Sports

[teganslaw]

I don't understand why the Eagles signed Hackenberg unless they plan on trading one of their qbs. I thought the Eagles liked Sudfeld, so why trade him for Hackenberg, who hasn't done much? That might leave Foles to be traded because of his high contract. 

The Colts forum has been busy talking about Le'Veon Bell. He has made comments about Luck and the Colts on Instagram., all complimentary. Now there is speculation by fans that Bell is interested in playing for Indy. He hasn't said that he wants to play for them, but his Instagram posts are all about Indy. Maybe Bell is just a fan of Andrew Luck and is glad that he's back. I don't think that Indy would sign Bell for the amount of money he wants. But it's interesting imagining what Bell could do for them. 

[gardenman]

The Steelers have to decide what to do with Le'Veon Bell. They can't keep tagging him and he'll leave in free agency netting them just a third round pick in compensation. If they could move him for a first round pick now, it might benefit them, but whatever team trades for him would want a new contract in place before the deal was completed. I wouldn't be shocked to see him get moved.

[Spurt]

Well no surprise....I quoted some of the anaysis by the national media of the Redskins, and one area they pinpointed was opposite Josh Norman .....and how former Cowboy, Scandrick wasnt the answer....Apparently the Redskins agreed

The Redskins have released veteran corner Orlando Scandrick, a source confirmed. The NFL Network first reported the news. Scandrick was signed in the offseason and had worked as a starting corner opposite Josh Norman. The move signals two things: They have confidence in second year Fabian Moreau to cover in the slot and in Quinton Dunbar to start opposite Norman. Also, they've been pleased with rookies Greg Stroman and Danny Johnson.

Staying in the NFC East---Wentz is saying its going to be a close call for himto play in week 1.............

Here's some players that the media "experts" think will surprise....

EAGLES-RB Wendell Smallwood- Pederson has seen Smallwood flash, and, just as important for roster security, special-teams coach Dave Fipp has been utilizing him quite a bit on his units. That puts him in decent position as he competes for the fourth running back spot with the likes of  Pumphrey and Adams...

COLTS-WR  KJ BRENT-The second-year receiver out of Wake Forest was already having an impressive training camp, but the unfortunate loss of rookie Cain torn ACL) makes Brent one of the favorites to be the Colts' fourth receiver behind Hilton, Grant, and Rogers. Brent was on the receiving end of Luck's first long TD pass early in training camp. 

LIONS-RB Kerryon Johnson-The second-round pick was taken with the expectation he would play, and possibly play early. But for portions of training camp and in the preseason opener Friday night, Johnson looked like he might be the best running back on the roster.  He has shown ability both running the ball and catching out of the backfield, giving Detroit an all-around presence it hasn't had since Reggie Bush in 2013.

RAVENS-RB  Gus Edwards-The undrafted rookie out of Rutgers received the start in the Hall of Fame game and averaged 4.8 yards per carry (58 yards on 12 attempts) in his second preseason game. Edwards stands out by how hard he runs with the ball.

COWBOYS-DT Antwaun Woods-He did not sign with the Cowboys until May 30, but he has worked his way up the depth chart to find himself as their starting nose tackle. He dropped 20 pounds after signing with the Cowboys and has the quickness Rod Marinelli wants in that spot. The Cowboys have had their eye on him for a while and tried to sign him off the Titan's practice squad last year. He might not start opening day, but he has impressed enough that he would have to be in the mix as part of the defensive line rotation. --

REDSKINS-WR Maurice Harris-Really, he's a lock at this point after entering camp as someone fighting for a roster spot. But his early play has elevated him into being the No. 4 receiver; that was the case even before fellow WR Davis was lost for the season with a knee injury. On Sunday, coach Jay Gruden referred to Harris as a great all-around receiver because he can run routes from all three positions and he's a willing blocker. He's not fast, but his strong hands and route-running have turned him into a guy now fighting for solid playing time. --

And it looks like the Steelers might be ready to roll with or without Bell-RB Stevan Ridley might be their go to. The former 1,000-yard rusher was out of football in 2017 before the Steelers called him in Week 16. Ridley added 108 yards and a touchdown in two games and is running hard in training camp this year. The Steelers have drafted running backs in consecutive drafts to back up Bell which steepens Ridley's path to a solidified role. But he can still do one thing well: "In between the tackles, I can do it as good as anyone," he said. "Over four quarters, I will bang it out." -- 

 BTW count Josh Norman as a fan of rookie QB Darnold....he's been impressed..........

[gardenman]

I'm not sure Wendell Smallwood makes the Eagles roster. Jay Ajayi, Darren Sproles, and Corey Clement are locks to make it. That leaves one, maybe two spots open. Pumphrey is the all time college rusher and a draft pick in 2017. Reporters say he's looked good this year in camp. Adams has looked very solid in camp and impressed obxervers. If someone trades for Ajayi, who's in the last year of his contract, it might open up a slot, but that last runningback slot will be quite a fight. Smallwood's had injury issues, so he might be vulnerable.

[teganslaw]

I had to look up KJ Brent, as I wasn't familiar with him. He was with the Raiders a year ago, and then was on the Colts practice squad. If the experts are correct, he'll be someone to watch for. 

I've noticed that several of Cleveland's preseason games are on national TV. I don't know how early schedules are determined, but wondering if Baker Mayfield has something to do with that. His first game was impressive, have to see how he'll continue to play. Tyrod Taylor also played well. 

[Spurt]

If it turns into something serious it would be devastating  news for the Cowboys and for Dak in particular....

Center Travis Frederick has never missed a game in his five seasons. The Cowboys hope he doesn’t start now.

Frederick missed the team’s walk-through Wednesday morning to go to Los Angeles to 

have his shoulder examined. 

Frederick has dealt with stingers in recent practices, Garrett added, which prompted the Cowboys to send him to Dr. Robert Watkins III for further medical evaluation. The Cowboys expect results later Wednesday.

“We’re just having him checked out by a guy who is really the expert in the field,” Garrett said. “We just think it’s the right thing to do.”

The injury is a new one for Frederick, whose $56.4 million contract is the highest at his position. He signed the extension two years ago, keeping him under contract through 2023.

The Cowboys already lost backup guard Marcus Martin for the season after he tore a ligament in his right big toe in the preseason opener.

The Redskins are comfortable going with young corners.  They have no interest in former Redskin Bashaud Breeland..... (yep told ya that guy played awful)

[gardenman]

Game two of the preseason tonight! The Eagles take on the Patriots tonight. One of the guys who may be playing his way onto the roster is Jordan Mailata, the giant Australian rugby player trying to become an offensive lineman. He's not good yet, but he's showing flashes and might have too much potential to risk losing by trying to sneak him onto the practice squad. Most of the roster battles are for the last few roster spots. The depth at defensive line and cornerback is impressive and a few guys cut will be starters on other teams this year. It'll be interesting to see if Hackenberg gets some reps at quarterback. The coaches say signing Hackenberg was a front office decision which strongly implies one or more of the current QB's is on the trading block. John Elway has stated that the Broncos are looking to trade for a veteran backup QB who could step in and win. I thought Foles was a good option for them in the offseason, but they went for the former Vikings QB instead. It could be they're having a rethink on that.

[teganslaw]

Jaguar's CB, Jalen Ramsey, had opinions on some NFL quarterbacks. He built up Blake Bortles, comparing Bortles to Foles in the playoffs. The team trusted Foles, who delivered when asked, and Bortles also does well in the playoffs, doing waht is expected of him. Some other opinions of Ramsey: 

Andrew Luck: "he's not really that good." 

Carson Wentz and Deshaun Watson: will be competing for MVP title.

Kirk Cousins : "coming off play action, he's the best QB in the NFL. 

Joe Flacco; not good. 

Josh Allen ; "he's trash." 

He likes Brady and Rodgers, didn't mention Alex Smith. 

So there you have it. His statements should make games in the AFC South very interesting. 

[Spurt]

@teganslaw

LOL ......That was an interesting take on NFL QBs.....Im glad Alex wasn't mentioned!!!  I bet Jalen's teammates want to beat him up for opening his big mouth!

He likes Dak but doesnt Andrew---go figure...SMH!

They were talking about Eli's response to Jalen's comments TOO FUNNY :

Eli also didn't escape Ramsey's critique.

"It's not really Eli. I think it's Odell I won't say Eli's good. I'll say Odell's good. And their connection is good," Ramsey said.

Asked to respond to Ramsey's comments Wednesday, Manning said, "No comment" before adding, "Who?" The Jaguars open the regular season against the Giants at MetLife Stadium.

Well good news for the Cowboys, Travis Fredrick was diagnosed with just stingers......

Cant wait for the game tonight!---Jets/Redskins--   PLEASE NO ONE GET HURT!

[gardenman]

It's hard to say how good Andrew Luck is. He hasn't lived up to the expectations most had for him where he'd be an equal to Brady and the best QB's. But, and this is a big but, his health and lack of talent around him has held him back. Give him pro bowl caliber talent around him and you might start seeing a different Andrew Luck. Some teams (Eagles, Rams, Bears) surround their kid quarterbacks with top notch talent to help them achieve greatness. Other teams (Packers, Patriots to some extent) expect the quarterback to elevate the play of lesser talented guys. If your best receiver runs a 4.7 forty and has bad hands, no quarterback will look good. If the offensive linemen serve as turnstiles for pass rushers no quarterback will look good. Coaching changes haven't helped him a lot either. The Colts seem willing to build around Luck now and they've got a good coach in place, so if he stays healthy for the next year or two we may finally see just how good he is.