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“NFL Training Camp Preview-Storylines”\

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NFL teams roll into training camps this week…with Questions-Answers-Controversies.

A club-by-club look at the big stories in each camp.

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CHARGERS….They’ve been building towards being a complete team…but now the holdout by RB-Melvin Gordon threatens to be a setback to the offense, especially if it spills into the regular season….Every Sunday big games from WR-Mike Williams…Do they have a reliable big play replacement for departed WR-Tyrell Williams…..Is there a health issue lingering for OT-Russell Okung…..How will DT-Jerry Tillery respond from shoulder surgery…..LB-group is healthy finally-will they play well together….How quickly will the young OL-Trey Pipkins…Forrest Lamp come along….GM Tom Telesco may have put together the most athletic defense in Bolts history including years in San Diego.

RAMS…RB-Todd Gurley-what’s fact or fiction with the arthritic knee condition after a huge drop-off in production at the back end of last season….They say they will ‘manage the workload’…..They must replace Roger Saffold-John Sullian in that offensive line….How good will heavy duty rookie RB-Darrelle Henderson be……How big an impact will Eric Weddle-Clay Matthews be to the Wade Phillips led defense…Best secondary in NFL?

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ARIZONA…The watchdog question…..which is bigger story…development of rookie QB-Kyler Murray….or how good rookie coach Kliff Kingsbury can be steeping to the NFL level….The offensive line was horrible last year, maybe a new quick passing offense will make them more efficient..Bears watching what kind of statistical season Larry Fitzgerald-David Johnson have.

ATLANTA…They get all their injured players from last year’s devastated defense back….They have 3-new coordinators on Dan Quinn’s staff….and now have a happy group of young players, Grady Jarrett-Dieon Jones signed to extensions…expect a bounce back from (7-9).

BALTIMORE……Can Lamar Jackson complete more than 58% of his passes….and will they try to limit his running the football…..Does Mark Ingram upgrade the RB corps….How good is Hayden Hurst at tight end….After overhauling the defense and letting quality free agents go-will be it be vintage John Harbaugh defense?

CAROLINA….Are Cam Newton’s shoulder woes gone…..Will DJ Moore-Chris Hogan-Torrey Smith step up to be big play WRs… will Christian McCaffrey holdup under this workload….Do newcomers Gerald McCoy-Brian Burns be difference makers on defense?

CHICAGO….Chuck Pagano moves in as Defensive Coordinator…..Will they be Monsters of Midway defense with Khalil Mack and as a strong four LB group…..Can QB-Mitch Trubisky be a big play quarterback…….Do they have enough quality at WR or just live on run game and defense?.

CINCINNATI….What will rookie coach Zach Taylor be like his first year in the NFL from the college ranks….How do they survive the loss of #1-pick Jonah Williams in the OL….Vontaze Burfect is gone from a defense that gave up (6,618Y) and allowed (455) points last year…Is there enough help for QB-Andy Dalton?

CLEVELAND…..Have they arrived after all this rebuilding….What does Baker Mayfield’s second season at QB look like…..Odell Beckham-Jarvin Landry-and 3 RBs-2 TEs make them dangerous….RB-Kareem Hunt joins them at midseason..Defense has been good….Is the team ready to be a player in AFC race.

DALLAS….Off the field, the contract issues for Ezekiel Elliott-Amari Cooper-Dak Prescott-Jaylen Smith could be a distraction…..New Off Coor Kellen Moore says the team will be in attack mode more…Return of OC-Travis Fredericks from lines is huge…Superb offensive line …Could be explosive team if it does not implode with contract issues.

DENVER….Joe Flacco arrives after years of of uncertainty at QB….3RBs…..Outstanding young TE in Noah Fant….host of young WRs…but that’s just on paper-have to do it on the field….Vic Fangio to change the personality of the defense….Could be good or could be work in progress.

DETROIT….Year two of Matt Patricia era….Have put some firepower at RB-WR-TE around QB-Matthew Stafford…arrival of FA-Trey Flowers helps on defense.

GREEN BAY….Awaiting results of ‘Chemistry Test’….new coach Matt LaFleur….old school QB-Aaron Rodgers….Do they have enough wide receiver help for Davonte Adams…Free agents Za-Daius Smith-Preston Jones need to make an impact…What will life after Clay Matthews be like?

HOUSTON…Alot of unrest…Firing of GM….OL problems….can they keep QB-Deshaun Watson on the field…the Jadaveon Clowney franchise-tag contract dispute…JJ Watt’s history of injuries…..Health of WRs Will Fuller-DeAndre Hopkins….Coach Bill O’Brien has lots on his plate.

INDIANAPOLIS….It’s time to win..QB-Andrew Luck appears healthy….2-rock sold drafts in a row…emergence of young players…..Great young OL to block for RB-Marlon Mack…..Return to health of TE-Jack Doyle….Arrival of WR-Devin Funchess.

JACKSONVILLE…..Can QB-Nick Foles be the difference maker after all those years of good days-bad days with Blake Bortels….Can they keep RB-Leonard Fournette healthy….What does arrival of new OC-John DiFillippo mean….How scary is the defensive front of Calais Campbell-Yannick Njakue?

KANSAS CITY….Patrick Mahomes resident superstar now has WR-Tyreek Hill back to compliment Travis Kelce…newcomer Mecole Hartman and 3-RBs…..Defense will have 6-new starters in a new era….DT-Chris Jones contract dispute could be problem….Jones-Frank Clark..Alex Okafor..Tyrann Mathieu could change whole personality of team.

MIAMI….Tearing down the roster-so this will be a long rebuild for new coach Brian Flores….What do they do with newly acquired QB-Josh Rosen-force feed him to get him on the field or learn behind Ryan Fitzpatrick. Life after Cam Wake begins.

MINNESOTA….QB-Kirk Cousins throws it a ton, but they need to keep RB-Dalvin Gook healthy….Irv Smith-Kyle Rudolph make interesting tandem to catch passes….Health of defensive front is critical….pretty good on that side of the ball.

NEW ENGLAND….There is Tom Brady and a constant changing of parts around him at all positions….A full season from Josh Gordon, the troubled WR, would he huge help, but there is a trust factor here….Interesting to see how quickly top pick N’Keal Harry gets into the mix…What they get out of WR-Demaryius Thomas….. There will be no more Rob Gronkowski so that will take time to adjust….Keeping OL healthy important….Young defense got better and better last year….Add DE-Michael Bennett to mix..Belicheck methodology of changing players yearly-defining unique roles still works.

NEW ORLEANS….Coach Sean Payton-mad scientist…now adds TE-Jared Cook to the Drew Brees arsenal…Will they miss heavy duty RB-Mark Ingram….Have added lots of defense last two years-breakout year maybe for DE-Marcus Davenport…is it enough?

NY GIANTS…..Eli Manning-Saquon Barkley had good days last year…but now there is no Odell Beckham as part of the equation….The OL has to continue to grow-but new acquisitions will help……Defense ran hot-cold last year…..Media wants to play QB-Daniel Jones after Manning throws first interception. Transition to GM-Dve Gettleman type of player takes time.

NY JETS….Adam Gase takes over the development on QB-Sam Darnold….RB-Le’Veon Bell arrives with quite a portfolio….Need upgrade help at WR-TE for passing game…..DT-Quinnen Williams could be next Aaron Donald…CJ Mosely makes an impact at LB….Will front office turmoil hurt team….Will media create a fury?

OAKLAND….Whole new team after Jon Gruden got rid of lots of parts from last year….Fascinating to see the Derek Carr chemistry with both Antonio Bryant-Tyrell Williams….Add OT-Trent Brown to young group of OL might help….Young defense force fed last year-very young defensive line…needs to get better……Do controversial LB-Vontaze Burfect and OG-Rich Incognito have anything left….Why let TE-Jared Cook leave?

PHILADELPHIA….Carson Wentz QB-health is huge question….Deep at RB….Deep at WR….very good defensive front…need to get battered secondary healthy. Could be really good team if Fletcher Cox-Wentz injury issues are thing of the past….Addition of DT-Malik Jackson-DE-Vin Curry-DT-Tim Jernigan huge help….Team has 6RBs-but hodge dodge WR group.

PITTSBURGH…..Better chemistry in lockeroom but is it a better team on the field, now with the drama queens Le’Veon Bell-Antonio Brown gone…..WRs James Washington-Donte Moncrief have lots to prove……LBs Devin Bush-Marc Barron upgrade good defense…Going to be a different Mike Tomlin type-team.

SAN FRANCISCO…..GM-John Lynch has worked so hard to upgrade depleted roster then saw team get stung by injuries everywhere….QB-Jim Garoppolo is healthy….and the DL-looks loaded with addition of Nic Bosa-Dee Ford and LB-Kwon Alexander. Could be good if it is a year of health.

SEATTLE….Modern day edition of ‘Ground Chuck’ the old days of Chuck Knox where they pounded the football back in the day….Russell Wilson, 3-deep at RB, a rebuilt young OL, and the arrival of WR-DK Metcalfe to join Tyler Lockett….Superb LB group but departure of DE-Frank Clarke and Earl Thomas means ‘Legion of Boom’ has become ‘Legion of Whom’ on defense.

TAMPA BAY…This will be quite an experiment, the pushy coach Bruce Arians and his young turnover plagued-big play QB-Jameis Winston….Ndomakong Suh moves in at DT but lots of changes on defense. Arians say ‘if Winston turns the ball over-he won’t play’….interesting drama coming on Suncoast.

TENNESSEE……QB-Marcus Mariota in contract year…dragging lots of injury history with him….Reclamation project Ryan Tannehill waiting in the wings to play….4-young WRs…heavy duty RBs in Derrick Hendry-Dion Jones and Mike Vrable’s ‘play hard defense’

WASHINGTON….Redskins have fallen on hard times……Attendance is down more than 20,000 fans per game over the last 10-years…..Coach Jay Gruden could be on hot-seat-but this more about front office-ownership than anything else…QB-Dwayne Haskins played just 1-year at Ohio State and no one knows if he is ready for this jump….QB-Case Keenum moves in after the horrible leg injury to Alex Smith…..Doesn’t seem to be a complete team…wasting career of some good players on defense. led by LB-Ryan Kerrigan…Lots questions everywhere.

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