NFL Training Camps 2016: Updates, Rumors and Analysis for August 4

It's August, and that can mean only one thing.

OK, it means several things. In the Midwest, it means the humidity is approximately 812 percent. For kids, it means summer is about to give way to school. And south of the equator, it means the Olympics are ready to get rolling.

As ready as they're going to get, anyway.

But it means only one thing that football fans care about: Training camps are in full swing.

From Buffalo to San Diego to Seattle to Miami, NFL veterans and rookies alike have gathered to prepare for the upcoming campaign. In a few short days, the Green Bay Packers and Indianapolis Colts will kick off the preseason under the lights in Canton, Ohio.

We probably won't glean a whole lot from that Hall of Fame Game, as many of the starters won't play, but that doesn't mean news and rumors aren't already flying around the league.

Here's a look at Thursday's latest, including some bad news in the Windy City.

Alshon Jeffery Tweaks Hamstring

Nam Y. Huh/Associated Press

After a 2015 season in which star wide receiver Alshon Jeffery missed seven games with an assortment of injuries, the Chicago Bears slapped the franchise tag on the 26-year-old.

The mandate was clear—stay healthy and play like he did in 2013 and 2014, and Jeffery would get his big payday.

It didn't take long for that plan to hit a stumbling block.

As Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times reported, Jeffery was absent from the practice field Thursday due to a hamstring injury he suffered in practice the day before.

Head coach John Fox indicated the injury was "mild," with Jeffery sitting out as a precaution. “We get concerned about everybody, whether they’re injured or not practicing,” Fox said, per Finley. “On the other hand, we don’t get too concerned. We’ve got guys to take their place. We got (roster) numbers. We’re at 89 now. So it’s part of camp.”

It's still early in camp, and you can't fault the Bears for playing it safe with their best offensive player.

However, we've also seen this movie before. Last year, Jeffery missed the entire preseason with a bad calf. He was never right after returning, bouncing in and out of the lineup with multiple soft-tissue injuries, including problems with his hamstring.

Injuries Hit Eagles on Both Sides of the Ball

Chris Szagola/Associated Press

If there's one thing NFL teams most want to avoid early in training camp, it's significant injuries to key contributors.

The Philadelphia Eagles may have ducked the "significant" part, but watching two starters go down during the first week of camp wasn't the start new head coach Doug Pederson was hoping for.

That's what he got, though. As Matt Lombardo of NJ.com reported, both left tackle Jason Peters and safety Malcolm Jenkins were forced from practice Thursday with injuries.

Jenkins, who was the top-ranked safety in the NFL last year, per Pro Football Focus, grabbed his lower leg and left the field while covering wide receiver Jordan Matthews. Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer reported the 28-year-old pulled his hamstring.

The 34-year-old Peters, on the other hand, reportedly injured his quad, per McLane. Given his age and recent injury history it's Peters' injury that would appear the more concerning, but Lombardo made a point that should put some minds at ease.

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Matt Tobin replaced Peters at left tackle following the injury and Lane Johnson remained at right tackle, perhaps an early indication that the injury is not believed to be severe enough to facilitate Johnson moving to left tackle in Peters' absence, which would likely be the plan should the veteran go down with an injury during the regular season.

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It's likely the team is just being cautious in the early going, and there have been no reports of an MRI being scheduled for either Pro Bowler.

You can start breathing again now.

Broken Mirrors in Dallas

Gus Ruelas/Associated Press

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones apparently opened an umbrella indoors while walking under a ladder. The umbrella broke a mirror, which knocked the shoes he left on the counter to the floor. Those shoes startled a black cat, which ran under the legs of both backup quarterback Kellen Moore and rookie first-round pick Ezekiel Elliott.

OK, so maybe that wasn't how Moore broke his ankle, per Gregg Rosenthal of NFL.com, or how Elliott pulled his hamstring, per Rosenthal's colleague, Kevin Patra. But this news continues an offseason of bad breaks for a Cowboys team that has already seen three defensive starters suspended.

As David Helman of the team's official website reported, the team plans to play it "very conservative" with the No. 4 pick in the 2016 NFL draft. Per team vice president Stephen Jones, Elliott "may miss some time."

As for Moore, his season is over, leaving the Cowboys in a lurch behind Tony Romo at quarterback. After missing out on veteran Nick Foles, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported the Cowboys are expected to "turn their attention" to Josh McCown, who was effective in eight starts for the Cleveland Browns in 2015.

However, per Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, the Browns aren't especially eager to deal McCown, but the team might reconsider "for the right price."

If the Cowboys' pursuit of McCown fails, Cabot mentioned the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Mike Glennon and free agents Michael Vick and Josh Freeman as potential alternatives.

But Cowboys fans should relax. It's not like Romo is well past 30, missed most of last year with two broken collarbones and has chronic back problems or something.

Chiefs Sign Nick Foles

Marcio Jose Sanchez/Associated Press

When Kellen Moore went down, many expected the Dallas Cowboys to pounce on Nick Foles, who was recently released by the Los Angeles Rams. Foles hasn't been able to recapture the success he enjoyed in 2013, but the 27-year-old does have 35 career starts under his belt.

However, the Cowboys were out-pounced.

As Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reported (h/t Chris Wesseling of NFL.com), the Kansas City Chiefs inked Foles to an incentive-laden deal that will pay him $1.75 million in base salary in 2016. The deal also includes a team option for 2017 at a salary that would be based on Foles' performance this season.

In addition to acquiring insurance for starter Alex Smith, the deal also reunites Foles and Andy Reid, who was head coach in Philadelphia when the Eagles drafted Foles in 2012.

ESPN.com's Adam Teicher hailed the deal:

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Foles is only 27, or five years younger than Smith, leaving him plenty of time to resurrect his career. Eventually, and maybe as soon as 2017, the Chiefs are going to need a new starting quarterback. Foles might not be that player, but he and the Chiefs are evidently interested in seeing whether he could be.

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For what amounts to pocket change at the quarterback position, the Chiefs landed an experienced backup who led the NFL in passer rating just three years ago.

In other words, what's not to like?

Giants Sign Leon Hall

Gary Landers/Associated Press

Last year, the New York Giants finished last in the NFL in both total defense and pass defense. The Giants have already been aggressive in addressing that sieve, signing cornerback Janoris Jenkins and drafting Ohio State's Eli Apple in Round 1 of the 2016 draft.

The Giants weren't done yet.

According to Rand Getlin of NFL Network, the Giants agreed to terms Thursday with cornerback Leon Hall on a one-year, $2 million contract. Hall, 31, spent his first nine NFL seasons in Cincinnati. He was a second-team All-Pro back in 2009, only to see his career derailed by a litany of serious injuries.

Now, however, Hall is reportedly healthy, and Dan Duggan of NJ.com expects him to make a significant contribution to Big Blue's defense:

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The signing of Hall should end the Giants' quest for a slot cornerback. Trevin Wade has received the majority of first-team reps in the slot in camp, while Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie has also moved inside. But Hall enters as the favorite to take over the job.
What does Leon Hall move mean for Giants?

Hall played in the slot last season for the Bengals, starting four games with 55 tackles and two interceptions.

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Hall isn't close to the player he was before twice tearing his Achilles, but he's a big-bodied, veteran cornerback with 26 career interceptions who should (if healthy) give the team a boost in the slot.

Games aren't played on paper, but the Giants have overhauled their defense this summer.

If that overhaul works, they could be right back in the mix in the NFC East in 2016.

Matt Forte Expected to Miss Preseason Opener

Seth Wenig/Associated Press

The New York Jets may be breathing easier now that Ryan Fitzpatrick has been signed, but the news hasn't all been sunshine and puppies in regard to the team's veteran offensive stars.

According to Newsday's Kimberly A. Martin, head coach Todd Bowles indicated it's "safe to say" tailback Matt Forte, who joined the Jets in free agency, will not play when the New York opens the preseason next week at home against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The 30-year-old has been dealing with a lingering hamstring issue for some time.

On one hand, this is no big deal. Starters generally play sparingly in the first preseason game. Forte has been a durable running back for most of his career. And as you may have noticed from the running theme in this article, hamstring pulls are commonplace as players get back into the swing of running at full speed on a daily basis.

So why even mention it?

For starters, Forte is 30 years old—well past the age when running backs historically begin to decline. Also, for as durable as Forte has been over his career, three of the eight games he's missed over eight seasons came last year.

The Chicago Bears let Forte leave because they feared last year's struggles were the beginning of the end. We're a long way from Week 1 against the Cincinnati Bengals, but it's hard for Forte to refute that assertion limping around the sideline.

And make no mistake—if the Jets are going to make the playoff run they aspire to in 2016, they are going to need Forte on the field.

Arian Foster Impressing in Miami

Lynne Sladky/Associated Press

From Forte, we'll move down the alphabet just a touch to another veteran tailback—one who is enjoying a better start to his time with a new team.

In fact, when Miami Dolphins head coach Adam Gase talked with Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald about how much he's been impressed with Arian Foster, it was Forte's name that came up as a point of comparison:

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Any time we run a lot of plays that he’s run in the past, his ability to feel holes in the run game and when he gets the ball in the passing game, how smooth he is, how effortlessly he catches the ball, it's an impressive thing for me to see. I've been around one other guy in Matt Forte, as far as a guy who can do that much.

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The 30-year-old Foster has been making the most of the added first-team reps he's received while second-year pro (and nominal starter) Jay Ajayi has been sidelined with a minor knee injury.

Gase did say, however, that Ajayi hasn't fallen too far off the pace. “He's not falling behind mentally, for sure,” Gase said, per Beasley. “For me, the sooner we can get him back the better. He's working hard to get back. It's so day-to-day.”

With that said, though, the Dolphins have been clear that they don't want a full-fledged committee—they want one of these backs to take the proverbial ball and run with it. When offensive coordinator Clyde Christensen was asked if the Dolphins might have three backs with 75 or more carries in 2016, he said, per Beasley, "I hope not. We don't want that."

The fact that the Dolphins signed Foster would seem to indicate that Gase isn't sold on Ajayi's ability to be a featured back. Given Foster's injury history and 2015 Achilles tear, the veteran is no sure bet, either, but every time Foster looks like the Pro Bowler of old in practice, Ajayi fades just a bit more into the background.

Dante Fowler Jr. Dominating

John Raoux/Associated Press

It wouldn't take a whole lot for Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Dante Fowler Jr. to have a second training camp better than his first.

That happened as soon as Fowler made it through a complete practice without tearing his ACL.

The No. 3 pick in the 2015 NFL draft has done much better than just survive practices, however. He's dominating them.

Per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Fowler has been unstoppable on the practice field: "One last takeaway from the Jaguars: They believe [Fowler] is going to be a star. He's been embarrassing OLs all camp."

Fowler has been so dominant, in fact, that Jacksonville defensive coordinator Todd Wash told Alfie Crow of SB Nation that Fowler's having trouble finding an "off" switch:

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He actually had a question today in meetings about how he can slow down and not hit people, which is a good thing. We love the energy and the effort that he plays with. We're not limiting him at all right now. He goes out and he's physical on stuff. We just have to get him to slow down and play within himself. He tries to do too much at times. He is a little bit of a bull in a china closet at times.

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The key to Gus Bradley's 4-3 defense—a key that's been lacking for much of his tenure—is pressure off the edge from the "Leo" weak-side end. It's a role that Fowler seems perfectly suited for and the reason the Jaguars spent a top-five pick on the youngster.

Playing opposite a slimmed-down Malik Jackson, early indications are that Fowler is headed for a sophomore surge.

Jadeveon Clowney Not Clowning Around

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Dante Fowler Jr. isn't the only young pass-rusher turning some heads in the early days of training camp.

As Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reported, Jadeveon Clowney showed up to training camp at 265 pounds, down quite a bit from the 284 pounds he played at in 2015.

And so far, head coach Bill O'Brien is liking the fact he's seeing less of the South Carolina alum. "Clowney's been out here every day practicing hard. He's a guy that's gotten better. He understands our system, he understands the scheme, and he understands his role in it," O'Brien said, per Wilson. "I think he's added a couple of pass rush moves. He's getting better every day."

Houston would like to see a more explosive Clowney start to live up to the potential that led it to take him first overall back in 2014. The Texans are still hoping he will become the quick and athletic pass-rushing force they thought they were getting instead of the two injury-plagued years they have received up to this point.

There's added impetus now for Clowney to take a big step forward in 2016. With J.J. Watt recovering from back surgery and not being a sure bet to be on the field in Week 1, the Texans are staring at the real possibility of opening the defense of their AFC South title without their best player.

Whitney Mercilus showed with his 12-sack 2015 campaign that he's capable of helping to pick up some of the slack that would result from Watt missing a few games.

But that will be a lot easier for O'Brien to stomach if Mercilus has help.

Big Bucks for Bowman

Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports

By all indications, it is not going to be a fun season for the San Francisco 49ers. If you ask 10 pundits who will finish last in the NFC West this year, 11 are going to pick the 49ers.

However, while it may be a long year for inside linebacker NaVorro Bowman, the 28-year-old received a few more reasons on Thursday to grin and bear it.

Actually, Bowman received about 20 million of them.

That's the amount of guaranteed money in Bowman's new four-year, $44 million contract extension. Per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (h/t Jeremy Bergman of NFL.com), the pact also includes a nice raise for the last three years of Bowman's current deal:

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The deal is worth $11 million per year with $20 million guaranteed, NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reported, per a source involved. Rapoport added that the linebacker will get an extra $6 million over the next two seasons, followed by $3.45 million in 2018. Bowman had three years left on his previous deal and will now be with San Francisco through 2022.

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Bowman addressed the deal in a statement released by the team:

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My teammates and coaches have meant so much to me throughout my career and I thank them for helping me become the player I am today. The support I've received from my family and friends throughout my life, especially through the adversity of the past few years, has meant so much to me. I can't wait for the season to start and play in front of the best fans in the NFL.

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The deal also culminates a remarkable turnaround for Bowman. After missing all of the 2014 season due to a horrific ACL tear suffered in the previous season's NFC title game, Bowman led the NFL with 154 tackles last year.

Given the state of the San Francisco offense, the talent around him on defense and the amount of time Bowman will spend on the field in 2016 thanks to head coach Chip Kelly's frenetic offensive pace, he's a good bet to make it two years in a row.