HOUSTON - MAY 21:  Wide receiver Keshawn Martin #82 of the Houston Texans arrives for the first day of OTA's at the Methodist Training Center at Reliant Park on May 21, 2012 in Houston, Texas.  (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images)
Bob Levey/Getty Images

May and June is the season of football played in shorts. It's easy for young players to impress before the pads go on, and it's easy to find glowing quotes from coaches who have seemingly limitless expectations for the future of their rookie class.

So when Houston Texans head coach Gary Kubiak took time to also point out what third-round wide receiver DeVier Posey and fourth-round receiver Keshawn Martin need to work on, it says as much about Kubiak as it does about his young receivers.

What Kubiak thinks of his young pass catchers isn't trivial because the team released 2011 No. 3 receiver Jacoby Jones and asked 2011 No. 2 receiver Kevin Walter to take a $1.5 million pay cut to stay with the team. In essence, the No. 3, 4 and 5 wide receivers are up for grabs, and the No. 2 job will be soon.

The Texans' official website reported Kubiak's thoughts on his rookie wide receivers. On Posey, Kubiak did call him a "hard worker" and said he was doing "good things" and making "some plays," presumably to give him something positive to hang his hat on, because at the same time, he called out Posey's conditioning:

LAKE FOREST, IL - MAY 12:  Wide receiver Alshon Jeffery #17 of the Chicago Bears stands on the field during rookie minicamp at Halas Hall on May 12, 2012 in Chicago, Illinois. The Bears selected Jeffery with their second pick in the 2012 draft.  (Photo by Brian Kersey/Getty Images)
Brian Kersey/Getty Images

Alshon Jeffery was the subject of great debate during the 2012 NFL draft season. His weight, his speed, his dramatically different levels of production in 2010 and 2011, and his non-participation at the combine inspired many to take strong stances for and against Jeffery as a draft prospect.

The dual nature of the opinions in the draft community carries over to an inspection of his film and subsequent projection to what he'll do with the Chicago Bears, who took Jeffery in the second round. Even taken in the most positive light, Jeffery looks like a player that will inspire agony and ecstasy from Bears fans, often in the same game.

For this exercise, I watched cut-ups of his games from 2010, his best year. No excuses of poor quarterback play can be made for Jeffery.

The first thing that stands out is that Jeffery is not fast or sudden. He's not going to create great separation or make much happen after the catch. On the other hand, Jeffery displays a terrific knack for getting behind the defensive back in the red zone, creating touchdowns at :10, 3:13, and 3:45. 

BEREA, OH - MAY 12: Quarterback Brandon Weeden #3 of the Cleveland Browns during the second day of minicamp at Cleveland Browns training facility on May 12, 2012 in Berea, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
Jason Miller/Getty Images

When a team has three of the first 37 picks of the draft, you expect them to rely on their rookies more heavily than any other team. The surprising result of an analysis of which rookies the Cleveland Browns could include in their starting 22 against the Eagles in Week 1 is that injuries and poor recent drafting could force them to start as many six first-year players.

Let's start with the obvious choices. The No. 3 overall pick Trent Richardson will be the Browns' starting running back. Fellow first-rounder quarterback Brandon Weeden will start barring a preseason meltdown no matter what general manager Tom Heckert and team president Mike Holmgren say about an open competition at his position. Second-round right tackle Mitchell Schwartz will be better than Oniel Cousins even while he adjusts to the speed and power of the NFL game on the fly.

All three took first-team snaps at this week's OTA practice open to the media according to Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, and they will almost certainly do the same in September. Teams in the midst of rebuilding like the Browns often put their top rookies in from day one, and the Cincinnati Bengals proved last year that rookie-led teams can even make the playoffs.

Having two first-round picks and an early second-round pick starting shouldn't raise any eyebrows. Trotting out a third-rounder and two fourth-rounders, on the other hand, can never be a good sign for a team's fortunes.

RENTON, WA - MAY 11:  Defensive end Bruce Irvin #51 of the Seattle Seahawks looks on during minicamp at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center on May 11, 2012 in Renton, Washington. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images)
Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images

The Seahawks have been one of the most unpredictable teams in the draft since head coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Schneider took over in 2010. Their bold moves always give us plenty talk about when analyzing their rookie class.

Which rookie storylines are the most fascinating going into next week's OTA and the team minicamp from June 12-14?

 

Can first-round pick Bruce Irvin take advantage of defensive end Chris Clemons' absence at OTAs to earn a larger immediate role?

Chris Clemons has been very productive for the Seahawks since coming over from Philadelphia, but he is in the last year of his contract and Brock Huard of ESPN 710 thinks it's because he wants a new contract. While he's away, Clemons could actually lose leverage if Irvin impresses in his stead and shows signs that he can suitably replace Clemons next year.

ALAMEDA, CA - JANUARY 30:  Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie looks on during a press conference on January 30, 2012 in Alameda, California. Dennis Allen was introduced as the new coach of the Oakland Raiders, replacing Hue Jackson who was fired after one season.  (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

No NFL team experienced a more dramatic changing of the guard in the last year than the Oakland Raiders. After the passing of Al Davis, quite possibly the most hands-on owner in the league, the Raiders let Hue Jackson have the reins just long enough to trade away their 2012 first-round pick and 2013 second-round pick for Carson Palmer. The team had already used their second, third, and fourth-round picks in trades and the 2011 supplemental draft. New general manager Reggie McKenzie only had a knife at the gunfight that was the 2012 NFL Draft, but he wasn't going to shy away from the task at hand. What can we conclude about his and the Raiders' new philosophy in light of the picks and moves they made?

The Raiders are no longer going to be obsessed with speed.

McKenzie hinted at this before the draft, saying "We're not looking for guys that just run fast." He doesn't need to focus on speed because Al Davis's fixation on 40 times has the team stocked with speed all over the field.

The moving on from the need for speed was best shown by the choice of Criner, a big wide receiver who fell to the fifth round because he runs in the 4.6s. McKenzie said Criner is quick for a big guy, which meant the lack of speed wasn't a "red flag".

ALLEN PARK, MI - MAY 12:  Ryan Broyles #84 of the Detroit Lions looks on during a rookie mini camp at the Detroit Lions Headquarters and Training Facility on May 12, 2012 in Allen Park, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
Gregory Shamus/Getty Images

When Ryan Broyles suffered a torn ACL in November, it seemed certain that his draft stock would take a huge hit and he would be unlikely to make a big impact in his rookie year. The Detroit Lions still took Broyles in the second round, and according to CBS Sports' Rob Rang, they believe he can be back on the field full-time for training camp. What should we expect to see when Broyles does get on the field?

Broyles shared in his post-draft conference call that he actually got an email of encouragement from New England Patriots wide receiver Wes Welker, who similarly shocked observers by coming back from an ACL tear before anyone expected it. Broyles insisted that he shouldn't be pigeonholed as a Welker-type slot receiver, saying that he can play inside and outside and that they rotated him for "basically (his) whole career" at Oklahoma.

Does Broyles' tape reflect his statement?

Not quite. The following cut-ups of three of his 2010 games shows that Broyles does most of his damage either in the slot or lined up off the line of scrimmage. He catches a lot of passes near the line of scrimmage on the Oklahoma version of a wide receiver screen.

NEW ORLEANS - SEPTEMBER 04:  Damaris Johnson #3 of the Tulsa Golden Hurricanes runs past Charles Harris #21 of the Tulane Green Wave at the Louisiana Superdome on September 4, 2009 in New Orleans, Louisiana.  (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
Chris Graythen/Getty Images

Becoming the NCAA all-time leader in kickoff return and all-purpose yardage in only three years should be enough to get a player drafted. However, when that player is suspended for their entire senior season and withdraws from school during that beleaguered year, the only chance they'll have to make it in the NFL is by impressing as an undrafted free agent.

That's exactly what Damaris Johnson has been doing during his first month with the Philadelphia Eagles. The 5'8", 170-pound mighty mite signed on with a team that is somewhat unsettled at wide receiver beyond the top three of Jeremy Maclin, DeSean Jackson and Jason Avant.

Now, according to many reports, he's standing out enough to possibly make the team.

Tommy Lawlor of the Eagles' official website wrote that Johnson was a "hot name" and "everyone was impressed with his quickness and elusiveness" during the Eagles' rookie minicamp. Meanwhile, Ed Kracz of Phillyburbs.com writes that Johnson has had a "steady" three weeks of practice, catching everything thrown his way. Kracz speculates that Johnson could push Chad Hall for a roster spot.  

PITTSBURGH, PA - MAY 04:  First round draft pick David DeCastro #66 of the Pittsburgh Steelers works out during their rookie minicamp at the Pittsburgh Steelers South Side training facility on May 4, 2012 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.  (Photo by Jared Wickerham/Getty Images)
Jared Wickerham/Getty Images

Pittsburgh Steelers fans have been calling for the team to fix the offensive line via the draft for years, and in April, they finally got their wish. The team's first- and second-round picks were used to upgrade the offensive line, and both could start the season opener vs. the Denver Broncos.

The Steelers were elated to land offensive guard David DeCastro at the 24th pick. Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports even reported that the team had a deal in place to move up to No. 16 for DeCastro.

The Stanford product, who gave up only one sack in his college career while protecting Andrew Luck, has been projected as a plug-and-play starter from day one, and the team's enthusiasm to add him would indicate that they plan to start him.

There is one complicating factor, and it involves second-round offensive tackle Mike Adams' chances to start. If the Steelers leave Willie Colon at right tackle and Marcus Gilbert at left tackle, Adams is unlikely to break the starting lineup. Instead, he would be the team's swing tackle, and DeCastro would only need to beat out end-of-the-roster fodder Trai Essex to start. 

SANTA CLARA, CA - MAY 11:  A.J. Jenkins #17 of the San Francisco 49ers catches a pass and runs up field during Rookie Minincamp at the San Francisco 49ers practice facility on May 11, 2012 in Santa Clara, California.  (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images

The San Francisco 49ers were this close to the Super Bowl last year.

The team devoted most of their draft to upgrading the offensive line and playmakers. As we watch for dispatches from their OTAs, what are the best rookie storylines to follow in the upcoming OTAs from June 4-7 and team minicamp from June 12-14?

 

Will Randy Moss delay first-round pick A.J. Jenkins arrival in the first-team pass offense?

With free-agent signing Randy Moss looking like the Moss of old, according to tight end Vernon Davis, will there be a place for A.J. Jenkins? The team also signed Mario Manningham, presumably to start, and they also often run two-tight end sets with Davis and Delanie Walker.

ENGLEWOOD, CO - MARCH 20:  Executive vice president of football operations John Elway speaks during a news conference announcing quarterback Peyton Manning's contract with the Denver Broncos in the team meeting room at the Paul D. Bowlen Memorial Broncos Centre on March 20, 2012 in Englewood, Colorado. Manning, entering his 15th NFL season, was released by the Indianapolis Colts on March 7, 2012, where he had played his whole career. It has been reported that Manning will sign a five-year, $96 million offer.  (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)
Doug Pensinger/Getty Images

Trading Tim Tebow and signing Peyton Manning marked the strongest sign yet that Executive VP John Elway is the clear captain of the Denver Broncos ship. With the quarterback situation more in line with his philosophy, the 2012 draft would signify a clear sign of Elway's vision of the Broncos' present and future. What did we learn about the way Elway thinks?

 

The Broncos Are Willing to Gamble That Other Teams Don't Think the Way They Do

The team traded down twice from No. 25 to No. 36, recouping only the 101st pick, when the dust settled. They ended up taking defensive tackle Derek Wolfe, missing out on potential blue chip fits at running back when Doug Martin and David Wilson went after their second trade from 31 to 36.

 

While Wolfe is a very solid prospect, the Broncos obviously felt confident that they could trade down and not miss out on him. So confident that they gave up 180 points on the Jimmy Johnson pick value chart and recouped only 96 when the two trades are added together. In other words, they were so sure that Wolfe would be there at 36 that they took less than market value for their picks on the clock.