Teams With Young QBs They Like (they just got these guys so they are going with them for the foreseeable future)
Tennessee Titans
The Titans are filled with hope and everything is just rosy because they have a shiny new franchise QB and that makes everything better. Okay so maybe not everything but it certainly helps the optimism around training camp. Marcus Mariota is the type of person you want to succeed and to build your team around. Whether or not he can be a true franchise QB is still up in the air but he’s doing and saying all the right things. They Titans are working on getting their offensive line squared away (LT Taylor Lewan is a nice building block to start with) and they just need a few playmakers to emerge at WR. TE Delanie Walker is an underrated player that should make Mariota’s life a lot easier.
The defense added a few free agents they hope can make a difference. OLB Brian Orakpo is the big name and they need him to stay healthy and provide a pass rush. CB Perrish Cox and safety Da’Norris Searcy were added to improve a poor secondary. They have some steady veterans like OLB Derrick Morgan, CB Jason McCourty and safety Michel Griffin but they need the playmaking of Orakpo because steady really means “we couldn’t find anyone better”. DE Jurrell Casey looked like a potential star after 2013 but he took a step back in 2014 and they hope the attention Orakpo gets will take some pressure off of him so he can return to his 2013 form.
Biggest Off Season Move: Signing OLB Brian Orakpo
A few years ago the Titans brought in Kamerion Wimbley hoping to boost their pass rush and it didn’t really work out but Orakpo is younger and has more potential. He doesn’t have the best track record when it comes to staying healthy but if he can stay on the field it’s possible Dick LeBeau and Ray Horton can get the best out of him.
Player to Watch: RB Bishop Sankey
Someone needs to emerge from the WR corps to help out Mariota but what would be most helpful would be if second year RB Bishop Sankey would become the playmaker they need out of the back field. Sankey’s rookie year was disappointing but he’s still a talented back that could provide a nice security blanket for Mariota.
Sleeper of the Season: RB David Cobb
If Sankey fails to impress again the team has a nice backup plan and I’m guessing they would go to it pretty quickly. Cobb is a talented back that won’t wilt under the pressure of a lot of carries because he was used to carrying the load at Minnesota. He might be a better every down back than Sankey and he knows how to get the tough yards.
Oakland Raiders
After years upon years of questions at QB it finally looks like Derek Carr might actually be the answer. Carr had a pretty good rookie year especially given the lack of talent surrounding him on offense. Now that he has some help the Raiders may be on to something. They are still a little lacking overall on offense but adding players like WR Amari Cooper, WR Michael Crabtree and C Rodney Hudson means they have legitimate NFL caliber players around a good QB.
The defense is still suspect and counting on a few older players at key positions; DE Justin Tuck, S Charles Woodson, DT Dan Williams and MLB Curtis Lofton. However, the defense is built around one budding superstar OLB Khalil Mack and has some nice young pieces in DT Justin Ellis, OLB Sio Moore and they hope young CBs DJ Hayden and TJ Carrie. They still have a ways to go but it finally looks like the Raiders are heading in the right direction.
Biggest Off Season Moves: Signing C Rodney Hudson and WR Michael Crabtree
The Raiders have a history (including very recent history) of signing over-the-hill free agents but this time they actually signed a couple of guys with something left in the tank. Rodney Hudson is a major upgrade to the line and he should help Derek Carr feel more comfortable in the pocket. Michael Crabtree has had health issues in the past but he was pretty solid last year when healthy and he’s a major upgrade to the WR corps and should shine playing next to Amari Cooper.
Player to Watch: WR Amari Cooper
Carr to Cooper is going to become a major part of the Raiders’ offense and Amari Cooper will be a breakout star. He is a #1 WR that the Raiders haven’t had since Tim Brown’s heyday. Cooper will make Carr’s development much easier and he’ll give Raiders fans hope for the future.
Sleeper of the Season: OLB Sio Moore
I’m going to sing his praises one more time and hope that Moore can stay healthy long enough to live up to his potential. Playing opposite Mack should make Moore’s life easy but he can’t seem to stay healthy long enough to take advantage. He is a talented player and he could be a major difference maker if he makes it through the year.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
If you think the Titans are happy and optimistic about Mariota the Bucs are even more so because they took Jameis Winston #1 overall. The Buccaneers have never had a franchise QB and they think Winston can legitimately be that kind of player. He has a better group of skill position players to work with than Mariota with WRs Mike Evans and Vincent Jackson, TE Austin Seferian-Jenkins and even rejuvenated RB Doug Martin. The one thing that could slow Winston’s development is the offensive line that may start two rookies. OG Ali Marpet is taking a major step up in competition but he looks like he can actually handle it. New LT Donovan Smith should be able to handle his assignment but he’s unlikely to excel because he’d be better suited on the right side.
The Tampa defense has some serious talent in DT Gerald McCoy, LB Lavonte David and even CB Alterraun Verner but they need some players to really step up. MLB Bruce Carter looks like an upgrade and they hope DE George Johnson can bring some pressure off the edge. It’s still a work in progress but they invested more draft picks on the offensive side so the defense hasn’t seen the influx of talent it needs.
Biggest Off Season Move: Drafting QB Jameis Winston
Winston still has plenty of doubters and they exist because of his off the field and maturity issues but it’s hard not to see him as a huge upgrade over last year’s opening day starter Josh McCown. Like I said the Bucs have never had a franchise QB and Winston certainly looks the part. They have given him enough talent to work with that he shouldn’t struggle finding playmakers. If Winton stays out of trouble he can be the type of QB that stabilizes a franchise for years.
Player to Watch: RB Doug Martin
As much as Winston will drive the offensive success his job will be a whole lot easier if Martin can reclaim his rookie year form. After his fantastic rookie year Martin has had a few unspectacular seasons and is down to his last chance but he has stepped up this training camp. He is a talented RB that can do so many things well that he would make Winston’s transition to the NFL much easier.
Sleeper of the Season: TE Austin Seferian-Jenkins
Seferian-Jenkins is a big, physical and athletic TE that was underutilized last season and could breakout under the right circumstances. Winston liked to rely on his TE (Nick O’Leary) at Florida St. and he’ll find Seferian-Jenkins to be a very nice security blanket. Evans and Jackson are two big, physical targets on the outside and they demand a lot of attention meaning Winston should find Seferian-Jenkins in plenty of one-on-one matchups.
Jacksonville Jaguars
There were times last season where Blake Bortles looked pretty rough but it wasn’t always his fault and he had plenty of moments where he flashed his true potential. He was asked to do a lot because the offense was very green and he didn’t get much help. The running game was pretty bad with the exception of a few games where Denard Robinson looked good, then he got beat up. Three rookie WRs, draft picks Allen Robinson, Marqise Lee and undrafted Allen Hurns, and a suspect offensive line made the passing game inconsistent. The Jaguars addressed the offensive line with free agents C Stefen Wisniewski and RT Jermey Parnell and even drafted OG AJ Cann. The running game welcomes back a healthy Denard Robinson but the team drafted a more likely every down back in Alabama’s TJ Yeldon. Yeldon and Robinson could make a nice backfield combination and free agent TE Julius Thomas should help Bortles progression. Thomas is a major upgrade at TE for the passing game and a good pass catching TE can be a QBs best friend.
The Jaguars defense was far better than it should have been last year and somehow Gus Bradley got more out of this unit than the sum of its parts. It is a defense made up of no names and if the offense had been a little better and the defense had had to play a little less this team may have made some noise. Guys like Chris Clemens, Telvin Smith and Dwayne Gratz are not household names but they played pretty well last year. The Jaguars were hoping to add a major playmaker when they drafted Florida defender Dante Fowler Jr. in the first round but as the Jaguars luck would have it Fowler tore his ACL within minutes of putting on his practice jersey for the first time. Bradley will have to work some magic again with this unit but he can hope the offense takes a little pressure off. The addition of DL Jared Odrick from Miami was a solid one that should help the defensive front as Odrick can play all along the line.
Biggest Off Season Move: Signing C Stefen Wisniewski and RT Jermey Parnell
The Jags offensive line was a sieve last year and center and right tackle were the two biggest holes. Wisniewski has never been great but he’s a major upgrade in the middle and Parnell filled in at RT for the Cowboys last season and looks to have a big upside. LT Luke Joeckel has to play better and guard Brandon Lindor and Zane Beadles can hold their own and if they don’t rookie AJ Cann can step in. Fixing the offensive line was a major priority because the best way for Blake Bortles to be effective is to be protected.
Player to Watch: RB TJ Yeldon
While the offensive line upgrade will certainly help Bortles the best thing the team can do for him is find a running game to balance out the offensive attack and Yeldon can do that. Denard Robinson had a few good games last season but he can’t carry the ball 20-25 times a game because he won’t hold up. Yeldon has the size, the power and the speed to be a top back and he has a complete skill set that will make Bortles and the Jaguars very happy.
Sleeper of the Season: WR Allen Robinson
The Jaguars need a go-to WR and Robinson has the skills to be that guy. Last year the passing game was inconsistent for all the reasons I’ve mentioned above but now that the offensive line is better, the running game gets a boost and Julius Thomas adds an actual threat at TE Blake Bortles can find his #1 WR. Allen Hurns was a revelation last year as an undrafted free agent and hopefully someday Marqise Lee can get healthy but Robinson has legitimate #1 WR ability and this year he steps up.
Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings found their QB of the future in Teddy Bridgewater and he had an excellent final month of the season last year to show just what he can do. He also played last season without Adrian Peterson and the offense can only be better with Peterson lining up behind Bridgewater and taking the pressure off of him. They replaced the aging Greg Jennings with Mike Wallace and found a nice second WR in Charles Johnson. They need LT Matt Kalil to play better and RT Phil Loadholt was just lost for the season with an Achilles tendon tear so rookie TJ Clemmings needs to step up. If TE Kyle Rudolph can stay healthy he would be a very nice weapon over the middle for Bridgewater and if Cordarrelle Patterson can regain his rookie year form the offense could actually be good.
The Vikings defense looks like it could be strong if a couple of guys step up at key spots. The defensive line looks very good with Everson Griffin, Sharrif Floyd, Linval Joseph and Brian Robison. Anthony Barr is a rising star at OLB and Chad Greenway is the savvy veteran now. Xavier Rhodes and Trae Waynes have a chance to be a fantastic CB pair and if Harrison Smith can stay healthy at safety that would really help. MLB Audie Cole has to step up or rookie LB Eric Kendricks needs to step in and SS Robert Blanton must play well to help up the middle.
Biggest Off Season Move: Return of RB Adrian Peterson
Peterson’s suspension/roster designation was the storyline that dominated everything last year for the Vikings but the thing is they did okay without him. Now he returns and while it has taken awhile for things to settle back down it looks like Peterson is ready to get after it and he makes this team’s offense very dangerous.
Player to Watch: LT Matt Kalil
I could have gone with Peterson or Bridgewater or even Mike Wallace but Kalil will be crucial to all of those guys living up to their potential. Kalil had a horrible year last year and he’s more talented than the way he played. If he can play his absolute best it would go a long way in getting Peterson back on track, helping Bridgewater succeed and giving Wallace time to run deep and open up the offense the way he should.
Sleeper of the Season: WR Stefon Diggs
Diggs has been a bit of a star during camp and early in the preseason with his ability to return punts but he’s more than just a returner. The Vikings want former 1st round pick Cordarrelle Patterson to step back up but Diggs may not let that happen. Diggs is a blur on the field with incredible change of direction ability and he would excel as a slot receiver with Wallace and Johnson on the outside and Rudolph going down the seam. Jarius Wright is in the way as a slot receiver too but Diggs is game breaker.
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