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Training Camp Update
Volume 11, Issue 4 – 8/31/16
We say it all the time because it's true: Things change fast in the NFL. And they never change faster than they do in August. And nobody covers those changes and team situations more comprehensively than Footballguys.com. Our Training Camp Updates come out once a week in August and our staff covers everything you need to know about every NFL team. This is the deep stuff that gives you an edge. We're not going to rave that Cam Newton,Antonio Brownor even David Johnson is great. You already know that.
Read our weekly updates to get the inside scoop on how the Bears running backs are practicing and which player is the best bet for your draft. Or the Saints WR corps. Or which Browns receiver is shining in practice. It's the kind of information that will put you over the edge and on the way to dominating your draft.
Happy reading and let's have a great 2016 season,
Joe Bryant and David Dodds
Owners, Footballguys.com
Arizona Cardinals
QB: Carson Palmer hasn't had a good preseason, and those struggles continued against the Texans. Palmer completed 5-of-9 passes for 64 yards, zero touchdowns and two interceptions. Luckily, head coach Bruce Arians isn’t bothered by Palmer’s preseason stats. Arians pulled Palmer at the start of the second quarter; a move that was telegraphed by TV announcer Troy Aikman. Palmer was pulled after an interception that was more a testament to the Texans defense than a condemnation of Palmer. Of greater concern than the interception was the big hit Palmer took to the head after trying to chase down the ball carrier. Drew Stanton came in and looked lost initially. Stanton hasn't played well through the preseason either but Arians has assured him of his spot as the team's backup. Matt Barkley was already in pole position for the third spot and the fact Jake Coker didn't make the trip to Houston cements the pecking order.
RB: It was just another week in the life of David Johnson. The Cardinals have run out of platitudes for Johnson so at this point it's all about staying healthy. He scored a touchdown on a short-yardage run that featured an impressive cut against the Texans. Johnson finished his dress rehearsal with six carries for 28 yards (4.7 per rush) and the aforementioned touchdown. Chris Johnson got carries with the first team offense and ran well again. He's not going away regardless of how Johnson performs. Andre Ellington came in as the third option and also ran well. The Cardinals are stacked at running back with a very clearly defined depth chart and usage layout. The biggest story from the trio has been Ellington's struggles on special teams; he has dropped a few punts. With three dynamic runners, Stepfan Taylor should have the edge over Kerwynn Williams for the fourth running back spot. Taylor is better in pass protection and offers more on special teams. Williams is a better runner so he could offer some low-level value in a trade come cut down day.
WR: John Brown finally returned to practice this week but the signs still aren't good. Brown left practices twice this week, suffering from headaches. He didn't play in the third preseason game and even if the Cardinals want to paint it as precautionary, it's been more than three weeks since he was concussed. If he's not active in Week 1 it shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone. Larry Fitzgerald, on the other hand, will be ready to go by Week 1. Fitzgerald has been dealing with a knee injury and didn't play in the third preseason game but he did say he would have played if it was a regular season game. Without Fitzgerald and Brown in the lineup, the Cardinals had a clear hierarchy in their offense. Jaron Brown, J.J. Nelson and MichaelFloyd all played with the starting offense. Brown has impressed as a receiver this preseason, but it’s his blocking that stood out against the Texans. He was particularly impressive blocking Jadeveon Clowney on one play. Jaron has played so well it would be a surprise if the Cardinals didn't find a way to keep him involved during the regular season.
TE: The tight end position isn't going to be a fantasy hot spot. Troy Niklas has been the best tight end through training camp, but he’s not a world beater. Jermaine Gresham is healthy now and fits what Arians wants from the position perfectly. Gresham had an impressive reception against the Texans when he fought forward for a first down. Darren Fells played with the first team against Houstonand had the biggest play of the game; a 40-yard pass over the middle of the field.Expect all three tight ends to rotate based on the situation/play call.
Defense: Patrick Peterson and Tyrann Mathieu didn't play against the Houston Texans. That left Brandon Williams and Justin Bethel as the starters outside. Bethel was the one that the Texans went after. He was repeatedly exposed by Will Fuller and gave up a touchdown late in the second quarter when he failed to locate the football. The second cornerback spot is proving to be problematic for the Cardinals. Bethel has just returned from injury but has proven to be limited in the past. The Cardinals will give Williams every opportunity to establish himself as the starter across from Peterson. While Peterson and Mathieu sat, Mike Jenkins played and was hurt. His knee gave out from beneath him as he chased DeAndre Hopkins over the middle of the field. Jenkins slammed his fist into the ground in an apparent acceptance that it was a serious injury. Arians had said ahead of the game that Jenkins was in contention for the second cornerback spot, which seems unlikely now. Defensive lineman Robert Nkemdiche returned from injury and impressed throughout the week’s practices. He still has considerable ground to make up. Nkemdiche seems like the perfect candidate to get extended time during the fourth preseason game so he is ready for Week 1. Alex Okafor decided to forego surgery for his torn biceps. Okafor will play through the pain to be available for the regular season.
Returners: In something of a shocking development, the Cardinals’ most recent depth chart included Andre Ellington— long in the mix at kickoff returner— at #1 on punt returns, too. Given that J.J. Nelson held that position as recently as a week ago, and given that Ellington has very little experience fielding punts, this should be taken with a grain of salt as the Cardinals see what they have on special teams.
OL:Good news for the Cardinals’ offensive line as most onlookers believe new starting right tackle D.J. Humphries had his best effort of the preseason during Week Three against Houston. Humphries had struggled in previous contests and his development is a big relief. The quarterbacks have not been playing well but the pass protection has not been the problem. Veteran center A.Q. Shipley is another new starter, after holding off rookie Evan Boehm this preseason. The Cardinals’ offensive line grades out as a top-tier unit, behind the strength of the run blocking tandem on the left side of Jared Veldheer and Mike Iupati.
Cardinals Depth Chart
QB:Carson Palmer,Drew Stanton,Matt Barkley
RB:David Johnson,Chris Johnson,Andre Ellington,Kerwynn Williams (KR),Stepfan Taylor,Jared Baker
WR:Larry Fitzgerald,Michael Floyd,John Brown (KR),Jaron Brown,J.J. Nelson (PR),Brittan Golden,Jaxon Shipley,Damon Powell,Chris Hubert,Jeff Beathard
TE:Troy Niklas,Darren Fells,Jermaine Gresham,Ifeanyi Momah,Hakeem Valles
LT:Jared Veldheer
LG:Mike Iupati,Taylor Boggs
C:AQ Shipley,Earl Watford
RG:Evan Mathis
RT:DJ Humphries,Cole Toner
K:Chandler Catanzaro
NT:Rodney Gunter,Red Bryant,Xavier Williams,Corey Peters,Olsen Pierre
DE:Calais Campbell,Frostee Rucker,Robert Nkemdiche,Ed Stinson,Josh Mauro,Jason Babin
ILB:Deone Bucannon (SS),Kevin Minter,Donald Butler,Alani Fua,Zack Wagenmann,Kenny Demens,Daryl Washington (susp)
OLB:Chandler Jones,Markus Golden,Kareem Martin,Alex Okafor (inj),Shaq Riddick,Lamar Louis
CB:Patrick Peterson (PR),Justin Bethel,Brandon Williams,Harlan Miller,Alan Ball,Joel Wilkinson,Ronald Zamort,Trevon Hartfield,Eli Bouka,Mike Jenkins (inj)
S:Tyrann Mathieu (FS/CB),Tony Jefferson (SS),Tyvon Branch (FS),D.J. Swearinger (SS),Marqui Christian,Chris Clemons,Matthias Farley
Atlanta Falcons
QB:The depth chart is well established. Matt Ryan (12-of-22 for 129 yards passing and an interception at Miami Thursday night) is the starter and Matt Schaub (10-of-11 for 109 yards) is the backup. Sean Renfree was released on Saturdayleaving Matt Simms (didn't play Thursday) as the third stringer.
RB: The Falcons struggled to run the ball on Thursday night at Miami, with 31 yards on 15 carries (2.1 per carry). “The run game was an area where we really wanted to get a push on,”head coach Dan Quinn said. “So for us not having success in the run game early was a significant one. Just because we were behind some early and without time of possession, I think we only had six or seven runs in the first half. That's for sure not our style or how we want to play.” Devonta Freeman was in the game for just a handful of carries and ran five times for 8 yards while catching two receptions for 10 yards. He gave way, as expected, to Tevin Coleman who struggled (6 yards rushing and a 5-yard loss on his lone catch). While Freeman appears set as the starter, he and Coleman both saw significant work this preseason. Presumptive #3 Terron Ward's ankle injury has kept him sidelined for a couple of weeks (he didn't play in the second or third preseason game) leaving Brandon Wilds and Cyrus Gray to handle the third-team reps over the past two weeks.
WR:According to D. Orlando Ledbetter's depth chart, the starters are Julio Jones and Mohamed Sanu, while Justin Hardy and Aldrick Robinson are the primary backups. Eric Weems and Nick Williams are the fifth and sixth receivers, respectively. Hardy tweaked an ankle versus Miami, but the injury isn't considered serious as he returned to practice on Sunday. J.D. McKissic and Devin Fuller are on the bubble. McKissic has value as a return man, which bolsters his roster chances. “It's preseason,” Jones said after the game. “I did a couple of series, and I was just done. I could have went, but I was just done. They didn't need to see any more out of me or even try to risk something because its preseason, and it really doesn't count. We just wanted to get the young guys in there and get them some good looks.”
TE: As expected, Jacob Tamme (two receptions for 16 yards) and Austin Hooper (five receptions for 50 yards) are the #1 and #2 tight ends, respectively. Levine Toilolo is the 3rd option while D.J. Tialavea is hoping the Falcons keep four tight ends on the final roster. Arthur Lynch was released on Saturday.
Defense: Starting rookie strong safety Keanu Neal, a first-round pick (17th overall) in the 2016 draft, needs to have knee surgery and will miss three to four weeks. Kemal Ishmael is listed as second-string and likely will start in place of Neal, but Ishmael has missed time due to a shoulder injury. The Falcons may need to start another rookie, Damian Parms, who took over after Neal's injury on Thursday. More likely, the Falcons will start veteran Dashon Goldson who was signed over the weekend. Defensive coordinator Richard Smith came to embattled cornerback Desmond Trufant’s defense, “What's happening is, he had the one throw against him (versus Cleveland) and I know he was disappointed in that. But what I'm impressed with, and I told the defense, this guy is a veteran football player and you watch the way that he practices and competes... He takes every one of his snaps. He's not like hey, 'I'm big-time, and I can just lay off.' He works at it hard.”
PK: The Falcons have a genuine kicker competition, or at least a decision to make after Matt Bryant missed two games with leg tightness. Shayne Graham was signed recently and made both of his field goal attempts in the third preseason game, including a 53-yarder. Bryant returned to practice on Sunday, but he will need to stay healthy through the week and the fourth preseason game to retain his job.
Returners: Rookie Devin Fuller hoped to make the team as a return specialist, but a shoulder injury in Week Three of the preseason might have ended those hopes. Undrafted free agent J.D. McKissic has impressed the coaches as a returner and is likely the primary beneficiary, as the injury greatly increases his chances of making the team.
OL:Even though coaches are saying positive things about the Falcons’ pass protection, the running attack remains a concern. The team keeps trying alternatives at right guard in place of Chris Chester, and in the last game against Miami, Ben Garland got the most opportunity. Even though the new look interior graded out well, look for Chester to retain this job as the season starts. The Falcons grade out as a top tier line.
Falcons Depth Chart
QB:Matt Ryan,Matt Schaub,Matt Simms
RB:Devonta Freeman (3RB),Tevin Coleman (KR),Terron Ward,Brandon Wilds
FB:Patrick DiMarco
WR:Julio Jones,Mohamed Sanu,Justin Hardy,Aldrick Robinson,Eric Weems (KR/PR),Nick Williams,Jordan Leslie,David Glidden,Devin Fuller (IR)
TE:Jacob Tamme,Austin Hooper,Levine Toilolo,D.J. Tialavea
LT:Jake Matthews
LG:Andy Levitre,Mike Person
C:Alex Mack
RG:James Stone,Chris Chester
RT:Ryan Schraeder,Tom Compton
K:Matt Bryant,Shayne Graham
DT:Tyson Jackson,Grady Jarrett (NT),Ra′Shede Hageman,Jonathan Babineaux,Joey Mbu (NT)
DE:Derrick Shelby,Brooks Reed,Dwight Freeney,Adrian Clayborn,Malliciah Goodman,Brandon Williams
MLB:Deion Jones,Paul Worrilow
OLB:Vic Beasley (S),De′Vondre Campbell (W),Courtney Upshaw (S),Sean Weatherspoon (S),Philip Wheeler,Laroy Reynolds,Tyler Starr
CB:Desmond Trufant,Robert Alford,Phillip Adams,Jalen Collins (susp),Brian Poole,CJ Goodwin,Demarcus Van Dyke
S:Ricardo Allen (FS),Keanu Neal (SS) (inj),Kemal Ishmael (SS),Dashon Goldson,Robenson Therezie (FS),Damian Parms (SS),Akeem King
Baltimore Ravens
QB: Joe Flacco made his preseason debut Saturday night on plan and on schedule. He had been practicing throughout camp, and the debut confirms that his torn ACL is fully healed. He wore a knee brace that he plans to wear all season, but it shouldn’t hamper him. Flacco has been telling everyone he and Mike Wallace were developing rapport, and it was evident against the Lions. Flacco missed Wallace on the opening play, but connected with him multiple times thereafter. Flacco ended his preseason debut 11-of-16 for 94 yards (5.9 per attempt) with no picks or touchdowns. Ryan Mallett has looked like one of the league’s best backups this preseason and would be a compelling alternative to Flacco in the event of another injury. Mallett completed 10-of-15 passes for 112 yards and a touchdown against the Texans second teamers.
RB: This position group is as hard to sort out as any in football. How will it shake out? "The next couple of weeks will give us a better idea," offensive coordinator Marc Trestman said in advance of the third preseason game. Justin Forsett is still the starter, but the team has shown a reluctance to use him in specialty situations such as goal line and third down. Terrance West was a camp darling early, but he doesn’t have a preseason run longer than nine yards. Javorius Allen is probably a better receiver than rusher, and Kenneth Dixon has been unspectacular in any fashion and left Saturday’s game with a leg injury. He was subsequently diagnosed with a torn MCL and will miss approximately four weeks. Against the Lions, Forsett started, Dixon was the second man in and got the first short yardage attempt on a 3rd-and-1. West got the next 3rd-and-1 in the middle of the first quarter. Allen didn’t make his way into the box score until the second half after being the second man on the field in each of the first two preseason games. We’re expecting Forsett as the starter, West as the goal-line specialist and Allen as the 3rd down option.