NFL Player News

Despite comments by head coach Vic Fangio tempering expectations, Lock has clearly been the best passer behind Joe Flacco to start training camp, Benjamin Allbright of KOA News Radio reports.

Allbright and others have expounded that, while Lock has made some bone-headed decisions in practice, he has also made many of the offense's highlight throws and shown improvement along the way. Fangio described Lock as more of a hard thrower than a pitcher at this juncture, but reports from the practice field show that Lock is about where many expected him to be. Whether that is more an indictment on the Broncos' depth chart than anything else -- and whether Lock can step up his play in the coming weeks -- both remain to be seen.

Coach Vic Fangio doesn't believe Lock is an NFL-ready quarterback, Mike Klis of 9News Denver reports. "[Lock]'s college offense had no carryover to pro offenses," Fangio said Friday. "He was under duress a lot. I don't think he's as far along being an NFL-ready QB as he could have been. He's not a QB yet. He's a hard-throwing pitcher who doesn't know how to pitch yet.''

Fangio joins general manager John Elway in making it a point to shut down any speculation about a QB competition between Lock and Joe Flacco. The rookie will have time to develop on the bench, following a college career with a 56.9 completion percentage as a four-year starter under three different offensive coordinators at Missouri. The Broncos are betting that Lock's arm strength and athleticism ultimately outweigh concerns regarding his accuracy and pocket presence. He signed his rookie contract Wednesday, just in the nick of time to participate in the start of training camp.

Lock signed his rookie contract Wednesday, Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic reports.

The Broncos and Lock were at an impasse as recently as Tuesday, but the two sides agreed to workout bonuses in 2021 and 2022, according to Jhabvala, getting the signal-caller in the house for the start of training camp. He'll kick off his career behind veteran Joe Flacco on the depth chart, with his second-round status giving Lock a good shot to make his presence felt early as a professional.

Garoppolo (knee) has been working with noted quarterback throwing guru Tom House, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.

Garoppolo, who is bouncing back from a torn left ACL he suffered last September, has plenty on his plate in terms of rehab and recovery, but the hope is that working with House can help improve the QB's mechanics heading into the 2019 campaign. Wagoner adds that Garoppolo told him Monday that he's hopeful in terms of being fully cleared to go at the start of training camp later this month. With that in mind, the 49ers' franchise signal caller indicated, "I'm able to do pretty much everything now."

Lock hasn't signed a contract and may not report for the start of training camp, Troy Renck of Denver 7 News reports.

Lock reportedly wants a quarterback premium that gives him stronger-than-usual guarantees for his draft slot (42nd overall). His negotiations also could impact offensive lineman Dalton Risner, whom the Broncos selected one pick before Lock at No. 41 overall. With Joe Flacco slated for the Week 1 start under center, the team may be worried about Risner's availability for training camp more so than Lock's.

Prescott and the Cowboys exchanged initial extension offers before the end of the team's offseason program, Jori Epstein of USA Today reports.

Prescott and Amari Cooper are entering contract seasons, while Ezekiel Elliott is under team control through 2020 thanks to the fifth-year option for first-round picks. The young quarterback said it's viable for each player to rank near the top of his position in contract value, noting how the NFL salary cap consistently has risen in recent years (six straight seasons with an increase of at least $10 million). Prescott is correct in his belief, but that doesn't mean it will be an easy process to figure out the details of the respective contracts. The Cowboys didn't have any holdouts from mandatory minicamp in June.

Siemian isn't guaranteed to start the season as the No. 2 quarterback behind Sam Darnold, Connor Hughes of The Athletic reports.

Davis Webb showcased well in the spring and worked as the Jets' second quarterback for the final set of OTAs. Siemian's experience as a No. 1 signal-caller -- he made 24 starts with Denver between 2016 and 2017 -- gives him a sizable edge over Webb, who has yet to make his NFL debut. Siemian joined New York on a one-year, $2 million deal this offseason that includes $1 million guaranteed, further solidifying his roster spot even if he manages to lose out on the backup job.

Garoppolo (knee) anticipates having no restrictions for the start of training camp July 27, Josh Schrock of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

The 27-year-old quarterback mostly was limited to 7-on-7 drills throughout the offseason program, eventually taking one snap in 11-on-11s at the end of June minicamp. The 49ers presumably will monitor his workload throughout training camp and preseason, but Garoppolo appears set to gain clearance for full-team drills. He'll be surrounded by a deep group of pass catchers, with second-team All-Pro George Kittle locked in at tight end while a slew of players compete for snaps at running back and wide receiver.

Allen is competing with Taylor Heinicke and Will Grier for the Panthers' No. 2 quarterback job, Brendan Marks of The Charlotte Observer reports.

Allen is the underdog in the competition, with Heinicke looking good in the spring and Grier coming in as a third-round pick. Allen did perform well in his lone start last season Week 17 against the Saints, completing 16 of 27 passes for 228 yards and two touchdowns while also adding a rushing score. Despite that performance, the 23-year-old is a long shot to crack Carolina's 53-man roster and may end up on the practice squad instead.

Dobbs is facing competition from Mason Rudolph for the Steelers' backup quarerback job, Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Dobbs held down the No. 2 role in 2018 while Rudolph got accustomed to NFL life as a rookie, but the Tennessee product was unimpressive when pressed into action and ultimately logged the lowest passer rating among all quarterbacks who attempted at least 10 passes in 2019. With a strong showing in his second preseason, Rudolph could very well surpass Dobbs on the depth chart heading into Week 1.