1-Man’s Opinion on Sports–Wednesday “NFL Preseason Games-Questions for Everyone”
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“NFL Preseason Games-We Have Questions”
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Let the games begin, four weeks of preseason games, as teams try to fit new players into systems, get injured players back healthy, and become new coaching staffs. Here are the talking points for each team.
ARIZONA…Can Sam Bradford stay healthy at QB….How fast do they bring along UCLA rookie QB-Josh Rosen…Have they fixed the OL with free agent signings Justin Pugh-Andre Smith?
ATLANTA..Julio Jones holdout lasted one day-back healthy and happy…How quickly can rookie WR-Calvin Ridley become a player?
BALTIMORE…Lots of pressure on Joe Flacco to throw down the field-but adding 3-WRs including Michael Crabtree helps…Will Lamar Jackson be a special player in certain packages at QB?
BUFFALO…AJ McCarron comes in as the likely starter at QB…High 1st round pick Josh Allen is being brought along slowly…DT-Star Lotolelei joins a good defense…A healthy WR-Kelvin Benjamin makes a difference.
CAROLINA…Cam Newton meet Norv Turner-this will be fun…Add Torrey Smith-DJ Moore and Christian McCaffrey and this will be a dynamic offense…Getting Cam to complete more passes the key.
CHICAGO…The Mitch Trubisky era begins at QB…Adding 3WRs-including Alan Robinson will help. Can they score a lot-remains to be seen…..Is Matt Nagy the right choice as new head coach?
CINCINNATI….Andy Dalton needs a bounce back year, so does coach Marvin Lewis….Adding OL-Cordy Glenn and Billy Price helps..does Joe Mixon become a star RB?
CLEVELAND…Spent loads of money on free agents, and drafted a lot of talent, so (1-31) should be in the rear-view mirror..Tyrod Taylor starts at QB-with 1st round pick Baker Mayfield waiting his chance…Jarvis Landry adds a lot to the offense…But WR-Josh Gibson’s personal issues are again part of the conversation…Will it all come together to save coach Hue Jackson?
DALLAS…Life after Dez Bryant begins, but Tavon Austin and rookie Mike Gallup seem ready to contribute…do they have game breakers to help Dak Prescott and Zeke Elliott, and can the troubled players on defense stay on the field?
DENVER….Case Keenum will give them bullet-proof QB work…Is Royce Freeman the answer at RB…will they find game breakers at wide receiver and tight end? Defense has lots of miles on it.
DETROIT….New leader in Matt Patricia…same old problems though, not enough around QB-Matt Stafford….Ziggy Ansuh needs help on defense…do they have a run game?
GREEN BAY….A real foray into free agency for the first time, signing 6-players from the outside…Mo Wilkerson and Jimmie Grahame come on board to help Aaron Rodgers.
HOUSTON…Will QB-Deshaun Watson be 100% and dynamic as he was as a rookie…..Is this a healthy year for JJ Watt and Jadeveon Clowney?
INDIANAPOLIS….Andrew Luck returns after 19-months of rehab….and 3-new OL on the roster bring in strong credentials….Can TE-Eric Ebron find stardom with the Colts? Can Luck stay healthy?
JACKSONVILLE….Blake Bortels had a huge season, now can he take another step forward…New help in OL with OG-Andrew Norwell, and a load of running backs…No one takes the Jags lightly this year.
KANSAS CITY…..It’s goodbye Alex Smith, hello young QB-Patrick Mahomes and a complete turnover on offense, and a rebuild on defense. Going to be an interesting year at Arrowhead. Lots of changes for Andy Reid’s team….Offense great-defense questionable?
LA CHARGERS….Philip Rivers, Keenan Allen, Melvin Gordon and role players make a pretty good offense but they then lost TE-Hunter Henry….Rebuilt the secondary with 1st round pick Derwin James, but then lost Jason Verrett….Must prove they can stop the run and didn’t add much to address that in offseason. Cannot afford any more injuries.
LA RAMS….Loaded on offense…loaded on defense….loaded with quality coaching. Jared Goff-Todd Gurley and the WR corps exceptional…Now you add Nadomakong Suh-Marcus Peters-Aqid Talib to the mix, and this could be an explosive team…..Or could it implode with the personalities on the team. Are they ever going to treat DT-Aaron Donald fairly in year three of this contract dispute?
MIAMI…Ryan Tannehill needs to stay healthy after two knee injuries…WR’s Danny Amendola and Albert Wilson comes in to help…but this team got rid of big names like Suh-Landry-Ajayi.
MINNESOTA….Kirk Cousins-big contract-big throwing yardage…RB-Dalvin Cook comes off knee injury…Sheldon Richardson joins a great defense…what a year ahead for the Vikings.
NEW ENGLAND…Must find a LT to replace Nate Solder, and Tom Brady will be without Julian Edelman and Danny Amendola to start…Young defense really grew up on the job last year…but OL is big issue right now?
NEW ORLEANS….RB-Marc Ingram is suspended to start the season…the defense gets an upgrade in LB-Alex Okafor and Marcus Davenport, and Drew Bree’s shows no signs of slowing down.
NY GIANTS….RB-Saquon Barkley arrives with a power run style to help Eli Manning and Odell Beckham. Pat Shurmur and GM-Dave Gentleman are going to change the personality of the team…Must solve the issues with Beckham contract and the clashes of Eli Apple-Landon Collins.
NY JETS….A new QB is in the offing, Sam Darnold or Ted Bridgewater. A rebuilt defensive front is coming in. Uncertainty at WR and RB. Do they have the right parts?
OAKLAND…Here comes Jon Gruden’s leadership to direct QB-Derek Carr….New look WR-group led by Jordy Nelson…..Doug Martin joins RB-Marshawn Lynch and they added 2-OTs in draft…Big questions on defense…they rented a lot of free agents to help that side of the ball….and must address the Khalil Mack contract issue…Will this be a power-ball team till the defense grows up?
PHILADELPHIA….Carson Wentz will be back opening day, and so will insurance policy QB-Nick Foles…..return to complete health of Jason Peters and Barrett Brooks in OL adds even more to great team….What a defense too.
PITTSBURGH….Big Ben and AB…Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown are superb but this cloud cover contract issue with Le’Veon Bell still looms out there….Upgrades on defense with Jon Bostic, Morgan Burnett and Terrell Edmonds should take the sting out of the career ending loss of LB-Ryan Shazier.
SAN FRANCISCO …What a start for QB-Jimmy Garoppolo, and now they add Mike McGlinchey-OT and Dante Pettis at WR, plus free agents C-Weston Richberg and CB-Richard Sherman….Big season coming?
SEATTLE….A complete overhaul…Everything around QB-Russell Wilson is new, led by RB-Rashaad Penny from SDSU…..How do you replace Richard Sherman-Michael Bennett-Kam Chancellor-Earl Thomas?
TAMPA BAY….No James Winston to start the season…Big challenge for Coach Dirk Koetter…but what a haul on defense with Vin Curry-Beau Allen-Vita Via-Jason Pierre Paul joining DT-Gerald McCoy….Keep an eye on USC rookie RB-Ronnie Jones too.
TENNESEE..Mike Vrable comes in as head coach and so do FA’s-Malcom Butler and Dion Lewis to help QB-Marcus Mariota and the defense…Do they have enough firepower?
WASHINGTON….Alex Smith arrives-Kirk Cousins exits for a big payday….but they need lots of help on offense…Watch RB-Derrius Grice and new WR-Paul Richardson, maybe they get things done, to help an overburdened defense.
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