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What we learned on NFL's second day of minicamps

Seven teams are practicing football this week. Depth charts aren't settled in April, but that doesn't mean we can't learn a thing or two. Our big takeaways after Day 2 of minicamps are below. You can read about Day 1 right here.

  1. After an injury-plagued rookie year, Cleveland Browns running back Trent Richardson says he's back to 100 percent. Richardson quietly struggled as a rookie, failing to consistently display the explosive traits he showed in college. When he was good, however, he was very good.
  1. The Browns' defense plans to blitz plenty under new coordinator Ray Horton. We got a preview of their starting defensive alignment at minicamp: According to the Akron Beacon-Journal, the starting lineup looks like so:

"Phil Taylor lined up at nose tackle with Ahtyba Rubin at right end and Desmond Bryant at left end. Jabaal Sheard was the right outside linebacker, and Paul Kruger was stationed on the left side while Jackson and Craig Robertson filled the left and right inside linebacker spots, respectively. Joe Haden was at left cornerback, Buster Skrine at right corner, T.J. Ward at strong safety and Tashaun Gipson at free safety."

Robertson, Skrine and Gipson are the best candidates to be replaced by draft picks.

  1. Chicago Bears coach Marc Trestman has talked up the team's new middle linebacker D.J. Williams during the team's minicamp. His speed has been impressive. Trestman also is happy with the lack of mental errors shown by players learning a new system on offense (and a tweaked defensive system).
  1. The Bears don't want to use Devin Hester on offense, but they might use him as a gunner on special teams.
  1. A back injury has kept Buffalo Bills wide receiver Stevie Johnson out of practice all week, according to the team's official website. That's not a huge deal, but it points out Buffalo's awful wideout depth chart.

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  1. The Bills are far better at running back. C.J. Spillerreminds Kevin Kolb of Brian Westbrook. Good comparison, although Spiller is more explosive but not as heady as a pass protector.
  1. This is the time of year when Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Jon Baldwin shines. He's back to making eye-opening catches, like he did last offseason without pads on. Now he's doing it as a backup. Baldwin is lining up behind Donnie Avery on the Chiefs' depth chart.
  1. This is no surprise, but Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles expects to catch the ball more in Andy Reid's offense, according to The Kansas City Star. Yes, that's a fantasy-league alert.
  1. It might be Blaine Gabbert vs. Chad Henne at quarterback for now in Jacksonville, but the presumptive Jaguars starter knows that is going to change.

"We have two quarterbacks on the roster, so we know we have to have more going into camp," Gabbert said Wednesday, via The Florida Times-Union.

  1. The Philadelphia Eagles will move Vinny Curry to defensive end in their 3-4 scheme, even if coach Chip Kelly believes the "4-3" and "3-4" tags are outdated. (Kelly is right. Every team is multiple. But Curry's role ultimately is going to be very different this year).
  1. From the smoothies to Kelly's communication, the Eagles are unique under Kelly, even if the coach doesn't want to admit they are unique.

Michael Vick, who said it's still "his team," said that Kelly's offense is "something like I've never seen before" according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Follow Gregg Rosenthal on Twitter @greggrosenthal.

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