Footballguys Daily Email - Volume 9, Issue 16 (Friday, May 9th)
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Hi Folks,
Welcome to the weekend. There are several teams with mini camps going on so that means there are things you'll want to keep up with. Let's get to it. JINSIDE THIS ISSUE
1. BAL - Season Over For Ravens TE Sypniewski After Surgery2. BAL - Several Ravens Missing From Practice
3. HOU - Texans QB Schaub Will Participate In Mini-Camp
4. SD - Chargers Front Office Beginning To Plan Ahead
5. OAK - Raiders RB Bush To Participate In Rookie Mini-Camp
6. DET - Lions Much Healthier As Camp Approaches
7. MIA - Dolphins Rookie FA WR Bess Standing Out
8. KC - Chiefs Still Searching For Kicker
9. CHI - Bears RB Benson Hires New Attorney
10. GB - Packers Release WR Robinson
11. TEN - RB White Says Weight Is Close
12. DEF - CLE - Browns Have Plethora Of Options At Linebacker
13. DEF - BAL - Ravens CB Washington Will Compete For Starter's Role
BAL - Season Over For Ravens TE Sypniewski After Surgery
Source: Don Markus, Baltimore Sun
Baltimore Ravens TE Quinn Sypniewski will miss the entire 2008 season following a serious knee injury he suffered during a pre-draft minicamp, according to HC John Harbaugh. "It looks like now we're not going to have him back", Harbaugh said. "He had surgery. The ligament tore off the bone, and the piece of the bone that came off the ligament shattered, which made it a situation where it's going to be 6-9 months [to recover]."
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Tough break for Sypniewski and the Ravens. With Todd Heap missing so much of last season, Sypniewski was the leading TE for Baltimore in 2007 seeing 52 passes thrown his way catching 34 of them. This means more looks for Heap who will try to stay healthy this year.
BAL - Several Ravens Missing From Practice
Source: Don Markus, Baltimore Sun
The list of players missing from today's workout for the Baltimore Ravens was long. Headlining the list were DL Terrell Suggs and OT Jonathan Ogden. The TE position was an adventure in and of itself. Todd Heap was present, but his backups were not. Dan Wilcox is still recovering from toe surgery and Quinn Sypniewski is out with the knee injury sustained a few weeks ago. Lee Vickers, who was brought in last season when Heap and Wilcox went down, wasn't practicing today either. That left the Ravens with a pair of free agent rookies, Joe Reitz of Western Michigan and Scott Kuhn of Louisville, to work behind Heap.
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It's just May but it's not too early to be a little worried. As noted in the other article, Sypniewski is out for the year. And Wilcox's toe surgery is some concern. Week 1 is still a good ways off but these Ravens need to get healthy.
HOU - Texans QB Schaub Will Participate In Mini-Camp
Source: John McClain, Houston Chronicle
Houston Texans quarterback Matt Schaub, who underwent surgery on his left shoulder, will participate in drills in this weekend's mini-camp. Guard Charles Spencer will participate in individual drills but not team drills. "At this point, I don't want other guys around Charles' leg," head coach Gary Kubiak said. "As for Matt, since we're in shorts, he'll be able to do everything. If we were in pads (hitting), I'd hold him out."
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Good news for Schaub who I'm sure is anxious to get back under center. It looks like he's making good progress but clearly isn't all the way back just yet.
SD - Chargers Front Office Beginning To Plan Ahead
Source: Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune
Sources inside and outside the team said this week that the San Diego Chargers will initiate a flurry of contract "activity" in the next month and that talks will continue through the season with numerous players who are scheduled to be unrestricted free agents in the next three years. As of now, quarterback Philip Rivers, left tackle Marcus McNeill, linebacker Shawne Merriman, defensive end Luis Castillo and receiver Vincent Jackson will be free to sign with other teams after the 2009 season. Tight end Antonio Gates and cornerback Antonio Cromartie are set to be unrestricted after 2010.
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The Chargers know what kind of talent they have and they're making the proactive move of trying to keep as much of it together as possible.
OAK - Raiders RB Bush To Participate In Rookie Mini-Camp
Source: David White, San Francisco Chronicle
Oakland Raiders running back Michael Bush didn't play at all last year, as the 2007 fourth-round draft pick was recovering from a broken leg. He started the season on the physically-unable-to-perform list and finished the season on injured reserve. Bush has declared himself ready to compete for playing time, and will participate in this weekend's rookie mini-camp. He's considered to be currently slotted behind incumbent Justin Fargas and rookie Darren McFadden. If nothing else, his healthy emergence might make it that much easier to cut LaMont Jordan after June 1.
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Michael Bush has been sort of the forgotten man in Oakland. He's saying he's good to go now but with Darren McFadden on the roster, it would appear his timing is off by about twelve months.
DET - Lions Much Healthier As Camp Approaches
Source: Mike O'Hara, Detroit News
The Detroit Lions have fewer injury concerns than a year ago and could open camp in July with all their veterans available. Tight end Dan Campbell (right elbow, third surgery) is the biggest question mark. He expects to be ready for camp, but coach Rod Marinelli will monitor his progress carefully. Campbell played in two games last season before going on injured reserve. He is participating in the offseason conditioning program but is not doing any drills.
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Most teams won't admit it but very often the most successful teams are the ones that manage to dodge the critical injuries. It's still way too early to say much but at least for now, the Lions are looking better in this area than they did last year at this time.
MIA - Dolphins Rookie FA WR Bess Standing Out
Source: Yahoo! Sports
After not addressing its thin wide receiver corps in the draft, the Miami Dolphins brought in several college free agents to compete for jobs. By far the best of the lot was Davone Bess of Hawaii. Bess stood out at last weekend's rookie minicamp because of his glue-like hands and shoulder-length dreadlocks as he caught everything in sight. At a muscular 5-10, 190, Bess is hoping to fill a void in the slot left by last year's trade of Wes Welker to the Patriots.
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For you guys looking at deep deep sleepers, Bess might be a guy to file away. Every year there are players that seemingly come out of "nowhere" but in reality, they usually are making waves well before they're widely known. So pay attention...
KC - Chiefs Still Searching For Kicker
Source: Bob Gretz, kcchiefs.com
The Kansas City Chiefs have three kickers on their roster. That's NFL veterans Nick Novak and Billy Cundiff and college free agent Connor Barth. Only two of those kickers will go to River Falls for training camp. Cundiff has the most NFL experience, kicking in 58 games with Dallas and New Orleans. He's 60 of 83 on regular season field goals, or 72.3 percent, which isn't good enough in today's NFL. Novak has 16 games of NFL experience. In the regular season, he's 13 of 20 or 65 percent. Barth kicked for four seasons at the University of North Carolina, where he made 54 of 71 field goals, or 76 percent. But he made 37 of his last 42 attempts, beginning late in his sophomore year, or 88 percent.
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This will be another kicker to watch this summer. None of these guys are overly attractive though so don't get too excited.
CHI - Bears RB Benson Hires New Attorney
Source: David Haugh, Chicago Tribune
Chicago Bears running back Cedric Benson has hired a new lawyer, Sam Bassett, an Austin attorney accustomed to high-profile cases such as Benson's has become. Bassett is a reputable local lawyer who already has interviewed 10 people who were on Benson's boat. Bassett has scheduled more interviews over the next 10 days. "I do not believe that Cedric was intoxicated when his boat was boarded by the LCRA officers for a safety inspection," Bassett said Thursday in an e-mail to the Tribune. "I also am concerned that the force used by the LCRA officers, particularly the use of pepper spray, was not necessary under the circumstances."
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It's interesting how the quality of one's legal defense is often directly proportionate to one's income level. Unfortunately for the Lower Colorado River Authority Police Department, Cedric Benson makes a ton of money. This will all come to light in court soon but this continues to look questionable for the police here. Stay tuned.
GB - Packers Release WR Robinson
Source: AP
The Green Bay Packers cut ties with Koren Robinson on Friday, releasing the troubled wide receiver.
Robinson, 28, appeared in nine games last season for the NFC North Division champion Packers, hauling in 21 receptions for 241 yards and one touchdown.[ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ OUR VIEW ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ]
I have to admit I'd forgotten that he was just 28. What a talent and you have to wonder what could have been. Here's hoping he can get things back on track.
TEN - RB White Says Weight Is Close
Source: Jim Wyatt, Nashville Tennessean
White said he's been "rehabbing like crazy'' and the decision to hold him back during minicamp practices was made more for precautionary reasons.
"We're just taking our time,'' he said. "I am feeling good. We just don't want to blow it out.'' White said he's "anywhere from 5 to 10 pounds from where I need to be.'' He played in the 245-pound range last season and said he wanted to come to training camp around 230 or 235. "It is way better (than last offseason),'' White said. "I want people to keep speculating and keep guessing what I (weigh) because it is great talk. So I am not going to tell people what I weigh, I just want people to speculate.''[ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ OUR VIEW ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ]
I've been critical of White but I'm starting to come around a little with him. Adding Chris Johnson to the Titans backfield should be a definite plus as it gives them a very different type of back to pair with the more powerful White.
DEF - CLE - Browns Have Plethora Of Options At Linebacker
Source: Steve Doerschuk, Canton Repository
The Cleveland Browns use a 3-4 defense that calls for four starting linebacker, two primary backups and at least two other players for depth. They have Willie McGinest and Antwan Peek likely sharing one outside linebacker spot, with Kamerion Wimbley anchoring the other one. D'Qwell Jackson is locked in at one starting inside linebacker spot, with Andra Davis and Leon Williams battling for the other spot. However it shakes out, it is safe to assume that the team will have a healthy competition for playing time at all four spots.
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I don't want to jinx them as the Browns have had their share of spring and summer injuries over the years but right now, it's looking like the Browns are loaded at the linebacker spot.
DEF - BAL - Ravens CB Washington Will Compete For Starter's Role
Source: Jamison Hensley, Baltimore Sun
Cornerback Fabian Washington has joined the Baltimore Ravens as a nickel back, but the club will let him compete with Samari Rolle for a starting job. Rolle was limited to a career-low six games last season because of epilepsy and a shoulder injury. Based on Washington's first impression, the Ravens are already pleased with the deal. They sent a fourth-round draft pick to the Oakland Raiders for his services. "Trust me, I'll prove that I'm worth way more than a fourth-round draft pick," Washington said.
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Rolle isn't the player he used to be and Washington seems to be coming on. There could be a changing of the guard here.
That'll do it for today, Folks. Have a great Saturday and we'll see you tomorrow with the update.
J