2017 NFL Minicamps: Biggest Issue to Watch for Every Team

The NFL offseason is long, grueling, tedious and a step-by-step process. Along the way, areas of concern often pop up.  

Take Eddie Lacy's ongoing struggle to stay at the right playing weight, as the new Seattle Seahawks running back is set to sweat off pounds once again in the summer sun. Or more critically, the New York Jets' season- and franchise-altering issue at quarterback, and their seemingly eternal search for competence at football's most important position.

There are both large and pint-sized issues throughout the NFL as the mandatory minicamp period approaches. That's when intensity ratchets up with everyone on the roster present.

Let's bounce around the league to see what the main issue is for each team as minicamps begin.

AFC East

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New England Patriots: Aside from early parade planning, the Patriots shouldn't have many major issues in minicamp. The main topic of discussion among players will likely center on helping to plan the summer of Gronk, 2017 version. Beyond that, the biggest issue is simple yet vitally important: getting quarterback Tom Brady on the same page as his shiny new pass-catchers.

That shouldn't be a problem, but it'll require time and diligent work throughout the offseason. Brady will need to develop trust and a connection with wide receiver Brandin Cooks and tight end Dwayne Allen. With Cooks coming off back-to-back 1,100-plus-yard seasons, developing rapport with him will be Brady's primary focus. But Allen should also be a quality red-zone target, as he hauled in six touchdowns on only 35 receptions with the Indianapolis Colts in 2016.

Miami Dolphins: The continued maturation of wide receiver DeVante Parker is one of the Dolphins' main offseason projects, and it seems to be going well so far.

Parker sputtered in his rookie season after being a highly touted first-round pick in 2015. He showed flashes of growth in 2016, as the then-23-year-old recorded two 100-plus-yard games and caught three 50-plus-yard passes. According to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald, coaches have been impressed with Parker during offseason workouts, calling him the team's most improved player. Whether that carries over through minicamps—and, more importantly, the regular season—remains an open question.

New York Jets: The issue right now for the Jets is the same one they'll deal with in August, throughout the regular season and—hopefully—one last time during the 2018 draft.

They're rebuilding, so they're unlikely to win many games in 2017. Regardless, it would be ideal to avoid fielding a complete embarrassment. To do so, the Jets somehow need to find a competent quarterback.

Josh McCown has demonstrated stretches of competence in his career. But those stretches often end abruptly with an injury, which tends to happen when you're a soon-to-be 38-year-old and the physical toll of football is adding up.

Beyond him, Bryce Petty needed only 133 pass attempts to throw seven interceptions in 2016, and former second-round pick Christian Hackenberg isn't an NFL-caliber quarterback.

Buffalo Bills: The Bills are in the process of transitioning to a 4-3 defense, which could involve slotting some key pieces into unfamiliar places. The main question lingers around linebacker Reggie Ragland.

An ACL tear derailed Ragland's rookie season before it began. Without any NFL game film from him, it's difficult to project whether the 2016 second-round pick will fit well as an outside linebacker. Ragland was a middle linebacker throughout his time at Alabama, a collegiate career that ended with 102 tackles during his senior season.

New Bills defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier expressed confidence in Ragland's ability to make the transition to the outside while speaking to reporters toward the end of May. He'll seek a more definitive answer to that question during minicamp. 

AFC North

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Baltimore Ravens: The Ravens have spent much of their offseason workouts watching every muscle twitch from wide receiver Breshad Perriman. They put the fate of their passing offense squarely on his shoulders, praying for a third-year breakout from a receiver who's been constantly injured.

A PCL injury caused Perriman to miss his entire rookie season, and he suffered a partially torn ACL during OTAs last summer. While that injury didn't cause him to miss any regular-season action, he finished his sophomore campaign with only 33 receptions for 499 yards. The speedster ran the 40-yard dash in 4.24 seconds at his pro day, which helped him average an incredible 19.5 yards per catch over his three seasons at the University of Central Florida, but only eight of his 33 catches last season went for 20 or more yards.

The task ahead is to ensure Perriman stays healthy and keeps developing a connection with quarterback Joe Flacco, something he hasn't been on the field long enough to do over the past two seasons. Perriman's health became even more important after tight end Dennis Pitta dislocated his hip during OTAs, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. The Ravens must now move forward without the pass-catchers who were targeted 345 times in 2016, as Rotoworld's Evan Silva noted, and Pitta's injury especially stings after he led all tight ends in catches.

Cincinnati Bengals: It's easy to get giddy about the Bengals offense after they added wide receiver John Ross and running back Joe Mixon during the first two rounds of the draft. But it's also easy to be worried about how often quarterback Andy Dalton will be removing dirt from his nostrils after getting planted.

The Bengals lost two of the league's steadiest pass-blockers, tackle Andrew Whitworth and guard Kevin Zeitler, during free agency. During minicamp, they must now focus on replacing those two after Dalton was sacked 41 times in 2016. Finding an adequate blindside protector is the top priority, and Cedric Ogbuehi will get the first crack. That might end poorly, however, as he allowed nine sacks in 2016, according to Pro Football Focus.

Pittsburgh Steelers: The Steelers don't have many glaring areas of concern heading into minicamp. One player to watch, however, is wide receiver Martavis Bryant.

Bryant hasn't been on the field for a meaningful snap since January 2016, as the league handed him a one-year suspension for violating its substance abuse policy. When we last saw him, Bryant was one of the league's most dynamic young deep threats, and used his rare combination of speed and leaping ability to score 14 touchdowns on only 76 receptions over two seasons.

He put on 10 pounds to add some needed bulk, according to Dale Lolley of the Pittsburgh Observer-Reporter, which begs the question: Will we still see the 2015 version of Bryant?

Cleveland Browns: Will Corey Coleman every stay healthy? 

Since the Browns drafted him 15th overall in 2016, the promising prospect has battled through brutal luck. The Browns were counting on Coleman as a core offensive pillar heading into his rookie season, but he broke his hand during practice, which shortened his debut campaign by six games. He'll now likely be held out of minicamp after injuring himself in OTAs diving for a ball.

It might behoove Coleman to stop walking under ladders every day while petting black cats in both arms.

AFC South

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Houston Texans: The Texans need Tom Savage to be a bridge at quarterback. 

It's unclear how long first-round pick DeShaun Watson will need in his development or whether he can be a Week 1 starting quarterback. His 157.5 passer rating in college and shining performances during two national championship games suggest he's close to being a pro-ready passer, but it's not a failure or sign of development doom if he needs some time to acclimate.

In the meantime, Houston has the defense to float Savage short term. However, it's concerning that through five regular-season outings, Savage has yet to throw a single touchdown pass.

Jacksonville Jaguars: The primary issue for the Jacksonville Jaguars is clear: They need to limit turnovers to consistently be in position to win games. Specifically, quarterback Blake Bortles has to cut down on his giveaways dramatically.

Bortles has thrown 51 interceptions over 46 career games and has 16-plus picks in each of his three NFL seasons. He also lost 11 fumbles across the past two years. Bortles' mechanics are often scrutinized, but his vision is even more fundamentally flawed.

Indianapolis Colts: Wide receiver Phillip Dorsett is on what could be his last chance to impress in a meaningful way. It's tough to him becoming a regular contributor for the Colts, which means the 24-year-old former first-round pick is descending toward draft-bust status.

Dorsett averaged a solid 16.0 yards per reception in his second season, but he did so while logging nine games with less than 40 receiving yards, and he failed to record a 100-plus-yard game. His lackluster production came with Donte Moncrief ailing for much of the year, too.

Tennessee Titans: The recovery of Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota still deserves attention.

Mariota suffered a fractured fibula on Christmas Eve, marking the second straight time an injury ended his season early. He was on the field during OTAs in May, but he still wasn't operating at full speed, according to Jim Wyatt of TitansOnline.com. Since Mariota relies heavily on his mobility, he'll need to open it up at some point this spring before putting on pads at training camp.

Mariota has recorded 601 rushing yards over his two NFL seasons. That part of his game should eventually return in full, but the baby steps need to start now.

AFC West

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Kansas City Chiefs: Patrick Mahomes is a project for now, albeit one with high-end potential. As Bleacher Report's Doug Farrar recently explained, the former Texas Tech gunslinger landed in the ideal spot for a young quarterback with tremendous physical gifts who still needs to develop mentally.

The Chiefs are currently a contender mostly due to their defense and strong rushing offense. They don't need to rush a young and inexperienced quarterback, asking him to be a savior. But what stage is Mahomes at in his development? How will he perform against second- and third-team NFL defenders?

The Chiefs need to find out how Mahomes fares when placed in an NFL system, and how far he needs to come over the next year. Alex Smith, Kansas City's current starting quarterback, is due a $2 million roster bonus in March 2018, and the Chiefs would presumably like to avoid paying that if Mahomes is ready to take over as the starter.

Denver Broncos: The Denver Broncos are still only one year removed from winning the Super Bowl with mediocre quarterback play. But in 2016, they found out what happens when their defense takes a slight step back. They went from winning 12 games and their division in 2015 to finishing 9-7 and missing the playoffs this past season.

The Broncos need to ease the burden on their defense by stringing together longer drives on offense. Ideally, Paxton Lynch, the 26th overall pick in 2016, would be ready to unseat Trevor Siemian as the Broncos' starting quarterback. For now, though, the two quarterbacks are splitting time with the first-team offense, according to Troy Renck of Denver7.

The Broncos can only hope one of the two young passers seizes control of the competition, allowing the team to take a stride forward as well.

Oakland Raiders: The Raiders' primary issue lies off the field, as it may be awkward to play games in Oakland for a few years before fleeing to Las Vegas. But on the field, this contending team is rock-solid.

However, Oakland's already stellar offense would be even better if wide receiver Amari Cooper becomes more consistent. Over the first half of the year, Cooper posted four games with 120-plus receiving yards, averaging 98.4 yards per game. In the second half of the season, that per-game average dropped to 45.8 yards, and he only topped 70 yards once. Cooper had similar up-and-down production as a rookie, so the Raiders must figure out how to make their No. 1 receiver more of an every-week threat.

Los Angeles Chargers: The status of wide receiver Keenan Allen's knee has been monitored all offseason, and that won't change during minicamp. Allen was a surprise participant during OTAs in May eight months removed from tearing his ACL, and he ran and cut just fine on his injured knee, according to Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times.

Though Allen's presence at OTAs was encouraging, the Chargers can't yet count on him as a central figure in their receiving corps. Between the torn ACL and a kidney injury, Allen has played in only nine games over the past two seasons combined. When he's healthy, quarterback Philip Rivers often peppers him with targets, as evidenced by the 121 balls thrown his way during his last full season in 2014.

NFC East

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New York Giants: It's hard to say anything definitive about Giants running back Paul Perkins yet.

The fifth-rounder averaged an unspectacular 4.1 yards per carry as a rookie in 2016, but he didn't start receiving consistent touches until Week 14, when he hit the 15-carry mark for the first time. Perkins averaged 4.8 yards over the final three games of the season, and he recorded 102 rushing yards in his only start.

That tiny sample size is enough to generate intrigue. It was also enough for Giants head coach Ben McAdoo to name Perkins his starting running back in early May, according to Paul Schwartz of the New York Post.

But starting titles mean little in the spring, even if McAdoo is saying it publicly. Can rookie Wayne Gallman challenge Perkins in minicamp? The Giants will likely need more than one trusted runner to boost a backfield that ranked 29th in the league with only 88.3 rushing yards per game in 2016.

Philadelphia Eagles: Every dropback Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz takes will continue to be scrutinized. Wentz struggled with his ball placement as a rookie, especially in the second half of 2016, when he recorded only two interception-free games. Worse, he also had seven games with a per-attempt passing average below six yards.

Wentz spent time earlier in the offseason refining his mechanics with throwing coaches Tom House and Adam Dedeaux, who also double as quarterback whisperers. There was a noticeable difference during OTAs, according to Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer, as Wentz had a tighter spiral on his deep throws and they weren't sailing too far.

The 24-year-old needs to build on that and keep growing during minicamp heading into his second season.

Dallas Cowboys: Cowboys offensive coordinator Scott Linehan is planning to give fourth-round rookie slot receiver Ryan Switzer  a "significant" role in 2017, according to Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News. As the offseason moves along, it bears watching what that role will be and how Switzer can separate himself from fellow slot man Cole Beasley.

Switzer is a skilled receiver who recorded 96 catches for 1,112 yards in 2016 during his final year with the North Carolina Tar Heels. But he's nearly a clone of Beasley, so getting on the field often enough to make a meaningful offensive contribution could be difficult.

Switzer's easiest path to contributing as a rookie could be on special teams, as he scored seven punt-return touchdowns during his time at North Carolina.

Washington Redskins: The Redskins defense spent much of 2016 getting pummeled by opposing running backs. They allowed an average of 119.8 rushing yards per game (24th) and gave up 19 touchdowns on the ground (tied for 28th).

That gushing hole is why they added inside linebacker Zach Brown, who finished second in the league with 149 tackles in 2016. It's also why they drafted outside linebacker Ryan Anderson in the second round after the Alabama standout recorded 18.5 tackles for loss during his final collegiate season.

Those pieces need to gel throughout the offseason for Washington to repair its fatal defensive flaw. 

NFC North

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Minnesota Vikings: The Vikings will quickly find out if they made the right moves to address their ailing offensive line. They'll get a better feel for that during minicamp when the intensity ratchets up and newly signed offensive tackles Mike Remmers and Riley Reiff are tested.

Uncertainty still lingers for now, as Reiff allowed 44 pressures in 2016, per PFF, and Remmers has given up 18 sacks over the past two years. Those aren't comforting numbers after quarterback Sam Bradford was sacked on 18.8 percent of his dropbacks in 2016.

Green Bay Packers: Will the Packers have a three- or four-headed running-back committee? Or did head coach Mike McCarthy mean it in late April when he said Ty Montgomery is his starting running back?

It's easy to lean toward believing the latter is true after Montgomery averaged 5.9 yards per carry in 2016. But he's never had to shoulder the burden of a large workload over a sustained period, as he hit the double-digit carry mark only once during the 2016 season.

Although the Packers will call Montgomery their "starter," a platoon will likely emerge with him at the high end of a time-share. They'll use both minicamp and training camp to determine the pecking order.

Detroit Lions: The Lions defense gave up the second-most passing touchdowns in 2016 (33), and their secondary was one of only two that allowed an opposing passer rating over 100.0.

Detroit's solution was to bring in two cornerbacks whose talent is questionable at best. First, the Lions signed D.J. Hayden, a draft bust who has allowed a passer rating of 104.5 over his career, per PFF. Then they drafted Teez Tabor in the second round after he showed pedestrian athleticism with a 40-yard dash time of 4.62 at the combine.

There could be a lot of long completions in Detroit again.

Chicago Bears: The Bears' decision to let wide receiver Alshon Jeffery walk remains baffling, but it would have been been easier to stomach if third-year wideout Cameron Meredith could stay healthy. Meredith showed flashes of what he could become with his four 100-plus-yard games in 2016, so every offseason snap is precious as he builds chemistry with new quarterbacks Mike Glennon and Mitchell Trubisky.

However, he's now set to miss minicamp with a ligament injury in his thumb, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. That leaves the Bears without a key offensive piece during a time when his youth and potential were among their few reasons for optimism.

NFC South

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Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Minicamp will be the right time to check in on Buccaneers second-year cornerback Vernon Hargreaves, who Tampa Bay took with the 11th overall pick in the 2016 draft. He allowed a league worst 1,069 yards in coverage during his rookie season, per PFF, including three games when he was toasted for 120-plus yards.

In his second year, Hargreaves needs to live up to his first-round pedigree while playing opposite Brent Grimes. If he doesn't, the Bucs will have a serious liability on their hands.

New Orleans Saints: Saints quarterback Drew Brees has heaped praise on new wide receiver Ted Ginn, who is set to fill a void after New Orleans traded Brandin Cooks to the New England Patriots. Brees told ESPN.com's Mike Triplett that the 32-year-old Ginn can still fly, and it doesn't seem like he's lost a step.

The issue for Ginn is a far more fundamental flaw: drops. Ginn has dropped 17 passes over the past two seasons, per PFF. Heading into his 11th season, he isn't likely to suddenly remove the butter from his hands, yet the Saints are relying on Ginn to be a significant contributor. 

Carolina Panthers: The Panthers' pass defense crumbled in 2016, allowing an average of 268.2 yards per game (29th). A number of factors led to their 6-10 record after they represented the NFC in Super Bowl 50, but that feeble pass defense was perhaps the leading cause of their demise.

Going forward into minicamp, the main question for Carolina is clear: Are young cornerbacks Daryl Worley and James Bradberry still developing steadily and benefiting from the veteran presence of Captain Munnerlyn?

Atlanta Falcons: There aren't many issues with a team only months removed from going to the Super Bowl, but there's a building sense of anticipation over the return of cornerback Desmond Trufant.

The Pro Bowler's 2016 season ended after just nine games due to a pectoral injury. Had Trufant been healthy, he might have prevented Atlanta's historic collapse in Super Bowl 51, as he provides blanket coverage. He's now progressing ahead of schedule, as Falcons head coach Dan Quinn recently hinted Trufant could be on the field for minicamp.

"I expect him to be back not only for training camp, but possibly even sooner, when he can work into some portion of practice over the next two weeks," Quinn said, via ESPN.com's Vaughn McClure. "We'll see where that goes. He's doing fantastic. He's really pushed it from a rehab standpoint, so he's strong."

The Falcons adjusted well without Trufant in 2016, as the emergence of Jalen Collins helped. But getting back a corner who has allowed a completion percentage of only 56.9 percent throughout his career will be a huge boost.

NFC West

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San Francisco 49ers: The 49ers are facing a difficult decision with inside linebacker NaVorro Bowman. The coldest path forward could be the right one, which is often the case with aging, expensive veterans.

The 29-year-old Bowman should theoretically still have at least a few prime years left, but he may never again play at an All-Pro level after suffering two major injuries over just the past three years. He tore the ACL, PCL and MCL in his left knee during the 2014 NFC Championship game, causing him to miss the entire 2014 regular season, and he tore his Achilles in 2016.

Either of those injuries can zap a linebacker like Bowman of his trademark athleticism and sideline-to-sideline speed. Bowman had to recover from both, and as Grant Cohn of the Press Democrat recently noted, blocking tight end Garrett Celek was beating him in coverage during OTAs.

The 49ers drafted Reuben Foster, Bowman's eventual replacement, in the first round. For better or worse, it seems the Foster era is quickly arriving as Bowman fades away.

Seattle Seahawks: The order of the Seahawks' running back depth chart always deserves attention.

Is Eddie Lacy getting swole and shedding pounds through his latest P90X challenge? Is Thomas Rawls' body still in one piece after he missed seven games in 2016 and averaged only 3.2 yards per carry? And can C.J. Prosise stay on the field after appearing in just six games as a rookie?

Arizona Cardinals: The Cardinals desperately need the 2015 version of wide receiver John Brown to come back. That's when the blazing deep threat finished with 1,003 receiving yards and seven touchdown catches in his second NFL season. However, a concussion and his battle with sickle cell trait derailed his third year.

The Cardinals need a healthy and effective Brown back immediately, because beyond him, there are only questions on their wide receiver depth chart. Michael Floyd is gone, and although the soon-to-be 34-year-old Larry Fitzgerald still remains a solid contributor, he's not a deep target for Bruce Arians' high-octane passing offense.

Los Angeles Rams: Coaches and general managers often stubbornly cling to high draft picks and keep trotting them out even as they struggle. But Jeff Fisher is long gone in Los Angeles, and new Rams head coach Sean McVay doesn't need to care about Goff's draft status. McVay should only care about winning games and making sure he doesn't fizzle out like so many Rams head coaches before him.

That's why his recent lukewarm endorsement of Goff as the Rams' starting quarterback should have raised eyebrows. He still called Goff the starter, but he left the door open for someone else to supplant the former No. 1 overall pick.

"Jared's done a nice job of getting better, but you always want to make sure you're playing the guy that you feel like gives you the best ability to win football games," he told reporters at OTAs. "Right now, Jared is the starter."

It's hard to believe Sean Mannion could overtake Goff as the starter, but then again, the same held true when McVay was with Washington. The odds of Kirk Cousins permanently pushing aside Robert Griffin III seemed low at one point, but that's exactly what came to fruition.