williams
MLB: Deion Jones, Paul Worrilow
OLB: Vic Beasley (S), De′Vondre Campbell (W), Courtney
Upshaw (S), Sean Weatherspoon (S), Philip Wheeler, Laroy
Reynolds, Tyler Starr
CB: Desmond Trufant, Robert Alford, Phillip Adams, Jalen
Collins (susp), Brian Poole, CJ Goodwin, Demarcus Van
Dyke
S: Ricardo Allen (FS), Keanu Neal (SS), Kemal Ishmael (SS),
Robenson Therezie (FS), Damian Parms (SS), Akeem King
Baltimore Ravens
QB: Last week at this time, reports suggested that Joe Flacco
could sit out the entire preseason. But his quarterbacks coach
Marty Mornhinweg said that he hasn’t missed any reps at
all. Flacco did sit out the team’s first game, but the fact that
he’s practicing suggests he’s 100% healthy. Backup Ryan
Mallett started Thursday’s preseason opener and was efficient,
throwing for 91 yards and a touchdown on 15 attempts.
Backup journeyman Josh Johnson also played well, but it
remains to be seen if Johnson will make the final roster.
Baltimore has kept just two quarterbacks in the past.
RB: Baltimore’s depth chart at the skill positions is as
unsettled as any in the league; running back the principal
concern. As many as four players could win either the starting
job or have clearly identified specialty roles. Presumed starter
Justin Forsett did not play in the preseason opener, but reports
say that he’s still breaking big runs in practice and is in
good shape. Terrance West, Javorius Allen, and Kenneth
Dixon all had notable moments. West looks to be in the team’s
plans as a goal line specialist – something they never truly
gave to Forsett exclusively even in his breakout 2014 season.
West got three goal line carries and converted two into
touchdowns, including one where he dashed to the corner,
beating defenders to the pylon. Both West and Dixon also had
impressive kickoff returns. The stories of West’s weight loss
leading to improved quickness look to be quite accurate. West
and Dixon led the team with nine carries each; Dixon gained
44 yards. Allen rushed for only six yards on six carries, but he
did catch a 19-yard touchdown on a screen pass. The coaching
staff has some interesting decisions to make in terms of
which players to use and when.
WR: The receiver group is almost as difficult to predict.
Unlike the backs, however, the main contenders for roles
didn’t play in Thursday’s preseason opener. Steve Smith and
Breshad Perriman are still both on the PUP list, though John
Harbaugh says both should be ready for Week 1. Mike
Wallace is looking to fill the void as a deep threat. He’s
reportedly been making plays in practice, but whether he still
possesses elite speed remains to be seen. Baltimore’s best
receiver throughout camp has been Kamar Aiken; outplaying
everyone per reports like this one from Ravens blog
Baltimore Beatdown. Jeremy Butler was the leading receiver I
the preseason opener with five receptions for 36 yards.
TE: True to form with the other skill positions, the tight ends
group is crowded. Reports praising Aiken in the wide
receivers section had similar platitudes about Ben Watson.
MMQB’s Peter King agreed, saying he could see Watson
hauling in 70 passes this season. Last year’s second-round
pick Maxx Williams and 2014 third-round pick Crockett
Gillmore are running 2nd and 3rd, respectively. Unfortunately,
Gillmore has been sidelined with a hamstring injury since late
July. Dennis Pitta is trying to make a historic comeback,
though he was hurt (hand) early in camp. Darren Waller – a
converted Georgia Tech receiver – is a longshot for a roster
spot but led the team with five catches for 48 yards, and eight
targets on Thursday night. At 6’6” and 255 pounds, he’s a
huge target, and is benefitting from the injuries in front of him.
Defense: The team’s biggest issue in 2015 was their inability
to stop the pass. That continued somewhat in Thursday’s
opener, though the unit was incomplete with pass rushers
Elvis Dumervil and Terrell Suggs not suiting up. Both should
be ready for Week 1 per Coach John Harbaugh. Cornerbacks
Kyle Arrington and Tavon Young, along with linebacker
Anthony Levine Sr. all left the preseason opener prematurely.
The unit still appears as though it will be a work-in-progress
this season – one that’s likely to be exploited by the better
offenses in the NFL. Although the defense didn’t play well,
safety Matt Elam made an impressive play to preserve the
victory.
The continuing emergence of linebacker C.J. Mosley is
something to watch. After making the Pro Bowl as a rookie
outside linebacker, he was moved into the middle before last
season. Mosley is more comfortable at the position this year
and becoming a leader. He’s one of the oldest linebackers in
his position group, despite it being only his third NFL season.
While Mosley should be a bright spot, the youth around him
and ineffectiveness of the group behind him in the secondary
should leave this as a bottom-half NFL defense.
Returners: Kaelin Clay opened camp as the leading candidate
to handle punt returns for Baltimore, but after a muff in
Thursday’s preseason game and an injury in Saturday’s
practice, he instead finds himself waived. With Clay gone,
Michael Campanaro is leading the race.
OL: Earlier in training camp, starting rookie left tackle
Ronnie Stanley had an injury scare, with a reported “soft
tissue injury” ending his practice prematurely. As it turned
out, Stanley was fine. Stanley played well versus the Panthers,
leading the way in the run game and not giving up any sacks.
Stanley’s durability could be a real positive attribute at after
dealing with Eugene Monroe’s injury issues over the last two
seasons.
Ravens Depth Chart
QB: Joe Flacco, Ryan Mallett, Jerrod Johnson, Josh Johnson
RB: Justin Forsett, Terrance West, Javorius Allen, Kenneth
Dixon, Lorenzo Taliaferro
FB: Kyle Juszczyk
WR: Steve Smith, Kamar Aiken, Mike Wallace, Breshad
Perriman (inj), Chris Moore, Michael Campanaro, Jeremy
Butler, Keenan Reynolds (RB/KR), Chris Matthews, Kaelin
Clay, Daniel Brown
TE: Benjamin Watson, Maxx Williams, Crockett
Gillmore, Dennis Pitta, Darren Waller (susp), Nick Boyle
(susp)
LT: Ronnie Stanley, James Hurst
LG: John Urschel, Alex Lewis
C: Jeremy Zuttah
RG: Marshal Yanda, Vlad Ducasse
RT: Rick Wagner, Ryan Jensen
K: Justin Tucker
NT: Brandon Williams, Kapron Lewis-Moore
DE: Timmy Jernigan, Lawrence Guy, Carl Davis, Bronson
Kaufusi, Willie Henry, Brent Urban, Matt Judon, Mario
Ojemudia, Nordly Capi
ILB: C.J. Mosley, Zachary Orr, Arthur Brown, Albert
McClellan, Kavell Conner
OLB: Terrell Suggs, Elvis Dumervil (S), Za′Darius Smith
(DE),Kamalei Correa, Chris Carter, Brennen Beyer, Victor
Ochi
CB: Jimmy Smith (inj), Shareece Wright, Kyle Arrington
(inj), Jerraud Powers, Will Davis, Tavon Young, Maurice
Canady, Julian Wilson, Sheldon Price, Jumal Rolle (inj)
S: Eric Weddle (FS), Lardarius Webb (SS/PR), Kendrick
Lewis (FS),Anthony Levine (SS), Terrence Brooks (FS), Matt
Elam (SS), Nick Perry (SS), Jermaine Whitehead (FS), Will
Hill (susp)
Buffalo Bills
QB: The biggest news of the week was Tyrod Taylor’s
contract extension. He gets a raise for the current year ($9.5
million) and 5 more years added via a team option, but only
this year’s salary is guaranteed. The deal protects the team
while also giving Taylor a chance to be rewarded if he
continues to develop. He only played one series against the
Colts on Saturday night, but continues to earn positive reviews
in camp. Backup EJ Manuel played most of the key snaps and
made several good throws, including a beautiful 19-yard strike
to Chris Gragg for the first touchdown of the game. Although
it came against players who aren’t likely to play much on
Sunday, 3rd string Cardale Jones looked impressive in the
second half while completing 11 of 21 passes for 162 yards
while also adding 34 yards on 4 carries. With the team trailing
by 7, he led the Bills on an 8-play, 78-yard drive that ended
with a touchdown pass as time expired, but they did not
convert the 2-point conversion for the win.
RB: LeSean McCoy made a cameo appearance in the Colts
game, picking up 9 yards on his only carry while also adding a
short catch. Mike Gillislee replaced him midway through the
first series, and picked up where he left off last year as he
broke off a 20-yard gain on his 3rd carry of the game. Rookie
Jonathan Williams wound up seeing the bulk of the work as he
led the team with 8 carries and 44 yards. Daniel Herron
couldn’t find any room to run, but was used primarily in clear
passing situations. James Wilder helped close out the game,
but didn’t show much as the team was playing from behind
and more focused on the passing game. Newly signed Reggie
Bush was used exclusively on special teams in the game, but
the Bills do plan to use him in certain situations to help spell
McCoy this year. At the fullback position, rookie Glenn
Gronkowski is unlikely to overtake Jerome Felton, but could
be a strong practice squad candidate.
WR: Sammy Watkins returned to practice last week, but the
team held him out of the preseason opener as a precaution.
He’s running routes at full speed, but is also learning to adjust
some of his route running techniques with the hopes of
avoiding future injury. Robert Woods started the Colts game
and caught 2 of the 3 passes thrown his way, but perhaps more
interesting is the fact the coaches have started using him out of
the slot in practice. Although Marquise Goodwin didn’t stand
out much in the game, he’s having a strong camp and appears
headed for the #3 spot. With Watkins likely to draw double
coverage on one side, teams will have to respect Goodwin’s
speed and that should help create more chances for Woods in
3WR formations. One of the breakout candidates from camp
this year is Walter Powell, and he showed why with a strong
game against the Colts. He led the team in receiving with 88
yards on 4 catches, and also has a great chance to be the
team’s primary kick returner. Jarrett Boykin came through
with a clutch one-handed touchdown catch as time expired,
while Leonard Hankerson had a miserable night with just 1
catch and 3 clear drops on his team-high 7 targets.
Hankerson’s struggles were the final nail in the coffin; he was
waived on Monday.
TE: Charles Clay got the start against Indianapolis, but didn’t
play many snaps and wasn’t targeted as a receiver. Chris
Gragg, however, made a strong case for a backup job as he
blocked a punt for a safety and then pulled in a 19-yard
touchdown pass from EJ Manuel. Nick O’Leary and Blake
Annen also were active in the game as both finished with a
pair of receptions.
Defense: The Bills confirmed that rookie linebacker Reggie
Ragland will miss the season after undergoing surgery to
repair his torn ACL. That leaves them without their top two
draft picks to start the season, and things got worse as end I.K.
Enemkpali suffered an ACL injury against the Colts and will
also miss the year. With Manny Lawson also injured at the
moment with a torn pectoral muscle, the Bills are woefully
thin on the edges, and may need to bring in some outside help.
Despite missing those players as well as cornerback Stephon
Gilmore and defensive tackle Kyle Williams in the game, the
Bills defense still managed to hold the Colts scoreless until
there were just a few minutes left in the first half. Some
standout players in the game were rookie defensive end
Adolphus Washington – who looked very disruptive up front
and could be ready for a big role right away – and rookie
corner Kevon Seymour, who broke up a touchdown pass and
looks like a potential steal for a 6th round pick. Safety Aaron
Williams suffered a concussion last week in practice; a big
concern for a player with his history.
Returners: In Buffalo’s first preseason game, 2nd-year
receiver Walt Powell got the bulk of the returns but failed to
do much with them. Still, he’s showed plenty in recent weeks,
and looks like a good bet to make the final roster.
OL: Left tackle Cordy Glenn will miss the preseason with a
high ankle sprain. It’s not expected to be a major issue; the
team invested a great deal of money in Glenn this offseason,
and he should be a full go for Week One. Richie Incognito
(sore ribs) also missed the preseason opener versus the Colts.
Cyrus Kouandijo, Ryan Groy and Fernando Velasco got reps
in their places. Groy especially is a player to watch, and the
team could be grooming him for a future starting spot at
guard.
Bills Depth Chart
QB: Tyrod Taylor, EJ Manuel, Cardale Jones
RB: LeSean McCoy, Karlos Williams (susp), Mike
Gillislee, Jonathan Williams, Reggie Bush, James Wilder
Jr., Dan Herron, Cierre Wood, Dri Archer
FB: Jerome Felton, Glenn Gronkowski
WR: Sammy Watkins, Robert Woods, Marquise
Goodwin, Greg Salas, Dezmin Lewis, Kolby
Listenbee, Marcus Easley, Greg Little, Jarrett Boykin, Walter
Powell
TE: Charles Clay, Jim Dray, Nick O′Leary, Chris
Gragg, Blake Annen, Jimmay Mundine, Jacob Maxwell
LT: Cordy Glenn, Jordan Mills
LG: Richie Incognito
C: Eric Wood
RG: John Miller, Cyril Richardson
RT: Cyrus Kouandijo, Seantrel Henderson
K: Dan Carpenter
DT: Marcell Dareus (NT) (susp), Kyle Williams, Leger
Douzable, Casey Walker (NT), Brandon Deaderick, Alameda
Ta′amu, Justin Zimmer
DE: Adolphus Washington, Corbin Bryant, Lavar
Edwards, Jerel Worthy, Cedric Reed
ILB: Preston Brown (M), Zach Brown, Brandon
Spikes, David Hawthorne, Jamari Lattimore, Kevin
Reddick, Reggie Ragland (inj)
OLB: Jerry Hughes, Shaq Lawson (inj), Manny Lawson
(S), Kroy Biermann (S), Lorenzo Alexander (S), Eric
Striker, Randell Johnson, Max Valles, IK Enemkpali (IR)
CB: Stephon Gilmore, Ronald Darby, Nickell Robey, Mario
Butler, Javier Arenas, Sterling Moore
S: Aaron Williams (FS), Corey Graham (SS) , Robert Blanton
(FS),Duke Williams (FS), Jonathan Meeks (SS), Johnathan
Dowling
Carolina Panthers
QB: Cam Newton played well in the preseason opener, except
for running on the field during an interception return and
nullifying a touchdown. He completed 5-of-6 passes for 36
yards on a 68-yard, field-goal-scoring drive. Derek Anderson
posted 7/14 for 93 yards and a touchdown. Third-stringer Joe
Webb had 9/16 for 89 yards and ran for another 22 yards. The
depth chart is set: 1) Newton, 2) Anderson, and 3) Webb.
RB: The Charlotte Observer's Jonathan Jones notes,
“Panthers coach Ron Rivera said Carolina's No. 2 running
back is really a mixture of fullback Mike Tolbert and running
back Fozzy Whittaker. But [Cameron] Artis-Payne is the truer
every-down running back among those three.” Artis-Payne
spoke about his improvement, “Just understanding what’s
coming next. Just reading the defense pre-snap and
understanding how the linebackers are going to attack you or
how the safety is coming off the edge to attack you. It's just
knowing little things in the second year.” Artis-Payne ran for
10 yards on five carries in the preseason opener (starter
Jonathan Stewart didn't play). Whittaker rushed three times for
zero yards and failed to catch his lone target. Tolbert posted
3/11/0 rushing. Brandon Wegher had a tough series late in the
second quarter. Wegher lost a yard on his first carry, bobbled
and dropped a pass on second down and then was taken down
for no gain on the third down play.
WR: According to the Charlotte Observer's Jonathan
Jones: “Perhaps no one at Wofford College is having a better
training camp for the Panthers than second-year receiver
Devin Funchess.” He stood out again Saturday when he
caught two deep passes for touchdowns during 9-on-9s. “It's a
reflection of the way he's been practicing and playing,” Ron
Rivera said. “He's done some really nice things and you see
the growth. It's exciting to watch him out there.” Rivera also
addressed how the team is planning to bring along Kelvin
Benjamin during the preseason: “That's one of the things that
we’ll start increasing. You'll see it - more and more of him.
We want to get him to the point where he can go four, five, six
plays in a row as we start getting ready for the opener. We'd
like to see his reps increase, and by the time we're done (with
the preseason) we'd like to see him get 30-35 reps and we'll
see what happens.” Funchess and Benjamin are locked in as
the top receivers, with Ted Ginn Jr. working as the third
wideout when the team goes to 3-WR formations. Ginn likes
what he sees of his teammates: “There's no big guys in there.
There's nobody belittling nobody. There's nobody acting like,
I'm better than you. Everybody's in there trying to figure out
how we can get better.” Benjamin had one catch for five yards
during the preseason opener, and said afterwards: “I just really
wanted to get on the field, move around and compete. And I
think I did that.”
TE: Greg Olsen was his usual efficient self at Baltimore,
catching both of his targets for 13 yards. Reserve candidate
Marcus Lucas saw two targets for 1/6/0 receiving. The depth
chart is mostly settled, with Olsen in the number one slot; Ed
Dickson a solid #2; and four other prospects (Beau Sandland,
Scott Simonson, Jake McGee, Braxton Deaver) battling Lucas
for the third and final spot. Dickson sat out the first preseason
game due to a groin injury.
Defense: On Sunday, the first padded practice since Thursday
night's exhibition game, tempers on the defensive unit boiled
over. Coach Rivera explained, “It made more to do with a
couple of shots that were given and taken out on the field. As I
said, we have to understand, especially in certain situations
how to play with pads on, how to practice with pads on. That's
really what happened. We had a couple of guys take a couple
of shots and a couple guys took exception to it more than
anything else. This was really the result of overenthusiastic
play which, at this point in time in training camp, we really
don't need unless I make it a live drill.” Bene Benwikere,
recently demoted to #3 (slot) cornerback from a starting
position, was one of the players who lost his cool on Sunday.
Rookie corners James Bradberry and Daryl Worley did well in
the exhibition game, according to Charlotte Observer's
Joseph Person. “They're still rookies. They've still got to
continue to grow,” veteran safety Kurt Coleman said. “But I'm
excited. They got their feet wet and I think now the jitters are
out. As a corner in this league, you make a couple plays that
confidence continues to shoot up. Especially with (Bradberry)
coming from a smaller college, this is probably the biggest
stadium he's ever played in.”
Returners: Damiere Byrd received most of the snaps at
returner in Carolina’s first preseason game, but this doesn’t
necessarily signal a changing of the guard. Carolina’s special
teams coach, Thomas McGaughey, says “Ted is Ted. We
know who he is. There’s no sense in putting him in a situation
where something might happen. We know who Ted Ginn is.”
OL: All-Pro center Ryan Kalil missed the preseason opener
against Baltimore. He’s reportedly fine and was just given the
night off. Center Gino Gradkowski was reportedly solid in
his place. The first team unit played well enough but the
problems were evident with the backups. Daryl Williams gave
up an ugly strip sack against Za’Darius Smith and second
team right tackle David Foucault also gave up several
pressures. Depth might be lacking.
Panthers Depth Chart
QB: Cam Newton, Derek Anderson, Joe Webb (KR)
RB: Jonathan Stewart, Cameron Artis-Payne, Fozzy
Whittaker (KR),Brandon Wegher, Devon Johnson, Jalen
Simmons
FB: Mike Tolbert, Andrew Bonnet
WR: Kelvin Benjamin, Devin Funchess, Ted Ginn
(KR/PR), Corey Brown, Brenton Bersin, Stephen
Hill, Keyarris Garrett, Kevin Norwood, Damiere Byrd, Miles
Shuler
TE: Greg Olsen, Ed Dickson, Beau Sandland, Scott
Simonson, Jake McGee, Braxton Deaver, Marcus Lucas
LT: Michael Oher
LG: Andrew Norwell, Chris Scott
C: Ryan Kalil, Gino Gradkowski
RG: Trai Turner
RT: Mike Remmers, Daryl Williams
K: Graham Gano
DT: Star Lotulelei (NT), Kawann Short, Paul Soliai, Vernon
Butler, Kyle Love, Robert Thomas (NT), Eric Crume
DE: Charles Johnson, Kony Ealy, Mario Addison, Ryan
Delaire, Wes Horton, Arthur Miley, Larry Webster, Rakim
Cox
MLB: Luke Kuechly, Ben Jacobs, Jared Norris
OLB: Thomas Davis (S), Shaq Thompson (W), A.J. Klein
(W/M),David Mayo, Jeremy Cash, Brian Blechen, Jared
Barber
CB: Bene Benwikere, James Bradberry, Robert
McClain, Daryl Worley, Zack Sanchez, Teddy
Williams, Leonard Johnson, Louis Young, Ras-I
Dowling, Shaq Richardson
S: Kurt Coleman (SS), Tre Boston (FS), Colin Jones
(SS/CB), Trent Robinson, Dean Marlowe (SS)
Chicago Bears
QB: Jay Cutler started the preseason opener against the
Broncos on Thursday night, and completed 3 of 4 passes while
playing the entire first quarter. His passes were accurate, but
he had very little protection from the line or help from the
running game, and took two sacks while gaining just a single
first down. Brian Hoyer did not have much more success as he
completed 7 of 10 passes for just 81 yards, but was sacked
three times and also turned the ball over on an interception.
David Fales played most of the second half, and continued the
trend as he didn’t have much success moving the ball and took
a couple more sacks (including a safety). Connor Shaw closed
out the game in a blowout loss. Overall, there wasn’t much to
get excited about here, and there has to be some concern about
the ability of the offensive line to keep these quarterbacks
upright.
RB: Jeremy Langford got the start against the Broncos but
was bottled up and finished with just 8 yards from scrimmage
on 4 carries and 1 catch. He’s expected to handle a heavy
workload this year, but remains mostly unproven as a feature
back. Jacquizz Rodgers was the 2nd back into the game, and
his only big play was a 20-yard reception that came on 3rd &
23. Ka’Deem Carey replaced him until he was forced to leave
with a concussion. The rookie Jordan Howard and Senorise
Perry then came in to help close things out. Overall, it was a
night to forget as all 5 running backs combined for just 34
yards on 15 carries, and 52 yards on 6 receptions.
WR: The Bears opened in a 3WR formation with Alshon
Jeffery and Kevin White outside and Marc Mariani working
out of the slot. Jeffery and White each caught a pass from
Cutler, but that was about the extent of their performances,
and Mariani was shut out. Eddie Royal sat out, but was
expected to be cleared from the league’s concussion protocol
soon. Among the reserves fighting for roster spots and playing
time, Josh Bellamy has been a standout in camp and he was
the most active player in the game with 3 catches on 5 targets.
There’s not a lot to get excited about here apart from the two
starters, but it’s worth monitoring in case there’s an injury.
TE: Starter Zach Miller was recently cleared from the
concussion protocol and has been practicing for a few days,
but he did not get a chance to play in the opener. Journeyman
Tony Moeaki started in his place, but had his hands full trying
to slow down the Broncos pass rush and was not targeted.
Defense: The first team defense was missing a couple of
starters in linebacker Pernell McPhee (knee) and cornerback
Tracy Porter (coach’s decision), and showed that they still
have some work to do. Mark Sanchez and the Broncos
managed to roll up 76 yards on 10 plays for a touchdown on
the opening drive. They did force a turnover on the 2 nd drive
thanks to a tipped pass that allowed linebacker Jerrell Freeman
to intercept it. The Bears are headed to New England for a 3day joint practice session starting on Monday, but starting
corner Kyle Fuller was held back as he tries to rest a knee
injury that has been bothering him. That should open up more
opportunities for rookie Deiondre Hall, who looked
impressive under the big lights, as well as Bryce Callahan who
rebounded after getting burned for the opening touchdown.
Returners: Chicago didn’t get much opportunity to evaluate
its punt returners against the Denver Broncos, with all five of
Denver’s kicks getting downed inside the 20 yard line.
OL: Things are not going well for the offensive line. Starting
center Hroniss Grasu was put on injured reserve with a torn
ACL. The team is still trying to figure out the way forward, as
they have signed free agents Khaled Holmes and Shelley
Smith to compete. Veteran Ted Larsen will get the nod to start
for now, but the team also tried rookie guard Cody Whitehair
at the spot during their preseason loss to the Broncos.
Whitehair’s shotgun snaps were erratic and the line as a unit
was beaten for 5 sacks in the first half. While the Broncos’
pass rush is among the best in the league, this performance by
the Bears offensive line was worrisome. In related news, the
team added free agent veteran Mike Adams to compete for
the swing tackle position.
Bears Depth Chart
QB: Jay Cutler, Brian Hoyer, David Fales, Connor Shaw
RB: Jeremy Langford, Jordan Howard, Ka′Deem
Carey, Jacquizz Rodgers, Senorise Perry
FB: Khari Lee (TE), Darrel Young, Paul Lasike
WR: Alshon Jeffery, Kevin White, Eddie Royal, Marquess
Wilson (inj), Marc Mariani (KR/PR), Daniel
Braverman, Deonte Thompson (KR), Cameron
Meredith, Joshua Bellamy, Darrin Peterson, Derek Keaton,
Kieren Duncan
TE: Zach Miller, Rob Housler, Ben Braunecker, Tony
Moeaki, Gannon Sinclair
LT: Charles Leno, Nick Becton
LG: Cody Whitehair, Shelley Smith
C: Ted Larsen, Khaled Holmes, Hroniss Grasu (IR)
RG: Kyle Long, Amini Silatolu
RT: Bobby Massie, Nate Chandler
K: Robbie Gould
NT: Eddie Goldman, Terry Williams
DE: Akiem Hicks, Jonathan Bullard, Will Sutton, Mitch
Unrein, Keith Browner, Ego Ferguson (IR)
ILB: Danny Trevathan, Jerrell Freeman, Christian Jones, Nick
Kwiatkoski, Jonathan Anderson, John Timu
OLB: Pernell McPhee, Lamarr Houston, Willie
Young, Leonard Floyd, Sam Acho, Roy RobertsonHarris, Lamin Barrow
CB: Kyle Fuller, Tracy Porter, Bryce Callahan, Sherrick
McManis, Deiondre′ Hall, Jacoby Glenn, Kevin
Peterson, De′Vante Bausby, Taveze Calhoun, Joel
Ross, Brandon Boykin (IR)
S: Adrian Amos (FS), Deon Bush (SS), Chris
Prosinski, Harold Jones-Quartey, Deandre Houston-Carson
(FS), Demontre Hurst (SS)
Cincinnati Bengals
QB: Andy Dalton played just one series in the team’s first
preseason game. With veteran tackle Andrew Whitworth not
dressed, the Bengals didn’t put Dalton at risk. Dalton threw
five passes, never from more than a three-step drop, and none
longer than 5-7 yards downfield. Other than a well-defended
quick slant, Dalton completed four of his five passes. He
looked comfortable and in rhythm, showing the mind meld
with A.J. Green (3-4 for 26 yards) beat writers have been
praising throughout camp. A.J. McCarron finished the first
half and played well. McCarron threw a variety of passes from
the pocket and on the move. He slightly underthrew C.J.
Uzomah on a seam route that could have gone for a long gain,
but otherwise was accurate. McCarron finished 11-for-16 for
125 yards and a short touchdown pass to his wide open slot
receiver.
RB: Jeremy Hill and Gio Bernard both saw time during the
opening series. Hill played the first series and the first play of
the second series. He was patient and looked comfortable on
his three carries before coming off with what’s being called a
minor hand bruise. It appeared he was hit by a face mask at
the end of his final carry. Bernard got multiple carries on a 22play drive that lasted into the second quarter. With Tyler Boyd
and C.J. Uzomah continuing to play well in camp, observers
believe Bernard’s targets may not increase much despite the
losses of Marvin Jones, Mohamed Sanu, and possibly Tyler
Eifert. Cedric Peerman will likely remain the team’s third
back due to his stellar special teams play, but won’t see time
in the backfield during the regular season.
WR: A.J. Green continued his steady and strong camp play
into the first preseason game. He played all eight snaps with
Andy Dalton in the team’s first series and was targeted four
times on a variety of quick-hitting routes. Green looks in midseason form already and all indications are that he’ll be leaned
on heavily. With Brandon LaFell out with a thumb injury,
Brandon Tate started opposite Green. Tyler Boyd had two slot
snaps during Dalton’s eight snaps, then saw snaps outside and
in the slot during A.J. McCarron’s snaps. Boyd had difficulty
separating from Trae Waynes on an incomplete sideline fade
route, then easily stacked a backup corner on a well thrown
deep route from McCarron later in the drive. Boyd continues
to draw rave reviews from observers and teammates in camp
practices. The competition for the fifth and sixth roster spots
continues, with Cody Core and Alex Erickson seeing the
majority of time with the second team last week. Erickson was
effective out of the slot and returned a punt for a touchdown.
Mario Alford remains in the mix and has impressed at times.
He was seen leaving the locker room in a walking boot after
the game.
TE: The Bengals didn’t update the condition of Tyler Eifert
and Tyler Kroft last week. Eifert is now out of his walking
boot but has multiple weeks of functional rehab remaining. He
has not been ruled out of the opener, but there isn’t much
optimism he’ll be ready. C.J. Uzomah beat a defensive back
down the seam but the pass from A.J. McCarron was
underthrown and knocked away. Uzomah has continued to
impress during camp and has a chance to see 3-5 targets per
game if Eifert and Kroft miss regular season time.
Defense: The first team defense was without Vontaze Burfict,
but otherwise intact for their lone first quarter series. The
defensive line pressured Teddy Bridgewater relentlessly and
forced a three-and-out. Geno Atkins chased down Bridgewater
twice and would have had two sacks if not for an impressive
Bridgewater stiff arm on the game’s first play. Carlos Dunlap
knocked Bridgewater down on third down. The Vikings didn’t
get the ball back until the second quarter after a long
Cincinnati drive and the starters were done. Burfict has been
participating in practice. He was held out by the coaches. Two
alignment changes of note: Margus Hunt saw time at
defensive tackle next to Atkins on subpackage downs and
Nick Vigil played middle linebacker with the second team
after not seeing much time inside earlier in camp.
PK: Mike Nugent had been perfect in “live” training camp
attempts, but he missed a 48-yard kick in the preseason
opener. Zach Hocker hasn’t been able to put up a real fight
because of an undisclosed injury, but Nugent has been
removing almost all doubt before his miss. It shouldn’t change
the outcome of the Bengals’ kicker competition.
Returners: With long-time special teams mainstays Brandon
Tate and Adam Jones still in the fold, it’s hard to see anyone
else in Cincinnati getting much special teams work unless age
finally catches up.
OL: With left tackle Andrew Whitworth sidelined against
Minnesota, the team started both of their second year tackles
together for the first time ever. Jake Fisher started on the left
side and Cedric Ogbuehi took over on the right. Fisher’s start
was only temporary, but Ogbuehi looks to have supplanted
Eric Winston at that spot and should be considered the starter
going forward, with Winston as the swing tackle off the
bench.
Bengals Depth Chart
QB: Andy Dalton, A.J. McCarron, Keith Wenning, Joe Licata
RB: Jeremy Hill (SD), Giovani Bernard (3RB), Rex Burkhead
(WR),Cedric Peerman, Bronson Hill
FB: Ryan Hewitt (HB)
WR: A.J. Green, Brandon LaFell, Tyler Boyd, James
Wright, Brandon Tate (KR), Jake Kumerow, Mario
Alford, Cody Core, Angelo Russell, Rashawn Simonise, Alex
Erickson, Michael Bennett
TE: Tyler Eifert (inj), Tyler Kroft (inj), C.J.
Uzomah, Matthew Lengel, John Peters
LT: Andrew Whitworth, Jake Fisher
LG: Clint Boling, Christian Westerman
C: Russell Bodine, T.J. Johnson
RG: Kevin Zeitler
RT: Cedric Ogbuehi , Eric Winston
K: Mike Nugent
DT: Geno Atkins, Domata Peko (NT), Brandon
Thompson, Andrew Billings (inj), Pat Sims, Marcus
Hardison, David Dean
DE: Carlos Dunlap, Michael Johnson, Margus Hunt, Will
Clarke, Jack Gangwish
MLB: Vontaze Burfict (W) (susp), Rey Maualuga (S), Nick
Vigil, Jeff Luc, Trevor Roach
OLB: Karlos Dansby (W/M) , Vincent Rey (S), Jayson
DiManche (S),Paul Dawson (W), Marquis Flowers (S), Darien
Harris
CB: Adam Jones (PR), Dre Kirkpatrick, Darqueze
Dennard, William Jackson III (inj), Josh Shaw, Chris LewisHarris, Corey White, Corey Tindal
S: George Iloka (SS), Shawn Williams (FS), Derron Smith
(FS),Jimmy Wilson, Clayton Fejedelem, Floyd Raven
Cleveland Browns
QB: Robert Griffin came out firing in his preseason debut
with the Browns. His first pass was a beautiful deep ball for a
49-yard gain. A few plays later, Griffin went deep again for
Gary Barnidge, but misplaced the pass, resulting in a diving
Micah Hyde interception. "That's on me,'' said Griffin after
the game. "I'm the quarterback. I have to make sure we are
not hurting ourselves with penalties or turnovers." Griffin
played for two series and finished his evening with four
completions on eight attempts for 67 yards and one
interception. Josh McCown didn’t do much in relief of Griffin,
only completing one of his four passes for five yards in two
penalty-laden series. Austin Davis stepped in for McCown and
managed to complete four out of his nine passes for 32 yards.
He was concussed near the end of the third quarter and did not
return to action. Cody Kessler managed to score the Browns’
only passing touchdown of the evening with a ten-yard strike.
However, Kessler embarrassingly ran out of the back of the
end zone while under pressure, resulting in a safety and
triggering memories of Detroit’s Dan Orlovsky doing the
same thing years earlier. After the game, Kessler said of his
mistake, “That's on me. I've got to see that.” Kessler was also
sacked for a second safety near the end of the game when his
offensive line protection broke down and he was unable to get
rid of the ball.
RB: Starters Duke Johnson and Isaiah Crowell each had only
one carry in Friday’s contest. Crowell’s tote went for negative
two yards, while Johnson’s carry went for an 11-yard gain.
Crowell sustained a shoulder injury on his carry and went for
x-rays after the game. "I'm good. I'm perfect,” he told the
media after the procedure. It was former Baltimore Raven
Raheem Mostert who stood out, converting his five carries
into 43 yards. Terrell Watson also had five carries, but netted
an unimpressive 15 yards.
WR: Starter Corey Coleman sat out Friday’s preseason game
with a sore hamstring. Receivers coach Al Saunders
highlighted that this has been a reoccurring problem for
Coleman: “Our trainers are phenomenal. He was kept out of
practice. He's had a history of soft tissue injuries. He's had
three or four hamstring pulls. He had groin surgery recently.
We just want to make sure he's right and ready to go.'' Also
sitting out of the receiver group were Josh Gordon (quad
muscle injury) and Andrew Hawkins (hamstring). Terrelle
Pryor started in place of his injured cohorts and was the
recipient of the 49-yard bomb from Griffin. Like Crowell,
Pryor went for precautionary x-rays after the game, but
nothing was found to be wrong with his left hand. Rashard
Higgins caught the Browns’ only touchdown of the evening.
TE: Starter Gary Barnidge logged two receptions for ten
yards. He nearly caught a touchdown, but Griffin’s errant pass
was intercepted instead. The backup competition continues to
be tight. Connor Hamlett continues to impress, catching a
touchdown that was then called back by an illegal forward
pass penalty. E.J. Bibbs snagged a pass for a five-yard gain.
Seth DeValve was unable to play with a hamstring injury.
Defense: The standout of the game for the defense was clearly
Emmanuel Ogbah, the replacement for defensive end
Desmond Bryant, who was lost for the season with a torn
pectoral muscle. The team gave Ogbah plenty of playing time
in which he logged five tackles and one sack. Third-round
selection Carl Nassib also managed a quarterback takedown
and three solo tackles. Scooby Wright III looked good in
limited action. He was only credited with two solo tackles, but
was constantly around the ball. Post-game, Wright admitted
that this was the first time he had been completely healthy
since the beginning of his junior year and said he thinks he’ll
be even better for next week’s contest against Atlanta.
PK: Patrick Murray got the only Browns field goal attempt
and hit a 46-yarder that had enough leg to be good from at
least ten yards longer in the preseason opener versus Green
Bay. Travis Coons’ job may be in trouble, as head coach Hue
Jackson said Murray is “challenging [Coons], that’s for sure.”
Returner: With Corey Coleman ailing, Raheem Mostert took
the bulk of the kickoff and punt return duties for the evening.
He did nothing to inspire confidence or lock up a returner
position aside from a 24-yard punt return. He muffed a punt
that led to a Packers field goal. It was end-of-the-depth-chart
receiver Darius Jennings who did the most with his lone
opportunity, returning a kickoff for 31 yards.
OL: The offensive line struggled against Green Bay,
especially at the right tackle position, where Austin Pasztor
got the start. After losing Mitchell Schwartz to free agency,
the team appears to have settled on Pasztor as a starter. They
also have Spencer Drango working at right tackle, and he
appears to be higher on the depth chart than rookie Shon
Coleman. In related news, Michael Bowie retired and is no
longer with the team. At center, Cam Erving got the start,
after filling in twelve games at guard last season. Erving may
have been a little rusty as he gave up pressure up the middle.
Browns Depth Chart
QB: Robert Griffin III, Josh McCown, Cody Kessler, Austin
Davis
RB: Isaiah Crowell (SD), Duke Johnson (3RB), Terrell
Watson, Raheem Mostert, Glenn Winston
FB: Malcolm Johnson
WR: Josh Gordon (susp), Corey Coleman, Terrelle
Pryor, Andrew Hawkins, Rashard Higgins, Taylor
Gabriel, Jordan Payton, Ricardo Louis, Darius
Jennings, Marlon Moore, Ed Eagan
TE: Gary Barnidge, Connor Hamlett, E.J. Bibbs, Seth
Devalve, Randall Telfer
LT: Joe Thomas, Shon Coleman
LG: Joel Bitonio, Kaleb Johnson
C: Cameron Erving
RG: John Greco, Alvin Bailey
RT: Austin Pasztor, Spencer Drango
K: Travis Coons (inj), Patrick Murray, Jaden Oberkrom
NT: Danny Shelton, Jamie Meder, Nile Lawrence-Stample
DE: John Hughes, Xavier Cooper, Emmanuel Ogbah, Carl
Nassib, Nick Hayden, Dylan Wynn, Desmond Bryant (IR)
ILB: Christian Kirksey, Demario Davis, Tank Carder, Joe
Schobert, Scooby Wright III, Justin Tuggle
OLB: Paul Kruger, Nate Orchard, Armonty
Bryant, Barkevious Mingo, Cam Johnson, Jackson
Jeffcoat, Dominique Alexander
CB: Joe Haden, Tramon Williams, K′Waun Williams, Jamar
Taylor, Justin Gilbert, Trey Caldwell, Eric Patterson, Kenya
Dennis
S: Jordan Poyer (FS), Ibraheim Campbell (SS), Rahim Moore
(FS),Pierre Desir (FS/CB), Don Jones (SS), Derrick
Kindred, Sean Baker (FS), Tim Scott (FS)
Dallas Cowboys
QB: Tony Romo sat against the Rams, as expected. If Dak
Prescott can continue to play the way he did versus the Rams
in the preseason opener, the Cowboys may not need to acquire
a veteran to replace Kellen Moore as the #2 quarterback. The
rookie was electric in the first half, completing 10-of-12
passes for 139 yards (11.6 per attempt) and two touchdowns.
Prescott found Dez Bryant and Terrance Williams for scores
and also showed off his mobility with a 14-yard scamper. It’s
no surprise head coach Jason Garret was impressed with the
rookie’s poise: “I thought Dak did a good job,” Garrett said.
“He had poise and composure. He ran the offense well. I
thought he managed the game well and executed plays. He
made some little plays and also made some big plays.”
Jameill Showers, on the other hand, was less impressive. He
completed just half of his passes (8-of-16) for 99 yards (6.2
per attempt) with no scores.
RB: Ezekiel Elliott (hamstring) and Darren McFadden
(elbow) continue to miss practice and therefore sat out against
the Rams in the preseason opener, which left Alfred Morris as
the starter. Morris carried the ball three times for 11 yards (3.7
per rush) but it was an uneven showing as 9 of the 11 yards
came on one carry. Morris also caught a 12-yard pass. Darius
Jackson was the team’s main ball carrier, with 12 rushes for
47 yards (3.9 per rush). Jackson needs a strong preseason to
make a case for a roster spot; although it’s possible a strong
camp could make Darren McFadden expendable.
WR: After last year’s offensive woes, Cowboys fans had to be
thrilled to see both Dez Bryant and Terrance Williams shine
against the Rams. Bryant caught both of his targets for 28
yards and a 10-yard touchdown. Williams was only targeted
once, but he made it count with a 32-yard touchdown. Lucky
Whitehead hasn’t been making a mark as a receiver in a
spirited camp, but his 101-yard kickoff return for a touchdown
made a statement; he’s going to have a place on the roster as
the return man. Cole Beasley caught both of his passes and is
entrenched as the WR3/slot option. Brice Butler (22 yards),
Vince Mayle (47 yards), Devin Street (17 yards) and Andy
Jones (9 yards) all had receptions, but the battle for the 4th and
5th receiver spots remains wide open.
TE: Jason Witten and Gavin Escobar sat versus the Rams, but
both are looking good in practice. Geoff Swaim has been a
pleasant surprise throughout the preseason given more snaps
with John Hanna injured.
Defense: The Cowboys had an inauspicious preseason debut
against the Rams, with very little pass rush and too many
missed tackles. There were a few bright spots. For example,
backup middle linebacker Mark Nzeocha and 2nd string
cornerback Deji Olatoye had interceptions against Jared Goff
and Sean Mannion, respectively. There weren’t too many
other highlights defensively against the Rams, as both starter
Case Keenum and 3rd string Sean Mannion finished with
100+ passer ratings and the Rams ran the ball easily (25
carries for 139 yards and a touchdown).
Returners: Dallas clearly wanted Lucky Whitehead to be
their return specialist this year, with the only question being
whether he would make the final roster. Early returns are as
favorable as can be, as Whitehead returned a kickoff 101 yards
for a touchdown against the St. Louis Rams.
OL: Travis Frederick received a 6-year extension this week
which makes him the highest paid center in the league.
Veteran Charles Brown retired, and the team signed
journeyman Cameron Bradfield to fill his roster spot. Chaz
Green got the start at left tackle against the Rams, as the team
gave Tyron Smith the night off. Green had a mixed
performance, with some good run blocks but also gave up a
sack and a holding penalty. Finally, starting left guard La’el
Collins’ was wearing custom-made pancake cleats.
McClain, Jack Crawford, Maliek Collins
DE: Benson Mayowa, David Irving, Ryan Russell, Charles
Tapper, Demarcus Lawrence (susp), Randy Gregory (susp)
MLB: Anthony Hitchens, Andrew Gachkar, Mark Nzeocha
(W),Jaylon Smith (inj), Rolando McClain (susp)
OLB: Sean Lee (W), Kyle Wilber (S), Justin Durant
(W), Damien Wilson (W), Deon King (S), Keith Smith
(W), James Morris, Ka′Lial Glaud, Jerrell Harris, Derek
Akunne
CB: Brandon Carr, Orlando Scandrick, Morris Claiborne
(inj),Anthony Brown, Josh Thomas, Isaiah Frey, Dax Swanson
S: Barry Church (SS), Byron Jones (FS), J.J. Wilcox (SS), Jeff
Heath (FS), Ayodeji Olatoye (FS), Kavon Frazier (SS)
Denver Broncos
QB: Gary Kubiak created a bit of a stir when he declined to
name a starter for the first preseason game until nearly the last
minute. He handed the keys for the opening part of the game
to Mark Sanchez, who would respond with an effort that just
happened to provide a perfect snapshot of his career thus far.
He was brilliant on the first series and led the team on a 76yard touchdown drive, and followed that up with a maddening
interception on the next series. Trevor Siemian took over the
reins in the second quarter and completed 7-of-12 passes for
88 yards. Sanchez appears to have a very slight edge on the
starting job in Week 1 at the moment, but a lackluster practice
following the first preseason game drew the ire of Kubiak,
who promptly placed everyone on notice. "We didn't practice
very well offensively. We're less than 48 hours out of a game
and to come back and practice is tough. We handled it
defensively, but we didn't handle it offensively. It's
disappointing for me," Kubiak said. Paxton Lynch remains a
work in progress. He’s shown the signs you would expect
from a rookie throughout camp and the first preseason game,
and he received his ‘welcome to the NFL’ moment in the form
of three sacks at the hands of the Chicago Bears.
Cowboys Depth Chart
QB: Tony Romo, Kellen Moore (inj), Dak Prescott, Jameill
Showers
RB: Ezekiel Elliott, Darren McFadden (inj), Alfred
Morris, Darius Jackson, Lance Dunbar (inj), Rod Smith, Ben
Malena
WR: Dez Bryant, Terrance Williams, Cole Beasley, Brice
Butler, Devin Street, Vince Mayle, Lucky Whitehead
(KR/PR), Rodney Smith, Chris Brown, Richard Mullaney
TE: Jason Witten, James Hanna (inj), Gavin Escobar, Geoff
Swaim, Rico Gathers
LT: Tyron Smith, Darrion Weems
LG: Lael Collins, Ronald Leary
C: Travis Frederick
RG: Zack Martin
RT: Doug Free, Chaz Green
K: Dan Bailey
DT: Tyrone Crawford, Cedric Thornton, Terrell
RB: The release of the first Broncos depth chart clearly
pointed out some of the key battles that are raging on
throughout camp and the preseason, including the role of
backup running back to starter C.J. Anderson. Ronnie Hillman
and Devontae Booker were listed as co-No.2 running backs,
For Booker, he’s impressed in camp with both his burst and
pass-catching ability. He’s clearly the back of the future in
Denver, and his preseason and camp work will go a long way
to deciding how much of a role he has in Year One. On the
Hillman front, the Broncos know what they are getting, but he
may have to prove himself to be indispensable over the next
month to lock down his roster spot. Kapri Bibbs is listed at
No.4 on the depth chart, and he received the heaviest
workload of any running back in the preseason tilt against the
Bears. He toted the rock 15 times for 53 yards, with his
longest run tallying 12 yards. Juwan Thompson is also in the
mix for a spot, but he carried only a single time against the
Bears.
WR: Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders saw limited
action in the first preseason game as you would expect. They
both hauled in a pair of passes, and Thomas was on the
receiving end of a 32-yard touchdown toss from Sanchez on
the team’s opening drive. Cody Latimer and Bennie Fowler
were listed as the second-team wide receivers on the opening
depth chart. Fowler promptly went out and suffered a small
elbow fracture in the game against the Bears, while Latimer
was one of the top performers of the night. He hauled in seven
of his eight targets for 82 yards, and placed himself clearly in
the lead for the WR3 role. Fowler is expected to be ready for
Week 1. Jordan Taylor and Jordan Norwood are listed as the
third-team receivers, and both have flashed throughout camp.
Taylor was the second most productive Broncos receiver in
the battle against the Bears, and he hauled in two of his three
targets for 44 yards. All told, the Broncos are deep at the
receiver position. If they can figure out who the starting signal
caller will be for Week 1 before we get too deep in the
preseason, we’ll consider that a bonus for the group’s
prospects in 2016.
TE: It’s shaping up to be a tight battle for the starting tight
end spot, and we need to look no further than the initial depth
chart for confirmation. Virgil Green and Jeff Heuerman are
listed as co-No.1 tight ends, and reports out of camp paint a
flattering picture of both. A recent red-zone focused drill saw
the pair combine for six touchdowns, and whoever secures the
top spot figures to have a decent-sized role in the passing
game this season. While the Broncos have plenty of talent at
the wide receiver position, question marks at quarterback
could lead to some conservative play calling, which opens up
plenty of opportunities for check downs to the tight end. For
the preseason game against the Bears, Green hauled in all
three of his targets for 26 yards, while Heuerman nabbed one
of the two that headed his way for six yards. Garrett Graham
checks in at third on the depth chart, and he provides some
solid veteran depth that could come in handy as the season
moves along.
Defense: There have been plenty of rumblings about the
Broncos shooting for ‘perfection’ on defense this season, and
if preseason Week 1 is any indication, we may have to take
those calls with a little more than a grain of salt. The final
score contained a goose egg on the Bears side of the ledger,
but that doesn’t tell the complete story. The Broncos defense
manhandled them throughout, and the effort becomes all the
more impressive when you take into account that several key
starters did not suit up. “That shows the depth we have,"
shared T.J. Ward. "It says we're at another level right now.
We have top-tier players, but then we have a group of backups
that can start for other teams," he continued. Ward hit the nail
on the head with that assessment, and that should be a scary
thought for the rest of the league. On the Von Miller front,
he’s inching closer and closer to full participation, and it
sounds like he’s ready to get right to the games that matter. “I
have huge goals, our defense has huge goals, because last
season showed what we can do; of course, we all want more of
that," he said.
Returners: Despite Jordan Norwood sitting atop the depth
chart, it was undrafted rookies Kalif Raymond and Bralon
Addison who handled returns in Denver’s first preseason
game. Norwood is the safest bet to make the final roster, but
Raymond is the safest bet to handle returns if he does make
the roster.
OL: The offensive line had a solid night in the preseason
opener, keeping both starting quarterback candidates clean.
The coaching staff gave oft injured left tackle addition Russell
Okung a precautionary night off, and the team has moved
Michael Schofield to left guard. Schofield has been getting
first team reps at the position while Ty Sambrailo is injured.
Fifth round rookie Connor McGovern is also in the mix at
guard but is unlikely to start. There is no concern about center
Matt Paradis, who played every snap last season.
Broncos Depth Chart
QB: Mark Sanchez, Paxton Lynch, Trevor Siemian
RB: C.J. Anderson, Devontae Booker, Ronnie Hillman, Juwan
Thompson, Kapri Bibbs
FB: Andy Janovich
WR: Demaryius Thomas, Emmanuel Sanders (PR), Bennie
Fowler (inj), Cody Latimer, Jordan Norwood, Kalif
Raymond, Jordan Taylor, DeVier Posey, Durron Neal, Mose
Frazier, Bralon Addison
TE: Virgil Green, Jeff Heuerman, Garrett Graham, Richard
Gordon, John Phillips, Nick Kasa, Henry KriegerCoble, Manasseh Garner, Anthony Norris
LT: Russell Okung, Darrion Weems
LG: Max Garcia, Connor McGovern, Aaron Neary
C: Matt Paradis, James Ferentz
RG: Ty Sambrailo, Michael Schofield
RT: Donald Stephenson
K: Brandon McManus
NT: Sylvester Williams, Darius Kilgo, Calvin Heurtelou, Kyle
Peko
DE: Derek Wolfe, Jared Crick, Adam Gotsis, Billy
Winn, Kenny Anunike, George Uko, Vontarrius Dora, Shaniel
Jenkins, David Moala, Eddie Yarbrough, Vance Walker (IR)
ILB: Brandon Marshall, Todd Davis, Corey Nelson, Zaire
Anderson
OLB: Von Miller, DeMarcus Ware, Shaquil Barrett, Shane
Ray, Dekoda Watson, Frank Shannon, Sadat
Sulleyan, Dwayne Norman
CB: Aqib Talib (susp), Chris Harris Jr., Bradley
Roby, Kayvon Webster, Lorenzo Doss, John Tidwell
S: T.J. Ward (SS), Darian Stewart (FS), Justin Simmons
(FS), Shiloh Keo, Will Parks, B.J. Lowery, Ryan
Murphy, Antonio Glover
Detroit Lions
QB: The Lions practiced with the Pittsburgh Steelers during
the week and then faced them in their first preseason game on
Friday evening. Starting quarterback Matthew Stafford was
sharp during the week of practices and looked good during the
game, but the first team offensive line gave up pressure and
Stafford was hit a few times in his limited time. Stafford
finished 4-for-6 for 58 yards, highlighted by an outstanding
throw to receiver Marvin Jones under heavy pressure. Veteran
quarterback Dan Orlovsky entered the game after the first
series and played through the first half. He was 16-for-25 for
164 yards and a touchdown and also drove the offense for two
field goals. However, he threw one of the worst interceptions
you’ll ever see when he avoided pressure but then he threw the
ball out to the flat with no Lions receiver in sight and Steelers
cornerback Doran Grant scored on the play. There is a gigantic
drop-off in the quarterback play between the starter and the
backups. Rookie signal-caller Jake Rudock played the entire
second half and showed promise as he consistently took what
the defense gave him. Rudock finished 8-of-11 for 72 yards,
but when he played safe and when there wasn’t an opening, he
ran with the ball to gain positive yards. Carlos Monarrez of
The Detroit Free Press reported that Rudock looked poised,
decisive and quite mobile in his pro debut. Head coach Jim
Caldwell praised Rudock’s performance while talking about
his ability to adjust to different schemes: “He’s shown the
same ability here, nothing seems to rattle him. He’s got a great
temperament, but he’s also a great competitor.”
RB: Kyle Meinke of www.mlive.com reported that starting
running back Ameer Abdullah still hasn’t been cleared for
contact due to a January shoulder surgery and he did not play
Friday. Abdullah hasn’t missed a day of training camp but he
stills is wearing the no-contact jersey. The Lions were
optimistic earlier in the offseason that Abdullah would be
ready for camp so the hope for the Lions is to get him back
soon. Theo Riddick is a fantastic weapon as a pass catcher but
he isn’t a conventional runner and will be a third down
specialist again. Second-year Zach Zenner looked very good
on Friday churning through contact and moving the ball north
and south. He didn’t pop for big numbers but there’s a
competition between he and Stevan Ridley for the power role.
Zenner had seven carries in the first half to Ridley’s zero.
Zenner also catches the ball well and can make the first
defender miss; he converted three targets into three catches for
32 yards. Kyle Meinke of M Live called Zenner a big winner
coming out of the first preseason game. Ridley had five carries
in the second half and totaled 14 yards while catching one pass
for five yards. It is easy to see the appeal in rookie Dwayne
Washington as he is a height/weight/speed freak show.
Washington had a couple touches but lit up the Steelers for a
touchdown on a 96-yard kickoff return, displaying his
fantastic long speed. Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press
reported that Washington made a statement with the return and
quoted Caldwell as saying, "Powerful guy that what you see is
typically what he’s been showing. He’s young. This is his first
outing and he’s got a long way to go. But did pretty well
today."
WR: The Lions are looking to be set up fairly well at the
receiver position with some new additions that will play big
roles, perhaps none bigger than free agent acquisition Marvin
Jones. Kyle Meinke of www.mlive.com reports that Jones has
looked like a No. 1 wide receiver during training camp and
that he and Stafford are developing chemistry. During team
drills at joint practices with the Steelers, Meinke reports that
Stafford targeted Jones seven times in 14 total passes during
the drill and that Jones caught six of them. Meinke quotes
Stafford on the chemistry: “Yeah, I think so. There's a ton of
work to be done between now and the season opener. That's
what these days are for." Jones caught one pass for 16 yards in
the game but the pitch and catch showed that chemistry.
Golden Tate isn’t going anywhere and is still a 1B type, but
Meinke is reporting that Tate is dealing with a case of the
drops of late. Big bodied wide receiver Anquan Boldin
showed exactly what he’s capable of doing with the first team
on Friday as he took a short slant, bounced off a defender and
went for 30 yards. There is a battle happening for the backup
receiver spots, particularly among the slot types. Jeremy
Kerley, Andre Roberts and Jace Billingsley are locked into a
competition, but Roberts and Billingsley stood out on Friday
as each scored a touchdown in the game, while Kerley had a
bad drop while wide open going across the middle of the field.
Each played well though and there is no real separation
amongst the three. Roberts caught three passes for 57 yards
and a score. Kerley had five catches for 36 yards and
Billingsley tallied three catches for 33 yards and a score. Dave
Birkett of the Detroit Free Press is reporting that it is a
general assumption that T.J. Jones has secured a backup job.
Birkett reports that there is a battle going for the final spots
and he’s quoted Caldwell on the competition as saying, “Got a
ways to go, things seem to kind of settle themselves out.
There’s a lot of time between now and the end of the
preseason, so I think at some point in time it’ll still become a
little more clear.” The Lions have bigger options in rookies
Jay Lee and Quinshad Davis also in the mix for the final spots,
but the reality is that special teams play will dictate the bottom
of the roster. The Lions have depth with this group, but the
camp battles rage on as nothing is even close to being decided.
TE: While there was hope that we would get news on Eric
Ebron’s injury status this week, it did not come which leaves
us guessing a bit. It is critical for the offense to get a healthy
Ebron ready for the season as he does have game-changing
talent. He also has the size/skillset that sets him apart from
anyone else on the roster. Undrafted free agent Cole Wick
continues to make the most of his opportunities as he ran with
the first-team in the preseason opener, catching one pass for
10 yards while being targeted three times. Kyle Meinke of
www.mlive.com reports that Wick has a very good chance to
make the roster and perhaps even play right away. Veterans
Matthew Mulligan, Orson Charles, and undrafted free agent
Adam Fuehne are vying for roster spots. Charles caught two of
three targets for 15 yards in the game Friday. Fuehne was
targeted once for a 5-yard completion. The tight end situation
remains extremely fluid until we get clarity on Ebron’s injury.
Defense: The Lions are still waiting for linebacker DeAndre
Levy to get back on the field and his absence looms large. The
defensive line looks solid as long as injuries don’t play a big
factor as Haloti Ngata and Tyrunn Walker are set to start at
defensive tackle with solid depth behind them. As long as
injuries aren’t a big problem, this should be the strength of the
defense in 2016. Rookie A’Shawn Robinson is extremely
powerful and that was on display Friday night. Veteran
defensive end Devin Taylor registered a sack on Friday
against Pittsburgh’s first team and he and fellow defensive end
Ziggy Ansah should be potent edge threats on a consistent
basis. It will only help if the defensive tackle play is better and
more consistent this year. Stud cornerback Darius Slay was a
little dinged up and didn’t play on Friday night, but he didn’t
fare all that well matched up with star wide receiver Antonio
Brown during the inter-squad practices. Dave Birkett of The
Detroit Free Press reported that Slay was beat deep three
straight times by Brown in one-on-one drills in joint practices
last week. Nevin Lawson is listed as the team’s other outside
corner but that isn’t set in stone and that position bears
watching. The free safety position is all set with Glover Quin,
and it appears that Raphael Bush has the edge on the starting
strong safety position as he played with the first-team defense
on Friday night.
Returners: If he was hoping to make the roster as a kickoff
returner, Dwayne Washington’s 96-yard return touchdown
against the Steelers certainly made a good opening case. On
punts, Jace Billingsley received the bulk of the reps, albeit
with far fewer fireworks.
OL: The team has been saying great things about how rookie
Taylor Decker is adjusting to life as a starting left tackle since
drafting him in the spring. But those verbal platitudes didn’t
match up to the performance the first team unit put forth
against Pittsburgh in the preseason opener. Decker was called
for holding, and then was victimized by James Harrison, who
mauled Matthew Stafford for a strip sack. Riley Reiff
appears to be adjusting well to right tackle, but the unit also
allowed pressure up the gut, with starting center Travis
Swanson giving up a hurry, again to Harrison. Overall this
unit could be decent once they settle into their new lineup, but
for now there are growing pains.
Lions Depth Chart
QB: Matthew Stafford, Dan Orlovsky, Jake Rudock
RB: Ameer Abdullah (KR), Theo Riddick (3RB), Zach
Zenner (SD), Stevan Ridley (SD), Dwayne
Washington, George Winn
FB: Michael Burton
WR: Golden Tate (PR), Marvin Jones, Anquan Boldin, TJ
Jones (KR/PR), Jeremy Kerley, Andre Roberts, Corey Fuller
(inj), Jay Lee, Quinshad Davis, Jace Billingsley, Andre
Caldwell (IR), Ryan Spadola (IR)
TE: Eric Ebron (inj), Brandon Pettigrew (inj), Cole
Wick, Matthew Mulligan, Andrew Quarless (susp), Adam
Fuehne, Ben McCord, Tim Wright (IR)
LT: Taylor Decker, Corey Robinson
LG: Laken Tomlinson, Joe Dahl, Gabe Ikard
C: Travis Swanson, Graham Glascow
RG: Larry Warford, Geoff Schwartz
RT: Riley Reiff, Michael Ola, Cornelius Lucas
K: Matt Prater
DT: Haloti Ngata, A′Shawn Robinson, Tyrunn Walker
(inj), Caraun Reid, Khyri Thornton, Gabe Wright, Stefan
Charles, Kerry Hyder
DE: Ezekiel Ansah, Devin Taylor, Wallace Gilberry, Anthony
Zettel, Quanterus Smith, Deonte Gibson, Louis Palmer
MLB: Tahir Whitehead (S), Antwione Williams, Dominique
Tovell (S)
OLB: DeAndre Levy (W) (inj), Kyle Van Noy (S), Josh
Bynes (S), Khaseem Greene, Brandon Copeland, Zaviar
Gooden, Dominique Tovell, Jonathan Bostic (inj)
CB: Darius Slay, Nevin Lawson, Quandre Diggs, Alex Carter,
Darrin Walls, Crezdon Butler, Adairius Barnes, Charles
Washington, Rashaad Reynolds
S: Glover Quin (FS), Rafael Bush (FS), Tavon Wilson
(SS), Miles Killebrew (SS), Don Carey, Johnson Bademosi
(FS), Isaiah Johnson (SS)
Green Bay Packers
QB: Green Bay held out Aaron Rodgers and Brett Hundley
(ankle injury) from the first preseason game vs. Cleveland
(second scheduled, first actually played). Joe Callahan (16/23
for 124 yards, one TD and zero interceptions thrown) got his
chance to lead an NFL offense. Callahan did well considering
that his former stadium (Drass Field at Scott D. Miller
Stadium) held all of 2,500 fans. There were 74,261 fans at
Lambeau Field on Friday. “It was a great experience,”
Callahan said. “A little bit bigger than what I'm used to. A few
more people than the crowds at Wesley. Tonight was a lot of
fun.” Head coach Mike McCarthy said, “I was very pleased
with the way Joe, number one, managed the game, used the
huddle, extended the plays with his feet and played smart with
the football. Two-minute drive, I don't care who you are, what
year you're in, I thought he did an excellent job getting the
touchdown there before the half.” Callahan added, “We had a
good drive at the end there, the end of the first half. I think
things went well for my first preseason game.” Fourth stringer
Marquise Williams had a tougher time in the second half, with
6/14 for 55 yards, zero TDs and one interception. Hundley
resumed practicing on Sunday after missing nearly two weeks
with a sore ankle.
RB: Eddie Lacy averaged six yards per carry against the
Browns, with 4/24/0 rushing to his credit in a cameo
appearance. James Starks was less effective, with 5/13/0
rushing to his credit. The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel's Bob
McGinn believes Brandon Burks could emerge as the 3rd
stringer: “Don’t be surprised if the [third string running back]
job this season falls to another rookie free agent from the Sun
Belt, Troy’s Brandon Burks. Burks and yet another undrafted
rookie from a second-tier conference, safety Kentrell Brice of
Louisiana Tech (Conference USA), were as impressive as any
of the team’s 24 rookies that played Friday night in the 17-11
exhibition victory over the Cleveland Browns at Lambeau
Field.” Burks posted 9/45/0 rushing with two targets for 2/3/0
receiving during the game, and led the Packers in rushing.
WR: Jeff Janis will miss 4-to-6 weeks with a fractured hand.
He may be on the roster bubble due to a poor showing in
training camp coupled with the hand injury. The other option
for Green Bay is to place him on IR and then designate Janis
to return as the season goes along; he'd be out a minimum of
six weeks in this scenario. With Janis likely shelved, the
Packers will continue to gauge the progress of undrafted free
agent Geronimo Allison, who has been extremely consistent in
practices and seems to have earned Aaron Rodgers’ trust.
Jordy Nelson remains out with knee tendinitis. The gaggle of
players vying for third wide receiver role remains tight: Jared
Abbrederis, Davante Adams, Ty Montgomery, Trevor Davis
and Allison all have a shot at a significant role.
TE: Justin Perillo commented on the Packers' stable of
tight ends after the Cleveland win: “I think we have a great
room. We're deeper. Richard had a good year [last year]. He
had eight touchdowns. We made a great addition bringing in
Jared Cook. He can catch and run block and having him
around has been great. He can help us with running better
routes and reading defenses and attacking coverages.” Perillo
was targeted seven times for a team-high 5/52/0, while
Richard Rodgers (zero targets) and Cook (two targets for
2/10/0 receiving) saw brief time with the first team. “I just
wanted to get some live reps,” Cook said after the game.
Defense: According to Pete Dougherty, USA TODAY
Network-Wisconsin: “In fact, [Letroy] Guion — without
drawing much notice this summer — is having a nice camp.'
Guion's good play is key because Mike Pennel will start the
regular season on a four-game suspension due to violating the
NFL's substance abuse policy. Dougherty further notes:
“Micah Hyde intercepted Griffin in the end zone on one series,
and the Packers' starting defense forced a punt after giving up
a first down on a second possession. Then Capers brought in
the backups.” Given all the players not participating in this
first preseason game (an extensive list – see the link above),
the Packers' defense did well with what players the coaching
staff elected to play.
Returners: With primary kickoff returner Jeff Janis out 4-6
weeks after surgery to repair a fractured hand, Jared
Abbrederis will likely get an extended audition to try to take
Janis’ job away from him this preseason.
OL: Starting center Corey Linsley remains on the PUP list
with a hamstring injury, so the team turned to a combination
of J.C. Tretter and Don Barclay (who is a natural tackle)
against Cleveland. The team added local undrafted free agent
Kyle Steuck to the roster to bolster that position, but all signs
point to Linsley being healthy by the start of the season. In
other rookie news, second round tackle Jason Spriggs was
solid with the second team in his NFL debut.
Packers Depth Chart
QB: Aaron Rodgers, Brett Hundley, Joe Callahan, Marquise
Williams
RB: Eddie Lacy, James Starks, John Crockett, Brandon Burks,
Brandon Ross, Don Johnson
FB: Aaron Ripkowski, Alstevis Squirewell
WR: Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb, Jared Abbrederis, Davante
Adams, Ty Montgomery, Jeff Janis (KR) (inj), Trevor Davis
(KR/PR), Geronimo Allison, Jamel Johnson, Ed
Williams, Herb Waters, Harvey Binford
TE: Richard Rodgers, Jared Cook, Justin Perillo, Kennard
Backman, Casey Pierce, Mitchell Henry
LT: David Bakhtiari, Jason Spriggs
LG: Josh Sitton, Lane Taylor, William Campbell
C: Corey Linsley, J.C. Tretter
RG: T.J. Lang, Josh Walker
RT: Bryan Bulaga, Kyle Murphy
K: Mason Crosby
NT: Letroy Guion, Kenny Clark, Christian Ringo, Brian Price
DE: Mike Daniels, Datone Jones, Mike Pennel, Dean
Lowry, Tyler Kuder, Demetris Anderson, Reggie Gilbert
ILB: Sam Barrington (M), Jake Ryan, Blake Martinez, Carl
Bradford (M), Joe Thomas
OLB: Clay Matthews, Julius Peppers, Nick Perry, Jayrone
Elliott,Kyler Fackrell, Lerentee McCray, Beniquez
Brown, Manoa Pikula
CB: Sam Shields, Quinten Rollins, Damarious
Randall, Demetri Goodson (susp), LaDarius
Gunter, Robertson Daniel, Josh Hawkins, Makinton Dorleant
S: Morgan Burnett (SS), Ha Ha Clinton-Dix (FS), Micah
Hyde (FS/PR), Chris Banjo (SS), Kentrell Brice, Marwin
Evans
Houston Texans
QB: Brock Osweiler completed 4-of-7 passing, but never
really got into a rhythm with the first team offense. It’s hard to
draw too many conclusions about how the offense will look in
the regular season, as the Texans were running a vanilla
scheme. Bill O’Brien said he was playing it “close to the
vest” and “running a lot of base offense” being the first
preseason game. Tom Savage has been one of the standout
performers through the early part of training camp and he
carried that momentum into a strong outing against the 49ers.
Savage completed 14-of-24 passes for 168 yards, and tossed a
pair of touchdowns (with no interceptions). The 26-year old
was a 4th-round pick in the 2014 draft and has always had the
physical tools (6’4”, 230 pounds with a big arm) to play in the
NFL. In his third season, he now has full command of the
offense and is in position to be the #2 quarterback in Houston.
Brandon Weeden appears a long shot to make the roster.
played well and caught a 7-yard touchdown pass late in the
third quarter. In deep dynasty leagues, Anderson is a player to
target. Starter C.J. Fiedorowicz had a catch to pick up a first
down, but he is known primarily for his blocking. He had a
key block to spring Lamar Miller for a nice gain on the first
play of the game.
RB: Lamar Miller got off to a strong start with a 14-yard run
on the first play of the game against the 49ers. He has shown
blazing speed in camp, but has not always timed his cuts
perfectly. He is the clear lead back in Houston. There may not
be a true fantasy handcuff to Miller. We would likely see a
running back by committee approach with at least three backs
rotating. Tyler Ervin has been stellar in the passing game, but
is having issues as a runner and missing cuts. Akeem Hunt had
a 9-yard touchdown catch in camp and is very much in the
mix for a roster spot in the change-of-pace role. Kenny
Hilliard showed up in 2016 as a “different dude.” He has
slimmed down and shown more burst than in past years. With
Alfred Blue sitting out, Hilliard got a chance to make his case
for a spot on the roster with 12 carries against the 49ers. He
rushed for 40 yards and looked solid. He and his former
teammate at LSU (Blue), may be competing for one spot
Defense: Johnny Simon played well filling in as a starter for
Jadeveon Clowney (who was nursing a minor injury). Simon
played well against the run and also returned a fumble 41
yards for a touchdown. The fumble was caused in part by
defensive end Christian Covington who is vying for a starting
job and may have a leg up on Devon Still. Both Still and
Covington will see a heavy workload while the Texans wait
for J.J. Watt to return. Benardrick McKinney has shown major
improvement against the pass in camp, but stumbled while
trying to cover 49ers tight end Vance McDonald; he gave up a
long touchdown pass.
WR: DeAndre Hopkins made a bunch of plays in practice
against the 49ers and is unsurprisingly Osweiler’s go-to guy.
He is poised to have another big season. From a fantasy
perspective, the big story to watch has been how the receiving
roles shake out behind Hopkins. Early reports from camp had
Jaelen Strong running as the #2 receiver. However, Strong
surprisingly received just one snap (out of 16) with Brock
Osweiler Sunday night. Rookie Will Fuller played 15 snaps
with Osweiler and Braxton Miller played nine with the
starters. Fuller has really come on strong in the last week of
camp. In joint practices, the 49ers had “issues with (Fuller) in
all areas of the field.” Fuller caught a deep ball against the
49ers in practice that showed his elite speed. It’s that big-play
element of his game that could earn him a significant role. It’s
possible that Strong was just given the early nod as the starter
due to seniority and that as camp progresses we see Fuller
seize hold of the #2 job. Stay tuned. Braxton Miller impressed
in his NFL debut, tying for the team lead with four catches.
He’s been described by a Texans beat writer as a “complete
baller.” While Miller is still somewhat raw at receiver, he has
shown a natural ability to make plays throughout camp and
should have a role in the offense immediately.
TE: Undrafted rookie Stephen Anderson has been the only
intriguing tight end in Texans training camp from a fantasy
perspective. While he is probably sitting third on the depth
chart currently, he has the most upside as a pass catcher and
has drawn rave reviews from coaches and teammates all
offseason. "Stephen’s been a guy who, from day one, has
come in and worked extremely hard," Osweiler said.
Anderson is from the Bay Area and played for Cal-Berkeley,
so the preseason game at San Francisco was a return home and
he had many friends and family members in the stands. He
PK: Nick Novak was listed ahead of UDFA rookie Kai’mi
Fairbairn on the first depth chart, although Fairbairn made the
only field goal attempt from 45 yards in the first preseason
game versus San Francisco. This kicker battle isn’t over yet,
as reports on Fairbairn were stronger last week than in the first
week of training camp.
Returners: With wind a major factor, both Wendall Williams
and Tyler Ervin muffed punts against the San Francisco 49ers.
Neither should see their job security impacted by the flub,
though, as they head into week 2 of the preseason in a friendly
dome.
OL: The line is currently struggling with injury issues, as
several starters are out of action. Left tackle Duane Brown
hasn’t practiced due to a quad injury from last year. Right
tackle Derek Newton is out several weeks with a hamstring
strain, and rookie center Nick Martin (soft tissue injury) did
not make the trip to Santa Clara for joint practices versus the
49ers. In the game, Chris Clark started in place of Brown,
Kendall Lamm started in place of Newton, and Tony
Bergstrom started at center. All of the starters are expected to
be back prior to Week One, but this is a situation to watch.
Texans Depth Chart
QB: Brock Osweiler, Brandon Weeden, Tom Savage
RB: Lamar Miller, Alfred Blue, Tyler Ervin (KR), Jonathan
Grimes, Akeem Hunt, Kenny Hilliard
FB: Jay Prosch
WR: DeAndre Hopkins, Jaelen Strong, Will Fuller, Cecil
Shorts, Braxton Miller, Keith Mumphery (PR), Wendall
Williams (KR/PR), Josh Lenz
TE: Ryan Griffin, C.J. Fiedorowicz, Anthony
Denham, Stephen Anderson, Eric Tomlinson
LT: Duane Brown, Chris Clark
LG: Xavier Su•a-Filo, Jeff Adams
C: Nick Martin, Tony Bergstrom, Greg Mancz
RG: Jeff Allen, Oday Aboushi, Kendall Lamm
RT: Derek Newton
K: Nick Novak, Kai’mi Fairbairn
NT: Vince Wilfork, D.J. Reader
DE: J.J. Watt (inj), Christian Covington, Devon Still, Brandon
Dunn, Jeoffrey Pagan, Joel Heath, Alex Carrington, Dan
Pettinato
ILB: Brian Cushing, Benardrick McKinney, Akeem
Dent, Max Bullough, Brian Peters
OLB: Whitney Mercilus (S), Jadeveon Clowney (J), John
Simon (S/J), Reshard Cliett, Tony Washington, Carlos
Thompson
CB: Johnathan Joseph, Kareem Jackson, Kevin Johnson, A.J.
Bouye, Charles James, Richard Leonard (inj)
S: Andre Hal (FS), Eddie Pleasant (SS), Quintin Demps
(FS),Antonio Allen (SS), KJ Dillon (SS), Kurtis Drummond
(FS), Lonnie Ballentine (SS), Corey Moore
Indianapolis Colts
QB: Despite the implication by Colts owner Jim Irsay that
Andrew Luck sat out the first preseason game due to Rex
Ryan’s overly aggressive tactics, head coach Chuck Pagano
defended the move as a coach’s decision. “We made a
decision not to play him,” Pagano said. “That’s it. One of the
benefits of being head coach. You get to decide who plays and
who doesn’t play.” Earlier in the week, Luck’s first training
camp under new offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski and
position coach Brian Schottenheimer was described as
uneven -- an assessment Luck agreed with. “I’ve made my
fair share of mistakes, for sure, like anybody in training
camp,” Luck said. “I'd like to think that I haven't repeated any
of the same mistakes. That's part of practice, making mistakes,
but you try not to repeat them." Scott Tolzien started Saturday
night’s preseason opener in Luck’s absence and rebounded
from an erratic start to complete six of his final eight passes
for 104 yards and a touchdown. Third-stringer Stephen Morris
played the entire second half and was impressive considering
he’s taken very few reps in camp. Morris completed five-ofnine passes for 104 yards and a touchdown and added 19 yards
on three rush attempts.
RB: The most fantasy-relevant story to emerge from the
preseason opener was undrafted free agent Josh Ferguson
getting the start in place of Frank Gore (rest). After reports he
was flashing in camp, Ferguson ran exclusively with the firstteam offense, but finished with only three yards on eight
carries (behind some especially poor blocking). While the
results clearly leave something to be desired, all signs
currently point to Ferguson as the Colts primary backup
(and fantasy handcuff to Gore). Journeyman veteran Jordan
Todman produced one of the highlights of Saturday night’s
game, taking a well-designed screen pass 44 yards for a
touchdown. Todman, however, did not record a rushing
attempt. Robert Turbin’s game log (four carries for two yards)
was as dismal as Ferguson’s, but it’s worth noting he
successfully converted on a third-and-one from the fullback
position, suggesting he could be used in that role going
forward. Overall, Colts running backs ran for only 11 yards on
20 carries on Saturday night, which will be cause for concern
if the offensive line doesn’t bounce back next week.
WR: Pagano and Luck took turns praising T.Y. Hilton’s
impressive camp on Thursday. “I’ve never seen anybody
practice as fast as he’s practicing and compete at the level he’s
competing,” Pagano said. Hilton, Luck said, “consistently
every day came out and (was) probably the best player at
practice. It feels that way, and that’s what an elite player is. I
remember being a rookie with T.Y. and watching Reggie
Wayne practice every day. He was probably the best player on
the field every day, and he practiced like it. I think T.Y. is
carrying on the tradition of great, hard-working, practice wide
receivers on this team. He’s special.” Hilton limped off the
field after a third down incompletion Saturday night but
appears to be fine. Hilton, Donte Moncrief, and Phillip
Dorsett (perhaps the Colts most improved player) are locked
in as the top three receivers, but the battle for the fourth and
fifth spots is wide open. Undrafted free agent Chester Rogers
has been impressing the coaching staff since the spring and
staked his claim to a roster spot with a pretty 57-yard catchand-run touchdown against the Bills. Fellow rookie Devaun
Smith also made his case with three catches for 34 yards.
TE: Jack Doyle is listed as the back-up to Dwayne Allen, but
Erik Swoope is the name fantasy owners should file away if
Allen were to go down with an injury. Swoope -- a former
University of Miami basketball player – finally looks like an
NFL tight end. “You see the football understanding start to
come around when he’s doing things that aren’t necessarily
drawn up the way it is on the play,” Chudzinski said. “He’s
making adjustments that you’d expect from somebody who
has played the game quite a bit.” Swoope’s ability to block inline will be crucial if he wishes to get on the field during the
regular season. His performance as a blocker on Saturday
night was a mixed bag. Chase Coffman (also in the mix for
what is likely to be the last tight end roster spot) led all Colts
tight ends with two catches for 24 yards against the Bills.
Defense: It appears second-year defensive end Henry
Anderson (ACL surgery) could be ready for a Week 1
return. “He’s ahead,” Colts coach Chuck Pagano said of
Anderson’s progress. “He has done a tremendous job. He and
our training staff feel like, coaches are putting eyes on him,
watching the trainers putting him through individual (work).
He is moving great, now it’s just a matter of when do you
make that decision to put him into some live action and
actually have him take on a double-team.” Second-year Earl
Okine was a standout on Saturday night. Making the transition
from defensive end to outside linebacker, Okine flashed a spin
move and quick initial step, generating several pressures and
recording a sack. Overall, the starting defense was a
disappointment against Buffalo, allowing three explosive
plays in one possession, capped by cornerback Darius Butler
yielding a 19-yard touchdown reception.
Returners: As expected from a team that released a depth
chart with only one name at either punt returner or kickoff
returner, Quan Bray handled 5 of Indianapolis’ 7 returns
against the Buffalo Bills. Barring something shocking, Bray
should be playing the exact same role on week 1 of the regular
season.
OL: The Colts gave Andrew Luck the night off versus the
Bills. That was a wise decision as the offensive line was leaky
in its debut. Left tackle Anthony Castonzo struggled early,
giving up a quarterback pressure. Coach Rex Ryan always
blitzes, even in the preseason, and the team apparently didn’t
want to expose Luck to any possible injury. It doesn’t bode
well that the starting line cannot be trusted to prevent pressure.
First round rookie Ryan Kelly started at center but struggled
against the Bills’ pass rushers. Denzelle Good, who started the
game at right guard and has had a tremendous camp, left the
game with a knee injury. Coaches said that the injury was not
serious, as Hugh Thornton took his place. Meanwhile, veteran
Joe Reitz appears to be locked in at right tackle.
Colts Depth Chart
QB: Andrew Luck, Scott Tolzien, Stephen Morris
RB: Frank Gore, Robert Turbin, Josh Ferguson, Jordan
Todman, Trey Williams
FB: Abou Toure
WR: T.Y. Hilton, Donte Moncrief, Phillip Dorsett, Quan Bray
(KR/PR), MeKale McKay, Chester Rogers, Marcus
Leak, Tavaun Smith, Joshua Stangby, Daniel
Anthrop, Andrew Opoku
TE: Dwayne Allen, Jack Doyle, Erik Swoope, Chase
Coffman, Emil Igwenagu, Darion Griswold, Nick
Truesdell, Mike McFarland (IR)
LT: Anthony Castonzo, LeRaven Clark
LG: Jack Mewhort
C: Ryan Kelly, Jonotthan Harrison, Austin Blythe
RG: Hugh Thornton, Denzelle Good
RT: Joe Reitz, Joe Haeg
K: Adam Vinatieri
NT: David Parry, Zach Kerr, Ricky Lumpkin
DE: Kendall Langford (inj), Henry Anderson (inj), Arthur
Jones (susp), Earl Okine, Hassan Ridgeway, Delvon
Simmons, Kelcy Quarles
ILB: D′Qwell Jackson, Nate Irving, Antonio Morrison, Trevor
Bates, Josh McNary, Sio Moore (inj)
OLB: Trent Cole, Erik Walden, Robert Mathis, Junior
Sylvestre, Curt Maggitt, Sterling Bailey
CB: Vontae Davis, Patrick Robinson, Darius Butler, D′Joun
Smith, Jalil Brown, Tevin Mitchel, Patrick Robinson, Tay
Glover-Wright, Darius White, Winston Rose, Christopher
Milton
S: Mike Adams (FS), Clayton Geathers (SS) (inj), Winston
Guy (FS),T.J. Green (SS), Dezmen Southward, Andrew
Williamson, Stefan McClure
Jacksonville Jaguars
QB: Blake Bortles made a lot of smart decisions and was
accurate in his two series on Thursday night against the Jets.
Bortles finished the night completing 6 of 7 passes for 105
yards and continued his success with Allen Robinson as
connected with him 3 times for 80 yards. Bortles’ only
incompletion was a throw to Julius Thomas in the end zone
that was very catchable but Thomas just missed it. Chad
Henne did his normal thing from the backup position as he
completed 8-of-9 passes for 94 yards and rushed twice for 4
yards. Henne had a notable 19-yard pass to Marqise Lee down
the sideline and looked good in his short time behind Bortles.
Third stringer Brandon Allen saw the most action out of the
three quarterbacks which is to be expected in the preseason.
Allen finished the game completing 10 of 19 passes for 138
yards and an interception. Coach Bradley liked what he saw in
the rookie QB “I think he has good instincts. He has the ability
to feel pressure and have the instincts to feel it and the poise to
step up and make plays. I think those traits are tough to coach.
He just seems to have that."
RB: The running game looked sharp on Thursday as Chris
Ivory rushed for 24 yards and a touchdown on six carries and
T.J. Yeldon rushed for 24 yards on four carries. The offensive
line was creating holes for the running game which showed on
Ivory’s 1-yard score on 2nd and goal. Coach Gus Bradley
continued to praise the running game “I thought our running
backs played real physical. The yards after contract, all of
those stats you look at regarding that - just very pleased with
that. That will really be the mindset we continue on with next
week, too - the physical, the tempo, the run game, the starting
fast, then taking care of the ball.” Denard Robinson saw the
most carries out of all the running backs rushing 7 times for 23
yards and catching a single pass for 4 more yards.
WR: Allen Robinson only played a couple of series for the
Jaguars in their first preseason game but in those two series he
put in a dominant performance with 3 catches for 80 yards
with a 45-yarder being his longest. Robinson enters his third
season looking to be the Jaguars first elite-level player in a
long time. Robinson showed that he can catch 50-50 balls
routinely and he constantly makes it tough on defenders in
jump ball situations. Blake Bortles understandably loves his
teammates: “He’s unbelievable. He has a mind and a motor
that doesn’t stop and even though he put up good numbers last
year, he is going to continue to work his tail off and wants to
be better each and every year. He is a guy you love playing
with and I definitely love to throw it to him because he is a
playmaker.” Marqise Lee played in the preseason opener after
missing much of the first week of training camp with a
hamstring injury and he looked both healthy and comfortable
catching four passes for 49 yards. “I felt good. I was superrelaxed and healthy. I didn’t feel my hammy. I didn’t feel
anything. I felt good out there, and that was the biggest thing
for me.” Rookie receiver Jamal Robinson was targeted 4 times
and caught 2 passes for 28 yards. Allen Robinson has been
praising Jamal all offseason. Allen Hurns caught his lone
target – a 13-yarder.
TE: Julius Thomas returned to practice Sunday after missing
practice on Saturday with a minor knee issue. Thomas played
Thursday and was targeted in the end zone but the timing
between Bortles and Thomas was off. Brandon Bowman is
doing all he can to crack the roster; he caught a pair of passes
for 28 yards. Neal Sterling is battling Bowman for a backup
role and he caught all 3 of his targets for 32 yards.
Defense: Rookie linebacker Myles Jack keeps improving and
is looking more comfortable; he recorded a pair of tackles on
Thursday night. Coach Bradley was very pleased with Jack’s
efforts: “He really flashed and played extremely physical. I
thought his demeanor on the field and poise on the field was
excellent.” Melvin Smith was active, picking up 5 solo
tackles. Both cornerback Jalen Ramsey and free safety
Tashaun Gipson returned to practice on Saturday after
missing Thursday’s preseason opener.
PK: Sam Ficken was highly regarded in the 2015 draft class
and he is trying to push Jason Myers for his starting job.
Myers still got and made both field goal attempts in the
preseason opener against the Jets. Ficken has had some great
practice days, but is considered a longshot to displace Myers.
At least one beat writer suggested that the Jaguars could still
look to add a veteran kicker once teams start making cuts.
Returners: If Jacksonville’s first preseason game is anything
to go by, 2nd-year running back Corey Grant has moved into
the lead in the race to handle kickoff returns… provided he’s
able to make the final roster at a crowded position on the
depth chart.
OL: The Jaguars were without starting center Brandon Linder
and probable starter Kelvin Beachum against New York in the
preseason opener. Tyler Shatley handled center duties and
struggled against Leonard Williams in the first quarter.
Shatley was sent back to the second team after Linder returned
to practice later in the week. The line is still taking shape, with
nominal left guard starter Mackenzy Bernadeau running with
the third team in practice and looking like he might be cut. As
such, the loser of the Luke Joeckel/Kelvin Beachum battle will
likely start at guard Several backups (Josh Wells, Kadeem
Edwards) have also been out with injuries, which prompted
the team to work out free agent tackle Will Beatty.
Reportedly, no signing of Beatty is imminent.
Wynn, Tony Washington, Rashad Lawrence, Shaq
Evans, Jamal Robinson, Rasheed Bailey, Justin Blackmon
(susp)
TE: Julius Thomas, Marcedes Lewis, Nic Jacobs, Ben
Koyack, Neal Sterling, Braedon Bowman
LT: Luke Joeckel, Kelvin Beachum
LG: Mackenzy Bernadeau, Tyler Shatley
C: Brandon Linder, Luke Bowanko
RG: AJ Cann
RT: Jermey Parnell
K: Jason Myers
DT: Malik Jackson (DE), Senderrick Marks, Roy
Miller, Tyson Alualu, Michael Bennett, Sheldon Day, Abry
Jones
DE: Dante Fowler Jr., Jared Odrick, Yannick Ngakoue, Chris
Smith, Ryan Davis, Jonathan Woodard (inj)
MLB: Paul Posluszny, Thurston Armbrister
OLB: Telvin Smith (W), Myles Jack (S/M), Dan Skuta
(S), Jordan Tripp (S), Tyrone Holmes, Hayes Pullard III
(W), Joplo Bartu (W),Bjoern Werner, Sean Porter (S)
CB: Davon House, Prince Amukamara, Jalen Ramsey, Aaron
Colvin (susp), Nick Marshall (KR), Briean BoddyCalhoun, Dwayne Gratz, Demetrius McCray
S: Tashaun Gipson (FS), John Cyprien (SS), James Sample
(SS),Josh Evans (SS), Jarrod Wilson (FS), Craig Loston
(SS), Peyton Thompson (SS), Earl Wolff
Kansas City Chiefs
QB: The quarterback room remains crowded for the Kansas
City Chiefs. All five members of the depth chart saw some
time in Saturday’s tilt against the Seattle Seahawks, starting
with unquestioned starter Alex Smith. He led an efficient
eight-play, 49-yard drive that was capped off by a Spencer
Ware one-yard touchdown run before receiving a quick hook.
We can count Smith among those who was pleased with the
efforts of the starting unit. “Nothing worse than putting a three
and out together, so to go down and to finish the way that we
did was nice,” he said after the game. Tyler Bray and Nick
Foles have been splitting reps with the second unit in camp,
and they both received extensive action in Saturday’s game.
Neither player did anything to distinguish himself from the
other, but the safe money points to Foles earning the backup
gig. Aaron Murray and rookie Kevin Hogan handled cleanup
duty in the second half. Andy Reid acknowledged the elephant
in the room at the quarterback position, but sounds pretty
pleased with how Saturday’s game played out. “So, we got a
little bit of a log jam at that spot. I wanted to give all the guys
a good look,” Reid said.
Jaguars Depth Chart
QB: Blake Bortles, Chad Henne, Brandon Allen
RB: T.J. Yeldon (3RB), Chris Ivory (SD), Denard Robinson
(WR/KR), Jonas Gray, Corey Grant, Joe Banyard
WR: Allen Robinson, Allen Hurns, Rashad Greene
(PR), Marqise Lee, Bryan Walters, Arrelious Benn, Shane
RB: Jamaal Charles remains on the sidelines, but signs
continue to point to him being ready for Week 1. That’s
allowed for plenty of opportunities for the rest of the backs in
camp to show their stuff, and that carried over into the
preseason game against the Seahawks. As a team, the Chiefs
toted the ball 28 times for 135 yards and a score, highlighted
by Spencer Ware’s one-yard touchdown plunge on the
opening drive, and a 25-yard gain from Charcandrick West in
the second quarter. Darrin Reaves and Knile Davis joined in
the fun as well with a combined 18 carries, and a theme that
was driven home in 2015 has carried over into the preseason.
The Chiefs have quite the collection of talent in the backfield,
and if disaster strikes with Charles again, they’ll be just fine.
The main question at this point is who will serve as the
primary backup? You can make an equally compelling case
for either Ware or West, but Ware appears to have the edge at
the moment. Davis appears locked in to kick returning duties,
but his days as the primary handcuff for Charles are over.
WR: There has been a ton of buzz coming out of Chiefs camp
on various members of the wide receiver depth chart, but it
was a forgotten man who made the biggest impact in the first
preseason game. De’Anthony Thomas was the most
productive receiver on the day as he hauled in all three of his
targets for 46 yards, including a 23-yard gain. Rod Streater is
one of the receivers that has been on the receiving end of some
positive chatter, and he hauled in his lone reception on a
difficult sideline toss from Tyler Bray. The first depth chart of
camp didn’t offer up too much in the way of surprises. Jeremy
Maclin, Albert Wilson and Chris Conley remain at the top of
the charts, and Streater and Tyreek Hill are staking their
claims to spots with strong camps. Rookie Demarcus
Robinson appears likely to make the final cut as a fourth round
pick, but things become a bit more jumbled from that point.
Thomas brings impressive athleticism to the table, but that
hasn’t translated to the field as of yet. The remainder of the
depth chart will need to show more to have a shot at
overtaking the aforementioned early camp darlings.
TE: The early buzz on Ross Travis has carried over into the
first depth chart of camp, and he currently occupies the No.3
spot behind Travis Kelce and Demetrius Harris, but ahead of
James O’Shaughnessy. He saw two targets in the team’s first
preseason game as well, hauling both of them in for 11 yards.
We’ll classify this as a good problem to have, but tight end is
another position that the Chiefs have depth. “We’re deep –
we’re deep across the boards. [John] Dorsey and Coach [Andy
Reid] are going to have their hands full whenever it comes to
decision time,” as QB Alex Smith explains. It’s unclear if the
Chiefs would consider keeping four tight ends at this point or
shuffle one over to the practice squad, but they certainly have
options.
Defense: A good portion of the early buzz on the defensive
side of the ball has centered on the continued absence of Eric
Berry, but GM John Dorsey sounds optimistic that things will
be resolved in time for him to suit up in Week 1. "I haven't
talked to Eric one-on-one about when he's going to show up.
Knowing what a prideful professional he is, I think he will
show up at the appropriate time,” he said. Marcus Peters
continues to impress and is poised to build on his impressive
2015 campaign. Second-round draft choice Chris Jones has
also had a strong camp, and he was one of the defensive
standouts in the Seahawks game. “I thought he had some
positive plays. He was close on a couple. Initially, when he
got in that first bit – the couple first three plays he was in.
Then, he was close on a couple other ones, but I thought he
did a nice job,” Reid observed.
Returners: Rookie Tyreek Hill continues to look electric for
the Kansas City Chiefs. As the season approaches, his odds of
earning the primary return duties seem to be on the rise.
OL: In a change from previous seasons, the offensive line
appears to be stable. The team gave Eric Fisher a multi-year
extension, with the hopes that he will continue to grow into
the position. At left guard, Parker Ehringer quickly
distinguished himself and seized the starting position. Right
guard Laurent Duvernay-Tardif has flashed in training camp
against the defensive starters. Fun fact: his nickname
apparently is “The Canadian Doctor.” Zach Fulton remains the
veteran interior option and Jah Reid is the swing tackle. The
unit had a great night against a fearsome Seahawks’
defensive line in the preseason opener.
Chiefs Depth Chart
QB: Alex Smith, Nick Foles, Tyler Bray, Aaron
Murray, Kevin Hogan
RB: Jamaal Charles (inj), Spencer Ware, Charcandrick
West, Knile Davis (KR), Darrin Reaves
FB: Anthony Sherman, Trey Millard
WR: Jeremy Maclin, Chris Conley, Albert Wilson, Rod
Streater, De′Anthony Thomas, Tyreek Hill, Demarcus
Robinson, Frankie Hammond, Seantavius Jones, Da′Ron
Brown, Mitch Mathews, Kashif Moore, Mike Williams
TE: Travis Kelce, James O′Shaughnessy, Demetrius
Harris, Brian Parker, Ross Travis
LT: Eric Fisher, Jah Reid
LG: Parker Ehinger, Zach Fulton, Jarrod Pughsley
C: Mitch Morse, Jordan Devey
RG: Laurent Duvernay-Tardif
RT: Mitchell Schwartz, Reid Fragel
K: Cairo Santos
NT: Dontari Poe, Chris Jones, Alamedu Ta′amu
DE: Jaye Howard, Allen Bailey, Nick Williams, Rakeem
Nunez-Roches, David King, Jimmy Staten, Efe Obada
ILB: Derrick Johnson, Josh Mauga, D.J. Alexander, Ramik
Wilson, Terrance Smith, Justin March, Tyrell Adams
OLB: Justin Houston (inj), Tamba Hali, Dee Ford, Frank
Zombo, Dezman Moses, Dadi Lhomme Nicolas, Jonathan
Massaquoi, Andy Malumba
CB: Marcus Peters, Phillip Gaines, Steven Nelson, Keivarae
Russell, Marcus Cooper, Eric Murray, D.J. White, Deveron
Carr, Shannon Edwards, Shakiel Rudolph, Vernon Harris
S: Eric Berry (SS), Ron Parker (FS), Steve Brown, Daniel
Sorenson (SS), Jamell Fleming (FS), Akeem Davis
Los Angeles Rams
QB: Case Keenum started in the first preseason game.
Keenum played two drives and was unspectacular. The real
story of the game was Jared Goff. Goff had been criticized
from outsiders who visited Rams camp during the first two
weeks. He fuelled that fire with his performance against the
Cowboys. His first drive ended on its third play as he held the
ball too long against a blitz, leading to an interception that he
threw while he was being hit. Goff rebounded on the next
drive, throwing accurately and making good decisions. He
made another big error at the end of the second quarter, taking
a big sack that turned a field goal attempt into a punt. Head
coach Jeff Fisher said that he only played his quarterback two
series because he feared that he would get hurt. Sean Mannion
played the second half and played well outside of one
misplaced pass that led to an interception.
RB: Todd Gurley was a healthy scratch against the Cowboys.
With Gurley sitting and Tre Mason not set to play this year,
Benny Cunningham took over the starting role. Cunningham
ran well, showing off quickness in tight spaces to evade
defenders between the tackles. He scored a 14-yard
touchdown and caught a 20-yard screen pass. Malcolm Brown
outproduced Cunningham but did so against the Cowboys
backups. Brown didn't show off the same level of quickness
and explosiveness that Cunningham did but he was powerful
at the point of contact. Chase Reynolds showed off his
receiving ability with two receptions including a touchdown
reception at the start of the third quarter when he ran a crisp
route out of the backfield. Rookie Aaron Green also showed
off his receiving ability on a touchdown reception when he ran
an out route before adjusting to catch a slightly off target pass
in space.
WR: If Tavon Austin is going to realize Jeff Fisher's dream of
him catching 100 passes this season, he will need to show
more consistency. Drops have been an issue for Austin
throughout his career. They aren't talked about much because
every negative for Austin has been blamed on his offensive
coordinators over the course of his career, but Austin's ball
skills need to improve. He ended the Rams' second drive
against the Cowboys when he dropped a wide open first down
pass in space underneath. Austin's drop was followed with two
more from rookies. Mike Thomas dropped his first target
when Goff found him on a curl route outside. Pharoh Cooper
initially caught a big play from Goff down the seam but lost
the ball in traffic. Nelson Spruce was the biggest winner from
this week of camp and the first preseason game. Spruce is
drawing comparisons to Danny Amendola as a possession
receiver who can make plays on third downs. Spruce caught
six passes for 51 yards and a touchdown in the second half.
Spruce had precautionary x-rays on his knee after the game.
TE: Lance Kendricks is still the starter but Tyler Higbee is
forcing the issue. Higbee has been the biggest star of training
camp and his preseason NFL debut was no different. He
caught five passes for 49 yards, working the middle of the
field and showing athleticism with the commensurate ball
skills to take advantage. Higbee is still behind Kendricks but
he played with the first-team offense in two-TE sets. His
production didn't just come in the third and fourth quarters
when the defense had all its backups in. At this point, it's just a
matter of time before Higbee takes Kendricks' job; presuming
Higbee’s off-the-field risks don’t materialize.
Defense: Robert Quinn is healthy but he didn't play in the
preseason opener. Eugene Sims started in Quinn's place across
from William Hayes. Ethan Westbrooks and Quinton Coples
are competing for the fourth defensive end spot. The interior
depth is where things get interesting. Dominique Easley was a
first-round pick for the New England Patriots just a few years
ago. Easley was prematurely released from his contract
because he couldn't stay healthy and there were questions
about his character. However, against the Cowboys he showed
off why he was a first-round pick. Easley played hard and
showcased impressive burst off the line of scrimmage. Behind
the defensive line, Coty Sensabaugh started for the injured E.J.
Gaines and the Cowboys went after him with Dez Bryant.
Sensabaugh isn't a player that any defense wants to see on the
field because he has repeatedly proven inadequate. Lamarcus
Joyner caught the eye of Charles Robinson in camp during the
week but he didn't have the best outing against the Cowboys,
giving up a long touchdown reception to Terrance Williams.
Returners: It was rookie day on special teams for the Rams
against the Dallas Cowboys as Michael Thomas and Pharoh
Cooper handled all of the unit’s returns.
OL: Right tackle Rob Havenstein has been on the PUP list
since camp opened with a foot injury. The coaches are
confident Havenstein will be back by Week One but the
situation bears watching. Left guard Rodger Saffold has
kicked out to right tackle in his absence, and Cody
Wichmann has taken Saffold’s guard spot. The first team had
a decent showing against Dallas, especially in the run game.
However, the second team could not protect rookie Jared
Goff, and he was forced from the game with a minor shoulder
injury.
Rams Depth Chart
QB: Jared Goff, Case Keenum, Sean Mannion, Dylan
Thompson
RB: Todd Gurley, Benny Cunningham (3RB/KR), Malcolm
Brown, Chase Reynolds, Trey Watts, Aaron Green, Tre
Mason (res)
FB: Corey Harkey (TE)
WR: Kenny Britt, Tavon Austin (PR), Brian Quick, Pharoh
Cooper, Michael Thomas, Marquez North, Paul
McRoberts, Nelson Spruce, Bradley Marquez, Isiah
Ferguson, Kain Colter
TE: Lance Kendricks, Tyler Higbee, Temarrick
Hemingway, Justice Cunningham, Jake Stoneburner
LT: Greg Robinson, Isaiah Battle
LG: Rodger Saffold, Garrett Reynolds, Cody Wichmann
C: Tim Barnes, Demetrius Rhaney, Eric Kush
RG: Jamon Brown, Andrew Donnal
RT: Rob Havenstein, Darrell Williams
K: Greg Zuerlein, Taylor Bertolet
DT: Aaron Donald, Michael Brockers, Doug
Worthington, Dominique Easley, Louis Trinca-Pasat, Cam
Thomas
DE: Robert Quinn, William Hayes, Eugene Sims, Quinton
Coples, Ethan Westbrooks
MLB: Alec Ogletree, Bryce Hager, Zack Hodges, Josh Forrest
OLB: Akeem Ayers (S), Mark Barron (W), Marshall
McFadden (RFA), Cameron Lynch
CB: Trumaine Johnson (UFA-F), E.J. Gaines, Lamarcus
Joyner (FS/CB), Coty Sensabaugh, Marcus Roberson
S: T.J. McDonald (SS), Cody Davis (FS), Maurice Alexander
(SS),Christian Bryant (FS), Jordan Lomax
Miami Dolphins
QB: The first-team offense struggled to begin the week in a
team scrimmage. Tannehill has had tunnel vision, locking in
on Jarvis Landry too often. He has also received criticism for
not taking enough shots downfield, which has allowed the
defense to sit on underneath routes. Head coach Adam Gase
defended the lack of deep shots however, saying he did not
want his quarterback to “get sacked 60 times.” The defensive
line has routinely dominated the offensive line in camp, which
has probably contributed to Tannehill’s reluctance to air it out.
He played just two series against the Giants and the offense
went three-and-out on both. Matt Moore came in late in the
first quarter and threw a bad interception. Moore has done
enough to lock up the backup job though. Brandon Doughty
was solid in his NFL debut, completing 7-of-9 passes for 66
yards.
RB: Jay Ajayi has shown iffy hands throughout camp and the
problem crept up again against the Giants. He had a short pass
bounce off his hands, straight up into the air and into the hands
of a Giants defender. It should have been an interception but
the defender came down with one foot just out of bounds.
While the second-year back is more explosive than Arian
Foster, the critical mistakes will be difficult for the coaching
staff to deal with and may lead to Foster getting the majority
of the snaps. Foster (and a number of other Dolphins veterans)
was held out of the first preseason contest as a precaution.
Kenyan Drake began running on the side on Sunday as he
inches closer to a return from the hamstring injury that has
sidelined him for more than a week. With Foster and Drake
both out against the Giants, Damien Williams received all of
the work with the second team. He has been running hard and
should make the roster as the third or fourth back. The
Dolphins have also experimented with him at fullback.
WR: As noted, Tannehill is looking to Jarvis Landry “too
much.” Even when others are open downfield, Tannehill is
looking to Landry first. While concerning for the team, it’s a
sign that Landry is likely to remain a fantasy star in PPR
leagues. As one beat-writer joked, “This practice makes me
feel like Ryan Tannehill drafted Jarvis Landry in a fantasy
football league he intends to win.” DeVante Parker missed
five practices with a hamstring injury but returned early in the
week. He has shown no signs of injury, but he was held out of
the Giants game. Jakeem Grant is a rookie worth keeping an
eye on. Observers have noted his hands and routes are
“suspect,” but he is also incredibly explosive and has made
some plays against the backups. Gase noted that Grant needs
to consistently do the right thing and be in the right spot. Grant
starred against the Giants, with four catches for 68 yards and
an average of 15 yards per punt return. He should be able to
stick as a returner, which will buy him some time to develop
as a receiver.
TE: The tight ends haven’t been making many catches in
camp. In fact, some entire practices have gone by without any
completions at all to the tight ends. Jordan Cameron and Dion
Sims have been rotating in with the ones. MarQuies Gray
looked to have a leg up on rookie Thomas Duarte for the thirdstring tight end job, but left practice with what could be a
serious knee injury.
Defense: The best news out of camp is the glowing reviews
for a pair of defenders making injury comebacks. Cameron
Wake looks fantastic and could have another big year at
defensive end. Kiko Alonso has been one of the Dolphins best
defensive players so far in camp after missing large parts of
the past two seasons with ACL injuries. Linebackers coach
Matt Burke said Alonso has been great. “He’s really taken to
what we’re trying to do. I was telling somebody earlier; to me
he’s a modern-day Mike (linebacker). He’s a long, rangy,
instinctive kid. He’s got a great feel in space for us and getting
in throwing lanes. He covers a lot of ground. He’s really
picked up on what we’re trying to do. It’s a new scheme for
him. He’s never really played this style of football so that’s
kind of one thing about … but he’s picked up on it. He’s been
really great to work with.” Veteran cornerback Chris Culliver
was signed last week. However, he remains a few weeks away
from contributing as he recovers from a knee injury. He may
end up on the regular season PUP if he does not make
significant progress this month.
PK: Andrew Franks was 32-for-34 in training camp through
August 10, and he had a successful 49-yarder go off of the left
upright in the preseason opener. He appears to have improved
from 2015 and represents an upgrade at kicker for the
Dolphins if he can carry this over into the regular season.
Returners: With Jarvis Landry getting an early rest in
Miami’s first preseason game, rookie Jakeem Grant had a
chance to show his stuff, finishing as the Dolphins’ leading
receiver, punt returner, and kickoff returner.
OL: The competition for starting positions continues,
particularly at the guard spots. At left guard, Dallas Thomas
remains the starter over first round rookie Laremy Tunsil,
while at right guard, Billy Turner remains the starter over
Jermon Bushrod. Thomas is having an especially solid camp,
and he must continue performing at a high level to keep Tunsil
on the bench. The situation is fluid and nothing is locked up
yet. Look for the lineup to continue to vary as the calendar
gets closer to the start of the season.
Dolphins Depth Chart
QB: Ryan Tannehill, Matt Moore, Brandon Doughty
RB: Arian Foster, Jay Ajayi, Kenyan Drake (KR)
(inj), Damien Williams, Isaiah Pead, Daniel Thomas
WR: Jarvis Landry (KR), DeVante Parker, Kenny
Stills, Leonte Carroo, Jakeem Grant (PR), Griff
Whalen, Rashawn Scott, Matt Hazel, A.J. Cruz, Tyler Murphy
TE: Jordan Cameron, Dion Sims, Thomas Duarte, Dominique
Jones, MarQuies Gray (inj)
LT: Branden Albert, Vinston Painter, Sam Young
LG: Dallas Thomas, Laremy Tunsil
C: Mike Pouncey, Jamil Douglas
RG: Billy Turner, Jermon Bushrod, Kraig Urbik
RT: Ja••Wuan James, Ulrick John
K: Andrew Franks, Marshall Koehn
DT: Ndamukong Suh, Earl Mitchell, Jordan Phillips, Chris
Jones, Deandre Coleman
DE: Mario Williams, Cameron Wake (inj), Jason
Jones, Andre Branch, Terrence Fede, Dion Jordan, Chris
McCain
MLB: Kiko Alonso, Zach Vigil, Mike Hull
OLB: Jelani Jenkins (W), Koa Misi (S), Spencer Paysinger
(S), James-Michael Johnson, Neville Hewitt, Danny Lansanah
CB: Byron Maxwell, Xavien Howard, Tony Lippett, Bobby
McCain, Chimdi Chekwa, Brandon Harris, Chris Culliver
S: Reshad Jones (SS), Isa Abdul-Quddus (SS), Walt Aikens
(FS),Michael Thomas (SS), Jordan Lucas (FS), Shamiel
Gary, Ifo Ekpre-Olomu (IR)
Minnesota Vikings
QB: Teddy Bridgewater had a strong showing in his first
preseason action of the year completing 6-of-7 passes for 92
yards and a 49-yard touchdown pass to Charles Johnson. The
touchdown capped off a 96-yard drive showing that
Bridgewater is capable of sustaining long drives. Shaun Hill
took over for Bridgewater in the second quarter and led an
impressive hurry-up drive that resulted in a 51-yard field goal.
On the drive Hill was 4-for-4 with completions to Matt Asiata
for 10 yards, MyCole Pruitt for 13 yards, Isaac Fruechte for 1
yard and Laquon Treadwell for 18 yards. Hill finished 6-for-7
with 52 yards. Third stringer Joel Stave was 8-for-13 with 76
yards and an interception in second half action.
RB: Adrian Peterson did not play in Friday’s opening
preseason game. Jerick McKinnon got the start and rushed 5
times for 14 yards and caught two passes for 10 yards.
McKinnon’s longest run was a 10-yarder back on the Vikings
two-yard line. He ran left but was met by a handful of Bengals
a few yards deep in the end zone. He quickly spotted back to
his right, found daylight and raced up the field. “I knew I was
in the end zone but didn’t know how far back I was. I was able
to cut back and have some open space and get it out of the end
zone. There’s things to take from that, I’m just glad I didn’t
get a safety and was able to make a positive play out of it,"
said McKinnon. Rookie C.J. Ham ran 12 times for 35 yards
and scored a touchdown in the second half. He also added a 9yard reception. Coach Mike Zimmer said, “I thought [Ham]
ran hard. I thought he blocked well."
WR: Laquon Treadwell had a strong debut, hauling in 4 of 5
targets for 41 yards. On a Vikings 2nd-and-8 situation, Shaun
Hill found Treadwell on a short pass up the middle. Treadwell
took his first catch to the Bengals 33-yard line and helped set
up a 51-yard field goal attempt for Blair Walsh at the end of
the first half. Treadwell is enjoying his first NFL preseason:
“It was fun, I got to play a lot - I got a lot of reps. It feels like
football again, It feels like what I’m used to playing.” Adam
Thielen caught a key first down from Teddy Bridgewater on a
third and seven; connecting for a 22-yard reception. “I just had
an opportunity, and Teddy threw a great ball. It’s one of those
things where you’ve got to come down with it if he’s going to
throw it to you. For some reason, I kind of figured it was
coming to me, and he put it in a good spot, so it was pretty
hard to drop it.” Cordarrelle Patterson remains a mystery as he
was not listed as a pregame inactive, but he didn’t play.
TE: Rookie David Morgan had a memorable game as he
caught three passes for 38 yards. Morgan said he felt confident
about his offseason and training, and nothing about the
evening caught him off guard. “I felt good to get that under
my belt and really get out there and get some game
experience. The coaches told me to be ready whenever they
needed me.” Morgan helped set up Minnesota’s third-quarter
touchdown, making a 22-yard catch before being pushed out
of bounds at the Bengals 10-yard line. “It was a good route.
Under coverage, jumped the flat. I ended up just getting open,
Joel threw a great ball, and I tried to do what I could."
Defense: We got an extended look at Trae Waynes on
Friday night when the second year pro started against the
Bengals in place of the sidelined Terence Newman. Waynes
did a good job covering A.J. Green including a key push out
of bounds to force Cincinnati’s first third down. The very next
play Waynes broke up a throw to Green again and forced the
Bengals to settle for a field goal. Waynes finished the game
with 3 solo tackles, and assist and a pass defensed. Rookie
defensive backs Mackenzie Alexander and Jayron Kearse each
intercepted a pass in the second half, with Kearse’s
interception sealing the win late in the fourth quarter.
Returners: Cordarrelle Patterson missed the first preseason
game after a shoulder injury, but has already returned to
practice with no lingering effects. He’s handled virtually all of
Minnesota’s kickoff returns since he was drafted, and will
likely do so again in 2016.
OL: The offensive line had a mixed night during versus
Cincinnati. Without veteran right guard Brandon Fusco, who
was held out of the contest, the pass protection was leaky and
quarterback Teddy Bridgewater was often scrambling away
from pressure. Joe Berger got the start in place of Fusco, who
is not expected to be out for long. Fourth round rookie Willie
Beavers shone in late action and could be a future starter.
Vikings Depth Chart
QB: Teddy Bridgewater, Shaun Hill, Taylor Heinicke, Joel
Stave
RB: Adrian Peterson, Jerick McKinnon, Matt Asiata, Jhurell
Pressley, Blake Renaud
FB: Zach Line
WR: Stefon Diggs (PR), Charles Johnson, Laquon
Treadwell, Jarius Wright, Adam Thielen, Cordarrelle
Patterson (KR), Mortiz Boehringer, Isaac Freuchte, Terrell
Sinkfield
TE: Kyle Rudolph, MyCole Pruitt, Rhett Ellison, David
Morgan, Brian Leonhardt, Kyle Carter
LT: Matt Kalil, Austin Shepherd
LG: Alex Boone, Willie Beavers, Zac Kerin
C: John Sullivan, Joe Berger, Nick Easton
RG: Brandon Fusco, Mike Harris, Jeremiah Sirles
RT: Andre Smith, T.J. Clemmings
K: Blair Walsh
DT: Linval Joseph (NT), Sharrif Floyd, Tom
Johnson, Kenrick Ellis, Shamar Stephen
DE: Everson Griffen, Brian Robison, Danielle Hunter, Justin
Trattou, Scott Crichton, Zach Moore, Thieren Cockran
MLB: Eric Kendricks, Kentrell Brothers, Terrance
Plummer, Audie Cole
OLB: Anthony Barr (S), Chad Greenway (W) , Edmond
Robinson (S), Stephen Weatherly, Brandon
Watts (W), Emmanuel Lamur (W),Alex Singleton (W), Jake
Ganus
CB: Xavier Rhodes, Captain Munnerlyn, Terence
Newman, Trae Waynes, Mackensie Alexander, Marcus
Sherels (PR)
S: Harrison Smith (FS), Andrew Sendejo (SS), Michael
Griffin (SS),Antone Exum (FS), Jayron Kearse, Anthony
Harris (SS), Melvin White (FS)
New England Patriots
QB: Tom Brady didn't play in the first preseason game as he
dealt with a family matter. That allowed Jimmy Garoppolo to
start and play two quarters. Garoppolo struggled. His accuracy
was off and his process in the pocket was slow, even for a
backup. Garoppolo's numbers improved significantly against
the Saints second-team defense, but a huge chunk of his
yardage came on one screen play where James White did most
of the work. Jacoby Brissett's struggles in practice were
carried over into his first game as he threw consecutive passes
straight to defenders on his opening drive. Both defenders
dropped the ball.
RB: LeGarrette Blount started against the Saints and carried
the ball nine times for 20 yards and a touchdown. His
touchdown came in short-yardage, a one-yard score after
James White had broken off a 56-yard gain on a screen pass.
White was the standout performer in a busy backfield. Besides
that screen pass he also ran three times for 12 yards. The everpresent Branden Bolden also had an impressive outing. Bolden
played against the Saints first-team defense, gaining 10 easy
yards up the middle. His 24-yard gain in the second quarter
came against the second-team defense but Bolden was forced
to work hard for it, making an impressive cutback at the line
of scrimmage to find space. It's going to be tough for Tyler
Gaffney to make the Patriots roster but his first exposure for
other teams was a positive one. He cutback before making a
defender miss in space to run in a 44-yard touchdown in the
third quarter. Gaffney's chances of making the roster increase
the longer Dion Lewis remains on the PUP list. Lewis is yet to
step onto the practice field two weeks into training camp.
WR: Julian Edelman's return from injury was the big story of
the second week of training camp. The return was almost
spoiled when he went down in an individual drill. Fears were
quickly dispelled when Edelman returned to the field the
following day. Despite the good news for the veteran, the
Patriots got some bad news on rookie Malcolm Mitchell.
Mitchell was impressing everyone during his debut against the
Saints, but he landed awkwardly on his elbow and suffered a
subluxation. It was relatively good news for the young
receiver as he is only expected to miss a month. This month
could have been his opportunity to steal snaps from the
veterans ahead of him though. Danny Amendola remains on
the PUP list. Chris Hogan returned to practice and received
positive reviews but he didn't feature against the Saints. Aaron
Dobson took his place in the lineup. Dobson caught a couple
of passes but Bill Belichick considered his block on James
White's big play as his standout moment. Dobson played 42
snaps, the most of any receiver. With so many injuries around
him, it's a good time for the receiver to start to fulfill some of
his potential. It helps Dobson that veteran Nate Washington
has been quiet so far.
TE: Unsurprisingly, Rob Gronkowski didn't play in the first
preseason game. Gronkowski wasn't hurt, the Patriots just
didn't see any value in playing him. Martellus Bennett did start
and was Jimmy Garoppolo's focal point in the passing game
early. He adjusted well to a poorly thrown pass on an out route
before converting a long third down by beating linebacker
James Laurinaitis in space over the middle of the field.
Bennett couldn't make one catch down the right sideline that
would have been a big play but the pass was more of a poor
throw than an error he made. AJ Derby played behind Bennett
and proved to be just as impactful. Belichick singled out
Derby’s play, something that is always a big deal for someone
deep down the depth chart.
Defense: After the Chandler Jones trade in the offseason, the
focus for the defense was always going to be on the defensive
ends. Rob Ninkovich, the Patriots' other starter from last year,
is going to miss a few months because of a torn pectoral
muscle. Ninkovich was fortunate to not be ruled out for the
whole season. In his absence against the Saints, Jabaal Sheard
and Trey Flowers impressed. Sheard's play will be particularly
important because he is the team's most talented pass rusher at
this point. Sheard and Flowers were followed by Chris Long, a
veteran who was able to take advantage of the Saints' secondstring linemen who simply didn't have the wherewithal to
handle his variety of moves. Jamie Collins opened up his
preseason with a touchdown that he made look rather easy.
Collins played more than expected as Belichick gave his firstteam defense an extended look during the first quarter.
Returners: With New England’s starters playing very little in
their first preseason game, undrafted rookie CB V’Angelo
Bentley handled New England’s return duties. Bentley faces
an uphill climb to make the final roster.
OL: Marcus Cannon has been filling in for Sebastian
Vollmer at right tackle; Vollmer remains on the PUP list.
Cannon flashed in the run game versus the Saints.
Unfortunately, he was vulnerable in pass protection and
Vollmer is expected back prior to the regular season. Rookie
Joe Thuney appears to have the lead at left guard, and he has
been consistently solid as a run blocker. His main competition
for the job, Jonathan Cooper, was carted off from practice
with a right foot injury. Later in the game, the backups, led by
Josh Kline and Ted Karras, opened up a huge hole on Tyler
Gaffney’s 44-yard run.
Patriots Depth Chart
QB: Tom Brady (susp), Jimmy Garoppolo, Jacoby Brissett
RB: Dion Lewis (3RB) (inj), LeGarrette Blount (SD)
(inj), James White (3RB), Tyler Gaffney, Brandon
Bolden, Donald Brown, D.J. Foster (3RB/WR), Joey Iosefa
FB: James Develin
WR: Julian Edelman (PR) (inj), Danny Amendola (inj), Chris
Hogan (inj), Malcolm Mitchell, Aaron Dobson, Nate
Washington, Keshawn Martin (KR/PR), Matt Slater, Devin
Lucien, DeAndre Carter
TE: Rob Gronkowski, Martellus Bennett, Clay Harbor, A.J.
Derby, Bear Pascoe, Michael Williams (IR)
LT: Nate Solder, Marcus Cannon
LG: Shaquille Mason, Joe Thuney, Josh Kline
C: Bryan Stork, David Andrews
RG: Tre Jackson, Jonathan Cooper
RT: Sebastian Vollmer, LaAdrian Waddle, Cameron Fleming
K: Stephen Gostkowski
NT: Malcom Brown, Alan Branch, Vincent
Valentine, Markus Kuhn, Frank Kearse
DE: Rob Ninkovich (S/DE) (inj), Jabaal Sheard, Chris
Long, Geneo Grissom, Trey Flowers, Rufus Johnson
MLB: Shea McClellin, Elandon Roberts
OLB: Jamie Collins (S), Dont′a Hightower (W), Jonathan
Freeny (S),Ramon Humber (W), C.J. Johnson, Kevin Snyder
CB: Malcolm Butler, Logan Ryan, Justin Coleman, Cyrus
Jones, Darryl Roberts, E.J. Biggers, Cre′von
LeBlanc, Jonathan Jones, V′Angelo Bentley
S: Devin McCourty (FS/CB), Patrick Chung (SS), Duron
Harmon (SS/FS), Jordan Richards (SS), Brandon King
(FS), Nate Ebner (SS), Vinnie Sunseri, Kamu GrugierHill, Cedric Thompson
New Orleans Saints
QB: Drew Brees made a cameo appearance in the first quarter
of the preseason opener, playing one series. He connected with
Brandin Cooks (37-yard reception) on the first play; that
turned out to be Brees only completion of the game. Thirdstringer Garrett Grayson threw an interception early on as he
was tapped to replace Brees after the first series, but then
bounced back to post a decent outing (10/16 for 133 yards
passing and the interception). “I thought Grayson bounced
back a little bit after the first throw,” Saints head coach Sean
Payton said after the game. “It's a bad decision with the
coverage we saw, and I was anxious to see how he responded
with that adversity.” Second-stringer Luke McCown had a
decent evening with 18/27 for 143 yards passing, one
touchdown and one interception.
RB: Mark Ingram had an early fumble in the preseason opener
but also had two one-yard touchdown runs during an extended
effort. Ingram played most of the first half, and wound up with
7 rushes for 18 yards and the aforementioned touchdowns.
Tim Hightower ran four times for 2 yards and caught two
passes for 22 yards. C.J. Spiller eked out 2/2/0 rushing. Coach
Payton was not thrilled with the running backs after the
opener: “You look at four turnovers and I would say the
rushing numbers, those are the two that if I gave you those
then you'd say that makes sense 'I understand how the home
team won.” NOLA.com's Tim Duncan noted that the Saints
have tough choices ahead winnowing down the running back
position: “Mark Ingram is the clear bell cow. Behind him, the
Saints have a variety of role players. Veterans C.J. Spiller and
Travaris Cadet and emerging second-year man Marcus
Murphy are competing for the satellite back role in the nickel
and two-minute offense. Tim Hightower might be the best
pure runner on the roster. And versatile rookie Daniel Lasco is
a jack-of-all-trades type. The group features a little something
for everyone. You can make a case for each player to make the
final roster... Someone is going to be the odd man out and it's
going to be a player good enough to play in this league.”
WR: Michael Thomas was targeted five times in the first half
of the opener. He caught four passes for 67 yards, including a
long of 28 yards. Hard-charging Tommylee Lewis was second
on the team with 3/38/0 receiving, followed by Cooks (1/37/0
receiving). Willie Snead snagged a 22-yard reception during
the contest as well. The Saints' receivers are in fine form
entering the second week of preseason games. Cooks recently
spoke about his mental preparation for games: “Once I got
here, I see Drew, he's always going through his progressions,”
Cooks said. “After he throws a ball, he's checking down to the
air and everything. I was like, 'OK, I need to step my game
up.' Because if my quarterback is doing it, it means
something.” He added, “When you visualize something, it
comes true. You speak it into existence. I think one of his
greatest strengths is his ability to learn, and I would say he's
[Cooks] extremely humble.”
TE: Coby Fleener had an 11-yard reception in limited action.
All reports on Fleener continue to be positive as we head into
the second round of preseason games.
Defense: According to Nick Underhill of the New Orleans
Advocate, “Defensive coordinator Dennis Allen is already
showing off his aggressive side. The Saints defense blitzed
several times on Thursday night, and it was often successful.”
Jimmy Garoppolo was sacked twice for (-20) yards and had
other plays disrupted by the pass rush. Kasim Edebali appears
to be in the lead for a starting defensive end spot opposite
Cameron Jordan, and he claimed both sacks in the preseason
opener. Edebali had five sacks in 2015 (as a reserve lineman)
and fits well with the aggressive scheme Allen is employing.
On Sunday, John Jenkins was surprisingly demoted as Tyeler
Davison has been named the starting nose tackle. Cornerback
Delvin Breaux (undisclosed) returned to practice on a limited
basis Saturday. Breaux had performed individual drills
Tuesday but sat out most of the week's activities. Stephone
Anthony was carted off the field after suffering an unspecified
leg injury during the preseason opener. Coach Payton said on
Sunday there is no timetable for his return, although the injury
is not as serious as the club initially feared. Cornerback
Cortland Finnegan (Panthers) signed on Friday. “Obviously,
he’s experienced,” coach Payton said. “I think the vision is as
a nickel — a guy who can play in the slot. He has, I think,
pretty good football instincts and awareness.” Finnegan added
“(The perception is) I'm a dirt bag. I think that just is what it
is. When you see everything I've done in my career, when you
see the way I play, I play with emotion and grit, and kind of
old-school.”
PK: The competition between Kai Forbath and Connor Barth
got more interesting when Forbath missed a 50-yard kick in
the preseason opener, on a kick characterized as “ugly” and a
“shank” by one beat writer. Connor Barth might win this by
default if Forbath can’t carry over his strong practice
performances to the preseason games.
Returners: The Saints’ return game is fairly settled at this
point, with Travaris Cadet and Marcus Murphy as the
principles and rookie Tommylee Lewis potentially playing a
role on returns if he can just manage to make the team’s 53man roster.
OL: The offensive line has stabilized, with Tim Lelito at the
left guard spot and Andrus Peat at right guard. Senio
Kelemete continues to get reps at left guard but Lelito is
holding him off for now. The coaches are focused on getting
Peat used to life on the inside, with as many reps as possible.
They are especially hoping he can learn how to signal the
silent counts from that right guard position. The team hopes
to free up the eyes of center Max Unger to focus forward,
rather than between his legs prior to every shotgun snap on the
road. Both new guard starters should be helped immensely by
the veterans at tackle and center.
Saints Depth Chart
QB: Drew Brees, Luke McCown, Garrett Grayson
RB: Mark Ingram, Tim Hightower, C.J. Spiller, Travaris
Cadet (KR/PR), Daniel Lasco, Marcus Murphy (KR/PR)
FB: Austin Johnson, Sione Houma
WR: Brandin Cooks, Michael Thomas, Willie
Snead, Brandon Coleman, Tommylee Lewis, Reggie Bell, R.J.
Harris, Kyle Prater, Jared Dangerfield, Jordan Williams, Jake
Lampman, Vince Brown (IR)
TE: Coby Fleener, Josh Hill, Michael
Hoomanawanui, RaShaun Allen, Chris Manhertz, Garrett
Griffin
LT: Terron Armstead
LG: Andrus Peat
C: Max Unger
RG: Tim Lelito, Senio Kelemete
RT: Zach Strief
K: Kai Forbath, Connor Barth
DT: Tyeler Davison (NT), Sheldon Rankins (inj), Nick
Fairley, John Jenkins (NT), Lawrence Virgil, Ashaad
Mabry (NT)
DE: Cameron Jordan, Bobby Richardson, Obum
Gwachum, Darryl Tapp, David Onyemata, D.J. Pettway, C.J.
Wilson, Matt Shaughnessy
MLB: James Laurinaitis, Michael Mauti (S), Nathan Stupar
OLB: Dannell Ellerbe (W), Stephone Anthony (S), Kasim
Edebali (S/DE), Craig Robertson (W), Davis Tull (W), Tony
Steward, Erik Harris, Dillon Lee, Hau′oli Kikaha (IR)
CB: Delvin Breaux, Keenan Lewis, PJ Williams, Damian
Swann, De′Vante Harris, Ken Crawley, Brandon Dixon, Brian
Dixon, Jimmy Pruitt, Kyle Wilson (IR)
S: Kenny Vaccaro (SS), Jairus Byrd (FS), Vonn Bell
(FS), Alden Darby (SS), Roman Harper (SS), Trae Elston
(SS), Jamarca Sanford (IR)
New York Giants
with no setbacks after injuring his groin during the Dolphins
game.
QB: Eli Manning sat against the Dolphins, which provided an
opportunity for long-time backup Ryan Nassib to showcase
his abilities. A strong preseason could vault Nassib into a
starting job elsewhere in 2017 (he’s a free agent), but his first
attempt at enticing the scouts went horribly, horribly wrong.
Nassib completed just 7-of-15 passes for 75 yards (5.0 per
attempt) and had three turnovers (two interceptions and a lost
fumble). He was sacked four times and fumbled two other
times (but they were recovered). Third stringer Logan Thomas
wasn’t much better; completing 2-of-3 passes for 12 yards and
a lost fumble. Needless to say, head coach Ben McAdoo was
displeased: “It was a sloppy performance. Anytime you have
six balls on the ground and two INT’s, it was not what we
were looking for,” McAdoo said. “We had six balls on the
ground and two turnovers. (via interception) I’m not pleased
about any of that.”
TE: The Dolphins game didn’t shed much light on the camp
battle between Larry Donnell and Will Tye. Donnell sat and
Tye failed to catch his lone target. Backup Jerrell Adams
caught a 7-yard pass which was the highlight offensively for
the position.
RB: Starter Rashad Jennings ran three times for 11 yards and
scored on a 3-yard run to give the Giants an early lead against
the Dolphins. Just when we thought the Giants backfield
situation was coming into focus, Andre Williams goes out and
has an excellent game against the Dolphins in the preseason
opener. Williams came in after Rashad Jennings and
dominated with 41 yards on 9 carries (4.6 per carry). It’s
important not to read too much into the first preseason game,
but Williams for now appears to be Jennings’ number two
over Shane Vereen and rookie Paul Perkins. He’ll need to
continue producing at this rate but rumors of his demise may
have been greatly exaggerated. Credit a strict offseason
program that re-shaped Williams physique. “I feel faster, but
not just faster, more in control of my weight,” Williams said.
“I can make my cuts stronger and pick up speed quicker. It’s
helping me out.” Vereen only carried once but it was an
impressive 19-yard scamper to go along with a 6-yard
reception. Perkins was no slouch either running for 36 yards
on seven carries (5.1 per carry) and chipping in with a 4-yard
reception. As a team, the Giants gashed the Dolphins defense
for 158 yards on 32 carries (4.9 per rush). In a night when
most of the backs shined, Bobby Rainey fumbled – he’s a long
shot to make the 53-man roster.
WR: With Odell Beckham sitting out against the Dolphins,
this was supposed to be the Sterling Shepard show. Shepard
got off to an impressive start connecting on a 24-yarder from
Ryan Nassib. But he tweaked his groin and was forced out of
the game thereafter. For all the talk of the Giants depth at
receiver, it wasn’t evident against the Dolphins. Geremy Davis
(two receptions for 21 yards) had his moments but the rest of
the backups failed to impress. Victor Cruz has been nursing a
groin injury and missed the preseason opener versus the
Dolphins, but returned to practice on Sunday. Unfortunately,
he appears to have re-aggravated the injury and will be further
evaluated in the coming days. It’s a frustrating setback for a
player working hard to get back into the mix. Sterling
Shepard, on the other hand, returned to practice on Sunday
Defense: Olivier Vernon only played in two defensive series
but got to Dolphins starter Ryan Tannehill twice. Fellow
defensive end Owa Odighizuwa has a monster game with
three tackles, three quarterback hits and two sacks. Veteran
linebacker Jonathan Casillas also had a strong showing versus
the Dolphins. He was credited with one interception but nearly
had another but for his foot being out of bounds. Linebacker
B.J. Goodson led the team with eight tackles including two for
losses. Safeties Landon Collins and Darian Thompson are set
as starters, but the battle for the backup spots remains fiercely
contested. Coach McAdoo added: “Nat Berhe got some good
snaps in there, as did Mykkele Thompson. It is really an open
competition there,” he said. “Cooper Taylor, you can throw in
the mix, (Andrew) Adams, Bennett Jackson and (Justin)
Currie -- it is an open competition there behind them.”
Returners: When head coach Ben McAdoo was asked how he
saw Dwayne Harris’ role, he replied “Dwayne Harris is a
featured special teams player for us…” and to a follow-up
question on whether he would prefer Harris to be more on
special teams, McAdoo said “We're going to use him any way
we can use him.“
OL: Right tackle Marshall Newhouse was shaky versus the
Dolphins. At one point during the first drive, Newhouse was
blatantly blown up and the running back was tackled for a
loss. The team is seriously looking at both Bobby Hart and
Byron Stingily, currently with the second team, in the hopes
that either could unseat Newhouse. Backup Adam Gettis also
had a down night, as he was called twice for holding, and
allowed backup quarterback Ryan Nassib to take a big hit.
Giants Depth Chart
QB: Eli Manning, Ryan Nassib, Josh Woodrum, Logan
Thomas
RB: Rashad Jennings, Shane Vereen (3RB), Andre
Williams, Paul Perkins, Orleans Darkwa, Bobby
Rainey, Marshaun Coprich
FB: Will Johnson, Nikita Whitlock
WR: Odell Beckham Jr., Sterling Shepard, Dwayne Harris
(KR/PR),Victor Cruz, Geremy Davis, Roger Lewis, Myles
White, Tavarres King, Anthony Dable, Darius Powe, KJ Maye
TE: Will Tye, Larry Donnell (inj), Matt LaCosse, Jerell
Adams, Ryan Malleck
LT: Ereck Flowers, Byron Stingily
LG: Justin Pugh
C: Weston Richburg
RG: John Jerry, Adam Gettis
RT: Marshall Newhouse, Bobby Hart
K: Josh Brown, Tom Obarski
DT: Damon Harrison (NT), Johnathan Hankins, Jay
Bromley, Montori Hughes, Louis Nix
DE: Olivier Vernon, Jason Pierre-Paul, Kerry Wynn, Owa
Odighizuwa, Stansly Maponga, Mike Rose
MLB: Jasper Brinkley, Keenan Robinson, Kelvin
Sheppard, B.J. Goodson (M), Uani Unga (IR)
OLB: Devon Kennard (S), Jonathan Casillas (W), Mark
Herzlich (S), J.T. Thomas (W), Nico Johnson
CB: Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Janoris Jenkins, Leon
Hall, Trevin Wade, Eli Apple, Bennett Jackson, Leon
McFadden (RFA)
S: Landon Collins (FS), Darian Thompson (SS), Nat Berhe
(SS),Cooper Taylor (SS) (inj), Mykkele Thompson
(FS), Justin Currie (SS), Andrew Adams
New York Jets
QB: Ryan Fitzpatrick got the start Thursday but only played
two series. As has been the case since he returned, Fitzpatrick
was up and down. He looked good on a 46-yard completion to
Quincy Enunwa which set up a touchdown where he drew the
defenders up with a glance at a different receiver, then threw
the ball away from that spot. On the downside, he took a
brutal sack on a third down when he held the ball far too long.
Fitzpatrick’s practices have improved since arriving in camp,
and it’s likely that he will do the same in games as well.
Saturday saw Fitzpatrick drop a 55-yard bomb to Eric
Decker. "I think it surprised him [Decker] because such a
noodle-arm quarterback threw it that far," Fitzpatrick said to
ESPN’s Rich Cimini, clearly responding to media who say his
arm is weak. He wasn’t the only Jets quarterback to struggle.
Geno Smith walked onto the field to a chorus of boos, and
then was sloppy in his first series. He bounced back, hitting
rookie Charone Peake with a gorgeous touchdown pass. Peake
was playing well and Smith saw him in single coverage prior
to the snap. The two were clearly on the same page as the
rookie was in the perfect spot when the ball arrived. The
problem seemed to be when Smith needed to make his
progressions and sometimes was so locked on to a receiver
that he didn’t take a moment post-snap to adjust and make
better choices. Bryce Petty played the remainder of the game
(Christian Hackenberg saw no action) and like everyone else,
was uneven. He missed a wide open Jace Amaro downfield
and took a sack he shouldn’t have, but made some redeeming
throws towards the end of the game. Hackenberg not playing
isn’t a shock as he’s barely getting practice reps, and head
coach Todd Bowles said they don’t feel forced to play him
right now.
RB: Matt Forte missed the game on Thursday but ran
positional drills on Sunday. He has not begun 11-on-11 drills
yet, but if the hamstring seems solid we might see him doing
them by next weekend. ESPN’s Rich Cimini posted some
video of Forte doing drills, featuring some nice footwork in
agility drills. Bilal Powell continues to impress, and scored a
4-yard touchdown against the Jaguars. Bernard Pierce didn’t
suit up Thursday as he continues to deal with a hamstring
issue, as does Khiry Robinson. Robinson is at least doing
positional drills (unlike Pierce), and is off the PUP list.
Meanwhile the Jets waived/injured Matt Tucker and signed
Lache Seastrunk. Like everyone else on the squad, he came
out of Thursday’s game banged up. He has straight-line speed
but not much else. UDFA Romar Morris was virtually the last
man standing Thursday night but was unimpressive with just
2.8 yards per carry on 11 carries.
WR: Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker didn’t do much in the
opener, but Decker had a one-handed catch in practice on
Saturday and Marshall made a leaping touchdown catch on a
fade from Ryan Fitzpatrick late in the same practice. Those
two are more than secure in the WR1 and WR2 spots, and it
seems that Quincy Enunwa has taken hold of the WR3 role.
He only had two catches in Thursday night’s win, but he
totaled 69 yards. Fitzpatrick had good things to say about
Enunwa: “He’s so versatile, and he showed that last year with
everything we asked him to do. But he can really develop into
a big-time weapon for us,” The battle for the fifth receiver
spot between rookie Charone Peake, Jeremy Ross and Jalin
Marshall continues to be close. All three played well against
the Jaguars, Peake scoring on a Geno Smith pass at the pylon
where the rookie kept his feet inbounds. Marshall and Ross
both contributed on special teams. Marshall returned an 84yard kickoff return where he showed exceptional change-ofdirection skills and more than a little speed. It was the Jets’
longest preseason kickoff return since Leon Washington had
an 86-yard return in 2007. Ross had three catches for 50 yards
and a memorable 51-yard return as well. It’s going to be close
down the stretch for that spot.
TE: While Jace Amaro has had a strong camp, he was
invisible against Jacksonville. A Bryce Petty pass went sailing
over his head when he was wide open down the sideline and
another was batted away in the end zone (though Amaro’s feet
were out of bounds). Overall he didn’t seem to have much of a
role in the game plan.
Defense: The biggest defensive takeaways Thursday night
were that rookie Darron Lee flashed and the secondary is in
trouble again this year. While Dee Milliner has been having
strong camp, Jaguars receiver Allen Robinson smoked both
him and Buster Skrine, while Marcus Williams got burned by
Marquise Lee of all people. Head coach Todd Bowles gave
Lee and fellow rookie Jordan Jenkins a lot of time on the field,
as did Lorenzo Mauldin, who is expected to carry a full-time
role at outside linebacker. How they fare in the coming weeks
will continue to inform how effective the pass rush—and the
secondary—can be this year.
PK: Undrafted free agent Ross Martin had been pushing
veteran kicker Nick Folk in training camp, but he went 1-for-3
during the preseason opener against the Jaguars, which almost
surely dooms his attempt to overtake Folk. Pencil Folk in as
the winner in one of the few true kicker battles in the league
this summer.
Returners: Making a bid to be New York’s primary return
specialist, journeyman Jeremy Ross got things off to a good
start with a 51-yard kickoff return in New York’s first
preseason game. The only problem? Fellow competitor Jalin
Marshall added an 84-yarder of his own.
OL: With starting right tackle Breno Giacomini on the PUP
list with back issues, Ben Ijalana and Brent Qvale are getting
reps at the position. Ijalana started and it appears he’ll be the
first player off the bench at both tackle spots once the regular
season gets underway. The coaches like Qvale’s push in the
run game, but he needs to work on his pass protection. Starting
left guard James Carpenter got the night off, allowing the team
to give an extended look to Dakota Dozier. Dozier comported
himself well for the most part and is shaping up to be the first
interior option off the bench. Dozier could even contend for
Brian Winters’ right guard spot, should Winters start to
struggle.
Jets Depth Chart
QB: Ryan Fitzpatrick, Geno Smith, Christian
Hackenberg, Bryce Petty
RB: Matt Forte (inj), Bilal Powell, Khiry
Robinson, Dominique Williams, Romar Morris, Antone
Smith , Lache Seastrunk, Bernard Pierce (IR)
FB: Tommy Bohanon, Julian Howsare (LB)
WR: Brandon Marshall, Eric Decker, Quincy Enunwa, Devin
Smith, Charone Peake, Kenbrell Thompkins, Jalin Marshall
(KR), Jeremy Ross, Robby Anderson, Chandler Worthy, Titus
Davis, Joseph Anderson, Kyle Williams
TE: Jace Amaro, Kellen Davis, Zach Sudfeld, Brandon
Bostick, Wes Saxton, Jason Vander Laan
LT: Ryan Clady, Brandon Shell
LG: James Carpenter, Dakota Dozier
C: Nick Mangold , Wesley Johnson
RG: Brian Winters, Jarvis Harrison
RT: Breno Giacomini, Ben Ijalana, Brent Qvale
K: Nick Folk, Ross Martin
DT: Steve McLendon, Deon Simon
DE: Muhammad Wilkerson, Sheldon Richardson
(susp), Leonard Williams, Jarvis Jenkins, Mike
Catapano, Lawrence Thomas
ILB: David Harris (M), Erin Henderson, Darron Lee, Taiwan
Jones, Julian Stanford
OLB: Lorenzo Mauldin, Jordan Jenkins, Trevor Reilly, Josh
Martin, Deion Barnes, Freddie Bishop
CB: Darrelle Revis, Buster Skrine, Marcus Williams, Dee
Milliner, Juston Burris, Darryl Morris, Dexter McDougle
S: Marcus Gilchrist (FS), Calvin Pryor (SS), Dion Bailey
(FS), Rontez Miles (SS), Ronald Martin (SS)
Oakland Raiders
QB: Derek Carr started and played two series against the
Cardinals in the opener, one of which ended in a field goal. He
was able to hook up on a pair of intermediate routes down the
sidelines to Michael Crabtree, but was unable to connect on
any of his three downfield attempts to Amari Cooper. Matt
McGloin took over midway through the first quarter and
inherited a short field after a Cardinals turnover. He quickly
threw a touchdown pass to a wide-open Clive Walford on a
blown coverage. After another Cardinals turnover deep in their
own territory, McGloin again quickly cashed in with a
touchdown toss to Andre Holmes in the corner of the end
zone. While McGloin has struggled with interceptions in
training camp, he is a savvy veteran and above-average
backup quarterback. Connor Cook entered early in the third
quarter and played well, leading a pair of touchdown drives.
He was tasked with throwing mostly quick, short routes and
looked comfortable in his first NFL action. After a rocky start
to training camp, Cook has been making progress over the last
week. With McGloin a free agent after the season, Cook has
the rest of the season to prove he is worthy of being the top
backup in 2017.
RB: Latavius Murray started and received all of the first-team
reps against Arizona. He was solid, with 21 yards on four
rushes. Jamize Olawale came in after Murray. He’s unlikely to
have any fantasy value, but could vulture some touchdowns as
a short-yardage specialist. DeAndre Washington did not
disappoint in his professional debut. He had a pair of big plays
against the Cardinals backups. He broke off a 25-yard run up
the middle and made a Cardinals safety look silly in the openfield. He also had a 32-yard reception, leaving a linebacker in
the dust with a quick break to the inside that created huge
separation. It was the type of play that recent Raiders backs
were not capable of and justified the excitement about
Washington’s potential as a third-down back. Jalen Richard
will have to wait to make his preseason debut as he was held
out of the Wednesday practice and the Friday night game due
to a minor knee injury. Richard is “week-to-week” and has
already been ruled out of next week’s matchup against the
Packers. George Atkinson III took advantage of Richard’s
absence and made his case for the final roster spot with a pair
of long touchdown runs (a 53-yarder and a 35-yarder) in the
second half. "(Atkinson) is very good and very hungry to be a
part of this team," Head coach Jack Del Rio said.
WR: In 2015, Michael Crabtree shared the #1 receiver job
with Amari Cooper and Crabtree outscored Cooper in both
PPR and standard formats. The assumption all offseason has
been that Amari Cooper would emerge as the true #1 receiver
in Oakland with Crabtree easing into more of a secondary role.
With a major Cooper breakout expected, he is going off the
board in fantasy drafts four rounds earlier than Crabtree. A
brief look at the first-team offense in two series of preseason
action should give some pause to that view. Crabtree looked
excellent while Cooper was unable to secure any of his three
downfield targets. The Raiders tried to get Amari Cooper
involved early against the Cardinals, but Carr and Cooper
were unable to connect on multiple deep passes. Cooper
finished with just one catch for six yards (on four targets). On
the first drive, Cooper beat his man down the sideline but was
unable to get his second foot down in-bounds. The throw was
slightly outside, but it’s the type of catch that the Raiders need
their star receiver to make. Cooper also had a drop, which was
a major problem for him down the stretch of the 2015 season.
Crabtree looked to be in mid-season form. He had two
receptions for 38 yards (on two targets) in two series of action.
TE: Clive Walford took advantage of a broken coverage to
score an 18-yard touchdown in the first quarter. Walford has
had an impressive camp and is a potential breakout candidate
entering his second season. He is a potentially compelling
high-upside TE2 given his role as the third target in the
Raiders passing tree. Gabe Holmes injured his ankle and is
likely to land on injured reserve. He had an outside shot at
making the roster as the fourth tight end.
Defense: Despite speculation that Karl Joseph might be held
out of the first few preseason games, the rookie was suited up
and got the start at safety. It is an encouraging sign as the team
is counting on him to make a major impact. Mario Edwards Jr.
left the game with a hip injury that is said to be “not serious,”
but he was on crutches leaving the stadium. If Edwards misses
significant time, Jihad Ward could take on a bigger role. The
second-round pick has been a pleasant surprise in camp and
showed well against the Cardinals. Ward should be a rookie
starter.
PK: After an offseason of talk that Sebastian Janikowski
might lose his job to Giorgio Tavecchio, Janikowski drilled a
53-yarder in the preseason opener to remind everyone what he
is capable of. Tavecchio has had a good camp, and this isn’t
over, but Janikowski did very well for himself this week.
Returners: While the Oakland Raiders used their first
preseason game against Arizona to evaluate some bottom-ofthe-roster candidates at punt and kickoff returner, Travis
Carrie, Taiwan Jones, and DeAndre Washington remain frontrunners to handle duties once the regular season kicks off.
OL: The line is shaping up to be among the league’s best, and
it looked the part in the preseason debut against Arizona.
Guard starters Kelechi Osemele and Gabe Jackson opened up
some big holes in the running game, and the tackles kept
quarterback Derek Carr’s jersey clean. Austin Howard started,
but Menelik Watson also saw action. Watson’s play marked
his first in-game action since suffering a nasty Achilles tendon
injury last season.
Raiders Depth Chart
QB: Derek Carr, Matt McGloin, Connor Cook, Garrett Gilbert
RB: Latavius Murray, Deandre Washington, Taiwan Jones
(KR), Jalen Richard, George Atkinson III
FB: Jamize Olawale, Marcel Reece (susp)
WR: Amari Cooper, Michael Crabtree, Seth Roberts, Andre
Holmes, Johnny Holton, K.J. Brent, Nathan Palmer, Max
McCaffrey, Jaydon Mickens, Marvin Hall, Joe Hansley
TE: Clive Walford, Lee Smith, Mychal Rivera, Ryan
O′Malley, Gabe Holmes, Colton Underwood
LT: Donald Penn, Matt McCants
LG: Kelechi Osemele, Jon Feliciano
C: Rodney Hudson
RG: Gabe Jackson, Vadal Alexander
RT: Austin Howard, Menalik Watson
K: Sebastian Janikowski
DT: Justin Ellis (NT), Jihad Ward, Dan Williams (NT), Stacy
McGee, Darius Latham (NT), Leon Orr
DE: Kahlil Mack (S), Mario Edwards Jr. (inj), Denico
Autry, Shilique Calhoun, Damontre Moore, James
Crowser, Branden Jackson
MLB: Ben Heeney, Cory James, John Lotulelei, Kyrie
Wilson, Chase Williams
OLB: Malcolm Smith (W), Bruce Irvin (S/DE), Aldon Smith
(susp), Neiron Ball, Korey Toomer, Daren Bates, Neiron
Ball, Perez Ford
CB: Sean Smith, David Amerson, TJ Carrie (FS/PR), D.J.
Hayden, Neiko Thorpe, Dexter McDonald, Antonio
Hamilton, Kenneth Durden
S: Reggie Nelson (FS), Karl Joseph (SS), Nate Allen (FS)
(inj),Dewey McDonald (SS), Keith McGill (SS), Brynden
Trawick (FS),Chris Hackett (FS), Chris Edwards, Jimmy Hall
Philadelphia Eagles
QB: No one expected the Carson Wentz era to begin soon, but
he was expected to get valuable experience running the
offense during the preseason. Unfortunately, Wentz’ timeline
has been pushed back thanks to a hairline rib fracture suffered
against the Buccaneers in Thursday’s preseason opener. He
wasn’t diagnosed until Saturday but is now officially out for
several weeks at a minimum. The first team offense didn’t
play much versus the Buccaneers in the preseason opener.
Sam Bradford played three snaps but led the team to a
touchdown against the Bucs first team defense. He completed
one pass as Ryan Mathews capped the drive with a touchdown
run. Chase Daniel really struggled behind an offensive line
that was totally ineffective. Daniel completed 4-of-10 passes
for 15 yards (1.5 yards per attempt) and was sacked four
times. On a positive note, Daniel ran for a touchdown. Wentz’
rib injury aside, he played the most snaps and completed 12of-24 passes for 89 yards (3.7 per attempt) while fumbling
once and throwing an interception. Sam Bradford – who
initially bristled at Wentz’ addition – praised the rookie’s play
versus Tampa Bay: “I thought Carson did a great job out there
tonight,” Bradford said. “He did a great job in the pocket with
his movement. I thought he looked athletic. He made some
throws on the run and made some really smart decisions to
throw the ball away when it wasn’t there, so I was really
impressed with the way he handled himself out there tonight.”
RB: Doug Pederson planned on playing his first team offense
for several drives, but the success of the initial drive changed
his mind. “My intention was to get maybe 8, 12 or 15 plays for
them, but at the same time, they scored on the first drive and I
made the decision to pull them out,” he explained. “I thought
that they handled that situation very well. To go out there and
dominate like they did early in the ball game and punch it in –
it was a great run. It was one of those big-boy type of plays
down in the red area and Ryan finished it off. I just made the
call right then to get them out and get the rest of the guys in
the game.” Mathews has been explosive since returning from
his mild injury. Kenjon Barner led all rushers with 35 yards on
seven carries while Darren Sproles was a healthy inactive.
Rookie Wendell Smallwood participated in individual drills on
Saturday but did not participate in team drills; he missed more
than a week (including the Bucs game) nursing a quad injury.
WR: It was a quiet night for the Eagles wide receivers. Jordan
Matthews sat out (and will miss the majority of the preseason
with a bone bruise) and starters Chris Givens and Nelson
Agholor failed to catch a pass on three combined targets.
Rueben Randle caught a 3-yard pass but continues to be
criticized by many camp observers. Jimmy Kempski went as
far as to call Randle’s preseason debut an “embarrassing
effort.” If Josh Huff makes the 53-man roster, it won’t be
because of the way he’s played through the first two weeks of
camp. Huff has had problems with drops, cutting off routes,
and gaining separation. Against the Buccaneers, he fumbled
one of his two receptions. On Tuesday, the Eagles acquired
Dorial Green-Beckham from the Tennessee Titans in
exchange for offensive lineman Dennis Kelly. GreenBeckham is a former 40th overall pick but appeared to be in
the coaches’ doghouse in Tennessee. The trade provides a
fresh start for a talented yet unproven (at the NFL level) and
further cements the risk that Randle’s days in Philadelphia are
numbered.
TE: Staying true to form, the Eagles used 3-TE sets in key
situations against the Buccaneers including the 5-yard
touchdown run by Ryan Mathews. In an attempt to justify the
desire to keep four tight ends on the roster, Chris Pantale has
been practicing at fullback/h-back in recent days. He lined up
at fullback a few times during the preseason opener, as well.
The most curious aspect of the Buccaneers game is that Zach
Ertz played half the team’s snaps in stark contrast to the rest of
the projected first team offense. Brent Celek (3 snaps) and
Trey Burton (6 snaps) were the ones treated like 1st teamers.
It’s probably nothing more than wanting to give the backup
quarterbacks a legitimate target, but it’s something to keep an
eye on. Ertz finished second on the team with three receptions
for 26 yards.
Defense: The Eagles first team defense had an up-and-down
debut against the Buccaneers. While the Eagles first team
offense played sparingly, the first team defense played into the
second quarter. Philadelphia forced a 3-and-out on the Bucs’
first drive and then Fletcher Cox – the team’s marquis
defender – lived up to his billing with a strip sack and fumble
recovery against Jameis Winston. The third drive was less
successful, as the Buccaneers marched down the field for a
touchdown (a 26-yard pass from Winston to Russell Shepard).
Malcolm Jenkins missed the game with a mild hamstring
injury but likes what he’s seeing from Jim Schwartz’ new
scheme: “It’s just a change in scheme, a change in culture so
we’re trying to get back to the teams that this Philadelphia fan
base has been used to in the past," Jenkins said. "(Being)
physical, attitude, all the things that this city loves. It’s (about)
molding the team and getting back to some of those old-school
ways.” C.J. Smith – fighting for a roster spot – had an
incredible game with three passes defensed and a game-ending
interception.
PK: Caleb Sturgis remains in the lead over Cody Parkey for
the Eagles kicker job after a better start to training camp and
making the only field goal attempt of the preseason opener
against the Buccaneers from 42 yards. Sturgis followed up
with a good practice on Sunday, making all five of his kicks,
while Parkey missed two of five.
Returners: With no need to risk Darren Sproles in week one
of the preseason, Kenjon Barber returned punts for the eagles.
He also split kickoff duties with Josh Huff, with both players
recording a long return against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
OL: Stormy weather for the offensive line as starting right
tackle Lane Johnson was suspended 10 games for a second
PED violation. It seems unlikely that any appeals process will
shorten the punishment. Left tackle Jason Peters and free
agent acquisition Brandon Brooks have also been out of action
with minor injuries. The team has reportedly reached out to
free agent Will Beatty, most recently of the New York Giants.
Allen Barbre shifted over from guard to right tackle, and
Isaac Seumalo is getting the nod at Barbre’s old left guard
spot. The line had a rough night against Tampa Bay, as
vaunted rookie quarterback Carson Wentz suffered a broken
rib on a huge hit toward the end of the fourth quarter. If the
current trend line continues, the line could be a liability this
season.
Eagles Depth Chart
QB: Sam Bradford, Chase Daniel, Carson Wentz, McLeod
Bethel-Thompson
RB: Ryan Mathews, Darren Sproles (3RB/PR), Wendell
Smallwood, Kenjon Barner, Byron Marshall, Cedric
O′Neal, Kevin Monangai
WR: Jordan Matthews (inj), Nelson Agholor, Rueben
Randle, Dorial Green-Beckham, Josh Huff (KR), Chris
Givens, Cayleb Jones, T.J. Graham, Paul Turner, Marcus
Johnson, Xavier Rush
TE: Zach Ertz, Brent Celek, Trey Burton, Chris Pantale, M.J.
McFarland
LT: Jason Peters, Andrew Gardner, Halapoulivaati Vaitai
LG: Allen Barbre, Isaac Seumalo, Josh Andrews
C: Jason Kelce, Stefen Wisniewski, Barrett Jones
RG: Brandon Brooks, Matt Tobin
RT: Dennis Kelly, Lane Johnson (susp)
K: Caleb Sturgis, Cody Parkey
DT: Fletcher Cox, Bennie Logan, Beau Allen, Mike
Martin, Travis Raciti
DE: Vinny Curry, Connor Barwin, Brandon Graham, Taylor
Hart, Marcus Smith, Alex Mccalister, Ryan Mueller
MLB: Jordan Hicks, Joe Walker
OLB: Mychal Kendricks (W), Nigel Bradham (S), Najee
Goode (W),Bryan Braman (S), Travis Long, Deontae Skinner
CB: Leodis McKelvin, Nolan Carroll II, Ron Brooks, Jalen
Mills (FS), Eric Rowe, Blake Countess, Jaylen Watkins
(RFA), Denzel Rice
S: Malcolm Jenkins (FS), Rodney McLeod (SS), Jerome
Couplin (SS), JaCorey Shepherd (FS), Chris Maragos (SS), Ed
Reynolds(FS)
Pittsburgh Steelers
QB: It was an uneventful week for Ben Roethlisberger as he
sat out the team’s first preseason game and even got some rest
during joint practices against the Detroit Lions. The big story
at quarterback is the backup spot. When Roethlisberger
doesn’t practice, Landry Jones has gotten the first-team
reps. As Behind the Steel Curtain points out, it is unknown
whether the team considers him the clear second-string or
whether they’re still evaluating him. Jones started the
preseason game and played longer than Bruce Gradkowski but
only because Gradkowski’s night was shortened by injury – an
unfortunate repeat of what happened to him last season. This
time, it’s a hamstring, though, so it won’t be season-ending.
Jones played unspectacularly, with most of his yardage
coming on check-downs. He did break through with a 29-yard
touchdown pass late in the first half.
RB: Neither Le’Veon Bell nor DeAngelo Williams suited up
in the preseason opener. Fitzgerald Toussaint started (and was
the team’s starting kickoff return man too). He only got two
carries before giving way to Daryl Richardson. Richardson
surprised, gaining 44 yards on 11 carries and adding 16 more
on two catches. The speed that Richardson showcased in his
breakout rookie year in St. Louis was on display as well.
While Toussaint would likely be the first and second down
player if Williams is injured during Bell’s suspension, it’s
Richardson who could see more snaps as a specialty player
when the other backs are healthy. Mike Tomlin was pleased
with Richardson’s performance.
WR: The top two players on the depth chart – Antonio Brown
and Markus Wheaton – did not suit up for the first preseason
game. Brown did have a successful week, running circles
around Detroit’s secondary players in joint practices and
generally being “uncoverable” per multiple reports. In the
game, Darrius Heyward-Bey and Sammie Coates played
extended time as the starters with Eli Rogers manning the slot.
Heyward-Bey was typically inconsistent, dropping an easy
would-have-been third and long conversion but then hauling
in a 29-yard touchdown over a defender later in the half.
Coates, he of the spectacular camp reports, had a rough
evening. He caught three passes for 18 yards but fumbled
twice, losing one. Rogers showed signs of being the shifty
playmaker camp observers have been praising for weeks. He
took an end-around pitch for a five-yard gain when it looked
as though he’d be stopped for a loss. He also caught a threeyard pass on 3rd-and-3 that was nullified by penalty. Rogers
did well to run his drag route deep enough to get to the
marker.
TE: The biggest story in Pittsburgh camp from the week was
Ladarius Green’s health. Until Thursday, it was thought that
Green was on the PUP list while he recovers from a January
ankle surgery. Reports surfaced, however, that Green was
battling headaches which were likely a result of multiple
concussions last season. PFT’s Mike Florio reported that
Green could be forced to retire and/or that Pittsburgh
could cut Green and attempt to recoup his $4.75M signing
bonus. Per the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the team insists they
did not know about Green’s headaches when they signed him.
Further muddying the waters is that Mike Tomlin said after
Friday’s preseason game that Green remained on the PUP
List because of his ankle. Jesse James and Xavier Grimble
stand to play in Green’s absence. James is a huge target at
6’7”, but he’s not a good all-around tight end yet. Any
offensive line injuries could leave Pittsburgh in a bind as
Heath Miller always used to be able to mask deficiencies of
backups. James won’t be able to do that. In Friday’s game,
James caught one ball in the flat for four yards on a
checkdown pass. It looked like he may have had some room to
run, but he was tackled before being able to turn upfield.
Defense: Prior to Detroit’s arrival for joint practices and the
first preseason game, second-year cornerback Senquez Golson
had Lisfranc surgery. He missed all of last season with a torn
labrum and will now miss nearly four months. This hurts the
team in the nickel as they were banking on Golson being the
slot corner. With Golson out, rookie second-round pick Sean
Davis started at slot corner. He had an up and down game,
allowing what should have been a 10-yard catch by Detroit’s
Anquan Boldin to turn into a 30-yard play. Davis did have
better moments, though, making multiple tackles and being
around the ball frequently. The team is throwing a lot at him,
as he played safety in the second half. Pittsburgh’s secondary
is far from settled, and there are talent gaps and a lack of depth
throughout the ranks. First-round pick Artie Burns missed the
game with his nagging thigh injury that kept him out of
practices for most of the week.
The team’s linebackers, however, do not have the same issues.
They are deep and effective. Assumed starters Bud Dupree
and Jarvis Jones did not play, but 38 year-old James Harrison
didn’t want the rest. He played effectively, single-handedly
thwarting Detroit’s 12-play opening drive with a sack and
forced fumble that Pittsburgh recovered. The team was
ineffective on third downs, allowing Detroit to convert 12-19
for the game and three of three (all for more than six yards) on
the opening drive. This bend-but-don’t-break nature is
something Pittsburgh fans may have to get used to with the
deficiencies in the back end.
Up front, new nose tackle Daniel McCullers held his ground
and brought pressure up the middle. Backup defensive end
Ricardo Mathews was also excellent. His only mistake was
not finishing on an easy sack which resulted in an interception
anyway that was returned by backup cornerback Doran Grant
for a touchdown.
Returners: The Steelers continue to make noise about scaling
back Antonio Brown’s special teams workload. If he does give
up some punt returns, undrafted 2nd-year receiver Eli Rodgers
might be the man to take them. Rodgers missed last season to
injury, but has been making plays so far during camps.
OL: One of the most interesting training camp battles among
all 32 teams is between Ryan Harris and Alejandro Villanueva
at left tackle. Harris got the start in the preseason opener and
Villanueva had a rough night, giving up a sack and taking an
illegal hands penalty, in only ten snaps. After the game, the
young player admitted “overthinking” his play at times. The
coaches really support Villanueva, so this contest is not over
yet. A depth name to watch is B.J. Finney, who is hoping to
make the team as a swing tackle. In other news, retired legend
Alan Faneca is back with the team, helping coach the
offensive line alongside guru Mike Munchak.
Steelers Depth Chart
QB: Ben Roethlisberger, Landry Jones, Dustin Vaughn, Bruce
Gradkowski (inj)
RB: Le′Veon Bell (susp), DeAngelo Williams, Fitzgerald
Toussaint, Daryl Richardson, Rajion Neal, Christian Powell
FB: Roosevelt Nix
WR: Antonio Brown (PR), Sammie Coates, Markus Wheaton
(KR),Darrius Heyward-Bey, Eli Rogers, Demarcus
Ayers, Issac Blakeney, Levi Norwood, Shakim Philips, Tobias
Palmer, Canan Severin, Martavis Bryant (susp)
TE: Ladarius Green (inj), Jesse James, Xavier Grimble, David
Johnson (FB), David Reeves, Jay Rome
LT: Alejandro Villanueva, Ryan Harris, Jerald Hawkins
LG: Ramon Foster
C: Maurkice Pouncey, Cody Wallace
RG: David Decastro
RT: Marcus Gilbert
K: Chris Boswell
NT: Daniel McCullers, Javon Hargrave, Lavon Hooks, Roy
Philon
DE: Cameron Heyward, Stephon Tuitt, L.T.
Walton, Caushaud Lyons
ILB: Lawrence Timmons (R), Ryan Shazier (L), Vince
Williams, Jordan Zumwalt, Tyler Matakevich, Steven Johnson
OLB: James Harrison, Bud Dupree, Arthur Moats, Jarvis
Jones, Travis Feeney, Anthony Chickallo
CB: William Gay, Ross Cockrell, Sean Davis (SS/CB), Artie
Burns, Doran Grant, Donald Washington, Senquez Golson
(inj)
S: Michael Mitchell (FS), Robert Golden (SS), Shamarko
Thomas (SS), Ross Ventrone (FS), Jordan Dangerfield
(FS), Jacob Hagen, Ray Vinopal
San Diego Chargers
QB: Philip Rivers only played a single series in the opening
preseason tilt against the Tennessee Titans, but it was by far
the most effective series of offense that the Chargers displayed
for the whole game. The drive was a seven-play, 75-yard
effort that was capped off by a 44-yard hookup with Melvin
Gordon for a score. “You can’t overreact both good and bad,
but it can be something we can build on and something we
should get excited about,” Rivers said. Kellen Clemens
received the bulk of the reps behind Rivers as he looks to
cement his hold on the backup job, but he was an
unimpressive 8-of-15 for 96 yards. Mike Bercovici and Zach
Mettenberger were both picked off once in the loss. For
Bercovici, his pick came on just the second pass of his NFL
career, and led directly to the Titans scoring a touchdown on
the ensuing possession. Head coach Mike McCoy is taking the
game as a great opportunity to evaluate the youngsters in live
action. “I look forward to watching the film and analyzing
every player and moving on to the next (game),” McCoy said
afterwards.
RB: There’s been a lot of chatter this offseason about Melvin
Gordon’s ability to succeed at the pro level, and it makes for
interesting food for thought to wonder how much of that
chatter he has allowed to sink in. Based on the opening drive
of their first preseason game, he appears fully motivated to
prove his doubters wrong. He hooked up with Philip Rivers
for a 44-yard catch-and-run touchdown on the Chargers
opening drive, and that offered up a solid glimpse of what
might become of Gordon as he continues to develop. “I was
just way more comfortable. I kind of just told myself last year
that I was really just stressing over every little thing with the
run. I calmed myself down, was focused on my reads, trusted
(the line) and tried to make the best of what I can do,” Gordon
said. The club took a long look at undrafted free agent
Kenneth Farrow during Saturday’s contest, and he carried the
ball 16 times for 60 yards. Brandon Oliver carried over his
strong training camp play onto the field against the Titans, and
he averaged 6.3 yards for his three carries. Danny Woodhead
saw minimal action on Saturday, along with the remainder of
the first-team offense.
WR: There was a good deal of anticipation for how the strong
showing of camp darling Tyrell Williams would translate into
preseason action, but we’ll have to wait at least another week
to find out. The early camp star was held out of the game
against the Titans with leg tightness, but it’s nothing serious
and he’ll be back in the fold this week. With Williams on the
sidelines, that provided plenty of opportunity for the other
receivers to stake their claim to real estate on the depth chart,
but none delivered. That could be more of a reflection of the
spotty quarterback play behind Rivers, and we’ll have to keep
a close eye on how things shake out through camp. For the
first depth chart, Keenan Allen, Travis Benjamin and
Dontrelle Inman are secure in the top three spots. Behind
them, Williams has made a strong case for backup duties,
veteran James Jones should hang on, and the remaining
receivers will jockey for position over the remainder of camp
and the preseason.
TE: Veteran Antonio Gates was given the night off on
Saturday, and that provided a few extra reps for rookie Hunter
Henry. He hauled in three of his four targets for 43 yards, and
looked comfortable in all facets. It’s only Week 1 of the
preseason, but one of the best compliments you can give a
rookie at this point is that it looks like he belongs in the NFL.
That’s the case for Henry, and the Chargers may have
provided a glimpse of the future by running a fair amount of
two tight end sets on the night. It’ll be interesting to see how
that shakes out with the ageless Gates at the other spot in that
situation. Gates is having a consistent, rock solid training
camp. He has his sights set on Tony Gonzalez’s all-time
touchdown mark for tight ends. The record stands at 111, and
Gates will need eight more this season to surpass him.
Defense: When the words “irreparable damage” begin being
bandied about, the chances of a peaceful solution being right
around the corner appear slim. That’s exactly where the
Chargers find themselves with their first round pick, Joey
Bosa, and the impasse in contract negotiations shows no signs
of subsiding anytime soon. For the Chargers that remain in
camp, the first preseason action served as a bit of a wakeup
call. “I think we just have to go back and look at the drawing
board and film. Look what went wrong, what gaps we didn’t
fill and hold each other accountable. Obviously it’s the
preseason so we have time to correct it. We’ll come back on
Monday ready to work and attack those points in practice,”
shared Jahleel Addae. There were positive signs on the
defensive front coming out of the early part of camp, but that
didn’t translate onto the field against the Titans. While it
wasn’t an outright implosion, there remains plenty to work on
for the defensive unit.
Returners: With a defense that got few stops and an opposing
kicker that hit a lot of touchbacks, San Diego’s top return units
saw very little work against the Tennessee Titans.
OL: The first team offense looked good against Tennessee,
even without starting left guard Orlando Franklin, who rolled
his ankle in practice earlier in the week. Kenny Wiggins
replaced Franklin in the preseason opener, but Franklin is
expected to be fully healthy by the start of regular season. The
new look Chargers’ offense is prioritizing the run game, and
returning starter D.J. Fluker is a big fan of the change. This
unit should be heavily improved from last season, should they
stay healthy.
Chargers Depth Chart
QB: Philip Rivers, Kellen Clemens, Zach Mettenberger, Bryn
Renner, Mike Bercovici
RB: Melvin Gordon, Danny Woodhead (3RB), Branden
Oliver, Dreamius Smith, Kenneth Farrow
FB: Derek Watt, Chris Swain
WR: Keenan Allen, Travis Benjamin (PR), Dontrelle
Inman, Tyrell Williams, James Jones, Javontee
Herndon, Isaiah Burse, Torrence Allen, Jamaal Jones, Dom
Williams, Stevie Johnson (IR)
TE: Antonio Gates, Hunter Henry, Jeff Cumberland, Sean
McGrath, Asante Cleveland, Tim Semisch
LT: King Dunlap, Chris Hairston
LG: Orlando Franklin, Kenny Wiggins
C: Matt Slauson, Max Tuerk, Trevor Robinson
RG: D.J. Fluker, Chris Watt, Donavon Clark
RT: Joe Barksdale, Tyreek Burwell
K: Josh Lambo
NT: Brandon Mebane, Ryan Carrethers, Sean Lissemore (IR)
DE: Corey Liuget, Joey Bosa, Damion Square, Darius
Philon, Tenny Palepoi, Ben Gardner
ILB: Denzel Perryman, Manti Te′o, Joshua Perry, Nick
Dzubnar, Dexter McCoil
OLB: Melvin Ingram, Jeremiah Attaochu, Kyle
Emanuel, Tourek Williams, Jatavis Brown
CB: Jason Verrett, Brandon Flowers, Casey Hayward, Trevor
Williams, Craig Mager, Greg Ducre, Trevor Williams
S: Jahleel Addae (SS), Dwight Lowery (FS), Darrell Stuckey
(FS),Matt Daniels (SS), Adrian Phillips (FS)
San Francisco 49ers
QB: Colin Kaepernick was unable to play in the preseason
opener due to a mid-week shoulder injury, leaving rival Blaine
Gabbert to start the contest. Gabbert had an uneven game,
completing 4-of-10 passes for 63 yards and a touchdown.
“There were some real positives that you can build on,” head
coach Chip Kelly said, “but there were some throws I'm sure
even if you ask Blaine, he's going to say, 'I wish I had those
back.'' Gabbert thought there was room for improvement after
the preseason opener: “There were ups and downs those first
two drives, things we can correct, things we inflicted on
ourselves. But we got the touchdowns (and) we strung a bunch
of quality plays together.” Jeff Driskel also managed just four
completions (4-of-12 for 20 yards) with 61 yards rushing. “I
thought my decisions were good, but could have made some
better throws there,” Driskel said after the game. “I had a
couple of dirtballs there. They were easy throws to make; I
just didn't make them. It's just a matter of cleaning up some
footwork and putting the balls on those guys.” Thad Lewis
was arguably the better quarterback in the opener, but left the
game with a leg injury which was diagnosed as a season-ender
this week. Meanwhile, Colin Kaepernick continues to rehab
his sore shoulder. “He says he feels better as we go, but we're
not going to push him so we can have a proper evaluation of
him,” Kelly stated. “We're just trying to get him healthy and
see if we can get him ready for this week against Denver.”
RB: Carlos Hyde ran five times for 27 yards in the preseason
opener but lost a fumble. The turnover was returned 41 yards
for a touchdown by the Texans. Hyde did have a 22-yard run
prior to the fumble, but the mistake marred his outing.
According to Cam Inman of the Mercury News, Dujuan
Harris may have moved behind Mike Davis in the race for the
#3 running back spot. “One play after his [Harris'] cutback run
to the 2-yard line, he fumbled Thad Lewis' handoff for a
turnover (charged to Lewis). Harris likely is battling for the
No. 3 role behind Hyde and Shaun Draughn, but Mike Davis
(5/72/0 rushing with 2/17/0 receiving) may have passed Harris
on the depth chart with 72 rushing yards by halftime.”
WR: DeAndre Smelter missed the preseason opener and
remains limited in practice. Jerome Simpson was second on
the team in receiving during the first preseason game, with
five targets for 3/29/0 receiving. Bryce Treggs, who had been
surging in training camp, didn't fare well in the opener with
five targets but just 1 catch. Neither Torrey Smith (one target)
nor Quinton Patton (two targets) caught a pass during the
contest as Gabbert struggled early on in the day. Bruce
Ellington has proven to be the 49ers' best option as a slot
receiver through the first two weeks of training camp,
according to CSN Bay Area's Matt Maiocco. He posted one
reception for six yards on one target during the first preseason
game.
TE: Vance McDonald played well in the preseason opener,
according to Cam Inman of the Mercury News: “McDonald
caught the two passes that came his way on the 49ers' initial
scoring drive, which he capped with a 43-yard touchdown
reception. McDonald made a nice, open-field move to go
untouched into the end zone.” “My initial thought was, 'Just
run him over. Let's kill him,'' McDonald said of the Texans
defender in coverage. “Then I was like, 'I'll try running round
him,' and it worked out good.'' Blake Bell caught two passes
for 7 yards while Garrett Celek saw two targets for 1/3/0
receiving.
Defense: The 49ers did without safety Eric Reid (personal
reasons), defensive tackles Arik Armstead (shoulder injury missing practice time during training camp) and Glenn Dorsey
(knee injury - was on IR last year) and defensive back L.J.
McCray (knee injury - was on IR last year). Inside linebacker
Michael Wilhoite started and played the first two series of the
game. Gerald Hodges and Ray-Ray Armstrong each played a
series alongside NaVorro Bowman, while outside linebacker
Eli Harold started instead of Aaron Lynch - Lynch will serve a
four-game suspension to start the season. Rookie defensive
tackle DeForest Buckner (three tackles) played with the first
team. Linebacker Nick Bellore didn't start but had a secondquarter sack and may be pushing to get some reps with the
first team. Cam Inman of the Mercury News reports,
“Jaquiski Tartt made a couple key stops while starting in place
of Eric Reid.”
PK: Phil Dawson made 50- and 25-yard kicks versus the
Texans, eliminating any doubt that UDFA John Lunsford
could factor into the 49ers plans.
Returners: San Francisco’s returners look much the same as
they did a week ago, with Bruce Ellington and DeAndrew
White the safe picks at the position and Bryce Treggs vying to
latch on to the end of the roster as a return specialist.
OL: Formerly retired Anthony Davis showed up to camp in
shape (weighing 330 when played last at 360) and looks on
track to reclaim his starting right tackle position, which is
currently being held by Trent Brown. Brown started the
opener but when Davis got into the game he was fierce in the
run game but did surrender a sack to linebacker Eric Lee late
in the first half. High profile draft pick Josh Garnett is
currently filling in at both guard spots with the second team.
The current starters are Zane Beadles on the left side and
Andrew Tiller on the right. Garnett may need an injury to find
his way into the starting lineup.
49ers Depth Chart
QB: Blaine Gabbert, Colin Kaepernick, Jeff Driskel, Christian
Ponder, Thaddeus Lewis (IR)
RB: Carlos Hyde, Shaun Draughn, Mike Davis, DuJuan
Harris, Kelvin Taylor, Kendall Gaskins
FB: Bruce Miller (TE)
WR: Torrey Smith, Bruce Ellington (KR/PR), Quinton
Patton, Jerome Simpson, DeAndre Smelter (inj), DeAndrew
White (KR/PR), Aaron Burbridge, Dres Anderson, Devon
Cajuste, Bryce Treggs, DiAndre Campbell, Eric Rogers (IR)
TE: Vance McDonald, Garrett Celek, Blake Bell, Je′Ron
Hamm, Busta Anderson
LT: Joe Staley, John Theus
LG: Zane Beadles, Ian Silberman
C: Daniel Kilgore, Marcus Martin
RG: Andrew Tiller, Josh Garnett, Brandon Thomas
RT: Anthony Davis, Erik Pears, Trent Brown, Fahn Cooper
K: Phil Dawson, John Lunsford
NT: Mike Purcell, Garrison Smith, Ian Williams (IR)
DE: Arik Armstead, DeForest Buckner, Quinton Dial, Glenn
Dorsey (inj), Ronald Blair, Tony Jerod-Eddie, Darren
Lake, B.J. McBryde, Demetrius Cherry
ILB: Navorro Bowman, Michael Wilhoite, Gerald
Hodges, Shayne Skov, Nick Bellore, Wynton McManis
OLB: Ahmad Brooks (S), Aaron Lynch (susp), Corey
Lemonier, Tank Carradine, Eli Harold, Ray-Ray
Armstrong, Marcus Rush, Jason Fanaika, Lenny Jones
CB: Tramaine Brock, Jimmie Ward (FS), Chris Davis, Dontae
Johnson, Kenneth Acker, Will Redmond, Rashard
Robinson, Prince Charles Iworah, Keith Reaser, Marcus
Cromartie
S: Antoine Bethea (SS), Eric Reid (FS), Jaquiski Tartt
(SS), L.J. McCray, Jered Bell
Seattle Seahawks
QB: Russell Wilson was intercepted by Marcus Peters in the
preseason opener; something that many quarterbacks will have
to endure in coming weeks. Wilson was late with the throw
and Peters undercut the route in the end zone. It wasn't the
best first series for the franchise cornerstone but Wilson is far
past the point where he should be evaluated in preseason
games. Trevone Boykin came in after Wilson and flashed. The
most notable aspect of Boykin's play was how he was used.
The Seahawks embraced his rushing ability, featuring readoption runs heavily. Boykin also had a game-winning
touchdown throw at the end of the game but it was a Hail
Mary situation where he just put the ball up for grabs.
RB: Christine Michael is being given every chance to
disprove the doubters who have long since labelled him a bust.
Ahead of their first preseason game, Pete Carroll said that
Michael has “had an awakening” this year. Michael backed up
his coach’s words on the first two drives of the Chiefs game,
running seven times for 44 yards, securing the football and
breaking tackles. Michael's love affair may be short-lived as
Thomas Rawls returned to practice this week. Rawls is still
being managed but he was taken off PUP and Pete Carroll
suggested nobody in camp was in better shape than Rawls.
C.J. Prosise (and Zac Brooks) is expected to return from his
injury next week. Alex Collins had a rest day during the week
because of a sore ankle but played against the Chiefs. He only
had a couple of touches and didn't make any real impression.
Despite Carroll's protestations, Rawls should still be expected
to be the primary ball carrier when he returns. Michael will
need to continue his stellar performance to force himself into a
contributing role.
WR: All eyes were on Paul Richardson. He caught three
passes for 23 yards but it was a play in which he didn't catch
the ball that stood out most. Richardson ran right by Marcus
Peters down the right sideline and beat the cornerback for a
touchdown. Trevone Boykin didn't give his receiver a chance
to catch the ball though, leading him too far downfield.
Although he factor into the game until the fourth quarter, the
other standout receiver for the Seahawks was converted safety
Tanner McEvoy. McEvoy caught two passes on the final drive
for 69 yards. He caught the game-winning touchdown over a
defensive back and had previously made an impressive grab
over him. McEvoy did have a drop at the beginning of the
quarter but if he can show it could earn him a roster spot with
his special teams value. That speaks to the quality of the
Seahawks' depth. They haven't had any consistent standout
performers to this point with Kenny Lawlor being quiet and
Kasen Williams having some health issues. Uzoma
Nwachukwu was signed just last week yet stood out more than
most of his teammates against the Chiefs.
TE: The “Jimmy Graham watch” came to an end this week, in
a way. Graham returned to practice on Wednesday for the first
time since rupturing his patellar tendon last November.
According to Sheil Kapadia, “Graham ran routes and caught
passes from the quarterbacks during the first part of
Wednesday's practice. Nothing he did required moving at full
speed, and Graham stayed on the sideline once the offense and
defense started going against each other.” The Seahawks need
Graham if their tight end position is going to be fantasy
relevant. Although Nick Vannett caught two passes against the
Chiefs, those receptions came late in the game and he's not
expected to contribute outside of blocking.
Defense: Michael Bennett was thrown out of practice last
week and missed the Seahawks first preseason game this
week. Bennett was just sick though as the incident from the
first week of camp doesn't appear to have any lasting impact.
Rookie Quinton Jefferson started for Bennett but it was
another, more experienced defensive end who garnered the
most attention. According to Sheil Kapadia, Cassius Marsh
showed that he could rush the passer. Marsh is an established
special teams player but has needed to develop as a pass
rusher to contribute on defense. Kam Chancellor didn't play
against the Chiefs but the star safety shouldn't be out for
much longer. Somewhat surprisingly, Jeremy Lane was the
starting cornerback in the Seahawks base defense. When they
moved to nickel, Lane stayed on the field but moved inside.
DeShawn Shead was the third cornerback.
Returners: Does the prospect of a larger role on offense mean
that All Pro returner Tyler Lockett might see his special teams
involvement scaled back? Probably not. Lockett himself said
earlier this week “They drafted me to be able to be a returner,
so that’s the No. 1 thing I want to focus on”.
OL: The much maligned offensive line got a real boost when
Jahri Evans signed with the team. A former Pro Bowl guard,
Evans isn’t quite as spry as he once was, but he should win the
left guard position easily. Meanwhile, the other positions are
still in flux. Right tackle appears to be totally up for grabs, as
J’Marcus Webb missed the preseason opener with a sprained
knee. The team moved Garry Gilliam back to right tackle,
where he spent most of last year, and started Bradley Sowell
on the left side. Sowell has impressed in practice and he
could remain the starting left tackle, even when Webb returns.
That would leave Gilliam as the swing tackle. The lineup
seems to be far from settled.
Seahawks Depth Chart
QB: Russell Wilson, Trevone Boykin, Jake Heap
RB: Thomas Rawls, Christine Michael, C.J. Prosise
(3RB), Alex Collins, Zac Brooks, Troymaine Pope
FB: Tani Tupou, Jonathan Amosa
WR: Doug Baldwin, Tyler Lockett (KR/PR), Jermaine
Kearse, Paul Richardson, Kevin Smith, Kenny Lawler, Kasen
Williams, Antwan Goodley, Douglas McNeil, Jeff
Fuller, Deshon Foxx, Tanner McEvoy, Uzoma Nwachukwu
TE: Jimmy Graham, Luke Willson, Nick Vannett, Brandon
Williams, Clayton Echard, Joe Summers
LT: Garry Gilliam, Bradley Sowell
LG: Jahri Evans, Mark Glowinski
C: Justin Britt, Patrick Lewis, Joey Hunt
RG: Germain Ifedi, Kristjan Sokoli
RT: JMarcus Webb, Rees Odhiambo
K: Steven Hauschka
DT: Ahtyba Rubin, Jarran Reed, Jordan Hill, Sealver
Siliga, Tony McDaniel, Demarcus Dobbs, Quinton
Jefferson, Justin Hamilton
DE: Michael Bennett, Cliff Avril, Frank Clark (S), Cassius
Marsh, Tavaris Barnes, Will Pericak
MLB: Bobby Wagner, Eric Pinkins (S/M), Steve Longa
OLB: K.J. Wright (W), Mike Morgan (S), Kevin Pierre-Louis
(S),Brock Coyle (W), Josh Shirley, Montese Overton, Khairi
Fortt, Kache Palacio
CB: Richard Sherman, Marcus Burley, Brandon
Browner, Jeremy Lane, DeShawn Shead, Tharold
Simon, Mohammed Seisay, Tye Smith, DeAndre Elliott
S: Kam Chancellor (SS), Earl Thomas (FS), Kelcie McCray
(FS),Steven Terrell (FS), Robert Smith (SS), Tyvis Powell
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
QB: Jameis Winston played well to open the preseason
contest last Thursday. He threw a crisp 7-of-9 for 97 yards and
a touchdown, but he did lose a fumble to Philadelphia's
Fletcher Cox. The backup quarterbacks combined for three
interceptions, though. Mike Glennon completed 7-of-14
passes for 83 yards and one interception while Ryan Griffin
ripped off 13 completions in 23 attempts for 148 yards passing
and two interceptions. “I think Ryan Griffin did a pretty good
job,” head coach Dirk Koetter said. “I wish he wouldn't have
forced that ball at the very end, but he also made some good
plays to get us down there. I think he showed he can run the
no-huddle... He's an accurate passer. He really throws with
good touch. He processes fast, and that's one of the hardest
things for quarterbacks to do... That's one of our big things we
need to find out in this preseason: Is Ryan Griffin good
enough to be an eventual (No. 2) for us? We like the guy. I
like him so far.”
RB: Charles Sims (minor ankle injury) returned to practice
Monday after missing the preseason opener. In his absence,
Doug Martin managed 5/13/0 rushing and 1/11/0 receiving
with the first team. Martin's 13 yards rushing were a team high
as reserve running back Storm Johnson managed just 8 yards .
All told, Tampa Bay had a poor 21 rushes for 31 yards. Peyton
Barber didn't help himself with a negative rushing yard total
(3/-1/0 rushing, with 2/27/0 receiving) but he did make plays
as a receiver. Koetter shrugged off the lackluster totals:
“We've been pretty good at running the football. We have two
really good backs, one of which (Charles Sims) didn't play
(Thursday). Take this for what it's worth: To be a successful
run team, you need to repeat runs and need to keep feeding
your ballcarrier the football, and we did neither of those
(Thursday).” Koetter wanted to evaluate the passing game in
the first preseason game, rather than focusing on the team's
runners.
WR: Kenny Bell worked with the third-team offense during
Monday's practice. He may have been demoted after a tough
game at Philadelphia (two targets with zero receptions, a
fumble on a kick return, and an offensive pass interference
penalty). “I affected the game in a very negative manner
tonight,” Bell said after the loss. “That's just unacceptable. I
can't come out and put the rock on the ground like that.
There's no excuse for it.” On the other hand, Russell Shepard
(three targets for 3/62/1 receiving) and Donteea Dye (one
target for zero receptions) were specifically praised by Koetter
on Friday: “Those two guys made plays. I thought two guys
stepped up and showed that they're in the mix... DD made
three really nice plays on special teams, and he had that
explosive pass that got called back for an OPI. Officials, I
think, do a fantastic job, but it was just hard to find much fault
with DD on that play... We're going to go six times, six days
in the next two weeks against other teams. So there's plenty of
evaluation to go.” Mike Evans had just one catch in limited
snaps. He acknowledged that he’s lost some weight. “I played
heavier my first two years, around 235, 240, and now I'm
between 220 and 225. That’s helped me run more, longer and
faster.” Vincent Jackson had a 17-yard reception in the opener,
playing after some concern that he might miss the contest.
Jackson felt good enough to go during warmups despite his
undisclosed training camp injury, and got in the action briefly.
TE: Brandon Myers (knee injury) didn't practice on Saturday
due to his sore knee. Cameron Brate had one catch on two
targets and Austin Seferian-Jenkins caught both of his targets.
The tight end position remains nebulous.
Defense: Cornerback Vernon Hargreaves missed Saturday
practice after suffering an unspecified injury during the
preseason opener. Hargreaves also dropped an interception
while against the Eagles. “We've got some guys that are a little
banged up," coach Koetter said. “It's a Saturday practice.
Players have (today) off. I would expect to be in pretty good
shape on Monday. That's going to happen.” The team's leading
tackler against Philadelphia was undrafted rookie linebacker
Luke Rhodes, who had five tackles and a forced fumble. The
Tampa defense held the Eagles to 0-for-8 on third downs
when they needed 4 yards or more.
PK: The Bucs traded up to the second round to take Roberto
Aguayo, and he responded by missing his first extra point
attempt of his career. He admitted to having “butterflies” on
the kick.
Returners: Hoping to make an impression in a crowded
returner depth chart, Kenny Bell left the wrong kind after
fumbling the opening kickoff against the Philadelphia Eagles,
opening the door for Donteea Dye and Bernard Reedy to get
more work, instead.
OL: High priced free agent JR Sweezy appears to be headed
to PUP, as his rehab (back) could take at least another month.
Sweezy was paid big bucks to replace the recently retired
Logan Mankins. In Sweezy’s absence, Kevin Pamphile has
been given the reps at left guard. The team also signed Kelvin
Palmer to help at the depleted guard position, but his roster is
far from guaranteed. In better news, Joe Hawley appears to
have the lead over Evan Smith at center thanks to a strong
performance versus the Eagles in the opener.
Buccaneers Depth Chart
QB: Jameis Winston, Mike Glennon, Ryan Griffin, Dan
LeFevour
RB: Doug Martin, Charles Sims (3RB), Mike James, Peyton
Barber, Storm Johnson, Russell Hansbrough
FB: Dan Vitale
WR: Mike Evans, Vincent Jackson, Adam Humphries
(PR), Kenny Bell (KR), Louis Murphy, Russell
Shepard, Donteea Dye, Evan Spencer, Jonathan
Krause, Freddie Martino, Bernard Reedy, Andre Davis
TE: Cameron Brate, Austin Seferian-Jenkins, Luke
Stocker, Brandon Myers, Tevin Westbrook, Kivon
Cartwright, Alan Cross
LT: Donovan Smith
LG: Kevin Pamphile, J.R. Sweezy (PUP)
C: Joe Hawley, Evan Smith
RG: Ali Marpet, Garrett Gilkey , Caleb Benenoch
RT: Gosder Cherilus, Demar Dotson
K: Roberto Aguayo
DT: Gerald McCoy, Clinton McDonald, Henry Melton
(DE), Akeem Spence, A.J. Francis, Ishmaa′ily Kitchen
DE: Robert Ayers, William Gholston, Jacquies Smith, Noah
Spence, Howard Jones, George Johnson (IR)
MLB: Kwon Alexander, Jeremiah George, Cassanova
McKinzy
OLB: Lavonte David (W), Daryl Smith (S), Adarius
Glanton, Devante Bond, Josh Keyes, Micah Awe, Luke
Rhodes
CB: Brent Grimes, Vernon Hargreaves III, Alterraun
Verner, Jude Adjei-Barimah, Johnthan Banks, Josh Robinson
S: Bradley McDougald (SS), Christopher Conte (FS), Keith
Tandy (SS), Ryan Smith, Major Wright, Elijah Shumate (IR)
Tennessee Titans
QB: Marcus Mariota played three series for the Titans in the
first preseason game. He looked sharp, with one standout
throw to Tajae Sharpe down the left sideline. Mariota also got
a glimpse of his new offense in live action, a play action
heavy, run-heavy unit that should completely alter his
responsibilities. Third stringer Alex Tanney continues to
perform well. Matt Cassel wasn't disastrous so his position as
the backup remains intact.
RB: The San Diego Chargers offered no resistance against the
Titans running game in the preseason opener. DeMarco
Murray scored a 71-yard touchdown with relative ease after
cutting back on a zone run. That play came after he gained 15
yards on his first carry to start the game. Mike Mularkey was
using all of his playbook, showing off a variety of different
play designs and running both inside and outside with Murray.
He was the only back to carry the ball when Mariota was on
the field. Rookie Derrick Henry also had a big night in his
NFL debut. He had a handful of impressive runs but for the
most part his yards came like Murray's, very easily. The
offense ran through him for a time. Henry had 10 carries
despite only playing in the second quarter. The Titans ran for
288 yards with Bishop Sankey running well, too. Sankey
scored a 41-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter. Even
though Sankey out produced Antonio Andrews, Andrews got
more exposure and saw the field first after Murray and Henry.
Andrews ran well though he did so against third-string
defenders. David Cobb had a minor hamstring injury and was
held out.
WR: Injury appears to be the only thing that will stop Tajae
Sharpe from being a key contributor for the Titans this year.
Sharpe started against the San Diego Chargers and caught two
passes for 35 yards. 31 of those yards came on a deep sideline
route where he caught the ball and protected it from a huge hit.
Sharpe didn't appear to be injured on that play but he was
eventually evaluated for a possible concussion. Since the
Titans were focused on running the ball repeatedly, the wide
receivers weren't afforded many opportunities to impress.
Rishard Matthews caught one pass from Mariota, a short
throw underneath after Mariota held the ball in the flat, and
one from Cassel, a deep crossing route where he was
immediately hit by an arriving defensive back but held onto
the ball. Matthews and Sharpe started and Harry Douglas got
opportunities in the slot. Douglas caught just one pass for two
yards, it came on a bubble screen from Mariota. Douglas
played in the slot because Kendall Wright was still sidelined
with his hamstring injury. The other veteran, Andre Johnson
did more with his snaps catching two passes, one after he
continued to work through his route to bail out Mariota after
the quarterback had extended the play. Wright is expected to
miss a couple of weeks and is “hoping” to play in at least one
preseason game. Dorial Green-Beckham's status as irrelevant
continues to be solidified, which explains why the team was
willing to trade the 2nd year physical marvel to the
Philadelphia Eagles for lineman Dennis Kelly. Tre McBride
had opportunities to impress with the second and third-team
offenses but he dropped one pass in tight coverage and
couldn't get to an accurate pass in the back of the endzone
during the second half.
swing tackle option, should anything happen to starters Lewan
or Jack Conklin.
Titans Depth Chart
Defense: Brice McCain had missed time during the first week
of training camp, stalling his competition with Perrish Cox for
the second cornerback spot. On Friday of the second week,
Cox twisted his ankle and is now expected to miss two weeks.
Cox's absence should let McCain solidify himself as the
starter. LeShaun Sims should be the favorite to challenge for
playing time while Cox is out, but the Titans' general lack of
talent at cornerback is a glaring issue. Rookie safety Kevin
Byard was praised by Mike Mularkey: “Byard is going to be a
special player.” Coach’s words were quickly backed up as
Byard intercepted former Titans quarterback Zac
Mettenberger during the third quarter. Byard undercut an
underneath route while playing man coverage against a tight
end. With Marqueston Huff suspended for the first game of
the regular season and Cox hurt for the next two weeks, Byard
has a clear route to crafting out a role in nickel packages. This
is the type of play he needs to make consistently over the
coming weeks. Fellow rookie Kevin Dodd didn't play this
week but Mularkey expects him to return to practice soon.
QB: Marcus Mariota, Matt Cassel, Alex Tanney
RB: DeMarco Murray, Derrick Henry, Dexter McCluster
(3RB/KR/PR), Antonio Andrews, David Cobb, Bishop
Sankey, David Fluellen
FB: Jalston Fowler, Sam Bergen
WR: Rishard Matthews, Tajae Sharpe, Kendall Wright
(inj), Andre Johnson, Harry Douglas, Justin Hunter, Tre
McBride, Damaris Johnson, Andrew Turzilli (susp), Nick
Harwell, Ben Roberts
TE: Delanie Walker, Anthony Fasano, Craig Stevens, Phillip
Supernaw, Jerome Cunningham
LT: Taylor Lewan
LG: Quinton Spain, Jeremiah Poutasi, Sebastian
Tretola, Josue Matias, Bryon Bell (IR)
C: Ben Jones, Brian Schwenke, Andy Gallik
RG: Chance Warmack
RT: Jack Conklin
K: Ryan Succop
NT: Al Woods, Austin Johnson, Angelo Blackson, Antwuan
Woods
DE: Jurell Casey (DT), DaQuan Jones, Ropati Pitoitua, Karl
Klug, Mehdi Abdesmad, Mike Smith
ILB: Avery Williamson, Wesley Woodyard, Sean
Spence, Nate Palmer, Curtis Grant, Justin Staples, J.R. Tavai
OLB: Brian Orakpo, Derrick Morgan, Kevin Dodd
(DE), Aaron Wallace, David Bass, Deiontrez Mount, Yannik
Cudjoe-Virgil
CB: Jason McCourty, Perrish Cox, Brice McCain, Antwon
Blake, Blidi Wreh-Wilson, Leshaun Sims, Kalan Reed, Cody
Riggs, Bennett Okotcha
S: Da′Norris Searcy (SS), Rashad Johnson (FS), Daimion
Stafford (FS), Kevin Byard, Marqueston Huff (FS), Josh
Aubrey, Lamarcus Brutus
PK: Ryan Succop doesn’t seem to be in danger of losing his
job to Aldrick Rosas even though both are looking good.
Succop made a 47-yard kick and Rosas made a 33-yard kick in
the preseason opening win against the Chargers.
Washington Redskins
TE: Neither Delanie Walker nor Anthony Fasano caught a
pass against the Chargers but both played a pivotal role in the
Titans success running the ball. Fasano played well for the
most part but had an unnecessary roughness penalty just as
Derrick Henry was about to punch the ball in during the
second quarter. Philip Supernaw caught two passes for 22
yards but is a long way from forcing his way up the depth
chart. It doesn't help Supernaw that fullback Jalston Fowler
looks set to be a key piece in the Titans offense.
Returners: Second-year wide receiver Tre McBride handled
all returns for the Titans during their first preseason game,
though coach Mularkey said after the game that he was hoping
to get Kevan Byard and Kalen Reed a few reps at the end.
OL: Left tackle Taylor Lewan appears to be fully healthy, as
evidenced by a crushing block against the Chargers. In
general, the Titans’ smash-mouth attack was impressive and
Lewan was a big part of that success. At left guard, Quinton
Spain picked off where he left off last season, starting over
Brian Schwenke, who is currently running with the second
team. Schwenke appears to be Spain’s biggest competition
now that Josue Matias suffered a patellar tendon tear, and
will miss the rest of the season. Spain could even factor in as a
QB: Kirk Cousins played one series and looked sharp; he
completed 5-of-5 passes for 39 yards (7.8 per attempt). Colt
McCoy took over after the first series and was efficient. He
completed 7-of-11 passes for 53 yards – mainly checking
down to the running backs and tight ends. Nate Sudfeld
finished out the game and had a solid night against the Falcons
backups. He completed 10-of-15 passes for 89 yards (5.9 per
attempt) complete with a 6-yard touchdown pass to Marcel
Jensen. Although Cousins was sharp in his one preseason
drive, he’s been less consistent in practice. For example, when
the team returned to practice on Saturday, he was intercepted
by Dashaun Phillips during the 2-minute drill segment. Head
coach Jay Gruden tried to put a positive spin on things: “I
like that – ‘turnovers’ – so I could be a negative guy and say,
‘Our offense was awful,’ or I can be positive and say, ‘Wow,
what a defense!’” Gruden said. “I chose to be ‘What a
defense!’… Wasn’t good enough by our offense today, by any
stretch. We had some issues in protection today. Defense
really got after us. Offensively, don’t like to ever see
turnovers, but in practice we like to see our defense get
turnovers.”
RB: Many entered the preseason worried that Washington had
major concerns at the running back position. Matt Jones was
terrible as a rookie outside of his Week 2 versus the Rams, and
yet the team seemed dead set on making him the new
workhorse. Jones only carried the ball twice (two carries for 1
yard) against the Falcons in the preseason opener, so it’s hard
to draw any conclusions. Yet, Gruden clearly let his frustration
about the lack of progress bubble through to his after-game
media interview. “We are going to stick with it,” Gruden said.
“We are going to fix it. We have to get our line coming off
better. We have to get it to the right people. Atlanta played
very good defense. They loaded up the box and did a nice job
stopping us. That is no excuse we have to run the ball better.”
The “get it to the right people” was the eyebrow raising
comment. Does he mean the team needs to find other ball
carriers, or was he complaining that the 1 st team offense didn’t
get the ball in Jones’ hands enough? Chris Thompson (1 carry
for no yards, and a 9-yard reception) and rookie Keith
Marshall (5 carries for a loss of 3 yards, and 2 catches for 10
yards) worked with the 2nd team and also did nothing. The
offensive line is a work in progress but must get more push at
the point of attack if the ground game is going to right itself.
The backups fighting for roster spots were far more productive
against the Falcons backup defenders. Robert Kelley – an
undrafted rookie out of Tulane – ran the ball 7 times for 40
yards and a touchdown while chipping in with two receptions
for 13 yards. Second year Mack Brown also had a good
showing (7 carries for 28 yards, and 3 receptions for 12 yards).
Washington probably isn’t going to keep more than four
running backs on the 53-man roster, so Kelley and Brown are
worth watching as the loser of that battle is likely practicesquad bound.
WR: Rashad Ross led the team with 4 receptions for 49 yards
against the Falcons. Washington fans are used to Ross being at
or near the top of the preseason box scores, but he’s yet to get
a shot at a meaningful role in the regular season. Ryan Grant
caught 3 passes for 31 yards. Starters DeSean Jackson and
Pierre Garcon are both having excellent camps – and each
caught one pass from Kirk Cousins in the opening series
before giving way to the backups. Jamison Crowder sat out the
game as he nurses a mild hamstring strain, but neither he nor
the team are concerned about the injury lingering. DeSean
Jackson loves Crowder and expects big things from him in
2016 and beyond. “To come in as a rookie and put up the
numbers and be one of them receivers that we can count on in
the slot, third downs, things like that is what you ask of any
young player coming into the NFL,” Jackson said. “This year,
(Crowder’s) coming out, he’s hungry and he wants to work
hard. He has all the intangibles that — being a little guy in this
league like myself — but still being able to create mismatches
in running routes by creating separation and things like that.”
Josh Doctson remains out while recovering from his Achilles
injury.
TE: Jordan Reed missed the preseason opener with a
previously undisclosed thumb injury. Fortunately, the severity
of the injury was minimal as Reed was back on the practice
field over the weekend. In a red zone drill, Kirk Cousins had
50 seconds to move the offense from the 50-yard yard line. He
completed three passes to Reed including the touchdown with
time running out. Reed is fine and poised to be Cousins’ top
playmaker again. With Reed missing the game, it was an
opportunity for Washington’s other tight ends to differentiate
themselves in the hunt for the 2nd and 3rd spots on the depth
chart. Vernon Davis was targeted once but couldn’t come up
with the ball. Niles Paul caught 1 of his two targets for 5
yards. Logan Paulsen had a 28-yard grab but failed to catch
his other two targets. The depth chart remains nebulous
beyond Reed.
Defense: Washington had trouble getting to the Falcons
quarterbacks in the preseason opener; failing to register a sack
and only notching two quarterback hits. The starters saw very
little work; Josh Norman and Ryan Kerrigan each played three
snaps. The team did get a turnover when Falcons rookie
Brandon Wilds fumbled and Geno Matias-Smith came up with
the loose ball. Following up on last week’s glowing reports
about Martrell Spaight, he was the star of the defense versus
the Falcons. Spaight led the team with 6 tackles and a pass
defensed. Su’a Cravens nearly matched Spaights with three
tackles including two for losses. Preston Smith was one of the
few projected starters to play a fair amount (18 snaps) and he
looked sharp; arguably the best player on the field other than
Spaights. Smith still sees room for self-improvement: “I’ve
got to work on my finish,” he said. “I got close a couple times.
When I get to the quarterback I have to sack him and help the
defense and give us better field position. It’s just modifying
my rush in certain areas, like at the end of rushes. When I get
in the vicinity of the quarterback how I need to flip my hips
and work my hands. Just critiquing myself in little areas.” In
other news, the best battle at any position remains the slot
corner position where Dashaun Phillips and Kendall Fuller are
putting in work each and every practice; it’s not going to be an
easy decision. More important than who wins is the fact that
Washington appears to have tremendous depth at cornerback
beyond starters Josh Norman and Bashaud Breeland.
Returners: Washington opted to use week 1 of the preseason
to spread the repetitions around among potential return
specialists, with seven different players returning a kick and
only one— rookie T.J. Thorpe— handling two.
OL: All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams missed the preseason
contest against the Falcons with knee soreness. Ty Nsekhe
started in his place and the unit as a whole struggled. The line
allowed three sacks and seven quarterback hurries against
Atlanta. Spencer Long started the game at left guard and then
moved to center with the second team. Shawn Lauvao (who
missed most of last year with an injury) appears to be behind
Long in this preseason position battle, and his performance
coupled with his salary could jeopardize his roster spot.
Redskins Depth Chart
QB: Kirk Cousins, Colt McCoy, Nate Sudfeld
RB: Matt Jones, Chris Thompson (3RB), Keith
Marshall, Silas Redd, Mack Brown, Rob Kelley
FB: Joe Kerridge
WR: DeSean Jackson, Pierre Garcon, Jamison Crowder
(PR), Josh Doctson (inj), Ryan Grant, Rashad Ross (KR)
TE: Jordan Reed, Niles Paul, Vernon Davis, Logan
Paulsen, Derek Carrier (inj), Marcel Jensen
LT: Trent Williams, Ty Nsekhe
LG: Spencer Long, Shawn Lauvao, Arie Kouandijo
C: Kory Lichtensteiger, Austin Reiter, Josh LeRibeus
RG: Brandon Scherff, Takoby Cofield
RT: Morgan Moses
K: Dustin Hopkins
NT: Jerrell Powe, Kedric Golston, Matt Ioannidis, Chris
Bilukidi, Anthony Johnson
DE: Chris Baker, Ricky Jean-Francois, Ziggy Hood, Corey
Crawford, Stephen Paea, Kendall Reyes
ILB: Will Compton, Mason Foster, Su′a Cravens (SS), Perry
Riley, Carlos Fields Jr., Steven Daniels, Martrell
Spaight, Derrick Mathews
OLB: Ryan Kerrigan, Preston Smith, Terence
Garvin, Houston Bates, Trent Murphy, Junior Galette (inj)
CB: Josh Norman, Bashaud Breeland, Kendall
Fuller, Deshaun Phillips, Quinton Dunbar, Will
Blackmon, Greg Toler, Deshazor Everett, Lloyd
Carrington, Jeremy Harris, Cary Williams, Al Louis-Jean
S: DeAngelo Hall (FS), David Bruton (SS), Duke Ihenacho
(SS),Tevin Carter (SS/LB)

Training Camp Update

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