By Noah Alvarez
In the last edition of our The BallOut NFL Training Camp previews, we went over the most important position battles in the NFC. In this edition, we’re going to go over the AFC position battles that will be worth watching.
Baltimore Ravens
Wide Receiver
The retirement of Steve Smith, Sr. prior to last season was a huge loss for the Baltimore Ravens receiving corps. No wide receiver finished with more than 53 receptions in 2017 and three of the five team leaders in receptions were either a tight end or a running back. The ravens lost Mike Wallace and Jeremy Maclin this offseason but added Michael Crabtree, John Brown and Willie Snead in free agency and Jaleel Scott and Jordan Lasley through the draft.
While it may be assumed Crabtree, Brown and Snead are locks to make the roster, they still will have to compete with the returning receivers of Breshad Perriman and Chris Moore. None of the receivers are locks to be the #1 target so where they fall on the depth chart is completely up for grabs as well. Baltimore finished with the fourth fewest passing yards in the NFL in 2017 so if they want that statistic to change, they are going to need a big turnaround from their receiver position.
Buffalo Bills
Quarterback
The era of Tyrod Taylor in Buffalo finally came to an end when the team decided to trade Taylor to the Browns this offseason. The Bills went on to sign A.J. McCarron in free agency and then traded up in the draft to select Wyoming quarterback Josh Allen in the first round. Not to mention, Nathan Peterman who started two games last season also remains on the roster.
While Allen is a coveted prospect with a big arm, he struggled to read defenses in college and needs to improve upon his decision making. McCarron was a four year backup for the Cincinnati Bengals and made only three starts in his career, throwing six touchdowns, two interceptions and posting a completion percentage of 66%. Peterman was a rookie last year and appeared in five games including the Bills’ playoff game. Many people will remember that Peterman threw five interceptions in the first half of his first start against the Los Angeles Chargers last season.
All three candidates don’t have too impressive of a resume meaning the starting spot is completely up for grabs. I am sure if you asked head coach Sean McDermott right now who he thinks the starter will be, he would respond with “I don’t know.”
Cincinnati Bengals
Defensive End
Unlike most position battles, the Cincinnati Bengals defensive end position will be an intense battle because of the plethora of quality candidates fighting for the spot. Carlos Dunlap is almost a for sure lock to start at one of the defensive end spots but he is entering a contract year. 10-year veteran Michael Johnson has been a solid player for the Bengals but has only put up double-digit sacks once.
Second-year player Carl Lawson recorded 8.5 sacks his rookie season serving primarily as a nickel package rusher and will look to push for a starting spot. The Bengals also drafted Ohio State defensive end Sam Hubbard, who recorded 22 tackles for loss and 10.5 sacks in his final two seasons for the Buckeyes. Either one of these two players could force Johnson out of a starting spot this upcoming season.
Cleveland Browns
Quarterback
Stop me if you have heard this before, but the starting quarterback for the Cleveland Browns is up in the air once again. The Browns have used 28 different starting quarterbacks since 1999, the most in that time frame. Cleveland will be opening the 2018 season with a brand new starter after trading DeShone Kizer to the Green Bay Packers, Kevin Hogan to the Washington Redskins and Cody Kessler to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The Browns did bring in Tyrod Taylor via trade and used their first overall pick on 2017 Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Baker Mayfield. Taylor has been a very average starter during his tenure with the Bills completing 63% of his passes, throwing 51 touchdowns, 16 interceptions and averaging 201 yards per game.
Baker Mayfield was an electrifying player in college playing for the Oklahoma Sooners. Mayfield threw for 43 touchdowns, 4,627 passing yards and six interceptions in his senior season at Oklahoma. The former walk-on became one of the most polarizing players in all of college football the past two seasons and eventually was draft first overall. Head coach Hue Jackson has already said that he plans on starting Taylor day one but do not be surprised if Mayfield impresses during camp and beats Taylor out for the starting position.
Denver Broncos
Tight End
The Denver Broncos lost their two leading tight ends this offseason in A.J. Derby and Virgil Green leaving them with one of the most inexperienced position groups across the league. The players fighting for the starting tight end job consist of Jake Butt, Troy Fumagalli, Jeff Heuerman, Austin Traylor, Matt LaCosse and Brian Parker.
Butt was a quality dual-threat in college playing at the University of Michigan, but he tore his ACL during the bowl game in his senior year which caused him to miss the entire 2017 season. The Broncos drafted Fumagalli in the fifth round of this year’s draft, who recorded 93 receptions and six touchdowns in his final two seasons at Wisconsin. Heuerman is a third-year veteran who has recorded only nine receptions in each of the last two seasons. Traylor is a second-year player who has eight receptions in seven games, LaCosse has three career receptions in two seasons and Parker did not make a 53-man roster each of the last two seasons.
It is safe to say that the Broncos are not expecting much from the tight end position this upcoming season.
Houston Texans
Left tackle
The Houston Texans as a team allowed the second most sacks in the NFL last season (54). Last year the team failed to come to an agreement with left tackle Duane Brown and he sat out during the offseason activities along with six games in regular season. The Texans eventually traded Brown to the Seahawks and slid Chris Clark to the left tackle position. Clark did a terrible job of protecting the blind side and with quarterback DeShaun Watson coming back from injury this season, Houston needs to do a better job of protecting their young quarterback.
The Texans signed Seantrel Henderson in free agency this offseason and also drafted Martinas Rankin with their third round pick this year. Those two players along with second-year player Julie’n Davenport will compete for the starting left tackle job. Whoever wins the starting spot will need to do a better job of protecting Watson this upcoming season in order to keep him healthy.
Indianapolis Colts
Running Back
The Indianapolis Colts lost veteran running back Frank Gore in free agency this offseason which created a large void at the position. Because they had greater needs elsewhere, the Colts did not take a running back until day three of the draft as they selected Nyheim Hines and Jordan Wilkins. Both of the two will look to challenge Marlon Mack for the starting position this upcoming training camp.
Mack was a solid dual threat spell back to Gore last year. He finished the 2017 season with 358 rush yards, 21 receptions and four total touchdowns in 14 games. The Colts also have Robert Turbin on their roster who will take his fair share of goal line and short-yardage carries. It will be interesting to see who earns the role of primary back and how the rotation shakes out this offseason.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Wide Receiver
The Jacksonville Jaguars lost two of their top receivers in Allen Robinson and Allen Hurns this offseason. The two receivers have led the Jaguars in receptions since they came into the NFL in 2014. Marqise Lee and Keelan Cole both stepped up last year after Hurns dealt with a series of injuries and Robinson had a season ending knee injury, but neither player stood out as a true #1 receiver.
The Jaguars drafted DJ Chark out of LSU this year and Chark could be one of the sleepers of this draft class. Chark played in a run heavy offense at LSU and did not see a whole bunch of targets. He shined at the Senior Bowl and the NFL Combine this offseason and could be poised to leapfrog both Lee and Cole for the starting receiver job.
Kansas City Chiefs
Cornerback
Other than the trade of Alex Smith, the biggest move the Kansas City Chiefs made this offseason was trading away star cornerback Marcus Peters to the Los Angeles Rams. This left a huge void at the position because Peters led the league in interceptions since his first year in the NFL. Luckily for Kansas City, they received 23-year old cornerback Kendall Fuller in return for Alex Smith. Fuller is one of the better young corners in the league as he tallied up four interceptions and 10 pass deflections in 2017 for the Redskins defense.
Outside of Fuller, there are some big question marks however. The Chiefs signed David Amerson in free agency this offseason and he has been a decent corner when he can stay healthy. The Chiefs also have Steven Nelson on their roster who had a good 2016 season tallying 16 pass deflections, but struggled to find playing time last year in the Chiefs rotation. Neither of the three are elite corners which means it is going to take a collective effort to fill Peters’ absence on the defense.
Los Angeles Chargers
Tight End
News broke that tight end Hunter Henry tore his ACL during OTA’s which could be a tremendous loss for the Chargers’ offense. Henry has developed into a dangerous weapon in the passing game hauling in 81 catches during his first two seasons. Outside of Henry, the Chargers did not have too many quality tight ends on their roster. The tight end with the most experience at the position is eight-year veteran Virgil Green who only has 71 career catches.
Braedon Bowman and Sean Culkin are two third-year players on the roster who have yet to record a catch. The Chargers also signed two undrafted free agents this offseason in Cole Hunt and Ben Johnson who will compete to make the roster. With the injury to Henry, the starting tight end becomes a question mark and we could possibly see the Chargers have to make that awkward phone call to Antonio Gates and see if he is interested in playing for them again.
Miami Dolphins
Wide Receiver
The Dolphins made some noise this offseason by trading away star wide receiver Jarvis Landry to the Cleveland Browns. This created a huge void at the position as Landry accounted for almost a third of the Dolphins passing offense in 2017. Behind Landry last season were Kenny Stills and DeVante Parker. Parker was a former first round pick in 2015 and has yet to record 60 or more receptions in a season. Stills has been a solid #3 receiver since the he was traded over from New Orleans but he still has trouble getting open consistently and avoiding drops.
Albert Wilson was signed in free agency this offseason but he was a player that was far too inconsistent in the Chiefs’ offense. Last year’s punt returner Jakeem Grant has very little receiver experience and 10-year veteran Danny Amendola is well past his prime. The Dolphins have a bunch of receivers who have been the second or third option their entire careers. It will be interesting to see if one of the four can emerge as the team’s go to guy.
New England Patriots
Running Back
The New England Patriots leading rusher in 2017, Dion Lewis, signed with Tennessee Titans in free agency this offseason. If you have watched the Patriots and Tom Brady the past decade, it really doesn’t matter who you have in at running back in that offense. However, the Patriots made things interesting this offseason by adding Georgia running back Sony Michel through the draft and Jeremy Hill through free agency.
Hill is coming off the worst season of his career, one which he received only 37 carries all year due to a crowded backfield that contained Joe Mixon and Giovani Bernard. Hill was was a solid back during the first three years of his career and could compete for the team’s short yardage back role. Michel, on the other hand, is a rookie that plenty of scouts loved going into the draft. Lot of analysts said Michel is the most complete running back outside of Saquon Barkley in this year’s class so Michel could potentially blow the Patriots coaching staff away this training camp.
Not to forget, New England still has Rex Burkhead, James White and Mike Gillislee on their roster. White and Burkhead are two very capable scat backs that will see plenty of screens and Gillislee saw over 100 carries last year. It will be fun to watch which of the five running backs will find a way to get into the rotation.
New York Jets
Quarterback
The New York Jets last year finished with the 5th-fewest passing touchdowns in the league and averaged only 199 passing yards per game. The Jets need better production from the quarterback position and they have three candidates fighting for the job this offseason. Option number one might be last year’s starter in Josh McCown. McCown had another decent year, posting 18 touchdowns, 2,936 passing yards and only 9 interceptions in 13 starts. Nothing stellar, but you know what you are going to get from McCown.
They could also go with rookie quarterback Sam Darnold, who they drafted with the third overall pick in the draft. Darnold is only 20 years old, but had a monster redshirt freshman season back in 2016. During the 2017 season, Darnold struggled to hold on to the ball and coughed up a lot of turnovers thanks to a inexperienced offensive line and receiving corps at USC.
The other option they could go with is Teddy Bridgewater, who they signed during free agency this offseason. Bridgewater was a solid starting quarterback his first two seasons with Minnesota. However, Bridgewater suffered from a brutal ACL injury that forced him to miss the entire 2016 season and most of 2017. He may be a long shot to win the starting gig, but if he can show some of the athleticism and accuracy he showed a few years ago, head coach Todd Bowles will have a tough decision to make.
Oakland Raiders
Cornerback
The secondary was a position group the Oakland Raiders needed to address heavily this offseason, specifically cornerback. Oakland gave up the 7th most passing yards per game and allowed the second highest completion percentage in 2017. They cut ties with Sean Smith, David Amerson and TJ Carrie this offseason leaving second-year player Gareon Conley as the only returner at the position.
The Raiders were busy this offseason and brought in Rashaan Melvin, Daryl Worley, Shareece Wright, Leon Hall, and Senquez Golson to try and make the secondary better. Melvin is what you call a late bloomer, did not produce much his first three seasons but the last two years in Indiana, Melvin recorded 20 pass deflections and three interceptions. Worley spent his first two seasons in Carolina and recorded 19 pass deflections and 111 tackles for the Panthers defense. He was traded this offseason for Torrey Smith and was later cut by the Philadelphia Eagles after being arrested for driving under the influence.
Wright is an eight-year veteran who has bounced around the league and has been a decent role player wherever he has gone. Hall was a shutdown corner for the Bengals from 2007-2012 in defensive coordinator Paul Guenther’s defense, but he is well past his prime and possibly on the roster to serve as a role model.
Golson was a former Steelers second round pick but due to injuries, he has yet to play in a single NFL game. While none of the five options are star caliber cornerbacks, the Raiders are hoping that one or two of them can step and play well alongside Conley next season.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Inside Linebacker
The Pittsburgh Steelers had one of the best linebackers in Ryan Shazier but due to a freak back injury, Shazier may never get to play football again. This puts the Steelers in an odd predicament where they need a replacement. Vince Williams looks to be the starter at one of the inside linebacker positions but the spot next to him is up for grabs.
Linebackers Jon Bostic, Tyler Matakevich and safety Terrell Edmunds will all be gunning for the position. Bostic recorded 97 tackles for the Colts last season, but he is also on his fourth team in four years. Matakevich was who the Steelers turned to last year after Shazier’s injury. Matakevich had decent outings but was eventually out for the season with a shoulder injury. Edmunds is the rookie the Steelers drafted this year and while he is a safety by trade, he excelled playing up in the box and helping out in the run game so we may see Edmunds play linebacker in nickel packages.
Tennessee Titans
Wide Receiver
The Titans’ leading receiver last year was Delanie Walker, a tight end, and they lost their leading receiver in Eric Decker this offseason. Receiver seemed like a pretty significant need for the Titans this offseason but they did little to improve the position. Both Rishard Matthews and Corey Davis return for their seventh and second season in the NFL, but neither have lived up the hype they received before the draft.
Mathews was the best red zone target for Tennessee but only caught four touchdowns in 2017. Davis as a rookie last year, did not quite live up to the hype as he finished the year with only 34 receptions and zero touchdowns.
The Titans signed Michael Campanaro who was a quality slot last year for the Baltimore Ravens but only received minimal playing time. Tennessee also picked up undrafted free agent Deontay Burnett who was one of the better receivers of this draft class but managed somehow to fall all the way out of all seven rounds so he could be a potential sleeper. It is clear however, the Titans do not have a true #1 receiver and this could spell trouble for quarterback Marcus Mariota.
