Team news: Arizona Cardinals | Page 49

LeVeon Bell still has not reported to Steelers camp after not reaching an agreement on a contract extension. At some point, he will have to decide whether to play on the franchise tag and sign his tender.

Rookie running back James Conner (shoulder) has also been out since last Monday, after getting evaluated at a Pittsburgh hospital for his injury.

That means Fitzgerald Toussaint is on top of the depth chart, ahead of Knile Davis heading into the Steelers' first preseason game.

There's no reason to think Bell won't eventually sign his tender and reward fantasy owners once again, but Pittsburgh is one of the few backfields that has proven to produce a high-value handcuff. We saw it with DeAngelo Williams, but we also saw it with Toussaint in the 2015 postseason when he turned 21 touches into 118 total yards. Bell owners may want to monitor who the back-up is this offseason, as it has produced high volume in years past when Bell has not played.

Joe Buscaglia of WKBW:

It feels like almost on a daily basis now, I’m writing that “this was Zay Jones' best practice to date,” and then the next day, he raises the bar just a bit more. That’s the type of improvement you hope to see from young players in their first training camp and rookie year, and it’s what we saw yet again on Wednesday. What really stood out was his route running ability, and where some receivers loaf through breakdowns ahead of their cuts, Jones has seemingly thrived. It’s within the intricacies of route running that players that aren’t the most physically gifted to win with speed, can win all game long. That was Stevie Johnson’s game when he was working as the Bills’ top target, and it’s what kept him as a productive player until injuries derailed his career. Jones has that type of ability, and he’s clearly getting open against cornerbacks during training camp. Plus, they’re training him as both an outside receiver and in the slot. Now, the big questions are this: Can he do it during games, and eventually, in the regular season? That’s a bridge we’ll have to cross when the opportunities present themselves, but Jones has done just about as well as you could have wanted him to through the first six days of training camp. To me, he is winning the battle for the second wide receiver spot as it stands today.

Jones was the first receiver taken in the second round and the fourth wideout off the board overall. The Bills have been -- and should continue to be -- a run-oriented team, but there is plenty of opportunity for targets in Buffalo. The Rams signed Robert Woods away, and he averaged 86 targets in his four seasons with the Bills. Jones is 6-foot-2, ran a 4.45 40-yard dash, and generally tested well across the board at the Combine. He was a standout at the Senior Bowl, and showed the ability to run a full route tree in practice. Throw in the second-best drop percentage of his class and you can see why he’s a good bet to contribute immediately in Buffalo. If Sammy Watkins is active and healthy, fantasy owners will likely be using Jones only on a matchup basis, but if Watkins misses time, the rookie could quickly see WR1-type targets.

Not backing down from physical confrontation has consequences.

Steelers rookie running back James Conner drew praise from his coach, Mike Tomlin, for Conner’s efforts in his first padded practice. Those efforts resulted, however, in a shoulder injury.

According to NFL Network, Conner missed practice on Monday for evaluation of the shoulder. The Steelers are off on Tuesday.

Related players: Fitzgerald Toussaint, LeVeon Bell

It’s unclear when Conner will be ready to return, and the precise diagnosis/prognosis is unknown. His absence puts stress on the tailback position, given the lingering holdout by starter Le’Veon Bell.

After failing to reach an agreement on a long-term contract extension, Steelers RB LeVeon Bell is not expected to arrive anytime soon in camp.

Related players: James Conner, Knile Davis

Bell is expected to hold out for at least part of camp, but has said he would like to play a full 16-game schedule this season, so it seems reasonable if he doesn't arrive for the start, he'll show up at some point in time to get ready for the start of the season. The story was actually about Bell's potential backup in 2017.

Off the field, the Steelers struck a PR coup when they drafted former Pitt star and cancer survivor James Conner in the third round. Conner is already the NFL’s No. 2 leader in jersey sales, but now the question is whether he can be the Steelers' No. 2 running back.

After failing to reach an agreement on a long-term contract extension, Le’Veon Bell is not expected to arrive anytime soon in camp, giving Conner a chance to solidify the No. 2 spot.

Conner was limited in spring practice with a hamstring injury but should be good to go this week in Latrobe where he’ll likely receive the heaviest workload.

Knile Davis, who signed a one-year, $775,000 contract in free agency, brings four years of experience and could finally prove to be the Steelers’ answer at kick returns. As a running back, Davis is a slight upgrade over Fitzgerald Toussaint.

As the story said, this running back “battle” is all a moot point the minute Bell reports. Without a long-term deal in place, there’s even less incentive for the Steelers to lighten Bell’s workload. Bell's backup could prove to have some fantasy value so it's a battle worth watching.

Bills WR Sammy Watkins rehab appears to be on schedule, as he was able to participate in a few team drills before the Bills wrapped up their spring practices. With six weeks between mandatory minicamp and start of training camp, Watkins should be close to 100 percent when camp starts Thursday.

“Credit to Sammy, credit to our training staff and the way he’s attacked the rehab with them," coach Sean McDermott said at that time, according to the Bills' official website. "That has to continue, though. This is one step in that process of getting Sammy back to where he needs to be and where we need him to be."

It's fair to say the Bills still need convincing that will happen. That was evidenced by the decision not to pick up Watkins' fifth-year contract option.

Related players: Zay Jones

The Bills may reduce his practice time and limit appearances in preseason games. The team has taken steps this offseason to prepare for what might happen if Watkins isn't healthy. The team drafted Zay Jones in the second round, and is expected to host veteran Anquan Boldin on a free-agent visit Monday. Of course, neither of those players would be expected to put up the kind of numbers Watkins is capable of when healthy, the story said.

The early signs were encouraging from Bills second-round pick Zay Jones. But Jones sustained an injury in Tuesday’s OTA practice and did not participate Wednesday and again today (Thursday).

The Bills have confirmed that Jones sustained a knee injury and is week to week. It has been described as a knee sprain.

Jones has a great opportunity to see big snaps immediately, but missing multiple weeks due injury is obviously not a good thing.

Minnesota Vikings

OUT
LB Anthony Barr (groin, hand), DT Linval Joseph (foot), S Andrew Sendejo (knee), S Harrison Smith (knee, hamstring), LB Brandon Watts (rib)

QUESTIONABLE
S Robert Blanton (knee)

PROBABLE
DE Scott Crichton (ankle)

Arizona Cardinals

OUT
RB Andre Ellington (toe), CB Jerraud Powers (calf), DT Frostee Rucker (ankle)

DOUBTFUL
TE Jermaine Gresham (knee)

QUESTIONABLE
S Tony Jefferson (hamstring), DT Cory Redding (ankle)

PROBABLE
WR John Brown (hamstring), WR Larry Fitzgerald (ankle), WR Michael Floyd (hamstring), S Rashad Johnson (ankle), LS Mike Leach (knee), RB Stepfan Taylor (shoulder)

The Vikings will be missing four starters on defense, so dial up David Johnson and the rest of the Arizona starters. John Brown and Michael Floyd can be used as WR2/WR3 types given the probable tags. They should be getting close to full health. With Stepfan Taylor in, Kerwynn Williams is a bit less appealing as a Sneaky Start, but he may have earned 5-10 touches with a big game last week against the Rams.

Green Bay Packers

OUT
WR Ty Montgomery (ankle)

QUESTIONABLE
T Bryan Bulaga (ankle), G T.J. Lang (shoulder), C Corey Linsley (ankle), CB Damarious Randall (knee, hamstring), C J.C. Tretter (ankle)

PROBABLE
WR Jared Abbrederis (rib, chest), CB Demetri Goodson (illness), S Micah Hyde (hip), LB Nate Palmer (foot), G Josh Sitton (back)

Detroit Lions

OUT
WR Lance Moore (ankle)

QUESTIONABLE
WR Calvin Johnson (ankle), K Matt Prater (illness), S Glover Quin (ankle), DT Caraun Reid (ankle), C Travis Swanson (ankle), G Larry Warford (concussion)

PROBABLE
S James Ihedigbo (hamstring), WR Golden Tate (calf), DT Gabe Wright (ankle)

Calvin Johnson is expected to play, despite the questionable tag.