Last week saw the first round of minicamps come to a close. While these practices are without pads, this first glimpse can provide some valuable information in terms of which players are standing out, who needs additional work, and where we could see some depth chart shuffling.
We’ve already taken a look at how the first week went for the AFC teams.
Let’s continue around the horn, finding the most valuable news and notes from the NFC teams.
Detroit Lions
Marvin Jones (knee) and Kenny Golladay (chest) started the week working out on the sidelines before progressing to some team drills by Day 3. It was an encouraging sign to see them back on the field after missing all of OTA’s. Chris Lacy has taken advantage of the extra reps he’s been given, spending time with the first team unit and may have a shot at making the 53-man roster. At 6’-3”, 205-pounds, he’s got great size to win jump balls and made quite a few catches deep downfield. He’s going to be a name for preseason DFS players to keep an eye on. Detroit also signed Jermaine Kearse during the third day of minicamp and quickly threw him in with the first team offense. Danny Amendola and Andy Jones also saw time working with Stafford and company, as the Lions rotated receivers frequently all week.
Jesse James continues to get first team reps ahead of T.J. Hockenson. James had a solid camp, capping it off with several touchdowns on Day 3 of minicamp. He’s a big target for Stafford and wouldn’t surprise at all if he kept Hockenson at bay for much of his rookie campaign. Between these two and Logan Thomas, OC Darrell Bevell has some flexibility in his personnel groupings.
HC Matt Patricia took some time on Wednesday’s practice to shuffle around the offensive line. It’s never a bad thing to see what you have in different players and test their versatility. Injuries are bound to occur, and Detroit is still trying to figure out who will fill in at left guard.
New York Giants
Rookie quarterback Daniel Jones continues to look the part of an NFL quarterback, operating well with the second team for much of camp. He’s looked good throwing the ball deep and during red zone drills. The Giants also tried some read-option plays with him, where he was able to showcase his speed in the open field. It’s going to be difficult to keep him off the field if he keeps improving each step of the way.
Sterling Shepard missed Day 2 of minicamp (wrist), but has looked good otherwise. He and Golden Tate have both taken snaps as the slot receiver with the first team offense. The Giants were bottom-10 in pass attempts to the slot receiver position last season, so it’ll be interesting to see how much that changes now that they have two receivers the flourish while operating there. It was also notable that when the team went three-wide, it was Corey Coleman that joined the first team.
Darius Slayton turned heads at the wide receiver position. He’s consistently getting separation and finishing plays, making a lot of progress from the beginning of OTA’s. Sporting sub-4.4 speed, Slayton would be a welcome addition to a Giants offense that needs playmakers to stretch the defense vertically. The depth chart behind Coleman is wide open.
Deandre Baker started with the first team defense at left corner. He had a strong minicamp, routinely being in the right place at the right time to knock down passes. While they’re still just running around without pads, it was exactly the right kind of start for Baker.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
It shouldn’t surprise anyone, but Chris Godwin looks every bit the part of a receiver capable of Bruce Arian’s hyperbole that he’s “a 100-catch guy this year”. Godwin is routinely making contested catches around multiple defenders, working hard to build on his rapport with Jameis Winston while Mike Evans sits out (hamstring). Godwin spent this minicamp focusing on working on his timing in his routes and continues to look like an ascending star.
Following the brief DeSean Jackson era in Tampa Bay, the Buccaneers are hoping former first-round pick Breshad Perriman can help pick up where DJax left off in terms of stretching opposing defenses vertically. HC Bruce Arians is known for his aggressive downfield offense, making Perriman a perfect fit. Perriman displayed that deep speed regularly during minicamp, getting behind the defense a few times including a 45-yard touchdown. Rookie wide receivers Scotty Miller and Demarkus Lodge have both turned heads as they fight for a spot on the 53-man roster.
The team is also using both Peyton Barber and Ronald Jones as receivers out of the backfield. Both backs have reportedly looked like they’ve taken steps forward, but again, these are practices without pads and without contact. This remains a key fantasy question for us to watch entering training camp.
The secondary is one in transition. The Buccaneers added a lot of new faces this offseason and they’ve noticeably improved as minicamp has progressed. Cornerbacks Sean Murphy-Bunting and Jamel Dean and safety Mike Edwards all made some noteworthy plays forcing turnovers. It’s a tough situation having so many rookies playing meaningful snaps, but the arrow is pointing up. These will be some position battles I’ll be keeping an eye on for DFS purposes with Tampa Bay squaring off against San Francisco’s revamped wide receiver corps in Week 1.
Washington Redskins
Case Keenum started camp looking sharp with well-placed passes. He has a firm grip on the QB1 position. Dwayne Haskins had his moments but still looked the part of a rookie. He was inconsistent with his throws in addition to making some poor decisions. The Washington secondary was able to force some turnovers on him as he struggled to get into a rhythm. It’s still only June, but it shouldn’t surprise anyone if Keenum holds onto the Week 1 starting nod.
Adrian Peterson looked patient and explosive on the opportunities he was given. Gone are last season’s nagging injuries as the 34-year-old looks fresh in anticipation of training camp. Speaking of training camp, Derrius Guice will finally make his debut then where he’s expected to be fully healthy.
Trent Williams’ absence remains a noticeable one. He’s reportedly disgruntled with the team’s medical staff and they’ve handled his situation. Williams has reportedly demanded a trade and stated he won’t play for Washington. Keep your eyes peeled to this one. Williams remains one of the league’s best left tackles and they just don’t appear on the open market this late in the offseason.
Paul Richardson continues to recover from a shoulder injury that ended his season. He was eased into camp starting with individual drills before progressing to team activities. Cam Sims was busy making plays, catching passes all over the field. His ability to reel in deep balls could be a welcome addition to this offense as he’s turned quite a few heads in minicamp. Rookie Terry McLaurin is also a welcome addition to a receiving corps that needs help. McLaurin’s 4.35 speed is another dangerous element that opposing defenses will have to respect. One unfortunate note was the Trey Quinn tweaked his hamstring and was held out the final day of camp. Keep an eye on this as he’s currently a potential sleeper heading into the season.
