July 2012 4for4 Player News Articles

Texans coach Gary Kubiak said Tuesday that he hopes injured wide receiver Andre Johnson could return to the field next Monday.

Johnson pulled his groin while making a catch during Sunday morning’s training camp practice at the Methodist Training Center. An MRI revealed it to be a minor injury. The All-Pro receiver has been able to jog lightly at practice as he moves with the team from period to period.

“I would say next week,” Kubiak said of Johnson’s targeted return date. “I’d love to tell you that’s Monday. I hope it’s Monday, but I would say next week.”

With Johnson out, second-year receiver Lestar Jean has been practicing as a starter along with veteran Kevin Walter. Rookie third-round draft pick DeVier Posey has stood out in practice with several nice catches over the last two days.

Knowshon Moreno lost the Broncos' starting tailback job to Willis McGahee last year and was used mostly in a third-down role before he was injured. McGahee remains the team's starter, and the team drafted a running back, Ronnie Hillman, in the third round. Veteran Lance Ball also has taken plenty of snaps with the first-team offense through the first five days of camp. Other running backs in camp include Mario Fannin (also coming off an ACL injury), Jeremiah Johnson and Xavier Omon.

Moreno's snaps Monday came right after McGahee's work with the rest of the first-team offense.

Michael Lombardi said on NFL Network that he had been told that Jake Locker is on the inside track to win the starting quarterback job for the Titans.

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport on Chargers TE Antonio Gates:

“The best thing is, he can actually run,” Rapoport stated on Inside Training Camp Live on Tuesday. “… He’s in shape. He looks skinny. He was burning cornerbacks left and right in practice. … He is feeling healthier now than he’s been in a couple of years.

“He is really looking like he’s primed for a big, big season.”

Chiefs WR Jonathan Baldwin had an outstanding offseason this year and is being counted on to pick up the slack if Bowe doesn't report soon or struggles after returning. People in and around the organization say he has displayed greater maturity and focus and consistently made catches during workouts that had teammates and media members shaking their heads.

Trotter: "I'm told there is virtually no chance that WR Dwayne Bowe will pass up game checks that amount to $559,000 a week. He skipped offseason workouts while hoping to land a multi-year deal, so he could be behind when he finally reports. The Chiefs have a new offensive coordinator and new playbook; how long that will take him to get up to speed -- and how severely his absence might limit his effectiveness -- are questions no one can answer."

HC Ken Whisenhunt said QB Kevin Kolb will start against the Saints Sunday.

Peter King on the Steelers' WR situation:

I remember speaking with a person very close to the Steelers front office in the spring, and this person told me the Steelers valued receiver/returner Antonio Brown more than speed receiver Mike Wallace. "They'd rather pay Brown in 2013 than Wallace this year,'' the person told me. "Mike Wallace had better not overplay his hand.''

In the Steelers' eyes, he did. So Pittsburgh, convinced it didn't want to risk losing both men next year when Brown would be a restricted free agent, gave Brown the deal they'd offered Wallace, a six-year, $42.5 million extension. Not bad for a sixth-round pick in 2010 from Central Michigan. Now Wallace is in limbo, not having signed his franchise tender ... and the Steelers saying they have no intention of trading him.

Everyone expects Wallace to eventually sign the tender and report, but what kind of shape will he be in?

As far as who will back up the talented Eagles RB LeSean McCoy at running back, rookie seventh-round pick Bryce Brown seems to be ahead of Dion Lewis and others early in camp. There's always a chance a veteran like Cedric Benson or Ryan Grant might make the Eagles' radar screen at some point, but for now it's Brown.

Redskins Coach Mike Shanahan insists he hasn’t decided how he’s going to handle the team’s trio of running backs. Evan Royster hopes to make the decision for him.

Asked what he likes about Royster, Shanahan didn’t hesitate.

“You can’t tackle him,” the coach said. “He makes people miss. He knows how to cut [and] and he knows when to cut.”

The conversation about Buccaneers RB Doug Martin always begins with the same question. Can he survive? But after only four days of NFL training camp, players and coaches are giddy wondering this: how much will he thrive?

"He made some explosive runs (Sunday) where you really see why they drafted him so high," guard Davin Joseph said. "He reminds you of a Ray Rice or Maurice Jones-Drew. He's very crafty and he really understands the run game."

Rookie WR Brian Quick, who struggled some on Sunday, bounced back with his best day of this young camp (including the three rookie practices last week) and hauled in some nice catches including a beautiful route and catch on a fade in the corner of the end zone during red zone work. Quick isn’t being handed anything in terms of a starting job but Monday was a step in the right direction.

Adam Schefter is reporting that WR Braylon Edwards is going to sign a one-year deal with the Seattle Seahawks.

Edwards joins an already crowded (and unexciting) receiving corps in Seattle. His arrival will probably impact Golden Tate more than Doug Baldwin, who is expected to play mostly in the slot. Edwards also provides some insurance for Sidney Rice, who has yet to be cleared for contact.

Tight end Rob Gronkowski passed his physical at the opening of camp, a reflection of his hard work over the offseason after undergoing ankle surgery, but he acknowledged that he's still rusty. It has shown at times, such as Sunday when he dropped two passes (one that was intercepted, the other at the goal line) that he'd usually corral with relative ease. Meanwhile, fellow tight end Aaron Hernandez looks explosive. Offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels is going to have fun finding ways to get the football in his hands.

Patriots WR Brandon Lloyd looks like he's been playing with quarterback Tom Brady for a decade, the two hooking up on some long pass plays that have produced loud roars from the crowd. On Sunday, Brady found Lloyd deep over the middle for a 45-yard touchdown strike.

The Bengals are going to install goal line and short yardage with some live action up close as they unveil their two new athletic guards and big-yard knack of new running back BenJarvus Green-Elllis.

"That's what we're going to do; come right out on the goal line and smash it early on and see where we are," OC Jay Gruden says. "We're not going to try and Tricky Dick anybody. In short yardage on day one we're going to try and jam it up the gut. That's the mentality you have."

This is good news for RB BenJarvus Green-Ellis, but the bad news is that the Bengals aren't going to visit the red zone as often as the Patriots did in 2011.

Pat Yasinskas of ESPN.com:

If I had to pick just one player who has stood out most during my training camp tour so far, Atlanta’s Julio Jones would be the easy choice.

In each of the practices, I saw the second-year receiver make several spectacular plays. Let’s keep in mind that he was going up against some big-name cornerbacks in Brent Grimes, Dunta Robinson and Asante Samuel. On at least two plays, I saw Jones use athleticism to beat Grimes, who many Falcons will point to when you ask them to name their most athletic player.

Jones had a full offseason this time around, and wide receiver is a position where there often is strong improvement from the first year to the second. Throw in the fact that Jones didn’t have any injuries to deal with during the offseason, and we might have the reasons why he’s playing so well in camp.

Jones finished WR18 last season, but he missed four games, so his per game average was the 5th-highest in the league. His FP/target (1.53) ranked #9 in 2011 amongst WRs with at least 30 targets, but he should see an increase in total targets provided he can stay on the field. It also doesn't hurt that he has had a full offseason to work with Matt Ryan or that the Falcons are moving towards a more pass-happy offensive attack.

Chiefs QB Matt Cassell has been impressive so far in training camp, and it’s clear that, yes, he is miles ahead of Brady Quinn and Ricky Stanzi.

Jaguars receiver Laurent Robinson is the first to admit he’s not quite in a groove yet at the start of training camp.

“I’m just trying to make a play,” he said. “I’ve been struggling. I’m getting off the line pretty good. I just can’t catch the ball deep right now. But it’s a work in progress. It’s going to come.”

Robinson also said he got a little tired Monday getting the shoulder pads on for the first time in camp. And he’s still getting on the same page with quarterback Blaine Gabbert.

“It’s going to take some time with Blaine. That’s why you have training camp, so everybody can get on the same page. Work against the defense in live situations, get your timing down, get the chemistry down. I just go out there and try to do my best every day, I don’t really worry about trying to prove people wrong. You just go out there and try to play the game like you know how and make a play when the ball comes your way. Hopefully, we’ll be on the same page when the season starts,” he said.

RB Maurice Jones-Drew's holdout is not a big concern for the Jaguars' new HC Mike Mularkey.

"I don't drive home or sit in my office worrying about it," Mularkey said. "I don't waste the energy."

Mularkey hasn't even met Jones-Drew. Nor has running backs coach Sylvester Croom.

Not a handshake. Not a visit. Nothing. There have been a few calls, but that's it. Nothing else. And that's on Jones-Drew, the supposed leader of this team. Shouldn't he get to know his new coach at some point? After all, Mularkey isn't making the money calls.

"I don't know him at all," Mularkey said.

And that's the danger in Jones-Drew's holdout. How do you know what you're missing if you don't know what it is?

The Jaguars and owner Shad Khan are dug-in on this one, even among the catcalls from many in the media that the organization is doing him wrong.

Owners who do draft MJD need to lock up Rashad Jennings, who has seen his ADP climb from the 15th round to the 13th at some mock draft sites. He would be a solid RB2 if Jones-Drew misses any games.

Detroit Lions general manager Martin Mayhew said he’s “a little bit surprised” and “a little bit disappointed” that running back Jahvid Best still hasn’t been cleared for contact 9 1/2 months after his last concussion.

“Everything was trending toward him being ready to go the first day of training camp,” Mayhew said before practice today. “It didn’t happen that way, so you have to kind of adjust. We have adjusted our expectation on that.”

"It’s up to the medical professionals to decide when he’s going to be available. Eventually he will get cleared. I’m very positive. I feel very comfortable saying that. It’s just a question of the timing of it is up to those guys.”

"It’s really frustrating and it’s like (coach Jim Schwartz) has said before, it’s not like a hamstring," Mayhew said. "This is a unique medical situation that’s different for every individual and it’s totally out of our control. It’s totally up to the best experts around the country. He’s got a battery of doctors; you get on a conference call and there’s 20 guys on the call. So he’s got the experts and those guys will make a determination when he’s ready to play."

We are taking a "hands off" approach with Best this season. Mikel Leshoure is in the mix, but is already dealing with a tweaked hamstring. Kevin Smith may be the best value in the Lions backfield right now. Even if Best is cleared, one more blow to the head could end his season.

Giants CB Terrell Thomas suffered an injury to his surgically repaired right ACL and likely will undergo an arthroscopic procedure to determine the extent of the injury, according to the New York Giants.

A source said it is believed that Thomas suffered a partial tear of his ACL, but more will be known after the arthroscopic procedure.

Adam Schefter said on SportsCenter on Tuesday that it looks like Thomas will be out for the year.

Peter King believes that Broncos QB Peyton Manning may not throw deep as often as he has in the past:

Suppose this is what Manning is -- his same accurate self, without the penchant for throwing deep very much, but only to keep the defense honest and to keep Demaryius Thomas happy. Will it work, as the former coach said? Eric Decker's a potential star trolling the middle, sure to be among the league leaders in receptions if healthy for 16 games.

Theoretically, if Manning throws fewer balls downfield, his completion percentage will rise slightly, and his yards per attempt will fall, perhaps significantly. Before sitting last season, he'd had nine straight seasons of completing 65 percent of his throws or better. And only twice has he had seasons below 7.0 yards per attempt; last year, 17 passers were under 7.0, including three who made the playoffs. So if Manning completes 69 percent with seven yards per attempt, would that suit Denver? In a heartbeat. It'd suit most any team in the league, except perhaps for the explosive Saints or Packers.

Point is, I think if Manning has to become a chain-mover (which he's always been to a degree), he can do it. And he won't fight it, he'll adapt.

Our very own Scot Berggren was at practice on Saturday and noticed that Manning was favoring Decker, so while Demaryius Thomas continues to go ahead of Decker in fantasy drafts, Decker may very well be the better value, especially in PPR formats. Owners who draft Manning should keep their expectations in check -- he looks like his old self on the short to intermediate stuff but the zip on the long ball apparently isn't there...at least not yet.

Seahawks WR Ricardo Lockette continued what has been a very strong start to training camp, as he made a diving, juggling catch in the end zone on a long throw from QB Matt Flynn, and that was after he beat Brandon Browner on a deep ball thrown by Russell Wilson.

Kippy Brown, who coaches Seattle's receivers, was asked for an assessment of Lockette's training camp.

"Making progress," Brown said. "Making progress. Again, he's a guy who can sit there and tell you what everybody does now where he couldn't before. But we don't want to move him a lot because he performs better when we kind of keep him in one spot. But we could, and there will be times that we will."

Seyi Ajirotutu making himself a part of this No. 2 receiver competition for the Panthers.

Dallas RB Felix Jones among those who failed the conditioning test, Cowboys coach Jason Garrett says. Says he'll do remedial running now.

Ravens John Harbaugh said that TE Dennis Pitta likely broke his hand at today's practice. Hopeful he'll be back for season opener.

Ed Dickson should get more time. We had him ranked 25th while Pitta was ranked 29th. Neither seem to be better than TE3 options.

Vikings WR Percy Harvin taken off the field on a cart. Appears to possibly be something with arm or hand area. He walked into locker room.

Harvin later returned to the sideline and spent very little time in the locker room so things appear to be not too serious.

Rams WR Greg Salas is really getting play at camp this year. New administration seems to like what they see with former 4th rounder from Hawaii.

Vikings RB Adrian Peterson had an allergic reaction to seafood lunch, called ambulance, went to hospital, but he's ok and resting in dorm now.

Keep an eye on Tim Benford in third WR battle in Dallas. Just got great separation on a crossing route.

Armando Salguero, covering the Dolphins, was asked about WR Chad Johnson and how he's looked so far:

"Best wide receiver on the team right now."

Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon, whom the Browns picked in the second round of the NFL’s supplemental draft July 12, worked with the first-team offense when it used three-receiver sets. Gordon and Mohamed Massaquoi lined up on the outside, and Greg Little moved to the slot.

We know what Bucs TE Dallas Clark can do -- when healthy. He hasn't been perfect when it comes to catching the ball, but he doesn't look like a guy who has had the numerous injury issues of the past two years, either. He hasn't missed a beat despite being in pads the past two days. He also made a great catch this morning against Mark Barron.

Detroit running back Jahvid Best is still not cleared to practice because of concussion problems, Kevin Smith and Stefan Logan got most of the work in the backfield.

There’s still no timetable for Best’s return, though running backs coach Sam Gash said today he’s holding out hope it will happen.

“I expect Jahvid to play,” Gash said. “I’m not going to speak on his injuries by any means, by as far as I know, I’m a coach, I’m coaching the guys that are here now.”

One person who is not fazed, three practices into camp is quarterback Andy Dalton.

“It hasn’t been perfect but that’s what camp is for, trying to find the mistakes and correct them,” Dalton said.

Over the weekend, it seemed to be a combination of everything – timing, drops, balls tipped at the line by defensive linemen. Being as though we are only three practices in, it’s not something to get overly concerned about yet, but most thought that the offense would be a little further ahead right now.

When it comes to the deep routes, Dalton has been inconsistent so far. The only receiver he has been consistent with is A.J. Green.

No PUP list for Bengals WR Jordan Shipley.

Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt said he thinks RB Beanie Wells will start practicing next week with team in K.C. Beanie will play in preseason, Whiz said.

Steelers running back Jonathan Dwyer is in the best shape the coaches have ever seen him, and the big back could figure pretty heavily into the rotation with Rashard Mendenhall likely out until December.

Isaac Redman still figures to get the most work for the Steelers, at least to start the season. We rank Redman 23rd among running backs on our list, with an ADP of the fifth round. It's not the first time we reported good things about Dwyer out of Steelers camp, though, so there could be a chance he's earning himself more work.

On the fifth day of Broncos training camp, running back Knowshon Moreno was cleared to rejoin full-squad drills. Moreno, who had surgery to repair a torn ACL on Dec. 1, ran second behind starter Willis McGahee in 11-on-11 team drills Monday morning.

Moreno had been limited to 7-on-7 passing sessions and individual drills in the first few days of camp.

McGahee is clearly the Broncos' No. 1 running back, but the depth chart has been murky behind him, with Moreno, veteran Lance Ball, and rookie third-round pick Ronnie Hillman fighting for snaps behind him.

Kevin Kolb is listed as the No. 1 QB right now. John Skelton is the No. 2.

The winner of this battle has potential QB2 value on your fantasy team, and should be available late in drafts. Obviously Larry Fitzgerald is a world-class WR, but waiting in the wings is first-round pick Michael Floyd, who should eventually take over as the WR2, even though he's listed as fourth on the WR depth chart.

Tennessee’s offseason talk has been about an explosive offense. Whether it’s Matt Hasselbeck or Jake Locker at quarterback, he’ll be throwing to Kenny Britt, Jared Cook, Nate Washington, Kendall Wright and, of course, Chris Johnson.

Johnson’s overall determination was in question last year, when he got a big contract extension prompted by a holdout, but then got suspect blocking and fell into bad habits. Eddie George recently said on Nashville radio that he saw Johnson stop moving his feet at initial contact and never really get back to it.

Though he did have a career-best 57 receptions, he said it wasn’t necessarily indicative of his role in the pass game.

“I think I was a little bit more involved in the pass offense with Dinger,” he said. “But with the situation that we’ve got here, since I got here we got a lot of playmakers on this offense. So it feels good to see a couple receivers out there putting up good numbers. I feel like it’s a different situation, if there’s a lot of us contributing, a lot of us making plays, I feel like it’s not a bad thing that I probably don’t get as many catches as I usually do.”

Johnson will still get catches, but owners should expect a drop off from his career high 57 last year. The hope would be that the Titans vertical passing threat will open more holes up for Johnson on the ground. We currently rank Johnson as our #5 RB. He's certainly safer than MJD and McFadden from a health and holdout perspective, but the fact that Johnson played all of last season at a sub-par level has us concerned in the first round.

Seattle WR Golden Tate is hoping to turn last season’s audition into a full-time starting position.

With Seattle releasing veteran Mike X. Williams before training camp, the starting split end job opposite Sidney Rice is up for grabs, and right now Tate is the leader in a crowded clubhouse that includes Ben Obomanu, Deon Butler, Ricardo Lockette and Kris Durham.

Packers TE Jermichael Finley back from concussion today.

The Jaguars are counting on an upgraded receiving corps to help quarterback Blaine Gabbert improve their passing offense this season.
coach Jerry Sullivan, who’s been lecturing them.

Head coach Mike Mularkey said of the receivers, “We’ve got to do a better job. We’ve got to make more catches. We’ve had plenty of opportunities to make some catches down the field, and we’ve got to make them. It’s hard to get the ball deep and accurate and catchable and then not make them. We need to start doing that [making them]. One thing that’s come out of the first couple of days is that we’re not making the plays that are there.”

It doesn’t help that rookie Justin Blackmon, their top draft pick, is holding out. But veteran receiver Laurent Robinson, who signed a five-year, $32.5 million free agent deal, has yet to get in a groove.

Another position the Jets could be thin at is running back.

Behind Shonn Greene, the Jets have little experience. But second-year back Bilal Powell really stood out Sunday. He looked quick and hit the holes hard.

It has been assumed that Joe McKnight would fill the third-down running back role with LaDainian Tomlinson gone, but maybe Powell can move up the depth chart.

Broncos QB Peyton Manning has six weeks to feel better.

Manning can hear what people are saying about him and read what writers are writing about him. Peyton's back to normal. Look at him throw. Look at his command of the Denver offense. He's back.

"I hate it,'' Manning said.

Because he's not. He's not all the way back.

Manning doesn't feel like he's near 100 percent yet. It's not his neck, which has undergone four procedures in the past two years, including the major surgery 11 months ago that caused him to miss the 2011 season. It's simply the regeneration of the nerve that affects his arm strength, particularly the area around the shoulder.

Proceed with caution when thinking about taking Manning. He's ranked 11th among our QBs but is likely to get drafted before he should. If you want to take a chance on him, be sure to get a good enough backup in case he's unable to start the season, or, misses time at some point.

Wouldn't be surprised if, after Larry Fitzgerald, the Cardinal with the best receiving numbers will be Rob Housler. Get to know him. Tight end. Coach Ken Whisenhunt loves him.

New York Giants receiver Hakeem Nicks says he remains on schedule to return to practice sometime in mid-August and has suffered no setbacks with his surgically repaired right toe.

Nicks was placed on the physically unable to perform list at the start of camp and is eligible to come off the list whenever he is cleared to practice in camp.

Nicks recently began running on grass and says he may start cutting soon, as well. He feels no pain, and his toe has been reacting well the day after running.

Colts quarterback Andrew Luck was sharp Sunday, completing 27-of-32 passes with two interceptions (one on a deflection) in 11-on-11 and 7-on-7 work. There were few obvious errors, only one dropped pass.

Luck spread the ball around. His 27 completions were shared by Austin Collie (seven), Donnie Avery (seven), Reggie Wayne (five), Coby Fleener (four) and Dwayne Allen (four).

Redskins QB Robert Griffin III, on the field, the results have been up and down.

We have seen rocket throws to Pierre Garcon (several on Friday) and we have seen tremendous bursts of speed to make a play, when something may not be there. We have also seen him use his mobility to buy extra time, and fire a strike to a target while on the move. We've seen the pistol formation, we have seen the option, zone read run plays, traditional drops and a little bit of everything.

In fairness, we've also seen some relative ugliness, and that is to be expected. He hasn't thrown any interceptions that I remember, unless my brain has been completely fried by the searing heat at Redskins Park. He has taken plenty of practice sacks and in real game conditions, he would have taken a number of big hits so far.

SI.com’s Peter King attended Seahawks training camp on Sunday and tweeted that rookie QB Russell Wilson is very much in the race to be the team’s starting quarterback in Week 1.

"Seahawk thoughts 4: Sidney Rice tells me he's aiming to be healthy wk 1 ... QB race could go any of 3 ways. Russell Wilson absolutely in it."

Because of his accuracy and the ability to get the ball out of his hand on time, Wilson has drawn comparisons to Saints QB Drew Brees. While Tavaris Jackson is in the mix to start as well, it would appear as though Wilson is battling Matt Flynn, who signed a three-year, $19.5 million contract with Seattle this offseason.

According to the Texans official website, WR Andre Johnson left practice on Sunday with what is being described as a mild groin injury.

“Head coach Gary Kubiak said he took Johnson out of practice as a precaution. The five-time Pro Bowler, who missed nine games with hamstring injuries last season and had arthroscopic knee surgery this offseason, will miss at least “a few” days of practice, Kubiak said.”

“(It was) a one-on-one drill and (he) tweaked his groin a little bit,” Kubiak said. “I told Kap (head at hletic trainer Geoff Kaplan) to just go ahead and take him in, let’s go ahead and get it looked at. Don’t think it’s anything significant. Obviously, Andre has worked so dang hard to get back and get back on the field full-speed, so it’s disappointing, but I don’t think we’re staring at anything significant.”

Chargers TE Antonio Gates had high praise for WR Malcolm Floyd, who hasn’t played a full 16-game schedule since 2009.

"To me, he's probably the most underrated receiver in this league," tight end Antonio Gates said. "I think guys who play against him have more respect for him than the media, than people give him credit for."

Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union Tribune also notes that over the past 16 games in which Floyd played more than 35 snaps, he caught 63 passes for 1,211 yards and nine touchdowns. Among all qualified wide receivers with at least 50 games played since 2008 writes Gehlken, Floyd leads the NFL with 18.5 yards per reception.

Browns rookie WR Josh Gordon continues to impress writes Tony Grossi of ESPN Cleveland.

"I've been down this road before," WR coach Mike Wilson noted. "I coached Tim Brown with the Raiders. I had Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin in Arizona three years. I played withJerry Rice. Talent is talent. He has unlimited potential. It will come out in due time. He's not going to master it in one day. ... Right now he's just getting over a slight [quad injury] and we're being cautious with him. Once his body's well, then we'll really hone in on it. Big body, nice hands, very smooth athlete, catches the ball well. Watching his cut-up tape from college, he's a playmaker. He has the ability to stretch the field vertically. He uses his hands to catch. This was really a bonus for us."

"He's really good. He's strong," No. 1 CB Joe Haden quipped. "He has no problem getting off the line on press coverage. I think the only thing is making all of his routes look the same. Making his comebacks look like his fades or his digs, or come out of his breaks fast. He's definitely looking good for only his second day out here."

According to MLive.com, Lions RB Mikel Leshoure suffered a hamstring injury during practice on Saturday.

"He grabbed his hamstring a little bit," HC Jim Schwartz explained. "Where it turns out to be, we'll see, but again, if it's long-term, we'll let you know. Don't know."

Greg Bedard of the Boston Globe discussed the very real possibility that this will be Patriots WR Wes Welker’s last season in New England.

"Provided he's healthy and is around 100 catches, I don't see how Welker returns. If the Patriots were going to use the tag ($11.4 million) again, they would have saved money by signing him for cheaper money now. Either the Patriots let Welker walk after this season, or they tag and trade him to keep him out of the hands of a division rival (namely the Jets). The big losers are Patriots fans, but at least in those scenarios the Patriots get one more chance at a title with Welker this season, and then Welker finally gets his payday, albeit from another team. The Patriots move on with Hernandez in the slot, Welker gets the financial security he's due, and everyone lives happily ever after."

ESPN.com analyst Ross Tucker tweets that WR Braylon Edwards recently worked out for the Dolphins, this according to Hard Knocks supervising producer Ken Rodgers on Sirius XM Radio.

According to Bucs reporter and 620 WDAE Tampa Bay anchor Tom Krasniqi, rookie RB Doug Martin is “clearly the top dog” in training camp thus far. Krasniqi tweets that Martin has been “Very impressive” thus far as Martin competes with LeGarrette Blount to be the Bucs’ No. 1 back this season.

Steelers GM Kevin Colbert told ESPN’s Ed Werder that Mike Wallace “is not available for trade,” despite recent reports. And even if Pittsburgh made Wallace available, ESPN AFC North blogger Jamison Hensely believes that trading the receiver only makes sense if the Steelers can acquire a first-round pick in return.

"There's no value in it. The only way shipping Wallace to another team this season makes sense is if an interested team (Miami, Dallas and Indianapolis have been mentioned) gives a first-round pick (don't hold your breath) or a second-round one to the Steelers. There's no reason to take a third-round pick for Wallace now because the Steelers can get some production out of Wallace in 2012 in addition to a potential third-round compensatory pick in 2014. Plus, trading Wallace lets him get a big deal right away from another team, and the Steelers don't want to set a precedent that holding out gets you want you want."

Despite opening training camp on the active/PUP list, Seahawks WR Sidney Rice has been cleared to practice after having surgery on both shoulders this offseason.

Following a one-day holdout, Dolphins QB Ryan Tannehill has agreed to a four-year contract according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter via Twitter.

“Dolphins made concessions to make deal palatable, but Ryan Tannehill was unwilling to miss more time to continue fight on offset language.”

Financial terms aren’t yet available but Tannehill will immediately report to training camp and will compete with David Garrard and Matt Moore for Miami’s starting quarterback job.

Tom Pelissero of 1500 ESPN reports that Vikings QB Christian Ponder is already clicking with TE Kyle Rudolph. Seven of Ponder’s 16 pass attempts on Friday went to Rudolph.

“There were audible groans from the stands as Ponder missed high to several receivers in that first practice of 2011. On Friday, his only miss was a corner he slightly overthrew to tight end Kyle Rudolph, who hauled in seven of Ponder's strikes -- including another corner throw between two defenders that drew one of the day's loudest cheers.”

"Just the comfort level is night and day from this year to last year, having the offseason program," Rudolph said. "Coming in last year, you were learning everybody's name with faces, you're learning the playbook, you're learning your routine, and to have a training camp under your belt as well as an offseason, that definitely makes everything kind of seem second nature."

I spent Saturday morning at Dove Valley scouting the Broncos. Peyton Manning looked very good - with his accuracy, timing and zip. His favorite target during the morning was Eric Decker, who made the play of the day. Decker made a juggling catch on a deep ball against the sideline on a perfecly thrown Manning pass. The DB on the play - Champ Bailey, who was covering Decker pretty well.

Decker currently sits at 29 in our WR rankings, with Demaryius Thomas at WR20. Decker will begin to creep up as the synergy with Manning continues and Manning's health continues to improve.

Browns WR Josh Cribbs admits that he might see a reduced role on offense this season.

Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal tweets:

“#Browns Josh Cribbs says his role is changing. Expects to be on all special teams return & coverage units & prob less involved on offense.”

Adam Caplan tweets that the Jaguars have placed RB Maurice Jones-Drew on the reserve/did not report list as he continues to hold out. He won’t count on the team’s 90-man roster and can be fined $30,000 for every day he misses practice.

At least one media member has been impressed with Bears second-round pick WR Alshon Jeffery.

Writes Mark Potash of the Chicago Sun-Times:

“It's only a non-padded practice in training camp, but the rookie from South Carolina has been impressive, looking like he's done this before in his first NFL training camp. As second-team players, Jason Campbell-to-Alshon Jeffery looks better than some first-team passing connection in previous Bears training camps.

The true test will come when Jeffery faces press coverage in the preseason. But if he can figure that out, he has a chance to be as productive as he looked like he could be when the Bears drafted him in the second round in April.”

After the Steelers handed Antonio Brown a $42.5 million contract extension on Friday, Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette tweets that he wouldn’t be surprised if the team traded WR Mike Wallace during training camp.

“Do not be surprised if Steelers trade Mike Wallace during training camp. They no longer believe they can sign him long term.”

The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review is also reporting that Wallace turned down a contract offer in the range of five years and $50 million. Considering Wallace is only 25 and is coming off a productive season (72 receptions, 1,193 yards, 8 TDs), one would think teams would surely come calling if the Steelers made the wide receiver available this summer.

Despite not receiving first-team carries in mini-camp back in mid-June, ESPN.com’s Bill Williamson expects Broncos rookie RB Ronnie Hillman to have a big role in Denver this year.

"A strong offseason session started the buzz on Hillman, who I think could play a big role for the Broncos. There is some thought in the scouting community that Hillman, a San Diego State product whom Denver took with the No. 67 pick in April's draft, could potentially supplant Willis McGahee as Denver’s primary back this season. "

“He’s explosive,” Denver coach John Fox said of Hillman. “We like what we’ve seen so far. We targeted him and we think he will be able to help us.”

WEEI.com is reporting that Patriots RB Stevan Ridley has been the primary back used with the first team early in training camp. Shane Vereen has been getting first-team reps later in practice and is also being utilized in the passing game, while Danny Woodhead remains entrenched in his third-down role.

Redskins claimed WR Dezmon Briscoe off waivers from the Buccaneers, source confirmed.

Denver's Lance Ball was the No. 2 tailback behind Willis McGahee. Knowshon Moreno wore a knee brace and didn’t participate in team drills. Mario Fannin got some reps with the No. 2 offense.

Buccaneers wide receiver Arrelious Benn limped off the practice field at training camp today, and he won’t be back on the field for about a month. Benn suffered a sprained MCL and is expected to miss four weeks.

Wide receiver Antonio Brown signed a five-year contract extension Friday with the Pittsburgh Steelers. The deal is worth $42.5 million, a league source told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter.

Brown, voted Pittsburgh's most valuable player by teammates last season, was entering the final season of the three-year contract he signed when he was drafted out of Central Michigan in 2010. He would have been eligible for restricted free agency after this season.

Pittsburgh was very tight against the cap, so a longterm deal with WR Mike Wallace pretty much won't happen. It seems as if Wallace and the Steelers may have been close, but Wallace failed to show up for camp and that ended discussions. This is definitely showing Wallace who is boss, and his only option now is to sign a one-year tender to play for $2.742 million. It looks like things are getting ugly.

After practice, Redskins coach Mike Shanahan reiterated what RB Tim Hightower said about himself yesterday. His left knee is "not close to 100 percent."

This makes sense based on all the news we've received in the last few days, including that the team was looking to add a veteran back and giving Evan Royster first team reps.

Falcons TE Tony Gonzalez said he's 95 percent sure that this is his last season.

Some notes from Patriots camp:

- Quarterback Tom Brady briefly stepped off the field to work with head trainer Jim Whalen, who appeared to apply some padding to the underside of his right foot. Brady returned to action shortly thereafter, and showed no ill affects.

- Tight end Aaron Hernandez, who has lined up all over the formation for the Patriots’ offense in his first two seasons as a pro, may have added a new role to his game. Hernandez fielded punts during the special teams period (which were focused on the punt team, not the punt return team), appearing fairly comfortable. After practice, when addressing reporters, Hernandez expressed that he has previously worked as a punt and kick returner (he believed the last time he did so was in high school) and a willingness to have the football in his hands – no matter the role.

- Naturally, much attention has been paid to TE Rob Gronkowski’s surgically repaired ankle in recent days. From this angle, Gronk looked to be nearly at full go, displaying quite a bit of suddenness in his routes. That’s a positive sign for the 23-year old, who hopes to build off his record-setting 2011 season.

Saints head coach Joe Vitt said RB Mark Ingram was held out of a certain number of reps today, per a pre-determined regimen by the Saints.

Texans WR Andre Johnson says he's 100 percent, and if he stays healthy, he's capable of catching 100 passes for 1,500 yards again.

Johnson's stock has slipped and we rank him 11th among WRs. He could be available early third round. If he stays healthy, he has a chance to reach those numbers he talked about, which would make him a steal at that point in the draft. But you'll be taking a chance on him missing games no matter where you pick him. Johnson is 31 years old and has missed 12 games over the last 2 seasons.

Lions RB Kevin Smith receiving first team reps in practice. Makes sense with Jahvid Best injury and Mikel Leshoure suspension.

Titans decision on starting QB should come by third preseason game.

Many feel Matt Hasselbeck will get the nod being the veteran. Jake Locker probably gives a higher fantasy upside, but either way, neither will be a high end QB2 option until a starter is named.

Falcons coach Mike Smith was asked about running back Michael Turner's workload for 2012:

“I don’t envision that Turner will have over 300 carries this season. I think it’s too much. When you multiply that, 3 out of 4 years, we need to reduce his workload. There are different ways [to spread the ball around]. We need to distribute the touches more evenly and not have one guy have over 300 touches.”

Turner had 301 carries in 2011, meaning he only needs one less carry to satisfy Mike Smith's vision of not having over 300. We are currently projecting Turner with 271 carries and 13 receptions, good for RB13 in standard formats. Turner is getting up there in age, but is falling too far in drafts. He's still a bargain in the 4th round (5th in PPR).

Norv Turner said Chargers QB Charlie Whitehurst has knee strain. "Probably looking at a couple weeks."

The team has signed QB Kyle Boller.

Per @ESPNRadio980 sources, the Redskins have yet to express any real or official interest in UFA RB Cedric Benson. Still possible.

Randy Moss is No 1 receiver? Not so, says 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh. (It's a competition)

If today's practice suggests anything it's that Doug Martin looks like Bucs primary RB.

It's still early but this could already be an indication of what many anticipate. LeGarrette Blount still figures to get plenty of work, but Martin seems like the guy everyone is going to target in drafts. Martin ranks just 37th on our list right now, but his ADP is an amazing 4th round. The other backs in the rankings around Martin have ADPs between rounds 9-13. Seems like you'll have to use an early pick to get him.

As expected, Kansas City receiver Dwayne Bowe did not show up Friday morning when the Chiefs’ opened training camp.

He is a franchised player who did not sign his tender. He has been away from the team all offseason and now is officially a holdout.

As the author put it, this could get ugly, and it seems unnecessary on top of it all. We rank Bowe 21st among WRs, but he certainly has a chance to be better than a high-end WR3 option so his ADP of the 6th round makes him pretty attractive. Be sure to monitor this situation.

Green Bay Packers tight end Jermichael Finley was missing from practice Friday morning for an undisclosed reason. And then his wife Courtney disclosed it on Twitter.

"(Jermichael) got a slight very mild concussion at practice yesterday protocol is to sit a few days," Courtney Finley wrote, according to Aaron Nagler of BleacherReport.com.

She then also said he was feeling fine and raring to practice again, but you can't find these notes because she quickly deleted the information.

Pats QB Tom Brady came ready to play by completing 26 of 29 passes (with a sack) in 7-on-7 or 11-on-11 situations, including his first 15 passes and 21 of his first 22. There wasn’t a lot of high degree of difficulty, but it was still impressive.

And it was even more impressive when you consider the offensive line was a disaster for all three quarterbacks. With three starters down (Logan Mankins, Brian Waters and Sebastian Vollmer), there is a ton of instability and the defense was feeding off it.

Jets WR Santonio Holmes didn't speak to the media. He was one of the latest players to arrive in Cortland for camp. He also blew off the media at last month's minicamp.

QB Mark Sanchez said he wasn't bothered by Holmes' comments about the two-quarterback system, insisting the mercurial receiver, with whom he clashed last season, has been supportive of the quarterbacks.

"He just wants the rock; he doesn't care," Sanchez said, smiling.

In the very first drill, Dolphins QB Matt Moore opens up with the first-team offense, though QB David Garrard gets his turn with the starting offense as well.

Dolphins first round pick, QB Ryan Tannehill, is not yet in camp.

The Lions hope that running back Jahvid Best will be cleared for contact and all football activities before the team hits the practice field for the first time Friday afternoon, but nobody knows for sure that he will be.

"He still has a hurdle to go yet to be cleared for contact," coach Jim Schwartz said Thursday. "We just have to wait and see."

Best, whose season was cut short by two concussions last year, was examined by the team's medical staff Thursday, just like all the other players. Unlike those other players, however, Best has to be cleared by doctors outside the organization, as well.

Eagles TE Brent Celek mild MCL sprain. Day-to-day. Doesn't appear serious.

Backup quarterback Charlie Whitehurst stood on the sideline, his left knee wrapped in ice.

Whitehurst would downplay his injury afterward, but there was enough concern that the Chargers began making calls around the league, sending feelers to potential replacements, sources said.

Billy Volek naturally jumps out as possible candidate. He spent the past five years as a San Diego backup and remains a free agent after his March release.

On Thursday, after a brief run of high throws during some one-on-one drills, Denver QB Peyton Manning's accuracy was impeccable.

He put throws in tight spots and consistently made it easy for his receivers. Working primarily with wide receivers Demaryius Thomas and Eric Decker, and tight ends Jacob Tamme and Joel Dreessen, Manning put throw after throw into the tight window between the top of their shoulders and the top of their waist.

Jets coach Rex Ryan reiterated that Mark Sanchez is "clearly our starting quarterback," but he hedged a bit when asked if there's a quarterback competition. He also raised eyebrows when asked if there's a chance Tim Tebow could unseat Sanchez in the preseason, barring injury.

"I don't want to speculate on this, that or whatever," Ryan told reporters. "Mark Sanchez is our starting quarterback."

Redskins RB Evan Royster is the first RB up for 11-on-11 drills. Tim Hightower is seven months removed from ACL surgery.

Again, a potential messy situation in Washington with the RBs. The team really doesn't seem to view Roy Helu as a feature back, so with Tim Hightower not fully recovered, perhaps Royster is a sleeper for more work this year. Stay tuned...

Redskins first teamers had WR Pierre Garcon at X, WR Josh Morgan at Y.

It's time for his play, Chargers running back Ryan Mathews said Thursday, to silence it all.

"I'm just waiting to step my game up," Mathews, 24, said following a morning walkthrough. "Being able to have the guys around me and be in shape, it's like, man, it's time to go. It's time to get ready and, basically, to shut everyone up."

Wednesday took him closer to that goal.

He took his conditioning test and, unlike with last year's version after the lockout, could talk about it afterward with a smile.

With no real threat behind him to steal carries, Mathews is projected to have a huge year. We rank him fourth on our RB list, just a notch below the consensus three studs: Arian Foster, LeSean McCoy and Ray Rice. While you might be forced to "settle" for someone like Mathews in the middle of the first round, he has a chance to finish ahead of any of the RBs just mentioned - But he'll have to stay on the field.

There is no doubt that Steelers RB Rashard Mendenhall will come off the PUP list at some point of the season and play. Mendenhall, who is in the final year of his contract, needs to show the rest of the league that, at 25, that he can still be a featured back in the NFL.

The Steelers will allow Mendenhall to become an unrestricted free agent as the organization has made the decision to take a wait-and-see approach.

The Steelers won’t negotiate a deal with Mendenhall before the start of the season because of the uncertainty of his health.

Mild right knee sprain for Eagles TE Brent Celek.

Peter King offered some thoughts on the Chargers:

K Nate Kaeding has legit camp challenge from Nick Novak ... Eddie Royal could catch 75 balls here.

We have Royal ranked 89th among WRs and projected to catch 40 balls...

Texans reached agreement to re-sign WR Bryant Johnson.

Few things before I leave Redskins camp - team has had internal talks about adding a RB, with Cedric Benson and Ryan Grant the candidates...

Perhaps this makes sense assuming the team isn't sure Tim Hightower will be able to start the season. They obviously have issue with Roy Helu and Evan Royster, despite both of them looking good in their roles last year. Be sure to keep tabs on the situation - just when you thought the Skins RB situation wasn't clear...

A source close to the situation said Thursday there is "mutual" interest between TE Jeremy Shockey and the Eagles, but nothing is close to happening now.

Giants WR Hakeem Nicks (foot) will start camp on the physically unable to perform list when the Giants hit the practice field for the first time Friday.

Nicks has just begun running in a wading pool. Head coach Tom Coughlin said there have been no setbacks and he is still on target for a return within the original time frame of 12 weeks.

Some notes from Denver camp:

- Lance Ball was the No. 2 tailback behind Willis McGahee. Knowshon Moreno wore a knee brace and didn’t participate in team drills. Mario Fannin got some reps with the No. 2 offense.

- Caleb Hanie was clearly the No. 2 QB. Adam Weber was No. 3 and rookie Brock Osweiler was No. 4. The competition here is between Hanie and Weber. The Broncos probably won’t keep both.

Saints RBs Mark Ingram and Chris Ivory looked pretty much full blast on Day 1. Good sign for the Saints.

Darren Sproles and Pierre Thomas will also be in the mix for carries this season, with Sproles our highest rated out of the four Saints, and the one to target in drafts, especially PPR leagues.

Denver WR Andre Caldwell is going to push hard for prime playing time at wide receiver, even in some of the team's two wide receiver sets. Caldwell, who was one of the Broncos' first signings in free agency, said one of the reasons he chose Denver was Manning's arrival.

Demaryius Thomas and Eric Decker have consistently lined up as the starting wide receivers in the team's offense in the offseason workouts, but Caldwell showed a quick rapport with Manning in team drills Thursday and has the kind of speed offensive coordinators want on the field.

Cowboys beat writer Brandon George answered a question about WR Dez Bryant:

In the end, Bryant probably won't be convicted of the misdemeanor and probably won't be suspended. Hopefully getting off on both counts, if that's the case, doesn't make him believe he can get away with this type of behavior again. Hopefully this is a lesson learned for him and corrects his actions and gets the help that he and his family needs.

The victim, Bryant's mom, does not want to press charges, so he's likely to escape a suspension. The incident itself is concerning, however, since we've been hearing glowing reports about how he has improved his maturity all offseason.

The Buccaneers cut WR Dez Briscoe.

Briscoe caught six TDs on 35 receptions, giving him the 13th-highest FP/target in 2011. All he does is catch TD passes.

Some Cleveland Brown notes:

- WR Josh Gordon told reporters he didn’t feel he was all that behind from a mental standpoint, given that it was his first on-field action with the Browns.

- WR Travis Benjamin has clearly made significant strides since offseason workouts. The fourth-round choice from Miami consistently ran routes with greater precision than he demonstrated in rookie minicamp, full-squad minicamp, and OTA workouts.

- Brandon Weeden continued to look like the best thrower of the Browns’ quarterbacks. There was almost no comparison between the velocity and accuracy of his passes and those of the only veterans participating in the rookie camp: Colt McCoy, Seneca Wallace, and Thaddeus Lewis.

WR Braylon Edwards working out for Seattle. Seahawks also looking at other free agents at the position after cutting Mike X. Williams.

The Minnesota Vikings began reporting to training camp on Thursday morning.

By day's end, they were expected to finalize a move that's been a virtual inevitability for months.

Two NFL sources said the Vikings planned to place Adrian Peterson on the active/physically unable to perform list before their first walkthrough on Friday, barring the unlikely event the star halfback can talk them out of it.

When the Broncos take the field for their first training camp practice Thursday morning, the count begins. The pitch count, that is.

How often quarterback Peyton Manning throws the ball in the coming weeks will be monitored.

With Manning coming off a missed 2011 season that included a fourth neck surgery, it's expected he will do more in the coming practices than he will later into the preseason and into the regular season.

When asked Wednesday if Manning's workload would be regulated in the coming days and weeks, Broncos coach John Fox said: "We haven't really gotten too deep into that. (But) I think he's pretty strong. At some phase in camp, the season, typically that does occur."

Marques Colston, Devery Henderson and Lance Moore are ensconced at WR for the Saints, leaving a fight for the fourth slot.

Adrian Arrington has the most NFL experience, and fourth-round draft pick Nick Toon might have the biggest upside.

When Seattle drafted Utah State product Robert Turbin in the fourth round of this year’s draft, the team did not expect him to start the season opener on Sept. 9 at Arizona.

But with Seattle’s best offensive player, Marshawn Lynch, recently arrested and charged with drunken driving in his hometown of Oakland, Turbin could be pressed into service sooner rather than later.

But unlike last season, when the Seahawks depended on lighter backs such as Justin Forsett and Leon Washington to shoulder the load when Lynch was out – which likely cost them a win at Cleveland – at 5-10 and 222 pounds Turbin can mimic Lynch’s bruising running style.

Chan Gailey said Donald Jones will be the No. 2 receiver when camp opens Thursday morning, but the competition remains open.

"Donald'll start there, but we're looking at everybody," Gailey said. "We've not ruled anybody out at this point at that spot."

The Broncos' top punt returner is receiver Eric Decker. Their top kickoff returner will likely be determined in training camp and the preseason.

Steve Corkran said the punt return job is "Denarius Moore's job to lose."

Jaguars RB Rashad Jennings, a seventh-round draft pick from Liberty in 2009 who spent last season on injured reserve, will replace Maurice Jones-Drew as the starter [as long as Jones-Drew continues to hold out].

Jones-Drew could end up reporting later on. He's got two years left and the team doesn't figure to even open up talks right now. Jennings would be nice option filling in for MJD, even if it's a temporary thing.

One, the Colts are going to be a power running team. Two, Donald Brown is the presumptive leader.

A more reliable running attack will ease the load on QB Andrew Luck and a defense in transition. That area has been wholly unreliable. Since 2008, the Colts rank No. 32 in the league in rushing yards per game (88.2) and per attempt (3.7) and No. 31 in attempts per game (23.6).

That won’t get it done. Brown needs to stay healthy and be consistent. He rushed for 645 yards and averaged 4.8 per carry last year, both career highs. Brown should be pushed by 238-pound Delone Carter and 217-pound rookie Vick Ballard, both of whom appear ideal for the bruising approach. Free-agent pick-up Mewelde Moore is a candidate to be a third-down option.

Brown ranks just 27th on our RB list. The young Colts could struggle to stay in games and the rushing attack may be forced aside for a passing attack many weeks. He'll be usable in certain matchups, but he enters the year more likely a middle of the road RB3 option for your team.

Bryant Johnson was a reserve WR with Texans last season and knows coaches and system.

Former Lion, Cowboy and Bear receiver Roy Williams is also expected to work out, but McClain feels Johnson might have an edge.

Buffalo Bills running back Fred Jackson couldn't have been more unequivocal today when addressing the issue of recovering from the broken right leg fibula that ended a possible All-Pro campaign in November.

"I don't really consider my injury last year as serious as a lot of people say," Jackson said today at St. John Fisher College. "It was just a dumb bone that I fractured. But I was walking around on it two weeks later without any problem. It's a non-weight-bearing bone. I'm fine, 100 percent ready to go.

"I'm excited about being back out here. Yeah, it took me off the field last year, but it's not a catastrophic injury that I suffered."

We have Jackson ranked as an RB2 at #19, and available in the fourth round. This year's owners will hope to see similar numbers as before Jackson got hurt last year, and although he claims to be 100%, that's something he'll have to prove. CJ Spiller proved he could do the job filling in last year for Jackson and will be in the mix.

Dolphin beat writer Armando Salguero talked about the team's QB situation...

Reports I'm reading from the time I was away are speculating that Dolphins QB Ryan Tannehill is already out of the running for an opportunity to start.

Really?

That's not what a team source suggested to me today. The source told me the club very much wants Tannehill signed and in camp as soon as possible so that he won't be behind in the competition with the veterans.

The club wants Tannehill to compete and compete hard for the chance to start. No, he might not win the competition, but to suggest he's already lost it is not accurate.

Kent Somers said Cardinals QB Kevin Kolb started with the first team today, but that he will likely be switching daily with John Skelton. It's a dead heat at the moment.

In 2011, just before the NFL and its players went their separate ways for five months, the New Orleans Saints signed kicker Garrett Hartley to a long-term, $10.3 million contract.

And then in August, the kicker injured himself on a routine kick, an extra point that proved anything but routine.

So in came veteran kicker John Kasay, a 41-year-old veteran whom the Carolina Panthers believed was past his prime.

All Kasay did for the Saints was finish with the most points he has ever had. His 34 field goals was 10th-most in the NFL and tied for third-most in his career.

He went 28-for-34 in his first year with the Saints, including 2 of 5 from 50-plus yards. The Saints rewarded his consistency this offseason with another contract.

The question now is what the Saints do with the position. Carrying an extra kicker isn’t out of the ordinary for New Orleans. But it is a luxury, one most teams can’t afford.

The youngster is likely the first-team kicker heading into camp. But Kasay is there nipping on his heels. If the Saints can afford the roster spot, we see both at least starting the season with the team.

Kicker by committee? Let's hope this gets situated before drafts, because any Saints kicker given the starting job will have value in this high-scoring offense.

Vikings QB Christian Ponder (6-foot-2, 229 pounds) puzzled scouts somewhat as a rookie because he didn't ascend after an encouraging first start.

But he showed enough athleticism, arm strength and talent for extending plays with his legs to strengthen the Vikings' belief in him as the quarterback of the future. Harnessing his mobility, trusting his progressions and not aiming the ball will be areas of emphasis for Ponder in Year 2, and upgrades to the line and perimeter group should help.

Patience is a virtue at that position. He already has been named the starter over Joe Webb (6-4, 220), the athletic freak who is working exclusively at quarterback for the first time. He has a knack for making things happen once the play breaks down and probably end up getting time somewhere on the field when the real games begin.

Steelers Emmanuel Sanders will take WR Mike Wallace's spot at 'X' while he holds out.

Among highlights from Broncos head coach John Fox: RB Knowshon Moreno passed physicals.

Cardinals RB Ryan Williams says he's about 85-90 percent. Mental hurdles to clear. He'll have 10-12 snaps in today's practice.

The Steelers believe WR Mike Wallace will not report today for training camp and will resume a holdout that occurred all spring over contract negotiations.

With that stance by Wallace, the Steelers are likely to suspend negotiations on a multiple-year contract for their Pro Bowl wide receiver.

Next move, then, is up to Wallace apparently. He can either sign his one-year, $2.472 million offer on the table and report to training camp or, stay away.

Wallace is expected to hold out of camp. We will keep an eye on the situation. In the meantime, Emmanuel Sanders will be taking over the X receiver spot in practice and, if he remains healthy, could provide similar skills.

Darren Urban commented about the Cardinals RBs:

"I get so many questions about Beanie Wells and his health and whether the Cards will sign another veteran running back. Again, I don’t see it happening right now and judging by how coach Ken Whisenhunt addressed Beanie’s PUP placement yesterday, I don’t get any sense of urgency in that regard.

"What else can I say about Beanie except we’ll see how it plays out. Personally, yes, I would have said — had you asked me when the news of his surgery first happened — I expected him back by now. But as long as he (and Ryan Williams, for that matter) is ready to roll by the regular-season opener, then the rest probably doesn’t matter."

If Redskins RB Tim Hightower isn’t yet at full strength, the starting job will come down to Roy Helu and Evan Royster.

Both showed some flashes last season, but Redskins coaches still have some questions about Helu. For one, although he offers that threat to break a big run, he struggles to consistently pick up chunks of yardage. The Redskins would like to see him do more than just take what’s there and be able to make something out of nothing.

There also are questions about Helu’s durability. Injuries hampered him late in the season and kept him out of most of this offseason’s OTAs. Shanahan said the questions about Helu’s durability will remain until he can prove otherwise.

ESPN's Dan Graziano commented on Giants RB David Wilson:

"Wilson has enough speed that his potential is through the roof. Like anyone else, though, he'll only reach it if he identifies and works on the areas in which he's not great, and those include pass protection from what I understand."

Bengals offensive coordinator Jay Gruden says both top running backs, BenJarvus Green-Ellis and Bernard Scott, deserve the ball, but if one emerges, "fine."

Bengals special teams coach Darrin Simmons, who got a club-record year out of wide receiver Brandon Tate returning punts last year, says both return jobs are open.

Tate, who did both last season, is going to have a more extended role on offense.

Offensive coordinator Jay Gruden says he's expecting Brandon Tate and Armon Binns to share a lot of snaps at the No. 2 receiver and doesn't initially see one beating out the other.

The Bengals are looking for a WR2 option to go with stud A.J. Green.

You’re going to see a ton of second-year Falcon running back Jacquizz Rodgers.

The Falcons have tried to go lightly on starter Michael Turner in recent preseasons because they knew he’d be carrying a heavy load in the regular season. You’ll see even more efforts in that direction this year because the Falcons have been very clear that they want to limit Turner’s workload in 2012. He still will be the starter and will get the bulk of the carries.

But coordinator Dirk Koetter is bringing in a new offensive scheme and Rodgers has a chance to be an important part of that. Turner is a power runner and never has been much of a factor as a receiver out of the backfield. Rodgers has all the tools to be a real threat as a receiver and the Falcons want to get him involved and create a new wrinkle in their offense. But the Falcons are hoping Rodgers can be more of a third-down back.

Seems like a situation similar to Frank Gore in SF, however, we still have Turner as a high RB2 option (13th on our RB board), available in the fourth round. Rodgers will serve as a third down/change of pace back for the Falcons in combination with Jason Snelling.

Turner should still see the bulk of the carries and goal line work. Gore (4.08) and Turner (4.05) have very similar ADPs, yet Turner seems like a much safer option at that point in the draft.

It's clear that 49ers RB Frank Gore won't have the workload he's had since becoming the featured running back in 2006. What's unclear is how those non-Gore carries will be divided this season.

Second-year player Kendall Hunter and second-round draft pick LaMichael James are assured spots on the team while Rock Cartwright could win one based on his special teams ability. Brandon Jacobs' and Anthony Dixon's spots, however, are fuzzier.

Jacobs appears reborn after a sometimes contentious career with the Giants, and he could be an asset if Gore, injured in each of his last five seasons, goes down again. But the acquisition of Jacobs and James also has seemed to spark something in Dixon, who to this point has not been able to marry his undeniable skills with focus and commitment.

The backup situation might be one to monitor if you end up having Gore on your team. We rank Gore just 20th on our RB list, which is borderline RB3 material. His ADP is still the fourth round but it seems to be a risky place to take him because of the decreased workload.

Dallas Cowboys running back Felix Jones said he finds a different motivation every year.

This year, it is to prove he can stay healthy.

The fifth-year veteran heads to training camp ready to practice after missing much of the off-season work recovering from shoulder surgery.

DeMarco Murray is still expected to be the Cowboys main rusher this season after exploding on the scene taking over after Jones got hurt.

The Eagles are hoping to phase DeSean Jackson out of the punt return business. While they aren’t ready to say he won’t be returning any punts this season, they are hoping to find somebody that can handle most – if not all – of the punt return duties.

"DeSean will return some, but we’ll primarily focus him on offense, and hopefully find a guy that can do what he can do," special teams coach Bobby April said Tuesday morning.

This takes a little bit of a hit on Jackson's value. He's a hit or miss fantasy player who makes big plays one week, but can disappear the next. Hopefully with a new contract, a more focuses Jackson can also be more consistent for fantasy owners. He's likely to still see punt return duty, like late in a game the Eagles may be trailing or tied. But it seems like eventually they'd like to keep him concentrating on his WR skills.

QB Brandon Weeden's start with the Browns won't be delayed.

The rookie quarterback signed a four-year, $8.1 million contract on Tuesday, one day before he and Cleveland's other first-year players have their first practice of training camp. Only three years of Weeden's deal are guaranteed, which was thought to be a sticking point during negotiations.

With Weeden under contract, the Browns hope to have finally solved a decade-long puzzle at quarterback. Although coach Pat Shurmur hasn't named Weeden his starter, the 28-year-old is expected to be with the first-team offense from the first snap of camp. Cleveland has had 16 different quarterbacks start games since 1999.

The team is expected to release Colt McCoy at some point, giving 28-year-old Weeden a chance to be the starter immediately. Weeden ranks 26th on our QB list. He most likely won't get drafted in your league as the Browns are expected to feature Richardson in their offense. He does have some potential at WR to work with, but he'll have a lot to prove before making fantasy lineups.

TE Visanthe Shiancoe has signed a 1-year deal with New England.

Obviously, he'll be behind studs Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez...

Chicago Bears general manager Phil Emery said receiver Johnny Knox is making "steady progress" in his return from a back injury, and the team will make a decision soon about whether to place him on the active physically unable to perform list.

"He's able to do all the lifting, he's doing quite a bit of rehab, he's doing some light running," Emery said on Tuesday, the day before players report to training camp. "He is able to get off the assisted treadmill so he is doing those activities. He is making steady progress towards being back on the team."

Saints running back Mark Ingram said at the end of the offseason workout program in June that his scoped left knee would be completely healed when training camp begins. But coach Joe Vitt said Tuesday that the training staff would monitor Ingram leading to the possibility of Ingram being limited when camp opens Thursday.

There was no update on running back Chris Ivory, who missed the last week of OTAs with an injured hamstring. Vitt said during the last week of OTAs in June that he hoped Ivory would be ready for the start of training camp.

The longer Ingram is out, it may mean at least more early season work for RBs Pierre Thomas, Chris Ivory and Darren Sproles. Continue to monitor the situation, which seems to be a three- or four-headed running back attack for the Saints again this year. Sproles will have the most value of the three, and we have him ranked 17th. When healthy, we have Ingram ahead of Thomas on our RB list.

With training camp opening Friday, Dolphins receiver Chad Johnson is changing more than merely his name. He has reverted to the flamboyant personality, the relentless offseason worker, who flourished in Cincinnati before what the Dolphins hope was an aberrational 15-catch season in New England.

After changing his name back from Ochocinco, Johnson told us Monday: “This season is going to be a monster year. I don’t care who’s playing quarterback. I’m going to have a great year. The first day I get to camp, everybody’s mouth can drop [the bleep] open. My game is at the point where it doesn’t matter who starts at quarterback. Oprah can play quarterback and we’ll be all right.”

Cards coach Ken Whisenhunt says he doesn't anticipate RB Beanie Wells being on PUP an extended time. This is not unexpected, he says.

Rams RB Steven Jackson said on Tuesday’s PFT Live that he’s currently talking to the Rams about a contract that would allow him to retire as a member of the only team with which he has played.

The active NFL leading rusher with 9,093 yards (unless Thomas Jones signs with a new team) is under contract through 2013, with base salaries of $7 million this year and next year.

Texans are still holding out hope that undrafted WR Dwight Jones will show up at some point. He was placed on reserve/did not report list.

The Eagles have put on hold plans to bring tight end Jeremy Shockey in for a physical after they worked out Visanthe Shiancoe on Tuesday, a team source said.

If the Shiancoe work out went well -- and signs point to that being the case -- the Eagles could have him under contract before the rest of the team reports to training camp on Wednesday.

The mystery behind QB Tim Tebow’s countless roles with the Jets may include a wrinkle that has flown under the radar. Although the Jets brass has openly discussed his value as the team’s personal punt protector and backup quarterback, coaches have also bounced around the idea of using their newest versatile weapon in a different capacity on special teams: kickoffs.

“I think there might be some value there on kickoff returns,” said assistant special teams coach Ben Kotwica. “It’s something that we’ve talked about. I don’t think there’s any option with Tim that we’ve taken off the table. So, that would be something that would be new to him as well. In what we’ve asked him to do as the personal protector (right now), he’s done an excellent job.”

This is a big year for Keller on a couple of levels. Without a proven wide receiver opposite Santonio Holmes, he'll be the No. 2 option in the passing attack. It's also a contract year for Keller, who would like to sign a long-term extension but has received a cool response from the organization. The message is clear: Play out your final year and maybe we'll talk. Keller has steadily improved each year and he could be poised for big numbers. Holmes figures to draw the double coverage, which should create matchup advantages for Keller.

We rank Keller 14th on our TE list. Drafting him as a high-end TE2 makes sense for all the reasons above in the article. His ADP is the 13th round so, you should have a good opportunity to get him if you like his potential.

After finalizing a contract with running back Trent Richardson, the Cleveland Browns are on the verge of a deal with their second first-round draft pick, quarterback Brandon Weeden, according to sources.

The two sides spoke into the night, are now "close" to a deal, and are hoping to wrap it up Tuesday, sources said.

Rookies are scheduled to report on Tuesday, but the hard deadline is Friday, when the first full-team practice takes place.

The Cleveland Browns and first-round pick Trent Richardson have come to terms on a deal, sources told ESPN senior NFL analyst Chris Mortensen.

The deal, sources said, is worth $20.4 million over four years with a $13.341 million signing bonus and is fully guaranteed with no offset language in the deal.

The Browns selected Richardson, a running back out of Alabama, with the third overall pick in April's draft.

Cleveland hopes Richardson can bolster a running attack that generated just four rushing touchdowns last year while being led by Peyton Hillis. Hillis, now with the Kansas City Chiefs, failed to recapture the form he displayed in a breakout 2010 season and rushed for just 587 yards on 161 carries in 2011.

Richardson appears set to be focal point of the Browns offense, and will step right into the starting RB job with really no competition behind him to take away touches. We rank Richardson 9th among fantasy RBs, but he certainly has the potential to surpass that if Cleveland can stay in games and make the ground game a factor. His ADP is 10th overall, which would be a great spot to land him, but don't be shocked if he goes a few spots earlier.

Jaguars coach Mike Mularkey said Monday he doesn’t know if running back Maurice Jones-Drew will arrive on Thursday when the Jaguars players report for the start of training camp.

Mularkey said he hasn’t been in contact with Jones-Drew, who skipped the entire off season program because he wants a new contract.

“Every player had to sign that they got the information in regards to training camp. Somebody signed at the (Jones-Drew) household we sent it to. Everybody is aware of when it starts, when they have to be here.’’ Mularkey said.

Mularkey declined to say if he will impose a $30,000 a day fine if Jones-Drew, the NFL’s leading rusher last season, holds out. That is the maximum fine allowed for signed players who miss training camp.

Still no need to panic just yet as players tend to show up later in camp, have their fines waived, and then proceed forward. But, this could weigh on his mind and affect play this season, much like it did for Eagles WR DeSean Jackson last year. MJD still has two years on his contract and the team has said they don't plan to talk about a new one. We rank him 5th among our RBs, but if this situation continues, he may be a guy to pass over, esp. in the middle of the first round where he is projected to be taken.

Don’t be surprised if the Browns pull the plug on RB Montario Hardesty if he can’t stay healthy in his third training camp.

If you plan to own Trent Richardson, be sure to monitor the backup situation in Cleveland. It's certainly not clear-cut heading into camp.

Eagles TE Brent Celek finished strong last season -- despite hip and sports hernia injuries -- and ended the year with 62 catches for 811 yards and five touchdowns.

He was held back slightly in the spring as he recovered from hip surgery. But Eagles coach Andy Reid said Sunday that Celek was good to go for camp and Celek said via text message Tuesday morning that he feels great.

Celek was also counted on to block a lot early in the year until the offensive line started to develop, and after that had a pretty nice second half. He can clearly be an offensive threat and a nice fantasy option. We rank him 9th in standard leagues and would be a guy to target if you pass on the position until later in your draft.

TE Visanthe Shiancoe, who had a visit with the Pats last week, will visit the Eagles on Tues. One of the best free agents still on market.

Also talked to Lions WR Ryan Broyles today. Asked him about PUP. Said "I’m going to be out there doing something" on the 1st day.

The Jets have traded for T Jeff Otah from the Carolina Panthers in exchange for an undisclosed conditional draft choice.

Patriots have no concerns about the health of TE Rob Gronkowski going into camp. "Good to go," I'm told.

The Panthers have placed WR David Gettis on the PUP list. Not a big deal. They can bring him off at anytime. He's fine. Just recovering.

WR Louis Murphy traded from Raiders to the Panthers.

Murphy was rumored on the roster bubble for Oakland. The Panthers have a lot of question marks at WR outside of Steve L. Smith. Brandon LaFell was the number-two prior to the trade.

One of the biggest priorities for Kansas City at camp is to get RB Jamaal Charles back to where he was before last season’s knee injury.

Another is to figure out how to maximize the talents of both Charles and RB Peyton Hillis, who had his best pro season playing for new offensive coordinator Brian Daboll two seasons ago, when Daboll was with the Browns.

In the Chiefs’ perfect world, they’ll get the ball to Charles and Hillis a total of 500 times.

This seems like pretty good news for potential Charles owners. We rank him 10th in standard leagues and 12th in PPR. His ADP is early third round, so if you pick at the bottom of the order, Charles should be there for you. While there is always some risk with recovery, Charles has a chance to finish as a top RB. He may lose some TDs in close to Hillis, but we've seen Charles score from anywhere on the field, too.

For the Dolphins, the most interesting position other than quarterback has to be receiver. Brian Hartline and Davone Bess are safe; Chad Ochocinco is still too gifted physically not to make it unless he struggles grasping the offense.

Joe Philbin really likes Legedu Naanee, who's in the top four now but can't allow the young guys to badly outplay him in preseason.

"I'm excited about our wide receivers," offensive coordinator Mike Sherman said. "I know it's an unknown group."

If Ochocinco and Naanee stick, that leaves one or two spots for Roberto Wallace (most impressive of the unproven ones), Marlon Moore (good speed but some exasperating drops), Clyde Gates (still thinking too much), Julius Pruitt (three touchdowns in one June practice), and long shots Chris Hogan (the second-year kid from Monmouth who was decent in May/June work), B.J. Cunningham (too many drops), Rishard Matthews (will get a look on returns) and Jeff Fuller (practice squad potential).

Toby Gerhart thinks Adrian Peterson will be in uniform for the Minnesota Vikings' season opener, but that doesn't mean Gerhart expects to be a backup out of the gate.

"I'm looking, going into the season, to have a big role," Gerhart told 1500 ESPN's Sunday Morning SportsTalk show.

"I don't know how big it will be. But I'm looking like I'm going to be the starter from Day 1 and have to be the starter all the way on through until Adrian is back and ready and full-speed. I'm excited about that. I'm ready to embrace that and go out and help this team win and really show people what I can do."

Cleveland's projected starters at WR are Greg Little and Josh Gordon.

At 6-3 and 225 pounds, Gordon is the most physically imposing. He has long arms, large hands and reputedly no history of drops. Josh Cooper was QB Brandon Weeden’s second-favorite target at Oklahoma State and is experienced running crossing routes over the middle. The question is whether he can take the pounding of NFL safeties.

Don’t be surprised if Gordon, who hasn't played since the 2010 season at Baylor, needs time to claim a starting spot and Cooper edges out Jordan Norwood for the slot receiver role.

Cleveland receivers should be available pretty late in your draft. We currently have Little ranked 46th and available in the 11th round. Based on this article, guys like Mohamed Massaquoi and Josh Cribbs may eventually fall behind Gordon and Cooper.

The Akron Beacon Journal notes that Browns RB Trent Richardson is a lock to “carry a significant workload” in his rookie season and beat writer Nate Ulrich writes that Brandon Jackson is likely to be Richardson’s backup.

Jackson is the epitome of reliable when healthy, so don’t be surprised if he emerges as the team’s main backup. Before the Browns signed Jackson to a two-year, $4.5 million deal last summer, he didn’t lose a fumble or commit a penalty in four seasons with the Green Bay Packers. On the other hand, Hardesty struggled to catch the ball last year. The Browns hope Hardesty can stay healthy and live up to the expectations placed upon him as a second-round draft pick, but his medical history is an obvious concern. The Browns kept only three running backs when they cut their roster to 53 players last year. Ogbonnaya will probably be the odd man out, unless someone else gets hurt.

Chiefs S Eric Berry confirms to GoVolsXtra.com that he’s “very close” to being back to 100 percent and is confident that he’ll be back to form by the season opener. Berry suffered a season-ending injury last year that essentially wiped out his entire 2011 campaign.

"By the time I'm on the field, I'm going to be ready when it's time to go," Berry said. "But right now, I just want to make sure I get my feet back up under me and get used to cutting off of somebody else's movement."

Assuming Berry returns to full strength, he’s definitely worth a look for IDP owners. He should be the second safety off your board after George Wilson of the Bills, and projects to be a 90-tackle player that also nabs 3-5 interceptions in Romeo Crennel’s defense.

James Walker of ESPN.com doesn’t see the Dolphins reaching out to free agent WR Terrell Owens despite the team’s lack of quality depth at receiver.

"Signing Owens would be a bad move and probably wouldn't help much in the win column. Miami traded Pro Bowl receiver Brandon Marshall in an effort to remove troubled players from its locker room. Getting rid of Marshall and signing Owens sends a bad message. It also would create a circus atmosphere that Miami is trying to avoid in the first year under rookie head coach Joe Philbin. Ochocinco is colorful enough for Miami's locker room. Ochocinco and Owens would be too much for this rebuilding team to handle."

One league evaluator told Pro Football Weekly this week that Bears RB Michael Bush is a nice complement to starter Matt Forte.

"I don't know if [Bush] can be a full-time guy, but he's a great complement to Forte," one league evaluator opined to Pro Football Weekly. "He's punishing. He's a capable receiver with some speed ... a decent pass protector. He knows what he is."

Len Pasquarelli of The Sports Xchange confirms that Cardinals rookie WR Michael Floyd has been slow to adjust to the work ethic of the pro game and is expected to open training camp no better than fourth on the depth chart.

Teammate Larry Fitzgerald called Floyd out via Twitter last week when the rookie failed to show up to his summer camp. Floyd eventually did report to Fitzgerald’s camp, which has led to well-publicized breakout seasons for a number of NFL players, but Fitzgerald remarked that the rookie was having a hard time with his conditioning.

The Cardinals reportedly remain high on Andre Roberts as the No. 2 receiver opposite Fitzgerald and it would appear as though Early Doucet has the inside track to claim the slot position.

Unlike with RB Ray Rice’s franchise tag situation, there is no deadline for the Ravens and QB Joe Flacco to come to terms on a new long-term contract. But either way, Flacco is optimistic that the two sides can reach a new deal before the start of training camp this week.

"There have been talks. My agent has definitely been talking and they've gone back and forth a little bit," Flacco explained, per the Baltimore Sun. "I can't really comment on how close it is. I don't really know. I'm not talking to Joe every day. Joe updates me every now and then. If he comes to me and something is really crazy about an update, then OK. But it's not like I'm talking to him every day and I could actually tell you how close it is. We have talked and that's really about it."

"I see myself being here for many years no matter what happens," the QB added.

Josh Looney of KCChiefs.com crowned Jon Baldwin as “one of the team’s biggest winners” this offseason after the former first-round pick received extra practice time with QB Matt Cassel due to Dwayne Bowe’s franchise tag situation.

"Highlight-reel catches were near daily occurrences for Jonathan Baldwin during Chiefs offseason practices," Looney said.

"There were acrobatic catches, leaping grabs and toe-touch finishes. Baldwin was consistent across the middle and converted down the sideline. He showed plenty of signs that he's ready to take a significant step forward in his second NFL season."

In efforts to fix his elongated throwing motion, Jets QB Tim Tebow spent time this offseason working with throwing coach Tom House at USC. But according to ESPN.com’s James Walker, Tebow continues to struggle with his accuracy.

"I most recently watched Tebow throw during New York's mandatory minicamp last month, and there continued to be stretches of poor accuracy. One play stood out most, during which Tebow pump-faked and tried to reload to throw. The pass seemingly took forever, and the defensive line was all over Tebow by the time the ball left his hands. It's hard to see that changing by New York's Week 1 game against the Buffalo Bills. Tebow deserves to be applauded for the immense work he's put in this offseason. Physically, he looks to be in the best shape of his career as he competes with Jets starter Mark Sanchez. Tebow's toughness, character and athleticism should make him an immediate contributor. But you wonder if Tebow's throwing motion will ever change dramatically enough to where it is no longer a question. I haven't seen enough evidence for that to be the case."

New York Jets CB Darrelle Revis suggested during last month’s mini-camp that he may hold out if he didn’t receive a new contract from the team. But according to the Associated Press, it appears that Revis will forego a hold out and report to training camp next week.

One reason for the change of heart is that there’s a “poison pill” in his contract that would cause his current deal to automatically extend by three years if he skipped camp. He’s due $13.5 million over the next two seasons of a front-loaded deal that will pay him $32.5 million during the first two years.

ESPNDallas.com’s Todd Archer believes that Dallas Cowboys WR Dez Bryant could be suspended following his domestic violence arrest.

"The fact that it was his first arrest doesn't matter. Commissioner Roger Goodell has the power to do what he wants, basically, whether there is a conviction or not. I think there's a decent chance Bryant will get a one-game suspension, but more of the legal process has to play itself out."

Redskins RB Tim Hightower is the most complete running back on the roster, and he’s positioned to be the starter if he’s fully fit.

Hightower was limited in minicamp last month. Now that he’s more than eight months removed from ligament reconstruction surgery, coaches could ease him back into a full workload as camp progresses and have him ready for the regular season.

He is adept at diagnosing cutback lanes in the zone scheme, and he excelled last season at squaring his shoulders to the line of scrimmage and bursting upfield. There’s not much wasted movement. He finishes runs powerfully. And although his pass blocking can be inconsistent, he’s better than second-year backs Roy Helu Jr. and Evan Royster.

The article states Helu is better suited for third downs and that Royster would also be in the mix for carries. We currently have Helu ranked 29th among our RBs with Hightower further down at 57. It's a situation to monitor, but it's also looking like it could be one to avoid as it may be a guessing game who gets the most carries and work week-to-week.

Greg Cosell on Raiders WR Denarius Moore: "I think Denarius Moore can be a similar type player to Mike Wallace."

Good comparison on speed/ability.

Giants RB Ahmad Bradshaw is the undisputed starter and wants to carry the bulk of the load. Bradshaw should also be the goal-line back, which he was at times even with Jacobs around.

Bradshaw could give you some great value as his ADP lists him going in the fourth round.

San Diego RB Jackie Battle, 28, spent the first five years of his career with the Chiefs. The bulk of his playing time on offense came last season when he had 149 carries for 597 yards and two touchdowns. He also had nine catches for 68 yards.

"We were in the market for a running back," General Manager A.J. Smith said. "We've been talking to Jackie Battle for a while. We think he's an outstanding player. He's been added for depth. We feel he has triple value. He is an outstanding special teamer. He's also a good running back and can help us at fullback."

A backup running back veteran presence behind Ray Rice doesn’t presently exist. The Ravens are known for adding pieces during training camp and they’re always looking for ways to augment their roster. If their younger backs don’t look ready in training camp, they’ll add somebody. But their current stable of backup running back candidates – Anthony Allen, Bernard Pierce, Damien Berry and Bobby Rainey - has a total of three NFL regular-season carries among them.

It’s probably fair to say that Allen enters training camp as the No.2 running back, largely because he’s the only player behind Rice who has NFL experience – albeit very little of it – and he knows the Ravens’ offense better than the others. But there’s no doubt that Pierce will get an extensive look in the preseason.

Titans receiver Kenny Britt was taken into custody early Friday morning at Fort Campbell (Ky.) and charged with driving under the influence. Fort Campbell officials say Britt was attempting to enter the Army post at approximately 3:30 a.m. through Gate 4. He was administered a field sobriety test, which showed indicators of intoxication. Britt later refused a Breathalyzer test and was charged with DUI and implied consent. It’s Britt’s eighth incident involving police since he was drafted in the first round in 2009.

Britt has been rehabbing both his knees this offseason, most recently a procedure on his left knee. After suffering a torn ACL and MCL in his right knee last September, Britt had a second procedure on the knee in May. Then, last month, Britt had arthroscopic surgery on the left knee.

The Titans on Friday morning released a statement: “We are aware of the situation and are in the process of gathering more facts.”

Britt has certainly had his issues since coming into the league. When you factor in his recent knee surgeries (three of them), and now possible discipline, it's probably time to lower him on your draft board even further. We already had him at 29 based on his health. He has now slid to WR33 in standard scoring and WR31 in PPR formats. Rookie Kendall Wright has a chance to be a mid-to-late round success story this year if Britt misses time. We currently have Wright ranked WR48, behind Titans WR2 Nate Washington who is at WR41. At this point, Wright's upside is dependent on Kenny Britt being off the field.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie running back Michael Smith has news for anyone who thinks the battle for lead ball-carrying duties will boil down to a fight between incumbent LeGarrette Blount and first-round draft pick Doug Martin.

"I look at it very differently," said Smith, a seventh-round pick out of Utah State who declared himself a contender following the first round of rookie training camp workouts Thursday at One Buc Place.

"Others may see it (as a two-man race), but I'm not out here just to be a third-down back. I'm going to be out here working and (looking) to start, to play immediately and to make an impact on the team."

Smith will likely start the season behind Blount and Martin, no matter what his expectations are. But should one of them go down, he looks like he could be the lead candidate for the RB3 spot on the Bucs. While he's not worth drafting in normal leagues at the moment, he certainly could be someone to pick up if there's an injury.

At tight end for the Packers, it all starts with Jermichael Finley, who returned by signing a two-year, $15 million deal before hitting the free-agent market in March.

After his second 55-catch season – one shy of Paul Coffman’s team record for receptions by a tight end in a season – Finley’s charge is simple: Catch the football more consistently. STATS had him for 11 dropped passes last season, ProFootballFocus.com had him for 12 (plus two more in the playoff loss to the New York Giants). While he still managed 767 receiving yards and eight TD catches, he dropped a league-worst 17.9 percent of the “catchable” balls thrown his way, according to ProFootballFocus.com.

“Jermichael is a talent and a forced to be reckoned with when he’s on the field. So getting him as many opportunities as possible is important,” said new tight ends coach Jerry Fontenot. “He’s going to help us in a number of ways. That’s not just solely exclusive to the pass game. He can help us across the board."

We rank Finley 5th among TEs in standard leagues. His ADP has him going in the eighth round, which is a nice spot if you want to take a chance on him, while at the same time not spending a very high pick on the position. He's a tremendous talent, but was supposed to bust out last year, too. There may just be not enough balls to go around in the Packer offense, especially if he continues to drop them.

The Jets running game will live or die with RB Shonn Greene, who enters his second season as the featured back. For the first time in his career, he's the most accomplished runner on the team.

Greene, a notoriously slow starter, averaged 74 yards and 4.4 per carry over the final 12 games last season, but he needs that kind of production over the full season. Greene is a one-speed back who doesn't make enough yards on his own. This is a contract year, so he'll be plenty motivated.

Some players on the team believe RB Joe McKnight will be the break-out player on offense. He'll get the opportunity, that's for sure. He'll back up Greene and replace LaDainian Tomlinson as the third-down back, the first time in his young career that he'll have a legitimate role on offense.

Both backs could be hurt, to some extent, by the news Tim Tebow will be a factor in the red zone. However Mark Sanchez could be the real loser here, as his stat line was padded by 6 rushing TDs in 2011. Greene can be had with a 6th round pick in an average draft. We suggest waiting on him longer in the draft, and targeting him as a buy low candidate after a brutal early schedule.

Detroit Lions running back Jahvid Best previously said he was ready to hit the football field in training camp, but what remains unknown is when it might happen.

Last month, Best said he planned to visit his doctor in July to get clearance to participate in contact drills during training camp, but when reached on Thursday afternoon, the running back's representatives declined to say if he has been cleared.

The lack of response by Best's representatives may or may not mean be a cause for concern.

Best's reps may not want to reveal his medical condition because they want his health to remain a privacy issue. They also may not want to talk about it because he still is not ready for contact.

While his condition is currently unknown, it will definitely be a major question when players report for training camp next week.

Tight end should be a position of strength for the Cardinals, but that was supposed to be the case last year.

They will try again this year, probably with the same four players: Jeff King, Todd Heap, Robert Housler and Jim Dray. Last year, King was the only one of the four to play in all 16 games.

King is the best all-around player of the group, but he will miss the start of training camp after suffering a partially torn quadriceps tendon in off-season workouts.

Housler will be given every chance to become a breakout player. He's fast and displayed good hands in college. He participated in a lot of plays during off-season work as coaches tried to get him as much experience as possible.

Heap is the only one of the four to make our TE list, and he likely won't get drafted at all, or if he does, very late based on his ADP. If you feel you've missed out on the TE position in your drafts this year, keep these guys in mind for later in the year. We'll also have to wait for the Cardinal QB situation to become more stable.

Bucs RB Doug Martin is expected to battle veteran running back LeGarrette Blount for playing time.

Martin who ran for 1,290 yards and 16 touchdowns as a senior at Boise State, also is expected to be an upgrade in the passing game at the running back position after showing off his hands while in college. With 715 yards receiving in his career, Martin is confident he can be an effective pass-catcher out of the backfield.

“I don’t have any favorites," said head coach Greg Schiano. "You know I shouldn’t say that. I think Josh (Freeman) is the favorite to be quarterback. Most positions we will dish out the reps in an appropriate manner and then we will see where the chips fall.”

Schiano can't really say he has a favorite at this point, but it's a safe bet Martin can be a big part of the Bucs offense with his pass-catching abilities alone. And, no one would be surprised if it's Martin who gets a great workload at some point this season. Martin ranks 27th on our PPR RB list, but his ADP is the 4th round. He's getting a lot of hype so don't expect him to last too long in your draft. We'd like the rookie to at least win the starting job before we spend a 4th round pick on him with other proven commodities like Reggie Bush available in that part of the draft.

Chicago Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher said Thursday there won't be any limitations in training camp from the knee injury he suffered in the 2011 season finale against the Minnesota Vikings.

Urlacher missed OTAs as he recovered from the MCL and PCL injury in his left knee, and he couldn't even golf as recently as March 20. Yet, he said when the Bears have their first day in full pads July 28, he'll be ready.

The Colts signed Luck, who was taken with the first overall pick in the April draft, to a four-year, $22.1 million contract, a league source told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter.

The deal is fully guaranteed, with no offset language, a source told Schefter. According to the Indianapolis Star, the deal also includes a $14.5 million signing bonus.

The Colts hold an option for a fifth year, the Star said. Indianapolis' rookies report to training camp on Wednesday.

We have Luck ranked as a low-end QB2 option, but he's likely to get taken higher than that in your draft. As a rookie he's a risk, of course, and there are better options. He does have some interesting weapons as the team resigned WR Reggie Wayne and drafted college teammate, TE Coby Fleener. He's at least likely to be useful in certain matchups.

Maurice Jones-Drew can hold out all he wants. From what I've been told, there is no consideration at all on giving him a new deal.

This has the potential to get ugly if Jones-Drew sticks to his guns. He has two years remaining on his contract, but, he could report late into camp, and assume his normal role. Whether he does or doesn't, his backup Rashad Jennings is a definitely a guy to target in your draft. That's especially true if you're keeping Jones-Drew, or you draft him before he reports.

Steelers continue to make headway with WR Mike Wallace. Both sides motivated to do a longterm deal. Talks ongoing with training camp looming.

Wallace is a top-10 WR talent, who we thinks should be available in the fourth round. He's a nice player to target at that area, esp. if you can get him as your WR2.

A league source tells PFT that the Dolphins are insisting on the inclusion of offset language in quarterback Ryan Tannehill’s contract.

Per the source, the team’s insistence is believed to be coming from V.P. of administration Dawn Aponte, who once worked for the league’s management council. It’s believed that teams are pushing for offset language at the specific direction of the NFL’s governing body.

It’s a silly issue, frankly. Teams don’t want the players to double dip in the unlikely event they’re cut within the next four seasons and they sign with a new team. The players, who are getting far less now than they did before the rookie wage scale arrived in 2011, think that their grossly-diminished haul shouldn’t be further diminished if the team decides to move on.

As far as summer indiscretions go, Eagles backup RB Dion Lewis’ arrest for pulling a hotel fire alarm failed to really register.

The Eagles aren't going to make a huge deal out of it. Head coach Andy Reid will likely chastise the second-year running back, but Lewis should remain No. 2 on the depth chart when full squad practices start Thursday.

Unless the Birds sign a veteran backup, the only other options behind Lewis are 7th round pick Bryce Brown and Chris Polk, another rookie. Lewis wasn't a bad blocker at times last year and Brown isn't much of a blocker at all, but did look impressive otherwise in OTAs. An RB's blocking ability is key in the Eagles offense.

There is no question about the impact that Eagles WR DeSean Jackson has. After a down 2011 season, one in which Jackson didn't net 1,000 receiving yards for the first time since his rookie season, it looks like Jackson is ready for a rebound year. At least, quarterback Michael Vick thinks Jackson will make a bigger impact on the field in 2012.

"I think his attitude in minicamp and OTAs was outstanding," Vick said of Jackson on NFL Network's Total Access. "I think he came in and wanted to work hard. He worked extremely hard with a different attitude, a different mindset. I’m proud of DeSean, I’m proud of how far he has come and just him being patient. Obviously our organization felt like it was important to get him signed and keep him happy, so I’m proud of both parties."

Jackson wasn't happy about a lack of a contract extension last year, and his played showed it. Hopefully for the Eagles and fantasy owners, he's set to make up for a down 2011. We have Jackson ranked at 34th among WRs, and available in the 7th round. There's no questioning his big-play talent, it's the weeks where you get 2 catches for 7 yards that will kill you. Unfortunately, that's just something you have to live with with Jackson. We rank teammate Jeremy Maclin 18th, and he's much more consistent week-to-week and is a red zone target for Michael Vick.

Jets QB Tim Tebow will be one of the most closely watched players in the NFL. Why? Because he's Tim Tebow. Another reason is because of his role: What is he?

The Jets say he's the No. 2 quarterback and will be used in the wildcat package. They haven't divulged any specifics, but it'll probably be closer to the read-option offense he ran in Denver than a true Wildcat, which is a direct snap to a running back.

Team insiders say the plan is to use Tebow in the red zone, where they can replace Mark Sanchez with another player/blocker to bolster the running game.

The use of Tebow in the red zone will hurt the value of Sanchez, who didn't necessarily have a lot of value to begin with, but did score 6 rushing TDs last season. Tebow could also take some scoring opportunities from RB Shonn Greene.

Sanchez likely won't be drafted in your league, and we rank him 27th at the moment. Meanwhile, Greene is a low-end RB2 or high end flex or RB3. As the stats show, Greene only found the end zone six times in 2011, but should be helped with LaDainian Tomlinson no longer in the mix. Green's ADP is the sixth round.

Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay said yet again that the team’s contract negotiations with quarterback Andrew Luck are “close” to completion.

Washington announced yesterday the signing of quarterback Robert Griffin III --- the second choice behind Luck in the NFL Draft. Griffin signed a guaranteed four-year, $21.1 million deal.

“Anybody who's done negotiations knows that you can get close and then remain close for a long period of time,” Irsay said at a news conference announcing the city’s intention to bid for the 2018 Super Bowl. “You know, close doesn't always mean that it's going to get done the next day.

“But ... he'll be in camp, there is no question that he'll be signed in time."

We rank Luck 20th among our QBs, which puts him at a value of low-end QB2. His ADP has him going in the 14th round in ten-team leagues, but he'll likely go before that to some excited owner who overvalues him. He'll likely have some use in certain matchups, but clearly there are better options to focus on as far as QBs go.

The countdown will be on the moment Vikings RB Adrian Peterson (6-foot-1, 217 pounds) reports to training camp, a little less than seven months removed from left knee reconstruction.

But the smart money says it'll be at least a couple of weeks -- perhaps after the first exhibition game on Aug. 10 at San Francisco -- before he's activated from the camp/physically unable to perform list. That still would give him plenty of time to ramp up and play some role in the Sept. 9 opener.

Toby Gerhart (6-0, 231) figures to shoulder a heavier load until Peterson's back to his Pro Bowl form, which could take all season.

Peterson is current our 15th RB in standard scoring formats. We wouldn't touch him at his current 2nd round ADP. Peterson may very well come into true form later in the season for the fantasy stretch run or playoffs, but we're not counting on much to start the season. Gerhart has an ADP of the 11th round, so if you do end up with Peterson, or protected him in a keeper league, it's a good idea to take Gerhart a round or so early.

Coming off last year’s lockout, Chargers RB Ryan Mathews took a ton of criticism for an apparent lack of conditioning in the offseason. How did the season turn out for No.24 last year? Mathews simply rushed for 1,091 yards on 222 carries and notched 6 touchdowns on his way to a Pro Bowl appearance.

The former Fresno State running back understood all of the criticism he received in training camp last season and is on a mission this August to prove everyone wrong about his offseason preparation.

“Expectations are real high. I have basically been training. My trainer Jeff has been putting me through some good workouts and I’ve had excellent OTA’s and a real good mini camp and I am looking forward to this upcoming season. Camp starts Wednesday. I can’t wait. It is going to be real fun.”

After Buffalo WR Stevie Johnson, David Nelson is probably the most proven receiver after his 61-catch campaign in 2011 that included a game-winning touchdown catch against Oakland in Week 2.

But knowing that Nelson is locked in as the team’s primary slot receiver he’s not seen as a number two on the outside or a candidate for that role per se. His rapport with QB Ryan Fitzpatrick working out of the slot is valuable.

Knowing how much the Bills employ three and four wide sets Nelson could very well be the receiver with the second most receptions for the Bills in 2012.

Broncos WR Eric Decker said he doesn’t think anyone is outworking him this offseason as he gears up to potentially be the primary target of quarterback Peyton Manning.

"This year, I went back to Minnesota with Larry Fitzgerald and got some good work in. I honestly don’t think anyone is working as hard as we are.”

Jags WR Justin Blackmon's contract is much more likely to include protection for the Jaguars because of his DUI arrest earlier this offseason. This collective bargaining agreement gives the Jaguars a little more freedom to protect themselves in case of future off-the-field problems.

Someone familiar with the negotiations yesterday wasn't sure Blackmon's deal would get done by the start of training camp.

Texans RB Ben Tate, a second-round draft pick in 2010, ranked seventh in the NFL last season with 5.4 yards per carry, just 0.2 yards off the league lead.

He had four 100-yard games after missing his entire rookie season with an ankle injury. He became the 11th player in NFL history to run for more than 100 yards in both of the first two games of his career.

“Ben brought a lot of big-play ability to our football team,” head coach Gary Kubiak said. “Arian Foster is a big, physical runner. Ben is more of a speed-type guy. If Ben stays healthy, has a good offseason, camp, here's a player who can break out and become a top player in this league, also.”

As if they didn't have enough ... Colleague @wyche89 reporting that the Patriots will host free agent TE Visanthe Shiancoe tomorrow.

The Buccaneers are likely to make use of a full stable of backs in 2012, as is the practice with most teams in today's NFL. Third-year player LeGarrette Blount is the returning starter and rookie Doug Martin is the prized newcomer, but it would be surprise if either of them failed to earn a significant role in Mike Sullivan's attack. There may also be a significant number of carries available for the likes of Michael Smith, Mossis Madu, Robert Hughes or De'Anthony Curtis.

Will Blount remain the starter or will that job go to Martin…and will that title even matter in the long run? The best-case scenario for the Buccaneers is a rushing attack that proves very potent, which will lead to more carries for everyone involved.

Much of it may depend on how versatile Blount and Martin prove to be. Obviously, being competent in the passing game – both as a receiver and, just as importantly, a blocker in the backfield – will increase the chances for either back to remain on the field for all downs. Martin was seen as that sort of multi-talented every-down back by scouts and analysts before the draft, and Blount is determined to prove that the same description applies to him.

It will also be interesting to see which back emerges as the team's best option in short yardage situations and around the goal line.

Martin is getting a lot of hype but the ideal situation is the team can use both backs - not so ideal for fantasy owners, however. Blount wasn't trusted last year in key situations because of fumbles, so it wouldn't be shocking if Martin emerges as the lead back at some point. Right now, the situation is too far up in the air to use third or fourth round pick on Martin.

Miami General Manager Jeff Ireland, speaking about QB Ryan Tannehill to the Dolphins’ web site: “I’m trying not to put too many grandiose expectations on the kid. I think the kid is our future. Obviously, I wouldn't have drafted him with the eighth pick [otherwise]. I feel like he's the kind of guy you want in the locker-room, the kind of athlete you want running an offense. But we’ve got two other quarterbacks here that are very established, very good competitors, so it’s not going to be easy for him."

Tannehill has been slow in making decisions at times and has taken a lot of sacks.

But Ireland said, "the speed of the game is challenging for any rookie.”

Cardinals beat writer Kent Somers talked about the team's WRs:

Is Andre Roberts likely to keep his starting job?

My guess is yes. Coaches think he's developed into a good player and that his statistics last year (51 rec., 586 yards, two touchdowns) were more a reflection of problems at quarterback.

Michael Floyd, the first-round pick, will not immediately step into the starting lineup. In fact, I'd be surprised if Floyd is ranked above Roberts or Early Doucet any time soon.

Redskins‬ RB Tim Hightower (ACL) says, "July 25th, I'm anticipating going." Says he will do everything until they tell him not to.

This will probably be an unclear fantasy situation at least into the start of the season. Roy Helu proved he's worthy of the job after taking over last year. But, the team has indicated they like Hightower's abilities. We have Helu rated 28th, and one would think he'd eventually come away with the majority of the work. Regardless, it will likely be a tough situation to predict week-to-week.

Titans receiver Kenny Britt is recovering from his second arthroscopic surgery since May on his knees, the latest on his left.

He had surgery on the right knee when he tore his ACL and MCL last September.

The Titans confirmed Tuesday that Britt had surgery after the team's minicamp ended in late June. The Tennessean cited sources that Britt had swelling in his left knee.

We rate Britt 25th right now, but he certainly has the potential to be a top-5 fantasy WR if he stays out of trouble, and of course, if he's healthy. His return date is unknown right now. Despite his ranking, his ADP is the 6th round, so if you want to take a chance on him, it's probably going to cost you a good pick to do so.

The Washington Redskins on Wednesday signed rookie quarterback Robert Griffin III, the team announced.

The Heisman Trophy winner from Baylor was the second pick in this year's draft.

Griffin announced the news on Twitter: "Well people....It's Time to go to Work!!! Off the unemployment line and oh yea HTTR!!!"

The initials stand for "Hail To The Redskins," the team's fight song.

Griffin's four-year contract is worth $21.1 million and is fully guaranteed, with no offset language, a league source told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter.

We have Griffin ranked 13th at QB, which equates to a high-end backup right now. His ADP is the ninth round, but chances are someone is going to reach for him in hopes he's the next Cam Newton. He certainly has the potential to be a QB1 as the season goes on, but he should really be targeted by those who draft low-end QB1s who are unsure of their status, or if you're looking to form a committee QB situation for your fantasy team.

Now that the Baltimore Ravens have inked Pro Bowl running back Ray Rice to a $40 million contract, the next priority for the organization is locking up quarterback Joe Flacco to a long-term deal.

Flacco is maintaining his focus on the upcoming season, though, not his unresolved contract status as he heads into the final year of his rookie contract, according to his agent.

"Joe is very, very excited for the season," agent Joe Linta told the Times in a telephone interview. "He's really adamant about getting the Ravens to the next step. The contract at this point is secondary to that goal. Joe has the attitude that he'll earn it."

Without Ryan Grant, the Packers lead RB role presumably will go to James Starks, despite a troubling track record with injuries.

While Starks was a godsend on the Packers’ road to the Super Bowl XLV title in 2010, his lack of durability is a major issue.

The coaches also see big things for second-year running back Alex Green, who missed most of his rookie season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee suffered Oct. 23 at Minnesota, even though he’s unsure of whether he’ll be ready for the first practice of training camp on July 26.

Washington Examiner beat writer John Keim talked about the Redskins WRs in a recent article:

There will be competition to start opposite Pierre Garcon among Santana Moss, Leonard Hankerson and Josh Morgan. But both Morgan and Hankerson are still on the mend giving Moss an edge. Morgan did practice in the spring, but lacked explosiveness.

Moss looked a little more spry in the spring, having lost 15 pounds. I’m not saying he’ll suddenly be making big plays downfield anymore, but he should show more burst than last season and get more YAC – with the number of short routes and smoke routes they send him on, leading to good yards after the catch, he should do much better than last year’s 4.1 YAC (he had 4.8 in 2010).

We currently rank Garcon 33rd among WRs and Moss at 44th. Clearly, these are guys you can get in the mid-to-late part of the draft for depth. Of course, there are a lot of unknowns with rookie Robert Griffin III at QB, but the upside is there for someone to emerge.

Vic Ketchman of the Packers Web site talked about running back Alex Green:

He’s a classic one-cut-and-go running back. We’re talking about a big guy, 6-0, 225. Green isn’t a wiggle back. He’s going to stick his foot in the ground and drop his pads on defenders. There was a fumbling issue in college, but the Packers obviously believe they can make that go away or they wouldn’t have drafted him. He’s shown he can catch the ball and he’s built like a guy who can hold his ground in pass protection. I think it’s obvious the Packers are really counting on Green to make an impact this season. Green is going to be one of the stories of training camp, one way or another, because he’ll be an important figure in camp.

Right now we have Green rated 76th among RBs, but he certainly seems like he could exceed that ranking at some point this season. His ADP of the 16th round indicates you can get him late if you want to take a shot on him. James Starks is the number-one RB and we rate him at 24th.

Cardinals TE coach Freddie Kitchens, entering his 6th season on staff, updated the status of Jeff King, who missed all of mini-camp and the OTAs after suffering a partially torn quadriceps tendon:

"The prognosis on him is that he's going to be back at some point during training camp. I'm not too concerned with him. He's going to work his tail off and do everything he needs to do to get back."

Arizona Cardinals beat writer Kent Somers things the Cards could use a multiback attack this year:

If potential is fulfilled, the Cardinals have everything they need at running back. Beanie Wells can provide the power and has enough speed to make big plays. Ryan Williams' quickness and vision make him an excellent complement to Wells. LaRod Stephens-Howling is a dangerous specialty back who causes matchup problems for defenses.

A healthy Mikel Leshoure probably gets the largest percentage of the carries, especially if he comes back and looks as good as he did the first two weeks of training camp last year.

Jahvid Best will get plenty of touches as both a runner and receiver, much like the Lions have used him the last two years and much like the Saints use Darren Sproles.

Kevin Smith said this offseason he thinks around 10 or more carries per game would be ideal for him as a third runner.

This is the first indication of who might have the most value among these three backs. Best is still the best PPR option, but the way things are trending, LeShoure may have the value in standard leagues and seems likely to snag some goal line TDs as well.

Texans QB Matt Schaub proclaimed himself and WR Andre Johnson 100-percent.

“I’m 100 percent, ready to go with no restrictions,” said Schaub said. "Andre looks great. He’s also 100 percent and ready to go.”

Schaub said being able to work with his receivers before camp was crucial because he’s missed so much time after undergoing surgery to repair the Lisfranc joint in his foot.

WR Damaris Johnson will likely be the Eagles’ kick returner -- he’s the NCAA all-time leader in kick return yardage -- but at least at minicamp, Johnson looked like more than a returner.

His quickness, ability to separate and good hands got everyone’s attention. Johnson had nearly 3,000 receiving yards and 17 TD catches at Tulsa, and he’s going to get a chance to show he’s more than just a returner.

Eagles coach Andy Reid has already said that RB LeSean McCoy’s workload will be reduced this year, which means more playing time for the backup.

Although Chris Polk could work his way into the competition, we’re guessing ultimately Bryce Brown and Dion Lewis will be the prime candidates for the No. 2 tailback job.

Lewis didn’t play much as a rookie -- 4.4 average on 23 carries -- but when he did get the ball he was productive. Brown, the rookie seventh-round pick, has an edge in size and is a better receiver. Lewis blocked surprisingly well last year, but Brown, with his speed, size and receiving ability, will get every opportunity to win the No. 2 job.

Behind Dolphins RB Reggie Bush are two promising tailbacks in Daniel Thomas and Lamar Miller, whose skills complement one another. The Dolphins envision Thomas as the team’s third down back because of his hands, and ability as a blocker. Last year Thomas started out strong, but fizzled at the end, averaging just 3.5 yards per carry. The coaches believe participating in a full NFL offseason program should help Thomas, a 2011 second-round pick, regain the powerful rushing style he had at Kansas State.

Miller’s addition gives the Dolphins another tailback with sub-4.4 speed. He'll be sprinkled in, handling some of those scatback plays designed for Bush. However, the shoulder injury that tanked his draft stock remains a concern. But his addition makes Slaton expendable.

Beat writer Kent Somers wrote the following about the Cardinals QB competition:

The competition between Cardinals QBs Kevin Kolb and John Skelton will be the major storyline of training camp. The problem is there isn't anything new to write or discuss. We'll all watch intently to see how it plays out.

Kolb, I think, has the edge because of what the Cardinals have invested in him. But he has to show improvement. With little time to learn the offense last season, Kolb was inconsistent with his throws and did not move well in the pocket. We'll see if a full off-season and a change of coaches (John McNulty takes over as QBs coach for Chris Miller) makes a difference.

This seems like a situation to stay away from. No matter who wins the job, it seems unlikely they remain in that position all season. The winner can probably be had late in your draft as a QB2 option, because there is some talent at WR and RB to work with.

The Titans believe RB Chris Johnson is ready to bounce back after a disappointing season in 2011, when he managed a career-low 1,047 yards and 4.0 yards per carry average.

He gained eight pounds of muscle to make him sturdier in the trenches, and he spent the offseason working with his coaches and teammates at Baptist Sports Park in the offseason program.

We have Johnson rated 6th among our RBs. It's natural to want to shy away from CJ2K after last season's frustrations, especially if you were an owner. But, with an ADP of the late first round (eighth pick in both standard and PPR), you almost have to be tempted to take a shot at that point in the draft. He seems to be dedicated to bouncing back this year, and with Tennessee's improved weapons in the passing attack, it should open some things up for him.

It's fair to assume that Bengals RB BenJarvus Green-Ellis might be the listed starter with RB Bernard Scott waiting as the change of pace guy, but with both preparing for new roles and Jay Gruden presumably looking to expand the offense with so many pieces returning, there are carries to be won and impressions to be made once the pads come on starting July 27.

We have Law Firm just outside top-25 RBs, with Scott much lower at 53, to start the season. It certainly seems possible that Scott could end up as the more valuable back as the season goes on, though. He just has to show consistency. Scott can certainly be had with an ADP of the 16th round at the moment. It's just another situation to monitor as camps begin this month.

The Browns did not reach a multiyear deal with kicker Phil Dawson before the deadline for teams to secure franchise-tagged players beyond the upcoming season passed at 4 p.m. Monday.

As a result, Dawson will play the 2012 season under a one-year franchise tag of $3.81 million. The Browns also franchised Dawson last year.

Redskins TE Fred Davis will play this season under the one-year franchise tag at a salary of about $5.5 million.

Davis was set to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason, but the team used its franchise tag to retain his services. He signed that one-year tender — worth roughly $5.5 million — in March.

Davis posted career-best numbers last season, with 59 catches for 796 yards in his fourth year out of USC. He also had three touchdown catches. But he missed the final four games of the season after failing multiple drug tests.

Davis said he has learned from his mistakes and that he is eager to prove to team officials that his problems are a thing of the past. Redskins coach Mike Shanahan and offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan said that they see a change in Davis, who they say is a big part of their plans for the 2012 season.

It doesn’t come as a surprise, however, that the team would want to wait before signing Davis to a long-term deal. With one more failed drug test, he would have to serve a one-year suspension.

The Shanahans said Davis is a big part of 2012 plans, and while Davis has claimed to have learned from his mistakes, it's easy to see why the Skins would like to wait things out a bit on a longterm deal. We have Davis rated 8th in standard leagues and 6th in PPR with an ADP of the 9th round in 10-team leagues. If he stays out of trouble, that's a pretty nice place to grab him if you decide to wait on the position.

Jets WR Santonio Holmes, who was an unhappy camper with QB Mark Sanchez last season, suggested in an interview on NFL Network that he won’t be happy this season if he’s going back and forth between catching passes from Sanchez and catching passes from QB Tim Tebow. Asked by Andrew Siciliano whether a two-quarterback system can work in the NFL, Holmes answered, “No.”

“I don’t think so,” Holmes continued. “Because you have to allow one quarterback to get in the rhythm of a game. And it starts from the preparation of practice."

NFL insider Jason La Canfora said he would be pretty surprised to see Chief WR Dwayne Bowe back in Kansas City after 2012.

He added that the entire offense there could be in for a shakeup, the Chiefs continue to grab young receivers high in the draft and he doesn't see Bowe in any rush to sign his tender, which won't create great goodwill with Scott Pioli.

Seahawk RB Marshawn Lynch was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence Saturday and taken to Santa Rita Jail, according to the California Highway Patrol.

Lynch, 26, was arrested after a traffic stop on Interstate 880 in Oakland, according to CHP spokesman Hector Baiza. Lynch was taken to Santa Rita Jail, where he was cited and released.

Lynch was suspended for 3 games back in 2009 for personal conduct violations after his second run-in with the law, so we'll be sure to keep an eye on this as it unfolds. A suspension is certainly a possibility. If Lynch were to miss games, Leon Washington and rookie Robert Turbin would likely carry the load.

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant was arrested recently in DeSoto.

On Saturday evening police responded to a family violence call in the 800 block of East Pleasant Run. Bryant was charged with a Class A misdemeanor for assaulting a female family member.

Here's my bold Falcons thought of the day: Don't be surprised to see Antone Smith as the kick returner when it's all over.

Josh Ellis broke down the Cowboys quarterback situation:

Tony Romo: Another career season for Romo only yielded eight wins for the Cowboys in 2011. It's not at all out of the question for him to put up even better numbers in 2012, but can the team capitalize?

Kyle Orton: An ideal backup, he'll give the Cowboys a chance to win each week if Romo is out for an extended period.

Stephen McGee: There doesn't appear to be much of an upside to keeping McGee, who is entering the final year of his rookie deal. Could he net a draft pick via trade?

Rudy Carpenter: If McGee is jettisoned, the club will want keep a third QB on the practice squad. Though he's been a pro for three years already, Carpenter is still eligible.

Six months after Packers RB John Kuhn was carted off the field with a knee injury in Green Bay's playoff loss to the New York Giants, the Packers' fullback is still not sure when he'll be fully cleared by team doctors.

Though Kuhn won't discuss specifics, he told FOXSportsWisconsin.com that he suffered a right knee injury in that game, one that he's "been working on this whole offseason to make stronger."

Mikel LeShoure Tweeted:

"All my fans who are wondering about my health the Achilles is feeling better than ever and I will be going into camp 100 percent."

The Lions RB situation is a bit of a mess with Kevin Smith and Jahvid Best also in the mix for carries. LeShoure seems like he'd be in line to get change-of-pace carries, short yardage touches and goal line chances at this stage, but it's a situation to watch up to the draft. All three rank between 38-41 in standard leagues, with LeShoure's ADP in the 12th round in ten-team leagues.

The Patriots and WR Wes Welker have failed to reach agreement on a long-term contract, per a source with knowledge of the situation.

The Baltimore Ravens and franchised running back Ray Rice have agreed to terms on a five-year, $40 million contract, only minutes before Monday's deadline, league sources told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter.

The deal will pay Rice $17 million in the first year and $25 million in the first two years, the sources said.

Rice is a top-three running back in any format, in the same league as Arian Foster and LeSean McCoy. He collected 2,068 yards from scrimmage to lead the league and another big year is expected from him in 2012.

The Jacksonville Jaguars and franchised kicker Josh Scobee have come to terms on a four-year contract, a league source told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter.

The Jaguars placed the tender on Scobee in March and the sides had until 4 p.m. ET on Monday to reach an agreement. General manager Gene Smith said at the time that it was Jacksonville's goal to sign Scobee to a long-term deal.

Monday marks the day that Washington Redskins' rookies are supposed to report for the first training camp of their professional careers. However, according to ABC 7's Alex Parker, one notable newcomer has yet to show up.

QB Robert Griffin III.

The heralded 2nd overall pick of the 2012 NFL Draft and last season's Heisman Trophy winner has yet to arrive for or sign a contract with the team with just more than a week until training camp kicks into high gear.

Expect Griffin to be signed soon. There's a lot of hype following this rookie QB who is being counted on as the team's franchise quarterback. We have him ranked 13th among our QBs. While he should be drafted as a backup this summer in most leagues, he has the potential to be at least a committee QB for your fantasy team as the season progresses.

Hours before an NFL deadline, the Bears and Pro Bowl running back Matt Forte are finalizing a four-year contract, according to a source close to the situation.

The two sides had until 3 p.m. CST to work out a long-term deal or else Forte would have had to play the 2012 season under a franchise tag worth $7.742 million.

The deal is a relief to Forte, a second-round pick who had outperformed his four-year, $3.7 million rookie contract. Backups such as Chester Taylor and Marion Barber made more than him the last two seasons, although Forte hadn't missed a game until the final four of 2011 because of a sprained MCL.

Forte is rated eighth in standard leagues and fifth in PPR leagues in our rankings, and despite the sprained MCL last year should be healthy and ready to go in 2012. He may lose some work to backup Michael Bush, but he's now being paid like a RB1 and should be a good value as a late first round pick in your draft.

Jaguars kicker Josh Scobee remained one of six franchised NFL players who had neither signed their franchise tags nor reached a multiyear deal with their team.

Scobee has said many times he would like to remain with the Jaguars, and general manager Gene Smith has also said the team would like to reach a long-term deal with Scobee.

Lions WR Titus Young was one of the most dangerous kick returners in college football during his final two seasons at Boise State, but the Lions kept him mostly off special teams last year as he got acclimated to the NFL.

Young worked extensively in the return game this spring, and when training camp opens later this month the second-year receiver will be in the mix to handle kicks and punts.

CSNNE.com Patriots insider Tom E. Curran tells SportsNet Central on Sunday that "it would be an upset" for the Patriots and wide receiver Wes Welker to agree to a contract extension before Monday's 4 p.m. deadline for franchise-tagged players.

Titans offensive coordinator said the QB battle between Matt Hasselbeck and Jake Locker is even right now.

“They’re even. It is a competition right now. Coach Munchak has made that statement and when the time comes and everyone is comfortable with who the starting quarterback is, then Coach Munchak will announce it.”

Based on zip, length and accuracy, Broncos QB Peyton Manning can’t throw the ball any better than he did here Saturday night.

The signature event of the Manning Passing Academy is the Air It Out exhibition and Quarterback Challenge that is held at Manning Field at Guidry Stadium on the Nicholls State University campus.

Granted, it was just a passing camp, but any news on Manning is something we'll all pay attention to. We have Manning rated 12th among our QBs right now, but obviously he could climb once we start seeing more. He'll be a risk no matter how high he gets in the rankings, so continue to monitor his progress.

Broncos DE Elvis Dumervil was arrested in Miami on Saturday night and has been charged with third-degree felony aggravated assault with a firearm. According to Florida law, Dumervil could face up to five years in prison if convicted.

Dumervil also had a run-in with the law during the 2010 season when he was charged with assault and disturbing the peace following an altercation with a parking-lot attendant at Invesco Field. The charges were later dismissed, however.

According to NFL Network’s Michael Lombardi, the Bears and RB Matt Forte are “extremely close” to agreeing on a long-term contract. Forte said on Friday he planned to spend this weekend on the phone with Chicago’s front office after the two sides were reportedly making considerable progress.

Forte has yet to sign his one-year, $7.749 million franchise tender and the deadline to sign franchise players is Monday at 4:00PM ET.

After breaking his foot back in May, Giants WR Hakeem Nicks told teammate Victor Cruz at this week’s ESPYs that he’s aiming to be on the field for the team’s Week 1 game against the Cowboys.

"He looks good. He's walking again on his own so that's definitely a good sign," Cruz told The Star-Ledger on Friday. "He told me he'll be ready and he told me he'll take training camp to continue rehabbing and continue to get his foot back right, but I definitely expect him to be ready by game one."

Beat writer Chris McPherson expects to see some decline from Eagles RB LeSean McCoy this year, at least in terms of the number of touchdowns he’s able to score.

"Considering that Michael Vick had just one rushing touchdown last season and no receiver had more than five scores it is hard to imagine McCoy duplicating a 20-touchdown season," he writes.

While he admitted that his ankle isn’t 100-percent yet, Rams QB Sam Bradford did say that the injury is getting better every week.

"It's good, it's good. I would say there's still days where it's not 100 percent, but I really haven't had any major setbacks. It seems to be getting better every week. I'm hoping by the time training camp gets here that it'll really be a non-factor."

Tony Softli, a former personnel executive for the Panthers and Rams, suggests that Seahawks rookie QB Russell Wilson will eventually win the starting job over Matt Flynn and Tarvaris Jackson.

"I think that once he picks up this offense he'll be ahead of Flynn not only athletically but [in terms of] positional attributes as well," Softli said on the air with ESPN's John Clayton. "I like what Flynn brings to the table because he does have some experience, and I think it's going to be a good competition between the two, but when it's all said and done I think Wilson will be the guy."

The Raiders have signed S Tyvon Branch to a new four-year contract agreed to Jason La Canfora. Branch finished the 2011 season with 109 total tackles, one interception, one fumble recovery and one sack.

Branch is listed third behind Buffalo’s George Wilson and Kansas City’s Eric Berry in our IDP rankings. He’s totaled at least 100 tackles in each of his last three seasons and is an ascending player in IDP leagues. As long as he continues to rack up tackles owners can live with the fact that he doesn’t produce many interceptions (he only has three in his career) or forced fumbles (he has three total FF in his career).

Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune believes that Bears WR Earl Bennett could have a breakout season following the trade acquisition of Brandon Marshall this offseason.

"Bennett seems poised for a breakout season," Biggs said. "He got a big pay day last season when the Bears signed him to a four-year extension, with $9 million guaranteed, Dec. 2. Bennett has more flexibility to play inside now and he has proven tough over the middle even though he missed five games after a big hit from Saints safety Roman Harper in Week 2 a year ago. He's elusive enough to get deep down the seams and could put it all together in his fifth season."

Bennett averaged a career-high 15.9 yards per catch last season but played in just 11 games due to injuries and caught a career-low 24 passes for 381 yards and one touchdown.

Ravens RB Ray Rice has until 4 p.m. ET on Monday to sign a new long-term contract with the team or be forced to play the 2012 season for the $7.7 million franchise tag. Despite the approaching deadline, Rice remains optimistic that he and the Ravens will come to an agreement.

“I’m always optimistic,” Rice told the Baltimore Sun. “God has put me in a position where not too many people can say they’ve been. I never played for the dollars and all of that other stuff. My rookie contract quite, frankly, you just signed it and go play football so this is a little bit difference of an experience for me.”

Alan Robinson of the Pittsburgh Tribune reports that Steelers RB Rashard Mendenhall says that his knee has “healed wonderfully.” Mendenhall tore his ACL in Week 17 last year, which put his 2012 season in jeopardy because typical recovery time for such an injury is nine to 12 months.

Pittsburgh GM Kevin Colbert has told Robinson that he expects Mendenhall will begin training camp on the physically unable to perform list. The Steelers are prepared to start veteran Isaac Redman at running back.

The Seattle Seahawks have released wide receiver Mike Williams, the team announced this afternoon.

Former Cardinals QB Kurt Warner weighs in on Arizona's QB battle:

“I think this is going to play out with Kevin Kolb becoming the starter for the Arizona Cardinals,’’ said Warner on NFL Network, where he is an analyst. “When I talk to people in the organization and what I’ve seen, everybody believes that Kevin has everything you need to be a starter in the NFL. He’s smart, he works hard, he’s got accuracy, he’s got mobility to run around and make plays, which we saw him do a number of times last year.

“The biggest problem was the offense in Arizona was completely different than what he ran in Philly, and it was tough for him to pick up that offense, and the nuances of that offense, and he really struggled with that last year. Never got fully comfortable.’’

QB Drew Brees and the Saints reach agreement on five-year deal worth $100 M, including $40 M in the first year and $60 M guaranteed in the first three years.

This is great news for Saints fans and Brees owners alike. We have had Brees ranked as our #3 QB, assuming that he'd eventually report to camp. But it's good that he'll be in camp for its entirety after missing offseason workouts. We are still a bit concerned about Sean Payton's suspension, but that's a minor issue relative to the contract situation. OC Pete Carmichael called the plays after Payton injured his knee and the Saints offense didn't miss a beat.

49ers WR Randy Moss has not been talking to the media, but he has spoken to teammates. One of them, running back Brandon Jacobs, believes Moss will do well with the San Francisco 49ers.

“His motivation level is high,” Jacobs said on CBS Network’s show, “Rome.” “I think Moss has a chip on his shoulder. I’ve spoken to him a lot, and he starts everything off with, `Just wait.’ He’s got a chip on his shoulder. He’s ready to go out there and show everybody that he can still play.”

LaDainian Tomlinson, who retired in June, said that he thinks new offensive coordinator Tony Sparano’s grinding approach to offense could become a problem for WR Santonio Holmes, who complained about the offense last season before sparking an in-huddle argument with Mark Sanchez during the season-ending loss to the Dolphins.

“Santonio was brought there to be the No. 1 receiver and catch a lot of balls through the passing game and if you are a team that’s not going to throw the ball very much that’s going to make for an unhappy receiver, right?” Tomlinson asked. “So, if Week 6 they haven’t thrown the ball more than 15 times a game and Santonio is not getting his catches you may hear some things: him speaking out, him saying things that may rub some teammates the wrong way. It could very well happen, but I hope Santonio learned from last year and that’s all you can really do. You have to learn from your previous mistakes.”

Holmes carries some risk, but he's going in the 9th round or later, so some risk is expected. With Plaxico Burress gone, Holmes could be a nice value in the later rounds if his head is on straight.

Talks with the Chiefs and receiver Dwayne Bowe have gone nowhere, really, according to sources, and there doesn't appear to be much impetus to securing a longer deal now.

In all likelihood, Bowe will play under the tag this season.

A source with knowledge of the Patriots' talks with receiver Wes Welker put it at "50/50" whether they can reach a deal. They still have a pretty significant gap in terms of guaranteed money to bridge.

We're expecting Welker to play under the franchise tag this season.

49ers beat writer Matt Maiocco on rookie WR A.J. Jenkins: "I find it difficult to believe that first-round pick A.J. Jenkins can supplant Michael Crabtree, Randy Moss or Mario Manningham to find a steady role as one of the team's top three wide receivers. So it might be difficult for him to earn the right to put on a uniform as part of the active 46 players on game days. Jenkins' value as a first-round pick will be measured over the course of his four-year deal, so let's not get too carried away with expecting much production early in his career."

The Houston Texans long have expected quarterback Matt Schaub to be ready for the start of camp.

This week, they got confirmation of Schaub's recovery from a Lisfranc injury when he visited Dr. Robert Anderson in North Carolina and got a green light, a team source told ESPN.com.

Schaub was the #11 QB in 2011 on a per game basis, and finished in the top 9 in both 2009 and 2010. He could represent a nice value as the #15 QB off the board.

League sources said there has been considerable progress between the Bears and Matt Forte as well. There are still issues to hash out regarding the average per year on the deal over the first three years, and how it could compare to say Marshawn Lynch's new deal, but there has been movement on what the deal might look like over five years.

It would be ideal if Forte can get a deal done by the deadline and report to camp on time. Whenever players start holding out of camp, conditioning and injury become a concern. Forte is going to see a big workload, though owners should be sure to draft Michael Bush as his handcuff.

CBS Sports's Jason La Canfora on the QB Drew Brees contract negotiations with the Saints: "...general managers can't fathom this dragging past the weekend. They feel like the Saints must swallow hard and eat the $21 million a year and $60 million guaranteed and retain arguably the greatest quarterback in the game for the bulk of his career. I still believe this gets done, but it very well could go down to the wire."

Cowboys RB DeMarco Murray on his ankle: “The ankle is doing great. I’ll be able to do whatever the coaches want me to do.”

Giants OC Kevin Gilbride on the training camp battle brewing between TEs Martellus Bennett, Bear Pascoe and Adrien Robinson: "You are hoping Martellus [steps up]. ... That is why he was brought here. You are hoping that Adrien Robinson down the road would be the guy. If not, Bear is going to be the guy.

Seahawks QB Matt Flynn has been working out with WR Doug Baldwin and had this to say about Seattle's slot man: "...he’s a very dynamic guy. I’ve been throwing to him for only two months but I can already see how he’s a special player and will be around for a long time.”

Packers WR Donald Driver on his short-term plans: "I'm going to play two more years, this one, then next year, then I'm completely done," he said. "(I'm) gonna put my cleats on the shelf and do something different."

Perennially underrated, Driver posted six-straight 1,000+ yard seasons from 2004 to 2009. Not bad for a 7th round pick out of Alcorn St.

Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints still must close a significant gap in guaranteed money if they are to agree on a five-year contract worth about $100 million by Monday's looming deadline for a long-term deal, said a person familiar with the negotiations.

The sides were more than $10 million apart in the guaranteed portion of the contract on Wednesday, the person told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because talks are ongoing.

Vikings WR Percy Harvin is entering the fourth year of his rookie contract and has no intention of playing out the fifth without a new deal. That means the Vikings -- and perhaps the rest of the NFL -- must decide sooner than later how much of a chance they're willing to take for the services of one of the game's premier slot players.

"There wasn't just one issue or two issues at Florida," the executive from another team said. "It was a chronic issue through his time spent at Florida. The Vikings had to take him knowing that all these things had existed. Anybody that took Percy Harvin knew that these behavioral instincts and the management and maintenance of the player -- they were all there.

"Some of those issues led to the possibility of those things carrying forward to the future, and you deal with those things when you decide to take that sort of risk. Would he get paid? I don't know."

The good news is that it appears that Harvin is content enough to play out the 2012 season without any further trade demands.

Former Baylor wide receiver Josh Gordon was taken by the Cleveland Browns in the second round of the NFL's Supplemental Draft this afternoon.

According to reports, 21 of the 32 NFL teams, including the Browns, attended Gordon's workout Tuesday and saw him run a 4.52 in the 40-yard dash, catch every pass thrown to him and record a 36-inch vertical leap.

Gordon comes with baggage. He was suspended indefinitely by Baylor coach Art Briles prior to the 2011 season following a marijuana arrest, and transferred to Utah, where he sat out the season. Rather than play for the Utes this season, he declared for the supplemental draft for financial reasons, according to reports.

Keep in mind that Gordon has already missed all offseason activities, so he's going to have to get up to speed quickly in training camp if he hopes to make an impact this season. We're not terribly high on the Cleveland passing game this season, so Gordon is at best a late-round flier in redraft formats. He'll compete with Mohamed Massaquoi for snaps opposite Greg Little.

Prior to signing with the 49ers, WR Randy Moss and Jim Harbaugh sat down together, and it went a little something like this.

"At the end of the meeting, Randy turned to Jim Harbaugh and said, 'Coach, what do you want me to do, what can I do for you?'" Gannon said. "And Jim looked at him and said, 'For starters I'd like you to sit in the front row of my meetings.'" Apparently Moss listened, too, and results followed.

"He said by doing that it's brought guys like Michael Crabtree, who'd hang out in the back, and some of these other young guys, now they're sitting up front with Randy Moss. They don't have the hoodies on anymore. They're alert. They’re paying attention. Randy's taking notes. Every meeting that coach has had, Randy Moss has been sitting in the front row.

"Randy is trying to do the right thing," Gannon continued. "Randy is trying to be a leader. He's trying to set a good example for these young players."

Jets RB Joe McKnight proved last season that he was a weapon on kick returns, leading the NFL with a 31.6-yard average. While Shonn Greene figures to be the bellcow, can the muscled-up McKnight become a major contributor on offense in his third season?

“This guy can really run. He is an explosive player. He has good hands but he has good run skills,” OC Tony Sparano said of the former USC Trojan. “Joe has done a nice job this offseason getting bigger and stronger, and putting weight on and holding weight. That’s been a real positive because he hasn’t lost a step athletically out there from a speed standpoint and he’s gotten bigger and stronger. So that allows you to use him a little bit more in different ways.”

Jets TE Dustin Keller is QB Mark Sanchez’s security blanket — his 65 receptions and 815 receiving yards led the Jets in 2011. OC Tony Sparano likes to employ multiple-TE sets and he wants to get Keller on the move.

“The more you can use Dustin in different places, I think the better off that we’ll be offensively because he is a weapon and I know that first-hand,” said the former Dolphins head coach.

Keller is a forgotten man at the TE position despite finishing TE10 in standard scoring formats in 2011.

Jets OC Tony Sparano on rookie WR Stephen Hill: “I think athletically Stephen has a lot of outstanding qualities. He’s big, he’s tall, he’s strong, he can run. He does all the those things, but the thing I’ve been most impressed with is his awareness out there,” Sparano said. “His awareness to attack coverages, his awareness to attack press defenders — he’s physical with them. He’s really done a nice job that way. He competes for the ball when it’s in the air.”

If the Bengals' aerial attack is going to see significant improvement this season, someone is going to have to step up and into the No. 2 spot opposite A.J. Green.

The two most likely candidates to fill the role appear to be fourth-year wideout Brandon Tate—who was used exclusively in the return game last season—and rookie third-round pick Mohamed Sanu.

Sanu, a 6'2", 211-pound gifted route-runner appears perfectly suited for the role, but it appears that Tate has been impressive enough during the offseason to earn the early inside track.

Whoever wins the WR2 job in Cincy will likely only have borderline fantasy value. We believe that TE Jermaine Gresham will become Dalton's second-favorite target and will see an increase in his targets in 2012.

As a Monday afternoon NFL deadline approaches, no deal is imminent for Baltimore Ravens Pro Bowl running back Ray Rice at this time.

Under NFL rules governing franchise players, the Ravens have until Monday afternoon to negotiate a new deal for Rice. Otherwise, he’ll play this season under a $7.742 million franchise tag.

All indications are that Rice will play under the tag if a deal is not reached by Monday.

When he signed with the Broncos, QB Peyton Manning got a contract that will pay him a little more than $19 million a season. But Manning could have made significantly more than that.

According to ESPN’s Chris Mortensen, if Manning had decided to make it all about the money, he could have gotten $25 million a year from the Titans. Owner Bud Adams never made any secret that he desperately wanted Manning to return to Tennessee, where he had been a college star in the 1990s.

This is a bit of news that could potentially impact Drew Brees's contract negotiations with the Saints.

Though it's possible that Packers general manager Ted Thompson could make a move to add a veteran running back during training camp -- or re-sign Ryan Grant – that appears unlikely. Because as far as James Starks and Alex Green have been told, there will not be any help on the way.

Starks is shaping up to be a nice sleeper in the middle rounds. He's not going to score a lot of TDs since the Packers throw so much in the redzone, but he should be productive in between the 20s.

Minnesota Vikings star RB Adrian Peterson was a victim, not the aggressor, during an altercation with authorities that led to his arrest at a Houston night club over the weekend, his lawyer said Monday.

"He, in fact, was struck at least twice in the face for absolutely no legitimate reason, and when all the evidence is impartially reviewed, it will clearly show Adrian was the victim, not the aggressor," Hardin said in a statement.

The Peterson situation is a great example of the old adage, "Nothing good happens after midnight."

As Mark Sanchez gets started at his "Jets West" camp in California, his former wide receiver, Plaxico Burress, weighed in on the health of his former quarterback and why he may have thrown so few long passes last season.

“He definitely has enough arm,” Burress said in an interview with WFAN radio on Monday. “He was battling some injuries last year, shoulder-wise that a lot of people didn’t know about ... different things like that. But I think he really turned a corner.”

Bills HC Chan Gailey has preached to both RBs Fred Jackson and C.J. Spiller that the focus needs to be on team success, not personal workload.

“I can promise you this, we will not make everybody happy,” said Gailey. “That will not happen this year. The only thing that will make everybody happy is winning. That’s what the goal is, to come up with plans that incorporate everybody’s abilities that allow us to win. Other than that I can’t predict what’s going to happen as far as percentages for their touches.”

This is not an attractive situation due to the price of obtaining both players in the draft. In standard scoring formats, Jackson is our #21 RB and has an ADP in the 3rd round, while Spiller is ranked #30 and is going in the 6th round. Gailey's comments certainly indicate that neither player is going to be happy with his touches and that means fantasy owners probably won't be happy either. Proceed with caution.

Dion Lewis, a backup running back for the Philadelphia Eagles was arrested over the weekend on felony charges after police said he and his older brother nearly knocked a downtown hotel's glass doors off their hinges and pulled a fire alarm. Word of the pre-dawn incident surfaced Monday as Lewis was scheduled to appear at the Troy Boys and Girls Club on Tuesday and speak with summer campers.

The incident occurred at 4:40 a.m. at the Hampton Inn on Chapel Street, when Lewis and his brother, Lamar, were stuck outside behind the locked clear glass door leading to the hotel's lobby, said Officer Steve Smith, a police spokesman. Lewis and his brother were both drunk, police said, and began to strike the doors, hitting them "with such force as to rock them and nearly break them from their hinges," according to court documents.

Todd Reichelt, general manager for the Hampton Inn, said the doors to the hotel are locked after midnight to anyone who does not have a key.

Either Dion or Lamar Lewis then pulled the hotel's fire alarm, waking dozens of patrons and prompting emergency crews to visit the hotel, police said. Both brothers were charged with falsely reporting a fire, a felony, and misdemeanor reckless endangerment.

WR Randy Moss cast such a favorable impression during offseason workouts that coach Jim Harbaugh is calling him the 49ers’ best receiver, according to SiriusXM NFL Radio’s Rich Gannon.

Moss indeed earned praise throughout the offseason program — from Harbaugh, quarterbacks, wide receivers, defensive backs, other teammates and the media that watched practice.

Gannon said Harbaugh told him: “This offseason he’s been incredible. He’s our best receiver right now.’ ”

Gannon then added: “How ’bout that, ‘He’s our best receiver.’ ”

Moss's ADP has shot up into the 9th round, and we're even seeing him go ahead of Michael Crabtree in some cases. There is upside with Moss in the 8th or 9th round, but owners have to weigh his recent past with his prospects in the 49ers' offense, which was run-heavy in 2011. The team will likely throw more with Moss, Mario Manningham and LaMichael James in town, but will it be enough to make Moss, Crabtree and/or Vernon Davis legitimate fantasy starters.

The deadline for the Patriots and WR Wes Welker to get a longer-term deal done is next Monday at 4 p.m., and after a time when it looked like a longshot something might get done, now things are starting to look up.

While the two sides have been in different places as far as guaranteed money, it is believed that the main hurdle is a third year and how to structure it. The Patriots have been reluctant to go to a three-year deal with the 31-year old receiver.

Welker is going to play either way, and he's not the type to sulk if he doesn't get a long-term deal.

Browns RB Brandon Jackson is healthy and has established himself as the No. 2 back. He is solid in blocking, catching passes and doing what the coaches expect. In 2010, he rushed for 703 yards and caught 43 passes for the Packers. He's only 26, so Jackson fits with the younger team the Browns are building.

There will be a major battle between Montario Hardesty and Chris Ogbonnaya for the third back. This is the healthiest and best that the Browns have seen Hardesty. But the 2010 second-rounder has been hurt in the last two training camps once full contact began. Hardesty gained 266 yards, but averaged only 3.0 per carry last season.

While former undrafted free agent Shaky Smithson, who spent the 2011 season on injured reserve, was an excellent returner in college at Utah, Packers special teams coach Shawn Slocum insisted that WR Randall Cobb is such a weapon on returns that will remain in that role no matter how vital he becomes on offense.

“It’s all in the perspective, of how you look at the return game. It is the first play of the offense?” Slocum said. “It’s vitally important to setting up field position, the potential to score, things of that nature. When we start with the ball outside the 20 or an explosive return outside the 40, or punt returns for big gains, it really enhances our offensive production. So I think he’s a vital part of that, and as we move forward, we’ll always consider each players’ role in terms of play time.”

Lions RB Mikel Leshoure soon will be counted on to be part of the inside power run game that was desperately lacking last year.

"Leshoure definitely has that in him," coach Jim Schwartz said. "No matter how we do it, running the football, throwing the football, short yardage, first-and-10, we need to have the ability to pick up tough yardage, and I think that's something that Mikel can do for us."

Houston Police Department Spokesperson Kese Smith told NFL.com and NFL Network on Monday that Vikings RB Adrian Peterson would probably end up with a fine because his charge is a misdemeanor.

Peterson is due back in court on Friday and has no known prior record. Smith said he'd believed that Peterson's case would be adjudicated quickly. Peterson's arrest document indicates he pushed a police officer and that Peterson knew the person was an officer.

In the end, this incident will probably have been blown way out of proportion. We don't expect it to have an impact on Peterson's 2012 production. But it likely doesn't matter as we are staying away from Peterson anywhere near his current ADP of 16.

At long last, by 3 p.m. next Monday, QB Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints will finally have agreed to a new five-year contract. It will be the biggest upset of the NFL season if they don't.

The two sides will probably keep haggling over the details right up until the July 16 deadline. But it will be stunning if Brees doesn't ultimately sign a contract worth somewhere between $19.2 million and $20 million per year, making him the highest-paid player in NFL history.

Only an absurd amount of stubbornness could get in the way now.

This has gone on longer than expected, but it sounds like the two sides are close enough that a deal will get done by next week.

Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports that the Dolphins’ starting quarterback job is between David Garrard and Matt Moore. While receivers have raved about rookie QB Ryan Tannehill’s arm strength, he reportedly is having trouble with the speed of the game. He’s taking too many would-be sacks during practice and his timing has been off with his throws. Thus, look for Garrard or Moore to man the starting position until Tannehill is ready to take over.

Pro Football Talk reports that Vikings RB Adrian Peterson’s arrest in a Houston nightclub on Friday evening was caught on video by one ore more surveillance cameras.

Apparently Peterson was at the nightclub with family members when police entered the building at closing time looking to usher everyone out. Peterson then asked if he could get some water but he was denied so he headed for an exit. But at one point, an officer was pushed and it took three policemen to detain Peterson before he was arrested for resisting arrest (which was the only charge).

Peterson doesn’t have a history of off-field arrests so it’s doubtful that he’ll face punishment from the NFL.

Said one team observer, 49ers WR A.J. Jenkins “hasn’t looked very good” this offseason.

“He displayed some flashes with a few really difficult catches, but he’s also looked really bad at times, and he seems to have had problems staying on his feet. It’s early. Maybe he’ll show more in training camp.”

Head coach Jim Harbaugh wasn’t pleased with the way the 49ers rookies showed up to OTAs out of shape and Jenkins continues to receive poor reviews from those who have observed him over these last few months.

Assuming he can stay healthy, ESPN Cleveland’s Tony Grossi predicts that Montario Hardesty will be Trent Richardson’s primary backup. Hardesty was a second round pick of the Browns in the 2010 NFL Draft and was expected to compete for the starting running back job before he suffered a torn left ACL. In 10 games last season he rushed for just 266 yards on 88 carries and as Grossi points out, if he were to get hurt again then his days in Cleveland would be numbered.

The Sports Xchange’s Len Pasquarelli reports that the Steelers and WR Mike Wallance have made “no progress” in long-term contract talks.

Writes Pasquarelli:

With only about three weeks until the opening of camp, there has been no progress, and, in fact, very little negotiation, toward a resolution of wide receiver Mike Wallace's contract situation in Pittsburgh.

There’s a remote possibility that Wallace will miss at least part of Pittsburgh’s training camp.

Browns QB Colt McCoy doesn’t believe he’ll get a “fair shake” at the starting job and therefore sees the writing on the wall in Cleveland.

"We'll see, I don't know," McCoy told KXAN-TV. "There are a lot of things I can control and I'm controlling those things. The things beyond that I try to do my best to not worry about those and go out there and do what I do on the field, that's the most important thing. Beyond that, I can't do anything else."

McCoy, who theoretically is battling rookie Brandon Weeden for the Browns’ starting quarterback job, also talked about the turnover that has occurred among the Cleveland coaching staff.

"We've had some turnover in our coaches, we're on our third offensive coordinator but I felt like it went really well this spring," McCoy said. "I learned a lot, improved a lot and I think our team also got a lot better. We're a young a football team and we're going to be a lot better than we were last year but we'll see what happens with my situation."

Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson was arrested early Saturday in Houston on a charge of resisting arrest.

Peterson was arrested around 2:30 a.m. CDT and spent the night in jail at the Houston Police Department. He was released on $1,000 bond at 10:41 a.m., according to the spokesman.

Given the level of the bond ($1,000) it's doubtful that Peterson's situation is too serious. Still, it's not terribly encouraging that he's being arrested at 2:30 a.m. when he's supposedly focused on getting ready to play in Week 1.

According to Kris Knox of the National Football Authority, the most intriguing running back on the Steelers roster may be Chris Rainey, a fifth-round pick out of Florida.

At just 5'8", 180 pounds, Rainey is a bit undersized to be an every down back, but he possesses tremendous speed and a natural pass-catching ability. We recently took a look at Rainey' potential to provide a Darren Sproles/Dexter McCluster-type role for coordinator Todd Haley's offense and if he catches on to the nuances of the pro game quickly, Rainey could be the perfect candidate to provide an explosive punch to Pittsburgh's ground game.

Along with Isaac Redman and Jonathan Dwyer, Rainey will be in the mix for carries as Rashard Mendenhall's future remains in question following ACL surgery.

Ravens OLB Terrell Suggs says that his rehab from surgery on his Achilles’ tendon is going well and insists that he’ll play football again in 2012.

"It's going great," Suggs said. "I'm in good spirits, and I like the progress that I'm making. I came out of the boot last week, so I'm just walking right now and doing muscle strength.

Y’all will see me play this year.”

Suggs remains a long shot to return in 2012 and even if he does come back in November or December, it’s unlikely that he’ll make enough of a fantasy impact to be worth picking up off the waiver wire.

Despite any issues he had with his team at mini-camp, Vikings WR Percy Harvin plans to report to training camp, per team source.

Lions OC Scott Linehan on TE Tony Scheffler:

“I think Scheffler’s role gets even (bigger) for us this year,” Linehan told detroitlions.com. “It just changes our flexibility with personnel groups.”

This doesn't bode particularly well for Brandon Pettigrew, but the Lions may move to more two-TE sets given the success of that attack in New England last season.

The addition of WR Vincent Jackson leaves the remaining Buccaneers receivers in a situation where they must work harder for the remaining pass attempts. During offseason workouts, Jackson was easily QB Josh Freeman's top target, and that isn't likely to change in the regular season.

Cardinals RB Ryan Williams is right on schedule, if not a little bit ahead, in his recovery from the torn right patella tendon that wiped out his rookie campaign. “They were thrilled that he was able to participate in 11-on-11 drills at the mandatory mini, and the medical staff just raves about his work ethic,” said one source on the scene of Williams, the team’s surprising second-round draft pick last season.

As good as he’s looking, we hear the team is still being very cautious with Williams and is planning on limiting his snaps in training camp. Once the regular season gets underway, though, it could be a different story.

“It all depends on Beanie (No. 1 RB Beanie Wells),” the source said. “They definitely want Williams to push Beanie and keep him motivated. ‘Whiz’ (head coach Ken Whisenhunt) has always been a proponent of the two-back system, so in a perfect world, Williams will be a factor.”

Michael Lombardi of NFL.com on Broncos QB Peyton Manning:

How will the speed of the game affect him? Anyone expecting Manning to be on fire in September does not understand how hard it is to adjust (and re-adjust) to being back on the football field. The Manning project in Denver will take time -- time for him to adjust to his new teammates, time for him to adjust to the speed of the game and time for him to adjust to getting hit again. No one -- not fans, not staff, not Manning himself -- will know if No. 18 is back to his old form until the middle of October, no matter what transpires before.

Greg Cosell of NFL Films on QB Christian Ponder:

There were a number of throws in which Ponder showed the essential ability to move within the pocket to avoid the pass rush, maintain downfield focus and then deliver with accuracy. He also provided the added dimension of getting outside the pocket in response to pressure and using his speed to generate explosive gains.

Ponder must improve as a progression reader. Last season, he had a tendency to pre-determine throws — a common problem for young, inexperienced quarterbacks.

When I re-visited Ponder last month, I found myself more intrigued by his pure throwing ability. That arm strength is a real positive, just like I figured it would be when Ponder was coming out of Florida State.

Ponder, however, is not as advanced as Bengals QB Andy Dalton when it comes to anticipation and accuracy.

Greg Cosell of NFL Films on Bengals QB Andy Dalton:

He clearly played well; that’s inarguable. He was poised and composed in the pocket, threw with timing and anticipation and was consistently accurate. His quick, compact delivery, in tandem with his natural anticipation, compensated for his arm-strength limitations. It was evident breaking down the tape that Gruden did an outstanding job maximizing Dalton’s efficiency. The route combinations and reading progressions were more elementary than advanced. That played to Dalton’s strength as a timing and rhythm passer with touch and accuracy.

Yet, there were instances in which his inability to drive the ball with velocity was a negative factor. As is always the case, those situations tend to arise more frequently, and are magnified, in the more important late season and playoff games, against better defenses. When the 2011 season ended, I viewed Dalton as a good young quarterback with defined strengths and some limitations.

When I returned to Dalton last month and drilled down deeper, I was more impressed. Here’s why: Quarterbacks who are not strong, power throwers must have two attributes in order to compensate: anticipation and accuracy. And they must possess those traits to a highly refined degree to be top-level NFL signal callers. Dalton routinely displayed outstanding anticipation. There were many intermediate throws in which he pulled the trigger well before the receiver began his break. What must supplement that kind of anticipation is precise ball location. Dalton had it. Time and again, he hit the strike point, putting the ball right on his receivers’ hands.

Packers RB James Starks spent much of the off-season working on his hamstrings, which have given him fits for years. He's also thicker through the chest, and has lowered his body fat by 1-2%.

Does that make him ready for a breakout season?

"You hope that every guy gets better every year," Packer offensive coordinator Tom Clements said. "He has a lot of ability. He's powerful, runs hard, catches the ball out of the backfield pretty well. We're hopeful."

Starks currently represents nice value in the middle rounds. We have him ranked #24, but he is the 32nd RB off the board. He would make a nice RB3 or even a decent RB2 for a team that is stacked at other positions. The RB is something of an afterthought in the Packer offense, but if the defense improves as expected, the team should be in position to drain the clock more often late in games. That's where Starks could shine.

Cowboys HC Jason Garrett doesn't mind running the ball, as long as the offensive line and fullbacks make the necessary holes to get it going.

The numbers indicate that Garrett trusts RB DeMarco Murray.

He had five games with 20 or more carries, the most for any running back since Garrett became offensive coordinator in 2007. Murray also became the first back under Garrett to have four consecutive games with 20 or more carries.

In our AFC West chat Thursday, we talked about the importance of San Diego running back Ryan Mathews catching about 50 passes out of the backfield this season.

It prompted me to do some quick research and the results show that San Diego quarterback Philip Rivers usually hits his running back in that range. In fact, Mathews caught exactly 50 passes last season. So, I’d think he could get in the 60-catch range this season as the Chargers plan to expand his workload.

His fine performance catching the ball last year clearly gave Rivers and the San Diego coaching staff confidence he can succeed in the role.

We currently project Mathews to catch nearly 62 passes this season.

After a recent minicamp practice, Raiders RB Darren McFadden says he feels completely healed and ready to go when training camp opens later this month.

“Coming back from an injury like that, a lot of it plays on your mind,” McFadden told reporters. “You wonder if you can do the things that you did at first, but just being out here and running around I see that I can do those things full speed. So I don’t think it’ll be a problem for me.”

Added McFadden: “I’m ready to get out there and get going and pick up where I left off last year.”

HC Dennis Allen likes what he sees of McFadden so far.

“He looks extremely good to me, he looks fast, looks expolosive and he knows what to do and how to do it,” Allen told the media last month. “As we all know, the key is to keep this guy healthy, for him to have a good year.”

When the Lions' power back Mikel Leshoure returns from his two-game suspension to face Tennessee's 24th-ranked run defense in Week 3, the Lions expect to pair Leshoure's shock with Jahvid Best's awe.

"It just adds another weapon to our offense," Best said of the inside-run component Leshoure brings. "The more things defenses have to worry about, the more opportunities we'll have."

Not only is Best in a likely timeshare, but he also has had major concussion issues dating back to college.

The Bengals expect to receive increased production out of tight end Jermaine Gresham. It's not just because he's more experienced. It's the result of one particular experience.

"Jermaine going to the Pro Bowl last year was the best teaching, coaching experience we could ever have with him for him to mature," Bengals coach Marvin Lewis said. "He's a different man – very, very confident in himself."

QB Andy Dalton believes he's more in sync with Gresham this year.

“In the first year in the offense last year, there was definitely a learning curve," Dalton said. "But for us being in our second year (playing together), we can talk about things and understand things, or relate to a game last year. Things like that. He’s done a good job of coming in and getting a good feel for what’s going on. I think definitely he might catch some more balls this year, just from having a little bit better understanding of the offense and what we’re trying to do.”

Gresham has the talent to become a bona fide fantasy TE1. His 108 receptions in his first two seasons is the 12th-most in the history of the league. With Jerome Simpson gone, it's unlikely that the 105 targets he saw in 2011 are going to whoever wins Cincy's WR2 job. That means that Gresham could see an increase in the 92 targets (11th among TEs) he received last season.

Mike Klis of the Denver Post joined PFT Live on Tuesday to assess the status of QB Peyton Manning. Klis, based on his observations at the team’s offseason workouts, said that Manning started at 65 percent and finished at 85-to-90 percent.

“He really came a long way in that four weeks,” Klis said.

Klis added that Manning may never complete the remaining 10-to-15 percent climb, given the unprecedented nature of his neck injury and surgeries and nerve regeneration issues. But most teams, in any era, would gladly take Peyton Manning at 85-to-90 percent.

Three RBs are vying to become the primary backup to Ravens RB Ray Rice.

Although all had their moments during spring minicamps and organized team activities and Anthony Allen took the greater portion of the workload with the first-team offense in Rice’s absence, no one has separated himself from the pack yet.

Of Allen, Damien Berry and Bernard Pierce, the Ravens have the greatest investment in Pierce. And he seems the most suited for full-time duty if Rice was unavailable.

Dan Graziano of ESPN.com on Redskins WR Pierre Garcon:

What the Redskins like is his size and speed and age. They think he fits the physical profile of a receiver who can flourish in their offense and that he can grow with their rookie quarterback. They think they're getting someone who's about to "pop" as a No. 1 receiver.

Titans WR Nate Washington has a fan in OC Chris Palmer.

“It was almost like people had a certain idea of what Nate could do and what Nate couldn’t do, and then he showed a different side of himself last season,” Palmer said.

“I think he took a step forward. I expect him to keep putting up numbers for us. I don’t see him slowing down a bit.”

WR handcuffs aren't all that common, but those owners who role the dice on Kenny Britt in the early or middle rounds should invest a late round pick in Washington, who would step in as a fantasy WR2/WR3 if Britt misses any time.

Jeff Howe of The Boston Herald on the Patriots RBBC:

It makes sense for Stevan Ridley to be the main man between the tackles, and Bill Belichick clearly believed he had someone to fill that role when he decided to let BenJarvus Green-Ellis walk. But Ridley has to prove he can get past the fumbling issue that ended his rookie season.

Shane Vereen got a ton of playing time during offseason camps, and his role will increase significantly this season if he stays healthy. Vereen’s hamstring set him back in a big way as a rookie, when he only had 15 touches, but he’s an athletic player who has a track record of embarrassing defenders when he has the ball in space.

Browns RB Trent Richardson described his role in the Cleveland offense.

“They’re doing a lot of stuff with me as far as coming out of the backfield,” Richardson said of Cleveland’s off-season practices. “They’re really putting me out there to showcase everything."

“There ain’t no sugarcoating. I’m going to get the ball. I’m going to catch the ball. I’m going to block. I’m going to do everything I can and they’re going to put me in the best situation. I want to be that guy they don’t have to take off the field.”

We're fully expecting Richardson to be the Browns' workhorse, which is why we have him ranked in the top 10. He may be a rookie, but touches shouldn't be an issue.

Vikings HC Leslie Frazier on how RB Adrian Peterson will be used early in the season: "He's so valuable to our organization that we have to be smart. We'll tread lightly as far as Week 1 and how much he'll contribute on the field. Even when we get to training camp, he's going to be chomping at the bit but we'll have to be smart."

We are not as high on Peterson as some, and this is why. What he is trying to do -- come back full bore in less than nine months after tearing his ACL -- is unprecedented. If he avoids PUP for the first six weeks of the season, we're expecting a reduced workload during the first quarter (or even half) of the season. And if the Vikings get off to a poor start, we wonder how much they'll push Peterson in the second half. He's a very risky pick in the early rounds.

Redskins TE Fred Davis is unlikely to receive a multi-year extension before the July 16 deadline, Rich Tandler of Comcast SportsNet Washington writes Tuesday.

The fear of another suspension could be behind the Redskins' cautious approach to committing to Davis on a long-term basis. The 26-year-old says those drug issues are behind him, but the proof will be in the pudding. He can further ease those fears with a monster season on the field.

But Davis isn't helping his agent's case by making headlines for acting as his own lawyer in an ongoing civil suit with a local club promoter.

Davis was on pace for 79-1061-4 before serving a four-game suspension for a failed drug test. With those numbers, he would have finished as the TE4 in 2011. He's a nice value in the 6th/7th rounds, though he does carry some risk due to his off-field antics.

Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports doesn't believe that Patriots WR Wes Welker is going to get a long-term deal: "The Patriots seem perfectly fine with the talented, but older, receiver playing out the tag. ... Sources with knowledge of this negotiation have believed for months that Welker would end up playing 2012 on the tag and that became even more clear when he signed it and joined offseason work a while back. It would take a fairly drastic turn of events to get off that track now."

Mortensen on Twitter regarding Saints QB Drew Brees: "Arbirtrator Stephen Burbank rules in favor of Drew Brees and NFLPA - next year will count as his 3rd and last franchise tag."

Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports added: "If that ruling does go in Brees' favor, however, it becomes more likely he gets $20 million per season."

We're expecting Brees to play in 2012.

CBS Sports's Jason La Canfora on the Bears' contract negotiations with RB Matt Forte: "Talks to this point have been fruitless, and running back is a tricky position to negotiate. Their relative value has decreased in the game and the injury risk is significant. Forte seems resolved to play it out. Things can always change quickly in a negotiation, but everything to this point, and how long this situation has lingered even back to last season, wouldn't point to a quick solution now. ... I suspect Forte ends up sitting out a good chunk of camp, if not all of it, before eventually signing the franchise tender."

We're not sure what Forte gains by holding out of training camp, but it's always a concern when a player misses camp. Barring a shocking development, Forte will play this year, one way or another.

Vikings QB coach had this to say about Christian Ponder:

"I think there's no question, he's come light years. Obviously getting a chance to work out a lot of the kinks, a lot of the problems that you find out as a young player, that's when you get a chance to work on them is usually in the first offseason afterwards. Having been through this with a couple of other quarterbacks, I kind of know how it goes."

Ponder is rated just 23rd on our list and likely won't get drafted in many leagues. He's got a lot to prove despite the kind words about him above. As always, he's someone to keep an eye on as it seems every year QB problems tend to creep up, but it's likely he spends much of the season on your league's waiver wire.

From ESPN's Dan Graziano:

The Giants have two of the best wide receivers in the NFL in Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz, but the free-agent departure of Mario Manningham left that No. 3 spot open. They drafted Rueben Randle in the second round and think very highly of him, but that's not going to be what gets him the job.

He'll need to outplay the other guys in training camp in order to earn it, and the other three names on this list have more experience in the league and the offense. My pick as the current favorite to open the season in that spot is Domenik Hixon, who was the favorite for it last year before re-injuring his knee. I think that, if he's healthy, he's got the best chance to land that position. But that's a huge "if" with Hixon, and Randle, Ramses Barden and Jerrel Jernigan all have the physical tools they need to impress coaches during this competition.

It's probably Barden's last chance to show he can stay on the field and compete. And Jernigan has a shot to stick if he shows he can help in the return game. But my best prediction is a healthy Hixon wins the job and Randle gradually takes snaps away from him during the year as he continues to develop into the long-term answer.

We already like Randle to take over that WR3 spot. Whether Hixon or Randle winning the job, with Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz, only in very deep leagues will either of those guys have any kind of impact. Randle's 18th round ADP likely means he won't even get drafted in most leagues.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Eric Wright was arrested on suspicion of felony driving under the influence near Staples Center downtown early Monday after being involved in an injury accident, Los Angeles police said.

Daunte Culpepper returned to Central Florida on Saturday to participate in the inaugural Orlando Youth Football Clinic near the Florida Citrus Bowl.

Besides providing instruction for about 200 youths ages 10 through 18, Culpepper conceded his days of playing in the NFL likely are over. Culpepper threw for more than 24,000 yards during an 11-year career.

Rams TE Brody Eldridge suspended first four games of season for PEDs. Acquired on waivers in offseason from Colts.

Beat writer Tim Twentyman was asked about Detroit Lion RB Mikel Leshoure and if he'd be ready for training camp:

"After seeing him cut and burst last day of minicamp, I'd say yes."

The Lion RB situation is a bit of a mess right now. Jahvid Best, Leshoure and Kevin Smith are all coming off injuries last year and are in the fold to see action this season. Leshoure is a big back who is certain to take goal line TDs away from the other guys. All three are ranked pretty close, between 37 and 41, and have their strengths and weaknesses so some things will need to shake out before draft day.

If he doesn't take advantage of his opportunities this year, RB Donald Brown might not be a Colt in 2013.

We have Brown ranked 27th and on the rise. It's 8 spots higher than the general consensus of 35. His ADP is the ninth round and that seems like a decent enough spot to take a chance on him, because it sounds like he's going to be given the opportunity to be the man.

Shonn Greene looked like an explosive tackle breaker during his rookie year, but he hasn’t seemed the same since. He played behind an aging LaDainian Tomlinson in 2010, and turned in a mediocre 2011 season, his first year as the Jets’ starter.

Greg Cosell of NFL Films, who studies the game tape, believes limited talent has contributed to Greene’s failure to develop into a dynamic NFL back.

“I think he’s a little bit of a one-speed runner,” Cosell said, “and I think that’s caught up to him a little bit. I think that he’s a strong kid. I think he can run downhill. I think he can move the pile because he’s got natural strength. But I don’t think there’s much burst to him. I think he’s pretty much of a one-speed runner. And I think those guys eventually struggle.

“He can gain yards, there’s no question. But I don’t think he gives you much more than what’s there. And I think it’s tough for those kinds of backs to truly be foundation backs.”

Cosell explained that Greene lacks an ability to create yardage on his own.

Greene certainly hasn't been what many expected and hoped the last few years. This year, he ranks as just our 20th best back, and has an ADP of the sixth round. Chances are someone starved for RBs will snatch him up before that in your draft, and while he may have a few good games, chances are you may not see consistent numbers week-to-week.

The Palm Beach Post reported ESPN’s Adam Schefter said Saturday that he’s hearing David Garrard has the early advantage in the battle for the starting quarterback job.

As for rookie Ryan Tannehill, he’s not in the running right now due to his untimely mistakes, particularly when throwing into traffic. Coach Joe Philbin and his staff have made it clear that turnovers will not be tolerated, so for now at least Tannehill will continue his apprenticeship as the No. 3 guy.

No matter who wins the job, don't expect them to be ranked too high on our QB board, and chances are they won't even get drafted. But the key thing to note here is it sounds like Tannehill has some work to do before moving up the depth charts and having fantasy value.

Atlanta RB coach Gerald Brown: "Michael Turner has been our workhorse for a few years. We discussed the possibility of making sure that we monitor his reps so that he can stay strong for us through the season and into December. We feel very good about Jason Snelling and Jacquizz [Rodgers], too."

We have The Burner ranked 14th among our RBs here at 4for4, with an ADP of the fourth round. It's not always easy to find RBs that far into a draft, so Turner does have some value as an RB3 if you can get him there. He should still find the end zone from time-to-time despite what looks like a possible drop in workload this year.

The Broncos have signed kicker Matt Prater to a four-year contract, according to a tweet from team executive vice president John Elway Monday morning.

"Matt has developed into one of the NFL's elite kickers and is a big part of our team," Elway tweeted.

The Broncos' strong-legged kicker missed the team's entire offseason program in protest of his $2.654 million franchise tag, which was tendered in lieu of a long-term contract.

Prater is the most accurate kicker in NFL history for field goals of 50 yards or more, having hit 12 of 16.

Wide receiver Brandon Lloyd, the outside threat, turns 31 on Thursday, was dynamite throughout the offseason program, sticking out as much as any Patriot on the field, but those practices are conducive to passing success.

The key is gaining Brady’s trust during game situations, and the tandem has worked diligently on that process. The Patriots have scored more points than any team over the last two years without any semblance of an outside threat across from Deion Branch. If Lloyd becomes that guy, it’ll be a track meet for the offense.

We have Lloyd as our 29th best WR option in standard leagues with an ADP of the seventh round. He certainly has the potential to be a very important part to the New England offense, and, to exceed his current ranking if the connection mentioned above is made with Brady. The key for drafting Lloyd seems to be not taking him too early.

Steeler RB Jonathan Dwyer will be taking an extra step toward earning his backup role to Isaac Redman.

Prodded by two of the NFL’s best running backs in Maurice Jones-Drew and Matt Forte — they share the same agent — Dwyer will spend the next four weeks in North Miami Beach, Fla., at Pete Bommarito Performance Systems ensuring he will arrive at St. Vincent College on July 25 in the best shape of his life.

LeSean McCoy, Frank Gore, Ahmad Bradshaw and Jonathan Stewart also work out with Bommarito. So do some of Dwyer’s teammates, including Antonio Brown and Lawrence Timmons.

Dwyer's weight has been an issue for him, causing him to get drafted lower as well as keeping in off the field and in the doghouse.

He's set to be Redman's backup this season, and if that position holds true, he's just an injury away from being a very usable fantasy option.

Despite not being able to fully participate in OTAs while recovering from a shoulder injury from his time at Miami (Fla.), Dolphins RB Lamar Miller showed explosive change-of-direction ability in drills. The Dolphins are excited to see what he can do when he has recovered.

Reggie Bush and Daniel Thomas will likely lead the way in the running game to start the season, but Miller could at very least be a third-down option at times, or lined up in the slot. He probably won't get drafted in standard leagues, but he's a guy to keep an eye on as the season progresses.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter believes that running back Matt Forte and the Bears will come to terms on an extension prior to July 16, which is the deadline for teams to extend franchised players. Forte is believed to be seeking a long-term extension similar to the contract that LeSean McCoy signed with the Eagles in May, which included over $20 million in guaranteed money.

ESPN’s Ron Jaworski believes that Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan is “right on the edge of being a top-ten NFL quarterback.”

“I love the way he’s engaged in every single game,” Jaws said. “But there’s still one element of Ryan’s game that needs work. He must become more consistent in what I call a ‘muddied pocket.’ With bodies flying around him. Right now, he needs that comfortable cradle, functional space. If he improves in that area, he’ll crack my top ten.”

The Falcons are expected to lean on their passing game more in 2012 under new offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter. Michael Turner is expected to receive less touches moving forward as Ryan becomes the focal point of the offense.

According to Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Colt McCoy’s popularity in the locker room actually makes him more likely of a trade candidate. Cabot feels that the fan and player support that McCoy receivers could become a distraction for rookie Brandon Weeden, who is the underlying favorite to start for Cleveland this season. McCoy is likely to be dealt later this summer.

49ers outside linebacker Aldon Smith avoided serious injury despite suffering stab wounds on Friday evening. The incident reportedly occurred at a house party in Santa Clara, California. “We are in contact with Aldon and thankful that his injuries were not more serious and that he is recovering comfortably,” the 49ers said in a statement.

Smith is fortunate to escape with only minor injuries. Reports state that two other people at the party were shot, although neither victim suffered life-threatening injuries.