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Cleveland Browns RB Trent Richardson (leg) is not practicing Thursday, May 23, due to a pulled muscle near his shin.
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Huddle Up: Even though Richardson toughed out ailments and played 15 games in a solid rookie season, it's a subtle reminder that injury concerns are never far away for the second-year back.
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Reggie Bush - RB - Detroit Lions
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Posted 5/23/13 12:55pm et   |
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Detroit Lions RB Reggie Bush was used as a punt returner during
organized team activities (OTAs) Wednesday, May 22. WR Terrence
Austin, WR Patrick Edwards, RB Steven Miller, WR Mike Thomas and WR
Cody Wilson also took turns returning punts.
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Huddle Up: With all the injury issues the Lions have had with their RBs in
recent seasons (see Best, Jahvid and Smith, Kevin), it's hard to
imagine the team allowing their new No. 1 back to return punts, no
matter if he is the most dangerous return man on the roster.
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Washington Redskins QB Robert Griffin III (knee) took the field in
team OTAs Thursday, May 23, and was dropping back and throwing for
about 20 minutes in workouts.
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Huddle Up: Seeing RGIII on the field 4 months after knee surgery had the
Twittersphere and Skins fans abuzz Thursday. To be sure, it's a
definite sign that the QB's rehab is on track -- and maybe even
ahead of schedule -- but it's still far from a guarantee he'll be
ready to run the read option, avoid blitzing LBs and pull off an
Adrian Peterson-esque Week 1 start. We'd normally finish by saying
"stay tuned" here, but we realize you have no choice in the matter
even if you're a casual NFL follower.
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New York Giants WR Rueben Randle is listed as the No. 3 receiver on the depth chart over WR Louis Murphy.
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Huddle Up: Translation: With starting wideouts Victor Cruz and Hakeem Nicks absent from OTAs, that means Randle, in his second year out of LSU, is suddenly the Giants' No. 1 WR and is getting plenty of first-team reps along with Murphy and fellow wideout Jerrel Jernigan.
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Heath Miller - TE - Pittsburgh Steelers
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Posted 5/23/13 12:11am et |
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Pittsburgh Steelers TE Heath Miller said he is happy with the progress he has made in his recovery from a torn anterior cruciate ligament but is not sure when he will be able to return. He said he has started to run as part of his rehab. He believes there is a chance he can be ready for the start of the regular season but will know more when training camp begins.
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Huddle Up: Doesn't sound as if Miller is overly confident about his availability for the start of the season. He was emerging as a steady fantasy contributor last season prior to his injury, so if he's on the field in training camp he warrants consideration as a low-end fantasy starter.
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Hakeem Nicks - WR - New York Giants
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Posted 5/23/13 12:11am et |
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New York Giants WR Hakeem Nicks did not show up to practice Wednesday, May 22, because he is unhappy with his contract situation, a source indicated. Nicks did not violate any rules, since organized team activities (OTAs) are voluntary, but head coach Tom Coughlin was expecting him.
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Huddle Up: If Nicks is unhappy now, how do you think he'll feel when Victor Cruz gets paid? Suddenly the Giants' receiver rotation is beginning to look a bit troublesome.
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Michael Vick - QB - Philadelphia Eagles
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Posted 5/23/13 12:11am et |
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Philadelphia Eagles QB Michael Vick, who held onto the ball for an average of 3.07 seconds last year, will likely have to change in order to be successful in head coach Chip Kelly's new offense. Kelly, while at Oregon, preached that his quarterbacks were urged to get the ball out of their hands in 1.5 seconds. "I think there is a lot more to Michael," Kelly said back in February. "I think quarterbacks are a byproduct of their experience. But to sit here and say I understood the system that Michael's been in whether he's with the Falcons under Coach (Dan) Reeves or here, that depends on the system that you run. Some of the systems that they run they don't ask him to get the ball out quick. Do I think he can get the ball out quick? I think he's got an unbelievable release. It's up and out and it's quick." Vick has had success in his career in waiting for plays to develop down the field, but the new offense will be a stark contrast to that. To help him become ready for the new season, Vick spent time simulating running an up-tempo offense consisting of read options and even added some muscle to his frame. Vick also did some boxing training to learn how to avoid taking big hits. The early reports out of practice have been positive for Vick.
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Huddle Up: Kelly's offense will be a change for just about any quarterback (Dennis Dixon being a notable exception), but indications are Vick is willing to put in the effort to make it work. Now we have to see how the battle between Vick and Nick Foles plays out.
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New York Jets head coach Rex Ryan said he was disappointed with QB Mark Sanchez after he threw three interceptions during organized team activities Wednesday, May 22. "Yeah, it is. Absolutely. It's a good thing defense makes the plays, but no, I'd rather him not turn the ball over once," Ryan said. "He did a lot of great things, and then those negative things, at the end of the day, that's what gets you beat. And so we got to do a better job of eliminating those turnovers."
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Huddle Up: Disappointing performances are pretty much the norm for Sanchez. It would have been a great opportunity for Geno Smith to take hold of the starting gig, but he completed just three of 10 passes with an interception.
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San Francisco 49ers WR Michael Crabtree has undergone surgery to repair his torn Achilles' tendon. Doctors believe Crabtree will miss six months; 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh said he does not think Crabtree will miss the entire 2013 regular season.
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Huddle Up: This is as good of news as can be expected, though a six-month timetable puts Crabtree back on the field in mid-November--and who knows if he'll be anywhere close to game shape at that point. Go ahead and stash him in a keeper league, but it's looking like Crabtree's fantasy contribution in 2013 will be minimal at best.
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San Francisco 49ers WR Michael Crabtree suffered a torn Achilles' tendon during organized team activities Tuesday, May 21, and will undergo what could be season-ending surgery.
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Huddle Up: Crabtree's injury wipes out what was expected to be a promising fantasy season; it also has a ripple effect throughout the 49ers, starting with a ding to Colin Kaepernick's fantasy value. A.J. Jenkins and rookie Quinton Patton are the most likely candidates to replace him in the 49ers' lineup, as Mario Manningham is still coming back from a torn ACL and Kyle Williams is more of a return man than a receiver. Don't rule out the 49ers looking for a veteran option to complement Anquan Boldin; Brandon Lloyd is a distinct possibility.
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Free-agent MLB Brian Urlacher retired after 13 seasons.
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Huddle Up: Urlacher drew some interest in short-term deals with teams other than the Bears but ultimately opted to walk away before donning another team's jersey.
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Geno Smith
- QB - New York Jets
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Posted 5/22/13 12:54am et |
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New York Jets QBs Mark Sanchez and Geno Smith are expected to compete for the starting quarterback job this offseason, but the quarterback competition could be settled well before the team even heads to training camp in July. Offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg wants one of the two QBs to separate himself from the other, and if that happens this week, the team isn't against naming their starter early. 'Common sense tells you that you hope it's quick, but this is going to be a full blown competition. Period,' Mornhinweg said. Sanchez, because of his experience, has the advantage to take control of the early competition. Smith, who spent much of his college days in shotgun, is spending a ton of time taking snaps from under center during OTAs with quarterbacks coach David Lee. Mornhinweg knows that the longer their QB competition lasts, the less time the winner will have to work with the first-team offense. The team also won't just name a starter to name a starter; it want a clear winner in the competition.
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Huddle Up: If the Jets do name an early starter, it almost certainly will be Sanchez, who has 62 NFL starts in 4 years under his belt. No matter who's the starter, though, it promises to be anything but a season of smooth sailing which, of course, means plenty of fans and media types calling for the backup.
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Jeff King - TE - Arizona Cardinals
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Posted 5/22/13 12:46am et |
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Updating a previous report, Arizona Cardinals TE Jeff King (knee) underwent knee surgery early in the offseason. The coaching staff hopes King can return to practice in early June.
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Huddle Up: King is projected to be the Cards' starting TE for the third straight season despite finishing with only 17 catches in 2012 -- his lowest total since his rookie year of 2006.
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Matt Forte - RB - Chicago Bears
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Posted 5/22/13 12:46am et |
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Chicago Bears RB Matt Forte did not participate in OTAs Tuesday, May 21. Forte is taking part in a two-day USO tour and is visiting troops in Germany.
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Huddle Up: No worries about Forte who could use the time away after recording at least 255 touches in each of his 5 NFL seasons.
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Dallas Cowboys DE DeMarcus Ware and DT Jay Ratliff did not participate in team drills Tuesday, May 21, during the first day of organized team activities (OTAs).
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Huddle Up: Ware (elbow) and Ratliff (sports hernia) both are coming off surgeries earlier this offseason and will be brought along slowly.
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Max Starks
- OT - San Diego Chargers
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Posted 5/22/13 12:39am et |
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San Diego Chargers OT Max Starks, who was signed to an undisclosed 1-year deal Tuesday, May 21, is likely to become the team's starting left tackle this year. Starks will likely replace OT King Dunlap at the position, with OT D.J. Fluker, the team's first-round pick, starting at right tackle.
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Huddle Up: Starks, who spent his first 9 seasons with the Steelers is the new blind-side protector for Philip Rivers, who has sacked 49 times in 2012, the most for any NFL QB aside from Aaron Rodgers (51 sacks last season). Meanwhile, Fluker, the 11th overall pick in the draft, should immediately bolster the other side of the line.
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Dez Bryant - WR - Dallas Cowboys
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Posted 5/22/13 12:39am et |
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Dallas Cowboys WR Dez Bryant said he found himself, and that has led
to a quiet offseason with no off-field issues. 'I found myself,'
Bryant said Tuesday after the Cowboys' first organized team
activity. 'I'm comfortable with my life. I'm enjoying being in the
NFL. I wish it could've been a couple years back, but I had to go
through a couple of things to figure it out. I think I got it and
I'm just more focused on my job and doing what I love to do and
that's playing football.'
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Huddle Up: No Bryant news has definitely been good news for Cowboys fans and
his keeper-league fantasy owners after the wideout enjoyed a career
year (92-1,382-12) in 2012 to finish with the third-most fantasy
points (210) among all wideouts.
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The Oakland Raiders agreed to terms with free-agent DB Charles Woodson (Packers) on a 1-year, $1.8 million contract Tuesday, May 21.
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Huddle Up: Hope the Black Hole faithful saved their Woodson jerseys from his previous 8-year stint in Oakland after being selected fourth overall in the 1998 draft. Woodson, who has had 10 interceptions, 5.5 sacks and 8 forced fumbles/fumble recoveries over the past 3 seasons, also drew recent interest from the Broncos, Panthers, Giants and Lions but the Silver & Black needed him -- and likely offered him -- the most.
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Wes Welker - WR - Denver Broncos
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Posted 5/21/13 12:29pm et |
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Denver Broncos WR Wes Welker is already making an impression on the
Denver Broncos as he is trying to get on the same page with QB
Peyton Manning. "Wes and I will continue to work and try to get on
the same page," Manning told reporters at the team's OTAs. "I
thought we had excellent production last year at the slot out of
[WR] Brandon Stokley and adding Wes as a new player, we're looking
forward to getting on the same page."
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Huddle Up: Welker now becomes a headache for a whole new division, jumping from
Tom Brady, the Pats and the AFC East to Manning, the Broncos and the
AFC West. With WRs Demaryius Thomas and Eric Decker already in
place, it's unlikely Welker will match his 112-catch average from
the past 6 seasons, but he'll still see plenty of targets working
one of Manning's favorite areas: The short middle of the field.
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Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll said QB Russell Wilson is a million miles ahead of where he was last year. 'He threw a couple of balls today, things that we talked about over the offseason that he'd like to take a shot at, and he did it today just to see what would happen with full awareness of why he was doing it,' Carroll said.
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Huddle Up: Wilson wound up 11th among all fantasy QBs last season with 333 fantasy points (Huddle Performance scoring). The total received a big boost from Wilson's 489 rushing yards -- third among QBs -- and 4 TDs. Expect Wilson's passing numbers (3,118 yards, 26 TDs) to go up and his rushing figures to dip as he becomes more comfortable as a passer this season.
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