July 2015 4for4 Player News Articles

July can't come to a close any quicker for the New York Jets.

On Friday, Jets second-round draft pick, wide receiver Devin Smith, left practice after making an impressive catch that ended with a hard fall. While Smith's status wasn't immediately clear, it is now.

Friday night, the team announced that Smith suffered broken ribs, saying that the rookie is being held in the hospital overnight for precautionary purposes and that he's expected to miss much of training camp.

The speedster was expected to compete with Jeremy Kerley to be the team's WR3, but those plans are on hold for now.

Beat writer Jimmy Kempski broke down the Eagles' WR competition:

In my view, I think it'd be crazy to take Jordan Matthews off the field. The Eagles mostly stay in three wide receiver sets, and in those situations, expect Matthews to resume his role in the slot. However, when they go with two wides, Matthews should stay in and line up on the outside.

I also expect Nelson Agholor to start Week 1, and produce immediately. He just looks like the real deal to me.

So the real battle here is Josh Huff vs Riley Cooper vs Miles Austin. Huff has the most natural ability and explosion of the three, but he needs to refine some of the more nuanced aspects of the position. The Eagles would love to see Huff go out and earn more playing time, but they're not just going to hand it to him. Their opinion of Cooper is clearly far higher than yours is.

This comes on the heels of another column declaring Josh Huff as the biggest breakout candidate in the Eagles' receiving corps. Agholor figures to have the edge, as reports have been almost universally positive this offseason. Ultimately, we see Matthews, Agholor and Huff playing the most snaps, but it may not happen early or even this season. Chip Kelly likes Cooper more than the rest of us do.

Brandon Coleman is one of several candidates battling for the Saints’ No. 3 and 4 receiver jobs -- along with veterans Nick Toon, Josh Morgan, Joe Morgan and fellow second-year pro Seantavius Jones. So we’re still weeks away from being able to predict the pecking order or declare Coleman as a fantasy football sleeper.

But Coleman, who spent most of last year on the practice squad along with Jones, arguably has the highest upside of the bunch. With his size and physicality, Coleman could be a red zone monster if he's able to realize his potential. So far, so good this summer. Coleman has looked much more fluid, confident and comfortable than last summer when he battled inconsistency.

“He’s stronger now. He’s healthy,” Payton said of Coleman, who spent most of last year on the practice squad. “When we got him he was coming off of a rehab from his knee. And you can see the strength in his lower body when it comes to the breaks he’s making and the cuts he’s making.”

“This confidence kind of comes through getting reps in practice and ultimately it comes through game experience in a game setting that matters,” Payton said. “But I thought his offseason has been very good, and he’s definitely in the hunt.”

The Saints are seemingly set at the top two spots in Brandin Cooks and Marques Colston, though Colston does have some injury concerns. After that, the Saints' receiving corps is wide open. Nick Toon is slated for WR3 duties, but the situation is fluid.

The Oakland Raiders held their first practice of training camp on Friday in Napa, Calif., but Trent Richardson didn't participate. Oakland announced the former Alabama All-American had been placed on the non-football injury list.

The non-football injury list is for players who get hurt away from team activities, although the Raiders did not announce an injury for Richardson. His placement on the NFI list also might indicate he did not pass or did not take Thursday's conditioning test.

While on the NFI list, Richardson can't practice with the team. He'll be immediately eligible to practice once the designation is removed.

The NFI designation comes two days after Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle reported "whispers are that the Trent Richardson reclamation project is not going so well."

It doesn't appear that Richardson is much of a threat to the workload of Latavius Murray. We're more worried about Roy Helu at this point.

Lions HC Jim Caldwell said RB Joique Bell is "coming along quickly" - he missed all spring after knee/Achilles surgery - but has no timetable on his return from PUP.

Bell's ADP had taken a beating since early June, but he's still going to have a major role in the Lions' offense once he's healthy. Ameer Abdullah's stock is on the rise, and he may be the better pick in PPR formats, but Bell won't be going away quietly.

Kendall Wright is clearly the top receiver and Hakeem Nicks got the bulk of the work opposite Wright. But the second snap of many series featured two new guys, including Harry Douglas, Justin Hunter and Green-Beckham.

Wright is a good value in the 9th or 10th round, especially in PPR formats. The team needs to find a starter on the other side. Nicks is the overlooked vet, but it didn't seem like he had a whole lot left given the way he played in Indianapolis last season. Still, he's just 27 years old and shouldn't be washed up just yet. Green-Beckham is a physical specimen, but is very raw. Hunter has had a disappointing career, and is dealing with an off-the-field issue (felonious assault). Douglas is an unexciting vet who could end up with a big role if things break his way.

Marcus Mariota's teammates offered the same sort of solid reviews they offered during organized team activities and minicamp.

"You could tell he was training this offseason, really in the playbook," Titans tight end Delanie Walker said. "He called the huddle with poise, said the plays like he knew them, ran the offense very well. That’s exciting to see when you’ve got a young quarterback coming in and ready to go."

Mariota continues to look good in practice, so he’s off to a good start. His weapons aren’t as established as those of Jameis Winston, but in Kendall Wright and Delanie Walker, he has a couple of dependable targets. If Dorial Green-Beckham and/or Justin Hunter emerge as a viable downfield threat, Mariota may be in business. His ability to run the ball gives him some baseline fantasy value.

Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger had some kind words for WR Markus Wheaton.

"To me, I think Markus Wheaton is our breakout player of the year... I want him to have that pressure... When we're in two wide receivers, he's our No. 2, and we're asking him to play outside. And when we go three wide receivers we're asking him to go inside, so he's playing multiple positions. And it's new for him. He's always been an outside guy and we're asking him to play in the slot when we have three wide receivers, and that's a completely different ballgame."

While these comments might slow down the Martavis Bryant hype train a bit, we're not worried. Roethlisberger mentioned Bryant first when talking about the receiver group (other than Antonio Brown) and the Steelers play a ton of three-WR so Bryant will be on the field plenty in his sophomore season. The breakout is still on. Wheaton is a solid late-round pick, especially in PPR drafts. By most accounts, rookie Sammie Coates hasn't had a great offseason, so Wheaton's snaps should be safe. Bottom line: We're still targeting Bryant in the 5th/6th round.

Although the running back battle between second-year player Devonta Freeman and rookie Tevin Coleman is sure to be a storyline throughout training camp, Coleman downplayed the significance following Friday's first day of camp.

Freeman remained with the first team, while Coleman and Antone Smith worked behind Freeman. Coleman is focused on adjusting from the college to the NFL game.

With Steven Jackson out of the way, GM Thomas Dimitroff said that there was “no question” that Freeman is ready to be the feature back in Atlanta, though the team threw cold water on that notion by drafting Coleman. Freeman wasn't terribly impressive in his rookie season (248 yards rushing, 3.8 YPC), but he was active and effective in the passing game (30 catches for 225 yards), so we’re expecting he’ll be PPR-relevant as part of a timeshare.

Marques Colston didn’t linger long on the New Orleans Saints’ physically-unable-to-perform list.

The Saints activated their veteran wide receiver on Friday, and he joined in their walk-through drills before watching from the side during full-team and 7-on-7 drills. Colston’s injury hasn’t been specified, but he missed most of the Saints’ OTAs and minicamp.

“We have to be smart with where Marques is at,” Saints coach Sean Payton said. “The reps are one thing, but making sure he’s getting into football shape … I think we’ll do a good job with some veteran players, he being one of them.”

With Jimmy Graham and Kenny Stills gone, someone has to catch the ball in New Orleans, and Colston is likely to finish second or third in targets on the team after Brandin Cooks and possibly C.J. Spiller. Health is the biggest concern here, but he has only missed one game in the last three years. As an 11th round pick, Colston isn’t going to cost much on draft day, so the relative risk is low.

Cutting the amount of time Steve L Smith is on the field makes sense in theory, but ...

"I think it's going to be hard for both of us to do that," Smith said Friday.

Why?

"Because we're both competitors and we both want to win," Smith added.

"Steve and I have talked about how many reps he's going to play," Harbaugh said. "We'll probably know by the end of preseason how we feel about that, but sometimes you get to a game and you kind of need a guy in the end to make a play. I'm really hoping that we have enough guys who we like who we can roll receivers through there and play all those guys. I think we're deep, and if we turn out to be deep -- like we hope we are -- then all those guys will play.”

Smith was the #20 WR in standard formats and #18 in PPR, but he did most of his damage in the first six weeks of the season when he was #3 and #4, respectively. He was a fantasy WR4 the rest of the way, though he did have his moments. The Ravens can’t afford to put Smith out to pasture because they let Torrey Smith walk in free agency and the team’s receiver corps is severely lacking experience. Smith has some upside given his ADP (8th/9th round) and the arrival of pass-happy OC Marc Trestman, who should be able to figure out how to best utilize Smith’s skill set.

After his first practice at Browns training camp, during which Terrelle Pryor did not record a dropped pass and looked like a natural at a position he has not played competitively at any level, the idea of the freakishly talented Pryor making an almost unprecedented transition so late in his athletic career didn’t seem, well, so outlandish.

“I’ve never seen anybody make that transformation in person,” said cornerback Joe Haden. “It looks like it would work.”

Pryor, 6-4 and 223 pounds, with a reputed 40 speed of 4.38 seconds at his 2011 pro day workout, is the closest thing yet to Josh Gordon. “He’s bigger than J.G.,” Haden said.

The odds are stacked against Pryor, and it's probably going to take some time to learn the details of the position. But the Browns need playmakers at receiver, so it's not inconceivable that Pryor works his way into a receiving role in 2015.

Bill Belichick said WR Aaron Dobson came into spring in "great" shape. "Put himself in good position."

Dobson is finally healthy, which is a good thing, but he has to beat out Brandon LaFell, who played great in his first season with the Patriots, racking up 87-1072-9 in his last 16 games, including the postseason. LaFell isn't practicing at the moment, so it's Dobson's time to make a push.

NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reports Seahawks QB Russell Wilson agreed to a four-year, $87.6 million extension, per a source involved in the negotiations. The deal includes a $31 million signing bonus and $60 million in guarantees.

By signing just a four-year extension, Wilson will enter the final year of his deal at just 30 years old, giving him an opportunity for another big payday. The shorter deal was a concession by the Seahawks.

Now that his contract negotiations are behind him, Wilson can once again focus fully on football. He has finished #9, #8 and #3 in his first three seasons, and the Seahawks are slowly letting him throw the ball more. They traded for tight end Jimmy Graham, who will serve as the best weapon that Wilson has had since he entered the NFL.

Already with depth at wide receiver, the Giants are set to add another to the mix. The team will sign veteran wide receiver James Jones on Friday.

Offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo should know a little something about his soon-to-be newest receiver. McAdoo coached Jones in Green Bay.

The Giants already have a lot of depth at receiver, so this is a curious signing despite McAdoo's familiarity with Jones from their days together in Green Bay.

It's unclear when Patriots WR Brandon LaFell will return to camp. He missed all of OTAs and minicamp, but told reporters on July 9 that he is out of his walking boot.

Aaron Dobson is healthy and getting extra opportunities with LaFell out. LaFell finished as the #22 WR in both standard and PPR formats, but didn’t catch a single pass in the first two games. He began to see starter-type snaps in Week 4, and was the #15 receiver in standard formats (#14 in PPR) over the final 13 games of the season. In fact, counting the postseason, LaFell racked up 87-1072-9 in his last 16 games. That would have been good enough for a #13 finish in both formats. We believe that it's his job to lose, as long as he's healthy.

Giants receivers Victor Cruz and Odell Beckham are not on PUP. Cruz passed the conditioning test less than 10 months after tearing the patellar tendon in his right knee. Beckham, who missed time with a hamstring injury this spring, did as well. Neither are going to start training camp on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list. That's good news. Both are expected to be on the practice field with their teammates on Friday. They may have their snaps limited, but at least they're cleared.

Cruz tore his patellar tendon in mid-October, though recent reports have been unanimously positive. He's not going to get the same number of targets given Odell Beckham's emergence as a top-flight wideout. Cruz will likely play the Randall Cobb role in OC Ben McAdoo's offense, so there is some upside if he's fully healthy by Week 1. Hopefully the injury doesn’t rob him of the speed and quickness that makes him such a dangerous slot receiver.

Coach John Fox has made it clear he wants the Bears’ offense to become a more run-centric attack and will guide new offensive coordinator Adam Gase accordingly. So that means Matt Forte should see a spike in his 16.3-carries per game average from last season. Forte also takes only so much pride in the 102 catches he had last season, a single-season NFL record for a running back, but also a milestone he understands he achieved because of how constipated the Bears offense was.

“Catching 100 balls,” Forte said, “is not my goal as a running back.”

Which is why Forte is happily taking Fox at his word that the Bears will dedicate themselves to the run as a way of adding balance to the offense and lessening the pressure on quarterback Jay Cutler.

Said Forte: “If you’re running the ball and you can run it effectively you get to control the clock and keep other offenses off the field. Which is what we want to do. If we can control the game, control the pace of the game, and grind out tough yards and score, then that’s what we’re going to do.”

We currently project Forte for 16.2 carries per game, or 260 for the season. We're not so sure that the Bears will have the luxury of running the ball as much as they'd like. We do expect Forte's receptions to drop -- we currently project him for around 56-57 catches, which is much closer to his career average of 53.4 (in offenses run by someone other than Marc Trestman). New OC Adam Gase utilized C.J. Anderson at a 60-catch pace over the final eight games of last season.

Bengals TE Tyler Eifert says he is 100 percent for the first time since beginning of 2014 OTAs.

With Jermaine Gresham out of the way, Eifert should be a nice late-round pick provided he can stay healthy. He has good size and speed, and showed pretty good hands as a rookie. He only played about 60 percent of the snaps in 2013, and averaged 0.14 FP (PPR) per snap. Extrapolate the same production to 90 percent of the snaps (which is typical for a starting tight end), and Eifert shouldn't have any problem posting top 15 numbers. With solid improvement, he could very well be this year's Jordan Cameron (2013) or Travis Kelce (2014).

Rams GM Les Snead says whole team, save OL Cody Wichmann, passed conditioning test and ready to go. Includes WR Brian Quick (shoulder).

Quick was posting solid WR3 numbers in both standard and PPR formats before his shoulder injury in Week 8. He's currently the 50th WR off the board at the end of the 10th round. The arrival of Nick Foles should be good for his prospects in 2015. The sooner he's practicing fully, the better, though he'll likely be eased in at the start of camp.

Bears HC John Fox on WR Kevin White: "He is day to day. It is not a long-term thing. It's a shin. Something that shouldn't be long-term."

It’s hard to envision Eddie Royal starting over White this year, but given John Fox’s history of being anti-rookie and White’s absence from spring workouts due to a shin injury, it’s not unfathomable. He’s a player to monitor in August.

The search for DeMarco Murray’s replacement will go on without Darren McFadden practicing at the start of training camp. On Thursday, he was placed on the active/physically unable to perform list with a hamstring injury.

McFadden, 27, was dealing with the hamstring injury in organized team activities in June. He was limited then and doing rehab work on the side during competitive drills. McFadden can be removed from the active/PUP list once he is medically cleared. He can then practice immediately.

The soon-to-be 28-year-old McFadden hasn't cracked 3.5 YPC since the 2011 season, when he ran for 614 yards on 113 carries (5.4 YPC) in seven games. That's the rub with McFadden -- fantasy owners haven't been able to count on his durability. He has missed roughly a quarter of his team's games since entering the league. We believe he’ll serve as a change-of-pace/3rd-down back behind Joseph Randle.

Down to 221 pounds, roughly eight pounds lighter than last season with 4 percent less body fat, Ravens RB Lorenzo Taliaferro has transformed his body this offseason as he competes with rookie Javorious Allen to be the primary backup to starter Justin Forsett.

Taliaferro also appears to be more decisive in his cuts.

"Lorenzo Taliaferro, he has good vision, and his feet look quicker to me, his burst," Ravens coach John Harbaugh said last month. "He has leaned up a little bit."

"I’ve been impressed with Lorenzo," offensive coordinator Marc Trestman said. "He’s fluid, he does everything right, he’s in the right places, he understands our protection package. I feel really confident when he’s behind Joe [Flacco] in the running game and in our pass protection scheme. He has been very consistent."

It sounds as if Taliaferro is well prepared for a camp battle with Allen. Forsett owners should pay close attention to see who will serve as his primary backup this season.

First-round pick Breshad Perriman gave the Baltimore Ravens a brief scare in the team's first training camp practice Thursday.

Perriman fell on his knee after making a sideline catch and walked off the field with a trainer with about 15 minutes left in practice. He seemed to favor his right leg, but he went into the team facility on his own power.

"It's not serious. It's all sound," coach John Harbaugh said. "He'll be back as soon as his knee feels a little bit better. It could be as early as tomorrow or a couple of days at the most."

Per Harbaugh, this is probably nothing to worry about. Hopefully Perriman will be back on the field within a few days. He needs all the practice reps he can get as he tries to win the starting job opposite Steve Smith.

Ravens WR Breshad Perriman ran with the first team today. He followed up a drop and a false start with a great leaping grab.

Perriman has the physical tools (6’2, 4.24 40-yard dash), to replace Torrey Smith in the Ravens’ lineup from the start, but he has to learn Marc Trestman’s offense and prove that he can catch the ball consistently. His 8th round ADP seems about right given his upside in Trestman's offense.

Browns RB Terrance West got the first rep in practice. Isaiah Crowell was next up. HC Mike Pettine will 'mix it up' throughout camp.

Once the Browns were done with Ben Tate (Week 11), Crowell out-touched West 90 to 68 over the final seven games, but West had the last laugh, turning 20 touches into 106 yards and a TD against the Ravens in Week 17. (A seemingly healthy Crowell touched the ball five times for 22 yards.) The team drafted Duke Johnson and last season HC Mike Pettine was handing out touches based on practice performance, so Crowell's current 6th round ADP seems steep given his uncertain workload and Cleveland's projected offensive struggles.

Caught up with Redskins TE Jordan Reed. Says his knee feels great. Had a stem cell shot to his knee/hamstring. That was the procedure this offseason.

When healthy, Reed has averaged 10.5 fantasy points in PPR formats over the past two seasons. This extrapolates to low-end TE1 numbers and he's certainly a worthy start when he's healthy enough to play. Heading into camp, he said his knee feels great after an offseason stem cell treatment. His ADP is currently in the 13th/14th round, so he's a low risk pick at that price.

Steelers WR Martavis Bryant has bulked up for his sophomore season.

The reed-thin rookie who caught eight touchdowns even as he struggled to grasp the playbook is gone, replaced by a more confident — and decidedly more muscular— playmaker who is ready to develop into something other than just a one-dimensional threat.

Bryant added 20 pounds of muscle over the spring, most of it in his well-tattooed biceps. The team didn't ask Bryant to get into the gym and start lifting more. He took it upon himself following a valuable lesson he learned during a rocky training camp last summer.

Pittsburgh went 8-2 with Bryant in the lineup and he made nearly all of his 26 receptions count despite limited playing time. Expect those limits to vanish.

"We're asking him to do more, to move around a little bit, play frontside, backside, know things better," Roethlisberger said. "We're going to count on him in the no-huddle. Last year when we were calling stuff he was asking everyone what to do. We feel more comfortable with him knowing what to do so hopefully we can translate that into playing faster."

Bryant averaged 2.8 catches for 56 yards and 0.82 TD in the final 11 games of the season (including a 5-61-1 outing against Baltimore in the playoffs). Thanks to the incredible touchdown rate, those are high-end WR2 numbers in standard formats and solid WR2 numbers in PPR. What's more, he didn't play 60% of the snaps until the postseason, so there's upside here from a playing time standpoint. With the news that Markus Wheaton is moving to the slot full time, it appears that Bryant will be getting starter’s snaps in 2015.

ESPN's Adam Caplan:

I can tell you that Vikings WR Charles Johnson is the real deal.

Johnson started playing significant snaps in Week 11, and over the final seven games of the season, he averaged 3.6 catches for 59 yards and 0.29 touchdowns. He was the #31 fantasy receiver in that span. He should continue to have plenty of opportunity to grow in Norv Turner's offense despite the arrival of Mike Wallace.

On the topic of Chargers rookie running back Melvin Gordon...

The indications at this stage are "incredibly, incredible positive," offensive coordinator Frank Reich said. "You can see he has great vision. You can see he has great patience. And he's just got great physical ability. ... I don't want to say too much because he's got to do it. But I'm just very excited about him, like off-the-charts excited."

The Chargers traded up to get Gordon, so we’d expect they’ll use him early and often in 2015. In fact, GM Tom Telesco used the phrase "impact player" 11 times in Gordon's introductory press conference. He doesn’t have a lot of experience as a receiver, so we'd expect that Danny Woodhead still gets a lot of work on third down while Gordon establishes himself as a good weapon out of the backfield.

The Patriots placed running back LeGarrette Blount on the non-football injury list on Wednesday, according to the NFL transaction wire.

No reason was given for the move, but players who have been placed on NFI prior to the start of camp in year’s past have often found themselves there because they have failed the conditioning test and/or their physical.

Update: Ben Volin reported that Blount ended up on the NFI after failing his conditioning test.

This is probably nothing to worry about, but we'll monitor the situation throughout camp. It’s always dicey to buy into the New England running game, but Blount has been good while toting the ball for the Patriots. Since 2013, he has averaged 11.3 touches for 57 yards and 0.65 TD in 26 games. Those are solid RB2 numbers in standard (low-end RB2 in PPR). However, in his last 15 games with the Patriots (including the postseason), he has turned 14.2 touches into 73 yards and 1.0 TD; those are strong and low-end RB1 numbers in standard and PPR formats, respectively. Granted, he tends to score his points in bunches -- e.g. 30 carries, 148 yards and three touchdowns against the Colts in January -- but he’s been getting pretty consistent run since December of 2013, registering at least 10 carries in 11 of his last 15 games with the Patriots. Given his 6th round ADP, he should be a fine target as a RB3, or as a RB2 for the “wait on RB” crowd. For more on Blount, check out this article by Sr. Editor John Paulsen.

Then there’s Duke Johnson, who could steal the spotlight. He’s not as big as the other two (Isaiah Crowell and Terrance West) — 5-foot-9, 210 pounds — but is quick, agile and looks like a big play waiting to happen. Coordinator John DeFilippo will line up Johnson in the backfield, the slot and out wide, but if he carries the ball like he did at Miami — a school-record 3,519 yards — he could quickly become the featured back.

The Cleveland running game is murky at best. The team has two second-year players, Crowell and West, who both had fantasy-relevant moments last season, but they added Johnson to the mix in the draft. He’s the best receiver of the bunch, so he should have a role on third-down at the very least. But he’s capable of stealing carries as well. The Browns should have a good running game, but it’s going to be a headache trying to project these three on a week-to-week basis. In PPR formats, our money is on Johnson to hold the most value.

Saints WR Marques Colston starts camp on the PUP list, but the injury is not considered to be 'long-term.'

We'll keep an eye on his injury status during camp. With Jimmy Graham and Kenny Stills gone, someone has to catch the ball in New Orleans, and Colston is likely to finish second or third in targets on the team after Brandin Cooks and possibly C.J. Spiller. Health is the biggest concern here, but he has only missed one game in the last three years. As an 11th round pick, Colston isn’t going to cost much on draft day, so the relative risk is low.

With Jeremy Maclin now in Kansas City, many expected the Eagles to move Jordan Matthews to the outside, and line Josh Huff up in the slot. That is not, however, what the plan is. Huff has been lining up with the first team offense on the outside in Maclin's place, with Matthews remaining in the slot.

Huff could see some time inside, but the plan is for Huff to run many of the same routes Maclin did -- including going deep. Huff is the quickest receiver on the team, and the Eagles will be giving him a chance to stretch the field, much like DeSean Jackson did two seasons ago.

Ask Riley Cooper how much the Eagles like their receivers to be able to block, and he will respond by pointing out he played 980 snaps last season, second most on the team. That is a good sign for Huff, who is perhaps the second-best run-blocking receiver on the Eagles, behind only Cooper. Huff should be able to stay on the field, and keep rookie Nelson Agholor off of it, by being a strong run blocker.

When the team drafted Agholor, it was assumed that he would start. That could still end up being the case, and Agholor has the skills to be a star in the NFL. It will be Huff, however, that gets the first crack at the starting job, with Agholor on the bench.

Agholor could end up taking one of the starting spots, from Huff or Cooper, but he will have to do it in training camp, and won't be handed the job.

The prevailing assumption is that Agholor will start alongside Matthews, who could play outside or in the slot. If Matthews is in the slot, then there's an opening for Huff or Cooper on the other side. Then there's the matter of Zach Ertz, who is rumored to be in line for more snaps as he pushes Brent Celek for the starting job. Ertz could also play more in two-TE sets, but that will send two of the aforementioned receivers to the bench. Training camp will be key for all the Eagles' receivers -- the only player seemingly assured of a big role is Matthews.

Even though DeMarco Murray led the NFL in rushing last season (and carried the ball more times than any other player since 2006), Chip Kelly has said since the spring that he does not want the Eagles to rely on one running back as much as they did during the past two seasons. So expect Ryan Mathews to also have a big role in the offense.

“If you have multiple backs you don’t lose anything when you take one out, and I think we probably relied on one too much in the last couple of years,” Kelly said. “But I have great confidence in those other guys that when they go into the game you don’t have to change what you’re doing. Ryan and DeMarco are very similar in terms of how they run and what they’re doing so it’s almost like you think you catch your breath when you take DeMarco out of the game but then here comes Ryan, that’s going to be a real difficult task for people, I think.”

Murray had a career year in his fourth season, racking up 2,261 total yards and 13 touchdowns on 449 touches. He should get plenty of work in Philadelphia, though the signing of Ryan Mathews and the presence of Darren Sproles make it very unlikely that he’ll surpass 400 touches in 2015. LeSean McCoy averaged 353 touches over the past two seasons, so that’s probably Murray’s ceiling if everyone stays healthy. He should hold low-end RB1 value, though the presence of Mathews and Sproles may make even that a stretch.

These days, the Vikings list Teddy Bridgewater at 215 pounds, and he looks noticeably more solid. The offseason plan was for him to beef up.

"There was a set amount, a set weight limit for me coming into training camp, which is 215," Bridgewater said Wednesday at training camp. "I was able to put on some weight but most of it was muscle. I'm trying to make sure that I'm building myself up to withstand some hits that I'm going to take throughout the year and withstand the long season that's ahead of us."

It's good to hear that Bridgewater is packing muscle on his relatively slight frame. It can only help. The acquisition of Mike Wallace is good news for Bridgewater, who averaged a solid 15.0 FP after his Week 10 bye. Those are QB2-type numbers, so with a year under his belt and Wallace (and a healthy Kyle Rudolph?) in the mix, Bridgewater should be a good QB2 with QB1-type upside if everything breaks his way. The return of Adrian Peterson can only help the offense as a whole.

When Ravens first-round wide receiver Breshad Perriman initially reported for rookie camp in May, he hardly knew how to get in a proper stance.

Flip the calendar three months forward and Perriman enters training camp as a drastically better player, and he’s put himself in position to contend for a starting position (or at least a lot of snaps) right away.

The aspect of Perriman’s game that critics have harped on most is his hands. Perriman showed solid hands throughout most of Organized Team Activities and minicamp, but he did have one practice with about four drops, which has continued the narrative.

Perriman has the physical tools (6’2, 4.24 40-yard dash), to replace Torrey Smith in the Ravens’ lineup from the start, but he has to learn Marc Trestman’s offense and prove that he can catch the ball consistently. It sounds as if he's already making strides in camp.

Four months after Jones raved over Darren McFadden as still possessing the "kinds of skills that got him drafted with the fourth pick," the Cowboys owner and general manager spent Wednesday praising McFadden's competition, Joseph Randle.

"We have a player (in Randle) that has the potential -- and we based that on, not on what he did at Oklahoma State or how we drafted him, but by literally being a teammate around here for the last two years -- but he has the potential to be the kind of back that would step in there and be your No. 1 back," Jones told reporters. "If he were not here, then I wouldn't feel as good as we go into the season and what might happen."

He was highly effective (6.7 YPC) in 2014 and is reportedly showing more maturity after several off-the-field issues. He's not going to see a DeMarco Murray-type workload, but 225-250 carries is feasible if he wins the lead back job, and it appears he will.

Roddy White told ESPN.com that he had his left knee drained prior to minicamp, but the Atlanta Falcons receiver is not concerned about it being a major issue this season. White, who had the same knee drained last offseason, sat out the first two days of mandatory minicamp last month after the procedure. He returned for the third and final day of the camp.

"It's not a concern to me because it's just like a little irritation,'' the veteran said Wednesday. "My cartilage in my knee is not smooth. It's kind of rippled. You can elect to have surgery, but I just decided not to because I'm not a surgery guy. I just don't want to do it.

"They gave me the option two years ago to have surgery. They said they would have to slice off the top of my cartilage, and I was like, 'I don't want to do that.' I don't want them to keep shaving my cartilage off until there's no more cartilage. Then you start to get arthritis.''

White said there is a strong possibility he will have the knee drained again at some point before the conclusion of the season. He missed two games last season, but neither was due to the knee. "If I get my knee drained on a Monday, I can practice on Wednesday,'' White said. "It's not an issue where I'm going to miss a game, because it's such a small issue. I'm not worried about it -- not at all.''

Normally, we would shy away from a situation like this, but White dealt with the same issue last year and showed no ill effects in the knee. (His hamstring and ankle kept him out of one game apiece.) When he played, he was a solid WR2 in both PPR (#17 PPG) and standard (#20 PPG) formats. He’s 33, but as long as he stays healthy, he should be a very good WR3.

Lions RB Joique Bell will start camp on the PUP list.

Bell had clean-up surgeries this off-season on his knee and Achilles tendon, and like Waddle missed all of spring workouts.

Bell is expected to start at running back, but split time with rookie second-round pick Ameer Abdullah when he returns.

This is not a huge deal, but it's noteworthy that Bell is not yet fully recovered from his offseason ailments. Bell was the #14 RB in standard formats (#13 in PPR), while racking up 257 touches in 15 games. That works out to a 17.1-touch average. While he certainly benefited from Reggie Bush's injury-plagued season, Bell dominated the touches even when Bush was active and playing. When healthy, he should continue to see RB1-type touches in 2015 with Bush out of the way, though the arrival of Abdullah is a concern.

No. 7 overall pick Kevin White spent the final few days of offseason practice off the field because of an undisclosed injury. He'll start his first training camp on the physically unable to perform list.

Bears coach John Fox announced Wednesday that White will start camp on the physically unable to perform list with a shin injury. They also want to improve his "cardio" before letting him on the field.

It’s hard to envision Eddie Royal starting over White this year, but given John Fox’s history of being anti-rookie and White’s absence from spring workouts due to a shin injury, it’s not unfathomable. He’s a player to monitor in August.

Redskins TE Jordan Reed (knee) has been "cleared for full action" in training camp.

When healthy, Reed has averaged 10.5 fantasy points in PPR formats over the past two seasons. This extrapolates to low-end TE1 numbers and he's certainly a worthy start when he's healthy enough to play. His ADP is currently in the 14th round, so he's a low risk pick.

If Bengals QB Andy Dalton has the kind of year that OC Hue Jackson envisions, it’s because he’ll be a point guard executing some pretty exotic stuff. After his first season was marred by injuries to both starting wide receivers and a starting tight end, Jackson is itching to unload some Xs and Os.

“We're going to open Pandora's box more,” Jackson said. “We tickled it a little bit last year. We're going to open it up a little bit more this year and be who I think we can be…But I tell you what, the defenses are so good, the defensive players are so good and they disguise all the time, why can't we? It's a chess match, and whoever is not afraid to pull the trigger, pull the trigger. And I'm not afraid, so let's go.”

“I tell people all the time -- close, personal friends of mine -- that was probably my best coaching job. To not have A.J. Green. To not have Tyler Eifert. To not have a healthy Jermaine Gresham to start the season. You lose Kevin Zeitler for a couple games,” Jackson said. “We mixed and matched pretty well last year. Not to the best of what we could have been, but we did a decent job. Obviously a healthy Cincinnati Bengal offensive football team has a chance to be very dynamic….If we can stay healthy, some of those hardened times can turn into some good times.”

Jackson went run-heavy in 2014, which is typical of his style, but we shouldn't ignore the possibility that a healthy A.J. Green, Marvin Jones and Tyler Eifert could lead to the Bengals taking a more balanced approach in 2015. They were the 5th-most run-heavy team last season after finishing middle-of-the-pack in that category under then-OC Jay Gruden the year before. If Jackson does in fact call more pass plays, it can only help Dalton's fantasy prospects.

Saints beat writer Mike Triplett on TE Josh Hill:

As I've written before, the best statistical season by a Saints tight end other than Jimmy Graham in Sean Payton's offense was Jeremy Shockey's 2009 season (48 catches, 569 yards, three touchdowns). That's a realistic target for Hill, with maybe a few more TDs thrown in. I'll be curious to see how much of a red zone target Hill is -- and if defenses pay more attention to him than they did last year, when most of his TDs came as the result of being the open man.

The Saints will likely lean on veteran Ben Watson even more in the passing game as well. And I expect Watson to play even more snaps than Hill since he's such a valued blocker in the run game.

We have Hill projected for 52-627-5.1, so we're slightly more optimistic than Triplett about Hill's production this season. The Saints need playmakers in the passing game, and Hill brings more to the table than Watson. But he needs to get (and stay) on the field to make a significant impact.

The 49ers look to replace the franchise’s all-time leading rusher (Gore) with more than one person. Carlos Hyde is best-suited to be the back on base downs and short-yardage situations. Reggie Bush, a free-agent pickup, and Kendall Hunter can play base downs behind Hyde, but they might be better-suited as third-down backs.

Hyde is expected to take over as the team's primary ball-carrier, with Bush assuming the passing down role. Given Bush's presence and Hyde's 4.0 YPC during in his rookie season, Hyde's upside may be somewhat limited. Expect 250 or so carries and a limited role in the passing game. That may be his ceiling with Bush (along with Kendall Hunter and rookie Mike Davis) eating away at his snaps.

Even with Todd Gurley on the active roster, and potentially being available for opening day, the last thing the Rams want to do is rush him back. With that in mind Tre Mason, impressive as a rookie a year ago, is still expected to get the lion’s share of the carries early in the season. Benny Cunningham has proven to be a capable rotation player and third-down back.

Mason was the #15 RB in PPR formats from Week 7 on, once he started to see heavy touches. Unfortunately for his fantasy value, the Rams drafted Gurley with the #10 overall pick, so Mason is not likely to hold onto the starting job for long. His fantasy stock will drop on the news that Gurley avoided PUP, so a Gurley/Mason combo looks like a good option on draft day for those not afraid for some uncertainty early in the season.

Myles Simmons is a Rams Insider and suggested the team may start Tre Mason over Todd Gurley at RB Week 1.

Even if Gurley is full go come Week 1, Mason will likely still play a significant role within the offense. The Auburn product led the Rams with 765 yards rushing in 2014 -- a total that was second among all NFL rookies.

With the news breaking today that Gurley will be on the active roster for the start of camp, and considering the pick the team spent on him, one would think Gurley gets the starting nod unless he loses the battle in camp. But the Rams site isn't ruling out the possibility the team brings Gurley slowly along and perhaps sticks with Mason at least to start to season. Either way, we see the eventual value in Gurley over Mason. The Rams do want to be a run-first team so there still could be some value in owning Mason in deeper formats.

Jimmy Garoppolo will soon become the first quarterback not named Brady to start for the New England Patriots since 2008.

Garoppolo's most extensive NFL action came against the Buffalo Bills in the regular-season finale last December, a meaningless affair for the Patriots in which the rookie entered for Brady in the second half. He completed 10-of-17 passes for 90 yards and was sacked three times.

Drawing conclusions from the 32 snaps that Garoppolo played that afternoon can be dangerous, because the Patriots sat out two key receivers that Garoppolo will have at his disposal this season (Rob Gronkowski and Julian Edelman) and held out his two best offensive linemen (tackles Nate Solder and Sebastian Vollmer).

Yet the Bills, even having been eliminated from the playoffs, treated the game as if it had meaning -- they scratched only injured defensive tackle Marcell Dareus and cornerback Stephon Gilmore -- so the contest serves as a fair indication of how opposing defenses might attack Garoppolo in September.

Garoppolo is roughly the same size as Brady but is more mobile, however the story said the Pats can expect defenses to blitz Garoppolo often. The story also said don't rule out the Pats trying to find more ways to take advantage of Graoppolo's mobility instead of simplifying the playbook. Graoppolo will face two pretty tough defenses in Pittsburgh and Buffalo to start the season before seeing Jacksonville in Week 3 and Dallas in Week 4. Matt Flynn will be the backup.

Carlos Hyde, expected to become the San Francisco 49ers' lead running back in the wake of franchise rushing leader Frank Gore's free-agent departure, will begin training camp on the active/non-football injury (NFI) list.

Hyde is one of four players placed on the list Tuesday by the Niners.

In OTAs, Niners rookie coach Jim Tomsula explained Hyde's absence as "nothing serious" at the time, though it was believed to be a calf issue.

"Carlos is -- look, we're not in a hurry with him right now," Tomsula said on May 29. "It's nothing serious, but let's be at 100 percent when we get to training camp. He's in all the meetings and he's here and he's working out and he's doing his stuff. It's just more on the cautious side of just making sure we've got everything healed, and then we move forward.

"It's not even a hamstring; it's a muscle pull. You talk to our medical people -- (at a) different time of the year, Carlos would be pushing through. But why? That's my whole point on everything. Why do that now and take any kind of chances on things? Let's just get it healed and get going."

It doesn't sound like it's anything to worry about at this point and the team is just being cautious. The 49ers signed veteran running back Reggie Bush as a free agent, drafted Mike Davis out of South Carolina in the fifth round, and welcomed back Kendall Hunter from a torn ACL that cost him last season. The team opens training camp with its first practice Saturday.

Pittsburgh Steelers running back LeVeon Bell had his three-game suspension reduced to two games, according to USA Today’s Jarrett Bell.

ESPN’s Dan Graziano reported earlier Tuesday that Bell was negotiating a settlement with the NFL to reduce his suspension to one or two games.

Bell was suspended in April for his August 2014 arrest on charges of driving under the influence and marijuana possession. Bell was arrested while driving to the airport for a preseason game with then-teammate LeGarrette Blount.

Blount, who now plays for the New England Patriots, was also charged with misdemeanor marijuana possession and will be suspended for the first game of the 2015 season. Bell was suspended an additional two games because of the DUI charge.

Bell is now our #1 RB in PPR formats and is coming in at #2 in standard formats, though brave owners should probably still take him first overall knowing that they can pair him with a replacement back. Maybe more importantly, Bell was a full go at training camp. There was some concern about a lingering knee injury, though it looks like that’s behind him now.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has upheld Patriots quarterback Tom Brady's four-game suspension for violating the league's policy on integrity of the game, the league announced Tuesday.

Brady was suspended four games in May after footballs used by the Patriots during the AFC Championship Game against the Colts were found to be inflated under the minimum level prescribed by the league. Along with the NFL Players Association, Brady challenged his penalty and testified before Goodell at an appeal hearing last month.

Brady was suspended on May 11 after a report by Ted Wells, an investigator contracted by the league, asserted Brady's connection to the deflation of footballs used in the AFC Championship Game, which the Patriots won, 45-7. Wells did not allege that Brady himself improperly handled the footballs, but the investigator wrote that he believed Brady was "at least generally aware" of the alleged involvement of Patriots staff in deflating the footballs. Wells also noted that Brady did not fully cooperate with his requests during the investigation.

As it stands, Brady is suspended for the first four games, so his current ranking (which is dependent on his full season projections) is not reflective of his true value. If he decides to pursue the issue in the court system, he could get an injunction allowing him to play while the matter is settled. Given the allegations that he had his phone destroyed ahead of time, he may elect to take his medicine and serve his suspension. If he’s still around in the 10th/11th round, an Angry Tom strategy could be effective. Owners can draft Brady along with another quarterback (Carson Palmer?) later in the draft and stream the position until Brady returns in Week 6. Brady should return with a chip on his shoulder and provide good production down the stretch. Who knows, if he sues and wins an injunction, he could play Week 1.

The Rams were prepared to let rookie running back Todd Gurley start training camp on the non-football injury list if need be.

Apparently, there will be no need.

According to Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Gurley passed his conditioning test Tuesday — “impressively” — and will begin camp on the active roster.

As recently as last week, there were reports that the Rams were content to ease Gurley into things after he tore his ACL last November, which allowed them to get him with the 10th pick in the draft, the story said, especially being fairly deep with Tre Mason, Benny Cunningham and Isaiah Pead. But this is a good sign for potential owners that he may not miss time in camp and should start the season at full speed. The Rams want to be a run-first offense and it looks like Gurley is going to be a huge part of that.

After Brandin Cooks and Marques Colston is where it really gets interesting for the Saints WRs. The Saints will have two relative newcomers in their top-four rotation after trading away TE Jimmy Graham and receiver Kenny Stills and opting not to re-sign Robert Meachem.

Fourth-year pro Nick Toon will get the first crack at the No. 3 job since he’s been waiting in line the longest. Toon helped his case with a solid finish to last season when he finally got an extended opportunity -- 17 catches for 215 yards and a touchdown over the final six games.

Brandon Coleman’s massive size (6-foot-6, 225) makes him the most intriguing roster contender since he could develop into a red-zone monster. Coleman seemed to be playing faster and more at ease this summer after struggling last summer -- a good sign that he’s on the rise.

Seantavius Jones shouldn’t get lost in Coleman’s shadow. The 6-3, 200-pounder has flashed a great combination of size and athleticism. And he was actually promoted to the active roster ahead of Coleman late last season when the Saints needed injury reinforcements.

The author thinks both Jones and Coleman make the roster while the team parts ways with Josh Morgan and Joe Morgan. The article said Toon (6-4, 218) can help his case even more if he proves to be a strong blocker (a valued skill that used to be one of Meachem’s specialties). Also mentioned was the possibility Colston becomes a red zone threat, taking over for the departed Graham. However, we think C.J. Spiller also takes on a huge role in the passing game from the running back position.

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Sammy Watkins confirmed Tuesday that he'll be a full participant when the Bills open training camp with a practice on Friday morning.

"I'll definitely be ready to practice," said Watkins, who was speaking during his football camp at Erie Community College. "I'll be full go. I'll be prepared to go out there and make plays."

Watkins underwent hip surgery early in the offseason and was held out of live action until minicamp in June.

Any success the 49ers have in 2015 will be due in large part to Colin Kaepernick.

It's a lot to put on the fifth-year quarterback who has struggled with consistency for much of his career, especially when he'll be without coach Jim Harbaugh, and teammates Frank Gore, Michael Crabtree, Mike Iupati, Patrick Willis, Chris Borland and Justin Smith, who are either playing elsewhere or retired.

A season ago, when the 49ers finished 8-8, Kaepernick had career bests in attempts (478), passing yards (3,369) and rushing yards (639), but he also threw more interceptions, took more sacks and lost more fumbles than at any time during his four years in the league.

But according to offensive coordinator Geep Chryst, Kaepernick didn't take a step backwards in 2014.

"And then last year, you're playing with some different sets of challenges," Chryst said, via the MercuryNews.com. There was more change within the offensive line than he had experienced the last couple of years. How does that affect your production as a quarterback? You're behind more often in games. How does that affect your production as a quarterback? I cite the fact that we had six touchdowns nullified by penalty. You plug that back into his formula, he really wasn't ... he didn't regress off his line as much as perceived."

First-year coach Jim Tomsula said in March that Kaepernick not only didn't regress in '14, but he had his best season as a professional, according to the story. The piece added that Kaepernick ranked eighth in QB efficiency in 2013 and 13th the season before that, but none of that matters now because this 49ers team barely resembles the ones that had so much success under Harbaugh. Kaepernick ranks just 14th among QBs on our list. He could turn out to be a nice late-round QB2 who ends up having a bounce-back year, especially if the offense moves to more of a read-option.

The pressing question: How will the playing time between TEs Brent Celek and Zach Ertz be divided?

The passing of the torch many predicted for last season never really came to fruition. Celek was on the field for 827 of the offensive snaps, or 69 percent of the time, compared to 603 snaps (50 percent) for Ertz. It really does come back to blocking. Ertz was called on as a run-blocker 161 times last season to Celek's count of 443.

Ertz knows the only way to take over the lead role in this run-heavy system is to improve that area of his game, and he's worked towards that end. His busy travel itinerary this offseason in the name of getting better included a stop to study under former offensive line coach Hudson Houck.

It stands to reason that Ertz will see a jump in playing time as he continues to develop into a more well-rounded tight end. While Celek's snaps might very well drop as a result, Kelly is a huge fan of the nine-year veteran and will likely still deploy him quite a bit. It wouldn't be all that surprising, then, if we saw an increase in the number of two tight-end sets in 2015.

This makes a lot of sense and is something many predicted would happen when Kelly took over the team a few years ago, however it never really came about. With the loss of Jeremy Maclin at WR, the Birds are a bit unproven at wideout, and if Ertz is indeed improved and can earn more playing time, Celek can still hold his own at the position as both a blocker and receiver. We still rank Ertz higher on our TE list, consider him a mid-range TE1 option, and think this is the year he finally busts out a bit. However, it looks like Celek is going to remain a factor.

It turns out that 69 percent of Frank Gore's rushing attempts last year with the 49ers were made against a defense that had seven or fewer players in the box. Gore rushed for 833 yards and three touchdowns on 179 attempts when there were seven men in the box.

When it came to facing at least eight men in the box, Gore rushed 76 times for 273 yards and a touchdown last season. Gore's 833 yards against seven or fewer defenders in the box would have been enough to lead the Colts in total rushing in each of the past seven seasons.

As far as the Colts go, Trent Richardson was their leading rusher when facing seven or fewer defenders in the box. He had 134 attempts for 445 yards and a touchdown last season.

The Colts didn't have much success rushing the ball when teams loaded the box against them. Richardson, Ahmad Bradshaw, Andrew Luck, Zurlon Tipton and Daniel “Boom” Herron combined to rush for 153 yards on 59 attempts, which is more than 100 yards less than what Gore rushed for.

The numbers don't lie.

The writer concludes that Gore should have plenty of success running the ball this season if the offensive line does its job, because the Colts have too many weapons on offense for defenses to load the box to try to slow Gore down. The hope for the Colts is Gore finally gives them a consistent rushing attack to go with Luck and give the team a bit of balance. Gore is listed 12th on our RB list making him a low-end RB1. Based on ADP, he falls right in that "next tier" of RBs - as the first 11 RBs on our list have ADPs in the first or early second rounds, while Gore's ADP is the early third round. He presents a nice value if you can land him in the third.

WR Mike Wallace quit on the Miami Dolphins. He caused problems in the locker room. He wasn't happy to be traded to the Vikings.

All of these things were said, or reported, about the veteran wide receiver from the end of last year and into the offseason. But the version of Wallace that the Vikings have seen since acquiring him for a fifth-round pick in the 2015 draft in March has been anything but a recalcitrant player.

Wallace is usually the last guy off the field following each practice because he wants to put in extra work. He has granted just about every interview he has been asked to conduct and he has talked about wanting to be a leader.

So what has changed when it comes to a guy whose last act with the Dolphins involved getting into a sideline altercation in Week 17 that got him benched in the second half?

"I definitely have something to prove," Wallace said. "Everyone knows why I'm here. I have a lot to prove, man."

Wallace didn't come cheap but the Vikes can opt out after the 2015 or 2016 season. The team feels he's a good fit for OC Norv Turner's offense and is a potential deep threat. Wallace isn't coming off a terrible season in Miami. He led the Dolphins in receiving yards (862) and touchdowns (10) and was second with 67 receptions. However, he and quarterback Ryan Tannehill failed to develop the type of chemistry and consistency that Wallace had with Ben Roethlisberger in Pittsburgh, the story said. The hope is Wallace will develop with young QB Teddy Bridgewater. Wallace is ranked 36th on our WR list and can be had in the middle rounds of drafts.

There was some consternation, both among fans and media, that the Cowboys lost an integral part of their offense when running back DeMarco Murray signed with the Eagles. But the price -- a five-year, $42 million deal ($21 million guaranteed) -- was prohibitive and the Cowboys were right to look for running back help elsewhere.

That said, few people were sold on the likes of Joseph Randle and free-agent signing Darren McFadden making up the difference.

A lot can happen between the start of training camp and the regular season, and the Cowboys will no doubt be on the lookout for backs that can help them. And that list could include Chris Johnson, the former Titans first-round pick who struggled with the Jets last season and remains unsigned.

If the Johnson-Cowboys rumors sound familiar, they should; CBS Sports NFL Insider Jason La Canfora wrote earlier this month that several NFL executives brought up Dallas as a possible landing spot for Johnson. And Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones said in May that Johnson was on the team's short list, according to the story. It could be significant news for those targeting, or looking to keep, Joseph Randle.

Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger answered a question about how important WR Martavis Bryant’s development will be.

Roethlisberger: It will be big. He’s put the work in. He looks good. He’s picking everything up. Last year we just kind of put him in there and gave him a couple of things to do, which he did really well at. Now we’re asking him to do more. We’re asking him to move around a little bit, front side, back side, and to know things better. I’m going to count on him in the no-huddle. Last year he’d ask everyone what to do. Now we feel more comfortable with him knowing what to do. Hopefully he’ll be able to translate that into playing faster.

Big Ben later went a little further talking about Bryant, saying he was in for a lot of deep ball stuff, and that was kind of his go to pattern. But Roethlisberger added the team can now start using him in some different areas, use him coming underneath as well as catching the ball and running after the catch. We think there is upside for Bryant who ranks 18th among our WRs this year in what is expected to be a high-powered offensive attack from Pittsburgh. Bryant put up WR2 numbers without playing 60-percent of snaps last year, thanks to his high TD rate.

There are a couple schools of thought on how a year off might affect a 30-year-old running back.

Some people believe that the Vikings Adrian Peterson - held out of game action since Week 2 of last year - could be fresher this season because he didn't have the normal wear and tear associated with the NFL's 16-game schedule.

Others, who believe Peterson has some catching up to do after missing most of the first year in a new offensive system, would find themselves at odds with second-year offensive coordinator Norv Turner.

Peterson, Turner contends, has only minor adjustments to get up to speed with Turner's offensive playbook. If that's true, it shouldn't be terribly surprising, considering Peterson was there for the preseason last year as the team installed plays and concepts, and he also carried a big load in the team's Week 1 win in St. Louis against the Rams.

The Vikings don't put the pads on until Tuesday, but if walk-throughs and practices in shorts are any indication, Turner says Peterson is reintegrating just fine.

"When he comes out here and I watch him he's way ahead of everybody else," Turner said.

"This scheme thing is, to me, it's overrated," he added, in response to a question about whether Peterson has any catching up to do with the playbook. "I know it's different for Adrian, so there are some things that caught him off guard, but he is very comfortable with what we're doing. He and [running backs coach] Kirby Wilson spent a lot of extra time getting him back caught up on what things are different."

The story pointed out that one of the great mysteries about the Vikings entering this year's training camp would be Peterson's readiness to once again be featured in the offense. Many have wondered how the superstar running back will be used, considering the Vikings now have a quarterback they know they can trust in a pass-happy league, the story said. But it sounds like Peterson is doing just fine in learning the system and will be ready to take on a full load. Peterson, of course, is our top-rated RB and our thinking is he bounces back just fine. So far, he's being selected atop of many fantasy drafts this season.

Browns coach Mike Pettine views veteran journeyman Josh McCown as the team’s projected starting quarterback, former first-round draft pick Johnny Manziel as the clear-cut No. 2 and converted wide receiver Terrelle Pryor as a former signal caller who might eventually moonlight at the position.

Atop the depth chart, it’s status quo at the game’s most important position. As the Browns wrapped up mandatory minicamp in mid-June and prepared for vacation, Pettine and new offensive coordinator John DeFilippo made it clear McCown was the favorite to start the Sept. 13 regular-season opener against the New York Jets.

“I don’t think anything’s changed,” Pettine said. “The repetitions will be handled that way, with Josh as the one. Now I wouldn’t say I’m guaranteeing today that Josh McCown is going to be the starter against the Jets. A lot can happen in a preseason.”

Pettine didn't rule out Manziel making a move, but did note there is a clear separation between McCown and Manziel right now. McCown is 31st on our QB rankings and isn't getting a lot of attention in drafts.

In a conversation with Dan Sileo of The Mighty 1090 AM radio, Chargers OC Frank Reich said the time missed by TE Antonio Gates (suspension) will provide a chance for players such as tight end Ladarius Green, first round pick Melvin Gordon and Danny Woodhead to take on larger roles in the offense.

“You know it’s a big loss,” Reich said. “You can’t replace a guy like Antonio. And so from that perspective, there are things that he does and plans that we have when he’s in the game that are unique to him. … But this is going to make us better, because it’s going to force other guys to step in and force us to run the football. We’re already planning that anyway, but it’s going to force that hand even more.”

The article goes on to make it seem as if the Chargers really want to run the football this year, after averaging 3.4 yards a carry last year, second last in the NFL. That's why Gordon looks like he's in a great position to make an impact as a rookie RB. The Chargers also bolstered their line in the offseason which should help the cause. Gordon comes in 18th on our RB list but his ADP (3.02) is a bit higher than some of those ranked around him: 16th Jonathan Stewart (4.08), 17th Mark Ingram (3.08), 19th Carlos Hyde (4.02), 20th Latavius Murray (4.07) and 21st LeGarrette Blount (6.01). There is a lot of hype around Gordon as there often is with rookie RBs. It looks like Danny Woodhead will continue to be used in third down passing situations, however.

The Miami Dolphins overhauled their wide receiver group this offseason, with the exception of promising second-year player, Jarvis Landry. Mike Wallace, Brian Hartline, and Brandon Gibson are all out of Miami, and have been "replaced" by Greg Jennings, Kenny Stills, and DeVante Parker.

Three new receivers, three better fits for Ryan Tannehill, according to head coach Joe Philbin. He is confident the trio of Jennings, Stills, and Parker are better for Tannehill than the previous trio of Wallace, Hartline, and Gibson.

"I do think it’s a better skill set to match [Tannehill]," Philbin told the Palm Beach Post.

As expected, first-round pick DeVante Parker should be a big part of the offense this season. Philbin had great things to say about Stills' speed and called Parker and Jennings QB-friendly guys. A combination of these three receivers, plus Landry, the story said, should give Tannehill the weapons he needs. Add in newly-acquired tight end Jordan Cameron and the Dolphins look like a dangerous offense. As a result, Tannehill finds himself ranked 10th on our QB list. If he can produce QB1 numbers, he could be a real steal with an ADP of the ninth round in 12-team leagues.

Rams RB Todd Gurley is expected to begin training camp on the non-football injury list.

That's not a surprise for anyone who has been paying attention, and it's not at all a sign of a setback in his recovery from a torn left ACL. Landing on the NFI list means the Rams can activate him whenever they see fit with no real restrictions. In other words, when they deem Gurley healthy, he can return to the field.

Gurley said at the end of organized team activities that he hopes to do some individual drills in the early parts of camp and ease his way into full team drills after that. Those still seem like possible goals, and if he stays on that track he could still theoretically be ready for the start of the season. The Rams don't intend to rush him back, but predictions of holding him out until after the bye week are too far flung.

Barring a setback, Gurley will likely return sooner than later. When he does, it's safe to assume Gurley will quickly become a focal point of the offense.

Gurley ranks 25th on our RB list putting him as a low-end RB2 already. He could climb the list a bit, assuming he shows signs of getting healthier as camp progresses. The story assumes he will be a big part of the team's rushing attack, and considering where he was drafted, we agree. That spells bad news for Tre Mason owners of a year ago who thought they found a pretty good RB option. We project Gurley for just over 200 rushes with Mason getting about 100.

Statistically, and pretty much in every other way, Bills WR Sammy Watkins’ rookie season was a disappointment.

He didn’t set the lofty standard for himself that came with being a top-five draft pick. The Bills did that after making a stunning trade with the Cleveland Browns to vault from No. 9 to No. 4 overall to select Watkins. By paying the exorbitant price of first- and fourth-round choices in 2015 to make the climb, they instantly identified him as the primary solution to making EJ Manuel look much more like the first-round quarterback he didn’t look like as a rookie in 2013.

Fair or not, Watkins had to live with that label and the expectations that came with it. Ultimately, his 65 catches (tying him with Robert Woods for second on the team behind the 66 of running back Fred Jackson) for 982 yards and six touchdowns didn’t come remotely close to fulfilling them. Manuel was benched after four games, and the Bills proceeded to miss the playoffs for a 15th consecutive year.

Worse for Watkins was the fact that, in a draft packed with superb receiving talent, he took a seat many rows behind Odell Beckham Jr., who caught 91 passes for 1,305 yards and 12 touchdowns for the New York Giants, the story said. Carolina’s Kelvin Benjamin and Tampa Bay’s Mike Evans were also having more productive seasons and all those guys were taken after Watkins in the 2014 NFL Draft. Watkins is also behind the above WRs in our rankings for this season, coming in 30th. We project a much better season for Watkins (75-1,027-5.9), who has a QB situation more in question than the above players. He's shaping up to be a mid-range WR3 for fantasy teams and could benefit more with some QB stability.

Jags WR Allen Robinson spent the first several months of 2015 rehabbing his foot and began the offseason conditioning program cleared only for some individual work. It wasn’t until the next-to-last week of OTAs that he was cleared to participate in individual drills.

He was immediately noticeable. Though rules prohibit the media from describing exactly what happened during OTAs and minicamp, Robinson was the most impressive offensive player on the field -- even more so than tight end Julius Thomas, the prize of the Jaguars’ free-agency class.

"He’s been unbelievable," quarterback Blake Bortles said on the next-to-last day of a three-day minicamp. "I know he worked really hard in the training room to rehab and trying to get back as quickly as he could, and he’s done that. You guys have been able to see him go and make plays and he’s definitely a threat now in the red zone. ... He’s physical; he can run and do everything out in the open field, so he’s been fun to throw to."

Robinson said he feels comfortable with his knowledge of coordinator Greg Olson’s new offense so far despite not having a lot of reps, but that’s not a surprise since he did miss all that time last year during OTAs, minicamp and the preseason and still was the Jaguars’ best receiver through the first 10 games of 2014. He caught at least four passes in all but one game. The Jaguars made addressing the offensive line a priority in free agency and the draft. That should mean the passing game will be significantly better, which will give Robinson a chance to have a breakout season. The Jaguars haven’t had a 1,000-yard receiver since 2005. Robinson may have a chance to break that streak, the story said. Robinson is 33rd on our list and could presents a nice value in the middle rounds. Before his injury, he put up fringe WR2 numbers.

It was one of the biggest complaints for the 2014 Miami Dolphins.

Running back Lamar Miller, who had a career season, never got more than 19 carries in a game last season. In fact, Miller received more than 15 carries just four times. It was head-scratching considering Miller set new career highs in rushing yards (1,099), yards per carry (5.1) and total touchdowns (nine) last year.

But Dolphins head coach Joe Philbin told ESPN.com Sunday that the coaching staff is confident Miller can handle the load in 2015 and has no problem giving him more carries. Miller averaged just 13.5 carries per game in 2014.

“I would tell you I’ve never been in a meeting where I’ve said to [offensive coordinator] Bill [Lazor] or [running backs coach] Jeff Nixon or the offensive line coaches have said ‘Lamar can’t carry the ball 20 times a game. He can’t do it,’” Philbin said. “I’ve never heard that. That’s never come out of my mouth.”

Philbin explained that, at times, Miami’s offensive scheme also played a factor in Miller’s low carries.

“I would tell you, if he’s cranking and he got it 24 times a game and he’s healthy and he’s fast and he’s explosive, it doesn’t bother me one bit,” Philbin said. “But I think sometimes it’s not taken into account what our run game is all about. The run game is really about the runner, the screens and the quarterback keeping the ball primarily. We have some plays where we toss the ball to Lamar and that’s it. But a lot of them are [options], the highest percentage by far. I think that cuts into the carries a little bit.”

The story added Miller also put on about 15 pounds of muscle this offseason to handle the wear and tear from the position. This is an important year for Miller, who is playing in the final year of his rookie contract. The team drafted Jay Ajayi to round out the position, but Miller still comes in 14th on our RB list and could be a solid RB2 option in the third round of drafts. He finished ninth in both standard and PPR formats last year.

The Pittsburgh Steelers did not wear pads on the first day of camp, but the running backs didn't need contact to look the part Sunday as the team opened camp at Saint Vincent College.

LeVeon Bell looked noticeably explosive. He says he's in the best shape of his life, and he's not lying.

Stutter steps. Change-of-pace runs. Straight-line speed. Watching Bell run is like one big tease for the Steelers, who can't play him until Week 4 because of his marijuana suspension. Bell's right knee injury, which kept him out of a playoff loss to Baltimore, still needs additional pre-practice stretching and isn't completely the same as the left one. But this is the best Bell has felt in a while, he said. If he had to play today, he could.

The story said Mike Tomlin is challenging free agent DeAngelo Williams by saying Bell will run with the first team, even though Williams needs enough work to be ready to start Week 1 against New England. But the piece went on to say that Williams felt he got plenty of work on what was just the first day. The big fantasy question is do you take Bell early in drafts knowing he going to miss games. Nabbing Williams later in drafts will be nice insurance is you do take Bell, and if this story is any indication, Bell is on his way to another very productive year. Bell is sixth on our RB list due to missing time, but his ADP is 1.3, so if you want him, you likely will need to take him very early.

Bears RB Matt Forte, 29, played 90 percent of Chicago’s offensive snaps last year, when he broke the NFL single-season mark for receptions by a running back with 102.

Forte’s workload may decrease under head coach John Fox, who historically uses multiple backs on game day. But even if he’s given a slightly reduced role; Forte remains a dangerous all-purpose tailback, topping the NFL in yards from scrimmage since 2008. Forte will use his impending free agency as motivation. The veteran tailback wants a new contract, and the only way to achieve that goal is to have a productive and injury-free season.

The Bears raved about Jeremy Langford’s breakaway speed after drafting him in the fourth round. Langford is the future. He is expected to be active on game days and be part of Fox’s running back-by-committee approach.

Fox's history of using multiple RBs doesn't necessarily bode well for Forte owners, but we still rank him seventh in standard leagues and project him to be among the leaders in RBs with receptions, which will help owners in PPR leagues. As long as he stays healthy, Forte should at least get a majority of the work given his talent and experience. The way the author talked about Langford, though, it's possible he's going to have some kind of role that will utilize his speed.

The Pittsburgh Steelers put up the best offensive numbers in their storied history last season. Ben Roethlisberger thinks the 2015 team can be better.

The Steelers set team record in points, first downs, and yards per game, powered by the superstar trio of Roethlisberger, Le'Veon Bell and Antonio Brown. The quarterback -- who reported to training camp with teammates on Saturday -- sees no reason why Pittsburgh can't top those numbers.

"We want to start fast and we want to be able to put 30 points on the board in every game," Roethlisberger told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on Sunday.

Roethlisberger has strong belief in his supporting cast, from Bell and Brown, to an improved offensive line, the story said. Roethlisberger is now 33, but he's coming off his two best statistical seasons of his career. We're buying in on the Steelers this year, too, as Big Ben jumps to sixth on our QB list and is looking like a great option to target in the middle rounds of drafts. Brown is our top WR, and despite a suspension, Bell is among our best RBs.

The Boston Herald broke down the Patriots RBs:

LeGarrette Blount will miss the opener on the suspended list, but should be viewed as a lock because the Patriots made no obvious attempt to replace him in the draft or free agency. Brandon Bolden signed a contract extension last season and is one of their most trusted special teamers. The Patriots believe James Develin is the best fullback in the league, so he is safe as long as the Pats continue to value the position.

We still don’t know for sure much about Travis Cadet, Tyler Gaffney, Jonas Gray and James White really. Cadet has an intriguing set of skills, but could he provide more than Bolden or White? And White just had his second strong spring of OTAs, but can he do it wearing pads? Is Gray the bulldozer we saw against the Colts or the guy Bill Belichick preferred to keep in the doghouse? And the thinking here is that Gaffney’s best work must come in pads, which is why he had a somewhat quiet spring.

The story went on to say that White, a 2014 fourth-round pick, dazzled at the start of training camp last season before falling off the map with 16 healthy scratches in 19 games. He was strong again during the nine-week OTAs program and appeared to be the Pats’ best back in passing situations. White could monopolize that role if he keeps it up and earns more trust, the story went on to say. But if he disappears again midway through camp, he might even get cut. We had news articles last year that stated White could be a potential Shane Vereen replacement, but the team signed Cadet in the offseason and right now is a bit more proven after filling in for Pierre Thomas at times last year in New Orleans. With Blount seemingly the early down back, the winner of the third down, passing situation job could potentially have PPR value in fantasy leagues.

Vernon Davis is looking for redemption in 2015, and new 49ers tight ends coach Tony Sparano believes he's fully capable of it.

Sparano, a former NFL head coach, who spent last year as the Raiders' interim head coach, was blown away by the athletic specimen Davis still is at age 31.

“I’d like to drink from the same fountain as Vernon drinks from because he’s not a 31-year-old athlete,” Sparano said, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. “This guy takes care of his body, he can really run, he’s athletic and still very, very explosive."

Davis turned in the worst performance of his career last season, catching just 26 balls for 245 yards and two touchdowns in 14 starts. As a result, Davis comes in at just 26th on our TE list this year. He's going very late in 12-team leagues with an ADP of the 14th round. If you're league uses two TEs, or even a TE flex, Davis may be worth a flier that late in drafts, but right now we list plenty more potential better options at the position.

The Dolphins need a hard-running back, but there isn’t much diversity among this group. Most of them are speedy runners, with the exception of Jay Ajayi. The Dolphins also need someone who can move the chains in short-yardage and goalline situations and take some carries from Lamar Miller, who had more than 15 carries in a game just six times last season. There’s a suspicion Miller wears down after a certain amount of carries.

Miller had a good performance last season. But the Dolphins need a complementary back, especially in short-yardage and goalline situations. None of the reserves are pushing Miller, however. Ajayi, the fifth-round pick, wasn’t as strong in offseason workouts as the returnees.

Miller carried the ball 219 times for 1,099 yards and eight touchdowns while adding 38-275-1 on 52 targets in the passing game. This resulted in a #9 finish in both standard and PPR formats. Despite this, the team doesn't seem completely sold on Miller as a feature back and drafted Ajayi to shore up the position. It's good to hear that Miller is putting on some muscle and is working on his flaws in attempt to take his game to the next level. We don't expect Miller's touches to drop significantly.

Giants beat writer Jordan Raanan:

The good news is that Larry Donnell is out of the walking boot and has been training down in Alabama. My understanding is he's expected to participate in training camp practices this week. It doesn't mean he's completely in the clear. I'm still somewhat concerned about the Achilles problem he had in the spring. It's an old college injury that resurfaced. That means it has never really gone away, and may pop up again.

Donnell averaged 82% of the snaps through the first 11 weeks, but played just 69% over the final six games, due to run-blocking and ball-security concerns. He finished the season as the #11 TE in both standard and PPR formats, but did not crack 60 yards or find the endzone in the final six games. He had the 17th-most targets (5.2 T/G) over that span, after seeing the 7th-most (6.1 T/G) in the first 11 weeks. If he improves his blocking, his snaps should rise and that should result in an increase in production. Hopefully that Achilles holds up.

The Redskins’ ranked 19th in the NFL in yards gained last year and their 4.2 yards per carry ranked 15th. That’s not good enough for a team that is as unsettled as the Redskins are at quarterback. Whether it’s Robert Griffin III behind center or Kirk Cousins or Colt McCoy, the QB will benefit greatly from a running game that is better than something right around the league average.

So there will be changes in way they do things. One is a more power-oriented ground game. The other may be some form of running back by committee.

“The running game nowadays, you need to have a couple of guys that can tote it,” Jay Gruden told Kevin Sheehan and Thom Loverro on ESPN 980 earlier this week. “Sixteen games is a long time, that’s a lot of games, a lot of carries, that’s a lot of hits on these running backs.”

Gruden said that he would like to split up the carries more than he did last year, when he went with what was mostly a one-back attack. Alfred Morris had 265 rushing attempts. The other tailbacks on the roster, Roy Helu, Silas Redd, and Chris Thompson, combined for 59 rushing attempts. That is 82 percent of the carries for Morris, 18 percent for the rest.

Most backs come into the NFL with some innate ability to run the football. But it’s learning to do the other necessary, less glamorous work that separates an NFL running back from a guy who can find a hole and pick up some yards.

The story went on to say in his three years as the offensive coordinator with the Bengals, Gruden spread the workload in different ways in different seasons. In 2012 he had BenJarvus Green-Ellis take 80 percent of the tailback rushing attempts. But in 2011 it was a 70-30 split between Cedric Benson and Bernard Scott. And in 2013 Cincinnati drafted Giovani Bernard and gave him 170 carries to 220 for Green-Ellis (that’s a 56-44 split in percentage terms). The story also added the roster can often dictate who gets the carries, and Gruden, in the interview, added that Morris would get the bulk of carries with Matt Jones, Chris Thompson and Silas Redd getting chances to get the carries Morris won't get. However, the story continued to say if Gruden can find another running back or two, it could be more of a running back by committee approach than we have seen with this team in the past.

The good news is that Giants TE Larry Donnell is out of the walking boot and has been training down in Alabama.

The understanding is he's expected to participate in training camp practices this week. It doesn't mean he's completely in the clear. There's reason to be concerned about the Achilles problem he had in the spring. It's an old college injury that resurfaced. That means it has never really gone away, and may pop up again. Hopefully (fingers crossed) it doesn't finally reach the point where it gives out.

The Giants have Daniel Fells, Adrien Robinson and a whole bunch of youngsters at the TE position. Jerome Cunningham, Matt LaCosse and Will Tye fare better as blockers and will be a factor in who makes the team and gets playing time if Donnell were to miss time. Donnell showed flashes last year but comes in ranked just 21st on our TE list and is a later-round flier in 12 team leagues. We don't always recommend drafting a second TE, but Donnell could at least be a guy to start in streaming situations.

Rookie wide receiver DeVante Parker, recovering from foot surgery, is not going to be ready for practice at the start of training camp. He is a candidate for the physically unable to perform list.

"Whenever the medical staff tells us he's ready to go we'll get him out there," HC Joe Philbin said. "... Hopefully, we'll get him back sooner as opposed to later."

Despite the fact Parker won't be 100 percent in time for Thursday's first training camp practice, the coach has little doubt he'll be ready for the regular season.

"It's hard to predict if Week One he'll be ready for 30 snaps or 60 snaps," Philbin said.

Parker reportedly looked good before injuring his foot. He doesn't have a clear path to snaps with Kenny Stills and Greg Jennings on the roster, so he may have to earn his playing time as the season wears on.

The Ravens placed tight end Dennis Pitta and free safety Terrence Brooks on the physically unable to perform list, an unsurprising development considering the severity and timing of their respective injuries.

Pitta has rehabilitated his surgically repaired right hip after fracturing and dislocating it for a second time last September. However, it remains unclear if he'll be medically cleared to play again. Pitta is likely to begin the regular season on the reserve list and would be required under NFL rules to miss at least the first six games of the regular season.

With Pitta out, Crocket Gillmore and Maxx Williams are vying for snaps as the team's starter, and Gillmore (a former third-round pick) reportedly has the edge on the rookie Williams.

As the season progressed, it was clear that Zach Ertz was taking on a larger role in the Eagles' offense. Over the final four-game stretch of the season, Ertz edged out Brent Celek in total offensive snaps (168 to 167), and his historic 15-catch performance (an Eagles record) against Washington in Week 16 was the shining example of what Ertz might be able to accomplish in his NFL career.

Ertz was the #13 TE in both standard and PPR formats despite only playing half of the Eagles’ snaps in his second year. Most (73%) of his snaps came on passing downs, so if his playing time is going to increase, a majority of the additional snaps are likely to come in run formations. Still, there’s upside with Ertz if he begins to see starter’s snaps. The Eagles lost their leading receiver -- first DeSean Jackson and then Jeremy Maclin -- in back-to-back seasons, so there will be opportunity from a targets standpoint.

Cardinals announce one-year agreement with former Bengals first-round pick Jermaine Gresham.

Tight ends accounted for 15.5% of the team's targets in 2014. John Carlson led the way with 55 targets, so the TE1 isn't a big factor in Bruce Arians' offense. Gresham could start immediately, but isn't likely to be fantasy relevant in one-TE leagues.

Saints beat writer Mike Triplett projects Ben Watson to start ahead of Josh Hill, adding that Watson "will split time with rising young backup Josh Hill, but should play more snaps as a trusty blocker and underrated receiving option."

Our only concern with Hill is that he doesn’t play ahead of Watson on early downs, which would limit his upside. HC Sean Payton has spoke highly of Hill, but referred to “two-TE sets” when discussing Hill’s potential playing time. This indicates that he may not be on the field in one-TE sets.

Lions beat writer Michael Rothstein (of ESPN) projects Joique Bell to start over Ameer Abdullah, adding, "The Lions ranked 28th in rushing last season, but Bell had a career year putting up 860 yards with seven touchdowns."

Bell was the #14 RB in standard formats (#13 in PPR), while racking up 257 touches in 15 games. That works out to a 17.1-touch average. While he certainly benefited from Reggie Bush's injury-plagued season, Bell dominated the touches even when Bush was active and playing. He should continue to see RB1-type touches in 2015 with Bush out of the way, though the arrival of Abdullah is a concern.

Raiders beat writer Bill William projects Latavius Murray to start, adding, "The Raiders think Murray is ready to become a standout. He has 82 career carries and has averaged 5.2 yards per carry."

Murray rushed 82 times for 424 yards (a 5.2 YPC) and two touchdowns, including an incredible four-carry, 112-yard, two-TD performance against the Chiefs in Week 12. He still averaged a solid (if unspectacular) 4.0 YPC when that game is excluded. With good size (6'2, 223 lbs) and great speed (4.38 40-yard dash), Murray has all the physical tools to succeed at the position. He even showed solid hands with 17 receptions on 23 targets. Per beat writer Jerry McDonald, Murray will be “given every chance” to win the starting job. According to ESPN’s Adam Caplan, a Raiders source said that Murray is “freak” and has a chance to have “a huge year” in 2015.

Chiefs writer Adam Teicher (of ESPN) projects that WR Albert WIlson will start Week 1 over rookie Chris Conley, adding "He came on near the end of his rookie season, recording 12 of his 16 catches in the Chiefs' last four games."

The buzz about Conley has been good, so things have been trending his way, but Teicher believes Wilson has the edge. Conley is a much bigger receiver and has tremendous speed, but the presence of Travis Kelce at tight end makes the Chiefs' WR2 and unappealing fantasy prospect. Remember, the team famously did not throw a touchdown to a receiver during the entire 2014 season.

Falcons TE Jacob Tamme, who spent his first seven NFL seasons primarily catching passes from Peyton Manning in Indianapolis and Denver, made an immediate impression with his pass-catching ability this offseason. He looks poised to come in and become a real threat in Kyle Shanahan's offense. It's hard to compare him to a guy such as future Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez, but Tamme can be the type of reliable pass-catcher the Falcons haven't had at the position since Gonzalez's retirement. The 6-foot-3-inch, 230-pound Tamme isn't going to overwhelm you with his size, but he finds a way to get open and is fluid with his routes.

Tamme is 30 years old and isn’t likely to be a fantasy factor in single-TE leagues, but he’s on the radar in two-TE or TE-premium (1.5 PPR) formats.

Ravens beat writer Jamison Hensley (ESPN) projects Breshad Perriman to start opposite Steve L Smith. He also projects Crockett Gillmore to start over Maxx Williams at tight end.

Perriman has the physical tools (6’2, 4.24 40-yard dash), to replace Torrey Smith in the Ravens’ lineup from the start, but he has to learn Marc Trestman’s offense and prove that he can catch the ball consistently. If Gillmore wins the starting job, he'll be a deep sleeper in Trestman's TE-friendly offense.

Texans beat writer Tania Ganguli (ESPN) projects that Nate Washington and Cecil Shorts will start Week 1 alongside DeAndre Hopkins.

To be fair, rookie Jaelen Strong had a rough spring and has time in camp to close the gap. But in Shorts and Washington, he'll have to overcome a couple of very experienced veterans. Shorts (27) is younger than Washington (32), but Washington has been more durable in recent years. Given the team's quarterback situation, there isn't a whole lot to like in the passing game other than Hopkins, who figures to be a target-hog.

Broncos beat writer Jeff Legwold predicts that RB Ronnie Hillman won't make the team's 53-man roster.

Hillman is competing with Juwan Thompson to be the third running back behind C.J. Anderson and Montee Ball. It's possible that the Broncos could keep four running backs on the 53-man roster.

Shorter passes, including ones aimed at running backs, are also prevalent in Browns OC John DeFilippo’s West Coast system. As a result, rookie Duke Johnson, the University of Miami’s all-time leading rusher whom the Browns drafted in the third round, will be counted on to fill a prominent role from the beginning.

Johnson poses the greatest receiving threat among this group, so he’ll have a lot on his plate in his first professional season. The coaching staff plans to move him into different spots, including receiver, in hopes of creating mismatches.

The Browns, though, are not relying on Johnson to become their starter right away. They would like him to eventually develop into the role, but they realize it might not happen immediately.

So at this point, Isaiah Crowell, who entered the league undrafted last year, is the favorite to start. A third-round draft pick in 2014, Terrance West will receive chances to earn carries as well, but his job security is more vulnerable after being benched twice last season because the coaches weren’t pleased with his preparation.

Crowell out-touched Terrance West 90 to 68 over the final seven games, but West had the last laugh, turning 20 touches into 106 yards and a TD against the Ravens in Week 17. (A seemingly healthy Crowell touched the ball five times for 22 yards.) In PPR formats, Johnson is the only running back in Cleveland that interests us. At this point, there is just too much uncertainty with Crowell/West in terms of who will get the carries in any given week.

The Lions were about a 58-42 pass to run team last season. HC Jim aldwell wants that number closer to 50-50.

Caldwell wants to run the ball more consistently and that couldn’t be more evident than with the selection of guard Laken Tomlinson in the first round and running back Ameer Abdullah in the second round.

Abdullah is going to play a similar role as Reggie Bush did in this offense and I wouldn’t be surprised if he gets somewhere in the range of 15 touches per game as a runner and pass catcher.

Joique Bell was the team's leading rusher last year and averaged about 15 carries per game. If Abdullah is as good as the Lions think he’ll be, I’m guessing he gets around 15 touches per game early in the season and potentially builds on that as the year goes on.

We currently project Abdullah for 11.3 touches per game (3.6 catches), so Twentyman's projection is aggressive. The Lions are going to have to get closer to that aforementioned 50/50 split if they're going to support both Abdullah and Bell as viable fantasy starters. If he meets these expectations, Abdullah is shaping up as a nice value in the late 4th or 5th round.

Kelvin Benjamin caused much consternation among Carolina Panthers fans this offseason after being limited by two separate hamstring injuries.

Coach Ron Rivera said Thursday at a charity golf event that he's heard good reports on Benjamin's health and fitness and expects the receiver to be full-go when training camp opens on July 30, per The Associated Press.

Benjamin had a strong rookie season, finishing as the #15 WR in PPR formats and #16 in standard leagues. However, after his team’s Week 12 bye, Benjamin was just the #42 WR the rest of the way. Benjamin admitted to suffering from mental fatigue as a rookie, which is understandable given how much he was asked to do in his first year.

Opposite Julio Jones, the Falcons coaches really like newcomer Leonard Hankerson based on his strong offseason. Hankerson played in Kyle Shanahan's system while in Washington and appears to be healthy coming off a gruesome left knee injury in 2013. But Hankerson's emergence doesn't necessarily move Roddy White aside. It simply means the veteran White has to have a strong training camp and show the left knee injury that has plagued him won't be a lingering issue.

It would be hard to imagine White accepting a reserve role after he established team records in both career receptions (765) and receiving yards (10,357) through 10 years with the franchise. Again, it will all depend on how White's body holds up throughout the season. He's been nagged by various ailments over the last two seasons, including hamstring and ankle problems to go with the knee. And White turns 34 in November.

This is the first that we've heard that Hankerson could potentially push White for a starting role. Frankly, we don't see a healthy White losing his spot. Last year, White missed a couple of games due to injury, but when he played, he was a solid WR2 in PPR formats (#17 PPR PPG). He’s 33, but as long as he stays healthy, he should be a very solid WR2/WR3.

Brandin Cooks should emerge as the Saints’ No. 1 receiver on deep throws and short stuff like screens and end-arounds, while C.J. Spiller should catch 60-plus passes out of the backfield in the mold of Darren Sproles and Reggie Bush.

We project Spiller to catch 68 passes, so this prediction falls right in line with what we're expecting from Spiller in 2015. Be sure to read Sr. Editor John Paulsen's case for Spiller in New Orleans.

According to a person familiar with the situation who requested anonymity, Eagles QB Sam Bradford is "looking great", has been in the rehab room close to every day this summer, and should be ready to go when training camp opens.

That means Bradford should be out on the field for 11-on-11 drills for the start of training camp.

If Bradford is fully healthy and wins the starting job, then he's a threat to post low-end QB1 numbers in Chip Kelly's offense, which has been fantasy friendly towards quarterbacks over the last two seasons. The team is dealing with turnover at receiver, losing DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin in consecutive years, but Jordan Matthews, Nelson Agholor and Zach Ertz should be able to pick up the slack.

Allen Hurns was last year’s breakout offensive player, going from undrafted free agent to Week 1 starter (two touchdowns in the opening quarter).

Hurns’ playing time will be positively impacted by WR coach Jerry Sullivan’s trust in him to play inside and outside.

“He can do a lot of things and do them well,” Sullivan said. “I trust he’ll know different aspects of the offense, and he’s versatile enough to play them all. He’s a kid that is a grand guy to coach because he loves football.”

Hurns reportedly has a lead on Marqise Lee to be the team's WR2 heading into camp. He led the team in receiving yards (677) and touchdowns (6) as an undrafted rookie. If he plays starter's snaps he's likely to be fantasy relevant this season.

Delanie Walker has proved to be a tremendous pick-up for the Titans, as he’s caught 123 passes for 1,461 yards and 10 touchdowns over the past two seasons. But he’ll face even more of a challenge this year, as Walker probably will be working with rookie quarterback Marcus Mariota. Expect the young signal-caller to place plenty of reliance on his veteran tight end, who has been a dependable target for a handful of Titans quarterbacks.

Last year, Walker finished #9 in standard formats and #8 in PPR leagues even though he missed a game and a half in the middle of the season due to a concussion. He was #12 and #11, respectively, in 2013. In his last 22 games with the Titans, he has averaged 11.9 PPG in PPR formats, which would have been enough for a #6 finish last season. In Marcus Mariota, he should get an upgrade at quarterback and figures to remain a big part of the team’s passing attack, such that it is.

Marqise Lee missed the entire OTA/mini-camp schedule because of a knee injury sustained during a Phase 2 workout.

Jaguars receivers coach Jerry Sullivan gave an update on Lee’s status earlier today.

“My understanding is that he’ll be ready to go [next week],” Sullivan said. “But we have to manage him a little bit to make sure he’s OK in term so his health.”

To me, that means Lee will be given the occasional day off from practice or have his snaps curtailed early in camp so he won’t be over-taxed.

Lee has reportedly been passed on the depth chart by Allen Hurns, but given his draft status, the team will likely give him every chance to win those snaps back.

RB DeMarco Murray will not be counted on to carry the full load for the Eagles like he did in Dallas, where he accounted for 77 percent of the team's total carries, outpacing the second-leading rusher, Randle, by 341 carries. The presence of Ryan Mathews, himself a two-time 1,000-yard rusher, and Darren Sproles should mitigate the workload placed on Murray.

Last year, among the three top running backs, the split on carries went 75 percent to McCoy, 14 percent to Sproles and 11 percent to Polk. It's hard not to envision HC Chip Kelly opting to creep those percentages closer to something like 55-60 percent for Murray, 25-30 percent for Mathews and the remaining touches for Sproles.

Conveniently enough, we project Murray for 58.1% of the touches, with Mathews checking in at 27.1% and Sproles getting the remaining 14.8%. The article also notes that among the seven running backs who carried the ball at least 380 times in a season (and also played the following year), only two played more than 12 games, and the overall YPC dropped from 4.60 YPC in the 380-plus carry seasons to 3.60 YPC the following year. Four of the seven running backs played fewer than nine games. It remains to be seen if Kelly's superior sports science program can help Murray buck this trend.

One of the main Giants storylines to watch heading into training camp is the status of Odell Beckham Jr.'s hamstring injury, which kept him off the practice field for a good portion of the team's offseason program. The good news is that Beckham seems to be on the mend.

In a sit-down interview with the NFL Network's Kim Jones, Beckham was asked about his health status, one year after he missed all of training camp, preseason, and the first four regular season games with a strained hamstring.

"It feels a lot better actually," Beckham said. "I would rather be healthy than anything else. I just don't want to go through that, what I had to go through again last year, and not just for myself – just for this team."

Not exactly the most revealing answer, but Beckham added that the plan is for him to be 100 percent by the season opener against the Dallas Cowboys. The guess here is that he will have his practice reps monitored throughout camp.

Beckham said that the Pro Bowl that he actually had two tears in his hamstring which didn’t fully heal during the season. If true, then perhaps he has just scratched the surface on his full potential. Once his season started in Week 5, he averaged 17.2 FP (standard) and 24.8 FP (PPR), which was the best in the league in both scoring systems. The only (minor) concerns are his current hamstring injury, and a potential sophomore slump if teams are able to find a way to slow him down.

Cowboys writers Nick Eatman and Bryan Broaddus were asked which camp battle is the most compelling. Both writers think that Darren McFadden ends up with more carries than Joseph Randle.

Nick: I think there are a few good battles, but I don’t know how any of them compare to running back. It’s not only the most wide-open, but the highest-profiled position as well. I think Joseph Randle will get the early nod but something tells me Darren McFadden will end up getting more carries. And the way this team uses Lance Dunbar will be interesting. So to me, it’s running back all the way.

Bryan: Running back. I have put my eggs in the McFadden basket but it wouldn’t surprise me one bit to see one of the other backs step up and have the type of camp that makes this front office and coaching staff sit up and take notice.

We believe that Randle is certainly the better option at this point, but Broaddus and Eatman both think that McFadden still has the better chance to lead the team in carries. Randle's ADP has climbed into the 4th round, so he's a risky pick at that point in the draft given this uncertainty.

Texans WR Jaelen Strong said he lost 20 lbs and is now at 211 lbs.

HC Bill O'Brien singled Strong out this spring by saying that the rookie needed to show up to training camp in better shape, and it looks like Strong has listened. He'll compete for snaps opposite DeAndre Hopkins.

Beat writer Andrew Kulp projected a timeshare in the Eagles' backfield:

With DeMarco Murray and Ryan Mathews splitting up carries—and I do believe the distribution could be closer to 50/50—the Eagles can keep both fresh, not to mention are prepared in case one gets injured.

This is the concern with drafting Murray early -- just how much will Ryan Mathews play? We currently project Murray with 290 carries and 29 receptions (or 319 touches), with Mathews coming in at 138/11 (or 149 total touches). This is essentially a 2-to-1 split, and that makes Murray our #9 RB in standard formats. If Kulp's prediction comes true, Murray will be severely overdrafted in 2015.

Lions RB Joique Bell missed most of last spring’s workouts recovering from an injury and had the best statistical season of his career, but there seems to be more concern this time around with Bell. Offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi said during OTAs that while the team expects Bell to fully recover from his knee and Achilles injuries from last season, there is concern until they see him back on the field.

Bell recently predicted a 1,200-yard season, so he doesn't seem to be too worried about his health. Bell was the #14 RB in standard formats (#13 in PPR), while racking up 257 touches in 15 games. That works out to a 17.1-touch average. While he certainly benefited from Reggie Bush's injury-plagued season, Bell dominated the touches even when Bush was active and playing. If healthy, he should continue to see RB1-type touches in 2015 with Bush out of the way, though the arrival of Ameer Abdullah is a concern.

Although Bears WR Kevin White garners most of the attention because of his draft status, don't be surprised if Eddie Royal turns out to be the more impactful of the two offseason receiver acquisitions. Offensive coordinator Adam Gase can deploy Royal from a variety of alignments in order to maximize matchups. Royal, 29, can play outside and in the slot. Think of how Gase used Wes Welker with the Broncos the last two seasons — he was a quick, reliable outlet for quarterback Peyton Manning — but also factor in Royal's superior speed and ability to gain yards after the catch.

Royal has been a fantasy headache for years, and now he takes his act to Chicago. White needs to have a good camp to earn a starting job. Royal is likely to serve as the team's slot receiver, where he could siphon targets from the rookie.

NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reported Tuesday that Rams RB Todd Gurley is expected to be on Non-Football Injury list to start training camp, according to sources informed of his situation. Rapoport notes that this was the team's plan when the drafted him, and they can take him off the list whenever he is fully ready.

There have been no reports about a setback with Gurley's knee throughout the offseason. The team was noncommittal about Gurley being ready for camp, but coach Jeff Fisher did say in "you could probably assume" Gurley will play sooner than you think.

Gurley is widely considered to be the best running back in the 2015 draft class, but he’s recovering from a November ACL tear. He’ll be nine months into his recovery in August, so his early season availability is unknown. Typically, an athlete can return to their sport six months after surgery, but that doesn’t mean they’ll be game-ready. Prospective owners should draft Tre Mason if possible as insurance. When Gurley returns, he should provide high end RB2 numbers once he begins to get starter’s touches.

Ravens TE Dennis Pitta is likely to begin training camp and the regular season on the physically unable to perform list, according to NFL sources. If Pitta began the season on the reserve list, he would be required to miss at least the first six games of the season.

Pitta hasn't been medically to practice since his second serious hip injury in as many years. He has rehabilitated the hip to the point where he's able to do some route running and individual drills, but wasn't allowed to fully participate during the Ravens' offseason practices.

Crockett Gilmore and Maxx Williams are vying for snaps at tight end, a position that was heavily involved in Marc Trestman's offense during his days in Chicago.

Perhaps most notable about the Patriots' running back position is that James White, Travaris Cadet and Dion Lewis look to be closely bunched for the pass-catching role vacated by Shane Vereen at this juncture.

If any single back wins the pass-catching role outright, he'll suddenly be a factor in PPR formats. Shane Vereen averaged 4.3 catches per game over the past two years (including the postseason). That projects to 68.8 receptions over a full 16-game season.

Titans Wide Receiver Justin Hunter was arrested and charged with felonious assault.

Officials in Virginia Beach, Virginia said 24-year-old Justin Scott Hunter turned himself in Monday after a warrant was filed in relation to an incident in early July.

Hunter was charged with one count of felonious assault and lodged in the Virginia Beach City Jail on no bond. He was scheduled to be arraigned in court Tuesday afternoon.

Hunter is already on thin ice in Tennessee and this isn't going to help his situation. Look for Dorial Green-Beckham or Hakeem Nicks take over as the starter opposite Kendall Wright.

The Jaguars left for summer vacation pleased with RB T.J. Yeldon.

“The impressive thing about T.J. is that he picked up the offense quickly,” RB coach Kelly Skipper said. “For the most part, when he gets something, he has it [down] and we can move onto the next thing.”

Said coach Gus Bradley: “He’s all football. This kid is internally driven. Every rep he gets, he’s going to take advantage of. I really like him.”

Yeldon has the tools — runner, receiver, pass protector — to be a three-down back. But how soon?

“That’s what we have to find out and find out fast,” Skipper said.

It will be surprising if Yeldon isn’t the tailback for Play 1 in Week 1 — the Jaguars drafted him No. 36 overall to be The Guy. But what kind of work load he gets is unclear.

Yeldon should see plenty of touches, but the Jaguars' offense has been poor for some time, so he may not see the same number of scoring opportunities as some of the other running backs being drafted in the middle rounds. Denard Robinson had a very nice stretch for four weeks, but otherwise the Jacksonville running backs weren't much of a fantasy factor in 2014. The team did make an effort to improve the offensive line via free agency and the draft, so Yeldon has top 20 potential provided QB Blake Bortles shows progress from his disappointing rookie season.

No player benefitted more from Demaryius Thomas' absence during the Broncos' offseason than Cody Latimer. With the three-time Pro Bowler not under contract, Latimer got the repetitions with the first team that eluded him last year, and the progress was obvious.

"I’m really excited about what he can bring and I know he’s a lot better now than when he started," HC Gary Kubiak said. "I’m excited moving forward.”

Latimer is a player to monitor this offseason, especially with the news that Emmanuel Sanders is going to play the slot in three-receiver sets. Latimer had a disappointing rookie season and wasn't even able to beat out Andre Caldwell. New HC Gary Kubiak favors two-TE sets, so Latimer’s snaps may be limited. The third receiver in Baltimore didn’t even play half the snaps under Kubiak. Latimer’s talent may earn him a larger role, but that remains to be seen.

Matt Forte averaged only 7.9 yards per reception last season because he was needed far too often as a check-down safety valve for quarterback Jay Cutler. New Bears offensive coordinator Adam Gase likely will expand Forte's receiving responsibilities, using the running back's ability to spread out wide while also featuring his crisp route running and reliable hands.

On the ground, Forte will need more help from his offensive line to better the 3.9 yards-per-carry average he had in 2014. And while his desire for a contract extension has gone ungranted, Forte has handled that personal disappointment with perspective, not letting it diminish his focus or dedication. His professionalism and work ethic should remain terrific examples for the younger backs on the roster.

This won't lead to more receptions than the 102 balls he caught last season under departed OC Marc Trestman, but it should be noted that Gase isn't afraid to use his running backs in the passing game. Bronco running backs accounted for 160 receptions over the past two seasons, so a 60-catch season for Forte is certainly within reach.

Vikings beat writer Ben Goessling on Adrian Peterson's role in the passing game.

I got a few questions this week about Peterson's role in the passing game; I'd expect he'll wind up with 40-50 catches, and he'll be able to turn some of those into big plays.

OC Norv Turner has a history of feeding the ball to his top running back; LaDainian Tomlinson averaged 20.9 touches per game from 2007-09 while he and Turner were in San Diego. That included 2.86 receptions per game, which would represent a career high 45-46 receptions for Peterson if he catches the ball at the same rate.

We expected to see Vikings RB Adrian Peterson used more in third down situations last year, and Peterson believes that will be the case again this year in his return.

Throwing out his one-game season in 2014, Peterson never finished outside of the top 6 on a per game basis in standard formats (or outside the top 11 in PPR) in his previous seven seasons. He's now on the wrong side of 30, but his legs should be fresh after taking a full season off to deal with his criminal case. OC Norv Turner has a history of feeding the ball to his top running back; LaDainian Tomlinson averaged 20.9 touches per game from 2007-09 while he and Turner were in San Diego. That included 2.86 receptions per game, which would represent a career high 45-46 receptions for Peterson if he catches the ball at the same rate.

Throughout OTAs and minicamp, Chris Conley has demonstrated the skills that make him a very intriguing player to watch as the rookie prepares for his first training camp.

Conley could start opposite Jeremy Maclin, but Travis Kelce is the true second option in this offense.

Browns writer Nathan Zegura said that WR Taylor Gabriel "has been the star of the offseason." Zegura went on to say, "He is going to push to be a starter in two-wide receiver sets. He has been that good, consistently generating separation and getting down the field against all comers."

We reached out to Zegura on Twitter and asked him to rank Dwayne Bowe, Brian Hartline, Andrew Hawkins and Taylor Gabriel in expected 2015 receiving yardage and he replied: "So tough. Depends on if Gabriel can win #2 job. Right now, I'd go Bowe, Hawk, Gabriel, Hartline. Gabriel could lead if he becomes an every down WR." This is a camp battle to monitor. For now, consider adding Gabriel in the waning rounds. His big-play ability makes him an ideal candidate for best ball formats.

Ryan Mink of the Ravens' official website believes that TE Crockett Gillmore has a good chance to break out: Gillmore showed strong hands last year and they have only gotten better. He struggled with drops last training camp. So far this summer, he’s hardly let a ball touch the ground. He’s had another year in the offensive system, so he won’t be thinking as much on the field. Plus, Gillmore is massive. He was a big guy last year, but added 15 pounds of muscle in the offseason. He’s still got the ability to stretch the field, which he showed by catching numerous jump balls in Organized Team Activities (OTAs) and minicamp. Flacco seemed to develop a real comfort with Gillmore during the practices.

Gillmore is more of a blocker than a receiver but as the article notes, Gillmore has improved in that facet of the game. There is opportunity at the position with Dennis Pitta still sidelined and Owen Daniels in Denver, but the team drafted Maxx Williams as the long-term answer, so it's not clear how big of a receiving role Gillmore will have in 2015. Martellus Bennett shined under then-HC Marc Trestman in Chicago, so there is some upside for whoever wins the starting job in Baltimore. Fantasy-wise, rookie tight ends are notoriously disappointing, so this may be a muddled situation this season.

WR Reggie Wayne made it clear he has no intention of retiring following a decorated 14-year career with the Indianapolis Colts. He’s the NFL’s active leader with 1,070 receptions and 14,345 yards – each is No. 2 in club history behind Marvin Harrison – but is coming off an injury-plagued 2014 that limited him to 64 catches and 779 yards.

And let’s not forget, Wayne turns 37 in November.

An ideal scenario, he said, is to play one more season then retire. Wayne said teams – he wouldn’t elaborate – have expressed an interest.

Wayne finished as a fantasy WR5 as he battled numerous injuries during the 2014 campaign. If he lands in a possession role in a good passing offense he could be a factor in PPR leagues this season.

Ravens WR Steve L Smith will presumably lock down one of the starting spots. Despite the possibility of a lightened snap count for the veteran, Smith Sr. will play a huge role in the passing game. He’s the unquestioned leader of the group.

Smith was the #20 WR in standard formats and #18 in PPR, but he did most of his damage in the first six weeks of the season when he was #3 and #4, respectively. He was a fantasy WR4 the rest of the way, though he did have his moments. The Ravens can’t afford to put Smith out to pasture because they let Torrey Smith walk in free agency and the team’s receiver corps is severely lacking experience. Smith has some upside given his ADP (8th/9th round) and the arrival of pass-happy OC Marc Trestman, who should be able to figure out how to best utilize Smith’s skill set on a more consistent basis.

Eagles beat writer Sheil Kapadia was asked which rookies would contribute in 2015:

Nelson Agholor is going to play a lot of snaps; that's a guarantee. Whether it's in the slot or on the outside, expect Jordan Matthews-type snaps/production out of him.

Agholor joins a receiving corps that has lost its best receiver (DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin) in each of the past two offseasons. He’s expected to win a starting job, likely outside opposite Riley Cooper with Jordan Matthews in the slot. If that’s the case, he’ll be a fantasy factor as a rookie. Matthews finished #25 in PPR formats as a rookie last season. That sort of production is certainly feasible for Agholor if he plays starter's snaps and the team gets good play out of the quarterback position.

Andrew Krammer of 1500 ESPN listed Charles Johnson and Cordarrelle Patterson as the most intriguing position battle in Vikings camp:

Johnson-Patterson is the most intriguing position battle, for the split end spot. Johnson showed enough to keep the job through offseason work, but a 29th-overall pick in Patterson will get plenty of chances to earn his job back. There's no question about Patterson's ability. With the ball, he's a threat to score anywhere on the field. In order to get the ball in less predictable spots, he needs to be in sync with Teddy Bridgewater. Inconsistency in his routes didn't allow chemistry to build as he's still learning the nuances of the position. Patterson had four playbooks in his last four years of football, and some consistency on that end could help him take the next step.

We favor Johnson in this "battle," due to his production down the stretch last season. Johnson started playing significant snaps in Week 11, and over the final seven games of the season, he averaged 3.6 catches for 59 yards and 0.29 touchdowns. He was the #31 fantasy receiver in that span.

As it was last year, Cardinals QB Carson Palmer has brought wide receiver John Brown to southern California to live with him and work out. And as it was last year, Palmer feels he is throwing well, sharpening his mental game – and feeling no problems with his knee. “I’m not even thinking about my knee,” Palmer said. “I’m still rehabbing just to be on the safe side of things but I don’t need to be at rehab. I’m full go in the weight room, full go on the field, and until it’s brought up, I haven’t thought about what I’m not doing because I’m doing everything I was doing.”

As he outlined in his Sleeper Alert, Palmer is Sr. Editor John Paulsen's favorite sleeper at the quarterback position. In the 15 games since his team’s 2013 bye, Palmer is averaging 277 yards 1.8 touchdowns and 0.8 interceptions. Those are fringe QB1 numbers, and he has a nice receiving corps (including Larry Fitzgerald, Michael Floyd and John Brown) to throw to. As long as the knee is good to go, Palmer is an ideal candidate for a "wait on QB" strategy.

In May the Seahawks sent four picks to Washington to move from the bottom of the third round to the top, so they could draft Tyler Lockett from Kansas State. Coach Pete Carroll has already proclaimed Lockett the Seahawks’ punt and kickoff returner; at least its his job to lose in training camp, after Seattle suffered with poor returns and lesser starting field positions all last season. Yet Lockett has also impressed his new team with his polished and subtly skilled route running. Expect him to get many chances during exhibition games to catch passes from the slot and outside.

At 5-10, 182 pounds Lockett isn’t the big, physical receiver the Seahawks appear to need as a true wide receiver. Chris Matthews is. He’s 6-5 and 218, coming off his NFL breakout game in Super Bowl 49 with his first catches, first 100-yard game and first touchdown of his career.

Carroll says training camp and the upcoming preseason are the former Canadian Football League man’s chances to prove he is the big, physical wide receiver everyone thought Seattle had to draft in May.

Lockett may have a tougher time getting on the field since his size doesn't differentiate him from incumbents Doug Baldwin and Jermaine Kearse. Matthews brings size that none of the other Seattle receivers have.

The Denver Broncos and wide receiver Demaryius Thomas have reached agreement on a five-year, $70 million deal that includes $43.5 million guaranteed, a source told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter.

It's a very similar deal to what Dez Bryant got in Dallas, and it shouldn't be too shocking the announcements came just a short time apart. Bryant's signing bonus is a bit higher, however. There were some rumors the Broncos and Thomas weren't close to a deal leading up to today, and we even had a news item earlier this week the Broncos weren't in a hurry to sign Thomas to a long-term deal with a chance QB Peyton Manning retires after this season. Also yesterday, it was reported there was a real chance Thomas would not report to camp and could also miss games. Thomas is ranked third on our WR list, but is often getting drafted outside the first round and after Dez Bryant. However we project him as one of three WRs to go over 100 receptions this season. Like Bryant owners and potential owners, those protecting or eyeing Thomas in fantasy drafts can relax a bit.

There are plenty of ways to break down just how bad the Jaguars' offense has been the past several seasons, but the best way to illustrate the ineptness is by looking at how the unit has performed in the red zone.

According to ESPN Stats & Information, the Jaguars scored an NFL-low 13 touchdowns and completed an NFL-worst 39.1 percent of passes on an NFL-low 85 snaps in 32 red zone possessions in 2014. They were still last in TDs and completion percentage if you include the 2013 season, too.

The blame is spread between the quarterbacks, offensive line, backs and receivers, and play calling. Not much the Jaguars have tried the past two seasons has worked consistently and as a result the team has averaged just 15.5 points per game the past two seasons.

Things could be significantly better in 2015, though, thanks to the addition of tight end Julius Thomas. The 6-foot-5, 250-pounder was not only one of the league's better tight ends the past two seasons – catching 108 passes, including 24 for touchdowns – he was one of the NFL's most effective players in the red zone.

Thomas had 13 catches in the red zone in 2014, including nine for touchdowns. Only Green Bay receiver Randall Cobb had more (10) and Thomas had the same number as New England's Rob Gronkowski, Miami's Mike Wallace, New Orleans' Jimmy Graham, and San Diego's Antonio Gates, the story said. Obviously potential owners of Thomas need to keep in mind the situation is now a little bit different. The Jags don't have the same weapons Denver had a year ago that also needed to be accounted for in the red zone, and don't forget about Peyton Manning as the QB. Still, Thomas will be looked at as a big red zone option, and if the Jag WRs can step up as threats, that should also help Thomas' chances to continue his success. Thomas is ranked eighth among our TEs and is available in the middle of drafts.

The Dallas Cowboys and their franchised-tagged star wideout Dez Bryant have hammered out a long-term contract ahead of Wednesday's 4 p.m. ET deadline. Bryant agreed in principle to a five-year, $70 million deal with $45 million guaranteed, NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reported. While nowhere close to the $16 million per year earned by Detroit's Calvin Johnson, Bryant's $14 million average per season exceeds the $12.82 million he would have made in 2015 by signing his franchise tag. The new pact puts to bed a summer-long drama that saw negotiations flatline between Dallas and Bryant.

Bryant is coming off a monster campaign that saw him set a career mark with 16 touchdowns, and he rolls into September as the heart and soul of a Cowboys offense, especially now with RB DeMarco Murray leaving for the Eagles. Bryant has emerged over five seasons as a top-five NFL wideout, both in real life and the fantasy world. We rank Bryant fourth on our WR list, but he's getting drafted as a top-three fantasy WR, and in the first round. Owners and potential owners can now rest easy because Bryant had threatened to miss camp and games if no long-term deal was reached. He should be poised for another big season as the center point of the Dallas offense, especially with the questions surrounding the running game.

The Jets have a crowded backfield with Chris Ivory, Stevan Ridley, Zac Stacy and Bilal Powell. How the running backs split the load will be one of the bigger stories of training camp.

Ivory has shown he deserves to be the lead back. He has been very good over the past two seasons while always splitting carries.

During the spring, the Jets used Ivory in spread formations a bunch, lining him up as a wide receiver. Spring is sometimes just experimental, but maybe Chan Gailey thinks he can make Ivory a bigger part of the passing game. If Ivory can become a complete back, he has the potential to be one of the best in football.

The story talked about how the former coaching staff often seemed to shy away from Ivory, just as he was about to get going. The author pointed out that the Jets former coaches were afraid of Ivory getting injured and often turned to Chris Johnson, which as we all know now wasn't a good move. Ivory is ranked 27th on our RB list and if he happens to be more involved in the offense, could turn out to be a steal with an ADP of the eighth round. However, at least Ridley and Stacy have proven to be reliable backs at times, and it's hard to imagine them not cutting into Ivory's workload.

You’ve heard about the 30-30 club. Pittsburgh's Ben Roethlisberger and Le'Veon Bell could redefine it. 30-20.

Less than 30 sacks for Roethlisberger, more than 20 carries a game for Bell.

These are modest goals that can vault the Pittsburgh Steelers' offense from a high-yardage attack to possibly the league’s most potent one.

Last season felt like a breakthrough for Pittsburgh’s offense, not only because of its 6,577 total yards -- second in the NFL behind the Saints -- but for Roethlisberger’s best sack rate since 2005. His 33 sacks in 16 games symbolized progress for a quarterback who’s been sacked nearly twice as much as Tony Romo. Romo has 242 sacks in nine seasons as starter, and Roethlisberger has 419 sacks in 11 years.

Less hits will equal a longer career for the 33-year-old Roethlisberger. And though Todd Haley’s offense protects quarterbacks with a quick passing game, the Steelers’ running game can make that transition easy for Roethlisberger, the story added. It doesn't hurt that Bell has emerged into one of the better do-it-all backs in the league and the addition of DeAngelo Williams as a backup should help the run game. This news could make Bell a bit more attractive to fantasy owners, even with a looming suspension to start the season.

Time is running out for the Denver Broncos and wide receiver Demaryius Thomas to work out a long-term contract extension. Progress has been hard to come by, which means Thomas' absence could stretch all the way into September.

"Do not rule out the possibility that Demaryius Thomas misses games," NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport said on Tuesday's NFL Total Access on NFL Network. "This is very much in the realm of possibility."

The Broncos have until 4 pm ET Wednesday to sign Thomas, the team's franchise player, to a long-term extension. If that doesn't happen, Thomas must either play for his $12.8 million franchise tender or continue to stay away from the team.

Rapoport went on to say in the story it's clear Thomas will miss the start of training camp if he's unsigned, and there's a "very good chance" he'd miss all of camp. Skipping the $750,000 paychecks that come with each regular season game is a different matter. No franchise tagged player has missed games since Walter Jones sat out two weeks in 2002. We had a story earlier in the week that indicated the Broncos aren't necessarily in a hurry to sign Thomas to a long-term deal, especially with the possibility QB Peyton Manning isn't around after this season.

Detroit has thrown the ball more than it has rushed it every season since 2001 according to ESPN Stats & Information. The closest the Detroit Lions have come to "balance" was in 2004, when Detroit ran the ball 407 times and attempted 505 passes.

In Detroit's more successful seasons, the Lions have trended much heavier toward the pass. In 2011, one of the two seasons Detroit made the playoffs this century, the Lions rushed the ball 356 times and had 666 passing attempts, completing 423 of them.

Last season, Detroit ran the ball 396 times and threw it 604 times, completing 365 passes. So while the Lions appeared to focus their draft on improving a run game that had its worst yards per carry since 2003, don't expect to see a massive play-call shift.

"It's all quarterbacking," former NFL QB Elvis Grbac said. "I got in a league where Drew Bledsoe was starting to come in and just in the last 10 years, retired since 2001, so it's been some time. But just the league in general, it's quarterback-driven. If you don't have a quarterback, you're screwed."

The story went on to say: A 50-50 split hasn't been typical for Jim Caldwell historically. In his three seasons as head coach in Indianapolis, the Colts never rushed more than 393 times in a season. They never threw less than 534 times in a year, and that was in 2011 when Peyton Manning was injured. The only sample size in which a team coordinated or led by Caldwell has had more runs than passes came during the Baltimore Ravens' Super Bowl run in 2012, when Caldwell took over leading into Week 15. Through the final three weeks of the regular season and the playoffs, the Ravens ran the ball 249 times and passed it 235 times. The following season was more in line with what happened in Indianapolis, where Baltimore had 423 rushes to 619 passes.

Much of the same is expected this year, and the story mentioned how Grbac thinks QB Matthew Stafford has progressed nicely in the offense. The team lost pass-catching RB Reggie Bush, but seems to have a more than capable replacement in Ameer Abdullah, who looks like he's going to hurt the value of Theo Riddick. Both Joique Bell and Abdullah crack our top-31 backs, with Abdullah having top-25 potential in PPR leagues. Stafford is just 13th on our QB list, but if WR Calvin Johnson can stay healthy Stafford could crack the top-10 and be a nice value at QB with an ADP of the ninth round.

If Dez Bryant's threat to "not be there," means the regular-season opener on Sept. 13 against the New York Giants, then what happens with the Dallas Cowboys?

The coaches lauded the work of Terrance Williams in Bryant's absence during the offseason program. Williams became the de facto leader of the wide receiver room. He and QB Tony Romo were much more in-tune with each other.

"He's not only taken a tremendous leadership role in the group, really setting the example of how you do things, he's expanded his route inventory," wide receivers coach Derek Dooley said at the conclusion of last month's minicamp. "He's played X. He's played Z. He's played in the slot and every day he went out there and was the same player. Every route, every opportunity he had he took advantage of it. So he's made a big jump this offseason."

Devin Street worked with the starters with Bryant absent. He had just two catches as a rookie in 2014 but the coaches liked his development through the year. Getting the extra work with Romo in the spring will help his development this year. Coaches say players make the biggest jumps between their rookie and second seasons. While any work would have been good work for Street, having that work come with Romo is an added bonus.

While there's still time before the July 15 deadline, it doesn't hurt fantasy owners to at least think about life without Bryant on the fantasy radar and what it could mean for other players' value. The story went on to say WR Cole Beasley would continue to serve as the No. 3 receiver in the slot, so his role would essentially be the same, but it could change how much the Cowboys use three wide receiver formations. The article added that tight end Gavin Escobar could be used more in a receiver role, which would likely eat more into Street's snaps than Beasley's.

In the case of RB Lance Dunbar there is no question how the Cowboys have aspired to figure out a way to make him their “joker”.

Just like in the game of cards, jokers are amazing weapons in football because they don’t fit into the book easily when it comes to figuring out ways to defend them.

It is often used to describe the difficult to handle tight ends, but I think we can also list the running backs who aren’t actually running backs. Darren Sproles, Reggie Bush, maybe even Randall Cobb, and yes, the Cowboys hope, Lance Dunbar is at least a “poor man’s” version of that. He is listed as a running back, but if we judge him as running backs are judged, we will quickly be underwhelmed with his running the ball (especially inside) and his pass protection. Both are just not up to the NFL grade.

This is a very detailed story breaking down Dunbar's strengths and weaknesses. The article goes on to say the Cowboys remain convinced that his role must be expanded as a weapon used in ways that are simply difficult to account for by a defense. The author added Dunbar as a runner has a 2-year track record of A) not getting the ball as a RB and B) not being productive enough to compel the staff to give him the ball more. But, he pointed out a Dunbar-led attack helped to knock off Seattle on the road last year, however he wasn't used much after that. The story also says his pass protection is suspect and the team doesn't appear to want to simply hand him the ball as a RB. He's capable of big plays, but probably not consistent fantasy points. Joseph Randle is ranked 24th on our RB list and is expected to at least split carries with Darren McFadden.

Steelers RBs Josh Harris and Dri Archer are both going into their second NFL seasons. But since Archer arrived as a third-round pick and Harris as an in-camp free agent signing, the expectation level is dramatically different as are the roles each player will try to fill. For Harris, it’s to show himself capable of being a traditional No. 2 running back during the length of LeVeon Bell’s suspension. Carry the football, catch the occasional pass, step up and deliver in pass protection. Because the Steelers figure to utilize more than one running back in every regular season game, Harris will have to convince the coaches he can be trusted to play on Sept. 10 in New England. Archer’s chore is similar, but he’ll be competing for a less traditional role. It makes little sense to expect someone who’s 5-foot-8 and 173 pounds to run the ball between the tackles and take on blitzing linebackers, and so the Steelers are expected to look for ways to maximize his difference-making speed.

There's no doubt Bell will carry the load once he's fully back from his suspension, which currently stands at three games. DeAngelo Williams figures to be the RB1 while Bell sits, and should have RB2 value in that time. The team seems concerned with Williams' injury history, so if Harris can step up, he figures to get some work in an attempt to try and keep Williams healthy. Williams can be had in the late rounds while Bell is still an attractive, early-first-round option because of his running and pass-catching abilities. Anyone who drafts Bell may want to consider reaching a little earlier for Williams. His current ADP is the 12th round in 12-team leagues.

It is not just the Cardinals and their fans who are expecting WR John Brown to be a difference maker in the Cardinals offense. NFL.com writer Chris Wesseling ranked Brown sixth in his list of players he believes will "make the leap" this season and start to become a household name around the NFL.

"It's rare to come across an offseason hype bunny who meets expectations as a rookie. It's even more rare to find an NFL draft sleeper in the height of the Twitter era. A hidden gem from small-school Pittsburg State, the third-round pick immediately impressed the Cardinals with his high-end speed, uncanny instincts and unexpected understanding of route concepts.

"Before the end of his first training camp, Brown was already drawing comparisons to potential Hall of Famer Marvin Harrison, Colts star T.Y. Hilton and 2003 rookie sensation Anquan Boldin."

The article went on to say Wesseling thinks Brown needs to work on his strength, but he believes it's not out of the question Brown could pass teammate Michael Floyd this year. Right now we have Brown ranked 45th on our WR list with an ADP of the 9th round. Interestingly, we have the Cardinal WRs all going around the same time in 12-team formats: Brown 9.07, Floyd 8.04 and Larry Fitzgerald 8.11. However it's Fitzgerald who we have rated the highest at 24th (Floyd's ranked 39th on our list). Fitz could end up being the best value among the three as other WRs ranked around Fitzgerald are all going as many as three rounds earlier. A healthy QB Carson Palmer is the key to how successful the Arizona passing game is this season, and of course all three of these guys will help boost Palmer's value.

And after five 1,000-yard rushing seasons in the last six years, with one year lost to a torn anterior cruciate ligament, no one would blame Chiefs RB Jamaal Charles if his body felt far older than his 28 years.

Yet he is heading into his eighth NFL season saying he feels young.

"I feel like I am 20, 21," Charles said this spring. "I feel good. I feel healthy. I eat right. I take vitamins. I do yoga. I'm doing everything I am supposed to do to keep my body up at my age."

Andy Reid likes to ride his RB1 even when he has a capable backup, which he certainly has in Knile Davis. Davis did see a bump in touches last year, however, going from 5.1 to 9.4. We predict Charles for just under 1,200 yards this season and he should be among the RB leaders in receptions as he's proven to be a big part of the team's passing game. That should mean close to 300 touches for Charles. We rank Charles fourth on our RB list, but in a lot of drafts he's going as high as second behind Adrian Peterson. Backing yourself with Davis is a good idea if you can afford the roster spot.

Per a source with knowledge of the situation, it’s currently “not likely” that the Broncos and WR Demaryius Thomas will work out a new contract before the close of business on Wednesday. It means that Thomas and the Broncos thereafter would be able to do only a one-year contract. The terms could be changed; the Broncos could, in theory, offer more than the $12.8 million tender to get him to show up for training camp, or they could promise not to use the franchise tag on him in 2016. If he plays for $12.8 million in 2015, the Broncos would have to give him a 20-percent raise in order to tag him again next year. That’s more than $15.3 million for a receiver they may not be able to fully utilize if quarterback Peyton Manning retires after the coming season.

The story makes the point that given Manning’s uncertain status beyond 2015, a multi-year investment in Thomas may not make much sense for the Broncos. The story goes on to say the Broncos may be smarting from a late deal with T Ryan Clady back in 2013. Clady suffered a season-ending injury in Week 2 of the 2013 season and is already done for 2015 with a torn ACL.

The Cowboys and wide receiver Dez Bryant face a July 15 deadline to work out a multi-year contract extension and Bryant is reportedly doing what he can to turn up the heat on the team with Wednesday fast approaching. Ed Werder of ESPN reports that Bryant called Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones with an ultimatum about contract talks. Per Werder, Bryant told Jones that he will skip training camp if he isn’t signed to a deal other than the franchise tag by the deadline. Bryant also reportedly said that his absence from the team will extend to “real games” when the season gets underway in September.

Depending on where you get your information, some say the sides are close, while others say they are still far apart. As the story said, it’s not the first time that the prospect of Bryant missing games has come up this offseason, but no one from the Cowboys seemed to take the threats all that seriously. Perhaps this will change things as we head into Wednesday's deadline. Bryant took it a step further Monday tweeting out: "As much as I love football...on my beautiful babies.. I apologize #cowboynation but I will not be there if no deal #fact."

The contest between RBs Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman should extend far beyond camp. Each has stated he plans on being the starter, and while they can share the load, something will eventually have to give.

Both appear to be schematic fits, and both have the potential to be effective in the NFL. Freeman displayed flashes of brilliance last year, his first in Atlanta; Coleman rushed for more than 2,000 as a senior at Indiana University.

With Steven Jackson out of the way, Freeman was expected to be the starter in 2015, but the drafting of Coleman appears to have changed that. Freeman was perhaps more successful in the passing game so he could have some PPR value, but it looks like there will at least be some kind of a timeshare. We rank Freeman 33rd and Coleman 38th on our RB list, but Coleman is actually going a round or two earlier in drafts as owners are buying into him as the eventual lead back.

The Bills made several big moves this offseason, including hiring Greg Roman to be their offensive coordinator and signing tight end Charles Clay away from the Dolphins as a restricted free agent.

“This offense right here is tight end heaven,” Bills TE MarQueisGray said, via the Buffalo News. “We move around so much that we really play receiver, slot, we play everything but running back. You could line up at any of those spots — that’s the best part about this offense.”

Tyler Dunne of the Buffalo News points out that this would represent a change in roles for Bills tight ends from the recent past and the $24.5 million that Clay will make over the next two years suggests that the team is set on making him a key part of their offense.

Vernon Davis had a poor 2014 season, but he was used heavily while lining up in a variety of spots during Roman’s time with the 49ers, the story said. Gray added the Bills are making similar plans for Clay and the other players at the position heading into the 2015 season. Clay isn't getting a lot of draft attention right now, and he's down our list at 31st. It's a situation to monitor heading into camps as we're not quite as optimistic right now.

The Atlanta Falcons have some intriguing options at wide receiver heading into 2015. This includes the obvious options of Julio Jones and Roddy White, but also Leonard Hankerson, Devin Hester and none other than rookie Justin Hardy. Hardy, for one, is a player who has massive upside and potential. Brian Jones of 247Sports is obviously a big believer in this, as he called Hardy the "secret weapon" for the Falcons.

"The answer is simple. It’s always good to have a plethora of weapons on offense, but Hardy is a weapon that no one will be talking about until the 2015 season gets rolling and makes plays. And the reason that Hardy will be a secret weapon is also simple. Hardy played at a smaller school (East Carolina), and he’s not the biggest receiver as he stands a shade over six-feet tall." Jones explained.

He continued by breaking down exactly what Hardy did during his career with the Pirates.

"But being overlooked is nothing new to Hardy. In fact, East Carolina did not offer him a scholarship his freshman year. He made his way on the team as a walk-on, but earned a scholarship the following season. From there, he became the NCAA’s career all-time reception leader, and was awarded the Burlsworth Trophy which is given to the most outstanding player who started his career as a walk-on." said Jones.

It's hard to argue with his point. Hardy has serious potential and the fact that he fell to the fourth-round in the 2015 NFL draft was a bit of a surprise to everyone. The Falcons nabbed the talented receiver and have to be happy about where they got him.

Hardy likely won't get drafted in typical leagues and he's way down our WR list. Jones and White are obviously the studs, but it's not out of the question Hardy could earn some playing by passing Hankerson and Hester on the depth chart. Right now he's just a name to keep in the back of your mind.

Broncos wide receiver Cody Latimer, a second-round pick who flashed plenty of potential in training camp, struggled at times with the learning curve and the team’s scheme, finishing with just 37 snaps in 2014.

“I felt like I kept myself ready to contribute last year, but this year I feel like I’m much more prepared," Latimer said. “... I think the study part of it, you learn what it takes. I think I can contribute, and I just want to do what I can to be ready when they want me to play."

“Cody has everything he needs to be one of those guys to make an impact in this league," WR Emmanuel Sanders said. “We expect big things … you could see it in practice last year; he’s ready to do some things."

With Demaryius Thomas having skipped the Broncos’ offseason workout after they put the franchise player tag on him, Latimer spent the offseason largely working as the team’s No. 2 wide receiver (he did miss some of the work with a sore hamstring). The Broncos see Latimer as the No. 3 behind Thomas and Sanders, the story said. Latimer comes in 67th on our WR list with an ADP of the 14th round so some are taking a late-round flier on him. The Broncos are expected to run a bit more to try and save QB Peyton Manning, so the Broncos WR3 spot may not hold the fantasy value it once did.

Panthers beat writer David Newton thinks QB Cam Newton is capable of an MVP season.

David Newton: It's not so much whether Newton is capable. He didn't win the Heisman Trophy at Auburn or win the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year at Carolina for a lack of talent. The question is this: Does Newton have the talent around him to become an MVP? Aaron Rodgers didn't win the award last season without having a solid offensive line, top receivers and a running game that takes the pressure off him. Newton needs the same.

The good news, the story points out, is Cam Newton seems to have a talent pool around him now. Wide receivers Kelvin Benjamin, Devin Funchess, Corey Brown and Ted Ginn Jr., along with tight end Greg Olsen, give him plenty of capable targets. Jonathan Stewart showed again at the end of last season that, when healthy, he's a top five back. Now, the offensive line is going to be the key. Newton will also have to become a more consistent passer. While the odds may be against him for MVP, he's capable of a solid fantasy season. Newton cracks our top-10 QBs heading into camps, coming in eighth with an ADP of about the seventh round. He's another of the long list of fantasy QBs who will be around during that stage of your draft if you're set on waiting on the position.

Former scout and current NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah joined Rob Ellis and Harry Mayes on 97.5 The Fanatic to offer his thoughts on the state of the Eagles heading into camp.

Nelson Agholor came up in the conversation. While Jeremiah might not be totally on board with the NFL exec that thinks Agholor is a number one receiver, he is high on the former USC wideout.

"I think he's a big-time guy. Ideally to me he is a great number two, I don't think in terms of the size and physicality that I would want in my number one guy, but I think he can be an outstanding number two," he said. "There's a lot of guys with his skill set that have been very, very successful. Emmanuel Sanders is who he reminds me of, and we've seen what he can do both in Pittsburgh and out in Denver. I think he's outstanding. He's very tough and he's very instinctive and I think he's one of these guys that we saw last year where all these rookies jumped right in, no adjustment period; I think he's going to fall into that [category]. He's going to jump right in and be ready to go."

Agholor joins a receiving corps that has lost its best receiver (DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin) in each of the past two offseasons. He’s expected to win a starting job, likely on the outside with Jordan Matthews continuing to man the slot in three-WR sets.

Ameer Abdullah has been as impressive as a back can be without pads over the offseason training program and minicamp. He’s proven to be a better receiver than the Lions initially thought and his quick twitch and speed were highlighted in offseason practices. He’ll be a big part of the Lions’ offense in 2015 and will also try and win the punt and kickoff return duties.

Most scouts seem to agree that Abdullah doesn’t project to be an every-down back, so Joique Bell’s between-the-tackles role should be safe, at least for this season. On the other hand, Theo Riddick’s role as the Lions’ third-down back is in serious jeopardy. If things break his way and he sees significant time on passing downs, Abdullah could ultimately post top 25 numbers in PPR formats.

While most NFL players are vacationing this month, Dolphins receiver Jarvis Landry and his buddy and former LSU teammate, Odell Beckham Jr. (the NFL offensive Rookie of the Year) are pushing themselves through grueling morning workout at well-regarded trainer Pete Bommarito’s Performance Systems facility in Davie.

Landry is determined to improve his speed to prove he’s more than a slot receiver.

Is his speed better? “Absolutely,” Landry said this week. “I can’t wait to show it.”

Landry flashed that explosiveness when he caught a deep ball from Ryan Tannehill during the Dolphins’ minicamp last month.

“You can see the difference with Jarvis,” Bommarito said. “There’s a difference between straight line speed and football speed. He’s excelled at both.”

Landry was the #42 WR in standard formats and #30 in PPR, so as a high-volume slot receiver, he's going to have more value in PPR formats. The Dolphins lost four of their top six most-targeted players: Mike Wallace, Charles Clay, Brian Hartline and Brandon Gibson. They have been replaced by Kenny Stills, Greg Jennings, DeVante Parker and Jordan Cameron, but Landry's role should expand as well. He only played 62% of the snaps on the season, and didn't start playing consistent starter's snaps until Week 9. Over the final nine weeks, Landry was the #15 WR in PPR formats (and #23 in standard). He is currently the 24th WR off the board in early PPR drafts.

Redskins Coach Jay Gruden says he believes Robert Griffin III showed meaningful progress this offseason.

“The more he gets around our terminology and understands it and learns it and can see it against different coverages, the better he is going to be,” Gruden said on SiriusXM NFL Radio. “And he has shown improvement in the OTAs, which is exciting.”

“All three quarterbacks have [shown improvement],” Gruden continued, referring to backups Colt McCoy and Kirk Cousins. “Colt’s done a good job. So has Kirk. But Robert, especially, has taken over the leadership role and done some good things. He’s just got to continue improve. And we’ve got to be patient with him. There are going to be some bumps and bruises along the way, but I think we’ll be okay as long as we stay patient.”

RG3 averaged 12.0 fantasy points in the six games that he started and finished in 2014. That's what Blake Bortles averaged as the league's #24 fantasy quarterback. We know Griffin is capable of more, but he hasn't been the same player since his rookie season. Specifically, he's not running the ball as often or as effectively. The team has a nice receiving corps and a strong running game, so there is upside here.

Paul Perillo of Patriots Today said that he really likes RB James White, who "is poised to make a year two jump."

White is competing with Travaris Cadet among others to fill the Shane Vereen role in the Patriots’ offense. That role has traditionally been fantasy relevant, especially in PPR formats, so this is a camp battle to monitor.

DeSean Jackson's reality show on BET isn't exactly painting him in a good light.

Jackson, in a private moment with cameras, then admits that he has perhaps lost his way since his father, Bill, passed away in 2009.

"When I have football, I'm focused. Then once the off time comes, it's like, 'Ok, what's next?'" Jackson says. "When my dad was here, it was always, 'Ok, we're working out, we're training, we're training. But when my dad passed away, I did a lot of crazy things. I partied, I was spending money I shouldn't have spent...because I don't have that dominant voice to tell me I'm trippin."

His brother, Byron, also speaks to the bad influences around DeSean.

"My dad was very protective of who DeSean came out with and some of his friends," Byron says. "Since my dad passed, some of the friends have come back around, and they weren't good news for DeSean."

"There are definitely some people around I question," Jackson's sister, A'Dreea, says of his friends. "Their life is just like a big party."

Jackson had a good first season in Washington, but he was playing with a chip on his shoulder after being released by the Eagles. He used that as motivation to post 5-117-1 against Philly in Week 3 and 4-126 in Week 16. When the two Eagles games are excluded, DeSean Jackson played at a 58-1140-6.1 pace. Those are fringe WR2 numbers in PPR and solid WR2 numbers in standard formats. Will he play with the same motivation in 2015?

While filling the void of Antonio Gates isn’t a job anyone wants, Ladarius Green’s offseason has impressed coaches and teammates alike thus far.

“(Green) still has huge upside and possibilities,” said Chargers TE coach Pete Metzelaars. “Last year he had to fight through a number of different injuries at different times, so I am excited for him this year. He is an asset in the passing game, and has deceptive speed. So I’m looking forward to putting him into situations to take advantage of that, but also challenge him to put more tools into his toolbox.”

“He seems faster than he’s ever been,” quarterback Philip Rivers acknowledged. “He certainly seems that way with the way he’s moving. Some of that comes with (having) more and more confidence. You just naturally gain that the more you play and the more comfortable you are in an offense. When you don’t have to think or do as much, you do play a little bit faster.”

“He’s looked really good and he needs to be a bigger part…” Rivers said. “We need to have him be a weapon for us because he could be a heck of a matchup for us against some defenses.”

Gates will miss the first four games due to a suspension for PED use. Green figures to see starter's snaps with Gates sidelined. In the five career games in which Green has seen more than three targets, he has averaged 3.4 catches for 66 yards and 0.40 TD. Thats 12.4 FP in PPR formats, or about what Julius Thomas averaged last season. Keep in mind that Green only averaged 5.4 T/G in those games, while Gates averaged 6.1 T/G last season, so Green has the potential to post top 5 numbers for the first month of the season.

Via Blair Sheade of the Chicago Sun-Times, Jay Cutler gathered several teammates at his alma mater of Vanderbilt this week for extra pre-training camp workouts.

Attending the sessions were receiver Kevin White, receiver Eddie Royal, and tight end Martellus Bennett.

Bennett’s presence is significant because he stayed away from all non-mandatory offseason activities in search of a new contract. Most significant is the fact that Cutler managed to get his teammates to join him in Tennessee for non-mandatory workouts that fall beyond the boundaries of the offseason program.

It's a good sign that Cutler is working with his receivers, especially White, who missed some time during OTAs with an undisclosed injury. Cutler’s #15 finish was his highest in the last four seasons. Marc Trestman is gone, and now new OC Adam Gase is running the offense. He had success in Denver in the past two seasons, but Cutler is no Peyton Manning. As long as the season is going relatively well, Cutler should post solid numbers, but if the wheels start to come off, watch out.

Brandon LaFell is back on his feet.

The New England Patriots wide receiver told Sirius XM NFL Radio on Wednesday that he's shed the walking boot he wore on his left foot during the team's string of offseason practices.

"Just a few lingering injuries that happened in the late part of the regular season that I just played through throughout the playoffs," LaFell told the station, per ESPN.com's Mike Reiss. "Finally got some time off to let my body heal up properly. I'm out of the boot now and I'm just looking forward to starting camp."

LaFell finished as the #22 WR in both standard and PPR formats, but didn’t catch a single pass in the first two games. He began to see starter-type snaps in Week 4, and was the #15 receiver in standard formats over the final 13 games of the season.

Owen Daniels and Virgil Green appear locked in on the top two spots, and depending on the frequency at which the Broncos use certain personnel groups, could both end up with play counts that reflect being starters. It was appropriate that their contracts were finalized within 24 hours of each other in free agency, because the two are best viewed as a collective as the Broncos work to build a deep tight end complement after Julius Thomas left for the Jaguars and Jacob Tamme joined the Falcons in free agency.

If both Daniels and Green play starter's snaps, then it's not going to leave much playing time for Cody Latimer as the team's WR3. Marlon Brown (40%) and Kamar Aiken (26%) didn't play enough to be fantasy relevant under Kubiak last year. However, things could change if Latimer makes a leap in training camp.

There will some ambiguity at tight end because it’s too early to know if Dennis Pitta will play or if rookie Maxx Williams will be ready to take on a big role. However, second-year player Crockett Gillmore remains the likely candidate to start because he’s the closest thing that the Ravens have to a two-way tight end after he spent the offseason working on his quickness and receiving skills.

Since 1998, 47 tight ends have been drafted in the first two rounds, and a grand total of one (Jeremy Shockey) scored at a TE1-type rate when compared to the position’s production in 2014. Six more scored at a rate good enough to crack the top 18, so the odds are against Williams making much of a fantasy impact in 2015. However, there are a couple of things working in his favor. He has a great opportunity for snaps if Pitta is unable to play (and be effective) this season, and he’s playing in a very pass-friendly offense (under OC Marc Trestman) for a team that is looking for playmakers at receiver.

Texans beat writers John McClain and Brian T. Smith discuss the candidates to replace Andre Johnson as the starter opposite DeAndre Hopkins. Smith said that "big picture" Jaelen Strong should be the guy, but Smith asked, "can he make enough of an impression during training camp?" The Texans are looking for consistency from the rookie.

Smith went on to say that Cecil Shorts "looked impressive" in camp, showing "really nice hands" and was the "one guy who truly stood out" at receiver.

Smith doesn't believe that Nate Washington will start, but went on to say that he could "really help this team" with his speed in three-WR sets.

Washington was the player that HC Bill O'Brien singled out, but it sounds like Smith believes that either Shorts or Strong will end up starting opposite of Hopkins. This may be something of a committee throughout the season and the quarterback situation in Houston makes it a dicey proposition to buy into the Texans' pass offense. Still, Strong is worthy of a late-round flier given his 15th round ADP even if he isn't starting Week 1.

Nick Toon, who spent his first three years at the X receiver spot, has moved to the Z in the Saints’ base offense. Toon will line up off the ball more often, and he’ll be lining up on the strong side of the formation, as opposed to the weak side. Toon, at 6-foot-4 and 220 pounds, has become one of New Orleans’ better run blockers at receiver, an ability that can come in handy as an extra blocker outside the tight end.

For Toon, the key is putting it all together. He should have plenty of chances.

“We saw at times last year in practice, even though he’s not receiving reps in the games, certainly we’ve seen his progression, he understands the system well and he’s working hard,” Payton said. “I think the key is just getting snaps, but I think we’ll see his snaps go way up.”

Toon figures to serve as the WR3 behind Brandin Cooks and Marques Colston. The role hasn't traditionally been a big fantasy producer, but Jimmy Graham is gone so the team figures to get less production out of the tight end position. If anything happens to Cooks or Colston, fantasy owners should have Toon on speed dial.

Giants WR Victor Cruz has maintained all offseason that he expects to be ready to go for training camp after tearing his patellar tendon last season and said on Tuesday that everyone with a say in the matter also feels confident that Cruz will avoid the physically unable to perform list when the team reports to training camp.

“From the training staff, the coaches and the front office people, I think everyone’s under the assumption that I’ll be ready to go,” Cruz said on Sirius XM NFL Radio with Bruce Murray and Rich Gannon. “I don’t think PUP will be an option. Obviously, if it comes about then that’s a conversation I have to have with my superiors. It seems like I’m on track to be ready for training camp and, God willing, be out there Week One.”

Cruz tore his patellar tendon in mid-October, so it's no sure thing that he'll be back for the start of the season, though recent reports are positive. He's not going to get the same number of targets given Odell Beckham's emergence as a top-flight wideout. Cruz will likely play the Randall Cobb role in OC Ben McAdoo's offense, so there is some upside if he's fully healthy by Week 1. Hopefully the injury doesn’t rob him of the speed and quickness that makes him such a dangerous slot receiver.

First-round pick WR Nelson Agholor worked almost primarily with the second and third team offenses during the Philadelphia Eagles' spring practices. Jordan Matthews, Riley Cooper and Josh Huff all worked ahead of him. According to one NFL executive, this won't be the case for very long.

"He should be good, real good,'' the executive said to Mark Eckel, of True Jersey. "I'd bet on him. He'll come in and produce right away. He has the right mentality and just a great approach to the game. He's going to help them.''

The exec believes that Agholor's arrival will also help Matthews reach a higher level of play.

The Eagles need a WR1 with the departure of Jeremy Maclin. This exec also said he thinks Matthews is a nice WR, but not a number one; however the two will work well together. Rookie WRs don't always come in and put up big numbers, but perhaps that trend is starting to show signs of changing a bit. Given the Eagles offense and the amount of plays they like to run, Agholor is at least in a good offensive situation. We have Agholor ranked 39th among our WRs which puts him as a low-end WR4. His ADP, though, is the 8th round in ten team leagues - a round or two, or even three, higher than a lot of the guys ranked around him. There may be some safer options on the board to think about.

Are the Cowboys and WR Dez Bryant close to a long-term deal?

Depends on whom you believe.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter said Monday on ESPN Radio: “Despite reports that they think a deal could be coming down this week. Today, a deal doesn’t sound like it’s close. It doesn’t sound like anything’s close.”

“A week from now? We may be having an entirely different conversation. Last moment, one side steps up, the other side gives in, they meet in the middle. But today, as we stand, I don’t think we’re going to get a deal with Dez Bryant.”

Meanwhile, CBSSports.com reporter Jason La Canfora tweeted: “Sounds like a Dez Bryant deal isn’t out of the question this week. Expect things to continue evolving and possibly conclude by midweek.”

The Cowboys placed the franchise tag on Bryant but he hasn't signed the $13 million tender. The deadline is July 15 for the Cowboys to reach a long-term deal with Bryant. Bryant has threatened to sit out the first game of the season if no deal is in place. In a twist, Bryant recently shot a Sunday Night Football promo for the same game he threatened not to attend, the story said. Bryant would cost himself $754,000 for each game he skipped, according to the article. Bryant is fourth on our WR list, but is actually going late first round ahead of our third ranked WR Demaryius Thomas.

If you go by past accomplishments, Eagles WR Miles Austin is easily the team’s best wide receiver.

The reality is he hasn’t had a productive season since 2012, when he caught 66 passes for 943 yards and six touchdowns, but the Eagles would sign right now for anything close to those numbers.

Think about this: On an awful Browns team with quarterback havoc, Austin was on pace for 63 catches, 757 yards and three TDs before lacerating his kidney in a freak injury. Last year, Riley Cooper caught 55 passes for 577 yards and three TDs.

If sports science can keep him healthy, and with some stability at QB in Chip Kelly’s offense, Austin could at very least be more productive than Cooper and is probably more reliable than Josh Huff, who still has to prove he can be consistent and values the football.

Austin will have to battle some young guys drafted by Chip Kelly in order to get on the field, but like the piece mentions, Austin is pretty much the veteran presence at the position. With pass-catching RB Darren Sproles and emerging TE Zach Ertz also around, there are going to be a lot of targets to get the ball to, but Austin could be a guy who makes a move in camp and jumps on the fantasy radar, so he's perhaps worth keeping an eye on in this fast-paced offense.

Owen Daniels, Virgil Green and James Casey leading the complement, the Broncos still appear to be in reliable hands as they reconstruct their tight end corps.

Daniels and Green appear locked in on the top two spots, and depending on the frequency at which the Broncos use certain personnel groups, could both end up with play counts that reflect being starters.

Julius Thomas, who scored 24 touchdowns the last two years, left for Jacksonville. We rank Daniels 16th on our TE list, but project him for only about 5 TDs this season. While Daniels has the experience in Gary Kubiak's offense, and Green the experience with QB Peyton Manning the last four years, the story points out the job description for the tight ends is a bit different than it was the last three seasons - there'll be a bit more blocking involved. Daniels ADP is the 12th round, however. Compared to those around him, that's about three rounds earlier than Kyle Rudolph and Tyler Eifert who are ranked ahead of Daniels on our list.

The Green Bay Packers plan to stand by tight end Andrew Quarless following his July 4 arrest in Miami Beach, Florida.

According to two sources, the Packers have no plans to release the sixth-year veteran, who was charged with a misdemeanor for discharging a firearm in public. According to the police report, Quarless fired two shots into the air outside a parking garage and was arrested at 5:35 a.m.

Quarless was released from custody. No future court dates have been set yet, according to the Miami Beach Clerk of Courts.

The 26-year-old is expected to compete for the starting job with second-year tight end Richard Rodgers. The story went on to say Quarless could be subject to discipline under the NFL's personal conduct policy. The policy states that a player could be placed on paid administrative leave or on the commissioner's exempt list if "formally charged with a crime of violence, meaning that you are accused of having used physical force or a weapon to injure or threaten another person."

While it seems like yesterday that a young Joe Flacco was drafted in the first round by the Baltimore Ravens, he’s already heading into his eighth season as an NFL quarterback. He’s a seasoned, mature veteran and the leader of one of the winningest pro football franchises over the last decade. Flacco is the Super Bowl XLVII MVP and has the most playoff wins of any NFL quarterback since he entered the league in 2008. Last season, he had his best statistical outing yet, putting up 3,986 passing yards and 27 touchdowns. Nobody wants to see those numbers regress even if Flacco has his fourth coordinator in four years. In fact, the hope is that he gets even better and breaks the 4,000-yard milestone. When asked about what he’ll do to better his game in 2015, Flacco didn’t say a single thing about stats, wins or any accolades, such as getting a Pro Bowl nod for the first time. Instead, he named three specific goals: 1) Stay healthy 2) Maintain strong communication with his OC Marc Trestman 3) Work on his footwork

Perhaps the most important fantasy-related item to take away here is Flacco building his relationship with Trestman. The story said Flacco isn’t worried about the offense under Trestman due to its similarity to the system Gary Kubiak implemented last season. Flacco is ranked 16th among our QBs this year. He lost his deep threat in Torrey Smith but the team drafted Breshad Perriman, who is expected to start alongside Steve L Smith, and fill the deep threat void. We project Flacco for 4,259 yards, which would put him tenth. He'll continue to have QB2 value and probably could start for your fantasy team in certain matchups.

Leading up to the 2015 NFL Draft, Oregon star QB Marcus Mariota was billed as a "project," bound to struggle with the transition from a college spread offense to a pro style. After an impressive showing in offseason practices, though, the Tennessee Titans have reason to believe Mariota will find instant success as a rookie. Veteran receiver Harry Douglas recently raved about the "unbelievable accuracy" Mariota showcased in OTAs and minicamp. "I feel like Marcus has done everything he needs to do to get the ball to his receivers," Douglas added, via ESPN.com's Paul Kuharsky.

Mariota also drew praise from wide receivers coach Shawn Jefferson who said Mariota has been "deadly accurate" in practices. Of course it's only practice. Mariota ranks just 26th on our QB list but certainly has a chance to improve on that. However, the Titans group of WRs isn't all that impressive. Kendell Wright ranks the highest at just 45th on our WR list. He's joined by Justin Hunter (70th), Dorial Green-Beckham (89th), Douglas (101st) and Hakeem Nicks (142nd).

Broncos.com writer Andrew Mason answered a question about QB Peyton Manning possibly getting games off this season.

Mason: First of all, Gary Kubiak never said that. There is a perception that he did. But when he was asked March 24 about whether Peyton Manning's schedule and repetitions would be modified because of his age -- be it in practice or games -- this was his reply:

"It's interesting. He and I talked about that and I know his mindset is totally the other way but I have to get a feel for that. I think that as a coach you have to make those suggestions to players. You have to say, 'Hey, maybe you take a Wednesday [off] here or there.' I don't know what that’s going to be until I get involved with him on a day-to-day basis.

"The great ones -- the reason they're great is you have to battle them on things like that because they are used to being a part of every day. They are used to having that under-control every day situation. So we'll see how it works out. We want to do what's best for him. I went through the same process with John [Elway] late in his career. It was a battle for me and [former Head Coach] Mike [Shanahan] to do some things with him. I can remember some of the adjustments we made with John -- from a meeting standpoints, from a practice standpoint, from training camp, things like that. But he battled us too and that's why they are who they are."

Apparently some took Kubiak's comments back in March as he may give Manning games off this season, perhaps similar to what John Elway went through back in 1998. But the writer also pointed out the Broncos didn't plan to give Elway games off, however injuries forced Bubby Brister to play in four games. The story also said there have already been modifications in Manning's practice schedule, with regular days off during OTAs and minicamp, but that doesn't necessarily mean time off in games. Manning is fourth on our QB list, but obviously scheduled games off would not be what fantasy owners would want. We'll continue to monitor this but it doesn't look like the team has any desire, or plans, to sit Manning in games.

Whether or not Saints RB C.J. Spiller ends up being the starter is question in and of itself, but he is going to come through with a big season.

He may not see the same type of usage on the ground, but he is going to fill a role that is very similar to the one that Darren Sproles had during his tenure with the Saints. As Robert Cobb of TheInscriberMag.com stated, Spiller’s ability to be a receiver out of the backfield is going to be a major help for the Saints’ offense.

New Orleans head coach Sean Payton loved what Sproles brought to the field, and it was obvious that they missed him last season after trading him. Signing a player like Spiller shows exactly how much the Saints wanted to bring back a player who is similar to Sproles.

Unfortunately, Spiller has struggled with quite a few injury issues throughout his career. He has only played an entire season as a workhorse in one of his five NFL seasons, and he was an absolute star in that season, the story said. Other than that, Spiller has been inconsistent at best or simply wasn’t used much. Spiller should help to fill a void left by TE Jimmy Graham, so Spiller's value should come in PPR leagues as Mark Ingram is expected to get a bulk of the carries. We forecast Spiller for 68 catches, the most among RBs.

Green Bay tight end Andrew Quarless has joined the march to the sidelines after reportedly being arrested in Miami on Saturday morning.

According to the Miami New Times, Quarless was involved in a fight at South Beach, which allegedly prompted him to fire a gun twice into the ground. He tried to flee, but Quarless was apprehended by a pair of police officers.

The story went on to say a spokesman for the Miami Police Department confirmed the arrest and its details. An incident report is expected to be released later today. Under the new Personal Conduct Policy, Quarless could be headed for paid leave pending the resolution of these charges and the imposition of league discipline. Thereafter, he’d potentially serve an unpaid suspension. Quarless appeared in 16 games with 11 starts in 2014, catching 29 passes for 323 yards and three touchdowns.

Three Giants beat writers answered a question about RB Rashad Jennings’ injury issues last year, making the Giants more likely to split carries at running back a little more.

JOHN SCHMEELK: Regardless of Jennings’ injury history, the Giants are going to split carries because they have three very talented running backs that all deserve to touch the ball. I expect Jennings to be the bell cow with help from Williams, Vereen to be the third down back, and for Williams to get a lot of goal line and short yardage carries.

DAN SALOMONE: Regardless of any injuries, I think the running backs are all going to see a fair share of carries this season because they all bring something a little different to the table. Jennings is an all-around back, Andre Williams is a bruiser, and newly-signed Shane Vereen is a third-down threat out of the backfield.

LANCE MEDOW: The Giants will likely split carries at running back a little more this season but I think it has more to do with the depth in the backfield than Rashad Jennings’ injury issues in 2014. With Andre Williams coming off a productive rookie campaign and Shane Vereen adding some versatility and veteran experience, those two will take away some carries from Jennings just like Brandon Jacobs, Derrick Ward and Ahmad Bradshaw spread the wealth in 2008.

All three writers seem to feel the same way: Jennings should get a bulk of the early down work with Williams a change of pace and short yardage guy, and, Vereen seeing a lot of time on third down. We have Jennings ranked 26th which puts him in the flex/RB3 zone. Vereen is 38th overall but will likely be rated higher in PPR rankings. Both Jennings and Vereen present middle-of-the-draft value, but will come with risks week-to-week depending on matchups.

Ladarius Green is known for his limited route tree, but his speed, athleticism and big frame supersede those concerns. He can stretch the field in ways no other Chargers receiver can.

He’s also a better run blocker than Antonio Gates, which could have a significant impact in rookie running back Melvin Gordon’s early development.

Even before the suspension, Green was due a bigger role in the offense. If the Chargers utilize his natural abilities and he shows he’s ready for primetime, Gates will have to settle for a reduced role when he returns.

Given how effective Gates was last year, it's hard to see the team benching him for Green even if Green lights it up in the first month of the season. One thing's for sure -- Gates's suspension has thrown a pretty settled situation up in the air. In the five career games in which Green has seen more than three targets, he has averaged 3.4 catches for 66 yards and 0.40 TD. Thats 12.4 FP in PPR formats, or about what Julius Thomas averaged last season. Keep in mind that Green only averaged 5.4 T/G in those games, while Gates averaged 6.1 T/G last season, so Green has the potential to post top 5 numbers for the first month of the season.

Chargers tight end Antonio Gates will be suspended for the first four games of the 2015 regular season for violating the NFL’s policy on performance enhancing substances, the league informed the Chargers on Thursday.

Gates's statement included the following:

“In an effort to recover from a long season and although I was unaware at the time, I regret to confirm that I tested positive for a substance that is currently on the NFL banned substance list. As an NFL veteran and team leader, I should have done my due diligence to ensure that what I was taking for recovery was within the NFL guidelines. I have always believed that ignorance is no excuse when it comes to these issues, and I take full responsibility for my actions."

Gates will be eligible to return in Week 5. Ladarius Green figures to see starter's snaps with Gates sidelined. In the five games in which Green has seen more than three targets, he has averaged 3.4 catches for 66 yards and 0.40 TD. Thats 12.4 FP in PPR formats, or about what Julius Thomas averaged last season. Keep in mind that Green only averaged 5.4 T/G in those games, while Gates averaged 6.1 T/G last season, so Green has the potential to post top 5 numbers for the first month of the season.

Jaguars QB Blake Bortles' shoulder didn't require surgery, said HC Jim Caldwell, who referred to it as a "dead arm" suffering from inflammation, forcing a reduction in practice reps after roughly 17 months straight of throwing through the quarterback's last year at Central Florida, the pre-draft process and his first NFL season.

A toe injury suffered in a December loss to the Baltimore Ravens exacerbated things by disrupting Bortles' footwork but didn't stop him from making a start four days later against the Tennessee Titans (one of the Jaguars' three wins).

"A lot of it was good until some of those (injuries) happen," said Caldwell. "Now he's gotten healthy, and he's gotten back to really taking care of his body. I just asked him today, 'How's your body feel compared to this time last year?'

"He said it's night and day, man."

Bortles averaged 12.0 fantasy points per game, which led to a #24 finish at his position. He's a passer who could make a leap in his second season if the Jaguars can give him time to throw and he continues to clean up his fundamentals. The receiving corps is young but talented, with Allen Robinson, Marqise Lee and Allen Hurns all capable of producing when given the opportunity. The team signed Julius Thomas to provide a dangerous weapon at tight end. Bortles averaged nearly 30 yards rushing, so he offers some baseline production as a runner.

Dorial Green-Beckham spent weeks sidelined by a hamstring injury. That aside, his former college coach believes the Titans have landed the equivalent of a "nightmare matchup for any cornerback at any level."

"I was with the Colts with Jim Mora when he had Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne, I was with the Raiders when they had Jerry Rice, Tim Brown, Jerry Porter and some other guys on the Super Bowl team," University of Texas receivers coach Jay Norvell told the Tennessean.

Norvell spent last season coaching the red-shirted Green-Beckham in practice at Oklahoma, saying: "When you go through the history of the draft and look at the guys with size and speed and all that, he is just unique. Calvin Johnson is probably one of the closest comparisons physically because of his size."

Armed with 4.49 speed and a 6-foot-5, 237-pound frame, Green-Beckham drew pre-draft comparisons from NFL Media's Charles Davis to Falcons star Julio Jones and former NFL wideout Plaxico Burress.

"He's not a finished product, but most players aren't," Norvell said. "So he's going to have to learn the pro game and that's a completely different game from college. But he's got some natural gifts that will help him in that game, and in some ways, the NFL is probably a better game for him than college football, just because of the bump rules and (less) contact and all of that. So there are some advantages he has. ... That's why they picked him."

If Green-Beckham picks up things quickly and proves he’s not as raw as his detractors say — one offensive coordinator said he was “completely lost” at the whiteboard in a pre-draft interview — he could certainly start early in the season opposite Kendall Wright, since it seems that Justin Hunter is on the outs with the current coaching staff. If he sees starter’s snaps, he should be fantasy relevant as a rookie, though he'll have to prove he's ready for the mental side of the game. Long-term, he has a chance to flourish if both he and Marcus Mariota are the real deal.

About a month before camp, Geno Smith and most of the Jets' skill players will work out in Brandon Marshall's hometown, Chicago, so Marshall can spend more time with his newborn twins. They'll work on "chemistry, talking over the playbook and things we saw at the end of camp, things that we thought we needed to improve on,'' Smith said.

It's usually not a good thing when a receiver changes teams, unless he's getting a promotion, which isn't really the case with Marshall. But it's a good sign that he and Smith are working on their chemistry, because they're going to need to be on the same page by the time training camp begins. Smith is expected to get an opportunity to start at least four games so that the franchise can decide if he’s their quarterback of the future. With the addition of Marshall, Eric Decker and receiving TE Jace Amaro in the last two years, the weapons around him are improved. He could work his way into the QB2/streaming conversation if he gets off to a good start.

Redskins beat writer Rich Tandler on whether or not TE Jordan Reed will be a big part of the offense:

Add it up and when he was healthy Jordan played 337 of 612 snaps. That’s about 55 percent of the plays, amounting to a heavy part-time load. When he played in 2013 he was targeted 7.8 times per game. Last year his targets per game (again not counting the games he left early due to injury) stood at 6.9. Despite being healthy, he was virtually ignored in games against the Vikings (1 target), Eagles (2), and Bucs (2).

I shouldn’t give the impression here that Reed was not used at all. His 65 total targets were fourth on the team and more than anyone besides the top three wide receivers, despite missing five games.

Still, it’s hard to look at the snap counts and targets and figure that Reed will be a “major part” of the offense even if he’s healthy. That could change but probably not initially. I can see him starting out the year playing about half of the snaps and if he stays on the field his workload could increase to where he’s playing, say, 70 percent of the snaps. If he’s on the field more his targets will increase and he could become more of a part of the offense.

But it all starts with Reed staying healthy. If that happens I’m sure that the team will figure out ways to take advantage of his considerable talents.

If Reed were to average 6.9 T/G over a full 16-game season, it works out to 110 targets, which would have been the 5th-most among tight ends last season. His problem is that he can't seem to stay healthy and isn't currently healthy enough to practice. Tandler mentions that Reed's playing time may increase as the season wears on.

Amari Cooper possesses the natural talents that could help transform the Raiders' passing offense from a smorgasbord of faulty short threats and singles hitters to one with a playmaker boasting the ability to hit a home run at any moment.

Second-year quarterback Derek Carr sang high praise about his rookie target to 95.7 The Game on Tuesday.

"He (Cooper) is ridiculous in and out of his breaks," said Carr, via the team's official website. "His style of play is perfect for this league. He's good at getting on toes and creating separation. He's good at when the ball is in his hands making those fast-twitch movements to make a guy go one way so he can take it to the house. It's just little things that honestly people don't even notice."

"His work ethic is second to none," Carr added of Cooper. "I was throwing with him as soon as mini-camp was over so we can get more reps in, and our plan was to throw a couple more times, but he texted me that night. He said, 'Hey, let's throw at least three more times. I need to get this one route right.' Just him telling me that kind of stuff, it blew my mind."

"I think the sky's the limit for him, obviously," Carr said. "Hopefully I just get the ball into his hands so he can make the plays."

Cooper should immediately step into the team’s WR1 role. By all accounts he looks like the real deal, and his coaches and teammates have been effusive in their praise of the rookie. He is the safest of the first year wideouts, but touchdowns may be an issue for the offensively-challenged Raiders.

Redskins beat writers Tarik El-Bashir and Rich Tandler discussed the candidates to replace Roy Helu as the team's third-down back.

Tandler: If [Chris Thompson] stays healthy he is definitely a threat to get the job but I’m putting my hypothetical money on [Matt Jones]. I think that Jay Gruden and company think that they might have quite an unusual weapon in the rookie and they will give him a shot to see what he can do.

El-Bashir: After getting a good look at Jones in OTAs and minicamp, I’m now expecting the Florida product to end up as a direct replacement for Helu, meaning he’ll occasionally spell Morris and fill the role of third down running back.

Helu finished the season as the #31 RB in PPR formats, and that was with Alfred Morris playing a full season. It's possible that Jones will post RB3 numbers in PPR leagues as Morris's direct backup and Washington's third-down back.