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“First, rumors of [Ledarius] Green dealing with lingering headaches have been circulating since training camp opened. The person who first mentioned the ongoing headaches to PFT suggested that Green is considering retirement. If the headaches don’t resolve, retirement remains an option.”
– Mike Florio, ProFootballTalk
Terrible rumors are coming out of Pittsburgh for Big Ben’s newest target, Ladarius Green. Our No. 11 overall tight end has yet to practice with his new team due to reoccurring headaches. The former Charger had offseason ankle surgery and initially, members of the media believed he was recovering from that; however, it was learned that it is much more serious than ankle rehabilitation. Green is only 26 and is entering the prime of his career, and it would be terrible if his career were to be cut short. If he does not practice by the time of your draft, I would consider taking a very late round flier on him, due to his potential upside if he comes back during the season.
“I’m afraid to talk about him [David Johnson] because I might get him hurt,” joked Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians. “But he can run it 25 times and he can catch it 15 times. The sky is the limit for his ability, because he can do so many things. I don’t want to run him in the ground early, because we have Chris [Johnson] and Andre [Ellington]. We have a great group of running backs, so one guy doesn’t have to get all the carries early in the season.”
– NFL Reporters’ Notebook, NFL.com
Heeeey, finally Bruce Arians admits the potential of David Johnson. It looks like Johnson may start out a bit slow, as Arians wants to keep him healthy for the long run, but I would still expect Johnson to get ample touches on all three downs and still be one of, if not the best fantasy running back in the NFL. I do not think Chris Johnson or Andre Ellington will take any significant snaps from Johnson, but maybe they’ll throw the rock with Carson Palmer a little more to keep him fresh. He should still be your RB1.
“As a rookie, receiver Amari Cooper eclipsed 1,000 yards and provided the Raiders with the hope that he can be among the game’s finest. And yet, he can barely watch the game tape from 2015, because he doesn’t recognize himself. Why? Because Cooper played most of last year with painful plantar fasciitis — never complaining, rarely practicing, still performing. That’s just how he is. So brace yourself, because Cooper is back and healthy and doing ridiculous things.”
Most thought the rookie from Alabama hit the rookie wall late in the season after starting so quickly, but it looks like he played with an injury that knocks most players (especially receivers) out of their respective lineups. Rapoport’s report should bump Cooper up a spot or two from our WR19 slot. Expect great things from Cooper and Derek Carr this year, especially since they now share bunk beds. Hey, since you’re reading this, you might be the only guy in your draft who knows this inside info, so use it wisely and take Cooper if he drops down due to his inconsistent second half.
Quick hits:
- Where there is smoke, there is typically fire. This is the second time we have heard that Andrew Luck is having an “uneven” camp.
- The Seahawks OC said that RB Christine Michael “had an awakening.” We’ll believe it when we see it, Bev.
- Andrew Luck thinks TY Hilton has been the best player on the field during camp
- Pats’ rookie WR Malcolm Mitchell had a good first game until he dislocated his elbow. Luckily he is expected to only miss 4 weeks.
- Cody Latimer (7/82) and Terrence West (2 TDs) were the MVPs of Thursday’s preseason games
