This article is part of our Training Camp Notes series.
The NFL news cycle is almost a full go at this point, with Texans, Vikings and Saints rookies reporting Sunday. Only eight teams have yet to have their first-year players report, and all players including veterans will be in camps by Tuesday. Fortunately, Sunday contained no major bombshells like the Cam Akers or Michael Thomas news from earlier in the week.
• Texans quarterbacks reported alongside the rookies Sunday, and Deshaun Watson was in fact among them. He had a tumultuous offseason, demanding a trade and later being accused of sexual misconduct by 22 women in civil court. The fifth-year vet is still adamant he won't play another game for Houston, but for whom he will play is a secondary question to if he will play at all and for how long. The NFL apparently plans to wait for resolution to his legal troubles before disciplining him in any way. Tyrod Taylor waits in the wings if Watson can't or won't play, as does 2021 third-round pick Davis Mills. Who ends up under center in Houston will have major ripple effects on the rest of the offense, particularly on receivers Brandin Cooks and Randall Cobb.
• Speaking of Texans receivers, a new one joined the fold Saturday as the team traded for Anthony Miller from the Bears. The former second-round pick failed to break out in three years in Chicago, never topping the 52 catches and 656 yards from his 2019 season. He profiles best in the slot, which is where Cobb lined up last season. Fantasy managers need to pay attention to see how the Texans are lining these guys up prior to Week 1.
• We'll stay on our Segway and zip on over to Bears camp, where they've placed Tarik Cohen on the preseason PUP list. The 25-year-old tore his ACL in Week 3 last season, and with 11 months between the injury and the Bears' 2021 opener, he still has a good chance to be ready for Week 1. Whenever he gets healthy, Cohen threatens to take away work in the passing game from David Montgomery and Damien Williams.
• Like Cohen, Joe Burrow also tore his ACL last year. Unlike Cohen, Burrow won't start training camp on the PUP list and instead will be on the field from the start. The Bengals will be sure to take it easy on the 2019 Heisman winner as he works his way back into the swing of things, and assuming Burrow makes it through the preseason with no issues, Tee Higgins, Tyler Boyd and the Bengals' first overall pick in 2021 Ja'Marr Chase could all be in line for big seasons.
• We'll finish with Tampa Bay, where Antonio Brown and O.J. Howard were on the field but not participating in practice. Brown had an offseason knee procedure, while Howard is coming back from a torn Achilles. Both are expected to be ready for Week 1, and though each has his questions, they could both be worthy late-round picks as they're still tied to a Tom Brady offense.
