MINNESOTA VIKINGS
SOURCE: Kevin Seifert
EAGAN, MINN. -- The Minnesota Vikings open 2022 NFL training camp Tuesday at the TCO Performance Center.
Here's a closer look at a few storylines:
The most compelling position battle: Safety. We know veteran Harrison Smith will man one of the two starting spots, but the second will be determined through a relatively high-profile competition between first-round draft pick Lewis Cine and second-year player Camryn Bynum. The Vikings didn't draft Cine to be a backup, and top picks often have the edge in position battles. Entering the draft, the Vikings were especially impressed with Cine's ability to diagnose route concepts at the snap, in addition to his hitting ability and speed. But Bynum acquitted himself well last season during a three-game stint as a starter. He won't go down without a fight and could prompt the team to consider using some three-safety packages.
Player with the most to prove: Center Garrett Bradbury. The 2019 first-round draft pick has been a starter for the past three seasons, but his performance in 2021 prompted genuine concern that he is not a long-term answer at the position. Among other data points, he ranked No. 31 of 32 eligible centers in ESPN's pass block win rate metric (90.9%). The Vikings declined the fifth-year option on his contract, but their new regime decided to give him another (and likely final) chance to establish himself. There are no obvious replacements on the roster, but that could change, if necessary, later this summer.
2022 NFL training camp previews
Biggest question: Is new coach Kevin O'Connell the missing ingredient?
The Vikings took a relatively unusual approach after firing long-time general manager Rick Spielman and coach Mike Zimmer. New general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah left the roster largely intact, and his biggest move was to sign quarterback Kirk Cousins to a contract extension that means he likely will remain the starter through the 2023 season. By default, that leaves O'Connell as the change agent. It will be up to him and his staff to shepherd a similar group of players to the postseason after they fell short in three of the past four seasons. We'll start finding out this summer.
Fiercest fantasy-relevant battle: Tight end Irv Smith Jr.'s targets. There is no question that Smith will be the Vikings' starting tight end, a year after suffering a season-ending right knee injury. And we know how much Cousins likes targeting tight ends. (Since he became a full-time starter in 2015, he ranks No. 4 among quarterbacks in tight end targets.) But Cousins has a lot of mouths to feed, from receivers Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen to tailback Dalvin Cook. Training camp will give us our first glimpse at understanding how O'Connell and Cousins will disperse the ball, all while working in playmaker Kene Nwangwu.
Camp prediction: Rookie cornerback Andrew Booth Jr. will emerge as a starter. The Vikings have been raving about Booth ever since trading up to draft him in the second round, and he joins a position group that is ripe for newcomers. Strictly from a skill and playmaking perspective, Booth was among the best cornerbacks in the draft. His injury history pushed him into the second round, but he believes that surgery to repair a hernia in March has put him on the road to permanent recovery. If that's the case, and he goes through training camp healthy, he'll prove good enough to start opposite Patrick Peterson -- or at the very least in the nickel package that the Vikings will frequently use.
CHICAGO BEARS
SOURCE: Courtney Cronin
LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- The Chicago Bears open 2022 NFL training camp on Wednesday at Halas Hall.
Here’s a closer look at a few storylines:
The biggest question, Part 1: Does Robert Quinn show up for training camp? The star pass-rusher, who set the franchise’s single-season sack record in 2021 with 18.5, skipped out on the entire offseason program. The Bears had hoped Quinn would report for mandatory minicamp, but he was the only player who did not have an excused absence. Though the building blocks of this defense have changed with the Bears installing a new scheme in the midst of a rebuild, the 32-year-old defensive end is still an important part of Chicago’s pass rush. General manager Ryan Poles did not seem eager to move Quinn, but if he doesn’t report to camp, trade talks will pick up in full force. The question then becomes how much can Chicago get in return for a pass-rusher coming off a career-best season.
Poles’ first move as GM was trading Khalil Mack to the Chargers for a 2022 second-round pick (which the Bears used to draft safety Jaquan Brisker) and a 2023 sixth-rounder. Quinn is entering his 12th season and likely wants to compete for a championship. Can Poles find a contender for Quinn while getting as high as a third-round pick in exchange?
Justin Fields will be expected to make significant improvement in his second season, but it might be a challenge.
The biggest question, Part 2: Does Justin Fields have enough weapons around him? Chicago has steadily added to its receiving corps since signing Byron Pringle in free agency and using a third-round pick on Velus Jones Jr. The team enters training camp with 13 wideouts after sending a 2024 seventh-rounder to New England in July for former first-round pick N'Keal Harry, but will any of these additions be enough to help Fields make a considerable jump in his second season? Receiver is among the biggest question marks for Chicago after Fields threw four touchdowns and 10 interceptions when targeting wideouts last season, and his only proven connection is with Darnell Mooney (81 catches, 1055 yards, 4 TDs). The Bears are banking on big contributions from Jones, whose 4.3 speed and ability to line up at multiple spots gives the offense flexibility. Can they also find reliable depth in players like Equanimeous St. Brown, David Moore, Dante Pettis and Tajae Sharpe?
The most compelling position battle: Will rookie Braxton Jones stick at left tackle? The Bears are taking a gamble that a Day 3 draft pick will provide Fields adequate pass protection at the most important spot on the offensive line. However, it might be their best option, which speaks to larger personnel deficiencies up front. The last regime in Chicago used a second-round pick on Teven Jenkins with the expectation that he would eventually start at left tackle. The new coaching staff moved Jenkins to right tackle with the second-team unit, where he spent most of the offseason. Additionally, the Bears moved Larry Borom to right tackle opposite Jones with the first team. Coming out of the draft, some projected Jenkins as a better fit at guard. When asked whether Jenkins or Borom – neither of whom played a single snap at guard during minicamp – could potentially compete for a spot on the interior, coach Matt Eberflus noted that “all combinations are open” along the O-line.
2022 NFL training camp previews
Are there any players the Bears could add between now and Week 1 that will significantly impact the roster?
Probably not. Poles remains committed to his long-term approach (while carefully choosing not to classify this undertaking as a rebuild) by not taking any perceived “shortcuts” to improve the roster. The Bears parted ways with over two dozen players from last year’s team in free agency. During an offseason when star receivers – a position of need in Chicago – switched teams at a high rate, Poles stuck to his philosophy. “I truly believe in homegrown talent,” Poles said in April. “I truly believe in drafting the right players and developing them here and that will help us in the long run.”
Chicago has north of $20.7 million in cap space for 2022, which is the fourth most of any team. Sure, there are quality veterans the team could look to sign during camp who would fill needs, especially up front with offensive tackles Daryl Williams and Eric Fisher still available. While signing one or two players at this point of the offseason won’t change the makeup of a team, it could provide an upgrade in some areas, like pass protection for Fields.
Camp prediction: The Bears' top draft pick, Kyler Gordon, will be better than advertised. No player will notch more interceptions in training camp than the cornerback from Washington. I'll even take it a step further and project that Gordon will carry his momentum from training camp into the season and lead the Bears in interceptions, becoming just the third rookie to achieve that feat in franchise history.
DETROIT LIONS
SOURCE: Eric Woodyard
DETROIT — The Detroit Lions are scheduled to conduct their first practice of training camp on Wednesday.
Here’s a closer look at a few storylines.
Most impactful offseason addition: DJ Chark: Surprisingly, the Lions didn’t make many offseason additions, even after a 3-13-1 season. However, they did address a huge need with Chark, who is primed to be a big target for quarterback Jared Goff. At 6-foot-4, Chark adds size and speed to an offense that desperately needs a game-changer. The biggest concern is Chark is coming off an injury-plagued 2021 season, when he missed 13 games with an ankle injury, but his one-year, “prove-it” type deal is a low-risk scenario. At his best, Chark made the Pro Bowl in 2019 and is only 25 years old.
2022 NFL training camp previews
The player with the most to prove: Jared Goff.
Goff is 3-17-1 (.167) with a 33 Total QBR in his career with anyone other than Sean McVay as his head coach (42-20, 55 QBR with McVay). Lions head coach Dan Campbell has praised Goff throughout this offseason for being more comfortable running the show, and new offensive coordinator Ben Johnson has worked with him to be in sync with the system. Detroit didn’t draft a quarterback, further showing its confidence in Goff. Now, he’s got a chance to prove he can be the quarterback of the future in Motown.
The player with the most to prove Part II: Jeff Okudah.
It’s been a rough start for Okudah. Not entirely because of production, but due to injury. The former Ohio State All-American was drafted third overall in the 2020 NFL Draft, but has only played in 10 total games entering his third season. Okudah is coming off a season-ending Achilles injury, and he's had to overcome not only the physical hurdle of recovery, but also the mental aspect. Can he live up to expectations? Only time will tell. Okudah shares a close relationship with defensive backs coach Aubrey Pleasant and has contacted NBA players DeMarcus Cousins and John Wall for advice on how to recover from the injury. All eyes will be on him if he’s able to participate.
Camp prediction: No. 2 overall pick Aidan Hutchinson will live up to the hype. There's obviously high expectations for the Plymouth, Michigan, native entering his first training camp, but throughout the offseason, the coaching staff and his teammates have been impressed with his work ethic and ability to adjust to the new surroundings. Hutchinson was an All-American at Michigan, but the Wolverines defense struggled on the national stage in the Orange Bowl against Georgia. Can he become an elite talent in the NFL ranks? Detroit could've gone in a number of different directions in a draft featuring several quality pass-rushers, but the feeling here is Hutchinson will meet -- or exceed -- expectations.
GREENBAY PACKERS
SOURCE: Rob Demovsky
GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Green Bay Packers open their 2022 NFL training camp Wednesday on Ray Nitschke Field.
Here’s a closer look at a few storylines:
The most compelling position battle: The less-exciting-but-perhaps-more-important battle is on the offensive line, where there are several positions to be determined largely because of who comes back from injury on time (such as David Bakhtiari, who was put on the PUP list Saturday, and Elgton Jenkins, also on PUP). But the spotlight will shine brightest on the receivers and who will emerge as Rodgers’ go-to guy now that Davante Adams is gone. Allen Lazard seems like the safe bet, but rookies Christian Watson (second round) and Romeo Doubs (fourth) seem to have the biggest upside. It’s also a huge summer for Sammy Watkins to show he still has something left.
The player with the most to prove: Bakhtiari. Is last season’s disastrous attempt to return from his Dec. 31, 2020, torn ACL finally behind him? This offseason did little to ease concerns. After playing just 27 snaps last season (all in the regular-season finale before getting shut down for the postseason), Bakhtiari still wasn’t a participant in OTA or minicamp practices. Rather, he rehabbed off to the side. The All-Pro left tackle is the key to the line. If he’s back -- and back to form -- the Packers are free to move Jenkins wherever they’d like as soon as he’s back from his own ACL injury from last November. Jenkins could go back to left guard, where he was a Pro Bowler in 2020, or move to right tackle.
2022 NFL training camp previews
Fiercest fantasy-relevant battle:
This isn’t so much a battle but rather sorting out how the running back snaps will be divided among Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon. It was a difficult past season for fantasy purposes to figure out which one to start. The good news is they’ve both been productive. But it’s been difficult to predict which one will do it on which week. The bad news is that’s not likely to get easier to decipher. Perhaps training camp will at least offer a glimpse at how coach Matt LaFleur will decide to use them together.
Keeping Rodgers happy:
While this may seem like a moot point because Rodgers signed that three-year, $150 million contract extension in March, keeping him satisfied is of the utmost importance. To that end, LaFleur brought back Rodgers’ favorite position coach, Tom Clements, this offseason, and GM Brian Gutekunst has made sure to keep open the lines of communication to his quarterback. They also gave Rodgers their blessing to skip most of the offseason program, which made him happy. Still, there are potential pitfalls. Rodgers lost his favorite receiver (Adams), and the Packers didn’t add a proven player at that position.
Camp prediction: Jordan Love excels. If it’s going to happen for the third-year quarterback, it should be now. Behind him are the COVID-19 year that wrecked his rookie offseason and training camp (he had no preseason game action), and his first NFL start -- the disastrous loss at Kansas City. It was in Year 3 that Aaron Rodgers showed his potential, and there’s no excuse for Love not to follow suit – unless, of course, he’s not the answer to the question of who will succeed Rodgers. With Rodgers almost certain to sit out the preseason games, as has been the case in recent years, this is another opportunity for Love.
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