The NFL regular season is getting closer and it appears that it'll be another great year, after a very exciting offseason. But, before the regular season kicks off, the best indicator of how good your favorite team is going to be is usually seen in the preseason.
Every year in the preseason there should be key things to look for to help you figure things out for the regular season. I made a list of 10 things that you should keep your eye on during the preseason to prepare you for the 2015 regular season.
1. The Philadelphia Eagles: During the offseason, the Eagles got a makeover to their entire team. The key pieces to a very productive offense are no long with the team. Running back, Lesean McCoy was traded to Buffalo for Linebacker Kiko Alonso and a draft pick; Wide receiver Jeremy Maclin was able to walk as a free agent, joining his former coach Andy Reid and the Kansas City Chiefs; Quarterback Nick Foles was traded to the Rams for Quarterback Sam Bradford, who is coming off an ACL injury (his second to the same knee). The Eagles brought in the 2014 rushing leader, Demarco Murray and also signed running back Ryan Matthews. Also, the Eagles have some new additions to defense. They signed former Seattle Seahawk cornerback Byron Maxwell to help out a very pedestrian secondary and added cornerback Eric Rowe via this years' draft. Chip Kelly in his first two seasons has a record of 20-12, going 10-6 in both seasons, in year three Kelly could either be looked as the best coach in the league or all of these movements could cost him his job in Philly.
2. Adrian Peterson: After being suspended for the 2014 season for legal issues, all-pro running back Adrian Peterson seems determined to have an outstanding 2015 season. The Minnesota Vikings look like they finally have their franchise quarterback in Teddy Bridgewater to help take some pressure off the aging Peterson. In preseason it will be interesting to see how much they use Peterson. After being out of football for nearly a full season, you have to think that they want to make sure he's still in primed football shape. However, you also have to think about Peterson being another year, they'll probably want to use him as little as possible. With a new contract extension and missing nearly all of 2014 you have to believe that Peterson has a lot to prove in 2015.
3. The Bills' Quarterback Competition: It's no secret that the Buffalo Bills' offense has some dangerous weapons on the offensive side of the ball. However, the most important position, the quarterback position looks very mediocre on paper. After given a chance to make an impact, it seems that former first-round pick E.J. Manuel is not ready to be a starting quarterback in this league and could be a "bust"; Tyrod Taylor is a very good backup quarterback but I don't think he's a franchise quarterback or could be trusted as a full-time starter; Matt Cassel isn't a bad quarterback, but he hasn't seemed the same after leaving Kansas City and it seemed that his best years were spent backing up Tom Brady in New England. With the addition of running back Lesean McCoy, and having receivers like Sammy Watkins and Robert Woods, whom ever wins this starting job shouldn't have a very tough job. At best they'll need someone to just manage the offense and make limited mistakes. With what looks to be a top-10 defense, on paper, it seems this Bills' team is just one piece away from being a contender in the AFC and maybe the Super Bowl - This Bills' team with new Head Coach Rex Ryan reminds me a lot of the 2010 New York Jets. They had a very good team overall, but the quarterback position seemed to be one of their weakest.
4. The 49ers' New Look: With a lot of change in the bay area this offseason, the San Francisco 49ers have a lot to prove in 2015 playing in one of the most difficult divisions in the league. This can be the year that quarterback, Colin Kaepernick proves that he is one of the best in the league and that he's ready to be mentioned with the Brady's and Rodgers' of the league. But with several of the best defensive players retiring, including Patrick Willis and Justin Smith, and former all-pro defensive end-linebacker hybrid Aldon Smith being released it'll be interesting to see how the pass-rush looks in 2015. However, the biggest loss could be someone who didn't play one down with the team - former head coach Jim Harbaugh not being there could have the biggest impact on the team and their mindset, in my opinion. With additions to the team like Reggie Bush and Torrey Smith it'll be interesting to see what this 49ers team can put together in 2015.
5. Any Progress in Jacksonville: The Jacksonville Jaguars have been at the bottom of the division and the league for nearly a decade. After hiring head coach Gus Bradley it seems like the Jags are finally starting to put together a decent team. Entering his fourth year as the coach, Bradley has to prove that this team can compete with the best teams day-in and day-out. But, most of all, Blake Bortles has to show major improvement from his rookie season and show that he was deserving of being selected third overall (ahead of Teddy Bridgewater) and can be the player that analysts and coaches believed that he could be. After what looked to be a successful draft, on paper, it'll be be interesting to see if these players can play at the next level. Players like running back, T.J. Yeldon; wide receivers, Marquese Lee and Allen Robinson (both entering their second year) this offense looks poised to be more productive in 2015 than it was in 2014, finishing second to last in total offense and had the third worst third-down efficiency. I believe that 2015 could be Bradley's last chance to show improvement before the organization chooses to go in a new direction.
6. Daaaah Bears!: With former Denver Broncos head coach John Fox taking over in Chicago it'll be interesting to see the dysfunctional aftermath of what was the Chicago Bears. The biggest concern for Bears' fans seems to be Jay Cutler. With Brandon Marshall now in New York, it's up to Alshon Jeffrey to step up and be the true number one target. The Bears look to have found a great second option in the NFL draft, with Kevin White. However, Kevin White is battling a shin injury and is projected to miss a few weeks of the regular season. Preseason is the perfect time to see who will help Cutler, Jeffrey and running back Matt Forte in this offense. Right now, it looks as if Marquess Wilson or Eddie Royal will have to play that role but there are big question marks surrounding both players - Royal wasn't that productive in San Diego in his last few seasons there and Marquess Wilson was injured for majority of 2014, leaving questions about how he'll fit in the teams' offense.
7. Is Foles Gold?: The St. Louis Rams made a surprising trade with the Philadelphia Eagles, trading veteran and former first-round draft pick Sam Bradford for Nick Foles - who nobody is really sure of outside of the Chip Kelly offense. 2015 is a big year for Foles and the Rams. Foles has to prove that he's bigger than the Chip Kelly offense and that he's a serious NFL quarterback that wasn't a product of the system in Philadelphia. With what could be the toughest division in football, in the NFC west, Foles can make a serious name for himself and could earn himself a lot of money if he can carry this team to the playoffs or even better, win the division, in 2015. With the Rams' defense already being one of the best over the last two season, it's Foles' job to help the offense catch up and it'll be his year to prove he is the man for the job.
8. The Injury Bug: Every season during the preseason, there seems to be at least one major injury that happens. This year, see which players are playing less and keep up with who suffers minor/major injuries through August. Injuries are an ugly part of the game, none the less they're still part of it. The biggest reasons to focus on these injuries: First, they can happen to your team or a division rivals team which could impact your teams' season; second, if you're a big fantasy football player, it can impact the team that you have or the way that you draft. The preseason definitely show's what teams are made of when some of their best players go down; depth in the NFL is huge and injuries highlight that.
9. Jimmy Garoppolo: After the biggest story line of the past 6-7 months, "deflategate", starting quarterback, Tom Brady has been suspended for four games and is steal going to court over this issue after losing his appeal. For now, for the first four games of the season, Jimmy Garoppolo has to approach this preseason as the starter and his play could be detrimental to the outcome of the
first four games of the regular season and that could impact the remainder of the season. If Garappolo could get a solid chemistry and be consistent in the offense, realistically, he could walk away with a record of 2-2 or better. I believe that he should be taking more snaps than Brady as preseason advances and we should see where his progress is by week 4 of preseason.
10. Roster Moves: Throughout the preseason you'll see a lot of teams dropping players, some may be key players and some are obviously guys that they bring in to compete for the final 53-man roster. This is like a whole new wave of free agency. You want to watch to see what impact players don't make it on one team but gets picked up by another team. This is huge to keep an eye on around week 3. More players get cut, which means bigger names. You know what they say, 'one teams bench player is another teams pro bowler' ...Well, maybe they don't say it but we've seen it happen before... With injuries likely to happen, the roster moves can have a major impact on a teams season.
If you pay attention to these 10 things throughout the remainder of preseason, you'll be more prepared for the regular season - no matter if you're worried about the team that you're a fan of or your fantasy team. The NFL regular season is just around the corner and it'll officially be here Thursday,
Sept.10, as the New England Patriots take on the Pittsburgh Steelers on NBC.
