1 Thing We've Learned About Each NFL Team During Training Camp

We're halfway done with the preseason, pressed up against Week 3, which is tabbed as the warm-up game to the regular season. Week 4 will feature backups and reserve players who are fighting for roles at the end of the roster and on special teams, while this coming week likely puts the cherry on top for first-team starters.

What have we learned so far? With so much noise out there in the preseason, it's hard to consume it all. Luckily for you, we took the biggest takeaways from each of the NFL's 32 franchises and put them all in one place.

It may be an individual player, a side of the ball or even a philosophy that has stood out this summer, but we assure you that each team has made plenty of news on and off the field in August. Follow us as we cover the league one team at a time.

Arizona Cardinals: The Cornerback Search Goes on

Associated Press

You wouldn't ever claim that the Arizona Cardinals are weak at the cornerback position, but it's also difficult to call them secure at every spot in the secondary. They have two true star defensive backs in Patrick Peterson and Tyrann Mathieu, but they are still looking for a quality cornerback to start opposite of Peterson.

Peterson is a five-time Pro Bowler who was the fifth overall pick coming out of LSU in 2011. Mathieu, who was drafted in the third round after he was dismissed from LSU, has made two first-team All-Pro lists in his first two years in the NFL as a hybrid slotback-safety.

If you look at acclaim, you might question why Justin Bethel, a 26-year-old with three Pro Bowl nods under his belt, would be the weak link, but his honors came on special teams, not his base position of cornerback, where he started five games last season. Due to the loss of Jerraud Powers, who started 13 games in 2015, Bethel looked to be the second starting cornerback on the depth chart before April's draft.

In the draft, the Cardinals made a surprising selection, drafting Brandon Williams in the third round, despite the fact that virtually no media outlet had ranked him as a top-100 selection. Williams, who was the top high school football player in the state of Texas for the 2011 class, according to 247Sports' composite rankings, started his college career as a running back for the Oklahoma Sooners before transferring to Texas A&M, where he later moved to the defensive side of the ball just before his senior season.

Arizona's front office has turned bold selections into quality starters before (Mathieu is the prime example), so many assumed that Williams had a chance to become a plug-and-play cornerback. In Week 1 of the preseason, though, Williams was picked on, and in Week 2, he also lost at the line against receivers in man coverage.

Bethel is a special teamer. Williams is a project. Unless something changes soon, attacking the starting cornerback opposite of Peterson is going to be the opposition's path of least resistance in 2016.

Atlanta Falcons: The Dan Quinn Pipeline Is Real

Associated Press

Whenever a defensive coordinator leaves an established scheme to become a head coach, there are always questions regarding if he will poach his former players. When Dan Quinn left the Seattle Seahawks' Cover 3-heavy scheme to become the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons in 2015, his circumstances were no different.

When free agents such as Bruce Irvin hit the open market in 2016, many people believed the hybrid pass-rusher would join the Falcons or Jacksonville Jaguars, whose head coach Gus Bradley was also a former Seattle Seahawks defensive coordinator. When all the dominoes fell in free agency, though, no major Seahawk signed to play for Atlanta.

Instead, Quinn seemed to focus on his connections in the NFL draft. His first-round pick, Keanu Neal, was a safety who Quinn recruited during his last year as the University of Florida's defensive coordinator, a job he eventually left for Seattle.

If you tuned into any Falcons game this preseason, you would have noticed Brian Poole, a rookie undrafted free agent who put in quality slotback snaps with the first-team defense. Poole, who played under Quinn early on in his career, was a slotback for the Gators before the Falcons signed him after the draft.

We see successful franchises having ties with certain programs or coaches all of the time. Bill Belichick is known to have a connection with the likes of Urban Meyer and Greg Schiano, which impacts how the New England Patriots draft.

This 2016 defensive class paints a picture for the Quinn era: He's going to trust people he worked with on players who are coming out of the college ranks, at least on the defensive side of the ball.

Baltimore Ravens: Joe Flacco Isn't Ready Yet

Associated Press

The Baltimore Ravens are approaching the New York Giants' level of establish franchise consistency that quickly turns into sustained mediocrity. Last year, they were bit the by injury bug, finishing with a 5-11 record, and this year is already off to a bad start.

One of the team's only two true pass-rushers, Elvis Dumervil, is on the physically unable to perform list, alongside wideout Breshad Perriman, who was the team's first-round pick last year. Their 2016 third-round pick, Bronson Kaufusi, broke his ankle in camp and will miss his entire rookie season.

Despite all of that news, the most concerning injury for the squad is Joe Flacco's torn ACL. Last year, Flacco went on a horrible stretch of games, going 3-7 while throwing 14 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.

He's been an up-and-down player his entire career, as he's both a habitual rebound and letdown quarterback, but he's never had to come back from a season-ending injury like he's going to have to in 2016. In fact, before he tore his ACL in 2015, he had never missed a regular-season game in his NFL career.

Because the Ravens were already basically out of the playoff race when Flacco tore his ACL, there wasn't as much coverage on the injury as there might have been in past years. Flying under the radar is the fact that Flacco, through two preseason games, has yet to throw a pass for Baltimore.

He even told Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com that he wasn't "100 percent" this week. On top of that, he's wearing a knee brace during practice.

Flacco makes less money on a per-year basis than only one quarterback in the NFL: Andrew Luck. Somehow, no one is discussing that after he had one of the worst years of his career. As a result, Baltimore posted its worst record after the team's first season in the city. Now Flacco still hasn't seen the field and is talking about his knee not being in tip-top shape.

Buffalo Bills: Their Defensive Depth Is Going to Be Tested

Associated Press

In his first five years as head coach with the New York Jets, Rex Ryan was able to get the team to a .500 record or better in four of those seasons. For that reason, wherever he was going to land for his second attempt at a Super Bowl title, he was going to be expected to produce immediately.

The defensive-minded coach took the Buffalo Bills to an 8-8 record in 2015, his first with the team, going 4-2 in the AFC East. He swept the in-division Miami Dolphins and Jets, but his squad also fell short to the New England Patriots twice in one-score games, establishing a clear pecking order in the AFC East.

Unfortunately, the fluid nature of the NFL has created a headache for the defense to adapt to. Defensive tackle Kyle Williams is returning from injury, but the Bills lost Mario Williams, as the potential Hall of Fame pass-rusher was a cap casualty to the Dolphins.

Another star defensive lineman, Marcell Dareus, whose active contract included the second-most guaranteed money of any defensive lineman in the NFL, is now entering a rehab facility after his suspension for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy was announced. The team, which knew it needed to bolster the defensive side of the ball heading into the draft, used its first three picks on box defenders.

Buffalo's first-round pick, Shaq Lawson, is going to miss the start of the season due to shoulder surgery, which will keep the edge defender, who was supposed to replace Williams, on the bench. The second-round pick, Reggie Ragland, tore his ACL. You won't see the linebacker suit up in a regular-season game until 2017.

Heading into this offseason, there was pressure on Ryan to take the team over the 8-8 line, and that only ramped up when Tom Brady's suspension opened a sliver of light of hope for the Bills to pull away with the AFC East title, something they haven't done since 1995. To put that into perspective, the Indianapolis Colts, who haven't been in the division in almost a decade-and-a-half, have won the division since Buffalo last did, and it's feasible that the Bills' first-round pick in 2017 might not have been alive to witness the team winning a division title.

Now the squad has to replace two of its best defenders from 2015, Williams and Dareus, and overcome the losses of Lawson and Ragland. Pressure can burst pipes or make diamonds. We're going to find out a lot about general manager Doug Whaley's ability to cultivate depth on the defensive side of the ball this season.

Carolina Panthers: Cam Is Still Cam

Associated Press

After Cam Newton's Super Bowl meltdown, which included a 43.9 percent completion percentage, an interception, six sacks and a 55.4 passer rating, he walked out of a press conference, which led the entire sports media echo chamber to call him a sore loser. Because of that, people wondered if Newton, an outgoing true superstar in the sport, would begin to temper himself, becoming just another coachspeak robot and ruin a field of entertainment.

Newton's "if you don't want me to dance, don't let me score" mentality almost led to a fight the last time he went against the Tennessee Titans, which was his Week 2 opponent in the preseason. In two games so far, he has completed 72.2 percent of his throws for a passer rating of 126.6 and has not recorded a single interception, fumble or sack.

He once again looks like the quarterback who won the MVP award last season, on and off the field, as he continues to show up to press conferences in loud outfits, cracking a charming smile throughout pressers. On the biggest stage the sport has to offer, Newton laid an egg, but he has rebounded with confidence.

We've seen quarterbacks get stuck in a rut, like Colin Kaepernick is right now, but Newton's Super Bowl performance now looks more and more like an outlier than the beginning of a snowballing momentum. While that may seem like a small note, nothing means more to the team's long-term projection than to make sure that Newton rebounded.

Chicago Bears: Cody Whitehair Is Here to the Rescue

Associated Press

A combination of circumstances resulted in rookie second-round pick Cody Whitehair becoming the Chicago Bears' top center option. First, the team let go of Matt Slauson, who signed with the San Diego Chargers.

Second, a torn ACL for second-year player Hroniss Grasu is going to keep the former Oregon Duck from seeing the field in 2016. Until this season, Whitehair hadn't played center, which makes this all the more interesting.

At Kansas State, Whitehair was a guard and tackle, primarily playing left tackle at the end of his career. Unfortunately, the list of sub-'6'4" bookends in the NFL this past decade wouldn't fill up a sticky note, so Whitehair, who measured in a quarter-inch short of 6'4" at the combine, began his transition back to the interior offensive line while down in Mobile, Alabama, for the Senior Bowl.

In Week 1 of the preseason, he had some issues with his snapping, but that should go away with time. Mike Pouncey had issues with snaps when he moved from guard to center at the University of Florida, but he's now made three straight Pro Bowls with the Miami Dolphins.

Snapping comes easier than the ability to block second-level players as a center in today's NFL, and Whitehair already checks off that box. With the team's top two 2015 options at the position now out of the mix, Whitehair looks to be making the most of his late preseason switch.

Cincinnati Bengals: Jeremy Hill Is Back

Associated Press

The splits for Jeremy Hill's 2014 and 2015 seasons are staggering.

• 2015: 223 carries for 794 rushing yards, one rush of over 20 yards and zero rushes of over 40 yards
• 2014: 222 carries for 1,124 rushing yards, eight rushes of over 20 yards and three rushes of over 40 yards

Hill looked like a shell of himself in just his second season in the NFL, but his performance early on in this preseason suggests he's going to rebound. Despite getting only six carries, he's been able to rush for 32 yards and a score, though the manner in which he is getting yards is more impressive than his numbers at this point.

He's an explosive running back in a league where bigger backs who have balance are more important than ever before. Giovani Bernard might be the team's top back between the 20s and when the offense is on track, but Hill is going to be the back who gets the tough yards in the red zone or when the team is trying to establish a running game when things are going wrong offensively.

The numbers from DraftKings' Adam Levitan reflect this: Hill is getting the red-zone snaps, Bernard is getting the passing-down snaps, and they're both coming out about even with the first-team. If Hill can prove value on third downs, he has a chance to take over as a three-down back for the Bengals.

Cleveland Browns: The Terrelle Pryor Experiment Is Working

Associated Press

Terrelle Pryor is making one cornerback-burning catch per preseason game so far, which is more than we ever expected he'd do with the Cleveland Browns. Pryor's career, which includes just two receptions, is following an incredible storyline.

Coming out of high school, Pryor was a 5-star quarterback recruit and a 4-star basketball recruit in Pennsylvania, according to Rivals. He eventually started for the Ohio State Buckeyes, who would suspend him for trading in autographs for tattoos, leading to his eligibility for the NFL's supplemental draft.

The Oakland Raiders drafted Pryor with a future second-round pick, and current Cleveland Browns head coach Hue Jackson spent time with him as the head coach of the Raiders. Between April 2014 and June 2015, the Seattle Seahawks traded for Pryor; the Seahawks cut Pryor; the Kansas City Chiefs signed Pryor; the Chiefs cut Pryor; the Cincinnati Bengals—who had Jackson as the offensive coordinator—signed Pryor; the Bengals cut Pryor; and the Browns signed Pryor, just to convert him from a position he had played all his life to wideout.

In his one year with Cleveland, he caught one pass, a 42-yarder. So far this preseason, Robert Griffin III has thrown Pryor three receptions: a 50-yard touchdown over young Darrelle Revis clone Desmond Trufant, a 49-yard burn over 2015 first-round pick Damarious Randall and a relatively boring eight-yard pass. The combo of Griffin, who throws a great deep ball but struggles with injuries, and Pryor, who is athletic but raw, makes for a one-two punch of redemption stories, based on this summer's information.

Dallas Cowboys: Their Backup Quarterback Situation Is Settled

Associated Press

Dak Prescott probably won't ever be the favorite to replace Tony Romo long-term in Dallas, but he has flashed enough in the preseason to secure the No. 2 slot on the depth chart at quarterback. Prescott's physical peak is somewhere around an Alex Smith who is willing to throw a deep ball, and while that isn't ideal to build a team around, that's perfect for a No. 2 passer.

When Kellen Moore went down with a broken ankle, the Cowboys had a decision to make, as only Prescott, a Day 3 rookie, and Jameill Showers, an undrafted second-year passer, were available on the roster to back up Romo, who has had a few injury-marred seasons. Were they actually considering signing Nick Foles or trading for Josh McCown?

We'll never know, since Prescott has taken over the reins when Romo is on the sideline. He'll take the easy passes on triangle concepts, has the ability to scramble when needed and doesn't hesitate to let his playmakers contend for 50-50 jump balls.

In Week 1 against the Los Angeles Rams, opening up the game as a road starter in a sold-out Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Prescott completed 10 of 12 passes for 139 yards and two touchdowns. In Week 2 against the Miami Dolphins, he completed 12 of 15 passes for 199 yards and two touchdowns.

He's absolutely on fire, and he's this year's candidate to be Brett Hundley, who as a rookie last season lit up the preseason and generated some hype as a potential trade candidate down the line. If Romo can hold it down for a couple of more years, Prescott might end up starting for another squad.

Denver Broncos: No Quarterback Is Starting-Caliber

Associated Press

Last year, the Denver Broncos' top two quarterbacks were Peyton Manning and Brock Osweiler. Manning has since retired after reaching the mountaintop of being a Super Bowl champion quarterback for the second time, while Osweiler, who was benched just before the Broncos' playoff run, decided to take his talents to Houston for $72 million.

That put Denver, which had the last pick in the first round of the draft, in a predicament. It needed to find a starting quarterback, but with all the talent it was already going to lose in free agency on the defensive side of the ball, it didn't have the cap space or draft picks to make a splash addition.

The Broncos settled on three guys to compete for the starting job. The first is Mark Sanchez, who the Philadelphia Eagles traded for a conditional future pick; in Philly, he might have been the fourth quarterback on the depth chart. The second is Trevor Siemian, a seventh-round pick from 2015 who didn't make a single regular-season pass in his one year with the team. The third is Paxton Lynch, the team's first-round pick out of Memphis.

Lynch appears to be taking a redshirt year, as he's the third passer to come off the bench two weeks into the preseason. The other two quarterbacks haven't looked spectacular with their prime snaps, though.

In Week 1, Sanchez started, throwing a touchdown and an interception and averaging 7.6 yards per pass. In Week 2, he didn't record a score, but he did fumble the ball twice, got sacked three times and averaged 7.1 yards per pass.

Siemian, who started in Week 2, completed 17 of 26 passes for 163 yards, averaged 6.2 yards per pass and did not score, though he did toss an interception. He looks like a backup quarterback, which should be no surprise considering his draft background and his third-string status with the team just a year ago.

There isn't a top-30 quarterback on this roster, and there won't be for the entirety of 2016. You have to make tough decisions in the NFL, and GM John Elway's choice was not to invest much in an immediate starter for the Broncos.

He has to live with that decision, even if it leads to an 8-8 season.

Detroit Lions: Marvin Jones Might Be the Team's Top Wideout

Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports

The movement of Marvin Jones tells the tale of two of the most receiver-needy franchises of this past offseason. The Detroit Lions' top wideout, Calvin Johnson, who Matthew Stafford has had since he was a rookie quarterback, retired at the early age of 30 this offseason.

With six Pro Bowl nods and three first-team All-Pro honors, Johnson has a case to be the franchise's all-time top wideout, despite his early exit. To attempt to replace that production, the Lions brought in Jones from the Cincinnati Bengals.

The top two receivers, at least in terms of contract numbers, this past offseason were Jones and Mohamed Sanu, who were second and third in targets, respectively, on the Bengals behind A.J. Green in Hue Jackson's testing offense. That means the Lions' top two candidates, which include Golden Tate, to go head-to-head with the top cornerbacks in the NFL were playing opposite of receivers who combined for 11 Pro Bowl nominations in their careers.

Detroit's search for receiver depth led the team to sign Anquan Boldin, one of the three quality wideouts on the roster, who will turn 36 years old this season. In Week 2 of the preseason, though, Jones faced his former team, posting a 65-yard effort off four catches.

That glimmer of hope is what Detroit fans needed for their passing game. In his second year in the league, Jones scored 10 touchdowns, only to miss the next season and finish 2015 with just over 800 receiving yards. Jones was on the right track to becoming a superstar, but an injury derailed that path, making him a mid-level starter with the Bengals.

It's possible that we're making that assumption off a year when he was recovering from lower-body injuries, though, and that Green not being fed touches opposite of him will assist in his development. It's still hard to pin down what this Lions offense is going to be from this point forward, but keeping an eye on Jones in Week 3 of the preseason is paramount.

Green Bay Packers: Davante Adams Is Still the Team's Third Receiver

Associated Press

As a rookie in 2014, Davante Adams was able to beat out Jarrett Boykin, who was undrafted coming out of Virginia Tech, for the second outside receiver in three-receiver personnel looks in season. The combination of his starting 11 games as a second-round pick, being a 21-year-old at the time and playing for quarterback Aaron Rodgers led to a lot of hype, especially in the fantasy football community, but he burned everyone in 2015.

With Jordy Nelson missing the entire year due to a non-contact knee injury that occurred during the preseason, the Packers needed outside receivers to pick up the slack. Randall Cobb, who ideally plays in the slot, was the squad's best wideout with Nelson gone, which left Adams as the best option outside, which reflects to the 12 games he started in 2015.

Despite the volume of reps he had, Adams tallied only 50 receptions for 483 yards and a single score last year. After Jeff Janis' double-Hail Mary performance in the division round playoff game against the Arizona Cardinals, many tabbed him as this year's "fantasy sleeper" on the Packers' roster, but as we've seen in the past, that's a dangerous line to toe.

If this preseason is a reflection of the regular season, history is repeating itself. With Nelson still on the bench, we're seeing outside receivers move up on the depth chart, and Adams is cementing himself as one of the starting receivers on the team. As it stands, opposite of Nelson out wide and Cobb in the slot, Adams would be the starter with Jared Abbrederis, a 2014 fifth-round pick, being next up.

The fantasy of Janis starting was good for the 24-hour news cycle, but now that real football is being played, he's closer to fighting for his spot on the 53-man roster than a starting job. Like it or not, Year 3 of the Davante Adams experiment is about to kick off in Green Bay.

Houston Texans: The Will Fuller Hype Is Real

Associated Press

The Houston Texans' passing game has revolved around DeAndre Hopkins, a vertical receiver who wins at the catch point, for the past few seasons. With new quarterback Brock Osweiler coming over from the Denver Broncos, the Texans needed to add pieces via the draft to transition the young starter into a new system.

While Hopkins can win 50-50 balls, the team needed to add a deep threat, which they did by drafting Will Fuller of Notre Dame in the first round. Fuller ran a 4.32-second 40-yard dash in Indianapolis—DeSean Jackson speed—which should open up passing lanes and safety influence for Hopkins to get open.

First, though, Fuller needs to establish that he's a legitimate vertical threat at the NFL level. In his Week 1 game, the San Francisco 49ers held him to just one catch for four yards, while Braxton Miller and Jaelen Strong, who are fighting for the third receiver spot, were able to haul in four receptions apiece.

In Week 2, though, Fuller burned the New Orleans Saints for 73 yards and a touchdown. On turf, it's going to be hard for any team to match up with Fuller's speed one-on-one. Teams are going to have to play with two high safeties when Hopkins and Fuller line up on opposite sidelines of each other, leading to fewer players available to make plays in the run game, or they'll have to play with coverage rolled away from Hopkins.

There's no correct way to handle teams that have two quality receivers and a functional running game, which the Texans should have with the addition of running back Lamar Miller and offensive linemen Nick Martin and Jeff Allen. Fuller proving his first-round billing foreshadows what we might see in Houston in the regular season.

Indianapolis Colts: The Team Still Lacks Identity

Associated Press

Last week, D.J. Gallo of the Guardian wrote an article on how the Green Bay Packers' playoff runs during Aaron Rodgers' career have been disappointing and that the Andrew Luck Indianapolis Colts might be the next team to fall victim to such frustration.

The narrative is that Rodgers' teams have fallen stale with an offense that relies on his pure talent and a sometimes overaggressive defense. Right now, the Colts are only halfway to the goal of even being that, as the entire structure of the team is built around Luck saving the day.

That may be enough to wins games in the AFC South, which has featured all three of the Colts' in-division rivals drafting in the top three over the past two drafts, but it's not enough to win in the postseason. 

In the past four years, the team has played four road playoff games, which resulted in three losses. Though the Colts were able to beat an aged Peyton Manning, who threw 41 passes for 211 yards in the Denver cold, they lost the other three games by a combined score of 38-112, as each loss was by more than two touchdowns.

In Chuck Pagano's fifth year with the team, we're looking for any sign that the Colts may be more than just a team with a passing offense. Right now, their backfield is led by Frank Gore, who lost his wheels last season and averaged fewer than four yards per carry, and their defense features no true star.

Everyone is waiting for someone to break out on the defensive side of the ball to give that team character, but after just using one top-100 pick on a defensive player in the combined drafts of 2012, 2013 and 2014, there's a lack of young talent on that side of the ball. That one top-100 pick was Bjoern Werner, Indy's first-round selection in 2013, who was waived by the team this offseason.

The Colts need to get talent on the defensive side of the ball, and after they allowed a key free agent like linebacker Jerrell Freeman to walk, I'm not sure this front office will ever understand that.

Jacksonville Jaguars: Allen Robinson Is the Game's Next Superstar

Rich Schultz/Getty Images

You may already know Allen Robinson, but if you haven't been paying attention, it's easy to lose track of him. After a 4-12 season, the Jacksonville Jaguars picked up the former Penn State receiver in the second round in 2014, despite his 4.60-second 40-yard dash at the combine.

Overall, he was the 11th receiver drafted in the 2014 draft (No. 61 overall), behind his own teammate Marqise Lee (No. 39). Since then, the Jaguars have gone 8-24 in two years with the former Nittany Lion.

If you're not a fantasy football aficionado, it's hard to catch Jacksonville, who haven't been on Sunday Night Football since 2008 or Monday Night Football since 2011. After his 1,400-yard, 14-touchdown season in 2015, though, he began turning heads.

Robinson's spectacular plays are vaulting him up the wide receiver ranks. In two games against the New York Jets and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he's brought in seven receptions for 114 receiving yards and six first downs, the most of any pass-catcher in the NFL.

Against the Jets, it was a high-pointing bomb from Blake Bortles for 45 yards. Against the Buccaneers, it was a backward-falling sideline catch. After tying for the league lead in touchdowns last year, he's close to being in the forefront of the position alongside Antonio Brown, Odell Beckham Jr., Julio Jones and Dez Bryant.

Kansas City Chiefs: Their Defensive Line Depth Is One of the Best in the NFL

Peter G. Aiken/Getty Images

The 2016 NFL draft will be a tipping point for the AFC West. Some may speculate that the Kansas City Chiefs could have taken Paxton Lynch to be their quarterback of the future if he had been available with the 28th overall pick, but we'll never know, as the in-division Denver Broncos traded up to No. 26 to take the quarterback before Andy Reid and Co. even sniffed a chance to snatch him.

While making hypotheticals, what's lost is what the Chiefs actually did with that selection. They flipped the 28th overall pick into the 37th overall pick and two Day 3 selections. With that second-round choice, the team drafted Chris Jones of Mississippi State, a former freshman All-American who is as large at 6'6" as he is explosive.

Jones is a carbon copy of who Muhammad Wilkerson was coming out of Temple, and he's played like a young Wilkerson at this point in the preseason. It didn't matter if it was Week 1 against the Seattle Seahawks or Week 2 against the Los Angeles Rams; Jones just pressed linemen through their quarterbacks when rushing the passer.

It's kind of amazing that Jones is coming along so early in his career, considering that he just turned 21 years old this summer and was a luxury pick at the time of the draft. In addition, Defensive end Allen Bailey signed a four-year contract in 2014 and has been outplaying his $25 million value, and nose tackle Dontari Poe is one of the best in the league and is the most explosive nose tackle in the game.

At the end opposite of Bailey, Jaye Howard is a quality defensive lineman who signed a two-year, $10 million contract this offseason with the team. The Chiefs have four above-average starters to fill three defensive line spots in base defense and two in nickel looks.

That's how teams like the Seattle Seahawks are able to play dominant single-high schemes. The Chiefs finally look like they have the horses up front to run the table on the AFC West, a division they've won once since 2003.

Los Angeles Rams: Jared Goff Has Fumble Problems

Associated Press

In college, Jared Goff was sacked 30, 25 and 26 times as a starter in individual seasons. He also had fumble totals of 10, nine and four while playing for the Golden Bears.

His improving numbers would suggest that he's solving a sort of sack-fumble problem, but his first two preseason games with the Los Angeles Rams would have you second-guess that line of thinking.

Against the Kansas City Chiefs, he tripped over himself, leading to a fumble. Against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 1, he threw an interception during the process of being hit, leading to a fluttering fumble-like ball. 

Sure, the Rams allowed the fewest sacks in the NFL last season, but that had more to do with the design of their passing plays, which were short and quick, rather than the talent of their offensive line. Former first-round left tackle Greg Robinson is still on track to be a draft "bust" at the moment at the most important position in the unit.

Basing their passes out of quick set protection is also one of the reasons why the Rams finished dead last in the NFL in passing touchdowns too, as they couldn't attack aggressively in the passing game. That's why the team traded up to the first overall pick in the first place, so Goff could change the offense's approach in the passing game.

At California, Goff played in an offensive system that was the polar opposite of the quick set protection that the Rams use. The Tony Franklin system uses deep drops to declare blitzers before linemen make contact, making blitzes and stunts easy to read for both the offensive linemen and quarterback in that system.

The Rams line and Goff both transitioning to true NFL-style blocking protections could lead to huge problems for that offense, especially if Goff is going to fumble every third sack in a league that averages two to three sacks per game for each team.

Last year, only two quarterbacks, Blake Bortles and a benched Peyton Manning, had more than 16 interceptions. If Goff, as a starter, averages about that in fumbles alone, the Rams offense will look like that of the 3-13 Tennessee Titans in the passing game.

Miami Dolphins: They Aren't Sold on Jay Ajayi

Associated Press

When Lamar Miller left the Miami Dolphins in free agency to sign with the Houston Texans, that opened up the top running back slot with the team. The Dolphins did have a returning back in Jay Ajayi, who was a fifth-round pick in 2015 who slipped due to health concerns, but they entertained other options in the offseason.

They matched Denver Broncos running back C.J. Anderson's offer sheet, though he would eventually return to the Super Bowl champs. Miami also drafted Alabama running back Kenyon Drake in the third round, though he's more of a pass-catching third-down specialist than a true starting-caliber back.

Throughout the majority of the offseason, Ajayi held the lead at the position, but late in the summer the squad signed veteran running back Arian Foster, who is best known as the one-cut runner who went from undrafted free agency to becoming a star with the Houston Texans.

The Dolphins fell short in signing Miller and Anderson in the open market, and even when the staff was able to get an isolated view on Ajayi, it decided to bring a veteran in to at least split the carries, if Foster doesn't take over the starting job completely. That speaks volume about the team's confidence in Ajayi.

Minnesota Vikings: Mike Zimmer Doesn't Care What You Think

Associated Press

In the NFL, there is nothing more important than the chain of command and power structure. When you juxtapose franchises like the Cleveland Browns and the New England Patriots, that's the clear difference.

The Browns have been a fragmented franchise, starting from the ownership level down, for years, while there's no question as to who runs the Patriots. Once a head coach or general manager establishes himself as the dominant force for a successful team, it's hard to stop his momentum.

This is exactly what has happened with the Minnesota Vikings. Head coach Mike Zimmer was best known as a head coach in waiting when he was the defensive coordinator with the Cincinnati Bengals, but now that he has finally secured one of the 32 top jobs in the league, he's run with it.

Two different events display Zimmer's confidence in his own process, proving he's not worried about outside opinions. The first is the interception that Mackensie Alexander had this preseason, and the second is the benching of Teddy Bridgewater in the second preseason game.

Alexander was a cornerback from Clemson who was drafted in the second round this past year, even though the Vikings already had Terence Newman, 2013 first-round pick Xavier Rhodes and 2015 first-round pick Trae Waynes at the position. On top of that, Alexander, who was listed at 5'10" at the combine, hadn't made an interception since his high school days.

Zimmer, who has a defensive back background, bet on his own process, taking a small, talented corner with a narrative to play in a loaded secondary, and when Alexander made an interception in Week 1, the doubters instantly shut up.

A week later, the head coached benched his starting quarterback, Bridgewater, for no visible reason. When the media asked him why he did that, he didn't budge and shot down concerns of injury and discipline, per Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press.

Zimmer is making bold moves, not explaining himself and betting on himself winning to mask the questions. That's this league needs more of.

New England Patriots: They Want to Give Jimmy Garoppolo an Extended Look

Associated Press

No quarterback has more passing yards two weeks into the preseason than Jimmy Garoppolo, and a major reason for that is the his volume of passing attempts. The New England Patriots are going to have to start a non-Tom Brady passer for the first four weeks of the regular season, and they seem to be maximizing their data points to make a decision on who that will be by using live preseason snaps.

Garoppolo has thrown 39 balls this preseason, which is the sixth-most in the NFL at this point. For reference, Joe Callahan, the Green Bay Packers quarterback, has stepped in for an injured Aaron Rodgers and Brett Hundley as the team's first- through third-string passer and has only 40 passing attempts this preseason.

The Patriots are using these games as a warm-up for Garoppolo, and he looks good. Right now, he's completing 69.2 percent of his throws for an 8.9-yard average. If Bill Belichick can turn him into 2013 Nick Foles for a four-game stretch, New England could be on track for a Super Bowl berth, with or without Brady's Deflategate suspension.

Brady didn't play the first game at all but was scheduled to play in Week 2 until he mysteriously cut open his thumb with scissors just moments before the game started. Who can tell if this is a Belichick scheme to appeal to ownership by promising fans they'll see their starting quarterback for the late time before October to sell tickets while also saving the health of his passer, or if Brady was genuinely injured minutes before kickoff, but at the end of the day, Garoppolo's progress as a passer matters the most.

New Orleans Saints: They Will Draft a Pass-Rusher High Next Year

Associated Press

The New Orleans Saints lack talent on the defensive side of the ball, which is why their Cover 3 scheme didn't work last season. If you don't have the talent to play that scheme, you're going to leave the seams and underneath passing game open, and that's how the opposition gutted the Saints over and over again.

Heading into this offseason, the squad was ready to play two converted defenders as 4-3 edge-rushers. The first was Cameron Jordan, a talented Pro Bowler who moved from 3-4 defensive end to 4-3 defensive end a few years ago. The second was Hau'oli Kikaha, a second-year player from the University of Washington who played linebacker in his rookie season with the team.

Kikaha had a history of knee injuries in Seattle, and he fell victim to yet another torn ACL this summer. With Kikaha out, the team had to sift through the lesser options on the roster.

At first, Obum Gwacham, a 2015 sixth-round pick who didn't even make the Seattle Seahawks' final roster, was the team's starter opposite of Jordan early on in training camp. In the preseason, however, Kasim Edebali has taken over as the top pass-rusher in the "other" category.

Edebali has started one game in the two years since he's entered the league as an undrafted free agent. While his seven-sack total isn't a bad mark considering his 27-year-old age, the Saints should be expecting more.

Between Kikaha's knee and 2016 first-round pick Sheldon Rankins' broken fibula, New Orleans well might have the worst defensive line in the NFL this year, and you should expect that to be highlighted all throughout the season and the draft cycle.

New York Giants: Their Pass Defense Has Improved Greatly

Alex Goodlett/Getty Images

For the past few seasons, the New York Giants have been a franchise without character on the defensive side of the ball, as their defensive line, linebackers and defensive backs lacked a true star outside of Jason Pierre-Paul. This became problematic in 2015, when Pierre-Paul fell victim to a fireworks accident that limited his impact as a pass-rusher.

You could go as far as to say that the defensive failure of last year's team was why New York fired Tom Coughlin. The Giants lost a game in which they scored 49 points and hired their offensive coordinator to take over the top gig, which only further expresses that feeling.

Robert Ayers, who had a late-season hot streak last season as a pass-rusher, and Prince Amukamara, a former first-round pick, went south to Tampa Bay and Jacksonville, respectively, in free agency, but the team didn't hesitate to reload. New York signed defensive tackle Damon Harrison, pass-rusher Olivier Vernon and cornerback Janoris Jenkins to be immediate starters and upgrades over their 2015 counterparts.

In the draft, the Giants brought aboard cornerback Eli Apple and safety Darian Thompson to shore up the defensive backfield. On top of that, Owamagbe Odighizuwa, a 2015 third-round defensive end, looks like a man possessed playing a Michael Bennett-type role for New York.

The team added three quality defensive backs this offseason, and between their impact and the impact of the re-signed Pierre-Paul, the newly signed Vernon and the potential breakout of Odighizuwa, who is walking back offensive linemen in the lap of starting quarterbacks, the Giants might microwave their pass defense to be one of the best in the league this season.

New York Jets: They Wasted Their Second-Round Pick

Associated Press

It's hard to call a second-round pick a bust two weeks into the preseason, but you can question the team-building process. In today's roster structure, there's no reason to hold onto four quarterbacks in the regular season, as some teams even elect to roster just two passers.

Right now, the New York Jets' second-round pick, Christian Hackenberg, who struggled during his final two years at Penn State, is the fourth quarterback on the Jets roster as it stands today. Through two preseason games, Hackenberg has thrown zero passes.

The point to having Ryan Fitzpatrick as your starting passer is so you don't have to bury assets at the position, but New York elected to use the 51st overall pick as a safety net, despite the fact that the team already had Geno Smith (a 2013 second-round pick who has experience starting with the team) and Bryce Petty (a second-year, fourth-round pick with a year of development in Chan Gailey's system).

The Jets have used two second-round picks, a borderline Day 2 selection and a one-year, $12 million contract to address their quarterback position, just to hope to be league average, knowing they're going to have to cut ties with one or two of those passers.

This isn't how quality teams are built.

Hackenberg, you'd assume based off his draft status, would land with another franchise's 53-man roster if New York attempted to finesse him onto the practice squad. That means the Jets will have to hold onto him—allowing Smith and/or Petty to walk, despite their getting reps over Hackenberg in the preseason—or they'll have to let him go, burning a quality draft slot on arrival.

Oakland Raiders: They Will Be Running a 3-4 Defense More in 2016

Associated Press

When you looked at the pieces the Oakland Raiders brought into the defensive front seven this past offseason, they didn't totally match up with a 4-3 defense. The Raiders have always been somewhat of a hybrid scheme, but after watching their first two preseason games, you get the feeling that their base is going to be closer to a true 3-4 defense than a true 4-3 defense moving on.

Oakland signed Bruce Irvin this year from the Seattle Seahawks as a hybrid pass-rusher. He started his career as a defensive end but moved to linebacker in his second season in the league, turning into a weak-side outside linebacker who dropped down to defensive end in pass-rushing situations.

The Raiders' second-round pick, Jihad Ward, is much closer to a 5-technique defensive end than a defensive tackle or defensive end in a 4-3 defense. As a defensive tackle, he's vulnerable to double-teams, which haunted him against Ohio State last year in the Big Ten, and he doesn't have the legs or bend to execute as a pass-rusher.

In the Raiders' 3-4 looks, Irvin is lining up as a 3-4 outside linebacker, a pass-rusher, opposite of Khalil Mack, while Ward is lining up as an interior defensive lineman as a defensive end. Between the looks that the team is fielding this preseason, along with the personnel movement, you can tell where Oakland's mentality is moving forward.

For all intents and purposes, even if the squad is still a 4-3 defense on paper, it should be discussed as a 3-4 squad, as it shows more two-gapping principles than some listed 3-4 defenses.

Philadelphia Eagles: Their Quarterback Situation Will Reflect 2015

Associated Press

Last season, the Philadelphia Eagles entered with Sam Bradford at quarterback after he flashed in the preseason with 13 completions off just 15 attempts. This year, he is again the team's top passer, completing 15 of 20 passes through two weeks.

Chase Daniel, who has only seen limited time as a backup in New Orleans and Kansas City at this point in his career, is the No. 2 passer behind Bradford and has posted a 62.5 passer rating this preseason. Second overall pick Carson Wentz has a 41.8 passer rating in his rookie exhibition games.

According to Marc Sessler of NFL.com, Wentz will return to throwing the football this week, though his status for the rest of the preseason is unknown, after he fractured his ribs in his first NFL game. If Wentz can't get on the field for the preseason, it's tough to expect him to overtake the starting job, jumping up two slots on the depth chart in-season.

This is when the reality sinks in for Eagles fans. Wentz isn't going to be your savior in 2016. Your team is going to start Bradford, the epitome of a mediocre starter, or Daniel, whose career starts are composed of two Week 17 games against the San Diego Chargers in 2014 and 2013.

Pittsburgh Steelers: Alejandro Villanueva Will Be Up-and-Down in 2016

George Gojkovich/Getty Images

You'll often hear that only a few positions are worthy of spending a first-round pick on. Franchise quarterbacks, game-changing skill players, 10-year bookends, explosive defensive linemen and shutdown cornerbacks are among them.

At the top of those positions, you'll often find lists of former high draft picks. At left tackle, it's hard to come up with names of consistent franchise-securing blindside protectors who weren't highly regarded coming out of college.

One is Jason Peters, who was a tight end at Arkansas and an undrafted free agent with the Buffalo Bills before signing with the Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles' cross-state AFC counterpart, the Pittsburgh Steelers, hope to have found their own undrafted convert project.

Alejandro Villanueva was a receiver at Army before converting to tight end, defensive end and now offensive tackle. Standing at 6'9", he has the length and athleticism to play offensive tackle in the NFL, but his limited experience as a soon-to-be 28-year-old, with just 10 starts under his belt, is concerning.

After the team let Kelvin Beachum leave for the Jacksonville Jaguars in free agency, Villanueva had an easy path to becoming a Week 1 starter. Against the Detroit Lions, he struggled in his limited first-team reps, as ESPN.com's Jeremy Fowler even got the former ranger to call himself "very sloppy" in his preseason Week 1 effort.

He rebounded against the Philadelphia Eagles, as he didn't appear to be a liability, but that just paints a picture framed by inconsistency.

San Diego Chargers: Jeremiah Attaochu Is a Breakout Candidate

Associated Press

As a 22-year-old last year, former second-round pick Jeremiah Attaochu rang up six sacks, which was overlooked because Melvin Ingram, the San Diego Chargers' former first-round pick, broke out with 10.5.

One reason why Joey Bosa's selection with the third overall pick was a surprise to many was the fact that the Chargers had two young pass-rushers already on their roster. Bosa, who has yet to suit up for San Diego in a preseason game due to a contract dispute, was figured to flex as an edge-rusher and interior defensive lineman with the team.

Because those reps have been freed up for Attaochu to fill, he played a majority of the Chargers' reps in their first preseason game of the year, as he was on the field in both the first and fourth quarters of the game. In the team's second game of the preseason, against the Arizona Cardinals, he also flashed.

Per Pro Football Focus, he's recorded only two quarterback hurries and one quarterback sack, but he has done enough to show he's progressing. At his age, a six-sack season was a quality year. If Attaochu is able to improve on that number, San Diego may kick Bosa inside as a full-time interior lineman moving forward.

San Francisco 49ers: Marcus Rush Is a Sleeper Candidate

Dustin Bradford/Getty Images

If you have no idea who Marcus Rush is, you're not the only one. Rush was an undrafted pass-rusher from last year's class coming out of Michigan State.

Many had their eyes fixated on Spartan pass-rusher Shilique Calhoun, who waited until the 2016 class to declare for the draft, which led to Rush sliding under the radar. According to NFL Draft Scout, the two-time Big Ten honorable mention all-conference defensive end ran a 6.73-second three-cone drill at his pro day, which opened up some eyes.

One year later, the San Francisco 49ers, who will be missing starting pass-rusher Aaron Lynch due to a four-game suspension for a violation of the NFL's substance abuse policy, have put Rush into a position to succeed. According to Pro Football Focus, Rush's pass-rushing grade ranks higher than any edge defenders in the league after two weeks of preseason play.

He leads the NFL in sacks with three, and he's added four Pro Football Focus pressures on top of that total. Rush has gone from a potential practice squad candidate to a rotational impact player.

If anyone in the league has a chance to be this year's Shaquil Barrett, who in his second year as an undrafted player made 5.5 sacks in the Denver Broncos' rotation, it's Rush.

Seattle Seahawks: They Will Never Stop Finding Undrafted Skill Players

Associated Press

The Seattle Seahawks pride themselves on being able to bring in some of the most high-quality undrafted free agents in the NFL, and for good reason: They're efficient at it. While we see high draft-choice skill players bust all the time, the Seahawks seem more than fine filling their needs with undrafted talent.

At receiver, the pair of Doug Baldwin and Jermaine Kearse weren't drafted coming out of the Pac-12. At running back, the breakout player of the 2015 season was former Central Michigan back Thomas Rawls.

With no clear No. 2 quarterback on the roster, some were worried about Trevone Boykin, an undrafted passer from TCU, but he has proved the Seattle right this preseason. His 315 passing yards are the fourth-most of any QB in the league.

On top of that, Boykin led a last-second drive against the Kansas City Chiefs, in which the coaching staff trusted him enough to replace third-string quarterback Jake Heaps in the fourth quarter. Boykin then threw a Hail Mary pass and converted a two-point conversion with no time on the clock.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Robert Ayers Isn't a Traditional Pass-Rusher

Associated Press

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers haven't had a quality edge defender in years. You can even go as far as to say that Gerald McCoy might be the best defensive lineman to have to be the one and only force for as long as he had in the past decade.

The Buccaneers looked to change that this year with two moves. First, they signed Robert Ayers from the New York Giants, and then they drafted Noah Spence, an Eastern Kentucky edge-rusher who was formerly an Ohio State Buckeye, in the second round of the draft.

Ayers was a former first-round pick who didn't break out until he was a 30-year-old, as he registered 7.5 sacks in five games to end the 2015 season. You might have assumed that Tampa Bay wanted to get Ayers and Spence playing opposite each other full time, but they seem to be transitioning Spence to NFL play, which means that Ayers is going to have to pick up some of the slack.

As it appears right now, Ayers is going to be a base starting defensive end who kicks inside to 3-technique defensive tackle on pass-rushing downs, which means McCoy has to go from an under tackle to a nose tackle also. Moving off a nose tackle for Spence is that defensive line's best option to generate pressure with four pass-rushers, which is an easy way to win on passing downs defensively.

Ayers isn't going to be a three-down defensive end, instead playing a Michael Bennett role, but that's more than fine. The team has been looking for a replacement to Bennett since it allowed him to walk and sign with the Seattle Seahawks anyway.

Tennessee Titans: Their Running Game Is Back

Associated Press

Two of the top three rushers in the NFL preseason come from the Tennessee Titans backfield. This shouldn't be a surprise if you've been tracking the team's offseason moves.

Not only did Tennessee trade for DeMarco Murray, a former NFL rushing leader, but it drafted Jack Conklin, a first-round right tackle, and Derrick Henry, a second-round Heisman-winning running back, within the top 45 picks of the draft.

Murray's 113 rushing yards and Henry's 105-yards only fall behind Los Angeles' Malcolm Brown's 134 rushing yards two weeks into the preseason. It's obvious at this point that the Titans are going to build around their running game, as Marcus Mariota, the 2015 second overall pick, develops as a passer.

In total, the team has rushed for 384 yards this preseason, with Henry, Murray, Antonio Andrews, David Cobb, Bishop Sankey, David Fluellen, Mariota and Dexter McCluster all averaging more than four yards per carry off multiple attempts. Sankey, who was considered to be a bust as a second-round pick, has even taken five carries for 54 yards this summer.

You spread teams out to run the ball at the tackle box, and the Tennessee might quickly microwave its run offense to reflect the likes of the Dallas Cowboys or even college football's Ohio State Buckeyes under Urban Meyer.

Washington Redskins: There's No True Leader in the Backfield

Associated Press

Alfred Morris, who was the Washington Redskins' top running back during his rookie contract with the team, was allowed to hit free agency this past offseason and signed with the in-division Dallas Cowboys. Heading into Week 3 of the preseason, there hasn't been a quality performance by a single back who is attempting to replace Morris in Washington.

The Redskins were able to build an offensive line quickly, as they already had Trent Williams holding down the left tackle position and had 2015 first-round guard Brandon Scherff and 2014 third-round right tackle Morgan Moses come along last season. Bill Callahan, who worked wonders for the Dallas Cowboys, established himself as the best offensive line coach in the league with his work with the Redskins last year.

Now it's time for Randy Johnson, the team's running backs coach, to earn his keep at his first stop as an NFL positional coach. Right now, the team's leading rusher is Rob Kelley, an undrafted rookie from Tulane, who has just 48 rushing yards to his name, with only eight coming off his Week 2 effort against the New York Jets.

The team's leader in carries? Keith Marshall, an often-injured undrafted rookie from Georgia, who has turned 15 carries into 25 yards. The team's presumed starter, Matt Jones, has posted just a pedestrian nine carries for 32 yards this preseason.

Kirk Cousins needs to have a functioning offense around him to win, which is why the Redskins have invested so much on the offensive line and on pass-catching targets. They might be loaded with DeSean Jackson, Pierre Garcon, Jordan Reed and 2016 first-round pick Josh Doctson to throw to, but the Redskins have overlooked their backfield, almost to a point of no return, this year.