July 2014 4for4 Player News Articles

Giants RB Rashad Jennings headlines a diverse group of candidates to fill the possible void left by David Wilson. Already the starter, he'll likely have an expanded role. Second-year pro Michael Cox, veteran Peyton Hillis, rookie Andre Williams and first-year pro Kendall Gaskins are also in the mix.

Each brings a different dimension to the backfield but none possess the game-breaking ability of Wilson. Coach Tom Coughlin said he’ll employ a running back-by-committee rotation to offset the likely loss of Wilson.

“I think we have some talented guys at that spot,” Coughlin said Thursday. “I think Rashad has done well. I think the young kid (Williams) has come along the more we have given him to do. Michael Cox has had his spots."

The various backs will have roles, but Jennings is very likely to play heavy snaps. He has his detractors, but he's a solid pick in the 5th round as a RB2/RB3.

Ravens Steve L Smith continues to prove he has the best hands of all the Ravens receivers. His best catch on Thursday was reaching behind him for a low pass that would've been intercepted by Chykie Brown. Judging from camp, quarterback Joe Flacco has built a trust that Smith will catch anything thrown close to him.

Smith will likely see the third-most targets behind Torrey Smith and Dennis Pitta. Anquan Boldin finished #34 and #30 as the Ravens' WR2 in 2011 and 2012, respectively, so that's probably Smith’s ceiling as he joins a new team. At 35, he’ll more likely finish as a spot starter/fantasy reserve.

Browns offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan warned everyone not to count out rookie Johnny Manziel in his battle with veteran Brian Hoyer for the team’s starting quarterback job.

Although Hoyer has taken all the snaps with the first-team offense through the first five full-squad practices of training camp and Manziel has worked exclusively with the second unit, Shanahan insists the derby is a dead heat. Most observers believe Hoyer is clearly ahead at this point, but Shanahan isn’t going along with that narrative.

“I don’t think one’s any further in front than the other,” Shanahan said Thursday during a post-practice news conference. “I think they’ve both done a good job. As far as these five practices, it’s usually one day, one guy’s ahead of the other. The next day, the other guy does a better job. I think it’s been back and forth."

If Manziel wins the starting job this summer, he'll be an intriguing QB2 who should be available in the 10th-12th rounds given all the depth at quarterback. He has a good long-term situation brewing with Josh Gordon and Jordan Cameron in his receiving corps, and the newly-signed Ben Tate as a threat in the running game. (Gordon’s looming suspension is an obvious concern.) Manziel’s durability is a question mark given his propensity for taking chances by leaving the pocket.

Eagles beat writer Jeff McLane: I threw a little cold water on the Jordan Matthews hype in my Tuesday column, pointing out that few receivers make first-year splashes in the NFL. Plus, Matthews isn’t likely to get the number of snaps that are generally needed to generate such numbers. But that doesn’t mean he hasn’t been excellent in camp and won’t someday be a Pro Bowl-caliber player. He had a come-back-to-earth practice today, though. During one-on-ones, he got the better of Malcolm Jenkins on an “out” route. But Jenkins had tight coverage on a deep route in which Matthews failed to get separation. His next time up, Matthews faced undrafted rookie defensive back Davon Morgan, but once again he couldn’t slip a defender on a deep run.

Matthews will likely see snaps in the slot (at least) this season. Jeremy Maclin is working his way back from an ACL injury and Riley Cooper is solid, but unspectacular. There is opportunity in this offense if Matthews has a great summer, and by most accounts he has. Rookie wideouts usually don’t live up to their ADP, but there is the occasional exception.

On Thursday, Giants QB Eli Manning hit Rueben Randle on a fade pass for a touchdown. The two found the end zone again later on the other side of the field. Manning threw a dart to Randle over the middle, who made a toe-tapping catch in the back of the end zone.

Rookie WR Odell Beckham Jr., the Giants’ first-round draft pick who is dealing with a hamstring issue, suited up on Thursday but wasn’t cleared for participation. Rather, he worked on the sidelines, including catching passes from all angles on the JUGS machine.

New OC Ben McAdoo utilizes a lot of three-WR sets (a la the Packers), so Randle should see starter’s snaps. He has been productive in his first two seasons on a per target basis, so he should produce starter-caliber numbers in significant playing time. Beckham's lingering injury isn't doing much for his chances of contributing early in the season.

No setbacks so far for Colts WR Reggie Wayne...

"Like I've been saying, so far, so good," Wayne said after Thursday morning's walkthrough at Anderson University. "I haven't had any problems, nothing out of the norm.

"I haven't had any pain. Nothing has set me back."

The Reggie Wayne running routes and effortlessly snatching passes out of the air from Andrew Luck at training camp looks incredibly similar to the Reggie Wayne who did the same thing before tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee Oct. 20 against Denver.

"That's the way it looked to me," HC Chuck Pagano offered last week after watching Wayne go through his first full-squad work since having his knee repaired. "When you go back, you watch it live and then you go back and watch it on film. It's really incredible."

Wayne was the #19 WR in standard formats and the #17 WR in PPR through the first seven weeks prior to tearing his ACL. He's 35 and coming off of a major knee injury. He’s expected to play Week 1, but it's hard to envision him returning to his usual form in time for the 2014 season, though it sounds like he's off to a good start. The Colts signed Hakeem Nicks as insurance.

During offseason workouts, Broncos offensive coordinator Adam Gase said the depth chart behind Montee Ball was "wide open." Since the start of training camp, however, Ronnie Hillman has been solidly No. 2 in the rotation. C.J. Anderson has nudged himself back into the No. 3 spot, for now, after losing about 20 pounds and rebounding from a sluggish performance in OTAs and minicamp.

Ball owners will need to pay attention to the battle going on for RB2 duties. It's usually smart to handcuff your RB1, especially when he plays in a potent offense like Denver's.

Michael Crabtree missed his first practice of training camp Thursday, and it’s unknown whether his past
Achilles or foot injuries are the reason.

“Mike’s just working though something. He’s fine,” said offensive coordinator Greg Roman, who proceeded to praise how improved Crabtree is from his injury-shortened 2013 season.

Including three playoff games, Crabtree appeared in eight contests last season and averaged 4.3 catches for 61 yards and 0.13 TD. For a better indication of his potential for 2014, we should include the 10 games he played with Colin Kaepernick in 2012 (and in the 2013 playoffs). When those numbers are rolled in, Crabtree averaged 5.3 catches for 76 yards and 0.50 TD, which equates to 10.6 PPG, or strong WR2-type numbers. He looked liked himself during the 49ers' playoff run, so we're expecting a productive 2014 from the 6th-year receiver. Let's just hope this injury is nothing serious.

Seahawks RB Marshawn Lynch has apparently decided that his holdout is over. The Seahawks running back reported to training camp on Thursday.

Lynch reported to Seattle despite the fact that he won't be getting a new contract from the team. However, the Seahawks will "add some financial concessions to the contract," according to ESPN.com.

Crisis averted. Lynch is back in our top 10 in both standard and PPR formats. He may be pressed by Christine Michael, but the Seahawks are likely to lean on him as much as possible in what may be his final year with the team. He's under contract 2015, but has been rumored to be a potential cap casualty heading into next season.

Patriots rookie running back James White (fourth round, Wisconsin) continues to get notable repetitions, including on the goal line. Tom Brady was complimentary of White, saying, "He's got a real maturity for someone who is just getting out of college. He's made a lot of really great plays out here."

It's very possible that White could usurp Brandon Bolden for RB3 duties and eventually fill in for Stevan Ridley if his fumblitis rears its ugly head yet again. At this point, White is the logical handcuff for Shane Vereen.

Tom Gower of Total Titans discusses WR Kendall Wright:

There are a couple specific areas of Wright’s game to pay attention to in 2014. First, can Jake Locker find him downfield? As I noted in the comments section of Rivers’ column, Locker has gone just 4-for-23 when targeting Wright more than 10 yards downfield. Ryan Fitzpatrick and Matt Hasselbeck have had more success finding Wright down the field, though even so he hasn’t been the vertical seam threat we saw at Baylor and expected him to be in the NFL.

The second thing to watch for Wright is his continued work on reshaping his body. He dropped 14 pounds last offseason to get to 187, which seemed to lead to better movement on the field. He noted earlier this week (video link) the new coaching staff had asked him to drop a little additional weight to improve his speed and his endurance and ability to stay on the field. He noted he’s now at 184 pounds and his belly is gone.

The other thing to come from that interview, beyond his weight, is his role in the offense is likely to change. He noted he’s learning every wide receiver position, which is something Dowell Loggains talked about about every receiver doing last season. More importantly, though, he noted the new coaching staff (though position coach Shawn Jefferson is a holdover) is asking him to be more disciplined in his routes instead of giving him the opportunity to freelance and adjust his route like he had from the old regime last year. It’s interesting to get confirmation of that, which I wondered about at times watching them, and will be interesting to see if Wright can be as productive in a more disciplined system. I’m confident that unless he gets hurt Wright will play a lot and catch a lot of balls in 2014. I don’t know if that will end up meaning 70 catches (the low end) or over 100 (the higher end). My guess is that however many catches he ends up with he’s more likely to be closer to 12.0 yards per catch than the 15.4 in Jim Wyatt’s projections.

Wright's downfield numbers with Locker are worrisome, but with Ken Whisenhunt running the offense, we have confidence that the unit will be improved and that he'll put Locker and Wright in the best position to make plays. As for Wright's lack of involvement in the red zone, don't be surprised if Whisenhunt dials up WR screens around the 10-yard line with regularity -- he coaxed eight touchdowns out of slot receiver Eddie Royal last season.

Dolphins WR Mike Wallace missed his second consecutive day of practice after tweaking his hamstring. The receiver is out at least until next week, the Miami Herald reported Thursday morning, meaning Wallace will miss Saturday's team scrimmage at Sun Life Stadium.

Wallace admitted his hamstring was "tight" earlier this week.

This doesn't seem like a big deal, but it would obviously be better if Wallace were fully healthy and getting valuable reps in the new offense. He's still an appealing pick in the 6th/7th round.

"It's been good working with James White. He's a very interesting and versatile player," Patriots HC Bill Belichick told Sirius XM NFL Radio this month, per ESPNBoston.com's Mike Reiss.

"He does a good job in the passing game and in the running game -- both inside and outside. Blitz pickup -- we have a pretty extensive offense for him to learn, but he's working hard at it. We'll just let him go and see how it goes, but I think he has the ability to compete on all three downs, in both the running game and the passing game."

The takeaway here is that White is seen as a weapon who can stay on the field for more than just passing downs.

At this point, we view White as the logical handcuff for Shane Vereen, though it sounds as if Belichick believes that White could take over for Vereen (and for Stevan Ridley), if necessary. Both Vereen and RIdley are free agents next season.

According to Conor Orr and Jordan Raanan of NJ.com, multiple sources believe it's a longshot that Giants RB David Wilson returns to the field.

One unnamed source with knowledge of the running back's medical condition told NJ.com that Wilson "needs a miracle" to return.

This is a tough break for Wilson who was recently cleared to play after a scary neck injury. Peyton Hillis and Andre Williams will back up Rashad Jennings.

Jay Gruden said he knows what he has in Alfred Morris, and said the Florida Atlantic product has had a great training camp so far, as he’s worked hard to add the passing game to his list of talents.

“Alfred is not flying under the radar in our eyes, that’s for sure,” Gruden said. “He’s had a great camp. He’s caught the ball very well too which is a pleasant surprise for us out of the backfield, so Alfred’s going to get his touches.”

Morris’s stock has taken a bit of a hit after the coaching regime change in Washington, but new HC Jay Gruden intends to keep the same running game (one reason they retained O-line coach Chris Foerster), so Morris’s outlook doesn’t change too much. He still isn’t much of a player in the pass game, though Gruden's comments are encouraging. If he can catch 30+ passes it will really help his value in PPR formats.

There was a welcomed sight on the practice field for the Indianapolis Colts on Wednesday. Running back Trent Richardson returned to practice after sitting out the previous three practices with a hamstring problem. Richardson, the likely starter in Week 1, took snaps with the second unit behind Ahmad Bradshaw.

Richardson averaged a woeful 2.9 YPC after joining the Colts, but he blames the learning curve he faced after joining a new offense midseason. Since they gave up a first round pick for him, he’ll have the backing of this Colts regime, but OC Pep Hamilton wasn’t afraid to give more work to Donald Brown given the disparity in the quality of play between the two backs. The offseason has gone pretty well for T-Rich — Brown is now out of the way, but the Colts did re-sign Ahmad Bradshaw while Vick Ballard is back from a knee injury. As the #20 RB off the board in the 5th round, it appears that fantasy owners are expecting Richardson to post RB2 numbers. Even that may be a stretch given his career output. Meanwhile, Bradshaw is one of our favorite late round targets. With Vick Ballard out for the season, he is a T-Rich injury/poor performance away from being the lead back for the Colts.

Vikings wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson practiced fully for the first time this summer and looked unhindered by the foot injury that sidelined him for the first few practices. It didn’t take long for him make his presence known. At the start of the team takeoff drill, a quick team activity before individual work, Patterson caught a pass from QB Matt Cassel and turned upfield. That got him a nice ovation from the fans, who were happy to see him back.

All arrows are pointing up for Patterson, who was the #10 WR from Week 10 to Week 17 in his rookie season. He scored seven touchdowns in that span (three rush, four receiving) while racking up 29 catches for 323 yards to go along with 10 carries for 156 rushing yards. With Josh Gordon coming off of a breakout season under new Vikings OC Norv Turner, Patterson should be a fantasy starter sooner rather than later. His TD rate will be difficult to maintain, but he should see a jump in touches in 2014. Patterson is very raw as a route runner and needs to develop in that facet of the game if he's to have the type of season that many are predicting. By all accounts, he is progressing quickly.

Packers beat writer Rob Demovsky: Lots of work for TE Brandon Bostick with the starters today. I'd say he delivered.

Athletically, Bostick is very reminiscent of Jermichael Finley. He has had trouble staying healthy, but has made plays when in the lineup. He could very well win the starting job.

The Eagles avoided major injuries after three days of training camp, but they aren’t 100 percent injury-free.

Wide receiver Riley Cooper, running back Chris Polk and center Julian Vandervelde are missing practice Wednesday. Cooper is dealing with a foot injury, coach Chip Kelly said, while Polk is nursing a hamstring tweak and Vandervelde is sidelined with a sore back.

Kelly said none of the injuries is considered major and all could be back “shortly.” Of the three, only Cooper is a starter.

As the article states, the injury isn't considered to be "major," so Cooper should be back at practice soon.

Saints beat writer Mike Triplett tries to predict the Saints' RBBC:

It’s still too early in New Orleans Saints training camp to judge exactly how they plan to split the workload among their deep running back corps.

My best guess is that Mark Ingram and Khiry Robinson will split carries pretty evenly in base packages and early downs, while Pierre Thomas lines up more with the nickel offenses (sort of the old Darren Sproles role). That would make sense, since Thomas is both the best pass-catcher and the best pass-protector of all the Saints’ running backs.

Saints quarterback Drew Brees offered some lofty praise of Thomas’ versatility Tuesday when asked if throwing the screen pass to Thomas is one of his favorite plays.

“Yes. He’s one of the best screen runners there is, ever,” Brees said. “He does such a great job of timing, setting up his blocks, just hitting those seams and hitting the sidewalk. He does a phenomenal job at it."

Brees went on to say that Thomas is the "best all-purpose back in the league." Thomas racked up 224 touches for 1,062 yards and five TDs as the lead back in the 2013 version of the Saints’ committee at running back. With Darren Sproles gone, Thomas’s catches aren’t likely to take much of a hit (though Travaris Cadet and Brandin Cooks should see some of Sproles’s work). The team has shown signs of moving to Mark Ingram and Khiry Robinson more in the running game, so PT may have trouble pushing 150 carries again in 2014. Still, he’ll be a regular part of the rotation in a potent offense and should be a good value in the middle rounds. In PPR formats, he has finished in the top 30 in PPG in five of the last six seasons.

The stats seem to indicate that Cowboys WR Terrance Williams is prepared to be a starter. In seven games in which Williams played more than 50 snaps last season, he caught 28 passes on 47 targets for 459 yards and four touchdowns. He had 16 catches on 27 targets for 277 yards and one touchdown in the other nine games.

However, Williams admits that he had a problem focusing when he was fatigued as a rookie. It’s part conditioning, part concentration.

“I feel like sometimes when I go three deep balls straight, then I have a tendency to take a play off [mentally],” said Williams, who is the unquestioned No. 2 receiver after the Cowboys released Austin in the offseason. “And that play that I take off, the ball is coming my way. When I get tired now, I’m just trying to hold myself accountable, just thinking about what the 10 guys would say standing right next to me.”

One of the reasons Dallas liked Williams so much as a prospect was that Baylor coach Art Briles raved about the receiver’s work ethic and serious approach to the game. That attitude helped Williams make an impact as a rookie, and the Cowboys hope it will help him use that season as a springboard.

With Miles Austin basically sidelined from Week 4 to Week 10, Williams was the #12 WR in fantasy, racking up 24 catches for 438 yards and five TDs in that seven-game span. In four games where he played at least 80 percent of his teams snaps, he averaged 11.0 FP (#15 WR numbers). In eight games where he played at least 70 percent of the snaps, he averaged 9.0 FP (#22 WR numbers). He faded upon Austin’s return to starter’s snaps, but showed enough in his rookie season to make him an intriguing middle-round pick in 2014. The Cowboys figure to throw a lot under new OC Scott Linehan, who was pass-happy while in Detroit. With Austin gone, the path is clear for a breakout season from Williams.

As for Julian Edelman, our own Andy Hart joined Comcast SportsNet's "Sports Tonight" to debate whether #11 can duplicate his impressive 2013 season. "If he stays healthy," said Andy Hart. "I got to tell you, through the first five days I think he's been the best player on the field in training camp… To me he just looks more confident, more expectant. Big time season, big time contract and not being injured, not trying to win a job."

Edelman caught a career high 105 passes for 1,056 yards and six touchdowns filling the Wes Welker role in the Patriots offense. Danny Amendola should be healthier this season, but it may not matter — Edelman clearly outplayed Amendola in 2013 and the team rewarded him with a new contract. He should once again threaten the 100-catch mark as Tom Brady’s favorite target not named Rob Gronkowski.

Giants RB David Wilson will not practice for the remainder of this week and will not play Sunday night, when the Giants play their preseason opener against the Buffalo Bills in the Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio. The Giants running back, who suffered a burner in practice yesterday, will be examined and evaluated on Monday by Dr. Frank Cammisa at the Hospital for Special Surgery in Manhattan.

It's not clear how long Wilson will be out, but it's a scary situation considering he was coming off of a season-ending neck injury in 2013. He was only recently cleared to practice. If he's healthy, we're only expecting a change-of-pace role behind Rashad Jennings.

The injury Texans RB Arian Foster was dealing with wasn’t life threatening. It wasn’t even serious enough to keep the star running back off the practice field Wednesday.

Foster was in uniform and returned to action during the fifth day of training camp, after missing back-to-back sessions.

Foster's health is obviously a concern. He has missed 11 games in the last three years, but did play a full season in 2012 and no longer has Ben Tate to worry about. After finishing in the top 2 in fantasy points per game from 2010 to 2012, he was #19 in that category in 2013. There is a new regime in Houston, so Foster's usage is a bit up in the air. Still, he has been one of the most productive RBs in the league when healthy and is a candidate for a bounceback season.

Panthers rookie receiver Kelvin Benjamin was able to smile after his first NFL injury scare, saying he felt like “a new man” after a precautionary MRI revealed only a bone bruise.

Benjamin’s MRI revealed no structural damage, and the indication that his absence will be measured in days rather than weeks.

Benjamin figures to play right away for the Panthers even though he’s something of a project as a route runner. At 6’5”, he should be a factor in the red zone at least. It's not good that he's missing valuable practice reps, but the Panthers are probably happy they avoided a more serious injury.

Giants WR Victor Cruz in particular should thrive in this new system. He already looks dominant catching balls from Eli Manning at practice. He caught 80-plus passes in 2011 and 2012. He was on pace for 83 receptions before an injury cut last season short. It's not hard to envision 100 catches for Cruz in OC Ben McAdoo's scheme, where Cruz's ability to get in and out of cuts sharply will serve him well.

Cruz was the #1 WR through the first four weeks thanks in large part to a 118-yard, three-TD game against the Cowboys in Week 1. (Cruz cracked the 100-yard mark twice more in the first month.) Unfortunately, his production fell off of a cliff in the final 12 games; Cruz was the #59 WR the rest of the way. The Giants’ offense should bounce back under new OC Ben McAdoo who plans to use Cruz in the Randall Cobb role in his version of the West Coast Offense.

With the addition of Darren Sproles and the emergence of Chris Polk, the Eagles have the luxury of reducing LeSean McCoy's touches in 2014 if they choose to do so. But the 26-year-old is in the prime of his career and head coach Chip Kelly isn't going to put any sort of strict limit on McCoy's workload.

"I don't know if there's a set number. Some guys can handle it, but our strength and conditioning staff and our athletic trainers do an unbelievable job of evaluating our players weekly," Kelly told SiriusXM NFL Radio. "There's times where I say, 'Hey, do we need to back off?' They're like, 'No, we can even go harder with him,' because all of our players are investing in themselves. They're getting the proper amount of sleep. They're eating the right way. They're doing what we've asked them to do. They understand it because they feel really good."

With the arrival of Sproles, we have to believe that McCoy's touches will decrease somewhat. We project McCoy for 336 touches, which represents an 8 percent drop from his 2013 totals (366). 

The biggest knock on Detroit Lions tight end Eric Ebron through off-season workouts and the first two days of training camp has been an inordinate number of dropped passes that have negated his big-play ability.

The Lions want Ebron to fill the Jimmy Graham role in new OC Joe Lombardi’s offense, so he should see playing time immediately despite the presence of Brandon Pettigrew and Joseph Fauria. Of the 21 tight ends who have been drafted in the first round in the last 10 years, 14 have managed to play at least 14 games. They averaged 35-371-2.6, or #31 TE numbers. (Oddly enough, that's where Brandon Pettigrew finished in 2013.) It usually takes a while for a young tight end to make a fantasy impact, though there has been the occasional exception. Jeremy Shockey (#3 TE in 2002), Heath Miller (#11 in 2005) and Dustin Keller (#14 in 2008) all posted TE1 or fringe-TE1 numbers as rookie first round picks. Cam Cleeland, Rob Gronkowski, Aaron Hernandez and John Carlson all had a TE1-type impact as rookies even though they weren't drafted in the first round. Ebron is an intriguing TE2-type in a potent offense, but he's no shoo-in to make a big fantasy impact in his first season, especially if he’s struggling to catch the ball.

It’s definitely fair to say Vikings TE Kyle Rudolph has been under-utilized to this point in his career. OC Norv Turner will showcase Rudolph this season more than he’s ever been showcased before. Clearly the Vikings wanted to get his contract extension on the books before he posted a breakout season and could ask for even more.

Rudolph was the #13 TE through Week 9 prior to a season-ending fracture in his foot. He was 15th in targets per game during that span, so there’s some opportunity in the workload department, especially with new OC Norv Turner in town. Turner isn’t necessarily as TE-friendly as his old boss Rob Chudzinski, but he featured Antonio Gates and Jordan Cameron heavily while with the Chargers and Browns. Rudolph is just 24 and could make a nice leap if the Vikings can get good play out of the quarterback position. He should continue to be a force in the redzone.

Sam Bradford wasted no time getting started in team drills, completing touchdown passes to Brian Quick, Kenny Britt and Austin Pettis. Most notably, Britt hauled in a difficult ball with second-year defensive back Brandon McGee in his face.

“He loves playing the game,” Fisher said of Britt. “He feels good. He’s making a lot of plays for us.”

Fisher also credits Britt for bringing along Quick, a receiver of a similar ilk. “Kenny may make a mistake as far as an incorrect route here or there, but he does it going full speed,” Fisher stated. “Brian, early on in his career, if he wasn’t sure, he wasn’t quite full speed. I think Brian’s learning just to go. Good things happen when you’re running hard.”

Britt is apparently running with the first team alongside Quick, with Tavon Austin manning the slot. If this continues, he'll be a compelling late-round pick on draft day. He has talent, but hasn't shown it in recent years. Maybe a fresh start with his old coach (FIsher) will do the trick. There is certainly opportunity in the Rams' receiving corps.

According to the Boston Herald's Jeff Howe, Dobson actually had a permanent screw inserted into his left foot during the March surgery to repair a stress fracture. The screw speaks to the severity of the injury and invasiveness of the surgery. It also suggests that the initial estimation of a two-to-three month recovery was a bit optimistic.

According to Howe, Dobson didn't even begin running until July, which means he's fairly early in the progression that would lead to him planting and cutting at full speed without pain. It also suggests his conditioning will need to be monitored when he is able to return.

Since stress fractures generally have a high recurrence risk -- Dobson was injured twice his rookie season -- the Patriots medical staff is taking it slowly with the receiver. The team has no timetable for when Dobson will return from the PUP list, per Howe.

Dobson is penciled in as the starter opposite Julian Edelman, but obviously this news about his foot puts a damper on his outlook for the season. We start to worry anytime a player is expected to return in a tight window before the start of the season as setbacks could cause poor conditioning and/or missed games. Kenbrell Thompkins has had another great offseason and would likely start if Dobson is still sidelined in Week 1.

Steven Jackson suffered a hamstring injury and was held out of practice today, Falcons HC Mike Smith says. He expects him back for Week 1.

Smith doesn't think the injury is serious, and it's not the same hammy as last year, according to other Darlington Tweets. Jacquizz Rodgers and rookie Devonta Freeman now have to step up. Freeman has shown flashes during offseason, according to Darlington.

Tuesday, Giants wide receiver Rueben Randle didn’t take part in practice because of a hamstring issue of his own.

“He was sore in the hamstring, so we held him," Coughlin said, via Dan Graziano of ESPN.com.

Graziano reports that it didn’t sound like something the Giants think is a serious problem, but they need only look to Beckham for an example of how a seemingly minor hamstring injury can turn into something more if it doesn’t get the proper time to heal.

It hasn't been a good week for the Giants. WR Odell Beckham is already going to miss a week with a hamstring issue and RB David Wilson suffered another burner. The good news on Randle is the team doesn't feel it's serious.

The Cowboys have held five practices since training camp got underway.

Tony Romo has missed two of them. The quarterback had a brief conversation with owner Jerry Jones Tuesday afternoon while the rest of his teammates were on the field.

Is Jones concerned with Romo’s latest absence?

“No, not at all,’’ Jones said. “We feel really good. We’re really pleased with the way he’s practicing and the work he’s getting done and what he’s doing both on and off the field.

“There is nothing that in any way would concern you about his back.

“He’s 100 percent. He’s just being real smart and sensitive about coming off the back surgery."

The confusion started when the team said Romo would practice Tuesday afternoon, then later HC Jason Garrett announced he wouldn't. The Cowboys are coming across as not being on the same page here. Romo is ranked 14th among our QBs, and with an ADP of the 11th round, he certainly has the potential to be a huge value pick at that point in the draft. Of course, health will be a concern with him.

Giants running back David Wilson left practice Tuesday with a "burner" according to head coach Tom Coughlin.

The location of the issue is a major source of concern for the Giants and for their former first-round pick. Wilson suffered a "burner" last season against Philadelphia that forced him on injured reserve and onto an operating table for spinal fusion surgery.

"We were all praying that it would not be an issue, that he could just come back and go to work," Coughlin said. "He was cleared. So we'll see. I'm not going to speculate what it is. We'll have to see what the doctors say."

Wilson went through a lengthy clearance process this spring and summer in order to get back on the field. He was finally given the green light by the medical staff the day training camp began, and went through four padded practices. This is obviously a pretty scary issue for the young back. From a fantasy perspective, Wilson was fighting for time with free agent Rashad Jennings, and the speedy back was hoping to at least get a third down role. He was ranked just 74th on our list, but was getting a late round flier in drafts according to ADPs. This is an injury obviously worth monitoring because we could be dealing with the threat of his career if serious enough.

Despite the Packers using three of their nine draft picks on receivers to provide depth behind Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb, there's no reason to think any of them will supplant Jarrett Boykin as the No. 3.

That's no knock on second-round pick Davante Adams or fifth-rounder Jared Abbrederis -- both have made their share of early plays (seventh-round pick Jeff Janis has not practiced yet because of injury).

But Boykin looks every bit like the same receiver -- or better -- than the one who caught 49 passes for 681 yards and three touchdowns in the final 12 games last season.

"I know Aaron [Rodgers] feels very good about him," Packers coach Mike McCarthy said.

Boykin's ADP of the 14th round makes him an attractive target late in drafts. And the WR3 on the Packers can provide WR3 value in fantasy leagues, as he was on pace to put up #27 WR numbers last year had he played a full season. It doesn't look like the rookie Adams will pass Boykin at this point.

Cowboys WR Dez Bryant caught 11 balls out of the slot last season, which is nine more than he caught in 2012.

The Cowboys want him to catch a lot more from the slot this season.

The Cowboys can finally expand Bryant's package of plays because they can move him around the formation and put him in the slot, where he doesn't have to deal with bump-and-run coverage.

This only helps Bryant's value as one of the top WRs available. The Cowboys couldn't do this more in the past due to Bryant not grasping the offense, but now they feel he's ready. It should create more mismatches, which is something the team struggled with last year and it frustrated Bryant at times. According to past news items, rookie Devin Street is the team's only other outside receiver, so it remains to be seen who else would be in this package of plays. Cole Beasley is also a slot receiver.

Chris Johnson may be looking mighty spry at Jets training camp, but that doesn’t mean he’ll be the one pounding in touchdowns for Gang Green when the team is close to paydirt. Running backs coach Anthony Lynn said he hasn’t determined who the Jets’ short-yardage back will be, though it sounds like Chris Ivory is the early favorite.

“If we were playing tomorrow, Chris Ivory would be on the goal line, obviously,” Lynn said on Monday. “Sometimes in those situations you have an extra defender that you can’t block, and you need a back that can take him on.”

After battling through injuries, Ivory looked good at times last year coming over from the Saints in a trade. Now it looks like he'll be stealing short TDs away from Chris Johnson. Ivory led all Jets RBs last year with six attempts inside the 5-yard line so he's familiar with the role.

Losing Kelvin Benjamin would be a potential disaster for the Panthers.

So the fact they’re not freaking out about his “precautionary MRI” is probably a good sign.

Benjamin was sent back to Charlotte for tests after banging knees with a teammate Sunday afternoon. He finished practice and signed autographs afterward, so there was no early sign of panic.

“It could just be one of those things where if he had iced it right away and not finished [Sunday’s] practice, maybe it would have been better,” Panthers coach Ron Rivera said, via Black and Blue Review.

The result of the MRI is just a bruise. Benjamin is expected to play a pretty big role in the Panthers offense after losing both Steve Smith and Brandon LaFell in the offseason. Jason Avant and Jerricho Cotchery are next in line in terms of WRs. It will be important for Benjamin to get back and continue to get his reps.

Golden Tate's stay on the physically unable to perform list was a short one as the Detroit Lions announced the wide receiver has been cleared to return to the field, hours before the team's first training camp practice.

Tate, who injured his shoulder during an OTA practice earlier in the offseason, was placed on the PUP list as a precaution when he reported to camp on Tuesday. 

The sure-handed Tate is coming off his best professional season, catching 64 passes for 898 yards and five touchdowns for the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks. The hope is Tate can be a nice complement to Calvin Johnson. Tate's ranked 33rd among our WRs and we consider him a WR3 with upside, provided he can connect with QB Matthew Stafford.

Indeed, it's hard to imagine any of the other backs unseating the Rams Zac Stacy as the starter and primary ballcarrier barring an injury.

Of course, that part isn't so far-fetched considering Stacy's knack for nagging injuries as a rookie. And so far, Stacy has been getting the majority of the work with the first-team offense. We'll see if anything changes as camp goes on but for now, most of the training camp competitions are centered more on sorting out players rather than open jobs amongst the starting 22.

Way back in March, Fisher said Stacy was a guy who could get a bulk of work in the Rams offense, which equated to about 300 carries. Of course the key is staying healthy. The NFC West is also a tough division to face twice a year, but one of Stacy's better games last year came against the Seahawks at home. He posted #8 RB numbers from Week 5 on in 2013, but Tre Mason could steal some carries to help keep Stacy fresh. He's ranked 12th on our list with an ADP of the early fourth round.

The Texans played much of last season without running back Arian Foster because of a back injury, making life more difficult for their offense and creating some worry when Foster had to leave Sunday’s practice early.

The good news is that the reason for his departure, which came with the assistance of a cart, didn’t seem to have anything to do with his back. He was getting his legs stretched out on the sideline before riding the cart to the trainer’s room and the Texans didn’t express much concern about his status.

Whatever the issue — Foster dealt with hamstring troubles in training camp last year — it is enough to keep the back off the practice field during Monday’s first padded practice of camp as well. It may just be precautionary as the Texans try to keep a small problem from blossoming, but it will certainly be something to watch given Foster’s recent injury history.

Andre Brown will likely see a few more reps with Foster out of the lineup.

One of the more intriguing storylines that we're tracking in Bengals training camp revolves around running back Giovani Bernard and the increased touches he's expecting this season.

He first heard during the spring that he was going to take on a greater share of the offensive load. He should be on the field more regularly and be put in better situations to see his number of touches increase from the 226 he had last year to somewhere closer to the neighborhood of 300.

This falls right in line with our thinking too, as we have him a shade under 300 touches at the moment. Bernard's been going early in the second round and looks like a great option as either and RB2 if you go RB in the first, or even a low-end RB1 if you grab a WR or TE Jimmy Graham in the first.

Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger has made it known for some time that he would like to have a big receiver. During a team third-down period, Roethlisberger's wide receivers were Dri Archer (5-foot-8), Antonio Brown (5-10), Lance Moore (5-9) and Markus Wheaton (5-11).

So who did Roethlisberger throw the ball to? How about 6-7 tight end Matt Spaeth. Spaeth beat rookie linebacker Ryan Shazier on a third-and-7 out pattern that resulted in a first down.

Falcons WR Julio Jones saw his most extensive practice action since undergoing right foot surgery and looked like the Jones of old after sitting out one day. His explosion was evident with every step, and he blew past Desmond Trufant on a play during one-on-one drills. "He's looking good, man," Trufant said of Jones. "To come back like he did ... he didn't do any of the (organized team activities). He was just doing rehab. He didn't miss a beat. That's exactly what we want to see. And he's going to definitely have a comeback season this year." Jones was spectacular and in sync with Matt Ryan. Despite how he looked Sunday, the Falcons won't change the game plan with Jones just yet. He'll be off again Monday.

Good news for those targeting Jones as a late first round, early second round option. Still, there is reason to be concerned with his foot and staying healthy. If he does play a full season, we think he's a top-five WR.

When Knowshon Moreno signed with Miami in the offseason, many penciled the former Bronco in as the Dolphins’ starting running back.

It was way premature. Instead, Lamar Miller has been clearly ahead of Moreno on the depth chart every step of the way since and might even be pulling away.

Moreno hasn’t practiced yet in camp, still healing from arthroscopic knee surgery.

Miller, meanwhile, is healthy — and stronger than ever. Miller, who ranked 24th among running backs in yards after contact last year (2.06 per carry), put on between six and eight pounds of muscle this offseason.

Miller looks to be taking advantage of his opportunity to turn into the back many thought he'd be last season. Miller is currently ranked 31st on our RB list, but he could climb if the current trend continues. He's shaping up to be a great value with an ADP of the 8th round.

49ers running back LaMichael James was carted off the field with an apparent left-arm injury early in Sunday's practice.

It's believed James got hurt in a pass-blocking drill. Coach Jim Harbaugh hovered over James on the ground before a trainer whisked him off to the locker room. James appeared to be supporting his left wrist with his right hand.

James had just become a top contender for the No. 2 running back role behind Frank Gore Friday, once Kendall Hunter sustained a torn anterior cruciate ligament and was lost for the season. Next up on the depth chart are Carlos Hyde and Marcus Lattimore. With Gore getting up in age, the 9ers RB2 can be fantasy worthy.

The Buffalo Bills can't catch a break at tight end.

Already down Tony Moeaki (hamstring) and Chris Gragg (heat-related symptoms), top Bills tight end Scott Chandler left Sunday's practice early with a groin injury. He did not return.

There isn't an immediate prognosis on Chandler's injury. He was the team's leading receiver last season, catching 53 passes for 655 yards.

Colts TE Dwayne Allen is the total package, and observers are about to find out just how OC Pep Hamilton plans to take advantage of that fact.

One of the biggest differences you'll notice in the Colts' offense with Allen onboard is the increased use of two-tight end formations. Whereas the Colts used the fullback extensively last season in power-running situations, look for that to be curtailed.

The story calls Allen a matchup nightmare and the team likes the flexibility he brings in two TE sets, both in the running and passing game. We rank him 21st because we think Coby Fleener will take away some of his production, so we think he caps out as a TE2.

This is a big season for Seahawk WR Jermaine Kearse's future and he seems to understand the possibility. This is the final year of his first contract and Kearse can be a restricted free agent next offseason.

He just saw teammate Doug Baldwin, also undrafted out of college, sign a three-year extension for up to $13 million. Kearse is considered a lock to make the team this year, even though his career numbers aren't impressive. However, he's delivered on some big plays last year. We project Kearse for just 19 catches and he currently isn't getting drafted in 10- and 12-team leagues.

Giants RB David Wilson fumbled a handoff from QB Eli Manning, one of several sloppy miscues by Giants skill position players.

Not what you want to be reading about Wilson even early on in camp. So far, it's been a struggle for the running game. The story did mention Rashad Jennings showed glimpses of his shifty ability to turn short passes out of the backfield into big gains.

The aerial attack looked to be in a rhythm for the Giants when QB Eli Manning was out there, hitting on several short passes in the new up-tempo West Coast system offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo brought over from Green Bay, Manning and Victor Cruz connected several times in 11-on-11 drills, including a pretty out pattern in which Cruz laid out with a head-long dive.

If Manning can turn it around, he'd present a great, late-round value. He's ranked outside the top-20 on our QBs list and isn't getting drafted in a lot of 10-team leagues right now.

Given that running back is a crowded position on the Broncos with plenty of youth -- Ronnie Hillman, entering his third season, is the most experienced of the group -- those looking for a spot may want to take a page from Hillman’s work Sunday.

The Broncos didn’t tackle live on special teams, but Hillman returned some kickoffs and showed good burst doing it. And with the kickoff return job wide open, some of the running backs looking for a roster spot may be wise to lobby for their chance to return kicks in the coming weeks.

Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning was ruthlessly efficient, in 7-on-7 and full team drills in the red zone. Manning connected on scoring passes to WR Emmanuel Sanders, WR Wes Welker and TE Jacob Tamme in one 1-on-1 drill between receivers and defensive backs alone.

Steelers RB Le'Veon Bell left practice Sunday afternoon after experiencing tightness in his hamstring but the second-year running back may not miss any additional practice time, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said.

The Steelers ended Bell’s day early as a precaution, giving more repetitions to LeGarrette Blount and rookie Dri Archer. Archer, the fastest player on the team, drew one of the biggest cheers from the fans at St. Vincent College when he made a nifty cut and flashed through a hole. Archer has been every bit as fast as advertised and he has lined up in a variety of different positions.

The Colts first full padded practice of 2014 brought Reggie Wayne back onto the playing field, after the 14-year vet was held out of Saturday’s session.

Wayne looked like his old self on Sunday as he continued to be someone QB Andrew Luck turned to at critical times.

The Colts got in some red zone work during Sunday’s two-hour practice and there was Wayne finding gaps in the defense for touchdowns.

Wayne would make a great comeback story in 2014, but at 35 and coming off a major injury, it's fair to question how far back he'll come. He's ranked just 39th on our list, but he's getting drafted in the 9th round according to ADP, which is about two rounds before WRs ranked around him.

Seahawks receiver Percy Harvin was back full speed Sunday after staying out of team drills Saturday. HC Pete Carroll said it’s part of a plan to allow Harvin to take a break every few days and not overdo it in camp.

Seattle Seahawks running back Christine Michael did not practice Sunday, but coach Pete Carroll said Michael is OK.

“He just banged his shoulder a little bit,” Carroll said of Michael. “The trainers think he’ll be back on Tuesday.”

The players have the day off Monday after practicing in pads for the first time at training camp on Sunday.

It took QB Brian Hoyer all of one day to move on from the excitement of the past and to focus on simply playing the position he’s always wanted -- quarterback of the Cleveland Browns.

The change in Hoyer from Saturday to Sunday was marked, as he was decisive, quick, accurate and confident in the second training camp practice. Johnny Manziel? Not so much ... as his body language steadily deteriorated as the day went on.

The story said Hoyer had some first-day sloppiness, and that could have been for several reasons: getting cleared to practice fully following knee surgery, trying to win the job for his hometown team, the hype about Manziel and appearing for the first time in front of fans and media.

The Eagles ran a package with RBs LeSean McCoy and Darren Sproles on the field together. On one play, they both line up in the backfield. On the next play, Sproles sets up in the slot and runs a shallow crosser.

This could be a dangerous package for defenses to stop as both McCoy and Sproles are good out of the backfield catching passes. It also shows that Sproles may not just be limited to lone-back formations backing up McCoy or even just third downs or returns.

The Cardinals are losing a dangerous playmaker on offense and punt returns.

Patrick Peterson will no longer field punts or line up wide, the star cornerback revealed Sunday, per the team's official website.

Peterson said the move will allow him to focus on becoming an even better cover corner, via AZCentral.com. He'll remain on call to return punts in a reserve capacity.

Though it sounds strange to see given their track record, the Panthers found themselves short at running back.

So they solved that problem for the moment by bringing in former Browns running back/return man Fozzy Whittaker.

The Panthers had an immediate need with Jonathan Stewart on the shelf with a hamstring and sixth-round pick Tyler Gaffney going on injured reserve with a knee injury.

Whittaker has some return ability, but has been looking for work since the Browns cut him in May.

The Browns worked out receiver Charles Johnson before the 2013 NFL Draft, but chose not to select him.

They eventually poached him from the Green Bay Packers practice squad last season only to discover the small-college standout had a torn anterior cruciate ligament.

The Browns finally are getting a look at Johnson on the field and general manager Ray Farmer finds him an "interesting prospect."

Johnson made several nice catches Sunday during practice. The 25-year-old is competing for a roster spot in a wide-open receivers field.

Steelers rookie Dri Archer is getting work all over the place, from running back, to receiver and on special teams where he was catching punts on the first day of practice.

“Whatever they need me to do,” said Archer. “I am here to help the team any way possible. I have been catching punts and kicks since I reported. I didn’t drop any the first day. It’s another way to get the ball in my hands. I like the ball in my hands. I am a guy that likes to make things happen.”

It remains to be seen of Archer will be a fantasy option.

Patriots RB Roy Finch, an undrafted free agent, will most likely need to earn a spot on the Pats by the way of special teams, and he’s had early opportunities to show what he can do in the return game. On Sunday, he returned punts with Julian Edelman and Danny Amendola. On Saturday, he was returning kickoffs.

Finch likely won't make a fantasy impact at RB but he looks to be in the mix in the return game.

Sunday, the second day of training camp, was a great day for the Texans' receivers. Perhaps not coincidentally, it was also a good day for quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, who was the best I've seen him since he came to Houston.

With Miles Austin now in Cleveland, Cowboys WR Terrance Williams should see an even greater amount of opportunities with Scott Linehan calling plays. Williams says he isn’t feeling any pressure to be Austin, a two-time Pro Bowler.

When Austin was out last year, Williams put up high-end WR2 numbers. This year he comes in ranked 30th making him a low-end WR2, high end WR3. He really has a chance to produce in a pass-heavy Dallas offense as defenses will look to focus on TE Jason Witten and WR Dez Bryant.

Per Jay Glazer, Vikings QBs Teddy Bridgewater and veteran Matt Cassel are “pretty much splitting reps” at practice.

It doesn’t mean that Bridgewater will be the Week 1 starter. It does mean that, the longer the rep-spitting lasts, the less prepared the Week 1 starter will be, the story points out. But it certainly seems more encouraging for Bridgewater than Cassel at this point.

When fleet quarterback Terrelle Pryor was traded to Seattle in the offseason, he didn’t take the read-option calls from the Oakland Raiders' playbook with him.

This year the Raiders are considering using running back Darren McFadden as the point man in the read option. McFadden filled the role at times at the University of Arkansas, and he ran some Wildcat early in his career with Oakland. The possibility of taking snaps directly from center excites him.

“I always tell people I really was supposed to be a quarterback, I just ended up being a running back,” McFadden said. “It’s always fun to me, being able to get back there behind center. It takes me back to my old roots. The first position I ever played was quarterback. It was my first love.”

Consistency will be key for Titans WR Justin Hunter this season.

"He's a young guy and it's a hard adjustment for a guy to come in here from a collegiate level to an NFL level," Nate Washington said. "You're playing against 29- and 30-year old men. That's something he has to understand, something he's better understood in this offseason."

The 30-year-old Washington, entering his 10th season in the league, looks for Hunter to be more comfortable as a second-year pro.

"His confidence is going to grow," Washington said. "Confidence is everything in this league. Once the confidence grows, the plays will start coming. I think he's been making a good transition here in this offseason of understanding what's expected of him. Now he understands what he's capable of – 'Where do I stand with the guys that have already been here?' So that's good for him."

We have Hunter just 67th on our list but he has an ADP of the 14th round, so fantasy players seem to at least be interested in his potential - enough to make him a late round pick.

Chiefs WR Dwayne Bowe left practice early with what the Chiefs said were cramps.

Kyle Williams and Frankie Hammond Jr. took advantage of their absence. Williams caught several catches, while Hammond had the play of the day. He caught a pass over the middle and then weaved his way through several defenders for the touchdown.

Jerricho Cotchery doesn't mind being "the old guy" on the Panthers wide receiver corps — just as long as he's the productive old guy.

The 32-year-old Cotchery realizes the team's younger wide receivers are looking to him for experience and occasional words of wisdom given his 10 seasons in the NFL. Cotchery is good with all of that, but said his primary concern right now is proving to his new team he can play at an elite level.

"I want to be known as a guy who can help individuals — not just on the field, but off the field as well," Cotchery said. "That's fine with me. But that doesn't get you anywhere in the NFL. Teams don't bring you in to be counselors or anything of that nature. They want you to come in and contribute and make plays and help the team win."

Cotchery was brought in as an unrestricted free agent to replace Steve Smith, Carolina's all-time leading receiver and a fan favorite.

Cotchery is coming off a year where he quietly caught 10 TD passes for the Steelers, but he's only ever had one 1,000-plus yard season. That came back in 2007 with the Jets. He's likely not getting drafted in a lot of leagues but he could end up being a free agent pickup if in fact he does end up starting for the Panthers.

Saints K Shayne Graham has survived parts of 14 seasons as a journeyman NFL kicker, so arriving at training camp with no guarantee of a job is hardly unusual for him.

Graham was signed by the Saints last December after the team parted ways with Garrett Hartley. Graham kicked reasonably well, although he missed two field goals in difficult conditions in the Saints' season-ending loss to the Seattle Seahawks.

Graham was re-signed by the Saints, who also signed Derek Dimke and brought him to camp to compete for the starting job.

"There's competition there, but (Graham's) efficiency is very good. He'll be a tough guy to beat out," said Saints head coach Sean Payton.

Dimke, 24, hit six field goals in the preseason for Tampa Bay in 2013 and had a brief stint with Detroit in the 2012 preseason, but has never made a regular season NFL roster. Graham is poised to be one of the top fantasy kickers this season.

WR Mike Evans, six-foot-five and somewhere north of 220 pounds, is a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' new super-sized corps of pass-catchers already nicknamed the "Dunkaneers." He is adept at fighting off defenders for contested passes and he was drafted seventh overall in May because he's expected to create mismatches with smaller defenders.

Given his stature, one would think that the line of scrimmage would be his domain. Try to press a receiver of his size, who also has the speed to get downfield in a hurry if he slips by, and you're asking for trouble. The problem is, this is the NFL, and even cornerbacks of average size know how to deal with big receivers at the line.

Evans found that out on Saturday when he encountered a worthy opponent in Pro Bowl cornerback Alterraun Verner, who checks in at 5-10 and 186 pounds. The rookie from Texas A&M is eagerly working on all aspects of his game to speed his transition to the NFL, and getting off the line against press coverage is one of the most important issues.

Rookie WRs always come with risk in fantasy football and we rank Evans 45th. His ADP is the 10th round however, which is higher than a lot of those ranked around him. But that's typical for those who get excited about rookies with Evans' potential. He should be drafted as depth with the potential to progress up your WR depth chart.

Dolphins receiver Rishard Matthews has felt like the odd man out this offseason. He showed a lot of promise last season starting as the slot receiver when Brandon Gibson went down with a patellar tear.

Yet with Gibson back and the Dolphins using a second-round draft choice on Jarvis Landry, Matthews is on the bubble.

But there’s no question he can catch the ball and at Sunday’s practice he was a prime target for quarterback Ryan Tannehill. Gibson, still coming back from the injury, sat out the second half of practice and was seen with ice on his knee.

Matthews was the most active receiver at practice today and nearly made the play of training camp with a one-handed grab over Pro Bowl cornerback Brent Grimes. It was ruled incomplete but it’s a glimpse of how hard Matthews is working to stay on the roster.

Should Vikings FB Jerome Felton expect a different or decreased role with Norv Turner running the offense?

It’s a fair question considering the Browns, whose offense Turner coordinated last season, used two-back formations on just 5.2 percent of their snaps in 2013, according to Pro Football Focus. That was one of the lowest figures in the league, though the Browns didn’t exactly have a bruiser like Felton -- or any established fullback for that matter -- and they also played from behind a lot.

The Vikings used two backs on 24.1 percent of their snaps a season ago. That’s why Turner is saying that the Felton should still have a role here.

“He is going to have to block and block,” Turner said. “We talked the other night to our team, we need to have a physical presence. Jerome brings that type of presence, and we are still going to have a certain percentage of two backs in the backfield, or spread out with the two backs in the backfield, that personnel group, if it gives the team problems. ... I think that there’s game situations where you need to have a fullback that can go pound it a little bit.”

The fantasy news here is Felton could help pave the way for Adrian Peterson.

Dolphins wide receiver Brandon Gibson didn’t finish practice Sunday, the team’s first day in full pads and third day of training camp.

It wasn't believed to be a contact injury.

Gibson, playing on a surgically-repaired left knee, had a visible limp and then stopped about halfway through practice and went into the training facility. He emerged about a minute later, practiced briefly, but then stopped practicing altogether soon afterward. He went back into the facility and returned to the field wearing shorts and a T-shirt.

Gibson left the field with an ice pack on his left knee.

New Orleans Saints receiver Robert Meachem missed practice Sunday after his back flared up, head coach Sean Payton said after the team's third day of training camp at the Greenbrier resort.

Meachem mostly watched from the sidelines, although he did work on the stationary bike at the start of practice.

He tweeted after practice that he was OK.

Jets practice took a bad turn in a 7-on-7 drill when promising tight end Jace Amaro hurt his right knee and sat out for the remainder of the practice with a big ice wrap on his knee. The Jets have big plans for their second-round pick, and losing him for any length of time would be a blow.

Rookie Amaro needs to get all his reps in so he doesn't fall too far behind this early in camp.

Rob Gronkowski briefly took part in an 11-on-11 drill Sunday when the offense lightly ran through running plays against the defense. It’s a quick measure of progress, but they were going half speed. He still hasn’t taken any live reps against the defense through four practices.

Still, it's a good sign for Gronk's progress. We had a news story a few weeks ago from the Pat's Web site that said he would be ready Week 1 and it appears he's on pace.

Tight end Martellus Bennett wants to be a beast of burden.

Bennett has declared this season the ‘‘Year of the YAK,’’ misspelling the acronym for ‘‘yards after catch’’ on purpose.

‘‘I just like the animal — yak — better than the word YAC,’’ he said.

Bennett and quarterback Jay Cutler stayed late after the second day of camp Saturday to work on the latter.

‘‘Me and him have a plan this year in camp to constantly work on a different route each day,’’ Bennett said. ‘‘As a tight end, it’s really just about being in rhythm, just him knowing what’s going to happen on certain routes.’’

Bennett could be a nice, late-round get. His ADP is the 13th round and we rank him 11th at the position, but it seems like he has a chance to improve on that. We don't always recommend drafting two TEs if you don't have to, but Bennett looks like a decent TE2 option.

The Patriots should fear Rob Gronkowski’s knees will have a bull’s-eye on them this season.

There is an unsettling feeling among those who have played the game that Gronkowski won’t be able to endure a full slate of games thanks to now being an easier mark for rival defensive backs. The overwhelming concern is the Patriots all-world tight end will again be the victim of a blow to his surgically repaired right knee when he returns to game action.

Given the way the rules are geared toward eliminating violent hits to the head and neck, it's a legit concern and could be something fantasy owners want to consider before drafting Gronk. There are already injury concerns with the star tight end and whether or not he'll even be ready for Week 1. As the article points out, he's a difference maker for the Pats, and if you take him early in drafts, he could break your fantasy team if he doesn't make it all season.

The rules remain simple, if not ironic: Want to run the ball for the Broncos? You had better be able to pass block.

"Coach E (Eric Studesville) makes it clear our job is to keep them off Peyton," Montee Ball said.

Manning threw the ball 659 times last season. The Broncos' aerial gumbo of audibles and short routes assaults the senses. It also humbles even the best athletes. Ball's breakthrough last summer ended abruptly. He landed on the bench when he couldn't keep Manning upright.

The Broncos believe in Ball, inserting him as the starter after Knowshon Moreno's defection to the Dolphins. Ball possesses NFL-workhorse qualities, including a sturdy frame and a college résumé that included 924 carries and 77 rushing TDs at Wisconsin.

Pass blocking was one of the reasons Moreno emerged as the Broncos main back last year, and it's something the team has to feel comfortable having Ball do this year in order for him to be a stud fantasy RB. The signs are pointing to Ball emerging as that guy. If he does he could end up being a huge value in drafts, even as an early second round pick. But his pass blocking is one thing potential owners need to monitor in camp.

Top 49ers WR Michael Crabtree’s return to full health – and he sure looks like he has, moving well in Saturday’s practice and making a one-handed catch in traffic – headlines a group with improved depth and talent.

Anquan Boldin remains tough and crafty at age 33. Stevie Johnson, who had three straight 1,000-yard seasons in Buffalo from 2010 to ’12, arrived in a trade. General manager Trent Baalke made a point to praise rookie Bruce Ellington (“a young guy that’s come in and showed an awful lot of promise”) second-year pro Quinton Patton (“a year older, a year better”), and even 33-year-old Brandon Lloyd (“playing like he’s 28 years old out there”). RB Frank Gore said it’s “by far” the best receiver group the 49ers have had in his 10 seasons.

The 49ers have a lot of big names at WR, but outside of Crabtree and Boldin, fantasy owners will have to see where Johnson fits in, and perhaps even Lloyd. Either way, QB Colin Kaepernick figures to benefit the most from this experienced group around him.

Steelers O-line coach Mik Munchak, who compiled a 22-26 record as head coach of the Titans, is highly regarded as an offensive line coach. He very well could have been the Steelers’ best offseason transaction.

The Steelers ranked 27th in the NFL in rushing offense last season. Their 1,383 yards were the fewest for the team since 1966.

But the offensive line did allow quarterback Ben Roethlisberger to play every offensive snap for the first time since 2008 and surrendered just seven sacks in the final five games after allowing 36 in the first 11.

The Steelers hope an improved line under Munchak will allow them to get RBs LeVeon Bell and LeGarrette Blount going this season and improve on last year's rushing totals. Bell is turning into an attractive, second-round fantasy option in drafts and is ranked 12th among our backs.

Dolphins WR Mike Wallace isn't expected to be just a nine-route runner this year. And he's excited about the possibilities that will bring. He said his goal is to be a first-team All-Pro this season.

And he's apparently ready to take that do-more theme to extremes.

Even special teams extremes.

That's right, Wallace said he's willing to help on special teams in 2014.

Wallace doesn't want to be running down the field making tackles, but he's willing to go back in certain situations or key parts of the game to return kicks.

According to multiple people within the Giants organization who requested anonymity in order to speak freely on the matter, the Giants have informed their tight ends that there is a good possibility that a fullback won’t make the final 53-man roster — leaving all of those duties up to the tight ends. Though injuries, personnel shifts and observances in the preseason could change the team’s plans, they entered the year hoping to keep their best four tight ends and give themselves some options on cut-down day.

Imagining a Tom Coughlin team without a hard-nosed presence at fullback is difficult to do, though it’s more a reflection of the offensive evolution around the NFL. Some scouts around the league believe that the league will eventually retreat back into a run-heavy offenses that emphasize ball control, but for now, bolstering options in the passing game make the most sense.

Free agents Kellen Davis (Seahawks) and Daniel Fells (New England) along with Larry Donnell and Adrien Robinson have been asked to learn the new wrinkle. While it will likely give a job to one of these guys, none are expected to be fantasy worthy. However, it looks like the Giants will have a new look on offense running the ball.

The Chiefs need to hold on to quarterback Tyler Bray for at least one more season. Bray has more natural throwing ability than any of the Chiefs’ other quarterbacks, Smith included, and he’s been showing it since Kansas City started training camp.

Bray went undrafted last year out of the University of Tennessee not because of any lack of physical ability but because of questions surrounding his work ethic and his skills in reading coverages and understanding defenses. The Chiefs knew it would take some time for Bray to develop, if he ever would, so they should take every necessary minute to allow him to do so.

Incumbent Alex Smith is only signed for one more season. There’s no indication the Chiefs are ready to give up on Bray. He has consistently been behind Smith and Chase Daniel but ahead of rookie Aaron Murray in the quarterback rotation at practice.

Cowboys wide receiver Cole Beasley had a good first day in pads. The defense could not stay with him in the slot. His best catch came after QB Tony Romo had to throw around linebacker DeVonte Holloman. Beasley was able to adjust and make a diving catch.

Beasley is battling for the slot job but he's only ranked 77th on our list. Given how much the Cowboys pass, and want to pass, his value would likely still only come in deeper formats.

Bears RB Matt Forte has shown no signs of slowing, even though he's third in the NFL in touches since 2008 with 1,892 (1,551 carries, 341 receptions). His burst is still there.

At a position notorious for grinding up players and spitting them out in short order, Forte is still a main cog in an offense that now features big-time options in the passing game. He's meticulous in preparation and works routinely with a physical therapist to keep his body tuned to avoid injuries.

"Playing this long, you know what the routine is," Forte said. "You know what to do and how to do it."

Forte is a top RB this year in any format and is going as early as the middle of the first round. He's especially a top PPR RB hauling in 74 catches last season. We predict him for 72 more this season and he's our number-two PPR RB.

Panthers coach Ron Rivera announced that sixth-round pick RB Tyler Gaffney will spend his rookie season recovering from a knee injury. Gaffney injured his knee during Friday night’s practice and doctors determined he needs season-ending surgery long before the season even gets underway.

Much was made about the lack of timing QB Ryan Fitzpatrick and WR Andre Johnson would have because they'd never worked together. On the first play of team, CB Kareem Jackson was up in press man on Dre. At the snap, Dre gave a little shimmy, buzzed his feet, all the while setting up his inside move on the slant route. At the perfect time, Dre planted his left foot, pivoted inside and as he turned the ball was put between the 8 and the 0. Perfect timing.

With Bishop Sankey still learning the system and Shonn Greene working his way back from knee surgery, Dexter McCluster will get plenty of reps at running back. He looked impressive at Titans camp on Saturday, breaking a couple of nice runs up the middle and then cutting to open space on the right sideline.

Patriots rookie running back James White turned some heads during the team's first day in full pads at training camp in front of 13,891 fans at Gillette Stadium's practice fields.

The fourth round draft pick out of Wisconsin had several long runs during 11-on-11 work, flashed good hands during 7-on-7 play and overall continued to show why the early reviews for the 5-foot-10, 205-pounder have been so positive.

White is playing behind Shane Vereen in the 'passing RB' role for the Patriots. He's the logical handcuff for Vereen owners who want insurance.

After skipping previous offseason work, Texans WR Andre Johnson is catching up on Bill O'Brien's offense.

"I think it's just gonna be fun for me, me picking up the things I need to pick up, him telling me that he's gonna move me around a lot and stuff like that," Johnson told NFL Media's Desmond Purnell. "So it's going to be interesting to see because I really wasn't moved a whole lot before, so I just got to, day-by-day, just progressively get better and make sure that I'm on top of everything ... "

Browns QB Brian Hoyer’s chemistry with tight end Jordan Cameron is one thing Browns fans should gloat about. The two are on the same page on all three kinds of routes – short, intermediate and deep. Hoyer lobbed a perfectly thrown ball to Cameron for a 30-yard touchdown in a one-on-one drill.

In a one-on-one passing drill going against linebackers, Browns RB Terrance West put on a clinic, so much so, that coach Mike Pettine wondered for a second whether if that was actually his running back.

“I was a little shocked with Terrance today,” HC Mike Pettine said, pleasantly surprised. “I had to double check my roster card to make sure I was looking at the right number. He did some nice things in the one-on-one period. That’s always a bonus when you have a running back that’s not just one-dimensional.”

While Pettine liked what he saw in West, he also reiterated that fellow running back Ben Tate is much more of an advanced pass blocker than the rookie.

West is battling with Tate for carries. Tate has the inside track to the starting job, but given his injury history, it would not be surprising if West got one or more starts in 2014. It sounds like the rookie has some receiving chops. If he can get his pass protection buttoned up, he could see a big role in the Browns' offense.

These Saints are stocked deep at running back. They have Pierre Thomas, the 8th-year veteran likely to assume more of a third-down role as the group's best receiver and pass protector following the offseason trade of dual-threat back Darren Sproles.

Mark Ingram was running with the first team at Saturday practice, a sign he will likely get every chance to wrestle the starting job from Thomas. Payton and his staff hope Ingram rises to the challenge.

If not, there is last year's late-season standout Khiry Robinson, the quick, powerful undrafted free agent from West Texas A&M whom Hall-of-Fame coach Bill Parcells compared to a young Curtis Martin.

Thomas racked up 224 touches for 1,062 yards and five TDs as the lead back in the 2013 version of the Saints’ committee at running back. With Darren Sproles gone, Thomas’s catches aren’t likely to take much of a hit, especially if he plays more on third down, as the article suggests. The team has shown signs of moving to Mark Ingram and Khiry Robinson more in the running game, so PT may have trouble pushing 150 carries again in 2014. Still, he’ll be a regular part of the rotation in a potent offense and should be a good value in the middle rounds. In PPR formats, he has finished in the top 30 in PPG in five of the last six seasons. It looks like Ingram will get first crack at carries on 1st/2nd down, but Robinson will be in the mix as well.

Broncos RB Ronnie Hillman, who held the blue football as a reminder of ball security, made nice run up the middle, bursting outside with good separation. However, he also fumbled once.

Hillman is battling for carries behind Montee Ball.

Although he is just a rookie, Eagles receiver Jordan Matthews already talks and acts like a 10-year veteran.

Part of the reasoning for that could be that during this last month, when other players were resting and preparing for training camp, Matthews sought out the advice of some of the best receivers in the NFL in Calvin Johnson of the Detroit Lions and A.J. Green of the Cincinnati Bengals.

"People put a lot of stock into the first day of training camp, but (succeeding in the NFL) is about who can sustain and who can make it through the season," Matthews said. "That is what I went to train with A.J. Green and Calvin Johnson for. To learn about longevity, learn about being a professional over a long period of time."

Maurice Jones-Drew and Darren McFadden split reps at running back with the first-team offense. Although competing for the starting job, don’t expect to see a lot of them in the preseason. First off, each has a recent history of injuries, and the Raiders want to make sure they’re as close to 100 percent as possible entering the regular season. Secondly, the staff wants to get a look at youngsters Latavius Murray, a 2013 sixth-round pick who missed all of last season with a foot injury, and Kory Sheets, a star CFL performer who rushed for 2,875 yards and 23 touchdowns over the past two seasons with Saskatchewan.

MJD is far from a lock, but given his 8th/9th round price, there isn’t a whole lot of risk here. He’s a good bet to win the starting job in Oakland, and at 29-years-old, we’re not convinced that he’s over the hill. He averaged 4.8 YPC as recently as 2012 and doesn’t have the mileage of a typical 29-year-old back since he was a part-time player for his first three seasons in the league. Rashad Jennings had success down the stretch for the Raiders in 2013 and MJD played ahead of Jennings while in Jacksonville. DMC is the underdog in this race.

During offseason drills, Dolphins WR Jarvis Landry consistently got open and seemed to catch everything thrown his way. That was the case again Saturday during the second practice of training camp.

Chiefs HC Andy Reid said tight end Sean McGrath is indeed retiring. McGrath led an injury-depleted group of Chiefs’ tight ends in catches last season with 26. But the Chiefs are counting on a full season from starter Anthony Fasano and young backups Travis Kelce and Demetrius Harris so McGrath might not have made the team anyway. But the Chiefs now lack a capable reserve in case of injury to one of the other three.

Jaguars WR Cecil Shorts, the team's No. 1 pass-catcher, will miss multiple weeks of camp, coach Gus Bradley said Saturday, per the team's official website. Shorts missed time in OTAs with a calf injury and pulled a hamstring on Friday.

Bradley wasn't worried about Shorts' readiness for the season, but it's a discouraging start to camp. The injury helps to highlight the lack of experience at the position for the Jaguars.

Shorts is something of a middle round sleeper, but his stock is going to take a hit with the hamstring injury. It doesn't sound like it will impact his availability for Week 1, but it's not a good start for a receiver who has struggled with injuries for the past few seasons.

Colts HC Chuck Pagano said Saturday Ahmad Bradshaw has looked “fantastic” and looks like he “found the fountain of youth.” He’s gotten extra reps with the 1s as well, with Vick Ballard’s season-ending Achilles injury and Trent Richardson’s being held out as a precaution Friday and Saturday. Bradshaw hopes his foot injuries are in the past in his age 28 season.

For the second consecutive day, Kenbrell Thompkins stole the show with his play on the offensive side of the ball at Patriots training camp.

After the first day, quarterback Tom Brady raved about two catches by Thompkins and claimed to “have a lot of confidence in him, a lot of trust.”

Thompkins continues to close the gap with Aaron Dobson, who was expected to seize a starting role if not for his injured foot. If Dobson can't get healthy, Thompkins could earn playing time early in the season.

Bills WR Robert Woods is as smooth as they come and for the first time since camp has begun he and E.J. Manuel started connecting in the way that they did throughout training camp last year. He provided a sustainable target throughout the evening and brought in anything that was close.

Despite the arrival of Sammy Watkins, Woods is a breakout candidate if Manuel and the team's passing game can take a big step forward in 2014.

Running back Kendall Hunter tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee Friday at practice, the team confirmed Saturday morning.

Hunter has served as the top understudy to Frank Gore since breaking into the league in 2011, aside from missing the final two months of the 2012 season with a torn Achilles.

Candidates to fill the 49ers’ No. 2 tailback job are LaMichael James, Carlos Hyde, Jewell Hampton and Marcus Lattimore, who’s on the non-football-injury list but has been doing conditioning drills on a side field in camp.

This opens the door for Carlos Hyde to back up Frank Gore. Marcus Lattimore is also in the mix.

Question Bears coach Marc Trestman about how Matt Forte can improve during training camp and he practically does a Kennedy impression.

Ask not what Matt Forte can do for the Bears. Ask what the Bears can do to help their Pro Bowl running back top the best season of his career.

‘‘We continue to ask ourselves, ‘How can we help him?’ ’’ Trestman said this week at Olivet Nazarene University. ‘‘ ‘How can we find plays that we can allow him to use his talents?’ We’re working in that direction.’’

Forte had his best fantasy season under new coach Marc Trestman, who utilized Forte heavily as a receiver — he caught a career high 74 passes — while also feeding his star back the ball in the running game (289 carries, the second highest total of his career). Expect more of the same in 2014.

When new OC Joe Lombardi was in New Orleans, the Saints mixed in three or four backs each game, as well as a fullback, and each back had a variety of assignments.

The most likely scenario in Detroit is for Joique Bell to play the Pierre Thomas role as the “starter” who receives the bulk of the inside carries, particularly on first and second down, while also being involved in the screen game.

Reggie Bush fills into the Darren Sproles role as a player who’ll receive some carries but often line up as a receiver and be dangerous on third down. The most carries Bush had during his five seasons in New Orleans was 157, and even though he’s a better runner now, he’s still most effective in space.

Then there’s Theo Riddick, who will earn more playing time because of his versatility as a runner and potential slot receiver. Riddick looked great during the offseason, and after being the No. 3 back out of camp last year, there’s no reason to expect a change in 2014.

If the Lions use their backs like the Saints, there will be many times where two backs will be on the field together. Bell and Bush could both be in the backfield, Bush and Riddick could line up out wide, Bell could be out wide with Riddick in the backfield — the options are endless.

The uncertainty starts with Bush, who averaged 15.9 carries per game last season compared to the 8.7 carries he saw in five seasons with the Saints. Even though his role was different while in New Orleans, he averaged 10.0 PPG in standard formats (RB18-type numbers) and 14.9 PPG (RB11 numbers) in 60 games with the Saints, though his catches may be under pressure if Theo Riddick lives up to the hype. Bell figures to be a good value in the 5th round, but Bush's role is harder to pin down. He should be a solid RB2 in PPR formats if Lombardi uses Bush in the same role as he had while with the Saints.

Cowboys beat writer Todd Archer on the team's running game: I believe you'll see DeMarco Murray go from a career-high 217 carries in 2013 to 250-plus in 2014 provided he stays healthy. He's not been able to play a full season yet, so there is concern there as well. But with an offensive line with three first-round picks and a defense that will need protecting, the wise thing to do will be to run more ... once they get the lead with the passing game. They can't win games 14-10.

Murray should benefit from OC Scott Linehan “growing the pie” offensively (i.e. more plays, and more rush attempts). His FP/touch was #14 among the top 60 running backs in 2013, so if he sees an increase from the 19.3 touches per game he saw last season (and stays healthy), a top 5 season is well within reach.

Eliot Shorr-Parks says that Eagles WR Jordan Matthews is a player to watch:

Despite being a rookie and third on the depth chart, the most intriguing name on the Eagles' offense is receiver Jordan Matthews. Part of that has to do with the uncertainty in the unit, as any one of the trio of Matthews, Jeremy Maclin or Riley Cooper could emerge as the No. 1 receiver by year's end. Matthews certainly seems to have the talent to do it, as he has a combination of height and speed that the other two simply don't. Although he was running with the second team during minicamps -- behind receiver Brad Smith -- that is likely short lived. Seeing where Matthews lines up during training camp will give a major hint as to how Kelly plans on using him during the regular season.

Matthews will likely see snaps in the slot (at least) this season. Jeremy Maclin is working his way back from an ACL injury and Riley Cooper is solid, but unspectacular. There is opportunity in this offense if Matthews has a great summer, and by most accounts he has. Rookie wideouts usually don’t live up to their ADP, but there is the occasional exception.

Bengals HC Jay Gruden on Darrel Young:

"He's a very good fullback," Gruden said. "He can run, he can catch. We're excited about having him ... .The personnel will vary, but DY will be a major part of this offense."

Seahawks beat writer Tom Pelissero on the team's RB situation: "With starting RB Marshawn Lynch holding out, Robert Turbin took the first rep with the No. 1 offense, followed by Christine Michael. Should Lynch’s holdout stretch into the regular season – and as of now, I find it hard to believe that happens – Michael is the guy to watch. He’s a powerful, explosive athlete. He didn’t know how to be a pro as a rookie, but coaches have raved about his progress in Year 2. Even if Lynch is back, Michael should get a long look as a change of pace and on third downs."

Michael is still running behind Turbin, but according to Pelissero, that shouldn't last for long. If Lynch's holdout lasts into the season, we would expect that Michael will see a significant role.

The optimism of training camp – all that new-beginnings stuff – often inspires bold predictions. The last time the Washington Redskins were preparing for a season, someone actually wrote they would have a 12-4 record.

But when tight end Niles Paul offers his opinion about tight end Jordan Reed, he doesn’t sound crazy. He seems on point.

“That’s a Pro Bowl tight end right there,” Paul said, pointing toward Reed as he left the field here after practice Friday. “Mark my words: He will be a Pro Bowler.”

Reed was on pace for 80-887-5.3 (#7 TE-type numbers) prior to his injury, but didn't even crack the 50% snaps played mark until Week 6. In the five games where he played at least 50% of his team's snaps, he averaged 6.2-76-.40 or #3 TE-type numbers. The main concern with Reed is his injury history, specifically with concussions. According to NBC Washington, in addition to a severe concussion in 2013, Reed suffered two concussions while at Florida. If he can stay healthy, he's a likely top 5 fantasy TE, but that's no sure thing.

Giants beat writer Dan Graziano on the chances that rookie RB Andre Williams pushes the other RBs for carries: "I think there's a chance the Giants could use the rookie Andre Williams right away as a goal-line back, because in the past they've liked a power back in that role, and Williams can certainly be that without any further development. But outside of that, no, I would say he's well behind David Wilson, Rashad Jennings and even Peyton Hillis on the depth chart. The Giants love what Williams did in college, but they absolutely need to see more from him as a pass-catcher and, most importantly, a pass-blocker before he could start taking reps away from those other guys. The way their running back group is structured right now, barring injury, they won't feel the need to rush a rookie before he's ready. And while there's a lot to like about Williams, he's far from a finished product."

The Giants didn't sign Jennings to a significant deal to see him caddy for a rookie running back. Wilson is the threat to Jennings' touches, but he is coming off of a significant injury and flopped in a starting role last year. We're expecting Jennings to be the teams clear lead back with Wilson in a change of pace role ansd Williams potentially getting some goal line work.

Good news: Quarterback Cam Newton's surgically repaired ankle is getting better.

Bad news (temporarily, anyway): He's not completely healthy and he wants to make that clear as the Panthers begin training camp.

''I can't stress enough that I'm not 100 percent yet,'' Newton said, according to the Associated Press, adding: ''It's just going to take treatment and time."

More good news: Newton's rehab is right on schedule, which means he should be good to go when the regular season commences in six weeks. In the meantime, Panthers coach Ron Rivera said the plan is to take it slow, but conceded that he was happy to see Newton on the field -- even if it's in a limited capacity.

Newton has finished in the top 4 in each of his three NFL seasons, but his PPG has dropped from 22.9 to 20.6 to 18.7 in that same span. He was unable to do much at OTAs due to his surgically repaired ankle, but threw with his new receiving corps before training camp. He should still be a solid QB1 given his ability to run the ball, but there are several red flags heading into the season.

Packers wide receiver Jordy Nelson reportedly wanted $10 million per season on his next deal, and that's just about what he got in his new four-year, $39 million extension -- which includes $14.2 million guaranteed -- NFL.com's Ian Rapoport reported Saturday.

Nelson's contract status shouldn't affect his play this season. He is now signed through the 2018 season, so he should have steady value in dynasty leagues.

Keep an eye on Preston Parker, a third-year wide receiver out of Florida State who had legal trouble in college and has bounced around. The Giants are using him a lot with the first-team offense and on returns.

Parker is getting extra reps with Odell Beckham sidelined with a hamstring injury.

Giants WR Rueben Randle matched the defense’s physicality in practice with his own. The 6-2, 208-pound wide receiver created enough separation for himself to give Eli Manning enough of a window to connect on two outstanding plays. The first was a great twisting catch from Randle down the right sideline, which was followed up by Manning squeezing one through traffic to his third-year target later in practice. Just yesterday Randle was talking about the necessity to create space in the Giants’ new offense, which emphasizes yards after the catch.

Hakeem Nicks is gone, but the Giants drafted Odell Beckham in the 1st round. New OC Ben McAdoo utilizes a lot of three-WR sets (a la the Packers), so Randle should see starter’s snaps. He has been productive in his first two seasons on a per target basis, so he should produce starter-caliber numbers in significant playing time. He has been having a great offseason.

Jets TE Jace Amaro had an atypical so-so practice. In addition to the drop, Amaro also was stripped of a pass after making a catch. But coach Rex Ryan is not getting down on his rookie tight end, who is a valuable receiving threat, in the slot or split out wide.

“He’s caught the ball well other days,” Ryan said. “He gives you a guy that can run after the catch. I think he’s going to be a big weapon for us. There are a lot of things you can do with him. The flexibility that that can bring us I think will be great.”

Chris Ivory returned, after never really leaving. Ivory practiced Thursday when the Jets began training camp. He just did not take part in team periods because he is nursing a tender hamstring, and he dealt with nagging hamstring issues last year. But Ivory was in the mix in team periods Friday.

Ivory is competing with Chris Johnson for carries in the Jets' backfield. Johnson reportedly looks terrific, so we're expecting Ivory to serve as a change-of-pace to CJ?K.

Giants RB David Wilson passed his first test facing contact coming off neck surgery. Midway through practice he collided head-first with S Cooper Taylor and came out fine. “That felt good,” Wilson said. “I definitely know I’m cleared now. It felt good to go back out there with my teammates and compete again.’’

A big part of football is seizing opportunity and second-year receiver Patriots WR Kenbrell Thompkins is doing just that. He's taking repetitions that likely would have been Aaron Dobson's and making plays that catch the eye. For the second day in a row, the 6-foot-1, 195-pound Thompkins made a diving touchdown catch and he appears to be practicing with a lot of confidence. He runs precise routes, and most importantly, Brady has developed trust in him. That's not easy to do. They don't give out gold stars after two days of training camp, but Thompkins would be close to the front of the line if they did.

Dobson would have the inside track to starter's snaps but has been laid up the entire offseason with a foot injury that continues to linger. Meanwhile, Thompkins is having another good camp.

Running back Trent Richardson, rookie offensive lineman Jack Mewhort, safety LaRon Landry and cornerback Vontae Davis did not practice Friday. Richardson and Mewhort didn't practice for precautionary reasons, according to coach Chuck Pagano.

Vick Ballard reportedly tore his Achilles, which is terrible news for him, but represents one less obstacle that Richardson will have to overcome en route to workhorse RB1 duties for the Colts.

The big news of the day was Falcons WR Julio Jones returning to practice for the first time since suffering a right foot fracture in Week 5 of last season. Coach Mike Smith said Jones will be limited during camp with one day on, one day off. Jones showed no ill effects while planting and cutting. His reps were limited during full-team drills and one-on-one coverage drills. "I thought it was very good," Smith said of Jones' first day. "You guys saw it. He was running routes very well. I thought the timing between he and [quarterback] Matt [Ryan] was good. We have a plan, a prescription that we're going to try to stay by for the first couple of weeks, and then we'll make an evaluation after that. It was great to see Julio back on the field."

Wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson missed practice with a foot injury, but is only expected to miss a couple of days. Patterson didn't take the team's conditioning test on Thursday because of the injury, and stood near the Vikings' receivers in a bucket hat on during Friday's practice. The injury isn't though to be serious, but the start of Patterson's highly-anticipated second season will have to wait a few days.

Hopefully Patterson returns to practice soon. He's missing valuable practice while he's sidelined. As an up-and-coming player he needs as many reps as he can get.

It's just the first day with no pads, but Seahawks running backs Christine Michael and Robert Turbin took full advantage of Marshawn Lynch's absence and had several impressive runs. Michael really shows off his speed on outside runs around the edge, usually out running linebackers to the sideline before the defensive back can catch him.

One clear standout at Seahawks camp was rookie receiver Kevin Norwood. He made one sensational leaping catch on a cross pattern while two defenders were closely covering him. Norwood also made a tough catch on a deep out, then turned and juked his way past linebacker Horace Miller to race down the sideline. Paul Richardson is the rookie speedster who wows people with his speed, but Norwood has been a pleasant surprise with his sure hands, consistent route running and polished skills every time he's on the field.

Montee Ball had just 59 receptions in his four seasons combined at Wisconsin and many in the league said working in the passing game would be the most difficult part of his transition to a potential No. 1 back. Last August he did miss a blitz pick-up in Seattle when Manning took a huge hit from Bobby Wagner, a hit that paved the way for Knowshon Moreno to work his way back up the depth chart last fall. But Ball has looked steady catching the ball thus far, including a nice back-shoulder grab in team drills Friday.

Ball had a higher YPC (4.7) than Moreno (4.3), but wasn’t quite the weapon in the passing game. Still, his catch percentage (receptions/targets = 74.1%) wasn’t bad for a running back. His play down the stretch (8.5 FP/game in final eight games) is encouraging. He’s locked in as the RB1 in a great offense, so 10+ touchdowns seems likely.

The Broncos are approaching a crossroads with tight end Julius Thomas, who is in the last season of his rookie deal. They’d like to sign him long term, but could also use the franchise player tag next season if they do not get a deal done. Either way, Thomas has done his part so far to build on his 65-catch, 12-touchdown season in 2013. Thomas has shown a comfort level in the offense, working on the line, out wide and in the slot. He also spent some time with Tony Gonzalez this past offseason for a little guidance as well. "For me, it was understanding how you continue to play at a high level," Thomas said. "What do you do to prepare for games? What do you do to get the most out of practice? Just some things that only a future Hall of Famer and a 17-year veteran would know."

It's great to hear that Thomas spent time picking the brain of Gonzalez, a sure-fire first ballot Hall of Famer. Thomas is a favorite target in the league’s most productive passing attack, and with Eric Decker no longer with the team, the fourth-year tight end could see an increase in targets as well. He scored 12 TDs in 14 games, but wasn’t simply a redzone threat — he also averaged 4.6 receptions per game, which was 6th among tight ends.

Browns QB Johnny Manziel carried himself with the aura of a guy who had been dressed down after arriving for training camp. The team that had publicly supported him through so much evidently hit its limit when Manziel continued to post and pose for party photos throughout the offseason.

Manziel admitted to rookie mistakes and said he had to do better when it came to acting like a professional.

He'll still get a chance to earn the starting job; if he's the better player it would hurt the team not to play him. But the Browns sure seemed to convey the message that they truly believe in Brian Hoyer, and they did grow weary of constant questions about floating swans and spraying champagne bottles.

San Francisco 49ers running back Kendall Hunter went down early in practice on Friday with an apparent right knee injury during a 7-on-7 drill.

After he was checked by medical staff for a number of minutes, Hunter walked back to the locker room under his own power.

Colts RB Vick Ballard tore his Achilles, sources say. He was carted off the field earlier.

Ballard was set to compete with Trent Richardson and Ahmad Bradshaw for carries out of the Colts backfield, but if the reports are true, he's going to be on the shelf for another year. He tore his ACL early last season.

On Friday, Dolphins QB Ryan Tannehill and No. 1 receiver Mike Wallace connected on a deep ball in what was easily the play of the day. Wallace beat second-year cornerback Jamar Taylor by a couple steps and Tannehill hit Wallace in stride for an approximately 40-yard gain. Tannehill and Wallace struggled with deep-ball connections last season.

Jets TE Jeff Cumberland arrived at camp a day later than his teammates due to personal reasons but stepped right into the fray with several nice cuts and catches in "skelly" and team drills. He, too, gives the Marty Mornhinweg system kudos for allowing him to pick up where he left off last year and in the offseason.

"Like today, I hadn't been able to look at my playbook for a couple of weeks," he said. "But since I've been in the system, I was able to just come out here and, every play he called, I knew exactly what to do."

Jaguars WR Cecil Shorts left the team's first training camp practice with a tight hamstring. The injury isn't expected to be serious and coach Gus Bradley said the Jaguars pulled Shorts as a precautionary measure.

Shorts said he expects to be back on the field this weekend.

"Things are going to pop up," he said. "It's football. Things happen. I'll continue to take care of my body. If I'm able to practice [on Saturday], I'm practicing."

Shorts missed most of OTAs and minicamp with tightness in his calf.

Shorts gutted through a sports hernia on his way to a 66-777-3 season. The 55-979-7 line he posted in 2012 (his second season) is a better indication of what he’s capable of. The addition of Marqise Lee and Allen Robinson should actually help Shorts avoid double coverage. Hopefully the hamstring injury isn't a big deal.

For all the unsolicited advice the Kansas City Chiefs receive about how to best preserve running back Jamaal Charles for the long term, they don’t seem inclined to listen. Days after they fortified Charles’ contract, the Chiefs appear prepared to utilize their best offensive player as much if not more than in seasons past.

"I think he's got a lot in the tank," coach Andy Reid said. “We're going to keep using him. He's a good football player and he enjoys playing the game, so we'll keep getting him the football."

It sounds as if the team will continue to give Charles a heavy dose of touches. He was 5th in that category at 21.9 per game.

Vikings RB Adrian Peterson said he expects to take on an expanded role in first-year offensive coordinator Norv Turner's system, one that seems designed for elusiveness over brawn.

"It's definitely different," Peterson said. "I had an opportunity to sit down and talk to Coach Turner, and I knew when they hired him I was going to be more involved in the spread (offense), running routes out of the backfield.

"It's something I've been waiting for my whole career, and now I have the opportunity to be a part of that style of offense."

As he begins his last season under 30, the age often associated with decline among NFL running backs, Peterson said he sees himself as an every-down player.

He’s coming off of a #6 finish (and groin surgery); it’s the second time in three seasons that he has finished outside of the top 5. He turns 29 in March and while he should continue to be very productive when healthy, one wonders if his 2,241 touches are starting to catch up to him. Along with his sheer talent, there is another reason to be excited about AP’s upside in 2014 — the arrival of OC Norv Turner, who knows what he’s doing on that side of the ball. Turner emphasized that he wants to get Peterson the ball in space, and that means more receptions. Peterson has only averaged 2.0 catches in his career, and has been curiously underutilized in the passing game since day one. He's not quite the natural receiver as LaDainian Tomlinson was, but as a Turner-RB comparison, Tomlinson averaged 2.9 catches in three seasons under Norv Turner.

Titans RB Shonn Greene (knee) has been cleared for camp.

Cardinals GM Steve Keim said that RB Andre Ellington has gained 8-10 pounds of muscle to increase his durability.

Rashad Mendenhall retired, and the Cardinals didn’t do much of anything at RB in free agency (outside of signing Jonathan Dwyer), so the path is clear for Ellington to become a feature back. HC Bruce Arians says he wants to build the offense around the diminutive RB, but that they’ll be careful not to overwork him, implying that they may limit his short-yardage work. He was the #25 RB in 2013 on 10.4 touches per game, but averaged 12.4 touches in his last 11 games. In that span, he averaged 9.3 FP, which are low-end RB2 numbers. Arians’ offenses don’t utilize the running back heavily in the passing game, but with the way he has been gushing about Ellington’s skill set, that may change. Ellington averaged 0.771 fantasy points per touch in 2013, so if he can maintain that production at a 15-touch workload, he’s looking at an average of 11.6 FP per game. Those are high-end RB2 numbers.

The Browns have been 'alarmed' by some of Johnny Manziel's antics since the draft -- especially a photo of him rolling up a $20 bill in the bathroom of a bar -- and some in the organization feel he's lost ground in the quarterback competition heading into camp, sources have told Northeast Ohio Media Group.

After the suspicious photo of Manziel tightly rolling up the bill surfaced on July 7, Browns coach Mike Pettine called Manziel from his vacation in Hawaii and addressed it, he told NEOMG on Monday. The conversation was 'positive' but he also planned to talk to Manziel face-to-face when he arrived for the rookie portion of camp on Wednesday. Tightly-rolled bills are typically used to snort cocaine, and the Browns wanted some answers.

In fact, NFL chemical dependency consultant and former Browns team physician Dr. Gregory Collins of the Cleveland Clinic told NEOMG that such a photo would warrant a league inquiry and drug test to make sure the player is okay, even though it's not proof of use.

If Manziel wins the starting job this summer -- and that's looking less likely, per reports -- he'll be an intriguing QB2 who should be available in the 9th-11th rounds given all the depth at quarterback. He has a good situation brewing with Josh Gordon and Jordan Cameron in his receiving corps, and the newly-signed Ben Tate as a threat in the running game. (Gordon’s looming suspension is an obvious concern.) Manziel’s durability is a question mark given his propensity for taking chances by leaving the pocket.

Wide receiver Kenny Stills pulled up lame on a pass route and had to leave the field. Payton said it was a right quadriceps injury that flared up on the play. Payton said Stills had similar tightness two weeks ago.

Stills figures to see a jump in snaps and targets after the Saints lost both Lance Moore and Darren Sproles, who saw a combined 143 targets last year. Stills should get at minimum the 5.5 T/G that Moore saw in the past three years, making him an intriguing WR3 with upside. The arrival of Brandin Cooks does take some of the wind out his sails, but that should only serve to keep his ADP at a reasonable level. Drew Brees had a QB rating of 139.3 when throwing to Stills, the highest in the league. He’s bound to improve as a second year receiver and is playing in one of the best pass offenses in the league. There’s a lot to like here. Hopefully the quad injury doesn't linger.

Drew Brees can certainly get used to New Orleans Saints first-round pick wide receiver Brandin Cooks terrorizing secondaries with his speed and ball skills.

Cooks came up with the play of the day as the Saints wrapped up their first full training camp practice Friday morning at the pristine facility at The Greenbrier. It probably won't be his last.

The wideout darted through the Saints secondary on a deep post pattern. Brees' pass was slightly behind Cooks, but Cooks displayed why he deserved a first-round selection as he adjusted to the approaching football by slowing down. Cooks then outleaped rookie safety Ty Zimmerman to haul in the reception.

The Saints spread the ball around, but not only do they have to replace the departed Lance Moore, the team has to also replace the production of Darren Sproles in the receiving game. The two combined for 143 targets in 2013, so while we're expecting Kenny Stills to see a larger role, there are targets for the speedy Cooks as well.

Though two days of training camp, Chris Thompson has managed to stand out in a crowded Redskins’ backfield.

He’s looked quick. He’s looked elusive. He’s looked decisive. In other words, the 2013 fifth round draft pick has looked precisely like the No. 3 running back that Jay Gruden is seeking for his offense.

Thompson figures he’s battling rookie Lache Seastrunk, a similar player in terms of shiftiness and breakaway speed, Evan Royster and Silas Redd for one, maybe two spots.

Tevin Reese, drafted in the seventh round, is improved from the five spring practices open to the media. He's more assertive, better at double moves and more apt to pluck the ball. The 5-foot-10, 165-pounder confirmed his blocking needs much work.

"Kid can smoke," quarterback Kellen Clemens said.

Talking about the slender Reese, receiver Malcom Floyd invoked a well-known undersized pass-catcher.

"That's how DeSean Jackson was -- little and fast," Floyd said. "He shocked the NFL."

Reese is a name to remember if Malcom Floyd isn't his usual self. The Chargers have proved that they are not afraid to work a rookie (Keenan Allen) in immediately if the need and talent is there.

Ryan Tannehill and Mike Wallace have a long way to go on their deep ball connections. Still. The Dolphins duo combined for one completion deep down the left sideline midway through practice during seven on seven drills. But there were two other instances when Tannehill underthrew on deep passes -- one to Wallace who was wide open behind Will Davis and once when Damien Williams was open deep.

According to HC Joe Philbin, the duo has improved in this area this offseason, but it hasn't shown up in camp thus far. It's something to monitor as the summer wears on. Tannehill has a great schedule and is a good candidate for a QBBC strategy. For more info, click here.

Colts WR Reggie Wayne (ACL) on his return to practice:

"When you're out here and you're thinking and worrying — what if this and what if that? — that's when you get hurt," he said. "If you just come out here and do the things you've been doing ... everything's normal. That's how I felt today.

"Not one thing bothered me today. Not one time I went out there and I worried about my knee."

Wayne was the #19 WR in standard formats and the #17 WR in PPR through the first seven weeks prior to tearing his ACL. He's 35 and coming off of a major knee injury. He’s expected to play Week 1, but it's hard to envision him returning to his usual form in time for the 2014 season. The Colts signed Hakeem Nicks as insurance.

TE Larry Donnell has Tom Coughlin's attention after a nice practice on Wednesday and made another solid play during 11-on-11s yesterday. Donnell is currently listed as the No. 1 tight end on the team's first unofficial depth chart, and will now look for any way possible to hold on to the job.

Vice President Stephen Jones says the Cowboys will change their personality on offense in 2014 behind what he hopes will be dominant offensive line.

"I think you see some things that way," Jones said. "We will be running the ball more. I think our offensive line is better than it was last year and I think we ran the ball pretty well last year. I think we’ll run it better this year and I think there will be a bigger commitment to running it."

Jones said the Cowboys learned from their success at the end of last season when running back DeMarco Murray tallied the third-most rushing yards in the NFL over the last eight games en route to a Pro Bowl season. It's also not lost on Jones that the Cowboys are 11-0 all-time when Murray has 20 or more carries.

If true, this bodes well for Murray. He should benefit from OC Scott Linehan “growing the pie” offensively (i.e. more plays, and more rush attempts). His FP/touch was #14 among the top 60 running backs in 2013, so if he sees an increase from the 19.3 T/G he saw last season (and stays healthy), a top 5 season is well within reach.

Steelers beat writer Scott Brown on the team's WR pecking order: (Lance Moore) looked really good during offseason practices, and he is such a solid player and one of those guys who just knows how to get open. I don’t see much of a difference between the No. 2 and No. 3 wide receivers since the Steelers will use a three-wideout formation frequently. It wouldn’t surprise me at all if Moore gets the majority of the snaps opposite Brown when the Steelers use only two wide receivers. Markus Wheaton will be given every opportunity to win a starting job in camp but it won’t be given to him. If he stays healthy I think he will emerge this season and become a big part of the passing game. Wheaton wants to be great and he has the physical talent to succeed at this level.

The Steelers play a lot of three-WR sets, so we’re expecting big snaps for Wheaton even if Lance Moore is on the field for two-WR sets. (Emmanuel Sanders played 76% of the snaps in 2013, while Jerricho Cotchery played 60%.) Wheaton was a 3rd round pick and is a terrific athlete. He’s not big (5’11”) but he fits the mold of a typical Steeler receiver. Despite a short resume, Wheaton is a breakout candidate if he sees big snaps in his second year. In the last four seasons, Hines Ward, Antonio Brown (x2) and Sanders have averaged 65-848-4.5 in the Steelers' WR2 role.

Steelers beat writer Scott Brown on RB Dri Archer's potential workload: "Archer has stiffer competition than Chris Rainey did for carries with LeVeon Bell and LeGarrette Blount ahead of him on the depth chart. I’d like to think that the Steelers will get Archer the ball eight to 10 times a game, but that depends a lot on him and the progress he makes during training camp."

Brown confirmed that the 8- to 10-touch estimate includes returns. Our current projection calls for 3.8 touches per game for Archer. One thing seems clear -- LeVeon Bell's touches are under pressure with Archer and Blount in the fold.

The Rams hold their first practice of training camp on Friday and there won’t be any restrictions on quarterback Sam Bradford when they do.

Bradford is coming off a torn ACL, but coach Jeff Fisher said Thursday that there wouldn’t be any limits on the quarterback during practice.

“Sam is in great shape,” Fisher said, via the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “He’s ready to go. We don’t have [reservations] — right now as we speak, as camp starts — he’s full-go. If we need to back him down here and there, we’ll back him down.”

Through the first seven games of the season, Bradford averaged 16.9 FP and was the #11 QB before injuring his knee late in a game against the Panthers. Fantasy-wise, he may have turned a corner, but he's going to have to put together a full, productive season to get a sizable extension from the Rams. The team didn’t do much this offseason to improve the receiving corps.

Brent Celek is the starter and that's not expected to change this year. In a way, Celek and Zach Ertz are playing two different positions. Kelly explained that Ertz [as well as James Casey] is being used as a "move" tight end in this offense. That is similar to the way Aaron Hernandez was deployed in New England -- as more of a "Joker" that lines up in various spots and is used primarily as a pass-catcher. Celek is more of the traditional "in-line" tight end where blocking is a bigger priority.

Celek could very well end up with more snaps, but that doesn't mean that Ertz won't be featured prominently.

Ertz averaged 2.8-32-.56 over the final nine games of the season (including the Eagles' sole playoff game) and that included two goose eggs in Week 10 and Week 14. That equates to 6.6 fantasy points per game, which is what Martellus Bennett averaged as the #10 TE in fantasy football. With Jason Avant and DeSean Jackson gone, Ertz could play a lot in the slot, though the arrival of WR Jordan Matthews may limit Ertz’s snaps there.

Wide receiver Steve L Smith put on a show in his first training camp practice with the Ravens. He started by faking out cornerback Lardarius Webb to get open for an out route and then beat Chykie Brown and Webb again on deep passes. The Ravens expected Smith to raise the intensity level of practice when they signed him as a free agent. He certainly didn't disappoint.

Smith will likely see the third-most targets behind Torrey Smith and Dennis Pitta. Anquan Boldin finished #34 and #30 as the Ravens' WR2 in 2011 and 2012, respectively, so that's probably Smith’s ceiling as he joins a new team. At 35, he’ll more likely finish as a spot starter/fantasy reserve, though if he keeps dominating practice, he may work his way into a fantasy WR3 role.

Cleveland Browns star wide receiver Josh Gordon spent two weeks in rehab in California following his driving while intoxicated arrest in North Carolina, according to reports.

Gordon, who's facing a potential season-long suspension for a separate violation of the NFL substance-abuse policy, is scheduled to report to training camp today.

Gordon is scheduled for an appeal hearing Aug. 1 in New York.

This is notable since its the first time (that we've seen) that Gordon has sought help for his problems with drugs and alcohol. It may encourage the NFL to show leniency when they review his appeal, though we're not optimistic that Gordon will play in 2014.

Andre Johnson has reported for the Texans’ 2014 training camp.

Despite spending the last two months threatening to hold out, Johnson has arrived at NRG Stadium and is expected to begin practicing Saturday morning.

Johnson's decision will certainly help his fantasy stock. It gives him time to learn the new offense and get valuable reps with his new quarterback, Ryan Fitzpatrick. He should once again be a force in PPR formats, though he has always had trouble scoring touchdowns.

Lorenzo Reyes of the USA Today attended Patriots training camp. These are his thoughts about TE Rob Gronkowski:

I was impressed with how Gronkowski moved just seven-and-a-half months after his surgery. The tight end was held out of 11-on-11 and seven-on-seven drills, but otherwise, was a full participant.

He cut, planted and jumped in the first practice of training camp. Gronkowski appeared to be a step or two slower than his mid-season form, but with more repetitions he should continue to strengthen his knee and increase the amount of things he can do on the field. His speed should follow.

Perhaps unfairly, Gronkowski received a reputation for being a slow healer after his back and forearm injuries kept him out of the first six games of last season. Based on this first practice of training camp, however, it looks like he can be on target to start the season opener, provided he doesn’t suffer any setbacks.

All signs are pointing to Gronk being available for Week 1, but he will only be eight months into his rehab in early September, so don't be surprised if he has a setback or two.

It’s not an uncommon sight following a Patriots practice: quarterback Tom Brady staying after the final air horn concludes the session, looking for somebody to catch extra passes.

As a steady rain began to fall, Brady sought tight end Rob Gronkowski as his partner for some extra work on short to intermediate routes.

Because Gronkowski was limited in minicamp as he recovers from a torn ACL suffered at the end of last season, the pair needed to hone their timing. It was only 15 minutes of quick outs and posts, but this type of extra work and preparation is what makes Brady one of the elite quarterbacks in the NFL.

Despite all the talk about all eyes on Tony Romo early in training camp practices, the Dallas Cowboys won’t really know how far along their franchise quarterback is after two back surgeries until he takes his first big hit in a preseason game.

Cowboys quarterbacks coach Wade Wilson said that will be Romo’s true test before the regular season kicks off Sept. 7 against San Francisco.

“That’s exactly right,” Wilson said. “Right now we’re just seeing if he can throw in all the drills and not have any soreness the next day and continually build on that and the next step after that would obviously be if he could take a hit.”

Wilson said Romo was “a little sore” going into his first training camp practice Thursday after running with the team Wednesday.

Romo has finished in the top 11 in six of the last seven seasons, but the back injury is worrisome. Fortunately, his ADP (9.08 currently) makes him a relatively cheap player to add on draft day. If he stays healthy, he has top 10 potential.

The Dolphins made a couple of procedural moves on Thursday, placing running back Knowshon Moreno and center Mike Pouncey on the Physically Unable to Perform list.

Moreno’s stay shouldn’t be that long. The veteran back had knee surgery during the offseason and coach Joe Philbin said his conditioning needed some work, but Philbin doesn’t think it will be long before Moreno is in the mix with Lamar Miller and Daniel Thomas.

Lamar Miller will continue to see first team reps and will have a chance to impress new OC Bill Lazor while Moreno is on the shelf.

At least for Day 1, RB Chris Johnson showed encouraging signs for the Jets’ offense, particularly in the varied ways they can use him. Coordinator Marty Mornhinweg motioned Johnson from the backfield and split him out wide – just as Johnson did with the Titans, his only previous employer. Johnson, whom the Jets signed this offseason, is a receiving threat, with 272 catches for 2,003 yards during his six-year career.

“He looks great,” Jets coach Rex Ryan told reporters. “You see that speed that he has. If he lost a step, I don’t know, you guys tell me.”

“I was looking forward to seeing exactly where he was at,” RB coach Anthony Lynn said. “I think he’s right on track in his recovery. I thought he had a hell of a practice. I’m sure he could’ve done those (cuts) today, but I didn’t want to see that today.”

Chris Ivory missed practice with a hamstring injury. Johnson figures to see the lion's share of the carries and could post RB2-type numbers with a healthy workload. He's not going to get the carries he saw in Tennessee, but he could still be a productive fantasy back in the Jets "ground and pound" offense. He has finished in the top 16 in each of his six seasons in the NFL.

Eric Decker looked terrific. The ex-Broncos wideout showed exactly why the Jets made him the first outside free agent they landed this offseason. Decker caught everything thrown his way and ran his routes routinely and with precision. He also made a tremendous catch over cornerback Dee Milliner on a deep ball. Vick may have explained it best: "You can just tell that him working with Peyton (Manning) over the last couple of years has helped him blossom as a receiver. He’s certainly being rewarded for that. I’m glad he’s on this team. He’s going to help Geno a lot."

There’s no doubt that Decker is going to see a downgrade at QB going from Peyton Manning to a combination of Geno Smith and Michael Vick. But as the Jets’ clear WR1, he should see enough targets to become a fantasy starter even if his per target production is likely to drop.

Shaquelle Evans had a rough day. The rookie receiver muffed a punt not long after practice started, then dropped at least two passes. Evans, a fourth-round draft pick, couldn't report to the Jets until mid-June, after he graduated from UCLA, which is on the quarter system. Evans is a bit behind in getting up to speed. But he certainly didn't help himself on the first day.

No one who was worried about Giants rookie running back Andre Williams' ability to catch the ball out of the backfield went home Thursday feeling any better about it. It's not just bad hands. Williams seems to pick up the ball late and doesn't get himself or his hands in position to catch it. They can use him as a goal-line back right away, and he does show more speed and shiftiness getting through the line than his reputation may indicate. But there are plenty of parts of his game that need work, as he himself has admitted.

When the Seahawks begin training camp tomorrow, running back Marshawn Lynch is expected to be absent.

That’s according to former Seahawk Michael Robinson, who is now a commentator on the NFL Network and said on-air moments ago that Lynch will hold out.

“Marshawn Lynch just called me, we just talked,” Robinson said. “He said he will be holding out from training camp this year with the Seahawks.”

There's no telling how or when this will end, though the Seahawks are less likely to bend to Lynch's will than the Chiefs were with Jamaal Charles. Expect Christine Michael's ADP to shoot up and Lynch's to potentially fall into the 3rd or 4th round, depending on how long this drags on. Holdouts seem to lead to injuries and lackluster play, so fantasy owners shouldn't expect the usual Lynch in 2014.

Trent Richardson is expected to get the first shot at starting because not doing so would be a sign of admission of the trade not working in the Colts’ favor. Don't expect the Colts to stick with Richardson in the starting lineup for as long as they did last season if he struggles like he did last season. He’ll be pushed by Ahmad Bradshaw and Vick Ballard for playing time.

“I think through the course of camp it’s all going to take care of itself, shake itself out,” Pagano said. “You’d like to have a bell cow. We’ll see if that happens…We’ll do a good job of getting the guys the necessary reps to make evaluations. If someone separates himself and becomes that guy then that’s your bell cow.”

Richardson averaged a woeful 2.9 YPC after joining the Colts, but he blames the learning curve he faced after joining a new offense midseason. Since they gave up a first round pick for him, he’ll have the backing of this Colts regime, but OC Pep Hamilton wasn’t afraid to give more work to Donald Brown given the disparity in the quality of play between the two backs. The offseason has gone pretty well for T-Rich — Brown is now out of the way, but the Colts did re-sign Ahmad Bradshaw while Vick Ballard is back from a knee injury. As the #20 RB off the board in the 5th round, it appears that fantasy owners are expecting Richardson to post RB2 numbers. Even that may be a stretch given his career output.

Jets running back Chris Ivory tweaked his hamstring while working out on his own between last month’s minicamp and training camp, according to his position coach, and that’s why he was limited Thursday when training camp began.

Last year during training camp, and then again early in the season, Ivory was significantly limited by hamstring pain.

As the article states, this has been an ongoing issue for Ivory, and it's one reason that we predict Chris Johnson to get the lion's share of the carries this season. Ivory will have a role, but he'll have to stay healthy to get a significant amount of work.

The Packers don't view keeping WRs Randall Cobb and Jordy Nelson as an either-or situation. They believe they will be able to get both players signed to long-term deals before free agency next March and for the sake of continuity in one of the NFL's most prolific offenses, re-signing Nelson -- even at that price -- and Cobb is worth it.

The Giants don't have a definitive starter at tight end no matter what the depth chart says, and, as we wrote yesterday, that is not a problem right now.

In the meantime, Tom Coughlin said he's giving equal reps to each player in hopes that a few will separate from the pack and that all will be able to play in games.

In the short-term, it appears that Coughlin has no interest in making a snap decision. Injuries, inevitably, will also help him parse out the depth chart.

"Plenty of time for that," Coughlin said. "We don't have to rush into anythi

Daniel Fells was running with the first team early in camp, but GM Jerry Reese recently compared Adrien Robinson to Julius Thomas. It's not likely that any Giants TE will be trustworthy in fantasy leagues this season.

Rob Gronkowski practiced for about an hour and 15 minutes before watching the remainder of the workout, which spanned almost two and a half hours. Gronkowski was limited during his drills, mostly watching the walkthrough portion before jogging and stretching with the team and then participating during positional drills, which included ball control and agility work, blocking and route running. He wore a sleeve around his right knee and the bulky brace on his left arm.

Gronkowski did not take part in any of the team’s 7-on-7 or 11-on-11 drills, so all of his reps were against air. He lined up when the offense went through running formations and caught a handful of passes from Tom Brady in simple route-running drills. He did take part in one basic ball control drill midway through the practice when a defensive player would try to strip the ball, but Jamie Collins took it easy on Gronkowski as they jogged sideline to sideline.

On two occasions when the Pats practiced kickoffs, Brady, Gronkowski, Julian Edelman, Danny Amendola and Kenbrell Thompkins worked on an adjacent field. They ran through a variety of routes, including fade patterns, screen passes and crossing routes. Gronkowski actually came down flat-footed after one leaping catch, which looked awkward from this vantage point, but he jogged back to the line without pause.

After practice, Brady and Gronkowski worked together going through the route tree as they traversed the field. Again, it looked like some quality conditioning work.

Gronkwatch 2014 is underway. The team is expected to ease him in as he continues to recover from ACL surgery. At this point, he is in the seventh month of his recovery and is aiming for a Week 1 return. Owners who draft Gronk in the early rounds should expect a setback or two. Delanie Walker is an ideal backup with his low cost (13th round ADP) and Week 9 bye.

Terrance West’s stay on the Browns’ non-football injury list was a short one.

The Browns announced Thursday that West, a rookie tailback from Towson, has been removed from the list, clearing the way for him to be on the practice field when Cleveland’s training camp practices begin Saturday.

According to multiple reports, West’s inclusion on the list was related to the club’s conditioning test, but the matter looks to have been quickly squared away — good news for a rookie who could challenge for major work in Cleveland’s backfield.

West is expected to compete with Ben Tate for carries behind a good offensive line. Given Tate's injury history, there's a good chance that West will start at least one game in 2014.

Early in training camp, the Giants' goal line work is 'very heavily' rookie RB Andre Williams, per beat writer Ebenezer Samuel.

It's early, but notable. The Giants may be working Williams in to get some goal line reps knowing what they have in Jennings. Or this could carry over to the season and Williams could turn into a TD vulture. Stay tuned.

If an Eli Manning pass intended for Giants receiver Rueben Randle was intercepted last season, there is a good chance it was because of miscommunication.

At least that is what Randle is claiming now that the Giants are running a new offense under a new coordinator that has universally been declared simpler for the receivers. Coordinator Kevin Gilbride is gone and Randle doesn't seem all that disappointed that his offense (which asked for receivers to often run option routes depending the defense) is gone, too.

Manning threw 27 interceptions last season. Seven were on passes intended for Randle.

"At least a majority of them [were miscommunication]," Randle said. "Maybe some were not being competitive or open a lot on my part. But at least 80 percent of them are miscommunication, not being on the same page."

This is one of the main reasons we're expecting better seasons from both Manning and Randle in 2014. After eight straight top 15 finishes, Manning (and the Giants offense) tanked in 2013. He finished #21, but his play seemed even worse than that. A bounce back season is likely given his talent and the arrival of OC Ben McAdoo, who is installing a quick hitting offense from his days in Green Bay. Hakeem Nicks is gone, but Odell Beckham and Rueben Randle are expected to emerge.

Andre Roberts currently sits atop the Redskins’ depth chart at punt and kickoff returner, the wide receiver said Thursday.

“Right now, I am,” Roberts said as training camp opened at a rain-soaked Bon Secours training center. “You never know during training camp what they’re going to do. [It could] depend on how much they use me on offense ...Right now, I’m on top. But we’ll see.”

Nick O'Malley of Mass Live broke down the Patriots' WR depth chart this way...

WR1 (Z - off line): Julian Edelman, Brandon LaFell, Matthew Slater, Derrick Johnson
WR2 (X - outside): Aaron Dobson, Kenbrell Thompkins, Greg Orton, Wilson Van Hoosen
WR (slot): Danny Amendola, Josh Boyce, Jeremy Gallon

So according to this depth chart, LaFell is playing behind Edelman, which means Dobson and Thompkins are competing for snaps at WR2. Dobson has the inside track, but his foot injury is worrisome.

How much does Steven Jackson have left in the tank? The veteran running back just turned 31 on Tuesday and enters his 11th NFL season. The Falcons would be happy to get one more good year out of him. Jackson averaged a career-low 3.5 yards per carry last season, but he suffered an early season hamstring injury and ran behind a pathetic offensive line. A revamped front five and a renewed emphasis on the run should help Jackson's cause. He never appears to be out of shape and has a little added motivation with rookie Devonta Freeman now in the mix.

Jackson pulled his hamstring last season, which was just one of the many injuries that plagued the Falcons in 2013. However, his FP/touch of 0.607 was not far off his career average of 0.617 prior to arriving in Atlanta. So while he was on the field, Jackson was pretty much himself from a fantasy standpoint. He’s no longer a 1st/2nd round pick, but with his ADP down in the 6th/7th round, he’s shaping up to be a good value assuming he can hold off rookie Devonta Freeman.

Panthers GM Dave Gettleman said Jonathan Stewart will likely be out 1-2 weeks recovering from hamstring injury.

Stewart has been injury-prone and this hamstring pull will do nothing to endear himself to the fantasy community heading into 2014 draft season. It's not a serious injury but it's a reminder that he's not physically dependable. His ADP is in the 15th round, so he's a very low-risk option at this point.

Panthers QB Cam Newton (ankle) has been cleared to practice, per GM Dave Gettleman.

Newton has finished in the top 4 in each of his three NFL seasons, but his PPG has dropped from 22.9 to 20.6 to 18.7 in that same span. He was unable to do much at OTAs, but has threw with his new receiving corps before training camp. He should still be a solid QB1 given his ability to run the ball, but there are several red flags heading into the season.

Expect to see a lot of two tight end sets by the Lions, which will give them an opportunity to mix things up pre-snap and move pieces around. Ebron can play in-line, in the slot and outside, which will give offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi and quarterback Matthew Stafford a lot of options after reading defenses.

Ebron gives Stafford something he hasn’t had from that position in his five years in Detroit. In Ebron, Stafford has a tight end that can take a five-yard pass and turn it into an 80-yard touchdown. He also has a player who can run by defenders down the seam and create mismatches from the tight end position.

The Lions want Ebron to fill the Jimmy Graham role in new OC Joe Lombardi’s offense, so he should see playing time immediately despite the presence of Brandon Pettigrew and Joseph Fauria. Of the 21 tight ends who have been drafted in the first round in the last 10 years, 14 have managed to play at least 14 games. They averaged 35-371-2.6, or #31 TE numbers. (Oddly enough, that's where Brandon Pettigrew finished in 2013.) It usually takes a while for a young tight end to make a fantasy impact, though there has been the occasional exception. Jeremy Shockey (#3 TE in 2002), Heath Miller (#11 in 2005) and Dustin Keller (#14 in 2008) all posted TE1 or fringe-TE1 numbers as rookie first round picks. Cam Cleeland, Rob Gronkowski, Aaron Hernandez and John Carlson all had a TE1-type impact as rookies even though they weren't drafted in the first round. Ebron is an intriguing TE2-type in a potent offense, but he's no shoo-in to make a big fantasy impact in his first season, especially if he’s struggling to learn the offense, which was the case in OTAs.

As Bengals offensive coordinator Hue Jackson started laying the groundwork of his new scheme this spring, he implored the players on his side of the ball to pick up their pace of play. He wanted them to break huddles quicker and get to the line of scrimmage at a similarly stepped-up tempo. His hope has been that in doing that, the Bengals will be able to get plays snapped earlier in the play clock. If they do that and move the chains as regularly as Jackson anticipates, they'll be calling more plays and wearing down more defenses by the fourth quarter.

Quarterback Andy Dalton had to adjust to the stepped-up tempo during minicamp and organized team activities. Overall, Jackson was quite pleased with the way Dalton led the group through that modified hurry-up, but he wants to see what the entire unit will be able do once the temperatures go up and the shoulder pads come on. I'll be keeping an eye on how well the group continues pushing the tempo it established in the spring, and if that will allow it to get into the rhythm Jackson is seeking. After all, the best offenses are the ones that can get in and stay in sync.

If the Bengals are successful in pushing the tempo, they'll likely be running more plays which may offset some of the concerns about Jackson going too run-heavy with his offensive play-calling.

Despite recording just 63 catches for 771 yards and three touchdowns last season -- his lowest total in all of those categories since 2006 -- and despite the fact he'll turn 33 in November, the Falcons announced Thursday that they've agreed to terms on a contract extension for receiver Roddy White.

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, it will mean up to $30 million for White, including $18 million during the next two years.

After five straight top 10 finishes, White battled injuries during the 2013 season to finish #52 in standard scoring formats. He’s over the hill, right? Not so fast. Once he finally gave his ankle some rest, he returned in Week 10 and averaged 6.1-73-0.38 over his final eight games, and 8.6-100-0.40 in his final five. If Julio Jones comes back strong, the defensive focus will turn to him, and White should benefit. But don’t be worried about targets – Matt Ryan will continue to throw Roddy's way with Tony Gonzalez out of the picture.

All it took was one offseason of practices for All-Pro defensive tackle Gerald McCoy to become convinced that QB Josh McCown is going to take the NFL by surprise in 2014.

"I don't know how much people really know how good Josh McCown is," McCoy said Thursday morning, via the Tampa Bay Times. "I think a lot of people are about to see how good he really is."

McCown has a chance to work his way into the QB2/QBBC ranks, assuming his fine play carries over from Chicago. He'll have Vincent Jackson and rookie Mike Evans to throw to, though the Buccaneers are expected to be somewhat run-heavy under defensive-minded Lovie Smith.

Justin Blackmon, the Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver under indefinite NFL suspension for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy, was arrested Wednesday night in Edmond, Okla., for alleged marijuana possession and a driving violation, according to the Edmond police department.

"He did go ahead and admit that there was marijuana in the vehicle," said Jenny Monroe, public information officer for the Edmond police. " … Mr. Blackmon said he had been smoking a blunt marijuana (marijuana cigar) while he was driving and that there was another full blunt within the car in a box, and that's exactly what our officer's found in the vehicle."

It doesn't look like Blackmon will return to the NFL anytime soon, if ever.

The Broncos will not have wide receiver Demaryius Thomas on the field when they start training camp on Thursday, but there are no injury concerns or contract squabbles for the team to worry about.

Thomas has been excused from Broncos camp until Monday so that he can return to Georgia to attend funeral services for his grandmother.

The Browns’ agonizing wait is finally on the verge of ending because the appeal hearing of All-Pro wide receiver Josh Gordon is scheduled for Aug. 1. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported the date Thursday.

Gordon will meet with NFL officials in New York in an effort to get a suspension reduced, according to the report. A repeat offender of the league’s substance-abuse policy, Gordon faces a potential ban from the league of at least a year after testing positive for marijuana, ESPN’s Outside the Lines first reported May 9.

We might be more optimistic about Gordon's appeal if not for his recent DUI, which might impact the leniency that the league shows when handling the appeal. We currently have him projected for an eight-game ban but are expecting he'll be out for a full year.

Ravens CB Aaron Ross tore his Achilles running a conditioning test.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell will hand down a two-game suspension to Ray Rice for violating the league’s personal conduct policy, sources confirmed Thursday. The league has not officially announced the suspension.

The general consensus was that Rice would get a four-game ban, so this is good news for his fantasy value and bad news for Bernard Pierce who will have a tough time establishing himself as the RB1 in two division games against the Bengals and the Steelers.

Raiders beat writer Vic Tafur "would be surprised" if Maurice Jones-Drew isn't the team's starting running back.

MJD is far from a lock, but given his 8th/9th round price, there isn’t a whole lot of risk here. He’s a good bet to win the starting job in Oakland, and at 29-years-old, we’re not convinced that he’s over the hill. He averaged 4.8 YPC as recently as 2012 and doesn’t have the mileage of a typical 29-year-old back since he was a part-time player for his first three seasons in the league. Rashad Jennings had success down the stretch for the Raiders in 2013 and MJD played ahead of Jennings while in Jacksonville.

Jason Garrett says Tony Romo hasn’t suffered any setbacks and expects the Dallas Cowboys’ franchise quarterback to be a full participant during Thursday’s first practice of training camp.

Romo was limited during all of mini camp and organized team activities after having back surgery in December.

Much has been written about how Romo will thrive under new “Passing Game Coordinator” Scott Linehan. Under Linehan, the Lions threw the ball 62.2% of the time in the last two seasons. Over the same span, the Cowboys threw it 64.3% of the time, so the Cowboys may not be that much more "pass happy" under Linehan, though the number of plays they run could increase, helping the offense as a whole. The Lions have averaged 1,105 plays in the last two seasons, while the Cowboys averaged just 968 plays, so Detroit ran 14% more plays than Dallas over that span. This bodes well for Romo and Co. Hopefully that back holds up.

Vikings HC Mike Zimmer on WR Cordarrelle Patterson's improvement as a route runner and his return ability: "We want our best players to get their hands on the ball as much as possible. We’re not going to keep him from returning kicks because he is such a dangerous weapon there. He’s been a very hard worker, he has improved his route running since we’ve been here and things are going to change for these guys in training camp when we are able to start playing bump-and-run. For him to take the next step, we’re going to have to see how he gets off a jam and the things that people will try to do to take him away.

The Bengals added tight end Jermaine Gresham to the active physically unable to perform list.

The Bengals said Gresham had a back injury. Gresham's injury appears to be unrelated to an issue from earlier this offseason that required him to have hernia surgery. That particular injury forced Gresham to miss all of the minicamp and organized team activity practices, even though he had participated in voluntary workouts earlier in the offseason calendar.

Gresham's injury could open the door for second-year TE Tyler Eifert. He's expected to see more snaps as the Bengals run more two-TE sets, but perhaps he can win the starting job outright with Gresham on the shelf.

Jets RB Chris Johnson (knee) said he was cleared by Dr. James Andrews and is ready for full practice, if that's what team decides.

Rex Ryan said Chris Johnson was "flying" during conditioning run.

Johnson figures to be the Jets’ RB1, though Chris Ivory will serve in a change-of-pace capacity. As long as he sees the bulk of the touches in the Jets’ run-heavy offense, Johnson should post fantasy RB2 numbers.

Giants RB Andre Williams is making a strong impression as a rookie. The running back out of Boston College got his share of goal line reps on Wednesday, but the Giants have more in store for him. “Obviously [Boston College] fed him the ball and he was the nation’s leading rusher, so what they were doing had to be right,” new running backs coach Craig Johnsons said. “Every offense is a little bit different. I know they featured him in the run game exclusively there, so when you come to the next level you have to do more multi-faceted things and he is working very hard in that area, as you can see in practice.”

'Multi-faceted things' is code for 'pass protection' and 'pass-catching,' two things that Williams will have to work on if he hopes to get on the field for the Giants.

Both Colts running backs who missed nearly the entire 2013 season have been cleared to participate, too.

While Ahmad Bradshaw was seen throughout the nine-week offseason program, Vick Ballard will be making his 2014 debut in Anderson.

The Browns placed rookie running back Terrance West and five other players on the non-football injury list today.

But West, a third-round pick in this year's draft, took to Twitter to assure fans he isn't dealing with anything serious.

A league source, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the situation, expects West to practice this week when training camp begins.

Hopefully this situation will clear itself up this week, but for now West is unable to practice.

Wide receivers Golden Tate and TJ Jones will all open camp on the physically unable to perform list.

Tate, Detroit's prized offseason acquisition, didn't participate in the team's mandatory minicamp in June. At the time, he proclaimed he fully expected to be healthy for training camp.

"100 percent (I'll be ready)," Tate said. "100 percent. No doubt about it. We'll see the doctors today and talk about whatever we need to talk about. Go from there. I want to be out there, though."

The Lions awarded Tate a five-year, $31 million deal in free agency. Durability has not been an issue in recent years. He's missed just one game the past three seasons.

The shoulder injury is a bit worrisome, but we're still expecting Tate to have a strong season as the Lions' WR2.

Patriots beat writer Mike Reiss on how quickly TE Rob Gronkowski will be practicing fully: "I wouldn’t be surprised if Gronk is eased in rather than going full bore from the get go because you are talking about a player who had surgery for a torn ACL less than seven months ago. They’re going to want to bring him along slowly."

Gronkowski has been hugely productive when healthy, but his health is still a concern heading into the 2014 season. He reportedly had surgery on Jan. 9 to reconstruct a torn ACL. It typically takes a full year to recover, though Adrian Peterson and Robert Griffin III have made quicker returns (with varying success). Given the news that he avoided preseason PUP, Gronkowski is tentatively expected to be ready for the start of the season, and his return would be a big boost to Tom Brady and the entire New England offense. Don't expect him to practice fully right away, but it looks like Week 1 is a realistic possibility.

It’s a 2-year extension for #Chiefs RB Jamaal Charles worth $18M in new money, source says. Extra $5M over the next 2 years. Top 5 RB money.

Well, we no longer have to worry about a holdout. The Chiefs face some questions along their offensive line, but Charles should once again be one of the most productive running backs in fantasy football.

Redskins WR Leonard Hankerson is rehabbing his knee from ACL and LCL tears. He caught passes and dodged cones at training camp in Richmond today.

It was one thing for rookie wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. to sit out minicamp with a slight hamstring pull. The Giants and their first-round pick were being cautious.

But one practice into training camp, Beckham pulled up lame again after getting his feet tangled with cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. He pulled up on the play, which didn't seem to please coach Tom Coughlin.

Beckham was on the field Wednesday with his helmet and pads, but did nothing aside from stretching and warmups. It admittedly has the Giants concerned.

"He missed part of spring ball with a hamstring and he tweaked it yesterday. Obviously there is a concern," general manager Jerry Reese said. "But you see that in some young players sometimes. They're a little bit nervous, a little bit anxious and that happens to them."

It's early, and Beckham could certainly make a quick recovery and return to practice, but it's always worrisome when a young/new player misses valuable reps. This puts a dent in his early season upside; if he's out for a while, we could see Jerrel Jernigan starting alongside Victor Cruz and Rueben Randle.

After seven injury-filled seasons, Seahawks wide receiver Sidney Rice has had enough of the NFL. The 27-year-old has decided to retire, the Seahawks announced on Wednesday.

Rice missed the final eight games of the Seahawks 2013 season after tearing his ACL in a Week 8 win over the Rams. Rice was then cut by Seattle in February in a cost-cutting move that cleared up $7.3 million in 2014 cap space for Seahawks. However, Rice returned to the team in April when he signed a one-year deal.

The receiver's injury history played a large part in his decision to retire, "I was just thinking about things I've been through in the last few years," Rice told the team's official website. "I've hit the ground a number of times. I have quite a few injuries. It's something I've always battled through and came back from, But I just figure at this point I have the rest of my life ahead of me and I want to be able to function and do things later down the road."

We wish Rice the best of luck in his future endeavors. It's a pragmatic move by a player who sees the risks involved with continuing his career given his history of concussions. His departure should shore up Jermaine Kearse's snaps and opens the door for rookie Paul Richardson to see a role as a deep threat.

Dolphins C Mike Pouncey will begin camp on the physically unable to perform list. He needed surgery to repair a torn labrum in his hip last month and is expected to miss the start of the season. Though the best-case scenario is he’ll be back in late September, there is now concern he could be shelved for the first half of the season.

A source familiar with the center’s surgery and recovery says it’s likely he will miss four months (from the time of surgery June 23). That would carry the rehab process through September and into late October.

“Eight weeks is probably what we’re looking at,” the source said Wednesday.

His absence has a negative impact on Ryan Tannehill's protection and the ability of the line to run block for Lamar Miller and Knowshon Moreno.

Tight end Vernon Davis, who did not take part in the 49ers' offseason program due to dissatisfaction over his contract status, reported to training camp Wednesday morning.

This doesn't mean that Davis is happy with his contract, but he realizes that the team isn't inclined to negotiate with a player who isn't practicing. We're avoiding Davis at his ADP due to his probable workload with Michael Crabtree back in the fold. Davis averaged 3.8-62-.90 on 6.1 targets without Crabtree in the lineup. After his return (and including three playoff games), those numbers fell to 2.4-35-.75 on 4.6 T/G. Those are still top 10 numbers at the position (thanks to the touchdowns), but Davis simply isn’t a no-brainer top 5 pick with Crabtree in the lineup. He has a history of being underutilized in the 49ers’ run-heavy offense, and that’s a possibility again in 2014.

Giants WR Victor Cruz is all about the team and winning, but he also likes the sound of 100 catches.

“If there is any offense to do it in, it’s definitely this one. It’s definitely a little bit more pass happy than the offense we’ve had in the past,” he said. “I think I’m a guy that’s capable, so hopefully we can get that done hopefully. Obviously, that comes with wins and all that good stuff.”

“If there is any offense to do it in, it’s definitely this one. It’s definitely a little bit more pass happy than the offense we’ve had in the past,” he said. “I think I’m a guy that’s capable, so hopefully we can get that done hopefully. Obviously, that comes with wins and all that good stuff.”

“It enhances my skills,” he said. “Anytime a receiver can get the ball in his hands quicker, it’s beneficial."

Cruz was the #1 WR through the first four weeks thanks in large part to a 118-yard, three-TD game against the Cowboys in Week 1. (Cruz cracked the 100-yard mark twice more in the first month.) Unfortunately, his production fell off of a cliff in the final 12 games; Cruz was the #59 WR the rest of the way. The Giants’ offense should bounce back under new OC Ben McAdoo who plans to use Cruz in the Randall Cobb role in his version of the West Coast Offense.

Colts WR Reggie Wayne says he has been cleared.

Wayne was the #19 WR in standard formats and the #17 WR in PPR through the first seven weeks prior to tearing his ACL. He's 35 and coming off of a major knee injury. He has been cleared to play, but it's hard to envision him returning to his usual form in time for the 2014 season. The Colts signed Hakeem Nicks as insurance.

Nine-year veteran Greg Jennings is the leader of the Vikings WR corps, and had as good an offseason program as anyone. He catches every pass that comes close to him and is a bona fide, been there-done that leader in the meeting room.

Jennings dealt with some injuries in 2013 but he showed a nice rapport with Matt Cassel, averaging 5.9 catches for 70 yards and 0.57 TD with Cassel under center. Unfortunately Christian Ponder and Josh Freeman dragged the Vikings FP/Att into the bottom seven in the league. Assuming Cassel or promising rookie Teddy Bridgewater can offer better efficiency, Jennings should bounce back as most fantasy eyes are set squarely on Cordarrelle Patterson. For what it’s worth, Cassel’s FP/Att was 0.971, which was very close to the league average. Jennings is going in the 13th round even though he finished as the #39 WR in 2013.

Ravens RB Bernard Pierce told The Baltimore Sun on Tuesday that he will be able to practice with no restrictions at training camp after undergoing shoulder surgery in January.

The Ravens are preparing for a potential Ray Rice suspension with a committee attack including Pierce, Justin Forsett and rookie Lorenzo Taliaferro.

After a promising rookie season, Pierce turned in a disastrous 2013 campaign, hampered by shoulder, hamstring, toe and knee injuries behind a blocking scheme that failed to consistently open holes.

Now healthy, Pierce is optimistic about a bounce-back season in new coordinator Gary Kubiak's successful zone-blocking scheme.

Pierce figures to start if/when Ray Rice is suspended to start the season, and though unlikely, he could run away with the job. He was just as bad (2.9 YPC) as Rice was (3.1 YPC) last season, so both players are expected to bounce back in Gary Kubiak's offense.

Jamaal Charles knows he is underpaid and is willing to sit out until his contract is remedied.

NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reported Wednesday morning that, barring a contract breakthrough, the running back will not report for Kansas City Chiefs training camp Wednesday, according to a source familiar with Charles' thinking.

We'll know for sure later today, but Terez A. Paylor of the KC Star says that the Chiefs expect Charles to report to camp.

Jaguars WR Marqise Lee suffered an ankle injury and WR Allen Robinson hurt his hamstring, which led to both rookies being limited participants during the team’s offseason work. Robinson said that he’s been cleared to practice when training camp gets underway on Friday and Lee says he’s healthy as well, although it doesn’t sound like he’ll be going full speed right away.

“Everything’s good,” Lee said, via the team’s website. “I’m pretty much cleared. They still want me to take it slow as far as right now. During camp, that’s when I pick it up. We’ve got a while before we actually put on pads, so by that time pads come on, I should be OK.”

Lee was running as a starter opposite Cecil Shorts prior to injuring his ankle, so we give him the inside track to starter's snaps if he can get healthy and pick up things quickly. Robinson has more size, so he may be a bigger factor in the redzone.

Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski has been “cleared to play.”

That was the short, sweet and easily biggest news to come out of Bill Belichick’s morning pre-training camp press conference at Gillette Stadium on Wednesday.

Rehabbing his way back from a torn ACL suffered last Dec. 8 against the Browns, Gronkowski did not take part on the field in New England’s spring OTAs and mini-camp, instead working with the team’s medical staff.

But he reported to Foxborough earlier this week with other injured players, rookies and quarterbacks and was cleared to return to the field. Therefore, PUP (physically unable to perform) is not an option either during the summer or the regular season.

Gronkowski has been hugely productive when healthy, but his health is still a concern heading into the 2014 season. He reportedly had surgery on Jan. 9 to reconstruct a torn ACL. It typically takes a full year to recover, though Adrian Peterson and Robert Griffin III have made quicker returns (with varying success). Given the news, Gronkowski is tentatively expected to be ready for the start of the season, and his return would be a big boost to Tom Brady and the entire New England offense. Don't expect him to practice fully right away, but it looks like Week 1 is a realistic possibility.

Amid rumors of a holdout, Chiefs beat writer Terez A. Paylor (of the Kansas City Star) says that Jamaal Charles is expected to "report to camp tomorrow, whether there's an extension in place or not." He "can also confirm reports that talks have been had between the two sides."

This is probably a minor issue, but it's something to monitor as the Chiefs report to camp tomorrow.

Jacksonville Jaguars receiver Ace Sanders says he is facing a four-game suspension and won't be around for the majority of training camp.

Sanders held a conference call with reporters Tuesday evening to disclose his looming punishment.

He declined to discuss the reason for the pending suspension, but says "personal reasons" will prevent him from attending the start of training camp Friday.

Sanders was expected to compete for snaps in the slot, though this setback may threaten his spot on the roster.

Running back David Wilson, who was cleared on Monday for full participation in camp after undergoing a fusion of the vertebrae to repair the herniated disc in his neck in January, took reps with the second-team offense. He was making cuts like his old self and still looks like one of the most athletic players on the field.

The San Diego Chargers agreed on a two-year contract extension with running back Danny Woodhead, the team announced today. Woodhead originally signed a two-year contract when he joined the Chargers as an unrestricted free agent from New England in March 2013. His new contract runs through the 2016 season.

Woodhead finished #19 in standard formats and #12 in PPR, but the arrival of Donald Brown has seemingly put a dent in Woody’s stock heading into the 2014 season. It’s fair to think that he’s a stretch to finish in the top 20 again, but that doesn’t explain why he’s the #41 RB off the board in early drafts. He’s a capable RB3, especially in PPR formats.

Julio Jones, the Falcons’ dynamic young wide receiver, has been cleared for training camp practice, which starts on Friday, head coach Mike Smith told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Tuesday.

Jones was on pace for 131-1856-6.4 prior to his foot injury in Week 5. He has the potential to be the most productive receiver in the league, but the foot injury is a bit concerning, especially since it’s a broken bone in the same location as his pre-Draft injury. If he plays a full season, he’ll very likely finish in the top 5.

Peyton Manning won't have at least one familiar face to throw to when the Broncos open training camp.

The organization announced on Tuesday that tight end Joel Dreessen has been cut with a released/failed physical designation, per the team's official website.

The addition of Colts WR Hakeem Nicks not only will be a plus for quarterback Andrew Luck, but his presence on the field will have a significant impact for T.Y. Hilton, Reggie Wayne and the team’s tight ends. Hilton and Nicks can stretch the field on the outside, which in turn will open up the middle of the field for Wayne and the tight ends. What also can’t be discounted is that Nicks’ presence helps ease things for Wayne, who is coming off a torn ACL. Wayne doesn’t have to feel like he needs to dominate a game because he has Nicks, Hilton and the tight ends to help him out.

We're not crazy about the 35-year-old Wayne coming off of ACL surgery, and the arrival of Nicks will allow the team to ease Wayne in if he shows signs that he's not 100 percent ready to go.

The Bengals’ list of players on the non-football injury list surprisingly included receiver Marvin Jones, with an ankle injury.

Per a league source, Jones is day-to-day due to a tweaking of the ankle that happened at the post-OTA passing camp arranged by quarterback Andy Dalton. Jones had an issue with the ankle in 2013.

He finished as the #21 WR in 2013, racking up 51 catches for 712 yards and 10 touchdowns on just 80 targets. What gives Jones upside is the fact that he played just 48% of the snaps, sharing time with the far-less-effective Mohamed Sanu. In that limited playing time, he posted the #4 FP/snap (.25) of all wideouts who played at least 20% of their team’s snaps. All indications are that Jones is going to start opposite A.J. Green, and even though new OC Hue Jackson likes to run it more than Jay Gruden did, Jones’ new role should ensure that he has plenty of opportunity to make plays in his third year.

According to coach Mike Pettine, we’ll have a winner of the Browns’ QB derby in about a month.

In a Q&A published Monday, Pettine told the Akron Beacon Journal the club will pick a starting quarterback by Cleveland’s August 23 preseason game vs. St. Louis.

“I don’t know if I’ll set a date and kind of paint ourselves into a date, but it will be sooner than the third preseason game,” Pettine told Nate Ulrich of the Beacon Journal.

If Manziel wins the starting job this summer, he'll be an intriguing QB2 who should be available in the 9th-11th rounds given all the depth at quarterback. He has a good situation brewing with Josh Gordon and Jordan Cameron in his receiving corps, and the newly-signed Ben Tate as a threat in the running game. (Gordon’s looming suspension is an obvious concern.) Manziel’s durability is a question mark given his propensity for taking chances by leaving the pocket.

49ers beat write Cam Inman previews the team's RB corps: This is Frank Gore's 10th camp but his first with so many viable candidates to share the load. Marcus Lattimore's comeback attempt is of utmost interest, and aside from running, can he pass protect? Kendall Hunter remains the No. 2 back, though he's coming off a career-low 358 rushing yards and is in a contract year. Carlos Hyde could be a rookie gem with his deft hands and power legs. If that quartet proves strong, LaMichael James finally might get traded.

The 31-year-old Frank Gore has defied reduced preseason expectations in recent years, finishing in the top 13 in three straight seasons. Including the playoffs, he posted just 8.5 fantasy points per game after the 49ers’ Week 9 bye in 2013, so the writing is on the wall. The team has a capable backup in Kendall Hunter and also drafted the talented Carlos Hyde in the second round. Along with the return of redshirt rookie Marcus Lattimore, Gore’s touches are very much under pressure in 2014. One thing to note here -- Inman believes that Hunter is still the RB2 in San Francisco.

WR Sammy Watkins picked a great day to have his best practice as a member of the Buffalo Bills. With the bigwigs at ESPN, NFL Network, FoxSports1 and the MMQB all in attendance on Monday afternoon, Watkins put on a show for all to see. The crowd 'oohed,' 'aahed,' and cheered anytime the first-round selection touched the ball... and it happened quite a lot. He burned Leodis McKelvin very early on in the practice deep, he caught a pass tight in coverage with a defender on his way to him and then he jumped up on a tipped pass to bring it in over three defenders, all while getting poked in the eye. It's been a great start for Watkins to say the least.

He’s not landing in a good situation, since the Bills are run-heavy and E.J. Manuel is his quarterback. But with Stevie Johnson out of the way, the potential is there for solid production. By all accounts he has shown a great work ethic, so if he’s a target-hog, he should be a fantasy starter (top 36) in 2014.

The Browns might not have wide receiver Josh Gordon for part or all of the 2014 season, but that doesn’t mean the club will be severing his employment.

Head coach Mike Pettine told the Akron Beacon Journal the club doesn’t intend to release Gordon, who was arrested on a DWI charge in early July. The 23-year-old Pro Bowl wide receiver, under contract for two more seasons, was already facing a potential suspension under the NFL’s substance abuse policy.

“Josh is a Cleveland Brown. We want to do what’s best for him,” Pettine told the Beacon Journal‘s Nate Ulrich in a story published Monday. “We have a player that potentially needs help. Whether it’s him or whether it’s anybody else that wears the uniform, if we can help, we’ll help. We want to make our decisions always, what’s best for the player, and you try to marry it with what’s best for the team.

“So that’s why I don’t think that cutting him, while it may have worked for some other people, I don’t know if that’s necessarily the best option here. It might be the worst option for both — for us and for him. We’re going to wait and see what happens and then act accordingly.”

The No. 1 mission of this 49ers training camp: boosting the Colin Kaepernick-led passing attack.

The 49ers tout the deepest receiving corps of Harbaugh's four-year tenure, and they have arguably the league's best offensive line.

The 49ers clearly realized he couldn't improve the passing attack without better targets.

"We're a lot deeper at receiver," starter Anquan Boldin said.

First, the 49ers acquired San Francisco native Stevie Johnson in a draft-day trade with Buffalo. They lured Brandon Lloyd out of a one-year hiatus (as they did with Randy Moss in 2012). And they drafted speedster Bruce Ellington in the fourth round out of South Carolina.

"It gives us an opportunity as an offense to do a lot more," Kaepernick said. "You have a lot of weapons that you can put in a lot of different places. ... They all have the capability of getting open and making plays."

In his last 18 games with Crabtree in the lineup, Kaepernick has averaged 20.9 FP, which equate to #3 QB numbers. In 11 games without Crabtree, he averaged 16.1 FP. He averages 2.5 more pass attempts (i.e. the 49ers throw the ball more) and his YPA jumps from 7.4 to 8.4 with his top receiver in the lineup. The potential Vernon Davis holdout is a concern, but with Johnson in the fold, the 49ers are deep at receiver.

Falcons WR Roddy White, 32, is set to enter the final year of his contract. He wants to play three more years and wants a contract extension. The situation was put on hold after the shooting death of his brother Tyrone Moore Jr. over the offseason.

Both sides have been rather quiet and the “Holdout” word has been placed on the back burner. White held out of the 2009 training camp, while his six-year, $48 million deal was being hammered out.

As things stand, White can’t really play for the $5 million base salary that he’s set to make when there are 10 receivers ahead of him with higher average per year salaries.

Under general manager Thomas Dimitroff, the team has done a good job of taking care of productive players. But Jones’ mega-contract is also on the horizon.

After five straight top 10 finishes, White battled injuries during the 2013 season to finish #52 in standard scoring formats. He’s over the hill, right? Not so fast. Once he finally gave his ankle some rest, he returned in Week 10 and averaged 6.1-73-0.38 over his final eight games, and 8.6-100-0.40 in his final five. If Julio Jones comes back strong, the defensive focus will turn to him, and White should benefit. But don’t be worried about targets – Matt Ryan will continue to throw Roddy's way with Tony Gonzalez out of the picture. The contract situation probably won't be a major factor, but it's something to monitor as the preseason wears on.

Patriots TE Rob Gronkowski said Friday that he plans to play the entire season as he recovers from a torn ACL. He hasn't been placed on the PUP list at this point, but that's still an option prior to the first practice of training camp Thursday.

Gronkowski has been hugely productive when healthy, but his health is a major concern heading into 2014. He reportedly had surgery on Jan. 9 to reconstruct a torn ACL. It typically takes a full year to recover, though Adrian Peterson and Robert Griffin III have made quicker returns (with varying success). The fact that he hasn't yet been placed on preseason PUP is a positive sign, but as the article states -- the Pats still have time to do so.

Offensive coordinator Norv Turner believes the organization got a steal when QB Teddy Bridgewater slipped to the last pick in the first round.

"I think he probably should've gone in the first 10 picks," Turner said recently, via the team's official website. "He probably should've gone at least in the first half of the first round, and then we're sitting there with an opportunity to get him when we did, it was a bonus to me."

Changes continue at Winter Park and that includes Vikings TE Kyle Rudolph, who has yet to have a 100-yard receiving game in the NFL. Though he's been voted to a Pro Bowl, Rudolph has mostly been known for his effective run blocking. That should change under Turner, who has championed some of the NFL's best pass-catching tight ends in his stops across the league. Coming off a broken foot and in a contract year, Rudolph shed 15 pounds to prepare for this season as he figures to run more routes and become a focal point of the Vikings' pass attack.

Rudolph was the #13 TE through Week 9 prior to a season-ending fracture in his foot. He was 15th in targets per game during that span, so there’s some opportunity in the workload department, especially with new OC Norv Turner in town. Turner isn’t necessarily as TE-friendly as his old boss Rob Chudzinski, but he featured Antonio Gates and Jordan Cameron heavily while with the Chargers and Browns. Rudolph is just 24 and could make a nice leap if the Vikings can get good play out of the quarterback position. He should continue to be a force in the redzone.

Steelers beat writer Scott Brown on the potential workload of RB LeGarrette Blount: I think Blount should get around eight carries per game but that could mean four to five one week and 10-12 the next.

We currently project Blount for 7.8 touches per game and he's one of the more capable handcuffs in the league. He's going very late in drafts considering his talent and LeVeon Bell's injury history (foot).

Jaguars beat writer Michael DiRocco on the potential impact of WRs Marqise Lee and Allen Robinson: They'll be significant parts of the rotation early in the season, but it's hard for rookie receivers to make a big impact. It has happened -- look at San Diego's Keenan Allen last season -- and the Jaguars do need help at receiver, but it's more realistic to believe Lee and Robinson will finish their first seasons with somewhere around 40 catches.

Both rookies missed OTAs with injuries, but Lee was running as the “Z” receiver opposite starter Cecil Shorts prior to turning his ankle, so I think he has the inside track to start. The Jaguars don’t have a great passing game, but I’m betting Lee (or Robinson, if he wins the job) will be fantasy relevant (top 60) in 2014.

Cardinals beat writer Kent Somers on the potential workload of RB Andre Ellington: "I think they'd like to keep his touches around 20."

We currently project Ellington for 15.3 touches per game and he's our #15 RB in standard formats (#12 in PPR). If he actually gets 20 touches per game, he'll likely finish as a solid fantasy RB1. Only eight running backs averaged 20-plus touches in 2013, so Ellington is more likely to finish under than threshold.

Giants beat writer Conor Orr on the team's WR pecking order: Rueben Randle and Victor Cruz will carry the offense, with Odell Beckham being put in a few different places in order to open up the defense. His speed will be more of an asset off the ball, and Randle should make big strides in '14.

Hakeem Nicks is gone, but the Giants drafted Beckham in the 1st round. New OC Ben McAdoo utilizes a lot of three-WR sets (a la the Packers), so Randle and Beckham should both see starter’s snaps. Randle has been productive in his first two seasons on a per target basis, so he should produce starter-caliber numbers in significant playing time.

Redskins RB Alfred Morris’ performance will be critical to the success of the offense. If they bunch up on him, he has to make the first man miss as he always has and grind out some tough yards. If the defense is spread out, Morris has to make the defense pay with some big plays in the running game. He’s right up there with the team’s most valuable players.

Roy Helu will be the third-down back. He occasionally flashes some dynamic ability as a pass catcher and is solid in pass blocking. Others may have more big play ability but until someone learns to protect as well as Helu does, it’s his job.

Morris’s stock has taken a bit of a hit after the coaching regime change in Washington, but new HC Jay Gruden intends to keep the same running game (one reason they retained O-line coach Chris Foerster), so Morris’s outlook doesn’t change too much. He still isn’t much of a player in the pass game, so his PPR value is on the low side, though he’s a fairly safe start in any format given his steady workload.

The third-year quarterback acknowledged that DeSean Jackson, Andre Roberts, Pierre Garçon and Jordan Reed figure to see fewer targets in 2014. But that, he added, should provide plenty of motivation for the receiving corps.

“These guys know that there are some weapons around them on the field, so they don’t have all that pressure on them,” Griffin told Grant and Danny on Monday morning. “But they also know when they get the ball, they are going to have to do something with it because there’s no guarantee that the ball is going to come to them 10, 15 times a game. They might only get three or four of five shots a game, and they have to make the most it.”

With a plethora of receivers to throw to and a strong running game, there are going to be a few disappointing fantasy performances in the Washington WR corps throughout the season. Garcon isn't likely to lead the league in targets, while Jackson is no longer the clear WR1 on his team, as he was in Philadelphia. Owners should think twice before drafting either player based on his 2013 output.

The most realistic hope for the Kansas City Chiefs to improve their passing game in 2014 is for them to get more than the 55 receptions they got last year from their tight ends. Their chances for that got better on Monday when Travis Kelce went through a full practice for the first time in almost a year.

Kelce moved around well and did so without a brace or any other kind of protection on the knee.

“From here, it’s just a matter of getting back into football shape and getting ready to play a 16-game season," he said.

Kelce is a player to monitor as training camp wears on. If he's healthy and making plays in practice, then there's a good chance that he'll see a lot of snaps during the regular season, as the Chiefs are hurting for playmakers in the passing game.

Tennessee Titans rookie quarterback Zach Mettenberger got sucker-punched at a bar, according to the owner of the Nashville night spot.

Steve Ford, the owner of Losers Most Wanted Bar & Grill, told the Tennessean that Mettenberger was minding his own business when he got punched in the face. Mettenberger was unhurt.

"Here's the truth: The guy said something about 'Roll Tide!' to Zach, and Zach turned around and said 'Good luck with that,' " Ford said. "And the guy's buddy then sucker-punched Zach. I promise you that Mettenberger did not throw a punch. He didn't do anything. The guy sucker-punched him in the eye, that's the bottom line, and the guy that punched him started running out the door. My door guys had to chase him down."

According to ESPN Boston's Field Yates, wide receivers Aaron Dobson, Matthew Slater and Jeremy Gallon, defensive tackle Tommy Kelly and cornerback Alfonzo Dennard are all slated to start training camp on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list.

Rob Gronkowski's name was absent from the PUP list, which bodes well for his potential availability in camp. Players on PUP aren't allowed to practice, so we may see Gronk sooner rather than later. As for Dobson, it appears that his foot injury is going to keep him out of practice for the time being.

The biggest question Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill has to answer is can he connect with Mike Wallace consistently with the deep ball. Last season the duo constantly struggled when they dialed up big-yardage plays.

"They have, a number of times," coach Joe Philbin insisted at the end of last month's three-day minicamp. "We hit Mike on a deep-corner route [the second day of minicamp] in practice for a touchdown, one of the better inside-post routes that we've hit in my time here where they connected deep, and some other verticals. It's been better."

Through the first 15 weeks, Tannehill was the #12 QB in fantasy. Unfortunately, he stunk it up in the final two weeks of the season, posting just 286 yards to go along with one TD and three picks in the final two games combined as the Dolphins skidded out of a playoff spot. The arrival of OC Bill Lazor (from Philadelphia) should help. The players are raving about the new offense, especially Wallace, who loves the fact that he's moving around pre-snap.

There are three reasons for TE Jordan Cameron to be the most popular Browns player in fantasy leagues. One, his breakout 2013 season signaled his maturity as an NFL playmaker. Two, the team’s sorry situation at wideout makes Cameron a No. 1 read in the passing game. Three, he’s playing to secure his future financially in his contract year. The key to Cameron’s 2013 season was keeping himself on the field and out of the trainer’s room. If he can do it again, he will lead the team in receptions, yards and touchdown catches.

Cameron was the #2 TE through Week 8, but ranked #23 from Week 9 through Week 17. Some of this had to do with the QB issues in Cleveland, though his targets remained relatively even (8.4 T/G through Week 8 vs. 7.3 T/G thereafter). Despite the departure of a TE-friendly coaching staff that included HC Rob Chudzinski and OC Norv Turner, there is still a lot to like about Cameron. He should enjoy a QB upgrade and new OC Kyle Shanahan is pretty TE-friendly in his own right. Under Shanahan, Jordan Reed was targeted a healthy 6.6 times per game (11th-most among TEs) in 2013. While the new regime is not an upgrade for Cameron, it’s not a huge downgrade, either. The probable loss of Josh Gordon means lots of targets (and lots of defensive attention) for Cameron. It's a double-edged sword.

Ravens beat writer Jeff Zrebiec:

The guy to watch is running back Bernard Pierce, who had offseason shoulder surgery. Pierce was limited during the various offseason minicamps, though he looked in good shape and raring to go. If he has been cleared for contact, it will be a nice development for the Ravens, especially with Ray Rice’s suspension announcement looming.

I was going to write “with Rice’s suspension imminent,” but that’s what I’ve been thinking for about three weeks now. It has been exactly five weeks since Rice and his wife met with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell in New York. Goodell has plenty of other disciplinary issues on his plate, so I have no idea what the holdup is in making the decision on Rice. I would have guaranteed you earlier this month that the Ravens would know how long Rice would be sidelined before the start of training camp. Now, I’m not so sure.

At just 26 years old, it was surprising to see Rice's production fall off the way it did, but he was dealing with hip and quad injuries throughout the season. He was also coming off of a Super Bowl run the previous year, which likely wore him down. GM Ozzie Newsome said he expects Rice to return to Pro Bowl form, but HC John Harbaugh said after the season that the team could take more of a committee approach at running back, which would limit Rice's upside. Still, assuming his offseason legal issues don't impact his availability (too much), he is a bounceback candidate in Gary Kubiak's offense.

Quarterback EJ Manuel had some good connections with WR Sammy Watkins, the fourth overall pick in the draft. Watkins caught four passes from Manuel in full team or 7-on-7 work, the nicest a 20-yard corner route on the right sideline.

“I really want to get it to him in a spot for him to catch it and get some yards after the catch,” Manuel said.

Manuel had a good escape of the pocket at one point and found Robert Woods open for about 15 yards along the right sideline. Manuel threw one interception. Safety Aaron Williams picked off a deep ball for Woods that hung in the air a bit too long.

Jordan Matthews hasn't suited up for even one NFL game, but there it is fair to ask if he is already the most talented receiver on the Eagles' roster. Teammates and coaches raved about him during minicamps, as the rookie receiver caught everything thrown his way. HC Chip Kelly said after drafting Matthews that he will start the receiver out in the slot, but it will be interesting to see how much he is moved around. If Matthews lives up to expectations he set this offseason, he is going to be much more than third wide receiver.

Matthews will likely see snaps in the slot (at least) this season. Jeremy Maclin is working his way back from an ACL injury and Riley Cooper is solid, but unspectacular. There is opportunity in this offense if Matthews has a great summer, and by most accounts he has.

Giants RB David Wilson, who had a follow-up appointment today to receive medical clearance on his surgically repaired spine, was given the green light, according to an announcement made by Wilson himself.

Wilson's return will put a dent in Rashad Jennings' ADP, which is fine by us. Jennings ADP has been creeping up, but Wilson's return should ensure that Jennings is around in the 5th/6th round on draft day. The Giants went out and signed Jennings to be their lead back, so we're envisioning Wilson in a change-of-pace role. He flopped as a RB1 last year and has never had the full trust of Tom Coughlin and Co. in pass protection or ball security.

Cardinals beat writer Josh Weinfuss on RB Andre Ellington's potential for goal line carries: "I think Andre Ellington is capable of being a short-yardage workhorse, but I don't see Cardinals coach Bruce Arians using him there all the time. I think Ellington will certainly get the call on a few occasions, but I can see Stepfan Taylor and Jonathan Dwyer getting more of the short-yardage carries. And don't be surprised if Robert Hughes -- if he ends up making the roster and staying healthy -- will be responsible for some of those situations as well."

HC Bruce Arians says he wants to build the offense around the diminutive RB, but that they’ll be careful not to overwork him, implying that they may limit his short-yardage work. He was the #25 RB in 2013 on 10.4 touches per game, but averaged 12.4 touches in his last 11 games. In that span, he averaged 9.3 FP, which are low-end RB2 numbers. Arians’ offenses don’t utilize the running back heavily in the passing game, but with the way he has been gushing about Ellington’s skill set, that may change. Ellington averaged 0.771 fantasy points per touch in 2013, so if he can maintain that production at a 15-touch workload, he’s looking at an average of 11.6 FP per game. Those are high-end RB2 numbers.

"(Toby Gerhart) will be our workhorse," Jacksonville Jaguars offensive coordinator Jedd Fisch told the Florida Times-Union recently.

"Toby has the ability to do it all. He can catch it well. He can pass protect well, and he's going to be in the game a lot -- third down, base downs, short-yardage, passing downs," Fisch said.

Gerhart has touched the ball 15+ times in seven career games and has averaged low-end RB1 numbers (12.6 FP) with that type of workload. The former Heisman candidate will start for the Jaguars and should see a lot of work in that role. Gerhart has fantasy RB2 potential as a lead back. For more on Gerhart's potential productivity, click here.

Titans TE Delanie Walker hauled in 60 catches for 583 yards and team-high six touchdowns – all career marks -- in his first season in Tennessee.

Walker has publicly stated his desire to catch 80 passes in 2014 and is confident that a healthy Jake Locker can make that happen. He may well be on his way to the desired milestone after becoming the team’s first tight end to grab 60 passes in a season since Frank Wycheck in 2001.

Walker is excited to work with Whisenhunt, a former NFL tight end who understands how to get the most out of the position. In 2013, Chargers tight end Antonio Gates posted his best receiving numbers in four years (77 catches for 872 yards) with Whisenhunt as his offensive coordinator. The combination of Whisenhunt’s tight end-friendly system and having Locker at 100 percent makes adding another 20 catches a feasible goal.

He was targeted much more heavily in games where Ryan Fitzpatrick was under center (6.8 vs. 4.2 T/G), but Jake Locker did throw three TDs to Walker while he was still the starter. From Week 10 to Week 15, Walker had the 6th-highest PPG (8.7), so he’s capable of playing at a TE1 level. Moreover, new HC Ken Whisenhunt had this to say about Walker: "Working with Antonio Gates got me excited about the position, and I think there's a lot of elements to what Delanie does that are similar in that capacity.” This bodes well for Walker’s usage in Whisenhunt’s offense.

Browns beat writer Nate Ulrich...

I’m picking Brian Hoyer to win job, even though 11-of-16 quarterbacks taken in the first round since 2008 have started right away.

How long he’d keep it would depend on wins and losses, but I don’t think the leash would be long. For example, if the Browns start the season 0-3 after visiting the Steelers and hosting the New Orleans Saints and Baltimore Ravens, it would be convenient for Mike Pettine to promote Johnny Manziel during the Week 4 bye and have him ready to face the Tennessee Titans on the road Oct. 5.

But even if Hoyer becomes the starter and wins like he did last season, it wouldn’t necessarily preclude Manziel from playing as a rookie. I wouldn’t rule out the possibility of OC Kyle Shanahan featuring Manziel in certain packages.
And remember, the backup always seems to find himself in the lineup in Cleveland. No Browns quarterback has started all 16 regular-season games since Tim Couch in 2001.

If Manziel wins the starting job this summer, he'll be an intriguing QB2 who should be available in the 10th-12th rounds given all the depth at quarterback. His rushing yards will drive his fantasy value, especially since the team is likely to be without Josh Gordon for most (if not all) of the season.

The Falcons are counting on a cutting-edge medical procedure — a stem cell technique — to help heal wide receiver Julio Jones’ right foot and the rest of the league’s medical community is closely watching.

Despite having a second and bigger screw inserted into the fifth metatarsal of his right foot, Jones believes that he can continue his mercurial climb to elite status in the NFL in 2014. He reports for training camp Thursday with the veterans and may be available when the team takes the field for its first practice Friday.

“This break should heal with the treatment that they gave,” said Dr. Phillip Kwong, a foot and ankle surgeon at Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic in Los Angeles. “It’s still tied to other factors involved in why it broke again. Sometimes, it maybe the way his foot structure is made. Like for instance, some people … tend to put more pressure out there on that fifth metatarsal rather than evenly across the foot.

“Sometimes the load goes more to one area. The fact that he has broken this twice, would suggest that there is something in his structure that puts more of a load on that fifth metatarsal.”

Medically, the fifth metatarsal is a problematic bone for doctors.

The article is the best accounting that we've seen of what's been going on with his foot. Jones was on pace for 131-1856-6.4 prior to his foot injury in Week 5. He has the potential to be the most productive receiver in the league, but the foot injury is a bit concerning, especially since it’s a broken bone in the same location as his pre-Draft injury. If he plays a full season, he’ll very likely finish in the top 5. He's a risky pick, however.

Patriots RB James White, the fourth-round pick from Wisconsin, shouldn’t be overlooked at running back. White had a solid spring minicamp "season", and his combination of production as a rusher and receiver appears to be an ideal fit for a Patriots offense that values a diverse skill set. We’ll define “early impact” this way: White will play more than 20 percent of the offensive snaps this season.

White could eat into the snaps of Shane Vereen and/or Stevan Ridley. We feel Vereen is safe in PPR formats and Ridley will be the primary 'big back' as long as he holds onto the football, but that's no sure thing.

Patriots TE Rob Gronkowski is determined to stay on the field in 2014.

"I'm planning on playing the whole season this year," Gronkowski said Friday at a women's football clinic, according to Mike Reiss of ESPN.com.

"I don't know yet until I report, so I'll sit down with the coaches and training staff and we'll see," he said. "I'm just working with the trainers right now, improving every single day and whenever it starts up, whatever the trainers have, whatever the coaches have for me, whatever we feel comfortable with (we'll be) doing as much as possible every day that I can do."

Gronkowski has been hugely productive when healthy, but his health is a major concern heading into 2014. He reportedly had surgery on Jan. 9 to reconstruct a torn ACL. It typically takes a full year to recover, though Adrian Peterson and Robert Griffin III have made quicker returns (with varying success). Gronkowski is tentatively expected to be ready for the start of the season, but don’t be surprised we don’t know his status until deep into August or even early September. This makes him a major risk in 2014 fantasy drafts. The ACL surgery was the eighth (known) surgery of his career.

Giants beat writer Dan Graziano: "There's a role there for rookie fourth-round running back Andre Williams if he can take it. The Giants love to have a big, power running back who can grind out yards up the middle. No matter who the offensive coordinator is, that's going to be something Tom Coughlin wants. But they won't force Williams into playing time if he doesn't show he can handle some of the pass-protection responsibilities and maybe catch a ball or two. So while they like Williams and he was extremely productive in college last year, you shouldn't assume he's going to be a big factor in the run game right away. The Giants don't like to rush rookies, and everything I heard about Williams in spring practices indicated he needed a lot more work."

We believe Rashad Jennings will be the feature back as long as he's healthy.

Beat writer Dan Graziano: "Odell Beckham was drafted to give the Giants the field-stretching threat that Hakeem Nicks did not provide last year, and the team believes he can outrun defensive backs and help open things up for Ben McAdoo's offense near the line of scrimmage. Of course, assuming they're right, Beckham can provide a big-play threat in his own right down the field. But their hope is that he has the speed to beat press coverage and stretch out defenses in a way that allows their offense to operate with a variety of quick-hitting options. I have my own concerns over how Beckham will react to big, physical cornerbacks, but there are plenty of people I talk to around the league who like him a lot and believe he'll contribute right away."

Beckham will likely start alongside Victor Cruz and Rueben Randle since OC Ben McAdoo is likely to call a lot of three-WR sets. If he plays 70 percent or more of the snaps, he should be fantasy relevant in 2014.

As one of the Browns’ priority free-agent signings and with four years of NFL experience as a solid backup with the Houston Texans, Ben Tate enters camp as at least a slight favorite to win the starting job. When he was first signed, Tate had every reason to assume he was a shoo-in to become the Browns’ No. 1 back because at the time there was no one approaching his talent level on the team. That dramatically changed when the Browns made Terrance West their third-round draft pick and added Isaiah Crowell as an undrafted free agent. West quickly emerged as a formidable challenger for the starting role.

Tate's stock has taken a big hit upon the arrival of West. This is a camp battle to watch. Whoever wins the job will likely have low-end RB2/RB3 value.

The 49ers have good depth, and might finally start to use multiple running backs. Carlos Hyde was chosen in the second round of the draft, which provides a clear indication that they believe he is capable of eventually taking over for Frank Gore. Marcus Lattimore will get plenty of opportunities to prove he is back from a severe knee injury he sustained during his final season at South Carolina.

Coming off what both Harbaugh and general manager Trent Baalke described as an “A-plus-plus” season, Gore appears to be solid in his standing as the starter. After that, the depth chart will be sorted out through competition in training camp. Hyde and Lattimore will have to prove their worth in pass protection in order to take the backup job away from Kendall Hunter. If everyone remains healthy in training camp, the 49ers could look to trade a running back just before the final round of cuts.

The 31-year-old Frank Gore has defied reduced preseason expectations in recent years, finishing in the top 13 in three straight seasons. Including the playoffs, he posted just 8.5 fantasy points per game after the 49ers’ Week 9 bye in 2013, so the writing is on the wall. The team has a capable backup in Kendall Hunter and also drafted the talented Carlos Hyde in the second round. Along with the return of redshirt rookie Marcus Lattimore, Gore’s touches are very much under pressure in 2014.

The Broncos kept five at the running back spot as recently as 2012, but this position shapes up to be a quality camp battle and last year’s rookie to make it -- C.J. Anderson -- could certainly hold off this year’s crop. It would certainly be a rarity to have two undrafted rookie running backs make the final 53, but Brennan Clay’s pass-catching ability is intriguing and the 225-pound Juwan Thompson would give the Broncos a bigger back with an understanding of pass protections to go with some special teams ability.

It appears Ronnie Hillman is in the lead to back up Montee Ball.

Saints beat writer Mike Triplett on rookie WR Brandin Cooks:

I usually consider myself a voice of reason when it comes to predicting the level of impact any rookie can have in the NFL.

But even my practical, sensible side believes Cooks can become the Saints' first offensive rookie of the year in nearly three decades, joining Rueben Mayes (1986) and George Rogers (1981).

Cooks was the 20th pick in the draft, and no other offensive weapon landed in a better place to immediately showcase his skill set. Even if Cooks is only the third or fourth option in New Orleans' versatile offense, you know coach Sean Payton will find a way to create mismatches for him and quarterback Drew Brees will find a way to exploit them.

I'm not necessarily predicting blockbuster numbers for Cooks, since the Saints spread the ball around so much. But even if he catches something like 70 passes for 800 yards, he'll be doing it for a Super Bowl contender. And he's likely to hit a lot of "home runs" on a variety of screens, reverses, deep balls and punt returns.

The Saints spread the ball around, but not only do they have to replace the departed Lance Moore, the team has to also replace the production of Darren Sproles in the receiving game. The two combined for 143 targets in 2013, so while we're expecting Kenny Stills to see a larger role, there are targets for the speedy Cooks as well.

Despite suffering a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee last October after he led the Browns to back-to-back wins, QB Brian Hoyer said he has been cleared to practice without limitations when training camp begins July 26.

A date has been set for Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon to appeal his pending one-year suspension for violating the NFL’s illegal substance policy.

Gordon’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus, said he wasn’t permitted to reveal when the hearing will take place with league officials, but admitted it would occur “in the near future.”

We're expecting a minimum of an eight-game ban, but Gordon's recent DUI arrest isn't encouraging.

WR Miles Austin was held out of OTA and minicamp exercises. But when training camp opens on July 26, he said he will be ready to go to make his mark with the Browns.

The Browns will likely be without Josh Gordon for at least half the season, so there is opportunity for Austin to emerge as a go-to player in the offense if he can stay healthy. He's not a bad final round flier.

There were all kinds of questions about Titans QB Jake Locker's future following another significant injury. Many questions linger. He looked rusty as he limped through workouts in May, but in June he looked significantly better, moving and throwing well. The Titans hope he picks up in July where he left off in June.

Locker has averaged 15.1 FP in 16 career starts. That extrapolates to 241 points over a 16-game season, or about what Ryan Tannehill scored as the #16 QB in 2013. Health has been his biggest problem, but if he can stay upright, he could grow in Ken Whisenhunt’s offense.

A big key is getting more production from the starting running back position.

In is Toby Gerhart, replacing long-time face of the franchise Maurice Jones-Drew.

Bradley said this week Gerhart is faster than the coaches saw on tape, which will allow him to break more long runs.

Toby Gerhart has touched the ball 15+ times in seven career games and has averaged low-end RB1 numbers (12.6 FP) with that type of workload. The former Heisman candidate will start for the Jaguars and should see a lot of work in that role. Gerhart has fantasy RB2 potential as a lead back. For a more in-depth look at Gerhart's potential production, click here.

Dolphins WR Mike Wallace prides himself on his work ethic.

That’s why, he says, he would stay on the field after spring practices catching passes from the Jugs machine long after his Dolphins teammates had walked off the field to conduct interviews or head inside the Doctors Hospital Training Facility at Nova Southeastern University to get out of the sun.

In fact, almost without fail, Wallace always was the last Dolphins player to finish his work after a practice. Wallace says it’s all about “getting the edge.”

Wallace finished the season as the #25 WR, but was an unreliable option for most of the year. Thanks to four touchdowns in his final six games, he averaged 10.8 FP in that span, which equates to low-end WR1-type numbers. We're not expecting that kind of production, though he should be a top-end WR3 if his late season surge continues into this season. The arrival of OC Bill Lazor should help; Wallace really seems to like the new offense.

Observation from a offseason throwing session involving QB Cam Newton and his receivers:

"At 6-foot-5 and 240 pounds, Kelvin Benjamin has the most trouble with routes that force him to come back to the ball. He gets out of his cuts slower than most receivers because of his size, and he needs to work on his hips.

"Newton whistled at Benjamin after one route in which the rookie flailed his arm out just before making the cut. Newton re-enacted the motion to discourage Benjamin from doing it again."

While it's good to see that Newton is developing chemistry with his new receiving corps, the article also mentions that he still occasionally experiences a sharp pain when pushing off his surgically repaired ankle.

The Tennessean's Jim Wyatt on Titans RB Bishop Sankey: "Don't expect (Chris Johnson) in his heyday. Sankey will be the team's most productive running back, but others will cut into his stats. Dexter McCluster will get playing time, carries and catches. Shonn Greene should get a bunch of goal-line attempts unless he flames out in training camp; then Sankey's stock could really rise."

We’re projecting Sankey to be the clear RB1 in Tennessee after the Titans took him as the first back in the draft. He’s a versatile back who doesn’t have much competition for touches. The last 13 rookies who were the top drafted RB in their class and joined a backfield with a lackluster incumbent averaged 18.2 touches for 83.1 yards and 0.55 TD, or 11.6 fantasy points per game. That’s about what Ryan Mathews averaged as the #12 RB in 2013.

49ers RB Marcus Lattimore (knee) was one of eight players placed on procedural injury lists upon reporting to 49ers training camp.

It's an indication that Lattimore is not yet fully recovered from knee surgery. The team's decision to draft Carlos Hyde has put a dent in Lattimore's dynasty stock.

An NFL source told ESPN.com that Jermichael Finley's tweet ("Let's Try This Again. #GreenBay") did not mean the Packers had cleared Finley medically or were in negotiations with him. The source said "there’s nothing going on" with Finley and the Packers in terms of contract talks.

Finley last met with the Packers' medical staff on May 28 in what was described at the time by a source close to the situation as “a formality” because Finley had not checked in with the Packers recently.

According to USA Today, Finley was expected to undergo more tests this week. It is possible Finley's meeting with McKenzie is to review those results.

The Packer TE situation is up in the air, but whoever wins the job -- be it a re-signed Finley, rookies Richard Rodgers or Colt Lyerla, Brandon Bostick or Andrew Quarless -- will be fantasy relevant as a TE2 or even a low-end TE1.

While it’s clear Chargers QB Phillip Rivers flourished in last year’s system, HC Mike McCoy feels the promotion of Frank Reich will benefit the Chargers’ signal caller for 2014.

“With Frank as offensive coordinator, we will be able to maintain continuity on offense and help maximize the production by Philip and the entire unit,” McCoy said. “He has a great feel for the offense we have created and he has been a valuable asset to Philip.”

Rivers was written off by many after a substandard 2012 campaign, but he bounced back in a big way with a #5 finish in 2013. In fact, he has finished in the top 10 in five of his last six seasons. Malcom Floyd has been cleared to play, so the receiving corps will get a boost. The only concern is the loss of OC Ken Whisenhunt, who assisted Rivers in his bounce back season. He should be a good value in the later rounds for owners who want to wait on the position.

Buccaneers beat writer Pat Yasinskas predicts that WR Mike Evans will crack the 1,000-yard mark:

"Evans steps into a great situation as the No. 2 wide receiver. He will start opposite Vincent Jackson, who will draw most of the attention from opposing defenses. That means there should be plenty of opportunities for Evans. His size should give him a big advantage in one-on-one matchups with cornerbacks."

We currently project Evans for 64 carries for 879 yards and five TDs, making him the #43 receiver on our board. Rookies are generally overdrafted, but Evans is in a great situation and could be starter-worthy (top 36) this season.

One of the biggest myths of the offseason has taken on a life of its own because coach Lovie Smith said a team needs more than one quality back. He is serious about that and there will be some sort of rotation. But the fact is Doug Martin still is the feature back and will get most of the carries. He just won’t get almost all the carries like he did under former coach Greg Schiano. There will be room for Charles Sims, Bobby Rainey, Mike James and Jeff Demps to compete for touches.

Martin was the #3 fantasy running back as a rookie, but his PPG dropped from #3 to #22 during his sophomore season. His stock has taken a hit due to the new regime in Tampa adding rookie Charles Sims to a stacked backfield that already includes Bobby Rainey and Mike James. He’s still going to be the RB1 for the Bucs but probably won’t see the 79.5% share of the carries that he received in his first 21 games. He’s still likely to be a high-end RB2 in both standard and PPR formats.

The optimism surrounding David Wilson's recovery from neck surgery continues to mount as we gallop toward training camp.

Echoing general manager Jerry Reese's comments last month, New York Giants co-owner John Mara said at a YMCA donation ceremony on Thursday that the team plans for Wilson to be ready to play.

"We expect him to be playing ... all signs are he'll be ready to go," Mara told reporters, per Newsday's Tom Rock.

Wilson, who seems to always find the ire of coach Tom Coughlin, could play a big role as the change-of-pace back the Giants lack -- if he can stay healthy. Doctors will re-examine his neck on Monday -- the same day the Giants report to training camp.

We expect Rashad Jennings to carry the load for the Giants. Wilson could become his primary backup if he's deemed fully healthy.

49ers RB Carlos Hyde has looked great as a runner and receiver in the offseason. The second-round pick from Ohio State has a chance to make a big impact.

Packers TE Richard Rodgers was perhaps the most impressive rookie in the offseason practices, making difficult catches look easy. One member of the team's personnel department predicted Rodgers would be the opening-day starter ahead of Andrew Quarless.

If that's the case, Rodgers will be a sleeper fantasy TE2-type in a potent Packers offense, but there are a lot of moving parts here.