Updates from the NFL on Matt Roth, Amari Spievey, Albert Young, Bryan Bulaga, Ladell Betts

After almost five years in Miami, Matt Roth is happy to be in ... Cleveland?

This from Roth in a South Florida Sun Sentinel blog post from Ethan J. Skolnick:

“The people here are great. I'm from Illinois, and it's kind of a blue collar town. I played at Iowa, and these are loyal fans (too), they care about their team. I mean, Miami fans were great too. I like the Dawg Pound though. A big fan of the Dawg Pound. When I first got here, I said I was going to pay homage to the Dawg Pound, and I like them a lot.”

Rookie cornerback Amari Spievey has a lingering hip injury, and it isn't helping state his case for playing time with the Detroit Lions.

This from Tom Kowalski of mlive.com:

The Detroit Lions' scouting department believes the third-round draft pick has a lot of ability and can be a productive player. The coaching staff thinks otherwise.

The biggest problem is that Spievey's lingering hip injury has kept him off the field for a week and all that does is deepen the coaches' beliefs. The scouts can't make a counter-argument until Spievey gets some time on the field.

Rookie tight end Tony Moeaki was held out of the Kansas City Chiefs' preseason opener last week because of a mild ankle sprain.

Sounds familiar, right? Moeaki was injury-wracked in his Iowa career. But here's the difference: Moeaki returned to practice on Tuesday.

Running back Albert Young is vying for the No. 2 running back with the Minnesota Vikings, behind superstar Adrian Peterson.

But Young rushed six times for minus-7 yards (and caught three passes for 16 yards) in Minnesota's preseason opener against St. Louis last Saturday.

Said Young in this kare11.com story:

"I want to be the guy that is out there when Adrian needs a breather, the guy to come in on third downs. I am coming out every day and trying to learn every day."

Bryan Bulaga is splitting time with Daryn Colledge as the Green Bay Packers' first-team left guard.

Packers Coach Mike McCarthy, from this Green Bay Press-Gazette story:

“I don't have a deadline, but really just the progress that Bryan makes and how Daryn continues to go through camp will answer that question,” McCarthy said. “I know everybody would like to have the starting line by the third (preseason) game, but we'll just see how it goes.”

The newest New Orleans Saints running back is NFL veteran Ladell Betts. He recently signed with the Saints, but won't be rushed into duty.

Mike Triplett, an Iowa grad himself, wrote this for the New Orleans Times-Picayune:

Coach Sean Payton said Betts will be "eased" back into the mix after not having played or practiced since last November, when he tore both the anterior cruciate ligament and medial collateral ligament in his knee. Betts, who turns 31 this month, said he doesn't know what his timetable will be.

"That's something we'll have to discuss," said the 5-foot-11, 224-pounder, who spent his first eight seasons with the Washington Redskins.