Two seasons ago, Titans QB Vince Young was seen as the undisputed leader in Tennessee. Now he’s fighting for a job holding a clipboard.

According to Jim Wyatt of the Nashville Tennessean, the Titans are giving Young every opportunity this pre-season to win a job as Kerry Collins’ backup, but nothing is guaranteed to the former top five pick. With the team intent on protecting Collins from any injury, Young is receiving the bulk of the snaps in practice, followed closely by journeyman QB Patrick Ramsey.

Young battled physical and emotional issues throughout the majority of last season, leading the team to demote him from his starting role, which in turn gave Collins a chance to resurrect his career. The Titans are hopeful that having him play out another season on the sidelines in a low stress environment will allow Young to regain the form that led the team to draft him #3 overall in 2006.

Dallas Cowboys (9-7, 3rd NFC East)

The Cowboys entered the off-season in disappointing fashion, missing out on the playoffs entirely after many pundits felt they were a lock for the Super Bowl. Obviously with such an underachieving squad, changes had to be made, and that’s exactly what happened. Team owner Jerry Jones is taking a no nonsense approach this season, especially with his brand new $1.1 billion palace set to open this fall, and if Dallas fails to bring home at least one playoff victory, you can bet that even more heads will roll in Arlington.

Draft Selections: OLB Jason Williams, OT Robert Brewster, QB Stephen McGee, DE Victor Butler, DE Brandon Williams, CB DeAngelo Smith, FS Michael Hamlin, K David Buehler, SS Stephen Hodge, TE John Phillips, SS Stephen Hodge, TE John Phillips

Key Additions: QB Jon Kitna, DE Igor Olshansky, LB Keith Brooking, SS Gerald Sensabaugh

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Here’s the latest news from around the league this morning…

• Minnesota has officially moved on from their Brett Favre infatuation, but sources close to the situation continue to say things are far from being over, and a Favre-Vikings combination could be revisited in the near future, especially if their current duo at QB proves incapable of handling a starting role with the team.

• The fallout from former Giants WR Plaxico Burress‘ illegal weapons charge in New York has expanded to potentially include Giants LB Antonio Pierce in an indictment, according to  the New York Daily News

• ProFootballTalk.com is reporting that #2 overall pick Jason Smith and the St. Louis Rams are very close to reaching a contract agreement, although nothing has been confirmed by the team as of yet.

• Disgruntled Cardinals WR Anquan Boldin has reportedly arrived at the team’s training camp complex and will participate in practices despite his contract issues with the front office.

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The past few seasons have been trying to say the least for Chiefs RB Larry Johnson, but on arrival day at the team’s training camp in River Falls, Wisconsin, the veteran runner claims to be enthusiastic about the upcoming season.

Bill Williamson of ESPN recently spoke with Johnson and came away with a few remarks that are sure to get the majority of Chiefs Nation excited once again about their team’s chances this year:

“I want to be here because of Scott Pioli’s commitment to winning. He has a no-nonsense approach and coach Haley’s offensive system fits me. My decision to want to stay here is really based on what those guys are doing here.”

“These guys are going to put the players on the field who can best help the team. They are not going to worry about four or five years down the road. There is a new excitement in Kansas City. I believe in these guys and what they are going to do to make the Chiefs a winner.”

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According to Mark Gaughan of the Buffalo News, Bills rookie free safety Jairus Byrd will be sidelined for two to four weeks after he underwent a routine operation to correct a sports hernia two weeks ago.

The team feels that Byrd should be able to get back into practice earlier rather than later, and is still committed to signing him to a contract as soon as possible. That being said, his absence will definitely slow his ability to adjust to the pace in the NFL, and the Bills will have to likely rely more heavily on their current depth chart at the position for the time being.

Jason Reid of the Washington Post recently spoke with Redskins QB Jason Campbell about second year receivers Devin Thomas and Malcolm Kelly, and apparently the two are showing significant progress in their development thus far into training camp.

Here’s what Campbell had to say in the interview:

“You could just see the development and the improvement. You could see the change in their approach and their understanding about the game. With Devin, he’s going into his second year in the league and I think he’s getting some things figured out. And Malcolm … the key with Malcolm is just to keep him on the field and keep that knee right.”

“Those guys are going to be so important, and I really feel we can depend on them and lean on them this season. And Fred, Fred has a lot of talent. He can be a guy who we really take advantage of with Chris Cooley. These are talented guys, and I just saw a lot from them to be real optimistic about. I wouldn’t say that if I didn’t believe it.”

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The Associated Press is reporting that Washington head coach Jim Zorn has ruled out a potential deal with former Falcons QB Michael Vick, at least for the time being.

The Redskins have been extremely open in their pursuit of an upgrade at the quarterback position this off-season, but an addition of Vick would not make a lot of sense for the team given his current status with the league and a lack of physical activity over the past two years during his stint in prison.

Look for Washington to revisit a move to add Vick into the fold at a later point, especially if Vick gains a full reinstatement from the commissioner and is able to show that he can still play at a high level.

In a separate article, Mark Miller of Yahoo! Sports discussed potential landing spots for Vick earlier today, and believes that Minnesota and Jacksonville are the two most likely suitors given their need for talent at the position, especially now that the Vikings and Brett Favre have ended their saga.

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After trading away their Pro Bowl quarterback this off-season to Chicago, the Broncos are still open to the idea of sending their superstar WR Brandon Marshall out of town as well, in spite of the significant repercussions to their offensive output it would cause.

According to Jason Cole of  Yahoo! Sports, the most likely suitor for Marshall at this point would be the Baltimore Ravens, who have a gaping hole right now in their receiving corps, especially after veteran WR Derrick Mason retired recently. Adding Marshall would immediately improve the Ravens offense, and should in theory place them back into serious contention for a Super Bowl title this season, although their defense may struggle somewhat with the departure of LB Bart Scott and defensive coordinator Rex Ryan to the Jets.

Obviously, this rumor has little in the way of legs, but it’s definitely something to keep your eye on, especially if you’re a fan of either the Ravens or the Broncos, as it could have major ramifications for both clubs.

Every year there are a number of players who make headlines by skipping out of their team’s opening slate of practices in training camp, so as to make a point about their particular contract dispute, and this year is no exception.

According to the San Francisco Chronicle, Raiders DE Derrick Burgess and WR Darrius Heyward-Bey are not present as of right now at the team’s training camp. While, DHB’s particular saga is nothing new given his status as a first round pick in the most recent NFL draft class, Burgess on the other hand is somewhat of a surprise.

Head Coach Tom Cable is apparently quite upset with Burgess missing the start of practices, as it was expected that he show up regardless of his desire to receive a contract extension. Burgess was a potential trading chip during the off-season, but given the Raiders lack of quality depth along their defensive front, it’s doubtful he’ll be moving elsewhere any time soon.

The hurricane of rumors and other assorted misinformation spiraling around the globe over the past few months has come to an end. Brett Favre is staying put in Mississippi… for now.

According to Chip Scoggins of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Favre informed Vikings head coach Brad Childress of his decision earlier today, citing the “daily grind both mentally and physically” as his reasoning behind not coming out of retirement.

Obviously, this has major ramifications for Minnesota as they now are forced to go back to both Sage Rosenfels and Tavarris Jackson with their hat in the hand so to speak. Their focus on getting Favre to play out another season for the Vikings has to leave both to wonder just how much faith the team actually has in their ability to lead.

Neither player has shown themselves to be capable of being a lock down starter in the league, however one will have to take on that role this season for the Vikings, who by all accounts are poised to take a giant leap into the thick of the Super Bowl discussion this year.

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Here’s the latest news from around the league this afternoon…

• Broncos WR Brandon Marshall sat out of practice this morning but the team called it a “precautionary measure” and it’s not likely to affect the standout receiver during the rest of Denver’s training camp.

• The Titans have agreed to terms with second round pick DT Sen’Derrick Marks.

• Former Giants WR Plaxico Burress is scheduled to testify in front of a New York grand jury tomorrow morning with regards to the weapons charge he is currently facing. This comes on the heels of New York City district attorney Robert Morgenthau publicly stating that Burress will “have to go to jail, whether by trial or by plea.”

• Mark Miller of Yahoo! Sports claims the hold up in teams signing their first round selections is stemming from 49ers WR Michael Crabtree’s desire to be paid like a top five pick instead of the #10 overall.

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It’s been a long two months away from things here at NFLNR, but I’ve decided to do my best to get back into the swing of things from here on out. The summer is always the busiest time of the year for me, and this year has proven to be no exception, as I’ve been completely locked out of any time to write at the level I want.

That being said, I’ll be jumping back in with both feet, so hopefully we can get this site back up and running in no time at all.

Thanks for all the support and I’m looking forward to another outstanding season of NFL coverage here at NFLNR.com!