East Notes: Cameron, Shanahan, Patriots

As teams prepare for Phase 3 offseason workouts next week, here are some notes from various NFL destinations.

  • Among the players who switched workplaces this offseason, Jordan Cameron is one whose skill set could reshape his new team’s capabilities, writes Matt Bowen of Bleacher Report. One of 2013’s breakout tight ends to change teams this year, along with Julius Thomas and Charles Clay, Cameron’s ability to line up in the slot or out wide and outwork second- and third-level defenders in the red zone could open up the Dolphins‘ playbook, Bowen opines. Of course, Cameron basically sat out in 2014 thanks to injury setbacks, creating a buyer-beware aura that gives this potential a notable caveat. Jets safety Calvin Pryor also appears on Bowen’s list, with the strong safety looming as a strong candidate to line up at linebacker in passing-down sets under new coach Todd Bowles.
  • Former Washington coach Mike Shanahan remains steadfast in his pro-Kirk Cousins stance, going so far as to say the fourth-year quarterback “will be a big-time player for a lot of years,” per CSNWashington.com’s summation of Shanahan’s radio interview with 106.7 The Fan’s Grant and Danny Show. Cousins is just 2-7 in his career as a starter, including a 1-4 sample last season when the former fourth-round pick completed 61.5% of his passes.
  • The ex-Broncos coach wasn’t as complimentary of free-falling former rookie of the year Robert Griffin III, however, seemingly calling the fourth-year quarterback’s work ethic into question — in adjusting to a pro-style offense — rather than his health record. “He’s got arm strength. He’s a very bright guy,” Shanahan said on WJFK in Washington (as summarized by NFL.com’s Chris Wesseling). “But he hasn’t done things that the NFL asks you to do, and it does take some growing pains to go through that.” Of course, as Wesseling points out, the former coach separating injuries from Griffin’s developmental struggles serves as a convenient explanation, considering Shanahan isn’t blameless regarding Griffin’s injury history.
  • Longtime Patriots analyst Tom Curran of CSNNE.com continued his criticism of Roger Goodell‘s handling of Deflategate, labeling the investigation as one-dimensional without going into sufficient detail on the NFL’s procedures in this area.
  • In his look at the state of the Eagles going into OTAs, the Philadelphia Enquirer’s Jeff McLane thinks it would be a shock if first-round pick Nelson Agholor didn’t become the team’s second-most-utilized receiver behind Jordan Matthews this season. The Philadelphia writer also predicts more positional versatility from the corps, with Matthews’ 92% slot usage set to fall, especially with Chip Kelly‘s assertion Agholor can handle inside and outside work after pigeon-holing departing Jeremy Maclin as strictly an outside target.
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