NFL Training Camps 2016: Updates, Rumors and Analysis for August 17

Sometimes, it feels like there's no middle ground at this point in training camp.

A team is either decimated by injuries and suspensions or is getting healthy at the right time.

A team is either taking long looks of despair at an important area of the depth chart or is overjoyed to the point of false hope.

And players are either rounding out into perfect physical condition, or they're riding the roster bubble.

There's a seesaw rocking back and forth between optimism and pessimism. It's not hard to find a healthy supply of either. Wednesday, for example, you could look for the good vibes in Baltimore, where Ravens wide receiver Steve Smith passed his physical and will return from the physically unable to perform list. Then, for a dose of depression, you could scan the Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver depth chart.

Eventually, everything evens out, and some sort of semi-sanity is restored once September gets here and the roster shuffling is over. For now, though, we're left to sift through the daily chaos.

So let's get to it.

Elway Says Broncos Won't Tell QBs "You Guys Have to Go Win This"

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It's still so incredibly bizarre to live in an NFL universe where the current defending champs are heading into their second preseason game with an ongoing quarterback competition.

How much of a competition actually exists between Mark Sanchez and Trevor Siemian at this point is debatable, as throughout the offseason, all signs have pointed toward the Denver Broncos going with a more experienced veteran. That would be Sanchez; however, the presence of any lingering question at all as the August days tick by is odd and even a little unsettling.

But this is a brave new world the Broncos are exploring, one in which franchise-building is rooted in defense and then more defense. The team has invested many dollars in first getting and then retaining key defenders, as Denver assembled the league's top-ranked defense for a Super Bowl-winning season. (The Broncos allowed an average of only 283.1 total yards per game.) 

Chief among those doled-out dollars was making outside linebacker and pass-rushing menace Von Miller the league's highest-paid defender. So although the strangeness of having a quarterback competition likely isn't lost on Broncos general manager John Elway, he's not afraid to publicly acknowledge a known reality.

Committing the fewest errors matters most for his starting quarterback. 

“The good thing is we’ve got a good enough team around them,” Elway said, according to USA Today's Tom Pelissero. “We’ll be able to run the ball, and we won’t throw them out there and say, ‘You guys have to go win this.’ Do your job, make good decisions and keep the team in position to win. And that’s really all we’re asking of that position right now.”

The awfulness of Broncos quarterbacks in 2015 really can't be overstated or repeated enough. As Pelissero also noted, Peyton Manning and Brock Osweiler combined for a passer rating of 76.3, which was among the worst ever for a Super Bowl champion.

Unlike most teams in this era of ballooning quarterback contracts, the Broncos don't need their passers to be heroes. They need them to be competent, and they need to find someone who can be trusted.

Most of all, they just need someone who can babysit the offense while scattering a handful of key throws.

Derek Wolfe Is the Latest Dinged Broncos Defender

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The thing about relying on a running game and strong defense is that, well, you need a bit of luck. If the Broncos don't intend to lean on a quarterback to win them games, then they have to hope core defensive pieces remain healthy.

So far, that finger-crossing has led to some shaky moments, and it's only mid-August.

Earlier this week, Vance Walker went down for the season with a torn ACL, and then Wednesday, fellow defensive end Derek Wolfe hobbled off the field. Team trainers had to help him to the locker room, and NFL.com's James Palmer reported Wolfe wasn't able to put much weight on the injury.

Thankfully, it seems like the Broncos dodged a scare, as an MRI revealed Wolfe suffered only an ankle sprain.

"It's nothing serious and if it was a regular season game this week I'd be playing," he told ESPN's Josina Anderson.

The 26-year-old is a critical front-seven linchpin for the Broncos, and seeing him miss any regular-season action would have been a gut punch to this defense. Among 3-4 defensive ends in 2015, Wolfe was one of the best all-around defenders. He led the position with a stop on 13 percent of his run snaps and finished with 40 quarterback pressures, according to Pro Football Focus.

He's a thrashing and pocket-penetrating force on the edge, and has often been the anchor for everything that happens on the left side.

The Rams Want Greg Robinson to Drop a Few Pounds

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In very, very rare moments, NFL players are just like the rest of us. Like when Los Angeles Rams defensive end William Hayes (a 31-year-old man) said he believes in mermaids. Who doesn't, right?

Or like when his teammate Greg Robinson says he needs to shed some pounds and is carrying around a little too much water weight.

That's what the left tackle told ESPN.com's Alden Gonzalez while also admitting his coaches have been hounding him to get back to his normal playing weight. The scale currently climbs to 336 pounds when Robinson hops on, and his ideal playing weight is 322 pounds.

This would normally fall under the vast umbrella of a standard training-camp storyline, and it would barely be notable. Throughout camp, players are in the best shape of their lives or are faster then they've ever been, or they need to gain/lose weight.

But I'm noting Robinson's weight battle here because if we assume first overall pick Jared Goff starts either right away or soon at quarterback (he will), then his left tackle needs to have the right balance of blocking power and mobility. 

And so far in his career, Robinson hasn't displayed either. Yet now he finds himself tasked with protecting the franchise's future under center as Goff develops and learns.

Robinson was a highly valued prospect in 2014 and viewed as a future offensive line pillar. But during his first full season as a starter, he allowed 41 pressures, per PFF, which ranked 39th out of the 59 tackles who played at least half of their teams' snaps.

One more season like that, and he'll firmly be flirting with draft-bust territory.

The Panthers Are Taking a Look at Tackle Will Beatty

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Elsewhere in urgent offensive tackle rumblings, the Carolina Panthers are doing some tire-kicking. In this case, the oversize tires belong to Will Beatty, the veteran tackle whom the New York Giants released earlier this offseason.

The Panthers hosted Beatty for a workout Wednesday, according to Newsday's Tom Rock. Their current tackle depth can best be described as adequate. But while Beatty is aging at 31 years old with a body that's been torn, poked and prodded, he would still, at minimum, be an established blocker if Michael Oher or Mike Remmers struggles.

Beatty's list of injuries reads like a chapter and includes a torn pectoral in 2015. Then he tore another rather important muscle while trying to rehab the first tear, and his season officially ended with a shredded rotator cuff.

Still, we don't have to look too far back for a time when Beatty was an effective blindside protector.   

That time came in 2014 when he ranked tied for 15th among the 54 qualifying tackles in pass-blocking efficiency, per PFF. Meanwhile, Remmers and Oher can often look completely overmatched against premier pass-rushers, and combined to allow six sacks during a Super Bowl loss.

Randle Is Firmly on the Eagles' Roster Bubble, and Agholor Is Struggling

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Moving along then to another piece of discarded Giants scrap, it seems that to the surprise of absolutely no one, Rueben Randle still hasn't suddenly morphed into a consistent NFL wide receiver.

The Philadelphia Eagles signed Randle hoping that, at the ripe age of 25, he could somehow locate the talent that elevated him to second-round-pick status in 2012. He's gone through a cycle of raising expectations with flashes of impressive play, then failing to maintain any shred of consistency.

That was reflected in his production over four seasons with the Giants. Randle nearly reached the 1,000-yard receiving plateau with his 938 yards in 2014. He also scored a career single-season-high eight touchdowns in 2015 but did it while averaging a pedestrian 49.8 yards per game.

He was never able to sustain success and justify the Giants' high draft investment. But, once again, there was hope early in training camp when new Eagles head coach Doug Pederson labeled Randle as a "guy that has kind of stood out," via the Philadelphia Inquirer's Zach Berman.

That's, um, glowing praise? It was glowing enough for Randle, at least, who has often struggled with drops too. Fast-forward to current times nearly two weeks later, and the faint optimism has nearly been swallowed whole.

Randle and fellow offseason free-agent signing Chris Givens have failed to impress, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer's Jeff McLane, and they're both becoming expendable. That isn't an especially shocking development at this stage of camp. The larger issue here, however, is what their lackluster play means for the state of Eagles wide receivers.

The Eagles' depth chart at the position is generally filled with dark clouds and sewage beyond Jordan Matthews, who has missed the past two weeks with a knee injury. That's why general manager Howie Roseman just acquired Dorial Green-Beckham from the Tennessee Titans. He now has two second-round picks who have failed to live up to lofty expectations, and their former teams pulled the plug.

Maybe there's still hope for either Randle or Green-Beckham to resuscitate his career. But as McLane rightly noted, it's already time for someone (anyone) to step up, especially since first-round pick Nelson Agholor has also been an underwhelming wreck unable to create separation.

"Agholor isn't tall or stout, and he hasn't flashed the kind of quickness that is often needed to offset what a receiver may lack in size," McLane wrote. "He hasn't consistently made grabs in tight corners or gotten the ball in space and made defenders miss."

Nothing about that description says "top receiver." And it definitely shouldn't describe anyone who was the 20th overall pick just one year ago.

Steve Smith Passes Physical, Will Be Activated from PUP

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There's arguably only one other team with a wide receiver depth chart that makes fans reach for an air freshener faster than the one fielded by the Eagles. It's off to Baltimore we go then for a look at the slightly improved state of the Ravens' mess.

Steve Smith has passed his physical and will be activated from the physically unable to perform list after recovering from his torn Achilles, according to Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun. His return is a needed boost for a team set to rely on the promising but still inexperienced Kamar Aiken, who has only 99 career receptions.

Smith will get his first practice time in soon and likely won't receive many snaps throughout the Ravens' remaining preseason schedule as head coach John Harbaugh manages him delicately. It's difficult to project who and what Smith will be once games matter.

Everyone involved here—fans, coaches and Smith himself—needs to view him with eyes wide-open. Remember, as impressive as Smith was during his age-36 season in 2015 (670 receiving yards over only seven games), he's now one year older after rehabbing a devastating injury.

If he's even 75 percent of what he was in 2015, the Ravens coaching staff might be running through team facilities in their underwear (sorry).

In other top-tier wide receiver PUP activation news, the Green Bay Packers welcomed Jordy Nelson back. He also passed his physical Wednesday, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, and now the always petrifying Nelson-Aaron Rodgers connection has been restored.

Prior to tearing his ACL in 2015, Nelson had posted back-to-back seasons with 1,300-plus receiving yards.

Joe Flacco: Mike Wallace Is Going to Be a "Really Big Hit"

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On second thought, maybe the Ravens' wide receiver depth chart isn't so bad? Where Baltimore's wideouts fall on the great-awful scale rests largely with Mike Wallace.

The one-trick-pony label that's followed Wallace throughout his career could be fading away, as he's been much more than that during Ravens training camp.

"Wallace has caught passes on fade routes in the end zone," wrote ESPN.com's Jamison Hensley. "He has pulled in tough catches on back-shoulder throws. He has been a frequent target on underneath routes."

There are early signs of versatility from Wallace then, an attribute he's teased us with before. Then once the game clock starts ticking down for real, his route running gets a little sloppy, and he reverts back to his true nature—which is to be a grass burner.

But even if Wallace doesn't evolve, that might not be crushing at all.

He failed with the Miami Dolphins and Minnesota Vikings because Wallace was working with two quarterbacks (Ryan Tannehill and Teddy Bridgewater) who had, at best, questionable deep accuracy. Which leads to Wallace being wasted. What he does best is simple: He runs far, runs fast and hopes a ball is there when his eyes look up.

Now Wallace is paired with Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco, who offered this five-star review.

"Mike is awesome," Flacco told Hensley. "I think he is going to be a really big hit for us."

There's reason to believe Flacco is probably right. The last time Wallace worked with a strong-armed quarterback came when he caught passes from Ben Roethlisberger with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He averaged 17.2 yards per reception over four seasons then, which dropped to 12.8 with the Dolphins and 12.1 in Minnesota.

Jimmy Graham Might Not Be Ready for Week 1

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It's important to press pause with Seattle Seahawks tight end Jimmy Graham and not overact to any news of a minor setback.

He suffered the most devastating injury in football a little over eight months ago. A torn patellar tendon can change career paths or ruin them entirely. So Graham's being activated from the PUP list and appearing on a training-camp field in any capacity is an accomplishment, and he did that a week ago.

Let that really sink in if you need to before carrying on, because here comes the inevitable brake-pumping from head coach Pete Carroll.

Graham hasn't participated in team drills yet. But he's been running, cutting and looking like a healthy though slower version of himself as he works individually. With September inching closer, Carroll faced a decision: Does he keep up the rosy optimism regarding Graham or let a touch of reality seep through?

He went with the latter and acknowledged there's a chance Graham might not be ready for Week 1. Here's what he said to reporters Wednesday, via ESPN.com's Sheil Kapadia:

"

We've had no issues at all in the work he's doing on the field. That will continue to increase throughout the next few weeks. Really we're shooting for: Where is he at the start of the season? And we'll evaluate then on how much longer it may take, or he may be ready. We don't know that yet. But he feels good.

There's some evaluation to be done going into next week, but I don't have any expectations for that right now. We'll just wait and see. We don't have a timetable for this that he has to meet any schedule at all.

"

That's not just the best outlook and way to handle Graham's recovery. It's the only way, and after the Seahawks offense jelled so well without the three-time Pro Bowler in 2015, there's little reason for Carroll to push him and risk further injury.

Rob Gronkowski Missed Another Practice, but He's Just Dealing with a Bruise

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The volume of an injury siren gets louder every time New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski misses practice—even if practices are taking place with the regular season still weeks away.

In fairness, injuries have lingered with Gronkowski in the past, and his violent style of play invites punishment. He's appeared in all 16 games only once during a season over his six-year career and has missed 16 total games. That includes appearing in only seven games during the 2013 season.

So sure, some fear is understandable. It may even grow just a little after Gronkowski missed his second straight practice Wednesday. But we're well into the steamy dog days of training camp now, and everyone's favorite dude-bro tight end is just going through the usual training-camp dings and nicks.

Tuesday evening, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport passed along the vague but reassuring news that whatever caused Gronkowski to pull up at practice Monday appears to be "as minor as it seemed." Then Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald confirmed a diagnosis: It's a bruise.

If Gronkowski were even limited to start the season, that would be a critical hit for the Patriots, especially with quarterback Tom Brady suspended four games. Over the past two seasons, Gronkowski has recorded 2,300 receiving yards while catching 23 touchdown passes.

Manny Lawson Has No Idea Where Reports of His Possible Suspension Came From

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Buffalo Bills linebacker Manny Lawson is just as confused about reports of his possible one-game suspension as the rest of us.

On Tuesday, Tim Graham of the Buffalo News reported Lawson might be suspended one game because of a domestic violence incident. Wednesday afternoon, Graham firmed up his own report, saying that three sources have now told him a suspension could be coming.

But there's a disconnect here—and some murkiness.

First and foremost, if Lawson did indeed violate the domestic-violence policy, then the standard punishment for a first-time offender is six games. There's some wiggle room for that to be lowered, but it depends on the specific circumstances and details.

That brings us to the real strangeness: There are no details. 

Graham's sources didn't pass along any. Lawson himself told Vic Carucci, also of the Buffalo News, that he has "no idea" where the report came from and is "trying to get to the bottom of it."

So until either details come out or detective Lawson digs something up, we'll all have to remain in a confused state.

The Bills defense is already decimated because of injuries to outside linebackers Shaq Lawson and IK Enemkpali, a suspension for defensive tackle Marcell Dareus and fellow tackle Reggie Ragland's torn ACL. Buffalo can't afford to lose Manny Lawson for any time at all.