Good morning football fans! Here are the five things you need to know coming out of Monday to get your morning started right:
- The Arizona Cardinals have made a big call to flip their offensive tackles — moving Jared Veldheer to RT to accommodate former first-round draft choice D.J. Humphries on the left. Humphries missed all of his rookie season and played in 13 games in his sophomore campaign, including three starts on the left side, where he was marginally better than on the right. Veldheer has been a solid starting tackle on the left, so this is a big gamble for a team with an aging QB and no proven backup plan.
- The Los Angeles Chargers also made moves on the offensive line, cutting veteran guard Orlando Franklin. Franklin has been a solid starter in the past at both right tackle and left guard, but he never found that form for the Chargers, who have seen only inconsistent and poor play from him. Franklin battled through injuries, but in the right system could be a valuable pickup for a team in need of line help.
- With a significant role within the offense there to be taken, Houston rookie running back D’Onta Foreman reportedly showed up to camp lacking ideal football shape, and spent the day working with the stationary bike. Foreman is listed 16 pounds lighter than he was a season ago at Texas, so it will be interesting to see if that affects his work after contact – his 3.5 yards per carry after contact last season was eighth-best in the FBS.
- New Buffalo Bills GM Brandon Beane declared the starting quarterback position to be an “open competition,” but if it is it will be a competition with only one winner, the incumbent starter, Tyrod Taylor. For some reason, Taylor remains criminally underappreciated, but he is a quality starting quarterback and a player that doesn’t put the ball in harm’s way. The Bills may find a better backup option from this competition, but the starting job should be going nowhere but Taylor.
- There will be some Day 3 pass-catchers who pop for fantasy this year. Dan Schneier ranks the guys taken late in the draft for fantasy impact right away and further down the road.