Peyton Manning got his new contract – The real news with Manning is not that he just inked a $90 million deal for five years, but that he will begin training camp on the PUP list because of the lingering effects of his May neck surgery. While the Colts are indicating that he will be fine for the season, the team neurosurgeon, Dr. Hank Feuer, was quoted by the Associated Press stating, "Recovery from disc surgery is unpredictable." And though he continued to say it is not concerning that Manning is not ready yet for practice, the fact remains that an injury of this nature can be unpredictable. So despite the 200+ straight games Manning has started, you just never know. Perhaps that streak comes to an end in 2011.
Joseph Addai re-signed with the Colts – This is really the best scenario for Addai, as he wasn't about to take over as the lead back on any other team, and at least in Indy he should get scoring opportunities. At the same time though, he is three years removed from his last 1,000-yard season and missed eight games last year to injury. The bottom line here is his body seems to be wearing down, the Colts don't run the ball and they added a rookie tank in Delone Carter who may steal the goal line carries, making Addai a risky buy for this year.
Marion Barber signed a two-year deal with the Bears – Chicago has scooped another Cowboys castaway in grabbing Barber. It is likely that Barber will steal Chester Taylor's role of spelling Matt Forte and occasionally stealing his goal line work. Though Barber has had some nagging injuries in recent years he should come into 2011 healthy and with a chip on his shoulder, as he was never fully allowed to be the man in Dallas. At the least he is a candidate for about a half-dozen touchdown vultures and a must-handcuff for Forte.
Muscle tweaks strike Dallas backfield – Both rookie back DeMarco Murray and Tashard Choice will miss about two weeks of camp with hamstring and calf injuries respectively. This could just be the beginning of what may be a league-wide rash of muscle pulls given the extended down-time players had due to the lockout. It looks like both of these guys will miss the first preseason game, giving Felix Jones an even greater hold on the Dallas backfield. They both figure to get in the mix during the regular season though, provided their injuries don't linger, but it is worth monitoring for the next few weeks leading up to drafts.
Tarvaris Jackson named starter for Seahawks – Jackson knows the Seattle offense having worked with coordinator Darrell Bevell in Minnesota, and that, apparently, is enough for head coach Pete Carroll to decide a competition with Charlie Whitehurst isn't necessary. Given the addition of Sidney Rice and the potential of Mike Williams and Golden Tate, it's likely Jackson will have a big game or two and become a hot waiver wire pick-up. But he remains an inconsistent quarterback that will not be startable week to week.
Brandon Marshall has been diagnosed with mental illness – I'm not sure this is breaking news, but worth noting that it has been formally diagnosed by a licensed doctor. Several things remain true in Miami leading up to this season: Marshall is a physical freak with huge fantasy potential, he is without a worthwhile passer and he is not a stable person. Without the latter two he is a top-10 wideout. But at present, he is a big-time buyer beware commodity.