1 Thing We Have Learned About Each NFL Team from OTAs
The offseason is winding down as organized team activities (OTAs) wrap up and minicamp is around the corner. Full-blown training camp is on the horizon.
For the uninitiated, OTAs are a little slice of NFL practice that are optional, before mandatory minicamps hit. They are non-contact, but they offer us a glimpse of what's to come for some players and teams.
Before we get there, though, let's take a look back and see what we can glean from OTAs. Here is one thing we learned from each team over the past few weeks of practice.
Arizona Cardinals
1 of 32
What We've Learned: The team is in great shape
It's the offseason, so it's reasonable to expect a few players to be out of shape heading into OTAs, perhaps slowing down the practice pace in the process.
Not so in Arizona, where head coach Bruce Arians said his team is in the best offseason shape he has seen since arriving in the desert, per Kyle Odegard of the team's website.
Better yet, Arians realized fatigue may have been an injury issue for his team a year ago, and he wants to avoid repeating mistakes, per Odegard:
"I want to be able to keep them as fresh as possible throughout the entire thing and minicamp. We don’t want any soft tissue injuries because of fatigue, and that’s the biggest problem in training camp. You’re only allowed to practice three hours, so you practice three hours, and most of your injuries come in the last 45 minutes.
"
Hopefully that helps the Cardinals avoid the injury bug that hit them so hard in 2014.
Atlanta Falcons
2 of 32
What We've Learned: Vic Beasley is the real deal
The Atlanta Falcons needed a pass-rusher in a bad way, and outside linebacker Vic Beasley appeared to be one of the safest players in the draft. So far, that seems to be the case.
Beasley has turned heads this offseason, impressing new defensive coordinator Richard Smith. Head coach Dan Quinn's defensive architect said Beasley possesses elite speed comparable to Denver Broncos pass-rusher Von Miller, as tweeted by ESPN.com's Vaughn McClure.
If Beasley provides the kind of pass rush Miller has produced in Denver, the Falcons got themselves a huge upgrade.
Baltimore Ravens
3 of 32
What We've Learned: Joe Flacco looks better than ever
He may be one of the highest-paid players in the NFL, but Joe Flacco hasn't exactly lit up the league in the regular season throughout his career.
That might not be the case any longer, at least if OTAs are any indication.
According to analysts at BaltimoreRavens.com, Flacco has looked better than ever during offseason practices, something we might have expected under new offensive coordinator—and noted quarterback guru—Marc Trestman.
Flacco seems to have clicked with rookie receiver Breshad Perriman to boot, a great sign for the offense after losing Torrey Smith to free agency.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
Buffalo Bills
4 of 32
What We've Learned: EJ Manuel could be the starter after all
Things weren't looking good for Bills quarterback EJ Manuel this offseason.
The former first-round pick in Buffalo was all but given a vote of no confidence when rumors swirled that he might be cut, per Des Bieler of the Washington Post, or when fellow signee Tyrod Taylor expressed confidence in winning the job, according to David Steele of Sporting News.
It's still early, but so far Manuel might be outshining his counterparts this offseason. He certainly looked sharper than Matt Cassel and Taylor, per Matthew Fairburn of Syracuse.com, perhaps giving coaches and Bills fans hope alike that he'll turn a corner this year.
If Manuel continues to look good in practice, the Bills will have little choice but to plug him in as the starter in the preseason and see how he pans out.
Carolina Panthers
5 of 32
What We've Learned: The Panthers have found their replacement for Greg Hardy
The Carolina defense fell off quite a bit last season in the wake of defensive end Greg Hardy's season-long absence. They missed his presence on the field, to be sure, but his cloud of off-field issues didn't help matters.
Frank Alexander's less-publicized absence was a big issue, too—the talented defensive end missed the first 14 games because of his own suspension.
Alexander is back, and he's wrecking OTAs. The fourth-year pass-rusher has been hailed as an offseason MVP, according to Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer. That comes a year after head coach Ron Rivera said the same of Alexander.
If Alexander can stay out of trouble, he'll make Panthers fans forget about Hardy rather quickly.
Chicago Bears
6 of 32
What We've Learned: Jared Allen is thriving in the 3-4 defense
Defense has been a struggle in Chicago over the past few seasons, which is why the Bears brought in former San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Vic Fangio to fix things.
Fangio brought his 3-4 defense with him, which seemed incompatible with some personnel. One of those players was 33-year-old Jared Allen, who is used to playing defensive end. Apparently the old dog is learning new tricks, as reported by Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times:
"My body feels fresher because I’m not banging every single day and putting my hands on a 300-plus pounder and banging heads. I like it because it is testing my football IQ. … This is a totally different thought process for me, and it’s really forcing me to study. I’m having fun with it.
"
If the rest of the defense is doing as well as Allen, Chicago might be in for a big bounce-back on that side of the ball in 2015.
Cincinnati Bengals
7 of 32
What We've Learned: Darqueze Dennard impressing in his second year
The Cincinnati Bengals moved on from longtime cornerback Terence Newman this offseason, but that didn't leave them wanting for talent at the position.
Leon Hall, Dre Kirkpatrick, Darqueze Dennard, Adam Jones and even rookie Josh Shaw will all be vying for playing time this year, and carving that out starts in OTAs.
So far, it seems last year's first-round pick might have a leg up on the competition.
Paul Dehner Jr. of the Cincinnati Enquirer recently wrote that Dennard has been a star of OTAs, picking off passes left and right and generally making a great impression that even his competition has noticed.
If he shows more of this throughout the preseason, Dennard could be a Week 1 starter at cornerback.
Cleveland Browns
8 of 32
What We've Learned: Andy Lee is stronger than most of us
When the 49ers traded stalwart punter Andy Lee to the Cleveland Browns, most of the hullabaloo was about San Francisco's inability to keep the team intact this offseason. Few could see what Lee was getting ready to do, however.
Lee and his wife tragically lost their infant daughter in January just eight days after she was born. It is a heartrending story that no parent should have to experience.
Lee chose to honor his daughter by switching to the No. 8 this season, per Andrew Gribble of ClevelandBrowns.com:
"I think sometimes, not necessarily by me and my wife, her life can get overlooked. She was here, she was a person but nobody got to meet her, nobody got to see her. She was really alive and really a person. It's a way to honor her and kind of just give her some glory she deserves.
"
Somewhere, little Madelyn is smiling down on her daddy.
Dallas Cowboys
9 of 32
What We've Learned: The Cowboys are ahead of the curve
Whether this translates to better play on the field, the Cowboys are embracing technological advances this offseason.
Per Drew Davison of the Forth Worth Star-Telegram, Dallas is utilizing virtual reality and aerial drones—the first team in the NFL to do so—to try to help gain a competitive edge. Here is what head coach Jason Garrett had to say of the team's innovation:
"You always want to be innovative in everything that you’re doing, you want to be on the cutting edge, particularly in how you teach players and hopefully how they learn. In the last few years, iPads have taken the place of playbooks, so there are some pros and cons to that.
You have to understand how each player learns, what’s the most effective way to get the information across to them so they can play.
"
Drones are continuing their rise in the world, and it seems they might be the latest technological fad in the NFL. If the Cowboys have another surprisingly great season, we might see 32 teams flying drones over practice this time next year.
Denver Broncos
10 of 32
What We've Learned: Peyton Manning "far from finished"
Once again, Peyton Manning ended his season on a low note. This time, however, questions lingered about his ability to come back and play at a high level.
Manning fell off toward the end of last season, at least partially due to a torn quadriceps, per ESPN's Adam Schefter. It prompted speculation that he might retire, which wasn't helped by his mum attitude about his future in the NFL early in the offseason.
But Manning came back for more, and Broncos fans collectively exhaled. But to what end? Is he going to continue his descent into the abyss, or will he return with another MVP-caliber season?
Woody Paige of the Denver Post thinks Manning is "far from finished," gushing that the QB looked closer to 29 than 39 at OTAs. Of course, once he goes through the wear and tear of a NFL season, things might change.
Still, it looks like we could be in for some more fireworks in Denver.
Detroit Lions
11 of 32
What We've Learned: Ameer Abdullah is in for a big role
Despite his second-round status, running back Ameer Abdullah wasn't guaranteed a ton of playing time as a rookie with Joique Bell and Theo Riddick in the Detroit backfield. He might be convincing his coaches otherwise already.
Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press recently wrote about Abdullah's impressive offseason while Bell is sidelined with a minor injury, to the point that he predicted major playing time for Abdullah thanks to his well-rounded game.
That should come as no surprise to anyone who watched Abdullah play in college, but the fact that he is overtaking veterans in the minds of beat writers is worth noting.
Green Bay Packers
12 of 32
What We've Learned: Clay Matthews is a middle linebacker
The Green Bay Packers lost a ton of talent on the defensive side of the ball this offseason. Middle linebacker was hit particularly hard with the departures of A.J. Hawk, Brad Jones and Jamari Lattimore. General manager Ted Thompson did nothing to mitigate those losses, either.
So what would the Packers do? Move Clay Matthews to inside linebacker on a permanent basis, or so it seemed.
That much was confirmed during OTAs, where Matthews indeed lined up at inside linebacker to make it official, as tweeted by the Green Bay Press-Gazette's Ryan Wood. We still have a long way to go until Week 1, but it seems that was the plan all along in Green Bay.
Houston Texans
13 of 32
What We've Learned: Andre Hal could start this year
It was a forgettable couple of seasons in Houston for D.J. Swearinger, and the Texans finally cut bait this year. That left a hole at safety, one that second-year man Andre Hal might be filling this year.
Last year's seventh-round pick stuck with the team at cornerback, but the Texans are now converting him to safety. He looks the part so far, as fellow safety Rahim Moore mentioned to Drew Dougherty of HoustonTexans.com.
"He's done a great job," Moore said. "He's competitive. He's very inquisitive. He's always asking questions. He's always putting in extra work after practice, and that's what it's all about."
If Hal continues to impress, he could well win a starting gig.
Indianapolis Colts
14 of 32
What We've Learned: Phillip Dorsett is commanding attention
The Indianapolis Colts made a bit of a head-scratching pick when they drafted wide receiver Phillip Dorsett at the end of the first round. It wasn't the talent—Dorsett was certainly one of the top receivers in the draft—but rather Indianapolis' relative strength at the position to begin with.
Why take another receiver when you have a nice stable and have needs elsewhere? Dorsett may be answering that question in camp.
Dorsett has been great in camp thus far, to the point where he is garnering praise from quarterback Andrew Luck, per Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star. He has been particularly impressive from a speed standpoint, which shouldn't be surprising considering how fast he looked on tape.
More importantly, the former Hurricane might be making a push up the depth chart early, especially if he wins Luck's trust.
Jacksonville Jaguars
15 of 32
What We've Learned: Allen Robinson is fully healthy, and he looks great
Allen Robinson was part of that historic rookie receiver class last season, but a stress fracture in his foot prevented him from joining some of his peers near the top of the statistical standings.
Robinson wasn't fully healthy earlier this offseason, but it seems he is now all the way back from his injury woes. Ken Hornack of Fox Sports Florida reports Robinson looked great at OTAs, and that he feels as healthy as ever.
If his injury problems are truly behind him, Robinson could be in for a huge year as a sophomore. Not only did he look the part of a No. 1 when relatively healthy last year, but quarterback Blake Bortles should theoretically be better in his second year, too.
Kansas City Chiefs
16 of 32
What We've Learned: Phillip Gaines is "turning heads"
Last year was a bit of a roller-coaster rookie season in Kansas City for Phillip Gaines.
The Chiefs cornerback didn't see action early, then became an increasingly bigger part of the defense before injuries derailed things in the end. If this offseason is any indication, however, Gaines is ready to break out in his second year.
That much is evident in head coach Andy Reid's assessment of his corner, per Herbie Teope of ChiefsDigest.com.
"You saw him continue to get better every week last year during the season," Reid said. "He’s gotten bigger and stronger. He’s lived in there with (strength and conditioning coach) Barry (Rubin), and so it’s paying off for him. He is making plays."
Teope reported that Gaines has put on some muscle weight this offseason, and his work has impressed others like starter Sean Smith.
Miami Dolphins
17 of 32
What We've Learned: The Dolphins may have an embarrassment of riches at wide receiver
Rookie receiver DeVante Parker looked great for the Miami Dolphins during rookie minicamp and early OTA practices, but surgery on his foot has derailed the rest of his offseason—and perhaps his preseason.
That should be a huge blow to the receiving corps, right? Not so, at least based on reports from practices.
Not only is Jarvis Landry making ridiculous one-handed catches to emulate his former LSU teammate Odell Beckham, but his cohorts at receiver are filling in nicely as well.
Rishard Mathews—likely the odd man out if everyone is healthy—has impressed alongside Landry, per Adam H. Beasley of the Miami Herald. With Kenny Stills and Greg Jennings on board too, the Dolphins are shaping up to have one of the deeper wide receiver corps in the NFL.
Minnesota Vikings
18 of 32
What We've Learned: Adrian Peterson will be just fine
We don't really know what we're going to get out of Adrian Peterson at 30 years of age and coming off a yearlong layoff.
Peterson stepped onto the practice field for the first time in recent weeks, and he looked ready to turn back the clock, according to Craig Peters of Vikings.com.
Peters reported that center John Sullivan thinks Peterson looks like he's in MVP form already, perhaps motivated a bit by the past year's events. A motivated Peterson with little decline in physical ability sounds like a scary thing for the NFL.
New England Patriots
19 of 32
What We've Learned: Bill Belichick doesn't know the meaning of "voluntary"
Organized team activities are, by rule, supposed to be voluntary. That is according to the latest collective bargaining agreement signed by the NFL and players. So why is Bill Belichick punishing one of his players for being late?
That is the case with Super Bowl hero Malcolm Butler, without whose game-sealing interception the Patriots might still be stuck on three championships. None of that mattered to Belichick, who punished his second-year player by holding him out of presumably valuable practice for two weeks because of a missed flight, per Christopher L. Gasper of the Boston Globe.
Should players strive for punctuality? Sure. Should Belichick lighten up? Probably, especially when he might be in violation of the CBA.
New Orleans Saints
20 of 32
What We've Learned: Stephone Anthony is paying off already
The New Orleans Saints badly needed help at linebacker this offseason, and they took Stephone Anthony in the first round to address the issue. So far, it seems like that was the right choice.
Anthony has been all over the place in OTAs, breaking up a lot of passes in particular. When asked about his rookie's exploits, head coach Sean Payton had this to say, per Christopher Dabe of NOLA.com: "He has good instincts. There's an installation each day or every other day and there have been some real good plays and some plays where he'll go back, watch it on film and try to make the corrections."
You can't teach instincts.
New York Giants
21 of 32
What We've Learned: Ereck Flowers filling in nicely so far
Losing starting left tackle Will Beatty was a huge blow to the New York Giants offensive line. Good thing the team drafted Ereck Flowers at No. 9 overall.
Flowers might have been a starter on the right side, but it looks like he may be getting a crack at starting in Beatty's spot while the latter recovers from his injury.
Jordan Raanan of NJ.com recently reported that Flowers was starting on the left side for the entirety of OTAs. He might still need work, but it looks like the Giants are priming him for the fire.
New York Jets
22 of 32
What We've Learned: Quarterback is still an issue in New York
The Jets have done an excellent job of improving the roster this offseason. Unfortunately, the most important position of all proved too difficult to fix.
New York heads into the preseason with Geno Smith at starter at quarterback and Ryan Fitzpatrick putting the heat on, but neither has looked particularly good lately. Darryl Slater of NJ.com reported Smith and Fitzpatrick were both sloppy in practice in recent weeks—not exactly sterling reviews.
Of course, it's still the offseason, and the Jets are dealing with a new offense so there may be hope yet.
Oakland Raiders
23 of 32
What We've Learned: Rodney Hudson is living up to his contract
The Oakland Raiders ponied up to pay center Rodney Hudson this offseason, presumably fixing the middle of the offensive line. It looks like that is actually the case, at least the way offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave sees it, according to CSN Bay Area's Scott Bair:
"Rodney’s done a terrific job. He’s been more than what we anticipated. He has better movement than I think we expected from our film study and from watching from the other sideline. He’s done a great job of pulling. Guards and tackles pull a bunch in our system, but the center needs to at times, and he’s able to do that.
"
An improved offensive line will go a long way toward fixing that offense as a whole, and Hudson looks like a quality signing thus far.
Philadelphia Eagles
24 of 32
What We've Learned: Getting released is a surprise even when it's not
For months, Eagles head coach Chip Kelly and stud offensive guard Evan Mathis circled around each other, the latter disgruntled with his contract and the former with an itchy trigger finger. It's a wonder it took so long for Kelly to dismiss Mathis, though why nobody would trade for the big guard is a mystery.
Instead, Kelly released Mathis, and he will hit the road as a free agent. It wasn't really a surprise, but Mathis still felt blindsided, as he told Les Bowen of Philly.com.
It seems being a 33-year-old veteran doesn't immunize you from the business side of the NFL.
Pittsburgh Steelers
25 of 32
What We've Learned: Almost perfect attendance is a welcome change
The Pittsburgh Steelers have seen something this offseason that has been rare in recent years—well-attended OTAs.
While OTAs are certainly optional, the Steelers have had trouble getting great attendance over the years. This year, however, they reportedly saw 99 percent attendance, per Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
It might not seem like a huge deal, but it's certainly big and welcome news in Pittsburgh.
San Diego Chargers
26 of 32
What We've Learned: Melvin Gordon is pretty good
Philip Rivers sounds like a happy quarterback when discussing Melvin Gordon, per Ricky Henne of Chargers.com:
"As I said when we drafted him, there were a lot of Saturday nights sitting in the hotels on the road watching Wisconsin highlights and him run the ball. Now I get to see him up close. I saw a few clips from rookie minicamp, and you see spurts here and there of what you’ve seen on film and on Saturday evenings. He’s done a good job so far. He’s still learning, and there is a lot to learn, but he’s fit right in.
"
The rookie running back has been impressive thus far for the Chargers, who seem to have found their back of the future in the first round this season. Gordon will make the Ryan Mathews era look like Pop Warner at this rate.
San Francisco 49ers
27 of 32
What We've Learned: Kendall Hunter could muddy the depth chart
The 49ers lost Frank Gore to free agency, but gained Reggie Bush. Second-year back Carlos Hyde is slated to become the new starter, but what if there is another option?
Kendall Hunter had a pedestrian start to his career in the NFL, and he tore his ACL and missed the entire 2014 season. He was an afterthought heading into the offseason, but his performance during OTAs could be giving coaches pause.
With Hyde nursing an injury, Hunter has been the starting running back during OTAs. He has responded by impressing everyone around him, per Tyler Emerick of 49ers.com. If he can stay healthy and continue to run well, he could chip away at Hyde's playing time.
Seattle Seahawks
28 of 32
What We've Learned: The Seahawks love to play with fire
Seattle is riding the crest of a wave that has taken the Seahawks to consecutive Super Bowls. Little has changed, so it's reasonable to expect a return to the postseason and strong chances to get to a third straight championship game.
They've done all this with quarterback Russell Wilson playing great under center. So why mess with success by lowballing him in contract negotiations?
The Seahawks are "being cautious" with Wilson's next contract, according to ESPN.com's Terry Blount, seemingly holding back on signing him to a massive contract in an effort to keep the rest of the band together. But do they want to risk alienating their star?
Chances are this is all being overblown, but it's curious that the Seahawks don't want to give Wilson a big deal after the start he's had to his career—and how far he might still go.
St. Louis Rams
29 of 32
What We've Learned: Nick Fairley actually needs to put on weight
At one point during his tenure in Detroit, Nick Fairley lost his place on the depth chart because he gained too much weight. Now it seems he needs to put some on.
Fairley recently checked in at 280 pounds, per Myles Simmons over at StLouisRams.com, a far cry from his listed weight of 308 pounds over at ESPN. His conditioning has impressed head coach Jeff Fisher, per ESPN.com's Nick Wagoner, but we have been down this road before.
Fairley was praised for losing 30 pounds a year ago, when he checked in at 295 pounds—below target weight—at minicamp, per Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com, only to balloon to the point where C.J. Mosley overtook him on the depth chart.
Hopefully history won't repeat itself.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
30 of 32
What We've Learned: Jameis Winston is a hard worker
Not that we should have really doubted this, but quarterback Jameis Winston might actually work too hard.
Tampa Bay head coach Lovie Smith told ESPN.com's Pat Yasinskas that he sometimes has to tell Winston when to go home, and teammates say Winston is perpetually carrying his playbook around.
Heck, Winston went to a Drake concert and took his playbook with him to study, according to Caroline Sikes of Sporting News.
Tennessee Titans
31 of 32
What We've Learned: Marcus Mariota impressing
Jameis Winston isn't the only rookie quarterback impressing this offseason.
There were some question marks surrounding the Heisman-winning quarterback and whether his game could translate to the NFL. Linebacker Zach Brown has certainly been dazzled in practice, per Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean:
"He is faster than I thought. He is an athletic quarterback. He didn't win the Heisman for nothing.
One time he took off – I was guarding Delanie (Walker) – and I turned around and I was like, 'Where is he?' He is fast. He impressed me. He is still a rookie and he has to learn, but he is a cool guy. I haven't seen him get frustrated yet.
"
Mariota hasn't just been good with his legs—he has been "deadly accurate" according to receivers coach Shawn Jefferson, per ESPN.com's Paul Kuharsky.
Perhaps the Titans have finally climbed out of quarterback purgatory after all.
Washington
32 of 32
What We've Learned: DeSean Jackson hasn't changed
DeSean Jackson is at it again.
The Eagles didn't get rid of their talented receiver without cause, right? Now he's Washington's mercurial wideout, and he is making waves for the wrong reasons yet again this offseason.
This time it's for missing OTA practices for apparently superficial reasons, per John Keim of ESPN.com. Jackson notified the team he wouldn't be attending practice, and he has spent his time going to NBA playoff games and album release parties.
Here is what Jackson had to say for himself, per Keim:
"I had things I had to do. I was obligated to do things back home in California. I'm here now, I'm happy to be here with my teammates, and they've been putting in some great work. I'm trying to catch up and get back in the swing of things. I just had things I had to handle.
"
His glamorous life is great and all, but Jackson's absence at offseason practices won't ingratiate him with many people. That is especially true of the reporters who cover him and the team's fans.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
.png?w=480)
.jpg?w=600 "Post-June 1 Trade Candidates ☎️")
.JPG?w=600 "TO Talks Cowboys Relationship")
.jpg?w=600 "Taylor Heinicke Retiring")
.jpg?w=600 "49ers OC Hypes Mike Evans 🤩")