TAMPA BAY BUCS
SOURCE: Jenna Laine
TAMPA, Fla. – The Tampa Bay Buccaneers open training camp for the 2022 NFL season Wednesday at the AdventHealth Training Center.
Here's a closer look at a few storylines:
Biggest question:
Is this team built to go the distance to win another ring? Bruce Arians has been replaced by Todd Bowles as head coach. Wide receiver Antonio Brown departed, and tight end Rob Gronkowski retired. Pro Bowl wide receiver Chris Godwin is still recovering from offseason knee surgery. And running back Leonard Fournette showed up at mandatory minicamp weighing a reported 260 pounds (Fournette denied this, saying his weight was in the 240s during minicamp). Outside linebacker Jason Pierre-Paul is still a free agent. The Bucs also face one of their most daunting schedules in recent memory. To combat these challenges, the Bucs signed versatile wide receiver Russell Gage in free agency, and they also bolstered their defense despite salary cap limitations with the signings of defensive lineman Akiem Hicks, safety Keanu Neal and defensive back Logan Ryan, along with drafting defensive lineman Logan Hall in the second round. But will those pieces gel and will that be enough?
Replacing a future Hall of Famer:
How will the Bucs overcome the loss of Gronk?
Despite agent Drew Rosenhaus suggesting Gronk might return midseason, Gronkowski is adamant he’s moved on and ready to start a new chapter. To offset the loss of Gronk, the Bucs signed veteran Kyle Rudolph to a one-year contract last week, which gives them an experienced vet to pair with Cameron Brate, so they won’t have to rely so heavily on rookies Cade Otton and Ko Kieft. The Bucs’ 454 vertical routes run by tight ends over the past two seasons and 38 pass attempts of 20 or more yards to tight ends were both the most of any team, and Gronk’s 14.25 yards per reception were second-most among tight ends over the last two seasons. Rudolph’s average was 10.94 yards per catch and 9.9 yards per catch last year. Speed-wise, they’re comparable. Gronk’s average speed last year with the ball in his hands was 13.73 mph, according to NFL Next Gen Stats, while Rudolph’s was 13.26 mph.
Training camp is a success if…
Fournette gets himself into a manageable playing weight without running himself into the ground. If Gage can step into Godwin's No. 2 role in the short term while Godwin works his way back from knee surgery. If rookie second-round draft pick Luke Goedeke becomes the fast study Tristan Wirfs was and grabs the starting left guard job. If quarterback Tom Brady can re-establish his electrifying deep ball connection with Scotty Miller after Miller dealt with a foot injury much of last season. And if the Bucs can begin the regular season with their entire starting defensive backfield intact after being ravaged by injuries last year.
Camp prediction:
The Bucs will sign an outside linebacker before the start of the regular season. The Bucs still have Pro Bowler Shaq Barrett. While Joe Tryon-Shoyinka takes over for Jason Pierre-Paul, who remains unsigned, and Anthony Nelson will serve in a rotational capacity. But beyond those three, they’re thin and unproven with Cam Gill being the only other player having regular-season game experience. The list of quarterbacks they’ll face this season is downright absurd. Carl Nassib, Anthony Barr and Ryan Kerrigan are among some intriguing names still available.
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS
SOURCE: Mike Triplett
METAIRIE, La. – The New Orleans Saints open training camp for the 2022 NFL season Wednesday at the Ochsner Sports Performance Center.
Here’s a closer look at the key storylines:
Training camp is a success if …
Jameis Winston, Michael Thomas, Marcus Davenport, Taysom Hill, Marcus Maye and Payton Turner look healthy. We already saw Winston back on the practice field in OTAs and minicamp this summer as he recovers from a torn ACL. And we’re expecting to see those other key players back soon. If all are ready to contribute by Week 1, new coach Dennis Allen will have a much more loaded roster to work with than his mentor, Sean Payton, did in his final season. Thomas is the biggest X-factor after missing the entire 2021 season and 2022 spring practices with an ankle injury that required multiple surgeries. But he should be back as early as Day 1 of camp – even though the Saints will surely take a cautious approach throughout the preseason.
Fiercest fantasy-relevant battle:
The revamped WR corps. Speaking of Thomas, this group has come a long way since last season, when the Saints finished last in the NFL in passing yards. Not only is Thomas back, but they traded up to draft Chris Olave 11th overall and signed veteran Jarvis Landry. Suddenly, they have three alphas in a group that was desperate for one last year. Yes, Thomas should be the No. 1 target, but all three could limit the others’ fantasy ceilings – especially if Olave emerges as the type of downfield threat Winston likes to target. Meanwhile, last year’s trio of Marquez Callaway, Tre’Quan Smith and Deonte Harty will be fighting for secondary roles.
2022 NFL training camp previews
Player with the most to prove: Winston.
This will be a season-long storyline, but it needs to start with a strong summer. The Saints considered replacing Winston this offseason when they pursued a blockbuster trade for Deshaun Watson. But since then, they’ve given Winston every chance to thrive by signing him to a two-year deal and supporting him with Olave and Landry. The former No. 1 overall draft pick took a big leap forward in his first season as New Orleans’ starter last season, proving he could avoid the turnovers that plagued his first five years with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He went 5-2 with 14 touchdown passes and three interceptions. But the sample size was cut short by the knee injury, and he averaged only 186 passing yards in his six complete games while the Saints relied heavily on their defense. Now Winston needs to prove he can sustain that efficiency while airing it out even more.
Biggest question on defense:
Can they survive their offseason safety dance?
The Saints have become one of the NFL’s best defenses over the past five years. But they lost starting free safety Marcus Williams to free agency and starting strong safety Malcolm Jenkins to retirement. New Orleans appears to have found capable replacements in free agents Tyrann Mathieu and Maye. But Mathieu needs to show he’s still in peak form at age 30; Maye needs to show he can recover from an Achilles injury and play with more consistency; and the Saints need to show they can be just as effective with a different approach at the position. Williams was a true safety net as a deep center fielder. Mathieu and Maye bring different styles and will likely play more interchangeable roles than their predecessors.
Camp prediction: The Winston-Olave duo will generate some buzz. Again, I expect Thomas to be the Saints’ No. 1 receiver when healthy – and all indications are that Thomas’ recovery is on track. But I also know how “buzz” works in training camp and the preseason, where it only takes a few big highlights to generate excitement. And Olave has the type of speed and big-play ability to catch some of those home-run balls. Olave might not have the same target volume as other rookies this year because he’s in a crowded group. But we should start to see glimpses of his future No. 1 ability like we did with Thomas in his rookie camp – when Payton famously suggested, “I don't follow fantasy football, but, shoot, I'd try to have him.”
ATLANTA FALCONS
SOURCE: Michael Rothstein
FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. -- The Atlanta Falcons report to training camp for the 2022 NFL season on Tuesday at the team's practice facility.
Here's a closer look at a few storylines.
The most compelling position battle:
It would be easy to say quarterback here with veteran Marcus Mariota and rookie Desmond Ridder trying to takeover after the team traded long-time quarterback Matt Ryan in the offseason, but entering camp it would take a lot for Ridder to overtake Mariota right away. Who snaps the quarterback the ball, though, is a true unknown. Last year’s starter at center, Matt Hennessy, will face competition from second-year player Drew Dalman. And the Falcons might not be done looking at options, already signing Jonotthan Harrison, who has 42 career starts. How this shakes out could have massive implications on the Falcons’ run game and quarterback protection throughout the year.
The player with the most to prove:
This could be a lot of players, but right tackle Kaleb McGary is at the top of the list. Atlanta didn’t pick up his fifth-year option, and he should get pushed by veterans Germain Ifedi and Elijah Wilkinson for the starting job. But the former first-round pick does have talent, and now that he’s in a contract year, he has a chance to make some real money. He was a starter for the Falcons in all but one game of his three-year career, but his long-term future is, at best, in flux with the organization that drafted him.
The biggest question:
Can the Falcons outperform for another season?
Last year, once injuries began to pile up and receiver Calvin Ridley left the team to deal with personal issues, Atlanta could have easily plummeted. Instead, the Falcons were in (an admittedly weak) playoff race up until almost the end of the season. This year’s team has the makings of a roster short on well-known talent, but second-year coach Arthur Smith has shown he can get his players to play to their talent level and in some cases exceed what they’d done before. If he does it again this season, that would bode very well for Atlanta’s future.
Fiercest fantasy-relevant battle:
Quarterback, but not necessarily for Week 1.
The better Ridder plays, the more he’ll push Mariota. And if things start to go poorly during the season, either for the Falcons or for Mariota, the chance to put the third-round pick out of Cincinnati into the lineup to know what they have for a potential long-term future could be enticing. So it’ll matter for the Falcons, but for fantasy purposes, it could be something to monitor because if a move comes it could be in the stretch run of the season. If you choose to have Mariota on your roster, consider partnering him with Ridder because it could be a situation worth watching not only in camp but throughout the season.
Camp prediction:
Tyler Allgeier wins at least part of the running back role. Now this might not be the boldest prediction in the world, but the rookie out of BYU is going to get every chance to win the early-down running back role -- especially if Atlanta plans on using veteran Cordarrelle Patterson like the multi-faceted offensive option he seems destined to be. Allgeier will need work in pass protection, but his bruising, fall-forward, contact-loving running style will endear him to head coach Arthur Smith and offensive coordinator Dave Ragone, making him a Day 1 player for a young Falcons roster.
CAROLINA PANTHERS
SOURCE: David Newton
SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Carolina Panthers report to their 2022 NFL training camp Tuesday at Wofford College.
Here’s a closer look at a few storylines heading into camp:
The most compelling position battle:
Quarterback easily.
General manager Scott Fitterer added competition at every position to strengthen the overall roster. But the biggest question remains quarterback, as it has been since the middle of the 2018 season, when Cam Newton began to struggle with a shoulder injury. Trading for former No. 1 overall pick Baker Mayfield three weeks before training camp reinforced that the Panthers aren’t comfortable that Sam Darnold can lead them to the playoffs. Fitterer saying both quarterbacks will get equal reps in camp further emphasizes the uncertainty, particularly after all the praise heaped on Darnold during offseason workouts. Fitterer didn’t just trade for a veteran quarterback, he traded for one that led the Cleveland Browns to an 11-5 record and a playoff win in 2020. Darnold is 17-32 as a starter and has never been to the playoffs. He also went 4-7 last season in his first year with the Panthers after a 3-0 start. Mayfield’s dynamic personality versus Darnold’s stoic disposition also makes this compelling.
The Carolina Panthers traded for Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield just three weeks before training camp in hopes to bolster a position that's been in flux for them since 2018.
The player with the most to prove:
This could be Darnold. Or Mayfield.
But for the sake of not piling onto the quarterback spot let’s go with running back Christian McCaffrey. When healthy, he’s one of the best, most versatile weapons in the NFL. What McCaffrey has to prove is he can stay healthy. He’s played in only 10 of 33 games the past two seasons because of injuries. The Panthers are 6-17 without him during that span. Coach Matt Rhule calls it bad luck that injuries have impacted McCaffrey’s playing time, noting all have been of the soft tissue variety. But McCaffrey was concerned enough during the offseason that he contacted Hall of Fame back Marshall Faulk for training advice in hopes something will help him stay on the field more. A healthy McCaffrey will make it easier for Darnold or Mayfield to prove themselves.
The biggest question:
Again, let’s avoid quarterback and go with will the rebuilt offensive line be an upgrade?
This group was a disaster in 2021, allowing the fifth-most sacks (52). So Fitterer made a commitment to fix it. He added guard Austin Corbett and center Bradley Bozeman in free agency. He made Ikem Ekwonu the sixth overall pick of the draft to play left tackle. That was the first time Carolina spent a first-round pick on an offensive lineman since Jeff Otah in 2008. Pro Football Focus’ Michael Renner ranked the revamped line 24th, and in his words a “conservative estimate for what was one of the worst offensive lines in the NFL last season — but it's one that is now bursting with potential after multiple offseason moves." The additions, with Taylor Moton already one of the top right tackles in the league and second-year player Brady Christensen likely at guard, makes this group a big upgrade on paper. But until they come together on the field, it remains a question.
The Robbie Anderson factor:
During the offseason the 29-year-old wide receiver changed the spelling of his first name from Robby to Robbie, changed his jersey number from 11 to 3 and changed his mind about possible retirement by deleting the reference in a tweet. And when news first surfaced that Carolina might trade for Mayfield he responded on Twitter with “Nooooo." But what Anderson needs to change the most is returning to the production he had in 2020 when he had 95 catches for 1,096 yards. If he’s in the 53-catch mode he was a year ago that will put a lot of pressure on second-year receiver Terrace Marshall Jr., who struggled as a rookie. That will put a lot more pressure on whoever starts at quarterback. Outside of DJ Moore, who has topped 1,000 yards receiving three straight years, the Panthers don’t have another proven receiver outside of Anderson.
Camp prediction:
Mayfield won’t be the starting quarterback, at least initially. This may come as a shock to the 91.6% on my informal Twitter poll that predicted Mayfield would be the Week 1 starter. But Darnold has an entire offseason learning Ben McAdoo’s system and the terminology to his advantage. Darnold is also healthy while Mayfield is about six months removed from surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left non-throwing shoulder. He’s on track to a full recovery, but that’s still an obstacle to overcome. Darnold has nothing to lose for the first time in his NFL career, so he has less pressure than the top pick of the 2018 draft.
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