This article is part of our Training Camp Notes series.
Injury Notes
While Breece Hall continues to work his way back from last year's knee surgery and appears to be a couple weeks away from getting onto the field, Dalvin Cook had his visit with the Jets on Sunday, sticking around to watch some of the team's practice. There's a disconnect between the Jets insisting Hall will be ready for Week 1 and their dalliance with signing Cook, who doesn't seem like he would be interested in being the 1B option in a backfield, but this could just be more of Aaron Rodgers and coordinator Nathaniel Hackett trying to recreate a Packers East offense -- if Aaron Jones could co-exist with Jamaal Williams (and then AJ Dillon), why not these two backs? Then again, if that were the plan, Ezekiel Elliott would seem to be a better fit for the Williams/Dillon role than Cook... I was high on Hall coming into the season, but the mere fact that the Jets are taking a long look at Cook is making me very nervous about the second-year back's prospects, whether the former Viking ends up signing in New York or not.
Stop me if you've heard this one before, but the Seahawks are having trouble keeping their backfield healthy. Kenneth Walker, last year's second-round pick, has missed three straight days of practice with a minor groin strain, while 2023 second-round pick Zach Charbonnet has missed two straight days of work with a shoulder injury. Of the two, Charbonnet's issue seems more concerning and he's been labeled as out indefinitely, but this early in camp that might be just a precautionary move until the team has a better idea what the rookie is dealing with. Walker's ADP could be very volatile for a while, as some drafters shy away due to his injury, while others push him up due to Charbonnet's. Should either or both backs end up facing lengthy absences, 2023 seventh-round pick Kenny McIntosh would start climbing up sleeper lists.
Garrett Wilson remained sidelined after turning his ankle Thursday. The injury doesn't seem serious, but the second-year wideout is still losing early opportunities to develop his chemistry with Rodgers. However, Wilson did top 1,100 receiving yards as a rookie while catching passes from the legendary trio of Zach Wilson, Joe Flacco and Mike White, so I don't think it'll take him long to earn Rodgers' trust.
The Buccaneers got their No. 3 receiver back on the field as Russell Gage returned to practice after missing a few days with what was likely a leg injury, although the team didn't provide any details. Tampa Bay's offense remains one of the bigger mysteries heading into 2023, as Baker Mayfield and Kyle Trask battle for the starting QB job. Neither guy is Tom Brady, but then again, Brady wasn't really Brady last season either. The days of the Bucs' passing game supporting three productive fantasy wideouts is probably over, but Gage could still be a factor if Mike Evans or Chris Godwin break down.
The Texans splashed around in free agency this offseason to bolster their overall depth and talent level, but they got a scare Sunday when two of their bigger additions nearly wiped each other out. New starting tight end Dalton Schultz had a huge collision in practice with new starting safety Jimmie Ward, and Schultz seemed to get the worst of it. While he didn't return to practice, the former Cowboy did put his helmet back on after being checked out in the medical tent, so he at least thought he was fine to get back on the field. Schultz could have a key role in the Houston offense this season as a reliable security blanket for rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud, so the team can ill afford to lose him in camp.
Sticking with the tight ends, Noah Fant came off the PUP list Sunday after passing his physical. The former Bronco picked up a knee injury somewhere along the way this offseason, but he's been cleared to join practice. Fant is coming off his worst NFL season in terms of snaps, targets and yards and had trouble finding a rhythm in his first year with Seattle, and his role as a receiver doesn't seem likely to increase with first-round pick Jaxon Smith-Njigba now pushing for attention from Geno Smith as the new slot option.
Job Battles
The Colts could have a looming job battle in their backfield and a public relations war off the field as things escalate quickly between Jonathan Taylor and the team. Jim Irsay's ability to flap his gums and make things worse for himself remains unparalleled -- after admitting publicly the team had never ever offered their lead back (and, let's not forget, the 2021 rushing champ) a contract extension, Irsay's now says there's absolutely no chance Taylor will be traded. That basically forces the fourth-year back to either hold out in the final year of his rookie contract or take the hit to his ego and play, knowing that he could get franchise tagged in 2024 and have to go through this nonsense all over again. It feels like a tipping point is coming, when a top NFL running back is just going to decide none of this is worth it and walk away from the sport in their prime, and while I'm not saying it'll necessarily be Taylor, he doesn't have to look too far back in team history to find another star who made a similar choice. At any rate, Deon Jackson and Zack Moss would seem to be the logical candidates to handle bigger workloads in the event Taylor isn't in the lineup Week 1, but 2023 fifth-round pick Evan Hull is the only back the new coaching staff actually selected for themselves, so don't overlook him.
The Rams' backfield swapped out one veteran for another, as the team quickly signed Royce Freeman after Sony Michel announced his retirement. The fact that the team reached all the way down for Freeman, who hasn't topped 170 rushing yards since 2019, rather than even kicking the tires on a Cook, Elliott or Kareem Hunt could be seen as a sign of Sean McVay's confidence in Cam Akers, but to me it just looks like the Rams are still gun-shy after the Todd Gurley contract debacle. You can't get burned on a RB contract if you never offer anyone more than the bare minimum. It would probably take a couple injuries ahead of him for Freeman to be any kind of factor in 2023, and that's if he even wins a roster spot.
One potentially interesting IDP job battle got squelched before it could begin, when Danielle Hunter agreed to a one-year deal Sunday to stay with the Vikings. The edge rusher is coming off his fourth career season with double-digit sacks, and his new contract could pay him up to $20 million if he meets all the incentives -- a bit of a bump from the $4.9 million he was due to make. D.J. Wonnum, who had eight sacks in 2021 when Hunter missed 10 games due to injuries, sees his sleeper appeal dissipate in the process.
