Thomas Rawls is still languishing on Seattle's PUP list as the team chose to delay his return to practice for at least a little while longer. The Seahawks seem inclined to slowly work Rawls back from ankle surgery and it's a virtual lock he won't be able to participate in the team's first preseason game on August 13. Seattle still believes Rawls will be ready to go when the season starts, but keep an eye on his progress; the longer he goes without playing, the less likely he's ready to suit up Week 1.
Like Rawls, Jimmy Graham has yet to make his training camp practice debut, as his surgically repaired knee has yet to be deemed ready for him to return to the field. Granted, while the extent of the knee's issues aren't known to us, and he could be back on the field tomorrow, this situation still worries me. Especially considering how much of a disappointment Graham was last season; his first in Seattle. I would be leery of drafting Graham until we see him get back to practice, and in a preseason game for that matter, to prove his knee has recovered.
- Nick Foles agreed to terms with the Chiefs, presumably to be Alex Smith's backup in Kansas City. More important, it reunites the former Pro Bowl MVP (yup, Nick Foles was a Pro Bowl MVP; I'll hold on while you continue laughing) with the man who drafted him in Andy Reid. Big Red clearly liked Foles enough to draft and develop him (Foles started the last 10 games of the Reid era in Philly), and now to bring him in off the cold street to the warmth of Arrowhead. Yea, I know, it's usually not that warm at Arrowhead; regardless, I don't see much fantasy impact here as Alex Smith is the clear starter. Having said that, should Smith come down with an injury, the one thing I'd expect is a potential boost in Jeremy Maclin's value, as he and Foles had good chemistry together in Philly, and Foles is more likely to throw downfield than the noodle-armed Smith.
- More QB news: Gary Kubiak has doubled down on John Elway's quarterback competition comments, as the Super Bowl winning head coach (also weird to say) insinuated that preseason performance will dictate which of the team's three QB's (Mark Sanchez, Trevor Siemian, and Paxton Lynch) ends up starting Week 1. While I believe there is a competition here, I don't think it'll last very long. Sanchez, while awful, is easily the best option for this Broncos team to compete right now, and also the most experienced. It's not a sexy choice (cause that would be Lynch), but expect Sanchez to be lining up under center when the Broncos begin their title defense in September. Also, sorry Denver fans; that stinks.
- The biggest losers in the Nick Foles sweepstakes (that sounds weird) were the Cowboys, who portended to be the favorite to sign the Napoleon Dynamite Dallas' interest in Foles intensified when backup QB Kellen Moore broke his fibula, yet instead Foles still chose to reunite with Reid. Making matters worse, Ed Werder of ESPN reported that Jerry Jones may only have himself to blame, reporting that Foles may have "never gotten over" the Owner's endorsement of Moore (prior to his injury) where he claimed Foles wasn't an option for Dallas, only to then backtrack his stance when Moore went down. As it stands now, rookie Dak Prescott is the only thing standing between a the bad back of Tony Romo ending Dallas' season; but don't be surprised if the Cowboys make a move for a veteran as the aforementioned Werder also reported that the Browns and Cowboys have discussed a potential trade involving Josh McCown. Either way, stay tuned as the backup QB for Dallas may be the most likely clipboard holder in the league to be forced into duty.
- Brandin Cooks missed Thursday's practice with an injury the nature of which is unknown. While that sounds ominous, a team source told the media that it's "nothing significant." For now, we'll take that "source" at his or her word, but monitor the situation in the event there's more here than the team is leading on. I know, I know, the idea of a professional sports team lying about an injury is practically impossible to believe; but again, monitor it just in case.
- Arian Foster has been "head and shoulders" the best RB in Dolphins camp according to the Miami Herald. Foster's been practicing with the first team, and his main competition (Jay Ajayi) has been sidelined with a knee injury since Sunday. If I were drafting today, I would take Foster over Ajayi; and going a step further, I like Foster's chances to be a significant fantasy contributor all season long.