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Our Rams sources tell us wide receiver Isaac Bruce has never looked better. In daily
drills, Bruce has consistently had his way with cornerback Aeneas Williams, which is
no small task, considering Williams has otherwise looked as good as ever in
preseason action.
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| Mare |
Dolphins kicker Olindo Mare is battling to play through pain in his heel, and will continue to handle Miami's kicking duties. Mare has plantar fasciitis, and he says he can play through it, but this may be something to watch.
The Chiefs' patience with oft-injured defensive tackle Dan Williams is getting thinner by
the day. Williams can be a force for the Chiefs when he's healthy, but a slow recovery from offseason foot surgery has kept him lagging behind, according to coaches. There was brief reason for optimism when Williams began light running in late August, but pain in his knee has put comeback plans on hold again. "I don't know about Dan Williams, I really don't," Chiefs head coach Dick Vermeil said recently. "We find more things wrong with him every day. We're getting first opinions, second opinions, third opinions, sixth opinions. Maybe somebody will get us an opinion that says he can play soon. I hope so."
The Titans are favoring DeRon Jenkins for the starting left cornerback spot vacated by
Denard Walker. Dainon Sidney would then enter the game in the nickel package but play the outside receiver. Starter Samari Rolle would cover the slot.
It shouldn't come as a surprise if the Broncos make a trade or two prior to the final cut-down day. The Broncos are not strangers to preseason trades, and with the depth Denver has at several positions, it could be the perfect opportunity to stockpile future draft picks without hurting team chemistry.
The Bengals are looking at using new linebacker Corey Moore as a pass-rushing specialist in nickel situations. The former Bill, who was claimed off waivers on Aug. 23, will face quite a battle to make the team though, as the defensive end position is one of the more crowded on the team, even with rookie Justin Smith unsigned as of presstime. Reinard Wilson, the team's first-round pick in '97, has had his best camp as a Bengal and plays the same type of position Moore does.
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| Hasty |
With the salary-cap strapped Seahawks' bid to obtain free-agent cornerback James Hasty coming up empty, the team probably will now wait until more cuts are made around the league before making another push at signing someone. The Seahawks do not want to give up too much in a trade because they expect the injured Shawn Springs and Willie Williams back early in the regular season, but they would like to add someone who could contribute until their return.
Rookie wide receiver Koren Robinson has made some strides in Seahawks practices lately, but the team still remains cautious regarding his healing hamstring.
With the rash of injuries along the Patriots' offensive line, don't be surprised to see rookie guard Matt Light starting in the season opener.
According to Steelers coaches, the team had 14 dropped passes in the first two preseason games. If Pittsburgh is to improve upon last year, it must have surer hands on offense, if only to boost the confidence of quarterback Kordell Stewart.
Jaguars center Jeff Smith has been less than impressive so far. In fact, after the preseason game against the Chiefs, head coach Tom Coughlin went out of his way to praise all of the starting offensive linemen -- except for Smith. In fact, we hear it's not inconceivable that Smith could lose his job to unheralded second-year pro Aaron Koch.
The Browns have been pleasantly surprised with the way their running back situation has been shaping up. While no one has emerged as the sure-fire starter, each
of the four primary backs has shown an ability to excel in one area. Look for the battle for the starting job to carry through the final week of the
preseason, although rookie James Jackson appears to be the favorite.
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| Smith |
Even though Redskins defensive end Bruce Smith says he ought to be ready to go in Week 1, we hear there are some concerns about his sprained shoulder. Why? Smith traveled to Los Angeles to get it checked out by a specialist, increasing
speculation that the injury could be more serious.
The Bears have been thrilled with rookie wide receiver David Terrell's attitude. Despite a shoulder injury, the first-round pick badly wanted to play in the team's Aug. 18 preseason game vs. Kansas City. However, doctors recommended he sit out.
After giving cornerback Jerry Azumah a five-year contract extension, the Bears will focus on extending the deals of outside linebacker Rosevelt Colvin and center Olin Kreutz.
The Vikings will try Lemanski Hall at strong-side linebacker after releasing Gabe Northern, who struggled to catch on at the position. Northern looked terrible in pass coverage and didn't make any plays. Hall is expected to face a stiff challenge from rookie Patrick Chukwurah.
After Ravens running backs Terry Allen and Jason Brookins combined for just 21 yards
rushing on 11 carries and a pair of fumbles in the preseason loss to Carolina, we hear there is an 80 percent chance the team will sign another back. Ex-Raven Errict Rhett remains one of the possibilities.
While Chris Redman continued to struggle in the preseason, we hear the Ravens' other backup quarterback, Randall Cunningham, was looking exceptionally good in practice, working mostly against Baltimore's first-team defense.
Word is the Saints are extremely frustrated with rookie defensive tackle Kenny Smith. While head coach Jim Haslett believes the third-round pick has more natural ability than any lineman on the team -- which is really saying something -- Smith's poor techniques, especially in terms of leverage, have irritated Saints coaches to no end.
Even though it would really leave the Falcons inexperienced on the offensive line, we hear it would not be a shock at all if fourth-year offensive tackle Ephraim Salaam followed in guard Calvin Collins' footsteps onto the waiver wire.
Material from Pro Football Weekly.
Visit PFW's web site at http://www.profootballweekly.com
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