Sports

[gardenman]

The strangest training camp ever continues to meander along. Players are expected to actually hit the field sometime later this month. At this stage they're all still focused on fitness and conditioning. Typically, our first preseason games would be taking place, but not this year. Coaches are just walking past players in the hallways rather than working with players. Those early regular season games figure to be interesting this year.

Teams like the Giants and Redskins with new coaching staffs and young, second year QBs are likely to really struggle. Learning a new system is a challenge for kid QBs and doing so in a fraction of the normal time, well, that'll really test them.

[Spurt]

@gardenman 

It will be difficult for teams with new coaches/systems since all they got was virtual meetings and workouts....

But for most established teams if the NBA gives us any indication it seems this weird start to sports seasons has appeared to help the older veterans with delays in training camps etc it give a chance for the older veterans bodies to heal from their minor ailments and their play has been "on fire" and for 2nd or 3rd year players and opportunity to shine....

Clowney is having a hard time finding a home....even the Jets don't want him....he just wants too much money for a injury prone past.....

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@gardenman  @teganslaw 

Maybe my entire WFT should just OPT OUT...just what we didnt need....the team was already short handed at the TE position now TE Logan Thomas has been placed on the Co-Vid 19 List its not known if he tested positive or was in contact with someone who was ......He will be quarantined for 2 weeks and if he passes a test he can then return to the team...

And they claimed CB Ryan Lewis off waivers, he was released by the Dolphins on Wednesday....He also played for the Colts & Eagles......But Lewis appears to be destined for a practice squad slot...

On the positive side, the RB position looks good IF the players can stay healthy!!! AP wants to break some records, Bryce Love and Derrius Guice have been declared healthy and cleared to play, and rookie Antonio Gibson looks promising....

[gardenman]

The WFT is very solid this year at RB. After this year things look a bit shakier. AP is really getting up there. Derrius Guice is unlikely to get a second contract given his knee history. Bryce Love could be the longer term answer if he stays healthy. But that's a big if. They could very easily be in the market for a back a year or two from now despite having three or four competent starters now and two of them being younger guys. 

Guice's knee injuries make him a very high longterm risk. I'm not sure he'll even get a second contract unless he stays perfectly healthy and his MRIs show no serious issues with cartilage loss. It's an interesting situation to watch.

[teganslaw]

In a recent interview, Chris Ballard mentioned that the kicker position would be a training camp battle between Chase McLaughlin and undrafted free agent Rodrigo Blankenship. When asked about Vinatieri, he only said that Vinatieri was still rehabbing from his 2019 injury; nothing else was mentioned about him. So it looks like the Colts are going in a different direction with the kicker position. I figured that would happen, as I last heard that his rehab wasn't going as expected. I don't expect Vinatieri to be with the Colts this season. 

Philip Rivers is settling in well with the Colts. Frank Reich likes the leadership Rivers is showing through meetings, even though the meetings are done virtually. 

NFL has extended complimentary access to Game Pass until August 31.I wonder if the extension is due to the fact that preseason games are cancelled. This gives fans more access to football games which they otherwise wouldn't get. I'm taking advantage of Game Pass; am watching several games each week. 

[gardenman]

Jon Kitna, the former Seahawk, Bengal, Lion, Cowboy QB coached Eagles wide receiver Jalen Reagor in high school and said he was an NFL receiver as a high school sophomore. He seems to feel the sky's the limit for the kid. Here's hoping he's right. Kitna was the QB coach for the Cowboys last year and if he'd still been part of the organization for the draft it would have been interesting to see if the Cowboys took Reagor or still took CeeDee Lamb. Kitna might have lobbied for Reagor over Lamb. He was recently quoted as saying it was a shame Reagor had to keep playing in high school and then college before playing in the pros as he was ready to be a pro years ago.

[Spurt]

@redwingsgal  @teganslaw  @gardenman 

Oh no.....Matthew Stafford has been placed on the Co-Vid list...not sure if he has virus or has been in contact with someone that has it....

Well the Cowboys released K Kai Forbath he had been with the WFT among others....they signed K Greg Zuerlein to a 3 yr 7.5 mill deal this offseason.....

JJ Watt says his body feels as good as it has felt since 2014, 2015....He's excited into getting camp and getting some work....

[gardenman]

False positive tests are going to be a big problem. The Phillies had a couple of cubhouse guys test positive, but both were false positives upon retesting. I'm not sure how you fix that issue but it could cause chaos for a lot of people.

[gardenman]

In one of those good news/bad news scenarios, Doug Pederson has tested positive for Covid-19. That's the bad news. The good news is he's asymptomatic, feels great, and should be back in ten days or so, then he should be immune for the regular season, so he won't miss time when it really matters. Getting infected and being asymptomatic at this point isn't that bad of a thing. He should emerge with antibodies and be immune for the regular season.

[teganslaw]

TY Hilton was placed on the active non football injury list with a minor hamstring issue. Hopefully, it is minor and he will be off the list in a couple weeks. 

The Patriots have 8 players who opted out of the season, most in the NFL. Have to see how that affects them going forward. They must have their reasons, but maybe they also don't want to play for Bill Belichick? 

I noticed that Eagles' Marquise Goodwin opted out. 

That is bad for Matthew Stafford being on the COVID list. They just had another child in June, so hopefully Stafford doesn't have the virus and it's just for precaution.

Jags Gardner Minshew was also placed on the COVID list. I don't know who their other QB is.