Previously injured 2nd-year players just like rookies again

Because of injury, some players picked in the 2012 NFL Draft never saw the field in a regular season game last year. But with training camp underway and preseason games coming up, several second-year players can get a chance to get on the field this season. It's almost like they're rookies all over again.

Arguably the most important second-year player with this classification is Indianapolis Colts defensive tackle Josh Chapman. While at Alabama he played through a torn ACL and fell to the Colts in the fifth round. His rookie season began on the PUP list before it was decided he would sit the entire season.

Without Chapman last season, Indianapolis' transition to a 3-4 was a little rocky. Chapman is a natural nose tackle and played the position well at Alabama. The expectation is that Chapman will win the starting nose tackle job and hold off free agent Aubrayo Franklin.

When the New Orleans Saints took Nick Toon in the fourth round last year, it looked like a perfect fit. With size at 6-foot-4 and 215 pounds and the ability to high point the ball, Toon has the traits to be a factor in the Saints' potent passing offense. A foot injury that required surgery kept Toon out last season.

Reports out of Saints training camp is that Toon has been receiving extra reps while Marques Colston rehabs an injury. That should help give Toon an edge over receivers like Courtney Roby, Chris Givens and rookie Kenny Stills to be the third wide receiver on the roster.

The Houston Texans are relying on the health of kicker Randy Bullock. So much so, there is no other kicker on the roster. Picked in the fifth round, Bullock missed last season with a severe groin injury. The former Groza Award winner has a powerful leg, and should get plenty of opportunity to show it.

A couple safeties that missed last season will be fighting for a roster spot during training camp. Brandon Hardin of the Chicago Bears, a former third-round pick, suffered a season-ending neck injury. After missing his senior season at Oregon State, Hardin hasn't played football in basically two years. He'll have to fend off Tom Zbikowski, Craig Steltz and Anthony Walters for a roster spot.

In Tennessee, the Titans may have to carry four safeties for Markelle Martin to get a chance. A knee injury in the Senior Bowl caused Martin to not only drop to the sixth round of the draft, but forced him to miss his rookie season.

One second-year player that might have to keep waiting is Steelers linebacker Sean Spence. Any time the Pittsburgh Steelers take a linebacker in the draft, people take notice. When they used a third-round pick on Sean last year, many wondered how the Steelers would utilize the speedy but undersized linebacker. Because of a gruesome left knee injury, we never found out. Spence started training camp this year on the physically unable to perform list. His coaches seem to differ on whether he'll play this year. Pittsburgh could just take it easy and sit him another season.

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