Footballguys Daily Email - Volume 10, Issue 61 (Friday, June 19th)

Hi Folks,

Welcome to the weekend. If you're like me, you need it. I'm typing this one at 2:24 AM after a lovely flight home from Chicago. ;) It's all good. And one more food tip, go eat at Hot Doug's Hot Dogs in Chicago and get whatever dog Doug tells you to and some of the french fries cooked in duck fat. Yikes. Anthony Bourdain calls Doug's one of his "must eat places before you die" and I can see why. Thanks to my friend Roshan Shetty for turning me onto it.

Enough food. Let's get to what you signed up on this list for: NFL News and Notes. Have a great Saturday.

J

SITE NEWS

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

DET - QB Matthew Stafford wants to start in 2009

Source: RoarReport.com

Lions rookie quarterback Matthew Stafford said the biggest transition from college to the pro was learning the offense, but it hasn't been as tough as he thought it would be. In fact, Stafford would like to start the season for Detroit.

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According to reports Stafford has looked "better than expected" which is high praise for a player that was the #1 overall draft pick. Stafford could beat out Daunte Culpepper for the starting job and be lining up under center from day one. The Lions are anxious to see Stafford on the field, but will not rush him onto the field if he's not ready. We'll keep an eye on this competition all throughout training camp.

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NFL - Childress says Favre pain free right now

Source: Judd Zulgad, The Minneapolis Star Tribune

Judd Zulgad, of the Minneapolis Star Tribune, reports Minnesota Vikings head coach Brad Childress said during a radio interview that his understanding is that retired QB Brett Favre (shoulder) is currently pain free but does not know if he as the stamina.

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'My understanding is that he is pain free right now,' Childress said. 'Does he have the endurance and the stamina in that arm yet? He doesn't know that yet. It's no different than grabbing a golf club for the first time during the year when you rip around 18 holes around and you wake up the next day and your side hurts. You say, 'Geez, I haven't felt that muscle in a while.' So he's got to build some endurance in that and see if he thinks he can get it back to where he wants to get it to.'

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CLE - Cutting WR Donte Stallworth now would be costly

Source: Tony Grossi, The Cleveland Plain Dealer

Tony Grossi, of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, reports Cleveland Browns WR Donte' Stallworth would count about $7.6 million against the salary cap this season if the team decides to release him at this time.

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Although Stallworth was suspended without pay indefinitely by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell on Thursday, it doesn't mean Stallworth's huge contract figures come off the salary-cap books of the Browns. If the Browns released Stallworth right now he would account for almost 6% ($7.6 million) of their total cap for 2009.

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JAC - Team loves RB Rashad Jennings' potential

Source: Vito Stellino, from Jacksonville.com

Vito Stellino, from Jacksonville.com, states if organized team activities are a barometer, the Jaguars might have made a find in RB Rashad Jennings. The team is anxious to see him in pads in training camp in August. "I think you see in the shorts workout here, he's done a nice job. He belongs here. I think he fits into the group nicely, and that's a competitive group," Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio said.

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It's amazing to us that a talented back like Rashad Jennings would fall to the 7th round. Remember, as we've said many times, when August rolls around throw draft position out the window because in the end it doesn't matter. Jennings could win the backup job behind Maurice Jones-Drew rather easily because his only competition is former USC RB Chauncey Washington. The Jags may decide to give FB Greg Jones some carries to spell MJD, but that doesn't mean that Jennings' value is shot for 2009. Jennings started his college career at Pitt, and then transferred to Liberty to be closer to his father who had a leg amputated just below the knee. He is a true power back that gets stronger as the game goes on. He can burst through arm tackles, and has the leg drive to push the pile in short yardage situations. We love Jennings' skill set, so fantasy owners (especially those who own MJD) need to remember this potential handcuff late in fantasy drafts.

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NYG - WR Hakeem Nicks daily highlight

Source: Ralph Vacchiano, The New York Daily News

Ralph Vacchiano, from the New York Daily News, reports that every day it seems there's a WR Hakeem Nicks highlight. This one came on a deep ball, where he had to slow down and wait for a Rhett Bomar pass to reach him. That allowed S Sha-reff Rashad to catch up. Rashad never looked back at the ball, but he was able to get his hands in Nicks' face. Didn't matter, though. Nicks still caught the ball. The kid has some impressive concentration.

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Behind the back catch people. That's all you need to remember with Hakeem Nicks. In his final bowl game at North Carolina he caught a pass - in stride - that he had to take around his back to secure. He took a shot from the Safety in the process, but didn't miss a beat - and didn't drop the football. He also gained about 20 yards after the catch. Nicks is a dynamic playmaker so it's not surprising that he's wowing coaches each day in practice. He may be listed as the 4th WR on the depth chart right now, but it shouldn't take him long to get into the starting lineup.

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NYG - QB Eli Manning seeking huge contract?

Source: Ralph Vacchiano, The New York Daily News

Ralph Vacchiano, of the New York Daily News, reports the New York Giants are far apart in contract extension talks with QB Eli Manning but both sides believe an agreement will be reached, according to league sources.

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A source said Manning's agents want him to be the highest-paid player in the league. Nobody is panicking at this time even though 2009 is Manning's last year under contract. Both sides expect a deal to be done sooner rather than later.

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SF - WR Josh Morgan distancing himself from 49ers' receivers

Source: RealFootball365.com

Morgan was mentioned as a possible breakout performer as a rookie, but injuries and inconsistent play from the 49ers' quarterbacks prevented that from happening. However, after staying healthy for the duration of the offseason, Morgan is beginning to prove why the San Francisco faithful are so high on the former Virginia Tech Hokie.

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He's shown the ability to play a variety of positions on the perimeter. Crabtree is expected to be the team's X receiver (otherwise known as split end) and there was concern that Morgan's skill set was also best suited for that role. However, Morgan has also been lining up as the Z receiver (or flanker), giving the 49ers the option to put their 2 best receivers on the field at the same time.

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OAK - Chaz Schilens looking like Raiders best WR

Source: Jerry McDonald, The Contra Costa-Times

Jerry McDonald, from the Contra Costa-Times, says Chaz Schilens is the Raiders best wide receiver. Considering durability was an issue as a rookie, it's at least a minor concern Schilens couldn't participate in the final OTA, but he showed plenty in earlier sessions. He's a go-up-and-get it receiver who should be the go-to guy should Russell get enough time to throw on third-and-long.

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Schilens showed a knack for making big plays last season, and it sounds like he's carrying that momentum into this year. Darrius Heyward-Bey hasn't been able to practice because of a bad hamstring, and Javon Walker might not be ready to practice until the regular season so we could see Chaz Schilens as the Raiders top receiver in 2009.

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CHI - Bears crowded at RB behind Benson

Source: James Walker, ESPN.com

James Walker, from ESPN.com, notes that currently there is a crowded field behind starter Cedric Benson, who is one of the few locks at the position to make the team. After Benson, tailbacks such as James Johnson, DeDe Dorsey, Kenny Watson and Bernard Scott all will be vying for carries and roster spots this season. In addition, Brian Leonard is versatile enough to split time at fullback and tailback to take reps away from the aforementioned group, making for an even tighter competition.

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Watson, Dorsey, and Leonard have not shown the ability to stay healthy during their time in the NFL. James Johnson and rookie Bernard Scott are unproven, but we like the rookie most in this competition behind Cedric Benson. Walker also notes in the article that the Bengals could be looking for a good receiving back to add another dimension to their offense. Scott is a perfect fit for that role as well. Everybody in the scouting community loves what they see from Scott on the field. It's the off field behavior - 4 different colleges, 5 arrests - that caused him to fall to the 6th round. He has good instincts for running the football and can use his quickness effectively on screen passes and draw plays.

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SF - WRs Arnaz Battle and Dominique Zeigler may compete for roster spot

Source: Matthew Barrows, The Sacramento Bee

Matthew Barrows, of the Sacramento Bee, reports San Francisco 49ers WR Arnaz Battle and WR Dominique Zeigler may compete for a roster spot if the team decides to keep six wide receivers on their final roster.

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Battle may have a slight edge because of his experience and blue collar playing style, but Ziegler is a better route runner. Salary may play a role in the 49ers final decision because Battle is scheduled to make nearly $1.5 million this year while Ziegler will only make $385,000.

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OAK - RB Darren McFadden's explosion is back

Source: Jerry McDonald, The Contra Costa-Times

Jerry McDonald, from the Contra Costa-Times, writes for the most part, the Darren McFadden who took the field for the Raiders as a rookie was a shell of himself. The explosion is back, and the things McFadden ought to be able to accomplish catching passes out of the backfield and in the slot should give the Raiders something to hang their hat on in the passing game until the deep game comes around.

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The Raiders have been using McFadden in many different ways this offseason. He is splitting out wide as a receiver in addition to lining up as a Running Back. If healthy McFadden could seriously cut into the production of Justin Fargas, and should be the Raiders top fantasy RB in 2009.

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ATL - OC Mularkey says TE Tony Gonzalez will help in several ways

Source: J. Michael Moore, AtlantaFalcons.com

J. Michael Moore, of AtlantaFalcons.com, reports Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey said TE Tony Gonzalez will help the offense not only as a receiver but also as a blocker.

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Probably not a huge deal but we always take a little notice when a coach starts talking about how much he likes using a TE for blocking. "Tony will help our offense in a number of ways. One thing he's going to do is that he's a productive blocker and that's important in our offense... As successful as he's been as a receiver, he's a good blocker too and he really doesn't get the credit that he should," Mularkey said. But don't forget, he's also Tony Gonzalez....

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BAL - Can WR Demetrius Williams stay healthy?

Source: Ken Murray, The Baltimore Sun

Ken Murray, from the Baltimore Sun, reports Demetrius Williams still titillates the Ravens the way he first did when they saw him at Oregon. Big body, velvet hands, sprinter's speed. The Ravens loved the profile when they drafted him in the fourth round in 2006, and they love it now. But three years later, they need more than the promise he offers as a deep threat. They need more than three touchdown catches in three seasons. Most of all, they need him to move past a nettlesome ankle injury that has kept him out of 19 games, including playoffs, the past two seasons.

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"Everybody's seen glimpses of [Williams] the last two years," said Cam Cameron, the Ravens' second-year offensive coordinator. "But in reality, in my mind, we've got to be prepared to play without him." The receiver in front of Williams on the depth chart, Mark Clayton, is injury prone as well so the team could be in real trouble if both are hurt again in 2009. Marcus Smith could overtake Williams for the 3rd WR spot if Demetrius struggles with his bad ankle again.

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DEF - JAC - DT John Henderson misses practice Thursday

Source: Vic Ketchman, Jaguars.com

Vic Ketchman, of Jaguars.com, reports Jacksonville Jaguars DT John Henderson (shoulder) did not participate in practice Thursday, June 18. Head coach Jack Del Rio said Henderson will be ready for the start of training camp.

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Henderson has been quite a controversial figure at Jags minicamp. Coach Del Rio has already called him out over not playing through this mysterious shoulder injury. After Henderson returned to practice he couldn't stand the weather and begged his way out of the heat during last Thursday's OTA, much to the dismay of strength and conditioning coach Luke Richesson. His commitment is a big question mark as we head into training camp.

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DEF / ST - BAL - CB Lardarius Webb could help in return game

Source: Mike Duffy, BaltimoreRavens.com

Mike Duffy, of BaltimoreRavens.com, reports Baltimore Ravens CB Lardarius Webb could help the team's return game this season.

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He was a dynamic athlete at Nicholls State, and not just on defense. Webb is the only player in NCAA Division 1 history to be named Offensive, Defensive and Special Teams Player of the Week in a single season. He was also a ballhawk, and part of duo that returned an NCAA record 4INTs back for TDs - in a half of one game.

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That'll do it for today, Folks. Have a great Saturday and we'll see you tomorrow with the update.

J