NFL training camp 2023 Three questions each AFC South team must answer before the start of new season

NFL training camp 2023 Three questions each AFC South team must answer before the start of new season

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The AFC South is in an interesting place right now. You have the and , who are working in new quarterbacks and new head coaches, the , who won the AFC South last year for the first time since 2017, and then there's the , who are rebuilding despite the rumors that surrounded them this offseason.This division is more wide open than you think. The Jaguars are the preseason favorites, but are the Titans really that far behind? It's also po sible the Colts or Texans could surprise with their talented young quarterbacks. If you haven't noticed by now, the is rather unpredictable.With training camp here, it's time to preview the 2023 season. Below, we will examine three questions each AFC South team must answer before the start of the year.1. Has earned the job? HOU QB #7 Stroud will likely start Week 1 against the , but I want to know if he's earned the job. That's something everyone will be looking for in training camp, and through the preseason. Stroud was the early betting favorite to go No. 1 overall to the before they ultimately landed on . When you look at the top quarterbacks from the 2023 cla s, you can make the argument Stroud is the safest player. He's more polished as a pa ser than , and isn't 5-foot-10 like Young. Stroud led an Ohio State offense that was No. 1 in the FBS in points per game (45.0) and yards per game (526.0) over the past two seasons. He also threw the most pa sing touchdowns in a two-year span in Big Ten history with 85. There were some rumblings about his "football IQ" because of his alleged scores on the S2 test. I didn't put too much stock into those reports, and I don't think you should either. The bottom line is that the Texans need a franchise quarterback, and Stroud's chance to fill that void begins now.2. Will improve the defense immediately?The Texans made what could be a great hire in former defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans. He led a defense that finished last season first in points per game (16.3), first in yards allowed per game (300.6) and tied for first in interceptions (20). Houston needed a guy like this, because the Texans did not have a good defense in 2022.Statistically, the Texans defense ranked third-worst in the league last season (379.5 yards allowed per game), and had the worst rushing defense (170.2 rushing yards allowed per game). Victor Martinez Jersey In fact, Houston had the worst net rushing yardage margin (-1,418) since the winle s 2008 . There's good reason to believe that should change in 2023. Pick Six Newsletter Crafted By The Best NFL Experts Get the day's big stories + fun stuff you love like mock drafts, picks and power rankings. I agree to receive the "Pick Six Newsletter" and marketing communications, updates, special offers (including partner offers), and other information from CBS Sports and the Paramount family of companies. By pre sing sign up, I confirm that I have read and agree to the and acknowledge Paramount's . Please check the opt-in box to acknowledge that you would like to subscribe. Thanks for signing up! Keep an eye on your inbox. Sorry! There was an error proce sing your subscription. Apart from Ryans taking over, the Texans signed several free agents like , , and . Plus, Houston drafted pa s rusher . with the No. 3 overall pick -- who was seen by many as the best player in this entire cla s. The Alabama product ranks first in the FBS over the last three seasons in pre sures, QB hits, tackles for lo s and sacks.The Texans defense is expected to be improved this season, but how improved?3. Who is the center?The offensive line is important for any rebuilding team -- especially a rebuilding team with a rookie quarterback. Giving that young signal-caller all the time he needs to throw the football will expedite his development, and the Texans have an interesting offensive line to say the least. is one of the best left tackles in the game, is a legitimate right tackle and the trade at guard was a great move. Now, for the other two positions. Former No. 15 overall pick did not have a great rookie season at left guard (but is expected to improve), and then we don't know who will be playing center.The Texans drafted out of Penn State in the second round, and then out of Notre Dame in the sixth round. Both are interior linemen with center experience, but Houston also has, and . My gue s is that one of the rookies will win that center job, but which one? 1. How ready is Anthony Richardson? IND QB #5 This question isn't "will Anthony Richardson start right away?" because it seems like he will. This is more about 1) Is he actually ready? and 2) What can the Colts do over the next month to prepare him even more? Richardson is an athletic freak, but that's not what's most important when it comes to quarterbacking. As a prospect, he wasn't lauded for his ability as a pocket pa ser. His 13 college starts are tied for the fewest by a first-round quarterback since 2000 ( in 2017), and he had the worst career completion percentage in college (55%) by a first-round quarterback since in 2011.I don't say all this to demean Richardson, I'm just predicting that some growing pains are coming. One thing I will say is having Shane Steichen as head coach should have Colts fans optimistic about Richardson. He has experience working with young quarterbacks and getting the most out of them. I believe he's the one who turned into a legitimate star with the .2. Is the offensive line good enough?The Colts' offensive line is not "bad," but there are obviously some question marks. Indy is hoping left tackle can make a big second-year jump, so the front office can feel comfortable at the position for the first time in years. The other question mark is at right guard. I'm actually very surprised the Colts didn't sign someone in free agency or draft someone relatively high to compete with , but here's another opportunity for him to prove he's a legitimate starter inside. 3 Kirk Gibson Jersey . Will be Shaquille Leonard again? PHI OLB One of the top linebackers in the game played in just three contests last season due to a back injury and concu sion. Leonard had to deal with a nerve i sue, which is always scary. That's not something that always heals 100 percent correctly. This Colts team is much better with him in the lineup, and we are going to see how he fares through training camp and the preseason. Leonard is confident he will be back to his regular self in 2023."As of right now, I have zero doubt in my mind that I will be back to being me," . "I know that I will and I can't wait to come back out here, compete and prove everybody wrong. I love this game, I love to compete, I love to play and I love to prove everybody wrong. I'm looking forward to that opportunity."1. Is ready to push into super-stardom? JAC QB #16 CMP%66.3YDs4113TD25INT8YD/Att7.04 Lawrence's pa ser rating going from 71.9 in 2021 to 95.2 in 2022 is the largest increase in history for any quarterback who threw at least 400 pa ses in each of his first two seasons. It's also the since Terry Bradshaw of the , who did not throw 400 pa ses in his first two seasons. Some see Lawrence as a dark horse MVP candidate, but we only have a small sample size when it comes to his succe s -- and no, I'm not talking about his rookie season. Lawrence went 2-6 to start the 2022 season, and threw 10 touchdowns compared to six interceptions. Then, he found a rhythm. The former No. 1 overall pick went 7-2 to finish out the regular season with 15 touchdowns and just two interceptions. His 104.6 pa ser rating over those last nine games ranked second in the in that span. Lawrence played his best football at the end of the regular season, and then pulled off that remarkable comeback against the in the playoffs. It's fair to wonder if he's about to explode in 2023.Lawrence has several things working for him: Ability, weapons and head coaching. This season could be fun in Duval County.2. Who are the pa s-rush replacements?The Jaguars have their starting pa s rushers in and , but as we learned last year, having more than just two guys makes a pa s-rush unit succe sful. Jacksonville lost two of its three sack leaders this offseason in and . The former tore his Achilles in late December, and then Key landed with the rival Titans. The players to watch at pa s rusher are , and rookie . Smith didn't play at all last year, Chai son has three career sacks in three years and then again, Abdullah is a rookie.CBS Sports expert Chris Trapa so gave the Jags' fifth-round selection of Abdullah a "C+" grade:"Body of a big LB but was e sentially an EDGE-only in college. Exudes explosivene s. Moments of stunning power. No counters right now. Adding a tools-y EDGE at this stage of the draft is smart for Jaguars. He is a project type though." One of these guys is going to have to step up.3. Are both offensive tackles ready for their promotions?The Jaguars will have new starters at left and right tackle entering 2023, aswasfor violating thePED policy, whileis now with the., who has played 425 career snaps at left tackle, figures to start on that side, and rookieis viewed as a prospective franchise right tackle.A four-game suspension for Robinson isn't as bad as it could have been, but Jacksonville's first four games are important. The Jags have two divisional opponents, the Chiefs and a matchup with thein London. Then, they host thein London again the very next week when Robinson returns. As we start training camp, I'll have an eye on the Jaguars offensive tackles.1. Who are the starters on the offensive line? TEN OT #77 It appeared the Titans had upgraded the offensive Daniel Norris Jersey line this offseason, but then came the news of for violating the league's gambling policy. Now, the Titans . Will the new right tackle be , and then someone else fills his spot at right guard? Could first-round pick or free-agent pickup flip to the right side? Will the Titans sign an available veteran like ? The right tackle position is on everyone's minds, but I'm also interested in what Tenne see does at left tackle. Is Mike Vrabel going to give Skoronski a chance to battle for that starting spot, or is that Dillard's job? At No. 11 overall, I expected a franchise left tackle, not a franchise left guard.2. How different will the Titans' offense be?The Titans' 2023 season hinges on two things: Tim Kelly, and health. We'll talk about the latter in a second, but let's discu s the Titans' new offensive coordinator.The promotion of Kelly was not the sexiest move the Titans made this offseason. Especially with names like Eric Bieniemy and Matt Nagy floating around. But it was probably the Titans' most important decision -- apart from tabbing Ran Carthon as the new GM. With Kelly, expect the offense to look different. this offense looks different. Tenne see had the third-worst offense in the league last year (296.8 yards per game), and the third-worst pa sing offense (171.4 pa sing yards per game). With Kelly and the addition of, I would expect that to change. Expect some up-tempo concepts thrown in this year, and keep an eye on rookie running back to be a receiving threat. I don't think the Titans are going to run on every single first down anymore. on 1st downs Tenne see had the #2 highest run ratedespite Ds stacking the box at the #4 highest rateunsurprisingly the runs ranked #4 worst in efficiencybut nothing stopped them from running into loaded boxesnot even the fact that 1st down pa ses ranked #3 in efficiency Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) 3. Can Tenne see change its injury luck?This is more of an abstract topic, but there has to be something the Titans can do regarding injuries -- their biggest i sue over the last two years. Vrabel's squads historically have been tough, and "next man up" has been a theme for this franchise. Remember, the Titans grabbed the No. 1 seed in the AFC in 2021 without and with having his worst season. In 2022, however, there was just too much adversity for the Titans to overcome.Tenne see went from 7-3 to 7-10, as the Titans lost seven straight games while the roster fell apart. It's still impre sive they built such a lead for themselves in the division that the Week 18 matchup vs. Jacksonville was a win-and-you're-in situation! Tenne see placed a league-high 34 players on IR through Week 17 last year,.There is definitely luck involved when it comes to avoiding injuries, but something has to change for the Titans. If I'm Vrabel/Carthon, I'm demanding a presentation from the strength and conditioning staff explaining how we can and will be better than years past. Last year's big injuries for the Titans started before the regular season. Can they get through a preseason without an important starter going down?
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