Let’s have a look at some links from around the league on this Sunday afternoon:
- We learned earlier today that Jermaine Gresham would be visiting the Cardinals this week, and Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com says it would be no surprise if Arizona landed the suddenly popular tight end, given the team’s need for a pass catcher at the position and GM Steve Keim‘s propensity to bring in a veteran free agent right as training camp opens.
- Matt Elam has been a big disappointment for the Ravens, who selected the former Florida safety with the No. 32 overall pick in the 2013 draft. Elam’s move to strong safety in 2014 should have been beneficial to him considering his skill set, but he led the team in missed tackles and struggled mightily in coverage. As Bo Smolka of CSNBaltimore.com writes, Elam is the Raven facing the most amount of pressure this season.
- Ben Goessling of ESPN.com says the Vikings‘ safety position next to Harrison Smith is up for grabs, as evidenced by GM Rick Spielman‘s unsolicited praise of second-year player Antone Exum after the draft.
- Some Lions fans are already looking ahead to the 2016 season, and as Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com writes in his latest mailbag, no matter how the team’s defensive tackles perform this year, that will be a position of need for Detroit given free agency and the age of Haloti Ngata.
- Bills offensive line coach Aaron Kromer is on indefinite paid leave, and he can only return to full status when his criminal case ends. As Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com writes, the first opportunity for Kromer to resolve his case is August 12, when he is expected to enter a plea. If he has a plea deal in place with prosecutors at that time, the case could be over on that day. However, he would still be subject to a fine, suspension, or both under the NFL’s Personal Conduct Policy. Buffalo has not announced how it intends to replace Kromer once camp opens.
- Ryan O’Halloran of The Florida Times-Union examines the Jaguars‘ running back situation heading into training camp.
- Marc Sessler of NFL.com looks at the best remaining free agents on the defensive side of the ball, a list that includes veterans like Dwight Freeney looking for one last contract and busts like Da’Quan Bowers.
I think the Jaguars’ RB contingent actually has a pretty good shot to be productive this year. Gerhart was obviously miscast as a starter, but there’s no reason he can’t be a solid part of a three-man crew (although he might be exclusively a fullback this season). Robinson was surprisingly good in 2014, and slotting in T.J. Yeldon as just one part of a trifecta is a smart way to acclimate a rookie.