Chris Johnson got his big pay day and he's gonna play – After the offseason's longest contract stalemate, the Titans and Johnson finally reached agreement on a four-year deal which guarantees the superstar back $30 million with the possibility of banking $53.5 mil. So anyone fortunate enough to be drafting on the final weekend before the regular season can feel safe taking Johnson with a top-5 pick. However, given the uncertainty regarding Johnson's current condition level and the increased risk of injury he carries having not practiced all preseason, it would be the wise move for anyone taking Johnson with such a high pick to grab Javon Ringer late as a handcuff.
Carson Palmer might try to stick it to the Bengals if they won't trade him – Palmer, who by all indications was prepared to retire, apparently visited the Bengals back in late July and met with owner/GM Mike Brown. Now it seems there's a chance that he could report to the Bengals next week, forcing them to either hand over his $11.5 million salary or trade him. Seeing as how he has yet to file his retirement papers, it would not be a total shock to see him make one last ditch attempt to get himself traded.
Cam Newton was announced as the Panther's Week 1 starter – This shouldn't come as much of a surprise after Newton started each of Carolina's final three preseason games and Jimmy Clausen did nothing to greatly impress when a balky knee cooperated enough to keep him on the field. With his understanding of the offense and passing skills still very much in development, Newton is likely to struggle out of the gate and shouldn't even be considered for fantasy play unless he starts running all over teams.
Coming back from offseason knee surgery, Maurice Jones-Drew finally saw game action – He didn't receive a lot of carries, but just the fact that the Jaguars were willing to put Jones-Drew out there for the fourth preseason game says the coaching staff is not concerned about his knee's current status. With the possibility that Rashad Jennings (knee) may not be ready to see the field any time soon, Jones-Drew's knee will need to be ready for Week 1 because he should see an awful lot of touches.
Lance Kendricks continued to look like a top-10 tight end – While a rookie shining in the preseason does not always translate to a big first year, Kendricks has shown the talent and the chemistry with Sam Bradford that could lead to a major numbers. Since no true No. 1 receiver has been established yet, Kendricks should end up one of the most targeted Rams and possibly their top red zone weapon.
Kerry Collins struggled to move the ball with Colts reserves – Collins started, but did so without any of the Colts' regular starters at receiver or in the backfield, so it's easy to chalk up his poor overall performance to the fact that he played with backups in what is likely still a very foreign offense. If the team winds up having to begin 2011 without Peyton Manning on the field it could be Curtis Painter and not Collins who gets a shot at making this offense go. And considering Painter's inconsistent and overall poor play throughout the preseason, it could spell bad starts for all of Indy's skill players.
Tim Tebow may have taken back the No. 2 quarterback job – Or rather Brady Quinn may have given it back. Quinn started, but after going a horrendous 4-for-12 for 26 yards with a pick and a lost fumble, he may have handed the reins to the backup job in Denver back to Tebow. It certainly didn't hurt Tebow that he went 7-for-11 for 132 yards and a touchdown in the second half either though. In the end however, neither of these former first-round draft picks is fantasy relevant unless Kyle Orton gets seriously injured.
Wes Welker (neck) does not appear to be seriously hurt – Though Welker did not actually play in Thursday's game against the Giants, he did dress and go through a full warm-up, indicating that his neck is not hurt badly enough to force him out of any regular season action.
Where have you gone Steve Slaton? – After returning to practice earlier in the week and it being reported that Slaton would get into the fourth preseason game Thursday versus Minnesota, he was mysteriously absent from the field. The former top-10 rusher and brief fantasy darling appears out of a job in Houston. However, if he can land in the right offense and get his hamstring healthy who knows what can be for a back with his proven ability.