Update: NFL Network’s Jason LaCanfora is reporting that Panthers’ wide receiver Steve Smith’s rehab from a broken arm he suffered earlier this offseason is going well. Smith has been working hard with the team’s trainers and making good strides. The Panthers are confident he will be ready for their Week 1 matchup with the New York Giants.

Fantasy Impact: Smith has been a fast healer throughout his career and so I have little doubts about his availability at the start of the season. I do have questions about the Panthers’ quarterback situation, but with the running game they have which should keep defenders in the box and give Smith his share of one-on-one opportunities, the four-time Pro Bowler should continue to shine regardless, as he did last year in spite of Jake Delhomme having one of his worst seasons.

Update: Tomorrow will be the NFL’s Supplemental Draft. It doesn’t have nearly as much sizzle as the one in April, but it has been known to produce top-notch NFL talent nonetheless. One guy in particular to keep an eye on is running back Vaness Emokpae of Truman State. As reported by cheeseheadtv.com, Emokpae is listed at anywhere from 5’11″ to 6’1″and weighs about 240 lbs. Emokpae’s versatility is also intriguing, as he led Truman State in receiving in 2007, led the team in rush attempts in 2009, returned kicks last season, and acted as their punter in 2007. Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee gives this review of the former Truman State star: “Given his dimensions, most NFL teams…see him as a fullback, but the guy has the athletic ability of a Romanian gymnast.”

Fantasy Impact: I always have reservations about guys from really small schools who didn’t get picked up in the April draft nor were signed as undrafted free agents, but you have every reason to salivate at this guy’s potential. A 240-pound guy with that kind of fluidity and versatility just doesn’t come along that often. I’ll continue to follow Emokpae’s development, but my initial prognosis would be to possibly pick him up towards the end of the draft, depending on training camp/preseason performance and what situation his team finds itself in, because especially in a keeper league, this guy could be gold.

Update: In an interview with a Tampa radio station Tuesday, Steelers backup quarterback Charlie Batch had this to say about who he thought would start in place of the suspended Ben Roethlisberger for the first six games of this regular season: “Well I mean right now you really don’t know. One thing that they’re trying to do..I mean, Dennis Dixon is a great talent and I think he showed that in the game that he played last year against Baltimore on Sunday. So I think at some point they’re going to try to get him ready as much as possible because he is the future. Granted, I’m not going to be play for a number of more years down the line. Byron of course, he’s starting to get up there in years as well. So Dennis is the next up and coming, and I think the way that everything has gone, they want to give Dennis as many repetitions in training camp as possible, just to see what you have. Whether that was a one-game wonder, or if he’s capable of carrying the load throughout the long haul of the season. And I think watching him as he really progressed over the last couple of years, he’s really going to be a talent – whether that’s with Pittsburgh or some other team, you will hear Dennis Dixon’s name a lot more in the future.”

Fantasy Impact: Stay tuned for training camp and preseason updates on the development of this situation, but if I had to submit my final fantasy draft analysis now, I would deem Dixon the best no. 2 quarterback on the board.

Update: The Houston Texans Examiner has reported that the team has signed seventh-round draft pick and former University of Pittsburgh star wide receiver Dorin Dickerson.

Fantasy Impact: Given the possible drop-off in production that could be incurred to Andre Johnson, due to his focus this offseason seeming primarily on his contract over improving his on-field performance, and Pro Bowl tight end Owen Daniels recovering from a torn ACL, there is plenty of room for a wideout with tight end size and strength, such as Dickerson, particularly in an offense that prefers to air it out, with a top-tier quarterback like Matt Schaub slinging the rock. Stay tuned for updates about his progress into training camp and preseason, but if your draft is too soon for that, take him as a late-round dice roll who could turn out to be the next Marques Colston.

Update: GreenAndWhiteReport.com is reporting that the New York Jets are interested in former BYU running back Harvey Unga, who will be available in Thursday’s supplemental draft. According to a source close to Unga, the Jets were one of “20 teams who attended his workout last week” and the Jets are highly interested in Unga.

Fantasy Impact: The Jets picking up Unga could be potentially huge for their offense and for the fantasy world. The Jets had the 1st-ranked running game in the NFL last season, but after the loss of running back Thomas Jones and guard Alan Faneca in free agency, production will need to be replaced. The offensive line doesn’t worry me particularly, in that the other four starters from the last two years will be back and they will find a suitable replacement for Faneca among youngsters Matt Slauson and Vladimir Ducasse. The backfield, on the other hand, presents more questions. Shonn Greene has shown flashes of brilliance, but has also presented a lot of durability questions and needs to be more consistent at protecting the ball. LaDainian Tomlinson is a future Hall of Famer, but is clearly on the back 9 of his career, as evidenced by his last two seasons in San Diego. Rookie Joe McKnight could be a poor man’s Leon Washington, contributing on special teams,flashing good hands and home run explosiveness, but will be anything but a steady workhorse. If the Jets pick up Unga, and he runs with the tenacity and toughness he displayed at BYU, he could be one of the biggest steals of the fantasy season.

Update: The Arizona Cardinals have signed rookie quarterback John Skelton to a four-year deal worth $1.972 million with a $182,000 signing bonus.

Fantasy Impact: Given Matt Leinart’s inability to hold onto the starting job at any point in his first four years in the league and the lack of wow’s surrounding his offseason this year, and the lack of confidence that Derek Anderson instills in any coach, general manager, or player, Skelton’s addition to the Cardinals is intriguing. I wouldn’t expect a fifth-round pick from a school like Fordham to make much of an impact too soon, but his size (6’5″ and 250 lbs.), arm strength, and mobility make him an interesting project. In the late rounds of keeper league drafts is where I would advise taking a flier on a player like John Skelton.

Update: NFL.com’s Jason LaCanfora is reporting that 49ers nose tackle Aubrayo Franklin will play this upcoming season on a one-year, $7.003 million salary as a franchise-tagged player due to the team resigning itself to not being able to complete a long-term extension with Franklin by this Thursday. Depending on the future collective bargaining agreement, Franklin could receive the designation again in future seasons, but in all likelihood, Franklin will have to play his way toward getting his next contract with a strong 2010 season.

Fantasy Impact: The motivation of a new deal serving as a dangling carrot for Aubrayo Franklin is huge for the 49ers’ defense. They have already taken steps to improve their secondary, and have the most dominant linebacker in the league right now in Patrick Willis, the most important remaining piece for a 3-4 defense is a potentially dominant nose tackle. The Niners’ defense should be one of the first 8 units off the board in your draft.

Update: Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez tweeted today about the great workout he had with wide receivers Santonio Holmes, David Clowney, and Aundrae Allison and given the four-game suspension Holmes will have to complete to start the season, this could spell big things for Clowney and Allison.

Fantasy Impact: Allison, a former star at East Carolina University, excelled as a kick returner in his first two years in the league with the Vikings, though he only caught 18 passes over that span. He opened some eyes with strong workouts headed into last season and caught a 70-yard touchdown pass in preseason, but was unable to make any progress felt after tearing his ACL in the team’s final preseason game. Clowney has been a preseason superstar over the past two years since being signed by the Jets for the third time in three months on January 15, 2008, but aside from a one-handed, 26-yard circus catch in Week 15 of 2008, and 14 receptions for 191 yards and 1 TD in 2009, he has yet to make his presence felt when it counts. Given that Braylon Edwards could turn out to be the next Roy E. Williams, a top 10 pick who had one elite season for his original team before being traded midway through his fifth season and floundering ever since, Allison and Clowney could be late-round steals as the Jets attempt to expand their passing game.

Update: Six-time Pro Bowl free agent wide receiver Terrell Owens has dropped a couple hints recently as to where he could end up playing in 2010, or at least where he would like to be. In an interview with 96.5 The Buzz in Kansas City, Owens was asked if we would be open to playing for the Chiefs. Owens declined, telling the host, “Me and Todd Haley, we don’t get along.” However, in an interview on WJMN Radio in Boston, Owens responded to a similar question about joining the Patriots with more optimism, stating: “I’d definitely be open to that…I mean you’ve got [Tom] Brady there. You’ve got the great mind, coach [Bill] Belichick. I’m like LeBron. I can go there and take less of a role, take less money, and put everything aside and make it work.”

Fantasy Impact: At first glance, a T.O. to New England signing would be anything but a perfect marriage. Owens is more than a little cocky, free-spirited, and rough around the edges for Belichick’s taste and the upcoming second season of VH1′S “The T.O. Show” won’t do anything to help that. However, call me a sucker if you must, but I truly believe that the miserable one-year stint in Buffalo and the lack of suitable contract offers through the first five months of this offseason, have had a humbling effect on the 36-year old spark plug. After having caught passes from a carousel of Trent Edwards, Ryan Fitzpatrick, and Brian Brohm, T.O. will be at the very least refreshed to run routes for who would be the greatest quarterback he would have played with throughout his career in future Hall of Famer Tom Brady. After dealing with the turmoil of playing under Dick Jauron for half a season, enduring Jauron’s dismissal, and finishing the rest of the season under Perry Fewell, Owens will welcome the security of knowing that a three-time Super Bowl-winning head coach will be on the sidelines. Furthermore, after realizing that he can no longer command double teams likes he used to, and having his production stunted by the lack of other consistent pass-catchers on the Bills roster last season, I believe Owens will welcome a playmaker like Randy Moss and eventually Wes Welker, to give Owens more one-on-one opportunities, which might be what he needs more than anything at this point in his career.

Update: Even though Marc Bulger is a former Pro Bowl quarterback and John Beck has thrown a mere 107 passes in his NFL career, only one of which resulted in a touchdown, Beck still expects to be able to compete and do so viably for the Ravens backup quarterback job, as he indicated in an interview with KSL in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Fantasy Impact: First of all, any kind of competition, even for the backup quarterback job, is good for a team. Bulger and Beck will push each other, which will push Joe Flacco, which will push the rest of the offense as well as the team as a whole. Furthermore, though Flacco has demonstrated great durability and toughness by starting all 37 regular and postseason games through his first two years in the league, for anyone monitoring what impact the quarterback competition could have if Joe Flacco were to suffer an injury, the distribution of fantasy points would shift accordingly. Bulger is a smart, experienced veteran who is significantly better than Beck at reading defenses and specializes in getting rid of the ball quickly to receivers who are good at getting open on short routes and gaining yards after the catch. If Bulger were to become the starter, expect Anquan Boldin and Todd Heap, or possibly rookie tight ends Ed Dickson and Dennis Pitta, to put up huge numbers. Beck is a strong-armed fourth-year player who will hold the ball too long at times and make bad decisions at others, but will complete some pretty deep balls along the way. Expect the Ravens’ offense to decline significantly if Beck were to become the starter, but a couple of sleepers to keep an eye on if he were to become the top dog, would be burner wideouts Mark Clayton and Donte’ Stallworth.

Update: Contrary to the perceptions many of us have conjured of Albert Haynesworth this offseason; in particular, that he is out of shape, lazy, not willing to go the extra mile to help his team; Tripp Smith, Haynesworth’s personal trainer, said in a phone interview with Redskins beat writer Rich Campbell that Haynewsorth has lost 32 pounds since the two began their workout regimen on April 5. Said Smith: “I think he’s going to open some eyes when he gets to camp.” Smith spoke of the conditioning program he and Haynesworth are working on as being “just a little more polished and refined now…At this point this year, I think condition-wise…he’s in the same place he has been in the past…As far as the little things, I think he’s a lot better this year…His hands are going to be a lot better this year than they were in the past. He’s going to have a lot more upper body explosiveness and moves that he can use that he may not have taken advantage of in the past”.

Fantasy Impact: Hearing from a guy’s personal trainer that he’s going to have a big season isn’t exactly earth-shattering but I have to admit I’m intrigued. All offseason, Haynesworth has been portrayed in the mainstream idea as a petulant man-child who’s going to take his ball and go home because he doesn’t like the 3-4 defense. I don’t know how close Tripp Smith’s proclamations are to the truth, but if they are even 80% accurate, it will be a huge year for the Redskins defense.

Update: In a live chat on NFL.com, Super Bowl XLIV-winning head coach Sean Payton responded to a fan’s question about improving the Saints’ running game by proudly referring to the sixth-ranked ground attack his team achieved last season and stating that, “…our goal is to continue that point of emphasis to give us the balance we want”.

Fantasy Impact: With Mike Bell having departed to Philadelphia and Reggie Bush serving as a multi-dimensional threat who serves as more of a decoy than a consistent rusher, I would expect Pierre Thomas to be worthy of no. 2 rb status in most leagues. Thomas’ nose for the end zone (22 career TD’s on 415 career touches) makes him especially valuable in leagues that reward touchdowns generously and the Madden curse that hangs over quarterback Drew Brees is something to keep in mind as well, as any faltering of the Saints’ passing game could spell big things for their rushing numbers given how stout their offensive line is.

Update: As I’m always one to let you know when guys are focused and hungry, Larry Fitzgerald has tweeted about nothing, aside from his son Devin, other than doing whatever he needs to to continue to get better and reclaim the position that some people feel he lost last season as the league’s best wide receiver. Every tweet from Fitzgerald seems to be about getting better on a daily basis, pushing himself as hard as he can, and learning from working alongside former NFL wide receiver Andre Rison, a Super Bowl Champion who was one of the league’s best route-runners throughout his career and has much to teach a receiver of any caliber.

Fantasy Impact: I understand people who have reservations about Fitzgerald, given the retirement this offseason of Kurt Warner and the trade of fellow Pro Bowl wideout Anquan Boldin. However, a receiver with the right skills and motivation will find a way to produce in any situation (see Calvin Johnson, 2008) and I’m confident that either Early Doucet or Steve Breaston will be able to produce at a high level as the Cards’ no. 2 WR. If Matt Leinart proves that he is not able to do the job, Derek Anderson will at least be able to get the ball to his most talented playmaker, much as he did with Braylon Edwards during the last season-plus that he struggled in Cleveland. I’d say you have to consider Fitzgerald and Andre Johnson the two best WR’s in the game, but if I have to pick between a guy whose chief concern is getting better versus one whose chief concern is getting a better contract, I’ll choose the former, and Johnson has been griping about getting a new deal.

Update: While working with the Jets’ receivers and tight ends in California over the offseason to better his rapport and chemistry with the group, quarterback Mark Sanchez made special mention of Dustin Keller, lauding the third-year tight end for “having a strong camp”.

Fantasy Impact: This doesn’t sound like a big deal on the surface, but think about it. Sanchez could have praised any of the Jets’ receivers, he could have even said that the Jets wide receivers and tight ends are all having a good camp. However, by singling Keller out, Sanchez confirmed what I have suspected would be the case all along as I’ve followed this offseason: that Keller will emerge as Sanchez’s favorite target during the season. This is not surprising, given that a good receiving tight end is often a quarterback’s best friend, and given that the Jets skill position players include Braylon Edwards, who was traded for midway through last season, Santonio Holmes, who was traded for this offseason, and LaDainian Tomlinson, who was signed this offseason, Keller is one of the few Jet pass-catchers who Sanchez has been able to play with throughout his short career thus far in New York and the familiarity between the two should pay dividends not only in 2010, but for years to come. Keller should be one of the first ten tight ends to come off the board in any league, especially those with keeper formats.

Update: Via the NFL players’ account on Twitter, it was revealed that Jacksonville Jaguars’ running back Maurice Jones-Drew told a trainer that he has been training every week since February 9 and says Jones-Drew, “If I don’t make the Pro Bowl this year, I ain’t coming back.”

Fantasy Impact: This is exactly what I want to hear from a guy headed into training camp. It’s not about threatening holdouts like Adrian Peterson or wanting to be the highest-paid player at the position like Chris Johnson, no, for my money, the first two running backs taken in fantasy leagues should be Ray Rice and Maurice Jones-Drew (not necessarily in that order). Rice says he feels underrated and Jones-Drew is willing to bet his career on having a monster year in 2010. There are so many great players in this league, but the ones who have to keep an eye on are the ones with the proper motivation to take their game to the next level, even after they’ve been lauded as greats.