Latest buzz from NFL training camp: What we heard at 16 teams’ practices, plus fantasy intel

NFL training camps are underway ahead of the 2025 season, which means national NFL reporters Dan Graziano and Jeremy Fowler have been on the road for their annual camp tour. They stopped at camps for 16 different teams, starting July 25 with the Lions and ending Aug. 2 with the Ravens and Titans.

The duo spent the past couple of weeks traveling around the country, talking to players, coaches, execs and scouts along the way. We compiled everything they heard and learned at their stops.

How has J.J. McCarthy looked at Vikings camp? Has Caleb Williams bounced back from his struggles at Bears camp? And which rookie is the talk of Bucs camp? Here’s the latest from each team, including useful fantasy football nuggets to know.

Jump to a team’s camp notes:
ATL | BAL | CHI | CIN | CLE | DET
GB | IND | JAX | MIA | MIN | PHI
PIT | TB | TEN | WSH

Location: Nashville, Tennessee
Dates visited: Aug. 2-3

Excuse Brian Callahan’s (sometimes) sunny optimism this time of year. About seven months ago, he was sitting in his office reflecting on how his Titans won three games in 2024, plotting ways to improve.

Now, in his second camp as an NFL head coach, he has a quarterback he wholly endorses (Cam Ward) and a roster with some level of improvement. “It certainly gives you energy and excitement of what can be,” he said.

This is the path out of the bottom. The Titans operate that uneasy space where the team should be better but not good enough to contend just yet. The roster clearly needs more work. No one here is shying away from that. They have one top-10 player (defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons) according to ESPN’s project of executives, coaches and scouts ranking all 11 positions. No other player was particularly close (guard Peter Skoronski was No. 14 among guards and centers). They have poured $100-plus million and two recent first-round picks in the offensive line. But the question looming over Callahan’s second season is this: What are healthy expectations for the Titans, given the roster challenges?

They are evading any win-total goals in conversations, but general manager Mike Borgonzi knows exactly what he wants to see from a play-style standpoint.

“I’m really not big into expectations. I want to see growth,” Borgonzi said. “I want to see competition and discipline and start to come together as a team. Are we getting better?”

Getting better will be a process. The offense had a solid day and a poor day during my two-day stint with the team, and Callahan wasn’t so sunny after the latter, letting his offense know they got dominated.

He has wrestled a lot with how to win games. The offensive line is a start. Reducing penalties and turnovers will go a long way.

And he knows a young quarterback can galvanize a team and elevate the play around him. Callahan has seen it with Joe Burrow in Cincinnati, and he pays attention leaguewide.

You don’t want to put wins and losses on a rookie quarterback, but obviously we want to win football games,” Callahan said. When you look back at success or failure of a rookie year, you look at Jayden Daniels last year and say that was a success. You look at Caleb [Williams] and say that probably wasn’t. But it’s all based on record. Well, Caleb did a lot of good things. Just like Jayden did. The teams are different. It’s hard to compare those guys. But you see the standards of what it’s supposed to look like.”

Best of the rest:

• During my two days visiting Tennessee, Ward performed exactly how you’d expect a talented but green rookie to perform. The first day, he showed deft creativity throwing on the move and threw a beautiful deep ball to Calvin Ridley, who dropped it. On the second day, the entire offense struggled, and he did not respond well to exotic third-down blitz packages. This is part of the maturation.

“We’ve put him under quite a bit of stress when it comes to that,” Callahan said. “He’s got a really good understanding of football, and he’s able to apply it on the field quickly, which I think is what drew us to him in the draft. He has this ability to process that is pretty unique.”

Ward is already a team leader, drawing several rookies to arrive between 4:30 and 5 each morning to get ready for the day. And on a recent off day, Ward unexpectedly popped into Callahan at 4 p.m. to go over the next day’s scripts. Ward needed to be able to explain the offense the next day, so he wanted to be prepared.

“He works really, really hard,” Callahan said. “The work ethic thing is legit.”

• Tyler Lockett was blunt in why he came to Tennessee.

“I wanted to play with Cam,” said Lockett, who had heard good things from veterans friends such as Quandre Diggs about how Ward works and improves. “You can tell he’s really good at extending the play, understanding pocket awareness. … And still having an idea of everybody’s routes.”

Speaking of Ward’s off-script ability, Lockett has been one of the league’s best at getting open on the scramble drill after years of playing with Russell Wilson. Lockett calls it “the second play,” and he loves them.

But he acknowledges his role in Tennessee will likely be different than through his first 10 years. He’s playing more inside now. Known for avoiding hits by getting down at opportune times, he says he might have to absorb more hits now as he fights for tough yards in a new offense. He’s willing to do whatever it takes.

“You’ve got to let go of that pride of, ‘I know how to do this’ and you’ve got to go back to the learning stage and be coachable,” Lockett said. “[It’s about] learning things new and down the road creating those relationships so that they know when you’re doing what you’re asked to do, they will be more open to ideas that you might have.”

• A trio of rookie draft picks — midround receivers Chimere Dike and Elic Ayomanor and tight end Gunnar Helm – are earning playing time. Borgonzi predicts they will be in the rotation. ‘Every day there’s a flash. They need to play and learn,” he said. And in the case of Helm, who has natural pass-catching skills, he could really take off. The Titans have been impressed with his pass-catching ability. Now, he’s got to nail the rest of the tight end routine. But don’t be surprised if Tennessee runs two-tight-end sets with Chig Okonkwo and Helm soon enough.

• I don’t often feed the best-shape-of-my-life camp themes, but goodness, does Simmons look impressive. He’s down 20 pounds and looks a lot lighter. “If it’s not chicken or fish, it’s not on the menu,” Simmons said. Simmons is not a volume sack guy but is hoping for more pass-rush production. The Titans don’t have that guy who can go get a sack on third-and-7 late in the game. Simmons hopes to fulfill some of that.

• While the Titans have been pleased with Brandon Allen‘s presence as the primary backup quarterback, they will monitor free agency or potential trades for veterans over the next month. Allen looked capable of handling QB2 duties from what I saw. He has been productive in camp.

• Tennessee is open to adding on defense via free agency. Pass rusher and corner would be two spots to watch there. One name to watch: veteran defensive end Preston Smith.

• A few defensive backs worth mentioning: Corner Jarvis Brownlee Jr., whom Callahan says is doing a strong job as a steady starter, and rookie safety Kevin Winston Jr., who has generated a lot of buzz. He had a timely safety blitz to fluster Ward in one of the practices.

• Bryce Oliver has made a compelling case for the sixth receiver spot. He has good size and toughness. But veteran James Proche hasn’t gone away, either.

Key fantasy note: The Titans used a 75-25 share between running backs Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears last season. Pollard definitely isn’t shrinking in stature — he’s the feature back and one of their best players. People I’ve talked to in Tennessee believe Spears has positioned himself for an uptick, however. Last season, he ran the ball 84 times and had 30 catches. Something close to 100 carries wouldn’t shock. He has looked explosive running through holes. And the Titans hope he can stave off injury this year after missing five games.

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Location: Owings Mills, Maryland
Date visited: Aug. 2

The Ravens’ biggest problem is one that’s tough to solve in August. They need to find a way to be the same team in the postseason that they are in the regular season.

Last season, for example, they were one of the best teams in the league at avoiding turnovers. Their 11 giveaways in the regular season were the third fewest in the NFL, behind only the Bills and the Chargers. They did not turn the ball over once in their first-round playoff victory over the Steelers. Then they got to Buffalo for the divisional round and turned it over three times in a 27-25 loss to the Bills.

This is not a new problem.

Over the past five years, the Ravens have turned the ball over 95 times in 84 games, the fourth-lowest total in the league. But in seven playoff games over that same span, they’ve turned it over 10 times. Only the Chiefs have more, and they’ve played 16 playoff games over that span. Baltimore’s regular-season turnover margin over the past five seasons is plus-15, which ranks seventh. Their postseason turnover margin over the last five seasons is minus-8, which is the league’s worst.

Again, tough problem to solve from five months away. The Ravens look like one of the best teams in the league, if not the best, on paper. There doesn’t seem to be any systemic reason why these devastating problems come up in January when they don’t in the regular season. When I spoke with Ravens coach John Harbaugh after Saturday’s practice, he agreed.

“But as a coach,” he said, “you feel like you want to do everything you can to make it better.”

So Harbaugh and his coaches came up with an idea this offseason. All around the team facility are large-screen TVs that, in past years, would have shows on them. SportsCenter, stuff like that. This year, those same TVs are showing practice tape. But not just any practice tape.

Harbaugh and his coaches pick out specific highlights from each day’s practice and cut them up to fit into different categories such as “Tackling,” “Pursuit,” “Ball Assault” and Convoy.” They grade each player in each practice in each category and designate the day’s “winner” in each. So if a player is stopping by the cafeteria to grab a bottle of Gatorade on his way to a meeting, he could look up and see his or one of his teammates’ highlights from the previous day’s practice presented as an example of what coaches are looking for.

Harbaugh and I were watching some of these screens as we spoke.

“These are ball assaults now,” he said of one highlight in particular (which was labeled “Ball Assault”). “This is the defense attacking the ball in practice. Now this is Convoy. Convoy is basically the offensive version of running to the ball. Chasing the pile, getting out in front, getting a block in front of somebody. Then there’s Pursuit for the defense, the defensive version of the same thing. Puncture, which is catch and get upfield.

On and on it all goes, in an endless loop all day. It’s on in the meeting rooms as well, with everyone’s grades from the previous day in each category.

“We figured out the grading,” Harbaugh said. “Lot of math involved in the way we grade all this stuff. Because you want to compare guys. You want to have winners and losers involved. So, what’s a block worth compared to like a big play catch or something, stuff like that.”

The key, though, for Harbaugh is that these cut-ups are everywhere in the building, not just in the meeting rooms.

“The whole thing has been about the idea of intentionality,” he said. “Be intentional. We’ve talked about it before, but we’ve taken it to another level. These screens here, these are all intentional plays from practice. So they run on different screens around the building. I want it to be, in the biggest moment, not thought about. I want it to be just the way they play and the way they live. I want it to be in the background noise. Because we were really good on turnovers last year and then we turn the ball over in the divisional game.”

It’s a fascinating attempt at a solution to an impossibly vexing problem. Harbaugh can’t fast-forward to January and coach his players harder to avoid turnovers. He feels like he has to do something, and this is what he has come up with.

He has also added a couple of secondary coaches — former Colts coach Chuck Pagano and former Kansas City assistant Donald D’Alesio — and signed former Packers cornerback Jaire Alexander, who has livened up practice with his energy. Alexander was all over the place Saturday, intercepting Lamar Jackson and prompting huge celebrations with the entire defense around him and Pagano.

The coaches are preaching takeaways, because the organization feels that one of the reasons its postseason turnovers are so costly is that they aren’t taking the ball away enough in those games. The Ravens have a total of two takeaways in those seven playoff games they’ve played over the past five years.

“This year is about getting takeaways for me,” said second-year cornerback Nate Wiggins, who has established the goal of collecting double-digit takeaways himself this season. “I know I dropped plenty last year, so the ball is gonna come. I just gotta catch it.”

Best of the rest:

• When I was at the Super Bowl, I remember a couple of Chiefs coaches telling me how impressed they were with wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins‘ coaching ability after they’d traded for him midseason. They credited Hopkins with helping the development of rookie receiver Xavier Worthy, saying Hopkins would grab Worthy after drives and go over routes with him on the tablets. Hopkins even made suggestions for changing practice drills that were well-received enough that the Chiefs’ coaches changed the drills.

Harbaugh said the Ravens have seen some of that since signing Hopkins in the offseason — that Hopkins has been a help to Jackson in terms of figuring out passing game concepts that Jackson likes and getting offensive coordinator Todd Monken to add them to the playbook. Hopkins isn’t done playing, obviously, but late in his career he seems like the type of player who can have an impact on a team in a lot of different ways.

• Baltimore doesn’t have a lot of camp position battles. It’s sorting out who’ll start at left guard, with Harbaugh saying after Saturday’s practice that Andrew Vorhees has the lead in the competition over Ben Cleveland. The Ravens might look to add another safety for depth, and as of now it looks like their primary return man will be sixth-round rookie LaJohntay Wester. They need to figure out kicker, having released veteran Justin Tucker in the offseason and drafted Tyler Loop in the sixth round. If Loop doesn’t show consistency through the preseason they could look to bring in someone else. But this is a deep, strong roster without a lot of question marks.

Asking around about potential breakout candidates, I heard the names of Wiggins, first-round rookie safety Malaki Starks and defensive tackle Travis Jones, who one member of the organization said reminded him a little bit of Ravens great Haloti Ngata because of his size and ability to generate interior pressure. They also expect second-year right tackle Roger Rosengarten to take a major step forward.

• Harbaugh said D’Alesio was a coach he’d targeted for some time. Harbaugh said he has a high school friend who knows D’Alesio well and used to encourage Harbaugh to hire him, but D’Alesio was under contract in Kansas City and each time Harbaugh asked for permission to talk to him Andy Reid said no. But after the Super Bowl, Harbaugh got word from his high school buddy that circumstances may have changed and told Harbaugh to try again, which he did and then finally got a yes.

Harbaugh also said that, when he was looking for new coaches for the secondary this offseason, he asked safety Kyle Hamilton if he knew of anyone good, and Hamilton brought up D’Alesio without knowing that Harbaugh was already trying to hire him and said he’d heard from friends of his in Kansas City that he was an outstanding teacher. The Ravens believe they got a rising star in the coaching ranks.

• The Ravens are working on a few contract extensions they hope to get done by the end of this season, including Hamilton, tight end Isaiah Likely and center Tyler Linderbaum. It doesn’t sound like anything is imminent with any of those, but don’t be surprised if you hear news on one or more of them over the next few months.

Key fantasy note: Back in 2023, the Ravens’ run game got a jolt from a speedy 21-year-old running back named Keaton Mitchell, who ran for 396 yards and averaged 8.4 yards per carry in a six-game stretch before tearing his ACL in a December game in Jacksonville. Mitchell made it back from the injury to play in five games last season but never looked like himself.

This summer, he appears to have his speed back, and the Ravens are excited about it. Derrick Henry will be the primary ballcarrier, of course, but Mitchell adds a different element to this run game. Expect him to have a role in the offense.

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Location: Eagan, Minnesota
Date visited: Aug. 1

A looming issue at Vikings camp is Jordan Addison‘s availability to start the season. My sense after asking around is the Vikings are bracing for roughly a three-game suspension for Addison, who in July pleaded no contest to a lesser charge to resolve a 2024 DUI citation. The team’s projection is based in part on the league’s recent precedent for three-game suspensions for DUI-related offenses.

While Addison has said he’s prepared for whatever the NFL decides, for now he’s preparing for a Year 3 jump with goals of becoming a “better all-around receiver.” The Vikings’ WR1 spot is unquestioned: That belongs to Justin Jefferson. But after nearly 1,800 yards and 19 touchdowns through two seasons, Addison believes he has the capacity to be one in ability if not by title.

“I would say so. That’s why I said I’ll keep getting better to be a better all-around receiver to show [ the team] I am that,” said Addison after Friday’s practice. “I don’t want people to look at me and think he’s good at these two things but lacking here. It’s about letting the coaches know I’m getting better in the offense every single year.”

All-around improvement isn’t just for the field. Addison, who previously told local reporters he was in a “dark place” after the DUI, believes he’s in a good spot mentally.

“I would say I’m a good person if you really get to talk to me,” he said. “I just feel I made some bad decisions. I’ve got to put it all behind me and be better every day.”

Addison is in a de facto contract year and is still looking for his first 1,000-yard season. He believes coach Kevin O’Connell will use him “all over the field.” He doesn’t care much about where he ranks in the receiver pantheon, though he agrees with the notion that he’s probably underrated.

“I don’t really care about what anybody says. I know what I can do and I know where I’m headed,” Addison said. “Whenever the ball comes to me, I’m going to make a play.”

Best of the rest:

• Defensive line, defensive line, defensive line. That was almost always the first thing that came up in my talks with Vikings people coming off the practice field. The additions of Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave changed the tenor of camp from the previous year. They are getting a push at the line of scrimmage. “Impacting our team in a real physical way,” O’Connell said.

Age is at least a mild concern with the front — Allen is 32, Hargrave 30 and Harrison Phillips 29. That’s why the Vikings could be thoughtful with their rotation. Rookie fifth-round pick Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins has played well enough to potentially crack it. Overall, the defense is operating at full tilt in camp. “One of most talented, cohesive, high-level scheme defenses in my opinion in the NFL,” O’Connell said. “I might be biased.”

• ESPN’s Kevin Seifert encapsulated the highs and lows of J.J. McCarthy‘s camp here. O’Connell separated McCarthy’s performance into two buckets: “great moments” and “unbelievable teaching moments” with technique, fundamentals, progressions and managing down-and-distance situations. That’s good wordplay to summarize the ups and downs of a young passer in a challenging camp. Yes, it has been a slog against a tough defense, and the Vikings are taking the small victories where they can get him.

Early in Friday’s session, McCarthy threw a well-timed ball over the middle to Addison, whose drop bounced to the secondary for an interception. O’Connell promptly gave McCarthy a pound for the accurate throw. “But what I’ve been most happy about is he’s been relentless coming back, attacking this thing in a way that’s kind of had an impact on our whole offense with enthusiasm and excitement,” O’Connell said.

The sense I get talking to people with the team is that McCarthy, with plenty of arm strength, is working on his touch. Most everything is a fastball right now. He did throw a nice fade ball that was nearly a touchdown. The Vikings have seen glimpses but are trying to sustain momentum. “I would say he has a pretty strong arm. That’s one of his strengths,” Addison said. “He’s accurate. Reads the defense pretty well. I feel he’s going to be good. It’s still early right now. But when it comes to anticipation throws, beating the defense with the ball, I feel he’s going to be a great quarterback in this league.”

• Jefferson’s hamstring injury is not a major concern. In fact, my sense is that some with the Vikings are sort of relieved he can rest up during a long camp. He could get some practice work this week, but expect Minnesota to slowly ease him back. “The good thing is we avoided serious injury, but at the same time we want to make sure he goes through the right process before he’s back at it full speed,” O’Connell said. “We get to build that up and really manage something in a short amount of time without the threat of the regular season being an issue. We want to be smart. But at the same time Justin wants to get back on the field.”

• Jalen Nailor is getting a lot of love at camp. When I asked O’Connell about players picking up the slack in Jefferson’s absence, he was quick to mention Nailor. “We’re looking for ‘Speedy’ to pick up where he left off last year,” O’Connell said. Nailor had 134 receiving yards in the final two regular-season games.

Key fantasy note: I entered camp with the expectation that Jordan Mason would be a major player in the offense alongside Aaron Jones in the backfield, and my visit Friday did nothing to dispel that. In fact, I believe a genuine co-RB1 deal, in something of a 50-50 distribution, is not totally off the table, depending how things unfold over the next month. Mason’s prominent reps Friday were noticeable, and he offers youthful explosion to Jones’ savvy all-around game.

Fun note: Vikings running backs coach Curtis Modkins oversaw Denver’s tailbacks in 2021 … when Melvin Gordon and Javonte Williams each had exactly 203 carries.

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Location: Philadelphia
Date visited: Aug. 1

Saquon Barkley was the star of the show at the surprisingly chilly, overcast practice I attended Friday. He broke off a long run, caught passes out of the backfield, scored on a short touchdown run, followed it up with a two-point conversion run and hopped off the field trash-talking players on the defense about how tired they looked. It was almost as if he was trying to remind us all, after a couple of days on which the defense might have gotten the better of the offense, who the engine is that drives things for the defending Super Bowl champions.

Barkley is coming off a season in which he touched the ball a whopping 482 times between the regular season and the postseason. That’s the highest single-season total for a running back since DeMarco Murray racked up 497 in 2014 for the Cowboys and the second-highest since Eddie George had 488 in 2000 for the Titans. Barkley is 28 years old, and last season was just the third time in his seven-year NFL career that he managed to play at least 16 games in a season.

The Eagles know these numbers. They know that every running back who’s accumulated 400 or more touches in a season since 2000 has failed to repeat his production the following season and that most haven’t come close. They examine every one of those 482 touches, where they happen on the field, when they happen in games and where during each one he did or (in the case of the games against the Rams, for example) didn’t get hit.

Their question would be: What, exactly, do you want us to do about it?

Barkley is still their best player, and putting the ball in his hands gives them the best chance to win games. They can try all they want to get him breaks and use free-agent signee AJ Dillon to spell him in certain situations. But it’s going to be tough, on a big third-and-three in the fourth quarter of a close game against the Cowboys or Commanders, to keep Barkley on the sideline because his touches are getting too high.

“We’ve kind of talked about that, he and I have,” offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo said of Saquon’s workload. “I think it’s very game-specific. It depends on how the flow of the game goes. He does a really good job of knowing himself, of knowing when he needs to come out, when he wants to go back in. So a lot of that will be on him, obviously, during games, and he’s really good about paying attention to that.”

Patullo is kind of the new guy in the mix here. He was on the staff the past four years as passing game coordinator, but he was promoted this offseason to offensive coordinator when Kellen Moore left to take the Saints’ job. He has been coaching in the NFL since 2007 and has worked in a number of different systems. One person I spoke to Friday said Patullo was “overdue to get his shot” to run an offense, and certainly he’ll look to put his own stamp on things. But he’s also tasked with keeping this very successful train on the tracks, so the DNA of the Eagles’ Super Bowl champion offense isn’t likely to change much.

“Yes, I would love to be a run play-action team,” right tackle Lane Johnson told me. “It makes things really fun up front. We were really balanced last year, so it was a lot easier in the passing game when you have somebody in the backfield that can do that. We’d like to have a similar approach this year.”

One of the things that gives the Eagles confidence in Patullo is their familiarity with him. It’s his fifth year working with their offense and with quarterback Jalen Hurts. He worked with coach Nick Sirianni when they were both on the staff in Indianapolis. He was side-by-side with Moore all of last season, in anticipation of the possibility they’d have success and Moore would get a head coach opportunity. So the expectation is that the transition will be smooth.

“Kevin’s done a good job,” Johnson said. “I think he’s been really instrumental in the past four or five years that he’s been here and been next to our OC. Really big in installing our passing game. So it’s really been a flawless transition, and as we progress toward the season we just keep getting better and better.”

There’s an if-it-ain’t-broke-don’t-fix-it feel to the offense in Philly. It’s fair to expect games that look the way Friday’s practice did: Barkley-heavy, until someone figures out how to stop it.

“We’re still the Eagles offense, and I don’t think that’ll change,” Patullo said. “I think it starts with the run game up front and we build from there. And then obviously we’d like to try new things here and there. So we’ll see how that goes throughout training camp and where it leads us.”

Best of the rest:

• Personnel-wise, things stayed pretty much the same for the Eagles on offense. The only starter they lost to free agency was Mekhi Becton, who played very well for them at right guard after signing a one-year prove-it deal last season. Stepping in for him will be 2023 third-round draft pick Tyler Steen, who was projected to start at right guard last season before he got injured in the offseason and Becton played so well. The Eagles believe Steen is ready, just as they believed a year ago that Cam Jurgens was ready to take over for the retiring Jason Kelce at center.

The Eagles’ offensive line is its own subculture, and one of the benefits of the way they’ve been able to draft is that guys get on-the-job training and get to see first-hand examples of what’s expected before they ascend to starter’s roles. It’s one thing to draft a young guy and explain to him the way it was when past franchise greats held down his position. It’s quite another to draft a young guy and let him work side-by-side with those greats so that he doesn’t need to be told what’s expected when it’s his turn to start. Jurgens made the Pro Bowl in his first year as a starter and after working alongside Kelce for two years. The hope is that Steen, who has spent the past two years working alongside the likes of Kelce, Jurgens, Johnson, Landon Dickerson, and Jordan Mailata, will benefit in the same way.

• The bulk of the roster changes this offseason came on defense, where the departures included Brandon Graham, Josh Sweat, Milton Williams, Darius Slay and C.J. Gardner-Johnson. The Eagles saw a lot of these changes coming and have been drafting for years with an eye toward replacing veterans on defense as they age out or price themselves out. They are paying eight players at least $15 million per year, and Jordan Davis, Jalen Carter, Nolan Smith and others on the defense will be in line for contract extensions soon enough. They need to get high-level production out of defenders on rookie contracts.

So while they’ve brought in free-agent veterans such as Josh Uche and Azeez Ojulari at edge rusher and Adoree’ Jackson at cornerback, they’d prefer to see young players Moro Ojomo, Ty Robinson and Kelee Ringo take on bigger roles the way Smith, Quinyon Mitchell, Cooper DeJean, and Jalyx Hunt already have shown the ability to do. General manager Howie Roseman has an extensive track record of acquiring proven veterans to help in key spots as needed. But the program sustains itself best when the young players develop into starters. The Eagles will keep keeping a close eye on which ones can do that this season.

• Rookie first-round linebacker Jihaad Campbell is obviously someone for whom they have the highest of hopes. The Eagles started trying to trade up to draft Campbell as early as No. 18 but only ended up having to move up one spot from No. 32 to 31 to select him. He has been getting a lot of practice reps, even working with the first team some as Zack Baun has missed some time recently with a back issue, and he has a chance for significant playing time if he shows he’s capable.

“For an inside linebacker, he needs to show his improvement in 11-on-11,” defensive coordinator Vic Fangio said. “The most fundamental thing you have to do on defense is figure out if it’s a run or a pass. And that’s critical for an inside linebacker, and the more reps he can get that way, the better he’ll be.”

Key fantasy note: Running back Will Shipley was very active in the practice I attended, and with Kenneth Gainwell now a Steeler, there should be a role available for Shipley as a pass-catcher and third-down back. But they’ve also been impressed with Dillon’s ability to catch the ball out of the backfield as well as run downhill with power.

If something were to happen to Barkley, it’d be worth taking a flier on either one of these guys, but I’d guess Dillon would be the one to benefit the most with an increased workload (assuming he can keep himself healthy, which was an issue in Green Bay).

In super-deep fantasy leagues, Shipley may be the guy to have if you’re looking for a piece of the Eagles’ offense and can’t get Barkley, since he’s likely to have a role either way. But if Barkley had to miss time for any reason, Dillon would be worth picking up.

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Location: Ashburn, Virginia
Date visited: July 31

When I attended Commanders practice on Thursday, I saw second-year quarterback Jayden Daniels kick a teammate out of the huddle and off the field after that teammate false-started on a play. The reason I took note of this is because that morning, before practice started, I’d been talking to Commanders coach Dan Quinn about the strategy they’d used to acclimate Daniels to the NFL in his rookie season.

Quinn told me that, a couple of years ago, Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman had shared with him a story about his own rookie season, when Cowboys coach Jimmy Johnson had told Aikman, “You be a great teammate and play good quarterback. I’ll take care of all the discipline, all the other stuff.” That stuck with Quinn, and by the time he was bringing along his own rookie quarterback in the summer of 2024, he decided he’d communicate the same message to Daniels.

“Don’t worry about, ‘You get lined up here, you do this, you do that’,” Quinn recalled telling Daniels. “We wanted him to be a great teammate and absolutely crush playing quarterback. So much can be put on kids: ‘Lead more, lead more.’ Right now, I want you to build your relationship with your teammates, who are learning you, and play quarterback. You don’t have to bring the team up. You don’t have to put the organization on your shoulders. Leave that to us.”

Of course, at some point the starting quarterback has to take on that part of the role. Daniels is coming off a season in which he won Offensive Rookie of the Year, finished seventh in MVP voting and led the Commanders to the NFC Championship Game. He has the confidence and, frankly, the credentials to flex those QB leadership muscles. And he’s doing it.

“His inner game, his poise, is really strong,” Quinn told me. “Really strong. And those are things you don’t know in the evaluation. But once I found out how strong his inner game is … Well … “

Daniels was the top player on Washington’s board in the 2024 draft, and the organization was ecstatic to get him. But the success he had went beyond anyone’s expectations for a rookie quarterback. It doesn’t hurt that Daniels had 55 college starts at the position before he arrived in the NFL.

“You feel that,” Quinn said. “They don’t get rattled. It’s a real thing.”

And now, off the success he had as a rookie, Daniels is poised to evolve as an NFL starting quarterback in all the ways he’s supposed to. Even if that means he has to be the heavy when someone on the offense messes up.

“Most definitely night and day,” Daniels said of the difference between camp this year and last year. “More comfortable in the offense. Understanding what [offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury] is calling and what we want to accomplish. I have different tools in my tool belt.”

Best of the rest:

• The Terry McLaurin contract dispute is hanging over an otherwise very positive Commanders camp. Washington’s No. 1 wide receiver is seeking a contract extension and has informed the team he would like to be traded to a team more willing to give him what he wants. The Commanders do not intend to trade him, according to the people I’ve spoken to there, and they say they continue to work toward a contract extension.

McLaurin is at camp, but he is not practicing. He comes out to the practice fields when practice ends. The day I was there, he signed autographs for fans as they chanted “Terry! Terry!” His agent has been attending practices and can be seen afterward chatting with McLaurin on the side of the fields. McLaurin has one year left on his contract and is scheduled to make just under $20 million this season. He’s believed to be looking for a contract worth north of $30 million per year, and the fact he turns 30 next month appears to be a sticking point from the team’s perspective.

How and when this all gets resolved is still a mystery, but McLaurin’s absence from practice is noteworthy. The day I was there, fellow wide receiver Noah Brown also missed practice due to an injury. Without those two, there really isn’t a significant downfield threat among the Commanders’ receivers. You see a lot of Daniels throwing to Deebo Samuel and tight end Zach Ertz, both of whom are reliable veterans but neither of whom is going to help Daniels to throw deep. McLaurin’s leverage, to the extent that he has any, appears to be that they clearly need him if they want to operate their offense. He has been upfront with the coaching staff about what’s going on. He informed Quinn of the trade request before it became public. Daniels said the two of them have been talking a lot and watching film together. So whenever the standoff ends or McLaurin decides to start practicing, it shouldn’t take long for things to rev back up. In the meantime, it’s the one negative storyline that’s cropped up around this team since Quinn and general manager Adam Peters came in last offseason.

• First-round rookie tackle Josh Conerly has been working at both right tackle and left tackle in camp. The Commanders’ starting left tackle is Laremy Tunsil, the All-Pro veteran they acquired in a trade with the Texans in March, but the team has been trying to get Conerly some reps on the left side when Tunsil isn’t in; that’s the side on which Conerly played in college. They believe he needs to show improved strength before they can start him at right tackle, and that could certainly happen in time for Week 1. If not, veteran Andrew Wylie would slot in at right tackle while Conerly’s development continues.

• One of the additions the Commanders made to their coaching staff this offseason was former NFL wide receiver Wes Welker, who’s serving as a personnel analyst. Welker has coached with the Texans, 49ers and Dolphins since his playing career ended in 2015, but it’s the San Francisco stint that’s most pertinent here. Peters, who worked in the 49ers’ front office before he got the job as Washington’s GM, recalls that Welker had a strong connection with Samuel when the two were together there for the first three years of Samuel’s career. Samuel’s best season as a pro came in 2021 — Welker’s last year in San Francisco — when he caught 77 passes for 1,405 yards and six touchdowns and also rushed for 365 yards and eight touchdowns. The Commanders have plans to use Samuel in a variety of roles, and they hope reuniting him with Welker can help rekindle some of that early-career magic.

Key fantasy note: If you are in a keeper or dynasty league, maybe throw a late-round flier on running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt. He was the Commanders’ seventh-round pick in April, but he has turned heads in camp because of his ability to run with vision and cut in the open field.

To be clear: The Commanders’ No. 1 running back remains Brian Robinson Jr., and yes, Austin Ekeler is still on the team. The running back room also includes Jeremy McNichols, Chris Rodriguez Jr. and fullback Demetric Felton. But of all of the people I have listed here, only one is signed beyond 2025, and that is the rookie, Croskey-Merritt. Just saying keep an eye.

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Location: Green Bay, Wisconsin
Date visited: July 31

This is Jordan Love‘s team. That was the case by default when he took over as the starter in 2023. But Love is much more comfortable as a leader in Year 3 as a starter. LaFleur has urged his quarterback to be vocal and he’s answering that challenge.

“Night and day,” coach Matt LaFleur told me. “Even from last year, and I thought he took a big jump last year. Way more presence. As the kids say, he’s got aura.”

Love is not the most outspoken player by nature, but he’s worked on it and believes it’s going well. Late in 2023, the list of quarterbacks playing better than him was short. But last season, the Week 1 knee injury cost him momentum and mobility. He is back to moving well, and he’s got the best supporting cast in his three years as a starter.

Another emphasis from LaFleur to his quarterback: “When the opportunity presents itself, you’ve got to use your legs.” Love’s rushing yards dipped from 247 to 83 year-over. He didn’t hesitate to roll out of the pocket and outrun a few defenders toward the sideline during the day I visited.

“You can see the urgency he’s playing with right now,” LaFleur said. “A lot of times in this [era], you’re going to go as far as your quarterback goes. But it does take everybody around him playing at a high level.”

One clear observation: Love is very comfortable throwing to his tight ends, Tucker Kraft and Luke Musgrave, who were featured prominently during this particular session. Part of that was by design, as at least two receivers were on rest days when I visited.

Injuries limited Musgrave to seven games last season, which resulted in a Kraft breakout season but a lack of the potent two-TE attack the Packers envisioned. That plan is now back on.

“What’s cool is they are both fully capable of doing a lot of cool stuff,” LaFleur said. “It definitely gives you a lot more flexibility on offense, the athleticism you’re looking for in both the run and the pass game. It makes you a lot more unpredictable.”

Best of the rest:

• People inside the Packers aren’t quiet about their impressions of first-round receiver Matthew Golden, who has looked the part thus far. Two things that have stood out: His hands (he’s not a body-catcher) and his determination to be great. One person with the team pointed out that he hadn’t dropped a pass through the first week-plus of camp, and he connected on a 60-yard deep ball in 11-man earlier in the week. Golden is part of a deep receiver room that will create tough roster decisions. “It’s a very competitive room right now,” LaFleur said. Players on the fringe, such as Mecole Hardman and Malik Heath, are performing well.

• Christian Watson, who is recovering from an ACL injury suffered in January, is expected to start the season on active/PUP. But he does not look like someone still recovering from an ACL tear. One person with the team joked that he recently asked Watson if he ever actually tore the ligament, given how well he’s been moving. Still, Green Bay will be cautious and give him the early part of the season to get his leg strength back.

• Linebacker Edgerrin Cooper was disruptive as a rookie with 13 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks. He knows how he wants to be deployed, and how those numbers can go up. “I like to be sent to the backfield to go get the ball,” Cooper told me. “I’m a heat-seeking missile … It’s going to be fun to see how I’m used.” Second-year coordinator Jeff Hafley likes to play a “can’t see who’s coming” style of defense, of which Cooper will be a vital part. “I know what I need to do, what needs to be out there — where everybody is able to play fast, on the same page,” Cooper said.

• One player who flashed during the practice I saw: Fourth-round defensive end Barryn Sorrell. From winning one-on-one matchups to stopping the run in the 11-man period, he looks quite at home playing NFL football in pads.

• Running back: I’m told the outlook for MarShawn Lloyd‘s groin injury is roughly one to two weeks, so he could be back as early as next week. Don’t be surprised if the Packers, who love versatility on offense, experiment with backups Chris Brooks and Emanuel Wilson playing hybrid or fullback-type roles at times.

• The Packers believe they have a quality backup quarterback in Malik Willis, who looked in full command earlier this week. They have helped him with his footwork from the pocket since acquiring him last year and it’s paying off.

• The Packers were the NFL’s youngest team last year, but LaFleur is not leaning on the youth-movement theme now. Green Bay should be battle-tested. “These guys got experience now,” he said. “They’ve played in big games. So hopefully we can learn from those experiences. …There’s no substitute for everything that come with [big games] and the nerves associated with that, but also understanding how important it is when you get in those types of games, how crucial every play is. This group has done everything we’ve asked them to do. A bunch of good dudes, love the locker room, high character people that will continue to push.”

Key fantasy note: No news flash here, but Josh Jacobs looked like the best player on the field the day I visited, and his explosion suggests another heavy workload is coming. He logged 301 carries a year ago, and though he would need a full season to reach that milestone again, he’s averaged 18.6 carries per game since 2022. I don’t see that number changing. Asked who the toughest matchup is for the Packers offense every day, and Cooper didn’t hesitate — it’s Jacobs. His open-field cuts still look really sharp.

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Location: Lake Forest, Illinois
Date visited: July 30

On my way to Chicago, I called a person with the Bears to ask about what I was seeing and reading on Caleb Williams, whose early camp struggles were well-documented.

The answer I got? He has had two good days in a row, so I think you’ll see improvements.

Williams went 4-for-10 in what was a brisk practice (less than 90 minutes) with exclusively red zone work, a tough slog against a solid Chicago defense. But Williams didn’t have any major mistakes, the operation looked clean and his body language was positive, which is a win for the Bears. The next day, after I left, I saw him connecting on deep balls on social media. So, perhaps the person I talked to was right.

Here are my notes on Williams’ development from the ground:

• Teammates are not shying away from Williams’ massive potential: “He’s probably the most talented quarterback I ever played with,” safety Kevin Byard said. “He’s made some throws every single day that makes you say, ‘Wow,’ and if he continues to do that consistently, he’s going to take us where we need to go.”

Added Rome Odunze: “I think he can be the best [in the NFL]. I think the sky really is the limit for him with his talent, with his knowledge, with his attitude towards the game, his goals really, man, he could be the best.”

• But Williams is far from the best as he tries to heal from last year’s scar tissue. Instead of catering to Williams, new coach Ben Johnson is increasing the heat. General manager Ryan Poles says Johnson is “relentless” on Williams when it comes to the details but also spends significant time with him to earn credibility with the quarterback.

“Before it was a little bit more, ‘How can we just bridge him to this first year?'” Poles explained. “This is like, ‘We have to set your foundation and you don’t really have a choice.’ It’s tough love, and I think he was looking for that. It’s honest feedback. No gray.”

The Bears feel like Johnson’s offensive game-planning, coupled with the relationship he has fostered with Williams, will pay off. As Poles put it, Johnson is thoughtful and consistent with his messaging, which is what every great player wants.

• The feeling here is Johnson will eventually tailor his plan to accentuate Williams’ strength — mobility, throwing on the move and off-script plays. For now, it’s all about mastering the basics and throwing everything at him, knowing the Bears can scale back later.

“The way Ben Johnson coaches, if the offense gets out the huddle and the receiver’s supposed to be plus two and he’s plus three, he’s sending everybody back,” Byard said. “So it’s not like, ‘Oh, Caleb’s not getting’ — no, it’s just how detailed he is with everything. And so like I said, I think those are going to help us out because I would personally just say last year that wasn’t happening and I think that’s what it takes to be great, and I think everybody’s doing all the necessary things to take this thing to the next level.”

Best of the rest:

• There’s legitimate excitement internally about the offensive playmakers around Williams. Tight end Colston Loveland just looks different, even when stretching. And Luther Burden has shown yards-after-catch potential in his short time on the field. “All the rookies, the tight ends. I mean, we have so many playmakers around the field,” Odunze said. “It’s hard I think for defense to kind of keep account of all of us. So I think we’ll find ourselves often in positions of advantage going against defenses with so many playmakers. So I think that comes from all the rooms.”

This is especially key with two-TE sets with Loveland and Cole Kmet. The Bears feel Loveland is a better blocker than perceived. “It just forces a decision from a defense: Do you go big and stop the run?” Poles said. “Or do you have to respect Loveland athleticism and route running ability to separate where you go light?”

• Despite having those skill-position players, the Bears’ offense is very much in transition, which breeds the feeling that the defense will anchor the entire team early in the season. “They are playing really fast,” Poles said.

The defense has won many of the early camp battles. Defensive coordinator Dennis Allen has brought an aggressive mindset. Byard ranks Allen just under legendary coach Dick LeBeau as far as most aggressive coordinators for whom he’s played. “We want to play tight coverage on the outside, so yes, he’s going to be aggressive and obviously I think we got the horses up front to be able to do it,” Byard said.

Most of the positions on defense are well set. But the second cornerback spot is still up for grabs. The Bears have been pleased with Tyrique Stevenson, Josh Blackwell and Nick McCloud, in particular.

• Odunze has emphasized route-running refinement entering Year 2. “I’m just really just trying to carry that (momentum from last year) over and expand on that within my entire route three, so that’s something that I think I can do well, as well as the contested catches and all those things that I have kind of carried on since college,” Odunze said. “So all those different things, honestly, just looking to expand on and take it to a new level.”

He believes he has WR1 abilities but doesn’t ever consider a pecking order with DJ Moore or anyone else. “I really don’t look at it that way,” he said. “Honestly. I think I deserve from what I put on the practice field to be an option on every single play. But at the end of the day, in a wide receiver room, I don’t believe in a wide receiver 1, wide receiver 2, I think we all got to come together to have a good wide receiver corps, so I’m just glad to be part of it.”

• The left tackle battle between veteran Braxton Jones and rookie Ozzy Trapilo will intensify throughout August. “I see that one coming down to the very end,” Poles said. While Jones, a three-year veteran who recently recovered from his ankle injury, has superior feet and athleticism, Trapilo’s ability to anchor in pass protection has been impressive. Second-year man Kiran Amegadjie is a blend of both players but his development is slightly behind the other two. Keep in mind, Johnson’s third tackle in Detroit, Dan Skipper, played 323 snaps. Johnson loves to get three tackles on the field.

• Byard ranks second on the active interceptions list among NFL players under contract for 2025. Others ahead of him are either retired or remain free agents. His 29 interceptions are eight shy of Minnesota’s Harrison Smith (37). When I showed him the list, his response was quick: “We’re touching 30 this year, for sure. We’re going to get to the 30s and like I said, I got some ground to catch up with Harrison, so hopefully if God blessed me with a few more years, we can try to.”

Key fantasy note: Johnson will add wrinkles to the offense as camp progresses. The Bears will likely manufacture touches for Moore out of the backfield as well as a receiver — or both. Moore can line up in the backfield and still end up deep downfield for his targets.

Last season, Moore was relegated to hopeless screen plays and looked disengaged at times. The Bears will try to maximize his opportunities in a thoughtful way.

And, also, with Loveland: Even when he doesn’t get the ball, it appears he’s high on the priority chart of reads for the quarterback on a lot of plays. Production should follow that trend.

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Location: Miami Gardens, Florida
Date visited: July 29

The biggest difference at Dolphins camp this year is probably the expectations — more specifically, the lack thereof. This time a year ago, Miami was coming off back-to-back playoff appearances in Mike McDaniel’s first two seasons as coach. They’d gone 11-6 in 2023 and pushed the Bills literally to the final game of the season in the AFC East race.

Then they opened 2024 by losing six of their first eight games — four of which quarterback Tua Tagovailoa missed due to injury — and the outside expectations vanished.

Inside the building, though, what the front office and coaching staff took notice of was the fact they won six of their next eight games. That the leaders on the team stepped up and made sure things didn’t fall completely apart. The coaching staff believes it found out a lot about what certain players did and didn’t have inside of them that could help the team recover from a down year and make sure the culture was strong going forward. The front office and coaching staff got together in the offseason and decided that maybe the down year was in some ways just what they needed, because maybe winning had been masking some issues that needed to be — and now could be — addressed head-on.

You want an example? People I spoke to when I was there cited the news conference comments Tagovailoa made a couple of weeks ago about star wide receiver Tyreek Hill and the need for Hill to repair relationships in the building as a result of things that were said or tweeted early in the offseason. The coaching staff liked that Tagovailoa did that. They saw it as a sign that the two were working to address the real underlying issues of the situation, rather than gloss over it with platitudes or social media sniping. In Hill’s news conference on Thursday, in which he not only said he agreed with Tua’s comments but also offered the shockingly honest opinion that De’Von Achane isn’t big enough to be the team’s goal-line back, seemed to support the idea there are real and honest conversations happening in the building.

“They’re not hiding from anything,” one person told me. “They’re giving themselves a real shot at having a relationship and winning.”

When McDaniel addressed the team for the first time in April, his message was about the difference in outside expectations. He told the players: “The great news is, we’ve been afforded the opportunity of not letting outside people influence our own opinions of ourselves. They talk, we do.”

So if nothing else, Miami’s mindset is in a decent place as it tries to rebound from a disappointing season by building around the guys who kept it from being a total catastrophe, adding proven leaders such as linebackers Willie Gay and K.J. Britt and safety Minkah Fitzpatrick in offseason transactions and moving away from some of the guys who might have stood in the way of needed growth.

Another part of McDaniel’s April message to the players was: “Teams are made in the offseason.” McDaniel’s offensive play design and playcalling acumen may have been one reason why he got the job, but so was his ability to relate to players. It feels like the focus this offseason has been on that part of the job, in an effort to reset and focus on team-building as they work to get back to where they were in his first two seasons.

Best of the rest:

• Of course, the question once September rolls around is whether the Dolphins have a good enough team on the field to take advantage of the improved offseason vibes. It has been a rough start to camp injury-wise, particularly in the secondary, which has already lost cornerbacks Artie Burns and Kader Kohou to season-ending injuries and added veterans Jack Jones and Mike Hilton to fill spots. Safety Ashtyn Davis got hurt in the practice I attended, but at least that injury doesn’t appear to have been a season-ender.

With Jalen Ramsey traded and Fitzpatrick coming back to Miami in that trade, this secondary looks a lot different than last year’s. The Dolphins are cautiously optimistic about what the group can be if it avoids further injury. Jones in particular has impressed them with his work and professionalism. He has had a rough start to his career, being released already by the Patriots and Raiders, but he’s still just 27 and has given Miami reason to believe his legal issues are behind him.

• The offensive line has some question marks, too, especially with right tackle Austin Jackson suffering a practice injury last week that could put his Week 1 availability in doubt. Guard James Daniels, who they signed in free agency, is working his way back from a season-ending injury suffered while with Pittsburgh. Center Aaron Brewer has missed time during camp with an injury. The silver lining is they seem happy with the performance of left tackle Patrick Paul, a second-rounder from last year’s draft.

• Tight end Darren Waller is one of the more interesting stories of Dolphins camp. Waller came out of retirement this offseason and the Giants traded him to Miami. His agent informed the Dolphins he was interested in playing again, and Miami in particular interested him because of Waller’s close relationship with Dolphins offensive coordinator Frank Smith. Smith was the Raiders’ tight ends coach during Waller’s tenure there, and Waller has talked about Smith as an important figure in his life who stuck by him while he was dealing with addiction. So that connection is a big reason why Waller is back to playing at all and the explanation of why the Dolphins were the team he wanted to play for.

• The strength of the defense is probably the pass rush. Bradley Chubb is fully healthy. Chop Robinson has been a star in camp. Along with Jaelan Phillips, they give the Dolphins confidence in their edge rush group, which should help the interior lineman like Zach Sieler and first-round rookie Kenneth Grant do their work in the middle.

Key fantasy note: If the coaches are listening to Tyreek Hill and looking for a replacement for Achane in short-yardage situations, keep an eye on veteran running back Alexander Mattison. Miami loves Achane and Jaylen Wright, and they drafted Ollie Gordon in the sixth round in April. But Mattison, the former Vikings and Raiders back, has opened a lot of eyes in camp and could be playing himself into a role.

I don’t know that it would be a short-yardage role, and obviously Mattison isn’t strictly that sort of back. Gordon could be a guy for that role as well. Just saying, Mattison is having a strong camp and could force the Dolphins to find a way to keep him and get him on the field. I know it’s a reach, but what do you want here? You know what Hill, Achane and Jaylen Waddle are for fantasy. Waller is a flier for the Dolphins, let alone for your tight-end-starved fantasy lineup. I’m just giving you a long shot to keep an eye on in case things keep breaking the way they are.

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Location: Westfield, Indiana
Date visited: Tuesday, July 29

The day I visited the Colts was a good one for both Anthony Richardson Sr. and Daniel Jones, who looked decisive and calm. A few throws were missed, but overall, neither looked rattled. Coach Shane Steichen told me this battle is truly “neck and neck.” He added, “Obviously we’re going to let this thing play out, but both have made plays the last couple of days, so really pleased with the progress of both.”

Steichen’s criteria for a decision is simple: Running a clean operation, day-to-day consistency, knowing the situation each play, protecting the football, being smart and finding completions, offense “moving at a high rate up and down the field.”

A few notes and observations on the battle:

• Richardson worked this offseason like a man humbled. He was. “I didn’t do enough [last year],” he said of his benching. “That was the big thing for me. I wanted to take a deeper dive on myself and what I needed to improve on. I told myself, ‘I can’t be slacking anymore. I’ve got to lock in.'” Part of that process was fixing his mechanics. He widened his base to get “more control” of the ball, limiting the tendency to sail throws.

• Steichen said Richardson has made “great strides” from a leadership standpoint, and here’s something I noticed: When Richardson and Alec Pierce failed to connect on a deep ball, Richardson jogged 30 yards downfield to talk over the play at length.

• While Richardson and Jones have camaraderie through the competition, Richardson insists he’s not competing with Jones, but with himself. “Even if they brought Tom Brady in here, he’s the greatest, but I’d just have to work and try to beat him out,” he said. “It’s a me vs. me type of thing.”

• How the battle was explained to Jones, via coaches: Whoever consistently shows up, makes good decisions and proves to be the guy coaches can trust will win the job. Jones is emphasizing when to be aggressive and when to pull out, and also getting out of bad plays.

• Jones reflected on his Giants tenure: “Obviously disappointed as a competitor. … I was drafted, had a great opportunity. Some great times, but obviously not enough there at the end. Grateful for the opportunity. Really excited about this, I think more than anything excited for the next step.”

• There’s a common thread between Colts offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter and Jones. Cooter played quarterback at the University of Tennessee for David Cutcliffe, Jones’ coach at Duke.

• Steichen notes Jones’ “really high football IQ” has shown up so far. He has picked up the offense quickly.

Best of the rest:

• First-round tight end Tyler Warren already carries a presence out here. That was the case at Penn State and now in Indy. “Man, it’s been impressive — great hands, just a natural route runner, great feel for the game,” Steichen said. “Finds the dead spots in zone coverage can win versus man with his big body and then his run out for catch-all. He’s impressive. You can throw him a flat route and make a guy miss or run a guy over, so great.” Warren didn’t catch many passes on the day I visited, but coaches cautioned that quarterbacks often try to get touches to the veterans early in camp. Warren’s role will only grow, especially as the quarterbacks work the middle of the field more.

• The Colts finally spent in free agency this offseason, dedicating roughly $74 million in guaranteed money to Charvarius Ward, Cam Bynum and Jones. Ward and Bynum were the first two names Steichen mentioned when I talked to him about the roster. A much-needed injection of talent in the secondary has popped in camp.

• The offensive line has uncertainty at two spots, but Matt Goncalves is solidifying himself at right guard. The Colts believe he can handle the load after starting eight games last year and performing well at camp. The key battle is at center, between Tanor Bortolini and Danny Pinter. The early money is on Bortolini.

Key fantasy note: Josh Downs‘ presence is hard to miss in a practice setting. He gets targeted a lot, and not just in the short area. He made an acrobatic catch about 20 yards downfield, contorting his body as he fell on his shoulder. He seems to be getting separation. Jones wasn’t an accurate deep-ball thrower late in his New York tenure, so if he’s more comfortable in the short-to-intermediate areas, Downs will be a primary target. Richardson is also improving on throwing to the middle of the field.

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Location: Tampa, Florida
Date visited: July 28

Baker Mayfield appears to be at peace. We sat together after a sweltering practice last week and discussed his path from first overall pick to the Browns to the Panthers to the Rams and finally to the Buccaneers, all in a span of seven years.

“Exactly how I drew it up,” he said.

When he signed with the Bucs before the 2023 season, following the retirement of Tom Brady, Mayfield recalls that the Buccaneers were straight with him about the circumstances. They were looking at about $85 million in dead money and no cap flexibility, so they couldn’t offer much. But they believed their roster offered him the opportunity to give his career a fresh start after all the twists and turns. Bucs coach Todd Bowles, who got to know Mayfield well in the predraft process in 2018 when he was coach of the Jets (who had the third pick that year) told Mayfield to just be himself and then good things would happen.

“You can’t ask for anything else,” Mayfield said. “Especially from the journey I’ve had, with people telling me how to act and how to do certain things. Just coming here and just realizing this is a great place that allows you to have success. They give you all the tools and necessary things to be able to have success.”

Tampa Bay has won the NFC South in each of Mayfield’s first two years there and four straight years overall. Its success has kept things from being very stable around Mayfield. Dave Canales was the offensive coordinator in 2023 and then left that next offseason to coach the Panthers. Liam Coen was the offensive coordinator in 2024 and now coaches the Jaguars. Josh Grizzard was promoted to succeed Coen. Another year, another coordinator for Mayfield.

“Yeah, but this one’s different,” Mayfield said. “I’m not meeting him for the first time. He was in all the meetings last year, and it also helps going into the same system. With the run game, he’s leaning on our offensive line coaches, which — huge, keeping those guys is a huge part of the run game’s success. So he’ll be motioning guys, … but when Grizz was in Miami it was, ‘How do they get Tyreek [Hill] to not be doubled?’ So his background is how to motion, how to get certain looks out of the defense. Our third-down stuff last year, a lot of it was Grizz. He was our third-down pass game coordinator. So we trust in that. Just having the communication of knowing him before, we don’t have to get to know each other. We can kind of just say what we’re thinking.”

Bowles said they’re trying to offer Grizzard, a first-time playcaller, some on-the-job training with “call-it” periods in practice where he can rehearse, so that the first time he calls plays in a game it won’t feel like the first time. Bowles agrees with Mayfield that continuity will be a good thing for the offense, and he still believes Mayfield can take his game to another level.

“I think he’s been great every year,” Bowles said. “Just cutting down on the turnovers and understanding what we need to do to win, he’s been very good at that. If he can just cut down on the picks and continue to do everything else he’s been doing, he’ll be elite.”

Mayfield tied for the league lead with 16 interceptions last season.

“The priority for me, once again, going into this year, is how quickly can I get the ball out of my hands,” Mayfield said. “We’ve got a bunch of good receivers, skill players that can do a lot more with it than I can.”

Best of the rest:

• One of the reasons it’ll be especially important for Mayfield to get the ball out of his hands quickly is that All-Pro left tackle Tristan Wirfs is likely to miss the opening part of the season as his recovers from knee surgery. The Bucs signed veteran Charlie Heck as a swing tackle, but so far he has had to work as the starting left tackle in camp. The team is using these practices to evaluate Heck and determine what kind of help and how much they may need to give him.

“It sucks,” Mayfield said. “Any time you lose an All-Pro left tackle, it’s not ideal. At least right now we know Tristan’s going to be out. So we’re prepping. Charlie’s getting a ton of reps with those guys, and the more they can communicate and work together, the better. So right now, I think we’ll be just fine.”

• The Bucs surprised many when they used the No. 19 pick in April to select wide receiver Emeka Egbuka. They’d just re-signed Chris Godwin to a three-year contract, they still have veteran Mike Evans playing well and their 2024 third-round pick, Jalen McMillan, caught seven touchdown passes in their final five games of the season. Some wondered if the Egbuka pick meant they were worried about Godwin’s recovery from his season-ending ankle injury. But again, they just gave Godwin a three-year deal, so they couldn’t be that worried.

My takeaway from my time in Tampa is that the Egbuka pick wasn’t about Godwin as much as it’s about Evans, who turns 32 later this month and has reached the point of his career when he’s deciding year-to-year how long he wants to continue. It was also about the need for depth at that position. But more than anything, it was about Egbuka, who is the talk of training camp.

“He looks like he’s been in the league for 10 years,” general manager Jason Licht told me.

“His football IQ is far beyond a guy coming out of college,” Bowles said. “It shows up as far as leverage, when he’s being doubled, when he has to stop, when he has to break a route off, when he has to block somebody and then move to another gap and take the next guy. It’s just the little things that you would think you have to teach the whole way, he’s been doing the whole time.”

“Stuff you can’t teach,” Mayfield said. “Sometimes when receivers are running through routes and the ball is somewhat high but they don’t have to jump for it, some guys leave their feet. But he never leaves the ground. He stays grounded through the catch, so the potential for explosive plays with him is huge. Just the details of his routes, too, he learns from everything, watches other guys, understands the coverages. … Some things like that you can tell a rookie but he can’t exactly take it from the practice meeting to the field immediately, might have to do it a couple of times, but Emeka does it seamlessly.”

“A pro,” safety Antoine Winfield Jr. said. “I feel like he came in and just handled business right away. You can tell he’s a first-rounder the way he operates. He’s going to be a great player for us.”

I got a chance to speak to Egbuka and also came away extremely impressed. One thing he said that stood out to me was, “Being a receiver is about solving problems,” meaning that getting open is a skill you have to work on constantly, and specifically to counter the problems the defense is presenting for you. He said his Ohio State wide receivers coach, former NFL wideout Brian Hartline, uses that motto with his guys and it made an early impression on Egbuka when he was there.

The Bucs aren’t counting out Godwin for Week 1, but they believe there’s a chance he could miss a couple of games at the start of the season as he works his way back from the injury. I’d expect Egbuka to be a big part of things for whatever time Godwin is out, and maybe even once he’s back. This is a team that wants to put three wide receivers on the field as much as possible.

• The secondary could look a lot different. Third-round rookie Jacob Parrish has a good chance to be the starting nickel. Second-round rookie Ben Morrison is competing with Jamel Dean for one of the outside cornerback spots and has a good chance to win that competition and play opposite Zyon McCollum. And Tykee Smith, who was their nickel corner, has been moved to safety and now projects as a starter there.

• The Bucs signed veteran edge rusher Haason Reddick, who had a lost season in 2024 when he got traded from the Eagles to the Jets and sat out a chunk of the season over a contract dispute. The Bucs have been impressed with the way Reddick has performed on the field and the way he’s operated in the locker room, and they believe he’ll be a boon to the pass rush and the performance of fellow edge rusher Yaya Diaby.

“I think it’s going to be real big, think it’ll ease his mind a little bit,” veteran linebacker Lavonte David told me. “I feel like Yaya puts a lot of pressure on himself to be this exceptional guy, which he can be. But when you’re on a team like this with a lot of guys who can make plays too, everybody has got to work together. And I feel like a lot of pressure won’t be on Yaya as much as it was in previous years, and I think he’ll have a big year for us.”

• The Bucs have won the division four years in a row, and the year before that they won the Super Bowl as a wild-card team. They are driven to be more than just a division champion this season.

“I feel like we’ve got the talent to compete with anyone in the league, but we want to go to another level and dominate everybody,” David told me. “We don’t want to be in a situation where we’re fighting to get into the playoffs. Winning the division is good, but it’s just the first step. We want to get in the big Bowl. I had a taste of it, know what it feels like and I want to get back there again. And I want everybody else who hasn’t been there to get that same feeling. And we have the team to get the job done.”

Key fantasy note: I’m going to try to take running back Bucky Irving pretty early in my fantasy drafts. They love that guy, and while they also like Rachaad White and have a role planned for him, Irving is viewed by people in the building as special enough to warrant a high-volume RB1 role. That includes pass-catching work.

“His vision,” Mayfield said when I asked what makes Irving special. “His timing of when he’s supposed to hit the gas. He’s patient, patient and then hits it. I just think he’s always looking to score. It’s tough to see in practice. Like, last year at this time I was like, ‘Eh. We’ll see. It looks good.’ But didn’t expect it to be like it was. He’s just tough to bring down. He’s strong, he’s got great vision, he understands it, and then also you add in the ability to catch too. He’s well-rounded.”

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Location: Cincinnati
Date visited: July 28

Tee Higgins reveled in a long-overdue offseason that was free from contractual unrest. Dealing with two franchise tags and trade chatter was a “big headache,” he admits.

“Honestly, I’m in a good space mentally now,” Higgins said. “Not having to think about it. Just training my mind, free mind, not having to know where you’re going to be.”

Higgins was eligible for a long-term extension after the 2022 season, and he spent the past two years without one, finally landing a four-year, $115 million extension on March 16. During that stretch, Higgins experienced the highs and lows of NFL business — getting tagged, requesting a trade, signing the tag, then getting tagged again before ultimately reaching a deal.

Weighing how the organization valued his skill set — and staying away from offseason workouts as a result — created a hint of doubt.

“You put in the trade request, but you really don’t want to go nowhere,” Higgins said. “It’s like, ‘Are they really going to trade me?’ And if they trade me, then I have to shift my whole mindset. I’m not with this team no more, I’m with this new team. I wanted to be here, but if I was to get traded, I would have made that shift then. I didn’t want to make it too early, I would have been clocked out and I didn’t want that.”

The notion of going somewhere else, and being a No. 1 receiver, once offered temporary excitement. That way, he could gauge how another team valued him. But he was more excited to stay, locking into a deal at the same time as teammate Ja’Marr Chase. Higgins knows he could have put up big numbers elsewhere, but he sees the long-term value of playing with Chase and quarterback Joe Burrow, and how that can prolong his career.

Higgins plans to make his sixth NFL season his first with a full 17 games played, hoping to fend off soft-tissue and muscular injuries thanks to a variety of stretch routines this offseason. And make no mistake, Higgins believes that he can put up his biggest numbers yet, as the Bengals have experimented with him playing inside more often.

“That’s what they are trying to get out of me, put me in different places and different spots on the field,” Higgins said. “Sometimes I’m in the slot, running routes I haven’t run.” Higgins believes he can take advantage of that as “a big guy in the slot, usually having a nickel on me, a smaller guy.”

Can the changes — and a full season — result in his first 100-catch campaign? “That’s the plan,” he said with a smile.

Best of the rest:

• The sense here in Cincinnati is that Jermaine Burton is showing better habits after issues with professionalism and punctuality as a rookie. Higgins, who has tried to mentor Burton, says the second-year receiver is making a “big jump” as a pro. “I’m going to say it — he’s made a big jump … mentally,” said Higgins, emphasizing the word big. “He’s in a place where he knows what he’s doing. And on top of that, he is out there making plays.” Higgins urged Burton this offseason to enter camp ready and eager — and he’s done that. The question is: Can he get the ball? The Bengals are loaded at wideout.

• Shemar Stewart‘s ability popped during the day I was here, with back-to-back pass deflections to rile up the rest of the defense. “Physical player — he’s got great burst, great twitch,” coach Zac Taylor said. “So excited to see him evolve.” The Bengals have been careful not to overload the rookie early, but he’s answered the call since settling his contract dispute.

• The Bengals line up Chase all over the field, and that’s not changing — in fact, my sense coming out of my camp visit is that Cincinnati will only expand that process. He’s going to line up all over the field in efforts to loosen defenses that will allocate more resources to him this season.

• Cincinnati’s offense is coming off a top-10 performance in yards and scoring, but when I asked Taylor what this year’s offense can be, his plan was clear. “We want to control the game, get on teams earlier, put points on the board to where our defense can really tee off and build bigger leads for us,” Taylor said. Taylor was talking about the offense in specific games, but it also applies to the team, which has started each season slow under Taylor. The Bengals are 1-11 in the first two weeks of the season since Taylor’s tenure began in 2019. He’s counting on his offense to set the tone early.

• Early in practice, Burrow appeared to take a handoff during a running back drill. I asked Burrow about that, and with a smile he said that he had to keep his legs fresh.

Key fantasy note: Expect an uptick in Chase Brown‘s numbers in the pass game over last season (14 catches, 156 yards). He’s worked at his receiving ability and Taylor believes that can be a strength. Cincinnati has a supply-and-demand issue in the passing game with Chase, Higgins and tight end Mike Gesicki. But the expectation is Brown will serve as a safety valve in the screen game when defenses try to take away Chase or Higgins.

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Location: Jacksonville, Florida
Date visited: July 27

Is Travis Hunter really going to play on both sides of the ball? Heck yeah, he is. That’s the reason the Jaguars paid what they paid to trade up and select Hunter with the second overall pick in April. First-year general manager James Gladstone said that massive move was made because of the unprecedented dual-threat ability of Hunter to play wide receiver and cornerback.

“We were in a position to be close to somebody that we felt like changes the math,” Gladstone told me. “Like, quite literally changes the math. You now have an additional player on one side of the ball on game day that nobody else has the luxury of tapping into. It was like, ‘Oh, wow, this could actually be an option, and we don’t foresee it ever being an option again.’ Unless this becomes more of a norm … we’re looking at an opportunity that will never really present itself again. So we might as well, if we want, try and swing it.”

Swing it they did, and now they’re tasked with working out just how much Hunter will play on each side of the ball week-to-week. He practiced exclusively on defense the day I was there, then went back to offense the next day. Later in the week, he worked on both sides of the ball in a single practice.

“Logistically, it’s something we have to work through,” coach Liam Coen said. “But he doesn’t get tired. He’s been training in the altitude for years. Our strength coach texted me in June and said, ‘Liam, this guy’s endurance is something I’ve never seen before.’ He just doesn’t really fatigue. He can run and run. And that’s why he struggles to keep weight on, because of that. So for him, he’s used to just doing both all the time. For us, we’ve got to make sure it’s a process.”

It’s an exciting one, and the Jaguars don’t know for sure yet what form it will all take. They started him on offense in the spring since that’s a more mental part of the offseason and the offense was more complex, but they definitely want to make sure he’s on the field with the defense at least in obvious passing situations — third-and-long, etc. Depending on the opponent or on the Jaguars’ injury situation, they could need him more on a specific side of the ball in a given week.

“Worst case, somebody’s got to think about it,” Gladstone said. “And now that energy is taking away from something else they may want to do as part of their preparation for playing us.”

They’re all having fun figuring it out. Before the last practice period on the day I attended, Hunter went up to Coen and asked if he could change into his teal jersey (defense wears white, offense wears teal in Jaguars practices) and play in the two-minute offense. Coen said no, and reminded him that day was coming soon.

“He has definitely made strides from the spring, specifically on offense, just breaking the huddle, knowing where to go, knowing how to line up, what’s his responsibility so he can just go play faster. So the first few days of camp, he played a lot faster and a lot more confident,” Coen said. “He’s a good kid and he helps provide some juice. We’re a young offense, more of a quiet offense. The defense has more juice, kind of naturally, but specifically offensively we just don’t have a ton of juice. He helps just bring a little gas.”

All the attention Hunter is getting means a fairly anonymous camp for quarterback Trevor Lawrence, who’s entering the fifth year of a career that hasn’t lived up to the hype he carried as a No. 1 pick in the 2021. Coen has adjusted Lawrence’s footwork, and they’re working on establishing chemistry with the young wide receivers as they all learn a new offense together. The book on Lawrence has been that he struggles when the defense forces him off his first read, and the Jaguars know this.

“We’re working the heck out of progression drills,” Coen said. “What our defense does, which is nice, pre-snap to post-snap it’s different looks. So what you may have pre-snap completely changes post-snap. So we’ve tried to put him in enough positions that he has to progress and move on to No. 2, No. 3 and sometimes No. 4 in the read. And also, hey, man, like, let’s get used to using your legs as a weapon a little bit too. Like, you can run.”

Coen was the offensive coordinator in Tampa Bay last season and delivered a similar message to quarterback Baker Mayfield. “So much of what made us successful last year with Baker was his ability to run, to make plays. So that’s something that we’ve been working hard at. Our defense doesn’t give you the No. 1 read open all the time, so he needs to work on it. And it’s happening organically. Where he’s at with that, I can’t really say. But definitely we know, and that is something we are working on.”

Coen gave all of the quarterbacks a test on the offense when they returned for training camp and Lawrence scored the best of any of them. Which, duh, he’s the starter, right? But when you consider that backups John Wolford and Nick Mullens have extensive experience in this offense and Lawrence is learning it for the first time, his performance on it is a good sign.

“It does point to a level of commitment and discipline throughout the course of the summer months to not get distracted and stay rooted in the developmental timeline,” Gladstone said.

Best of the rest:

• Gladstone’s first offseason as GM carried with it a heavy focus on the offensive line — not surprising given that Hall of Fame former Jaguars tackle Tony Boselli assumed the role of executive VP of football operations in February. The Jaguars signed Fred Johnson, Robert Hainsey, Chuma Edoga and Patrick Mekari in free agency. They drafted West Virginia’s Wyatt Milum in the third round and USC’s Jonah Monheim in the seventh. Coen said what he likes about the OL setup is how many of the projected backups or fringe starters are experienced NFL players. Edoga started 10 games for the Cowboys over the past two seasons. Johnson started six for the Super Bowl champion Eagles. Luke Fortner projects as a backup center but has extensive experience as a starter in past years in Jacksonville.

Gladstone and Boselli attended Lane Johnson‘s OL Masterminds camp in Dallas early in July to pick the brains of some of the best offensive linemen in the league.

“That was a good setting just to continue to lean into what we know we’ll want to prioritize into the future as well, and obviously did over the course of the offseason,” Gladstone said. “As I think back to my time in Los Angeles, that was really the lone area that could hinder our offense. When we got past our sixth offensive lineman, we felt the pains of 7 through 10 when needed to call on as really standing in the way of us being effective. So this is good with me, because knowing that somebody’s going to go down at some point, we won’t feel that pain to the degree that I experienced in Los Angeles knowing this system can really be hurt by that.”

• The cornerback group looks like a potential strength, with or without Hunter. The addition of former Cowboy Jourdan Lewis in free agency was a big one for former Rams exec Gladstone, who said L.A. tried to get him several times over the years because Sean McVay always said he was especially tough to game-plan against. The Jags believe Lewis is already having an impact as a leader in that room.

• Roles need to be sorted out in the young wide receiver group after No. 1 wideout Brian Thomas. Parker Washington has been a strong performer in camp so far and could earn a significant role. Right now, he and Hunter are rotating in the slot receiver role. Tight end looks like a bit of a committee setup with Brenton Strange as the nominal starter, But opportunities for others, including former Ram Hunter Long, are there.

Key fantasy note: The Jaguars plan to keep four running backs and to use a committee approach there as well. They see Travis Etienne Jr. as a potentially very dangerous part of Coen’s screen game. Tank Bigsby is viewed as more of a physical pounder, so maybe that means he’s the short-yardage and goal-line option. Rookie fourth-rounder Bhayshul Tuten, who pulled a hamstring in the practice I attended, is the speed merchant and home run threat at the position. And seventh-round rookie LeQuint Allen Jr. is a player they see evolving into a third-down back due to his pass-catching and pass protection abilities. For fantasy, it sounds like a stay-away situation until concrete roles develop.

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Location: Latrobe, Pennsylvania
Date visited: July 27

“Aaron Rodgers puts stamp on new team” — yes, you’ve read that before. But things seem to be going well in Pittsburgh thus far, so here are a few notes on his transition.

Rodgers and coach Mike Tomlin are working from a place of trust. Tomlin, who noted that Rodgers “appreciates the destination camp” at Saint Vincent College, was the point person on selling Rodgers on signing with Pittsburgh. Only, he didn’t sell anything at all. Rodgers has said Tomlin never rushed him through the process of joining Pittsburgh this offseason, which he appreciated.

“I guess with experience, I’ve gained patience,” Tomlin told me about the offseason correspondence with Rodgers. “And sometimes it’s an asset. I wasn’t in a hurry, trying to microwave our relationship or our get-to-know. That was the most conscious component of the discussions for me.”

Did those pressure-free conversations lead to nervousness about whether Rodgers would sign? As Tomlin put it, “I think it’s some of that in any new relationship. I probably tend to characterize that more as excitement.”

On the field, a few themes have emerged from camp. This offense will heavily feature the tight ends. Pat Freiermuth and Jonnu Smith were early targets in goal-line work. And as one team source told me, don’t be surprised if the Steelers occasionally roll out two tight ends on third-and-long, which was not a staple last year. Smith is mostly a receiver in functionality, anyway.

Tomlin likes the varying skill sets of the position but will “make no assumption” on how to use the tight ends until camp manifests roles. Rodgers looked comfortable taking the playcalls from offensive coordinator Arthur Smith. Crafting the offense will “very much so” be a collaborative process between Smith, Rodgers, Tomlin and others, the head coach said, adding: “We don’t care where good ideas come from.”

That’s something Rodgers will welcome. He has been known as one of the most authoritative quarterbacks at the line of scrimmage and on the sidelines when it comes to play selection. At this stage of his career, the Steelers aren’t asking Rodgers to take over every game. They will need him to be elite for a handful of plays a game.

Rodgers’ receiver room is already working to develop an edge. Calvin Austin III told me that the receivers are keeping each other accountable for blocking downfield — no loafing allowed.

“You’ll see this year when we are out there, we’ll be blocking for each other,” Austin said.

As for Rodgers, Austin said he’s still getting used to the veteran’s no-look passes, calling the quarterback’s process “definitely different but beautiful” as one of the greatest natural throwers to ever play.

“He’s the type that if he has a route that’s pretty common, he may be looking the other way, but the ball is coming right to you,” Austin said.

Best of the rest:

• General manager Omar Khan reflected on his ultra-aggressive offseason. His approach was simple: “As long as we win a Super Bowl, that’s all that matters,” he said. Khan said the Steelers “looked into pretty much every situation that was out there” in the market, settling on trades for DK Metcalf, Jalen Ramsey and Smith along with free agent signings of Rodgers, Darius Slay and others.

“When you’re not paying a quarterback [top dollar], you obviously have more flexibility,” Khan said. “It’s good to be in a position where you can engage in conversations regarding pretty much anything that’s out there.” The deals typically took longer than Khan would have liked. Negotiating with another team, getting permission to speak with the player and hammering out a new contract is tedious but “in the end worth it” because you’re getting a high-caliber talent, Khan said.

• In the case of the trade with Miami, Pittsburgh contacted the Dolphins after learning via agent Drew Rosenhaus that Smith wanted a new contract. That led to talks about Ramsey in a package deal. Khan executed the Metcalf deal without knowing Rodgers would eventually sign with Pittsburgh but feeling confident the Steelers would land a veteran quarterback from somewhere. The Steelers like that many of their acquisitions have Super Bowl experience. Asked about plans for a quarterback in the 2026 draft, with Rodgers on a one-year deal, Khan said bluntly, “We will figure things out after the season.”

• One thing that stands out: the Steelers’ defensive backfield depth. This is a loaded group, assuming aging players stay healthy. Additions Slay, Ramsey, Juan Thornhill, Chuck Clark and Brandin Echols should help Pittsburgh from wearing down late in the year. “If you want to be dominant defensively in this league, you have to be able to line up and play man-to-man,” Tomlin said. “Playing elite offensive units and passing offenses, we’ve been thoughtful of the acquisition of defensive talent.”

The Steelers have not hesitated to use Ramsey all over the field. Tomlin calls him a “utility back,” playing him at outside corner, nickelback and free safety through the first week of camp. “And [he’s] done it all extremely well,” Tomlin said. “It’s been really exciting to see his ability to absorb schematics and change positions fluidly in the course of a sequence of plays. It’s really going to be an asset to us.”

• Offensive tackle Troy Fautanu is healthy after missing all but one game last season with a knee issue, and the early returns are good. The message Tomlin relayed to Fautanu this offseason: Injuries don’t define your career. He used the example of former Steelers guard David DeCastro, who missed most of his rookie year due to injuries before making six Pro Bowls.

Key fantasy note: Highlighting Austin here, because coaches are very high on him. Tomlin calls his trajectory “really exciting,” and people I’ve talked to with the team noted that he gets open often. Austin just doesn’t have the numbers (36 catches, 548 yards, 4 touchdowns) to reflect that ability. The offense will heavily feature Metcalf and the tight ends, but Austin will have chances with splash plays.

Austin said the Steelers’ offense under Smith is less about pecking orders and more about capitalizing on matchups. “DK is going to command some attention, for sure,” Austin said. “Schematically, we will find ways to get him open. I feel like guys who are younger like me and Roman (Wilson), we go into every game ready for it if this is our game. Each week, we just prepare with that mindset.”

Austin told me that coaches have highlighted the need to get him downfield for vertical passing plays. “I’m just ready for whatever role is necessary,” he said.

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Location: Flowery Branch, Georgia
Date visited: July 26

The Falcons are Michael Penix Jr.’s team now. The No. 8 pick in the 2024 draft, who was the backup to veteran Kirk Cousins this time a year ago, is the unquestioned starter, and the transition has been smooth.

“Mike is a natural leader,” Falcons quarterbacks coach D.J. Williams told me. “The main thing nobody really talks about with leadership is that you’ve got to be authentic. Got to be yourself. And he was a great teammate last year, understanding that this was Kirk’s team but in his own way finding ways to be a leader. You saw guys he was throwing to in practice, guys on the scout team all gravitated toward him, and it was the same way once he became the starter.”

When I visited, the defense had a better day than the offense did. But when I spoke to coach Raheem Morris afterward, he made a point of saying how much he liked the way Penix handled a rough day for the offense — getting guys together after plays, putting people back on the same page, staying calm and poised. The Falcons are all-in on Penix and believe he’s the guy who can get them past the four-time defending division champion Buccaneers and into the postseason, which they haven’t reached since 2017.

As for Cousins, who this offseason expressed a desire to be traded or released so he could have a chance to start elsewhere, there don’t seem to be any lingering issues. He’s there, practicing and working behind the starter just like every other backup in the league. He just happens to have $27.5 million in salary coming his way this season.

“There’s all that stuff outside, but in the building, he’s been an ultimate professional,” general manager Terry Fontenot said. “He handles things the right way. … Where we could have an issue is, ‘What’s the mindset of the starter? What’s the mindset of Kirk?’ But they’re both professionals, so it’s been good.”

Penix entered the league with an extensive injury history from college, so it’s logical to keep a veteran backup in case something happens. One of the reasons it might have made sense for the Falcons to move on from Cousins is the possibility that Penix could struggle and hear calls to replace him with the more established Cousins. But Fontenot said Penix isn’t looking over his shoulder at all.

“No, he’s just not that guy,” Fontenot said. “He’s got that natural confidence, and that keeps him from looking over his shoulder at anybody. So no, it’s been super smooth.”

Falcons coaches like the fact that Penix got to sit and learn behind Cousins for the bulk of last season and that he was able to get three games under his belt as the starter before his rookie year ended.

“The best way to practice quarterback is by playing quarterback,” Williams said. “For Mike, the best thing was those three games were pretty close games. We can do two-minute drills in practice, can do third down in practice, but that’s nothing like being in a road game, Sunday night in Washington, D.C., in overtime, playoffs on the line. … You can’t mimic those things.”

The Falcons lost that Week 17 game in overtime to Jayden Daniels and the Commanders, but Penix threw for 312 yards and two touchdowns and ran for another score. It was a big-time performance that bolstered the team’s already-high confidence in him to come in and start from Week 1 this season.

Best of the rest:

• The Falcons set out this offseason to improve their pass rush after finishing 31st in the league with 31 sacks last year. They selected Georgia’s Jalon Walker 15th in this year’s draft, then traded next year’s first-round pick to move back into the first round for Tennessee’s James Pearce Jr. at No. 26. They also signed 10th-year veteran Leonard Floyd. “The perfect guy for those two rookies,” Falcons defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich said of Floyd. “Heart of a servant. Unselfish. Wants to pass the torch, wants to teach. That’s not always the case, as we know. A lot of times that guy comes in as a mercenary, and he has not been that way at all.”

Atlanta thinks Walker and Pearce can both play significant roles as rookies, setting the edge in the run game and rushing the passer. Walker could eventually handle a more versatile, jack-of-all-trades role like the one Kaden Elliss plays for them. Elliss has only one year left on his contract, and if the Falcons can’t re-sign him, Walker could be the replacement if he develops the way they believe he can.

• Another rookie turning heads in camp is fourth-round defensive back Billy Bowman Jr. The Falcons plan to use him in a nickel cornerback role, and his performance this offseason has them excited about the kind of impact player he can become in the pros.

• No. 2 wide receiver Darnell Mooney injured a shoulder diving to catch a pass in the early days of camp and will be out a few weeks. The Falcons don’t seem overly concerned about him missing the start of the season, but they signed free agent DJ Chark that same day to provide some coverage. Receivers who could be in line to take on some of Mooney’s role include KhaDarel Hodge, Casey Washington, Nick Nash and David Sills V. But the more likely scenario if Mooney misses time will be to run more two-tight end sets with Kyle Pitts in the receiving role and Charlie Woerner as a traditional blocking tight end.

• The only major change on the offensive line is Ryan Neuzil taking over as the starting center for Drew Dalman, who joined the Bears in free agency. Neuzil started eight games last season when Dalman was injured, so the Falcons don’t think there will be a major learning curve for him or the guys lining up next to him.

• Watch for the Falcons to use star cornerback A.J. Terrell Jr. a bit differently than they have in the past. He has always been the guy assigned to cover the opposing team’s No. 1 receiver — the toughest individual assignment each week. The defensive staff thinks having him play zone more will evolve his game, encouraging him to play with a little more vision and not force him to take on the hardest assignment. Terrell is entering his sixth season and has yet to make a Pro Bowl. Ulbrich has told Terrell that it’s his job as a coach to get him there.

Key fantasy note: I can already sense the collective eyeroll from everyone who’s ever had him on their fantasy team, but the Falcons really do have high hopes for Pitts, the fourth overall pick from the 2021 draft who’s playing on his fifth-year option. Pitts is healthy, having come back from last year’s knee injury and a foot injury that bothered him early in this offseason. He and Penix are golf buddies, and Penix is working on establishing a high-level chemistry with Pitts in the hopes that he can fulfill his immense potential.

“That’s the key, getting him to that point where he can get some consistency and all those things,” Fontenot said. “His body right now, his body comp, where he is physically, where he is athletically, everything is the best we’ve seen him coming off the injury. He’s confident. So…”

I know, I know. You’ve heard it all before and you’ll believe it when you see it. Me too. But there aren’t many fantasy question marks with the Falcons. Bijan Robinson is one of the best backs in the league and will get a huge workload. Tyler Allgeier will fill in for Robinson as needed. Drake London is the No. 1 wide receiver in Atlanta, and Mooney is the No. 2 when he’s healthy. Pitts is really the only mystery, and all I can tell you is that if he’s not a big part of the offense, it won’t be because the Falcons don’t want him to be. And he’s playing for a contract, which sometimes helps.

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Location: Berea, Ohio
Date visited: July 26

The Browns’ quarterback battle is in full swing, but still very much in its infancy stage. Coach Kevin Stefanski told me on my visit that he wouldn’t start thinking about a pecking order or a depth chart until this week at the earliest.

The four-man competition is designed to “maximize every rep” and “expose guys to a bunch of situations,” Stefanski said. The day I visited featured a rapid pace, with all four passers getting several different looks during a brisk 70-minute practice. The Browns will often “two-spot” the quarterbacks (both rookies on one field, veterans on the other), giving team evaluators and coaches a clean look at a particular group in real time.

The Browns hadn’t put on the pads at the point of my visit, so people with the team had a hard time truly judging the battle. But here are a few musings on the position:

• The Browns’ familiarity with Joe Flacco frees up the team to evaluate the other quarterbacks more closely early in camp. As one team source put it, there’s “less sensitivity” to Flacco’s play because they know exactly what he can do. This could eventually give him the leg up in the process.

• Cleveland liked how Kenny Pickett finished the first week of camp. He put together two consecutive strong days. He appears very much in the mix (though he did miss a few days with a hamstring injury).

• Play-action is a big component in this offense, and that’s where Dillon Gabriel excels. The ballhandling, the fakes and the mobility are plusses for him.

• A lot of NFL scouts and execs I trust really like Gabriel. “He’s been a team captain since like middle school, been good everywhere he’s been,” an AFC executive said. “He’s a good player. It’s just that he’s tiny.” That last part is hard to ignore when watching him, but he throws a tight spiral and with touch.

• Shedeur Sanders was on the field a half-hour after practice ended, throwing screen passes to a receiver. This fits with Stefanski saying both rookies are in early, out late and very coachable.

Best of the rest:

• Contributing to the quarterbacks’ struggles (at times) in camp is a stout defense that’s finding its groove again. No one here is comparing this unit to 2023, which led the NFL in total defense by nearly 20 yards. But all three levels of the defense are considered a strength, and the Browns believe this is the best D-line depth they’ve had in a while. Rookie linebacker Carson Schwesinger looks like the real thing so far, and Cleveland is counting on Greg Newsome II‘s inside-out flexibility to pay off in a contract year. “We have a high standard for how we play, but we also know in order to get there, we have to start with the basics,” Stefanski said of his defense.

• Jerry Jeudy has established himself as the leader of the wide receiver room, and the No. 2 spot will likely go to Cedric Tillman. After that, the picture is murkier. Diontae Johnson has the background as a former 1,000-yard receiver. But he didn’t get off to the best start in camp, suffering from cramps and showing up in suboptimal shape. He has improved of late, but the third spot is hardly a slam dunk for him with Jamari Thrash looming.

• My camp sleeper is 5-foot-8 receiver Luke Floriea, who made the 90-man roster off a rookie minicamp tryout in May. A few months later, the Browns are having a hard time keeping him off the field. “We can’t guard him right now,” a team source said of the former Kent State standout.

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Location: Allen Park, Michigan
Date visited: July 25

Main note: Everything will be fine. That’s the message I got from quarterback Jared Goff and others when discussing the Lions’ offense without Ben Johnson, now the Bears head coach.

People here on the ground acknowledge Johnson’s greatness, which is why some privately wish he weren’t in the division. But Goff is quick to point out that he and new OC John Morton hit it off during Morton’s stint with the 2022 Lions staff, and they’ve already been kicking around “creative ideas that are fun.”

What was apparent to me, both before I got here and when talking to Goff in-person, is that he will have his biggest influence on the offense yet.

Part of the reason is that Goff has found his voice. He’s in Year 10. He’s unquestionably a top-10 quarterback and wants to enter the top five. So, if he wants to see something in the Lions’ offense, he’s going to speak up.

“I try to do a lot,” he told me. “It’s all [Morton’s] stuff, but I’m trying to offer when I can what I like and what I don’t like, guide the thoughts in certain ways if I have them. As I’ve gotten older, I’m more certain in my opinions and can hold some weight with those. I think he respects that, and I can get some things that I like in there.”

And Goff likes a lot about the Lions’ offense. Of course, Amon-Ra St. Brown will remain the primary target. But expect an uptick in targets to Jameson Williams, as Goff said the fourth-year receiver is embracing a more diverse route tree. That was on display during the first day in pads, when Williams ran a slant over the middle, caught the ball in traffic and flung it in the air in celebration.

“To see the growth in Jamo this offseason has been a lot of fun,” Goff said. Williams averaged around six targets per game last year. I expect that number to grow.

Though Jahmyr Gibbs lining up out wide has been a theme this summer, Goff added that David Montgomery could perform some of the same functions. This seems very much like an equal opportunity, everyone-can-eat offense. “It’s a good problem to have where you’re trying to spread the ball around,” Goff said. “Putting them in the slot a little bit, get [Gibbs] involved in space.”

Best of the rest:

• I expected to see a somewhat rusty Aidan Hutchinson due to the offseason injury, but he looks full speed and explosive, at one point spinning off All-Pro tackle Penei Sewell for a would-be sack in 11-man work. The Lions don’t appear to be resting him, and Hutchinson is not rehabbing on the side. That process is over. “Football has been feeling normal for a long time now,” Hutchinson said. “We’re going to have our core group of guys, and that’s all that matters.”

• A big theme at Lions camp: violence. Cornerback D.J. Reed used that word several times to describe Detroit’s camp. That’s exactly how Dan Campbell wants it. “Our head coach sets the tone for that, makes that an emphasis,” Reed said. “He just said before we broke the huddle, ‘The cream is going to rise to the top.’ If you’re not a guy that likes to hit, you don’t like being physical, you’re going to go to the bottom, and everybody is going to be able to tell.” At least one helmet popped off during the one-on-one drills I saw.

• Two defensive players who have a lot of buzz coming out of camp are cornerback Terrion Arnold and defensive end Marcus Davenport. Arnold’s presence has been felt early. “I am really excited for TA,” Reed told me. “He’s practicing very well.” As for Davenport, he has played just six games in two years due to injuries. But the Lions look at him as the perfect complement to Hutchinson with high upside. “He’s really the key component, to be honest,” one person with the team told me. “He’s going to be big for us.”

• What I noticed about backup quarterback Hendon Hooker: He’s making sound decisions. He’s not trying to force the ball. He seems to know exactly where to go with it. But it was also noteworthy that Kyle Allen made a series of good throws under duress, eliciting audible reactions from teammates. Detroit keeping three quarterbacks wouldn’t be a surprise.

• What drew Reed to the Lions on a three-year, $48-million free agency deal was simple: “You can just tell on film that they are playing for a bigger reason than themselves. Just last year when you look at the season, guys were getting hurt, but people are coming in and still making plays.” Reed also believes the Lions can have the league’s best secondary.

• Sleeper watch: Seventh-round receiver Dominic Lovett has been a presence in the receiver room. He’s coming along nicely and has impressed coaches along the way.

Key fantasy note: If St. Brown’s production dips, that dip will be very light. He has averaged 150 targets annually since 2022, and though the Lions want to get Williams the ball more, St. Brown’s chemistry with Goff is automatic. “You know he’s going left or right, but his footwork is so good that it’s incredibly hard to stop,” Reed said. “That’s why he’s always going to get a high volume of targets.”