By Nick Shook
NFL.com
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Swap one injured back for another. That’s how it seems things are going so far in Miami’s camp.

One day after Arian Foster “annihilated” his conditioning test, earning him freedom from the physically unable to perform list, running back Jay Ajayi is missing Dolphins practice, NFL Media’s Jeff Darlington reported.

Ajayi is on the practice field, but on the side riding a stationary bike. That should be encouraging enough to expect he and Foster to resume their time together in the backfield in the near future, though it is sobering to consider the running back vying for a starting job is dealing with a knee issue before the team has even entered full pads.

Ajayi later told reporters, per The Miami Herald, that he’s currently battling a bone bruise in his knee but doesn’t expect to be out for very long.

Here are more injuries we’ve been tracking on Monday:

1. Carolina Panthers defensive end Kony Ealy remains in concussion protocol, according to the Charlotte Observer. Ealy suffered a helmet-to-helmet hit during Saturday’s practice session. Continue reading →

By Nick Shook
NFL.com
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Andre Johnson‘s AFC South odyssey now includes a third stop.

Less than 24 hours after Titans coach Mike Mularkey was quoted as saying Johnson “still looks like he can play,” Johnson is set to become a Titan.

The former University of Miami star receiver will make the jump to his third AFC South team, signing a two-year deal with Tennessee after spending 12 seasons in Houston and one in Indianapolis, the Titans announced.

After laughing off the Texans‘ expectation that he would only catch 40 passes in 2015, Johnson caught 41 balls for 503 yards and four touchdowns in his lone season in Indianapolis. Johnson showed signs of Father Time finally catching up to him, failing to separate from defensive backs and falling down the depth chart as the Colts‘ disappointing season progressed. It was a stark reminder that even the best athletes who seemingly don’t age can just as quickly get knocked down by the calendar. Continue reading →

By Nick Shook
NFL.com
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Hakeem Nicks is getting another chance in the NFL.

The 28-year-old wide receiver is signing a deal with the New Orleans Saints. Nicks tweeted a photo of the Saints logo Wednesday, which his agent Peter Schaffer later confirmed meant his pairing with the Saints.

New Orleans coach Sean Payton later told reporters no deal with Nicks has been officially signed. Continue reading →

By Nick Shook
NFL.com
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Jets players have reported to camp. Ryan Fitzpatrick wasn’t among that group. Rinse and repeat.

But wait! Could we have a sudden breakthrough on the Ryan Fitzpatrick stalemate?

NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reported Wednesday on NFL Network’s Inside Training Camp Live there’s a feeling that the Jets will make one last run at Fitzpatrick, trying to sign him before practice starts Thursday. Continue reading →

By Nick Shook
NFL.com
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With the opening of training camp comes the most dreaded moment on each football player’s calendar: the conditioning test.

Chalk up Mike Wallace as the latest to fall prey to the merciless beast. The Ravens wide receiver failed the test Wednesday, the team announced. Continue reading →

By Nick Shook
NFL.com
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If there’s any team in the NFL that understands natural disaster devastation, it’s the New Orleans Saints. When the Saints arrived to camp in West Virginia on Wednesday, coach Sean Payton decided to replace sprints with service. Continue reading →

By Nick Shook
NFL.com
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Ken Stabler’s long-overdue induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame will come with a fellow Gold Jacket welcoming him into the special fraternity.

Hall of Fame coach John Madden will present Stabler for induction via a prerecorded video, the Hall announced Tuesday. Together in Oakland for nearly a decade, Stabler and Madden reached their respective pinnacles together in the 1976 season, when the Raiders went 13-1 and won Super Bowl XI over the Minnesota Vikings. Two seasons later, Madden had had enough, citing burnout as the reason for his sudden retirement. The two never posted a losing season in Oakland. Continue reading →

By Nick Shook and Rachel Wenzlaff
NFL.com
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Training camp is here in full force. We’ve got you covered today with live coverage on NFL Network all day. On NFL.com, we’ll be featuring highlights from the television coverage and notes from our reporters in the field. Here are today’s whispers.

» Well, we know one person who won’t make the 53-man roster post-preseason: NFL Media’s Jeff Darlington. At Eagles camp in Philadelphia, Darlington took on a blocking sled and lost. See for yourself above…

» Wednesday begins with respect for Mother Nature, who apparently doesn’t want Redskins camp to begin without a hitch.

Backing up point-after attempts to increase difficulty is fine, but this is a bit extreme. Fortunately for kicker Dustin Hopkins, the organization is in the process of repairing the goalpost before practice begins. Continue reading →

By Nick Shook
NFL.com
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As training camps open in NFL cities across America, one veteran is hanging it up.

Defensive lineman Corey Wootton announced his retirement Tuesday on Twitter following five NFL seasons: Continue reading →

By Nick Shook
NFL.com
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Jimmy Garoppolo‘s first training camp as the starter — for the first four games — will start with a bit of an uphill battle.

The Patriots have placed Garoppolo’s top two receivers, Julian Edelman and Danny Amendola, on the physically-unable-to-perform list to start training camp. This leaves the third-year passer with Chris Hogan, fourth-round pick Malcolm Mitchell, Keshawn Martin, Aaron Dobson and Nate Washington to develop relationships and timing during the beginning of camp.

While the Patriots have made a tradition of getting the most out of otherwise marginal receivers, they typically anchored their receiving corps with one stellar wideout. But those teams were also quarterbacked by Tom Brady, who won’t be available in the first four weeks of the season. Continue reading →