Jaguars select Luke Joeckel, Grade B
Joeckel was arguable the best player on the board, but was he the best for the Jaguars? The Jaguars have a dominant left tackle in Read moreKansas City Chiefs select Eric Fisher, Grade: A-
It's tough to get too excited about Eric Fisher as the No. 1 pick, but it's a solid fit and fills a need. Fisher may Read more
Offseason Needs: Minnesota Vikings
1. Wide Receiver The Minnesota Vikings need to upgrade the talent around Christian Ponder. Michael Jenkins has already been cut, and to make matters worse, Read more
Offseason Needs: Cincinnati Bengals
1. Weak-side linebacker The Cincinnati Bengals have relatively few glaring holes to fill. As a result, their primary needs are fairly specific. Vontaze Burfict is Read more
Nick Foles will start Friday’s preseason game for the Philadelphia Eagles, filling in for Michael Vick. While Vick appears to be fine, the Eagles simply don’t want to risk any further injury in the final two preseason games.
On Friday, the Eagles will fave the Browns, who have allowed just 329 through the air and have picked off five passes through two games, so this may actually prove to be a good test for the rookie quarterback.
Tennessee Titans 5th-round pick Taylor Thompson is expected to make the 53-man roster, according to Matt Rybaltowski of CBS Sports.
The Titans gambled on Thompson, a collegiate defensive end who was transitioning to tight end. While he flashed the size and athleticism of Rob Gronkowski, he had no game footage to back up his work on the practice field. But apparently he’s a quick learner and has impressed the Titans coaching staff.
Thompson will likely be the third tight end behind Jared Cook and Craig Stevens, but could be a significant part of their red zone package due to his size. He’s definitely a guy to look out for this season and someone who could come on strong late in the year once he’s had a few games under his belt.
Denver Broncos 3rd-round pick Ronnie Hillman has reportedly been working closely with Peyton Manning.
Manning has specifically been working on Hillman’s route running, a sign that he will play an integral role in the Broncos passing game, likely as a 3rd down target.
Hillman was one of the fastest players in this year’s draft class and definitely one of the most dangerous threats out of the backfield. He’s learning from one of the best, so we may see big things from Hillman if he’s earned Manning’s trust this preseason.
Daniel Lewis of CBS Sports predicts the Jacksonville Jaguars final 53-man roster. Not on the list is undrafted free agent center Mike Brewster.
This would conclude a long fall from grace for Brewster, who was ranked by many as among the best centers in the country and a potential 1st-round pick. After a sub-par senior year at Ohio State he was still expected to be a mid-round pick, but managed to slip through the cracks and signed with the Jaguars as a free agent.
He will likely get a shot somewhere, possibly on the Jaguars practice squad. But it certainly appears as if he was one of the big misses by those of us who rated him highly in the early stages of the 2012 draft process.
According to Paul Dehner Jr. of CBS Sports, Cincinnati Bengals 6th-round pick Dan “Boom” Herron is not expected to survive the final roster cuts.
Herron showed flashes of NFL potential at Ohio State, but missed significant time as a senior due to his suspension for his involvement in the Ohio State tattoo parlor scandal. The Bengals gave him a shot, but he apparently has failed to take advantage of the opportunity.
Dehner expectes the Bengals to keep four running backs on the roster – BenJarvus Green Ellis, Cedric Peerman, Brian Leonard and Bernard Scott – as well as fullback Chris Pressley. Herron may have a chance to catch on with the practice squad.
New York Giants 1st-round pick David Wilson received first-team reps at practice on Monday according to the Star Ledger. Tom Coughlin reportedly said this was a planned move for Monday’s practice, but Mike Garafolo notes the move came on the heels of a poor performance by D.J. Ware in the Giants preseason game over the weekend.
The Giants have been easing Wilson into a larger role, but this recent move could mean they’re planning to use Wilson and Ahmad Bradshaw as their two workhorse running backs.
Miami Dolphins 4th-round draft pick Lamar Miller is fighting just to make the final 53-man roster. He’s currently listed as the 4th-string running back, behind Reggie Bush, Daniel Thomas and Steve Slaton.
At this point, Miller’s best chance to make the active roster may be by winning the kick returner competition. He’s battling Marcus Thigpen, who joined the team from the CFL, for the job.
The Buffalo Bills have named 2nd-round pick Cordy Glenn their starting left tackle, beating out Chris Hairston, a move which comes as a mild surprise.
This will be Glenn’s second year at the position after he transitioned from guard to tackle as a senior at Georgia. While he held his own at Georgia, many scouts believed his feet were too slow to handle left tackle in the pros.
Head coach Chan Gailey had this to say about Glenn’s performance: “Ability’s not the issue. It’s just playing time. He needs as much playing time as he can get. I think if he gets playing time he’s got a chance to be a really good football player.”
Cincinnati Bengals 1st-round pick Kevin Zeitler has impressed coaches during the preseason and is expected to start at right guard in the season opener.
Bengals offensive line coach Paul Alexander told the Cincinnati Enquirer: “you always hold back a little bit (in terms of expecations), but I think he is pretty good right now… There were plays where he looked like a 10-year vet.”
Seattle Seahawks 3rd-round pick Russell Wilson has been named the starter of their third preseason game. Typically this game is reserved for the starting quarterback to see significant playing time, but the Seahawks will be giving it to Wilson to make his first start. Matt Flynn started Seattle’s first two games.
So does this make Wilson the favorite to start the regular season?
Not necessarily. Pete Carroll hasn’t handled this quarterback competition by the books, so it’s possible he just wants to give Wilson a shot with the first-team offense. Through the first two weeks Carrall had been giving one day of first-team reps to Tarvaris Jackson and the rest to Flynn. However, Jackson has yet to appear in a preseason game.
Everything about this competition has been strange, so it’s tough to assume anything at this point. Despite Wilson getting the call this weekend, it could very well still be Flynn’s job to lose.
