Training Camp Rumors That Should Absolutely Catch Your Attention

Now that NFL training camps are in full swing and the first week of the preseason is underway, there are a variety of NFL rumors that are deserving of your utmost attention. 

The big news out of camps each year is typically injury updates, how the new additions to the teams are performing and which players will end up making the final roster. This year is no different, but with rosters expanded, things are even more interesting. 

There is a plethora of news pouring out of all 32 cities that host an NFL franchise, so figuring out what news or rumors is worth paying attention to can be a daunting task. As the 2012 NFL season inches closer, things will not get any easier. 

Here are a variety of NFL training camp rumors that are deserving of your attention as we inch closer to the 2012 NFL season: 

Ryan Tannehill Is Surging in Miami

David Garrard was listed as the Miami Dolphins' starting quarterback, but that could change in a hurry now that he needs knee surgery and rookie Ryan Tannehill has look great thus far. 

Tannehill has looked good in camp, but even better in live action. In his first preseason game, Tannehill went 14-of-21 for 167 yards and a touchdown. 

If he keeps performing like that, some believe he could be the starting quarterback when the regular season rolls around. 

Tannehill being named the starter certainly is not out of the question, but Garrard looks as if he can be back soon enough to still win the job. Either way, the Dolphins have a very good problem at the quarterback position this preseason. 

Key Cleveland Browns Players Missing Important Time

Things were beginning to look up for the Cleveland Browns. They had a new franchise quarterback in Brandon Weeden, a supposedly elite new running back in Trent Richardson, a returning borderline elite defense and new ownership that would breathe life into the franchise. 

Now things are spiraling out of control once again. 

We already knew about outstanding defensive tackle Phil Taylor tearing his pec and likely missing the season, but joining him on the bench will likely be elite cornerback Joe Haden and the aforementioned Richardson. 

Haden was reportedly busted for using Adderall for fun in Las Vegas and will likely face suspension. Richardson had to have surgery on his knee and could miss the remainder of the preseason. 

The duo is critical to success for the Browns in 2012. The absence of Haden will leave the defense exposed, and the lack of Richardson practicing could put him at a disadvantage when it comes to adapting to the NFL. 

Morris Claiborne Is Testing the Patience of Important Folks in Dallas

In the 2012 NFL draft the Dallas Cowboys manage to land the consensus highest-rated cornerback in the class, Morris Claiborne. However, he has yet to participate in anything significant as he recovers from injuries. 

Some, including Stephen Jones, want to see Claiborne, as he told the Dallas Morning News:

"

Mo Claiborne’s got to get out there, the times he’s been out there, it’s been impressive. But he certainly can’t make the club in the tub, if you will. He’s got to get out there. It’s time. We got to start having a mentality that we’re going to play through things.

"

There are exceptionally high expectations for Claiborne in Dallas, but rushing him back from injury, or asking him to play with one, may be a bit extreme. 

The last thing anyone in the Cowboys organization should want to do is rush Claiborne and have him injured even further. If Mo is unready to go, then he should not be out there. How the organization handles the situation from here will be something to watch. 

Quarterback Search in Arizona Isn't Close to Ending

Remember how the Miami Dolphins have a good problem at quarterback? The Arizona Cardinals are the exact opposite. Neither John Skelton nor Kevin Kolb have impressed in camp to this point.

To make matters worse, Skelton has looked horrid in the preseason so far, but Kolb has managed to outclass him with a 0.0 quarterback rating through two games. 

Head coach Ken Whisenhunt sounds like he is getting fed up with the situation, which is probably an appropriate reaction. 

The Cardinals have an elite defense to go along with exciting offensive skill players such as Larry Fitzgerald, but none of that matters if the two quarterbacks competing for the starting job cannot combine for a rating of over 50. 

Ryan Matthews Ready for Breakout Year Despite Devastating Injury

San Diego Chargers running back Ryan Matthews broke his clavicle recently, which will side line him between four to six weeks. 

Don't tell head coach Norv Turner that, he is reportedly still expecting a breakout year for Matthews in 2012. 

Turner's optimism is great, and Matthews has flashed potential to back up his expectations, but a broken clavicle is a serious injury. Matthews is not exactly known for his durability, so this may not be the only time in 2012 he misses time. 

Matthews could be back for the start of the season, but his health is worth closely watching. 

A Rookie Quarterback Is Turning Heads in Philadelphia

The Philadelphia Eagles selected Nick Foles out of Arizona in the third round of the 2012 NFL draft, and since then he has occupied the No. 3 spot on the depth chart behind Michael Vick and Mike Kafka. 

Now that Kafka has a broken hand, Foles could be on the way up the depth chart, and closer to a starting gig with the Eagles than most think. 

Foles has been impressing in camp and made a name for himself on the national level in his preseason NFL debut by throwing for 144 yards and two touchdowns. 

Given how fragile Vick has been over the years. the Foles era could be starting much sooner in Philadelphia than most had anticipated. 

Aldon Smith's Horrendous Offseason Has Continued into the Preseason

Aldon Smith recorded 14 sacks last year as a rookie and the San Francisco 49ers were hoping he could have an expanded role on the defense in 2012. 

Then the offseason happened. 

He was arrested for DUI and stabbed while caught in the middle of an altercation. The 49ers' organization was likely thrilled that training camp started so they could keep an eye on Smith, but his bad luck has continued. 

In his first preseason game this year Smith had to be carted off the field with a hip injury. He is reportedly fine, but no official word has come out yet.

This recent scare with Smith actually happened on the field, which is great news. However, this trend with Smith and the news surrounding him is certainly something to keep an eye on as we move forward.  

Cincinnati Bengals Could Be Without Starting Left Guard All Season

It's cliche, but the Cincinnati Bengals were dropping like flies during their first preseason game recently against the New York Jets. 

Among the notable injured were safety Taylor Mays, defensive end Carlos Dunlap, linebacker Rey Maualuga and offensive lineman Travelle Wharton. 

Wharton got the worst of it, as he is rumored to be out for the rest of the year with a serious knee injury. 

This is horrible news for a Bengals team that recently signed Wharton to be the new starting left guard. Add in the fact the team is starting a rookie, Kevin Zeitler, at right guard this season and the Bengals offensive line could be in some serious trouble. 

A positional group the Bengals had hoped would finally have some consistency hasn't survived the second week of training camp, and the remainder of camp will now be focused on finding a replacement and renewed chemistry and consistency. 

Dwayne Bowe Still Hasn't Shown Up in Kansas City—Or Has He?

Nothing is what it seems when it comes to news surrounding the Kansas City Chiefs' star wide receiver Dwayne Bowe. 

The only true piece of material anyone can confirm is that he was officially slapped with the franchise tag by the team—and he doesn't like it. 

A respected news outlet in Kansas City recently reported that Bowe had agreed to end his holdout. That report was then later reported to be false. 

So in other words—no one really knows. 

The Chiefs are likely unable to make a push for the postseason in 2012 without their No. 1 receiver, so regardless of the numerous "reports" floating around, both parties need to come to an agreement or they will both suffer. 

Disconnect Between Jacksonville Jaguars Players and Head Coach Possibly Brewing

The Jacksonville Jaguars are having a bit of a disagreement with star running back Maurice Jones-Drew. MJD is holding out for a bigger contract after being the best at his position in the NFL last year, but the organization isn't budging. 

New head coach Mike Mularkey has made it clear the rumored "rifts" in his locker room over the situation don't actually exist. 

Said rifts were supposedly created as players on the roster took sides with the organization or Jones-Drew. Although Mularkey has little to no say in whether or not MJD gets a new deal, some have implicated him. 

The problem with rumors such as these is that, regardless of validity, they can actually cause divides in locker rooms on their own. How the Jaguars respond to this situation is something to keep a close eye on. 

Cedric Benson Close to Joining...the Green Bay Packers?

The Green Bay Packers realized after one preseason game they need to upgrade their backfield, regardless of how much running the team actually does in 2012. 

To remedy the situation, the Packers are reportedly bringing in ex-Cincinnati Bengals running back Cedric Benson (h/t Chris Mortensen).

Benson, the same player who repeatedly publicly criticized Bengals' coaches for not giving him the ball more, will now join one of the greatest sports franchises in history. 

On the field Benson is known as a power runner, but struggled mightily last season with ball protection and actually converting in short-yardage situations.

He excelled as a pass-blocker, so maybe the Packers front office is looking past the character concerns in the hopes that he can better protect Aaron Rodgers than anyone else currently on the roster. 

Plaxico Burress Says He Can Be Dominant Again, and Could Be a Dallas Cowboy

Plaxico Buress has yet to find an NFL home for the 2012 season, but he reportedly believe he can be a dominant receiver in the NFL once again at the ripe age of 34, as he told KILT in Houston (h/t ProFootballTalk):

"

[F]or me to go out and do some of the things I was able to do last year, being away from the game for two years, I kind of thought that was enough to set myself up leading up to this year, to have an even better year,” Burress said, via SportsRadioInterviews.com.  “The crazy thing about it is nobody’s even see me or seen the kind of shape that I’m in.  I just want to get out on the football field and get back to dominating my position and everybody’s just going to go, ‘Wow.’

"

Burress has been rumored to be involved with several teams, but mostly the Dallas Cowboys. 

Burress was not overly impressive last season with the New York Jets, but if NFL teams are kicking the tires on Chad Johnson and Terrell Owens, why not Burress? 

Mike Wallace Situation Could Be Close to Ending in Pittsburgh

Mike Wallace has refused to join the Pittsburgh Steelers thus far in the preseason because he is unhappy with the $2.7 million tender the team slapped on him this offseason. 

Despite this looking like it could develop into a lengthy contract dispute, at least one person close to Wallace believes the situation is very close to ending. 

This is nothing but great news for the Steelers, even if they did just lock up another big name at receiver long term in Antonio Brown. 

Even better is the news from the same camp claiming Wallace is as fast as ever and in great football shape. If Wallace returns, great. If he is in great shape, then the sky is the limit for the Steelers offense in 2012. 

Detroit Lions Are Fighting in Practice, but Jim Schwartz Is Happy

The Detroit Lions have had a laughably bad offseason this year, and reining in the team and actually getting them to mature should have been the main focus of head coach Jim Schwartz this preseason. 

Instead, he is just happy they are not killing each other when fights break out in practice. 

Rather than simply attempting to prevent fights entirely, Schwartz is just content with knowing that some players showed restraint. 

Not a good sign for a franchise with the most issues in the past decade. 

To make matters worse, the player who showed restraint in a fight was a rookie. The consensus about the Lions being an undisciplined team, beginning with the head coach, ring true more than ever if a rookie is the most mature person on the roster. 

Peyton Manning Continues to Look Healthy

Questioning Peyton Manning's health seemed like the cool thing to do in the offseason, but the Denver Broncos did not seem concerned when they signed the future Hall of Famer to a massive contract. 

Still, after Manning's first preseason game this year, he reportedly just felt decent about the performance. 

Manning only attempted seven passes, but it was enough to ease the concerns of the Broncos' faithful. His passes has plenty of zip on them, were accurate and he seemed to show no signs of pain. 

Of course, as the preseason continues, news and rumors will continue to leak out about No. 18's health. The best anyone can do is watch Manning himself on the field. 

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