-The Raiders stood by trade acquisition Matt Schaub for the entirety of the offseason, but it appears that their loyalty to Schaub is wearing thin. Schaub has performed poorly in nearly every regard, and rookie second-round pick Derek Carr's strong performance against Seattle on Thursday gave Oakland reason to believe they have a superior alternative available. Carr completed 11-of-13 passes for 143 yards and three touchdowns against the Seahawks, whereas Schaub went 24-of-47 for 218 yards and an interception in three appearances. Plus, Schaub is reportedly dealing with elbow tendinitis. The tendinitis gives the Raiders a perfect excuse to make the switch if they want to.

-Cincinnati cut RB BenJarvus Green-Ellis on Friday, paving the way for rookie second-round pick Jeremy Hill to serve as the top off-the-bench runner behind starter Giovani Bernard. The Bengals should run the ball significantly more often this year under the watch of offensive coordinator Hue Jackson, and Bernard doesn't have the build nor favorable injury history needed to comfortably project as a workhorse runner in the NFL, so Hill should see plenty of work right away.

-Houston kicker Randy Bullock struggled a bit as a rookie last year, making just 26-of-35 field goals, but it looks like he'll get a chance to improve in 2014. Houston cut his primary competition Friday, Rice rookie Chris Boswell.

-Sammy Watkins reinjured his ribs in Thursday's preseason game against Detroit, but the aggravation isn't believed to be serious. Still, for a player whose skill set involves some contact-heavy situations as an after-the-catch threat, the idea of Watkins playing with bad ribs sounds very discouraging. He might get off to a slow start, and unless quarterback EJ Manuel improves, he might be doomed to a slow finish, too.