The Saints used a first round pick on Mark Ingram in 2011, but he had a disappointing rookie season, rushing for just 474 yards and 5 touchdowns on 122 carries. Some expect him to have a breakout season in his 2^nd year, but he already had a deep running back corps (Pierre Thomas and Darren Sproles) as well as a coaching staff who hasn’t given a back more than 176 carries since 2006 working against him for 2012.

Now it appears that injuries will once again work against him. Ingram has lingering turf toe problems as well as a recently operated on knee, the same knee that caused him to fall from the mid teens to the late 20s on draft day. Today, interim Head Coach Joe Vitt said that Ingram would likely be limited for the start of Training Camp in August. There’s definitely a buyer beware on him for fantasy football owners.

The Redskins resigned Tim Hightower this week, giving them a 4^th running back to go with Roy Helu, Evan Royster, and rookie Alfred Morris. It was believed that Hightower was brought in to be a #2 back, but Mike Jones of the Washington Post believes Hightower could start for them. This makes some sense because Hightower is such a well rounded back and he played well to start the season last year before a knee injury. Roy Helu averaged a higher YPC as the starter after Hightower got hurt and Royster was solid as a backup last year.

Meanwhile, Mike Shanahan has been talking up rookie Alfred Morris in rookie camp. Shanahan changes his mind often with running backs and he seems to have set himself with the ability to do so several times during the season this year. It’ll once again be a frustrating situation for fantasy owners. Gun to my head, I’d rank the 4 backs Helu, Hightower, Royster, and Morris in the order I value them in fantasy.

The Titans have already brought back their two starting safeties from 2011 this offseason, franchising Michael Griffin and resigning Jordan Babineaux long term. They also added a safety in the 6^th round of the 2012 NFL Draft, Markelle Martin, which could end up being a steal as Martin was once seen as a 3^rd or 4^th round pick before an injury.

However, they don’t appear to be done adding safeties as they brought in two veteran safeties, Chris Crocker and Yeremiah Bell, for visits. They seem committed to adding depth at the position so it’s likely they sign one of them. Crocker and Bell were both cut this offseason, by the Bengals and the Dolphins respectively, but both were starters last season, albeit below average starters on the wrong side of 30.

When the Eagles’ Jason Peters, one of the league’s top offensive lineman in 2011, tore his Achilles in March, the Eagles wasted no time in finding a replacement, signing Demetress Bell, formerly of the Buffalo Bills. Peters was fully expected to miss the entirety of the 2012 season and the Eagles prepared themselves for that. It didn’t get any better for Peters today, as he ruptured that same Achilles injury once again. This will add at least another 3 weeks to his recovery, and further solidifies the belief that he will not play in 2012. It also could lead the more long term issues as he tries to return in 2013 and beyond. Peters may never be the same player again.

According to Panthers insider Darin Gantt, Brandon LaFell is expected to be the Panthers #2 receiver once again in 2012 opposite Steve Smith. This makes a lot of sense since LaFell was solid in that role last season in his 2^nd year in the NFL. There was some speculation that David Gettis could challenge for that job after coming back from a major injury suffered in 2011, but it appears he won’t, at least not seriously.

Earlier this month, Adam Schefter predicted that LaFell could be a breakout star of the 2012 season. A 3^rd round pick out of LSU, Lafell is entering his 3^rd season, a year when young receivers often breakout. He has some sleeper value in fantasy leagues with Steve Smith getting up there in age opposite him.

Phil Taylor tore his pectoral muscle last week lifting weights and he’ll have surgery to repair it this week on May 16^th. The recovery time is expected to be 4-6 months for the 2011 1^st round pick out of Baylor. He’ll almost definitely start the season on the PUP and might not play until November or December or not at all if the Browns are predictably out of the mix by that point. The Browns have to be feeling fortunate that they used 2 draft picks on depth defensive tackles in John Hughes and Billy Winn in the 2012 NFL Draft. Both should now see immediately action as rookie next to veteran Ahtyba Rubin at defensive tackle.

If there was any doubt that the Jaguars would be sticking with Blaine Gabbert at quarterback, new Head Coach Mike Mularkey erased all of it today by saying that there would be no competition for the starting job. Gabbert struggled mightily as a rookie, but they got him two new receivers this offseason and they invested the 10^th overall pick on him in 2011. They did sign backup Chad Henne, but he’s hardly a proven starter in this league either. They’ll give Gabbert one more chance and if he struggles, some, including GM Gene Smith could be fired. In that case, Gabbert would have a lot less job security.

It’s been known for almost the entire offseason that the Titans will have an open competition at quarterback, but Head Coach Mike Munchak confirmed this today by saying that neither of their two quarterbacks would be handed the starting quarterback job. Matt Hasselbeck was the starter for most of last season and he was decent, but he’s 37 in September and Locker played even better in limited action last year. In my mind, the #8 overall pick in 2011, Locker, is the favorite for the job, but clearly nothing is decided yet.

Since being drafted 14^th overall in 2008, Chris Williams has played every offensive line spot for the Bears, except for center, with minimal success anywhere. Now it appears that Williams, their starting left guard last season, will be going back to where it all started for him, left tackle. Williams would provide competition for J’Marcus Webb, an athletic kid that offensive coordinator Mike Tice likes, who has really struggled in the first 2 years of his career after being taken in the 7^th round in 2010. Edwin Williams, who played well in Chris Williams’ absence down the stretch last year, seems to be the favorite at left guard. Williams might not start anywhere in 2012 if he doesn’t have a good camp.

On a day where Wes Welker himself said he would not hold out into the season, Matt Forte reportedly will not do so as well, though unlike with Welker, Forte himself didn’t say it. Brad Briggs of the Chicago Tribune reports that there is “no chance” that Forte holds out into the season. I wouldn’t call it as sure thing as Welker and while I don’t expect either to hold out into the season, I do expect Forte’s holdout to last longer, maybe even into training camp.

Forte and the Bears are not close in contract negotiations and Forte was offended when the Bears signed Michael Bush to be his backup, before giving him the extension he wanted. If Forte holds out long into Training Camp, he could get out of shape like Chris Johnson was early last season after a long holdout.