This article is part of our Training Camp Notes series.
We had a quiet day of news until the very end of the evening when Jonathan Taylor made his displeasure with the Colts official. Otherwise, there was mostly minor or expected injury news around the league.
Injury Notes
- There's been no shortage of drama surrounding running backs and contract negotiations this spring and summer, and Jonathan Taylor took things a step further than most by requesting a trade from the Colts earlier this week. Team owner Jim Irsay volunteered to the media that there has been no extension offer made to Taylor, and the pair reportedly met on Saturday at which time Irsay again declined to discuss a new deal. It's currently unclear whether the team will honor Taylor's request. Similarly, the fantasy ramifications are also currently unclear, but this is now the top story to watch until a resolution is reached.
- Shifting to more expected news, Kyler Murray told the media that he doesn't have a timeline to return to the field while recovering from a torn ACL. That's a departure from Murray's own comments from mid-July when he said his goal is to be ready for Week 1. It seems as if caution remains the best plan when approaching drafting Murray himself and other key offensive skill players in Arizona such as Marquise Brown, Rondale Moore and James Conner.
- Luke Schoonmaker remains on the NFI list with a foot injury that pre-dates the NFL Draft. He still anticipates being able to practice in the coming weeks, presumably with his sights set on a full return by Week 1. In the meantime, that leaves Jake Ferguson and Peyton Hendershot to vie for top tight end duties in what could be a prolific Dallas offense.
- Zay Flowers and Diontae Johnson are both battling minor injuries. Flowers has a stomach bug and is expected back within a couple of days. Johnson exited Friday's practice due to the heat but was back in action Saturday. Neither player's expectations should change based on this news.
- Trevon Diggs is sidelined with a toe injury, but he is expected to return within the next week. For IDP and Dallas D/ST purposes, there's no significant concern yet.
Job Battles
- There were a few interesting notes out of Texans' camp this weekend. John Metchie practiced for the first time since overcoming cancer. The Texans' wide receiver corps is wide open, so if Metchie shows rapport with rookie quarterback CJ Stroud, he could immediately become a name to know for fantasy purposes.
- Dameon Pierce set out his goals for the 2023 season and specified he wants to reach 1,000 yards on the ground. He fell only 61 yards shy of that mark in 2022 as a rookie, so that certainly seems feasible behind a strong offensive line and offense that seems to be headed in the right direction. This is an interesting note because the Texans added Devin Singletary to the backfield this offseason. He's projected to contribute primarily as a pass catcher, but if anything were to stop Pierce from reaching his goal it would likely be a larger than anticipated role for Singletary or injury.
