Adrian Peterson In New Colors
AP had a rough stay of it his last year or so in Minnesota, so now he's getting a new, fresh start playing in New Orleans. What is going to be a change for Peterson is the fact that he won't be seen as the featured back anymore. He's probably going to get some reduced time playing with the Saints lead back Mark Ingram, who had 1,043 rushing yards last season. Still, there's always that chance that AP could return to his old form and help take the Saints to the promise land.
Return of Beast Mode
Its been two years since we last saw Marshawn Lynch take the field. In 127 games before this year, Lynch had 9,112 rush yards and 74 career touchdowns. He hasn't touched a field in two years, and he goes out and joins a team that ended a 13 year playoff drought by making the post season last year. Oakland can only get better from here and by adding a guy like Lynch could make them even better.
Rookie QB's Pick Up Quick
Most fans know that the NFL is a quarterback driven league. There's a few new fresh faces that are coming into play this year. Mitchell Trubisky Bears), DeShone Kizer (Browns) and Deshaun Watson (Texans) all have high expectations placed on their shoulders going into this year, because of the high praise that they had coming out of college. Watson is going to have to compete with Tom Savage for the starting job with the Texans, so who knows what Houston is going to want to do with the man under center. The Texans now have a young QB that they could mold so hopefully it turns out to work out in their favor.
The Return Of Golden Arms
Two of the brightest stars at the quarterback position in the game are coming off injuries. Cam Newton (partially torn rotator cuff) and Andrew Luck (labrum repair) are coming off shoulder surgeries. Luck, who played well last year, hasn't started to throw yet and seems likely to miss at least the first few practices of camp. It would suck yes, but you need to make sure he's healthy and ready to go by opening day. As for Newton, who had a dramatic drop-off in 2016 from his MVP season, started throwing late in the offseason. Their progress will be two of the most closely scrutinized stories this summer, particularly if their preseason game action is limited in any way.
Now we move on to the biggest stories from the local teams:
Last year, the Giants managed to make the playoffs by going 11-5 and gaining a Wild Card spot. They did so while averaging 19.4 points per game, which is a tad paltry for a playoff team. So what do the Giants do to improve that? Add weapons. They drafted Evan Engram to play Tight End, bring in Brandon Marshall as the #2 threat behind Odell Beckham Jr., and give Paul Perkins the starting Running Back job. On paper, this looks like it could be a very scary offense to go up against. But that's on paper, how well it translates to on the field will be determined over the course of camp. Hopefully, this offense can get to the level the defense was at last season.
Is The Offensive Line Good Enough?
What good is the new, high powered, offense going to be, if the offensive line can't hold up? There's a few question marks there. Its going to be the same line that started most of last season, which leaves massive doubts about their tackles. Left tackle Ereck Flowers dropped weight this offseason, but will it translate to a better, more effective player? Also, how will free-agent signing D.J. Fluker fit into the mix? Will he fit into the mix? We’ll find out quickly this summer.
Defense Stepping Up
This was the strength of the G-Men last season, as they allowed 17.8 points per game a season ago, which was the 2nd fewest points against in the league last year. There's now potential for them to get even better. The goal, in camp, will be to keep this group healthy and find ways to integrate young players such as middle linebacker B.J. Goodson, safety Darian Thompson and defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson. Let's see if they dominate, and can gel quickly, this summer.
Who's Behind Eli?
More then in years past, the eyes will be on the Quarterback position, but a lot of it won't have much to do with Eli Manning. There's no doubt that Eli is the starter. The question will be, who is gonna be the #2 on the charts right behind Eli? It's a three man battle betweenthird-round pick Davis Webb, former Jets starter Geno Smith and veteran Josh Johnson are expected to compete for the backup job, and Webb probably will serve as the third-stringer this season as he makes the massive jump to a pro-style offense. All their performances this summer will be scrutinized. Who can really step up and make a name for themselves in camp and establish as the guy to be right behind Eli for the Giants.
Where do we start with this one. It will probably take a full season to figure out what's really going to be done with this team, there's not much here this year. General manager Mike Maccagnan built this team with an eye on 2018, stripping down a roster filled with overpaid, underperforming veterans and replacing them with young, unproven talents. They figure to carry at least 10 rookies, many of whom could play key roles. It'll be a tough, competitive training camp with no fewer than six starting jobs up for grabs. It will be very interesting to see who's going to emerge to play a role on this years football team.
Who's Under Center?
Seems like its been a revolving door for the Jets as to who's going to play Quarterback for this football team. Who's going to be the starter and backup for this season has yet to be decided by Head Coach Todd Bowles. many believe that 38 year old newly signed Josh McCown will be the top guy to take the snaps this year. The Jets will set it up so Christian Hackenberg and Bryce Petty have the chance to compete for the starting gig, but that won't fool anyone. Barring an upset, McCown will be the opening day starter based on experience, if nothing else. For the record, this isn't McCowns job to lose, its can Hackenberg, or even Petty, step up and possibly take it from him? As soon as the former second-round pick is capable of running the offense, he'll be in there. But only time will tell if the team actually has their future star under center or if they have to dig for him in the draft next year?
Change of guard with offensive Coordinator
New year, new system, new players, new offensive coordinator. Gang Green is starting over on offense, with first-time Offensive Coordinator John Morton taking over a unit that probably will have at least six new starters and arguably the worst quarterback situation in the league. The talent base is thin, and the receiving corps is largely unproven. Morton will deserve a nice raise if his West Coast offense cracks the top 20. But with what's here, on paper at least, it looks like a long shot.
Sheldon Richardson Front And Center
One of the bright spots over the last number of seasons has been the Jets defense. Sheldon Richardson is one of the anchors of that Jets defense, and has been the last couple of years. But last year, it didn't look that way from Sheldon. There's no doubt about how good he is, but his future is uncertain because he's entering the final year of his contract and has been on the trading block since last fall. It wouldn't be a shock if he's dealt by the midseason trading deadline. In the meantime, the plan is to move him back to his natural position, 3-technique tackle, where he has thrived in the past. And get him back to playing the type of football all Jets fans know him to be able to play. If he can do that he'll be able to earn himself a nice contract, either from the Jets (I hope) or some other team willing to pay for his services.
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