Training Camp Update Volume 3, Issue 1 8/02/07
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- Bills Depth Chart QB
- Panthers Depth Chart QB
Ravens Depth Chart QB: Steve McNair, Kyle Boller, Troy Smith, Drew Olsen RB: Willis McGahee, Musa Smith, Mike Anderson, P.J. Daniels, Cory Ross, Greg Pruitt Jr. FB: Justin Green, Le'Ron McClain WR: Mark Clayton (PR), Derrick Mason, Demetrius Williams, Clarence Moore, Devard Darling, Yamon Figurs (KR/PR), Romby Bryant, Damien Linson, Matt Willis, Leo Bookman TE: Todd Heap, Daniel Wilcox, Quinn Sypniewski, Marcus Freeman, Kendrick Ballantyne K: Matt Stover, Rhys Lloyd, Brendan Carney DT: Kelly Gregg, Haloti Ngata, Justin Bannan, Dwan Edwards, Keyonta Marshall, Anthony Bryant, Atiyyah Ellison DE: Terrell Suggs, Trevor Pryce, Travis Leitko MLB: Ray Lewis, Mike Smith, Prescott Burgess OLB: Bart Scott (W), Jarrett Johnson (S/DE), Gary Stills (S/DE), Dan Cody (S) (inj), Antwan Barnes, Dennis Haley, Edgar Jones, Joe Martin, Jamar Enzor CB: Chris McAlister, Samari Rolle, Corey Ivy, Ronnie Prude, David Pittman, Evan Oglesby, Derrick Martin, B.J. Sams (KR/PR), Willie Gaston, Terrell Maze S: Ed Reed (FS), Dawan Landry (SS), Jamaine Winborn, Gerome Sapp, Donnie Johnson, Bobby Blackshire Buffalo Bills QB: Unlike last year, the Bills enter camp this year with a clear starter at QB in J.P. Losman. He showed considerable improvement in all areas last season and should benefit from playing a second consecutive season in the same system with the same coaching staff. After ranking 2nd last in the NFL in pass attempts last year, the Bills plan to open things up and feel that the upgrades up front will allow Losman to be even more successful. “We could open it up a little more,” Bills offensive coordinator Steve Fairchild said. “When you look at last year, we were trying to identify a starter and get experience at quarterback with a not solid situation up front. That made it difficult. Now we’re a little more well-equipped in those areas.” Losman missed the first day of training camp after tweaking his back while lifting weights earlier in the week, but he participated fully on Day 2 and showed plenty of zip and accuracy on his passes. According to Buffalo News writer Mark Gaughan, “Losman has put a buzz into the crowd with his throws.” He has been particularly effective on deep passes and has done a good job with play fakes and looking off defenders. At this point, there is quite a bit of optimism surrounding Losman and the Bills passing game. Craig Nall began camp as the #2 QB but he could be pushed by rookie Trent Edwards. Nall has a clear edge in experience and should be more comfortable in the offense having spent last year with the Bills, but the Bills clearly have high hopes for Edwards after spending a 3rd round pick on him. When Losman missed the first day of camp, Nall got the first reps in every drill but Edwards wound up with an almost an identical number of snaps. After several days of practices, neither player has been particularly impressive. Nall has looked rusty and although he was accurate on short and intermediate passes over the middle, he continues to struggle with his footwork and deeper throws to the outside. Edwards looked alright at times but was the least accurate of the QBs and generally looked uncomfortable in the pocket. There appears to be a huge dropoff from Losman to either of these players right now. RB: With Willis McGahee now playing in Baltimore, the Bills will begin the year with a new starter at RB. Although McGahee was a workhorse for them, it appears that head coach Dick Jauron would prefer to use a committee approach at the position. "Regardless of who the number one (back) is we do still intend to run the ball by committee," said Jauron. "We think it's better for our team over the long haul. A guy that gets overburdened carrying the ball constantly at that position will take so many more shots. We'd like to run it by committee and the guy that's the lead (back) will have to earn the right to be the lead." It is almost a certainty that rookie Marshawn Lynch will wind up with that feature back job at some point, but his performance in training camp and the preseason will likely determine how quickly that will happen. The coaches plan to ease him into the offense gradually so as not to overwhelm him, but he quickly showed some of the explosiveness that the Bills running game has lacked in recent years. "Sometimes in our running scheme he hits the corner when it's not really blocked perfectly and he's not supposed to do that, but he outruns everybody where you just have to start letting him do his thing," said Losman. "That's what he's good at. You can't over coach a guy like that. You just have to trust and realize that's how talented he is and just let him take over." Lynch also demonstrated his receiving ability on day 3 of practice when he finished with 5 receptions, including a big gainer over the middle when Losman hit him in stride. Given the Bills intentions to bring Lynch along slowly, Anthony Thomas has been taking many of the first team reps at RB early in camp. He is a reliable and proven player who the team feels very comfortable with but Lynch appears to be a better fit for the type of multi-dimensional offense the Bills hope to run this year. Both players figure to split carries during training camp and preseason. Rookie Dwayne Wright has been third in the RB rotation and although he is known as more of a power runner, he has impressed with his quickness early on. If he has a strong training camp, he could force his way into the committee and earn some regular season snaps as well. Josh Scobey figures to make the team as a 4th RB due to his contributions on special teams, so Shaud Williams and Fred Jackson will likely battle over a potential 5th RB roster spot. The team has no true fullback on the roster this year and plans to use tight ends as H-backs instead. WR: The Bills return basically the same group of WRs from a year ago, which should further help the offensive continuity. Lee Evans has clearly emerged as the focal point of the passing game and could join the league’s elite with another strong season. He has been very effective in camp early on and looks like he can beat any of the Bills cornerbacks pretty much whenever he wants. Peerless Price lined up opposite Evans with the first unit and figures to remain the starter again this season but he’ll likely be pushed by Josh Reed and Roscoe Parrish throughout training camp. Josh Reed has impressed as the slot WR and could steal some snaps from Price in 2-WR formations due to his superior blocking. Parrish has been lining up opposite Sam Aiken with the second unit and has made several big plays in camp so far. The Bills may try to get him more snaps with the top unit to take advantage of his big-play ability. The top-4 WRs appear to be locks to make the roster and Aiken has a big edge over the rest due to his contributions on special teams. If the Bills decide to keep a 6th WR this year, it will likely be Jonathan Smith who was recently claimed off waivers and has a strong track record as a special teams performer. There may not be enough leftover reps for any of the inexperienced free agents to make much of an impact. TE: The Bills hope to get a lot more production out of the TE position this season compared to years past and will employ a more versatile H-back in the offense instead of a true fullback. Robert Royal is the unquestioned starter at TE when healthy after a solid first season with the team. He hasn’t looked to be at full strength early in camp and that has opened up an opportunity for 3rd year pro Kevin Everett to get more reps with the first team. There has been a lot of positive buzz around Everett all offseason and he did nothing to discourage it while catching nearly everything thrown his way. He has made great strides in his route-running and understanding of the game and could provide a new dimension. Ryan Neufeld appeared to be taking 1st team snaps at the H-back position but he was followed closely by Brad Cieslak. This is one of the few offensive position battles to watch in Bills camp this year. Defense: While there is plenty of optimism surrounding the Bills offense this year, the defense has several question marks that will need to be resolved during training camp. There are as many as four CBs expected to compete for the starting spot vacated by Nate Clements. Jason Webster was signed in May and is the most experienced so he begins camp as the favorite. Kiwaukee Thomas also has starting experience but looks to be a better fit as the nickel back. Jabari Greer has potential but needs to be more consistent. Ashton Youboty is the wildcard to watch in this competition given the high hopes the team has for him after drafting him in the 3rd round a year ago. Another key situation to watch is at MLB where the team tries to replace veteran London Fletcher-Baker. Paul Posluszny is the heir apparent after the Bills traded up in round 2 to get him, but unheralded 2nd year player John DiGiorgio has been the most improved player in minicamps and looks like he won’t give up the spot without a fight. 2nd year player Keith Ellison is set to become a full-time starter at WLB this year and has been perhaps the Bills best defender in camp so far with some big interceptions and pass breakups. Finally, one of the most important players to watch this preseason is DT John McCargo, who the Bills traded up to get in the 1st round last year. He missed most of his rookie year to an injury but the team hopes he can make an impact and help improve the league’s 28th ranked run defense from a year ago. The Bills traded DT Darwin Walker to the Bears for an undisclosed draft pick after he refused to report due to a contract dispute. Special Teams: Rian Lindell has quietly emerged as a very good kicker. He’ll be busy in camp, as the Bills do not currently have a second kicker on the roster. CB Terrence McGee is the incumbent kickoff returner and is one of the best in the league. There was offseason speculation that his return role would be reduced or eliminated so that he could focus on defense, however early signs in camp are that he will continue as the primary KR. RB Josh Scobey, WR Jonathan Smith, RB Shaud Williams and RB Fred Jackson have also been handling kickoffs in practice. The usually reliable Scobey muffed two kicks the other day. Although Shaud Williams, Jonathan Smith, and DB Jim Leonhard will practice on punt returns, that job definitely belongs to WR Roscoe Parrish. Bills Depth Chart QB: J.P. Losman (PUP), Craig Nall, Trent Edwards, Kevin Eakin RB: Marshawn Lynch, Anthony Thomas, Dwayne Wright, Shaud Williams (3RB), Josh Scobey, Fred Jackson WR: Lee Evans, Peerless Price, Josh Reed, Roscoe Parrish (PR), Sam Aiken, Donovan Morgan, Scott Mayle, Jemalle Cornelius, Jonathan Smith, Justin Jenkins TE: Robert Royal, Kevin Everett, Matt Murphy, Ryan Neufeld (FB), Brad Cieslak (FB), Derek Schouman (FB) K: Rian Lindell, D.J. Fitzpatrick DT: Larry Tripplett, Kyle Williams, John McCargo, Tim Anderson, Jason Jefferson, Corey Mace DE: Aaron Schobel, Chris Kelsay, Ryan Denney, Anthony Hargrove, C.J. Ah You, Eric Powell, Ryan Neill MLB: Paul Posluszny, John DiGiorgio (S/M), Thaddeus Washington OLB: Angelo Crowell (S/M)(inj), Keith Ellison (W), Mario Haggan (W/M), Coy Wire (S/FS), Josh Stamer (S/W), Roy Manning (W), Kevin Harrison (W) CB: Terrence McGee (KR), Jason Webster, Kiwaukee Thomas, Jabari Greer, Ashton Youboty, Riley Swanson, Reggie Lewis, Eric Bassey S: Donte Whitner (SS), Ko Simpson (FS), George Wilson (SS), John Wendling (SS), Jim Leonhard (FS), Trevor Hooper (FS), John Sorto (FS) Carolina Panthers QB: The biggest Panther QB news this offseason was the acquisition of veteran David Carr from the Houston Texans. Carr was a tackling dummy for much of his tenure in Houston, facing intense pass rush pressure behind a leaky offensive line – it remains to be seen if he can overcome the bad habits he developed while ducking away (or, often, getting sacked) by multiple blitzers during his years in Houston. Jake Delhomme suffered ligament damage in his right thumb (throwing hand) last December, but returned to action in the season finale. Delhomme participated fully in the team’s early May mini-camp, commenting on the presence of new team-mate David Carr, “I’m probably my hardest critic. It’s not any different for me whatsoever.” It appears that Delhomme is on thin ice as of the start of training camp – the competition between he and Carr will play out as camp rolls along. Some good news for both Delhomme and Carr (whoever wins the starting job) – the Panthers are going to vary their snap count during games under new OC Jeff Davidson. "Our snap count isn’t on one every play anymore, so guys aren’t just going to just tee off on the same snap count over and over again," said veteran G Mike Wahle, adding, "You can minimize that as much as you want but that’s a big deal for offensive linemen. Keeping those guys (defensive players) guessing and the fact that we’re not coming off with the same drive block every time helps." RB: DeAngelo Williams and DeShaun Foster are fighting tooth and nail to headline the Panthers’ rushing attack. After one day of training camp, there hasn’t been a lot of discussion about the backs’ respective talents or their position on the depth chart. Foster signed a re-worked contract during the offseason that included $3.5 million in bonuses – based on the level of money expended on Foster; it appears the team wants to utilize both players during 2007. We’ll see who emerges as the superior ball carrier as camp goes along. Eric Shelton is the dark horse candidate in this race, but he hasn’t shown us much so far in his career (8 rushes for 23 yards last year). Williams, who posted 121/501/1 rushing and 33/313/1 receiving is a favorite of some fantasy owners this year, but he’s far from a sure bet to win the starting job outright. This dynamic needs to play itself out a little further before fantasy owners rush to add either Williams or Foster to their roster. WR: Steve Smith is excited about the upcoming season, "This year is going to be outstanding; I look forward to it. I set the goal high. I mean, I feel so good I want to reach 2,000 (receiving) yards this year.” “I wasn't 100 percent (all) of the season," Smith stated regarding last year's hamstring injury, "I didn't start feeling good until right before I went to the Pro Bowl and after the Pro Bowl. That's when I felt 100 percent." Fantasy owners dream about having a receiver who gains 2000 yards in a season...it's good to hear Smith is aiming high. 2nd-year WR Taye Biddle looked good on a sideline pass vs. CB Ken Lucas, who was left grasping air and watching Biddle burst down the sidelines. The big question mark for the Panthers regards the #2 WR position. Keary Colbert disappointed last year, so the team drafted Dwayne Jarrett to challenge for the starting job. Also in the mix is 3rd year man Drew Carter (he is technically a 4th-year guy, but sat out his rookie season during 2004 with a knee injury), who could be a legitimate “sleeper” candidate for 2007. Reports out of Charlotte indicate that Carter is faster than teammate Steve Smith, which is saying something. Fantasy owners will want to play close attention to the duel for #2 in Charlotte. TE: Jeff King started with the first team during Saturday’s initial practice. He's in a three-way battle with Michael Gaines and Dante Rosario for playing time in the Panther's attack - but don't get too excited. Panther TEs tend to be used as lead-blockers more than pass catchers. You don't get many fantasy points for pancake blocks in most leagues. King caught all of 1 pass for a TD last year, but appears poised to challenge for the starting job if Day One of camp is any indication. Defense: The Panthers opened training camp Saturday with stalwarts RDE Mike Rucker (rehabbing an ACL/MCL knee injury) and MLB Dan Morgan (head/repeat concussions) – but neither player was allowed contact. "That was one of my goals coming off the injury to be back out there on day one," Rucker said, "That means that I really had to hump it this offseason and I did that. I have been blessed to be in this position. In saying that, but it’s not over. We still have a long ways to go in the rehab. This is just one hurdle of many. But I’m ready to move to the next step." Stanley McClover subbed for Rucker, while Adam Seward stepped in for Morgan. Morgan is not afraid he’ll become a victim of post-concussion syndrome (despite his five career concussions). “It really doesn’t scare me,” Morgan said, “When I hear them talking it really doesn’t remind me of how I feel. If I was sitting there and forgetting things I was talking about, then it might concern me. But there hasn’t been a point where I’m forgetting where things are or I’m driving somewhere and I don’t know where I’m at. That stuff hasn’t happened to me. When I hear these guys (NFL veterans) talking about (their symptoms) it doesn’t sound like what I’ve gone through. So I’m not going to base how I feel on how they feel.” Seward is currently second on the depth charts at Footballguys.com, but he may well be #1 before too long given Morgan’s injury woes. Rookie LB Jon Beason is holding out of training camp as of press time, causing some concerns that he’ll be behind the learning curve and unable to step into the starting lineup. We’ll see how long his holdout continues. SS Mike Minter, who is retiring after this season, spoke about his aspirations for 2007, ”At the end of the day if I have a chance to write the story, we'll win the Super Bowl, I'll go to the Pro Bowl and then I'll go up on the (parade) float and we'll be all happy. That's the way I'll write the story." Special Teams: There is no big news regarding thirty-seven year old kicker John Kasay. He is however sporting a new youthful buzz haircut in camp. The camp leg will be provided by undrafted rookie Andrew Wellock out of Eastern Michigan. He actually is youthful. The kickoff returner role appears to be a three man race in camp: RB DeAngelo Williams vs. CB Richard Marshall vs. fourth round draft pick WR Ryne Robinson. The rookie Robinson had far more experience and success on punt returns in college at Miami of Ohio. The Panthers are hoping that success will carry over to the NFL, so that they don’t have to use WR Steve Smith or CB Chris Gamble in the punt returner role and let them focus on their primary jobs. Panthers Depth Chart QB: Jake Delhomme (inj), David Carr, Brett Basanez, Dalton Bell RB: DeAngelo Williams, DeShaun Foster, Eric Shelton, Nick Goings, Alex Haynes FB: Brad Hoover, Billy Latsko, Steven Jackson WR: Steve Smith, Drew Carter, Dwayne Jarrett, Keary Colbert, Taye Biddle, Kevin Youngblood, Ryne Robinson, Josh Davis, Justin McCullum, Chris Horn, Jahkeen Gilmore TE: Jeff King, Michael Gaines, Dante Rosario, Chad Upshaw K: John Kasay, Andrew Wellock DT: Ma'ake Kemoeatu, Kris Jenkins, Damione Lewis, Chad Lavalais, Kindal Moorehead, Stephen Williams, Brent Curvey DE: Julius Peppers, Mike Rucker (inj), Charles Johnson, Stanley McClover, Dave Ball, Otis Grigsby, Jason Hall, Rondell Biggs, Gary Gibson MLB: Dan Morgan (inj), Adam Seward OLB: Thomas Davis (S), Na'il Diggs (W) (inj), Jon Beason (W/M), James Anderson (W), Tim Shaw, Terrence Melton (W), Brandon Jamison, Philippe Gardent, Mickey Pementel CB: Chris Gamble (PR), Ken Lucas, Richard Marshall, Curtis Deloatch, Derrick Strait, Kevin Garrett, Dion Byrum (inj), Christian Morton S: Mike Minter (SS), Nate Salley (FS) , Deke Cooper, C.J. Wilson, Cam Newton, Quinton Teal Chicago Bears QB: After missing nearly two full years to injuries, Rex Grossman was finally able to stay healthy for an entire season last year and the Bears wound up going to the Super Bowl. While Grossman did play very well at times, there were many other games when he played terribly and the team wound up winning despite his poor play. The Bears are going to try and help him become a more consistent player beginning with this year’s training camp. "There is nothing drastic we have to do with him," Bears offensive coordinator Ron Turner said. "His mechanics were overall good last year and he had some good games. We just have to get him that way all the time." Head coach Lovie Smith stuck with Grossman last year despite his erratic play and hopes that will pay off this year, "Normally, once you've been in a system for a while, you get better at it. Most quarterbacks I've seen make a big improvement their second year as a starter and I think Rex will do that, too." This is also the last year of Grossman’s contract so if he struggles, he may not get another chance to be a starter. Early camp reports indicate that Grossman has looked very sharp, particularly out of the shotgun formation which the Bears plan to use more of this season. He’s done a good job of spreading the ball around and utilizing all the weapons available to him rather than locking on to one or two options, which is a good sign. While many fans and observers called for Brian Griese to replace Grossman last season, Lovie Smith never budged. Although Griese begins camp as the favorite to hold down the #2 QB job again, 3rd year pro Kyle Orton could pose a serious threat this year. Griese got off to a rough start in camp with two interceptions and a fumbled snap in his first practice. Orton, meanwhile, has worked hard during the offseason and looks to be much improved compared to a year ago. If Orton has a strong preseason, Griese could become expendable. Rookie Chris Leak was an undrafted free agent who won a national championship with Florida last year, but he’s a longshot to make the Bears roster unless a QB is injured or traded. RB: Thomas Jones was traded to the Jets this offseason after three successful years as the Bears starter. Taking his place will be 3rd year pro Cedric Benson who should finally get a chance to become the feature back he was expected to be when the Bears drafted him with the #4 overall pick. Benson will use the preseason to try and prove that he can be effective in the passing game (both catching and blocking) and to answer questions that remain about his durability. When asked what the area he most wanted to improve this year was, Benson joked, “Probably not taking so many hits.” Although Jones was productive as the starter, Benson could be a better fit for Ron Turner’s power offense. “He’s got really good vision and great acceleration to the hole,” Turner said. “He has a real good feel for being patient and setting up the blocks and then hitting it.” Benson had a strong start to training camp and could be poised for a big season if he can stay healthy. The backup job belongs to incumbent Adrian Peterson who has been around the team for a few years and has always been productive when given a chance to play. Peterson is a good all-around back who could easily step into the starting lineup if needed. He’s also a reliable blocker and a good receiver who should get first crack at a 3rd down role, but he’ll likely be pushed in training camp by rookie Garrett Wolfe. Wolfe is small at just 5’7”, but the Bears drafted him with the idea that he could be a threat in the passing game and as a change-of-pace runner. “Garrett gives us a different flavor back there,” running backs coach Tim Spencer said. “He's not the big, power run-you-over-type of guy. But he's stronger and more physical than what people think. If people want to make light of his size, they'll be surprised. He's tough as nails. He gets good leverage, obviously, because of his size. 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