NFL Training Camps 2015: Updates, Rumors and Analysis for August 10

The madness is officially underway.

Well, sort of anyway.

On Sunday night, the Pittsburgh Steelers and Minnesota Vikings kicked off the 2015 NFL preseason with the annual Hall of Fame Game, which the Vikings won 14-3.

It was an ugly game, to be sure. But it was a football game—a first glance into the season to come.

And here's a first glance (this week, anyway) into the latest news, notes, updates and speculation from camps around the NFL as the league's other 30 teams prepare for their first exhibition contest of 2015.

Superman Mixing It Up

Chuck Burton/Associated Press

The Carolina Panthers have invested a lot in quarterback Cam Newton, including a No. 1 overall pick and tens of millions of dollars.

The team does not want that investment trying to strangle his teammates.

Still, that's just what happened in Monday's practice. As David Newton of ESPN reported, Newton and cornerback Josh Norman got into a dustup after the latter intercepted the former's pass:

"

After practice, coach Ron Rivera said the scuffle began because Norman gave Newton a stiff-arm at the end of the play.

"The thing that we preach to the defense is that they score," Rivera said. "And so, even though I blew the whistle, Josh kept going like he's taught and the offense continued to react.

"What happened was Cam got stiff-armed in the helmet, and that's where that escalated. The big thing we have to understand is: 'Hey, you're going to get stiff-armed. You've just got to handle it.'"

Newton had to be pulled off by teammates and called Norman a "pi**ant."

In the dustup, Newton also said, "Hit me like that again and you'll know something."

Newton and Norman continued to yell at each other later in practice. Newton shouted: "I bet you won't do that again."

"

After getting an earful from head coach Ron Rivera (who downplayed it as essentially a "boys will be boys" moment borne of tempers getting the best of two competitors), Newton likely won't be doing that again either.

Steve Smith to Retire After the Season

Patrick Semansky/Associated Press

Speaking of training-camp dustups with the Carolina Panthers.

For years, that was the purview of wide receiver Steve Smith. Now with the Baltimore Ravens, Smith announced Monday that his second camp with the Ravens will be his last.

The 36-year-old receiver, who ranks inside the NFL's top 20 of all time in both receptions (915) and receiving yards (13,262), told reporters (via ESPN.com's Jamison Hensley) that the time is right for him to move on:

"

I don't want to hold on. Jerry Rice is the best wide receiver to ever play. But I don't believe that chasing whatever it is to chase for four more years would be conducive to my family or be conducive to me. I would be having to give up something. I would be jeopardizing something. I don't know what that it is, and I have any intentions of finding out.

"

Smith, who started his first season with the Ravens in 2014 white-hot only to fade down the stretch, still managed to top 1,000 yards on 79 grabs last year, six of which went for touchdowns.

It looks like it's almost time to ice up, son.

Steelers' Suisham Out for Season (ACL)

Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

All any NFL team wants to get out of early preseason games is some field time for the guys battling for spots and to avoid any major injuries.

In that regard, the Pittsburgh Steelers are 1-of-2 after Sunday's Hall of Fame Game.

As Connor Orr of NFL.com reported, kicker Shaun Suisham feared that the knee injury he suffered making a tackle on a second-half kickoff Sunday night was a serious one: "Kicker Shaun Suisham has told people he believes he tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during Sunday's Hall of Fame Game, sources informed of the situation told NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport. He is scheduled to have an MRI on Monday."

According to Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, that MRI confirmed those fears. As Bouchette reported, the 33-year-old tore his ACL and will require season-ending surgery.

Bouchette said the team has already begun searching for a replacement, mentioning Billy Cundiff, Shayne Graham and Jay Feely as possible veteran candidates.

RG3 to Play Quite a Bit in Preseason Opener

Jason Hirschfeld/Associated Press

Without question, the biggest question facing the Washington Redskins this year is this: Is Robert Griffin III the team's signal-caller of the future or not?

The team doesn't plan to waste any time trying to answer that question. According to a tweet from the team, head coach Jay Gruden said Griffin will play "at least a quarter" against the Browns on Thursday to kick off Washington's preseason.

Gruden hasn't exactly been Griffin's biggest cheerleader since taking over that job prior to last season.

Still, Griffin told John McClain of the Houston Chronicle that he's ready to answer the call in this make-or-break season: "It's been tough. I've had struggles the last two years. It gives you thick skin to know that, from my personal beliefs, God's been setting me up for something greater. When I do rise, I'll be able to handle whatever's thrown at me because of what I've been through."

It looks like we may start seeing just how ready sooner than we thought.

Gus Johnson to the Rescue?

Gus Ruelas/Associated Press

No, not the Gus Johnson who rides in to save every football telecast he calls.

Love that guy, though.

This is Gus Johnson, the little-known tailback who appears to be making waves in training camp for the Dallas Cowboys.

You know, the same Dallas Cowboys who have all sorts of problems in the backfield this year.

As Rob Phillips of the team's website reported, the second-year pro from Stephen F. Austin saw some time with the first team during goal-line drills over the weekend—and Johnson made the most of it:

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While Sunday's Blue-White Scrimmage usually gives the Cowboys their first taste of real football, there was some live goal-line action on Saturday that sent emotions on both sides of the ball. However, it was the offense that dominated the drills, even with the first three running backs sitting out. But behind the first-team line, Gus Johnson scored touchdowns on the first two runs against the first-team defense.

"

Granted, no one's questioning Joseph Randle's status as lead back. But Johnson has seemingly already passed Lache Seastrunk, and Darren McFadden is—shock of shocks—hurt.

The opportunity is there for Johnson to quickly climb the depth chart—provided he can take advantage of it.

Abdullah Continues to Impress

Paul Sancya/Associated Press

There have essentially been two kinds of news regarding running backs for the Detroit Lions this summer.

Which kind of news you get has largely been dependent on which back you're talking about.

With rookie Ameer Abdullah, it's been mostly the good kind. And the latest such news comes courtesy of Tim Twentyman of the team's website, who wrote that Abdullah has fared well in an aspect of the game that often derails young ball-carriers.

"Abdullah held his own in pass-blocking drills against the linebackers," Twentyman said. "Theo Riddick struggled a bit."

There's no mention of 2014 starter Joique Bell because Bell has yet to see the field as he recovers from offseason surgeries on his knee and Achilles.

If he keeps sitting and Abdullah keeps shining, Bell isn't going to have a job to come back to.

Waiting for Mr. White

David Banks-USA TODAY Sports

A great deal of the offseason headlines surrounding the Chicago Bears have centered around rookie first-round pick Kevin White.

The former West Virginia star, who has yet to take the practice field with his new teammates, has been battling shin splints. The No. 7 overall pick in the the 2015 NFL draft has done some running on the side of late, and according to Dan Wiederer of the Chicago Tribune, the team doesn't necessarily expect that to change anytime soon.

"Bears are certainly preparing for the event that Kevin White doesn't play a snap in a preseason game," Wiederer tweeted. "Not a shock."

Look at the bright side, Bears fans: How much did Odell Beckham Jr. play in the preseason last year?

That worked out OK, didn't it?

Clay Matthews Returns—Sort Of

Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

Now for some good news. 

Green Bay Packers linebacker Clay Matthews missed the first week of training camp with soreness in his knee. However, as Rob Demovsky of ESPN reported, the 29-year-old was back at it on Monday.

If everything goes well, that's how it will stay.

"Clay Matthews is on a trial-and-error, trial return," Packers coach Mike McCarthy said.

Demovsky indicated that Matthews didn't appear to be limited during drills, but the seventh-year pro said both he and the team will continue to err on the side of caution.

"You know what, any opportunity to be out there, especially in regards to preseason games, I think is very important," Matthews said. "But there's always other factors that go along with that."

Having Matthews on the field in December as opposed to August is a very important factor indeed for a team with aspirations of a trip to Santa Clara next February.

Sam Bradford Is...Healthy?

Matt Rourke/Associated Press

It's been a rough road in the NFL for Sam Bradford, the No. 1 overall pick back in 2010. He suffered injury after injury in St. Louis, including a pair of ACL tears that cost him half of 2013 and all of 2014.

However, Philadelphia Eagles head coach Chip Kelly saw enough in Bradford to trade for the 27-year-old in the offseason.

Well, so far so good in Kelly's grand experiment.

According to Elliot Shorr-Parks of NJ.com, not only has Bradford looked sharp throwing the football, but his surgically repaired knee doesn't appear to be an issue: "It shouldn't be taken for granted, but Bradford looks to be 100 percent healthy. Coming off of back-to-back season-ending ACL injuries, Bradford has been in for every snap of every practice, and has shown no signs of injury while doing so."

Of course, we'll see how the knee holds up in game action, assuming that Bradford even plays in Philly's exhibition opener.

After all, it was the Rams' first preseason game last year where Bradford tore his ACL for the second time.