FANTASY FOOTBALL

The Facts: Since OC Darrell Bevell has experience coaching Harvin in Minnesota, it's fair to expect Seattle to line up Harvin in similar ways. Which means every way possible. "I'll be moving around -- pretty much all around," Harvin said Wednesday. "There'll be a little bit of running back coming up. But right now, we're just trying to get the foundation set, just running the base plays, and we'll see where it goes from there." Reported by NFL.com

Diehards Line: As NFL.com's Gregg Rosenthal suggests, this is not a surprise. Harvin will primarily play in the slot, but the Seahawks wouldn't acquire him to just leave him in one spot. He can play well in the backfield and on the outside. "Very explosive," HC Pete Carroll said. "He took the ball and turned it up a couple of times today, and he's just lightning-fast. You can see why he's such a factor catching it and running it and in the kicking game." Russell Wilson added: "His talent level is unbelievable, off the charts. ..." Rosenthal further noted that Harvin can run with surprising power inside the tackles when asked. The team isn't going to ask Harvin to turn into Marshawn Lynch, but the threat of Harvin taking a handful of handoffs every game makes Seattle that much tougher to defend.

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The Facts: Following up on a previous item. ... After his appearance at Redskins' OTA practice on Thursday, Griffin said he has "only" two hurdles left in his recovery from a torn ACL: (1) clearance for "explosive" sprinting; and (2) clearance to cut. Those are both fairly significant hurdles. As to these obstacles, perhaps the most important maneuver for an athlete with a new ACL, a source with knowledge of the situation tells PFT that there is no timetable for said clearance. "It is still a ways off," the source said. "No one is going to rush anything." Reported by Profootballtalk.com

Diehards Line: As PFT's Mike Florio noted, that's the most important thing for Griffin, the Redskins, the media, and the fans to remember. Griffin got into this mess because not enough attention was being paid to his health. It's safe to say the cautious approach will continue right up through Week 1. So, again: The outlook is optimistic. But nothing will be determined until much closer to September.

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The Facts: Cobb set a franchise record and led the NFL with 2,342 all-purpose yards last season. If not for a late-season ankle injury, he might have become the first player in NFL history with 1,000 yards apiece receiving and returning kickoffs. The expectations are even higher this year with Greg Jennings and Donald Driver out of the picture. HC Mike McCarthy's preference is to remove Cobb from the kick-return game to increase his role on offense. Aaron Rodgers is counting on Cobb to replace Jennings as his go-to receiver. "I think Randall Cobb is a guy who could be a 100-plus catch guy every year," Rodgers said Wednesday. Reported by NFL.com

Diehards Line: As NFL.com's Chris Wesseling suggests, it's no surprise that Rodgers is singing Cobb's praises. After calling him a "star in the making" and a "big-time" player last October, Rodgers told WAUK-AM that Cobb would likely go down as "one of the best picks in Ted Thompson's career, if not the best." Cobb led the Packers in targets (104) and receptions (80) last season despite playing 416 fewer snaps than James Jones. This year, McCarthy will make an even more conscious effort to emphasize Cobb this season because "playmakers need the ball in their hands. ..." So as Wesseling summed up: "Fantasy leaguers take note: Cobb is not just a darkhorse candidate, but a legitimate threat to lead the NFL in receptions this season."

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The Facts: Following up on a previous item. ... Garcon escaped surgery on the foot injury that bothered him throughout the 2012 NFL season, but he ended up going under the knife in January to repair a torn labrum.  Reported by NFL.com

Diehards Line: The injury occurred during the Washington Redskins' playoff loss to the Seattle Seahawks. HC Mike Shanahan described the surgery as a chest procedure, though Garcon clarified on ESPN's "NFL Live" on Thursday that it was to his labrum. "It was a small surgery," Garcon told ESPN. It wasn't nothing major." Garcon will miss the entirety of the offseason program, but the Redskins expect him back on the field for training camp. ... Again, we'll be following his progress closely in coming weeks. Stay tuned.

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The Facts: Earlier this week, Miller said there was a "chance" he'd be able to play the entire 2013 season after tearing his ACL late last season but admitted there's no timetable yet for his return to full activity. Miller's QB has a more optimistic take on the tight end's recovery. During an appearance on WDVE on Thursday, Ben Roethlisberger said that he had "no doubt" that Miller would be on the field for the first week of the season and that his bigger concern is keeping Miller from doing too much too fast as he gets ready for the games to begin. Reported by Profootballtalk.com

Diehards Line: "The biggest thing is going to be trying to hold Heath back because I think he's gonna want to get out there too soon," Roethlisberger said. "I'm gonna fight to say 'Heath, don't play in any preseason games. Just get out there for the regular season. ...'" As PFT suggested, the Steelers seem to be approaching things the same way as Roethlisberger. They didn't draft a tight end in April and their only move of note at the position in free agency was bringing back Matt Spaeth, who has stuck in the NFL the last six years because of his skills as a blocker. Again, however, Miller sounds much less certain about Week 1. "Yeah, I think it's a little too early to say anything like that. It's a long time before training camp, so that's a long time to make gains positively or maybe even for something to happen negatively," Miller said, via the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. "So, I'm just taking one day at a time, and I hope to get better every day. ..." Stay tuned.

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The Facts: Chandler is looking good already in his recovery from major knee surgery. That's a big deal for the Buffalo Bills' offense, which needs all of the proven weapons it can get. "I feel good, and I'm excited for the season," Chandler said. "The injury is different than it used to be. The doctors are better. And I have to attribute some of this - I'm a Christian guy. God is the ultimate healer. Just put your faith in him and see how it goes." Can he be ready for the start of training camp? "I feel it's realistic," he said. Reported by the Buffalo News

Diehards Line: Chandler tore a knee ligament last Dec. 23 at Miami and had surgery on Jan. 9, only 4 1-2 months ago. However, he is running around well at the Bills' spring practices. Chandler started running pass routes three weeks ago. This week, he's running routes and catching the ball. According to News staffer Mark Gaughan, Chandler was running well. The 6-7 Chandler caught 43 passes last season, tied for the second most on the team. He has six touchdown catches each of the past two seasons. There was a lot of speculation about the Bills pursuing a proven tight end in free agency, but they did not. They did take a tight end in the draft, but not until the seventh round, picking Arkansas' Chris Gragg.

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The Facts: A pair of Browns were held out of Thursday’s OTA session as a precaution a team spokesman said. RB Trent Richardson and TE Jordan Cameron did not participate due to minor injuries and will miss additional time HC Rob Chudzinski said after practice. “It’s precautionary, we’re holding [Richardson] out,” Chudzinski said. “We’ve got minicamp in a week and a half, he may miss that. I’m not sure we’ll just play it day by day.” Reported by CBS Cleveland

Diehards Line: Richardson has a lower leg strain – more specifically a pulled muscle in his shin. Cameron has a groin injury. “Same thing,” Chudzinski said of the Browns tight end. “We’re being more precautionary with these type of things and we’ll wait and see. ...” Doesn't sound especially worrisome at this point, but we'll watch for more and follow up as needed.

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The Facts: Garcon had surgery after all. But it wasn’t to repair a right foot injury that hampered him during the 2012 season. Instead, the receiver is working his way back from what HC Mike Shanahan called “chest” surgery after something went wrong in the team’s only playoff game against the Seattle Seahawks. Reported by the Washington Times

Diehards Line: Garcon caught passes from Robert Griffin III at OTAs Thursday, apart from the rest of the group that was going through practice. Shanahan expects the 26-year-old to be ready for training camp. “I think Pierre, his rehab has been unbelievable,” Shanahan said. “Anytime you get operated on like he did and you’re able to come back as quickly as he has, I was watching him this morning in the weight room and he was lifting weights that he shouldn’t be able to lift. And he feels very comfortable, and it’s been a slow process. But he’s in excellent shape, so I’ll be surprised if he’s not full-speed, ready to go once we go to training camp. ...” Garcon wasn’t shy during the season and immediately afterward in saying he wanted to avoid foot surgery. He did not need that, but Shanahan said something “came out” in the Seahawks game requiring the chest surgery. ... We'll follow up as needed.

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The Facts: The Giants brought back a familiar face as they strive to improve their depth at wide receiver. Barden, who spent the previous four seasons with the team, was re-signed and joined his teammates on the field for the latter part of Thursday’s organized team activity. “I’m happy to be back,” Barden said. “This is where I wanted to be and now I’m here. I was out there listening to the calls, getting back into the rhythm of the cadence, enjoying the camaraderie and absorbing everything. I remember everything; I’ve had four years to soak it all up. I’m happy to be back on the field. I feel great. I expect the best.”  Reported by Jaguars.com

Diehards Line: Barden, 6-4 and 224 pounds, was a 2009 third-round draft choice from Cal-Poly. In four seasons, he played in 29 games with one start caught 29 passes for 394 yards (13.6-yard avg.) with a long reception of 31 yards and no touchdowns. In 2012, Barden played in 12 games and made his only career start in a victory at Carolina on Sept. 20. He had nine catches for 138 yards, both game and career-high totals, including a 31-yarder. Barden finished the season with 14 receptions for 221 yards (15.7-yard avg.). ... Plenty of unfulfilled promise to date and barring an injury or other issues on the depth chart above him, expect more of the same.

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The Facts: Griffin III said after taking the field at Organized Team Activities that everything is positive with his surgically repaired knee. “The knee feels great,” Griffin said. “I’m able to do all the stuff out there without any hesitation, so that’s the best part about it. I’m excited about that. It’s all about having that confidence, and if you put the work in you’ll have that confidence when you get back out there on the field. It’s about playing like you were never injured.”  Reported by Profootballtalk.com

Diehards Line: Griffin said he talked to coach Mike Shanahan prior to OTAs and said he wanted to do as much on-field work as he could, and that Shanahan allowed him to join other players who are rehabbing from injuries to do some limited on-field drills. Griffin said he expects to be able to sprint within the next couple of weeks and to cut within a couple weeks after he starts sprinting. “There’s two phases left, explosive sprinting and cutting. Those are the only two things left. Being at four and a half months out, I am a little bit ahead,” Griffin said. “My goal is to be out there for training camp. ..." As PFT's Michael David Smith notes, Griffin hastened to add that he is being smart about not pushing himself so hard that he has any setbacks. While none of this should be taken as a certain indication Griffin will be ready to go Week 1, it's yet another in a long series of positive developments in his return from reconstructive surgery. Of course, we're still three full months plus away from Week 1. So stay tuned.

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The Facts: Following up on a previous item. ... Nicks was honored as a hero in the New York area at an event Tuesday night, but missed the team's workout session Wednesday, which was erroneously reported by Yahoo! Sports as a form of protest for contractual reasons. Although Nicks and agent Peter Schaffer have declined to explain why Nicks missed a voluntary offseason training activity session, the agent has strongly denied that the receiver's absence was linked to his contract. Reported by Yahoo! Sports

Diehards Line: According to Yahoo's Jason Cole, Schaffer indicated in a series of text messages that Nicks takes his place in the community very seriously and wouldn't do anything to jeopardize that reputation. A team source, who had previously suggested to Cole that Nicks may have been unhappy with his contract situation, clarified Thursday morning that he didn't know exactly why Nicks was gone and was making what he felt was an educated guess. ... Still no explanation for the absence though. So we'll undoubtedly be hearing more about it.

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The Facts: Casey will undergo arthroscopic surgery to clean out loose cartilage his right knee and will be out of action for the rest of the spring, a team spokesman confirmed to USA TODAY Sports. The spokesman said Casey should be ready to go by the start of training camp. Reported by USA Today

Diehards Line: The Eagles signed tight end Will Shaw this week, surely in part to help take some reps in Casey's absence. Shaw's addition is why the team waived running back Miguel Maysonet, who was claimed by the Cleveland Browns. ... Casey signed a three-year deal with $14.5 million as one of the first additions for the Eagles in a busy opening few days in free agency. The former Houston Texans fullback/tight end is expected to play a key role in coach Chip Kelly's unorthodox offense.

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The Facts: Hynoski suffered an injury to his medial collateral ligament and a chip fracture to the lateral plateau during the team's first OTA practice on Wednesday and will undergo surgery to repair the ligament and the fracture, the club announced this morning. It’s unclear if he’ll be ready for the start of the season.  Reported by the Newark Star-Ledger

Diehards Line: “I am going to set my mind to being ready for the first game of the season,” Hynoski said in a statement. "They (the doctors) said that is not an unrealistic goal and I will do everything in my power to be ready for the start of the season. ...” Hynoski, who has an understated but vital role in the Giants offense, on the second play of an 11-on-11 drill. He took a hand-off from quarterback Eli Manning and banged knees with running back Andre Brown. He went down in a heap and was carted off the field.

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The Facts: The quiet offseason that has surrounded Bryant is no accident. "I found myself," Bryant said Tuesday after the Cowboys' first organized team activity. "I'm comfortable with my life. I'm enjoying being in the NFL. I wish it could've been a couple years back, but I had to go through a couple of things to figure it out. I think I got it and I'm just more focused on my job and doing what I love to do and that's playing football." Reported by ESPN.com

Diehards Line: As ESPN.com's Todd Archer reminded readers, off-field issues played a part in Bryant slipping to the Cowboys with the 24th pick in the first round in 2010. Last July, Bryant was arrested after an incident with his mother, but the misdemeanor family violence charge was conditionally dismissed in November and will disappear providing Bryant attends counseling and is not charged with any crimes for a year. Bryant and the Cowboys agreed to guidelines that were in place following the arrest. "Listening and looking at people who do it right," said Bryant when asked what has helped him turn a corner in his life. "When I was younger it wasn't like I was acquainted with all that stuff. I wasn't used to it. I had to get around people who do it right and I feel like that's been my stepping stone, these older guys. ..." Something worked; Bryant joined the NFL's elite receivers last season after catching 92 passes for 1,382 yards and 12 touchdowns. Earlier this offseason he talked about 2,000 receiving yards and 20 touchdowns as a goal.

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The Facts: Following up on a previous item. ... As if the New York Giants and Victor Cruz weren't involved in enough of a stare down, Nicks sent the team a little message by not showing up for practice Wednesday. Pay day is coming soon for Nicks, too. That was the unstated goal of Nicks' not attending the Giants' organized team activity practice, a source indicated Wednesday. Reported by Yahoo! Sports

Diehards Line: As Yahoo's Jason Cole stressed, Nicks didn't violate any rules. OTAs are voluntary. Nonetheless, no-shows aren't appreciated. His absence left quarterback Eli Manning throwing passes to the likes of Jerrel Jernigan, Rueben Randle and Louis Murphy. HC Tom Coughlin didn't try to hide his irritation. Asked if he expected Nicks to be there, the coach replied: "Yeah, sure I did. I expect everybody to be here, trying to get our team better." Nicks, who was a first-round NFL draft pick in 2009, has one year remaining on his original contract. ... Stay tuned.

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The Facts: Following up on a previous item. ... When news of Crabtree's Achilles tendon tear first surfaced Wednesday, the immediate suspicion was that the 49ers' top receiver would end up sitting out the entire 2013 NFL season. HC Jim Harbaugh refuted that notion, telling reporters Crabtree isn't expected to miss all 16 games. "We do not anticipate that it’ll be season ending for Michael," the coach said in confirming that Crabtree has undergone surgery for a complete tear of his right tendon. Reported by NFL.com

Diehards Line: Even as recently as a decade ago, a complete tear was a career-threatening injury, especially for an offensive skill-position player. Surgical techniques and accelerated rehab schedules have advanced Achilles recoveries in recent years, as evidenced by Denver Broncos wide receiver Demaryius Thomas' Pro-Bowl caliber play over the past year and a half. Thomas' mid-February surgery in 2011 gave him a three-month head-start on Crabtree. Thomas said he didn't feel 100 percent again until seven months after suffering the injury. He didn't become a significant factor again for the Broncos until close to the 10-month mark. A similar timetable for Crabtree would keep him out of game action until Thanksgiving, with the likelihood of returning in a minor role for the remainder of the regular season as well as the playoffs. ... Meanwhile, speculation as to how the Niners will replace Crabtree has included names like Brandon Lloyd and Randy Moss -- although Harbaugh shot down the notion of Moss and suggested the team's young wideouts, A.J. Jenkins and Quinton Patton, will have to step up until Mario Manningham and Kyle Williams are healthy. ... We'll be following up as needed.

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The Facts: The Steelers officially began practicing a reworked offense as they went through the first of 13 team practices Tuesday, and Roethlisberger said everyone involved likes this package better. The quarterback did not disclose the changes or even hint at them —“You'll have to wait until the first game,” he said — but it was obvious he seemed more comfortable with the offense than he did at any time last season.  Reported by the Pittsburgh Tribune Review

Diehards Line: In case you missed it, Roethlisberger didn't entirely like the offense, its nuances and terminology last season. Neither did some of the assistant coaches. Most of all, OC Todd Haley didn't totally like it, either. So, after the Steelers tumbled into the bottom third of the NFL in offensive production last season, Haley went about reworking the system he brought with him to Pittsburgh following nearly three seasons as the Chiefs' head coach.“There's been some changes this offseason in some of the offensive philosophies, playbook and some things that I think are good,” Roethlisberger said. “It's some compromise from all the different position coaches, the running back coaches, the line, and quarterback coaches. I think we've taken a little bit of everything and made it a lot better. ...” Good news if that's how it pans out. The fact that Roethlisberger, who appeared to be at odds with Haley at times last year, is on board will help.

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The Facts: Rex Ryan says the pressure is on Sanchez to hang on to the football. Sanchez threw three interceptions in Wednesday’s OTA practice, which Ryan called “unacceptable.” Reported by the New York Daily News

Diehards Line: “This is OTAs and things, but yeah, that’s going to be the pressure that we’re putting on him,” Ryan said. “He did a lot of great things. It’s not that you try to cover up the fact you had some bad plays -- no, no, no you flat tell him. We can’t have these and all that type of stuff. He knows. ...” According to Daily News staffer Seth Walder, one of Sanchez’ picks went to Damon Harrison, a defensive tackle, on a play where Rex said Sanchez should have thrown the ball away. Ryan described that play, and Sanchez’ three picks as a whole, as “disappointing. ...” You'd think the coach would be use to that after the last two seasons. Anyhow, the Sanchez-Geno Smith competition continues. We'll be following up as needed.

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The Facts: Conversations about Dalton and being able to consistently throw it deep won’t subside any time soon. Dalton knows it and so does everyone else. That is why it has been a focal point during the offseason workouts. Reported by the Cincinnati Enquirer

Diehards Line: According to Enquirer staffer Joe Reedy, of balls in the air 20 yards or more last season, Dalton posted the fourth-lowest rating among AFC quarterbacks at 52.9. He was 19 of 73 for 633 yards with four touchdowns and five interceptions. During the past three weeks, when position coaches have been able to work with their players, quarterbacks coach Ken Zampese and Dalton have been working on the trajectory and accuracy. They have also been working on quickening up the time Dalton drops back in the pocket along with throwing the ball a little higher on different throws. Another thing that the Bengals hope will help Dalton this season is that he has more intermediate and deep targets. A.J. Green for the past two seasons has basically been the lone deep target but Marvin Jones has potential to stretch offenses and first-round pick Tyler Eifert excels on the intermediate stuff. Seems like a lot of energy going into coaching Dalton up this offseason.

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The Facts: OTA days don't directly translate to regular season success. Players that look brilliant in shorts sometimes fade in the padded violence of games. But OTA do speak to alignments and the vision of a coaching staff. They do serve to provide a glimpse of what may be coming in those areas. And that's why the Dolphins four-wide set during Tuesday OTA was intriguing. Mike Wallace. Brian Hartline. Brandon Gibson. Dustin Keller. "Yeah you know we’re still learning, but I’m excited about what I see from those guys," Tannehill said. "They’re all getting a grasp on the offense and we’re starting to get a lot of reps with each other, so (we’re going to) continue to work that to get better. I'm excited about what they bring to the team and what they showed today." Reported by the Miami Herald

Diehards Line: As Herald staffer Armando Salguero notes, we're talking about two speedy receivers who have both had 1,000-yard seasons. A proven big, physical receiver that can work the middle and occasionally get deep. And a seam-threat receiver who has a reputation for uncovering quickly and making himself available to his quarterback. Salguero added: "We've come a long way from Hartline, Anthony Armstrong, Davone Bess and Anthony Fasano. ..." No doubt. Given all this it's also hard to argue with Salguero's contention that if this group stays healthy, there is little reason to doubt that Miami, 26th in the NFL passing the ball in 2012, can become an efficient, effective and scary pass offense that threatens a defense in multiple ways. ... It certainly sounds intriguing. We'll be watching for more.

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