Week 3 Training Camp Report
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[Date] Volume 16, Issue 3 – 8/24/2021 Our goal at Footballguys is to help you win more at Follow our Footballguys Training Camp crew fantasy football. One way we do that is make sure on Twitter: you’re the most informed person in your league. @FBGNews, @theaudible, @football_guys, Our Staffers sort through the mountain of news and @sigmundbloom, @fbgwood, @bobhenry, deliver these weekly reports so you'll know @MattWaldman, @CecilLammey, everything about every team and every player that @JustinHoweFF, @Hindery, @a_rudnicki, matters. We want to help you crush your fantasy @draftdaddy, @AdamHarstad, draft. And this will do it. @JamesBrimacombe, @RyanHester13, @Andrew_Garda, @Bischoff_Scott, @PhilFBG, We’re your “Guide” in this journey. Buckle up and @xfantasyphoenix, @McNamaraDynasty let’s win this thing. Your Friends at Footballguys “What I saw from A.J. Green at Cardinals practice today looked like the 2015 version,” Riddick tweeted. “He was on fire. Arizona has the potential to have top-five wide receiver group with DHop, AJ, Rondale Moore, and Christian Kirk.” The Cardinals have lots of depth now at QB: Kyler Murray saw his first snaps this preseason, but the wide receiver position with the additions for Green it was evident Kliff Kingsbury sees little value in giving and Moore this offseason. his superstar quarterback an extended preseason look. He played nine snaps against the Chiefs before giving TE: The tight end position remains one of the big way to Colt McCoy and Chris Streveler. Those nine question marks. Maxx Williams sits at the top of the snaps were discouraging, as Murray took two sacks and depth chart, but it is muddied with Darrell Daniels, only completed one pass. But it’s a tiny sample size and Demetrius Harris, Ian Bunting, and Ross Travis. Ross Murray isn’t sweating his performance. "(The preseason) Travis made a splash with two receptions, 37 yards, and is not real," Murray said. "I see it as, you go out and play a touchdown against the Chiefs. Williams missed the well – it's not real. You play bad, you have a bad taste in game due to an illness, but he still has an inside shot at your mouth. But at the end of the day, it's live reps. You the No. 1 role. Darrell Daniels has a slight edge on the take something away from it, but it doesn't count. That's pack for the backup role. how I feel about it." McCoy looks locked in as the No. 2, with Streveler making a case for the team to keep three Defense: Linebacker Zaven Collins is locked in as a quarterbacks on the 53-man roster. starter as he is brushing off any concerns about whether he would be ready to play every down and quarterback RB: There is buzz that both Chase Edmonds and James the defense. He has put in solid performances against Conner could be on the field simultaneously. Kliff the Cowboys and now the Chiefs. He’s handled coverage Kingsbury said this week, “We like getting two guys that responsibilities with aplomb, disrupted opposing can run it, catch it, do different things. Particularly, you backfields on blitzes, and has been fearless defending have a quarterback (Kyler Murray) that can run; there’s the run. J.J. Watt came off the PUP list and immediately endless possibilities. You get those three guys in the stepped back into individual and team drills. "Someone backfield, and so we have to do a good job building (in the locker room) asked me how it felt," Watt said. different packages and then utilizing all three of those "You're like a dog chasing a tennis ball. Wherever it guys on the field at one time.” With Chase Edmonds and bounces, you want to get it, you are excited to be out James Conner locked in as the RB1 and RB1A, the there, and it doesn't matter if you are supposed to be compelling camp battle has been between Eno Benjamin where it bounces, and that's what it felt like." and Jonathan Ward for the No. 3 position. Benjamin looked locked into the role after the first preseason OL: The first team only played nine snaps against game and continued to play well in Week 2, seeing five Kansas City, and it was not a reassuring performance. touches for 34 total yards. But Jonathan Ward is Left tackle D.J. Humphries gave up a sack to defensive showing well, too. It could be possible all four running end Chris Jones on an inside swim move. With guards backs make the 53-man roster. Whatever happens, it is Justin Murray out and Justin Pugh on the encouraging to have depth at the most injury-riddled Reserve/COVID list, Sean Harlow and Josh Jones got position. starts. Ignoring the woeful performance this week, the Cardinals line projects as a middle-tier unit. WR: Rookie Rondale Moore continues to be used in various ways. The coaches are manufacturing touches for him – on the ground, through the air, and more recently on kickoffs and punt returns. Moore saw five targets and one carry in nine snaps against the Chiefs. Seven of Moore’s nine snaps were from the slot. Earlier expectations that Christian Kirk would be the primary slot receiver have given way to Moore handling the role. Larry Fitzgerald continues to say he isn’t retired but QB: We will not see Matt Ryan until the final preseason doesn’t have the urge to play. The Cardinals are leaving game, but he seems to be rounding back into form after the door open for Fitzgerald, but the ball is in his court. a rocky start to camp. From ESPN’s Michael Rothstein ESPN’s Louis Riddick is beating the drum for A.J. Green. in Monday’s practice: “The quarterback threw a perfect pass to Calvin Ridley for a touchdown...It’s the best Defense: Dante Fowler returned after missing much of throw I’ve seen Ryan make all camp long and looked like the preseason. A disappointing 2020 led to a contract he might be rounding into form.” There have been restructure at the beginning of the offseason, but Fowler reports of interceptions and tipped passes from Ryan said it sharpened focus: “Really different offseason: throughout camp, culminating in three interceptions coming back bigger, coming back stronger.” Jeff Schultz against the Dolphins on day one of shared practices. of the Athletic opined, “Dean Pees is one of the NFL’s Ryan has placed in the Top 10 in most interceptions top coordinators and will attempt to create pressure thrown in the past two seasons; it is a situation worth from different positions and angles. But the Falcons monitoring. AJ McCarron started against the Dolphins likely don’t have the personnel to pull it off.” but unfortunately tore his ACL, ending his season. Josh Rosen was signed this week to compete with rookie OL: Except for right tackle Kaleb McGary, the starters Feleipe Franks, but the team could add another veteran rested against the Miami Dolphins. The line had Willie in the coming weeks. Beavers at left tackle, Josh Andrews at left guard, Drew Dalman at center, and Sam Jones at right guard. Rookie RB: Mike Davis is the unquestionable No. 1 and has Jalen Mayfield got reps at left guard and is challenging been all summer, but we’re still trying to decipher how Andrews for a spot while Matt Gono is on PUP list. The Arthur Smith intends to split the workload. On day one of Falcons line projects as a league-average unit. joint Dolphin’s scrimmages, Qadree Ollison received all of the two-minute no-huddle work. On day two, that flipped back to Davis. His range of outcomes is vast. Is Davis a workhorse or the lead of a multi-back committee? Cordarrelle Patterson is the most versatile of the backs, having been an NFL wide receiver in years past. It’s unclear whether the coaches prefer Caleb Huntley or Javian Hawkins as the developmental youngster. They received near equal work against Miami, QB: Lamar Jackson practiced fully for the second with Huntley opening eyes with a 30-yard touchdown. consecutive week and participated in pregame warmups but did not play in the preseason game. He began camp on the COVID-19 list but appears to be back to full WR: Despite the lack of preseason action, Calvin Ridley strength. Tight end Mark Andrews raved about Jackson is in prime form. He was the star of dual practices with after one of the joint practices with Carolina. "Lamar is Miami, continually besting star corner Xavien Howard. slinging the rock like he didn't have those 10 days off Having already emerged as a Pro Bowl-caliber receiver, with COVID. He's putting the ball right where it needs to many believe Ridley hasn’t peaked. He has worked hard be, and he's locked in. He's more focused than he's ever to improve his route running and, given his familiarity been." Head coach John Harbaugh is also happy with with Ryan, could stake a claim as the league’s most Jackson’s progress: "Lamar had a really excellent two productive receiver with Julio Jones gone. Russell Gage days – excellent." Behind Jackson, Tyler Huntley is the clear No. 2, which is why he’s been inactive for the appears to have taken command of the backup first two preseason games. Although Gage is the starter quarterback race. Huntley performed admirably in last opposite Ridley, he’s likely No. 3 in the target pecking year’s playoffs when pressed into duty after Jackson’s order given tight end Kyle Pitts’ emergence.