August 2014 4for4 Player News Articles

Browns HC Mike Pettine said he's comfortable with RB Ben Tate playing on third down.

Terrance West struggled in the preseason, as can be typical with young backs, so it seems to have paved the way for Tate. The big issues with Tate is staying healthy, but he showed flashes with Houston when given a chance. Another problem is the Browns lack of a passing game and issues at QB. Tate ranks 24th coming into the season which makes him a decent RB3 or flex option. He's also ranked 24th for Week 1 against the Steelers, who were actually only ranked 20th against the run last year.

Alex Smith was prepared to pull the plug on contract talks if they ever became a distraction. It never got to that point.

After an intense and largely secretive day of negotiations, the Chiefs and Smith have worked out a four-year, $68 million extension.

Per a league source, Smith gets $30 million guaranteed at signing. Another $15 million in injury-only guarantee vests in March 2015.

Smith, who is still only 30 years old, was traded to the Chiefs last year for what ultimately became two second-round picks. He performed very well in his first season with Kansas City, leading the team to the playoffs and having one of the best days of his career, which has become overlooked via the second-half defensive collapse that blew a 38-10 lead in Indianapolis.

Smith was the first overall pick in the 2005 draft, and was regarded as a borderline bust until Jim Harbaugh arrived as head coach of the 49ers, the story points out. But a concussion gave Colin Kaepernick a chance to play, and he played well enough to send Smith to the bench — and ultimately to KC, the story continued. With the Chiefs, he doesn't have a ton of talent to work with. WR Dwayne Bowe dropped off last year as the team relied on RB Jamaal Charles - and that appears to be a similar situation this year. Smith has low-end QB2 value and is ranked 18th coming into the season.

The Seahawks are off the field following their Sunday practice in preparation for Thursday’s season opener against the Packers.

And while we will not get an injury report and are restricted on what we can report today, we can pass along that receiver Percy Harvin was back full go.

Harvin was absent from two days of practice last week, as well as the preseason finale against the Raiders, for what the team said was personal business. Harvin is ranked 19th among our WRs heading into Week 1.

The Patriots have dealt backup quarterback Ryan Mallett to the Houston Texans, according to multiple reports, receiving a conditional seventh round pick in exchange.

Mallet, a 2011 third round draft pick by the Patriots, was the subject of trade rumors for the past two seasons. Those rumors only intensified after the team drafted Jimmy Garoppolo this offseason in the second round.

Mallett, in his fourth year out of Arkansas, was in the final year of his rookie contract.

The Texans released quarterback Case Keenum, the team's No. 2 quarterback, after acquiring Mallett, according to CBS Sports' Jason La Canfora.

There were definitely signs that the Pats were looking to trade Mallett and they found a partner in the Texans. Texan coach Bill O'Brien is familiar with Mallett from 2011 before moving on to coach at Penn State, so this makes a lot of sense. Ryan Fitzpatrick will likely still start the regular season but Mallett could be a guy they turn to if the team struggles at any point this season. While he's been well hyped, Mallet has only attempted four passes in the NFL.

Bills WR Sammy Watkins suffered bruised ribs in the Bills third preseason game (Week Two of the preseason), and he re-injured the ribs on a fairly innocuous hit in the preseason finale. Now, the question becomes whether he’ll recover in time to play on Sunday at Chicago, and to prepare for the game via a full week of practice.

“Re-injuring his ribs will make it difficult for Watkins to get his usual practice reps, conditioning and strengthening work for the next few weeks,” former NFL athletic trainer Mike Ryan said. Ryan, a contributor to NBC’s NFL coverage this season and NBCSN’s Pro Football Talk, spent more than 20 years helping NFL players get and stay healthy.

The story goes on to say that when it comes to the ribcage, a complex stew of bone and muscle and cartilage protecting fairly important organs, it could be a few weeks until Watkins returns to 100 percent. Especially if he once again comes back too soon and aggravates the condition. If the Bills decide to use Watkins before he’s fully healed, Watkins will have to play through significant discomfort. Watkins ranks just 44th on our WR list for Week 1. Even if he plays it may be best to go with another option.

Falcons WR Julio Jones didn’t want to rush his recovery and looked at little things as milestones. Like the day the Falcons moved practice indoors from the rain. Jones was happy to get a chance to test the foot on turf.

“The Georgia Dome has turf and that just gave me more reps on turf to make me feel more comfortable when game time comes around,” Jones said.

While Jones appears fine, he’s perhaps his toughest critic.

“I can get up to speed good,” Jones said. “I can’t hold it as long as I want to hold it like over a course of game. Right now, I probably could give you 65 plays or so, I mean that’s a whole game, but the way that I play in the running game and everything, I want to be at full speed for the whole game. I don’t feel like I’m there yet.”

Jones has looked 100-percent so far in camp and preseason but wants to make sure he's a full-go for the regular season. He's already shown flashes in the preseason, like 52-yard TD in preseason Week 3. Jones has been going in the lower half of first rounds and sometimes even slipping into the early second round. Jones is already ranked as our third-best WR play in Week 1 against the Saints.

The Giants will likely open their season with their first-round draft pick where he has been throughout the preseason: on the sideline.

Giants coach Tom Coughlin indicated on Saturday that rookie receiver Odell Beckham, who is nursing a hamstring injury, isn’t expected to play in the Monday night opener against the Lions. Coughlin said one of the reasons wide receiver Preston Parker made the 53-man roster is that he’ll be playing some of the roles the Giants had hoped Beckham could play.

It will be interesting to see if Corey Washington gets a chance after an outstanding preseason. Look for Victor Cruz and Rueben Randle to be the mainstays Week 1. But the Giants offense has struggled, particularly QB Eli Manning and Randle's communication. Outside of RB Rashad Jennings and possibly Cruz, seems best to stay away from the Giants, if possible.

The most significant Chiefs cup is the release of K Ryan Succop, who has served as the Chiefs' starting placekicker for the last five seasons.

Succop made 81 percent of his field goals over five years but got beat out by rookie Cairo Santos, despite a strong preseason performance. Succop's large cap numbers - $2.7 million this year, $3.5 million next year and $3.2 million in 2016 - could have also played a role, as Santos will only make a fraction of that.

By cutting Succop, the Chiefs stand to gain roughly $2 million in cap space this year, $2.5 million next year and $3 million in 2016.

Succop was a decent fantasy option last year but the job now belongs to Santos. Santos is already ranked as K1 heading into Week 1 as he's 10th on our list.

RB Stevan Ridley made the Pat's final roster.

Many thought Ridley was in trouble after a fumble in preseason Week 3. Adding to the speculation was the release of RB BenJarvus Green-Ellis by the Bengals, but it looks like the team is sticking with Ridley for now. He has the potential to put up decent fantasy numbers week-to-week as the Pats best inside runner, but we all know about the fumbling issue. Owners risk that he's one fumble away from another trip to the bench.

Just an update, the Saints waived both kickers Shayne Graham and Derek Dimke as part of their Saturday cuts.

Graham ranked fairly high on our list, and it's possible he catches on somewhere else. Derek Dimke was also cut meaning the Saints will be signing a free agent kicker before the season.

Among the notable Eagles cuts are RB Kenjon Barner (waived/injured), WR Damaris Johnson, RB Henry Josey and RB Matthew Tucker.

Josey and Tucker have looked great in the preseason but the Birds opted to stick with Polk who had a hamstring injury much of camp. He tried to go in preseason Week 4 but was unable to; however, apparently it was enough for the team to keep him around.

The Lions have released a favorite receiver of Matthew Stafford. Kris Durham, a former college teammate and roommate of Stafford’s, was cut today.

Durham played well at times for the Lions, but when Detroit signed Golden Tate this offseason there was one less roster spot available for a wide receiver, and it appears that Durham will lose the numbers game to be one of the backups behind Tate and Calvin Johnson.

The Lions were very deep at WR in camp this year and unfortunately for Durham he's the odd man out. For now it appears to be good news for often-injury Ryan Broyles who is back healthy and has looked good.

Another second-round pick from the 2011 draft class finds himself on the wrong side of the 53-man roster Saturday: The Dolphins have released running back Daniel Thomas, according to the Palm Beach Post.

Miami will head into the regular season with Lamar Miller and Knowshon Moreno as their top two running backs.

Thomas never lived up to expectations in Miami. He started just three games in his three-year career and never rushed for more than 581 yards in a season. The 26-year-old leaves the Dolphins with 365 carries for 1,312 yards (3.6 YPC) and eight rushing touchdowns. Thomas also caught 42 passes for 291 yards and three receiving touchdowns. Thomas was on the roster bubble the moment the Dolphins brought in Moreno.

The Jets will waive wide receiver Stephen Hill this afternoon if they are unable to find a last-minute trade partner, The Post has learned.

The 2012 second-round pick never developed like the Jets had hoped. Hill battled knee injuries and inconsistency during his two-plus years with the Jets.

The team traded up to select Hill with the 43rd overall pick in 2012 out of run-heavy Georgia Tech. Despite being raw, he was given a starting job immediately. Hill had five catches for 89 yards and two touchdowns in his first NFL game, but would score just two more in the next two years.

The Cleveland Browns have cut veteran wide receiver Nate Burleson after he signed a one-year contract with them this offseason, according to a league source.

Burleson also visited the Miami Dolphins during free agency and they could be a logical landing spot.

Miles Austin and Andrew Hawkins look to be the top WRs for the Browns. Burleson only recently came back after missing time in camp and was in a tough spot. With the loss of Josh Gordon and issues at QB with Brian Hoyer and Johnny Manziel, no Cleveland WR is looking like a solid play at this point.

According to multiple media sources the Redskins have released three of their four running backs who were widely considered to be on the roster bubble. Evan Royster, Chris Thompson, and Lache Seastrunk have all confirmed via text messages that they have been released. Most figured that at least two of those three would end up on the roster. Silas Redd survived the cuts.

Seastrunk was the biggest surprise the story said, but Thompson is also a big of a surprise. However, he was battling injuries all through camp that seemed to frustrate the team. Both could be added to the practice squad. The moves mean that undrafted rookie Silas Redd will be the third tailback behind Alfred Morris and Roy Helu.

Carolina Panthers first-round draft pick WR Kelvin Benjamin jammed his middle finger and let a touchdown pass slip through his hands during Thursday night's exhibition finale at Pittsburgh.

Otherwise, the 6-foot-5, 240-pound wide receiver out of Florida State had a strong preseason and established himself as the No. 1 target the Panthers were looking for when they released Steve Smith in March.

The finger doesn't appear to be anything that will be an issue, and Benjamin played longer than he was scripted because he wanted more time on the field, the story said. Two of his four catches for 56 yards were in traffic over the middle. He's shaping up to be a potential later-round WR option who could surprise this year as Carolina's top target. His ADP is the 9th round in 10-team leagues.

Corey Washington, the Giants leading receiver this preseason, has made the 53-man roster.

The 6-4 receiver out of Division II Newberry College in South Carolina was one of the biggest surprises in training camp. Washington had a string of three straight game-winning touchdown catches in the preseason, which electrified an otherwise dull offense and endeared himself to a coaching staff in search of a playmaker.

It remains to be seen what kind of fantasy value Washington will have. He'll still be behind guys like Victor Cruz, Rueben Randle and Odell Beckham at the very least, but the way he's played in the preseason, coupled with the Giants first team offense struggles, one would think he's at least given a chance in certain packages.

Running back Ronnie Hillman and cornerback Kayvon Webster fell ill after the preseason game and were held back at a Dallas-area hospital overnight.

Both players participated in the pregame conditioning workout that was reserved for the Broncos' front-line players. Neither Hillman or Webster played in the preseason game. Webster had to be aided out of the locker room.

The Broncos did not disclose the nature of the illness, although the team did confirm Hillman and Webster were taken to a Dallas-area hospital for treatment and evaluation.

Both are expected to rejoin the team this weekend.

It doesn't sound like this is too serious, but it is worth monitoring over the weekend. Hillman is expected to serve as the primary backup to Montee Ball. C.J. Anderson is the next man up.

Oakland Raiders coach Dennis Allen said Friday he will know who his starting quarterback for their Week 1 game at the New York Jets early in the week.

“I think the biggest thing is I want to be able to check on (Matt Schaub) and see where Matt is health-wise,” Allen said. “Like I said, he was making some progress last week, threw on the side with the trainers. I feel like he’ll be ready to go, but I think we need to see how he’s doing Monday when he gets in here.”

“I was very pleased with what I saw out of Derek Carr last night,” Allen said. “We’ve said all along that Derek is going to be a really good quarterback in this league and he’s shown those signs, and you’ve seen those signs, throughout practices. It was good to see that our whole group offensively was able to go out and function the way that they did last night.”

Neither player is much of a fantasy option, but Carr looked good last night while Schaub has been pretty dreadful all preseason. The beat writers seem to think that Carr will get the start.

Titans HC Ken Whisenhunt on RB Bishop Sankey's progress in the preseason:

"I think that it was obvious that he’s a talented young man. He ran the ball very well last night, very decisive, made good cuts. We’ve seen growth from him, as well. I think, just like with Zach (Mettenberger), we’ve seen growth with Bishop (Sankey). He’s gotten better, obviously, at his exchanges with the quarterbacks. His course on his footwork has improved. His vision is good. He’s seeing the holes well. His protection, he’s done a nicer job with that as he’s gone through it, so from a young guy that you’re trying to get prepared to contribute during the season, you’ve seen growth, you’ve seen him moving along with that, and that’s what you needed to see. I’m happy with him."

We’re projecting Sankey to eventually win the RB1 job 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, though the team may elect to bring him along slowly since Shonn Greene and Dexter McCluster are on the roster. 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.

The Eagles saw enough out of rookie kicker Cody Parkey to give him a spot on the 53-man roster, two individuals with knowledge of the situation told NJ.com.

This means that Alex Henery will soon be cut. Parkey will be a cheap, attractive option on draft day given the way the Eagles move the ball.

Per a source with knowledge of the situation, Josh Gordon’s legal team is still exploring the possibility of filing suit.

The article suggests Gordon inquired about playing in the CFL knowing he would be denied, which may help with his case if he decides to file. He needs to act quickly. We recommend holding for the time being unless there is a good opportunity on the waiver wire. There's no point in dropping him just to drop him.

NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reported Friday that Bills WR Sammy Watkins came out of Thursday night's preseason loss to the Lions without a serious injury to his ribs, per a source informed of the team's situation. The feeling from the Bills is that Watkins should be good to go for Sunday's opener against the Bears.

Watkins has looked great in practice, but it hasn't translated to games, thanks to QB E.J. Manuel's shaky play. We still like Watkins as a third or fourth receiver and feel that he'll be a target hog in the Bills' run-heavy offense. If Manuel can progress (at all) Watkins should be a fantasy starter (top 36) as a rookie.

San Francisco 49ers linebacker Aldon Smith has been suspended for nine games by the NFL after a series of off-field legal issues.

A statement Friday from the league said Smith had violated the NFL's substance abuse and personal conduct policies.

Smith won't be eligible to return until Nov. 10, the day after the 49ers' game against the New Orleans Saints.

Smith had 8.5 sacks last season, so his suspension is a blow to the team's pass rush, but they've had plenty of time to prepare for his absence.

Broncos RB Ronnie Hillman, who has clawed his way back into good graces after last season’s trek from starter to game-day inactive, did not play and is solidly in the No. 2 running back spot behind Montee Ball.

If Ball were to go down, we would probably see a Hillman/C.J. Anderson RBBC, but Hilliman is Ball's primary backup.

Buccaneers released PK Connor Barth. Barth was due to make a base salary of $2-million and as much as $1.15-million in roster bonuses. The Bucs elected to keep rookie Patrick Murray, an All American punter and PK from Fordham.

Murray will take over kicking duties for the Bucs.

The Bengals, with a young and deep backfield, are releasing veteran BenJarvus Green-Ellis.

The play of Jeremy Hill made this roster move possible. He's now locked in as the RB2 for the Bengals. The Law Firm finished #31 in standard formats and #39 in PPR last season, and Hill is a better receiver. He has RB3/flex appeal and has been going in the 9th round.

Giants coach Tom Coughlin has seen this too many times before. Quarterback Eli Manning staring in the direction of wide receiver Rueben Randle after an incompletion or interception, frozen in his patented Manning Face.

"I thought the worst play of the night was the misconnection between Rueben Randle and Eli," Coughlin said. "I thought, he thought, those kind of things. Everyone in this room is tired of hearing that stuff. There is no place for that."

Randle insists it's nothing that can't be fixed. Unlike last year when the wide receiver estimated 80 percent of Manning's interceptions were caused by miscommunication, this was simply a matter of their timing being off. The mistakes this year have been a result of timing.

Unfortunately, this seems to have occurred far too often this preseason for the Giants' new offense, which continues to struggle.

We're expecting Randle to have a productive season, but the Giants may not get off to a great start offensively, even with a nice matchup against a shaky Lions secondary in Week 1.

Raiders beat writer Bill Williamson: HC Dennis Allen won't say it but my guess is we see Derek Carr against the Jets.

Matt Schaub is supposedly dealing with a sore elbow, which may open the door for the Raiders to start Carr who looked good in the final preseason game last night.

Vikings WR Jerome Simpson is being suspended 3 games, per a league source.

This will open up opportunities for Jarius Wright early in the season.

RB Jeremy Hill was so good Thursday night the Bengals must have thunder and lightning dancing through their heads with Opening Day in Baltimore now nine days away. While running back Giovani Bernard cooled his scatback jets along with the other 21 starters, Hill banged and battered his way to 90 yards on 20 carries and then added 70 more on six catches.

This is what the Bengals had in mind when they took Hill in the second round out of LSU back in May. A punch it out, 233-pound 4.0 yards per guy. Hill is more than that, but in his first 41 carries as a Bengal, the number is 4.6.

Hill will fill the BenJarvus Green-Ellis role in the offense. The Law Firm finished as the #31 RB in standard formats and #39 in PPR. Hill is currently the #42 RB off the board in the 9th round, so he has upside from there. Bengals.com writer Geoff Hobson predicted around 200 carries for both Bernard and Hill, and although we believe Bernard will see a larger share, even approaching that many touches will make Hill a nice middle round pickup.

Jaguars standout receiver Cecil Shorts saw his most extensive work this preseason in Atlanta’s 24-14 win to conclude the exhibition schedule Thursday night at EverBank Field.

After playing 15 snaps last week against Detroit in his debut, Shorts was in the game until the midway point of the second quarter against the Falcons.

After the game, Shorts stated that he was ready for the season.

“Everything’s a go,” Shorts said. “I’m 100 percent.”

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, Allen Robinson and Allen Hurns should actually help Shorts avoid double coverage. This offense has some upside if the team finally decides to start Blake Bortles.

Wide receiver Martavis Bryant might be looking at the equivalent of a redshirt in his first NFL season.

Bryant left the Steelers’ final preseason game early Thursday night with an A/C sprain in his shoulder, and the injury is expected to sideline the fourth-round pick for an extended period.

Depending on the severity of the injury, which is a separated shoulder, the Steelers could place Bryant on the short-term injured reserve list after he makes the 53-man roster.

Bryant was battling for snaps behind Antonio Brown, Markus Wheaton and Lance Moore.

Patriots TE Tim Wright caught four of six targets for 43 yards on Thursday night.

Wright is a good fit for the team's 'move' tight end and could make a splash if he picks up things quickly. Last night's performance (just a few days after being traded) is a good start.

Despite some rust, Patriots WR Aaron Dobson moved well and did not seem cautious about pushing off of the injured foot. He was targeted nine times, and came up with three catches for 57 yards and a touchdown. Some of the missed connections were poor throws by Jimmy Garoppolo, others were bad routes by Dobson.

The important thing is that Dobson got on the field in a live game situation, and got off the field healthy. As long as that continues to happen, he should keep improving.

As a rookie, Dobson caught a respectable 37 passes for 519 yards and four touchdowns, but he flashed some big play ability in his 5-130-2 outing against the Steelers in early November. His FP/T (1.05) was average, but if he can beat out Brandon LaFell and Kenbrell Thompkins for a starting job, he should produce with Tom Brady throwing the ball. He only played 63% of the snaps as a rookie. The foot injury has held him back this offseason, but now that he's healthy and playing, he looks ready to make a push.

Quarterback Eli Manning hasn’t bought into the doom and gloom about the offense at any point this summer and his reaction wasn’t any different after Thursday’s 1-for-4, zero yard outing. Manning found silver linings wherever he could find them, including the old standby about the week of practice offering no hint of the struggles that were to come.

“Well, I thought we had a good week of practice,” Manning said, via NJ.com. “We didn’t get much going [Thursday night], but we’re getting ready for Detroit, that first game. We got the starters out healthy so that’s always the most important thing. We have to get ready for Detroit on Monday night. It should be fun.”

The Giants should be able to get things going in the passing game against a perennially shaky Lions secondary, but the unit's preseason play has not been inspiring.

Raiders QB Derek Carr passed for 143 yards and three touchdowns in the team's final preseason game against the Seahawks.

The pressure is on Matt Schaub to produce quickly. He hasn't looked good in the preseason and may be replaced early in the season if he can't get it together.

Even though Wes Welker ran some routes before game, there are still multiple evaluations to clear in concussion protocol to play Sept. 7.

The fact that he was able to even warm up before the team's preseason game is a good sign for his availability for Week 1. We're still not recommending that owners run out and draft him in the middle rounds.

Bills rookie Sammy Watkins didn't play against the Buccaneers last week after suffering a rib injury against the Steelers on Aug. 16. Watkins finally returned to action on Thursday, but he only lasted a total of nine plays before re-injuring his ribs.

The fourth overall pick in the NFL Draft was taken to the locker room in the first quarter after taking a hit from Detroit linebacker Ashlee Palmer. It looked like Watkins was going to stay in the game after taking the hit from Palmer, but after the officiating crew stopped the game to fix the clock, Watkins decided to head to the sideline.

The Bills confirmed that Watkins suffered a rib injury and the team also announced that he'd be spending the rest of the game on the bench.

Watkins' injury is troubling from the standpoint that the Bills pass offense hasn't looked very good and now he's going to miss more practice time leading up to Week 1. He has to be considered questionable at this point. Stay tuned.

Jaguars undrafted WR Allen Hurns continues to turn heads...

"He has good instincts and is really driven," Gus Bradley said, per The Florida Times-Union. "We saw it in OTAs -- some of the quarterbacks said they really like him. They felt like this guy is a diamond in the rough. Just trust us on this. He has some talent. I think the cool thing for him was it was against the ones. He went out there and performed at that level."

While preseason stats and hype mean nothing once the real games start, Hurns has shown he should be on the field from the jump. Considering the Jaguars' injury concerns and the lack of a No. 1 playmaker, Hurns has displayed a rapport with his quarterbacks, an ability to run NFL routes and make catches in traffic.

We still believe that Marqise Lee has the inside track to start, but Hurns has outplayed the 2nd round pick in the preseason. He's worth consideration in the final rounds as a flier.

he development of wide receiver Jarrett Boykin last season was a major reason why the Green Bay Packers felt comfortable allowing valuable veteran James Jones to depart for Oakland in unrestricted free agency. Boykin's further development this summer might limit the playing time of rookie Davante Adams.

In February, coach Mike McCarthy predicted that Boykin, who would be entering his third season, had another performance jump in him. On Tuesday, McCarthy left no doubt that he would think he was right.

"Clearly, Jarrett Boykin has taken the next step," McCarthy said. "I just love the way he plays. He's had an excellent camp.

"He's physical, his toughness, he's relentless. I think he's exceptional at the top of his route. You see his strength and balance to separate from a DB."

Adams, a second-round draft choice, has been feeling his way as the team's No. 4 receiver. He's had good days and some not so good ones.

After Randall Cobb went down, Boykin stepped in and served as the Packers de facto WR3, catching 49 passes for 681 yards and three scores. In games where he played at least 59% of the snaps, he averaged 4.3-61-.27, which equates to 124 fantasy points over a full season. That’s about what Marques Colston scored as the #27 WR in 2013. Cobb is back, but James Jones is gone, so Boykin should play a lot in the Packers’ patented three-wide attack. The only concern is rookie Davante Adams, but first-year wideouts don’t usually play much in Green Bay. Boykin seems to have held off Adams for the WR3 job, which bodes very well for his fantasy value.

The Boston Herald's Jeff Howe reported Thursday that Dobson traveled with the Patriots and is expected to make his preseason debut tonight against the New York Giants. It's uncertain how much playing time Dobson will see.

A return to action is the first step as Dobson tries to regain his footing as one of the Patriots' starting outside receivers. He's battling Kenbrell Thompkins and Brandon LaFell, both of whom have the early leg up. Dobson performed well down the stretch last season and possesses a brand of speed the Pats are currently lacking in the passing game.

As a rookie, Dobson caught a respectable 37 passes for 519 yards and four touchdowns, but he flashed some big play ability in his 5-130-2 outing against the Steelers in early November. His FP/T (1.05) was average, but if he can beat out Brandon LaFell and Kenbrell Thompkins for a starting job, he should produce with Tom Brady throwing the ball. He only played 63% of the snaps as a rookie.

WR Stephen Hill not only doesn't play special teams, he also did not impress very much this summer. Couple those factors with Rex Ryan's lukewarm comments about Hill on Tuesday, and you have a second-round draft pick who isn't going to make it into this third season with the Jets.

The Jets famously took Hill two picks ahead of Alshon Jeffery. Now it looks like Hill may get cut.

Texans beat writer John McClain: I predict Foster rushes for more than 100 yards against Wash and finishes with more than 1,400 yards and 15 TDs, with at least 60 catches.

McClain's prediction equates to 230 fantasy points in standard formats. We're close on the yardage and receptions, but we're not as optimistic about the number of touchdowns he'll score. We just don't see the Texans moving the ball well enough to facilitate 15 touchdowns for Foster. We predict he'll score about half that number. For Foster to hit McClain's projections, he'll have to stay fully healthy, and that is far from a sure thing.

Griffin's transition from gimmick offense to pocket passer was fully expected to feature a few bumps in the road. What has had us concerned since the preseason opener, though, is that the bad habits in his footwork and throwing motion seem to have carried over from last season's return from ACL surgery.

Appearing on The Herd with Colin Cowherd this week, ESPN analyst Ron Jaworski confirmed, after watching hours of preseason film, that Griffin's mechanics have regressed.

"They have regressed in the fundamental way of throwing the football," Jaworski said, via The Washington Post. "His throwing slot, his footwork, his inability to remain consistent in that."

We've been on the low side on Griffin for the entire offseason due to minor concerns about the knee and moderate concerns about the installation of a new offense. He has a very good receiving corps, and may very well work out his preseason issues during the regular season, but it's tough to draft him over (seemingly) more reliable options like Russell Wilson, Jay Cutler and Colin Kaepernick.

There are multiple reports, including one from Fox Sports, that say Browns WR Josh Gordon is weighing his legal options and that he might sue the league in order to be allowed to play in 2014.

What would be the basis of his lawsuit? Writes Fox: "Gordon's argument would surely be similar to the one presented in his appeal: While the 'A' sample was above the limit of what's considered a positive test, his 'B' sample was below it, with his stating any THC in his system was the result of second-hand smoke."

Gordon's incentive NOT to sue the league is that he could be allowed to apply to be reinstated after the 2014 year ends, which means he would be allowed to take part in 2015's OTAs and training camp, assuring he's ready for the start of the 2015 season. Obviously a full calendar year suspension would mean he couldn't come back until Aug. 27, 2015, thus he would miss OTAs and camp and as a result need time to get up to speed to be able to play sometime in 2015. This is why we're suggesting keeping Gordon on your roster until we know a little more. We'll continue to keep you posted.

Cam Newton says he feels great and "there's no doubt" in his mind he'll be ready to play in the Panthers season opener Sept. 7 against Tampa Bay.

Carolina's fourth-year quarterback is recovering from a hairline fracture to multiple ribs and says he's improving with each day.

Newton says, "I'm moving forward and trying to stay optimistic about this process."

Panthers coach Ron Rivera says he certain Newton will play in Week 1. Newton will travel with the team to Pittsburgh but will not play against the Steelers Thursday night in the preseason finale.

Our rankings will be a good indicator how you should treat Newton in your lineup. He appears to be a go, but how much will his hairline rib fractures, and even his ankle, limit him for Week 1 is going to be a big question. Both could hamper his rushing ability which is a big part of his game. However, Newton already said he doesn't plan to hold back.

Nearly four months after the NFL proposed a one-year suspension for Browns receiver Josh Gordon, a decision has been reached on his appeal.

Per a league source, hearing officer Harold Henderson has upheld the one-year suspension.

It means that Gordon will be banished from the team and the league for a full calendar year. He’ll be eligible for reinstatement as of August 27, 2015, only days before the start of the 2015 regular season.

There were unsourced reports (from the Browns blog Dawg Pound Nation) that Gordon’s camp was planning to sue the NFL if his suspension was upheld, so we would wait for the dust to settle before dropping him. There is a big movement to cut Gordon at this point, but we don’t see the benefit of rushing to do so. We recommend playing the waiting game a while longer and see what Gordon’s camp does next (if anything). A potential injunction may allow Gordon to play in 2014. If he’s out, the entire Browns offense takes a hit, save for Jordan Cameron, who should see a ton of targets, and possibly Ben Tate, if the team elects to go run-heavy. Miles Austin and Andrew Hawkins likely see the bulk of the targets at wide receiver.

Why would the Steelers put a game more at risk by suspending or rendering inactive for a game either RB LeVeon Bell or LeGarrette Blount?

Moral reasons? Please. This is not church.

They also would be the first team to fall on its own sword by doing so and violate the league’s collective bargaining agreement.

All anyone needs to do is look at what has happened in similar marijuana possession instances to know what will happen. The NFL will allow the legal process to play out and then Roger Goodell might issue at most a one-game suspension. He usually does that the following year.

So the idea that either the Steelers will act on their own or that the wheels of NFL justice will move so quickly Bell and Blount could lose a game to suspension anytime soon is folly.

Ed Bouchette's column came from someone asking him about the situation because of drafting Bell in a fantasy football league. Bouchette has been around a while so there is some stock to what he's saying, although it's not official. Others in your league may not realize if this is the case so both Bell and Blount could end up falling in your draft giving them a little better value. Keep in mind their situation is a bit unclear with recent news the two will split carries, however we still see Bell as the better back to own of the two.

If Broncos WR Wes Welker misses any significant time, it will take some adjustment in the team's offense.

"We're able to move pieces around and still do a lot of the same things that we've done," said Broncos offensive coordinator Adam Gase. "We don't really teach by position, so everybody can move in and out.''

WR Emmanuel Sanders would certainly get more work as a slot receiver, as would tight end Jacob Tamme, but at varying points in training camp the Broncos have given all of their receivers some routes from the slot. Tamme gives the Broncos the option of sticking to a three-wide concept with a little more size in the formation. It's a formation that, at times, forces defenses to go a little bigger because the Broncos are in a two tight end look.

The Broncos will also use rookie Cody Latimer, especially in some of their redzone packages, because of Latimer's size and ability to win the ball in contested situations.

While everyone assumed Latimer may benefit the most from Welker missing time, that perhaps now appears to be Tamme. While Tamme would still be a bit of risky fantasy play at TE, we at least learned that Latimer is a potential, late-round draft target especially for Welker owners. There was no mention of Andre Caldwell in the story, so it appears Latimer's size will at least be a red zone tool if Welker has to miss time.

When the Vikings finally pull RB Adrian Peterson out of the garage on Sept. 7 in St. Louis, they'll be inserting him in an offense that will ask the 2012 NFL MVP to handle some different tasks from the ones he's typically performed.

The Vikings' desire to use Peterson in the passing game has been well-documented, and will probably be the most profound change for him this season, but there also will be a subtle change in the ways they use him when he's carrying the ball.

Peterson has done most of his work between the tackles in recent years, often putting together some of his biggest plays on zone runs that gave the running back a chance to read the defense and cut back against the grain if he saw an opportunity. In 2012, Peterson gained 1,536 of his 2,097 yards inside the tackles, according to ESPN Stats & Information. Some of those plays will still be there, but the Vikings will also introduce some power running elements to their ground game, including some outside runs like they've shown in the preseason with guard Charlie Johnson pulling around the right side of the line.

On those plays, Peterson will have to display enough patience to let his blockers get set up and follow them to a predetermined point of attack.

The story goes on to say that the Vikings want to get Peterson on the edge of the field more often, both to maximize his explosiveness and reduce the pounding on his body, and that will inherently put the running back in some new situations. He'll run out of shotgun sets and multiple-receiver formations more often. He'll have to be better in pass protection to stay on the field on third downs, and he'll have to be more reliable catching the ball. The key is he'll have to be patient. But, these are all reasons why Peterson is again a top-three fantasy player to draft this season. The good news is the Vikings are trying to put him in situations to stay healthy, and with what looks like the threat of a passing game with OC Norv Turner, Peterson is again poised for a big year.

The Eagles player who is going to make you forget about DeSean Jackson this season isn't Jeremy Maclin or Riley Cooper or even rookie Jordan Matthews.

The guy who is going to make you forget about Jackson isn't even a wide receiver. He's a tight end. He's Zach Ertz.

And while you might think I'm jumping the gun mentioning somebody who has played only 459 NFL snaps in the same breath with three of the most dangerous pass-catching tight ends in the NFL, Ertz has that kind of ability, that kind of upside.

"You knew when you watched him in college that he had the chance to be something special," Eagles tight ends coach Ted Williams said. "He's one of the best route-runners I've ever seen. He takes a lot of pride in that. He has a lot of confidence. He's hard to defeat, because he doesn't take defeat very well. He feels, 'You can't cover me.' "

Ertz was eased into the offense as a rookie last season by coach Chip Kelly. He played 36 percent of the offensive snaps in the Eagles' first eight games and 45 percent in the final eight. Finished with 36 catches - 25 for first downs - for 469 yards and four touchdowns. All four of those scoring catches came in the second half of the season. He also had a touchdown reception in the Eagles' playoff loss to New Orleans.

Domowitch is one of the Eagles better beat writers, so there's something to what he's saying. He points out that without Jackson the Eagles' passing game is expected to undergo a slight transformation this season. In preseason Week 3, the Birds had four TDs of nine plays or more - five fewer than they had all season. Domo said to look for fewer deep balls and more bubble screens and slants by the wide receivers and more screens and wheel routes by running backs LeSean McCoy and Darren Sproles. The only thing holding back Ertz this season is teammate Brent Celek possibly taking away some targets, but Ertz still figures to be a low-end TE1 and should be drafted ahead of Celek. The writer believes both Celek and Ertz are in for increased workloads.

Jarrett Boykin is the Packers' No. 3 receiver, behind Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb. That would put him ahead of the rest of the pack - including rookie second-round pick Davante Adams - entering the Packers' preseason finale against the Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday night at Lambeau Field.

''Clearly he's taken the next step. I just love the way he plays,'' Packers coach Mike McCarthy said Tuesday. ''He's physical, his toughness, he's relentless. I
think he's exceptional at the top of his route. You see his strength and balance to separate from a DB. I think he's had an excellent camp.''

We've identified Boykin as a sleeper this year and he remains someone who is available later in drafts. He wasn't always a lock to be the team's WR3, but it looks like he'll emerge ahead of Adams at least to start the year. Neither Adams nor Boykin were impressive at times in camp and then Adams got injured. Given the Packers offense, Boykin could have value as a possible WR3 in just about any format.

Browns QB Johnny Manziel has one more preseason game to prove to the coaching staff that he's ready for a package of plays early on, maybe even for the opener in Pittsburgh.

Manziel will replace Brian Hoyer in the second quarter against the Bears Thursday night, and finish out the half. He might even play into the third quarter. And if he can provide the same kind of spark in the preseason finale that he did in the dress rehearsal game at FirstEnergy Stadium, he'll make it tempting for coach Mike Pettine and offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan to install something for him right away -- especially if the first-team offense continues to struggle.

There are headlines all over the news today that the Browns could use a two-QB system similar to the 49ers with Alex Smith and Colin Kaepernick. Hoyer has little fantasy value right now so as it is, the potential loss of WR Josh Gordon coupled with losing time to Manziel certainly isn't going to help. Unless Hoyer is lights-out to start the season, it seems like only a matter of time before Manziel is the starter.

Denver players who have talked with Wes Welker over the past two days remain encouraged by his progress. Coach John Fox has not ruled out the star slot receiver for the Sept. 7 opener.

"He's doing fantastic in the process (of the league's concussion protocol)," Fox said. "We take it one day at a time. But he had another positive day."

Offensive coordinator Adam Gase admitted that he will review the playbook to determine whether certain plays for Welker are adding danger. Welker's receptions are often in high-traffic areas, where he's bracketed by multiple defenders. Welker ducked to the ground after catching a 9-yard pass Saturday as Swearinger delivered the hit. Welker's head snapped to the turf, and when he rose to his feet he left the game.

He still has to pass protocol but it's a great sign he's showing improvement. Drafting Welker at this point presents a great risk for your fantasy team so owners need to be prepared in case he misses time. That could include a late selection of Cody Latimer, who we think eventually would emerge should Welker miss time now or in the future.

In the event that McCoy misses time when the games start to count – if someone else is pressed into carrying the ball – the Eagles have indicated that Darren Sproles will be the next guy in line.

That runs counter to the popular narrative that emerged when the Eagles acquired the shifty running back from the Saints for a fifth-round pick during the offseason. In his eight-year career, Sproles has been mostly known as a receiving threat out of the backfield. During five years in San Diego and three more in New Orleans, Sproles never carried the ball more than 93 times in a single season. His highest rushing total was 603 yards with the Saints in 2011.

In fairness, he was mostly a backup with the Chargers, and he was employed primarily as a pass catcher with the Saints. Since 2009, Sproles has had at least 45 receptions each year. His receiving numbers spiked with New Orleans, where he hauled in 188 passes over the last three years.

While the Eagles expect him to be a good receiver in the offense, Chip Kelly insisted that Sproles is a running back first and capable of carrying the ball when needed. Pat Shurmur echoed that sentiment this week before practice at the NovaCareComplex

“We’ve said it all along. Darren can play running back on first, second and third down,” the offensive coordinator said. “We always try to use our players in a way where we maximize their strengths and minimize their weaknesses, no matter what the situation.”

If there’s a concern about Sproles carrying the ball, it’s what kind of impact the increased workload might have on his body, the story said. He’s been a pretty durable player in his career, missing a total of just six games in eight years. This very well may have everything to do with Chris Polk struggling to get on the field and still not being 100-percent. It would make much more sense to keep Sproles in his receiving role and use another back like Polk - ideally - on early downs should McCoy ever miss time.

The Patriots have agreed to the parameters of a trade that would send Pro Bowl guard Logan Mankins to the Buccaneers for a fourth-round pick and tight end Tim Wright. FOX Sports' Jay Glazer first reported the news.

"We were looking at all options," Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht said Tuesday, according to the Tampa Bay Times' Greg Auman. "It's something we've been talking about since first week of camp. We feel very fortunate. Logan is a very good player. I'm a first-hand witness to what he means to the locker room."

Licht worked in the Pats' front office from 2009-11, and director of player personnel Jon Robinson was with the Pats from 2002-13.

Mankins, the Patriots' 2005 first-round pick has started at least 15 games in seven of his nine NFL seasons, and he fills an obvious need on a Buccaneers' offensive line that has looked overmatched for much of the preseason. On Monday, the Bucs visited with former Dolphins guard Richie Incognito, but he left without signing a contract.

The raises the stock of Bucs RB Doug Martin a bit as the Tampa has been looking to improve their struggling line and this will help. As the story points out, the Pats have a history of knowing when to get rid of an aging player and still get value. Mankins is a Pro Bowler and considered a top-20 guard.

Bucs have agreed to a trade with the New England Patriots, in which they'll receive offensive guard Logan Mankins. In return, the Patriots will receive tight end Tim Wright and a 4th round pick.

A year ago, Wright caught 54 passes for 571 yards and five touchdowns for the Buccaneers. But Wright became expendable after the Buccaneers drafted Austin Seferian-Jenkins this past May.

All offseason we've heard about the Patriots not having much depth at tight end behind Rob Gronkowski and could figure to use another receiving option at the position. Despite falling out of favor in TB, Wright could be just what the Pats need. This shouldn't have as much to do with Gronkowski's status to start the season as it does about depth and having a second TE option. Wright now has some fantasy potential depending on how many two TE sets the Pats go back to. He's no Aaron Hernandez (as a player), but as a converted WR he can do some of the same things at the "move" TE position. For the Bucs, the trade gives the team a good guard to shore up an offensive line that has been struggling in the preseason. This should bode well for Doug Martin.

Watching Patriots QB Tom Brady and his receivers operate against the Panthers on Friday night, they had a flow and a feel that wasn’t always there last year, a sense of comfort and security.

When Brady dropped back to throw, he seemed much more at ease, much more confident in what his players were going to do and where they were going to be. Last year, it was a bit of a mystery wondering if the proper routes were going to be run.

That was one of the biggest issues, as rookies Kenbrell Thompkins, Aaron Dobson and Josh Boyce, as well as veteran Danny Amendola, learned the system and tried to get in sync with the quarterback.

A year later, there doesn’t seem to be as much angst with every pass play. Brady doesn’t have that disgusted quarterback look. There’s now a comfort level and trust across the board between him and his primary targets that wasn’t there at any time during the 2013 season. Even the drops don’t have the same impact on No. 12.

The rookies, in particular, didn’t always get the routes down right or get to the exact spots Brady desired. It was the same deal with newcomer Amendola, who on occasion wasn’t certain where he was supposed to be. While there still are mistakes this year, the article noted that Brady doesn't write off anyone and continues to go back to them as targets. Brady comes in ranked 8th among our QBs, and while it seems weird to call him a sleeper, he certainly has the potential to finish a little higher than his ranking - like the days of old. With an ADP of the 9th round, he makes for a nice target at that point in drafts.

The Packers have groomed RB Eddie Lacy to play in every situation this season. Largely because of pass-protection and overuse issues, Lacy was removed in some passing and two-minute situations.

"That's coach's call," Gash said, referring to how Mike McCarthy intends to use Lacy. "But I have trained him as a three-down back. He will be ready to go."

Great news for potential and current Lacy owners. He looks to be a real steal the later he slips after the top-three of Jamaal Charles, Adrian Peterson and LeSean McCoy come off the board. If you really want to take a RB in the middle of the first round, Lacy could be your guy...

According to Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com, Broncos HC John Fox was careful not to describe WR Wes Welker’s concussion as “mild.”

“I can’t give a level. It’s just a concussion,” Fox said. “I don’t think there’s part concussion, half concussion. Either you’re concussed or you’re not, the way I understand it.”

While it might seem like a small distinction, it’s actually quite important (even as John Harbaugh was describing Bernard Pierce as having a mild concussion). Getting coaches to accept the seriousness of head injuries is a huge step, as for too long, there was a “rub some dirt on it,” element to the business.

But since this is Welker’s third concussion in 10 months, the Broncos have no choice but to take it seriously. Fox added that Welker was in good spirits and didn't sense Welker was hinting about retiring. However, just the fact it was even a topic of conversation is a pretty scary thing - fantasy football aside. From a fantasy perspective, owners should make sure they back themselves up with an extra WR in case Welker misses time. We think Cody Latimer has a better upside than Andre Caldwell going forward, but both could contribute in various packages. Emmanuel Sanders could end up moving to the slot.

The New Orleans Saints still haven't decided on their kicker, according to coach Sean Payton, who said both Shayne Graham and Derek Dimke will get work in Thursday's preseason finale against the Baltimore Ravens.

Payton stressed, however, that the fact the battle is still ongoing shouldn't be taken as a sign of any lack of confidence in the candidates.

When asked if New Orleans might look at kickers being released elsewhere, Payton said, "I think we feel pretty good about the two we have here."

There has been no clear leader based on the preseason games. The only miss so far has been an extra point attempt by Graham in the preseason opener, when the league was experimenting with 33-yard extra points. Graham is 4-for-4 on his field goal attempts, with a long of 39 yards this past Saturday night at Indianapolis. Dimke is 2-for-2 on field goal attempts, with a long of 45 yards this past Saturday. This is something to pay attention for those who have already taken a chance on Graham in drafts.

Indianapolis Colts coach Chuck Pagano was asked about the team's running game and he said, "it's going to be a work in progress the whole season."

The whole season, and he's not even specifically talking about running back Trent Richardson. Pagano was talking about the whole unit.

The Colts will be fine when it comes to their passing game, but they need some kind of production out of running backs Trent Richardson, Ahmad Bradshaw and Daniel "Boom" Herron to keep the defense honest.

"I don't think it's where we want it," Pagano said about their ground game. "I think we're headed in the right direction. ...We're still working at it. We've had some lineup changes, obviously, on the offensive line. We went through a whole season last year with that, from a continuity standpoint getting those guys together. We got (tight end) Dwayne (Allen) back."

Pagano doesn't sound the least bit positive about the running game, but it could be a motivational tool. Indianapolis is averaging 3.5 yards a carry as a team in the preseason while also dealing with injuries at center and right guard in the preseason. Starting center Khaled Holmes has missed the past two games with an ankle injury and guard Jack Mewhort missed a game with a knee issue. Richardson and Bradshaw have some mid-to-later round potential depending on your league format.

Washington HC Jay Gruden said today that he sees the Redskins relying on the ground game.

“Our identity needs to be found,” he said. “What are we going to be? We’re going to be a running team, I guess.”

Like any coach, Gruden would prefer to have a varied attack.

“Our identity needs to be diversity,” he said. “We have to be able to be good at both. We have to be able to run the ball, we have to be able to do some play actions off the run and there are going to be some times that we have to do some drop back.”

Gruden doesn't seemed thrilled about the label, though. Many assumed the Skins would pass more under Gruden, especially after bringing in WRs DeSean Jackson and Andre Roberts. But Robert Griffin III is struggling and seemingly starting a QB controversy at the same time, while the running game, led by Alfred Morris, excels. This, perhaps, gives Morris a bit of a bump in fantasy value. Eventually the Skins will need the threat of a pass game or team's will stack the box. Morris is a rock-solid, high-end RB2 in just about any format, however.

The Carolina Panthers are planning for their Sept. 7 opener at Tampa Bay as if quarterback Cam Newton will start.

Newton suffered a hairline fracture in a rib during the second quarter of Friday night's exhibition loss at New England. He will not play in Thursday night's preseason finale at Pittsburgh, but he is attending every meeting and watching every snap at practice.

While Newton is not physically involved, he has been mentally since the team began putting the Tampa Bay game plan in on Sunday.

"Very, very," coach Ron Rivera said on Monday. "He's with the coordinator, he's with the quarterback coach and they're talking about what we're looking at and why we're looking at it. So Cam's getting a feel for Tampa Bay right now."

It's a good sign as teams would sometimes rather prepare without a player. Newton will likely be limited if he does play, which could mean more touches for the RBs. He was just unleashed to start running again in camp due to his ankle, but then suffered the hairline rib injury in preseason Week 3. We'll continue to update you on Newton in the days leading up to Week 1 but so far it looks like he's got a good chance to play.

Falcons running back Steven Jackson, who increased his rehabilitation and conditioning work with team trainers last week, appeared set to return to practice on Monday during the open portion.

Jackson, the projected starter, had his helmet, a sign that he was practicing. He has been out since suffering a right hamstring injury during practice on July 29.

Smith said he wouldn’t rule out playing Jackson in the exhibition finale on Aug. 28 at Jacksonville, though Smith’s usual practice is to sit his starters for that game.

The team has said all along that Jackson would play Week 1. With a recent injury history, he makes for a risky pick but should be available in the middle rounds of drafts if you want to take a shot. Jacquizz Rodgers has started all three exhibition games but never really took over the RB1 role with Jackson out last year. Rookie Devonta Freeman has been a popular pick as a handcuff to Jackson. Either way, owners should either draft Jackson as depth or have a backup plan...

Bills coach Doug Marrone doesn’t want receiver Sammy Watkins talking about his health. On Monday, Marrone had no qualms about declaring Watkins to be healthy.

Marrone told reporters that Watkins returned to practice without limitations on Monday. The development comes nine days after Watkins, the fourth overall pick in the 2013 draft, suffered bruised ribs in a preseason game against the Steelers.

Watkins will get a chance to play without limitations in three days. Marrone said he plans to play his starters in the preseason finale on Thursday night, the story said.

The travails of the Giants first team offense have been a consistent storyline throughout preseason and they will have another chance to work out the kinks on Thursday against the Patriots.

Giants coach Tom Coughlin said Monday, via Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News, that the team’s starters would play 15-18 snaps during the preseason finale.

There were some signs of life during that game, but it was still an uneven performance at best for Eli Manning and company. Complicating matters was the loss of left guard Geoff Schwartz to a dislocated toe, which will force the Giants to shuffle rookie Weston Richburg into the lineup. Right guard Brandon Mosley didn’t practice on Monday after his back tightened up on Sunday, an injury that could force the team to dig even deeper into the depth chart just before the start of the season.

Seems like a pretty serious situation, but the offense seems to need the work even if it's against second stringers. Coughlin had threatened the starters with such a scenario if their play didn’t improve in last Friday’s game against the Jets, the story said. Rookie WR Odell Beckham will not play in the game.

Veteran kicker Jay Feely has lost the competition in Arizona. The Cardinals have decided to release Feely, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

“It’s been an honor to play for the Arizona Cardinals,” Feely wrote on Twitter. “Michael Bidwill, thank you for your leadership and friendship. AZ will still be home!”

Chandler Catanzaro, a rookie out of Clemson, has been competing with Feely through training camp and the preseason. Catanzaro has made all of his field goals in the preseason, while Feely missed a field goal in Sunday’s preseason game.

Feeley could end up landing in Denver where Matt Prater is suspended the first four games, or perhaps Philadelphia where the Eagles may have lost confidence in Alex Henery.

Matt Cassel is the Minnesota Vikings’ starting quarterback.

The team was informed at a meeting this morning that Cassel will start, Jay Glazer of FOX Sports reports.

Teddy Bridgewater will likely be the No. 2 quarterback, while Christian Ponder is third string. Barring something unforeseen, this will be the first time since 2007 that no rookie quarterbacks have started in Week 1. That was the year JaMarcus Russell and Brady Quinn were the first-round quarterbacks.

The move comes as no surprise as Cassel did nothing wrong to give up the job. Bridgewater is the quarterback of the future in Minnesota and probably presents more fantasy upside but right now the Vikes have a better chance to win with Cassel. However, Bridgewater could find himself under center if the Vikings struggle at any point this season. For the time being, Cassel could post QB2-type numbers given a capable coordinator (Norv Turner) and a nice set of weapons around him.

The Broncos were encouraged by the initial examination on WR Wes Welker, believing that, for now, he could be available for the Sept 7 season opener against the Indianapolis Colts.

The sobering reality, however, is that Welker has suffered three concussions in 10 months, all serious enough to force him to exit a game. He will undergo the mandated concussion protocol and must be cleared by the Broncos' medical staff and an independent doctor before practicing.

"I believe he's going to be good," said receiver Demaryius Thomas, who spoke to Welker on Saturday.

Welker makes a living on underneath routes that turn him into a human pinball, as the story puts it, and it's a frightening number of concussions in a short period of time. Welker has potential to put up huge numbers, especially in PPR leagues, but the treat of losing him for weeks at a time means you need to back yourself up. Andre Caldwell and Cody Latimer could be guys to keep an eye on as possible pickups, with the rookie Latimer having a higher upside.

Ravens running back Bernard Pierce made an early exit from Saturday night’s game against the Redskins after taking a blow to the head from Redskins safety Brandon Meriweather, but it doesn’t sound like he’s going to be out of the lineup for a long time.

Pierce tweeted on Sunday that he’s “fine” after undergoing evaluation for a concussion after the hit. It’s not clear whether or not Pierce was officially diagnosed with a concussion, which would mean he has to progress through the league’s protocol before returning to action, but he has two weeks before the start of the regular season to get cleared if that was the doctor’s finding.

He's been diagnosed with a mild concussion. If Pierce were to miss time, and with Ray Rice suspended, the Ravens would have to turn to Justin Forsett and Lorenzo Taliaferro at running back. We'll have to see if Pierce is officially diagnosed with a concussion in terms of him having to follow protocol.

Quarterback Cam Newton will miss the Carolina Panthers' final preseason game after an MRI on Sunday revealed a hairline fracture in his ribs.

Panthers coach Ron Rivera said Newton will be evaluated at the end of the week, but expects the two-time Pro Bowl quarterback will be ready for Carolina's Sept. 7 regular season opener against Tampa Bay.

"I do" expect he'll play, Rivera said. "But he has to get past the soreness. Then we will see how he starts to progress."

Newton did not speak with reporters, but walked gingerly to and from the practice field.

"He's pretty sore and he's hurting right now," Rivera said. "It is of concern."

Newton was hit after scrambling from the pocket in Carolina's preseason game Friday night against New England. It came just a day after head coach Ron Rivera said Newton must start to avoid taking hits to keep himself healthy. How quickly Newton can get over the soreness will be key. The pain could obviously limit his rushing ability which is a big part of his fantasy game. It's something to be aware of as we head down the final stretch before the season.

Eagles running back LeSean McCoy was sporting a wrap around his injured right thumb at Sunday's training session, but said afterwards that it will be fine for the season opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

There probably wasn't a lot of doubt but it's good to know he gave the 'thumbs up,' especially after saying he was in some pain after injuring it in preseason Week 3.

Rams QB Sam Bradford is out for season after MRI shows he did tear left knee ACL, per sources. Rams will announce later today.

Bradford was making his second start of the preseason after returning from a season-ending torn left ACL suffered against Carolina on Oct. 20, 2013. It's a big blow for the Rams, but they apparently have been happy with backup Shaun Hill's performance as well. Hill will likely take over the starting role and hasn't started since 2010. It remains to be seen just how much of a drop, if any, the Rams' wideouts will see with Hill under center. Hill's career numbers (Y/A, Cmp%, TD%) are actually better than Bradford's, so we're not expecting much of a drop in our projections. Bradford's injury may be good news for Stacy owners, however, as the Rams could elect to go more run-heavy. Benny Cunningham may also get a few extra carries.

Reggie Wayne was back.

The Indianapolis Colts veteran receiver didn’t have any catches -- the two he made were taken away because of penalties -- but he was back on the field for the first time in 10 months. That’s all that matter Saturday night against the New Orleans Saints.

“It was good to catch the football and get a real live game under my belt,” Wayne said. “There’s no way you can simulate that. That’s what I said last week. It was an opportunity for me to go out there, and there was some real live bullets flying at me so it was good. One down.”

Wayne, who tore his ACL in Week 7 last season, and wasn't sure he was going to get playing time in the preseason. He's looked good all through camp and it looks like he passed his final test before the regular season. Wayne is shaping up to be a nice, middle-round option in fantasy drafts. Recovering from an ACL injury could mean a slow start but Wayne is poised for a big workload again in the Colts offense.

Rams second-year runner Zac Stacy is widely viewed as the opening-day starter, leaving plenty to wonder why Benny Cunningham got the nod in Saturday night's 33-14 romp over the Cleveland Browns.

Cunningham churned out 32 yards on five carries with the first team and showed burst on a 21-yard volt through Mike Pettine's defense. His handiwork, though, doesn't suggest a change in the pecking order.

"We just gave (Cunningham) a chance to run behind the first offensive line. We know what Zac can do," coach Jeff Fisher told reporters after the game, per ESPN.com's Nick Wagoner.

Hopefully for fantasy owners, this is exactly what Fisher said it is. There hasn't been much of a push for the RB1 job from Cunningham or rookie Tre Mason, who some thought would cut into Stacy's work. Mason hasn't picked up pass-protection as of yet and it's keeping him off the field.

It didn't long for veteran running back Knowshon Moreno to introduce himself to Dolphins fans while reviving what had been a comatose rushing attack in the preseason's first two games.

On his first carry in a Dolphins' uniform, Moreno displayed a nifty cutback to find a crease before powering his way to a 19-yard gain to set up a field goal on Miami's opening drive of Saturday's 25-20 comeback victory over the Dallas Cowboys at Sun Life Stadium.

From there, Moreno, 27, whose coming off his first 1000-yard season as well as arthroscopic knee surgery in June, displayed his trademark strong, downhill running style en route to 64 yards on 10 carries in his first half of work before sitting.

Not only did Moreno spark a running game that had produced just 98 yards on 2.1 yards-per-carry in the first two preseason games to 200 yards at 5.7 per with two touchdowns, but he most likely catapulted from fourth on the depth chart. The story mentioned Moreno would get the start against the Pats as well. Whether that happens or not, both he and Lamar Miller look like they'll be involved in the running game. It could be a committee or a hot hand situation.

Giants WR Corey Washington scored his fourth fourth-quarter touchdown Friday night, and three of them have been game-winners. That matches Cruz’s scoring total from his first preseason, when he went from some guy from UMass to a star in New York.

“Anytime anybody plays in a superb fashion, it gets your attention,” Giants coach Tom Coughlin said, via Ebenezer Samuel of the New York Daily News. “He has one area that he has done very well, and that is he will go up and get the ball. That has been very noticeable.”

Washington’s 6-foot-5, and the Giants lack much size in their receiving corps. They claimed Washington off waivers from the Cardinals in May, and he has a good chance of sticking with the Giants. He was still buried as a WR3 on the depth chart but given rookie teammate Odell Beckham can't seem to get on the field Washington could find himself contributing. Still best to take a wait-and-see approach from a fantasy perspective.

Broncos kicker Matt Prater has been notified by the NFL he will be suspended through the first four games of the season for violating the league's substance-abuse policy.

The violation was alcohol-related. Prater has been in the league's alcohol program since soon after he was charged with driving under the influence Aug. 12, 2011.

The four-game suspension, which is expected to be announced Monday, was part of an agreement reached between Prater's attorney, Harvey Steinberg, and the league, so an appeal is not expected. The NFL had initially threatened a one-year suspension.

Prater should return to be one of the best fantasy kickers in the league, but he won't be available for the first month of the seasons. Owners who have already drafted him should clear a roster spot for another kicker. He's still draftable, but owners would need to draft another kicker to fill in while Prater serves his suspension. If he's still lingering on the waiver wire in Week 2 or Week 3, he will be worth a pickup.

Broncos wide receiver Wes Welker, who missed three games last season after sustaining two concussions, has been diagnosed with another one.

Broncos coach John Fox said Welker suffered a concussion during the team's 18-17 loss Saturday night to the Texans. Welker left the game following a hit to the helmet from Houston safety D.J. Swearinger.

"It was determined it was a concussion," Fox said. "He'll go through the protocol. The biggest thing on him is, of course, player safety. He'll go through the protocol."

As the article states, Welker has had a history of concussions, so this could be a serious situation. It's unclear how this will impact his long-term status. In the short-term, Emmanuel Sanders will likely move to the slot with rookie Cody Latimer and trusted veteran Andre Caldwell competing for snaps on the outside. Caldwell had his moments last season, but we believe that Latimer will eventually see a significant role if Welker is out for any length of time. We'll have more as this situation develops, but if you're drafting this weekend, avoid Welker and target Latimer in the later rounds. Caldwell is also a deep sleeper at this point.

New Orleans Saints receiver Kenny Stills left in the first quarter of Saturday's game at Lucas Oil Stadium with what the team described as a leg injury.

The team said he was questionable to return to the game.

Later, CBS reported that Stills suffered a quadriceps injury, the same problem that forced him to miss the first three weeks of training camp. Stills only returned to practice last Tuesday.

Stills missed much of camp with the injury, and this won't help him hold off Brandin Cooks for snaps. Still, we see Stills's role growing this season. Hopefully he can get healthy soon.

Browns receiver Josh Gordon is not a starter for tonight’s third preseason game.

Although Gordon is in uniform and is expected to play, the team listed Andrew Hawkins and Miles Austin as its starting wide receivers.

That suggests that the Browns do not expect Gordon to be successful in his ongoing fight against a looming yearlong suspension for violations of the league’s substance-abuse policy. Although no official word has been handed down about Gordon’s discipline, if the Browns expected to have him on the field in Week One of the regular season, he’d probably be in the starting lineup for Week Three of the preseason.

This is Pro Football Talk connecting the dots, but the logic makes sense. If the Browns thought that there was a decent chance that Gordon could be successful, then they would likely have him in the starting lineup. This does not rule out the possibility of a reduction of his suspension but to this point there have been no known negotiations between Gordon's camp and the league.

St. Louis QB Sam Bradford -- recovering from a torn ACL -- limped off the field in Saturday's tilt versus the Browns.

It was the same (left) leg that was operated on last year. He walked off under his own power, which is a good sign. He should be avoided in drafts until we know he's in the clear.

Ravens RB Bernard Pierce undergoing concussion protocol.

Uh-oh. Depending on the severity of Pierce's concussion, he may not be cleared by Week 1, which means Lorenzo Taliaferro would get the start. Ray Rice's suspension doesn't end until Week 3. Stay tuned.

Jaguars WR Allen Hurns is making this roster. OK, we realistically have been learning this all through training camp, but seven receptions for 113 yards? A touchdown reception in the third quarter? It doesn’t matter the quarterback and it doesn’t matter the circumstance: Hurns makes plays. He has been consistent and reliable. As a result, he not only has played his way into a roster spot, he’s going to be hard to keep off the field.

It wouldn't be shocking if Hurns played his way into a WR3 or WR4 role as the Jaguars are lacking playmakers in the passing game. He stands 6'3" and continues to make plays in the preseason. The Florida Times-Union even suggested he might start opposite Cecil Shorts in Week 1.

Giants beat writer Dan Graziano: ...it was nice for the Giants to see Rueben Randle cap off Friday night's first-half touchdown drive with that 15-yard touchdown catch from Eli Manning. Randle is a key component of what they need to do on offense this season. As of right now, he's the most established threat they have on the outside with Victor Cruz in the slot... If they can truly count on Randle to play well and be consistent, that's a massive help. For me, he's miscast in this new offense, since he's more of a vertical threat and they want to operate in short range. But if he can use his size to create separation quickly and win his matchups, he could be a major factor. We haven't seen enough this preseason to know which way to bet on that.

We're fairly bullish on Randle's upside in the offense provided Eli Manning and Co. can get in sync. It has been a struggle so far this preseason, but the team showed some signs of life this week.

The Dolphins' offense under first-year offensive coordinator Bill Lazor has shown a mixed bag during the first two weeks of the preseason. The passing game and tempo have been upgrades from what we've seen last season. However, the running game is virtually non-existent thus far. Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill has completed 75 percent (15-for-20) of his passes and is playing faster and more decisive football. The passing game under Lazor has been sharp. But the offensive line is getting little push in the running game. The Dolphins had minus-5 yards in the first half last week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and must improve their production on the ground.

The offensive line is going to struggle opening holes for Lamar Miller and Knowshon Moreno

Dolphins RB Knowshon Moreno expects to play in the all-important third preseason game, and should he show enough, he could reshuffle a depth chart that has appeared set since the spring.

Simply by breaking a few tackles in his Dolphins debut, Moreno might earn an expanded role when the games start counting in a couple weeks.

“As I’ve said, he’s been a productive runner,” coach Joe Philbin said of Moreno. “He broke some tackles where he played last year. We’re just looking for, as I said, more consistency in the running game overall.”

It was a point of emphasis in meetings throughout the week. Philbin showed his team pictures from the first two games that illustrated how plays were there to be made, if only the running backs could make someone miss.

Miller looked solid atop the depth chart, but he hasn't done much in the preseason (7 carries, 14 yards). Philbin certainly sounds like he's willing to consider moving things around. The Dolphins went out and signed Moreno, so we believe they'll give him every chance to earn a big role in the offense, maybe even take over as the team's RB1.

Eagles RB Chris Polk is being pulled in two different directions as his third season in the NFL sits just two weeks away. On the one hand, Polk wants to be healthy for the start of the regular season – a season in which, at least a month ago, the expectation was that he would be the Eagles’ No. 3 running back. On the other hand, after missing about a month with a hamstring injury, Polk now needs to prove that he can be counted on when the season does begin.

“I’m a firm believer that everything happens for a reason,” Polk said Saturday after returning to practice for the first time since suffering the injury. “You know, I can’t control (injuries), so I’m very optimistic. It could be a blessing in disguise. Maybe (the injury) gave me time to work on my shoulder and gave me time to work on other areas, whether it’s studying, getting stronger, faster, whatever. I’m definitely just taking positives out of everything. It just really slowed down and really put everything in perspective for me. Even though I’m not playing, I still watch every carry that every single running back we had (took during the preseason), and I try to envision myself what I would have done, so I wouldn’t fall behind. I’m here now.”

But after hearing head coach Chip Kelly say that the team is still trying to “find out who the third running back is going to be” following the Eagles’ third preseason game, Polk knows he has to do something.

Whoever is the third RB for the Eagles would likely see a big bump in touches if something were to happen to LeSean McCoy, since Darren Sproles isn't built for 15-20 touches per game.

Jaguars QB Blake Bortles was 10-of-16 passing for 158 yards and a touchdown Friday night against the Lions. That pushes his preseason totals to 28-of-44 for 435 yards and a touchdown, or a passer rating of 103.9.

Nevertheless, head coach Gus Bradley said after the game that Chad Henne will start the opener, per Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union.

Depending how competitive the Jaguars are during Henne's starts will determine how long he holds the job. The writing is on the wall. We expect that Bortles will be under center at some point this season.

Shane Vereen is the only Patriots running back with a cemented status as they wind down their preparations for the regular season, and he showcased why last night during a 30-7 victory against the Panthers at Gillette Stadium.

Vereen caught all five passes thrown in his direction for 57 yards and two touchdowns, and he added six carries for 18 yards. While Stevan Ridley appears to be the favorite to corral the bulk of the carries and James White is shaping up as a worthy backup, Vereen has unquestionably solidified his job as the back in charge of the pass-catching responsibilities.

For a team run by Tom Brady, those chances will be aplenty.

“He’s really had such a dependable role for us for the last few years and just done a great job,” Brady said. “When the ball is in his hands, good things are happening for our team. We’re going to try to just keep getting him the ball.”

Vereen is one reason why we're not at all opposed to drafting one or two wideouts at the 1/2 turn since he's often available around the 3/4 turn and is great in PPR formats. Last year, over the course of eight regular season games and two playoff games, Vereen averaged 10.7 touches (including 5.4 catches) for 76 yards and 0.40 TD, though his usage in the running game was limited once the Patriots decided to lean on LeGarrette Blount and Stevan Ridley between the tackles. With Blount gone, Vereen’s role could increase. He should be a fringe RB2 (at least) in standard formats and a solid RB2 in PPR leagues, provided he stays healthy.

The Patriots don’t need a fourth preseason game. After two games of 30-point performances (yes, even in exhibition games) you can tell that Tom Brady and the gang are ready to kick tail this fall. On Friday, they racked up 405 yards of offense, 22 first downs, and ran 67 plays while Brady continued to be his super efficient, almost deity like self, completing 17 of 21 passes for 204 yards and two touchdowns.

Brady only had his top target, Rob Gronkowski, in the lineup for seven games in 2013 and it led to a #15 fantasy finish, his worst since his injury plagued 2008 season. Over the past two seasons, Brady has scored 20.3 FP with Gronk in the lineup, and just 16.2 FP when the tight end is sidelined. This is something to monitor as the big tight end works his way towards Week 1. Owners who draft Brady may want to back him up with a quality passer (Philip Rivers, Ben Roethlisberger, etc) so they have a backup plan if Gronk is out.

Geno Smith lost the Snoopy Bowl, but he won the Jets’ starting quarterback job.

After the Jets’ 35-24 preseason loss to the Giants on Friday night, coach Rex Ryan made it official — Smith will start the season opener against the Raiders on Sept. 7.

It did not come as a surprise, as Smith has been the expected starter all offseason, but Ryan had refused to say Smith would be the starter — and Michael Vick the backup — until Friday night.

OC Marty Mornhinweg lauded Smith's play in the final four games of the season. He did average 20.0 fantasy points during that span, compared with just 10.0 FP in the first 12 games. He ran for three TDs down the stretch while throwing for just 198 yards and 1.0 TD. He has some upside now that the team added Eric Decker, Jace Amaro in the passing game and Chris Johnson at running back.

Rookie tight end Jace Amaro has overcome his early struggles in training camp and is showing he might be able to be a major contributor this season for the Jets.

Amaro had four catches for 37 yards and a touchdown in Friday’s 35-24 preseason loss to the Giants.
Amaro, the team’s second-round pick, made headlines early in training camp for dropping passes and looking confused while running routes, but he has rebounded to play well in the preseason games.

“I told you guys he reminds me of [Mike] Ditka the more I see him,” Jets coach Rex Ryan said. “The kid gets better and better and better. That’s the thing you love about this guy. His blocking when he first got here, I was like, ‘ohh,’ but now he’s competing. He’s doing all that kind of stuff. The kid works. He works his tail off. That’s why I think we all see the improvement that he’s making. I’m excited about it. That’s a big, old target to throw to."

Amaro could surprise as a TE2/streaming type, though rookie tight ends have a tough time making a big impact. He's in a good situation, however, as the Jets are desperate for playmakers in the passing game. He's someone to keep in mind in the later rounds.

Chargers TE Ladarius Green went from 39 offensive snaps in 2012 to 450 in 2013. The plan is for that number to rise again in 2014.

New tight ends coach Pete Metzelaars helped mentor Green in blocking this offseason. The 6-foot-7 coach made a 16-year career from specializing in the area. His work with Green, a willing but imperfect blocker with a thin frame, should help keep the 24-year-old on the field. His route running, though, seems most improved from last season. Green is moving better in and out of his breaks.

Last year, Antonio Gates played 1,083 snaps on offense. The disparity between him and Green likely will narrow this season, helping keep Gates fresh.

Gates said that Green is "a big part of what we do." Green played 33% of snaps on the season, but played 40%+ in the final six games, indicating that the team likes what he brings to the table. He's still playing behind Gates, so it's surprising to see him going ahead of Gates in early fantasy drafts. He does have far more upside, but it's hard to see him posting TE1 numbers without an injury to Gates.

Bengals beat writer Coley Harvey: Bengals RB Jeremy Hill hasn't yet played with the first-string offense in a game, but that's about to change. HC Marvin Lewis said Friday that he'd like to give Hill more playing time on Sunday when the Bengals visit the Cardinals. He contends he and his staff has been "excited" about having Hill in the fold, and want to give the second-round draft pick a little more run this week. In my book, he's still Cincinnati's No. 2 back.

BenJarvus Green-Ellis continues to stick around, and Hill hasn't been playing with the starters, so owners who have drafted the rookie in the middle rounds are justifiably concerned. It hasn't shown up in playing time (or on the field) but the beat writers in Cincy seem confident that when push comes to shove, Hill will be the RB2.

Jets WR Eric Decker had barely played in this preseason. He missed last week’s game at the Bengals with a quad injury. He got just 12 snaps in the preseason opener against the Colts. But he appears to be establishing chemistry in the Jets’ offense just fine. Decker caught three passes for 34 yards, with a long of 27. In the third quarter, Decker caught a 3-yard touchdown pass from backup quarterback Michael Vick. Decker actually had just one catch from presumptive starting quarterback Geno Smith. His other two were from Vick. Still, this is the sort of positive game that could put Decker in a good rhythm to start the regular season.

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.

On Friday, the Jets’ running backs again looked good. Chris Johnson carried nine times for 42 yards. Chris Ivory carried six times for 50 yards. Bilal Powell carried twice for 6 yards. Johnson and Ivory were also involved in the passing game. Johnson had two catches for 35 yards, with a long of 19. Ivory’s only catch was a quick screen that he turned into a 23-yard gain. The Jets want to have an element in their offense that involves backs catching passes, and Friday was an encouraging development in that regard.

Johnson looked good doing it on the ground and through the air against the G-Men.

When the Patriots put two versatile running backs in the game at the same time, how will defenses match them? That’s something to consider after watching Shane Vereen catch a short pass from Tom Brady and race 40 yards up the right sideline for a touchdown in the second quarter. Vereen and running back James White were on the field at the same time on the play, as the Patriots used that “pony” grouping six times in the opening half.

Brandon Bolden was inactive, and it was not clear why. Regardless, the Patriots showed that they may want to utilize both Vereen and White at the same time, which would open up some snaps for the rookie.

Cardinals WR John Brown is the real deal. He still hasn’t gone against a live defense for an entire game but from what we’ve seen out of Brown, he’s as fast with pads on than without them. The Cardinals are trying to temper their expectations of Brown, but it’s tough. He’s lived up to the hype.

Brown could work his way into the WR3 role if he can outplay Ted Ginn, which shouldn't be too hard.

The Arizona offense really is light years ahead of where it was last year. Just watch the first two preseason games. The Cardinals were as efficient as they’ve been in some time, but that wasn’t just a show for the cameras. During practice, Arizona moved the ball with ease despite a defense knowing exactly what was coming most of the time. When Carson Palmer faced the scout defense this week, he looked almost flawless, using his battery of weapons to his advantage. What stood out most, however, was that the formation issues that plagued them last year were gone. This was an offense that knew what it was doing.

This bodes well for Palmer, who was the #22 QB through eight weeks, but was #6 from Week 10 to Week 17, after the team’s Week 9 bye. He said he felt much more comfortable in Bruce Arians’ offense down the stretch and his numbers reflect that. His receiving corps is good with Larry Fitzgerald and Michael Floyd, who had a breakout season in his second year.

It's pretty clear how much the Giants have invested in running back Rashad Jennings. He took almost all the first-half snaps with the starting offense, and was the only Giants player to carry the ball in the first half. Jennings had 13 carries for 67 yards. Andre Williams, the trash-talking rookie, appears to be little more than an occasional fill-in/goal line option.

Rashad Jennings was the #6 RB from Week 9 to Week 15 (when he was playing starter’s snaps for the Raiders) and that included a missed game against the Jets in Week 14. In 13 career games where he has seen 15+ touches, Jennings has averaged 14.4 fantasy points, or solid RB1 numbers. Jennings will be 29 to open the season, so he’s close to the end of a running back’s prime. But given the limited workload he has seen for most of his career, there should be plenty of tread left on his tires.

Recent whispers about wide receiver Jerrel Jernigan possibly being cut should be completely tabled. Jernigan started and played most of the first half with the starters. He had three receptions (on four targets) for 22 yards. With Odell Beckham still injured, Jernigan is the heavy favorite to start Week 1 in Detroit.

Jernigan racked up 19 catches for 237 yards and two TDs in the final three games, making him the #2 WR in fantasy in that span. The arrival of Odell Beckham puts a damper on his 2014 outlook, but with Beckham sidelined, Jernigan could make some noise early in the season. The Giants will run a lot of three-wide sets.

Quarterback Eli Manning looked to his top receiver Victor Cruz early and often. It was good to see. After a slow start to the preseason (0 official catches in three games), Cruz caught a pass from Manning on the first offensive play of the game. He was targeted seven times in the first half and finished with four catches for 61 yards. Cruz also had three receptions for 50 yards on the Giants' scoring drive to end the half. Cruz, Manning and the Giants can at least sleep a little better now heading into their season opener.

The Giants offense has struggled this preseason, but it's good to see Manning finally complete some passes to his WR1.

Panthers QB Cam Newton got x-rays during the second half. Came back negative. Has a contusion in the middle of his back.

He's already nursing his ankle after surgery this spring. Newton's health is a real question mark heading into the season.

Dolphins running back Knowshon Moreno will make his preseason debut on Saturday against Dallas, a source told the Palm Beach Post.

Moreno was expected to take over as the RB1, but offseason knee surgery and poor conditioning has delayed that competition. Lamar Miller currently sits atop the depth chart, but if Moreno looks good, the backfield could devolve into an ugly RBBC.

Buccaneers rookie receiver Mike Evans is shown getting into a fight with bouncers outside a South Beach nightclub in a video posted at TMZ.com, but his agent said the incident took place in March and that no arrests were made.

The site initially reported that the brawl took place Saturday night — which would have been just hours after the Bucs' preseason game in Tampa against the Dolphins — but Evans' agent, Deryk Gilmore, said it happened in March, before the Bucs selected Evans in the NFL draft in May. TMZ later updated its report.

This will probably have no bearing on Evans' availability this season as no arrests were made.

Browns beat writer Mary Kay Cabot: "News on Browns Josh Gordon not expected today."

It looks like Gordon's limbo will continue through another big draft weekend, so owners will have to continue to guess about his status for the time being. The decision on the appeal was supposed to come down in a "reasonable amount of time," but that isn't possible at this point. To our knowledge, no negotiations have taken place, so Gordon is still facing an "all" (16-game) or "none" (zero-game) scenario. We believe he's worth a shot in the 10th or 11th round, but his ADP is currently in the 9th round.

Jets HC Rex Ryan said this week that he doesn’t think “one guy is just going to carry the load,” but it’ll be tempting to leave the former NFL rushing champion (Chris Johnson) on the sideline if he gets into a rhythm.

There is a lot of hand-wringing about Johnson's workload in New York, but we believe he will get enough work to be a serviceable RB2. Considering he's the 26th RB off the board in the 5th/6th round, he offers good value at that point in the draft. He has six consecutive top 12 finishes in PPR formats and plays alongside one of the most injury-prone backs in the league (Chris Ivory).

Dating back to the beginning of the offseason program, Texans WR DeAndre Hopkins made the kind of improvement expected of young players entering their second seasons. His progress has been consistent and often spectacular. The best indication yet was during three practices with the Broncos. Working against Pro Bowl cornerback Aqib Talib, Hopkins was physical getting off the line of scrimmage and attacking the ball. He didn’t let Talib frustrate him. He took the ball away from Talib more often than not, and the veteran corner gave him his proper respect. Hopkins has improved as a route runner. His ball skills are tremendous. He’s got quick, strong hands. His leaping ability is superb. Watching him work the sideline and the back of the end zone against the Broncos to make one catch after another was amazing.

Hopkins finished as the #50 WR in 2013, posting 52 catches for 802 yards and two touchdowns, a solid season for a rookie wideout playing along an established veteran like Andre Johnson. Since 2000, 1st round rookie wideouts with at least 700 yards receiving have increased their fantasy output by 33% in their second season. If Hopkins sees this kind of increase, he’ll be a very solid WR3.

It was obvious that quarterback Cam Newton needs more time working with his new receivers after he made his preseason debut in Sunday night's 28-16 victory over Kansas City. He started 1-for-5, missing rookie wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin wide open down the left sideline at one point. The Panthers have increased Newton's reps in practice, but as coach Ron Rivera acknowledged, you can't simulate game speed. Newton will play the first half. It will be his last significant tune-up for the regular season with starters expected to play sparingly -- if at all -- in the final preseason game. He has shown chemistry with Benjamin and his other receivers in practice, but now needs to do that in a game. The Patriots should be a good test. They had two forced fumbles and two interceptions that they turned into 21 points in last week's 42-35 exhibition win over Philadelphia.

This is one of the concerns (along with his ankle) for Newton heading into the season -- how quickly will he mesh with his new receiving corps?

"He's a key guy," Buccaneers HC Lovie Smith said of RB Doug Martin, adding that backup Bobby Rainey also figures prominently in the team's plans as it prepare for the Sept. 7 regular season opener against Carolina.

"With Mike James going down with an injury and with (Charles Sims) going down, those guys need to play at a certain level," the coach added. "They're both good players, but Doug is our bell cow. He likes that role. He's had a good camp, hasn't missed a beat."

"A tough runner, doesn't complain," Smith said. "He's going to rush for a lot of yards for us this year."

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 Sims injury certainly helps Martin's outlook.

Halfback Ben Tate has emerged as the leader in more ways than one as the Browns look to establish the running game as a foundation for their offense.

The fourth-year veteran, who turned 26 on Thursday, has looked polished and decisive since the start of training camp. And while rookie Terrance West will get some carries, the starter's job belongs to Tate as the Browns prepare for their dress-rehearsal game against St. Louis at FirstEnergy Stadium on Saturday night.

Tate spent the last four seasons with the Houston Texans, which employed a similar wide-zone blocking scheme requiring backs to make one cut and turn upfield.

The question with Tate, who's averaged a career 4.7 yards per carry, is his durability. He played in just 40 of 64 regular-season games since the Texans drafted him in 2010.

Tate wants to be a feature back and he'll have his chance in Cleveland. Tate has averaged 4.7 YPC in his career and has touched the ball at least 15 times in 13 career games, averaging 94.5 yards and 0.54 TD in the process. That equates to 12.7 fantasy points, which is about what Chris Johnson averaged as the #9 RB in 2013. Touchdowns are going to be tougher to come by in Cleveland than they were in Houston, and rookie Terrance West is in the mix. Keep in mind that in addition to missing the entire 2010 season due to a broken ankle, he has missed eight other games in his career. Durability is a big concern.

X-rays of LeSean McCoy's thumb were negative, which is good news for the Eagles running back.

"It definitely hurts," McCoy said after the game. “But there have been times I’ve been banged up and it turns out fine. We’ll see what happens.”

McCoy said he injured the thumb a few plays prior to his 22-yard touchdown reception against the Pittsburgh Steelers. In some ways that is an encouraging sign for Eagles fans, as McCoy seemed to show no signs of injury as he carried the ball in his right hand during the scoring play.

"I was talking to him on the sideline and he seemed to be in good spirits, so I don’t think it’s a big deal," said head coach Chip Kelly after the game.

We're not concerned about the thumb, though it's something to monitor over the next few days. McCoy is primed for another top 3 season.

Titans RB Bishop Sankey didn’t have a fumbling problem in college and no one seems concerned that it will be an issue going forward. It’s just a part of the learning curve.

“That’s been the problem for him,” said RB Sylvester Croom. “He’s using the same footwork on all the running plays. It’s been different. It’s been a learning experience for him and it’s a discipline about doing it over and over again. He’s learning how important it is.”

Every Sankey mistake is sure to be followed with tough love from Croom, but the Titans running backs coach left nothing to question about the confidence he has in his rookie.

“Bishop has everything we thought about him during our evaluation process prior to the draft. He has that and more,” Croom explained. “We think he’s going to make a big contribution to this football team because he works at it. He’s a talented individual, he works really hard and he’s intelligent. When you put those things together and you keep showing up, then good things will happen.”

It make take a few weeks, but we’re projecting Sankey to be the clear RB1 in Tennessee after the Titans took him as the first RB 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.

Eagles RB Matthew Tucker was impressive against the first team Steelers D, scoring two TDs and bringing his total on the preseason to four, best in the NFL. Meanwhile, Henry Josey broke off a long run that was called back on a bogus penalty, and Kenjon Barner showed some promise after quickly assimilating into the Eagles offense. If the Eagles are worried that Chris Polk will always be an injury risk, it appears they may have other options.

Polk is nursing a torn hamstring, and may find himself out of a job if he doesn't heal quickly. The Eagles' RB3 job is important because the winner would likely see the biggest jump in touches if LeSean McCoy were to miss any time. Darren Sproles is not built for a heavy workload.

Sources say Packers TE Brandon Bostick has slight fibula fracture. Best bet for return is Week 2 or 3, but could be out even longer.

First it was Colt Lyerla, now Bostick. Attrition is helping to whittle down the Packer TE derby. Our money is on Richard Rodgers at this point. The rookie has had a great camp and has stayed healthy. Andrew Quarless and Jake Stoneburner will be in the mix as well.

After injuring his foot while moving out of the Missouri Western State University dorms in St. Joseph, running back Jamaal Charles returned to the practice field with the Chiefs on Thursday.

The foot is no longer a concern. Charles is locked in as a top 3 overall pick.

Cardinals receiver Michael Floyd has two practices under his belt since missing two weeks with a groin injury, and he sees some room for progress.

On one hand, he's taking his full complement of reps with the first-team offense. On the other hand, he has some polishing to do.

"He looked like he'd been out for a bit like anybody would," quarterback Carson Palmer said. "It's going to take him a couple practices to kind of get his conditioning back and his wind back. I think the strength and cutting of his routes, that's kind of something that just takes you a couple times to get back into it."

Michael Floyd broke out in his second season with a 66 catches for 1,054 yards and five TDs, gaining at least 90 yards and/or finding the endzone in seven of his last 11 games. He should continue to progress as he enters his third year in the league.

Eagles WRs Riley Cooper and Jeremy Maclin started on the outside. Cooper had three grabs for 25 yards. Maclin had six catches for 43 yards. Scary moment in the second. Maclin planted awkwardly and crumbled to the ground, grabbing his right knee. But he ended up only missing one play before returning. Cooper, meanwhile, was called for offensive pass interference on one play. He dropped a touchdown in the end zone on another play.

Maclin was the #13 WR in 2010, #31 in 2011 and #27 in 2012 before tearing his ACL last summer. The Eagles don't throw as much under Kelly as they did under Andy Reid, but Maclin has the talent and opportunity -- DeSean Jackson is gone -- to be a fantasy starter in 2014, provided his knee is good to go.

Against Pittsburgh, Eagles RB LeSean McCoy scored the game's first touchdown in the first quarter, but exited the game to have X-rays performed on his right thumb. They were negative. McCoy returned to the sideline, but his night was complete.

This is probably nothing to worry about, though it may take some time for the thumb to fully heal. At this point, Darren Sproles is the primary backup. Chris Polk is nursing a torn hamstring, but should be back soon.

After looking great in the first two games, Lions WR Ryan Broyles seems to be a lock for the 53-man roster. Now, Broyles has an opportunity to show just how big of a role he deserves this season.

Broyles could serve as the Lions WR3, which means he may be roster-worthy in larger formats.

I wrote several weeks ago that expectations might be too high for wide receiver Justin Hunter entering his second season, considering he only caught 18 passes as a rookie.

But I'm now more inclined to jump on the hype wagon. Hunter has progressed faster than I imagined. He's bigger, more confident and is doing a better job of using his freakish athletic skills to full effect.

While it's true the regular season is a different animal, Hunter appears ready to become a consistent big-play threat.

As a rookie, Hunter checked in with the #18 FP/T (1.41), which is encouraging, especially if he’s able to beat out Nate Washington and get on the field as more than a just a passing-down specialist. He only played 36% of the team’s snaps, while Washington played 82%. The good news is that under then-OC Ken Whisenhunt, Keenan Allen, Vincent Brown and Eddie Royal all played at least 67% of the Chargers’ snaps. So with Whiz calling the plays in Tennessee, there may be room for both players in the lineup if Hunter hasn't already won the job outright.

Does Jets RB Chris Johnson still have "it"?

“Oh yeah, he still has it,’’ linebacker David Harris said. “We noticed it the first day when we were in Cortland. He’s still the fastest guy on the field. He’s still got a lot of juice in those legs.’’

Harris said he has not forgotten the 94-yard touchdown run Johnson had against the Jets in December 2012.
“It killed us,’’ he recalled.

Defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson was not yet a Jet in 2012, so he didn’t get the chance to see that run up close, but he knows what he’s seen out of Johnson this summer.

“Oh, he’s got his burst,’’ Richardson said. “If he gets behind the defense he’s not getting caught from behind by anybody in the league. He’s 28. It’s not like the man’s 38 and still playing running back. I have yet to see the miles on him.’’

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. He has finished in the top 12 in each of his six seasons, so a top 24 finish (RB2-type numbers) is not a stretch, even with a new team.

McFadden is one of the most fascinating players on the team. We all know what he has done and what he is capable of. Yes, his career has been adversely affected by injuries. He has missed at least three games in all six of his NFL seasons and a total of 29 games due to injury. HC Dennis Allen has raved about McFadden, who re-signed with the Raiders for one season in March, saying the player has been dynamic. If McFadden has a resurgence, the Raiders' offense could soar especially with Maurice Jones-Drew in the backfield as well.

This is one of the more interesting RB battles in the league since both players are talented and the Raider running game was better-than-decent last year with Rashad Jennings toting the ball. We feel Jones-Drew has the ability and the durability to lead the backfield in touches, though it may be an ugly RBBC to start the season.

Broncos WR Emmanuel Sanders returned to practice. He has been dealing with a quad injury, and the club wanted him back to get more snaps with Peyton Manning. As did Manning. Sanders hasn't caught a pass in the preseason. His snaps were limited against the Seahawks and he sat out the 49ers game.

The likelihood Sanders will start Saturday increased with Thursday's workout. A Friday evaluation will be the determining factor.

"I didn't have any problem with that so I am extremely happy about that. It's looking good right now," Sanders said. "(Manning) has been talking to me about (playing this week) because the starters usually don't play in the fourth preseason game. This is important. We don't want to go into the regular season with me not having caught a pass from him in the game. So this game is extremely pivotal."

Sanders was the #35 WR in 2013, when he saw WR2 targets (112) for the Steelers. Eric Decker (138) and Wes Welker (111) saw a combined 249 targets as Denver's WR2 and WR3. With Decker gone, Welker (and TE Julius Thomas) could see a bit more work, but Sanders should be stepping into a big role. As OC Adam Gase said, Sanders is a good fit for his system and is versatile to play both inside and outside. He is very quick and is adept at making people miss, so he should thrive in Denver’s screen game.

Texans RB Arian Foster shined during three practices against the Broncos, regularly beating Denver defensive backs and displaying soft hands that were perfect for Ryan Fitzpatrick touch passes.

“Very impressive,” O’Brien said. “(Foster is) a smart player, he’s an instinctive player. … Obviously, when we put him out there, he’s a matchup problem for people. Because he can run routes and he can run all kinds of different routes.”

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. At 27, Foster should have plenty of tread left on his tires, though the injuries seem to be piling up. The team wants to get him more involved in the passing game, which is a good sign for his PPR value. He is a risk-reward pick in the 2nd round.

Steelers will allow NFL to handle any disciplinary measures versus LeVeon Bell and LeGarrette Blount. Again, Roger Goodell not likely to act in 2014. Both will play tonight.

It's unlikely that either back misses any time this season, but we're still not fans of Bell's ADP given that his workload is likely to be reduced in 2014.

49ers second-year running back Marcus Lattimore is still rehabbing and has not been activated to practice.

OC Greg Roman said Lattimore is improving each day.

"He’s looking good," the coordinator said. "Our training staff are the people to ask on that if you want to get specifics... They’re putting him through a lot of change of direction stuff, hard-type cutting. He’s looking good."

Carlos Hyde should be safe as Frank Gore's primary backup. Lattimore has not progressed as quickly as the fantasy community had anticipated.

Carolina Panthers coach Ron Rivera says the ankle surgery that sidelined Cam Newton for most of the offseason has made him a better quarterback.

"In an interesting way, this might have been the best thing to happen to him in terms of his pure quarterbacking development," Rivera said following Thursday's practice. "He's had to stay in the pocket. He's had to have good footwork. He's had to step into his throws."

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.

Jets QB Geno Smith has never fashioned himself as a runner. He was a pocket passer who lit up college scoreboards with regularity, an athlete who let his arm do the talking for four quarters. When Smith slipped into the rookie abyss midway through last season, he had an epiphany (brought on by a gentle push from his coaches): When things don’t look quite right, tuck the ball and take off.

Smith’s willingness to run made all the difference during the Jets’ final four-game stretch, an eye opener for a player who finally utilized his full repertoire above — and below — his shoulders. He had 43% of his rushes during that span, picking up six yards per attempt with three touchdowns to help the Jets win three of their final games.

He fully embraced that facet of the game in the offseason.

OC Marty Mornhinweg lauded Smith's play in the final four games of the season. He did average 20.0 fantasy points during that span, compared with just 10.0 FP in the first 12 games. He ran for three TDs down the stretch while throwing for just 198 yards and 1.0 TD.

Calvin Johnson said his physical condition is good, describing it as “night and day” to last season when he dealt with knee and finger issues that needed surgical attention after the season. As long as things stay that way, it’s a good guess that Johnson will remain a major part of the Lions offense regardless of where he lines up on the field.

The knee injury appears to be behind him. Even hobbled, Megatron managed to finish as the #3 WR in standard formats after finishing 1st in both 2011 and 2012. The Lions have added weapons in the passing game (i.e. Golden Tate and Eric Ebron), so Johnson shouldn’t see quite as much attention as in recent years.

Throughout training camp and in the preseason, Titans wide receiver Justin Hunter has made the fade pattern look all too easy.

When the Titans get anywhere near the goal line, quarterback Jake Locker simply lofts a soft spiral toward the corner of the end zone. That's when the 6-foot-4, 203-pound Hunter turns into a jack-in-the-box, leaping over defenders to haul in a touchdown pass – just as he did in last Friday's loss to the New Orleans Saints.

It's been all but unstoppable so far.

As a rookie, Hunter checked in with the #18 FP/T (1.41), which is encouraging, especially if he’s able to beat out Nate Washington and get on the field as more than a just a passing-down specialist. He only played 36% of the team’s snaps, while Washington played 82%. The good news is that under then-OC Ken Whisenhunt, Keenan Allen, Vincent Brown and Eddie Royal all played at least 67% of the Chargers’ snaps. Hunter's prowess in the redzone bodes well for QB Jake Locker.

The Steelers decided not to re-sign Emmanuel Sanders because they believed Markus Wheaton could develop into a dependable No. 2 receiver opposite Antonio Brown. Roethlisberger has been impressed with his development since the end of last season.

“He’s learning and growing fast, and we need him to,” Roethlisberger said. “That’s what’s great about him. He doesn’t make the same mistake twice. He’s busting his butt every day in practice. I grabbed him upstairs [Monday] and talked to him about something he did a little wrong in the game. He had nothing to do with the play, but he was heartbroken that he screwed something up that he probably shouldn’t have. He puts that work in. He’s watched [Brown]. He knows what it takes to be a pro.”

“He’s going to be key because, if we don’t have another receiver, people can just watch A.B.,” Roethlisberger said. “We all see what A.B. can do. We need him to step up because we can’t afford for teams to put three guys on A.B. I hope Wheaton is that guy.

“He’s a young guy people don’t know about yet. He hasn’t earned that respect, which is probably rightfully so, because he hasn’t done much. But I’m excited for him because I think he’s going to surprise a lot of people.”

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, though it currently looks like Wheaton will be the WR2. He 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.

La Canfora on Twitter: Steelers RB LeGarrette Blount "is traveling with the Steelers according to a source. Was not arrested and was told he could call someone and leave the scene. Again, from what I'm told Blount is not facing charges from the incident today."

This explains why Blount is traveling with the team but Bell is not. The fallout from Bell's arrest may not impact his outlook in 2014 since the league is so slow in handing out discipline. Stay tuned.

There has been much speculation about what New Orleans Saints running back Pierre Thomas' role would be this season and the eighth-year veteran said Wednesday night he knows things are going to be different in 2014.

"I know my role is going to change a whole lot this year," Thomas said. "I'm going to do more pass protection and route running. I'm improving my route running game. I'm still going to be running the ball too. I've got a few changes here and there."

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 receptions may increase. 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 later rounds. In PPR formats, he has finished in the top 30 in PPG in five of the last six seasons.

What he’s seen throughout the offseason and training camp from backs like Lance Dunbar and Joseph Randle has Cowboys RB DeMarco Murray feeling more comfortable about taking a breather in 2014.

“[Dunbar] and Randle are going to have an important role this year and those are guys that not only do I trust, but the coaches trust,” Murray said Wednesday. “Me not wanting to come out last year was because I wasn’t sure if things would go right, but these guys playing the way they play and practice the way they practice, I’m very confident that if I come out they can continue to carry the load and do some great things for us.”

This is not earth-shattering news but it speaks to the workload that Murray is expecting heading into the season. He may not be quite the bellcow he has been in recent years. He saw nearly 65% of the carries in 2013, but only played 14 games.

Wide receiver Julio Jones slipped out of the locker room after Saturday night's loss to the Texans before the media had a chance to get his reaction to his first game back after last year's foot injury. Jones met with the media after Wednesday's practice and sounded confident in his health as the third preseason game approaches. He said he needs to knock some of the rust off, but being back on the field felt good and there were no lingering ill effects immediately or in the days following the game: "I felt good," Jones said. "No pain. I'm still doing a lot of treatment, still doing my routine of one-day-on, one-day-off. Right now, they're going to increase the workload. I practiced (Wednesday) and then (Thursday), I'm going to practice."

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. It sounds like the preseason is going according to plan.

There’s little doubt where Michael Crabtree and Anquan Boldin rank among the 49ers’ wide receivers.

“I’m pretty sure everybody already knows the bulk of it will be with Crab and Boldin, so we’re just fitting in right after that,” 49ers wide receiver Stevie Johnson said on Wednesday.

Boldin continues to be a good value in the 10th round. He finished #15 in 2013, and actually posted better numbers with Michael Crabtree in the lineup. Boldin averaged 4.7-66-.45 without Crabtree and 5.7-83-.43 with Crabtree, so the potential is there for another top 20 season, though we're expecting him to be more of a WR3-type in the 49ers run-heavy attack.

While it would be nice for the Denver Broncos to get running back Montee Ball into a preseason game for a few snaps, get him a carry, see him run through some contact, his real target date to be ready to go is still Sept. 7, or the regular-season opener against the Indianapolis Colts.

Ball, who had an appendectomy Aug. 4, returned to the practice field Tuesday and did a little more on Wednesday, but as it stands now the Broncos’ top running back is not expected to play in Saturday night’s preseason game against the Houston Texans. And since the Broncos usually play few, if any, starters in the fourth preseason game, Ball’s most likely return date is still the regular-season opener.

We're not worried at all about the injury, though his conditioning might need some work if he doesn't see game action prior to Week 1. Ball had a higher YPC (4.7) than Knowshon 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.

Quarterback Tony Romo never practiced more than two consecutive days while the team was in Oxnard for training camp.

He will follow that routine this week. Romo didn’t practice Wednesday but is expected to return Thursday.

Head coach Jason Garrett indicated that routine will change once the regular season is underway.

“Again, that’s a couple, three weeks out,’’ Garrett said. “We do anticipate him being able to handle the load of a work week leading up to the game.

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.

Steelers running backs Le'Veon Bell and LeGarrette Blount will be charged with drug possession after they were pulled over Wednesday in Ross by a motorcycle officer who smelled marijuana coming from their passing automobile, township police said. Bell, 22, also is expected to be charged with driving under the influence of marijuana after officers receive results of a blood test taken after the stop, Ross police Detective Brian Kohlhepp said.

The players and a woman who was in the back seat admitted having possession of a small- to medium-sized bag — estimated to be 20 grams — of suspected marijuana that was found in the glove compartment, Kohlhepp said. The name of the woman was not immediately available.

All three were released from custody and will be sent a summons to appear before a district judge on the misdemeanor charges, Kohlhepp said.

The team's top two running backs could be disciplined under the NFL's substance-abuse policy, which includes penalties for recreational and performance-enhancing drugs. Last week, the NFL suspended Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Dwayne Bowe for the season opener for violating the drug policy, even though a charge of marijuana possession filed against him in November subsequently was dropped.

Update: Jason LaCanfora is reporting that Blount is NOT facing charges from the incident.

We'll have more on this story as it develops, though it's no sure thing that Bell will miss any games this season as this works its way through the legal system. The fact that it's a misdemeanor in Pennsylvania works in his favor, but as the article mentioned, the league doesn't need a conviction to hand down a suspension. Bowe was charged in November of last year, but wasn't suspended until last week, so it may be a while before this gets sorted out. Due to workload concerns, we have had Bell ranked lower than most for the entire summer and this doesn't make us any more likely to recommend him in the early rounds.

Eagles RB Chris Polk hasn’t practiced in more than three weeks. He missed the first two preseason games and won’t play Thursday night in the third. He’s still not fully recovered from his hamstring injury.

It wasn’t a routine pull. He said he suffered a Grade 2 partial tear, the kind that keep guys -- running backs, especially -- sidelined for long periods of time. Polk hasn’t since been able to practice in any capacity. Last Thursday, hours before kickoff in New England, he jogged around the field in sweats and caught some balls to test his progress. He felt good, but not great.

He’s still not fully recovered and probably won’t be in the next few days, but Polk insisted that he’ll practice next week, whatever it takes. It’s risky, but he knows the NFL motto. Guys don’t make the club from the tub.

A Grade 2 tear typically takes four to six weeks, so Polk may return in one to three weeks depending on how quickly his muscle is healing. We believe that he would be the primary ballcarrier if LeSean McCoy were to miss time, but he has to get healthy and make the team first.

Colts RB Trent Richardson’s first run of the preseason was for 8 yards, giving the indication that good things were to come with him. But he gained only 26 yards since then. The New York Giants, according to HC Chuck Pagano, loaded up the box on more than 20 of the first 30 plays of their preseason game last weekend. Richardson’s two longest runs -- 8 yards each -- came with Andrew Luck in the shotgun. Richardson's running with better instincts. It's just not showing up in the results, which is the determining factor.

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. 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.

Running back Steven Jackson (hamstring) did some work off to the side but there’s still no timetable on his return. Coach Mike Smith has said Jackson would be ready for the season opener on Sept. 7.

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. This hamstring injury has pushed his ADP down into the 8th round. He's not the Jackson of old, but he can still produce when on the field.

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Sammy Watkins (ribs) was limited in Wednesday's practice.

For a second consecutive day, Watkins was dressed in full pads but only participated in warm-up drills and stretching. Coach Doug Marrone said the Bills' medical staff hasn't made a decision on Watkins' status for Saturday's preseason game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The important thing to glean here is that Watkins' injury doesn't appear to be serious.

Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham missed practice on Tuesday, keeping his string of not completing a full training camp practice alive.

After the session, Beckham and the Giants said that the wide receivers injured hamstring was sore but they insisted that he didn’t suffer a setback in his recovery from the initial injury. He has, however, been ruled out.

Beckham will have starter's snaps waiting for him if he can just get healthy and prove to the coaching staff that he's ready to handle the workload. Jerrel Jernigan has not been impressive in camp after a strong finish to the 2013 season.

Despite poor performances by both quarterbacks Monday night in Washington, Brian Hoyer has been named the Cleveland Browns' starting quarterback over Johnny Manziel for the opener in Pittsburgh.

Coach Mike Pettine made the decision in a lengthy meeting with offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan and quarterbacks coach Dowell Loggains Tuesday night and announced it Wednesday morning.

Pettine admitted Tuesday night that Manziel's obscene gesture to the Redskins' bench Monday night and all of the other things he's done since the spring would factor into the decision. Clearly, Manziel didn't show the leadership ability needed to be the starting quarterback yet.

"(Hoyer) was the clear leader from the beginning," Pettine said in a release by the team. "We've maintained all along that if it was close, I would prefer to go with the more experienced player. Brian has done a great job in the meeting rooms and with his teammates on the practice field and in the locker room."

While the writing is still on the wall in Cleveland, this puts a dent in Johnny Manziel's draft stock. He may get an opportunity to play sooner rather than later, but he now has to wait for Hoyer to falter due to poor play or injury. Hoyer's upside is minimal. He could be serviceable in a QBBC strategy on a weekly basis, but he's a difficult player to trust given the shaky ground on which he's standing.

Eagles acquire running back and returner Kenjon Barner from Carolina for a conditional 7th round draft pick in 2015.

Barner played for Chip Kelly at Oregon, and was not going to contribute much in Carolina. It's a sign that the Eagles may be looking to shore up things behind Darren Sproles, since Chris Polk has been injured for much of camp.

Bills coach Doug Marrone wasn’t willing to disclose a timetable on Monday for wide receiver Sammy Watkins’s return from bruised ribs, but it wasn’t because he was keeping a tight lid on negative information about the first-round pick’s condition.

Chris Brown of the Bills website reports that Watkins was in pads and participating in practice on Tuesday, three days after he injured his ribs early in Saturday’s preseason tilt with the Steelers.

Brown reports that Watkins took part in individual drills with the rest of the receivers, but that he was moving at less than full speed while going through them. Watkins did not go on to run routes with the rest of the group against air.

It wasn't full participation but definitely a step in the right direction for Watkins. We can assume by this the injury is not too serious, even though it is a rib injury, and that Watkins is at least on target to play Week 1.

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick made headlines Tuesday morning when he told the Sacramento Bee the severity of his 2013 foot injury.

Kaepernick suffered a significant foot injury in a Week 2 loss against the Seattle Seahawks. Last season, however, the 49ers signal-caller joked with reporters that it was a hangnail.

Now we know it was really a serious injury. Kaepernick told The Bee that he'd suffered a chipped bone on his forefoot and ruptured the capsule in the ball of his foot when he tried to run away from a Seahawks defender along the visiting sideline.

Even with the injury, Kaepernick rushed for 524 rushing yards last season, his first full year as San Francisco's starter. It was also the second-most single-season rushing yards by a 49ers quarterback behind Steve Young's 537 rushing yards in '92. It probably could have been more if he was healthy. He never had surgery and said the injury is not an issue, and it was corrected with rest.

Texans RB Arian Foster and WR Andre Johnson were among those who increased their activity Tuesday, during the first of three joint practices between the Texans and Broncos.

Foster often ran with the Texans’ first team and displayed his normal acceleration, while Johnson saw some first-team activity.

“They practiced more than they had and it’s a good sign for our football team,” O’Brien said.

Finally some good news for the Texans star skill players. It's yet to be determined if either will play in the next preseason game, but it's at least a step in the right direction that they may be ready for the regular season. Obviously both will come with health risks should you decide to draft them in your league.

Giants first-round pick Odell Beckham returned to practice last week after a lengthy absence caused by a hamstring injury and raised hopes that he’d be able to make his preseason debut against the Jets this weekend.

Those plans may need to be put on hold, however. Multiple people on the Giants beat report that Beckham is on the sideline doing individual rehab work with other injured players while the rest of the team goes through practice in full pads.

There’s no word on a specific issue for Beckham, who had to leave Monday’s practice early after pulling up at the end of a sprint. The Giants said that Beckham, who didn’t return to practice, was fine but it seems that being fine and being able to practice are mutually exclusive in this case.

HC Tom Coughlin denied he knew anything about Beckham's potential hamstring aggravation in a spiritual exchange with the media yesterday. It recently came out that Beckahm won't play in the team's preseason game against the Jets, which is a key contest considered the final tuneup before the regular season. Beckham was apparently kicked in the leg Monday and is sore, but the team feels like he was not re-injured.

Broncos running back Montee Ball said that he expected doctors to clear him for practice on Monday, and that apparently happened.

Although there has been no official word from the Broncos about Ball’s recovery from an appendectomy, reporters in Denver are passing along word that Ball is on the practice field for the Broncos today.

The Broncos have a non-contact practice today, so Ball is just doing drills, but the fact that he’s on the practice field suggests that he’s making good progress in his recovery. Other players have typically missed about two weeks after having an appendectomy, and it appears that Ball is on the same schedule.

Ball said he wasn't against playing in the preseason but it would seem unlikely the team puts him out there this week or next week. Ball could get eased back into things once the regular season starts, but it looks like he has a good chance to be ready for Week 1.

Another preseason game and another long Chiefs TE Travis Kelce touchdown catch-and-run.

The Kansas City Chiefs tight end caught Aaron Murray's first ever NFL completion -- not his first attempt -- and darted past the Carolina Panthers' defense for a 43-yard score. The catch-and-run had a district similarity to the 69-yard snag-and-jaunt Kelce displayed last week against the Cincinnati Bengals. The tight end finished Sunday's 28-16 loss with four catches for 63 yards, giving him a two-week total of six catches for 136 yards on seven targets.

Coming off microfracture surgery that cost him all of last season, the second-year pro sits behind Anthony Fasano in the Chiefs' pecking order. Kelce did play some with the first-team unit Sunday, but mainly in two-tight end sets.

"He's just got to keep coming with it and there's more than just the route running," Andy Reid said, per the team's official website. "You got to be able to run block and then you got to detail all your work there. But, you sure got to give him credit for the effort that he's giving in the pass game and he sure has a nice skill level."

The story goes on to point out the obvious: Kelce clearly has more upside and playmaking ability than Fasano, but the Chiefs insist on going with the more trusted veteran as their starter. If Kelce keeps making plays, however, he should force Reid to reconsider how he divvies up the snaps. We have Kelce ranked 20th, well ahead of Fasano, and trending up our charts. If you need to draft a second TE or play in a deeper league where you can start more than one, he looks like a guy to take a late-round shot on.

Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford is off to an exceptional start to the preseason, completing 11-14 passes for 106 yards, two touchdowns and zero interceptions. Two of those incompletions were drops by running back Reggie Bush.

Bush's hands have been an issue much of his eight-year career. He had the NFL's worst drop rate among players with 50 or more targets last season, letting nine passes slip through his hands. He also fumbled five times, losing four.

After dropping a pass in each of the team's first two preseason contests, there would seem to be cause for concern, but neither the tailback or coach Jim Caldwell are worried about the issue lingering into the regular season.

"It's just a matter of getting the timing down, here and there," Bush said. "That's what the preseason is for, getting that timing down with the quarterback. It will get there."

The Lions are implementing a new offensive scheme this season, and many of the routes and alignments for the running backs and receivers have been tweaked. Bush believes he and Stafford just need to continue to work on their timing together on the practice field, the story went on to say. Unfortunately for Bush, Joique Bell and Theo Riddick are capable receivers out of the backfield too, so if it continues to be an issue, he may end up losing snaps. Bush has an ADP of the fourth round with Bell's being in the sixth.

One worrisome point was Redskins RB Robert Griffin III's inability to stay healthy during his first two seasons and we got a reminder of why that’s been an issue on Monday night. Griffin took several hard hits at the end of scrambles against the Browns and ended the evening with a bruised thigh. Griffin says that it isn’t a serious injury and admitted that he has to do a better job of avoiding those collisions, calling his attempts to better protect himself a “work in progress.”

Griffin promised that he’d get better at it, something coach Jay Gruden said has to happen.

“It’s something we have to continue to talk to him about — how important he is to this team and this franchise. When he gets out of the pocket, he needs to protect himself,” Gruden said, via the Associated Press. “He’s had a habit in his career of being able to get himself out of those predicaments with his speed and his athleticism. But here it’s a 16-game season, with the great talent across the league in the NFL, [and] he’s got to pick his shots and learn how to get down a little bit better.”

At some point one has to wonder if Griffin can change something so fundamental to the way he plays the game without hurting his productivity, the story continued. It would benefit him and the team if he could, although he certainly wouldn’t be the first player unable to shake such a habit. Michael Vick still hasn't been able to avoid taking hits when scrambling and often ended up missing time even recently during his days with the Eagles. It's something to consider if you're targeting RGIII in drafts - it's a good idea to have a capable backup.

Cleveland Browns rookie quarterback Johnny Manziel flipped off the Washington Redskins' bench after trading barbs with his opponent. He and veteran Brian Hoyer both struggled on the field in the Browns' ongoing quarterback competition, which has no resolution after this 24-23 loss.

"I felt like I did a good job of holding my composure throughout the night, and you have a lapse of judgment and slip up," Manziel said. "I mean, I didn't think it was positive,"

Manziel could be fined $11,025 for taunting or unsportsmanlike conduct.

The obscene gesture angered Browns coach Mike Pettine.

"It did not sit well," Pettine said. "I was informed of it after the game and it's disappointing. Because what we talk about is being poised and being focused -- that you have to be able to maintain your poise. That's a big part of all football players, especially the quarterback, that we have to keep our composure. So that's something that we'll obviously address with him."

Hoyer completed 2 of 6 passes for 16 yards and said his performance probably couldn't get any worse. Pettine now may wait to pick a quarterback. He was originally scheduled to pick a starter on Tuesday but with both QBs not playing well he won't have much to go on. Manziel finished 7 of 16 for 65 yards, one touchdown and a 76.3 rating. Pettine added that, ideally, they'd still like to decide Tuesday.

Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger is excelling in the no-huddle. The offensive line is keeping him grass stain-free. Antonio Brown is turning short catches into long gains, and September isn't even here yet.

For all that's going well with the Steelers' offense — and how many times has that been written in August during recent seasons — its regular-season success or failure might hinge on a player with one career start.

The starting wide receiver job opposite Brown is Markus Wheaton's to lose — and, so far, the third-round draft pick from last season is winning it. He turned an inside-out move and solo coverage into a 16-yard touchdown catch against Buffalo, and Brown was as happy afterward as he was.

“I think it's definitely a key — a key — for him to make those plays when he gets one-on-one matchups,” Brown said Monday.

The story goes on to say that the Steelers have other options, but Wheaton clearly is the best. They'd prefer to keep Lance Moore in the slot rather than move him outside and, while fourth-round pick Martavis Bryant and 2013 pick Justin Brown are having impressive days in camp, both need more polishing. Steeler WRs have averaged 65-848-4.5 over the past four years and Wheaton is ranked 49th on our WR list. According to his ADP, GMs are taking a late-round flier on him in the 14th round.

Panthers running back Jonathan Stewart reminded teammates, fans and upcoming opponents just how dangerous he is with the ball in his hands, rushing for two touchdowns in Carolina's 28-16 preseason win over the Kansas City Chiefs.

Now he has to prove he can stay healthy. But if Sunday night was any indication, Stewart could be back in a big way.

He only ran for 26 yards on four carries, but his explosive 17-yard burst and his two TDs has Panthers coach Ron Rivera brimming with confidence when discussing a potential running attack that includes DeAngelo Williams, Stewart and Pro Bowl fullback Mike Tolbert.

Rivera said the Panthers have the potential to be "dynamic" if Stewart can stay healthy.

Stewart ran for 3,500 yards and 26 touchdowns in his first four seasons, but ankle and foot injuries limited the former first-round pick to 15 games over the last two seasons and his production has fallen off dramatically. He missed the start of camp with a hamstring injury. With Williams also in the picture, the two will constantly eat into one another's fantasy production. Factor in Tolbert stealing short TDs, and Newton's rushing ability, and the potential of Stewart - and Williams - seems capped in the RB3 range.

New Orleans Saints running back Mark Ingram hasn't exactly been known as a pass-catching running back in his time in the NFL. This especially rings true when Ingram has only caught 27 passes for 160 yards - and zero touchdowns - in 39 career games (37 regular season, two playoffs).

But a look at the record books, as Ingram attested to on Monday after practice, shows that Ingram has been capable of being an asset out of the backfield in his younger days.

Entering his fourth season with the Saints, Ingram is ready to show off some of that versatility on a new stage.

"I want to do everything," Ingram said. "I want to be involved in the passing game, the running game, picking up pass (protection). I want to be the most versatile player I can be."

Ingram looks to have a much more active role in the Saints' passing game this season as evident by his preseason workload. He caught a 23-yard touchdown pass from Ryan Griffin in the Saints' 31-24 preseason victory over the Tennessee Titans last Friday.

Ingram alluded to the fact that the reason he hasn't caught as many passes with the Saints is because simply, there haven't been many chances to do so because of the style of play the Saints run and the opportunities given to Pierre Thomas and Darren Sproles over the last three seasons. With the news that Thomas is now the RB3 on the Saints depth chart, it could very well create more opportunity for Ingram to be a true feature back. This isn't good news for Thomas owners.

Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski took another step forward in his return from a torn ACL.

Gronkowski participated in 11-on-11 drills for the first time since training camp opened last month. Mike Reiss of ESPNBoston.com reports that a lot of balls were thrown Gronkowski’s way during that period of practice.

Recent reports were that Gronkowski is anything but a lock to play in the team’s first regular season game. Given the amount of time Gronkowski missed the last two seasons and the impact his absence had on the team, it would be no surprise to see them exercise plenty of caution before signing off on a spot on the gameday roster, the story said. But, 11-on-11 work is as close to game action as Gronkowski will get this offseason so it’s an important step closer to to his and the Patriots’ goal, the piece added.

It’s easy to forget that Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Doug Martin caught 49 passes as a rookie in 2012. It’s so easy that even the new coaching staff and front office came in not counting on Martin as a pass catcher.

“In the offseason, that was an area that we talked about,’’ coach Lovie Smith said Monday. “We went into the draft because we thought that was an area where we thought we needed a little bit of help.’’

The Bucs used a third-round pick to draft Charles Sims, who caught more than 200 passes in his college career. But Sims isn’t going to be contributing right away. He suffered an ankle injury last week that’s going to keep him out for 12 to 14 weeks.

Along the way, though, the Bucs might have found a running back they’re comfortable with as a pass catcher. That’s Martin.

Smith admitted Martin’s pass-catching game has been better than expected. You'll find a lot of different opinions of Martin on draft day most likely, with not a lot of in between - there are those who love him and those who are scared to death to draft him. His third round ADP still makes him a pretty attractive back at that point in drafts, and we have him ranked 13th on our PPR list. We think he loses some work to Bobby Rainey and Mike James, but still ending up as a RB2.

Tennessee's running back battle didn't skip a beat on Monday.

Titans coach Ken Whisenhunt told reporters that Shonn Greene is fine after suffering a hyperextended knee in Friday night's preseason loss to the New Orleans Saints.

Greene practiced Monday, taking snaps in a backfield that also includes rookie Bishop Sankey. We expect the duo to share carries this season, but Greene is a candidate to see his role shrivel up in favor of Tennessee's first-round pick.

Sankey lost a fumble against the Saints and reportedly has struggled with ball-handing in practice, but we think he eventually emerges as the Titans RB1. For now, it looks like a committee approach at least to start the season but Sankey has long term value and may end up falling a little in drafts because of this news.

Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson is scheduled to make his preseason debut Friday against the Jacksonville Jaguars, according to coach Jim Caldwell.

Caldwell also made it clear plans could change, depending on what happens the reset of the week.

"We plan to get him some work this week," Caldwell said. "That's (Monday) that I'm telling you that. Toward the end of the week, something adjusts, or we have to adjust here and there, and it could be that with a number of different guys, but we plan to get him some work this week."

The team has been cautious with Johnson this offseason, regularly resting him during practice, even though he's fully recovered from offseason surgeries on his knee and finger. Caldwell has chalked the routine up to "prudence," the story says.

QB Teddy Bridgewater rallied the Vikings to two late scores in last Saturday’s comeback win against the Cardinals, but those heroics haven’t changed the look of the team’s quarterback depth chart.

Vikings coach Mike Zimmer said Monday, via Ben Goessling of ESPN.com, that Matt Cassel will remain the team’s starter for the team’s preseason game next Satuday against the Chiefs.

Bridgewater may get a chance to make one last case to keep Zimmer from making a final decision. The coach said Saturday that Bridgewater could get time with the first team against Kansas City and repeated that on Monday, but everything the Vikings are doing makes it seem that they want to go with the veteran for at least the short term.

With the third preseason game usually serving as a dress rehearsal for the regular season, it would seem that Cassel is destined to start in St. Louis come September 7. Cassel hasn't done anything to lose the job and seems to be picking up Norv Turner's offense. What he'll likely have to do is win or we could end up seeing Bridgewater at some point this season. There probably won't be a ton of fantasy interest in Cassel in typical leagues, but he could serve as a committee starter in certain matchups.

After Eagles running back LeSean McCoy refused to answer why he was on the sideline during practice on Sunday, concern started to build as to why the Pro Bowler was out.

On Monday, however, all fears were put to rest as McCoy returned to the practice field.

"It (wasn't) anything serious," Eagles offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur said as to why McCoy was out on Sunday.

The injury turned out to be with his toe, however X-rays came back negative according to other outlets. Looks like McCoy is back at practice and ready to go.