Training Camp Daily Dose: Camp Dose: Bumps and Bruises

Ignore your calendar. It may read August (unless you haven’t changed it yet—it always takes me a couple days), but in the NFL, it’s injury month.

Football is inherently a dangerous sport (hence all the concussion lawsuits), so really, they’re all injury months. But each year, without fail, a handful of important players will fall awkwardly, pull up lame or find some other creative way to get hurt before the regular season. This is why I recommend holding your draft as late as possible. That way you’ll know which players are damaged goods instead of drafting a player in mid-August only to see them tear their ACL in a meaningless preseason game (looking at you, Jordy Nelson).

So let’s begin our first Training Camp Daily Dose (notice I removed the Bump and Run label for this week) by taking inventory of the walking wounded. Stevie Johnson’s torn meniscus might be the most significant injury to a fantasy relevant player so far. Johnson wasted no time in getting hurt, injuring himself during practice on the second day of Chargers camp.

The ninth-year wideout is likely headed for surgery, though he’ll go for a second opinion before making a final decision. For a point of reference, Jaguars rookie Jalen Ramsey suffered a torn meniscus at rookie practices in May and made it back for the start of training camp two months later. If Johnson’s recovery follows a similar trajectory, we could reasonably expect him back in early October. Of course, it will be difficult to map out a timeline until he decides whether or not to have surgery.

Applying the “fantasy relevant” tag to Johnson might be a reach considering his current ADP sits north of 200. Last year, Johnson was best utilized in daily leagues because of his relatively low cost (his FanDuel price for Week 1 is $5,400) and reliable workload (eight-plus targets in five of his last seven games). Johnson is still living off the reputation he built in Buffalo when he registered three consecutive 1,000-yard seasons from 2010 to 2012.

The 30-year-old Kentucky product was slated to begin the year as the Bolts’ No. 3 wideout behind top dog Keenan Allen and newcomer Travis Benjamin. Johnson’s presence wouldn’t have been a huge hindrance to either player. Allen averaged the seventh-most yards per game of any receiver in the NFL when healthy last year while Benjamin is coming off a breakout year in Cleveland. But the Chargers are still losing 6.5 targets per game with Johnson sidelined and someone will need to pick up the slack.

Second-year wideout Tyrell Williams is one player who could see an increased role in Johnson’s absence. Williams has practiced with the first team on three-wide sets since Johnson’s injury and could find a home there while Johnson heals up. The Western Oregon alum didn’t catch his first pass until the Chargers’ season finale last year but he made the most of his opportunity by hauling in an 80-yard touchdown against Denver. It’s hard to put much trust in Williams given how little we’ve seen of him, but he could be worth a late-round flyer if he makes it out of camp as the No. 3 wideout.

If Williams fails to impress, the Chargers have others who could fill the void. Antonio Gates is back after a suspension-shortened 2015 campaign and is eager to break Tony Gonzalez’s record for the most touchdowns by a tight end. Danny Woodhead led all running backs with 80 catches for 755 yards last year and should see even more work with Johnson on the shelf. The Chargers finished second in the NFL in pass attempts last season so there will be plenty of targets to go around.

Another situation worth monitoring is in Miami where Jay Ajayi is feeling the effects of a bone bruise in his left knee. He sat out Monday’s practice, though the injury is considered minor and Ajayi should be okay in a few days. Ajayi has a history of knee issues after tearing his ACL in college. However, that was to Ajayi’s right knee, not the one he just bruised.

The injury obviously won’t affect Ajayi’s Week 1 status but it definitely puts him at a disadvantage in his battle with Arian Foster for the starting running back position. The expectation was that Miami would use the next month of practices to decide the starter. But coach Adam Gase may have let the cat out of the bag when he told reporters Foster would be working with the ones throughout camp.

Foster is coming off a pretty significant injury of his own after missing the last half of 2015 with a torn Achilles. He opened camp on the PUP list but was activated Sunday after he “annihilated” his conditioning test and now beat writers have tabbed him as the favorite to start Week 1. If Foster has the job sewn up as many have already suggested, Ajayi can take as much time as he needs to recover.

Position battles like the one being waged in Miami are a training camp staple. Training camp can be a pressure-packed environment, but only if you have something to prove. For Adrian Peterson, it’s a time to take things slow and rest up before another grinding season. The 10th-year running back has been nursing a strained hamstring throughout camp while ceding work to complimentary backs Jerick McKinnon and Matt Asiata.

The injury sounds extremely minor but it’s worth wondering if this will be the year Minnesota finally pumps the brakes on Peterson’s consistently enormous workload. He was the only rusher in the NFL to log 300 carries last year, a number he’s already reached four times in his career.

Perhaps the better question is whether this is Peterson’s last year in Minnesota. Peterson is owed a $6 million roster bonus in March on top of his $11.75 million salary, which is easily the most among NFL running backs. That’s a pretty penny for a player who turns 32 next March and has already tallied 2,381 career carries. That number expands to 2,497 if you include Peterson’s five postseason appearances.

The Vikings won’t think twice about keeping Peterson if he repeats last year’s performance (league-leading 1,485 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns). With that said, it wouldn’t be a bad idea for the Vikings to find more work for McKinnon, a talented 24-year-old who averaged 5.2 yards per carry last year. After years of putting the team on his back, Peterson has earned a well-deserved break.

Editor’s Note: For updated rankings, projections, player profiles, positional tiers, mock drafts, sleepers and busts, exclusive columns and plenty more, check out our Draft Guide!

Quick Hits: John Brown was placed in the league’s concussion protocol after hitting his head on the turf during Sunday’s practice. The 26-year-old hauled in 65 catches for 1,003 yards and seven touchdowns last year … Davante Adams’ early performance at training camp has received mixed reviews. Bill Huber of Packers Report said Adams has “caught everything this summer” while Ryan Wood of the Green Bay Press-Gazette reported that it’s been a “rough camp” for Adams. He’s hoping to land the No. 3 receiver job behind starters Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb … Colts beat writer Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star said he’s been “a bit underwhelmed” by Andrew Luck’s first week of training camp. Luck was a train wreck last year while battling a wave of injuries. Despite the lackluster showing, the Colts rewarded him with the richest deal in NFL history this offseason … Dennis Pitta, who is always hurt, is hurt again. This time he sprained his finger in a scuffle with teammate Kamalei Correa. Pitta missed all of last season while recovering from hip surgery … C.J. Prosise is dealing with a mild hamstring strain. The injury could sideline the Seahawks rookie for up to 10 days … Reggie Bush visited the Bills on Monday and quickly agreed to a one-year deal. The Bills plan to use him mostly as a return specialist … According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, there’s “plenty of optimism” a long-term deal will be reached between the Bills and contract-year quarterback Tyrod Taylor. Coach Rex Ryan has been complimentary of Taylor throughout training camp, calling him a “special talent” … Buccaneers coach Dirk Koetter didn’t feel like waiting. He’s already named Adam Humphries the team’s No. 3 wide receiver. Humphries recorded 27 catches for 260 yards and a touchdown in 2015… Drew Brees thinks Coby Fleener will catch “a lot of balls” this season. If you’ve picked up a copy of the Rotoworld Draft Guide, you’ll see Fleener was the sixth tight end taken in our non-PPR mock draft … The Chargers and No. 3 overall pick Joey Bosa are still at odds over offset language in his contract and haven’t spoken since Thursday. The Ohio State alum has yet to report to training camp … Ryan Mathews hasn’t practiced since the Eagles opened training camp last week. He’s still recovering from a minor ankle injury … Zach Miller and Eddie Royal have both been placed in the league’s concussion protocol after suffering head injuries at Bears camp. Miller will open 2016 as the starting tight end following Martellus Bennett’s trade to New England … Tre Mason hasn’t reported to training camp and Rams coach Jeff Fisher said he hasn’t heard from the running back since the end of last season. Mason was arrested on several charges in March and family and friends are reportedly concerned about his mental health … Remember the training camp photo that brought “Fat Eddie” to the mainstream? Well here’s the sequel: Fat Tony (not the one you’re thinking of). Don’t worry though. Beat writer Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News said he took a bad picture and that Romo is actually in excellent shape … The only thing better than Andy Reid is fake Andy Reid. On second thought, this Andy is still the best.

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