Top storylines entering the NFL season

Philadelphia won Super Bowl LII despite losing Wentz to a torn ACL in Week 14. Wentz was the favorite for league MVP before the injury, and the team returns most of its Super Bowl roster with some notable additions like Mike Wallace and Michael Bennett. Once again, the Eagles look like a juggernaut.

The NFL owners tried to address the controversial NFL protests in the offseason by leaving it up to the teams, only to backtrack when the Dolphins threatened to suspend protesting players. After all the offseason hoopla, the NFL's stance on the situation seems to be in the same place that it was last year, while Colin Kaepernick and Eric Reid remain unsigned. One thing is for sure: The situation will remain front and center in 2018.

Reports of some relationship turmoil between Brady and Belichick last season didn't stop the Patriots from going to their eighth Super Bowl this century. The task could be even tougher this season with Brady entering his age 41 season and now without Brandin Cooks, Danny Amendola and also missing Julian Edelman for the first four games of the season. 

The NFL made several rule changes in the offseason, including an adjustment to the catch rule, kickoff rule and controversially attempting to eliminate the use of the helmet in tackles. Critics already started screaming about the new helmet rule after the Hall of Fame game, and those screams are likely to get louder when the rule impacts regular-season games.

Gruden hasn't coached in the NFL since 2008, but the Raiders were able to draw him out of the Monday Night Football broadcast booth with a 10-year, $100 million contract. He has talented young pieces in Derek Carr, Amari Cooper and Khalil Mack, and he's tried to complement them this offseason with several veterans. It's clear that Gruden is doing things his own way.

The Vikings made it all the way to the NFC Championship last year but were blown out by Philadelphia. Case Keenum did a fine job most of the time filling in for Sam Bradford, but the team had higher hopes at quarterback. Kirk Cousins comes over from Washington after signing a three-year, $84 million contract, and he has impressive weapons in Stefon Diggs, Adam Thielen, Kyle Rudolph and Dalvin Cook. We'll soon find out if Cousins can put Minnesota over the top.

The Washington organization had no one to blame but itself for Cousins' falling out with the team, refusing to give the quarterback a long-term deal. Instead, the team turns to former 49ers and Chiefs starter Alex Smith. For all his blemishes, Smith is a proven winner with seven straight winning seasons as a starter. Washington is already facing some tough times with the loss of projected starting running back Derrius Guice to injury, but Smith's safe play and stability could be a better fit for the team.

The Rams won the offseason with several impact moves, including the additions of Brandin Cooks, Aqib Talib, Marcus Peters and Ndamukong Suh. That talent adds to a roster that went 11-5 last season. Anything short of a Super Bowl berth will be a disappointment after all of the talent the team has added.

Watson looked unstoppable in his rookie season when he found the field, throwing for 1,699 yard and 19 touchdowns in only six games. But his season was halted due to a torn ACL. Houston fans expect big things from the former Clemson quarterback this year, though it won't be easy with a transitioning offensive line and an AFC South division that is fast improving.

As usual, there was massive head coaching turnover after the 2017 season. Seven new head coaches bring optimism to their respective fan bases, with high immediate expectations across the board. Jon Gruden, Mike Vrabel, Frank Reich, Pat Shurmur, Matt Patricia, Steve Wilks and Matt Nagy will have their hands full meeting those expectations.

This year's draft featured a deep first-round quarterback class, with five signal-callers selected in the first round. Some of them are expected to sit for most of their rookie campaigns (Sam Bradford, Lamar Jackson), while Sam Darnold, Josh Allen and Josh Rosen could make immediate impacts this year. As history shows, the transition to the NFL can be difficult for rookie quarterbacks, so fans should temper their expectations.

The Giants opted to take Barkley second overall in the draft rather than finding a long-term quarterback replacement for Eli Manning. That decision continues to be debated, but Barkley has Giants fans giddy after his performance during the team's first preseason game. New York has struggled to run the ball for the last several years, and the dynamic Barkley looks like he could be a difference-maker immediately.

Luck had one setback after another last season following shoulder surgery, and he failed to play a game. He finally turned a corner this offseason and performed well in the Colts first preseason game. There are still questions about his arm strength after such a long layoff, and the Colts are relying on Luck to make a full rebound to have any chance of making it back to the playoffs this year.

Winston is coming off a disappointing 2017 season, and he's been suspended for the first three games of the year for violating the league's personal conduct policy. His progress has been much slower than the Bucs hoped after taking him first overall in the 2015 draft, and this year could be a make-or-break campaign for both Winston and the current coaching staff.

The Browns hired former Chiefs general manager John Dorsey, and he wasted no time revamping the roster this offseason. With plenty of cap room and draft picks, he made notable additions like Tyrod Taylor, Carlos Hyde, Jarvis Landry, Damarious Randall and draft picks Baker Mayfield and Denzel Ward. After winning just one game over the last two seasons, the expectations are much higher for Cleveland in 2018.

Flacco has won a Super Bowl, but his support among Ravens fans has been waning over the last several years. The Ravens have given him help by adding Michael Crabtree, John Brown and Willie Snead in the offseason, and he could also be pushed by first-round pick Lamar Jackson. The team needs marked improvement after missing the playoffs in three consecutive seasons.

Garoppolo found the field late last season after being acquired from the Patriots and went 5-0 as a starter. With the quick development of the offense under Kyle Shanahan, fans are excited about what's ahead for Garoppolo and Co. The team has already extended Garoppolo's contract, paying him like a star quarterback, and now hope to see him blossom in 2018.

The Seahawks defense got old quickly last year and saw some major changes in the offseason. Gone are key Super Bowl pieces Richard Sherman, Kam Chancellor and Michael Bennett, and it seems like only a matter of time before disgruntled safety Earl Thomas has a new home. The offense also lost Paul Richardson and Jimmy Graham and could go more run-heavy this season after drafting Rashaad Penny. It will certainly be an interesting year in Seattle.

The Jaguars just fell short in the AFC Championship against New England. They were able to get that far mostly due to their defense and running game, but Bortles also showed flashes at times. The maligned former first-round pick signed a two-year extension in the offseason, giving the organization a chance to see if Bortles can make the improvements necessary to get the Jags to the Promised Land.

The Cowboys cut the aging Dez Bryant, and future Hall of Fame tight end Jason Witten retired for the broadcast booth in the offseason. While the team did make a few additions at wideout, there's a clear void for Dak Prescott and Co. Head coach Jason Garrett almost certainly has to make it back to the playoffs to keep his job, and it won't be easy if no viable receiving threats emerge.

As with every preseason, there are several players making headlines because they're unhappy with their contracts. The most notable are Rams star defensive tackle Aaron Donald, Raiders pass rusher Khalil Mack and Steelers running back Le'Veon Bell, since they haven't shown up for training camp. But Julio Jones and Odell Beckham Jr. also made noise about their contracts in the offseason. These situations will be interesting to watch, especially with Donald and Mack not stating plans to show up without new contracts.

The Chiefs started the Mahomes era when they traded Alex Smith in the offseason. The strong-armed former first-round pick has an impressive set of weapons after Kansas City signed Sammy Watkins, adding to Tyreek Hill, Travis Kelce and Kareem Hunt. After KC's defense declined last season, the pressure will be on Mahomes this season to pick up where Smith left off and perhaps be even more productive.

Miami shocked the football world when it traded Jay Ajayi last season, and the big moves continued this offseason. The Dolphins got rid of Ndamukong Suh and Jarvis Landry, replacing them with Robert Quinn, Albert Wilson and Danny Amendola. Head coach Adam Gase has made some drastic changes, and he hopes for improvement with the return of Ryan Tannehill from injury.

Ben Roethlisberger and former Steelers offensive coordinator Todd Haley didn't seem to have the best relationship, but the Pittsburgh offense certainly performed during Haley's tenure. The team finished in the top 10 in yards in four consecutive seasons, but the Steelers didn't bring back Haley in the offseason. Instead, quarterback coach Randy Fichtner was promoted to the role. It remains to be seen if that change pays off.

The Falcons had a historically great offense in 2016, but they lost momentum last season following Kyle Shanahan's departure. Atlanta could be Super Bowl contenders again if the offense, and in particular Matt Ryan, returns to form after a down year in 2017. Following a full year in coordinator Steve Sarkisian's system, there's optimism the team can rebound.