Danny Trevathan fractures shin, Drew Brees returns for Saints and more

Injuries

The Denver Broncos had a significant injury on Tuesday as weakside linebacker Danny Trevathan went down and was carted off the field with a fractured shin. According to Josina Anderson, Trevathan was told he'd be out for up to eight weeks with what was initially believed to be a problem with his knee, though further tests showed it was in fact his shin:

"They told me that my ACL and MCL are fine, but that I have a fracture in my knee. The doctor told me I was going to be out four to eight weeks, but I told him four to six. I'm not tripping. I will bounce back. I'm a soldier."

New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees has been out of practice since Aug.1 with an oblique strain, but he was wearing full pads for Tuesday morning's practice, according to Larry Holder of the Times-Picayune. The Saints haven't given much info regarding his status to this point, calling him day-to-day. Brees is obviously the most important player on that roster, so him getting back into pads, even if he doesn't do much on Tuesday, is always a good sign.

New York Jets wide receiver Eric Decker missed three practice sessions with a quad injury, but he was back as a full participant in practice on Tuesday, as reported by Gang Green Nation. Decker's injury was always classified as minor, but the Jets have a lot riding on him this season, so the news that he was back doing team drills so quickly was definitely positive. Decker expects to play in the team's second preseason game, which is against the Cincinnati Bengals.

New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham has been getting closer and closer to being a full participant in practice, and took yet another step in that direction on Tuesday. The rookie first-round pick said he'd be doing "individual-plus" on the day, referring to doing a bit more than the individual drills he's been doing off and on since he sustained his hamstring injury on the first day of training camp.

Apparently, "individual-plus" means taking part in seven-on-seven drills, which he did, according to Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News. It's a big first step for him, though it's unclear if he's going to be full-go at practice moving forward, or if he'll be in action for the second week of the preseason.

There was a brief scare at Seattle Seahawks camp with wide receiver Percy Harvin. He went down with an injury to his right calf and limped off the field. Given his injury history, fans were pretty worried, but Harvin did return to practice shortly before it concluded. Head coach Pete Carroll said that Harvin got stepped on and "scraped up pretty good," but that he's fine, according to Stephen Cohen of SeattlePI.com.

Colin McCarthy is going to require shoulder surgery, according to Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean, which means the Titans will be a bit shorthanded at linebacker. However, Jimmy Morris of Music City Miracles says he faced an "uphill battle" to even make the roster this season after previous injury concerns. He's likely to land on injured reserve, per Wyatt.

Position battles

The Pittsburgh Steelers have a position battle going for the swing tackle spot. The competition is between Mike Adams and Guy Whimper, and it's a lot more significant than one might think. A swing tackle backs up both the left and right tackle spots and will be expected to be able to play both at a high level. Adams is a former starter and a second-round pick who hasn't quite lived up to expectations, while Whimper has been solid in this backup role in the past.

There's no word on who's ahead just yet, just that offensive line coach Mike Munchak considers this a full competition, as reported by Alan Robinson of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

The ongoing quarterback battle between Johnny Manziel and Brian Hoyer is an even fight at this point. Rather, both sides are getting an equal chance to show they have earned the job. Hoyer is technically in the lead and is the "starter" based on the depth chart, but the Browns are giving Manziel plenty of time with the first-team in practice.

On top of that, head coach Mike Pettine said that Hoyer and Manziel would get an equal amount of reps with the first-team against Washington in the team's next preseason game, according to Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer. In the preseason opener, Hoyer played the entire first quarter and halfway through the second quarter before giving way to Manziel.

Dion Jordan continues to struggle

A year after being taken at No. 3 overall in the 2013 NFL Draft, Dion Jordan has yet to make an impact on the field for the Miami Dolphins. Andrew Abramson of the Palm Beach Post reports that the pass-rusher will stay at defensive end rather than getting some time at outside linebacker. Given the players already in place, Jordan could struggle to see the field if his performance doesn't improve significantly in the team's remaining preseason games.

Ty Hilton: Colts are loaded

If you ask Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Ty Hilton about the team's offensive prowess, he has a confident answer waiting for you. Hilton told reporters on Tuesday that the Colts have "three number one wideouts" on the roster, per Josh Wilson of Stampede Blue. Hilton was referring to himself along with Reggie Wayne and Hakeem Nicks. Wayne is coming back from a season-ending injury in 2013, and the newly-signed Nicks disappointed last year with the New York Giants. That said, Hilton has reason to be so confident given that Andrew Luck is his quarterback.

It will be interesting to see how the wide receiver corps comes into view for the Colts. Coby Fleener and Dwayne Allen give the Colts one of the best potential duos at tight end in the league, and Wayne is one of the league's best when he's healthy. However, age and injury concerns come into play for him, and Nicks is in town on a prove-it deal. Given the woes along the Colts' offensive front and major questions at running back, Hilton's confidence might be unfounded in the end.

Anthony Spencer could return soon

The Dallas Cowboys got some good news with the latest update on defensive end Anthony Spencer. After undergoing microfracture surgery on his left knee, the seven-year veteran was expected to start the season on the team's physically unable to perform (PUP) list. The move would keep Spencer out for the first six games of the season, but it would have saved the team from using a roster spot waiting for him to return. However, it seems that Spencer could be ready sooner than expected. Per Clarence Hill of the Star-Telegram:

"He's getting there," [Cowboys owner Jerry] Jones said on 105.3 The Fan. "It's getting there at a faster pace than we thought. We're hoping that when we get to our 53-man cut down that we'll be dealing with that problem. The problem is: Do we keep him on the roster because he's going to be ready to go in a game, or do we PUP him, which would mean we couldn't use him for six games? It's looking like we'll keep him on the roster."