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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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LeSean McCoy - RB - Philadelphia Eagles
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Posted 5/21/13 12:19pm et |
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Updating previous reports, Philadelphia Eagles RB LeSean McCoy (knee) is OK after leaving workouts Monday, May 20, with knee discomfort.
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Huddle Up: Great news for Eagles fans and McCoy's fantasy owners -- not necessarily in that order.
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Doug Baldwin - WR - Seattle Seahawks
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Posted 5/21/13 12:19pm et |
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Seattle Seahawks WR Doug Baldwin looks quick and explosive in OTAs. He looks to be fully healthy after a disappointing sophomore season.
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Huddle Up: Baldwin's production (29-366-3) dipped noticeably in 2012 after a his strong debut in 2011 (51-788-4) as Sidney Rice (50-748-7) and Golden Tate (45-688-7) stepped forward as Russell Wilson's top targets. Now, Percy Harvin is joining the Hawks' WR mix, and improved or not, Baldwin is going to have even more competition for targets.
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Tony Romo - QB - Dallas Cowboys
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Posted 5/21/13 12:19pm et |
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Dallas Cowboys QB Tony Romo (back) had surgery to remove a cyst from
his back just before the NFL Draft and will miss some OTA action.
He's expected to be ready for mini camp next month.
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Huddle Up: No worries: Romo's a veteran, and we're talking about a few days of
May OTAs after all.
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Reggie Bush - RB - Detroit Lions
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Posted 5/21/13 12:19pm et |
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Detroit Lions WR Calvin Johnson is excited RB Reggie Bush signed with the Lions, because it means teams will have to defend the Lions offense differently. "It's going to force them to bring another man down, more than we had last year," Johnson said. "You know, if you don't, Reggie can make you look foolish in the open field."
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Huddle Up: Instead of adding another wideout opposite Megatron, the Lions decided instead to boost the backfield, hoping that will attract more defensive attention. Looks to be a solid plan on paper, but it's all predicated on Bush staying healthy and continuing the career resurgence he displayed in his 2 seasons in Miami.
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Troy Polamalu - S - Pittsburgh Steelers
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Posted 5/21/13 12:19pm et |
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Pittsburgh Steelers SS Troy Polamalu will attend the team's
organized team activities that start Tuesday, May 21. Polamalu is in
the best shape of his NFL career.
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Huddle Up: This is what Steeler Nation has been hoping to hear after Polamalu
was limited to only 7 games, 34 total tackles and one interception
last year in a season marred by a nagging calf issue.
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Oakland Raiders PK Sebastian Janikowski was present for organized team activities Monday, May 20, and appeared to be 15 pounds lighter than last season. Janikowski had skipped offseason workouts in previous years.
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Huddle Up: Let's hope that Seabass's newfound health kick hasn't sapped any distance from his booming field goals.
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Denver Broncos QB Peyton Manning said RB Ronnie Hillman will be counted on to have an increased role in the offense this year, and offensive coordinator Adam Gase is expected to utilize him more in the game plan. Manning has high expectations for Hillman this season.
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Huddle Up: Hillman is expected to see third down work in a committee with Montee Ball. He wasn't up to a feature-back workload last year as a rookie, but perhaps another year of OTAs and training camp will get him up to speed.
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The San Diego Chargers are taking things slowly with WR Vincent Brown during organized team activities because he is working his way back from a serious ankle injury. He said he is completely recovered from the injury but understands why the team is being cautious. He expects to be ready for the start of training camp.
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Huddle Up: Brown was a popular sleeper pick heading into last season, and if he's on the field at the start of training camp he'll likely be in a similar situation as the San Diego receiver rotation remains unsettled.
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New England Patriots TE Rob Gronkowski underwent surgery Monday, May 20, to replace the plate in his forearm. The doctors believe the infection in his forearm has cleared. Gronkowski plans to meet with a doctor in California in about three to four weeks to decide whether he will need to undergo back surgery.
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Huddle Up: Good news on the forearm, as infection would have necessitated a fifth surgery on his arm and pushed back any potential back surgery. Now we should know in a month or so if Gronk is in danger of missing the start of the season due to the back injury.
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Seattle Seahawks RB Christine Michael is expected to battle with RB Robert Turbin for the backup duties to RB Marshawn Lynch this year. Michael is expected to see plenty of action. "He's our kind of runner," general manager John Schneider said this month. "He's a tough, intense, up-field, one-cut guy. A very good football player."
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Huddle Up: There were no illusions of Michael taking a significant bite out of Lynch's touches, but hearing the GM say positive things about him is reassuring. And if Lynch runs into off-field issues--something he's been prone to do--Michael should leap to the fore of Seattle's backfield backups.
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Michael Vick - QB - Philadelphia Eagles
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Posted 5/20/13 3:57pm et |
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Philadelphia Eagles QB Nick Foles received 21 snaps with the first-team offense during organized team activities Monday, May 20, while QB Michael Vick received 15 snaps.
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Huddle Up: The assumption is that Vick is the better fit for Chip Kelly's offense, but Philly's new coach might feel otherwise--or he could just be getting a long look at Foles to determine if he's worth keeping on the roster or should be shopped around the league. Let the speculation run wild.
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LeSean McCoy - RB - Philadelphia Eagles
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Posted 5/20/13 3:57pm et |
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Philadelphia Eagles RB LeSean McCoy left organized team activities Monday, May 20, after suffering a knee injury. He did not look to be limping or in any pain after the workout.
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Huddle Up: It's not too early to remind you that Bryce Brown is a quality handcuff to McCoy, and that Chip Kelly won't be afraid to use both in the same backfield at the same time.
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New York Jets RB Mike Goodson was in attendance at the team's first OTA practice Monday, May 20, but only to meet with team officials following his arrest on drug and weapons charges last week. Goodson didn't participate or watch the team's workouts, and his future with the team is uncertain. If Goodson pleads guilty or is convicted of unlawful possession of a handgun, he'll be subject to the Graves Act, which is a New Jersey law that carries a minimum of three years in jail.
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Huddle Up: Joe McKnight becomes the primary backup to Chris Ivory, while Goodson should be more concerned about staying out of jail than how many carries he'll get with the Jets.
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Tom Brady - QB - New England Patriots
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Posted 5/20/13 1:24pm et |
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New England Patriots QB Tom Brady started working with former major league pitcher and quarterback tutor Tom House this offseason, and Brady feels his mechanics are better than ever. "The same way Tom Martinez was always there to watch and give me corrections, Tom House has told me why certain corrections need to be made," Brady said. "Look at a baseball swing and a golf swing. It's all mechanics. Look at how Barry Bonds swings. Look at how Floyd Mayweather punches. Mechanics. When you've got to fit it into the tightest windows, mechanics are crucial."
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Huddle Up: Just what the rest of the NFL was hoping for, an improved Tom Brady.
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