NFL Training Camps 2015: Updates, Rumors and Analysis for August 13

Are you ready for some football?

OK, are you ready for some sort of football?

On Thursday, the 2015 NFL preseason gets underway in earnest with six games being played, including a potential Super Bowl 50 preview in Foxborough, Massachusetts.

Granted, you won't see much of Aaron Rodgers or Tom "The Deflator" Brady when the Packers and Patriots meet, but it's football.

Those games may hog the lion's share of attention Thursday, but they're far from the only action taking place across the NFL.

With that in mind, here's a look at the latest news from training camps from Buffalo to San Diego and all points in between.

Packers Plan to Pick Up the Pace

Tom Lynn/Associated Press

We might not see much (if any) of Rodgers Thursday night at Gillette Stadium, but the 2014 NFL MVP and the Packers have already made some news that isn't going to make the rest of the NFC North happy one bit.

ESPN's Dianna Marie Russini tweeted, "Talked to a few Packers coaches this week, they're planning to work on their hurry up offense in NE. They want a faster paced offense."

The Packers ranked outside the top 20 in both total plays and plays per game last year—and still led the league in scoring and finished sixth in total offense.

Now imagine what that offense could do if Green Bay ups the tempo.

The rest of the division just did—and then threw up in a garbage can.

Abdullah Continues to Impress

Paul Sancya/Associated Press

The Detroit Lions will also be taking the field for their first preseason game Thursday night when they play host to the New York Jets.

And the dominant storyline from camp in Motown continues to be the running back position.

As ESPN's Michael Rothstein reported, more than a few eyes will be focused on rookie tailback Ameer Abdullah, who will see his first game action as a pro:

"

It's the first chance to see the Detroit Lions this season -- particularly rookie running back Ameer Abdullah, one of the early stars of training camp. While a lot of the veteran starters likely won't play much, if at all, Abdullah could see a significant amount of work as he adjusts to the NFL speed. He's been impressive in camp, where hitting players to the ground is not encouraged, so seeing him against live competition will be key for Detroit as it evaluates its running back situation with Joique Bell still out.

"

Reports regarding Abdullah have been almost universally positive—almost to the point of glowing. And Bell? Well, it's rather hard to hold off a hard-charging challenger from the trainer's table.

If Abdullah fares well against a Jets defense that should be stout in 2015, the scales are only going to tip that much further in the rookie's direction.

Ask not for whom the Bell tolls—because it may be tolling from the bench.

Byron Maxwell: Shadow Corner?

Matt Rourke/Associated Press

The Philadelphia Eagles raised some eyebrows around the NFL when they signed free-agent cornerback Byron Maxwell to a contract that averages over $10 million in annual salary.

It appears the Eagles expect Maxwell to earn every penny the hard way.

According to a tweet from Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Eagles "will have Byron Maxwell cover top WR more this season regardless of side of field. In past two years, team mostly stuck to LCB/RCB."

Maxwell, for his part, told Sam Donnellon of the Philadelphia Daily News that he's ready to start earning all that cheddar: "I mean, you need talent, you need speed, but you wouldn't even be here if you couldn't do the job. What takes a defense to the next level is that brotherhood. That playing for one another."

On some level, it makes sense that the Eagles would want their $10 million corner to shadow top wideouts, especially given the team's struggles in pass defense the past couple of seasons.

However, wanting Maxwell to do the job and his ability to do so aren't the same thing, and we are talking about a player who graded outside the top 40 at his position last year, per Pro Football Focus.

T.J. Yeldon to Sit Friday Night

Dominic DiSaia/Associated Press

Ameer Abdullah may see his first NFL action Thursday night, but we're going to have to wait a bit longer to see the top candidate to lead all rookie running backs in touches in 2015.

As Ryan O'Halloran of the Florida Times-Union reported, Jacksonville Jaguars tailback T.J. Yeldon will watch the team's preseason opener Friday from the sidelines, courtesy of a sprained finger suffered in practice earlier this week.

Head coach Gus Bradley indicated the move is more precautionary than anything, per O'Halloran: "He’s doing good and everything, and it wasn’t so much holding the ball as it was [pass] protection and how he’d be. We can’t put him out there at this time if he’s not 100 percent."

Normally, you'd hate to see any first-year pro miss out on game reps, especially when the team is counting on that newcomer to have a significant role this year.

However, given all the talent the Jaguars don't have in the backfield behind Yeldon, having the former Alabama standout on the field against the Carolina Panthers in Week 1 is much more important than his getting his feet wet against the Steelers Friday.

Stephone Anthony Looking Good for Saints

Chris Tilley/Associated Press

When the New Orleans Saints traded tight end Jimmy Graham and wide receiver Kenny Stills earlier in the offseason, the team said it did so with an eye toward improving the defense.

No one should be holding his breath waiting for Dannell Ellerbe (acquired in the Stills trade) to suddenly morph into Luke Kuechly, but the player the team chose with the pick it obtained in the Graham deal has been turning heads in the Big Easy.

According to Katherine Terrell of the New Orleans Times-Picayune, linebacker Stephone Anthony has all but sewn up one of the starting spots inside in Rob Ryan's 3-4: "Anthony has basically already locked up a starting spot at middle linebacker. I predict he'll be starting on day one, based on the depth at inside linebacker and how he's handled things in practice."

Back in May, Mike Mayock of the NFL Network wrote that it's a role tailor-made for the 6'3", 243-pounder.

"Anthony is a big inside linebacker; a prototype," Mayock said. "I think his best football is ahead of him. He'll be a starting inside linebacker immediately. He blew it up at the combine. For a guy that big, he's highly athletic."

It looks like Mayock was on to something.

Sankey to Start for Titans?

Mark Humphrey/Associated Press

A year ago, the Tennessee Titans made Washington running back Bishop Sankey the first player at his position selected in the NFL draft.

Things did not go as planned, but despite a wildly disappointing rookie year and the selection of Minnesota's David Cobb this year, it appears the Titans aren't ready to throw in the towel on Sankey just yet.

That's the latest from Jim Wyatt of the team's website, who wrote that Sankey has received the majority of the first-team reps in training camp.

As head coach Ken Whisenhunt told John Glennon of the Tennessean, Sankey's 3.7 yards per carry weren't the only issue. He also struggled mightily in pass protection.

"The mental part of it—the technique part of it—is a lot different (than college) because you’re dealing with a lot of cross protections and adjustment protections, things that you didn’t necessarily see from the college perspective," Whisenhunt said. "It’s a little more complex at this level."

Given that, Sankey will be feeling the pressure Friday when the Titans open the preseason in Atlanta, because his margin for error, well, isn't.

Victor Cruz Making Progress

John Minchillo/Associated Press

As sports injuries go, a torn patellar tendon is just about as bad as it gets.

Given that, it's all the more remarkable that New York Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz was able to participate in joint practices with the Cincinnati Bengals only 10 months after suffering a gruesome injury during a prime-time tilt against the Philadelphia Eagles.

The 28-year-old won't play in Friday's preseason game between the two teams, but Cruz told James Kratch of NJ.com that it felt good just to be on the field with someone other than his teammates.

"It felt good," Cruz said. "I was out there running around a little bit. Everything felt kind of similar to what I had hoped. I felt good in and out of breaks and getting open, things like that. There's no pain, nothing hurts. It's just a matter of continuing to run routes and getting the familiarity back."

There's still a long way to go before Cruz is 100 percent (if he ever truly is again), but there's no denying this is a big step in the right direction and welcome news for fans of Big Blue.

Jackpot!

Darron Cummings/Associated Press

Speaking of welcome news, we'll wrap Thursday's camp roundup with some great news for Indianapolis Colts wide receiver T.Y. Hilton.

And his agent.

And his accountant.

As ESPN's Mike Wells reported, Hilton and the Colts agreed to terms Thursday on a five-year, $65 million extension that includes $39 million in guarantees and makes Hilton the fourth-highest-paid wideout in football.

After speculation that the selection of Philip Dorsett in the 2015 NFL draft could signal the beginning of the end for Hilton in Indy, the 25-year-old told Wells getting a deal done before the season is a big relief.

"[The Colts] showed interest that they wanted me, and I also wanted to be here," Hilton said. "There's no place I rather be than here. This organization is great. I love being here. I didn't want to go into the season with it on my mind. I'm ready to play. [Go] to practice and give it my all."

Yeah, 39 million bucks will ease your mind, all right.