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Training Camp Notes: Lavonte Gets Paid

This week's TCN is brought to you by riveting second- and third-team action in the year's first preseason game, and by the speech Junior Seau's daughter wasn't allowed to deliver at his posthumous Hall of Fame induction.

  • Duke Johnson (hamstring) has been ruled out for Thursday's preseason game against Washington. Isaiah Crowell got an early jump on claiming the Browns' starting running back spot due to injuries to Johnson and Terrence West (calf), but West returned to action Sunday, putting Johnson even further behind in the battle. Johnson's the most talented of the three, but if he can't get on the field he'll have a hard time proving it. If he's healthy though, I'd be very surprised if he isn't seeing at least a plurality of touches in the Cleveland backfield by midseason
  • Jonas Gray is looking very good so far, having dropped about 10 pounds in order to add a little more speed to his game, and should be locked in as the Patriots' lead back in Week 1 while LeGarrette Blount serves his suspension. What happens after that only Belichick knows, but if Gray looks good to open the season he might well continue to get touches and cut into Blount's value. The Pats are facing the Steelers in the opener though, who finished sixth last year in rushing yards allowed per game last year, so Gray's chances of having a big game aren't necessarily great
  • sticking with running backs, the forgotten man in the Falcons' backfield is suddenly getting first-team reps. Antone Smith, who had his season end early last year due to a broken leg, is seeing extra action thanks to hamstring injuries to Devonta Freeman and rookie Tevin Coleman. Smith is really just a change-of-pace back, but he was productive (if not downright explosive) in his limited touches in 2014 and if he proves he's fully recovered, he could end up having a bigger role than anyone expects as a complement to whoever wins the starting job
  • Breshad Perriman has yet to practice in training camp due to a knee injury, giving other Ravens receivers like Kamar Aiken a chance to get first-team reps and make a positive impression on the coaching staff. Perriman is still expected to open the season as a starter, not surprising given his first-round pedigree and the fact that his main competition is Kamar Aiken, but the more camp he misses, the harder it will be for him to make an impact right out of the gate
  • fantasy-relevant injury note from the Hall of Fame Game: Steelers kicker Shaun Suisham injured his knee making the tackle on the opening kickoff of the second half. There's no word yet on how serious it is, but if, worst-case scenario, he's done for the season Pittsburgh will have to scrounge around for a replacement who can handle the wind in Heinz Field. That could mean more two-point conversion attempts if they don't trust the new guy on 33-yard PATs. Not that you needed another excuse to draft Le'Veon Bell...
  • non-fantasy-relevant note from the Hall of Fame Game: we can debate whether Tony Romo (who has the stats) or Eli Manning (who has the rings) is the better QB, but there can be no debate that Tony's Direct TV ad wipes the floor with Eli's
  • IDP superstar Lavonte David signed a five-year extension with the Buccaneers that guarantees him $25 million. Tampa continued to upgrade its offense in the offseason, but the o-line and running game are still question marks and Jameis Winston is not a slam dunk to make a quick adjustment to the NFL, so expect David to see a ton of snaps and earn his paycheck in 2015
  • Eagles cornerback JaCorey Shepherd, who was their likely starter in the slot, was carted off the field Sunday with a knee injury. The Philly secondary was already thin after last week's trade of Brandon Boykin to the Steelers, and if Shepherd's injury proves to be serious the Eagles could find themselves in serious trouble in a division with slot receivers like Cole Beasley and Victor Cruz