Some takes from the past weekend:
The powerhouses from last year are back...for the most part.
Three out of the four teams in the Final Four last year look poised to make a run at the Lombardi trophy once again. The Denver Broncos offense is still elite and hasn't missed a beat transitioning from Eric Decker to Emmanuel Sanders, while Montee Ball would be facing arguably the softest box in the NFL with Manning back behind center. In addition, the Broncos get back stud Left Tackle Ryan Clady who missed all of last year to solidify protection for The Sheriff. Defensively, the Broncos have upgraded significantly with adding a true shutdown corner in Aqib Talib and a hammer at safety in TJ Ward. Near the trenches, Von Miller will return from his injury, while Demarcus Ware has looked like the healthy Ware of old. Scary.
The Seattle Seahawks don't look like a team that is accomplished and just won it all. They still play hungry and with a chip on their shoulder. The defense needs no explaining, but Russell Wilson seems a little more accurate, Beast Mode is running touchdowns, and Percy Harvin is on the field....for now.
The New England Patriots still seem to be without a true number once receiver for Tom Brady, but Kenbrell Thompkins has made strides to earn Brady's trust and Rob Gronkowski seems poised for a Week 1 return (we'll see how long he lasts this year). The defense has been the hype though, with the Patriots beefing up the Defensive Line with their first round pick of Dominique Easley. The secondary looks like it will be top notch, with the additions of shutdown corner Darrelle Revis and a physical specimen in Brandon Browner, who will join the team in Week 5.
Now for the one team that seems out of whack... The San Francisco 49ers. The defense is missing Navarro Bowman and the secondary looks suspect. The offensive line hasn't gave Colin Kaepernick any time and he seems inaccurate as well. With a stacked NFC, they need to figure something out quick and flip the switch.
Manziel-mania will be put on hold.
This was probably one of the more exciting preseasons in recent memory, and it was largely a crdit to one player: Johnny Manziel. Manziel was arguably the most polarized player to come out of college, and he didn't lack headlines in the offseason before camp. On the field, Manziel didn't exactly impress, but neither did his primary competition, Brian Hoyer. Manziel did blow up the internet though, for reasons he probably preferred not to, such as flipping the bird to the Redskins bench and getting sacked by another polarized player in Michael Sam. In my opinion, it is great news for Johnny that he won't be starting. The first three games for the Browns are against Pittsburgh (Dick Lebeau's defense), New Orleans Saints (Rob Ryan's defense), and the Baltimore Ravens. Week 4 is their bye week, so if there is any good time for Manziel to make his first start, it would be the fourth game against the lowly Tennessee Titans.
Quarterback market
For some players, the preseason gives them a chance to carve out a role on the team they are already on. For others, it's an audition for the other 31 teams around the league. With good quarterbacks in high demand, a few backups are brought in the spotlight. In a situation like the New York Jets, although Michael Vick could probably start for a team, we all know he will most likely stay a Jet this year. So who are quarterback needy teams like the Houston Texans and the St. Louis Rams (recently lost Sam Bradford to yet another ACL tear) looking for? Three guys are brought to the forefront. Ryan Mallett, who has had a decent preseason in New England, Mark Sanchez, who has played like a starter in Philly, and probably the guy with the most upside and looks the best, Kirk Cousins in the nations capital. There are a couple of weeks left to see if these guys will be traded, cut, or just stick on the team they are on right now.
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