Written by: Tyler Deakin
This week was an exciting one for NFL fans as we watched the first preseason game & soaked in the Hall of Fame ceremonies. We’re set for more preseason football this week as we make our way towards the regular season. The first game played on a Sunday this year is a preseason tilt between the Colts & Panthers on August 15th. Training camp storylines this week centered around drama in New Orleans, New York & Houston for a variety of reasons. Other developments from this week include Josh Allen getting paid & star players returning from injuries. I’ll discuss all of these stories & more in this week’s edition of Training Camp Update.
Drama in New Orleans
This has been a tough offseason for the Saints & their fanbase. Star quarterback Drew Brees retired, several veteran players left via free agency, and kicker Will Lutz just had core muscle surgery this week. Then, the developing story broke about star receiver Michael Thomas electing to delay offseason ankle surgery until June. He recently had his surgery meaning that his return is delayed until October at the earliest. Beyond that though, Thomas reportedly requested a trade from the team after dodging calls from the coaching staff & management all offseason. All of these factors make it seem like the Saints are in for tough ride this upcoming season.
Controversy in New York
Training camp for the Giants this year has been full of interesting developments such as a former player lashing out against team management, a full team brawl, & several veteran players retiring. The week began with former tight end Kelvin Benjamin criticizing head coach Joe Judge for his lack of honesty & accountability. He said he felt that the tryout they gave him was a hoax, and that he deserved more of a fair chance to make the roster based on his play & conditioning. Later, the brawl began with tight end Evan Engram & safety Logan Ryan attacking each other on the first day of practice in pads. It ended with the entire team piling on top of QB Daniel Jones, which led to their coach putting all the players through an extreme, expletive filled workout. Veteran players Todd Davis, Joe Looney, & Zach Fulton retired in the days immediately following the skirmish. How will all of this affect the culture in New York?
Tension in Houston
QB Deshaun Watson’s on again, off again practice participation has been an interesting storyline to track throughout training camp. He returned for his first week of training camp after an offseason hiatus, participating in each day’s practice. The next week of camp was a different story for him; he didn’t participate in any of those practices amidst speculation that he could be traded. That trade didn’t materialize though, so he’s been back at practice this week. Both the team & player are really in limbo until he is either traded or placed on the Commissioner’s Exempt list. Head coach David Culley has previously stated that Watson is unlikely to play in this week’s preseason game against the Packers. How long will this offseason drama continue?
Josh Allen gets paid
Bills QB Josh Allen recently signed a 6-year, $258M deal with the team. Allen’s story is one of perseverance, as he received zero scholarship offers out of high school. He enrolled in a junior college for a year afterwards, and during that time sent an email to 1,000 colleges across the country before receiving 1 offer from Wyoming. The rest is history, as he enjoyed a prolific college career there before finding success at the NFL level. What does his deal mean for fellow 2018 draft QBs Lamar Jackson, Baker Mayfield, & Sam Darnold going forward?
Stars return from injury
Fantasy football fans rejoice as RB Saquan Barkley, WR Amari Cooper, & QB Dak Prescott returned from injury this week. Other players who returned from injury this week include Ravens QB Lamar Jackson (COVID) & Colts LB Darius Leonard. It’s a good sign for Barkley in particular that he’s off the PUP list after he recently reported skepticism about his availability in Week 1. Prescott & Cooper have made considerable progress in their recoveries & they will hopefully be able to play in the regular season kickoff game against the Buccaneers. Jackson & Leonard are both healthy now after missing the first couple weeks of camp.
Comments