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| Safety Daren Stone, who was a sixth-round draft pick for Atlanta in 2007, was arrested for a DUI on Sunday morning, according to ProFootballTalk.com. He was released on bail later in the day.
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Our View: Stone looked good at times in limited action last season, and excelled on special teams. Stone holds little fantasy value however, as long as Lawyer Milloy stays intact as the starting strong safety.
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| Rashard Mendenhall, who was a first-round pick by the Steelers, almost quit football last year while at the University of Illinois, according to ProFootballTalk.com. Mendenhall said, "I sat down and I was like, ‘If this is what football is, I don’t know if I want to do that anymore. I’m not scared of adversity. I want to be happy in my life. I know I can walk away from this. I know I can finish school, get a job." Although vague, Mendenhall was believed to have a problem with Illini coach Ron Zook, but Mendenhall's brother, Walter, talked him into staying and intervened just as Mendenhall was aiming to walk out of the team's facility.
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Our View: This news could draw some concern that he isn't dedicated and serious about football, but we will see what Mendenhall is really made of during training camp.
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| Leon Williams reportedly needs to improve as a linebacker or he could be reduced to a special teams role, according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer. |
Our View: Williams racked up 85 tackles (63 solo) with four sacks in his breakout campaign of 2007, but his development has been stalled, and rookie Beau Bell and veteran Andra Davis are pushing him hard for a starting job on the inside next to D'Qwell Jackson.
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| Former Marshall star and defensive end of the Colts Jonathan Goddard has been killed in a motorcycle crash, according to ESPN.com. Goddard's motorcycle went off the shoulder of a road at a high speed and overturned at around 7:40 p.m. Saturday in Clay County, Florida. Goddard was pronounced dead at about 6:30 a.m. Sunday at Shands Jacksonville Medical Center, a nursing supervisor said. Marshall coach Mark Snyder said, "This is a terrible loss for our football family and our thoughts and prayers are with the Goddard family."
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Our View: Goddard was the Mid-American Conference defensive player of the year and an AP second team all-American in 2004, when he impressively led the nation with 16 sacks and 28 tackles for loss. He has been out of the NFL since 2005, when he registered one tackle with the Colts.
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| One of the most impressive rookies during San Francisco's organized team activities has been wide receiver Josh Morgan, this according to the Sacramento Bee. The sixth-round selection out of Virginia Tech has made dazzling catches and made an impression among the 49ers coaching staff.
"A lot of talent," Nolan said of Morgan on Tuesday. "He's very raw... He's got some real upside." |
Our View: The note reports that Morgan is the type of wide receiver Nolan tends to favor, big and fast.
At 220 pounds, he can block and run.
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| Former offensive line coach Jim Colletto was promoted to offensive coordinator in place of the departed Mike Martz, and it's important to note that the changes in Detroit will be drastic. The playbook will be cut by 50 percent and the running game, not the aerial attack, will be the focus. This will affect the number of targets that No. 1 wide out Roy Williams will garner. |
Our View: Colletto will keep some of Martz's three receiver passing scheme in his playbook, but lining up to pass the ball on first down and neglecting the run game won't be the M.O. of the ex-offensive lineman. Williams should be considered a fringe starter in traditional formats.
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| The signing of a perennial backup tailback typically isn't big news in the fantasy realm, but when Mike Shanahan inks a tailback, young, old, big or little, it's news. 32-year-old free agent Michael Pittman, a free agent from Tampa Bay is expected to see significant work in the Denver backfield according to Rototimes sources. Pittman will work with supposed starter Selvin Young and is good fit in both the running and passing scheme of the Broncos. |
Our View: His arrival in Denver obviously affects the value of Young and just how many touches the veteran will receive likely won't be known until the regular season begins. This of course makes Young a risky early round draft pick in all fantasy formats.
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| After missing 15 games in 2007 with a shoulder injury, Orlando Pace appears to be on schedule to return for Training Camp in late July. |
Our View: Pace didn't take part the team's summer mini-camp as he continues to rehab the injury, but his return for Training Camp would be a huge lift to an offensive line that allowed 48 sacks in 2007.
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| David Tyree, the hero of last year's Super Bowl, is going to be hard pressed to make a roster spot with the team this year. It was Tyree's amazing 32-yard circus catch on New York's game-winning drive that earned him a spot in Giants' history. However, off-season knee surgery has resulted in him not being able to take part in the club's summer mini-camp. |
Our View: With Plaxico Burress and Amani Toomer locks to begin the season as the starters, and talented Steve Smith, Sinorice Moss and Mario Manningham in a fight for snaps, the business reality of the NFL takes president, even for heroes. In the NFL where "what have you done for me lately" is literal, it appears that the final game of last season is too far in the past.
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| Lawrence Timmons , a 2007 first-round pick, is expected to challenge veteran Larry Foote for the Steelers' outside linebacker job this summer, this according to the Sporting News. |
Our View: Timmons is athletic but hasn't been impressive in coverage. Outperforming the incumbent Foote will mean Timmons will have to show significant improvement over his first Training Camp.
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| The sentiment among Rototimes sources is that the starting quarterback job in Baltimore is Kyle Boller's to lose, but second-year signal caller Troy Smith has been impressive and has shown improvement in all areas of his game during minicamp. |
Our View: Smith will make a run at the starting job, but unless he significantly outperforms the veteran during the preseason schedule, Boller is expected to be under center in Week 1.
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| The St. Petersburg Times reports that there was some sentiment the team might be willing to take a look at Cedric Benson, who was released last week by the Bears. However, the Bucs never considered making a waiver claim and haven't given any thought to bringing him in for a workout since he became a free agent Thursday. |
Our View: At this point there are very few teams that will touch Cedric. That of course could change once Training Camp begins and injuries happen.
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| The St. Petersburg Times reports that one can't spend a day at One Buc Place without seeing running back Cadillac Williams pushing himself through his rehab.
As training camp nears, the idea of his 2008 return is gaining momentum.
"What he's done is nothing short of miraculous," Gruden said. "He has worked his tail off. He's got a chance to be ready to play football again this season. The amount of work he's put forth has really excited our players, and he's really done a great job. We're going to have to harness him a little bit," Allen said. "Put a governor on the Cadillac."
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Our View: General manager Bruce Allen said that Williams has even proposed the idea of participating in this week's three-day minicamp, but there's no chance of that happening according to the report. But any production fantasy owners plan to get from Cadillac this year will be in a reserve role.
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| Feedback from a few players is that Josh McCown was the sharpest of the quarterbacks the past month and appears the most ready to play, this according to the Miami Herald. Chad Henne flashed impressive skills but needs seasoning. Sparano would love for a starter to emerge from among McCown, Henne and John Beck by the third preseason game the report noted. |
Our View: The competition at quarterback for the Phins will be closely watched in late July and during the teams preseason schedule, but in traditional formats none of the above will be targeted on draft day.
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| According to the Carolina Growl, Panthers head coach John Fox is anxious to have rookie running back Jonathan Stewart back at practice. Stewart isn’t allowed around the facility until the University of Oregon finishes its final exams, but he's out of his walking boot and is expected to be ready for training camp.
"He’s out of his boot and he’s one schedule. He will be coming here shortly and being doing rehab with our medical people and they are telling me he will be ready for July 25 (the start of training camp).” |
Our View: Stewart is expected to work in combination with DeAngelo Williams this year and garner the majority of the first and second down work as well as the short-yardage role with Williams serving as the third down back.
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| According to the Cincinnati Enquirer, starting right guard Bobby Williams worked as a backup center in team drills because, Bratkowski said, he was not happy with the camp performances of backup centers Dan Santucci and Kyle Cook.
"The other two centers have had exchange problems; the ball has been on the ground. We can't do that," Bratkowski said. "We're getting Bobbie ready in the event he has to be the backup center."
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Our View: Eric Ghiaciuc is still the starter, but the coaching staff wants to develop substantial depth and versatility among their lineman this summer.
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| Rex Grossman is the starter in name for the Bears and is currently battling Kyle Orton for the first-team role. However, Rototimes sources report that it isn't Grossman that will play his way into the role, it's Orton job to lose. He will have to play his way off the top of the depth chart. A decision likely won't be made until both signal-callers get plenty of preseason reps. |
Our View: There will be hoopla surrounding who will start under center for the Bears, but it really doesn't matter in most traditional formats because neither quarterback warrant a roster spot.
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| Earnest Graham showed up to the Bucs' Fanfest Saturday, a voluntary event, this according to the Pewter Report. The running back spoke to the media for the first time since his so-called hold out. "I won't say anything as far as contract but I love this organization," said Graham. |
Our View: He is confident the two sides will work on a deal. There is a mandatory minicamp next week and the starting running back is expected to be in attendance.
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| The Chicago Tribune reports that Brandon Lloyd and Devin Hester have looked like the most legitimate, dangerous NFL wide receivers the Bears have during the recent minicamp.
The note reports that Hester always drops mouths with his explosion, but Lloyd has lived up to his billing as a great practice player. |
Our View: The report interestingly noted that with Training Camp set to begin on July 24, Mark Bradley may go from being the guy the team thought could be its No. 1 wideout to someone just hoping to make the roster
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| Donovan McNabb knows that some Eagles fans have questions about the quarterback's current ailment, his injury history, and his ability to lead the team to a Super Bowl title, this according to SI.com. "I do think it gets blown way out of proportion. With the injury, if you don't say anything, then people think it's bigger than what it is and if you do say something, some people still think you're hiding something. It's a no-win situation and I've been part of them for a long time. I've heard people say, 'Donovan is fat,' I'm out of shape and I'm too big. I just don't get caught up in it." |
Our View: Considering the 32-year old McNabb hasn't played a full 16-game season since 2003 missing one game in '04, seven games in '05, six games in '06 and two games last year -- concerns and questions are more than justified.
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