PART I
Arizona Cardinals:
Camp MVP: KeeSean Johnson
Other Notes: Johnson all but has a starting wide receiver spot locked up, alongside Christian Kirk and Larry Fitzgerald. Johnson has paced the Cardinals with 12 catches for 137 yards in the preseason. Andy Isabella will likely have a specialized role early in the season until he catches up from the amount of time he missed due to injury. Hakeem Butler has landed on IR, which is a huge blow to his development. He was not having a great camp as it was.
Atlanta Falcons:
Camp MVP: Matt Ryan
Other Notes: The Falcons backfield and snap share is something to watch early in the season. Ito Ito Smith will start the season as the RB2, but he doesn’t have a stranglehold on the job by any means. Calvin Ridley is on path to put up even better numbers than he did as a rookie. Matt Ryan has been very accurate all camp.
Baltimore Ravens:
Camp MVP: Lamar Jackson
Other Notes: The Ravens have not stopped raving about Lamar Jackson since the start of camp. The offense is loaded with weapons now, so we’ll see if they can walk the walk in a couple weeks. Hollywood Brown has been slowly working his way back in and should be 100% ready to go for the opener.
Buffalo Bills:
Camp MVP: John Brown
Other Notes: In the 9 games Joe Flacco played last year, Brown averaged 3.8 catches and 66.8 yards. He also had 4 touchdown receptions. Extrapolate that to a 16 game schedule and it comes to 60 catches for 1,068 yards and around 8 touchdowns. That’s what you should expect from Brown this year with the Bills.
Carolina Panthers:
Camp MVP: Curtis Samuel
Other Notes: Cam Newton should be good to go for week 1 after an injury scare in the last preseason game. Both DJ Moore and Curtis Samuel could break out if Newton relies less on his legs this year.
Chicago Bears:
Camp MVP: David Montgomery
Other Notes: Anthony Miller has had a quiet preseason/training camp, but says he’ll be ready for week 1. He might be a good buy low. Montgomery has consistently impressed coaches and writers throughout camp.
Cincinnati Bengals:
Camp MVP: Damion Willis
Other Notes: Willis has been named the opening day starter at wide receiver and he has earned it. The undrafted rookie has 9 catches for 118 yards and a touchdown so far this preseason.
Cleveland Browns:
Camp MVP: Odell Beckham Jr
Other Notes: If there’s an Achilles heel on the Browns offense, it’s the offensive line. They should still put up points and yards, but the o-line could hold them back from being as dynamic as the want to be.
Dallas Cowboys:
Camp MVP: Michael Gallup
Other Notes: The clock is ticking on Ezekiel Elliott showing up for the start of the season. The Cowboys open up with the Giants, Redskins, and Dolphins. They should be favored in all three games, so they may not be inclined to rush a deal with Zeke. Amari Cooper will be good to go for week 1.
Denver Broncos:
Camp MVP: Emmanuel Sanders
Other Notes: Assuming he stays healthy, Sanders should easily lead the Broncos in receptions and yards. Courtland Sutton may lead them in touchdowns. The split between Phillip Lindsay and Royce Freeman will be interesting to watch in week 1. If Lindsay can hold up, he’s likely to pull away and make it more of a 65/35 split than a 50/50 split.
Detroit Lions:
Camp MVP: TJ Hockenson
Other Notes: Hockenson looked great in the Lions most recent preseason game, putting up a 3 catch, 52 yard performance. Don’t be surprised if he has a top 10 season. He has looked every bit of a complete tight end.
Green Bay Packers:
Camp MVP: Robert Tonyan
Other Notes: Jimmy Graham hasn’t exactly been a pillar of health lately and Tonyan has had a very strong training camp. He’s a great stash in deep leagues.
Houston Texans:
Camp MVP: Will Fuller
Other Notes: Fuller hasn’t seen much contact, but he doesn’t need to until week 1. Fuller has looked as physically ready as he’s been in his career. Deshaun Watson had a 147.2 passer rating targeting Fuller last season, the second best rating between a QB and WR in the league (Russell Wilson/Tyler Lockett, 158.3, was first).
Indianapolis Colts:
Camp MVP: Deon Cain
Other Notes: Still shocked by the Andrew Luck news. When Luck missed the 2017 season, Brissett filled in and went 4-11. He had 3,098 passing yards, 13 touchdowns, and 7 interceptions. He has a much better supporting cast and coaching staff now, but he’ll have to show improvement to keep his teammates relevant.
Jacksonville Jaguars:
Camp MVP: Dede Westbrook
Other Notes: Leonard Fournette is a close second to camp MVP, but Westbrook has been the star of Jaguars camp. Look for Fournette to be more involved in the passing game this year as he looks to bounce back from a forgettable 2018 season.
Kansas City Chiefs:
Camp MVP: Darwin Thompson
Other Notes: Thompson has had a meteoric rise in value over the last 2 weeks, and deservedly so. That said, Damien Williams is still the clear cut RB1 and showed why with his long touchdown catch in the most recent preseason game. This offense is just absolutely loaded. They may be even better than last year.