NFL Training Camps 2016: Updates, Rumors and Analysis for August 8
An NFL training camp takes on a new life in the second week of August, mainly because the time has arrived to begin preparing for the start of the preseason. And because the Green Bay Packers and Indianapolis Colts encountered a slight delay to the start of their preseason schedules on Sunday night, all 32 NFL teams are now getting geared up for their first games of 2016.
As camps enter that new phase, here's a pulse check looking at the top stories from Monday.
Browns Name Robert Griffin III Starter, Activate Joe Haden
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Barring something unforeseen, the Cleveland Browns will begin their season with their 25th starting quarterback in the last 18 years. His name? Robert Griffin III, whose career fell off the tracks soon after he won Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2012.
The Browns confirmed on Monday that Griffin will be their Week 1 starter, which means he'll have plenty on his shoulders next month when he throws his first regular-season pass since 2014. After all, Cleveland hasn't won a playoff game since 1994 and hasn't won a division title since 1989.
The decision came sooner than many expected, but it was probably a foregone conclusion that Griffin would start. There's hope for rookie third-round pick Cody Kessler, but he's not ready and veteran Josh McCown is 37 years old. Griffin is the most talented and highest-paid quarterback on the roster, so the Browns have to at least see what he's got in him before considering a transition to Kessler or someone else.
So it's kind of an exciting time to be a Browns fan, especially with two-time Pro Bowler Joe Haden coming off the PUP list on Monday. Haden, who battled injuries throughout the 2015 season, was recovering from ankle surgery. Now he returns in time to get some work in with veteran Tramon Williams before the season gets underway.
Right now, there are signs of hope in Cleveland. It might not last, but if RGIII can come through and Haden can get back on track, the Browns—who also have a lot of hope for redemption from Josh Gordon and a big rookie season from first-rounder Corey Coleman—might find their way out of the AFC North basement for the first time in over half a decade.
Or maybe that's just August talking.
Mark Sanchez, Trevor Siemian Named Co-Starters in Denver
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The Denver Broncos got a starting cornerback back on Monday, with Aqib Talib returning to practice two months after suffering a gunshot wound to his upper thigh, but it remains unclear who will start for the Broncos at the most important position on the field.
That's because Denver's initial depth chart lists both Mark Sanchez and Trevor Siemian in the No. 1 quarterback spot.
That's a bad sign for Sanchez, the only quarterback on the roster with an NFL pass attempt on his resume.
Siemian is looking to become the first quarterback drafted beyond the sixth round since 1980 to start Week 1 in his first or second year out of college. The fact he's still tied with his veteran counterpart indicates Sanchez simply isn't doing enough, which is far from ideal considering the Broncos open the preseason Thursday night in Chicago.
Per ESPN.com's Jeff Legwold, head coach Gary Kubiak hadn't "come close" to making a decision on Saturday, and clearly that hasn't changed. So heading into the preseason, we all live in a world where the Cleveland Browns have a more concrete quarterback situation than the defending Super Bowl champions.
Bills Get Watkins, Williams and Dareus Back, Lose Incognito and Glenn
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Thus far in camp, Buffalo Bills have been dropping like flies. That didn't change Monday, as a team that was already without key rookies Shaq Lawson and Reggie Ragland as well as starting offensive tackle Cordy Glenn lost starting guard Richie Incognito.
The veteran Pro Bowler left practice Monday with what the team is calling sore ribs, which doesn't sound serious but is still rather unsettling because Incognito is going to miss some time. NFL Media's Ian Rapoport reports Glenn is likely to remain out the entire preseason due to the high-ankle sprain he suffered during a scrimmage on Saturday.
But it's not all doom and gloom, because Rapoport also reported starters Sammy Watkins, Marcell Dareus and Kyle Williams passed physicals and were activated on Monday. Dareus and Williams have a combined six Pro Bowls between them and will be counted on to lead the defensive front, while Watkins should be expected to put together a breakout third season as Taylor's top target.
So what I'm telling you, Bills fans, is that Monday was a mixed bag in the injury department. And frankly, that's an upgrade over what's gone down thus far in camp.
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Bears Lose Starting Center for the Season
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The Chicago Bears got "worst-case scenario" news on Monday, with head coach John Fox confirming—per ESPN.com's Jeff Dickerson—that starting center Hroniss Grasu will miss the entire 2016 season due to a torn ACL in his right knee.
Grasu, who started eight games for the Bears as a rookie last season, was supposed to play a key role blocking for quarterback Jay Cutler and an array of Bears backs this season. Now, Chicago will have to let veteran Ted Larsen and rookie second-round pick Cody Whitehair fight for the spot, despite the fact both may be better-suited as guards.
But it's not as though Grasu stood out as a rookie, and Cutler sounds as though he's confident in the 29-year-old Larsen.
"Ted is a professional," Cutler said, per Dickerson. "Ted stepped in today and worked with me and the first team and we didn't miss a beat. We're going to be fine there. Ted will step in and do a good job for us."
Eric Ebron May Have Dodged a Bullet
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I wasn't there, but I can only assume a hush fell over Detroit Lions practice Saturday when third-year tight end Eric Ebron departed with an apparent Achilles injury.
They can stop hushing, though, because it appears Ebron's injury isn't as bad as many originally feared.
ESPN.com's Michael Rothstein reported Monday that Ebron was walking around at practice without a boot, while also noting a report from Adam Kaplan of the same outlet revealed Ebron has a "pretty decent ankle sprain."
Now, this isn't a make-or-break injury for the Lions, who also have Brandon Pettigrew at tight end. Still, the 23-year-old Ebron has a bright future, and he was the Lions' most productive tight end with 47 catches, 537 yards and five touchdowns in 2015.
If the Lions are going to compensate for the loss of Calvin Johnson, they'll need all hands—and ankles—on deck.
Still Waiting on Matt Forte, Jets Get Khiry Robinson Back
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The New York Jets are hoping versatile veteran back Matt Forte can give the offense a needed boost in 2016, but that won't likely happen unless Forte can find his way onto the field.
The 30-year-old was out of practice again on Monday with a hamstring injury, and he's been already been ruled out for Thursday's preseason opener, according to Darryl Slater of the Newark Star-Ledger.
But if you prefer to see the glass half full, you'll be pleased that veteran back Khiry Robinson came off the active/PUP list on Monday, according to the team, and did positional drills at practice. No word yet on if Robinson will be able to make his debut on Thursday, but it's safe to assume he'll be good to help fill Forte's shoes soon.
Until that happens, Bilal Powell will be the lead dog in the Jets' backfield. And if Powell, who had a great 2015 campaign, can take advantage, it's possible he could enter the regular season as the top option at running back.
Doug Pederson Says Eagles Done with Live Tackling
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During the three-year Chip Kelly era, the Philadelphia Eagles didn't tackle during training camp practices. That changed under new head coach Doug Pederson, but only temporarily.
Days after key players Jordan Matthews and Marcus Smith were injured in a practice that featured tackling, Pederson told the media practices with live tackling are probably over, according to The Mercury's Bob Grotz.
Matthews will be out at least two weeks after suffering a knee injury, while Smith remains out with a concussion. While Pederson denied his decision to cut live practices has anything to do with those injuries, tight end Zach Ertz did call out rookies on Friday for going low on practice hits.
So the Eagles will take a break from tackling. Now fans just have to hope they still remember how to do so at around 1 p.m. ET on Sept. 11, when the regular season starts against Cleveland.
Dwight Freeney Is a Third-Stringer...for Now
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Dwight Freeney had twice as many sacks last season as everyone on the Atlanta Falcons roster, despite the fact the veteran pass-rusher played in just 11 games for the Arizona Cardinals. That explains why the Falcons, who ranked 32nd in the league with 19 total sacks, signed Freeney late last week.
But the 36-year-old still has work to do in order to earn playing time in Atlanta, at least based on the team's initial depth chart, which lists Freeney as a third-string defensive end.
That puts the six-time Pro Bowler behind free-agent acquisition Derrick Shelby, veterans Adrian Clayborn and Brooks Reed and 2014 second-round pick Ra'Shede Hageman, who had a combined 7.5 sacks last season. But they gave Shelby a four-year, $18 million contract in the offseason, while Freeney signed a one-year deal on the cheap.
It's likely only a matter of time before Freeney moves up the depth chart, and he'll certainly play a key role as a situational rusher this season. But the Falcons have options, which is a luxury for a team that was allergic to sacks in 2015.
Hakeem Nicks Is Once Again a Free Agent
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How short are NFL shelf lives? For much of the 2016 offseason, a 28-year-old, two-time 1,000-yard receiver was lingering on the free-agent market. Finally, Hakeem Nicks was signed by the New Orleans Saints. But less than two weeks after joining the Saints, Nicks was released on Monday so the team could make room for a long snapper.
It's crazy, because Nicks caught 75 or more passes for over 1,000 yards in back-to-back season with the Giants in 2010 and 2011, but several injuries led to a quick decline and Nicks hasn't been the same since. He had just 405 yards despite playing a relatively full 2014 season in Indianapolis and caught just seven passes in limited action in a return to the Giants in 2015.
Now, he's just hoping for another shot.
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