Nfl Preseason Storylines: Cowboys Chaos, The Browns‘ Qb Circus And Aaron Rodgers’ Last Dance

Micah Parsons’ waste and acquisition request

Leave it to Jerry Jones to stink up nan astir optimistic clip of year. The Cowboys proprietor has erstwhile again fumbled a statement speech pinch 1 of his stars. Despite chap 2021 draftees Penei Sewell, Patrick Surtain II and Ja’Marr Chase signing semipermanent extensions, nan Cowboys person allowed talks pinch Parsons to resistance on.

Last week, Parsons accused Jones of trying to circumvent his supplier successful negotiations and formally requested a trade.

It’s nosy to ideate Parsons connected nan waste and acquisition block. What benignant of haul could nan Cowboys get successful a trade? Three first-round picks? Two? Would nan Bills make a move? The Rams? Is location a squad that wouldn’t call? But let’s beryllium clear: Parsons isn’t going anywhere.

“It’s a negotiating tactic,” Jones said aft Parsons’ request. For once, Jerry is right. Myles Garrett submitted a waste and acquisition petition to nan Browns successful February. A period later, he signed a $160m extension. In a convention pinch nan franchise tag, a nationalist waste and acquisition petition is 1 of nan only levers a subordinate tin propulsion successful negotiations. Parsons is simply playing his portion successful nan nationalist charade.

This shouldn’t beryllium difficult. As a pass-rusher, Parsons is simply a one-man inferno. At times past season, he single-handedly bailed retired Dallas’ defense. Oh, and he is conscionable 26 years old, slap-bang successful his prime. Negotiations should person been arsenic elemental arsenic putting nan biggest non-quarterback statement successful convention history connected nan array and popping nan champagne. Yet Jones has spent nan offseason taking overseas shots astatine his champion player, from questioning (incorrectly) Parsons’ wounded history, to freezing his supplier retired of discussions, to debating why he would motion any subordinate to a 4 aliases five-year contract. “You tin get deed by a car, seriously,” Jones said astatine 1 point. Seriously.

By allowing talks to resistance on, nan Cowboys person watched Parsons’ worth creep up. The edge-rushing marketplace has ballooned this offseason, first pinch Garrett and past TJ Watt signing a monolithic extension. Last year, nan Cowboys could person locked Parsons into a woody worthy $34m a year. Now, nan value will beryllium person to $42m. The Cowboys will yet cave – arsenic they ever do. They’ll work together connected a caller woody connected nan eve of nan caller season, aft lighting their training campy connected occurrence and scoring Jones immoderate headlines.

JJ McCarthy is tasked pinch starring a talented Vikings squad connected a postseason run. Photograph: Abbie Parr/AP

JJ McCarthy

The Vikings person a championship-caliber roster. They person elite accomplishment players. They are loaded connected some sides of nan statement of scrimmage. They person a top-five coaching staff. The only lingering question: their quarterback.

How McCarthy slots into nan Vikings’ discourtesy is possibly nan astir important adaptable successful nan title race. The No 10 prime successful nan 2024 draught missed his rookie play pinch a knee injury, while Sam Darnold caught occurrence successful alleviation – until he didn’t. Minnesota could person tally it backmost pinch Darnold aft a 14-win season, giving them a buffer to nan McCarthy era. They didn’t. They stake connected their infrastructure, allowing Darnold to locomotion and clearing nan way for McCarthy.

It’s a risk. Multiple playoff wins should beryllium the anticipation this year. And if McCarthy tin beryllium a coagulated starter successful his debut season, nan Vikings will person morganatic title aspirations.

If you asked nan machine to simulate nan cleanable circumstances for a first-year starter, it would astir apt nutrient thing for illustration what nan Vikings offer. Head coach Kevin O’Connell has consistently produced high-wattage passing attacks, helping to make easy chunk plays sloppy of who is astatine quarterback. Justin Jefferson is nan game’s champion receiver, Jordan Addison is simply a coagulated 2nd action and tight extremity TJ Hockenson is simply a difference-maker erstwhile healthy. Minnesota besides spent nan bulk of nan offseason upgrading some lines, notably adding Ryan Kelly and Will Fries from nan Colts connected nan violative side, 1 of nan craftiest interior statement tandems successful nan league. If location were deficiencies past year, it was nan team’s tally crippled and conceding unit up nan middle. The caller duo, on pinch rookie Donovan Jackson, should thief spot complete those issues.

There were changes connected defense, too. Brian Flores’ wackadoodle scheming carried nan Vikings done reliable stretches past season. This year, his portion is deeper and much explosive, pinch veterans Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave offering other punch up front. The Vikings tin now toggle betwixt Flores’s bizarro looks and much basal set-ups, and should situation nan Eagles and Broncos to beryllium nan apical defense successful nan league.

If McCarthy does thing but limit turnovers, nan Vikings should support gait pinch nan remainder of nan NFC North. They will dream for much than that, but hammering distant pinch nan tally game, hitting play-action shots and letting nan defense feast is simply a viable way to nan postseason. McCarthy thrived successful that aforesaid situation astatine Michigan. If he plays pinch accuracy and keeps nan discourtesy churning, nan Vikings will beryllium a playoff force.

The Browns’ backmost circus

What tin you opportunity astir nan Browns? There are banana republics pinch much unchangeable activity than Cleveland. It’s early August, truthful it’s not a full-scale disaster … yet. But the training campy reports make for grim reading.

For a squad successful hopeless request of a viable semipermanent starter, double-dipping connected quarterbacks successful nan draft made sense. But nan Browns now person a bloated backmost competition, featuring 40-year-old Joe Flacco, a limping Kenny Pickett, and 2 underbaked rookies, Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders. No pressure, Kevin Stefanski (on Monday night, reports emerged they are signing a fifth quarterback, Tyler Huntley, because each of nan portion barroom Flacco are carrying injuries).

Flacco is nan nominal starter, contempt squad proprietor Jimmy Haslam saying he expects to spot some rookies play astatine immoderate constituent this season. Gabriel has received a ton of believe reps pinch nan first team, but nan early returns person been scattershot astatine best.

Cleveland whitethorn clasp connected to each 4 quarterbacks into nan regular season, unless 1 of nan rookies grabs nan starting gig successful preseason, freeing up nan squad to move connected from Pickett aliases Flacco. Chucking rookie quarterbacks into nan mayhem to fig retired what you person sounds for illustration a good thought until they statement up down a depleted group. Whoever winds up arsenic nan starter will beryllium playing pinch an advertisement hoc roster: nan violative statement is simply a substance of fossilized erstwhile Pro Bowlers and projects; location is simply a deficiency of reliable pass-catchers extracurricular of Jerry Jeudy and David Njoku.

If you’re looking for positives, watch nan defense. The Browns person plentifulness of talent connected that broadside of nan ball, but moreover immoderate of that has already been stripped distant by injuries and a precocious retirement.

It’s shaping up to beryllium a messy year. Once, nan Browns were nosy upstarts. Now, they’re a depressing enigma again. If nan squad stumbles early, Stefanski could beryllium retired of a occupation by Thanksgiving.

Mike McDaniel could find himself nether unit successful Miami. Photograph: Lynne Sladky/AP

Miami somesthesia check

Speaking of basking seats. Mike McDaniel’s spot successful Miami is beautiful toasty. After reaching nan playoffs doubly successful McDaniel’s first 2 seasons, nan Dolphins fell isolated past season. They were undone by injuries again, only this clip it was nan defense that disintegrated.

They did small successful nan offseason to capable you pinch confidence. Terron Armstead, nan team’s franchise near tackle, retired. The violative statement still looks rickety. Jalen Ramsey was traded. Tyreek Hill kept up his on-again, off-again narration pinch a waste and acquisition request, though now he’s committed to studying.

Miami’s discourtesy will proceed to nutrient fireworks, acknowledgment mostly to McDaniel, Hill, Tua Tagovailoa, Jaylen Waddle and De’Von Achane. And connected paper, astatine least, nan Dolphins person 1 of nan astir talented protect front-sevens successful nan sport. Jaelen Phillips, Bradley Chubb, Zach Sieler, Chop Robinson and Kenneth Grant could shape 1 of nan nastiest pass-rushes successful nan league. Still, nan equilibrium of nan remaining roster is dicey.

Heading into nan season, Miami’s secondary is nan flakiest position group successful nan league. Acquiring Minkah Fitzpatrick successful nan Ramsey waste and acquisition will help, but he is nan group’s only proven starter. They already mislaid their apical cornerback, Kader Kohou, for nan play pinch a knee injury. Miami brought successful Mike Hilton from nan scrapheap to switch Kohou and will trust connected Ifeatu Melifonwu and Ashtyn Davis, 2 safeties pinch shaky wounded records, to play alongside Fitzpatrick. Storm Duck, presently slated to start, was a nosy communicative a twelvemonth agone arsenic an undrafted free agent, but he was torched successful meaningful snaps arsenic a rookie. You cognize you’re successful problem erstwhile Jack Jones, a fringe starter, goes from unemployed to a team’s premier area successful 10 days.

The dream is that nan team’s pass-rush will beryllium truthful overwhelming that it tin mitigate nan effect of nan secondary. But, astatine immoderate point, it will beryllium third-and-medium and personification successful nan secondary will request to make a play. Only Fitzpatrick is simply a move playmaker, and he is connected nan downside of his career.

The Dolphins haven’t won a playoff crippled since 2000. If they miss nan postseason again, McDaniel will astir apt beryllium out. And nan existent roster has excessively galore holes to beryllium a superior threat to nan Bills successful nan East.

The NFC West’s logjam

Take a look astatine nan NFC West. It’s stacked, comfortably nan astir competitory section successful nan league.

The Rams came adjacent to bouncing nan Eagles successful nan playoffs past play pinch a young roster and person reloaded this year. The Niners remade their defense aft past season’s wounded apocalypse. The Cardinals are nary longer conscionable an absorbing broadside show; they person a bruising discourtesy and a spicy defense. The Seahawks closed past play strong, putting together a top-five defense from Week 10 onwards, and could person 1 of nan champion units successful nan convention this season.

There are nary slouches. The weakest azygous unit in nan section whitethorn beryllium nan Seahawks’ offense, and that could still ace nan apical half of nan league. How nan section shakes retired will astir apt travel down to really quickly Darnold tin assimilate successful Seattle. Was his career-best twelvemonth successful Minnesota a mirage? Will his talented but unproven violative statement clasp up? Can a receiver room of Cooper Kupp, Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Jaxon Smith-Njigba offset nan losses of DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett? As ever, location are besides nan yearly concerns astir Matthew Stafford’s wounded status to propulsion into nan NFC mix. But if Darnold’s resurgence carries complete and Stafford is healthy, past each 4 teams will person value starting quarterbacks and spiky defenses. It’s going to beryllium a bloodbath.

Aaron Rodgers’ past dance

Buckle up, folks. You person 1 much play of Rodgers to woody with.

Yes, Rodgers successful Pittsburgh could beryllium a farce. It astir apt will be a farce. The Steelers’ determination to motion a 41-year-old Rodgers, who is 2 years removed from an achilles injury, aft Pittsburgh *deep breath* traded for DK Metcalf, signed nan receiver to a bumper extension, traded distant George Pickens, benched Justin Fields for Russell Wilson, past told Fields that he was Their Guy, past told Wilson to return nan first level retired of town, past mislaid Fields successful free agency, past traded for Jalen Ramsey, past signed TJ Watt to a market-resetting hold is nan benignant of teenager-on-Madden attack to team-building usually reserved for nan Jaguars, Panthers aliases the boy of a Jets owner.

It is weird to scope this point: somehow, nan vaunted Steelers person go nan league’s most directionless franchise. But nan Steelers are convinced they person nan backbone of a title contender. “We’re building this squad to triumph a Super Bowl this year,” GM Omar Khan said recently.

It’s easy to chuckle astatine nan Steelers assembling a 2022 All-Pro squad (hand up). But there’s a way to astatine slightest section contention here. If Ramsey is moreover 70% of nan subordinate he was successful his prime, he will beryllium a linchpin connected an already outstanding defense. Whether nan discourtesy tin lucifer nan defense will travel down to Rodgers’ relationship pinch violative coordinator Arthur Smith, 2 stubborn violative designers pinch divergent styles.

Rodgers astir apt won’t guideline nan Steelers to a Super Bowl. He looked a protector of himself past season: hesitant to guidelines successful nan pocket, worried astir getting hit, incapable to debar nan unreserved arsenic his accuracy dwindled to cardinal parts of nan field. But if Rodgers tin enactment healthy, he could possibly Peyton Manning his measurement done a last season, keeping nan Steelers competitory arsenic they effort to span 1 squad to nan next. If nan on-field worldly turns retired to beryllium a disaster, his lasting bequest successful Pittsburgh whitethorn beryllium convincing Mike Tomlin that much substantive changes are needed.