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NFC: Top non-QB storylines entering training camp
NFL training camps are rapidly approaching as teams continue preparing for the upcoming season. Reporting dates and locations are noted below.
Yardbarker's NFL writers came together this week to identify the top non-QB storylines each team is facing heading into camp.
NFC East
DALLAS COWBOYS | New coach up | The Cowboys get a new head coach in Brian Schottenheimer, whose father, Marty Schottenheimer, never found postseason success despite solid regular seasons. That’s been Dallas’ M.O. for years, too. The former coordinator will see the bright lights right away, where success is only measured in January. | Rookies report date: July 21 | Veterans: July 21 | Site: Oxnard, Calif. |
NEW YORK GIANTS | O-line shakeups | The offensive line looks for change despite returning five starters. Evan Neal moves to guard to bolster the unit’s interior pass blocking. Eventually, the Giants will be protecting a rookie passer, so they need to gel quickly. | Rookies report date: July 15 | Veterans: July 22 | Site: East Rutherford, N.J. |
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES | Whole new DL | The Eagles lost their top six defensive linemen, including four starters. You can’t lose 4,070 snaps and not regress. Philadelphia added first-rounder Jihaad Campbell and some proven veterans, but chemistry is a big question. | Rookies report date: July 22 | Veterans: July 22 | Philadelphia |
WASHINGTON COMMANDERS | T-Mac holdout? | WR Terry McLaurin is now in a bitter contract extension standoff and implying he may not report to training camp. Entering the final year of his current deal, McLaurin has been the Commanders’ top receiver since 2019. This is GM Adam Peters’ watershed moment with McLaurin, a major fan favorite. | Rookies report date: July 18 | Veterans: July 22 | Site: Ashburn, Va. | -- Rick Snider
NFC West
ARIZONA CARDINALS | Jonathan Gannon’s defense | The Cardinals are entering the pivotal third year of Gannon’s tenure as head coach. After a 6-4 start to last season, the Cardinals limped to the finish line and missed the playoffs. Now with a defense loaded with young and high-potential talent, and a competitive offense, the pressure is on Gannon to finally make the playoffs as a head coach. | Rookies report date: July 22 | Veterans: July 22 | Site: Glendale, Arizona |
LOS ANGELES RAMS | Capitalizing on Super Bowl window | The Rams may still have a young defense, but they are going all-in in 2025 after falling just short of a NFC Championship Game appearance last season. Los Angeles' Super Bowl clock is ticking with Matthew Stafford's age inching closer to 40. But after adding former All-Pro wide receiver Davante Adams and space-eating defensive tackle Poona Ford, there is no excuse for Los Angeles not to be holding a Lombardi Trophy at season’s end. | Rookies report date: July 22 | Veterans: July 22 | Site: Los Angeles |
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS | Christian McCaffrey’s health | A lot went wrong for the 49ers in 2024, but nothing as impactful as the injuries to McCaffrey. It derailed their offense, cost the 2024 Offensive Player of the Year a follow-up season and led to another wasted year of San Francisco’s Super Bowl window. If McCaffrey is healthy in 2025, the 49ers offense should get back on track and provide Kyle Shanahan one of the most dynamic offensive weapons in the league to call plays for again. | Rookies report date: July 15 | Veterans: July 22 | Site: Santa Clara, Calif. |
SEATTLE SEAHAWKS | Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s ascension | Coming off a 100-reception, 1,130-yard, six-touchdown sophomore season, Smith-Njigba is set to take over as the leader of Seattle’s offense after the team traded away DK Metcalf and let Tyler Lockett leave for Tennessee. Now the new face of their offense, the Seahawks are banking on Smith-Njigba to grow into a top 10 receiver in 2025 and propel the team back into the playoffs. | Rookies report date: July 15 | Veterans: July 22 | Site: Renton, Washington | -- Sterling Bennett
NFC North
CHICAGO BEARS | Brand new offensive line | The Bears gave up a league-high 68 sacks last year, so general manager Ryan Poles hit the offensive line hard this offseason by signing center Drew Dalman and trading for guards Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson. With Braxton Jones and Darnell Wright back at the tackle spots, Caleb Williams should be set up for a much better second season. | Rookies report date: July 19 | Veterans: July 22 | Site: Lake Forest, Ill. |
DETROIT LIONS | Replacing both coordinators | The Lions went 27-7 over the last two seasons under the coaching trio of head coach Dan Campbell, offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn. Johnson and Glenn left for head coaching positions this offseason (Bears and Jets, respectively). Continuity is key in the NFL, so it won’t be easy for Detroit to replicate its success from 2023 and 2024 with new OC John Morton and new DC Kelvin Sheppard attempting to fill those big shoes. | Rookies report date: July 16 | Veterans: July 19 | Site: Allen Park, Mich. |
GREEN BAY PACKERS | Wide receiver health | The Packers have a deep, dynamic wide receiver room highlighted by Jayden Reed, Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs. Still, Green Bay finished last season with all three players sidelined due to injuries. This injury-prone group is a big reason why the Packers drafted Texas WR Matthew Golden in the first round and TCU’s Savion Williams in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft. | Rookies report date: July 18 | Veterans: July 22 | Site: Green Bay, Wis. |
MINNESOTA VIKINGS | Question marks in the secondary | J.J. McCarthy is obviously the juiciest storyline surrounding the 2025 Vikings, but the secondary is a close second. Will Isaiah Rodgers, Jeff Okudah or Mekhi Blackmon step up at cornerback alongside Byron Murphy Jr.? Will aging Harrison Smith and mediocre Josh Metellus hold up at safety? | Rookies report date: July 20 | Veterans: July 22 | Site: Eager, Minn. | -- Jack Dougherty
NFC South
ATLANTA FALCONS | Final Pit(ts) stop? | Tight end Kyle Pitts, the No. 4 overall pick of the 2021 NFL Draft, is set to play on his fifth-year rookie option this fall with no guarantee he’ll be in Atlanta past 2025. His progress this summer, building a rapport with starting quarterback Michael Penix Jr., is a massive subplot of Falcons camp and could be key in determining how much longer he remains with the franchise. | Rookies report date: July 23 | Veterans: July 23 | Site: Flowery Branch, Georgia |
CAROLINA PANTHERS | Wide receiver depth chart | The Panthers selected a wide receiver in the first round of the NFL Draft for the second consecutive year, following last year’s Xavier Legette pick by choosing Tetairoa McMillan at No. 8 overall this past April. With veteran Adam Thielen returning, along with Jalen Coker, and the fellow additions of rookie Jimmy Horn Jr. and five-year pro Hunter Renfrow, training camp will be key to gaining clarity in who’ll be quarterback Bryce Young’s main weapons this season. | Rookies report date: July 21 | Veterans: July 22 | Site: Charlotte, North Carolina |
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS | Chris Olave extension | On Monday, the New York Jets extended 2022 Associated Press Offensive Rookie of the Year Garrett Wilson on a four-year deal worth $32.5 million annually, setting the market for Olave. The No. 11 overall pick of the 2022 NFL Draft has been excellent for the Saints, who should expedite negotiations before Olave’s price skyrockets. | Rookies report date: July 22 | Veterans: July 22 | Site: Metairie, Louisiana |
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS | Haason Reddick mounts a comeback | The eight-year veteran entered the 2024 season with four consecutive double-digit sack seasons but only tallied one in 10 games (two starts) while embroiled in a contract dispute with the Jets. With no off-field drama in Tampa, training camp will be a pivotal time for Reddick, who turns 31 in September, to prove he’s still among the league’s most disruptive pass-rushers. | Rookies report date: July 21 | Veterans: July 22 | Site: Tampa, Florida | -- Eric Smithling
More must-reads:
- NFC under-the-radar rookies, training camp reporting dates
- Commanders adding former Super Bowl MVP shouldn't move the needle
- The 'Total touchdown leaders by NFL season since 2000' quiz
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