NFL Player News

Rams rookie wide receiver Tavon Austin said in an interview with NFL Network Friday he has built rapport with quarterback Sam Bradford.

"He looked for me a lot at practice," Austin said, per NFL.com. "He definitely believes in me and I definitely feel good about myself. He kind of talked to me, let me know the things I'm doing good, the things I'm doing bad as far as landmarks, if I should have kept the corner high or should I bend it off. I definitely believe he got a lot of trust in me and I got trust in him."

Nick Foles has a better chance to start for the Eagles than Michael Vick does. That's the opinion of Eagles beat writer Geoff Mosher of Comcast Sportsnet, who believes Vick has given up his lead in the race through the offseason workouts when both quarterbacks split reps 50-50. 

Mosher also notes that the Eagles' willingness to draft rookie quarterback Matt Barkley proved that they're not necessarily looking for a quarterback with mobility to run the offense. Instead, they want a passer who can make quick, timely decisions and throw with accuracy, qualities Vick hasn't always had. Their salaries -- Vick makes the most of any Eagles quarterback -- is a factor, too. 

Vick, Foles and Barkley will continue their battle when training camp opens in late July. 

Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill has worked with former Dolphins quarterback Chad Pennington this offseason.

The Miami Herald reports that Pennington, who worked as a quarterback consultant at some offseason Dolphins practices, said Tannehill visited him in Kentucky.

"I gave him a few handouts that I found in my notes concerning leadership, favorite quotes, etc., that I thought may be useful," Pennington said.

The report said they talked for awhile about "teamwork, media interaction" and more, then "went to the horse races at Keeneland."

The Packers are trying to do a better job of protecting quarterback Aaron Rodgers already.

The National Football Post reports that Rodgers is the only player in NFL history to twice throw for 4,000 yards in seasons where he absorbed 50-plus sacks. To try and fix that problem, the Packers have flipped tackle Bryan Bulaga and guard Josh Sitton from the right to the left side.

The coaches also think the switch will benefit with a running game that hasn't ranked higher than 20th in the league since 2009.

Eagles rookie quarterback Matt Barkley isn't expected to challenge Michael Vick or Nick Foles for the starting job this season.

But the National Football Post reports that Barkley "has been fairly impressive in offseason workouts, and could loom as a key piece in the club's long-term future." Barkley said he feels comfortable in new coach Chip Kelly's offense, especially since he's seen it before as Pac-12 competitors between USC and Oregon.

"Watching it, you at least get a feel for what they're trying to do, and with the tempo," Barkley said.

Dolphins receiver Brian Hartline likes the way quarterback Ryan Tannehill has performed this offseason, saying he "has taken a huge step" in the way he's playing.

"I couldn't ask for more," Hartline told the Miami Herald. "He's making every throw. He's got great touch. His deep ball is awesome."

Tannehill has a revamped receiving corps this offseason with Mike Wallace, Dustin Keller and Brandon Gibson joining Hartline.

An article on the Browns' official team website insinuated that quarterback Brandon Weeden would open training camp as the starter, suggesting he was "ready to take the next step in his professional career" while Jason Campbell and Brian Hoyer were "there to push him to improve in practice." 

No one from the Browns' coaching staff or front office has named Weeden the starter, but he took a ton of first-team reps this spring and is all but sure to be the starter Week 1 vs. the Dolphins. Weeden's ready for the opportunity but says he's not satisfied with his offseason work. 

"I'm right where I wanted to be," Weeden said earlier this month. "There's obviously some things or some throws that I need to work on, that I maybe didn't hit when I was out here, but overall, I think my progress was pretty good. We had 16 practices, and I think each practice got better. Not only for me, but the offense, the flow, how fast we were playing, we were still operating really fast. I'm pleased with it. Am I satisfied? Absolutely not."

Jets rookie quarterback Geno Smith feels like he's getting more comfortable with the offense in New York heading into training camp.

Smith told NFL.com that he's getting a better grasp of offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg's West Coast system after playing in the spread offense at West Virginia.

"I've already made a giant leap," Smith said. "Coming from a spread system where the biggest transition for me is going to be the footwork. It's not as if I can't do it, it's the fact that I haven't done it enough. The good amount of reps that I got in rookie camp, minicamp, OTAs has helped me make that leap and transition, and make giant strides. I have an opportunity to fight for a starting job in a great place right now, so I look forward to it."

Smith is competing with Mark Sanchez to start for the Jets this season.

Redskins backup quarterback Kirk Cousins told NFL Network that starter Robert Griffin III looked "awesome" during offseason workouts. Griffin is working his way back from multiple torn ligaments in his right knee. 

Cousins said he's preparing to be the starter in case Griffin isn't ready but believes Griffin will be ready for Week 1. 

"Obviously he is a bit of a freak in terms of his athleticism but he's healed very quickly," Cousins said. "He couldn't practice with us, he was on a spate field doing drills all spring ... he looked really good and I think he'll be ready to go in Week 1. But obviously my mindset is to be ready no matter what. And I'm getting ready all summer so I can be ready if called upon."

Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill is beginning to look like a veteran quarterback, reports the South Florida Sun Sentinel.

The report says Tannehill is making better checks at the line of scrimmage, appears to be throwing a better deep ball and is using the middle of the field better than he did in his rookie season.