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Cordarrelle Patterson
- WR - Minnesota Vikings
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Posted 5/16/13 11:15pm et   |
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Minnesota Vikings WR Cordarrelle Patterson will be given an opportunity to earn a
starting wide receiver spot across from WR Greg Jennings this year, according to
head coach Leslie Frazier. WR Joe Webb will be insurance in case Patterson
doesn't pan out.
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Huddle Up: Let's put it this way: It'd be a shock -- and major disappointment for the
organization -- if Webb, who has switched back from QB, beats out the first-round
pick for the No. 2 gig.
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T.J. Graham - WR - Buffalo Bills
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Posted 5/16/13 1:20pm et |
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Buffalo Bills QB Kevin Kolb said WR T.J. Graham is doing well with the extra reps he is receiving during organized team activities. 'T.J. is doing really good,' said Kolb. 'He's working hard, taking it serious. Obviously with the receiving corps it's a competitive group now. I think everybody can go out there and make plays. T.J. is another special talent with his speed.' Graham has received extra reps because WRs Stevie Johnson (back) and rookies Robert Woods and Marquise Goodwin are not participating.
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Huddle Up: Graham, the Bills' 3rd-round pick a year ago who finished the season with 31 grabs for 322 yards and a TD, figures to battle Woods for the No. 2 WR job opposite Johnson.
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Houston Texans PK Randy Bullock said Wednesday, May 15, that he is fully recovered from a groin tear which cost him his rookie season. 'I feel great. I've been cleared. (I'm) working out and doing everything normal. It feels good,' Bullock said.
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Huddle Up: Groin tears and kickers definitely do not mix, and now Bullock, a fifth-round pick in 2012, is bound to be overlooked on many PK draft boards simply due to his lost 2012 season.
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San Diego Chargers LB Larry English said he hopes to earn the starting outside linebacker job that LB Melvin Ingram (knee) held before his season-ending injury in OTAs. 'I'm just concentrating on being able to provide what the team needs. [Head coach Mike McCoy] emphasized to all of us that now is the time for someone to step up and provide what we'll miss from Melvin, and I have that opportunity now to be the guy the team needs,' English said.
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Huddle Up: Curb that enthusiasm as English's 4-year pro career has produced only 4 starts, 64 total tackles, 8.5 sacks, a fumble recovery and no interceptions -- not good numbers for the 16th overall pick in 2009.
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The Oakland Raiders have agreed to terms with WR Joshua Cribbs (Browns). Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
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Huddle Up: Now that Cribbs has a new home, the first order of business is making sure his knee rounds back into shape after undergoing meniscus surgery earlier this year. If so, count on him to contribute as a kick returner, first, and then as a WR off the bench.
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Miami Dolphins WR Mike Wallace said he does not think building chemistry with QB Ryan Tannehill will not be too difficult and expects the chemistry to be fine once training camp begins. Wallace said he works with Tannehill after each practice.
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Huddle Up: Wallace has averaged 65-1,095-9 over the past 3 seasons, and there's no reason to think he can't reach or eclipse those figures in 2013 -- even with a new QB in a new system.
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Jake Locker - QB - Tennessee Titans
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Posted 5/16/13 1:05pm et |
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Tennessee Titans QB Jake Locker said it feels like his left shoulder
is back to normal and that he will definitely be cleared for
training camp.
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Huddle Up: Step one for Locker is proving he's healthy enough to withstand the
punishment from NFL defenses. However, as stated, that's only the
beginning for third-year QB, who still has much to prove beyond that
with 10 TD passes, 11 interceptions and an average of 197.8 passing
yards per game in 11 career starts.
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Free-agent WR Mark Clayton (Rams) has announced that he is retiring from the NFL after seven seasons. He played for the Baltimore Ravens and St. Louis Rams, posting 260 career receptions for 3,448 yards and 14 touchdowns.
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Huddle Up: Clayton, a 2005 first-round pick of the Ravens whose best season came in 2006 (67-939-5), had only played in 2 games since the 2010 season due to recurring knee troubles.
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New York Jets starting QB Mark Sanchez should have an edge on the starting quarterback job over rookie QB Geno Smith after David Garrard's decision to retire, according to former head coach Herm Edwards. 'This is now Mark Sanchez's job to lose,' Edwards said.
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Huddle Up: The once-booming Jets QB circus is now down to a couple rings with the release of Tim Tebow and Garrard's decision to retire on Wednesday. Sure the incumbent Sanchez is the odds-on favorite to beat out the second-round pick Smith, but even if he does, it's only going to take a couple of Sanchez turnovers in MetLife Stadium before the calls for the rook hit a fever pitch.
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The Miami Dolphins could consider the salaries of PKs Dan Carpenter and Caleb Sturgis in their competition for the kicking job. Sturgis is scheduled to make one-fifth the salary Carpenter will make in 2013.
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Huddle Up: It's a kicker, so if the performance level is close to similar expect Miami to save a few bucks and go with Sturgis.
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Frank Gore - RB - San Francisco 49ers
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Posted 5/16/13 8:05am et |
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San Francisco 49ers general manager Trent Baalke said he believes in using multiple running backs that can do different things on offense. "I'm a big believer -- we are big believers -- in a three-headed approach," Baalke said. "In other words, having a group of backs that bring to the table something a little bit different than the other one so you can do a lot of different things. But also having those backs be able to do enough things the same so you don't become so predictable on game day." RBs Frank Gore, Kendall Hunter and LaMichael James likely will see playing time this season.
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Huddle Up: Baalke's comments are the sharp pin deflating Gore's fantasy value; plan accordingly.
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Jay Cutler - QB - Chicago Bears
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Posted 5/16/13 8:05am et |
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Chicago Bears quarterbacks coach Matt Cavanaugh said he has been very impressed with QB Jay Cutler this offseason. "Very impressed with Jay," Cavanaugh said. 'Very impressed. He's borderline football brilliant. I think he gets it. I think he knows the game. I think he knows offensive schemes. I think he knows defenses." Cavanaugh said the coaches are open to listening to Cutler's ideas about the offense and that Cutler will have a say in the offense.
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Huddle Up: Part of the reason Marc Trestman was brought in was to get the most out of Cutler, and Cavanaugh's addition to the staff furthers that agenda. If the coaching staff is taking suggestions from Cutler, that will go a long way towards keeping the famously dour Cutler happy. And a happy Cutler tends to be a productive Cutler.
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Vick Ballard - RB - Indianapolis Colts
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Posted 5/16/13 8:05am et |
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Indianapolis Colts RB Vick Ballard is expected to enter training camp as the team's No. 1 running back, but that doesn't mean RB Donald Brown will not also see playing time. Head coach Chuck Pagano sees Ballard as a player who gets stronger as the game wears on, while Brown is considered more of a home run hitter for the offense. "Can Vick be an every-down guy? Yeah. Can Donnie be an every-down guy? Yeah. They are different types of runners and are more than capable on third down, knowing the protections and picking up blitzers and being effective once they get out to catch the football and doing those things out of the backfield," Pagano said. "Vick is a solid, solid guy; Donnie is a home run hitter," Pagano said. "If he gets the edge and hits a crease, he can take it the distance."
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Huddle Up: Translating the coach-speak, Ballard will be the every-down back and Brown will be the change-of-pace guy. Brown has flashed some ability in that role, and limiting his touches should help him stay on the field for a full season. Ballard has yet to prove he can deliver a full season of feature-back duties, but right now he's in line for that opportunity and should be ranked as such on fantasy draft boards.
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Chad Henne - QB - Jacksonville Jaguars
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Posted 5/15/13 1:03pm et |
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Jacksonville Jaguars QBs Blaine Gabbert and Chad Henne are splitting first-team reps evenly in OTAs.
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Huddle Up: There's not much to like about the Jacksonville quarterback situation from a fantasy perspective, but it's worth keeping an eye on to know who'll be throwing to Cecil Shorts.
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Matt Forte - RB - Chicago Bears
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Posted 5/15/13 1:03pm et |
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Chicago Bears RB Matt Forte is preparing for a bigger role in the passing game this season.
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Huddle Up: Forte has always been a yardage hound; since entering the league only Adrian Peterson, Chris Johnson, and Ray Rice have more yards from scrimmage. And Marc Trestman's WCO-based offense features plenty of throwing to the backs, which will play to Forte's... uh, forte. Just don't expect a bunch of touchdowns and you'll be fine.
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The Carolina Panthers restructured RB DeAngelo Williams' contract. He was in the third season of a five-year, $43 million contract and was scheduled to earn $5 million with an $8.2 million salary cap number for 2013. Williams will still receive $5 million in cash this year, but the deal has been restructured in a way that reduces his cap number to $5 million, a cap savings of $3.2 million that leaves the team $8.46 million under their adjusted 2013 salary cap number of $126.232 million. Williams was scheduled to earn $4.75 million in non-guaranteed base salary with a $250,000 workout bonus this season. Under the renegotiated contract, Williams' base salary was lowered to $850,000 and his workout bonus reduced to $150,000. The remaining $4 million was converted to a signing bonus, which will be prorated against the Panthers' cap at $800,000 per season through 2017.
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Huddle Up: The restructuring should end the speculation about Williams getting cut, as this deal makes him a whole lot more cap-friendly--and a whole lot more likely to remain on the Carolina roster. Now let's see if the Panthers can do something similar with Jonathan Stewart.
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Victor Cruz - WR - New York Giants
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Posted 5/15/13 9:51am et |
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New York Giants WR Victor Cruz has lowered his demands to closer to what the team is offering. The team is believed to be offering nearly $8 million a year. There is optimism a deal will get done, but nothing is imminent.
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Huddle Up: Everyone still expects something to get done between Cruz and the Giants, and this is a step in that direction. Still a couple months before any sense of urgency sets in, however.
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San Diego Chargers LB Melvin Ingram suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in the second day of organized team activities (OTAs) Tuesday, May 14. He is scheduled to receive further evaluation before undergoing surgery. He is likely lost for the season. The Chargers were expected to have Ingram and Jarret Johnson at outside linebacker in Week 1. However, Ingram is likely done for the season, meaning LB Larry English might be in line for a bigger role. The team also has LB Tourek Williams, a sixth-round pick in the 2013 NFL Draft, as well as LBs Frank Beltre and Devan Walker on the roster. The team is expected to explore their options in free agency.
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Huddle Up: Tough to lose a projected starter two days into OTAs, but at least the Chargers have options.
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Arizona Cardinals WR Michael Floyd looked impressive in the first day of organized team activities (OTAs) Tuesday, May 14. He ran with the first team more than WR Andre Roberts, who also had a good showing.
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Huddle Up: With defenses paying more attention to Larry Fitzgerald there will be opportunities for whomever lines up opposite him. Floyd makes for an intriguing sleeper in that role, with Bruce Arians calling the plays and Carson Palmer an upgrade at quarterback.
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LeSean McCoy - RB - Philadelphia Eagles
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Posted 5/14/13 11:34pm et |
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Philadelphia Eagles RB LeSean McCoy has been sued for an incident on a party bus. The team is aware of the allegations and has no comment.
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Huddle Up: "Incidents" would seem to be part of the expected party-bus agenda, but we'll keep an eye out for any ramifications -- if any -- this situation has on the 2013 status of one of fantasy's top all-around backs.
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