NFL Pre-Season Central...Previews,Injuries,Results,Signings,Pictures,Etc,Etc.

[Greenbacks]

3) Buffalo Bills

For the Bills' defense to get back on track, Rex Ryan will need to get major contributions from his rookie class -- particularly Shaq Lawson, Adolphus Washington and Reggie Ragland. Although Lawson is currently on the mend nursing a shoulder, the first-round pick is hoping to rejoin the team by the middle of the season. If he makes a speedy recovery and returns to form, the rookie could give the Bills a power rusher to feature off the edge on passing downs. Most importantly, though, Lawson will serve as a stout run defender on the edge who can prevent opponents from turning the corner on outside runs.

Washington will crack the starting lineup as a 3-technique to provide Ryan with an athletic presence opposite Marcell Dareus. With the Pro Bowl NT commanding double-team attention on nearly every snap, Washington should have plenty of opportunities to make splash plays (tackles for loss, sacks and forced fumbles) on the inside, particularly with the Bills poised to blitz like crazy this season.

Ragland gets the last mention here, but he could be the most important rookie contributor for the Bills as the traffic cop in the middle. The defense struggled with communication and execution throughout the 2015 season, which prompted Ryan and his staff to look for a leader on the second level. Ragland has experience controlling the defense from his time at 'Bama, and his unique skills as a big-bodied run thumper will add some toughness to the group. Not to mention, his tackling prowess and production could make him a legitimate contender for Defensive Rookie of the Year honors, if he totals 100-plus tackles as the hunter in the middle of the Bills' defense.

Oh, and keep an eye on Kevon Seymour as a late-round pick who could make a big impact. The 5-11, 184-pound cover corner was outstanding during the spring and could carve out a role as the team's nickel corner during the regular season. I spoke with some of the Bills' front-office members and coaches, and they believe Seymour could be a Ronald Darby-like presence on the perimeter as a rookie.

 

[Greenbacks]

2) Tampa Bay Buccaneers

If the Buccaneers are going to win big in Dirk Koetter's debut season as head coach, the 2016 rookie class must hit the ground running from Day 1. The team is counting on several first-year players to make immediate contributions as starters or situational playmakers, particularly on the defensive side of the ball. Vernon Hargreaves steps in as the team's CB2 opposite Brent Grimes, but he could be the Buccaneers' top cover corner by the end of the season. The spunky playmaker has a rare combination of athleticism, instincts and awareness that allows him to shine on the outside or in the slot against dynamic pass catchers. In a division that features a handful of explosive playmakers -- New Orleans' Brandin Cooks, Atlanta's Julio Jones and Carolina's Kelvin Benjamin and Ted Ginn Jr. -- Hargreaves' cover skills will play a pivotal role for the Bucs' D.

Noah Spence also will play a key role in the Buccaneers' potential rise as the team's designated pass rusher off the edge. The 6-2, 254-pounder has remarkable first-step quickness and snap-count anticipation, but his natural hand skills and body control are what make him a nightmare to block on passing downs. Despite concerns about his strength and motor, Spence's explosive pass-rush skills remind me a little of Von Miller, which makes him a threat to register 10-plus sacks when he settles into his role off the edge. Yes, I know that's high praise for a player who hasn't played a down in the NFL, but Spence has the tools to be an impact player as a rookie and I expect him to flourish in Mike Smith's scheme.

The second-round selection of Roberto Aguayo was met with eye rolls and snickers on draft day, but the kicker could determine the team's playoff fate with his leg. He was nearly automatic whenever he stepped onto the field as a collegian (converted 96.7 percent of his kicks at Florida State) and his perfect mark from short range (made 100 percent of his kick attempts within 40 yards, including extra points) eliminates concerns about PATs for the Buccaneers. In addition, Aguayo is a spot-on kickoff specialist, adept at dropping the ball into the corners on sky kicks. Considering the new touchback rules and the impact of field position on scoring opportunities, Aguayo's value as a directional kicker could make him the Buccaneers' most important rookie "defender."

 

[Greenbacks]

1) New York Giants

The Giants are definitely in win-now mode, with the team desperately seeking to end a four-season playoff drought. GM Jerry Reese not only passed big checks to a number of marquee free agents (Olivier Vernon, Damon Harrison and Janoris Jenkins), but he plucked a handful of immediate contributors in the draft who are expected to make their marks as rookies. Eli Apple and Darian Thompson will step into the starting lineup as the team's nickel corner and free safety, respectively. Apple can play on the outside or inside in sub-packages, giving Steve Spagnuolo tremendous flexibility with his lineups.

In addition, Apple's technique versatility (off backpedal and press) should allow him to shine in man or zone coverage on the perimeter. With Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Jenkins also capable of using a variety of tools on the outside, the G-Men suddenly have a promising set of CBs.
Thompson is slated to step in as the free safety opposite Landon Collins. The ex-Boise State standout is an excellent communicator with a high football IQ, which makes him a natural traffic cop in the secondary. He is also a rangy center fielder with the ball skills to become an immediate difference maker between the hashes. If he masters the scheme quickly, Thompson should fill a huge void for the Giants.

On offense, there's no question WR Sterling Shepard has been the star of the offseason. He has impressed coaches and team officials with his mastery of the position (route running, releases and position flexibility), while also displaying big-play potential on the perimeter. Shepard is a clone of Victor Cruz, capable of doing damage from the slot or on the outside. Thus, the Giants could trot out an interchangeable trio (Odell Beckham Jr., Cruz and Shepard) that could pose problems for opponents attempting to double-team or bracket OBJ in critical moments. Considering how many teams lack three top cover corners, Shepard could thrive as the Giants' WR2 or WR3 in Year 1.

 

[Greenbacks]

The Saints arrive at camp.

 

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[Greenbacks]

Tyrann Mathieu placed on PUP list.

 

[Greenbacks]

Ravens add four-time Pro Bowl OT Jake Long.

 

[Greenbacks]

Bears are packed and ready for camp.

 

[Greenbacks]

Good afternoon Buc fans.

 

[Greenbacks]

Welcome to Jets camp.

 

[Greenbacks]

Training camp Dates and Locations.

 

[Greenbacks]

Colin Kaepernick medically cleared for Camp.

Colin Kaepernick is healthy just in time for his training-camp battle with Blaine Gabbert.
For the first time since undergoing three surgeries, Kaepernick received medical clearance from his Colorado doctor to practice, sources with knowledge of the situation told NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport.

Kaepernick will need further clearance from the San Francisco 49ers' medical staff when he reports for training camp before he can take the field.
The Sacramento Bee first reported the development.
Gabbert worked with the first-team offense throughout the offseason as Kaepernick recovered from surgery to repair a torn left shoulder labrum in addition to procedures on his right thumb and left knee.

New coach Chip Kelly has assured that there will be a fair competition between Gabbert and Kaepernick for the 49ers' starting job.
"All I've heard is that Chip has told me it's going to be a competition ... and to come in and be ready to compete," Kaepernick said in June. "That's my mindset, and I'm excited to do that."

One rival defensive coordinator has predicted that Kaepernick will be a "nightmare" in Kelly's offense, which is ideally suited to the athletic quarterback's skill set.
To be fair, though, Kelly has astutely pointed out that Gabbert's underappreciated athleticism also "jumped out" in offseason practices.
It might take until the third preseason game before a heavy favorite emerges as the Week 1 starter.

 

[Greenbacks]

Chiefs place Jamaal Charles on PUP list.

The Kansas City Chiefs will be without another veteran to start training camp.
The team placed running back Jamaal Charles on the physically unable to perform list for the start of workouts, BJ Kissel of the team's official website announced.

The news of Charles' absence comes a day after the Chiefs found out they'd be without Eric Berry and Justin Houston for at least the start of camp.
Charles suffered an ACL tear in October and underwent his second knee surgery in the past four years. Turning 30 in December, the Chiefs won't rush Charles back about nine months after going under the knife.

After Charles went down in Week 5, K.C. saw Charcandrick West and Spencer Ware combine for 1,257 yards and 11 touchdowns. Ware starred down the stretch and should take the lead role as long as Charles is absent.
Once he returns, Charles should slide right back into the top slot on the depth chart. When healthy the nine-year pro is one of the most dynamic, well-rounded backs in the NFL. But with two capable backups, it wouldn't be a surprise if coach Andy Reid decided it was time to curtail some of Charles' workload.

Here are other injuries we are monitoring Wednesday:

1. Jaguars coach Gus Bradley told reporters rookie cornerback Jalen Ramsey (knee) has been medically cleared to practice. However, the team will be careful with the first-year player. He added that Ramsey will work inside and in nickel during camp. Ramsey underwent surgery in May to repair a small tear to the meniscus in his right knee, which he suffered during phase two of the team's offseason conditioning program.

2. The Jets have waived running back Zac Stacy after he failed his physical with the team. The team also placed running back Khiry Robinson on the PUP list with a leg injury. To replace these runners, New York is signing former Ravens and Jaguars back Bernard Pierce.

 

[Greenbacks]

Training camp report dates: Veterans and rookies July 29.

Training camp location: Saint Thomas Sports Park, Nashville, Tennessee.

Player to watch: Guard Chance Warmack. This is really more of a way of talking about the entire Titans offensive line. But in looking at the Titans' depth chart right now, Warmack has the difficult task of working next to rookie right tackle Jack Conklin and being the messenger across an offensive line that could have more on its shoulders than any other team in football this season. Warmack, who reportedly has a six-pack, is currently bundled in with the rest of the disastrous 2013 draft class, but he has played at least 14 games in each of his first three seasons. Tennessee would like to see the dependable Warmack evolve into an every-down power, and perhaps this is the season it all comes together for the former Alabama road grader. Warmack has always been a better run blocker, and there's a good chance the Titans average more than 33 rushing attempts per game (possibly more if the team is interested in getting Marcus Mariota involved on the ground).

THREE BURNING QUESTIONS:

1. What does the offense look like?
Simple enough, but the addition of DeMarco Murray leads us to believe that the Titans will look worlds different than they did a year ago. The phrase 'exotic smashmouth' was thrown around to our excitement and it leads us to believe the Titans might look like a cross between the Carolina Panthers and Philadelphia Eagles from a year ago. Run-heavy teams win Super Bowls and the Titans now have two bruising backs at their disposal.

2. Does Dorial Green-Beckham make the leap?
The Green-Beckham hype train has been chugging this offseason which, if you've followed our exhaustive coverage of Cordarrelle Patterson, might not be excellent news. The Titans knew this would be a boom-or-bust pick and it was made before new general manager Jon Robinson took the reins. That means either Green-Beckham starts to soar -- his 32 catches and four touchdowns were a nice start, and the addition of Rishard Matthews should help free him from double coverage -- and is the focal point of Tennessee's passing game, or he's going to be handed a sled and taught how to block.

3. Will Tajae Sharpe continue to wow?
Sharpe, a fifth-round pick out of UMass, has a ton of potential but some scouts believe his frame lacked the proper bulk to handle the rigors of the NFL. Speed kills during organized team activities and minicamp, which might have been why Sharpe earned so many rave reviews thus far and took first-team snaps. In training camp, we should see if Sharpe can hold down the third wide receiver position, potentially edging out the likes of Matthews, Harry Douglas or Kendall Wright. That would be a stunner, but it would be another positive for Robinson, who needs to build depth across the board.

Way-too-early season prediction: We thought this team would do well to double their 2015 win total. This offseason they seem to have gotten three wins better but positive mojo and continued improvement from Marcus Mariota could bring this team into the conversation for seven or eight wins depending on how their division shakes out.

 

[Greenbacks]

 

[Greenbacks]

"No, Cam can't beat me in the 40. But his speed is decent. Decent speed."

 

[Greenbacks]

Slim, trim Eddie Lacy biking to practice.

 

[Greenbacks]

 

[Greenbacks]

Matt Ryan checking in for Falcons' training camp.

 

[Greenbacks]

Better fantasy RB: T.J. Yeldon or Chris Ivory?

Last season, Adrian Peterson racked up 327 rush attempts by himself.

The Jacksonville Jaguars recorded 354 total rush attempts as a team.

Jacksonville's mediocre (at best) offensive line play and a tendency to pass the ball in the red zone more than any other team in the AFC -- the team tallied 90 red zone pass attempts -- resulted in a mere five total rushing touchdowns for the season. Rookie back T.J. Yeldon scored just two of those himself. Blake Bortles scored two and Denard Robinson scored the other.

The Jags' ranked 27th in the NFL in average rushing yards per game with 92.1. Bortles' inconsistency under center didn't help matters as he led the NFL in interceptions (18) and sacks taken (51) finishing with a 58.6 completion percentage, 31st in the league.
Jacksonville clearly felt the need to bolster the running back position in the offseason and wasted no time signing former Jets running back Chris Ivory on the first day of free agency back in March. Since then, Yeldon's ADP has tumbled from an early Round 4 pick on FantasyFootballCalculator.com to a mid-Round 8 pick. Ivory's ADP has held steady in the Round 6-7 range which feels about right given the uncertainty of how this thing is forecasted to play out.

The general consensus among Jaguars beat writers in regards to how the team's backfield will shape up this season is basically one giant shrug emoji.
To elaborate on said shrug emoji, Mark Inabinett of AL.com writes: "It probably won't be until Sept. 11, when the Jaguars open their 2016 NFL schedule against the Green Bay Packers, that Jacksonville's plan for its two starting-caliber running backs becomes clear."
Ryan O'Halloran who covers the Jaguars for The Florida Times Union, was equally uncertain. "Who takes the first-and-10 snap against Green Bay in Week 1? Don't know. Who gets the bulk of the attempts if the Jaguars are attempting to run out the clock in a win? Not sure," he wrote.

O'Halloran also projected that it could be a "55-45" split between the two backs in terms of carries, pegging Ivory as the starter and Yeldon as a third-down guy.
These reports were spun out of quotes from the team's running backs coach, Kelly Skipper, who was about as vague as one could be when discussing the roles of each back with the press. So for fantasy purposes, the best we can do is make an educated guess from what we know. Despite their similar size, each back has his own unique style of play.

Coming off a career-best season with the Jets, Ivory was one of just seven backs to eclipse the 1,000-yard rushing mark in 2015. He notched double-digit carries in all but two of the 15 games that he played in averaging 4.3 yards per carry for the season and scoring seven rushing touchdowns. He also played a role as a pass-catcher hauling in 30 of his 37 targets for 217 receiving yards and one score.

Ivory is a bruising, violent runner who seems to welcome contact and can break tackles at a rate among some of the best running backs in the league. He averaged 2.6 yards after contact per attempt (247 total) in 2015 according to ProFootballFocus. And in one specific instance, when the Jets took on the Dolphins in London last October, Ivory racked up 166 total rushing yards, 110 of which were counted as yards after contact. That makes him a perfect candidate for the early-down and goal-line work that Yeldon seemed to struggle with last year.

The risk with Ivory is that he does tend to get banged up because of his power running style. Knee, groin, quadriceps and hamstring ailments were among those that kept him limited or put him out of games at some point during the year. Although he played in 15 of 16 contests, he left a couple of them early and was actually active in Week 3 but didn't play a single snap, to the frustration of his fantasy owners.

Ivory did have a pretty horrible three-game stretch mid-season where he rushed 55 times for just 83 yards (1.53 ypc), though he scored three times in that span. His floor is a risk but his ceiling is massive; he registered greater than 20 fantasy points three times in the Jets' first five games.
He's entering his age 28 season but since Ivory's career workload hasn't been too high-volume (883 rush attempts total over six seasons, and 2015 was the first year he received greater than 200 rush attempts) he certainly has some tread left on his tires.

Yeldon, a second-round draft selection in 2015, was commended for his ability to play through pain coming out of college and we saw him do exactly that last year. He missed the Jaguars' final three games with a knee injury but managed to play through other injuries (hand, groin, foot) throughout his rookie campaign, which statistically wasn't anything to discredit him for. Yeldon averaged 15.1 rush attempts per game and managed a 4.1 yards per carry average in his first NFL season on 182 rush attempts. He also averaged 10.0 fantasy points per game in standard scoring despite his low touchdown total (three).
The Alabama product finished the year as fantasy's RB26 in standard scoring. Had he played a full 16 games, he would have only needed 65 rush yards per contest to reach the 1,000 yard mark for the season.

But, as is the case with Ivory, Yeldon's durability is a concern which is why this decision is such a difficult one. Yeldon's strengths -- quick feet and an ability to elude defenders in space -- make him a perfect change-of-pace candidate behind Ivory to start the year. We also shouldn't forget that Ivory is learning a completely new offense after three seasons in New York. Yeldon has the upper hand in that aspect since he has a year under his belt in Greg Olsen's scheme. That's definitely not a deal breaker but it's one more thing to weigh.

All things considered, Ivory comes at a value in drafts this season as a mid-round pick who was an RB1 in fantasy last season when healthy. The Jaguars probably aren't going to run the ball as much as the Jets did, but it's clear that the offense is prioritizing a more balanced approach on offense, and Ivory should benefit from added handoffs in the red zone. For what it's worth, I included Ivory in my "must-own" running backs list due to his extremely reasonable ADP and went so fas as to dub him a red zone hero.

For owners who do end up drafting Ivory, aspirations of handcuffing him with Yeldon would be a mistake. There's no point in burning another pick on Yeldon a mere two rounds later unless you're just a Jaguars homer. Ivory has RB1 upside and comes with injury risk, while Yeldon will be more of a matchup-based flex option throughout the season with the ability to serve as a featured back if Ivory has to miss time.