NFL Player News

Winston is being put through increased no-huddle and scramble drills during mini-camp now that he has a full grasp of the offense, Scott Smith of the team's official site reports. "Jameis can handle a lot and does handle a lot every day," said [head coach Dirk] Koetter. "He can handle more than we're giving him. Compared to last year at this time, he knows way, way more than he did a year ago at this time. Also if you remember a year ago at this time, he was probably throwing three or four interceptions every single day and you saw even when things broke down today, Jameis pulled the ball down and ran. That's one thing we've been working hard on is our scramble drill."

The second-year quarterback heads into his sophomore campaign with considerable expectations due to his stellar rookie season, as well as his notable physical improvement this offseason. The benefit of working in head coach Dirk Koetter's offensive system for a second consecutive year is also reason for optimism, and the experience Winston gained while starting all 16 games in 2015 has coaches confident he's ready to take on additional responsibility this season. A new-look defense courtesy of first-year Bucs coordinator Mike Smith is also helping the effectiveness of the drills, as the unfamiliarity of the scheme has helped test Winston's decision-making with respect to when to take off on the ground as opposed to forcing a throw. Winston is also enjoying the pace of the no-huddle drills, as he feels it accentuates his natural abilities, along with those of his offensive teammates. "I think me playing fast-paced, the more you can cut out thinking, the better you are," said Winston. "Especially for the young guys that we have, we just get up there, you call a play and you go with it. Any time you can create rhythm and repetition of the same stuff it's good and it works, so I like no-huddle. Everyone likes no huddle."

Dolphins offensive coordinator Clyde Christensen said he wants Tannehill and the rest of the offense to play up-tempo the majority of the time, the Miami Herald reports.

Christensen and new head coach Adam Gase are expected to give Tannehill more freedom to audible at the line of scrimmage -- and playing at a faster pace gives him more time to make good decisions. Tannehill has never lacked for volume, attempting between 586 and 590 passes in each of the last three years, but it's quite possible he could set a new career-best mark if the new coaching staff stays true to its stated intentions. Miami is returning the key members of last year's receiving corps. and should have an improved offensive line, but it's unclear how well they'll run the ball with Jay Ajayi expected to replace Lamar Miller as the lead back.

Jones signed his rookie deal Tuesday, BuffaloBills.com reports.

The Bills' entire rookie class is now signed and sealed. Jones needs a lot more polish to become NFL ready - namely with his footwork and accuracy issues - and he's expected to be the team's No. 3 quarterback to start the season. His athleticism and size are off the charts, however, so the potential is there to fly past a disappointing EJ Manuel once Jones starts to "get it."

Bradford has separated himself from his challengers for the starting quarterback job, Chase Daniel and Carson Wentz, the Intelligencer reports.

Bradford already had a slight edge in the competition, but head coach Doug Pederson said Bradford strengthened his hold on the job during organized team activities.

Tannehill will be allowed to change plays at the line of scrimmage this season, Alain Poupart of Dolphins.com reports.

This will allow Tannehill to audible out of a play that the defense is prepared for and possibly put the Dolphins offense in a better chance to succeed. Tannehill has been studying the offense of Adam Gase as much as possible this spring so that he is up and running by the time training camp starts in July.

Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak referred to Siemian as "the sleeper" in Denver's quarterback competition, the Denver Post reports.

A 2015 seventh-round draft pick out of Northwestern, Siemian is one of three Denver quarterbacks getting first-team snaps at OTAs, joining veteran Mark Sanchez and first-round rookie Paxton Lynch. Though clearly the underdog, Siemian might benefit from having a year in Gary Kubiak's system under his belt, which can't be said for Sanchez or Lynch. Siemian didn't show much promise during his college career, posting a 27:24 TD:INT with -23 rushing yards on 142 career attempts.

Savage is fully healthy after missing all of last season due to a shoulder injury, the Houston Chronicle reports.

Savage reportedly threw the ball well during the Texans' OTAs this week, which marked his first team practices since landing on injured reserve with a severe shoulder sprain last year. While offseason signing Brock Osweiler's four-year, $72 million contract certainly makes him Houston's starter going forward, Savage's return to health figures to allow him to compete with Brandon Weeden for primary backup duties this season.

Mariota has only gained about five pounds this offseason, TitansInsider.com reports.

A previous report said Mariota played at 210 pounds as a rookie, but it turns out he was actually closer to 220. He now checks in at 225, hoping that the slight increase will help him stay healthy for 16 games. Despite finishing with a surprisingly low total of 34 carries (for 252 yards and 2 TDs) in 12 appearances, Mariota took a lot of hits last season while playing behind a shaky offensive line. The Titans responded by heavily investing in their offense during the offseason, notably adding RB DeMarco Murray, WR Rishard Matthews and C Ben Jones, then using early draft picks to select OT Jack Conklin (eighth overall) and RB Derrick Henry (45th). The team clearly plans to run the ball much more often than it did last season, but any drop in Mariota's passing volume should be offset by improved efficiency, increased rushing production and/or a bump in scoring opportunities. It would also help his cause if the team were generally more competitive, as last season's lack of carries may have partially resulted from the Titans' desire to avoid a serious injury to their franchise centerpiece during a clear rebuilding year. With the roster now decent enough to at least dream of a playoff appearance, Mariota should get to deploy his 4.52 speed a bit more often.

Lynch spent time with the first-team offense during the team period of OTAs, the team's official site reports

The fact that 2015 seventh-rounder Trevor Siemian got first dibs on reps with Mark Sanchez out in the team period shows that Denver is willing to ease Lynch in. Still, there's encouragement in reports that Lynch's arm slung balls through a stiff wind and impressed defensive teammates. Head coach Gary Kubiak said after practice that Lynch is still adjusting to the pro game, particularly with footwork. Once he acclimates, his big arm and athleticism could push him toward the top of the depth chart.

Mariota now weighs 225 pounds after playing at around 210 for most of his rookie season, Terry McCormick of TitansInsider.com reports.

Mariota weighed 222 at the 2015 combine, but he apparently dropped some pounds during training camp and/or the regular season. Weight hasn't been a big issue for him one way or the other, so he likely just added a few pounds to help with durability. He'll still be one of the fastest (4.52 40) quarterbacks in the NFL, but the Titans have maintained that they mostly want him to focus on improving his footwork and accuracy from the pocket. While that's obviously a necessary part of the position, it was surprising to see Mariota attempt just 34 rushes (for 252 yards and 2 TDs) in 12 games last season. He should be a bit more active on the ground in his sophomore campaign, though it's also possible some of his pass attempts from last year will turn into handoffs to DeMarco Murray and Derrick Henry. The Titans also added WR Rishard Matthews, and they hope to get much more out of both Dorial Green-Beckham and Kendall Wright; the former was a rookie last season and the latter was bogged down by injuries.