The Top 10 Stories to Follow for Rest of NFL Offseason

A lot has happened since the New England Patriots edged the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX.

For fans of the NFL where the offseason has become a season into itself, there is obviously a lot more to come in the ensuing months.

So we’ve taken some time to pin down what we feel will be the top 10 stories to keep an eye on in the following months. Of course, this is one of those subjective topics in which there are theoretically hundreds of topics and with no real correct answers as to which are the best of the best.

As far as how we then decided what was No. 10 opposed to No. 1, we weighed the importance of the story as well as the notoriety of the player. And you'll notice that all 10 of our topics have an unanswered question that we hope to get some closure on sooner than later.

Still, we’ve done our best to narrow it down to a respectable list and one that should spark plenty of discussion and disagreement…as usual.

10. Houston Texans: The Health of Jadeveon Clowney

David Richard/Associated Press

While we are understandably focused on who’s going to be selected first in this year’s NFL draft, let’s not forget that we barely saw the player taken with the initial pick in 2014.

The Houston Texans opted for the defensive end turned outside linebacker from the University of South Carolina. However, injuries derailed his rookie year, which saw him limited to only four games and a mere seven tackles.

John McClain of the Houston Chronicle has the latest on Clowney, who appears to be on track after undergoing microfracture surgery on his right knee late in 2014. He hopes to get back on the field soon and contribute to a club that finished with nine wins one year after a 2-14 finish.

How soon is something we are all anxious to know.

9. Buffalo Bills: The Comeback of Richie Incognito

Gary Wiepert/Associated Press

A year ago, tackle Jonathan Martin was a member of the San Francisco 49ers and Richie Incognito was a former guard in the National Football League.

Back in 2013, they were teammates on the Miami Dolphins, until Incognito was suspended In November for his treatment of Martin—in essence ending his playing days…until now.

Roughly two months ago, shortly after the Buffalo Bills signed the controversial offensive lineman, new head coach Rex Ryan talked about taking a chance on Incognito. However, it didn’t appear that the team was willing to take anything else.

“He’ll be on a very short leash,” said Ryan on PFT Live (and recapped by Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk). “But again I think that’s something he embraces. I don’t think he’s going to have those issues he’s had in the past. I certainly don’t believe he will and he doesn’t either.”

Incognito hopes to revive his career with a team that’s been trying to resurrect itself seemingly forever. And in case you’re curious, the Bills and Carolina Panthers (who Martin signed with this offseason after being released by the Niners) will face each other during the first full week of preseason action in August.

8. Dallas Cowboys: The Update on Greg Hardy

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When the Dallas Cowboys opted to give former Pro Bowl defensive end Greg Hardy a one-year contract in mid-March, they knew they were taking a chance on a player who had missed the final 15 games of 2014.

Now owner Jerry Jones and the team are still waiting to see how many games the one-time Carolina Panthers defender will miss this upcoming season.

Following his off-the-field issues, Hardy was placed on the Commissioner’s Exempt List. His contract with the Panthers expired, and he was eligible for free agency. The Cowboys opted to give Hardy a one-year deal, but we are still waiting on the league office to tell us all how long (if at all) the defensive end will be suspended to begin the season. The delay, when it comes to Hardy’s case, appears somewhat perplexing.

7. NFL Draft: Quarterbacks Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota

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While we wait to see if Florida State’s Jameis Winston and Oregon’s Marcus Mariota become the first pair of quarterbacks to be selected with the first two picks in an NFL draft since 2012, that’s almost a secondary point.

Regardless of which team chooses them and when they are picked, the duo will be forever linked together, as has been the case with first-round quarterbacks of the past.

It seems a foregone conclusion that Winston will be the first quarterback since Andrew Luck in 2012 to be the top pick in the draft. As Bleacher Report colleague Mike Freeman recently reported, teams around the league have done their due diligence when it comes to the former Seminoles star.

As for Mariota, question marks surround his abilities on the field rather than off it.

In any case, we are just getting started when it comes to the coverage of these two young performers.

6. Kansas City Chiefs: Re-Signing Justin Houston

John Rieger-USA TODAY Sports

It’s been all quiet on the AFC West front when it comes to the Kansas City Chiefs, in particular when it comes to their best defensive player this past season.

Sorry. Make that franchise player. Because of a league-high 22 sacks in 2014, and with free agency staring him in the face mask, general manager John Dorsey and head coach Andy Reid opted to give outside linebacker Justin Houston the dreaded tag.

When will we see Houston sign his tender? Can the Chiefs actually work out a long-term deal for the Pro Bowl defender? Both seem unlikely at the moment, but it is still only April and most of the players given the franchise tag have not re-signed to date.

5. Chicago Bears: The Jay Cutler Saga

Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports

As we already know, new Chicago Bears head coach John Fox didn’t exactly give quarterback Jay Cutler a ringing endorsement last month.

The much-maligned signal-caller comes off a season in which he threw 28 touchdown passes, committed 24 turnovers and was benched in December.

“It’s all an open competition,” said Fox back at the NFL owners meeting last month, per John Mullin of CSNChicago, in reference to not only the quarterback job but the entire team as well. The Bears finished 5-11 in 2014, their worst showing since 2004.

The mistake-prone quarterback should fend off Jimmy Clausen for the starting job. Of course, the real battle begins in September when it comes to keeping the job.

4. Philadelphia Eagles: The Many (More) Moves of Chip Kelly

Ross D. Franklin/Associated Press

Let’s see. You trade away a running back who led the NFL in rushing in 2013 for a linebacker who didn’t play a down this past season.

You deal away a former Pro Bowl quarterback, who missed half of 2014, for a quarterback who missed all of 2014.

You bring in a player for a look-see who hasn’t seen the field since 2012.

All true. And why do we get the feeling that the Philadelphia Eagles head honcho isn’t quite done yet with his wheeling and dealing? Chip Kelly and the team own the 20th overall pick in this year’s draft and a total of eight selections overall.

The recent additions of cornerback E.J. Biggers and wide receiver Seyi Ajirotutu show that the roster tweaking continues.

Come April 30, could that tweak become a big pinch?

3. Seattle Seahawks: State of the Defending NFC Champions

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Although the Seattle Seahawks failed to defend their Super Bowl title from 2013, they certainly made a go at it. Pete Carroll’s dominant champions of the previous season squandered a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter against New England in Glendale prior to Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler doing his thing in the closing minute.

Now they strive to be the third franchise to make at least three straight Super Bowl appearances, but what about them suggests that's even possible? There are changes along the offensive line, and the team’s secondary has talented performers such as Richard Sherman, Earl Thomas and Jeremy Lane all on the mend.

Of course, Seattle did acquire three-time Pro Bowl tight end Jimmy Graham from the New Orleans Saints, so not all of the news from the Pacific Northwest is dire. And this is a team that has made a habit of reaching the playoffs and is the conference champion until dethroned. But that doesn’t mean we won’t be watching very carefully.

2. New England Patriots: State of the Defending Super Bowl Champions

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The last time a team won consecutive Super Bowl titles was more than a decade ago.

Fortunately for the New England Patriots, they were the franchise that accomplished that feat and the head coach and quarterback from that era are still with the organization.

Then again, many of the components that helped lead the Pats to a 12-4 finish and eventually a memorable win in Super Bowl XLIX are now elsewhere. Gone are cornerbacks Darrelle Revis and Brandon Browner, defensive tackle Vince Wilfork and running backs Shane Vereen and Stevan Ridley.

Does that mean the Patriots won’t be in the mix once again this fall? We all know better than to suggest such silliness. But that doesn’t mean we won’t be watching.

1. Minnesota Vikings: The Future of Adrian Peterson

Don McPeak-USA TODAY Sports

Will he once again play for the Minnesota Vikings? Will a team make an offer to general manager Rick Spielman and the hierarchy of the Purple Gang that they can’t refuse?

Matt Vensel of the Star Tirbune speculates that we could finally know this week when we will see running back Adrian Peterson back on the field and with what team. Following last year’s off-the-field issues, which saw the star performer miss the vast majority of the season, Peterson’s future in the NFL has been a massive topic.

Combine that with some strained relations between the running back and his camp and the Vikings organization, and we all continue to wonder what his future holds.

The wait may be finally over soon.

All free-agent information and player signings/transactions are courtesy of Spotrac. Depth chart information comes via Ourlads. Unless otherwise noted, all player and team statistics come from Pro Football Reference and ESPN.com.