May 2014 4for4 Player News Articles

When asked about where he is now compared to his rookie season, Broncos running back Montee Ball sounded like he was reminiscing on a goofy childhood photo.

"So much easier the second time around," Ball said, laughing. "Now [the playbook is] just super easy, so I'm able to play a lot faster."

"Instead of being a little nervous in the backfield with Peyton, now I’m completely calm."

The second-year back credits a major part of that calmness to "kind of making my own checks" while watching film, guessing what Manning might do in that situation. He says he's now able to anticipate some of Manning's calls before they're made, speeding up his own execution.

Now that Knowshon Moreno (and the #5 fantasy RB in 2013) has signed with the Dolphins, it’s clear that Ball’s stock has taken a huge jump. Prior to the Moreno signing, Ball was being drafted in the 4th round due to the uncertainty of his situation. With Moreno out of the way, he’s starting to go in the late 1st/early 2nd. Ball had a higher YPC (4.7) than Moreno (4.3), but wasn’t quite the weapon in the passing game. Still, his catch percentage (receptions/targets = 74.1%) wasn’t bad for a running back. The only real question is whether or not his workload will suffer if his fumbling problem rears its ugly head. We currently have him ranked as our #6 RB in standard formats.

An idea that has been brought up time and time again by media and fans alike, the Bills showed off a few different looks that had both Fred Jackson and C.J. Spiller on the field. Predictably, Jackson was the man in the backfield while Spiller was the more athletic type that was motioned to different parts of the formation. If they can develop that and create a lot of side plays for either player based on those looks, that will be putting two of their better playmakers on the field at one time. The goal should be to continually keep a defense guessing, and a formation like that along with Sammy Watkins on the field among other options should theoretically do the trick.

One of our major reservations with Spiller is that the coaching staff isn't sure how to use him. It's encouraging that they are trying to get two of their best offensive players on the field at the same time. Both players can catch the ball so there's some potential there.

Reggie Wayne is barely six months removed from ACL surgery, yet yesterday’s progress (running along the side) was another step in the right direction for the 14-year veteran trying to make a comeback in 2014.

Wayne tore his ACL in late October, so he'll be 10 months removed from the surgery by the time the season starts in September. We're not optimistic that the 35 year-old Wayne is going to look like his old self anytime soon. The Colts signed Hakeem Nicks as insurance.

The 49ers have one involuntary event before training camp – a minicamp from June 17-19. Will Vernon Davis attend the mandatory camp? He offered an answer that was expertly vague.

“I might be there,” he said, smiling. “I might not. It’s mandatory. I probably should be there. We’ll see.”

Davis finished the season as the #2 TE, but his numbers took a dip after Michael Crabtree returned to the fold. Davis averaged 3.8-62-.90 on 6.1 targets without Crabtree in the lineup. After his return (and including three playoff games), those numbers fell to 2.4-35-.75 on 4.6 T/G. Those are still top 10 numbers at the position, but Davis simply isn’t a no-brainer top 5 pick with Crabtree in the lineup. Davis has a history of being underutilized in the 49ers’ run-heavy offense, and that’s a possibility again in 2014. The potential holdout is just another red flag.

To expect Cowboys RB Lance Dunbar to exceed 50 catches might be a stretch. He caught only seven passes for 59 yards last season. There will only be so many passes to go around with Dez Bryant, Terrance Williams, Witten, Gavin Escobar and DeMarco Murray, who caught 53 passes for 353 yards last season.

But Dunbar will have a role.

"Passing game coordinator" Scott Linehan utilized Joique Bell extensively the last two seasons in Detroit. Bell saw 132 touches in 2012 and 219 touches in 2013 as the complementary back to Mikel Leshoure (2012) and Reggie Bush (2013). Dunbar's role is expected to grow, though DeMarco Murray is more of an all-around back than either Leshoure or Bush are.

Panthers beat writer David Newton was asked what formations the Panthers were running at OTAs. He responded, "They ran a lot of two-tight end formations. Newcomer Ed Dickson really looked good."

The Panthers are likely to go run-heavy given the state of their WR corps so it makes sense that they'd utilize two-TE sets. It will impact the number of snaps that the WR3 will eventually get, so we're eager to see how the WR pecking order shakes out. We're guessing it will be Jerricho Cotchery and Kelvin Benjamin, with Tiquan Underwood filling the Ted Ginn role.

ESPN's David Newton was asked which rookies are standing out at Panthers OTAs: "You have to start with first-round pick Kelvin Benjamin. The former Florida State wide receiver keeps making impressive catches. That he and quarterback Cam Newton have made an effort to spend time together on and off the field also is impressive."

Kelvin Benjamin figures to play right away for the Panthers even though he’s something of a project. At 6’5”, he should be a factor in the red zone at least. We'll be waiting for word about how his route running is progressing as the offseason wears on.

Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon, who's reportedly facing an indefinite suspension from the NFL for failing another drug test, was ticketed for speeding over Memorial Day Weekend in Strongsville and his passenger was cited for marijuana possession.

Once again, this shows a serious lack of good judgment to be speeding around with a passenger who has marijuana on his person. He's already facing an 8- to 16-game suspension and this incident may very well shut the door on any potential leniency by the NFL.

Bills wide receiver Robert Woods (ankle surgery) and tight end Scott Chandler (knee surgery) saw their first action in team drills of the week. They weren't full participants, but it was a step forward from their participation level Wednesday and Thursday.

The Giants signed QB Josh Freeman a little more than a month ago to join the mix of candidates for the backup quarterback job next season, but his stay came to an end on Friday. The Giants announced that they have released Freeman well ahead of the end of spring work.

The Eagles aren't holding Jeremy Maclin back in workouts. He has lined up on the right in DeSean Jackson's old spot opposite Riley Cooper.

Thursday was the first opportunity to watch all the new pieces on offense, but rookie receiver Jordan Matthews was excused to attend the NFLPA's rookie symposium in Los Angeles. Cooper said that Matthews had been practicing in the slot with the first team.

Maclin was the #13 WR in 2010, #31 in 2011 and #27 in 2012 before tearing his ACL last summer. The Eagles don't throw as much under Kelly as they did under Andy Reid, but Maclin has the talent and opportunity -- DeSean Jackson is gone -- to be a fantasy starter in 2014, provided his knee is good to go.

There had been a lot of speculation about what the Giants' offense would look like under new coordinator Ben McAdoo. The belief was that it would be a West Coast offense in the mold of what the Green Bay Packers -- his former team -- run, with a sprinkle of coach Tom Coughlin's power game.

Until now, it was all talk.

But Thursday we were able to see that the Giants, in fact, have moved into the 21st century. They're installing a spread-'em-out offense that includes three wide receivers on almost every play. They ran a ton of screen passes (most unsuccessfully), quick-timing horizontal pass patterns and three-step drops. It appeared dissimilar to Coughlin and former coordinator Kevin Gilbride's vertical attack.

This is good news for both Rueben Randle and Odell Beckham, who should both see enough snaps to be fantasy relevant in 2014. Last year, Randle played 56% of the snaps behind Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz; that number should surpass 70% this season. More snaps typically lead to more fantasy points.

“He’s obviously a force in the passing game,” said first-year Redskins coach Jay Gruden of Jordan Reed. “We’ve got to work with him to be a little more stout in the running game because it’s important for a guy like that, but overall, I think he’s had no dropbacks from those concussions, knock on wood, and we have, obviously, one of the more talented young tight ends in the NFL, I believe.

“He’s going to be a great guy to help in the middle of the field. If people want to cloud [DeSean Jackson] and cloud [Pierre Garcon], he’s going to be a guy that’s very much needed in the passing game, so we’ve got to get him healthy and keep him going.”

Reed was on pace for 80-887-5.3 (#7 TE-type numbers) prior to his injury, but didn't even crack the 50% snaps played mark until Week 6. In the five games where he played at least 50% of his team's snaps, he averaged 6.2-76-.40 or #3 TE-type numbers. The main concern with Reed is his injury history, specifically with concussions. According to NBC Washington, Reed suffered two concussions while at Florida. If he can stay healthy, he's a likely top 5 fantasy TE, but that's no sure thing.

The last time C.J. Spiller was on the team’s grass practice field every step was a chore. Planting and cutting, let along straight like jogging all made his high ankle sprain throb. Spiller battled through the 2013 season with that hitch in his step. The first week of OTAs that hitch was gone.

“I don’t feel nothing, I feel great,” said Spiller. “This is the best I’ve felt since 2012 when I had that great year. The ankle feels wonderful. I just have to keep doing what I need to do to stay healthy this whole season and try to go out there and make plays.”

C.J. Spiller’s 2013 season has been well-documented. He dealt with a bad ankle sprain for most of the season and, other than a few electrifying moments, he just didn’t seem like himself. Throw in a RB1-type season from the seemingly ageless Fred Jackson and Spiller finished #27 at his position, a huge disappointment to those owners who drafted him in the first round. A healthy Spiller should fare much better in 2014, though the ever-productive Jackson is still under contract and the team acquired Bryce Brown, so there are still major workload concerns. We're also not confident that the coaching staff knows how to best utilize his skill set.

Colts WR T.Y. Hilton is missing OTAs with a foot injury.

The severity/nature of the injury is unknown, but it's something to monitor as the offseason wears on. Prior to Reggie Wayne’s injury, Hilton played 63.1% of his team’s snaps. After Wayne tore his ACL, that number rose to 76.9%. With Wayne coming off of a serious injury, Hilton will be (or at least he should be) the primary target in the passing game in 2014. With Wayne sidelined, Hilton averaged 6.5-91-.45 over the final 11 games, including the playoffs. That equates to 11.8 fantasy points per game, or fringe WR1 numbers. The arrival of Hakeem Nicks and the return of Dwayne Allen (potentially leading to more two-TE sets with Coby Fleener) may limit Hilton's upside.

The dynamic between Mike Wallace and the Dolphins coaching staff --- which teammates have raised concerns about in the past --- definitely has improved, with Joe Philbin making a point to say how happy he is with Wallace’s attitude and others praising his work habits.

Wallace finished the season as the #25 WR, but was an unreliable option for most of the year. Thanks to four touchdowns in his final six games, he averaged 10.8 FP in that span, which equates to low-end WR1-type numbers. We're not expecting that kind of production, though he should be a top-end WR3 if his late season surge continues into this season. The arrival of OC Bill Lazor should help.

Dolphins tight end Michael Egnew said new offensive coordinator Bill Lazor is splitting him out as a receiver more often than Mike Sherman did. That’s the role Jeff Ireland envisioned for him. Ireland, by the way, will not get a job with the Seahawks after working as a draft consultant for them.

Egnew isn't likely to be much of a fantasy factor, but it appears that Lazor is willing to play to his players' strengths instead of trying to fit a square peg into a round hole.

Broncos OC Adam Gase on RB Montee Ball:

"We drafted him in the second round to be a big contributor... We do have a lot of confidence in him. He brings that full package of a good running back, running the ball and catching the ball out of the backfield and protecting."

When asked what kind of growth he saw in Ball over the course of the season, Gase said: "Big strides. I'd say he'd probably be the one guy that probably made the most improvement. And to see him make the next jump in his second year, we're looking forward to that."

Gase was asked about the competition for the RB2 spot: "I would say that everybody behind Montee is competing for that second spot. It's wide open."

Now that Knowshon Moreno (and the #5 fantasy RB in 2013) has signed with the Dolphins, it’s clear that Ball’s stock has taken a huge jump. Prior to the Moreno signing, Ball was being drafted in the 4th round due to the uncertainty of his situation. With Moreno out of the way, he’s starting to go in the late 1st/early 2nd. Ball had a higher YPC (4.7) than Moreno (4.3), but wasn’t quite the weapon in the passing game. Still, his catch percentage (receptions/targets = 74.1%) wasn’t bad for a running back. The only real question is whether or not his workload will suffer if his fumbling problem rears its ugly head. It looks like the team is committed to him, so we have him ranked as our #6 RB in standard formats. He's a nice pick at the end of the 1st round.

Buccaneers.com Scott Smith on what the team's backfield looks like at this point in the offseason:

"I've made a point of noting that Buccaneers RB Charles Sims was a very productive runner at both West Virginia and Houston, since he seems to have been pigeon-holed since the draft as a pass-catcher only. Still, we can't ignore that it is his pass-catching ability that HC Lovie Smith cited immediately after the Bucs drafted him, and that Smith has referenced that potential role for Sims on several occasions since. Right now, Sims seems like the most likely of the three (Bobby Rainey, Mike James) behind Doug Martin to be involved in the offense on Sundays, but I still believe it will be in a complimentary role to Martin.

"The Bucs could very well keep all four of those backs on the roster, but even if they did they would likely only have three of them active on any given game day. So in this scenario you have Martin starting, Sims taking a handful of carries in his place and perhaps also serving as the third-down back and either James or Rainey taking some series from Martin as well."

We've moved Sims up the depth chart. He'll likely be the second-most valuable RB on draft day, though he may not see the carries that a typical RB2 might see given the quality runners behind him (James, Rainey). As for Martin, he comes in at #12 in the standard RB rankings. It doesn't sound like he's going to dominate the touches like he has in his first two years in the league.

According to Mike Jurecki of Fox Sports 910 AM in Arizona, Cardinals linebacker Daryl Washington will be suspended the entire 2014 season, though it’s unclear if it’s for violating the personal conduct or substance abuse policy.

The Cardinals expected some degree of suspension after he was sentenced to a year of probation for aggravated assault on a female, which would be reduced from a felony to a misdemeanor if he completes his probation.

That’s a huge blow to the Cardinals defense.

It's a blow to the Arizona defense, which was pretty stout in 2013. Washington was 5th on the team in tackles and registered three sacks in 12 games.

The difference in one offseason has been profound. This Eagles offense is moving so much faster between plays this year, forcing the defense to do the same.

After witnessing the first of four practices at organized team activities (OTAs) that will be open to the media this spring, I am safe to report that, yes, the goal is definitely to move a lot faster this year and that the Eagles are making significant strides in that area.

It was like a drag race out there, which is what Chip Kelly has wanted from the start. They couldn't move as fast as he wanted in his first season a year ago because everything was so new.

It's common for teams to want to pick up the tempo in OTAs, but when the regular season comes things slow down since players and coaches don't want to make a mistake due to rushing too much. When it comes to the Eagles, we believe they want to push the tempo further. They averaged 23.4 seconds per play, which was the quickest pace in the league.

Ravens HC Jim Harbaugh had positive news regarding running back Bernard Pierce.

Baltimore expected Pierce to be sidelined until at least the beginning of training camp after undergoing shoulder surgery in January, but Pierce went through light work at practice Thursday.

“[He] may be a little bit ahead of schedule maybe,” Harbaugh said.

Pierce could have a large role early in the season if Ray Rice is suspended, which is expected.

The Colts' third-round draft selection of Donte Moncrief was a move that added a young, physical talent to a receiving corps bursting with promise.

At 6-2, 224, Moncrief has the biggest stature of any Indianapolis receiver, and Mississippi coach Hugh Freeze feels his addition will reap dividends.

“(His) size, speed-ratio for a kid who’s of that size and strength,” said Freeze on why Indianapolis would have him so high on its draft board.

“He’s a phenomenal run blocker, as good as I’ve ever seen in that regard. He needs to be more consistent in route precision, but he can stretch the field vertically. He absolutely can. For a kid that size, it’s a pretty rare find.”

At the very least, Moncrief is buried behind Reggie Wayne, T.Y. Hilton and Hakeem Nicks, but if he can learn to channel his world class speed, he may get on the field sooner than people think.

Colts RBs Ahmad Bradshaw (neck) and Vick Ballard (knee) are sitting out of OTAs.

Packers QB Aaron Rodgers says yoga has him 11 pounds lighter and more flexible. Collarbone all healed too.

Lions RB Joique Bell told MLive it's unclear whether he'll be available for mandatory minicamp, which runs June 10-12, but he's confident the knee won't imperil his availability for the start of training camp in late July.

"Yeah, I do," Bell said confidently when asked if he'd be ready for camp.

Bell wouldn't say whether he had surgery on the knee, but did acknowledge the ailment is linked to the tendinitis that bothered him throughout last season.

The Lions hired Joe Lombardi (formerly of the Saints) to run the offense. The general consensus is that he’s going to run the ball more, but the Saints actually threw it more often than the Lions did in 2013 (from a pass/run standpoint). However, with the way team personnel are talking about the new offense, we’re relatively certain that he’s going to utilize Reggie Bush in more of a receiving role. Bush saw about 50% of the carries in 2013, while Bell’s number was called 37% of the time. Lombardi was in New Orleans during Bush’s stint there, so he was around while Bush’s average carries dropped from 13.1 in 2007 to a career low 4.5 in 2010, his final season with the Saints. Bush has had far more success running the ball post-Saints, averaging 4.6 YPC with the Dolphins and the Lions after posting a 4.0 YPC while in New Orleans. So while Bush probably won’t be ignored in the running game, the split could easily flip to Bell in a lead rushing role. Bell finished with 219 touches in 2013 (finishing as the #17 RB in standard formats) and the team just extended his contract, indicating that he’s a big part of their long-term offensive plan. As the #25 RB off the board in the 8th/9th round, he has some upside as a possible 230- to 250-touch running back.

RB Tre Mason says Rams coaches told him that he'll compete for the starting job.

After toying around with Daryl Richardson for a few weeks, the Rams turned to Stacy in Week 5, and he never looked back, posting #8 RB numbers the rest of the way. He scored eight TDs in his final 10 games and we're expecting him to enter the 2014 season as the Rams’ bellcow back. Clearly the Rams want Mason to compete, however.

Ray Rice looked a lot lighter, quicker than last year when he was 225 pounds, had hip, quadriceps injuries. Moved well, down to about 205 lbs.

At just 26 years old, it was surprising to see Rice's production fall off the way it did, but he was dealing with hip and quad injuries throughout the season. He was also coming off of a Super Bowl run the previous year, which likely wore him down. GM Ozzie Newsome said he expects Rice to return to Pro Bowl form, but HC John Harbaugh said after the season that the team could take more of a committee approach at running back, which would limit Rice's upside. He also may be suspended for his Atlantic City altercation with his fiance (now his wife).

He got the lion’s share of the work on Wednesday, but on Thursday his reps appeared to increase even more as Buffalo’s offensive staff makes a concerted effort to have EJ Manuel as ready as possible to make a sizable jump in on field performance in his second NFL season.

Manuel made a handful of good looking passes downfield including throws to Mike Williams and Chris Hogan, but also made use of his check down options underneath and in the flat in practice Thursday. Additionally there were some plays where he chose to pull it down and run after not finding any viable options downfield.

Buffalo’s starting quarterback has made quick and accurate coverage recognition a top priority this offseason.

Manuel was the #29 fantasy QB in his rookie season, but owned the #26 per game average. The team has made an effort to improve the weapons around him. He now has Sammy Watkins and Mike Williams to throw to. There's a chance he could work his way into a QBBC/streaming role by midseason if he can progress.

Packers RB DuJuan Harris (knee) is practicing again, and Johnathan Franklin is not.

Eagles HC Chip Kelly scoffed at the perception that Darren Sproles is more of a slot receiver than a running back.

“All of our running backs are all receiving options,” he said. “Everyone thinks Darren Sproles is a receiver. He's a running back and a really, really talented running back.”

This could mean that Kelly plans to give Sproles more carries than he saw in New Orleans, where he was primarily a receiver. Sproles has a career 5.1 YPC.

Vikings RB Adrian Peterson was asked about potentially catching more passes. He replied, "I'm pretty excited about that... Just to be more diverse as an offense, and be more involved in the pass game is something that I've been looking forward to for a long time."

He’s coming off of a #6 finish (and groin surgery); it’s the second time in three seasons that he has finished outside of the top 5. He turns 29 in March and while he should continue to be very productive when healthy, one wonders if his 2,241 touches are starting to catch up to him. Along with his sheer talent, there is another reason to be excited about AP’s upside in 2014 — the arrival of OC Norv Turner, who knows what he’s doing on that side of the ball. Turner emphasized that he wants to get Peterson the ball in space, and that means more receptions. Peterson has only averaged 2.0 catches in his career, and has been curiously underutilized in the passing game since day one. He's not quite the natural receiver as LaDainian Tomlinson was, but as a Turner-RB comparison, Tomlinson averaged 3.7 receptions throughout his career, which extrapolates to 59 catches over a full, 16-game season. We're not sure AP will see quite that many receptions, but we currently project him to catch a career-high 48 passes in 2014.

On the third day of OTAs in Washington, newly-arrived receiver DeSean Jackson injured his leg.

Via CSNWashington.com, Jackson says he’s fine.

“It’s just a little tight,” Jackson said regarding a hamstring he appeared to tweak while running a deep route. “It’s not no big issue.”

We're not too worried about a hamstring tweak at this point in the offseason. He's changing teams, which is rarely a good thing for a wideout unless he's moving into a larger role. In this case, he's joining a team with a proven target-hog (Pierre Garcon) and an up-and-coming tight end (Jordan Reed). New HC Jay Gruden does have a reputation for being pass-happy, but the Redskins actually attempted more passes (611) than the Bengals did (587) last season, so the pie may not grow as expected. In Cincinnati, Marvin Jones was the WR2 and saw 80 targets while playing just 48% of the snaps. If Jackson plays 80% of the snaps and sees the ball at the same rate, he would be targeted roughly 133 times. That’s plenty of work for D-Jax to post top 20 numbers. For more on his potential production, click here.

Saints QB Drew Brees on TE Jimmy Graham: "There's no doubt in my mind a deal will get done." Brees is not worried about it right now.

We're expecting Graham to be in the lineup Week 1, though there may be a few road bumps along the way. He's clearly the top tight end given Rob Gronkowski's ACL injury.

Obviously, the New York Jets think highly of Decker, whom they rewarded with a handsome contract to catch footballs for the next five years. On Wednesday, Rex Ryan praised Decker's competitiveness, his route running and his leadership. The player they see on the practice field, Ryan said, is exactly what they expected.

"I think clearly he’s going to be a go-to guy in the fact that we know what we're getting," Ryan said. "This is going to be a guy that you can get him the ball in critical situations. You can get him the ball in the red zone. I think you can see that. Everybody can say [his statistics] are skewed a little bit because of [Peyton] Manning, and that might be true, but I think he did catch eight touchdowns when [Tim] Tebow was quarterback. I think that's pretty impressive."

There’s no doubt that Decker is going to see a downgrade at QB going from Peyton Manning to a combination of Geno Smith and Michael Vick. But as the Jets’ clear WR1, he should see enough targets to become a fantasy starter even if his per target production is likely to drop. For more on his potential production, click here.

Eagles WR Jeremy Maclin missed all of last season with a torn ACL suffered in training camp and the long rehab time before getting back on the field has left him without any limitations at practice. Coach Chip Kelly said that Maclin has been full-go this week and that there’s no sign of lingering issues as a result of the injury.

“Mac’s doing fantastic,” Kelly said, via the team’s website.

Maclin was the #13 WR in 2010, #31 in 2011 and #27 in 2012 before tearing his ACL last summer. The Eagles don't throw as much under Kelly as they did under Andy Reid, but Maclin has the talent and opportunity -- DeSean Jackson is gone -- to be a fantasy starter in 2014, provided his knee is good to go.

Redskins TE Jordan Reed had headaches and felt nauseous for two months. He says he wasn't completely honest with coaches early in the season about injury.

Reed was on pace for 80-887-5.3 (#7 TE-type numbers) prior to his injury, but didn't even crack the 50% snaps played mark until Week 6. In the five games where he played at least 50% of his team's snaps, he averaged 6.2-76-.40 or #3 TE-type numbers. The main concern with Reed is his injury history, specifically with concussions. According to NBC Washington, Reed suffered two concussions while at Florida. If he can stay healthy, he's a likely top 5 fantasy TE, but that's no sure thing.

Saints WR Joe Morgan (ACL) is limited in OTAs.

Tight end Vernon Davis, one of only two 49ers players not participating in the team’s voluntary offseason workout program, is apparently hoping to leverage his high-profile absence into a new contract.

Davis, who has two years remaining on a lucrative deal he signed before the 2010 season opener, is remaining away from the 49ers' organized workout program due to dissatisfaction with his contract, a source indicated to CSNBayArea.com.

The workouts are not voluntary for Davis, who is sacrificing his annual $200,000 workout bonus with his absence, said a source familiar with Davis' deal.

Davis finished the season as the #2 TE, but his numbers took a dip after Michael Crabtree returned to the fold. Davis averaged 3.8-62-.90 on 6.1 targets without Crabtree in the lineup. After his return (and including three playoff games), those numbers fell to 2.4-35-.75 on 4.6 T/G. Those are still top 10 numbers at the position, but Davis simply isn’t a no-brainer top 5 pick with Crabtree in the lineup. Davis has a history of being underutilized in the 49ers’ run-heavy offense, and that’s a possibility again in 2014. A potential holdout further muddies the waters.

Giants RB David Wilson says his next doctor appointment is Wednesday. He's hoping he can be cleared by doctors for contact then.

We're expecting Wilson to (at best) fill a change-of-pace role behind Rashad Jennings, who was terrific for the Raiders in a starting role last season.

Packers tight end Jermichael Finley finally has gotten some good news. But it doesn’t mean he’ll soon be joining a new team. Or rejoining his former team, the Packers.

Finley’s agent, Blake Baratz, said on Thursday’s PFT Live that Finley has received clearance from Dr. Joseph Maroon. The Pittsburgh neurosurgeon performed the fusion of the C3-C4 vertebrates in Finley’s spine following a spinal cord contusion suffered during the 2013 season.

Finley still has to be cleared medically by the doctors employed by a team interested in signing him. Baratz said Finley will be making a team visit on Friday; Baratz declined to name the team, citing a request made by the organization for silence. (Hello, Patriots.)

In March, Finley visited the Seahawks. The Packers seem to have ongoing interest in a reunion.

The Packers would probably be the best landing spot for Finley in terms of fantasy value, though the Patriots might be a good spot as well. He will have to be cleared to play by their doctors before he'll be offered a contract, but it's a good sign that the doctor who performed the surgery has cleared him to play. If he re-signs with the Packers, he'll likely land in the #12-#15 range in our TE rankings due to injury risk.

Giants WR Mario Manningham (knee) will sit out until training camp.

Tight end Jermaine Gresham wasn’t here for the first day of voluntary practices on Tuesday and word is he’s dealing with a physical issue. Indications are it could impact his participation in the voluntaries but there doesn't seem to be a concern he’d miss a big chunk of training camp…

Financial terms were not released, but a source told ESPN.com's Terry Blount that the deal will pay Seahawks WR Doug Baldwin a minimum of $16 million over three years, and possible $19.5 million overall if achievable bonuses are reached.

Baldwin has consistently produced since joining the Seahawks as an undrafted rookie in 2011. He led the team's receivers in catches (51), yards (788) and touchdowns (four) that season, and last season ranked second in receptions (50) and yards (778) and tied for first with five touchdowns.

He was particularly effective in the playoffs, his 24-yard catch on third-and-3 early in the fourth quarter of the divisional round helping stall a Saints rally and set up the decisive touchdown, and his 51-yard reception in the NFC Championship Game win over the 49ers setting up the Seahawks' first points after they trailed 10-0. He finished that game with six catches for 106 yards.

Once Sidney Rice went down, Baldwin emerged as a productive starter, averaging 3.6 catches for 55 yards and 0.45 TD in his final 11 games (including three postseason games where he caught 13 passes for 202 yards and a TD). Those are solid fantasy WR3 numbers. The contract indicates that the Seahawks view Baldwin as a starter, and if that's the case he's likely to continue to post WR3 numbers in that role.

Chip Kelly has made it clear he wants to create pass-coverage matchup problems with Darren Sproles, whose receiving ability and 5-6, 190-pound frame call to mind former Eagles star Brian Westbrook.

But though Sproles said yesterday he hasn't been told anything about his role with the Eagles, everyone assumes a limited workload - maybe six or eight touches a game from scrimmage. It seems reasonable to expect a 31-year-old to be productive used that way.

We're currently projecting Sproles for 8.3 touches. He's our #36 RB in PPR formats.

Matthew Stafford may never make it to “Dancing with the Stars,” but the Detroit Lions are doing their part to fine-tune his footwork.

Lions offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi said that quarterbacks coach Jim Bob Cooter has worked “a lot” with Stafford this off-season on footwork and progression drills.

“Like most quarterbacks, when his feet are right, the passes are usually right,” Lombardi said. “As he gets comfortable with the progressions and the timing, so much of it is dependent on the timing of the routes and where (his) feet should be, and he’s still learning a little bit of that, but he’s grasping it pretty quickly.”

Stafford’s mechanics have come under increased scrutiny as his passing numbers have slipped in recent years, and experts pointed to sloppy footwork as a primary reason.

“He’s really remarkably bright,” Lombardi said. “I’ve heard that he was a smart player, but the speed and ease with which he picks things up he has even surprised me — and I had high expectations coming in. So I think he’s doing really well.”

Stafford has finished in the top 10 in each of the last three seasons. He has new weapons to throw to in Golden Tate and Eric Ebron, but OC Scott Linehan was replaced by Joe Lombardi, who may emphasize the run a bit more. Still, Stafford is locked in as a top 5 option given all the weapons at his disposal, and has upside from there if he can develop consistent mechanics in the pocket.

With no Andre Johnson at OTAs right now, DeAndre Hopkins and the wide receivers will be getting even more reps during practice. Hopkins hopes to use the opportunities he has this offseason to improve different aspects of his game, especially his route running.

“I’m nowhere close to where I want to be," Hopkins said on Wednesday. "Not even close. I have a lot of things I need to work on and I’m doing that this offseason."

With a new coaching staff, new system, and new group of quarterbacks, it feels like last year, learning a whole new scheme all over again under head coach Bill O’Brien.

“It’s not been easy; I’m not going to lie,” Hopkins said. “It’s a new playbook, you have to refocus, you have to do everything you did your rookie year all over again, but I feel like I know how to prepare better than last year, just going out and learning from Andre (Johnson) and doing things like that, and I feel like I’m becoming a better player overall.”

“He’s a hard worker,” O’Brien said. “He’s a young player. This is a brand new system for him so it’s difficult because he had a rookie year, now he’s having to learn a new system. I think he’s working really hard. He takes the coaching well. He’s a big guy. He’s a physical player. He’s learning a new way of doing things relative to our offense and I think he comes out there and tries to get better every day.”

Hopkins finished as the #50 WR in 2013, posting 52 catches for 802 yards and two touchdowns, a solid season for a rookie wideout playing along an established veteran like Andre Johnson. Hopkins would be better off if he didn't have to learn a new offense this summer, but he may see a ton of targets if Johnson doesn't eventually report to camp.

This likely will be Wes Welker's last season with the Denver Broncos, whether that decision is made by the 2015 free-agency market, Father Time or some headhunting linebacker.

Denver already has signed his replacement — Emmanuel Sanders — and drafted a receiver for the future in Cody Latimer.

Sanders can fill Welker's role in the slot, and Latimer looks like a good option on the outside, so there won't be a need to re-sign a 34 year-old Welker next season. Latimer and Sanders have nice dynasty upside at this point.

With Marshawn Lynch skipping the first day of practice, Christine Michael got the first-team reps at running back and made the most of it. Michael had several impressive carries in the 11-on-11 scrimmage. There was no tackling, but he obviously would have broken into the secondary a couple of times and showed quite a burst at the line of scrimmage.

"We have very high expectations for him," Carroll said of Michael. "He's going to get a ton of work. He's just a million miles ahead of where he was in terms of understanding what we want scheme-wise, pass protection wise, route wise, and we know he's a natural runner. He's got explosive talent and we just want to get him to fit in."

Michael is the heir apparent to Marshawn Lynch, who is under contract for two more seasons. We're not expecting a timeshare after recent comments from RB coach Sherman Smith ("To me, there's a drop off. You take Marshawn out of the game, there's a drop off to the next guy. So why would we do that?").

Last year, Lions WR Calvin Johnson would miss practice -- something he's loath to do -- and he felt that affected his play in games. And now, in May, with his knees and finger healed, Johnson talked briefly about the problems his injuries caused him last season.

"It bothered me enough to where I had to get [the right knee] drained every week," Johnson said Wednesday. "The finger, it was stuck at 90 degrees. It's good to have those things freed up right now."

Johnson has been practicing during OTAs, attempting to learn the Detroit Lions' new offense along with his teammates. He is able to participate fully because he can move and catch better.

Johnson will turn 29 in September, so he should still have several productive years remaining, provided he can stay healthy. Even battling all of these injuries, he finished as the #3 WR, and will likely be the first wideout taken on draft day.

After a strong finish to the season, where does Giants WR Jerrel Jernigan fit into the mix with Mario Manningham back in the fold? It could depend on the health of Manningham's knee. Jernigan, however, will still have to prove himself this spring if he intends on receiving a serious shot at significant playing time this season.

Jernigan racked up 19 catches for 237 yards and two TDs in the final three games, making him the #2 WR in fantasy in that span. He should get snaps ahead of the fading Manningham, but it sounds as if he's not a shoo-in to be the team's WR4.

The starting receiver opposite Antonio Brown for the first practice session was Markus Wheaton, the third-round draft pick last year. “There are a lot of us chasing that spot,” Wheaton said. “It’s not mine. There’s a lot of good competition.”… QB Ben Roethlisberger said the implementation of the no-huddle offense, which was so successful in the second half of last season, will be up to Wheaton and receiver Lance Moore because they willhave to be up to speed with the rest of the offense.

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/steelers/2014/05/28/Steelers-notebook...

There was some discussion that rookie Martavis Bryant would compete for a starting job, but he wasn't even mentioned in the blurb. It's interesting that Roethlisberger discussed Wheaton and Moore as part of the no-huddle conversation -- it looks like Wheaton is in line to start at this point in the offseason. If that holds, he'll be fantasy relevant in 2014.

it definitely appears Marquess Wilson will receive first stab at winning the job as this team's No. 3 receiver. He worked as the No.3 receiver with the first team on offense.

Wilson is a tall (6'3") second year receiver who may be fantasy relevant, especially if either Brandon Marshall or Alshon Jeffery miss time due to injury in 2014. The Bears pass it enough to support three fantasy receivers, but we're counting Martellus Bennett in that group. Wilson will hold flier value if he earns the WR3 job.

It's apparent the Bears skill-position players -- especially the receivers -- spent plenty of time training this offseason. They all appear to be in excellent shape, as does tight end Martellus Bennett.

Jim Harbaugh on #49ers QB Colin Kaepernick: "I expect a breakout year for Colin."

In his last 18 games with Michael Crabtree in the lineup, Kaepernick has averaged 20.9 FP, which equate to #3 QB numbers. In 11 games without Crabtree, he averaged 16.1 FP. He averages 2.5 more pass attempts (i.e. the 49ers throw the ball more) and his YPA jumps from 7.4 to 8.4 with his top receiver in the lineup.

TE Vernon Davis and RG Alex Boone have not been taking part in 49ers OTAs. Coach Jim Harbaugh offered no explanation for either.

We'll have to wait and see if the 49ers are more forthcoming about Davis's absence, but this is probably nothing to worry about.

After most of his teammates had already arrived Wednesday, Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton stepped out of a golf cart and walked out to the practice fields with a noticeable limp.

But the fact that Newton was there at all was an encouraging sign.

A little more than two months following ankle surgery, Newton threw on the sideline and again after practice as the Panthers went through their second of 10 scheduled OTA (organized team activities) sessions. They will practice again Thursday before taking the weekend off.

Newton did not participate in team drills, but Panthers coach Ron Rivera said he wouldn't be surprised if the two-time Pro Bowler is more involved during the three-day minicamp next month.

Newton needs time to build a rapport with an almost completely new receiving corps. The sooner he can get back, the better his fantasy prospects in 2014.

After undergoing an arthroscopic procedure on his left ankle on April 10, quarterback Eli Manning wasn’t going to be rushed back. But his ironman gene put him on the fast track, and Manning took quite a few snaps on the first day of OTAs. In addition to individual drills, he took many of the first-team reps as he and his teammates continued to learn McAdoo’s new offense.

It doesn't look like the ankle will be much of an issue this offseason. It's a good thing -- Manning needs time to learn a new offense and build a rapport with rookie Odell Beckham.

Chiefs TE Demetrius Harris has been looking good - he has the height (6-7) and is now 257 after reporting at 225 last year.

The ex-basketball player could have a shot rise up the depth chart if Travis Kelce (knee) can't get healthy.

Bills WR Robert Woods had ankle surgery. Didn't take part in team drills today.

Woods is expected to be fine for camp, so this is probably a minor surgery. Woods will compete with Mike Williams to start opposite Sammy Watkins in the Bills' run-heavy offense.

The Giants are taking an optimistic wait-and-see approach with their former first-round draft choice David Wilson, who missed most of last season with a neck injury. However, the third-year running back was on the practice field for the first of 10 non-contact organized team activities (OTAs) on Wednesday at the Quest Diagnostics Training Center. Wilson worked on both special teams as a returner and in offensive drills, including taking this handoff from quarterback Josh Freeman.

It's a sign that Wilson is on track to return this season, though he still has to be fully cleared for contact. We would expect him to play behind Rashad Jennings.

Browns QB Johnny Manziel took second team reps in OTAs on Wednesday.

It's actually a promotion for Manziel, though he's still behind Brian Hoyer on the depth chart. His fantasy prospects will take a big hit if Josh Gordon is indeed suspended for a full season.

When it comes to the potential suspension of Browns receiver Josh Gordon, not much is known. But clarity finally has been achieved on one key point regarding Gordon’s status.

As explained by Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer during a Tuesday visit to PFT Live, Gordon was in Stage 3 of the substance-abuse program at the time of his most recent alleged violation.

The policy provides that a violation results in a banishment for a minimum of one year.

Gordon's camp is attempting to get the suspension reduced, but this doesn't bode well for his availability in 2014. Keeper league owners are anxiously awaiting the league's decision.

Dolphins WR Mike Wallace said he and quarterback Ryan Tannehill have not missed a chance to work out together this offseason, other than the first day when Wallace was away. “We didn’t miss one day,” Wallace said. This might mean an increase in accuracy when Tannehill targets Wallace deep down the field — a point of contention last season.

Last year, “I didn’t feel like I knew what was going on,” Wallace said. “It’s still new, just because it’s a new offense, but at the same time I feel a lot more comfortable.”

Wallace finished the season as the #25 WR, but was an unreliable option for most of the year. Thanks to four touchdowns in his final six games, he averaged 10.8 FP in that span, which equates to low-end WR1-type numbers. We're not expecting that kind of production, though he should be a top-end WR3 if his late season surge continues into this season.

Patriots beat writer Mike Reiss on RB Stevan Ridley: "He is an error repeater, but there is always a fine line to walk there. Former Patriots running back Kevin Faulk, for example, was an error repeater earlier in his career when it came to ball security. The Patriots stuck with him and were rewarded for it. I think the question becomes: Do we still see some upside here or has the error repeating reached a point where there's no turning back? I still think it's the former and it helps that he doesn't have a big contract to absorb ($777,750)."

Rookie James White could press Ridley if he starts to fumble the ball again. Brandon Bolden is also a capable (yet uninspiring) replacement should Ridley's butterfingers re-emerge.

NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reported Tuesday night that linebacker Sean Lee tore his ACL at the team's OTA session and is expected to miss the 2014 season, according to a source who has seen the MRI results. Lee's left knee buckled when he was run over by first-round pick Zack Martin during a drill that was supposed to be non-contact.

This is a serious blow to the Cowboys' defense, which was projecting to be a bit better with Lee in the lineup.

Tight end Jermichael Finley will undergo testing on his neck in Green Bay tomorrow (Wednesday), per a source.

It's possible that Finley could be cleared to play, but that's pure speculation at this point. The Packers have already said that they're interested in bringing him back if he's healthy enough to play.

Seahawks WR Percy Harvin: "This is probably the best I've felt since before college."

Tis the season for fluffy comments like this, but it's still nice to hear that the oft-injured Harvin is feeling good at this point in the offseason. The Seahawks will use him early and often if he can stay on the field.

Tight end Travis Kelce, who missed all of last season with a knee injury, was on the practice field but could not participate.

Kelce is a sleeper given a golden opportunity in the Kansas City offense. He only has Anthony Fasano and Sean McGrath ahead of him on the depth chart.

Bears WR Domenik Hixon announced on Facebook he tore his ACL today. That's the third time for him.

Lorenzo Taliaferro, who two weeks was drafted by the NFL's Baltimore Ravens, was arrested early Saturday morning and charged breaking a window in a taxi cab.

Taliaferro is expected to compete with Bernard Pierce for carries, especially if Ray Rice is suspended as expected. These aren't the kinds of headlines that rookies want to be making when auditioning for playing time.

Bengals RB Giovani Bernard ran with the first team and Jeremy Hill the second team. BenJarvus Green-Ellis behind them.

While it's not surprising that Hill has passed The Law Firm, it is a little surprising that he was handed the RB2 role. He'll be fantasy relevant as a handcuff and a possible TD specialist.

Four quarterbacks have a chance to be the Texans’ Week 1 starter.

Ryan Fitzpatrick, Case Keenum, T.J. Yates and rookie Tom Savage participated during the first day of OTAs Tuesday at the Texans’ indoor practice facility near NRG Stadium.

First-year coach Bill O’Brien said the team will eventually make a decision about its quarterback situation, which will affect repetitions during training camp. But as of Tuesday, the race for the starter spot remains “wide open.”

We expect Fitzpatrick to win this job, but it's something to monitor, especially for Andre Johnson or DeAndre Hopkins owners.

Chargers WR Malcom Floyd said he was told by doctor: "Cleared for contact. Cleared for everything. There are no risks. I'm good to go."

Floyd could re-emerge as the Chargers' WR2 if he can beat out Vincent Brown and Eddie Royal, which shouldn't be too hard, though Floyd is no spring chicken. He'll be fantasy relevant if he's getting starter's snaps.

Cardinals HC Bruce Arians mentioned Andre Ellington is #1 back and expects him to get 25-30 touches per game.

Well, 25 touches per game equates to 400 over the course of a 16-game season. In the last 40 seasons, just 36 running backs have posted 400+ touches in a season, and only one (James Wilder, 1984) has touched the ball 480 times (which equates to 30 touches per game). Andre Ellington isn't going to touch the ball that much, but this kind of talk will do nothing to dampen the optimism surrounding him this offseason. He looks like a strong RB2 in standard formats with upside in PPR.

When asked what type of season Eagles TE Zach Ertz would have, beat writer Zach Berman said, "Pro Bowl would be tough, but I do think Ertz emerges into one of the better tight ends in the NFL this season. He has the skill set and the opportunity."

Ertz averaged 2.8-32-.56 over the final nine games of the season (including the Eagles' sole playoff game) and that included two goose eggs in Week 10 and Week 14. That equates to 6.6 fantasy points per game, which is what Martellus Bennett averaged as the #10 TE in fantasy football. With Jason Avant and DeSean Jackson gone, Ertz could play a lot in the slot. If he can take a step forward in the blocking department, it will help his overall fantasy outlook.

Not surprisingly, Dolphins RB Knowshon Moreno is running with the first team offense.

As Beasley says, this isn't surprising, but it's confirmation that the team views Moreno as its first string RB, even though he's a newcomer. He's our #28-ranked RB at this point, but has some upside if it looks like the Dolphins are going to give him workhorse-type carries.

Chip Kelly wants WR Jordan Matthews to start off in the slot and use his 6-foot-3 frame against smaller nickelbacks. If the Eagles come out in “11 personnel” (three wide receivers, one tight end) on their first possession, Matthews will likely man the slot and, technically, he’d be among the starting 11. But look for Kelly to lean a little heavier on “12 personnel” (two receivers, two tight ends) early on for experience reasons. In that case, the outside receivers would be Jeremy Maclin and Riley Cooper, with Zach Ertz and Brent Celek manning the tight end spots.

The fact that Matthews can play inside and outside -- he was mostly an outside receiver at Vanderbilt -- gives him the best chance to see the most significant playing time early. Kelly can move him around and figure out mismatches. Also, any injuries at wideout would automatically increase Matthews’ workload. if Cooper or Maclin were to suffer an injury, Matthews would likely be elevated into a starting role. Maclin is coming off his second ACL tear since college, so he’ll be handled carefully in the spring and summer camps. Matthews should get plenty of grooming.

Matthews should see the third-most snaps and targets among the Eagles' wideouts assuming everyone stays healthy. He will have to contend with Ertz and RB Darren Sproles for snaps in the slot.

Dolphins WRs Brian Hartline and Brandon Gibson, both coming off knee injuries, are dressed for practice.

It’s hard to use the term “expanded role” for any player that had nearly 400 snaps the year before, but C.J. Spiller is the exception. By many accounts, 2013 was a disappointment for the former first-round pick. He suffered a high ankle sprain that put a damper on a good portion of his season and just never really evolved into the running back that the Bills were touting him to be ahead of last season. However, the argument can be made that the current Bills coaching staff just didn’t understand where Spiller would be most effective for the team when the regular season games started. They set incredibly lofty expectations as a workhorse back, but that’s not the type of player that Spiller is. By the time they realized what Spiller was, they were in the throes of the season and couldn’t put him in the spots he needed to be. The injury did not help the matter by any means and set the process back even more. Now that he’s fully healthy, that offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett understands where he works best and that Spiller is motivated not only by doubters, but by an expiring contract at the end of the year, it’s fair to expect a bigger output from both a snap count and yardage perspective in 2014. He won’t be that workhorse back that they hoped for, but he’ll likely have a more defined and bigger role with the type of athleticism he possesses.

C.J. Spiller’s 2013 season has been well-documented. He dealt with a bad ankle sprain for most of the season and, other than a few electrifying moments, he just didn’t seem like himself. Throw in a RB1-type season from the seemingly ageless Fred Jackson and Spiller finished #27 at his position, a huge disappointment to those owners who drafted him in the first round. A healthy Spiller should fare much better in 2014, though the ever-productive Jackson is still under contract, so there are still major workload concerns.

As far as the tight end position has been concerned, there has been a lot of build up from both Bills GM Doug Whaley and head coach Doug Marrone about what they believe they’ll be getting from Tony Moeaki in 2014. The 26-year old has two starting seasons under his belt since being drafted in 2010, catching 80 passes for 1,009 yards and four total touchdowns. Two separate injuries, a torn ACL in 2011 and a fractured shoulder in 2013, have derailed his career from being a promising young tight end to one with many questions. The injury bug didn’t just find him in the NFL though. Moeaki dealt with elbow, hand and leg injuries, and a concussion as well during college. Even still, the Bills believe in his athleticism and ability to contribute. He might not be starting for the Bills, but with a full offseason expect him to be much more than just a special teams contributor — as long as he stays healthy.

New season, new mind frame from Colts offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton.

"We’re going to be a score-first team," Hamilton said. "We’re going to do whatever we need to do to score one more point than our opponent."

Don’t kid yourself; Hamilton isn’t going to allow Andrew Luck drop back in the pocket and fling the ball downfield – even if he does have plenty of weapons at his disposal – 50 times per game. The Colts will still run the ball, which is why they have three backs they think will be able to carry the load.

But like Hamilton said, it’s all about scoring more points than the opponent and that will likely end up being with Luck doing what he does best: Using his arm.

The Colts threw the ball 582 times and ran it 409 times last season.

"Our mentality has not changed; we have to be physical at the point of attack. We have to try and knock people off the ball and wear them down physically," Hamilton said. "We have to have a sense of balance and still have a physical mentality, make up going into games so we can wear our opponents down how we see fit."

Luck has finished #8 and #6 in his first two seasons in the league and is locked in as a solid QB1 pick in 2014 fantasy drafts. He is currently the #4 QB off the board in the 4th round. The Colts wanted to utilize a run-first mentality in 2013, and ended up throwing the ball 58.7% of the time, which was in the middle of the pack as far as pass/run balance goes. With the addition of Hakeem Nicks and the return of both Reggie Wayne and Dwayne Allen, we would expect Hamilton to utilize the passing game more often in 2014.

All indications point to Colts WR Reggie Wayne still making good progress from his torn ACL. He’s taking part in football activities again, but he likely won’t participate in the team’s mandatory minicamp next month. The Colts will likely wait until training camp before Wayne goes all out on the field.

His progress will have a big impact on the team's pecking order at WR, though we expect T.Y. Hilton to continue to build on two good productive seasons in the league. Hakeem Nicks is also in the mix.

After a rough 2013, the Cardinals feel much better about the offense heading into the summer of 2014:

"We're working so much more efficiently," receiver Larry Fitzgerald said. "We're finishing (practice) periods with two, three minutes left. We're not having to restart, regroup and do over. It's very encouraging."

HC Bruce Arians is convinced his offense has turned a corner, not just put its blinker on.

"Where we're at this point is like light-years from last year," he said last week after the team's first full-squad workout of the off-season. "They are getting on the same page. Every play, they come back and there is good dialogue — 'Why did you break out? Why did you break in?' "

"We've got a ton of work to do," QB Carson Palmer said, "but it just feels so good to be confident and be comfortable and know the guys around you know that you know what you're doing.

"There's not a shadow of a doubt on certain plays where there was in the past, like there are in new systems and new offenses. Just a great start and a long way to go."

If the offensive line can come together, this bodes well for Palmer, Fitzgerald and Michael Floyd, who has stood out in offseason activities. Palmer finished as the #17 QB in 2013 and is a QBBC/streaming candidate heading into 2014.

Titans beat writer Jim Wyatt on RB Shonn Greene:

The Titans already did away with one running back from a year ago in Chris Johnson, so would they really consider sending another one packing? I haven't heard any buzz suggesting it could happen, but let's just say stranger things have happened. This much is known: Greene was underwhelming in 2013, and he recently had a second knee surgery. He's scheduled to earn $2.3 million in 2014, and that's not chump change. The Titans drafted Bishop Sankey, and the team plans to use Dexter McCluster in the backfield. A big back is on board in Jackie Battle, and undrafted rookie Antonio Andrews of Western Kentucky is no slouch. Greene won't take part in the OTAs, so he'll need to prove his worth in camp.

We're projecting Sankey to be the clear RB1 after the Titans took him as the first back in the draft. The last 13 rookies who were the top drafted RB in their class while joining a backfield with a lackluster incumbent averaged 18.2 touches for 83.1 yards and 0.55 TD, or 11.6 fantasy points per game. That’s about what Ryan Mathews averaged as the #12 RB in 2013. For more on Sankey's potential production, see The Rookie Rundown.

With the addition of sixth-round pick Zach Mettenberger, however, Titans QB Jake Locker now has another guy aiming to eventually unseat him. Let's keep it real here: Mettenberger is not going to challenge Locker for the starting spot at the start of the 2014 season. The Titans want Locker to win the job going away in training camp, and he'll be given every opportunity to do so. Still, Locker can't give coaches any reason to doubt themselves. Keep in mind, back-up Charlie Whitehurst was brought to town because new coach Ken Whisenhunt is a big fan. Locker will still be slow-going during the upcoming OTAs as he continues to work his way back from Lisfranc surgery. When training camp begins, the Titans think he'll be able to hit the ground running.

Bengals beat writer Coley Harvey on WR Mohamed Sanu:

As for what's expected of him, it's this: catch the ball (and maybe throw it a little). Just like the rest of the receivers, the Bengals' focus this season will be on getting the football in as many of their playmakers' hands as possible.

After Sanu had such a promising 2012 season, he ran into a bit of a wall last year. Receivers coach James Urban has said he didn't feel like he used Sanu quite as much or as effectively as he had hoped. That should change this season. It's possible to see Sanu in the slot receiver role if indeed Marvin Jones has leapfrogged him and slipped into the No. 2 receiver's spot. That's something we won't really know until deep into training camp. It could be that coaches decide to keep Jones as the third receiver and to use him more often in the slot than Sanu.

We're expecting Jones to be the team's WR2 in 2014 after OC Hue Jackson mentioned Jones in the same breath as A.J. Green when discussing the team's receiving corps.

Seahawks RB Christine Michael’s shortcoming is two-fold: the concern about his ability to block and his lack of participation in special teams (again, not because he refuses to do it, but because the opt for someone else). For the amount of times he would carry the ball, it didn’t make sense most of the season to have him gobble up an active roster spot if he couldn’t also play special teams.

One other good thing about Michael finishing last season with only 18 carries: he finished the season with only 18 carries. Protecting the body of a running back for a whole year in the NFL holds its own value. If the Seahawks decide they can’t swallow Marshawn Lynch’s 2015 cap hit and Michael has proven after more chances in 2014, which seems will be the case for him, he can take over, then they bought themselves almost two full years to work him in.

Lynch is signed through the 2015 season, so he could continue to be the RB1 through next year. His hefty cap number will make him a cut candidate if the team thinks Michael is ready to carry the load.

It is curious, however, that they declined to address receiver in free agency or the draft. In addition to Dwayne Bowe—Dorsey said he is in “magnificent” shape—the Chiefs maintained the status quo with Donnie Avery, A.J. Jenkins, Weston Dressler and Junior Hemingway. Dorsey’s OK with that, provided that 2013 third-round tight end Travis Kelce is healthy after missing nearly his entire rookie season following microfracture surgery on his knee.

“The way that group started to come on towards the end, and getting used to the offense, you could see that they were beginning to understand their roles and what they were supposed to do,” Dorsey said. “It’s going to be a collective effort. And the emergence of a Travis Kelce being able to stretch the field as a tight end, hopefully that weapon adds another element to the passing game. We took some nicks at the tight end position last year.”

The Chiefs currently have Anthony Fasano and Sean McGrath ahead of Kelce on the depth chart, but Kelce is expected to make an impact coming off of microfracture surgery in 2013. He's a player to watch this offseason. If he has a good camp and can earn starter's snaps, he'll be a sleeper at tight end. The Chiefs are desperate for playmakers in the passing game.

Redskins beat writer Mike Jones on the team's receiving corps:

There’s no question the starters are Pierre Garcon and DeSean Jackson, with slot man Andre Roberts joining them in frequently-used three-receiver sets. But the spots behind them remain up for grabs. Santana Moss had been the slot guy, but now returns on a non-guaranteed deal and will work to compete at whatever spot he can. Aldrick Robinson had served as the deep threat and backup to Garcon, but hasn’t been the most consistent or versatile guy in the past. Leonard Hankerson has seen some time in the slot, but might not fully recover from anterior cruciate ligament surgery until late July/early August. Fifth-round pick Ryan Grant and undrafted free agent Cody Hoffman will push veteran teammates who are on the bubble. Grant doesn’t have the speed that Robinson has, but he’s bigger, and he’s more versatile with the ability to play on special teams, which Robinson does not. Last weekend, Grant lined up both on the outside, and in the slot. He also served as a jammer and gunner on special teams. Gruden praised Grant, saying he played like a 10-year veteran at the minicamp. Meanwhile, Hoffman is the biggest receiver on the roster at 6-foot-4, 210 pounds, and he too plays special teams, having stood out in college as a return man. He also is a precise route runner with good hands, according to Gruden. The veterans could have to work extremely hard to fend off these two rookies.

The top three spots seem settled with Garcon, Jackson and Roberts. From a redraft fantasy standpoint, that's all that really matters.

General manager Martin Mayhew said earlier this offseason that WR Ryan Broyles attacks rehab harder than just about any player he has ever seen, and that regimen has Broyles closing in on a full recovery.

He participated in the Lions' first round of OTAs this week, both at receiver and kick returner. And that was enough to put a smile on his face.

"I'm gettin' right, man. I really am," Broyles told MLive after Wednesday's practice.

With the addition of Golden Tate and Eric Ebron, there isn't a ton of opportunity for Broyles at this point, though it's good to hear he's close to a full recovery.

Returning is Markus Wheaton, their third-round pick in 2013 who caught six passes as a rookie, three in his only start against Minnesota in the fourth game of the season. He missed four games with a hand injury and had surgery after the season.

This is a group that needs to come up to speed quickly with Ben Roethlisberger, who pushed hard for the Steelers to re-sign Jerricho Cotchery. Lance Moore will take Cotchery's spot in the slot and it's possible he could start when they deploy two receivers. But they need someone to play that split end or "X" spot, the one formerly occupied by Mike Wallace, then Emmanuel Sanders.

Our projection for split end: Wheaton.

Martavis Bryant is also in the mix and could win the job due to his outstanding size and physical skills. Normally, we'd defer to the veteran, but it's not like Wheaton had a solid rookie season to build on.

Lions general manager Martin Mayhew was asked about the possibility of trading running back Mikel Leshoure back in March at the Annual NFL Meetings.

“I haven’t had an interest in trading Mikel,” Mayhew told beat writers over lunch. “I want to see him come in and perform and be the player he can be.”

Mayhew obviously wants to see Leshoure succeed here in Detroit and saw a a possible role for him back in March with the new offense being implemented. Offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi has come over from New Orleans and taken a lot of elements from that offense with him.

One of things that sticks out about the Saints offense is the way they rotate running backs and have multiple backs with different roles. Four running backs had at least 53 carries in the Saints offense last year.

“Guys that make plays will get carries,” Mayhew said. “You can go back to New Orleans’ offense, which is what encouraged me about Joe (Lombardi). Pierre Thomas had a role. (Darren) Sproles had a role. Mark Ingram had a role. At one point Chris Ivory had a role when he was down there with them. They found a way to utilize guys who could make plays.”

The implication here is that Leshoure could work his way into a Saints-like RBBC. If he does, it would put a dent in the fantasy stock of Reggie Bush and Joique Bell.

The Jaguars were attracted to RB Toby Gerhart because of his ability to gain yards after contact and thrive on third down.

“Without a doubt,” RB coach Terry Richardson said of Gerhart’s physical running style. “He’s a horse. He’s a big guy, and I talked to one of his former [position] coaches, and he was saying Toby had the strongest legs he’s been around in terms of his leg drive and leg power. We’re excited about that.”

Gerhart has touched the ball 15+ times in seven career games and has averaged low-end RB1 numbers (12.6 FP) with that type of workload. For more on Gerhart's potential production, click here.

On the topic of rookie WR Jarvis Landry...

“He always made plays, got separation, got open and made great catches, and that’s what he’s been doing for us the last two weeks,” Dolphins general manager Dennis Hickey said.

no one should write off Landry playing meaningful offensive snaps this fall, even with the Dolphins returning their top nine pass-catchers from 2013. On the job for just two weeks, he has already worked at all the receiver positions — both on the outside and in the slot.

More likely, however, Landry will also need to be a special-teams presence to get activated on Sundays.

Rams beat writer Nick Wagoner on rookie Tre Mason: "I expect Mason to be nipping at the heels of (Zac Stacy) for carries and handle the No. 2 role. I also wouldn't be surprised if he usurped Stacy at some point, especially if Stacy struggles with nagging injuries again."

We'd be surprised if Mason overtakes Stacy, who was impressive for the Rams in 2013. He may have trouble beating out Benny Cunningham as Stacy's backup.

There has been no change in either Jermichael Finley's medical clearance or his contractual status with the Packers. Until the former changes, meaning the Packers' doctors give him the OK to return to the field, nothing will happen with the latter. And let's be clear about this: Even if Finley's doctor says it's safe for him to resume his career, that does not mean individual doctors for NFL teams will have the same opinion.

If Nick Toon struggles this preseason and can’t secure a top-four spot in the rotation, then he might lose out to a younger player like Brandon Coleman for that fifth or sixth “redshirt” spot. But Toon has a much better chance of cracking the top four and actually seeing some significant playing time this year.

Associates of new Dolphins offensive coordinator Bill Lazor, Philadelphia’ former quarterback coach, said he was advised by the Eagles not to take the Dolphins job if Joe Philbin didn’t give him total control of his unit. Philbin has given him that authority, and Dolphins players are excited about the system he’s implementing.

“It’s reminiscent of Chip Kelly’s offense in Philadelphia, with the tempo and style,” said one Dolphins player who asked not to be named.

Kelly uses a spread offense, and the player said the spread is an important part of this Dolphins attack, but there is more to this offense than that.

“There are some West Coast offense concepts,” the player said. “Some shotgun, some under center. They’ve discussed having both no huddle and huddle. It’s fast tempo.”

There’s no natural fullback, though there is a role for an H-back and multiple tight end sets, the player said.

It's one thing to copy an offense, and it's another to successfully execute it in the same way. The Dolphins' offense could definitely be on the rise, however, with the arrival of Lazor.

On Monday, 49ers RB Marcus Lattimore said that he was experiencing soreness in both legs, including his right one. He saw this as a positive sign. “I'm excited about it,” he said. “About six, seven months ago, it would just be my left leg that would be sore. Now i'm balanced on both legs. Feeling good, man.”

Lattimore had been going full speed prior to the current camp. “The days that he was full speed, (he) looked very good,” HC Jim Harbaugh said. Harbaugh also said Lattimore was noticebly better than he was during the three-week window in which he was permitted to practice last season. “Again, he's improved to where he was the last time we saw him in those practices in the end of the season,” Harbaugh said. “Yes, he's quick and faster."

On Friday, Cam Inman released video of Lattimore at practice.

There is a lot of interest surrounding Lattimore, and rightfully so, but from a redraft perspective, he's still behind Frank Gore and Kendall Hunter, and the team drafted Carlos Hyde in the 2nd round Barring an injury to Gore and/or Hunter, it's not likely that Lattimore will make a significant impact in 2014. He and Hyde will vie for dynasty value for now.

Jets WR Stephen Hill stood at his locker on Thursday and declared he had "no issues" with the knees that had limited so much of his play during his first two seasons with the Jets.

"I'm excited about it," Hill said. "I have no issues, so I'm definitely excited about that. It's definitely a plus."

Panthers WR coach Ricky Proehl on rookie Kelvin Benjamin...

"A guy his size and the way he just caught the ball ... just natural, just like a vacuum," Proehl said. "I was in awe to be honest with you."

"You look at him, if he can grow and develop into the receiver I think he can be, he's going to a huge asset for Cam [Newton]," Proehl said of Carolina's fourth-year quarterback.

Benjamin's leaping catch over the middle with two defenders all over him near the end of Saturday's rookie camp left everyone in awe.

"That's what he brings," Proehl said. "He can make great catches like that because of his size. A normal person is not going to make that catch. With his reach, he's probably 11 feet, 12 feet in the air making that catch.

"Other guys may not have an opportunity to touch the ball, let alone catch it."

Benjamin figures to play right away for the Panthers even though he’s something of a project. At 6’5”, he should be a factor in the red zone at the very least.

49ers HC Jim Harbaugh said Marcus Lattimore is "working through something" and won't take part in the minicamp. It's not related to his knee, he said.

Bengals OC Hue Jackson discussed the team's receiving corps...

"I want (A.J. Green) to take it to a whole different level. I want A.J. and (Marvin Jones) and that receiver group to play uncommon football like you’ve never seem. That’s just my vision after coaching the position. Coach (James) Urban does a great job. A.J.’s has had one of the most historic first three years this league has ever seen. And he is that player. He is everything I thought he was and more. But I think there’s more in there. I think there’s a lot more in there. My challenge to him is, why not be the best? Why not be the best this league has ever seen? Because he has the ability to be that. And when they talk about A.J. Green, I want people to be talking about one of the greatest ever. Because he is and he has that. He’s got to set out every day to prove that because I think he’s that kind of player.

"Marvin Jones came on like gangbusters and he’s got to go chase A.J. Why not knock A.J. off the pedestal? When you have the friendly competition among your teammates, that’s when things get really, really good, in my opinion. (Mohamed Sanu) and (Brandon Tate) and (Dane Sanzenbacher), those guys at receiver, everybody has to raise their level of play. I think when that happens and we get five percent better, three percent better, whatever that is, I think the whole offensive unit gets better."

The key takeaway here is that Jackson mentioned Marvin Jones in the same breath as Green, so while the team is expected to make a concerted effort to run the ball more, Jones should see more snaps as the clear starter opposite Green. Jones played on an average of 43 percent of his teams snaps in his first 13 games of the season. Over his final four games, including a Wild Card playoff loss to the Chargers, he played on an average of 68 percent of snaps. As his snaps increased, so did his targets. He averaged 4.4 targets through 13 games compared to 8.8 targets in the final four games of the season, including 12 targets against the Chargers in the playoffs. After a season of frustrating usage, it appears that the Cincinnati coaching staff has finally recognized that Jones deserves to play more. He finished as the #21 WR in 2013 despite the limited snaps.

Brees is eager to see how New Orleans' offense evolves and figures first-round draft pick Brandin Cooks will play a significant part in that process.

"There's no doubt he's a guy who has the ability to be a big contributor for us on offense this year," Brees said.
It would be a mistake to view Cooks as a replacement for Sproles, Brees said, because they play different positions. Still, Brees sees similarities.

"They're both kind of smaller guys but extremely quick, versatile, matchup problems," Brees said.

"Then you lose a guy like Lance Moore who could play outside and inside," Brees continued. "Cooks is a guy who can play outside and inside, so maybe there's a correlation there. Again, you lose a versatile guy and you get a versatile guy."

Cooks took part in Saints rookie camp last weekend but then returned to Oregon State to finish out the school year. Brees won't get to work with him for another month or so.

The Saints spread the ball around, but not only do they have to replace the departed Lance Moore, the team has to also replace the production of Darren Sproles in the receiving game. The two combined for 143 targets in 2013, so while we're expecting Kenny Stills to see a larger role, there are targets for the speedy Cooks as well.

Ravens HC John Harbaugh said Lorenzo Taliaferro did a nice job of picking up the aiming points in the run scheme and then making the appropriate reads.

“I thought Lorenzo was very smooth running the ball,” Harbaugh said.

“He looks like he is a big guy, a downhill guy. I was very impressed with what kind of shape he is in. There is not an ounce of fat on him, and he is 230 pounds. [He is] very good at pass protection. I thought he showed excellent hands and get-away ability on his routes when he went against a linebacker. So [it was] all good that way.”

Bernard Pierce is out with a shoulder injury, but should be ready for training camp. Ray Rice is facing suspension from the league though he will avoid a trial and possible jail time. Taliaferro could emerge as the Week 1 starter if Pierce's shoulder is not ready.

In order to help Robert Woods flourish in the current corps of receivers Stevie Johnson had to be moved from the slot receiver role so Woods could fill it.

It’s believed that Woods can be an even more productive receiver in the slot. Right now he has the most chemistry with E.J. Manuel as OTAs are set to begin. What’s more his precise route running provides more consistency for a quarterback looking to take the next step in his on field performance than the unconventional route running of Johnson.

As Doug Whaley has said the aim this year is to help EJ Manuel take the next step in his development as a franchise quarterback. Providing him with the most dynamic receiver in the draft (Sammy Watkins) and a proven scorer in Mike Williams, both of whom can high point the ball as well as anyone, and then a reliable receiver in the slot in Woods they believe will enhance Manuel’s chances of succeeding.

It will be interesting to see who plays opposite Sammy Watkins in two-WR sets -- will it be Woods or the newly acquired Mike Williams? Whoever sees starter's snaps should be fantasy relevant in 2014.

The Bengals' tinkering this offseason involves integrating RB Giovani Bernard more into the passing game, particularly at slot receiver. At 5-foot-9, 208 pounds his height would remind of the departed Andrew Hawkins, but coaches view the concept by a different role model.

"We want to do more with him because he can do that," running backs coach Kyle Caskey said. "It's not just put him in the slot. We want him everywhere on the field. Make people guess where's he at. You have to make a decision to either play the run or play the pass. What do you do when he's on the field? He's a lot like Reggie Bush where you have to be aware at all times."

"It's almost easier from the slot," Bernard said. "Think about it; if you're in the backfield you have to run five yards or six and a half or seven to get to the line of scrimmage and then you've got to push up five more yards, you've got to get through all of the crowd and you've got to check all of the protections. So it's almost a lot easier when you're on the slot where all you have to do is just run five yards to get to your spot."

Bernard was the #16 RB in 2013, but his touches weren’t truly consistent until Week 9. Jay Gruden is gone, so the Bengals have turned to Hue Jackson, who was the team’s RB coach last season. Jackson likes to run the ball, so the team's total carries should increase. BenJarvus Green-Ellis was serviceable as a between-the-tackles grinder and the team picked Jeremy Hill to be the Law Firm’s eventual replacement. Bernard’s carries are still under pressure, but it sounds like he’ll see an increased role in the passing game. 300 touches are not out of the question.

CBS4 has learned that Denver police issued an arrest warrant Thursday for Denver Broncos strong safety T.J. Ward, a prized free agent pickup.

According to documents reviewed by CBS4, Ward is wanted in connection with an incident that took place earlier in May, which is categorized both as an assault and disturbing the peace.

Sources say the warrant was issued in connection with a scuffle inside a southeast Denver strip club.

The Cardinals had put on helmets for the first time in the offseason, played offense vs. defense for the first time. And quarterback Carson Palmer, unprompted, made sure to point out his up-and-coming wide receiver.

“The way Mike Floyd is playing,” Palmer said, “just jumped out at me.”

“This is my third year,” Floyd said. “You just have to prepare differently.”

Palmer is buying in. He praised Floyd’s concentration in traffic, his ability to beat Pro Bowl cornerback Patrick Peterson on a fly pattern and the way Floyd has worked on his flexibility under new strength and conditioning coach Buddy Morris.

Now, Palmer said, Floyd is more fluid. He runs effortlessly, catches the ball effortlessly.

“I have very high expectations for Mike this year,” Palmer said.

Michael Floyd broke out in his second season (#23 WR) with a 66 catches for 1,054 yards and five TDs, gaining at least 90 yards and/or finding the endzone in seven of his last 11 games. He should continue to progress as he enters his third year in the league.

Michael Vick is talking like a backup.

The new Jets signal caller said Thursday the Jets do not have an “open competition” at quarterback. The team had previously indicated that Vick and Geno Smith would compete for the starting job, though offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg has said he doesn’t want anything to impede Smith’s progress.

“Going through the competition with [Nick Foles], we knew both of us coming in that it was open competition and the best guy was going to win the job,” Vick said. “Pretty much cut and dry. This situation is different. It’s kind of unique. Even though it’s not an open competition, we’re both competing every day.”

OC Marty Mornhinweg pointed to Smith's play in the final four games of the season. He did average 20.0 fantasy points during that span, compared with just 10.0 FP in the first 12 games. He ran for three TDs down the stretch while throwing for just 198 yards and 1.0 TD. From a fantasy perspective, it would probably be better if the experienced Vick were under center, but it certainly sounds like it's Smith's job to lose.

The New York Jets' new star running back still isn't ready to join his teammates on the field.

Chris Johnson says his surgically repaired right knee is "feeling good" and "getting better." But when asked Thursday if he will participate in any of the Jets' OTA offseason workouts, Johnson said, "probably not."

"I think they're gonna hold me out of OTAs and just let me continue to rehab until I get 100 percent," Johnson said, at the Jets' first player availability of the offseason. "Take it slow, since I have time on my side, and just be ready for [training] camp."

Johnson underwent surgery in late January to repair a torn meniscus, an injury he played through last season. He said he just began doing straight-ahead running this week, and will continue to rehab when the team's OTAs begin next week.

Beat writer Manish Mehta predicts a 35% to 40% decline in carries for Johnson as he forms a 1-2 punch with Chris Ivory. That decline would put Johnson in the 167-181 carry range, though we'd guess that he'll get at least 200 carries in the Jets' run-heavy offense. (Bilal Powell rushed the ball 176 times in 2013.) The Jets have averaged 493.5 carries over the past two seasons, so it's conceivable that Ivory and Johnson could both reach around 200 carries, provided they both stay healthy.

On the subject of Marshawn Lynch's workload...

"We could be running-back-by-committee," Seahawks RB coach Sherman Smith said. "But who does it hurt? It hurts us because we're watering down Marshawn's reps so we can get other backs in there."

"To me, there's a drop off," Smith said. "You take Marshawn out of the game, there's a drop off to the next guy. So why would we do that?"

That rhetorical question isn't meant as a dig at Robert Turbin and Christine Michael. On the contrary, it's shoveling praise on Lynch, who Smith labels "a special athlete."

Lynch has finished in the top 5 for three straight seasons and seems as safe of a pick as anyone in the first round. There is one concern heading into 2014 — Lynch’s DUI trial (from his 2012 arrest) is set to start in February and depending on the outcome, Lynch could be serving some sort of suspension when the season opens. He’s under contract for two more seasons, so the Seahawks will likely ride him hard before handing the keys over to scout-favorite Christine Michael or backup Robert Turbin. Also, Lynch has 1,955 career touches, so he’s no spring chicken.

With deference to the late Al Davis, this year's Bengals don't want to be patient and take what the defense gives them. It seems they want to "take whatever the hell [they] want."

That's the identity Giovani Bernard seemed to reference Wednesday when he energetically told reporters about how much he was looking forward to new offensive coordinator Hue Jackson's uptempo scheme.

"It's a lot more tempo, tempo, tempo," Bernard began, adding, "We're just going to smash your face in -- basically."

Jackson, who was elevated from running backs coach to offensive coordinator in January, wants to run and run and run some more. Then when he's done feeding Bernard and fellow backs BenJarvus Green-Ellis and Jeremy Hill carries in between the tackles, he wants to flank one out wide and pass to him for big after-the-catch yards off a playaction fake to another back. Then when he's called one or two of those plays, he wants Green or fellow receiver Marvin Jones to sprint down the sideline for an occasional "Go" route bomb from what he hopes is a more confident Andy Dalton.

This offensive coordinator wants to use the run to set up the pass.

Bernard should see an increase in touches in Jackson's run-heavy scheme, but that could be tempered somewhat if Jackson tries to involve both Green-Ellis and Hill in the running game. One thing is for sure -- Andy Dalton is not likely to throw as much in 2014.

After missing so much time last year, Colts TE Dwayne Allen been healthy enough to participate in the on-field drills the offense is conducting. Turns out, he needs it.

"It takes that everyday grind to really come back," said Allen, who caught 45 passes as a rookie in 2012. "I've really had to teach myself how to run again. Once I got back going after the first couple of days, it was getting back into my timing with the quarterback. But it's going well. It's getting better and it's about not getting discouraged when you have a setback."

Reggie Bush said the Lions’ new scheme is “exactly the same” as the one he ran in New Orleans years ago.

“The new system, like I said, I played in the system five years in New Orleans so all the terminology’s pretty much the same to me,” Bush said. “We definitely have what it takes to be an explosive offense, just as we were last year. Just got to clean up doing the little things right and we’ll be OK.”

First-year Lions offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi, an offensive assistant with the Saints for seven seasons, said after he was hired that his playbook is a combination of ideas he brought from New Orleans, leftovers from the Lions’ last offense, and things Caldwell and others have added from previous stops.

One tenet of the system, and something the Lions have stressed repeatedly in their off-season practices, is playing at a fast pace in order to control the tempo of the game.

The Lions have had a good offense for years under former OC Scott Linehan, so it's not like the arrival of Lombardi is a big upgrade. But there are more weapons (Golden Tate, Eric Ebron) around Matthew Stafford, who looks primed for a good fantasy season.

Houston Texans running back Arian Foster is thrilled with the new offensive system head coach Bill O'Brien has brought to the franchise.

"So far I really love it," Foster said. "It's very versatile.

"Coach O'Brien has expressed many times how he wants to use me a lot out of the backfield. That's one of my strengths as a running back. So I'm excited about it."

"They have a lot of zone schemes, runs, every offense does," Foster said. "The way they want to use me out of the backfield as far as different alignments and matchups they want to have against linebackers and things like that."

Foster's reception total has dropped in each of the last three seasons, from a career high 66 in 2010 to just 22 in his injury-shortened 2013 campaign. It sounds as HC Bill O'Brien wants to get him more involved in that aspect of the offense.

Cowboys QB Tony Romo, 34, will have to work through the final stages of rehab from a discectomy. Romo has taken it slowly in his recovery, working through a limited part of the on-field workouts with coaches the last two weeks, but anticipates doing more during the organized team activities beginning next week.

"I'm getting close," Romo said. "We're just going to be smart during the OTAs and have a little bit of a pitch count but we're going to go out there each day and try to do all that we can. The guys are working hard and doing great and I think we're going to be ready."

Much has been written about how Romo will thrive under new “Passing Game Coordinator” Scott Linehan. Under Linehan, the Lions threw the ball 62.2% of the time in the last two seasons. Over the same span, the Cowboys threw it 64.3% of the time, so the Cowboys may not be that much more "pass happy" under Linehan, though the number of plays they run could increase, helping the offense as a whole. The Lions have averaged 1,105 plays in the last two seasons, while the Cowboys averaged just 968 plays, so Detroit ran 14% more plays than Dallas over that span. This bodes well for Romo and Co.

The Pro Bowl wide receiver is on record saying that he doesn't plan to take part in voluntary OTAs when they begin next week. NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reported on Wednesday's edition of "NFL Total Access" that Johnson is also unlikely to attend the mandatory minicamp.

Johnson's frustrations are not about the Texans' decision to not draft or sign a marquee quarterback. It is Rapoport's understanding that the frustrations are the product of a deeper concern about whether Johnson wants to be part of another rebuilding process in Houston.

A trade is unlikely unless Johnson really digs in his heels, which would be out of character for the consummate pro.

Joique Bell did not work out Wednesday during the Lions’ first open organized team activities practice of the season, but afterwards didn’t seemed too concerned that he will be out long-term.

Bell would not specify what his injury is, but said the Instagram photo he posted with a wrap on his left knee was “just an ice wrap.” However, Bell said the injury that is keeping him out of the Lions’ practices is one he initially suffered last season.

“Just (a) nagging injury,” Bell said. “Something just nagging, nothing that will prevent me (from playing). I had it all last season, so you guys didn’t even really notice. But it’s something we just trying to get rid of before next season. So it’s just being smart.

“I could practice right now if they really wanted me to, but it’s up to them when they want to put me back in.”

The Lions hired Joe Lombardi (formerly of the Saints) to run the offense. The general consensus is that he’s going to run the ball more, but the Saints actually threw it more often than the Lions did in 2013 (from a pass/run standpoint). However, with the way team personnel are talking about the new offense, we’re relatively certain that he’s going to utilize Reggie Bush in more of a receiving role. Bush saw about 50% of the carries in 2013, while Bell’s number was called 37% of the time. Lombardi was in New Orleans during Bush’s stint there, so he was around while Bush’s average carries dropped from 13.1 in 2007 to a career low 4.5 in 2010, his final season with the Saints. Bush has had far more success running the ball post-Saints, averaging 4.6 YPC with the Dolphins and the Lions after posting a 4.0 YPC while in New Orleans. So while Bush probably won’t be ignored in the running game, the split could easily flip to Bell in a lead rushing role. Bell finished with 219 touches in 2013 (finishing as the #17 RB in standard formats) and the team just extended his contract, indicating that he’s a big part of their long-term offensive plan. As the #25 RB off the board in the 8th/9th round, he has some upside as a possible 230- to 250-touch running back. We're not too worried about the knee at this point in the offseason.

Chiefs beat writer Adam Teicher on RB/WR DeAnthony Thomas: It's not often that a player this fast gets into a Chiefs' uniform, even if for now it consists of just a practice jersey and shorts. When he gets moving, it's still a sight to see. I'm also curious to see where Thomas lines up on offense. The Chiefs are listing him for now as a running back, but I'm not buying it. How's he going to get any playing time there when the Chiefs already have Jamaal Charles and Knile Davis? Slot receiver is a more likely destination. No matter what the Chiefs do with him, Thomas needs to get on the field. Speed like this shouldn't go to waste.

Thomas could play the Dexter McCluster role in the Chiefs offense.

Andy Dalton has been getting second looks from his wide receivers during their throwing sessions in Phase II of the voluntary sessions. His trip to Los Angeles back in March to work with throwing guru Dr. Tom House seems to have helped.

“Best I’ve seen him,” said Mohamed Sanu Wednesday. “I think it’s everything. That guy helped. He’s put a lot of work in the offseason, just seeing how he approaches it….it’s on you fast. You turn around and you’re like, ‘whoa.’”

“He’s got a lot of zing, a lot of velocity to him,’ said wide receiver Marvin Jones. “Especially when it matches the intensity with the way we run our routes. We run our plays in different periods and it just bring s everybody up, him included. He’s spinning the ball real nice.

Dalton was the #4 QB in 2013, but is unlikely to have a repeat finish in the top 5 now that Hue Jackson is calling the plays. Expect the Bengals to call more runs, especially when leading in the second half. Jackson had a 52.9% pass/run percentage in 2011 with Carson Palmer under center. The Bengals threw it 55.0% of the time in 2013.

Jaguars OC Jedd Fisch on TE Marcedes Lewis...

“The first thing we found is that we averaged .6 yards more per carry when he was in the game,” Fisch said. “The second thing is he became an explosive play threat for us. And the third thing is, he scored touchdowns. What we’ve learned from doing this evaluation in the offseason is he was able to contribute playmaking ability. He made some big-time plays.”

Lewis was the #8 TE over the final eight weeks of the season, so he has some TE2/streaming appeal for a player going very late in fantasy drafts.

The Buccaneers became fully sold on QB Mike Glennon in April after he excelled at Tampa Bay's first Lovie Smith-coached volunteer minicamp.

"We looked at all the tape of last year," new Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht told co-host Bill Polian and I Tuesday night on SiriusXM NFL Radio. "Having him in the building and going through that first minicamp with him and seeing how he was in meetings and interacted with the team -- and more importantly how he was on the field -- just secured our feelings of how we evaluated him and felt about him.

The Bucs initially named Josh McCown the starter but per Adam Schefter, the team now says Glennon will compete for the starting gig. Stay tuned.

Mike Dempsey, host of Jaguars Today on WJXL: "If you're gonna pick a standout guy from this weekend, it's gotta be Allen Robinson."

Both Robinson and Marqise Lee have a great opportunity to play as rookies, though only one is likely to see significant snaps opposite the very capable Cecil Shorts.

It's clear that Sammy Watkins is aware of the responsibility he'll be shouldering for the Bills. When you're picked that high in the draft, there's an expectation of excellence. Watkins knows he'll be counted on heavily this season, especially now that Stevie Johnson has been traded away.

"For me, I've got to work a little harder than everybody else," he said. "Everybody expects me to be this 1,000-yard receiver. That's what I've got to work toward. It's no pressure. I've been doing this all my life. I've got unbelievable faith in myself and this team, and my coaches, to get me prepared."

While Ravens RB Ray Rice could ultimately end up having the charge removed from his record, history shows that the NFL has punished players regardless of whether they have been convicted or only charged with a crime.

“Goodell has discretionary power to discipline players regardless of how legal situations are adjudicated and has shown that in the past,” wrote Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun.

Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was suspended for six games in 2010 following an alleged sexual assault, even though he was never charged with a crime. That suspension was eventually reduced to four games.

The league has given no indication on the length of a suspension Rice may receive, but Jeff Zrebiec of The Sun expects it to be less than Roethlisberger.

“My guess is it will be no more than [three games],” Zrebiec tweeted. “I'm taking into account that Rice is 1st-time offender and has been one of the faces of the NFL.”

Rice has the potential to bounce back in Gary Kubiak's offense, but a suspension would certainly put a dent in his draft stock.

Adrien Robinson got the message well before the Giants sent one by not selecting a tight end with any of their seven picks in the recent NFL Draft.

"I take that as they still believe in me," Robinson said following off-season workouts at the team’s facility Tuesday. "Obviously it’s a huge opportunity. They didn’t draft anybody or bring any big-name free agents in, so it’s a huge opportunity for me and I have to take advantage. … With this being my third year, it’s time to show up or go home. That’s my mentality. That’s how I’m looking at it."

"Now or never," quipped Robinson, who has lost 15 pounds from last season’s playing weight of 285 to run the more versatile route tree required in the McAdoo offense.

Robinson, 25, expected to contribute in his second year, but he suffered a foot injury in the preseason finale at New England that took most of the regular season to heal.

Titans QB Jake Locker was limited during the team's minicamp last month, but he's expected to be cleared for more activities for upcoming organized team activities.

Locker had season-ending surgery in November for a foot injury he suffered last season.

The Titans are scheduled to be on the field next week for organized team activities, but the bulk of the work is scheduled for June.

"He'll do most everything,'' Whisenhunt said of Locker. "I think he'll be cleared to participate. But we also have to keep an eye towards not doing too much. … Jake is going to want to throw himself in there, and at this point it is more prudent for us to be reserved in what we do, knowing we'll have a lot of practices in camp ahead of us and he'll get opportunities."

Buccaneers HC Lovie Smith discussed TE Tim Wright...

"Tim is a guy I should have talked about more because he's another guy that does something well it seems like every day," Smith said. "Nowadays, with the emergence of the passing game and you've got to be able to pass to win and this good stuff, the matchup, though, tight end versus safety, tight end versus linebacker -- Tim, we have a good matchup with Tim Wright. He of course can do things in line, but he can split out, he can run all of the passing tree, he's natural moving out and running routes too. I'm very pleased with him and all he's done since Day 1. He's a guy that's been here every day and we've seen him doing that."

Although Austin Seferian-Jenkins' draft position (second round) probably makes him the favorite to win the starting job at tight end, there's room for Wright to get playing time. A wide receiver in college at Rutgers, Wright made the switch to tight end last year and caught 54 passes as a rookie.

The Bucs also have Brandon Myers and Luke Stocker at tight end. We don't know a lot about coordinator Jeff Tedford's offense just yet, but the Bucs have the potential to use a lot of two tight end sets.

The takeaway here is that Seferian-Jenkins won't be handed the starting role. Smith likes what Wright can do and the team went out and signed Brandon Myers as well. Rookie TEs generally don't do much from a fantasy standpoint, so Seferian-Jenkins may not live up to his draft position if fantasy owners expect him to start and contribute immediately.

"He's more of the mold that I was kind of raised on in an offense," Broncos OC Adam Gase said of WR Emmanuel Sanders. "That quickness, defenders not being able to get their hands on him on the line of scrimmage and his ability at the top of routes to separate.

"His hands are outstanding and his run-after-catch, seeing that over the last few years of, if he's got one guy to make miss, he makes it happen. His addition is going to be big for us."

Sanders can play in the slot or outside.

"Emmanuel does have that flexibility to go inside-outside," Gase said. "When we use Wes, a lot of times you see him with Julius (Thomas) or DT for the most part. Wes does have the ability to go outside; it's not something we want to make a living off of, but we always have options to be able to use those guys both inside and outside."

Sanders was the #35 WR in 2013, when he saw WR2 targets (112) for the Steelers. Eric Decker (138) and Wes Welker (111) saw a combined 249 targets as Denver's WR2 and WR3. With Decker gone, Welker (and TE Julius Thomas) could see a bit more work, but Sanders should be stepping into a big role if he can beat out Andre Caldwell and hold off rookie Cody Latimer. As Gase said, Sanders is a good fit for his system and is versatile to play both inside and outside. He is very quick and is adept at making people miss, so he should thrive in Denver’s screen game.

With impressive measurables and sterling college tape, Broncos WR Cody Latimer turns a head or two just by walking onto the practice field, even though his work this weekend was limited as he completes recovery from foot surgery in January.

"He's a physical specimen, and when he plays, he plays his size," said Offensive Coordinator Adam Gase. "To see him catch the ball as well as he does, and then his blocking is unbelievable. I don't think I've really seen a college guy go after it the way he has in the past, and hopefully he just carries that over to this level."

With his natural gifts and his second-round status, Latimer can count on having time to develop.

"I'm here to get on the field, but it's not much of a rush," he said. "I can learn from (the veterans) and don't have to get pushed into the system too early."

There have been rumblings that Latimer might push for snaps in the Broncos three-WR sets, forcing Emmanuel Sanders to the bench, but given his foot injury and these comments, it doesn't sound like he subscribes to that plan.

The Jacksonville Jaguars appear to be very serious about keeping Blake Bortles off the field until 2015.

In a Tuesday appearance on NFL Network's "NFL Total Access," Jaguars coach Gus Bradley once again reiterated the team's desire to sit Bortles, the No. 3 overall pick, behind Chad Henne for the duration of Bortles' rookie season.

"And we do feel good about where Blake's at, but we feel like this time that he has under Chad, a year to develop, will be really good in the end result."

The plan may change if the Jaguars don't get off to a good start, but for now, we're expecting Henne to start the season at QB.

Most impressive player in first Cardinals OTA was WR Michael Floyd. Caught everything, including handful against Patrick Peterson.

Entering his third season, Floyd has the potential to surpass Larry Fitzgerald as the team's top fantasy receiver.

Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice will be allowed to enter a program to avoid prosecution in an alleged assault of his now-wife.

Upon successful completion of the program — which will be a minimum of one year — the third-degree charge of aggravated assault causing serious bodily injury would be dismissed. The arrest would remain on his record, but with no conviction.

This is good news for Rice, but he's still facing a suspension from the league. Given the current circumstances, it could be of the 2-4 game variety.

Texas A&M receiver Mike Evans, the Bucs' first-round draft pick, and cornerback Mike Jenkins were injured early in the first organized team activity workout Tuesday.

Evans "tweaked'' his left hamstring and Jenkins had the wind knocked out of him on the play, head coach Lovie Smith said. Neither player returned to practice.

Evans will likely start opposite Vincent Jackson, though any missed practice time could stunt his growth.

The Cowboys new TE coach, Mike Pope, discussed the progress of Gavin Escobar...

“He’s got a flytrap for hands,” Pope said. “He has tremendous catching ability. He’s got those basketball-type skills. He can contort his body and make the acrobatic catches. He’s a very, very high percentage catcher. If the ball gets to him, he can adjust to it. And he’s very brave running down the field. Because he’s a big target, they can hit about any part of the three feet on him. He’s courageous.”

To improve his blocking, bulking up in the Valley Ranch weight room has been Escobar’s off-season regimen. Over the last week, Pope, head coach Jason Garrett and veteran tight end Jason Witten have all mentioned noticing Escobar’s added strength.

“He’s been methodically present and he’s worked really hard,” Pope said. “When you’re 6-7, there’s going to be some areas of your body that need more development. Most of the time, that’s the legs, and that was his background, being more of an athletic tight end, a space player. He’s worked hard this winter and I’ve been impressed by it.”

According to Witten, the 23-year-old is on the right path.

“We know he can run the seams and can do some things in the passing game, but we need him to be solid in there [on the line],” Witten said. “He’s worked hard. To see that package grow for him and being out on the field is going to be a lot better because he can now do both.

“I’m proud of him. I know he’s worked hard. It’s paying off for him and I think his role will continue to grow. We need that. We need that not only in the slot, but we need that other guy up the middle.”

Escobar probably won't have any redraft fantasy value until Witten is out of the way, but he's a player to watch in dynasty circles.

The Cowboys' new "passing game coordinator" Scott Linehan wants to run the ball...

"You start with running it effectively," Linehan said. "You achieve balance in the NFL by playing good football throughout three quarters, gaining that lead and then you've got a lead going into the fourth quarter. The teams that run the ball the best, that run the ball balanced, generally are getting a lot of their damage done in that late third, early fourth quarter. You get behind the score then you say you want to do (run the ball). You don't want to abandon it, but you're going to lean toward throwing the ball a little more. So that's to me, I think, the thing with the offensive line, that's a no-brainer. This is a great young front. Added a great piece to it. It was already an offensive line that was really meshing and playing well. We don't have to have this certain look to run the ball. We feel like we can line up and say hey, if they're going to drop guys into the box, we still feel like we've got the guys that can get it done. And then that helps everything. That opens everything on the outside of the field."

Linehan has a reputation for being pass-happy, but the 2013 Lions were ranked 13th in pass/run ratio, so he's likely to keep the Cowboys' offense relatively balanced given the presence of DeMarco Murray.

Buccaneers WR Robert Herron wasn’t taken until the sixth round, but he turned some heads in rookie camp. The team is hoping the speedy Herron can emerge as the slot receiver.

According to U-T San Diego, Chargers WR Malcom Floyd will play in 2014 following a career-threatening neck injury suffered early last year, per team and league sources.

"The doc said ... I'm at risk just like anybody else," Floyd said Monday. "There's not really a worry. As far as going out there and performing, I'm really excited to make plays again. Hopefully, I can do more this year than I ever have. ... I'm feeling good. I think I feel like my old self."

It's outstanding news for a Chargers offense that could use another deep threat. Keenan Allen is coming off a monster rookie year, but the Chargers lacked depth with only Vincent Brown and Eddie Royal on the chart. Floyd will be 33 years old this season, but he topped 800 yards in back-to-back seasons in 2011 and 2012 before getting injured early last season.

Floyd had three straight top 36 finishes from 2010 to 2012 before the injury. He's a capable real-world WR2 if healthy, but it's not clear where he'll fit on the depth chart with Vincent Brown and Eddie Royal.

After trying out with the Packers during their rookie minicamp this past weekend, the team signed TE Colt Lyerla on Monday.

It's a small risk for Green Bay, which might not have the services of tight end Jermichael Finley, who is injured and a free agent. Because while Lyerla has talent, the 6-foot-4, 242-pounder also has plenty of transgressions in his past.

As CBSSports.com wrote on his draft profile, "[He] abruptly quit the team on Oct. 6, calling his choice to leave the Ducks as a "personal decision." This occurred after missing the Ducks' Sept. 14 game against Tennessee for what Lyerla later called the stomach flu but head coach Mark Helfrich characterized simply as "circumstances." Arrested Oct. 23, 2013 when undercover police discovered inhaling a "white powdery substance" inside a car. Lyerla later admitted the substance was cocaine. This was hardly Lyerla's only run-in with police. He had his driver's license suspended Oct. 11, 2013, after receiving four driving tickets in the previous 24 months."

Lyerla has a long track record of off field issues but as he told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel in February, "I put myself in a position where my back's against the wall, to the point that if I don't do everything perfect and the right way, I won't be able to play football, let alone be successful in any shape or form."

The signing shows just how desperate the Packers are at tight end. Lyerla joins Andrew Quarless, Brandon Bostick, Richard Rodgers and Ryan Taylor at the position. Lyerla has a 39" vertical and posted a 4.61 40-yard dash at the Combine.

The Oakland Raiders claimed wide receiver Greg Little off waivers Monday.

An inconsistent player whose flashes of excellence were often overshadowed by crucial drops and off-field drama, Little was released by the Cleveland Browns on Friday.

Little won't have any fantasy value behind Rod Streater, James Jones, Denarius Moore and Andre Holmes on the Raiders' depth chart. Unfortunately for Little, his best opportunity to produce was in Cleveland.

It was somewhat surprising to hear Scott Linehan, the new Cowboys offensive play-caller, talking on the radio about how Pro Bowl running back DeMarco Murray and the Dallas running game would be the team’s strength this season.

“Things that were done last year in the running game with DeMarco, the running style that was created here is really a good fit,” Linehan said recently on 105.3 The Fan [KRLD-FM]. “That’s going to be our strength, being able to lean on that running game a little bit more than they have in the past."

Much has been made of how pass-happy Linehan is, but the Lions were 13th in pass/run ratio in 2013, so his last offense in Detroit was pretty balanced, relatively speaking. Linehan also reportedly loves Lance Dunbar, so Murray could get a bit more rest in 2014. Remember, Linehan featured both Reggie Bush and Joique Bell while with the Lions.

Johnny Manziel and Brian Hoyer will begin their competition for the starting job this week in organized team activities, and coach Mike Pettine stressed they can rest assured the race will be fair.

"I don't know if they're going to be sending each other Christmas cards anytime soon,'' Pettine said with a smile at the Positive Coaching Alliance breakfast at FirstEnergy Stadium. "But they know they're both in it together and they're going to compete and I think they both feel comfortable that as a staff we're going to put the best quarterback (out there) that puts us in position to win games.''

The takeaway here is that the Browns aren't handing Manziel the starting job -- he's going to have to beat out Hoyer. We're expecting Manziel to be under center at some point this season.

The Browns and Josh Gordon are awaiting word on how long he'll be suspended for testing positive for marijuana, as reported by ESPN.

Gordon's agent, Drew Rosenhaus is in the process of appealing the suspension, which could be an indefinite ban. If Gordon is suspended indefinitely, he'll have to apply for re-instatement with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.

Typically, the agent and the NFLPA work together to get the suspension reduced or dismissed.

All we can do is wait until word comes down from the league. We're expecting an eight game suspension, but that's pure speculation at this point.

Buccaneers HC Lovie Smith discussed RB Doug Martin...

"He's our starting tailback," Smith said. "He's on most of the billboards around here. He's an All-Pro running back. There is nothing to dislike about Doug Martin. At the same time, we want Doug around here for many years. You need to have some other guys. He can't carry it every second.''

It sounds as if Smith wants to be able to spell Martin. The Bucs are pretty deep at RB with Mike James, Bobby Rainey and draft pick Charles Sims. Martin is still primed for a big role in what should be a bounce back season.

Buccaneers TE Austin Seferian-Jenkins was limited in minicamp as he recovers from left foot surgery.

On The View, Bears WR Brandon Marshall did in fact sign a new three-year, $40 million extension.

This should mean that Marshall is signed through 2017, his age-33 season. He and Alshon Jeffery will continue to make a formidable duo.

Saints WR Brandin Cooks seems destined for great things in New Orleans.

“Anytime a player is hand picked by Sean Payton to play offense at receiver, you’d better believe he’s gonna be something,” DC Rex Ryan said between practice sessions at the Saints’ rookie minicamp Saturday. “So I’m anxious to see him. I’m out here watching and it’s like, ‘Oooh.’ This guy opens your eyes.

“You can feel his speed. It’s something that [the late Raiders owner] Al Davis used to say. ‘Can you feel his speed?’ You can feel his speed. So I’m looking forward to seeing him. Because I know how Sean … they’re gonna create roles to get this guy involved, and it’s gonna be awesome.”

For now, the Saints’ first-round draft pick is simply lining up at the X receiver position while they install their playbook – which is typical for all players at this stage of the offseason.

“He is versatile,” HC Sean Payton said. “He’s obviously a receiver [first and foremost]. And I think we can line him up in the slot, line him up outside. [He has a] very good skill set with regards to acceleration, speed, catches the ball well. And I like his toughness.”

The Saints spread the ball around, but not only do they have to replace the departed Lance Moore, the team has to also replace the production of Darren Sproles in the receiving game. The two combined for 143 targets in 2013, so while we're expecting Kenny Stills to see a larger role, there are targets for the speedy Cooks as well.

The Eagles on Monday re-signed the Arrelious Benn after cutting him on Friday. Guaranteed to be making less than the $1.1 million he was due under his former deal, the oft-injured Benn could be playing for the league minimum.

Panthers WR Kelvin Benjamin is impressing at the team's rookie minicamp.

“He’s everything we thought he would be,” coach Ron Rivera said. “We’re not in pads. But watching his route running, watching him catch the ball, make the adjustments, track the ball -- all those types of things were really good to see.”

Another reason the Panthers like Benjamin so much was that the patterns he ran in college were similar to what he'll run here.

"When they were calling the routes, I was like, ‘Oh, yes, I ran this,’" Benjamin said, flashing his infectious smile. “So I know I can come out of the cuts real fast and real good.”

Benjamin is far from a finished product. He'll have his struggles like all rookies, particularly rookie receivers. But, on two unseasonably cool, sun-splashed days in a camp for draft picks, undrafted rookies and other invitees, it was a good beginning.

If Benjamin can make the transition to the NFL quickly, he'll have a terrific opportunity to produce as a rookie given the current state of the team's receiving corps. We're not expecting a top 20 season, but he could grow into a starter- or flex-caliber role in fantasy leagues provided he picks things up quickly and is a force in the red zone.

Falcons beat writer D. Orlando Ledbetter: Running back Devonta Freeman is a keeper. He caught the ball with his hands and showed a great burst of speed. “Devonta is a fast and quick guy,” HC Mike Smith said. “He has very good vision and he’s able to stick his foot in the ground and transition into a different direction.”

Freeman will compete with Jaquizz Rodgers for snaps behind Steven Jackson, and could graduate to a larger role if Jackson doesn't bounce back from a supbar season in 2013.

There is a job open for someone to start catching footballs in real games for the Steelers since they lost three of their top four wide receivers over the past 14 months, two since March. Antonio Brown is the only fixture of a group that also includes Markus Wheaton, who had six receptions as a rookie, and newcomer Lance Moore, who caught a bunch in New Orleans the past eight seasons. Moore will play in the slot, so it figures that either Wheaton or Martavis Bryant will become the split end, where Mike Wallace and then Emmanuel Sanders played.

His position coach sounds as if he already has been won over.

"We had him here for a visit and we bonded then," said Richard Mann, an Aliquippa native who has seen his share of NFL receivers. "We didn't know we were going to get him. We didn't think we were going to get him, but we got him and I'm delighted."

The Steelers thought Bryant was a second-round talent but with the draft so deep in receivers, he fell to them in the fourth.

There are some observers who have anointed Wheaton as the starter opposite Brown, but with only six catches as a rookie, he didn't make much of an impact. Bryant has the size and skills to start and produce, provided he can hold onto the ball. This is a camp battle to monitor. The winner will be the Steelers' WR2, and the loser will likely slip to WR4, with Moore playing the slot as the team's WR3.

Falcons HC Mike Smith said Juio Jones (foot) wouldn't be “doing a whole lot” in the offseason conditioning program or the full-team minicamp scheduled to begin later this month.

“Our focus is strictly on getting [Jones] ready to go for training camp” in late July, Smith said.

Jones suffered an injury to his left foot in Week 5 last season and missed the rest of the season after undergoing surgery. Jones also had surgery in March 2011 to insert a screw in the foot to repair a stress fracture.

Jones finished #17 among WRs as a rookie and #9 as a sophomore before injuring his foot in his third season. Through five games, he was on pace for 131 catches for 1,856 yards. He has top 5 potential if he's fully healthy.

Titans RB Bishop Sankey was the only player on the field in black cleats, so he was easy to notice. It also was clear during individual drills that the second-round pick has great feet and hands.

This weekend will mark his last work with the Titans for several weeks, however. Because he's still in school at Washington, Sankey will miss a stretch of organized team activities. He'll be back for the final two sessions in June, and take part in the June 17-19 minicamp.

"He'll be playing catch-up," Ken Whisenhunt said. "It will set him back for now, but it won't affect him as we go through the preseason."

Sankey is a preseason favorite of Senior Editor John Paulsen, who envisions a RB1 role for the talented back. For more on Sankey's potential workload and production, see John's Rookie Rundown, published last week. Missing some of the summer activities shouldn't be a problem for Sankey, since rookie RBs are able to contribute quickly.

Regarding RB Ronnie Hillman offensive coordinator Adam Gase made it clear improvement is needed.

"We've talked to him, (running backs coach) Eric (Studesville) and myself, as far as: 'Hey, this is a new start to the year. Whatever happened in the past, you've got to build off it. We've just got to start over,' " Gase said Saturday after rookies practiced at Dove Valley. "His goal is to become the best running back he can. I can't say make or break, because I don't know what that is. He's got to work his butt off and make sure he puts himself in a great position to contribute this year."

It appears that C.J. Anderson has the inside track to back up Montee Ball, who seems very secure as the Broncos' RB1. Ball is likely to finish in the top 10 if he plays a full season as Denver's featured back.

Ravens backup running back Bernard Pierce remains out until training camp after undergoing rotator cuff surgery in January on his right shoulder. Harbaugh reiteratated that Pierce isn't going to practice the entire spring.

The Ravens could need Pierce to play a lot early in the season, especially if starter Ray Rice is suspended under the NFL personal-conduct policy because of a domestic violence incident at an Atlantic City casino.

“He’s been allowed to move around a little bit, but we just can’t risk him falling on it right now and getting a setback,” Harbaugh said. “So, you’re probably looking at training camp for him, which shouldn’t be an issue as long as you don’t get a setback.”

Rice's situation makes Pierce a player to monitor this offseason. Justin Forsett, Lorenzo Taliaferro and Cierre Wood are next up on the depth chart.

The Cowboys are in the process of signing running back Ryan Williams after he worked out for team officials on Saturday afternoon.

Williams, the 38th overall pick of the 2011 NFL draft, was cut by the Arizona Cardinals this week. He played in just five games over three seasons due to injuries.

He missed the 2011 season after rupturing the patella tendon in his right knee. In 2012, he played in five games before a shoulder injury ended his season.

OC Scott Linehan reportedly loves Lance Dunbar, so Williams may not have a shot at the RB2 job in 2014.

Vikings coach Mike Zimmer told NFL Media's Albert Breer in an interview for Friday's edition of "NFL Total Access" that the team's first-round pick will take first-team reps on Day 1 and compete for the starting quarterback job.

"Teddy's been great," Zimmer said. "He's had a good command of the offense. I like his leadership. I like his determination. He's throwing the ball well. He's got good, quick feet. I think he's a good athlete. So he's progressing at a good pace."

Bridgewater has the best chance to post decent (low- to midrange-QB2) numbers as a rookie. The team has already said that they’d like him to win the job, so we have him penciled in as the starter at this point in the offseason. Norv Turner is a capable play-caller, and Bridgewater will have no shortage of weapons at his disposal in Minnesota. Adrian Peterson will be the focus of the defense, so Bridgewater can pick his spots and deliver the ball to Cordarrelle Patterson, Greg Jennings and Kyle Rudolph.

Cowboys beat writer Bryan Broaddus notes that new OC Scott Linehan "loves" Lance Dunbar.

Linehan did split RB duties somewhat between Reggie Bush and Joique Bell while in Detroit, so it's not inconceivable that Dunbar could grow into a larger role as DeMarco Murray's primary backup.

Broncos OC Adam Gase said today competition wide open at RB behind Montee Ball on depth chart.

C.J. Anderson, Ronnie Hillman, Kapri Bibbs and Brennen Clay will compete for carries behind Ball. The takeaway here may be that Ball sits firmly atop the Broncos' depth chart, so he should safely see a big workload in 2014.

Browns quarterbacks coach Dowell Loggains is confident that Johnny Manziel's dynamic, dual-threat Houdini act can play big in the NFL right away.

"I think we can throw him out there right now and he's going to be one of the most exciting players in the NFL and run around and make plays like he did at Texas A&M (that) we all saw,'' Loggains said Thursday on Sports Talk with Bo Mattingly on ESPN Arkansas. "But there are some things fundamentally (he needs to work on). He needs to become more comfortable in the pocket. He needs to learn how to play under center. He spent a lot of time this offseason, went to George Whitfield out in California working on some fundamentals. There's some other things that he needs to continue to work on, but mainly playing in the pocket and being able to win on third down throwing the football.''

The general consensus is that Manziel will start as a rookie, but he needs to sort out some of the things that Loggains mentioned in the article (playing under center, throwing from the pocket, etc.), which are things typically asked of a quarterback at this level.

Texans HC Bill O’Brien did acknowledge his recent talks with WR Andre Johnson have been encouraging, adding he has a “tremendous amount of respect” for the Texans’ longest-tenured player.

“The conversations that Andre and I have had have been very positive about what we’re doing here as a team. Obviously, offensively, what we’re doing here,” O’Brien said. “We’ve had good communications. But as far as what Andre said, I’ll let him speak for himself.”

Johnson has been mulling his future in Houston, so it's good to hear that he's at least been in contact with his new coach.

Cardinals WR John Brown, a third-round pick out of Pittsburg State, has exceeded expectations at the team's rookie minicamp.

"John Brown is blowing everyone away," a team source said. "Explosive and sudden. Great hands and a better route runner than we even thought."

We're getting into the coachspeak season where everyone 'looks great' and is 'exceeding expectations.' It's more important to pay attention to any bad vibes coming out of these workouts. Still, it's nice to hear that Brown is looking good for the Cardinals. The team added Ted Ginn in the offseason after losing Andre Roberts.

"Eventually, I'd like to do that on a consistent basis, be a tight end that catches 100 balls a year," said Jace Amaro, who signed a four-year, $4.3 million contract with the Jets before his first practice. "That might be five years from now, it might be 10. That's kind of a goal for me."

"A guy with that kind of size (6-foot-5, 265 pounds) and his kind of skills ... absolutely, he'll add to our passing game," coach Rex Ryan said. "Those guys are hard to cover."

Amaro caught several passes in the opening practice, prompting Ryan to say afterward, "Looks like Marty (Mornhinweg) thinks he has a new toy, and we're trying to feature him."

For Amaro, the key is relearning football fundamentals. Because he was often flexed out in the Texas Tech offense, he lined up in a three-point stance only about 15 percent of the time, according to his estimate. On Friday, he got a heavy dose of work in a three-point stance, but the plan is to make him a receiving tight end, complementing incumbent Jeff Cumberland.

Amaro is a nice dynasty prospect and has a great opportunity in front of him, but the list of rookie tight ends who have made a fantasy impact is a short one. For more on Amaro's prospects as a rookie, check out our Rookie Rundown.

Colts announced that LB Robert Mathis has been suspended four games for violating the NFL's performance-enhancing drugs policy.

Daryl Richardson wasn't out of work for long.

The Jets claimed the running back off waivers Friday, only one day after he was released by the Rams.

Richardson joins a crowded backfield in New York that includes free-agent pickup Chris Johnson, Chris Ivory, Mike Goodson and Bilal Powell. CJ2K and the bruising Ivory are expect to split time and receive the bulk of carries.

Richardson will likely replace Alex Green or Mike Goodson. Richardson will likely be behind Chris Ivory and Bilal Powell on the depth chart.

Browns have released WR Greg Little.

This move is a bit surprising considering the state of the WR corps with Josh Gordon facing a half- or full-season suspension. We'll have to wait to see how the depth chart shakes out, but at this point, Andrew Hawkins looks like the team's most dependable option at receiver. Jordan Cameron is a threat to lead the team in catches.

"I'm definitely convinced that we can win with Geno Smith," Jets HC Rex Ryan told WFAN's Mike Francesa in a 35-minute radio interview on Thursday. "I don't think there's any doubt."

Is the job Smith's, and is Michael Vick going to be the Jets' backup?

"Oh, no," Ryan said. "Mike Vick definitely has a chance to win the job. There's no doubt about that. Competition, I think, is outstanding for everybody involved in it.

"And it's not just, hey, this is Geno Smith's job. I'm just telling you what I believe to be the truth, which is: This young man [Smith] is going to be hard to beat out. Even as talented a player as Mike Vick is, I think Geno Smith has made that big of strides."

From a fantasy standpoint, it would be better for all parties involved if Vick won the starting job, but the team seems to want Smith to grow into that role. If Vick does eventually start, he'll be an intriguing QB2 who should be available in the later rounds.

49ers RB Marcus Lattimore, who suffered two major knee injuries during his time at the University of South Carolina, has suffered no setbacks in his recovery this offseason.

There are, however, a few remaining challenge for the 22-year-old runner as he returns to the practice field.

“It’s all the other muscles around the knee getting used to the workload again and going full-speed,” Lattimore said. “That’s what I have to get used to, going full-speed again and getting those instincts back that I’ve had.

“I’m taking it one day at a time. Your hamstring gets sore, your calves get sore, but you push through that. And once you get used to that as the weeks go by, the more I get into football shape, I feel like I’ll be fine.”

Lattimore's upside took a hit when the 49ers drafted Carlos Hyde in the 2nd round. Eventually we may be looking at a Hyde/Lattimore backfield, but Frank Gore will have something to say about that in 2014. This could develop into a RBBC if the team scales back Gore's workload.

The Browns signed two-time Pro Bowl receiver Miles Austin on Thursday afternoon, the club announced.

It's not clear just how much Austin has left in the tank after a subpar year by his standards, but the Browns are in dire straits if the Josh Gordon suspension talk is true. He's expected to miss 8-16 games, so Austin could work his way into a big role for the Browns.

The NFL’s daily transaction report brings word that the Rams have waived running back Daryl Richardson.

Richardson was effective enough to run for 4.8 yards per carry during the 2012 season, but he dropped to 3.1 yards per carry last season. Richardson attributed his struggles to a toe injury he suffered early in the season, but it seems the Rams thought the presence of draft pick Tre Mason, Zac Stacy and Benny Cunningham was apparently enough to quash their interest in seeing if Richardson can rebound.

Someone was going to have to go once the Rams added Mason to the mix. Richardson shouldn't have a problem finding a new home.

The Dolphins on Thursday signed wide receiver Stephen Williams.

The Bills traded up to select Sammy Watkins fourth overall last week, but Football Outsiders assistant editor Scott Kacsmar believes Watkins' success at the college level may not translate to the NFL.

Here's what Kacsmar writes on Watkins:

"To spend a top-five pick (and then some) on a wide receiver, he'd better be a special player. Watkins is not the type of athletic freak like Calvin Johnson capable of catching a jump ball in triple coverage, but who is? Watkins is not as polished with his route running or sure-handedness as Torry Holt or Larry Fitzgerald. Watkins is not an all-around threat like A.J. Green and Julio Jones. Those are most of the receivers who were worth a top pick."

Watkins gained 71.3 percent of his receiving yards after the catch at Clemson, numbers that Kascmar says compare to receivers like Tavon Austin or Percy Harvin -- talented in the short game and after the catch, but not necessarily big-play threats.

Watkins is a talented receiver, but he's no Calvin Johnson. He's joining a run-heavy offense with E.J. Manuel as his quarterback, so we're not terribly bullish on his potential production in 2014. He's currently going in the 6th round, which is a high price to pay for an unproven receiver in a run-first offense.

Eagles GM Howie Roseman was asked recently about WR Jeremy Maclin, and how long it takes a player to return to form following a torn ACL.

“I think it depends on the player," he said. "We saw Adrian Peterson come back after six months, and did he win the MVP award after that? So I think it depends on the genetics. And all I know is what our doctors are telling us, and he’s doing a great job in his rehab. We fully expect him to be ready to go once the season starts.”

As we all know, Peterson is a freak. Few bounce back like he did. He tore his ACL in December of 2011, and ran for two touchdowns in the Vikings' opener the following September to kick off an MVP campaign. Ridiculous.

Maclin sustained his injury in late July and will have had well over a year to recover by the time meaningful games roll around. As Roseman referenced, all of the reports have been really positive on the receiver to date. Still, it's yet to be seen how the knee (now twice surgically repaired) responds and holds up over the course of a season.

Assuming there are no issues, yes, I believe Maclin can have a big year in what has proven to be a skill position-friendly offensive system.

Maclin's availability will impact the snaps/targets for Riley Cooper, Jordan Matthews and Zach Ertz, among others. Since he tore his ACL in the summer, we're expecting him to be a full go for Week 1, though he may not look like himself until the 2015 season.

Dolphins WR Jarvis Landry is immediately an option as a slot receiver but he will have to play special teams like the dickens to be active on game days. Here is the reason for the uninitiated: The first three WRs -- Brandon Gibson, Brian Hartline, Mike Wallace -- get their reps on offense. None play special teams. The fourth active WR has to play special teams. Period.

The takeaway here is that beat writer Armando Salguero does not think that Landry will initially be a threat to Brandon Gibson, even though Gibson is coming off of a patella tendon tear.

At the owners meetings, coach Jay Gruden said Alfred Morris could develop into a 20- to 25-catch running back. Clearly the Redskins would want someone else to handle the third-down role, whether it's Roy Helu this season or Lache Seastrunk in the future.

But with the weapons Washington has at receiver, Morris could be a forgotten man by defenses on early downs. Therefore, it would be wise for him to improve in this area. It’s not just about his hands, though. He said he needs to do a better job running routes against man coverage.

“My focus is building confidence in the quarterbacks as well as the coaches to let them know I can catch,” he said. “I know I can catch the ball.”

Gruden said, "Obviously we want to have him be an all-around back. His hands aren't the most natural, but it's something you can work on."

There was a similar report last year around this time where Morris talked about improving as a receiver, and he increased his catch total to 11 from his previous total of nine, so take this talk with a grain of salt. Roy Helu will likely lead the Redskins' running backs in receptions. One thing working in The Butler's favor is there is a new coaching staff in town, and change usually follows. Gruden may very well follow through with his plan to make Morris a 20-catch running back.

Josh Johnson is back with the San Francisco 49ers.

San Francisco signed the 6-foot3, 205-pound veteran quarterback to a one-year contract on Wednesday, making him the fifth quarterback on the current roster.

Browns sign Earl Bennett, formerly of Chicago. Not a game changer, but solid guy nonetheless.

Bennett is a solid possession receiver who should provide depth at a position of weakness.

When Raiders HC Dennis Allen ran off "great RB depth" to SiriusXM, he mentioned Darren McFadden, Maurice Jones-Drew, Marcel Reece and then Kory Sheets before Latavius Murray.

Murray doesn't appear to be at the forefront of Allen's mind when discussing his RB corps, which may explain why the Raiders re-signed McFadden and signed Jones-Drew in free agency.

“He’s a route-runner,” Lions GM Martin Mayhew said of TE Eric Ebron, the Lions’ first-round pick. “(Joseph Fauria) is good in the red area right now; we’re working on developing the rest of his game and running routes and things. This guy can run routes and get open and get separation.”

By contrasting his evaluation of the two tight ends, Mayhew seemed to indicate Fauria is less than an ideal route-runner.

Fauria's presence in the red zone may limit Ebron's upside. Rookie TEs rarely make much of an impact, but Ebron has a chance to be a fantasy factor if he can get on the field.

The Bills tried to trade into the second round to draft RB Carlos Hyde, who eventually went to the 49ers.

This is notable because it may impact C.J. Spiller's future in Buffalo. It doesn't appear that the team is sold on him as a workhorse back. Spiller has a player option for 2015, which he's unlikely to exercise.

Panthers QB Cam Newton said via Instram photo he's out of his walking boot and ready for rehab.

Cowboys "offensive play caller" Scott Linehan mentioned the upside he sees in second-year receiving targets Terrance Williams and Gavin Escobar.

Williams played in all 16 games, starting eight as the team’s No. 2 receiver last season. The third-round pick caught 44 passes for 736 yards and five touchdowns. Escobar, a second-round pick, was used sparingly, catching nine passes for 134 yards and two touchdowns from the tight end position.

“The Escobar kid … is a guy that’s kind of somewhat untapped at this point,” Linehan said. “It’s not because he doesn’t have the ability to do it. We really liked him [in Detroit] last year coming out in the draft. I followed him when he came here. Now that I’m working with him, I’m really excited to see what he can do for us, too.”

With Miles Austin basically sidelined from Week 4 to Week 10, Williams was the #12 WR in fantasy, racking up 24 catches for 438 yards and five TDs in that seven-game span. In four games where he played at least 80 percent of his teams snaps, he averaged 11.0 FP (#15 WR numbers). In eight games where he played at least 70 percent of the snaps, he averaged 9.0 FP (#22 WR numbers). He faded upon Austin’s return to starter’s snaps, but showed enough in his rookie season to make him an intriguing middle-round pick in 2014. With Austin gone, the path is clear for a breakout season from Williams. Escobar's upside is capped by the presence of the ever-steady Jason Witten.

Houston WR Andre Johnson says he's been wondering if this is the place for him. Says he doesn't plan to be at OTAs or minicamp currently.

This isn't quite on the same level as a trade demand, but it sounds as if Johnson isn't too happy with how the team has addressed the QB position this offseason. He's turning 33 in July, and seems to be running out of patience with the Texans. Stay tuned.

Giants QB Eli Manning said he’s already doing football drills and even took about half of the practice reps on Monday.

“I feel 100%,” he said. “But the trainers tell me I’m not.”

The Giants had planned to be overly cautious with Manning, with Giants GM Jerry Reese even declaring his quarterback “out for the spring” two weeks ago. But Manning said his “goal from the get-go (was) to get back out there for that first (organized team activity session)” on May 28.

Manning's health will be key to his chances of bouncing back in 2014. He's learning a new offense and needs time to work with Rueben Randle, Odell Beckham and Jerrel Jernigan.

The NFL is suspending Rams WR Stedman Bailey for four games for violating the league’s policy on performing enhancing substance, source says.

Giants HC Tom Coughlin said on WFAN 660 that WR Mario Manningham got bigger, but his knee is still "not ready" and "not 100%."

Manningham may not be a factor early in the season, opening the door for Jerrel Jernigan and/or Odell Beckham. Jernigan racked up 19 catches for 237 yards and two TDs in the final three games, making him the #2 WR in fantasy in that span. But the Giants drafted Beckham in the 1st round, indicating that they intend to use him.

On the subject of rookie RB Terrance West...

The Browns absolutely love this 5-foot-9, 225-pounder who ran for 2,509 yards and 41 touchdowns for Towson State. He is Kyle Shanahan's kind of back, and remember how Shanahan has had success with other running backs.

The Browns led the league in passes attempted last season. You can be sure that won't be the plan this year. HC Mike Pettine wants a punishing ground game.

It's simple -- they won't be able to throw the ball if Josh Gordon is suspended. If he's out, both Tate and West could have fantasy value provided the defense is good enough to keep the team in low-scoring games.

Grievance hearing for Saints TE Jimmy Graham is scheduled for June 17-18.

General manager Ruston Webster discussed the Titans' pick of RB Bishop Sankey...

"We were looking for a guy with some versatility, but not exactly trying to replace C.J.," Webster said. "… He is just completely different as a back. Their skill-set is not the same, so when you see him on the field, it is not going to look anything like Chris, and he'll make his own mark."

Sankey, who started 25 of 38 games in college and rushed for 1,870 yards and 20 touchdowns in his final season, has good speed (4.47 seconds in the 40-yard dash). He reminded Titans scout Marv Sunderland of former Giants star Tiki Barber.

"He can run inside, he can get outside, he runs through guys and he can break the long runs," Sunderland said. "He has great hands out of the backfield, and he's a good blocker. He is a well-rounded back."

Under then OC Ken Whisenhunt, the Chargers threw the ball 52.8% of the time in 2013, which is low compared to the league average (56.6%), so the Titans figure to feature the running game, especially with the unproven Jake Locker under center. Sankey should win the starting job quickly, but even if the situation is somewhat murky, he should be a good pick on draft day. We're expecting RB2-type numbers out of the rookie; he should be the first rookie taken in fantasy drafts this summer.

Jerry Reese said he expects RB David Wilson to be cleared for contact by the start of training camp. He's already on the field, taking reps.

This is good news for Wilson and a bit concerning for Rashad Jennings, who is penciled in as the Giants starter. After his 2013 debacle, we don't expect Wilson to be anything more than a RB2 in 2014 barring an injury to Jennings.

Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff said there weren’t many "move" tight ends in the draft, and the Falcons will use more of a traditional player at the position. The transition fits with the team’s desire to be more physical on the line of scrimmage.

“There’ll be a change in the type of tight end we’ll have on our roster,” Falcons coach Mike Smith said. “We’ll have a ‘Y’ tight end, where he’ll be an inline player (lined up tight to the formation). They won’t be moving around nearly as much as what we call a ‘F.’ Tony Gonzalez was more of a ‘F’ tight end than a ‘Y’ tight end.”

Levine Toilolo, one of the Falcons’ third-round draft picks in 2013, is the presumed starter at tight end for 2014. He played in all 16 games as a rookie (198 snaps) and had 11 catches for 55 yards and two touchdowns.

Toilolo is an interesting sleeper at TE, though anyone expecting him to step into Gonzo's role will be disappointed. Harry Douglas figures to be used heavily in the slot, but he's not going to get the same workload that he saw last season with Julio Jones out and Roddy White gimpy.

Browns owner Jimmy Haslam said that the team is going "to run the ball and pass when necessary."

This will likely change if Josh Gordon is somehow available for a portion of the season. Johnny Manziel's fantasy stock took a hit with the news of Gordon's pending suspension. Ben Tate figures to carry the load, but the Browns drafted Terrance West and signed undrafted free agent Isaiah Crowell, who had off-field concerns that hurt his draft stock.

HC Mike Zimmer is leaving open the possibility that QB Teddy Bridgewater could start as a rookie...

“Teddy will play when we feel like he’s ready, if he’s the best guy, which we hope that he will be,” Zimmer said. “We always want to have competition.”

If he's indeed ready to play, Bridgewater is entering a good situation with a strong running game in Adrian Peterson, and several weapons in the passing game, namely Greg Jennings, Cordarrelle Patterson and Kyle Rudolph. He would be on the fantasy radar immediately as a low-end QB2.

Assuming Browns WR Josh Gordon is found to have tested positive in the NFL’s substance-abuse program (which ESPN reported Friday), he’ll likely be banned for somewhere between eight and 16 games. Gordon, 23, has been disciplined twice previously for testing positive: once by coach Art Briles at Baylor, and once by the NFL last summer, causing him to be suspended for the first two games of the season. Playing 14 games, he still led the league in receiving yards last year and was the first receiver in history to have back-to-back 200-yard receiving games, in weeks 12 and 13.

But now he could be more problem than he’s worth, the same way the immensely talented Justin Blackmon is turning out in Jacksonville. The Browns are trying to establish a winning program, and if they can’t trust their best player, which Gordon clearly is, they’re going to have a tough decision on their hands if and when he’s suspended, and when he returns. Gordon has two years left on his rookie contract. How can the Browns possibly know what to pay him in a second contract, having no idea if they can trust him from one week to the next? If Gordon did test positive, and knowing that a monster contract would likely be coming at the end of this season if he could stay clean, it’s either a measure of the depth of his problem or a measure of his immaturity. Or both.

Gordon will appeal the suspension since his last run-in with the substance abuse program was due to a codeine-based cough syrup (or so he claims), so the argument is that he should have been in Stage 2 of the program instead of Stage 3. Gordon's availability will have a huge impact on the WR landscape as well as Johnny Manziel's potential in his rookie season.

Steelers WR coach Richard Mann says 6'4" Martavis Bryant will get a chance to start as a rookie.

Markus Wheaton and Lance Moore are ahead of Bryant on the depth chart, but neither has the size of Bryant. If he does start for the Steelers, he'll hold middle round value (9th-11th) on draft day.

Titans running back Shonn Greene recently underwent surgery on his right knee, according to sources familiar with the situation, and is expected to be held out the remainder of the team's organized team activities this offseason.

Greene is expected to be back for the start of training camp in late July.

It's the same knee Greene had arthroscopic surgery on this past September, which resulted in him missing five games during the 2013 season. Greene was injured during the Titans season-opener last year at Pittsburgh.

The Titans drafted Bishop Sankey (out of Washington) in the 2nd round. He's a good all-around back with nice wiggle, though he struggles in pass protection. He tested very well at the Combine with a 4.49 40-yard dash and good-to-great scores across the board. Sankey is in a great situation for a rookie given the current RBs on the Titans' roster, so he's likely to have a chance to start from the get-go. If he has a good offseason, he'll be drafted as a RB2 come August.

The 49ers are set up for the end of Frank Gore’s career with the selections of Carlos Hyde this year and Marcus Lattimore last year. While Gore is still the starter this season, Hyde should get plenty of action, especially in short-yardage situations. GM Trent Baalke has often talked about wanting to get away from a back who carries the entire load. Hyde will try to make the 49ers re-think that philosophy.

Kendall Hunter is still on the roster as well, so the 49ers have three competent running backs behind the venerable Frank Gore. He typically outplays his draft position, but it's going to be tough for him to maintain the 18.1 touches he has seen over the past two seasons.

The Buccaneers rebuffed trade requests from at least a half dozen teams for quarterback Mike Glennon, some of which inquired multiple times during the NFL draft.

In fact, those teams said they regarded Glennon as a better quarterback than most of the prospects available during the three-day selection show.

But the Bucs consider Glennon their 'quarterback of the future,' and have no intentions of dealing the second-year pro.

Glennon's future in Tampa looks brighter after the team elected not to draft a quarterback. He was the best rookie passer in 2013, but that's not saying much. He'll have a chance to learn behind Josh McCown before getting his second crack at the starting job.

The Bills acquired former Philadelphia Eagles backup Bryce Brown on Saturday for a conditional future draft pick and a swap of seventh-rounders.

The Eagles announced they'll get a fourth-round pick in 2015 or a third- or fourth-rounder in 2016 in the deal.

Brown had his moments as a rookie, rushing for a combined 347 yards and four TDs against the Panthers and the Cowboys with LeSean McCoy sidelined with an injury. He joins a crowded Bills backfield, so he may not get much of a chance to carry the ball barring an injury to C.J. Spiller and/or Fred Jackson.

When asked about Justin Blackmon's future, Jaguars GM Dave Caldwell responded:

"I think we've covered that," Caldwell said. "We've moved on for this year."

When asked if he would cut Blackmon, Caldwell said:

"We can't [cut him]. If that even happens."

HC Gus Bradley also stated his disappointment in the situation.

"I feel at times there's probably a little emptiness," Bradley said. "There are some unknowns there and you don't know how it's working. You don't want to shut it off. I was hoping it would be better than where it is going. We haven't heard much and it doesn't sound like it's going in the right direction. Like Dave said, we can't count on him."

The Jaguars seem to have moved on from Blackmon after drafting two receivers - Marqise Lee and Allen Robinson -- in the second round of the Draft. They'll join Cecil Shorts, Ace Sanders and Mike Brown to form a young but talented receiving corps. It may not come together quickly, but if Blake Bortles is the real deal, the Jaguars' passing game should be much improved in 1-2 seasons.

Browns receiver Nate Burleson broke his arm during minicamp. Expected back for training camp.

It's been a rough day for the Browns receiving corps with the news of a possible Josh Gordon suspension and now this. The good news is that he should be back for camp.

Cleveland Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon could face a season-long suspension after a second failed drug test months ago, this time for marijuana, sources told "Outside the Lines" on Friday.

Two sources told "Outside the Lines" Friday that Gordon's latest violation is the result of marijuana being found during a drug test. One source said that Gordon received a letter in early winter from a league physician stating he had failed a test. A second letter, informing Gordon that he faced a 16-game suspension but had the right to appeal, was sent in late April.

Agent Drew Rosenhaus declined to comment but said the information was "not true."

This is a developing story, so stay tuned. Obviously, losing Gordon would be a huge blow to the Browns' chances in 2014 and to Johnny Manziel's potential upside.

The San Francisco 49ers acquired Bills receiver Stevie Johnson for a mid-round pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reported. ESPN first reported the news.

The pick is a conditional fourth-rounder that could become a third-rounder, according to a source.

Johnson is a good fit in San Francisco, which was searching for a third receiver to complement Michael Crabtree and Anquan Boldin.

The 49ers have been looking for some time to upgrade their WR3 and did so with Johnson, who had three top 25 finishes from 2010 to 2012 before taking a step back in 2013. He turns 28 this summer but should continue to produce provided he can stay healthy, albeit in a much smaller role. His arrival puts a small dent in Michael Crabtree's upside, and he'll further squeeze the targets available to Vernon Davis and Anquan Boldin. On the flip side, Colin Kaepernick has one of the very best receiving corps in the league and looks like a nice value in the middle rounds.

Browns HC Mike Pettine said QB Johnny Manziel has the "it factor at an extreme level." He described Manziel as ultra-passionate and ultra-competitive. But he said Manziel will have to earn his playing time and will not be given it.

"It'll be a competition," Pettine said. "I meant that when I said it. I don't think you can hand jobs to people when they come in."

Before the draft began, Pettine said, “There will be competition, but I think it will be very difficult, based on my evaluation of this year’s draft class, it will be very difficult for anyone in this draft class to come in and beat [Brian Hoyer] out. I really believe that. There’s that certain it factor he has. Just the way he’s attacked his rehab, the way he’s attacked learning a new offense. What jumped out was his accuracy. I think him going through the drill work that we had put the quarterbacks through in their workouts, and compared it to those guys – it was encouraging to see.”

Pettine has changed his tune somewhat over the past 24 hours and it's understandable given the way the city of Cleveland is abuzz with the arrival of Manziel. If he wins the job this summer, he'll be an intriguing QB2 who should be available in the 9th-11th rounds given all the depth at quarterback. He has a good situation brewing with Josh Gordon and Jordan Cameron in his receiving corps, and the newly-signed Ben Tate as a threat in the running game.

Giants GM Jerry Reese says that Odell Beckham is an outside receiver while Victor Cruz will play in the slot.

Rueben Randle should still play a lot in new OC's Ben McAdoo's West Coast Offense, which is likely to utilize a lot of three-WR sets, even as a base formation. Randle's ADP is currently in the 7th round, and will likely take a hit upon the arrival of Beckham.

Lions GM Martin Mayhew and Co. hope they have the next Jimmy Graham. At least that’s how they’ve explained the job to draft pick Eric Ebron.

“The same way Jimmy Graham was (used) when (new OC Joe Lombardi) was coaching Jimmy Graham,” Ebron told reporters in a conference call after the pick about the role coaches have told him he'll have.

Ebron explained that he and Graham are very different players, but the role still fits.

Lombardi spent the last five years as the quarterback coach in New Orleans and watched Graham become one of the best matchup weapons in the NFL. He’s bringing over a lot of those elements from the Saints offense to Detroit and needed to fill a role for an athletic tight end, one that could stretch the field vertically.

“They are not exactly the same players but they are both very athletic guys,” Lombardi said of the comparisons to Graham. “Jimmy has a little bit more length while Eric has a little more quickness.

“There are some things that we did with Jimmy in New Orleans that we will be able to do with Eric and maybe some things we can do with Eric that we didn’t do with Jimmy. They are both unique but (Ebron) is going to have a pretty big role in what we plan on doing.”

“The guy’s a very special offensive weapon,” Mayhew said. “I talked earlier (this offseason) at the league meetings about there being a certain number of elite, I thought, athletes and prospects in the top 10. He’s one of those guys I was talking about.

Of the 21 tight ends who have been drafted in the first round in the last 10 years, 14 have managed to play at least 14 games. They averaged 35-371-2.6, or #31 TE numbers. (Oddly enough, that's where Brandon Pettigrew finished in 2013.) It usually takes a while for a young tight end to make a fantasy impact, though there has been the occasional exception. Jeremy Shockey (#3 TE in 2002), Heath Miller (#11 in 2005) and Dustin Keller (#14 in 2008) all posted TE1 or fringe-TE1 numbers as rookie first round picks. Cam Cleeland, Rob Gronkowski, Aaron Hernandez and John Carlson all had a TE1-type impact as rookies even though they weren't drafted in the first round. Ebron is an intriguing TE2-type in a potent offense, but he's no shoo-in to make a big fantasy impact in his first season.

Browns HC Mike Pettine said drafting Manziel doesn't change his plan to NOT start a rookie quarterback.

Pettine's apparent plan is to go with Brian Hoyer to start the season as Manziel may need some time to adjust to the NFL. How long this lasts will depend on how Hoyer and the team play early in the season.

The Vikings were the only team to diagnose QB Teddy Bridgewater with an irregular heartbeat.

The team obviously doesn't believe it to be a serious issue since they traded back into the 1st round to snipe him from the Houston Texans, who have the first pick in the 2nd round. He joins a good situation under new OC Norv Turner with the up-and-coming Cordarrelle Patterson and savvy Greg Jennings at wideout, and Kyle Rudolph at tight end. (Not to mention Adrian Peterson at running back.) Bridgewater will have to contend with incumbent Matt Cassel, but if he’s the immediate starter, he’ll be an intriguing low-end fantasy QB2.

Jaguars beat writer Ryan O'Halloran predicted that QB Blake Bortles wouldn't get his first start until Week 8

Bortles is not a shoo-in to start immediately, but he only has to beat out Chad Henne for the job. If he performs well in practice this summer, look for Bortles to start Week 1. No Jaguar QB is going to be much of a fantasy option unless the team upgrades at receiver and/or gets Justin Blackmon back in the lineup.

Patriots WR Danny Amendola, who caught 54 passes for 633 yards and two touchdowns in 2013, spent most of the offseason in Los Angeles. He didn’t have surgery on the groin injury that plagued him last season but has done plenty of rehab work.

“I feel great. I feel ready to keep training hard and keep getting better,” he said. “There’s a lot of progress to be made with our whole group. We’re all excited to be back working together.”

Amendola was hobbled by the groin injury for much of the season, but even if he's healthy, it's hard to see him passing the very productive Julian Edelman as Tom Brady's most targeted receiver.

Lions RB Joique Bell is rehabbing a knee injury. He posted a picture of his wrapped knee on Instagram with the caption "Be bk in no time."

The Lions hired Joe Lombardi (formerly of the Saints) to run the offense. The general consensus is that he’s going to run the ball more, but the Saints actually threw it more often than the Lions did in 2013 (from a pass/run standpoint). However, with the way team personnel are talking about the new offense, we’re relatively certain that he’s going to utilize Reggie Bush in more of a receiving role. Bush saw about 50% of the carries in 2013, while Bell’s number was called 37% of the time. Lombardi was in New Orleans during Bush’s stint there, so he was around while Bush’s average carries dropped from 13.1 in 2007 to a career low 4.5 in 2010, his final season with the Saints. Bush has had far more success running the ball post-Saints, averaging 4.6 YPC with the Dolphins and the Lions after posting a 4.0 YPC while in New Orleans. So while Bush probably won’t be ignored in the running game, the split could easily flip to Bell in a lead rushing role. Bell finished with 219 touches in 2013 (finishing as the #17 RB in standard formats) and the team just extended his contract, indicating that he’s a big part of their long-term offensive plan. As the #25 RB off the board in the 8th/9th round, he has some upside as a possible 230- to 250-touch running back. We aren't too concerned about the knee injury at this point in the offseason.

Cowboys HC Jason Garrett updated the status of QB Tony Romo, who is still recovering from back surgery.

“He’s built up from not being able to do much, to walking around, to doing cardio, to being out on the field,” Garrett said. “We had our first on-the-field session today, we’re in Phase 2 of our offseason program, our teaching sessions. He was on the field for 45 minutes with the other guys – he threw the ball, he dropped back.”

The Cowboys’ quarterback prospects have been the subject of plenty of speculation since Romo missed the Cowboys’ season finale at the end of December – especially with the looming possibility of drafting a replacement. It’s not a concern either Garrett or Jones seemed to share, though.

“We feel good about Tony’s health, first-hand, medically. His back is everything that we want it to be at this time,” Jones said. “So we feel very strongly about the edge that our quarterback gives us, and it’s a great place to be.”

Much has been written about how Romo will thrive under new “Passing Game Coordinator” Scott Linehan. Under Linehan, the Lions threw the ball 62.2% of the time in the last two seasons. Over the same span, the Cowboys threw it 64.3% of the time, so the Cowboys may not be that much more "pass happy" under Linehan, though the number of plays they run could increase, helping the offense as a whole. The Lions have averaged 1,105 plays in the last two seasons, while the Cowboys averaged just 968 plays, so Detroit ran 14% more plays than Dallas over that span. This bodes well for Romo and Co.

The NFL Players Association has filed a grievance on Jimmy Graham's behalf, arguing the franchise tag the New Orleans Saints placed on him in February should pay him like a wide receiver, not a tight end, a person close to Graham told USA TODAY Sports on Wednesday.

The grievance was filed after months of talks about a long-term extension failed to yield a deal, according to the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to speak publicly on the matter.

The difference between the franchise tender amounts is nearly $5.3 million, with the tight end tag worth $7.035 million — the amount of the tender Graham has not signed — and the receiver tag worth $12.312 million.

If the sides can't reach a settlement or otherwise resolve their differences, Graham's case would be heard by a third-party arbitrator, and the decision surely would affect leverage in negotiations on a long-term deal. No hearing date has been set, the person said.

Each side in this fight should understand the motivations of the other, so there should be no ill will when this is settled. That's the hope, anyway. Graham is highly likely to remain with the Saints despite the current air of uncertainty.

Texans RB Arian Foster practiced for the first time since his 2013 season ended prematurely because of a back injury that required surgery.

“He’s cleared,” new HC Bill O’Brien said of Foster, who missed eight games a year ago. “He looked good. He looked fine.”

Foster won't have to contend with Ben Tate, but the Texans signed Andre Brown to be his backup and he has a new offense to learn. At 27, Foster should have plenty of tread left on his tires, though the injuries seem to be piling up. Through the first six weeks he was the #7 RB while averaging 13.9 fantasy points. He should be a solid low-end RB1 available around the 1/2 turn, though injuries will continue to be a concern.

"I'm not at a 100 percent compared to what I was before my surgery,'' Peyton Manning said during his segment on The Late Show with David Letterman. "But I have made strides each season and this year felt a lot better than I did the year before. These nerves just go at their own pace.''

Manning also discussed how he tried to regain the feel in his throwing motion and the differences in the player he is now compared to the 13 seasons he spent with the Indianapolis Colts before his surgery.

"I used to sit in the mirror and just sort of go through my throwing motion trying to get the feel back the way I'd always thrown before,'' Manning said. " ... Maybe I can't throw the 100 mile-an-hour fastball any more, but I can still strike you out, picking my spots, working the plate. I don't make the same kind of throws I used to make, I try to use the cerebral part, use my experience.''

And as he said in the days leading up to the Super Bowl, Manning said he has no intentions of retiring. He has participated in the Broncos' offseason program and is set to enter the third season of a five-year contract.

49ers RB Marcus Lattimore, by his own assessment, is not all the way back, physically or mentally.

Lattimore concedes that he still lacks the first-step burst, the explosiveness through the hole, that once helped him rush for 1,197 yards with 17 rushing touchdowns as a freshman at South Carolina. Lattimore suspects that part won't come back until he's on the field again and gets the adrenaline boost that comes from being chased by a defender.

"I would say that's the last step on the physical side," he said.

There is a lot of interest surrounding Lattimore, and rightfully so, but from a redraft perspective, he's still behind Frank Gore and Kendall Hunter. Barring an injury to one or both of those players, it's not likely that Lattimore will make a significant impact in 2014.

Instead of letting fate somewhat dictate his immediate future, Panthers RB Jonathan Stewart has become more proactive about his health this offseason. He now does yoga three times a week, believing those stretching sessions have helped him become looser.

In his quest to improve ankle strength and mobility, Stewart has also tried some of Jordan Senn’s secrets. Before signing a free agent deal with the Bears in March, the linebacker spent hours stretching in the locker room during his four years in Carolina.

When the Portland native went back home during off seasons, he would often stop by ADAPT Training. Stewart, also an Oregon native, was intrigued enough to give ADAPT a try during a recent visit.

Among their innovative methods — treating clients like babies.

“Babies climb on things. Babies learn how to walk. They crawl. They walk sideways. It really forces your body to learn how to function properly. Stuff like that really helped get me back into the rhythm of things working out,” Stewart said.

Colts RB Vick Ballard, who tore his ACL in practice during Week 2 of the season, is close to a 100 percent.

If the Eagles are looking for DeSean Jackson's "replacement," they need to look no further than to their own roster and tight end Zach Ertz.

The Eagles, of course, have added two pieces - Jeremy Maclin and Darren Sproles - to supplement the 2013 production that left with Jackson. But of their current players, Ertz has perhaps the best chance to dramatically increase his numbers now that Jackson is in Washington, especially if the second-year tight end delivers upon Eagles expectations.

"I think Zach can have a huge role," coach Chip Kelly said last week.

Improved blocking will boost his playing time, but the Eagles drafted Ertz for his pass catching. And if he follows the same curve as the game's best from the last decade, he'll play as often as Jackson or any starting receiver.

Ertz averaged 2.8-32-.56 over the final nine games of the season (including the Eagles' sole playoff game) and that included two goose eggs in Week 10 and Week 14. That equates to 6.6 fantasy points per game, which is what Martellus Bennett averaged as the #10 TE in fantasy football. With Jason Avant and DeSean Jackson gone, Ertz could play a lot in the slot. If he can take a step forward in the blocking department, it will help his overall fantasy outlook. He is currently the #11 TE off the board in the 9th round.

According to Eli Manning’s older brother Peyton, the Giants’ franchise cornerstone has already started throwing the football.

“He feels good,” Peyton Manning said of Eli. “He was doing some light throwing the other day, obviously just kind of upper-body stuff.”

Peyton seemed to indicate that Eli wasn’t stepping into his throws, but it’s all progress, and it’s part of swift progress from the QB. When the injury first happened, Manning said doctors told him it might be six weeks until he was running, and Giants sources indicated the club would take things slowly. Just last week, Giants GM Jerry Reese announced that Manning would sit out the entire spring.

But his rehab seems to be going well. Last week, in a promotional video released by Steiner Sports, the quarterback declared that he was off crutches and out of his walking boot, and that he’d started running. And he’s apparently keeping his arm prepared for action, too.

Manning's value may be at an all-time low. After eight straight seasons of top 15 finishes, he was the #21 QB in 2013, and he's currently the #20 QB off the board in early fantasy drafts. That puts him behind Alex Smith and Ryan Tannehill. He'll be an interesting player to monitor this offseason as he learns a new offense and deals with the loss of Hakeem Nicks.

Adrian Peterson will play in 2014, his final season in his 20s. With backup Toby Gerhart having bolted to Jacksonville as a free agent, it's not too early to be thinking about Peterson's eventual replacement.

For the immediate future, the Vikings at least need a runner to spell Peterson as they plan to decrease his carries under new offensive coordinator Norv Turner.

"He's getting to the point where you don't have to give him the ball 50 times a game for 16 games," said general manager Rick Spielman. "Adrian's the face of our franchise, but Norv has a history of having two backs to keep him fresh, because I think it's very important as you go through the season that they're still strong in Week 16 and they're still strong when you get into the playoffs."

Several Dolphins have wondered among themselves why Miami has been looking so closely at first- and second-round receivers, and their suspicion is that the Dolphins want to replace Mike Wallace in a year or so. Several players believe some of these coaches aren’t big fans of Wallace, and “Joe Philbin is running that place,” one prominent agent said.

But Wallace will have a big cap hit whether he's here or not in 2015. If Wallace is on the team in 2015, his cap hit would be $12.1 million. If he’s cut, it would be $9.6 million. If he’s traded, it would be $6.6 million.

While TE Nick Kasa remains an unknown commodity, Raiders head coach Dennis Allen recently included Mychal Rivera in a list of foundation pieces.

Rivera was the #17 TE from Week 11 to Week 17, so he showed some signs of being fantasy relevant in the second half of the season.

Saints beat writer Mike Triplett gives his thoughts on the team's receiving corps:

Nick Toon could have done more to force the Saints to keep him in the lineup when he had the chance (see: Khiry Robinson, Chris Ivory, etc.) And that’s what he’ll have to do this preseason. The Saints are still high on Toon’s potential, but he’ll have to earn his spot.

As for Joe Morgan, I had him written in ink last summer as the Saints’ No. 3 receiver after he did so well as both a deep threat and a developing blocker in 2012. Then he missed another full season with a knee injury. So it’s impossible to predict how quickly he’ll return to full health and shake off the rust.

It’s possible that Morgan and Robert Meachem will be competing for one spot since they both play a similar role – especially if the Saints add a speedy receiver in the draft. As usual, it will be one of the most intriguing position battles in camp.

Eli Manning’s rehab from ankle surgery is off and running – much faster than expected.

The Giants’ franchise quarterback said on Thursday that he’s begun to do “some running” as part of his rehabilitation from the left ankle surgery he underwent on April 10. That’s an impressive three weeks ahead of his initial schedule. Following that surgery, he said the doctors had told him he would begin to run in approximately six weeks, which would’ve put him on track for around May 22.

Redskins TE Jordan Reed is full-go, so it does not sound as if there will be any precautions. Heard he did a nice job during the minicamp, too. He’ll obviously be a big factor this season if he can stay healthy.

Reed was on pace for 80-887-5.3 (#7 TE-type numbers) prior to his injury, but didn't even crack the 50% snaps played mark until Week 6. In the five games where he played at least 50% of his team's snaps, he averaged 6.2-76-.40 or #3 TE-type numbers. The main concern with Reed is his injury history, specifically with concussions. According to NBC Washington, Reed suffered two concussions while at Florida. If he can stay healthy, he's a likely top 5 fantasy TE, but that's no sure thing.

The Dolphins have been with the rehabilitation of their injured wide receivers, GM Dennis Hickey said, adding that he's been "pleased" with the manner Brian Hartline, Brandon Gibson and Armon Binns have looked in the offseason conditioning program.

By all accounts, offensive coordinator Norv Turner brings a more complex offense to Minnesota than what the team had under Bill Musgrave, so Cordarrelle Patterson will have to digest a more intricate scheme as he learns his second offense in two years. On the other hand, general manager Rick Spielman said at the NFL scouting combine that Turner already had 10 plays designed for Patterson, and Turner moved Patterson around in the Vikings' offense plenty during the team's voluntary minicamp this week.

"I think you've always got to hold that judgment in terms of how a guy handles it," Turner said on Thursday. "We've had guys who have been very productive players, extremely outstanding players I would say, and they lined up and played one position. We've had a bunch of other guys we've moved around. We've moved Cordarrelle around quite a bit this week and he seemed to handle it pretty well, so we'll see how much he can handle?"

All arrows are pointing up for Patterson, who was the #10 WR from Week 10 to Week 17 in his rookie season. He scored seven touchdowns in that span (three rush, four receiving) while racking up 29 catches for 323 yards to go along with 10 carries for 156 rushing yards. With Josh Gordon coming off of a breakout season under new Vikings OC Norv Turner, Patterson should be a fantasy starter sooner rather than later. His TD rate will be difficult to maintain, but he should see a jump in touches in 2014. Patterson is very raw as a route runner and needs to develop quickly in that facet of the game if he's to have the type of season that many are predicting. He's currently going at the end of the 3rd round as the #16 WR off the board, so he's being drafted as if he's already had his breakout season.

New England Patriots running back Shane Vereen, one of the team’s key offensive players, said this week that his previously broken left wrist still isn’t back to the point where it was before the injury last September.

“It’s not going to feel great tomorrow, it’s not going to feel awful. It won’t be 100 percent probably for a while, but it’s good enough and I’m working on strengthening it and getting it back,” Vereen said on the team’s website as part of the PFW in Progress program with Fred Kirsch, Paul Perillo, Andy Hart and Erik Scalavino.

Vereen suffered a broken bone in the wrist in a season-opening victory against the Buffalo Bills on Sept. 8, and had surgery that sidelined him until a Nov. 18 game against the Carolina Panthers.

Vereen added in the PFW in Progress interview that his wrist feels good and “through most of the end of the season, I was fine with it.” He wouldn’t use it as an excuse for a few dropped passes last season.

Vereen was a 4for4 favorite heading into the 2013 season, but a Week 1 wrist injury derailed a promising start. Over the course of eight regular season games and two playoff games, Vereen averaged 10.7 touches (including 5.4 catches) for 76 yards and 0.40 TD, though his usage in the running game was limited once the Patriots decided to lean on LeGarrette Blount between the tackles. With Blount gone, Vereen’s role could increase. He should be a solid RB2 in standard formats and a fringe RB1 in PPR leagues, provided he stays healthy. We wouldn't worry too much about the wrist; he should be fine by training camp.

Jaguars GM David Caldwell on WR Justin Blackmon playing in 2014: "It's not something we're counting on."

He also said he'd be "relatively surprised" if Blackmon played. Cecil Shorts could see a ton of targets if healthy, but the Jaguars may elect to select a wideout fairly early in the draft to shore up the position.

Vikings RB Adrian Peterson: "I’d say I’m about 80% right now, just really working on the strength and trying to get that strength back and balance."

RB David Wilson "is on schedule to be back" this season, Giants GM Jerry Reese said. However his return would be a "bonus".

Giants GM Jerry Reese confirms Eli Manning is "out of spring ball". ... "We want him back for the summer. We're not going to rush him back," he said.

The Browns are expected to sign QB Vince Young to a one-year deal after his tryout, source says.

Young will likely backup Brian Hoyer, who is penciled in as the team's starter. The landscape may change if the Browns draft a QB early.

Eagles GM Howie Roseman said that Zach Ertz added muscle this offseason and is primed for bigger role in passing game.

Ertz averaged 2.8-32-.56 over the final nine games of the season (including the Eagles' sole playoff game) and that included two goose eggs in Week 10 and Week 14. That equates to 6.6 fantasy points per game, which is what Martellus Bennett averaged as the #10 TE in fantasy football. With Jason Avant and DeSean Jackson gone, Ertz could play a lot in the slot. If he can take a step forward in the blocking department, it will help his overall fantasy outlook.

Ryan Mathews is happy the Chargers signed Donald Brown...

"I (want to) make it more than 16 games," Mathews said. "That was a big goal last year: 'Alright, let's get him through 16 games.' We did that. Now the goal is to keep me healthy, keep running after 16 games. The coaches did a good job of getting another guy like Donald to help me out. It's going to be fun."

Brown will siphon some touches from Mathews, but that may also serve to keep Mathews healthy. Brown's arrival certainly limits Mathews upside, but perhaps Mathews has a higher floor since he won't be overworked.

Wide receiver Sidney Rice should be fully recovered from a torn knee ligament by the time the Seattle Seahawks start defense of their Super Bowl title, general manager John Schneider said Wednesday.

Who will play opposite Percy Harvin in Seattle's two-WR sets? Will it be Rice or Doug Baldwin, who was very productive last season after Rice went down? Click here for Senior Editor John Paulsen's take on this (and other murky situations around the league).

Ravens RB Ray Rice applies for Pretrial Intervention program, a diversionary program which permits certain defendants to avoid formal prosecution.

If Rice is approved for pretrial intervention, he would receive probation without jail and undergo anger management.

Rice won't go to jail. He either goes into pretrial intervention program or accepts plea agreement (probation).

It appears Rice will avoid jail time, but still could face suspension from the league for his actions in Atlantic City. Stay tuned.