Latest news with #positionbattles
New York Times
22-07-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
As Raiders start training camp, here are 5 position battles to watch
The Las Vegas Raiders have a roster loaded with unknown commodities, which means there will be position battles aplenty throughout training camp. That could be seen as a negative, but coach Pete Carroll believes the competition will push the team to improve overall. 'If you don't want to compete, you're in the wrong place,' Carroll said in January. 'Our players will understand that early on.' Advertisement Whether that comes to fruition won't be known until the season starts in September. But it's already easy to identify the most important position battles for the Raiders, who hold their first training camp practice Wednesday. Here are five positions to keep your eye on over the next few weeks. Jakobi Meyers is locked in as a starter, but the other two receiver spots are up for grabs. While Meyers can also line up outside, he spent most of his time during OTAs lined up in the slot. 'He's versatile,' offensive coordinator Chip Kelly said in May. 'He could play both inside and outside receiver. He's got experience doing both. His ability in terms of catching the football, his drop rate, I think, is zero. Anything thrown in his direction, he seems to somehow come down with it. He's got a really good understanding of coverage and schemes, where he knows how to get himself open. … You have to be where you're supposed to be when you're supposed to be there with separation and catch a football, and he can do all four of those things. He's the leader of that group.' If Meyers continues to work primarily from the slot during training camp, receivers who are more effective on the outside will have a leg up in the competition. As it stands, it'll be a three-man race between Dont'e Thornton, Tre Tucker and Jack Bech. Thornton stood out the most among the group during OTAs. He's just different physically — he's 6 feet 4 and has blazing speed — and is working on the nuances of route running and increasing his knowledge of Kelly's scheme. Tucker was also ahead of Bech in the rotation and had his moments during OTAs. For Bech, the key will be improving his ability to win from the outside. He's best from the slot, but there's a logjam there between Meyers and tight end Brock Bowers, who also works there frequently. The second-round pick has some work to do to make up ground on Thornton and Tucker. Bech way to start your morning✍️ 📰: — Las Vegas Raiders (@Raiders) July 18, 2025 Dylan Parham received the majority of the reps here during OTAs, but that doesn't mean the job is his. Jordan Meredith rotated in behind him and, toward the end of OTAs, Thayer Munford also got some work at the position. The real evaluation for offensive linemen doesn't start until pads come on in training camp. That's when each player will have an opportunity to separate himself from the pack. Advertisement Parham has started 48 of 51 games for the Raiders since 2022 between left guard, center and right guard. But while he has been solid, he has yet to prove himself as a difference maker. If he doesn't take a step forward, Carroll and company could turn elsewhere. The Raiders placed Christian Wilkins on the active/physically unable to perform list last Friday, putting his status for the 2025 season up in the air as he continues to recover from the Jones fracture he suffered in his left foot last October. If he misses time in the regular season, the Raiders will need someone else to step up opposite Adam Butler. During OTAs, most of the reps went to veterans Zach Carter and Leki Fotu. The Raiders used both five-man fronts with three defensive tackles and traditional 4-3 fronts. Whichever alignment they go with, it'll be difficult to replace Wilkins' ability to be a disruptive force as a run stopper and pass rusher. Second-year man Jonah Laulu has earned praise from coaches and players alike, and the Raiders spent Day 3 picks on defensive tackles Tonka Hemingway and JJ Pegues, so maybe a young player surprises here. This may be the most precarious position on the roster. The Raiders let Nate Hobbs walk in free agency and opted not to replace him in free agency or the draft. Safety Jeremy Chinn will rotate down to nickelback in certain situations, but he won't be there full time. The Raiders still need a reliable option to emerge at nickelback. Darnay Holmes, who played 28 percent of the team's defensive snaps last season, is currently the favorite to handle this role. Second-year safety Thomas Harper, who played 19 percent of the defensive snaps last season, could push him. Beyond that, it's undrafted free agents such as John Humphrey and Greedy Vance. This could be a spot where the Raiders look to add free-agent help. Advertisement While the options at nickelback may be the most concerning, this is the most important position battle on the roster. Darien Porter and Eric Stokes got most of the reps during OTA practices, but Jakorian Bennett and Decamerion Richardson will also be given opportunities to carve out starting roles. Bennett has had a similar journey in each of his first two NFL seasons. He was a day-one starter but lost that role due to injury. He had surgery to repair a torn labrum last season and was still working through the recovery process during OTAs. He was excellent when healthy last season and could be the Raiders' most complete corner if he can stay that way. Stokes has also struggled to stay healthy throughout his career. While he played all 17 games last year, he didn't make many plays on the ball. He'll need to do more to justify a starting role. Richardson was thrust into action out of necessity last season. His play was a bit rough, but it's hard to judge him too harshly given he wasn't expected to contribute much as a rookie. He has intriguing traits — he's tall, long and fast — and has a lot of potential if he's able to put it all together. The same goes for Porter, whom the Raiders drafted in the third round in April. He's Carroll's latest project at cornerback and held up well during OTAs. The Raiders also could explore the cornerback market at some point. First off, though, they'll see if they can identify a pair of reliable starters from this group. (Photo of Jack Bech: Candice Ward / Imagn Images)
Yahoo
14-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
5 top offensive positions battles to watch during NFL training camp, predicting winner
NFL training camp is imminent, with players and coaches from all 32 teams making final preparations before reporting for summer practices. While there are plenty of things worth getting excited about at training camp, one of the best aspects of this time of year is the position battles. There's competition at various positions every summer for all 32 teams, with multiple starting spots up for grabs. Right now, we're focusing on some of the best and most impactful competitions on the offensive side of the ball. Let's dive into the top five position battles to watch in NFL training camp and our projected winners. Advertisement Cleveland Browns QB competition Credit: Jeff Lange / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images The Cleveland Browns have generated all kinds of headlines in the months leading up to NFL training camp because of their four-man quarterback competition. Two veterans (Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett) and two rookies (Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel) are seemingly competing to be the Browns' starting quarterback in Week 1. However, OTAs and minicamp proved that this isn't a true four-man battle. After all, Sanders isn't receiving first-team reps, and Gabriel is well behind the two veterans in the order for opportunities to work with the first-team offense. So, it comes down to Flacco and Pickett. While Pickett is reportedly building great rapport with top receiver Jerry Jeudy, it's the coaching staff's opinion that matters the most. Even at 40 years old, Flacco has been the standout physically and he's received the most first-team reps. Furthermore, his success in head coach Kevin Stefanski's system gives him another advantage over Pickett. Ultimately, the most physically talented quarterback who provides the most stability and can be the on-field leader in the opening stretch of the season will win the job. Flacco is expected to win this battle in August, which would allow Cleveland to trade Pickett, with its rookies taking the second and third spots on the depth chart behind Flacco. Advertisement Prediction: Joe Flacco starts, Kenny Pickett is traded, Dillon Gabriel is QB2 with Shedeur Sanders as third-string quarterback Related: Predicting 5 NFL breakout teams for the 2025 season New Orleans Saints QB competition Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images There's an added layer to the New Orleans Saints quarterback competition as NFL training camp opens. Second-round picks, 30 of 32, are hoping to land fully guaranteed rookie contracts, as Jayden Higgins (Houston Texans) and Carson Schwesinger (Cleveland Browns) received. That's why there should be even more focus on Tyler Shough, who could sit out since he hasn't signed his rookie deal. This might give him some leverage, but it would also allow Spencer Rattler to dominate first-team reps out of the gate. Advertisement Ultimately, we expect Shough to sign and practice with a starting spot on the line. He'll be 26 years old in September, so there should be added urgency to get him on the field. It's also worth noting that Shough, the 40th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, was hand-picked by head coach Kellen Moore. While Rattler does have a chance to win the starting job, the new Saints coaching staff has no allegiance to a former fifth-round pick who had a 70.4 QB rating and a 57 percent completion rate on 228 attempts last season. Shough is Moore's guy, and since he'll have the offensive line in place to protect him, his accuracy and arm strength should be on full display behind a clean pocket. This propels him to win the starting job. Prediction: Tyler Shough is named the New Orleans Saints starting QB for Week 1 Read More: NFL QB rankings 2025 Daniel Jones vs Anthony Richardson Credit: Grace Hollars/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images Jobs are on the line in the Indianapolis Colts organization this season; that's why the franchise brought in Daniel Jones to challenge Anthony Richardson for the starting job. Richardson, the fourth overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, only put himself in a deeper hole with a shoulder injury. However, the latest reports suggest that he'll be fine for training camp. Advertisement However, this feels like a competition that could be decided relatively quickly. Jones had a 'significant lead' in the competition after offseason workouts, and he's already building great rapport with the Colts' receivers. Indianapolis already gave Richardson a lot of opportunities, and he wasted them, as evidenced by his career 50.6% completion rate and 67.8 QB rating. By the middle of August, Colts head coach Shane Steichen will decide that Jones provides the highest floor, and that's really what he wants given that this team has the ground game and defense to be competitive. Prediction: Daniel Jones is named the Indianapolis Colts starting QB in August Read More: NFL power rankings 2025, evaluating all 32 teams Green Bay Packers' wide receiver competition Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images The Green Bay Packers still don't have a true No. 1 wide receiver on their roster, but they might have three No. 2 receivers even with Christian Watson (ACL tear) sidelined. While spending a first-round pick on a wide receiver for the first time in two decades was more about the future at wide receiver, Matthew Golden was a standout of the spring. He's an ideal complement to pair with the explosive weapon that is Jayden Reed along with the sure-handed Romeo Doubs. Advertisement Ultimately, the rookie will showcase enough to earn snaps ahead of Reed in two-receiver sets when the regular season kicks off. When three receivers are on the field, Dontayvion Wicks will find himself on the bench behind Doubs, Golden and Reed. Green Bay will certainly give all of its young pass-catchers plenty of opportunities, but Golden will deliver a strong training camp that carries over into the regular season. Prediction: Romeo Doubs and Matthew Golden start in 2WR sets, with Jayden Reed operating behind them while Dontayvion Wicks and Savion Williams split snaps Read More: NFL defense rankings 2025, evaluating all 32 defenses Dallas Cowboys' running back battle Credit: Chris Jones-Imagn Images At least Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones isn't trying to make it work with running backs well past their prime. Dallas overhauled its backfield this summer and will head into NFL training camp with Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders atop the depth chart. However, there will rightfully be plenty of attention on rookie Jaydon Blue during the summer. Advertisement Williams really hasn't been the same running back (4.4 ypc to 3.6 ypc) since he suffered ACL, LCL, and PCL tears during the 2022 season. He does believe that he's finally regained his form, and the improvements made to the Cowboys' offensive line give him a better shot at rebounding in 2025. We don't expect his best competition to come from Sanders, who averaged 3.5 ypc over the last two seasons with the Carolina Panthers. Instead, Blue will become the RB2 in early August and perform well enough to create a 65-35 split when the regular season kicks off. By November, though, this could be Blue's backfield. Prediction: Javonte Williams is named the Dallas Cowboys' starting running back, but Jaydon Blue takes over by November Also Read: 5 NFL teams likely to regress in 2025 Related Headlines
Yahoo
11-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Analytics site misses mark in identifying 49ers biggest position battle
The San Francisco 49ers for the first time in a long time have a handful of position battles set to play out in training camp. One of those is at left guard, which Pro Football and Sports Network identified as the top position battle for San Francisco. The presumed bout between Ben Bartch and Spencer Burford for the starting LG spot will undoubtedly be worth keeping a close eye on. Both players upside, but neither has done anything in the NFL to put a stranglehold on the spot leading up to camp. Advertisement While the starting LG spot is a big one, our top fight for a starting job is on the other side of the ball. Will linebacker stands out as the biggest position battle for the 49ers as they sort out their new-look unit under new old defensive coordinator Robert Saleh. San Francisco lost Dre Greenlaw in free agency which opened the three-down starting spot alongside Fred Warner. Last season De'Vondre Campbell held down that job while Greenlaw recovered from an Achilles tear in the Super Bowl. Campbell quit playing for the 49ers at halftime of Week 15. Throughout the offseason it seemed as though Dee Winters had the inside track to that job. Then the 49ers selected LB Nick Martin No. 75 overall in the NFL draft and opened a bona fide battle for one of the most important jobs on their defense. Advertisement While the offensive line may be overall more important for a football team than the linebacking corps, the 49ers' defense has consistently thrived because they've been able to find quality WLB play next to Warner. Having the All-Pro lined up next to another athletic LB with good coverage skills essentially takes away the middle of the field for opposing offenses. Funneling throws to the sideline creates longer routes, makes the quarterback hold the ball longer, and allows the pass rush to get home and generate impact plays. Last season the team struggled in part because Campbell's athleticism had left him in his Age 31 season along with his ability to play coverage or get to the edge in the run game. The Martin-Winters battle will be an important one that could have a long-term impact on San Francisco's defense if one can emerge as a close facsimile to Greenlaw. That improvement is a bigger deal for the 49ers this season and beyond than anything happening at left guard. More 49ers: 49ers finally prepare for loss of future Hall of Famer in 2026 mock draft This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: 49ers top position battle is not on offensive line
