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RB: C.J. Spiller didn't practice on Friday, but the Saints offered no reason for his absence (injury? family emergency? other?). In any case, Spiller and two-down runner Mark Ingram appear poised to play in a running-back-by-committee this season. Curiously, Khiry Robinson was listed as the #2 back behind Ingram on the Saints first depth chart; which either shows deference to Robinson as the incumbent or speaks to Spiller picking up the offense more slowly than we were hoping. WR: Marques Colston is Brees' number one target so far this preseason. At the Friday scrimmage, Brees led a touchdown drive mainly by connecting on two big throws to Colston. Colston, 32, missed almost all of OTAs and minicamp with an unspecified injury, but he gradually worked his way into full-team drills during the past week. Brees said throwing to Colston was, "like riding a bike... He's a stud. He's such a pro." However, Colston acknowledged after the scrimmage: "But just going into Year 10, physically I’m not the same as I was in 2006. With that comes some little nuances and just things I can do technique-wise that can make up for that." Head Coach Sean Payton said, "We have to be smart with where Marques is at. The reps are one thing, but making sure he’s getting into football shape... I think we’ll do a good job with some veteran players, he being one of them." Brandon Coleman has made an impression during the first week of training camp, and may be challenging Nick Toon for the #3 job. Coleman has "consistently looked good" early in camp, and is reportedly "separating himself from the pack." Brandin Cooks spoke about his aims for the 2015 season: "That's why I worked so hard throughout the offseason. That’s what I'm focused on, to be able to come in and help my team and ultimately be a dominant player like that." Senior assistant Dennis Allen said of Cooks, "...he’s going to create some real issues. I've been thoroughly impressed by what I've seen out of Brandin Cooks. I think he's primed to have a really good year." TE: Josh Hill has been sidelined for the past week with an undisclosed injury. His fantasy value has been overstated, and that viewpoint was confirmed when Ben Watson was listed as the starter in the Saints first depth chart. The NFL suspended Orson Charles one game for violating the league's personal conduct policy following his arrest last April for a road rage incident. In a related move, the Saints signed Alex Smith this week. Defense: Free safety Jairus Byrd (undisclosed injury) remains sidelined at camp. He is reportedly progressing, but isn't quite where he needs to be. "There's a progression to it," Head Coach Payton said of Byrd's recovery. "Land-based movements, walk-throughs... Fortunately there haven't been any setbacks, and I think that's encouraging." Delvin Breaux is apparently earning reps as the Saints' nickel/slot cornerback, and may be destined to make the 53-man roster. Breaux was one of the most impressive players at spring practices, according to local reports, and has maintained a significant lead on Kyle Wilson and rookie P.J. Williams. Coach Payton was not happy with the defense's execution during Friday's scrimmage. He referenced the Saints’ inability to get the proper players on the field defensively on several occasions, a problem that migrated from practices to the scrimmage. "We've got to be able to handle the substitutions better," he said. "That’s one thing, for sure. Those are detail things and those are things that’ll get corrected. It’s not a fine line. It’s a wide, bright line. It’s obvious. You can’t play in a game – it happened the other day in practice, we go three snaps in a row with 10 guys on the field defensively. We go out there today, we've got 12, we've got 12, we've got 10. That's got to be cleaned up. That's all of it, that's not just players." Cornerback Brandon Browner is optimistic: "I think we have the potential, but it’s so far away. It’s training camp. We’ll know midseason. I hope I have that same confidence in my guys midseason.” PK: Dustin Hopkins made his first 15 field goal attempts in practices to take the early lead over Zach Hocker in the kicker competition. Hopkins has also reportedly been better on kickoffs. While he hasn’t secured the job yet, Hopkins is the clear leader and it might his job to lose at this point. Saints Depth Chart QB: Drew Brees, Luke McCown, Garrett Grayson, Ryan Griffin RB: Mark Ingram, C.J. Spiller (KR), Khiry Robinson, Edwin Baker, Tim Hightower, Marcus Murphy (KR/PR) FB: Erik Loreg, Austin Johnson, Toben Opurum WR: Marques Colston, Brandin Cooks, Nick Toon, Brandon Coleman, Seantavius Jones, Willie Snead, Josh Morgan, Jalen Saunders, Joseph Morgan, R.J. Harris, Kyle Prater TE: Ben Watson, Josh Hill, Orson Charles, Kevin Brock, Alex Smith, Jack Tabb LT: Terron Armstead, Bryce Harris LG: Tim Lelito, Senio Kelemete C: Max Unger, Mike Brewster RG: Jahri Evans RT: Zach Strief, Andrus Peat, Nick Becton K: Dustin Hopkins, Zach Hocker NT: Brodrick Bunkley, John Jenkins, Lawrence Virgil, Tyeler Davison, Bobby Richardson, Ashaad Mabry, Kaleb Eulls DE: Cameron Jordan, Akiem Hicks, Kevin Williams, Tavaris Barnes ILB: David Hawthorne, Stephone Anthony, Dannell Ellerbe, Ramon Humber, Jerry Franklin, Henry Coley OLB: Anthony Spencer, Parys Haralson, Hau′Oli Kikaha, Ronald Powell, Davis Tull, Kasim Edebali, Markus Pierce-Brewster CB: Keenan Lewis, Brandon Browner, Delvin Breaux, Stanley Jean-Baptiste, Damian Swann, Kyle Wilson, Brian Dixon, P.J. Williams, Terrence Frederick S: Jairus Byrd (FS), Kenny Vaccaro (SS), Pierre Warren (FS),Rafael Bush (SS), Jamarca Sanford (SS), Vinnie Sunseri (SS),Kenny Phillips (FS) New York Giants QB: Eli Manning is coming off arguably his best season, thanks in no small part to offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo. Entering Year 2 of McAdoo’s offense could mean a career year for Manning and the Giants passing attack. The 2-time Super Bowl winner has looked sharp in camp, throwing very few interceptions in team drills. He attributes that to a better understanding of the system. “Just having a better plan, having a better understanding of where to go with the ball,” Manning said. “Not getting stuck in some bad situations (like) free blitzers. A little better understanding (of the offense). I think all those things play a factor.” There is no mystery to the Giants depth chart – Ryan Nassib is the #2 and Ricky Stanzi the #3. RB: Ask three different beat writers and you’ll get three different answers on which running back looks best. You would get three equally different answers about which running back looks the worst. In spite of mixed camp reports, the Giants first depth chart lists Rashad Jennings as the starter, Andre Williams as the backup and Shane Vereen as the 3rd back. We don’t want to make too much out of a preseason depth chart, but that does line up with the consensus view – and lends credence to the idea Vereen will be a limited contributor as a runner and more focused on his role as a 3rd-down specialist in obvious passing situations. WR: Victor Cruz was an uncertainty entering camp, but his progress thus far has exceeded even the most optimistic expectations. Cruz – recovering for a torn patellar tendon – surprised many by being cleared for the start of camp. The Giants listed Cruz as a co-starter alongside Odell Beckham and Rueben Randle on their first preseason depth chart. His reps have been limited, but he’s traveling with the team to Cincinnati and remains on track for goal of playing in Week One versus Dallas. "I see a guy that resembles the guy that was playing last year," Cruz said. "Still got that same pop, that same ability, that same lateral quickness of the line. So it's just a matter of building off of that. There's still a lot to work on, but I'm happy that the quickness is pretty much still there and I can still get upfield pretty quickly." Beckham has looked smooth in the first week, and made another jaw-dropping one-handed catch a few days ago. Tom Coughlin tried to downplay the theatrics, “Two hands, please," he said. "Two hands on the ball, thank you very much.” The forgotten man of this trio, Rueben Randle, has been impressive in his own right. Unfortunately, he came up lame on Tuesday’s joint practice with the Bengals, and was diagnosed with knee tendinitis. It’s unclear how this will impact his preseason and practice time. Dwayne Harris is the #4 and his role seems ensured, but the other spots are wide open; Corey Washington, Geremy Davis, Juron Criner and James Jones are all competing for those slots. TE: Larry Donnell is rehabbing from an Achilles injury, but remains on track for a full recovery. In his absence, the coaches have rotated Jerome Cunningham, Daniel Fells and Adrian Robinson with the first team offense. Fells has been the most impressive – in part because of his consistency. "... you know what you're getting with Daniel. You know he's going to be a consistent player, a consistent person, and a great leader in that room—being a veteran and having those guys to help them come along. Daniel makes the plays that are there to be made and then he impressed you every now and then by making one that you don't necessarily think he can make," said coach Gilbride. Defense: One of the biggest stories relates to someone who’s not at camp – Jason Pierre-Paul. There’s no official timeline for his return, but at least he and the team have opened a line of communication. New York plans on using a rotation at defense end comprised of Kerry Wynn, Owa Odighizuwa, Robert Ayers, Damontre Moore and George Selvie. The battle at safety has been a dead heat – with each of the four candidates routinely being shuffled in and out of the first team day by day. It’s rookie Landon Collins and 2nd year converted cornerback Bennett Jackson that have been most impressive. Not coincidentally, they’re listed as the starters on the Giants initial depth chart. PK: Josh Brown is facing a challenge from strong-legged youngster Chris Boswell. Neither Brown nor Boswell has done anything early in camp to suggest that Brown will be unseated this summer. Giants Depth Chart QB: Eli Manning, Ryan Nassib, Ricky Stanzi RB: Rashad Jennings, Shane Vereen (3RB), Andre Williams (SD), Orleans Darkwa, Akeem Hunt FB: Henry Hynoski, Nikita Whitlock WR: Odell Beckham Jr., Rueben Randle, Victor Cruz, James Jones,Corey Washington, Dwayne Harris (KR/PR), Preston Parker (PR), Geremy Davis, Juron Criner TE: , Larry Donnell, Daniel Fells, Adrien Robinson, Jerome Cunningham, Will Tye LT: Ereck Flowers, Will Beatty (inj), Marshall Newhouse LG: Geoff Schwartz, Brandon Mosley C: Weston Richburg, Dallas Reynolds RG: John Jerry, Troy Kropog, Adam Gettis RT: Justin Pugh, Eric Herman K: Josh Brown, Chris Boswell DT: Johnathan Hankins, Cullen Jenkins, Kenrick Ellis, Markus Kuhn, Jay Bromley, Dominique Hamilton DE: Jason Pierre-Paul (inj), Robert Ayers (inj), Damontre Moore, Owa Odighizuwa, George Selvie, Kerry Wynn, Jordan Stanton MLB: Jon Beason, Terrell Manning, Unai Unga, Cole Farrand OLB: Jameel McClain (S) (inj), Devon Kennard (W), Mark Herzlich (S), James Davidson (W), J.T. Thomas (W), Victor Butler (S) (susp) CB: Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Prince Amukamara, Trumaine McBride, Mike Harris, Jayron Hosley, Josh Gordy S: Landon Collins (SS), Nat Berhe (FS) (inj), Mykkele Thompson (FS), Cooper Taylor (FS), Chykie Brown (FS), Jeromy Miles, Bennett Jackson New York Jets QB: Years of frustration at quarterback seems to be wearing on Jets fans, some of whom soundly booed Geno Smith over the weekend at a Jets scrimmage, per Rich Cimini of ESPN.com. That comes despite an interception-free beginning to training camp and shows Smith has no margin for error when it comes to the fans. The question will be, how much room for mistakes does he have with new head coach Todd Bowles? "I think he's night and day from the spring, and from OTAs," Bowles said per NJ.com’s Darryl Slater. "Just the confidence he has with the offense, and the no hesitation thing. For the most part, I thought he's done a good job so far.” The ‘so far’ is the part to pay attention to. It’s an open competition, and Ryan Fitzpatrick was brought in to push Smith in the truest sense of the word. As Fitzpatrick is familiar with—and had success in—new offensive coordinator Chan Gailey’s offense, it wouldn’t take much for him to step in and at least hold the fort. Far behind both of them is rookie Bryce Petty. A raw player out of Baylor, Petty is slowly adjusting to NFL life, but is still far too raw to fight for the starting job. It will be interesting to follow Petty as he improves, as he should be a good fit for Gailey’s offense. Breaking news: LB IK Enemkpali broke Geno Smith’s jaw during a locker room dispute. Depending on how quickly he heels, Smith is expected to miss 6 to 8 weeks. The best case scenario could see Smith return by the end of September, but Smith could wind up on the injured reserve/designated to return list and miss the first eight weeks of the season. The Jets will turn to veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick during the interim with rookie Bryce Petty moving into the backup role. RB: According to ESPN.com’s Kieran Darcy, this could be Chris Ivory’s breakout year. There was some concern that, as he was a holdover from the previous regime, Ivory could get left out in the cold; especially as the new management brought in Stevan Ridley and Zac Stacy. However, Ridley is still on the PUP list as he recovers from an ACL/MCL injury and NJ.com’s Darryl Slater thinks Stacy won’t make the final roster as he expects them to keep just three backs (including cutting their only fullback, Tommy Bohanon). This somewhat flies in the face of ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini’s assertion that the team could keep four backs. At the end of the day, Ivory is currently the starter, with Stacy or Ridley as his backup and Bilal Powell as the change of pace back. Powell is a very good pass-catching back and he has the most versatility of the group, so there’s a good chance he survives any cuts, as Ridley and Stacy bring talents closer to what Ivory can do. WR: As ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini pointed out after Saturday’s Green and White scrimmage, Brandon Marshall ‘may not have the separation speed he once did, but the 31-year-old wide receiver will win more than his share of battles in tight coverage.’ He certainly seems to be making use of battling Antonio Cromartie and Darrelle Revis in camp, and he scored a pair of touchdowns in the scrimmage. He and Eric Decker make a very nice tandem for Geno Smith, assuming the quarterback can find a way to take advantage of them. Rookie Devin Smith is down for the count right now, after suffering what reports like NFL Network’s Andrew Siciliano say were three broken ribs and a punctured lung. Siciliano said that the timeline for recovery is 4-6 weeks, which means Smith will not join the Jets until a few weeks into the season at best. That’s likely to curtail any impact he was going to have, while keeping Jeremy Kerley in the mix on more than just special teams. The other big standout at wide receiver has been Quincy Enunwa, who Cimini has reported has seen time with the starters and made some nice catches. TE: The initial plan at tight end for the Jets seems to be to use Jace Amaro as a ‘move’ tight end, with Jeff Cumberland as a more traditional in-line tight end. Amaro has to show he can hold onto the ball. The hope is that, in addition to the effort he put into his blocking skills (or, as NJ.com’s Dom Consentino points out, lack thereof) he was able to improve upon his ability to hold onto the ball. Consentino pointed out that Pro Football Focus had Amaro with six drops, tied for fourth among tight ends. Head coach Todd Bowles is optimistic, "As a rookie, I don't think you get to catch it all. Your second year, you kind of get an idea. Jace is working really hard on his blocking and he's done some things in the passing game. You just want to see continued progress." Of course, that allows Cumberland to assist on the line to keep quarterback Geno Smith upright and clear the way for running backs. Defense: Lots of things are happening at once for the Jets defensively. In terms of good news, Antonio Cromartie and Darrelle Revis are back in house and appear to be in fine form. The Jets secondary should be a strength again this year, and so far in practices, they have been solid. Although nobody has managed to pick off Geno Smith yet, once the hitting starts, we should see more turnovers. On the bad news side, Sheldon Richardson is suspended for violating the NFL’s drug policy. Not long after telling ESPN Radio’s The Michael Kay Show in NY he ‘got it’ reports surfaced that Richardson had been arrested for speeding with a loaded gun and a minor in his car (per The Wall Street Journal). Muhammad Wilkerson continues to deal with a hamstring injury, but the team is likely just being cautious and once the fur starts flying in September, he should be fine. Both things have given rookie Leonard Williams a chance to shine, something the former USC Trojan is embracing. NJ.com’s Darryl Slater reports that Williams has not had a letdown so far in camp, and Coach Bowles is happy. "He's explosive," Bowles said Sunday per Slater. "I mean, we all knew that. He's explosive, but it's more than that playing down there. You have to read blocks, you have to understand double teams, and you have to sacrifice sometimes.” So far, Williams is playing well and making it easier for the Jets to overcome the loss of Richardson. PK: The Jets released Andrew Furney to make room for UDFA rookie wide receiver Austin Hill, leaving Nick Folk as the only kicker on the roster. Folk had a terrific scrimmage should be seen as entrenched in the Jets kicker job. Jets Depth Chart QB: Geno Smith (inj), Ryan Fitzpatrick, Bryce Petty RB: Chris Ivory, Bilal Powell (3RB), Stevan Ridley (inj), Zac Stacy, Daryl Richardson FB: Tommy Bohanon WR: Brandon Marshall, Eric Decker, Jeremy Kerley, Devin Smith (inj), Devier Posey, Chris Owusu, T.J. Graham, Quincy Enunwa, Saalim Hakim (KR), Shaq Evans, Austin Hill, Walt Powell TE: Jeff Cumberland, Kellen Davis, Jace Amaro, Wes Saxton, Steve Maneri, Zach Sudfeld (IR) |