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Whispers — leaguewide wrap-up
Cadillac not nearly ready for crash test
July 27, 2008
NFC South
Bucs RB Cadillac Williams, who is slated to open training camp on the physically-unable-to-perform list, is nowhere near ready to perform in full-contact drills, according to sources. We hear, however, that he has added some muscle to his frame and looks in better condition than he did earlier this offseason, when it was clear he had fallen out of playing shape as he rehabbed from a torn patellar tendon.
The Panthers were one of the first teams rumored to be hot on the trail of Brett Favre, but while the subject continues to come up in Carolina, it appears the Jets and Bucs have become the two most likely destinations for Favre, should he file for reinstatement and be dealt.
Sources in Atlanta say it will be very difficult for the Falcons to get a good sense of their offensive line early in camp because the team’s crop of defensive tackles is so weak. The Falcons’ offensive line could be in for a surprise in the first preseason game against the Jaguars, as that will be its first look at a truly competent interior D-line. As of this writing, reports indicated the Falcons were in negotiations to bring back DT Grady Jackson, whom they released last season, to help beef up the underwhelming DT corps.
A very successful week only got better for the Saints, we hear, as two of the biggest keys to their potential turnaround, RB Deuce McAllister and MLB Jonathan Vilma, looked in good shape at the outset of training camp and fully recovered from their knee injuries.
Though the Panthers dished out a three-year, $10 million contract to sign LB Landon Johnson this offseason, we hear LB Na’il Diggs still is penciled in as the team’s starter on the weak side.
NFC East
Drew Rosenhaus and the Giants continue to talk about a possible extension for WR Plaxico Burress, who is sitting out some practices at training camp, but he is not doing so as a protest for a new deal. Burress will be limited to one practice a day, and in some cases none, related to the same ankle injury that hobbled him through most of last season. Burress said a few weeks ago that his ankle was “90 percent” healthy.
The Commanders are optimistic that WR Devin Thomas will be ready to get back into action following a strained hamstring, but the team might be conservative and keep him out for the first two preseason games.
NFC North
With WR Devin Hester having yet to practice as of Sunday morning due to a tweaked hamstring, easily the most impressive receiver in the first few days of the Bears’ training camp was Rashied Davis. Davis hauled in two deep passes on Thursday, and daily team observers are starting to think he could be much more of a factor in the passing game than initially expected.
Four key Bears players were sidelined at the start of camp, but sources on the scene in Bourbonnais, Ill., tell us none of the injuries afflicting WR Devin Hester (hamstring), OLT Chris Williams (back spasms), C Olin Kreutz (Achilles) and DT Dusty Dvoracek (calf) was considered serious.
Although the Packers’ plan at left guard heading into training camp is to give incumbent Daryn Colledge and promising sophomore Allen Barbre an equal number of reps, team insiders tell us they think the job is Barbre’s to lose. Regarding the Packers’ backup situation at tackle, we hear fifth-round draft pick Breno Giacomini will remain at right tackle while Tony Moll and Orrin Thompson will see action at both OT spots.
Michael Hoffman, the agent for Packers SLB Brady Poppinga, told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that his client’s new four-year contract extension is comparable to those signed by free agents Boss Bailey and Kawika Mitchell in the offseason. Both of those contracts were worth $17.5 million over five years and included about $3.5 million in signing bonuses.
One underrated element of the Lions’ new approach offensively will be featuring the bootleg pass more. QB Jon Kitna is a pretty good athlete, and he has shown an ability to throw on the move outside the pocket, but most of those plays the past two seasons have come on broken-down pass protections. Expect Kitna to be allowed to play-action fake more and throw on the move outside the pocket.
From the “So what else in new?” department, our Seahawks sources tell us QB Matt Hasselbeck was throwing early and often in the team’s first training-camp practice in the direction of veteran WR Bobby Engram, who was manning the No. 1 flanker post despite earlier indications that he might hold out. Word is Engram hardly looked like a player burdened by contract concerns.
The Seahawks surprised some daily team observers with the release of veteran ex-Bears S Mike Green, but the fact of the matter is that Green was simply unable to stay healthy as a Seahawk. Green sat out his first season in Seattle two years ago with foot surgery, and head coach Mike Holmgren told team insiders that Green had three more surgeries this offseason.
Cardinals GM Rod Graves told our sources in the desert that the team had no interest in picking up ex-Broncos RB Mike Bell. Even though the team likes the local product’s talent, the consensus seems to be that Bell is not fast enough and is too much like the backs who are already on the roster.
While it’s unlikely that Gabe Watson will be able to practice in training camp due to the fractured kneecap he suffered earlier this offseason, we hear the Cardinals’ projected starting nose tackle is in excellent shape, tipping the scales at 323 pounds, his lowest weight since he was a junior in high school. Alan Branch is expected to pick up most of the slack on the nose in Watson’s absence, but in the team’s first practice, the starter was newly acquired veteran Bryan Robinson, not Branch. Team insiders keep telling us that the versatile Robinson could end up playing a key role in the defense this coming season.
Rams head coach Scott Linehan went out of his way to praise WR-RS Dante Hall at the team’s training camp Friday. “He looks like he is in really great shape, and I can tell he worked hard during the offseason,” Linehan said of Hall, who earlier in the day told team insiders that he “changed a lot of things” in his diet and training regimen in an effort to avoid the injuries that limited him last season.
Rams veteran CB Fakhir Brown may miss the team’s first preseason game after suffering a slight tear of the rotator cuff in his left shoulder in the first practice of training camp. He’ll be out 2-3 weeks.
With Niners OG David Baas expected to be out until the start of the regular season after tearing his right pectoral muscle lifting weights in April, veteran Tony Wragge and rookie Chilo Rachal figure to be engaged in a spirited battle at right guard that could lead to a starting assignment on opening day if either of them plays well. According to our sources, Wragge, widely considered the team’s strongest player with veteran Larry Allen in limbo, is the best bet to win the job.
Team insiders tell us Niners CB Donald Strickland is a virtual lock to make the team because of the way his contract is structured. Strickland’s deal contains a $7 million unlikely-to-be-earned incentive, which carries into next year for salary-cap purposes.
AFC North
A Browns observer notes that the Browns’ collective attitude is completely different from a year ago at this time, when the team lacked a starting quarterback and was coming off its fourth losing season in a row. We hear the early practices in Berea have been sharp and that the team, fresh off a 10-win season, is playing like it knows it’s a good team — and expects to be good. Notable is the energy of the defense, which could be much improved, thanks to the offseason additions of DLs Shaun Rogers and Corey Williams.
A Browns rookie who’s had a good start to training camp, the way we hear it, is fourth-round TE Martin Rucker, who’s running good routes and showing the pass-catching ability that made him a well-regarded prospect.
The Bengals have made it clear they won’t expect too much too soon from rookie WRs Andre Caldwell and Jerome Simpson. However, we’re hearing expectations are higher for third-round pick Pat Sims, a defensive tackle from Auburn, who is being counted on as a part of the Bengals’ D-line rotation.
AFC South
Word out of Indianapolis is that DE Dwight Freeney is roaring to get back on the field but that the team is imploring him to take a more cautious approach. After Freeney underwent Lisfranc (foot) surgery in midseason, the Colts struggled to generate a pass rush, and the sentiment around Colts camp is that Freeney’s far too valuable to risk putting back on the practice field before he’s 100 percent healed.
The Texans released OG-OT Charles Spencer after he failed his physical. However, even if he would have been on the 80-man roster entering camp, we’re hearing the feeling around the club was that he would have had a hard time making the team because of concerns about his conditioning and how well he fit Alex Gibbs’ blocking scheme. The Panthers claimed Spencer off waivers.
AFC East
The way we hear it, newcomer Charlie Anderson has the inside track on Quentin Moses in replacing OLB-DE Jason Taylor in the Dolphins’ starting lineup. Anderson is the more experienced of the two and provides better run support, but there’s a feeling the more explosive Moses possesses greater potential.
It appears as if the Chris Baker fiasco in New York may be approaching an amicable resolution. Baker, who has accused the organization of lying to him regarding renegotiating his contract, reported to camp and was encouraged by the fact that his agent and Jets management were at least talking. When asked if he wanted to be traded if a deal couldn’t be worked out, Baker responded, “Regardless, I want to be here.”
As a rookie in 2007, Bills MLB Paul Posluszny was inserted into the starting lineup immediately and was on pace for a strong season before suffering a broken forearm in Week Three. So it should come as particularly encouraging news to Bills fans to note just how much more comfortable he feels entering this season’s training camp. “It feels like two different worlds for me,” Posluszny said. “I’m a lot more relaxed than I was last year, and I’m excited to get back in the swing of things.”
AFC West
Raiders WR Javon Walker reported to training camp without any noticeable facial wounds, according to reports, which would seem to suggest the police report that stated he had suffered a broken orbital bone and a fractured jaw when he was beaten and robbed in Las Vegas last month was off base. Injuries as serious as those would still be lingering and probably would have kept him off the practice field. Yet, as head coach Lane Kiffin has vowed all along, Walker is reportedly prepared to participate in camp.
Despite rumors that the Chiefs may be interested in free-agent WR Koren Robinson, we hear that the team likely will go with what it has at the WR position. The Chiefs apparently don't see Robinson as an upgrade over their current wideouts, even though the unit is extremely inexperienced.
The Chargers’ coaching staff was hoping that second-year player Anthony Waters, who stood out in offseason activities, would make an immediate impact at inside linebacker this season. However, that plan was derailed a bit when Waters had to undergo arthroscopic knee surgery last week. He should return in time for the first preseason game.
link
rofootballweekly.com
Cadillac not nearly ready for crash test
July 27, 2008
NFC South
NFC East
NFC North
Bobby Engram
NFC West
AFC North
AFC South
AFC East
AFC West
link
rofootballweekly.com
