NFL Training Camp Notes

By Dalton Del Don

Leon Washington totaled 83 yards with a touchdown in Monday’s preseason loss to Baltimore – Washington was without question the best offensive player on the field Monday, and it’s worth noting he did that damage in just one half (and on 10 touches) against a tough Baltimore defense playing most of its starters. He may be short, but Washington isn’t all that much smaller than plenty of backs who get 250-plus touches, and since the Jets deploy one of the best run-blocking units in the NFL (Nick Mangold is far and away the best center in the league), there’s some serious upside here. Of course, the previous coaching staff refused to give Washington ample touches, Thomas Jones remains on the team and is coming off a good year, and Shonn Greene is now around, so the path to stardom is still blocked. Still, new coach Rex Ryan is no dummy, so expect him to use Washington far more. He’s an excellent flier in the later rounds.

Pierre Thomas has an MCL sprain – Supposedly it’s minor, but this is something to obviously monitor. Thomas has huge upside, but if Reggie Bush somehow stays healthy, the receptions will dwindle, and there’s still no guarantee Thomas gets the goal-line work. However, the same question marks apply for most of the backs typically going in the first round of fantasy drafts, so assuming this injury isn’t serious, Thomas has to be considered in the early-to-mid second round. I took Kevin Smith over him in my home league Monday night, but that might have been an overreaction to the knee injury, and I have no doubt I’ll probably regret the decision.

Edgerrin James has agreed to a one-year, $2 million deal with Seattle – T.J. Duckett was subsequently cut. James outperformed Tim Hightower last year, but obviously expectations need to be held in check. This does highlight just how bad the RB situation is in Seattle. Expect a timeshare between James and Julius Jones this season.

Shaun Hill was announced as the 49ers’ starting quarterback – This had become a foregone conclusion, especially since Alex Smith suffered yet another injury, this one to his thumb (while he made an impressive tackle). Hill has a 7-3 record during his career as a starter, but it’s come against weak competition, and his lack of arm strength is apparent. Still, he can be a decent “game manager,” which fits well with the 49ers’ run-heavy attack. San Francisco set its franchise back 10 years by taking Smith over Aaron Rodgers four years ago.