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NFL Player News - Week of 7/18/16
Courtesy of Footballguys.com
DET - Three Detroit backs competing for spots Source: DetroitLions.com - Tim Twentyman
Detroit Lions RBs Zach Zenner, George Winn and Dwayne Washington will likely be competing with each other for two final roster spots.
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Zenner and Washington are the backs to watch here. As a rookie, Zenner showed plenty of power and a bit more burst than some expect. Washington is a former wide receiver who the Lions picked up as a seventh-round pick out of Washington. He's tall (6'2") and a powerful player with the long stride to eat up yards quickly in the open field.
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DET - RB Stevan Ridley the favorite for No. 3
Source: DetroitLions.com - Tim Twentyman
Detroit Lions RB Stevan Ridley seems to be the frontrunner for the No. 3 running back position behind RBs Ameer Abdullah and Theo Riddick, according to Tim Twentyman of detroitlions.com. Ridley would provide a change of pace from Abdullah and Riddick, but he'll still have to prove himself after missing most of the offseason with an undisclosed injury.
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Ridley has to be healthy in order to win the 'big' back job in Detroit. We like second-year pro Zach Zenner or rookie Dwayne Washington better. However, we understand that Ridley is going to get a chance to impress in camp. We'll see if he takes advantage of the opportunity.
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JAX - A timeshare in the Jacksonville backfield?
Source: The Florida Times-Union - Ryan O'Halloran
Jacksonville Jaguars RBs Chris Ivory and T.J. Yeldon could have close to an even split of playing time, in the opinion of The Florida Times-Union's Ryan O'Halloran.
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Fantasy owners need to navigate this situation correctly. In PPR leagues, Ivory is coming off the board first--but it's close. Ivory has a current ADP of RB33 (7.11) while Yeldon's ADP is RB36 (8.06) in 12-team PPR leagues. Yeldon flashed as a rookie last year, but he wore down as the season went on and only lasted 12 games. This year, the team will use a near 50/50 split to help keep both Yeldon and Ivory fresh. We see both as RB3-caliber backs in 2016.
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PIT - Pittsburgh may have two RBs in backfield
Source: Steelers.com - Mike Prisuta
Pittsburgh Steelers RB Le'Veon Bell said he believes there will be times that he and RB DeAngelo Williams will be on the field at the same time. 'There are definitely going to be packages where me and 'D-Lo' are going to be out there at the same time,' Bell said. 'I'm ready for that.'
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That's the smart thing to do. Williams is the backup, but he proved last year that he could still play at a high level and deserves to be on the field more than other reserve players. We still don't think that cuts too much into Bell's fantasy value, and he should easily be one of the first few players picked in every fantasy draft.
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JAX - QB Blake Bortles talks with other QBs
Source: The Florida Times-Union - Ryan O'Halloran
Jacksonville Jaguars QB Blake Bortles talked with Green Bay Packers QB Aaron Rodgers and Arizona Cardinals QB Carson Palmer this offseason to see how he could improve his play.
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That's a good sign for the young passer. He is only entering the third season of his pro career, and the Jaguars passing game is one of the most exciting units out there for fantasy owners. Bortles threw for 4,428 yards and 35 touchdown passes a year ago, and it will be interesting to see what he does for an encore this season. Reaching out to guys like Rodgers and Palmer can only help improve his game. Bortles has put up the numbers, but being more consistent is something he can definitely work on.
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NE - WR Julian Edelman feeling better
Source: Boston Herald - Chris Mason
New England Patriots WR Julian Edelman (foot) said his injured foot is feeling better but is not sure when he will be cleared to practice.
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Edelman has had two procedures on his foot since the last time we saw him on the field in Week 10 against the Giants. It's the Patriots, so Lord only knows when we'll actually know anything about this injury or Edleman's recovery or Edelman's availability. Keep an eye on his status as training camp goes on.
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NE - First-team reps for QB Tom Brady
Source: ESPNBoston.com - Mike Reiss
New England Patriots QB Tom Brady should still receive a good amount of first-team repetitions during training camp despite his four-game suspension. QB Jimmy Garoppolo could then take the majority of first-team reps once preseason ramps up, according to ESPNBoston.com's Mike Reiss.
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Brady may see limited time in the preseason, but the team needs to do everything they can to get Garoppolo ready. In college at Eastern Illinois, Garoppolo showed an incredibly quick release and accuracy on passes within 10 yards of the line of scrimmage. However, he did not play well under the slightest bit of pressure. It's going to be a trial by fire for the young QB, and teams like the Patriots Week 1 opponent (the Arizona Cardinals) are going to blitz him all day and dare Garoppolo to beat them with his arm. Good luck with that.
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LA - QB Nick Foles should be at camp
Source: Los Angeles Daily News - Vincent Bonsignore
Los Angeles Rams QB Nick Foles is expected to be present for training camp as the Rams wait for a quarterback vacancy or possible trade partner.
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With $8 million in dead money remaining, the Rams would be unlikely to cut Foles at this point. He stayed away from the team during minicamp and OTAs, but he should report to training camp to see if the Rams can trade him. Any sort of injury on another team could open the door for Foles. He does have plenty of starting experience, but his recent film is far from impressive. Some team would have to be desperate to even offer up a late-round pick for the veteran QB.
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IND - RB Frank Gore still motivated
Source: The Indianapolis Star - Stephen Holder
Indianapolis Colts RB Frank Gore uses critics to stay motivated at 33 years old. 'When I hear it, that's when I attack my training,' Gore said. 'When I'm tired, I tell myself what the people are saying about me.' Gore works out twice a day, adding football-specific field work to his usual workout involving speed, agility and strength training. Gore said working out more makes his mind stronger heading into training camp.
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Gore is one of the most consistent RBs in the NFL, and things should be no different this year. In fact, things could be better with QB Andrew Luck healthy and back in action. Plus, the Colts have an improved offensive line which should help keep Luck upright and help blast open holes for Gore. We see him as a safe RB3 with a bit of upside in 2016.
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DEN - WR Emmanuel Sanders the top priority
Source: The Denver Post - Nicki Jhabvala
Denver Broncos WR Emmanuel Sanders is now the top priority for Denver after signing LB Von Miller to a long-term deal. Sanders isn't worried, though, and is staying focused on football. 'I just sit back, work out and the rest will take care of itself,' Sanders said. Sanders has also stated that he wants to play for the Broncos for a long time.
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With Von Miller's contract out of the way, Sanders becomes the next Broncos player who should get a new deal. We think he'll be able to get something similar to the contracts signed by Doug Baldwin (Seahawks) and Allen Hurns (Jaguars) earlier this year. Something around four-years, $40 million sounds about right. We'll see if the two sides can get something done during camp or during the regular season before Sanders hits free agency next offseason.
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CAR - No worries about ILB Luke Kuechly
Source: Charlotte Observer - Joseph Person
Carolina Panthers LB Luke Kuechly (shoulder) is 'itching' to go, according to defensive coordinator Sean McDermott, and McDermott said Kuechly knows what he needs to do to be ready for the start of the season.
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Zero surprise here. Kuechly underwent the surgery on his shoulder back in February, and he'll be near full strength for Week 1 of the regular season. Even though he's 'itching' to go, we have a feeling the Panthers are going to be quite cautious with their superstar LB as they go through training camp and the preseason.
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NE - No deal close for three Patriots players
Source: ESPNBoston.com - Mike Reiss
New England Patriots LB Jamie Collins, LB Dont'a Hightower and CB Malcolm Butler are all entering the final year of their contracts, but none of the players appear close to a contract extension at this point.
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The Patriots have some interesting decisions to make in the future. We feel Butler may be the first to get a new long-term deal, but this is the Patriots and they move in mysterious ways. If Butler is done during the year, the team could then use the franchise tag on either Collins or Hightower.
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PHI - QB Carson Wentz likely to be Week 1 inactive
Source: NFL.com - Tyler Dragon
Philadelphia Eagles rookie QB Carson Wentz is expected to be inactive for Week 1 against the Cleveland Browns, according to head coach Doug Pederson.
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Wentz is in for a redshirt year this season. That's a good thing for the Eagles as they can then properly develop the talented rookie. Sam Bradford was overpaid this year for a reason--to start while Wentz gets up to speed in the NFL.
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CIN - OLB Dwight Freeney could be option for CIN
Source: The Cincinnati Enquirer - Paul Dehner Jr.
Free-agent DE/LB Dwight Freeney (Cardinals) could still receive interest from the Cincinnati Bengals leading up to training camp.
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Freeney has a few spots where he can fit in, and he's already had workouts with the Bengals and the Falcons. We could see the Cardinals bringing him back, and a team like the Buccaneers might want him as a sub-package player. The market isn't white-hot for his services, but Freeney does have enough interest to find a new home--perhaps sometime before training camp. Last year, Freeney was able to snare eight sacks (his most since 2011) while only playing 245 snaps in just 11 games.
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JAX - WR Rashad Greene the likely No. 3 WR
Source: The Florida Times-Union - Ryan O'Halloran
Jacksonville Jaguars WR Rashad Greene is expected to be the No. 3 wide receiver and play in the slot again behind WRs Allen Robinson and Allen Hurns, according to Ryan O'Halloran of The Florida Times-Union.
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The Jaguars passing game is an exciting one for fantasy owners, and we like Greene's skill set as the team's third WR. Coming out of Florida State, Greene showed the ability to get on top of a defense in a hurry...from the outside or as a speed slot. He's got the concentration to make difficult catches near the sideline, and Greene can haul in passes over the middle knowing he's going to get hit. He's a dynasty prospect we like monitoring, and he's a player re-draft owners should keep on the waiver wire speed dial in case of an injury above him on the depth chart.
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19. MIN - WR Laquon Treadwell to go over the middle
Source: Minneapolis Star Tribune - Matt Vensel
Minnesota Vikings WR Laquon Treadwell is expected to add a new element to the offense because he has the size and ability to run post routes over the middle.
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Treadwell is one of our favorite rookie WRs from this draft class. A good pro comparison for him is DeAndre Hopkins (Texans) because of his body control, agility and ability to make difficult catches seem routine. The rookie could be more physical against press coverage, but he's certainly physical with the ball in his hands. In 2015, Treadwell was 4th in the FBS with 185 receiving yards after first contact. The rookie can work underneath routes while Stefon Diggs and Jarius Wright stretch the field.
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Source: footballguys.com
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