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Another Sunday, another Fantasy Notebook. ... Don't look now, but July is upon us. Meaning NFL news should slow to a crawl until training camps start cranking up the last week of the month. That being the case, the Notebook will be taking a two-week break.

But don't panic -- it's not like we're closing down. We'll still have plenty of fun and games for those interested.

The News & Views section will roll on as usual with in-depth coverage of major breaking stories being posted in the Headline News section should the need arise. The Fantasy-related discussion never ends on the Diehards message board. You'll also find our web-based Cheatsheets are updated on a regular basis. And of course, the first two of our four Fantasy annuals -- the Pro Forecast and DraftBook -- are available now. Hit our Secure On-Line Order Page to secure your copies now.

So with all that out of the way, let's move on to some Fantasy-specific stories of interest, eh?

We'll get the ball rolling in Tennessee, where second-year quarterback Vince Young is said to be doing everything in his power to follow up his Offensive Rookie of the Year performance last season with another strong campaign this fall.

This despite all the distractions that go hand in hand those Rookie of the Year honors.

Soirees at both the Super Bowl and the Kentucky Derby, charity appearances and cutting a deal to appear on the cover of the Madden NFL '08 video game were just some of the diversions Young enjoyed, but head coach Jeff Fisher isn't concerned about his young signal caller becoming complacent or slipping into a sophomore slump.

"We encouraged him to get away and enjoy his time off, and he did. After the New England game, he said, 'I have a long ways to go, and I'm going to get there and bring everybody with me.' He didn't take that loss very well, and he's certainly motivated up to this point," Fisher said.

Fisher isn't alone in that belief.

According to Associated Press sports writer Teresa M. Walker, offensive coordinator Norm Chow has been impressed by how Young has balanced personal and football commitments this offseason.

"This guy is unique, no question he's unique," Chow said. "He's a very, very competitive young man. He's used to winning. He's used to being a leader, so it all fits very well."

Walker went on to note that Young has spent the offseason working on being more consistent with his footwork and follow-through in an effort to boost last year's 51.5 completion percentage.

Chow has also worked hard to improve Young's ability to read defenses.

And as reported in a previous Notebook, Young went out of his way to bring some of the Titans receivers to Houston to work out during a break in training in Nashville early last month. Young, eager to improve his chemistry with those wideouts, picked up their tab.

Despite the media hype, coach's accolades and Young's obvious willingness to go the extra mile to improve, I can certainly understand why some Fantasy owners might be reluctant to jump on the Young bandwagon.

The big question is whether Young can make the second-year leap expected of most rookies while working with what might be best described as an unspectacular supporting cast.

Some would characterize that as a kind assessment. Others might take it a step further.

As Sports Xchange senior editor Derek Harper put it in this year's Football Diehards magazine, "With a transcendent talent like Young under center, it's almost inconceivable that the Titans wouldn't provide even mediocre tools to work with."

In case you haven't been paying attention, Young lost his top two receivers last season -- Drew Bennett and Bobby Wade -- to free agency. It also looks like veteran David Givens' knee will keep him from being a factor early this season -- if the former Patriot is able to return at all.

That leaves holdovers Brandon Jones, Roydell Williams and Courtney Roby, all third-year pros, on the hot seat. I'll remind you that Bennett alone had more receptions and yards than the returning receivers combined.

According to Nashville Tennessean staffer Jim Wyatt, Williams, who battled injuries in his first two seasons, appeared to make the most progress in mini-camps while working at all three receiver positions. Jones has been a bit inconsistent, but he appears to be locked in as the team's No. 1 wideout.

Newcomer Justin Gage, signed earlier this offseason from the Bears, reportedly struggled in initial workouts but improved as the offseason wore on. The Titans also drafted three receivers this year (but according to Wyatt, team officials may elect to bring them along slowly) and could add a veteran to the mix before the season.

But if ask about his receivers and Young immediately jumps to their defense, saying they are being doubted just as he has.

"I really feel like they can do it. I've got a lot of confidence in them," Young said.

Their quarterback's confidence notwithstanding, I'm still a little worried. Remember, Jones and Gage are the only wideouts on the roster with at least 16 starts. And neither man is likely to strike fear into the hearts of opposing defenses.

To make matters worse, as Harper further suggested, workhorse tailback Travis Henry was released to be replaced by LenDale White, who struggles just to stay in shape. ... Or recently re-signed veteran Chris Brown, who has failed to secure the featured role in past seasons. ... Or rookie Chris Henry, a second-round reach with all of six collegiate starts.

Needless to say, Young realizes defenses will be working hard to stop him.

"All I can do is play my game. I can't worry about what they're going to try to do. All I know is when coach calls this or this or that, I have to execute the play. If it's a run or a pass, whatever it takes to win a ballgame, that's what I'm going to do," he said.

"At the same time, it's not all about me. I know the rest of the guys are going to make plays as well."

Even if you don't share his confidence in the receiving corps, don't doubt Young.

After all, we're talking about the man who set the NFL rookie rushing record for quarterbacks with 553 yards and seven touchdowns. He also became the first player in NFL history with three rushing TDs and three passing TDs of 20 yards or longer.

Indeed, SI.com insider Peter King thinks so highly of the third-pick in last year's draft, he recently wrote: "Young's the most feared young player in football right now. More feared than Reggie Bush."

King backed that contention by noting Young ran for nearly as many touchdowns last season (seven) as Michael Vick has rushed for in the last two (eight).

And that's where I'm at on Young -- or at least why I currently rank him No. 12 among all Fantasy QBs. I believe Young's ability to freelance and turn mistakes into big plays will continue to serve him well until the other aspects of his game -- and his supporting cast -- come around. ...

In San Francisco. ... Upon completion of the 49ers' three-week practice session late last month, quarterback Alex Smith said the offense is further along than at similar stages his two previous seasons.

"The last couple years at this point have just been installation," said Smith, who is preparing for his third NFL season. "Being in the same system again, we're so much further ahead. We've practiced different scenarios, the two-minute (drill), gotten in the (shot)gun, an empty backfield.

"We've gotten a lot more out of these practices and kind of put in some new things that will help for the season."

And that could be the key to major improvement.

Despite a change in offensive coordinators, Smith is operating the same scheme in back-to-back seasons for the first time with the 49ers. And as he told San Francisco Chronicle staff writer Kevin Lynch, his rookie season (2005) under now-Packers coach Mike McCarthy was about a rigid passing game based on progressions and short quarterback drops.

"We weren't throwing the ball downfield; defenses were on top of us," Smith said Wednesday after the team's second-to-last practice. "It was like we were the passive ones and (the defenses) were the aggressors."

Then came Norv Turner, and the offense changed dramatically. "It was the opposite," Smith said. "We were taking seven-step drops, throwing the ball downfield."

As Lynch suggested, that offense performed relatively well in the middle of the field on first- and second-down because of the threat of the run.

But when the 49ers got inside the opponents' 20 or needed a third-down conversion, they floundered.

They finished 26th in third-down efficiency and 29th in red-zone production. Nevertheless, the overall offensive improvement from 2006 was enough for Turner to land in San Diego as head coach.

Now, Lynch reports that new coordinator Jim Hostler is trying to blend Turner's deep-passing game with McCarthy's West Coast approach.

The offense has practiced third-down passing or red-zone offense on a regular basis and coaches have emphasized an "empty" offensive formation, meaning no backs in the backfield.

Hostler "has done a nice job of incorporating both" horizontal and vertical passing games, Smith said.

The blending of both approaches will make the offense more complicated, which Smith welcomes.

"The more things we can do, the more we can put on film," Smith said. "If you can do a lot of things well, you give the defense a lot of problems. ..."

Don't get the wrong idea here. There's one aspect of the offense that's not likely change: Head coach Mike Nolan recently admitted he wants the running back getting 25 touches a game and Gore said he wants to gain 2,200 rushing yards.

But if the team's new receivers -- Darrell Jackson and Ashley Lelie -- can get healthy, they'll combine with tight end Vernon Davis and returning wideout Arnaz Battle to give Smith what could be the most talented receiving corps he's worked with as a pro.

The bad news?

Lelie pulled a quad muscle on one of the first routes he ran in mini-camp the weekend after the draft. When he tried to return on the first day of OTAs, he aggravated the injury and hasn't practiced since.

Jackson, who missed final four games last season, did not begin rehabbing the injury until after the draft-day trade sent him to the 49ers in late April. He hasn't practiced with the team, either.

Their extended absences prompted King to opine: "I think the 49ers will end up disappointed in Jackson, and I'm sure they'll end up disappointed in Lelie. Jackson misses too much practice time, and Lelie won't be tough enough for head Nolan. ..."

And Nolan's stance?

Asked in June where Lelie stands in the hierarchy of 49er wideouts, Nolan replied: "I really haven't thought about him that much. ... When the guy hasn't set foot on the field, it's out of sight, out of mind, from my standpoint."

Message sent.

For the record, team officials expect Lelie and Jackson to be ready for the start of training camp, but will take a cautious approach with both.

As Santa Rosa Press Democrat beat man Matt Maiocco recently suggested, there's no way the Niners won't give Lelie every opportunity to earn the $2 million signing bonus he was paid on arrival. And the team knew what they were getting with Jackson, too.

Also worth noting: Maiocco warned readers not to be surprised if Jackson moves to split end and Battle holds onto the starting flanker job. Rookie receiver Jason Hill was moved to flanker during OTAs, but Maiocco suggests that as talented as the newcomer is, it might be difficult for him to make much of an impact as a rookie. ...

In New England. ... In the wake of some highly-publicized negative press in May -- based in large part on comments made by former Raiders offensive coordinator Tom Walsh -- the question of how Randy Moss will mesh with the Patriots remains a compelling one.

And as Boston Herald staffer John Tomase noted this past week, it's likely to be one until the games actually begin.

But that by no means limits the speculation. And according to a pro scout who has watched Moss extensively throughout his career, one of his greatest attributes also ranks among his least publicized -- his ability to read defenses.

"It's kind of interesting, because I hear people say he doesn't know how to run routes and all this other stuff," the scout, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Tomase. "But he's one of the few guys I know of in this league who when defenses line up, he knows what coverage it is."

Moss honed that skill while working with Cris Carter in Minnesota.

"Carter caught a whole lot of footballs by telling the quarterback what the coverage was going to be," the scout told Tomase. "So to say the guy doesn't know how to run routes and he's not this and he's not that, those things are totally false.

"I don't know how many guys you know who can line up and tell the quarterback what the coverage is, but Randy is one of them."

Tomase went on to suggest that if Moss is as advanced in that area as the scout believes, he should fit right into a Patriots offense that requires its receivers to read and react in sync with quarterback Tom Brady.

"Watch out," the scout said of the Brady-Moss combo. "If the guy sitting next to him in the locker room is the guy I think it is, then Randy's probably going to get a lot of opportunities and things will be good."

We'll see. Moss clearly has some issues.

Profootballtalk.com editor Mike Florio -- after extensive review and discussions from other scouts around the league -- contends that one of Moss' biggest flaws is his pre-snap demeanor.

According to Florio, when the ball is coming to Moss, he tends to run out of the huddle. When the ball isn't coming to him, he saunters. Florio went on to suggest the fact that Moss still makes plenty of catches despite the fact that his opponents surely know this is further evidence of his overall skills.

So why was his tenure in Oakland, particularly last year, such a spectacular disaster? And what about the belief that he can lose interest if passes aren't coming his way?

On the first point, SportsLine.com senior writer Clark Judge points out it would have been hard for Brady to look good in the Raiders called an offense last season. But Judge added, at least Brady would've tried.

Moss didn't.

And while some believe New England is the perfect spot for Moss -- a place to re-invent himself as Corey Dillon did in 2004 -- age and injuries were arguably factors (albeit probably not as important as the horrible Raider offense) in his recent decline.

But that brings ups to the second point; what if the passes aren't coming his way?

I tend to agree with Judge on this one: If someone can handle him, it's the Patriots and their head coach, Bill Belichick. ...

In St. Louis. ... After missing two games in 2005 because of a knee injury, Torry Holt thought about surgery after that season but opted against it.

"I just didn't want to go back under the knife," Holt said. "I felt like if I rehabbed and prepared and trained and did all the necessary things in the weight room, I could get it strong enough where I could go out and compete."

But according to St. Louis Post-Dispatch staffer Jim Thomas, Holt's right knee left him no choice after last season.

"I was sore," Holt told Thomas. "That last game it had gotten to the point where it was aggravating me pretty good. But I was toughing it out. At the end of that game, I said, 'I've got to go in and have something done.'"

Even so, Holt held out hope of postponing surgery and playing in the Pro Bowl six weeks later. But when he returned home, the simple act of going up and down his basement steps was painful. He decided to pull out of the Pro Bowl and proceed with surgery.

Holt underwent routine surgery in February for a torn meniscus cartilage in his right knee. It was only the second knee surgery for Holt in eight NFL seasons. The Rams' full-squad mini-camp last month, marked his first extensive work on the practice field since the latest surgery.

According to StLouisRams.com insider Nick Wagoner, Holt looked as sharp as ever in his first full session, running routes and even making a nice extended grab in traffic over the middle during seven on seven passing drills.

"For the most part, things are on schedule," Holt said. "I've got one more month to heal up and really strengthen it before we start training camp. So I'm going to try to take full advantage of it."

As a result, Holt is spending most of the lull between now and the start of training camp working out in St. Louis.

"I still have some soreness on the inside where I had the meniscus cleaned up," Holt said. "But that's going to be there. It's just a matter of me getting more reps and running more, and reintroducing the knee to those types of cuts that I'm used to doing."

In part because of the knee surgery, it has been a low-key offseason for Holt.

"I'm just trying to refocus on what's important, and that's football -- trying to help this football team and this organization win some more championships," Holt told Thomas. "I'm just kind of taking a step back from the 'quote-unquote' limelight, and really putting a great deal of emphasis on football."

Of course, Thomas notes, Holt would like nothing better than a return to the limelight this season.

In large part because of the knee problems, Holt's NFL-record streak of six seasons with 1,300 or more receiving yards snapped last season. He still ended up with 93 receptions for 1,188 yards and 10 touchdowns.

"It's been a rough two years for him as far as (the knee)," head coach Scott Linehan said. "None of you (reporters) would know about it, because he would never tell you or show it on the field. But he's been pretty sore come December. And we plan on hopefully going much past (December)."

With the off-season addition of tight end Randy McMichael and Bennett, among others, Thomas reports there is a growing degree of optimism surrounding the offense.

"I think this offense can accomplish whatever we set our mind to," Holt said. "As far as comparing this offense to the Greatest Show (on Turf), there is no comparison to me. The Greatest Show won one (Super Bowl), and we played in two. This team, with so much promise offensively, hasn't done anything yet.

"But I say all that to say that this offense can be really, really, really good. ... I think the sky's the limit."

I think Holt is right on that count. My expectations for the Rams' skill players are high across the board. ...

In Baltimore. ... As the Ravens concluded their off-season workouts last month, Mark Clayton was looking to build upon last year's breakthrough season. And as Carroll County Times staff writer Aaron Wilson notes, the reigning AFC North champions are counting on even more production from Clayton as a featured performer in its West Coast offense.

"It's a huge difference," Clayton said following the Ravens' final mandatory mini-camp. "I'm just settling down, calming down. Knowing what I did last year, I have a different set of expectations. Not only for me, but for the team as a whole.

"Each and every Sunday I'm in the locker room just waiting for a chance. Last year was fun and exciting. So, I'm taking it a day at a time and trying to just be better tomorrow than I was yesterday."

According to Wilson, it's that attention to detail and an uninterrupted string of good health that has Clayton and the Ravens encouraged about his potential entering his third NFL season.

Last season, the 2005 first-round draft pick from Oklahoma registered a career-high 67 receptions and five touchdowns for a team-high 939 receiving yards. He generated 42 first downs, and caught an 87-yard touchdown in the Ravens' victory over the Kansas City Chiefs that marks the longest play of his career.

At 5-foot-10 and a compact 195 pounds, Clayton has gained roughly 10 pounds this offseason to boost his endurance and tackle-breaking ability.

Last season, he averaged 14 yards per reception as his emergence and rookie Demetrius Williams' increased role cut into veteran Derrick Mason's opportunities during the second half of the schedule.

"I just wanted to be more explosive, catch the ball better and break some tackles," Clayton told Wilson.

Wilson went on to note that Clayton is no longer plagued by the nagging hamstring strain that he dealt with throughout his rookie year and for a brief period during training camp last summer.

"So far, so good," Clayton said. "I'm not complaining. I'm paying attention to my physical conditioning so we don't have to worry about that. ..."

If Clayton is right, and we don't have to worry about the chronic hamstring issues, then opposing defenses will certainly have something to worry about. And given his current Average Draft Position of 28, Fantasy owners snaring Clayton on draft day just might come out ahead in terms of value. ...

In Houston. ... According to the team's official web site, it's been evident to those on hand for the final month of the team's off-season program that Ahman Green has clearly rebounded from a season-ending knee injury in 2005.

Indeed, HoustonTexans.com staffer Carmine Pirone reports that Green has looked so good at times it has left some to wonder aloud how good Green looked in practice before the injury. At one point last month, there was an indication from head coach Gary Kubiak that the Texans may have gotten more than what they bargained for when they signed Green as a free agent in March.

"(Former Packers head coach and current Texans coordinator) Mike [Sherman has] told me a couple of times, 'You know he looks as good as I've ever seen him look,' and Mike had him for a long time so that's very positive," Kubiak said.

The key now is keeping Green healthy for Sept. 9 when the Chiefs invade Reliant Stadium. Kubiak doesn't think that should be a problem.

"I think the key is that we have enough guys out here to where we don't have to beat him up," he said. "I think that's going to be key, to be fresh for that 25 or so carries he gets on Sunday because he ought to be fresh because we have plenty of guys to help him out. ..."

Also in Houston. ... With OTAs and mini-camp behind him, Matt Schaub continues to collect praise from coaches and teammates.

"I've been impressed with the way he handles himself," Kubiak said. "That's a lot to handle. You go and make a trade like that for a kid and the pressure to come in here and take over this football team sort of speak, but he's handled himself tremendously this offseason.

"He's been a great worker, very confident kid about his opportunity and what he's fixin' to go take on so I like how far he's come and he's got the team's respect and that's what it's all about."

Count Andre Johnson among the teammates who have earned Schaub's respect.

In fact, in admitting there was an adjustment to make with Schaub throwing the pigskin and whether he knew it or not, Johnson may have taken a stab at the Texans old No. 8 in the process.

"When you look at, the differences that I see is that with David [Carr] you had to wait on the ball a little bit more," Johnson said. "With Matt, he's pretty decisive with what he's doing. He's going to get back in his drop and let the ball go. When you're in your rout, you don't have to wait on the ball or anything like that."

As Pirone suggests, since Johnson led the NFL in receptions a year ago, one can't help but wonder what he might be capable of this season. However, Johnson believes the entire offense will benefit from Schaub's quick decision making.

"I think it just helps the offense as a whole a lot, not just me. It was something you had to get use to when he first got here, but we've gotten use to it."

In a related note. ... Pirone reports that one position that the Texans will continue to look to add depth to is wide receiver. Kubiak said that he likes the players he has to play with Johnson, but he wouldn't mind finding another one to add to the mix.

"It's a concern of mine because we're so young after Andre," Kubiak said. "As I told you all before, we're going to find out if we have a couple of young players that are going to step up and be big time pros.

"I'm going to give them the opportunity to do that. I like the group. I like the way they work and what they stand for and I think as a group they will be a nice compliment to Andre."

Keenan McCardell remains unsigned and Kubiak said Tuesday that the veteran receiver remains a possibility, but that won't keep the Texans from looking elsewhere for help while waiting for word from McCardell.

"We'll continue to look around," Kubiak said. "We're going to bring in another receiver to camp whether that comes from (the now-defunct NFL Europa) or a veteran whoever, but I think we need to continue to look around."

Of course, Kubiak's desire to add another receiver to the mix comes to light just over a month after the coach expressed great confidence in journeyman wideout Kevin Walter -- currently slated to work as the team's No. 2 receiver opposite Johnson.

"I think what you're looking at right there is a player that earned the right to play," Kubiak said of Walter in May. "I went back and watched our film, and it felt like if I gave Kevin Walter more chances to make plays, we win a few more games. That's what he is."

Maybe so. But it suddenly seems like Walter's chances of holding down the No. 2 spot long enough to prove that fact are diminishing greatly. ...

And finally, in Carolina. ... The Panthers -- on both side of the ball -- are buzzing about the team's new offense. According to Charlotte Observer staffer Pat Yasinskas, players have been singing the praises of new offensive coordinator Jeff Davidson and never even mentioned the name of predecessor Dan Henning.

Early in a question-and-answer session with the audience at the Charlotte Touchdown Club late last month, Panthers defensive end Mike Rucker and safety Mike Minter stunningly revealed what might have been one of Henning's flaws.

"As a defensive guy, I understand there's a feeling that there was no hard count and it was always on 'One,'" Rucker told the audience. "As a defensive guy, we knew that. We practiced against it every day."

Really. ... An NFL team snapped the ball on "One" on every play in practice last year?

"Yep, you could kind of jump it a little bit," Minter told Yasinskas when he was asked follow-up questions after the luncheon.

So, Yasinskas wondered, if the Panthers didn't vary their snap counts in practice, what about in games?

"You play like you practice, right?" Minter said. "That'll let you know."

Henning was fired in January after Carolina's offense ranked 24th overall (24th rushing and 15th passing) during a season in which the Panthers went from a trendy Super Bowl pick to an 8-8 team that didn't make the playoffs.

Along the way, Henning drew a lot of criticism from fans, who said his offense was far too predictable. That hasn't been the case under Davidson.

Minter said the defensive players on the field already were off balance during recent workouts.

"We jumped offside at least 10 times a day," he said.

Rucker and Minter might be defensive players, but they're perfectly qualified to provide an early scouting report on an offense that's switching to a zone-blocking scheme and making other subtle changes.

"I see an offense that attacks a defense, as opposed to just having a scheme and saying, 'That's it,'" Minter said. "Every day they came at you, it was different. You didn't see the same thing twice. I think that right there is going to make this offense very exciting.

"It's going to be interesting to see this offense at full blast come September."

I'm with him. ...

That's it for this week's Notebook. Again, I'll be taking Sunday's off the next two weeks. ... In the meantime, keep an eye on the News & Views section of this site for late-breaking news and other tidbits of interest. Watch the Headline News section for more in-depth reviews of current events -- including the Fantasy Notebook.