Top storyline for each NFL team heading into training camp

NFL training camp is upon us. Finally. As we move on from what seemed like a long offseason, it’s like spring has bloomed once again around the football world.

All 32 teams start camp on a level playing field. No one is going to be crowned Super Bowl champion in the summer. With this comes a certain level of hope from previously downtrodden franchises.

Can Hue Jackson bring more success to his Cleveland Browns? Are the Oakland Raiders set to break their long playoff drought? How will the Seattle Seahawks perform with Marshawn Lynch now in retirement?

These are some major questions surrounding specific teams heading into camp. They are also among the top storylines around the NFL.

Accordingly, here’s a look at the top story for each NFL team heading into the start of training camps this week.

Arizona Cardinals: Depth chart at running back

This is going to be a big story throughout the entire 2016 season. Second-year running back David Johnson, who dominated as a rookie last season, will be the team’s featured back. He will be joined by veterans Chris Johnson and Andre Ellington on the depth chart.

Reports from Arizona suggest that the older Johnson will back up his younger counterpart. This means Ellington will be asked to line up outside as a wide receiver more often (more on that here).

In reality, this is tremendous news for Arizona. It has three talented backs, all of whom bring something different to the table.

The younger Johnson put up over 1,000 total yards with 12 scores while averaging over five yards per touch as a rookie. If he’s given 250-plus attempts this upcoming season, we could be looking at a 1,300-yard campaign.

Atlanta Falcons: New-found pass rush?

The Falcons simply need to find a way to get to the quarterback. There’s no other way to put it. Dan Quinn’s team ranked dead last in the NFL with 19 sacks a season ago. The interesting dynamic here is that Atlanta still finished in the top half of the league in total defense, scoring defense and against the pass. Imagine how well this unit would do with a better pass rush.

Second-year EDGE rusher Vic Beasley will surely be asked to improve off what was an up-and-down rookie season. Meanwhile, the addition of veteran Derrick Shelby (3.5 sacks in Miami last season) should help here.

Though, the Falcons are going to have to get production from Adrian Clayborn, who put up just 15 tackles and three sacks in his first season with the team.

If this all comes together, Atlanta surely has the talent in the secondary to become an elite-level defense. Desmond Trufant is one of the top corners in the game and Robert Alford has more than proven himself to be a starter-caliber cover guy on the other side.

Baltimore Ravens: Just remaining healthy

The likes of Joe Flacco, Justin Forsett, Steve Smith, Breshad Perriman and Terrell Suggs missed a combined 52 games last season. More than anything, this was the reason Baltimore put up five wins — its worst season in nearly a decade.

No squad could overcome those types of major injuries and still find a way to sneak into the playoffs.

The good news here is that Flacco is back and ready to return to his level of slightly above-average play. The bad news?

That’s not necessarily starting out training camp on the best of notes. Perriman is the biggest concern here. The 2015 first-round pick missed his entire rookie campaign with a knee injury and suffered a partially torn ACL during the spring. With Steve Smith getting up there in age and coming off an Achilles injury, the Ravens are going to need someone (anyone) to step up behind him.

If that doesn’t happen, the Ravens’ passing game will likely be their downfall on offense — leading the team to yet another season without a playoff appearance.

Buffalo Bills: Injuries and suspensions

When on the field and 100 percent healthy, Sammy Watkins is among the most-productive receivers in the NFL. Unfortunately, the former top-five pick has had his fair share of bumps and bruises throughout the first two years of his career.

After undergoing off-season surgery on a broken foot, Watkins doesn’t necessarily know when he will be back. Though, he is optimistic that he’ll be able to return in time for Week 1.

“Bills WR Sammy Watkins says he doesn’t know how much work he will do during training camp or when he will be on the field, but reiterates that he is ‘right where I need to be’ after injuring his left foot this offseason,” ESPN’s Mike Rodak reported earlier in July.

Watkins will likely be doing light work on the side. If he suffers any setbacks in returning from said injury, it will put the receiver’s ability to make a short-term impact into question.

Meanwhile, second-year running back Karlos Williams has had himself a heck of a past couple months. He showed up to team activities during the spring overweight — blaming his pregnant wife in the process. Williams was then suspended for the first four games of the season after violating the league’s substance abuse policy.

With the drama we saw surround LeSean McCoy during the spring and following his injury-plagued first season in Buffalo, the running back position itself is a question mark. This had led Buffalo into the unfortunate situation of having to kick the tires on Reggie Bush.

In order for Tyrod Taylor to progress off what was a splendid 2015 campaign, he’s going to need these two question marks answered in the affirmative. If that doesn’t happen, Buffalo’s streak of missing the playoffs — dating back to the Bill Clinton Administration — will likely continue in 2016.

Carolina Panthers: Replacing Josh Norman

Rescinding Norman’s franchise tag and letting him sign with Washington was one of the most-curious decisions around the NFL this spring. He was literally the best corner in the NFL for a conference champion last season. Let that sink in for a second before concluding that Carolina will be fine without him.

General manager Dave Gettleman and Co. did make sure to address this position in the draft, selecting James Bradberry (second round), Daryl Worley (third round) and Zack Sanchez (fifth round). The idea here was to bring more competition to the corner position in camp.

Bradberry, a small-school product from Samford, will likely be one of Carolina’s starting corners as a rookie. He worked with the first team during off-season activities and will likely slot in opposite veteran Robert McClain. His ability to make an impact is going to be huge for the Panthers.

This is only magnified by the fact that Carolina’s pass-rush situation remains in doubt. Charles Johnson returned to the team on a one-year deal, but he’s coming off a 2015 campaign that saw him record just one sack.

And while Kony Ealy stepped it up big time in the playoffs last season (three sacks in the Super Bowl), he put up an inconsistent regular season performance with five total sacks.

Short of Carolina performing at a high clip getting to the quarterback, the team’s defense is likely going to take a major step back.

Chicago Bears: Jay Cutler without Matt Forte

It sure looks like Chicago will use a committee approach to replace one of the best offensive players in the history of the organization. With Forte now in New York, second-year running back Jeremy Langford will join rookie Jordan Howard, two talented but unproven ball carriers.

It really isn’t a secret that Cutler needs to have a reliable running game to be an effective quarterback.

This could be the difference between contending for a playoff spot and competing with the Detroit Lions for last place.

Though, Chicago was able to upgrade other parts of the roster by committing so little to the running back position.

The additions of linebackers Danny Trevathan and Jerrell Freeman help an improving defense. Depending on how much they help, Chicago’s decision to focus less on running back will end up being a good thing. That will only be the case should its running game prove to be above average.

Cincinnati Bengals: Cornerback situation

With Leon Hall now gone from Cincinnati, the Bengals are moving on with a plethora of young corners. It’s now going to be interesting to see how this all plays out.

Adam Jones is locked in at one of the starting corner positions. Outside of that, competition will be the name of the game here. In total, three first-round picks will be challenging for the other starting job.

fifth-year player Dre Kirkpatrick brushed off three mediocre performances to begin his career with a solid 2015 campaign, recording 70 tackles and 16 passes defended in 16 games (15 starts). He’s definitely the leader heading into the clubhouse.

If that’s the case, the real battle is going to be between third-year player Darqueze Dennard and rookie William Jackson for the slot corner role. Dennard missed the final six games of last season after undergoing shoulder surgery. Though, he’s expected to be at full health for camp.

When asked about his potential role in the slot, the Michigan State product didn’t necessarily take a liking to that idea.

‘Trying to limit me, huh?. I see what you’re saying, but I see myself as a No. 1 corner. I think that’s the mindset of the whole defensive backfield,” Dennard said back in June, via Bengals official website. “Everyone wants to be a No. 1. That’s what will make us so good. Competing and pushing each other hard is going to make us better as a whole.”

Meanwhile, Jackson was definitely a surprise pick of the Bengals during the spring. It represents the third time in five years that the team has taken a corner in the first round. He should definitely be in play for one of the top-three positions on the depth chart.

Cleveland Browns: The almighty quarterback competition

Choosing between Josh McCown, Robert Griffin III and Cody Kessler figures to be an exercise in futility. That sounds a bit harsh, but none of these three signal callers should inspire confidence in Browns fans.

As it is, this is where we stand heading into training camp. Cleveland left having to choose between the lesser of three evils — a selection process that’s similar to American Presidential elections.

With no real expectations of contention this upcoming season, it stands to reason that first-year head coach Hue Jackson would go with Griffin III. He’s definitely the highest-upside option of the three. And in reality, that might very well be the case (more on that here).

Regardless of who wins the starting job in Cleveland, he’s going to be tasked with tossing the ball around to an unproven group of receivers. Rookie Corey Coleman figures to be the No. 1 guy. Outside of that, everything remains on the table.

Suspended receiver Josh Gordon met with Roger Goodell earlier this month. Though, there’s no indication one way or another whether he’s going to be reinstated.

Meanwhile, Cleveland’s running back situation consists of a second-year player in Duke Johnson who provided nothing of substance on the ground as a rookie.

With all that said, it’s going to be darn interesting to see how Jackson plays it this summer. He’s an elite-level offensive mind, and has an intriguing project in Griffin III to work with.

Let’s just hope for the sake of fans in Cleveland that he doesn’t give in and go with a mediocre and capped out vet like McCown.

Dallas Cowboys: Any more suspensions?

Defensive ends Randy Gregory and DeMarcus Lawrence will each miss the first four games after violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy. Meanwhile, starting inside linebacker Rolando McClain is suspended the first 10 games of the season.

These are three players — all likely starters — that Dallas was relying on heading into camp. This places an already below-average defense behind the proverbial eight-ball.

With Gregory and Lawrence out the first four games, the only returning defensive end to record a sack a season ago is Jack Crawford. With McClain potentially done in Dallas, the team was forced to sign a pedestrian veteran in Justin Durant to play next to the injury-plagued Sean Lee.

Rookie running back Ezekiel Elliott could match DeMarco Murray’s performance from two years ago. Both Tony Romo and Dez Bryant could put up monster seasons after injury-plagued 2015 campaigns. None of this will matter unless the other side of the ball gets its act together, both on and off the field.

Denver Broncos: Trevor Siemian

Is it possible that the defending champions might start the 2016 season with a second-year quarterback under center? If the answer to that question is in the affirmative, Denver is in trouble.

Siemian, an un-drafted free agent from Northwestern last year, has not attempted a single regular season pass in the NFL. Heck, his college tape leaves a whole heck of a lot to be desired.

Despite this, multiple reports from Denver’s camp during the summer suggest that Siemian has a legitimate shot at earning the starting job over Mark Sanchez (more on that here).

More than suggesting that the second-year quarterback has improved leaps and bounds, this could tell us more about where Sanchez stands.

Either way, it’s going to be up to the Broncos’ defense to continue what was a historical run last season. After all, the team did win the Super Bowl with its two former quarterbacks combining to throw 19 touchdowns compared to 23 interceptions last season.

Detroit Lions: A camp without Calvin Johnson

Replacing any Hall of Fame-caliber player is hard in and of itself. Now take into account just how important Johnson was to Detroit’s success, and that’s magnified even further.

Following Johnson’s shocking retirement, the Lions are now left picking up the pieces. How exactly is the team going to do this while improving off last year’s disappointing season? That’s the biggest story heading into training camp.

Golden Tate will step into the No. 1 receiver role with free-agent signing Marvin Jones starting opposite him. From a pure statistical standpoint, Tate has proven himself more than capable. In fact, he put up more receptions (189) than Johnson over the past two seasons.

That’s all fine and dandy, but there’s more nuance needed here. Tate wasn’t the central focus of opposing defenses with Megatron on the field. That’s definitely going to change in 2016. Is he truly a No. 1 receiver without defenses placing their focus on the other side of the field?

On the other hand, Detroit most definitely found a gem in Jones. The former Cincinnati Bengals receiver caught 65 balls for 800-plus yards last year. This came after he missed the entire 2014 campaign to injury. Remember, Jones is three years removed from catching double-digit touchdowns. He’s surely a solid No. 2.

Let’s assume for a second Tate isn’t going to perform up to the level we saw from Johnson during his studly career. If Jones is ready to take on that No. 2 receiver role, someone else must also step up.

That could come in the form of third-year tight end Eric Ebron who has shown flashes in his first two years. Reports from Lions camp during the summer have been positive in this regard.

Ebron’s ability to make a bigger impact in the passing game is going to be huge here, especially with Detroit’s running game still in question. If that doesn’t happen, the loss of Johnson will end up being as disastrous as most of us currently believe it is.

Green Bay Packers: Linebacker situation

This isn’t as much a story as it is a major question mark heading into camp. How Green Bay decides to play it, and whether that decision proves successful, could very well dictate the team’s performance in 2016. That’s not an overreaction in any way.

Six-time Pro Bowler Clay Matthews is slated to move back to outside linebacker. He took the majority of reps at his natural EDGE position during the spring and summer — a clear indication that this move is imminent.

This is tremendous news for those who pledge allegiance to the Pack. With four double-digit sack performances in his first six seasons, Matthews has proven himself to be among the best pass-rushing 3-4 outside linebackers in the NFL.

Though, this most definitely does set up some major questions on the inside. After all, Matthews was forced into that role last year because the rest of Green Bay’s linebacker group couldn’t pick up the slack.

Jake Ryan, Sam Barrington, Blake Martinez and Carl Bradford will be competing for the two starting inside linebacker jobs. That foursome has a combined 13 career NFL starts. This is going to be the biggest story for Green Bay during camp.

Houston Texans: Talented new backfield

Houston trotted out Brian Hoyer and Alfred Blue as its starting backfield in the team’s wild card playoff loss to the Kansas City Chiefs last January. Needless to say, that tandem didn’t incite much fear in opposing defenses.

This is the primary reason Houston opted to spend big bucks on the backfield during the spring. It added Brock Osweiler on a four-year, $72 million deal and paired him up with running back Lamar Miller. That’s nearly $100 million invested in two high-upside but unproven players.

Osweiler did help Denver to the Super Bowl title last season, but he was benched in favor of a washed-up Peyton Manning after putting up just 10 touchdowns in seven starts.

Meanwhile, Miller has proven he can have success when actually featured in an offense. The former Miami Dolphins ball carrier is averaging 4.6 yards per attempt in his career. However, Miller has not put up more than 216 attempts in any of his four seasons in the NFL.

We can say what we want about Houston potentially overpaying for these two players. But given the talent this team has on the other side of the ball, adding a capable backfield was a necessity. That’s exactly what the team did during the spring. How it comes together is anyone’s guess.

Indianapolis Colts: Frank Gore’s inevitable wall

At 33 years old and with nearly 3,100 touches under his belt, Gore has to hit that wall sometime soon. It’s the inevitable wall most running backs hit in their late 20’s or early 30’s. Given Gore’s workload during his 11-year career and his advanced age, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him hit that wall this year.

Gore did put up over 1,200 total yards in his first season with the Colts. Unfortunately, he also averaged a career-low 3.7 yards per attempt. Should Gore continue to regress, someone else on the Colts roster will have to step up. That’s going to be the biggest story around Indy during camp.

Simply put, there isn’t much of substance behind Gore on the depth chart. The team did add Robert Turbin in free agency, but he was just recently arrested in Utah for possession of marijuana. Meanwhile, the likes of Jordan Todman and Tyler Varga have not proven themselves worthy of regular touches in the NFL. In fact, they combined for five rush attempts a season ago.

The one name to keep an eye on here is un-drafted rookie free agent Josh Ferguson from Illinois. The 5-foot-10, 200-pound running back has received a ton of praise since joining the team.

“We think guys like Josh Ferguson have a chance to be special, time will tell,” Colts owner Jim Irsay said back in June, via Colts.com. “But we really like where we’re going.”

If Ferguson is able to prove himself to be a decent option behind Gore during camp, Indy won’t have to hit the watered-down free-agent market for a running back. If not, the team will find itself bargain shopping at a position that could dictate whether it rebounds from a disastrous 2015 campaign.

Jacksonville Jaguars: Young defenders and injuries

First off, we’re going to want to see just how much the likes of Jalen Ramsey and Myles Jack strut their stuff during camp.

Ramsey, who is projected to be one of the Jaguars’ starting corners as a rookie, had no significant injury concerns before the team made him a top-five pick during the spring. The Florida State product then suffered a torn meniscus in his knee early during Jaguars’ rookie camp. Though, expectations are that he’ll be cleared for training camp itself.

On the other hand, Jack’s injury history was a major point of contention in the lead up to the draft. The former UCLA linebacker was considered one of the top all-around players in the class, but fell to the second round due to injury concerns (more on that here).

Unlike Ramsey, Jack took part in team activities during the spring and summer, and appears to be ready to go for camp.

The same can be said for 2015 first-round pick Dante Fowler Jr. The EDGE rusher missed his entire rookie season with a torn ACL, but was a near full-participant during organized team activities.

In order for the Jaguars to take that next step to playoff-contending status, all three of these talented youngsters will have to remain healthy and perform at a high level. If that happens, we could be looking at this squad being one of the better stories during the 2016 season.

Kansas City Chiefs: The passing game

Will Kansas City change up its offensive scheme under co-offensive coordinators Brad Childress and Matt Nagy this year? That’s a huge story for the team heading into camp, especially with long-time Andy Reid confidant Doug Pederson now coaching his former Eagles team.

With Reid likely calling the shots here, the suggestion is that he will continue with the same conservative approach we’ve seen since he came to Kansas City. That’s not going to do much to inspire confidence from the team’s fan base.

It’s by now well known that Alex Smith’s game is limited. In no way does this mean that the Chiefs should be content with two-yard screens on third-and-10.

They have the talent in Jeremy Maclin and Travis Kelce to open up the offense. It will most definitely be interesting to see whether that actually happens during camp.

Los Angeles Rams: NFL back in L.A. after 20 years

The entire NFL world should be happy about this. Well, outside of the city of St. Louis. There’s absolutely no rhyme or reason that professional football didn’t exist in the nation’s second-largest media market over the past two decades.

More than the league itself potentially losing billions due to internal politics, fans in both Southern California and in other locations west of the Mississippi were deprived of some of the most natural rivalries in sports.

Remember when the then Los Angeles Rams and the San Francisco 49ers would go at it in the 1980’s? That was some of the most-heated football we’ve ever seen.

More than that, the NFL has now found a way to possess two brand-new state of the art venues in a state (California) where all the political red tape involving stadium construction made this a near impossibility for many decades.

This will allow two stadiums in the west’s most populous state to be a part of the Super Bowl rotation. That’s huge news for the league itself.

As it relates to the Rams, this is definitely an exciting young team. Jared Goff has an opportunity to be a franchise quarterback after the team selected him No. 1 overall during the spring. Meanwhile, Todd Gurley is coming off a ridiculous rookie season that saw him put up nearly 1,300 yards and 10 scores in just 13 games.

While the Rams likely won’t be contending for a playoff spot this season, their fans in Los Angeles will be able to watch a highly entertaining product. That’s more than St. Louis could say for the past decade.

Miami Dolphins: Arian Foster’s last stand

Miami made things relatively clear by signing Foster earlier in July. It doesn’t trust second-year running back Jay Ajayi to handle the primary ball-carrier duties.

More so than the injury concerns for Ajayi, he didn’t perform at a high level when spelling Lamar Miller a season ago. The former fifth-round pick averaged 3.8 yards per rush while failing to put up double-digit attempts in a single game as a rookie.

Miami did add Kenyan Drake in the draft during the spring. The athletic former Alabama star could very well prove himself worthy of touches in camp.

With that said, the Dolphins made a major statement in adding a 29-year-old running back who is coming off a torn Achilles.

While injury plagued throughout the past several seasons, Foster has proven himself to be one of the most-productive running backs in the NFL.

The issue, as most of you already know, is Foster’s recent bout with a multitude of injuries. He missed nearly half of Houston’s 48 games over the past three seasons, including all but four last year.

We’re definitely going to want to see how much play Foster gets during camp and the exhibition slate. What we do know is that the veteran running back has high hopes for himself in 2016.

“After my visit with Miami, I kind of already made my mind up that’s where I wanted to be. I see a lot of promise to this team,” Foster said after signing with the Dolphins, via the Miami Herald. “I feel I can add value and get the team to where they want to be.”

Foster must perform at an elite level while remaining healthy if the Dolphins are going to have any shot in the AFC East.

Ryan Tannehill has proven that he can’t have much success without a reliable running game. And the Dolphins’ inability to actually rely on their rushing attack under last year’s regime ended up being the team’s undoing. That simply can’t happen in 2016.

Minnesota Vikings: All about Teddy

It looks like the Vikings are going to run the shotgun more in 2016 as a way to help Teddy Bridgewater progress from what we a substandard sophomore season. This definitely makes sense for the third-year signal caller (more on that here).

Bridgewater completed 67 percent of his passes for a 92.7 quarterback rating out of the shotgun a season ago. What it does is enable him to scan the field and use his intelligence to find the open receiver.

That’s a big deal for a quarterback that possesses a below-average arm. That should also do wonders with a big-bodied possession receiver in rookie Laquon Treadwell on the outside.

Though, this also does something else significant. It likely means less touches for future Hall of Fame running back Adrian Peterson.

The sample size might be small here, but that’s precisely the point. One could make the argument that Minnesota is looking to rely less on Peterson with his 2017 cap hit set to be at $18 million.

By looking to the future in 2016, the team could also set itself up for failure. After all, Peterson was still the Vikings’ best player last year by a wide margin. It will definitely be interesting to see how this all plays out. We should at least get an indication during camp.

New England Patriots: Tom Brady and the quarterback situation

It’s all about treading water with Jimmy Garoppolo over the first quarter of the season. If New England can go 2-2 or 3-1 during that span, it will be just fine when Brady returns from his four-game suspension.

As we’ve seen over nearly the past two decades, the Patriots are not just about making the playoffs. That’s been a foregone conclusion for one of the most-successful organizations in professional sports.

Instead, it’s all about positioning when the team makes its seemingly imminent appearance playing January football.

In the Patriots’ six treks to the Super Bowl under Brady, the team played a combined two postseason games on the road. It’s not a coincidence that New England was 16-2 in the playoffs during that span. On the other hand, Brady is 6-7 in the playoffs outside of those six seasons.

The good news here is that New England’s early-season schedule is not too difficult. After opening up the season on the road in Arizona (ouch), the Pats take on three mediocre AFC teams at home in the form of Miami, Houston and Buffalo.

Even then, Garoppolo is going to have to perform at a high level in order for New England to avoid a losing record upon Brady’s return. How the third-year quarterback looks during camp and the preseason will give us a strong indication of where this team stands.

New Orleans Saints: Will the defense please step up?

The Saints defense was disgustingly bad a season ago. How bad? Well, New Orleans posted a 7-6 record when its offense put up 350-plus total yards. The primary reason for this is simple. The Saints yielded an average of 30 points in these 13 games.

If New Orleans is able to get any type of average production from its defense, this is a team that could contend for a playoff spot. Unfortunately, near-last rankings in pretty much every category last season put an end to those aspirations.

Without much in terms of cap room, the Saints did whatever they could to improve last year’s historically bad defense.

Picking up defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins and safety Vonn Bell early in the draft will surely help. As will the addition of veteran linebacker James Laurinaitis. Acquiring talent on a unit that didn’t possess much last year surely won’t hurt.

The issue here is two-fold. New Orleans corner play was absolutely disastrous last season (116.2 quarterback rating allowed). Couple that with a pass rush that tallied the seventh-fewest sacks in the NFL last year, and the writing is on the wall.

Short of these two areas improving, the Saints will be left relying on an aging Drew Brees to put the ball up 600-plus times once again.

New York Giants: Victor Cruz’ return

New York prepared for the possibility that Cruz wouldn’t return healthy by selecting Sterling Shepard in the draft.

It was a smart move for the Giants, especially considering Shepard is cut from the same cloth as Cruz. He’s an elusive slot receiver that can find holes at all levels of the defense.

Now, heading into training camp, it appears the news is good on all fronts.

“I’ll be ready to go,” Cruz said over the weekend. “I’ll see what’s up when I meet with the trainers and I step foot in that facility on the first day. But my expectation is to be ready to rock and roll.”

Meanwhile, Shepard has continued to impress the Giants since they made him a surprise selection in the draft.

This could help the Giants overcome what will likely be a shaky rushing attack and what was one of the worst defenses in the NFL last season.

Should Cruz return healthy and Shepard prove to be an instant-impact performer, their presence with Odell Beckham Jr. could make the Giants’ passing game one of the best in the NFL. In a mediocre NFC East, that’s all it might take.

New York Jets: Ryan Fitzpatrick and a guy named Geno

The Jets ended last year’s 10-win performance by concluding that they might very well be able to contend with the Patriots in the AFC East in 2016. Adding Matt Forte to an already solid backfield magnified this even further.

But as we already know in today’s pass-first NFL, it’s all about the quarterback position. Short of boasting a historically good defense (see the Broncos last year), you’re not going to go far with a mediocre signal caller.

Now that the Jets prepare to enter camp and the Ryan Fitzpatrick drama is still in the forefront of the conversation, it surely looking more likely that Geno Smith will be called on to be the team’s starting quarterback.

Sorry to burst your bubble of optimism Jets fans, that has disaster written all over it.

Let’s not talk about Smith’s little drama last summer, which cost him an opportunity to earn the starting job. Instead, let’s delve into how he’s performed as an actual starter. It’s not pretty, ladies and gents.

The Jets have lost 18 of Smith’s 29 starts with the quarterback putting up eight more interceptions than touchdowns. In those 29 starts, the team scored single-digit point totals eight times. In order to put this into perspective, Fitzpatrick-led offenses have scored less than 10 points in seven of his 105 career starts.

New York could boast a potent receiving group. It might have the top defensive line in the NFL. None of that will matter if the team is forced to go with Smith this season. Maybe it’s time the Jets’ brass comprehends this, because everything else is in place for contention in the AFC East.

Oakland Raiders: Progression, progression, progression

Is this the year Oakland breaks its 13-year playoff drought? Heck, the team hasn’t put up a winning record since the 2002 campaign. The talent is most definitely here for this squad to win the AFC West.

As shocking as that might sound, what general manager Reggie McKenzie and Co. did during the spring was nothing short of awesome.

The core group is already in place. Derek Carr put up a Pro Bowl performance as a sophomore. Rookie receiver Amari Cooper tallied 1,000-plus receiving yards. Meanwhile, veteran Michael Crabtree cemented his status as one of the top possession receivers in the NFL.

On the other side of the ball, Khalil Mack and his 15 sacks helped the linebacker prove his worth among the game’s best defenders.

By adding players at multiple need areas, the Raiders addressed the issues that dogged them last season. Signing guard Kelechi Osemele to an already dominant offensive line should help a poor running game.

Meanwhile, the acquisition of Sean Smith — a top 10 corner in today’s NFL — should help an equally poor pass defense.

With the issues we’re seeing in Denver (noted early), the AFC West appears to be ripe for the taking. And in reality, there’s no reason to believe Oakland can’t be the team to come out ahead here. It’s all going to be about continued progression, which starts during camp in Napa.

Philadelphia Eagles: Was Chip Kelly really the problem?

A lot of pundits are quick to blame Kelly and his coaching for the Eagles’ disappointing 2015 season. That seems like a mighty fine narrative to throw out there.

That’s until we realize Kelly took over a four-win Eagles team from Andy Reid in 2013, and proceeded to lead it to two consecutive 10-win campaigns. The biggest issue for Kelly, and what led to his downfall, was his year as the team’s general manager.

Philadelphia may have righted the ship from a financial perspective by trading the likes of DeMarco Murray, Kiko Alonso and Byron Maxwell — three Kelly free agent busts. But did the team actually add enough talent to compete this upcoming season?

With Bills castoffs Leodis McKelvin and Ron Brooks expected to play important roles at corner, the expectation that trading Maxwell is somehow an addition by subtraction might be a bit foolish.

We also have to wonder what the Eagles were doing trading up to the second overall pick for North Dakota State product Carson Wentz. A surprising move at the time, it’s now looking even more curious.

“Typically, the third quarterback is down,” first-year head coach Doug Pederson said back in mid July. “It’s hard right now to look down the road, but if we had to play this week, Carson would be down. He’d be the third quarterback. He’d be deactivated. That’s probably the direction we’re heading, I would think is going that route.”

What could be a sound long-term strategy likely means that the Eagles aren’t going to get anything from the multitude of picks they gave up for Wentz over the short term.

Now with an injury-prone backfield that consists of Sam Bradford and Ryan Mathews, one really has to wonder what the plan is in Philly.

Maybe all that shade the organization was throwing Kelly’s way after his firing was a way to cover up what is a widespread mess from top to bottom. Training camp and the 2016 season will tell us what we need to know about this narrative.

Pittsburgh Steelers: Suspensions

Star wide receiver Martavis Bryant is suspended for the entire 2016 season. Meanwhile, former All Pro running back Le’Veon Bell will miss the first quarter of the year after violating the league’s substance abuse policy.

These are two major hits for a Pittsburgh offense that was among the most dynamic in the NFL last season. It’s now going to be all about how other players step up in their stead.

Can DeAngelo Williams preform at the level we saw last season? Is Markus Wheaton really prepared to act as that top-end second receiver behind Antonio Brown?

While Williams will likely be held back in camp, we will surely see the Steelers give both Wheaton and second-year receiver Sammie Coates opportunities to prove their worth during the summer.

That’s going to be the biggest key for Pittsburgh heading into a season where the team should certainly contend for a division title.

San Diego Chargers: The enigma that is Melvin Gordon

Philip Rivers was pretty much left out on an island last season. With no running game to speak off, a banged up offensive line and multiple pass catchers dealing with serious injuries, Rivers was tasked with playing the role of a savior.

In the end, the underrated quarterback put up career highs in completions (437) and attempts (661 ) — both also representing NFL highs. It’s not a coincidence that San Diego put up its worst season since the Ryan Leaf era.

With the team’s offensive line settled and Keenan Allen as well as Antonio Gates back at full health, San Diego could be in for a bounce back season.

Though, that reality will depend on a young running back in Melvin Gordon who was a disaster as a rookie last season. Gordon averaged just 3.5 yards per attempt while fumbling six times on 217 touches. He also failed to score a touchdown all season. Simply put, that’s not the type of production you expect from a first-round pick.

Gordon is also coming off microfracture surgery performed this past spring. While he should be 100 percent for camp, the Chargers are going to need to see something from him before relying on him.

San Francisco 49ers: Is Chip Kelly really the answer?

The short-form answer to this question is a resounding no. San Francisco isn’t going to compete for anywhere near a playoff spot in 2016. Instead, it’s all about rebuilding a team that saw one of the most dramatic declines in recent NFL history last season.

Some may be focused on Blaine Gabbert and Colin Kaepernick. Who is going to win that quarterback battle? As it stands now, Gabbert appears to have the upper hand. Either way, that’s not necessarily going to matter too much.

Kelly has a long leash in San Francisco. He’s taking over for a head coach in Jim Tomsula who was in way over his head. He’s doing so within the construct of an organization that now has to be thinking long term.

What we do know about Kelly is that he’s an innovative offensive mind. He’s had success running a fast-paced offense at nearly every stop during what has been a stellar career. Kelly didn’t just suddenly lose this ability overnight in Philadelphia.

Now solely focused on coaching, it’s going to be intriguing to see how much different the 49ers are on the field compared to last season’s embarrassing product. If we’re going to see improvement, it will definitely show during camp and in the preseason.

Seattle Seahawks: Russell Wilson’s team

Marshawn Lynch is gone. He’s hanging in Egypt eating Skittles at the Pyramids or something. Lynch was the heart and soul of this team for the past five-plus seasons. You simply can’t replace that type of leadership and on-field performance on a whim.

The good news here is that Seattle is set up perfectly to fill this leadership vacuum. That comes in the form of an elite signal caller in Russell Wilson, who upped his game a great deal with Lynch sidelined the majority of last season.

This tell us a story of a quarterback that was able to come into his own without having to rely on the running game. Though, it’s also important to note that Wilson’s transformation also came after Seattle moved Doug Baldwin into the slot.

The correlation is real here. The sample size isn’t too small either. With last year’s breakout star Thomas Rawls still recovering from an ugly late-season injury, Seattle’s running back situation is unsettled. This is going to make Wilson’s performance that much more important.

Can he show what we saw in the second half of last season for an entire 16-game slate? If so, the loss of Lynch may end up becoming a blessing in disguise.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: The head coaching situation

Tampa Bay’s shocking decision to fire Lovie Smith after last year’s surprisingly good performance left many questioning the direction of the organization. The intent was clear. Replace the defensive-minded Smith with an offensive guru in Dirk Koetter and see what happens.

In reality, the Buccaneers’ offense was somewhat of an enigma last season. It surely didn’t help that offensive coordinator Jeff Tedford missed the entire year with an off-field issue. That’s not what the team was looking for after selecting Jameis Winston No. 1 overall.

With the offense remaining relatively the same this season, continuity is most definitely there for the Buccaneers. That’s the good news.

Unfortunately, the Buccaneers did fire a successful and proven head coach. The then replaced him with someone that has no head coaching experience at the professional level. Whether that comes back to bite the team in the back end remains to be seen. Training camp and the preseason should tell us a story.

Tennessee Titans: Running backs

Who will emerge between DeMarco Murray and reigning Heisman winner Derrick Henry when camp breaks? We’ve read the reports from Titans camp suggesting that they are impressed with Murray (more on that here).

That’s fine and dandy, but he’s coming off a disastrous 2015 season in Philadelphia. It was a performance that forced the Eagles to give up on him for pretty much nothing.

Enter into the equation a rookie second-round pick in Henry, who is seemingly prepared to shoulder the load. Will the Titans hold off on playing him a ton with the hope that Murray can return to 2014 form? Well, that will likely depend on how Henry himself performs during camp.

We do, however, know that second-year quarterback Marcus Mariota surely needs more help from his running game. Despite an excellent rookie campaign, the Oregon product was asked to do too much. In the end, it cost him his season to injury. That simply can’t be the case in 2016.

Washington Redskins: Kirk Cousins, the $20 million quarterback

Now that Cousins is playing out the franchise tag with the expectation of hitting free agency next March, his performance this upcoming season becomes all that more important.

Here’s a guy that put up 18 touchdowns compared to 19 interceptions en route to posting a 2-7 record as a starter in his first three seasons. Can Washington bank on one breakout performance moving forward?

Even during his stellar 2015 campaign, Cousins showed a certain unevenness. He was either really good or really bad. No real in between.

In Washington’s seven losses, Cousins threw seven touchdowns compared to 10 interceptions. In its nine wins, the signal caller tossed 22 touchdowns with just one pick.

We hate to focus on training camp and the preseason as an indicator for regular season success. However, Cousins’ past and his uneven performance last season forces us to put more stock in that this summer.