Best of the rest:

• The Trey Lance experiment will be fascinating to track. On Saturday, Lance got extensive reps throwing the ball from the pocket. He showed a mixed bag, glimpses of decisive and impressive throws coupled with a few curious ones. Here’s the issue Lance faces: The Cowboys feel good about Cooper Rush as a QB2, and if they needed to try to win a game without Prescott today, Rush would be in there. Coach Mike McCarthy believes in him to handle that stage. So for now that leaves Lance in the developmental QB3 phase.

• Tolbert looks the part of an NFL receiver now after a few early-career hiccups. Prescott looks his way early and often in practice. Look for a big Year 3 for him.

• The Cowboys know they face questions at running back after losing Tony Pollard to a bigger contract in Tennessee. They will monitor the Ezekiel Elliott–Rico Dowdle–Royce Freeman experience, while keeping a short list of external options, just in case. Carolina’s Miles Sanders is on that list. And Dalvin Cook has shown interest in playing for Dallas. As it stands, Elliott is slated as the starter, but the Cowboys will manage his snaps. They need Dowdle to stay healthy; McCarthy likes what he has shown in camp. And the team really likes Freeman’s tape from the Rams last season and believes he can be an impact RB2/RB3 option — a banger in small doses.

• Other players who have acquitted themselves well in camp include cornerback Jourdan Lewis, tight end Peyton Hendershot and cornerback Caelen Carson.

• Why are the Cowboys comfortable with former undrafted free agent Brock Hoffman as a starting center? Even though his lack of high-end traits shows up, he overcomes that with savvy and technique. He has become reliable for the team, so Dallas doesn’t feel the need to press for a free agent addition here. Hoffman has been “demonstrative,” as McCarthy put it.

• Offensive line might be Dallas’ deepest position. The Cowboys are thrilled with the early progress of first-round tackle Tyler Guyton, who might be ahead of where star guard Tyler Smith was two years ago. The Cowboys believe they run about 12-deep right now and will most likely get trade calls on that depth around 53-man cuts. Three positions where Dallas could look to add in turn: defensive end, running back and cornerback.

• I tried to watch Mazi Smith closely, as the Cowboys are asking him to play a more traditional nose tackle role in Year 2. He seemed to hold up well, getting an initial push on run plays. And he looked comfortable from my view — hardly dominant, but a presence. If linebackers DeMarvion Overshown and Damone Clark maximize their big potential, they will crash rushing lanes behind Smith and create a more stout run defense.

• The Cowboys have no reservations about Diggs being ready for Week 1. He’s tracking positively after his torn left ACL, and the team will work him into individual drills soon enough.

Key fantasy note: Cooks is a late-round consideration for fantasy. If the Lamb negotiation lingers, Cooks’ role only gets more important. And Prescott isn’t afraid to take deep shots to Cooks, who is in a contract year and will be plenty motivated for one last big deal. He caught 54 passes for 657 yards and eight TDs last season.

Location: Irvine, California
Date visited: Aug. 2

Signing edge rusher Chase Young to a one-year, $13 million deal might end up being one of the best value moves of free agency. Young’s enormous skill set has impressed the Saints in camp. They have kept him on a pitch count coming off offseason neck surgery but will let him go full bore soon.

Young was considered a top-10 edge rusher after his rookie year in 2020, destined for a big-money deal. Injury problems and a lack of focus in Washington affected his bottom line. The Saints might be getting him at the right time.

“He’s disruptive — he’s big, he’s physical, he’s fast, he’s motivated,” coach Dennis Allen told me. “You feel disruption when he’s on the field. Now, he may not make every play and he may not work the fundamentals and technique exactly how we want it yet. But he’s causing disruption. And he’s having production that may not show up on the stat sheet every time. And the thing I’ve been most impressed about, he’s come in here, he’s done everything we’ve asked him to do, working hard.”

Young’s career crossroad is emblematic of a defensive line full of questions. Can Young live up to his billing? Can Cameron Jordan still do it at a high level? Can former first-rounder Payton Turner pan out? Will Bryan Bresee meet his potential? If the answer to at least three of those questions is yes, the Saints will be a problem up front, especially with Carl Granderson coming off an 8.5-sack season. Nathan Shepherd and Khalen Saunders will also make plays.

“If all of those pieces come together, we have a chance to be pretty good,” Allen said. As Jordan put it, Turner “looks like he’s finally turned it on” after years of injury issues and is “hungry as hell,” while Bresee is a “dog.”

Best of the rest:

• The Saints’ goal for Klint Kubiak’s offense is to play faster and simplify things. The Saints ranked a respectable 14th in total offense last season, but they had gotten stale and a bit too complex. A big concern, at least on paper, is an inexperienced offensive line. Three projected starters — tackles Trevor Penning and Taliese Fuaga and left guard Nick Saldiveri — have a combined six NFL starts. The Kubiak system should help with that. Derek Carr will be asked to make fewer adjustments at the line of scrimmage in order to let him read the defense out and deliver the football accurately. “It’s going to be a positive for him,” Allen said. “I’m hoping the ball gets out quicker. Our ability to run the football and play-action off of that is going to help us in terms of offensive line, from a protection standpoint.” Added Jordan on what he has seen from Kubiak’s offense: “All those motions and plays that will divert your attention so he can get to what he wants — lot of trickery.”

• Alvin Kamara‘s contract impasse hasn’t affected his preparation with the Saints, whose plans for the running back are immense. They believe he can regain his peak performance. The versatile playmaker is still searching for his first 1,000-yard rushing season. “He’s really embraced the change in the offense,” Allen said. “Fits his running style.” The Saints and Kamara have had talks about adjusting his contract, which has two years left. It includes $22.4 million in non-guaranteed salary in 2025, which is untenable for both sides. But nothing has materialized yet.

• Jordan is calling this his “revenge season” after playing through ankle ligament damage last season and failing to make a Pro Bowl for the first time since 2016. He used pool workouts and biking to get leaner, and he showed up to camp at around 270 pounds — down from his listed weight of 287. Jordan realized that was a bit too light, so he got back up to 275-280. “I’ve never been to the point where it’s like, ‘Damn, [injuries] are inhibiting my ability to play,'” Jordan said of his two-sack performance last season. “So this has been a big offseason for me.” Jordan, 35, got the injured ankle surgically repaired in March and feels great now.

• The Saints are leaning into the Taysom Hill experience, though it could look slightly different than in previous years. After asking around, the expectation is Hill could play up to five positions — fullback, running back, quarterback, tight end and wide receiver. That doesn’t mean he will play all five, but the Saints have those options available. They’d like to get him some traditional tailback/fullback work, for example (he typically takes direct snaps as a runner). They know he can line up wide and believe there could be untapped potential there. But the coaches are creating a vision for him and believe he has more to give. New Orleans still values the unpredictability his versatility lends, and the scheme change shouldn’t alter that much. In fact, it might enhance it.

• Rookie Spencer Rattler and Jake Haener are in a true battle for QB2. Rattler’s arm talent is obvious, and Haener showed a playmaking knack during a red zone period Friday. Allen said preseason games will help determine the winner. “The key is, do we have a 2 or do we have two 3s?” Allen asked. “Two 3s doesn’t help you. So you want to see who steps up and earns the job. And that’s what training camp is all about.”

Key fantasy note: When I asked Jordan about impressions of the new offense, he blurted out, “That boy Chris Olave is going to give out problems, because he’s fast as …” — Jordan said this while Olave was within earshot, prompting a smile. But the point stands: Olave is due for a massive season. Ten receivers had at least 150 targets in 2023, and it’s reasonable to think Olave could join that group after 138 last season.

Graziano’s notes from Detroit Lions camp

Location: Allen Park, Michigan
Dates visited: Aug. 1-2

The last time I visited Lions training camp was 2021, the first year that coach Dan Campbell and GM Brad Holmes were in Detroit. Things were… different back then. The Lions had gone 5-11 in 2020, the final year of the Matt Patricia era, and had traded longtime franchise quarterback Matthew Stafford to the Rams for Jared Goff and a boatload of draft picks. The Rams would go on to win that season’s Super Bowl, while the Lions did not win a game until December.

What Campbell and Holmes were preaching at the time was patience. They were building something, basically from scratch, and it would take time. Three years later, the Lions team that’s preparing for this season is one of the very best in the NFL — a team that had a 17-point halftime lead on the 49ers in the NFC Championship Game in San Francisco and was literally a bounce or two away from the Super Bowl.

“The only thing I’ve seen change is that there might be more confidence and swagger than there’s ever been here,” offensive coordinator Ben Johnson told me. “There’s an expectation level of, ‘Hey, our standard is really high,’ and if we’re not meeting it, everyone’s really pissed off about it.”

Johnson and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn are both back in their roles after generating head-coach interest elsewhere last offseason. That continuity is huge for a team looking to cash in on the promise of last season.

“Trust is a big thing in this game,” second-year running back Jahmyr Gibbs told me. “So it was a great thing that Ben came back. He knows the offense very well and he knows how to put us in positions to succeed.”

Still, there are some differences on this year’s roster. For one thing, the Lions have what Glenn described to me as “a whole new defense” in the secondary. They acquired veteran cornerback Carlton Davis III from Tampa Bay in a trade and drafted corners Terrion Arnold and Ennis Rakestraw Jr. in the first and second rounds. The plan is to start Davis and Arnold, with Rakestraw as the top backup. The nickel spot is a competition between veteran Emmanuel Moseley, free agent signee Amik Robertson, fourth-year man Ifeatu Melifonwu and perhaps 2023 second-round pick Brian Branch, though it sounds like Branch is slated to play more safety this season alongside Kerby Joseph.

The secondary was a point of weakness for the 2023 Lions, so the overhaul isn’t a shock. Davis, who was part of the Buccaneers’ 2020 Super Bowl champion team, was a big part of the plan.

“He’s a veteran presence, he’s won a Super Bowl, he’s won a lot of games,” Glenn said. “He’s able to teach those younger guys exactly what it takes to be a winner.”

Arnold, the rookie first-rounder, has quickly established a reputation as a trash-talker in practice, but in a way that suggests he can back it up.

“He’s a corner corner,” said Glenn, a former cornerback for whom that qualifies as high praise. “And when I say that, the temperament, the mentality, the want-to, the will, all of that just reeks ‘corner’ out of that man.”

On offense, the Lions did not make any major additions at wide receiver to go with Amon-Ra St. Brown, and that’s because they have high hopes for 2022 first-round pick Jameson Williams. The former Alabama star was rehabbing a torn ACL for almost his entire rookie year and then began last season with a gambling suspension that kept him off the field and away from the facility for the first four weeks.

“He needs to be a guy that does, and not a guy that just watches and listens,” Johnson said of Williams. “So it’s not that that time was a waste, but we’re seeing much bigger gains now that we can finally get him out there full-speed. This has been the first offseason where we as a staff have been able to sit down and really plan on him being a major component of the offense.”

And what would Williams bring if they can make that happen?

“It’s rare linear speed, but also he’s got quickness, he’s got run-after-catch ability, and his hands have improved significantly since when he first got here,” Johnson said. “Maybe earlier on I’d have been a little more concerned about throws inside the hashes or inside the numbers with him, but it’s gotten to the point where you don’t bat an eye giving him those types of throws now, where he’s coming back and meeting the football in the air. So he’s really grown, and it’s been fun to watch him flourish.”

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Caleb Williams tells Stephen A. he’s excited for ‘tough battles’ in NFC

Caleb Williams and DJ Moore join Stephen A. Smith on “First Take” to discuss their expectations for the Bears’ upcoming season.

Culture-wise, everything’s in place now in Detroit. The Lions entered last season believing they could contend for a Super Bowl. They enter this season knowing they can.

“You look at the guys who got paid, our highest-paid players are also our hardest workers,” Johnson said. “St. Brown’s still catching his 200 balls a day after practice. Penei Sewell is always working. It’s constant work for those guys. They know no other way. So it’s been the transition from 2021, where we’re 0-12 and whatnot and just trying to get our first win and our hunger for that first win, it really hasn’t changed even though, now, we’re looking for a different goal. So I don’t see much of a difference from last year’s approach to where we are now. These guys are hungry.”

Best of the rest:

• The Jameson Williams of the Lions’ defense might be fourth-year lineman Levi Onwuzurike, who multiple people told me has been dominant in training camp. The Lions drafted Onwuzurike with the 41st overall pick in 2021, but he struggled with back injuries for his first three seasons and only now seems to be flashing his high-end potential. The team believes it can use him to create disruption from multiple spots on the line, bringing interior pressure as well as delivering on the edge. He has been getting a lot of run in camp thanks in part to injuries to Marcus Davenport and DJ Reader, and he has been taking advantage of his opportunity.

• The kicker in camp is Jake Bates, who signed with the Lions after turning heads for his long-range kicks in the UFL. But Bates had a rotten day Friday, missing at least a half-dozen field goals (though, to be fair, one came up short from 64 yards) and two extra points. It doesn’t sound like this was a new problem, and you wonder if the Lions will end up looking elsewhere for their kicker before camp is out.

• Moseley, whom Glenn mentioned as a candidate for the nickel corner spot, is coming off a second ACL repair. That could theoretically make him a long shot, but he has been practicing like a guy who’s fully healthy and ready to contribute. He was a star of Friday’s mini-scrimmage practice, at one point tackling running back David Montgomery for a loss in the backfield.

• Goff is clearly quite comfortable and happy here in his fourth season as a Lion and coming off a massive new contract extension. But the play in Friday’s practice where he ran a route and St. Brown threw him the ball at the goal line felt a little too dangerous for training camp practice! The defense knows it can’t hit the guy in the red jersey because he’s the quarterback, but what do you do when he’s playing receiver? (Goff was “tackled” and went down just short of the goal line.)

Key fantasy note: Gibbs, the electrifying second-year running back, told me his focus this offseason has been improving as a receiver and that the goal is for him to be a guy they can use out of the slot receiver position in addition to running back. But Johnson pointed out that Gibbs’ offseason work has been limited by injury and only recently did he elevate to a full participant in camp practices.

“We’ll see what we can get to over the next few weeks, because we had some ideas in mind of how we wanted to use him in maybe a unique fashion,” Johnson said. “But we’re not there yet.”

The Lions want Gibbs to work on improving in a traditional running back role before evolving into the “unique” role they envisioned for him this season. My takeaway: If you’re drafting Gibbs in fantasy, you might have to be patient with him as a result of the limited offseason work. But if the Lions do get to what they were planning for him at some point this season, he could be a major factor for your team in the second half. Gibbs did score a pair of dazzling touchdowns in Friday’s practice — one on a one-handed grab of a perfectly floated Goff red zone throw and another on a hook-and-lateral-type trick play on which St. Brown caught the pass and flipped it to Gibbs to run in for the score. He is breathtaking with the ball in his hands, and it’s easy to understand why the coaching staff has big things in mind for him.

Location: Los Angeles
Date visited: Aug. 1

Cooper Kupp is all the way back. That was the sentiment from multiple people with the team as Kupp sprung free several times for big gains in Thursday’s practice.

“He’s on an absolute mission,” a source close to Kupp told me. “He was deeply affected about not being out there for parts of last year.”

Three years ago, I noticed that Matthew Stafford couldn’t stop throwing to Kupp, who turned every target into yardage. This time around felt similar. With the Rams’ offensive line depleted on this day, Stafford wasted no time getting Kupp the ball, including multiple times in the red zone. While missing 13 games over the past two seasons due to ankle and hamstring injuries can have a residual effect physically — and it did last season — people with the Rams believe he looks fresh.

Coach Sean McVay will likely monitor snaps for Kupp, who turned 31 in June. But that’s more normal maintenance than a reaction to injury. The former Triple Crown winner could be getting his spot in the receiver pantheon back sooner rather than later, because the offense clearly runs through him.

Best of the rest:

• The Rams are excited about their two top running backs, Kyren Williams and rookie Blake Corum. While Williams looks to build on his 1,144-yard debut, Corum will be hard to keep off the field. “He’s an F’ing stud” is a phrase I heard a few times from people on the ground here. Williams averaged 19 carries per game last season, and my sense is the Rams will strike more of a balance this season, with Corum being a presence on third down and in the passing game. Both have the instincts and pass-blocking ability to handle third downs.

• With Demarcus Robinson emerging as the third receiver, what does that mean for Tutu Atwell, who’s sort of the fourth wheel? Well, the Rams have a plan for him and don’t want to trade him. The Rams run enough 11 personnel that the fourth receiver should get a healthy run. Atwell’s quickness and speed make him a unique matchup, and he can play all three receiver spots in the Rams’ offense. So barring a great offer, the Rams would rather ride out his contract year with hopes that he maximizes his role. That didn’t work for Van Jefferson last year, but perhaps it will this time. Another layer to this: Rookie Jordan Whittington has made an impression and should see the field in some capacity. He’s a different style of receiver — rugged and big — which is good for McVay’s perimeter blocking.

• The Rams look at Stafford’s future as a year-to-year proposition, per a team source. His reworked contract reflects that, pushing his 2024 pay into the $40 million range but lessening his guarantees in 2025, allowing both sides to decide whether they want to remain married at that point. This is one to watch closely: Stafford is only 36 and played like a top-five quarterback last season. The Rams believe he is still playing at a high level and would love to keep him around, but they don’t know how both sides will feel at year’s end. Maybe Stafford, who has dealt with many injuries, will want to retire. The ballooning quarterback market will undoubtedly be a factor here. Either way, I don’t get the sense Stafford is angling for another team in 2025. It’s worth noting that the Jimmy Garoppolo signing got the attention of some around the league — that could be an insurance option for down the road.

• The Rams’ defensive front will be a problem for opponents. First-rounder Jared Verse pops on the field, second-rounder Braden Fiske is tracking to start and Byron Young and Kobie Turner are building off impressive rookie years. The Rams’ depleted offensive line had problems with this group Thursday. And the Rams had a lot of defensive backs on the field at once, so don’t be surprised if the team drops into nickel and dime coverages and relies on these four to apply pressure.

• Linebacker Ernest Jones IV is considered a name to watch for a contract extension down the line. The Rams typically don’t play off-ball linebackers, but Jones, a 2025 free agent, is considered a tone-setter on the defense.

Key fantasy note: Receiver Puka Nacua will have immense fantasy value, but his ceiling as a first-round target in drafts is still tough to figure. Kupp was clearly the No. 1 based on what I saw in practice, though Nacua still has plays designed for him, and those plays are relatively clean (a high probability of completion). And Nacua looks great from an agility standpoint. What helps Nacua is his overall value, with the ability to get tough yards in the slot, on screens and on rushing plays.

Graziano’s notes from Chicago Bears camp

Location: Lake Forest, Illinois
Dates visited: July 30-31

When I was at camp, Bears coach Matt Eberflus walked up to rookie quarterback Caleb Williams and asked him how things felt compared to when he first arrived, and Williams just laughed.

“He was like, ‘Coach, that first meeting at USC compared to now, I didn’t know anything about the offense,” Eberflus said.

Now? Eberflus said Williams knows the offense and is at the point where he’s “cleaning it up, washing it, going through everything one more time.” Bears coaches are trying to simulate the game-planning process by giving Williams a call sheet that he works with for a few days then giving him a fresh one a few days later, etc.

“That’s really just us working with him to get the game-plan process down, in a mini fashion,” Eberflus said. “And he’s really just learning, right now, the skill sets of the players. That’s so important, to be able to learn how X receiver runs this particular route, or Y receiver runs this type of route. … He’s got a lot of good skill around him, but he’s learning now how the guys move and get open in a particular route.”

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Dan Graziano: DJ Moore is a ‘cornerstone piece’ of Bears’ future

Dan Graziano says the Bears have identified DJ Moore as a building block of their future.

In the practices I watched, Williams struggled a bit with blitz pressure from Eberflus’ defense, but there were some nice moments. He and rookie wideout Rome Odunze looked like they have an extremely strong connection. Odunze made a couple of dazzling catches in two-minute drills, and he and Williams seemed to be together every time they walked on or off the field during the team portion of practice. Williams also found DJ Moore on a gorgeous deep ball for a touchdown on the first day I was there — an hour or so before Moore signed his big new contract extension. Tight end Cole Kmet is a reliable holdover as a strong option in the passing game, and the team hopes veteran Keenan Allen can be the kind of help and influence for Williams that he was for Justin Herbert in Herbert’s rookie season with the Chargers.

There are some technique matters that Williams is still working through. Eberflus said Williams has practiced taking snaps from under center for years with his private quarterback coach, since he knew he was going to be a pro quarterback and his college offenses didn’t offer him the chance to work from under center very much. But he also said Williams is still working on his run game footwork from under center, mainly because he’s getting used to the speed at which NFL players run.

The key takeaway is that, while the Bears are pleased with the progress Williams is making, they still have more than a month to go before the season starts and he still has plenty to learn. What Eberflus likes is the growth he’s seeing from Williams in other areas as he continues to master the offense.

“He’s a one-plus-one-equals-three multiplier guy,” Eberflus said. “And I’m starting to see, as he gets more comfortable in the offense, he’s starting to be able to do that. But we’re going to have to play good around him. Skill level on offense has got to play good around him, the line has to play good, the running backs got to play good, the defense has got to play good, special teams has got to play good around a rookie quarterback. And we all know that and we’re holding ourselves accountable to do that.”

Best of the rest:

• I always come away from a camp thinking differently about some aspect of the team than I did going in, and one of my takeaways from Bears camp is that I’m wondering if they have enough on the lines. The offensive line is still missing guard Nate Davis, who hasn’t delivered much at all since the team signed him to a three-year, $30 million contract in the spring of 2023, and as a result the Bears have had to shuffle guys around on the interior this camp. Watch for the team to probe the market a bit if and when a center or guard becomes available as cuts come in. On the defensive line, they’re looking for edge rushers to emerge to complement Montez Sweat. Fifth-round rookie Austin Booker is a player they were hoping to get some significant reps in Thursday night’s Hall of Fame Game. Asked what he wanted to see from Booker in that game, Bears defensive coordinator Eric Washington had a pretty simple answer: “I want to see him hit the quarterback.” (He did not — but no one on the Bears did.)

• Moore used part of his news conference the day after signing his new contract to stump for an extension for Allen. Allen recently changed agents, and with one year and $18.1 million left on his contract, he has approached the team about an extension. But so far, they haven’t made progress on that front. The Moore contract, done with two years left on his prior deal, shows that the Bears consider the 27-year-old a key building block for their future along with Odunze. They’ll likely wait and see on the 32-year-old Allen before committing beyond this year.

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Can 49ers win the Super Bowl without Brandon Aiyuk?

Marcus Spears and Jeff Darlington disagree on the 49ers’ Super Bowl chances if Brandon Aiyuk gets traded.

Key fantasy note: The running back situation is a bit muddy. D’Andre Swift might be the best bet here in fantasy just because his role as the pass-catching back seems to be the most defined. Camp will see a battle between Khalil Herbert and second-year back Roschon Johnson for an early-down role (though Swift could certainly mix in there as well). Of the two, I think circumstances favor Johnson, if only because he’s the one the current staff drafted and Herbert continues to need more work as a pass protector. And with what the team has invested in Williams, pass pro is a must for any back who wants to be on the field for Chicago.

Location: Santa Clara, California
Dates visited: July 30-31

The 49ers are putting on a united front without their two missing stars, wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk and left tackle Trent Williams, and it’s a fascinating snapshot into how one of the league’s most star-studded teams will prioritize the disgruntled players.

On Tuesday, Aiyuk watched practice in a golf cart on the sidelines, about 30 yards from where quarterback Brock Purdy threw to his receivers. Williams, meanwhile, continues to hold out, and I’m told he has conviction on this (and that he has taken up golf this offseason, with an ever-improving handicap). I think that last bit was brought up to me to highlight that Williams is fairly comfortable waiting this out. We will find out how comfortable, though, as the $50,000 daily fines accrue. But Williams has made nearly $170 million in his career, and his outdated contract places him fifth among highest-paid left tackles.

I asked tight end George Kittle about the challenges of building an offensive identity in camp without two key components. “[Williams] is the best left tackle probably to ever play the game, so he’ll be fine whenever he shows up,” Kittle told me. “BA, we’d love to have him out there, understand what he’s going through. I don’t know if it’s hard for us to build our identity [without them], but what it does allow us to do is let these [other] guys take opportunities they would not have gotten if he was out there. And hey, it’s more targets for me and Christian [McCaffrey] and Deebo [Samuel] so far, so we’re having a good time.”

With Williams, the feeling I get out of camp is that the 49ers will try to work something out and rework the remaining three years on his deal. While there’s much to be done on that front, Williams is too important to what they do, despite his age (36). As is Aiyuk, of course. Not many receivers get more separation than him. But the situation has gotten really sticky. The receiver market ballooning into the $30 million neighborhood has complicated talks. The 49ers have not shown a willingness to pay Aiyuk what he thinks he’s worth, and negotiations hadn’t intensified lately, last I had checked.

With Aiyuk holding firm to his pay-me-or-trade-me stance, maybe those trade calls San Francisco is receiving will prove enticing at some point. Trading Aiyuk would make paying Williams infinitely easier. Then there’s this big-picture issue: The 49ers have seven players earning $15 million to $34 million per year, with others just beneath that floor. And in talking to people here, San Francisco understands that a thoughtful reset of its salary cap will be necessary at some point. This process essentially started in March, when the 49ers released Arik Armstead and used some of that money on two-year deals for linemen Leonard Floyd, Yetur Gross-Matos and Maliek Collins. Oh, and the 49ers have to budget for Purdy’s massive deal to come — as soon as next offseason.

So the 49ers aren’t just making a stand on the receiver market and Aiyuk’s place in it. They are making difficult choices that could affect spending flexibility for future years.

Best of the rest:

• Purdy has no physical limitations, a departure from last year’s camp, and it’s showing in his overall arm strength and the muscle he added this offseason. Despite a disastrous stretch of interceptions late in Tuesday’s practice, Purdy threw with authority and was a sound decision-maker over two days. “He’s just very comfortable with the offense,” Kittle said. “There are no limitations, no restrictions on his elbow, nothing like that. To be able to come out, have a full offseason to throw as much as he wanted and to really just get confident and comfortable with the offense … you can feel him take control of it, it’s just really fun to see.”

• Injuries and holdouts on the offensive line could prove valuable for younger players. Rookie guard Dominick Puni has flashed so far. The 49ers are looking for players who can attempt to match the intensity of a veteran-led team, and Puni is doing that.

• While the 49ers sort out contracts for their big-ticket stars, there’s another player who shouldn’t be forgotten when it comes to new deals: corner Deommodore Lenoir. The 49ers value Lenoir’s ability to play inside and outside, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see San Francisco try to get ahead of his 2025 free agency.

• It seems like the offseason addition of Brandon Staley as assistant head coach/defense will pay off. He has spent time in the defensive backs room, and the secondary had ball production during my visit. His presence gives coach Kyle Shanahan shades of the Vic Fangio influence that has always piqued his curiosity. Lenoir called Staley a “genius” coach the other day. New coordinator Nick Sorensen has a former head coach on whom to lean.

• Looking for a good sleeper? The team has been pleased with how veteran Isaac Yiadom transitioned from special-teamer to legitimate corner last season for New Orleans. He should contribute in a big way. And Jordan Mason looks like he’ll make a run at RB2 behind McCaffrey. He and Elijah Mitchell will battle it out, but Mason has looked the part.

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Mina Kimes: Geno Smith is one of the most underrated players in football

Mina Kimes joins “NFL Live” to react to the news that Geno Smith’s injuries aren’t significant and breaks down how the Seahawks’ offense can improve.

Key fantasy note: With Aiyuk out, all eyes are on the receiver position behind Samuel. Jauan Jennings showed what he can be with a series of impressive catches in one-on-ones. He appears to have a good hold on WR2 for now, with Ricky Pearsall as the wild card. Pearsall has got time to make up after nursing a hamstring issue, but he flashed in Wednesday’s practice with an impressive, bobbling catch with a defensive back draped on him. Neither player is a safe fantasy bet, but Jennings is holding the line.

Location: Renton, Washington
Date visited: July 29

Quarterback Geno Smith has a compelling case to vault into a new tier. Coming off a strong two-year sample in Seattle — with nearly 8,000 yards, 50 touchdown passes to 20 interceptions, 67.4% passing and a Pro Bowl bid — Smith has the comfort of a third season as the starter with a bevy of talent at the playmaking spots. He loves playcaller Ryan Grubb’s offense, too. He spent the summer working out in Los Angeles, Dallas and Fort Lauderdale, Florida, with teammates. And it has shown, with Smith starting camp on a hot streak. (After I left Washington, Smith missed a few practices because he was “banged up,” but he isn’t expected to miss any time.)

The stigma of Smith as a failed New York Jet, backup and eventual stopgap option is something he has long worked past. He speaks confidently, as he should.

“I know I’m one of the best,” Smith told me. “That’s not just me saying that. It’s proven. It’s on tape. I think for me, I can’t focus on those types of things. I have to be where my feet are and be the best player I can be.”

Whether he makes another jump will hinge on his mastery of Grubb’s system, which accentuates a spread-it-out passing attack. Smith plans to carry a heavy burden at the line of scrimmage, with freedom to dictate terms of the offense based on what he sees.

“The key is for the quarterback to be in control — that’s what I love about it,” Smith said of the offense. “[Grubb] gives us complete control. I would say, picture Peyton Manning, what he did in his career, lining up, looking at the defense, trying to figure it out. Obviously, they are going to disguise, and we have ways to go about handling that. Just trying to figure out what the defense is, always get into the best play. There’s always a solution.”

Among items on Smith’s agenda for 2024: continue getting to know teammates on a personal level and rushing for more yards when plays break down.

“Last year, really midway through the season, I felt I could have used my legs a little bit more,” said Smith, whose 155 rushing yards on 37 carries were down from 366 yards on 68 attempts the previous season. “That’s something I want to continue to do. I’m still very athletic. I play within the pocket, that’s the base of my game, but I think I could add an extra element to what defenses have to account for if I get a couple extra first downs or a couple of extra touchdowns.”

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Though Smith knows his game speaks for him, he also senses the urgency. The Seahawks are looking for their first double-digit-win season since 2020. His 2024 base salary of $12.7 million is guaranteed, but his $14.8 million salary in 2025 is not. A $10 million roster bonus is due on the fifth day of the 2025 league year. Safe to say the stakes are fairly high for Smith in 2024.

“The main thing is nothing is to be taken for granted,” Smith said. “It’s a year-to-year league and you have to perform. The thing I know is you’ve got to win.”

Best of the rest:

• Jaxon Smith-Njigba ranked third in Seahawks receiving last season (628 yards), but I expect that to change. Ordering the Seahawks receivers is tricky because Tyler Lockett‘s savvy, even as he turns 32 in September, will keep him relevant. But it seems like Smith-Njigba will be, at the very least, the No. 2 option behind DK Metcalf. When I asked Smith whom he throws to on key third downs, he said whoever is open but conceded that Metcalf in any one-on-one matchup is hard to ignore as a first option. But Smith-Njigba has made “tremendous play after tremendous play,” Smith said. “He’s focused, he’s engaged, I trained with him in the offseason and was so impressed with how mature he is for his age.” Coach Mike Macdonald also noted that Smith-Njigba is a tireless worker. The good news for all three receivers: They will get the ball.

• The Seahawks’ best teams had emotional leaders on defense — think Kam Chancellor, Richard Sherman and K.J. Wright. The lead option for the next leader for the defense is cornerback Devon Witherspoon. The Seahawks believe teammates gravitate toward him, and his fiery personality was on full display on the field and on the sidelines. Witherspoon can play in the slot or on the outside. Expect Seattle to use him in both spots this season.

• Under Macdonald, the Seahawks will find creative ways to foster competition. On Monday, I noticed the scoreboard was frequently updated with points for the offense and defense (not traditional football scoring, but a different system based on which side of the ball got the edge on a particular play). The defense won 54-39. Macdonald also uses a championship belt on certain days for the side of the ball deemed victorious. The players seemed to thrive off the setup.

• Seattle’s offensive line is still a bit unsettled. Free agent center Connor Williams recently visited the team, and while the Seahawks have interest in signing him, nothing is imminent. (Williams is recovering from a serious knee injury and still needs time.) For now, rookie Olu Oluwatimi is getting first-team reps at center. Right tackle Abraham Lucas might need most of the preseason to recover from a knee issue that has him sidelined, but he should be good for the regular season.

• Noah Fant is coming off career lows in catches (32) and yards (414), but the Seahawks are hopeful that the tight end eclipses those in a big way in 2024. Grubb’s passing attack should help him. “I think he’s our best-kept secret,” Smith said.

• The Seahawks have a major battle at backup receiver. Position Nos. 4-9 are up for grabs. Jake Bobo is making a serious case for a top spot. And the team believes former second-round pick Dee Eskridge has come to play this camp.

Key fantasy note: This Macdonald quote says what you need to know about running back Kenneth Walker III‘s fantasy impact: “Every time we go over the roster, [running backs coach] Kennedy [Polamalu], he gives me a little hint like, ‘Let’s feed this guy, he can be special.'” Zach Charbonnet always comes up in Seattle’s running back conversations, but Walker surpassing last season’s 219-carry total wouldn’t shock.

Location: Cincinnati
Dates visited: July 28-29

Everything in Cincinnati is about quarterback Joe Burrow. If he’s fully healed from the wrist injury that ended his 2023 season early and required a surgical repair, then it’s full steam ahead for a team that finished 9-8 last season but still gets the benefit of a fourth-place schedule. But if Burrow is going to struggle to throw the ball as a result of last year’s injury, then the Bengals are in huge trouble. So the question is, how does he look?

“Good. He looks really good,” coach Zac Taylor told me. “He looks like the guy that I know. He’d have to articulate better the things he feels, but it looks the same to me. And now it’s just my job to manage him early in camp, even when he says, ‘I feel great, I want to go.'”

Taylor and I were talking before Sunday’s evening practice. The entire team had been off the day before, and on the prior day, Taylor gave Burrow a day off from throwing even though the quarterback said he wanted to go. Monday’s practice was a lighter one in which Burrow’s throws were intentionally limited, then he was a full participant Tuesday when the team had its first practice in pads.

The nature of Burrow’s injury, to a quarterback’s throwing hand, is unusual, so there isn’t a real established template for how to recover — as there was when he tore his left ACL in his rookie season. There are some outside of the building who have said they want to see how the hand and wrist hold up as the volume of Burrow’s throwing increases, and if there’s a concern about lingering effects from the injury, it’s about what happens if the wrist gets sore again and whether that affects the way he throws. But for now, all the Bengals can do is go on what they see, hope for the best and try to get Burrow through a fully healthy training camp for the first time in his NFL career.

When Burrow entered the league, the offseason and training camp were severely truncated due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021, he was rehabbing his knee throughout camp. In 2022, he had appendicitis early in camp and missed a ton of time as he recovered. Last year, he injured his right calf on the second day of training camp and didn’t practice again until the first week of the regular season.

“He did not practice a day in August last year,” Taylor said. “He practiced two days in July, and then he came back the game week of Cleveland. That was his first real practice. So to be able to get however many practices we’re getting in August is just such a game-changer in terms of the comfort of moving in the pocket and the chemistry with the receivers and seeing these coverages and communication. It’s just night and day when you’re standing in the back talking it through with guys versus actually doing it. The comfort level is on a whole different level.”

I’m not an expert, a scout or a kinesiologist, but Burrow looked like himself when I watched him throw the ball. Take that for what it’s worth, but again, if the wrist isn’t going to hold up, there’s not much the Bengals can do about it. So they’re leaning into the optimism brought on by how good he has looked so far and hoping for the best.

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Best of the rest:

• Wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase has been at practice but not participating. He wears a baseball cap and doesn’t even tie his shoes, so it’s clear he’s not about to jump into drills. He is active, though, standing near the wide receiver drills, shagging balls and talking technique with his fellow receivers before and after practice. Chase is, from everything I was able to gather, healthy enough to practice. But he wants a new contract, and so far talks with the team about an extension haven’t produced one. They continue to talk, but the sense I get is that the Bengals feel comfortable waiting until next year, as the Vikings did with Chase’s college teammate Justin Jefferson. The question then is whether and when Chase decides to practice again, and on that front all Taylor will say is that he and Chase have talked about it and “have a plan.” If Chase is willing to sit out real games, that could push the Bengals to get something done ahead of their timetable. If not, the extension likely waits until next offseason at the earliest. Chase’s fifth-year option season is 2025, and the team would have the franchise tag available in 2026 and 2027 if it came to that.

• Wide receiver Tee Higgins is proof that the Bengals aren’t afraid to use the franchise tag, as he’s on it right now and was the only one of the nine tagged players in the league this offseason to not get an extension. Higgins is practicing; his best bet to hit it big in the free agent market next offseason is to play and play well, the way former Bengals safety Jessie Bates III did two years ago when he played on the tag and ended up signing a big deal with the Falcons after the season. I asked Taylor why he thinks the Bengals have success getting production out of players who are unhappy with their contract situations. “We obviously try to build close relationships with these players so that, in times like this, you can have a give-and-take, back-and-forth of, ‘Hey, vent to me for a second, get it off your chest, here’s what we’re going to go through, here’s how we’re going to manage it,'” Taylor said. “It’s not always perfect. It’s always stressful. It’s not unnatural to be stressed or frustrated or anxious. But I think our guys do a good job articulating it to us. … I’ve always felt good about the honesty and straightforwardness, and it’s worked out for us so far.”

• First-round rookie Amarius Mims has a legitimate chance to win the starting right tackle job. Veteran Trent Brown has missed the early part of camp recovering from injury, so Mims has been getting the first-team reps and winning over coaches and teammates. Taylor said he has been impressed by Mims’ “hunger for information,” and left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. agrees. “I don’t know what they’re going to do for sure, but Amarius is doing a really good job, man. I think he’s going to be a really good pro,” Brown told me. “The way I would describe it is, there’s guys that are raw, and then there’s guys that are just inexperienced. And he’s just inexperienced, you know, in my opinion. He went to Georgia, he practiced against great talent, he played in the SEC, played in those big games. I just don’t think he played in many of them. But he’s good, man, I think he’s going to be a good pro.”

• Replacing veteran wide receiver Tyler Boyd, who left to sign with the Titans in free agency, is a project for this camp. It sounds like third-round rookie Jermaine Burton has a strong chance to claim that job, but he has to overcome holdovers Andrei Iosivas, Trenton Irwin and Charlie Jones. It could come down to which of those guys looks the best in the slot receiver role this camp. Don’t be surprised, though, if tight end Mike Gesicki ends up being the de facto No. 3 receiver. Taylor described Gesicki as a “great receiving mismatch” and a good complement to blocking tight ends Drew Sample and Tanner Hudson.

• Both Taylor and defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo brought up the return of veteran safety Vonn Bell as a key to the defense recovering from the down year it had in 2023. One of the issues, they believe, is that they got a little too young on the back end and that communication suffered as a result. Having Bell — who played for the Bengals from 2020 through 2022 before spending 2023 in Carolina — as well as former Ravens safety Geno Stone on the back end should help keep things organized.

• Cincinnati is also expecting a jump from edge rusher Myles Murphy, who was the team’s first-round pick in 2023 but didn’t play much as a rookie. Murphy looks good early in camp and will continue to get chances to prove himself. Edge rusher Sam Hubbard injured a knee in Sunday evening’s practice, and fellow edge rusher Trey Hendrickson has been missing time early in camp due to a chest bruise. The team isn’t concerned about either injury being long-term. Hubbard had an MRI right after practice and the results indicated he should be all right after a brief time off and should be fine by the time the regular season starts.

Key fantasy note: The Bengals traded Joe Mixon to Houston, so the running back room looks different. They signed veteran Zack Moss, whose locker is next to that of second-year running back Chase Brown. The team sees them as complementary to each other and expects to use both. Moss is built to run between the tackles, while Brown has what he describes as “home run-hitting speed” and the ability to operate on the outside and in space to make a big play. Orlando Brown likes both backs and thinks the combo will be tough to stop, but he reserved fantasy-related praise for Chase Brown. “If I could play fantasy football, I’d take him as my first running back,” he said. “He’s going to have a year. I guarantee it. Special talent, special player.”

Location: Greenbrier, West Virginia
Dates visited: July 26-27

Ken Dorsey is here as the offensive coordinator, but head coach Kevin Stefanski is still going to call the offensive plays. So why go out and land Dorsey?

“As an OC, he’s always had a top-10 offense,” Browns GM Andrew Berry told me. “He really turned Josh Allen‘s career, and Cam Newton was an MVP under his tutelage. He’s a real good quarterback guy, a real good pass-game guy, and then just philosophically, we wanted to be better in the dropback game, the RPO game and really kind of expand our use of motion in our core concepts — and also increase our tempo. Those are all areas where Ken has excelled everywhere he’s been.”

So let’s start with the quarterback. Deshaun Watson enters his third season with the Browns, who somewhat famously traded the moon to the Texans for him and then signed him to a fully guaranteed five-year, $230 million contract. He was suspended for the first 11 games of the 2022 season for personal conduct policy violations stemming from allegations of sexual misconduct. Then he played in only six games last season before a shoulder injury ended his season in Week 10. Add in the fact that he was a healthy scratch for the entire 2021 season after requesting a trade from Houston, and that means he has played 12 games in the past three years.

“He needs reps, needs live action,” Dorsey told me.

So during practices, even these early non-padded walk-throughs, the Browns are trying to surround Watson with disturbances. Just people near him or tapping him with pads as he drops back, just to try to simulate game conditions.

“Just stay healthy,” Stefanski said. “I’m confident in Deshaun as a winner. That’s what he’s proven to do his entire career. He even did it for us last season, even though he wasn’t 100 percent.”

But the Browns also decided this offseason that they hadn’t been doing Watson any favors schematically. They felt Dorsey would help them modernize their offensive philosophy at a time when they badly needed to do so. The Browns believed they put Watson in too many tough third-down situations last season and that they could avoid that by working harder on first and second downs.

Example: Berry pointed out to me that the Browns threw the ball on 41% of their first downs in games started by Watson last season, but in games started by Joe Flacco, that number was 60%. (Stefanski downplayed that, pointing out that one of the Watson games was a rainy outing against Cincinnati and another was one in which he left after five throws due to injury.)

“It’s really first-down efficiency and staying out of third-down situations,” Berry said. “Because the hardest thing for an offense to do — and specifically for a quarterback to do — is operate in third-and-medium-to-long when you’re in obvious passing situations; you have to just drop back and win. Now, that’s why the guys make money, because they have to be able to convert some of those. But even the best offenses, they convert maybe just right around half.”

The Browns were 29th in the league last season in third-down conversion rate at just 31.6%. (To Berry’s point, the Bills, who had Dorsey as their offensive coordinator for the first 10 games last season, led the league with a third-down conversion rate of 49.8%.) And only three teams — the Giants, Cardinals and Jets — faced a longer average of yards to go on third down than Cleveland’s 7.5.

Best of the rest:

• Cleveland’s top three offensive tackles finished last season on injured reserve, but the Browns expect to have all three of them back in time for this season. Dawand Jones is already practicing, Jedrick Wills Jr. hit the practice field for the first time Saturday, and the team believes Jack Conklin will return to practice sometime in the first or second week of August. The biggest difference on the offensive line could be the departure of offensive line coach Bill Callahan, who left to join his son Brian’s staff in Tennessee. The Browns acknowledge that Callahan is a loss, but the silver lining is that they think new offensive line coach Andy Dickerson — who spent the past three years in Seattle — brings a philosophy that’s in line with the changes they want to make on offense. Between the concepts Dickerson brings from Seattle and the ones assistant offensive line coach Roy Istvan brings from his five years in Philadelphia, the Browns should look different in the run and pass games this season. “Things that aren’t broken, you obviously try to keep,” Stefanski said. “We’re just trying to find all those concepts that fit us the best. Roy, do some of the Philly RPOs make their way in? Andy in Seattle had some really good zone run systems. So just melding them together and then just being smart, not trying to do too much, but making sure you can be really good at a few different things.”

• The Browns acquired former first-round pick Jerry Jeudy from the Broncos this offseason to help their wide receiver corps. They saw Jeudy as a talented and still young (25) player available for a reasonable cost (fourth- and sixth-round picks), but they also believe his proficiency at the kinds of choice and option routes in their new offense will help him contribute in a major way. Jeudy is working his way back from injury early in camp, but they anticipate he’ll be good for the regular season.

• The defense will look similar to the one that played so well last season under coordinator Jim Schwartz, and Cleveland is excited about the addition of middle linebacker Jordan Hicks. The Browns believe the additions of veteran Quinton Jefferson and second-round rookie Mike Hall Jr. at defensive tackle will help improve their interior pass rush, too.

• Up here in the mountains of West Virginia, the Browns are one of the few teams in the league not practicing in extreme sweltering heat. It was breezy and cool (low 70s) with cloud cover for practice Saturday. Stefanski isn’t thrilled with it! “I want it to be hot,” he told me. “Our first game is 4:25 vs. Dallas, and our second game is at Jacksonville. That’s why we scheduled our two home preseason games at 4:25, so I’m hoping that it’s hot and we can acclimate to that.”

Key fantasy note: While the Browns practiced Friday, running back Nick Chubb worked off to the side with trainers in a session that lasted much longer than practice. A significant knee injury in Week 2 ended Chubb’s 2023 season and required multiple surgeries to repair, and he opened camp on the physically unable to perform list and isn’t likely to be ready for the start of the season. But the Browns are encouraged by the way his rehab is going and believe with certainty that he will play at some point this season. He has begun working on change-of-direction stuff in addition to full-speed sprinting, and the team is being very cautious not to pressure him by putting a timetable on his potential return. “I would never bet against 24, ever,” Stefanski said.

In the meantime, expect Jerome Ford to be the lead running back with Pierre Strong Jr. backing him up and D’Onta Foreman filling the role that Kareem Hunt used to have in Cleveland as the short-yardage back.

Location: Englewood, Colorado
Date visited: July 27

The NFL’s most intriguing quarterback battle was on full display, with Bo Nix, Jarrett Stidham and Zach Wilson trading shots all day. Rarely do teams involve three quarterbacks splitting reps evenly in a true battle, and this one covers three career stages — first-round rookie (Nix), incumbent looking to shed journeyman status (Stidham) and former early pick looking for a lifeline (Wilson).

People I’ve talked to with the team aren’t shying away from the notion that Denver feels like it has something in Nix. Sometimes with rookies you get lines like, “He’s coming along” or “Rookies need time.” Not in this case. The line is a variation of “He’s impressive.” The Broncos have been very happy with his ability to process information, his quick release, his accuracy and the poise you’d expect from a 61-game collegiate starter. That manifested Saturday, when Nix rebounded from his first interception of camp with three touchdown passes, including a nifty wheel route score to running back Javonte Williams.

The Broncos aren’t naive that Nix will have his freshman moments in camp when the pads come on. But this is a quarterback crafted in the image of coach Sean Payton, who is betting big on his ability to develop passers. While the battle is decidedly open, Nix is making his case.

“He’s done great, very confident, a lot of experience under his belt,” said cornerback Pat Surtain II of Nix. “Bright early start to his career. I can tell he’s very poised and confident.”

Stidham and Wilson can’t be discounted, though. Stidham might be the steadiest option of the three right now. Payton always has been a big fan, and in a ball-control offense, Stidham can operate efficiently. Payton has called him “real decisive” in his Year 2 approach dating to the spring. Stidham probably takes fewer chances than the other two as far as stretching the ball downfield, but he has been consistent.

Meanwhile, consider Wilson a Bill Parcells-inspired acquisition. Payton, one of Parcells’ top disciples, preached to his coaches that getting a former high pick at a low price can sometimes pay off because of the pedigree. That’s the case with Wilson, who is in a positive environment after three turbulent years with the Jets. Even if Wilson doesn’t win the starting job, the Broncos will have a plan for him. It’s important to keep three quarterbacks now with the new game-day rules for emergency quarterbacks. And they worked the Wilson trade with the Jets for weeks. They won’t want to throw that away.

The Broncos will soon formulate a plan for narrowing the quarterback focus. The sense here is that two of the three will start to get a heavier workload in practices soon. Monday is the team’s first day in pads, which could influence some decision-making. But for now, the Broncos like how all three are put in challenging situations with the quick rotations. One more thing the Broncos like about their QB battle: All three signal-callers are mobile.

Best of the rest:

• Young and hungry: That’s a mantra of sorts for Denver, which isn’t a trendy pick for a Super Bowl or even AFC West winner. Surtain and others with the team believe there’s a benefit for the unappreciated — sneaking up on people. “The main thing now is starting fast and finishing the right way,” Surtain said. “That’s how winning teams build success. I believe [the division] is wide open because it’s 0-0 and you never know how it’s going to play out.”

• I’m told that the Broncos will use receiver Marvin Mims Jr. in a variety of ways, as an “explosive play guy” on the outside for the new quarterback and possibly as a creative option for the new kickoff returns. Returners need to get used to different styles of kickoffs (low balls, ground balls, etc.), and Denver feels Mims can handle that well. But he will also be a key component in the pass game.

• Surtain, largely considered the game’s best corner, told me he’s eyeing more ball production this season after a combined three interceptions the past two years. He believes Vance Joseph’s scheme will present opportunities for him to crash passing lanes.

• The Broncos are expecting a big year from tight end Greg Dulcich … if he can stay on the field. Hamstring issues wrecked his first two years in the league. It’s very much a knock-on-wood situation here in Denver, but Dulcich flashed his big-play ability with a touchdown catch in the corner of the end zone Saturday.

Key fantasy note: A career year in rushing attempts (current high is 217) and targets (58) for Williams wouldn’t shock. The Broncos will most likely rely heavily on the running game and short passing game. Last season was a bit of a wash for Williams, who was adjusting to Payton’s offense while regaining confidence coming off an ACL tear. Neither of those are factors this year for Williams, who lost 11 pounds this offseason and has full confidence in the right knee now.

Once a top-10 back, Williams should capitalize on his contract year. The only wild card here is the Broncos revel in their tailback depth, with exciting young options such as Audric Estime, Jaleel McLaughlin and Blake Watson in the mix, plus veteran Samaje Perine. Those players could slightly cut into Williams’ workload.

Location: Latrobe, Pennsylvania
Date visited: July 25

I showed up in Latrobe for the Steelers’ first training camp practice expecting to check in on the quarterback competition, but then Russell Wilson missed that practice with a calf injury. He would miss the next day’s practice as well, offering Justin Fields a surprising early opportunity to work with the first-team offense. Fields has ground to make up in this competition. After OTAs and minicamp, Wilson entered training camp as the leader based on what he showed in offseason practices. And while these early practices haven’t been much different from OTAs in terms of intensity or script, Fields and coach Mike Tomlin both said after Thursday’s practice that just the chance to operate the first-team offense — letting those guys get used to Fields’ voice, cadence, etc. — was a good thing for the fourth-year quarterback.

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The Steelers ultimately will get into practices as serious as any in the league. This doesn’t apply to the quarterbacks, of course, but Pittsburgh remains one of the very few (if not the only) teams in the NFL that still hits and tackles to the ground in training camp practices. So the Steelers will get a real sense of how the offense is operating and whether Fields can bring things to it that Wilson can’t. Fields definitely has work to do to catch Wilson in the race for the starting job, but the Steelers are open-minded about his ability to do so. The important thing to keep in mind here is that the Steelers have no prior connection to either of these quarterbacks and no compelling financial commitment that would lead them to favor one over the other. So when they say it’s an open competition and Fields has a chance, believe them.

What if Fields does win the job? The Steelers are only paying Wilson a league-minimum $1.21 million for this season. His former team, the Broncos, are paying the rest of his guaranteed $39 million salary. If Fields is named the Week 1 starter, would Wilson remain as a backup? It’s conceivable he’d ask the Steelers to cut or trade him. Wilson’s contract with Pittsburgh includes a no-trade clause, which would give him some control over where he went if the team did move him. But if he can’t beat out Fields for the job, you have to wonder whether the Steelers would be able to get anything of value for him in a deal anyway.

Long way to go on this, of course. And while Wilson has clearly been a diminished player the past two years, Fields has his own flaws. But the early camp development that has Wilson sitting out while Fields takes the first-team reps certainly has added a wrinkle to the race.

Best of the rest:

• I expect the Steelers to add a wide receiver if one becomes available in a trade as the preseason unfolds. But as of now, nothing on that front seems imminent, which means opportunity for the guys who are in camp to audition for the No. 2 wide receiver spot behind George Pickens. Veteran Van Jefferson (who played for OC Arthur Smith in Atlanta last year) is one to keep an eye on, based on the conversations I had while I was there, and Calvin Austin III is another guy for whom the Steelers have high hopes. Rookie Roman Wilson has a chance to occupy the slot receiver role.

• The Steelers could also be in the cornerback market, as they see themselves thin at that position. They have 2023 second-rounder Joey Porter Jr. and acquired Donte Jackson from Carolina in exchange for Diontae Johnson. But Cam Sutton, whom they signed after the Lions released him amid domestic violence allegations, is suspended for the first eight games of the season, and they don’t have an obvious candidate to play the nickel corner role.

• It’s not just the quarterbacks who are on notice that this is an important year. Stalwart defensive lineman Cameron Heyward enters the final year of his contract scheduled to make a non-guaranteed $16 million. He has expressed a desire for a new contract, but talks haven’t progressed far. Running back Najee Harris, the team’s first-round pick from 2021, is entering the final year of his rookie contract after the team declined his $6.7 million fifth-year option for 2025. GM Omar Khan has said the door isn’t closed on Harris, and it’s certainly possible Harris could still get a new deal after the season. But the Steelers are installing a new offense and have told Harris and others they want to see how it goes this season before making long-term decisions. Pickens will be extension-eligible next offseason for the first time, so this is a big year for him as well.

• I talked to linebacker Patrick Queen about switching sides in the Ravens-Steelers rivalry. He said it was a little weird at first — that he had to do some “mending fences” upon arrival and that T.J. Watt looked at him sideways for a few days, but that it’s all good now. “It’s just football,” Queen said. “They’re all about football here, and all about defense, just like it was in Baltimore. So I feel like I’m going to fit right in.” Queen signed a three-year, $41 million contract with the Steelers this offseason and is eager to prove that he wasn’t just Roquan Smith‘s sidekick in Baltimore.

Key fantasy note: We still need to view Harris as the team’s lead running back to open the season, ahead of Jaylen Warren — and it’s possible it stays that way. Harris ran the ball well for Pittsburgh last season down the stretch and helped secure a playoff spot, and while Warren did make it more of a committee, Harris finished with 284 touches to Warren’s 210.

That said, it is a new offense, and the coordinator is Arthur Smith — and anyone who drafted Bijan Robinson in fantasy last season hoping for big things was screaming through the TV at Smith every Sunday while he platooned Robinson and Tyler Allgeier. I believe both Steelers backs will be useful, especially early in the year when the Steelers are a) still figuring out the quarterback situation, b) still figuring out wide receiver and c) still figuring out which running back fits the offense best. They know the backs are their most reliable options, and I think they’ll lean on them a lot — to the point where both could be playable in fantasy weekly, depending on your league’s size. Warren is scheduled to be a restricted free agent at the end of the season, so it’s not like Harris is the only one playing for his Pittsburgh future.

Location: East Rutherford, New Jersey
Date visited: July 25

Daniel Jones was more active than I expected in practice eight months removed from a torn ACL. The Giants cleared their quarterback for the start of camp, and on Thursday he didn’t miss a rep and even ran up the middle during goal-line work (no pads). The feeling among the Giants is that Jones is moving well and trending upward while knocking off the rust.

“I’m really not [thinking about] the rehab when I’m out there,” Jones told me when walking off the practice field, after chatting with former Giants quarterback Phil Simms. “I’ve done a lot in my rehab. I’m cutting and moving. So, I feel good. … I always had a lot of confidence I’d be here and back.”

Few quarterbacks are under more pressure than Jones, whose play and contractual future enters a crucial juncture. He has one winning season in five years, which earned him a four-year, $160 million extension in the 2023 offseason. The other seasons have been a struggle. A porous offensive line and uneven playmaking around him has done him zero favors. The implications of performing well on the field this season can’t be overstated, though. Most of Jones’ $30 million salary in 2025 ($23 million) is already guaranteed for injury, meaning if he suffers a significant one this season and can’t pass a physical in March, that money is owed to him. If things go south this season, it’s not hard to envision a Russell Wilson-Denver situation yet again.

But the Giants would have to be done with Jones at that point, and I don’t sense that’s the case. He’s their best option right now, and the team still believes in him. Regardless of injury, $11 million of Jones’ 2025 salary guarantees in March. Jones seems more concerned with three things over proving himself: maintaining his health, “developing relationships” with “a lot of new guys” on offense and cementing an identity on offense.

“We’re still trying to figure that out a little bit,” Jones said. “That’s what training camp is for. It’s early and we’ve got a lot of work to do, but I believe we will be able to attack the defense.”

Best of the rest:

• There’s no hiding rookie receiver Malik Nabers, whose ability was on full display this week. It doesn’t take long to see and hear the difference from a sedan to a Porsche when the cars pass. Nabers is not a sedan. “I mean, you saw him out there,” a team source said when asked about Nabers’ instant impact. “We’re very happy with him.” There’s no doubt he will surpass 100 targets if healthy. And it wouldn’t surprise to see the Giants utilize the quick passing game and play-action quite often, given the issues protecting Jones. That would provide Nabers with after-the-catch opportunities. The question is whether Jones, who has an underrated deep ball, can connect with Nabers downfield. Jones twice called Nabers “super talented” in my talk with him. “I’m excited about him,” Jones said. “We’ve got a lot of work to do together to build chemistry and get on the same page, but he’s super talented.”

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Clark: Malik Nabers could have ‘immediate impact’ with Giants

Ryan Clark breaks down what people can expect from Malik Nabers in his rookie season with the Giants.

• The strength of the team is clear: the defensive front. The trio of Dexter Lawrence II, Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux will be chasing quarterbacks out of the pocket. That was the case Thursday, as the Giants were practicing red zone concepts, a specialty of new defensive coordinator Shane Bowen, whose defense in Tennessee ranked first last season in that area (38%). The quarterbacks had to bail the pocket quite often. But depth behind the big three up front is an issue, and the Giants are keeping an eye on the free agency market just in case. They are doing the same at cornerback, recently working out some free agents, including Rachad Wildgoose. But veteran Cor’Dale Flott will get the first crack at a starting job — the Giants are comfortable with him.

• Is the roster finally where GM Joe Schoen wants it as he enters his third year in New York? After asking around, I’d say it’s fairly close, but another full offseason could get it there. New York is getting next to nothing from the 2021 draft class, though Azeez Ojulari is a factor when healthy, and the Giants are relying on most of the 2024 class to play right away. The Giants believe their recent picks have an unselfish makeup they seek. Thibodeaux and corner Deonte Banks have star potential. But the roster is still unproven in a few areas. One thing is clear: This is the best receiver corps Jones has had here. Nabers, Wan’Dale Robinson, Darius Slayton and Jalin Hyatt are a good core, with Allen Robinson II serving as a good veteran presence.

• Want a sleeper to watch this season? Fifth-round rookie tailback Tyrone Tracy Jr. is smooth and has good hands.

• Jon Runyan, a big-money free agent signing, told me he likes the versatility of the offensive line. Runyan has experience at both guard spots, while Jermaine Eluemunor can play both tackle spots and guard. Both veterans should help second-year center John Michael Schmitz Jr., who struggled last season around a weak supporting cast.

Key fantasy note: If you’re looking for RB2 value in the later rounds of your draft, Devin Singletary feels viable. Jones said the veteran running back will be “big time” for the Giants’ offense. In fact, he brought Singletary up unprompted when discussing the offense as a whole. Expect coach Brian Daboll and offensive coordinator Mike Kafka to utilize him in a variety of ways, including out wide in certain packages. “[Singletary] knows exactly where to be, what his job is, really good route runner, good downhill running back,” Jones told me. “He’ll be big for us.”

Location: Owings Mills, Maryland
Dates visited: July 23-24

Zach Orr always figured he’d end up in coaching, he just didn’t know it would look like this.

“I wasn’t thinking big enough,” the Ravens’ new 32-year-old defensive coordinator said after Wednesday’s practice. “I figured I’d play 10-12 years in the league, go home and maybe coach some high school ball, something like that.”

Orr only got to play three years for the Ravens before a congenital neck issue forced him to retire after the 2016 season. The Ravens immediately hired him as a scout and defensive analyst, and he has been on John Harbaugh’s coaching staff every year since except one — the 2021 season, which he spent in Jacksonville under the ill-fated Urban Meyer regime.

This year, with former Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald having left to become coach of the Seahawks and top assistants Dennard Wilson and Anthony Weaver leaving to become coordinators in Tennessee and Miami, respectively, Orr takes over as Baltimore’s defensive coordinator. The Ravens’ first preseason game — Aug. 9 against the Eagles — will be the first time he has ever called plays. But it’s clear that the Ravens, who finished first in scoring defense and with the best record in the AFC last season, aren’t expecting a guy who’s learning on the job. I asked Harbaugh what his expectations were for the 2024 defense under Orr.

“Keep going from last year,” Harbaugh said. “Just the progression that we’re on and that we’ve been on with the players and the scheme and the system that have been in place. Zach is kind of in a next-man-up situation. Great coach, great guy, knows what he’s doing, been a part of it for years, and he’s ready.”

Orr will count on younger players to step into big roles to build on what Macdonald put in place. Second-year linebacker Trenton Simpson, Baltimore’s third-round pick in 2023, is likely to start at the inside linebacker spot vacated by Patrick Queen, who signed with the division-rival Steelers in free agency. David Ojabo, the 2022 second-round pick who’s been limited to just five NFL games so far due to injuries, is a player who the Ravens hope can help fill the pass rush void created by the departure of Jadeveon Clowney, who signed with Carolina.

“We drafted these guys for a reason, and I expect them to play really well,” Harbaugh said. “I was getting the same questions last year — who’s gonna rush the passer — and it turned out pretty well.”

Time will tell how much Macdonald’s scheme was responsible for the league-leading 60 sacks the Ravens had in 2023 and whether Orr can maintain that level of success.

“To whom much is given much is required,” Harbaugh said. “[Orr] was given an amazing opportunity after the big setback as a player and just grew leaps and bounds all the time and took advantage of the opportunity. That’s why you see a guy so young have a chance at this, because he’s been exposed to some really great football. But he’s a smart guy, works hard, great talent, great persona with the guys, all that. Very charismatic guy, all those kinds of gifts.”

Best of the rest:

• Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson missed practice the first day I was there due to illness. He was at the start of practice the second day I was there and took a few reps but went inside early because he was not feeling well. It’s tough to get much of a read on the Ravens’ offense without Jackson, but there’s no missing Derrick Henry. “His first day here, I was like, ‘Dang, he looks like a defensive end or a D-tackle,'” Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely said. “Then you see him run and he’s clocking in at like 20, 21 miles per hour, and you’re thinking that’s a tough guy to bring down. To have him and Lamar in the backfield, that’s just going to help everyone that much more.”

• From 2019 (Jackson’s first full season as a starter) through the end of last season, Baltimore ran a league-low 484 plays that started with the quarterback under center. Of those 484, 176 were last season, so it was already a bigger part of Todd Monken’s offense than it was of his predecessors’ schemes. But I’d expect even more this year in an effort to take advantage of Henry. With a running start, Henry is pretty unstoppable, and playing from under center gives the Ravens the opportunity to hand him the ball when he has already built up plenty of momentum.

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The “Get Up” crew praise the Lions’ offseason additions and wonder whether Detroit’s past successes can propel the team to a Super Bowl appearance this season.

• Since they’ve signed Eddie Jackson as a third safety, expect Orr and the Ravens to keep versatile star Kyle Hamilton in the role he played last season — mainly the nickel spot, with the ability to move around and do some different things. I asked Hamilton what he thought about the changes on defense and how it would go. “Honestly, these first three days of camp have been pretty telling as to where we’re at as a team and a defense,” he said. “I think it’s pretty easy to tell after being out there, we have everything we need. I don’t think there’s any sort of doubt that we can do exactly what we did last year and even more.”

• The Ravens’ biggest question on offense is the offensive line, where three starters from last year’s team are gone. They’re hoping 2023 seventh-round pick Andrew Vorhees — the guy who tore an ACL at the combine and still stuck around to do 38 bench press reps — is ready to go after sitting out his entire rookie season due to the injury. He could start at one of the guard spots. The Ravens could also end up starting second-round rookie Roger Rosengarten at right tackle. There are several candidates for the three open spots, and Baltimore is hoping to use the early part of camp to start sorting out who’ll end up making its starting five.

Key fantasy note: The Ravens’ clear No. 1 wide receiver is 2023 first-round pick Zay Flowers, who had 77 catches for 858 yards and five touchdowns in his rookie season. They view him as a budding star, and I expect Jackson to feed him the ball a lot. But if you’re wondering who’ll emerge as the No. 2 receiver from a group headlined by veterans Nelson Agholor and Rashod Bateman, may I direct your attention to Likely, who expects to be more than just Mark Andrews‘ backup tight end. Likely told me he’s working on learning every position a receiver might need to know in the offense and expects Monken to move him around the formation to maximize his receiving ability.

“They want me to be able to go everywhere, whether it’s in the backfield, in line, in the slot, out wide or whatever,” Likely said. “So just learning everything and being that chess piece that can move around.”

Look, if Andrews is healthy, you know what he brings and you’re probably not drafting Likely as your starting tight end in fantasy. But he could make a fun late-round flier. Andrews missed seven games due to injury last season, Likely emerged as a reliable receiving threat during that time, and he believes the Ravens will run a lot of plays with both of them on the field.

“Oh yeah, that’s really been the emphasis with me and Mark,” Likely said. “Trying to be able to play off each other, make the most of our opportunities and make as many explosive plays as possible.”