Training Camp Update

Volume 2, Issue 4 – 8/23/06

Training Camps are in full swing and we want you to feel like you have attended every practice and seen every preseason game.

To keep all our Footballguys subscribers on top of everything, we've created our incredibly detailed Camp Updates. They're an exhaustive look each week covering every bit of news you need to know to stay completely on top of every team. Quite simply, they're the key to Dominating Your Draft.

This is the fourth of five training camp updates from us.  We'll break down every team's skill positions and position battles. It's the stuff you'd see if you were there at every camp.  This Camp Update was created by our own Bob Henry and reflects the most up-to-date info regarding each of these teams.

Happy reading and let's have a great 2006 season,

Joe Bryant and David Dodds

Owners, Footballguys.com

Arizona Cardinals

QB: On Saturday night, Matt Leinart made his pro debut against the New England Patriots with 1:09 remaining in the first half. Running a hurry-up offense, Leinart appeared comfortable and led the Cardinals to a field goal, the team’s only points of the game, but he did very little after that. “To go against this team on this field and get something in my first drive, that was pretty cool,” Leinart said, who completed 3-of-6 for 20 yards and scrambled for another 29 yards on the drive. That drive came against most of the Patriots first-team defense. Leinart finished 4-of-11 for 49 yards. “I don't think anyone could have expected any more,” said Kurt Warner. “I thought he did a great job in the two-minute drill. He handled the situation well.” Even Tom Brady was impressed. “I thought he did a great job,” said the two-time Super Bowl MVP. “He's a big strong kid. What impressed me was that he had such excellent scrambling ability. I remember when I was a rookie. There's so much to learn and he's coming in with just four days practice, which makes it doubly tough.” Ironically, perhaps, the Patriots won the game going away as Leinart’s former backup Matt Cassel played even better throwing 2 second-half touchdowns.

Kurt Warner started the game and finished 6-of-9 for 58 yards with an interception. Not surprising anyone, John Navarre was simply awful completing two passes in eight attempts with only one going to the right colored uniform. Leinart is the guy you want to handcuff Warner if you plan to incorporate the Cardinals QB into your draft strategy. He was the second QB into the game and, by all accounts, is a shoe-in to win the backup job at this point.

RB: Edgerrin James ran the ball twice for 5 yards in a brief appearance. He lost a fumble, but it was recovered by his own teammate. The Cardinals ground game still hasn’t shown anything in the preseason – a troubling sign indeed. J.J. Arrington ran four times for 12 yards while catching two passes for 15 yards. Marcel Shipp mustered five yards on three carries and Diamond Ferri managed 4 yards on two attempts. It’s still too early to press the panic button if you’re a Cardinals fan, but clearly, the team needs to generate more on the ground before the regular season starts, if only to build confidence in the locker room. Keep in mind, Edge is not a preseason player and he rarely plays much before the games count. “(The running game) is not going to be there until Edge plays the whole game,” HC Dennis Green said. “We should be doing better when he’s not in there. I’m concerned. But I am concerned about every phase of the game.”

WR: Larry Fitzgerald played briefly making one nice catch over the middle for a 26-yard gain. Troy Walters led the Cardinals wide outs with four catches for 28 yards. Bryant Johnson didn’t play because of a death in his family. At this point, the only thing noteworthy is the competition for the final roster spot or two, which is coming down to Troy Walters, Todd Watkins, Carlyle Holiday, Michael Spurlock (a converted QB that played well in mini-camps) and undrafted rookie Greg Lee, a former teammate of Fitzgerald at Pitt.

TE: Rookie Leonard Pope and veteran Eric Edwards each caught a pass. Pope’s went for 10 yards while Edwards produced a 25-yard play. The Cardinals continue to hope Pope will emerge as a difference maker at the position, something the Cards lacked a season ago.

Defense: The Cardinals defense played poorly against the Patriots. Second-year corner Antrel Rolle said it best, “The score speaks for itself. We didn’t play football tonight, simple as that.” Orlando Huff, competing for the weakside LB job, led the team with 12 combined tackles against the Patriots. The Cardinals safety tandem of Adrian Wilson and Robert Griffith had identical 5-2-0 lines in the box score, while second-yard safety Aaron Francisco contributed 4-2-0 as he positions himself to be the team’s top backup at both safety spots. The Cardinals defense recorded three sacks; one each from A.J. Schable, Gabe Watson and Bertrand Berry. Berry left the game after he was bent backward on a block by the Patriots Matt Light. Berry stayed down for a few minutes before leaving the field on his own power. “It looked worse than what it was,” Berry said. “It was a scary moment. But we are all right, and looking forward to getting back out there.” The team received good news on ailing LB Karlos Dansby, who will not require surgery on his sore toe and he will continue rehabilitating the injury after seeking a second opinion last week. Dansby was the team’s starting strongside backer last year, but there’s a chance he could be moved to the weakside as converted DE Calvin Pace is playing reasonably well while filling in for Dansby. Meanwhile, MLB Gerald Hayes began working with the first-team defense ahead of James Darling following a strong opening preseason game. “Every now and then they throw me in,” Hayes said. “I can’t say we are splitting time, because it’s not like that. I don’t want to say it is something when it might not be.”

Special Teams: The Cardinals’ offense didn’t keep Kicker Neil Rackers very busy in the game at New England. He connected on a field goal from 48 yards, and had two kickoffs of 69 yards each. Kicker Nick Novak and WR Bryant Johnson did not play in the game. Johnson is one of the three primary candidates for the return jobs. Another of the candidates, WR Troy Walters, discussed the fact that the last time the Cardinals took a punt return the distance was 1993, "We're definitely going to make some things happen in the punt-return game. I think we have capable guys to take one to the house, so hopefully that drought will end this year." He failed to score against the Patriots, fair catching the one punt he fielded. The third candidate, Rookie WR Micheal Spurlock, saw the most action. He returned a punt seven yards, and averaged 25.3 yards on three kickoff returns. Unfortunately he fumbled away one of those, which set up New England for an easy score from the nine yard line. For the second week in a row, RB J.J. Arrington returned kickoffs. He averaged 21.7 yards on three returns, and could now be a fourth candidate for the job.

Cardinals Depth Chart
QB Kurt Warner, Matt Leinart, John Navarre
RB Edgerrin James, J.J. Arrington, Marcel Shipp, Damien Anderson, Diamond Ferry
FB Obafemi Ayanbadejo, James Hodgins, John Bronson
WR Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin, Bryant Johnson, LeRon McCoy, Troy Walters, Todd Watkins, Carlyle Holiday, Michael Spurlock (QB), Greg Lee
TE Leonard Pope, Adam Bergen, Eric Edwards, Alex Shor
K Neil Rackers, Nick Novak
DE Chike Okeafor, Bertrand Berry (inj), Anton Palepoi, Antonio Smith, A.J. Schable
DT Darnell Dockett, Kendrick Clancy, Tim Bulman, Langston Moore, Gabe Watson, Kenny King (inj), Jon Lewis
MLB Gerald Hayes, James Darling (W), Lance Mitchell
OLB Karlos Dansby (S) (inj), Orlando Huff (W), Calvin Pace (S), Darryl Blackstock (W), Mark Brown, Isaac Keys, Brandon Johnson, Lawrence Pinson
CB David Macklin, Antrel Rolle, Eric Green (inj), Robert Tate, Dyshod Carter, Lamont Reid, Darrell Hunter, Jay McCareins, Damarius Bilbo, Justin Wyatt
S Adrian Wilson (SS), Robert Griffith (FS), Aaron Francisco, Ernest Shazor, Jack Brewer, Chris Harrell

Atlanta Falcons

QB: The Falcons did not play well against the Packers on Saturday night, but HC Jim Mora tried to put a positive spin on it. “It's good to come to Lambeau Field and have Brett Favre on the other side of the field and have 69,000 people in the stands and see how those guys handle the pressure,” Mora said. “Tonight, a lot of guys didn't handle it well.” Michael Vick only played two series; he capped the first drive with a 22-yard TD to TE Dwayne Blakley, but he was intercepted on the second. Despite the pick, Vick looked comfortable and threw the ball downfield finding his receivers with accuracy. “I felt good. I think everybody did their job,” Vick said. “The first unit went out and played with a high level of intensity and we were able to make plays, move the ball, possessed great tempo. When we came out, it was up to the younger guys to pick it up.” Vick finished 5-of-7 for 59 yards with one run for 12 yards.

Matt Schaub entered the game in the second quarter and led the team to a 51-yard field goal by Michael Koenen that tied the game at 10-10. Schaub was then intercepted on the next drive by Jason Horton, who returned it 44 yards for a score making it 24-10 before halftime. Schaub finished 5-of-9 for 61 yards. D.J. Shockley played the third quarter completing just one pass in five attempts for 10 yards. He ran twice for 14 yards. Bryan Randall finished off the fourth quarter playing three series and completing 2-of-3 for 23 yards. He was intercepted once.

RB: Where there’s smoke, there’s often fire. Amid speculation that T.J. Duckett was being showcased to potential suitors for a trade, he performed well against the Packers on Saturday night; rushing for 37 yards on five carries. Then, this Tuesday, Duckett was traded to the Washington Redskins in a 3-team trade that also send WR Ashley Lelie to Atlanta. Needless to say, this is huge news for rookie Jerious Norwood, who has looked good in the preseason, particularly as a receiver out of the backfield. The team may look to get Norwood involved as a receiver – out in space. “That's one of my great assets, my hands,” Norwood said. “I still got a lot of work to do as far as my inside runs and outside zone plays, but other than that, I feel pretty good about everything.” If the Falcons don’t add another veteran to the mix, the prospects for 2^nd-year backs DeAndra Cobb and Marlion Jackson. Jackson ran seven times for 20 yards against Green Bay. DeAndra Cobb remains in a walking boot with an ankle injury. Warrick Dunn did not play in the game, but should be considered a very intriguing fantasy back as he’s now assured of more goal line touches in addition to his regular production between the 20s.

WR: Roddy White and Michael Jenkins played for the first half with Michael Vick. White produced 32 yards on two catches and Jenkins caught three balls for 24 yards. Jerome Pathon caught one pass for 27 yards. Rookies Adam Jennings, Brandon Jamison and Kevin Youngblood each caught a pass, too. Cole Magner was cut this week when the team signed LB Will Thompson. The big news, of course, was the addition of Ashley Lelie in a 3-team trade. For now, Lelie comes in as the team’s 3^rd receiver, but it would be foolish to think the Falcons don’t want and expect him to earn a starting role at some point this season. Whether that comes at the expense of Jenkins or White remains to be seen.

TE: Backup Dwayne Blakley caught a 22-yard TD pass from Vick on the team’s opening drive. Blakley finished with three receptions for 31 yards. Alge Crumpler did not play Saturday as a precaution but continues to practice regularly.

Defense: Falcons LB Edgerton Hartwell downplayed the team’s loss on Saturday. “They caught a lot of breaks,” he said. “A tipped pass for a touchdown, another tipped pass for a touchdown. A blown coverage for another touchdown. ... Thank God for the preseason, it doesn't count.” Hartwell combined for four tackles in the game while Demorrio Williams had eight tackles (5-3-0). DTs Antwaan Lake and Chad Lavalais each registered a sack. Corner DeAngelo Hall was injured in the second quarter against the Packers, but HC Mora said it was only minor. Hall intercepted a pass from Brett Favre on the Packers opening drive and returned it 32 yards. Unfortunately, DE John Abraham was whistled offside and the play was negated. LB Keith Brooking did not play.

Special Teams: Michael Koenen did well in double duty at Green Bay. He was good from 51 yards on his only field goal attempt, and added a PAT. He’s now 5-of-5 on field goals in the preseason, all of them from 40+ yards and two from 50+ yards. On punts he averaged 38.3 yards, and put one out of bounds in the coffin corner inside the five yard line. Kicker Tony Yelk handled kickoffs, which went for 65, 61, and 63 yards. He strained his quadriceps on the last one, although it is not considered serious. The younger returners have gotten the hype in camp, but veteran CB Allen Rossum showed he can still run on a 43-yard kickoff return against the Packers. He probably needs to win the return specialist role to stay employed with the Falcons. Rookie WR Adam Jennings continues to be the primary challenger. He returned a punt seven yards, and averaged 24.5 yards on two kickoff returns. Three rookies each had one kickoff return, RB Jerious Norwood for 25 yards, WR Robert Redd for 22 yards, and WR Troy Bergeron for 11 yards. Norwood may be out of the running now that he’s the Falcons primary backup to Warrick Dunn.

Falcons Depth Chart
QB Michael Vick, Matt Schaub, D.J. Shockley, Bryan Randall
RB Warrick Dunn (3RB), Jerious Norwood, Deandra Cobb (KR) (inj), Marlion Jackson, Butchie Wallace (inj)
FB Justin Griffith, John Pannozzo
WR Michael Jenkins, Roddy White, Ashley Lelie, Jerome Pathon, Adam Jennings, Troy Bergeron, Jamin Elliot, Javarus Dudley, Kevin Youngblood, Brian Finneran (inj)
TE Alge Crumpler, Dwayne Blakely, Eric Beverly, Daniel Fells. Jason Randall, Boone Stutz
K Michael Koenen, Tony Yelk (inj), Miro Kesic
DE Patrick Kerney, John Abraham, Chauncey Davis, Constantin Ritzmann, Paul Carrington
DT Rod Coleman, Grady Jackson, Darrell Shropshire (NT), Chad Lavalais (NT), Jonathan Babineaux, Antwan Lake (NT), T.J. Jackson
MLB Edgerton Hartwell, Jordan Beck
OLB Keith Brooking (W), Michael Boley (S), Demorrio Williams (W), Ike Reese (S/W), Will Thompson, Artie Ulmer, Travis Williams
CB DeAngelo Hall, Jimmy Williams, Jason Webster, Allen Rossum (KR), Leigh Torrence, Kevin Mathis
S Lawyer Milloy (SS), Chris Crocker (FS), Omare Lowe (FS), Chris Reis, Nick Turnbull

Baltimore Ravens

QB: Steve McNair looked sharp on Thursday night against the Eagles, despite not finding the end zone. He finished 14-of-18 for 148 yards, no interceptions and a lost fumble – courtesy of former teammate Jevon Kearse. McNair rekindled his chemistry with Derrick Mason as the two connected seven times in the first half. “We did a good job from the 20 to the 20, but we've got to finish now,” McNair said. “That's the main ingredient. There's no sense in going out there and taking six or seven minutes off the clock and not getting anything from it. We work so hard to get there; we've just got to continue to dig down deep and get the ball in the end zone.” Kyle Boller started the second half, but didn’t muster much offense until the Eagles began calling the dogs off and substituting. He was sacked five times before he connected with Devard Darling for a 27-yard touchdown pass with 13:34 left to put the Ravens up 20-10 to secure the win.

RB: The story of the game wasn’t Jamal Lewis or Mike Anderson for the Ravens, but third year reserve Musa Smith. The former Georgia Bulldog busted a 43-yard run for a touchdown shortly after halftime on the first play after the Ravens forced a turnover to tie the game at 10-10. Smith has been the best looking back in the Ravens training camp after missing most of his first two seasons with knee and leg injuries. “I'm just really trying to soak in every moment that I have since I've been given a second chance. The leg feels really good right now,” Smith said. “When I was on the operating table, and I was told there was a 50-50 chance I could come back, I knew I had to set my mind on coming back. It's been a long road, a lot of hard work.” Smith also caught a pass for 36 yards.

Backup RB Mike Anderson ran three times for 8 yards, but sprained his foot. Jamal Lewis started and ran for 27 yards on nine carries, but his longest run was just eight yards. Lewis, slowed by a nagging hip flexor injury, is expected to miss the next two weeks. With Anderson limited and Lewis sidelined, Smith has an opportunity to earn a bigger role in the Ravens backfield. Smith could be playing for a shot to be the team’s third-down back – and maybe more – according to HC Brian Billick. “He's practicing with such joy,” Billick said. “He's loving being out there, and he's playing the same way. It's great to see him having the success he deserves.” Rookies P.J. Daniels and Cory Ross shouldered the load in the later parts of the game. Daniels ran for 14 yards on seven carries while Ross managed 22 yards on seven attempts.

WR: Devard Darling moved closer to securing the team’s No. 3 job on Thursday night. He caught a 27-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter as he finished with five catches for 121 yards, including another catch that went for 42-yards. “Those are the kind of plays we've been waiting to see Devard make,” Ravens coach Brian Billick said. Darling is competing with Clarence Moore and rookie Demetrius Williams for the third spot. Derrick Mason showed that he and Steve McNair are still on the same page with a strong first-half performance catching seven balls for 72 yards. Second-year starter Mark Clayton caught two balls for 12 yards.

TE: Todd Heap caught only one ball for 18 yards in Thursday’s game against the Eagles while fellow TE Daniel Wilcox caught two balls for four yards. Don’t read anything into the stats of this game. With McNair starting at QB, Heap’s outlook is as good as ever. Both he and Wilcox will be used frequently in two tight end formations with Wilcox working the shorter routes and Heap working the middle of the field.

Defense: In his first game-action since a season-ending leg injury last October, Ray Lewis played the entire first half finishing with two tackles and a forced fumble just before halftime. “I just felt really confident, and when I went back there and I grabbed the back of the jersey, I just said, 'Swipe, swipe,' so I just swiped my left hand,” Lewis said. “I got a pretty good swipe on the man. It felt so good, because my crowd got energized again. My defense was rejuvenated. It's just good to be back on the football field.” Rookie corner Jamaine Winborne had a solid game with a sack and two fumbles recovered. Fellow rookie CB Ronnie Prude forced a fumble and had three tackles as he caught Billick’s attention. “I really like him,” Billick said. “For an undrafted free agent, he's really opened some eyes.” DE Terrell Suggs had a sack and recovered a fumble. Rookie LB Ryan LaCasse and MLB Mike Smith also registered sacks for the Ravens defense. DT Dwan Edwards paced the team with six solo tackles.

Special Teams: Kicker Matt Stover made two field goals, each from 30 yards, against Philadelphia. He’s now 5-of-5 in the first two preseason games. Kicker Aaron Elling continued to try to retain his kickoff specialist role, with kickoffs of 68, 69, 63, and 65 yards. He feels confident about his kickoffs these days, "I'm still trying to find the groove with my field goals but the kickoffs feel really, really good. So right now, it's just staying healthy and just hitting the ball nice and smooth." Elling’s primary competitor, punter Sam Koch, reached the end zone on his only kickoff which went 72 yards. Return specialist RB B.J. Sams handled most of the returns against the Eagles. He averaged 22.7 yards on three kickoffs, and averaged 4.5 yards on two punts. Rookie RB Cory Ross should be the primary backup on returns, if (and it’s a big if) he makes the final roster. He had a 20-yard punt return in the game. Rookie DB Ronnie Prude also had a punt return, but it went for no gain.

Ravens Depth Chart
QB Steve McNair, Kyle Boller, Brian St. Pierre, Drew Olson
RB Jamal Lewis (inj), Mike Anderson (FB) (inj), Musa Smith, P.J. Daniels, B.J. Sams (KR/PR), Cory Ross
FB Justin Green, Ovie Mughelli
WR Derrick Mason, Mark Clayton, Clarence Moore, Devard Darling, Demetrius Williams, Travis LaTendresse, Brian Bratton, Ronald Bellamy, Romby Bryant, Rufus Skillern, Matt Cherry
TE Todd Heap, Daniel Wilcox, Quinn Sypniewski
K Matt Stover, Aaron Elling
DE Terrell Suggs, Trevor Pryce, Jarrett Johnson, Roderick Green, Gary Stills
DT Kelly Gregg, Haloti Ngata, Dwan Edwards, Aubrayo Franklin, Justin Bannan, Cedric Hilliard, Remi Ayodele
MLB Ray Lewis, Mike Smith
OLB Adalius Thomas (S), Bart Scott (W), Dan Cody (S/DE), Dennis Haley, Ryan LaCasse, Tim Johnson
CB Chris McAlister, Samari Rolle, Corey Ivy, David Pittman, Evan Oglesby, Derrick Martin, Jamaine Winborne, Ronnie Prude
S Ed Reed (SS), Dawan Landry (FS), Gerome Sapp (FS), B.J. Ward (FS)

Buffalo Bills

QB: Head coach Dick Jauron named J.P. Losman the front-runner for the Bills starting QB job last week. Unfortunately, Losman did little to separate himself against the Bengals on Friday. Losman was up and down. He finished 7-of-11 with 134 yards passing. His worst pass came on a quick out intended for Josh Reed that was intercepted by Keiwan Ratliff, who jumped the route and returned it 26 yards for a Bengals touchdown. Losman responded on the next series, finding Lee Evans deep down the right sideline for a 46-yard, well-thrown TD pass. Losman also lost two fumbles. As for the competition, it remains open, but Losman is the leader at the moment.

“That's not my call,” Losman said. “I've never known what the coaches are thinking or what they want to do. Every week I go out and try not to think about it. I try to get better at the things I need to get better at. The rest is out of my control. I really can't dwell on it.” On his up and down play in the game, Losman said, “It was unacceptable. There was some good and some bad. I think the bad is very correctible.” HC Dick Jauron agreed. “He's got to protect the football,” Jauron said. “We've got to be forcibly patient. We've seen him perform. He's got a strong arm. ... Sometimes, he holds the ball too long. But we'll just keep working and moving forward.” Kelly Holcomb played the third quarter, Craig Nall the fourth. Holcomb went 3-of-5 for 28 yards. Nall completed 5-of-9 passes for 63 yards with a garbage-time 9-yard TD pass to FB Alan Ricard.

RB: Willis McGahee provided one of the highlights for the Bills with a 61-yard TD run on a sweep to the left. “It felt real good man, like the monkey off my back,” said McGahee, who was limited to five touchdowns rushing last season after scoring 13 in 2004. “I think we took a step forward.” McGahee finished with 88 yards on nine carries, but he also lost a fumble that was returned 72 yards in the first quarter for a touchdown. Interestingly, McGahee was not targeted in the passing game, so it remains to be seen how much he’ll be involved on third downs when the season starts. Anthony Thomas entered the game when McGahee left in the second quarter. Lionel Gates followed Thomas, also in the second quarter. Gates and Thomas alternated until the fourth quarter when Shaud Williams took the field with Craig Nall for the team’s last three series. Fred Jackson finished off the last drive with a 4-yard TD with 3:18 left in the game and the outcome well in hand. Thomas ran for 17 yards on six attempts. Gates had a 12-yard reception, but did little on the ground carrying five times for 6 yards. Williams ran for 39 yards on six carries against a soft second- and third-team defense.

WR: Lee Evans is settling into the team’s No.1 receiver role. Evans looked good on Friday. He was able to get behind the Bengals defense on a 46-yard TD pass from J.P. Losman and finished with 115 yards on three catches. He had a 47-yard reception on another play. “We're really counting on him,” said HC Dick Jauron. “Obviously, you need playmakers on both sides of the ball. He can change the field. He stepped up and made some plays [Friday], and that's what we're counting on.”

“We have a real solid group of receivers, and we need Lee to lead that group, to be better than solid, a lot better than solid,” Jauron said. “He showed that he can certainly do that. He's got speed to go do it, he's got the desire. He's working hard, and he's a tough guy. When he can get it on the run he's a problem. If he comes out that backside he can beat most people to the end zone.” Sam Aiken, Andre Davis, Roscoe Parrish and Jonathan Smith each caught a pass. Josh Reed played, but did not catch a pass nor did Peerless Price. Undrafted rookie Chris Denney caught two balls for 27 yards, both on the team’s last drive in garbage time.

TE: Robert Royal caught one ball for 8 yards against the Bengals. The Bills tight ends weren’t terribly productive last year and it remains to be seen if Royal, Brad Cieslak or Kevin Everett will be anything more than anecdotal in the new offense installed by Steve Fairchild.

Defense: The Bills defense didn’t have many highlights in their 44-31 lost to the Bengals on Friday. Jabari Greer led the team with 5 tackles. Mario Haggan added 4-1-0 and Angelo Crowell 3-3-0. DT Larry Tripplett registered the team’s lone sack and CB Eric King left the game because of back spasms. CB Troy Vincent was held out because of a strained hamstring.

Special Teams: Kicker Rian Lindell was good from 51 yards on his only field goal attempt, and added 2 PATs against Cincinnati. Camp leg Nicholas Setta also added two PATs. The Bills got plenty of opportunities to work on kickoff returns, since the Bengals kept scoring. WR Jonathan Smith average 21.2 yards on five returns, while WR Andre Davis averaged 24.0 yard on three returns. Both are vying for a roster spot and a backup role behind starting kickoff returner CB Terrance McGee. First string punt returner WR Roscoe Parrish had no gain on his only punt return. Fourth stringer RB Shaud Williams averaged 6.5 yards on two punt returns. Fifth stringer S Jim Leonhard had a two yard return and a fair catch. CB Nate Clements is currently listed as the second string punt returner, and Jonathan Smith the third string.

Bills Depth Chart
QB J.P. Losman, Kelly Holcomb, Craig Nall, Kliff Kingsbury
RB Willis McGahee (inj), Anthony Thomas, Lionel Gates, Shaud Williams, Fred Jackson
FB Damien Shelton, Alan Ricard, Joe Burns
WR Lee Evans, Josh Reed, Peerless Price, Andre Davis, Roscoe Parrish (PR), Sam Aiken, Jonathan Smith, George Wilson, Martin Nance, Chris Denney
TE Robert Royal, Brad Cieslak, Kevin Everett, Ryan Neufeld
K Rian Lindell
DT Larry Tripplett, Tim Anderson (NT), Lauvale Sape (inj), John McCargo, Jason Jefferson, Kyle Williams
DE Aaron Schobel, Chris Kelsay, Ryan Denney, Ryan Neill, Jason Hall, Joshua Cooper
MLB London Fletcher, Liam Ezekiel
OLB Takeo Spikes (S), Angelo Crowell (W), Josh Stamer (S/W), Mario Haggan (W), Keith Ellison, John Digiorgio
CB Nate Clements (PR), Terrence McGee (KR), Eric King, Jabari Greer, Ashton Youboty, Kiwaukee Thomas, Eric Bassey
S Troy Vincent (FS), Donte Whitner (SS), Matt Bowen (SS), Coy Wire (SS), Ko Simpson (FS), Rashad Baker (FS), Jim Leonhard (SS), James Bethea

Carolina Panthers

QB: Jake Delhomme played in his second game of the preseason without stud WR Steve Smith, who was held out despite returning to practice after missing 17 days with a hamstring strain. Delhomme led the Panthers to a score on the team’s opening drive for the second game in a row. He connected with Keary Colbert for a 40-yard completion on third-and-seven and the Panthers settled for a 22-yard FG. He played the entire first half and finished 10-for-18 for 129 yards, but he was nearly intercepted on two occasions. “Certainly there's a lot more work to be done. That was evident,” Delhomme said. “It wasn't our crispest game. But it's going against that defense. That's a pretty impressive defense. They did some good things and we were a little sloppy in some areas.” Chris Weinke and Stefan Lefors played in the second half. Weinke completed 2-of-5 passes for 20 yards while Lefors went 1-for-2 for 11 yards.

RB: Deshaun Foster started for the Panthers and played for two series before giving way to DeAngelo Williams, who also played for two series. Nick Goings entered the game in the second quarter and he capped the team’s drive with a 1-yard TD with just 26 seconds left in the half. Eric Shelton started the second half with Alex Haynes coming into the game in the fourth quarter followed by Jamal Robertson. Haynes led all rushers with 30 yards on four carries – but 29 yards came on one play against the Jaguars reserves. Foster ran four times for 10 yards and he caught one pass for 2 yards. DeAngelo Williams ran four times for 7 yards. Goings had 22 yards on 3 carries while Eric Shelton had six yards on 2 runs.

WR: As stated above, Steve Smith did not play against the Jaguars. HC John Fox said he’s not sure whether he’ll play August 24th against Miami either. Not to worry, receivers coach Richard Williamson seems confident when asked about Smith’s recent injury. “He rehabbed like nobody rehabbed with that hamstring,” Williamson said. “He's got his quickness and is doing the things he did before the injury.” Keary Colbert led the team with 45 yards on two catches while Keyshawn Johnson (38 yards) and Drew Carter (35 yards) each caught three balls. Rookie Taye Biddle made a couple plays rushing for 11 yards and catching a 16-yard pass. The Panthers have four solid receivers with Smith, Johnson, Colbert and Carter providing they all stay healthy. Colbert and Carter remain in a battle for the team’s No. 3 job and Colbert is having a fine camp showing the same big play ability that he had during his rookie season (that was not present last year).

TE: Kris Mangum remains sidelined with Michael Gaines working primarily with the first team in his stead.

Defense: The Panthers defense took advantage of three big plays against Jags QB David Garrard to help the team jump out to an early lead. In the first half, the Jags decided not to take the knee with 20 seconds left on the clock. Bad move. Julius Peppers beat RT Maurice Williams, sacked Garrard deep in the pocket and forced a fumble that was picked up by Mike Rucker and returned 31 yards for a TD and a 17-3 lead. Later, Richard Marshall picked off Garrard in the end zone to kill another drive. Chris Draft led the team with six tackles (5-1-0) while LBs Thomas Davis and Adam Seward finished with four solos each. Colin Branch had an interception and two tackles while rookie James Anderson recorded a sack amongst two solos. Elsewhere, LB Keith Adams, signed as a free agent from the Eagles, went from a starter in June OTAs to being on the proverbial roster bubble. Adams is running behind current starter Na’il Diggs and James Anderson is having a strong camp, as well. Safety Mike Minter returned to practice last Wednesday after missing a week following the death of his mother.

Special Teams: Kicker John Kasay was good on a 22-yard field goal and two PATs at Jacksonville. Camp leg kicker MacKenzie Hoambrecker did not play in the game. WR Efram Hill had a rough first preseason game on punt returns, "I took my eyes off of it to look downfield to see how close (defenders) were to me, which I knew I shouldn't do." He looked better in the second game with returns of 8 and 17 yards. The team is hoping he can handle the job, so that CB Chris Gamble or WR Steve Smith won’t have to do so. RB DeAngelo Williams was eagerly looking forward to the game against the Jaguars, "Yeah, I'm trying to get a kickoff return. I've been talking to special teams coach Danny Crossman. I'm lobbying for it, trying to get me at least one this weekend." Unfortunately, he averaged only 9.0 yards on his two returns. RB Jamal Robertson looked better on his 28-yard kickoff return. Rookie CB Richard Marshall is still waiting in the wings to get an opportunity.

Panthers Depth Chart
QB Jake Delhomme, Chris Weinke, Stefan Lefors, Brett Basanez
RB DeShaun Foster, DeAngelo Williams, Eric Shelton, Jamal Robertson, Alex Haynes
FB Brad Hoover, Nick Goings, Casey Cramer
WR Steve Smith (PR), Keyshawn Johnson, Keary Colbert, Drew Carter, Karl Hankton, Jovon Bouknight, Taye Biddle, Daniel Smith, Justin McCullum, Lynzell Jackson, D.J. Smith
TE Kris Mangum (inj), Michael Gaines, Mike Seidman, Jeff King
K John Kasay
DE Julius Peppers, Mike Rucker, Al Wallace, Jovan Haye, Stanley McClover, Devan Long
DT Kris Jenkins (inj), Ma'ake Kemoeatu, Damione Lewis, Jordan Carstens, Atiyyah Ellison, Tony Brown
MLB Dan Morgan, Adam Seward, Vinny Ciurciu
OLB Thomas Davis (S), Na'il Diggs (W), Keith Adams (W), James Anderson (W), Chris Draft (S)
CB Chris Gamble, Ken Lucas, Reggie Howard, Richard Marshall, Jermaine Hardy, Marcus Cassel, Jarrett Bush, DeShane Dennis
S Mike Minter (SS), Shaun Williams (FS), Colin Branch (FS/SS), Kevin McAdam, Nate Salley (FS)

Chicago Bears

QB: Rex Grossman shook off a poor performance a week ago going 7-of-14 for 83 yards with an interception. “It was better. Not great, but better,” Grossman said of his performance. “I don't know what happened last week.” He looked good in spots, but came up short when he tried to hit TE Gabe Reid in the corner of the end zone, where he was intercepted by the Chargers’ Marlon McCree. “I wish I had it back,” Grossman said. “I forced it.” Grossman played the first half and Brian Griese took over in the second half. Griese played two series and completed 2 of 4 passes for 16 yards and threw a touchdown pass before Kyle Orton entered the game. Orton completed 3-of-6 passes for 7 yards. Following the game, head coach Lovie Smith reiterated Rex Grossman is the team’s starter and that will not change between now and the season opener at Lambeau Field. That said; don’t be surprised to see Brian Griese in the lineup early in the season if Grossman struggles out of the gate.

RB: Adrian Peterson started and played the first half as Cedric Benson and Thomas Jones were held out for precautionary reasons. Jones returned to practice last week but the team held him out of the game. Benson is beginning to do light work on the sidelines, but he’s still not ready for pads – giving Jones an opportunity to seize the starting job back that he feels was wrongly taken from him for not participating in the team’s OTAs this summer. P.J. Pope started the second half and played until the last series when Andre Hall ran five times for 24 yards as the Bears killed the clock with a 24-3 lead. Peterson ran for 18 yards on seven carries and caught one pass for 8 yards. Pope ran 14 times for 56 yards and caught one pass for 2 yards. FB Jason McKie, starting for the injured Bryan Johnson, caught one pass for a 10-yard gain.

WR: Muhsin Muhammad didn’t play Saturday night to rest nagging injuries. Bernard Berrian caught two balls for a team-high 32 yards. Rashied Davis had two balls for 31 yards and Justin Gage caught a 9-yard TD pass in the third quarter from Brian Griese as he finished with three catches for 20 yards. Mark Bradley cracked the box score with a 2-yard catch.

TE: The Bears surprised a few pundits on draft day when they decided to pass on drafting a tight end, a position widely believed to be among the Bears biggest needs. Desmond Clark remains the starter and will be counted on to recapture his productive ways of a few seasons ago. Gabe Reid is the backup while John Gilmore is competing with a couple of undrafted rookies (Cooper Wallace and Tim Day) for the remaining roster spot.

Defense: Brian Urlacher set the tone of Saturday’s 24-3 win over San Diego by intercepting Philip Rivers on the third play of the game and returning it 64 yards for a touchdown. “He just threw it right to me,” Urlacher said of Philip Rivers' errant pass intended for Antonio Gates. “I caught it and went into the end zone.” Near the end of the first quarter, Rashied Davis took a kickoff 100 yards for another touchdown. “I just ran in the hole where I was supposed to hit and it clogged up. I bounced off, saw something to the right,” Davis said. “At that point you try to find something to make something happen. When I got around the corner or through the hole or whatever, I noticed it was just me and the kicker.” Also in the first quarter, rookie LB Jamar Williams recovered a fumble that led to a 49-yard Robbie Gould FG. Late in the game, Jason Harmon intercepted a pass to kill a Chargers drive. Safety Mike Brown remains sidelined with a strained Achilles tendon, but he’s expected to be ready for the season opener.

Special Teams: Kicker Robbie Gould discussed his 49-yard field goal against San Diego, "Obviously, they have confidence in me to kick field goals from that yardage. I'm going to continue to do that. If I don't I won't be here. But that felt good to get one under my belt and build some confidence. I hope to do it the next two games." He also added two PATs, and had kickoffs of 68, 65, 68, and 72 yards. Fading challenger rookie Josh Huston had a PAT and a 68-yard kickoff. The highlight of the game against the Chargers was WR Rashied Davis’ kickoff return. He fielded it at his goal line, escaped a pack of defenders at the 20, put a move on Nate Kaeding, and Terrence Kiel couldn’t catch him on the 100-yard touchdown return. Rookie DB Danieal Manning’s 22-yard kickoff return wasn’t quite as exciting. Rookie CB Devin Hester had punt returns of 2 and 42 yards, along with a fair catch. HC Lovie Smith dished out a compliment, "Devin Hester is a good player. I thought he made some good decisions catching the football, and that last punt return he got a chance to show some of what he has." WR Craig Bragg averaged 13.5 yard on two punt returns. Rashied Davis returned a punt three yards, and Rookie CB Carlos Hendricks had no gain on a return.

Bears Depth Chart
QB Rex Grossman, Brian Griese, Kyle Orton
RB Thomas Jones, Cedric Benson (inj), Adrian Peterson, P.J. Pope, Andre Hall
FB Bryan Johnson (inj), Jason McKie, J.D. Runnels, Quadtrine Hill
WR Muhsin Muhammad, Bernard Berrian, Mark Bradley, Justin Gage, Airese Curry (inj), Alex Bannister, Devin Hester (KR/PR/CB), Rashied Davis (PR), Craig Bragg, Bryan McClendon
TE Desmond Clark, Gabe Reid, John Gilmore, Tim Day, Cooper Wallace
K Robbie Gould, Josh Huston
DE Adewale Ogunleye, Alex Brown, Israel Idonije, Michael Haynes (DT), Jamaal Green, Mark Anderson, Mike Mendenhall, Khari Long (IR)
DT Tommie Harris, Ian Scott (inj), Terry Johnson (inj), Alfonso Boone, Dusty Dvoracek (inj), Delbert Cowsette
MLB Brian Urlacher, Jeremy Cain
OLB Lance Briggs (W), Hunter Hillenmeyer (S/M),  Leon Joe (W), Brendon Ayanbadejo (S), Dwayne Slay, Brandon Marshall, Jamar Williams
CB Charles Tillman, Nathan Vasher, Ricky Manning, Dante Wesley, Abraham Elimimian, Carlos Hendricks
S Mike Brown (SS) (inj), Chris Harris (FS), Danieal Manning (FS), Todd Johnson (SS), Cameron Worrell (SS), Brandon McGowan (SS) (inj), Dion Byrum, Donnie McCleskey

Cincinnati Bengals

QB: Anthony Wright made his second preseason start for the Bengals. He played well completing 9-of-19 for 99 yards and a TD in the first half. Doug Johnson took over and went 8-of-14 for 133 yards and a TD. Johnson also scored with his legs on a 4-yard bootleg. If Palmer does miss any games at the beginning of the season, Wright is the guy you want to grab as his handcuff. “Anthony made some plays tonight.” HC Marvin Lewis said, “What we’re asking him to do, he has to continue to be successful in those areas. Don’t try to play outside your body. Just do the things you can do successfully. It’s your offense. Get us in and out of plays, take care of the football and be deliberate.” Rookie Erik Meyer was waived this week.

RB: Rudi Johnson played briefly against the Bills, running three times for three yards. Quincy Wilson handled the bulk of the rushing duties carrying 16 times for 44 yards with three receptions for another 18 yards. DeDe Dorsey turned in a solid performance with three catches for 80 yards – including a 59-yard play – along with 22 yards rushing on six attempts. FB Chris Manderino caught a 3-yard TD from Doug Johnson in the third quarter. Backup Chris Perry remains sidelined with ankle and knee problems. It’s unclear when he’ll return and the speculation is that he could be placed on the team’s PUP list assuring that he would miss the team’s first six regular season games. HC Marvin Lewis said Perry likely won’t play in the preseason and if he doesn’t play then, he won’t suit up in the season opener either. On Sunday, Perry criticized the team’s medical staff regarding the handling of his injuries and diagnoses. “I came in here and got an MRI, and they said everything was fine with the knee,” Perry said. “I kept on working out, and it kept on hurting. I had to get something done to it. The second opinion confirmed what I thought — that it was more than what they were saying. If they would have told me about (needing surgery) in February, it would have happened in February. I knew it was hurt, but to the extent that it was, I had no clue. So then I went and got a second opinion and found out how hurt I really was.” In a nutshell, that’s not good news for Perry. If Perry remains on the PUP list, then Kenny Watson deserves a look as the team’s likely third down back. The extra roster spot open the door for DeDe Dorsey or Quincy Wilson to make the final roster, too. Terrence Whitehead is out for the upcoming Green Bay game with a sprained toe.

WR: Chad Johnson tried his best to persuade the officials to allow him to celebrate on Friday after he scored on a 9-yard TD catch. He pleaded with the official, but it was not going to happen. “I was asking him to let me celebrate, that's what that was, I'm sure you guys knew that,” Johnson said. “But he told me not to. 'Get off the field.' Just like that.” Johnson, sporting his orange mohawk, finished with five catches for 73 yards before leaving midway in the second quarter. T.J. Houshmandzadeh also started and caught one ball for five yards. Kelley Washington, whose roster spot seems to be in danger, caught three balls for 46 yards. Troubled second-year WR Chris Henry is having a strong preseason, which is no surprise, but he faces a likely 4-game suspension once his DUI case is completed. Henry also faces judgments from other cases in two states.

TE: Reggie Kelly caught one pass for 7 yards on Friday. This is about what we expect during the regular season. The Bengals have an offense loaded with weapons, but tight end simply isn’t one of them.

Defense: The Bengals defense had a huge game against the Bills on Friday forcing four turnovers and returning two of them for touchdowns. Safety Dexter Jackson took a Willis McGahee fumble 72-yards to the house in the first quarter and Keiwan Ratliff stepped in front of a J.P. Losman pass for a 26-yard TD return. DE Justin Smith turned in a big game with two sacks, a forced fumble, five solo tackles and two assists. DT Domata Peko added four solo tackles, two assists, a half sack and a forced fumble. Anthony Mitchell, who led the Bengals special teams in tackles last season, suffered a Lisfranc sprain (an injury to a joint in the foot that can take as long as 2-to-3 months to heal). Another injury had the team’s spirit down after the game. Corner Rashad Bauman is headed for injured reserve after he ruptured his patella tendon. Bauman’s surgery was scheduled for Monday. “Our heart goes out to him,” Lewis said. “We all know what he means to everybody here. It's just so unfortunate.” DT Sam Adams is close to returning to the field after having missed all of the preseason thus far. “I think we'll be OK with Sam,” head coach Marvin Lewis said. “But we'll make that determination.” Rookie Frostee Rucker is out against Green Bay with a shoulder injury. The team waived LB Tony Bua.

Special Teams: Kicker Shayne Graham was very busy in the game at Buffalo. He connected on field goals from 19, 28, and 43 yards. He missed wide left from 48 yards. He added five PATs. He sent six of his eight kickoffs to at least the goal line. HC Marvin Lewis discussed Graham’s improved kickoffs, “Last year when Shane got hurt, we learned a lot. When he injured himself from whatever he did, overuse or overwork, and we backed off the kicking last year, he got stronger. This year we’ve taken that approach with both [also including the punter] of them all through camp. They’ve done less work. They do more training during practice than actual kicking, and it’s really been paying off for both guys.” Starting punt returner WR Antonio Chatman did not play in the game due to a bruised hip. Last year’s starter, CB Keiwan Ratliff averaged only 3.5 yard on two returns. Starting kickoff returner WR Tab Perry averaged 15.5 yards on two returns. Two rookies hoping to win a roster spot each had a kickoff return, WR Reggie McNeal for 24 yards and WR Glenn Holt for 16 yards.

Bengals Depth Chart
QB Carson Palmer (inj), Anthony Wright, Doug Johnson, Erik Meyer
RB Rudi Johnson, Chris Perry (3RB) (inj), Kenny Watson (3RB), Quincy Wilson, DeDe Dorsey
FB Jeremi Johnson, Naufahu Tahi, Chris Manderino
WR Chad Johnson, T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Chris Henry, Antonio Chatman (KR), Tab Perry (KR), Kelley Washington, Reggie McNeal (QB), Benny Brazell, Ethan Kilmer
TE Reggie Kelly, Tony Stewart, Darnell Sanders, Ronnie Ghent, David Jones
K Shayne Graham
DE Justin Smith, Robert Geathers, Bryan Robinson (inj), Jonathan Fenene, Frostee Rucker, Eric Henderson
DT John Thornton, Sam Adams, Shaun Smith, Domata Peko, Marcus Lewis
MLB Odell Thurman (susp), Brian Simmons (M/W), Ahmad Brooks (S), A.J. Nicholson
OLB David Pollack (S/DE) (inj), Landon Johnson (W/M/S), Caleb Miller (W), Marcus Wilkins, Hannibal Navies, Wyatt Gayer, Kenny Kern
CB Tory James, Deltha O'Neal (WR/PR), Johnathan Joseph, Keiwan Ratliff (SS/PR), Greg Brooks, Patrick Body, Rashad Bauman (IR)
S Madieu Williams (FS/CB) (inj), Dexter Jackson (SS/FS), Kevin Kaesviharn (FS/SS), Ifeanyi Ohalete (SS), John Busing, Jereme Perry, Blake Ferris, Anthony Mitchell (IR)

Cleveland Browns

QB: Charlie Frye started and played four series finishing 8-of-11 for 41 yards with one touchdown, an interception and a lost fumble. Frye played with poise and showed good pocket presence on several occasions. After throwing an interception, Frye bounced right back and threw a 5-yard touchdown to Dennis Northcutt on a nice play that required Frye to move around in the pocket before he located Northcutt breaking free across the middle of the end zone. Backup quarterback Ken Dorsey, who hasn't looked sharp in camp, finished 11-of-16 for 75 yards and an interception. Derek Anderson got some action completing 7-of-9 passes for 83 yards and the game-winning 31-yard TD to Jerome Harrison.

RB: Friday’s night 20-16 win over the Detroit Lions was highlighted by a few big plays turned in from rookie fifth-round RB Jerome Harrison. “I just practice hard, line up where the coaches tell me to line up and make plays,” said the 5-foot-9 rookie from Kalamazoo, Michigan. Harrison caught a 31-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter and he finished with 107 total yards. “The Harrison kid caught the ball and ran with it,” Crennel said. “He looked pretty good. He has quickness and change of pace. If he continues to improve, we'll all feel good.” Now we know why the Browns were willing to deal Lee Suggs to the Jets. Harrison is emerging as a multi-purpose scoring threat. He’s shown speed, agility and toughness despite being the shortest player on the roster. “He's looked great, I knew he would,” said QB Derek Anderson, who played against Harrison in college. Crennel had even more praise for his young back. “He's made a lot of improvement since training camp started,'' said the Browns HC. ``He has that element that we talked about, quickness and change of pace. I think he might be a good change-of-pace guy for us going down the road.'' It’s believed the Browns are still shopping Lee Suggs, who was defensive regarding his failed physical with the Jets, that squashed the trade and sent him back to Cleveland. “It's all over the league that I failed my physical, so now people probably think there's something's wrong,” said Suggs. “But there's not.”

WR: Braylon Edwards continues to make progress and is taking part in practice with pads as of last Tuesday. “So far, so good,” he said. “We're still on target with where we want to be.” He’s still not expected to play in the preseason, but his practice reps are growing each week and he’s now running between 3 to 5 plays in a row before requiring rest. “That's something that's been tossed back and forth,” he said about playing in the preseason. “We don't know if it's worth it or it's not worth it. I'm feeling a lot better now. We're still being cautious with it. We still haven't pushed it too far. We're on target where we want to be.” In his absence, Dennis Northcutt is emerging as Charlie Frye’s favorite receiver. The two connected for a TD in Friday’s game against Detroit and Northcutt finished with two catches for 10 yards. Travis Wilson, Brandon Rideau and Frisman Jackson each caught two passes for 21, 12 and 11 yards, respectively. Starter Joe Jurevicius missed a week of practice due to back spasms, but returned to the field on Thursday of last week (but didn’t play against Detroit on Friday).

TE: Kellen Winslow’s play has the team feeling better after missing his first two years due to various injuries. Winslow caught three balls for 37 yards – all in the first half. “I'm not nervous. I'm not pressing and I'm out there having fun,” said Winslow, who believes he'll have a big season. “Oh yeah. I'm looking to dominate.” Steve Heiden and John Owens caught one ball each against the Lions.

Defense: The Browns defense played reasonably well, but they didn’t make a lot of big plays and only forced one turnover – an interception by D’Qwell Jackson. Rookies Kamerion Wimbley and Baba Oshinowo each recorded a sack. Gary Baxter (strained chest muscle), Daylon McCutcheon (knee surgery) and LB Willie McGinest (elbow) did not play. Ralph Brown and Brodney Pool paced the Browns with three solo tackles each.

Special Teams: Kicker Phil Dawson made a 32-yard field goal and a PAT against Detroit. Backup kicker Jeff Chandler had a very similar stat line with a 33-yard field goal and a PAT. Rookie WR Travis Wilson had the majority of the kickoff returns, averaging 16.0 yards on three returns. He’s unlikely to be on the team when September arrives. Starting kickoff returner WR Joshua Cribbs averaged 24.5 on his two returns. His average and the scoreboard would have looked better if his 76-yard touchdown return had not been negated by penalty. He sat out much of the second quarter using an inhaler for asthma. Cribbs also fielded a punt, but it went for no gain. Starting punt returner WR Dennis Northcutt gained six yards on a return, but also had one that lost five yards. WR Kendrick Mosley had an even broader range on punt returns, with a 44-yarder and one for no gain.

Browns Depth Chart
QB Charlie Frye, Ken Dorsey, Derek Anderson, Darrell Hackney, Lang Campbell
RB Reuben Droughns, William Green, Jerome Harrison (3RB), Lee Suggs (3RB), Jason Wright, Chris Barclay
FB Terrelle Smith, Corey McIntyre, Lawrence Vickers
WR Braylon Edwards (inj), Joe Jurevicius, Dennis Northcutt (PR), Frisman Jackson, Travis Wilson, Josh Cribbs (WR/RB), Brandon Rideau, Kendrick Mosley, Glenn Holt
TE Kellen Winslow Jr, Steve Heiden, Darnell Dinkins, Paul Irons, John Owens
K Phil Dawson, Jeff Chandler
DE Orpheus Roye, Alvin McKinley, Nick Eason, Simon Fraser, J'Vonne Parker
NT Ted Washington, Ethan Kelley, Babatunde Oshinowo, Ja'Waren Blair
ILB Andra Davis (L), DQwell Jackson (R), Chaun Thompson (R), Leon Williams (L), Mason Unck
OLB Willie McGinest (S/DE), Kamerion Wimbley (S/DE), Matt Stewart (S), David McMillan (W), Nick Speegle (S), Charlton Keith
CB Daylon McCutcheon (inj), Gary Baxter (inj), Leigh Bodden, Antonio Perkins (inj), Pete Hunter, DeMario Minter (inj), DeMarcus Rideaux, Ralph Brown
S Brian Russell (FS), Brodney Pool (FS), Sean Jones (SS), Antwaan Harris, Justin Hamilton (SS), Jeremy Lasueur (FS), Thierran Fontenot

Dallas Cowboys

QB: Drew Bledsoe started and played an excellent first half. He completed 12-of-16 passes for 156 yards with two TDs, as the Cowboys scored on three of their first four possessions. When Bledsoe didn’t play in the Cowboys preseason opener so Tony Romo could get more work, speculation arose that Bledsoe was being pushed for the starting job. That doesn’t appear to be quite the case, but Romo is playing well enough to secure a possible spot as the team’s future starter and a reliable backup for now. Bledsoe acknowledged that not playing, and presumably watching Romo light it up, "pushes you a little bit." Bledsoe said, "It gets you going, but I can't tell you I would have done anything different in camp had I been the only quarterback." Bledsoe was sharp, poised and had great timing with Terry Glenn and Sam Hurd, who started with Terrell Owens and Patrick Crayton injured. "I don't think he made any bad reads," Parcells said. He even showed confidence on the sideline. "I was standing out there with him visiting and he said, 'Jerry, I'm your man,"' Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said. Jones confirmed as much in Monday Night’s booth saying Bledsoe is essentially the guy their building the offense around this year.

Romo started the second half and played great once again, completing 6-of-8 passes for 138 yards. Romo led the team to a score on three of four drives. He hit Miles Austin with a well-thrown pass as he sailed into the endzone on a 48-yard TD. “I'm glad he got some more work," Parcells said. "That's six quarters. I want to get him nine or 10 this preseason.” Backup Drew Henson is on the verge of being waived, according to several reports.

RB: Julius Jones started and played the first three series. Marion Barber entered in the second quarter, played two series and turned it over to Tyson Thompson, who finished the game. Jones gained 29 yards on 13 carries and caught one pass for 7 yards. Barber ran 13 times for 40 yards with a 10-yard catch. Thompson ripped off a 25-yard run as he gained 45 yards on 10 carries. Parcells noted last week that in the past he’s had well-defined roles; a starter, a change-of-pace back and even a third down guy. This year, he’s comfortable with Jones and Barber playing interchangeably. That’s not great for fantasy owners, but it’s important to know Parcells seems intent on getting both of these guys plenty of touches. Thompson could still get a few carries here and there as the third back.

WR: Terry Glenn was on fire against the Saints on Monday night. He made a diving, behind the defender’s back catch in the corner of the endzone that was an instant classic. "Terry made two or three outstanding plays," Parcells said. "It shows me he's on his way to getting ready to go.” Glenn was targeted six times on the Cowboys first two drives. Sam Hurd is making it tough for the Cowboys to not hand him a roster spot. He made a highlight-reel catch for a touchdown as he was targeted four times on the team’s first three drives. Glenn led the team with four catches for 71 yards. Hurd chipped in three catches for 30 yards. Terrence Copper caught two balls for 32 yards.

All this happened without Terrell Owens. Drew Rosenhaus was chirping at the media on Sunday for being critical of his client, because of the hoopla surrounding his status amidst a recover from injury. "The pressure being placed on him by the media is ridiculous," said Rosenhaus. “It's ludicrous to suspect that he's doing anything but his hardest to come back” Jerry Jones didn’t seem concerned at all when he was asked about Terrell’s injury. "Certainly it is sore and he is going to be working to improve that," Jones said. "We will be evaluating it more tomorrow."

TE: The Cowboys opened Monday night with a 2-TE formation with Jason Witten and Anthony Fasano in the starting lineup. Witten caught one pass for 16 yards. Backups Ryan Hannam and Tony Curtis had 25-yard and 23-yard receptions, respectively.

Defense: The Cowboys first-team defense shut down the Saints first-team offense. The Saints couldn’t muster a first down on the first three drives. Parcells quipped in his post-game press conference that his guys didn’t get enough work. Corner Anthony Henry, DBs Abram Elam and Lenny Williams and backup linebacker Ryan Fowler paced the defense with three tackles each. Al Singleton recovered a fumbled forced by Fowler on Saints RB Jamaal Branch. DB/S Marcus Coleman faces a 4-games suspension for an alleged violation of the NFL substance abuse policy.

Special Teams: Kicker Mike Vanderjagt and his sore groin and quadriceps did not practice last week, and he did not play at New Orleans. He noted, "I just wasn't comfortable enough. If it was a regular season game… at this point, there's no point in rushing back if you're not 100 percent. Hopefully it's ready by Saturday so I can kickoff and kick field goals." HC Bill Parcells was not pleased last week, “I don't know what's the matter with him. Don't get me going on these kickers." Shaun Suisham handled most of the kicking against the Saints, making field goals of 24 and 42 yards, and adding three PATs. His kickoffs looked mostly improved, going for 69, 69, 46, 72, 75 (touchback), and 70 yards. There’s a possibility he could retain a kickoff specialist role in the regular season. Tyler Fredrickson added a 49-yard field goal and a 66-yard kickoff late in the game. Rookie DB Abram Elam continues to get work on the kickoff returns team, including a 15-yarder Monday night. He noted, "I'm just trying to do whatever I can to make this team. That's all I can do. I want to come out, play safety, both spots, and play a little special teams, too. I just figured I've got to do everything they ask me, and more, to make it." The remainder of the returns were handled by rookie WR Skyler Green. He fumbled the opening kickoff, but did recover it and salvaged a 13-yard return. He looked better on punt returns, averaging 9.3 yards on four returns. Parcells discussed Green earlier last week, "The first punt return he had his high heels on, but after that one he did go north and south pretty good. That's where he's got to do it. He's got to be a factor in the return game." WR Patrick Crayton did not play in the game with a sprained ankle.

Cowboys Depth Chart
QB Drew Bledsoe, Tony Romo, Matt Baker, Drew Henson
RB Julius Jones, Marion Barber III (3RB), Tyson Thompson (KR), Keylon Kincade, Demetrius Summers
FB Lousaka Polite (HB/TE)
WR Terrell Owens (inj), Terry Glenn, Patrick Crayton (PR) (inj), Sam Hurd, Terrance Copper, Jamaica Rector, Skyler Green, Miles Austin, J.R. Tolver, LaShaun Ward
TE Jason Witten, Anthony Fasano, Ryan Hannam, Sean Ryan
K Mike Vanderjagt, Tyler Fredrickson
DE Kenyon Coleman, Marcus Spears, Chris Canty, Jay Ratliff, Jason Hatcher, Junior Glymph
NT Jason Ferguson, Montavious Stanley, Samuel Taulealea
ILB Bradie James (M), Akinola Ayodele (S), Ryan Fowler
OLB Demarcus Ware (W), Al Singleton, Bobby Carpenter, Kevin Burnett (S), Greg Ellis (DE), Rocky Boiman (inj)
CB Terance Newman, Anthony Henry, Aaron Glenn, Jacques Reeves
S Roy Williams (SS), Keith Davis (FS), Pat Watkins (FS), Willie Pile (FS), Marcus Coleman (FS/CB) (susp)

Denver Broncos

QB: Jake Plummer started for the Broncos and played efficiently. He kept the Titans defense off balance with a succession of rollouts as he completed 7-of-9 for 97 yards before turning over the reins to rookie Jay Cutler. The Broncos first round pick led the Broncos on touchdown drives in each of his first two series. Cutler finished 6-of-12 for 99 yards and a 6-yard TD to Tony Scheffler in the third quarter. Bradlee Van Pelt didn’t see any action and he may have a difficult time making the roster because Mike Shanahan has shown in the past that he’s comfortable going with two quarterbacks.

RB: Mike Bell redeemed himself nicely in his second start of the preseason against the Titans on Saturday night. While he didn’t fumble in this game he still received an earful from WR Rod Smith after he ran out of bounds following a 34-yard run instead of lowering his helmet and putting a hit on Titans safety Lamont Thompson. “There is no one on our football team who has the right to run out of bounds on his own unless it's the quarterback,” Smith said. “You always fight for the extra yard. You never know. They might miss the tackle. They might slip. So, he didn't know that, so we let him slide on that one.” Smith held back a fuming RBs coach Bobby Turner after his own admonition. “The guy got like 30 yards. You can't be mad at him,” Smith said. “But at the same time, you're like, 'Look, man, don't ever run out of bounds again. That sideline is not for us; it's for the quarterbacks.” Bell added, “I didn't know about that, but as a running back, that's like the golden rule: you never go out of bounds. I don't know what I was