Welcome to the 2014 NFL Training Camp Blog! Everyday I’ll be reporting on all of the fantasy worthy news, notes and nonsense from around all 32 NFL training camps. If you want more in-depth knowledge on how to become a better fantasy football player, check out the 210 page Fantasy Football Draft Guide. We’ve got 550+ players ranked, 30 winning strategies from the best players in the world, every coaching system, offensive line and rookie broken down like you have never read before. Plus, you can get is ALL FOR FREE when you deposit into a NEW DraftKings account.
Here is the Training Camp Report for Wednesday July 30th:
Some Good News
Vikings WR and fantasy football love child Cordarrelle Patterson is back at practice today after missing a few days with a foot injury. As much as I adore Patterson’s speed and ability to make big plays with the ball in his hands, he just isn’t a good pass catcher at this point in his career. He’ll need a lot of practice time this summer to make strides in that department and until then he cannot be considered anything more than a high level WR3.
Hey, hey…look at who else is back at practice this afternoon: Trent Richardson. The Colts running game is really in trouble if you think about it. T-Rich just isn’t a feature back and Ahmad Bradshaw is being held together with scotch tape. Maybe the recently signed Phillip Tanner can do something? #Fail
Another RB is back at practice today and that is the Houston Texans Arian Foster. Foster missed the past two days with what the team has called a “minor” hamstring injury. It’s good news for those who wish to take Foster in the second round this year. I will not be one of those guys however. The scheme change in Houston is pretty much death to Foster’s career in my opinion. A one trick pony doesn’t perform new jumps.
Pop, Pop
I have to admit that I am writing this story just because I wanted to use that headline which anybody who ever saw the NBC show Community would appreciate. Anyways, Seahawks backup TE Anthony McCoy has torn his left Achilles now one year after tearing the right Achilles tendon. This incredible lack of luck has McCoy’s career in serious question.
Slowing Down?
Anybody who reads my stuff on the regular knows that I am pretty high on the Miami Dolphins offense. I love the additions that they made along the offensive line in signing LT Branden Albert and drafting RT Ju’wuan James. Bookend tackles are the perfect solution to Ryan Tannehill, Lamar Miller and Mike Wallace finding the endzone often in 2014.
But, early results of the new look Dolphins offense aren’t good. New offensive coordinator Bill Lazor is implementing a more up tempo system in Miami this year much like he helped install in Philadelphia last year under Chip Kelly. The Dolphins personnel however isn’t responding well early on to the no huddle style. In fairness, installing this style of offense rarely goes smoothly including in Philly last year. Tannehill specifically looks out of whack in practice right now and based on performance is really just not making proper reads on the fly which is a must in this offense.
The good news though is that it appears as though Tannehill has found his long ball connecting on a pair of 70+ yard TD strikes the past two days. The Dolphins receivers have been dropping a lot of balls also early on many of which seem to come when they are simply not expecting the ball. These are the issues that need to be ironed out during training camp so there is no need to panic at this time but it is still something to watch as we get into the preseason games this summer.
Deep Sleeper Alert
I hate small WR’s and hesitate to even post this but have to say that one of the hottest WR’s around the league this week is Kansas City Chiefs college free agent signing Albert Wilson. Wilson is severely undersized at just 5’9” and 200 lbs has elite level speed and some considerable hops. Wilson was promoted to the first team offense where he and Alex Smith seemed to pickup with each other well.
Fellow rookie QB Aaron Murray has already developed great chemistry with Wilson early on in camp and has nothing but praise for the diminutive wideout. This is especially important because if Murray is viewed by the organization as the future QB, they most definitely would like to keep the weapons that he is most comfortable with.
I can’t recommend drafting Albert Wilson in any league less than 16 teams at this point but with absolutely zero quality WR options in Kansas City he could eventually work himself into a regular role in this offense.