NFL Player News

Murray impressed his Cardinals teammates during the offseason program, ESPN.com's Josh Weinfuss reports.

Starting right guard Justin Pugh said Murray lives up to the hype, and left guard J.R. Sweezy -- formerly of the Seahawks -- said he sees "hundreds of similarities" between the rookie and Russell Wilson. Running back David Johnson also jumped on the hype train, noting that Murray is faster, quicker and more accurate than he'd expected. With no competition for the starting job, the No. 1 overall pick will dominate first-team reps throughout training camp and preseason as he gears up for a Week 1 start against the Lions. His supporting cast at the skill positions appears promising, while the offensive line relies on a tenuous mix of players that have struggled to stay healthy, including Pugh, LT D.J. Humphries, RT Marcus Gilbert, C A.Q. Shipley and G Max Garcia. New coach Kliff Kingsbury will install an offense that relies heavily on quick passes, potentially mitigating the impact of any deficiencies in pass blocking. Murray didn't have any trouble with batted passes at Oklahoma, but the scheme could create some issues in that regard for a 5-foot-10 quarterback facing larger, savvier defenders in the NFL.

Trubisky feels much more confident in his second season under coach Matt Nagy, John Kampf of The News-Herald reports.

The core of the Chicago offense looks quite similar to last season, only with Mike Davis and David Montgomery replacing Jordan Howard in the backfield while Cordarrelle Patterson potentially adds a new wrinkle to both the passing game and rushing attack. The offseason moves show an emphasis on versatility, with the Bears presumably hoping to use their running backs as receiving threats and their wide receivers as occasional ballcarriers. Trubisky's individual growth will be the most important factor, but there's additional potential for major development with Anthony Miller, who was limited by shoulder injuries throughout this rookie season. It also can't hurt to have Allen Robinson further removed from the ACL tear that wiped out his 2017 campaign in Jacksonville, and Trey Burton (sports hernia) could be a bit better in his second season as a starter.

McSorley has taken practice reps on special teams, including some as a punt returner, Ryan Mink of the Ravens' official website reports.

The rookie sixth-round pick may be Baltimore's version of Taysom Hill rather than a competitor for Robert Griffin's backup quarterback job. That being said, McSorley ran a 4.57-second 40-yard dash at 202 pounds, while Hill blazed 4.44 at 230 pounds back in 2017. The latter is a freak athlete by any standard, while the former merely is fast by the standards of a quarterback. It does make sense to develop McSorley as a long-term backup for Lamar Jackson, whose speed demands an offensive system much different from any other in the NFL. The Ravens likely will keep McSorley inactive on gamedays his rookie season, or perhaps even try to stash him on the practice squad or injured reserve. His best shot at a rookie-year impact is a small role on trick plays and some snaps on special teams.

McCoy (leg) shouldn't be counted out of the quarterback competition, according to JP Finlay of NBC Sports Washington.

McCoy has been with the team throughout Jay Gruden's tenure as head coach, while Case Keenum and Dwayne Haskins are still learning a new system. Despite being limited to rehab work throughout the offseason program, McCoy is on track to practice at the start of training camp in late July. He should still be viewed as the underdog, but it does appear to be a legitimate three-way battle.

Mahomes has been working to improve his footwork in the pocket this offseason, Dianna Russini of ESPN reports.

Mahomes has a big enough arm to often make up for his poor footwork, but growth in that area could help him raise an already impressive 66 completion percentage in his first year under center. He may have to adjust to life without one of his biggest weapons from 2018, however, as Tyreek Hill remains suspended indefinitely from team by the Chiefs. Perhaps in preparation for Hill's suspension carrying over into the regular season, Mahomes has been working on developing more chemistry with Sammy Watkins in the early stages of the offseason.

According to Mike O'Hara of the Lions' official site, Stafford played with "broken bones in his back" during the later stages of the 2018 season.

A regular on Lions injury reports over the final four weeks of the campaign, Stafford wasn't listed as less than limited on any of them while gutting out a back injury. The extent of the issue wasn't revealed until O'Hara's proclamation, though. With that knowledge, it's understandable why Stafford dipped below 200 passing yards twice in that four-game stretch after doing so just two times in the first 12 contests of the season. His health hasn't been a question mark during the offseason program as he acclimates to a more run-based offense under the direction of coordinator Darrell Bevell. Considering that development, Stafford's output could take a hit, though the presence of rising third-year wideout Kenny Golladay (chest) doesn't hurt his cause.

Offensive coordinator Kevin Stefanski expects Cousins to take a big step forward in his second season with the Vikings, NFL.com's Jeremy Bergman reports. "Having one year under his belt around his teammates is a big deal and there's so much that goes into understanding the nuances of each one of your receivers and your tight ends and knowing how they come out of routes," Stefanski said.

Cousins finished his first season in Minnesota with career highs for completion percentage (70.1) and passing touchdowns (30), but he produced just 6.6 YPA after a Week 10 bye as the team stumbled to a 3-4 finish and missed the playoffs. Stefanski was promoted to replace John DeFilippo as offensive coordinator for the final three weeks, helping secure two easy victories prior to a season-ending collapse against the Bears in Week 17. The Vikings seem to be tweaking their philosophy and terminology rather than overhauling, with the hope that some offseason changes can put the same core group of players in better positions to succeed. A shaky offensive line got some help in the form of first-round pick Garrett Bradbury and free-agent signing Josh Kline, while offensive advisor Gary Kubiak should be a useful asset for the coaching staff. There's also some hope the offense can become more versatile, with second-round pick Irv Smith Jr. potentially allowing for increased use of formations with multiple tight ends. The Vikings had three wideouts on the field for 69 percent of their snaps last season, despite getting minimal production from No. 3 receiver Laquon Treadwell.

Darnold and the Jets offense struggled during June minicamp, though dropped passes were part of the problem, Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News reports.

Darnold's work throughout the offseason program has mostly drawn praise from the media, but it sounds like the Gang Green defense got the best of the offense in the final few practices before training camp. In addition to learning a new scheme from coach Adam Gase, the 22-year-old quarterback is trying to get comfortable with offseason acquisitions Le'Veon Bell and Jamison Crowder. The Jets have a well-balanced group of pass catchers, though tight end could be a weak spot early in the season with Chris Herndon expected to serve a short suspension.

Garoppolo (knee) took a single rep in full-team drills during Wednesday's practice, Joe Fann of the 49ers' official site reports.

Garoppolo completed a pass to Dante Pettis on the play. Coach Kyle Shanahan said Tuesday that Garoppolo was not yet cleared for team drills, according to Jennifer Lee Chan of NBC Sports Bay Area, and this single practice rep shouldn't serve as evidence that the quarterback's status has changed. However, even if he didn't fully "return to team drills," Garoppolo's activity is nonetheless a small step in the right direction in his recovery from a torn ACL. Garoppolo should be back on the field for training camp late next month.

Garoppolo (knee) is doing individual drills and 7-on-7 work at mandatory minicamp, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.

Garoppolo has been throwing on a field since January and participating in 7-on-7 sessions throughout the offseason program. He's on track to participate in full-team practices at the start of training camp, but his mobility may be limited for the foreseeable future while he plays with a large brace over his surgically repaired knee. The typical outcome for quarterbacks returning from ACL tears is that they're able to play the next season but aren't quite at their best. Then again, Deshaun Watson ran for 551 yards and five touchdowns on 99 carries last season, also completing 68.3 percent of his passes for 8.2 yards per attempt with 26 touchdowns and nine interceptions. Watson suffered his ACL tear in early November of 2017, while Garoppolo's happened in late September of 2018.