Rounding Up the Latest Buzz Surrounding NFL Offseason Workouts

We've moved on rather quickly from the NFL draft, haven't we?

Onward we march, into offseason workouts and rookie minicamps. With all the off-field distractions these days, we've hardly gotten notice of what's been seen on the practice field thus far.

It's time to round up the latest, from unfortunate injuries to surprising showings around the league since the draft ended.

Todd Gurley on the Mend, but Not the Field

Jeff Roberson/Associated Press

Even with as much first-round hype as he received, it was a bit of a shock to see Todd Gurley taken in the top 10.

Not only had running backs been shut out of the first round over the past two years, but Gurley was still on the road back from a torn ACL. So far, it's been slow going for the former Georgia star.

As Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com wrote, Gurley is mainly working on his mental game with the St. Louis Rams: 

"

I'm just gaining mental reps, basically just making sure I know what's going on. Just listening to the play calls and making sure in my head that I've got it down. Just go through the plays in the back by myself that's always a good thing. Just walking through it while everybody else they have got this whole offense going, I'm in the back trying to make sure I'm on my stuff.

"

The Rams are being smart with their big investment; why rush him along, even if he has been sprinting? It seems fans and fantasy owners alike are going to have to wait a while longer to see him in action.

The Frank Clark Saga Unfurls

Elaine Thompson/Associated Press

The outcry was instantaneous once the pick was announced: The Seattle Seahawks had taken Michigan defensive end Frank Clark with their first pick in the 2015 draft.

That the pick came at the end of the second round did little to stem the tide of criticism that arose in Seattle.

This week, the chorus of detractors grew as more details emerged about Clark's alleged domestic violence case. A hotel manager recently said Clark threatened her shortly after his alleged domestic dispute, according to Geoff Baker of The Seattle Times.

Baker also noted the Seahawks' supposedly vaunted investigation didn't include questioning the alleged victim.

Clark has looked good on the field thus far, according to SI.com's Doug Farrar, but the decision has thus far turned out all wrong for the Seahawks.

Nobody Expects Connor Shaw

David Richard/Associated Press

Who will be under center for the Cleveland Browns come Week 1? Will it be Johnny Manziel in triumphant redemption? Or will the Browns be stuck with 35-year-old Josh McCown?

What if the option hasn't been in the news at all this offseason?

That would be Connor Shaw, the man who would start for an injured Manziel at the end of the 2014 season. Shaw was eligible to participate in rookie camps this year, and he is once again making an impression on his coaches.

Head coach Mike Pettine said of Shaw, “Just how he prepares, how he handles himself – he’s the type of guy that he’ll always be ready to go when called on," ClevelandBrowns.com writer Kevin Jones reported.

Odds are Shaw will be the third quarterback out of the gate this season, but who knows what kind of surprises we'll have in Cleveland this year.

Gabe Wright Filling Big Shoes?

Paul Sancya/Associated Press

Ndamukong Suh is gone, but his number lives again.

Rookie Gabe Wright made a bold move grabbing the No. 90. Still warm after Suh's departure, Wright's college number just happened to be available at the next level. So he took it.

The man has gumption.

Better yet for the Lions, he is impressing early. The former Auburn defensive lineman was all over the field in rookie minicamp, per Kyle Meinke of MLive.com, perhaps making Lions brass forget about Suh, even if only for a brief moment.

Of course, Wright won't have the mandate to start like Suh did—he was a fourth-round pick, after all—but a year or two to develop as a rotational guy will pay off in a big way down the line.

Another Bad Break for the Jaguars

Jeff Haynes/Associated Press

What an awful break for Jacksonville.

Seemingly cursed for the past decade, the Jaguars went into voluntary workouts and rookie minicamp with a spring in their step. A solid offseason followed by a nice draft had the team's arrow pointing up.

Disaster struck almost immediately.

Dante Fowler Jr.—the man who was going to be the solution at "Leo" linebacker for a team that needed a boost in the pass rush—went down on the very first day of practice.

Initial reports swirled that it might not be serious, but then the terrible news came: Fowler tore his ACL, knocking him out for the entire season, as detailed by Jaguars.com writer John Oehser.

It was a demoralizing loss just as things were looking up, though the Jaguars are poised to improve this season even without their No. 3 overall pick. 

More Early Injuries

Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

Dante Fowler wasn't the only one snakebitten in his first action for a professional team.

The Denver Broncos drafted Jeff Heuerman out of Ohio State to add to their ever-expanding stable of tight ends. Unfortunately, it's going to take some time to get him on the field.

Heuerman tore his ACL during special teams drills at Broncos minicamp last weekend, per Andrew Mason of DenverBroncos.com. The Broncos can lean on the likes of Owen Daniels, Virgil Green and James Casey this season while Heuerman recovers, but it was an awful start to the big tight end's career.

Undrafted free agent cornerback Justin Wilson met a similar fate while practicing for the Baltimore Ravens, per Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun, breaking his leg and getting knocked out for the year. Given the fact he was an UDFA, his injury may be the worst of the young preseason.

Jay Ajayi Bucking Injury Concerns Early

Alan Diaz/Associated Press

As injury concerns go, few players had bigger ones than running back Jay Ajayi did heading into the NFL.

The bruiser from Boise State fell hard in the draft thanks to a worrisome knee. Instead of being selected in the second round, where many analysts had projected him to come off the board, Ajayi was taken all the way in the fifth. 

Perhaps it has been a bit of motivation for the big back—Ajayi made it through minicamp with the Miami Dolphins without incident, and he left a good impression on his head coach, according to the Miami Herald's Adam H. Beasley.

If he can stay healthy, Ajayi could be one of the steals of the draft. So far, so good in Miami.

Jameis Winston Ahead of the Curve

Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Being the top pick in the NFL draft brings enough pressure. For Jameis Winston, bucking his critics and leaving his past behind permanently only intensifies that pressure.

He certainly doesn't need legendary Florida State coach Bobby Bowden saying things like Winston was an embarrassment to the program, per USA Today's Laken Litman. 

Winston knows what's in store for him, according to Jim Corbett of USA Today:

"

Well, I have to do my best now not to get divorced. It's a tremendous responsibility. And I'm taking it seriously. I'm just ready to play football.

This is the opportunity of a lifetime. I just want to do everything to take advantage of it.'

"

Then there is the pressure on the Tampa Bay front office. Did management make a huge mistake?

So far, however, Winston has impressed the coaching staff, according to Darin Gantt at NBCSports.com. A good start to a great career? Let's not get ahead of ourselves, but Buccaneers brass have to be breathing a little easier after this week.