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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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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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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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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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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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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It’s unclear when Gronkowski will be able to play. But it is clear when he’ll have his next surgical procedure. Via multiple reports, which PFT has confirmed, Gronkowski will undergo back surgery on Tuesday. Dr. Robert Watkins will conduct the operation.  Reported by Profootballtalk.com

Diehards Line:
Agent Drew Rosenhaus, previously told WQAM radio in Miami that the back surgery is minor and that the recovery process won’t extend the timetable already created by his most recent forearm procedure. We'll see. As NBC/Rotoworld's Evan Silva notes, Gronkowski's recovery time is supposed to be 12 weeks (or 84 days). That timetable would have him back Sept 10. The Patriots open the regular season on Sept. 8 at Buffalo. ... Stay tuned. More undoubtedly to come.
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Rex Ryan strongly hinted at the possibility yesterday after two strong mini-camp practices. And following the third and final day of Winslow's tryout, the Jets inked the versatile tight end to a one-year contract, the team announced.   Reported by the Newark Star-Ledger

Diehards Line:
As Star-Ledger staffer Conor Orr reminded readers, the Jets have been searching for depth at the position following the departure of former No.1 option Dustin Keller, who signed a one-year deal with the Dolphins this offseason. Jeff Cumberland, slated as the No. 1 tight end coming in to camp, is confident he can carry the load but also welcomed the addition of Winslow, a former No. 6 overall pick by the Browns in 2004. Although knee issues required management(/rest) throughout the weeks leading up to games, Winslow had 75 catches for 763 yards in his final full season, which was in 2011 with the Buccaneers. He had a brief preseason stint under John Idzik in Seattle back in 2012 but was waived before the start of the season.
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ESPN's Josina Anderson reports that Cruz traveled to the Giants' facility Friday morning with the intention of signing his first-round restricted free-agent tender of $2.87 million. "I'm going to sign my tender today and will continue talks for a long-term deal before camp starts," Cruz told Anderson.   Reported by NFL.com

Diehards Line:
The Giants had the opportunity to reduce Cruz's tender to $630,000 if he did not sign it by next Monday, NFL.com's Ian Rapoport reported. As NFL.com's Gregg Rosenthal suggests, this was a motivating factor for Cruz, who sat out all offseason activities while looking for a long-term deal. The two sides are still far apart on that issue, according to Rapoport. By signing his tender, Cruz contractually will be bound to attend Giants training camp next month. Rapoport reports that Cruz plans to show up for training camp, but ProFootballTalk.com cited a source in reporting that a holdout remains possible -- although not likely. Cruz can be fined $30,000 for every day of training camp he misses.
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The Broncos announced the release of McGahee on Thursday.   Reported by FootballDiehards.com

Diehards Line:
The move isn't a total surprise. The addition of rookie Montee Ball and continuing development of Ronnie Hillman made the veteran McGahee expendable. It remains to be seen if Knowshon Moreno, still recovering from knee surgery, will make the final cut. But it seems even safer to assume Ball is ready for a leading role.
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