Some news and notes from the NFL on Monday as training camps are in full swing:
Percy Harvin still absent from Vikings camp: The second-year pro left Minnesota's camp on July 31st after the passing of his grandmother, and his absence is now approaching the two-week mark. Head coach Brad Childress said last week that Harvin had returned to Minnesota, but he still hasn't made it to camp – leading to speculation that he's again suffering from migraines that hampered him last season as well as during his collegiate career at the University of Florida. Harvin has seen numerous specialists and tried many different types of remedies to alleviate the problem, but nothing has really worked and it's pretty clear that this will continue to be a long-term issue for him. He missed just one game because of the migraines last year, but dealt with problems surrounding the condition numerous other times. He's missed 15 practices already this training camp, and it'd be hard to believe missing that much time wouldn't impact his conditioning. His place in the offense isn't in jeopardy, but Harvin owners will have to be prepared to deal with plenty of "Questionable" and "Game-time decision" designations this season.
Chris Wells suffers rib injury during practice: Wells owners can breathe a sigh of relief — though that same act might be painful for Wells himself — as a CT scan showed no fracture or any other damage to the second-year man's ribcage. Injuries have been a part of Wells' resume for some time now, so it's good to see this isn't anything that will keep him off the field for an extended piece of training camp, but it's another indicator that he's pretty susceptible to the injury bug. By all accounts, Wells has made a lot of strides this offseason and is impressing during camp. He remains behind Tim Hightower on the Cardinals' official depth chart, but, if Wells can stay healthy and not put the ball on the ground, it'll be just a matter of time before he overtakes the less talented Hightower.
Willie Parker debuts at No. 4 on 'Skins' depth chart: It's startling to think that just three years ago Parker amassed over 1,300 yards and was one of the NFL's top rushers. Now, he's looking up the depth chart at Clinton Portis, Larry Johnson and Ryan Torain. Conventional wisdom had Parker pushing for the starting spot when he was brought into Washington, but now it looks like he has a tenuous hold on a roster spot. There are certainly quite a few moving parts here, namely Portis' injury history and the ever-present threat of Johnson getting into off-the-field trouble, but things aren't looking good for Parker, and that's not even factoring in head coach Mike Shanahan's affinity for Torain, which dates back to the pair's time in Denver.
Darrelle Revis continues holdout: The Revis Watch has now reached past nine days, and things aren't looking promising. Jets owner Woody Johnson told the media he doesn't like the chances of getting a deal done in time for the regular season, and some are even speculating that Revis might sit out the whole of the 2010 campaign. It's too early in an already lengthy saga (the two sides have been trying to get this done since January) to say Revis won't suit up for the Jets this season, but his absence is a real problem for the New York defense. Revis' excellence frees up a lot of his teammates on the field and allows the Jets to do things many other defenses cannot do because they lack that elite talent. The frustration level from Jets management seems already to be high and increasing — which could cause them to dig their heels in.