Stephen Tulloch is one of the best middle linebackers in the league, especially in Detroit’s wide nine scheme, and was paid accordingly this offseason, signing a 5 year, 25 million dollar deal. However, there are now injury concerns with Tulloch. Tulloch has yet to practice in OTAs with a knee injury and while it was originally viewed as minor, Head Coach Jim Schwartz now says he’ll miss the rest of OTAs and possibly June minicamps with knee tendinitis. Tulloch insists his injury is minor, but we may differ in the definition of minor as he recently had an injection into the knee and reportedly cannot put any weight on it. He should be fine for Training Camp and onward, but these types of things can linger so it’s something to keep an eye on.

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After waiting until the 4^th round to draft a wide receiver in this past draft, the Browns still have one of the worst receiving corps in the NFL. According to Head Coach Pat Shurmur, Greg Little and Mohamed Massaquoi are penciled in as starters as of right now, but he acknowledged that could change. The organization is very high on 4^th round rookie Travis Benjamin and believe he could challenge Massaquoi opposite Little, as well as Josh Cribbs in the slot. Carlton Mitchell and undrafted rookie Josh Cooper are other players the organization really likes. It looks like it’s going to be a rough 1^st year for Brandon Weeden finding open targets, even if Greg Little has a breakout year.

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The Bengals failed to resign their #2 receiver, Jerome Simpson, this offseason as he had been arrested in a drug related incident and was facing league suspension. Simpson is now with the Vikings and will start the season with a 3 game suspension, while the Bengals are seemingly holding open auditions for Simpson’s old role opposite AJ Green.

The Bengals drafted Mohamed Sanu in the 3^rd round and Marvin Jones in the 5^th round to compete for that job and separate reports have also said that 2011 undrafted free agent Armon Binns and Patriots castoff Brandon Tate are also in the running for that job. That’s 4 players compete for one spot. With Jordan Shipley solidified in the slot, the losers will become nothing more than depth receivers and might not make the final 53 at all, unless the Bengals carry 6 receivers.

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When Leon Hall tore his Achilles last November, he was given a 9-12 month recovery. Now, it’s sounding like it will be closer to 12. He has yet to be medically cleared to practice at all for OTAs and some are speculating that he could begin the season on the PUP list. Hall is the Bengals best cover cornerback and was rewarded with a 5 year, 42 million dollar extension just 2 months before the injury. The Bengals defense was noticeably worse without him.

The Bengals have spent the offseason adding depth at the position, bringing in Dre Kirkpatrick through the draft with the 17^th overall pick, as well as Shaun Prater in the 5^th round, and adding veterans like Terence Newman and Jason Allen to go with Pacman Jones and Nate Clements. Obviously the Bengals can’t keep all of their cornerbacks and my money right now is on them cutting Nate Clements, who is injured and owed 4.3 million, and starting Jason Allen opposite Dre Kirkpatrick until Leon Hall can play.

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Along with teammate Trent Williams, Redskins tight end Fred Davis was suspended for 4 games in 2011 for failing a drug test. If he fails another one, he will be suspended for an entire year. Today, he vowed that would not happen and blamed his past failed test on the lockout. Davis is an incredibly talented tight end, who managed 59 catches for 796 yards and 3 touchdowns in just 12 games last year. With an upgrade at quarterback, he could be a very underrated fantasy tight end if he makes it through all 16 games this season.

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The Dolphins will be using a 4-3 defense in 2012, rather than their old 3-4, under new Head Coach Joe Philbin. Jared Odrick was a 1^st round pick in 2010, coming to the NFL as a defensive tackle from Penn State. In Miami’s 3-4, they played Odrick at defensive end, something college defensive tackles often do. Odrick was a prototypical fit for the position, the so called 5-technique. He missed all of his rookie year with injuries, but played well in a situational role in 2011 at a crowded position.

Even with the switch to a 4-3, it sounds like the 6-5 304 pounder will still be playing defensive end, at least in base packages. On obvious passing downs, 3^rd round pick rookie Olivier Vernon will come in for Odrick opposite Cameron Wake. Odrick could then slide inside and play defensive tackle with Randy Starks. Fully healthy and now on a less crowded defensive line, Odrick could be a full time player for the first time ever in 2012. If he is, there’s a good chance he has a breakout year and proves himself to be worth the 1^st round pick the Dolphins used on him 2 years ago.

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The Browns used the 22^nd overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft on Brandon Weeden, but it was incumbent starter Colt McCoy getting all the 1^st team snaps when OTAs opened for the Browns today. I wouldn’t read much into this at all. The inexperienced Oniel Cousins opened as the 1^st string right tackle over 2^nd round pick Mitchell Schwartz as well. Some teams just make rookies earn their starting job and the Browns appear to be one of them.

Both Weeden and Schwartz will start week 1, as will Trent Richardson. Travis Benjamin and John Hughes will also compete for starting jobs as rookies. This is more an indictment on their 2011 talent, rather than a positive for their 2012 draft class. Weeden is 29 this season and will need to make an impact right away as a rookie. Colt McCoy has been shopped about some this offseason, but if they can’t find a taker through a trade, it appears the Browns will keep both him and Seneca Wallace as backups, rather than cutting one or the other.

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Needing young cornerback depth, the 49ers took a flier on Perrish Cox, formerly of the Denver Broncos, this offseason, signing him to a bare minimum deal. Cox, 25, had recently been cleared of sexual assault charges and while he didn’t play in 2011 while dealing with the trial, the 49ers took a chance on a former starter.

However, they might not get his services for the entire 16 games this year as CSN Bay Area reports he could still face league discipline. This certainly wouldn’t be unprecedented. Just ask Ben Roethlisberger, who was suspended for 4 games in 2010 after sexual assault accusations and his case never even went to trial. It’s also worth noting that Cox is facing a civil lawsuit from the alleged victim, as is former Broncos teammate Demaryius Thomas, who was allegedly present around the time of the incident. When Cox is available for the 49ers in 2012, he’ll likely just be a depth cornerback.

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When the Cowboys gave up their 2^nd round pick and traded up 8 spots with the St. Louis Rams to grab Morris Claiborne with the 6^th overall pick of the 2012 NFL Draft, many believed that Mike Jenkins would be traded. He was not, as the Cowboys hoped he would provide them extra depth, but they might not be able to keep him for that purpose. Jenkins is reportedly not happy with being a backup and wants to be traded, according to the Fort-Worth Star Telegram. Jenkins has been absent from the start of OTAs for this reason.

Jenkins, the 25^th overall pick in the 2008 NFL Draft, is owed just 1.052 million this season, the final year of a 5-year rookie deal. He was a Pro Bowler in 2009, but has struggled in each of the last 2 seasons since, thanks, in some part, to injuries. There was a report that suggested Detroit could be interested because they had interest in him with the 17^th overall pick in 2008, when they opted for Gosder Cherilus instead. While Jenkins would fill a need for the Lions, the regime in charge in 2008 is completely gone so I don’t know why that’s relevant.

Wherever he goes, the Cowboys probably won’t get much more than a late round pick for him and may have to just cut him outright if they can’t find a taker. Jenkins doesn’t fill a need or anything for the Cowboys. They have Brandon Carr and Orlando Scandrick, two guys they’ve given big contracts to over the past 2 offseason, and, of course, Claiborne, the 6^th overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft. They viewed Jenkins as just insurance, which clearly he was not pleased with.

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