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While the Patriots would prefer Welker to play under the tender of $9.5M in 2012, he is not believed to have an issue with that decision, and is furthermore not expected to be a holdout. So even though long-term contract talks are not going well, Welker's fantasy stock shall remain strong as a No. 1 receiver.

So while Gabbert gravely struggled as a rookie in 2011, Jacksonville remains high on him now and for the future, and Mularkey is especially pleased with the Missouri product's confidence level. And a dismal receiving corps was chiefly to blame for his performance last season, and the addition of Justin Blackmon in the first round of April's Draft, plus the signing of Laurent Robinson, should go a long way in moving Gabbert in the right direction. Chad Henne is not currently a threat to push him for the No. 1 role, but we are not ready to consider Gabbert as anything more than a low-end No. 2 quarterback in fantasy drafts though.

Young is a quality quarterback, but should not be viewed as a threat to unseat Ryan Fitzpatrick as Buffalo's starter, and won't hold fantasy value while serving as the No. 2 guy on the depth chart.

Heyward-Bey was pulled over when an officer spotted him speeding and weaving in his driving lane. He does not have a history of off-the-field incidents prior to this arrest, so an NFL suspension seems unlikely for Oakland's young vertical threat.

Peterson is recovering from knee injuries to his ACL, MCL and meniscus, and we are not optimistic the stud will be ready for action at the start of the new season either. So Peterson is shaping up as a prime candidate to open the year on the PUP list, and you know the Vikings will not rush their franchise star back to the gridiron until fully healthy. He remains a wait-and-see prospect for 2012.

Xanders held the GM position in Denver since 2009, and will not be around to see the AFC West club defend their division title with prized offseason acquisition Peyton Manning under center. He will likely find another job in the NFL, and does have ties to Chicago GM Phil Emery (through their time spent together in the Atlanta Falcons organization, when Emery was director of scouting).

The 2011 second-rounder went down with a torn patella tendon (plus sustained meniscus damage) before making his regular season debut, but it is encouraging that he is now able to run and make cuts and will be set to contribute in 2012, assuming he doesn't suffer a setback. He will hold some fantasy value as a complement to Beanie Wells, and a potentially-essential handcuff, depending on how good the former Virginia Tech game-breaker looks in camp and the preseason.

This was to be expected as the Dolphins invested the No. 8 overall pick in the Texas A&M standout in April's Draft while coming off a dismal 2011 campaign. Tannehill will be competing with Matt Moore and David Garrard for the starting gig, and while he has strong upside -- he will undoubtedly be held back by a poor receiving corps in Miami, which sent Brandon Marshall, their only No. 1 caliber wideout, to Chicago.

If signed, Jones would battle Brandon Lafell for the No. 2 role at receiver behind Steve Smith, but Jones was gravely inconsistent during his time in Houston, and failed to come through when thrust into a starting role due to injuries to Andre Johnson. In other words, Lafell has far better fantasy upside, and would be the favorite to beat out Jones for the starting gig.

Detroit needs depth in their RB stable with Jahvid Best coming off a 2011 campaign spoiled by numerous concussions, and Mikel Leshoure coming off a torn Achilles and being arrested for marijuana possession earlier this year. This would be a good landing spot as he would have a chance for a fair share of carries plus the Lions are among the most explosive teams in the NFL. Consider him a late-round flier if the former member of the Packers does end up taking a deal with the NFC North rivals.