Week 2 8/20/09
Part One | Part
Two | Part Three | Part
Four
Before sitting down to write this series in 2009, I thought it would
be prudent to re-visit 2008, and determine
if there was any value in re-generating this series. What I found
most intriguing was its precautionary advice, namely not to rely
on it as gospel, but as a source of useful information to weed through
in the hopes of unearthing a single nugget that would elevate a
team’s chances come draft day. Accordingly, as you go through
the next four weeks of training camp hype, you have to remember
that it is called “hype”, because that is all that it
is. It is propaganda wrapped up inside a riddle, wrapped again in
a puzzle, entrenched in an enigma, surrounded by conundrum.
AFC EAST
Buffalo
Bills – The Bills are becoming comfortable in the hurry-up
offense, which they have put in place to mask their deficiencies
on the offensive line. The coaching staff is happy with Trent
Edwards abilities to call the plays and are opening the playbook
for him. Terrell
Owens has been out with a “sprained” toe. Some are likening
his injury to Tomlinson’s and McFadden’s turf toe from last year
and are expressing concern that this could be a lingering problem.
It sounds more like a subjective T.O. training camp injury, which
is difficult to diagnose and keeps him from practicing. Owens will
be fine come opening day. Word is that both Marshawn Lynch and Fred
Jackson appear to be running well and Lynch is getting enough
reps to keep him shape prior to his three-game suspension.
Miami
Dolphins – There is no quarterback controversy. Chad Pennington
leads the way, with Chad
Henne to follow. Pat
White has some talent and may get in, but he’s not ready to
run an NFL offense. Ronnie
Brown looks good in both the run and passing game while Ricky
Williams has not exhibited any after catch moves. It is fair
to assume that Brown will be more involved in the offensive than
Williams. Davone
Bess is close to pushing Greg
Camarillo out of the starting lineup, opposite of Ted Ginn,
Jr. Ginn possesses the blinding speed and Bess runs solid routes
and has sure hands. What is hopefully not a sign of things to come
this college season, Ohio State rookie Brian
Hartline is presently ahead of USC rookie Patrick
Turner for the fourth wide receiver position but neither are
fantasy relevant at this time. Making a big splash in training camp
and in the preseason opener is Ernest
Wilford who was converted to tight end. Wilford presently resides
deep on the depth chart behind Anthony
Fasano and David
Martin.
New
England Patriots – Trying to get a read on the Patriots
is often difficult. There is no doubt that Tom Brady is making any
and all passes in the playbook and doing so without a hitch. Some
of the beat writers are asking how Brady will hold up when he is
under pressure in a game that matters and when teams are throwing
different blitz packages at him. There have been no knocks on Randy
Moss who has quietly been wading through training camp. Wes Welker
has returned to the practice field and writers have expressed concerns
with the two veteran free agents Joey Galloway and Greg Lewis, who
are presently slated as slot receivers. Julian Edelman could be
a player to watch if Galloway and Lewis continue to have difficulties.
There could be a true battle at tight end, but Bill Belichick has
no problem implementing a tight end by committee approach. Ben Watson
has seniority and history and has all the skills, but Brady has
spent a lot of time bringing Chris Baker into the fold. In the preseason
opener, Brady twice found Baker in the end zone. All reports are
that Laurence Maroney looks healthy and that the Patriots are pleased
with his development. The Patriots either confirmed this by giving
Maroney the first team reps in the opener against the Eagles, or
were trying to showcase him for trade purposes, hence the positive
statements. New England is somewhat loaded at running back and though
none of them strike fear in opposing defense, Fred Taylor is reportedly
still looking sharp and Kevin Faulk, Sammy Morris and BenJarvus
Green-Ellis don’t appear to be going anywhere.
New
York Jets – Mark
Sanchez looked good against the Rams pass defense (nice team
to open up against), when he hooked up on a 50+ yarder to David
Clowney on his first NFL play. Sanchez saw extremely limited
time in the game, but fared very well. The team is impressed with
his abilities and many think Sanchez is ready to start come opening
day. He’ll get the starting nod in game two, which may be a better
gauge. The front office has upped their offer to Leon
Washington and are allegedly now in the $5 million per-year
range with a guaranteed $10 million which speaks volumes as to their
expectations of using Washington more in the offense. David Clowney
has been very impressive in camp and Rex Ryan has enjoyed watching
the speed of his receiver so much that Clowney may be pushing Chansi
Stuckey for the starting position opposite Jerricho
Cotchery. Brad
Smith is still number three, but will likely bump down a notch.
All of this stated, the Jets are not too happy with what’s left
of their wide receiver corps after the departure of Laveranues
Coles. The New York Daily News reported the Jets are exploring
trade possibilities, including Brandon Marshall, Dwayne Bowe and
Sinorice Moss. Dustin
Keller exhibited why he just may be the number one receiving
option in the Jets’ offense, with sure hands, good speed, strength
and decent moves.
AFC WEST
Denver Broncos –
Knowshon
Moreno signed and oft-injured Ryan
Torain, who was immediately waived. Moreno promptly sprained
his MCL and will be out one to two weeks. Kyle
Orton has not lost his starting position despite a horrible
outing, which ended in three picks against the 49ers. While Josh
McDaniels has had Orton’s back and is supporting his premature determination
to anoint Orton as starter, Chris
Simms has been looking good in camp and some say he should be
given a fair shot to start opening day. Correll
Buckhalter took first team reps against the 49ers and did little
with them, averaging one yard per carry. Moreno looked good as the
second running back until he came out of the game. LaMont
Jordan took the third spot and Peyton Hillis rounded out the
carries with the lion’s share in the second half, averaging almost
five yards a clip. Granted preseason games are not the measuring
stick, but the buzz about Hillis going into the second week makes
him a guy to watch. Eddie
Royal is still benefiting from the Brandon Marshall saga and
looks to be the number one receiver with Brandon
Stokley on the other side. The big news came off the field with
Brandon Marshall
being acquitted on his assault charges. With the acquittal, Marshall
reinstated his demand to be traded. He is completely disenchanted
with the Broncos management, who are clearly not going to let him
go. Marshall is refusing to learn the playbook and is not hanging
out with other offensive players. Meanwhile, McDaniels is wasting
his talent by relegating Marshall to the scout team. This situation
has powder keg written all over it and McDaniels and Bronco management
set a bad precedent by caving into Jay Cutler’s trade demand - something
they don’t want to repeat with Marshall.
Kansas
City Chiefs – As I mentioned last
week, Todd Haley does not tolerate fumbles or dropped passes.
Accordingly, Dwayne Bowe who is predicted by many to be a top 10
wide receiver, is now third on the depth chart in Kansas City. But
after a five catch 70-yard performance against the Texans, Bowe
got some props from his coach. Haley’s depth chart at wide
receiver presently loads Devard Darling, Terrance Copper and Bobby
Engram at the top, rounded out by reserves Dwayne Bowe, Mark Bradley
and Amani Toomer. Additionally, the Chiefs finally said goodbye
to Jeff Webb and immediately signed Ashley Lelie. Most of this sounds
inspirational to me and we should probably see a reversal of fortune,
but it doesn’t hurt to keep your eyes on all the receivers
in a Haley led offense. Matt Cassel did not fare well and Brodie
Croyle looked like a superstar, but let’s not read too much
into this since the first team was playing conservatively and Cassell
was throwing to no one of note. Croyle had the luxury of Bowe as
his receiver against Houston’s second team defense. Meanwhile,
Tyler Thigpen picked up where he left off, scrambling for yardage
and leading the Chiefs on an improbable scoring drive. However,
Thigpen is probably the odd man out and will be released in favor
of Croyle and Matt Gutierrez. Although Haley has not committed to
Cassell as the starter, Cassell has taken the lion’s share
of first team snaps this summer and he has looked good in camp.
Larry Johnson is in the “best shape of his life.” Jamaal
Charles does not appear to be a threat to Johnson carrying the load.
Ryan Smith may be edging out Brad Cottam in the tight end battle,
but neither will be mistaken for Tony Gonzalez.
Oakland
Raiders – If there was one player worth watching on
this team, it was Chaz Schilens, who looked polished hauling in
five catches against the Cowboys. He appeared to be JaMarcus Russell’s
go-to-guy during camp and in the game. That was until he fractured
his foot. Schilens will miss considerable time, with estimates being
anywhere from four to six weeks. Javon Walker is still up and down
with injuries and Derrius Heyward-Bey may have speed, but seemed
unable to shake coverage. While Darren McFadden looked explosive
in their preseason opener, Tom Cable continues to be mum on how
he is planning on using his three running backs. The only problem
is that he might have to use them all at the same time as JaMarcus
Russell’s consistency…lacks…consistency. In a
scrimmage with the 49ers this week, Russell threw three picks.
San
Diego Chargers – The Chargers came into the preseason
as the favorite to win the AFC West and with all of the rancor,
discourse and/or confusion in Denver, Kansas City and Oakland, Charger
camp seems like a Zen garden. LaDainian Tomlinson is motivated and
wants to get more time in the second preseason game. This comes
from a player who never wanted to see any preseason action. There
are no surprises with this team’s roster. The receiving corps
looks locked in with Vincent Jackson and Chris Chambers leading
the way and Legedu Naanee and Malcolm Floyd as numbers three and
four. Craig “Buster” Davis is determined to make some
noise and should not be discounted too quickly. One guy who probably
will not make the team and will land on the practice squad is undrafted
rookie wide receiver from West Texas A&M, Charly Martin, who
has been turning a lot of heads in camp. Jacob Hester looks to be
squaring away the lead at fullback.
AFC NORTH
Baltimore Ravens –
The preseason hype about Ray Rice is continuing to gain steam. The
game against the Redskins allowed others to see what the Ravens
and their news writers have watched this summer. In only one quarter
of the preseason opener, Rice carried the ball five times and was
targeted on five passes. In all, Rice gained 60 yards in just the
first quarter of the game. Rice gets some rave Raven reviews from
impressive sources. Terrell Suggs says about Rice, “you never
know where he’s going to be, and he’s hard to tackle.”
Rice puts moves on hall of famer Ray Lewis and leaves him grasping
at air. Willis McGahee also looked solid in both the game and in
practices. McGahee has shown up to camp healthy and with a whole
new attitude. Kelley Washington is trying to make a move with all
of the injuries to the wide receiver group. The starting jobs belong
to Derrick Mason and Mark Clayton, with Demetrius Williams filling
in for Clayton (hamstring).
Cincinnati
Bengals – Carson
Palmer suffered a high ankle sprain and was first reported to
be out 2-3 weeks. However, now he is listed as probable for this
week’s preseason game, but likely will not play. Palmer himself
admitted, he is less likely to be affected by a high ankle sprain
meaning he is not the most mobile quarterback and can probably play
through a minor sprain. Cedric
Benson has continued to run strong in both camp and in exhibition.
Benson should get the bulk of the carries but Bernard
Scott is a fast change of pace back and making a case for playing
time. Chad
Ochocinco has been a model citizen and is working hard in camp.
Chris Henry
has been an even better citizen and his 100-yard performance against
the Saints made fantasy owners sit up and take notice. The o-line
looked okay against the Saints, but lost its blocking tight end,
Reggie Kelly.
Cleveland
Browns – Its difficult to hear anything about the Browns
through all of the static on year two of the Derek
Anderson v. Brady Quinn debate. We don’t have a good read on
who will be starting opening day and Mangini remains mum on a starter
for this week’s game. James
Davis continues to gain recognition while Jerome
Harrison misses valuable practice time. Some think Davis is
ready to take the reins at running back and will be starting by
mid-season. Braylon Edwards is getting significant flak for a dropped
touchdown pass against the Packers, however, truth be told, Edwards
has made nearly every catch in camp. While Mohamed
Massaquoi is still slightly ahead of Brian
Robiskie, indications are that Joshua Cribbs could be grabbing
the starting spot opposite Edwards.
Pittsburgh
Steelers – Ben Roethlisberger’s counsel is doing
a bang-up job of playing his case in the press claiming there is
no merit to the rape claim against Big Ben. This is one off-the-field
matter that doesn’t appear to be a distraction in any fashion.
Willie Parker is looking healthy and uh…”fast.”
Reports on Rashard Mendenhall vary. Some say he has done nothing
to replace Parker and others think Mendenhall is primed to be the
starter. In either event, 230-pound rookie Isaac Redman is making
a strong case to get the short yardage and/or goal line carries.
Obviously, Hines Ward and Santonio Holmes are the starting wideouts,
but does Limas Sweed have number three locked up? Sweed has a leg
up on the position, but Shaun McDonald and rookie Mike Wallace are
not making it easy on him. Wallace is the fastest wide receiver
on the team and the term “60 Minutes” will never apply
to him.
AFC SOUTH
Houston Texans –
The Texans are not a team filled with training camp intrigue. Fantasy
relevant first teamers are in place with Matt Schaub, Andre Johnson,
Steve Slaton, Owen Daniels and Kevin Walter. Of note is the fact
Gary Kubiak was quite pleased with Chris Brown’s performance
against the Chiefs and Brown appears to be solidifying his role
as the Texans’ red zone running back and is definitely ahead
of Ryan Moats on the depth chart. Dan Orlovsky appears to be winning
the battle of the back-up quarterback.
Indianapolis
Colts – Good news for the Colts as Dallas Clark has
been cleared to return to practice after suffering a concussion.
All of the talk of Donald Brown being taken in the first round before
Beanie Wells, may have been premature. Joseph Addai is looking very
good in camp and is being compared to his 2006 form. Addai shows
no signs of wear from his off-season surgery and by most accounts
should be the primary rusher in the spread offense. Brown showed
he is effective between the tackles and will be used to spell Addai.
Reggie Wayne and Anthony Gonzalez are locked in, but who has the
slot? Last week, I would have stated it was Pierre Garcon or Roy
Hall, with Garcon ahead. However, this week Hall is gone after an
injury waiver and Garcon is deemed to be an outside receiver, backing
up Reggie Wayne. The slot receiver should be Austen Collie, a rookie
out of BYU.
Jacksonville
Jaguars – Since 2004 we have been hearing about Greg Jones
being the back-up to Fred Taylor. In 2009, we once again are buying
into Greg
Jones being the back-up, this time to Maurice
Jones-Drew? I would still keep my eye on Rashad
Jennings as he is the more explosive back. Expectations are
not too high for one of the league’s most prolific receivers over
the last decade. Torry
Holt will make an impact in this offense, but even his coach
seems to recognize that Holt does not have the speed to be involved
in deep routes. Holt should be effective as a possession receiver
and could be an effective red zone player. Mike
Walker has been highly touted, but has never gotten his opportunity
due to injuries. Once again Walker is injured suffering an unspecified
leg injury. He is supposed to return prior to the season, but given
his history, it is too difficult to place any stock in him. With
Walker out, perennial bust Troy Williamson has not only been holding
off the younger receivers but has playing well enough to get a shot
at the starting job opposite Holt.
Tennessee
Titans – Reports on Vince
Young have been favorable. He appears to have his head on straight
and he is making good decisions. More important however, is that
“Smash & Dash” are back! After being pressured by Deion
Sanders, Chris
Johnson recognized that he and LenDale
White need to preserve their nickname. Johnson and White better
keep their act straight as rookie Javon
Ringer has been impressive in camp and again in the Titans opener
against Tampa Bay. Rookie wide receiver Kenny
Britt received a handful of targets in the opener and made the
most of it with five catches for 89 yards, one of which was a 37-yard
touchdown although he did leave the game hobbled. The starting receiver
group is Nate
Washington and Justin
Gage’s, but if Britt returns from his injury anytime soon and
continues to play the way he did against the Buccaneers, he could
be starting by the end of his rookie year.
NFC WEST
Arizona Cardinals –
There’s a lot of talk about Kurt Warner’s hip not being
fully healthy until next March and although Warner said it doesn’t
bother him during game time, some beat writers think Warner looked
old in Thursday night’s preseason game going 6 of 10 for 53
yards. Tim Hightower continues to look good in camp and is distancing
any concerns that Beanie Wells may get the starting nod. Wells reinjured
his ankle (twisted) on Tuesday. Some reports make the ankle injury
to be more serious than the Cardinals are letting on. If you are
going to grab this back-up running back, you better handcuff him
with the starter. Steve Breaston has also looked good in camp showed
it Thursday night against the Steelers. While the beat writers think
Leinart is ready to play and should fight off Brian St. Pierre for
the number two job, he looked off against the Steelers, throwing
behind and over receivers. Anquan Boldin has been business as usual
and while he may not be happy about his contract, does not display
his displeasure on the practice field. Seventh round draft pick
RB LaRod Stephens-Howling has been turning some heads and might
earn some time in the backfield in addition to special teams.
St.
Louis Rams – Old news now, but down goes Donnie Avery
for 4-6 weeks. The supporting cast of wide receivers leaves something
to be desired: Ronald Curry - third team since only March of this
year; Derek Stanley – slowly returning from last year’s
knee injury; Keenan Burton – returning from knee and hamstring
injury; Laurent Robinson – Falcons unloaded for cheap; Nate
Jones and Tim Carter not on an active squad last season and three
rookies including Brooks Foster (who I can’t help but think
of an old comedian known for his drunk caricatures). After Friday
night’s game against the Jets, Robinson is holding the starting
wide receiver position opposite of Avery (upon his return). Finally,
Marc Bulger is out again, this time for two weeks due to a broken
pinkie. Kyle Boller is presently starting… yuck.
San
Francisco 49ers – Michael
Crabtree remains a no-show. The 49ers have drawn a line in the
sand at a number below B.J.
Raji’s and have no intention of budging. Meanwhile, Josh
Morgan and Isaac Bruce have undeniably attained the starting
roles at receiver. RB Kory
Sheets may be looking good, but was listed fifth on the depth
chart against the Broncos. Frank
Gore is still the workhorse, looking good and inspiring the
rest of the offense. Both Alex
Smith and Shaun
Hill are performing well and while Hill now appears at first
blush to be the front-runner, both are expected to play with the
first team this week and Mike Singletary stated that no one should
read anything into who is starting. However, Singletary alluded
to Hill being the starter even after the preseason game against
the Broncos.
Seattle
Seahawks – Matt Hasselbeck and T.J. Houshmandzadeh
have reportedly developed a nice chemistry during camp. Offensive
coordinator Greg Knapp intends to spread the ball around between
Housh, Nate Burleson, Deion Branch and John Carlson. Burleson has
been running every practice without a brace, a sleeve, a limp or
any other evidence that he injured his knee last season. Coach Jim
Mora says that Burleson looks “explosive.” Carlson is
showing up all of the receivers in camp making spectacular grabs
on a daily basis and acting as Hasselbeck’s check-down option.
Battling for spots on the team are the usual suspects from last
year: Ben Obomanu, Jordan Kent, Logan Payne, Courtney Taylor and
even Michael Bumpus and Mike Hass. There can never be enough Joneses
in Seattle. Walter Jones is back at practice and there were brief
rumors that Thomas Jones would be joining his brother Julius. But
those rumors were rapidly squelched by the Jets. Last year, I touted
Justin Forsett as a guy to watch in hopes that he would just made
the team. This year, the Hawks are looking for an increased role
by Forsett, who should be used in the backfield and not just special
teams. Knapp and Mora both know how to use a diminutive back like
Forsett, a la Warrick Dunn. Just an fyi –wasn’t it Mora
who traded Duckett out of Atlanta for Ashley Lelie?
NFC EAST
Dallas Cowboys –
The Cowboys coaching staff is happy with the strides being made
between Tony
Romo and Roy
Williams as they now appear to be on the same page. Miles
Austin has not been impressive of late and Sam Hurd is making
noise to be the No. 3 WR behind Williams and Patrick Crayton. In
their preseason opener, Felix
Jones showed the electrifying moves the beat writers have been
gushing over during training camp. Marion
Barber looks quicker after slimming down five pounds. A blogger
for the Dallas Morning News suggests that Barber will be getting
the goal line carries and the bulk of the work in the first and
fourth quarters; Jones 12-15 touches and Tashard
Choice spelling Barber for two or three series per game.
New
York Giants – Rookie RB Andre
Brown is no longer a factor as he tore his Achilles tendon and
is done for the season. Hoping to replace Brown is Oklahoma rookie
and speedster Allen
Patrick, famous for being Adrian Peterson replacement. However,
the reality is that Brown’s loss will result in a bigger load for
Ahmad Bradshaw
and perhaps Danny
Ware. Hakeem
Nicks has been catching everything thrown his way and has made
a great impression in camp. Steve
Smith and Domenik
Hixon are equally making good arguments to be lining up on opposite
sides of the field on opening day but many are expecting Nicks to
make an early contribution.
Philadelphia
Eagles – The highly touted offensive line has had no
opportunity to gel as most of the starters are dinged up. Shawn
Andrews is still out with back issues and Jason Peters has a quad
injury. Brian Westbrook is no longer on the sideline as he has returned
to limited practice. LeSean McCoy continues to impress and his TCH
turned into 55 yards on 10 carries against the Pats, most of which
came on runs of five to seven yards. McCoy is being credited as
an elusive runner, accomplished pass receiver and he even has blitz
blocking down. DeSean Jackson has been eating up his own secondary
while Jeremy Maclin is envisioned to line up on the opposite side.
Maclin and Avant appear to be battling for the slot with Curtis
getting number two. Brent Celek is out with a separated shoulder.
Lorenzo Booker may be looking for new employment with rookie Eldra
Buckley catching the coach’s eye. Oh…and Michael Vick
is now nipping at Donovan McNabb’s heels. Coverage is all
Vick all the time.
Washington
Redskins – Chris Cooley is looking to have a huge rebound
year after getting only one touchdown in 2008. Devin Thomas and
Malcolm Kelly continued to have good training camps, but injuries
have derailed them briefly, opening the door for Antwaan Randle
El to start again.
NFC NORTH
Chicago Bears –
Jay Cutler’s first game in the Bear uniform was inconsistent
at best, going 5-10 for 64 yards and tossing a pick with a second
INT looming on the horizon, before it was dropped. Cutler targeted
Devin Hester
as his number one, throwing the ball his way six times connecting
on only two. The receivers may be rounding out with Earl Bennett
as number two and Brandon
Rideau at number three. Putting some pressure on Rideau however
is Devin Aromashodu,
who has been garnering praise from the quarterbacks. Rideau and
Aromashodu are looking much better in practice then they did in
the preseason game. Rashied
Davis is being touted as high as number three and as low as
off the 53-man roster. Expecting to be key contributors, Matt Forte
and Greg Olsen
were held out of the first exhibition game. Kevin
Jones looks to be back at full strength and expected to spell
Forte during the season.
Detroit
Lions – Matthew Stafford looked good in his first preseason
game and is making a strong bid to start. Stafford will be starting
over Daunte Culpepper in the Lions’ second preseason game.
RB Aaron Brown (6th round pick) has surprised the Lions and has
moved up the depth chart. During the pre-season game against the
Falcons, Brown broke a 32-yard touchdown run and a 45-yard touchdown
on a short pass. However, he has to compete against Kevin Smith
who aspires to run for “5,000 yards and 100 touchdowns”
this season. Brandon Pettigrew continues to be sidelined while wideout
Bryant Johnson is returning from his injury.
Green
Bay Packers – QB Aaron Rodgers led the Packers to touchdowns
in both series in which he was on the field. Donald Driver hauled
in a 53-yard pass… is there still life in him? Ryan Grant
fared well in red zone play and scored from two yards out. Having
a good start in camp was undrafted rookie running back Tyrell Sutton,
whose second half rushing picked up 91 yards. However, Sutton languishes
behind Brandon Jackson, DeShawn Wynn and Kregg Lumpkin in a crowded
backfield.
Minnesota
Vikings – It’s been difficult to get excited
about Percy Harvin considering the stable of quarterbacks were Tarvaris
Jackson, Sage Rosenfels and John David Booty. Neither Rosenfels
nor Jackson distinguished himself as the QB to lead the Vikings
through the post-season. And what started as a rumor prior to publication,
turned into fact when Brett Favre signed with the Vikings on Tuesday.
Expect nothing more out of Minnesota for the rest of pre-season,
except hype about Favre. Meanwhile, Bernard Berrian got dinged up
with a hamstring pull in the opening game and Percy Harvin was benched
for precautionary reasons with a shoulder injury. Harvin has already
taken to the practice field and should get some good looks against
Kansas City tonight. RB Albert Young is looking to get off the practice
squad and rest himself behind Adrian Peterson and Chester Taylor.
NFC SOUTH
Atlanta Falcons –
Michael Turner strutted his stuff against one of last year’s
worst run defenses with a 40-yard touchdown scamper. There are conflicting
reports about whether Turner’s workload is going to be restricted.
Jerious Norwood is running with greater determination to run between
the tackles in order to steal some carries. Roddy White signed and
joined his mates on the practice field since the last installment.
Michael Jenkins will line up on the other side of the field with
Brian Finneran and Eric Weems holding down the third and fourth
spots respectively.
Carolina
Panthers – Jonathan Stewart continues to nurse his
Achilles tendon. DeAngelo Williams expects Stewart will be back
by opening day, but Panther faithful are concerned now that Stewart
has missed OTAs and training camp. Although old news, Steve Smith
owners collectively held their breath when he was carted off the
field with a shoulder injury. DeAngelo Williams owners did too when
Williams missed a couple of practices with a toe injury. Williams
appears to be fine and Smith has already returned to the practice
field, in full pads, but was not playing in contact drills. Continuing
to make noise in camp and during the Panthers opening game against
the Giants is rookie running back Mike Goodson, who rushed for 43
yards, a touchdown and caught two passes for 16 more yards. Goodson
is explosive and has been praised by Jake Delhomme as being able
to go from 0-100 from a dead stop. His propensity for fumbles may
be the great equalizer however. Veteran receivers Steve Smith and
Muhsin Muhammad lead the way with conflicting reports about Kenneth
Moore and Ryne Robinson backing up Smith, while Dwayne Jarrett plays
behind Muhammad. Some reports indicate Moore is having problems,
while other reports place Moore squarely at number three. In the
first quarter against the Giants, Delhomme targeted Moore three
times, twice on third downs. None of the quarterbacks looked impressive
in the preseason opener. Nevertheless, Delhomme does not appear
to be in jeopardy of losing his job to Josh McCown or Matt Moore.
New
Orleans Saints – Jeremy Shockey’s numbers may
have been on the decline for the last three years, but the Saints
pre-season opener against the Bengalsmade Shockey a household name
again. Shockey looked strong going over the middle for three catches,
61 yards and a touchdown. Pierre Thomas did nothing but rush between
the tackles four times for 15 yards. However, news out of Saints
camp is that Thomas looks great and is not threatened by anyone…other
than Reggie Bush. Despite all the talk about Reggie Bush’s
knee flare ups, Bush started the opener and carried the ball three
times, running the ball between the tackles on two of those carries.
A guy who may not even make the team, but is turning heads is Rod
Harper. Harper has impressed in the Saints scrimmage and pre-season
opener but being number 11 on the WR depth chart is not helping
especially now that Lance Moore is finally back on the practice
field.
Tampa
Bay Buccaneers – From all accounts, Byron Leftwich
has taken sole possession of the starting quarterback role, with
Luke McCown following in tow. McCown started against the Titans
and looked just okay leading the first team offense (well, sort
of a first team offense, since none of the actual first team receivers
ever got on the field), while Leftwich was more effective. They
will flip flop roles this week. Josh Freeman does not appear to
be ready and will likely be holding a clipboard most of the season.
The anticipated starting wide receivers have not fared well with
Antonio Bryant still being sidelined by a torn meniscus injury and
Michael Clayton getting limited reps in practice with a hamstring
injury. Bryant will not see the field in the preseason, but should
be ready come opening day. A rookie to keep your eye on given the
woes at wide receiver, is Oregon State’s Sammie Stroughter,
who has caught the coaching staff’s eye. Stroughter is still
buried mid-way down the depth chart and did not see his first target
until late in the third quarter of the Titans game. However, with
the limited time from the starters and the ineffective play of Maurice
Stovall and Cortez Hankton, Stroughter could start clawing his way
up the charts. Neither Derrick Ward nor Earnest Graham looked very
effective and Cadillac Williams was back in the shop for precautionary
reasons and will be held out of game two as well.
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