32 Thoughts on the NFL's Biggest Talking Points After 2024 Preseason
Each Friday throughout the 2024 NFL season, we'll be performing somewhat of a leaguewide check-in, with quick-hit takes from all 32 NFL squads based on news, fodder, trends and/or results.
And with every team now having completed the preseason and started preparing for Week 1, we're ready to take you around the country with thoughts on the latest happenings.
Let's jump into what's dominating the national football conversation this week.
AFC East
1 of 8
Buffalo Bills: The Keon Coleman buzz is picking up now that the summer is wrapping up and nobody has really made waves in a receiving corps that took some major hits in the offseason. I'm not totally convinced the rookie second-round pick will be ready to overcome a lack of top-end speed early in his career, but working with Josh Allen sure could help.
Miami Dolphins: What's up with Odell Beckham Jr.? It's starting to sound as though there's some frustration within the organization regarding OBJ's lack of availability despite passing a physical at signing and starting offseason work with the team. Miami can't let this become a distraction, nor can the Dolphins afford to rely heavily on the 31-year-old in 2024.
New England Patriots: In naming him the Week 1 starter, Jerod Mayo stated that "Jacoby (Brissett) gives us our best chance to win right now." Considering that the team isn't likely to win much anyway, and that Drake Maye outplayed Brissett as the summer wore on, I find it hard to believe they'll stick with Brissett for too long under those circumstances. This might get awkward soon.
New York Jets: The margin for error is quite miniscule for the Jets in this tough division, and it's a shame they still don't have a key pickup in Haason Reddick. It's so very Jets to get into a situation like this, and a bad omen for what's to come. I have a feeling this will become uglier.
AFC North
2 of 8
Baltimore Ravens: Not trying to be sensational, but is anyone else a little worried that Lamar Jackson's weight loss could make him even more vulnerable to injury? Yes, he might be faster. But will he also be more fragile? There's my glass-half-empty take. I hope I'm wrong.
Cincinnati Bengals: They likely know they can survive Week 1 at home against New England sans Ja'Marr Chase, but they really need to be at their best one week later in Kansas City. That being the case, it's imperative that they resolve this contract dispute by next weekend in order to give Chase some time to get reacclimated. Otherwise, this could truly impact their 2024 fate.
Cleveland Browns: That Deshaun Watson restructure gives them more than $60 million in salary-cap space, which could be more or less carried into next year but also makes them a potentially major player between now and the trade deadline. A lot of intrigue right now in Cleveland.
Pittsburgh Steelers: It really had to be Russell Wilson. Not that the embattled veteran deserves a free pass all season, but you're better off giving him a shot and replacing him with Justin Fields than the opposite. I'm not sure Wilson could have come back from losing a summer battle with Fields.
AFC South
3 of 8
Houston Texans: It of course won't be ideal if Will Anderson's ankle injury lingers into the start of the season, but the Texans do have the talent to get by while the sophomore first-round pick gets reacclimated after missing much of this summer's work. Amazing how far this team has come in just over a year.
Indianapolis Colts: The challenge is already pretty tall with Houston's progress and Jacksonville's talent, but not having Jelani Woods (toe) and Samson Ebukam (Achilles) for the season (the former is done for the year and the latter is unlikely to come off injured reserve) makes it even harder. This year might be all about Anthony Richardson's progress.
Jacksonville Jaguars: I love the trajectory rookie first-round pick Brian Thomas Jr. is on ever since a shaky start to his career in Jacksonville on the practice field. Guy is a gamer.
Tennessee Titans: I try not to read too deeply into preseason stats, but it's certainly not a bad thing that Will Levis completed 85 percent of his passes this month. If Levis can get his accuracy on track after ranking dead-last in the league in on-target rate in 2023, he might have a chance to become a franchise quarterback in Tennessee.
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AFC West
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Denver Broncos: I've been saying it all month. Zach Wilson's still got a chance in this league.
Kansas City Chiefs: I still don't know what to make of an always-buzzworthy receiving corps that had the luxury of releasing Kadarius Toney and Justyn Ross but felt the need to collect New England's scraps with JuJu Smith-Schuster. There's uncertainty surrounding Rashee Rice and Xavier Worthy for different reasons, and Hollywood Brown and Justin Watson need to stay healthy. I don't trust this unit yet, for good reason.
Las Vegas Raiders: Not rolling with three quarterbacks is such a non-story. If you're down to your third quarterback in a single game, you're likely toast in that affair anyway, and there are always third-stringers available during the week. Carter Bradley is on the practice squad, and that's a good thing because he's at least got more upside than Nathan Peterman.
Los Angeles Chargers: It's true they needed more insurance for Justin Herbert following his loss for a good chunk of training camp, because Easton Stick simply wasn't the answer. But Taylor Heinicke might not have been their best option, at least for a conditional sixth-round pick. I'd have preferred Ryan Tannehill, if possible.
NFC East
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Dallas Cowboys: It's become clear the Cowboys aren't convinced Dak Prescott is the guy beyond this season, and that they're prepared to make him prove it in 2024. Now, it appears Prescott is coming to that realization. This season really is the ultimate gamble for both sides, and it could easily be a win-win if Dak bets on himself, delivers and the team benefits greatly as a result.
New York Giants: They really didn't have room for Allen Robinson? I know he's far from the player he used to be, but there ain't much experience in that receiving corps or locker room. If the Lions see value in the guy, it's odd the Giants didn't see any.
Philadelphia Eagles: The James Bradberry injury is strictly a depth hit with with three other veteran safeties on the roster, but that could matter considering Philly's luck in the secondary last season. Keep in mind that Bradberry also could have gone back to cornerback in the event that the question marks beyond Darius Slay don't pan out. It all counts in what should be a tight race atop the NFC.
Washington Commanders: New receiver Noah Brown goes way back with both Terry McLaurin and Dan Quinn, and he has the ability to flourish for Jayden Daniels. I really think his signing could go down as a superb under-the-radar late-summer move.
NFC North
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Chicago Bears: Low risk, high potential reward on new acquisition Darrell Taylor, who absolutely has the ability to explode or at least establish himself as an asset in a new environment. The former second-round pick has just 13 career starts under his belt.
Detroit Lions: General manager Brad Holmes is now officially on the record with his Super Bowl expectations, which is a beautiful thing to absorb without shock considering the long, painful history of professional football in Detroit. The NFL is a better place with a competitive Lions team.
Green Bay Packers: I voiced my concerns last week about Green Bay's chances if anything happens to Jordan Love, and that really doesn't change much with Malik Willis on board. It's hard to buy into Willis right now. Again, why no Ryan Tannehill?
Minnesota Vikings: A lot of late-summer changes put the Vikings in a tough spot to start the season. If they fall to the Giants on the road next Sunday, they could be in big trouble with the 49ers and Texans coming to town in Weeks 2 and 3, respectively. Could be a bit of a wasted season for the league's best receiver, Justin Jefferson.
NFC South
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Atlanta Falcons: Something really, really bad would have had to transpire for Taylor Heinicke to get significant action with the Falcons in 2024. There's really no downside associated with trading him for a conditional Day 3 draft pick.
Carolina Panthers: It's a shame it didn't pan out for Terrace Marshall in Carolina, because the talent is there and this isn't a team that has the luxury of letting skilled players walk on rookie contracts. That said, the lack of production speaks for itself. We'll see if the 2021 second-round pick can deliver in a new setting in order to jumpstart his career.
New Orleans Saints: OK I'm back on the Spencer Rattler bandwagon. At the very least, there's a not-too-low ceiling there and I'd love to see them give the rookie fifth-round pick some work in what I'm convinced will be a lost season in New Orleans.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: The running back trio of Rachaad White, Bucky Irving and Sean Tucker is nightmare fuel for fantasy football peeps, but it's great to have options in that new offense considering how bad the running game was in 2023.
NFC West
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Arizona Cardinals: I am a little concerned about what a tough season-starting stretch against the Bills, Rams and Lions will do to this rebuilding team's confidence, but I also wouldn't be surprised if they played spoiler here or there considering the ceiling with Kyler Murray, Marvin Harrison Jr. and the lack of tape on them available to opposing defenses.
Los Angeles Rams: The Rams are dealing with a lot of eleventh-hour tweaks following a summer that included several key injuries. As a result, I'm thinking they would lack cohesion and chemistry in a very tough spot next Sunday night against the Lions.
San Francisco 49ers: It's hard to believe the Brandon Aiyuk situation lingered as long as it did, but it got put to rest in the nick of time and it's exactly what the 49ers needed. They truly couldn't have afforded to compete without him for the entirety of the 2024 season. Not with a flawed quarterback in a top-heavy NFC Super Bowl race.
Seattle Seahawks: I'm not surprised the team doesn't appear to be willing to discuss a new contract with Geno Smith right now. This is a guy who should have a tenuous grip on the long-term starting job. Hopefully they aren't fooled into rethinking that if he and the offense deliver with a soft start against Denver and New England.
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