The month of July is drawing to a close and we welcome real football back later this week as the Broncos and Falcons face off in the Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio. As expected with training camps in full swing, there is a ton of news to cover, so let’s get to it.
Green Sidelined
The biggest story of the opening week of camp came from Cincinnati, where Bengals star WR A.J. Green suffered an ankle injury. Originally called a low ankle spring, an MRI revealed a more serious issue that will keep Green off the field for up to eight weeks. The good news is that even with torn ligaments in his ankle, Green will likely avoid surgery.
This will make WR Tyler Boyd, who signed a four-year, $43 million deal last week, the top option throughout training camp and any pre-season action the starters might see. This would’ve been a much-needed opportunity for WR John Ross to see an expanded role as well, but he also suffered an injury. The former first-rounder is expected to miss two weeks with a bad hamstring.
The next receivers on the depth chart include Cody Core, Alex Erickson, Josh Malone, and Auden Tate.
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Holdout Update
There has been little change with the quintet of NFL stars currently holding out in hopes for a trade or a better contract, or both. Cowboys RB Ezekiel Elliott is reportedly in Mexico while his teammates are in camp, forcing Dallas to sign veteran RB Alfred Morris to a contract. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones was also quoted as saying “you don’t need to have a rushing champion to win a Super Bowl.” This looks like it is going nowhere fast, though the reported deadline of August 6thremains for Elliott to report in order to accrue a year and maintain his schedule free agency.
OT Trent Williams has yet to report to Redskins training camp and according to CBS Sports’ Jason LaCanfora, Williams “does not intend to play for them again.” He also called the relationship between the two sides “totally fractured.” A trade seems most likely here but that will likely not happen until close to Week One of the regular season or even once the season has started. The Redskins have been using former Giants’ bust Ereck Flowers as Williams’ replacement.
There have been no updates regarding Chargers RB Melvin Gordon, Saints WR Michael Thomas or Jaguars DE Yannick Ngakoue as they each continue to holdout from their respective teams.
Training Camp Buzz
Eagles QB Carson Wentz and WR DeSean Jackson have formed a strong connection in early practices…Ravens WR Chris Moore has struggled to consistently catch the ball…Ravens TE Mark Andrews has been the “most dangerous and productive offensive player” at camp. Andrews has been pegged by many as a breakout candidate in his second season… Despite reports that rookie WR DK Metcalf would be no higher than fourth on the depth chart, he lined up alongside WR Tyler Lockett in Seattle’s two-receiver sets… Panthers OC Norv Turner said WR Curtis Samuel is “becoming an outstanding route runner.” This matches the excitement the fantasy community has had for Samuel over the offseason…Eagles RB Jordan Howard has been “dominating” first-team carries as he continues to be the strong favorite to land the starting job…Saints rookie WR Emmanuel Butler has been “turning heads” early in training camp…Ravens rookie WR Miles Boykin has drawn praise for his performance early in camp. Veteran WR Willie Snead compared him to Saints star WR Michael Thomas…Rookie RB Devin Singletary has received “a ton” of first-team snaps for the Bills…A Patriots beat writer called WR Maurice Harris the best wideout in camp by a “decent margin”.[[ad:athena]]
Injury Woes
The 49ers expect RB Jerick McKinnon (knee) to be activated from the PUP list soon…Tampa Bay placed S Orion Stewart (ACL) on the injured reserve…Titans rookie WR A.J. Brown has missed three straight practices with an undisclosed injury…Jets WR Jamison Crowder suffered a foot injury and will require an MRI. This is tough news for a player who missed a large portion of the 2018 season with injuries…Chiefs RB Damien Williams suffered a hamstring injury and missed practice on Monday…The Panthers activated WR Torrey Smith (knee) from the active/NFI list…Titans RB Derrick Henry suffered a lower leg injury that has kept him out of practice but the team is reportedly not worried…Oakland activated WR Antonio Brown from the active/NFI list…Bills rookie TE Dawson Knox suffered a hamstring injury and missed weekend practice…Ravens backup QB Robert Griffin III suffered a thumb injury that will keep him out of action for a few weeks.
Quick Hits
LaCanfora suggested that he doesn’t expect the Browns to trade disgruntled RB Duke Johnson until the “midseason deadline”…DT Robert Nkemdiche cleared waivers after being dumped by the Cardinals. He’s now a free agent…The Rams reportedly want to use rookie RB Darrell Henderson in a “Chris Thompson type” role…The Dolphins fired OL coach Pat Flaherty, replacing him with Dave DeGuglielmo…The Ravens signed QB Joe Callahan…The Saints released WR Cameron Meredith…The Lions released RB Theo Riddick and he is now considering joining either the Broncos or Saints…The Rams are expected to use the “veteran plan” for RB Todd Gurley, meaning he won’t see any pre-season action and will be given multiple practices off. This is no surprise based on what we’ve expected all offseason…The Chargers waived/injured WR Dylan Cantrell…Oakland waived 2018 pre-season star RB Chris Warren…Redskins HC Jay Gruden said WR Trey Quinn has the slot receiver job “locked down”…The Rams gave WR Robert Woods a raise, adding $1 million to his 2019 salary and an additional $2 million for 2020.
