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Footballguys.com Daily Email Update
Volume 4 Issue # 104
August 28, 2003 
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INSIDE THIS ISSUE

 1. Lions' RB Situation
 2. RB Musa Smith Sidelined For At Least 2 Weeks
 3. Dolphins Defense To Blitz More
 4. A-Train Ready To Get Back On Track
 5. RB Foster To Play In Final Pre-Season Game
 6. Brees Cooler With Starting QB Job Now 
 7. RB Holmes: Contract Issue Looms
 8. WR Burleson: Vikings' Second-Best Receiver?
 9. Redskins Shopping RB Betts, RB Watson
10. QB Garcia Practices
11. QB Brunell May Be Playing For Job Thurs Night
12. TE Joppru Has Surgery For 'Pelvic Weakness'
13. TE Gonzalez Still Uncertain For Season Opener
14. RB Allen Not Returning To Houston
15. RB Bennett To Have Cast Removed
16. TE Brady Signs 3-Year Extension
17. RB Antowain Smith: The Patriots Best RB?
18. Still No Starting QB Named In Baltimore
19. HC Fox Hints QB Peete Will Start
20. QB Blake Hurt In Exhibition Game
21. DE McDougle Injured 

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Ok, now let's jump to tonight's news and notes. Thanks to Footballguy Maurile Tremblay for rounding these up. Here you go.

Joe

1. Lions' RB Situation

Clipped From: The Mercury News

(NOTE: This is an older article but important because of the injury to James Stewart tonight)

AUGUST 21 -- For two of the Lions' three running backs-in-waiting, the waiting should end Saturday in the exhibition game against Cleveland.

Shawn Bryson, a free agent from Buffalo, and Avon Cobourne, an undrafted rookie from West Virginia, will get their first real chance to prove themseves in a game.

For Artose Pinner, a fourth-round draft pick from Kentucky, the waiting will continue.

Pinner is recovering from a break in his lower left leg suffered in the Senior Bowl in January. He probably will miss the start of the regular season, which makes it even more important that the Lions see Bryson and Cobourne in action.

How important?

"It's important because I don't know who our backup tailback is right now," coach Steve Mariucci said Thursday. "So we're going to find out as we go through these next two preseason games."

Following up the Breaking News Update we sent tonight about James Stewart's shoulder injury. I mentioned that Shawn Bryson looked to be the backup but doing some digging turned up more information. The above is from a week-old article regarding the Lions' backup RB situation. With Thursday's injury to Stewart, this issue becomes rather important.

Since the above article was written, Avon Cobourne and Autrey Denson have both outplayed Shawn Bryson by a considerable margin, and may have surpassed Bryson on the depth chart. We'll follow up on this in a day or two, but it appears for now that Cobourne could be the primary backup to James Stewart. Stay tuned to what the Lions are saying after Stewart is evaluated.

2. RB Musa Smith Sidelined For At Least 2 Weeks

Clipped From: SunSpot.net (Brent Jones)

Running back Musa Smith underwent arthroscopic knee surgery Monday night, a procedure expected to keep the rookie out at least two weeks.

Smith walked around the Ravens' locker room yesterday with just a slight limp, but a significantly reduced chance of seeing much playing time this season.

Chester Taylor remains the Ravens' No. 2 back behind Jamal Lewis, retaining his role from a year ago after the preseason battle between him and Smith never materialized.

Smith, a third-round pick out of Georgia, had an injury-plagued college career and is off to an unfortunate start in his NFL career as well. Chester Taylor's job of backing up Jamal Lewis appears safe.

3. Dolphins Defense To Blitz More

Clipped From: The Miami Herald (Armando Salguero)

"The coverage scheme is going to be a little different; we've added wrinkles to the defensive pass coverage," [defensive coordinator Jim] Bates said. "And you'll definitely see more pressure."

[LB Junior] Seau and [S Sammy] Knight are facing the biggest challenges adjusting to Bates' defense because it's new to them.

"Because some things are different and this is the first preseason where everything is new, it's an adjustment because I have to sit back and be humble to the fact that I'm not going to attack," Seau said. "If I do attack, I could be doing something wrong and against the fabric of the defense. This is a process people just don't understand I have to put myself through, because it's different.

"I'm used to going out there and making every play. But right now I have to let the game go in order to benefit when the season starts and later down the road. Because if I don't do that now, then I won't allow myself a chance to learn, which would benefit us later."

The Dolphins will offer zone coverages as a side dish to the feast of man-to-man looks they feed opposing offenses. They will even lock their cornerbacks on particular receivers on occasion. Wherever the receiver goes, his assigned corner will follow, discarding the notion of a left or right cornerback.

ESPN NFL analyst Ron Jaworski believes it's wise for the Dolphins to rely on their cornerbacks.

"It's a very good defense, and it all starts with their cornerbacks," he said. "Those fine corners give the coaching staff a versatility to do more things."

The Dolphins will do more things to torment opposing quarterbacks, using the acquisition of Seau as an excuse to blitz more often than in previous seasons. The idea is to rush Jason Taylor, who led the NFL with 18 � sacks last season, from one side of the formation and let Seau blitz from the other.

The Dolphins have two starting corners in Patrick Surtain and Sam Madison who can play man-to-man defense without a lot of help. That is a defensive coordinator's dream, since it frees up the rest of the defense for whatever stunts and blitzes the DC wants to run. In fantasy leagues whose defensive scoring emphasizes sacks and turnovers, a blitzing defense is exactly what you want.

4. A-Train Ready To Get Back On Track

Clipped From: USAToday.com (Mike Dodd)

The Chicago Bears will finish their preseason with one of their principal questions unanswered: Will the A-Train be a local or an express?

Running back Anthony Thomas, the NFL offensive rookie of the year in 2001 who chugged to a mere 721 yards in his sophomore season, has been an afterthought in Chicago's game plans this summer. Held out of the preseason opener because of back spasms, Thomas has 16 carries for 65 yards after gaining 38 in the first half of Wednesday's game against the New England Patriots. Coach Dick Jauron acknowledges he hasn't gotten Thomas or No. 2 back Adrian Peterson the number of carries he'd like because the top offensive priority has been adjusting to new quarterback Kordell Stewart.

"We felt we would not be running the ball an awful lot in the preseason. ... We thought the most critical part was to get a feel for Kordell," Jauron says. "He does move in the pocket, he does hold the ball a little bit longer than we're used to and he'll make plays running with it, too. So we really had to focus on that."

After a lackluster outing against Denver two weeks ago (15 yards in six carries), Thomas flashed a little of his old form in Friday's game in Arizona. He gained only 12 yards on three carries but showed some elusiveness in two 9-yard runs, one of which was wiped out by a holding penalty.

Thomas has the vision and patience to find the hole, if the OL gives him one; and once he gets a head of steam, he can be tough to bring down. However, Barry Sanders he is not. He doesn't have great moves or lateral quickness, so if the OL doesn't give him a hole, Thomas will not be able to make something out of nothing. In other words, the key to Thomas's season will be his offensive line. Last night's game against the Patriots offers some hope: tackles Aaron Gibson and Mike Gandy played well, and the line as a whole was effective.

5. RB Foster To Play In Final Pre-Season Game

Clipped From: NFL.com

Highly touted running back DeShaun Foster will see his first action since suffering a season-ending knee injury in the preseason last season, when the Carolina Panthers take on the Pittsburgh Steelers at Ericsson Stadium Friday night.

Foster, a UCLA product, looked terrific in the 2002 preseason before suffering the injury in the third contest. Free agent addition Stephen Davis, Foster and Dee Brown should provide plenty of punch at the running back slot.

All eyes will be on Foster Friday night to see if he still has the same acceleration, quickness, and power he showed in last year's preseason before his injury. If Foster proves to be fully recovered he could be used to spell Stephen Davis during the season to help keep both backs fresh.

6. Brees Cooler With Starting QB Job Now

Clipped From: Sportsline.com (Jay Glazer)

A year ago, Brees must have felt the pressure to compete on a daily basis. It was as if every day was tryout day. He was forced to play it closer to the vest, fear mistakes and try everything possible to convince the coaches it was time to make a change.

There was little room to allow for errors, and making them is usually one of the better ways a quarterback can improve.

"I'm much further ahead now compared to where I was last year," said Brees, who got married this offseason. "I'm really focusing on my release. Getting the ball out fast. The quicker I can get the ball out the more accurate I can be and the more completions I'm going to have. Every time I step back into the pocket I think to myself, 'See it and get it out. See the receiver and get it out.' I think a lot of it is finding that comfort level and getting the game to slow down for you. That comes with preparation."

The Chargers played a very conservative offense last year, in part because of a series of injuries along the offensive line, and in part because Brees was a first-year starter and the coaches took care not to set him up to fail. The offense should open up a bit this year, and Brees should improve on his 2002 statistics. However, the focal point of the offense will still be LaDainian Tomlinson, and there may be games in which Tomlinson has 35+ carries while Brees has fewer than 25 pass attempts. For that reason, Brees is not someone you will want to rely on as an every-week starter.

7. RB Holmes: Contract Issue Looms

Clipped From: The Kansas City Star (Adam Teicher)

Priest Holmes is not scheduled to play for the Chiefs in their final preseason game tonight, meaning his lone carry last week could be his last for some time.

Holmes has hinted he would walk out if he didn't get a contract extension. The Chiefs are taking him seriously enough to prepare an alternate plan for the Sept. 7 regular-season opener against San Diego at Arrowhead Stadium in case he does.

It may not come to that. The Chiefs and Holmes appear to be making progress in their negotiations, enough that Holmes all but said he planned to be with the Chiefs past tonight's game against the Rams and for the Chargers game, too.

"You'd better believe it," Holmes said. "We need a (victory).

"It won't be a situation where I'm leaving. Contract-wise, I'm here, regardless. It was just a matter of me making a statement and letting everybody know how I feel. There's nothing wrong with that. I've been blessed to be in a situation that I can go ask (for an extension). I'll be glad I asked.

"I'm tied up. The only way I could possibly even think of leaving is if they traded me. You know that's not going to happen."

If Priest does end up holding out at the start of the season, the Chiefs would probably use a committee approach to run the ball with Tony Richardson, Derrick Blaylock and maybe Larry Johnson. Johnson ran very will in the third preseason game, but still has to work on his pass protection.

Incidentally, before Holmes was forced to miss the final two games of the 2002 season, he was on pace to finish with 2613 total yards and 426 fantasy points in standard scoring leagues -- that's over 100 points more than the second-place RB, Ricky Williams, who finished with 324 fantasy points.

8. WR Burleson: Vikings' Second-Best Receiver?

Clipped From: The Star Tribune (Jerry Zgoda)

Vikings coach Mike Tice predicted his team snared a draft-day bargain -- a prospect with both the genetic pedigree and the necessary football schooling -- when it made Nate Burleson a third-round pick last April. Now, 10 days before the season opener at Green Bay, Tice suggests the wide receiver from Nevada-Reno could be something more.

"He might be 'The SOD' right now," Tice said. "That's 'The Steal of the Draft.' "

And that is both an inside evaluation of the Vikings' most productive rookie through the first three preseason games and a tweak of Onterrio Smith, the Oregon running back who dropped into the fourth round and then humbly gave himself the aforementioned nickname at the team's May mini-camp.

Tied with Randy Moss for the team lead with nine preseason receptions, Burleson has himself on the verge entering tonight's preseason finale against Arizona of winning the No. 3 spot. He is, Tice suggests, capable of becoming the Vikings' second-best receiver -- right behind Moss � if he demonstrates lasting consistency.

Passing veteran receiver D'Wayne Bates for that second spot would put Burleson on the field with Moss in nearly every offensive set.

D'Wayne Bates is still the Vikings' #2 WR, but it sounds like Burleson could challenge Bates for that spot by the end of the season. Coming out of pass-happy Nevada-Reno, Burleson is a lot more polished than most rookie WRs are. He doesn't have outstanding size or speed, but is looking like a crafty possession receiver with good hands and a knack for getting open underneath. He will probably not do anything for you this year in redraft leagues, but is an intriguing prospect in dynasty leagues.

9. Redskins Shopping RB Betts, RB Watson

Clipped From: PittsburghLIVE.com

Their search for defensive tackles is over, but the Washington Redskins still are likely to be involved in trade talks before Sunday's deadline for NFL teams to trim their rosters to 53 players. Redskins officials plan to consider offers for backup tailbacks Ladell Betts and Kenny Watson but have not received what they regard as a suitable proposal, sources said.

The New Orleans Saints, searching for a backup for Deuce McAllister, appear to have interest in Betts or Watson, and the Redskins have a surplus at tailback. But it was not clear Wednesday whether the Saints or another team would make an offer that would prompt the Redskins to make a trade.

Two Redskins tailbacks -- starter Trung Canidate and Chad Morton, the team's kick returner who is slated to serve as an occasional pass-catching back -- are virtually ensured spots. Club officials said last week they intended to open the season with four tailbacks.

That leaves two roster spots for Betts, Watson and rookie Sultan McCullough, who has impressed coaches with his speed after being signed as an undrafted free agent out of USC. The Redskins could keep Betts and Watson, and attempt to re-sign McCullough to their five-man practice squad on Monday after releasing him Sunday. But Coach Steve Spurrier said this week he would like to find a way to squeeze McCullough onto the 53-man roster since he believes another team would sign McCullough if he's released.

The Redskins have five halfbacks and only four roster spots for them. If the Redskins cannot work a trade, Watson or McCullough would likely be released. McCullough would be eligible for the practice squad if another team does not pick him up (Watson was active for too many games last year to be eligible), but after his performance this preseason, that is an unlikely scenario. Watson, meanwhile, is the team's toughest inside runner, so Spurrier would hesitate to let him go. Betts has been limited by injury so far this preseason, but might be the 'Skins best overall running back, so cutting him is out of the question. This will be resolved by early next week, but right now a trade of either Betts or Watson looks like the most probable scenario.

10. QB Garcia Practices

Clipped From: San Francisco 49ers Official Website

The 49ers best chance of winning is to have a healthy Jeff Garcia behind center when the regular season opens. As expected the 49ers quarterback returned to practice Wednesday, but Erickson said he was unsure if Garcia would play Friday night or not.

"Well, that is something I don�t know for sure yet. I may not know until tomorrow and I may not know until Friday. I'll see how he feels. He may go a series, that is my plan right now, but that can change," said Erickson. "He has only played two or three series in the preseason. If he feels like he needs to play in the beginning of the game a little bit, then we will play him. If not, then we won�t."

Expect Garcia to play a series or two this weekend and then be ready for the opener. However, also realize that this is the kind of injury that could flare up at any time during the season, making Garcia a risky pick this year in the first third of your draft.

11. QB Brunell May Be Playing For Job Tonight

Clipped From: The Florida Times-Union (Vito Stellino)

There are 31 NFL starting quarterbacks who'll get their final tuneup this week in preparation for the start of the regular season next week.

Then there's the Jaguars' Mark Brunell.

He's starting tonight in the team's final preseason game against the Washington Redskins at Alltel Stadium, but he doesn't know if he'll be on the team, much less the starter, in the opener against Carolina on Sept. 7.

"He will start Thursday night, and we will reassess him Friday like we do everybody else who starts Thursday," coach Jack Del Rio said as he declined to name Brunell the starter for the regular season. Del Rio has left himself room to start Brunell or release him, and he hasn't given any indication which way he's leaning.

As important as Brunell's own performance is tonight, the performance of David Garrard and Byron Leftwich may be just as important to deciding Brunell's fate with the Jaguars. Brunell has a base salary of $6.75 million this year, all of which becomes guaranteed if he is on the roster for the first game of the season. If Garrard and Leftwich both play well enough, the Jaguars could dump Brunell and his salary on Sunday.

12. TE Joppru Has Surgery For 'Pelvic Weakness'

Clipped From: ESPN.com

Texans tight end Bennie Joppru is recovering from surgery in Philadelphia to correct a weakness in his pelvic area and was scheduled to return to Houston on Friday.

Joppru, a second-round draft choice from Michigan, was expected to have an impact this season but had been hindered by groin pain since minicamps this spring. The condition was diagnosed this week as a "sports hernia" that required a corrective operation.

"Bennie's surgery went well," Texans general manager Charley Casserly said Thursday.

The team did not say how long Joppru might be sidelined, although there were no immediate plans to place him on injured reserve. Billy Miller, Jabari Holloway and Rashod Kent are three other tight ends the Texans likely will keep on their active roster.

Joppru shouldn't have been on your draft list anyway. The fantasy news here is that Billy Miller becomes a safer pick since it appears unlikely that Joppru will vulture a significant amount of playing time or catches from him.

13. TE Gonzalez Still Uncertain For Season Opener

Clipped From: The Kansas City Star

The only thing the Chiefs know for certain about tight end Tony Gonzalez's knee injury is that he won't play in tonight's preseason finale at St. Louis.

They remained uncertain whether he would play in the Sept. 7 regular-season opener against San Diego at Arrowhead Stadium. But coach Dick Vermeil was more optimistic Wednesday after the Chiefs received results of an MRI on his left knee that showed only minor tears in the medial collateral ligament.

Gonzalez reported stiffness in the knee, which he injured during Tuesday's practice. But he has full extension, something he considered a positive sign.

"I plan on being there," Gonzalez said. "I plan on playing."

If you drafted Gonzalez, you probably didn't draft another TE very high (if at all), so Gonzo at even 50% of his normal self would probably still be your best option at TE. Let's see whether Gonzalez returns to practice by Tuesday of next week and how his knee responds.

14. RB Allen Not Returning To Houston

Clipped From: The Houston Chronicle

The on-again, off-again saga of James Allen's football career is on again.

Allen, who was placed on the reserved-retired list after informing the Texans he was retiring three weeks ago, officially applied for reinstatement Wednesday, a mere formality that clears the running back's path back into the NFL.

So what's next for Allen?

A job in Houston is out of the question. Team sources said the Texans have no interest in bringing him back.

The process by which a player can be reinstated after announcing his retirement involves sending a letter to NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue. Upon receipt of that letter by Tagliabue, the player is placed on procedural recall waivers and can be claimed by any team in the league.

If Allen, who has a base salary of $530,000 for 2003, is not claimed by another team within 24 hours of being placed on procedural recall waivers, he is returned to the Texans. Because the Texans have closed the door, Allen would become a free agent if another team does not claim him.

It's not exactly certain when the 24-hour period begins because the NFL has a policy against discussing players on waivers. However, if Allen's request was received by the commissioner's office by 3 p.m. Wednesday, the process already has been set into motion. Regardless, the situation should play out over the next day or so.

There's not much fantasy spin to this one. It remains to be seen whether any team will be interested in Allen's services, but even if Allen does sign somewhere, it will be as a backup.

15. RB Bennett To Have Cast Removed

Clipped From: ESPN.com (Len Pasquarelli)

While he is not eligible to appear in a game until Oct. 19, because of being placed on the league's physically unable to perform list, Vikings tailback Michael Bennett could have a better idea Thursday as to whether he will play at all in 2003.

The third-year veteran, who keyed the Vikings' top-rated ground game in '02 by rushing for 1,296 yards, on Thursday will have the cast removed from his injured left foot. Within a few days after that, based mostly on whatever soreness Bennett experiences, he and the Vikings might have some feel for what lies ahead.

Bennett suffered a stress fracture in March, presumably while working on a treadmill, and eventually underwent surgery. But when the surgery failed to accelerate the healing process, Bennett underwent a process six weeks ago, one that he hoped would salvage at least a part of this season.

Noted foot specialist Dr. Robert Chandler injected the foot with an agent comprised of fluid taken from Bennett's hip and a protein-based product known as Ignite. The foot has been in a cast ever since.

The possibility that Bennett might be able to play in the second half of the season could be determined by how much pain he can tolerate. If the pain and soreness are too much to bear, he almost certainly would undergo surgery to permanently repair the injury, and that would sideline the 2001 first-round choice for the entire season.

Bennett has already acknowledged he doesn't expect the foot to be 100 percent healed. Even if he does play later in the season, he will undergo surgery at the end of the year. Vikings coach Mike Tice has announced that Moe Williams, who has started just three games in his previous six seasons, will start the opener on Sept. 7.

There is no reason to carry Bennett on your roster right now. Even if Bennett does heal enough to play the final five or six games, there is no guarantee he will be handed his starting job back. And if he is, there is no guarantee he will perform at a level near 100%. It's too much of a longshot to justify the ten or eleven weeks' worth of dead weight on your roster.

16. TE Brady Signs 3-Year Extension

Clipped From: Associated Press

The Jacksonville Jaguars signed tight end Kyle Brady to a three-year contract extension worth $9.3 million.

Brady was scheduled to make $2.95 million, but agreed to a deal that will reduce his 2003 salary by more than $2 million in exchange for a $1.85 million signing bonus - a move that will help the Jaguars save money on their salary cap.

In the offseason, the Jaguars asked Brady to take a pay cut, but he refused, leaving his status in doubt. With the cap-friendly deal, he'll stay with the Jaguars for at least this season and maybe next.

Don't look now, but Brady actually had the second-best season of his 8-year career last year, hauling in 43 catches for 461 yards and 4 TDs, making him a top 10 fantasy TE in 2002.

17. RB Antowain Smith: The Patriots Best RB?

Clipped From: The Boston Globe (Ron Borges)

Despite all the abuse he has taken over the past year, the simple fact is that Antowain Smith is the Patriots' best running back. So nine days from now, when New England opens the season at Ralph Wilson Stadium in Orchard Park, N.Y., he should be the man standing behind quarterback Tom Brady.

Not on every play, to be sure. Perhaps not even in very many passing situations, where the quicker Kevin Faulk might be more productive. Frankly, if the coaching staff insists on using the toss sweep, they should refrain from doing it when Smith is on the field.

But the fact of the matter is that on the field is where he belongs. Smith belongs there the majority of the time, running between the tackles. As he showed again last night, he can gain yardage and keep drives alive if he is asked to do what he does best: run in the direction of the compass when it is pointing north-south.

The author's opinion may be right, but it's the coach's opinion that matters. Smith looked good in Wednesday night's game against the Bears, rushing for 47 yards on 9 carries, but coach Belichick's post-game comments emphasized that Smith and Faulk will both play a role in the offense. We see Smith getting more touches than Faulk this year by about a 4:3 ratio.

18. Still No Starting QB Named In Baltimore

Clipped From: The Washington Post (Steve Argeris)

As NFL quarterback controversies go, this one is downright uncontroversial. Redman and Boller measure their words carefully when discussing the situation, and their on-field performance has not been distinguished, for good or bad.

"That's the only way to handle it," Boller said. "There's competition here, there's no denying that. But there's no reason to make it more difficult than it is."

Coach Brian Billick isn't tipping his hand -- to the players or the media. He has declined to name a starter for Thursday's preseason finale against the New York Giants or the regular season opener Sept. 7 against the Pittsburgh Steelers. He has made clear his disinclination to publicly discuss his quarterbacks in anything but the vaguest terms.

"He doesn't really tell us that much, either," Redman said. "I guess it's good. You just try to focus on yourself."

The Ravens' QB situation is a bit like the Panthers'. Neither Redman nor Boller are exciting fantasy prospects since the Ravens will try to win games with defense and a strong running game. Nobody will confuse their offense with that of the Rams.

19. HC Fox Hints QB Peete Will Start

Clipped From: The Charlotte Observer (Pat Yasinskas)

As is his custom, John Fox isn't letting the cat out. But the Carolina Panthers coach provided a pretty good glimpse into his quarterback bag Wednesday.

Once again, without officially naming a starter for the Sept. 7 opener with Jacksonville, Fox strongly hinted Rodney Peete will take the opening snap.

"At this point right now, I don't think Rodney Peete's done anything to lose his job," Fox said. "I think Jake (Delhomme) and Chris (Weinke) have both been pushing him as far as getting better. As far as who is named the starter, I always like to wait until all the information is in and go from there. But right now, I'd feel comfortable with all of them. I think Rodney brings us a little more experience at the position at this point. That's the way I see it at this stage."

Peete is expected to start Friday's preseason finale against Pittsburgh at Ericsson Stadium, but playing time for starters usually is limited in the last exhibition. Delhomme has remained second on the depth chart and Weinke is third.

Weinke has had the best preseason stats of any of the Panthers' QBs, but Fox seems intent on going with the veteran QB, Peete, for his dependability. The Panthers won't rely on their QB to win games for them; they just don't want him to make mistakes that could cost them games. For at least the early part of the season, Fox may not be comfortable starting either of his less experienced QBs.

20. QB Blake Hurt In Exhibition Game

Clipped from: Associated Press

Arizona quarterback Jeff Blake left Thursday night's exhibition game at Minnesota with a mild concussion after being sacked by Vikings tackle Chris Hovan.

On the first play from scrimmage, Hovan beat his man and wrapped up Blake, who appeared to hit his head on the turf. He stayed on the ground a few moments before being helped to the sidelines.

Blake, who signed a three-year deal with the Cardinals in March, has completed 21 of 39 passes this preseason for 196 yards and a touchdown. The 12-year veteran is with his fourth team in five years and was brought on to replace Jake Plummer.

Second-year player Josh McCown replaced Blake.

We'll hear more about this in the next day or two, but as of right now we would expect Blake to open the regular season under center.

21. DE McDougle Injured

Clipped From: Associated Press

Eagles first-round pick Jerome McDougle left Thursday night's game against the New York Jets with a left hip and ankle injury.

McDougle was taken off the field for X-rays, but the extent of the injuries wasn't immediately known.

He was injured when he collided with a teammate while chasing Jets quarterback Todd Husak in the third quarter.

McDougle, the 15th overall pick from Miami, was expected to help fill the void left by the departure of three-time Pro Bowl defensive end Hugh Douglas.

Last week, the Eagles lost rookie defensive end Jamaal Green, McDougle's teammate at Miami, for the season with a knee injury.

The Eagles were counting on McDougal to help fill the 10-15 sack void left by the departure of Hugh Douglass. We will have to wait for the X-ray results to know the extent of McDougal's injury.