Fantasy News Home

Rob Gronkowski could be back by end of preseason
Tuesday, June 18, 2013, 9:40pm

New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski underwent surgery on his back Tuesday to correct a spinal issue and will soon begin rehab in the hope of returning to action in late August, a person informed of the prognosis told USA TODAY Sports.

The person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the Patriots don't divulge injury information publicly, said the optimistic view is that Gronkowski will be back to work just before the end of the preseason.

Tuesday, June 18, 2013, 7:03pm

Jared Cook may be gone, but don’t try to tell Titans offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains his tight end group has slipped.

He believes the opposite is the case, now that Delanie Walker, Craig Stevens and Taylor Thompon are the top three players at the position.

“This is probably the best group since Alge (Crumpler) and Bo Scaife,” said Loggains, who’s been with the Titans for eight years. “I feel really good about having three guys that can do a lot of different things. Also all three of them can be in-line blockers, point-of-attack blockers, and all of them have good speed.”

Crumpler and Scaife played together in 2008 and 2009 for the Titans.

Aaron Hernandez questioned in homicide probe
Tuesday, June 18, 2013, 6:51pm

New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez was questioned by police investigating a possible homicide in this town 40 miles south of Boston.

A source with knowledge of the investigation said Massachusetts State police spoke to Hernandez on Monday and were interested in possibly searching his home.

Hernandez is not believed to be a murder suspect, according to a source, but a vehicle rented in his name has emerged as a key piece of evidence in the investigation.

The Sun Chronicle of Attleboro, Mass., reported on Tuesday that police identified a rented 2013 Chevrolet Suburban with Rhode Island license plates in connection with the possible homicide. According to the paper, the vehicle is registered to Enterprise and investigators were hoping to analyze it for fingerprints. A source said Hernandez's name is tied to that rental vehicle.

Tuesday, June 18, 2013, 2:37pm

Cowboys third-round pick WR Terrance Williams has agreed to terms on his rookie contract, source confirmed.

Tuesday, June 18, 2013, 12:58pm

Giant RBs David Wilson and Andre Brown will compete in next month's camp to start at running back. Wilson is on track to be the starter, but both running backs are slated to share carries.

"I think he's in a position to compete to be the guy," RB coach Jerald Ingram said when asked if Wilson can be the lead back. "He has the talent, has the speed, has a few plays from a year ago underneath his belt. Everything we gauge is kind of like in college with spring ball, but once we put the pads on, we'll see who is physical, who's determined to make plays out there."

Bucs offense on same page, expects big things
Tuesday, June 18, 2013, 12:30pm

The Bucs say they are about to reap the benefits of stability.

With offensive coordinator Mike Sullivan back for a second season, the NFL’s No. 9 attack is gearing up for a more dynamic year.

“We know this offense,’’ says WR Mike Williams. “We know when to break off routes and what zone to read. It’s a knowing instead of reacting to something. QB Josh Freeman’s got this offense down pat."

WR Vincent Jackson said the difference in Freeman is apparent, well before the start of training camp.

“He’s way more comfortable this year with the language,’’ Jackson said. “You can see it in his confidence, the way he’s directing the field. It’s fun to watch his physical tools take shape. We’ve got some new faces out here and it’s fun because we spread the ball around. Once we’re clicking, we’re going to be hard to stop."

Tuesday, June 18, 2013, 12:11pm

The most pressing issue for RB Maurice Jones-Drew is his rehabilitation and conditioning after Lisfranc surgery.

Jaguars General Manager David Caldwell said last week the plan is for Jones-Drew to be 100-percent when camp opens July 26. Jones-Drew said he is optimistic about his progress.

MJD said his foot is now healed and that the focus is now on strengthening the ankle. The foot being healed, he said, is important because now he can run. That, in turn, means he can condition at a level that will allow the weight he added following surgery to come off in time for training camp.

Tuesday, June 18, 2013, 10:54am

Giants tight end coach Mike Pope is eager to see what TE Brandon Myers will do in training camp.

He believes the former Raiders tight end could be an option in the vertical game. Myers, who had 79 receptions for 806 yards and four touchdowns last season, was signed to replace Martellus Bennett.

Tuesday, June 18, 2013, 10:14am

TE Ed Dickson has been arguably one of the most impressive players for the Ravens through this point of the offseason.

Dickson only had 21 catches last season, but he’s just two years removed from a 54 catch, five touchdown season and is an athletic player at 6-foot-4, 255 pounds.

He was heavily targeted during both OTAs and minicamp and showed, as he has in the past, the capability to both contribute in the short passing game as well as stretch the field vertically.

Tuesday, June 18, 2013, 10:06am

Chargers WR Vincent Brown is just plain spectacular. Yes, that’s right. Not flashy, just awesome.

He’s not quite 6-foot, not quite 200 pounds, not a guy who’d win a foot race against almost any cornerback. But he plays tall, plays big, plays fast.

Brown seemingly picking up where he left off last preseason before breaking his ankle is great news.

Tuesday, June 18, 2013, 10:01am

Forget the vertical-oriented attack of years past under which Chargers WR Malcom Floyd thrived.

The ball is expected to leave QB Philip Rivers' hand quicker in 2013. While some situations will still call for going deep, Floyd must do more if he is to see regular snaps.

"I’m running different routes," Floyd said. "These coaches are really working on my lateral ability, a lot of these drills this offseason, getting in and out of my breaks. It’s details like foot placement on curl routes, reprogramming my brain. ... I’m 10 years old in this league, but I feel a lot better than last year. I’m very excited about this upcoming year."

Tuesday, June 18, 2013, 9:50am

A Patriots free-agent signing from the Buffalo Bills, WR Donald Jones hasn’t been able to break through for first-unit repetitions, as 10-year veteran Michael Jenkins, third-year man Kamar Aiken and rookie free agent Kenbrell Thompkins served as the primary outside receivers.

Tuesday, June 18, 2013, 9:47am

Patriots rookie WR Aaron Dobson has made a handful of "flash" plays that make you understand why he was a coveted wide receiver in this year’s draft, particularly catches down the sideline in which he was able to use his size advantage to reach over defenders in competitive catch situations.

But he also had some concentration drops that he can’t afford during regular-season action, and he was limited during minicamp for undisclosed reasons.

Tuesday, June 18, 2013, 9:43am

Offseason workouts aren’t particularly conducive to repping the run game, but we nonetheless got to see Patriots RB LeGarrette Blount work some in space and handle the football as a receiver out of the backfield.

It’s natural to expect that Blount, nearly 250 pounds, will look better in pads when he can use his size to his advantage, but the feeling since he was acquired was that he’d need to put in quality work to make the 53-man roster.

He’s more of a lumberer than a speed/power mix, and given the tempo the Patriots like to run within their offense, Blount may not become a primary ball-carrier. If he can be a dependable short-yardage back during training camp, he may find his niche on the roster.

Tuesday, June 18, 2013, 9:39am

According to Patriot RB Shane Vereen, backup QB Ryan Mallett “is grasping the offense very well. He’s got arm strength like I’ve never seen. Ever. He uses that really well. He’s got tremendous leadership ability. He just needs his opportunity, I think.”