Here's a look at some of the top rumors for Thursday, Sept. 3:
Terrelle Pryor could finally make his preseason debut as a wide receiver for the Cleveland Browns, according to ESPN Cleveland's Tony Grossi. Pryor has missed Cleveland's first three preseason games with an aggravated hamstring injury. The former quarterback has been making the transition to wide receiver in an attempt to make Cleveland's roster and remain in the NFL. Coach Mike Pettine has alluded to Pryor still having a chance to make the roster despite missing the entire preseason, according to a report by Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk. However, any showing at all in the team's preseason finale is likely to help Pryor's chance of making the Browns.
After No. 1 wideout Kelvin Benjamin went down with a torn ACL, wide receiver has become a position of focus for the Carolina Panthers. One of the receivers that the Panthers hoped would step up, Corey Brown, could now find himself on the roster bubble, according to a report in The Charlotte Observer by Jonathan Jones. Brown has had a case of the yips, likened to a starting pitcher being unable to find the strike zone, dropping a pair of touchdown passes over the past two preseason games. A third straight sub-par preseason game could cause the Panthers to move on from their second-year receiver, opting instead to look to the waiver wire for a new set of hands.
When the Detroit Lions traded with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for tight end Tim Wright, the move appeared more about depth than a condemnation of the progress of starting tight end Eric Ebron. It now appears that the added depth at tight end could ultimately cause another Lion to lose his job. According to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, there is only one spot on the roster for either Joseph Fauria or the newly-acquired Wright. What makes the position battle even more interesting is that according to ESPN's Michael Rothstein, Wright might not even play in Detroit's preseason finale, which could spell trouble for Fauria's chances to make the team.
According to Paul Domowitch of The Philadelphia Inquirer, Brent Celek could lead the Eagles' tight ends in snaps this season. Entering his ninth NFL season, the 30-year-old Celek has failed to play in all 16 games of a season just once with Philadelphia. With Zach Ertz sidelined for the preseason with a core injury, it looks like Celek will once again reprise his role as Philadelphia's starting tight end. It should be important to note that Ertz should still have a big fantasy impact, taking most of the third-down snaps for the Eagles.
The Deflategate saga has been put to rest, for the moment. The NFL plans on appealing Judge Berman's ruling to vacate Tom Brady's four-game suspension, which was upheld on appeal by the commissioner, in an alleged ball-deflation scheme. Commissioner Roger Goodell issued a statement on the Brady ruling, expressing the NFL's intention to take further action in the case. According to multiple reports, the NFL will not seek a stay of Judge Berman's ruling, leaving the New England quarterback free to play while the appeal process plays itself out.
