DALLAS COWBOYS
Three straight 8-8 seasons continue a generational era of mediocrity for the inappropriately titled "America's Team." Jason Garrett kept his job, but his power and influence remain under assault as Jerry Jones brought in Scott Linehan to handle play-calling. How the team meshes three strong-willed offensive personalities like Garrett, Bill Callahan and Linehan remains to be seen. On defense, the Cowboys are hoping Rod Marinelli is better suited to the massive turnaround project than his predecessor (and mentor) Monte Kiffin. All the coaching changes in the world won't make much difference without substantive improvement from the defensive player personnel; an unlikely outcome particularly after already losing LB Sean Lee for the season.
Preseason Game Schedule
- 8/7 -- @San Diego (10:00 ET)
- 8/16 -- Baltimore (7:00 ET)
- 8/23 -- @Miami (7:00 ET)
- 8/28 -- Denver (8:00 ET)
What We're Watching
- Scott Linehan's impact -- Dallas finished 5th in points and 16th in yards last year, but was 2nd to last in rushing attempts. Although Linehan is known for producing outstanding quarterbacking, his play-calling balance doesn't hint at much change. His offenses have ranked in the bottom half of the league in rushing attempts 9 of 12 seasons, while his teams have ranked 10th or higher in passing attempts 9 of 12 seasons. Expect a ton of attempts for Tony Romo (The Lions ranked 3rd, 1st, 1st and 5th in pass attempts over Linehan's four years) and a modest workload for DeMarco Murray and his backups.
- Tony Romo's back -- Romo had back surgery but appears healthy, appearing in pads at a June minicamp. Needless to say it'll be vital to see Romo handle a full workload in the preseason, because his presence is critical not only to his own success but in keeping the likes of Dez Bryant, Jason Witten and Terrance Williams viable fantasy options.
- Is Terrance Williams ready for a breakout season? -- Williams had a modestly successful rookie season, catching 44 receptions for 736 yards and 5 touchdowns. Much is expected of the 2nd year wideout, especially given the questionable depth beyond him and Bryant.
- Is there any hope for the defense? -- The Cowboys gave up a historically bad 6,645 yards last year and are going to count on Rod Marinelli, running the same system, to fix things. The problem is that the unit lost DeMarcus Ware (new team) and Sean Lee (injury) from last year's unit. The Cowboys are going to need a litany of lesser known players to vault into prominence and that starts with strong training camp showings.
- Finalizing the Cowboys offensive line -- While there are worries on defense, the offense looks primed for greatness as long as the projected starters stay healthy. Dallas put together an effective offensive line last year and arguably found the final piece in this year's draft with Zack Martin -- who likely starts at right guard. The only real battle is between Ron Leary and Mackenzy Bernadeau at left guard -- but both are effective options particularly sandwiched between LT Tyron Smith and C Travis Frederick.
NEW YORK GIANTS
The wheels fell off the Giants offense last year, as Eli Manning had his worst season as a starter and the team ranked 28th in both points scored and yardage gained. OC Kevin Gilbride was replaced by Ben McAdoo -- who will bring the Packers' WCO with him to Gotham. There are questions on both sides of the ball, which should make for one of the more newsworthy training camps of the 2014 preseason.
Preseason Game Schedule
- 8/3 -- @Buffalo (8:00 ET)
- 8/9 -- Pittsburgh (7:30 ET)
- 8/16 -- @Indianapolis (7:00 ET)
- 8/22 -- @New York Jets (7:30 ET)
- 8/28 -- New England (7:30 ET)
What We're Watching
- Is the West Coast offense the cure for what ails Eli Manning? -- Manning was horrific in 2013, throwing a league-leading 27 interceptions against only 18 touchdowns. He's dealing with a multi-year decline in accuracy and efficiency, and the hope is Ben McAdoo's WCO principles will alleviate the decline. Yet Manning has always been a gunslinger better suited to taking shots; he's always been turnover prone. Is Manning a good fit for a West Coast offense, particularly in his 11th season?
- Is Rashad Jennings a legitimate RB1? -- Fantasy owners appear ready to annoint the 29-year old Jennings as the full-time starter, yet there are no guarantees from the coaches as such. David Wilson's health makes him a long shot, but the Giants think highly of rookie Andre Williams -- who ran for more than 2,000 yards last season at Tom Coughlin's former stomping grounds at Boston College.
- Rueben Randle vs. Odell Beckham Jr -- Randle endured much of the blame for last year's offensive downfall, with the narrative being that he was ill suited to make the proper adjustments in Kevin Gilbride's passing system. Those option routes are a thing of the past, which may argue for further growth from Randle. Yet the Giants used their first round choice on Beckham, who has the size and skill set to eventually become the full-time starter opposite Victor Cruz. Will Beckham push for signficant snaps early in 2014?
- Is there a tight end on the roster worth fantasy consideration? -- The Packers have generally made use of the tight end position within the passing game, and Eli Manning has had his fair share of productive tight ends over the last decade. Yet the Giants enter training camp with Adrian Robinson, Kellen Davis, Larry Donnell and Daniel Fells.
- Will Beatty and Chris Snee's health -- The Giants were counting on the two veterans recovering from last year's injuries (and subsequent surgeries) but Snee has already announced his retirement due to his difficult rehabilitation progress. The Giants have a few veterans in camp -- most notably James Brewer and John Jerry -- who can compete inside, but the depth at tackle is more tenuous.
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
Year One of the Chip Kelly Era was a resounding success as the Eagles finished 10-6 and won the NFC East. Kelly's team wasn't the hyper-fast paced unit we were promised, but the results were stellar -- 4th in points scored and the emergence of Nick Foles a a franchise passer. The defense was less effective (17th in points allowed, 29th in yards allowed) and must improve if the Eagles hope to build off last year's strong foundation. The team has tremendous depth offensively but is not without fantasy relevant question marks.
Preseason Game Schedule
- 8/8 -- @Chicago (8:00 ET)
- 8/15 -- @New England (7:30 ET)
- 8/21 -- PIttsburgh (7:30 ET)
- 8/28 -- New York Jets (7:00 ET)
What We're Watching
- How good is Nick Foles, really? -- Foles emerged last year with numbers that rank among the best in NFL history. Suffice to say his TD rate (8.5%), yards-per-attempt (9.1) and INT rate (0.6%) are unsustainable, but are they enough to indicate the Eagles have an elite passer for years to come?
- Replacing DeSean Jackson -- DeSean Jackson led the team in catches, yards and receiving touchdowns last year but now calls Washington home. Kelly will look to integrate a healthy Jeremy Maclin and rookies Jordan Matthews and Josh Huff into equation. It's not clear whether any of the receivers will get enough targets to be high end fantasy starters, but everyone is going to watch the preseason for clues to the contrary.
- Determining Darren Sproles' role -- Some are worried that Sproles will cut into LeSean McCoy's fantasy value, but that seems unlikely given Sproles advancing age and relatively obscurity last season in New Orleans. More likely Sproles will be one of many weapons Kelly utilizes in his spread passing attack, with Chris Polk being the true backup for carries.
- Is Zach Ertz read to emerge? -- Rookie tight ends rarely gain fantasy relevance, but Ertz was respectable (36 receptions for 469 yards and 4 TDs) and it's not a leap to expect significant growth in year two. The team needs another player that can challenge opposing defense vertically, and Ertz has that ability if the coaches are ready to trust him with a major role.
- Is Lane Johnson's suspension worrisome beyond the four games he'll miss? -- On paper the Eagles are set with Allen Barbre as Johnson's fill-in for the first month, but does Johnson's suspension for performance-enhancing drugs create a worry about whether Johnson can be an impact tackle longer term?
WASHINGTON REDSKINS
2013 was in many ways a mirror image of the 2012 season. Washington not only fell out of the playoff hunt, the team finished as one of the worst teams in the NFC (3-13), its young franchise passer was scrutinized and benched, and the Shanahans were fired. Enter new head coach Jay Gruden who hopes to inject renewed focus on a unit that underachieved in all facets. Gruden got the most out of Andy Dalton in Cincinnati and the hope is he can resuscitate a moribund passing attack. Questions abound defensively, yet Washington retained incumbent DC Jim Haslett.
Preseason Game Schedule
- 8/7 -- New England (7:30 ET)
- 8/18 -- Cleveland (8:00 ET)
- 8/23 -- @Baltimore (7:30 ET)
- 8/28 -- @Tampa Bay (7:30 ET)
What We're Watching
- Robert Griffin's health -- Griffin rushed back from a severe knee injury, and in retrospect it was a mistake. The good news is he's no longer in need of the bulky knee brace he wore last year. The real questions will be answered in camp though; if we see him running, cutting and throwing confidently with strong footwork, he'll vault back into the picture as a top end fantasy QB1.
- Alfred Morris' role -- Morris was perfectly suited for Mike Shanahan's one-cut-and-go zone blocking scheme, but it's less clear how Morris will handle Gruden's power blocking system. Gruden also expects his starting RB to be an able receiver, something we haven't seen Morris do yet.
- Are DeSean Jackson and Pierre Garcon co-WR1s? -- Garcon answered questions about his feet and led the league with 113 receptions last year. In spite of his success, some view Garcon as better suited to a WR2 role and believe his production was due to an unsustainably high number of targets on a team starved for skill players. DeSean Jackson was the Eagles' best receiver and will now line up opposite Garcon. How will their targets and roles be defined? Both are being drafted as fantasy starters.
- Settling on a right tackle -- Tyler Polumbus is the incumbent but his best asset (as a run blocker in a zone scheme) is no longer part of the Redskins playbook, which makes his role tenuous. Rookie Morgan Moses is the alternative but struggled on the right side in mini-camp.
- Robinson vs. Sharpton vs. Jordan (ILB) -- The Redskins defense was abysmal in 2013 (30th in points allowed) and Gruden has promised that everyone must earn (or re-earn) their roles. At inside linebacker there is a three-man battle to line up alongside Perry Riley. It's a truly wide open camp battle.