With training camps starting to get underway, a couple NFL teams are still finalizing their camp rosters, resulting in a pair of aging free agents finally appearing to have their 2016 plans settled after a lonely off-season:
• After not being seriously linked to a potential landing spot throughout the off-season, Anquan Boldin will find himself in the typically pass-heavy pass offense of the Lions, as he just inked a one-year deal. Despite being one of the elder statesmen of the league, the 35-year-old figures to quickly gain the trust of Matthew Stafford as a reliable chain mover and red zone threat. Although he'll be vying for targets primarily with Golden Tate, Marvin Jones and Eric Ebon, Boldin's route running ability along with his toughness should ensure that he sees his share of weekly targets.
• Reggie Bush appears on the verge of signing with the Bills after losing a large portion of the 2015 campaign to a torn MCL and torn meniscus. With Karlos Williams suspended for the first four games of the regular season, and Jonathan Williams potentially facing a suspension due to a DWI, the 31-year-old Bush could easily secure a role as a pass-catching specialist with a strong preseason.
Also, what fun with training camp season be without some injury updates to high-profile players:
• Despite off-season reports indicating that Jordy Nelson would be ready for training camp, he recently experienced a 'hiccup' with his left knee, which isn't the knee that endured a torn ACL last preseason, landing him on the active/PUP list. The 'hiccup' is reported to be a result of tendinitis from overcompensating during his rehab. Nelson expects to be ready for Week 1, but all eyes will be upon him as training camp progresses, as he looks to regain his form as one of the best receivers in the league.
• While Sammy Watkins recovers from foot surgery, he suggests that he faces little in the way of limitations during full workouts, but he's yet to gain confidence cutting at full speed, especially when cutting left and putting torque on the repaired left foot. Although he has well more than a month to be ready for Week 1, it'll be quite interesting to see how the coaching staff handles his usage throughout the preseason. If fully healthy, he could easily be a top-10 fantasy option at wide receiver, but injuries have been an ongoing concern for Watkins throughout his brief NFL tenure, and something that fantasy owners will continue to weigh out when deciding where his value lies in fantasy drafts.
• If there wasn't enough Josh Gordon news on Monday, today he was placed on the Non-Football Injury list with a quad injury that he suffered during the summer, and he'll be sidelined at least a couple weeks to start training camp. The length of his absence will dictate how much time he's able to spend working with his teammates and getting himself integrated into the offense. He'll certainly be ready for action well before his Week 5 return from suspension, but getting in at least a couple weeks of camp will increase his chances of being productive upon his suiting up during the regular season. Any risk that was calculated upon hearing of his suspension should be raised a bit more based on this news, although his potential upside makes him a tantalizing choice in the middle rounds of drafts.
Finally, it's never too early to start getting the lowdown on some potential training camp positional battles:
• Arian Foster is expected to be a big part of the Dolphins' passing game out of the backfield as long as his Achilles injury from last season is healed. Head coach Adam Gase is enamored not only with Foster's ability to catch the football, but also in his precise execution is a route runner. As long as it appears he hasn't lost a step during training camp, he certainly has the ability to go into Week 1 as the starter, and even if he doesn't, he'll have added value in PPR leagues.
• With the Redskins selecting Josh Doctson in the 2016 draft, questions quickly arose about the potential usage of Jamison Crowder, but the team wants to keep Crowder on the field in their three-receiver packages. The 2015 fourth-round selection primarily worked out of the slot as a rookie, turning 59 receptions into 604 yards along with two touchdowns and 79 targets. For now, it appears that Crowder will have an opportunity to maintain a similar role to that of last year, and a strong training camp could go a long way toward helping them lock down that role.
• It appears that Matt Jones may not have much of a threat to his work load from seventh-round rookie, Keith Marshall. Despite blazing speed along with ideal strength and size, Marshall may find himself competing for a backup role while Jones works as the lead back. If this scenario continues throughout training camp, Jones may find himself as one of the few full-time running backs in the league this year, and an excellent draft target based on potential volume.
• For those expecting a breakout season from Vance McDonald, it could be time to pump the brakes a bit, since Garrett Celek is an early favorite to co-start at tight end for the 49ers. Of course, with Chip Kelly running a fast-paced offense with heavy use of multiple tight ends, it's certainly possible that both tight ends could see plenty of game action, but the real fantasy relevance will be whether one of these players emerges as a clear receiving option. For now, this will be a situation to watch as the 49ers play their preseason games.