Can you feel it yet? That feeling in mid-July of the anticipation of “America’s Machine” – the National Football League – coming back. The Derek Jeter story last night was wonderful, but let’s get to the real powerhouse of this country, the NFL.
July 16th marks the opening day of training camp for three-NFL teams: The Buffalo Bills, Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers, according to CBSSports.com. Rookies will report to these teams and quickly realize they’re not in college anymore. And apparently, the Harbaugh brothers (Jim and John) both want to get these going quickly.
From this moment on the country will now be tuned into football. Fantasy Football mock-drafts are already in full swing and commissioners alike are sorting through league settings to hit on that perfect setup for 2014.
We have plenty of time to discuss the fantasy-side of things however. For now we look at some of the top story-lines of training camp 2014.
[ new page = The state of the Broncos ]
The state of the Broncos
After an awful Super Bowl performance, John Elway and the Denver Broncos loaded up this off-season. They brought in future hall of famer DL Demarcus Ware, CB Aquib Talib and S TJ Ward. One problem though, they lost key offensive contributors in WR Eric Decker and RB Knowshown Moreno.
The NFL is a young man’s game now and QB Peyton Manning is now another year older at 38, as is Demarcus Ware, 31. Can Denver rebound from such a humiliating Super Bowl loss? One thing is for sure, Manning will have a tough time duplicating his NFL record 55 TD passes from a season ago.
[ new page = Can the 49ers strike back? ]
Can the 49ers strike back?
In 2013 the Super Bowl was in actuality played in the NFC Championship game. Seattle Seahawks CB Richard Sherman deflected a Colin Kaepernick pass and that is how the west was won.
Not only does the NFC still look like the better of the two conferences, but the NFC West is loaded. The Arizona Cardinals surprised under first-year head coach Bruce Arians and Jeff Fisher’s young St. Louis Rams’ are coming fast.
With Kaepernick now solidified as the 49ers franchise (signed a $126 million deal in off-season), it is up to him to have the offense pull as much weight as Navarro Bowman, Patrick Willis and that nasty defense does.
[ new page = Can the Panthers repeat performance? ]
Can Panthers repeat performance?
The Carolina Panthers proved to be the biggest surprise team in 2013. They finished 12-4 in a tough NFC as they earned the number-two seed and a first-round BYE. While losing to the aforementioned 49ers in the Divisional Round was disappointing, it was perhaps the second-best game of the playoffs (behind the NFC Title game.)
The best way to describe Luke Kuechly as a football player is a “rabid dog looking for his first ever bone.” The guy flies to the ball with attitude as he racked up 96 tackles, four interceptions and two sacks last season, according to ProFootballReference.com. He also took home the 2013 NFC Defensive Player of the year, which is kind of a big deal.
Watching how third-year head coach Ron Rivera adjusts to success in this training camp will be interesting.
[ new page = D-Jax with RGIII ]
D-Jax with RGIII
Coming back from a blown-out knee was a little tougher for Robert Griffin III than first-anticipated. This 2014 training camp could be a cross-road for the kid. Griffin could either turn it up and become of the more exciting QB’s this league has ever seen, or slowly fade away with injuries, as so many running QB’s do.
The organization brought in a nice weapon for the youngster though in Desean Jackson. Evaluating how Jay Gruden, first-year Washington Redskins head coach, implements his offense to revolve around Griffin and Jackson should be fun to watch.
[ new page = Revis and the Pats ]
Revis and the Pats
Darrelle Revis cannot be any happier with life right now. He’s getting paid and will be playing for a winner this year.
New England Patriots QB Tom Brady enjoyed another fantastic season in 2013 as he threw for 4,343 yards and 25 TD’s. The problem is, he cannot do it all by himself. The defensive genius that is Bill Belichick has had issues (to say the least) in building a defense that can win championships recently.
Once it was known that Revis would be leaving Tampa Bay the Pats pounced. Now is the time to see if Revis can really recover to his all-pro form, as he is now over a full-year away from knee surgery.
The Jets - Pats rivalry just took another step up.
[ new page = New Era in Houston ]
New era in Houston
With the first-pick in the 2014 NFL Draft, the Houston Texans select Jadeveon Clowney. It was, without a doubt, what we all expected as we inched closer to the draft. Now the nightmare for all QB’s has been realized as JJ Watt and Clowney will present and inside/outside pass rush that will keep offensive lineman up all night with ulcers.
This training camp will be the first for rookie head coach Bill O’Brien, after spending two-seasons in Penn State. O’Brien returns to the NFL with plenty of assistant coaching experience however, most notably starting the “two tight-end” trend that is running-wild in the league now. It’s tough to find two tight-ends like Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez though.
[ new page = Chip Kelly's offense, part II ]
Chip Kelly’s offense, part II
After taking the league by storm last season, Chip Kelly will bring his up-tempo offense back for the second-act. Nick Foles is now firmly planted in as the starter, and he’ll have plenty of talent to work with.
LeSean McCoy, 2013 NFC Offensive Player of the Year and Fantasy MVP, is back. Desean Jackson was shipped off to Washington, but injured Jeremy Maclin will fill right in opposite Riley Cooper.
What wrinkles with Kelly add to the new up-temp offensive trend this season?
[ new page = The defending champs are loaded and ready ]
The defending champs are loaded and ready
For a while there we were getting spoiled with how well each Super Bowl played out year after year. Close game after close game helped increase popularity of this sport in a major way. Last year however, the Seattle Seahawks brought the idea of defense back to the league.
Not only did they beat the Broncos in the Super Bowl, they bullied them around, and look to keep that same mentality in 2014.
Training camp will be a great barometer to get the general feel of the champions. Will they let-up at all, or will they have the same intensity they always have?
[ new page = Vick or Geno in New York? ]
Vick or Geno in New York?
Considering how important the quarterback position is in today’s NFL, it is not surprising to see QB competitions become the top stories of camp. The New York Jets possess one of the more interesting ones as second-year Geno Smith will battle Michael Vick, the old-man.
To say Smith disappointed as a rookie in 2013 could be described as a major-understatement. But, as many rookies do, he showed glimpses of why the Jets took him in the second-round of the 2013 draft. Not only that, but he finished strong as in his last four-games he won three of those games and rushed for at least 44 yards each game. The dual-threat of Smith’s legs those last four-games proved valuable to the rookie as he only committed two interceptions over that span as well.
One man that knows about a dual-threat QB though is one-Michael Vick.
The 34-year-old Vick was brought in to compete with the younger version of himself in Smith. Vick went 2-4 in his six-games started last year for Chip Kelly and the Eagles. He looked spectacular on opening weekend against the Washington Redskins, but as sure as there will be ice in Alaska, he went down to injury again and Nick Foles quickly cemented himself as Philly’s future.
The best scenario for the Jets in 2014 is that Smith wins the job and Vick fills in at times as sort of a “bullpen” arm. Coaches do not do this enough in today’s league. Back in the 60’s and 70’s, veteran QB’s used to come in off the bench regularly and finish games out for a team. Vick is a defensive coordinator’s worst nightmare as a fill-in guy, as his legs demand a full week’s game-plan derived against him.
[ new page = Johnny "Pro" Football ]
Johnny “Pro” Football
Cleveland is rocking these days as not only did their king return home in LeBron James, but Johnny Manziel has made his way to town. He will be tested right off the bat as Browns coach Mike Pettine assures everybody that nothing will be given to the controversial kid.
He will battle five-year veteran Brian Hoyer during camp, who filled in quite admirably last season after Brandon Weeden struggled and went down with injury. Weeden is now backing up Tony Romo in Dallas. Hoyer started three-games for the Browns last season, winning all three while putting up 615 yards and a 5/3 TD/INT ratio.
It will mold into one of those young, wild-eye rookies against the stable, veteran for the Browns QB spot in 2014. If the Browns organization had their way then Manziel will run-away with the job and hold onto it for 10 plus years. Pettine though is a first-year head coach who is in the business of winning-now.
On June 12th, Pettine said this about the competition: "Brian is securely ahead of him right now. But we will compete, and we'll decide. The issue for us as a staff will be finding the right time to name a starter. If you wait too late, then no one is ready for the opener. If you do it too soon, was it a true competition?" This was according to USAToday.com.
It should be interesting to say the least. Let’s just hope Las Vegas is off the mind of “Johnny Football” as Barkevious Mingo bears down on him in practice. Yeah the red-jersey will save him, but still, you get the idea.