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Hi Folks,
Good Sunday to you. Hope you're having a great weekend as we've got the news and note you need. So let's get to it.
J
Arizona Cardinals head coach Ken Whisenhunt said salary will not be a factor when he decides whether QB Kevin Kolb or John Skelton will start this season. 'I'll be honest with you, I don't think about that when you're on the field,' Whisenhunt said. 'I don't look at a player and think what's he's making or what you did to get him here. I look at them based on what kind of plays they're making."
Footballguys' view: Many assume that Kevin Kolb will win the starting job because of his large salary and the big roster bonus the team payed to him earlier this year. We think John Skelton may be a better fit because of his rocket arm and willingness to throw into tight coverage. The Cardinals could have a high powered passing game with WRs Larry Fitzgerald and Michael Floyd.
Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay said the team is getting close to signing first-round draft choice QB Andrew Luck.
Footballguys' view: With the way rookie contracts are structured there won't be any more holdouts with new players. Luck is likely to be signed and in camp when mandatory workouts begin.
New York Jets CB Darrelle Revis said it's clear in his mind that QB Mark Sanchez is the team's starting quarterback and he fully supports him. 'I feel very comfortable and confident with Mark,' Revis said. 'This is his fourth year. I've been with him since he was a rookie. The guy took us to two AFC Championship Games.' However, Revis acknowledged the potential for a split locker room if Sanchez does not play well.
Footballguys' view: That split is coming. The Jets have a brutal schedule during the early part of the season. Players saw Tebow lead the Broncos to the playoffs after a rough start in 2011, and could turn on Sanchez in a heartbeat. We think at some point the Jets will use Tebow as more than a gadget QB and give him a chance to start.
Kansas City Chiefs head coach Romeo Crennel did not seem to think WR Dwayne Bowe would be in camp any time soon. 'We're going to win with whoever we have,' Crennel said. 'If he's with us, we'd like that to happen. If he 's not, then we're going to work with the guys we've got here.'
Footballguys' view: Bowe isn't participating in OTAs since he hasn't signed his Franchise Tag tender. In the meantime we'll see more from second-year WR Jonathan Baldwin and rookie Devon "Wiggles" Wylie. Several in the scouting community compared Wylie's game to that of a supercharged Wes Welker. We already love him because with the nickname "Wiggles" he is instantly named Captain of the Black Eyed Joe All-Name team.
Carolina Panthers head coach Ron Rivera indicated the team will use FB Mike Tolbert as the short yardage running back, the lead blocker for the other running backs and a receiver that lines up on the outside at times.
Footballguys' view: This is what Tolbert does. He may not get as many carries as he did in San Diego, but Tolbert is a versatile weapon who can be used in a number of different ways.
Baltimore Ravens WR Anquan Boldin indicated that he could see time as a slot receiver this season with WRs Torrey Smith and Jacoby Jones as the outside receivers.
Footballguys' view: Boldin's not the same player he used to be but is still dangerous after the catch. We like the idea of the Ravens moving him around the formation to exploit matchups.
The Baltimore Ravens may decide to use WR Jacoby Jones as their kick and punt returner this season.
Footballguys' view: No surprise here. In addition to helping out in the WR corps, Jones can be an effective and often dangerous return man. Ball security is an issue the Ravens will work with Jones on as he was often too careless with the ball in Houston.
Detroit Lions WR Stefan Logan said he would like to receive a bigger role as a running back and wide receiver in the offense since his return duties have decreased with the kickoff rules.
Footballguys' view: Logan is a versatile weapon who can help out as a runner, receiver, or return man. The Lions have an incredibly high powered offense but we don't see them carving out a much bigger role for Logan in 2012.
Denver Broncos OT Ryan Clady said he has been focusing on football during organized team activities and is allowing his agent to work on contract extension talks with the team.
Footballguys' view: Protecting Peyton Manning is priority number one for the Broncos. We think they'll find a way to get Clady the type of deal he deserves. He's struggled with pass protection since a 2010 offseason knee injury. However, we think Clady bounces back this year as Manning will get rid of the football much quicker than Tim Tebow did last year.
The Carolina Panthers have tried to sign RB Jonathan Stewart to a long-term contract extension this offseason but the two sides have not be able to reach an agreement.
Footballguys' view: Stewart wants to stay with the Panthers. He's already expressed his desire to re-sign with the team before he becomes a free agent in 2013.
Carolina Panthers head coach Ron Rivera said he believes QB Jimmy Clausen could still be a starting quarterback in the NFL. 'The kid's got a good arm, he's an accurate passer, he's learned a lot, and I think if he continues to grow this season he's going to get his opportunity,' Rivera said.
Footballguys' view: And here we have the Panthers trying to inflate Clausen's trade value. The future of the team is obviously superstar QB Cam Newton. Clausen will have to go to another team to have a chance to prove himself.
Oakland Raiders TE David Ausberry is currently the leading candidate to assume the team's starting tight end role.
Footballguys' view: Ausberry played at 250 pounds last year, but showed up to OTAs bulked up at 265 pounds. With so many better receiving weapons in the WR corps we can't imagine the Raiders using Ausberry much, and his fantasy value is very low.
New England Patriots WR Julian Edelman said he hasn't attended a defensive meeting or practiced with the unit during the first two weeks of organized team activities. Edelman, however, wouldn't divulge whether he had a conversation with head coach Bill Belichick about his role in the upcoming season. 'You'd have to ask coach on that,' Edelman said. 'All I can do is just worry on trying to learn the receiver position and whatever they want me to do on any other phase of the game.' Edelman played wide receiver, defensive back, and special teams return man in 2011.
Footballguys' view: Edelman's Troy Brown-like versatility could help him earn a roster spot. The Patriots added many WRs this offseason through the draft and free agency. Roster spots will be in short supply, and Edelman is certainly on the roster bubble. Once thought of as the heir apparent to Wes Welker it now looks like that title belongs to rookie WR Jeremy Ebert.
Kansas City Chiefs QB Ricky Stanzi appears to have supplanted QB Brady Quinn during organized team activities as the No. 2 quarterback. Stanzi ran the second-team offense this week in workouts.
Footballguys' view: It's pretty bad when Brady Quinn can't hold off second-year QB Ricky Stanzi. Quinn may find himself holding a clipboard (or getting cut) if he doesn't start playing better. Stanzi is big and has a strong arm, but his accuracy is so bad it makes Derek Anderson look like Drew Brees.
Dallas Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones said conditioning was an issue last season for WR Dez Bryant, particularly his lack of production in the second half of games. 'I don't know that (injuries) impacted some of the things that he needs to work on, and we need to work on as a coaching staff to get him the ball and get him into plays,' Jones said. 'When he would lose concentration in the last part of the game, I don't know if that was because of conditioning. I suspect it could've been. That's not to be critical, but I suspect that, rather the injury had anything to do with that or not, those are the things that we're working on so he can be more impactful in the latter part of the game, and we can do the kinds of things we need to do to get him the ball.'
Footballguys' view: With Bryant the story may be "what might have been." Every year it seems like we're waiting for him to play up to his potential, but it hasn't come to fruition yet. Bryant is gifted enough to be on a Calvin Johnson or Andre Johnson level but he won't get there if he doesn't work hard on all facets of his game.
Philadelphia Eagles QB Michael Vick bristled at questions Friday, June 1, about his style of play. Vick was upset with repeatedly having to defend the way he plays. 'I really don't think I need to discuss what type of game I'm going to play. It's going to be what it's going to be,' Vick said. 'It seems like the questions are becoming repetitive, and I'm tired of answering it because the only thing we can do is wait and see if I'm going to play a more disciplined game. There's not too much more to say or to talk about.'
Footballguys' view: Perhaps Vick can turn this into a positive and start proving critics wrong. It seems that he plays his best when there's a chip on his shoulder.
Updating a previous report, Kansas City Chiefs WR Jonathan Baldwin (migraine) visited a doctor Friday, June 1, due to his migraine issue. 'He had a migraine (Thursday) and he's going to go to the doctor today, so we'll just have to wait and see,' head coach Romeo Crennel said.
Footballguys' view: Several players have played through migraines. With proper medication and the correct diet we don't see this as being a huge problem for the young WR.
Dallas Cowboys LB DeMarcus Ware said he agrees with owner and general manager Jerry Jones' assessment that the team's championship window is closing. 'I sort of agree with it a little bit,' Ware said. 'The window is always open to win a Super Bowl. If you're there or not, the Super Bowl is going to be there. But with the team that you have, you never know if you'll be able to get that team back again. So, when you have that opportunity and you sort of got to take advantage of it right there. And the time is now. The time is now. The time is this year.'
Footballguys' view: We agree with Ware and Jones here. They have a high powered offense with weapons on the ground and through the air. This offseason they added two shutdown CBs in free agent Brandon Carr and first-round pick Morris Claiborne. All the pieces are in place for them to make a strong playoff push in 2012.
That'll do it for today, Folks. Thanks for reading and I hope you have a great Sunday. We'll see you tomorrow with the update.
Peace,
J