Football

DAVIE, Fla. -- Dannell Ellerbe had to travel more than 1,100 miles south to escape Ray Lewis' large and overwhelming shadow. Coming off a Super Bowl victory, Ellerbe had a tough decision to make in free agency: He could either be heir apparent to Le

Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin had a great quote earlier this week.  When asked if anything stood out to him at organized team activities, Tomlin said, "Not at all. Football in shorts." Thursday marked the third day of OTAs for the Carolina Panthers, and the first day that was open to the media. No player really made a case to move up the depth chart today, but there were still some impressions to be had. So, in list form, here are five impressions I have from the Panthers third day of OTAs. 1. Corners made plays: Veteran corner Drayton Florence made a nice over-the-shoulder interception on a heave from Cam Newton to Brandon LaFell. It wasn't really a live-action play since most everyone had already stopped before Newton chucked it, but it was still a nice grab.  Later, on a pass intended for Ted Ginn Jr. down the sideline, second-year CB Josh Norman made a spectacular diving interception, hitting the ground hard without pads and getting the wind knocked out of him. 2. Beason participated: I figured LB Jon Beason would stretch and then be on the sideline for most of the time. Instead, the Pro Bowl linebacker participated in individual workouts before being replaced at strongside by newcomer Chase Blackburn. After practice, Beason ran 20 50-yard wind sprints.  3. 89 still competitive: Ron Rivera said WR Steve Smith has looked like he's 25 again during OTAs. Rivera said the veteran wideout has been diving for balls--something the coaching staff isn't wild about. And even though we're more than three months from Week One, he still shows his frustration when the ball doesn't come his way. 4. Stewart very limited: Coming off ankle surgery this offseason, RB Jonathan Stewart was "very limited," per Rivera. He stretched, but then went to the other field and worked out on the bike alongside WR Lamont Bryant and CB Captain Munnerlyn, who was suffering from an abdominal strain. 5. Chandler switches sides: Last year, Nate Chandler came up from the practice squad late in the year to help on the defensive line. On Thursday, he was wearing a blue jersey, which is reserved for offense. With the additions to the defensive line, specifically the interior of the line, Chandler had to move to the other side of the ball. Rivera likes him, and Chandler was actually the team's emergency's offensive lineman last season after having played the position for a spell at UCLA. --Jonathan Jones

We have updated our 2012 fantasy projections for the top 60 QBs, 120 RBs, 120 WRs, 60 TEs, 32 Ks and 32 Defense/special teams.

As Rams QB leads his offense through workouts here, his heart is with the people of Oklahoma City, his hometown.

The Oakland Raiders restructured QB Matt Flynn's contract and converted much of his $3.25 million base salary into a signing bonus. The move saved the team about $1 million against the salary cap. Huddle Up: Flynn's move cleared the way for DB Charles Woodson to be signed as the cash-strapped Raiders scrap for every cent.

Updating previous reports, New York Giants WR Hakeem Nicks has been absent from OTAs because of a personal reason, not because of his contract. Huddle Up: And maybe --just maybe -- Nicks' contract has become a personal issue. In any case, it's left Eli Manning and the Giants without their top 2 receivers for the time being and has given the New York/New Jersey media something to write and talk about with Tim Tebow no longer around.

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?

Carl Edwards disappointed in the All-Star Race, but he and several others look like good bets at Charlotte this weekend.