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Brian Swaw

TRAINING CAMP NOTES 8/26/09

49ers HC Mike Singletary named Shaun Hill his starting QB yesterday. Hill wasn't the favorite this spring -- when we had already crowned him the probable starter. But he outperformed Alex Smith for most of the summer, so it's no surprise to us that he won the job. This is good news for 49ers WRs, especially Josh Morgan. We've bumped up Hill's numbers. He's been 1 of our favorite late-round QBs since May.

Ray Rice is clearly the Ravens' starting RB -- and he may even be becoming an all-purpose back. Rice finished last night's preseason game against the Jets with 8 carries for 29 yards and added 1 catch for 3 yards. Most importantly, he was the only RB to work with the 1st-team offense. Rice even stayed on the field in the red zone, scoring a 3-yard TD on a Statue of Liberty Play. Rice's ADP has been sky-rocketing lately, but he might end up being a steal even in the 5th round.

Jets rookie QB Mark Sanchez learned a little lesson about NFL football last night. The Ravens defense threw all sorts of blitzes and coverages at him, and Sanchez clearly struggled with his reads. On his 1st pass of the night, he threw off his back foot as LB Ray Lewis came charging through the line. The ball ended up right in the hands of NT Haloti Ngata for a "pick-6." His next pass went right to Ray Lewis. Luckily for Sanchez, Ray-Lew dropped the easy INT. Sanchez did finish strong with a 19-yard TD to RB Leon Washington on his last throw of the night. Still, it was an uninspiring performance. But we still think Sanchez will be under center for the Jets in Week 1.

Michael Vick is expected to make his Eagles debut on Thursday night � and he'll do it at QB. The Philadelphia Daily News reports that Vick will line up under center for the Eagles in the 4th quarter. QB Donovan McNabb is expected to play the 1st half, while QB Kevin Kolb will see time in the 3rd quarter. The Eagles seem intent on letting Vick make the team as a QB, but we're sure they'll use him in other roles throughout the season

Saints HC Sean Payton revealed that RB Pierre Thomas sprained his MCL. We're wondering if it happened during the team's preseason game Saturday. It would explain why RB Mike Bell got so much work early in the game. NFL insider Adam Caplan believes it's just a grade 1 sprain, making Thomas day-to-day.

Bills WR Terrell Owens suffered a setback on his injured toe last Wednesday and hasn't practiced since. "He says it feels a lot better," HC Dick Jauron said. "We won't bring him back onto the field though until we feel like it's all the way back to where it was. It doesn't make any sense for us to do that. So it's critical that he does get back as soon as he can to get the timing and get his reps in and get his work done." Unless T.O. gets healthy real soon, look for him to get off to a slow start. He hasn't had a lot of time to develop a rapport with QB Trent Edwards.

Titans WR Nate Washington suffered a hamstring injury during yesterday's practice. The team believes it's just a mild strain, but Washington isn't expected to play in either of Tennessee's final 2 preseason games, and his status for the season opener is in doubt. These hamstrings are an even bigger concern with speed-demons like Washington. His ADP had been climbing steadily throughout the preseason, but it's sure to take a little dive now.

The Seahawks have signed RB Edgerrin James to a 1-year, $2 million deal. In a related move, the team released RB T.J. Duckett. The 'Hawks backfield now includes Julius Jones, James, and Justin Forsett -- perhaps in that order. Edge will have to earn his playing time, but he's likely to eat into Jones' workload. Forsett seems like a candidate for a 3rd-down role and could catch 25+ balls this year. We expect Duckett to catch on with another team before Week 1, but he's not draftable anymore.

Speaking of Julius Jones... he is expected to return to practice today after missing Saturday's preseason game. Jones has been battling a bone bruise, but he's already feeling the heat from Edgerrin James.

Lions WR Calvin Johnson returned to practice on Monday after missing 2 weeks with a right thumb injury. The injury isn't one that should linger, so Johnson is still a fine pick at his current early 2nd ADP. Look for him to play in their 3rd preseason game on Saturday.

ESPNs Pat Yasinskas believes Panthers RB DeAngelo Williams will ;still get the bulk of the carries" this year, even if Jonathan Stewart is healthy. He cites that Williams is not a fumbler, which means a lot in John Fox's eyes. We tend to agree with him, especially now that Stewart is struggling to overcome an Achilles injury. D Will is a safe bet for 20-25 touches per game.

Tampa Bay HC Raheem Morris believes WR Antonio Bryant, who is recovering from a torn meniscus, will be back on the practice field next week. Morris even thinks Bryant has a chance to play in the team's final preseason game. That'd be huge since he hasn't gotten much work in with his new QBs.