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“NFL-32 Teams-32 Storylines”

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ARIZONA….Yes Carson Palmer will bounce back from the post season playoff horrors and he is surrounded by lots of playmakers at receiver and running back. Watch to see if DT-Rob Nkemdiche and free agents Ty Branch and Arthur Jones make a big impact on defense.

ATLANTA…Did the Falcons do enough to upgrade their defense, and will LB-Courtney Upshaw make them tougher that side of the ball? Can Julio Jones and Matt Ryan recapture their magic and will Jones stay healthy?

BALTIMORE…Injuries wrecked them at the end of last season. Now healthy, will Joe Flacco, Steve Smith, Terrell Suggs return to the form of old, and will the one year layoff finally get last year’s top pick WR-Breshard Perryman healthy?

BUFFALO…Rex Ryan is on the hot seat. For all he inherited on defense, they sure have not played all that well in two seasons. Does QB-Tyrod Taylor step to the next level? Can WR-Sammy Watkins stay healthy?

CAROLINA…Will there be a Super Bowl hangover, or will the Panthers be even hungrier . How does the loss of Josh Norman to free agency change the team’s chemistry? Can WR-Kelvin Benjamin, badly hurt last August, return to form?

CHICAGO….This seems like a mish-mash roster, and you have the wild armed Jay Cuter to deal with. Don’t know if Coach John Fox is making progress, or just changing parts yearly. Life after Matt Forte starts now.

CINCINNATI…Lots of player movement for a team so close to being a deep in the playoff squad, but yet to get there. Karlos Dansby joins pretty active LB group, but Andy Dalton loses WR-Mo Sanu and Marvin Jones to free agency.

CLEVELAND…They open with 17-rookies on the roster, and the 25th different starting QB since 1999, just 16-seasons ago. Hue Jackson could be looking at an (0-16) season unless newly acquired QB-Robert Griffin can find his magic and his health.

DALLAS…Tony Romo is hurt again, and this team is just (1-10) in games he does not start. Dak Prescott will be the QB with Mark Sanchez coming on board as the insurance policy. The offense is still very good, but the defense is awful, with injuries, and drug suspensions.

DENVER….Is Trevor Siemian the next coming of a late round pick to do well at quarterback (Tom Brady) ? Broncos are taking a gamble. The defense takes on a different look wit the loss of free agents Malik Jackson and Danny Travathan.

DETROIT…Matthew Stafford operates for the first time ever without Megatron, following Calvin Johnson’s retirement as an elite WR. They don’t look like they have enough weapons on offense.

GREEN BAY…The health of RB-Eddie Lacy and TE-Jared Cook are key components to help Aaron Rodgers make plays down the field. Interested to see which young draft picks step up to be stars, since the Packers hardly ever enter free agency.

HOUSTON…Brock Osweiler got alot of money for winning five games in Denver. He won’t have the same talent around him with the Texans, but JJ Watt is healthy at DE and RB-Lamar Miller gives them a power back.

INDIANAPOLIS…Andrew Luck has taken a beating the last two years and has injuries to prove it. Camp turned out to be a mess with all the injuries on defense. This eerily seems to be like the Peyton Manning era. Not much size nor toughness in the OL or on the defense.

JACKSONVILLE…Coach Gus Bradley is (12-36) as they force fed QB-Blake Bortels. They now need a breakout season from a bunch of people on offense, but the defense gets better with free agent signings.

KANSAS CITY….The playmakers won’t be ready to start the season. LB-Justin Houston is out till at least week seven, RB-Jamal Charles is coming off a second knee surgery, and S-Eric Berry sat out all of camp. This will be a ball control offense with hopes the defense will hold up.

LA RAMS…Fans are happing the NFL is back but they might not be happy with an inefficient offense, and a torn apart defense. The Rams seem to have taken a step back letting so many on the defense get away, Chris Long, James Laurinitas, Janoris Jenkins, Akeem Ayers. LA will go as far as RB-Todd Gurley carries them, because Case Keenum does not scare anyone at QB and lst pick Jarrod Goff is not ready at all.

MIAMI…Adam Gase takes over and that should be good news for QB-Ryan Tannehill, still an uncut gem. They imported alot of defensive free agents, led by Jason Jones, Mario Williams and Kiki Alonso, and get Cam Wake and Dion Jordan back off injuries and suspension.

MINNESOTA…Devastating, the loss of QB-Ted Bridgewater, but the deal for Sam Bradford shows they are ‘all in’ to win. Adrian Peterson, play making WRs, and a very good-young defense should be able to make up for the loss of the young quarterback.

NEW ENGLAND…Jimmy Garappolo will run the show thru the Tom Brady suspension. They are still going thru transition in the offensive line, still experimenting with offensive skill people, but the defense is made up of young veterans.

NEW ORLEANS…Drew Brees cannot do it all by himself, and it appears this organization has failed in recent years to put enough good young draft picks or free agents around him. Has the look and feel of a franchise slipping to .500.

NEW YORK GIANTS…Ben McAdoo takes over for Tom Coughlin. He has Eli Manning but an oft-injured WR group. Lots of changes on defense and they spent a ton to get Olivier Vernon, Damon Harrison and Janoris Jenkins in free agency for the defense.

NEW YORK JETS…The bitter holdout is over and now the question, can Ryan Fitzpatrick duplicate the record career year he had last year. The defensive front seven is really good.
Wondering if Matt Forte and Ryan Clady make a difference to that offense?

OAKLAND…Derek Carr is growing. The Raiders have a great OL and depth at receiver-running back. A bunch of no name young athletes, who can run, support Khail Mack. Might this be a breakthru year under Jack Del Rio.

PHILADELPHIA…Carson Wentz will be the starting QB despite playing one quarter in preseason.The roster looks really shaky. The offensive line looks worse.

PITTSBURGH…Ben Roethlisberger has to go four weeks without RB-Le’Veon Bell, and won’t have WR-Martavis Bryant (suspended) or Heath Miller-TE (retired), but he does have Antonio Brown. The defense keeps adding young pieces, and maybe this is the year they all arrive together.

SAN DIEGO CHARGERS…After Rex Ryan and Gus Bradley, Mike McCoy is the third guy on the hotseat. How disgraceful, an organization with Philip Rivers at QB-has just one playoff win in 8-years. Bounceback season possible if the injury ravaged OL can stay healthy and on the field. Melvin Gordon looks fabulous at RB, and the defense will be much more physically tougher with Brandon Mebane and Joey Bosa upfront. Could go worst to first. If not, McCoy is gone.

SAN FRANCISCO…Chip Kelly’s aura seems gone. Now we find out if he learned anything with the Eagles. He does not have a great roster, but he likes his system, and he likes his QBs Blaine Gabbert and Colin Kaeperneck, but there’s not much else there.

SEATTLE….Life begins without the Beast, Marshawn Lynch, but it really was Russell Wilson’s team the last two years. Lots of speed at WR, and still talent in defense, though there has been huge changeover in personnel that side of the ball. Good, but not great these days in Seattle.

TAMPA BAY…The firing of the coaching staff shook things up, but Dirk Koetter has been held in high regard as an offensive guru. Seems to be a more mature and better in shape-Jameis Winston and they have firepower around him.

TENNESSEE…A strong preseason make you wonder how an awful team could become such a bully in just one off season? Marcus Mariota has power backs, receivers, and a much more aggressive defense. They could be pretty good this year if they stay healthy.

WASHINGTON..Can Kirk Cousins duplicate his numbers from a year ago? Is Josh Docton the perfect compliment to LeSean Jackson? Will the defense continue to grow with the arrival of Josh Norman. What happens to Jay Gruden if there is a dropoff this season?

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