Volume 8, Issue 96 (Sunday, July 29th)

LIMITED TIME OFFERS

Hi Folks,

SITE NEWS

A. Footballguys Set To Unveil The 5 Minute Drill
First, there was the website. Then the magazine. Then our podcast. This season, Footballguys and the hosts of The Audible will once again take our fantasy football experience to another level. Keep those eyes and ears peeled for The Five Minute Drill, the fastest five minutes in fantasy football, premiering August 15th. Want to know more? Stay tuned to Footballguys.com and The Audible...

B. IDP - Tons of Face Offs
Check out the articles page in the link for the headline. We've got all the articles featured there and also a ton of Individual Defensive Player (IDP) Face Off articles toward the bottom right of the page. Check them out.

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

NE - QB Brady On New Teammate WR Moss

Source: Mike Reiss, Boston Globe

QB Tom Brady had this to say when asked about his new starting receiver Randy Moss. "One of Randy's greatest strengths is that he tracks the ball in the air very well. Everything looks effortless down the field, and I think he really judges the height of the ball, a lot like a center fielder. I think he's doing great. He's really in great shape. He does a lot of great things out here. He's a very, very smart football player. He's one of those guys that can see things out on the field and react without you really having to tell him. He's very much like a quarterback in that sense. It's been good thus far."

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This fits right in with what I've been saying about Moss since the trade - he'll excel in New England. I think you'll see about as much "bad attitude" issues with Moss in New England as we did the last "attitude" problem player that went there in Corey Dillon. I think Moss will produce and I think they'll win and I think he'll be happy. And I know Tom Brady will be happy.

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GB - WR Driver Fails Physical; Sitting Out Camp

Source: Lori Nickel, Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel

Packers starting WR Donald Driver was unable to practice with the team due to a nagging right shoulder injury that he has had for more than seven months. He did not pass his physical Friday because he is lacking arm strength and therefore has been placed on the physically unable to perform list. Packers HC Mike McCarthy could not yet say when Driver might be able to return. "He has a re-occurring injury with the shoulder that he hurt last year, so, he will be day-to-day with the shoulder," McCarthy said.

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This is big news as we have Driver projected as the Packers #1 WR. Let's see how this develops as he's a tough guy and will find a way on the field we believe. But stay tuned.

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NYJ - QB Pennington Healthy And Feeling Good

Source: Associated Press, ESPN

New York Jets starting QB Chad Pennington is feeling good this summer, completely healthy a year after entering camp in a four-man competition because of the uncertainty surrounding his arm. "I'm excited when I step off the field -- to be able to step into the film room and watch my film to get better mentally and not have to immediately go to the training room to get treatment on my shoulder," he said."We are excited about the (offense's) potential, but we have a lot of work to do."

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It may not seem like a big deal, but don't underestimate the value of a restful offseason without the mental pressure of dealing with an injury and also the uncertainty of whether you'll be a starter or not. Pennington gave his critics and doubters a resounding answer last season and he can now focus on looking forward without the distractions he faced last year.

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IND - Colts Sign Rookie OT Ugoh

Source: CBS Sportsline

The Indianapolis Colts have agreed to terms with 2nd -round pick OT Tony Ugoh. Ugoh was drafted to replace Tarik Glenn, a three-time Pro Bowl left tackle who announced Tuesday that he will retire. The rookie's contract is for just less than $4 million with about 50 percent guaranteed, agent Alan Herman said.

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From a negotiating angle, Glenn's retirement couldn't have come at a better time. From a "what's good for the Colts" angle, Glenn's retirement couldn't have come at much worse a time. They'll do their best to fill the void but Glenn leaves a large hole.

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SF - 49ers Veteran OG Allen Yet To Report To Camp

Source: Matt Maiocco, Press Democrat

San Francisco 49ers veteran OG Larry Allen has not yet reported to training camp, but a 49ers spokesman promised Allen "will be here tomorrow." Allen has been in touch with the club and has assured them he will report on Monday, PR director Aaron Salkin said this morning. Allen is believed to have contemplated retirement this offseason. When he did not attend the team's offseason program, Nolan continued to say that he was confident Allen would return for his 14th NFL season. Leading up to training camp, the 49ers were given no indication that Allen planned to call it quits.

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Let's see if he shows Monday. Allen was reportedly teetering on whether he'd return or not. Missing OTA's didn't give anyone a great feeling he'd be back although it was written off as a veteran privilege. The team could definitely use him so let's hope he shows for Frank Gore and Alex Smith.

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JAX - Jaguars Work Out QB Couch

Source: Associated Press, Sports Illustrated

The Jacksonville Jaguars brought former No. 1 draft pick QB Tim Couch in for a workout on Sunday. He is hoping to land a job as a backup to QB Byron Leftwich. Couch hasn't played a down in the NFL since the 2004 preseason But Jacksonville coach Jack Del Rio wanted to take a look at the former Kentucky star.

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I can't recall a team ever going as much out of their way to rattle their starting QB than the Jaguars have with Leftwich. Talking about bringing Daunte Culpepper in didn't shake Leftwich enough apparently so they figured they'd up the ante and bring in Tim Couch. Is Rick Mirer next? Nothing will surprise me with the Jaguars QB situation so stay tuned.

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MIN - Vikings Sign Rookie RB Peterson To 5-Year Deal

Source: Len Pasquarelli, ESPN

The Minnesota Vikings have signed 1st-round pick, RB Adrian Peterson to a five-year contract with a maximum value of $40.5 million and including $17 million in guarantees.

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Great news for the Vikings and Peterson. Now he can focus exclusively on becoming the Vikings star running back. If some things fall right for him, this guy will shine.

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CIN - WR Brazell Back Faster Than Ever

Source: Geoff Hobson, Bengals.com

Cincinnati Bengals WR Bennie Brazell literally ran himself into the competition for playing time by catching everything during Saturday's two practices. One way to replace WR Chris Henry's downfield explosiveness for the first eight games is with sheer, uncut speed which Brazell has in spades. The consensus is that he's just as fast as ever after his rookie year ended abruptly when he tore his posterior cruciate ligament in the back of the knee in the third preseason game. "I see him as a football guy who happens to run track," WR coach Mike Sheppard said, "and he's got all the toughness you want."

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We still think it'll be Tab Perry that benefits the most from Henry's absence but keep Brazell on the back burner if you're looking for a sleeper.

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NYG - Giants WRs Toomer And Burress Healthy Again

Source: Michael Eisen, Giants.com

Both New York Giants starting receivers Amani Toomer and Plaxico Burress missed the spring mini-camp and OTAs due to injury but were back practicing at the start of training camp. Toomer ran effortlessly and looked as if he'd never been hurt. However, he is limited to one practice a day. Burress also practiced once today, though Coughlin said he will be evaluated every day. "I felt a little rusty, not being on the football field so long," Burress said. "But a week or two of that, it'll all pretty much go away. It was just fun to get out there with the guys, breaking a sweat, laughing, joking, having a good time, making a few plays."

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Excellent news for Giants fans and also for QB Eli Manning. Much was made of Burress skipping minicamp work but apparently his talk about not wanting to rush back and have a setback was accurate. He looked good and appears ready to go. Let's see how he fares as camp drags on a bit.

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PIT - QB Roethlisberger Looking Sharp During Practice

Source: Bob Labriola, Steelers.com

Pittsburgh Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger looked great in a red zone drill, first-team offense vs. first-team defense on Saturday. Roethlisberger was 3-of-5 for 37 yards and three touchdowns in a drill that had to be exciting to the Steelers coaches for the way their quarterback performed in it.

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OK. It's still July and optimism is sky high for the Steelers with a new coach so don't go out and trade Peyton Manning for Roethlisberger just yet. But it's a good sign to see him looking sharp.

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PIT - Steelers WR Holmes Removed From PUP List

Source: Bob Labriola, Steelers.com

Pittsburgh Steelers WR Santonio Holmes was removed from the physically unable to perform list, and he practiced with the team for the first time on Saturday afternoon. Said HC Mike Tomlin, "He's going to go and do everything tomorrow, so he can catch up."

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Holmes is a guy I was down on last season but he showed some nice flashes. I still wonder if he's got all that it takes to consistently produce but at least he's off the PUP list and will be back on the field.

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TEN - Look At Titans Receiver Situation

Source: Jim Wyatt, Tennessean

The Tennessee Titans have some questions to answer at the receiver position this season. Third-year receivers Roydell Williams and Courtney Roby are off to good starts, and receiver Brandon Jones appears to be stepping up after an inconsistent offseason. Veteran WR Eric Moulds is big and sturdy and also looks like the team's best receiver. The signing of Moulds didn't do Justin Gage any favors. The free agent from the Bears has seen fewer reps and isn't standing out like he did in later minicamps. Chris Davis is shifty and will make the biggest impact of the three rookie receivers.

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Good words from Wyatt about Eric Moulds here. I think he could easily be the team's best receiver. Although one could make the case that's not saying a lot.

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TEN - RB White Down To 240 Pounds

Source: Jim Wyatt, Tennessean

Tennessee Titans 2nd-year RB LenDale White still looks heavy, but he's in a lot better shape than he was a month ago. White said he weighs 240 pounds, a few pounds heavier than what he should carry this fall. He's hit the hole well and looks more confident. Veteran RB Chris Brown's speed will give coaches something to think about, however.

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Maybe the Titans signing of Chris Brown was enough to wake White up. It's a great sign to see his weight down which means he's taking the offseason seriously. It's also a possibility that both players end up seeing significant time.

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OAK - Raiders OL Looks To Improve With Better Coaching

Source: David White, San Francisco Chronicle

The Oakland Raiders new OL coach Tom Cable yells and screams and curses frequently at his charges. "There's a lot of work to do," Cable said at training camp Saturday in Napa. "You kind of have to start over. I like what they're doing, but it's definitely a project to rebuild it." Last year, the Raiders gave up an NFL-worst 72 quarterback sacks and created holes only big enough for a 3.9-yard average per carry. Players said they had three coaches giving them conflicting instructions: head coach Art Shell and co-offensive line coaches Jackie Slater and Irv Eatman. LG Robert Gallery said, "He's (Cable) going to push us." Rookie tackle Mario Henderson said, "He's giving to give it to you."

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It's not a great leap to assume the Raiders will be better in 07. If for no other reason than it's hard to imagine their offense being much worse. A consistent coaching staff will help and that sounds like what the Raiders are seeing.

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NE - WR Gaffney Seeing Lots Of Work With 1st-String

Source: Shalise Manza Young, Providence Journal

With free agent acquisition WR Donte' Stallworth on the PUP list, WR Jabar Gaffney, who had 21 catches in the playoffs, is seeing a lot of time with the 1st-team offense. "I want to pick up from there and carry on," he said.

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You'll definitely need a score card to keep up with all the new Patriot wide receivers this year. Gaffney is another guy that should benefit from the change to New England. And we all know there's not a backup that needs to be more ready to play than the guy behind Donte' Stallworth. Don't go out and trade the farm for Gaffney, but let's keep a close eye on if he keeps working with the first team.

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NE - Patriots Starting RT May Be O'Callaghan

Source: Shalise Manza Young, Providence Journal

Ryan O'Callaghan may be winning the battle for the New England Patriots starting right tackle job. The mammoth 2nd-year player was lined up with the first team on every occasion we took note, with OT Nick Kaczur rotating in when backup QB Matt Cassel was under center.

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Let's see if O'Callaghan can hold onto the job here. The team would like for him to win the job early in camp and hang on so they can start to build some consistency there.

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TB - QB Simms Is Feeling Fine

Source: Matthew Postins, Bucs Blitz, Scout.com

QB Chris Simms is feeling fine physically and ready to compete for at least the backup position in Tampa Bay. "I'm doing fine, I really am," Simms said after practice on Sunday. "I continue to work and get better and not worry about anything else that's going on. Things will fall as they may." Physically, Simms is 100 percent, he said. His mechanics, which he admitted in June were faulty, are very nearly back to where they were at the start of the 2005 season. He said even reporters have commented that there's pop back in his ball. Jeff Garcia seems to have that starting QB job locked down but Simms now appears to be a far stiffer competitor for Bruce Gradkowski in the race to be Garcia's backup than he did a month ago in Tampa.

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Simms is doing the smart thing in not focusing on the talking heads and instead concentrating on performing in training camp. What he does over the next few weeks will make the difference. It does appear coach Jon Gruden is sold on Jeff Garcia as the starter but Simms could easily nail down the #2 job.

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CLE - Browns TE Winslow To Take It Easy

Source: Sean McClelland, Dayton Daily News

After playing through pain most of the 2006 season, Browns TE Kellen Winslow has participated in two practices in as many days and looks to be on the mend for good. Winslow returned from offseason microfracture surgery on his left knee, the same one he damaged in a motorcycle accident in 2005. The Browns will keep a close eye on Winslow during training camp. "It's good to see him out there, but we still have to be careful," HC Romeo Crennel said. "We'll play it by ear. Depends on how he feels. If it's sore or it swells up any, we'll cut back."

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Nothing really new here. The Browns will go easy with Winslow just as they did for most of the 2006 season. Winslow often skipped practices early in the week to recover more fully.

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CHI - Bears QB Grossman Looking Sharp

Source: Larry Mayer, ChicagoBears.com

Bears QB Rex Grossman is having a good opening weekend of training camp, having no problems finding an assortment of receivers and eliminating his tendencies to hesitate in the pocket that plagued him last season. "Rex has had two really good days, two real sharp days," OC Ron Turner said. "He's throwing the ball really well, and I think a big part of that is there's been very little indecision the last couple days."

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So far, so good for Grossman. The failures of Super Bowl losing teams the following years is well documented. The Bears will be fighting hard to buck that trend. And Grossman's play will be a big part of how that goes. Especially with Thomas Jones now in New York.

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CLE - QB Frye Has Good Day; QB Anderson Struggles

Source: Lane Adkins, Orange and Brown Report, Scout.com

At the start of day two at training camp both QB Charlie Frye and QB Derek Anderson struggled during passing drills, both making what could be described only as ill-advised throws. As the practice session progressed into scrimmage drills, Anderson continued to struggle, while Frye picked up the pace considerably and was the clear-cut winner during the morning practice session. Frye excelled in the scrimmage setting and started to get timing with the receivers. He threw crisp, tight passes to multiple receivers. This is only one practice session, but he looked very comfortable and confident running the offense.

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Expect this type of thing to go back and forth until the Browns make a decision with their QB. And that might take a while. Once Brady Quinn is signed, he'll enter the mix and that will further muddy the waters. I personally think it'll be Anderson that wins out but it's still far from decided.

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HOU - Texans RB Taylor Out For Season With Knee Injury

Source: Will Flaherty, HoustonTexans.com

2nd-year RB Chris Taylor received unfortunate news on Saturday. He will miss the season with a torn meniscus in his left knee, according to GM Rick Smith. Surgery will be performed tomorrow to "suture the tear," but in the interim the team will look to add another running back to the camp squad. Darius Walker, a Texans undrafted free agent that was cut on July 23, was mentioned by Smith as a possible replacement, as well as former Oklahoma running back Quentin Griffin, who participated most recently with the Hamburg Sea Devils in NFL Europa.

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We weren't counting on much for Taylor this season but it's still a tough break for the guy.

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DEF - NE - Fresh Start For Patriots CB Gay

Source: Shalise Manza Young, Providence Journal

CB Randall Gay has struggled with injuries the past two seasons with an ankle injury and a troubling hamstring. Gay has spent months rehabbing to play again. Once his body was ready, he had some work to do on his mind. "That's what the offseason was for, all the OTAs (organized team activities)," Gay said. "I was out there trying to prove to myself, trying to see how I was feeling, and after those couple weeks of OTAs my confidence came back and I'm like, ‘All right, you're not as rusty as you thought you were.' Now I'm just trying to get better every day."

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Gay's a player for you IDP guys to keep an eye on. He's flying under the radar of many owners given the injury troubles he's faced the last couple of years. But he may be ready to surprise.

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DEF - CHI - BUF - Bills Trade DT Walker To Bears

Source: John Clayton, ESPN

The Buffalo Bills have traded unhappy DT Darwin Walker to the Chicago Bears in exchange for a 5th round draft choice.

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Good news for Walker who had been hanging in limbo. Let's see what kind of deal he can work with Chicago. The Bears can use some help at tackle with Tank Johnson gone. Walker's aging but he still has some production left.

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That'll do it for today, Folks. Have a great Monday and we'll see you tomorrow with the update.