Camp wrap: Best breakouts, rookies, redeemers

Getting stoked for the season or even for your draft? Either way, Clark Judge brings eyewitness news from his camp tour including breakout players, best rookies, guys to pull for and worry about.

Camps – Recreation – United States – American football positions – Recreation and Sports

Camp wrap: Best breakouts, rookies, redeemers

Getting stoked for the season or even for your draft? Either way, Clark Judge brings eyewitness news from his camp tour including breakout players, best rookies, guys to pull for and worry about.

Camps – Recreation – United States – American football positions – Recreation and Sports

Rookies guide Mets to blowout of Cubs

Rookies guide Mets to blowout of Cubs

Browns take Pro Bowl NT Rogers off PUP list, cut two rookies

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Jacksonville Jaguars cutdown analysis

Check here for a full list of Jacksonville’s roster moves.

Biggest surprises: Three undrafted rookies won spots — offensive tackle Kevin Haslam, defensive end Aaron Morgan and linebacker Jacob Cutrera. Getting anything for Reggie Nelson was big, and GM Gene Smith managed to send the safety to Cincinnati for David Jones. That’s a surprise. That they also cut another veteran safety, Gerald Alexander, before adding one, also qualifies as a surprise. They seem sure to add someone in the coming days. Right now the starting pairing would come from Anthony Smith, Sean Considine, Tyron Brackenridge and Courtney Greene. I bet Peyton Manning and Matt Schaub endorse that. It’s not clear who the third wide receiver will be with Troy Williamson gone. Atiyyah Ellison was a feel good story a year ago, now he’s gone too. The team has three fullbacks with Greg Jones, Montell Owens and Brock Bolen. Kynan Forney was competing for a starting guard job, lost it and lost his place on the team.

No-brainers: Not a ton. Three linebackers — Teddy Lehman, Alvin Bowen and Tony Gilbert — of a weak group of reserves didn’t make it and another (Kyle Bosworth) was placed on IR.

What’s next: Work at safety, first and foremost. The Jaguars will be thorough in their examination and consideration of the waiver wire and free agents. They have room at the back of the roster for upgrades. After safety, look for linebacker to be the spot that gets the most attention as the Jaguars have just five on the roster.

Buffalo Bills cutdown analysis

Check here for a full list of roster moves.

Biggest surprise: Many believed the Bills could keep an extra running back, either veteran Chad Simpson or undrafted rookie Joique Bell, because Marshawn Lynch and Fred Jackson have been banged up. Simpson and Bell had strong summers, but the Bills cut them both. It’s also notable the Bills have given up on 2008 second-round pick James Hardy. The 6-foot-5, 220-pound target never looked as good in action as he did in a uniform. He had injury problems, missing almost all of last year while recovering from a knee injury. He had sports hernia surgery in the offseason. Undrafted rookies outperformed him in camp.

No-brainers: There was no reason to keep rookie quarterback Levi Brown on the 53-man roster. He was drafted in the seventh round out of Troy as a long-term project. He’s a safe bet to clear waivers and be added to the practice squad, but if another team snags him, no big loss. The move means the Bills likely will keep backups Ryan Fitzpatrick and Brian Brohm, each of whom started for them last year.

What’s next: On a team that hasn’t made the playoffs in 10 years, few positions should be safe. That fact is emphasized by the number of undrafted rookies who made the squad. Bills general manager Buddy Nix will monitor the waiver wire and scrutinize all the veterans who’ve been dumped into the free-agent pool to see if there are any fits. The Bills will try to improve their offensive line depth and defensive front seven, especially.

Baltimore Ravens cutdown analysis

Check here for a full list of Baltimore’s roster moves.

Biggest surprise: The biggest name on this list, and perhaps in the AFC North, is backup quarterback Troy Smith. He nearly had Baltimore’s starting job two years ago but an illness knocked him out of the running and opened the door for starter Joe Flacco. The Ravens were open to trading Smith but couldn’t find a suitor. Shayne Graham was the preseason favorite to win Baltimore’s kicking job after signing as a free agent. But after a stiff competition in training camp and the preseason, incumbent Billy Cundiff edged Graham, who statistically is one of the NFL’s most accurate active kickers. Receiver Demetrius Williams was another surprise.

No-brainers: Tight end Davon Drew’s fate was sealed early when the Ravens drafted two rookies at his position high in the draft. Todd Heap, Ed Dickson and Dennis Pitta all looked solid this preseason, making Drew expendable. Cornerback Travis Fisher was another player who had an opportunity to show what he can do. Because of injuries, Fisher spent a brief time with the starters this summer but played poorly and didn’t take advantage. Baltimore also pulled off a trade for backup linebacker Antwan Barnes with the Philadelphia Eagles for a conditional draft pick. The Ravens were deep at linebacker and gained back a pick for next year that they lost to the Seattle Seahawks recently in the Josh Wilson trade.

What’s next: Baltimore may scan the waiver wires to see if there’s any hidden gems available in the secondary. Cornerback depth is always welcomed on the Ravens and safety Ed Reed going on the physically unable to perform list makes adding another safety an option. Otherwise, Baltimore’s roster is stacked and ready to go. It’s time for the Ravens to prepare for their Week 1 showdown with the New York Jets on “Monday Night Football.”

Ravens players cut:

K Shayne Graham

WR Eron Riley

CB Travis Fisher

TE Davon Drew

RB Curtis Steele

OT Devin Tyler

DB Brad Jones

LB Albert McClellan

DB K.J. Gerard

QB Troy Smith

WR Demetrius Williams

OL Joe Reitz

OL Bryan Mattison

CB Chris Hawkins

WR Justin Harper

Gagne takes Red Bull Rookies title despite Kent victory in Misano

The young American was crowned the 2010 Champion after finishing second to the Brit in the final race at Misano, after both battled to the very end for the title.

AFC North preseason recap

The preseason is finally over. All four AFC North teams were in action Thursday night for their exhibition finales.

Here are some notes from each game:

Pittsburgh Steelers 19, Carolina Panthers 3

The Good

• Rookies Emmanuel Sanders and Jonathan Dwyer both made strong cases in their final chance to impress before Saturday’s cuts. Dwyer, a sixth-round pick, led the Steelers in rushing for the second straight week with 86 yards on 20 carries. Sanders, a third-round pick, led Pittsburgh in receiving with 66 yards and a touchdown. Both players were up and down in training camp but came on strong late in the preseason to likely earn roster spots.

The Bad

• The huge negative was the left knee sprain to quarterback Byron Leftwich, who was expected to be Pittsburgh’s Week 1 starter. Leftwich was hit low in the first half and didn’t return. Now his status is in question for the regular-season opener, where quarterbacks Dennis Dixon or Charlie Batch may have to step in against the Atlanta Falcons.

Cleveland Browns 13, Chicago Bears 10

The Good

• We mentioned quarterback Colt McCoy’s perfect 13-for-13 passing earlier in the AFC North blog. So let’s shift the focus to Cleveland running back James Davis, who likely claimed a roster spot. The backup was on the bubble but led the Browns in rushing with 66 yards against Chicago. Davis also caught five passes for 53 yards and showed good elusiveness to break tackles. Davis was the talk of the preseason last year when he led the Browns in rushing. But he’s been quiet this exhibition season until Thursday.

The Bad

• Browns rookie running back Montario Hardesty’s much-anticipated debut ended poorly as he suffered another knee injury. Hardesty missed all of training camp and three preseason games with a right knee injury. After seven carries, he hurt his left knee and was on crutches after the game. Hardesty came to Cleveland with a reputation of being injury-prone in college.

Baltimore Ravens 21, St. Louis Rams 27

The Good

• Baltimore rookie WR David Reed showed flashes. Reed recorded 138 yards on four kickoff returns. The fifth-round pick also caught three receptions for 65 yards. Reed is on the bubble but helped his case to be one of the final receivers to make the team.

The Bad

• We also mentioned Ravens quarterback Troy Smith earlier. But let’s discuss the most unnecessary move we’ve seen in the AFC North this preseason, which was Dannell Ellerbe stopping at the goal line to taunt the Rams before scoring a defensive touchdown. Where to start with this one? First, the Ravens were losing. Second, it was the preseason. Third, Ellerbe is fighting for playing time and made a good defensive play look unprofessional. Baltimore coach John Harbaugh cleary wasn’t happy with Ellerbe’s antics.

Cincinnati Bengals 30, Indianapolis Colts 28

The Good

• The Bengals finally got great quarterback play from backups Jordan Palmer and J.T. O’Sullivan. Both players have been inconsistent this preseason but had their best efforts against Indianapolis. O’Sullivan was 9-for-12 for 102 yards, and Palmer was 10-for-14 for 114 and two touchdowns. This should bring a little bit of calm in relation to Carson Palmer’s replacements heading into the regular season.

The Bad

• Cincinnati had another double-digit penalty game with 11 infractions. Sure, a lot of backups played Thursday, but there were some on the field who will contribute in the regular season. Cincinnati doesn’t seem concerned about its penchant for penalties. But we will see if it disappears or carries over when the games count.

AFC East preseason finale observations

With all 32 teams wrapping up their preseason schedules Thursday night, here are a few quick hits from each AFC East game:

Detroit Lions 28, Buffalo Bills 23

• Trent Edwards was efficient in his one quarter, completing all four of his passes for 66 yards, including a 50-yard strike down the left sideline to Lee Evans.
• But because Edwards is so inconsistent and injury-prone, backup quarterback remains a big question mark. Ryan Fitzpatrick had the night off. Brian Brohm played less than two quarters and completed 7 of 15 passes for 78 yards and an interception that was tight end J.P. Foschi’s fault.
• Bills kicker Rian Lindell is in midseason form. He nailed field goals from 47, 50 and 41 yards. Remember when former coach Dick Jauron shied from letting Lindell try long kicks?
• The Bills still have a tough decision to make at receiver. Chad Jackson had a game-high five catches for 59 yards, but hobbled off the field late. James Hardy, a 2008 second-round pick, was targeted seven times but made three catches for 23 yards in the second half.

New York Giants 20, New England Patriots 17

• Rookie tight end Rob Gronkowski is becoming a folk hero. He caught his fourth touchdown of the preseason, a 5-yard toss from Tom Brady on their first drive. The touchdown wasn’t as eye-popping as Gronkowski’s first two, but he did have a defender hanging on him.
• New England’s first-team defense looked shaky again. Eli Manning marched right through them, going 86 yards on nine plays for a touchdown to open the game. The Giants’ starters picked up two more easy first downs on the second possession before punting.
• Running back Laurence Maroney finally got some action after being a bystander the previous two games: nine carries for 32 yards. Uninspiring. For the record, Fred Taylor started the game.
• Rookie Devin McCourty bounced back from an awful performance in the previous game, and that’s a good sign with veteran Leigh Bodden sidelined for the season. McCourty played only two series but made three tackles and had a pass defensed.

New York Jets 21, Philadelphia Eagles 17

• Rookie running back Joe McKnight had a rough preseason. He lost his third fumble, and this one was returned 64 yards for an Eagles touchdown. Rex Ryan said McKnight will make the roster and be deactivated until he proves himself in practice.
• Had the Jets not used a fourth-round draft choice on McKnight, he’d be gone. He was outplayed by Chauncey Washington and Danny Woodhead. Washington ran 12 times for 56 yards, including a long of 22 yards. Woodhead had 12 carries for 45 yards and a 14-yard touchdown.
• Mark Brunell had an efficient game: 11-of-17 for 118 yards and touchdown passes to Santonio Holmes and Jeff Cumberland.
• Holmes had a busy night in what will be his last action for a month. He had four catches for 97 yards. His touchdown traveled 51 yards and came in the fourth quarter. Probably not fair to do to Philly reserves who won’t be employed come Saturday. But Holmes will be out of commission while serving a four-game suspension.

Dallas Cowboys 27, Miami Dolphins 25

• The Dolphins had a nerve-racking sequence in the second quarter. Franchise left tackle Jake Long, my pick as the club’s most indispensable player, got shaken up on a play when Chad Henne absorbed a blindside sack and fumbled. Four plays later, Sam Hurd beat cornerback Sean Smith for a 43-yard touchdown.
• Tyler Thigpen, not Pat White, received the prime mop-up duty after Henne and Chad Pennington took their turns. Thigpen did well. He was 10-of-18 for 160 yards and two touchdowns with one interception. He ran three times for 20 yards.
• Only 12 rushing attempts for Dolphins running backs, but 39 passes. Not sure what it means. Maybe coach Tony Sparano just wanted to let Pennington and Thigpen air it out. Maybe the Dolphins didn’t want to waste their backs. But I doubt that ratio is a blueprint for the regular season.
• Tough decision coming at receiver, even after the Greg Camarillo trade. Patrick Turner (one catch for 29 yards) was a third-round pick last year, but hasn’t produced as much as undrafted rookies Marlon Moore (4 catches, 31 yards and a touchdown) or Roberto Wallace (3 catches, 59 yards and a touchdown).

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