Job Battles: Not Yet Over the Hill

Here are some training camp competitions that have changed since last week's entry. The blurbs are listed in a generally descending order of fantasy significance. The players are listed left to right in descending team seniority, rather than favored status.

Mike Gillislee vs. Jeremy Hill, RB, NE

This entry is misleading in that it's positioned as the most fantasy-significant blurb in this list, but that primarily pertains to the injured player whose absence propels whatever value of the players named. Sony Michel's knee injury is the headline, in other words.

Still, unimpressive as they might be, Mike Gillislee and Jeremy Hill need to be accounted for with Michel on the shelf following a "cleanup procedure" to his knee. ESPN's Mike Reiss reported that the injury will keep Michel out for at least 10 days, but the absence of a firm timeline leaves open the possibility of a somewhat indefinite lack of availability for Michel. Even as a first-round pick, Michel's rookie status makes him particularly vulnerable to lost practice time, and even a best-case scenario for him probably entails a slow start to the season.

If Michel is unavailable for health or preparation reasons, the Patriots would seemingly have a sizable opportunity up for grabs for Gillislee and Hill, the only other runners on the roster who project for running between the tackles. If either does particularly well in their audition, they could make for an irritating touchdown vulture all season, even after Michel's return.

It's difficult to advise investment in either player outside of very deep leagues, at least for the time being. Gillislee was a total flop last year despite New England all but handing him the starting role, and Hill is less than inspiring after running for just 116 yards on 37 carries last year. Still, if I had to pick one of the two it would be Hill. Gillislee was a horrendous fit in the offense in 2017, offering nothing as a runner even as his mere presence tipped off the run due to his inability to contribute in passing situations.

John Ross vs. Josh Malone, WR, CIN

These two second-year wideouts face off for the role vacated by Brandon LaFell's release, with Ross the favorite due to his superior draft pedigree as the ninth overall pick last year. Malone was a fine prospect in the fourth round, though, so the matter is not settled.

A profound history of knee and shoulder troubles are perhaps the primary obstacle for Ross, assuming head coach Marvin Lewis no longer harbors an irrational resentment toward him. Ross missed training camp last year while recovering from shoulder surgery, suffered a knee injury shortly upon his return, and then needed season-ending surgery on the other shoulder not long after returning from the knee injury.

If he can just stay healthy, though, Ross would present enormous upside. His 4.22 speed is what most know him for, but he also has a legitimate and varied wide receiver skill set. He'll kill you deep like you'd expect of someone with his speed, but he's developed as a short and intermediate target, too, posing the after-the-catch playmaking ability you might associate with someone like Tyreek Hill. Ross finished his final year at Washington with 81 receptions for 1,150 yards and 17 touchdowns on 131 targets (8.8 YPT) in an offense where 2018 49ers second-round pick Dante Pettis secured just 76 targets as the second-leading receiver. Here's the really crazy part: with Ross on the field in 2016, quarterback Jake Browning threw for 43 touchdowns versus nine interceptions. With Ross gone in 2017, Browning threw for 19 touchdowns and five interceptions.

Malone projects as a potential above average outside receiver during his peak years thanks to his developed downfield skill set and 4.40 speed on a 6-foot-3, 208-pound frame, but his underneath game doesn't offer much, and it's not necessarily a part of his skill set that will ever develop. Furthermore, while it's a good indicator for his long-term upside, Malone figures to remain somewhat raw since he doesn't even turn 23 until late March.

Basically, if Ross doesn't get hurt, he should provide Cincinnati with a Santana Moss sort of playmaker, yet his injury risk is substantial. If he does get hurt, Malone's size and speed would make him interesting.

Chester Rogers vs. Ryan Grant vs. Deon Cain, WR, IND

Grant was listed as a starter on the initial Colts depth chart, but this may be a case of misleading semantics. The modern definition of "starter" tends to restrict to the outside receiver positions, precluding slot wideouts from consideration of the title even if they're targeted more heavily than the outside receivers. That may be the case here with Grant relative to Rogers, with the latter profiling best as a slot target. Thus, Rogers may well be the Colts' second-leading wide receiver even though he's listed behind Grant on the initial depth chart.

Regardless which of Grant and Rogers receives more targets, rookie sixth-round pick Deon Cain poses a wildcard variable to the equation, as he's earned rave reviews for his practice work thus far. If Cain can stick and earn snaps, his unique athleticism could allow him to jump over even Grant and Rogers eventually. Cain was a major underachiever in college, but his 4.43 speed is a contrast to the modest athleticism of Grant (4.64 40) and Rogers (4.51 40).

Because Cain underachieved so badly at Clemson, I'm somewhat skeptical that he'll maintain his training camp momentum – at least at the expense of Rogers or Grant. I would look for Rogers and Grant to remain the top-ranked receivers behind T.Y. Hilton, with Rogers the better fantasy bet between the two. If Andrew Luck is really back, there should be room for a second wideout to make a substantial fantasy impact behind Hilton.

Rashard Higgins vs. Antonio Callaway, WR, CLE

With the trade of Corey Coleman to Buffalo and Josh Gordon's availability unclear, what were previously the backup wideouts in Cleveland are suddenly a matter of mainstream interest. Rashard Higgins and Antonio Callaway appear the primary contenders for now.

Higgins has the tenure as a third-year wideout, but Callaway has a major advantage when it comes to raw talent. Higgins (6-foot-1, 196) is a rather lean wideout whose profound lack of athleticism (4.64 40, 32-inch vertical) make him a problematic outside projection, generally reducing him to a slot prospect. His age-adjusted production imply a considerable skill set, however, and the fact that he'll only be 24 in October implies he'll get better yet. The problem for him is that Jarvis Landry is getting all the slot snaps he can handle, and Higgins is less likely to win snaps on the outside.

That makes Callaway the favorite for me. Although he's a rookie fourth-round pick, Callaway is probably a first-round talent. He fell solely due to (major) character concerns. It might be somewhat ironic to note that his skill set and athletic traits are actually very similar to those of Coleman. Standing at 5-foot-11, 200 pounds, Callaway ran a 4.41-second 40-yard dash at the combine, and his strong work as a returner in college lends insight into his skill as an open-field runner.