Team news: Denver Broncos | Page 26

According to Mike Klis on Twitter, Denver Broncos wide receiver Courtland Sutton went down with an apparent shoulder injury and went to the locker room with trainers. Update: An MRI revealed a sprained AC joint.

This is not the news anyone wants to hear just days away from the regular season. Sutton will have an extra day to get healed, so the hope here is that the injury is not that serious. The latest reports have it that Sutton has avoided disaster, with his MRI test revealing a sprained AC joint. This could still prove to be a multi-week injury with the main concern being the pain he will feel trying to raise his hands to corral passes. We will pass along further information as soon as we have it.

Melvin Gordon and Phillip Lindsay are listed as the co-starters at running back, and Jerry Jeudy and Tim Patrick are the co-starters at the receiver spot opposite Courtland Sutton.

It’s possible three of those four co-starters will take the field to start Week 1. It’s doubtful all four are on the field for the first play, the story said. While it's not always easy to read into depth charts, it could mean all four players will get significant time this season and have fantasy relevance.

The Athletic projects Rams rookie WR Van Jefferson to be the third wide receiver over Josh Reynolds.

Reynolds was expected to take over the Brandin Cooks role in the Rams offense but it appears the rookie may have beaten him out in camp. The Rams throw a ton and play at one of the quickest paces in the league, so any player getting a significant snap share in that offense carries fantasy potential. For now, Jefferson will be a low-usage option behind Cooper Kupp, Robert Woods, and TE Tyler Higbee.

Drew Lock/Courtland Sutton. The first 11-on-11 play of training camp was a pass to Sutton and the duo are trending the right away. The in-sync part is important because I haven’t seen a glaring miscommunication between Lock and Sutton yet, which is a good sign considering the new playbook.

Lock/Jerry Jeudy. Agreed on your “getting there” analysis. They’ve had several nice completions, the same for Jeudy and backup quarterback Jeff Driskel.

Lock/K.J. Hamler. A tough break for the offense and for Hamler, who is out multiple weeks with a hamstring injury and whose status for Week 1 is in doubt. When Hamler gets back to practice, he and Lock will have to start over.

With Hamler out, the story said guys like tight ends Albert Okwuegbunam and Jake Butt and receivers Tim Patrick, DaeSean Hamilton and Tyrie Cleveland have all picked up the slack. Lock had time with Sutton last year so it makes sense they are on the same page. Jeudy will be a key to the offense as he and Lock look to get more comfortable with one another.

From beat writer Mike Reiss' camp notes: This was basically the Cam Newton Show with a little Brian Hoyer mixed in.

Related players: Jarrett Stidham

Reiss said Stidham took some 11-on-11 snaps, but he's fading out of the picture. Looks like the Patriots are all-in for Newton this season.

Denver Broncos rookie wide receiver Jerry Jeudy has lit up the team's training camp thus far, and his defensive teammates think it's just the beginning. In fact, it could just be a sliver of what's to come.

"He can get in and out of his breaks better than anyone I've ever seen before," said Broncos safety Kareem Jackson, now in his 11th NFL season. "For him to be rookie, his tempo and his routes -- the way he can change pace and the way he sells things is very rare. It's going to be a challenge for opposing defenses and guys in the secondary. For us, getting a chance to see him every day is going to help us."

Related players: Courtland Sutton

Jeudy, who was the Broncos' first-round pick (15th overall) in this past April's draft, was considered by many personnel executives to be the best route runner and most versatile wideout in a deep class of wide receivers. And while no one is chiseling his work in the first few weeks of August into tablets, he has gotten the attention of some of the toughest critics of rookies - veterans, the story said. Jeudy could play a lot of snaps, but he's the WR2 behind Sutton and is ranked 49th among our WRs.

Broncos head coach Vic Fangio is pleased with WR Courtland Sutton so far this season, according to Zac Stevens of DNVR Sports. Fangio said his routes are crisper and that there is a big jump to be made from year two to year three.

Sutton is the leader of the new-look Broncos wide receiver corps and is on the verge of being one of the best fantasy wide receivers, as long as Drew Lock improves.

Patriots QB Jarrett Stidham is experiencing leg discomfort, limiting his practice availability Friday. Giardi also said that the injury will prevent Stidham from being 100% for several weeks.

Bad news for the second-year QB as he tries to win the starting job in New England. Cam Newton gets the first team snaps to himself as long as Stidham sits.

The Rams expect that Josh Reynolds will, or at least play a significantly increased role, this season.

Related players: Van Jefferson, Greg Dortch, Robert Woods, Cooper Kupp, Nsimba Webster

The Rams think Reynolds can step in with the loss of Brandin Cooks to the Texans. A fourth-round pick in 2017, Reynolds served mostly as a backup the past three seasons, but filled in as a starter when needed. In 48 games, Reynolds caught 61 passes for 832 yards and seven touchdowns.

It's a one-year "prove it" deal for Cam Newton, who missed most of 2019 with a foot injury. He completed 50-of-89 passes for one interception and no touchdowns while rushing five times for negative two yards. In 2018, he completed 67.9% of his passes and had a 24-to-13 touchdown-to-interception ratio while rushing for 35 yards a game. This looks like a great signing for the Patriots, who were obviously uncomfortable going into the season with Jarrett Stidham and/or Brian Hoyer as their only options. If Newton is fully healthy, he's a threat for QB1 numbers. He has five top 4 finishes in his career and has never finished outside the top 17 when he has played 14 or more games. The signing is good news for all of the New England offensive players (outside of Stidham/Hoyer, obviously).