What Each NFL Team Needs to Do Before Preseason Begins
Ready or not, the NFL preseason is almost here. With the season opener a little over a month away, all 32 teams have questions that still need to be answered.
Position battles and roster moves will be the hot topics over the next few weeks as teams iron out the details and get ready for the regular season to begin. Here is a look at what each team must do as the preseason gets underway.
Have a better suggestion as to what your favorite team needs to do? Feel free to let us know in the comment section. We'll get things started with the AFC teams.
Denver Broncos
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The Denver Broncos were dealt a severe blow in May when left tackle Ryan Clady was diagnosed with a torn ACL, which will likely keep him out for the season.
Replacing Clady will be the toughest task of the preseason. The top two players listed at the position on the Broncos' depth chart—Michael Schofield and Ty Sambrailo—have never appeared in a regular-season game.
Sambrailo was a second-round draft pick out of Colorado State in 2015. Going from the Mountain West to the AFC West in one year is a huge jump for the rookie, and he'll need to learn on the fly. He's learning fast by going up against some of the league's best pass rushers, according to Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post.
Schofield enters his second season in the NFL. He was a third-round selection in 2014 out of Michigan and did not see any game action in 2014.
Sambrailo appears to have the inside track for the starting job, but the Broncos must get him ready in a hurry if he is to be trusted to protect Peyton Manning's blind side.
Kansas City Chiefs
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Much has been made about the struggles the Kansas City Chiefs had throwing the ball downfield last season. Kansas City brought in Jeremy Maclin to help address the problem, but the key to being more explosive in 2015 will be finding the right combination of players on the offensive line.
The Chiefs acquired Ben Grubbs and Paul Fanaika during the offseason, and there will be competition all along the line for starting spots.
Grubbs will most likely be the starter at left guard, and it's safe to assume Eric Fisher will start at left tackle. After that, there are a number of possibilities for the remaining three spots. Jeff Allen is returning after tearing his ACL in Week 1 last season, and he could play either right guard or tackle. Other players in the battle for the starting jobs are Fanaika, Zach Fulton and Donald Stephenson.
Fisher and Fulton are the only players who played significant snaps for Kansas City in 2014, and it will be crucial for the eventual starting five to find some cohesion quickly if the Chiefs are going to improve offensively this season.
Oakland Raiders
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New Oakland Raiders defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr. has said that he plans to build Oakland's defense the same way the Seahawks did when Pete Carroll arrived, per ESPN's Bill Williamson. Norton served as the linebackers coach for Seattle the past five seasons.
To replicate the success that Seattle has had, Norton will need to find two cornerbacks he can count on, which brings us to a key question for the Raiders—who will be the team's starting cornerbacks?
Three players—T.J. Carrie, D.J. Hayden and Keith McGill—are all vying for the starting jobs. Hayden started eight of the last 10 games of the season, while Carrie appeared in 13 games last season with four starts.
McGill is the fast-riser of the group. A second-year player from Utah, he appeared in 12 games last season with one start. He's worked his way into the first unit, and at 6'3" and 211 pounds, he fits the mold of big, physical defensive backs that the Seahawks have become known for.
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San Diego Chargers
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The San Diego Chargers took Melvin Gordon with their first-round pick, and he will be expected to be a key contributor next season. San Diego's current roster is a little crowded at running back, which is why the team would be wise to trim it before the season starts.
Donald Brown is currently fourth on the depth chart behind Gordon, Branden Oliver and Danny Woodhead. He's owed $3 million this season and averaged 2.6 yards per carry for the Chargers in 2014. With the depth they have at the position, cutting ties with Brown would be a wise move.
Baltimore Ravens
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The Balitmore Ravens will play the 2015 season with their fourth offensive coordinator in four years. They lost two of their top three receiving leaders from a season ago (Torrey Smith and Owen Daniels) and must find continuity quickly.
The most important position battle is for the No. 2 receiver spot opposite Steve Smith Sr. Rookie Breshad Perriman is the favorite for the job, but he's missed six straight practices dealing with a day-to-day knee injury, per Ryan Mink of BaltimoreRavens.com.
Not participating in practice will hinder the cohesion of the passing game, and it's imperative that Perriman returns to the field as soon as possible so he can develop chemistry with quarterback Joe Flacco.
Cincinnati Bengals
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When he last appeared in a game for the Cincinnati Bengals, wide receiver Marvin Jones set a franchise record for most receiving yards in a playoff game when he caught eight catches for 130 yards in a 27-10 loss to the Chargers in 2013.
Jones missed all of 2014 with ankle and foot injuries, but he has been cleared to participate in all football activities. He hasn't, however, practiced in full pads yet, instead choosing to sit out due to "sore legs," which has caused head coach Marvin Lewis some frustration, per Jim Owczarski of Cincinnati.com.
"Marvin's got to get to practice if Marvin wants to get to play," Lewis said. "That's part of it. He hasn't played football for us in a year, basically. He had two or three practices or whatever he had last year in the fall. Marvin's got to get prepared to play NFL football."
Adding Jones with give the Bengals a strong top-three wide receivers, with A.J. Green and Mohamed Sanu already in the fold. Getting Jones back up to speed is a key objective for Cincinnati in the preseason.
Cleveland Browns
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By all accounts, Josh McCown will be the starting quarterback when the Cleveland Browns begin the 2015 season. He's taken nearly all of the snaps with the first unit during workouts so far, but head coach Mike Pettine has left the door ever-so-slightly ajar when it comes to officially naming a starter.
"I wouldn't say I'm guaranteeing today that Josh McCown is going to be the starter (Week 1) against the Jets," Pettine said on July 27, according to Mary Kay Cabot of the Northeast Ohio Media Group. "A lot can happen in a preseason."
Last season's quarterback competition between Manziel and Brian Hoyer was an enormous distraction, and Pettine could save himself the headache by giving a full, 100 percent vote of confidence behind McCown, instead of the 99 percent confidence he appears to have settled on for the time being.
Pittsburgh Steelers
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It's a testament to James Harrison that, at 37 years old, he's in a position battle with a 25-year-old former first-round pick Jarvis Jones.
At a time when the Pittsburgh Steelers defense is undergoing a changing of the guard, the battle for one outside linebacker spot is symbolic of the change. Gone are decade-long fixtures Troy Polamalu, Ike Taylor and defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau, and their absence brings about a shift in the defense's identity.
Harrison plays a dual role for Jones—part mentor and part competitor. Jones missed nine games last season with a wrist injury, and there's no doubt the Steelers want him as their starter as long as he's healthy and productive.
If Jones emerges as the starter, it will be a further sign that the times are a-changin' for the Steelers defense, and that's not necessarily a bad thing.
Houston Texans
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The Houston Texans have a quarterback competition on their hands, and they would be wise to settle on a starter sooner rather than later.
Ryan Mallett started two games for Houston last year, beating the Browns in Week 11 and losing to the Bengals in Week 12. He completed 54.7 percent of his 75 pass attempts on the season for 400 yards, with two touchdowns and two interceptions.
Brian Hoyer is no stranger to a quarterback competition, having gone through a high-profile battle with Johnny Manziel last year. The bet here is that Hoyer will eventually be named the starter early in the preseason.
Indianapolis Colts
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The Indianapolis Colts enter the 2015 season with the best collection of talent since they drafted Andrew Luck in 2012. One area the Colts need to be more consistent in is the offensive line.
The Colts started 11 different offensive line combinations last season and will look to develop more continuity in 2015. One way head coach Chuck Pagano can accomplish that is to officially name a starting center.
Indianapolis has started five different centers since Luck was drafted, including 2013 fourth-round pick Khaled Holmes. Holmes has not been named the starter yet, though he clearly has the edge in the competition, according to ESPN's Mike Wells.
Settling on Holmes will go a long way in the offensive line's improvement in 2015.
Jacksonville Jaguars
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The Jacksonville Jaguars allowed a league-worst 71 sacks last season, and their offensive line will need to improve in order to help the development of second-year quarterback Blake Bortles.
The key position battle is at center, where Luke Bowanko and Stefen Wisniewski are fighting for the job. Bowanko, a sixth-round pick out of Virginia, started 14 games last season, and Wisniewski was signed to a one-year, $2.5 million deal this offseason.
Wisniewski started 61 games over the past four years for the Raiders, and has said that he expects to start for Jacksonville, according to Hays Carlyon of the Florida Times-Union.
Wisniewski has experience with first-year Jaguars offensive coordinator Greg Olson, who spent the last two seasons with the Raiders at the same position. That could give him the edge in the competition as the preseason begins.
Tennessee Titans
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Tennessee Titans head coach Ken Whisenhunt has already named No. 2 overall pick Marcus Mariota as the starter at quarterback, and the main focus of the preseason for the Titans will be doing everything they can to help Mariota succeed.
One way they can do that is settle on a clear-cut receiver pecking order. Kendall Wright was the leading wide receiver last season with 715 yards, but the picture is unclear after him.
Harry Douglas, Justin Hunter, Hakeem Nicks and Dorial Green-Beckham are the primary options, and whoever develops chemistry with Mariota the fastest will most likely get the first crack at a starting spot.
Buffalo Bills
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This one's pretty easy—new head coach Rex Ryan needs to settle on a starting quarterback.
Three guys are vying for the position—EJ Manuel, Matt Cassell and Tyrod Taylor. So far, none of the three have separated themselves from the pack, and this is showing signs of a competition that could continue deep into the preseason.
Buffalo Bills general manager Doug Whaley thinks his team is almost in "quarterback purgatory," according to ESPN's Mike Rodak, because of its lack of a franchise quarterback. None of the three currently on the roster are franchise quarterbacks, and unless the Bills bottom out this season, they are unlikely to be in a position to draft one anytime soon.
Miami Dolphins
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The Miami Dolphins ranked 23rd in the league in sacks allowed last season, and after signing Ryan Tannehill to a $96 million contract in the offseason, they will want to do a better job of protecting their franchise quarterback in 2015.
One way to do that is to settle on their starting guards this season. There are a number of options, and all have struggled so far in camp. When defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh was asked whether current starters Dallas Thomas and Billy Turner were NFL starting-caliber, Suh responded, "I can't answer that," per Chris Perkins of the Sun Sentinel.
Other options include Jeff Linkenbach, Sam Brenner and Jamil Douglas. The group is very inexperienced, and the Dolphins will need a couple of them to separate themselves from the pack in order to give the line some continuity heading into the season.
New England Patriots
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The quarterback situation will understandably garner most of the attention, and with Tom Brady filing a lawsuit in an attempt to block the four-game suspension, the story will only continue to grow.
Assuming Brady does indeed miss the first four games, the New England Patriots must get backup quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo prepared. He has virtually no in-game experience and must develop chemistry with the rest of the offense.
Head coach Bill Belichick doesn't see Garoppolo being hesitant so far in practice, according to ESPN.com's Mike Reiss, which is an encouraging sign. The Patriots' first four games of the season are home against Pittsburgh, at Buffalo, home against Jacksonville and at Dallas.
New York Jets
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With defensive lineman Sheldon Richardson out serving a four-game suspension, New York Jets fans will get an early look at 2015 first-round pick Leonard Williams. The team is bracing for an additional suspension for Richardson, according to ESPN's Rich Cimini, so Williams will likely not have the opportunity to ease himself into action.
Williams has shown flashes so far during training camp, but first-year head coach Todd Bowles has been hesitant to heap too much praise on the rookie as he gets used to taking first-team reps.
However long Williams will have to start in Richardson's absence, he should only continue to get better. The main focus for the Jets, beyond getting consistent play out of Geno Smith, is to prepare Williams for life as a starting defensive lineman as quickly as possible.
Arizona Cardinals
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There is no bigger priority in Arizona than ensuring the health of quarterback Carson Palmer. There was a minor panic during the team's Aug. 3 practice when Tyrann Mathieu knocked another player into Palmer, and the team breathed a sigh of relief when Palmer walked away unscathed.
The Cardinals were 9-1 when Palmer went down with a torn ACL, and the belief is that Arizona is a legitimate contender with him at the helm. In addition to keeping Palmer upright, the team must develop weapons around him. This becomes more difficult with wideout Michael Floyd sidelined for three to four weeks after dislocating three fingers. He is questionable to play in the season opener.
Whomever the Cardinals have as pass-catching options, their chances of contending in 2015 are much higher with Palmer on the field, so keeping him on the field is the top priority heading into preseason play.
San Francisco 49ers
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The San Francisco 49ers have undergone major changes this offseason, but one holdover from the transition is quarterback Colin Kaepernick. The Niners has invested a lot into Kaepernick, so now they must find a way to protect the dynamic quarterback better than they did last season.
San Francisco allowed 52 sacks last season, tied for third-most in the league. There are new faces on the team's offensive line after some key departures, and finding the right combination is crucial during the preseason.
Former left tackle Anthony Davis, who started 71 games since 2010, retired abruptly in June, and Pro Bowl guard Mike Iupati went to the Cardinals in free agency. There are a number of players fighting for starting spots at right tackle and both guard spots—Erik Pears, Trent Brown, Alex Boone, Brandon Thomas, Marcus Martin and Andrew Tiller.
How it all shakes out remains up in the air, but choosing a starting group will help create some stability in what has been a turbulent offseason.
Seattle Seahawks
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The biggest thing the Seattle Seahawks must do is whatever it takes to get safety Kam Chancellor into training camp.
Chancellor has three years remaining on his four-year, $28 million contract and wants more money. ESPN's Josina Andreson tweeted that the All-Pro safety is prepared to sit out regular-season games if the two sides can't come to an agreement.
Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times says the situation is complicated, and that the Seahawks are legitimately worried that Chancellor will indeed miss some regular-season time. Seattle signed Marshawn Lynch to a three-year, $31 million deal in March, then signed Russell Wilson to a four-year, $87.6 million contract on July 31.
Chancellor is as important as anybody on the Seahawks defense, and anything that gets him on the field would be a great thing for Seattle.
St. Louis Rams
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The St. Louis Rams have a hole in the middle of their offensive line, and three players—Tim Barnes, Barrett Jones and Demetrius Rhaney—are all battling for the starting center position.
Barnes played in 14 games last season with no start, but started four times in 2013. Rhaney was a seventh-round pick in 2014 and spent all of last year on the injured reserve, and Jones made seven appearances last season with no starts.
Jones might be the slight favorite at this point, according to Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. He's healthy after dealing with injuries last season, and the team made a fourth-round investment in him in the 2013 draft.
With a new quarterback under center in Nick Foles, choosing a starting center is the top priority for the Rams in the preseason.
Chicago Bears
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The Chicago Bears had an awful season in 2014, and for all the flak that quarterback Jay Cutler got for it, the team's biggest problem was its defense. Chicago was 31st in the league in points allowed, and it needs to make huge improvements in order to contend for the playoffs in 2015.
The key position battle is at defensive end. The Bears released Ray McDonald in May after his arrest for domestic violence, and now they must figure out who will start in his place. Players competing for playing time at defensive end are Ego Ferguson, Jarvis Jenkins, Brandon Dunn and Cornelius Washington.
Figuring out a pecking order would do wonders for the Bears. They need to make strides all over the place on defense, and starting out by getting things organized up front would provide a big boost.
Detroit Lions
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The Detroit Lions lost key defensive linemen in Ndamukong Suh, Nick Fairley and C.J. Mosley in the offseason, and they'll need to establish some consistency with new players filling those spots.
Haloti Ngata and Tyrunn Walker are slated to start at the tackle positions, and they'll be key in determining the success of the defense. Grantland's Robert Mays discussed the importance of the Lions defensive line playing without Suh this season, and Ngata is perhaps the most important player of the group.
Ngata will begin the year on the non-football injury list, per Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press while dealing with a hamstring injury. The injury is considered minor, but the Lions would love to have him back as soon as possible.
Green Bay Packers
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The Green Bay Packers must settle on a new starting cornerback to replace Tramon Williams, who signed with the Browns in free agency this offseason. Williams was fourth on the team in tackles and tied for the lead with three interceptions last season.
So far, the play of the main candidates to win the job has been encouraging, according to Michael Cohen of the Milwaukee-Wisconsin Journal Sentinel. The Packers drafted two defensive backs with their first two picks in the 2015 draft—Damarious Randall and Quinten Rollins.
Both are in the thick of the competition to start, along with veteran Casey Hayward. Figuring out a clear rotation at cornerback should be the priority for defensive coordinator Dom Capers.
Minnesota Vikings
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The big position battle for the Minnesota Vikings is at right guard. Brandon Fusco has moved to left guard, and there are a number of different options on the right side.
Fusco was one of the best right guards in the league last season and is adapting well to the position change, according to Matt Vensel of the Star Tribune. Rookie T.J. Clemmings will get a chance to start at right guard, and he'll be competing with fellow rookie Austin Shepherd for snaps. David Yankey, a second-year player out of Stanford, could also earn playing time at the position.
With Adrian Peterson returning to action and a second-year quarterback leading the offense in Teddy Bridgewater, it's imperative for the Vikings to find a consistent lineup up front.
Atlanta Falcons
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Steven Jackson's two-year stint as the Atlanta Falcons starting running back did not pan out as the team had hoped. Jackson posted the two lowest yards-per-carry totals of his career and is currently a free agent. This makes the position battle for starting running back the biggest priority of the offseason for Atlanta.
The primary candidates are Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman. Freeman is a second-year back from Florida State who had 248 rushing yards last season with one touchdown. He also caught 30 passes for 225 yards.
Coleman is a rookie from Indiana that the Falcons took in the third round. He rushed for 2,036 yards as a junior and averaged 7.5. yards per carry.
The Falcons were 24th in the league in rush yards, so they will need one of these two to seize the starting job in order to improve next season.
Carolina Panthers
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The Carolina Panthers must find reliable receiving options outside of Kelvin Benjamin, and right now there are too many options for not enough roster spots.
Aside from Benjamin, receivers competing for playing time include Jerricho Cotchery, Corey Brown, Devin Funchess, Ted Ginn Jr., Brenton Bersin and Jarett Boykin.
Cotchery is the veteran of the group and has taken on a leadership role, per Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer. He will be important to the passing game, but Carolina needs one of its younger players to step up and emerge as a legitimate No. 2 opposite Benjamin.
Rookie Devin Funchess fits the mold the best. At 6'4" and 225 pounds, Funchess fits in well with Benjamin and tight end Greg Olsen as big targets for Cam Newton. Funchess left practice this week with a sore shoulder, according to Jonathan Jones of the Charlotte Observer, but should be OK.
New Orleans Saints
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The New Orleans Saints shook things up this offseason after a disappointing 7-9 season, trading tight end Jimmy Graham to Seattle and making several changes to the coaching staff.
The team has several areas to address in the preseason, but the biggest might be finding a new starter at middle linebacker. Curtis Lofton started every game at for the Saints the past three seasons and led the team with 145 tackles last year. He was released in the offseason, and there are several candidates to replace him.
30-year-old David Hawthorne is listed as the starter for now, but rookie first-round pick Stephone Anthony will push the veteran for the job. Given the leadership and production the Saints will miss with Lofton not in the picture, choosing a starter is imperative.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
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Jameis Winston is the future of the franchise, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers must do everything they can to put him in a position to be successful in his rookie season. One of the most important things they can do is figure out the situation at running back.
Doug Martin has been hampered by injuries the past two seasons, but the coaching staff is adamant that he is the starting running back, per Tom Jones of the Tampa Bay Times.
But Martin has just 950 rushing yards combined in the past two seasons, and coaches are said to be very high on second-year player Charles Sims according to ESPN's Pat Yasinskas.
Ideally for Tampa Bay, Martin will return to his rookie-year form and seize control of the job. If he doesn't, Sims will be counted on to be a productive player in a larger role than he had last season.
Dallas Cowboys
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The Dallas Cowboys featured one of the league's best rushing offenses last season, ranking second in rush yards per game behind the Seahawks. DeMarco Murray is gone to the Philadelphia Eagles, so replacing him is the top priority during the preseason.
While Murray got a lot of the credit for last season, the Cowboys offensive line was the best in the league, according to Football Outsiders. That group will again be key for Dallas in 2014, but they'll still need to settle on a lead running back.
The Cowboys will most likely feature a running back by committee, something unfamiliar to a franchise that has boasted several star lead backs in its history, per Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times. Joseph Randle, Darren McFadden, Lance Dunbar and Ryan Williams are the main players competing for spots.
Having one player emerge as the leader will help forge consistency in the running game and help the team replicate the success it had last season.
New York Giants
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Jason Pierre-Paul's injury status is the key storyline, as the hope is that he can return to form after his fireworks-related hand injury. From a position battle standpoint, however, the thing the New York Giants must do is decide on their starting safeties.
The competition is wide open, according to Fox Sports, with several players in the mix. Rookie Landon Collins is battling Mykkele Thompson at strong safety, with Cooper Taylor, Nat Berhe and Jeromy Miles competing for time at free safety.
The situation will likely take the majority of the preseason to iron itself out, but after the Giants ranked 29th in the league in yards per pass attempt last season, they will want players to separate themselves from the pack as soon as possible.
Philadelphia Eagles
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Head coach Chip Kelly has said for a while that Sam Bradford and Mark Sanchez will compete for the starting quarterback job, and he has stuck by that plan as the preseason approaches.
The Philadelphia Eagles invested a lot to trade for Bradford, so the assumption was that he would have the inside track at the job. But the competition has been fierce so far, according to Ed Kracz of the Intelligencer, and Bradford has yet to find his stride.
Bradford missed all of last season with a torn left ACL, his second bout with the injury in two years. He is very much a wild card, and the longer he takes to find a comfort zone in Philadelphia, the more uncertainty will surround the team.
Washington Redskins
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The Washington Redskins were awful last season, and they head into 2015 facing plenty of pressure. The team saved itself some distraction by picking up Robert Griffin III's fifth-year contract option, thus making it clear that the franchise has confidence in its quarterback.
Now the Redskins must develop weapons for Griffin to work with, a task that got a little harder with the shoulder injury to DeSean Jackson. Jackson is only expected to miss a couple weeks, per ESPN's John Keim, but considering how important Jackson is to the passing game, they'll need to find alternatives just in case.
Jackson led the team with 20.9 yards per catch last season, nearly eight yards better than Niles Paul, who was second with 13.0 yards per catch. Pierre Garcon caught 113 passes for 1,346 yards in 2013 but saw those numbers drop significantly in 2014. If he can re-emerge as a big-time threat, Washington's passing attack will be much more dangerous.
Nick is a writer for B/R's Advanced Program in Sports Media. You can follow him on Twitter @NickSelbe.
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