Training
Volume 3, Issue 3 – 8/16/07 Training
Camps are in full swing and we want you to feel like you have attended every
practice and seen every preseason game. Joe Bryant and Owners, Footballguys.com QB: In the Cardinals preseason
opener against RB: Edgerrin James started and stayed in during the first two series,
carrying twice for 3 yards. Marcel Shipp ran for 35 yards on seven carries,
J.J. Arrington ran 9 times for 32 yards and Steve Baylark ran three times for 9
yards. James and Arrington each caught one ball for 8 yards. The Cardinals line
started slowly, but seemed to be opening up more lanes as they got warmed up.
Adding a fullback will seem foreign to Edge, but it should help the running
game. After one practice last week, Edge
walked up to Terrelle Smith and congratulated him. Except for one broken play,
Edge told him, “I didn’t get touched today.” That’s exactly what Smith wants to
hear. “I’m a people mover,” said Smith. “He’s a banger,” said RBs coach Maurice
Carthon. “In a two-back offense, a fullback has to be
the tough guy willing to go in there and block the linebacker 50 times a game
and not touch the ball. He’s good doing that.” Matt
Leinart was also singing his praise for Smith, “T. Smith is going to be a huge
part of this offense. He’s a reliable
receiver. … He’s catching the ball well when he’s out in the flats.” The backup
FB job is up for grabs, but the coaches like rookie Tim Castille. There was some question about Shipp’s role in
the offense this past week, some feel Shipp will get plenty of goal line
opportunities this year, others are not so sure. Here’s what Cardinals insider Kent
Somers had to say on Edge and Shipp: “Edgerrin James is the featured back, no
question. But Marcel Shipp is going to play a huge role as a backup. Whisenhunt
loves him, and his straight ahead style is a nice contrast to that of James'.”
Here’s what Whisenhunt had to say on Shipp, “He’s a versatile guy. That’s one
of the reasons I was excited to get Marcel back. He embodies what we want on
this team. He’s unselfish. He does whatever he’s asked.” It’s still too early
to speculate, but Shipp will almost certainly see a
slightly bigger role than last year considering he had just 17 carries in 2006.
Even if he doesn’t a lot more carries, he will probably get some goal line
work, but his history at the goal line has been horrific, so don’t expect him
to displace Edge to a great degree in short yardage. Rookie Steve Baylark was recruited at UMass to
fill Marcel Shipp’s shoes. By Baylark’s third year,
Shipp heard all about him. "I didn't even know he had my number (5),"
Shipp said. "(During the 2005 season) one of my friends called me and
said, 'There's a kid just like you. He runs just like you and plays just like
you. He's bent over with his hands on his knees just like you.'" Now,
after chasing many of Shipp’s records, Baylark finds himself an undrafted
rookie competing for a roster spot, just like Shipp did. "As a free agent,
you rarely get your chances so you just gotta make
the best of it," Baylark said last week. "It's a lot of hard work and
competition and it's fast." WR: Larry Fitzgerald is in midseason
form already. He’s been catching everything thrown to him in camp. Said Kent Somers
in his Cardinals blog, “No one has seen Fitz drop a pass that's been in his
area code.” He seems to be more explosive off the line, too. Fitzgerald worked
with speed coach Bill Welle, the former training guru
for Cris Carter and Randy Moss, during the offseason.
"Once I get a little more separation, I'll be able to get more yards after
the catch," Fitzgerald says. "Coach (OC Todd) Haley is helping us get
in and out of our breaks faster," he continues. "In a game, that's
how the ball is coming - right on you. He's really pushing the tempo and wants
you to always finish your routes." Fitzgerald’s blocking was another focus
during the offseason. “He did a great job,”
Coach Whisenhunt said after practice last week. “When you have a player of his
caliber, it’s nice to see him work on the details because it sets the tempo for
the rest of the team. It makes everybody play at a higher level.” In Saturday’s game Fitzgerald made one catch for 20 yards while Boldin
had two for 17 yards. Bryant Johnson made the big bang in the 2nd
quarter with his 58-yard TD catch and run. Warner hit Johnson for 20 yards, but
Johnson broke free and ran the distance for the score. After the top three
receivers -- Boldin, Fitz and Bryant Johnson -- the depth chart remains in flux.
The differentiators will likely be how each player performs on special teams
and their consistency. Whisenhunt praised the special teams’ play of Sean Morey
throughout camp. Morey will make the team, no question. He’s looking to expand
his role and contribute on offense, too. “I’m trying to show up every day,
improve and focus on the process,” said Morey, “It’s about trying to expand
your role so you can help the team in every facet of the game. If I can
contribute on offense and special teams then that’s what I want to do.” TE:
Leonard Pope started for the Cardinals on Saturday and he caught one ball for 5
yards. Pope has pretty much locked up the starting job but in his second season
he still needs to develop more consistency, according to Coach Whisenhunt. "We show flashes, but I'm concerned that we haven't developed a
little bit more consistency," said Whisenhunt, a former tight end himself.
He said that second-year TE Troy Bienemann has been a "pleasant surprise”,
too. Bienemann was an All-Pac-10 tight end at Defense: The team opened the game in a
4-3 with Antonio Smith and Bertrand Berry at the ends, Gabe Watson at the nose,
Darnell Dockett at the under tackle spot, Chike Okeafor at strong-side backer,
Gerald Hayes in the middle and Karlos Dansby at WLB. Aaron Francisco started at
FS over Terrence Holt. One of the standout performers defensively in Saturday’s
game was rookie LB Pago Togafau, from Idaho State who is trying to make the
team as a backup inside. Togafau led the team with 8 solo tackles. Rookie NT
Alan Branch recovered a Daunte Culpepper fumble; Chris Cooper had 6 tackles, 2
assists and a forced fumble. Recently signed safety Oliver Celestin had five
solo tackles and Karlos Dansby had 3-0-0 before leaving the game with most of
the starters. The competition at nose tackle is going well, according to Whisenhunt.
Both former Wolverines are progressing. Alan Branch, the team’s second-round draft pick, is pushing
veteran Gabe Watson to be a better player. “Branch is working on his
fundamentals and, when he does them correctly, I see flashes of a potentially
dominant player at that position,” Whisenhunt said. Here are a few nuggets from
Kent Somers on the Cardinals defensive players: “Darnell Dockett is going to be
a better end than tackle. He's beginning to look more comfortable at left end
after playing tackle his first two years. Karlos Dansby is going to be a force
at inside linebacker. He's looked good in practice at not only stopping the
run, but he's made several plays in pass coverage. He'll be on the field every
play.” Special Teams: After
missing most of his long range field goals last year, kicker Neil Rackers
showed he can still do it in the preseason game at Cardinals
Depth Chart QB: Joey Harrington came out of the gates strong vs. the
New York Jets on Friday, August 10th. He hit 6/9 for 88 yards, 0 TDs
and 0 interceptions, including long passes of 22 yards to WR Joe Horn and 37
yards to TE Dwayne Blakley, and helped lead the team to a TD near the end of
the first quarter (Jerious Norwood put the ball in the end-zone on a 10-yard
run). After the game, Harrington said, "I'm not looking to fill a void. I'm
looking to do my job. There are things that Michael did well, and there are
things I do well. I'm not looking to fill anybody's shoes. I'm looking to do my
best to contribute to this team and do it in the way I know how to…My
confidence level is miles beyond what it was in RB: Last Wednesday, Coach Petrino said the following about
Jerious Norwood: “Once you see his speed and his ability to cut, it excites
you. He can go the distance. It’s hard to have long drives, so you need big
plays. He gives us that chance.” WR: Top receiver Joe Horn expressed confidence in QB
Harrington after the Jets game (Horn caught 1 pass for 22 yards in a short
appearance): "He was on top of his game, and that impressed me. He knew
the defenses and he had great timing with the receivers." Roddy White has
been having a solid training camp according
to reports out of Atlanta, and the team hopes he’s going to elevate his
game this year. He’s been lining up with the first team across from Joe Horn
for most of training camp. "A lot is expected of me because of the
training camp I've had," White said on Thursday (8/9). "Hopefully it
comes out to be a good ending." White just missed hauling in a long bomb
during the game last Friday, and managed to pull in 3 catches for 38 yards
despite the near miss. Rookie Laurent Robinson, who has been enjoying a strong
training camp in his own right, starred with the second team and ended up the
leading Falcon wideout that night with 5/49/0 to his
credit. Michael Jenkins (playing in the slot) had TE: TE Alge Crumpler was advised to take at least a week
off of practice to rest his surgically repaired knee on August 3rd,
and hasn’t been on the field since. "It's been frustrating for him,"
Petrino said. "He came out, felt pretty good for a while, then came back
and some of the pain was back again. He went down and saw another doctor. They
think he just needs a little bit more time. It's not unusual for him to have
pain like that from the scope he had back in the offseason because of the
arthritis he had in there…They did everything they needed to do to know what's
going on. He actually was encouraged. It shows a lot of healing. It shows
things are going well. They just think he needs a little bit more time."
Dwayne Blakley filled in for Crumpler in the preseason opener, snagging a key
37-yard reception from Harrington during the Falcons’ scoring drive on Friday.
If Crumpler can’t get back in the action by the regular season, Blakley is in
line for his opportunities according to our Footballguys.com depth
charts. Defense:
After the preseason contest with the
Jets, coach Petrino had the following to say: "We didn't know they would
run it that much, but it was good for us. That's what we have to work on: our
run defense. Unfortunately, they had too much success doing it." The Jets
crammed 40 rushes for 146 yards and a TD down the Falcons throats, opening the
game with 11 rushing plays (one was called back on a penalty), and didn’t
bother to throw a pass while the first team was on the field. “It was good to
see where we are at as a team and as a defense,” S Lawyer Milloy said
after the game. “I think the defense did very well especially with the
fact that the Jets came out in a no-huddle offense. Everyone played hard and
that was good to see.” Defensive end John Abraham added, “(The Jets) caught us
off guard at first because they were running the no-huddle and running the ball
with Thomas Jones. We didn’t really get to see what our pass rush looked like,
but we did get to see how we would do against the run. We didn’t give up any big
plays so we have to be happy about that.” Special
Teams: Kicker Billy Cundiff looked
good in the first preseason game at the Jets. He made all three of his field
goal attempts (37, 41, and 45 yards). Nonetheless, he isn’t taking the job for granted,
"I've been doing this long enough to know that you're only as good as your
last kick. It may sound cliché, but it's true. I learned that just because you
make the team, that doesn't mean everything is okay. Halfway through my rookie
season in Falcons Depth Chart QB: Steve McNair looked solid
against the Eagles on Monday night. McNair completed 6-of-8 for 73 yards on the
team’s opening 12-play drive that covered 93 yards, capped by a 6-yard TD pass
from McNair to TE Quinn Sypniewski. Kyle Boller took over on the 2nd
drive and he played the rest of the first half. Boller was 7-of-12 for 40 yards
and he also had a 20-yard scramble. Trent Smith started the 2nd half
and led the team on four possessions. Two series were three-and-outs, one
netted a 50-yard FG by Matt Stover and the other went 13 yards. Smith wound up
3-of-11 for 34 yards and a 13-yard run. Drew Olson played the fourth quarter
and led the team on a short drive capped by a 4-yard TD pass to Le’Ron McClain.
Olsen threw for 84 yards on 7-of-9 passing.
Other notes: Last Wednesday, Kyle Boller had a tough practice. First, he
threw a lob pass behind TE Quinn Sypniewski in the end zone that had HC Brian
Billick shaking his head. Then, a few minutes later, Boller fumbled a snap.
Don’t forget about Troy Smith. He’s improving throughout camp, but still has a
lot of work to do. He is battling Drew Olson for the team’s no. 3 QB job. RB: Willis
McGahee got his work in and he was done early, rushing for 20 yards on four
attempts. Cory Ross had the most impressive stats for the Ravens backs. He ran
for 65 yards on 11 carries, he also caught 2 balls for 9 yards. Greg Pruitt Jr.
ran for 34 yards on eight carries as the Ravens were able to run the ball well
with their backups. Except for Musa Smith, who gained only 5 yards on three carries. Last Tuesday, Willis McGahee showed what he can do
in the red zone with some powerful inside running. On four straight plays, McGahee hammered his
way into the end zone for one-yard TDs. Musa Smith had a great camp a year ago,
but this year has been anything but a repeat performance. He entered camp as
the #2 back behind McGahee, but he’ll need to pick it up to keep that spot.
Mike Preston, of the WR: The Ravens receivers had a quiet
game on Monday as the tight ends did most of the damage against the Eagles.
Derrick Mason had a nice 21-yard catch. Damien Linson caught two balls for 19
yards. Demetrius Williams caught two 17 yards. Mark Clayton
one for 5 yards. Clarence Moore and Devard Darling each caught one pass,
too. Yamon Figurs, the team’s third round pick, has a chance to contribute on
more than just special teams. The fastest player at this year’s NFL combine is
starting to show up in the offense when they practice with four WR sets. Figurs
will most likely be limited to special teams this year, but if he can develop
as a receiver then he’s a player to watch for dynasty purposes. In Friday’s practice several receivers had
the upper hand in one-on-one drills. Figurs burned Willie Gaston, Devard
Darling beat Evan Oglesby, and rookie Leo Bookman got the best of Jamaine Winborne as each scored 40-yard touchdowns. Another nugget from Mike Preston’s blog on WR
Clarence Moore from last Wednesday: “Let's all give receiver Clarence Moore a
standing ovation. He is back on the practice field and had a nice, long
reception from Kyle Boller. TE: The
Ravens TEs were active and productive on Monday night against Philly. Todd Heap
started and produced 32 yards with a pair of catches. Rookie Marcus Freeman led
the Ravens receivers in the first game with two catches for 41 yards. Kendrick
Ballantyne had a nice 33-yard reception. Quinn Sypniewski caught a 6-yard pass
for a TD on the team’s opening drive. Suffice it to say, Steve McNair and the
other Ravens QBs like their tight ends. In Thursday
morning’s practice, Todd Heap gave the fans another quick scare when he came up
limping after a play near the goal line. Daniel Wilcox replaced him for a play,
but Heap got back on the field quickly. Wilcox
missed Friday's practice with a sprained left ankle. HC Brian Billick said the
team wants to be cautious with him. Defense: In Monday night’s game Prescott
Burgess made a nice impression with 5 tackles and a sack. LB Antwan Barnes
sacked Kelly Holcomb on the first play of the 2nd quarter. Ronnie
Prude followed with another sack on Holcomb on the Eagles next drive on a 3rd
and 11 at midfield. Burgess got his on the Eagles next possession. On the last
play of the first half, Gerome Sapp sacked rookie QB Kevin Kolb giving the
Ravens four sacks in the first half. Newly signed DE Bill Swancutt collected a
sack in the second half. LB Dennis Haley had a Special Teams: It was business as usual in the preseason game
against Ravens
Depth Chart QB: Losman and the starting offense wound up getting just
12 plays over 2 possessions in the Bills preseason win over the Saints. He
completed 4 of 6 passes for just 20 yards, but his mobility was obvious on a
12-yard scramble for a 1st down after he was chased out of the pocket. “It’s
our first preseason game. We tried to be as sharp as we could be. It seemed
like just when we started to get in our groove they were taking us out.” Losman
said. Backup Craig Nall replaced Losman and led the offense on a 14 play drive
that resulted in a FG and the Bills only points of the first half. Nall looked
comfortable in the pocket, made quick reads, and delivered the ball accurately.
Rookie Trent Edwards played the entire second half and showed promise,
completing 10 of 11 pass attempts and leading the Bills to their only TD drive
of the night. As a group, the Bills QBs completed 19 of 24 passes (79%) for
just 124 yards and were sacked 3 times. RB: Anthony Thomas got the start in the Saints game but
had little room to run with just 7 yards on 3 carries. Marshawn Lynch has been
one of the stars in training camp and also received some snaps with the first
team offense, but he only had 2 rush attempts and didn’t really get a chance to
show much. The Bills will likely try to get him some more work in next week’s
home game against the Falcons. 4th round pick Dwayne Wright missed
some practice during the week due to an allergic reaction but wound up as the
Bills 2nd leading ball carrier in the game with 6 carries for 20
yards. The only RB that truly stood out in this game for the Bills, however,
was Fred Jackson who starred in NFL Europe and spent last year on the Bills
practice squad. WR: Lee Evans and Peerless Price started the game but
finished with just 1 catch for 4 yards combined. Josh Reed has been playing
well in camp and appears to have great chemistry with Losman. That was on
display early in the game when Losman scrambled away from pressure and found
Josh Reed on the sideline, who made a great catch for
a 1st down to keep the drive alive. Roscoe Parrish came out with the
2nd unit and appeared to be the favorite target of Craig Nall. On
one drive, Nall completed his first five passes and three of them went to
Parrish for a 1st down each time. If Price doesn’t play better,
Parrish will likely start stealing snaps from him as he brings a lot more
explosiveness to the offense despite his small size. Veteran Sam Aiken made a
great special teams tackle early in the game on punt coverage and provided a
reliable target for Trent Edwards in the second half, finishing with 4 carries
for 30 yards. None of the other WRs on the roster made an impact and it looks
like the Bills top-5 are pretty much set at this
point. TE: Robert Royal started the game at TE but was tackled
for a loss on his only catch of the night. Kevin Everett has not been getting
as much positive buzz in camp lately as he did during the summer, and he went
without a catch or target in the Saints game. The two players competing for the
starting H-back job were active, however. Ryan Neufeld got the start and had a
nice 8-yard catch from Nall early in the 2nd quarter. Brad Cieslak
replaced him in the 2nd half and had 2 catches on check down plays
from Edwards. All of the TEs combined finished with 4 catches in the game but
they only resulted in 5 net yards. Defense: SS Donte Whitner (abdomen) and DE Aaron Schobel
(hamstring) were both held out of the Saints game with injuries but neither was
considered serious and both are expected to be able to practice this week. The
team’s 4th DE Anthony Hargrove had a rough week. First, he was
involved in a confrontation with police outside of a Rochester-area nightclub
during the week, and then the league announced during the weekend that he would
be suspended for the first 4 games of the season after a violation of the league’s
steroid policy. The defensive tackles again appeared to be a liability as the
Saints first team offense handled them with ease, although they seemed to
better later on. CB Jason Webster was beaten easily by Reggie Bush on a play
where he was lined up as a receiver, but Jabari Greer made a nice interception
in the end zone that helped keep the game close. John DiGiorgio got the start
at MLB and he looked quick, finishing with 4 solo
tackles. He was replaced in the 2nd quarter by the rookie Paul
Posluszny, who made a claim for the starting job himself with an impressive
stat line of 9 solos, 1 sack, and 1 QB hurry. He had 5
tackles on his first series alone and three of them resulted in just 2-yard
gains. "Paul is just a good player,” said Dick Jauron. “The more athletes
you really trust out there the better you feel about winning any football game.
We're accumulating more (trust in him) and he'll keep working at it, but he's a
good one." Special Teams: In the game at Bills
Depth Chart QB: The Panther’s new offense (coordinated by Jeff
Davidson) was firing on all cylinders vs. the Giants on Saturday (8/11). Jake
Delhomme hit 5/8 for 30 yards and a TD before exiting the game at the start of
the 2nd quarter. David Carr played well with the second string, throwing
6/8 for 83 yards, 1 TD and 0 interceptions before giving way to third-stringer
Brett Basanez, who also tossed a TD (3/8 for 111 yards, 1 TD and 0
interceptions). Delhomme was very pleased with the first drive of the game,
according to the Charlotte
Observer: "It was huge," Delhomme said of the 13-play,
81-yard opening march. "That was something we talked about all week as
players because this is a new system for us.” Delhomme also commented, “It's
still early right now, but we just want to keep getting better with what we're
doing. We just need repetitions on our plays. We didn't get to run nearly as
many plays tonight as we've been running in practice, so we just need to keep
working." RB: DeShaun
Foster looked very good in the Panther’s preseason opener, garnering 31 yards
on 4 carries during the team’s initial drive and ending the night with 5/62/0
rushing and 1/9/0 receiving. He is running with confidence, is reading defenses
better this year and is reportedly cutting (in response to the reads) very
well. "That's the mentality we're trying to have this year," Foster
said. "We want to get out there and start fast and finish even
faster." Foster seems to be separating himself from the rest of the
stable. DeAngelo Williams was suited up and warmed up before the Giant’s game,
but was held out of the action due to a sore ankle. Nick Goings stepped into
Williams’ second-team role during the game Saturday with 11/50/0 rushing and
1/0/0 receiving. According
to the Gaston Gazette, Eric Shelton again failed to impress on Saturday
and may be in jeopardy of losing his roster spot. WR: Steve
Smith completed the Panther’s first offensive series of their preseason schedule
with a 5-yard TD grab, capping an impressive looking 81-yard, 13-play drive.
"Offensively, we're trying to make a statement this year ... to be more
balanced and successful," Smith said. "It was really good for us to
put together a drive like that.'' Second year WR Taye Biddle headlined for the
2nd and 3rd string offenses, pulling down 2 TDs with a 23-yard
score from Carr and an 85-yard TD from Basanez. Dwayne Jarrett, who was widely
expected to challenge for Keyshawn Johnson’s vacated spot in the starting
lineup after he was drafted in April, did not make the trip to TE: Jeff King started the game on Saturday, but did not
haul in a catch. Michael Gaines, the #2 TE, had one grab for 6 yards. It
appears that the Panther’s TE position will be a fantasy afterthought after the
first preseason game – we’ll see if King gets into the action more in the
upcoming contests. Defense:
Mike Rucker and Dan Morgan were held
out of the first preseason game – Morgan did make the trip and dressed for the
game, while Rucker didn’t dress for the game (but was not listed as
deactivated). Adam Seward started at LMB in place of Dan Morgan in Saturday’s
game. According
to the Gaston Gazette, LB Jon Beason did not fare well in his first NFL
appearance, being caught out of position on some plays. He missed 8 days
holding out and Coach Fox wasn’t expecting much from him as a result "Yes,
but I'm not saying so much more tomorrow night than I am just getting him up to
speed," Fox said after Beason’s first practice.
"You've got to be a little bit cautious when a guy is a late arrival,
because everybody else is used to carrying their pads and being more
conditioned with their pads.” S Nate Salley didn’t make the
trip due to a sprained knee that is still hobbling him. Na’il Diggs, expected
to start at WLB, did practice last Thursday after missing time due to injury,
but was held out of the Saturday contest. SLB Thomas Davis, who missed some
practice time on Wednesday due to back spasms, was in the starting lineup on
Saturday. Chris Harris started on
Saturday at SS, and looks like he’s cementing his role as a starter due to Salley’s knee woes and the roster juggling due to Mike Minter’s
retirement last Tuesday. RDE
Stanley McClover has been impressive in training camp and also looked strong in
the preseason tilt against the Giants (2 tackles, 1 assist and a sack). Special Teams: Kicker
John Kasay made a 24-yard field goal and added three PATs against the Giants.
Rookie WR Ryne Robinson averaged 20.0 yard on four kickoff returns. He fumbled
one of them out of bounds. He also returned a punt for 11 yards. The team has
been very pleased with him, as special teams
coordinator Danny Crossman noted, “We knew we needed to get someone in there to
be that guy, and we think we found him. The biggest thing with him is he's got
great hand-eye coordination. It's effortless for him to catch the football. And
he's got great eyes when he does catch it, where he's able to see a lot of
things happening while the ball's in the air and peripherally see what's
happening with the coverage lanes." WR
Chris Horn also handled some punts in the game at Panthers
Depth Chart QB: Grossman carried over his strong play from training
camp into Saturday night’s game against the Texans, completing 8 of 10 passes
for 50 yards and spreading those completions to 5 different receivers. Even
though most expect the Bears to employ a conservative offensive approach, they
showed that they aren’t afraid to take chances and can hurt teams through the
air when needed. As for the backups, Brian Griese had a rough start to the
night when his first pass was picked off, but he rebounded to complete his next
6 including a short TD pass to fullback Obafemi Ayanbadejo. With the Bears
trailing RB: Although the passing game stood out the most on
offense, Cedric Benson also looked impressive. He ran with power on his 5
carries for 23 yards, but also showed some soft hands with 3 receptions for 11
yards. The biggest concerns for Benson this year are (a) his durability, and
(b) his ability to protect the QB and contribute as a receiver out of the
backfield. Neither has been answered, but he took a first step in that
direction and could be in for a big year if the passing game can take attention
away from him. The other RBs were much less successful and generally had little
room to run behind the 2nd team offensive line. Backup Adrian
Peterson had 6 carries for 10 yards but ran hard between the tackles. Rookie Garrett
Wolfe showed a little burst at times but only finished with 20 yards on 7
carries and 2 receptions. WR: After missing most of the last week of practice,
Muhsin Muhammad had a good start to the game hauling down a 10-yard gain along
the sideline. Bernard Berrian matched his production with a 10-yard catch
himself. Adding to the Bears weapons on offense this year will be WR Devin
Hester, who looked like a natural at WR on a 12-yard catch over the middle. If
he continues to play well, he’ll likely steal snaps from Rashied Davis (1 catch
for 2 yards) at the slot WR position. Mark Bradley has also been coming on
strong lately and he had perhaps the biggest play of the night with a 31-yard
catch from Griese that set up a TD soon afterwards. After missing half of his
rookie year with a torn ACL and then playing through a sprained ankle a year
ago, Bradley hasn’t really had a chance to emerge yet. He may not this year
either as he’s expected to provide depth behind Muhammad and Berrian on the
outside. Depth players like Brandon Rideau and David Ball each made some
impressive catches late in the game. TE: The Bears started the game in a 2-TE formation that
they expect to use a lot more this season. Desmond Clark is the better blocker
of the two so he was kept into block while the rookie Greg Olsen was more
involved in the passing game. Olsen continued his solid play from camp and
looked like he could quickly become a favorite target of Grossman with 2
catches on the first series. "He's a mismatch for a lot of people,"
Grossman said. Further emphasizing how important TEs are going to be in this
offense, the 3rd TE John Gilmore wound up leading all Bears
receivers in the game with 4 catches for 43 yards. Defense: The Bears plan to take a more aggressive approach on
defense this year under new coordinator Bob Babich.
CB Nathan Vasher confirmed "We're going to come out, and [the opponent] is
going to have to account for the blitzes. We're coming after the
quarterback." The defense was credited with just 2 sacks in the first
preseason game against the Texans, but starting safeties Adam Archuleta and
Mike Brown both had 3rd down blitzes early in the game. Star players
Tommie Harris and Brian Urlacher were kept out of the game and were replaced in
the starting lineup by Darwin Walker and Jamar Williams, respectively. Although
the 1st unit was without two of their best players and didn’t stay
on the field for long, the defense played well and didn’t allow the Texans a
single 3rd down conversion in the first half on 7 attempts. Lance
Briggs showed little rust after recently ending his contract holdout, and Dusty
Dvoracek looked impressive in his first start at NT after missing all of his
rookie season last year. Special Teams: Kicker Robbie Gould made a
47-yard game winning field goal with 36 seconds remaining in the game at Bears
Depth Chart Cincinnati Bengals QB: Carson Palmer continued his sharp training camp,
playing two series against the Detroit Lions in the first preseason game and
completing 7-of-10 passes for 93 yards.
Palmer connected with Chad Johnson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh, who both had
three catches, on short and intermediate routes. He looked as comfortable in
the pocket as he was at the end of the 2006 season. Despite being without both starting offensive
tackles (Willie Anderson and Levi Jones), Palmer wasn’t sacked, hit or
hurried. The Lions aren’t known for a
stellar pass rush, but the Bengals are sure to welcome that level of protection
after Palmer was among the most sacked quarterbacks last season. Number two quarterback Doug Johnson was
inconsistent with the second string offense in over two quarters of duly,
completing only 11 of his 20 passes and missing some routes badly. Johnson did complete one TD pass to Chris
Henry, who made a nice adjustment on the ball to get into the end zone. Rookie third string quarterback Doug Rowe
made the most of his time running the two-minute drill in the fourth quarter,
posting an efficient 5-for-7 drive and getting the team in position for a game-winning
field goal attempt. RB: In the worst kind of déjŕ vu, the Bengals saw another
high draft pick at running back cut down by injury in WR: TE: The Bengals’ tight ends continue to be a marginal part
of the passing offense. Reggie Kelly
caught one short pass from Carson Palmer, but second teamer Daniel Coats was
shut out. Coats
continues to impress the coaches in practice, however, and looks assured
of the backup role. Defense: While it’s difficult to ignore the nearly 500 passing
yards allowed by the Bengals defense against the Lions, there is reason to be
encouraged. The first string defense
held the Lions’ first string offense scoreless and gave up just over 60 yards
in two series. Both starting defensive
ends, Justin Smith and Robert Geathers (who played every down despite reports
that he would continue in the situational role he played in 2006), were able to
provide pressure on QB Jon Kitna. FS
Madieu Williams was more decisive and physical than he was in 2006. Underrated WLB Landon Johnson continued to be
a steadying influence in run support and in the nickel package. Fourth round draft pick SS Marvin White was
very impressive with the twos, making six tackles and an interception. On the downside, rookie CB Leon Hall was
beaten consistently by the Lion receivers and looked a half step slow to the
ball on most plays. MLB Ahmad Brooks
played with both the ones and twos and, while he was around the ball
frequently, failed to make a tackle and sat in the nickel defense despite
reports that he wouldn’t leave the field this year. While it’s only one preseason game and Marvin
Lewis continues to praise Brooks’ effort in practice, the team will need Brooks
to have a larger impact than he did in the first preseason game. The Bengals will have second year corner
Johnathan Joseph back at practice this week, who is now recovered from a broken
foot suffered in one of the final offseason workouts. Dynasty Sleeper alert: Rookie SS Chinedum Ndukwe, a
seventh-round pick, is big, fast and athletic. Throughout camp he has been
flying around the field and he seems to be always around the ball. So far, he’s
done a nice job of reading plays and making the right decisions on the field.
Chick Ludwig, Bengals insider, reports
that Ndukwe has emerged as the top backup to starter
S Dexter Jackson. Ndukwe also played receiver early in his career at
Notre Dame before making the switch to safety. Special Teams: Kicker Shayne Graham had a good
game against Bengals
Depth Chart QB: While the main storyline of the week was the end of
rookie Brady Quinn’ holdout, the camp battle between Charlie Frye and Derek
Anderson continued. The Browns were no
closer to determining their opening weekend starter leading into the first
preseason game against RB: Jamal Lewis was given a significant number of touches
in his short time on the field, carrying the ball four times for 20 yards and
catching three passes for 16 yards.
Lewis ripped off a slashing 15-yarder, but was stopped for short gains
on his other carries. The coaches remain
optimistic about his play in practice and Lewis should get a boost when guard
Eric Steinbach returns in the regular season after suffering a sprained PCL
last week. Jerome Harrison, who will likely
be Lewis’ primary backup, was solid with eight carries for 33 yards, including
a 19-yard run. WR: Braylon Edwards played most of three series and had
one catch for eight yards. That pass
play drew the praise of both the coaching staff and quarterback Charlie Frye,
as Edwards recognized a potential blitz and made himself available as the hot
receiver. Joe Jurevicius played but did
not catch a pass. The third wide
receiver battle still appears to be a two horse race, with Tim Carter out
again, this time nursing a thumb injury.
Josh Cribbs got time with both quarterbacks and had an inconsistent
night. He caught only one pass for six
yards and dropped two catchable passes from Derek Anderson. Cribbs did show an explosive dimension,
slipping a tackle for a 12-yard gain on an end-around. Travis Wilson caught two passes for 29 yards
but didn’t do anything significant enough to separate himself from Cribbs. The bulk of the targets went to backs and
tight ends, who combined for 13 of the 25 completed
passes on the night. TE: The offseason reports that new offensive coordinator
Rob Chudzinski would feature the tight end heavily in the offense look to be on
the mark. Kellen Winslow was targeted on
the first two plays of the game. After
Donnie Edwards knocked down the first pass with tight coverage, Frye connected
with Winslow on a six-yard pass on the next play. Winslow saw little action after the first
series but suffered no setbacks with his knee.
Expect the Browns to continue to limit his practice and game time for
the rest of the preseason. Primary
backup Steve Heiden did not catch a pass.
Buck Ortega, a back end roster player who spent 2006 on the practice
squad, led the team with four catches for 39 yards. All four catches came on the same drive in
the fourth quarter. Defense: The Browns defense hasn’t been a major storyline with
the Quinn holdout, Frye-Anderson competition, signing of Lewis and recovery of
Winslow all getting more play in the local media. But the defense has a number of young and
emerging players that deserve more attention.
OLB Kamerion Wimbley picked up where he left off after his rookie
season, pressuring the pocket and contributing to two big plays against the
Chiefs. Wimbley’s
pass rush was instrumental in Antwan Peek’s first quarter sack and forced
fumble and later forced Brodie Croyle into an off-balance throw that was
intercepted by another underrated Brown defender, Leigh Bodden. Peek, who will get an expanded role with
veteran Willie McGinest out a minimum of six weeks after back surgery, added a
tackle for loss and showed better run-pass recognition than he had in previous
seasons in Special Teams: During the
offseason, kicker Phil Dawson analyzed and worked on his technique, “I could tell by watching film and seeing some still
photos that I basically was crowding myself to the ball. Just like a golf
swing, you can get inside-out on (kicks) and slice it. I worked on alignment
issues to make sure I was more consistent and some plant foot things. To me,
they were major because I had used the same steps for 20 years. But in the
grand scheme of things, the changes are very minimal in terms of steps and
angles and all that." Last week he analyzed the new sod in Cleveland
Browns Stadium, "I think the guys over there have done a great job. For
only being put in a week or 10 days ago, it's playable and will only get
better. It's definitely an improvement over last year's field. The true test is
when these big guys get out there." In the first preseason game against
the Chiefs he was perfect on three field goals (27, 32, and 38 yards) and one
PAT. Camp leg Jesse Ainsworth was wide left on his lone attempt. WR Joshua
Cribbs averaged 27.0 yards on two kickoff returns. When the coaches are
deciding on roster cuts, RB Chris Barclay hopes they remember his 88-yard game
winning kickoff return with Browns
Depth Chart QB: It was business as usual for
Tony Romo and the first team offense in Thursday’s preseason matchup versus the
Colts. Romo played the first series and drove the Cowboys down the field each
time. He completed 10-of-11 passes for 97 yards; completing passes to six different
receivers. Romo was excited about the first team’s play: "It's exciting
because we're going to drive the ball down the field a little bit," Romo
said. "We're going to take what the defense gives us, but at the same
time, we'll move the ball down the field in a hurry." Brad Johnson saw limited action completing 3 of 4 passes for a whopping
15 yards. As we’ve been saying for weeks, he must show an ability to get the
ball downfield or the Cowboys backup situation may be suboptimal if Tony Romo
gets hurt. In the battle for the QB3, Matt Moore (undrafted free agent) took a big
step playing well with the backup units. He completed 7-of-9 for 88 yards and
seemed comfortable in the pocket. His challenger for the 3rd spot,
Richard Bartel, didn’t play. RB: Julius
Jones got the first carries of the game, and did little with them, ending the
day with 6 rushes for 22 yards (3.7 yards per carry). Marion Barber also worked
with the first team into the second half, logging 12 carries for 48 yards while
also chipping in 3 catches for 11 yards. Cowboys fans
are used to Barber outperforming Jones by now, but there’s still no indication
Jones won’t get the majority of carries between the 20s. Tyson Thompson is a solid bet to reprise his
role as the team’s 3rd back. Although he only averaged 3.1 yards in
Thursday’s preseason game, he logged 11 carries and had the team’s lone rushing
touchdown. He also made his mark on kick returns, averaging better than 20
yards per return. WR: Terrell Owens did just enough to
give fantasy owners a sigh of relief. He went out and caught Tony Romo’s first
pass, for 8 yards, and then was done for the night. With Terry Glenn still
recovering from a knee scope, the Thursday game was a chance for the backups to
make a case for more regular season playing time. Unfortunately none of them
really had the opportunity, as the Cowboys QBs were spreading the ball around.
Patrick Crayton had 2 for 10, Sam Hurd one for 8 and Jerame Urban one for 9
yards. Craytong and Urban each chipped in a punt
return, but netted 3 yards between them. TE: The
Thursday night game was all about the Dallas Cowboys tight ends. The quartet of
Jason Witten, Anthony Fasano, Tony Curtis and Adam Bergen combined for 8
receptions 113 of the team’s 196 passing yards. Tony Curtis was the surprise,
catching 3 balls for 58 yards (19.3 yards per catch) and making a strong case
to break camp with the team. Anthony Fasano, who has had an up-and-down camp
catching the ball, grabbed 3 passes for 43 yards. Defense: On Thursday’s preseason game
versus Greg Ellis continues to be hampered by his injured foot (heel) and there
are persistent fears that it’s career-threatening. Rookie 1st
rounder Anthony Spencer has been getting first team reps in his place, and is
making the most of them. Although he didn’t show up in the box score from
Thursday’s preseason game, Coach Phillips had good things to say: "If they
don't run over there, so he must have done pretty well…And they didn't throw to
his guy in the flat." Special Teams: Heading
into the game against Cowboys
Depth Chart QB: Jay Cutler started and played
the first series completing one out of his 2 passes for 24 yards – a nice
strike to Javon Walker. Patrick Ramsey took over and played into the fourth
quarter before giving way to Darrell Hackney, who finished the game. Ramsey
completed just 4 out of 10 for 45 yards; he threw one TD – a 3-yard toss to FB
Troy Fleming in the 2nd quarter – and one interception. Hackney
completed 3 of 5 for 20 yards. The Broncos combined for a meager 89 yards
passing, but they attempted only 17 passes compared to 35 rush attempts. Last week, QB Jay Cutler had a few bad
practices after having a case of wrist tendinitis from excessive throwing. The
tendons in his wrist were enflamed, but he worked through it wearing a brace
under his long sleeve shirt and didn’t miss any practice time. The injury is
not believed to be serious. "It felt a lot better today," Cutler said
on Wednesday. "We've been icing it and rehabbing it quite a bit.
Everything's fine now," Cutler said. RB: Travis
Henry started and ended the Broncos opening drive. He went for 11 yards off
right tackle on the opening play and he scored from 1 yard out to give the
Broncos a 7-0 lead. Cecil Sapp took the reins on the next drive followed by
Mike Bell on the team’s third possession. Sapp and WR: On Friday, HC Mike Shanahan ran out of patience with For now, Brandon Stokley continues to run with the starters at the No. 2
WR. Stokley has been invaluable so far
for Cutler on blitzes. "It's little things TE: Hey, yo, Teyo! Johnson caught a 6-yard pass on Monday night –
the only action of the night for the Broncos tight ends. Daniel Graham and Nate
Jackson started on Monday night while Tony Scheffler was inactive. Defense: The Broncos opened Monday night’s
game with Sam Adams and Amon Gordon starting at defensive tackle and John
Engelberger and Ebenezer Ekuban at the ends. D.D. Lewis started at SLB and Nick
Ferguson at SS. Nate Webster led all Broncos tacklers with Special Teams: In practice last week, kicker Jason Elam caught a touchdown pass from
punter Todd Sauerbrun on a fake field goal drill. He didn’t do as well in the
preseason game at Broncos
Depth Chart QB: The Lions opened the preseason against the Cincinnati Bengals, and the
QBs were throwing the ball early and often. Starting QB Jon Kitna played
briefly and completed 3-of-5 passes for 52 yards before heading to the bench.
J.T. O’Sullivan, who is competing for the backup position, struggled
early, going 3-and-out on each of his first two possessions. On the next
possession, O’Sullivan found a wide-open Shaun McDonald for an 83-yard TD pass.
O’Sullivan made a couple of poor decisions, one of which turned into a Marvin
White interception deep in Lions territory. He led the Lions to a FG in the
last minute of the first half. O’Sullivan completed 12-of-19 passes for 225
yards, a TD and an interception. Dan Orlovsky followed O’Sullivan and
completed 15-of-23 for 220 yards and 2 TDs. He had a costly interception that
was returned for a TD. That put the Lions behind 26-10. Orlovsky showed some
mental toughness after that TD by leading the Lions to 17 unanswered points,
including a late drive that lead to a FG which gave the Lions the lead.
Offensive coordinator Mike Martz, though, was not beaming after the Lions'
27-26 victory. Yes, the offense rolled up some impressive stats, but Martz
quickly pointed out the team's three turnovers. Martz expects his offense to
pile up a ton of yards -- and convert game-winning plays -- but he does not
want turnovers. "They were serious mistakes," Martz said tersely
after the game. "That interception before the half, those are mistakes
you've got to clean up to become a good team.” The Lions finished with 497
passing yards. RB: Kevin Jones remains on the PUP list, and there was a report that the
Lions had already decided to leave Jones on PUP when the season starts, which
the Lions vehemently denied. “No decision has been made on Kevin, nor should
there be," Marinelli said. "When a guy goes on PUP, we still got
another 3 1/2 weeks to make a decision." Tatum Bell started the game and
ran for 11 yards on his first carry. He finished with 19 yards on six carries.
T.J. Duckett had a costly fumble at the Bengals goal line in the third quarter,
which negated a TD. He ran for 19 yards on five carries. Brian Calhoun sat out
the game as he recovers from last year’s knee surgery. He is expected to play
in the second preseason game. Aveion Cason suffered a concussion in the game,
but he should be ready to play next week. Anthony Sherrell carried the ball
four times for 19 yards. Marinelli said the Lions would be spending more time
on the running game in practice and the preseason games. WR: Roy Williams and Mike Furrey started at WR for the Lions. Williams
caught one pass for 23 yards, and Furrey had one catch for 24 yards. Both left
the game early. Rookie Calvin Johnson made his NFL debut and electrified the
crowd with back-to-back receptions in the last minute of the first half. The
second of Johnson’s two receptions showed off his leaping ability, as Johnson
rose above two defenders on a slant and hauled in a 21-yard pass. He finished
with 45 yards on two catches. Johnson also had a major impact on another play.
He ran an out route, and drew the deep safety to his side of the field. That
opened the middle of the field for Shaun McDonald, who was 20 yards behind the
defense, and O’Sullivan hit him with an 83-yard TD pass. McDonald led the Lions
with 146 yards on five receptions. The Lions could create some headaches for
defensive coordinators by using a four-wide receiver set of Williams, Johnson,
Furrey and McDonald. "That fourth receiver's big in this offense,"
coach Rod Marinelli said. "You talk about matchups inside now. You get a
little nervous putting a linebacker out there. You might go dime and nickel.
Now it helps you run the ball. You get linebackers out of the box or make
(defensive backs) go in and play the run game.” Veteran Troy Walters, competing
for a backup spot, caught 8 passes for 77 yards. Kevin Kasper (4-47, 1 TD) and
Cliff Russell (2-65-0) are also competing for a roster spot. Devale Ellis
remained on the PUP list. TE: Starting TE Dan Campbell did not play, and the Lions are likely to be
careful with the veteran. He is likely to only play in one preseason game. Defense: Shaun Rogers remained on the PUP list and the Lions
are hoping he will be ready for the third preseason game. Dewayne White is
still hampered by a groin injury and missed the game. Kalimba Edwards started
and had two tackles, but didn’t provide a pass rush. DT Langston Moore had
three tackles and a sack and was the most effective lineman. Marinelli praised
rookies Ikaika Alama-Francis and Johnny Baldwin for their play. "His
running ability and hitting ability is special," Marinelli said of Special Teams: Kicker Jason Hanson is resting up for the regular
season. In the preseason game against Lions
Depth Chart QB: Brett Favre played a little less
than a quarter and did little in Saturday’s preseason opener against RB: Rookie Brandon Jackson did nothing to make
Packers fans forget Ahman Green. While playing with the starters, he rushed
three times for 8 yards. He got the bulk of the work against the Steelers with
starter Vernand Morency on the shelf. He finished with 16 carries for 57 yards
and caught one ball for 1 yard, with most of that damage coming against the
Steelers defensive backups. Corey White, the 6’1” 235 pound rookie from UAB,
ran eight times for 22 yards. Noah Herron carried four times and gained 20
yards while catching a 13-yard pass. P.J. Pope, DeShawn Wynn and FB Brandon
Miree were not active for the game. WR: Donald Driver started at flanker
and Greg Jennings at split end; but didn’t get into the action much. Driver had
one catch for 3 yards. Rookie James Jones caught six passes in the first half for
58 yards and continued to show why he looks like he’ll be the team’s No. 3
receiver this year. His longest catch was a 21-yarder on a crossing route; he
also had a 10-yarder for a third down conversion. Ruvell Martin caught three receptions
for 45 yards; Shaun Bodiford had 2 for 26 yards and Chris Francies caught 2 for
16 yards. Robert Ferguson, fighting for a roster spot at this point, had two
catches for 7 yards. TE: Donald
Lee started on Saturday and caught one ball for 6 yards. Zac Alcorn caught one
ball for 5 yards. Bubba Franks looked like the same guy who struggled the last
two years when he dropped the only pass thrown to him, a short route over the
middle. Otherwise, Franks has had a decent camp but he’s still running behind
Donald Lee for the starting job. Defense: The
Packers starting secondary included Patrick Dendy and Jarrett Bush at the
corners, Nick Collins at FS and Marquand Manuel at SS. Charles Woodson and Al
Harris were not active. Corey
Williams started inside at DT next to Ryan Pickett. DE Larry Birdine was active
leading the team with 5 solo tackles, an assist and a sack. Cullen Jenkins,
fresh off a 4-year, $16 million contract in February, was the most impressive
of the defensive starters in the preseason opener. On
a third-and-5 from the 36, Jenkins beat Steelers LT Marvel Smith and sacked Ben
Roethlisberger, forced a fumble, which he also managed to recover. "I was trying to turn the corner, and
it wasn't working too well," Jenkins said. "I saw him getting ready
to throw, so I just tried to time it up and hit the ball when he pulled it
back." On the next series,
Jenkins blew up the blocking on a third-and-1 play allowing LB A.J. Hawk to fly
in and stop RB Najeh Davenport for no gain. Jenkins recorded two sacks, forced
a fumble and recovered it. Jarrett Bush had four tackles. Backup safety Atari Bigby had a strong offseason
in minicamps and organized team activities, but he hurt his chances with his
play on Saturday night against Special Teams: The kicker competition between Dave Rayner and Mason Crosby continues
to be the stuff of which kickologists’ dreams are
made. In practices Rayner had made 50 of
59 (84.7%) and Packers
Depth Chart QB: Matt Schaub’s
debut as the Texans starting QB wasn’t awe inspiring, but there were some
positives to build off. Had it not been for his overthrowing Kevin Walter for what would have been a TD, his
performance would have looked much better. Schaub’s first
pass was on second down when he hit TE Owen Daniels for a two-yard gain. On
third-and-seven, Schaub's pass was batted down
leading to a Chad Stanley 50-yard punt. Schaub ended the day 3-of-5 for 25
yards. "(Schaub) did some good things," HC Gary Kubiak said. "He
had a chance for a lay-up touchdown there at the end and he misses (Walter) in
the corner of the end zone. He made a great play on the first third down that
Kevin has to hang onto it and make that play. That's what (Schaub) is. He's got
a great field presence out there. He knows what's going on and he's going to
make good decisions for our team. I thought that what little time I gave
him...he did a real good job." Sage Rosenfels looked good, as well,
converting all six of his passes on the Texans 2nd series of the
third quarter for 71 yards. Jacoby Jones hauled in an 18-yard pass from
Rosenfels along the sideline and then he caught a 10-yarder later in the drive.
Rosenfels had an 11-yard scramble that gave the Texans a first down at the
Bears' seven-yard line. Two plays later, Rosenfels hit Jeb Putzier for a 6-yard
TD and a 19-7 lead with Jared Zabransky wasn’t expected to play in the
game, but he’s competing with Bradlee Van Pelt to be the 3rd
quarterback. Earlier in the week, Zabransky did his best Rex Grossman impression,
only he may have played even better than Grossman in the process. The rookie
looked excellent running the scout team. He was throwing tight spirals. On one
play, Zabransky threw a perfect 35-yard bullet to Harry Williams. “I threw the
ball well,” Zabransky said. “You’ve gotta do
something when you have the chance. We don’t get many reps with the team, so
when you get a chance to get with the scout team, you’ve got to (take
advantage). It’s different from what you do, so sometimes you have to
improvise.” Zabransky is eligible for the team’s practice squad, which could
play in his favor as he competes with Van Pelt this preseason. “I can give a
lot of looks; pretty much any quarterback in the league I can duplicate, and
I’ll try to give them the best looks possible,” Zabransky said. “That’s the
goal with practice squad guys: What can you do to help the team?” RB: Ahman
Green started Saturday’s game and played for two series with the other starters
carrying three times for 7 yards. "I didn't see many mistakes," Green
said. "Watching the film on Monday, we'll see what we did wrong. From the
standpoint of the running game, everything executed pretty well. I could feel
that everyone was a little nervous, a little jittery, excited, which is good.
If you're not nervous, you're not ready to play." The offensive line
didn’t make much noise on those drives and the Bears front seven seemed to be
having no problems. Sam Gado gained 14 yards on four carries and rookie Darius
Walker got two carries at the end of the game for 8 yards. Ron Dayne carried
four times for 6 yards. The longest run by any of the Texans backs was a meager
7 yards. Gado also caught two balls for 9 yards. WR: Earlier in the week, HC Gary
Kubiak was talking about Jacoby Jones’ and his rising confidence through the
first two weeks of camp. “He’s got so much talent, we’re trying to reel it in,”
Kubiak said. “I think when he sees those black helmets this Saturday he’ll
start to reel it in this league. He’s got a lot of confidence, and the kid
feels like he belongs. He sure looks like he belongs. Let’s go play and let’s
see.” Maybe we should take more stock in what Kubiak has to say because Jones
did start reeling it on Saturday. Jones’ confidence was apparent. He had a
26-yard punt return where he hip faked a He had receptions of seven, 12, 18 and 10 yards. The final two came on a 12-play, 90-yard drive
in the third quarter that resulted in a 6-yard TD to Jeb Putzier. “He’s a very
confident young man. He’s never played against big crowds in big arenas, but
he’s proven that he can handle the pressure and he belongs,” said special teams coordinator Joe Marciano. “I thought Jacoby came out
and played really well,” Schaub said. “I was pleased to see him in live game
action, what he was able to do, (to) make some of those tough catches in
traffic. Especially those returns, he had a couple of good plays there. So it
was very encouraging to see him transfer what he does on the practice field
into game action.” Jones is competing with Jerome Mathis for potentially the same roster
spot, but also a potential role as a 4th/5th receiver.
Mathis returned a kickoff 78-yards creating his own
highlight reel. Kubiak talked about Mathis' standout play: "It's exciting
to see. He came in and had a couple of catches. He looked like his old self
returning the kicks, and I think he's only going to get better." For now,
Jones and Mathis are competing for the back end of the roster, while Kevin
Walter holds down the WR2. In last Wednesday’s practice, Kevin Walter was the
playmaker hauling in a deep ball from Matt Schaub for a touchdown. Schaub duped
the defensive backs with an excellent play-action fake before he found Walter
downfield wide open. Walter started Saturday’s game, but he didn’t catch a pass
– though he was open for a potential TD but was overthrown. Andre Johnson
caught 1 ball for 15 yards. Andre Davis had 2 receptions for 14 yards. David Anderson caught one for 4 yards. Davis
and Anderson are also in the competitive mix with Mathis and Jones and even
Bethel Johnson for those last two or three roster spots. TE: Owen
Daniels started Saturday’s game and caught two balls for 10 yards. As a rookie,
Daniels was a nice surprise and showed glimpses of potential from a fantasy
perspective. This year, he’s a good candidate as a solid TE2 with upside if
your TE1 doesn’t work out. Jeb Putzier will also be in the mix, potentially
keeping Daniels value at bay. Putzier had a strong game against Defense: LB LB Charlie Anderson started the game, but
he was withheld from portions of Wednesday’s practice with an elevated
heartbeat. He returned to action on Thursday and he’s fine. Shantee Orr and
Dunta Robinson split a sack and Von Hutchins notched an interception. After the
game Kubiak talked about the play of DE Jason Babin (2-0-0), “I’ve told you
guys… he has been a different player.
He’s very committed to what he’s doing, he’s
had a great off season. Jason and I
battled each other last year along the way, but one thing about Jason, he plays
hard. I think he’s kind of recommitted
himself, he understands our defense, he knows his role…
I think he’s doing much better in how he’s going about his business right now.”
Special
Teams: Kicker Kris Brown typically
misses one out of every four kicks, but he was perfect in the preseason game
against Texans
Depth Chart QB: In the Colts first preseason
game of the year at RB: The
Colts ground game wasn’t a factor against the Cowboys. Joseph Addai ran only
twice for 5 yards while DeDe Dorsey gained 15 yards on 6 carries and Clifton
Dawson ran three times for 7 yards. Dorsey’s eight yard run was the longest of
the evening outside of a 20-yard scramble by QB Josh Betts. WR: Marvin Harrison led all WRs in the first
preseason game with 34 yards on two catches while Craphonso Thorpe had 3
catches for 25 yards. Bryan Hare caught two balls for 17 yards; Anthony
Gonzalez had one catch for 14 yards, Roy Hall one for 5 yards and John
Standeford one for 11 yards. Trent Shelton caught their only TD pass (from Josh
Betts) finishing with a TE: Bryan
Fletcher led the Colts TEs in their preseason opener against Defense: Tyjuan Hagler led the Colts with 8 tackles
against Dallas, followed by Marlin Jackson ( Special Teams: Kicker Adam Vinatieri sat out
the Colts
Depth Chart QB: Lord Byron Leftwich started the
preseason impressively, when he wasn’t on the ground. Leftwich completed
7-of-10 passes for 78 yards and a TD; and two of his incompletions were drops by
Matt Jones. Leftwich was accurate, but he was sacked twice and hurried several
other times. "Byron was sharp when we gave him time to throw,"
Jaguars coach Jack According to NFL Network’s Adam Schefter, Leftwich is primed for his best season if
you go by what those have seen him in camp thus far: “Those who have watched
Leftwich say he is thriving. They believe Leftwich is poised to have his most
effective and best season as the Jagaurs quarterback.
If they are right, then RB: In
Saturday’s game, Fred Taylor started the game, but carried just once for 3
yards. Maurice Jones-Drew carried three times for 7 yards. Alvin Pearman and
LaBrandon Toefield got most of the work. Pearman ran 8 times for 26 yards
including a 1-yard TD run. Toefield carried 9 times for 18 yards but added four
catches for 31 yards. Pearman had two catches for 7 yards. Rookie D.D. Terry
ran twice for 4 yards. Montell Owens caught three balls for 27 yards and ran
once for 2 yards. WR: Reggie Williams faces what
appears to be an uphill battle to reclaim the starting job he held last season.
When the team released its first depth chart of the preseason, Dennis Northcutt
and Ernest Wilford were listed as the starters at wide receiver. Williams was
listed on the third team behind Northcutt and 2nd year receiver
Charles Sharon, who returned to practice last week after missing a few days. HC
Jack Del Rio issued fair warning when camp began that the position was wide
open and spots would be earned. Matt Jones is also fighting for his starting
job and he’s currently behind Wilford, who scared the team last week when he
appeared to tweak his knee. Wilford caught three balls for 29 yards against TE: Marcedes Lewis and Jermaine
Wiggins were both listed as starters at tight end on the team’s first depth
chart released in training camp. Last Tuesday, the team activated veteran
George Wrighster from the PUP list. Wrighster was the most productive TE on
last year’s team but he hasn’t been actively involved in the offseason
activities due to injury. In Saturday’s game, Lewis started the game while Wrighster
was inactive. Neither Lewis nor Wiggins caught a pass. Isaac Smolko had one
reception for 11 yards. Greg Estandia had 2 for 18 yards. Defense: The Jaguars starting secondary on Saturday night had rookie
Reggie Nelson at FS, Gerald Sensabaugh at SS with Rashean Mathis and Brian
Williams at corner. Clint Ingram and Daryl Smith held their usual spots on the
outside with Mike Peterson back in the middle. Reggie Hayward and Bobby McCray
were on the ends. The first team played well limiting the Dolphins starters to
just 15 yards on six plays – 13 of which came on one play. The Dolphins were
held to a pair of three and outs. Clint Ingram left the game in the first
quarter with a sprained right ankle. Safety Nick Sorensen suffered a blow to
the head in the third quarter and left the game. Special Teams: When
the Jaguars released camp leg Tony Yelk, they said they were looking to bring
in someone else. Several days later they signed kicker Aaron Elling. He can
also punt, providing relief for rookie Adam
Podlesh. Kicker Josh Scobee discussed Podlesh’s role as the holder, "It'll take some
adjustment. Chris [Hanson] and I had a good thing going. He knew exactly how I
wanted the ball held, and I knew I was going to have the ball there every
single time." Scobee was good on a 32-yard field goal in the game against
the Dolphins, but was wide right on a potential game winning attempt from 43
yards with 42 seconds left in the game. The ball was placed on the infamous
infield dirt in Jaguars Depth Chart QB: The competition for the Chiefs
starting QB continues to be neck and neck between veteran Damon Huard and 2nd
year Brodie Croyle. It was Croyle who got the start in Saturday’s preseason
opener against the Cleveland Browns. Croyle, who was touted for his poise from
high school through his college days at the RB: Larry
Johnson remains a holdout, but on Saturday, Adam Schefter
reported that talks between Johnson and the Chiefs had improved significantly.
The gap between the two had narrowed significantly and there is now hope that a
deal can get done. RB Priest Holmes was quoted earlier in the week that he
would have no problem taking LJ’s money and his starting job if LJ decides not
to report. While the Chiefs have to like Priest’s enthusiasm, nobody in the
Chiefs front office expects Priest to regain a starting job or to handle the
ball in the same capacity as he did before his injuries. Michael Bennett got the start against WR: Samie Parker started at receiver
opposite Eddie Kennison on Saturday. Kennison caught one ball for 13 yards
while Parker didn’t record a catch. Chris Hannon caught 2 balls for 26 yards.
Ben Ekwerekwu caught two balls for 18 yards. Marcus Price, Jeff Webb and Dwayne
Bowe were all inactive. After finally signing a contract and reporting to camp,
Bowe missed 16 practices, so Herm Edwards started him on the PUP list. "Right
now, he'll be participating in that all-star [PUP] group over there on that
other field. He's going to be there and that's for a lot of reasons: the first
thing is to protect the player. You don't want to put him a situation where
something should happen because all good football players if they're not here
on time when they do get here and they get on the field they automatically start
competing at a high level," Edwards said. Of course, Bowe didn’t remain on
the PUP list for long. He was activated on Monday. Edwards then talked about
where Bowe will line up and what kind of role we might expect for him in 2007.
He’ll play the Z (flanker) as well as the slot. "He knows enough,"
Edwards said. "It's tough for him because we're asking him to do a lot of
things. He's going to be a slot guy on third downs, but on first and second
down he can play outside at Z. He's a smart guy. He'll learn it." TE: Tony
Gonzalez started but had a quiet game catching 1 ball for 4 yards. Backups Kris Wilson and Jason Dunn were not active for Saturday’s game
but rookie Michael Allan had a nice 18-yard catch. Earlier in the week, Gonzo
was asked how long he planned to continue playing. "Do I want to play five more years?" Gonzalez said. "No. Or four more years? Probably not.
Three more years, counting this year, is what I have my eye on at this
point." Defense: Rookie DT Tank Tyler (2-0-0) and
veteran DT Ron Edwards were the starters on the inside for the Chiefs, who were
led by Jon McGraw’s 6 solo tackles along with solid days from Nate Harris
(5-0-0), DB Dmitri Patterson (5-0-0),
safety Jarrad Page (4-0-0) and Rich Scanlon (4-0-0). Napoleon Harris had a sack among three tackles.
DE Patrice Majondo-Mwamba had the team’s other sack along with a forced fumble that
sparked the defense’s biggest play of the game - a Benny Sapp 56-yard return
for a TD on the recovered fumble. On another play, Bernard Pollard lost an
interception that he would have returned for a touchdown if not for a Offensive line: Left tackle Damion McIntosh will
Special Teams: Rookie kicker Justin Medlock had only one field goal
attempt in the preseason game at Chiefs
Depth Chart
To keep all our Footballguys subscribers on top of everything, we've created our
incredibly detailed
This is the third 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
Happy reading and let's have a great 2007 season,
QB: Matt
Leinart, Kurt
Warner, Shayne Boyd, Toby Korrodi
RB: Edgerrin
James, Marcel
Shipp, J.J.
Arrington (KR), Diamond
Ferri, Steve Baylark
FB: Terrelle
Smith, Tim Castille, A.J. Schable (inj),
BranDon Snow, Roshon
Vercher
WR: Larry
Fitzgerald, Anquan
Boldin, Bryant
Johnson, Sean
Morey, Michael Spurlock (KR/PR), Todd Watkins,
Steve
Breaston (KR/PR), Matt
Trannon, LeRon
McCoy, Greg Lee, Ahmad Merritt
TE: Leonard
Pope, Troy
Bienemann, Ben
Patrick, Tim
Euhus, John Bronson, Alex Shor
K: Neil
Rackers
DT: Alan
Branch (NT), Gabe
Watson (NT), Chris
Cooper, Ross
Kolodziej, Jonathan Lewis (inj), Ray Blagman (NT)
DE: Darnell
Dockett (DT), Bertrand
Berry (W/DE), Antonio
Smith, Joe
Tafoya, Rodney
Bailey
ILB: Gerald
Hayes, Karlos
Dansby (W), Buster
Davis, Monty
Beisel, Pago Togafau, Nathan Hodel
OLB: Chike
Okeafor (S), Calvin
Pace (S/DE), Darryl
Blackstock (W), Brandon
Johnson, David Holloway
CB: Antrel
Rolle, Eric
Green, Roderick
Hood, Darrell
Hunter, Ralph
Brown, Justin Wyatt, Travarous Bain, Michael
Adams
S: Adrian
Wilson (SS), Aaron
Francisco (FS), Terrence
Holt (FS), Brandon Keeler (SS), Matt
Ware (FS), Hanik
Milligan (SS), Oliver Celestin (SS)
QB: Joey
Harrington, D.J.
Shockley, Chris
Redman, Casey
Bramlet, Michael
Vick
RB: Warrick
Dunn (inj), Jerious
Norwood, Jason
Snelling, Justin
Vincent, Taurean Henderson, Sha-Ron Edwards, Arlen
Harris
FB: Ovie
Mughelli, Corey
McIntyre
WR: Michael
Jenkins, Joe
Horn, Roddy
White, Laurent
Robinson, Adam
Jennings, Jamin Elliot, Vincent Marshall, Eric
Weems, Eric Newman, Noriaki Kinoshita (KR),
Ben Nelson, Otis Amey, Brian
Finneran (IR)
TE: Alge
Crumpler (inj), Dwayne
Blakely, Martrez
Milner, Daniel Fells
K: Billy
Cundiff
DT: Grady
Jackson (NT), Rod
Coleman (inj), Darrell
Shropshire (NT), Jonathan
Babineaux, T.J.
Jackson (NT), Trey Lewis (NT),
Michael Bozeman, David
Patterson, Kelly Talavou
DE: John
Abraham, Chauncey
Davis, Jamaal
Anderson, Paul
Carrington, Josh
Mallard, Nic Clemons
MLB: Keith
Brooking (W), Jordan
Beck, Tony Taylor
OLB: Michael
Boley (S), Demorrio
Williams (W)(inj), Stephen
Nicholas (W), Orlando
Huff (W), Marcus
Wilkins (S), John Leake (S),
Travis Williams
CB: DeAngelo
Hall, Chris
Houston, Lewis
Sanders, Allen
Rossum (KR), David
Irons, Brent Grimes, Antoine Harris
S: Lawyer
Milloy (SS), Chris
Crocker (FS), Jimmy
Williams (FS), Omare
Lowe (SS), Daren
Stone (FS), Nick Turnbull (FS), Jeramie Johnson
(SS)
QB: Steve
McNair, Kyle
Boller, Troy
Smith, Drew
Olsen
RB: Willis
McGahee, Musa
Smith, Mike
Anderson, P.J.
Daniels, Cory
Ross, Greg Pruitt Jr.
FB: Justin
Green, Le'Ron
McClain
WR: Mark
Clayton (PR), Derrick
Mason, Demetrius
Williams, Clarence
Moore, Devard
Darling, Yamon
Figurs (KR/PR), Damien Linson, Romby Bryant, Matt Willis,
Leo Bookman
TE: Todd
Heap, Daniel
Wilcox, Quinn
Sypniewski, Marcus Freeman, Kendrick Ballantyne
K: Matt
Stover, Rhys Lloyd, Brendan Carney
DT: Kelly
Gregg, Haloti
Ngata, Dwan
Edwards, Justin
Bannan, Keyonta Marshall, Anthony Bryant, Atiyyah
Ellison
DE: Terrell
Suggs, Trevor
Pryce, Travis Leitko, Bill Swancutt
MLB: Ray
Lewis, Prescott
Burgess, Mike
Smith
OLB: Bart
Scott (W), Jarrett Johnson (S/DE), Gary
Stills (S/DE), Dan
Cody (S) (inj), Antwan
Barnes, Dennis
Haley, Edgar Jones (S/DE), Joe Martin,
Jamar Enzor, Ryan
Riddle
CB: Chris
McAlister, Samari
Rolle, Corey
Ivy, Ronnie
Prude, David
Pittman, Evan
Oglesby, Derrick
Martin, B.J.
Sams (KR/PR), Willie Gaston, Terrell Maze
S: Ed
Reed (FS), Dawan
Landry (SS), Jamaine Winborn, Gerome Sapp, Donnie
Johnson, Bobby Blackshire
QB: J.P. Losman, Craig Nall, Trent Edwards, Kevin Eakin
RB: Marshawn Lynch, Anthony Thomas, Dwayne Wright, Shaud Williams, Josh Scobey, Fred Jackson
WR: Lee Evans, Peerless Price, Josh Reed, Roscoe Parrish (PR), Sam Aiken, Donovan Morgan, Scott Mayle, Jemalle
Cornelius, Jonathan Smith, Justin Jenkins
TE: Robert Royal, Kevin Everett, Matt Murphy, Ryan Neufeld (FB), Brad Cieslak (FB), Derek Schouman (FB)
K: Rian Lindell, D.J. Fitzpatrick
DT: Larry Tripplett, Kyle Williams, John McCargo, Tim Anderson, Jason Jefferson, Corey Mace
DE: Aaron Schobel, Chris Kelsay, Ryan Denney, Anthony Hargrove (susp), C.J. Ah You, Eric Powell, Ryan Neill
MLB: Paul Posluszny, John DiGiorgio (S/M), Thaddeus Washington
OLB: Angelo Crowell (S/M), Keith Ellison (W), Mario Haggan (W/M), Coy Wire (S/FS), Roy Manning (W), Josh Stamer (S/W), Kevin Harrison (W)
CB: Terrence McGee (KR), Jason Webster, Kiwaukee Thomas, Jabari Greer, Ashton Youboty, Riley Swanson, Reggie Lewis, Eric Bassey
S: Donte Whitner (SS), Ko Simpson (FS), George Wilson (SS), John Wendling (SS), Jim Leonhard (FS), Trevor Hooper (FS), John Sorto (FS)
QB: Jake
Delhomme, David
Carr, Brett
Basanez, Dalton Bell
RB: DeShaun
Foster, DeAngelo
Williams, Nick
Goings (FB), Eric
Shelton, Alex Haynes, Marlion Jackson
FB: Brad
Hoover, Billy Latsko, Steve Jackson
WR: Steve
Smith, Keary
Colbert, Drew
Carter, Dwayne
Jarrett, Taye
Biddle, Kevin
Youngblood, Ryne
Robinson, Josh Davis, Justin
McCullum, Chris Horn, Jahkeen Gilmore
TE: Jeff
King, Michael
Gaines, Dante
Rosario, Chad Upshaw
K: John
Kasay
DT: Ma'ake
Kemoeatu, Kris
Jenkins, Damione
Lewis, Chad
Lavalais, Kindal
Moorehead, Stephen
Williams, Brent Curvey
DE: Julius
Peppers, Mike
Rucker (inj), Charles
Johnson, Stanley
McClover, Dave
Ball, Otis Grigsby, Rondell Biggs, Gary Gibson
MLB: Dan
Morgan (inj), Adam
Seward
OLB: Thomas
Davis (S), Na'il
Diggs (W) (inj), Jon
Beason (W/M), James
Anderson (W), Tim
Shaw, Brandon Jamison, Philippe Gardent, Mickey
Pementel, Terrence
Melton (IR)
CB: Chris
Gamble (PR), Ken
Lucas, Richard
Marshall, Curtis
Deloatch, Derrick
Strait, Kevin Garrett, Christian
Morton
S: Nate
Salley (FS), Chris
Harris (SS), Deke
Cooper, C.J.
Wilson, Cam Newton, Quinton
Teal, Jermaine Hardy
QB: Rex
Grossman, Brian
Griese, Kyle
Orton, Chris
Leak
RB: Cedric
Benson, Adrian
Peterson, Garrett
Wolfe, Josh
Allen
FB: Jason
McKie, Obafemi
Ayanbedejo (susp), Jon
Goldsberry, Quadtrine Hill
WR: Muhsin
Muhammad (inj), Bernard
Berrian, Mark
Bradley, Rashied
Davis (PR), Devin
Hester (KR/PR), Mike
Hass, Dave
Ball, Brandon
Rideau, Drisan James, Timon Marshall, Clinton
Solomon
TE: Desmond
Clark, Greg
Olsen, John
Gilmore, Fontel
Mines, Brett Pierce
K: Robbie
Gould, Nick
Novak
DT: Tommie
Harris (inj), Darwin
Walker, Dusty
Dvoracek (NT), Anthony
Adams, Antonio
Garay, Tory Collins
DE: Adewale
Ogunleye, Mark
Anderson, Alex
Brown, Dan
Bazuin, Israel
Idonije (DT), Copeland
Bryan, Greg White, Chris Frome
MLB: Brian
Urlacher
OLB: Lance
Briggs (W), Hunter
Hillenmeyer (S/M), Michael
Okwo (W), Jamar
Williams (W), Brendon
Ayanbadejo (S), Leon
Joe (W), Darrell
McClover, Rod
Wilson, Danny Verdun-Wheeler
CB: Charles
Tillman, Nathan
Vasher, Ricky
Manning, Corey
Graham, Trumaine
McBride, Tim
Mixon, Greg Fassitt
S: Mike
Brown (FS/SS), Adam
Archuleta (SS), Danieal
Manning (FS/CB), Brandon
McGowan (SS), Tyler
Everett (SS), Kevin
Payne, Jay Staggs, Andrew Shanle
QB: Carson
Palmer, Doug
Johnson, Jeff
Rowe, Jeff
Smith
RB: Rudi
Johnson, Kenny
Watson (3RB), Chris
Perry (PUP), Quincy
Wilson, Curtis Brown, Kenny
Irons (IR)
FB: Jeremi
Johnson, Chris
Manderino, Stan
White
WR: Chad
Johnson, T.J.
Houshmandzadeh, Chris
Henry (susp), Tab
Perry, Antonio
Chatman, Reggie
McNeal, Benny
Brazell, Glenn
Holt, Skyler
Green (PR), Jesse
Holley, Tony
Kays
TE: Reggie
Kelly, Daniel
Coats, Bobby Blizzard, Tim
Day (inj), Erik Jensen, Nate Lawrie, Sean Mulcahy (inj)
K: Shayne
Graham
DT: John
Thornton, Domata
Peko, Michael
Myers, Kenderick
Allen, Matt
Toeaina
DE: Justin
Smith, Bryan
Robinson (DT), Robert
Geathers, Frostee
Rucker, Jonathan
Fanene, Xzavie
Jackson, Jimmy
Verdon, Bryan Andrews
MLB: Ahmad
Brooks (M/S), Caleb
Miller (W/M), Earl
Everett, Odell
Thurman (susp)
OLB: Rashad
Jeanty (S), Landon
Johnson (W/S), Ed
Hartwell (W/M), Andre
Frazier, Eric
Henderson, Matt
Muncy, David
Pollack (IR)
CB: Johnathan
Joseph, Deltha
O'Neal, Leon
Hall, Keiwan
Ratliff (PR), Blue
Adams, Brandon
Williams, T.J.
Wright
S: Madieu
Williams (FS), Dexter
Jackson (SS), Marvin
White (SS), Chinedum
Ndukwe, Herena-Daze
Jones (SS), Ethan
Kilmer (FS), John
Busing (SS)
QB: Charlie
Frye, Derek
Anderson, Brady
Quinn, Ken
Dorsey
RB: Jamal
Lewis, Jerome
Harrison (3RB), Jason
Wright, Chris
Barclay, Jerome Jackson
FB: Lawrence
Vickers, J.R. Niklos, Charles Ali
WR: Braylon
Edwards, Joe
Jurevicius, Travis
Wilson, Tim
Carter, Josh
Cribbs (KR/PR), Syndric
Steptoe, Maurice
Mann, Kendrick
Mosley, Steve
Sanders, Efrem Hill, Mike
Mason
TE: Kellen
Winslow Jr (PUP), Steve
Heiden, Darnell
Dinkins, Ryan
Krause, Buck Ortega
K: Phil
Dawson, Jesse Ainsworth
NT: Ted
Washington, Shaun
Smith, Ethan
Kelley, J'Vonne
Parker, Babatunda
Oshinowo, Alvin
Smith
DE: Robaire
Smith, Orpheus
Roye (inj), Chase
Pittman, Melila
Purcell, Simon
Fraser, Orien
Harris
ILB: Andra
Davis (L), DQwell
Jackson (R), Chaun
Thompson (R), Leon
Williams (L), Mason
Unck
OLB: Kamerion
Wimbley (S/DE), Willie
McGinest (S/DE)(inj), Antwan
Peek, Matt
Stewart (S), David
McMillan (W), Jason
Short, Kris
Griffin, Clifton
Smith
CB: Leigh
Bodden, Gary
Baxter (PUP), Eric
Wright, Daven
Holly, Kenny
Wright, Brandon
McDonald, Jereme
Perry, Therrian
Fontenot
S: Sean
Jones (SS), Brodney
Pool (FS), Justin
Hamilton (FS), Mike
Adams (FS), DeMario
Minter (FS), Jeremy
Lasueur, Justin
Sandy
QB: Tony
Romo, Brad
Johnson, Matt Moore, Richard
Bartel
RB: Julius
Jones, Marion
Barber III (3RB/SD), Tyson
Thompson, Jackie
Battle, Alonzo
Coleman
FB: Lousaka
Polite, Deon
Anderson, Oliver
Hoyte
WR: Terrell
Owens, Terry
Glenn (inj), Patrick
Crayton, Sam
Hurd, Miles
Austin, Jamaica
Rector (PR), Isaiah
Stanback, Jerheme
Urban, Jamel Richardson, Jerard
Rabb, Mike Jefferson
TE: Jason
Witten, Anthony
Fasano, Adam
Bergen, Tony
Curtis, Rodney Hannah
K: Nick
Folk, Martin
Gramatica
NT: Jason
Ferguson, Montavious
Stanley, Ola
Dagunduro, Remi Ayodele
DE: Marcus
Spears, Chris
Canty, Jay
Ratliff, Jason
Hatcher, Stephen
Bowen, Marcus Smith, Khari Long
ILB: Bradie
James (M), Akinola
Ayodele (S), Bobby
Carpenter (S/I)
OLB: Demarcus
Ware (W), Greg
Ellis (S)(inj), Anthony
Spencer (S), Kevin
Burnett (S/I), Junior
Glymph, Dedrick
Harrington, Blair
Phillips, Alex Obomese, John Saldi
CB: Terance
Newman, Anthony
Henry, Aaron
Glenn, Alan
Ball, Courtney
Brown, Jacques
Reeves, Nathan
Jones, Quincy
Butler, Joey
Thomas
S: Roy
Williams (SS), Ken
Hamlin (FS), Keith
Davis (SS), Pat
Watkins (FS), Damarius
Bilbo, Abram Elam, Jasper
Johnson
QB: Jay
Cutler, Patrick
Ramsey, Darrell
Hackney, Preston Parsons
RB: Travis
Henry, Mike
Bell, Cecil
Sapp (FB), Andre
Hall, Selvin
Young
FB: Kyle
Johnson, Troy
Fleming, Paul
Smith
WR: Javon
Walker, Brandon
Stokley, Rod
Smith (PUP), Brandon
Marshall, Domenik
Hixon (KR), Brian
Clark, David
Kircus, Quincy
Morgan, David
Terrell, Glenn
Martinez, Marquay McDonald
TE: Daniel
Graham, Tony
Scheffler, Stephen
Alexander, Nate
Jackson, Teyo
Johnson, Chad
Mustard
K: Jason
Elam, Brandon
Pace
DT: Sam
Adams (NT), Gerard
Warren, Jimmy
Kennedy, Elvis
Dumervil, Amon
Gordon, Marcus
Thomas, Demetrin
Veal, Alvin
McKinley, Antwon
Burton, Steven
Harris
DE: Ebenezer
Ekuban, John
Engelberger, Tim
Crowder, Kenard
Lang, Jarvis
Moss, Carlos
Hall, Kenny
Peterson (susp)
MLB: D.J.
Williams (M/S), Nate
Webster (W/M)
OLB: Ian
Gold (W), D.D.
Lewis (S/M), Louis
Green (S), T.J.
Hollowell, Wesly
Mallard, Cameron
Vaughn
CB: Champ
Bailey, Dre'
Bly, Dominique Foxworth, Karl
Paymah, Jeff Shoate, Lamont
Reid, Bill Alford
S: John
Lynch (FS), Nick
Ferguson (SS), Curome
Cox (SS), Hamza
Abdullah (FS), Quentin
Harris, Steve
Cargile, Roderick
Rogers
QB: Jon Kitna, Dan Orlovsky, J.T. O'Sullivan, Drew Stanton (IR)
RB: Kevin Jones (PUP), Tatum Bell, T.J. Duckett, Brian Calhoun, Aveion Cason (inj), Anthony Sherrell
FB: Alan Ricard
WR: Roy Williams, Calvin Johnson, Mike Furrey, Shaun McDonald, Eddie Drummond (KR/PR), DeVale Ellis (PUP), Edell Shepherd, Troy Walters, Cliff Russell, Kevin Kasper, Brandon Middleton,
Ron Bellamy, Reggie
Ball, Marcus Robinson (IR)
TE: Dan Campbell (PUP), Casey Fitzsimmons, Darnell Sanders, Rudy Sylvan, Sean McHugh
K: Jason Hanson, Kenny Byrd
DT: Shaun Rogers (PUP), Cory Redding, Shaun Cody, Cleveland Pinkney, Langston Moore, Jon Bradley, Marcus Lewis, Salomon Solano
DE: Dewayne White, Kalimba Edwards, Jared DeVries, Ikaika Alama-Francis, Corey Smith, Claude Harriott
MLB: Paris Lenon, Ted Lehman (inj), Johnny Baldwin
OLB: Ernie Sims (W), Boss Bailey (S), Alex Lewis (S), Anthony Cannon (W), Donte' Curry, James Hargrave, Justin Kurpeikis
CB: Fernando Bryant, Stanley Wilson, Travis Fisher, A.J. Davis, Keith Smith, Ike Charlton, Tony Beckham, Dee McCann, Ramzee Robinson, Israel Route, LaMarcus Hicks
S: Kenoy Kennedy (SS), Daniel Bullocks (FS), Gerald Alexander, Idrees Bashir
QB: Brett
Favre, Aaron
Rodgers, Ingle
Martin, Paul Thompson
RB: Vernand
Morency (KR)(inj), Brandon
Jackson, Noah
Herron, P.J.
Pope (inj), DeShawn
Wynn
FB: Brandon
Miree, Korey
Hall, Corey
White, Ryan Powdrell
WR: Donald
Driver, Greg
Jennings, James Jones, Ruvell
Martin, Robert
Ferguson, David
Clowney, Carlyle
Holiday, Shaun
Bodiford, Calvin Russell, Chris
Francies, Carlton Brewster, Koren
Robinson (susp)
TE: Donald
Lee, Bubba
Franks, Zac Alcorn, Clark
Harris, Joe Werner, Tory
Humphrey (IR)
K: Dave
Rayner, Mason
Crosby
DT: Ryan
Pickett (NT), Corey
Williams (NT), Justin
Harrell (inj), Colin
Cole, Johnny
Jolly (NT), Daniel Muir
DE: Aaron
Kampman, Cullen
Jenkins, Kabeer
Gbaja-Biamila, Mike
Montgomery, Larry
Birdine, Jason
Hunter, DeVon Hicks
MLB: Nick
Barnett, Abdul
Hodge, Desmond
Bishop (W), Tim Goodwell, Carl-Johan Bjork
OLB: A.J.
Hawk (W), Brady
Poppinga (S), Tracy
White (W), Spencer
Havner (S), Juwan
Simpson (S), Rory
Johnson (W)
CB: Al
Harris, Charles
Woodson, Patrick
Dendy, Jarrett Bush, Will
Blackmon (PR), Frank
Walker, Tramon
Williams, Antonio
Malone
S: Nick
Collins (FS), Marquand
Manuel (SS), Aaron
Rouse (FS)(inj), Marviel
Underwood (SS), Atari
Bigby (SS), Tyrone
Culver (FS), Charlie
Peprah (FS), Alvin Nnabuife (SS)
QB: Matt Schaub, Sage Rosenfels, Bradlee Van Pelt, Jared Zabransky, Quinton Porter
RB: Ahman Green, Ron Dayne, Wali Lundy, Samkon Gado, Darius Walker, Chris Taylor (IR)
FB: Vonta Leach, Jameel Cook (inj), Patrick Pass
WR: Andre Johnson, Kevin Walter, Jacoby Jones, Keenan McCardell (inj), David Anderson, Jerome Mathis (KR/PR), Andre Davis, Bethel Johnson (KR), Charlie Adams, Harry Williams, Terry Richardson
TE: Owen Daniels, Mark Bruener, Jeb Putzier, Ben Steele (inj), Joel Dreessen
K: Kris Brown
DT: Travis Johnson, Anthony Maddox, Amobi Okoye, Thomas Johnson, Jeff Zgonina, Tim Bulman, Thomas Smith, Cedric Killings, Deljuan Robinson
DE: Mario Williams, Anthony Weaver, Jason Babin, Ndukwe Kalu, Earl Cochrane, Victor DeGrate, Alfred Malone (inj)
MLB: DeMeco Ryans, John Abbate
OLB: Morlon Greenwood (W), Charlie Anderson (S), Danny Clark (S), Shawn Barber (W/S), Shantee Orr (S), Zac Diles, Trent Bray, Eduardo Castenada
CB: Dunta Robinson, DeMarcus Faggins, Jamar Fletcher, Von Hutchins, Dexter McCleon, Jason Horton, Fred Bennett, Dexter Wynn, John Walker, Derrick Roberson,
Roc Alexander (IR)
S: C.C. Brown (FS/SS), Jason Simmons (FS), Brandon Harrison (SS), Brandon Mitchell (FS), Glenn Earl (SS)(inj)
QB: Peyton
Manning, Jim
Sorgi, Josh
Betts, Mike McGann
RB: Joseph
Addai, DeDe
Dorsey, Kenton
Keith, Clifton
Dawson
FB: Luke
Lawton
WR: Marvin
Harrison, Reggie
Wayne, Anthony
Gonzalez, Roy
Hall, Aaron
Moorehead, John Standeford, Craphonso
Thorpe, Brian Hare, Trent Shelton
TE: Dallas
Clark, Ben
Utecht, Bryan
Fletcher, Jerome
Collins, Gijon Robinson, Jonny
Harline, Justin
Snow, Mike
Seidman (IR)
K: Adam
Vinatieri, Shane Andrus
DT: Raheem
Brock (DE), Darrell
Reid, Quinn
Pitcock (NT), Edward Johnson, Dan
Klecko, Ramel
Meekins, Anthony
McFarland (IR)
DE: Dwight
Freeney, Robert
Mathis (inj), Josh
Thomas, Bo
Schobel, Keyunta
Dawson, Jeff Charleston, Ben Ishola, Ryan
LaCasse
MLB: Gary
Brackett (W/M)
OLB: Rob
Morris (S)(inj), Freddie
Keiaho (W), Tyjuan
Hagler (S), Clint
Session, Rocky
Boiman, Keith
O'Neil (inj), Brandon
Archer, KaMichael
Hall, Ramon
Guzman
CB: Marlin
Jackson, Kelvin
Hayden, Daymeion
Hughes, Michael
Coe, T.J.
Rushing (KR), Antonio
Perkins, Tim
Jennings, Cedric Holt, Duane Coleman
S: Bob
Sanders (SS) (PUP), Antoine
Bethea (FS), Matt
Giordano (FS), Brannen
Condren, Tanard Davis, Norman
LeJeune, Melvin
Bullitt, Scott Ware
QB: Byron Leftwich, David Garrard, Quinn Gray, Tim Couch, Lester Ricard
RB: Fred Taylor, Maurice Jones-Drew (SD/3RB/KR) , LaBrandon Toefield (KR) , Alvin Pearman (PR), Montell Owens, D.D. Terry
FB: Greg Jones, Derrick Wimbush (KR)
WR: Ernest Wilford, Dennis Northcutt, Matt Jones, Charles Sharon, Reggie Williams, Mike Walker, John Broussard, Jimmy Farris, D'Juan Woods, Roosevelt Kiser
TE: Marcedes Lewis, Jermaine Wiggins, George Wrighster, Richard Angulo, Greg Estandia, Isaac Smolko
K: Josh Scobee
DT: Marcus Stroud, John Henderson, Rob Meier (DE), Derek Landri, Tony McDaniel, Walter Curry
DE: Reggie Hayward, Bobby McCray, Brent Hawkins, Paul Spicer, James Wyche, Jeremy Mincey, Brian Smith
MLB: Mike Peterson (M/W), Tony Gilbert
OLB: Daryl Smith (W/M), Clint Ingram (S), Nick Greisen (W), Justin Durant (W), Jorge Cordova (W/S), Pat Thomas (inj), Kenneth Pettway, Brian Iwuh, Chad Nkang
CB: Rashean Mathis, Brian Williams, Terry Cousin, Scott Starks, Bruce Thornton, Dee Webb, Chris Roberson, Rashod Moulton, Jamar Landrom
S: Reggie Nelson (FS), Gerald Sensabaugh (SS), Josh Gattis (SS), Nick Sorensen, Jamaal Fudge
QB: Brodie
Croyle, Damon
Huard, Casey
Printers, Jeff Terrell
RB: Larry
Johnson, Priest
Holmes, Michael
Bennett, Kolby
Smith, Derrick
Ross, Marcus O'Keith
FB: Boomer
Grigsby, Greg Hanoian, Gilbert
Harris
WR: Eddie
Kennison, Samie
Parker, Chris
Hannon, Dwayne
Bowe, Jeff
Webb, Rod
Gardner, Maurice
Price, Ean Randolph (KR), Brad Ekwerekwu, Brent Little, Ryan Titus
TE: Tony
Gonzalez, Jason
Dunn, Kris
Wilson, Michael
Allan, Mike Pinkard, Keith Willis
K: Justin
Medlock
DT: James
Reed, Ron
Edwards, Tank
Tyler, Turk
McBride, Alfonso
Boone (NT), Patrice Majondo-Mwamba, Kiki Gonzalez
DE: Tamba
Hali, Jared
Allen (susp), Jimmy
Wilkerson, Michael Heard, Chris
Harris, Montez
Murphy
MLB: Napoleon
Harris, Rich
Scanlon
OLB: Derrick
Johnson (L), Donnie
Edwards (R), Kendrell
Bell (R), Keyaron
Fox (R/L), William
Kershaw, Nate
Harris, Nick
Reid, David Hicks, Brian Crum
CB: Patrick
Surtain,