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OFFSEASON? THERE IS NO OFFSEASON HOWDY FRIEND. ... Sure, the 2012 season is officially over. Congratulations to the NFL Champion Baltimore Ravens and their fans. ... But the end of one season means it's the start of a new one. In this case, that means it's time to start looking ahead to 2013. And we'll be doing just that in coming week. So check back often. We'll have plenty of goodies for you -- starting with:
NEWS UPDATES: Injury updates and other breaking items of interest will be posted in the News & Views section (also seen in the column directly to your right).
More in-depth coverage is available on the Headline News page.
OTHERWISE: Feel free to holler if you have any technical problems. Now let's start gearing up for the 2013 season!!
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Gronkowski's Back Surgery Set; Week 1 Status Is Not
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Jun 15,2013 |
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Browns Shutting Richardson Down Until August
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Jun 4,2013 |
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Crabtree Suffers Torn Achilles Tendon During OTAs
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May 22,2013 |
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Fantasy Notebook: AFC East; What About Gronk? Miller Time In Miami?
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May 8,2013 |
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Rodgers Gets Five-Year, $110 Million Contract From Packers
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Apr 26,2013 |
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Fantasy Notebook: AFC West; Manning Up Faster; Charles Is It
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Apr 19,2013 |
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Fantasy Notebook: AFC North; Big Ben's Issues; T-Rich Rising?
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Apr 11,2013 |
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Fantasy Notebook: AFC South Look Ahead; Questions Start With CJ2K
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Apr 3,2013 |
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Palmer To Cardinals Official; Veteran Moves In As New Starting QB
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Apr 2,2013 |
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PAY MONEY for College Fantasy Football!?
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NewEnglandPatriots7 |
Jun 15, 13 |
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Who would you draft
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gmanc |
Jun 14, 13 |
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Keeper Questions/Considerations - asking since there is life on the boards :-)
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saeapp |
Jun 6, 13 |
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Thoughts on some young WRs
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monkeybone |
Jun 5, 13 |
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Andy Dalton, what....
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Dookie |
Jun 3, 13 |
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Draft Strategy
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DudeDrew12 |
May 28, 13 |
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Who do I keep?
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rangdangdoo |
May 22, 13 |
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Keeper Draft Trades
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DudeDrew12 |
May 18, 13 |
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Andre Brown
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soldnottold03 |
May 16, 13 |
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Where are you diehards?
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jberlins |
May 10, 13 |
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Report: Rob Gronkowski's Back Surgery Successfully Completed
(6/18 4:26 PM PT)
The Facts:
Following up on a previous item. ... Surgery on Gronkowski’s back has concluded, a source told PFT’s Mike Florio on Tuesday. It is believed the surgery, conducted Tuesday, was successful, the source told PFT.
Reported by Profootballtalk.com
Diehards Line:
As PFT's Mike Wilkening notes, at present, it’s not yet certain when Gronkowski -- one of the game’s top all-around performers at his position -- will again be ready to play. But there has been speculation suggesting he could miss the first month of the regular season. The Pro Bowl tight end was bothered by a forearm injury /infection late in the 2012 campaign and into this offseason before the back issue became a primary concern. ... Stay tuned. More as developments warrant.
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Cowboys Taking It Easy On Miles Austin
(6/18 12:47 AM PT)
The Facts:
The Cowboys gave Austin a day off during the mandatory mini-camp last week, and he sat out some of the voluntary practices before that. It was by design. The Cowboys were trying to protect Austin from himself, getting him off the field every now and then to keep him from overworking his hamstrings. He said he thinks it helped. “It’s one of those things where, you can’t not do it and then do it and tell the difference,” he said last week at Valley Ranch as the team wrapped up the offseason. “But I feel good now.”
Reported by the Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Diehards Line:
As Star-Telegram staffer Carlos Mendez reminded readers, Austin has been slowed by hamstring problems each of the past two seasons. He missed six games in 2011, and last year he missed part of training camp because of hamstrings. He played in all 16 games, but he couldn’t finish either game against Washington because of hip and ankle injuries. In addition to having the Cowboys going easy on him (and paying attention to keeping him hydrated), the ongoing issue have been enough for fantasy owners to back off a bit. That could make him a strong value play come September. If he's healthy.
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Ryan Broyles Expects To Be Ready Week 1
(6/18 12:07 AM PT)
The Facts:
Following up on the ongoing story. ... Broyles returned for Lions mini-camp this week and participated fully all three days, and although he’ll use the six-week break to continue rehab and strengthen small muscles in his right knee, Broyles expects to be ready for the 2013 season. “I’m out there doing full practices right now so in a couple months I feel like I’ll be pretty good,” said Broyles, adding he’s going full blast in the weight room. “You don’t really know what your body’s going to feel like until you go out there. I’m just going to continue to ride it out.”
Reported by the Detroit News
Diehards Line:
When Broyles tore the ACL in his right knee last December, he knew exactly what kind of painstaking recovery he was in for because he’d already suffered the same injury in his left knee (Broyles tore the ACL in his left knee during his senior year at Oklahoma in November 2011). The Lions could use more receiving options in 2013 and coaches are excited to see Broyles' recovery nearly coming to a close. “He’s made a lot of progress,” offensive coordinator Scott Linehan said. “He’s out there now and I don’t see any reason why he’s not going to continue with that progress.” That ongoing progress is something fantasy owners will want to keep watching.
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Ronnie Hillman Thinks He Can Carry The Load
(6/18 12:06 AM PT)
The Facts:
Hillman knows the scouting report. He's not big enough. He can't take a pounding between the tackles. He's best-suited as a change-of-pace back. "You get that when you're a smaller guy," the Broncos running back said on Monday. "Obviously, getting 22 carries in negative 13-degree-weather against the Ravens (in the divisional playoffs), they shouldn't have much else to say about that if they're paying attention."
Reported by NFL.com
Diehards Line:
Hillman put on 15 pounds of muscle in the offseason, bulking his frame up to 200 pounds. He said the Broncos actually want him to drop weight and play in the 190- to 195 range. With Willis McGahee out of the picture, rookie Monte Ball and Knowshon Moreno stand as Hillman's chief competition for playing time. Ball has a very good shot to be Denver's lead back when the dust settles. Still, as NFL.com's Dan Hanzus suggests, Hillman should be able to carve out his own niche if he is able to improve as a blocker. In Denver, protecting the quarterback is of utmost importance.
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Arian Foster Says He'll More Than Likely Be Ready For Training Camp
(6/17 12:33 AM PT)
The Facts:
Following up on a previous item. ... Foster was sporting crutches three weeks ago after going down with what HC Gary Kubiak termed a "pretty good calf strain." But WR Andre Johnson quickly downplayed the severity of the injury. Now, Foster is doing the same. "Yeah, it's going good man," Foster told FOXSports.com. "It's just a small calf strain. News is dry in the offseason, so it made headlines." Foster said he "more than likely" will be ready for training camp, thanks in part to daily use of a hyperbaric chamber to speed up the healing process.
Reported by NFL.com
Diehards Line:
Given his status and past fantasy production, Foster's calf is going to be one of the big storylines of the summer -- until he proves it's not. As NFL.com's Chris Wesseling suggested, an early return would suggest Foster will be safe to draft for those comfortable with his declining per-play effectiveness and heavy workloads. He remains one of the most reliable backs in the league. Just bear in mind that game tape from late 2011 and 2012 suggests Foster has lost the extra gear that once turned a 10-yard hole into a 40- or 50-yard gain.
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Santonio Holmes' Reveals Full Extent Of Last Year's Injury
(6/17 12:31 AM PT)
The Facts:
Following up on a previous item. ... Neither Holmes nor New York Jets head coach Rex Ryan is confident of the wide receiver's availability for training camp, much less the season opener. Now we have a better idea why that's the case. Holmes revealed that his Lisfranc fracture was diagnosed as a Grade 4 injury, which is the most serious variety. He had a joint separation and a muscle tear in the middle of his foot, according to ESPNNewYork.com. A plate was removed in a March follow-up surgery, but two screws will remain in his foot permanently.
Reported by NFL.com
Diehards Line:
Although Holmes has set the beginning of training camp as his "target date," none of the Jets beat writers has been buying it as a realistic timetable. He's yet to begin running and cutting. In fact, Holmes hasn't even disclosed whether he has started jogging. With Holmes' Week 1 status up in the air, the Jets are "looking at all possibilities" at the position after a disappointing showing by their wide receivers in last week's mandatory mini-camp. Free-agent options include Brandon Lloyd, Austin Collie, Laurent Robinson and Chaz Schilens. As NFL.com's Chris Wesseling suggests, Lloyd easily is the most attractive option.
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Report: Injury Concerns Behind Willis McGahee's Release
(6/16 4:03 PM PT)
The Facts:
Did a 2012 injury factor into McGahee's recent release by the Denver Broncos? Paul Klee of the Colorado Springs Gazette has it "on good authority" that McGahee's questionable health was the "No. 1 reason" for his release. Per Klee, it's also why McGahee's reps were severely limited in the two practices before he was cut.
Reported by NFL.com
Diehards Line:
Upon reporting to the Broncos' mandatory mini-camp last week, the veteran running back insisted he was fully recovered from a torn medical collateral ligament and compression fracture in his leg. OC Adam Gase corroborated McGahee's take the next day. But as NFL.com's Chris Wesseling suggested, there's a difference between healthy enough to practice and healthy enough to remain effective against NFL defenders. Wesseling added that if the Broncos don't believe McGahee's knee is right, it's going to leave any potential suitors second-guessing the merits of adding a 32-year-old tailback.
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Tony Gonzalez Excused From Mandatory Mini-Camp
(6/15 1:09 AM PT)
The Facts:
It's news when a veteran player misses mandatory mini-camp. After all, it's the only "mandatory" event of the offseason until training camp. However, it's hard to find Gonzalez's absence from next week's practices too noteworthy. Atlanta Falcons coach Mike Smith announced Friday that the team gave Gonzalez permission to miss the sessions.
Reported by NFL.com
Diehards Line:
Gonzalez considered retirement this offseason, and his return seemed somewhat contingent on the Falcons allowing him some time away from the team. As NFL.com's Gregg Rosenthal suggests, that's a fair tradeoff for a 37-year-old star who has proven he takes care of his body as well as any player of his generation. So don't let his absence next week worry you.
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Bengals To Be Featured On Hard Knocks
(6/15 1:06 AM PT)
The Facts:
For the second time in five seasons, the Bengals will be the featured team on HBO’s Hard Knocks: Training Camp series. Originally reported by the Philadelphia Daily News NFL writer Paul Domowitch and confirmed to The Enquirer via league sources, the Bengals have agreed to appear on this year’s series. An official announcement by HBO and the NFL should be coming sometime next week.
Reported by the Cincinnati Enquirer
Diehards Line:
As Enquirer staffer Joe Reedy notes, while the series has been popular with football fans because of the inside access it gives them, it is the bane of existence for head coaches. The Bengals were the team in 2009 and won the AFC North with a 10-6 record. When asked over the past couple years about possibly doing the series again, HC Marvin Lewis has been leery of making a return. However, the reasons why Lewis did the series four years ago could ring true this time -- he has a young but mature roster and he feels like they can handle it. It will also give Andy Dalton and A.J. Green more national recognition.
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Report: Giants Were Going To Slash Victor Cruz's Tender
(6/15 12:24 AM PT)
The Facts:
Following up on a previous item. ... It appears Cruz made a prudent business decision. Cruz signed his first-round restricted free-agent tender of $2.87 million with the New York Giants on Friday, three days before the team had the option to slash his tender to $630,000. NFL.com's Aditi Kinkhabwala reported Friday that the Giants had planned to do just that, according to a person with knowledge of the team's plans.
Reported by NFL.com
Diehards Line:
As NFL.com's Dan Hanzus notes, that's a hardball stance by the Giants and it makes you think Cruz headed to the team facility knowing full well that negotiations were going to take a darker turn if he didn't sign the dotted line. NFL.com's Ian Rapoport reported Friday that the tender signing isn't meaningful for long-term talks, and Cruz and the Giants remain far apart. Rapoport has been told that Cruz plans to attend training camp. According to Hanzus, the Giants would like to keep Cruz in-house for this year and beyond. Still, it's fair to wonder how much bad blood is building between the two sides.
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| Gronkowski, C. | RB | SDG |
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The Facts:
Following up on a 
