This article is part of our Training Camp Notes series.
NFL news continued to ramp up Thursday with the Cardinals joining nine other teams that have had their rookies report to training camp. Eleven more clubs have their first-year players reporting by Sunday, and all veterans will be in camp by the end of July. Let's look around the league at the latest news out of camps.
• Cowboys veterans reported alongside rookies Wednesday, and the team had its first full practice Thursday. Amari Cooper was placed on the preseason PUP list as a result of his recovery from January ankle surgery. He is due back in August and is expected to be ready for the start of the regular season. But it will be important to track his progress in camp.
• Dak Prescott practiced fully Thursday and completed 11-of-16 passing attempts in his first time on the field with the team since he fractured his ankle in Week 5 last season. He reported no trouble with his leg. Early drafters are expecting Prescott to continue the momentum he had built in 2020, as he is currently the fifth quarterback off the board with an average ADP of 57.
• Blake Jarwin is fully healthy after tearing his ACL in Week 1 last year and will compete with Dalton Schultz for TE1 duties in Dallas. If either player gains a clear edge in the competition, he could be a steal late in drafts given the high-octane Cowboys offense. On the other hand, if both perform well and finish camp healthy, they could end up eating away at each other's fantasy value if relegated to a committee.
• One final note out of Dallas, and it's a kicker. Greg Zuerlein was placed on the PUP list as well while he recovers from offseason back surgery. The Cowboys have no other kicker on their roster, so it appears they expect "the Leg" back in time for their season opener.
• D'Andre Swift sits atop the Lions' running-back depth chart to start the season, and assistant head coach Duce Staley has used the terms "star" and "three-down back" to describe the 22-year-old, saying he wants Swift to get 25 touches per game. While a total that high is unlikely given that capable backup Jamaal Williams joined the team in the offseason and that the Lions have been vocal in their interest in Todd Gurley, the second-year back should still see a significant uptick in production over his rookie season. The Georgia product currently has an ADP of 25 and is the 15th running back off the board.
• Saquon Barkley will start camp on the PUP list as he continues to recover from October ACL surgery. While he can be activated at any time, the 24-year-old repeatedly said throughout summer that he was unsure if he would be ready for Week 1. He currently is fifth overall in ADP. Devontae Booker and Corey Clement head up the depth chart in Barkley's absence.
• The Giants also placed 2021 first-round pick Kadarius Toney on the reserve/COVID-19 list. The rookie wide receiver already had a crowded depth chart battle ahead of him, and his early absence from the practice field won't help.
• Christian McCaffrey — no. 1 overall in ADP — is healthy and Panthers offensive coordinator Joe Brady doesn't plan to use his superstar any less despite the fact he missed all but three games in 2020 due to ankle, shoulder and thigh injuries. There is little on the depth chart behind him as rookie fourth-rounder Chuba Hubbard is set to be the backup. All this bodes well for fantasy managers banking on McCaffrey to return to form with the top pick in drafts.
