Around the NFL, each team is preparing to welcome 90 players to training camp with only 53 jobs available. At every position on the field, there will be battles that help make a complete roster. Those battles are great because the guys that barely make the roster have to scratch and claw to make, or keep, their NFL dreams a reality.
On the contrary, there are bigger bouts taking place on each team. The winners of each competition get rewarded with an opportunity to start and make a name for themselves.
In each division, there is a battle that could alter the division and effect the playoff race in both the AFC and NFC.
Here are the potential titanic battles in each of the eight NFL divisions that could set off a chain reaction felt throughout the league:
AFC East
Josh McCown vs. Teddy Bridgewater vs. Sam Darnold
https://twitter.com/RVacchianoSNY/status/1007383326670446592
The Breakdown: The New York Jets have a strong defense led by youngsters Leonard Williams, Jamal Adams, and Marcus Maye. Sprinkle in free agent signees Henry Anderson, Trumaine Johnson, and Avery Williamson and we could be looking at a stout defense.
Offensively, Quincy Enunwa, Jermaine Kearse, and Robby Anderson might not be household names, but they could be by season’s end. Kearse and Anderson combined for 128 receptions, 1,751 yards, and 12 touchdowns in 2017. Enunwa missed his 2017 campaign with a neck injury, but in 2016 he amassed 58 catches, 857 yards, and four touchdowns.
The weapons are there, but the Jets need consistency under center.
McCown is the incumbent, but he could have a short leash with New York selecting Darnold third overall in the latest draft. Not to be overlooked, Darnold is believed to have a good shot at starting on opening day as well. Bridgewater seems like the odd man out, but a strong preseason could make this a real three-man-race.
AFC North
Matt Skura vs. Bradley Bozeman
The Breakdown: Skura is the frontrunner to keep his gig as the Baltimore Ravens starting center. However, that shouldn't put the Ravens’ faithful at ease as Pro Football Focus (PFF) graded his performance last year at 37.3. I am no mathematician, but it is obvious that is beyond woebegone.
Bozeman was drafted in the sixth round out of Alabama by the Ravens, shocker as general manager Ozzie Newsome went to Bama. He is in a unique situation where he could wrestle the job away from a guy that struggled last season and give Joe Flacco the consistency he needs directly in his face. Flacco was relegated to being a check-down king last season. His forte is driving it down the field.
The Ravens have a solid trio of backs in Alex Collins, Javorius Allen, and Kenneth Dixon. Flacco might be driven to have a resurgent year with the selection of the slippery Lamar Jackson. The road to the playoffs needs to be paved by the bulldozers up front.
AFC South
Jack Mewhort vs. Braden Smith vs. Matt Slauson
The Breakdown: The Indianapolis Colts are the forgotten team in the AFC South as all the preseason hype goes to Jacksonville and Tennessee after remarkable playoff runs. Houston even gets their fair share of praise with the return of another injured quarterback in Deshaun Watson. However, the Colts could start a new reign of terror over their divisional foes.
Everything will start and end with Andrew Luck in the eyes of many, but the Colts will be the NFL’s door mat again if the offensive front is not in peak condition. They drafted Quenton Nelson with the sixth pick to play left guard, but they have a job opening on the right side. An exact facsimile of the former Notre Dame guard would be great.
Mewhort was well on his way to establishing himself as one of the best young guards in the NFL until injuries took him out of his element. He has only played in 15 games in the last two seasons. Slauson is coming off a season-ending injury, but he offers versatility as well as a nasty approach in the trenches. Lastly, Smith was drafted in the second round out of Auburn where he excelled as a pass blocker and occasionally mauled his opponent.
If the Colts' line is good, then Luck is good and Indy will be good.
AFC West
Caleb Sturgis vs. Roberto Aguayo
The Breakdown: This might be the biggest battle in the entire conference between these two at kicker. Yes, a kicker could dictate not only the AFC West, but the AFC!
Sturgis should be the favorite early on for the Los Angeles Chargers as a 61-yard field goal by Jake Elliott, the Philadelphia Eagles kicker, last season cost him his job with his former team.
Meanwhile, for Aguayo, the former Seminole was put in a bad spot by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after they drafted him in the second round in 2016. He was never able to live up to expectations there and failed in brief stints in Chicago and Carolina as well. Maybe some California sunshine with limited weather concerns could kick start his career. No pun intended.
NFC East
Cole Beasley vs. Terrance Williams vs. Allen Hurns vs. Tavon Austin vs. Michael Gallup
The Breakdown: Will the real Dallas Cowboys number one receiver please stand up (in my Eminem voice)? Well, even if one of these guys is standing up, they are not standing out. This does not bode well for Dak Prescott. However, the Cowboys’ offense is supposed to be “Dak-Friendly.”
"I think it just means if you watch a little bit of maybe what the Panthers are doing or what the Chiefs did, just the RPOs, the run-pass options, just allowing me to use my feet if necessary more," Prescott said while talking to Sports Pulse. "Allow me to go out there and be more comfortable in everything I'm doing."
That is nice in theory and it could work for a year as it could catch teams off guard. However, Robert Griffin III had his 15 minutes of fame running the RPO and he has not been the same since 2012, his rookie season. The NFL is a passing league meaning at the end of the day the 2016 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year needs to use his arm to win, and win big.
In order to win with his arm, Prescott needs his receivers to ball. However, they each come with a flaw.
Williams and Hurns seem like nothing more than vertical threats. Austin has special talent and was supposed to be doing the things we see Tyreek Hill doing. It seems that he struggled adjusting to the Rams’ new scheme in 2017 while also being misused. Beasley has the talent and the appearance of a Wes Welker clone, but he gets misused in the Cowboys’ offense. Lastly, Gallup is a third rounder with immense talent. He is a physical version of Calvin Ridley, but a tad slower.
In reality, the Cowboys appear to have more second and third option receivers working together to produce the numbers of a number one guy.
NFC North
Ameer Abdullah vs. Theo Riddick vs. LeGarrette Blount vs. Kerryon Johnson
The Breakdown: Matt Patricia is the latest branch to fall off the Bill Belichick coaching tree. It will be interesting to see if he can bring consistency to the Detroit Lions, a team that has been inconsistent during Matthew Stafford’s career as evidence by his 60-65 record.
A big key in getting that consistency will be Stafford’s backfield mate. Blount and Johnson both offer the ability to be battering rams in between the tackles. Abdullah and Riddick struggle hitting the hole as undersized backs, but they make up for their shortcomings as pass-catchers. With neither of these guys being world beaters, the battle to receive the bulk of the snaps at tailback could spill over to the regular season.
On a weekly basis, we could see a revolving door at tailback for Detroit as exploiting match-ups or feeding the hot hand could be a staple in the Lions’ offense in 2018.
NFC South
Devin Funchess vs. D.J. Moore
https://twitter.com/Panthers/status/1001451280915628032
The Breakdown: Let’s be clear, Greg Olsen is the Carolina Panthers’ best offensive threat after Cam Newton. However, he can’t be the only receiving threat other than Christian McCaffrey.
Funchess must have had an epiphany last season as he accumulated 840 receiving yards and eight touchdowns as the Panthers’ de facto number one receiver. He benefitted from Olsen being limited to seven contests and ownership pulling the plug on Kelvin Benjamin by shipping him to Buffalo.
Meanwhile, Moore is Carolina’s first round pick out of Maryland. He reminds me of Anquan Boldin in his physical appearance, but plays like Stefon Diggs, another former Maryland standout. Torrey Smith, who also played at Maryland, took him under his wing the moment he touched down in Carolina. In addition, both Moore and Funchess have been getting some extra work in with Newton this offseason.
Funch or Moore will have the chance to play second fiddle to Olsen in the Panther’s aerial assault. Funchess is only 24 and could be poised for a breakout campaign in Norv Turner’s vertically-driven offense. At 6’4”, it is not farfetched to think Funchess can’t be the second coming of Vincent Jackson, a former player under Turner. However, Moore looked special in OTAs making some unreal grabs.
Maybe this competition can get resolved by Newton seeing who has the best dab.
NFC West
Sam Bradford vs. Josh Rosen
The Breakdown: According to PFF, the Arizona Cardinals are rolling into 2018 with an offensive line that is ranked at 28th. That is not good for the psyche or body of Bradford or Rosen. The battle between these two could be one that is slow in development as the third preseason game could spell out who the winner is. As of right now, Patrick Peterson has made his pitch for who the man should be.
"Well, right now I'd probably take Sam due to his experience. Due to some of the records that he has in the league. Because when Sam is healthy and is on the field and has talent around him, he's a top-10 quarterback," Peterson said on NFLNetwork.
In more ways than not, Bradford and Rosen mirror one another as quarterbacks that are safe with the ball, pride themselves on accuracy, and have the arm strength to keep a defense honest. Did I mention they are both a bit fragile? Also, if that 28th ranked offensive line stat did not speak volumes, then just know that the Cardinals' unit gave up 52 sacks. Yikes.
On a brighter note, the winner of the starting gig will have a chance to throw to Larry Fitzgerald.
Competition brings out the best in players around the NFL and it will be interesting to see how all 32 camp battles sort themselves out. Champions are not crowned in the summer. However, winning habits can be formed during these scorching-hot practices.
