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Hi Folks,
Good Thursday to you. Hope you're having a great week as we've got the news and notes you need. Also, had a good thought today about Fathers Day coming up this weekend. How about letting your kids get you something you really want this year - a Subscription to the Footballguys Insider. Forget the bad tie or grilling tongs, get yourself something you'll use all season long. Check out the Why Subscribe and order here. Now let's get to the news and notes for today. JSITE NEWS
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
1. DET - Mikel Leshoure gets two-game suspension2. DEN - Deep throws still an issue for QB Peyton Manning
3. IND - Impressed with Andrew Luck's football smarts
4. GB - Committed to RB James Starks as primary RB
5. PIT - QB expects WR Mike Wallace to be at camp
6. KC - WR Dwayne Bowe not at minicamp
7. OAK - Denarius Moore injured
8. NYJ - Tony Sparano impressed with QB Mark Sanchez
9. WAS - Robert Griffin plans to build chemistry with receivers
10. SF - Alex Smith's arm stronger
11. BUF - WR Donald Jones seeing a lot of time in slot
12. STL - Teammate says team be will be leaning on Brian Quick
13. NYG - TE Travis Beckum adds weight
14. SEA - WR Golden Tate not catching passes during minicamp
15. SEA - WR Sidney Rice not cleared for team drills
16. NO - Greg Romeus suffers torn ACL
17. GB - CB Charles Woodson not a full-time safety
18. BAL - ILB Ray Lewis changes workout to adjust to new offenses
19. NYG - Will use OLB Keith Rivers at different spots
20. CHI - ILB Brian Urlacher expected to be ready for camp
DET - Mikel Leshoure gets two-game suspension
Source: DetroitLions.com - Tim Twentyman
The NFL will suspend Detroit Lions RB Mikel Leshoure two games for his two marijuana-related incidents this offseason. He will also be fined two additional game checks as part of the punishment.
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Leshoure may actually need the two weeks to rest his achilles. The risk for him is that Kevin Smith takes advantage of the chance to impress in those first two games and reduces Leshoure's potential role. The bigger question seems to be how much stock do you want to put into a guy that doesn't have his off the field game together enough to stay eligible.
"Everybody makes mistakes — not everybody makes two mistakes in a row," Lions head coach Jim Schwartz said Wednesday when asked if offseason instances like this can be a wake-up call for players. "But if they learn their lesson and that's the wake-up call and if that changes the way they conduct themselves and they're able to have a successful career because of it, at least you turned something positive out of it."DEN - Deep throws still an issue for QB Peyton Manning
Source: USAToday.com - Nate Davis
Updating a previous item, Denver Broncos QB Peyton Manning's velocity on deep throws hasn't quite returned after multiple neck surgeries cost him all of the 2011 season, but he does look sharp and accurate with intermediate throws.
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Manning's health was a major concern before the frenzy to win his services after he was released. These kinds of reports only confirm that it is a long road for one of the NFL's all-time greats.
IND - Impressed with Andrew Luck's football smarts
Source: NFL Network - Albert Breer
Indianapolis Colts head coach Chuck Pagano said QB Andrew Luck has already displayed the football knowledge of a veteran quarterback. 'Like we've said all along, he is off the charts, as far as football IQ,' Pagano said. 'There are no mental errors. The same thing we saw at rookie minicamp with what we gave him until coming back now, he hasn't missed a beat. He is a really bright kid. He is really focused and he is really driven. Obviously, the success he has had to this point, there is a reason behind all of that. It is because football is very, very important to him.'
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No one is doubting Luck's ability to be mentally ready to pilot the Colts offense. The bigger question is how he will react to the speed of NFL defenses and need to make more stick throws and less touch throws than he did at Stanford. He's still a good upside backup fantasy quarterback play because of the amount he'll be asked to throw.
GB - Committed to RB James Starks as primary RB
Source: ESPN.com - Kevin Seifert
The Green Bay Packers have committed to RB James Starks as their primary running back heading into training camp. Starks took first-team repetitions in workouts, while RB Alex Green (knee) appears to be the No. 2 guy.
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The Packers still don't rely on the run, and Starks never really looked like a do-everything back last year, so expect the three (or even four) way committee to stay in effect and keep any Packers running back from having significant value.
PIT - QB expects WR Mike Wallace to be at camp
Source: ESPN.com - Jamison Hensley
Pittsburgh Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger said he expects restricted free-agent WR Mike Wallace to report to training camp on time. Roethlisberger said he talks with Wallace but does not know what Wallace will do when camp starts.
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Wallace has to sign his tender by Friday, or the Steelers can take about 2.1 million off of his 2.7 million first-round tender. If he's smart, he'll sign and show up for camp next month.
KC - WR Dwayne Bowe not at minicamp
Source: The Associated Press
The Kansas City Chiefs opened their mandatory three-day minicamp Tuesday, June 12, without franchise free-agent WR Dwayne Bowe, who has not yet signed his tender. Bowe will be playing catch-up when he arrives and has to learn the new offense being installed by offensive coordinator Brian Daboll.
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Bowe will still be Matt Cassel's favorite target when he shows up to training camp, and a value if you can get him in the fifth round or later.
Source: ANG Newspapers - Steve Corkran
Oakland Raiders WR Denarius Moore (hamstring) suffered what appeared to be a right hamstring injury during practice Tuesday, June 12, although head coach Dennis Allen didn't seem overly concerned. 'He's going to be fine,' Allen said. 'We'll evaluate it. Usually those things take a couple of weeks or so, so we'll see where he's at.'
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The injury sounded like more than a tweak, but Moore will have over a month to let it heal before training camp. If it pops up again in camp, it'll be time to move him down our draft boards.
NYJ - Tony Sparano impressed with QB Mark Sanchez
Source: KFFL.com
New York Jets offensive coordinator Tony Sparano said he has been impressed with QB Mark Sanchez's leadership skills. 'One of the things is just that this guy has tremendous passion to learn and to get better,' Sparano said of Sanchez. 'He's not afraid of criticism, okay? I think that is important at that position.'
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Sounds like a coach trying to talk himself into liking a player he is stuck with. Sanchez's passion to improve didn't help him get any better last year.
WAS - Robert Griffin plans to build chemistry with receivers
Source: ESPN.com - Dan Graziano
Washington Redskins QB Robert Griffin III said he plans to work with his receiving corps during the down period between minicamp and training camp. 'We're all going to get together. We haven't planned it yet, but we are going to get together and throw,' Griffin said. 'It's important for us to be successful as a team, and working together like that is what you have to do. It's not to a massive scale or anything, but I've talked to a couple of the receivers to try to see if we can hook up and throw together just to stay in tune. But it's not official yet.'
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Head coach Mike Shanahan remarked that he can already see Griffin not thinking as much as he was a few weeks ago. His natural leadership and football acumen should allow him to get off to a hot start as the league adjusts to his unique and potent skillset.
SF - Alex Smith's arm stronger
Source: CBSSports.com
San Francisco 49ers QB Alex Smith spent the offseason strengthening some of the smaller muscles in his shoulder, which has resulted in more arm strength. 'We don't have the gun out there timing it, but I do (see a stronger arm),' offensive coordinator Greg Roman said.
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Smith's arm hasn't been the problem. Perhaps better arm strength will help his confidence to attack defenses by throwing to his wide receivers, but we won't believe it until we see it.
BUF - WR Donald Jones seeing a lot of time in slot
Source: BuffaloBills.com - Chris Brown
Buffalo Bills WR Donald Jones has been seeing a lot of time as a slot receiver during offseason workouts even though he is considered the frontrunner for the No. 2 wide receiver job.
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Jones has failed to make an impact in his limited opportunities. Marcus Easley is more physically talented and David Nelson might be better suited for the role in the slot. The reality is that it's hard to picture a Bills wide receiver other than Stevie Johnson having a big fantasy impact this year.
STL - Teammate says team be will be leaning on Brian Quick
Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch - Bryan Burwell
St. Louis Rams RB Steven Jackson said WR Brian Quick will have stay in shape and learn the offense over the next six weeks prior to training camp because the offense will be leaning on him heavily this season.
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Jackson is taking a leadership role on the young team, which is great to see because he has been possibly the only constant through a rocky last few years in St. Louis.
NYG - TE Travis Beckum adds weight
Source: The Star-Ledger - Mike Garafolo
New York Giants TE Travis Beckum said he has gained 20 pounds this offseason and is up to 242 pounds. He said it has been hard for him to put on weight and that feels better with the added weight.
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Beckum could actually still be the team's primary receiving tight end with Martellus Bennett bulked up, but he has to come all the way back an ACL tear suffered in the Super Bowl, which will be very tough.
SEA - WR Golden Tate not catching passes during minicamp
Source: The Seattle Times - Danny O'Neil
Seattle Seahawks WR Golden Tate (hand) has been running routes during team drills at minicamp this week but is not catching any passes because of his broken hand. He believes he will be ready when training camp starts.
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Tate will have a golden (pardon the pun) opportunity to win a role among the top three wide receivers in the offense with Sidney Rice and Mike Williams still ailing. He is worth holding in dynasty leagues.
SEA - WR Sidney Rice not cleared for team drills
Source: The Seattle Times - Danny O'Neil
Seattle Seahawks WR Sidney Rice (shoulders) has not been cleared to participate in team drills during minicamp this week but is confident that he will be ready for the start of the regular season.
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Rice is way too risky to take as anything but a bench flyer in redraft leagues. Second-year undrafted wide receiver Doug Baldwin could play an even larger role this year, as could 2010 second-round pick Golden Tate.
NO - Greg Romeus suffers torn ACL
Source: WWLTV.com
New Orleans Saints interim head coach Joe Vitt said DE Greg Romeus (knee) recently tore his anterior cruciate ligament and medial collateral ligament. It was not the same ACL he tore during his final college season.
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Romeus was once a possible first-round pick, but this latest injury could keep him from ever catching on in the NFL.
GB - CB Charles Woodson not a full-time safety
Source: The Associated Press
Green Bay Packers CB Charles Woodson is not likely to be making a full-time switch to safety for the upcoming season. Head coach Mike McCarthy did say Woodson's role in the defense is likely to change; however, McCarthy didn't provide specifics and estimated that any change would be a small one. 'Charles' role on our football team may change somewhere between six and eight percent compared to where he's played in the past,' McCarthy said. 'I don't want to really get too detailed schematically. Really, it's something we should watch and see - and let our opponents see. We're not recreating the wheel with him, that's for sure. I would define him as a playmaker in our defense. And it's our responsibility to make sure he's lined up in those positions to make plays.'
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Woodson should retain cornerback eligibility in IDP leagues, which makes him possibly the most valuable corner to own in leagues that require two starters at the position.
BAL - ILB Ray Lewis changes workout to adjust to new offenses
Source: The Baltimore Sun - Jeff Zrebiec
Baltimore Ravens LB Ray Lewis has changed his workouts this offseason to adjust to more of the pass-first offenses in the league. 'There are no more true, true, true, physical, physical fullbacks that are going to come at me and sledgehammer all day. So, just adjust to the game, and as you see guys get older in their careers, you see a lot of people don't do that. And that was my thing this year. It was like, 'All right, the game is changing like that. Everybody wants to go with all these little five-wides and all this different stuff.' Just change with the game, and that was kind of my thought process,' Lewis said.
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Lewis has been able to keep up with the rest of league well into his 30's, so we're not going to doubt any tactics he has to stay ahead of curve.
NYG - Will use OLB Keith Rivers at different spots
Source: ESPNNewYork.com - Ohm Youngmisuk
New York Giants LB Keith Rivers was working at weakside linebacker with the second-team defense during practice Tuesday, June 12, but defensive coordinator Perry Fewell said Rivers will be tried out at middle linebacker at some point.
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Rivers will most likely be used as a versatile backup linebacker, but he could have value if he gets the first-team middle linebacker job.
CHI - ILB Brian Urlacher expected to be ready for camp
Source: Chicago Sun-Times - Mark Potash
Chicago Bears LB Brian Urlacher (knee) was not on the field as offseason minicamp opened Tuesday, June 12, but he is expected to be ready for training camp. 'It's not a lot to explain. He's not ready to go yet,' head coach Lovie Smith said. 'He's on pace. Our plan was to take it slow with him. We know what Brian can do. He's right on pace (and) he should be able to get a good rest of his offseason in and be good to go for training camp.'
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Urlacher's ongoing recovery is probably part of the reason that his future with the Bears after this season has put into question lately.
That'll do it for today, Folks. Thanks for reading and we'll see you tomorrow with the update. Don't forget about giving a Footballguys Insider subscription to yourself for Fathers Day. Have a great Thursday and we'll see you tomorrow.
Peace, J