National Football League

NFL minicamps preview: A time for holdouts, job battles and injuries

Published Jun. 9, 2015 10:59 a.m. ET

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Alex Marvez

The NFL's minicamp season officially kicked off Tuesday with six teams holding three-day practice sessions. Here is a look at three of the biggest questions surrounding those teams in what is essentially the final dress rehearsal before the start of training camps in late July and early August.

Denver Broncos

1. Can Ty Sambrailo solidify himself as the starting left tackle?

A 2015 second-round draft pick from Colorado State, Sambrailo was thrust into the position when Ryan Clady suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament during a recent OTA practice. If the rookie doesn't look like he's ready, the Broncos may be forced to use secondary options like Chris Clark, Michael Schofield or journeyman Ryan Harris to protect Peyton Manning's blindside.

2. How will the rest of the offensive line shake out?

There is competition at left guard (Ben Garland vs. Shelley Smith), center (Gino Gradkowski vs. Matt Paradis) and right tackle (Clark vs. Schofield). The only set starter is right guard Louis Vasquez.

3. Will Demaryius Thomas's contract gripe hurt the team?

Thomas has skipped all offseason Broncos workouts after being designated the team's franchise player and reportedly is not going to show up this week. Denver has until July 15 to sign Thomas to a contract extension. Otherwise, no deal can be reached until the start of the 2016 offseason. While his desire for a multiyear contract is understandable, Thomas may be hurting himself with this holdout as he isn't around to practice in Denver's new offensive system.

Indianapolis Colts

1. How quickly can outside linebacker Robert Mathis get back on the field?

Mathis told Bill Polian and me on our SiriusXM NFL Radio show in late March that a return by training camp from his torn Achilles tendon was his target date. Nothing has changed in that regard. Mathis continues to rehab and already was ruled out of practicing in the minicamp. The Colts hope Mathis can regain the form that made him the NFL's sack leader in 2013.

2. Who will play right tackle?

With incumbent Gosder Cherilus sidelined until at least August while recovering from knee surgery, Jack Mewhort has shifted from left guard to take right tackle reps at OTA practices. If that arrangement continues at minicamp — and possibly beyond based upon Cherilus' uncertain health status — Hugh Thornton and Lance Louis are the leading candidates to become the new starting left guard. The Colts are hoping that whoever is lined up with the first-team offense can stay there for the entire season. The Colts were forced to use 11 starting combinations in 2014.

3. How soon until a slew of veteran newcomers feel comfortable in Indianapolis?

Four offseason additions to the starting lineup — running back Frank Gore (San Francisco), wide receiver Andre Johnson (Houston), outside linebacker Trent Cole (Philadelphia) and right guard Todd Herremans (Philadelphia) — have spent their entire NFL careers with only one team. Minicamp provides a great opportunity for the quartet to continue getting accustomed to their new digs.

New York Jets

1. Can Geno Smith drive the Porsche without crashing it?

Jets right guard Willie Colon recently compared Smith operating New York's offense to driving a sports car now that he was named the team's starting quarterback entering training camp. "We've given him the keys," Colon said on SiriusXM NFL Radio. "He can't crash it." Fortunately for Smith, the Jets have added plenty of accessories to their ride this offseason by acquiring wide receiver Brandon Marshall and running back Stevan Ridley as well as drafting Ohio State wideout Devin Smith in the second round. The minicamp provides valuable time for Smith to work with his incoming skill-position players as well as practice in new offensive coordinator Chan Gailey's system.

2. Can Colon keep his starting right guard spot?

The 10-year veteran has the inside track after being re-signed earlier this offseason, but Colon shouldn't sleep easy. Oday Aboushi and Brian Winters, who each spent time last season at the left guard spot now filled by free-agent acquisition James Carpenter (Seattle), will push Colon. Winters is coming off a torn anterior cruciate ligament.

3. How much progression has rookie Bryce Petty made in his NFL transition?

Petty was a college star who slid into the fourth round because of concerns he would struggle making the transition from Baylor's no-huddle spread offense to a pro-style system. Minicamp will serve as a measuring stick of how far Petty has come while working behind Smith and backup Ryan Fitzpatrick.

Oakland Raiders

1. How much will quarterback Derek Carr throw?

Carr has done little in OTA sessions after injuring the right ring finger on his throwing hand. Carr reportedly will resume light throwing at the minicamp but will be limited as the team aims for a full recovery by training camp.

2. Who will pull ahead in the backup quarterback derby?

Christian Ponder, signed in the offseason, appears like the frontrunner for the job but it wasn't like he set the world on fire with the Vikings as a 2011 first-round draft bust. Before Ponder cements himself as the second-stringer, it's critical that Matt McGloin impress the new coaching staff at minicamp. Also keep an eye on Cody Fajardo, a rookie free-agent signing from Nevada who has impressed early.

3. Is Mychal Rivera on the verge of losing his starting gig at tight end?

Rivera made significant strides in his second NFL season with 58 catches for 538 yards and four touchdowns. But he has some competition from 2015 third-round pick Clive Walford. Comparisons to other University of Miami tight ends like Jimmy Graham, Greg Olsen and Jeremy Shockey would be extremely premature, but Walford has looked sharp early.

Arizona Cardinals

1. How close is Carson Palmer to being fully recovered from his torn anterior cruciate ligament?

Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians says Palmer is almost completely recovered from the knee injury that torpedoed his 2014 NFL campaign and Arizona's Super Bowl hopes. But while the Cardinals are expected to increase his workload at minicamp, don't expect Arizona to unleash Palmer at full-go until training camp.

2. How will the outside linebacker corps shake out?

There is no clear heir apparent to John Abraham, who may be forced to retire because of multiple concussions. LaMarr Woodley, who has struggled with injuries and conditioning issues since his heyday in Pittsburgh, was signed to a one-year contract earlier in the offseason after flopping in Oakland. Arizona also used second- and fifth-round picks respectively on Markus Golden and Shaq Riddick, both of whom were 4-3 defensive ends in college who are being converted into OLBs.

3. Who will claim the starting spot at center?

This is a position the Cardinals haven't had to worry about the past seven seasons with Lyle Sendlein handling the job. Arians recently described the competition between Ted Larsen and free-agent signing A.Q. Shipley (Indianapolis) as "back and forth." Larsen played center before settling in at guard for the Cardinals. Shipley is undersized but has experience playing under Arians from their time with the Colts in 2012.

San Francisco 49ers

1. Will the 49ers be losing any more veterans?

With the way this offseason has gone for San Francisco, anything is possible. The 49ers have already experienced four retirements and a mass exodus of free agents led by iconic running back Frank Gore. That places even greater emphasis on having a strong end to the preseason for first-year head coach Jim Tomsula's squad.

2. Who is in the mix to start at right tackle following Anthony Davis' retirement?

The 49ers are expected to give Trent Brown, a 6-foot-8, 355-pound rookie from the University of Florida, the first crack at the job. If that seventh-round pick isn't ready, journeyman Erik Pears is a fall-back option. With the 49ers also set to start a new left guard in Brandon Thomas following Mike Iupati's departure to Arizona, expect plenty of mixing-and-matching at minicamp as the 49ers try to solidify a unit that has fallen on hard times.

3. Is rookie Bradley Pinion ready to fill the big punting shoe left behind by Andy Lee?

The 49ers are banking on it after trading Lee to Cleveland for a 2017 conditional seventh-round pick. The handwriting was on the wall for Lee after San Francisco chose Pinion in the fifth round out of Clemson. Pinion, though, needs to keep building on his strong start in offseason workouts as he follows in the footsteps of the most prolific punter in franchise history.

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