Sources at Raiders camp say the team’s passing game actually regressed in the last week of camp. QB JaMarcus Russell has not been consistently accurate with his throws, and receivers have had their share of drops, as well. The aerial game will be a work in progress well into the regular season, and Oakland will likely rely on RBs Justin Fargas, Darren McFadden and Michael Bush to keep the offense on the move.
We hear the Broncos are weighing their options at receiver as they contemplate opening the season without Brandon Marshall for at least the first two games while he serves a suspension. One consideration that has not come up, however, is moving Brandon Stokley out of the slot, according to sources in Denver. The Broncos want to accentuate what he does well, and he can wreak havoc as the slot receiver.
Apparently unhappy with their experiment of moving DT Alfonso Boone to defensive end, the Chiefs last week inserted Turk McBride into Boone’s DLE spot with the first-team defense. McBride, a second-round pick in '07, is a hybrid player capable of playing anywhere on the line, and the club obviously wants to see him succeed to justify the fact they drafted him so high. The battle between Boone and McBride likely will continue throughout the preseason.
Although it was widely believed Chargers C Nick Hardwick, recovering from offseason foot surgery, would be placed on the physically-unable-to-perform list to start the season, we hear he’s making good progress and might begin ’08 on the active roster. He’s working hard on the side during practices, and if all goes well, he might be sidelined for only the first few games.
