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Kim Klement-US PRESSWIRE

LeGarrette Blount was giving nothing to the Buccaneers' first-round pick and fellow running back Doug Martin during the spring, and for good reason. Tampa was still giving Blount most of the first-team reps, sending a clear message to Martin that everything he got would be earned. Less than a week into camp, Martin has earned the starting job and some lofty comparisons.

On Sunday, July 29, Stephen Holder of the Tampa Bay Times reported that Martin was off to a "fast start," taking the "large majority" of first-team snaps and a bigger share of pass-protection reps . Holder also shared that Martin's burst, decisiveness and speed was giving them the ability to put more perimeter runs and tosses to the outside. 

On Monday, July 30, Scott Reynolds of the Pewter Report gushed about Martin, calling him "one of the stars of camp." Reynolds went on to say that the star rookie "has done virtually everything right," and that Blount was now sharing snaps with backups Mossis Madu and Michael Smith instead of Martin, who had been running with the second team more often in the spring.

Today, Rick Stroud of Tampa Bay Times reported that Buccaneers starring guard Davin Joseph said Martin reminds him of Maurice Jones-Drew or Ray Rice. Stroud also reported that head coach Greg Schiano, who had Rice at Rutgers, "sees similarities" between Rice and Martin. Joseph did say that Blount is his favorite back on the Tampa roster, but that is likely because offensive linemen love the downhill power backs.

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Stew Milne-US PRESSWIRE

A hard-charging back out of Mississippi catches on with the New England Patriots despite going undrafted. No, this isn't the story of BenJarvus Green-Ellis in 2008; it's a current picture of the bottom of the Patriots' depth chart at running back after the release of Joseph Addai. 

Brandon Bolden wasn't quite as successful as Green-Ellis in college because he was in a committee backfield for the Rebels. He is built like Green-Ellis at 5'11", 220 lbs, and like Green-Ellis, he has an excellent burst for a compact, bigger back. There are differences between the two. Bolden is a better receiver but is fumble-prone, where Green-Ellis is well-known for never coughing the ball up. 

Still, the comparison is impossible to avoid. Boston Globe beat writer Greg Bedard said Bolden reminds him of Green-Ellis "more and more each day" while praising his body control and vision. Bedard also said Bolden "continued to open eyes with his all-around play," including the biggest run in the July 28 practice. 

Bedard might be the most trusted voice covering the Patriots. If it's not him, then it's Mike Reiss of ESPN Boston. Reiss summed up his takes on the first four days of practice, saying Bolden "has been a surprise and appears to have a real chance to earn a roster spot; he's caught the ball fairly well and at 5-foot-11, 220 pounds has a nice combination of size, speed and power." 

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Brian Kersey/Getty Images

The focal point of many NFL training camps will be the first-round picks on each roster, and for good reason. But as is often the case in the league, impact players must come from the remaining six rounds too.

Great general managers are able to identify talented players after the first round who, with a little work, could be impact players in the right scheme and position. The job of a general manager is more than hitting on first-rounders; it's about building a team through all seven rounds of the draft.

With training camps kicking off across the NFL, here is a look at 10 rookies drafted outside of Round 1 who will make some considerable noise this upcoming season.

 

10. Josh Gordon, WR, Cleveland Browns (Round 2, Supplemental Draft)

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Brian Spurlock-US PRESSWIRE

While Rex Ryan was raving about first-round pick Quinton Coples, second-round pick Stephen Hill and third-round pick Demario Davis, the Jets' seventh-round pick, wide receiver Jordan White, was sidelined by a broken bone in his foot.

Now, he's returning to the field just as an opportunity at his position is presenting itself.

White has never been one to let injuries stand in the way of his success. After chalking up 2006 and 2008 to knee injuries, White put up astronomical numbers (234 catches, 3,289 yards and 27 TDs) in his last two years at Western Michigan. He did this despite a lack of prototypical size, speed or quickness.

What White does bring to the table is toughness over the middle, good hands and an undeniable desire to make the play. 

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Andrew Weber-US PRESSWIRE

You can't blame the Houston Texans for trusting their ability to scout running backs form the undrafted free-agent crop. 2009 undrafted free agent Arian Foster has only turned into the league's leading rusher in 2010 and a franchise player entering this season.

So when one of the most respected beat writers in the league, John McClain of the Houston Chronicle, reports that the coaches "love" undrafted rookie running back Jonathan Grimes, we should take notice.

What do we know about Grimes? He was a four-year starter at William & Mary, capping his career with a 1,431 yard, 10-touchdown senior season. Sports Illustrated cited his elusiveness, instincts, vision, ability to run low to the ground and set up blocks, strength and leg drive as positives. He also graded out as a good receiver out of the backfield and blocker.

That makes Grimes sound like a first-round pick. The negatives, according to SI, are his ability to turn the corner, change direction on a dime and run away from defenders.

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Gregory Shamus/Getty Images

When Ryan Broyles ran a 40 in the 4.5s five months after tearing his ACL, it could be chalked up to an attempt to impress the NFL and the real test of a reconstructed ACL being cutting, not running in a straight line.

When Broyles participated in OTAs and declared that he would be ready for training camp, it could be chalked up to good old rookie optimism.

Now that Broyles has been activated from the PUP list and cleared to practice, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, we have to finally give him full credit for his amazing recuperative powers and dedication to his recovery.

Birkett reports that Broyles wasted no time commencing the quintessential rookie training camp experience. Head coach Jim Schwartz told him to "button his (bleeping) chinstrap" during one drill. Not that Broyles minded. He "loved" it because it meant that Schwartz "cares."

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Matt Sullivan/Getty Images

The Cleveland Browns are in a state of transition at many key positions on the field. It appears that they are about to undergo an even bigger transition off of the field. How one will affect the other is yet to be seen.

Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports that a group led by Jimmy Haslam III, part owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers, could have their bid to buy the Browns from Randy Lerner approved before the season even begins. The group includes former Eagles president Joe Banner, which should cause pause among Browns fans if they like the direction of the team under Mike Holmgren.

Cabot reports that in a press conference after Banner stepped down as Philadelphia's team president, he said he wanted to be "involved with the world of buying and selling a sports team with the possibility of becoming part of a group that buys a team."

The plot thickens by adding speculation that Banner was having a power struggle with Eagles head coach Andy Reid, and as Cabot points out, Holmgren, head coach Pat Shurmur and offensive coordinator Brad Childress are all close to Reid.

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Justin Edmonds/Getty Images

John Elway's statement that the Denver Broncos had no "plan B" behind Peyton Manning, a quarterback coming off of a year layoff and four neck "procedures," raised some eyebrows. Coming out of the free-agent market with only Caleb Hanie showed that Elway was telling the truth.

That is, until the draft, when the Broncos found a plan B in the second round. B for Brock, to be specific.

Mike Klis of the Denver Post reports that after spending OTAs, minicamp and the first training camp practice as the fourth-team quarterback, the second-round pick moved up to the third team on the second day of practice and the second team on the third day of practice. According to Klis, Osweiler had been showing "advanced acumen for the playbook and on-field reads for a rookie."

Osweiler saw it as the coaches "trying to push me, challenge me," and other than one ill-advised interception when he locked on to his receiver, Klis reports he kept his mistakes to a minimum.

Preseason NFL 2013 Mock Draft

By on July 29, 2012

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All across the country, NFL teams are preparing for the 2012 season with training camps and workouts. For those of us who cover the NFL draft, the work is beginning too.

The 2013 class of draft prospects looks very strong, with a solid crop of quarterbacks, offensive tackles and pass-rushers waiting to enter the NFL next season. Who rounds out the top of the prospect big board? We're taking an early look at where each NFL team could be slotted in the draft order and which players it would target based on preseason predictions.

An interesting note is that most of the teams projected to be near the beginning of the first round (based on win-loss records) have all drafted young quarterbacks in recent seasons. This could seriously affect the notion that quarterbacks will be drafted early in every draft. The results of that are shown in this first look at the 2013 draft.

In an effort to shake things up, the draft order is based on my recent Power Rankings and adjusted for playoff slotting.

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Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images

Greg Schiano had a running back that he loved to lean on at Rutgers. His team made sure to get a new version of Ray Rice for him in the 2012 NFL draft. After a spring that featured LeGarrette Blount in the backfield, first-round pick Doug Martin appears to be on track to lead the Buccaneers' running game.

After the Buccaneers gave up the fourth-round pick they received for moving down from the fifth pick to the seventh pick to move back in the first round for Martin, it was widely speculated he would assume the No. 1 running-back role from day one in Tampa. The team had other plans, though.

Scott Reynolds of PewterReport.com passed along that Blount had actually gotten the majority of first-team reps in OTAs, with Martin being mixed in along with Mossis Madu and seventh-round pick Michael Smith.

After the team's first training camp practice, Stephen Holder of the Tampa Bay Times had something very different to report: