Brett Favre – he's back: Favre (ankle) said Wednesday at a press conference confirming his return to the Vikings, that his arm feels good and he would like to play in Sunday's preseason game against the 49ers. We'll have to see if that happens, but Favre did say Wednesday that physically that he can't complain, although nothing is 100 percent, and presumably that includes his ankle, which had previously been a stated concern. In any case, it's official, Favre will play this season, with Tarvaris Jackson now relegated to backup duty.
Tarvaris Jackson – he's benched: With Brett Favre returning to the Vikings, Jackson will now serve as the team's No. 2 quarterback. At least Jackson's role has been clarified now. Favre turns 41 in October, but he has been a very durable player over his career, so Jackson's odds of making a fantasy splash this season appear dim.
Ladell Betts – practices with the champs: The newly signed Betts (knee) participated in Wednesday morning's intrasquad practice with the Texans. The practice marked Betts' first practice with the defending Super Bowl champs. Betts took the third reps in shells drills, behind Pierre Thomas and Reggie Bush, but ahead of both P.J. Hill and Chris Ivory. It will be interesting to see if this sequence continues, as it would seem to indicate that Betts is the man to beat for third on the depth chart at running back.
Steven Smith- back at practice: Smith (groin) returned to practice Wednesday. Now apparently healthy, Smith remains in line to be the Giants' most heavily targeted receiver this coming season.
Marcedes Lewis – more involved in 2010: Lewis figures to be more involved both in the team's passing and running games this season. Lewis is one of the better blocking tight ends in the league, but his 16.2 YPC average last season speaks to a pass-catching ability as well. He only had 32 catches last season, however, so he's probably still only a lower-tier tight end at best unless something dramatically changes.
Matt Moore – looking good this offseason: Moore has had the best training camp of his career so far. This is a promising sign, as Moore is a lock to begin the season as Carolina's starting quarterback. He finished the 2009 season on fire, throwing for 829 yards, eight touchdowns, and zero interceptions in the final four games. If he is able to continue this level of play he's worth some serious fantasy consideration as a backup quarterback, but given that Carolina likes to rely on the run you should look elsewhere for a starter.
Vernon Davis – doing some bike work: Davis (right knee strain) rode a stationary bike on the sideline during Wednesday's practice. Davis, who was injured in the first quarter of Sunday's preseason game against the Colts, is listed as day-to-day and at this point should be good to go for Week 1.
Eli Manning – will miss next preseason game: Manning (head) will not play in Saturday's preseason game against the Steelers. Manning's head injury Monday night looked worse than it actually appears to be so at this point he should be fine for Week 1.