Training Camp Notes: August 24

This article is part of our Training Camp Notes series.

Here are some of the top fantasy football headlines from Monday.

-Kenyan Drake was seen in a walking boot Monday, which set off a slight panic through some of the fantasy football community, but according to Arizona Republic beat writer Bob McManaman coach Kliff Kingsbury merely described Drake's issue as "general training camp soreness." Drake himself took to Twitter in the afternoon to assure fans that nothing was wrong. Drake should be fine, because despite the scary optics a walking boot is regularly used as a precautionary measure to lock up a joint and protect it from any conceivable strain. There would have been more cause to worry about Drake if he were seen on crutches or some such thing, because in the meantime it wouldn't surprise if he's back within a few days. In the event that Drake were to miss time, though, Chase Edmonds would likely start, and a fellow backup or two like Eno Benjamin, D.J. Foster, or Jonathan Ward would likely need to play a sizable role as well.

-Aside from the Drake panic, the biggest story from Monday might be the torn shoulder labrum suffered by Tyrell Williams, who will try to play through the injury. According to Vic Tafur of the Athletic, Williams played with this same injury twice in his career previously. If Williams ends up out for whatever reason, it would all but lock in third-round pick Bryan Edwards as the second starting receiver, the other likely being first-round pick fellow rookie Henry Ruggs. Williams is likely to serve as a downfield speed threat, and if he were out then Ruggs would be the most qualified remaining candidate to run downfield, where Derek Carr is less likely to throw to him. Then again, if Williams plays through it successfully then maybe not much will change at all, and Nelson Agholor might  be fast enough to provide a downfield decoy if Williams is unavailable. 

-Jalen Reagor hype continues to build, and seemingly at an escalating pace. Whereas before training camp the question was whether Reagor could earn a starting role, by now the question is whether any other Eagles receiver has a prayer of keeping up with him. That includes DeSean Jackson, who by all accounts remains effective despite his age, but even at his best Jackson has been something of a big-play specialist. It seems like Reagor might emerge as a workhorse receiver for the Eagles. With Odell Beckham-like game-breaking ability, it's dangerous to question any particular theory of Reagor's upside. As much as there's still risk, the runway is clear and few can fly like him.

-Darius Slayton missed practice Monday for an undisclosed reason, with coach Joe Judge only offering the detail that Slayton was 'working with the trainer.' Slayton is the clear top deep threat in the Giants offense, so any absence from him would invite the safeties to focus that much more on Sterling Shepard, Golden Tate and Evan Engram. Slayton missed about six weeks with a hamstring injury last year, which cost him the first two weeks of the regular season, so hopefully he's back in practice soon. The good news is that New York Daily News writer Pat Leonard heard that Slayton's issue was "not a big deal."

-The shoulder injury suffered by Mike Williams on Sunday was only described as a shoulder sprain, leaving the specifics up to imagination. The injury doesn't sound like anything especially serious, though, so it seems like worst-case scenarios can mostly be ignored. Williams is week-to-week in the meantime, though, which seems to make him questionable for a Week 1 that's roughly three weeks away. Fifth-round pick rookie Joe Reed and 2019 practice squad callup Jalen Guyton are probably the two next outside receivers in line with the Chargers, while seventh-round pick K.J. Hill appears better suited to the slot due to a lack of speed, quickness and leaping ability. Reed is a weird case all the same – the Athletic reported that Reed practiced with the running backs Monday, which you could either read positively (he's versatile, they want to use him several ways, etc.) or negatively (maybe they're trying him at running back because he isn't doing well at receiver). For what it's worth, that Athletic article mentions that Williams was not wearing a sling Monday.

-Diontae Johnson has a leg injury that has kept him out for nearly a week now, but there doesn't seem to be any concern of him missing game time. Johnson is established in the offense and is likely to jump back into a three-down role when his health allows it. With that said, the more James Washington and rookie second-round pick Chase Claypool get practice reps the greater threat they become to earn consideration in the game plan.

-A Washington Post article detailed the camp situation of Logan Thomas, who appears to have all but earned Washington's starting tight end role. As an athletic former quarterback at 6-6, 250, Thomas could earn meaningful targets on a team that lacks wide receiver depth. Coach Ron Rivera raves in the article about Thomas' work ethic, and pertinently points out that the former Virginia Tech star is only four years into his tight end career. Maybe the light never fully goes on for Thomas, but in the meantime there are few players as athletic as he is (4.61 40, 35.5-inch vertical, 11.23 agility score).