While the rest of the sporting world tries to figure out who won MLB's trade deadline frenzy, the NFL entered its second week of training camp with the Hall of Fame Game between the Colts and Packers just seven days away. Here are some of the highlights of today's practices and positional drills from around the league:
- in what counts as a silver lining to Le'Veon Bell's cloudy offseason so far, the running back appears to be fully recovered already from last November's knee injury. Now all he needs to worry about is that pesky four-game suspension due to a skipped drug test. You can't expect Bell to win his appeal with the NFL -- if Tom Brady can't beat the commissioner, nobody can -- but if you are going to take the plunge with Bell in early drafts, at the very least it appears as though his health won't be a lingering issue heading into the regular season.
- with Jay Ajayi still nursing a knee injury, Arian Foster is getting early work with Miami's first-string offense. He's still seeing limited reps though as he gets up to speed on his new scheme, so Ajayi won't be far behind once he gets back on the field. Given the health issues with both players a backfield committee appears likely to begin the regular season, something Gase showed he was comfortable using during his two years as the Broncos' OC. This competition could end up being decided during the year based on who breaks down first.
- Paxton Lynch has been impressing Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak through the early part of camp, albeit helming the second and third units while Mark Sanchez and Trevor Siemien duke it out for the starting job with the first stringers. While Lynch's physical talent got him drafted in the first round this year, he was thought to need a lot of seasoning before he'd be ready for snaps in the NFL. If he continues shining in camp and eventually exhibition action though, Denver could consider accelerating the timetable for when he'll take over under center. It's extremely unlikely that Lynch will be under center in Week 1, but the Broncos do have a late bye this season (Week 11) so if the rookie continues to look good, or Sanchez and Siemien struggle, it's not out of the question for the Lynch era to begin in Week 12 rather than 2017.
- Reggie Bush is set to sign a one-year deal with the Bills, adding some depth to a position group that desperately needs it. LeSean McCoy is increasingly fragile, Karlos Williams is suspended for four games due to a suspension, and fifth round pick Jonathan Williams is dealing with the aftermath of a DWI arrest. Bush has his own lengthy injury history of course that includes a torn MCL that he's still rehabbing, but he could be ready for action within a week or so. Chances are he'll be around only until the kids are back in uniform, but it's not out of the question that the 31-year-old will see significant work as a pass-catching option behind McCoy early in the season, which makes him worth a look in deep PPR leagues if he gets back up to speed quickly.
- one of last year's biggest surprises, tight end Zach Miller, has shown no sign of fading away again as he settles into the lead role for the Bears. The 31-year-old missed three entire seasons of his career due to injuries before making a splash in 2015 and with Martellus Bennett now out of the picture, he figures to see plenty of targets from Jay Cutler. While it's hardly a scientific prediction, Miller and Bennett combined for 878 receiving yards and eight TDs last year which gives you a nice estimate for Miller's ceiling now that he has the job essentially to himself. If you miss out on the top options at TE, he could be a solid endgame alternative.
- sticking with tight ends, Coby Fleener admitted over the weekend that he's still adjusting to his new offense and new quarterback in New Orleans. Remember, Fleener not only spent the first four years of his NFL career catching passes from Andrew Luck in Indianapolis he was also Luck's tight end at Stanford, so it's been a long time since he was catching passes from anyone else. Drew Brees and the Saints' quick-strike offense have been very TE-friendly over the years though, making a superstar of Jimmy Graham and salvaging Ben Watson's career last year, so once Fleener does get up to speed he has the perfect skill set to thrive in the system. Don't let some early camp hiccups dissuade you from drafting him.
- pretty much by default, Mike Wallace appears set to open the season as one of the Ravens' starting wide receivers alongside Kamar Aiken, as neither Steve Smith (Achilles) nor Breshad Perriman (knee) are likely to be ready for Week 1. Wallace had an awful season last year in Minnesota's run-first offense, but his post-Steelers career isn't as bad as it seems, as he caught 140 passes for 1792 yards and 15 TDs over two seasons with the Dolphins. Unfortunately the Ravens' offense tends to be nearly as ground-oriented as the Vikings', and if Flacco is still nursing his knee in Week 1 the team won't ask him to sit in the pocket and air it out too often, negating Wallace's ability to stretch the field. The veteran WR may have a starting job, but in fantasy terms he should be considered little more than a lottery ticket.