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Volume 8, Issue 101 (Friday, August 3rd)LIMITED TIME OFFERS
Hi Folks, Welcome to the weekend. Tons of News and Notes for you today but first, a non football cool video link of the day. It's Jake Brown in the X Games Big Air skate board competition. He does two pretty incredible things. The first is nailing a 720 over a 70-foot gap after barreling down an 80-foot ramp. But seconds after that he shot up a 27 foot quarterpipe and then lost control of his board. He then fell some 50 feet and crashed so hard into the bottom of the quarterpipe that both his shoes were knocked off his feet. click here for the video He laid motionless for about 10 minutes and then incredibly walked away from it. OK. Back to Football here. We've got a lot of stories for you today so let's get to it. JSITE NEWS A.
Footballguys Podcast - The Audible - Training Camp Report #1
INSIDE THIS ISSUE 1. DET - Lions Sign WR Calvin Johnson2. DET - QB Stanton Out For Season 3. STL - WR Holt Says Knee Is At 70 Percent 4. SEA - Burleson OK With Being Team's #3 WR 5. MIN - RBs Ailing - Peterson With Hip Pointer - Taylor With Arm 6. NYG - WR Burress Out a Few Days With Sprained Ankle 7. GB - Packers RB Jackson Struggling In Pass Protection 8. HOU - QB Schaub Has X-Rays on Knee, But Is Fine 9. MIA - RB Brown Could Carry Heavy Load 10. BAL - TE Heap Having Pain-Free Camp 11. PIT - WR Wilson Feeling Ignored 12. CHI - WR Hester Misses Another Practice 13. ARI - WR's Embrace The Run 14. DEN - Willing To Wait For WR Smith 15. TEN - Vince Young Involved In Fight At Practice 16. OAK - TE Williams Leaves Team 17. SD - WR Parker Likely To Remain Starter 18. WAS - WR Moss Dealing With Several Injuries 19. NO - WR Meachem Progressing 20. CLE - OT Tucker Suspended 4 Games 21. SD - WR Parker Remains Sidelined 22. DET - RB Jones Rehabbing Foot 23. NWE - WR Moss "Day-To-Day" 24. DEF - NYG - Giants Won't Renegotiate New Contract For DE Strahan 25. DEF - BAL - FS Reed Told To Play Within The System DET - Lions Sign WR Calvin Johnson Source: John Clayton, ESPN Lions rookie WR Calvin Johnson's contract is worth $64 million, with $27.2 million in guaranteed money. Johnson was was out catching passes Friday morning. "I know the expectations are really high, but I'm hoping I can live up to them," Johnson said. "Now that I'm here, I can start working on that." "He's a quick study, so we put him right out there with the ones in the two-minute drill," Lions coach Rod Marinelli said of Johnson. "We've got some receivers whose legs are gone, and Calvin's fresh, so he's going right into the fire."[ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ OUR VIEW ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] Huge news for the Lions as Johnson avoids a lengthy holdout. You could tell he was champing at the bit and just wanted to get out there on the field. He had an outstanding mini camp season and had already picked up quite a bit of the offense. I don't believe the time he missed will hurt him much. He's as exciting a WR that we've seen enter the league in quite a while and he could be gold in that Mike Martz offense. DET - QB Stanton Out For Season Source: Nicholas J. Cotsonika, Detroit Free Press The Lions placed rookie QB Drew Stanton on IR Friday. He underwent surgery to repair torn cartilage in his right knee last week. J.T. O'Sullivan will battle Dan Orlovsky for the backup job behind starter Jon Kitna. [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ OUR VIEW ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] Tough break for Stanton as we really like the young guy and think he'll eventually do well there. We wish him a full and quick recovery. But definitely don't sleep on this news. Detroit is one of the prime offensive situations in the league and the signing of Calvin Johnson Friday makes it even better. It's a reason why I love Jon Kitna so much this year. You'll want to keep a close eye on who wins the backup QB job (I think it'll be O'Sullivan but it's still early). The Lions backup QB would be drafted in only the deepest / largest leagues likely but he's a guy you'll want to be able to grab quickly from the waiver wire if Kitna were to be injured. STL - WR Holt Says Knee Is At 70 Percent Source: Nick Wagoner, StLouisRams.com St. Louis Rams wide receiver Torry Holt recently said that he believes that his surgically-repaired knee is at approximately 70 percent. "It feels good to actually get it nipped in the bud," Holt said. "It's kind of like starting from scratch again. It's cool. I don't mind the work of rehabilitation and getting stronger and allowing me to be able to perform at the level I would like to perform at. I am excited about getting it over with and getting it done and just continuing to keep it strong and play well." [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ OUR VIEW ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] Holt has been a top ten fantasy WR in six out of the past seven seasons (finishing as WR 15 in his off year) and seems like one of least risky players being selected in the second round of fantasy drafts. Seventy percent, however, doesn't sound good. We'll monitor the situation throughout camp. SEA - Burleson OK With Being Team's #3 WR Source: Frank Hughes, Seattle News Tribune Seahawks WR Nate Burleson said that he understands why D.J. Hackett is starting in front of him. "I talked to my receivers coach, and I told him that is not my immediate goal," Burleson said. "It is good to be a starter in the NFL, but I am here to make plays, I am here to prove to the coaches that I am a playmaker. They brought me in as a receiver and I am out there to score touchdowns. I think I am good to go, I am not really concerned with what I need to do to beat out the next guy." [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ OUR VIEW ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] I said the other day that I couldn't imagine Nate Burleson beating out D.J. Hackett for a starting job. It looks like Burleson is sort of thinking the same thing. Folks are making a lot out of his offseason though including the hope they've corrected some vision issues he was having. MIN - RBs Ailing - Peterson With Hip Pointer - Taylor With Arm Source: Scout.com Just one week into training camp, the Vikings have seen both of their top two RB stars injured. Taylor went down earlier in the week with what at first was feared to potentially be a broken arm. Taylor was able to return to action Thursday, but Peterson limped off the practice field Thursday with what coaches are calling a hip pointer. Neither Taylor nor Peterson are expected to take part in the practice sessions today and tomorrow with the Chiefs. Neither Taylor nor Peterson are expected to take part in the practice sessions today and tomorrow with the Chiefs, which opens the door for Mewelde Moore and other young Vikings running backs to make an impression on the coaching staff.[ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ OUR VIEW ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] This is not what we were hoping for with Peterson. He's battled that injury notion and a hip pointer this early in camp isn't doing anything to calm those concerns. Let's see how much he's limited and if it appears to be anything to worry about. NYG - WR Burress Out a Few Days With Sprained Ankle Source: Arthur Staple, New York Newsday New York Giants WR Plaxico Burress sat out of a walkthrough practice today with a sprained right ankle, suffered when he went up high to make a nice catch on Thursday evening. He's out at least a few days. The injured ankle is not the one had surgically repaired. [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ OUR VIEW ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] Good news is that it's not the ankle Burress had surgery on. The bad news is he's hurt again. I'm starting to get really worried about the Giants. They need to start having lots of breaks go their way. Not like this. GB - Packers RB Jackson Struggling In Pass Protection Source: Mike Vandermause, Green Bay Press Gazette In a one-on-one linebacker blitz pass-protection drill this afternoon, Green Bay Packers rookie running back Brandon Jackson was beaten on successive plays by defenders Juwan Simpson and LB Nick Barnett. Jackson has struggled in pass protection for most of training camp. [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ OUR VIEW ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] You have to look at the big picture here. This headline isn't just "Packers RB Jackson Struggling In Pass Protection". What it's really saying is "Packers RB Jackson Could Get The Most Popular Player In Wisconsin Killed". No coach wants to be the guy that does the equivalent of putting Lawrence Phillips out there to end Steve Young's career when it's Brett Favre you're talking about. I like Jackson but this is not Charlie Frye we're talking about protecting. With Favre under center, you can bet the bar is raised for pass protection when the team thinks about throwing a rookie RB out there. If he can't pick this up quickly, his playing time will be dramatically limited. HOU - QB Schaub Has X-Rays on Knee, But Is Fine Source: Megan Manfull, Houston Chronicle Houston Texans quarterback Matt Schaub underwent X-rays on his knee after practice on Wednesday after a collision with defensive end Jason Babin. The X-rays revealed no damage, and the injury is being classified as a bruise. "[Schaub] and Babin just ran into each other," coach Gary Kubiak said. "I think Matt was so tired, he couldn't get out of the way, but he's OK." [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ OUR VIEW ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] Close call -- it could have been worse, obviously. Schaub is being counted on to lead the Texans this year, and so far all reports have been positive. A bruised knee shouldn't hold him back. MIA - RB Brown Could Carry Heavy Load Source: Harvey Fialkov, South Florida Sun Sentinel Without any proven veterans to push him for playing time, Dolphins RB Ronnie Brown fully expects to carry the running game on his shoulders. "I know my workload is going to be turned up a little bit. The expectations, not only for myself ... is going to be pretty high," said Brown, who should enjoy the run-happy offense HC Cam Cameron brought over from San Diego. This offseason, Brown has been working on his receiving skills as well as his running style. After reporting to OTAs overweight, Brown has trimmed down to 235 pounds. [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ OUR VIEW ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] Cam Cameron will try to use Ronnie Brown in Miami the same way used LaDainian Tomlinson in San Diego. Don't expect the same results -- but Brown could easily outperform his draft position in Cameron's run-heavy offense. BAL - TE Heap Having Pain-Free Camp Source: Don Markus, Baltimore Sun Baltimore TE Todd Heap hasn't missed a game since the 2004 season and he's averaged 74 receptions, 810 yards and 6.5 touchdowns over the past two years. But he's also accomplished that in pain, having to play with lingering effects from a sprained ankle or a torn labrum. This season he feels just fine. "I was able to train like I normally train; I didn't have to train to compensate to rehab for something," said Heap, who hopes to benefit from a more open offensive attack this season, as promised by HC Brian Billick. [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ OUR VIEW ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] Heap is one of the top receiving tight ends in the league when he is healthy, but has battled through minor injuries his entire NFL career. Health has been the only concern with Heap, but when he is 100% he is a top three fantasy TE. PIT - WR Wilson Feeling Ignored Source: Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post Gazette Steelers WR Cedrick Wilson's argument of not getting enough attention in the passing game was resurrected Wednesday when QB Charlie Batch missed him on a deep route, opting instead to throw underneath. Wilson cited a continued trend of being ignored. "Yeah," he said, "then you all talk about how I ain't [expletive] and I never get the [expletive] football....I can't help if the quarterback doesn't throw me the ball," said Wilson, who is still running with the first team ahead of second year WR Santonio Holmes. [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ OUR VIEW ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] Wilson is a deep sleeper in fantasy leagues, working with the first team on the Steelers but mostly going undrafted. Santonio Holmes, meanwhile, is being selected as the 34rth WR off the board, on average. The fantasy community obviously expects Holmes to overtake Wilson on the Steelers' depth chart, and so do we. CHI - WR Hester Misses Another Practice Source: Vaughn McClure, Chicago Tribune The Bears will play it cautiously with special teams ace, turned WR Devin Hester, who missed a second practice this week, although the injury itself is unclear. "How about general soreness?" HC Lovie Smith. "Leg injury. You can put it like that." [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ OUR VIEW ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] Hester has impressed his coaches so far, making the transition to WR. He has major big-play potential, but will probably be involved only in limited situations this year on offense. Not fantasy starter material, but an interesting sleeper in larger leagues. Source: Mike Tulumello, East Valley Tribune Arizona Cardinals wide receivers Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald say they want to win. Last year's pass-first offense didn't do the job. "When you think run-first offense, for a receiver, you think of one-on-one coverage outside," Boldin said. "You make defenses commit, they bring eight in the box and outside, you get what you want. I'm all for it." So, too, is Fitzgerald: "Running the football isn't a bad thing. It will produce wins." [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ OUR VIEW ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin are both being drafted as top ten fantasy WRs, but new head coach Ken Whisenhunt is known for emphasizing ball control and the running game. While a successful running game should help open up the passing lanes, Fitzgerald and Boldin will not live up to their fantasy draft positions unless the Cardinals throw the ball well over 500 times this season. DEN - Willing To Wait For WR Smith Source: Bill Williamson, Denver Post While wide receiver Rod Smith may begin the season on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list, the Denver Broncos are willing to wait for Smith to heal properly from offseason hip surgery. "We're going to wait for him to get well. ...It may take all through preseason, it might take to the middle of the season," HC Mike Shanahan said. "I told him: "We don't have a target date. You're going to be on this football team. You just work to get well. It may be the 10th game of the season, it may not be at all." [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ OUR VIEW ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] Smith is battling his way back from a series of injuries he fought through last season, but it won't be easy for him. He should be avoided in all but the deepest of fantasy drafts. TEN - Vince Young Involved In Fight At Practice Source: NFL.com Tennessee Titans quarterback Vince Young was involved in a fight during practice on Wednesday, ultimately throwing a punch with his throwing hand at safety Donnie Nickey which glanced off Nickey's helmet. "The guys stick up for the quarterback, and [Young] sticks up for his teammates," head coach Jeff Fisher said. "Enough said." [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ OUR VIEW ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] This one made all the SportsCenter highlights, but shouldn't affect anyone's fantasy expectations for Young or any other Titans. Source: Jerry McDonald, Oakland Tribune Oakland Raiders tight end Randal Williams left the team on Sunday for personal reasons. He is not expected back anytime soon, and his jersey number (86) was assigned to tight end Tony Stewart on Wednesday. [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ OUR VIEW ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] With Courtney Anderson's release and Randal Williams leaving camp, the starting job will almost certainly belong to Zach Miller. SD - WR Parker Likely To Remain Starter Source: Casey Pearce, Chargers.com The Chargers will likely open the season with Eric Parker and Vincent Jackson as the starters at WR, but as many as six different receivers could see prominent playing time this fall. While a toe injury has kept Parker off the practice field, several younger players are taking advantage of the reps they're receiving . [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ OUR VIEW ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] Despite the headline, Parker is no lock to start. He's been nursing an injured toe, and rookie Craig Davis has taken advantage of the opportunity to work with the first team. Davis has shined so far, and could end up starting alongside Vincent Jackson if he continues to play well. WAS - WR Moss Dealing With Several Injuries Source: Jason La Confora, Washington Post There is some concern about lingering groin/hip problems for Redskins WR Santana Moss and his workload is being curtailed a bit. According to Bubba Tyer, director of sports medicine, Moss has been experiencing discomfort in his groin, based on him compensating. Moss missed much of the offseason with the groin/hip problem. "He feels like he's compensating a little bit on his leg, so he's got a soreness in his groin instead of the hip flexor/abdominal area (which he hurt this offseason," Tyer said. When asked specifically if Moss had been compensating for discomfort in his hamstring - a problem with him going back several years - Tyer said that Moss was compensating for "his leg in general." [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ OUR VIEW ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] Moss is one of the more explosive receivers in the league when he is healthy, but his groin/hip injuries could keep him from reaching his full potential this season. We will be watching him during the preseason to see if he plays with his characteristic suddenness. Source: Sheldon Mickles, 2theadvocate.com Coach Payton said WR Robert Meachem, the team's top draft pick this spring, might have had his best practice in Tuesday's first workout after the rookie from Tennessee struggled with dropped passes early in camp. "We keep talking about making steps and making progress," Payton said. "He's got a lot of ability and he's working extremely hard, so I was pleased to see him get his hands on some balls today. He's a big target." [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ OUR VIEW ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] Devery Henderson has been working with the first team, paired with Marques Colston. Terrance Copper and David Patten have been working with the second team, so it's unclear what Meachem's role will be as a rookie. We are projecting him to be the Saints' third WR, but he has to keep progressing to get there. CLE - OT Tucker Suspended 4 Games Source: Associated Press Browns OT Ryan Tucker has been suspended for the first four games of the regular season for violating the NFL's steroid policy. Tucker missed part of last season with what the team called a "mental disorder." He is eligible to return to the roster Oct. 1. Tucker has made 62 starts with the Browns since joining them as a FA in 2002. "I didn't intend to compromise the integrity of the NFL, my team," Tucker said following Friday's morning practice. "I want to apologize to the fans, my family. It's been a long road. I was pretty down and out last year, and in my attempt to come back I took a banned substance. I'm going to fulfill this punishment and get it behind me." This season, he was being counted on to anchor the right side of Cleveland's offensive line, which was rebuilt during the offseason. The Browns signed guards Eric Steinbach and Seth McKinney as free agents and selected left tackle Joe Thomas with the No. 3 overall pick in April's draft.[ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ OUR VIEW ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] It wouldn't be a Cleveland Training Camp I guess without them losing an offensive lineman... There's a good bit of optimism in Cleveland with a rebuilt line but Tucker is a part of that. They need him back on the field and meshing with his team mates. On the upside, he will be able to stay with the team through training camp and the preseason before he has to leave. SD - WR Parker Remains Sidelined Source: Casey Pearce, Chargers.com Chargers WR Eric Parker did not practice again on Thursday. He has missed all of training camp due to a toe injury that he originally suffered back in May. [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ OUR VIEW ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] We still think Parker is going to be the starter opposite Vincent Jackson but I don't like the fact he's missing all this time. At all. Stay tuned. Source: Eric Lacy, Detroit News Lions RB Kevin Jones completed a 30-minute workout on Thursday that included forward, backward and side-to-side cuts in order to test his recuperating left foot. He had no apparent problems with the drills and word is going around the team that Jones is ahead of schedule. [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ OUR VIEW ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] For the sake of balance, it should be pointed out that not everyone is as optimistic as Mike O'Hara of the Detroit News was on NFL Radio Friday morning and he said that Jones didn't look likely to be ready for Week 1. It still feels that it's about a 50-50 shot that he'll be ready for the start of the regular season. That means Tatum Bell would likely have an opportunity to shine as the starter. Source: Associated Press, Boston Globe New England WR Randy Moss was absent from Thursday morning's practice after sustaining a hamstring injury Wednesday. HC Bill Belichick says Moss is day-to-day. [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ OUR VIEW ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] Not a big deal for now. We'll continue to monitor the situation. DEF - NYG - Giants Won't Renegotiate New Contract For DE Strahan Source: ESPN The New York Giants are not going to renegotiate Michael Strahan's $4 million contract to persuade the seven-time Pro Bowl defensive end to stop mulling retirement and play this season. "I don't want to get into negotiating in the media," co-owner John Mara said Wednesday as Strahan's holdout entered its sixth day. "He is under contract and I think you all know what our position is on that. I don't want to make any statements on that." [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ OUR VIEW ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] The saga continues. Strahan really doesn't need any reps in training camp, so this could drag on for a while even if he does end up returning to play for another season. DEF - BAL - FS Reed Told To Play Within The System Source: Mike Preston, Baltimore Sun The Baltimore Ravens have told FS Ed Reed to either play within their scheme, or risk getting put on the bench. Reed's gambling hurt the Ravens last year, and they can't afford it again this season. "I play with instincts," Reed said. "I'm never going to change my game or how I play. But, at the same time, I play within the defense and chose when and when not to go and make a play." In fact, Ravens coaches have worked to repair the psyche of CB Samari Rolle, who was victimized for several long passes in 2006. Coaches have gone out of their way to emphasize that all of those weren't Rolle's fault, and intimated that other players, namely Reed, were caught out of position. [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ OUR VIEW ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] I don't think it's exactly going out on a limb to say there is no chance the Ravens bench Ed Reed. But the point is there. This is already a great defense that the team thinks can be even better if the players will stick more to the scheme. |
