News, Updates and Analysis on NFL's Biggest OTA Battles

NFL OTAs are heating up as positional battles are abundant across the league. NFL fans show their devotion to all things football as they soak up all news and updates from their favorite teams. Although it's only early summer, fans simply can't get enough action from the league they love. 

Even without pads, the intensity is thick as players are trying to impress their coaches and get an early lead on their main competition before training camp. 

Without an offseason in 2011, this season's OTAs have extra emphasis on them because they allow the young studs and players on new teams to get the quality reps they need to be successful.

The 2012 OTAs are also an added bonus for fans as there are plenty of battles to talk about. 

The Extra Point: The Detroit Lions Now Have Some Unwanted OTA Battles

It's been said that the Detroit Lions should channel the Detroit Pistons of the late '80s/early 90s and become the "Bad Boys" of the NFL.

The Lions have done just that, but for all the wrong reasons. Second-year defensive tackle Nick Fairley was arrested recently for the second time this offseason, this time for DUI. 

That makes five arrest for the Lions in the offseason—two for Fairley, two for his 2011 classmate Mikel Leshoure and one for Johnny Culbreath. 

Lions head coach Jim Schwartz will undoubtedly have to lay down the hammer and suspend Fairley and Leshoure for being absentminded enough to get arrested twice in just a few months. 

Those upcoming suspensions bring unwanted OTA battles as there are now early-season holes to fill at the running back and defensive tackle positions for the Lions.

Honorable Mention: The Quaterback Battles in Arizona and Tennesee Will Fizzle

The Arizona Cardinals and Tennessee Titans both have quarterback duels going down this offseason. 

Arizona

The Cardinals' Kevin Kolb and John Skelton will battle in camp, but Kolb has the edge because the organization decided to pay his $7 million roster bonus this offseason. Despite a lackluster and injury-plagued season of 2011, Kolb will get the benefit of the doubt heading into the season. 

With added weapon Michael Floyd, it's now or never for Kolb as a starter in the NFL.

Tennessee

The Titans have a bout at the quarterback position going on themselves between veteran Matt Hasselbeck and second-year player Jake Locker. 

Hasselbeck proved that he's still capable of being successful as a starter in the league when the Titans finished 9-7 with him under center in 2011. 

The only thing going against Hasselbeck is that he's got Locker, the team's suspected franchise quarterback, raring to go right behind him.

Locker has all the traits necessary to flourish in the NFL. His size and strength are remarkable, and his leadership skills are uncanny. Fans have to respect that Locker gave up his chance to go No. 1 in the 2010 NFL draft to return to the University of Washington for his senior season. 

Heading into training camp, this is really Locker's job to lose. If he isn't quite ready to take the reins, the Titans have the trusty Hasselbeck to rely on. 

The Broncos Have a Battle at Defensive Tackle Brewing

Denver Broncos fans know that they're in need of a defensive tackles to have a breakout season in 2012. 

The Broncos lost Brodrick Bunkley to free agency and drafted Derek Wolfe from Cincinnati in the second round of the draft, but will he ready to be the Week 1 starter? 

The real surprise for the Broncos this offseason has been 29-year-old Kevin Vickerson, who proved his desire to play for the Broncos by cutting his salary in half and gaining a staggering 49 lbs. 

Coming off an injury-filled 2011 season that limited him to just five games, Vickerson is now listed at 324 lbs. and has the attention of new Broncos defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio. 

Vickerson's dedication to the Broncos this offseason have brought the odds in his favor to win the starting job. Now all he has to do is prove he's effective. 

Things Are Starting to Get Very Interesting Down in Miami

Maybe, just maybe the 2012 Miami Dolphins won't be so bad after all. 

Yes, they may have had the most criticized pick of the entire 2012 NFL draft, but rookie Ryan Tannehill may just be the Week 1 starter.

The Dolphins have a new head coach in Joe Philbin, who's been known to put up points in Green Bay. Most importantly, Mike Sherman, Tannehill's coach at Texas A&M, is the new offensive coordinator.

While the Dolphins also have incumbent Matt Moore and newcomer David Garrard in the mix for starting quarterback, Tannehill might just steal the job. The only thing he has going against him is that he's never faced the size and speed of an NFL defense before, which can be unrelenting. 

Another thing the Dolphins have going for them is momentum. After starting 2011 0-8, they finished 6-10. Running back Reggie Bush is excited for the new pace of the offense, and linebacker Karlos Dansby thinks the 'Phins can reach the Super Bowl. 

Hey, Dansby's enthusiasm may be scoffed at, but no team ever wins when they don't believe. 

The Receiver Situation for the New York Giants Has Become a Focal Point

With the recent injury to New York Giants receiver Hakeem Nicks, the team is now searching for a big-time receiver to step into the spotlight. 

The man the Giants are counting on is rookie Rueben Randle, a second-round pick from LSU. 

At 6'4", he has the size needed to be successful in the NFL and is already impressing the Giants' coaching staff. 

Randle is said to be NFL-ready, and that belief will be tested Week 1 when he starts against the despised Dallas Cowboys. 

Like with Victor Cruz in 2011, the Giants will have to get the most out of Randle in 2012 if they're to defend their title. 

The Combat in Cleveland Is Hot and Heavy at Quarterback

Cleveland Browns quarterbacks Colt McCoy and Brandon Weeden may be talking nice to the media, but there are underlying tones that they both expect to start when the season begins. 

While McCoy earned the starting role in the middle of 2010, very few people think he'll be the Week 1 starter in 2012. In his defense, he was thrown to the wolves in 2010 and was without an offseason in 2011, so McCoy will gain important experience this summer. 

That being said, Weeden is bigger and better than McCoy. At 6'4", he's three inches taller and a superior athlete with a cannon for an arm. Yes, he's 28 years old, but that's because he had a stint in the minors for the New York Yankees and Kansas City Royals. 

It's Weeden's time to shine as he's the favorite to start. 

The Starting Running Back Role Is for the Taking in New England

With the New England Patriots parting ways with running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis this offseason, the role of starting running back is up for grabs. 

The contenders are Stevan Ridley, Danny Woodhead, newcomer Joseph Addai and sleeper Shane Vereen. 

While the Patriots will undoubtedly incorporate all these men into the game plan, Vereen has recently taken snaps with the first-team offense. He's a second-round pick taken in 2011 who suffered a nagging hamstring injury that hampered his rookie season.  

Combined with Ridley, who averaged 5.1 yards per carry in 2011 on 87 carries, the two young backs are definite fantasy sleepers heading into 2012. 

A threatening running game is the last thing Pats' opponents want to see in 2012. 

Who Knows How the Quarterback Situation in Seattle Will End Up?

The starting quarterback battle in Seattle in attracting plenty of attention this offseason. 

What was thought to be Matt Flynn's job outright when he signed with the team as a free agent in the offseason isn't quite the case. 

Last year's starter Tarvaris Jackson went 7-7 in his first year in Seattle and has won the right to retain his role as starter. Although it seems that he has no chance at starting, don't count him out. 

To add fuel to the fire, the Seahawks drafted Russell Wilson in the third round of the 2012 draft. While he may not win the role, he sure is turning some heads in Seattle. He's an all-around athlete who has the necessary attributes to be a starting quarterback in the NFL.

The only knock against him is that he's listed under 6'0" tall, but that's not slowing him down. 

It is hard to believe that head coach Pete Carroll doesn't have a Week 1 starter in mind, but maybe his plan all along was to push his men to the brink to see how they perform under pressure from the opening snap of OTAs. 

The Seahawks will face some tough competition in the NFC West in 2012, but at least their quarterbacks will be ready for any situation. 

LeGarrette Blount Isn't Ready to Relinquish His Role in Tampa Bay

LeGarrette Blount powered his way into becoming the starting running back in Tampa Bay last season. 

For Buccaneers fans, last season was a huge disappointment on all fronts, but this offseason has brought them good fortune and a rookie running back in Doug Martin who is pushing Blount for his job. 

The news from Bucs' camp seems that Martin has already been anointed as the starter, but Blount won't go down without a fight. 

It is not that Blount is an awful running back; it's just that he appears careless at times. The Bucs got his attention when they drafted Martin, and it has been said that Blount is focused on winning the spot. 

The Bucs are in a win-win situation because having multiple reliable running backs is a necessity in today's NFL. 

For the team who's had the biggest offseason in the NFL, an added chip of Blount's shoulder is nothing but good for the Bucs. 

Don't Expect the Quarterback Quarrel for the New York Jets to Die Anytime Soon

The New York Jets stirred the chili this offseason when they acquired quarterback Tim Tebow in a trade with the Denver Broncos. 

Now, even more pressure is on starting fourth-year quarterback Mark Sanchez to make it to the Super Bowl. 

The Jets have a new offensive coordinator this season in Tony Sparano, which somewhat levels the playing field for Tebow to win the job. After all, Sparano ran the Wildcat offense in his time as Miami Dolphins coach, which often involved the running back taking the snaps behind center.

Tebow is as much a running back as a quarterback and had 660 rushing yards last year in Denver, which leads one to believe that he could be in every time the Jets have the ball on offense. 

While Sanchez appears to be winning the battle right now, Tebow is the most talked about man in football. Even when he loses, somehow he wins.  

The Jets will find a way to utilize Tebow's athleticism on the field in the near future, whether it’s at the quarterback position or not. Sanchez has never had to fight for his job, but now his physical and mental fortitude will be tested. 

Any sloppy play from Sanchez from here on out will force the Jets to not only play Tebow, but to start him. 

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