The picks have been made, Commissioner Roger Goodell has given out his man-hugs, and the 2016 NFL Draft is officially in the rear-view mirror.
What does it all mean? Well, for starters, it means everyone learned a valuable lesson about identity theft and social media security. But beyond that, we’re one step closer to knowing what rosters will look like when training camps open in July. That’s not to say, of course, that everything has been resolved. In actuality, there’s a lot still to be determined, and as such, we present the 10 biggest remaining unanswered questions of the NFL Offseason.
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Will Von Miller get the long term deal he seeks?
We begin with the Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos and, most would agree, the player most responsible for them hoisting the Lombardi Trophy at season’s end. Von Miller went from Pro Bowler to among the most impactful defensive players in the league last season and wouldn’t you know, now it’s time for him to get paid.
Following his Super Bowl MVP performance, it was no surprise to see the Broncos slap Miller with the franchise tag, and it’s equally unsurprising that the 27-year-old has thus far declined to sign it. To this point, things have stayed positive between the two sides, even as negotiations are at a standstill. But as the season approaches, expect to hear a lot more about whether the lynchpin to Denver’s defense will be there for training camp.
Who’s under center for the Super Bowl Champs?
Of course, that’s not the only question for the defending Super Bowl Champions. You may have heard, perhaps by way of sports drink commercial, that future Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning announced his retirement at season’s end. Following backup Brock Osweiler’s decision to head to Houston, that leaves Denver in a rather unusual spot, as a defending champion without any sort of incumbent QB returning.
As of now, Mark Sanchez sits atop the depth chart, but given his penchant for (yes, we have to say it) running right into adversity, plenty questioned whether Sanchize was really John Elway’s plan at the position. And wouldn’t you know, when the team moved up to select Memphis’ Paxton Lynch late in the draft’s first round, those questions only increased. Sanchez is saying all the right things, noting that he was prepared for the team to take a QB, and he welcomes more competition. One way or another, the situation under center at Mile High is worth monitoring.
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Is Colin Kaepernick’s heart really still in San Francisco?
Of course, there’s another variable that could, in theory, impact the Denver situation, or any of the other quarterback depth charts around the league. Namely, it’s the question of whether 1) Colin Kaepernick is happy in San Francisco, 2) Chip Kelly is happy with Colin Kaepernick, and 3) the undeniably talented young man who led the 49ers to the Super Bowl just a few seasons ago still has a future in the Bay Area.
Kaepernick requested a trade earlier in the offseason, but according to reports, was not willing to restructure his salary in a way that made it feasible. For now, that leaves him continuing to compete for the starting job, and who knows, maybe the situation is salvageable. But no-one would be shocked if Kaepernick still started the new season in a different uniform.
Can the Jets and Ryan Fitzpatrick come to terms?
Meanwhile, for free agent QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, the question seems to be whether he’ll wear any uniform at all. Negotiations with the New York Jets on a new contract have deteriorated to the point that the 11-year veteran is reportedly telling friends he’d rather sit out the season than play under the latest offer. But given that no other teams have jumped into the mix, it appears that it’s Gang Green or bust for the former Ivy League QB. As another wealthy Harvard product once noted, “love means never having to say you’re sorry,” and chances are that the Jets and Fitzpatrick need each other so deeply that they’ll be able to patch up their relationship issues.
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Should Jared Goff start on Week 1?
We move from a tested, trusted, journeyman signal-caller over to a brand new model, fresh off the assembly line, still with that new quarterback smell. Given the package of picks that Jeff Fisher and the Rams gave up to land Jared Goff, there’s obviously no denying his importance to the franchise’s long-term future. No, the only question here is whether the team will throw Goff immediately into the fire on Week 1, even in an era when the conventional wisdom seems to be that it’s better for a young QB to sit and watch for a while.
Of course, most franchises haven’t just returned to their old home, the second largest city in the nation. And most franchises don’t have a head coach entering his fifth year with the team, desperately needing a winning season to avoid being shown the door. And most franchises don’t feature a depth chart at the position that includes Case Keenum, Nick Foles, and Sean Mannion. So, yeah, there’s a pretty good chance Goff is going to get a crack at things early.
Any further developments on Raiders/Chargers relocations?
While the Rams have already found their “forever home,” two other California franchises are still sorting things out. And while, yes, we already know that the Raiders and Chargers will play the 2016 season in O.Co Coliseum and Qualcomm Stadium, respectively, there is still the possibility of future developments, for either or both teams, when it comes to their long-term landing spot.
In fact, the latest rumors have Mark Davis moving full speed ahead on a Raiders’ relocation to Las Vegas, regardless of what his fellow owners might think about the optics of such a move. The Chargers, meanwhile, continue to try and hammer away at an agreement to stay in San Diego, (and naturally, to make the city put up as much of the cost of a new stadium as possible). Will it succeed? Who knows? But those artist’s renderings do indeed look pretty.
Does Robert Griffin III get another chance in Cleveland?
One team that’s not going anywhere is the Browns, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t big changes afoot. As well chronicled by Matt Yoder earlier this week, the new regime in Cleveland is taking a bold new approach to rebuilding via sheer volume in the NFL Draft. What that means is that instead of rolling the dice on Carson Wentz, the Browns moved down and snagged Cody Kessler, widely considered to be something of a project, in the third round. Head coach Hue Jackson says that Kessler will compete with free agent acquisition (and amateur gemologist) Robert Griffin III.
At a glance, you have to like RGIII’s chances of emerging with the job, given Kessler’s youth, and just how high Griffin’s ceiling once was, before the injuries that marred his time in the nation’s capital. It appears that the Browns will be patient with their latest rebuild, and if that’s the case, the Heisman winner figures to get at least some opportunity to revitalize his career. Then again, Cleveland seems willing to throw the conventional rules out the window, so we’ll all have to wait until Week 1 to be certain.
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What exactly are Sam Bradford’s options?
The Browns’ dealing may have opened things up for Robert Griffin, but it also complicated matters for Sam Bradford. A relatively strong finish to the season had most Philly observers believing that he’d be the guy, for the duration of the 2016 season at least. That was right up until the Eagles moved a boatload of picks to grab Carson Wentz from the North Dakota Frontier.
Since that pick, there have been a lot of rumblings regarding Bradford, with reports initially varying from “unhappy but ready to compete” to “not willing to show up at all.” The real question, however, that hangs over everything, is what sort of leverage Bradford actually has. The Eagles are under no obligation to trade him, and given that demand around the league would be tepid at best, there’s probably not much recourse for Bradford, however offended by the pick he might be.
Will Greg Hardy get another chance?
It’s not the story that the league, or any number of football fans, want to contemplate. But the fact remains that Greg Hardy’s future in the NFL remains an open question. While Hardy returned from a suspension for domestic violence to take the field for the Cowboys last season, his tarnished image, along with his rather unruly behavior on the sidelines, have prevented him from landing a deal for 2016 thus far. Additionally, Hardy’s attempt at image rehabilitation, a sit-down interview with ESPN’s Adam Schefter, could not have gone much more poorly.
And yet, it still seems entirely likely that before the new season kicks off, Hardy will find a team, somewhere, willing to take a chance on him. After all, as John Clayton noted in his recent list of free agents that remain available, when it comes strictly to on-the-field talent, no one can deny Hardy’s impact as a pass rusher. Ultimately, as unpleasant as it can be to consider, game-changing talent always finds its way back into the league.
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Where does DeflateGate go from here?
Ah yes, you knew we couldn’t get through this list without everyone’s favorite PSI investigation. At this point, it should be quite clear to all observers that DeflateGate will outlive us all and so asking what comes next is basically a rhetorical question, one we can never hope to answer. Does Tom Brady have another appeal in him? Will the Supreme Court get involved? Can the air pressure in a few footballs somehow become a major campaign issue in the 2016 Presidential Race?
Dare to dream, because it all seems possible, and chances are this story has a few more twists and turns before the 2016 season arrives. The reality is that given the efficiency of the Patriots’ machine, a potential four-game suspension for Brady comes off as more of a nuisance than anything else, unlikely to actually keep New England from the playoffs. But hey, at least it gives us something to talk about, given that we’re still four months away from meaningful football.