THE SIX KINGS Posted August 10, 2008 Share Posted August 10, 2008 Aug. 9, 2008 AFC South The Jaguars have serious concerns about their offensive line, a team source told us. C Brad Meester should be out for approximately two months with a biceps injury, and the club’s shuffling of the guards back and forth between the right and left sides is evidence of its insecurity. Furthermore, OLT Khalif Barnes has struggled throughout camp, as has primary backup Richard Collier. Word we’re hearing is that the Jaguars are banking on a big season from third-year man Tony McDaniel, who figures prominently in the DT rotation. The 6-7, 310-pounder has been a load throughout camp. For all of the Colts’ injuries, they received some positive news recently as WR Marvin Harrison (knee) and MLB Gary Brackett (groin) were given medical clearance to play in Saturday’s preseason game at Carolina. Still, we hear that it’s unlikely either will play much, and it wouldn’t be surprising if both wait another week to make their preseason debuts. The feeling from Titans camp is that OLG Eugene Amano will hold off Leroy Harris for the starting job, but Harris has played well to date. Texans CB Jamar Fletcher has all but locked up the nickel back’s role after a very good start to training camp, we’re told. Look for the Texans to err on the side of WR Andre Johnson, who had offseason knee surgery and has been bothered by a groin injury. The Texans know what Johnson is capable of, and suffice it to say, they are not worried about preseason performance. AFC North Don’t be surprised if Steelers RB Willie Parker gets most of the carries near the goal line in the regular season, the way we hear it. Rookie Rashard Mendenhall isn’t known for his inside running prowess, and until he gets more experience, Parker might be the Steelers’ top option when it comes to getting tough yards close to the endzone. Word from Pittsburgh is that SS Troy Polamalu (hamstring) and NT Casey Hampton (conditioning) are expected to return to practice next week. Polamalu’s injury is not considered serious, and Hampton has taken considerable steps to get into shape after head coach Mike Tomlin placed him on the physically-unable-to-perform list at the beginning of camp. AFC East The Dolphins’ WR corps is suffering from a bad case of the drops. Coach Tony Sparano gave them an earful after a recent practice, and as a coach who stresses the fundamentals, Sparano has been visibly agitated. One of the most disappointing receivers has been free-agent acquisition Ernest Wilford, who has been indefinitely demoted to the second team, with Derek Hagan taking his starting spot. When the Patriots drafted QB Kevin O’Connell in April, opinion from NFL insiders was mixed. Some believed the Pats did it because backup QB Matt Cassel had lost the confidence of the coaches, whereas others felt they did it because Cassel would be in high enough demand in the 2009 free-agent market that they wouldn’t be able to afford him. Cassel’s shoddy play in the Pats’ preseason opener bolstered the opinion of the first group. Cassel completed just 1-of-4 passes with one interception. In fact, all the Pats’ quarterbacks played poorly — Tom Brady was kept on the bench — and there’s a feeling around Foxborough that the team will be hurting badly if Brady gets injured. The theory that the Bills’ offensive transition to new coordinator Turk Schonert’s up-tempo system will require as much mental acumen as physical prowess was echoed by WR Lee Evans. “If we don’t have many mental mistakes, regardless of the execution, we have a good platform for stepping forward,” Evans said. AFC West Offensive linemen may need to keep their heads on a swivel when they face the Raiders this season. We hear Oakland has been shifting DE Derrick Burgess all over the field in training camp, from left end to right end, to try to get him on a side away from the tight end. The Raiders have also shown a 3-4 look at times, and Burgess has served as a stand-up linebacker. Burgess has the ability to rush the passer from that spot or drop back into coverage, and sources say he looks faster than last year while he’s on the move. Although the Chiefs have been impressed thus far with the play of rookie free-agent RB Dantrell Savage, the odds of him making the team are slim. The back is undersized at 5-8, 182 pounds, and won't contribute on special teams. Plus, Kansas City already has two talented backups in Kolby Smith and Jamaal Charles, and that's not even including the surging Jackie Battle. With the backfield very crowded, Savage appears destined for the practice squad. With many expecting DE Igor Olshansky to bolt from San Diego after this season, the versatile Ryon Bingham is being groomed as Olshansky’s heir apparent. Although technically a defensive tackle, Bingham has the ability to make an impact at end, as well. If they can't bring in a top-notch defensive end in ’09, the Chargers seem content having Bingham line up next to Jamal Williams and Luis Castillo on the starting D-line. Sources in Denver say there’s been a noticeable loss in vocal leadership on the Broncos’ defense since S John Lynch asked for and was granted his release July 31. Word is the team feels it can compensate for the void, since it has many veterans on defense, but nobody still on the roster has been known to speak up as Lynch did. NFC North The Vikings continue to look for a backup option for OLT Bryant McKinnie, who might face league discipline stemming from his involvement in an offseason brawl in Miami. So far, no one has stepped up — Chase Johnson has been a disappointment, and Marcus Johnson is working at right tackle — so you can expect Artis Hicks to be the guy who would replace McKinnie. Two of the Lions’ top rookies, OT Gosder Cherilus and LB Jordon Dizon, had rough debuts in the preseason game against the Giants on Thursday. Although the Lions’ running game wasn’t terribly productive, head coach Rod Marinelli did mention he liked the way RB Kevin Smith fought through the trash and kept his legs moving. The consensus among the daily Bears observers we talk to is that QB Rex Grossman, who has always garnered strong reviews for his accessibility to the media, has been much more detached this season. Our Bears insiders believe WR Marty Booker, who has replaced the departed Muhsin Muhammad as the WR corps’ elder statesman, is quickly proving himself to be a more effective mentor than the more vocal Muhammad, who sometimes had a tendency to throw teammates under the bus with his caustic comments. We hear the Packers’ concern over their depleted DT corps has been at least somewhat alleviated by the strong training camp being turned in by second-year DT Daniel Muir, who has been making a habit out of winning most of his one-on-one matchups. Team insiders also tell us Packers coaches were impressed with the way usual DE Jason Hunter looked playing inside in the team’s recent Family Night scrimmage. The latest word on the Packers’ kick-return plans is that CB Will Blackmon has the inside track on both punt and kickoff returns just ahead of CB Tramon Williams. NFC West Out in the desert, we hear contract negotiations with Cardinals QB Kurt Warner have hit a bit of a snag, with both sides having a problem agreeing on Warner’s worth — an understandable dilemma for a player who is considered a backup on the depth chart but excelled as a starter after Matt Leinart was lost for the 2007 season. In the meantime, daily camp observers tell us Warner has appeared to be more of a fan favorite in the early going than Leinart. Word is Cardinals rookie WR Lance Long has been very hard to ignore. We’re told the undrafted Mississippi State product has made eyebrow-raising plays on an almost daily basis in the team’s training camp. We hear the handwriting could be on the wall for Niners WR Ashley Lelie, whose nagging calf injury has given promising youngsters Josh Morgan and Cam Colvin more of an opportunity to possibly steal away his spot on the roster. Daily observers of the Niners’ training camp tell us that it appears each of the three challengers for the starting QB job has his own favorite target. We hear Alex Smith prefers newly acquired Bryant Johnson, J.T. O’Sullivan prefers speedy second-year pro Jason Hill, and Shaun Hill has taken a particular liking to rookie Josh Morgan. No doubt well aware of the logjam at his position, we hear veteran Rams WR and roster survivor Dane Looker is enjoying a stellar training camp. It’s become quite clear to team insiders that at least 1-2 Rams pass catchers from a group including Looker, Reche Caldwell, Derek Stanley, Marques Hagans and Brandon Williams could be on the outside looking in on the final cutdown day. Word is Rams head coach Scott Linehan’s decision to handle veteran DT La’Roi Glover with care during training camp is paying off big-time. Feeling fresher with more days off, Glover has been hard to stop in the practice sessions in which he has been involved. After the Seahawks finally figured out how to best treat the strained calf that has kept starting DE Patrick Kerney from participating in training camp, we hear the NFC’s leading sacker last season could be ready to return to practice sometime late next week. We also hear that the MRI tests taken on the knees of DB Jordan Babineaux and OL Floyd “Pork Chop” Womack showed no serious damage and that both players should be able to return to practice in 7-10 days. NFC East Giants LB coach Bill Sheridan has raved about rookie Bryan Kehl, who has worked primarily at weak-side linebacker and is making a statement for playing time. Sheridan also has sung the praises of fellow rookie LB Jonathan Goff, but Goff suffered a potentially serious back injury (a fractured transverse process) in Thursday’s preseason opener against the Lions. The Giants have an interest in QB Chad Pennington but realize they likely aren’t Pennington’s favorite option; he’s looking for a chance to start somewhere. The Redskins aren’t considering moving Shawn Springs to safety full time, but with the team’s lack of depth on the back half, the coaches want to see how Springs will handle playing safety if injuries mount. Eagles rookie LB Joe Mays has stood out in early practice sessions and appears to be making a strong statement for a roster spot. NFC South We hear Panthers rookie RB Jonathan Stewart is still being nagged by a sore right big toe, on which he had surgery in March. Stewart has been trying to work through the pain, but it’s not going away and he’s been limited in practice because of it. Sources in Carolina said, however, that this isn’t a case of the Panthers rushing their rookie back into the fold too quickly after an injury. Stewart has been impressive in drills thus far, so even if the pain continues into the season, there’s a good chance he’ll continue to play through it. Though it was only a preseason game, we hear Robert Meachem’s four-catch, 129-yard performance, which included a 60-yard touchdown grab in the fourth quarter, is being viewed as a breakthrough moment for the Saints’ second-year receiver. Meachem, a first-round pick in 2007, stood on the sideline all of last season with a knee injury and was a major disappointment. The performance Aug. 7 against the Cardinals gives him some momentum in the race to become New Orleans’ No. 3 receiver. Sources say the Falcons are on the lookout for a veteran cornerback to help add some experience to what could be a young, vulnerable secondary. However, the team does have a high regard for rookie CB Chevis Jackson, a third-round pick from LSU, and it would be pleased if he stepped up in the preseason games to prove he can handle a significant role as the No. 1 nickel back. Negotiations on a trade involving Bucs QB Chris Simms could heat up in the next few days if Simms has a good showing in the squad’s preseason game on Saturday. Simms wants out of Tampa, but the Bucs have not caved in to his demands yet and are taking a good look at him in practice to get a better sense of what he can offer after not having played in a regular-season game since early in the 2006 season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeeR Posted August 10, 2008 Share Posted August 10, 2008 Lot of backups-to-backups talk here, but still worth a read. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rajncajn Posted August 10, 2008 Share Posted August 10, 2008 Lot of backups-to-backups talk here, but still worth a read. Thanks In the offseason I'd rather hear about backups to backups rather than Westbrook getting a new contract or SJax unhappy with his of star player "X" having a mild turf toe injury. I want to hear about guys who could be future stars. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rellen13 Posted August 10, 2008 Share Posted August 10, 2008 In the offseason I'd rather hear about backups to backups rather than Westbrook getting a new contract or SJax unhappy with his of star player "X" having a mild turf toe injury. I want to hear about guys who could be future stars. This is the part that caught my eye. Don’t be surprised if Steelers RB Willie Parker gets most of the carries near the goal line in the regular season, the way we hear it. Rookie Rashard Mendenhall isn’t known for his inside running prowess, and until he gets more experience, Parker might be the Steelers’ top option when it comes to getting tough yards close to the endzone. If true, it would move Parker up my draft board alot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
piratesownninjas Posted August 10, 2008 Share Posted August 10, 2008 and there’s a feeling around Foxborough that the team will be hurting badly if Brady gets injured. Good info here... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rellen13 Posted August 10, 2008 Share Posted August 10, 2008 That's news? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.