All of the day's training-camp nuggets took a back seat when Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Percy Harvin announced Tuesday night that his injured hip will require surgery.
Harvin is expected to miss three to four months, NFL.com's Ian Rapoport reported, with the Seahawks reportedly aiming for a Thanksgiving return. Under the NFL's new rules, Harvin can return as late as Week 15 if the team opts to place him on the reserve/physically unable to perform list.
Fortunately, general manager John Schneider has assembled a deep roster capable of sustaining Harvin's loss. The sky isn't falling on the Seahawks. They still have enough talent to hang with a San Francisco 49ers team that also lost its top receiver, Michael Crabtree.
As long as Sidney Rice returns from his non-surgical knee procedure in time for Week 1 -- as expected -- the Seahawks will enter the season with essentially the same offense that averaged 32.4 points per game over the final 10 games of the 2012 season (including the playoffs).
To be fair, though, Harvin was a big part of what coordinator Darrell Bevell planned to do with a more creative offense this season. Prior to his season-ending ankle injury in 2012, Harvin was tied for the NFL lead in receptions, first in yards after the catch, second in kickoff return average and second in receiving yards.
Golden Tate can approximate much of what Harvin does, but he's not quite as versatile and not nearly as talented.
As Marc Sessler suggested, the Seahawks' 2013 motto should be: "Just Make it to Harvin."
Fantasy news du jour
Stock up
» Although Danny Amendola has been Tom Brady's most reliable receiver, undrafted rookie Kenbrell Thompkins continues to turn heads for the New England Patriots. After struggling Monday, Thompkins was the best player on the field Tuesday, according to ESPNBoston.com's Field Yates. Thompkins has outplayed the more ballyhooed second-rounder Aaron Dobson since being signed out of Cincinnati in April.
» The only questions that remain about Cincinnati Bengals first-rounder Tyler Eifert are how quickly he masters the offense and how dependable is his blocking. Otherwise, he continues to exceed what were already lofty expectations.
» Bills second-rounder Robert Woods is working to reverse the trend of USC wide receivers disappointing at the next level. "Stud. I mean, legitimately a stud," Kevin Kolb said of Woods. "I've bragged on him a lot in the last two days and really through camp."
»Giants second-year receiver Rueben Randlecontinues to draw rave reviews as Hakeem Nicks eases back in with limited practices.
Stock down
» While Anquan Boldin emerges as Colin Kaepernick's go-to guy, the rest of the San Francisco 49ers' receivers continue to resemble a M.A.S.H. unit. A.J. Jenkins left Tuesday's practice with a hamstring injury after failing to distinguish himself early in camp. Rookie Quinton Patton has been limited to non-contact drills due to a broken finger. The San Jose Mercury News gets the sense that Mario Manningham will be sidelined by his ACL injury for at least another six weeks.
» The Bills are giving quarterback Kevin Kolb plenty of chances with the first-team offense, but it's a problem when his go-to receiver becomes the water cooler.
» Injury-plagued veterans Austin Collie and Laurent Robinson were passed over for Julius Pruitt after working out for the Miami Dolphins on Tuesday, according to multiple reports. Robinson reportedly will take time to contemplate his future after working out for four teams in the past week.
» Richard Seymour wants to play in Atlanta, and the Falcons are interested in bringing him on board. So why isn't general manager Thomas Dimitroff earmarking salary-cap space to make it happen?
Trainer's room
»Mario Williams' sore foot is expected to heal with rest, according to NFL.com's Ian Rapoport. That should be music to the ears of coach Doug Marrone, who blew off a little steam when queried about Williams' injury on Tuesday.
» The Carolina Panthers still have no clue when Jonathan Stewart will return from twin ankle surgeries. "It could be any day or it could carry on into the regular season," according to CBSSports.com. Yikes.
»Colts running back Ahmad Bradshaw acknowledged Tuesday that he's still a couple of weeks away from returning to practice after undergoing offseason foot surgery.
»Redskins cornerback DeAngelo Hall was sporting a walking boot Tuesday after spraining his ankle in Monday's practice. He's not sure yet if it's a day-to-day or week-to-week injury.
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