NFL training camp previews for all 32 teams.

[Greenbacks]

DeShone Kizer, Cleveland Browns

Drafted in: Round 2, No. 52 overall.

Competition for the job: Veteran Brock Osweiler, second-year quarterback Cody Kessler, second-year quarterback Kevin Hogan.

Path to the starting lineup: Kizer, Kessler and Osweiler have each had at least one piece written by a legitimate news outlet this spring or summer linking them to the Browns' starting job this offseason, which makes this situation all the more fascinating. Given the team's current roster construction, the smart money would be on Kizer playing, if he has a realistic grasp on the playbook by Week 1. There are simply no other players on the roster with Kizer's physical tools or pro-style head start, in terms of his college experience. The Browns knew he would be a project mentally and mechanically, but they wooed head coach Hue Jackson away from Cincinnati specifically because of his ability to speed processes like this one along. The Browns have a top-10 offensive line on paper, which can help ease the rookie yips, but will Kizer get a chance to play behind them during the preseason?

Chance to start Week 1: 15 percent. This is a team hinging its future on collecting young, controllable talent and throwing that talent into the fire. Why wouldn't that also hold true for the quarterback position? The Browns are in no significant hurry to show the type of tangible improvement that would save a coach's job, and their acquisition of top-tier offensive linemen this offseason leads us to believe they could be prepping for a rookie to play behind them.

 

[Greenbacks]

Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs

Drafted in: Round 1, No. 10 overall.

Competition for the job: Starter Alex Smith, veteran Tyler Bray, 2016 undrafted free agent Joel Stave.

Path to the starting lineup: A management shakeup in Kansas City could lead to some more interesting personnel decisions down the road. While it's unclear whether drafting Mahomes was the decision of head coach Andy Reid or former general manager John Dorsey, Reid has taken a keen interest in Mahomes and is carving out significant practice time to ensure Mahomes' development stays on track. The Chiefs would not have made this move if they did not think the offense was operating at full potential. Mahomes is a shoo-in for the No. 2 job at the end of the summer, but he would have to be absolutely stunning in training camp to make Reid rethink his current pecking order beyond that.

Chance to start Week 1: 10 percent. Never say never. Smith was stunningly supplanted by Colin Kaepernick halfway into a stellar season in San Francisco (though in that instance, Smith's concussion issues opened the door for Kaepernick). While Smith is among the league's winningest quarterbacks over the past four seasons, seeing him lose momentum in this race wouldn't be the most unbelievable training camp development of all time.

 

[Greenbacks]

C.J. Beathard, San Francisco 49ers

Drafted in: Round 3, No. 104 overall.

Competition for the job: Veteran Brian Hoyer, veteran Matt Barkley, undrafted rookie free agent Nick Mullens.

Path to the starting lineup: This is a steep climb for anyone, but especially for Beathard. He'll have to supplant a quarterback in Hoyer who already has a connection with head coach Kyle Shanahan. Barkley also played well in stints last year. However, general manager John Lynch and Shanahan have not been shy about talking up Beathard, even likening him to former Shanahan project Kirk Cousins. It's tough to knock Shanahan's ability to find QB talent in the mid to late rounds so far.

Chance to start Week 1: 2 percent. The 49ers will want to turn some heads, despite this being part of a long rebuild, which means playing with Hoyer, with whom Shanahan has won games in the past. That being said, there is a lingering fascination with Beathard, who is earning praise as the type of accurate game manager who typically thrives in Shanahan's system. His arm strength and on-field smarts could elevate him more quickly than expected.

 

[Greenbacks]

Nathan Peterman, Buffalo Bills

Drafted in: Round 5, No. 171 overall.

Competition for the job: Starter Tyrod Taylor, veteran T.J. Yates.

Path to the starting lineup: Taylor will be the starting quarterback of this team, though Peterman was not without his cheerleaders this offseason. Various draft analysts were obsessed with the Pitt product, and given the wide-open nature of this year's QB prospects and a new coaching staff in Buffalo, one is never completely sure of what can happen during camp.

Chance to start Week 1: 1 percent. Like we said, anything can happen with a new coaching staff and coordinator. This could be the type of season in Buffalo where the team cycles through two or three different quarterbacks as they stack the roster for the future. If Peterman is starting Week 1, though, chances are, the offseason is not going according to plan.

 

[Greenbacks]

Davis Webb, New York Giants

Drafted in: Round 3, No. 87 overall.

Competition for the job: Starter Eli Manning, veteran Geno Smith, veteran Josh Johnson.

Path to the starting lineup: The battle to watch here will be between Smith and Johnson, not Webb and Smith. Webb will ease into a developmental term as Manning's backup, but he will likely have help on the roster this year. The last time the Giants drafted a developmental project (Ryan Nassib out of Syracuse), they tailored the roster in a similar fashion. While it would be encouraging to see Webb beat out Smith and Johnson, he simply needs to tread water effectively this summer.

Chance to start Week 1: 0 percent. Manning is one of the most injury-resistant players in modern NFL history, despite taking a significant amount of thuds over the years. He has never missed a start and won't be supplanted during a season in which the team has Super Bowl aspirations.

 

[Greenbacks]

Joshua Dobbs, Pittsburgh Steelers

Drafted in: Round 4, No. 135 overall.

Competition for the job: Starter Ben Roethlisberger, veteran Landry Jones, undrafted rookie free agent Bart Houston.

Path to the starting lineup: Dobbs -- and the Steelers -- would be thrilled if he were simply good enough this preseason to allow the team to dump Jones and roll with two quarterbacks. Like the Giants with Davis Webb, the Steelers are taking a flier on a potential -- but nowhere close to guaranteed -- future successor.

Chance to start Week 1: 0 percent. Barring a downright unfair string of preseason injuries, this will be Ben Roethlisberger's team until he chooses to retire.

 

[Greenbacks]

Brad Kaaya, Detroit Lions

Drafted in: Round 6, No. 215 overall.

Competition for the job: Starter Matthew Stafford, 2016 sixth-round pick Jake Rudock.

Path to the starting lineup: There is none for Kaaya, who can, at best, hope to graduate from the Jim Caldwell and Jim Bob Cooter offensive academy with an advanced degree after his rookie contract expires. Stafford will break the bank at some point this offseason and ink a significant long-term deal.

Chance to start Week 1: 0 percent. This is about finding a long-term backup solution.

 

[Greenbacks]

Chad Kelly, Denver Broncos

Drafted in: Round 7, No. 253 overall.

Competition for the job: Potential starters Trevor Siemian and Paxton Lynch, undrafted rookie free agent Kyle Sloter.

Path to the starting lineup: While this seems like a tremendous hurdle, the Kelly situation is different from that of another quarterback taken in the seventh round. This is a quarterback with a pedigree that corresponds to a much higher round and an interested developer in John Elway. If Lynch and Siemian do not perform up to expectations, it is not completely outside the realm of possibility that a healthy Kelly could earn snaps at some point in 2017.

Chance to start Week 1: 0 percent. Kelly was placed on the non-football injury list to start camp and is still recovering from a wrist injury. This is a two-horse race for now.

 

[Greenbacks]

[h=1]Jon Gruden on coaching return: 'I'm preparing'[/h]

Jon Gruden hasn't been a football head coach in nearly a decade. That hasn't stopped an onslaught of Gruden coaching rumors seemingly every offseason since he was fired by the Buccaneers following the end of the 2008 regular season.
The latest edition of Grumors (sorry, couldn't help myself), however, comes straight from the horse's mouth.
"I've met with several people -- I won't deny that," Gruden said in an interview with PewterReport.com. "Just about every year I talk about coming back to coach. I'm not in here every day at 4:30 or 4:00 in the morning watching pinball, you know? I'm preparing myself to come back. I am. Every day. I'm preparing to come back."
Gruden has spent his time away from the sidelines as ESPN's Monday Night Football analyst. Even though he's been in the broadcast booth for the past eight seasons, he's still kept that coaching mentality within himself.
"I love ESPN," Gruden said. "I mean I love what I'm doing. I'm with a great team -- a great group of guys. I'm still real close to the game. I still stay in contact with a lot of players and coaches at the league at every level. I don't know if [all the talk] is flattering or irritating. I don't really pay attention to a lot of it.
"But I am -- every year -- preparing myself to coach. Sometimes I show up at camp and I show up in the offseason and people let me coach. I jump in drills and they still let me install plays and call plays at some places."
Gruden compiled a 95-81 record over his 11 years manning the Raiders and Buccaneers. He turns 54 in the middle of August, so time could be ticking away on how many coaching opportunities he is offered.
One thing's for sure: With the constant whispers every year about Gruden putting back on the headset, we'll believe he'll be a head coach again -- whether at the collegiate level or in the pros -- when we actually see it.

 

[Greenbacks]

DeVante Parker among young pass catchers poised to break out.

DeVante Parker, WR, Miami Dolphins

2017 projection: 900 receiving yards and six touchdowns.
We've all been waiting for this guy to show up, and this is the year. He's a speedster who can help an up-and-down Ryan Tannehill stretch the field. It's hard to break out without other weapons on the field -- but Adam Gase's offense isn't short of those. Having Jarvis Landry, Kenny Stills and running back Jay Ajayi will help open up the field for Parker tremendously. Even though I have Parker sitting under the 1,000-yard mark, he's going to gain the respect of defenses and make some splash plays in 2017.

C.J. Fiedorowicz, TE, Houston Texans

2017 projection: 800 receiving yards and eight touchdowns.
Fiedorowicz was one of the favorite targets of any quarterback who put on a Texans uniform last year. It'll be the same tune this season, with Tom Savage and Deshaun Watson battling for the starting QB job. Quarterbacks often lean on tight ends when trying to find a rhythm, and we saw the 6-foot-5, 265-pound Fiedorowicz become somewhat of a safety valve for Brock Osweiler and Co. a year ago. The Texans' fourth-year TE is once again going to be a consistent part of this offense. And with a deep receiving corps that will be game-planned around, opposing defenses could look past this dual-threat tight end, allowing him to produce.

Tyrell Williams, WR, Los Angeles Chargers

2017 projection: 1,000 receiving yards and five touchdowns OR 800 receiving yards and eight touchdowns.
Heading into 2016, who would've guessed that Tyrell Williams would notch 1,000 receiving yards? Not me, especially with pass catchers like Keenan Allen, Antonio Gates and Hunter Henry on the Chargers' roster. But with Allen going down early, Williams took advantage of the opportunity and put himself in good company with some of the best wideouts in the league numbers-wise. Whenever a receiver cracks 1,000 yards, he's destined to put up another one sooner rather than later. Heading into this season, some would say there aren't enough balls to go around in this offense, but Philip Rivers had a lot of faith in Williams last year. That's going to continue to show, and I suspect the former undrafted receiver will pick up right where he left off and truly establish himself as a consistent threat on the outside.

Paul Richardson, WR, Seattle Seahawks

2017 projection: 800 yards and eight touchdowns.
Richardson wowed us all with this one-handed snag in Seattle's wild-card bout with Detroit. When Tyler Lockett went down in Week 16, Richardson stepped up big time. After compiling just 288 receiving yards during the regular season, he added 131 more in two postseason contests. With Doug Baldwin, Jermaine Kearse and Lockett back in the mix, Richardson is going to reap the benefits when he's out on the field, because defenses will game plan for the two or three receivers ahead of him. Not to mention, Russell Wilson is one of the best at creating something out of nothing. This offense is about to improve immensely from a year ago.

Cameron Brate, TE, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

2017 projection: 800 receiving yards and eight touchdowns.
OK, I'm cheating here a bit, as Brate isn't on his rookie contract. But the 26-year-old has yet to really cash in, playing this season on a one-year, $690,000 deal. And I believe this is the year he earns a healthy raise.
You're seeing a pattern by now. Other Bucs skill players will attract attention -- see: stud Mike Evans and newcomer DeSean Jackson -- allowing Brate to have his way with opposing defenses. And I haven't even mentioned rookie O.J. Howard, who'll jump on the scene and demand respect right out of the gate. How can't Brate enjoy success with all of this talent around him? I anticipate Brate making a bigger name for himself, even in an offense that boasts high-profile players like Jameis Winston, Evans and Jackson.

 

[Greenbacks]

Whether you're a fan or Tom Coughlin, football is family.

 

[Greenbacks]

 

[Greenbacks]

 

[Greenbacks]

[h=1]Kansas City and Seattle agree to trade linebackers.[/h]

RENTON, Wash. -- Kansas City and Seattle have swapped linebackers, with D.J. Alexander joining the Seahawks and Kevin Pierre-Louis being sent to the Chiefs.
The clubs made the trade Friday on the cusp of training camp for both teams.
Alexander was a Pro Bowl selection last season as a special teams player for the Chiefs and played sparingly on defense. He had 16 total tackles in the regular season on defense and made one start.
Pierre-Louis never matched his potential with the Seahawks. An exceptional athlete, Pierre-Louis struggled with injuries and with inconsistent performance when he got on the field. Pierre-Louis appeared in 34 regular-season games with one start. He had 43 total tackles playing outside linebacker for the Seahawks.

 

[Greenbacks]

Win total benchmark extends Mike Tomlin contract.

Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin earned himself another year of employment in Pittsburgh. Tomlin's win total triggered a vesting option in his deal, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Friday, citing a source informed of the situation. He'll now be under contract through the 2019 season, though there have been talks about a longer pact.
"There have been some conversations between Steelers brass and Mike Tomlin and those who represent him and are putting him under contract through 2020," Rapoport explained Friday on Inside Training Camp Live. "From what I am told, those have not been finalized yet. Nothing is done, nothing has been agreed to as far as being under contract with 2020.
"But perhaps, what Ed Bouchette, the longtime Steelers beat man [of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette], tweeted about an announcement, perhaps it is simply saying that Tomlin is now under contract through 2019 because that automatically vested based on the success on the field."
Back in 2015, the coach and team agreed on a contract through the 2018 season. The vesting option buys them plenty of time to negotiate a more significant deal without Tomlin approaching a lame-duck year.
Just 45, Tomlin is still on the young side for NFL head coaches but already has a spectacular resume. Since 2007, Tomlin has gone 103-57 in the regular season alongside an 8-6 record in the postseason. Despite some borderline idiotic assertions to the contrary, Tomlin is on a path to become the next great Steelers head coach. Seeing as there have been so few over the years and the last was Bill Cowher, the bar was quite high to begin with.
As Steelers public relations noted last year, Tomlin is the fastest coach in franchise history to 100 wins. He has not had a losing season yet.
Of course, much of Tomlin's legacy moving forward will be defined by how he maximizes the remaining years of Ben Roethlisberger's career alongside the prime years of Antonio Brown and Le'Veon Bell. Despite a rash of significant injuries, the Steelers still made it to the AFC title game last year. Returning nearly all of their key contributors, expectations may have never been higher for Tomlin.

 

[Greenbacks]

 

[Greenbacks]

Broncos linebacker Shane Ray (wrist) out 6-8 weeks.

Shane Ray's attempt to replace the retired DeMarcus Ware full-time has been put on the shelf. The linebacker suffered a torn ligament in his wrist on Thursday and will be out six to eight weeks after surgery, which is scheduled for Saturday, coach Vance Joseph announced on Friday. Ray practiced with a brace on his wrist on Friday, but it was determined afterward that surgery would be necessary, Joseph added.
Ray started eight games in 2016 in place of Ware, recording eight sacks and 48 tackles in 16 games played, but 2017 will be his first opportunity to step into the role as a legitimate starter. He's earned offseason endorsements from teammates Von Miller, who said Ray has "been ready for a long time," and T.J. Ward.
"I think Shane Ray's gonna blow up," Ward said in a piece written by NFL.com columnist Michael Silver. "He's gonna wake people up for sure."
Miller's later point back in April -- "Shane being a starter from Day 1, I think that will definitely help his game" -- causes some consternation, though. Assuming the role of starter, especially one following a future Hall of Famer, will become a bit more difficult with the injury setting him back more than a month. Considering the nature of front-seven play -- pass rushing is very much a hand game -- and the fact it's a wrist injury, it's reasonable to think his returning at full strength at the start might be more difficult than usual.
At best, Ray hits the six-week mark two days before Denver's opener against the Chargers on Monday Night Football. At worst, he's back the day before their Week 3 contest versus Buffalo. Either way, he's thrown into the fire with little preseason preparation.
Then again, Ray is a former first-round pick, and has the privilege of playing opposite Miller, who will frequently draw double-teams and chips. The attention will be away from Ray in passing situations. Young, first-time starters have tried to cut their teeth in worse situations in the past.

 

[Greenbacks]

[h=1]Fabiano's 2017 fantasy football projections: WRs.[/h]Fantasy football analysis continues to develop and evolve as we become more and more advanced. No longer is it limited to a simple look at the rank of defenses against the pass and the run to determine starts or sits, as it was back in the late 1990s. (Wow, that seems like so long ago!) Now in the Information Age, the level of statistical projections, algorithms, metrics and research used to project a player's points and fantasy value are almost on the level of an NFL scout. While some information can be paralysis by analysis, a lot of it is useful in our quest to become champions.
In an effort to be a one-stop shop for the most important information as it pertains to your fantasy draft preparation, here's a look at my wide receiver projections for the 2017 season. I've also included a few of the more vital team stats from last season, including each team's wide receiver target and reception totals, the percentage of overall team targets and receptions that went to wideouts, and the percentage of overall team red-zone targets that went to the position. And of course, fantasy points against (strength of schedule) information is also included at the end.
Also included are a few nuggets, tidbits and analysis (for those who might be sick of all the numbers) on the most important fantasy players, in addition to the tendencies and trends of their coaches and coordinators. In some cases, you'll even see a quick historical breakdown of how well players have done (based on points) under the coaches and coordinators who'll be calling their plays in 2017.

 

[Greenbacks]

Arizona Cardinals

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Projections
Larry Fitzgerald: 90 rec, 1,009 yards, 6 TDs, 0 rush yards, 0 rush TDs, 134.9 fantasy points
John Brown: 58 rec, 890 yards, 5 TDs, 17 rush yards, 0 rush TDs, 119.2 fantasy points
J.J. Nelson: 42 rec, 610 yards, 4 TDs, 57 rush yards, 0 rush TDs, 88.7 fantasy points

The Cardinals ranked second in wide receiver targets and tied for fifth in red-zone targets last season. ... Larry Fitzgerald was the team's most targeted wide receiver (151). He's the lone wideout to score more than seven touchdowns in a single season under coach Bruce Arians in Arizona. ... J.J. Nelson was second in targets with 74. ... John Brown averaged 4.8 targets a game, but that total should rise as he returns from sickle cell trait. He's a potential middle- to late-round value. ... Arians was either a head coach or offensive coordinator in six consecutive seasons before taking over in Arizona. During that time, his system produced at least one top-20 fantasy wide receiver per season. However, Mike Wallace (2010-2011) was the lone wideout to finish better than 15th. ... In the last four years with the Cardinals, Arians' offense has produced just one top-10 wideout (Fitzgerald, 2015).

 

[Greenbacks]

Atlanta Falcons

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</tbody>

Projections
Julio Jones: 101 rec, 1,498 yards, 8 TDs, 0 rush yards, 0 rush TDs, 195.8 fantasy points
Taylor Gabriel: 53 rec, 622 yards, 5 TDs, 43 rush yards, 0 rush TDs, 96.5 fantasy points
Mohamed Sanu: 55 rec, 626 yards, 5 TDs, 38 rush yards, 0 rush TDs, 96.4 fantasy points

The Falcons finished 18th in wide receiver targets overall and 12th in red-zone targets. Surprisingly, superstar receiver Julio Jones finished 53rd at the position in red-zone chances. Veteran Mohamed Sanu led the Falcons wideouts with a mere 13 red-zone targets. That ranked 39th among wideouts around the league. Sanu would finish with just four touchdown catches, two behind Jones for the team lead among wide receivers. ... The Falcons ranked third in total red-zone targets (93), but almost a third of them went to running backs. ... Jones' 9.2 overall targets per game were down from the 12.7 he saw the previous season. However, those totals seem destined to rise under new offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian. ... Taylor Gabriel averaged five targets a game in his last seven games, but he averaged a touchdown per contest. He scored a sixth touchdown on his four rushing attempts.