With the first week of rookie minicamps in the books, there are some news and notes to monitor. Fortunately, there were no big injuries or overtly negative stories about prospects, but here are some important news and notes to monitor.
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Kalen Ballage (RB – MIA): “He’s a big man that runs fast and can catch the ball well”
Miami head coach Adam Gase had nice things to say about running back Kalen Ballage’s college tape and also noted his desire to have a competition at the running back position. The depth chart is not intimidating, with Kenyan Drake and Frank Gore as the current one-two punch. While Ballage was a day three pick, he has big-time athleticism and plus receiving ability at 228 pounds. Ballage has the makings of a player to acquire early in the offseason in the middle of the second round of rookie drafts, because his stock could rise steadily throughout the summer.
Derrius Guice (RB – WAS): “Our role for him is quite easy to see. It’s first, second down”
This became the headline from Jay Gruden’s press conference discussing Guice. But what was left out, “I’ve seen him at his pro day catch the football. He can catch the football fine[.]” Gruden’s quote spoke more to his need to improve in pass protection than it did to knock his ability to catch.
Thompson is locked into a receiving role but has never had sustained health. The narrative building around Guice is that he will only play on first and second down, which could drive his price down slightly in rookie drafts. This narrative is based more on 2018 than a long-term analysis, so the narrative offers some discount opportunity on Guice.
Alex McGough (QB – SEA): “Surprise of the day”
Seattle head coach Pete Carroll called seventh-round quarterback Alex McGough, the surprise of the day. Carroll also praised his arm strength, mobility, and ability to escape pressure at Florida International University. McGough was not talked about much at all in the pre-draft process, but lands in a good spot.
Austin Davis and Stephen Morris are on the roster, but neither has shown much in their career. If McGough can stick as Russell Wilson’s backup, he is worth monitoring because of Seattle’s poor offensive line. With a line that bad, Wilson is too frequently at risk.
Rashaad Penny (RB – SEA): “He can do whatever we need to do in the throwing game”
Pete Carroll also talked up Seattle’s first pick, Rashaad Penny. He spoke highly of his receiving ability and the work of offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer to use him in the passing game. Carroll also spoke up his size, toughness, and physicality. Carroll’s comments envision a three-down role, which seems appropriate considering the spent a first round pick on Penny with many other needs.
Lamar Jackson (QB – BAL): “The thing I was really impressed with is I thought he was accurate”
Baltimore head coach John Harbaugh talked up Lamar Jackson’s accuracy after rookie minicamp. He called Jackson a “natural arm talent,” a positive note considering his most prominent skill set is as a runner. There has been talk that the Jackson selection has motivated Joe Flacco and since there’s speculation that Jackson is likely a year or more away from an opportunity to start.
While Joe Flacco would be a dead cap of 16 million dollars if cut after the 2018 season, Baltimore would save 10 million dollars. If Baltimore continues to see growth from Jackson, the possibility of Flacco getting cut rises.
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Jordan McNamara is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Jordan, check out his archive and follow him @McNamaraDynasty.
