Jason Wood - Keys to Training Camp

Link: http://www.baltimoreravens.com/template.php?subsection=training_camp
Location: McDaniel College (Westminster, MD)
Dates: July 30 - August 24
Open to the public? - YES (free of charge)

The status of Jamal Lewis' trial - HC Brian Billick has made it clear that while Jamal Lewis' trial is ongoing, Lewis will not play with the team. Lewis' lawyers have petitioned for a delay which would put the trial after the season, but the judge hasn't rendered his decision. Obviously missed game time will impact Lewis' value, but we still believe he's a solid RB1 in the games he'll play.

Development of Kyle Boller - The Ravens don't need Kyle Boller to become the second coming of Joe Montana; but the team needs him to play better than the 2nd worst rated QB in the NFL, as he was in 2003. Jim Fassel, the team's new offensive consultant, has been tasked with improving Boller, but camp and preseason game play is critical to understanding if Boller has what it takes to steer the Ravens ship. From a fantasy perspective, we recommend staying away from Boller except in exceptionally deep leagues.

(IDP) Will Chris McAlister come to terms? - All Pro CB Chris McAlister appears ready to hold out of training camp in a dispute over his contract. McAlister has been offered a one year contract pursuant to his status as the team's franchise player, but he wants a long term deal that would put him among the highest paid cornerbacks in the league.

(IDP) Will Peter Boulware play this year? - OLB Peter Boulware underwent knee surgery in January and isn't fully recovered as camp is set to open. Various reports have claimed that Boulware might not be able to play for a portion (or all) of the regular season, and Boulware himself admits he's unclear about whether he'll be ready for the season opener. From a team perspective, the Ravens have a deep and experienced linebacking unit, but from an IDP perspective, this bears watching as Boulware will far exceed our projected ranking if he makes a speedy recovery.

Cincinnati Bengals

Link: http://www.bengalscamp.com/
Location: Georgetown College (Georgetown, KY)
Dates: July 31 - August 25
Open to the public? - YES (free of charge)

Is Carson Palmer ready to assume the mantle? - HC Marvin Lewis wanted to avoid a potentially divisive QB controversy this year so he named Carson Palmer the starter before the first passing camp. Jon Kitna, showing himself the true team player, has embraced his role as a backup but remains ready to step back into the role should Palmer struggle. The Bengals believe they are a playoff caliber team this year, and Palmer must demonstrate a mastery of OC Bratkowski's offense in order to maintain his hold on the job. We expect Palmer to retain the starting job for most, if not all, of the season and put together respectable (QB20) yet unspectacular numbers. Palmer's development is critical for Chad Johnson and Peter Warrick, as well, both coming off top 20 fantasy seasons.

Is Rudi Johnson the real deal? - Rudi Johnson amassed nearly 1,000 yards rushing last year despite playing sparingly until the 2nd half of the season. He also averaged 4.5 yards per carry and scored 9 touchdowns. This year, for the first time in his career, Johnson enters training camp as the starter. While Corey Dillon is long gone, the Bengals did draft Michigan standout Chris Perry. Should Johnson play as well as we expect (RB17), we think Perry will play the backup role in 2004; but he's a better receiver than Johnson and may work himself into the mix with an outstanding camp.

Does Peter Warrick retain his starting job? - The depth chart hasn't changed, Peter Warrick remains the starter opposite Chad Johnson. However, Kelley Washington has turned heads in minicamp. Washington is bigger, faster and more athletic than Warrick; should he be able to maintain his momentum throughout training camp, he could be in line for a major jump in his workload; which would have a commensurate negative impact on Warrick's totals.

(IDP) Herring or Williams? - Madieu Williams will compete for the free safety position manned currently by Kim Herring. While neither is expected to be a major fantasy factor this year, this camp battle bears watching as the Bengals are desperate to improve upon their 28th place finish a year ago.

Cleveland Browns

Link: http://www.clevelandbrowns.com/news_room/news/arts/2686.0.html
Location: Browns Training Camp Facility (Berea, OH)
Dates: July 30 - August 19
Open to the public? - YES (free of charge)

When will Kellen Winslow sign? - Kellen Winslow is represented by Poston Brothers and, they have already suggested that Winslow should be paid akin to the 1st overall pick. A protracted holdout could put a significant damper on the Browns expectations in the early part of the season. Winslow needs time to learn the team's system, and is being looked upon as a focal point of the team's offense, both as a lead blocker and a playmaker in the receiving game.

Was Jeff Garcia a product of the system in SF? - Jeff Garcia was not well regarded by most scouts when he took over the helm in San Francisco. But a handful of Pro Bowls later, Garcia finds himself having to again prove doubters wrong as the new QB in Cleveland. We expect Jeff Garcia to play well this year, finishing 10th among fantasy QBs.

Will the Browns use a committee approach at the RB position? - The Browns are one of a handful of teams with no clear RB atop the depth chart. Lee Suggs, who acquitted himself in two late season starts last year, will compete with William Green, whose off field problems have dampened what might otherwise have been a promising career. Entering camp, HC Butch Davis has hinted at using both backs, but we aren't sure one won't wind up with a majority of carries when the dust settles.

Are any of the WRs viable fantasy starters? - Much like the RB situation, the depth chart hasn't been solidified among the team's receiving corps yet. Viewpoints differ dramatically as our main projections show Quincy Morgan as the team's most productive receiver, while some staff members see Dennis Northcutt or Andre Davis as the more viable fantasy threats.

Is the offensive line going to improve? - The offensive line was among the worst in the league last year, and the team did little this offseason to improve the unit. While the Browns point to the addition of Kelvin Garmon and the return of Ross Verba from injury, the team is counting on someone else to emerge in the interior from a collection of Paul Zukauskas, Joaquin Gonzalez and Enoch DeMar.

(IDP) Who is going to stop the run? - The team's linebacking unit is in flux, as only Andra Davis is set in the middle. Chaun Thompson and Ben Taylor open training camp as the strongside and weakside starters, respectively, but will be pushed by Kevin Bentley and Warrick Holdman, respectively. Our IDP team projects Davis as an impact 'backer (LB7) but projects Holdman to beat out Taylor on the weakside.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Link: http://shop.steelers.com/article/44138/
Location: St. Vincent College (Latrobe, PA)
Dates: July 30 - August 26
Open to the public? - YES (free of charge)

Will Plaxico get back into Cowher's good graces? - Plaxico Burress failed to participate in the team's minicamps and HC Bill Cowher hinted that Burress isn't guaranteed a spot on the first team offense just by showing up to practice. While we see this as a scare tactic, it will be interesting to see if Burress puts together an impressive training camp; the team needs him to show the explosiveness we saw in 2002 rather than the lackluster effort of 2003.

Will the offensive line woes of 2003 prove an anomaly or a trend? - The Steelers were hobbled by injuries to Marvel Smith and Kendall Simmons last season and RT Oliver Ross was ill equipped to pick up the slack. This year with Smith and Simmons back, and rookie Max Starks being given a shot at winning the RT battle, the Steelers hope to return to the power running team that was a fixture in the AFC playoffs.

Can Bill Cowher keep Jerome Bettis on the sidelines? - The Steelers signed Duce Staley to be the team's new feature back and released Amos Zereoue to make room for him. However, the team also kept Jerome Bettis and has promised to not impeded Staley's workload in order to placate Bettis; yet it seems that year in, year out Bettis finds himself in the mix for carries. Watch their playing time in camp to make sure this won't be a committee approach. We believe Bettis will factor into the game (8 to 10 carries per week) but that Staley will in the mix as a fantasy RB2.

(IDP) Will the Steelers LB corps return to prominence? - The team waived longtime standout Jason Gildon, opening the door for Clark Haggans to start. Can that one change, plus the return of defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau return the Steelers defense back to its dominating ways? Our IDP team expects all four Steelers LBs to finish with more than 100 points, led by James Farrior.