Between free agency, committee situations and, of course, a desire to see an immediate impact from your most recent NFL draftees, training camp is once again fixing to be both exciting and educational for fantasy owners this year. While many teams have a pretty good idea as to how their offensive rosters and game plans will shake out, there are still a ton of situations that will bear watching, as many roles still remain undefined. Most are secondary roles within a team that fantasy owners will need to learn to round out their rosters and benches, but there are also a fair number of primary positions that still seem to be undecided and either a strong showing or a weak one at training camp will help shake things out for us. Here’s a closer look:
Arizona Cardinals RB
Andre Ellington vs Stepfan Taylor
While Ellington is the early favorite of head coach Bruce Arians, this job battle may be a little more open than many would think. Ellington is a great pass-catching back who did some solid work on the ground last season, but he is much less of a between-the-tackles type than most coaches would like. Taylor, on the other hand, showed last year that he is capable of wearing down a defensive line with a number of short-yardage carries and could be called upon a lot more often, particularly in downs inside the five yard line. You’re drafting Ellington first, but if Taylor starts turning a few of the right heads in camp, he could earn a much bigger role even before we hit Week 1.
Atlanta Falcons RB
Devonta Freeman vs Jacquizz Rodgers
Steven Jackson is the primary ballcarrier for the Falcons. This much is true. But the job for the No. 2 back is wide open, and given what we know about Jackson’s ability to stay healthy, the winner of the back-up job could find himself starting for a fair number of weeks. Rodgers has the obvious experience edge, but as far as complementary backs go, the two are fairly even in the pass-catching department but Freeman has the better upside as a runner. That alone should give Freeman the overall edge, especially when Rodgers has, in his usual supporting role, never been a guy on whom the Falcons or fantasy owners could consistently rely.
Baltimore Ravens RB
There are a number of question marks that surround Rice ranging from his recovery from a hip injury to a potential suspension for a highly publicized domestic assault case involving his then fiancée. The suspension is all in the league’s hands so there’s no way to know what the actual fallout will be. But as for his hip injury, one of the things that has apparently helped him is the weight loss he’s undergone. Last year, Rice tried to trade speed for power and opted to bulk up with the hope of making himself stronger and more difficult to tackle. Instead, it slowed him down and put undue stress on the hip, making him more of a liability than anything else. While he may be in better shape right now, there are still questions about his hip and his stamina. Bernard Pierce is expected to see an increase in carries as it is, but should Rice get suspended or hurt, then Pierce’s role gets even bigger. Training camp should help sort out the distribution questions.
Baltimore Ravens TE
Pitta was primed for a breakout season last year before dislocating his hip and sitting out for all but the final four games of the season. Now healthy, he’s ready to make good on that promise of a breakout and with Gary Kubiak’s new offensive scheme in effect, he should see a number of increased opportunities. However, along with Kubiak came veteran tight end Owen Daniels who will immediately challenge Pitta for targets and yards. Much like the tight end situation in Texas, one will certainly emerge as the primary during camp, but while Pitta may be the favorite right now as the incumbent, there’s a lot that Daniels brings to the table which could push him into more of an even split of playing time and opportunities.
Buffalo Bills TE
While technically, Chandler is considered the No. 1 heading into camp, an offseason knee procedure has widely opened the door for Moeaki who has seen virtually all of the tight end passing work during OTAs this spring and will likely continue to see the majority of work at mini-camp as well. He’s been lauded for his pass-catching since he first tried to break in with the Chiefs a few seasons ago, so with increased opportunity here this summer he could easily carve out a much larger role for himself.
Chicago Bears QB
Jordan Palmer vs Jimmy Clausen vs David Fales vs Jerrod Johnson
Jay Cutler is the clear No. 1 quarterback for the Bears. This much, we know to be true. But given what we know about Cutler’s inability to remain healthy and play a full season, knowing who the back-up for Bears is becomes increasingly important. These are the four competing for the job this summer and while the safe money belongs on Palmer, any of the four, can take this job with a strong camp. All are flawed in some way and this could just turn into a lesser of four evils pick, but someone has to win the job outright. Neither Palmer nor Clausen have seen ‘regular’ work at the NFL level since 2010 but they are probably the ones who are in front for this competition with the edge going Palmer’s way thanks to his relatively extensive knowledge of coach Marc Trestman’s offense. Fales was a sixth-round choice out of San Jose State and has been praised for his pocket presence, but he’s seen more as a project to develop at this point. And finally, there’s Johnson. If Palmer starts off at the top of this heap, it’s Johnson at the bottom to open things up. Anyone who gets cut by a team in favor of Tavaris Jackson simply cannot offer up much in the way of promise. However, with his competition here looking so blah, he stands just as strong a chance to win the job as any of them.
Chicago Bears RB
Ka’Deem Carey vs Michael Ford
Similarly to the quarterback position, the back-up running back job is definitely up for grabs here and an important one to watch during camp. Lead runner Matt Forte will see the obvious majority of snaps and touches, but again, with the potential for injury, a clear-cut No. 2 is needed. Carey doesn’t have game-breaking speed by any means, but he had a strong rookie mini-camp and showed great bursts through the holes between the tackles. The former Arizona Wildcat could easily fill the role that Michael Bush used to have here with regard to short-yardage and potential goal-line work. Ford was the Bears No. 3 last year, so there is a major sense of familiarity and that experience helps equalize things a bit though Carey is probably still the greater talent. Of course, all of this discussion could be a moot point if Bush, still a free agent at press time, re-signs with the Bears after touring the NFL looking for work.
Chicago Bears WR
Josh Morgan vs Marquess Wilson
The top two receiving jobs already belong to Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery, but while those two will likely dominate the targets, the better defenses will be heavily focused on them, leaving the third receiver to potentially do some statistical damage. Morgan was a supporting cast member for the Redskins last year and wasn’t particularly impressive but did manage a 10.7 yards per catch off 20 receptions in limited work. Wilson is now in his second year with the Bears and he came into OTAs with about 30 pounds of muscle added to his frame, something he vastly needed last season. The Bears would like for Wilson to be the guy to step up here, but the experience that Morgan brings to the table may be just enough of an edge here.
Cincinnati Bengals TE
Jermaine Gresham vs Tyler Eifert
This is a situation that had fantasy owners scratching their heads last year and the picture doesn’t get much clearer walking into training camp this year. Gresham is a good pass-catcher, but he doesn’t do anything else beyond that. Sure, he blocks, but we’re talking about limited yards after the catch and very few red zone looks from a receiving standpoint which is really all fantasy owners care about. Eifert, on the other hand, showed tremendous promise last year in his first season with the Bengals and looks like he could fill in the role all by himself. The problem here right now is that neither seems to be stepping up to distinguish himself when there’s an obvious golden opportunity to outshine the other. Gresham has missed OTAs with a hamstring problem while Eifert seems to be slow in his recovery from a shoulder injury he suffered in the playoffs last season. Gresham has the experience advantage while Eifert probably has an edge in pure talent. But they both seem to be at the exact same starting point right now which means a strong camp will tip the scales one way or the other.
Cleveland Browns QB
OK, so not much of a training camp battle here as we all know Johnny Football will be the one slinging the rock for the Bears by the end of the season. However, it’s already been announced that Hoyer will be the one to open the season as the team’s starter. It’s as simple as this: for a variety of reasons that you will read below, this offense is going to have some serious struggles this year and the Browns don’t want to put Manziel through the nightmarish beginning of the year to open his career. If he takes over the team at 0-6, then he’s a hero who will do what he can given the circumstances and everything just gets chalked up to experience. But if he’s the one starting the season at 0-6, then too much focus and too much undeserved blame is going to fall on him and it will impact his career negatively. The two will go back and forth all summer with the masses clamoring for Manziel to start, but the Browns should actually play this one smartly and stick with Hoyer for the time being.
Cleveland Browns RB
The Browns obviously brought Tate in to assume the lead back role in this offense, but there are so many red flags here that you can’t help but think there’s going to be a relatively open competition this summer. Tate may have been the backup in Houston, but he’s seen more than enough work on the field to have the experience edge. However, with that experience edge comes the beating and wear-and-tear any NFL running back takes and his injury history is certainly no clean slate. He’s had just as many problems staying healthy as Foster did and probably spent a little too much time trying to play through them rather than just rest and get healthy. That opens the door for West, who at 5-foot-10, 225 pounds, is built like a powerful north-south runner. His one-cut style seems to fit Kyle Shanahan’s zone-blocking scheme and he’s got both the youth and talent to push Tate for reps this summer. While most will bet on Tate in fantasy drafts, West is likely to be the guy you’ll end up wanting by mid-season.
Cleveland Browns WR
Seven-Man Battle Royale
There are two ways this receiving corps could end up this summer. The first is the Josh Gordon show. If Captain 420 doesn’t get suspended by the league for the entire season, then this offense is all about him. He’s a game-breaking talent who will see the vast majority of targets and you’d be lucky to name a single other receiver on this team. But we live in a little world called the NFL here and the league is ready to drop the hammer on Gordon and make a very strong example out of him. We’d say the chances of a full-year suspension are pretty darn good, so the contingency plan goes into effect. That means a competition for targets for Miles Austin, Nate Burleson, Travis Benjamin, Earl Bennett, Andrew Hawkins and Anthony Armstrong. Gross, right? Super gross. Talk about a hodge-podge cast of characters. Picking out a favorite here is like trying to decide what length of spike you want drilled into your head. Call it a wide-open competition with very modest potential.
Dallas Cowboys RB
Joseph Randle vs Lance Dunbar vs Ryan Williams
We all know DeMarco Murray is the lead back on this team, but we also know his upright style of running leaves him extremely susceptible to injury, so the back-up job becomes very important. Randle was supposedly the team’s No. 2 last year, but did almost nothing to distinguish himself during his time, albeit limited time, on the field. He was supposed to be a slashing runner with deceptive power and good hands but barely showed that with his 3.0 yards per carry average. Dunbar has been a depth-back for the Cowboys the last two seasons, but not only has he done very little to stand out, but he also missed the last four games last year with a torn PCL in his knee. He’s supposedly fully recovered, but he has to come up big in camp this summer to stand out. Williams joins the fray here but comes in already with a couple of strikes against him. Injuries have gotten the better of him these last two seasons and when he was actually on the field for the Cardinals, he was incredibly disappointing. He’s the obvious third-wheel here, but none of these guys really stand out to the point where you can say one is the clear-cut back-up and automatic handcuff for Murray. We’ll know once we’re a little further into camp though.
Detroit Lions TE
Brandon Pettigrew vs Eric Ebron
Classic battle of young versus old; youthful exuberance versus age and experience. Pettigrew is the incumbent and actually just signed a four-year deal to stay with the Lions. He’s a decent blocker and a decent pass-catcher, but there’s nothing that’s lighting it up on the field, on the scoreboard or on your fantasy teams. Ebron, on the other hand, is a big, athletic, pass-catching tight end who has drawn comparisons to the likes of Jimmy Graham and Shannon Sharpe. He was absolutely outstanding at the University of North Carolina and well-deserving of the Lions taking him at No. 10 overall in the 2014 draft. Both will be utilized throughout the year, but this summer, the No. 1 job is very much available for the taking. It’s tough to see Pettigrew beating out Ebron for the top spot, but we won’t completely count him out just yet. The rookie has a lot to learn about the NFL game.
Detroit Lions WR
If there’s one thing we learned from last year’s Calvin Johnson injury, it’s that the rest of the Lions receivers are as blah as they come and quarterback Matthew Stafford doesn’t even come close to connecting with them as well. This year, Golden Tate was brought in and that immediately upgrades the No. 2 receiver spot for Detroit. But Megatron is not the picture of health he once was and continues to run the risk of getting even more banged up as defenses key on him as much as possible. That means that if he gets hurt, Tate is going to need some help. In a vacuum, Broyles is the guy you want. He doesn’t have great size, but he’s got good speed, great hands and is a strong route-runner. Unfortunately, they call him Mr. Glass because he breaks so easily. Knee injuries and, most recently, a ruptured Achilles, have kept him down and there’s just no reason to believe that this is finally the year the injury bug doesn’t take a big bite out of his ass. That leaves Durham who, in all honesty, doesn’t offer a whole lot of upside. He’s got great size and good speed, but he just doesn’t seem to have any buzz about him. He and Broyles will fight it out this summer, but neither figures to be anything more than a waiver grab once Megatron gets pummeled into submission.
Houston Texans QB
So Ryan Fitzpatrick gets the starting nod under center for the Texans this year and rookie Tom Savage is being groomed to be the quarterback of the future. That means while he’s holding the clipboard, the Texans need a No. 2 guy. One will make this team and one will be cut between Keenum and Yates and right now the two are in a dead heat. Keenum may have a slight advantage due to the work he’s done on the field recently, but Yates is probably just as skilled and equally capable of handling the No. 2 responsibilities. Neither one is a guy you’re targeting, but if you play in a deeper league and are thinking about using Fitzpatrick, you should know who your handcuff is. This battle could go down to the wire this summer so don’t expect any clear-cut answers anytime soon.
Indianapolis Colts RB
Trent Richardson vs Ahmad Bradshaw vs Vick Ballard
While you’d like to say that this is finally the year Richardson gets it and starts to run like a No. 1 back should, those who have watched closely and witnessed his floundering these last two years know that he is anything but trustworthy as a No. 1 back. The Colts will give him every opportunity to win the job outright this summer, but everyone seems to be of the mindset that no one will win this battle and a three-headed committee monster will be deployed. Richardson has the raw talent, Bradshaw has the age and experience and Ballard is the pass-catcher. Roll ‘em up together and you’ve got an elite back, but sadly we can’t do that. Injuries could get the best of Bradhsaw again which could result in the Richardson/Ballard tandem, but T-Rich is really going to have to have a strong camp for the Colts not to get frustrated and bury him on the depth chart.
Jacksonville Jaguars RB
With Maurice Jones-Drew leaving town, the opportunity is here for Gerhart to finally step out of the Adrian Peterson shadow and shine as the Jags’ No. 1 running back. He’s got good size and a strong ability to burst through between the tackles and though he’s now headed into his fifth NFL season, he doesn’t have the wear-and-tear that most five-year veteran backs have. While the edge certainly goes to Gerhart, Todman showed last year that he too is more than capable of shouldering the load as a potential No. 1. He showed last year that he can be a quality pass-catcher while also grinding it out for short yardage, but has never been asked to do it for a full 16 games. Add that to the fact that they love him as a kick returner and he may have too much on his plate to take the job from Gerhart. Expect the two to receive similar reps to start camp but the team will designate one over the other fairly quickly.
Miami Dolphins RB
Knowshon Moreno vs Lamar Miller vs Daniel Thomas
In reality, there is so little to really like about this situation that we almost don’t even want to discuss it, let alone recommend one player over another. Moreno comes to town as the experienced back who revitalized his career thanks to defenses having to spend all their time worrying about Peyton Manning’s arm. Covering Moreno on the ground was secondary. That’s not the case here in Miami and if Moreno is going to be the No. 1 back here, he’s going to have to work a whole lot harder. He got off on the wrong foot coming into OTAs roughly 30 pounds heavier and completely out-of-shape and is looking worse and worse as a regular option. But the competition here isn’t exactly the toughest we’ve seen. Miller has great speed, but he not a strong runner and his 4.0 yards per carry average last year left little to be desired. His counterpart, Thomas, was a second-round pick in 2011, but hamstring and concussion issues killed the start of his career and when he was given a variety of opportunities to supplant a mediocre Miller, he never did anything worth noting. Moreno will probably win the No. 1 job outright, but given his potential to struggle in a new offense, these other two knuckleheads won’t be too far behind him.
New England Patriots RB
Stevan Ridley vs Shane Vereen vs Brandon Bolden vs James White
If there’s one thing we can all agree on, it’s that Bill Belichick tailors his offensive game plan to each opponent, each week. He could go run-heavy with Ridley for an entire day, he could split the carries between him and Vereen, he could go heavy with Vereen, or he could even abandon the run altogether. It’s just a matter of what the opposition’s defense is all about. While that’s great for the real world it’s a total stinker for fantasy owners as the lack of game-to-game consistency makes owning any of these guys a nightmare. Ridley is the main runner. Vereen is the top pass-catching back. Bolden does a little mix of both, and White, the rookie, is cut from the same cloth as Vereen. It makes sense to go in thinking that Ridley and Vereen are the top two and the guys to own, but each has their shortcomings as well. Ridley caught a major case of the fumbles last year and spent a substantial amount of time in the coach’s doghouse while Vereen seems to get banged up fairly easily. Bolden is more a utility guy who seems unlikely to shoulder a major load and with three experienced backs in-house, White would need one ridiculous training camp to carve out any semblance of a substantial role. Knowing Belichick though, the pecking order in this backfield could change up dramatically this summer.
New England Patriots TE
D.J. Williams vs Michael Hoomanawanui
Obviously Rob Gronkowski is the No. 1 tight end on this team, but as we’ve seen in past years, the team loves a good 2-TE formation and likes to incorporate that second tight end into the passing game on a regular basis. Hoomanawanui is more of a blocking tight end, but has been involved in the passing game in short-yardage situations. Williams doesn’t seem to offer much, but he’s also never been given any sort of a legit opportunity as he’s played behind a few favorite-target tight ends in his time such as Jermichael Finley in Green Bay and Marcedes Lewis in Jacksonville. Belichick will want one of them to stand out and probably doesn’t care which one, so look for the two to see equal reps this summer and may the best man win.
New Orleans Saints WR
Though Marques Colston is the top wideout and Jimmy Graham is obviously a major player in the passing game, the Saints are in need of a strong No. 2 to line up opposite Colsotn and be strong enough to warrant significant defensive attention. Stills had a reasonably promising rookie season though often disappeared at times. It wasn’t so much that Drew Brees wasn’t looking his way though as much as he seemed to struggle with his routes fairly often. The Saints are hoping that with a year of experience under his belt, he can master the routes and pick up some of the slack left behind with the departures of both Lance Moore and Darren Sproles. Those are somewhat big shoes to fill in a sophomore campaign, but many think him to be more than capable. Those who are skeptical sit in the camp of Cooks who won the Biletnikoff Award last season as the nation’s top collegiate wide receiver, gaining 128 catches for 1,730 yards on a combination of deep balls, slants and screens. Initially, the Saints are thinking that he’ll line up in the slot most of the time, but they also want to keep him versatile and would also like to see him line up on the outside. Given the amount of passing Brees does, there should be enough targets for both, but fantasy owners need to own the clear-cut No. 2. By the middle to the end of August, we should have our answer.
New York Giants RB
Rashad Jennings vs David Wilson
Even though Wilson says that he is pain-free, the Giants seem to be leaning towards a heavier dose of Jennings, at least to open the year, as they ease Wilson back into the mix. But at 29-years-old and never opening a season as his team’s primary running back, there’s more than just a little skepticism about him being used as a consistent No. 1 back. He’s flashed some real talent at times, but more often than not, he’s an average runner capable of breaking a long run if the holes open up right for him. That’s simply no different than any other run-of-the-mill running back. While the Giants say they’ll ease Wilson in, should he turn around and have a strong camp, the Giants could end up turning right to him from the onset as that was their game plan last season. They want Wilson to succeed and they love his bursts of speed and ability to take it to the outside, but they don’t want to put all their eggs into his basket again and get caught like they did last year. The plan heading into training camp is very loosely laid out and a strong showing by either one could ultimately sway things in his particular direction at any time.
New York Giants WR
Odell Beckman vs Jerrel Jernigan vs Mario Manningham
This should actually be an interesting battle for the third wide receiver spot on a team that will do a significant amount of passing. Victor Cruz and Rueben Randle will dominate the targets, but as a supporting cast and potential deep threat, each of these guys has their own merits. Manningham is the most experienced and returns to the Giants after a year of banishment to the Bay Area, but knee injuries continue to hamper his ability to stay on the field. Jernigan stepped into the limelight late last year when the regular receivers were all hurt, but while he’s got great speed, he’s a bit undersized. Beckman was the 12th overall selection in the 2014 draft and could be thrust into a substantial role if he proves himself in camp. He’s a little undersized at 5-foot-11, but he’s got great athleticism and good speed and could prove to be a strong deep threat. He really turned heads at the Combine with a 38.5-inch vertical leap ,which obviously makes him a dangerous target if Eli manning ends up tossing out a few deep jump-balls. One of these three will walk away with the No. 3 job while the other two fade into a more supportive depth role.
New York Jets RB
This is probably less of a training camp battle as much as it is a situation that just bears monitoring. Heading into camp, the Jets consider Johnson and Ivory a tandem. They will supposedly share the job evenly with Bilal Powell fading back into a part-time, third-down role. But the question is, will the Jets stick with an even distribution of carries between the two or is one capable of stepping ahead of the other on the depth chart? Johnson is on the obvious decline and Ivory has never really held a starting role all by himself, so the outlook screams committee. But before you just resign yourself to that when it comes time to draft, watch the two in camp this summer and see if one starts to create a little separation.
Oakland Raiders QB
The Raiders supposedly brought Schaub in to be their starting quarterback, but suddenly there have been some rumblings that Carr, the 36th overall pick in the 2014 draft, could supplant Schaub as early as training camp. The Raiders had been linked to Carr for some time and most pundits saw this draft selection coming, so given the constant injury concerns with Schaub as well as his steady decline, we suddenly have ourselves a quarterback competition. The Raiders may soon back off that notion as it makes more sense to open the year with Schaub under center, but it could simply come down to training camp performance. Of course, these rumblings could also just be an internal way of keeping a fire lit under Schaub’s ass this summer, but the rumors can’t exactly be ignored either.
Oakland Raiders RB
Darren McFadden vs Maurice Jones-Drew
Two veterans and two very long lists of injuries grace the Oakland backfield this season. McFadden seems to have the edge as the incumbent, but MJD is threatening to steal enough work that the team is looking for other ways to get the ball into McFadden’s hands. A possible way to do that has led to McFadden handling kickoff return duties and while it’s early and nothing is etched in stone, we can’t think of a faster way to get this guy on crutches by Week 4. Of course, they’ve also discussed MJD handling the punt return duties, so let’s make sure there are two beds in that hospital room. With both backs being veterans, it would seem that each will get a legitimate shot to outshine the other in the early goings of training camp. They’ll probably split the first-team carries fairly evenly but you should expect one to take a stand and emerge as more of a No. 1.
Philadelphia Eagles TE
This appears to be more of a changing of the guard than it is a training camp battle as Celek is, and has been, on the outs with the Eagles. Last year, we saw a significant tilt towards Ertz, especially in the latter half of the season, and the club is probably looking to make the full transition at some point this season. He’s younger, he’s faster and will ultimately prove to be the better pass-catcher with more potential to gain significant yards after the catch. However, Celek is still under contract through 2016, so the Eagles aren’t just going to dismiss him and take the financial loss. The two will get a fairly even split of work in camp, and the one who shines brightest (we’re guessing Ertz), will become the starter and a primary target for Nick Foles come the first week of the season.
Seattle Seahawks RB
Marshawn Lynch vs Christine Michael vs Robert Turbin
We’ve covered Lynch quite a bit this offseason here at Fantasy Alarm and while technically he heads into training camp as the team’s No. 1 back, there are a ton of question marks and red flags with him to turn this into a legitimate training camp battle. Let’s simply start with the fact that both head coach Pete Carroll and offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell have both doled out a ton of praise on Michael and have discussed the team moving to a committee backfield. Then there’s Lynch’s clamoring about wanting to renegotiate his contract. Then there are the off-field issues that have suddenly cropped up (Really? Involved in a rap star brawl at a club? Come on, man). And finally, Lynch’s most recent comments have alluded to his newfound retirement plans. He’s one of the most talented running backs in the NFL, but this five-cent head of his is getting him into trouble and the Seahawks seem more than willing to give Michael, and Turbin, for that matter, increased opportunities moving forward. Watch for the fallout during training camp as it will shed a lot of light onto where exactly Lynch should be taken in drafts this year. Before all of this, he was easily a top-5 overall pick. Now? Not so much.
San Francisco 49ers RB
Carlos Hyde vs Kendall Hunter vs Marcus Lattimore vs LaMichael James
Who will be the heir-apparent to Frank Gore’s starting job? He’s 31-years old and the 49ers have run him hard these last few seasons. There’s only so much left in the tank. Hunter was deemed the guy at one point, but he may have gotten involved too early to still be the guy all these years later. James was drafted to be the guy, but the 49ers have been disillusioned by his performance to date and seem resigned to turn him into more of a return specialist with a small, part-time role in the ground attack. They brought in Lattimore as a reclamation project and let him rehab his totally annihilated knee while with the team and made some noises that he would be stepping in during the 2014 season, but then suddenly in the draft, they ended up with Hyde, a 6-foot, 230-pound bruising back in the second round who is now expected to jump right into the fray. Gore will stick as the top guy but it looks like the main battle for the No. 2 spot will be between Lattimore and Hyde with James and Hunter being cast aside to a certain extent. Lattimore seems like he’ll be more finesse than Hyde but both will see ample touches this summer to determine who will be the primary backup. Both are probably going to be worth a look in keeper leagues, but expect one to step out ahead of the other at some point soon.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers TE
Timothy Wright vs Austin Seferian-Jenkins
Just because Seferian-Jenkins was the John Mackey Award winner as the nation’s top collegiate tight end in 2013 and a second-round pick in the 2014 draft, it doesn’t mean he’s the team’s top tight end coming into this season. Yes, he’s a strong blocker and yes, he’s an even stronger pass-catcher, but not only does Wright have the experience edge, but he broke through last year without as glossy a pedigree. Wright caught 54 passes for 571 yards and five touchdowns as an undrafted free agent last year and has continued to receive extremely high praise from his coaches. In fact, new Bucs head coach Lovie Smith said that he had “big plans” for Wright this season. Seferian-Jenkins is a true talent and should surpass Wright altogether this summer, but the Bucs could also find their way into more 2-TE formations and give both a fair amount of work.
Tennessee Titans RB
Another dreaded committee situation seems to be in the cards here as Shonn Greene is expected to be the lead, but has never been someone upon whom a team can rely all year. He’s also more of a between-the-tackles grinder and not such a strong pass-catcher which, limits his upside and that of the overall offense. Enter Sankey, who is cut from the same cloth as Cincinnati’s Giovani Bernard and you’ve got a much more versatile player who can run with power as well as be a strong pass-catcher to take the ball outside. Should the two run tandem, it could be a near-identical situation as the Bengals have with Bernard and BenJarvus Green-Ellis, however, that might not even be the case as Greene continues to recover from a recent knee procedure. He’s expected to be ready for camp, but Sankey has seen his opportunity to work with the first-team offense during OTAs increase massively and put him on-track for a potentially significant role this season.
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