Packers on bikes. Players saying they're in the best shape of their lives. Smells like Training Camp to me.
That means it’s time to go team by team and hip you to what I’ll be looking for as we speed toward preseason games.
Arizona Cardinals
The Cards played more zone than DC Nick Rallis wanted to last year. Can they run more man this season? If so, that might put a slight damper on Kyzir White’s tackle production. Man-heavy teams tend to lower the ceiling on LB tackles.
Speaking of LB, this should be the first season in a while where there aren’t many questions regarding this position. The Isaiah Simmons experiment is over, as he’s now a Giant. The team declined Zaven Collins’ fifth-year option, and he seems locked in as an EDGE/SAM player, leaving White as the clear LB1.
Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta invested heavily in DLs in the draft, trying to bring some help for Grady Jarrett. Four of their five defensive picks were DLs. Can DT Ruke Orhorhoro (35th overall) and/or EDGE Bralen Trice (74th overall) make an early impact? Does Arnold Ebiketie step up as their pass-rush threat?
Troy Andersen lost most of last year to injury. Nate Landman filled in admirably. Can Andersen fend off Landman? Kaden Ellis played a ton last season, but he was former DC Ryan Nielsen’s dude, as both came over from New Orleans in 2023. With Nielsen gone, will Raheem Morris/Jimmy Lake think as highly of Ellis? These three LBs are far from set for just two starting jobs.
Jessie Bates was a top-shelf baller last season. He’s a no-brainer to keep his spot. But the spot next to Bates is a brainer. [I assume the opposite of “no-brainer” is “brainer,” but Joe Dolan will let me know if that passes muster]. Richie Grant struggled and was eventually benched for rookie DeMarcco Hellams. With a new coaching staff and a new defensive scheme, this one will be one to watch carefully.
Baltimore Ravens
With Patrick Queen gone, Roquan Smith will have less tackle competition at LB. That’s scary because all the 27-year-old does is post 160 tackles a year. This could be his most productive year yet.
Kyle Hamilton's coming out party in 2023 was must-see TV. I’m excited to watch him this year. He and Marcus Williams are the two starting safeties, but Baltimore loves having a third safety. Out is Geno Stone, in is former Bear Eddie Jackson or “Steady Eddie” as I call him. Jackson and Roquan played well together in Chicago. Jackson is still playing at a high level when he’s not injured. How much does he play and how do they use him?
Buffalo Bills
Matt Milano and Terrel Bernard seem locked in as the starting LBs. Bernard’s breakout in 2023 likely puts him in the driver’s seat as the every-down LB, but that might not matter much since they typically use two LBs 90% of the time. The Bills have run the same nickel-heavy/deep-rotating DL defense for the last several years. Does that change with the loss of both elite starting safeties Jordan Poyer and Micah Hyde? They made that static defense work extremely well.
The new safety duo is Taylor Rapp and 60th overall pick Cole Bishop. Buffalo goes from having their back end covered by years of experience and comfort in this system to a rookie and a player who got here just last season. They do have vet Mike Edwards and death-defying Damar Hamlin in the wings if this duo falters.
Carolina Panthers
Derrick Brown was insane last season! He posted 103 tackles in 2023. He’s a DT. I’m still trying to reconcile those last two sentences. He will be the top DT on my board.
Shaq Thompson has a new dance partner in former Bronco Josey Jewell. Jewell is a more complete LB than Frankie Luvu was (and possibly Thompson is). Does Jewell take over as the every-down LB? Or does Thompson earn that role?
Chicago Bears
The Bears knew they had a pass rush problem early last season. They traded for Montez Sweat mid-season, which was a huge improvement. They added DC Eric Washington, who is a pass-rush specialist. He’s improved the pass rush at every stop of his career. They’re hoping they can get DeMarcus Walker on track (3.5 sacks last season), but perhaps more importantly, they’re hoping Washington can help Gervon Dexter make the sophomore leap. He showed elite flashes last year in his rookie season.
Cincinnati Bengals
Sam Hubbard quietly played through an ankle injury all season. He had off-season surgery to clean the ankle up. How does he look now? If he looks good, he could be a sneaky pick. He appeared to fall off a little last season, but the ankle injury was likely at play.
Dax Hill was moved from safety to outside CB. The team signed veteran Vonn Bell who has been in slow decline. Can Jordan Battle, err, “battle” Bell for the starting safety spot next to former Raven Geno Stone?
Cleveland Browns
This defense turned dominant when the team brought in defensive Jedi master Jim Schwartz last season. Schwartz scheming up Myles Garrett? Be still, my IDP heart. The thing is, Garrett left a lot of meat on the bone last season. He could have an insane season in year two with Schwartz.
The Browns got Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah some help by signing veteran Jordan Hicks who should run the defense. This is a noticeable upgrade over vet Anthony Walker. Does Hicks call plays? How does that affect JOK?
Dallas Cowboys
Speaking of teams bringing in defensive wizards, the ‘Boys coaxed Mike Zimmer out of retirement to be their DC.
Dallas finally has a true 3-down-LB now that Eric Kendricks is there to replace Leighton Vander Esch.
With Jayron Kearse gone (he’s still a free agent as of this writing), Zimmer might only play 2 full-time safeties. That helps the value of both Donovan Wilson and Malik Hooker. Let’s see how they are used in camp and the preseason. The team also has Markquese Bell, who played out of position at LB for much of last season. Does Bell play more safety at camp this season?
Denver Broncos
The legend of Alex Singleton continues to grow. The dude just randomly drops 20-tackle games on us from time to time. No biggie. His new sidekick is Cody Barton. Barton is above-average in coverage but got exposed weekly against the run in Seattle and Washington. Singleton is much better against the run than the pass. Will these tendencies affect how both are used?
A new safety duo will debut this training camp. P.J. Locke replaced Kareem Jackson midway through last season. He’s now joined by former Dolphin Brandon Jones. I don’t think DC Vance Joseph will run them as L/R safeties as the previous staff did, but I’ll be watching how both are deployed during camp. Caden Sterns will also be in the mix.
Detroit Lions
The addition of run-stuffing stud D.J. Reader should help Aidan Hutchinson be even more productive.
Out of necessity, Jack Campbell played out of position to start his career. A natural MIKE ‘backer, the rookie was asked to play SAM due to team injuries. Toward the end of the season, he started flashing his first-round potential getting more reps in the middle. Does he take over as the every-down-LB, or can Alex Anzalone hang on to the job?
With Brian Branch utterly dominating the slot while Chauncey Gardner-Johnson was on IR, the team found their nickel defender for the next several years. Does he play more safety this season or remain locked in at the slot? He’ll likely move around during training camp, so reports of him getting reps at safety don’t necessarily mean anything. The team appears happy with Kerby Joseph and Ifeatu Melifonwu as their starting safeties. Both had tremendous seasons last year.
How does first-round CB Terrion Arnold look? He was drafted 24th but he would have gone higher if it weren’t for the ridiculous run of offensive players drafted before him.
Green Bay Packers
New DC Jeff Hafley is big on 1-gapping his D-line. This bodes well for Kenny Clark (and his new contract extension) as well as EDGEs Rashan Gary, Preston Smith, and Lukas Van Ness. The Packers haven’t been a 1-gap scheme in years. Allowing these guys to attack first instead of waiting for the run could help Clark’s big-play numbers.
How does rookie LB Edgerrin Cooper (45th overall) look? Can he seize the every-down role from Quay Walker? Or at least do well enough to be a 60% player? He just has Isaiah McDuffie to leapfrog.
Another team with a new safety duo, the Packers will roll out former Giant Xavier McKinney and rookie Javon Bullard (58th overall). Hafley has used single-high heavily at every college he coached at. If he continues that here - and likely he will - Bullard’s skillset tilts toward being closer to the line of scrimmage. Is that what we see in camp?
Houston Texans
Will Anderson, Jr. gained some muscle this offseason and looks poised for a sophomore leap.
Houston finally fixed their LB problem by acquiring Azeez Al-Shaair to pair with Christian Harris. Henry To'oTo'o played a lot more than they wanted him to last year. He should move back to a backup role. I’m assuming AAS is the every-down LB, but I’d like to see this in camp and preseason.
Rookie CB Kamari Lassiter (42nd overall) should immediately start opposite Derek Stingley. The team really likes Myles Bryant in the slot. Can he usurp veteran slot specialist Desmond King?
Indianapolis Colts
Despite continuing to use an outdated and predictable defensive scheme, DC Gus Bradley is making it work in Indy. The defensive talent is certainly there. Does he finally change it up this camp? Doubtful, but I’ll be checking in on it.
How does rookie DE Laitu Latu (15th overall) look? Can he carve out snaps on this talented line?
That “outdated” scheme is a tackling gold mine for strong safety Julian Blackmon. That was supposed to be Nick Cross but that hasn’t worked out. There’s a small chance Cross or Rodney Thomas II will take over the strong safety role. Doubtful, but stranger things have happened.
One person who won’t be up for the safety spot is rookie safety Jaylin Carlies (151st overall). The team moved him to LB, which puts him in line to back up E.J. Speed. This is a long shot, but check if Carlies is a DB in any of your leagues. If Speed goes down, you might get LB production out of your DB slot.
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jaguars return almost all of their defense, choosing instead to change coordinators. New DC Ryan Nielsen plays a ton of press-man, flipping the zone-heavy scheme from previous years.
The team did move on from longtime Jag Rayshawn Jenkins, opening the door for sophomore safety Antonio Johnson to start opposite Andre Cisco. How does Nielsen use his two safeties?
Kansas City Chiefs
In this article last year, I wrote that I couldn’t wait to see how George Karlaftis developed in his second year. He did not disappoint, and I feel like year three will be his breakout year.
As good as L’Jarius Sneed is, I think Trent McDuffie might be better. With Sneed gone, does McDuffie take over as the traveling CB, or does he retain his slot duties? That could be Chamarri Connor now. I need to watch closely this camp because McDuffie’s value is helped largely by his slot reps.
Justin Reid is dealing with a leg injury that will keep him out of some or all of camp. They need his legs healthy, as they are considering him handling kickoffs this season. No, I mean the actual kicking off. Of the football. Kicking the football off. Reid is their emergency placekicker and is obviously an elite tackler (especially considering the alternative is Harrison Butker tackling people), so he could be a big part of that unit. None of this helps his fantasy value, however. This absence gives the Chiefs a chance to look at rookie Jaden Hicks (133rd overall).
Las Vegas Raiders
How much is Christian Wilkins going to help Maxx Crosby? The answer: a lot.
Will Divine Deablo finally earn an every-down role? His snap share (and consequently his production) was all over the place last season. He had five games of 9 or more tackles but four games of 4 or fewer tackles. Let’s see if he takes the mantle from Robert Spillane, who turned from zero to hero last season under DC Patrick Graham.
Los Angeles Chargers
Rookie LB Junior Colson (69th overall) played for new DC Jesse Minter in college last season. How does he look running Minter’s defense and how does he fit next to veteran Denzel Perryman?
How does Minter use Derwin James? A talent like that gives DCs lots of options. Some of those options are great for fantasy. Some not so much…
Los Angeles Rams
The Rams went heavy on D-line picks, so I’m excited to see both Jared Verse (19th overall) and Braden Fiske (39th overall) in full pads. Both should start and play plenty.
Ernest Jones looks set to lead the L.A. LBs again. I’m expecting a jump in production for him this season. He has zero competition.
The Rams brought in Kamren Curl to replace Jordan Fuller. Washington misused Curl last season, so I’m hoping to see more production this season in this zone-heavy scheme.
Miami Dolphins
Vic Fangio and this Dolphins D never seemed to mesh. Fangio moved to Philly (who had been coveting Fangio for a few years) and the ‘Phins pivoted to former Ravens coach Anthony Weaver. Weaver has a background in the complex Ravens scheme, the Fangio system, and some time with Romeo Crenel. So, more than any specific player, I’ll be studying what Weaver will unveil as his new scheme here. It could go a number of ways.
One way it’s highly likely to go is heavy man and match quarters. They signed Kendall Fuller, who excels in man, and they have a fully healthy Jalen Ramsey back in the fold at CB. Vet Jordan Poyer joins breakout star Jevon Holland, but I’m expecting Holland to remain the primary fantasy producer here.
This should be David Long, Jr.’s defense. He thrived last season and is now joined by the underwhelming Jordyn Brooks. I say “should be” because I’d love to put eyes on these two and see who wears the green dot and see how much dime (single LB) Weaver runs. Also, Long is starting camp on the PUP, but I’m not expecting that to hinder his chances.
Minnesota Vikings
DC Brian Flores enters his second year with Minnesota and used this offseason to retool his pass rush completely. How does the rotation look for Jonathan Greenard, Andrew Van Ginkel, and 17th overall pick Dallas Turner?
Ivan Pace, Jr. turned heads last year. With Jordan Hicks gone, he should lead this LB corps. His running mate Blake Cashman shouldn’t be a threat to Pace’s production.
This defense should still lean heavily on the safety trio of Harrison Smith, Camryn Bynum, and young standout Josh Metellus. Last year, they rotated evenly across the second and third levels of the field. Do we see more of that in this camp?
New England Patriots
Most of us don’t know a fantasy football world without a Bill Belichick defense. How much of Belichick’s concepts will HC Jerod Mayo keep? It will likely still be incredibly versatile, but the genius of the NE defense was BB himself. We can't assume the same crazy rotations but actually, we WILL assume until proven otherwise.
The other clue that this will be a similar scheme is the lack of movement in free agency or the draft. This is almost entirely the same defense from 2023. They drafted one IDP, and that was at 180.
I’m excited to see Christian Gonzalez back on the field. He looked great last season before his injury. How is he moving during camp? With no Adrian Phillips, do Kyle Dugger and Jabrill Peppers play more traditional safety roles? Or does Marte Mapu enter the chat?
New Orleans Saints
Demario Davis will be 36 as soon as the regular season ends. How much does he have left? Is it Peter Werner time? The team brought in Willie Gay from the Chiefs.
Chase Young (neck) is supposed to be ready for training camp. How does he look?
How quickly does Kool-Aid McKinstry (41st overall) pass Paulson Adebo on the depth chart? End of camp? Or 2025?
New York Giants
Bobby Okereke solidified the LB room last season. He should be a bright spot on this defense.
The Giants added former Panther Brian Burns to pair with Rush LB Kayvon Thibodeaux. That should be a fun duo to watch in camp.
Rookie safety Tyler Nubin (47th overall) has a legit chance to start in Week 1. Can he impress enough in camp to lock that down early enough to reliably draft him?
New York Jets
The D-Line for the Jets was already stacked, and then they traded for Haason Reddick. One problem: Reddick isn’t in camp as he holds out for a new contract. Will he show up at some point? In the meantime, that just means more reps for sophomore Will McDonald IV.
This is Year 3 of the Jets being in their Sauce Gardner era. Let’s see how much more confident and dominant he’ll be as a junior.
Not much rookie action to watch here, as the Jets have a deep and talented defense. They drafted just two IDPs, both late in the draft: CB Qwan'tez Stiggers (176th overall) and S Jaylen Key (257th overall).
Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles are hoping to get more consistent and dominant play from interior defenders Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis. Both are off to strong starts to their careers, but with veteran Fletcher Cox gone (for now) and Brandon Graham taking a backseat, it’s time for them to take the lead. If Cox doesn't return from retirement, can the young duo get enough snaps to be fantasy-relevant?
How does the rotation shake out between Devin White, Nakobe Dean, and Zack Baun? White had his ups and downs in Tampa Bay but the hope from the team is that he leads this group.
With DC Vic Fangio’s preference for playing safeties exclusively on the left and right side, do we see Chauncey Gardner-Johnson function more like a traditional split safety with Reed Blankenship? We won’t see anything exotic and fancy in camp or preseason but we should see enough just based on alignment.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Longtime veteran Cam Heyward is in the final year of his contract and currently holding out for a contract extension. He’s 35 but still flashes. He also is getting injured at a higher rate, as 35-year-olds tend to do. Dean Lowry or rookie DT Logan Lee (178th overall) likely take his reps in the meantime.
Pittsburgh hopefully found their primary LB in former Raven Patrick Queen. We’re assuming Cole Holcomb or Elandon Roberts moves to the bench, but which one?
Slot specialist Cameron Sutton was suspended eight games for violating the personal conduct policy. That opens up a competition between CBs Beanie Bishop, Josiah Scott, and Grayland Arnold for slot duties until the midway point of the season. Or maybe beyond?
San Francisco 49ers
Three primary defenders start camp on the PUP: Talanoa Hufanga, Drake Jackson, and Dre Greenlaw. One for every level of the defense. This is another team with few defensive battles or question marks — you make it to the Super Bowl and you’re likely doing OK on defense.
The main attraction will be rookie CB Renardo Green (64th overall). He will be in the mix for a starting gig with vets Charvarius Ward and Deommodre Lenoir. Both Ward and Lenoir will play, obviously. The question is, can Green make it as the third corner and if so, is he in the slot or is Lenoir? His main competition is Isaac Yiadom.
With free agent safety Tashaun Gipson suspended for the first six games, he’s unlikely to reunite with the 49ers. Sophomore Ji'Ayir Brown is set to start across from Hufanga. If he struggles in camp, the team is likely to sign one of ahndful of veteran free agent safeties. Brown’s camp and preseason performance will be worth keeping tabs on.
Seattle Seahawks
There’s a whole new LB duo in Seattle, as former Bill Tyrel Dodson and former Dolphin Jerome Baker take over the roles vacated by Bobby Wagner and Jordyn Brooks. New DC Mike Macdonald brings in a brand new scheme from Baltimore, one that was significantly more successful at stopping the run. This training camp will be all about the defenders adjusting to it. Dodson looked really good last year, and I think he’s a better fit for the green dot role. Does he call plays at camp? Or is it Baker? That might matter a lot as Macdonald might use a single LB enough to relegate the Seconadry LB to LB4/5 status.
Gone is Jamal Adams, leaving Julian Love and new acquisition Rayshwan Jenkins in line to be the starting safeites. McDonald utilized tons of DBs in Baltimore, so we might see a good amount of third safety K’Von Wallace. This might show up in training camp.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Bucs declined Joe Tryon-Shoyinka’s fifth-year option, as he continues to underwhelm. They also drafted EDGE Chris Braswell (57th overall), who could see more snaps if he has a strong camp.
Lavonte David is still playing at an elite level. He’s 34 and could move back to the Primary LB position now that Devin White is gone. K.J. Britt steps in next to LD. Wouldn’t it be nice to get one more year of middle-of-the-defense tackle production from David? Let’s see if that happens during camp or if Britt just moves into the role vacated by White.
Tennessee Titans
Can rookie DT T'Vondre Sweat (38th overall) impress enough to start Week 1? Does newcomer Kenneth Murray, Jr. look good enough to take over the Primary LB role after Azeez Al-Shaair left via free agency? Or does incumbent Jack Gibbens take over?
Can L’Jarius Sneed remain productive in a new scheme? New DC Dennard Wilson wants to play a ton of press. Does Roger McCreary continue excelling in the slot? If he stays in the slot through camp and preseason, he’s a sneaky value late in drafts for CB-required leagues.
How do they deploy veteran Jamal Adams? Injuries have sapped his juice. He clearly wasn’t happy with his role in Seattle. Maybe a dime LB role would work best. Let’s see where lines up in camp. Third safety Elijah Molden could be the key. How often does Molden line up with the starters? And where does he play?
Washington Commanders
2023 saw the likes of Jamin Davis and Cody Barton struggle at the LB position for Washington. Today, Commanders fans wake up to Bobby Wagner and Frankie Luvu. Both should be on the field most of the time, as Dan Quinn prefers to run 4-2-5 a ton. Let’s see if that holds true through preseason, or if Luvu comes off the field more than we think.
Any chance a fresh start for Clelin Ferrell is in the cards? If not, this Washington pass rush will take a nose dive without Montez Sweat or Chase Young.
Rookie CB Mike Sainristil (50th overall) has a strong shot to open Week 1 in the slot. That could be a fantasy-relevant role for him. Does he play there during camp?
Jeremy Chinn also gets a fresh start taking over for Kamren Curl. Does he play closer to the line of scrimmage, where he does his best work?
I’ll check back in after we see some preseason action!
