Rashard Mendenhall tore his ACL week 17 last year and the Steelers are handling the situation such that they’ll view anything they can get from Mendenhall in 2012 a bonus. They’ve talked up new lead back Isaac Redman this offseason and used a 5^th round pick on Chris Rainey to go with Redman and Jonathan Dwyer. However, Mendenhall hasn’t ruled out a return for the Steelers’ opener.

Any talk of that is overly optimistic at this point. My money would be on him starting the season on the PUP and returning sometime around October or November. If Isaac Redman impresses in Mendenhall’s absence, he might not find the lead back job available when he returns and instead have to settle for a split in carries between him and Redman in the final year of his rookie deal. He might not be resigned either after the season. Nothing is certain at all for Mendenhall in the future.

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After Jamaal Charles tore his ACL week 2 last season, the Chiefs are being very cautious with him this offseason and are holding him out of organized team activities until Training Camp. The Chiefs will be doing the same thing with Eric Berry and Tony Moeaki, who suffered similar injuries at similar times last season, just to be cautious. ESPN’s Chris Mortensen reports that the Chiefs aren’t too worried about him and I’m not either.

I think he could be a valuable buy low candidate in fantasy football, with a career 6.1 YPA. The Chiefs plan to run the ball a ton this season so there should be plenty of carries to go around with Charles and Peyton Hills like there were with Charles and Thomas Jones in 2010. His injury situation and recovery is definitely one to monitor, however.

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Chris Johnson is coming off his worst and most disappointing season as a pro, rushing for just 1047 yards and 4 touchdowns on 262 carries last year after being made the 2^nd highest paid running back in the league before the season. Johnson’s struggles last season were blamed on him failing in stay in shape during a holdout that lasted most of the offseason. The numbers back this up. In his last 8 games, he carried the ball 141 times for 681 yards and 3 touchdowns, as opposed to 121 times for 366 yards and a touchdown in his first 8.

Johnson has vowed to be in even better shape for the entirety of the 2012 season and he seems to be making good on his promise. Normally he works out at home in Orlando in the offseason and skips the voluntary parts of the offseason, but this offseason he is participating in all of the offseason program, even the voluntary parts.

The Titans coaching staff has been very pleased with him and he looks poised to have a bounce back season next year, especially after the Titans upgrading his interior blocking by adding Steve Hutchinson. He’ll be a big part of a potentially explosive Titans offense with Jake Locker/Matt Hasselbeck, Nate Washington, Kendall Wright, Jared Cook, and hopefully a healthy Kenny Britt. He’s a nice buy low candidate in fantasy football. The Titans better hope he bounces back. He’s owed 43 million over the next 5 seasons.

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According to the Denver Post, the Denver Broncos are very impressed with Ronnie Hillman early in OTAs. They made him their #2 running back even before OTAs and he has impressed throughout, especially as a pass catcher. They used a 3^rd round pick him and now they expect him to make an immediate contribution. His role should start out as a change of pace back behind Willis McGahee, but McGahee is up there in age and it wouldn’t surprise me at all if Hillman led the team in carries this season. He’s a definitely fantasy sleeper.

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Knowshon Moreno was the 12^th pick of the 2009 NFL Draft by the Denver Broncos by Josh McDaniels, but like most of McDaniels’ picks, Moreno has yet to pan out. Moreno has been plagued by injuries and has not been that good when healthy in 3 years with the team. When hurt last year, he lost his starting job for good to Willis McGahee and the Broncos’ new regime clearly doesn’t believe in him the way McDaniels did, drafting a similar running back, Ronnie Hillman, in the 3^rd round of the 2012 NFL Draft.

That dropped Moreno immediately to 3^rd on the depth chart and he might not be done slipping. According to the Denver Post’s Lindsay Jones, Moreno, who is still not 100% from a torn ACL, will have to battle with Lance Ball and Mario Fannin just to stay on the roster. Ball carried the ball 96 times for 402 yards and a score last year, while Fannin is a 2011 undrafted free agent who the organization is high on now that he’s back from a torn ACL.

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In a surprising prediction, Steelers’ cornerback Keenan Lewis is predicting he’ll make the Pro Bowl this season. Teammate Ike Taylor seconded the opinion, saying that “expectations are sky high” for Lewis. Lewis, a 2009 3^rd round pick, first has to win the starting cornerback job opposite Taylor. He’s never been a starter in the NFL, but with William Gay gone, he’ll get a chance this season. He’ll have to beat out Cortez Allen (4^th round 2011) and Curtis Brown (3^rd round 2011) to win the starting job. Even if he does, the Pro Bowl will be a long way away. This just sounds like a case of a guy hyping himself up to get attention. At least he’s confident.

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Mike Jenkins lost his starting job with the Cowboys this offseason after they brought in Brandon Carr in free agency, giving him a massive contract, and Morris Claiborne in the draft, trading away a 2^nd round pick to move up 8 spots to grab him 6^th overall. Jenkins was not happy about this and asked to be traded, but the Cowboys are refusing to do so.

Still, the Indianapolis Colts are trying to acquire him. Needing a veteran cornerback as they are slated to start Jerraud Powers and Kevin Thomas this season, the Colts have made the Cowboys several offers for Jenkins, all of which the Cowboys have declined, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The Colts ranked 26^th against the pass last season, allowing 7.8 YPA, and could rank in a similar spot this season unless they get some help.

It’s unclear if Jenkins is that help, however. Yes, he’s a former Pro Bowler, but there’s a reason he lost his starting job and is currently the Cowboys’ #4 cornerback. Since his 2009 Pro Bowl season, Jenkins has allowed 88 of 143 (61.5%) for 1334 yards (9.3 YPA), 10 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions. The Cowboys remain adamant that he will not be traded right now, so the Colts will have to make the Cowboys an offer they can’t refuse. For a cornerback in the final year of his deal, it would not be wise for the Colts to do so.

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When Hakeem Nicks broke a bone in his foot yesterday, he was given an initial recovery of around 3 months, which would, as Tom Coughlin said, put him in a race for their week 1 game, especially since the Giants start 4 days earlier than everyone else, on Thursday Wednesday Night Football. However, a day later, the prognosis doesn’t look as bleak.

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, some people with knowledge of the situation think it could be closer to a 4-6 week recovery and that the Giants aren’t too worried about his week 1 availability. Still, the only statement made by the Giants themselves was one of uncertainty for week 1, though, of course, this was yesterday. We’ll probably know more after he has surgery this Friday. It’ll definitely be a situation to monitor because, if healthy and reliable, he’s a surefire top-10 fantasy wide receiver and a huge part of the Giants’ offense.

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Though the Eagles used a 3^rd round pick on Nick Foles, the organization sees him as more of a developmental quarterback of the future than someone they want to play this year. Given that, it’ll be a competition between two veterans, Trent Edwards and Mike Kafka, to be the #2 quarterback behind Michael Vick. Foles will be the #3 quarterback for this season.

Given that Edwards didn’t attempt a pass last season, Kafka has the inside track at the #2 job. He was their #3 quarterback last year and has 2 years of experience in the system after going in the 4^th round in the 2010 NFL Draft. Kafka has been impressing in Eagles OTAs so far, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane.

Kafka spent a lot of time this offseason in the weight room working on his arm strength, one of his biggest weaknesses. It’s showing on the field as he reportedly is making throws he once couldn’t. Kafka has 16 career attempts, with 11 completions for 107 yards, no touchdowns, and 2 interceptions. It sounds like he’ll be the #2 quarterback and Edwards will be cut. He should make several starts this season given Vick’s injury history.

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Last offseason, Bryant McKinnie showed up to Vikings camp so overweight out of the lockout, almost 400 pounds, that the Vikings cut him even though they didn’t have a true replacement on the roster. This led to them having to sign the mediocre Charlie Johnson to be their left tackle and he predictably struggled, leading to the Vikings using the 4^th overall pick on Matt Kalil.

McKinnie got a chance in Baltimore and was able to get into good enough shape to be a solid left tackle for the Ravens, allowing Michael Oher to play right tackle, his more natural position. McKinnie allowed 7 sacks, 29 pressures, and committed 7 penalties in 18 total games. 33 in September, McKinnie was brought back for the 2012 season and has been working very hard to get into even better shape.

He has been meeting with the coaching staff and strength trainers 4 days a week to get to his target weight of 345. He is an a contract year in 2012 and how he plays this season will likely determine whether or not he gets a starting job on the open market in 2013. If not, he may have to retire or wait for an injury somewhere.

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