NFL Player News

Lock completed seven of 11 pass attempts for 34 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions in the Broncos' 14-10 preseason win over the Falcons on Thursday. He also rushed once for six yards.

The rookie entered the contest with 13:49 left in the second quarter and misfired on his first three attempts before hitting Nick Williams for his first completion. Lock ended up connecting on six of his subsequent seven passes as well, but he averaged a meager 3.1 yards per attempt. Lock also took two sacks in what was a middling performance overall, but the second-round pick at least got plenty of work in. Given that he's considered a high-upside prospect that nevertheless still needs a fair amount of seasoning, Lock figures to be in for another extended audition against the Seahawks next Thursday in the Broncos' second exhibition.

Coach Jay Gruden said Thursday that McCoy is "right there" in the quarterback competition, Les Carpenter of The Washington Post reports.

With Case Keenum in line to open the season as the starter for a team expected to shift to Dwayne Haskins long term, McCoy is a name that's often forgotten. He has started 27 games in his career, including two for Washington in 2018, making him much more experienced than the average backup. Nonetheless, it seems unlikely McCoy will remain in contention for a significant role, barring any kind of injury that shakes up the depth chart.

Rodgers' preseason workload has yet to be determined, Jason Wilde of the Wisconsin State Journal reports. "I think it's just something we're going to evaluate each week and see where we are, see how much work we need to get in," coach Matt LaFleur said Tuesday.

Rodgers' workload during the exhibition slate has steadily decreased as the decade has progressed, culminating in just one offensive series in 2018. This offseason, he expressed a desire to get in more preseason action than usual, but LaFleur seemed to tap the breaks on such thoughts. General manager Brian Gutekunst specifically pointed to the Packers' joint practices with the Texans prior to the exhibition opener as a way to get Rodgers meaningful reps in a competitive environment without exposing the quarterback to contact. No matter, expect Rodgers to make an appearance at some point in August, especially as he looks to gain greater familiarity with LaFleur's system in his age-36 season.

Winston was praised for his consistency thus far in camp by coach Bruce Arians, who added the quarterback is "right where he needs to be" in mastering the offense, Carmen Vitali of the Buccaneers' official site reports.

The Buccaneers' early practices have been an interesting exercise in evaluation, as the team is implementing completely new schemes on each side of the ball. As expected under those circumstances, both the offense and defense have had their share of ups and downs, but Winston is apparently on pace to hit the ground running under Arians' quarterback-friendly scheme come the regular season. Although coordinator Todd Bowles' defense has won its share of battles against Winston and company, the fifth-year signal-caller has also made a number of impressive connections with the top wideout trio of Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and Breshad Perriman, as well as tight end O.J. Howard.

Lock will back up Kevin Hogan on Thursday in the preseason opener against Atlanta, Zac Stevens of BSN Denver reports.

Lock has reportedly had some of the Broncos quarterbacks' most dazzling highs and head-scratching lows, but is still listed as Denver's No. 3 quarterback. Head coach Vic Fangio has cautioned that, outside the first team, the depth chart is not necessarily indicative of standing, so it's unclear whether Lock has taken a step back in his development, or if the coaching staff is simply making him earn the backup job over the veteran Hogan. The picture will become clearer Thursday as both quarterbacks figure to play against future backups and camp bodies.

Johnson (ankle) was offered a contract by the Ravens on Monday but did not sign with the team, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Johnson reportedly did not accept the Ravens' offer due to the likelihood that Robert Griffin (thumb) will be healthy for Week 1. The veteran appears to be searching for a backup job rather than a depth role.

Ravens coach John Harbaugh expects Jackson to top Cam Newton's career high of 139 carries in a season, Aditi Kinkhabwala of NFL Network reports.

Jackson already topped that mark last year with 147 carries, including 119 (17 per game) in seven starts. Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti suggested in May that the young quarterback won't run as often in 2019, but Harbaugh said "take the over" when former coach Brian Billick mentioned Newton's 139 carries during a conversation about Jackson's rushing volume. In all likelihood, Jackson will land somewhere south of last year's 17 per game and somewhere north of Newton's 8.7 from 2017. Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com reports that Jackson added 7-10 pounds of muscle in the offseason, presumably preparing to take punishment during the upcoming campaign. Early reports from training camp said Jackson looked shaky as a passer, but Hensley and Ryan Mink of the team's official site believe the 22-year-old was much better this past weekend.

Mariota looked sharp in 7-on-7 drills and also scrambled for a nice gain Sunday, Jim Wyatt of the team's official site reports.

Mariota made a number of strong passes, including a 20-yard completion down the field to tight end Anthony Firkser. He also scrambled for a gain after freezing Harold Landry on a pump fake. Mariota is heading into a pivotal season and worked to gain weight in the offseason in an effort to start 16 games for the first time in his career. While very early, he seems to have gotten off to a strong start in training camp.

Johnson (ankle) is working out for the Ravens, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

With Robert Griffin's hairline fracture to his right thumb putting his status for the start of the regular season in jeopardy, the Ravens are searching for another backup option at quarterback. Johnson made three starts for the Redskins last season, putting together some pretty underwhelming performances. Johnson is, however, a mobile quarterback, and could end up being a good fit behind Lamar Jackson in Baltimore given the offensive scheme the team is expected to run this season.

McSorley is left as the No. 2 quarterback after Robert Griffin suffered a thumb injury, Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com reports.

With a recovery estimate of 4-to-8 weeks, Griffin is in danger of missing the regular-season opener. Baltimore is sure to sign a third healthy quarterback soon, but the new addition won't necessarily unseat the rookie sixth-round pick. McSorley completed 59.3 percent of his passes at Penn State, making up for it with a 77:25 TD:INT rate and 30 rushing touchdowns in 46 games. Greg Roman's run-heavy offense in Baltimore is the one NFL scheme McSorley might be able to handle as a rookie, though he'd still be a downgrade from starter Lamar Jackson.