According to Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, rookie receivers Greg Salas and Austin Pettis are both on the roster bubble.
Pettis was a third-round pick and Salas a fourth, so it would be a mild surprise if either were waived at final cuts. The Rams are deep at wideout, however, with Danario Alexander healthy at the moment and Mardy Gilyard coming on quickly as a special teamer. Pettis has been a complete non-factor through two preseason games. Salas had an ugly drop in the last exhibition, and is running with the third- and fourth-team offenses.
Antonio Gates (foot) did not skip a single practice this week at Chargers training camp.
At this point, Gates' plantar fasciitis appears to be in the rearview mirror. He participated in 5-of-6 practices last week, bounced back well, and is now riding a new streak. Gates may sit out the entire preseason, but owners should pretty confidently draft him as an early- to mid-round fantasy pick. Gates racked up 782 yards and 10 touchdowns last season despite missing six games and being hobbled in several others.
Both teams are also set to play Thursday night. Those games will not be moved.
(Translation: The starters and immediate backups play Monday. Everyone else plays Thursday.)
The coaches won’t like the disruption of their routine, but that’s life. I didn’t like the insane lines at the grocery store in Manhattan either Friday. (So I left.) Sometimes larger forces just can’t be ignored.
Citing three sources familiar with the situation, Yahoo! Sports’ Jason Cole reports that Buccaneers cornerbackAqib Talib “can expect” a four-game NFL suspension in connection with his alleged role in a March 21 shooting.
Talib, a Pro Bowl-caliber talent entering his fourth NFL season, met with commissioner Roger Goodell in New York this week to discuss the incident and impending disciplinary action.
Talib is believed to be one of eight players facing suspension after the league and union struck a compromise on enforcement of the personal conduct policy against offenders during the lockout.
Talib, 25, was suspended one game and fined two game checks for violating the policy in 2010. So he is a repeat offender.
1. Steelers - The Steelers defense is clearly getting older but this is probably the healthiest their defense has been going into a season in a few years. Having Aaron Smith this year alone will be a huge help, not to mention a 100% Polamalu. Factor in that Lawrence Timmons is now playing up to the expectations they had for him when they drafted him, and you have a ferocious defense that has an even better coach in Dick LeBeau. Bringing back Ike Taylor was one of the biggest non-story "acquisitions" of the off season.
2. Packers - The Pack had a significant loss in Cullen Jenkins departure, but Dom Capers will still find ways to help his players get to the quarterback in 2011. The linebacking core lost Nick Barnett, but Desmond Bishop played for him last year and did fine. Expect the secondary to be even better this year with Sam Shields expected improvement here in his second year.
3. Patriots - Back in April you could hear the cries ringing out in Boston when the Patriots refused to use any significant draft picks on pass rushers. Then the cries got louder at the end of the lockout, when their lone pass rusher specialist Tully Banta-Cain was released at the onset of free agency. But the Patriots are not going to be running just a standard 3-4 this year, they are going to be running a hybrid mixture with a lot of 4-3 over/under. What this means is that on many occasions the Pats are sending 4 down linemen and a linebacker or two into the backfield. So far in the early outings of preseason it looks scary how much penetration they are creating. Then consider these additions; Vastly underrated pass rush specialist Andre Carter at DE, nasty and disruptive DT/DE Shaun Ellis, and last but hopefully not least, former defensive player of the year, Albert Haynesworth. If even 2 of those players live up to half of their expectations, the Patriots defense is better. And they will.
4. Saints - Greg Williams is a man with bad intentions. He loves to wreak havoc on opposing game plans by overwhelming them with an onslaught of blitzes from the base 4-3 defense. It is not uncommon for him to send 6 men after the QB. This team lost Anthony Hargrove but could afford it, as they added Shaun Rogers and Aubrayo Franklin. Both players have at one time been franchise caliber defensive tackles. Shaun Rogers was absolutely dominant in Detroit before he was traded to the Browns. Franklin was an upper echelon DT in San Fran, but he wanted out. Now take both of those massive men out of 3-4 defenses and slap them in the middle of a 4-3 defense and expect mayhem like an All-State commercial.
5. Chargers - This unit was the top unit in the league last year in yards allowed, but you wouldn't know it because their special teams sabotaged this team all year long. The Chargers would have been a legitimate contender if their special teams was even average last year. But they were atrocious. We can't promise that the Chargers ST will be much better this year, but they do have a new ST coach this year with a focus on fixing it. Add in the fact that teams are actually not allowed to return kick offs anymore, ever again in the NFL, and the Chargers get a nice little handicap to help them out. Chargers will benefit from this rule change more than any team in the game, and it will show.
6. Jets - Yes the Jets lost Taylor and Shaun Ellis, but this opens the door for the young bucks to step in and show what they can do. Apparently Rex Ryan is enamored with the play of Muhammed Wilkerson, Kenrick Ellis and even more so with Ropati Pitoitua (who missed last year with an injury). Ryan is not lacking in swagger or confidence that these young men can be the disruptive forces he needs up front. Ryan will manufacture pressure, and the back end with Revis, Cromartie and Leonard will still be elite.
7. Bears - The Bears addition of Julius Peppers did not result in his individual statistical performance many expected, but he changed the entire defense for them. Opposing teams entire focus was now appropriate shifted to the freak of nature defensive end. The rest of the defensive line is serviceable despite not being spectacular, but they allow that roaming line backing core to move freely. Urlacher and Briggs are still one of the best LB combos in the game, and they are so destructive to the opposing teams running game. The secondary is not great, but expect marked improvements for safeties Harris and Wright who will be playing together for their second year.
8. Ravens - As long as No.52 is in Charm City, the Ravens will be a defense to be reckoned with. Ray Lewis is still at the top of his game. When I say that, I don't just mean he is really smart because he has been around the game for 16 years. I mean he can still flat out play. Watching him play against the Redskins last night, I only saw him blocked out of a play completely 1 time. That happened to be a down block on the second level by the Skins first round pick from the 2010 draft. Trent "Silverback" Williams walled off Ray on the 36 yard cut back run that Tim Hightower scored on. If Williams doesn't catch Ray by surprise, that isn't a touchdown. Great play by Williams and not much Ray could do about it. The Ravens only concern is if Terrence Cody is going to develop into the player they hope he can. Replacing long time Raven Kelly Gregg is not going to be easy, and Cody hasn't really stepped up to the challenge yet.
9. Lions - This could appear to be a homer or bandwagon pick, but it isn't and I will explain why. Yes the Lions were immediately a favorite when they drafted Nick Fairley, and I too am excited about his presence. Then when he got hurt, everyone piled off the same bandwagon. Fairley will have a huge impact, but make no mistake about it, he was going to be a role player this year anyways. Corey Williams is coming off a very under rated season last year and is firmly entrenched in that nose spot at least for this year. Sammie Lee Hill is a 3rd year player that is also show flashes and will still be in any rotation that goes along side of phenom Ndamukong Suh. Cliff Avril and Vanden Bosch are both healthy and set up the bookends with Willie Young and Lo Jack for great depth. Detroit has more defensive line depth than any team in the league and it will allow them to keep fresh legs in that front four. Their secondary was beat up last year mainly due to safety play, and former Lion CB Jonathan Wade. This year Louis Delmas is healthy and Amari Spivey actually knows his job and the corner spot opposite Chris Houston is manned by Eric Wright and shores up the back end significantly. All of this leaves us with the line backing group, which was in all truth the weakest link last year. DeAndre Levy was hurt all year and the other spots were revolving doors all year. This year Levy moves to the outside and Tulloch and Durant come in and put starting caliber players at all 3 spots.
10. Eagles - The "Dream Team" is the chic pick for the Super Bowl this year, and I don't see it happening but who knows. However they should be a nasty defense to face this year. Yes all the focus is going to be on Nnamdi, DRC, and Asante in the back end. But I am more interested in that front four. That front four consists of Cullen Jenkins, Trent Cole, Jason Babin, Juqua Parker, Anthony Hargrove, Mike Patterson, and if he gets off the PUP List - Brandon Graham. This unit will be coached by long time Titans defensive line coach Jim Washburn who will help Juan Castillo run a base 4-3 defense that allows the defensive line to freely attack the QB. Expect Graham, Cole and Babin to flourish in this wide-9 technique system.
TTR's Sleeper - Houston Texans - I know a lot of people would think that this is absurd, but hear me out. Now I don't think they are a top defense in the league, but I do think they are going to make gigantic improvements from last years debacle. Wade Phillips is a 3-4 guru and has had a penchant for quicker than normal turn around with this transition. Yes the change over normally is a painful process, but on occasion with good coaching it has made an impact in the first year. See Dom Capers in Green Bay as a recent example. This team looks to have done a great job on 2 of their early picks in the draft with both JJ Wyatt and Brooks Reed. Wyatt has been a beast and I expect him to be a more productive 5 technique than what you typically see. He has quick and powerful hands and a non stop motor. Brooks Reed is a poor man's Clay Matthews, long hair included. He played defensive end at Arizona but has looked pretty comfortable in a 2 point stance so far. Mario Williams may take some time to adjust to his new role, but he is still an impact player when getting after the passer. Keep in mind that he will have a lot of time with his hand in the dirt in Nickle and Dime packages. A healthy Jonathan Joseph and Daniel Manning are instant upgrades to what was an abysmal secondary. Expect Kareem Jackson to improve this year, if he doesn't he will probably be gone.
Not Top 10 - New York Giants - Last year the Giants came in at #10 in fantasy football rankings for defense and special teams. It's not going to happen this year though. This year the team has some chinks in the armor very early on due to injuries. Both of their first round picks, Prince Amukamara and Marvin Austin could have been in a position to have an immediate impact this year, but they are both out for significant time, if not all season. The Giants typically don't rely on their rookies, but the injuries didn't stop there, when they lost their top corner back Terrell Thomas for the season with a torn ACL. They also will have to see how Osi does returning from the minor knee surgery he had. Yes they have great depth on the ends, but 10 forced fumbles is hard to match by anyone. Expect the giants to remain competitive, but the secondary to remain their achilles heal.
One of the many hits Eagles quarterbackMichael Vick took during Thursday night’s game against the Browns came from linebacker D’Qwell Jackson, who picked up a 15-yard penalty for drilling Vick.
That penalty has been the subject of a heated debate today, with some seeing it as a textbook example of the kind of hit the NFL is trying to protect quarterbacks from, and others seeing it as a completely clean play that shouldn’t be against the rules of tackle football.
As far as Jackson is concerned, he was rushing full-speed at Vick and couldn’t stop his momentum in the instant that Vick threw the ball, and Jackson says he’d do the same thing again next time.
Browns coach Pat Shurmur, perhaps concerned about getting fined if he criticized referee Terry McAulay, would say only, “I observed it. I’ll leave it at that.”
The league office observes every call the referees make, and we’ll find out next week whether the NFL thinks Jackson’s hit (which can be seen at the 1:15 markhere) was a clean play, or whether Jackson can expect to be lighter in the wallet when his first paycheck arrives.
Posted by Michael David Smith on August 26, 2011, 1:01 PM EDT
AP
Lito Sheppard is heading to Oakland.
The Raiders announced today that they’ve signed Sheppard, a nine-year veteran cornerback, and he’ll be on the practice field in Napa today.
Sheppard spent the 2010 season in Minnesota, where he played in 13 games and started two for the Vikings. In 2009 he started nine games for the Jets, and from 2002 to 2008 he played for the Eagles.
The 30-year-old Sheppard worked out for both the Falcons and the Giants this month, but neither team opted to sign him. Now the Raiders will see how much Sheppard has left.
With Dolphins coach Tony Sparano getting a new contract only because owner Stephen Ross mishandled the failed courtship of Jim Harbaugh, Sparano is smart enough to know that he needs to win now, or collect his buyout.
Earlier this week, Sparano opened up to Jason Cole of Yahoo! Sports (thanks for the head’s up to our buddy Joe Rose of WQAM) regarding the changes the fourth-year head coach will make in order to make it to year five.
“The people that I worked for before, [low-risk play-calling is] how they approached it,” Sparano said, in a clear reference to Sparano’s former boss in Miami and Dallas, Bill Parcells. “Nevertheless, this game has really changed and it has really changed in our division. If you don’t score points in our division, you’re going to have a hard time winning football games. So we have to do a better job of generating big plays, generating more scores and even though we feel like we have one of the best defenses in the league, we’d like them to play a little less.”
And so Sparano seems to be doing what Giants coach Tom Coughlin did in 2007: Sparano is changing.
“I spent a lot of time looking at myself in the mirror, knowing that I need to make the change,” Sparano said. “Obviously, three-quarters of my staff on offense is new. That’s something that I felt we had to do. I feel like Brian’s style is more aggressive. . . . [But] it started with me with big plays and how hard we had to work to advance the ball down field in the past. That’s where I had to look at myself and say, ‘I’m the CEO of the football part of it. If I see it broke, I have to fix it and it has to start with me.’ We couldn’t crawl down the field anymore.”
Sparano’s spirit may be willing, but his team’s flesh may be weak. Plenty of teams want to stretch the field. Not all of them can.
So there’s a chance that this effort to keep the Dolphins’ defense on the field less could get them on the field more. And it could get Sparano fired come January.
Davis was asked whether he could really put himself and Smith ahead of Revis and Cromartie, and he insisted that he could.
“You name them all and I’m putting it out there,” Davis said.
Dolphins coach Tony Sparano supported his player’s brash talk.
“I like to hear it,” Sparano said. “I think they need to play with swagger. They need to play with confidence and those two guys have confidence. Time will tell at the end of this thing whether or not they are …but I’d take them.”
Redskins rookie defensive end Jarvis Jenkins will miss the season with a torn ACL, according to his Twitter account.
The team announced Jenkins had a “knee sprain” last night, but further tests revealed the complete damage.
It’s a bigger blow to the team’s defense than you’d imagine.
Jenkins, a second round pick, had been one of the big surprises of camp. He was starting last night and appeared likely to play ahead of veteran Adam Carriker in the regular season.
Posted by Michael David Smith on August 26, 2011, 8:46 AM EDT
AP
Ravens rookie receiver Tandon Doss stopped for a burger at Five Guys before playing in Thursday night’s preseason game against the Redskins. He ended up playing hero to a man who was getting attacked inside the restaurant.
Doss may have saved the man’s life: According to Baltimore police, two former Five Guys employees attacked the manager with a knife, and the manager had to be treated for a cut on his chin.
The 6-foot-3, 200-pound Doss said after the game that he was just doing what he thought was right.
“I saw the guy on the ground bleeding, and I saw a guy on top hitting him,” he said. “So I stopped it.”
A fourth-round draft pick from Indiana, Doss had some people on Twitter hailing him as a hero and others telling him it was stupid to get into the middle of a potentially dangerous situation. Doss told the critics he’d never just stand by and watch someone get attacked.
“I’m not gunna sit there and let someone get jumped idk where ur from but we don’t do that in Indy,” Doss wrote.
Ravens coach John Harbaugh said the first he heard of it was when reporters questioned him about it after the game.
“I’m not on Twitter,” he said. “I’ll be looking into that.”
When Broncos owner Pat Bowlen fired an old, experienced coach in Mike Shanahan, he decided to shake things up by hiring the 32-year-old Josh McDaniels to replace him.
Bowlen says that was a mistake he wouldn’t make twice.
It’s no coincidence that when the Broncos fired McDaniels and Bowlen had to pick another coach, he went with a guy who was the polar opposite of McDaniels: John Fox is 56 years old and has nine years of experience as an NFL head coach, and Bowlen says that makes Fox the right fit for what Denver needs, which McDaniels never was.
1. On a list of problems for the Panthers, Cam Newton’s quarterback play is fairly low. Their defense was steamrolled by the Bengals and the offensive line couldn’t protect Newton, who did have some impressive runs.
2. Teams are going to run on Carolina’s questionable front seven until they stop someone.
3. Bengals rookie Andy Dalton’s numbers were strong and the Bengals starters racked up 24 points in one half. We continue to worry about Dalton’s vertical passing; he missed A.J. Green open deep a few times. Still, this was a confidence builder for Dalton.
4. Green was the best rookie on the field. The Bengals got a keeper with their rookie receiver.
5. Michael Johnson has been a terror for the Bengals rushing the passer this preseason. He worked D’Brickashaw Ferguson last week, and this time it was Jordan Gross. A former Pro Bowler, Gross has struggled all month.
Eagles 24, Browns 14
1. The Eagles offensive line struggled to protect Michael Vick, but Philly still led 17-0 at halftime against a banged-up Browns team. Vick only threw for 98 yards on 18 attempts.
2. Philadelphia’s defensive line and secondary both showed off their depth Thursday with strong outings. It was especially impressive against a Browns offense that had been hot.
3. Cleveland’s first round pick Phil Taylor dominated up front at defensive tackle. A good sign for the Browns on a dreary night.
4. LeSean was the dominant McCoy. The Eagles back caught seven passes for 69 yards. He’s quietly in line for a monster year.
Ravens 34, Redskins 31
1. Rex Grossman got more meaningful time with the starters than John Beck. They both finished strong after shaky starts, handling Baltimore’s blitzes well. Not a decisive victory either way.
2. Washington’s running game and Tim Hightower was the story once again. Hightower scampered for a 37-yard touchdown, capping a strong preseason run. (The starters won’t play much next week.)
3. Baltimore rookie wideout Torrey Smith keeps dropping passes. It’s a good thing Baltimore traded for Lee Evans, who pulled in a 35-yard score on a go route.
4. The Ravens’ entire starting offense doesn’t look quite ready for the season despite the final score. There were lot of communication problems on the offensive line. Somewhere, the Steelers were watching and smiling.
