The NFL preseason gets going Thursday night in Canton, Ohio with the Hall of Fame Game matchup between the Jacksonville Jaguars and Las Vegas Raiders.
Both teams are looking to improve upon 2021 seasons with some fresh faces leading the charge.
Jacksonville went 3-14 mostly under the defrocked Urban Meyer, who didn't survive the campaign after foibles on and off the field. Meyer was replaced by offensive guru Doug Pederson.
Las Vegas was 10-7, making the playoffs, but parting during the season with, you guessed it, defrocked coach Jon Gruden. Gruden resigned in October after mysogynistic and homophobic comments in e-mails came to light. Josh McDaniels takes over the Silver and Black. Like Pederson, he is touted for his offensive pedigree.
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FrontPageBets examines a best bet for the inaugural preseason game.
Jaguars' developments
How much progress will we see from touted Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (12 touchdowns vs. 17 interceptions)?
He'll be fronted by an improved offensive line that can open holes for backs Travis Etienne and James Robinson.
The receiving corps is now deep with Marvin Jones, Zay Jones and Christian Kirk.
The defense, 29th in the league in 2021, has a lot of room for improvement.
Raiders' update
Las Vegas quarterback Derek Carr gets a dynamic addition to his arsenal in receiver Davante Adams. Adams, acquired from the Green Bay Packers, contributed more than 1,500 yards and 11 touchdowns a year ago. Versatile wideout Hunter Renfrow will team with Adams to provide punch.
Tight end Darren Waller is an impact player.
The offensive line brings back all its starters from a sometimes leaky outfit.
On the defensive side, the Raiders must fortify a unit that was 26th in points yielded a year ago.
Best bet
Since starters will play sparingly, if at all, you won't be seeing a very polished product.
With DraftKings setting the Over/Under at 30.5, and both teams just a week into training camp, don't expect any offensive explosions.
The pick: Under
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NFL teams open camp with biggest question still unanswered
WHERE’S JIMMY G GOING?
The San Francisco 49ers made it clear Trey Lance will be the starting quarterback and they’re moving on from Jimmy Garoppolo, who led them to a Super Bowl appearance following the 2019 season and nearly another one last season. The Niners have to trade or release Garoppolo before Week 1 to avoid having his $24.2 million base salary become fully guaranteed. Garoppolo would’ve been moved already if it weren’t for his offseason shoulder surgery.
“This is Trey’s team. That’s nothing against Jimmy,” 49ers coach Mike Shanahan said. “We made that decision a year ago and we’re not going to mess around with that anymore. ... Jimmy understands that fully. He’s a big guy and it’s nothing against him. It’s a business decision.”
BAKER OR SAM?
The Carolina Panthers acquired Baker Mayfield from the Browns earlier this month and plan to let him compete with Sam Darnold for the starting quarterback job. Mayfield, the No. 1 overall pick in 2018, has been more successful than Darnold, who was the third pick by the Jets in the same draft.
Panthers coach Matt Rhule isn’t going to rush a decision.
“Anytime you put timelines on things, you end up rushing to make bad decisions,” Rhule said. “To me this is about being in the moment but not making rash judgements. Guys are going to have good days and bad days. When we know, we know.”
WHEN DOES LAMAR GET PAID?
The Baltimore Ravens still haven’t locked Lamar Jackson into a long-term contract extension but the two sides have been talking. Jackson, the 2019 NFL MVP, saw his value increase after the Cardinals gave Kyler Murray a deal worth up to $230.5 million with about $105 million guaranteed at signing and $160 million guaranteed for injury. Jackson doesn’t have an agent, which could impact negotiations. It wasn’t a factor for his rookie deal because the collective bargaining agreement predetermines the money in each draft slot. This contract is far more lucrative.
ARE THEY HEALTHY?
Saints quarterback Jameis Winston, Buccaneers wide receiver Chris Godwin, Ravens running back J.K. Dobbins are among more than 50 players returning from ACL injuries. Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey played only seven games last season because of hamstring and ankle injuries. Titans star running back Derrick Henry missed nine games with a foot injury before playing in the team's playoff loss to the Bengals. Cowboys receiver Michael Gallup, Ravens running back Gus Edwards, Titans receiver Robert Woods, Packers tight end Robert Tonyan are also coming back from ACL surgery. Saints star wideout Michael Thomas missed 2021 because of a severe ankle injury, and Vikings receiver Adam Thielen had ankle surgery in December.
Gerry Ahern is senior content editor for FrontPageBets. A 35-year veteran sports editor and digital media executive, he has led coverage of the biggest events in sports, from Super Bowls, to Final Fours, to Olympics, to the Masters.
