Training Camp Notes: Several Key RBs Back In Action

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Published on August 12, 2014

Knowshon Moreno took part in 11-on-11 drills during Tuesday's Dolphins practice, doing so for the first time since he had his knee scoped back in June. He'll now enter the battle for the role of feature back with Lamar Miller, although the latter seems to have the edge at this point. In Monday night's RotoWire Steak League Auction, Miller's $15 price tag was almost double the cost of Moreno ($8), which was slightly surprising considering that it's a PPR league. Moreno hauled in 60 receptions for the Broncos last season, and although that number will take a hit without Peyton Manning at the helm, one could argue that Moreno is still the better PPR option.

Toby Gerhart was back on the practice field Tuesday after missing more than a week of action due to a hip flexor injury, and is expected to suit up for Thursday's exhibition contest against the Bears. If he plays, he'll likely see only a carry or two, but the workload will gradually increase as the season gets closer. He should be able to fight off Jordan Todman and Denard Robinson to hang on to his role as the No. 1 back in Jacksonville, leaving plenty of room to profit at a 53.34 ADP. The 27-year-old back owns a career 4.7 YPC, although some may assert that it was due to Adrian Peterson depleting opposing defenses in Minnesota.

A quadriceps injury had limited Jets' receiver Eric Decker to positional drills for the last three days of practice, but he returned to participating in team drills Tuesday. The 27-year-old wideout stands to see the most targets in the New York offense, but will not having Peyton Manning throwing him the ball cause a regression? Granted, Geno Smith is leaps and bounds better than Tim Tebow, but in his last Manning-less season, Decker caught just 44 balls on a whopping 96 targets. The one encouraging fact is that he still caught eight touchdowns that year, and there's no reason to think he won't continue to be a redzone option. Decker was targeted 48 times in the redzone between 2012-13, with 14 of those coming inside the five yardline.

Cowboys' cornerback Orlando Scandrick will be suspended the first four games of the upcoming season due to a violation of the league's drug policy. It's "technically" for PED use, but several reports have indicated the positive test was triggered by his use of a recreational drug during an offseason vacation. The Dallas secondary was already dreadful to begin with, but it will now take another hit. Look for big numbers from the 49ers, Titans, Rams and Saints during Weeks 1-4, as those will be the Cowboys' scheduled opponents. However, Scandrick didn't represent a major upgrade over backup Morris Claiborne anyway, so maybe overreacting isn't the route to go. That defense will get lit up regardless of who they play.

Drew Brees is not expected to play in Friday's preseason game against the Titans due to an oblique strain. He returned to the practice field Tuesday for some conditioning work, but appears to be at least a few more days away from strapping on the pads. Backups Ryan Griffin and Luke McCown will likely handle quarterback duties for Sean Payton, and the competition to earn the job as Brees' primary backup looks to be heating up. Griffin was 16-for-23 with 179 yards though the air and a touchdown pass in the first preseason contest, while McCown completed 7-of-10 passes for just 49 yards and an interception. If Griffin continues to protect the football, there's a chance he could edge out McCown in this battle, but all this should become irrelevant at the start of the season, when Brees is expected to take the field. The Saints' signal-caller is currently the No. 2 QB in terms of NFFC average draft position, owning a slight advantage over Aaron Rodgers. Maybe it's the in-state bias kicking in, but I much prefer Rodgers in terms of fantasy numbers. The concern that the oblique injury may linger around and affect his throwing motion comes into play a bit here, but it's also worth noting that Brees has missed just one game over the past eight years for the Saints, so his durability shouldn't be too much of a question.

The Texans added Ronnie Brown and William Powell to their running back mix Monday night, but these look to be depth signings at best. If you're looking for a late-round flier or Arian Foster handcuff, rookie Alfred Blue is probably the best bet from the Houston offense.

Jordy Nelson returned to the practice field Tuesday after missing Monday's session due to a hamstring ailment. He was originally (as Clay noted yesterday) believed to be a healthy scratch in the preseason opener, but it was later revealed that an actual injury was in play. At the very least, Nelson's quick return to practice bodes well for his chances in playing in the Packers second preseason contest Saturday against the Rams. Meanwhile, teammate Davante Adams sat out Tuesday with a wrist injury that was believed to have been sustained in the preseason opener. He has quite a bit working against him at this point, as on top of his health, he fumbled twice in the opening tilt. At No. 4 on the Packers WR depth chart, the rookie likely would need an injury to occur to see meaningful reps in the offense this season. For dynasty formats, however, there's major upside, as he'll eventually ascend to the Packers' second or third receiver -- which means huge numbers in an Aaron Rodgers-led offense.

Remember Jason Avant from his Eagles days? With the Panthers working with a melting pot of new receivers, Avant has emerged as the No. 3 option for quarterback Cam Newton. There was a time in his career where he could be relied on for 50-plus receptions, but he caught just 38 passes last year, despite seeing a target total (76) at-or-above seasons in which he hauled in 53 and 51 passes. Avant wasn't drafted in Monday's 16-team Steak League Auction, and is likely nothing more than a WR4-5 in the deepest of leagues, or perhaps a dirt cheap roster-filler in daily formats.

Lastly, Marshawn Lynch dealt with some bizarre assault/property damage allegations Monday, but the team came out Tuesday to call the charges "bogus." There doesn't appear to be any chance of disciplinary action for the defending champs' No. 1 back.