Football

David Gettis has been a bit of a mystery for the Panthers. In what can only be described as a minor miracle due to the revolving door of putridness at quarterback, he had a solid rookie campaign in 2010 alongside fellow rookie receiver Brandon LaFell. But, that's all he's done thus far in Carolina. It's not entirely his fault though. In 2011 he tore his ACL during training camp and missed the entire season, and in 2012 he was unable to get off the PUP list due to an aggravated hamstring that kept him out of action for most of the season. While he appeared in two games last season for the Panthers, he didn't record any stats, and other than the 37 receptions for 508 yards he logged as a rookie - the stat sheet doesn't show him as being part of the team at all. Hopefully for Gettis, that will change this year. Panthers head coach Ron Rivera is already saying positive things about Gettis, as evidenced in the tweet below from ESPN 730's Bobby Rosinski: David Gettis on the field today for Panthers, Ron Rivera - "he's coming back...he's had a couple nice days, we need that competition" — Bobby Rosinski (@BobbyRosinski) May 23, 2013 With a wide receiver corps that is in desperate need of playmakers to complement Steve Smith, now is the time for Gettis to shine and prove that he does belong on the field for the Panthers. According to Rivera, he's making the steps necessary to accomplish that goal. It's still way too early to tell if Gettis will make the final 53 man roster, but if what Rivera said about him today is any indication of his future in Carolina, don't count him out just yet.

Things to note: This is a 3 deep 4 under zone coverage. Allows 8 men in the box for run support. In base Cover 3 the Corners align at Off-Man depth (7 yds from LOS). Single safety high. He has to play with range. Only 4 underneath zones means each player covers more area than in Cover 2. SS and opposite OLB have curl-flat responsibility. They will protect the seam until they are threatened to the flat. Pressure with the front 4 is essential to success. Over the next few weeks we will look at routes designed to attack Cover 3, and move to some other types of coverages in preparation for Training Camp. More Cowboys Coverage America's Team: An Interactive Map of the Cowboys Roster News & Notes: "Dez Bryant Can Play So Much Better", OTA Recaps, More Cowboys Dez Bryant May Be Comfortable But Not Necessarily Complacent Building The Cowboys Roster: 2014 Draft and Positions of Strength Dallas Cowboys Rookies: Evaluating The Playing Time of Recent Rookie Classes Cowboys OTA Day One: Video Recap Plus Guestimate Depth Charts Cowboys Crunchtime W/ KD: Episode 2.4 Featuring Joey Ickes

With the Detroit Lions failing to land Josh Cribbs, it appears they are going to focus on in-house candidates as they continue to search for a new returner. They need to replace Stefan Logan, who struggled mightily last season as both the kick and punt returner, and at this point their best bet may simply be someone who is already on the roster. So who exactly has a shot to land the job? Tim Twentyman reports that seven different players got a chance to return punts during Wednesday's OTA: running backs Reggie Bush and Steven Miller and wide receivers Mike Thomas, Patrick Edwards, Lance Long, Terrence Austin and Cody Wilson. It's unknown who is in the mix for the kick returner job, but these seven players are evidently being considered for the punt return unit. Bush is by far the most notable player on the list. Actually, he's really the only player on the list who is a lock to make the 53-man roster. Bush is expected to start at running back, and Jim Schwartz hinted at the possibility of using Bush on special teams a couple months ago. The obvious downside would be risking injury, but the upside is that having Bush return punts would put the ball in the hands of one of the Lions' most explosive players. Guys like Miller, Edwards, Long, Austin and Wilson really need to perform well on special teams to simply make the 53-man roster. Winning the return job would obviously go a long way toward solidifying a spot on the roster for those guys, and the same could also really be said for Thomas. At this point I think it would be a surprise if he doesn't make the team considering the Lions traded for him last season, but his spot on the roster is by no means locked down. If someone like Kris Durham outperforms him at wide receiver and someone like Edwards wins the returner job, Thomas may not have a place on the 53-man roster. Of the seven players mentioned, who would you most like to see returning kicks and/or punts for the Lions in 2013?

Mitch Holthus and Kendall Gammon take a look at some of the key position battles on the defensive side of the ball throughout the rest of the offseason.

Will Rames II be any more productive for the New York Giants than Ramses I? After unsuccessfully shopping himself around the NFL as a free agent for the past few months, wide receiver Ramses Barden is returning to the New York Giants, according to a published report. Reports of a possible return to the Giants by the 2009 third-round pick surfaced on Wednesday and came to fruition on Thursday morning. During his first four seasons in New York the 6-foot-6, 230-pound Barden never reached the potential the Giants thought he had when they selected him 85th overall in the 2009 NFL Draft. He caught only 29 passes in those four seasons, none four touchdowns, a troubling number for a player the Giants hoped would use his size and strength to become a red zone weapon. Barden did catch a career-best 14 passes in 2012. His season boiled down to a nine-catch game against the Carolina Panthers and an offensive pass interference penalty against the Philadelphia Eagles that ultimately helped cost the Giants a game and, probably, a playoff spot. Barden will likely compete for the final roster spot at wide receiver. The Giants carried six receivers a season ago, and currently have five -- Hakeem Nicks, Victor Cruz, Reuben Randle, Louis Murphy and Jerrel Jernigan -- who seem to be locks to make the 53-man roster if healthy. That means Barden's competition, barring injury, would come from the likes of Brandon Collins, Jeremy Horne, Kris Adams and Kevin Hardy.

A major story line for the Buffalo Bills this off-season has been their youth movement at the top of the organization. Russ Brandon (President), Doug Whaley (General Manager) and Doug Marrone (head coach) are all significantly younger than the men they're replacing in those roles, giving the team a new outlook. The Bills are also young across their roster. Just seven of the team's 90 players currently under contract will be 30 years old or older when the 2013 regular season begins, and just one more - Brad Smith in December - will be joining that group. Let's take a look at the full list of the Bills' elder statesmen, and their future prospects under a new coaching staff: Rian Lindell (36): He's been the kicker in Buffalo for a full decade now, but it seems highly unlikely that he'll make it to year No. 11 in Buffalo. Lindell, who wasn't allowed to kick from distance by the previous coaching staff, is scheduled to make $2.1 million in base salary this season - and if he's going to make that money, he'll have to beat out sixth-round pick Dustin Hopkins, who is the favorite to be Buffalo's kicker next season. Fred Jackson (32): The highly popular running back will forever be a fan favorite, but after an incredible start to the 2011 season, he's landed on IR twice and been generally beaten up over the last season and a half, and is now a clear second to C.J. Spiller at the running back position. He'll be on the team and contribute for at least the 2013 season - albeit in a reduced role, ideally, as the team features Spiller more - and is only under contract through the 2014 season. Bryan Scott (32): Buffalo re-signed the underrated Scott earlier this off-season, and he fits into any plans that Mike Pettine has on defense thanks to his positional versatility as a safety-by-trade with experience playing inside linebacker. As a part-time player, Scott has recorded 172 tackles, six interceptions, four sacks, five fumble recoveries and three touchdowns over the last three seasons. Erik Pears (31 in June): Signed to a contract extension in 2011, Pears was hurt throughout most of the 2012 campaign, which hindered him while on the field and eventually kept him off of it. Now at full health, Pears will likely be competing with third-year pro Chris Hairston for the starting right tackle job this summer. Tarvaris Jackson (30): The Bills acquired Jackson via trade with Seattle last fall, then promptly left him on the inactive list for 16 games. He has yet to even don a Bills uniform for regular season action, but the team re-signed him this off-season and will make him part of a three-way quarterback competition also featuring Kevin Kolb and rookie E.J. Manuel. It's a strong possibility that one of Jackson and Kolb will be released before the season. Mark Anderson (30 this Sunday): Signed to a lucrative four-year free agent deal last spring, Anderson appeared in just five games - registering one sack - before two knee surgeries ended his season. Now he profiles as a pass rusher able to play on the line or standing up in Pettine's defense, and unless he's beaten out by one of the younger players on Buffalo's roster, he'll be on the team for one reason: his contract. Kyle Williams (30 in June): Williams is now the only Bills player drafted before 2008 on the roster. The 2006 fifth-round pick is widely regarded as one of the best and most underrated defensive linemen in the league, and has two Pro Bowl bids (albeit as an injury replacement in each case) to show for it. How he profiles into Pettine's defense long-term remains a mystery, but the well-compensated Williams will be a major part of the team's plans on defense for the foreseeable future as its most consistent player against the pass and the run.

May 20, 2013; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Percy Harvin (11) participates in organized team activities at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports Percy Harvin hasn’t been in Seattle long enough to create a headache for coaches, teammates and the media. Give him awhile and he’ll get there. For now though everything is roses and kittens and unicorns with rainbows coming out of their butts. Harvin is in the honeymoon phase right now. And he knows that, if he wants that phase to last, he needs to say and do all the right things. So he is saying and doing the right things. Like showing up for OTAs. And kissing fan butt. And taking implied shots at the Vikings along the way. One statement in particular seems like a dig against the Vikes. Harvin was asked how he felt about being in Seattle. He said, “It’s neat to know that you are wanted.” Implying that the Vikings made him feel unwanted? Well maybe Percy had good reason to feel that way. For weeks you heard nothing but stories about how rotten a teammate Harvin was and how he was a headache and the team was looking to trade him. That’s liable to make a guy feel unwanted. And I still suspect most of that stuff was put out there by the team deliberately to smear Harvin in the eyes of the fans and make it easier for the fans to swallow the inevitable trade. Harvin probably suspects that too. So he has reason to feel bitter toward the Vikings. He said all the right things after his departure but deep down you know he hates Rick Spielman and the whole gang at Winter Park. If he felt free to really speak his mind, I suspect his statements would be a lot stronger. Anyway that doesn’t matter now. The Vikings have moved on. Spielman made a pretty good deal under the circumstances. The Vikes have a young, talented guy in Cordarrelle Patterson who could make fans forget all about Percy. And Percy is happy in Seattle. For now. Give it a few weeks though. Like The Viking Age on Facebook. Follow TVA on Twitter. Get the all-new FanSided iPhone app. Subsribe to the Fansided Daily Newsletter. Sports news all up in your inbox.

Search to solidify the position is big key to offensive successEverybody knows that old football saying that goes something like, “When you have two quarterbacks, you really have none.”

Both Quin and Delmas are veteran players who should gel quickly once they do get on the field together

The NFL has taught Bears wide receiver Terrence Toliver much humility. Having bounced around the league his first two years, he now has a realistic shot of contributing in Chicago this year.