NFL Player News

Geno Smith may have gained a "slight edge" over Mark Sanchez in the Jets' quarterback battle, ESPN New York's Rich Cimini said on NFL Live. "If Mark [Sanchez] has more days like this," Cimini said, "we could see a changing of the guard at QB."

With Jaguars quarterback <player idref= sitting out with an ankle injury, <player idref= Chad Henne got more snaps than usual. In 30 snaps Wednesday, Henne hit 14 of 19 throws, reports the Florida Times-Union.

Gabbert hopes to practice Thursday.

Quarterbacks Luke McCown and Seneca Wallace have gotten equal reps with the Saints' second unit as they vie to be Drew Brees' backup, reports the Times-Picayune. McCown's reps might increase now that Wallace is dealing with a minor groin injury.

Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton doesn't have competition for playing time, but he still faces questions about his future as the team's franchise quarterback, reports ESPN.

Dalton has been to the playoffs twice and has 47 touchdown passes in 32 games. But he's 0-2 in the playoffs and has looked shaky in training camp.

The report says Dalton went from having a rhythm in the first two days to forcing throws into coverage over the next couple of practices. The Bengals, though, remain supportive.

"The way he's commanded the offense, he knows it's his team now," receiver A.J. Green said. 

Jaguars quarterback Blaine Gabbert was back at practice Wednesday per the Florida Times-Union, just days after being carted from the sideline with an ankle injury. The injury was never considered serious.

Gabbert is expected to resume his camp battle with Chad Henne for the starting QB job. 

Percy Harvin says he'll need surgery on his hip with the recovery time reportedly at three-to-four months. That probably makes him a candidate to begin the year on injured reserve with the "designated to return" tag. 

That return could come conveniently after the Seahawks' bye week, but that's Week 12. So an owner who drafts Harvin might have him for one week of the Fantasy regular season and then the postseason. Maybe. That makes him useless for my roster unless we're talking about a league with deep benches or long-term formats. Forget about him if you're in a typical draft. 

The move opens the door for Golden Tate to keep his lot with the Seahawks. Per ProFootballFocus.com Tate played on 77.3 pct. of the team's snaps last year and was on the field more toward the end of the year after he established himself. There's room for him to improve on the 45-catch, 688-yard, seven-touchdown season he just had. Pete Carroll telling CBSSports.com NFL Insider Jason La Canfora that Tate is being used "in everything" is also a positive.

His upside is strong, making him the more appealing receiver in Seattle over Sidney Rice, who still has some issues with his knee apparently.

As for Russell Wilson, he's not quite as attractive without Harvin there. We've seen Harvin inflate quarterback numbers in the past and even though Wilson had a monster year without him last season it's tough to see him maxing out his stats again with the same crew. He's going to slide in my rankings. 

Blaine Gabbert might not miss any practice time with his sprained right ankle, reports the Florida Times-Union. The Jaguars are off Tuesday and the team hopes Gabbert will return Wednesday.

Gabbert limped off the field after he was accidentally kicked in the shin by guard Uche Nwaneri. But he was walking without a boot in the locker room. "I'm good," Gabbert told the paper.

The " data-canon="Cincinnati Bengals" data-type="SPORTS_OBJECT_TEAM" id="shortcode0"> return every starter from an offense that ranked 12th in scoring last year at 24.4 points per game, notes ESPN.com. Quarterback Andy Dalton<player idref= says that continuity should pay off.

"Having everybody back, there's a consistency out there," the third-year pro said. "You know how the center plays and how the centers make the calls. You know how the receivers run routes. You know what the back is going to be doing. All of that is just going to make us better."

The Bengals averaged 224 passing yards (17th, NFL) last season after averaging 209 (20th) in Dalton's rookie year.

"I expect to be better this year than I was last year," Dalton said. "I expect this team to be better than we were last year."

Jets coach Rex Ryan likes the fact that Geno Smith has not been picked off in camp, but says the rookie quarterback must get rid of the ball quicker. Smith took two sacks Monday in a 5-for-10 passing performance that included a touchdown and two drops, according to the New York Post.

Mark Sanchez hit 3 of 6 throws with an interception and a sack.

Jaguars quarterback Blaine Gabbert sprained his right ankle and will be re-evaluated over the next couple of days. But the official team website reports Gabbert gave a thumbs up in the locker room when asked if he was OK. 

Gabbert should resume his battle with Chad Henne to start for the Jaguars within the next week.