Miami @ Atlanta
Buffalo @ Carolina
Tampa Bay @ Jacksonville
Philadelphia @ Chicago
Oakland @ Minnesota
New Orleans @ St. Louis
What I'm Watching For:
1. Philadelphia's young receivers
The DeSean Jackson era is over in Philly. With Jackson's departure comes the return of Jeremy Maclin who missed 2013 with a knee injury. Also returning is Riley Cooper, who emerged from a morass of bad publicity to have a surprisingly productive year when the Eagles needed him most. As far as I know, Maclin will start tonight; Cooper, however, will sit it out with a foot injury, leaving the door open for one or more of Philly's many impressive young receivers to make an impression.
First are the draft picks, Jordan Matthews out of Vanderbilt, and Josh Huff out of Oregon--second- and third-round picks, respectively. Despite playing for arguably the worst team in the SEC, Matthews set conference records for catches and receiving yards. He has long arms, big hands, and a high football IQ. In the absence of Riley Cooper, Matthews has gotten most of the displaced looks with the starters. Huff is short, but very physical; he excels against bump-and-run, and is not afraid to absorb contact. Built more like a running back than a receiver, Huff's versatility works to his advantage. He's liable to get snaps in all sorts of formations and positions. Ifeanyi Momah is in his second stint with the Eagles after failing to make the squad in 2013. Momah is a redwood out wide at 6'7", 237 lbs. Surprisingly, Momah has also taken some first-team reps in training camp and might be a sleeper to make the 53. If Momah is a sleeper, UDFA Kadron Boone is narcoleptic. Boone received some praise from Philly reporters early in OTA's but has garnered no additional buzz since then. At this point, Boone's roster chances are next-to-none, but he will still get his opportunity in preseason.
With Brad Smith, Arrelious Benn, and Jeff Maehl also in the mix (among others), the Philly receiving corps is a crowded cage match at the moment.
2. Simply, Brandin Cooks
To say, "I am watching the rookies" is kind of a cop-out, because, well, aren't we all watching the rookies? It's the obvious answer to "What are you watching for in the preseason?" The reason I feel justified in devoting a third of this post to one rookie player is because, judging from the amount of buzz Brandin Cooks has been getting over the course of OTA's and training camp, you'd think he had already won Rookie of the Year.
The Saints selected Cooks 20th overall in May's draft. Since then, Cooks has been nothing short of sensational in team workouts. By July, Cooks' teammates had nicknamed him "Lightning." Drew Brees complimented the youngster's intelligence and work ethic (the two spent a couple weeks working out together in San Diego during the offseason), and confirmed that Cooks will fill the role of cap casualty Darren Sproles.
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| The reviews are in, and Brandin Cooks looks like the real deal in New Orleans (photo from The Oregonian) |
If Cooks lives up to the absurd hype (unlikely), he will have a rookie season on par with that of Randy Moss in 1998. Cooks won't come anywhere close to that level of production, but you can't help but be excited nevertheless.
3. The post-"BullyGate" Dolphins
...Specifically the offensive line. After the snafu that was the Miami Dolphins Bullying Scandal, the Dolphins have none of 2013's starters returning to the offensive line in 2014 (with Mike Pouncey being an exception if he were healthy). It is not so much surprising as it is worrying. The Dolphins needed to clean house up front, but they now find their protective wall perhaps even more tenuous than it was a season ago when it allowed more sacks than any other team and provided no running room to speak of.
The Phins dished out the cash to big-name free agent Branden Albert who, as the only proven player of the starting unit, will protect Ryan Tannehill's blind side. He will be bookended by Miami's head-scratching first-round rookie Ja'Wuan James (head-scratching because only the Dolphins seemed so enamored with him as to take him in the first round). The situation on the interior is even worse. Mike Pouncey is to be replaced by Sam Brenner, a second-year UDFA out of Utah who started three games a season ago with very little positive impact. Veteran Samson Satele will compete for snapping duties. The guards will be Dallas Thomas and Daryn Colledge. Thomas has two NFL snaps (not starts) to his name, making him the most disconcerting of the group. Colledge, who played under Joe Philbin in Green Bay, was signed off the street in July and will provide a veteran presence if nothing else.
It will probably be a good while before the Dolphins are able to run the ball or protect the passer.
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