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AFC Training Camp Preview
by: Scott Sommers

Baltimore Ravens

QB

Kyle Bollar

Kordell Stewart

Anthony Wright

RB

Jamal Lewis

Musa Smith

Chester Taylor

FB

Alan Ricard

Ovie Mughelli

Harold Morrow

WR

Kevin Johnson

Randy Hymes

WR

Travis Taylor

Javin Hunter

Ron Johnson

TE

Todd Heap

Terry Jones

PK

Matt Stover

Wade Richey

This is an important camp for the Ravens. First of all, Jamal Lewis needs to be clear of charges in an alleged drug ring. The Ravens needs to establish a clear-cut starter at quarterback. Stewart is not the answer, but at this moment, he may be the best possible answer for them. He will have to beat out Boller, who looked pretty good during mini-camp. Johnson comes in from Jacksonville and will add some consistency at a very weak position for them. All this is to take heat off the running game. The offensive line is still intact and if Lewis can't run, then Musa Smith has a chance to grasp the back-up spot, making him very valuable in deep leagues. The defense is still one of the leagues best, so there are no worries there.

Buffalo Bills

QB

Drew Bledsoe

Travis Brown

JP Losman

RB

Travis Henry

Willis McGahee

Ken Simonton

FB

Daimon Shelton

Joe Burns

WR

Josh Reed

Sam Aiken

Clarence Coleman

WR

Eric Moulds

Bobby Shaw

Lee Evans

TE

Mark Campbell

Ryan Neufeld

PK

Rian Lindell

The Bills look to improve on last year's pathetic offense from last year. With a new head coach that has did wonders for Kordell Stewart, the Bills' offense should be much better. The biggest thing to watch is how much time Willis McGahee gets during the preseason. Obviously, if something happens to Henry, he is a no-brainer. However, look to see if he steals some carries from Henry If he does during the preseason, then there may be a chance he will get a start during the regular season. At wide receiver, look for rookie Lee Evans to make a push for at least the third wide-out spot to start out with. Evans has speed to burn and could be the deep-threat to take the pressure off of Moulds. Shaw is solid, but Reed has been a disappointment so far. IF he doesn't have a good training camp, Evans will take his spot.

Cincinnati Bengals

QB

Carson Palmer

Jon Kitna

Casey Bramlett

RB

Rudi Johnson

Chris Perry

Kenny Watson

FB

Jeremi Johnson

James Lynch

WR

Chad Johnson

Kelley Washington

Patrick Johnson

WR

Peter Warrick

TJ Houshmanzadeh

Maurice Mann

TE

Reggie Kelly

Tony Stewart

Matt Schobel

PK

Shayne Graham

Plenty of changes for the Bengals this off-season. Dillon is gone. Kitna had a career-year and gets demoted. Enter Carson Palmer and Rudi Johnson. Palmer will not be asked to shoulder the complete load. He does have a tri of solid receivers in Chad Johnson, Peter Warrick and Washington. Washington has the chance to be a great late pick. The key is Palmer and he must be watch closely to see how his timing is with the wide receivers. If it isn't going well, downgrade all Bengals receivers. Johnson came on when Dillon missed some time. He is fairly unknown, but don't look for Lewis to stay with one back. Hence, the reason they drafted Perry. That needs to be watch to see what the split is between the two running backs. Kelly has taken over the starting role at TE, while the offensive line is intact and getting better. This team could make a lot of noise if Palmer plays up to expectations.

Cleveland Browns

QB

Jeff Garcia

Kelly Holcomb

Luke McCown

RB

Lee Suggs

William Green

James Jackson

FB

Terrelle Smith

Corey McIntyre

WR

Quincy Morgan

Dennis Northcutt

Frisman Jackson

WR

Andre Davis

Andre King

CJ Jones

TE

Kellen Winslow

Darnell Sanders

Steve Heiden

PK

Phil Dawson

The Browns were a busy group in the off-season, finally settling the QB situation with the addition of Garcia. Of course, the chemistry he can develop with the Browns young wide receivers is important and will have to be seen during training camp. Garcia will add a new dimension to the Browns, but he has been injury-prone the past couple of seasons. The running back battle will be something to behold with Suggs and (hippie-lettuce) Green duking it out. Davis believes that duo can each rush for 1,000 yards, but I am not sold on the Browns o-line on that, so look to see how the first-teamers do in the pre-season before taking a Browns running back. The wide receivers are pretty much set, and will have a bid partner with Winslow coming into the fold. If he gets into camp on time, he could be a stud and worthy of a high pick . One last thing on the running backs, Terrelle Smith, who is a pure fullback, was brought in. If he is healthy, he will make life easier whoever is running the ball.

Denver Broncos

QB

Jake Plummer

Mike Quinn

Danny Kanell

RB

Garrison Hearst

Quentin Griffin

Cecil Sapp

FB

Mike Anderson

Reuben Droughns

WR

Rod Smith

Charlie Adams

Darius Watts

WR

Ashley Lelie

Adrian Madise

TE

Jed Weaver

OJ Santiago

Patrick Hape

PK

Jason Elam

Things just haven't been right in Denver the past couple of years. Last year, Terrell Davis retired, then this past off-season, Clinton Portis was traded to Washington. Obviously, Shanahan knows a thing or two about running backs, but this training camp will feature some new faces. Enter Garrison Hearst from San Francisco. Alex Gibbs. the Broncos line coach moved on, so Shanahan will see just how good his team is. Sharpe headed upstairs to CBS, while Easy Ed finally hung them up. Jed Weaver will take over Sharpe's spot, but clearly isn't the receiver Sharpe was. Lelie gets the starting job, but has been inconsistent. This is a make-or-break year for him. The obvious battle is who will carry the ball in the Broncos offense. Don't forget a darkhorse in Tatum Bell, who is built like Portis. he may make a run at the starting job. Either way look for a RBBC from Denver until someone clearly takes over the job.

Houston Texans

QB

David Carr

Tony Banks

Dave Ragone

RB

Domanick Davis

Tony Hollings

Jonathan Wells

FB

Moran Norris

Jarrod Baxter

Charles Stackhouse

WR

Andre Johnson

Jabar Gaffney

Sloan Thomas

WR

Corey Bradford

Derick Armstrong

JJ Moses

TE

Billy Miller

Mark Bruener

Jabari Holloway

PK

Kris Brown

After showing signs of life last year, the Texans are poised to move up this season. There are not a lot of battles going on, but the situation at running back needs to be watch. Davis came out of nowhere last year to have a great year, despite coming in almost halfway through the year. Hollings was a supplemental pick and the Texans want to see if he was worth it or not. This may split into Davis' time and carries. If Davis holds him off, he has the potential to be a top 10 running back. Johnson is primed for a big season, while Miller could be used a lot more in the passing game. Watch Carr in the pre-season. He looked more comfortable at the end of the season last year. IF he carries that confidence, he could have a break-out year.

Indianapolis Colts

QB

Peyton Manning

Cory Sauter

Jim Sorgi

RB

Edgerrin James

Dominic Rhodes

James Mungro

FB

Tom Lopienski

Carey Davis

WR

Marvin Harrison

Brandon Stokley

Brad Pyatt

WR

Reggie Wayne

Troy Walters

Aaron Moorehead

TE

Marcus Pollard

Dallas Clark

Ben Hartsock

PK

Mike Vanderjagt

This could be the last year, the Colts are together. Manning's big contract put the squeeze on the salary cap. A few starters from the o-line were let go and that could spell trouble for Manning, James and Co. No real battles since all the spots are set.Tthe only thing that really needs to be watch is see how many times the Colts use both tight ends. Clark is a talented receiver as is Pollard. Neither are great blockers which is why Harstock was drafted. Stokely will man the third wide-out spot and is worth a look in deep leagues. He could score five-seven times if the o-line can hold off opposing defenses. the defense is getting better, so that should mean more chances for their potent offense.

Jacksonville Jaguars

QB

Byron Leftwich

David Garrard

Doug Johnson

RB

Fred Taylor

LaBrandon Toefield

Greg Jones

FB

Marc Edwards

Chris Fu

WR

Jimmy Smith

Cortez Hankton

Matthew Hatchette

WR

Troy Edwards

Reggie Williams

Ernest Wilford

TE

Kyle Brady

Todd Yoder

George Wrighster

PK

Seth Marler

Jeff Chandler

Josh Scobee

The changing of the guard that started last year is done now. Leftwich is the starter since Brunell was moved to Washington. Taylor has been healthy the past couple of years, but watch to see if he gets vultured again this season. Jones is a big rookie and could slide behind Taylor in a back-up role. Obviously, if that happens, draft Jones as a back-up to Taylor, just in case. Reggie Williams was drafted and will eventually take over the third wide-out spot. Big and strong, he will give Leftwich another solid target to go along with Smith and Edwards. The kicking battle needs to be watch. Marler has a big leg, but accuracy was not one of his strong points. Whoever gets the job should have ample opportunities to be a solid kicker.

Kansas City Chiefs

QB

Trent Green

Todd Collins

Damon Huard

RB

Priest Holmes

Larry Johnson

Derrick Blaylock

FB

Tony Richardson

Omar Easy

WR

Eddie Kennison

Dante Hall

Samie Parker

WR

Johnnie Morton

Marc Boerigter

Jeris McIntyre

TE

Tony Gonzalez

Jason Dunn

Billy Baber

PK

Morten Andersen

Not a lot change for the Chiefs. Priest is still there along with Gonzo and Green. The Chiefs' offense remains one of the best in the league. One point that does need to be watch is the guard spot leftby John Tait, who ended up in Chicago. He was a key piece to the Chiefs' running game. Kennison and Morton are decent receivers, but look for more of Dante Hall in four-wide sets.

Miami Dolphins

QB

Jay Fiedler

AJ Feeley

Sage Rosenfels

RB

Travis Minor

Leonard Henry

FB

Rob Konrad

Sammy Morris

WR

David Boston

Derrius Thompson

Sam Simmons

WR

Chris Chambers

Terrence Wilkins

JR Tolver

TE

Randy McMichael

Donald Lee

PK

Olindo Mare

Another year, another QB battle. This time AJ Feeley comes in to try and take over for Fiedler. Look for Fiedler to eventually hold him off this year, but he will be on a short leash. Draft him with care. They also added David Boston, who was nothing short of a bust in San Diego. If he reverts back to what he was before his injuries, the Dolphins might actually have a passing game. Wilkins comes in to add some speed and solid special teams play. The tight end spot is now up in the air, thanks to McMichael's little bout with his wife. Oh yeah, by the way, Ricky Williams bolted to probably keep from serving a league suspension. Dynasty owners are screwed and so are the Dolphins. Look for more from us as this develops.

New England Patriots

QB

Tom Brady

Rohan Davey

Jim Miller

RB

Corey Dillon

Kevin Faulk

Mike Cloud

FB

Fred McCrary

Patrick Pass

WR

David Givens

Troy Brown

JJ Stokes

WR

Deion Branch

Bethel Johnson

David Patten

TE

Christian Fauria

Daniel Graham

Ben Watson

PK

Adam Vinatieri

What do you do if you are the defending champs? You get better. Enter malcontent Corey Dillon, who finally gives Brady a dependable back to hand the ball of to 25 times a game. The Pats lost lineman Woody to to the Lions, but their line is solid and won the Super Bowl without him, so what does that tell you. the receivers are all solid and will improve since most are young sans Brown. They added Ben Watson, who could see some time. Graham will make a push for the starting job and could be poised for a solid season.

New York Jets

QB

Chad Pennington

Brooks Bollinger

Ricky Ray

RB

Curtis Martin

Lamont Jordan

Derrick Ward

FB

Jerald Sowell

BJ Askew

WR

Justin McCariens

Wayne Chrebet

Jerricho Cotchery

WR

Santana Moss

Jonathan Carter

Ken-yon Rambo

TE

Anthony Becht

Chris Baker

Mikhael Ricks

PK

Doug Brien

No big surprises for the Jets and their main goal is to stay upright during the pre-season. Last year, they lost Pennington and basically ruined their season. Moss had an outstanding year last year and seems ready to make the leap to a top-ten spot in wide receivers. The Jets added Justin McCariens to take some heat off Moss. If he can do that, the Jets passing game will be better than last year. Martin is still the main back, but if he gets injured Jordan will finally take over. He may never let go after that.

Oakland Raiders

QB

Rich Gannon

Kerry Collins

M. Tuiasosopo

RB

Tyrone Wheatley

Justin Fargas

Troy Hambrick

FB

Zack Crockett

Chris Hetherington

WR

Tim Brown

Chris Cole

Ronald Curry

WR

Jerry Rice

Jerry Porter

Alvis Whitted

TE

Roland Williams

Teyo Johnson

Doug Jolley

PK

Sebastian Janikowski

It will be an interesting training camp. A new coach in Norv Turner, who loves to run the ball. The Raiders don't have that one stud back that can shoulder the load. Garner is gone (Tampa Bay), while Hambrick and Zeroue was brought in. That is just the running backs. Gannon, who was injured last year, is back along with new face Kerry Collins. It may be Gannon's job to lose, but don't be surprised if Collins forces the Raiders to cut Gannon. That needs to be watch since Collins has a much stronger arm than Gannon and loves the deep-ball. Brown and Rice are back, while Porter needs to be injury-free to make an impact. Watch the battle at tight end since Turner loves to throw to the tight end. There could be a nice sleeper there with Jolley and Johnson.

Pittsburgh Steelers

QB

Tommy Maddox

Ben Roethlisberger

Charlie Batch

RB

Duce Staley

Jerome Bettis

Dante Brown

FB

Dan Kreider

Verron Hayes

WR

Plaxico Burress

Lee Mays

Freddie Milons

WR

Hines Ward

Antwaan Randle El

Chris Doering

TE

Jerame Tuman

Jay Riemersma

Matt Cushing

PK

Jeff Reed

The Steelers are looking to going back to running the ball. Staley was brought in from Philly and will form a nice one-two punch with Bettis. Maddox got a new contract, but anyone that is only a bad sign especially with Ben Roethlisberger being drafted. This is Maddox's team for only one more year. The thing that has been in the news most is the displeasure and no-show pulled by Burress. If he continues this stunt through training camp, don't be surprised to see Randle El get a lot more playing time. Ward is solid, while the tight ends are used mostly as blockers. Reed was a nice surprise last year and could have more chances this year.

San Diego Chargers

QB

Drew Brees

Philip Rivers

Doug Flutie

RB

LaDainian Tomlinson

Jesse Chatman

Leon Johnson

FB

Lorenzo Neal

Andrew Pinnock

WR

Kevin Dyson

Reche Caldwell

Eric Parker

WR

Tim Dwight

Kassim Osgood

Grant Mattos

TE

Antonio Gates

Justin Peelle

Josh Norman

PK

Steve Christie

There is almost too much to watch in San Diego this year. L.T. is going nowhere but that is about the only spot that is settled. The o-line has only one returning starter and he is sitting out. The rest is a make-shift line. That could spell whether or not Rivers overtakes Brees or not. Brees isn't the answer, so it will only be a matter of time before Rivers takes over. At wide receiver Dyson comes in, but he was hurt last year, so Caldwell , Parker and Osgood all have a chance to win a starting job. The sleeper in the group could be Gates, who came on late last year. The defense isn't much better. the only sure this is draft L.T.

Tennessee Titans

QB

Steve McNair

Billy Volek

Jason Gesser

RB

Chris Brown

Antowain Smith

Ray Jackson

FB

Robert Holcombe

Troy Fleming

WR

Derrick Mason

Tyrone Calico

Darrell Hill

WR

Drew Bennett

Eddie Berlin

TE

Erron Kinney

Ben Troupe

Shad Meier

PK

Joe Nedney

A few changes this past off-season ad one big question mark. The Titans have made a decision on Eddie George as he was shown the free agency door last week. In the wings is Chris Brown, who was ok at times last year, but he does have a nose for the end zone. Antowain Smith was brought in to add some spice to the starting RB battle this fall..  It should make for some interesting choices come draft day.  Frank Wycheck retired, so Kinney takes over. Ben Troupe was drafted and could have a big impact if he gets in on time Bennett takes over the second spot since McCariens went over to the Jets. Calico and Berlin will see plenty of time on the field, so it doesn't matter who gets the third spot.. Don't forget about Nedney, who was out last year with a bum knee. The Titans can score.

 

 

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