With the preseason set to begin on Sunday night, here’s a look at 30 storylines surrounding the NFL teams outside of the Jets and Giants.
Atlanta Falcons: Wide receiver Julio Jones is coming off foot surgery, no tight end has emerged as a suitable replacement for Tony Gonzalez and Stephen Jackson is coming off a poor year at the age of 31. Will the rebuilt offensive line — behind veteran Jon Asamoah and first round pick Jake Matthews — be able to keep Matt Ryan upright?
Arizona Cardinals: Happy star cornerback, happy life? It remains to be seen, but the Cardinals sure made Patrick Peterson’s day, making him the highest paid defensive back in the sport this week with a five-year, $70 million extension. The bigger questions in Arizona, however, are whether can Carson Palmer cut down on his interceptions and will the offense be the group that caught fire late in the year or the one that stumbled early?
Baltimore Ravens: The focus has been everywhere but the football field after a turbulent offseason that included five player arrests and the Ray Rice two-game suspension for beating up his fiancee. Baltimore fans have forgiven Rice, giving him rousing standing ovations at training camp this week, but what happens if the New Rochelle product’s decline continues? Boos and another subpar season.
Buffalo Bills: Has Sammy Watkins been inducted into Canton yet? Bills fans sure are expecting the Clemson rookie to be the next great wide receiver, and so far in camp, he’s given Buffalo no reason but to have sky-high hopes, delivering on the promise of being the fourth pick.
Carolina Panthers: Overhauled their wide receiver position with journeyman types and a rookie, and quarterback Cam Newton is being brought along slowly after offseason ankle injury. That doesn’t seem like a good combination. And a weak secondary has even more questions than the passing attack.
Cincinnati Bengals: New offensive and defensive coordinators have arrived in Cincinnati, Hue Jackson on offense and former linebackers coach Paul Guenther on defense. Jackson’s offense is one to watch: The defending AFC North champion will be looking to speed up the game, taking advantage of accurate quarterback Andy Dalton and his bevy of play-making weapons.
Cleveland Browns: It’s safe to say the Browns have never had a training camp that has garnered so much attention. And it’s for a backup quarterback. Of course, Johnny Manziel isn’t any ordinary backup — the rookie first round pick and former Heisman Trophy winner is the future. Brian Hoyer is penciled in as the starter. How long does that last?
Chicago Bears: Brandon Marshall predicted an MVP trophy for Jay Cutler, but the jury is still out on whether Cutler can take the next step. He does have plenty of help, with a star running back in Matt Forte, dynamic receiver duo of Marshall and Alshon Jeffrey and a defense that added blue-chip rookie cornerback Kyle Fuller and pass-rushing dynamo Jared Allen. The feeling in Chicago is the Bears are ready to take the next step toward contention.
Dallas Cowboys: Tony Romo is supposed to be 100 percent healthy after offseason back injury, but he’s missed two of the team’s first six practices and is unlikely to suit up in the preseason opener Aug. 7 against the Chargers in San Diego. On Monday, owner Jerry Jones said the Cowboys were “that close” to drafting Manziel. That sure should make Romo feel good — as long as his back isn’t still bothering him.
Denver Broncos: After adding defensive end DeMarcus Ware, wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders, safety T.J. Ward and cornerback Aqib Talib to last year’s Super Bowl team, Denver has few questions entering the season, though if you have to find a few, it would be Montee Ball taking over as the featured back and who will be the starting right tackle.
Detroit Lions: Jim Caldwell hasn’t coached since 2011, when he presided over a 2-14 Colts team. How will he handle adjusting to being the head coach again, and how will Matthew Stafford and his array of receivers adjust to a new offense?
Green Bay Packers: The Packers showed signs of defensive slippage last year, ranking 25th in total yards allowed. How will coordinator Dom Capers find a way to maximize the defensive talent on hand? Julius Peppers gives Clay Matthews a frightful bookend.
Houston Texans: Ryan Fitzpatrick is the clear-cut starter — yes, really — but will fourth-round pick Tom Savage show enough in training camp to make a push for the job at some point?
Indianapolis Colts: It’s now or never for running back Trent Richardson, who needs to prove that the Colts didn’t squander a valuable first-round pick when they traded for the former Browns running back in September. Can he improve upon his dismal 2013, when he averaged only 2.9 yards per carry?
Jacksonville Jaguars: The Jaguars spent second-round picks on wide receivers Marqise Lee and Allen Robinson, but both missed most of organized teams activities with injuries. With valuable practice time lost, how will they fare getting back up to speed?
Kansas City Chiefs: After being torched by Andrew Luck in the playoffs last season, the Chiefs didn’t do much to address the secondary. Will second-year cornerback Marcus Cooper — who played well early in his rookie season — help strengthen a questionable corps?
Miami Dolphins: There’s some calm in South Florida after the Bullygate storm. With Mike Sherman gone, the Dolphins brought in Bill Lazor to run the offense. How will the team adjust, and how will third-year quarterback Ryan Tannehill respond?
Minnesota Vikings: Who will win the quarterback battle: veteran Matt Cassel or first-round pick Teddy Bridgewater? Cassel is the favorite, but Bridgewater is already splitting first-team reps with the former Chiefs and Patriots quarterback.
New England Patriots: Rob Gronkowski is looking to come back from yet another serious injury, a torn ACL late suffered last season. Will he be ready to go in Week 1, or will he have to start the season on the PUP list? And if he is on the field, does he resemble the pass-snaring, linebacker-busting Gronk of old?
New Orleans Saints: The Saints are building a strong secondary, with free agent Jairus Byrd and Kenny Vaccaro on board. But other than Keenan Lewis, the team’s cornerback options are question marks. Who will step up to further fortify the unit? Jimmy Graham has a new contract and seems to be a happy camper.
Oakland Raiders: Have the Raiders found their quarterback of the present and the future? That’s what the team is hoping after they traded a draft pick to pull Matt Schaub from the Texans scrap heap and used a second-round selection to grab Fresno State’s Derek Carr. Schaub has impressed teammates in training camp, and will look to build on that in the preseason after a disastrous 2013 with Houston.
Philadelphia Eagles: How will Chip Kelly’s offense evolve in Year 2? DeSean Jackson is now in Washington, and but the Eagles added Darren Sproles to team with LeSean McCoy to form one of the most dynamic backfields in the game. How Kelly uses that duo could determine if the Eagles repeat as NFC East champions, and we should get some hints in the preseason.
Pittsburgh Steelers: Did they get enough help for Ben Roethlisberger? The beat-up Steelers quarterback may get more assistance for the run game with the two-headed monster of Le’Veon Bell and LeGarrette Blount.
St. Louis Rams: Expected to have one of the most fearsome defenses in the league, but much of the preseason focus will be on Michael Sam. The seventh-round pick, who came out as gay before the NFL Draft, will be in an August fight to make the Rams roster.
San Diego Chargers: A year after Mike McCoy took over as head coach and revitalized Philip Rivers and the offense, the pressure is now on the defense to get this team past the Divisional Round of the playoffs. And that starts with first-round pick Jason Verrett. The cornerback out of TCU will try and improve San Diego’s 29th-ranked pass defense.
San Francisco 49ers: Beyond anything happening on the field (the Year 3, post-Miami-investigation development of Colin Kaepernick; the repaired ACL of NaVorro Bowman; the possible suspension of Aldon Smith), what bears watching is the uneasy truce between Jim Harbaugh — seeking a big raise on his $5 million salary — and the front office. A disgruntled coach could make for an unpredictable NFC contender.
Seattle Seahawks: Marshawn Lynch’s holdout was set to dominate headlines in the Northwest … until Beast Mode and the defending Super Bowl champions agreed on a slight pay bump. Now Lynch could be headed for another Super Bowl media day, which would be a treat. He’s just about that action, boss.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Lovie Smith is a defensive coach by trade, but the bigger problem on the pirate ship is a moribund offense, which ranked 30th in scoring last season. Journeyman QB Josh McCown has a few weeks to whip that unit into shape, and top draft pick Mike Evans will be asked to be every bit as good as fellow wideout Vincent Jackson.
Tennessee Titans: Jake Locker: yea or nay? The oft-injured fourth-year passer’s picture is in the dictionary right now, next to “make-or-break season.” Early reports out of camp are predictably cheery. It’s up to new coach and Ed Harris lookalike Ken Whisenhunt to determine whether Locker’s a franchise QB or a place-holder until next year’s draft. No one wants the Charlie Whitehurst Experience.
Washington Redskins: When they’re not talking name change or RG3, watchers of this team are worrying over the defense. The likes of Jason Hatcher and Ryan Clark were imported to bolster a sieve-like unit anchored by Brian Orakpo, Ryan Kerrigan and DeAngelo Hall. How will it gel? Can it keep opponents under 30? Does offense-minded coach Jay Gruden even care?