Fred Jackson (RB)- Still the starter for now: After a Tuesday conversation with offensive coordinator/running backs coach Curtis Modkins, Jackson was told he's still the starter. Jackson still doesn't sound 100 percent convinced, and even though he holds more value than teammate C.J. Spiller, this seems to be closer to a timeshare than it was a couple of weeks ago, otherwise Jackson wouldn't be so worried about what he sees in camp. While people may be able to get a good all-around back in Jackson and one that will pay off at a discount just because some people will favor Spiller's upside, it's also worth noting he may not have the potential to be a home run pick either, because Spiller is going to be part of the plan all season (and could be more of one if the Bills fall out of the running of a playoff spot), plus this team's offensive line appears to be struggling already.
Austin Collie (WR)- Misses practice Tuesday with a "foot problem": He missed Friday's preseason game with a knee injury, now this. Collie has a ton of upside in the Colts offense, but there is no denying that he is an injury risk. He's an atypical boom-or-bust pick. He's consistent when he's on the field, but he has hard time staying on it.
Jason Campbell (QB)- Returned to practice Tuesday: Early indications were that Campbell's injury was not serious, so this all but confirms it. It wouldn't be surprising if he worked on a limited-contact basis for a while, though. Campbell has a chance to have a moderately decent fantasy season in 2012 if he can play all 16 games
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David Garrard (QB)- Week 1 Starter: Coach Jack Del Rio named Garrard (back) as Jacksonville's Week 1 starter. The question of who would start Week 1 for Jacksonville was never a serious one. After playing in a screen-heavy spread offense at Missouri and dealing with a shortened offseason due to the lockout, Blaine Gabbert never had much chance of earning the starting spot over Garrard, who averaged two touchdowns per game last year. Not on merit, at least. Still, Garrard's leash will extend only as far as Jacksonville's playoff contention, which doesn't figure to be especially far. If Jacksonville is mathematically eliminated from the playoffs or even close to it, expect the Gabbert era to begin.
Maurice Jones-Drew (RB)- Won't play against Buffalo on Saturday: Jones-Drew is expected to play against St. Louis on Sept. 1. While prospective MJD owners would undoubtedly have preferred seeing him play before the preseason finale, the approach makes plenty of sense for Jacksonville. It's obviously in the team's best interest to give him as much time as possible to get his knee prepared for live action.
Kellen Winslow (TE)- Expected to make his preseason debut against Miami on Saturday: Winslow has been drawing good reviews in training camp, but the team limits his preseason activity due to his history of knee troubles. It's not a big deal whether he plays Saturday--he'll be ready to rock Week 1 as long as he's healthy.
Ryan Mathews (RB)- In better shape now: The early concerns about Mathews' conditioning are now gone after his strong performance in Sunday night's preseason game. Recall that at the beginning of camp, there was concern about Mathews failing a conditioning test, but his seven rushes for 35 yards including a highlight reel 15-yard touchdown against Dallas have put to rest any concerns about his fitness. Head Coach Norv Turner described his Monday night performance as "outstanding" and said "he's going to get a chance to show he's in great shape because he's going to get opportunities." The coach also went on to say that "Ryan is making great progress in the passing game and in the protection process, the third-down stuff." This is big news because there has been some rumbling that Mike Tolbert would be the primary third down back this season. We need to pay close attention to their splits throughout the preseason to get a better read on what's really going to happen in the regular season.
Malcom Floyd (WR)- Doing better: Head Coach Norv Turner said Floyd is doing "fine" two days after suffering a concussion in Sunday's preseason game against Dallas. It doesn't sound like a major issue for Floyd, but we will be anxious to see how much practice time he misses, if any.
Chris Johnson (RB)- Holdout over soon?: Johnson and his agent will meet with Titans GM Mike Reinfeldt on Wednesday. It's not clear whether this is under the condition that Johnson returns to practice. Given Tennessee's dependence on Johnson, it wouldn't be unwise for Reinfeldt to budge on this one, especially when all indications are that the two sides have very different ideas of what sort of contract Johnson deserves. They might need every second of negotiation time that they can get. Without question this will be a meeting with huge real-life and fantasy implications and all current and future Johnson owners certainly hope it goes well.
Peyton Hillis (RB)- Does not practice Tuesday: Hillis is still expected to play against Philadelphia on Thursday. It sounds like this shouldn't be anything serious, even if the team decides to keep him out Thursday. Given Montario Hardesty's exceptional lack of durability, the Browns need to be more cautious than most teams at running back.