Stock Up

Players whose stock is on the rise.

Sam Bradford, St. Louis Rams (QB) – Threw well during his first start as a pro quarterback.

Bottom Line: Fans are not interested in seeing A. J. Feeley under center in St. Louis.  Bradford showed a good command of the offense and looked ready to go for the season opener.  Barring injury I cannot think of a reason why Bradford would not start the season opener.

Derek Anderson, Arizona Cardinals (QB) – Anderson will start the Cards’ third preseason game.

Bottom Line: It is a rather telling sign when the backup quarterback gets the call for the third preseason game which is generally seen as a “dress rehearsal” for the season opener.

Jermichael Finley, Green Bay Packers (TE) – Caught six more passes against Indy.

Bottom Line: Finley has been lights out in the preseason and there is a lot of buzz about him being one of the breakout fantasy stars this season.

Sammie Stroughter, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (WR) – Stroughter is expected to start this weekend at one of the receiver positions.

Bottom Line: It has been widely speculated that Arrelious Benn and Mike Williams would open the season as the top two guys, but it would appear that Strougher remains a favorite of head coach Raheem Morris.

Brandon Gibson/Danny Amendola (WR) – Gibson and Amendola combined to catch 9 passes Thursday.

Bottom Line: With Donnie Avery out for the foreseeable future Gibson and Amendola should benefit by moving up the depth chart and becoming the team’s two starting wide outs.

Stock Down

Players whose stock is on the decline.

Donnie Avery, St. Louis Rams (WR) – Avery went down in a heap during the game against New England and never returned.

Bottom Line: It was reported after the game that Avery suffered what appeared to be a significant knee injury.  Unless one hears otherwise owners should probably not count on Avery giving them any kind of significant numbers the first half of the season, if at all.

Matt Leinart, Arizona Cardinals (QB) – Leinart will be the #2 guy for the Cards third preseason game.

Bottom Line: It is never a good thing when the starter gets demoted to second string for the third preseason game.  Unless Anderson falls on his face this weekend Leinart is probably destined for the bench and his days in Arizona could be numbered.

Donald Brown, Indianapolis Colts (RB) – Ran for just six yards on five carries.

Bottom Line: Brown has run for just 25 yards on 14 carries and 13 of those yards came on one carry.

Stock Up

Players whose stock is on the rise.

Dez Bryant, Dallas Cowboys (WR) – Bryant had the walking boot removed and hopes to begin running again next week.

Bottom Line: This is good news for the Dallas offense as Bryant appears to be recovering sooner rather than later.  The initial diagnosis of his high ankle sprain had him potentially being out of action until September.  It sounds as though he might be able to get himself back in time for the team’s fourth or fifth preseason game and get some game time prior to the season opener.

Fred Taylor, New England Patriots (RB) – Ran for 54 yards on 11 carries including a 28-yard touchdown run in the first quarter.

Bottom Line: Taylor may be on the downside of his career but it looks like he has a little something left to give the Pats.

Wes Welker, New England Patriots (WR) – Caught a pair of passes against the Falcons.

Bottom Line: The fact that Welker is back on the field this soon is great news for the Patriots.  Barring a major set back this means Welker should be on the field week one.

Aaron Hernandez, New England Patriots (TE) – Hernandez grabbed four passes including one for a touchdown against the Falcons.

Bottom Line: Hernandez leads the Pats with 7 catches in the preseason and appears to be the #1 tight end on their depth chart right now.

Danny Amendola, St. Louis Rams (WR) – Amendola is reportedly turning some heads in Rams camp this summer and some are saying he has looked like the best guy out there at times.

Bottom Line: With no real established veteran receivers on the roster Amendola has as good of a chance as any to win a starting job this summer.  Keep an eye on him in the preseason games and see if he gets any time with the first offense.  He could end up being a good sleeper pick.

Stock Down

Antonio Bryant, Cincinnati Bengals (WR) – Bryant has been ruled out of this week’s preseason game against Philly and has yet to return to practice or resume running for that matter.

Bottom Line: With Jordan Shipley leading the team in receptions over the first two preseason games and making himself at home in the slot, Bryant’s days in Cincy appear to be numbered.  I have a hard time seeing the Bengals hanging onto him if he cannot even get himself onto the practice field within the next week or so.

Players whose stock is on the decline.

News & Notes From Around the League

The Giants have decided to hold Eli Manning out of this weekend’s game against the Steelers.  There is probably nothing to be worried about here and it is probably more of a precautionary move than anything else.  If this were a regular season game one can assume that Manning would probably be out there playing.

Jim Sorgi will miss the balance of the preseason due to a shoulder injury leaving the Giants with just two healthy quarterbacks, Rhett Bomar and Dominic Randolph, heading into this weekend’s game with the Steelers.

Look for Nate Davis to see some playing time with the first team offense at some point this preseason.  The Niners already know that David Carr is not a long term solution and they want to find out how much Davis has progressed since last summer.

Tim Tebow left practice early Wednesday with an undisclosed injury.  There are some reports saying he was wearing a flack jacket and that he is dealing with a rib injury.

Ramses Barden came away from Monday’s game with some lower back issues.  No word on whether the Giants intend on holding him out of this weekend’s game against Pittsburgh.

Kroy Biermann has recorded a sack in each of the Falcons two preseason games.

Joseph Addai has scored touchdowns in each of the Colts two preseason games.

Stock Up

Players whose stock is on the rise.

Ahmad Bradshaw, New York Giants (RB) – Yes, he only managed -1 yards on 3 carries Monday Night, but he took a broken pass play for 51 yards.

Bottom Line: There has been a lot of speculation this summer about Bradshaw being elevated to the #1 spot in New York.  He began the game as the starter and the Giants have to love his big play ability and versatility at the position.

Kareem Huggins, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (RB) – Ran for 55 yards on 8 carries against Miami.

Bottom Line: With Derrick Ward struggling and Huggins showing improvement this summer there is a lot of speculation that Huggins is going to end up ahead of Ward on the depth chart by the end of the summer.

Stock Down

Players whose stock is on the decline.

Brandon Jacobs, New York Giants (RB) – Jacobs ran for just 2 yards on 4 carries, but he did find the end zone.

Bottom Line: Jacobs claimed he was changing his running style so that he would not go down as easily as he did last year.  He did not show anything on Monday night to suggest that it is working.  He had just two one yard carries and two carries where he was stuffed at the line.

Sidney Rice, Minnesota Vikings (WR) – Rice has begun running and doing cardio drills but he has yet to return to practice.

Bottom Line: It is sounding like Rice will not see any preseason action and may be ready for the regular season.  Not good news for the Vikes if they end up with Tarvaris Jackson or Sage Rosenfels at QB this year.

Derrick Ward, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (RB) – Ward ran for just 20 yards on 12 carries versus the Dolphins over the weekend.

Bottom Line: There is some speculation that the Bucs are considering cutting Ward loose on the heels of a disappointing season and what has reportedly been a lackluster camp thus far.  The Bucs know they are still rebuilding and are not likely to contend this season.  Do not be surprised to see Ward cut loose in favor of Huggins to save the team some money.

Anthony Dixon, San Francisco 49ers (RB) – Dixon’s stock is back down on the heels of the Niners signing Brian Westbrook.

Bottom Line: With the retirement of Glen Coffee, Dixon was in line to be the primary backup to Frank Gore.  Westbrook changes all of that.  Dixon could still end up as the guy, however, as Westbrook still needs to prove on the field that he has anything left in the tank.

News & Notes From Around the League

Wes Welker did make the trip with the team to Atlanta but it is unknown whether he will participate in joint practices and whether he will play in Thursday’s game.  My guess is Belichick will wait until the third preseason game to get Welker some game action and see exactly where he is in terms of being ready for the opening game.

Ben Roethlisberger will play in the Steelers next preseason game, as to how much he will play, nobody is saying.  One would think that he is going to see some game action with the first team offense at some point this summer.

One should probably not read too much into Ramses Barden drawing a starting spot last night.  Yes, Barden has reportedly been one of the most improved players in camp this summer, but the Giants starting receivers are going to be Steve Smith and Hakeem Nicks unless one of them gets injured.  Mario Manningham, the other starter last season, will move to the slot this year and it did not make sense to start him on the outside when you are transitioning him to the slot this summer.

Bradshaw and Jacobs combined for just 1 yard on seven carries last night.

Do not jump on the Victor Cruz bandwagon just yet.  Yes, he had an eye-popping game last night, but what it ultimately means is Sinorice Moss’ job is in serious jeopardy this summer.  Cruz will likely end up the 4th or 5th receiver on the roster and be used as a kick returner in some fashion.

Stock Up

Players whose stock is on the rise.

Jake Delhomme, Cleveland Browns (QB) – Delhomme completed six of seven passes in the Browns preseason opener.

Bottom Line: The Browns need Delhomme to regain his confidence if they want to be competitive this season.  Completing six of seven is a good start for the veteran QB.  He is not going to be an elite QB but he can be a solid fantasy QB if he regains his mojo.

Arian Foster, Houston Texans (RB) – Foster ran the ball well going for 31 yards on four carries.

Bottom Line: With Ben Tate likely out for the year and Steve Slaton struggling against the Cards, Foster looks to be the early favorite to be the starting running back for the season opener.

Ryan Matthews, San Diego Chargers (RB) – Matthews ran for 50 yards on 9 carries in his Chargers debut.

Bottom Line: The Chargers are looking to Matthews to take up for LaDanian Tomlinson and re-energize the running game.

Jordan Shipley, Cincinnati Bengals (WR) – Caught five of six passes thrown his way for 50 yards.

Bottom Line: Seems to be solidifying his role as the team’s slot receiver.

Johnny Knox, Chicago Bears (WR) – The two passes that Jay Cutler completed were to Knox who caught a pair of passes for 47 yards.

Bottom Line: Knox has reportedly been the guy Culter has been targeting the most in camp this summer and the Bears believe he has the chops to be a number one receiver.

Devin Aromashodu, Chicago Bears (WR) – Aromashodu had the better overall game and caught 4 passes for 78 and a touchdowns.

Bottom Line: Aromashodu finished the season strong and looks to be picking up right where he left off this summer.

Brian Robiskie, Cleveland Browns (WR) – Robiskie caught three passes including a 13-yard touchdown catch.

Bottom Line: Aside from Mohammad Massaquoi the Browns depth chart at receiver is unsettled.  Cleveland is hoping Robiskie, who was a huge disappointment as a rookie last season, lives up to being a high second round pick.

Anthony Dixon, San Francisco 49ers (RB) – Dixon ran for 100 yards and a score on 21 carries.

Bottom Line: With Glen Coffee unexpectedly retiring the backup job behind Frank Gore is now Dixon’s to lose.  He probably will not see a ton of carries, but he could see 100 to 150 carries if the Niners are serious about limiting Gore’s touches to keep him fresh deep into the season.  He will definitely be the team’s goal line back.

Riley Cooper, Philadelphia Eagles (WR) – Cooper made a strong case for being the Eagles #3 receiver catching 3 passes for 61 yards including a 46-yarder.

Bottom Line: With Kevin Curtis being released and Reggie Brown traded to Tampa during the off season the #3 spot is up for grabs.  The Eagles took Cooper because they liked his size and athleticism but he could see more action if he shows a penchant for big plays.  He has reportedly been a pleasant surprise in camp this summer, so much so that they are talking about Hank Baskett’s days being numbered in Philly.

Troy Williamson, Jacksonville Jaguars (WR) – Williamson caught a pair of catches for 101 yards including a 73-yard touchdown strike from Josh McCown.

Bottom Line: Williamson won a starting job last summer only to lose it due to a season-ending shoulder injury early in the season.  He appears to be in the mix to take over for Tory Holt who was released over the off season.

Deon Butler/Mike Williams, Seattle Seahawks (WR) – Butler caught a pair of passes for 39 yards and Williams had a 51-yard TD catch.

Bottom Line: Butler and Williams had the two biggest plays for an offense that was devoid of big plays in the passing game last season.  Neither guy is likely to land a starting job but they could push for the #3 spot with strong summers.

Sammie Stroughter, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (WR) – Stroughter caught 3 passes for 33 yards including a 13-yard touchdown from Josh Freeman.

Bottom Line: Stroughter is thought to be in the mix with rookies Arrelious Benn and Mike Williams for one of the starting receiver jobs.

Devin Thomas, Washington Redskins (WR) – Thomas caught 3 passes for 64 yards including a 44-yard touchdown.

Bottom Line: Thomas is believed to be down to his last chance in D. C. and needs a strong summer to keep his job.  The receiving depth chart is wide open after Santana Moss and Thomas could work his way into the second or third spot on the depth chart with a strong summer.

Chad Hall, Philadelphia Eagles (WR) – The undrafted free agent a pair of passes for 60 yards, including one for 57, and ran for 22 yards.  He also looked solid as a return man.

Bottom Line: Hall is one of those type of players that Reid loves.  He played both running back and receiver in college and is lightning quick.  He is on the smallish side but is one of those guys that Reid can line up all over the field.  He likely will not be a guy whom the Eagles go out of their way to get the ball to, but he could be a guy who returns kicks and gets 8 to 10 touches a game just to see what he can do with the ball.

Stock Down

Players whose stock is on the decline.

Vince Young, Tennessee Titans (QB) – While Young did complete five of six passes for 78 yards in the two offensive series he played, he fumbled once and threw an interception.

Bottom Line: It is not a good sign to see him putting the ball on the ground and turning it over like that.

Alex Smith, San Francisco 49ers (QB) – Smith was 3 for 9 and threw an interception against Indianapolis.

Bottom Line: Mike Singletary will not hesitate to go with David Carr or Nate Davis if it looks like Smith is regressing again.

Trent Edwards, Buffalo Bills (QB) – Edwards completed just 6 of 12 passes and threw an interception.

Bottom Line: Edwards is currently seen as the starter, but Ryan Fitzpatrick and Brian Brohm are going to be given opportunities to win the job this summer.

Fred Jackson, Buffalo Bills (RB) – Jackson broke a bone in his hand against the Redskins and is expected to miss the next four to six weeks.

Bottom Line: He could end up missing the first couple of games due to the injury.

Ben Tate, Houston Texans (RB) – Tate suffered a severe ankle injury against the Cardinals and is thought to be lost for the season.

News and Notes From Around the League

There were some good and some bad with Michael Vick on Friday.  The good was he completed 11 of 17 passes and ran for 50 yards and a score.  The bad was he put the ball on the ground twice, losing one, and threw an interception in roughly two quarters of work.

Martell Mallett made a strong case for being the #3 back behind LeSean McCoy and Mike Bell in Philly.  Mallett ran for 60 yards and a score against Jacksonville.

The Jaguars did not even try to run the ball against Philadelphia calling just 8 running plays all night.  It seems like they are not too concerned about figuring out who might take some of the workload off of Maurice Jones-Drew’s shoulders this season.

The Redskins allowed a whopping 8.1 yards per carry to the Bills.  That came with Fred Jackson, C. J. Spiller, and Marshawn Lynch getting only 6 carries.

Colt McCoy threw two picks and suffered a sprained thumb when he hit his hand on a helmet following through on a pass.  The injury is not considered to be serious and could simply mean he starts the season as the emergency QB as opposed to possibly being the backup.  The Browns have no intent on starting McCoy this year anyway so it should not be a major set back in his development.

After completing just 9 of 19 passes and throwing three interceptions against the Niners on Sunday one begins to wonder how much longer Curtis Painter will have a job in Indianapolis.

Stock Up

Players  whose fantasy stock is on the rise.

Carolina Panthers Defense – Greg Hardy and Tyler Brayton combined for 4 sacks and 6 tackles-for-loss against the Ravens.

Bottom Line: There are huge question marks as to who was going to replace Julius Peppers’ productivity in the defense this summer.  Brayton and Hardy are both considered to be in the mix for starting DE jobs.

Mark Clayton, Baltimore Ravens (WR) – Clayton caught two of the three passes thrown his way including a 30-yard TD strike.

Bottom Line: Clayton is battling Donte’ Stallworth for the Ravens #3 receiver position and may have gained an edge with last night’s performance.

Ted Ginn, San Francisco 49ers (WR) – Alex Smith is reportedly finding a real comfort level with Ginn this summer and they seem to have found a rhythm that works.

Bottom Line: Given how things went for Ginn in Miami expectations are pretty low for him this season.  However, he still has game breaking speed and if he settles into the SF offense he could be a real fantasy sleeper this season.

Stock Down

Players whose fantasy stock is on the decline.

Roy E. Williams, Dallas Cowboys (WR) – Williams is still struggling in the Cowboys offense and has caught just one of six passes thrown his way during the Cowboys first two preseason games.

Bottom Line: Williams’ job is believed to be on the line this summer and it is widely assumed that Dez Bryant will end up being the starter at some point in time this season.  With Patrick Crayton playing better than Williams right now he is in danger of slipping down to 4th on the Cowboys depth chart.

Percy Harvin, Minnesota Vikings (WR) – Harvin has not been with the team since the end of July to deal with his grandmother’s death.  Now comes reports that he suffering from migraines again.

Bottom Line: Harvin is a game breaker for the Vikings and they need to get him in camp so they can get him into game shape.

Ben Tate, Houston Texans (RB) – Gary Kubiak made some pointed remarks about Tate skipping out on OTAs and still learning how to be a pro.  He appears to be in Kubiak’s doghouse for the time being.

Bottom Line: The Texans drafted Tate with the idea that he would push both Arian Foster and Steve Slaton for carries and would prove to be a more stable option at the RB position.  As it stands right now do not expect to see much of Tate on the field unless he just blows people away in preseason games.

Armanti Edwards, Carolina Panthers (WR) – Edwards caught just two of nine passes thrown his way last night.

Bottom Line: The Panthers are hoping Edwards can learn the position fast enough to be their slot receiver this season.  It looks as though he still has a ways to go and it may be a while until he does more than return kicks for Carolina.

News & Notes From Around the League

The Cowboys offensive line has not played well as of yet this summer.  The Dallas o-line has allowed 11 sacks and 15 tackles for loss in the first two exhibition games and the Cowboys running backs have rushed for just 125 on 45 carries, 2.78 yards per carry, thus far.

Cincy’s Antonio Bryant has yet resume running and there is no time table on when his knees might feel well enough for him to continue training and return to practice.

A MRI on Steve Smith’s (NYG) groin showed no significant damage meaning he should be back after a few more days of rest.

The Ravens and Panthers combined for 13 quarterbacks in their game Thursday.

Ravens rookie TE Ed Dickson caught a pair of passes for 26 yards against Carolina.

Ravens back Willis McGahee, who caught just 15 passes last season, caught four in Thursday’s game.

Beanie Wells will be held out Arizona’s preseason game this weekend as a precaution after the second year back suffered a rib injury in practice this week.

Rookie defensive tackle Lamarr Houston had a pair of sacks for the Oakland Raiders against Dallas on Thursday.

Stock Up

Players whose fantasy stock is on the rise.

Brandon LaFell, Carolina Panthers (WR) – As of Tuesday LaFell was working out with the first team offense.

Bottom Line: With Muhsin Muhammad retiring the Panthers are looking for another big receiver to take his place.  Dwayne Jarrett has never been the guy they thought he would and barring an injury or major regression one should expect LaFell to be the guy opposite Steve Smith when the season opens.

Pierre Garcon, Indianapolis Colts (WR) – Pierre Garcon was listed, along with Reggie Wayne, as a starting receiver on the Colts depth chart released this week.

Bottom Line: Nobody is going to see more balls thrown their way than Wayne and Dallas Clark, but being in the starting lineup ensures that he should see more balls than Anthony Gonzalez and Austin Collie.

Brandon Lloyd, Denver Broncos (WR) – Lloyd has been lining up as one of the Broncos starting receivers this week.

Bottom Line: It is hard to say whether Lloyd is a leading candidate for one of the starting jobs or whether he is out there due to rookies Eric Decker and Demaryious Thomas battling injuries.

Mike Thomas, Jacksonville Jaguars (WR) – Thomas reportedly is in the lead for the #2 receiver job opposite Mike Sims-Walker.

Bottom Line: Thomas generally catches whatever comes his way, but it remains to be seen whether he has the chops to be a play maker at receiver.  He was used largely as a possession guy last season and only averaged 9.4 yards per catch.  Keep an eye on how he performs in the preseason games this summer.

A. J. Feeley, St. Louis Rams (QB) – Feeley remains the starting QB in St. Louis.

Bottom Line: Don’t jump on Feeley as a starter just yet.  I still expect him to be “beaten” out by Bradford by the end of camp.  Keep an eye on how this plays out over the next couple of weeks.

Steve Johnson, Buffalo Bills (WR) – Johnson has reportedly emerged as the leading candidate as the other starting receiver opposite Lee Evans in Buffalo.

Bottom Line: Evans is really the only Bills receiver worth keeping an eye on right now.  With so many questions at quarterback and along the offensive line one should not expect much more than 50 or 60 catches from any Bills receiver this season.

Stock Down

Players whose fantasy stock is on the decline.

Willie Parker, Washington Redskins (RB) – Parker was listed as the #4 running back behind Ryan Torain on the Redskins’ initial depth chart.

Bottom Line: Parker seemingly has one foot out the door in Washington.  It seems unlikely Shanahan would have him taking up a roster spot when they could give that to a younger, less expensive back.

Sam Bradford, St. Louis Rams (QB) – Bradford is still the #2 quarterback on the depth chart behind A. J. Feeley

Bottom Line: I still expect that Bradford will “win” the starting job by the end of camp.

Sidney Rice, Minnesota Vikings (WR) – Rice has yet to hit the practice field for the Vikes as he rehabs a hip injury suffered in the NFC title game in January.

Bottom Line: Rice is targeting the first game of the year for his return even though his agent said he might be ready to go by the start of camp.  There is growing speculation that he is using this as a ploy to get more money without officially holding out from camp.

Austin Collie, Indianapolis Colts (WR) – Collie probably becomes the odd man out with Garcon holding a starting job.

Bottom Line: With Garcon being elevated up the depth chart I have a sneaking suspicion Collie becomes the guy who loses the bulk of his playing time to Anthony Gonzalez.

Dwayne Jarrett, Carolina Panthers (WR) – With LaFell moving up to the first team Jarrett could be looking for a new team by the end of the summer.

Bottom Line: Jarrett entered the camp as the starter by default and nobody really thought he was a serious threat to win the starting job this summer.

James Hardy, Buffalo Bills (WR) – Hardy has reportedly fallen behind Steve Johnson in the battle for the second starting receiver job.

Bottom Line: Hardy was considered the favorite to win the job entering camp.  Stay tuned though.

News & Notes From Around the League

Texans’ defensive end Mario Williams received some good news earlier this week after being told he would not need surgery on his ailing hip and just needs to more rest and treatment.

Giants safety Kenny Phillips returned to practice for the first time this year on Monday.  He saw only 12 snaps in practice and it remains to be seen how much the Giants plan on using him.

Falcons defensive end Jamaal Anderson, believed to be down to his last chance in Atlanta, has reportedly beefed up to 295 pounds and is having the best camp of his career.

Falcons top pick linebacker Sean Weatherspoon has been working out with the first team defense at the weakside linebacker spot which is where Mike Peterson lined up last season.

Packers top pick Bryan Bulaga has been seeing time at left guard with the first team offense this summer.  There is no official word as to whether this is a permanent move or if the Packers are just trying to figure out a position to get him on the field this season until Chad Clifton is ready to give up the starting job at LT.

Saints safety Darren Sharper has yet to practice and does not know when he will be able to make it back onto the playing field.  There is growing speculation that the Saints may move him to the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list to start the season.

Second year corner back Asher Allen was listed as the Vikings starter opposite Antoine Winfield on the team’s initial depth chart released this week.  He currently holds the edge over rookie Chris Cook and veteran Lito Sheppard.  If Sheppard loses out to either Cook or Allen one can expect he will be traded or released by the end of camp.

There is growing speculation that the Browns may end up moving top pick Joe Haden to safety as he has been a disappointment in camp and there are some serious questions as to whether he has the speed to play corner in the NFL.

The Bengals have signed running back James Johnson on the heels of Brian Leonard suffering a significant foot injury in Sunday’s game.  There is no word on how long Leonard will be out but there is speculation that he could miss some of, or possibly all of, the regular season.

Stock Up

Players whose fantasy stock is rising.

Arrelious Benn, Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Benn is reportedly impressing during his first camp with the Bucs displaying a penchant for making big plays.

Bottom Line: Fellow rookie Mike Williams has already been penciled in as one of the starters and it sounds like Benn is well on his way to becoming the other starter.

Harry Douglas, Atlanta Falcons – Douglas is expected to assume Michael Jenkins spot on the first team offense while he recovers from a shoulder injury.

Bottom Line: There were those who thought Douglas would push Jenkins for the job last summer prior to blowing his knee out.  Early reports have him out-performing Jenkins in the early going and one should not be surprised if Douglas is in the starting lineup to stay.

Jacoby Jones, Houston Texans – Jones is reportedly making a strong run at unseating Kevin Walter as the #2 receiver on the Texans’ depth chart.

Bottom Line: Keep an eye on this over the next couple of weeks.  Walter is a nice receiver but he does not have the explosiveness that Jones does and his ability to stretch the field makes him an attractive pairing with Andre Johnson.  At the very least Jones will see more snaps this season even if he does not unseat Walter as the starter.

Cincinnati Bengals Defense – The Bengals looked as though they might have some emerging pass rushers in Geno Atkins and Michael Johnson on Sunday.

Bottom Line: Cincinnati was a middle of the road team in terms of its pass rush last season and a significant boost in that arena makes them that much more attractive for fantasy owners.

Stock Down

Players whose fantasy stock is falling.

Michael Jenkins, Atlanta Falcons (WR) – Jenkins suffered a shoulder injury over the weekend and is expected to miss the next month or so and may not be ready for the season opener.

Bottom Line: Jenkins’ job as a starter could be in jeopardy as a result of this.  He has never done anything to endear himself in terms of his production to coaches or quarterbacks in Atlanta to warrant not losing his job due to injury.

News & Notes Around the League

Matt Jones led the Bengals with 3 catches and 42 yards in the HOF game Sunday giving him a leg up on Antonio Bryant, who was held out due to injury, for a roster spot with the Bengals.  Bryant and Jones are thought to be locked in a battle for one of the last roster spots at receiver this summer.

Rookie Jordan Shipley made his biggest impact on special teams with a 63 yard punt return and also caught a pair of passes for 17 yards.

Geno Atkins had a sack and 3 tackles-for-loss against Dallas and looked quick and explosive off the snap.

The Bengals are toying with some 3-4 looks with second year player Michael Johnson coming off the edge.  Johnson looked very comfortable in this role and got a lot of pressure on the quarterback Sunday and ended up with a pair of sacks, two TFLs and a pair of QB hits.  This coming from a guy who had just 3 sacks and no TFLs last season.  He looked much improved yesterday.

Jermaine Gresham, the Bengals’ top pick in the draft, was held to zero catches on Sunday.

The Cowboys still look like they have some issues with pass protection and being physical when they need to be down near the goal line.  When the Bengals dug in and came after Romo they did not seem to have too many problems doing so.  It looked as though teams who can bring pressure from the right side are going to have success against the Cowboys this season.

Tight ends Jason Phillips and Scott Sicko had strong games Sunday.  Phillips caught four balls for 60 yards while Sicko snagged five for 44.

The Broncos are reportedly looking to second year man Robert Ayers as Elvis Dumervil’s replacement for the time being.  Ayers has reportedly looked like a player hoping to redeem himself on the heels of a disappointing rookie season.

Joe Haden has yet to crack the starting lineup in Cleveland and is currently working as the team’s nickle back.

Rookie corner Chris Cook is reportedly pushing Lito Sheppard for the injured Cedric Griffin’s starting job in Minnesota.

Stock Up

Players and team defenses whose stock is on the rise.

Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers (QB) – While Ben will still miss the first few games due to suspension there is some traction taking hold for his suspension being reduced as Roger Goodell says Roethlisberger is doing more than just the bare minimum to get back sooner rather than later.

Bottom Line: He is still going to miss some games but it sounds as though there is a real possibility that his suspension will be four games rather than six.

Golden Tate, Seattle Seahawks (WR) – Tate has emerged as the early favorite to be the starting receiver opposite T. J. Houshmandzadeh.

Bottom Line: Matt Hasselbeck was raving about Tate’s ability to make plays and it sounds like he is developing a good rapport with the young receiver.

Deon Butler, Seattle Seahawks (WR) – It sounds as though Butler is making a strong case to be the ‘Hawks #3 receiver meaning he should see the field a lot more when Seattle goes to its 3-receiver sets.

Bottom Line: Seattle’s #3 receiver, Deion Branch, caught 45 balls last season.  Butler struggled quite a bit during his rookie year, but Coach Carroll seems intent on giving everyone a chance to win a starting job this summer and Butler seems to be making the most of it.

Stock Down

Players and team defenses whose stock is on the decline.

New York Jets Defense – Darrelle Revis seems intent on sitting out regular season games this season if he does not get the kind of deal he is looking for.

Bottom Line: The Jets will still be a solid defense but Revis’ absence means they will have to rely on rookie corner Kyle Wilson more than they had hoped they would have to.  Revis is a lock down corner whose presence allows the team to use more exotic blitzing schemes and stack the box.  The Jets will have to be more conservative defensively without Revis on the field.

Denver Broncos Defense – Elvis Dumervil was diagnosed with a torn pectoral muscle in practice earlier in the week and is expected to miss the next three or four months.

Bottom Line: Dumervil was the pass rush in Denver last season with 17 of the team’s 39 sacks.  He also led the team with 4 forced fumbles.  The defense was not exceptionally strong with him and will take a bit hit without him unless someone else steps up becomes that guy who can give them double digits in sacks this season.

Deion Branch, Seattle Seahawks (WR) – With Butler stepping up and making a run at the #3 spot it means a diminished role for Branch.

Bottom Line: If Branch loses his job to Butler expect him to be released as he has largely been a bust for the ‘Hawks and they would seem to want to wash their hands of him.

News & Notes

Dallas Defensive End Marcus Spears went out with a sprained knee Thursday and is expected to miss the next month or so.  The injury is not considered to be too serious and he could make it back in time for the seasons opener.

Jacksonville rookie defensive tackle D’Anthony Smith needs surgery on his Achilles tendon and is believed to be lost for the season.  Smith was expected to be in the Jags d-line rotation in the upcoming season.

The Broncos are reportedly entertaining the idea of bringing in Leonard Little and/or Aaron Schobel to fill in for Dumervil this season.

The Jets, Dolphins, Texans, and Patriots are also reportedly interested in Schobel’s services.

Louis Delmas will not need surgery for his injured groin, but still has not returned to practice.

Eagles receiver Jeremy Maclin joined DeSean Jackson on the sidelines when he suffered a hyper extended knee on Tuesday.  The good news is there was no structural damage and Maclin simply as a bone bruise as a result and should be back on the field in a few days.

The Bengals appear to be moving closer to cutting Antonio Bryant.  The consensus seems to be that they will give him a chance to show what he can do in a preseason game or two before making the final decision, but the fact that he is not practicing and has been ruled out of this weekend’s HOF game does not bode well for his future in Cincy.

With Correll Buckhalter and Knowshon Moreno nicked up and out of action for the time being the Broncos have cut Kolby Smith and are bringing LenDale White in for a trial run to see if he has anything to offer.

Carolina DE Charles Johnson reportedly lost 20 pounds over the off season and reported to camp in the best shape of his career.  There is currently a lot of buzz around he and fellow DE rookie Greg Hardy about how well they have looked in the early going.

Green Bay safety Atari Bigby will require surgery on his ankle and is out for the foreseeable future.  Rookie Morgan Burnett who is having a strong camp is expected to ascend to the starting strong safety position.

Stock Up

These are players whose stock is on the rise this week.

Tarvaris Jackson, Minnesota Vikings (QB) – With the news that Brett Favre is retiring Jackson is expected to be named the Vikings starting quarterback.  Jackson has shown flashes of what he can do but has never been able to put it all together over a 16 game season.

Bottom Line: Target Jackson as a potential backup on your fantasy team.  He is not worth throwing into a starting lineup until he proves he can get it done.

Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings (RB) – With Jackson under center this season look for the Vikings to go back to a more balanced offense that was roughly 50/50 in terms of passing and running plays as opposed to the 55/45 pass to run split they had last season.

Bottom Line: Peterson could go back to getting 350-plus carries again this season as the team will look to re-center the offense around him again.

Hakeem Nicks, New York Giants (WR) – Nicks has reportedly been Eli Manning’s favorite target in camp this summer, and has looked like their best receiver thus far.

Bottom Line: Nicks missed a lot of practice with injuries early on but once he got going last season he was a home run hitter for the Giants last season.  He has the skill set to be an elite receiver for the Giants.

Mike Williams, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (WR) – Williams is reportedly sitting atop the Bucs depth chart at the receiver position.

Bottom Line: With a young quarterback under center it makes sense to develop the younger talent they have at receiver with him.  The Bucs are still a couple of years away from being relevant again.  One should not expect big things from Bucs receivers this year though as Josh Freeman continues to learn on the job.

Wes Welker, New England Patriots (WR) – There is guarded optimism with Welker as he was cleared for practice over the weekend.  He is currently only participating in individual and agility drills and has yet to participate in any contact or passing drills with the first team offense.

Bottom Line: With Julian Edelman proving to be a competent replacement for Welker next season the Patriots will take their time with Welker and rush him back until they feel he is up to snuff.  Target him as a backup receiver for now with the hopes that he will back into the groove a couple of weeks into the season.

Gary Barnidge, Carolina Panthers (TE) – Barnidge has reportedly been the breakout star in Panthers’ camp thus far.

Bottom Line: The Panthers have been searching for a viable pass catching tight end since Wesley Walls left town after the ’02 season.  Barnidge has big play potential and could catch 50 to 60 balls this season if he continues to develop the way he has so far this summer.

Kenny Moore, Carolina Panthers (WR) – With Steve Smith out of the lineup as he rehabs from a broken arm Moore is getting reps with the first team along with Dwayne Jarrett.  Moore has reportedly been the better of the two in the early going.

Bottom Line: Wait and see on Moore.  He seems like more of a possession type of a receiver meaning he will probably not put up huge fantasy numbers for the Panthers who are likely to be a run-oriented offense with Matt Moore under center this season.  He could also be pushed by Brandon LaFell by the end of camp.

Stock Down

These are the guys whose stock is falling.

Sidney Rice, Minnesota Vikings (WR) – Rice has been battling a lingering hip injury that has caused him to miss practices.  His numbers are also likely to suffer a bit now that Favre will not be throwing him the ball next season and the team will likely look to run the ball a bit more than last season.

Bottom Line: Stay away from Rice until he gets back on the field and we see how much the Vikings plan on throwing the ball this season.  He should still have a good season but one should not count on him getting close to 80 catches and 1,300 yards again this season.

Mario Manningham, New York Giants (WR) – Hakeem Nicks has reportedly usurped Manningham as the other starting receiver opposite Steve Smith in New York.

Bottom Line: Manningham suffered from drops and lack of overall consistency last season, his numbers could slip a bit as he is transitioned to a slot receiver position.

Steve Smith, New York Giants (WR) – Hakeem Nicks has reportedly leap frogged both Mario Manningham and Smith to the top of the depth chart at receiver.

Bottom Line: Smith will still see his share of balls thrown his way simply because he has the best hands of all the receivers on the team.  One should lower their expectations on his output this season to where 75 to 80 catches and 950 to 1,000 yards seems more likely than the 107 catches and 1,220 yards he had last season.

Antonio Bryant, Cincinnati Bengals (WR) – Bryant’s surgically repaired knee has reportedly been giving him trouble this summer and he has already had to sit out parts of some practices because of it.

Bottom Line: The fact the Bengals have brought in Terrell Owens means they are probably not that interested in waiting to see if Bryant’s knee ever comes around.  Do not be surprised if Bryant is cut loose by the end of camp.

Dez Bryant, Dallas Cowboys (WR) – Bryant is expected to miss most of, if not all of, the remainder of camp with a high ankle sprain.

Bottom Line: He is still a good guy to go after, but one should not target him as their top receiver as he is unlikely to be conditioned to play a lot the first couple of games.

Trindon Holliday, Houston Texans (WR/RS) – Holliday is reportedly struggling as he transitions from the scat back role he played in college to a slot receiver position in the NFL.

Bottom Line: He was probably never going to do much more than return kicks this year anyway as he learns to play receiver in the NFL this season.

Dwayne Jarrett, Carolina Panthers (WR) – Jarrett has reportedly struggled to impress yet again this summer and may be down to his last chance with the presence of rookie Brandon LaFell.

Bottom Line: The Panthers had hoped Jarrett would have won the starting job from Muhsin Muhammad by now.  He opened camp as a starter by default and is being outplayed by Kenny Moore thus far.

Bills Defense – The Bills are reportedly set to release Aaron Schobel, who would rather retire than continue his career in Buffalo, rather than try and trade him.

Bottom Line: Schobel was the only guy who consistently got to the quarterback last season.  His departure means the Bills will be relying on Aaron Maybin, who disappointed as a rookie, to step in and be the top pass rusher this season.

Ravens Defense – The Ravens already weakened secondary suffered another blow this week when Dominique Foxworthy was lost for the season with an ACL injury.

Bottom Line: The Ravens are already facing the prospect of starting the season without All Pro safety Ed Reed and now they lose a guy who tied for the team lead in interceptions last season.

Broncos Backs Go Down

The Broncos lost both Knowshon Moreno and Correll Buckhalter on the first day of practice.  Moreno went down with what is being reported as a serious hamstring injury while Buckhalter simply tweaked his back.  Moreno could miss the balance of camp or close to it while Buckhalter is expected to be out a week or so.

Fantasy Impact: Buckhalter should be back on the field and unless this injury lingers throughout camp it should not be major issue for him.  Moreno is a slightly different story, but as long as he gets back by the time camp breaks he should have enough time to get ready to play in the opener.  Owners should keep a close eye on him though and may want to consider holding him out the first week.

Dez Bryant Injures Ankle

Dez Bryant went down with a high ankle sprain the other day and is expected to miss most of, if not all of, the balance of training camp.  It is thought that he will be cleared to get back on the field by the season opener, but it remains to be seen whether he can be in game shape by then.

Fantasy Impact: Bryant is still a guy worth targeting for fantasy football as the expectation was for him to emerge as the other starting receiver opposite Miles Austin.  Owners will simply have to be patient with him and not expect a lot the first two or three games as he works his way back into game shape.

Steve Slaton

Steve Slaton is reportedly ahead of schedule and is expected to be cleared for full contact any day now.  He also has reportedly looked good in what he has been allowed to do.

Fantasy Impact: Even though Slaton is closer to getting back on the field there is still a lot of doubt as to whether he is going to have a featured role this season.  Arian Foster enters camp as the starter after posting 216 yards and 3 touchdowns over the Texans last two games in ’09.  Rookie Ben Tate is expected to get a chance to win the starting job as well.  Stay away from Slaton until he wins the starting job back.

Bryant’s Future in Cincy

With Terrell Owens now a member of the Bengals there has been some speculation that Antonio Bryant will be knocked down to the #3 spot and line up in the slot giving the team a pretty impressive trio of Ocho, T. O., and Bryant but one should not hold their breath on that happening.

Bryant has been slowed in camp by his surgically repaired knee and the team has been less than impressed with what he has shown them this spring and into the summer.  Consider that if the Bengals were interested in that should of an alignment then they would have signed both guys when they had them in for interviews and workouts a couple of months ago.

Do not be surprised to see Bryant cut loose by the Bengals, doing so will save them $1.5 million and we all know how cash conscious the Bengals can be.

Fantasy Impact: Stay away from Bryant until he actually makes the roster coming out of camp.

McCluster and the Wildcat

The Chiefs have been tinkering extensively with Wildcat packages in camp with Dexter McCluster lining up as the Wildcat back under center.  The Chiefs see this as an opportunity to get McCluster the ball in his hands where he can run around and make something happen.

Fantasy Impact: This probably does little to change his status that much.  One would imagine the Chiefs are only going to run this formation a handful of times each game.  Given that Jamaal Charles and Thomas Jones are proven 1,000 yard backs they will still be the focus of the offense and running game.

Everette Brown Struggling

Everette Brown is reportedly being dominated on a routine basis by Jordan Gross in camp thus far.  It should be noted that Gross is one of the league’s best tackles so it is of no surprise that he is routinely beating Brown.  What is disconcerting for the Panthers is Gross is making it look easy and if Brown cannot at least challenge Gross is there any hope that he is going to be able to even beat decent tackles.  There is a lot of concern that he has not progressed at all since the end of last season.

Fantasy Impact: Brown was expected to fill the role vacated by Julius Peppers and the team was hoping he would be able to chip in 8 to 10 sacks this season.  If Brown cannot step it up this summer one should expect to see the Panthers sack numbers drop quite a bit this season.

Redskins Receivers

The Redskins are reportedly close to giving up on former second round draft picks Devin Thomas and Malcolm Kelly.  Both Thomas (34th) and Kelly (51st) were taken in the second round of the ’08 draft and neither has been able to crack the starting lineup or even look like they are close to doing so in their two years in the league.

Fantasy Impact: The ‘Skins currently have 13 receivers in camp and the only real certainty is that Santana Moss will be one of the starters so the team essentially has 12 guys competing for the other starting job.  Aside from Moss none of the Washington receivers are worth gambling on right now until we know who is even going to make the team.

The Owens deal comes as reports are going around that Antonio Bryant has been a bit of a disappointment to date and has not been quite up to snuff at the team’s mini-camps.

I like the pickup for the Bengals.  They need to find a good compliment to Chad Ochcocinco at wide receiver.  The Bengals essentially had Ocho and bunch of guys who would be the third or fourth receiver on other teams opposite him last season.  Ocho has been campaigning for Owens to come to Cincy since the end of the season and as we all know a happy Ocho is a productive Ocho.

There are some questions as to whether the egos of TO and Ocho can live together, but it should work.  Owens seems to have come to grips with the idea that he only has a year or two left and that he is no longer an elite player in the league.  Sure Ocho wants to get the ball, but he also desperately wants to win.  He knows that when the Bengals lose he is simply a loudmouthed receiver trying to get attention, but when they win he is one of the more colorful, fun-loving players in the league.

While Owens is not an elite player any more he is still capable of starting for most teams and should be one of the better #2 guys in the league.  There is no reason to think that he cannot give the Bengals 70 catches and 900 to 1,000 yards this season.

The Bengals need to throw the ball better if they want to defend their division crown and get past the wild card round of the playoffs this season and Owens should help them get one step closer to being the high-powered offense they were prior to Carson Palmer’s injury and the team losing the services of receivers like T. J. Houshmandzadeh and Chris Henry.

The rookie receiver refused to carry veteran receiver Roy Williams pads after practice on Sunday.  Bryant’s response was basically one of entitlement.  He said he was not here to carry someone’s pads and was here to play football.  While it is nice to hear him say he is just hear to play football, he is clearly missing the point here.

It is a rite of passage of sorts for rookies to be “hazed” in the NFL.  They are expected to do certain things to ingratiate themselves to veteran players.  Everyone in the league had to carry gear, pick up the tab at dinner, do errands for coaches, etc. when they were rookies.  Is it somewhat demeaning to make rookies do these types of things?  Sure it is but it is all in good fun and helps to built team chemistry.

By doing these things as a rookie, no matter who you are, one is showing they are not bigger and better than the team.  They are willing to do what it takes to fit in and make the team successful.  By refusing to carry a veteran’s pads does two things.  For one he is essentially telling his teammates that he is better than them and does not feel he needs to stoop down to their level.  Bryant got a rap for not being a good teammate and being a “diva” receiver and he is now showing those colors in all their glory.  He is not interested in playing nice with his new teammates.

Secondly, by doing this Bryant is only making things harder for himself down the road.  This ups the ante and he now has a big bulls-eye painted on his back.  He is opening himself up for more and potentially worse hazing than simply carrying some pads.  A veteran player has now been disrespected by a brash young rookie who is full of himself and needs to be made an example of and put in his place.

What potentially makes this an even more divisive situation is it pits Bryant, the new fan favorite and media darling in Dallas, against Williams who has been oft criticized by fans and media alike the past year-and-a-half.  Bryant is expected to go head-t0-head with Williams for the starting job this summer.  He is actually expected to take the starting job from Williams.

One cannot help but wonder how badly this may end for Bryant.  If he continues to stand his ground on things such as this he stands to alienate himself from his new teammates.  It could end up being another TO situation for the Cowboys.  They could potentially end up with a bunch of guys in the locker room standing up for Bryant and others standing up for Williams and the “code” of the locker room.

Ultimately, it comes as no surprise that Bryant is pulling this routine.  This is a guy who got nailed for lying about hanging out with Deion Sanders, someone he likely idolized growing up in Texas and a guy who showed up to watch Pac Man Jones work out for pro teams this spring.  It makes one wonder what kind of circles he is going to run with in the NFL.  Not to say the Deion is the same guy he was during his playing days but it seems as though he made an impression on Dez when he was a kid.

Tony Gonzalez, Atlanta Falcons – Caught one pass for 7 yards.  Until proven otherwise he is still the king.

Jason Witten, Dallas Cowboys – Made his lone reception count for an 8-yard touchdown.  Witten’s numbers could see a bump if Roy Williams and the receiving corps do not step it up with TO out of the picture.

Chris Cooley, Washington Redskins – Caught one pass for 11 yards.  Could a lack of performance by the ‘Skins offensive line cut into Cooley’s production if the team has to use its tight ends to sure up pass protection?

Dallas Clark, Indianapolis Colts – Was held out of Indy’s first preseason game as he works his way back from a concussion but is a possibility to play this week against Philly.

Antonio Gates, San Diego Chargers – Caught three balls for 17 yards versus Seattle.  When healthy he is one of the game’s best.

Kellen Winslow, Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Caught one pass for five yards.  With a lack of healthy receivers in Tampa Winslow should get a chance to shine if he can keep his mouth shut and out of the coach’s dog house.

Brent Celek, Philadelphia Eagles – Caught a pair of passes for 30 yards versus the Pats.  Celek suffered a shoulder injury but it is not thought to be serious and he should be good to go in time for the season opener.

Dustin Keller, New York Jets – Caught 3 passes for 52 yards against the Rams.  With the Jets beholden to an inexperienced starting quarterback and with Coles playing in Cincy this year keep an eye on Keller this summer.  Everyone knows a good pass-catching tight end can be a young quarterback’s best friend and the Jets are going to need an established pass catcher to step up in the passing game this season.

Jeremy Shockey, New Orleans Saints – Caught 3 passes for 66 yards including a 22-yard touchdown grab and another that went for 33 yards.  By all accounts Shockey is healthy and playing like he has something to prove this summer in camp.  If he stays healthy and focused Shockey could put up Pro Bowl caliber numbers this season in the Sean Payton’s pass-happy offense.

Owen Daniels, Houston Texans – Caught a pass for 9 yards.  Will he see fewer passes with the additions of two tight ends via the draft?

John Carlson, Seattle Seahawks – Caught a pass for 10 yards.  With a healthy group of wide outs he could conceivably see fewer passes, although, Mora was known to feature the tight end in Atlanta.

Greg Olsen, Chicago Bears – Did not play against the Bills.

Visanthe Shiancoe, Minnesota Vikings – Caught four passes for 55 yards against the Colts.  Will Shiancoe see as many balls come his way now that the more seasoned Brett Favre is going to be under center for the Vikes?

Zach Miller, Oakland Raiders – Did not catch any passes against Dallas.  Keep an eye on him this preseason.  His numbers could dip if some of their younger receivers develop this season.

Chase Coffman, Cincinnati Bengals – Caught 2 passes for 11 yards versus New Orleans.  With tight ends dropping like flies in camp Coffman is the starter by default right now.  The staff is happy with how he has progressed and he seems to be picking up something new every day in practice.

Todd Heap, Baltimore Ravens – Did not catch any passes against the Redskins.

L. J. Smith, Baltimore Ravens – Caught one pass for 35 yards.  With only one proven wide out in Baltimore Smith and fellow tight end Todd Heap should see their share of passes this season.

Chris Baker, New England Patriots – Baker caught 3 passes for 22 yards and a pair of scores against Philadelphia.  It is being rumored that with the strong camp Baker is having Ben Watson could be on the chopping block.

Anthony Fasano, Miami Dolphins – Did not catch any passes against the Jags.

Mercedes Lewis, Jacksonville Jaguars – Did not catch any balls versus Miami.

Heath Miller, Pittsburgh Steelers – Caught a pass for 3 yards in the preseason opener.  Miller is as talented a tight end as there is in the league but his numbers were limited due to poor offensive line play last season and the team needing him to help out in pass protection.  If the Steelers’ line does not step up this season Miller’s numbers could suffer again this season.

Bo Scaife, Tennessee Titans – Grabbed a pair of passes for 30 yards against the Bucs.  Scaife is still the starter but it is hard to overlook rookie Jared Cook who caught six balls for 56 yards.

Randy McMichael, St. Louis Rams – Caught two passes for 25 yards versus the Jets.  When healthy McMichael is one of the best pass-catching tight ends in the league, however, the Rams poor line play the past couple of years have limited their ability to utilize the tight end in the passing game.

Shawn Nelson, Buffalo Bills – Caught two passes for 8 yards and a touchdown and by all accounts is only a matter of time until his talent dictates he be a member of the first team offense.

Brandon Pettigrew, Detroit Lions – Was held out of the preseason opener as he works his way back from injury.

Vernon Davis, San Francisco 49ers – Caught a pair of passes for 41 yards against the Broncos.  Davis has all the physical tools to be great it is just a matter of staying focused and disciplined on the field.

Donald Lee, Green Bay Packers – Caught a pass for 19 yards.  The Pack does not generally feature its tight ends.

Robert Royal, Cleveland Browns – Caught two passes for 12 yards.

Desmond Clark, Chicago Bears – Caught a pass for 30 yards.  Olsen is expected to be the starter but Clark could see his share of action if none of the Bears receivers step it up in the early going.

Martellus Bennett, Dallas Cowboys – Caught two passes for eight yards in the season opener.  It is being reported that the Cowboys have been so impressed with Bennett’s development this summer that they are considering running their base offense from a two tight end set.  It is worth keeping an eye on this as Bennett would become a huge sleeper pick if it comes to fruition.

Dominique Byrd/Ben Patrick/Leonard Pope, Arizona Cardinals – Byrd caught 2 passes for 29 yards, Patrick snagged one for 17 yards, and Pope brought down one ball for 16 yards.  The Cards are basically having an open competition at the tight end spot after getting very little production from the position last season.  The only thing is Kurt Warner has never been one to throw to his tight ends very much so don’t expect a lot from Arizona’s tight ends whomever it ends up being.

Randy Moss, New England Patriots – Caught three passes for 54 yards agains the Eagles.

Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona Cardinals – Caught a pass for eight yards against Pittsburgh.

Steve Smith, Carolina Panthers – Did not play against the Giants due to a shoulder injury suffered in practice last week.  He is expected to be ready to go for the season opener though.

Reggie Wayne, Indianapolis Colts – Did not catch any passes against the Vikings.

Calvin Johnson, Detroit Lions – Did not catch any passes versus Atlanta.

Roddy White, Atlanta Falcons – Caught 3 passes for 29 yards against Detroit.

Greg Jennings, Green Bay Packers – Caught just one pass for 10 yards against the Browns.

Andre Johnson, Houston Texans – Caught a pass for 15 yards versus Kansas City.

Anquan Boldin, Arizona Cardinals – Caught 2 passes for 16 yards versus the Steelers.

Brandon Marshall, Denver Broncos – Did not play as he is still working his way back from off-season hip surgery but he is now re-iterating his stance that he either wants a new deal or wants to be traded.  The timing seems kind of curious since he was just exonerated in his pending court case over the weekend.  Keep an eye on this because if it blows up I have no doubt Josh McDaniel will not think twice about burying him on the bench.

Santana Moss, Washington Redskins – Did not catch any passes against the Ravens.

Chad Ochocinco, Cincinnati Bengals – Caught two passes for 73 yards including a 55-yarder.  I am starting to believe Ocho when he says he is re-dedicating himself to being the best receiver in the game.  If he stays healthy and focused during camp he will be worth taking a risk on.  If he starts making noise about his contract though then be leery about him.

Marques Colston, New Orleans Saints – Caught one pass for 14 yards against the Bengals.

Terrell Owens, Buffalo Bills – Did not play against the Bears due to a toe injury and is expected to be back on the practice field this week.

Braylon Edwards, Cleveland Browns – Edwards did not play as he just got back on the practice field for the Browns last week.

Dwayne Bowe, Kansas City Chiefs – Despite being demoted to the second string Bowe still caught five passes for 70 yards.  Surely Todd Haley will realize Bowe is his best receiver and he will be back in the starting lineup before long.  Right?

T. J. Houshmandzadeh, Seattle Seahawks – Caught a pass for five yards in limited action against San Diego.

Derrick Mason, Baltimore Ravens – Caught one pass for seven yards versus the Redskins.

Antonio Bryant, Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Is out for the rest of the pre-season with a knee injury and it is not known whether he will be ready for the start of the season.  Stay away from him until you know when he will be back in the lineup.

Wes Welker, New England Patriots – Did not catch any passes.

Steve Breaston, Arizona Cardinals – Caught 5 passes for 52 yards against Pittsburgh.  He suffered a knee injury that is not believed to be serious but he could miss the team’s next preseason game.  Breaston should be good to go by the season opener.

Eddie Royal, Denver Broncos – Caught 4 passes for 46 yards against the Niners.  Royal is currently considered the lead receiver by McDaniel and there have been reports about McDaniel’s desire to make him the focal point of the passing game this season.  His numbers could suffer with Kyle Orton as the quarterback though.

Vincent Jackson, San Diego Chargers – Caught one pass for 13 yards versus Seattle.

Donald Driver, Green Bay Packers – The ageless Driver made his only catch count for a 53-yard score.

Kevin Curtis, Philadelphia Eagles – Did not catch any passes.

DeSean Jackson, Philadelphia Eagles – Snagged one pass for 9 yards and ran one time for 9 yards versus New England.

Roy Williams, Dallas Cowboys – Caught a pass for 12 yards.  Williams is currently limited in practice with a wrist injury but it is not considered to be anything serious.

Santonio Holmes, Pittsburgh Steelers – Did not catch any passes.

Lee Evans, Buffalo Bills – Had a solid outing versus the Bears catching three passes for 54 yards.

Bernard Berrian, Minnesota Vikings – Berrian did not catch any passes versus the Colts and left the game with a hamstring injury.  Berrian has not practiced since injuring his hamstring and this is an injury worth keeping an eye on because if it lingers it could spill over into his regular season production.

Hines Ward, Pittsburgh Steelers – Caught two passes for 19 yards against the Cardinals.  Ward is still the #2 guy in Pittsburgh until proven otherwise.

Jerricho Cotchery, New York Jets – Caught a pass for nine yards against the Rams.  With Coles being traded to Cincy Cotchery is expected to step into the lead receiver role this season.

Anthony Gonzalez, Indianapolis Colts – Did not catch any passes against Minnesota.  Gonzalez still remains a good sleeper pick as he should see a significant increase in the number of balls thrown his way with Marvin Harrison out of the picture.

Ted Ginn, Jr., Miami Dolphins – Caught two passes for 26 yards against Jacksonville.

Hakeem Nicks, New York Giants – Caught one pass for 9 yards against Carolina.

Domenik Hixon, New York Giants – Caught a pair of balls for 23 yards.

Michael Crabtree, San Francisco 49ers – Still holding out of camp and the longer this drags on the less he is going to see the field at the beginning of the season.

Darrius Heyward-Bey, Oakland Raiders – Caught one pass for eight yards in limited action against the Cowboys.

Kenny Britt, Tennessee Titans – Impressed with a five catch 89-yard performance that included a 38-yard touchdown catch against the Bucs.

Donnie Avery, St. Louis Rams – Avery was expected to be the Rams top target this season but he is currently on the shelf with a foot injury and is not expected to be ready in time for the season opener.

Torry Holt, Jacksonville Jaguars – Caught one pass for 10 yards against Miami.

Troy Williamson, Jacksonville Jaguars – Caught 4 passes for 74 yards.

Chris Chambers, San Diego Chargers – Caught a pass for 4 yards.

Lance Moore, New Orleans Saints – Is just getting back on the practice field after re-habbing a shoulder injury suffered last spring.

Michael Jenkins, Atlanta Falcons – Caught one pass for two yards versus Detroit.

Kevin Walter, Houston Texans – Caught two passes for 16 yards.

Nate Burleson, Seattle Seahawks – Caught one pass for 12 yards.

Brian Robiskie, Cleveland Browns – Hauled in one throw for 15 yards. against Green Bay.

Mohamed Massaquoi, Cleveland Browns – Locked in a battle with Robiskie for the other starting job Massaqoui caught just one pass for six yards.

Patrick Crayton/Miles Austin, Dallas Cowboys – Neither did anything to solidify the #2 spot in last week’s contest.  Crayton had one carry for 12 yards and neither caught a pass.  Sam Hurd staked a claim to the #2 spot, however, by catching five passes for 79 yards.

Joey Galloway, New England Patriots – Did not catch any passes.  Galloway is still the favorite to be the #3 receiver in New England.

Laveranues Coles, Cincinnati Bengals – Caught a pair of passes for 23 yards.  He is still considered to be the other starter but I am not convinced he will be coming out of camp.

Chris Henry, Cincinnati Bengals – Caught seven passes for 100 yards and a touchdown against the Saints.  If Henry is healthy and focused on football he will likely overtake Coles on the depth chart.  Henry has the talent and size to be an elite receiver in the NFL he just cannot seem to stay out of the news for all of the wrong reasons.  If he has his life together this could be a huge year for Henry.

Isaac Bruce, San Francisco 49ers – As long as Crabtree is not in camp Bruce is the lead receiver for the Niners.

Devin Hester, Chicago Bears – Caught two passes for 22 yards against Buffalo and caught the ire of quarterback Jay Cutler for not breaking up an interception.

Earl Bennett, Chicago Bears – Caught one ball for six yards.  Bennett is still considered the favorite to start opposite Hester.

Brandon Stokely, Denver Broncos – Caught a pass for nine yards.  He is currently considered the other starting receiver and has reportedly become a favorite of McDaniel.

Devery Henderson/Robert Meachem, New Orleans Saints – Henderson did not catch any passes last week while Meachem caught 3 for 77 yards including a 64-yard scoring strike from Mark Brunell.  If this is a sign Meachem is becoming the receiver the Saints thought they were getting forget about Henderson seeing significant time and Meachem could end up in the starting line up if the Saints think he is reaching his potential.

Chansi Stuckey, New York Jets – Stuckey caught a pass for 5 yards and is expected to be the other starter opposite Cotchery.

David Clowney, New York Jets – Clowney caught 3 passes for 102 yards including a 50-yard bomb from Erik Ainge.  The Jets love Clowney’s speed and he could push Stuckey for the starter’s role.  At worst he is looking like the Jets #3 receiver.

Josh Morgan, San Francisco 49ers – Caught 2 passes for 23 yards and as long as Crabtree is holding out he remains a possibility as the starter opposite Bruce.

Bobby Wade, Minnesota Vikings – Caught a pass for six yards.  Do not expect much out of Wade who is going to lose receptions to Percy Harvin.

Antwaan Randle-El, Washington Redskins – Caught one pass for 15 yards against the Ravens.

Limas Sweed, Pittsburgh Steelers – Caught two passes for 56 yards against the Cardinals.  Sweed is thought to have the edge over Shaun McDonald in the battle for the third receiver spot.

Shaun McDonald, Pittsburgh Steelers – Caught six passes for 69 yards versus Arizona.

Michael Clayton, Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Clayton missed last week’s game with a minor injury and should be back on the field within the next few days.

Ronald Curry, St. Louis Rams – Caught two passes for 10 yards against the Jets.  With Donnie Avery and Tim Carter on the shelf for the time being Curry is going to get an opportunity to win a starting job.

Derrick Williams, Detroit Lions – Caught two passes for 35 yards and a touchdown against the Falcons.  With Bryant Johnson on the shelf Williams could get a shot at challenging for the other starting spot opposite Calvin Johnson.

Jeremy Maclin, Philadelphia Eagles – Caught two passes for 44 yards and had 121 return yards on special teams against the Pats.

Justin Harper, Baltimore Ravens – Caught four passes for 57 yards including a touchdown versus the Redskins.

Louis Murphy, Oakland Raiders – Caught two passes for 40 yards against the Cowboys.

Jason Avant, Philadelphia Eagles – Caught two passes for 35 yards against New England.

Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings – Carried the ball four times for 20 yards in limited action against the Colts.

Clinton Portis, Washington Redskins – Did not play against the Ravens.

Thomas Jones, New York Jets – Struggled against the Rams defensive front picking up just 13 yards on 9 carries.  He did score a touchdown though.

Matt Forte, Chicago Bears – Did not play against the Bills.

Michael Turner, Atlanta Falcons – Carried the ball six time for 63 yards including a 40-yard scoring run.  Turner is out to show he is not a one-hit wonder and so far so good.

Frank Gore, San Francisco 49ers – Did not see any game action against the Broncos.

Steve Slaton, Houston Texans – Carried just four times for seven yards in limited action versus the Chiefs.

Chris Johnson, Tennessee Titans – Had just seven yards on seven carries versus the Bucs.

Ryan Grant, Green Bay Packers – Ran for 28 yards on six carries including a two-yard touchdown run.  Grant is on a mission to prove he is one of the best backs in the game.  The reports coming out of camp on Grant have him looking good thus far.

Derrick Ward, Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Ran for just 9 yards on four carries versus the Packers.

Brian Westbrook, Philadelphia Eagles – Westbrook is just getting back on the practice field and is not expected to play in the preseason, but all accounts have him looking pretty spry in practice.

LaDanian Tomlinson, San Diego Chargers – Actually played in the Chargers game against the Seahawks picking up 10 yards on four carries and catching a pass for 8 yards.

Marion Barber, Dallas Cowboys – Ran the ball for 13 yards on four carries in limited action against the Raiders.

Willie Parker, Pittsburgh Steelers – Parker did not play against Arizona.

Steven Jackson, St. Louis Rams – Carried the ball twice for 15 yards against the Jets.

Larry Johnson, Kansas City Chiefs – Carried the ball four times for 12 yards versus the Texans.

Marshawn Lynch, Buffalo Bills – Ran 5 times for 16 yards  and caught three passes for 8 yards against the Bears.

Fred Taylor, New England Patriots – Taylor did not touch the ball in the preseason opener against Philadelphia.

Darren McFadden, Oakland Raiders – Carried the ball only 4 times but amassed 63 yards including a 45-yard scamper and caught a 9-yard pass as well.

Chris “Beanie” Wells, Arizona Cardinals – Wells, who is currently working his way back from an ankle injury, did not play against the Steelers.

Knowshon Moreno, Denver Broncos – The heir apparent to the starting job in Denver ran the ball three times for 18 yards but had to come out of the game with a sprained knee and is expected to miss the next couple of weeks .

Correll Buckhalter, Denver Broncos – Rand the ball four times picking up four yards.  He currently sits atop the Broncos depth chart at running back and is likely to stay there as long as Moreno is nursing his knee injury.

Kevin Smith, Detroit Lions – Rushed 3 times for 12 yards against the Falcons.

Cedric Benson, Cincinnati Bengals – Ground out 28 yards on 8 carries against the Saints.

Pierre Thomas, New Orleans Saints – Picked up 15 yards on four carries against the Bengals.

Julius Jones, Seattle Seahawks – Ran for 15 yards on four carries versus the Chargers.

LenDale White, Tennessee Titans – Had just six yards on three carries.

Jamal Lewis, Cleveland Browns – Managed just 17 yards on seven carries against the Packers.

Joseph Addai, Indianapolis Colts – Had two carries for 13 yards.

Donald Brown, Indianapolis Colts – Put Addai on notice with 58 yards on five carries including a long of 38.  The Colts took this kid for a reason with their top pick and if he keeps this up he will be taking a significant number of carries away from Addai.

Willis McGahee, Baltimore Ravens – Looked solid running the ball 4 times for 26 yards including a 16-yard scamper.

Ray Rice, Baltimore Ravens – Had a solid effort grinding out 22 yards on 5 carries and catching three balls for 38 yards.

Reggie Bush, New Orleans Saints – Ran for just five yards on three carries.

Darren Sproles, San Diego Chargers – Ran the ball four times for 11 yards and caught one pass for a yard versus the Seahawks.

Jerious Norwood, Atlanta Falcons – Norwood was solid carrying the ball 6 times for 26 yards against the Lions.

Felix Jones, Dallas Cowboys – Jones had one carry for 14 yards and caught a pass for another 9 yards.

Leon Washington, New York Jets – Carried the ball twice for 9 yards.

Chester Taylor, Minnesota Vikings – Ran for 31 yards and the game’s only touchdown with his four carries against Indy.  He also caught a 13-yard pass.

Dominic Rhodes, Buffalo Bills – Gained 12 yards on five carries including a 3-yard touchdown run.

Earnest Graham, Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Earned just 1 yard on four carries.

LeSean McCoy, Philadelphia Eagles – The rookie back was a bright spot for the Eagles on offense scampering for 55 yards on 10 carries and catching a pair of passes for 12 yards.  He looked every bit the back the Eagles thought they were getting when they drafted him.

Shonn Greene, New York Jets – Carried the ball 9 times for 45 yards including a long of 34.  There is some talk of Greene putting Jones and Washington on notice with his performance, but, take away the 34-yarder and he only had 11 yards on his 8 other carries.  Rex Ryan is going to want to see more consistency than that before he starts taking a significant number of touches away from Jones and Washington.

Ladell Betts, Washington Redskins – Struggled carrying the ball posting just seven yards on four carries.  He did catch a pass for 12 yards however.

Laurence Maroney, New England Patriots – Maroney keeps digging himself deeper into Belichick’s dog house each season and needs to have a strong camp if he wants to be one of the top two backs this season.  He picked up just 14 yards on six carries.

Antonio Pittman, St. Louis Rams – Turned in a solid effort running the ball four times for 36 yards including a 20-yard jaunt.

Rashard Mendenhall, Pittsburgh Steelers – Struggled against Arizona picking up just 24 yards on 9 carries

Tim Hightower, Arizona Cardinals – Carried the ball six times for 24 yards.  Hightower is not expected to see as many touches this year with the presence of Wells.

Sammy Morris, New England Patriots – Morris ran for 45 yards on 12 carries against the Eagles.  He is not expected to see as many carries as last season with Fred Taylor in the mix though.

Chris Brown, Houston Texans – Rushed for 25 yards on six carries including a touchdown run.  He also grabbed a pair of throws for 22 yards.

Brandon Jackson, Green Bay Packers – Ran the ball well against Cleveland picking up 41 yards on 8 carries.

Peyton Hillis, Denver Broncos – Hillis rumbled for 49 yards on 10 carries including a long of 14 yards.

Tashard Choice, Dallas Cowboys – Carried the ball 8 times for 29 yards and caught a pass for seven yards.

Michael Bush, Oakland Raiders – Bush carried the ball twice for 18 yards.

Justin Fargus, Oakland Raiders – Fargus carried the ball one time for a two yard gain.

Aaron Brown, Detroit Lions – Carried 6 times for 47 yards including a 32-yard touchdown run and caught a pair of passes for 51 yards including a 45-yard touchdown catch.

Glenn Coffee, San Francisco 49ers – Staked his claim to the #2 spot behind Gore by running for 67 yards on 14 carries.

Kory Sheets, San Francisco 49ers – Sheets also ran well against Denver racking up 51 yards on 10 carries.

Tyrrell Sutton, Green Bay Packers – Ran wild on the Browns to the tune of 91 yards on 16 carries and is now rumored to be in the mix for the backup job behind Grant.

Javon Ringer, Tennessee Titans – The rookie back ran for 51 yards on seven carries including a 36-yard touchdown.

Samko Gado, St. Louis Rams – Made a compelling case for being Steven Jackson’s backup with 93 yards on six carries including a 77-yard sprint to the end zone.

Ian Johnson, Minnesota Vikings – The un-drafted free agent out of Boise State rambled for 50 yards on 9 carries and caught a pass for 9 yards.

Keon Lattimore, Dallas Cowboys – The rookie runner ran well galloping to 55 yards on 11 carries and catching a pair of passes for 14 yards.  Lattimore is a long shot to make the Cowboys rotation at RB with the presence of Marion Barber, Felix Jones, and Tashard Choice.

Albert Young, Minnesota Vikings – Picked up 58 yards on 14 carries and caught three balls for 13 yards.

Gary Russell, Oakland Raiders – Carried the ball 11 times for 44 yards including a one-yard touchdown plunge.

Eldra Buckley, Philadelphia Eagles – Had sort of a mixed bag of a game he carried the ball 8 times for only 23 yards but the did score both of the Eagles touchdowns and was the game’s leading receiver with 6 catches for 56 yards.

Isaac Redman, Pittsburgh Steelers – Picked up only 32 yards on 10 carries but managed to score the Steelers only two touchdowns on the night.

Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints – Brees completed 6 of 9 passes for 88 yards including a touchdown strike to tight end Jeremy Shockey in about a quarter’s worth of action against the Bengals.

Kurt Warner, Arizona Cardinals – Completed 6 of 10 passes for 53 yards.

Peyton Manning, Indianapolis Colts – Played just one series completing 1 of 2 pass attempts for 6 yards.

Tom Brady, New England Patriots – Brady was sharp in his first game action since his knee injury completing 10 of 15 throws for 100 yards and a pair of scores.  He did throw one pick but played well overall.

Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers – Completed 5 of 10 passes for 102 yards including a 53-yard touchdown strike to Donald Driver.

Phillip Rivers, San Diego Chargers – Rivers was 5 of 8 for 26 yards in limited action.

Tony Romo, Dallas Cowboys – Romo completed 4 of 6 passes for 36 yards including a touchdown pitch to tight end Jason Witten.

Donovan McNabb, Philadelphia Eagles – McNabb was solid in his preseason debut completing 11 of 18 passes for 103 yards.  No need for concern and he still remains a solid fantasy play for this year.

Carson Palmer, Cincinnati Bengals – Palmer is being bumped up after completing 7 of 11 passes for 133 yards.  He is being bumped up mostly due to how well the receivers played this week.  Chris Henry really stepped up and Ochocinco looked like the old Ochocinco.

Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers – Completed 4 of 6 passes for 33 yards.

Jay Cutler, Chicago Bears – Struggled in his debut completing just 5 of 10 passes for 64 yards and an interception.  Nobody really stood out for the Bears in the passing game this week which is bad news if they think Cutler is going to get them to the next level.

Matt Schaub, Houston Texans – Schaub was sharp in the Texans’ preseason opener completing all seven of his pass attempts for 70 yards.

Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons – Was solid completing 5 of 7 passes for 33 yards.

Kerry Collins, Tennessee Titans – Collins was not sharp for the Titans completing just 4 of 9 passes and throwing a pair of picks against the Bucs.

Matt Cassell, Kansas City Chiefs – Played to mixed reviews completing just 2 of 5 passes for 15 yards.  Brodie Croyle was sharp but do not read too much into that as Cassell will have to lose the job rather than Croyle winning it at this point.  It just means that Croyle has the edge over Tyler Thigpen for the backup job.

Trent Edwards, Buffalo Bills – Was infinitely better in his second pre season game completing all 10 of his pass attempts for 79 yards even though Terrell Owens was out of the lineup.

Joe Flacco, Baltimore Ravens – With Derrick Mason back in the fold Flacco becomes a safer fantasy play and was relatively sharp against the Redskins completing 9 of 15 passes for 103 yards

Kyle Orton, Denver Broncos – Orton’s Denver debut was a big bust as he completed 9 of 16 passes for 89 yards and got picked off three times.  Backup Chris Simms played well completing 11 of 17 passes for 142 yards including a pair of scoring strikes.  If Orton does not step it up this week his spot could be in jeopardy if Simms continues to play well.

Matt Hasselbeck, Seattle Seahawks – Completed 3 of 5 passes for 27 yards and came out of the game healthy.

Jason Campbell, Washington Redskins – Played very little completing 3 of 6 passes for 38 yards.  Backup Todd Collins, however, was 8 of 11 for 70 yards.

Marc Bulger, St. Louis Rams – Completed all four of his pass attempts for 77 yards.

JaMarcus Russell, Oakland Raiders – Was as good as could be expected completing 6 of 9 passes for 50 yards.

Daunte Culpepper, Detroit Lions – Culpepper started the game for the Lions and completed 5 of 6 passes and 41 yards.

Matthew Stafford, Detroit Lions – Completed 7 of 14 passes for 114 yards and a touchdown.  He did throw a pick and was victimized by 3 dropped passes by Keary Colbert.

Drew Stanton, Detroit Lions – Stanton is not believed to be in the mix at starting quarterback for the Lions but he put up the best numbers of the three who played against the Falcons.  He completed 8 of 13 passes for 114 yards and a touchdown and led the Lions with 59 rushing yards.

Kellen Clemens, New York Jets – Started the game and completed all four of his pass attempts for 24 yards.

Mark Sanchez, New York Jets – Won over Jets fans by completing 3 of 4 passes for 88 yards and is slated to start the Jets next preseason game.  If Sanchez kills it against the Ravens look for him to be named the starter.

Erik Ainge, New York Jets – Ainge is not considered to be under consideration for the starting gig in New York but he completed 10 of 17 for 148 yards including a 50-yard scoring strike to David Clowney.

Brady Quinn/Derek Anderson, Cleveland Browns – Quinn was the better of the two completing 7 of 11 for 68 yards while Anderson missed on both of his attempts.  Each threw an interception as well.

Byron Leftwitch, Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Was not sharp completing just 6 of 14 passes but he did throw a 24-yard touchdown pass to Brian Clark.

Josh Freeman, Tampa Bay Buccaneers – The rookie completed 5 of 9 passes for 52 yards and an intercepti0n in his preseason debut.

Minnesota Vikings Quarterbacks – Sage Rosenfels started and completed 10 of 13 passes for 91 yards while Tarvaris Jackson was rather unimpressive going 7 of 15 for 39 yards.

Vince Young, Tennessee Titans – Young was sharp for the Titans completing 9 of 14 passes for 131 yards including a 37-yard touchdown throw to rookie Kenny Britt.  After this performance the backup job is probably now his to lose.

The Eagles lost yet another starter to injury as left guard Todd Herremans is not expected back on the field for the rest of camp due to a stress reaction in his foot.  Nick Cole will take over at left guard in Herremans’ stead.

Jon Runyan has been cleared to start running and working out on his surgically repaired knee.  With the injuries piling up along the Eagles offensive line do not be surprised if Runyan ends up re-signing with the Eagles before the season if his knee checks out okay.  The Eagles have never ruled out bringing him back in a back up role and Runyan has always remained open to playing another year in Philly when asked about it.

With so many teams adopting the Wildcat offense the Titans are reportedly tinkering with an offensive package that has Vince Young running plays out of the option.  It will be interesting to see if coach Fisher goes through with this as pro teams tend to stay away from the option because it exposes the quarterback to getting his bell rung and not having the wide field to run to like you do in college make it tougher to execute.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel is reporting that B. J. Raji has apparently skipped town after it was being reported that he was getting closer to signing a deal with the Packers.  He is rumored to be headed back to Boston to start working out on his own at Boston College where he played his college ball.  The Pack needs to get Raji signed, sealed, and delivered if they want to make a smooth, successful transition to the 3-4 defense this summer and he knows it.

Rick Cimini writes that if Mark Sanchez shows even the slightest glimmer that he can lead the offense in the first two preseason games tha he will be the Jets starting quarterback when the season starts.

Buffalo wide receiver Terrell Owens is day-to-day with a toe injury suffered during the Hall-of-Fame game Sunday evening.

Baltimore linebacker Terrell Suggs continues to miss practices as he rehabs an Achilles injury that is going to keep him from playing in the Ravens’ preseason opener.

The Houston Texans have lost linebacker Brian Cushing, their top draft pick, indefinitely with a knee injury.  This is a big blow to a Texans’ defense that was looking to Cushing to give the front seven a boost this season.

Indianapolis tight end Dallas Clark missed his third straight practice Wednesday and has been ruled out of the Colts upcoming preseason game due to a mild concussion suffered during Monday evening’s practice.  The injury is not considered to be serious and the Colts expect him back on the field by the beginning of next week.

The Bears have named Earl Bennett as the other starting wide receiver opposite Devin Hester on its first official depth chart released to the league this week.

Correll Buckhalter is number one on the Broncos depth chart at running back but it is till believed that it is only a matter of time until top pick Knowshon Moreno wins the starting job.

The Bills waived defensive back Dustin Fox a former third round pick of the Minnesota Vikings on Wednesday.

Carolina Panthers’ wide receiver Steve Smith went down with a shoulder injury Monday evening.  His agent says Smith is considering having a MRI done on the shoulder and will be out for at least two weeks.  This is potentially a huge blow to the Panthers if this carries over into the beginning of the season as their cupboard is pretty bare in terms of receivers after Smith.

The Panthers did get a bit of good news as middle linebacker Jon Beason returned to practice after tweaking a hamstring last week.  Thomas Davis, however, is still not participating in workouts as he nurses sprained knee.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers lost wideout Antonio Bryant for the remainder of training camp with a torn meniscus in his left knee.  He will have surgery to clean the knee out and is expected to be ready by the start of the season but one wonders how ready he will be to play.  This is bad news for the Bucs as he is the only established receiver they have that is remotely productive.  Fantasy owners should stay away from Bryant as a primary receiver for now until they see if and when he is going to be ready to play at 100%.

Apparently Dwayne Bowe has been demoted by head coach Todd Haley and was seen working out with the second and third team offense yesterday.  Not sure what the motivation is behind this but surely Haley does not believe the Chiefs are a better football team with Bowe on the sidelines.  After Larry Johnson he is the next best skill player they have.

The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports that rookie Mohamed Massaquoi is spending more and more time with the first team offense and may have the upper hand on the starting wide receiver job opposite Braylon Edwards when the season opens.

With Mark Simoneau out with a torn triceps muscle The Times Picayune in New Orleans is reporting the Saints are bringing free agent linebacker Derrick Brooks in for a workout.  While Brooks is clearly not an elite player any more he did have a solid season in 2008 and the Saints could do a lot worse.

Darrelle Revis, Kris Jenkins, Damien Woody, and Nick Mangold will all be held out of the Jets’ preseason opener against the Rams on Friday as they work their way back from minor injuries.

Seattle’s Lofa Tatupu missed practice for the second time in three days on Tuesday.

There were a few notes of interest coming out of last night’s Hall-of-Fame game.  My initial reaction was the Titans looked pretty crisp while the Bills looked like they had quite a bit of work to do.  For the Titans Kerry Collins looked sharp completing 7 of 10 passes as Jeff Fisher made it a point to highlight the passing game with the first team offense on the field.  Tight End Alge Crumpler looks like he still has a little something left making a couple of nice catches.  It looks like Fisher wants to line receiver Nate Washington up in different spots on the field to take advantage of his speed. 

There were a lot of eyes focusing on how Vince Young was going to do after all of the drama he has gone through the past year.  As has typically been the case with Young it was a mixed bag.  He threw an interception on a play where either the receiver ran the wrong route or Young threw the wrong route resulting in an interception.  Either way Young failed to recognize there was no receiver where he was throwing the ball.  However Young did recover to make a nice touchdown pass in the back of the end zone to Paul Williams.

There has been some talk that Patrick Ramsey could unseat Young as the backup quarterback and he did not do anything to hurt his case completing 8 of 10 passes for 72 yards.

Running back LenDale White looked svelte and ran the ball with some authority.  He looks a lot like the back we saw during his college days at USC.  But, aside from Chris Henry and Chris Johnson ripping off a couple of 16 yard runs the Titans did not run the ball particularly well averaging just 2.4 yards per carry.

There is not very much positive to say how the Bills played offensively as quarterback Trent Edwards air-mailed an interception where he missed the intended receiver by quite a bit.  Buffalo’s offense turned the ball over three times and failed to score a touchdown.  Second year back Xavier Omon played well racking up 61 yards of offense including a 13-yard run and a 16-yard reception.

The Eagles lost two more players to injury on Monday as backup quarterback Kevin Kolb went down with a sprained knee and starting defensive end Trent Cole suffered a sprained shoulder.  There is no word as to the extent of the injuries but it did not sound as though they were severe in nature.

The Saints came to terms with top pick Malcolm Jenkins on Monday.  Jenkins is expected to end up as the nickle back and possibly compete for a starting job.

The Indianpolis Star is reporting that star defensive back Marlin Jackson could come off the Physically-Unable-to-Perform list as early as this week.  This is good news for Colts fans as Jackson continues to work his way back from a torn ACL suffered last December.

Oakland receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey continues to battle a toe injury in camp and has been limited thus far.  The team says it is not serious but it has limited what he can do in practice thus far.

Brian Leonard appears to have won the backup running back job in Cincinnati behind Cedric Benson as his primary competition, Kenny Watson, was released Monday morning.

Rookie tight end Brandon Pettigrew remains questionable for the Lions’ pre-season debut against the Falcons this weekend as he works his way back from a thigh injury.  It does not sound as injury is significant and head coach Jim Schwartz is just being cautious.

According to The Journal News second year man Bryan Kehl has the early inside track for the starting weakside linebacker job for the Giants as Michael Boley rehabs from and injury and serves a league suspension.

The Falcons have signed Roddy White to a contract extension that reportedly makes him the second highest paid receiver in the league behind Arizona wideout Larry Fitzgerald.  This means fantasy owners can now take him off the be wary of list and add him to your stud list as he will have more than enough time to get into shape and ready to go for Atlanta’s season opener.  I am not entirely sold on the notion that White should be the second highest paid receiver in the game but the Falcons knew their hopes of making a deep postseason run were pretty dim without him on the field.

The Philadelphia Eagles got yet another dose of bad news Saturday when they found out that rookie tight end Cornelius Ingram will miss the season with what appears to be another ACL injury.  Results from a MRI taken on Saturday show that he tore the same ACL that he tore last summer while in college at the University of Florida.  Ingram was not expected to start this year but the team had high hopes of him making an impact in the red zone offense and the coaching staff was raving at how well he was melding into the offense.  This injury pushes Brent Celek’s fantasy value even higher than it was coming into camp.  PopPickle had targetted him for 50 to 60 catches this season but now he could hit 70 without another proven pass catching tight end on the roster.

Devin Hester will not be returning kicks this season hoping that it will give him more time and energy to focus on being a better wide receiver.  Danieal Manning will handle the kick off return duties while Hester still plans on returning punts.  Not returning kicks lowers Hester’s fantasy value as owners could typically count on a touchdown or two from kick returns and it does not help that he has yet to establish himself as a quality receiver in the league.

The Seahawks finally came to terms with top pick Aaron Curry on a deal worth up to $60 million over six years with $34 million of it guaranteed.  With Tyson Jackson coming to terms with the Chiefs that leaves Cincinnati’s Andre Smith as the highest draft pick holding out of camp and apparently the two sides are not even close to coming to terms.  The Cincinnati Enquirer reports the Bengals are offering Smith a deal worth $33 million which is over $5 million less than what the Raiders gave Darrius Heyward-Bey who was taken one spot after Smith.  Smith’s camp is reportedly asking for a little more than what Heyward-Bey which seems a legitmate request.  The rookie pay scale is typically slotted based on what the player before and after received and the Bengals are going to have to come up with a bit more if they want to sign Smith.

The Houston Chronicle is reporting that holdout Dunta Robinson will report to camp once the Texans agree not to use the franchise tag again on him next spring.  But it does not seem promising for Texans’ fans as management does not seem willing to budge on the matter and are sending Robinson mixed signals as they seem to be saying one thing and doing another.

The Cowboys are currently practicing without cornerbacks Michael Jenkins and Terrance Newman and there is a good chance that neither will play in the preseason opener against Oakland on Thursday.  Newman is battling a groin injury while Jenkins suffered a high ankle sprain on Saturday.  This is not good news for a Cowboys’ team whose secondary was a soft spot of the defense last season.

Pittsburgh running back Willie Parker sat out practice on Saturday due to back spasms but it is not considered to be serious just the typical aches and pains of getting back into playing shape.  Linebacker Lamar Woodley also missed his third consecutive day of practice but is expected to be back on the field Sunday.

Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Deion Branch made it back to practice Friday evening after sitting out practices Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday morning.