We are in the midst of training camp season. Let the battles begin! There are plenty of jobs open across the NFL, and these are the nine most interesting.
The 9 most interesting NFL training camp battles
Leading up to the start of the regular season, plenty of important positions are up for grabs across the league.
Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports
Dallas Cowboys starting running back
When the Cowboys refused to re-sign DeMarco Murray they gave up a running back who carried the ball 392 times for more than 1,800 yards and 13 touchdowns. Where do all those carries go? The Cowboys oddly didn't draft a running back this year and will instead turn to backup Joseph Randle, the oft-injured Darren McFadden and Lance Dunbar.
When he’s been given a real opportunity, Randle has done little. He had double-digit carries just once last season, and in that game carried the ball 13 times for only 37 yards. McFadden actually played in all 16 games last season but still only managed 534 yards and two touchdowns. How good Randle and McFadden look battling for the starting job in training camp will go a long way in developing the perception of the Cowboys this season, especially if one emerges as the clear starter.
Atlanta Falcons starting running back
Whoever wins out between Coleman and Freeman should find success in an offense run by coordinator Kyle Shanahan that is historically generous to running backs. Coleman and Freeman have been outspoken about wanting the starting job, so the competition here could be fierce. As a rookie last season, Freeman managed just 3.8 yards per carry and had just 82 attempts. That leaves things open for Coleman, Atlanta’s third-round pick this year, to challenge for the job. Coleman boasts good raw speed out of the backfield while Freeman plays with a little more shiftiness.
In the end, a committee approach between the two may be most likely. Shanahan's last team – the Browns – were the league's only franchise to have three running backs carry the ball 100 or more times each in 2014.
Houston Texans quarterback
Ryan Mallett vs. Brian Hoyer
At what point does a quarterback go from being young and worth developing to being an also-ran? At 27, we may be about to find out with Mallett. He’s battling with Hoyer, a free agent signee who really fell apart as last season progressed. If Mallett can’t hold Hoyer off, is he worth keeping around going forward? Further, it’s hard to get excited about the future in Houston with Hoyer as a starter.
Buffalo Bills quarterback
EJ Manuel vs. Tyrod Taylor vs. Matt Cassel
What a trio of bad. This competition is so painful that whoever finishes third in this race could be on the roster bubble. By now, you know Manuel. He was over-drafted in the first round out of Florida State in 2013 and has struggled throughout his career. Cassel and Taylor are journeymen to the fullest degree and offer little excitement. A starter out of this bunch is going to be determined during training camp and preseason, but is anyone really a winner?
New England Patriots cornerbacks
To say New England has a messy cornerback situation is an understatement. Gone are Darrelle Revis, Brandon Browner, Kyle Arrington and their combined more than 2,000 snaps from last season. If New England wants to make a Super Bowl run, it may need to hope the gamble on somewhat unproven talent pays off.
Will third-year man Logan Ryan be able to be the team's top cornerback? Will Malcolm Butler emerge or simply be one of those players who had a career-defining Super Bowl and nothing more? Can Bradley Fletcher turn things around after struggling in Philadelphia? Why did the Patriots wait until the seventh round before drafting their first cornerback, Marshall's Darryl Roberts? That may be too many questions to answer during training camp for a team looking to make another title run.
Oakland Raiders tight end
The development of second-year quarterback Derek Carr could be hastened by the play of his tight ends. During training camp we may find out if he has a better rapport with Rivera or Walford, the team's third-round pick. While Walford was a fairly high pick (68th overall), Rivera still caught 58 passes last season for 534 yards and four touchdowns. It's likely that Walford and Rivera will get a similar number of snaps this season, and Rivera may get even more. But which will become more of a go-to weapon for Carr?
Chicago Bears inside linebacker
Under new defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, the Bears are looking for two starting inside linebackers. Mason Foster is expected to be one of them after signing as a free agent. The other spot is up for grabs between Jonathan Bostic, Christian Jones and Shea McClellin.
Bostic, the team’s second-round pick in 2013, is athletic and rangy and could remind Fangio of Navorro Bowman. He missed OTAs in April, though. That leaves an opportunity for a player like Jones, undrafted last season out of Florida State. In the five games he started last season, Jones had 45 tackles. McClellin is making the move inside after disappointing as a pass rusher.
St. Louis Rams offensive line
How will the Rams juggle a young offensive line? St. Louis drafted four offensive linemen this year and used a 2016 pick to select Isaiah Battle in the supplemental draft. The right side of the Rams' offensive line is being rebuilt. The expecation is that second-round pick Rob Havenstein will be the starter at right tackle and third-round pick Jamon Brown will start at right guard.
But what happens if they struggle in the preseason? Then draft order goes out the window and fourth-round pick Andrew Donnal or sixth-round pick Cody Wichmann could get a shot. The Rams will also use training camp to begin figuring out who starts at center between Tim Barnes, Barrett Jones and Demetrius Rhaney.
Cleveland Browns defensive line
Last season the Browns had the league's worst run defense, surrendering an average of 141.6 yards per game. In an effort to remedy it, the team drafted Danny Shelton in the first round and signed free agent Randy Starks.
The expectation is that Shelton will settle in as the starter at nose tackle and veteran Desmond Bryant will start at one end spot. That leaves Starks to fight for the starting three-technique end position against John Hughes and Xavier Cooper. The Browns gave Hughes a four-year contract extension and used a third-round pick on Cooper, so clearly they like both.
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