Setting Odds for the 9 Most Exciting NFL Training Camp Battles

2012 training camp is right around the corner, and with it comes positional battles. The most exciting position battles around the league may not be the ones that are at the forefront right now, but these will be the ones with the most competition and create the most interesting storylines throughout training camp.

Arizona Cardinals Starting QB

John Skelton vs. Kevin Kolb

John Skelton and Kevin Kolb are the two men in Arizona who will be vying for the starting quarterback job in 2012. Skelton was a fifth-round pick in 2010, and Kolb was part of the trade that sent Rodgers-Cromartie to Philadelphia. In 2011, these two were very close statistically, as Kolb was 146/253 (58 percent) for 1,955 yards, nine touchdowns and eight interceptions, while Skelton was 151/275 (55 percent) for 1,913 yards, 11 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. (Stats courtesy NFL.com)

The competition at this point looks very evenly matched, as both quarterbacks have excellent size, arm strength and intelligence to win the job. Head Coach Ken Whisenhunt noticed the same thing, as Fox Sports' Tyler Lockman quoted him as saying, 

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You've got to let this competition play out honestly. It's got to be a fair competition. I think that our players understand that, and I'm excited to see how it goes.

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Considering this competition is going to be the toughest one in the NFL and it's for the all-mighty starting quarterback spot, this is the premier battle to watch. Whoever wins it will be ecstatic, though, because they have a plethora of options at wide receiver in All-Pro Larry Fitzgerald, 2012 first-round pick Michael Floyd and a young, talented up-and-comer in Andre Roberts.

Odds: Competition is at a 50-50 chance for either one to start. If it stays this way, Kolb makes more sense to start due to the investment in him.

Projecting a Winner: John Skelton

Buffalo Bills DE Across from Mario Williams

Mark Anderson vs. Shawne Merriman

Mark Anderson was the second-biggest signing on the defensive line for the Bills this offseason, and he will compete with Shawne Merriman for the starting role at right end across from All-Pro DE Mario Williams. Anderson and Merriman have similar skill-sets, though Merriman hasn't played in a 4-3 in his pro career yet.

Merriman has been battling issues with his Achilles and the limited athleticism that comes with it. However, after finally undergoing an offseason surgery fixing the tendon, Merriman is going to fight for the starting job, as he was quoted by the Wall Street Journal:

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"I'm really ready to go out there and show what kind of year I'm ready to have," Merriman said. "The type of work that I've put in this offseason, my body's ready to have that kind of year."

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Anderson had a good season in his own right with the Patriots during 2011 as they moved back to the 4-3 themselves and should be the one who will win the job. However, whoever loses the job shouldn't complain, as they will still see plenty of playing time with how Wannstedt rotates his defensive linemen.

Odds: Anderson is looking like the leader heading into camp; however, Merriman could sneak up and win the spot.

Projecting a Winner: Mark Anderson, but Merriman will rotate in at both left and right end.

Cincinnati Bengals WR Across from AJ Green

Mohamed Sanu vs. Marvin Jones

A.J. Green was unstoppable in the 2011 season as a rookie and will only improve now that the Bengals have decided to get him some help. Mohamed Sanu and Marvin Jones were both drafted in the 2012 drafts middle rounds. Sanu and Jones will be competing for the No. 2 role at wide receiver, with the loser of the battle likely ending up as the third-down receiver.

The competition between the two should be hot and heavy, and both are impressing coaches while still making the standard rookie mistakes. Cincinnati.com's Joe Reedy details the first day of mini-camp for the rookies:

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Rookie wideouts Mohamed Sanu and Marvin Jones had one of those rookie-type days. Sanu made a couple nice grabs in the middle of the field but also had a couple drops on quickouts. Jones had the play of the day with a one-handed grab near the right sideline but he also had a drop earlier.

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So despite the lack of a true clear-cut No. 2 right now, expect the slot to end up in Sanu's hands, as he is a quicker, more lateral athlete who uses his agility to make people miss. There will be quite a few plays with Sanu lining up right next to Green on the right side as a way to confuse and create mismatches with the defense in 2012.

Odds: Currently it's looking like Sanu is in the lead, but Jones could always sneak up on people.

Projecting a Winner: Mohamed Sanu

Dallas Cowboys Starting Cornerback Across from Brandon Carr

Morris Claiborne vs. Mike Jenkins

When the Cowboys traded up to take Morris Claiborne in the first round of the draft after signing Brandon Carr to a big-money deal in the offseason, there was question as to whether it was the beginning of the end for Mike Jenkins in Dallas. However, as Dallas tries to strengthen one of the worst secondaries in the NFL, it would be wise to keep Jenkins on the roster.

Jenkins and Claiborne will be competing for the spot at No. 2 corner across from Brandon Carr, and no matter who wins, the loser of the battle will wind up in the nickel and give the Cowboys one of the top nickel package defenses in the NFL. Claiborne has been battling an injury in OTA's, but should be back in time for the late July training camps.

The only question that could be stopping Mike Jenkins from even competing for a job is whether or not he will be traded. However, despite the trade rumors, Jerry Jones was quoted saying that he will not send away the top corner (h/t The Pigskin Report):

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We know that we’ve got a situation where we can identify what we are on defense by having three corners in there a lot I see short-term and long-term with Jenkins. We’ve also got Orlando Scandrick, we got some room if somebody gets nicked not to have to adjust. We can come out there and spend some time really utilizing where we are at corner. The decision to bring Claiborne in was a big part of that. There’s no interest on my part at all of trading Jenkins. None.

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Odds: The battle is neck-and-neck right now, and the best corner will win the starting job come opening day with the best nickel coming in on third downs.

Projecting a Winner: Morris Claiborne. 

Miami Dolphins Starting WRs

Chad Ochocinco vs. Brian Hartline vs. Legadu Naanee vs. Davone Bess

When Miami signed belaguered wideout Chad Ochocinco in the offseason, many thought it was for him to come in and instantly start. However, there are multiple receivers battling for that chance in Miami. Hartline and Bess are two of last year's crop that should be returning and in the competition, and Naanee is an underrated receiver who has flourished both with the Panthers and the Chargers.

Ochocinco could cause a ruckus in Miami, though, considering there is the possibility of a new quarterback starting in every week, and his experiences in the NFL have been with two of the best in Carson Palmer and Tom Brady. Nate Davis of USA Today takes a look at the Ochocinco situation in Miami and noted that:

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He'll be playing in his hometown. That means he should be more comfortable, especially since the attention-starved Dolphins are likely to give Ochocinco the latitude to pursue his social media agenda.

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So while Ochocinco is looking like he should easily win one of the spots, people are sleeping on Naanee. He had 44 catches for 467 yards and a touchdown in Carolina last year playing with a rookie and in a scheme that was completely new to him. If he can match those numbers for Miami this year, it would have gotten itself a steal.

Odds: Ochocinco should win at least one spot, and Naanee has the most talent outside of that. Bess and Hartline will be good competition, though.

Projecting a Winner: Ochocinco and Naanee.

New York Giants Keith Rivers Situation

Michael Boley vs. Keith Rivers at Weakside Linebacker

Chase Blackburn vs. Keith Rivers vs. Michael Boley at Middle Linebacker

Keith Rivers was traded by the Cincinnati Bengals to the Giants for a fifth-round pick in the 2012 draft. After being traded, Rivers has made multiple comments about trying to get back to the form that led him to be picked ninth overall in the NFL draft. Rivers has great versatility and should be an asset to the Giants linebacker corps.

Rivers will have to compete for a job at both middle and weakside linebacker. And despite Michael Boley looking like an instant lock at the weakside linebacker spot, Rivers is still fighting for a starting spot, as noted by NFL.com's Bryan McIntyre,

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Where Rivers will play in New York has yet to be determined. Rivers played on the outside while with the Bengals and has been working there during OTAs -- however, he's been with the second unit, behind Michael Boley. Rivers also has been rumored to be an option at middle linebacker, whereChase Blackburn and Mark Herzlich are presently first and second on the depth chart. 

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The most interesting thing about the situation is that Boley can play either spot and honestly should be the winner of the middle linebacker spot since the Giants run a defense that is considered "stacked," with the strong-side linebacker playing close to the line on almost every play. It wouldn't surprise to see Rivers at weakside and Boley at the middle linebacker spots in the 2012 season.

Odds: Boley may look firmly entrenched at weak-side linebacker, but he could slide to middle over Rivers. 

Projecting a Winner: Keith Rivers at weak-side linebacker, Boley at middle linebacker

Oakland Raiders Starting Cornerbacks

Shawntae Spencer vs. DeMarcus Van Dyke vs. Chimdi Chekwa vs. Ronald Bartell

Oakland is undergoing a complete defensive rebuild at this point under new GM McKenzie. As SBNation's James Arcellana notes, the Raiders will have a lot of competition at the cornerback spot:

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Shawntae Spencer and Ron Bartell will enter training camp as the men to beat for the starting spots. But do not be surprised to hear a lot of talk about the corner back position being an open competition. The Raiders need to see a lot of improvement from their secondary if they want to succeed in 2012. 

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By having Spencer, Van Dyke, Chekwa and Bartell compete in an open competition, the defense will wind up with the best two starting. Ideally, the Raiders want the young and talented pairing of Van Dyke and Chekwa to win jobs, as they are lightning-fast and innately aggressive and fit that new mold for the Oakland Raiders defense under Dennis Allen.

However, should they not win the job, Spencer and Bartell both have good potential in the short term to be the stop gaps til the others are ready. Chekwa is a good bit more raw than Van Dyke is at this point, and Van Dyke should be able to compete instantly out the gate for the No. 1 corner role with Spencer.

Odds: Spencer and Bartell will be the starters heading into camp, but long-term, they aren't expected to be in Oakland. Van Dyke is one of the last Al Davis "speed" picks and fits the new defensive style.

Projecting a Winner: Spencer at right corner and Van Dyke at left corner.

Pittsburgh Steelers Starting CB Across from Ike Taylor

Cortez Allen vs. Keenan Lewis vs. Curtis Brown

Keenan Lewis is looking like the early favorite to win the starting left corner job in Pittsburgh; however, he will be facing some tough competition. Cortez Allen is one of the more underrated corners on the Steelers roster, and Curtis Brown is a solid player in his own right. Ike Taylor is currently entrenched as the starter at the right corner spot.

One thing that makes camp battles interesting is when players make borderline insane declarations before the season. This year, Lewis made a declaration that he will head to the Pro Bowl; however, he has to beat out Allen and Brown first, and his declaration may have given them added motivation to the pair, as Mike Batista notes:

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Keenan Lewis didn't create bulletin-board material for the Baltimore Ravens with his Pro-Bowl declaration. Instead, he might have provided Cortez Allen and Curtis Brown with motivation to beat him out as the starting left cornerback.

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One thing to note is that despite the job a left corner being up for grabs, it wouldn't shock anyone to see both cornerback spots have a competition with the best talent on the field. Expect Allen and Lewis to have a heavy battle, but in the end, the Citadel alum, Allen, should be the victor in this one.

Odds: Allen and Brown are behind Lewis at this point, but don't discount the drive or cover ability that Allen has.

Projecting a Winner: Cortez Allen, with Lewis as the nickel; however, the darkhorse scenario is Allen and Lewis are the starting pair and Taylor gets shifted to Nickel.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers Starting WR Across from Vincent Jackson

Mike Williams vs. Arrelious Benn

Vincent Jackson was signed to one of the biggest contracts in the early parts of the 2012 NFL free-agency period. Jackson was signed to be the No. 1 receiver in Tampa because as Caleb Abner observes that:

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Mike Williams, Arrelious Benn and the rest of the wide receivers did not perform to a level expected of NFL starters, and therefore Josh Freeman did not have consistently capable targets to throw to. All the potential Williams and Benn showed in their rookie seasons seemed to vanish into dust.

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Mike Williams had a great rookie year, and Benn wasn't too far behind him. However, much like the rest of the Buccs in 2011, it seemed like they just fell apart when the going got tough. Now that the Buccs have a legitimate head coach again in Greg Schiano, expect for this pair to get back on their feet and produce yet again.

Expect Williams to have to compete with Benn for the job opposite Jackson in the base sets, though, and right now, Williams looks like he has a slight advantage because of his 2010 season. But don't underestimate Benn, and the loser of the job will still get a lot of plaing time in the slot.

Odds: Williams and Benn are even at this point, but the Buccaneers should lean towards Williams if they are even.

Projecting a Winner: Mike Williams