New England Patriots WR Maurice Harris (undisclosed) did not participate in practice Thursday, Aug. 15.
Footballguys View: The injury is undisclosed, so there’s no way of knowing what is going on or what kind of recovery he’s facing. Most reports indicate Harris has been the best wide receiver at Patriots camp. We want to see him on the field but will have to wait.
New England Patriots WR Demaryius Thomas (Achilles) was doing full sprints on a side field during practice Thursday, Aug. 15.
Footballguys View: Thomas is a bit of a wild card in the Patriots WR corps. If healthy, he could become a favorite target of Tom Brady — especially in the red zone. However, Thomas has struggled to stay healthy in recent years and is not quite the same player he used to be. We’ll watch him as training camp and the preseason rolls on.
Updating a previous story, Indianapolis Colts WR Daurice Fountain (leg) suffered a dislocated and fractured ankle Thursday, Aug. 15. He’s expected to have surgery right away.
Footballguys View: Bad news for the young player here. Fountain is done for the year with this injury and faces an uncertain future as he recovers. He’s set to be an ERFA in 2020.
Oakland Raiders QB Derek Carr said Thursday, Aug. 15, he is feeling more comfortable talking with head coach Jon Gruden this year than last. ‘Year 2, we’re having different level of conversations,’ Carr said. ‘I have two offseasons under my belt, almost two training camps under my belt, I have a full year of experience under my belt, of knowing what checks he wants, what he wants me to get to, what his thought process is on third-and-short, on second-and-short, I know what routes he wants me checking to versus different looks. I’m doing my best just to execute this difficult offense. There’s just so much on the quarterback’s plate that it’s different from some of the other systems that I’ve been in.’
Indianapolis Colts WR Daurice Fountain (leg) was carted off the practice field Thursday, Aug. 15, after going down with what appeared to be a serious leg injury.
Cleveland Browns DT Devaroe Lawrence (knee), S Juston Burris (hamstring) and RB Dontrell Hilliard (hamstring) are working on the side during practice Thursday, Aug. 15.
Carolina Panthers WR Curtis Samuel has been ‘practically impossible to cover’ in training camp, according to Brendan Marks of the Charlotte Observer. Head coach Ron Rivera said Samuel is ‘light years ahead’ of where he has been in past training camps.
Denver Broncos S Kareem Jackson (undisclosed), CB Horace Richardson (undisclosed) and LB Aaron Wallace (undisclosed) returned to practice Thursday, Aug. 15.
Indianapolis Colts G Quenton Nelson (ankle) returned to practice in full pads Thursday, Aug. 15.
Cleveland Browns WR Rashard Higgins is the leading candidate to be the team’s third wide receiver during WR Antonio Callaway’s suspension, according to Scott Petrak of BrownsZone.com.
Footballguys View: Higgins has great chemistry with Baker Mayfield and he’ll get favorable matchups while defense are worried more about Jarvis Landry and Odell Beckham Jr. He’s worth a late round flier in deep leagues.