Monday Preseason Notes

[BangTheBook]

MONDAY'S GAMES 8/13/07

Denver Broncos - QB Rotation: Jay Cutler (1-2 series), Patrick Ramsey (will follow), Preston Parsons (see below).

QB Jay Cutler and the first-team offense are expected to play one or two series. Ramsey will get most of the snaps Monday. Cutler has treated a sore right wrist after most practices, but he has not missed a training camp snap.

Four of Cutler's projected top five receivers - Brandon Marshall, Tony Scheffler, Brandon Stokley and Rod Smith - will not play tonight because of injuries. The battered offensive line finished camp as Tom Nalen and a four-man rotation.

After running with the No. 3 offense during the offseason minicamps and through the first 11 days of training camp, Mike Bell became the No. 2 running back Thursday. That leaves him behind starter Travis Henry, but ahead of Cecil Sapp, who had been running with the second unit. Andre Hall appeared to be splitting the third-team reps with Sapp.

Offensive line thin. Left guard Ben Hamilton has missed significant time with a concussion. Left tackle Matt Lepsis has been out with a pulled groin. Right guard Chris Kuper was replaced on the first-team Monday by Montrae Holland.

Lepsis' injury caused the Broncos to move Erik Pears from right tackle to left tackle one day, then back to right tackle the next. Adam Meadows has been playing whatever tackle position is opposite Pears, and Chris Myers has been filling in for Hamilton. Another backup left tackle, rookie Ryan Harris, hurt his back Thursday.

Second-year WR Brandon Marshall practiced for the second straight day Saturday after missing the first 12 days of practice with a quadriceps injury. Marshall won't play Monday at San Francisco, but he will play Saturday at Dallas.

Denver Broncos first-round draft pick Jarvis Moss injured his left knee during 1-on-1 pass-rush drills Monday.

Mike Shanahan fired most of the defensive staff in the offseason, including DC Larry Coyer, and hired Jim Bates, whose M.O. is forcing turnovers by getting pressure on the quarterback.

San Fran 49ers - QB Rotation: Alex Smith (1st Q), Trent Dilfer (2nd Q), Shaun Hill.

QB Smith and the starting offensive unit will be on the field for the first quarter or 15 plays, whichever comes first. San Francisco's starting defense will play about the same amount and give way to a flood of reserves in the second half.

Pro Bowl RB Frank Gore broke a bone in his right hand and might not play in the preseason. That means running backs Michael Robinson, Maurice Hicks and Thomas Clayton will take most of the pounding in camp and throughout much of the preseason.

"We'll just take it a day at a time," Nolan said. "We want Michael and Mo (Hicks), in particular those two players, to get the bulk of the first group's work while Frank is down." HC Mike Nolan said Gore could return as early as the final preseason game at San Diego. Nolan said Robinson could fill in as the third quarterback if an injury occurred.

Starting NT Aubrayo Franklin (knee) will miss the entire preseason. He is the centerpiece of Nolan's three-year scheme to install a true 3-4 defense in San Francisco. Isaac Sopoaga and rookie Joe Cohen will get the first chance to replace Franklin.

Philadelphia Eagles - QB Rotation: Donovan McNabb, A.J. Feeley (1st Q), Kelly Holcomb (2nd Q), rookie Kevin Kolb (second half).

QB Donovan McNabb (sore knee) won't play. A.J. Feeley will start the game and play one quarter, followed by veteran Kelly Holcomb. Rookie Kevin Kolb will play most of the second half.

QB Kevin Kolb told reporters he had "hit the wall a bit" last week during training camp at Lehigh University and he has made his share of rookie mistakes, some of which can be attributed to a tired arm, but all was to be expected.

These guys won't play: Free safety Brian Dawkins (Achilles), cornerback Lito Sheppard (oblique), right guard Shawn Andrews (ankle), tight end L.J. Smith (groin), defensive tackles Montae Reagor (knee) and Ian Scott (knee); cornerback Dustin Fox (Achilles), linebacker Dedrick Roper (foot) and wide receiver Bill Sampy (quadriceps).

Defensive line thin with DTs Montae Reagor and Ian Scott out with knee injuries.

Secondary thin, with safety Brian Dawkins (Achilles tendinitis), CB Marcus Paschal (leg spasm), and CB Lito Sheppard has missed the majority of training camp with a strained oblique muscle.

Cornerback Will James finally gets his wish and will start opposite Sheldon Brown with Sheppard out, while Quintin Mikell and Sean Considine are the top two players at safety with the six-time Pro Bowler Dawkins still nursing his sore Achilles.

Baltimore Ravens - QB Rotation: Steve McNair (1-2 series), Kyle Boller (will follow), rookie Troy Smith.

McNair and the starters will go 1-2 series. The second unit will then play much of the game. QB Kyle Boller is expected to relieve Steve McNair in the first quarter and play most of the first half.

Offensive line thin: OT Jonathan Ogden (turf toe) has not been practicing and first-round pick Ben Grubbs sprained his knee. This unit will feature a more athletic look and three new starters: left tackle Jared Gaither (who is filling in for Jonathan Ogden), right guard Chris Chester and right tackle Adam Terry. The second team has two first-day picks on the right side, guard Ben Grubbs (first round) and tackle Marshal Yanda (third round).

Secondary thin, with starters CB Samari Rolle and safety Ed Reed ailing.