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Training

Camp Update Volume 11, Issue 3 – 8/24/16 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 Brown or 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 was ineffective in limited snaps versus the

Chargers. The veteran passer completed just 4-of-8 passes for

37 yards and an interception – good enough for a 23.4 passer

rating. Backup Drew Stanton fared worse – if that’s possible –

completing 2-of-7 passes for 32 yards and an interception (6.5

passer rating). Needless to say, head coach Bruce Arians was

unhappy with his team’s performance. "A veteran team should

show up," said Arians. "I didn't like the way we started the

game and that set the tone the whole game. We'll go back to

work. That's why you play the preseason. These don't count

other than you find out a lot about yourself." Matt Barkley was

more effective playing with the backups; he completed 10-of-

15 passes for 85 yards (81.2 passer rating). Barkley was listed

as the third-stringer ahead of Jake Coker in the latest depth

chart, which shouldn’t be surprising. Coker will play in the

next preseason game after not throwing a pass this week. The

bigger threat to Barkley's job is GM Steve Keim acquiring or

claiming a quarterback when rosters cuts begin.

RB: Every week is a superlative-filled one for David Johnson.

Teammate Tyrann Mathieu compared him to Marshall Faulk,

and GM Keim said that Johnson is “probably the best

receiving back I've seen.” Johnson impresses in practice, but

struggled (along with the entire first team offense) against the

Chargers with four touches for eight yards. In spite of

Johnson’s obvious talents, there continues to be debate among

beat writers about Johnson’s role – will he be a workhorse?

ESPN’s Josh Weinfuss expects Chris Johnson and Andre

Ellington to be mixed into the backfield. Chris Johnson has

consistently drawn plaudits, showing off as a blocker and

receiver while remaining a quality runner. The Johnsons

(David and Chris) and Ellington are unquestionably the top

three runners on the depth chart, but the rest of the depth chart

remains unsettled. Kerwynn Williams appears to have the

edge over Stepfan Taylor and Elijhaa Penny – but it’s a fluid

situation. Williams' explosiveness was evident when he ran for

18 yards on his first carry versus the Chargers.

WR: Cardinals fans can breathe a collective sigh of relief as

John Brown (concussion) and Larry Fitzgerald (MCL)

returned to practice on Sunday. Brown had missed most of the

preseason under the league’s concussion protocol, but now

looks okay to round into regular season shape with a few

weeks left in the preseason. Michael Floyd was the only

member of the “Big Three” to suit up versus the Chargers, but

struggled (one 2-yard catch on three targets). Backup Jaron

Brown has been consistently breaking off big plays in practice

and did the same against the Chargers with two receptions for

40 yards. Arians praised Jaron, “He's the best wide receiver

we have right now. Most consistent in practice and shows up

in games.” Jaron should revert to fourth or fifth on the depth

chart now that everyone is healthy, but Arians is the type of

head coach who plays the best players; there's a small chance

he can push for a greater role. J.J. Nelson is being used on

special teams as a punt returner and he fumbled against the

Chargers.

TE: Troy Niklas’ impressive play resulted in his promotion to

the first-team early last week. He took over Jermaine

Gresham's role, in part because of his own play and in part

because Gresham is struggling with back tightness. As Niklas

rises, Darren Fells falls. Fells played with the third team

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against the Chargers because he has repeatedly made errors in

practice. Fells may be the team's best receiving option at the

position but Arians’ offense doesn't emphasize the position

generally.

Defense: Even though the coaches thought Robert Nkemdiche

was close to a return last week, the rookie defensive lineman

is still waiting to get back in pads. Frostee Rucker, Tyrann

Mathieu and Justin Bethel came off the PUP list last week.

The trio were eased back into activities but will see a gradual

increase in their workloads over the final weeks of the

preseason. Rookie cornerback Brandon Williams has been a

focal point of with Bethel sidelined but he has been

inconsistent so far. Williams struggled in practice during the

week before flashing against the Chargers with two tackles,

including one for a loss, and two passes defensed. While the

secondary has concerns, the front seven is garnishing praise

broadly. Calais Campbell and Chandler Jones are continuing

to be a disruptive force upfront. Markus Golden continues to

be a work horse but needs to do a better job setting the edge.

Golden's progress will be paramount if Alex Okafor opts for

surgery to repair his biceps tear.

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: New right tackle D.J. Humphries had a better

performance against the Chargers than he did against the

Raiders. Humphries allowed a pressure on his first snap, but

then settled down and was serviceable in pass protection for

the rest of the game. Rookie guard Cole Toner got some work

at left guard with the first team during weekend practices, as

Mike Iupati sat out with knee soreness. Iupati’s injury was

described as “nothing serious” by the coaches, but he has had

knee problems in the past. Iupati is a key player for the

Cardinals’ line, so this situation might be worth watching

further.

Cardinals Depth Chart QB: Carson Palmer, Drew Stanton, Matt Barkley, Jake Coker

RB: David Johnson, Chris Johnson, Andre Ellington,

Kerwynn Williams (KR), Stepfan Taylor, Jared Baker

WR: Larry Fitzgerald, Michael Floyd, John Brown (KR) (inj),

Jaron Brown, J.J. Nelson (PR), Brittan Golden, Jaxon Shipley,

Amir Carlisle, Damon Powell, Chris Hubert, Jeff Beathard

TE: Troy Niklas, Darren Fells, Jermaine Gresham, Gerald

Christian, 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, Mike Jenkins (inj), Alan Ball, Joel Wilkinson,

Ronald Zamort, Trevon Hartfield, Eli Bouka

S: Tyrann Mathieu (FS/CB), Tony Jefferson (SS), Tyvon

Branch (FS), D.J. Swearinger (SS), Marqui Christian, Chris

Clemons, Matthias Farley

Atlanta Falcons

QB: Matt Ryan performed much better in the second

preseason game on Thursday night, completing 6-of-11 passes

for 78 yards. “I feel like our operation is really smooth. I feel

we were efficient. I got in and out of the huddle really well

and really fast. I felt like the tempo was really good. I'm

pleased with where we are at... 'It's a process. You have to

continue to work and be focused on the process during the

(exhibition) season. The main goal is to get ready for the

regular season and everything in front of it,” said the veteran

passer. Matt Schaub relieved Ryan and went 8-for-12 for 78

yards. Matt Simms threw the only touchdowns of the game on

route to a solid 10-of-13 night with 136 yards passing. Sean

Renfree didn't appear in the game. D. Orlando Ledbetter of

the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported believes Renfree

is on the bubble to make the final 53-man roster.

RB: Devonta Freeman further cemented his role as the clear

lead back in Atlanta with an encouraging effort against the

Browns. He rushed four times for 42 yards, including a nice

19-yard touchdown. Tevin Coleman was less impressive with

just 16 yards on five carries. Recently-signed Cyrus Gray

wound up leading the team with 18 carries for 76 yards while

fellow backup Brandon Wilds had 49 yards on eight carries

complete with a touchdown. All told, the Falcons racked up an

impressive 41 carries for 224 yards (5.5 per carry) and two

rushing touchdowns.

WR: Julio Jones commented after the win over Cleveland,

“The hard work and preparation is paying off. Like I said

before, we are not game-planning, but we can go out here

(and) execute, score touchdowns without game-planning for

people and going after their weaknesses, it shows a lot.” Jones

was quiet on the night, catching a 20-yard reception on his

lone target while fellow starter Mohamed Sanu caught three of

five targets for 45 yards, including a 32-yarder. Nick Williams

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had an up-and-down game, dropping three catchable balls, but

managing 35 yards on three catches. Reserve wideout Devin

Lewis Fuller made the most of his four targets, hauling in 49

yards and a score. Last week's special teams hero, J.D.

McKissic, caught both of his targets and had a 22-yard kick

return. Justin Hardy only had 9 yards receiving but remains

secure in his role as the #3 receiver.

TE: It was another relatively quiet night for the tight ends

versus the Browns. All three of the top tight ends managed

just one grab in the second preseason game: Levine Toilolo

hauled in a 13-yarder on two targets; Jacob Tamme had a 9-

yard catch; and Austin Hooper managed a 7-yard grab on

three targets. Neither D.J. Tialavea or Arthur Lynch pulled in

a reception. Coach Quinn characterized the position battle as

“fierce.” Tamme and Hooper remain apparent 'locks' for the

roster so the battle for #3 on the depth chart is where the

situation gets murky.

Defense: Browns quarterback Robert Griffin III burned

Atlanta's defensive backs repeatedly, hitting Terrelle Pryor for

a 50-yard TD (making starting cornerback Desmond Trufant

look bad) and then finding Gary Barnidge for a 29-yard TD

while Barnidge was going against rookie safety Keanu Neal.

Vic Beasley’s conversion to strongside linebacker – after he

played just two plays there in the opener and missed the

second game with a shoulder injury – is still a question mark

heading into the third preseason game. The other linebacker

spots are also still in flux according to D. Orlando

Ledbetter: “The middle and weakside linebacker positions

are unresolved after two games because rookies Deion Jones

and De’Vondre Campbell haven’t taken firm control of the

spots. Incumbent Paul Worrilow appears to have the lead over

Jones, while Campbell has an slight lead over [Sean]

Weatherspoon.” Quinn expects to learn a lot more next week,

“From an evaluation standpoint, we're going to force the issue

and take a long look at a couple of guys. In general, we'll play

some of the guys longer than we did (against Cleveland), but

not much. It's really about the evaluation of a number of guys

that we want to get in against Miami's first group.”

K: Undrafted rookie Nick Rose was getting extra work with

starter Matt Bryant sidelined by “tightness” but the rookie’s

repeated misses prompted the team to sign veteran kicker

Shayne Graham and release Rose. Graham could get work if

Bryant can’t play in the third preseason game. If Bryant’s leg

tightness doesn’t clear up, Graham could kick his way into a

roster spot after a strong start in practices.

Returners: When the Falcons cut Devin Hester, it seemed

likely that they’d fall back on long-time veteran returner Eric

Weems. But more and more it looks like Weems isn’t assured

of a roster spot; Devin Fuller and J.D. McKissic could take

over his return duties this year in a true changing of the guard.

OL: The new look Falcons’ line continued to make strides in

preseason Week Two against the Browns. Overall the line had

a great night, both starters and backups contributed to over

220 yards rushing on the night. Center Alex Mack had a

dominant performance against former first round pick Danny

Shelton. During the game, former Browns guard Jason

Pinkston tweeted that Mack “did whatever he wanted to

Shelton.” Starting left guard Andy Levitre delivered a

crushing block on a trap play that sprung Devonta Freeman for

a 19-yard touchdown. Overall, this is a line that should be

greatly improved compared to last season.

Falcons Depth Chart QB: Matt Ryan, Matt Schaub, Sean Renfree, Matt Simms

RB: Devonta Freeman (3RB), Tevin Coleman (KR), Terron

Ward, Brandon Wilds, Gus Johnson

FB: Patrick DiMarco

WR: Julio Jones, Mohamed Sanu, Justin Hardy, Devin

Fuller, Aldrick Robinson, Eric Weems (KR/PR), Nick

Williams, Jordan Leslie, David Glidden

TE: Jacob Tamme, Austin Hooper, Levine Toilolo, D.J.

Tialavea, Arthur Lynch

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), Kemal Ishmael

(SS),Robenson Therezie (FS), Damian Parms (SS), Sergio

Brown, Akeem King

Baltimore Ravens

QB: Joe Flacco hasn’t missed a rep in training camp since

returning to practice. He tore his ACL last season, but the

recovery has gone smoothly. All signs point to Flacco making

his in-game return next Saturday in the team’s third preseason

game. Backup Ryan Mallett started Saturday’s second

preseason game but struggled to get out of the gates quickly as

the team only had nine yards of offense in the opening quarter.

He settled down in the second quarter and ended 6-for-8 for 47

yards (5.9 per attempt) including a 14-yard touchdown to

Kamar Aiken on a drag route. Third-stringer Josh Johnson

played very well (11-of-16 for 72 yards anda touchdown) in

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two different stints on Saturday night, leading to comments by

John Harbaugh that the backup job was still an open

competition. Baltimore has often kept just two quarterbacks,

meaning this competition may not just be for the backup spot

but for a roster spot.

RB: The team’s depth was on display all week and in

Saturday’s game, with four players getting at least five carries

each. Justin Forsett was among those players, returning for the

game after sitting out the preseason opener. Forsett started and

worked with the first-team offense (minus Joe Flacco, of

course, who did not play) but struggled (5 carries for 11

yards). Javorius Allen split time with the first team and had

more success (14 yards on four carries) on the ground while

also being featured in the passing game (2 receptions).

Terrance West has been a camp sensation, losing weight and

re-committing to his career with his hometown team. West

tried to replicate his change-of-direction touchdown from

Week 1 to no avail. Although he couldn’t’ match last week’s

success, he was still effective – he had 51 yards on 11 touches.

Despite the apparent log-jam at the position, the depth chart

order seems clear: 1A) Forsett, 1B) Allen, 2) West and 3)

rookie Kenneth Dixon. Lorenzo Taliaferro is still on the PUP

List, and may not make the team. The Baltimore Sun notes

that what the Ravens have in depth, they lack in a “home run

hitter” type. The big plays will have to come from the

passing game.

WR: In surprising news, Steve Smith was activated off the

PUP list late in the week and is expected to practice this

coming week. Smith worked intensely on the field before the

game Saturday. His return is a welcome sight for Baltimore –

especially with Breshad Perriman’s return still uncertain.

Perriman is running, but Coach John Harbaugh says there are

no specifics as to his return. It’s possible (and increasing from

“possible” to “likely” with each passing day) that Perriman

begins the season on the Reserve/PUP List. Free agent

acquisition Mike Wallace has made steady improvement in

building rapport with Flacco. They have adjoining lockers,

and their connection is showing on the field. Labeled a “one

trick pony,” Wallace has shown versatility in camp. Even with

Smith’s activation and pending return, Wallace could be the

team’s leading receiver. With that said, Kamar Aiken

continues to be the most consistent and productive receiver, so

he won’t give up the mantle of #1 easily. Jeremy Butler started

alongside Kamar Aiken, and led the team with four receptions

for 35 yards and a touchdown. Rookie Chris Moore also had a

strong evening (three receptions for 20 yards). The team has

hard decisions to make when the 53-man roster cuts are

decided.

TE: Baltimore has compelling depth at tight end, as well.

Despite four legitimate options, it’s the one who is newest to

the team that appears to be the leader of the group. Ben

Watson delivered a career year last season in New Orleans. He

showcased his pass-catching ability and should be involved in

a similar capacity with the Ravens. Crockett Gillmore was the

team’s most-used tight end last season. He recently returned

from injury and was targeted a handful of times against the

Colts. He has to shake off the rust as he dropped an easy pass

at one point. Second-year Maxx Williams, last season’s

second-round draft pick, missed the game with an undisclosed

injury. Dennis Pitta also missed it with a finger injury. Both

appear to be falling behind Watson and Gillmore. It will be an

uphill climb for snaps for those two.

Defense: Terrell Suggs’ recovery from an Achilles injury

appears complete, at least if you gauge it from John

Harbaugh’s reaction after a “vintage” Suggs play. In practice

this week, he jumped up to defend a quick screen pass,

snatched the ball out of the air, and then returned it for a

touchdown. All of this prompted Harbaugh to say, “he’s

back.” Fellow edge rusher Elvis Dumervil, however, remains

on the PUP list. Last week, Harbaugh did say that Dumervil

would be ready for Week 1. Baltimore’s secondary (especially

its corners) are struggling. Jerraud Powers has had poor

showings in both games. Donte Moncrief and Phillip Dorsett

were open frequently on Saturday night. Baltimore looks

susceptible against the pass. They didn’t look much better

against the run on Saturday night and it had Coach Harbaugh

quite perturbed.

Returners: Former Navy quarterback Keenan Reynolds was

drafted as a potential weapon in the return game, but he has

struggled and looks less likely to make the roster with each

passing day. While he’s dealt with injuries recently, Michael

Campanaro is the best bet to be the team’s top returner in

Week 1.

OL: Ronnie Stanley is having an excellent preseason and

certain news sources have graded him as the best rookie at

any position league wide. At left guard, John Urschel

continues to be the nominal starter, holding off rookie Alex

Lewis and journeyman Vlad Ducasse. However Urschel

suffered a contusion in practice and missed the most recent

preseason contest against the Colts. Alex Lewis started at left

guard in Urschel’s place and impressed onlookers with his

strength. Could Lewis steal Urschel’s job before the season

starts? Stay tuned. In other news, Ryan Jansen had a rough

night with the second team offensive line and his roster spot

could be in jeopardy.

Ravens Depth Chart QB: Joe Flacco, Ryan Mallett, Jerrod Johnson, Josh Johnson

RB: Justin Forsett, Javorius Allen, Terrance West, Kenneth

Dixon, Lorenzo Taliaferro

FB: Kyle Juszczyk

WR: Steve Smith, Kamar Aiken, Mike Wallace, Breshad

Perriman, Chris Moore, Michael Campanaro, Jeremy

Butler, Keenan Reynolds (RB/KR), Chris Matthews, Kaelin

Clay, Daniel Brown

TE: Benjamin Watson, Maxx Williams, Crockett

Gillmore, Dennis Pitta (inj), Darren Waller (susp), Nick Boyle

(susp)

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LT: Ronnie Stanley, James Hurst

LG: John Urschel, Alex Lewis

C: Jeremy Zuttah

RG: Marshal Yanda, Vlad Ducasse

RT: Rick Wagner, Ryan Jensen

K: Justin Tucker

NT: Brandon Williams, Kapron Lewis-Moore

DE: Timmy Jernigan, Lawrence Guy, Carl Davis, Bronson

Kaufusi, Willie Henry, Brent Urban, Matt Judon, Mario

Ojemudia, Nordly Capi

ILB: C.J. Mosley, Zachary Orr, Arthur Brown, Albert

McClellan, Kavell Conner

OLB: Terrell Suggs, Elvis Dumervil (S), Za′Darius Smith

(DE), Kamalei Correa, Chris Carter, Brennen Beyer, Victor

Ochi

CB: Jimmy Smith (inj), Shareece Wright, Kyle Arrington

(inj), Jerraud Powers, Will Davis, Tavon Young, Maurice

Canady, Julian Wilson, Sheldon Price, Jumal Rolle (inj)

S: Eric Weddle (FS), Lardarius Webb (SS/PR), Kendrick

Lewis (FS),Anthony Levine (SS), Terrence Brooks (FS), Matt

Elam (SS), Nick Perry (SS), Jermaine Whitehead (FS), Will

Hill (susp)

Buffalo Bills

QB: It has been a chaotic training camp for the Bills, but they

put the offseason distractions aside and came together for a

dominant win over the Giants in the 2nd preseason game.

Tyrod Taylor played into the second quarter and appears ready

for the season to begin. He completed 7-of-10 passes for 132

yards and a touchdown. Early on, he evaded a blitzing CB and

unloaded for a 60+ yard throw to Charles Clay. He missed out

on a touchdown pass when the fullback fumbled at the goal

line, but made up for it later on a nice TD throw to LeSean

McCoy. EJ Manuel kept the momentum going on a nice deep

TD throw to Greg Little in the second quarter, and it certainly

looks like he should be able to hold onto the #2 job. Cardale

Jones has flashed at times but struggled in cleanup duty versus

the Giants; he was 6-of-12 for 83 yards and an interception.

RB: LeSean McCoy got a lot more work than expected as he

played into the second quarter and got 9 touches from

scrimmage. He couldn’t find much room to run, but was

electric in the passing game and hauled in a beautiful 13-yard

touchdown. The Bills shocked a lot of people when they

released Karlos Williams over the weekend. Already facing a

suspension for the first 4 games of the year, he reportedly had

been gaining weight that led the team to believe he didn’t take

his job seriously enough. As for who will replace him in the

pecking order, it should be a bit of a committee approach.

Reggie Bush has been seeing a lot of work with the 2nd unit

offense lately, and spelled McCoy at times early in the Giants

game. However, Rex Ryan has said that they will use Bush

sparingly to try and maximize his effectiveness. That likely

means there is an opportunity for Mike Gillislee, who Rex

referred to as the number two back “right now”, as well as

rookie Jonathan Williams. Neither player stood out much in

the Giants game, but Williams got a lot more work.

WR: Sammy Watkins sat out the 2nd preseason game as a

precaution, but practiced fully on Monday and remains on

track to open the season. Robert Woods had a quiet, catchless

game against the Giants, and there has to be some concern

about whether he can get enough looks in this offense to be a

factor in fantasy leagues. Marquise Goodwin continued his

strong camp and solidified his grip on the #3 role. Among the

rest of the receivers, Walt Powell continues to push hard to

make the team as he makes plays every day in practice. Greg

Little is the dark horse as he saw time with the first string

offense, was the most targeted player, and hauled in a

touchdown pass from EJ Manuel while also having a second

one taken away on a questionable call.

TE: Charles Clay was often underused last year with Taylor

focusing heavily on the outside of the field, but he’s clearly

capable of stretching the field as he showed with a 59-yard

catch against the Giants. Watkins and McCoy figure to see the

bulk of targets, but Clay should be next in line most weeks.

The backups haven’t done a whole lot to distinguish

themselves yet, so it will be interesting to see who can make

the team as the #3 tight end with Jim Dray expected to serve

as a blocking specialist and de facto #2.

Defense: The defense took another big hit with the

announcement last week that Marcell Dareus would be

suspended 4 games for apparently missing a drug test. Then he

followed that up by checking himself into rehab for marijuana.

Rex Ryan and company will have to figure out a way to stop

opposing running backs without one of the best run defenders

in the league, but they looked impressive against the Giants

only giving up 37 total yards in the first half on the way to a

complete game shutout. Meanwhile, the three Giants

quarterbacks combined to go just 8 of 25 for 86 yards with 2

interceptions. The Bills boast a talented group of corners, but

need to find a complementary pass rusher for Jerry Hughes

who has been dominant thus far.

K: Dan Carpenter was pretty much out of the woods when

rookie UDFA Marshall Morgan was released to make room

for Reggie Bush, but kickoff specialist Jordan Gay remained

as an obstacle, at least until this weekend. Gay missed an extra

point and 37-yard field goal attempt in the second preseason

game and removed any doubt as to who would kick for the

Bills to open the season.

Returners: The Bills continue to rest Reggie Bush, but expect

him to still open the season as the top punt returner. On

kickoffs, Walt Powell is making a push for one of the last

roster spots as a return specialist.

OL: For the first time since being diagnosed with Crohn's,

Bills backup tackle Seantrel Henderson has been cleared to

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practice. The team is still without starting left tackle Cordy

Glenn, so this is welcome news. Both Glenn (ankle) and

Richie Incognito (ribs) are expected back before the season

starts. Cyrus Kouandijo has been getting the reps at left

tackle in Glenn’s absence, and despite being called for a 15-

yard facemask penalty against the Giants, onlookers are

impressed with his improvement. The same cannot be said for

Ryan Groy, who is struggling with the first team in

Incognito’s left guard spot.

Bills Depth Chart

QB: Tyrod Taylor, EJ Manuel, Cardale Jones

RB: LeSean McCoy, Reggie Bush, Jonathan Williams, Mike

Gillislee (inj), James Wilder Jr., Dan Herron, Cierre

Wood, Dri Archer

FB: Jerome Felton, Glenn Gronkowski

WR: Sammy Watkins, Robert Woods, Marquise

Goodwin, Greg Salas, Dezmin Lewis, Kolby

Listenbee, Marcus Easley, Greg Little, Jarrett Boykin, Walter

Powell

TE: Charles Clay, Jim Dray, Nick O′Leary, Chris

Gragg, Blake Annen, Jimmay Mundine, Jacob Maxwell

LT: Cordy Glenn, Jordan Mills

LG: Richie Incognito

C: Eric Wood

RG: John Miller, Cyril Richardson

RT: Cyrus Kouandijo, Seantrel Henderson

K: Dan Carpenter

DT: Marcell Dareus (NT) (susp), Kyle Williams, Leger

Douzable, Casey Walker (NT), Brandon Deaderick, Alameda

Ta′amu, Justin Zimmer

DE: Adolphus Washington, Corbin Bryant, Lavar

Edwards, Jerel Worthy, Cedric Reed

ILB: Preston Brown (M), Zach Brown, Brandon

Spikes, David Hawthorne, Jamari Lattimore, Kevin

Reddick, Reggie Ragland (inj)

OLB: Jerry Hughes, Shaq Lawson (inj), Manny Lawson

(S), Kroy Biermann (S), Lorenzo Alexander (S), Eric

Striker, Randell Johnson, Max Valles, IK Enemkpali (IR)

CB: Stephon Gilmore, Ronald Darby, Nickell Robey, Mario

Butler, Javier Arenas, Sterling Moore

S: Aaron Williams (FS), Corey Graham (SS) , Robert Blanton

(FS),Duke Williams (FS), Jonathan Meeks (SS), Johnathan

Dowling

Carolina Panthers

QB: The first-team offense produced 10 points in 18 snaps

while withstanding two three-and-outs on Saturday night. Cam

Newton was 8-for-12 for 162 yards passing and a 61-yard

touchdown to Ted Ginn. “After I made the guy miss, I knew

there was only one guy to beat. Once I got past him I knew it

was history. I can’t get caught from behind,” said Ginn.

Newton wasn’t the only quarterback to have success against

the Titans. Derek Anderson completed 12-of-20 passes for 118

yards and a touchdown while 3rd stringer Joe Webb completed

5-for-5 for 60 yards and a touchdown. “I think we started

pretty fast, and that's what you want to do,” Newton said after

the game. “Start fast and finish fast. I think we've still got to

work on that finishing part. And it was a couple throws that I

wish I had back. That's just the nature of the game.”

RB: Both Jonathan Stewart (3/10/0 rushing with one target for

1/4/0 receiving) and backup Cameron Artis-Payne (3/10/0

rushing with three targets for 2/24/0 receiving) posted 10

yards rushing in the second preseason game, while Fozzy

Whittaker handled two targets for 1/36/0 receiving. Reserve

running back Brandon Wegher led the team against Tennessee

with 8 rushes for 24 yards. The unit had just 53 yards on 21

carries (2.5 per attempt) so expect the coaches to emphasize

the ground game in the 3rd preseason game and ensure it’s on

track for the regular season.

WR: Kelvin Benjamin caught two passes for 29 yards versus

the Titans, but as beat writer Jonathan Jones noted in the

Charlotte Observer, “The Panthers want Benjamin, who

missed last season with a knee injury, to get in the

neighborhood of 35 snaps by Week 1, and he's still a long way

from it.” Conditioning has been a constant issue for Benjamin

during training camp, and this may limit him at the start of the

regular season, leaving the door open for Devin Funchess to

claim the top slot in the receivers' stable. Brenton Bersin

(back/ribs injury) missed the game and Kevin Norwood

absorbed a big hit to his ribs during the game. Damiere Byrd

(six targets for 3/36/0 receiving) was projected to make the

53-man roster, primarily for his value on special teams.

TE: Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer projected the

53-man roster and said, “The fight for the fourth TE spot is

shaping up to be one of the more competitive battles. Deaver,

the undrafted rookie from Duke, gets the initial nod over

Marcus Lucas and Beau Sandland, the seventh-round pick. All

three will get plenty of reps at Tennessee on Saturday with

[Greg] Olsen and [Ed] Dickson expected to be sidelined.”

Deaver caught a 15-yard pass while Scott Simonson

(presumed to be #3 on the depth chart) failed to catch any of

his three targets. Greg Olsen is recovering from back spasms,

but there is no indication he’ll be limited once the regular

season gets underway.

Defense: Cornerback Daryl Worley was repeatedly

victimized by Marcus Mariota on Saturday night: “Titans

quarterback Marcus Mariota took a liking to Daryl Worley’s

side of the field in the first half. No fewer than four passes

were thrown in his direction as Mariota put together a solid

outing despite one interception. Panthers coach Ron Rivera

said he would have liked to see Worley use better technique

on some of those plays.” Safeties Travell Dixon (chest injury)

and Trenton Robinson (shoulder injury) were taken out of the

game on special teams plays, forcing the beleaguered Worley

to move to safety late in the game. Starting nickel back Bene

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Benwikere came up with a sack and an interception and was

relieved to have made a few big plays. “I literally went to the

sideline, sat down and said, ‘Finally, I just got one.’ Really

just hoping to get more and hope that gives me some

momentum.” The Panthers' 'Three Amigos' - rookie

cornerbacks James Bradberry, Worley, and Zack Sanchez -

had an up-and-down night: “James Bradberry, the second-

round pick from Samford, wasn't really tested. Third-rounder

Daryl Worley allowed wideout Tajae Sharpe to catch several

passes in front of him, but didn't let Sharpe - or anyone else -

get behind him. Nickel corner Zack Sanchez had [Harry]

Douglas slide between him and strong safety Kurt Coleman

for a 23-yard touchdown toss from Mariota.”

Returners: While Ted Ginn remains the betting favorite to

handle most returns for the Panthers this season, Damiere

Byrd continues to impress and his roster spot looks more

assured every day. If he does make the team, expect him to

handle a few return attempts of his own.

OL: After trying Daryl Williams out at left tackle last week

(he allowed a strip sack on his first snap), the Panthers’ signed

Willie Smith to compete for the backup position behind

Michael Oher. Smith will have to beat out David Foucault to

earn a roster spot, but that shouldn’t difficult. As for Williams,

he is still competing with Mike Remmers at right tackle, but

Remmers (last year’s starter) appears to have the job wrapped

up. Trai Turner continues to play at an elite level at right

guard, and could be one of the league’s better young players at

the position.

Panthers Depth Chart QB: Cam Newton, Derek Anderson, Joe Webb (KR)

RB: Jonathan Stewart, Cameron Artis-Payne, Fozzy

Whittaker (KR),Brandon Wegher, Jalen Simmons, Devon

Johnson (IR)

FB: Mike Tolbert, Andrew Bonnet

WR: Kelvin Benjamin, Devin Funchess, Ted Ginn

(KR/PR), Corey Brown, Brenton Bersin, Stephen

Hill, Keyarris Garrett, Kevin Norwood, Damiere Byrd, Miles

Shuler

TE: Greg Olsen, Ed Dickson, Beau Sandland, Scott

Simonson, Jake McGee, Braxton Deaver, Marcus Lucas

LT: Michael Oher

LG: Andrew Norwell, Chris Scott

C: Ryan Kalil, Gino Gradkowski

RG: Trai Turner

RT: Mike Remmers, Daryl Williams

K: Graham Gano

DT: Star Lotulelei (NT), Kawann Short, Paul Soliai, Vernon

Butler, Kyle Love, Robert Thomas (NT), Eric Crume

DE: Charles Johnson, Kony Ealy, Mario Addison, Ryan

Delaire, Wes Horton, Arthur Miley, Larry Webster, Rakim

Cox

MLB: Luke Kuechly, Ben Jacobs, Jared Norris

OLB: Thomas Davis (S), Shaq Thompson (W), A.J. Klein

(W/M), David Mayo, Jeremy Cash, Brian Blechen, Jared

Barber

CB: Bene Benwikere, James Bradberry, Robert

McClain, Daryl Worley, Zack Sanchez, Teddy

Williams, Leonard Johnson, Louis Young, Ras-I

Dowling, Shaq Richardson

S: Kurt Coleman (SS), Tre Boston (FS), Colin Jones

(SS/CB), Trent Robinson, Dean Marlowe (SS)

Chicago Bears

QB: The Bears are relying heavily on Jay Cutler to lead a

young offense this year and he showed a glimpse of the

potential on Thursday night against the Patriots. He completed

his first six passes on his way to an 8-for-12 performance, and

left the game with an 11-0 lead. The offensive line gave him a

lot more time than last week’s outing, and he was decisive and

accurate in his throws. Brian Hoyer was brought in to solidify

the backup position, but he has not impressed in camp and has

been terrible through two preseason games despite facing

mostly backups. He was just 4-of-14 against New England

with an interception (on his first snap), although Coach John

Fox chalked it up to Hoyer learning a new offensive system.

Surprisingly, Connor Shaw finished the game while

presumptive 3rd stringer David Fales didn’t take a snap.

RB: Jeremy Langford showed off his fantasy potential against

the Patriots as he ran hard between the tackles, broke off a big

34-yard gain on one run, and capped it off with a 5-yard

touchdown. He posted 63 yards from scrimmage on 8 carries

and 1 reception, solidifying his grasp on the feature back role

when healthy. Unfortunately, he missed practice on Saturday

while wearing a walking boot to recover from a foot injury

that he suffered in the game. Jacquizz Rodgers worked with

the second string offense, but found no room to run as he

gained just 7 yards on 6 carries. Rookie Jordan Howard didn’t

play until the second half but he got plenty of work and

flashed his power potential with 46 yards on 11 carries.

Ka’Deem Carey sat out the Patriots game while recovering

from a concussion, but he was cleared to practice over the

weekend.

WR: The Bears offense always works better with a healthy

Alshon Jeffery in the lineup, and that was the case on

Thursday night. He caught his only two targets of the game

and picked up 41 yards in the process. Kevin White is still

trying to get comfortable after missing his rookie season. He

made a nice cut and comeback catch for a 1st down

conversion, but also dropped what should have been an easy

catch. Eddie Royal has yet to be cleared from his concussion,

so it’s unclear how big of a role he will have or whether he

will make the final roster. Marc Mariani opened as the team’s

3rd WR, but only caught 1 pass for 3 yards in the game. Josh

Bellamy continues to be one of the most active receivers, and

should have a reserve spot locked up. Deonte Thompson went

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catchless on 4 targets, and left the game with an ankle injury

that could keep him out for a while.

TE: Zach Miller sat out the Patriots game while still

recovering from his concussion, but he was able to return to

practice on Saturday. That’s a promising sign for a player who

is expected to play a big role in the offense following the

offseason trade of Martellus Bennett. Backup Tony Moeaki

started against the Patriots and provided a reliable checkdown

option for Cutler with 4 catches for 28 yards on 5 targets.

Unfortunately, the oft-injured player left the game early with a

hamstring injury and that helped open up a chance for Rob

Housler to pull in a 2-point conversion and later add a 52-yard

catch.

Defense: The main concern here is at cornerback. Kyle Fuller

is out indefinitely after undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery

to clean up a prior injury. Nickel cornerback Bryce Callahan

also missed the game with a hamstring injury, which leaves

the Bears woefully short on experience at the position and

may force them to rely on rookie Deiondre Hall to start. ILB

Danny Trevathan also sat out with a hamstring problem, while

fellow starter Jerrell Freeman piled up some impressive tackle

numbers as a result. OLB Pernell McPhee continues to sit out

while recovering from offseason knee surgery and it’s unclear

at this point if he’ll be ready in time for the regular season.

Returners: In addition to locking down the punt return job,

receiver Mark Mariani is climbing the depth chart on offense.

His offensive duties are unlikely to take away from his work

on special teams.

OL: Led by right guard Kyle Long, the Bears’ offensive line

was productive against the Patriots. After spending all last

season at right tackle, Long seems more comfortable at guard.

The zone scheme plays were really working, creating holes for

Jeremy Langford, who scampered on several big runs and a

touchdown. Left tackle Charles Leno held the edge on pass

plays and left guard Cody Whitehair was productive in run

blocking. At the center position, it was a better performance

for Ted Larsen, who is starting after Hroniss Grasu went on

IR. After last week’s disastrous performance, Larsen was

much improved, except for a holding penalty.

Bears Depth Chart QB: Jay Cutler, Brian Hoyer, David Fales, Connor Shaw

RB: Jeremy Langford, Jordan Howard, Ka′Deem

Carey, Jacquizz Rodgers, Senorise Perry

FB: Khari Lee (TE), Darrel Young, Paul Lasike

WR: Alshon Jeffery, Kevin White, Marquess Wilson

(inj), Eddie Royal, Daniel Braverman, Marc Mariani

(KR/PR), Joshua Bellamy, Deonte Thompson (KR), Cameron

Meredith, Darrin Peterson, Derek Keaton, Kieren Duncan

TE: Zach Miller, Rob Housler, Ben Braunecker, Tony

Moeaki, Gannon Sinclair

LT: Charles Leno, Nick Becton

LG: Cody Whitehair, Shelley Smith

C: Ted Larsen, Khaled Holmes, Hroniss Grasu (IR)

RG: Kyle Long, Amini Silatolu

RT: Bobby Massie, Nate Chandler

K: Robbie Gould

NT: Eddie Goldman, Terry Williams

DE: Akiem Hicks, Jonathan Bullard, Will Sutton, Mitch

Unrein, Keith Browner, Ego Ferguson (IR)

ILB: Danny Trevathan, Jerrell Freeman, Christian Jones, Nick

Kwiatkoski, Jonathan Anderson, John Timu

OLB: Pernell McPhee, Lamarr Houston, Willie

Young, Leonard Floyd, Sam Acho, Roy Robertson-

Harris, Lamin Barrow

CB: Kyle Fuller, Tracy Porter, Bryce Callahan, Sherrick

McManis, Deiondre′ Hall, Jacoby Glenn, Kevin

Peterson, De′Vante Bausby, Taveze Calhoun, Joel

Ross, Brandon Boykin (IR)

S: Adrian Amos (FS), Deon Bush (SS), Chris

Prosinski, Harold Jones-Quartey, Deandre Houston-Carson

(FS), Demontre Hurst (SS)

Cincinnati Bengals

QB: A.J. Dalton and A.J. McCarron continue to play well.

Dalton was efficient and accurate in three series. The Bengals

let Dalton throw the ball downfield more often in the second

preseason game and Dalton responded with well-thrown balls

to Tyler Boyd and A.J. Green. Had the running game found a

better rhythm, Dalton may have been able to sustain drives

better. After leading the Bengals on an eight play, 74-yard

touchdown drive, the first team offense went three and out on

the next two series. McCarron continues to increase his value

by dominating with the second team. He finished 10-of-15 for

95 yards and threw a touchdown pass to Tyler Boyd over a

defender down the seam.

RB: The running game struggled often against Detroit.

Against the first and second string, the most impressive effort

was Jeremy Hill’s 9-yard touchdown run. Showing patience

footwork and well-timed acceleration on an inside zone run,

Hill continued his strong preseason. Running backs coach

Kyle Caskey feels Hill has put the disappointing 2015 season

behind him, “He’s decisive. He’s confident. He’s running

with power and aggression and doing it with acceleration we

all knew he had.” Gio Bernard and Cedric Peerman both

struggled to find running room on Detroit’s first and second

string. Rex Burkhead was much more successful, totaling 73

total yards on seven touches. Peerman and Burkhead are

stalwart special teams contributors who can help on offense if

needed.

WR: A.J. Green continues to dominate in practice. The battles

around and behind Green on the depth chart remain the most

compelling part of training camp among the skill positions.

Brandon LaFell returned to practice after missing two weeks

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with a torn ligament in his hand. Although there were reports

he may need surgery, LaFell seems to have avoided any

procedures for now. Observers note some rust in his routes

and pre-snap alignments, but LaFell was running with the first

team immediately on his return to practice. Tyler Boyd

continues to impress. He saw more time with the first team

against Detroit. A diving reception from Andy Dalton was

eye-opening, but his second quarter touchdown reception from

A.J. McCarron was notable for smooth, confident technique

with his hands. He’s going to have a big role in the offense

regardless of LaFell’s recovery. Cody Core and James Wright

may have the upper hand at the 4th and 5th roster spots. Alex

Erickson and Brandon Tate are fighting for the kick

returner/wide receiver slot. Tate may have an edge with his

veteran route running ability, but Erickson brings slot value

and has done nothing but impress the coaches this summer.

Mario Alford has fallen behind this week while recovering

from an ankle injury.

TE: There were no updates on the condition of Tyler Eifert or

Tyler Kroft last week. Both continue to rehab without any

known adjustments to their rehab schedule. The Bengals have

another two weeks to closely monitor Eifert’s status before

being forced to decide whether he’ll remain on PUP or move

to the active roster. C.J. Uzomah had another strong week of

practice and drew praise for his run-blocking against Detroit.

He was not targeted during the game.

Defense: The Cincinnati defense was again without Vontaze

Burfict, who isn’t injured but is being held out of preseason

game action by Marvin Lewis. The first team was otherwise at

full strength against the Lions. In three series, the first team

Lions’ offense managed only three points. Those came on the

first drive, which started on the Detroit 15-yard line, included

four first downs, three on long pass plays, and finally stalled

inside the Cincinnati 10-yard line. The secondary remains a

work in progress but the front four continue to put regular

pressure on the quarterback. Second team safety Derron Smith

picked off Dan Orlovsky after anticipating a check down route

and returned the interception for a touchdown.

K: Zach Hocker finally returned to practice, and just in time to

give Mike Nugent some pressure after a poor preseason

continued. Nugent missed a 45-yard field goal and an extra

point and admitted to a “pathetic” preseason, although he

made a 50-yard kick and three other extra points. The

competition remains open on paper, but the Bengals are still

likely to stick with Nugent. Head coach Marvin Lewis said

he’s not concerned.

Returners: Long a paragon of stability on special teams, the

Bengals find themselves with a heated camp battle at return

specialist. Rookie Alex Erickson has been making big plays in

the return game, including an 80-yard touchdown, and he finds

himself battling veteran return specialist Brandon Tate for

what is likely the fifth and final receiver spot.

OL: In Week Two against the Detroit Lions, the offensive line

had a good showing. The left side of Andrew Whitworth and

Clint Boling opened up a huge hole for Jeremy Hill’s 9-yard

touchdown run. A closer look shows Whitworth may have

gotten away with holding, but the refs let them play. Jake

Fisher got the start for Cedric Ogbuehi at right tackle, but he

couldn’t finish the contest, as he picked up an ankle injury and

was seen after the game wearing a boot. Veteran Eric

Winston replaced Fisher, and he would be the starting right

tackle should the younger players not be ready to return for the

season opener. The line has rare tackle depth compared to

other teams, and should be fine even if Fisher and Ogbuehi

don’t recover by Week One of the regular season.

Bengals Depth Chart QB: Andy Dalton, A.J. McCarron, Keith Wenning, Joe Licata

RB: Jeremy Hill (SD), Giovani Bernard (3RB), Rex Burkhead

(WR),Cedric Peerman, Bronson Hill

FB: Ryan Hewitt (HB)

WR: A.J. Green, Brandon LaFell, Tyler Boyd, Brandon Tate

(KR),James Wright, Jake Kumerow, Mario Alford, Alex

Erickson, Cody Core, Angelo Russell, Rashawn

Simonise, Michael Bennett

TE: Tyler Eifert (inj), Tyler Kroft (inj), C.J.

Uzomah, Matthew Lengel, John Peters

LT: Andrew Whitworth, Jake Fisher

LG: Clint Boling, Christian Westerman

C: Russell Bodine, T.J. Johnson

RG: Kevin Zeitler

RT: Cedric Ogbuehi , Eric Winston

K: Mike Nugent

DT: Geno Atkins, Domata Peko (NT), Brandon

Thompson, Andrew Billings (inj), Pat Sims, Marcus

Hardison, David Dean

DE: Carlos Dunlap, Michael Johnson, Margus Hunt, Will

Clarke, Jack Gangwish

MLB: Vontaze Burfict (W) (susp), Rey Maualuga (S), Nick

Vigil, Jeff Luc, Trevor Roach

OLB: Karlos Dansby (W/M) , Vincent Rey (S), Jayson

DiManche (S),Paul Dawson (W), Marquis Flowers (S), Darien

Harris

CB: Adam Jones (PR), Dre Kirkpatrick, Darqueze

Dennard, William Jackson III (inj), Josh Shaw, Chris Lewis-

Harris, Corey White, Corey Tindal

S: George Iloka (SS), Shawn Williams (FS), Derron Smith

(FS),Jimmy Wilson, Clayton Fejedelem, Floyd Raven

Cleveland Browns

QB: The biggest story of the Browns’ second preseason game

was unquestionably what Robert Griffin III was able to do.

Griffin had a phenomenal night, completing six of his eight

passes for 96 yards and two touchdowns. He also scrambled

for 36 yards on three carries, at least one of those clearly being

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a designed run. Unlike last week, Griffin looked comfortable

in the pocket and had time to deliver his deep strikes down the

field to his receivers and tight end. Head Coach Hue Jackson

was pleased. “Robert did some good things with the first

offense,” he said. “I don't think we're well-oiled yet, but I see

potential of us being what I think we can be. I thought he

played pretty well, thought he did a good job of taking care of

the ball and distributing the ball to some of our playmakers.”

Josh McCown had a quieter outing, completing four of his

seven attempts for 48 yards. His longest pass of the evening

was a 30-yard heave. Cody Kessler succeeded in avoiding the

major mistakes that plagued him during the first preseason

contest. He connected on two of his three passes for 10 yards.

RB: Like the rest of his offense, Isaiah Crowell seemed to be

more in rhythm. He led the team in carries with his seven for

28 yards. The defense was forced to respect the run, setting up

his quarterback for the deep shots down the field. Duke

Johnson’s three carries for six yards were forgettable, but he

made his stat line a little better by hauling in two passes for 10

yards. Terrell Watson bounced back from a poor showing in

the first preseason game to record four carries for 28 yards and

catching two passes for 12 yards. The backup standout from

the last contest, Raheem Mostert, had a quieter night, posting

two carries for four yards and catching one pass for seven

yards. During Sunday’s practice, Duke Johnson suffered an

undisclosed injury and left the field with a trainer. Jackson

would only say that Johnson “got tagged one time.”

WR: Starter Corey Coleman once again sat out Thursday’s

preseason game with a sore hamstring. Deep threat Taylor

Gabriel was injured on a punt return in the game and did not

return. For the second week in a row, Terrelle Pryor made a

splash play. He beat Desmond Trufant down the right sideline

on a go route, bringing in the 50-yard bomb for the first

Browns touchdown of the evening. Pryor said of the catch, “I

knew I had him when we called the play, I knew I was going

to beat him.” Rashard Higgins caught his lone target from

Robert Griffin III. Later in the game, he worked his way open

deep, but Josh McCown missed him. Rookie Jordan Payton

had an impressive deep reception from McCown, but was not

able to establish possession before falling out of bounds. The

Sunday following the game, the Browns signed former

Patriot and Colt Josh Boyce, indicating they may not be as

settled on Taylor Gabriel as was previously thought. Despite

not playing in the game, Josh Gordon is now practicing and

getting first team reps in an effort to find his role in the

offense upon his Week Five return. Andrew Hawkins and

Corey Coleman were also back at practice and are likely to see

action in the Week Three preseason game against the

Buccaneers.

TE: Starter Gary Barnidge was a recipient of the other

touchdown pass from Griffin. He made a fingertip snag of the

29-yard pass from Griffin, beating rookie safety Keanu Neal

for the score. Randall Telfer managed to catch a 30-yard pass

from Josh McCown. Neither Connor Hamlett nor E.J. Bibbs

was able to record a catch despite multiple targets. Seth

DeValve remained sidelined, continuing to rehab his

hamstring injury, but was practicing again on Sunday. The

competition for backup duties remains open with no player

doing anything outstanding in practices or games last week.

Defense: Overall, the defense struggled to stop the Falcons,

but there were some notable individual efforts. Defensive end

Carl Nassib in particular continues to impress. Not only did he

generate constant pressure on the Falcons’ offensive line, he

managed a strip-sack and fumble recovery in the third quarter

when no blockers picked him up on an edge rush. The

Browns’ fourth-round draft pick, Derrick Kindred of TCU,

had a fantastic night. He had six solo stops and broke up

several passes, including a well-placed end zone fade to

Austin Hooper. Former Texans safety Rahim Moore laid hard

hits just as often as he whiffed on them. He was evaluated for

a concussion (and was later cleared) after drawing a

questionable penalty for a helmet-to-helmet hit on J.D.

McKissic. The Browns seem to be struggling to find a role for

former first-round pick Barkevious Mingo. Mingo got both

outside and inside linebacker looks in the latter half of the

game. Other than one tackle for a loss, his play against third

and fourth string opposition did not stand out. Cornerback Joe

Haden continues his recovery from ankle surgery and is on

track to play in preseason Week Three. Justin Gilbert has

played so poorly in camp and preseason action that it appears

Hue Jackson is considering awarding the second starting

cornerback role to Jamar Taylor.

K: Incumbent kicker Travis Coons missed an extra point in

the second preseason game, and Patrick Murray made his, and

it was five yards longer because of a pre-snap penalty. Murray

has been the better kicker and is ahead in the competition

according to multiple reports. Coons only has one year under

his belt and it ended poorly, so he won’t be given “veteran

deference” by the new coaching staff.

Returners: Unhappy with Raheem Mostert’s fumbling

problem on returns, the Browns signed another potential

specialist in Ed Eagan. Typically players signed at this stage

are long-shots, but this does suggest Cleveland’s patience is

wearing thin.

OL: Dan France started at left tackle for Joe Thomas, who is

resting his sore back. There’s no cause for concern as Thomas

is expected to be a full go for the start of the regular season.

Snaps continue to be a problem for Cameron Erving, who

fired a high shotgun snap way over the head of his

quarterback. Erving is a taller center, and his problems with

snapping could be related to leverage. As a unit, the line

played well against Atlanta, opening up holes in the running

game. Left guard Joel Bitonio has finally recovered from an

ankle injury and is set for the regular season.

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Browns Depth Chart

QB: Robert Griffin III, Josh McCown, Cody Kessler, Austin

Davis

RB: Isaiah Crowell (SD), Duke Johnson (3RB), Terrell

Watson, Raheem Mostert, Glenn Winston

FB: Malcolm Johnson

WR: Josh Gordon (susp), Corey Coleman, Terrelle

Pryor, Andrew Hawkins, Rashard Higgins, Taylor

Gabriel, Jordan Payton, Ricardo Louis, Darius

Jennings, Marlon Moore, Ed Eagan, Josh Boyce

TE: Gary Barnidge, Connor Hamlett, E.J. Bibbs, Seth

Devalve, Randall Telfer

LT: Joe Thomas, Shon Coleman

LG: Joel Bitonio, Kaleb Johnson

C: Cameron Erving

RG: John Greco, Alvin Bailey

RT: Austin Pasztor, Spencer Drango

K: Travis Coons (inj), Patrick Murray, Jaden Oberkrom

NT: Danny Shelton, Jamie Meder, Nile Lawrence-Stample

DE: John Hughes, Xavier Cooper, Emmanuel Ogbah, Carl

Nassib, Nick Hayden, Dylan Wynn, Desmond Bryant (IR)

ILB: Christian Kirksey, Demario Davis, Tank Carder, Joe

Schobert, Scooby Wright III, Justin Tuggle

OLB: Paul Kruger, Nate Orchard, Armonty

Bryant, Barkevious Mingo, Cam Johnson, Jackson

Jeffcoat, Dominique Alexander

CB: Joe Haden, Jamar Taylor, Tramon Williams, K′Waun

Williams (inj), Justin Gilbert, Trey Caldwell, Eric

Patterson, Kenya Dennis

S: Jordan Poyer (FS), Ibraheim Campbell (SS), Rahim Moore

(FS),Pierre Desir (FS/CB), Don Jones (SS), Derrick

Kindred, Sean Baker (FS), Tim Scott (FS)

Dallas Cowboys

QB: Tony Romo took the field for the first time since re-

breaking his collarbone last year as the Cowboys played the

Dolphins in preseason action. Romo played one series and

executed a pitch perfect drive. He completed 4-of-5 passes for

49 yards (9.8 per attempt) and led the Cowboys to a

touchdown. Jason Garrett was pleased with Romo’s limited

return: “He looked composed,” Garrett said. “He looked

confident, and he looked very comfortable out there. I thought

he read things well and delivered the ball well throughout.”

Romo’s day was over quickly, giving way to rookie Dak

Prescott. It seemed unlikely Prescott could match last week’s

heroic debut – yet he ended up far exceeding last week.

Prescott completed 12-of-15 passes for 199 yards (13.3 per

attempt) and two touchdown passes for a perfect passer rating

(158.3). He also ran for 28 yards and two touchdowns. It

stands to reason Dallas is feeling far less pressure to find a

veteran backup to replace Kellen Moore. Prescott has done

enough to warrant a shot at the backup job. Jameill Showers

struggled again (1-of-4 for 15 yards) and looks destined for

the practice squad.

RB: Ezekiel Elliott and Darren McFadden missed their second

consecutive preseason games, and Alfred Morris took full

advantage of the opportunity. Morris ran for 85 yards on 13

carries (6.5 per rush) with a 15-yard rushing touchdown in the

opening drive. Morris also caught a 15-yard pace. It’s clear

that Morris can be a dominant contributor running behind the

best offensive line in football, and is worth a late round

fantasy pick. Darius Jackson had 14 carries for 43 yards and a

15-yard reception playing with the backups. Darren McFadden

needs to get back on the field soon or he could be looking for

a new city once 53-man roster cuts are finalized. Lance

Dunbar was removed from the PUP list on Sunday after

rehabbing a torn ACL and torn patellar tendon suffered in the

first month of the 2015 season. Dunbar faces daunting odds in

his comeback given the incredible depth at running back. “I

still have a long way,” Dunbar said. “I still have to go through

a practice and make sure everything is feeling like it should.

It’s still early in the process. I’m just glad to get back. I feel

good and I’m going to give it a shot, see how it feels over the

course of time.”

WR: Dez Bryant is back. If you were waiting for confirmation

during the preseason that Bryant is healthy and capable of

dominating again, there should be no more doubts after the

Dolphins game. For the second consecutive week, Bryant

caught a touchdown pass and looked explosive with two

receptions for 46 yards. Terrance Williams didn’t play for

long but had a 12-yard reception and appears in synch with

Tony Romo in practice – more than he had in prior camps.

Brice Butler needed a good game to re-establish his role

offensively; he rose to the occasion with a 3-catch, 74-yard

night including a 1-yard touchdown from Prescott in the 3rd

quarter. Cole Beasley had two receptions for 21 yards and is

locked in as the slot receiver.

TE: Geoff Swaim led the tight end group with 29 yards on

two catches, and is making a convincing case for a 53-man

roster spot; perhaps ending John Hanna’s tenure in Dallas.

Gavin Escobar was active and had an 8-yard catch. Long-time

starter and future Hall of Famer Jason Witten was in mid-

season form with two receptions for 24 yards. Importantly, the

Romo-to-Witten connection looked like it never missed a beat.

“Jason is the best at what he does,” Romo said. “You just find

him sometimes, and things look pretty easy. We just have to

keep improving and getting better. We are still on camp

mode.”

Defense: The starting unit had ups and downs against the

Dolphins starting offense. Ryan Tannehill completed 12-of-20

passes for 162 yards (8.1 per attempt) and two touchdowns,

taking advantage of poor cornerback coverage in both

instances. The Cowboys were able to pressure the Dolphins

with three sacks, but allowed 120 yards rushing (4.1 per rush)

and 194 yards passing (7.2 per attempt). Anthony Hitchens led

the team with six tackles. Linebacker Kyle Wilber and

defensive end Shaneil Jenkins each had two tackles and a

sack. Sean Lee returned to the field for 12 snaps, and believes

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he’s close to being in “season form.” "I'm going to plan on

playing more next week and continue to improve," Lee said.

"You need to play. I think playing only helps you, so I'm

going to push for more next week."

Returners: Lucky Whitehead wasn’t able to repeat his 101-

yard kickoff return from Week One of the preseason, but he

doesn’t have to. He’s still shown the best of any return

candidate on the team this offseason.

OL: Penalties were an issue against the Dolphins. Zach

Martin was called for holding on the first play from

scrimmage. Later in the first quarter, Chaz Green (starting for

Tyron Smith) was penalized for an illegal formation that

wiped out a touchdown. Mistake aside, Green has improved,

according to beat writers. Starting left tackle Tyron Smith

continues to miss action with a shoulder stinger. Coaches are

not counting on Smith for any preseason games, but he did

return to individual drills over the weekend. The team is

fully confident that he will be ready for the start of the regular

season. In other news, Bryan Witzmann continues to see

extended action as the coaches rest Doug Free. Witzmann

could be making a case for a spot on the 53-man roster.

Cowboys Depth Chart

QB: Tony Romo, Kellen Moore (inj), Dak Prescott, Jameill

Showers

RB: Ezekiel Elliott, Darren McFadden (inj), Alfred

Morris, Lance Dunbar, Darius Jackson, Rod Smith, Ben

Malena

WR: Dez Bryant, Terrance Williams, Cole Beasley, Brice

Butler, Devin Street, Vince Mayle, Lucky Whitehead

(KR/PR), Rodney Smith, Chris Brown, Richard Mullaney

TE: Jason Witten, James Hanna (inj), Gavin Escobar, Geoff

Swaim, Rico Gathers

LT: Tyron Smith, Darrion Weems

LG: Lael Collins, Ronald Leary

C: Travis Frederick

RG: Zack Martin

RT: Doug Free, Chaz Green

K: Dan Bailey

DT: Tyrone Crawford, Cedric Thornton, Terrell

McClain, Jack Crawford, Maliek Collins

DE: Benson Mayowa, David Irving, Ryan Russell, Charles

Tapper, Demarcus Lawrence (susp), Randy Gregory (susp)

MLB: Anthony Hitchens, Andrew Gachkar, Mark Nzeocha

(W),Jaylon Smith (inj), Rolando McClain (susp)

OLB: Sean Lee (W), Kyle Wilber (S), Justin Durant

(W), Damien Wilson (W), Deon King (S), Keith Smith

(W), James Morris, Ka′Lial Glaud, Jerrell Harris, Derek

Akunne

CB: Brandon Carr, Orlando Scandrick, Morris Claiborne

(inj),Anthony Brown, Josh Thomas, Isaiah Frey, Dax Swanson

S: Barry Church (SS), Byron Jones (FS), J.J. Wilcox (SS), Jeff

Heath (FS), Ayodeji Olatoye (FS), Kavon Frazier (SS)

Denver Broncos

QB: The second week of the preseason is in the books, and we

still have no clarity on which quarterback will take the reins

for Week 1. In fact, the situation may be even more cloudy

than it was last week. Trevor Siemian was given the nod to

start against the San Francisco 49ers. He looked good on the

opening drive that was capped off by a C.J. Anderson

touchdown run, but overall delivered an underwhelming

performance. Mark Sanchez would follow, and he proceeded

to lose two fumbles. Paxton Lynch handled mop-up duty, and

the rookie was arguably the most impressive of the three

signal callers for the evening. He completed 15-of-26 for 113

yards, two scores and a pick. Head coach Gary Kubiak

acknowledges that Lynch is in the mix for a situation that

remains far from settled. “I just told you guys that he’s behind

the other two from a knowledge standpoint, but we’ve been

out there competing every day. Everybody is in competition to

play,” he said. We’ll have to continue waiting to see how this

situation plays out, but the QB situation for the defending

Super Bowl champion looks like a clear avoid for fantasy

purposes.

RB: C.J. Anderson continues to impress in camp and

delivered a strong performance in Saturday’s preseason clash

with the 49ers. He toted the rock six times for 30 yards, and

capped off the team’s opening drive with a 19-yard touchdown

run. Anderson could be in line for a healthy workload this

season, as the Broncos unsettled QB situation does not point to

a pass-happy attack. Devontae Booker has supplanted Ronnie

Hillman as the second back on the depth chart, and he

delivered 43 yards on ten total touches. If he retains his hold

on the RB2 spot throughout the preseason, Booker could find

himself with a decent-sized role in 2016. Hillman is locked

into a battle with Kapri Bibbs for the RB3 spot, and the loser

could find themselves on the outside looking in when final

cuts are announced. Both players received three opportunities

to carry the ball on Saturday, with Bibbs slightly outproducing

Hillman. Juwan Thompson also remains in the mix for a spot

on the 53-man roster, but he’ll have to make his mark on

special teams and at fullback to stick.

WR: There are concerns that Demaryius Thomas and

Emmanuel Sanders will see a drop in productivity with such

an unsettled situation at quarterback. Gary Kubiak is not

buying that assessment, and promises: “We’re going to get

the ball into the hands of our playmakers and those guys are

playmakers.” That being said, even the receivers themselves

recognize that there’s no clarity on who will be slinging the

rock in Week 1. “As far as the quarterback, I think it's still

wide open,” Sanders said. Behind Thomas and Sanders, Cody

Latimer has the inside track on the WR3 job while Bennie

Fowler is on the sidelines battling an elbow injury. Fowler

should be healed up in time for the start of the regular season,

and both players appear fully secure in their roster spots.

Behind the top four, things get a little tricky. The Broncos

have good depth at the position as a whole, it just comes down

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to how many receivers they ultimately decide to carry. Jordan

Taylor and Jordan Norwood were the most targeted receivers

against the 49ers, with six targets each.

TE: Those that have been patiently waiting for a Virgil Green

breakout campaign may finally get their wish in 2016. He’s

been stellar in camp and was the team’s leading pass-catcher

in the game against the 49ers. He hauled in all four of his

targets for 57 yards, and he’s earned some high praise from

Gary Kubiak. “Virgil’s been a warrior. He’s stayed in there.

He’s been battling. This is an opportunity in Virgil’s career to

become a starter and he’s obviously taking advantage of it,”

Kubiak said. If Green’s strong preseason continues, he could

carve out a role in the Broncos offense. The question marks at

QB will be looking for a safety blanket, and the starting tight

end could be in line for a healthy amount of targets. It appears

that Green is clearly ahead of Jeff Heuerman, who missed

Saturday’s game with a hamstring injury.

Defense: After a dominating effort in the preseason opener

against the Chicago Bears, the Broncos defense came back to

Earth against the 49ers. The quarterback pressure that was

evident against the Bears was nonexistent on Saturday, but

it’s hard to expect the second-teamers to continue playing at

such a high-level throughout the preseason. One bright spot

was the play of Zaire Anderson, who forced two fumbles in

the game. “He's becoming a good player, got a good grasp of

what we're doing. I've got to go back and look at the game, but

obviously he got some extensive time tonight against a tough

scheme to work against. I'll go back and look, but he's been

doing some good stuff,” Kubiak said. Demarcus Ware is

scheduled to return to practice next week, and Aqib Talib is

also expected to ramp up activity. Von Miller returned to the

field in Saturday’s tilt, and we should see more of him in the

third preseason game against the Los Angeles Rams.

Returners: Jordan Norwood has yet to handle a return for the

Broncos this season as the coaching staff takes every

opportunity to evaluate undrafted rookies Kalif Raymond and

Bralon Addison. Despite this, beat reporter Cameron Wolfe

projects the rookies won’t make the final 53-man roster,

which would give Norwood the job by default.

OL: The left guard competition appears to be clearing up, and

fifth round rookie Connor McGovern could be the last man

standing. First, it came out that presumptive starter Ty

Sambrailo will likely the start of the season with a hyper

extended elbow. Darrion Weems was next in line for the

spot, but he suffered a concussion against the 49ers.

McGovern took the reins and had a big performance, clearing

the way for the running backs to average about five yards a

carry. This battle is far from over, as the team has other

options. Michael Schofield can kick inside, but most believe

he is better at tackle. The team could even turn to backup

center James Ferentz.

Broncos Depth Chart

QB: Mark Sanchez, Paxton Lynch, Trevor Siemian

RB: C.J. Anderson, Devontae Booker, Ronnie Hillman, Juwan

Thompson, Kapri Bibbs

FB: Andy Janovich

WR: Demaryius Thomas, Emmanuel Sanders (PR), Bennie

Fowler (inj), Cody Latimer, Jordan Norwood, Kalif

Raymond, Jordan Taylor, DeVier Posey, Durron Neal, Mose

Frazier, Bralon Addison

TE: Virgil Green, Jeff Heuerman, Garrett Graham, Richard

Gordon, John Phillips, Nick Kasa, Henry Krieger-

Coble, Manasseh Garner, Anthony Norris

LT: Russell Okung, Darrion Weems

LG: Connor McGovern, Ty Sambrailo (inj), Aaron Neary

C: Matt Paradis, James Ferentz

RG: Max Garcia

RT: Donald Stephenson, Michael Schofield

K: Brandon McManus

NT: Sylvester Williams, Darius Kilgo, Calvin Heurtelou, Kyle

Peko

DE: Derek Wolfe, Jared Crick, Adam Gotsis, Billy

Winn, Kenny Anunike, Henry Melton, George

Uko, Vontarrius Dora, Shaniel Jenkins, David Moala, Eddie

Yarbrough, Vance Walker (IR)

ILB: Brandon Marshall, Todd Davis, Corey Nelson, Zaire

Anderson

OLB: Von Miller, DeMarcus Ware, Shaquil Barrett, Shane

Ray, Dekoda Watson, Frank Shannon, Sadat

Sulleyan, Dwayne Norman

CB: Aqib Talib (susp), Chris Harris Jr., Bradley

Roby, Kayvon Webster, Lorenzo Doss, John Tidwell

S: T.J. Ward (SS), Darian Stewart (FS), Justin Simmons

(FS), Shiloh Keo, Will Parks, B.J. Lowery, Ryan

Murphy, Antonio Glover

Detroit Lions

QB: Starting quarterback Matthew Stafford had the first team

offense for two drives on Thursday evening when the Lions

took the field at home versus Cincinnati. Stafford looked sharp

in his limited time, attempting 11 throws and connecting on

eight of them, with a drop or two sprinkled in. Veteran backup

Dan Orlovksy played almost two full quarters but did not play

well in the game as he looked spotty with his accuracy and he

threw another brutal interception that the Bengals returned for

a touchdown. Orlovsky was 8-of-14 for 83 yards and his

interception, but he simply wasn’t accurate. Rookie Jake

Rudock played the fourth quarter and he also threw an

interception. Rudock lacks arm strength and he forced a late

throw over the middle of the field that sailed high. Rudock

finished 8-of-11 for 90 yards and the interception. The

competition for the No. 2 quarterback job is tighter than most

thought it would be. Kyle Meinke of www.mlive.com reports

that the Lions have a decision on their hands as Rudock seems

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to be playing better as camp moves on while Orlovsky is

currently struggling.

RB: The Lions are missing running back Ameer Abdullah as

they’ve been very ineffective running the ball. Dave Birkett

of The Detroit Free Press reported that Abdullah is out of the

no-contact red jersey and has been cleared for a return to

normal football activities. It’s clear at this point that the Lions

will be reliant on Abdullah to carry the bigger workload as a

runner than any other back on the team. In these preseason

games, the Lions continue to get a look at pass catcher Theo

Riddick as a traditional runner, but it isn’t working and it isn’t

the best use for his skillset. He had seven carries for a total of

17 yards in the game. Riddick is a tremendous asset as a

receiving back and he’ll continue in that role.

The battle for the power back position remains tight as the

offensive line is having difficulty moving the defense off the

ball and it’s giving the backs no running room. Second-year

pro Zach Zenner carried the ball four times for four yards and

veteran Stevan Ridley went for 13 yards on four carries. The

player standing out is rookie Dwayne Washington, and he

continues to flash great athleticism to go with his big frame.

Washington scored the Lions only touchdown of the game

versus Cincinnati on a 5-yard run, and he finished with 22

yards on six carries. Washington continues to surprise as he

put together a strong performance this week, backing up a

solid performance in the first preseason game. Carlos

Monarrez of The Detroit Press reports that Washington was

used in all phases of the game Thursday. It’s impressive that

he’s seeing time in all phases of special teams, as a runner and

that he is seeing targets out of the backfield.

WR: The first-team offense was clicking early in the game as

Stafford was in rhythm, finding receivers Marvin Jones and

Golden Tate all over the field. Dave Birkett of The Detroit

Free Press reported that Stafford seems at home in the Jim

Bob Cooter offense, and there are no words to explain how

critical that is to a player like Stafford. Seriously, if the Lions

are tailoring an offense around what makes Stafford

comfortable, he is dramatically undervalued in the fantasy

world right now. The Lions took the opening kick and

Stafford, Jones, Tate and veteran Anquan Boldin gashed the

Bengals defense, driving right down the field. Stafford was 5-

for-6 on the drive, but should have been 6-for-6 as he hit Tate

in both hands in the back on the end zone on third down. The

Lions settled for a field goal, but it was a very positive

showing as the offense got chunks of yardage in the passing

game. Stafford hit Tate for 12 yards and Jones for 32 and 19

yards respectively in the first drive. The Lions first team

offense looks in sync and ready to roll. Stafford has great

chemistry with Tate and is clearly developing it with Jones.

The offense will get timely playmaking from Anquan Boldin

who will be a valuable player moving the chains. Jones

finished with four catches for 65 yards and Tate went for 41

yards on three grabs. Paula Pasche of The Oakland Press

thinks the final roster spots remain contested. Jim Caldwell

said, “It’s still bunched in there pretty good, we’ve got a

couple more games left so we’ll see what happens.” A few

weeks ago it sounded like T.J. Jones had solidified a spot, but

nothing is set in stone at this point. Jones had two catches for

26 yards Thursday. Corey Fuller had foot surgery in June and

could start the season on the PUP list. That leaves rookies

Quinshad Davis and Jay Lee fighting it out with veterans

Andre Roberts, Jeremy Kerley and Jace Billingsley. These

battles are generally determined by what each player can offer

on special teams and this contest will be no different.

TE: The Lions are still waiting on Eric Ebron’s return from an

injured ankle suffered several weeks ago, but Kyle Meinke of

www.mlive.com reported that Ebron looked to be nearing a

return. This is good news as Ebron will be heavily counted on

if the Lions offense is to be at its best. The Lions are

dangerously thin at the tight end position with undrafted free

agent Cole Wick and veteran Orson Charles getting the

majority of the reps in Ebron’s absence. Wick caught two

passes for 26 yards working with the first and second teams

and Charles had four catches and totaled 40 yards with the

backups on Thursday night. Wick took a bit of heat for a bad

repetition in pass protection against Bengals defensive end

Carlos Dunlap which led to a sack and fumble that the Lions

recovered. Wick is simply not ready to take on an NFL level

pass rusher on his own, and it’s a play the Lions might want to

shelve if they want to keep Stafford upright.

Defense: The Lions front four looks fairly strong as a group

but won’t hold up well if injuries hit the position. The

defensive interior looks stout with tackles Haloti Ngata and

Tyrunn Walker as starters. They also have an impressive

rotation with Caraun Reid, Gabe Wright, Stefan Charles and

rookie A’Shawn Robinson. The linebacker position was

questioned early in camp but looked solid Thursday. The

Lions are still missing star linebacker DeAndre Levy but Tahir

Whitehead looked good playing middle linebacker. Kyle Van

Noy was a star at BYU coming forward and attacking the ball,

and the Lions finally allowed him to do that Thursday. It’s no

surprise that he looked good blitzing the A gaps and getting

reps as an edge rusher. The secondary remains a work in

progress, particularly with the strong safety position. Rafael

Bush looked solid early in camp but appeared tentative

Thursday. Tavon Wilson and Bush appear to be locked in a

duel for this position.

Returners: Ameer Abdullah returned to practice on August

20th, and almost immediately Coach Jim Caldwell reaffirmed

that he sees the running back reprising his dual-purpose role

on both offense and special teams.

OL: Rookie left tackle Taylor Decker had a mixed

performance against the Bengals, which was a big step up

from his disastrous debut a week ago. Coaches told reporters

that Decker is raw technically and he can’t rely on his

athleticism to bail him out, as it did on the college level.

Decker did not give up much pressure in the passing game but

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he struggled sustaining his blocks in the running attack.

Laken Tomlinson’s play is cause for concern; he appears to

be regressing in his second season. Right guard Joe Dahl has

looked good with the second unit but that doesn’t change the

fact the offensive line has a ton of work to do before they can

even be considered league average.

Lions Depth Chart

QB: Matthew Stafford, Dan Orlovsky, Jake Rudock

RB: Ameer Abdullah (KR), Theo Riddick (3RB), Zach

Zenner, Dwayne Washington, Stevan Ridley, George Winn

FB: Michael Burton

WR: Golden Tate (PR), Marvin Jones, Anquan Boldin, TJ

Jones (KR/PR), Jeremy Kerley, Andre Roberts, Corey Fuller

(inj), Jay Lee, Quinshad Davis, Jace Billingsley, Andre

Caldwell (IR), Ryan Spadola (IR)

TE: Eric Ebron (inj), Brandon Pettigrew (inj), Cole

Wick, Matthew Mulligan, Andrew Quarless (susp), Adam

Fuehne, Ben McCord, Tim Wright (IR)

LT: Taylor Decker, Corey Robinson

LG: Laken Tomlinson, Joe Dahl, Gabe Ikard

C: Travis Swanson, Graham Glascow

RG: Larry Warford, Geoff Schwartz

RT: Riley Reiff, Michael Ola, Cornelius Lucas

K: Matt Prater

DT: Haloti Ngata, A′Shawn Robinson, Tyrunn Walker

(inj), Caraun Reid, Khyri Thornton, Gabe Wright, Stefan

Charles, Kerry Hyder

DE: Ezekiel Ansah, Devin Taylor, Wallace Gilberry, Anthony

Zettel, Quanterus Smith, Deonte Gibson, Louis Palmer

MLB: Tahir Whitehead (S), Antwione Williams, Dominique

Tovell (S)

OLB: DeAndre Levy (W), Kyle Van Noy (S), Josh Bynes (S),

Khaseem Greene, Brandon Copeland, Zaviar

Gooden, Dominique Tovell, Jonathan Bostic (inj)

CB: Darius Slay, Nevin Lawson, Quandre Diggs, Alex

Carter, Darrin Walls, Crezdon Butler, Adairius

Barnes, Charles Washington, Rashaad Reynolds

S: Glover Quin (FS), Rafael Bush (FS), Tavon Wilson

(SS), Miles Killebrew (SS), Don Carey, Johnson Bademosi

(FS), Isaiah Johnson (SS)

Green Bay Packers

QB: Brett Hundley gave it a go against the Raiders – he

completed 5-of-7 for 67 yards – but wound up re-aggravating

his injured ankle during the second preseason game.

According to beat writers Eric Baranczyk and Pete

Dougherty, “Brett Hundley played only 20 snaps in his 2016

preseason debut before re-injuring his left ankle, but in that

short stint the second-year quarterback looked capable of

backing up Aaron Rodgers this season.” He is not expected to

practice this week or play in the third preseason game. Joe

Callahan completed 9-of-17 passes for 65 yards, and was

sacked twice for -11 yards, but did enough to help the Packers

win 20-12 over the Raiders. Meanwhile the team continues to

keep the elite Aaron Rodgers out of the meaningless

exhibition contests, although Rodgers is expected to do

extensive work in practice this week with Jordy Nelson

(activated off of PUP last Wednesday) as they seek to re-

establish their rapport and timing. Fourth-stringer Marquise

Williams didn't attempt a pass vs. Oakland, instead taking one

sack for a 9-yard loss.

RB: Eddie Lacy continues to run well in training camp and

preseason games; he gained 45 yards and a touchdown on nine

carries versus the Raiders. Third-stringer John Crockett had 26

yards rushing and four receptions for 27 yards, while backup

James Starks posted 6/26/0 rushing. Aaron Ripkowski, the

new starting fullback, was worked into the offense with two

carries for 4 yards and a 13-yard reception. Entering the third

preseason game, it looks like Lacy has worked his way out of

head coach Mike McCarthy's doghouse, and he has a firm grip

on the feature back role, with Starks and Crockett as his main

backups. Brandon Burks (4/14/0 rushing with one target) is

pushing Crockett for the third spot in the stable, but Crockett

is seen as in the lead for that spot after the second preseason

game.

WR: Though Jordy Nelson did dress and participate in warm

ups before the second preseason game, he didn't play. The

early word is that this week he'll do a lot of one-on-one work

with Aaron Rodgers but not be involved in the team portions

of practice. Head coach Mike McCarthy is mindful of the

process: “I think it’s important to stay focused on the fact that

Jordy’s going to practice Monday for the first time. It will be

in the individual drills (with) the emphasis there, the normal

protocol that you want to bring guys back. Obviously, his

veteran experience will factor into that. Aaron and Jordy will

work as much as they possibly can on one-on-one routes and

things like that. We've got a plan. We'll start that plan and

based on how it works out (in terms of) play time, I can't

really answer that question.” McCarthy is pleased with

Davante Adams: “Davante’s having a very good camp. That's

what you see; he's healthy and he's taken a step. I think, really,

he's kind of in line with our whole team. I thought our team

took a step in the right direction today. Yes, Davante's healthy.

As with all of our guys, they obviously play better when

they're healthy.” Adams has beaten back a field of challengers

for the #3 spot behind Nelson and Randall Cobb.

TE: Some of Jared Cook’s former teammates and coaches are

pulling for him to emerge as a playmaker this season – Matt

Hasselbeck and Ray Sherman, in particular. “If Sam

Bradford would’ve been able to stay healthy in St. Louis and

been around,” former Rams receivers coach Sherman said,

“you would’ve probably been able to see (Cook) have

success.” Cook managed caught both of his targets against the

Raiders (for 16 yards) while Richard Rodgers was not

targeted.

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Defense: According to Eric Baranczyk and Pete

Dougherty, USA Today Network - Wisconsin, the Packers'

secondary is rounding into top form: “Clinton-Dix, Randall

and Rollins are three of the ascending talents on the team.”

Clinton-Dix in particular is cited for his run defense in the

nickel formation and the writers believe he could be the

Packers' next defensive star. Another young player on the

rise is inside linebacker Carl Bradford. “It felt good [in the

first and second preseason games]. I felt myself for once. I

really haven't been feeling that these past couple years. From

this point last year I really didn't understand the defense, really

didn't understand certain things. I wasn't comfortable for

myself. Now it's time to go get it, and I feel way better. I feel

confident in my game more and just ready to attack.”

Returners: With primary kickoff returner Jeff Janis out 4-6

weeks after surgery to repair a fractured hand, Jared

Abbrederis will get an extended audition to try to take Janis’

job away.

OL: The line looked good against the Raiders. The first team

unit sustained a long drive was capped off by Eddie Lacy’s 1-

yard touchdown plunge. Right guard Josh Sitton and center

J.C. Tretter combined to move the pile. Look for more of that

this season, as left guard T.J. Lang is also a powerful run

blocker. Lang was mainly responsible for the huge hole that

led to Lacy’s 20-yard gain earlier in the drive. The best player

on the line is still Sitton, who reported to camp in excellent

shape and is extremely motivated in his contract year. The

backup linemen had their own highlight play, springing James

Starks for a 24-yard gain in the second quarter.

Packers Depth Chart

QB: Aaron Rodgers, Brett Hundley, Joe Callahan, Marquise

Williams

RB: Eddie Lacy, James Starks, John Crockett, Brandon Burks,

Brandon Ross, Don Johnson

FB: Aaron Ripkowski, Alstevis Squirewell

WR: Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb, Jared Abbrederis, Davante

Adams, Ty Montgomery, Jeff Janis (KR) (inj), Trevor Davis

(KR/PR),Geronimo Allison, Jamel Johnson, Ed

Williams, Herb Waters, Harvey Binford

TE: Richard Rodgers, Jared Cook, Justin Perillo, Kennard

Backman, Casey Pierce, Mitchell Henry

LT: David Bakhtiari, Jason Spriggs

LG: Josh Sitton, Lane Taylor, William Campbell

C: Corey Linsley, J.C. Tretter

RG: T.J. Lang, Josh Walker

RT: Bryan Bulaga, Kyle Murphy

K: Mason Crosby

NT: Letroy Guion, Kenny Clark, Christian Ringo, Brian Price

DE: Mike Daniels, Datone Jones, Mike Pennel, Dean

Lowry, Tyler Kuder, Demetris Anderson, Reggie Gilbert

ILB: Sam Barrington (M), Jake Ryan, Blake Martinez, Carl

Bradford (M), Joe Thomas

OLB: Clay Matthews, Julius Peppers, Nick Perry, Jayrone

Elliott, Kyler Fackrell, Lerentee McCray, Beniquez

Brown, Manoa Pikula

CB: Sam Shields, Quinten Rollins, Damarious

Randall, Demetri Goodson (susp), LaDarius

Gunter, Robertson Daniel, Josh Hawkins, Makinton Dorleant

S: Morgan Burnett (SS), Ha Ha Clinton-Dix (FS), Micah

Hyde (FS/PR), Chris Banjo (SS), Kentrell Brice, Marwin

Evans

Houston Texans

QB: Brock Osweiler played a quarter and a half against the

Saints, throwing for 124 yards, a touchdown and an

interception. Osweiler was generally sharp and showed poise

in the pocket playing behind a makeshift offensive line. The

Texans passing game is going to be heavily reliant upon

rookies and Osweiler has made big strides in building a

rapport with his young pass catchers. On the first scoring drive

of the game, the three key completions were to rookies

Stephen Anderson, Braxton Miller and Will Fuller. The

Texans 25-and-under skill position talent is impressive. This

passing offense should continue to improve and grow together

over the years, which could make Osweiler an underrated

dynasty commodity.

RB: The offensive line was missing four starters against the

Saints, which led to multiple defenders in the backfield on

nearly every running play. Lamar Miller was consistently able

to make the first man miss. He showed impressive vision and

wiggle to turn potential negative plays into short gains. If the

Texans can get their line healthy, Miller is poised to have a big

season. If multiple starting offensive linemen remain out

through the early part of the regular season, the offensive line

could struggle. Kenny Hilliard has dropped ten pounds and

has been the primary backup with Alfred Blue nursing an

injury. Blue injured his shoulder during joint practices prior to

the first preseason game and is expected to return in the next

week to battle his former college teammate for the second-

string job.

WR: Will Fuller has made a big move in the past two weeks

to seize the number two job across from DeAndre Hopkins.

He had an impressive touchdown against the Saints in joint

practices and also scored an early touchdown in the preseason

game on a perfect fade route in the corner of the end zone.

Fuller played nearly all of the snaps with first-team offense for

the second straight week. “He takes a ton of notes, he’s always

studying his playbook,” said Osweiler of Fuller. “Whenever

we get a break, a lot of guys go in the locker room and we’re

socializing or we go grab a coffee over here in the cafeteria

but Will’s in his playbook, he’s studying. He wants to be

great and he’s always, always striving to be great.” Braxton

Miller ran with the first-team offense as the starting slot

receiver. Through two games, he has seven catches for 68

yards and has earned praise from Coach O’Brien for his

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success in absorbing the playbook. Miller should make an

instant impact in Houston.

TE: Undrafted rookie tight end Stephen Anderson has been

the biggest surprise of training camp and preseason for the

Texans. He has become a fan favorite, regularly making big

catches in practice. He received snaps with the first-team

offense (primarily on third downs) and came up with a key

third-down catch to keep the chains moving on the second

drive of the game. The rookie brings a new element to the

offense with his athleticism and should make an immediate

impact.

Defense: Jadeveon Clowney made his first appearance of the

preseason and proved to be a dominant force off the edge. He

ran right over tackle Zach Strief on his first pass rush. He

whipped Andrus Peat for his sack. Later, he “ragdolled” Tony

Hills for a tackle for a loss. Defensive coordinator Romeo

Crennel said of Clowney: “If he can keep running them over

and getting sacks, maybe one move will be good enough. He's

going to run into some guys where he'll have to use some

alternative stuff and he has that in his repertoire.” J.J. Watt

recently had his stitches from surgery removed and is now

working out on a specialized treadmill. "J.J. Watt obviously

will not be back this week, but he's making a lot of progress in

his rehab," O'Brien said. "I just don't think anybody can

predict when J.J. will be back. I would say knowing J.J. the

way I do that he'll be back sooner rather than later. It's

progressing really well. He's been able to do some things on

the Ultra-G treadmill, which is a really good sign.” Brian

Cushing shined in his preseason debut, looking healthier than

he has in years. He had six tackles and a pass breakup in about

a quarter of action.

K: Nick Novak was ahead of rookie Kai’mi Fairbairn in the

kicker competition, but he suffered a concussion last week.

Meanwhile, Fairbairn is nursing a quad injury. The team has

characterized his condition as day-to-day, although it is

possible that they may need to bring in a kicker to get through

the preseason.

Returners: The Texans have historically preferred to use a

single return specialist, and despite a sometimes-shaky week,

4th-round rookie Tyler Ervin is the front-runner for the job

this year.

OL: Starting center Nick Martin is dealing with an ankle

injury that will likely require surgery. Martin, brother of

Cowboys’ guard Zack, was drafted in the second round and

has been a fixture in the starting lineup since mini camps.

Greg Mancz has been given an opportunity over veteran Tony

Bergstrom to replace Martin. The coaches seem to really like

Mancz, an undrafted first year player out of Akron who

missed most of last season with injury. While Mancz has

talent, Texans fans should expect a dropoff from Martin, as

evidenced by Saints’ DT Nick Fairley’s beating Mancz for a

sack of Brock Osweiler in preseason action.

Texans Depth Chart

QB: Brock Osweiler, Tom Savage, Brandon Weeden

RB: Lamar Miller, Alfred Blue, Tyler Ervin (KR), Jonathan

Grimes, Akeem Hunt, Kenny Hilliard

FB: Jay Prosch

WR: DeAndre Hopkins, Jaelen Strong, Will Fuller, Cecil

Shorts, Braxton Miller, Keith Mumphery (PR), Wendall

Williams (KR/PR), Josh Lenz

TE: Ryan Griffin, C.J. Fiedorowicz, Anthony

Denham, Stephen Anderson, Eric Tomlinson

LT: Duane Brown, Chris Clark

LG: Xavier Sua-Filo, Jeff Adams

C: Greg Mancz, Nick Martin (inj), Tony Bergstrom

RG: Jeff Allen, Oday Aboushi, Kendall Lamm

RT: Derek Newton

K: Nick Novak, Kai’mi Fairbairn

NT: Vince Wilfork, D.J. Reader

DE: J.J. Watt (inj), Christian Covington, Devon Still, Brandon

Dunn, Jeoffrey Pagan, Joel Heath, Alex Carrington, Dan

Pettinato

ILB: Brian Cushing, Benardrick McKinney, Akeem

Dent, Max Bullough, Brian Peters

OLB: Whitney Mercilus (S), Jadeveon Clowney (J), John

Simon (S/J), Reshard Cliett, Tony Washington, Carlos

Thompson

CB: Johnathan Joseph, Kareem Jackson, Kevin Johnson, A.J.

Bouye, Charles James, Richard Leonard (inj)

S: Andre Hal (FS), Eddie Pleasant (SS), Quintin Demps (FS),

Antonio Allen (SS), KJ Dillon (SS), Kurtis Drummond

(FS), Lonnie Ballentine (SS), Corey Moore

Indianapolis Colts

QB: Andrew Luck was sharp in his first game action since last

November. He played two series in the Colts 19-18 loss to the

Ravens, completing all eight of his passes for 71 yards, and

adding two scrambles for 12 yards. “With him, nothing really

surprises any of us,” head coach Chuck Pagano said after

the game. “I wasn’t shocked because of the time he has put in.

Since he came back, through the OTAs and what he did on the

break and then from the start of training camp, he has just

been outstanding. He has been a different guy. Different from

a leadership standpoint. Different from how he carries himself

day in and day out throughout the building. In practice, he is

very demanding of himself and he is making everybody

around him better. It was obviously great to see it and I am not

surprised by anything that he does.” Luck was relieved to get

back on the field. “I needed to get out there,” he said

afterward. “It’s like breathing. You just need more of it. It’s

like oxygen.” Backup Scott Tolzien came in for Luck and

rebounded from last week’s uneven performance. Tolzien

completed 13-of-18 passes for 107 yards and a touchdown,

flashing improved accuracy and presence. Still, Pagano said

the backup quarterback job was very much an open

competition between Tolzien and third-stringer Stephen

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Morris. Morris played the fourth quarter Saturday night,

completing 7-of-11 passes for 66 yards and a touchdown. He

also led the Colts in rushing yards for the second consecutive

game.

RB: Frank Gore’s preseason debut consisted of one carry for

five yards on the second play of the game. The 33-year old

veteran wanted more carries, but said the Colts are just being

smart with him. After running with the starters last week,

undrafted free agent Josh Ferguson played behind Robert

Turbin Saturday night. Ferguson ran for just six yards on five

carries and now has nine rushing yards on 13 carries through

two preseason games. He also had a bad miss on a blitz

pickup that got Tolzien blown up. Turbin -- who was mixed

in at fullback last week -- didn’t do much to distinguish

himself, rushing for 18 yards on seven carries. He also drew

criticism from Pagano with a false start penalty from the

four-yard-line. “It’s a lack of focus. A false start? You know

the snap count. You can’t do it,” Pagano said. Jordan Todman

was the Colts most effective runner, with 22 yards on five

carries. Trey Williams caught a late seven-yard touchdown

from Morris, but is behind Gore, Ferguson, Turbin, and

Todman on the depth chart. Overall, run blocking looks like a

concern for the Colts, as their backs have combined to average

2.53 yards per carry through two preseason games.

WR: T.Y. Hilton was held out Saturday night as a

precaution after suffering a minor hamstring injury in the

preseason opener. Phillip Dorsett led the Colts with three

catches for 37 yards in Hilton’s absence. Donte Moncrief

chipped in two catches for 25 yards. Earlier in the week,

ESPN Colts beat writer Mike Wells speculated Moncrief

could lead the team in receptions this season since he’s the

receiver Luck will turn to when plays break down. In the

battle for the fourth and fifth wide receiver roster spots,

rookies Chester Rogers and Tevaun Smith continued to stake

their claims. Rogers, who caught a long touchdown last week,

was up-and-down against the Ravens, but he still led the team

with five receptions. Smith was on the receiving end of a

fourth down pass from Tolzien that went for a one-yard

touchdown, but Smith remains behind dynamic return man

Quan Bray, who was the third receiver to enter the game for

the Colts.

TE: The Ravens game was forgettable for Dwayne Allen, who

finished with two catches for 10 yards, and cost the Colts

points by losing a fumble inside the red zone. Erik Swoope

may have moved ahead of Chase Coffman in the battle for the

third tight end roster spot, after catching three passes for 36

yards. Pagano noticed Swoope’s improved play since last

week’s game against Buffalo.

Defense: Top corner Vontae Davis rolled his ankle in

Thursday's practice and sat out the second preseason game.

The Colts were also without Robert Mathis, which was

somewhat of a surprise considering Pagano said on Thursday

Mathis would play “barring anything crazy”. It’s likely Indy is

just being cautious with the 35-year-old outside linebacker.

The Colts defense suffered injuries in the game as well, most

notably a groin pull of unknown severity for starting

cornerback Patrick Robinson. Defensive lineman Henry

Anderson is close to a return, but his recovery from ACL

surgery and a knee injury to Kendall Langford has created an

opportunity for second-year lineman T.Y. McGill. McGill

was outstanding Saturday night, racking up three tackles, a

sack, and two quarterback hits. Pagano was effusive in his

praise for McGill when asked about the young defensive

lineman last week. “I think he’s picked up right where he left

off,” Pagano said. “He finished the [last] season obviously on

a high note. He’s a twitchy, explosive, quick-type player. He’s

tough to block when he is on the move, he gets penetration,

he’s slippery and he is a little bit sneaky when it comes to pass

rush.” Look for McGill to get plenty of run for at least the first

four games of the regular season while Art Jones serves a

suspension.

Returners: With no challengers emerging, Quan Bray is a

near-lock to handle the large majority of Indianapolis’ returns

this season.

OL: Denzelle Good returned to the lineup at right guard and

got the against the Ravens. Good and first round rookie center

Ryan Kelly were solid in pass protection, keeping quarterback

Andrew Luck clean. Fifth round rookie Joe Haeg is being

used as the “do anything” backup; the coaches see him as

flexible enough to play any position. Haeg’s responsibilities

mirror those of current right tackle Joe Reitz, who was asked

to be the fill-in sub in years’ prior, before he won a starting

job. Haeg only played seven snaps before being removed with

an ankle injury.

Colts Depth Chart QB: Andrew Luck, Scott Tolzien, Stephen Morris

RB: Frank Gore, Robert Turbin, Jordan Todman, Josh

Ferguson, Trey Williams

FB: Abou Toure

WR: T.Y. Hilton, Donte Moncrief, Phillip Dorsett, Quan Bray

(KR/PR),Chester Rogers (PR), MeKale McKay, Tevaun

Smith, Marcus Leak, Joshua Stangby, Daniel

Anthrop, Andrew Opoku

TE: Dwayne Allen, Jack Doyle, Erik Swoope, Chase

Coffman, Emil Igwenagu, Darion Griswold, Nick

Truesdell, Mike McFarland (IR)

LT: Anthony Castonzo, LeRaven Clark

LG: Jack Mewhort

C: Ryan Kelly, Jonotthan Harrison, Austin Blythe

RG: Denzelle Good, Hugh Thornton

RT: Joe Reitz, Joe Haeg

K: Adam Vinatieri

NT: David Parry, Zach Kerr, Ricky Lumpkin

DE: Kendall Langford (inj), Henry Anderson, Arthur Jones

(susp),Earl Okine, Hassan Ridgeway, Delvon Simmons, Kelcy

Quarles

ILB: D′Qwell Jackson, Nate Irving, Antonio Morrison, Trevor

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Bates, Josh McNary, Sio Moore (inj)

OLB: Trent Cole, Erik Walden, Robert Mathis, Junior

Sylvestre, Curt Maggitt, Sterling Bailey

CB: Vontae Davis (inj), Patrick Robinson, Antonio

Cromartie, Darius Butler, D′Joun Smith, Jalil Brown, Tevin

Mitchel, Patrick Robinson, Tay Glover-Wright, Darius

White, Winston Rose, Christopher Milton

S: Mike Adams (FS), Clayton Geathers (SS) (inj), Winston

Guy (FS),T.J. Green (SS), Dezmen Southward, Andrew

Williamson, Stefan McClure

Jacksonville Jaguars

QB: Coach Gus Bradley continued to praise Blake Bortles’

play after the signal caller completed 8-of-11 passes for 85

yards and two touchdowns against the Buccaneers on

Saturday. “I’m really pleased with his consistency and

decision-making,” Bradley said. “Those are two facets that we

pointed to in the offseason and into training camp. He’s put

two games together where he’s made good decisions for us.

I’m pleased on that.” Bortles looks confident and it’s been

impressive seeing him spread the ball around to his many sure

handed targets.

RB: Chris Ivory ran the ball 6 times for 25 yards and T.J.

Yeldon ran twice for 15 yards but also had a solo reception for

14 yards and a touchdown. One of the big talking points this

entire offseason for the Jaguars has been the addition of Chris

Ivory and how the offense will look with both him and Yeldon

sharing touches. So far so good as the duo looks to build off of

each other’s strengths. As long as the coaches are putting them

in the right situations the duo should hopefully not feel the

wear and tear that one would if they were seeing 20+ touches

a game. The Jaguars are showing that they are no longer a

“pass-heavy, run when you can” team anymore.

WR: Allen Robinson is showing no signs of slowing down

from his torrid pace last season. He’s continuing to build

chemistry with Bortles and it’s evident as you watch the two

play together. Bortles targeted Robinson 5 times on

Saturday for 4 receptions and 34 yards. Allen Hurns in an

underrated component to the team’s overall passing prowess

as he helps keep defenses honest; Hurns also has big-play

ability of his own. Hurns was targeted 3 times for 2 catches,

29 yards and a touchdown on Saturday. None of the backups

really stood out versus the Buccaneers. Marqise Lee, Rashad

Greene, Bryan Walters, and Arrelious Benn all a single pass

each for 10 or fewer yards.

TE: Tight End was a wasteland this week. Only Nic Jacobs

had a reception (16 yards). This comes a week after Julius

Thomas dropped a would-be touchdown from Bortles. The

tight ends need to show improvement in the new few weeks if

they’re to engender Bortles’ trust in key situations.

Defense: The starting defense came to play against the

Buccaneers, with the first team holding the Bucs 1st teamers to

just 64 yards in the first quarter. Rookie cornerback Jalen

Ramsey played with the first-team unit versus Tampa Bay and

played well with 3 tackles, including stopping Charles Sims

for a loss. While all eyes were on Ramsey’s preseason debut,

it’s important to remember the Jaguars have impressive depth

at cornerback as starters Davon House and Prince Amukamara

have looked sharp and backups Dwayne Gratz and Aaron

Colvin could start for a few NFL teams. Dante Fowler Jr. is

having a strong preseason after missing his entire rookie year.

Fowler had a good pursuit on an early run play and added a hit

on quarterback Jameis Winston.

Returners: Corey Grant remains the front-runner for kickoff

return duties in 2016, but he still has not done enough to

assure himself a roster spot. Now that he’s past some minor

injuries that have slowed him in recent weeks, he’ll attempt to

make his case more forcefully.

OL: The Jaguars first team offensive line kept Blake Bortles

clean against Tampa Bay. Luke Joeckel continues to improve

and solidify his hold on the left tackle position. It will be

interesting to see how the coaches rotate in Kelvin Beachum,

who is expected to make his debut next week against the

Bengals. It appears that whoever loses the left tackle battle

between Joeckel and Beachum will be kicked inside to left

guard. Swing tackle Jeff Linkenbach was removed from the

game and is still going through the league’s concussion

protocol. Center Luke Bowanko continues to be on the PUP

list with a hip injury, and Brandon Linder appears to be the

starting center going forward.

Jaguars Depth Chart QB: Blake Bortles, Chad Henne, Brandon Allen

RB: T.J. Yeldon (3RB), Chris Ivory (SD), Denard Robinson

(WR/KR), Corey Grant, Joe Banyard, Jonas Gray (IR)

WR: Allen Robinson, Allen Hurns, Rashad Greene

(PR), Marqise Lee, Bryan Walters, Arrelious Benn, Shane

Wynn, Tony Washington, Rashad Lawrence, Shaq

Evans, Jamal Robinson, Rasheed Bailey, Justin Blackmon

(susp)

TE: Julius Thomas, Marcedes Lewis, Nic Jacobs, Ben

Koyack, Neal Sterling, Braedon Bowman

LT: Luke Joeckel, Kelvin Beachum

LG: Mackenzy Bernadeau, Tyler Shatley

C: Brandon Linder, Luke Bowanko

RG: AJ Cann

RT: Jermey Parnell

K: Jason Myers

DT: Malik Jackson (DE), Senderrick Marks, Roy

Miller, Tyson Alualu, Michael Bennett, Sheldon Day, Abry

Jones

DE: Dante Fowler Jr., Jared Odrick, Yannick Ngakoue, Chris

Smith, Ryan Davis, Jonathan Woodard (inj)

MLB: Paul Posluszny, Thurston Armbrister

OLB: Telvin Smith (W), Myles Jack (S/M), Dan Skuta

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(S), Jordan Tripp (S), Tyrone Holmes, Hayes Pullard III

(W), Joplo Bartu (W), Bjoern Werner, Sean Porter (S)

CB: Davon House, Prince Amukamara, Jalen Ramsey, Aaron

Colvin (susp), Nick Marshall (KR), Briean Boddy-

Calhoun, Dwayne Gratz, Demetrius McCray

S: Tashaun Gipson (FS), John Cyprien (SS), James Sample

(SS), Josh Evans (SS), Jarrod Wilson (FS), Craig Loston

(SS), Peyton Thompson (SS), Earl Wolff

Kansas City Chiefs

QB: Alex Smith has looked sharp throughout camp and that’s

carried over into preseason action. He manned the reins for

four series in Saturday’s preseason game against the Los

Angeles Rams, and led the team to two touchdowns and a

field goal. Smith is feeling pretty good with the regular season

right around the corner. "I feel like we got a lot of guys that

can make plays no matter who's in there. That's what you

want," he said. The second depth chart of camp provided a

little more clarity on things. As expected, Nick Foles is

manning the backup spot behind Smith, and he also looked

sharp against the Rams. He completed 18-of-22 passes for 133

yards (6.0 per attempt). In the three-way battle for the third

spot, Aaron Murray was the only to see action on Saturday; he

seems to have the edge over Tyler Bray and Kevin Hogan.

Bray suffered a chip fracture in his spine in the first preseason

game, and it’s unclear when he’ll be healthy enough to return.

Hogan has had an uneventful camp, and appears headed for a

practice squad designation if he hangs on.

RB: Jamaal Charles was activated from the PUP list this week

and resumed team activities. His workload ramped faster than

originally anticipated, and all signs point to him being 100%

for the start of the regular season. A fully healthy Charles can

easily outperform his current ADP, but draftees are being

understandably cautious given his injury history. As we

learned last year, the Chiefs are not lacking for options in the

event of another Charles injury. Spencer Ware and

Charcandrick West are more than capable of stepping in and

forming a powerful committee, and that fact is not lost on the

Chiefs coaching staff. “I wish I could put them all out on the

field. We come out with a personnel group and call it

‘Cadillac’ or ‘Jet’ personnel and get them all out there. Let’s

just go line up and play ball,” shared position coach Eric

Bieniemy. Ware had a very strong game against the Rams; he

ran for 37 yards, caught four passes for 24 yards and added a

touchdown. Ware may have the inside track on the backup

role. West sat out with a mild elbow sprain. Darrin Reaves

took advantage of his opportunity, and gained 46 combined

yards on nine touches.

WR: Jeremy Maclin has been locked in throughout camp, and

his impressive chemistry with Alex Smith was on full display

against the Rams. The duo hooked up for an impressive 20-

yard score in the second quarter, but Maclin’s night would

come to an end shortly thereafter. He ended up getting into a

tussle with Rams defensive back Lamarcus Joyner, and both

players were ejected. Chris Conley has been talked up as the

player most likely to start opposite Maclin, and he‘s lived up

to that role. Conley hauled in all three of his targets for 66

yards. Albert Wilson is currently penciled in for #2 duties, but

that may not be the case for much longer. Behind those three,

the Chiefs have a lot of players battling for a few spots. Rod

Streater and Tyreek Hill have been standouts at camp, and the

competition for the remaining spots appears to be a long way

from settled. “So, basically, it pushes those guys, and

competition just makes you better. Basically, when it gets

down to the end, it always sorts itself out,” shared receivers

coach David Culley.

TE: Tight end is a position of strength. The Chiefs used

multiple tight ends sets throughout the Rams game. They tried

out varying combinations of Travis Kelce, Demetrius Harris

and Ross Travis. Kelce continues to be one of the first tight

ends off the board in fantasy drafts. The latest depth chart lists

Harris and Travis ahead of James O’Shaughnessy, a player

who saw a meaningful snaps in 2015. It’ll be interesting to see

if the Chiefs ultimately keep four tight ends, but either way

they are in good shape.

Defense: The absence of Eric Berry is one of the few clouds

hanging over Chiefs’ training camp, and no resolution appears

imminent. Tamba Hali and Justin Houston have also been

absent recovering from injuries, but the Chiefs are

compensating for the absence of their stars by leveraging

impressive overall depth. Dee Ford has been one of the

standouts at camp, and he’s filled in admirably for Houston.

“He’s had a good camp. He’s a better player now than he was

at the end of last year. He’s more physical and has a better

grasp of the defense,” shared linebackers coach Gary Gibbs.

Marcus Peters has shown no signs of slowing down from last

year’s All Pro pace. “We’ve told him and he knows what

they’re going to try to do to him. He’ll step up to the occasion.

We’re not worried about him. He’s our guy back there that can

get the ball, turn the ball over and he’s our best cover guy on

this team. He’ll be ready,” said secondary coach Emmitt

Thomas.

Returners: With Jamaal Charles, Spencer Ware, and

Charcandrick West entrenched ahead of him, Knile Davis’

only chance of making the final roster is as a kickoff return

specialist. To this point, he has managed to retain control of

the job.

OL: The offensive line had an uneven performance against the

Rams. The line got good push in the run game, with center

Mitch Morse and right tackle Mitchell Schwartz the standouts.

But the unit suffered setbacks in the passing game. Left guard

Parker Ehinger surrendered a sack up the middle to Aaron

Donald, and left tackle Eric Fisher was beaten on an outside

swim move by Matt Longacre. Both plays resulted in big hits

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on starting quarterback Alex Smith. In related news, right

guard Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, a.k.a. the Canadian Doctor,

was called for a costly holding penalty. This line has talent but

lacks cohesion in pass blocking.

Chiefs Depth Chart

QB: Alex Smith, Nick Foles, Tyler Bray, Aaron

Murray, Kevin Hogan

RB: Jamaal Charles (inj), Spencer Ware, Charcandrick

West, Knile Davis (KR), Darrin Reaves

FB: Anthony Sherman, Trey Millard

WR: Jeremy Maclin (inj), Chris Conley, Albert Wilson, Rod

Streater, De′Anthony Thomas, Tyreek Hill, Demarcus

Robinson, Frankie Hammond, Seantavius Jones, Da′Ron

Brown, Mitch Mathews, Kashif Moore, Mike Williams

TE: Travis Kelce, James O′Shaughnessy, Demetrius

Harris, Brian Parker, Ross Travis

LT: Eric Fisher, Jah Reid

LG: Parker Ehinger, Zach Fulton, Jarrod Pughsley

C: Mitch Morse, Jordan Devey

RG: Laurent Duvernay-Tardif

RT: Mitchell Schwartz, Reid Fragel

K: Cairo Santos

NT: Dontari Poe, Chris Jones, Alamedu Ta′amu

DE: Jaye Howard, Allen Bailey, Nick Williams, Rakeem

Nunez-Roches, David King, Jimmy Staten, Efe Obada

ILB: Derrick Johnson, Josh Mauga, D.J. Alexander, Ramik

Wilson, Terrance Smith, Justin March, Tyrell Adams

OLB: Justin Houston (inj), Tamba Hali, Dee Ford, Frank

Zombo, Dezman Moses, Dadi Lhomme Nicolas, Jonathan

Massaquoi, Andy Malumba

CB: Marcus Peters, Phillip Gaines, Steven Nelson, Keivarae

Russell, Marcus Cooper, Eric Murray, D.J. White, Deveron

Carr, Shannon Edwards, Shakiel Rudolph, Vernon Harris

S: Eric Berry (SS), Ron Parker (FS), Steve Brown, Daniel

Sorenson (SS), Jamell Fleming (FS), Brock Vereen

(FS), Akeem Davis

Los Angeles Rams

QB: Jared Goff's disappointing performances through

practices and in games continued during the second week of

the preseason. Goff is a better physical talent than Case

Keenum and he's more accurate overall, but he looks lost on

the field too often. He doesn't react well to pressure and hasn't

shown off an ability to move in the pocket in games. At this

point, Case Keenum looks set to open Week 1 as the team's

starting quarterback which should be a major red flag against a

quarterback who not only went first overall but one who the

franchise mortgaged its short-term future on.

RB: Todd Gurley came in, scored a touchdown, then left.

Gurley's preseason debut lasted just one series as the Rams

prioritize protecting him over everything else. That doesn't

mean he's doing nothing. As you would expect, Gurley has

consistently been one of the standout performers through the

first two weeks of training camp. Benny Cunningham has

been one of the other standouts. Cunningham took over after

Gurley against the Chiefs and once again showed off vision,

explosiveness and balance. Cunningham is locked in as the

Rams' number two runner and as the third-down back. The

Rams appear to have a lot of depth at running back this year

with a clearly defined depth chart. Malcolm Brown hasn't

stood out as much as Gurley and Cunningham but he has

solidified his status as the third option by showing off a well-

rounded skill set; he caught Jared Goff's first touchdown pass

against the Chiefs. If the Rams are going to keep a fourth

back, someone will need to emerge in the final preseason

game. As of right now, the Rams look like an ideal candidate

to pick up a fourth back on waivers when teams cut down to

53.

WR: When the team drafted Pharoh Cooper and Mike

Thomas, general manager Les Snead said each had clear roles.

Cooper was supposed to be a slot option so he wouldn't see the

field with Tavon Austin. However, the Rams' three receiver

sets in Week 2 featured Austin, Cooper and Kenny Britt. That

came a day after Jeff Fisher failed to mention Brian Quick's

name when discussing the wide receiver competition with the

media. Quick appears to be fading out of contention as he

followed up Fisher's comments with a bad outing against the

Chiefs. Quick will likely compete with Mike Thomas, a rookie

who has struggled with drops in games and practices so far

this year. Thomas did have one huge play in practice last week

but didn't make an impression against the Chiefs. Nelson

Spruce may have a tougher time making the roster with

Pharoh Cooper ascending to the starting lineup, Spruce and

Cooper are very similar receivers. More importantly, Spruce

wasn't on the field this week with a knee sprain.

TE: Rookie Tyler Higbee, the star of the first week of camp

and the preseason, missed a practice late in the week but

Fisher never explained why. He was then held out of the

Chiefs game, allowing Lance Kendricks a temporary reprieve

in their inevitable competition. In truth, Higbee's absence was

bigger for Temarrick Hemingway than Kendricks because the

Rams know what Kendricks is. Hemingway caught the eye of

multiple beat writers during practices leading up to the Chiefs

game. Hemingway offers more upside as a receiver than

Kendricks but still needs to earn his roster spot over the next

couple of weeks. The sixth-round pick has to beat out an

established veteran, Corey Harkey, for his spot.

Defense: Both Mark Barron and Mo Alexander missed

practices during the week. Fisher said that neither had a

significant issue but then they didn't play against the Chiefs.

Fisher isn't giving up anything he doesn't have to give up

when it comes to injuries so it's tough to gauge where a lot of

his players are. Alexander did do individual drills so his return

ahead of the third preseason game looks likely. He could be an

important piece for the Rams as they continue to look for a

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starting free safety to emerge. While safety remains

ambiguous, the cornerback position received a boost with the

return of EJ Gaines. Gaines pulled up lame in a drill late on

Thursday but was active for the game on Saturday against the

Chiefs. Gaines should take his starting spot over from

Lamarcus Joyner by the time the regular season comes. Joyner

didn't help himself by getting kicked out of the Chiefs game

for fighting. On the defensive line, the story remained largely

the same. Robert Quinn is healthy but not being risked in

games while Dominique Easley continues earn his keep with

quality practices and play-making.

Returners: The Rams have used rookie Pharoh Cooper on

punt returns in the preseason, where he is almost certainly just

getting a bit of practice before Tavon Austin resumes his usual

duties in the regular season. Cooper does have good straight-

line speed and could get some opportunities on kickoff

returns, though.

OL: The line looked much better against the Chiefs in Week

Two, but a lot of the credit goes to running back Todd

Gurley’s return. The young line looks better going forward

(run blocking) than backward (pass blocking). Gurley took

advantage of several large holes, especially those created by

left guard Cody Wichmann and left tackle Greg Robinson.

Right tackle Rob Havenstein is still not ready to practice and

Rodger Saffold continues to start in his absence.

Rams Depth Chart QB: Jared Goff, Case Keenum, Sean Mannion, Dylan

Thompson

RB: Todd Gurley, Benny Cunningham (3RB/KR), Malcolm

Brown, Chase Reynolds, Trey Watts, Aaron Green, Terrence

Magee, Tre Mason (res)

FB: Corey Harkey (TE)

WR: Kenny Britt, Tavon Austin (PR), Pharoh

Cooper, Michael Thomas, Brian Quick, Marquez North, Paul

McRoberts, Bradley Marquez, Nelson Spruce, Isiah

Ferguson, Kain Colter

TE: Lance Kendricks, Tyler Higbee, Temarrick

Hemingway, Justice Cunningham, Jake Stoneburner

LT: Greg Robinson, Isaiah Battle

LG: Rodger Saffold, Garrett Reynolds, Cody Wichmann

C: Tim Barnes, Demetrius Rhaney, Eric Kush

RG: Jamon Brown, Andrew Donnal

RT: Rob Havenstein, Darrell Williams

K: Greg Zuerlein, Taylor Bertolet

DT: Aaron Donald, Michael Brockers, Doug

Worthington, Dominique Easley, Louis Trinca-Pasat, Cam

Thomas

DE: Robert Quinn, William Hayes, Eugene Sims, Quinton

Coples, Ethan Westbrooks

MLB: Alec Ogletree, Bryce Hager, Zack Hodges, Josh Forrest

OLB: Akeem Ayers (S), Mark Barron (W), Marshall

McFadden (RFA), Cameron Lynch

CB: Trumaine Johnson (UFA-F), E.J. Gaines, Lamarcus

Joyner (FS/CB), Coty Sensabaugh, Marcus Roberson

S: T.J. McDonald (SS), Cody Davis (FS), Maurice Alexander

(SS),Christian Bryant (FS), Jordan Lomax

Miami Dolphins

QB: Ryan Tannehill competed 12 of 20 passes for 162 yards

and two scores against Dallas. He was sacked just once. “It

was pretty good — everything as advertised as far as how

tough he is and just battling,” Adam Gase said at halftime. “I

liked the mentality that he had going into that first half. I liked

the fact that the ones wanted to stay in and do another series.

That’s what I wanted to see.” Tannehill made an incredible

highlight throw on a 55-yard completion to Kenny Stills. He

rolled right and threw the ball on the move deep downfield,

dropping it into the bucket to Stills along the right sideline.

The physical skills (size, athleticism, and arm strength) that

Tannehill brings to the table are elite, but the sum of the whole

leaves you wanting more. Gase will try to bring out the best in

Tannehill with his play calling and there have been recent

signs of progress, with Tannehill showing better on plays

rolling outside the pocket. The Dolphins have been

experimenting with the pistol, roll-out plays, bootlegs and

quarterback read options. Gase dialed up some read option for

Tannehill against Dallas and he ran for 16 yards on two

carries. Matt Moore took a cheap shot to the head while

sliding and had to leave the game early with a concussion.

Brandon Doughty entered the game and promptly fumbled

after holding onto the ball far too long. Doughty has shown

some flashes in camp, but is likely headed to the practice

squad.

RB: Arian Foster made his Dolphins debut with two carries

for minus-five yards. The Dolphins will continue to bring

Foster along slowly and limit his touches in both practice and

preseason games. "With his history as far as playing a lot of

football, really, how much do any of us need to see?" Gase

said of Foster. "We know what he can do." Jay Ajayi carried

six times for 19 yards. Most intriguing from a fantasy

perspective was how often the Dolphins went with an empty

backfield and motioned the backs out as receivers. Gase looks

like he will be creative in getting the ball to Foster and Ajayi

as receivers. Whichever runner emerges as the lead back has

real upside in PPR leagues. Isaiah Pead received snaps with

the first-team offense and caught an 18-yard pass from

Tannehill. “Every time he gets in the game, he seems to pop

one,” Gase said. “I’ve been very impressed with him. …

When he gets in the game, I’m thinking, ‘Let’s call plays for

him and try to give him a chance to show his skill set.’” Pead

has shown well, but remains on the outside looking in at a spot

on the final roster. Beat-writer Armando Salguero predicts

that Ajayi, Foster, Damien Williams and Kenyan Drake will

make the team ahead of Pead. Pead’s strong preseason could

make him a hot commodity for other running back needy

teams.

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WR: Jarvis Landry had an end zone drop against the

Cowboys, but otherwise played well. He is locked in as the top

target in the Dolphins offense. DeVante Parker is fully

recovered from the hamstring injury that caused him to miss a

week of camp. He had a mediocre performance against Dallas.

After excelling in OTAs, Kenny Stills has been inconsistent in

training camp but he probably locked up the Week One

starting job with a fantastic performance against Dallas.

“We’re dangerous, pretty much at all times,” Stills said. “As

long as we can protect Ryan [Tannehill], it’s going to be fun.”

After a disappointing 2015 season, the biggest change for

Stills has come off the field. He has gone from a player that

seemed disconnected from the rest of the team to a player who

arrives to work early and leaves late and talks incessantly

about team and leadership.

TE: Gase called Dion Sims the “most consistent” tight end on

the roster. Sims has been splitting time with Jordan Cameron

on the first-team offense. Sims is improving as a pass-catcher,

but blocking remains his strength. Cameron struggled in the

offseason and the struggles have carried over into camp and

preseason action. Against Dallas, he had an almost certain

touchdown catch from Tannehill on a short slant in the red

zone. But he juggled and dropped it. Cameron’s confidence

looks shaken and he needs to start playing better or he will

lose his starting job to Sims.

Defense: The starting defense surrendered 188 yards and two

touchdowns in three possessions Friday. The Cowboys

offensive line pushed around the first-team defense and

Cowboys tackle Doug Free got the best of Mario Williams in

their individual matchup. Kiko Alonso generated some

positive buzz early in camp, but has not played well during the

preseason. The CB position is a major area of concern. Byron

Maxwell was abused by Dez Bryant and needs to step up his

play. Second-round pick Xavien Howard has returned to

practice, but will not make his preseason debut until Week 4.

The Dolphins expect him to make an instant impact and are

hoping he can be a Week 1 starter.

K: Andrew Franks probably locked up the kicking job well

before the end of camp, but his 55-yard make in practice

ended the session and camp. Franks has been accurate and

powerful all summer. He thought that 65-yards would have

been a more fitting challenge, although Franks missed a 50-

yard kick right before winding up camp with the 55-yarder.

Returners: When asked if rookie Jakeem Grant had a green

light to take kickoffs out of the end zone, head coach Adam

Gase said, “In the preseason? Absolutely. You want to see

what he can do, for one.” When asked in a follow-up whether

that would change in the regular season, he added, “I'm sure it

will. We'll talk about that when we get there. But who knows?

Maybe it won't. Maybe we'll say, 'Let's give this kid a chance

to house-call one.' He's a weapon, and he can change field

position.”

OL: Tough news for Miami, as center Mike Pouncey has a

hip injury and the team is not sure that he will be ready for the

start of regular season. The team has shut Pouncey down for

the remainder of the preseason. The next man up is Anthony

Steen, a first year player with zero NFL starts. Jamil Douglas

is also in the mix for center snaps. This is a situation that bears

further observation; if Pouncey misses extended time, the line

could be in trouble. Rookie Laremy Tunsil got the start at left

guard while veteran Jermon Bushrod got the nod at right guard

against Dallas. Despite the team’s official depth chart, this duo

is a strong bet to unseat Dallas Thomas and Billy Turner,

respectively.

Dolphins Depth Chart

QB: Ryan Tannehill, Matt Moore, Brandon Doughty

RB: Arian Foster, Jay Ajayi, Kenyan Drake (KR)

(inj), Damien Williams, Isaiah Pead, Daniel Thomas

WR: Jarvis Landry (KR), DeVante Parker, Kenny

Stills, Leonte Carroo, Jakeem Grant (PR), Griff

Whalen, Rashawn Scott, Matt Hazel, A.J. Cruz, Tyler Murphy

TE: Jordan Cameron, Dion Sims, Thomas Duarte, Dominique

Jones, MarQuies Gray (inj)

LT: Branden Albert, Vinston Painter, Sam Young

LG: Dallas Thomas, Laremy Tunsil

C: Mike Pouncey, Jamil Douglas

RG: Billy Turner, Jermon Bushrod, Kraig Urbik

RT: Ja••Wuan James, Ulrick John

K: Andrew Franks, Marshall Koehn

DT: Ndamukong Suh, Earl Mitchell, Jordan Phillips, Chris

Jones, Deandre Coleman

DE: Mario Williams, Cameron Wake (inj), Jason

Jones, Andre Branch, Terrence Fede, Dion Jordan, Chris

McCain

MLB: Kiko Alonso, Zach Vigil, Mike Hull

OLB: Jelani Jenkins (W), Koa Misi (S), Spencer Paysinger

(S),James-Michael Johnson, Neville Hewitt, Danny Lansanah

CB: Byron Maxwell, Xavien Howard, Tony Lippett, Bobby

McCain, Chimdi Chekwa, Brandon Harris, Chris Culliver

S: Reshad Jones (SS), Isa Abdul-Quddus (SS), Walt Aikens

(FS), Michael Thomas (SS), Jordan Lucas (FS), Shamiel

Gary, Ifo Ekpre-Olomu (IR)

Minnesota Vikings

QB:Teddy Bridgewater sat out against the Seahawks on

Thursday night and Shaun Hill and Joel Stave received extra

snaps to see how they can manage the offense as the 2nd and

3rd string quarterbacks, respectively. Hill completed 10-of-17

passes for 129 yards and no touchdowns. Stave went 6-for-14

with 67 yards passing and showed an impressive drive to end

the first half as he led the Vikings on a 69-yard drive in 69

seconds that ended with a 27-yard field goal by Blair Walsh.

Stave is getting used to the NFL game: “More than anything ,

I can keep playing quicker. That’s the thing that I noticed,”

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Stave said. “Everyone out here is fast, everyone out here is a

good player, so the thing I’ve noticed is I can keep playing

quicker and get used to the speed of the game.”

RB: The running game has been lackluster so far this

preseason despite the team being 2-0. Adrian Peterson has yet

to play but there hasn’t been a whole lot of room for the other

running backs to run. On Thursday night Jhurell Pressley was

the leading rusher with 28 yards on 6 carries, followed by C.J.

Ham’s 25 yards on 8 carries, Jerrick McKinnon with 15 yards

on 9 carries and Matt Asiata with 2 yards on 3 carries.

McKinnon did find the end zone so not all was lost. The

Vikings like to pass to their running backs and it showed with

Asiata catching two passes for 20 yards, C.J. Ham with 2-for-

18, and McKinnon with one for 5 yards.

WR: Adam Thielen continues to make plays and is making a

case for the 53-man roster. Thielen was targeted 6 times

against the Seahawks, catching 4 passes for 61 yards. He has

worked with the first team in a three-receiver sets along with

Charles Johnson and Stefon Diggs. Coach Zimmer is

impressed by Thielen so far and credits the success to the hard

work he has put in. “He’s made some good plays and made a

really nice catch on the one ball over the middle that was a

little bit behind him,” Zimmer said. “You know, kind of like

he did in Cincinnati, too, same kind of scenario. The more you

make plays, the more you get to play.” Rookie Laquon

Treadwell followed up his solid opening game with one that

was not so great as he failed to catch a single ball on 4 targets.

Treadwell primarily played with rookie quarterback Joel

Stave so reading much into no catches is a bit unfair until we

see him on the field with Teddy Bridgewater.

TE: Kyle Rudolph came back to life for the Vikings as he

caught 2 of 3 targets for 54 yards, with one of them being a

connection with Shaun Hill down the middle of the field for a

32-yard gain on the team’s first scoring drive of the night.

Defense: The defense played Russell Wilson tough on

Thursday night as they had some special packages set aside

for Wilson in particular. The Vikings 1st team defense got to

the star quarterback often, sacking him 4 times. “Just trying to

play better than we did the previous week,” nickel back

Captain Munnerlyn said. “Guys said we were going to get

after the quarterback, we were going to cover him up in the

back end, try to eliminate the big plays. I thought we did a

pretty good job of doing that, especially in the first half. I

think we had like four sacks on Russell Wilson - the D-line

did a great job getting after him, and in the back end we did a

great job covering.” Marcus Sherels went from a pass

interference penalty to a pick six in the span of two plays,

helping the Vikings knock of the Seahawks 18-11 on

Thursday night. Sherels stepped in front of a Trevone Boykin

pass and returned the ball 53 yards for a touchdown

with 1:23 left in the game.

Returners: The last time someone other than Marcus Sherels

returned a punt for the Minnesota Vikings was 2010. While

Minnesota has spoken— as they always do— about wanting to

find someone else, Sherels looks like a better bet every day to

run that remarkable streak to a sixth season.

OL: After the second preseason game against Seattle, the

Vikings’ coaches praised the offensive line’s pass

protection. This was a welcome improvement after a rocky

Week One performance. The coaches continue to stress the

need for an improved run blocking push. Joe Berger may

displace John Sullivan at center; Berger was getting first team

reps during weekend practices. He previously filled in for

Brandon Fusco at guard, but Fusco has recently returned to

practice. T.J. Clemmings was having trouble beating out free

agent Andre Smith in the battle at right tackle, but Clemmings

is now getting reps at left tackle after Matt Kalil was forced

from practice with a leg injury. The Vikings need to settle on

a lineup, but injuries are making that difficult.

Vikings Depth Chart

QB: Teddy Bridgewater, Shaun Hill, Joel Stave, Brad

Sorensen

RB: Adrian Peterson, Jerick McKinnon, Matt Asiata, C.J.

Ham, Jhurell Pressley

FB: Zach Line, Blake Renaud

WR: Stefon Diggs (PR), Charles Johnson, Laquon

Treadwell, Adam Thielen, Jarius Wright, Cordarrelle

Patterson (KR), Mortiz Boehringer, Isaac Freuchte, Terrell

Sinkfield

TE: Kyle Rudolph, MyCole Pruitt, David Morgan, Rhett

Ellison, Brian Leonhardt, Kyle Carter

LT: Matt Kalil, Austin Shepherd

LG: Alex Boone, Willie Beavers, Zac Kerin

C: John Sullivan, Joe Berger, Nick Easton

RG: Brandon Fusco, Mike Harris, Jeremiah Sirles

RT: Andre Smith, T.J. Clemmings

K: Blair Walsh

DT: Linval Joseph (NT), Sharrif Floyd, Tom

Johnson, Kenrick Ellis, Shamar Stephen

DE: Everson Griffen, Brian Robison, Danielle Hunter, Justin

Trattou, Scott Crichton, Zach Moore, Thieren Cockran

MLB: Eric Kendricks, Kentrell Brothers, Terrance

Plummer, Audie Cole

OLB: Anthony Barr (S), Chad Greenway (W) , Edmond

Robinson (S), Stephen Weatherly, Brandon

Watts (W), Emmanuel Lamur (W),Alex Singleton (W), Jake

Ganus

CB: Xavier Rhodes, Captain Munnerlyn, Terence

Newman, Trae Waynes, Mackensie Alexander, Marcus

Sherels (PR)

S: Harrison Smith (FS), Andrew Sendejo (SS), Michael

Griffin (SS),Antone Exum (FS), Jayron Kearse, Anthony

Harris (SS), Melvin White (FS), John Lowdermilk (SS)

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New England Patriots

QB: Tom Brady was expected to play in the Patriots' second

preseason game but a last minute accident with a scissors is

now going to sideline him for a while. Brady cut his hand

while preparing for the game, meaning that Jimmy Garoppolo

was surprised with a starting spot. Garoppolo completed 16-

of-21 passes for 181 yards and a touchdown to tight end A.J.

Derby when he split the coverage down the seam with good

timing and accuracy. Jacoby Brissett played in the second half

and showed improvement from the previous week but he

remains a distant third option on the depth chart.

RB: LeGarrette Blount once again started for the Patriots and

he appears to be the foundation of their offense. Talk of

Blount being cut during the offseason appears to be a distant

memory at this point. Blount is healthy and carrying the ball

on early downs. The veteran back carried the ball 11 times for

69 yards and a touchdown, showing off his patented

physicality and vision between the tackles. Blount features

heavily and James White on screen plays is a staple. White

had a big play in Week 1 and followed it up with a 14-yard

reception in Week 2. White has performed well with the

touches he has received, which is great news because he’ll be

forced into a major role following the news that Dion Lewis

underwent a second procedure on his knee. Lewis’ timetable

for return is unclear but he’ll miss considerable time and

possibly be placed on Injured Reserve. Brandon Bolden is

generally regarded as a reliable, versatile player and he should

be on the Patriots roster when the season begins. However,

Bolden had a fumble against the Bears that will have

frustrated his head coach, someone who offers little patience

in response to fumbling running backs. Donald Brown didn't

play against the Bears but Tyler Gaffney failed to make

enough of an impression to tighten his grip on a roster spot.

WR: Julian Edelman earned rave reviews after returning as a

full participant in practice. He didn't play against the Bears as

a precaution though. Edelman should be able to play in the

third preseason game. Chris Hogan didn't play in the first

preseason game but was a constant on the field in the first half

against the Chicago Bears. Hogan converted a two-point play

and showed off assured hands further afield with four

receptions for 53 yards. After his big block in Week 1, Aaron

Dobson was feisty throughout Bears practices last week.

Dobson played as much as Hogan in the first half against the

Bears, but only caught one pass for 10 yards. If he wants to

stay involved when the injured receivers return, he will need

to make more of an impact on the stat sheet. Danny Amendola

should be back in full practice by the end of next week.

Amendola didn't wear pads but worked out with the team

during the week. Despite dislocating his elbow in the first

preseason game, rookie Malcolm Mitchell practiced with the

Patriots during the week while wearing a massive arm brace.

How much Mitchell can do right now is unclear, but his

commitment and toughness is obvious and will earn him

plaudits from his head coach.

TE: Rob Gronkowski left Monday's practice on his own

accord, pulling up and walking off with a trainer. Gronkowski

wasn't at practice the following day but all reports have

suggested it was a minor issue. Gronkowski was a scratch for

the Bears game but that was to be expected regardless of any

health issues. Martellus Bennett played a lot in his place and

once again played well. The more notable performance from

the game against the Bears was from A.J. Derby. Derby has

impressed throughout the first two weeks of training camp. He

is a good athlete who runs precise routes and can adjust at the

catch point. His touchdown reception against the Bears

showed off his willingness to work against tight coverage also.

Defense: Jabaal Sheard made a big impression in Week 1

against the New Orleans Saints but also picked up an injury.

Sheard missed practice during the week and didn't play against

the Bears. Neither did teammate Rob Ninkovich who

continues to miss time with a triceps injury. Ninkovich could

play as early as Week 3 as his status continues to be viewed

through a prism of optimism. Without Sheard or Ninkovich in

the lineup, Trey Flowers got more opportunities. Flowers

moved around the line a bit, notching a sack of Jay Cutler after

lining up across from left guard Cody Whitehair. Flowers beat

Whitehair with his hands, out-leveraging the lineman to

penetrate past his outside shoulder. ESPN's Mike Reiss

highlighted defensive tackle Anthony Johnson, a second-year

player, as someone who stood out rushing the passer from the

interior. The first team defense struggled overall though,

failing to consistently rush the passer or play good coverage.

Starting cornerback Logan Ryan missed the game also, but

that allowed rookie cornerback Cyrus Jones to pick off Brian

Hoyer when he completely misread the coverage and Jones

jumped ahead of his receiver who ran a curl route.

Returners: Based on practice repetitions, the Patriots would

like their 2nd round rookie cornerback Cyrus Jones to take

over the starting punt returner duties from wide receivers

Danny Amendola and Julian Edelman. Based on Jones’

troubles fielding the ball, though, such a transition is far from

certain.

OL: Starting right tackle Sebastian Vollmer underwent

shoulder surgery and may be placed on Injured Reserve.

Marcus Cannon will get the first shot at the right tackle job.

Cannon has great size but not been technically consistent.

Former Lions starting right tackle LaAdrian Waddle will also

get reps. Bryan Stork could be a third option depending on

whether the Patriots prefer David Andrews at center. Stork has

been battling Andrews for the center position but Stork is tall

for a center and has game experience at right tackle. Right

guard Shaq Mason has broken his hand and Josh Kline is

starting in his place.

Patriots Depth Chart QB: Tom Brady (susp), Jimmy Garoppolo, Jacoby Brissett

RB: LeGarrette Blount (SD), James White (3RB), Tyler

Gaffney, Brandon Bolden, D.J. Foster (3RB/WR), Joey Iosefa,

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Dion Lewis (3RB) (inj)

FB: James Develin

WR: Julian Edelman (PR), Danny Amendola (inj), Chris

Hogan, Malcolm Mitchell, Aaron Dobson, Nate

Washington, Keshawn Martin (KR/PR), Matt Slater, Devin

Lucien, DeAndre Carter

TE: Rob Gronkowski, Martellus Bennett, Clay Harbor, A.J.

Derby, Bear Pascoe, Michael Williams (IR)

LT: Nate Solder, Cameron Fleming

LG: Joe Thuney

C: Bryan Stork, David Andrews

RG: Josh Kline, Shaq Mason (inj), Tre Jackson, Jonathan

Cooper

RT: Marcus Cannon, LaAdrian Waddle, Sebastian Vollmer

(IR)

K: Stephen Gostkowski

NT: Malcom Brown, Alan Branch, Vincent

Valentine, Markus Kuhn

DE: Rob Ninkovich (S/DE) (inj), Jabaal Sheard, Chris

Long, Geneo Grissom, Trey Flowers, Rufus Johnson

MLB: Shea McClellin, Elandon Roberts

OLB: Jamie Collins (S), Dont′a Hightower (W), Jonathan

Freeny (S), Ramon Humber (W), C.J. Johnson, Kevin Snyder

CB: Malcolm Butler, Logan Ryan, Justin Coleman, Cyrus

Jones (PR), Darryl Roberts, Cre′von LeBlanc, Jonathan

Jones, V′Angelo Bentley

S: Devin McCourty (FS/CB), Patrick Chung (SS), Duron

Harmon (SS/FS), Jordan Richards (SS), Brandon King

(FS), Nate Ebner (SS), Vinnie Sunseri, Kamu Grugier-

Hill, Cedric Thompson

New Orleans Saints

QB: According to NOLA.com's Josh Katzenstein, “In a

shocking turn of events, the New Orleans Saints' offense has

looked like the more problematic unit through two preseason

games. The Saints lost their second straight exhibition game,

falling to the Texans 16-9 Saturday night at NRG Stadium, as

the offensive line struggled from start to finish.” Drew Brees

was sacked once for a 14-yard loss, and completed just 5-of-8

passes for 29 yards along with an interception. Luke McCown

was also sacked once for a 5-yard loss. He completed 14-of-19

passes for 118 yards. Garrett Grayson was miserable,

completing just 4-of-15 passes for 50 yards and an

interception. As Jeff Duncan noted after the game, “The

Saints' seven turnovers in their first two preseason games have

led to 32 points for their opponents. And it actually could be

worse. The Saints have fumbled three other times and

managed to recover the loose balls or have officials reverse

the calls on the field.” Ball security has been lax through two

preseason games, in spite of it being a point of emphasis for

head coach Sean Payton.

RB: Duncan of NOLA.com also commented on the New

Orleans' backs: “For the second consecutive week, the running

game has been missing in action. The Saints gained just 23

yards on their first 13 carries. Their longest carry in the first

half covered 6 yards... So far, no good. In 56 preseason

carries, the Saints have exactly one run of more than 10 yards

by a running back.” The one run of greater than 10 yards was

an 11-yard run by Daniel Lasco on Saturday night. Mark

Ingram managed just 11 yards on 7 rushing attempts and had

one reception for no gain. C.J. Spiller ran twice for 3 yards but

contributed as a receiver (16 yards on two receptions). Marcus

Murphy incurred coach Payton's wrath by fumbling a punt

early in the game: “We get a three-and-out to start the game,

and the first punt's on the ground. It just can't happen. We'll

find another returner.” Murphy did not have a touch on

offense after the muffed punt, but he did get another crack at

returns later in the game.

WR: Top wide receivers Brandin Cooks (undisclosed minor

injury) and Willie Snead (undisclosed minor injury) didn't

play in the second preseason game, leaving hyped rookie Mike

Thomas to fend for himself. Thomas had a rough outing

versus the aggressive Texans; he only caught one pass for 5

yards. Brandon Coleman dropped two catchable passes (and

narrowly avoided having one drop called a fumble), even

though he led the Saints in receiving on Saturday (10 targets

for 6/47/0 receiving). “I thought he was just OK,” said Payton.

“And honestly, it's been kind of pedestrian throughout the

camp. But there's certain things you see and you see and you

see and then all of a sudden they reveal themselves in a game

and you're not surprised.” Brees was more supportive of

Coleman, “I think as we go through OTAs and preseason and

everything else there's a lot of growing still to do - for all of

us. And yeah he's one of those guys. Of course any young

player each year, especially in those years 1, 2, 3, 4, you

wanna see those strides and those increases. And listen, I think

there's some things that he's done well, and I certainly think

that he would say there's some things that he could do better. I

would say that about myself.” TommyLee Lewis continues to

make a case for the 53-man roster (he had 2/25/0 receiving on

three targets, second on the team Saturday) and was inserted

into the return game in place of Murphy after the muffed punt.

TE: RaShaun Allen had a rough outing while playing with

third-string quarterback Garrett Grayson. Allen dropped a

potential touchdown pass and also mishandled another

potential long-gainer, winding up with three targets for zero

receptions on the night. Coby Fleener reeled in both of his

targets for 12 yards, and Josh Hill had a 7-yard reception on

his lone chance. Despite the depth chart mix up from earlier

this week (when Fleener was briefly listed as fourth-string

before the team corrected the depth chart), Fleener is the clear

#1 tight end this year followed by Hill. The other spots at this

position are still up for grabs.

Defense: Nick Fairley played well against the Texans, with a

sack of Brock Osweiler and a pair of stuffed runs. He wound

up with four tackles, one for a loss and a sack in limited snaps.

This is good news after the team lost rookie defensive tackle

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Sheldon Rankins due to a broken leg during Monday's practice

(he's out at least six weeks of the regular season). In some

other good news, projected starting cornerbacks Delvin

Breaux and P.J. Williams both started and played well despite

being carted off the practice field last Thursday. Williams

gave up a touchdown in coverage but also had an interception

Saturday night. According to NOLA.com's Duncan, safety

Kenny Vaccaro “is going to make a living at the line of

scrimmage this season. He's basically a fourth linebacker in

running situations. Vaccaro has a good chance to lead the team

in tackles this season. He finished with four tackles in less

than one half of work [on Saturday].” Cornerback De'Vante

Harris is making a strong run at the final 53-man roster (he

had three tackles, two solo, on Saturday).

K: Both kickers did their job in the second preseason game,

with Kai Forbath converting from 27 and 37 yards, and

Connor Barth hitting from 33. Barth took the opening kickoff

in the very tight battle, but this one will likely be decided in

the remaining preseason games.

Returners: Despite looking like the Saints’ best returner for

long stretches, Marcus Murphy finds himself in a precarious

position after fumbling a return attempt in a second

consecutive preseason game. Afterwards, Sean Payton minced

no words, “We get a three-and-out to start the game, and the

first punt's on the ground. It just can't happen. We'll find

another returner.”

OL: After a lackluster performance against the Houston

Texans in Week Two, the Saints’ offensive line is cause of

great concern. Texans defensive end Jadaveon Clowney had

a big night, beating both Zach Strief and Andrus Peat for sacks

of quarterback Drew Brees. Peat started the game at right

guard, and looked far more solid there, than he did at left

tackle later in the contest. Peat may simply be better suited to

play guard at the NFL level. The other starting guard, Tim

Lelito, had an especially rough performance, and if the team

had a better option than Senio Kelemete, his job would be in

serious danger.

Saints Depth Chart

QB: Drew Brees, Luke McCown, Garrett Grayson

RB: Mark Ingram, Tim Hightower, C.J. Spiller, Travaris

Cadet (KR/PR), Daniel Lasco, Marcus Murphy (KR/PR)

FB: Austin Johnson, Sione Houma

WR: Brandin Cooks, Michael Thomas, Willie

Snead, Brandon Coleman, Tommylee Lewis, Reggie Bell, R.J.

Harris, Kyle Prater, Jared Dangerfield, Jordan Williams, Jake

Lampman, Vince Brown (IR)

TE: Coby Fleener, Josh Hill, Michael

Hoomanawanui, RaShaun Allen, Chris Manhertz, Garrett

Griffin

LT: Terron Armstead

LG: Andrus Peat

C: Max Unger

RG: Tim Lelito, Senio Kelemete

RT: Zach Strief

K: Kai Forbath, Connor Barth

DT: Tyeler Davison (NT), Sheldon Rankins (inj), Nick

Fairley, John Jenkins (NT), Lawrence Virgil, Ashaad

Mabry (NT)

DE: Cameron Jordan, Kasim Edebali (S), Bobby

Richardson, Obum Gwachum, Darryl Tapp, David

Onyemata, D.J. Pettway, C.J. Wilson, Matt Shaughnessy

MLB: James Laurinaitis, Michael Mauti (S), Nathan Stupar

OLB: Dannell Ellerbe (W), Stephone Anthony (S), Craig

Robertson (W), Davis Tull (W), Tony Steward, Erik

Harris, Dillon Lee, Hau′oli Kikaha (IR)

CB: Delvin Breaux, PJ Williams, Damian Swann, De′Vante

Harris, Ken Crawley, Brandon Dixon, Brian Dixon, Jimmy

Pruitt, Kyle Wilson (IR)

S: Kenny Vaccaro (SS), Jairus Byrd (FS), Vonn Bell

(FS), Alden Darby (SS), Roman Harper (SS), Trae Elston

(SS), Jamarca Sanford (IR)

New York Giants

QB: The Giants had a forgettable preseason game versus the

Bills, losing 21-0. Eli Manning was 4-of-9 for 44 yards and

failed to find the end zone. Ryan Nassib had a second

consecutive nightmare performance, this time completing just

2-of-12 passes for 25 yards while being sacked twice. Logan

Thomas was no better with 17 yards on 2-of-4 passing and two

interceptions. As a team, the Giants completed 8-of-25 passes

for 64 yards and two interceptions. Needless to say, head

coach Ben McAdoo is displeased with the state of his offense:

"I just finished talking to the team. I told them we worked too

hard to put a performance like that on film. They were more

physical than we were, that was obvious. We need to take a

long look in the mirror and bounce back."

RB: The running game had more success versus the Bills – the

team ran 19 times for 102 yards (5.4 per carry) but it wasn’t

all good. Andre Williams (15 yards on six carries) lost a

critical fumble which all but eradicated the goodwill he built

in last week’s strong performance. Bobby Rainey – probably a

long shot to make the 53-man roster – had 70 yards on two

carries thanks to a 67-yard breakaway. Starter Rashad

Jennings found little room to run and gained 10 yards on four

carries. Rookie Paul Perkins was no better (three carries for

five yards). The Giants offense needs to find a semblance of

consistency when it comes to run blocking, or the explosive

attack we witnessed in 2015 will be a distant memory.

WR: It seems like a distant memory when we were praising

the Giants receiver depth. Two weeks into preseason games

and it looks like the team has a bunch of non-performers.

Odell Beckham is fine, but even he struggled against the Bills

catching only one of his three targets. Rookie Sterling Shepard

has been a revelation in practices but failed to catch a pass this

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week versus Buffalo. The third preseason “dress rehearsal”

needs to look much different than what we’ve seen over the

last two weeks.

TE: Larry Donnell and Will Tye both want the starting job

badly, and it could well turn into a committee situation; much

to the chagrin of fantasy owners. Against the Bills it was Tye

who made his mark – albeit a small one; he caught two passes

for 14 yards.

Defense: The Giants had their moments against the Bills but

ultimately it wasn’t good enough. The team had three sacks,

nine tackles for loss and five passes defensed, but most of that

damage was done against the Bills backups. Tyrod Taylor

completed 7-of-10 passes for 132 yards and a touchdown. The

Bills couldn’t run the ball – which is something. Landon

Collins was all over the field with seven tackles and Olivier

Vernon was a force (for the second consecutive week) as he

brought pressure and sacked the quarterback. Free agency

cornerback Janoris Jenkins also notched a sack on a blitz.

K: Starting kicker Josh Brown was suspended for one game

due to a domestic violence charge. The team had been

carrying Tom Obarski, who had a great chance to get at least a

one-game regular season audition as a starting kicker, but he

missed a 27-yard field goal. On Monday, the team signed

Randy Bullock, a veteran kicker who most recently replaced

Nick Folk last season with the Jets. Bullock will have the

chance to push Brown for the job.

Returners: Top returner Dwayne Harris suffered a scare in

New York’s second preseason game, leaving the first half with

an apparent knee injury. Fortunately, x-rays were negative and

Harris should be back at full strength soon.

OL: The Giants’ offensive line was without starting left guard

Justin Pugh in the preseason game versus the Bills. Push has

missed time with a bruised shoulder. Bobby Hart started in

Pugh’s place. The line had a very rough night against the

Bills as left tackle Ereck Flowers, right guard John Jerry and

right tackle Marshall Newhouse all missed blocks and were

called for penalties. The line didn’t produce until third

stringers were in the game, forging a hole on Bobby Rainey’s

69-yard run. Some beat writers are concerned, calling the line

the Achilles’ heel of the team. Early returns support that

observation.

Giants Depth Chart

QB: Eli Manning, Ryan Nassib, Josh Woodrum, Logan

Thomas

RB: Rashad Jennings, Shane Vereen (3RB), Andre

Williams, Paul Perkins, Orleans Darkwa, Bobby

Rainey, Marshaun Coprich

FB: Will Johnson, Nikita Whitlock

WR: Odell Beckham Jr., Sterling Shepard, Dwayne Harris

(KR/PR), Victor Cruz (inj), Geremy Davis, Roger

Lewis, Myles White, Darius Powe, Tavarres King, Anthony

Dable, KJ Maye

TE: Will Tye, Larry Donnell (inj), Matt LaCosse, Jerell

Adams, Ryan Malleck

LT: Ereck Flowers, Byron Stingily

LG: Justin Pugh

C: Weston Richburg

RG: John Jerry, Adam Gettis

RT: Marshall Newhouse, Bobby Hart

K: Josh Brown (susp), Randy Bullock

DT: Damon Harrison (NT), Johnathan Hankins, Jay

Bromley, Montori Hughes, Louis Nix

DE: Olivier Vernon, Jason Pierre-Paul, Kerry Wynn, Owa

Odighizuwa, Stansly Maponga, Mike Rose

MLB: Jasper Brinkley, Keenan Robinson, Kelvin

Sheppard, B.J. Goodson (M), Uani Unga (IR)

OLB: Devon Kennard (S), Jonathan Casillas (W), Mark

Herzlich (S),J.T. Thomas (W), Nico Johnson

CB: Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Janoris Jenkins, Leon

Hall, Trevin Wade, Eli Apple, Bennett Jackson, Leon

McFadden (RFA)

S: Landon Collins (FS), Darian Thompson (SS), Nat Berhe

(SS), Cooper Taylor (SS) (inj), Mykkele Thompson

(FS), Justin Currie (SS), Andrew Adams

New York Jets

QB: The Jets quarterback position is clear at the top—Ryan

Fitzpatrick is in charge even though he has been uneven in

preseason action so far and looked shaky against Washington.

The main battle is between Geno Smith and Bryce Petty, and

so far, all indications are that Petty has outplayed Smith. Since

being demoted by Fitzpatrick’s return, Smith has struggled

and Zach Braziller of the New York Post reported Smith

slammed his helmet into the ground after nearly being

intercepted multiple times, fumbling the ball and struggling

with accuracy. Head coach Todd Bowles has been cagey

about whether Petty is pushing Smith for the No. 2 job, but the

second year quarterback has been getting a few more snaps in

practice and got a ton of time in the game against Washington.

Petty played the entire second half, and went 16-for-26 for 242

yards and a pair of touchdowns. Smith, meanwhile, played a

little over a quarter, was picked off once and completed 6-of-

13 passes for 47 yards. Smith’s interception was brutal, as he

had plenty of time and threw into double coverage. On top of

that he appeared to stare down receiver Charone Peake, which

put Blackmon and corner Dashaun Phillips in perfect position

to pick the pass off. There’s plenty of rumor that Smith is on

the trading block, or will be soon, though his value is fairly

low given his play of late. It certainly appears that Petty has

made the case to stick on the roster, which makes moving on

from Smith—who was not a pick from this front office and

coaching staff—seem likely. Christian Hackenberg has yet to

take a snap in preseason games, which is a sure sign that he’s

not ready for prime time quite yet. The Jets knew he was a

project and it appears he very much continues to be. That said,

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it still seems too risky to try and sneak him on to the practice

squad without someone grabbing him. It isn’t unprecedented

for a team to keep four quarterbacks, but it is uncommon and

given the need for depth elsewhere on the team, it seems

unlikely. The Jets have a hard decision to make, and given that

we expect most of the next game to feature Fitzpatrick, they

may not be able to make it before the end of preseason.

RB: The Jets were very careful with their running backs

against Washington, allowing Bilal Powell to take three

carries and leaving the other six carries to fullbacks Tommy

Bohanon and Julian Howsare as well as quarterback Bryce

Petty. The offense was shaky to start the game, but Powell

provided a little juice with his 23 yards. Matt Forte might get

a couple of reps in Game 3 against the cross-town Giants,

which is a great sign for a guy who has been hampered all

camp with a hamstring issue. Forte was back in team drills this

week and looked good, so the Jets can breathe a little easier at

a position that has been hammered by injuries. He should be

ready for Week 1 and he and Powell will split carries, though

Forte is still expected to take most of the carries. Finally off

the PUP list, Khiry Robinson is waiting for full clearance so

he can have contact as he comes back from a fractured tibia.

The Jets put Bernard Pierce on Injured Reserve, and signed

former Falcons back Antone Smith. He’s seen little action

since a solid 2014 with the Falcons, and has injury issues. But

he’s a home run hitter if he can stay healthy.

WR: The biggest news at the position is that Quincy

Enunwa—who is assumed to have the No. 3 spot locked up—

left the game against Washington with a concussion. Enunwa

was injured while covering a punt return. The severity of the

concussion and how long he might be out have not been

released. While rookie Charone Peake has been a big story, he

has competition from undrafted free agent Robby Anderson,

who had six catches for 131 yards and a touchdown. Anderson

made two big plays—a 50-yard reception and the 46-yard

touchdown both from quarterback Bryce Petty. The Jets can

only hold onto so many receivers and if Anderson continues to

build on this game, the team will have hard decisions to make.

Rookie Jalin Marshall had a great game against Jacksonville

but struggled with drops against Washington; he’s a roster

long shot with two weeks to go.

TE: Once again, Jace Amaro has reverted to form after a

promising start to camp. He caught two of four targets but had

bad drops on the other two looks. All the work with the JUGS

machines seems to have been for naught, as the issue of

dropped passes has again become a consistent thing. Amaro

got significant time when receiver Quincy Enunwa left the

game with a concussion but didn’t do anything with the

opportunity.

Defense: The Jets secondary continues to struggle as both

Buster Skrine and Marcus Williams got abused by a

Washington team without DeSean Jackson and Pierre Garcon

in the lineup. Rookie tackle Deon Simon has been playing

well in camp and he had solid moments against Washington as

well, including a fourth down stop. First round pick Darron

Lee spent all his time with the ones, and he showed well in all

aspects of the game, especially in pursuit.

K: Rookie UDFA Ross Martin extinguished whatever pulse

he had in the kicker battle when he missed an extra point in

the second preseason game against Washington. Nick Folk is a

shoo-in to remain the team’s kicker.

Returners: Undrafted free agent Jalin Marshall signed with

the Jets because he felt like he would have a chance to make

the roster as a return specialist. So far it’s looked like an

excellent decision, as Marshall has continued to excel and

looks like a better bet for the final 53-man roster every day.

OL: The first team offense had a rough night against

Washington. Center Nick Mangold’s absence was a big part

of the problem; he was given the night off for precautionary

reasons. Wes Johnson got the start at center and was later

spelled by Dakota Dozier. Right guard Brian Winters had a

holding penalty and several missed blocks. Unfortunately,

there are no credible threats to his job at present. Right tackle

Breno Giacomini remains on the PUP list and coaches say he

is at least a week away from practicing. Brent Qvale got the

start in Giacomini’s place after Ben Ijalana got the start in the

preseason opener. The duo are splitting reps evenly midway

through the preseason.

Jets Depth Chart

QB: Ryan Fitzpatrick, Geno Smith, Christian

Hackenberg, Bryce Petty

RB: Matt Forte, Bilal Powell, Khiry Robinson, Dominique

Williams, Romar Morris, Antone Smith , Lache Seastrunk

FB: Tommy Bohanon, Julian Howsare (LB)

WR: Brandon Marshall, Eric Decker, Quincy Enunwa, Devin

Smith, Charone Peake, Kenbrell Thompkins, Jalin Marshall

(KR), Jeremy Ross, Robby Anderson, Chandler Worthy, Titus

Davis, Joseph Anderson, Kyle Williams

TE: Jace Amaro, Kellen Davis, Zach Sudfeld, Brandon

Bostick, Wes Saxton, Jason Vander Laan

LT: Ryan Clady, Brandon Shell

LG: James Carpenter, Dakota Dozier

C: Nick Mangold, Wesley Johnson

RG: Brian Winters, Jarvis Harrison

RT: Ben Ijalana, Brent Qvale, Breno Giacomini (PUP)

K: Nick Folk, Ross Martin

DT: Steve McLendon, Deon Simon

DE: Muhammad Wilkerson, Sheldon Richardson

(susp), Leonard Williams, Jarvis Jenkins, Mike

Catapano, Lawrence Thomas

ILB: David Harris (M), Erin Henderson, Darron Lee, Taiwan

Jones, Julian Stanford

OLB: Lorenzo Mauldin, Jordan Jenkins, Trevor Reilly, Josh

Martin, Deion Barnes, Freddie Bishop

CB: Darrelle Revis, Buster Skrine, Marcus Williams, Dee

Milliner, Juston Burris, Darryl Morris, Dexter McDougle

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S: Marcus Gilchrist (FS), Calvin Pryor (SS), Dion Bailey

(FS), Rontez Miles (SS), Ronald Martin (SS)

Oakland Raiders

QB: Derek Carr looks poised to take another positive step

forward in his third season. We know he has a big, accurate

arm, but he has also shown improved timing with his top

receivers and he is extremely comfortable in the leadership

role that comes with being a franchise quarterback. Carr went

just 9-of-13 for 38 yards and one interception against Green

Bay. He was unconcerned with the poor stat line and came

away excited about his growing rapport with Amari Cooper.

"The one that we hit down the Green Bay sideline, that was

such growth, because I alerted him in the huddle that, hey, if

they play a certain coverage, to be ready for that on that

particular play. They played it and he knew what to do. He ran

the route perfectly and knew where the ball was going to be.

That stuff where we can be on the same page, we can grow

like that and do things like that. Last year I don't know if we

would have done that. That is definite growth and that was

good to see." Connor Cook played 17 snaps, finishing the

game 6-of-9 for 101 yards, and one interception.

“I think Coach Musgrave called some good plays to get me in

a rhythm early,” said Cook. “Guys were getting open. Guys

were making plays. Guys were catching the ball. It was just

unfortunate that I made a stupid decision like that, but right

now its preseason, just learn from it, and don’t make the same

mistake twice.” “I’ve been pleased with the way (Cook’s)

come out in the first two opportunities,” said Jack Del Rio.

“He’s come out and showed poise and he’d been pretty

accurate throwing the ball and running the offense and making

good decisions.”

RB: Latavius Murray looks locked in as the Raiders

workhorse back. Through two preseason games, he has been

on the field for all but one of the snaps with the full first-team

offense. Murray played most of the first quarter before

heading to the bench. "We just weren't able to get anything

going,” Murray said. “We just didn't play like we know we are

capable of playing." The second quarter featured Taiwan

Jones and Jamize Olawale running behind the first-team

offensive line. Neither stood out and neither is a serious threat

to Murray. But both should make the team and Olawale should

see a handful of touches each game. Somewhat surprisingly,

DeAndre Washington did not get any snaps in the first half

with Derek Carr and the first-team offensive line. He had a

bad drop but otherwise showed well with the backups, playing

most of the third quarter. Washington has impressed Latavius

Murray. "He has been doing some great things in training

camp,” Murray said. “So I think we are going to complement

each other well and do some good things in the running

game." Washington’s main role early in the season is likely to

come in the passing game. “Third-down situations, I think

that’s why they brought me in, to create mismatches against

opposing defenses,” Washington said. Jalen Richard remains

out of practice with a knee injury and is hoping to return in

time to see the field in the fourth preseason game.

WR: Amari Cooper caught two of his three targets for 21

yards against the Packers. He ran a beautiful route on a 20-

yard completion down the sideline. Later, he mistimed his

jump on a deep ball thrown over his head that was picked off

by the Packers. Michael Crabtree continues to have a strong

camp and is ready to pick up where he left off last season.

Seth Roberts played almost every snap with the first team

offense and has created some separation between himself and

Andre Holmes in the competition for the third receiver job.

Should either Cooper or Crabtree miss any time with injury,

Roberts would be a major part of the offense. With the top

four set, the only drama is who will step up and grab the fifth

receiver spot. Undrafted rookie Johnny Holton has made

splash plays numerous times throughout training camp and the

preseason. His ability as a return man and on special teams

makes him the favorite to win the fifth receiver job.

TE: Lee Smith is listed as the starter at tight end, but he is

used almost exclusively as a blocker. Clive Walford continues

to have a strong camp and will be the primary pass catcher at

the position. He was not targeted at all in Week 2 of the

preseason.

Defense: Ben Heeney, starting at inside linebacker, will be a

key for the Raiders defense this season. He is speedy and

instinctive, but he has a tendency to overrun plays and

struggles at times to get off blocks. Heeney had a rough game

against Green Bay and his play was one of the main reasons

Eddie Lacy and the Packers gashed the Raiders on the ground.

Sixth-round rookie Cory James has proved a quick learner and

could push Heeney for playing time at linebacker. James is

“an active guy,” Del Rio said. “He’s picking up our scheme

very well. He’s a guy that’s going to be productive. He flies

around. He gets around the football. We’ve been happy with

him this entire spring.” Mario Edwards Jr. suffered a hip

injury last week and will miss 4-6 weeks. With the injury

occurring on August 13th, the best-case scenario would have

Edwards ready to play in the September 11th opener. DJ

Hayden remains ahead of TJ Carrie in the competition for the

slot cornerback job. The Raiders depth and talent in the

secondary took a major leap forward this offseason with the

additions of Reggie Nelson, Sean Smith and Karl Joseph. The

unit showed well in training camp practices.

K: The kicker competition in Oakland is losing intrigue, as

mainstay Sebastian Janikowski made his 46-yard attempt, and

challenger Giorgio Tavecchio missed an extra point.

Janikowski job was thought to be in jeopardy heading into

camp because of his $3.6 million price tag, but he’s done

enough to maintain his roster spot heading into the third week

of the preseason.

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Returners: Taiwan Jones has been a long-time kickoff

returner for the Raiders, but the team would not be opposed to

upgrading the spot in 2016. GM Reggie McKenzie attended

the preseason game between Los Angeles and Kansas City this

past weekend, fueling speculation that he was scouting

potential return specialists who might find themselves

among the first round of cuts.

OL: The offensive line continues to play at a high level, and

should be one of the best units in the league this season. The

guards are looking extremely strong but center Rodney

Hudson made a bad mistake against the Packers; his holding

penalty wiped out a 16-yard run by quarterback Derek Carr.

Menelik Watson continues to hold off Austin Howard at right

tackle, and Howard could find himself as the swing tackle if

Watson can stay healthy for another few weeks.

Raiders Depth Chart

QB: Derek Carr, Matt McGloin, Connor Cook, Garrett Gilbert

RB: Latavius Murray, Deandre Washington, Taiwan Jones

(KR), Jalen Richard, George Atkinson III

FB: Jamize Olawale, Marcel Reece (susp)

WR: Amari Cooper, Michael Crabtree, Seth Roberts, Andre

Holmes, Johnny Holton, K.J. Brent, Nathan Palmer, Max

McCaffrey, Jaydon Mickens, Marvin Hall, Joe Hansley

TE: Clive Walford, Lee Smith, Mychal Rivera, Ryan

O′Malley, Gabe Holmes, Colton Underwood

LT: Donald Penn, Matt McCants

LG: Kelechi Osemele, Jon Feliciano

C: Rodney Hudson

RG: Gabe Jackson, Vadal Alexander

RT: Menalik Watson, Austin Howard

K: Sebastian Janikowski

DT: Justin Ellis (NT), Jihad Ward, Dan Williams (NT), Stacy

McGee, Darius Latham (NT), Leon Orr

DE: Kahlil Mack (S), Mario Edwards Jr. (inj), Denico

Autry, Shilique Calhoun, Damontre Moore, James

Crowser, Branden Jackson

MLB: Ben Heeney, Cory James, John Lotulelei, Kyrie

Wilson, Chase Williams

OLB: Malcolm Smith (W), Bruce Irvin (S/DE), Aldon Smith

(susp), Neiron Ball, Korey Toomer, Daren Bates, Neiron

Ball, Perez Ford

CB: Sean Smith, David Amerson, D.J. Hayden, TJ Carrie

(FS/PR), Neiko Thorpe, Dexter McDonald, Antonio

Hamilton, Kenneth Durden

S: Reggie Nelson (FS), Karl Joseph (SS), Nate Allen (FS)

(inj), Dewey McDonald (SS), Keith McGill (SS), Brynden

Trawick (FS),Chris Hackett (FS), Chris Edwards, Jimmy Hall

Philadelphia Eagles

QB: Carson Wentz participated in throwing sessions on the

side of practice over the weekend, and was unsurprisingly sore

from the process. "I don’t know what’s normal. I’ve never

dealt with this before," he said. "It’s killing me. I want to be

out there, but it’s just one of those things that takes time." The

team isn’t going to rush Wentz back from his hairline rib

fracture, but the rookie quarterback hopes to be cleared to play

in the 4th (and final) preseason game. With Wentz sitting out,

McLeod Bethel-Thompson has gotten valuable reps in practice

and versus the Steelers in Week Two of the preseason. All

three quarterbacks (Sam Bradford, Chase Daniel and Bethel-

Thompson) were limited to dink-and-dunk passing against the

Steelers. Starter Sam Bradford completed 14-of-19 passes for

115 yards (6.1 per attempt) but couldn’t find the end zone.

Chase Daniel had a similar evening with 82 yards on 16

attempts (5.1 per throw). Bethel-Thompson rounded out the

night completing 2-of-4 passes for 22 yards (5.5 per attempt).

While the Eagles offense wasn’t explosive against the

Steelers, it’s clear Doug Pederson is going to run the offense

differently than Chip Kelly. For example, he plans on giving

Sam Bradford plenty of opportunity to audible. "It's not

every play, but there are certain plays that we give him the

opportunity to change or to change a route or to change a

protection, whatever he feels necessary at the time," Pederson

said. "[Preseason] games we try not to show a bunch of things

on film that way to our opponents. But we give all the

quarterbacks the freedom to make adjustments where

necessary and it's stuff that we coach up here in practice and

stuff that we've done in the past, give them tools to give us the

best chance on any play."

RB: Ryan Mathews ran five times for 18 yards (3.6 per

attempt) in an otherwise quiet game versus the Steelers. More

important than the box score is Mathews’ continued good

healthy, ability to practice hard, and clearly defined role as the

team’s starter. In spite of reports that Darren Sproles would

play a major role in place of Mathews, it’s hard not to

conclude that Kenjon Barner is the true backup tailback. He’s

looked good throughout the preseason, and was the best player

on the field against the Steelers; Barner ran six times for 41

yards (6.8 per rush) and scored the team’s lone offensive

touchdown. Sproles didn’t have a carry but did catch three

passes for 8 yards. Byron Marshall and Cedric O’Neal face

long odds to make the 53-man roster but each worked a few

series versus the Steelers.

WR: Jordan Matthews continues to rehab his bone bruise and

his timetable for return remains uncertain. The receivers

played better than feared against the Steelers, although the

position remains of paramount concern entering next week's

critical "dress rehearsal." With Jordan Matthews still nursing a

bone bruise, all eyes were on Nelson Agholor and he managed

to impress with two receptions for 30 yards in limited action.

Unfortunately that’s about where the platitudes end and the

questions begin. Recently acquired Dorial Green-Beckham

was targeted twice but failed to make a catch. Rueben Randle

-- who is considered to be on the roster bubble -- had two

catches but only for 10 yards; he's expected to be a vertical

threat yet was quite the opposite. Josh Huff matched Randle

with a paltry 5-yard average. The lone bright spot, outside of

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Agholor, was Paul Turner. Turner remains a long shot to make

the 53-man roster but shone against Pittsburgh with three

catches for 44 yards.

TE: As we’ve noted in prior weeks, Doug Pederson values the

tight end position and wants to keep four on the active roster.

The most likely quarter – Zach Ertz, Brent Celek, Trey Burton

and Chris Pantale – all made plays against the Steelers in the

second preseason game. Ertz converted three of four targets

for 24 yards and continues to be the team’s most consistent

playmaker in practice and against preseason opponents.

Defense: As was rumored last week, the Eagles signed veteran

linebacker Stephen Tulloch to a 1-year, $3 million deal.

Tulloch has a long history with new defensive coordinator Jim

Schwartz and should not only provide a veteran leader who

understands the scheme, but a sure tackler in the middle of an

attacking defense. The defense, on the whole, deserves kudos

for its play versus the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday night.

The Eagles won 17-0 and intercepted quarterback Landry

Jones four times. Nolan Carroll took his interception into the

end-zone for a pick six; and credited the play to extensive film

study leading up to the game. While the offense has plenty of

questions, the defense appears to be poised to finally capitalize

on the talent that was underutilized by the prior coaching

regime. Philly.com’s Sam Donnellon compares Jim Schwartz

to Jim Johnson – arguing that Schwartz may be the key to

Doug Pederson having a successful first season as an NFL

head coach.

K: Caleb Sturgis has been leading the kicker competition

throughout the summer, but he got hit in the head by an errant

punt and suffered a concussion before the second preseason

game, opening the door for Cody Parkey. Parkey hit a 40-yard

field goal attempt and both extra points. Sturgis has the lead,

but his concussion makes this an open battle with a few weeks

left of the preseason.

Returners: Punt returner and ageless wonder Darren Sproles

finds his roster spot secure heading into the season. The same

cannot be said for top kickoff returner Josh Huff. Eagles coach

Doug Pederson hinted that Huff would get an extended

audition in Week 3 of the preseason, “We've got to start

getting those (veteran) players, Josh Huff being in that group,

more touches, more reps; offensively and on special teams. I

would expect his workload to potentially increase this week.”

OL: In light of the Lane Johnson 10-game suspension, the

offensive line was shuffled around for Week Two versus the

Steelers. Left guard Allen Barbre was moved to right tackle.

Third round rookie Isaac Seumalo will get the first crack at

Barbre’s left guard spot. Seumalo had a mixed evening against

the Steelers, at one point getting called for holding which

wiped out a big gain. Rookie Dillon Gordon has been

compared to Jason Peters – which is as heady praise as

anyone can give to a young Eagles lineman.

Eagles Depth Chart QB: Sam Bradford, Chase Daniel, Carson Wentz, McLeod

Bethel-Thompson

RB: Ryan Mathews, Darren Sproles (3RB/PR), Kenjon

Barner, Wendell Smallwood, Byron Marshall

WR: Jordan Matthews (inj), Dorial Green-Beckham, Nelson

Agholor, Rueben Randle, Josh Huff (KR), Chris Givens, Paul

Turner, Cayleb Jones, Marcus Johnson

TE: Zach Ertz, Brent Celek, Trey Burton, Chris Pantale, M.J.

McFarland

LT: Jason Peters, Andrew Gardner, Halapoulivaati Vaitai

LG: Isaac Seumalo, Josh Andrews

C: Jason Kelce, Stefen Wisniewski, Barrett Jones

RG: Brandon Brooks, Matt Tobin

RT: Allen Barbre, Lane Johnson (susp)

K: Caleb Sturgis, Cody Parkey

DT: Fletcher Cox, Bennie Logan, Beau Allen, Mike

Martin, Travis Raciti

DE: Vinny Curry, Connor Barwin, Brandon Graham, Taylor

Hart, Marcus Smith, Alex Mccalister, Ryan Mueller

MLB: Jordan Hicks, Stephen Tulloch, Joe Walker

OLB: Nigel Bradham (S), Mychal Kendricks (W), Najee

Goode (W), Bryan Braman (S), Travis Long, Deontae Skinner

CB: Leodis McKelvin, Nolan Carroll II, Ron Brooks, Jalen

Mills (FS), Eric Rowe, Blake Countess, Jaylen Watkins

(RFA), Denzel Rice

S: Malcolm Jenkins (FS), Rodney McLeod (SS), Jerome

Couplin (SS), JaCorey Shepherd (FS), Chris Maragos (SS), Ed

Reynolds (FS)

Pittsburgh Steelers

QB: It was another uneventful week for Ben Roethlisberger,

as he once again sat out the team’s preseason game. Pittsburgh

should probably cover him in bubble wrap considering what’s

happening on the depth chart behind him. Bruce Gradkowski,

who was competing with Landry Jones for the backup job,

was injured in the first preseason game. The injury was

confirmed to be a hamstring tear, and Gradkowski could be

out for the season. Landry Jones started Thursday night’s

game against Philadelphia and threw four interceptions in a

half of work. Not all were his fault, and the team is likely to

stick with Jones as the primary backup due to his

performance in camp and a shallow veteran quarterback

market. Behind Jones, second-year player Dustin Vaughan

figured to have a chance to make the team as the third

quarterback, but he also got hurt in Thursday’s game, leading

the team to acquire Bryn Renner. Pittsburgh has historically

kept three quarterbacks, so the injuries to Gradkowski and

Vaughan could be impactful to the final 53-man roster as

Vaughan and Renner will compete for the third string job.

RB: The biggest story in Pittsburgh this week was the

reduction of LeVeon Bell’s suspension from four games to

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three. Also significant for Bell is that he stays in the same

stage of the NFL’s substance abuse program, meaning that his

next infraction would be a four-game suspension instead of

10. Veteran backup DeAngelo Williams, who is expected to

shoulder the load when Bell is out, was given another night off

for the team’s second preseason (as was Bell). It’s just not

worth risking injury to the team’s most important offensive

pieces. Behind the top two, the battle for third-string duties

wages on between Fitzgerald Toussaint and Daryl Richardson.

Mike Tomlin spoke about the competition at length this

week. Tomlin called Toussaint “steady Eddie” but said he

needs more splash. Meanwhile, he said that Richardson makes

big plays but wants to see “more detail in his (Richardson’s)

work.”

WR: Antonio Brown and Markus Wheaton were given the

night off on Thursday. Wheaton is nursing a minor soft tissue

injury, but it’s not expected to hamper him much longer. In

their absence, Sammie Coates and Eli Rogers got another

extended look. Coates struggled again. Last week, it was

fumbles that plagued him, but this week, he and Landry Jones

struggled to be on the same page. Coates was targeted on two

of Jones’ interceptions, and he took blame for the first.

Rogers, meanwhile, continued to see his arrow point

upward. He caught four passes and returned a punt 17 yards,

looking very shifty at all times. Darrius Heyward-Bey had

another dropped pass, further failing to capitalize on Coates’

poor in-game performances and earn more snaps.

TE: The Ladarius Green Saga continues, as the team

continues to insist that Green is on the PUP List due to his

ankle – not due to headaches and concussion-related problems.

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler wrote that Green is still a mystery –

and an expensive one at that. Green himself finally came out

and discussed his situation, but that media session served only

to further muddy the waters as Green maintained multiple

times that he is on the PUP list for his ankle and not

headaches. Behind Green, Jesse James is struggling with

blocking; he whiffed on a pass rusher that led to Landry Jones’

fourth interception. Xavier Grimble also had a dropped pass

on Thursday night. Green’s presence would be a huge boost to

this offense because neither James nor Grimble appear to be

starter-ready. But it’s more likely than not at this point that

Green won’t be playing by Week 1, if at all.

Defense: The biggest defensive story out of Pittsburgh this

week is an off-the-field item. James Harrison is scheduled to

meet with Roger Goodell about the Al-Jazeera report that

alleged his use of performance enhancing drugs. On the field,

the defense played well, especially considering it was without

three of the team’s last four first-round picks in Jarvis Jones,

Bud Dupree, and Artie Burns. Burns returned to practice

earlier this week, though, which allows the team to move

Doran Grant to safety and contribute in a dangerously thin

position group. Burns still has a chance to become a starter,

but he’s too far behind right now to overtake William Gay or

Ross Cockrell in Week One. Burns profiles more as a

boundary corner, which means that when he does get on the

field, he could perhaps push Gay inside, where he has past

experience at slot corner.

Rookie Sean Davis has been given the chance to take the reins

as the team’s top slot corner after the team lost second-year

Senquez Golson to injury last week, but Davis’ performance

has been up and down. He has impressed Mike Tomlin with

his conditioning though. Former Steeler Keenan Lewis was

released by New Orleans this week. Rumors have surfaced

that the team might want to bring Lewis back due to a thin

position group, but Lewis’ age (30) and injury situation

(lingering hip issue, multiple injuries that led to only six

games played last season) may lead the team to look

elsewhere for help.

Returners: Preseason star Eli Rogers has been the best punt

returner this preseason, though they’ve been holding Antonio

Brown out rather than risk injury. If the Steelers are serious

about lightening Brown’s special teams workload, (and

they’re able to resist the temptation of a proven all-pro

standing on the sidelines), Rogers is ready for the task.

OL: Despite losing 17-0 to in-state rival Philadelphia, there

were positive signs for the Steelers’ offensive line. Center

Maurkice Pouncey returned to the lineup for the first time

since breaking his leg last preseason. Alejandro Villanueva

started at left tackle for the second straight game and

reportedly “played angry” which is good news for his battle

against Ryan Harris. Actually, both players were in the lineup

against the Eagles, as Harris filled in for Marcus Gilbert, who

missed the contest with an injured shoulder. Gilbert should be

ready for the start of the season, but it’s good to have options.

Steelers Depth Chart QB: Ben Roethlisberger, Landry Jones, Dustin

Vaughn (inj), Bryn Renner, Bruce Gradkowski (inj)

RB: Le′Veon Bell (susp), DeAngelo Williams, Fitzgerald

Toussaint, Daryl Richardson, Rajion Neal

FB: Roosevelt Nix

WR: Antonio Brown (PR), Sammie Coates, Markus Wheaton

(KR),Darrius Heyward-Bey, Eli Rogers, Demarcus

Ayers, Issac Blakeney, Levi Norwood, Shakim Philips, Tobias

Palmer, Canan Severin, Martavis Bryant (susp)

TE: Ladarius Green (inj), Jesse James, Xavier Grimble, David

Johnson (FB), David Reeves, Jay Rome

LT: Alejandro Villanueva, Ryan Harris, Jerald Hawkins

LG: Ramon Foster

C: Maurkice Pouncey, Cody Wallace

RG: David Decastro

RT: Marcus Gilbert

K: Chris Boswell

NT: Daniel McCullers, Javon Hargrave, Lavon Hooks, Roy

Philon

DE: Cameron Heyward, Stephon Tuitt, L.T.

Walton, Caushaud Lyons

ILB: Lawrence Timmons (R), Ryan Shazier (L), Vince

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Williams, Jordan Zumwalt, Tyler Matakevich, Steven Johnson

OLB: James Harrison, Bud Dupree, Arthur Moats, Jarvis

Jones, Travis Feeney, Anthony Chickallo

CB: William Gay, Ross Cockrell, Sean Davis (SS/CB), Artie

Burns, Doran Grant, Donald Washington, Senquez Golson

(inj)

S: Michael Mitchell (FS), Robert Golden (SS), Shamarko

Thomas (SS), Ross Ventrone (FS), Jordan Dangerfield

(FS), Jacob Hagen, Ray Vinopal

San Diego Chargers

QB: Philip Rivers was given the night off against the Arizona

Cardinals, but he benefitted from a solid week of joint

practices. "So it allows you to see four or five plays right in a

row, and let it come up against a defense that hasn't been

practicing against it all of the time, and see how it look and

how it feels," he noted. Kellen Clemens was behind center for

the first half of the preseason tilt before giving way to Mike

Bercovici after halftime, and he appears to be locked in to the

backup role. Clemens completed 11-of-20 passes for 134

yards (6.7 per attempt); a serviceable showing but it would’ve

been more encouraging to see Clemens get into the end zone.

Bercovici looked solid in limited duty – he completed 9-of-13

passes for 108 yards (8.3 per attempt) – and continues to build

off a strong training camp. “We gave Mike an opportunity to

go in there for a half. We said we wanted to give him a good

half to see what he could do. He went out there and made

some good plays,” said head coach Mike McCoy. The odd

man out in this week’s preseason action was Zach

Mettenberger, who appears to be losing the battle for the No.3

job to Bercovici. Next week’s preseason matchup against the

Minnesota Vikings will be telling for the Chargers quarterback

depth chart, and for the future of Mettenberger in general.

RB: A week after an impressive performance in the preseason

opener, Melvin Gordon was mostly held in check against the

Cardinals. He’s looked good in camp and there has been

plenty of buzz about expected improvement for the second-

year pro after a challenging rookie campaign. For Gordon’s

part, he’s noted that his confidence is at a whole new level.

“This time I was comfortable and stuck to my reads. I told

myself -- I was obviously nervous the whole trip there, but I

told myself 'you go against a lot of great players in practice

and you had a whole season so just be calm and read the reads

and follow your lineman,” he said. Brandon Oliver continues

to impress, and that’s translated to live action as well. He

produced 36 total yards off of five carries and one reception

against the Cardinals, as he continues to put his stamp on the

number three spot on the depth chart. Danny Woodhead has

been relatively quiet through camp and the preseason, but he

remains locked into a large role once the games begin to

matter.

WR: Reports from the joint practices held with the Cardinals

indicate that Keenan Allen looked particularly impressive,

and that was while being matched up with Cardinals

cornerback Patrick Peterson. Allen may be ready to take the

proverbial leap forward in 2016, and should continue to

receive all the volume he can handle in the Chargers pass-

friendly attack. Travis Benjamin was also solid in the joint

practice sessions, and he continues to build rapport with Philip

Rivers. He earned some praise from Rivers for a difficult catch

he made during the session. "Those are the trust-building plays

I talk a lot about that you need to make with a guy that you

haven't thrown a ton of those to," Rivers said. Tyrell Williams

continues to be one of the more impressive players in camp.

He hauled in four of his six targets for 47 yards, and he could

carve out a significant role in the passing attack if he closes

out the preseason in strong fashion. Undrafted free agent Dom

Williams helped his case with a strong showing against the

Cardinals, as he led the team in receiving with four catches for

55 yards. Projected WR3 Dontrelle Inman was leveled with a

big hit in the first quarter of the game and did not return, but

it’s believed the team was just being cautious.

TE: Antonio Gates was another Chargers veteran that was

given the night off against the Cardinals, but the 36-year-old

continues to look fine in camp. As a preferred target of Philip

Rivers in a pass-happy attack, Gates remains in the Top 10

tight end conversation. Hunter Henry has been another bright

spot of camp, and the rookie has reportedly impressed

coaches enough to carve out a role for himself this year.

Whether that results in additional two tight end sets for the

Chargers remains to be seen, but Henry appears to be

developing quicker than anticipated. He hauled in his lone

target against the Cardinals for a seven-yard gain. Veteran Jeff

Cumberland signed in the offseason to add depth, but his

season came to an abrupt end when he suffered a torn ACL in

Friday’s game. Sean McGrath and Asante Cleveland round out

the depth chart, but neither player is relevant for fantasy

purposes.

Defense: The Chargers and first round draft pick Joey Bosa

remain at an impasse, but the two sides reopened talks this

past week. After a poor effort against the Tennessee Titans in

the first week of the preseason, the defensive side of the ball

stepped up in the 19-3 victory over the Cardinals. The run

defense and secondary looked much improved, and Manti

Te’o points to an improved team effort as the biggest

takeaway for this week. “Everyone trusted each other, and

everybody made their play. And they didn’t make it for

themselves, they did it because they wanted to make it for

their brother. When we stick together as a defense and we

play like that, we’re going to do well,” he said. Brandon

Flowers concurs. “I think last week we tried to make too many

plays on our own and we paid for it. This time we trusted each

other on the field and made it happen,” Flowers said.

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Returners: After sitting out San Diego’s first preseason game,

Travis Benjamin returned to action and to his pre-ordained

place as the top punt returner this week.

OL: Orlando Franklin is healthy again, and he made his

preseason debut against the Cardinals. New addition Matt

Slauson has fit in nicely and is already proving to be an

upgrade at center over Trevor Robinson. Seventh round rookie

Donavan Clark tore his ACL against Arizona and will miss

the season. Clark was having a decent camp and was slated to

be a swing tackle behind King Dunlap and Joe Barksdale.

Undrafted rookies Vi Teofilo and Spencer Pulley will get

chances to claim that spot in Clark’s absence.

Chargers Depth Chart QB: Philip Rivers, Kellen Clemens, Zach Mettenberger, Bryn

Renner, Mike Bercovici

RB: Melvin Gordon, Danny Woodhead (3RB), Branden

Oliver, Dreamius Smith, Kenneth Farrow

FB: Derek Watt, Chris Swain

WR: Keenan Allen, Travis Benjamin (PR), Dontrelle

Inman, Tyrell Williams, James Jones, Javontee

Herndon, Isaiah Burse, Torrence Allen, Jamaal Jones, Dom

Williams, Stevie Johnson (IR)

TE: Antonio Gates, Hunter Henry, Jeff Cumberland, Sean

McGrath, Asante Cleveland, Tim Semisch

LT: King Dunlap, Chris Hairston

LG: Orlando Franklin, Kenny Wiggins

C: Matt Slauson, Max Tuerk, Trevor Robinson

RG: D.J. Fluker, Chris Watt, Donavon Clark (IR)

RT: Joe Barksdale, Tyreek Burwell

K: Josh Lambo

NT: Brandon Mebane, Ryan Carrethers, Sean Lissemore (IR)

DE: Corey Liuget, Joey Bosa, Damion Square, Darius

Philon, Tenny Palepoi, Ben Gardner

ILB: Denzel Perryman, Manti Te′o, Joshua Perry, Nick

Dzubnar, Dexter McCoil

OLB: Melvin Ingram, Jeremiah Attaochu, Kyle

Emanuel, Tourek Williams, Jatavis Brown

CB: Jason Verrett, Brandon Flowers, Casey Hayward, Trevor

Williams, Craig Mager, Greg Ducre, Trevor Williams

S: Jahleel Addae (SS), Dwight Lowery (FS), Darrell Stuckey

(FS), Matt Daniels (SS), Adrian Phillips (FS)

San Francisco 49ers

QB: During pregame warmups, Colin Kaepernick displayed a

renewed passing arm according to NFL.com's Tyler

Dragon: “Kaepernick's arm appears to be getting its strength

back. The quarterback was spotted throwing a 55-yard pass

and had some other throws with improved velocity.” The team

hopes he can play in the third preseason game. Meanwhile,

Blaine Gabbert completed 6-for-9 passes for 69 yards during

the victory at Denver. Christian Ponder, freshly added to the

roster as Thad Lewis was sent to IR, looked good in his first

preseason action. He completed 7-of-8 passes for 86 yards and

a touchdown pass. Ponder also scored the winning TD on a

22-yard run. As Eric Branch of SFGate.com puts it: “The

performance, he [Ponder] thinks, was partly fueled because he

had an epiphany during his time away from the game: He was

going to have fun — a word he used four times in a three-

minute interview Saturday — if he ever played football

again.” Ponder added, “I think it was the mind-set of like, 'I

don’t have anything to lose.'. I was already sitting on a couch

doing nothing. I think the biggest thing that hindered me

before [early in his career at Minnesota] was second-guessing

myself and being hesitant in certain decisions.” Jeff Driskel

completed 6-of-7 passes for 66 yards in cleanup duty.

RB: Starter Carlos Hyde found the end zone on Saturday, with

six carries for 28 yards. On the flip side, Hyde didn't catch

either of his two pass targets. Kelvin Taylor (10/47/0 rushing,

with one target for 1/2/0 receiving) and DuJuan Harris (6/46/0

rushing with one target for 1/1/0 receiving) were the most

productive runners on the night, while Mike Davis racked up

5/26/0 rushing with two targets for 2/1/0 receiving. As you can

see, none of the backs contributed much as receivers out of the

backfield. The team totaled 36 carries for 184 yards and two

touchdowns at Denver; an impressive feat considering the

defensive prowess of the Broncos. Shaun Draughn (ribs)

missed the game due to a rib injury.

WR: Bruce Ellington (ankle sprain) didn't practice much last

week and missed the Broncos game. Bryce Treggs (knee) left

the game after sustaining a medial collateral ligament injury.

He will undergo a MRI exam to determine the full extent of

the injury. Treggs is part of a bevy of young wide receivers

(including DiAndre Campbell, and Aaron Burbridge) that

aren't developing quickly. “What we do need to see is

consistency,” coach Chip Kelly said last week. “We haven’t

really seen a ton of that right now. We've seen them flash,

which is awesome because you know what they can do, but it's

being consistent not only on a daily basis but really, on a play-

to-play basis, that you can count on them.” General manager

Trent Baalke added: “We’ve certainly got to get better. And I

mean that we've got a lot of young guys. And we've got to

mature at that group. There's a lot to learn at that position.”

DeAndre Smelter hasn't practiced in a week due to a

hamstring strain that also slowed him in the spring, blunting

his drive to crack the starting lineup. With little upward

momentum from the youngsters in camp, the 49ers' receiving

corps looks set with Torrey Smith, Quinton Patton and

Ellington at the top of the depth chart. Jerome Simpson

remains in the mix for a backup spot, along with Smelter.

TE: Vance McDonald has caught five passes for 92 yards

from Gabbert through two preseason games, and looks like he

is building off the rapport he established with Gabbert at the

end of last season. McDonald saw four targets for 3/38/0

receiving on Saturday night, compared to two targets for

2/14/0 that went to Garrett Celek, and one target for zero

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receptions going to Blake Bell. McDonald was described as

Gabbert's go-to receiver in multiple reports this past week. He

looks like a bargain fantasy option entering the third week of

preseason games, though if Kaepernick somehow upsets

Gabbert for the starting job, McDonald could slide as he and

Kaepernick haven't clicked in the past.

Defense: Chip Kelly was impressed with some 'bubble'

defensive players: “I thought [defensive lineman] Garrison

[Smith] played an outstanding game,” coach Kelly said

Sunday. “I think between him and [linebacker] Marcus

[Rush]... those two really, from a production standpoint, kind

of jumped out when (we were) flying home (Saturday) night

watching the tape. Two of those guys were around the football

a lot, causing a lot of disruption in Denver's offense.” Smith

and Rush were undrafted rookies in 2015 who spent season on

the practice squad, but they got in the game and made an

impact on Saturday. Barrows also highlighted the ongoing

three-way battle to start at inside linebacker: “Ray-Ray

Armstrong had another solid game as he tries to emerge in a

three-way battle for the 49ers' starting inside linebacker spot...

As they did in the preseason opener, Armstrong, Gerald

Hodges and Michael Wilhoite rotated throughout the game.”

Returners: With Bruce Ellington sidelined with a short-term

injury, cornerback Chris Davis has gotten a chance to step up

as San Francisco’s primary returner. His promotion likely

remains a short one until Ellington returns.

OL: The line looked decent against the Broncos’ defense,

opening up holes in the running game and only allowing one

sack. The battle at right tackle continues, as Trent Brown

remains the nominal starter over Anthony Davis. Davis has

been more effective than Brown in preseason action, and even

has a new team-first attitude. Davis has volunteered to play

guard, to keep Brown in the lineup, and he did see guard reps

in practice (not in the game, where he worked exclusively at

tackle). Despite saying all the right things, it should be only a

matter of time before Davis wins his job back.

49ers Depth Chart QB: Blaine Gabbert, Colin Kaepernick, Jeff Driskel, Christian

Ponder, Thaddeus Lewis (IR)

RB: Carlos Hyde, Shaun Draughn, Mike Davis, DuJuan

Harris, Kelvin Taylor, Kendall Gaskins

FB: Bruce Miller (TE)

WR: Torrey Smith, Bruce Ellington (KR/PR), Quinton

Patton, Jerome Simpson, DeAndre Smelter (inj), DeAndrew

White (KR/PR), Aaron Burbridge, Dres Anderson, Devon

Cajuste, Bryce Treggs, DiAndre Campbell, Eric Rogers (IR)

TE: Vance McDonald, Garrett Celek, Blake Bell, Je′Ron

Hamm, Busta Anderson

LT: Joe Staley, John Theus

LG: Zane Beadles, Ian Silberman

C: Daniel Kilgore, Marcus Martin

RG: Andrew Tiller, Josh Garnett, Brandon Thomas

RT: Anthony Davis, Erik Pears, Trent Brown, Fahn Cooper

K: Phil Dawson, John Lunsford

NT: Mike Purcell, Garrison Smith, Ian Williams (IR)

DE: Arik Armstead, DeForest Buckner, Quinton Dial, Glenn

Dorsey (inj), Ronald Blair, Tony Jerod-Eddie, Darren

Lake, B.J. McBryde, Demetrius Cherry

ILB: Navorro Bowman, Michael Wilhoite, Gerald

Hodges, Shayne Skov, Nick Bellore, Wynton McManis

OLB: Ahmad Brooks (S), Aaron Lynch (susp), Corey

Lemonier, Tank Carradine, Eli Harold, Ray-Ray

Armstrong, Marcus Rush, Jason Fanaika, Lenny Jones

CB: Tramaine Brock, Jimmie Ward (FS), Chris Davis, Dontae

Johnson, Kenneth Acker, Will Redmond, Rashard

Robinson, Prince Charles Iworah, Keith Reaser, Marcus

Cromartie

S: Antoine Bethea (SS), Eric Reid (FS), Jaquiski Tartt

(SS), L.J. McCray, Jered Bell

Seattle Seahawks

QB: Russell Wilson hasn't been at his best throughout this

preseason. Through two games he’s completed just 8-of-17

passes for 111 yards, zero touchdowns and one interception

while getting sacked four times. His interception to Marcus

Peters in the first game was a result of hesitation in the pocket.

That hesitation persisted against the Vikings which resulted in

two sacks. There are no real reasons to worry about Wilson at

this point because expecting him to sustain his second-half

performances from last year for 16 games is being unrealistic.

Trevone Boykin is solidified as the Seahawks' backup by

default more than because of his quality of play. Boykin has

been inconsistent but has amassed 315 yards on 26-of-46

passing.

RB: Thomas Rawls and C.J. Prosise came off the PUP list this

week. Rawls practiced fully but didn't appear in the team's

second preseason game. Pete Carroll expects Rawls to get

some snaps in the preseason though they may come during the

fourth outing rather than the third. General Manager John

Schneider said that Rawls will play in the fourth preseason

game while former Seahawks fullback, Michael Robinson,

proclaimed him the team's “lead dog.” Prosise returned to

practice but was seen icing his hamstring after practice.

Carroll said he expects Prosise to play next week. Despite not

being on the field, Prosise should still feel good about his

chances contributing this year. Christine Michael has thrived

in the starting role but primarily as a runner. Prosise is a better

fit as the 3rd down specialist. Alex Collins is more of a runner

than a receiver also, but Collins is now fighting for a roster

spot because of his extremely unimpressive outing in Week 2

– he rushed for just 13 yards on six carries (2.2 per attempt).

The Seahawks re-signed Will Tukuafu after waiving fullback

Jonathan Amosa.

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WR: Tyler Lockett had the highlight play of the second week

of the preseason. He ran downfield against tight coverage and

Russell Wilson placed the ball perfectly between two

defenders. Lockett caught it into his chest and held it through

contact to complete the play. Lockett's speed has been on

display consistently throughout the preseason and he is

improving as an all-around receiver. ESPN’s Sheil Kapadia

expects Doug Baldwin to out produce his 75-catch, 990-yard

and seven touchdown ESPN projection, but only slightly.

Baldwin is an established veteran so he has quietly gone about

his business to this point in training camp. Jermaine Kearse

has had a similarly quiet last two weeks as he remains a starter

ahead of Lockett. Paul Richardson went from being in the

spotlight in Week 1 to not catching a pass in Week 2. While

Richardson was absent, Kenny Lawler made his first big

impression. He looked comfortable and explosive as he caught

three passes for 47 yards. His most impressive play came

when he converted a 3rd-and-15. Lawler appears to have an

inside track on the final roster spot.

TE: Jimmy Graham (patellar tendon) is back at practice but he

didn’t play in the second preseason game. Pete Carroll backed

off his expectation that Graham would play in Week 1 of the

regular season but didn't shut the door on the possibility either.

Luke Willson will be the team's starter so long as Graham isn't

available. Rookie Nick Vannett has performed well during

camp but the team prefers 3-WR sets which makes a second

tight end somewhat superfluous. Vannett is working through a

high ankle sprain suffered in Thursday’s night game and his

timetable for returning is open ended.

Defense: Kam Chancellor's groin injury continues to linger.

Chancellor didn't play in the second preseason game and

concern around his status grows with each passing day.

Chancellor struggled when he returned from his holdout last

offseason so this injury could have a similar impact on his

play in 2016. Cornerback Jeremy Lane started outside in the

first preseason game, but DeShawn Shead started in the

second. Shead was replaced by Tharold Simon for the second

drive while Lane played in the slot throughout. The Seahawks

cornerback competition is being given time to play out. On the

defensive front, a familiar face was re-signed. Tony McDaniel,

a 31-year old defensive tackle, had previously been with the

Seahawks in 2013 and 2014. He was a free agent until last

week when a vacation visit to Seattle led to a workout before

he was signed. McDaniel immediately fit back into his old role

and impressed against the Vikings. He should get a roster spot

considering his experience and familiarity upfront.

Returners: Reigning 1st-team AP All Pro returner Tyler

Lockett continues to exhibit a death grip on the punt and

kickoff return duties for 2016.

OL: The Vikings’ pass rush had a big day against the

Seahawks’ offensive line. Russell Wilson was sacked four

times in the first half, as tackles Garry Gilliam and Bradley

Sowell struggled. Gilliam, manning the right side after all

offseason preparing to play left tackle, seemed especially

unsettled. In related news, J’Marcus Webb returned to

practice over the weekend, and could still contend for the right

tackle spot. The interior lineup appears to be set with Mark

Glowinski at left guard, Justin Britt at center and Germain

Ifedi at right guard. If nothing changes, this could leave high

priced veteran Jahri Evans on the roster bubble.

Seahawks Depth Chart QB: Russell Wilson, Trevone Boykin, Jake Heap

RB: Thomas Rawls, Christine Michael, C.J. Prosise

(3RB), Alex Collins, Zac Brooks, Troymaine Pope

FB: Will Tukuafu, Tani Tupou

WR: Doug Baldwin, Tyler Lockett (KR/PR), Jermaine

Kearse, Paul Richardson, Kevin Smith, Kenny Lawler, Kasen

Williams, Antwan Goodley, Douglas McNeil, Jeff

Fuller, Deshon Foxx, Tanner McEvoy, Uzoma Nwachukwu

TE: Jimmy Graham, Luke Willson, Nick Vannett

(inj), Brandon Williams, Clayton Echard, Joe Summers

LT: Garry Gilliam, Bradley Sowell

LG: Jahri Evans, Mark Glowinski

C: Justin Britt, Patrick Lewis, Joey Hunt

RG: Germain Ifedi, Kristjan Sokoli

RT: JMarcus Webb, Rees Odhiambo

K: Steven Hauschka

DT: Ahtyba Rubin, Jarran Reed, Jordan Hill, Sealver

Siliga, Tony McDaniel, Demarcus Dobbs, Quinton

Jefferson, Justin Hamilton

DE: Michael Bennett, Cliff Avril, Frank Clark (S), Cassius

Marsh, Tavaris Barnes, Will Pericak

MLB: Bobby Wagner, Eric Pinkins (S/M), Steve Longa

OLB: K.J. Wright (W), Mike Morgan (S), Kevin Pierre-Louis

(S), Brock Coyle (W), Josh Shirley, Montese Overton, Khairi

Fortt, Kache Palacio

CB: Richard Sherman, Marcus Burley, Brandon

Browner, Jeremy Lane, DeShawn Shead, Tharold

Simon, Mohammed Seisay, Tye Smith, DeAndre Elliott

S: Kam Chancellor (SS), Earl Thomas (FS), Kelcie McCray

(FS), Steven Terrell (FS), Robert Smith (SS), Tyvis Powell

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

QB: Tampa Bay Time's Rick Stroud was not impressed with

the first team offense on Saturday night. “There is slow, like

the line at the DMV. There is slower, like beach erosion. Then

there is slowest, like the way the Buccaneers start football

games... Saturday night against the Jaguars, quarterback

Jameis Winston missed his first six passes and had an

interception.” Head coach Dirk Koetter was calmer: “I

wouldn't make any judgments based on two preseason games.

Would we like to start better? Absolutely. It's going to beat the

start we had last week, but let's not confuse that with tonight.”

All told, Winston managed a meager 3-for-10 for 28 yards,

one TD and one interception. On Friday, coach Koetter

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commented on Winston's development: “Jameis every day he

asserts himself more and more as a leader. I mean, he still has

things he needs to work on as a quarterback. I love what he's

doing leadership-wise.” Mike Glennon played well on

Saturday; he completed 11-for-19 passes for 120 yards and a

TD, while Ryan Griffin completed 5-of-10 passes for 78 yards

with an interception.

RB: Doug Martin missed the second preseason game, even

though he practiced all week despite a minor rib injury. Mike

James had a touchdown catch (two targets for 2/11/1) and

rushed 17 yards during the first half. Rookie Peyton Barber led

Tampa with 40 yards on 11 carries on a night when the

Buccaneers had 44 carries for 158 yards and a touchdown as a

team. Storm Johnson (7/27/1 rushing) punched in the rushing

TD, while Charles Sims posted 5/20/0 as the starter.

WR: Mike Evans (five targets for 2/18/1 receiving Saturday)

conceded after the game that the Buccaneers need to start

faster. “That helps any offense if you start fast and put points

on the board. That gives us confidence. We've got to work on

that these next two preseason games.” Vincent Jackson failed

to catch his lone target but was happy his team came away

with the victory: “It just feels good to win, man. Way to

compete every day. Let's just keep stacking, man, working for

precision and perfection.” Kenny Bell (two targets for zero

receptions), Russell Shepard (one target for zero receptions),

and Donteea Dye (three targets for 1/20/0) did little to stand

out from the field of receivers vying for the #4 wide receiver

position behind Evans, Jackson and Adam Humphries.

TE: Cameron Brate (three targets for zero receptions in the

game) took a hit to the back of his head in the end zone on

Saturday, drawing a personal foul penalty. Brate is being

assessed for a possible concussion. Austin Seferian-Jenkins

also caught all three targets for 36 yards. ESPN's Jenna

Laine reported that Brate has the trust of and rapport with

Winston. “...he has been the most consistent of the Bucs' tight

ends in training camp, catching virtually everything that's been

thrown his way, including in the red zone. He might not be

catching passes with two linebackers draped on his body and

still moving, but it's pretty clear that he's one of Jameis

Winston's favorite targets.” Also notable – prior to the

preseason game, the Buccaneers indicated that they would

start with a two-tight-end formation – and they listed Brate

and Luke Stocker as the starters, leaving Seferian-Jenkins out

in the cold.

Defense: Rookie cornerback Vernon Hargreaves played well

with the second team on Saturday. He intercepted Chad Henne

twice during the game. DT Gerald McCoy (ankle injury last

Thursday) and LB Daryl Smith (undisclosed minor injury)

missed the game. The starting unit allowed two TD passes to

Blake Bortles and company, leaving Tampa in a 14-7 hole

when the second teamers took over.

K: The Buccaneers are married to Roberto Aguayo after

trading up into the second round of the draft for him, but they

probably wish they could have an annulment. Aguayo missed

two field goals this week after missing an extra point last

week. He also made two field goals, but the rookie’s

confidence appears to be shaken.

Returners: Thanks to injuries at the position, Donteea Dye

handled kickoff returns in Week 2 of the preseason, though he

didn’t have much of a chance to make an impact. Meanwhile,

second-year receiver Adam Humphries maintains a strong grip

on the punt return job.

OL: The offensive line is still without high priced free agent

guard J.R. Sweezy, who is on the PUP list and is expected to

miss several weeks of the regular season. Kevin Pamphile

continues to fill in. While Pamphile is considered a short-term

solution, he did have an excellent performance during Week

Five last season. Don’t rule out Pamphile keeping the job

permanently. The line is also without rookie Caleb Benenoch,

who has not practiced since the first week of camp due to a

foot/ankle injury. As a result the team added undrafted rookie

Kyler Kerbyson, who has bounced around three teams this

summer before getting this most recent chance.

Buccaneers Depth Chart QB: Jameis Winston, Mike Glennon, Ryan Griffin, Dan

LeFevour

RB: Doug Martin, Charles Sims (3RB), Mike James, Peyton

Barber, Storm Johnson, Russell Hansbrough

FB: Dan Vitale

WR: Mike Evans, Vincent Jackson, Adam Humphries

(PR), Kenny Bell (KR), Louis Murphy, Russell

Shepard, Donteea Dye, Evan Spencer, Jonathan

Krause, Freddie Martino, Bernard Reedy, Andre Davis

TE: Cameron Brate, Austin Seferian-Jenkins, Luke

Stocker, Brandon Myers, Alan Cross, Tevin

Westbrook, Kivon Cartwright

LT: Donovan Smith

LG: Kevin Pamphile, J.R. Sweezy (PUP)

C: Joe Hawley, Evan Smith

RG: Ali Marpet, Garrett Gilkey , Caleb Benenoch

RT: Gosder Cherilus, Demar Dotson

K: Roberto Aguayo

DT: Gerald McCoy, Clinton McDonald, Akeem Spence, A.J.

Francis, Ishmaa′ily Kitchen

DE: Robert Ayers, William Gholston, Jacquies Smith, Noah

Spence, Howard Jones, George Johnson (IR)

MLB: Kwon Alexander, Jeremiah George, Cassanova

McKinzy

OLB: Lavonte David (W), Daryl Smith (S), Adarius

Glanton, Devante Bond, Josh Keyes, Micah Awe, Luke

Rhodes

CB: Brent Grimes, Vernon Hargreaves III, Alterraun

Verner, Jude Adjei-Barimah, Johnthan Banks, Josh Robinson

S: Bradley McDougald (SS), Christopher Conte (FS), Keith

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Tandy (SS), Ryan Smith, Major Wright, John

Lowdermilk, Elijah Shumate (IR)

Tennessee Titans

QB: Marcus Mariota started strong against the Carolina

Panthers. He drove the team down the field including two

completions (for 30 yards) to rookie sensation Tajae Sharpe.

Unfortunately, he was then picked off by Bene Benwikere

when he rushed his decision in the pocket, forcing the ball to

Harry Douglas, who was never open. The young quarterback

rebounded in the second quarter, leading an impressive

touchdown drive by repeatedly connecting with Sharpe before

hitting Douglas in the endzone after play action. Matt Cassel

played poorly versus the Panthers (38 yards and an

interception) but is locked in as the #2 quarterback. Alex

Tanney had a strong night (12-of-17 passing for 103 yards and

a touchdown) but it’s probably not enough to make the 53-

man roster.

RB: DeMarco Murray started against the Panthers and had a

good-but-not-great night (five rushes for 20 yards). Murray

struggled at times which is understandable given the Panthers

defensive prowess. His most notable play came in pass

protection when he was primarily at fault for a sack that ended

the Titans' second drive of the game. Derrick Henry had

another productive outing as the Titans left their first-team

offensive line in to clear paths for him. Henry led the team

with 31 yards on five carries. David Cobb played ahead of

both Bishop Sankey and Antonio Andrews, and made the most

of the opportunity. As a runner, Cobb looked good. He is

physically gifted and can be decisive working behind the line

of scrimmage. He even caught a pass to show off some of his

versatility. However, Cobb’s fumble offsets much of his

positive momentum. He hasn't played enough in the NFL or

performed well enough through training camp to solidify his

roster spot on the back of this performance. Bishop Sankey

received praise for his play in the first preseason game and

was rewarded with at least one snap in the first-team offense

during the following week. Antonio Andrews didn't have a

carry against the Panthers but he did play on special teams.

Andrews' value on special teams could be the key to earning a

roster spot ahead of Cobb or Sankey.

WR: Dorial Green-Beckham was traded to the Philadelphia

Eagles, turning his irrelevance into a permanent absence.

Tajae Sharpe's concussion concerns were short-lived after the

San Diego Chargers game. He returned to practice almost

immediately and started against the Panthers. Sharpe caught

Mariota's first pass and was then used on an end-around. The

end-around was stopped for a loss but it was a sign of just how

big of a piece of the offense Sharpe is set to become. Harry

Douglas found space in the endzone after play action drew the

attention of the safety to his side of the field and capitalized

with a touchdown. Douglas was in the lineup because Kendall

Wright remained out with his hamstring injury. Wright is

expected to return for the third preseason game. Rishard

Matthews is assured of a starting spot but he has yet to flash

over the first two games; he had just one reception for six

yards against the Panthers. Justin Hunter’s chances of making

the final roster improved with the Green-Beckham trade, but

it’s by no means a done deal.

TE: Mike Mularkey's offense is going to be adventurous in its

design. In the first week of the preseason he used a statue of

liberty design to one of his running backs. In the second week

he used Delanie Walker on the same play. Walker gained

positive yardage. Anthony Fasano remains the principal

backup but is primarily a blocker. Third stringer Craig Stevens

he won an OSPY, which is Mularkey's award for offseason

work, so his roster spot should be assured. Philip Supernaw's

positive performances may not be enough to make the 53-man

roster.

Defense: Antwon Blake quickly became a victim against the

Panthers. Cam Newton made a point of targeting Blake,

throwing to Kelvin Benjamin twice for first downs on the

opening drive before hitting Ted Ginn for a 61-yard

touchdown. On that touchdown Blake proved why he

shouldn't be in the starting lineup, he missed what should have

been an easy tackle when Ginn had his back to him. Blake was

only in the starting lineup because Perrish Cox and Jason

McCourty were injured. Cox isn't expected to be back until the

fourth preseason game but McCourty, along with Kevin Dodd,

is expected to be back next week. Dick LeBeau’s defense gave

up a huge gain to Fozzy Whitaker on a blown coverage, the

second blown coverage in as many weeks. The Titans can't

afford mental errors. Safety Kevin Byard's strong play in the

preseason opener and practice wasn’t enough to push him into

the starting lineup. Byard didn't feature in nickel packages

either; he played exclusively with the second team defense.

Returners: Tre McBride and Dexter McCluster are the

favorites to handle returns in 2016, but one interesting

development is the Titans recent deployment of rookie Derrick

Henry on the kickoff return unit, in front of the usual returners

and ready to field any kicks the opposing kicker tries to drop

short of the end zone.

OL: The Titans averaged four yards per carry against a

tough Carolina Panthers’ defense; the line continues to open

huge holes for the team’s tailbacks. With rookie right tackle

Jack Conklin playing well, this could be a very productive

running attack in 2016. The Titans acquired Dennis Kelly

from Philadelphia by trading wide receiver Dorial Green-

Beckham. Kelly is being given reps with the first team as a

tackle. Expectations should be tempered since the Eagles

viewed Kelly expendable even though their starting right

tackle is facing a 10-game suspension.

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Titans Depth Chart QB: Marcus Mariota, Matt Cassel, Alex Tanney

RB: DeMarco Murray, Derrick Henry, Dexter McCluster

(3RB/KR/PR), Antonio Andrews, David Cobb, Bishop

Sankey, David Fluellen

FB: Jalston Fowler, Sam Bergen

WR: Rishard Matthews, Tajae Sharpe, Kendall Wright

(inj), Andre Johnson, Harry Douglas, Justin Hunter, Tre

McBride, Damaris Johnson, Andrew Turzilli (susp), Nick

Harwell, Ben Roberts

TE: Delanie Walker, Anthony Fasano, Phillip

Supernaw, Jerome Cunningham

LT: Taylor Lewan

LG: Quinton Spain, Jeremiah Poutasi, Brian Schwenke, Josue

Matias (IR), Bryon Bell (IR)

C: Ben Jones, Andy Gallik

RG: Chance Warmack, Sebastian Tretola

RT: Jack Conklin, Dennis Kelly

K: Ryan Succop

NT: Al Woods, Austin Johnson, Angelo Blackson, Antwuan

Woods

DE: Jurell Casey (DT), DaQuan Jones, Ropati Pitoitua, Karl

Klug, Mehdi Abdesmad, Mike Smith

ILB: Avery Williamson, Wesley Woodyard, Sean

Spence, Nate Palmer, Curtis Grant, Justin Staples, J.R. Tavai

OLB: Brian Orakpo, Derrick Morgan, Kevin Dodd

(DE), Aaron Wallace, David Bass, Deiontrez Mount, Yannik

Cudjoe-Virgil

CB: Jason McCourty, Perrish Cox, Brice McCain, Antwon

Blake, Blidi Wreh-Wilson, Leshaun Sims, Kalan Reed, Cody

Riggs, Bennett Okotcha

S: Da′Norris Searcy (SS), Rashad Johnson (FS), Daimion

Stafford (FS), Kevin Byard, Marqueston Huff (FS), Josh

Aubrey, Lamarcus Brutus

Washington Redskins

QB: Kirk Cousins sat versus the Jets and Colt McCoy got the

start in his place. Cousins was one of nine starters that Jay

Gruden opted to rest so he could see how younger players

performed in bigger roles. "It was my decision this morning,”

Gruden said. “We have a lot of good players in this locker

room and I wanted to make sure our backups were ready to

play at all times. We had a lot of our backups step up into

starting roles last year and I thought it was important for Colt

[McCoy] to get some quality work and quality defense, along

with some of the other guys that played, in first-team roles.”

McCoy proved yet again that he is one of the more capable

backups in the NFC; he completed 13-of-16 passes for 159

yards (9.9 per attempt) and 2 touchdowns with one

interception. Nate Sudfeld did his best to convince the coaches

to only keep two quarterbacks on the active roster with his 10-

for-20 for 77 yards (3.8 per attempt) second half.

RB: Matt Jones has a lot to prove, and was off to a good start

versus the Jets with 31 yards on seven carries (4.4 per carry).

Unfortunately, Jones’ night was cut short by an apparent

shoulder injury. Rookie Keith Marshall led the team with 10

carries but only mustered 26 yards. Chris Thompson – often

labeled a pure receiving back – had the most success with 18

yards on four carries (4.5 per attempt). Simply put, the

Washington ground game remains a risk factor as the team

managed just 101 yards on 31 carries (3.3 per attempt). On

Monday, Jones was diagnosed with a Grade 2 should sprain

and will be sidelined for the remainder of the preseason. Jones

doesn’t sound concerned about his readiness for Week One:

"I'm feeling great right now," Jones said. "On a scale of 1 to

10, it's probably like a two right now. It healed up fast, I got

great treatment in so it wasn't bad for what I did. We're

looking great right now and hoping for a speedy recovery."

WR: Pierre Garcon and DeSean Jackson were given the night

off versus the Jets, but continue to shine in practice and look

set to bounce back from forgettable 2015 seasons. Rashad

Ross – as he seemingly does every preseason game – led the

team with four receptions for 58 yards. Ryan Grant also had

four receptions for 43 yards. Jamison Crowder – the team’s

starting slot receiver – looked good in his return with three

catches for 38 yards in limited snaps. Vaunted rookie Josh

Doctson remains sidelined and there is (unfounded) chatter

from beat writers that he could start the season on the PUP list.

Coach Gruden is preaching patience: “I don’t have any

expectations for him whatsoever,” Gruden said. “I’m just

trying to listen to what the trainers are telling me and how he’s

feeling. I don’t know. We’ll just have to wait and see. He’s

going to progress slowly, and we’ll take our time with him.

When he feels right and the time is right, we’ll push him hard

and let him practice.”

TE: Jordan Reed was given the night off versus the Jets, and

his backups did very little to distinguish themselves. Logan

Paulsen and Niles Paul each had one reception (for a

combined four yards). Vernon Davis didn’t figure into the box

score, but he was a key blocker for Matt Jones’ early running

success. Reed wants to play in next week’s dress rehearsal

after missing the first two games. “Practice is never going to

be the same as the game,” Reed said. “I definitely need to get

out there on that field and go against somebody else other than

our own team, work on dodging tackles and getting out of the

way.”

Defense: Gruden’s plan to sit key starters extended to the

defense, with Ryan Kerrigan, Will Compton, Bashaud

Breeland and Josh Norman sitting. "I wanted to see [Martell]

Spaight play with the ones and against a good offense in the

New York Jets,” Gruden said. “I wanted to see [Kendall]

Fuller. I wanted to see [Quinton] Dunbar play against Brandon

Marshall and some of these guys from the Jets. These guys

really showed up in practice. I wanted to see how they did

against a heck of a unit like the New York Jets. They showed

up and played extremely well." Washington pressured the Jets

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with three sacks and 8 quarterback hits, and Will Blackmon

intercepted Geno Smith. Spaight continues to stand out (we’ve

mentioned him every week in these columns) with four

tackles; it’s going to be very hard to keep him out of the

starting lineup at this pace.

Returners: While Jamison Crowder and Rashad Ross remain

the heavy favorites to handle punt return and kickoff return

duties, respectively, Crowder’s roster spot is secure and Ross

still finds himself on the roster bubble. Ross has two more

weeks to make an impression.

OL: The left guard competition is heating up, as Shawn

Lauvao started over Spencer Long versus the Jets. Lauvao

was an underdog to get his job back, but he has looked like his

old self of late. Kory Lichtensteiger has struggled as a run

blocker, and the team might be forced to consider Long at

center if they want to get their best five offensive linemen on

the field. The team was without Trent Williams, who was

given the night off with knee soreness. Williams was rested

along with quarterback Kirk Cousins and seven other starters.

Swing tackle Ty Nsekhe got the start, and while it’s always

good to give the swing tackle valuable reps, there is a

significant drop-off from the perennial Pro Bowler Williams.

Redskins Depth Chart QB: Kirk Cousins, Colt McCoy, Nate Sudfeld

RB: Matt Jones (inj), Chris Thompson (3RB), Rob

Kelley, Keith Marshall, Silas Redd, Mack Brown

FB: Joe Kerridge

WR: DeSean Jackson, Pierre Garcon, Jamison Crowder

(PR), Josh Doctson (inj), Ryan Grant, Rashad Ross (KR)

TE: Jordan Reed, Niles Paul, Vernon Davis, Logan

Paulsen, Derek Carrier (inj), Marcel Jensen

LT: Trent Williams, Ty Nsekhe

LG: Spencer Long, Shawn Lauvao, Arie Kouandijo

C: Kory Lichtensteiger, Austin Reiter, Josh LeRibeus

RG: Brandon Scherff, Takoby Cofield

RT: Morgan Moses

K: Dustin Hopkins

NT: Jerrell Powe, Kedric Golston, Matt Ioannidis, Chris

Bilukidi, Anthony Johnson

DE: Chris Baker, Ricky Jean-Francois, Ziggy Hood, Corey

Crawford, Stephen Paea, Kendall Reyes

ILB: Will Compton, Mason Foster, Su′a Cravens (SS), Perry

Riley, Carlos Fields Jr., Steven Daniels, Martrell

Spaight, Derrick Mathews

OLB: Ryan Kerrigan, Preston Smith, Terence

Garvin, Houston Bates, Trent Murphy, Junior Galette (inj)

CB: Josh Norman, Bashaud Breeland, Kendall

Fuller, Deshaun Phillips, Quinton Dunbar, Will

Blackmon, Greg Toler, Deshazor Everett, Lloyd

Carrington, Jeremy Harris, Cary Williams, Al Louis-Jean

S: DeAngelo Hall (FS), David Bruton (SS), Duke Ihenacho

(SS), Tevin Carter (SS/LB)