Top storyline for each NFL team heading into training camp

Are you excited yet? In the matter of days, the Pittsburgh Steelers will take on the Minnesota Vikings in the Hall of Fame game—signifying the unofficial start of the 2015 NFL season. With teams already reporting to camp and others set to get going in short order, football fans the world over are starting to turn their attention to the new campaign.

What has changed since Malcolm Butler intercepted Russell Wilson in the Super Bowl this past February to give the New England Patriots the title? No, it hasn’t been all about court hearings, Deflategate and off-field incidents. Instead, a whole heck of a lot has changed on the football field.

Here is our look at the top storyline for each team heading into training camp.

Arizona Cardinals: David Johnson, Andre Ellington and the running back position

Arizona didn’t select Johnson in the third round of the draft for the rookie to be riding the pine this upcoming season. Johnson put up over 1,500 rushing yards and 17 scores for Northern Iowa last season. The 6-foot-1, 224-pound running back offers a nice change of pace to former sixth-round pick Andre Ellington, who was placed on injured reserve late last season with a hernia.

The ideal scenario here for Arizona would be for Johnson to handle the primary ball-carrier duties with Ellington coming in on third down and acting as the receiving option out of the backfield. It will be interesting to see how this unfolds as training camp moves forward and preseason games start.

Atlanta Falcons: Dan Quinn’s defensive scheme and the team’s personnel

The new Falcons head coach runs a primary 4-3 defensive set, but he utilized a LEO in his scheme with the Seattle Seahawks over the past couple seasons. In addition to this, he asked stand-up pass-rush options from the linebacker position to put pressure on the quarterback. That differs a bit from basic 4-3 schemes where the onus is mostly on the defensive ends. With free-agent acquisition Brooks Reed and top-10 pick Vic Beasley slated to start at outside linebacker, Atlanta seems to have the personnel to make this scheme work. The more interesting dynamic here is whether defensive end Adrian Clayborn can act as the force to open outside rushing lanes for Reed and Beasley.

Baltimore Ravens: starting wide receiver opposite Steve Smith

Baltimore selected Breshad Perriman in the first round of the 2015 NFL draft in order to replace the departed Torrey Smith. The Central Florida product, who tallied over 1,000 yards and averaged about 21 yards per reception last year, will be called on to replace Smith as the team’s deep threat. Though, it remains to be seen whether he’s going to be starting out of the gate.

Despite struggling as a sophomore last season, the Ravens like what they see from third-year wide receiver Marlon Brown. The Georgia product put up just 255 yards on 24 receptions. In reality, this job could very well be Perriman’s to lose. Either way, someone is going to have to step up to help Smith out at wide receiver. If not, Joe Flacco could see some regression from a solid 2014 campaign.

Buffalo Bills: three-headed competition of mediocre quarterbacks

It’s going to be incredibly interesting to see how this entire situation plays out. Reports have indicated thus far this summer that Matt Cassel was falling behind both EJ Manuel and Tyrod Taylor in the competition. If that’s the case, there is a decent chance that Cassel will be cut at some point before the season. And while Manuel is the most highly-touted quarterback of the three, there are people within the organization who think Taylor could do a serviceable job as a starter.

Either way you spin it, whoever is under center will have the necessary weapons to succeed. With an up-and-coming offensive line, dominating running back in LeSean McCoy and a potential No. 1 receiver in Sammy Watkins, the skill is definitely here. It’s now up to the quarterback, whoever he is, to succeed.

Carolina Panthers: replacing Greg Hardy

The Panthers were put behind the proverbial eight-ball when they lost one of their best defensive players for the final 15 games last season. While the team did add Kony Ealy in the second round of last year’s draft, the Missouri product was in no position to step in for Hardy. Now with a full offseason under his belt knowing that Hardy is a member of the Dallas Cowboys, expectations have to be high that Ealy will be able to fill the former’s shoes.

Carolina has one Pro Bowl-caliber defensive end in Charles Johnson. It now needs to get production from the other side to mask what is a below-average secondary. That’s going to be key for the team to figure out during training camp. If it’s not Ealy, either Frank Alexander or Wes Horton will have to step up.

Chicago Bears: offensive coordinator Adam Gase and quarterback Jay Cutler

This may sound a bit harsh, but it’s a reality. Cutler has cost many offensive coordinators and head coaches their jobs over the course of his up and down career. How he performs in former Denver Broncos offensive coordinator Adam Gase’s system is going to tell us a lot about where the Bears offense is headed moving forward.

With Matt Forte, Alshon Jeffery, Kevin White and Martellus Bennett as skill-position players, Cutler has the necessary talent around him. It’s also important to note that Chicago displayed confidence in the embattled quarterback by not adding any competition this offseason. With an offense structured to his talents, Cutler should find himself in a position to succeed. It’s now up to him to actually do that. How he picks up the new offense during camp and the preseason will go a long way in determining this.

Cincinnati Bengals: Marvin Jones returns from injury

There’s little doubt that A.J. Green is Cincinnati’s best offensive player. That’s been made clear over and over again since he entered the league in 2011. However, the team needs that second guy to take a bit of the pressure off Green. Remember, how bad this passing offense was last year when the Pro Bowler was hobbled with a toe injury? That simply can’t happen in 2015 if the Bengals want to compete for a conference championship.

This is where Jones comes into play. Prior to missing the entire 2014 season with an ankle injury, the former fifth-round pick from Cal was clearly on his way to becoming the team’s No. 2 option. After all, he did record 51 receptions for 700 yards and 10 scores as a second-year player back in 2013. Duplicate numbers this season would be absolutely huge for Cincinnati.

Cleveland Browns: the defensive front

Cleveland’s secondary is absolutely stacked. It consists of three Pro Bowl performers from a season ago and a youngster in Justin Gilbert that the team hopes will find a way to play up to his status as a first-round pick. It’s the front seven, however, that could make the Browns’ defense one of the best in the league. Is Barkevious Mingo ready to take that next step and be a plus-level pass rusher opposite Paul Kruger? How will rookie second-round pick Nate Orchard fit into the equation there? We all know the outside linebacker position is the bread and butter for defensive fronts in a 3-4 scheme. In order for Cleveland’s unit to take that next step, one of those two needs to turn into a 10-plus sack guy.

Dallas Cowboys: all the running backs

Now that Joseph Randle will not face jail time for the plethora of off-field incidents he has been involved in over the past year, it’s clear that he’s likely going to enter preseason as the team’s top candidate to replace the departed DeMarco Murray. After that, the Cowboys have a whole host of lesser options. Darren McFadden is looking to reinvent himself after signing a prove-it deal during the spring. Meanwhile, an equally injury-plagued Ryan Williams was just recently released. This means that Dallas might be in the market for another running back.

Talent-wise, the Cowboys have enough to help create balance for Tony Romo on offense. It’s now all about one or two of these running backs actually stepping up when it’s needed the most. Based on Randle’s performance in limited action last year (6.7 average on 61 attempts), he should be the guy starting Week 1.

Denver Broncos: new run-based offensive attack?

Since his first coordinating job with the Broncos back in 1995, Gary Kubiak-led offenses have finished in to the top 10 in rushing a whopping 13 times. Needless to say, the new Denver head coach leads a run-based attack. It’s a mighty interesting change up from how former coordinator Adam Gase envisioned this unit succeeding before moving on to Chicago. With Peyton Manning under center, it’s going to be interesting to see how the Broncos utilize Kubiak’s philosophy.

The good news here is that Denver has a running back in C.J. Anderson who put up nearly 1,200 total yards last year while not seeing regular action until Week 10. The team also has former second-round pick Montee Ball ready to contribute after an injury-plagued sophomore campaign.

Detroit Lions: does Matthew Stafford have any progression left in him?

After putting up an amazing 2011 campaign that saw him throw for over 5,000 yards with 41 touchdowns, Stafford has seen a steady decline in his numbers. Some of this has to do with Detroit going with more of a balanced offensive attack, but the former No. 1 pick has regressed in terms of his overall play.

After putting up 25 more touchdowns than interceptions in 2011 alone, Stafford has tallied 23 more touchdowns than picks over the past three years combined. He’s also led a Lions scoring offense that’s decreased from nearly 30 points per game in 2011 to just over 20 last season. In order for Detroit to overtake Green Bay in the NFC North, it’s going to have to score more. That’s readily apparent.

Green Bay Packers: the linebackers

With the Packers reportedly serious about using Clay Matthews at inside linebacker again this year, there has to be some concern over the team’s ability to bring the pressure. Nick Perry hasn’t amounted to a hill of beans at one outside linebacker position. And while Julius Peppers had a career resurgence last year, the 35-year-old isn’t getting any younger. Outside of that, Green Bay has Mike Neal and Jay Elliott vying for time as EDGE rushers. The Packers also have to figure out who is going to start next to Clay at inside linebacker. Carl Bradford, Sam Barrington and Jake Ryan are among the inexperienced names vying for the starting gig there.

Houston Texans: the quarterbacks

It sure looks like Brian Hoyer will get the first crack at Houston’s starting job when Week 1 comes calling. This doesn’t mean that Ryan Mallett is completely out of the conversation. The former Arkansas standout represents much more upside than his veteran counterpart. In fact, Hoyer’s limitations could have a negative impact on Houston’s ability to contend for a playoff spot. Remember, he struggled big time down the stretch for the Cleveland Browns last year, throwing two touchdowns compared to nine interceptions in his last six appearances.

Indianapolis Colts: this offense

It should be among the best in the entire NFL in 2015. Veteran additions Frank Gore and Andre Johnson add a whole heck of a lot to the unit. They join an already stacked skill-position group that includes T.Y. Hilton, Donte Moncrief, Dwayne Allen and Coby Fleener. In reality, star signal caller Andrew Luck has the best supporting cast of his career. Depending on how Gore pans out, and there’s no real signs of regression from the running back, Indianapolis could boast a historically good offense. It will be interesting to see how the parts play out in camp and during the preseason.

Jacksonville Jaguars: finding talent in youngsters

Jacksonville has the young talent to put up a solid offense in 2015. It’s now going to be about everything coming together for the struggling unit. Can Blake Bortles overcome what was an up-and-down rookie campaign to prove he’s the franchise quarterback? Is rookie second-round pick T.J. Yeldon going to provide enough balance at running back to help Bortles out? Heck, the likes of Allen Robinson, Marqise Lee and Allen Hurns provide a ton of upside at wide receiver. There is a lot of talent here, but it all needs to come together to create an effective offense.

Kansas City Chiefs: any change to the offense?

Chiefs receivers failed to catch a single touchdown last season. To put that into perspective, Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt nabbed three touchdown catches himself. Outside of replacing Dwayne Bowe with Jeremy Maclin as the team’s No. 1 receiver, Kansas City didn’t do a whole bunch from a personnel standpoint here. The question now becomes whether star tight end Travis Kelce will be used on a more consistent basis. If so, will he line up in the slot as a quasi No. 3 wide receiver? These are two big questions heading into camp, and they could dictate the personnel packages Kansas City utilizes throughout the season.

Miami Dolphins: the new look on offense

There’s little doubt that Miami got more-talented from a receiving standpoint over the past few months. Greg Jennings practically takes over for Mike Wallace as the team’s veteran presence. DeVante Parker comes in as a young option to potentially play opposite second-year receiver Jarvis Landry. Meanwhile, Kenny Stills will take over as Ryan Tannehill’s primary deep target. At tight end, a more capable receiver in the form of Jordan Cameron will be called on to replace Charles Clay. With Tannehill’s rapid progression last year and the new blood on offense, Miami should be able to put up a large amount of points this season. It just remains to be seen how the new talent will mesh early on.

Minnesota Vikings: Teddy and Adrian sitting in a…

tree? Seriously, this could be one of the best backfield combos in the NFL in 2015. Teddy Bridgewater was the most impressive rookie quarterback in the league last year, and it really wasn’t close. He finished off the campaign by totaling 13 touchdowns compared to seven interceptions in his last nine starts. Now with a running back in Adrian Peterson that is averaging 1,700 total yards per season in his career, the Vikings should be a force on offense.

It’s going to be interesting to see how offensive coordinator Norv Turner uses this new dynamic to the best of the team’s ability. Will he ask Peterson to create balance on offense or will the future Hall of Fame running back be the central focus? Odds are on the latter remaining the case.

New England Patriots: Tom, Jimmy, Roger and Deflategate

Unfortunately, the NFL’s off-season long drama will carry over into training camp and the preseason. With a federal court ruling unlikely any time soon, Tom Brady’s status for the first four games of the season remains up in the air. And short of a decision to set aside his suspension, this will drag on into the season. How will the Patriots proceed moving forward? Will Brady still get a majority of the first-team reps under center? That’s the biggest on-field question right now.

New Orleans Saints: replacing Jimmy Graham

That’s going to be no easy task. After all, Graham has accounted for nearly 30 percent of the Saints touchdown receptions over the past four seasons. New addition C.J. Spiller will look to pick up some of the slack from a receiving standpoint in the backfield. Meanwhile, second-year wide receiver Brandin Cooks found a solid connection with Drew Brees as a rookie last season.

In terms of the individual tasked with replacing Graham at tight end, the Saints seem to be pretty excited about third-year tight end Josh Hill, who caught five touchdowns as a sophomore last season. It’s definitely going to be a work in progress early on, but New Orleans still possesses a nice amount of talent on offense. Whether that will be enough to make up for what promises to be a shoddy defense remains to be seen.

New York Giants: finding something at linebacker

With the addition of Shane Vereen to a talented backfield and Victor Cruz looking to return completely healthy, the Giants’ offense could be one of the most dynamic in the NFL this season. That’s only magnified by the career season Eli Manning put up last year and the emergence of Odell Beckham Jr. as one of the top young receivers in the game.

However, if the Giants are going to compete in the NFC East, their defense needs to step up big time. It’s all going to start with a linebacker group that doesn’t bring a whole lot to the table from a talent perspective. Can Jon Beason continue to perform at a relatively high level? Who will emerge from a group of strong-side backers that includes Mark Herzlich and Devon Kennard? Heck, what about a weak-side linebacker battle that includes J.T. Thomas and veteran Victor Butler? A whole bunch of names here, but no real answers.

New York Jets: finding something on offense

If we merged the Giants and Jets into one super-team, they would likely win multiple championships. As to where the Giants lack defense, their New Jersey stadium-mates will have one of the best units in the entire NFL. Unfortunately, the Jets offense has been among the worst in the NFL over the years. Geno Smith will get another shot at it under center with veteran Brandon Marshall acting as the team’s No. 1 receiver. Any type of progression here leading to even average production on offense could put the Jets and first-year head coach Todd Bowles in position to earn a playoff spot. It’s now all about Smith proving he can be a starter-caliber quarterback at a time when his standing in the NFL is at an all-time low.

Oakland Raiders: Derek Carr’s team?

Flush with two new talented receivers in free-agent acquisition Michael Crabtree and rookie top-five pick Amari Cooper, Carr has a much better supporting cast around him. And despite some hesitation to call him the Raiders future franchise quarterback, it’s important to note that the 2014 second-round pick did turn in a solid statistical campaign as a rookie, throwing for nearly 3,300 yards with 21 touchdowns and just 12 interceptions.

Training camp will be an opportunity to see whether Carr has meshed with his new toys on offense. And once the preseason gets going, we will have a chance to view those new relationships in live-game action. In what should be a breakout season for Carr, he should be the primary focus of Raiders fans. After all, the team stands no real chance of earning a playoff spot.

Philadelphia Eagles: Chip Kelly’s madness

It’s rather stunning just how much Kelly turned over his team’s roster in his first offseason as its head of player personnel. Gone are Philadelphia’s top quarterback, running back, guard and wide receiver from a season ago. Nick Foles been replaced by a quarterback in Sam Bradford that has played in a total of zero games since midway through the 2013 season.

More than that, two running backs with injury histories will be called on to replace LeSean McCoy in the backfield. While DeMarco Murray had an all-time great season for Dallas last year, he had not proven he could shoulder the load prior to that. Meanwhile, former San Diego Chargers running back Ryan Mathews missed a quarter of his former team’s games since being selected in the first round of the 2010 draft. Either Kelly will prove to be a mad genius or simply mad when all is said and done. While it’s hard to question him at this point, the 2015 season will be telling.

Pittsburgh Steelers: checking in on the secondary

With long-time starters Troy Polamalu and Ike Taylor now retired, Pittsburgh’s secondary is going to have a new look in 2015. With new blood comes the potential for some struggles. Third-year player Shamarko Thomas will likely start next to Mike Mitchell at free safety. A tremendous athlete, Thomas has played a total of two snaps in as many NFL seasons. If Pittsburgh deems him incapable of starting, veteran Will Allen might find his way on to the field. At corner, Cortez Allen and William Gay will likely open as starters with rookie Senquez Golson looking to impress in training camp.

While Pittsburgh’s 3-4 defense has always relied on its front seven, the secondary could be a major weakness here. If the team is going to contend for a conference title, a couple of the players mentioned above will need to step up.

San Diego Chargers: Philip Rivers’ contract

Outside of a potential move to Los Angeles, the biggest news coming out of San Diego this offseason was that there really wasn’t any news on the Rivers’ contract front. He has indicated an unwillingness to negotiate a long-term deal until after the season, at which point he will be a free agent. Of course, this is all tied to whether the Chargers do move to L.A. in 2016. That’s reportedly been one of the primary reasons for Rivers’ apprehension to sign a long-term deal. Considering San Diego can simply place the franchise tag on the veteran signal caller, it’s unlikely that he will be playing elsewhere after this season. However, the team would love to see a resolution here prior to the start of the year.

San Francisco 49ers: Colin Kaepernick and the new offense

Fair or not, Kaepernick has received a ton of criticism for what was a less-than-stellar 2014 campaign. Some of that had to do with the six-year, $114 million contract he signed last June. Then again, San Francisco didn’t live up to expectations as a team, which obviously played a role in the criticism. Now under a new head coach and offensive coordinator, Kaepernick has an opportunity to put the rough 2014 season behind him in a completely new scheme.

Flush with weapons all over the field, he should also be in a situation to progress as a quarterback. It’s now going to be all about him learning the 49ers’ new scheme and implementing what he learned from Kurt Warner during off-season workouts. If that happens, 2015 could be a breakout campaign for the quarterback. If not, San Francisco could very well find itself on the market for a quarterback next spring.

Seattle Seahawks: Russell Wilson’s contract

Unless the two sides come to an agreement on a long-term deal within days, it appears that Wilson’s camp is willing to table discussions until after the season. That in and of itself would bring a new deadline, as Seattle would have to either place the franchise tag on the Super Bowl-winning quarterback or let him test free agency. While the latter doesn’t seem to be a realistic scenario, the two sides are far apart when it comes to guaranteed money.

Considering Wilson is set to earn just $1.5 million this season and reportedly has a deal that’s set to pay him $21 million annually on the table, he’s taking pretty big risk. It remains to be seen whether a down year or an injury will lower Wilson’s market value if the two sides don’t come to an agreement here shortly.

St. Louis Rams: let’s find a role for Tavon Austin, please

Austin has put up just over 1,000 yards from scrimmage and seven scores in two seasons. Not exactly the type of production a team expects from a top-10 pick. Though, it must be noted that St. Louis has done a horrible job utilizing the smallish 5-foot-9 receiver to the best of his ability. He was targeted just 44 times and attempted 36 rushes in 15 games last season. New offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti needs to find a way to get Austin involved this year. Anything less than 80-plus targets and the same number of rush attempts would be a major schematic failure for a Rams offense that seems to be lacking talent at wide receiver.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Jameis Winston’s backfield partner(s)

Unlike a lot of first-year quarterbacks, Winston has a ton of talent in the backfield with him. Charles Sims, Doug Martin and Bobby Rainey will all vie for touches during camp. And while Tampa Bay might be willing to go with a backfield by committee approach, the stability of having one two-down back could be beneficial to the rookie quarterback. Based on Martin’s track record of success, one would think he has the inside shot here. However, the Buccaneers were reportedly impressed by Sims’ off-season performance.

Tennessee Titans: a defense, any defense

This unit ranked 29th in the NFL in points against and 27th in total defense last year. In an attempt to fix what has been a disastrous unit in recent years, the Titans’ front office addressed specific needs in free agency. It brought on pass rusher Brian Orakpo from the Washington Redskins, cornerback Perrish Cox from the San Francisco 49ers and safety Da’Norris Searcy from the Buffalo Bills. In a vacuum, they might not be huge additions. However, they were areas of utmost need.

Coming off a two-win 2014 season, Tennessee’s primary goal this year has to be the progression of rookie quarterback Marcus Mariota and this disastrous defense.

Washington Redskins: Robert Griffin III

Surprisingly, the Redskins went all in with RGIII by picking up his $16.2 million option for the 2016 season. This means that the former Heisman winner will likely be given a longer leash than most would anticipate. After all, he’s won just five of his past 20 starts and has led the Redskins to less than 20 points per game during that span. Reports from Redskins’ camp might be positive, but we are going to have to see this former No. 2 overall pick perform on the field and overcome recent injury issues. If that happens, it could be the start of one of the greatest turnarounds for a quarterback in recent league history. If not, Washington’s brass will rue the day it picked up his 2016 option.

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