This division is usually quite competitive but it’s usually the Steelers and the Ravens fighting for supremacy.  This year will be a bit different as the Steelers look vulnerable and the Browns are the team fighting with the Ravens to win the division.  The Browns offense should be good with an excellent running game and the defense should be much improved.  The Ravens offense is Lamar Jackson-centric and the defense is always good.  The Steelers are counting on an aging Ben Roethlisberger behind a revamped offensive line (that’s putting it nicely) and a defense that should still be good.  The Bengals just want to get Joe Burrow healthy and keep him that way.  They will be better with a full season of Burrow but they still won’t be good. 

Cleveland Browns

            QB Baker Mayfield is hoping for a contract extension but this offense is based around RBs Nick Chubb (he got a contract extension) and Kareem Hunt.  These two might be the best 1-2 punch at RB in the league and FB Andy Janovich is one of the best in the league. The Browns invested heavily in the offensive line over the past several years and it shows.  LT Jedrick Wills, LG Joel Bitonio, C JC Tretter, RG Wyatt Teller and RT Jack Conklin make up one of the best lines in the league and they open big holes for Chubb and Hunt to run through.  Mayfield is only asked to keep things moving and so far, he’s been pretty solid at doing it.  The contract issue with Mayfield is complicated because he isn’t the star of the offense but replacing wouldn’t be ea.  Competent QB play isn’t as easy to find as you think. 

            The passing game has some playmakers but they could really use a healthy and productive season out of Odell Beckham Jr.  Beckham hasn’t ever been his dominant self in Cleveland and you can make the argument the offense was better last year without him.  He has struggled to stay healthy and that has been his biggest issue.  Jarvis Landry has been their most consistent WR and he is the security blanket Mayfield relies on when he needs to move the chains.  Landry is rarely flashy but he’s extremely effective.  Donovan Peoples-Jones has had a very good camp/preseason and they are expecting more from him.  They would really like to see rookie Anthony Schwartz give them something with his electric speed.  The TE group is deep and talented.  Austin Hooper starts and he’s backed up by Harrison Bryant, both of whom are very effective players.  They also have David Njoku, a supremely talented athlete who has yet to really break out and establish himself.  The team could really use Beckham’s downfield ability to stretch the field, but if he doesn’t come through, they still have ways of being effective through the air.

            The defense is built around DE Myles Garrett and he is a threat to be the Defensive Player of the Year, he’s simply that good.  The Browns are once again trying to get someone to help take the pressure off of him on the edge.  Garrett is a monster pass rusher but he’s largely been working alone as guys have either been injured or ineffective opposite him.  The Browns signed Jadeveon Clowney to take over the other DE spot.  I am an admitted Clowney denier, I think he’s overrated and he’s simply not a great pass rusher.  He can be an effective defender but if you think he’s bringing great pass rush skill to your defense, you will be sorely disappointed.  Clowney also has a long injury history which means there’s a good chance the Browns pattern of injury and inconsistency opposite Garrett continues.  At DT the Browns are replacing their starters with Andrew Billings (coming off a Covid opt out year) and Malik Jackson (an aging vet from Philly).  They need some other guys like Jordan Elliott or rookie Tommy Togiai to step up.  The interior might be the defense’s Achilles heel.    

            The LB corps has been lacking playmakers for some time and they signed MLB Anthony Walker to tackle everything in sight, he’s been doing it for years in Indy.  They also drafted Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, from Notre Dame.  He’s an undersized LB who will fly all over the field, he’s not a starter yet but he’s the best chance they have at a real playmaker there.  The start Mack Wilson and Sione Takitaki for now.  The LB unit should be better.  The secondary is looking at a massive overhaul with rookies, free agents and guys returning from injury to join Denzel Ward.  Ward is still a potential #1 CB but last year the secondary was a mess.  CB Greedy Williams returns from injury to fight for a spot opposite Ward but he’s always banged up.  Rookie Greg Newsome was the Brown 1^st round pick this year and he’ll fight for that same spot outside.  Troy Hill was signed from the Rams to be the nickel back and he’s a massive upgrade.  The team also signed S John Johnson III from the Rams and he’ll start at one safety spot.  The hope is that second-year man Grant Delpit will return from missing his rookie year with an injury to be the other starter at safety but until then, veteran Ronnie Harrison will start.  The defense has a chance to be much improved if the defensive front comes together and secondary has a healthy year. 

Baltimore Ravens

            The Ravens offense really is built around Lamar Jackson and now they are even more dependent on his health as RGIII has retired and the main backup to Jackson is Tyler Huntley.  This is a precarious position given Jackson’s game, he is a runner who takes too many hits.  It’s also slightly concerning with all of the changes on the offensive line.  LT Ronnie Stanley returns from injury and that’s good as long as he gets back to being himself.  Bradley Bozeman moves from LG to center to replace Matt Skura, who had a rough year last year.  The Ravens brought in veteran RG Kevin Zeitler, a solid move considering they never adequately replaced Marshall Yanda last season.  RT Orlando Brown was traded to the Chiefs after he played LT last year for Stanley and didn’t want to return to his RT spot.  Steelers free agent Alejandro Villanueva was signed and he’s moving to RT.  That leaves the LG spot up for grabs for now.  The team needs a top offensive line because they rely heavily on the run game, and not just Jackson’s run game. 

            JK Dobbins was supposed to step in for Mark Ingram after a solid rookie year.  He will now miss the year with a torn ACL suffered in the preseason.  Gus Edwards moves up to the starting spot and unless the team decides a veteran like Todd Gurley or Adrian Peterson are worth signing, it’s Edwards’ show.  The WR group gets some much-needed help with veteran Sammy Watkins coming over from Kansas City and rookie Rashod Bateman drafted in round one.  Bateman had an injury in camp but they are hopeful to have him back early in the year.  Bateman and Watkins add some size and playmaking to a unit that lacked both.  Marquise Brown is still the main deep threat and they hope having more talent around him will open things up for him.  Mark Andrews and Nick Boyle return as the top two TEs and they are highly effective guys in this offense, Jackson especially trusts Andrews in tight situations.  If the passing game can evolve a little to help Jackson to be less reliant on his legs, that would be a major win for the Ravens. 

            The Ravens’ defense has been good since they became the Ravens and it never seems to matter when the players change, they just continue to be good.  That’s great but this Ravens defense is pushing the limits given the age of the front seven.  The starters (or likely starters) in the front seven over 30 years old at the start of the season; Derek Wolfe (31), Brandon Williams (32), Calais Campbell (35), Justin Houston (32) or Pernell McPhee (32).  Under 30; Patrick Queen and Tyus Bowser.  LJ Fort would have been another over 30 but he tore his ACL and is out for the year.  Malik Jefferson is his likely replacement, he’s young but in this case that’s not a great thing.   If age catches up to the is team, they are in trouble.  They only have a couple of young guys (DL Justin Madubuike and LB Odafe Oweh) they can hope step up if they need them. 

            The secondary is a different story.  Only CB Marcus Peters is a little older (he’s 28) while CB Marlon Humphrey, S Chuck Clark and S DeShon Elliott are all still under 26.  They make up a pretty good unit when they are playing at their highest level.  Humphrey is one of the best CBs in football and Peters isn’t quite as good as he thinks he is but he’s still pretty good.  The safeties don’t get a ton of credit but they know what they are doing and they do their jobs well.  The only older guy is veteran Jimmy Smith but he’s still an effective player. 

Pittsburgh Steelers

            The Steelers have Ben Roethlisberger back and at this point he’s basically a year-to-year guy and it could end at any time.  They had three other QBs on the training camp roster; Mason Rudolph, Dwayne Haskins, and Josh Dobbs and given this team’s offensive line, they may need a few of them.  Rudolph is a solid backup but I don’t see them entrusting this team to him long-term.  The best bet for a QB of the future is the rehabilitation of Haskins.  Dobbs was placed on IR; they just can’t quit him.  Big Ben can still sling it around but he’s a statue in the pocket and a sitting duck behind a shaky offensive line.  The team is counting on Chukwuma Okorafor to take over at LT, an iffy proposition but not the worst one up front.  Zach Banner was supposed to return from injury and fill in at RT, he was just placed on IR too.  It’s Joe Haeg at RT, that’s a problem.  Trai Turner was signed after a rough year with the Chargers to take the RG spot and Kevin Dotson is being counted on to fill in full-time at LG.  For now, JC Hassenauer is the new center unless rookie Kendrick Green can replace him.  When the words most associated with your offensive line are iffy and hope, you’re probably looking at a long year up front. 

            The running game was atrocious last season so the use of a first round pick on RB Najee Harris is far more understandable than it would be for most teams.  Harris is lightyears ahead of Anthony McFarland, Benny Snell Jr, Jaylen Samuels or any other option they had and is the team’s unquestioned starter at the position.  He has a great set of all-around skills to utilize and should be a major asset moving forward.  There is more talent at WR than the team probably gets credit for.  JuJu Smith-Schuster has been disappointing since his break out campaign a few years ago but he’s still a credible threat.  Diontae Johnson is a talented guy who just needs more consistency with his hands.  Chase Claypool looks the part of a #1 WR but he needs to put together more consistent production.  James Washington is an underutilized player who wants out.  Eric Ebron and rookie Pat Freiermuth should make a nice combo at TE and Roethlisberger has been known to utilize a good TE here and there.  The offensive really comes down to blocking because Roethlisberger will not be very productive if he’s on his back or on the sidelines with the trainers. 

            The Steelers defense is a lot like the Ravens defense in the fact that the parts almost seem irrelevant, the defense is good no matter what.  The Steelers still have some great parts but some are aging and some are unproven.  Up front, Cameron Heyward and Tyson Alualu are aging veterans who still get it done while Stephon Tuitt should be in the prime of his career, unfortunately Tuitt went on IR.  At LB, TJ Watt has taken over the mantle as the pass rushing star and filled the role quite well.  He has Defensive Player of the Year type of production; the award could be his any time.  He needs a new running mate at the OLB spot with Bud Dupree leaving and team hopes Alex Highsmith can step up.  That’s a tall order for a guy who had two sacks last year which is why they signed veteran Melvin Ingram.  Ingram is aging, coming off an injury and coming off a few disappointing years with the Chargers, does he have anything left?  Devin Bush returns at ILB and he’s a great athlete but the team wanted to take some things off his plate so he could just play.  Enter Joe Schobert, brought over in a trade from Jacksonville.  Schobert is a very good player that Jacksonville just felt they didn’t need right now and Pittsburgh swooped in.  He should really solidify the middle of the defense as the play caller and allow Bush to just make plays.    

            The secondary is hoping Joe Haden can squeeze another year out of his 32-year-old body to be their top CB because the depth chart is slim behind him.  Cameron Sutton is probably the nickel guy to replace Mike Hilton.  Some guy named James Pierre is the other outside starter opposite Haden, he’s going to get targeted a lot.  S Minkah Fitzpatrick is a star and they are certainly glad they traded for him a couple years ago.  He’s a playmaker and the leader in the back end.  Terrell Edmunds hasn’t really lived up to his first-round draft slot but he’s gotten better over the last few years so he’s fine.  The defense has generally been greater than the sum of its parts over the years but the questions at OLB opposite Watt and CB opposite Haden are concerning.   

Cincinnati Bengals

            The Bengals loved what they saw from Joe Burrow last year, unfortunately they only got to see it for 10 games as Burrow went down with a knee injury.  His recovery seems on schedule now they just have to try to keep him safe.  They didn’t draft the OT everyone seemed to agree they needed in the draft last year, Penei Sewell, instead taking Burrow’s former LSU teammate WR Ja’Marr Chase.  Chase joins a pretty good WR unit while the offensive line is still a question mark.  LT Jonah Williams and RT Riley Reiff should be fine but the interior of the o-line is a mess.  They really need rookie Jackson Carman to make the transition from OT inside to OG to improve their talent.  G Quinton Spain, C Trey Hopkins, G Xavier Su’a-Fila simply don’t elicit confidence.  They finally gave up on Billy Price and Michael Jordan inside so at least they are learning.

            The Bengals have surprisingly good talent at the skill positions.  RB Joe Mixon is a good back he just needs to stay on the field.  At WR, they added Ja’Marr Chase in the draft, he has legitimate #1 WR talent and his connection with Joe Burrow is unquestionable.  Those two could make quite the duo for the next decade.  They drafted Tee Higgins last year and now he becomes the big WR opposite Chase on the outside and he has looked great in camp.  He’s big-bodied and makes an easy target and for now, he looks like their #1 WR.  Tyler Boyd is the senior member of the starting trio at 26 years old.  He’s an excellent slot guy who can also do some damage out wide when they want to move the guys around.  There isn’t much at TE but Drew Sample is still young and could develop.  The team lost Gio Bernard in the off season and that could hurt since Burrow could always count on him when he was in there.  Rookie RB Chris Evans had a very good camp and preseason, he may be useful. 

            The Bengals defense was terrible at getting to the QB and they let their top pass rusher walk in free agency because they didn’t want to overpay him.  So, they overpaid a different pass rusher.  Trey Hendrickson was brought in from New Orleans and while he was effective there, he was a part-time player.  He will be a starter in Cincy.  Sam Hubbard is the other DE and while he’s solid, he’s unspectacular and he will need to step up his game too.  DT DJ Reader is an underrated player inside and they signed Larry Ogunjobi from Cleveland to start next to him.  They should improve the team against the run but it’s not like they could get much worse.  Akeem Davis-Gather, Germaine Pratt, and Logan Wilson make up one of the more underwhelming LB corps in the league.  They aren’t bad, they just aren’t that good.  Better play up the middle in front of them might help them to make plays. 

            The secondary has undergone another overhaul at CB just a year after the one they had last off season.  This time William Jackson and Mackensie Alexander are out and Chidobe Awuzie and Mike Hilton are in.  Trae Waynes was added last off season and he stays as the likely #1 CB, that’s not a good thing.  Much like the LBs, this is an underwhelming group.  Without a stellar pass rush, I fear they won’t hold up well.  SS Vonn Bell returns for his second year as the starter in Cincinnati and Jesse Bates returns at FS.  Bates is one of the most underrated defenders in the league while Bell is solid but unspectacular.  One bad thing is that Bell had 116 tackles last year and Bates had 107, you never want your safeties both racking up over 100 tackles in a season.  Way too many tackles having to be made far down the field.  The Bengals defense isn’t likely to be discernably better this year.                      

            Washington won this division last year but that’s only because someone had to win.  They could win it again based on the strength of their defense and the nominal improvement Ryan Fitzpatrick could give them on offense.  Or the offense could be a disaster and completely screw it up.  Dallas is the trendy pick to win the division because their offense can’t possibly have as many injuries this year as they had last year.  However, their defense still seems suspect even with Dan Quinn coaching.  The Giants are still depending on Daniel Jones rising to the occasion for their offense, I’m not betting on that happening.  The Eagles have Jalen Hurts at QB and a defense I’m not betting on.  No thanks. 

Washington Football Team

            The Washington offense is counting on some suspect people coming through for them to be any good.  They signed Ryan Fitzpatrick to be their stop-gap starter because the Dwayne Haskins era went bad in a hurry.  Fitzpatrick is the ultimate feast or famine QB, he’s either throwing 4 TDs or 5 picks and there’s not a lot of in between.  He might unleash the deep threat of WR Terry McLaurin or even rookie WR Dyami Brown but he can also dig the offense a big hole really quickly.  He does have some solid talent to work with.  McLaurin is an emerging WR and the team signed Curtis Samuels, he will be a nice complement to McLaurin, assuming he’s healthy enough to play.  They are hoping to find some WR depth from Adam Humphries, Cam Sims, or rookies Brown and Dax Milne.  Sims was okay last year when pressed into action while but the rookies look pretty solid in the preseason. TE Logan Thomas proved to be a reliable target last year regardless of who lined up at QB so he should be a nice target for Fitzpatrick.  

            The running game will feature Antonio Gibson, he has a plethora of skills and he’s still adjusting to being a full-time RB.  JD McKissic isn’t a gamebreaker as the backup but he’s solid.  The offensive line also has some questions.  The team didn’t have a great option at LT to start the off season and then they cut reliable RT Morgan Moses, strange plan.  They eventually signed Bears castoff Charles Leno Jr to man the LT spot and Cornelius Lucas will try to fend off rookie Samuel Cosmi on the right side but Cosmi looks better there.  On the inside, RG Brandon Scherff is a stud but the team couldn’t come to a long-term deal with him so he’s back on a second one-year franchise tender.  Chase Roullier is the center, he’s not great.  They brought back Ereck Flowers in a trade to man the LG spot he’s trying to beat out Wes Schweitzer for the job and it’s a pick ‘em.  It’s not the most imposing line you’ll ever see.

            On the defensive side, it is a pretty damn imposing line up front.  DE Chase Young is one of, if not the best, young pass rusher in the league.  Montez Sweat isn’t too bad on the other side and he takes advantage of all the attention Young gets.  Jonathan Allen and Da’Ron Payne are excellent DTs who make life miserable up the middle. The depth is lacking but this starting quartet is arguably the best in football.  At LB, Cole Holcomb emerged last year as a solid starter, he’s not a star but he gets the job done.  They drafted Jamin Davis and he adds a nice athletic element to the LB corps.  Rookie LBs can be hit or miss, Davis could be like Isaiah Simmons for the Cardinal last year, he struggled, or he could be like Darius Leonard his rookie year, he dominated.  I’ll give Ron Rivera the benefit of the doubt, Davis will be good.  Jon Bostic has spent his nine years in the league being the guy who starts until his team finds someone better, he’ll do that again in Washington this season. 

            The secondary has a chance to be pretty good, it helps when the defensive line is wreaking havoc up front. They signed William Jackson to give them a solid starter opposite Kendall Fuller and that’s all they need.  They need to find a third guy but that’s what training camp is for.  Landon Collins is a slightly overpaid, slightly underappreciated safety.  If they get him back healthy, that would help.  Kamren Curl went from unheralded seventh-round pick to starting safety because they had no one else when injuries struck, to a guy who locked down a starting job.  He proved to be effective, that’s what they needed from him.

Dallas Cowboys

            The list of offensive starters who missed considerable time last season is long; QB Dak Prescott, TE Blake Jarwin, and the entire offensive line LT Tyron Smith, LG Connor Williams, C Tyler Biadasz, RG Zack Martin and RT La’el Collins.  The only positions not hit with injury were WR and RB but when your entire offensive line is hurt and your QB is Andy Dalton, that really doesn’t matter much.  Now that Dak Prescott is back from his injury and being paid handsomely, the Cowboys are expecting results.  Amari Cooper, Michael Gallup and CeeDee Lamb are the best top 3 WR group in the NFL.  Cooper is a legit #1, Gallup is a very effective #2 and CeeDee Lamb is about to be a #1 WR.  The return of Blake Jarwin at TE added to a solid season of Dalton Schultz means Prescott doesn’t lack for weapons in the passing game. 

            Ezekiel Elliott’s usage dropped quite a bit last season, partly because he’s less effective and partly because the Cowboys were losing a lot and weren’t running the ball.  The other factor was Tony Pollard becoming a bigger part of the offense.  Pollard is multi-dimensional and he’s pretty good.  If the o-line gets healthy and Elliott doesn’t get overly upset about it, this team is better off using a more even split between the two.  The o-line needs to be healthy, they have virtually no depth but their starting talent is still off the charts if they are playing.  LT Tyron Smith is 30 this year but he’s played 11 years in the league so he’s got a lot of wear and tear on him, they need him to squeeze out at least another year.  LG Connor Williams is solid and they are cross training him at center because they may need him there.  C Tyler Biadasz is a tough guy but he’s not exactly athletic and he is a bit limited.  RG Zach Martin is one of the best in the business when he’s healthy but he’s 30 also so it’s harder to stay healthy at that age.  RT La’el Collins is only 28 so he should be in the prime of his career but a hip injury took him out last season.  He’s been given a clean bill of health and is set to go, they need him to play well. 

            The only thing worse than the Cowboys offense last year was their defense.  The defense was a combination of poor talent and terrible coaching and it showed.  Mike Nolan was relieved of his defensive coordinator position and former Falcons’ head coach Dan Quinn comes in to save the day.  Quinn made his name in Seattle during their Legion of Boom era and while there’s some talent to work with in Dallas, this isn’t the Legion.  DE Demarcus Lawrence is a really good start up front.  He’s an excellent talent but he’s had some subpar years because he’s been working alone.  He needs another guy to take the pressure off of him and they are counting on Randy Gregory to be that guy.  Gregory has missed many games over multiple seasons due to drug suspensions including two full season long suspensions, tough to consider him reliable.  At this point they are starting Osa Odighizuwa and Carlos Watkins at DT; that’s not ideal.

            The LB corps has the most promise and yet has still underachieved.  Leighton Vander Esch had a good rookie year a couple of years ago but now he just seems to get hurt a lot.  MLB Jaylon Smith was ineffective last year and it looks like he may have lost his starting spot to converted former Falcons’ safety Keanu Neal.  They drafted LB Micah Parsons in round one after they missed out on the top CBs in the draft.  Parsons is a freak and Quinn will find ways to unleash him, he could be a difference maker on defense.  They brought in Keanu Neal for depth but he’s looked better than Smith.  Neal has never been a LB but he always played safety like he was a LB.  They also drafted Jabril Cox in round five, he’s a talented athlete, and he looks like one of their better LBs in camp.

            The secondary was atrocious last year, I’m not sure how much better Quinn can make them.  Trevon Diggs and Anthony Brown are back and will be the outside CBs while Jourdan Lewis lines up in the slot.  Neither Brown nor Diggs is a #1 but maybe Quinn can get more out of Diggs.  At safety, they signed another Falcons safety castoff Damontae Kazee, he knows Quinn’s defense so he has a leg up.  Donovan Wilson returns as a starter, I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing.  They did take a flyer on former Colts’ first-round bust Malik Hooker who is coming off an Achilles injury.  If Hooker can find his game, he might be the best talent in the secondary (that’s a low bar to clear). 

New York Giants

            It’s year three of the Daniel Jones era and he’s running out of excuses, unless his offensive line falls apart or they decide to blame Jason Garrett, his offensive coordinator.  If the Jones experiment goes down in flames, it’s most likely going to be the end of GM Dave Gettleman’s run with the Giants and then it could be a clean sweep with the coaching staff too.  Joe Judge was a bit of a gamble as an unknown quantity for a head coach, he doesn’t have a ton of goodwill to save himself.  Jones isn’t a terrible QB but he’s prone to turnovers and he hasn’t raised the level of play around him.  The team should have better playmakers for him this year.  They spent big on WR Kenny Golladay to give Jones a big, legitimate weapon on the outside. So far, Golladay hasn’t done much in camp because he’s been banged up. Darius Slayton has shone a nice connection with Jones and they need to build on that.  They hope Sterling Shepard can stay healthy, they drafted Kadarius Toney but he’s struggling in camp and they are taking a shot on John Ross, just trying to find playmakers.  TE Evan Engram is good when he’s healthy.  He played 16 games last year but he always seems to have some sort of ailment.  They also signed veteran TE Kyle Rudolph, that should be a sneaky good addition.  Engram got nicked up again in preseason and Rudolph has spent most of camp on the PUP list.   

            RB Saquon Barkley is returning from injury and they need him to be everything he can be.  He’s a superior talent running the ball and he’s a weapon for the entire offense.  What he can’t do is run well if the blocking in front of him is bad.  This isn’t a great unit but there is talent to work with.  LT Andrew Thomas didn’t have a great rookie year like Mekhi Becton, Tristan Wirfs or Jedrick Wills, his draft classmates, but he wasn’t bad.  The LG position should be manned by Shane Lemieux, he has a knee injury in camp but he should be okay.  He’s not all that athletic and he has some work to do but he’s young.  C Nick Gates isn’t winning any awards but he’s the best they have.  RG Will Hernandez regressed last year and they need him to rebound.  Matt Peart is penciled in at RT but veteran Nate Solder is the wildcard of the whole thing.  He opted out last year but is scheduled to return at 33 years old.  They traded for Bengals bust Billy Price, I don’t know why.   

            Defensive coordinator Patrick Graham got about as much as you could ask out of this defense last year.  Up front they add Danny Shelton in the middle to replace Dalvin Tomlinson but for now he’s behind Austin Johnson.  He’s basically a run stuffer but next to Dexter Lawrence they are two gigantic human beings playing against the run.  DE Leonard Williams got paid because he was their most effective pass rusher last year, they hope they can get him some help this year.  Those three are the line with four linebackers behind them. 

            ILB Blake Martinez is set at one spot inside he’s proven commodity.  The other ILB spot is less set.  It could be Tae Crowder, he had his moments last season, it could be veteran Reggie Ragland, he is just good enough you want to replace him everywhere he’s been.  The OLB spot needs some help, they need to be better pass rushers.  Lorenzo Carter can be affective there or they could use him inside.  Rookie Azeez Ojulari has a really high ceiling if he can prove to be healthy.  He’s not the biggest guy, but he’s athletic and he makes plays.  It would be helpful if they could get something out of Oshane Ximines. 

            The secondary is pretty good last season even without an elite pass rush.  CB James Bradberry is a legit #1 outside cover corner.  They signed Adoree’ Jackson to play the other side, he’s a bit inconsistent but not having to be the #1 guy will help him.  It would help if Darnay Holmes could be the nickel guy but if he’s not watch out for rookie Aaron Robinson once he’s healthy, that guy can play.  They look pretty stacked at safety.  Jabril Peppers and converted CB Logan Ryan are really good starters and they have Julian Love and Xavier McKinney backing them up.  There are a couple of teams in the league that would take Love and McKinney as their starting safety duo.  The Giants season comes down to Daniel Jones, their offensive line, and finding some pass rush. 

Philadelphia Eagles

            The Eagles finally officially announced Jalen Hurts as their starting QB probably because if Nick Sirianni announces Joe Flacco as his starting QB, he’ll have the shortest head coaching tenure in the NFL since Bill Belichick was the Jets head coach for less than a day.  Hurts was going to get the season to prove he’s the guy if it goes well, however, the team traded for Gardner Minshew, he’s now on notice.  Hurts has great mobility, a decent arm and needs work on his progression reads.  He’s not the best starter in the NFL and he’s probably not he worst either.  The skill positions offer some potential.  WR DeVonta Smith is a stud, he won the Heisman last season and he’s an elite route runner.  He’s rail thin and needs to stay healthy but the kid’s a player.  Last year’s first round WR Jalen Reagor has to produce.  He needs to be healthy too but also when he’s in he has to catch more than three balls a game.  A third WR stepping up would be nice but let’s not get greedy.  TE Dallas Goedert was poised to replace Zach Ertz but Ertz is still there so it’s a timeshare.  Goedert is pretty good, Ertz is good, can Hurts figure out how to use them, that’s the question.

            Miles Sanders is a talented RB but no one looks good running behind an offensive line that was banged up as the Eagles’ line.  LT Andre Dillard missed last season with a bicep injury, right now he’s fighting a sprained knee.  He lost the starting LT job to Jordan Mailata who filled in a bit last year and won the job in camp.  Their assumed starting LG Isaac Seumalo is hurt with a hamstring injury and they don’t really have a ready-made replacement.  C Jason Kelce is good but he’ll be 34 this year.  RG Brandon Brooks and RT Lane Johnson are both incredible players but they are getting older and coming off injuries too.  This offensive line could really cost this team a solid running game.  Sanders is a talent and they have Boston Scott backing him up.  Also, rookie Kenneth Gainwell could be a solid playmaker. 

            If you think the offense has problems, just hold on a second, you’re not going to like the defense at all.  The defense is aging, under talented and generally needs a lot of help.  The two best players up front are DE Brandon Graham and DT Fletcher Cox.  Both guys are on the wrong side of 30 and both guys need someone to step up and help them not have to play so many snaps.  DE Josh Sweat is a solid backup but he needs to take step forward because I don’t think veteran free agent signing Ryan Kerrigan is going to get remarkably better. The team drafted Milton Williams at DT but he needs some experience.  DE Derek Barnett should be in the prime of his career and while he’s solid player he’s not an elite edge rusher.   DT Javon Hargrave is also in his prime but again, he’s a solid player too but not a huge difference maker. 

            The LB corps is underwhelming to say the least.  New coordinator Jonathan Gannon has learned under some great defensive coaches but this is his first time running a defense.  What he will do is a bit unknown.  He has Alex Singleton returning after being forced into a starting job last season and being productive.  He had some nice stats but he’s hardly a game changer.  They brought in Eric Wilson from Minnesota, he was thrust into a job last year when Anthony Barr got hurt and he also racked up some stats.  He should man the middle in Philly but who knows.  Genard Avery is the real unknown as he moves from DE to LB for Gannon.  The depth is even more suspect. 

            Darius Slay is back as the #1 CB and he still played at a high level most of last season but he’s 30 now and building your secondary around a 30-year-old CB is a questionable tactic.  They signed Steven Nelson just before training camp and he comes in as the other outside CB.  He’s able to play well, he just doesn’t always do it.  Having him allows them to leave Avonte Maddux as the nickel corner and that’s better than having him outside.  If all three play at their absolute best, it’s a solid trio, the odds on that are pretty slim.  Also, there is almost no depth at CB.  Anthony Harris comes over at safety after a solid career in Minnesota.  He’s 29 and while he’s been productive, there’s a reason the Vikings never signed him to a long-term deal.  He’s good, he’s not great, and the Eagles could use some good.  Rodney McLeod tore his ACL in December so his availability early in the year is suspect at best.  That leaves K’Von Wallace, the youngster out of Clemson as the likely starter.  Wallace is an unknown commodity at this point.  Gannon has his work cut of for him putting this defense together and I feel like the offense may not help them out a lot.      

            This is the Chiefs division until someone wrestles it from Patrick Mahomes cold, dead hands.  The Chiefs might have won their second Super Bowl in a row if they had had a healthy offensive line.  They have five new starters on the line and for good measure they even have some depth.  The Chargers are looking to build on Justin Herbert’s fantastic rookie year but they have a rookie head coach and they need better luck on the injury front.  The offensive line has been rebuilt (it’s a theme in this division), so that should help Herbert.  The Broncos were hoping to get Aaron Rodgers to lead their offense but that isn’t happening now so they will hope Teddy Bridgewater can figure out how to use their weapons on offense.  Von Miller returns on defense and they hope that helps.  The Raiders are the Raiders.  They shuffled their offensive line and their defensive line, the defensive line needed it, the offensive one probably didn’t.  Derek Carr is back, I’m not sure if that’s good or bad, depends on who you ask.  The defense is bad, no matter who you ask. 

Kansas City Chiefs

            The offense has been all about Patrick Mahomes for the past several years but last year’s Super Bowl proved even he can be beaten if he doesn’t have any blocking.  The offensive line was in shambles due to injury and the Chiefs should have five new starters this year.  LT Orlando Brown Jr, LG Joe Thuney, rookie C Creed Humphrey, rookie RG Trey Smith and RT Lucas Niang. They also brought RG Kyle Long out of retirement but now he’s injured and Laurent Duvernay-Tardif returns after spending his Covid opt out working as a doctor, he’s hurt too.  C Austin Blythe was also signed as a free agent and he adds interior depth as he can play center or guard.  RT Mike Remmers was a turnstile last year at LT when he filled in during the Super Bowl, for now he’s the third OT.   

            WR Tyreek Hill and TE Travis Kelce give Mahomes two of the best playmaking pass catchers at their respective positions in the league.  Those two have to be huge because the depth behind them is unproven.  Mecole Hardman and Demarcus Robinson are going to have to step up at WR with veteran Sammy Watkins departing.  Watkins wasn’t amazing but he was solid.  RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire was fine last season he just wasn’t great.  He wasn’t a workhorse like some RBs can be but the Chiefs are a pass first team. 

            The defense goes into the season with some big question marks.  DE Frank Clark is facing some legal issues and he’s their best outside pass rusher.  Chris Jones is just as important up front but he might be less effective is Clark is gone, he can play both DT and DE.  They did bring in DT Jarran Reed from Seattle and he’s a very solid addition.  They don’t have much at the other DE position but they did re-sign Alex Okafor.  At LB, Anthony Hitchens holds down the middle flanked by Willie Gay Jr and potentially rookie Nick Bolton.  It’s not a stellar group of LBs. 

            CB L’Jarius Snead was better last year than most realize but he’s far from a sure thing.  Charvarius Ward is the other starter but the Chiefs picked up Deandre Baker after he was cut by the Giants due to some legal issues and they are hoping he gets himself back in line and can restart his career.  SS Tyrann Mathieu is the talent in the secondary and he runs things on the defense.  Juan Thornhill is an athletic guy playing the other safety position with Daniel Sorenson as the consistent veteran who isn’t flashy.  The Chiefs defense only has to be good enough, they don’t have to be great. 

Los Angeles Chargers

            The Chargers drafted their future last year with QB Justin Herbert, now they have to build around him.  The first thing they did this off season was remaking the offensive line.  They signed C Corey Linsley, RG Matt Feiler, and LG Oday Aboushi in free agency and drafted LT Rashawn Slater.  Add those four new starters to holdover RT Bryan Bulaga and the Chargers will be far better up front.  Add that to a hopefully healthy Austin Ekeler at RB and the running game should improve too.  Ekeler is a talented guy but he only played in 10 games last season.  They have good depth but Ekeler is a bigger threat and they need him on the field.  This team’s entire focus needs to be, stay healthy. 

            At WR, Herbert has the ever-reliable Keenan Allen and the hopeful breakout Mike Williams but there isn’t a third guy.  Jaylen Guyton played a lot last year but mostly as a decoy, he really didn’t do much.  The team is hoping rookie Josh Palmer or perhaps KJ Hill will emerge, Palmer has shown flashes in camp.  Hunter Henry left for a big contract in New England so the Chargers signed well-traveled veteran Jared Cook.  Cook is always just bad enough that his team wants to replace him but just good enough that they struggle to find someone who can.  He’s reliable enough and he played in New Orleans where Chargers new offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi was on staff.  Lombardi’s last stint as an offensive coordinator did not go well but it was with the Detroit Lions and I just can’t completely blame him for it. 

            The number of defensive players who played all 16 games for the Chargers last season is pretty short, they need to stay healthy.  They added Linval Joseph at NT and he gives them some real size up front.  Jerry Tillery and Justin Jones flank him on the three-man line and they are solid young guys.  At edge rusher, Joey Bosa has to stay healthy.  When he’s on the field, he’s a game wrecker.  He’s an elite pass rusher who plays like an outside linebacker and a defensive end.  The team let Melvin Ingram walk in free agency because he was aging and also never healthy.  They need Uchenna Nwosu to replace him, he’s also coming off an injury.  Kenneth Murray had a pretty good rookie year and the team expects him to only get better.  The team hopes Drue Tranquill can come back from an injury last season and play next to Murray. 

            The secondary is where this team needs improvement as well as health.  They were pretty beat up but they also just didn’t play well.  Derwin James missed his second straight season after being a star his rookie season.  If he’s healthy, he’s a game changer.  He’s the ultimate chess piece for new coach Brandon Staley.  The team also needs Nasir Adderley to be more effective at FS.  He gets beat too often for the last line of defense.  At CB, they need Chris Harris to get back to being the effective coverage guy he once was in Denver, he hasn’t been that guy for the Chargers.  For now, it looks like Michael Davis at one outside spot, I would bet on rookie Asante Samuel Jr taking the other while Harris mans the slot. Samuel may be the best coverage guy they have at CB by the end of the year.

Denver Broncos

            The Broncos offense could be fantastic if they have competent QB play.  Drew Lock and Teddy Bridgewater battled it out in camp and it looked pretty close but Vic Fangio is going with the vet, Teddy Bridgewater.  Bridgewater will be better in Denver because he should have a plethora of talented skill guys around him.  However, with the way Lock played in the preseason I wouldn’t expect a long leash if Bridgewater struggles.  The offensive line isn’t great but it’s better than the sum of its parts due to offensive line coach Mike Munchak who came in last year and did a fantastic job.  He resurrected Garrett Boles career at LT and he should have this unit playing better overall.  The running game is still led by Melvin Gordon for now but they lost Phillip Lindsay in free agency.  They replaced him with rookie Javonte Williams in the second round of the draft and he should prove to be the future of the position, and that may be sooner than Gordon likes. 

            The pass catchers are where this team could really become amazing if they get some health overall and some stability at QB.  Courtland Sutton could prove to be a true #1 WR if given the chance.  He’s coming off a missed season due to injury but he has the ability to be the top guy.  Jerry Jeudy is a fantastic player who can move all over and play out of different spots.  Tim Patrick and KJ Hamler give them meaningful depth at the position.  Noah Fant is an emerging playmaker at TE and Albert Okwuegbunam gives them a solid backup.  If Bridgewater can’t succeed with this group of pass catchers around him, there’s little hope for him beyond being a career backup. 

            Vic Fangio is one of the best defensive minds the NFL has ever had.  The defense should be better than they were last season with the return of OLB Von Miller and a revamped secondary.  Bradley Chubb was never quite himself last year so the team hopes he rebounds too.  If Miller and Chubb can recapture their pass rushing talent, add in Malik Reed, who was a solid find last year, and the pass defense gets a huge boost.  Alexander Johnson and Josey Jewell are a solid interior duo who know their jobs and should get a boost in depth if rookie Baron Browning is healthy.  The three-man front is unspectacular, however, that’s how they are built.  They play tough so Chubb, Miller and Reed can wreak havoc. 

            At CB, they get a major makeover.  Veterans Ronald Darby and Kyle Fuller were signed and Patrick Surtain II was their first-round draft pick.  That should leave guys like Bryce Callahan and Michael Ojemudia fighting for playing time.  Justin Simmons returns at FS while they will give it a go with 33-year-old Kareem Jackson at SS.  The defense needs the offense to hold up their end of the bargain or they are going to break down eventually.

Las Vegas Raiders

            The Raiders offense was top 10 in yards and points last year.  That’s the good news.  The bad news is they need better production from their WR corps, they put entirely too much pressure on the TE and RB position and they are looking at three new starters on the offensive line.  QB Derek Carr isn’t a superstar but he has been a steady hand for years.  He may not be fighting for the MVP award but he’s better than what most teams have at QB.  TE Darren Waller and RB Josh Jacobs are superstars.  Waller is at least the third best TE in the league (behind Travis Kelce and George Kittle when he’s healthy).  He’s nearly unstoppable in third-down and red zone plays and Derek Carr knows to rely on him.  Jacobs is a maniac.  He runs hard and plays like a man possessed.  Carr has two fantastic guys to bail him out in tough situations.  There isn’t much depth at TE behind Waller but the Raiders did add Kenyon Drake at RB.  It seems like an unnecessary expense to pay for an expensive backup RB when you have Jacobs (and it really is), however, when Jacobs came off the field, the offense suffered.  Drake won’t let that happen. 

            Where this offense is going to be vulnerable is on the line and at WR.  They return Kolton Miller at LT and they will try to squeeze one more year out of the aging Richie Incognito at LG.  They traded away C Rodney Hudson, OG Gabe Jackson and RT Trent Brown.  Andre James is the starter at center, it’s a downgrade.  Denzelle Good will move to OG full-time and try to replace Jackson, that will hurt their depth.  And finally, first-round reach Alex Leatherwood will replace Trent Brown at RT.  Brown struggles last year so that might be a wash but Leatherwood hasn’t exactly been lighting it up in the preseason.  At WR, Henry Ruggs III needs to turn his speed into production.  He played in 13 games last year and only had 26 catches, that’s not good enough for a first round pick.  They really like the potential of former third round pick Bryan Edwards but he was even less productive with only 11 catches in 12 games played.  The team signed John Brown and Willie Snead to add veteran competition but Brown already asked out because he wasn’t going to play enough.  They need the young guys to step up.  Slot guy Hunter Renfrow is the one consistent player returning at WR after the team lost Nelson Agholor in free agency.  Renfrow is another security blanket Carr relies on, it’s time the playmakers at WR step up so Carr doesn’t have to rely on the security blanket guys so much. 

            The Raiders defense gave up the third most points per game last season.  This off season was a little bit about signing veterans to replace (or potentially replace) the first round misses this team has had in the draft.  Up front the team has DE Maxx Crosby, who has been pretty solid but they signed Yannick Ngakoue because former first rounder Clelin Ferrell has been underwhelming.  Jonathan Hankins and Quinton Jefferson should hold down the middle but the team is also taking a free agent shot on Solomon Thomas, he was a bust for the 49ers but he still adds versatility up front.  The LB corps returns veterans Cory Littleton, Nick Kwiatkowski and Nick Morrow, not exactly an exciting bunch.  They were hoping converted safeties Tanner Muse or Divine Deablo could add some playmaking to this group but that hasn’t worked out so they traded for Denzel Perryman, a desperation move if there ever was one.   

            At CB, the team signed veteran Casey Hayward.  If Hayward is healthy, he should replace Damon Arnette, another first-round pick who hasn’t lived up to his billing.  Trayvon Mullen is fine at the other spot but this team lacks a true #1 CB.  The Raiders brought back former first-round pick Karl Joseph at SS partially because their current SS Jonathan Abram (another first-rounder) is limited in coverage, then they cut Joseph.  The FS spot should be won by this year’s second-round pick Tre’von Moehrig, he’s a true playmaker in the secondary and they really need him.           

            The Packers won the division last year by five games and the only hope the rest of the division had of catching them was if Aaron Rodgers got traded, he didn’t, he’s back.  Even if it’s only for a year it means the Packers should win again, even if it’s a little harder this year.  The Bears are the wild card because of Justin Fields, the sooner he plays the better chance they have at competing with the Packers.  The Vikings need their defense to improve by leaps and bounds after a disappointing year if they want any chance at the division.  They also need their QB group to stay Covid free.  The Lions return to the beginning of their perpetual cycle of building, not rebuilding, you can’t rebuild something you never built in the first place. 

Green Bay Packers

            The Aaron Rodgers saga is settled for now, he’s in camp and ready to lead the Packers for at least this year.  He got the contract changes he wanted and he got to make the GM dance for him by making him trade for Randall Cobb.  I’m not sure how much Cobb really helps the passing game at this point but Rodgers got to flex a little so there’s that.  The passing game is still largely just Rodgers to Devante Adams and that’s a lethal combination.  Cobb adds depth beyond Allen Lazard but I do worry he might stunt the growth of rookie Amari Rodgers, a guy I really like.  Marquez Valdez-Scantling has had a great camp by all accounts, that would help a lot.  Robert Tonyan was a find at TE and Rodgers loves him so the team should try to keep him happy too.

            The running game features Aaron Jones and he has all the skills.  He’s a tough runner and a fantastic pass catcher and more importantly, he’s Aaron Rodgers security blanket.  They lost his running partner Jamaal Williams in free agency but they hope last year’s rookie AJ Dillon can give them a nice complementary back.  The offensive line is doing some shuffling with Elgton Jenkins originally moving from OG to C but for now he’s moved out to LT with David Bakhtiari on the PUP list to start the year, he’s out until week 7.  Royce Newman and Lucas Patrick take over at the guard spots and Billy Turner becomes the full-time starter at RT.  Rookie Josh Myers will hold down the center spot for now.  LT David Bakhtiari is one of the best OTs in football when he’s healthy and he’s working his way back.  They should be fine because Rodgers is a master at running the offense and he gets rid of the ball pretty quickly. 

            The Packers finally gave up on Mike Pettine at defensive coordinator and hired Joe Barry.  He has Kenny Clark in the middle up front and he’s a soon-to-be 26-year-old stud.  The DEs are non-descript but they are supposed to be in this defense.  At LB, Rashan Gary, Preston Smith and Za’Darius Smith will give the team good pass rush off the edge.  They needed ILB help and they may have found it in veteran De’Vondre Campbell, I said might.  Krys Barnes played a lot last season but they needed someone who knows what he’s doing because Oren Burks gets hurt a lot. 

            The secondary can be the strength of this defense if Kevin King plays better or if they replace him at CB.  Jaire Alexander is one of the best cover corners in the league and he’s special.  He can play inside or out and cover anyone of any size.  King had a rough year and then had a truly awful game in the playoffs against Tampa Bay.  The team drafted Eric Stokes in round one after only giving King a one-year contract.  That’s a blatant signal to King that his job is Stokes’ to lose.  Adrian Amos is a very good safety in the prime of his career and he restructured his contract to stick around in Green Bay a little longer.  Darnell Savage is an ascending player which gives the Packers three really good players as starters in secondary and they only need the other CB spot to be better to be one of the best units in the NFL. 

Minnesota Vikings

            I’m not a Kirk Cousins fan and it has nothing to do with his anti-vax stance, I just think he’s an average QB who might be holding back his more talented teammates.  Cousins isn’t a big game QB and he isn’t going to win a playoff game for you so his ceiling is limited.  RB Dalvin Cook is one of the best in the game, if he’s healthy he keeps them humming along.  Cook is multi-dimensional and they use him accordingly.  The problem with Cook is he always misses time.  Luckily for the Vikings Alexander Mattison is a solid backup.  The offense line is shuffling a bit, rookie Christian Darrisaw was slated to take over at LT after Riley Reiff left in the off season.  Darrisaw is recovering from an injury and when he comes back is still up in the air.  For now, Rashod Hill is playing LT and they re-signed him for this reason.  This means Ezra Cleveland can stay at LG, Garrett Bradbury returns at center and Brian O’Neill returns at RT.  The RG spot has Oli Udoh right now.  The team was hoping rookie Wyatt Davis would win the job but he’s struggled to establish himself in camp.  This could be a solid offensive line if everyone is healthy. 

            WR Justin Jefferson had an incredible rookie season and became the top guy.  Adam Thielen isn’t as explosive as he once was now that he’s 30 but he still scored 14 TDs which means he’s still effective when it counts.  The team signed Dede Westbrook from Jacksonville who is coming off a lost season due to injury but had two solid years in 2018 and 2019.  The Vikings would very much like it if second-year man KJ Osborn or rookie fifth-rounder Ihmir Smith-Marsette would break out.  Irv Smith was supposed to emerge with Kyle Rudolph gone but now he’s hurt and it looks like he’s out for the year and they team only has Tyler Conklin at TE.  They did just trade for Chris Herndon but I’m not sure that helps. 

            The defense is where things could really get dicey for the Vikings.  DE Danielle Hunter is returning from a neck injury and they need him to be the major pass rusher he was before.  Even if he can be, they have very little opposite him.  Jalyn Holmes, Stephen Weatherly, or DJ Wonnum could end up playing opposite Hunter.  They even tried bringing back Everson Griffen at 33 years old, just to see what he has left, then they cut him.  The team signed Dalvin Tomlinson and Sheldon Richardson to play inside and they hope Michael Pierce might contribute after he missed last year completely.  Eric Kendricks and Anthony Barr return at LB.  Kendricks was his usual productive self even if he wasn’t making all the plays he used to make.  Barr missed most of 2020 with a torn pectoral muscle, that didn’t help Kendricks much.  Both guys are pushing 30 so the Vikings need to get the most out of them while they can. 

            The secondary is looking at some serious turnover.  Patrick Peterson, Bashaud Breeland and Mackensie Alexander were signed to add to Cameron Dantzler at CB. Peterson is past his prime, Breeland can play a little and Alexander is coming back to be the nickel guy after Cincinnati didn’t work out for him.  The team cut last year’s first-round pick and starter Jeff Gladney after he was charged with assault this off season.  Harrison Smith returns at safety but he’s 32 so he’s on the downside, of course that didn’t stop them from giving him a 4-year extension.  Anthony Harris left at the other safety position and the team signed former Cowboy Xavier Woods.  When you’re importing guys from the Cowboys secondary, that’s not a good thing.  Depending on what the Bears do with Fields, I think the Vikings can have enough defense with a solid offense to finish second to Packers, but probably a distant second. 

Chicago Bears

            So, the good news is that the Bears have some actual playmakers on offense, the skill positions have a solid foundation.  RB David Montgomery is a hard-nosed runner who can grind out some yards. RB Tarik Cohen could be ready for the season but if he’s not the team signed well rested veteran (he opted out last year) Damian Williams from Kansas City.  Allen Robinson is a legitimate #1 WR and not everybody has one of those.  Darnell Mooney looked pretty good taking over as the #2 WR and he should only get better with more playing time.  They make a nice 1-2 combo.  TE Cole Kmet is also a potentially ascending player, he only got better as the season went on.  Jimmy Graham isn’t the guy he once was but he still scored eight TDs last year and he’s a weapon in the red zone.  They do need a third WR to emerge, veterans Damiere Byrd and Marquise Goodwin made the team out of camp but they need to be better than they have been.  Rodney Adams was a late cut but perhaps they bring him back, he had a nice camp.

            Now for the bad news, the offensive line looks like a mess and for now Andy Dalton is the starting QB.  On the line, rookie Teven Jenkins was supposed to make the move to LT and be the starter but he’s out for the foreseeable future because of back issues, not a great start.  The team was basically forced to sign 39-year-old Jason Peters to compete for the LT spot, if you can call Elijah Wilkinson competition.  OG James Daniels is returning from missing most of last season with a torn pectoral muscle.  Cody Whitehair plays the other guard spot for now.  Sam Mustipher is set to play center, he wasn’t stellar in camp.  It seems like Germain Ifedi will fill the RT spot unless Peters can win the LT job and then perhaps Wilkinson moves to the right side.  If Jenkins can return from his back issues, he should find a job and the team likes Larry Borom but he’s also dealing with injury concerns. 

            Matt Nagy has been steadfast in his belief that Andy Dalton should be the starter at QB.  The team traded up in round one to get Justin Fields and he’s the most talented QB the team has had in 50 years.  These two things don’t seem to mesh.  Fields is the best option they have and although it might be a good idea to not get him killed behind a bad offensive line, the offensive skill position players deserve the best QB lining up for them.  Nagy’s head coaching life will depend on him getting the QB thing right this year.  My confidence level in Nagy wanes every time he talks about Dalton starting.   

            The Bears have been built around their defense for years and while they were fine last season, they weren’t good enough to overcome their offense’s struggles and some individuals didn’t have great years (I’m talking about you Robert Quinn).  Chuck Pagano retired and former Vic Fangio disciple Sean Desai takes over as the coordinator, that should be a good thing.  The Bears run a predominately 3-4 look where Khalil Mack dominates as an outside pass rusher from the OLB spot.  Robert Quinn was given a huge free agent deal last year after he was great for the Cowboys the year before.  He only had two sacks and that should have been foreseeable.  The dirty secret no one ever talks about with Quinn is that he’s a great pass rusher from the DE spot in a 4-3 defense but simply isn’t an effective rusher as an OLB in a 3-4, he’s a bad fit.  Roquan Smith and Danny Trevathan are good ILBs with Smith becoming the true playmaker we knew he could be when he entered the league.  Akiem Hicks, Eddie Goldman and Bilal Nichols are the three-man front.  Hicks can be a game wrecker at times, the other guys just do their jobs, I mean that in a good way. 

            The secondary is Desai’s specialty and they may need him to work some magic.  They don’t have a true #1 CB unless they can turn second-year man Jaylon Johnson into one.  He’s a talented guy but in a division that has Devante Adams and Justin Jefferson, it’s not an easy task.  They signed Desmond Trufant and then he didn’t make the team coming out of camp.  It looks like Kindle Vildor is winning the second CB job, they like his potential but he’s unproven.  Artie Burns is another option at CB but they cut him and then brought him back.  At safety, Eddie Jackson is a good player but he was banged up to start training camp.  Tayshaun Gipson is the other safety; he’s also hurt in training camp and he’s not exactly spectacular when he’s a 100%.  Desai has his work cut out for him with this group.   

Detroit Lions

            The Lions did Matthew Stafford a solid after he was the good soldier for so many years for a franchise that just never put enough around him.  They shipped him to the Rams and they got Jared Goff back in return.  Goff isn’t a great QB but he’s a legit NFL starter.  The Lions are the opposite of the Bears on offense, they should have a very good line but they are lacking at the skill positions overall (WR is especially poor).  LT Taylor Decker doesn’t get mentioned with the best OTs in the NFL but he’s very solid, he’s 27 years old and he should keep Goff’s blindside clean.  They took care of the RT spot by drafting Penei Sewell in round one of the draft.  He has struggled in camp but that’s because he’s very young and he’s flipping over to the right side, not the easiest transition.  The tackle spots are set.  Jonah Jackson is slated to be the LG and he’s a talented kid.  Halapoulivaati Vaitai is the RG, he was an expensive free agent OT from a couple years ago who didn’t work out there so he’s playing guard.  C Frank Ragnow is one of the best in the league.  He probably doesn’t get the recognition he deserves but he’s really good. They do not have a ton of depth on the o-line.   

            The best position player they have is TE TJ Hockenson and he should be a big part of the offense because he’s the biggest playmaker.  Goff used his TEs in Los Angeles quite well so he should look to Hockenson plenty.  RB D’Andre Swift had an uneven rookie season to put it mildly.  He has plenty of talent and the hope is new offensive coordinator Anthony Lynn and new head coach Dan Campbell will commit to the run and unleash Swift.  He does seem to always be a little banged up so they signed Jamaal Williams to complement him.  He did that very well in Green Bay with Aaron Jones so that’s a solid addition.  The WR group is a pretty rough.  Veterans Tyrell Williams and Breshad Perriman were signed to be the top two guys and Perriman didn’t even make the roster.  Williams has issues staying healthy and the best guy they had in camp was Kalif Raymond and he won a starting job.  He’s small but he proved effective.  The depth is even worse and the best hope is rookie Amon-Ra St. Brown becoming a legit player quickly.  Detroit’s offense likely won’t be very explosive but maybe can be effective running the ball behind the offensive line.

            I’m not completely sure what to make of this defense.  The Matt Patricia New England hybrid model is probably out the window and considering how many “New England” type players they had under Patricia and former GM Bob Quinn, this is going to be a work in progress.  New defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn looks to be moving to a more standard 3-4 base and it could include two rookies playing plenty.  Alim McNeil should settle in at NT and he’s built for it.  Levi Onwuzurike should fit in nicely as a 3-4 end, it’s probably his best position but for now veteran Nick Williams looks like the starter.  Veteran Michael Brockers was brought in and he’s been starting on a three-man line for years for the Rams. 

            Sorting out the LB spots should be interesting.  Trey Flowers was a major free agent from New England a couple years ago at DE but they are moving him to OLB.  He isn’t a speed rusher so it will be a tricky transition.  Romeo Okwaro was a 10-sack guy last year and he’ll also be lining up at OLB and he should transition fine.  Okwaro’s brother Julian is the backup and he’s built to be an OLB too.  Jamie Collins should be one ILB while Alex Anzalone looks like the other.  The team finally gave up on Jahlani Tavai. 

            The secondary was a mess last year but coordinator Aaron Glenn was a long-time NFL CB and has been coaching the secondary for years.  First things first for Glenn, he has to unlock Jeff Okudah.  Okudah was the third pick of the draft two years ago and he was bad last year.  He has all the talent to be a #1 CB but Glenn has to coach him up to it.  The other CB spot should be Amani Oruwariye, he’s not great but he just needs to be not terrible.  Rookie Ifeatu Melifonwu might be the third guy, it’s a rough depth chart.  Tracy Walker and Will Harris are the safeties and they are about as average as their last names.  This isn’t a great group.  

            The Hawkeyes start their season next weekend against Indiana, getting an early start on the Big Ten season.  It doesn’t get any easier as they take on highly ranked Iowa State in week two.  The Hawkeyes are ranked in the top 20 going into the season and that’s generally not a bad place for them to be.  When expectations are too high, the Hawkeyes sometimes falter and fail to live up to them.  They did finish last season strong and they return a lot of key players and that’s a great place to start.  There hasn’t been a lot of movement in the two-deeps since the spring but there are a few notable changes. 

            Iowa’s offense looked good in their open practice during fall camp and that’s good because usually the offense is behind the defense at that point.  Iowa will run the ball well, no surprise there.  It’s the passing of Spencer Petras that will make the difference between a good year and a great year.  On defense, it’s all up to how the defensive line performs.  The back seven for the Hawkeyes is absolutely stacked with playmakers, can the line hold up its end?

Quarterback

Starter: Spencer Petras (Jr)

Backup: Alex Padilla  (Soph)

            The Hawkeyes will go as far as Spencer Petras can take them.  The running game is in good hands with a strong offensive line and a great RB but the passing game has to step up.  With some guys moving up at WR and some fresh faces it’s up to Petras to run the offense and get the ball to his playmakers.  He has a cannon for an arm but he needs to reign in his power.  Petras spent some of the off season working with a QB coach to refine his mechanics and hopefully give him a better feel for the touch throws.  His mid-range accuracy has more to do with his tendency to throw everything like a mid-90s fastball.  He needs to take a little off and let the receivers catch it.  He also needs to work on his deep ball because he has to take the top off the defense to back teams off the line so they can’t stack up against Iowa’s running game.  The open practice seemed to point to Petras having worked on just these things and he definitely has command of the offense. 

            Padilla has solidified his spot as the backup. He doesn’t seem like a threat to Petras after what we saw in the open practice but that doesn’t mean he isn’t a capable player.  Padilla just looks a little behind Petras as far as his command of the offense goes.  He is also clearly ahead of Deuce Hogan and Joey Labas as the backup.  The two young guys are talented but they simply don’t have the time in the offense to run it like Petras or Padilla.    

Running Back/Fullback

Starters: Tyler Goodson (Jr)              Monte Pottebaum (Jr)

Backups: Ivory Kelly-Martin (Sr)      Turner Pallissard (Jr)

            In the spring I was quite concerned about Tyler Goodson staying healthy as Iowa didn’t look like they had a lot of depth, now, I just want Goodson to stay healthy because he’s so good.  He was First-Team All-Big Ten last year and that should be the least of his accolades this year.  He’s a fantastic talent, he should get the bulk of the carries, he’s a terrific fit in the offense and he plays behind what should be a very good offensive line.  I fully expect a Shonn Greene like season from Goodson and he’ll be on the short list for the Doak Walker Award.  Monte Pottebaum is the starting fullback and he will continue the tradition of Iowa having a tough, hard-nosed lead blocker that no one wants to tangle with.  Pottebaum may even get a few plays himself, he has a solid skill set.   

            I was worried in the spring about Iowa’s RB depth because Ivory Kelly-Martin tore his ACL in December and there was no one with experience to back up Goodson.  Well, Kelly-Martin has made a remarkable recovery and looks good in fall camp and is ready to go to start the year.  He’s been around for quite some time so he knows the offense and if he’s healthy he’s a very talented RB.  It also helps that both Gavin Williams and Leshon Williams look good too.  Iowa almost always uses multiple RBs so at least one of the Williams will get some snaps and I would guess both will at some point. The Hawkeyes seem to be in good shape at RB.  Turner Pallissard is also a solid backup fullback.

Wide Receivers

Starters: Tyrone Tracy Jr. (Jr)                        Nico Ragaini (Jr)

Backups: Keegan Johnson (Fr)                       Charlie Jones (Sr)

            Tyrone Tracy Jr has spent the last few years learning each WR position so he could sub in everywhere but now it’s his turn to take the top spot.  He’s a playmaker through and through and he should quicky become Petras’ favorite target out wide.  He can get deep on the outside, he can come across the middle, he can beat you in the screen game, there isn’t anywhere that he can’t get it done, he’s in for a huge year.  Ragaini was a starter last year as the slot receiver and he’ll do most of his work from there again.  He’s a security blanket for Petras as he works the middle of the field and gets open inside.  He’s sure-handed and while beating anyone deep isn’t really his game, he will make the tough play. 

            True freshman Keegan Johnson is a special talent.  Kirk Ferentz and the Iowa coaching staff have rarely ever seen a true freshman step up at a skill position and make the two-deeps going into the season.  Johnson enrolled early, practiced during the spring, and has proven simply too good to keep off the field.  He gives Iowa a nice outside receiver to pair with Tracy so Ragaini can play the slot.  He has the size, speed and wide receiver skill to be a special player and we will see that this season.  Charlie Jones transferred to Iowa a couple of years ago and so far, he’s made his name as a punt returner, an excellent punt returner actually.  This year he hopes to get some real playing time as a WR and he has speed and elusiveness that any team can use. 

            Senior Max Cooper returns to try to finally stay healthy and contribute, whether that’s at WR or on special teams.  The other true freshman WR who can get some playing time is Arland Bruce IV, who also enrolled early for the spring.  Bruce is more of a gadget guy for now but he can work his way up the WR depth chart.  Diante Vines, Desmond Hutson and Quavon Matthews will all try to make their way on to the field.  Jackson Ritter is a walk-on who might play and it is unlikely true freshman Brody Brecht plays unless there are a number of injuries. 

Tight Ends

Starter: Sam LaPorta (Jr)

Backups: Luke Lachey (RS Fr)          Josiah Miamen (Soph)

            Sam LaPorta had a bit of a breakout season last year but I expect him to really show out this year.  With a more consistent QB and a balanced passing attack, LaPorta can have a huge year.  He has all the talent necessary to be Iowa’s next great TE.  With a great running game, some very good WRs and even some extra help at TE, things should open up for LaPorta.  Now Petras just has to learn not to throw it 95 mph when LaPorta is only seven yards away. 

            Luke Lachey certainly looks the part of a superior TE physically.  He’s 6’6 250ish lbs. and quite athletic.  He is still raw from a technique standpoint and he hasn’t played against college competition but he has the physical skills to be quite good.  Josiah Miamen had a rocky time this last year with some off-the-field troubles but he seems to have gotten back in good graces of the coaches and looks like a nice TE prospect in camp.  He isn’t going to let Lachey just have the backup job, he’s going to make him earn it.  Miamen a good athlete who can be a solid pass catching TE.  Elijah Yelverton is the fourth guy trying to prove he can help at the position too.  The rest of the roster is made up of walk-ons who are trying to show they can play. 

Offensive Line

Starters: LT Jack Plumb (Jr), LG Cody Ince (Jr), C Tyler Linderbaum (Jr), RG Justin Britt (Soph), RT Nick DeJong (Soph)

Backups: LT Mason Richman (RS Fr), LG Tyler Elsbury (RS Fr), C Matt Fagan (Jr), RG Josh Volk (RS Fr), RT Connor Colby (Fr)

            Tyler Linderbaum is the star of this unit.  He is a pre-season All-American and likely high round NFL draft pick.  He’s one of the most talented offensive linemen in college football and Iowa is lucky to have him.  Kyler Schott was supposed to be the other certain starter and the only senior starter but he injured his ankle in a hay bale accident (as only an Iowa lineman might do) so he’s out to start the season.  Cody Ince starts at LG after playing a few positions last season and being listed as a RT at one point.  He’s best suited inside and should be good next to Linderbaum.  Justin Britt is listed as the starting RG with Schott out and if he’s healthy to start the year and playing his best, Schott might find it hard to get his job back.  Nick DeJong has won the RT job, he’s a former walk-on who earned a scholarship and now a starting job, another good Iowa story.  Jack Plumb has been listed as the starting LT since spring practice and while it looks like he’s holding onto the job for now, he has competition in the form of Mason Richman.  Richman is an athletic redshirt freshman the coaches seem to love and they are looking to get him on the field. 

            Richman is the backup LT unless he can unseat Plumb or if he’s needed elsewhere.  He’s worked at guard too so he could play almost anywhere if needed.  He’s really the sixth lineman for now if they need a guard or tackle.  Tyler Elsbury and Josh Volk are redshirt freshmen backups inside at guard.  Once Schott returns the inside should be fortified with Ince, Britt and Schott rotating at OG so Elsbury and Volk probably don’t play much.  True freshman Connor Colby has earned the backup RT spot and that’s quite impressive for a true freshman.  Richman is likely the third tackle if one is needed but Colby is a talented player.  Matt Fagan is listed as Linderbaum’s backup at center but if he goes down, I would suspect one of the guards, Schott or Britt perhaps, would step in.  Fagan is an undersized walk-on and Iowa usually goes with the best five if they can. 

Defensive Line

Starters: DE Zach VanValkenburg (Sr), DE John Waggoner (Jr), DT Yahya Black (RS Fr), DT Noah Shannon (Jr)

Backups: DE Deontae Craig (RS Fr), DE Joe Evans (RS Fr), DT Lukas Van Ness (RS Fr), DT Logan Lee (Soph)

            This is the critical group for the Iowa defense.  Everything starts up front and this group doesn’t have much experience.  VanValkenburg is a sixth-year senior but even he only started last season.  He did a very nice job and it’s good for the Hawkeyes he’s back but he’s a strong, steady presence, not a spectacular one.  John Waggoner is a fourth-year junior who is finally getting his chance to live up to his four-star billing from his high school days.  He needs to bring pressure off the edge and be a playmaker for the Hawkeyes. No one expects him to be AJ Epenesa or Adrian Clayborn but it would be nice if he can get to the QB a bit.  Joe Evans has been a designated pass rusher the last two years but he’s added good weight and now the coaches feel he can be a full-time DE.  He can get to the QB.  Deontae Craig is the youngest guy and he offers a lot of potential as a pass rusher.  Redshirt freshman Ethan Hurkett, sophomore Chris Reames and true freshman Max Llewellyn can’t be counted out given the lack of experience at the position.    

            The DT spot has even less experience.  Noah Shannon has the most and he was a part-time rotational player last season, that’s it.  He needs to step up, especially against the run.  Yahya Black is a big man who brings the size Shannon lacks to the middle.  He’s only a redshirt freshman so it’s a bit of a projection to think he’s going to make his mark but he’s an athletic dude for a guy that goes 6’5 290 lbs.  The Hawkeyes need him to live up to his potential or they could be in trouble up front.  Black and Shannon have missed some practice time which has meant Lukas Van Ness and Logan Lee have gotten plenty of reps. That’s good because Van Ness is also a redshirt freshman like Black and Lee is a sophomore who only played in two games last season.  This team is going to need some depth at DT and walk-on Louie Stec, redshirt freshmen Isaiah Bruce and Logan Jones could all earn time.  Jones would likely be in the two-deeps but he’s recovering from a knee injury, he’s expected back during the season. Again, given the lack of overall experience you can’t even discount true freshman like Jeremiah Pittman or Jeff Bowie from playing if they can prove useful.   

Linebackers

Starters: MLB Jack Campbell (Jr), WLB Seth Benson (Jr), LEO Jestin Jacobs (Soph)

Backups: Jay Higgins (Soph), Kyler Fisher (Soph), Mike Timm (Jr), Logan Klemp (Jr)

            The big switch here is Jack Campbell is now listed as the MLB and Seth Benson is the WLB, it was the other way after the spring but this lineup makes perfect sense.  Campbell is about to break out as the star LB of the Hawkeyes.  He’s a freakishly sized LB at 6’5 243 lbs. and is extremely athletic for a LB that big.  Benson played MLB last year when Campbell was hurt and now, he moves to the weakside and he should be good.  The really interesting thing here is that Iowa wants to play Dane Belton at the Cash position (more on him later) but Jestin Jacobs might be too good at LB to not play.  It looks like Iowa will rotate Jacobs in for Benson at times when they only play two LBs just to get him on the field.  Jacobs is a great athlete that just hasn’t been unleashed yet.  Iowa’s starting LBs should be impressive. 

            Given the fact that Iowa will only play two LBs some of the time and they already have three they can rotate, the backups probably won’t get much playing time.  Jay Higgins is likely the fourth LB and with the ability to rotate the first three around and with the Cash position they probably don’t play more than the top four LBs barring injury.  Fisher, Timm and Klemp contribute on special teams but for now, their use at LB will be limited.

Defensive Backs

Starters: CB Matt Hankins (Sr), CB Riley Moss (Sr), S Kaevon Merriweather (Jr), S Jack Koerner (Sr), CASH Dane Belton (Jr)

Backups: CB Terry Roberts (Jr), CB Jermari Harris (Soph), S Sebastian Castro (Soph), S Quinn Schulte (Soph)

            Matt Hankins gave the Hawkeyes a nice present by coming back for his fifth season and now he just needs to become the playmaker they wanted him to be.  He’s always been solid but he needs to take another step to be really good.  Riley Moss really stepped-up last season and made some plays for the defense.  He’s a good CB with size and intelligence and he never backs down.  He also has a short memory, if he makes a bad play, he doesn’t let it affect his next play.  Great trait for a CB.  Kaevon Merriweather had a good year after he moved to the strong safety spot and let his athleticism shine.  Koerner is the heady player in the middle, calling out the secondary defense and putting guys where they need to be.  He makes plays, he tackles well and he’s rarely caught out of position.  Dane Belton is the Cash.  It’s the nickel back/linebacker hybrid invented for Amani Hooker a few years ago and Belton is looking to perfect it. He can run, he can hit, he can cover and that makes him Phil Parker’s chess piece to move around. When the Hawks face a team where they need three LBs, or in the case of this year they just want to play three, Belton takes over at the SS spot. 

            The backups are led by special team’s ace Terry Roberts.  Roberts would be the starter if Hankins hadn’t returned but for now, he’s just a very good third CB.  We haven’t seen much of Jermari Harris and we probably won’t unless there’s an injury or two. With Belton able to cover the slot or a TE the team uses him in nickel so extra CBs are a luxury, not a necessity.  Sebastian Castro is the backup SS behind Merriweather and he’s also Belton’s backup at the Cash.  Generally, if the team isn’t using Belton at that position, it’s because they are playing three LBs but if Belton were injured and someone has to step in, it would be Castro.  Quinn Schulte is another in a long line of walk-on safeties for the Hawkeyes.  He will have some young competition coming for his spot but for now, he’s the backup to Koerner.

            The depth starts with UNI transfer Xavior Williams who came to Iowa to raise his profile and found a stacked secondary that’s hard to crack.  He could play corner, he could be a safety, and theoretically he could even be the Cash.  For now, he’s a senior looking for some snaps, somewhere.  Dallas Craddieth was a highly regarded recruit who can’t seem to get anywhere on the safety depth chart and gets passed up by younger guys.  Speaking of younger guys, sophomore Reggie Bracy is fighting to get playing time too. Also, true freshman, athletic phenom Cooper DeJean has arrived and everyone should pay attention to him moving forward.  At CB, it’s redshirt freshmen AJ Lawson and Branden Deasfernandes waiting in the wings, Hankins and Moss are seniors so their turn is coming but probably not this year.

Special Teams

Punter: Tory Taylor: He could win the Ray Guy award as the best punter in the country, nice to have him aboard.

Kicker: Caleb Shudak: He returns for his sixth season and finally gets to be the place kicker.  He’s been the kickoff guy because he has elite leg strength, now he just has to prove he has the accuracy.

Punt Returner: Charlie Jones: He’s elite.  He’s a weapon as punt returner.  He should scare the crap out of every team punting to him.

Kick Returner: Jones is listed as the guy but I’m not buying it.  I think someone else steps in.  Maybe Arland Bruce IV, Keegan Johnson, Max Cooper, or one of the Williams (Gavin or Leshon).  Perhaps it’s Tyrone Tracy Jr, Iowa isn’t against using a starting WR (Ihmir Smith-Marsette did it for years) or maybe it’s Cooper DeJean (hey, I can dream can’t I?  Get the kid on the field).