Montgomerys gold medal in skeleton at the Whistler Sliding Centr

NFL Nation reporters assess the top storylines to watch for every team on Wednesday.NFC East | NFC North | NFC South | NFC West AFC East | AFC North| AFC South | AFC WestAFC EASTBuffalo BillsWhen it rains in Buffalo, it pours. Defensive tackle Marcell Dareus -- perhaps the teams best player -- was suspended Tuesday for the first four games of the season?in?yet another blow to coach Rex Ryans bid to turn around the Bills defense. With the team already without starting outside linebacker?Shaq Lawson and starting inside linebacker?Reggie Ragland because of injuries, how Ryan responds to the latest hit will be the story of Wednesday. -- Mike RodakMiami DolphinsFormer Pro Bowl running back Arian Foster, who is returning from an Achilles injury, is expected to make his Dolphins debut Friday against the Cowboys. Foster began training camp on the physically unable to perform list but has practiced well the past two weeks. Wednesday is the final practice for Foster to get game-ready. Could he seize the starting job? -- James WalkerNew England PatriotsThe Patriots and Bears meet for the third straight day of joint practices, and though there were player ejections on Monday and Tuesday, this practice figures to be lighter on intensity, as it wont be in full pads and comes the day before the teams preseason game. Will that mean an appearance from tight end?Rob Gronkowski? He pulled up in practice Monday and wasnt present at Tuesdays workout. -- Mike ReissNew York JetsThe Jets continue to give all four quarterbacks -- Ryan Fitzpatrick, Geno Smith, Bryce Petty and Christian Hackenberg -- reps at practice. But coach Todd Bowles isnt sure whether all four will play against the Redskins on Friday. All of them gotta be ready to play, Bowles said Tuesday. Whether we play em all or not, well just see how the game goes. Petty could be the odd man out, as the Jets invested a second-round draft pick on Hackenberg this spring. The second-year man from Baylor looked inconsistent Tuesday and might be playing for his job this week. -- Kieran DarcyAFC NORTHBaltimore RavensQuarterback Joe Flaccos training camp has gone as well as expected, considering he is eight months removed from getting two ligaments surgically repaired in his left knee. Flacco is moving around well, hasnt missed a snap in practice and has even scrambled for a first down on occasion. Flacco, however, wants everyone to know he hasnt completely recovered from the knee injury. Its not totally normal, Flacco said of the knee. But as far as going out there and operating on the field, running around and doing things, I dont pay attention to it. Its unknown whether Flacco will sit out Saturdays preseason game. -- Jamison HensleyCincinnati BengalsBrandon LaFells recent right hand injury is the latest in a series of blows to the Bengals health this preseason. As a result, dont expect the veteran receiver to be in pads when Cincinnati visits Detroit on Thursday. In fact, if LaFell determines in the next few days to have surgery on the hurt hand, he could miss much more than this lone preseason game. Although they will go through a slightly uptempo walk-through Wednesday, the Bengals will have a chance to give their bodies a much-needed break from a physical practice ahead of the road preseason game. -- Coley HarveyCleveland BrownsWide receiver Josh Gordon progressed from individual work Monday to a handful of plays in team drills on Tuesday. How did he look? Fast. Long. Tall. Big. Can catch, coach Hue Jackson said. Gordon, who is suspended the first four games of the season, is not expected to play in Thursday nights preseason game against Atlanta. -- Pat McManamonPittsburgh SteelersThe LeVeon Bell go ball could become a thing. The Steelers are looking for creative options to drive the ball downfield, and in Tuesdays training camp finale,?Ben Roethlisberger dropped a 50-yard bomb into the hands of a diving Bell down the sideline. Great throw, great catch. Later in the practice, coaches were overheard talking with Bell about different ways to get him open deep downfield. Its going to be hard to stop us regardless, and we know that, Bell said. -- Jeremy FowlerAFC SOUTHHouston TexansKeep an eye on what outside linebacker Jadeveon Clowney does in the second day since he returned to practice. He missed a week of practice because of knee soreness, but on Tuesday, he was able to participate in team and individual drills, which is more than coach Bill OBrien said he expected. If Clowney continues to come out of practice healthy, expect him to play Saturday against the Saints. -- Sarah BarshopIndianapolis ColtsQuarterback Andrew Luck isnt exactly running around in excitement over potentially making his preseason debut against Baltimore on Saturday. Luck is looking forward to playing in his first game since Week 9 last season, but he realizes its just preseason. Ive always thought that the first preseason game as a rookie is a special, special thing, he said. Its the first time you go and put on a uniform. Then after that, they are all somewhat the same, in a sense. Its not to downplay any of them -- there are things you get better at. Winning regular-season games is the important thing. Coach Chuck Pagano wouldnt reveal how long he plans to play Luck against the Ravens. -- Mike WellsJacksonville JaguarsThe Jaguars will have the first of back-to-back practices with the Bucs on Wednesday, and some of the talk in the locker room revolved around making sure tempers dont flare and lead to fights -- or worse, another of the sideline-clearing brawls that happened during Texans-Redskins joint practices last preseason. Its going to be really, really important that we stress to the guys, Hey, we want to play hard and fast, but we need to be smart in this environment, linebacker?Paul Posluszny said. We need to all be professionals and make sure the mess that happened last year in practices in this type of environment -- we dont want that to happen. -- Mike DiRoccoTennessee TitansAn inexperienced group of backup offensive linemen will practice with Dennis Kelly, who was acquired in a trade for receiver Dorial Green-Beckham. Kelly has played guard and tackle, and the Titans expect that he has the style and physicality to help them maintain their smashmouth attitude, protecting quarterback?Marcus Mariota and plowing running holes for backs?DeMarco Murray and Derrick Henry, if a starter goes down. -- Paul KuharskyAFC WESTDenver BroncosBroncos coach Gary Kubiak finally said this week what many around the team have seen on the practice field in recent weeks: Ronnie Hillman, who was the Broncos leading rusher last season, is in a battle to keep his roster spot. C.J. Anderson is the Broncos No. 1 back at the moment, rookie Devontae Booker has worked as the No. 2, and Juwan Thompson, who plays running back, fullback and a full slate of special teams, has been the No. 3. If the Broncos keep four backs in addition to fullback Andy Janovich, there is some sentiment that they would keep Kapri Bibbs. But whether they keep three or four backs, Hillmans last stand might be to show that he can play on special teams. This weeks joint practices with the 49ers, as well as Saturdays game, might be his only chances to do something he hasnt done much of in his career. -- Jeff LegwoldKansas City ChiefsRunning back?Jamaal Charles returned briefly to practice, but hes a long way from playing in a game. It would be a surprise if Charles played in any of the remaining preseason games, but the Chiefs believe he will be available when the regular season begins. Charles participated only in individual and position drills Tuesday, and trainer Rick Burkholder said, The next couple of days, he may do exactly what he did today. The Chiefs wrap up the St. Joseph, Missouri, portion of training camp on Thursday. -- Adam TeicherOakland RaidersWith the Raiders casting knowing glances at Las Vegas as a possible home in the near future, the organization is also looking at Reno as a possible new training camp site. Quarterback?Derek Carr was asked if he gave thought to this potentially being the Raiders last camp in Wine Country, with the team breaking camp Tuesday after 13 practices. I love Napa. I love the Bay Area, Carr said. If it is [the last one here], I loved it. If not, I look forward to coming back. -- Paul GutierrezSan Diego ChargersCardinals tight end Troy Niklas said he looks forward to playing against Chargers linebacker Manti Teo?when the two teams meet in joint practices this week. The two were teammates at Notre Dame and butted heads plenty of times in practice. Im excited to play against him, Niklas said of facing Teo. Maybe Ill give him a good pop. -- Eric D. WilliamsNFC EASTDallas CowboysWide receiver?Dez Bryant has found himself moving around the formation more this training camp than in past years. Last year, Bryant was not able to practice much in the summer because of a strained hamstring. Then he broke his foot in the season opener, and that limited him to nine games. With the ability to practice more this summer, the Cowboys have put Bryant in different positions in an attempt to free him up and break him away from double coverage. Hes had a repertoire of routes through his career at all different spots, coach Jason Garrett said. One thing you try to do is help players grow, and if you can increase that repertoire from different spots he plays and be able to run different things out of movement, that helps him, and that helps us. -- Todd ArcherNew York GiantsThe hope is that wide receiver Victor Cruz (groin) is able to get on the field when the Giants return to work Wednesday. Cruz hasnt participated in a full practice since last Tuesday. He hasnt played in a game in 675 days. If he cant practice Wednesday, its not looking good for the Giants second of four preseason games this year. -- Jordan RaananPhiladelphia EaglesThe Dorial Green-Beckham experiment begins. The Titans gave up on the talented second-round pick after just one season and received backup lineman Dennis Kelly in the trade. The Eagles are hopeful that a new setting will click the 6-foot-5, 237-pounder into gear. Green-Beckham is expected to travel with the team to Pittsburgh for its preseason game against the Steelers on Thursday but wont play, according to coach Doug Pederson. -- Tim McManusWashington RedskinsOne player who impressed the coaches in three weeks of camp in Richmond was veteran corner Greg Toler. He wont start for Washington, but he has looked solid in practices and provides the Redskins excellent depth. The Redskins havent had this sort of depth at corner in the past, and its important because they lack depth elsewhere defensively, especially with pass-rushers. Toler came to Washington in part because new outside linebackers coach Greg Manusky coached him as a coordinator in Indianapolis. Coach Jay Gruden said Toler plays great, tight, man-to-man coverage. ... At the end of the day, if you can play tight, good, man-to-man coverage, it gives your defensive line time to get home against the quarterback, and good things will happen. -- John KeimNFC NORTHChicago BearsFollowing a pair of joint practices marred by skirmishes, the Bears and Patriots hope to have an incident-free walk-through Wednesday, as the teams prepare to square off in preseason game No. 2?Thursday at Gillette Stadium. I dont anticipate [things escalating in the preseason game], coach John Fox said. I think they played a very clean game in their opener, and so did we, so thats the key thing. I dont think theres anything to raise any eyebrows about. Fox and the Bears will monitor the health of tight end Zach Miller, who missed practice Tuesday, despite returning from a concussion over the weekend. Fox stressed that Miller did not suffer a setback in New England, but the Bears decision to send Miller to see a doctor on Tuesday was curious. -- Jeff DickersonDetroit LionsDeAndre Levy practiced on Tuesday -- sort of -- for the first time this season after being taken off the NFI list. Levy did only individual drill work in his return, then sat out team drills, and?Kyle Van Noy took first-team reps again. Levy will regain his job when hes ready, but the Lions want to be cautious with their star linebacker. Lions coach Jim Caldwell wouldnt commit to using Levy in any preseason games, saying its not a necessity. Levy would like to see some live reps before the season-opener Sept. 11 against Indianapolis but understands that he needs to take care of himself. In other words, if Levy plays at all this preseason, itll be for a very small amount of time. -- Michael RothsteinGreen Bay PackersAlthough no official announcement has been made, expect Brett Hundley to get the majority of the quarterback reps in Thursdays preseason game against the Raiders. Hundley has already missed two opportunities: the canceled Hall of Fame game and last week against the Browns because of an ankle injury. The Packers want to make sure hes ready to back up Aaron Rodgers, who has been impressed with Hundley in practice and QB meetings. He watches every rep Im doing and asks some good questions, Rodgers said. The mental part for him has been the most important part of his growth. When you start to become an expert of the offense, then you start worrying about whats going on, on the other side of the ball and of practice. I hope he feels good and gets a chance to play on Thursday. -- Rob DemovskyMinnesota VikingsCoach Mike Zimmer said this week that he thinks rushing the quarterback is what the Vikings defense does best. There could be opportunities to get past the Seahawks battered offensive line on Thursday in Seattle, but going after Russell Wilson presents a challenge in and of itself. Most of the time, what happens is you start peeking and you quit rushing. So instead of maintaining and trying to beat the guy youre on, youre looking around for the quarterback, and then you dont rush, Zimmer said. But weve been fairly disciplined with our rush lanes, so Im sure theres a possibility that hell get out a couple times. -- Ben GoesslingNFC SOUTHAtlanta FalconsVeteran pass-rusher Dwight Freeney is set to make his Falcons debut Thursday against the Browns. Coach Dan Quinn said Freeney is likely to play the equivalent of a quarter. Of course, the Falcons want to keep the 36-year-old Freeney fresh for the season to play his role as nickel pass-rusher. Im excited to get back out there, Freeney said. Itll be good to get that rust off a little bit. -- Vaughn McClureCarolina PanthersKeep an eye on Pro Bowl tight end Greg Olsen, who missed the past two practices because of back spasms. Coach Ron Rivera said Olsen was improving, but it would be a surprise at this point if he played in Saturdays preseason game at Tennessee. The Panthers get the day off after breaking camp in Spartanburg, South Carolina, on Tuesday. They resume practice Thursday afternoon in Charlotte. -- David NewtonNew Orleans SaintsThe Saints will wrap up training camp at The Greenbrier resort in West Virginia with one final practice Wednesday?before flying to Houston for two days of joint practices with the Texans. Mondays injury to defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins in a live goal-line drill put a damper on things. In general, however, the Saints seem pleased with the work they accomplished in their first three weeks of training camp, with more demanding practice sessions designed to ramp up the competitive atmosphere. The defense certainly seems to have gained some confidence and energy, which showed during last weeks joint practices and preseason game against the Patriots. -- Mike TriplettTampa Bay BuccaneersThe Bucs are set to begin two days of joint practices with the Jaguars on Wednesday in Jacksonville. Coach?Dirk Koetter has been preaching compete to his players, but after 11 practices, that gets a little old, so things have gotten a bit chippy at camp. They get tired, they start going against the same guys, and this guys got his hand in this guys face mask, and this guys holding this guy, Koetter said. Now its going to be exactly the same when we go to Jacksonville, except its just going to be different guys, and they have to figure out what they dont like about the other people, and then were going to play them on Saturday. I love the competition. -- Jenna LaineNFC WESTArizona CardinalsThe Cardinals announced that all three players on the PUP list -- safety Tyrann Mathieu, defensive tackle Frostee Rucker and cornerback Justin Bethel -- were activated Tuesday. Although this sounds promising, coach Bruce Arians didnt seem optimistic that the trio would be on the field any time soon. That would allow the likes of cornerback?Brandon Williams, safety?Tyvon Branch and a slew of defensive linemen, such as Rodney Gunter and Josh Mauro, to continue getting snaps with the first team and build up some experience. -- Josh WeinfussLos Angeles RamsThe Rams will be in full pads for a second straight day Wednesday, and it could be a big practice for E.J. Gaines, the 24-year-old cornerback who spent all of 2015 recovering from a foot injury. Gaines was held out of Saturdays exhibition opener because of a lingering hamstring issue but has been cleared to go full-speed. Gaines is competing with the likes of Lamarcus Joyner and Coty Sensabaugh for the right cornerback spot, opposite Trumaine Johnson. Coach Jeff Fisher said its going to be a great race. -- Alden GonzalezSan Francisco 49ersThe 49ers are set for a pair of joint practice sessions with the Broncos on Wednesday and Thursday in Denver. One thing theyre going to have to manage closely this week is their quarterback situation. Colin Kaepernick is still dealing with shoulder tightness and hasnt thrown in a week. The team is hoping hell be able to practice against the Broncos, but the team added veteran Christian Ponder to add some depth. Adding Ponder doesnt necessarily preclude Kaepernick from returning to practice, as the Niners needed a replacement for Thad Lewis, who is out for the season. If Kaepernick cant play this week, it would present Blaine Gabbert with another golden opportunity to claim the lead in the starting quarterback competition. -- Nick WagonerSeattle SeahawksThe Seahawks biggest offensive line addition this offseason was JMarcus Webb, but its looking like he might not start. Webb entered the summer as the first-team right tackle, but he has dealt with a knee issue and was running with the second team on Tuesday. For now, the Seahawks seem to believe?Bradley Sowell at left tackle and Garry Gilliam at right tackle is their best combination. That could change, of course, depending on how the players perform in Thursday nights preseason game against the Vikings. -- Sheil Kapadia Wholesale Dodgers Jerseys .com) - The women will also have a new champion at the Australian Open. Cheap Mike Piazza Jersey . 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ARLINGTON, Texas -- The Texas Rangers have re-signed free agent outfielder Carlos Gomez, finishing the one-year, $11.5 million agreement reached during winter meetings.To make room for Gomez on the 40-man roster, right-hander Brady Dragmire was designated for assignment Tuesday.The 31-year-old Gomez figures to play center field for the Rangers after Ian Desmond left for Colorado on a five-year, $70 million deal. Gomez is likely to be joined by Shin-Soo Choo in right and Nomar Mazara in left.Gomez batted ..dddddddddddd10 with five homers in 85 games this year for Houston and was released by the Astros in August. He signed with Texas and hit .284 with eight homers and 24 RBI in 33 games. An All-Star in 2013 and 14 with Milwaukee, Gomez has a .257 average and 116 home runs in 10 big league seasons.The 23-year-old Dragmire was received from Pittsburgh in a waiver claim this month. ' ' '