NFL training camp previews for all 32 teams.

[Greenbacks]

[h=4]27) Kansas City Chiefs: Alex Smith (No. 22 QB), Spencer Ware (28) & Travis Kelce (17)[/h] Previous rank: No. 10

For all the alleged "QB whisperers" among us, Andy Reid actually seems able to get the most out of almost any quarterback -- but he's likely squeezed all he's gonna get out of Smith (hence the Patrick Mahomes pick). That's not necessarily a knock, given the team's 23 regular-season wins the last two years, but it ain't a compliment, either. Top-4 NFL TE Kelce will be further complemented -- if not replaced as the team's top target -- by 2016 breakout star WR Tyreek Hill.

 

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[h=4]28) Los Angeles Rams: Jared Goff (No. 30 QB), Todd Gurley (13) &Tavon Austin (30)[/h] Previous rank: No. 23

Gurley will look more like his rookie self in 2017, thanks to an O-line that -- at minimum -- won't be the NFL's worst this year. Austin would be better suited as the finishing touch on a contender's offense, not as a key cog. Big sophomore season for Goff, who needs to prove he can elevate a pro offense.

 

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[h=4]29) Baltimore Ravens: Joe Flacco (No. 23 QB), Terrance West (31) & Breshad Perriman (27)[/h] Previous rank: No. 29

Flacco's magical four-game stretch of early 2013 is growing faint in the rearview mirror, obscured by inconsistency and losing records in three of the four ensuing seasons. No Kenneth Dixon means West will get the early-down touches ... but watch out for Danny Woodhead ultimately playing the larger role.

 

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[h=4]30) San Francisco 49ers: Brian Hoyer (No. 31 QB), Carlos Hyde (15) & Pierre Garcon (31)[/h] Previous rank: No. 26

Hyde is one of the league's 10 most talented RBs, but he's been wasted in a lousy offense. That said, getting rid of Colin Kaepernick and replacing him with Hoyer makes no football sense. Garcon is fine, but he is not a No. 1 receiver at this point.

 

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[h=4]31) Cleveland Browns: Cody Kessler (No. 29 QB), Isaiah Crowell (25) & Corey Coleman (28)[/h] Previous rank: No. 32

Brown-eyed optimists believe Hue Jackson is the savior -- now he's gotta validate that faith by turning Kessler and/or DeShone Kizer into a viable starting QB. Coleman gives either a fighting chance.

 

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[h=4]32) New York Jets: Josh McCown (No. 32 QB), Matt Forte (30) & Quincy Enunwa (32)[/h] Previous rank: No. 13.

Why a team in the Jets' shoes would use a vet like McCown instead of Bryce Petty or Christian Hackenberg is baffling ... but trying to make sense of the Jets makes no sense. Poor Forte deserves better.

 

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I don`t like the Panthers at #4.....Way to high.

 

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[h=1]New Orleans Saints cut Orlando Franklin after five days.[/h]

The Orlando Franklin experiment is over in New Orleans.
After just five days,the Saints released the offensive lineman, per the NFL's official transaction wire. The former second-round pick played four seasons with the Denver Broncos and two with the Los Angeles Chargers. Franklin started all 16 games for the Chargers in 2016, but became expendable after Los Angeles drafted two guards in the draft. The Bolts cut Franklin in May.
The short stint doesn't look good for him but a team to be on the watch for is the Jets. Before signing with New Orleans, Franklin took a visit with Gang Green.

 

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Deshaun Watson earns rookie QB praise from O'Brien.

Bill O'Brien has authored three straight nine-win seasons in Houston without any hint of a legitimate signal-caller.
Once billed as a quarterback whisperer, the Texans coach has struggled to develop a franchise arm, which comes as no surprise when you examine the laundry list of milquetoast talent throwing the ball during O'Brien's tenure.
Brian Hoyer, Case Keenum, Ryan Mallett, Ryan Fitzpatrick, T.J. Yates, Brandon Weeden, Brock Osweiler and Tom Savage? Good luck unearthing a more humdrum, soulless patch of passers.
Less than a week into training camp, has O'Brien finally found an answer? His enthusiasm for first-round quarterback Deshaun Watson appears to grow with each practice.
"Deshaun is ahead of any rookie quarterback I've ever been around," O'Brien said Tuesday following the team's latest camp session.
We're a long way from June, when the Texans coach tempered expectations by saying Watson -- mired in a battle with Savage -- was "not nearly where he needs to be to be a full-time starter."
If there's reason for suspicion, it comes from O'Brien himself. After all, this is the same coach who infamously gushed over Hoyer and Mallett -- a couple of JAGs -- during a troubling scene from Hard Knocks two summers ago.
O'Brien isn't alone, though, with longtime Houston beat writer John McClain comparing Watson to an iconic Hall of Famer:
McClain on Tuesday tweeted that Watson "couldn't have thrown a better pass" on a completion in the red-zone, while noting that Savage and the first-rounder are "throwing so well cause they're pushing each other."
Still, O'Brien hoisting up Watson begs the question: How many rookie quarterbacks has the coach been around? The list is brief, led by Savage in Houston and Matt Gutierrez, Kevin O'Connell, Zac Robinson, Mallett and Hoyer with the Patriots. Not exactly a feast for the gods.
Bottom line: NFL quarterbacks should look competent in basic camp practices against hyper-vanilla defensive fronts. Still, the transition from college to the pros is thorny, leaving Hall of Fame coach Bill Parcells to drum up his tried-and-true checklist for drafting a non-dud under center:

1. He must be a senior, because you need time and maturity to develop into a good professional quarterback.

2. He must be a graduate, because you want someone who takes his responsibilities seriously.

3. He must be a three-year starter, because you need to make sure his success wasn't ephemeral and that he has lived as "the guy" for some period of time.

4. He must have at least 23 wins, because the big passing numbers must come in the context of winning games.

Watson passes every test save for leaving school after his junior season. Should he be dinged for that decision when he was motivated enough to graduate with a degree in communications after just three years at Clemson?
His NFL future is hazy, but Watson is off to a solid start. Let's see where we are when the real games begin.

 

[Greenbacks]

Here's what else we learned from Tuesday's training camp action:

1. Tensions bubbled over in a smattering of NFL cities. Let's start in New England where wideout Julian Edelman and cornerback Stephon Gilmore were tossed from practice after a brief scuffle. Maintaining a zero-tolerance policy on fights, coach Bill Belichick immediately hit the ejector seat on both players following the fisticuffs.

2. Vontaze Burfict is back to his old tricks. The Bengals linebacker triggered a "huge shoving match" after he dove at the knees of Giovani Bernard, the veteran running back on the mend from a torn ACL.

3. Last week, Jeremy Maclin floated the idea Baltimore might own the league's top trio of wideouts. We don't agree -- and neither does Saints receiver Willie Snead.

4. Back to Mallett, who dangerously imploded during a Friday-into-Saturday practice performance that saw him toss an ungodly seven picks, prompting Ravens pass rusher Terrell Suggs to openly mock his teammate. Mallett has been a flowering disaster in camp, and can't be bothered with the prospect of Colin Kaepernick joining the team: "If he comes, cool. If he doesn't, cool. We don't really care about that right now."
This Mallett guy's something special.

5. Asked to unpack his desire for a Super Bowl, 39-year-old Vikings defensive back Terence Newman paralleled his quest to the world of romance. "Hot babes in college," Newman said. "You might get eye contact, maybe a smile and then never hear from her again, right? So I'm chasing this hot babe known as the Lombardi Trophy."

6. Different story in New England, where Patriots owner Robert Kraft bemoaned his team's biggest offseason hurdle, admitting: "We had a problem. We had no more room to put banners so we had to change the construction around."
Talk about a long, dark night of the soul. Thankfully, Pats fans will watch the team unveil their latest Super Bowl banner on Sept. 7, right before New England beats the Chiefs 47-7 in the season opener.

7. Jets corner Morris Claiborne wanted to wear the same No. 24 jersey made famous by Gang Green icon Darrelle Revis. The team's response? No way, pal.

Transaction Corner

1. The Seahawks furnished safety Kam Chancellor with a three-year, $36 million deal packed with $25 million guaranteed. Entering the final season of a five-year pact he signed in 2013, Seattle's hard-hitting backstop is now on the books through 2020 and set to potentially finish his career with the team that drafted him back in 2010.

2. Left tackles keep vanishing on us. One day after Branden Albert called it quits, 30-year-old bookend Ryan Clady announced his desire to walk away from the game after seven seasons with the Broncos and one with the Jets. Draped with multiple Pro Bowls and All-Pro mentions during his career, Clady in his prime was one of the best left tackles around.

3. It won't hover near the fever-pitch heights of Folk-Aguayo, but the New York Giants on Tuesday signed veteran booter Mike Nugent to match wits with Aldrick Rosas, a 22-year-old kicker with zero experience in the NFL.

4. The Saints released Orlando Franklin after five days with the club. It's fair to wonder how many more chances the 29-year-old left tackle will be given.

Injury Updates

1. No reason for panic, but Cam Newton was kept from throwing Tuesday after feeling soreness during warmups. Coming off shoulder surgery, a cautious approach is the sensible path for Ace Boogie.

2. Ugly news out of the nation's capital, where Redskins coach Jay Gruden announced that tight end Jordan Reed -- stashed away on the physically unable to perform list -- met with a specialist about his toe injury. Reed is now saddled with the dubious NO TIMETABLE FOR RETURN designation.

3. Back to the Ravens Nest, where the injury bug continues to gnaw. NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported that rookie guard Nico Siragusa tore his ACL, MCL and PCL while running with the first team Tuesday. He's done for the year.
Coach John Harbaugh also announced that tight end Crockett Gillmore will miss the entire season following MCL surgery. After losing Gillmore and Dennis Pitta, the Ravens are paper-thin at tight end. Gary Barnidge, anyone?

4. Falcons rookie pass-rusher Takkarist McKinley was given the go-ahead to participate in 11-on-11 drills on the heels of post-Combine shoulder surgery.

 

[Greenbacks]

Texans WR Will Fuller breaks collarbone in practice.

he Texans' offense sustained a major hit on Wednesday. Wide receiver Will Fuller, the team's 2016 first-round pick, broke his collarbone during practice with no clear timetable for a return, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported on Wednesday. ESPN first reported the development.
The 23-year-old had just 47 catches on 92 targets last year but serves an important function in Bill O'Brien's offensive scheme. The definition of a "burner," Fuller was drafted in large part to take the top off opposing defenses, allowing for star wideout DeAndre Hopkins to pick apart the secondary on medium-range throws.
Now, Fuller's main function will be rehab and recovery. With the severity of the break unknown, the date for Fuller's eventual return is up in the air. Strengthening the healed area is just as important as letting it heal, with many football players trying to prevent a second break. Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo famously broke his collarbone twice in a season back in 2015.
The Texans will now shift their focus to project receiver Braxton Miller. The converted collegiate quarterback was taken in the third round of the 2016 draft but caught just 15 passes for 99 yards and a touchdown over 10 games a year ago.
Developing a suitable second threat for Hopkins has been one of O'Brien's major challenges since arriving in Houston. Losing Fuller for a spell won't help the process.

 

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Sterling Shepard carted off practice field.

It appears the New York Giants' receiving corps avoided taking a big hit on Wednesday.
Sterling Shepard was carted from Big Blue's practice, but Giants coach Ben McAdoo told reporters it appears he avoided serious injury and just his rolled ankle. NFL Network's Kimberly Jones reported Shepard suffered a low ankle sprain, per a source informed of the situation. The Giants will see how the receiver responds to initial treatment and go on from there, McAdoo said.
The second-year wideout is poised for a big season from the slot with Odell Beckham Jr. and Brandon Marshall anchoring the outside in a potentially potent Giants starting receiving unit.
Shepard started from the get-go as a rookie, supplanting Victor Cruz in the slot. Shepard earned 65 receptions for 683 yards and eight touchdowns in 2016.
Although Shepard's injury doesn't appear serious, it could allow for a higher uptick in expectations for tight end Evan Engram. The Giants' receiving corps falls off after the top three, with Tavarres King, Roger Lewis and Dwayne Harris next in line on the depth chart.
We expected New York to deploy more two tight end sets in 2017 after drafting Engram in the first round. The ballyhooed rookie projects as more of a pass-catcher than a blocker in his first season and could line up more in the slot after Shepard's injury.

 

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Dominique Easley to miss the 2017 season.

Rams defensive end Dominique Easley might have sustained a knockout blow to his playing career. Having already suffered a pair of torn ACL injuries in college, Easley made it through 16 games (no starts) with the Rams in 2016, logging 3.5 sacks, 24 solo tackles and a pair of forced fumbles. It was by far his best year in the NFL after two seasons with the New England Patriots.
But his luck was short lived. NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Wednesday that Easley is done for the season with yet another torn ACL -- his third.
Easley was a surprise first-round pick by the Bill Belichick in 2014 and perhaps an even more surprising cut in early 2016, though his career appeared to find a new direction in Los Angeles.
The list of players who have recovered from three different ACL surgeries is short. Carolina Panthers linebacker Thomas Davis is the best known example, while former Giants cornerback Terrell Thomas also made it back on the field after a third surgery.
Both of their comeback stories could potentially buoy Easley as he begins the long slog through rehabilitation, though the odds are not in his favor. This is unfortunate given how electric the pass rusher was on tape throughout his stellar collegiate career at Florida.

 

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Meeting his hero.

 

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