Aug. 17, 2008

NFC East

 There is a growing sense of respect for new head coach Jim Zorn around Redskins Park — from top to bottom — we hear. The players reportedly love his coaching style and organization, and he has made a lot of people move on very quickly from Joe Gibbs — perhaps faster than anyone could have predicted.

 As viewers of HBO’s “Hard Knocks” have seen, Cowboys rookie TE Martellus Bennett has had a rough training camp. He appears to have all the physical ability in the world, but he has struggled badly with his consistency in all phases of the game and hasn’t been an impact player on special teams. He’s not in jeopardy of being cut, but he has a long way to go.

 Giants officials might not put RB Danny Ware in the Ryan Grant category just yet, but they do feel Ware has NFL ability. Remember, Grant spent parts of two years on the Giants’ roster before being traded to Green Bay, where he flourished last season, in exchange for a sixth-round pick. That’s why, despite its great RB depth, the team might be hesitant to deal Ware, who was signed off the Jets’ practice squad last December.

 Eagles RB Tony Hunt didn’t hurt his cause of making the roster with his 51-yard TD dash in Thursday’s exhibition win over the Panthers, but he still needs to show he can contribute on special teams and be more effective in short-yardage situations. But team sources think that Hunt might have pushed himself slightly ahead of Ryan Moats for the final RB roster spot, for now.

NFC South

 There won't be much of a competition to become the Bucs’ starting left tackle after all. Heading into camp, it was expected to be one of the most contested positions on the team as Donald Penn and Luke Petitgout battled each other. However, in an unexpected move, Petitgout was released Aug. 16 after he had been unable to take the field while he continued rehab from a torn ACL he suffered in Week Four last season. Penn took over as the starter from that point on and was serviceable, but he dropped off late in the year. Petitgout’s release leaves Tampa very thin at tackle, and it will likely be on the lookout to add a veteran off the scrap heap once teams start trimming their rosters. The primary backup at left tackle is the disappointing Anthony Davis, so the Bucs are in need of some security behind Penn, who is still inexperienced.

 The Falcons were counting on veteran PK Jason Elam to bring some much-needed consistency to their kicking game when they signed him to a four-year, $9 million contract this offseason, but he got off to a shaky start. Considering he's a notoriously slow starter, Atlanta downplayed Elam's performance in the preseason opener, when he missed 2-of-3 field goals. Sure enough, he bounced back Saturday night with a perfect 3-for-3 performance, connecting from 25, 35 and 40 yards. Word is, Elam has been spending more time working on the mechanics of his kicking motion.

 At this late stage of his career, many expected WR Muhsin Muhammad to be, at best, a No. 3 receiver for Carolina this season, but he could end up being the No. 1 target in the team’s first two games while Steve Smith serves his suspension. He seems to have a strong relationship with QB Jake Delhomme, and his main competition, WR D.J. Hackett, has been out battling toe and knee injuries.

 The Saints are hoping to avoid the same early-season slump that sank their postseason chances last year, and having a healthy OLT Jammal Brown could go a long way to helping that cause. Brown sat out all but one preseason game with a knee injury in ’07, and it appeared to have an effect on his performance during the early stages of the regular season. Head coach Sean Payton has raved about Brown throughout camp this year, and it looks like he’s getting back to playing at a Pro Bowl level.

NFC North

 Vikings rookie C John Sullivan quietly has had a nice camp and has been working with the second-team offense at both center and guard. Matt Birk remains the starter at center, but Sullivan’s strong showing and flexibility could make the sixth-round pick a strong candidate to be on the game-day roster.

 There’s a good chance the Lions could replace Jon Bradley, last year’s starting fullback, with rookie Jerome Felton, who appears to offer more versatility. The OG-sized Bradley made a splash last year with some big hits, but he’s very limited in terms of touching the ball and moving around, as opposed to the more athletic Felton.

 Going into the Bears’ second preseason game in Seattle, team insiders told PFW that Devin Hester, Rashied Davis and third-round rookie Earl Bennett looked assured of spots in the WR corps, but that it might be a different story altogether for newcomers Marty Booker and Brandon Lloyd and former second-round pick Mark Bradley. Word is those three players could be locked in a pretty tight battle for two roster spots, with the team presumably leaning toward carrying only five receivers on the final roster.

 Daily Bears observers keep having good things to say about seventh-round OT Kirk Barton, who they believe could become a factor on the right side of the line sooner than later.

 We hear the Packers haven’t been very happy with seventh-round rookie WR Brett Swain. The team raved about his route-running skills when they drafted him, but daily team observers tell us he has had a hard time getting open and has looked rather tentative.

 Our sources in Green Bay tell us CB Tramon Williams has tightened his grip on the nickel back role, even though Jarrett Bush, who began last season as the nickel after a strong camp, has once again looked good in August. Williams, we hear, has been one of the team’s most impressive-looking players this offseason.

 At this writing, our Packers sources had yet to see any trace of former White House press secretary Ari Fleischer, who was hired as a consultant at the height of “Favregate.” Said one longtime insider: “I really don’t know what he’s supposed to be doing.”

NFC West

 Here’s an indication of how deep the Cardinals are at inside linebacker after recently picking up ex-49ers LB Brandon Moore, who previously worked under Cardinals LB coach Billy Davis in San Francisco: Forced to compete with starters Karlos Dansby and Gerald Hayes and veterans Matt Stewart, Monty Beisel and Moore, undrafted rookie Ali Highsmith, who has been extremely impressive (he led the team in tackles in the preseason opener) might end up having to settle for a spot on the practice squad.

 Because of a lingering hamstring injury, we hear Cardinals rookie WR Early Doucet appears to have fallen behind both holdovers Steve Breaston and Jerheme Urban for the team’s third WR spot behind Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin.

 Back on the field wearing a huge club to protect the broken middle finger that had forced him to miss a couple of weeks, DE Victor Adeyanju has been playing like a monster, daily Rams observers tell us. One more D-line whisper: We hear DE James Hall could be shifted inside in nickel formations a lot more frequently this season.

 Our Rams sources report that Derek Stanley, who is in a real logjam at the WR position, might have helped earn himself a roster spot with his ability to possibly help out the team’s depleted CB ranks in a pinch. Said Rams head coach Scott Linehan of Stanley: “He’s such a great athlete and has played the position before.”

 Team insiders tell us nobody is really taking the rumor seriously that Rush Limbaugh might actually be interested in owning the Rams.

 While we’re told he put up a very courageous front, our Niners sources tell us QB Alex Smith couldn’t have been more devastated by the recent suicide of his close friend David Edwards, and that Smith’s apparent drop behind J.T. O’Sullivan in the battle for the starting QB job seemed pretty meaningless in comparison to the tragic death of Edwards, who had been treated like a third son by Smith’s family.

 Word is there is no doubt among Niners daily observers that Jed York, the son of owner John York, has become the team’s ownership face both internally and externally. As for the elder York, we hear he has hardly been seen around Niners headquarters.

 Considered an afterthought at the start of training camp, we hear Seahawks rookie WR Michael Bumpus out of Washington State is really making his presence felt with catch after catch in practice sessions and has earned a legitimate shot at making the final roster, with injuries to Bobby Engram and Deion Branch thinning the WR ranks.

 Offsetting the disappointment resulting from the release of Seahawks former first-round draft pick Marcus Tubbs after he was unable to recuperate from season-ending knee injuries the past two years, the team couldn’t be more pleased with DT Howard Green, who had two sacks, five tackles, a forced fumble and a tipped pass in Seattle’s preseason opener. Word is Seattle coaches were pleasantly surprised because, before appearing in five games for the Seahawks late last season, Green had last played in the league in 2004 for the Saints.

AFC West

 Sources at Raiders camp say the team’s passing game actually regressed in the last week of camp. QB JaMarcus Russell has not been consistently accurate with his throws, and receivers have had their share of drops, as well. The aerial game will be a work in progress well into the regular season, and Oakland will likely rely on RBs Justin Fargas, Darren McFadden and Michael Bush to keep the offense on the move.

 We hear the Broncos are weighing their options at receiver as they contemplate opening the season without Brandon Marshall for at least the first two games while he serves a suspension. One consideration that has not come up, however, is moving Brandon Stokley out of the slot, according to sources in Denver. The Broncos want to accentuate what he does well, and he can wreak havoc as the slot receiver.

 Apparently unhappy with their experiment of moving DT Alfonso Boone to defensive end, the Chiefs last week inserted Turk McBride into Boone’s DLE spot with the first-team defense. McBride, a second-round pick in '07, is a hybrid player capable of playing anywhere on the line, and the club obviously wants to see him succeed to justify the fact they drafted him so high. The battle between Boone and McBride likely will continue throughout the preseason.

 Although it was widely believed Chargers C Nick Hardwick, recovering from offseason foot surgery, would be placed on the physically-unable-to-perform list to start the season, we hear he’s making good progress and might begin ’08 on the active roster. He’s working hard on the side during practices, and if all goes well, he might be sidelined for only the first few games.

AFC South

 The Colts love what they’re seeing out of rookie TE Jacob Tamme, whom one team source dubbed a “Dallas Clark clone.” But don’t expect to see Tamme moving around the offensive formations like Clark, at least for now. The team wants him to first master the traditional TE role, which includes blocking and may require him to pack on a few more pounds to his lean frame.

 The Texans’ Earl Cochran is pushing hard for Anthony Weaver’s starting DLE spot. The battle may come down to whether Weaver is able to recapture the form he showed earlier in his career in Baltimore. The Texans like Weaver’s work ethic, but he has struggled with injuries since signing with Houston in 2006.

 One rookie making a positive impression in Texans camp is S Dominique Barber, a sixth-round pick who played well in the preseason opener and appears to be an intriguing prospect at a position of need for Houston.

 Word from Texans camp is that while the club likes what it has seen of rookie RB Steve Slaton, his consistency from play to play must improve.

 The competition for the final spots on the Titans’ WR depth chart will be fierce, and we’re hearing one of two 2007 draft picks — Paul Williams or Chris Davis — is unlikely to survive the final cut. And the status of WR Roydell Williams, a starter last season who has fallen back in the pecking order as he returns from a broken ankle, bears watching, too.

 There continues to be questions in Tennessee as to whether DE Jevon Kearse will be able to handle the rigors of a 16-game season. He has missed more time in training camp than expected, the way we hear it.

 If Jaguars undrafted rookie CB Brian Witherspoon has any shot of making the team, it will come as a return specialist. But the Stillman (Ala.) College blazer with 4.22 40-yard speed may fumble away his chances. Literally. He needs to prove to the coaches he can hold on to the ball if he’s going to make the final roster.

 We hear that there are some in the Jaguars’ organization who have been turned off by new defensive coordinator Gregg Williams’ brash, sometimes arrogant behavior. The latest incident occurred when he lashed out at a member of the public-relations staff at practice when he believed he saw a camera crew taping his hand signals, an incident for which he apologized afterward.

AFC North

 A numbers crunch at safety helps Steelers S Anthony Smith’s case to hold down a roster spot. Rookie Ryan Mundy, who was having a good training camp, suffered a high ankle sprain in the preseason opener vs. Philadelphia. Also, veteran SS Troy Polamalu has a nagging hamstring injury that has kept him on the physically-unable-to-perform list since the beginning of training camp. There is no doubting Smith’s athleticism — certainly a factor that helps his case to remain in Pittsburgh — but his maturation hasn’t progressed as quickly as the team would have hoped. Nevertheless, he is likely to get another season with the Steelers.

 Expect Bengals rookie WR Andre Caldwell to get every chance to return kickoffs as the team looks for more playmaking ability at that position. All indications are that CB Deltha O’Neal will replace Antonio Chatman on punt returns.

 The way we hear it, Ravens rookie QB Joe Flacco’s demeanor was the most impressive aspect of a preseason debut at New England in which he didn’t play all that much and failed to complete a pass. Flacco took everything in stride and was not dejected after the game, a positive sign for any rookie but especially for a quarterback.

AFC East

 The Bills’ front office and game organizers were a little disheartened that there were roughly 5,000 empty seats at the Rogers Centre for the Buffalo-Pittsburgh matchup Thursday night. But they weren’t devastated. They realize that fan interest in preseason tilts can’t be expected to rival regular-season action, and there’s also the feeling that they were too overzealous with the price of tickets, which ranged from $70 to $575.

 Although the Patriots have pressing concerns at offensive tackle with Matt Light injured and Nick Kaczur a suspension possibility (related to his alleged involvement in a drug sting), we hear that recently acquired OL John Welbourn was primarily added to compete at guard. Welbourn has started at both tackle and guard in previous stints with the Eagles and Chiefs, but there’s concern that the 32-year-old’s lack of foot quickness would be a liability against speedy defensive ends.

 Dolphins CB Will Allen has had an outstanding training camp but drew the ire of coach Tony Sparano when he incited a brawl this week that lasted almost a minute. It’s one thing to be fired up and passionate, which Allen is aplenty, but Sparano has little tolerance for anyone who messes with the rhythm of his practices. Still, Allen is one of the most impressive defenders out there.