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Training camp is a time of optimism. Every team has a shot at the Super Bowl and every question has an answer. Here are the biggest questions and answers each NFC team has heading into training camp.
NFC East
Can the Dallas Cowboys find a legitimate No. 2 wide reciever?
The Cowboys could make the case for being the best team in the NFC and possibly the NFL, so their problems aren't as severe as others. While some teams are struggling to find a top guy, the Cowboys were fourth in the league in pass offense and return the same skill players. Still, there are concerns at wide receiver. While veteran Terrell Owens is still a solid No. 1, Dallas needs to find a consistent threat on the other side.
Teams will often shade the free safety to Owens' side, but late in the season, opponents also bracketed Jason Witten, who is one of the best pass-catching tight ends in the league, which really slowed this offense down. Patrick Crayton, last season's No. 2, put up good numbers (50 catches and 7 TDs), but is not a big playmaking threat. Backup developmental receivers Miles Austin and Sam Hurd will push Crayton for that spot this season and finding that complementary receiver to take pressure off Owens and Witten will be a huge lift to an offense that struggled late in the season.
How do the New York Giants replace Michael Strahan?
Replacing the future Hall of Fame defensive end will not be an easy task, but the likely candidate is versatile defensive lineman Justin Tuck. He finished last season with 10 sacks, but the majority of Tuck's sacks came from inside as a defensive tackle with the Giants sub-packages. While inside, Tuck was also able to benefit from seeing more single blocks with Strahan (nine sacks) and Osi Umenyiora (13 sacks) working the edges. While Tuck is a solid, run-down base DE, he does not possess the quickness to be a consistent edge rusher. His quickness is more noticeable inside at DT.
The Giants were able to have success in the postseason with a mediocre back end because of their ability to create pressure. Without Strahan taking up a double-team on every down, it will force defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo to come up with ways to create pressure and improve the defensive line. Also, one overlooked factor is the leadership Strahan provided. His ability to see tendencies and formations, then relay it to the players while on the field, will be hard to replace. His work with younger players off the field will be missed too.
Can the Philadelphia Eagles finally find a No. 1 receiver?
Philadelphia has not hidden the fact it believes it needs to find a top receiver for Donovan McNabb. They pursued numerous veteran options during the offseason. But even with that pursuit, it doesn't mean the Eagles found one. The two best receivers on the roster right now do not fit that profile. Reggie Brown is inconsistent and Kevin Curtis is not very physical. Curtis is more of a No. 2 than a No. 1 and would clearly benefit from a receiver on the other side who could draw some double coverage, something Brown can't do.
They drafted DeSean Jackson in the second round of the draft, but he's still unsigned, and until he gets in camp there's no way to know if he can develop into a playmaker for McNabb. Without a true No. 1 receiver, one of the biggest challenges for head coach Andy Reid and offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg will be developing the offense to play away from the receivers' weaknesses. Teams that employ a lot of man-press-coverage techniques, which grounded the Eagles offense last season, could have success because neither Brown nor Curtis are physical enough to get away from that style of play. Look for the Eagles to add more motion into the system, allowing the receiver in motion to get a cleaner release and be more productive in the Eagles' intermediate passing game
How quickly can Washington Commanders quarterback Jason Campbell learn another offensive system?
Campbell has grown as a QB and improved every season, but with first-year head coach Jim Zorn now running the show, Campbell is on his third offense in four years with the Commanders. Of course, this is nothing new for Campbell as he had four different coordinators in his four years at Auburn. Campbell is a tall, strong-armed QB who throws the deep ball well. The Skins' new version of the West Coast offense is going to be a great fit for him because he flourished in a similar system in his senior year at Auburn. Some things will be different, obviously, but he has plenty of practice at learning new systems, and has show he is a quick study and a hard worker in the film room. This new offense shouldn't slow him down and he could be poised for a big season.
NFC North
Can the Chicago Bears become the Monsters of the Midway again?
While it would be easy to point to the quarterback issues as their biggest problem to be solved, I prefer to go to the other side of the ball. The Bears need to find a way to fix a defense that was once a top-five unit, but last season fell to 28th in the league in total offense, allowing 354.7 yards per game. Injuries to key players were a big part of that slide, but the scheme and an overall lack of discipline factored in as well.
Head coach Lovie Smith believes firmly in the Tampa 2 system, but last season Chicago was a little too stubborn in sticking with its Cover 2 concepts. The Bears made it to Super Bowl XLI despite shoddy quarterback play. The biggest reason was their versatility on defense, mixing in blitz packages and different coverages with their base defense. Last season they created less havoc because they attacked less, which makes no sense when you have two of the most athletic linebackers in the league in Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs. Look for Chicago to involve those two more often in blitz packages this season, which will help ball-hawking cornerbacks Charles Tillman, Nathan Vasher and Ricky Manning Jr. create turnovers on the back end and make the Bears much more fearsome on defense. The playmakers are there, they just have to be used correctly.
How will the Detroit Lions embrace a new offensive identity? Former offensive coordinator Mike Martz has taken his aerial attack to San Francisco, and head coach Rod Marinelli and new offensive coordinator Jim Colletto will stress the running game. That means the offensive line has to come together and improve, and it will have a chance to do that as there will be a daily emphasis on the running game that was never there under Martz. The line should have more continuity coming out of the preseason, something that will not only improve the running game, but also allow the marginal Detroit defense to remain rested to sustain more drives this season.
It's easy to blame Martz for all of Detroit's offensive shortcomings last season, but he did manage to turn veteran backup Jon Kitna into a decent starter, and in the end was responsible for one of the few things that went right for the Lions last season. Still, coming into camp with a clear emphasis on being more of a power, physical team, sets the tone and turns the page right away.
Can Aaron Rodgers lead the Green Bay Packers?
This will be a much different training camp than Green Bay has seen in recent years. All-everything QB Brett Favre is no longer heading off distractions, he is now the main distraction and making things very tough on newly-anointed starter Rodgers. The rest of the team is in a tough spot as well, caught between respect for Favre and the need to move on behind Rodgers. This is going to be a tough camp for head coach Mike McCarthy and general manager Ted Thompson as they will be leaning on their veteran leaders to keep the locker room united.
On the field, the No. 1 goal in camp will be to get Rodgers prepared to start after three years on the bench. He has gotten very limited reps in his time in Green Bay, but is a smart QB who knows the system, and Rodgers will take fewer risks than Favre. Rodgers has also improved the accuracy of his deep ball, but it could be critical that he uses training camp to develop timing with the various weapons at his disposal. He has the physical tools to do the job on the field, but it remains to be seen how he deals mentally with replacing a legend and the distractions surrounding Favre's situation, which might be the most important aspect for Rodgers.
Can Minnesota Vikings QB Tarvaris Jackson make enough plays?
The 2007 Vikings basically defied history. Minnesota became the first team with the top-ranked run defense and run offense to miss the playoffs since the 1982 Detroit Lions. The reason the Vikings missed the postseason was because of the inconsistent play at the QB position. The biggest goal in camp will be establishing a package that makes Jackson comfortable and allows him the opportunity to succeed. Last year it was apparent that they tried to give him too much. A more simplified offense that relies more on the short to intermediate passing game with high percentage throws will work. The Vikings are going to work on improving his accuracy and maintaining his confidence. Jackson doesn't need to be an elite QB, he just needs to develop into an above-average one and the Vikings' running game and defense should be able to do the rest.
NFC South
Who is going to be the Atlanta Falcons' QB?
The Falcons selected former Boston College QB Matt Ryan with the third overall selection in this year's draft and need to figure out how long to wait before Ryan gets the starting nod. Veteran Chris Redman played well at the end of last season and could get the job out of training camp. Redman does not have great physical tools, but he is a cerebral QB who makes good decisions and gets the ball out quickly to spots to compensate for not having a big-time arm. Ryan is the future of the team, but the Falcons must decide on a starting QB as quickly as possible to establish the leader on this team heading into the season.
Will the Carolina Panthers finally establish a power-running game?
Head coach John Fox has been trying to establish a physical, in-your-face ground game since he arrived in 2002, and the Panthers spent first-round picks on RBs DeAngelo Williams (2006) and Jonathan Stewart (2008) after DeShaun Foster failed to provide enough of a physical presence. Williams should begin this season as the starter and the team would like him to be more physical inside, but he won't develop a mean streak overnight.
If Williams is not physical enough from the get-go Fox will certainly look to get the bigger Stewart on the field as soon as possible. His career at Oregon showed that Stewart knows how to carry the ball, and if he can become competent picking up blitzes he will see playing time very early in the season. This is a must-win year for Fox and he will live and die with his players, including first-round OT Jeff Otah (6-foot-6, 340 pounds), who along with Stewart will try to give their coach the power game he has been looking for.
Do the New Orleans Saints realize how important it is to get Sedrick Ellis into camp?
Ellis, New Orleans' No. 1 pick in this year's draft from USC, has value because he finally gives the Saints a big-bodied defensive tackle who can eat up blocks and free up DEs Charles Grant and Will Smith. Grant and Smith were consistently double-teamed last season because opposing offensive lines had no respect for the Saints' rotating bodies inside at DT. The Saints still have question marks at cornerback and they're not going away any time soon, but it is amazing how pass-rush pressure can suddenly make mediocre corners better football players. With an offense well-equipped to bounce back, Ellis and the Saints' D-line could be the key to the whole season.
Can the Tampa Bay Buccaneers find a ground game?
There is a lot of uncertainty at running back in Tampa Bay. Former first-round pick Cadillac Williams is coming off a serious knee injury and starts the season on the PUP list. Earnest Graham, who signed a contract extension this offseason, filled in admirably -- 898 yards -- after Williams went down. He is a solid inside runner who attacks the line of scrimmage, but does not bring a lot of big-play flair to the offense. The Bucs signed Warrick Dunn in the offseason as well to provide a boost to this unit. With questions about whether or not QB Jeff Garcia will report to camp, the running game becomes even more important. Tampa Bay needs to get back to establishing some form of dominance on the ground and it all starts in training camp.
NFC West
Who will be the Arizona Cardinals' starting QB?
There is no questioning the talent of 2006 first-round pick Matt Leinart. There are, however, questions about his work ethic and maturity. Leinart needs to attack this job and show the team he is committed, because if he is beaten out by aging veteran Kurt Warner it could be apparent that Leinart is not the QB of the future in Arizona.
The biggest issue for Leinart has been adjusting to the speed of the NFL game. Once that comes -- and it only comes with hard work and reps -- Leinart's physical tools will take over and he can become a No. 1 QB in this league. He has plenty of weapons around him, he just has to show that he is willing to put in more time in the film room dissecting both his own game and the defenses he is facing. A little work will go a long way for Leinart, who will be the starter in Arizona if he can improve his footwork a little and show the organization that football is his top priority.
Will the St. Louis Rams' defense be able to stop anyone?
Ignore last season's struggles on offense. That group will be fine this year. The concerns are on defense because the Rams have spent high draft picks and free-agent dollars trying to improve that side of the ball, but they continue to falter. It all starts up front. St. Louis looks to be more versatile with 2007 first-rounder Adam Carriker inside at DT and this year's top pick Chris Long outside at DE. Both are character players with high motors and will be counted on big time to boost the entire defense.
Carriker is a converted DE who added bulk to his frame and moved inside, and Long is an edge player with the ability to turn the corner. Defensive coordinator Jim Haslett looks to work them together on twists and stunts along the front to free them up. That versatility should also allow athletic linebackers Will Witherspoon and Pisa Tinoisamoa to make plays from sideline-to-sideline, which in theory should make everyone around them better.
Will the San Francisco 49ers adapt to Mike Martz?
Make no mistake -- Martz had success running offenses. He made Kitna a legitimate No. 1 QB while in Detroit, so he can make the 49ers' offense better too. The battle between 2005 first-round pick Alex Smith and career backup Shaun Hill will hinge on who picks up Martz's offense quicker. It is a great offensive system, but also one that is designed on precision and timing. When clicking, however, it can open up numerous targets and put a lot of pressure on the opposing defenses. The QB battle is a good one to watch, but regardless of who is under center the 49ers might spend the majority of this training camp trying to adapt to a system that, if they run properly, greatly improves an offense that ranked 32nd in the league in 2007.
Do the Seattle Seahawks remember how to run the football?
The Seahawks became a soft football team last season. Their inability to run made them a one-dimensional team and too often they simply abandoned the run game early when it became apparent it was going to be a struggle. Unless your QB is Tom Brady or Peyton Manning, you need balance to win in the NFL. With a revamped backfield that now has Julius Jones and T.J. Duckett, the biggest training camp priority for Seattle is reestablishing that they can be effective running the football. It wasn't long ago this team had that identity. Jones and Duckett can run hard and could provide the right 1-2 punch. It's just a matter of pounding it, time and again to get that attitude back. Jeremy Green, director of pro scouting for Scouts Inc., has been an NFL scout for more than 10 years.
NFC East
The Cowboys could make the case for being the best team in the NFC and possibly the NFL, so their problems aren't as severe as others. While some teams are struggling to find a top guy, the Cowboys were fourth in the league in pass offense and return the same skill players. Still, there are concerns at wide receiver. While veteran Terrell Owens is still a solid No. 1, Dallas needs to find a consistent threat on the other side.
Teams will often shade the free safety to Owens' side, but late in the season, opponents also bracketed Jason Witten, who is one of the best pass-catching tight ends in the league, which really slowed this offense down. Patrick Crayton, last season's No. 2, put up good numbers (50 catches and 7 TDs), but is not a big playmaking threat. Backup developmental receivers Miles Austin and Sam Hurd will push Crayton for that spot this season and finding that complementary receiver to take pressure off Owens and Witten will be a huge lift to an offense that struggled late in the season.
Replacing the future Hall of Fame defensive end will not be an easy task, but the likely candidate is versatile defensive lineman Justin Tuck. He finished last season with 10 sacks, but the majority of Tuck's sacks came from inside as a defensive tackle with the Giants sub-packages. While inside, Tuck was also able to benefit from seeing more single blocks with Strahan (nine sacks) and Osi Umenyiora (13 sacks) working the edges. While Tuck is a solid, run-down base DE, he does not possess the quickness to be a consistent edge rusher. His quickness is more noticeable inside at DT.
The Giants were able to have success in the postseason with a mediocre back end because of their ability to create pressure. Without Strahan taking up a double-team on every down, it will force defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo to come up with ways to create pressure and improve the defensive line. Also, one overlooked factor is the leadership Strahan provided. His ability to see tendencies and formations, then relay it to the players while on the field, will be hard to replace. His work with younger players off the field will be missed too.
Philadelphia has not hidden the fact it believes it needs to find a top receiver for Donovan McNabb. They pursued numerous veteran options during the offseason. But even with that pursuit, it doesn't mean the Eagles found one. The two best receivers on the roster right now do not fit that profile. Reggie Brown is inconsistent and Kevin Curtis is not very physical. Curtis is more of a No. 2 than a No. 1 and would clearly benefit from a receiver on the other side who could draw some double coverage, something Brown can't do.
They drafted DeSean Jackson in the second round of the draft, but he's still unsigned, and until he gets in camp there's no way to know if he can develop into a playmaker for McNabb. Without a true No. 1 receiver, one of the biggest challenges for head coach Andy Reid and offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg will be developing the offense to play away from the receivers' weaknesses. Teams that employ a lot of man-press-coverage techniques, which grounded the Eagles offense last season, could have success because neither Brown nor Curtis are physical enough to get away from that style of play. Look for the Eagles to add more motion into the system, allowing the receiver in motion to get a cleaner release and be more productive in the Eagles' intermediate passing game
Campbell has grown as a QB and improved every season, but with first-year head coach Jim Zorn now running the show, Campbell is on his third offense in four years with the Commanders. Of course, this is nothing new for Campbell as he had four different coordinators in his four years at Auburn. Campbell is a tall, strong-armed QB who throws the deep ball well. The Skins' new version of the West Coast offense is going to be a great fit for him because he flourished in a similar system in his senior year at Auburn. Some things will be different, obviously, but he has plenty of practice at learning new systems, and has show he is a quick study and a hard worker in the film room. This new offense shouldn't slow him down and he could be poised for a big season.
NFC North
While it would be easy to point to the quarterback issues as their biggest problem to be solved, I prefer to go to the other side of the ball. The Bears need to find a way to fix a defense that was once a top-five unit, but last season fell to 28th in the league in total offense, allowing 354.7 yards per game. Injuries to key players were a big part of that slide, but the scheme and an overall lack of discipline factored in as well.
Head coach Lovie Smith believes firmly in the Tampa 2 system, but last season Chicago was a little too stubborn in sticking with its Cover 2 concepts. The Bears made it to Super Bowl XLI despite shoddy quarterback play. The biggest reason was their versatility on defense, mixing in blitz packages and different coverages with their base defense. Last season they created less havoc because they attacked less, which makes no sense when you have two of the most athletic linebackers in the league in Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs. Look for Chicago to involve those two more often in blitz packages this season, which will help ball-hawking cornerbacks Charles Tillman, Nathan Vasher and Ricky Manning Jr. create turnovers on the back end and make the Bears much more fearsome on defense. The playmakers are there, they just have to be used correctly.
It's easy to blame Martz for all of Detroit's offensive shortcomings last season, but he did manage to turn veteran backup Jon Kitna into a decent starter, and in the end was responsible for one of the few things that went right for the Lions last season. Still, coming into camp with a clear emphasis on being more of a power, physical team, sets the tone and turns the page right away.
This will be a much different training camp than Green Bay has seen in recent years. All-everything QB Brett Favre is no longer heading off distractions, he is now the main distraction and making things very tough on newly-anointed starter Rodgers. The rest of the team is in a tough spot as well, caught between respect for Favre and the need to move on behind Rodgers. This is going to be a tough camp for head coach Mike McCarthy and general manager Ted Thompson as they will be leaning on their veteran leaders to keep the locker room united.
On the field, the No. 1 goal in camp will be to get Rodgers prepared to start after three years on the bench. He has gotten very limited reps in his time in Green Bay, but is a smart QB who knows the system, and Rodgers will take fewer risks than Favre. Rodgers has also improved the accuracy of his deep ball, but it could be critical that he uses training camp to develop timing with the various weapons at his disposal. He has the physical tools to do the job on the field, but it remains to be seen how he deals mentally with replacing a legend and the distractions surrounding Favre's situation, which might be the most important aspect for Rodgers.
The 2007 Vikings basically defied history. Minnesota became the first team with the top-ranked run defense and run offense to miss the playoffs since the 1982 Detroit Lions. The reason the Vikings missed the postseason was because of the inconsistent play at the QB position. The biggest goal in camp will be establishing a package that makes Jackson comfortable and allows him the opportunity to succeed. Last year it was apparent that they tried to give him too much. A more simplified offense that relies more on the short to intermediate passing game with high percentage throws will work. The Vikings are going to work on improving his accuracy and maintaining his confidence. Jackson doesn't need to be an elite QB, he just needs to develop into an above-average one and the Vikings' running game and defense should be able to do the rest.
NFC South
The Falcons selected former Boston College QB Matt Ryan with the third overall selection in this year's draft and need to figure out how long to wait before Ryan gets the starting nod. Veteran Chris Redman played well at the end of last season and could get the job out of training camp. Redman does not have great physical tools, but he is a cerebral QB who makes good decisions and gets the ball out quickly to spots to compensate for not having a big-time arm. Ryan is the future of the team, but the Falcons must decide on a starting QB as quickly as possible to establish the leader on this team heading into the season.
Head coach John Fox has been trying to establish a physical, in-your-face ground game since he arrived in 2002, and the Panthers spent first-round picks on RBs DeAngelo Williams (2006) and Jonathan Stewart (2008) after DeShaun Foster failed to provide enough of a physical presence. Williams should begin this season as the starter and the team would like him to be more physical inside, but he won't develop a mean streak overnight.
If Williams is not physical enough from the get-go Fox will certainly look to get the bigger Stewart on the field as soon as possible. His career at Oregon showed that Stewart knows how to carry the ball, and if he can become competent picking up blitzes he will see playing time very early in the season. This is a must-win year for Fox and he will live and die with his players, including first-round OT Jeff Otah (6-foot-6, 340 pounds), who along with Stewart will try to give their coach the power game he has been looking for.
Ellis, New Orleans' No. 1 pick in this year's draft from USC, has value because he finally gives the Saints a big-bodied defensive tackle who can eat up blocks and free up DEs Charles Grant and Will Smith. Grant and Smith were consistently double-teamed last season because opposing offensive lines had no respect for the Saints' rotating bodies inside at DT. The Saints still have question marks at cornerback and they're not going away any time soon, but it is amazing how pass-rush pressure can suddenly make mediocre corners better football players. With an offense well-equipped to bounce back, Ellis and the Saints' D-line could be the key to the whole season.
There is a lot of uncertainty at running back in Tampa Bay. Former first-round pick Cadillac Williams is coming off a serious knee injury and starts the season on the PUP list. Earnest Graham, who signed a contract extension this offseason, filled in admirably -- 898 yards -- after Williams went down. He is a solid inside runner who attacks the line of scrimmage, but does not bring a lot of big-play flair to the offense. The Bucs signed Warrick Dunn in the offseason as well to provide a boost to this unit. With questions about whether or not QB Jeff Garcia will report to camp, the running game becomes even more important. Tampa Bay needs to get back to establishing some form of dominance on the ground and it all starts in training camp.
NFC West
There is no questioning the talent of 2006 first-round pick Matt Leinart. There are, however, questions about his work ethic and maturity. Leinart needs to attack this job and show the team he is committed, because if he is beaten out by aging veteran Kurt Warner it could be apparent that Leinart is not the QB of the future in Arizona.
The biggest issue for Leinart has been adjusting to the speed of the NFL game. Once that comes -- and it only comes with hard work and reps -- Leinart's physical tools will take over and he can become a No. 1 QB in this league. He has plenty of weapons around him, he just has to show that he is willing to put in more time in the film room dissecting both his own game and the defenses he is facing. A little work will go a long way for Leinart, who will be the starter in Arizona if he can improve his footwork a little and show the organization that football is his top priority.
Ignore last season's struggles on offense. That group will be fine this year. The concerns are on defense because the Rams have spent high draft picks and free-agent dollars trying to improve that side of the ball, but they continue to falter. It all starts up front. St. Louis looks to be more versatile with 2007 first-rounder Adam Carriker inside at DT and this year's top pick Chris Long outside at DE. Both are character players with high motors and will be counted on big time to boost the entire defense.
Carriker is a converted DE who added bulk to his frame and moved inside, and Long is an edge player with the ability to turn the corner. Defensive coordinator Jim Haslett looks to work them together on twists and stunts along the front to free them up. That versatility should also allow athletic linebackers Will Witherspoon and Pisa Tinoisamoa to make plays from sideline-to-sideline, which in theory should make everyone around them better.
Make no mistake -- Martz had success running offenses. He made Kitna a legitimate No. 1 QB while in Detroit, so he can make the 49ers' offense better too. The battle between 2005 first-round pick Alex Smith and career backup Shaun Hill will hinge on who picks up Martz's offense quicker. It is a great offensive system, but also one that is designed on precision and timing. When clicking, however, it can open up numerous targets and put a lot of pressure on the opposing defenses. The QB battle is a good one to watch, but regardless of who is under center the 49ers might spend the majority of this training camp trying to adapt to a system that, if they run properly, greatly improves an offense that ranked 32nd in the league in 2007.
The Seahawks became a soft football team last season. Their inability to run made them a one-dimensional team and too often they simply abandoned the run game early when it became apparent it was going to be a struggle. Unless your QB is Tom Brady or Peyton Manning, you need balance to win in the NFL. With a revamped backfield that now has Julius Jones and T.J. Duckett, the biggest training camp priority for Seattle is reestablishing that they can be effective running the football. It wasn't long ago this team had that identity. Jones and Duckett can run hard and could provide the right 1-2 punch. It's just a matter of pounding it, time and again to get that attitude back. Jeremy Green, director of pro scouting for Scouts Inc., has been an NFL scout for more than 10 years.
