Ranking the 50 Most Intriguing Training Camp Battles of Next Season

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The 2012 NFL offseason may be early, but we can definitely start looking forward to next season.

Heading into this year's training camp, we'll have our fare share of training camp battles that will definitely catch some attention.

Some of these training camp battles may be one-sided right now, as teams have yet to sign free agents or participate in the draft, but we can only assume that a player will be brought in to give the other guy some much needed competition for the starting job in 2012. 

With that being said, let's take a look at the top 50 most intriguing training camp battles of next season. 

50. The Washington Redskins Running Back Position

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Who's going to be the Washington Redskins starting running back next season?

Roy Helu? Tim Hightower if he's re-signed? 

We all know that Mike Shanahan loves having a ton of bodies at the running back position, and this should be one position battle to keep an eye on moving forward in the offseason. 

49. Matt Cassel vs. Whoever

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Matt Cassel will likely be the Kansas City Chiefs starting quarterback in 2012, but he may have to go through a little bit of a battle with another quarterback.

Could that other quarterback be Kyle Orton? It sure could be.

However, I do see Cassel starting at quarterback for KC all of next season. 

48. Fred Jackson vs. C.J. Spiller

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Fred Jackson vs. C.J. Spiller should be an interesting battle to follow up on.

Jackson ran for a solid 934 yards in 10 games last season for the Buffalo Bills, while Spiller racked up 561 rushing yards as well as four touchdowns.

Who do you think will be the team's starting running back in 2012? 

47. Matt Kalil vs. Whoever

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I am fully expecting that Matt Kalil will step in wherever he may land and be the team's immediate starting left tackle.

However, there's going to be a competition before he's named the starting left tackle, and I can guarantee to you that he will dominate. 

46. The Minnesota Vikings Wide Receiver Position

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Christian Ponder and the Minnesota Vikings are in desperate need of a true No. 1 wide receiver.

Percy Harvin is a solid slot receiver, but he cannot carry the load heading into 2012.

I am fully expecting the Vikings to look for some guys to step and compete for the No.1 wide receiver position. 

45. The New England Patriots Running Back Position

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Who will get the more touches in 2012? Stevan Ridley? Danny Woodhead? Shane Vereen? Or even BenJarvus Green-Ellis, that is if he returns in 2012. 

The New England Patriots are known for having multiple running backs, but they will have some sort of competition this training camp to determine who their lead back is entering 2012. 

44. The Jacksonville Jaguars Wide Receiver Position

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I'm going to make this one short and simple: The Jacksonville Jaguars wide receivers are pathetic and laughable, and they need to find a guy that can be a reliable No. 1 wide receiver for Blaine Gabbert in 2012. 

43. The Kansas City Chiefs Running Back Position

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With Jamaal Charles returning in 2012, the Kansas City Chiefs are going to have to find a guy to backup him up and split the carries.

I really don't see Thomas Jones returning next season as he was absolutely pitiful this offseason which would open the door for the Chiefs to bring in a few veteran runners to compete for the No. 2 running back role. 

42. The Indianapolis Colts Running Back Position

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Is the Indianapolis Colts lead running back Donald Brown or Joseph Addai?

We'll have to find out this offseason whether if the Colts feel to bring in another runner and as they'll have some sort of competition for playing time this summer. 

41. The Chicago Bears Backup Quarterback Position

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When Jay Cutler went down this past season, Caleb Hanie and Josh McCown were unable to play up to a level that's acceptable from your backup quarterback.

The Chicago Bears must find a quarterback this offseason who's a reliable backup and won't struggle as bad as Hanie and McCown did this past season. 

40. The Carolina Panthers Defensive End Position

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The Carolina Panthers were never able to replace Julius Peppers, and they will likely look to do so this offseason.

The Panthers could bring in a guy like Quinton Coples with their eighth overall pick in this year's draft of they could target a guy like Cliff Avril.

Either way, the Panthers will have some sort of competition at their defensive end position this summer. 

39. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers Cornerback Position

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The 36-year-old Ronde Barber is set to become a free agent in March, and I am unsure if he'll even play football in 2012.

With that being said, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will have to find themselves a cornerback to start opposite of Aqib Talib. 

38. The New England Patriots Wide Receiver Position

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With Wes Welker and Deion Branch set to become free agents in 2012, the New England Patriots will have some holes to fill in their wide receiver corps.

Chad Ochocinco may be under contract, but I highly doubt he will be back next season.

This leads me to believe that the Patriots could target a guy like Brandon Lloyd or Reggie Wayne, or they could simply acquire someone via the draft.

Either way, the Patriots will have a competition for their starting wide receiver positions next season. 

37. The St. Louis Rams Wide Receiver Position

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Who will be the St. Louis Rams starting wide receiver in 2012? Who will be Sam Bradford's go-to-man?

We'll just have to wait and find out.

However, I am not expecting Brandon Lloyd to return with the Rams in 2012, which means that Brandon Gibson would emerge as the team's No. 1 receiver—and that's not going to cut it.

If the Rams want to develop Bradford the correct way, then they're going to have to bring in some talent at the wide receiver position.  

36. The Pittsburgh Steelers Running Back Position

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With recent news indicating that the Pittsburgh Steelers aren't counting on Rashard Mendenhall, who suffered a torn ACL last season, for next season as the team's starting running back.

That means that the Steelers will be looking to get production elsewhere. 

With Mewelde Moore's and Isaac Redman's future with the Steelers up in the air, I would assume that the Steelers will be looking to bring in some guys to challenge for playing time in 2012. 

35. The New England Patriots Cornerback Position

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Devin McCourty, Kyle Arrington and Sterling Moore aren't guys that I would necessarily have faith in being a team's top cornerbacks.

For starters, McCourty could very well end up at safety next season for the New England Patriots, while Arrington and Moore were undrafted free agents. 

I am fully expecting to see Bill Belichick bring in guys to compete for the team's starting cornerback positions in 2012. 

34. The Cincinnati Bengals Running Back Position

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Cedric Benson is set to become a free agent this offseason, and with a rather down year this past season with the Cincinnati Bengals, I'm not too confident that he'll return in 2012.

The Bengals could look toward the draft to bring in a young running back as they have two first round picks.

Either way, if Benson does return next season, the Bengals will have a little competition going on at their running back position. 

33. Chad Clifton vs. Whoever

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With Chad Clifton turning 36 this June, I would assume that the Green Bay Packers would look to bring in some youth at their left tackle position.

Clifton struggled at times this past season for the Packers, and there's a solid shot that a younger guy could step in and steal the starting job away from him. 

32. The Philadelphia Eagles Wide Receiver Position

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With recent news that the Philadelphia Eagles will likely use their franchise tag on DeSean Jackson, that still doesn't mean that he'll be back in 2012.

Either way, the Eagles have some holes to fill in their wide receiver corps with Steve Smith likely leaving via free agency.

If Philly loses Jackson and Smith, then they're going to have to find some bodies to fill in behind Jeremy Maclin. 

31. The Buffalo Bills Wide Receiver Position

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Who knows if the Buffalo Bills plan to re-sign Stevie Johnson as he's proven to be pretty inconsistent as well as being a headache.

Either way, the Bills talent level at the wide receiver position is pretty low, and I would assume that they'll plan to bring in some talent to that position this offseason. 

30. The Atlanta Falcons Cornerback Position

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With Brent Grimes set to become a free agent this offseason, I'm expecting that he'll look for a hefty long-term deal—and I'm not too sure that the Atlanta Falcons will be willing to go that far with the 28-year-old.

The Falcons have many holes in their secondary and one possible hole is going to be their No. 1 cornerback spot. 

With no first round picks, I would expect the Falcons to look to the open free agent market to bring in a quality veteran to compete for the No. 1 or even No. 2 spot. 

29. The New York Giants Middle Linebacker Position

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Is Chase Blackburn the answer at middle linebacker for the New York Giants? I'm not too sure that the Giants are comfortable with Blackburn moving forward.

With Blackburn being a free agent, I could see the Giants drafting someone to step in and compete with the job or they could also go in the direction of signing a veteran free agent to fill that hole. 

28. The Philadelphia Eagles Middle Linebacker Position

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One thing that we learned last season is that Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Casey Matthews isn't a reliable option for the team's starting linebacker.

I am expecting to see Philly draft a middle linebacker with their first round selection in this year's draft, and he'll be brought in to compete with Matthews as well as with Jamar Chaney. 

27. Trent Richardson vs. Whoever

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Where ever Trent Richardson lands in the 2012 NFL draft, he will look to gain a ton of playing time as a rookie.

Richardson is a well-rounded back who's extremely powerful as well as being pretty elusive for a guy his size. 

I could easily see Richardson stealing away the majority of the snaps wherever he may play in 2012. 

26. The San Diego Chargers Wide Receiver Position

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As of right now, I do not see Vincent Jackson returning to the San Diego Chargers next season as I believe that there will be several teams out there that will be willing to go the extra mile in signing the 29-year-old.

With Jackson possibly moving on, that will open up a huge role in the Chargers starting lineup next season. 

25. Randy Moss vs. Whoever

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As news broke earlier this week that Randy Moss will plan to make an attempted comeback to the NFL, we have yet to figure out where he will play in 2012.

If any team is interested in Moss, he will certainly try to compete his way to gaining a solid chunk of playing time with that team heading into next season. 

24. The Baltimore Ravens Kicker Position

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I find it hard to believe that Billy Cundiff will be back as a Baltimore Raven in 2012 as he infamously shanked a game-tying field goal in the AFC Championship against the New England Patriots.

A recent report indicates that the Ravens will likely bring in another kicker to compete with Cundiff.

This should be an interesting positional battle as it continues to develop. 

23. The New York Jets Wide Receiver Position

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With the news that the New York Jets are "done" with Plaxico Burress, that means they'll be looking for a No. 2 wide receiver.

I highly doubt that they'll part ways with Santonio Holmes, but they will certainly look to add another receiver to replace Plax's No. 2 role. 

22. Kyle Orton vs. Whoever

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I think we can all agree that Kyle Orton is now a journeyman. 

Orton is scheduled to be a free agent this offseason and could very well re-sign with the Kansas City Chiefs to compete with Matt Cassel for the team's starting quarterback job.

However, where ever Orton will land, he will look to be the team's starter. 

21. Jason Campbell vs. Whoever

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It's unknown where Jason Campbell will play next season, but wherever he will go, he will look to be the team's starting quarterback.

Could he stay with the Oakland Raiders to compete with Carson Palmer? That's possible but still unlikely. 

20. The New England Patriots Center Position

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Dan Koppen and Dan Connolly are both set to become free agents this offseason, which means that the New England Patriots could possibly lose their top two centers.

If the Patriots bring both back, then that will be competitive battle for the starting center job.

However, I am expecting the Patriots to just bring back one of the two and possibly acquire one via the draft. 

19. The Detroit Lions Running Back Position

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Kevin Smith certainly proved that he can play at the NFL level this past season as he ran for 356 yards in seven games for the Detroit Lions, but will he be able to out compete Mikel LeShoure and Jahvid Best?

Either way, the Lions appear to have a pretty solid group of runners with Smith, LeShoure and Best. But it will just be a matter of seeing if all three can stay healthy in 2012. 

18. The Chicago Bears Wide Receiver Position

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So who's going to be Jay Cutler's No. 1 wide receiver in 2012? Definitely not Roy Williams.

What about Devin Hester, Earl Bennett or Johnny Knox? Those are all possibilities but I would think that the Bears would look to bring in someone that can actually be a legitimate No. 1—Could that guy be Vincent Jackson or Brandon Lloyd? 

17. DeMarco Murray vs. Felix Jones

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There's no question that DeMarco Murray and Felix Jones will be back in 2012, but who will get more carries?

My money is on Murray right now as he ran for an incredible 897 yards in just 13 games last season while averaging 5.5 yards per-carry.

In my opinion, Murray is an emerging running back that could reach the elite level next season. 

16. Alex Smith vs. Colin Kaepernick

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Alex Smith is set to become a free agent this offseason, and I'm fully expecting that he'll be back in 2012 after leading the San Francisco 49ers to a stellar 13-3 season.

However, will Colin Kaepernick step in and try to rip the starting quarterback job away from him?

It may be unlikely but it's definitely a possible. 

15. Colt McCoy vs. Whoever

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Is Colt McCoy the quarterback of the future for the Cleveland Browns? We have to yet to find out.

However, I do expect that McCoy will have some competition for Cleveland's starting quarterback position next season. 

Could the Browns possibly draft Robert Griffin III? That's a possibility, but I do at least expect the Browns to add one more quarterback to their roster to compete for the starting job.  

14. The Minnesota Vikings Running Back Position

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With Adrian Peterson recovering from a torn MCL and an ACL, he'll likely not be ready to go by the start of the 2012 NFL regular season.

As of right now, the Vikings have Toby Gerhart and Lorenzo Booker as their top two running backs. I'm definitely going to expect the Vikings to bring in someone else to compete for the starting running back job until A.P. is ready to come back and play. 

13. Matt Flynn vs. Whoever

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We're all expecting to see Matt Flynn receive quite the interest once free agency starts in March, but the real question is, where is he going to play in 2012?

For starters, he will certainly get a chance to be a starting quarterback, but we'll just have to wait and see if he can beat out whomever he's battling against. 

12. The Denver Broncos Running Back Position

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The Denver Broncos are definitely going to have some issues at the running back position next season. 

The team's leading rusher, Willis McGahee, turns 31 this season and really struggles to run to the outside, while Knowshon Moreno was arrested or a DUI back on Feb. 1. 

I really think that Denver will bring in another body to challenge McGahee for the top spot, and I'd expect that play to be pretty well-rounded that's an elusive back. 

11. Tarvaris Jackson vs. Whoever

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Does Tarvaris Jackson's stat line impress you? A 79.2 quarterback rating, 14 touchdowns and 13 interceptions? I sure as hell hope not.

Jackson is not the answer for the Seattle Seahawks, and we'll have to wait and see who they plan to bring in to compete at quarterback with Jackson. 

10. The Green Bay Packers Running Back Position

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Will Ryan Grant even be a Green Bay Packer next season? That has yet to be determined.

With that being said, I highly doubt that the Packers will plan to move on with just James Starks as the team's starting running back. We'll just have to wait and see what kind of running backs they bring in this offseason. 

9. Kevin Kolb vs. John Skelton vs. Whoever

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With Kevin Kolb struggling last season and John Skelton playing fairly well for the Arizona Cardinals—who will be the team's starting quarterback next season? 

Could the Cardinals bring in a guy like Peyton Manning? That's certainly possible.

This is going to be a very intriguing positional battle to following this offseason. 

8. The Miami Dolphins Quarterback Position

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I think that it's safe to assume that the Chad Henne era is over with the Miami Dolphins.

With that being said, is Matt Moore the quarterback of the future for the Miami Dolphins? I don't think so.

The Dolphins appear to be a possible suitor for Peyton Manning, and if that fails then they could very well trade up to draft Baylor's Robert Griffin III. 

7. The Washington Redskins Quarterback Position

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As of right now, John Beck is the Washington Redskins starting quarterback as Rex Grossman is set to become a free agent this March.

With that being said, there is no chance that Beck or Grossman will be the team's starters in 2012, unless if Mike Shanahan wants to lose 10-plus games. 

This is a very interesting storyline to follow as the Redskins could very well be a possible destination for Peyton Manning. 

6. The Oakland Raiders Quarterback Position

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Who knows who's going to be the starting quarterback with the Oakland Raiders next season—Could it be Carson Palmer?

It's really unclear if the team's newly hired general manager Reggie McKenzie has faith in Palmer and plans to make an investment in him as the team's quarterback. 

5. Matt Hasselbeck vs. Jake Locker

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I know one thing, I along with the majority of the Tennessee Titans fan base would love to see Jake Locker get the starting job ahead of Matt Hasselbeck this summer.

However, according to reports, it's expected that Hasselbeck will "hold off" Locker for the starting job next season. 

Either way, this is definitely a story to be following. 

4. Robert Griffin III vs. Whoever

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It's unclear at this point as to where Robert Griffin III will be playing next season. However, we do know that he'll be competing for a starting job.

Wherever that may be, it will certainly be an interesting training camp battle as we all would love to see RG3 start right out of college and have similar success to Cam Newton from a year ago. 

3. Peyton Manning vs. Whoever

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Wherever Peyton Manning plays next season, he will be competing for a starting job.

Whether if it's with the Indianapolis Colts, Miami Dolphins, Washington Redskins or even the Arizona Cardinals—it will be a very intriguing training camp battle to watch. 

2. Andrew Luck vs. Whoever

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I think that it's safe to say that the Indianapolis Colts will draft Andrew Luck would the first overall pick. However, the real question is going to be: Who is Luck going to be competing with for the starting job?

Could it be Peyton Manning? Now, that would be certainly intriguing. 

If Manning is let go, then whoever Luck squares off against in training camp, it will be one position battle storyline to follow all summer long. 

1. Tim Tebow vs. Whoever

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There's a real good chance that the Denver Broncos will bring in a quarterback this offseason and potentially try to replace Tim Tebow.

I wouldn't doubt if the newly acquired quarterback would outplay Tebow in practice, however, come game time, Tebow will kick it into a whole another gear—it will be Tebow Time.