The Biggest Red Flags Heading into NFL Training Camps
Merriam-Webster defines a red flag as "a warning signal" or "something that attracts usually irritated attention." In the NFL, where injuries, off-field issues and inconsistencies are ever-present, plenty of particular figures or trends attract usually irritated attention.ย
This is the time to watch for them.
From the Cardinals' depth at quarterback to whatever went down this spring and summer in Kansas City, here are the most notable red flags that surround NFL teams as training camps get underway.
Honorable Mentions
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The Saints will rely on Marshon Lattimore and his hamstrings
Prior to excelling as a redshirt sophomore in 2016, the rookie cornerback out of Ohio State was plagued by hamstring injuries. Then he suffered another injury at the combine, though he said it was a hip flexor issue instead of aย hamstring. But the Saints secondary isn't in good shape, and they'll expect him to stay healthy and effective from the get-go in 2017.
Jamaal Charles' potential role in Denver
The Broncos had the league's sixth-worst running game last season, but their only notable addition to the backfield is Charles. Problem is the injury-prone 30-year-old carried the ball just 83 times the last two years. With question marks at quarterback, that could be an issue.
Ty Montgomery's potential role in Green Bay
The converted wide receiver is the only "running back" with any NFL experience on the Packers roster, and he has carried the ball 12-plus times in only one game as a pro. He did pick up 162 yards on 16 attempts versus the Bears in Week 15 last season, but he followed that up by averaging only 3.9 yards per attempt in the final two games of the regular season before picking up 91 yards on 25 carries (for a 3.6 average) in the playoffs. Green Bay might regret putting so much on his shoulders.
The Cardinals Don't Have a "Backup Plan" at Quarterback
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It's Carson Palmer or bust again this year for the Arizona Cardinals. They didn't use any of their seven draft picks on quarterbacks, leaving Drew Stanton, offseason addition Blaine Gabbert and undrafted rookie Trevor Knight as the only options beyond Palmer under center.
That's a massive risk for a team that still has the talent to contend but won't likely compete without a healthy and effective quarterback.
Palmer is 37, his rate-based statistics plummeted in 2016 and it's beginning to look as though his 2015 Pro Bowl campaign was a late-career anomaly. After all, he threw 22 interceptions in 2013 and started just six games in 2014.
Throw in that his top receiver, Larry Fitzgerald, is also beyond his prime at the age of 33, and there's plenty of reason to be concerned about the Arizona passing game entering 2017.
The Jaguars Are Riding or Dying with Blake Bortles
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The Jacksonville Jaguars are another talented team that is relying too heavily on a starting quarterback who might not cut it. Blake Bortles' numbers also declined in 2016, which is discouraging considering that Bortles is a 25-year-old recent No. 3 overall pick and said numbers weren't good to begin with.
The Central Florida product has lost 34 of his 45 starts in Jacksonville, posting a sub-60 completion percentage and a sub-80 passer rating in the process.
It's not too late for Bortles, who received praise on his corrected mechanics from new Jags executive vice president Tom Coughlin on NFL Network and is working with quarterback guru Tom House, according to Josh Ciganek of Florida Football Insiders. He'll face less proverbial (and probably actual) pressure with Offensive Rookie of the Year favorite Leonard Fournette in the backfield, and he told reporters that he's been focusing on limiting his "stupid" turnovers.
But he's still trending toward becoming a bust, and backup Chad Henne isn't likely to save the day, which could cripple a Jaguars team that is loaded with strong playersโyoung and oldโon both sides of the ball.
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Andrew Luck Is Rehabbing Slowly
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Not trying to pull the fire alarm here, but it's worth noting Andrew Luck didn't throw a single pass during the Indianapolis Colts' offseason program and was noncommittal when asked last month if he'd be ready for the start of training camp, according to Zak Keefer of the Indianapolis Star.
Luck is recovering from a major procedure on his throwing shoulder. He told the media in late June that the shoulder is "feeling better and better every week," but that won't pacify Colts fans. They won'tโand probably shouldn'tโfeel comfortable until they see their franchise quarterback throw passes.
The AFC South should be very competitive this season, and Indy can't afford a stretch where backup Scott Tolzien is running the show.
The Steelers Look as Though They'll Be Leaning on Martavis Bryant
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Having a player like Martavis Bryant on your team is always good. Relying on a player like Bryant? Not so much.
With Bryant suspended last season, the Pittsburgh Steelers didn't get much out of wide receivers not named Antonio Brown. But they didn't do too much to address that position in the offseason, possibly because they're hoping the troubled but tantalizingly talented Bryant can remain on the right track.
Coming back from a season-long suspension for a repeat violation of the league's substance abuse policy, the former fourth-round pick put on a show at Steelers minicamp.
"He looks like a stud, as usual," said quarterback Ben Roethlisberger last month, per Brian Batko of the Post-Gazette, "so we're excited for him to be on the field this year and help us out."
Per Dale Lolley of the Observer-Reporter, Bryant stated in May that he gained 10 pounds of muscle while away. Considering that he already possessed a deadly combination of size and speed, that has to excite Steelers fans. But Bryant is a mistake away from what would likely be the end of his football career, so that's a red flag the Steelers will have to be willing to deal with entering 2017.
Matt Kalil Is Supposed to Fix the Panthers on the Blind Side
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It's tough to fault the Carolina Panthers for trying to give quarterback Cam Newton better blind-side protection after opponents routinely roughed up the 2015 MVP this past season. But their attempt to do so reeks of desperation and is likely to backfire.
The Panthers gave Matt Kalil $31 million guaranteed on a five-year, $55.5 million contract, making him the sixth-highest-paid offensive tackle in football in terms of guaranteed money. That despite the fact the 2012 No. 4 overall pick hasn't performed well since his rookie year and is coming off a season in which he missed 14 games due to a hip injury.
Kalil is still only 28, but he also looks like a bust that the league isn't willing to give up on. The Panthers could regret that if the USC product struggles or fails to stay healthy.
Latavius Murray and Dalvin Cook Are Viewed as Potential Saviors in Minnesota
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Without Adrian Peterson, the Minnesota Vikings had the NFL's worst running game last season, averaging a league-low 3.2 yards per rush and 75.3 rushing yards per game. With Peterson gone, the Vikings deserve credit for making an effort to upgrade on 2016 failures Jerick McKinnon and Matt Asiata.
They did so by signing veteran Latavius Murray and selecting electric Florida State product Dalvin Cook in Round 2 of the draft. But they come with red flags.
Murray has failed to live up to the hype he gained with a 5.2 yards-per-attempt average in his first season, averaging just 4.0 yards per carry while being demoted into a platoon role over the last two years. Minnesota is paying him $15 million on a three-year deal, which is a lot in running back realms.
Cook is an explosive home run hitter with an ideal combination of vision, patience and speed, and he has the resume to back it up. But Cook dropped into the second round due to the draft's most infamous alliterative phrase: character concerns. He found plenty of trouble growing up, highlighted in this profile by The MMQB's Robert Klemko. He was arrested twice as a teenager (charges were dropped both times) and had several brushes with authority while at FSU.
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported during the draft that the slide might have had to do with Cook's hangers-on:
"So the reason as far as I'm told [his slide] relates to some of the people that he hangs out with off the field. It's more upbringing than character if that makes any sense. Because at this point, from what I'm told, the on-field character is very good, considered to be at Florida State an excellent teammate, a very hard worker. But some of it is the situations he puts himself in off the field. He has promised teams that the people around him are not coming with him to the NFL."
A lack of balance killed the Vikings last year, partly because quarterback Sam Bradford isn't a field-stretcher. There's a chance they've figured that out this offseason, but Murray might have already peaked, and Cook is a second-round rookie with a lot to prove.
Cedric Ogbuehi and Jake Fisher Are Manning Cincinnati's Offensive Tackle Spots
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Despite apparently trying to remain competitive, the Cincinnati Bengals didn't use any of their substantial salary-cap space to retain key offensive line starters Andrew Whitworth and Kevin Zeitler.
As a result, they'll be forced to move 2015 first-round pick Cedric Ogbuehi, who struggled immensely at right tackle last season, to the blind-side spot vacated by Whitworth. They'll also have to use over-the-hill former tackle Andre Smith in the starting right guard spot while installing third-year second-round pick Jake Fisher at right tackle, despite the fact Fisher has struggled while starting just four games in two seasons.
A once great line has become a liability with no elite starters and several major question marks, which is quite a gamble for a team that relies heavily on offensive skill players Andy Dalton and A.J. Green and is coming off a six-win season.
Ereck Flowers and Bobby Hart Are Still Manning the Giants Offensive Tackle Spots
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New York Giants left tackle Ereck Flowers has been terrible during his first two seasons in the league, while 2016 right tackle Bobby Hart was arguably even worse than Flowers when it came to protecting the passer.
Despite that, the Giants didn't sign or draft a single high-profile offensive tackle this offseason.
Both Flowers and Hart have room to growโgeneral manager Jerry Reese has expressed confidence in each of themโand the front office did add veteran tackle/guard D.J. Fluker in free agency. But that might not be enough for a team that must do a better job of protecting its aging quarterback and paving the way for a running game that ranked 30th in football with 3.5 yards per attempt last season.
By not giving themselves better options at the tackle positions, the G-Men might have painted themselves into a corner on offense.
And About the Seahawks Offensive Line...
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The Seattle Seahawks offensive lineโwhich allowed more quarterback hits than all but three other units in the NFL in 2016โis a mess. And the front office didn't do enough this offseason to address the group's shortcomings.
Beyond center Justin Britt, they don't have a single reliable offensive lineman on the roster.
They brought in former Jaguars bust Luke Joeckel and journeyman Oday Aboushi, but neither of those guys should be relied on. They'll still likely have to use George Fant, Mark Glowinski and/or Germain Ifedi in key roles after all three struggled mightily last season.
Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson is coming off the worst season of his career. It's no coincidence Wilson wasn't healthy for much of 2016 and that he was sacked more than any other quarterback in the conference (41 times).
A lot of that has to do with the fact the line couldn't protect him, but there's little indication that'll change in 2017.
Everything That Involves Kevin White
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Two seasons and two major leg injuries into his NFL career, Chicago Bears wide receiver Kevin White has just 19 receptions for 187 yards in four games. The 2015 No. 7 overall pick has yet to score a touchdown, and he's caught less than 55 percent of the passes thrown his way.
Now, with two-time 1,000-yard receiver Alshon Jeffery gone, the Bears are counting on White to become a strong, starting-caliber receiver in 2017.
That's quite a risk, and precedent isn't on his side. Per Rotoworld's Evan Silva, Yatil Green, R. Jay Soward, A.J. Jenkins, Rashaun Woods, Marcus Nash and White are the only first-round receivers who have caught fewer than 20 passes through their first two NFL seasons in the last two decades.
White's left leg, which had a stress fracture in 2015 and a fibular spiral fracture in 2016, is apparently fully healed, according to Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune, but it's not as though the 25-year-old has been good when healthy anyway.
The Bears hope he bounces back, and they're saying the right things.
"Knowing his work ethic and his approach and his support system, I know he's going to come back ready to go," Bears general manager Ryan Pace told reporters in April. "He has just got to shake off some of that bad luck. Kevin is going to have to step up and stay healthy."
The Mess in Kansas City
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The Kansas City Chiefs organization is a giant red flag. They won the AFC West last year, but they're vulnerable in the toughest division in the league, and they've had a weird offseason.
They didn't have any money to spend in free agency, they used their first-round pick on a quarterback who isn't likely to play in 2017, they released top receiver Jeremy Maclin in June and they fired general manager John Dorsey a few weeks later.
That's not something functional teams doโespecially if Dorsey and Chiefs owner Clark Hunt were indeed "butting heads," as Bleacher Report's Jason Cole reportedโwhich is concerning.
It also might mean more power for head coach Andy Reid, who received a contract extension when Dorsey was fired. That's scary because, as Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer points out, Reid's Philadelphia Eagles teams struggled when he was handed extra responsibilities during the latter part of his tenure there.
Could the Chiefs be ripe for an implosion?
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