Top 15 Defensive Position Battles to Watch in NFL Training Camps
On Saturday, we took a look at the premier 15 offensive battles that will take place in NFL training camps over the next few weeks. From quarterback to running back, we ranked these position matchups from No. 15 to No. 1.
So welcome to Part 2 of our look at the top clashes among the 32 clubs this summer during training camp.
Only this time around, we will focus on the defensive side of the ball.
Why these 15 choices (listed alphabetically)? While most teams enter training camp with a majority of their starting positions already decided upon, certain clubs have unanswered questions at particular positions.
These training-camp battles are not only based on overall competitiveness but just how important they are to the team's potential success. In some instances, it may be the matter of upgrading the position after an incumbent had his problems in 2014. In other cases, free agency and trades may have drained the team of talent at a certain position. Finally, offseason injuries may have already played a part in setting up a competition this summer at a particular spot.
The one thing we know is that we probably won't know about certain jobs until mid- or late August.
Atlanta Falcons: Free Safety
1 of 15
Candidates for the job: Charles Godfrey, Ricardo Allen and Kemal Ishmael
Back in June, Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com talked about the strides that second-year pro Ricardo Allen had made in his transition from cornerback in 2014 (he did not play a game this past season) to free safety.
This year, he appears to have the inside track for a starting job for new head coach Dan Quinn, who expects Allen, veteran Charles Godfrey (who played five games for the Falcons in 2014) and Kemal Ishmael to battle for the job, per McClure.
In 2014, Atlanta allowed the most total yards and passing yards in the league. Meanwhile, Quinn comes over from the Seattle Seahawks. In his two seasons as defensive coordinator, Seattle allowed the fewest total yards and fewest points in the NFL each year.
Of course, a bolstered pass rush would be the best news for an Atlanta defense that has struggled for quite some time.
Carolina Panthers: Left Cornerback
2 of 15
Candidates for the job: Bene' Benwikere and Charles Tillman
It’s interesting that we are talking about starting jobs, and perhaps the best look for one defender here is a role as an extra defensive back.
David Newton of ESPN.com talks about the play of Bene' Benwikere, a fifth-round pick a year ago who appears to be a perfect fit at nickleback in the Carolina Panthers secondary. He comes off a rookie season in which he played in 10 games and totaled 33 tackles, seven passes defensed, one interception and a pair of fumble recoveries.
This offseason, the Panthers have added their share of veteran cornerbacks, including Chris Houston (who did not play football in 2014) and ball hawk Charles Tillman, who was severely hampered by injuries in his final two seasons with the Bears.
Along with emerging star Josh Norman, Carolina has its share of experienced and intriguing faces at cornerback.
Chicago Bears: Right Outside Linebacker
3 of 15
Candidates for the job: Jared Allen, Willie Young, Lamarr Houston and Shea McClellin
Over the past two seasons, the Chicago Bears have had their issues on defense, and that’s being kind.
After allowing 478 points in 2013, the team surrendered 442 points this past year. In the last 32 regular-season games, the club’s defensive unit has allowed a whopping 93 offensive touchdowns.
As a result, Chicago hired not only head coach John Fox but defensive coordinator Vic Fangio. The latter has been busy installing the 3-4 in the Windy City. Free-agent pickups like inside linebacker Mason Foster and veteran strong safety Antrel Rolle certainly help.
While the team also added free-agent Pernell McPhee to the mix at left outside linebacker, the job opposite him has a logjam of sorts that includes a disappointing (at least to date) former first-round pick in Shea McClellin and a slew of former defensive ends such as Jared Allen, Willie Young and Lamarr Houston, who are looking to learn a new position.
Considering the Bears have allowed the third-most yards in the league each of the past two seasons, Fangio is hoping he has some star students.
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Houston Texans: Strong Safety
4 of 15
Candidates for the job: Eddie Pleasant and Stevie Brown
This past season, the Houston Texans finished 16th in total defense despite an All-World year from defensive end J.J. Watt.
What we do know is that the club will have a new starting safety tandem, as Kendrick Lewis departed for the Baltimore Ravens via free agency and controversial D.J. Swearinger was let go and latched on with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The Texans signed former Denver Broncos free safety Rahim Moore to fill in for Lewis, who led the team with 84 tackles in 2014. Meanwhile, Swearinger ranked fourth on the club with 74 stops.
Eddie Pleasant and former New York Giants safety Stevie Brown look to be the front-runners to take over for Swearinger. In any case, the Houston secondary will have its share of new faces in 2015.
Indianapolis Colts: Right Outside Linebacker
5 of 15
Candidates for the job: Robert Mathis and Trent Cole
One of the league’s more unpredictable defenses could have a nice problem when it comes to the pass rush.
The Indianapolis Colts are certainly hoping outside linebacker Robert Mathis can bounce back from a forgettable and lost 2014 season that included a violation of the league's performance-enhancing drugs policy as well as an Achilles injury.
Meanwhile, general manager Ryan Grigson added veteran outside linebacker Trent Cole, who was cast off from the Philadelphia Eagles this offseason after 10 years, 85.5 sacks and a pair of Pro Bowl invitations.
It will be interesting to see how this plays out. It will also be intriguing to see both Mathis and Cole on the field at the same time.
Miami Dolphins: Left Defensive Tackle
6 of 15
Candidates for the job: Earl Mitchell and C.J. Mosley
This offseason, the Miami Dolphins broke the bank to add four-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh to a defense that wasn’t as good as advertised. The team ranked 12th overall in the league in terms of yards allowed but has finished 24th in the NFL in rushing defense the past two seasons. In their final six games in 2014, the Dolphins allowed a disappointing 165.3 yards per game rushing.
Speaking of former Lions, Miami added veteran defensive tackle C.J. Mosley, who comes off a season in which he racked up 26 tackles, 2.5 sacks and one forced fumble for Detroit. He may push Earl Mitchell for substantial playing time this season.
New England Patriots: Cornerback
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Candidates for the job: Logan Ryan, Malcolm Butler, Bradley Fletcher, Robert McClain, Derek Cox, Justin Green, Darryl Roberts and Tarell Brown
You don’t easily replace a player like cornerback Darrelle Revis.
Now add in the fact that the defending Super Bowl champions also did not pick up the option on cornerback Brandon Browner. In addition, the club cut ties with Kyle Arrington and Alfonzo Dennard.
That’s a lot of overhaul at one position.
Ben Volin of the Boston Globe reported a few days ago that the Patriots have added veteran Tarell Brown, the one-time San Francisco 49ers defender who spent 2014 with the Oakland Raiders. He’s the latest veteran addition to a mix that includes offseason pickups such as cornerbacks Bradley Fletcher, Robert McClain and Derek Cox.
The Patriots still have Logan Ryan and Super Bowl XLIX hero Malcolm Butler. And knowing Bill Belichick as we think we all do, he’s been busy trying to find the right components in a secondary that was a key to a title in 2014.
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.
New Orleans Saints: Left Outside Linebacker
8 of 15
Candidates for the job: Hau'oli Kikaha, Davis Tull, Ronald Powell and Anthony Spencer
Evan Woodberry of NOLA.com has the latest on the New Orleans Saints’ anticipated release of outside linebacker Junior Galette, a talented player with some off-the-field issues.
That leaves a bit of a hole on the left side of the linebacking corps. Under Rob Ryan, the Saints are looking to rebound from a miserable season on this side of the football.
Enter rookie Hau'oli Kikaha, a second-round pick this year, who may have just inherited the job without much competition. Then again, fellow rookie Davis Tull could figure here as well. And keep an eye on Ryan favorite Anthony Spencer, who had his best season with the Cowboys when the coach and player were together in Dallas.
New York Giants: Left Defensive Tackle
9 of 15
Candidates for the job: Markus Kuhn, Jay Bromley and Kenrick Ellis
In 2014, the New York Giants seem to rediscover their struggling pass rush of recent seasons.
A team that totaled 33 sacks in 2012 and 34 sacks one year later racked up 47 quarterback traps this past season.
Unfortunately, en route to the backfield, this unit missed the mark on opposing running backs. Only two teams in the NFL allowed more rushing yards than Tom Coughlin’s club last year.
Enter defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, who returns to the franchise for the first time since leading this unit for two seasons (2007 and 2008). There’s obviously a lot of work to be done.
Paul Schwartz of the New York Post says that while emerging Johnathan Hankins is set at right defensive tackle, the other spot inside appears to be somewhat up for grabs.
The candidates include Markus Kuhn, Jay Bromley and Kenrick Ellis; the latter is a free-agent pickup from the New York Jets. Regardless of who emerges as the winner, the Giants can’t afford to allow 151.5 yards per game on the ground, as was the case in the team’s final 11 games in 2014.
Oakland Raiders: Left Cornerback
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Candidates for the job: D.J. Hayden and Keith McGill
The Oakland Raiders used the 12th overall pick in the 2013 draft on cornerback D.J. Hayden.
This past season, he played in 10 games, finished seventh on the team with 47 tackles, tallied one interception and led the silver and black with 10 passes defensed. Still, he’s been available for only 18 games the past two seasons combined.
Meanwhile, we didn’t see a lot from Keith McGill in his rookie season. The Raiders’ second of two picks in the fourth round a year ago played in 12 games, totaled nine tackles and recovered a fumble. Another rookie, T.J. Carrie, logged four starts in 2014 and seems like the favorite to open on the right side this year.
Meanwhile, Oakland has a few new faces at the corners in free-agent pickup James Dockery and rookie Dexter McDonald. The team opted not to re-sign veterans Tarell Brown and Carlos Rogers. Along with new strong safety Nate Allen, this could be a vastly different secondary this upcoming season.
Philadelphia Eagles: Left Cornerback
11 of 15
Candidates for the job: Eric Rowe and Nolan Carroll
In Chip Kelly’s first season as the head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles, the Birds finished 10-6 and won the NFC East despite a defensive unit that ranked 29th in the NFL in total yards allowed and dead-last against the pass.
This past season, the Eagles improved in both aspects...sort of. Philadelphia finished 28th in total defense, and only the Falcons allowed more passing yards per game.
This spring, the Birds opened up their nest egg and gave former Seattle Seahawks cornerback Byron Maxwell big bucks to help the secondary. On the other side, rookie Eric Rowe, a second-round pick from the University of Utah, hopes to help immediately.
But don’t count out versatile Nolan Carroll, who saw action in a variety of roles in 2014 and finished the season with 31 stops, four passes defensed and one fumble recovery.
Pittsburgh Steelers: Strong Safety
12 of 15
Candidates for the job: Shamarko Thomas and Will Allen
Ideally, the Pittsburgh Steelers are hoping third-year pro Shamarko Thomas can take over for eight-time Pro Bowl strong safety Troy Polamalu, who retired. Yes, that’s easier said than done.
But don’t count out veteran Will Allen, who was re-signed by the team this offseason and is coming off a year in which he finished with 36 tackles and one forced fumble. However, though Thomas is the front-runner for the job, as of now he’s made only two career starts, while Allen enters his sixth season in Pittsburgh.
“I don’t really know what my role is,” said the veteran defender to Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “Everyone thinks I’m getting old, but every year I end up starting games here.”
That may well be the case once again this upcoming season.
San Francisco 49ers: Left Outside Linebacker
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Candidates for the job: Aaron Lynch and Ahmad Brooks
The times have been changing in the Bay Area this offseason.
From free-agent defections to numerous retirements to the loss of a successful head coach, the San Francisco 49ers will be hard-pressed to recapture the success of recent seasons.
At linebacker, there’s no more Patrick Willis, Chris Borland or Dan Skuta. Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com indicates that while Aldon Smith is set at right outside linebacker, second-year pro Aaron Lynch and veteran Ahmad Brooks will battle for the left-side job. Both players tied for the team lead with six sacks in 2014.
The Niners also added outside linebacker Eli Harold via the draft this spring, although he figures to provide depth on the right side behind Smith.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Middle Linebacker
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Candidates for the job: Bruce Carter and Kwon Alexander
When your team finishes 25th in the NFL in total defense and 28th against the pass, how many surprises are you really expecting when it comes to fixing this side of the ball?
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers spent the majority of their free-agent dollars on defense this offseason, although they gave some bucks to former Dallas Cowboys linebacker Bruce Carter and are installing him at middle linebacker. Still, head coach Lovie Smith likes what he has seen in 2015 fourth-round selection Kwon Alexander.
“We’ve been playing Kwon at 'Mike' linebacker a little bit, and that really is—making all the calls and all that good stuff,” said Smith to Pat Yasinskas of ESPN.com earlier this year. “He’s picked it up well. We do like his athletic ability; that’s why we drafted him. ... He’s going to help us a lot this coming season.”
And as we know, a team that finished 2-14 this past season and a franchise that has dropped 31 of its last 38 contests could use plenty of assistance.
Washington Redskins: Right Outside Linebacker
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Candidates for the job: Trent Murphy and Preston Smith
Things are changing on the defensive side of the football for the Washington Redskins this season.
It began with the offseason hiring of defensive coordinator Joe Barry. It continued with the offseason additions of defensive linemen Terrance Knighton, Stephen Paea, Ricky Jean-Francois and Jerrell Powe, as well as cornerback Chris Culliver and free safety Dashon Goldson.
Elsewhere, John Keim of ESPN.com says that the outside linebacker opposite left-side starter Ryan Kerrigan is a battle between second-year pro Trent Murphy (Washington’s second-round pick in 2014) and rookie Preston Smith, the team's second-round selection this year.
The duo looks to take over for three-time Pro Bowler Brian Orakpo, who signed with the Tennessee Titans. Murphy filled in for the banged-up linebacker in 2014 when needed and totaled 32 tackles, 2.5 sacks and a pair of forced fumbles.
In any case, youth will be served at the position this fall. Washington ranked 20th in total defense in 2014, allowing 438 points.
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