Charles Robinson of YahooSports.com points out that three huge contracts have recently been awarded to QBs with very incomplete resumes:

The contracts of Jordan Love, Tua Tagovailoa and Trevor Lawrence have some people scratching their heads.

Let’s take this one-by-one, starting with Love, who recently became the NFL’s highest-paid quarterback with a monster $220 million contract from the Packers. The reason why this could be seen as risky is obvious: Love has started only one season for the Packers, and not all of it was good. Now, considering that Love became the most dynamic and efficient thrower of the football over the final half of the season, it would’ve been irresponsible to not pay him.

He was unflappable, nearly leading the Packers to the NFC title game. The future looks bright for Love and the Packers. The only concern for Love is if he somehow regresses to the point where he was earlier last season, where the accuracy was spotty and general manager Brian Gutekunst was declaring publicly the remainder of the season would be “very important” for Love, which sounded ominous about his future in Green Bay. Still, the expectation for Love and the Packers should be a top-10 passing game based on what they accomplished last season.

Tagovailoa has the most accomplished statistical profile of the three. He has been one of the most efficient QBs in the league since head coach Mike McDaniel and wide receiver Tyreek Hill arrived in Miami. However, there are doubts about his ability to overcome some of the problems that his contract will create as the salary-cap hits increase in the future. At some point, Tagovailoa is going to have to show the ability to consistently create and be the main driver of offensive production instead of taking a passenger role.

Still, it’s hard to let the quarterback of an offense that’s capable of scoring 70 points go, so it’s understandable why the Dolphins eventually paid him. Just need to wait and see how this one goes for the Dolphins over the next few years.

Trevor Lawrence is somewhere in the middle. He doesn’t have the overall production of Tagovailoa or the stretch of extreme efficiency that Love had, but he has shown plenty of ability to overcome some of the shortcomings that the Jacksonville offense presents. The Jags put some playmakers around him, but overall it has been inconsistent and Lawrence hasn’t quite lived up to the lofty expectations placed upon him.

That said, he’s largely been great for the Jaguars and still has a ton of untapped upside as he moves into his mid-20s and begins to grow into a veteran player. Don’t sell his stock just yet. He’s a risk-taker, but still a supremely talented quarterback who can grow into a perennial playoff performer.

Quarterbacks don’t grow on trees. Even the ones with question marks are getting paid, as this offseason showed. Time will tell if these investments will pay off, but it’s clear that they had to happen regardless of outcome. These three will be fascinating case studies to follow as quarterback contracts get more and more expensive, even for the players who have unknown or incomplete grades.

NFC NORTH

CHICAGO

We are two days, just two days, from the first football game of the season.  And QB CALEB WILLIAMS wants to be part of it.  Lucas Hunt of USA TODAY:

The Chicago Bears have ramped up the intensity of their ongoing training camp in preparation for their first preseason game on Thursday. The Bears will take on the Houston Texans in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game, which gives Chicago one extra exhibition game.

There’s been ample speculation that the starters won’t participate in the extra contest, as the coaching staff wouldn’t want to risk injury for their first unit. That means rookies who are projected to start, like No. 1 pick quarterback Caleb Williams, wouldn’t get their first taste of NFL action until the official first week of the preseason.

Williams discussed the benefits that come with him getting preseason reps, which could very well start Thursday in Canton.

“I always think there’s more pros than cons, if anything, especially for a young guy like myself,” Williams said. “Reps are always paramount for a young guy like myself.”

Chicago’s rookie quarterback made it clear that he wants to play on Thursday, but he also understands the decision isn’t up to him.

“I would love to get out there and play,” he said. “It’s pretty awesome to get out there at Canton.”

As of Monday, Williams was not told whether he would suit up or not. Coach Matt Eberflus said that the announcement about whether Williams and starters will play would be made Tuesday.

The broader question of how much the starting units of NFL teams should play in the preseason is complicated. The catastrophic prospect of key players getting injured for what’s perceived as a meaningless game has left teams and their fans conflicted for decades. There’s been several instances of crucial players, such as the starting quarterback, going down with a serious injury in these games, dooming that team’s entire season.

Still, there are undeniable benefits in the whole matter. It allows rookies to get their first look at real NFL action, gives the newcomers some game experience playing in a new system, and gives the guys lower on the depth chart their biggest chance to make an impression on their coaching staff. Speaking of coaches, it allows them to tinker with playbooks, schemes, alignments and even situational playcalls, all of which helps them better prepare for when the games count.

There’s pros and cons, as Williams aptly put it. The Bears’ coaches will need to carefully evaluate the risk versus reward as the team gears up for their first preseason game this week.

DETROIT

Frank Schwab of YahooSports.com is up to #2 in his ratings – and the Lions get that coveted spot only behind (by process of elimination) the Chiefs:

Other NFL team previews: 32. Panthers | 31. Patriots | 30. Broncos | 29. Commanders | 28. Giants | 27. Titans | 26. Raiders | 25. Cardinals | 24. Saints | 23. Chargers | 22. Vikings | 21. Seahawks | 20. Buccaneers | 19. Jaguars | 18. Falcons | 17. Colts | 16. Bears | 15. Steelers | 14. Rams | 13. Bengals | 12. Dolphins | 11. Eagles | 10. Jets | 9. Packers | 8. Texans | 7. Browns | 6. Bills | 5. Cowboys | 4. Ravens | 3. 49ers | 2. Lions

If you’d have asked any Detroit Lions fan through the years for the probability they’d ever see their team in the Super Bowl, the answer surely would not have been 90%. It might not have been 9%. Maybe not even 0.9%.

But during the third quarter of last season’s NFC championship game, the Lions’ win probability reached 90.4%, according to Next Gen Stats. The Lions led 24-10. They’d just picked up a first down on a David Montgomery run. With less than nine minutes left in the third quarter, the Lions — the franchise of 0-16, Barry Sanders and Calvin Johnson retiring rather than continuing to lose, not one Super Bowl appearance ever and just one playoff win from 1957 to last season — were seemingly on their way to a Super Bowl.

It changed in a blink. All of those searches for flight prices and hotel rooms in Las Vegas that were originating in Michigan abruptly ended. The 49ers got a stop on a questionable decision by Detroit to go for it on fourth down, had a miraculous long catch from Brandon Aiyuk, recovered a fumble by Jahmyr Gibbs and tied it 24-24. San Francisco won 34-31. The Lions weren’t the first team to blow a lead in a playoff game. But that seemed like it happened faster than any other memorable collapse. Or maybe it just seemed like it happened so fast because everyone knew the Lions, their history and what a Super Bowl would have meant.

There are two ways the story can go from there. Either that’s the one that got away, a blown opportunity lamented forever by beaten-down Lions fans, or just one step on the journey to a Super Bowl and one of the great stories in American sports history (to be very clear, Detroit winning a Super Bowl absolutely would be on that list). The Lions didn’t sit around and feel sorry for themselves this offseason.

Detroit attacked its weaknesses. The Lions signed run-stopping defensive tackle D.J. Reader. To fix a cornerback problem, they signed Amik Robertson, traded for Carlton Davis III from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and drafted Terrion Arnold in the first round and Ennis Rakestraw Jr. in the second. They signed defensive end Marcus Davenport to help out Aidan Hutchinson. The Lions got close to the prize and tried to make sure they don’t fall short again.

Lions head coach Dan Campbell knows how fleeting it can all be though.

“I told those guys, this may have been our only shot,” Campbell said after the 49ers loss. “Do I think that? No. Do I believe that? No. But I know how hard it is to get here. I’m well aware, and it’s going to be twice as hard to get back to this point next year than it was this year. That’s the reality.”

Detroit also might have shortened its Super Bowl window. The Lions signed receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown and offensive tackle Penei Sewell to contracts that were the highest ever at their positions when they were signed, and also signed Jared Goff to a four-year $212 million deal. Left tackle Taylor Decker got an extension worth $20 million per year as well. There’s nothing wrong with extending good players, but it makes it harder to build a championship roster.

There’s urgency. Not because of the contracts, though that’s a factor now. It’s because Lions fans have waited forever for this. They got close. The players have listened to Campbell’s challenge and are ready to go for the final step.

“It’s like, what do you want to accomplish as a team? I can truthfully say this year, it’s not even playoffs. It’s not the No. 1 seed. It’s the Super Bowl,” St. Brown said after the first training camp practice of the season, according to the team’s site. “I just feel like everyone in the room — and this is the first year I feel like truly as a team, we all feel the same way. We all want to win a Super Bowl. We know we can win the Super Bowl. We have the team, we have the coaches, we have everything we need in this building to win a Super Bowl, and that’s our goal. That’s our focus in everything we do from here on moving forward is to get that Super Bowl.”

There’s a lot of pressure on the Lions this season. Last season was a fun ride but replicating it won’t be good enough. There’s just one more place for Detroit to go. Maybe this is finally the season it happens.

Offseason grade

The Lions did well to identify what needed to be fixed and made strong moves to rectify the issues. Cornerback was a big problem last season, and between Amik Robertson, Carlton Davis III, Terrion Arnold and Ennis Rakestraw Jr. they should be much better there. The Lions got very fortunate that Arnold slipped to them at the 24th pick. The defensive line should be better with free-agent additions Marcus Davenport and D.J. Reader. The team lost guard Jonah Jackson to the Rams but found a capable replacement in Kevin Zeitler. Perhaps the Lions will regret not finding another receiver after Josh Reynolds left in free agency, but that might not be a problem if 2022 first-round pick Jameson Williams takes his flashes of talent and turns that into consistent production. Overall it was the kind of offseason that sets up the Lions to be even better than last season.

Grade: A-

Quarterback report

The best news of the offseason for Jared Goff was that Ben Johnson “wanted the sunshine a little bit longer.” Johnson, the Lions’ offensive coordinator, was in high demand for a head-coaching job this offseason but had a great reason for staying in Detroit: He experienced winning those playoff games last season and wanted to see it through with the Lions. Johnson took his name out of the head-coaching mix and the Lions had a hugely important piece back.

Johnson has been the Lions’ coordinator for two seasons and in each season Detroit finished in the top five of the NFL in yardage and points scored. Johnson is just 38 and his reputation is growing fast. He helped Goff revive his career after he was dumped by the Rams. Goff has 9,013 yards and 59 touchdowns the past two seasons. He became a fan favorite in Detroit and signed a $212 million deal with $170 million guaranteed. Goff fits Johnson’s offense very well and the continuity between the two is a huge factor for the 2024 Lions. With Johnson and most of the offense returning, Goff should put up another big season.

BetMGM odds breakdown

Detroit fans love betting on their teams, but the love for the Lions this season probably extends beyond Michigan. The Lions are fourth in the odds to win the Super Bowl (+1200) and second in the odds to win the NFC (+550) at BetMGM. Detroit is the second-most popular Super Bowl bet and the most popular bet to win the NFC. Of all the money bet on the NFC winner, a whopping 28.2% was on Detroit as of late June. Its win total of 10.5 is the third-most bet over on the board. Jared Goff’s MVP odds have also been dropping fast, from an opening number of 40-to-1 to 25-to-1. Given the recent history of quarterbacks from No. 1 seeds winning the MVP (12 of the past 15 MVPs were QBs from a top seed), Goff has a chance if the Lions have a big season.

Yahoo’s fantasy take

From Yahoo’s Scott Pianowski: “I keep talking about wanting to build my fantasy teams around wide receivers, with an anchor running back to the side. One of the main reasons that strategy makes sense is because there’s such a deep pool of reasonably-priced RB2 candidates. David Montgomery is high on that target list.

“Obviously Montgomery isn’t going to have the Detroit backfield to himself; Jahmyr Gibbs is too good. But the Lions don’t have a running quarterback and they don’t feature any other running backs. Montgomery feels like a lock for double-digit touches every week and a high share of the goal-line equity. And obviously he’s working behind a dominant offensive line, perhaps the best unit in the league. Boring value isn’t the most exciting fantasy strategy, but it usually gets good mileage.”

Stat to remember

The Lions’ 2023 draft class was largely panned but if we were grading it now, Detroit is probably No. 1 on the list. The highlights were running back Jahmyr Gibbs and tight end Sam LaPorta, who became the first rookie teammates in NFL history to each record 10 touchdowns. Last season was the first time in Lions history they got 2,000 scrimmage yards and 20 touchdowns from their rookie class, and it all came from LaPorta and Gibbs. The Lions also got 95 tackles from linebacker Jack Campbell and 74 tackles and three interceptions from safety Brian Branch, who looks like a future Pro Bowler.

Gibbs and LaPorta elevate the offense. Gibbs split time with the effective David Montgomery (1,015 rushing yards and 13 TDs), though the Lions are promising a bigger role for him in his second season. Gibbs scored 14 touchdowns in his final 14 games, counting playoffs. LaPorta’s 86 catches set an NFL record for a rookie tight end. Between those two, Montgomery, elite receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown and former first-round draft pick Jameson Williams, the Lions are loaded at the skill positions. And the Lions also have an offensive line that is considered to be the best in the NFL.

Burning question

Is the Lions’ defense Super Bowl worthy?

The Chiefs would not have won a Super Bowl last season without their elite defense. The 49ers made the Super Bowl not just due to Kyle Shanahan’s offense but also a top-five defense. There’s no question the Lions have a Super Bowl-level offense. It might end up being the best offense in the NFL this season. The question is if the defense is ready to do its part.

Detroit didn’t have a bad defense last season, but it needs to get better to reach the level of teams like the Chiefs and 49ers. The Lions gave up way too many big plays in the passing game to be a top defense. They gave up 69 20-yard passes last season, four more than any other NFL defense. For comparison, the Chiefs gave up 39, which tied for the best mark in the NFL. The Lions gave up the second-most yards per pass in the NFL. They tried to fix that by adding four cornerbacks: Amik Robertson, Carlton Davis III, Terrion Arnold and Ennis Rakestraw Jr. Aidan Hutchinson is one of the NFL’s best defensive ends and the Lions signed D.J. Reader and Marcus Davenport to help him on the line. There is talent on the defense. If the results follow, the Lions could win it all this season.

Best-case scenario

Get ready Lions fans, because for perhaps the first time before any NFL season we can say this with a straight face: This Detroit team can win a Super Bowl. The offense could be the best in the NFL, with a great line, an abundance of talent at the skill positions and a capable quarterback in Jared Goff. If the defense is better — it could be if first-round pick Terrion Arnold is an instant hit and Carlton Davis III rebounds from a bad season in Tampa Bay — then the Lions could be the best team in football. They finished 2022 with a lot of momentum and while 2023 ultimately ended in a big disappointment, the playoff wins gave Detroit confidence and took the Lions to a new level. And the offseason addressed the biggest roster questions. The Lions aren’t rebuilding anymore. They have arrived.

Nightmare scenario

We forget how close the Lions were to never being in that NFC championship game against the 49ers. The Rams trailed Detroit by one point and had the ball in the fourth quarter of the wild-card game. The Buccaneers were tied in the fourth quarter at Detroit in the divisional round. The Lions were good last season but not dominant. They threw a lot of numbers at the cornerback position but it’s possible the defense isn’t fixed and they’re not as balanced as a team like the 49ers. There’s not even a guarantee the Lions win their own division, with the Packers finishing last season very well (that included a win at Detroit on Thanksgiving) and the Bears improving rapidly. The Lions and their fans want another bite at the apple after the way last season ended, but this is the NFL. We all know that unless you’re the Chiefs, everything is a year-to-year proposition.

The crystal ball says …

One of the fairy tales in sports is a team loses in a championship round, then comes back the next season even more motivated and takes the next step to win a title. It doesn’t always happen that way. Maybe it’s foolish to believe the Lions will take that path, and perhaps it’s just falling in love with the story of Detroit finally making a Super Bowl, but I’m doing it. I believe this will be, at worst, a top-three offense this season and the defense will be much better. Dan Campbell is a plus coach who might be a little too reckless on fourth down but also motivates his team as well as anyone. And the Lions will be focused after last season’s disappointing finish. This isn’t something I thought I’d ever be typing at the end of a Lions preview, but I think this team makes history by advancing to the Super Bowl. And while I don’t have Detroit in the top spot of the power rankings, the Lions will be my pick to win Super Bowl LIX.

GREEN BAY

Will Brinson of CBSSports.com marvels at what looks like a three-QB run lasting 35 years or so.

The Green Bay Packers just bet — and it’s a good bet — they will have the longest stretch of security at the most important position in NFL history. By giving Jordan Love a four-year, $220 million extension to be their quarterback of the future, the Packers guaranteed three-and-a-half decades of stability at the most difficult position to secure in professional sports.

It’s wild for a publicly owned franchise. It’s even wilder when you consider how we got here. The Packers traded for Brett Favre after the Atlanta Falcons fell out of favor with their second-round pick, started him in 1992 and never looked back. Until Favre got old and they ticked him off by drafting Aaron Rodgers. Favre would end up with the Jets, Rodgers would start and it was clear he was the guy.

Yada, yada, yada, they ticked off Rodgers by trading up for Love, Rodgers would end up with the Jets and Love would start … and it was clear he was the guy.

We all mocked the Love pick. Find someone who didn’t and you’ll find a liar. Rodgers was probably near the back end of his career at the time, but he got so mad about the trade up to take a quarterback, with Green Bay eschewing help for its current quarterback, that he launched into a second renaissance and won multiple spite MVPs.

To Rodgers credit, he at least mentored Love more than Favre mentored him. And he wasn’t wrong with that personnel evaluation. Love has the look of a true future franchise quarterback.

Packers fans worried about the ups and downs. As they should have. At Utah State he was a boom-or-bust quarterback, a player who could grab a roster and drag them into a win against anyone when he completely locked in. He also could make some completely inexplicable throws in his college career.

All quarterback evaluations are difficult, but Love was a really tough one. He fell in the draft (like Rodgers, like Favre) until the Packers jumped up and grabbed him.

Throw him in the fire as a first-year quarterback and he probably doesn’t end up here. But maybe Rodgers and Favre don’t either. Love is now entrenched with everything you want if you’re a would-be franchise quarterback.

He has the system in place with Matt LaFleur, a top five NFL coach and play-caller, who has proven his worth across multiple quarterbacks. He handled a Hall of Famer and he’s developed a young stud behind him. That’s bona fide.

The skill guys are really intriguing. Romeo Doubs blew up in the last playoff game. Dontayvion Wicks is getting Davante Adams comps (justifiably). Jayden Reed operates differently, but he’s a modern weapon. The Packers just signed Josh Jacobs, who could explode in a feature role for LaFleur. Tucker Kraft is coming off an injury, but Green Bay has Luke Musgrave at tight end. Don’t sleep on Bo Melton and Malik Heath!

Green Bay is essentially a feeder school for quarterback talent at this point. Ron Wolf started it, Ted Thompson kept it going and now Brian Gutekunst is the latest in line to sign a superstar quarterback to a monster contract.

Remember when Colts fans were called lucky for being gifted Peyton Manning to Andrew Luck? Peyton was 16 years old when this Packers quarterback dynasty started. Enjoy it while it lasts, Packers fans, unless it never ends.

Actually, Love is young enough that the 3-QB run could extend past 40 years.

Brett Favre                1992-2007    16 seasons

Aaron Rodgers          2008-2021    14 seasons

Jordan Love              2022-?

NFC EAST

PHILADELPHIA

Nick Sirianni with this on how QB JALEN HURTS is running Kellen Moore’s offense. Myles Simmons of ProFootballTalk.com:

After a poor finish in 2023, the Eagles are looking for a rebound season in 2024 — and that will start with their quarterback.

Head coach Nick Sirianni said in his Monday press conference that so far, things have been going well for Jalen Hurts in this year’s training camp.

“Yeah, I think he’s looked really sharp,” Sirianni said. “He’s been in complete command of the offense. I’ve really liked that some of the plays that he has where it’s not the — obviously you’ve seen him on the deep ball, the intermediate, the short passes — but some of the ones that I really like is if there’s a little bit of a pressure he slides his feet, and he hits Saquon [Barkley] on a check down or Kenny [Gainwell] on a check down.

“I think he’s had a really good camp so far. I’m really excited for him to continue that. There’s ebbs and flows in camp and he’s been on the high end for the last four days, so really excited about him and how he’s looked so far.”

Last year, Hurts finished with a 65.4 percent completion rate, throwing for 3,858 yards with 23 touchdowns and 15 interceptions — good for an 89.1 passer rating. He also rushed for 605 yards with 15 touchdowns.

But in the last six games, Hurts completed just 61.1 percent of his throws for 1,161 yards with five touchdowns and five picks. He also lost a fumble.

NFC SOUTH

CAROLINA

RB RASHAD PENNY seems to have called it a career.  Michael David Smith ofProFootballTalk.com:

Panthers running back Rashaad Penny has apparently decided to retire at the age of 28.

Penny was placed on the reserve/retired list Tuesday morning, via Darin Gantt of Panthers.com.

The move comes as a surprise, as Penny had indicated he was excited to play for new Panthers head coach Dave Canales, who previously coached Penny in Seattle. Penny recently said he’s one of the best running backs in the NFL when healthy.

Unfortunately, Penny hasn’t often been healthy. A first-round pick of the Seahawks in 2018, Penny has played in just 45 games with 11 starts in his NFL career.

The Panthers signed undrafted rookie wide receiver Tayvion Robinson to use the 90th spot on their training camp roster with Penny now retired.

NFC WEST

ARIZONA

More positivity about QB KYLER MURRAY from Charles Robinson of YahooSports.com:

One year ago, there was still plenty for Jonathan Gannon to sort through. Especially when it came to Kyler Murray.

Six months into his job and weeks from his first game as the Arizona Cardinals’ head coach, Gannon had seemingly heard it all about his quarterback. From the outside looking in, Murray was billed as a ticker tape of problems. He was called aloof and accused of being disconnected from teammates. There were concerns about his study habits and he was injury prone. His recently signed contract extension? A mistake.

For anyone with ears in 2023, it was a lot to absorb. And for a new coaching staff and front office, difficult to navigate without wondering: Will the Kyler Murray headlines match up with the Kyler Murray the new regime was inheriting?

One year of assessment later, Gannon’s answer to that question is as salty as it is emphatic.

“[Expletive] no,” he said. “One-thousand percent.”

Gannon’s tone was rigid, almost annoyed at the rehashing of Murray’s alleged reputation one year ago. Because it simply hasn’t been the player the new regime has experienced. If anything, it’s been the opposite, with Murray being the locker room’s most engaged player this past offseason, having spent nearly every day since early February studying in the team’s facilities, working in the weight room or at practice during voluntary workouts. And when he wasn’t on site, there were a pair of trips to Oklahoma and Los Angeles with teammates on offense, which Murray essentially billed as bonding opportunities.

“I think it’s an underrated thing, the camaraderie off the field,” Murray said. “Just loving each other, being together, spending time together getting to know each other. The teams I’ve been on that have been the best, we were tight off the field. It allows you to go harder for each other.”

This is the development that could come to define the Cardinals in 2024 and beyond. More than a young and reshuffled offensive line that could be a very important part of the team’s foundation moving forward. More than a defense that’s continuing to get sorted in Year 2 under Gannon, with new infusions of young, drafted talent. And even more than the arrival of rookie wideout Marvin Harrison Jr., whose performance will be a constant focal point of expectations from the moment the season kicks off.

With all due respect to those other variables, Murray’s recalibration — in almost every way — is the project that carries more importance than anything else in the organization. After all, he’ll turn 27 next month and is entering his sixth year in the league, with the two most consistent aspects of his career having been injuries and a 28-36-1 record (plus one playoff loss). It’s a reality that even Murray himself can’t help but recognize.

“I’m not used to losing — I know it sounds cliché,” Murray said. “It’s been five years, going on six [and] I haven’t won yet. So yeah, the sense of urgency is definitely there.”

This sense of urgency and declaration of change — coming from both Murray and the Cardinals’ staff — has seen the QB take the positive momentum of last season’s late flashes of dynamism and carry it into his offseason. Part of that effort has been poured into mastering the offense of rising coordinator Drew Petzing, whose goal is to move Murray away from excessive (and inconsistent) improvisation and into a structure that will allow for consistent and replicable success because as much as the first half of Murray’s 2021 season is often looked upon as his peak, it was achieved in a way that invites boom or bust outcomes.

“A lot of that was off schedule, which is very high variance,” Petzing said of Murray’s early 2021 dominance. “It’s inherently dangerous [too], but you’re going to get exactly what they did that year [in terms of results]. You’re going to win a ton and then you’re going to lose a ton and you’re not really going to be in control of it. It’s him making things happen, but nothing else [in the scheme] is really getting him there.”

The fix? More on-time, on-schedule play inside Petzing’s scheme, and likely fewer designed runs for Murray early in the season.

“He actually is very good when he plays on time, when he’s on schedule, when he’s in the pocket,” Petzing said. “He sees the field really well. He’s accurate. He can make all the throws. That is the part to me that maybe allows him to sustain that type of 2021 early success.”

The boiled down message about improvisation to Murray: “When a play call is bad, do you. When it’s good, do the easy thing.”

That sharpened philosophy — along with young additions to the skill pieces around Murray — has been one portion of his offseason tuneup. The other has been Murray’s continued development as a Cardinals leader, which has been an evolving process of self-evaluation and critical conversations with Gannon.

“Anything I’ve asked him to do to help the team — not himself — he’s went above and beyond,” Gannon said. “And I give him some s***. I give him a lot. I put a lot on his plate. … I feel like he’s matured a little bit. I think ultimately it was always in him. How the team was built [when Murray came into the league], he was the young guy and it’s like, ‘Can I really dog-cuss this 10-year vet right now?’ Now he’s kind of middle-aged [in his career], a little older now playing with some younger guys.”

NFL offseason power rankings: No. 2 Detroit Lions want a historic Super Bowl trip

The result: Murray’s comfort level connecting with teammates and leading them has changed. In fairness to him, that’s something many young quarterbacks go through during their careers. Not everyone comes into the league at 21 or 22 ready to be a leader of a veteran roster. Let alone one who has experienced a consistent swath of losing, which typically prioritizes job and family preservation over bonding with the new young quarterback. Six seasons later, that dynamic flips. That seems to be one of the aspects Murray is pointing to when it comes to how he and his relationship to teammates is changing.

“It goes back to being 21 [as a rookie] and now being a little older and having guys around my age,” Murray said. “It’s a little easier to give them game on what I experienced and bring them up and we grow together. I came into the locker room with — no offense to the guys that I came in with, I love them — but I came into the locker room with a lot of really old, old guys. Some of the guys it was maybe their last year, [and they] probably [or] maybe shouldn’t even have been playing anymore. But they loved the game. That’s just kind of the locker room I was in. I’m already a lead-by-example type of guy anyway, so I had to prove myself to veterans. And I’ve always been a guy [who has thought] ‘how can I tell you what to do if I’m not doing it myself?’”

Clearly, that has shifted. The coaching staff sees it. The front office and general manager Monti Ossenfort has seen it. And most importantly, Murray has seen it. But revelations — in scheme and attitude — mean little if they don’t lead to meaningful and sustained changes to the power dynamic inside the NFC West. And the Cardinals haven’t seen that during Murray’s first five seasons.

That’s what has to change in 2024 and beyond. As much as Murray might grow or change, if the team’s success doesn’t follow him down that path, it won’t matter what his reputation might have been or how it has changed. The only calculation will be whether Murray is a quarterback capable of elevating Arizona into a playoff caliber — and eventually, Super Bowl caliber — franchise.

SAN FRANCISCO

WR RICKY PEARSALL, SF’s first round pick, has been activated.  Kyle Posey ofNinersNation.com:

The San Francisco 49ers announced they’ve activated rookie wide receiver Ricky Pearsall from the Active/Non-Football Injury List.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan hinted that Pearsall would return during the second block of practices, barring any setbacks, so he’s right on schedule.

How much Pearsall is involved is another story. The 49ers will likely ease him back into the flow of things, especially since Monday is the first day of pads. The good news is, unlike in the article’s photo, Pearsall isn’t wearing a blue non-contact jersey.

I could see Pearsall participating during individual drills and 7-on-7, but not 11-on-11 for a day or two.

That means neither Pearsall nor Brandon Aiyuk will be available with the starters. It’s July. There’s no rush. The fact that Pearsall has already returned is a positive development. He’ll have an opportunity to soak up as much as possible from the sidelines before Shanahan throws him into the mix.

We will keep an eye on the wide receiver rotation, as Jauan Jennings, Jacob Cowing, Ronnie Bell, Danny Gray, Chris Conley, and Trent Taylor will all fill in for Aiyuk and Pearsall for now.

Pearsall tidbit – his father is a captain in the Phoenix Fire Department,

AFC SOUTH

INDIANAPOLIS

EDGE SAMSON EBUKAM is lost for the season.  Jordan Dejani of CBSSports.com:

The Indianapolis Colts defense took a major hit on Sunday, as pass rusher Samson Ebukam tore his Achilles during a training camp session, per NFL Media. He will miss the entire 2024 season.

The Colts ranked fifth in sacks last year with 51, and were the only team in the NFL to have four different players record at least eight sacks. Ebukman was one of them, as he had a career year with 9.5 sacks, 57 combined tackles, 17 QB hits and three forced fumbles.

The 29-year-old defensive end was originally selected by the Los Angeles Rams in the fourth round of the 2017 NFL Draft out of Eastern Washington. After four years with the Rams, he spent two seasons with the San Francisco 49ers before joining the Colts on a three-year deal last offseason. In 113 NFL games played, Ebukam has recorded 33 sacks and 281 combined tackles.

Ebukam is certainly a loss for this defense, but the Colts do possess some depth at pass rusher. More pressure will now be on Kwity Paye, Dayo Odeyingbo and first-round pick Laiatu Latu.

TENNESSEE

Coach Brian Callahan does not question a report that EDGE ARDEN KEY is facing a 6-game suspension.  Josh Alper of ProfootballTalk.com:

It looks like the Titans are going to be without edge rusher Arden Key for the start of the 2024 season.

Titans head coach Brian Callahan was asked at a Tuesday press conference about a report that Key is facing a six-game suspension from the NFL. Callahan said he would wait for the league to make an announcement before making a comment, but then moved on to say that other players are going to have to step up in Key’s absence.

“I’m aware of the news,” Callahan said, via Turron Davenport of ESPN.com. “It’s a league thing, I don’t really have much to comment on until that comes out from the league. We’ll see, I don’t know. It’s not something you wanted to hear. We don’t really have a choice, we gotta go play football with who we have. If we can find someone else, we will. If we can’t, we have to play with what we have. So that’s sort of where we’re at.”

Key had six sacks and two forced fumbles while playing every game for the Titans last season. Harold Landry, Rashad Weaver, and seventh-round pick Jaylen Harrell are other in-house options.

AFC EAST

BUFFALO

It’s been a long road back for Kim Pegula who suffered a cardiac arrest back in the COVID days.  Alaina Getzenberg of ESPN.com with this first sighting at practice over the weekend.

Kim Pegula walked onto the field, with the help of her husband and Buffalo Bills owner, Terry Pegula, at the end of the third training camp practice, and helped break down the team huddle, marking her first such public appearance since suffering cardiac arrest in June 2022.

As practice came to a wrap, the team transitioned into its typical stretching period, but moved to one end zone of the field, unlike the typical midfield stretch. Terry Pegula then guided his wife to the field where the team gathered around her. Quarterback Josh Allen stepped into the middle, next to coach Sean McDermott. Allen put his arm on Kim Pegula, and she raised her hand in the air as Allen said, “Bills on three.1, 2, 3, Bills!”

For the team’s first three practices, Pegula has watched from the passenger seat of a car near the field, as she did at times last training camp.

“She’s been here. We’ve seen her every day, and to see her progress, it’s amazing, and for her to even get on the count of 3, 2, 1 Bills, like for her to do it, it’s insane,” left tackle Dion Dawkins said. “So, I’m proud of her. That’s still the mama bear, and we’re happy to have her still.”

The Pegula’s daughter, Jessica, wrote in an essay for The Players’ Tribune in February 2023 that her mother was “dealing with significant expressive aphasia and significant memory issues” from a brain injury. She wrote how her sister, Kelly, saved their mom’s life by performing CPR.

Before her health issues, Kim Pegula was the first woman to be president of both an NFL and NHL team and had an active role on a variety of committees with both leagues. Terry Pegula has since taken over as president of both the Bills and Sabres.

“Obviously, some tough times for the entire Pegula family dealing with that. We love seeing her out here,” Allen said. “She gave so much energy and effort, obviously when she was a couple years ago, obviously before the incident and everything. So, it’s the least that we can do is rally around here and we’ve been praying for her every day here. Glad to see her back on the field, and I know that a lot of the new guys don’t understand, obviously the impact that she had on a lot of guys here, like myself. So, we’re just happy to see her out there.”

You can see it here

– – –

EDGE VON MILLER is feeling frisky.  Nick Wojton of USA TODAY:

Buffalo Bills pass rusher Von Miller is always an optimist.

This time, so is head coach Sean McDermott.

Miller, 35, returned from an ACL injury last season and struggled. While he seems superhuman on the field at times, he’s just human.

The point McDermott has made at training camp is a valid one often made relating to such an injury. It takes two years to normally feel 100 percent following such a serious knee injury, which has the coach saying he’s “excited” to see Miller on the field in 2024.

Of course, Miller’s update on his health was just as positive.

“I’m feeling good. I haven’t felt like this in two years,” Miller said via video conference. “If I can just start where I finished last season, I’ll be good.”

NEW YORK JETS

QB AARON RODGERS has been critically leading the Jets so far.  Rich Cimini ofESPN.com:

The New York Jets saw — and heard — the fiery side of Aaron Rodgers on Monday, as the star quarterback was visibly upset throughout a sloppy practice.

Rodgers threw an interception on the second play — a well-thrown ball off the hands of wide receiver Allen Lazard — and it got worse from there. There were a handful of “sacks” and about a half-dozen off-target shotgun snaps from Joe Tippmann that forced Rodgers to jump for the ball.

On another play, Rodgers was livid after falling to the ground when a lineman — either Tippmann or left guard John Simpson — stepped on his foot.

The four-time MVP was hotter than the sticky New Jersey weather.

“I would say ‘demonstrative’ is a good word for him,” said Lazard, Rodgers’ former Green Bay Packers teammate. “You’re talking about one of the best, if not the best quarterback of all time, and his standard and level of play is something a lot of guys haven’t seen yet. Even this organization — they haven’t really been with him on game day, because being with him on the sideline on a Sunday is different.

“Honestly, he expects the same standard that he holds himself to out of everyone else, and today just didn’t resemble that at all. I think as an offense we were just a little bit sloppy.”

It was the Jets’ first practice in pads, so rust might have been a contributing factor, or maybe the starting offense struggled to get recharged after a day off Sunday. Either way, it resulted in the most ragged practice of training camp.

Tight end Tyler Conklin called it a good learning experience, saying the Jets can benefit from having such a dynamic leader at quarterback. It’s been many years since the Jets had that kind of player at the position.

“I think that’s the beauty of playing with a great like that,” Conklin said. “You have someone that’s going to, at all times, hold everybody accountable, no matter who you are. I think that’s kind of something that not every team has. I think that’s really a blessing at the end of the day to have someone that cares that much and has a standard like that.

“That’s going to become our standard as a team. But to have a Hall of Famer who has won a Super Bowl — been there, done that — I think that’s necessary.”

Conklin said Rodgers sees the game a certain way, and he wants others to see it his way. That, Conklin said, can be difficult because Conklin says Rodgers, 40, is “the Oppenheimer of football.”

Rodgers, coming off Achilles surgery, has looked sharp in camp after missing all but the first four snaps of the 2023 season. In fact, the interception was his first in five practices. The Jets scored a league-low 18 touchdowns last season, and they’re counting on Rodgers’ return to galvanize an offense that features running back Breece Hall and wide receiver Garrett Wilson.

Wilson and Rodgers engaged in a heated conversation on the sideline Saturday, seemingly hashing out a play that went wrong, before shaking hands when it was over.

One potential concern for the Jets is Tippmann, a 2023 second-round pick who has experienced some hiccups with his snaps since the start of camp. On Monday, Tippmann went off to the side and practiced his snaps with Rodgers and a coach, but the problem persisted.

“Yeah, he has to work on it,” coach Robert Saleh said. “There’s clearly something going on.”

THIS AND THAT

PICKING THE OPENING DAY STARTERS

Dan Graziano of ESPN.com picks the Opening Day starters for the five unsettled QB positions (before reading his copy, we will go Nix, Minshew, Darnold, Brissett, Wilson):

Pittsburgh Steelers

Candidates: Justin Fields, Russell Wilson

The Steelers landed Wilson for a league-minimum $1.21 million after he was cut by the Broncos with a guaranteed $39 million left on his contract. (The Broncos will be paying the other $37.79 million, which could make for a fun meeting between those two teams in Week 2.) They acquired Fields for a conditional 2025 sixth-round pick and declined his 2025 fifth-year option, so Fields and Wilson are both in one-year, prove-it situations.

Everything I’ve heard on this for the past month or so has been that Wilson looked better in OTAs and minicamp. He entered training camp as the clear leader in the competition. But when camp opened, an interesting thing happened. Wilson injured his calf and missed the first two days of practice, allowing Fields an opportunity to work with the first-team offense.

This is no small development, especially considering training camp is probably the time of year that offers Fields the best chance to showcase the things he can do that could help him make up ground on Wilson. Fields is one of the most explosive runners in the league at the quarterback position, leading all signal-callers in rushing yards over the past two seasons (1,800). And while the 35-year-old Wilson can still get out on the move and make plays, he doesn’t offer what Fields does in that area.

It’s easy to listen to the chatter around this situation and just assume Wilson has it all sewed up, but after visiting Steelers camp and talking to people there, I am not so sure. Pittsburgh isn’t financially committed to either guy in any significant way. The coaching staff has no prior attachment to either and no preconceived notions about either. In that way, this is a unique quarterback competition that could absolutely still go either way — especially if Wilson misses more practice time and Fields gets a better chance than expected to close the race.

Week 1 starter prediction: It’s a lot more of a coin flip than most think, and I believe that part of the reason the Steelers have set Wilson up as the leader in the competition is because they believe that’s the best way to manage him. But I’m going to go out on a limb here and say Fields will show enough through camp to catch him and claim the Week 1 starting spot. I know most people disagree, and I am fully prepared to be wrong. But the vibes didn’t start off great for Wilson, and I just think the Steelers are going to be too tempted by Fields’ upside once they see them both out there. The question then would become whether Wilson is on the team at all.

Las Vegas Raiders

Candidates: Gardner Minshew, Aidan O’Connell

O’Connell was the Raiders’ fourth-round pick in 2023, and while the GM and coach who drafted him are no longer in place, O’Connell did start 10 games for the Raiders last season — nine of them after Josh McDaniels was fired and replaced by Antonio Pierce, who’s still the coach as 2024 begins. O’Connell didn’t light the world on fire, posting a 40.5 QBR and throwing 12 touchdown passes and seven interceptions in his rookie season, but Pierce does have that bit of history with him, and that could be reason enough to make him the early leader in the competition.

Minshew is a sixth-year veteran who’s now with his fourth NFL team. He started 13 games for the Colts last season, and while he wasn’t consistently great statistically (59.6 QBR, 15 touchdown passes, nine interceptions), he did have the Colts in playoff contention up until the final game of the regular season.

The offensive coordinator is Luke Getsy, who’s in his first season with the Raiders after two years as the Bears’ offensive coordinator. He’s learning both guys’ games as the offseason unfolds. Camp opened with O’Connell taking the first-team reps, which is likely a nod to the fact that he finished last season as the starter, but it’s a wide-open competition for a team looking for both long- and short-term solutions.

Week 1 starter prediction: I think Pierce will feel enough loyalty to O’Connell to lean his way, and if neither player separates himself during camp, I predict that’s the way the Raiders will go in Week 1. How long O’Connell holds the job will likely depend on whether the team is winning, but it wouldn’t be shocking at all to see both of these guys start games in 2024 — and someone totally different could be starting Week 1 in 2025.

Denver Broncos

Candidates: Bo Nix, Jarrett Stidham, Zach Wilson

Nix was the 12th overall pick in this year’s draft. A lot of people were surprised he went that early, but Broncos coach Sean Payton identified Nix early in the pre-draft process as the player he wanted for his system. Stidham finished last season as the starter after the benching of Russell Wilson. And Zach Wilson is the 2021 No. 2 overall pick who never showed much with the Jets and got traded away for a sixth-round pick.

You can place Zach Wilson as a clear No. 3 in this race right now, based on everything I’ve heard. He obviously has high-end talent and could theoretically show enough in camp to move up, but he never really did that in three years with the Jets and so far doesn’t seem to have impressed anyone very much in Denver.

So that would put this between Stidham and Nix, and it seems like they’ll both get chances to show what they can do in camp. Stidham knows the offense because of his experience in it last season, and there have been times this offseason when that experience and knowledge have shown through and he has looked smoother than Nix.

But let’s be honest here: Nix is Payton’s guy. He will start eventually, and the Broncos hope for a very long time. This is not the kind of even competition we’re seeing in Pittsburgh and Las Vegas, because we know how it will turn out eventually, even if not by Week 1. Nix — who threw 45 touchdown passes and three interceptions at Oregon last season — would have to look completely overwhelmed in camp and preseason games to lose out to Stidham in this competition.

Week 1 prediction: I don’t expect Nix to look overwhelmed, and I expect Payton to run his hand-picked QB of the future out there right away.

Minnesota Vikings

Candidates: Sam Darnold, J.J. McCarthy

Like the one in Denver, this is a competition whose ultimate ending is already obvious. The Vikings drafted McCarthy 10th overall this year and believe he is their quarterback of the future. Once he is ready, he will play.

The interesting thing about this is the Vikings don’t seem to be in any hurry for McCarthy to be ready, and they’ve made that clear to him and anyone who will listen. Coach Kevin O’Connell and GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah built specific developmental plans for several different draft-prospect quarterbacks before they knew for sure which one they’d draft, and they have one specifically tailored for McCarthy. They are insistent that McCarthy will not play until that plan is complete and he has hit every benchmark they’ve set forth for him.

That’s why they have Darnold, another former top-three pick of the Jets who spent last season backing up Brock Purdy and learning under Kyle Shanahan in San Francisco. He began training camp atop the depth chart, and the Vikings are perfectly comfortable starting Darnold to open the season for as long as it takes for McCarthy to be ready to be an NFL starter. As of now, that is what they expect to happen.

Week 1 prediction: I see Darnold opening the season as the starter, which then raises the question of when the Vikings would switch to McCarthy. We don’t know that answer, and it’s possible the Vikings don’t either, but they do have an early Week 6 bye that could offer a chance to make the change if McCarthy shows enough by then.

New England Patriots

Candidates: Jacoby Brissett, Drake Maye

Here’s another story with an ending you already know. Maye was the third overall pick in this year’s draft and will be the starter eventually. But he’s still 21 years old and was viewed by many in the pre-draft process as a raw prospect who’d need time to develop. He has made some breathtaking throws in the offseason that remind you why he was picked where he was picked, but New England is a rebuilding team that believes it can give Maye as much time as he needs.

And that’s why the Patriots have Brissett, a reliable veteran who has been everything they hoped he would be so far both as a player and as a mentor for the rookie. Brissett threw three touchdown passes in three games last season with the Commanders and turned in a solid 62 QBR as the Browns’ starter in 2022.

Week 1 prediction: Brissett will start and may even start the majority of the Patriots’ games in 2024 while Maye gets up to speed.

Other notable situations to watch

I’m not buying the idea that it’s a competition in Washington between second overall pick Jayden Daniels and former No. 2 overall pick Marcus Mariota, and neither does anyone else I talk to about this. I think Daniels starts Week 1 as long as everyone’s healthy. If there’s a question in Washington, it’s about the offensive line and his protection.

Kirk Cousins, assuming he’s fully healed from last season’s Achilles tear, is the clear starter in Atlanta ahead of eighth overall pick Michael Penix Jr. The Falcons have been clear about that since the moment they drafted Penix. Should Cousins falter and the Falcons start losing games, you’ll surely hear calls for Penix, but Atlanta does not go into the 2024 season expecting the rookie to play. It believes it is a contender with Cousins.

The Giants have a sticky situation because of a $23 million injury guarantee for 2025 in oft-injured Daniel Jones’ contract. They’ve been adamant that Jones will be the starter this season if healthy ahead of newly acquired Drew Lock. But if he can’t pass a physical next March, they’d be on the hook for $23 million for a guy they may no longer want. If the Giants tumble out of contention, watch to see whether they sit Jones down to avoid that. As of now, I am told that is not the plan and that they want to give Jones the season to see whether they need to move on in 2025.

Someone asked me about Seattle, who acquired Sam Howell this offseason, but I have heard absolutely nothing whatsoever to indicate that Geno Smith isn’t the unquestioned starter there. He has certainly played well enough the past two years that there shouldn’t be any question.

2024 DRAFT

Zoltan Buday of ProFootballFocus.com says these are the 10 best offensive coordinators in the NFL.  One was fired midseason last year (Ken Dorsey), and another is the guy who replaced him (Joe Brady):

NFL offensive coordinators have different responsibilities, which makes it especially hard to rank them. So, for this ranking, we looked at only the offensive coordinators who are also play-callers — thus excluding the likes of the Miami Dolphins’ Frank Smith and the Kansas City Chiefs’ Matt Nagy.

We are left with just a handful of offensive coordinators who can be evaluated due to the high turnover at the position. Fifteen of the 31 offensive coordinators (the 49ers do not have a designated offensive coordinator) were hired or named as offensive coordinators by their current team this offseason, with six of them being first-time NFL offensive coordinators. While some might have a first season similar to Bobby Slowik’s fantastic debut with the Houston Texans in 2023, it is impossible to rank these coaches at this stage.

Taking these factors into consideration, these are the top 10 offensive coordinators in the NFL heading into the 2024 season.

1. Ben Johnson, Detroit Lions

While many expected Johnson to become a head coach this offseason, he is returning to Detroit for his third season as the Lions’ offensive coordinator. Admittedly, he has been aided by one of the best — if not the best — offensive lines in the league, but he should still get plenty of credit for putting together one of the most versatile and dangerous offenses in the NFL.

Detroit could and did rely on the running game, calling the second-most run plays (33) on third and fourth downs with three or more yards to go and also achieving the second-highest EPA per play on those runs — behind only the Chiefs, who had a much smaller sample size with four such runs.

In addition, Johnson also got the best out of quarterback Jared Goff, who earned a career-high 85.7 PFF overall grade and signed a new contract with the Lions early this offseason.

2. Todd Monken, Baltimore Ravens

The Ravens hired Monken from Georgia to revitalize their passing game, and he did just that in 2023. Baltimore’s passing attack generated 0.01 and -0.03 EPA per play in 2021 and 2022, respectively, before improving to 0.08 on pass plays in 2023 under Monken, which ranked eighth in the league and contributed to Lamar Jackson winning his second MVP award and earning a career-high 90.4 PFF overall grade.

Despite getting much stronger in the passing game, Monken’s offense still dominated in the running game as the Ravens relied heavily on the same run concepts used under Greg Roman. As a result, Baltimore’s offense was one of just five teams to generate positive EPA on run plays, ranking fifth among NFL offenses in EPA per play on runs (0.004).

3. Bobby Slowik, Houston Texans

A first-time offensive coordinator, Slowik exceeded all expectations in his first season in Houston. Despite having a rookie quarterback and an inexperienced offensive line that was hit with a lot of injuries, the Texans’ offense led the team into the playoffs and to a postseason win.

Quarterback C.J. Stroud was under pressure on 35.4% of dropbacks, which was the 18th-best rate out of 41 quarterbacks. In addition, Slowik got a breakout season out of wide receiver Nico Collins, who finished the season with an elite 91.4 PFF overall grade to rank third at the position.

4. Kellen Moore, Philadelphia Eagles

Although Moore will be on his third team in three seasons, his work over the past couple of seasons, especially while with Dallas, merits him a place on this list.

Over Moore’s four years as Dallas’ offensive coordinator, the Cowboys’ offense generated 0.066 EPA per play, which ranked fifth over that span. And whereas Justin Herbert had his lowest-graded season (77.9) prior to Moore’s arrival to Los Angeles in 2023, he bounced back during Moore’s lone season with the team and earned an 85.5 PFF overall grade.

5. Arthur Smith, Pittsburgh Steelers

Smith’s tenure as a head coach in Atlanta did not go as planned, but we would be remiss to forget his positive work as an offensive coordinator in Tennessee.

Built on a strong offensive line, which he will have in Pittsburgh, as well, he got the best out of quarterback Ryan Tannehill, whose only seasons with PFF grades over 90.0 came when Smith was his offensive coordinator. During those two seasons, the Titans’ offense generated the fourth-most EPA per play — behind only the Chiefs, Ravens and Packers, all teams led by talented franchise quarterbacks.

6. Shane Waldron, Chicago Bears

Waldron, a former pass game coordinator under Sean McVay in Los Angeles, enjoyed a successful three-year stint under Pete Carroll in Seattle before joining the Bears this offseason.

Despite working with an oft-injured and inexperienced offensive line, he got veteran quarterback Geno Smith playing at a level that no one had seen coming. Smith set career highs in PFF overall grade in back-to-back seasons, and the Seahawks’ passing game ranked 12th in EPA per play over the two years. It is going to be exciting to see what Waldron gets out of first-overall pick Caleb Williams and the young supporting cast around him.

7. Joe Brady, Buffalo Bills

A former offensive coordinator with the Panthers, Brady took over as the Bills’ offensive coordinator last November after a disappointing 5-5 start to their season. Buffalo had one of the best passing offenses in the league for the remainder of the year, ranking fourth in EPA per play. The biggest change was probably how much they relied on the run game down the stretch, which also included featuring quarterback Josh Allen‘s legs more often.

It is to be seen in 2024 whether that was because the Bills were behind the eight ball at that stage of the season or if it is part of Buffalo’s offensive strategy for the future.

8. Ken Dorsey, Cleveland Browns

Dorsey was fired after one-and-a-half seasons as an offensive coordinator with the Bills and joined the Browns — who he also played for — earlier this offseason. Although he was let go by Buffalo, the offense seemed to operate well during his tenure as an offensive coordinator. It may not have been the most balanced unit, led by the passing game, but it was one of the more prolific offenses in the first half of the season, ranking third behind only the 49ers and the Dolphins in EPA per play after 10 weeks.

9. Greg Roman, Los Angeles Chargers

Roman, after a year away, returns to the NFL to join Jim Harbaugh’s coaching staff after working with him both at Stanford and in San Francisco.

Although Roman helped Lamar Jackson to his first MVP award during his four years in Baltimore, he was often criticized for a lack of creativity in the passing game. Even if Roman’s offenses are deemed to be somewhat one-dimensional, he has undoubtedly put together elite running games at all stops of his career, including with the Bills and the 49ers.

10. Drew Petzing, Arizona Cardinals

The Cardinals hired Petzing as their offensive coordinator a year ago, and he inherited arguably the worst offensive situation in the league.

Dealing with an unreliable offensive line and no star wide receivers, the Cardinals featured three different starting quarterbacks over the 2023 season. Despite the turmoil, Petzing’s unit was far from the disaster some might have expected. It might not have been considered a success for most teams, but Arizona’s offense ranking 21st in EPA per play — ahead of the likes of the Chargers and the Steelers — was an impressive performance.

We saw earlier this week that Dorsey won’t be calling plays in Cleveland this year, so by Buday’s definition he shouldn’t be on this list.