Panthers middle linebacker Luke Kuechly won’t be participating in any on-field work in OTAs later this month, but he was able to get 18 holes in yesterday — in a manner of speaking.
Kuechly was caddying for Greg Olsen in the Wells Fargo Championship pro-am, and was sufficiently healthy to carrying a heavy bag of clubs..
Cyrus Kouandjio was a gamble that didn’t pan out.
“I feel good, shoulder feels good,” he said. “I haven’t done a whole lot on the field yet, but it’s gonna be fine.”
Getting the former defensive player of the year ready will be important for the Panthers, since he’ll be playing without running mate Thomas Davis (PED suspension) for the first month of the season.
Austin has the ability to function in several roles. He’s primarily a wide receiver, but can also return punts and kicksoffs as well as carry the ball out of the backfield. It sounds like Dallas is fully committed to giving Austin more than enough opportunities to be an impact player for the Cowboys. Team exec Stephen Jones says they want him to touch the ball a dozen times per game, at a minimum, as pointed out by Rotoworld’s Josh Norris.
In addition to Kamara, the Saints have Jonathan Williams, Daniel Lasco, Trey Edmunds and rookie Boston Scott, the team’s sixth-round pick of the 2018 NFL Draft.
There will be a handful of other guys competing for those touches, Payton said. Certainly, you miss something with a guy like Mark Ingram in those early weeks. But I think for us it’s going to be evaluating that whole position and determining who can handle some of that role.
Of the quartet vying to catch the coaching staff’s attention, the 6-foot, 223-pound Williams offers plenty of intrigue.
Williams, who played collegiately at Arkansas, landed on New Orleans’ radar during the predraft process in 2016. But the Bills used a fifth-round pick on Williams in the draft and he produced 94 yards rushing and a touchdown on 27 catches in 11 games during his rookie season. 
