Training camps have begun for all 32 teams, so it's time for
us to get bold.
Who starts? Who gets cut? Who gets traded?
AFC NORTH
Vance
McDonald will emerge as a primary target on offense.
McDonald has the inside track on the
starting tight end job, and Ben
Roethlisberger said he has a chance to become the second or
third option in the passing game (hello, JuJu). New OC Randy Fichtner wants his
offense to be tight-end friendly -- McDonald split out wide for a score on Day
2 of camp -- and the fifth-year player can build off his 112-yard playoff game
with a 50-plus catch season if healthy.
Tim White will
win the returner job and rank among the top five in the NFL.
White, who went undrafted out of Arizona State a year ago,
is the front-runner for the competition at returner, and the Ravens have a
history at developing impact special-teams players. Over the past five seasons,
they've had five different punt returners. But they've ranked in the top 10 in
four of those years.
The Bengals won't keep seven wide receivers this year,
and that could mean a surprise veteran cut.
They went with the unusual move of keeping seven wideouts
last season with rookie John Ross dealing
with various injuries. With another big draft class now in, it seems unlikely
the Bengals could afford to do that again. That might mean that a veteran
like Brandon LaFell, Cody Core or Alex Erickson doesn't
make the team. Bengals coach Marvin Lewis said this week: "Brandon LaFell
has done a nice job. He feels the heat. ... That's a competitive group of wide
receivers. So we can only keep so many of them. They're going to be competitive
that way and that's a good thing." (Note: The Bengals released LaFell on Thursday.)
Denzel Ward will
leave camp with a starting job.
The fourth overall pick showed quickness and coverage skills
in the offseason, key attributes for a press corner. He will emerge from
preseason as a starting cornerback and immediately be greeted by Antonio Brown in
the opener.
AFC East
Although Nathan Peterman's performance in the spring seemed to give him
an edge over McCarron entering training camp, McCarron was the sharper passer
through the first four practices in July. In splitting first-team reps with
Peterman and occasionally rookie Josh Allen,
McCarron is emerging as the safest bet to lead the Bills into a grueling
first-half schedule that includes five road games in the first seven weeks.
Allen has made some of the best throws of camp but also some of the worst.
Meanwhile, McCarron has been steady, although unspectacular.
Danny
Amendola will become the Dolphins' top receiver.
The Dolphins do not have a clear-cut No. 1 receiver, which
could open the door for Amendola to become quarterback Ryan
Tannehill's favorite target despite playing in the slot. Jarvis Landry put
up big numbers for Miami in that role the past four seasons, and according to the Miami Herald, Amendola has been receiving
first-team reps over fellow free-agent acquisition Albert Wilson early
in training camp
Undrafted cornerback J.C. Jackson will
make the team.
The Patriots annually have at least one undrafted player make
the team, and Jackson, who played at Maryland, has already taken a step in that
direction with strong play in the spring and then into the opening of training
camp. The Patriots have Stephon
Gilmore, Eric Rowe and Duke Dawson as
locks at the position, with Jackson putting himself in position for a fourth,
fifth or possibly sixth spot.
Quarterback Teddy
Bridgewater will be traded by the end of the preseason.
Comfortable with veteran Josh McCown and
rookie Sam Darnold,
the Jets will flip Bridgewater for a draft pick. They signed him (one year, $6
million) with the idea that he could be trade bait under the right
circumstances. If his surgically repaired knee withstands the preseason,
Bridgewater will intrigue quarterback-needy teams.
AFC SOUTH
Running back Lamar Miller will
hold onto the starting job in training camp.
Miller knows he has to rebound from a career-worst season in
2017, and running behind an improved offensive line should help. Although
second-year running back D'Onta
Foreman is expected to return from a torn Achilles' heel --
Coach Bill O'Brien said he's hopeful that he will be by the season opener --
Miller will impress in training camp and the preseason and see more playing
time in 2018.
Kenny Moore will
beat out Quincy Wilson or Pierre Desir to
be one of the team's starting cornerbacks.
Moore's play since offseason workouts in April has validated
why Colts general manager Chris Ballard wasn't too concerned about losing Rashaan
Melvin in free agency and why he didn't heavily pursue a
cornerback during the offseason. Moore, an undrafted rookie free agent out of
Valdosta State in 2017, was pressed into playing duty last season because of a
plethora of injuries. Now he's one of the defensive players often talked about
more than Wilson, who went to Twitter and proclaimed he would be the team's No.
1 cornerback during the offseason.
The Jaguars will look elsewhere for a backup quarterback.
Cody Kessler and Tanner Lee each
struggled at times during organized team activities and minicamp and haven't
been any better in the first week of camp. The team traded for Kessler and
drafted Lee in the sixth round, so there isn't much invested in either. There
is a steep drop-off after Blake Bortles (a
statement that may surprise some) and the Jaguars need to have a viable option
available if Bortles does sustain an injury that keeps him out several weeks.
So far that hasn't been an issue because he has never missed a start. Don't be
surprised to see the Jaguars scoop up another QB after the first or second
round of cuts late in camp.
The Titans will add another receiver via free agency or
trade.
Tennessee is betting big on Corey Davis, Taywan Taylor and Tajae Sharpe filling
three of the top four receiver spots despite each having just one year of NFL
experience. Davis and Taylor combined for 50 catches, 606 yards and one
touchdown last season. Sharpe didn't play due to injury. There's a lot of
potential, but not much proven production outside of veteran Rishard
Matthews. Don't be surprised if Titans GM Jon Robinson examines the
trade or free agency market to see if there's a reliable option to add more
talent and depth to this group.
AFC WEST
Denver's rookie class will be its most impactful since
2011.
Expect several players to assert themselves, with
first-round pick Bradley Chubb leading
the way. The No. 5 pick's work at outside linebacker showed this offseason an
exceptional athleticism as well as awareness for the position that is rare in
young pass-rushers. Wide receivers Courtland Sutton and DaeSean Hamilton are already getting snaps with the
first-team offense, and running back Royce Freeman will
quickly push for a chance to be the lead back. Linebacker Josey Jewell,
who opened training camp with a hamstring injury, could also carve out
meaningful snaps. Toss in the fact that cornerback Isaac Yiadom,
a third-round pick, could push for work in specialty packages and center Sam Jones,
a sixth-round pick, could take one of the final backup spots on the offensive
line, and the Broncos could have a special group of rookies.
Eric Berry will
make another strong comeback from an injury.
It's not wise to doubt Berry's will. He returned as good as
ever twice earlier in his career, once from a torn ACL and later from a battle
with cancer. He'll do it again with a strong camp after he missed most of last
season with a torn ACL.
Defensive end Isaac Rochell will
have a breakout season.
Talented edge rushers Joey Bosa
and Melvin Ingram will
rightly garner most of the attention at the start of training camp. However,
Rochell showed flashes of developing into an effective pass-rusher his rookie
year, and thanks to a plant-based diet that helped him lose 25 pounds, the
seventh-round pick in last year's draft raised eyebrows with his high motor as
a pass-rusher during offseason work. "He's different," Chargers head
coach Anthony Lynn said about the Notre Dame product. "He's not even the
same guy. I give our position coach Gaff Smith a lot of credit, along with
[strength coaches] John Lott and Jonathan [Brooks]. His weight is down, he's
leaner and he's quicker. I'm really excited about Isaac."
Cornerback Gareon Conley will
emerge from his hip strain to be a bona fide starter.
Bold? After all, this is what the Raiders expected out of
the Ohio State product when they drafted him in the first round last year. But
a shin injury last season limited him to two games and required surgery, which
stalled the start of the purported shutdown corner's pro career. Now he has to
recover from a hip strain that will sideline him for a couple of weeks. He is
referring to himself as "Conley Island" these days and stranding
receivers would be a good thing for Oakland's pass rush.
NFC EAST
Earl Thomas will
be a Cowboy.
The Cowboys and Seahawks talked about a deal at the combine and again during the
draft but nothing came to fruition. Now that the players are on the field and
Thomas appears willing to stick to his play-me-or-trade-me stance, the two
sides can get back to talking about a deal. The Cowboys have not addressed the
position in a meaningful way in the draft or free agency. They like Jeff Heath and Xavier Woods as
a pairing now, but Thomas is one of the top safeties in the NFL. They have the
wherewithal to give him a new deal or allow him to play on the final year of
his contract in terms of salary cap space. Given how long there has been a
Thomas-to-the-Cowboys, there just seems to be too much smoke for it not to
happen. -- Todd Archer
2018 NFL QB Tiers
Safety Thomas works himself into a pseudo-starting
role as the nickel cornerback.
The veteran isn't being talked about much for that position,
but it's something he has done plenty of during his time with the Dolphins. The
Giants' lack of experience at that spot will have them turn to Thomas, also a
stalwart on special teams, before the summer is complete.
Quarterback Carson Wentz will
be cleared for takeoff.
He's doing just about everything on the practice field,
including 11-on-11 drill work. All that's left for Wentz in his climb back from
a torn ACL and LCL is to be cleared for contact. Once that happens, there's not
much standing between him and game action. The team wants to be cautious with
their franchise player, but he has made considerable progress. And with six
weeks’ worth of runway between now and the start of the regular season, he's
going to make a push.
Receiver Robert Davis will
create some buzz and push for decent playing time this season.
He won't become a starter, but he could
emerge as their fourth target by the end of camp. The second-year receiver, a
sixth-round pick out of Georgia State, has improved and is in much better shape
than a year ago -- he dropped his weight from 229 to 213 this offseason. The
Redskins have been pleased with his development; he still has more to learn
about playing receiver, but he's talented and has good size (6-foot-3) and
speed.
NFC NORTH
The Bears will show they have at least three reliable
pass-catchers.
Chicago had the NFL's worst receiving corps in 2017. Of
course, free-agent addition Allen
Robinson gives Mitch Trubisky a true
No. 1 target. But Coach Matt Nagy's offense is all about spreading it out.
Speedy Taylor
Gabriel and rookie Anthony
Miller have looked great in camp. Tarik Cohen will
remain heavily involved all over the offense. And if Kevin White can
finally stay healthy, Trubisky suddenly has ample (and capable) targets as he
makes the leap in Year 2.
Ameer
Abdullah ends up finding a role on the roster.
The fourth-year running back's spot is in question entering
training camp after the team signed free agent LeGarrette
Blount and drafted Kerryon
Johnson. And there is a definite chance Abdullah -- if he has a good
preseason -- could end up traded. But he has been putting in the work and there
never has been a question about his talent. And that talent becomes tantalizing
enough for new coach Matt Patricia to keep Abdullah around ... as a kick
returner and catch-all back.
Brian Gutekunst will make one more significant roster
addition.
Maybe it will be Dez Bryant to boost an unproven receiving
corps behind Davante Adams and Randall Cobb.
Or maybe it will be a trade for a pass-rusher. But the first-year general
manager has shown an early penchant for the unexpected and that will continue
before the season.
Rashod Hill will
win the starting right tackle job.
With Mike Remmers moving
inside to fill the void at right guard, Hill is the Vikings' top veteran option
to hold down the right end. After starting nine games last season because of
injuries along the O-line, Hill dropped from 325 pounds to 313 to maintain
strength down the stretch. He surrendered 14 pressures in two playoff games,
according to PFF, and his run-blocking still needs work, but Hill has made
major strides since joining the Vikings in 2016.
NFC SOUTH
Rookie cornerback Isaiah Oliver will
make a strong impression and get serious consideration for a starting role.
Oliver, a bigger corner with length, already impressed
during the offseason. His likely emergence will make the Falcons decide whether
to kick Alford inside and put Oliver outside opposite top corner Desmond
Trufant.
Quarterback Cam Newton will
complete 65 percent of his passes.
This is really bold since he has a career
percentage of 58.5 and hasn't topped 60 percent the past four seasons. This
will be the culmination of Norv Turner's new scheme and the most talent around
Newton since he entered the league in 2011. He also will come up with a new
touchdown dance that will become bigger than the dab was in 2015.
The Saints need running back depth behind Alvin Kamara since Mark Ingram is
facing a four-game suspension to start the season. And they signed both West
and Vereen over the past month to compete for a backup role. But I still think
the Saints would prefer that one of their younger backups (Boston Scott, Trey Edmunds or Jonathan
Williams) proves ready for the No. 2 job during training camp. The
Saints didn't sign West or Vereen until after OTAs and minicamp because they
wanted to give more reps to the young guys. And if they keep either West or
Vereen on the Week 1 roster, they'll have to guarantee their salary for the
entire year. It's possible that they just want to identify their emergency
option in case anything happens to Kamara. Still, the Saints will pony up and
pay the veteran rate if West or Vereen is clearly the best option.
Rookie Carlton Davis will
win a starting job.
Davis, a second-round draft pick, will
beat out Vernon
Hargreaves and Ryan Smith to
become the Bucs' starting cornerback opposite Brent Grimes.
Hargreaves will move to nickelback, which is where he spent a large portion of
last season. Davis was already getting a portion of first-team reps during OTAs
and minicamp.
NFC WEST
Sam Bradford will
make it through camp.
Yes, you read that correctly. The Cardinals have limited
their injury-prone veteran quarterback this offseason and that blueprint will
continue in training camp. It's hard to imagine he'll practice every day. By
treating Bradford with the necessary white gloves, the Cardinals will ensure
he'll make it through camp without an injury.
Rookie Joseph
Noteboom will break camp as the starting right guard.
Fourth-year pro Jamon Brown is
suspended for the first two games of the season, creating an opportunity for
younger players to compete for a job on a veteran line. Noteboom, a third-round
pick, played tackle at TCU and was drafted to learn at the elbow of Andrew
Whitworth, but Rams coach Sean McVay said Noteboom is versatile
enough to play inside. Noteboom will compete for the spot against third-year
pro Austin Blythe,
a reliable backup last season.
Matt Breida will
play a bigger role than some are expecting at running back.
Yes, the Niners spent big on Jerick
McKinnon in the offseason and McKinnon will start and get
plenty of opportunities, but it would be unwise to forget about Breida in the
Niners' running back room. Breida looked bigger and stronger during the
offseason program while maintaining his speed and now that he has a year in the
system under his belt, he should be even more comfortable. By the time the
preseason ends, don't be surprised if Breida offers a reminder that he deserves
a meaningful role in the offense.
Chris Carson will
hold off first-round pick Penny for the starting running back job.
The common assumption has been that
Penny will overtake that role after Seattle drafted him 27th overall despite
greater needs elsewhere, but Carson has easily been the most impressive of
Seattle's running backs. He's added about 10 pounds of lean weight and appears
to be all the way back from the ankle/leg injury that cut short his promising
rookie season. Penny will play as a rookie -- perhaps in a third-down or
change-of-pace role -- but Carson looks like the favorite to enter the season
as the starter.
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