Our annual look ahead to the NFL season for the Jets and Giants, plus power rankings, top storylines and more.

Sports

Football

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Al Iannazzone

Zach Wilson driving himself around on a cart during practice in late August was not a good visual for a team whose coaching staff wears shirts that say, “Positive Vibes Only.” 
 The positive for the Jets, though, is the knee injury that Wilson suffered in the preseason could have been much worse. Robert Saleh said on Wednesday the earliest Wilson will return is Week 4. 
 The second-year quarterback’s development is critical for the Jets to become the team everyone in the organization believes they can be —&nbsp;not only this year, but long term. 
 After a 4-13 finish last season, the Jets have dramatically improved the roster on both sides of the ball, adding potential game-changing (and they're hoping possibly franchise-changing) players.&nbsp;Saleh, in his second season as Jets coach, reiterated his belief that they will “win championships.” Yes, that's plural. 
 Making the playoffs would be a major step for the Jets, whose 11-year drought is the NFL’s longest active streak. The organization is confident Wilson will lead the Jets to a playoff berth —eventually —&nbsp;and someday a Lombardi trophy despite some rough patches from last year's No. 2 overall pick.&nbsp; 
 In the Jets’ first preseason game, Wilson didn’t play well in two series, which ended with him suffering a bone bruise and tearing his meniscus trying to extend a play when he should have run out of bounds.&nbsp;Yet the Jets saw enough to that point to have confidence that Wilson will be their franchise quarterback and they expect him to continue to grow into that when he returns. 
 “Before the injury, he was way ahead of where he was a year ago,” Saleh said. “I know that first preseason game people put a lot of stock into those series, which is warranted. That first preseason game isn’t even close to what he’s been showing throughout OTAs and training camp. 
 “Really excited about him getting a chance to get back to the football to show how far along&nbsp;he’s come. As far as the development and the course that he’s on, we’re excited about it, and we’re excited about his future.” 
 The Jets are Wilson’s team. General manager Joe Douglas said the Jets “have seen tremendous progress from Zach.” Douglas upgraded the offensive line and the skill positions to give Wilson as much help as possible to become a franchise-changer. 
 Until Wilson is fully healed following arthroscopic surgery, Joe Flacco will run the offense. 
 The 37-year-old quarterback had a good camp but a shaky preseason performance against the Giants in his only action. The Jets are confident Flacco willl be fine as Wilson's fill-in.&nbsp; 
 “I feel like there’s a lot of energy around the team and that’s always a good thing,” Flacco said. “I think we’re feeling pretty confident and good about where we’re headed Week 1.” 
 Players, young and older, believe better days are coming for the Jets and that a playoff berth is possible this year. Wilson’s injury never derailed that confidence. 
 Douglas’ moves, the stability and standard that Saleh has established and the bond the players have formed are all reasons the energy is different. 
 “In the past it’s been a lot of moving parts, in the locker room and upstairs,” veteran linebacker C.J. Mosley said. “It’s been a lot of pieces that you try to put together. You have the same coaches, a lot of the same players, been in the system, that’s how you begin to grow. You get to build a system around the players that’s been here. 
 “We have a feel of what we want to be and what’re trying to do.” 
 Saleh has a clear plan of how he wants the Jets to play,&nbsp;and everyone is following his lead. 
 “We talk about playing with effort,” Saleh said. “We talk about being great technicians, so we are being very efficient in what we do, but also playing with violence. It’s not just necessarily violence at the point of contact, but it’s violence in your movements, violence in how you play. Those three aspects are things that you’ve got full control over.” 
 It will be important for the Jets to establish that identity as they navigate a difficult schedule to start the season. They open up with four games against the AFC North, face improved Miami, have two straight road games at Green Bay and Denver and then host New England and Buffalo before their Week 10 bye. 
 The Jets, at or near the bottom in most defensive statistics last season, should be far better.&nbsp; 
 The additions of former Pro Bowl linebacker Kwon Alexander, cornerback D.J. Reed, safety Jordan Whitehead and rookie corner Sauce Gardner filled a lot of gaping holes. The Jets also got a huge piece to their defense back with return of edge rusher Carl Lawson, who missed last season with a ruptured Achilles. Lawson’s ready to be unleashed. His presence will take some attention away from fellow linemen Quinnen Williams and John Franklin-Myers, who are both coming off career years.&nbsp;Rookie edge rusher Jermaine Johnson should be a part of the rotation on the D-line, one of the Jets' biggest strengths.&nbsp; 
 On offense, the Jets signed two Pro Bowl left guard Laken Tomlinson and left tackle Duane Brown. They drafted receiver Garrett Wilson to add to an impressive room that includes Corey Davis, Elijah Moore and Braxton Berrios.&nbsp;Douglas also brought in playmaking tight ends Tyler Conklin and C.J. Uzomah, who should play big roles in this offense. 
 “I think we know how good we can be and how much talent we have on this team,” Conklin said. “Our goal is to make it to the playoffs and win in the playoffs. Internally we think we can do that. We just have to go out there and do it every week and prove it.”

New York Jets

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Jets believe Zach Wilson ready to take next step . . . once he returns to field

Jets believe Wilson ready to take next step ... once he returns to field

NFL : Giants Jets Practice

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<h3> 1. Wilson’s Wellness </h3> 
 Zach Wilson’s development remains the most important thing for the franchise. The Jets were confident that Wilson was progressing well and ready to the take the next step in his second NFL season. That’s on hold while he&nbsp;recovers from a knee injury he suffered in the preseason, one that will keep him out until Week 4 the earliest.&nbsp;When he returns fully healthy, Wilson will have to show his decision-making&nbsp;and accuracy have improved and that he’s moving quickly through his progressions and not holding on to the football too long. 
<h3> 2. The Front Lines </h3> 
 The Jets have invested heavily on disruptive players for the defensive line and more protection for Wilson up front. How quickly the offensive line jells&nbsp;is crucial. The front-5 didn’t take their first snaps together until Aug. 24. They have two new players (LT Duane Brown and LG Laken Tomlinson) and two switching sides (RT George Fant and RG Alijah Vera-Tucker). The new guys are Pro Bowlers who have played in the system before so that helps. 
<h3> 3. The Back End </h3> 
 The Jets' improved secondary includes cornerbacks D.J. Reed and No. 4 overall pick&nbsp;Sauce Gardner. They also added safety Jordan Whitehead and re-signed LaMarcus Joyner, who suffered a season-ending injury in Week 1 last year. That defensive backfield will be tested by some top quarterbacks —&nbsp;Josh Allen (twice), Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson, Joe Burrow — and some of the NFL’s best receivers in Stefon Diggs (twice), Tyreek Hill (twice), Ja’Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson. 
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Three keys to the Jets' 2022 NFL season

Three keys to the Jets' season

Jets Eagles Football

Sauce Gardner felt as if&nbsp;he was starring in a movie. 
 He had just fulfilled a lifelong dream by being drafted by an NFL team, but his whirlwind night wasn’t close to being over: The young Jet had a jet to catch.&nbsp; 
 Gardner, taken No. 4 overall by the Jets, hopped on Woody Johnson’s private jet in Las Vegas with other first-round picks Garrett Wilson and Jermaine Johnson. They talked about how they were going to help turn around the franchise as they were whisked to New York. 
 “We were talking about it a lot before we all fell asleep in the jet,” Gardner told Newsday. “It felt like a movie a little bit. That was my first time getting on a private jet. We just got on there with our families and we’re just chilling, like, ‘We really did this?' ” 
 The Jets earned high marks for their draft. Gardner was the prize pick, the lockdown corner that the Jets have needed for a long time. He has the size, length, right attitude and the mentality to be a difference- maker every time he steps on the field. 
 The 6-3, 200-pound Gardner wasn’t thrown at much during his college years. In three seasons at Cincinnati, he didn’t allow a single touchdown. That mark will be tested in the NFL, but Gardner isn’t too worried about it. 
 His main concern is doing what Jets coach Robert Saleh asks of him and help the franchise end the NFL's longest playoff drought of 11 seasons.&nbsp; 
 “It would mean a lot,” Gardner said. “At Cincinnati, that’s how it was. I’m not trying to say I’m the reason it happened. At Cincinnati, when I got there it just turned around. We went to the college football playoffs. Nobody really expected it. 
 “I wouldn’t be surprised if that happened here. We got the talent. We got everybody buying in to what we want to happen. Everybody buying into the program that Coach Saleh is planning. I wouldn’t be surprised. That’s what’s expected out of us. They drafted us for a reason. They got the guys in free agency for a reason.” 
 Gardner has quickly impressed his coaches and his teammates. He earned the starting cornerback job alongside D.J. Reed, the veteran the Jets signed in free agency to be their No. 1 corner. Gardner has all the traits to be a No. 1 corner himself.&nbsp; 
 He carries himself like a veteran with confidence and unwavering belief in himself. Gardner believes he “can be the best cornerback that’s ever played.” He talks a lot of trash when he’s on the field, but Gardner also is not too proud to ask questions of everyone around him to learn as much as he can. 
 “He’s that guy that’s constantly collecting information and then sprinting back to the locker room and writing it down,” defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich said. “He’s just building this database right now.&nbsp;He’s got a bright future in this league. The physical tools are obvious. The DNA of the man is special, too. He’s got to keep working, but we all think very, very highly of him in this building, what he can become.” 
 His teammates do too. 
 Veteran safety LaMarcus Joyner said Gardner’s confidence stands out and “he backs it up.” Joyner loves the way Gardner goes about his business. 
 “There’s a difference between being arrogant and cocky, and confident,” Joyner said. “Confidence is coming to work every day just believing in yourself. He’s not with the extra stuff. He just believes that he can play and he belongs. He’s ready to prove it.” 
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 Gardner’s position coach, Tony Oden, said the rookie has all the physical and mental tools to be a special player. Oden also described some “rare” things that Gardner possesses that could make it “a little more problematic for receivers to get open.” 
 Oden said bigger corners with Gardner’s size and speed don’t often have the transitional skills of “a small corner” like he has. Gardner is able to “close that gap pretty quickly” if a receiver does get open against him.&nbsp; 
 “You have to be very precise and very accurate in your targeting when you’re going after him,” Oden said. “Those are the unique characteristics that he has. Plus, he’s hungry, he’s smart, he wants to learn. He can conceptually grasp things pretty quickly and make an immediate change.” 
 Oden said Gardner quickly makes in-game corrections when necessary. Being that type of “problem solver” gives him and this Jets’ defense an advantage. 
 This is just the beginning for Gardner, the start of his own personal movie. He is the star of it and could turn out to be the game-changer and difference-maker the Jets have needed at such an important position. 
 “That means a lot,” Gardner said. “There’s no pressure, though. I just go out there and do what I’m taught to do, make sure I’m prepared well leading up to the game. The results speak for themselves.” 
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Jets rookie Sauce Gardner's secret to being lockdown corner: Confidence

Sauce's secret to being lockdown corner: Confidence

Jets vs Giants

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Tyler Conklin, TE 
 His signing was right after that of fellow tight end C.J. Uzomah, but Conklin shouldn't be an afterthought. He figures to be a big part of the offense and could turn out to be a weapon. 
 Conklin had a terrific camp and made a quick connection with Zach Wilson. He&nbsp;is coming off the best season of his four-year career (61 catches, 591 yards and three touchdowns with the Vikings). 
 The tight end is so important in this system and targeted often. Conklin could surpass his numbers from last season.

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Jets' under-the-radar player to watch: TE Tyler Conklin

Jets' under-the-radar player to watch

Jets camp

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Tom Rock

At one point early in training camp Brian Daboll mentioned that many of the Bills teams he coached in the previous four seasons had routinely gotten off to “historically fast starts.” In the first four games of the last three of those campaigns&nbsp;the Bills were a combined 10-2. Each of those times getting out of the blocks smoothly and efficiently&nbsp;propelled them to the playoffs. 
 Daboll was asked how the Bills had been able to accomplish that early fall feat. 
 “Well,” he said, “you have good players that go out there and execute well under pressure.” 
 Imagine that. 
 For Giants fans over much of the past decade, all they have been able to do is imagine it. A roster that has routinely been stocked with overpriced and underachieving free agents, disappointing draft picks, players in starting roles who would have been (and in many cases were) cut or on the practice squad of other organizations, and seen too many of its actually&nbsp;productive players sidelined with injuries, has, predictably, failed. 
 No team in the league has a worse record than the Giants over the last five seasons, (although the Jets have the same abysmal 22-59 mark over that stretch) mostly because no team in the league has had worse players. They've also&nbsp;been mismanaged into misery. 
 But it seems as if that is about to change. 
 Daboll and new general manager Joe Schoen, both of whom helped turn the Bills around, are looking to do the same with the Giants. It’s a process that began in the offseason by casting off a number of veterans, whittling down the salary cap as best they could with both personnel and some salaries cuts, and overhauling the scouting department.&nbsp; 
 For a franchise that has been set in its ways for several generations, it’s been a seismic jolt. 
 Like most such events, there are aftershocks. 
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 This probably isn’t the team that will fulfill the vision Daboll and Schoen pitched to ownership during their interviews this past winter. There are still too many holes, too many questions. It’s just the first step toward building a sustainable contender. 
 It’s why Sunday doesn’t only mark the beginning of the 2022 regular season,&nbsp;it also marks the start of tryouts for the 2023 team. Everything and everyone is being evaluated to see how things fit with the long-term plans Schoen and Daboll, tied together with a vow of patience from ownership, are trying to implement. 
 John Mara and Steve Tisch have churned through three, two-year head coaching stints since 2016, and have fired (or nudged into retirement) more general managers in the last five years than their fathers did when they ran the organization together for 15. They have tried rebuild on top of rebuild on top of rebuild in recent times, and finally realized that for anything to stand, the ground needed clearing for the placement of a solid foundation. 
 Razing the roster is a big part of that. 
 There appear to be some young cornerstone pieces in place. Certainly the new regime sees the players it drafted in the spring, especially first-rounders Kayvon Thibodeaux and Evan Neal, as such. A few others from previous drafts are likely to stick around with them, too: Andrew Thomas, Xavier McKinney and Azeez Ojulari. Those Dave Gettleman-led draft classes were mostly flops, but there were some gems occasionally&nbsp;mixed in. 
 The perceived pillars of this 2022 team, though, may not be around when the organization actually starts winning ... even if such desired results come quickly. That list includes quarterback Daniel Jones, running back Saquon Barkley&nbsp;and wide receiver Sterling Shepard, all in the last year of their contracts. Defensive lineman Leonard Williams and wide receiver Kenny Golladay&nbsp;have burdensome deals that will only become more onerous and less palatable in ensuing seasons. 
 At most one or two of those veterans will make it through this overhaul as Giants. There is a good chance none of them will. Even if Jones and Barkley, the team’s first picks in the 2018 and 2019 drafts, can mount exceptional seasons this year, it is almost impossible from a financial perspective to bring both back in 2023.&nbsp; 
 “A lot of the plan has been executed to where we are now and it will see us through the next off-season as well,” Schoen said. 
 This season will probably be better than those of the recent past, which of course isn’t a very high bar to clear. There could be moments when we start to see the outline of future victories take shape, when there are flickers of promise emanating from the darkness. Supposedly star players may even play up to their reputations, unknowns may provide pleasant surprises, and, who knows, there might&nbsp;be some games in December and January that decide if this squad touches the postseason. 
 Enjoy all of that, Giants fans. 
 Just know this 2022 season is, above all else, about building toward 2023, 2024 and 2025, about learning what works and what doesn’t, about figuring out who stays and who goes. 
 “It’s really just about progress,” Schoen said of this coming season when he was hired back in January. “We just want to see progress and see that we’re building to something into the future.” 
 If they can do that, maybe one day the Giants won’t have to imagine having those good players who execute and perform under pressure who Daboll cited from his time in Buffalo. 
 Maybe they’ll actually be here. 
 Maybe a few of them already are.

New York Giants

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Giants' new regime building a foundation with limited supplies

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<h3> 1. DJ, JUST ONE REQUEST </h3> 
 You can’t win in the NFL these days without strong quarterback play… which is one of the big reasons why the Giants haven’t been winning. Daniel Jones has shown he can make big plays, but they always seem to be sandwiched by some really bad ones. If he can become more consistent in his fourth season and clean up his untimely errors he may just be good enough for them to make some noise this season. If not, they’ll find someone else who can. 
<h3> 2. A FINE O-LINE? </h3> 
 After many seasons of disheartening play, the Giants overhauled their offensive line this offseason not to make it spectacular but just to make it functional. It seems to have worked. Jon Feliciano at center is a stabilizing force and Mark Glowinski at right guard has been nothing but solid. There is a hole at left guard&nbsp;until Shane Lemieux returns from a preseason injury, but the two young tackles appear to be the real deal. If Evan Neal can get over the standard rookie bumps quickly he will become a force in the running game at right tackle and there is a chance Andrew Thomas’ name will start to pop up in Pro Bowl conversations if his development at left tackle continues its arc. 
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<h3> 3. HURRY UP, PASS RUSH </h3> 
 Defensive coordinator Wink Martindale will be dialing up exotic blitzes and unexpected pressures all season, but there will be times when Giants edge rushers will simply need to win their matchups and get to the quarterback. Azeez Ojulari has shown he can do that to a certain degree with 8.5 sacks last year (a rookie record for the franchise) and Kayvon Thibodeaux was selected with the fifth overall pick for just that reason. The backbone of past Giants championship teams was always the pass rush. If they can recapture some of that pressure they may also recapture some of the team glory that went with it.

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Three keys to the Giants' 2022 NFL season

Three keys to Giants' season

Preseason Giants vs Bengals

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When the Giants first started kicking around the idea of introducing their individual starters from one unit before home games this season, letting them run onto the field through the tunnel and under the pyrotechnics as their names screamed over the loudspeakers, everyone was excited. 
 For most of the past two decades, the Giants had simply been introduced as a team and swarmed out together. The old way was a sign of unity, sure, with roots going back to the Super Bowl XLII team, but it also brought all the juice and buzz of a bottle-necked traffic jam on Route 3. 
 “I saw it last year when a couple of teams did it [at Giants road games]&nbsp;and I always wanted to do it,” Giants safety Xavier McKinney said after the “practice” run at the team’s only home preseason game last month on Aug. 21. “We never did it in college. I’ve never done it. I know a lot of guys on the team have never done it. It was super fun. We were excited about it when we heard about it.” 
 But McKinney wasn’t just interested in hearing his name called and dashing out. He had a very specific vision for how it would go down and a stipulation of sorts as he spoke with head coach Brian Daboll about the concept. 
 “I wanted to come out last,” he told Newsday. 
 That’s a pretty coveted spot for a third-year player who has achieved few tangible accolades in his career, other than some Pro Bowl buzz last season,&nbsp;and&nbsp;boasts only one year as a regular starter on his resume. He'll&nbsp;have trouble finding 29 fans in the stands wearing his 29 jersey at Giants home games,&nbsp;amid the sea of 26s and 8s and the growing number of 5s (not to mention the 10s, 11s and 56s that have long had the run of the place). 
 Yet there he was, the final player to enter the field for the exhibition game against the Bengals, in the punctuation spot normally reserved for quarterbacks when the offense is introduced (as the Giants will do for every other home game) and the likes of Ray Lewis when the defense gets its turn. 
 He followed everyone else this one time … because that’s what leaders do. 
 The Giants defense underwent a significant overhaul this offseason with the departure of a number of good players with very big personalities, particularly in the secondary. Logan Ryan, Jabrill Peppers and James Bradberry were all dispatched in one way or another. But McKinney remained to take their place, and to take over as the voice, heart and spirit of the defense. 
 It has very quickly become his unit. Just as he always envisioned it would. 
 “I always wanted to be that guy, to be the vocal one, to lead by my actions and my voice,” McKinney said. “You want to lead by example, obviously, and do things the right way. But I always demand greatness out of everybody. I don’t care where you came from, I don’t care where you are now, I always want the best version of you. I’m always going to push whoever is around me to be even better than I am. That’s how I’ve always been. I carry that with me. 
 “This is just who I am.” 
 It can be a burden at times. Everyone has bad days throughout a football season. 
 “If I’m in a bad mood, I have to switch it,” he said. “That’s how I go about it because I know it’s bigger than just myself. I know everybody else feeds off the energy I bring so every time I step in the building I check myself and I say, ‘Let’s go. I have a job to do. I have to make sure these guys are on each and every day.’ ” 
 So far it’s working. 
 “I think for a younger player, he has no problem speaking up,” Daboll said of McKinney. “He’s a good communicator. He knows the defensive system very well. I think he does a great job with, not just&nbsp;defense backs, but communication with the linebackers, the front guys, the offense. He’s really been a pleasure to be around.” 
 And while this version of McKinney is finally coming to the forefront for the Giants,&nbsp;it’s really nothing new from the day he first arrived as a second-round draft pick from Alabama. 
 “He’s always been a guy that’s outspoken about how he feels about things and, you know, just a natural leader,” defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence said. “Nothing’s really changed from what I’ve seen with him. I guess you all are kind of seeing [something] different with that, but within the locker room he’s always been a guy to hold everybody accountable no matter what, no matter how he tells you. You’ve got to respect a guy like that.” 
 McKinney says he is always trying to learn more about leading, tapping into resources and watching how others go about it. When Michael Strahan showed up at a training camp practice this summer, McKinney introduced himself and they talked about what it takes to steer an organization. They exchanged numbers and McKinney hopes to rely on Strahan for advice throughout this season. 
 He's also drawn from his own teammates, Ryan and Peppers with the Giants, and Anthony Averett and Ronnie Harrison when he arrived at Alabama. 
 “You learn what you want to do and you learn what you don’t want to do,” he said of absorbing the various styles. 
 The best leader he has ever been around? The one who he tries to emulate the most? 
 “I’d probably have to say Jalen Hurts,” he said of the quarterback on his old Alabama teams and the current one for the rival Philadelphia Eagles. “I’ve had a whole bunch of conversations with him about leadership and how he carries himself. I saw him encounter the craziest situations going through college [Hurts was benched at halftime of a national championship game]&nbsp;and now in the league where there is so much stuff, to see him so poised and still be able to be himself and lead has always been pretty amazing to me. I always try to pick his brain on how he goes about certain things.” 
 The biggest difference between leading at Alabama and leading the Giants isn’t just college vs. pro atmospheres. 
 He arrived in Tuscaloosa to become part of an established winning program. He was drafted by a Giants team that had been to the postseason just once in the previous eight seasons at that time, a trend that is now once in the previous 10. In his two years with the Giants he has been on the field with more than minimal playing time for just five wins; in his three seasons at Alabama he lost only four times and played for two national titles. 
 If he can lead the Giants out of this funk, it will mean more to him. 
 “I think it’s going to happen,” he said. “I don’t think it’s an ‘if.’ I see it as it’s gonna get done. And it’s definitely going to be great when it happens. It’s going to be fun. We’re going to enjoy it. I know the fans will, I know everybody rooting for us definitely will.” 
 In a way it is kind of like being at the back of the line in the tunnel, about to emerge from the darkness into the bright lights, getting antsy and amped with anticipation. 
 Said McKinney, “We’re just waiting on that moment.”

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Xavier McKinney embraces being Giants' defensive leader

McKinney embraces being Giants' defensive leader

NFL : Giants Training Camp

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TAE CROWDER 
 Quick: Who led the Giants in tackles last season? 
 If you guessed Tae Crowder, you are right (and you probably Googled it first because it felt as if it was the quietest 130-tackle seasons in NFL history). 
 The one-time Mr. Irrelevant as the final player selected in the 2020 draft figures to have a similarly significant role in this year’s defense, one that will only be amplified by the release of veteran Blake Martinez last week that left Crowder as the elder statesman in the position group. Crowder stepped in when Martinez tore his ACL a year ago and played well. 
 Now, in Wink Martindale’s new defensive scheme, he’ll be asked to play a more aggressive, athletically-demanding style of play. If he can keep up with those demands he may have the type of season that not only leads the team in tackles but forced people to notice him doing so.

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Giants' under-the-radar player to watch: Tae Crowder

Giants' under-the-radar player to watch

Giants Training Camp

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Neil Best

The NFL is the most popular show on television – by a wide margin – and that will not change in 2022. But the cast of characters, and the way in which people will watch them, underwent seismic changes in the offseason. 
 Much of the attention focused on a game of announcer musical chairs that made some play-by-play men and analysts extremely wealthy and affected every network’s No. 1 booth other than CBS’. 
 But the most fundamental change is the one on Thursday nights, where Amazon Prime Video will become the first streaming service to carry an exclusive national package of games. 
 As has always been the case for games shown on cable outlets, the NFL will require that these be available on a local broadcast channel in the markets of the two teams involved. But other than that, it’s streaming or nothing. 
 (Prime Video did strike a deal with DirecTV to show games in bars, restaurants and other public venues.) 
 On one hand, Amazon will be able to offer viewers more than a traditional TV outlet with alternate feeds, highlights on demand, stats and the like. But its core strategy with the main telecast is not to shock or upset fans with a radical new approach. 
 Hence the hiring of Al Michaels, a 77-year-old pillar of NFL play-by-play men, longtime ESPN college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit and executive producer Fred Gaudelli, a veteran of both “Monday Night Football” and “Sunday Night Football.” 
 “I think the quality of the game coverage, and obviously the announcing, is going to be as good as there is in the NFL,” Gaudelli said on a recent video news conference during which he wore a green C.W. Post T-shirt. (He is a 1982 alumnus.) “That's my goal, that's why I'm here, and that's what we intend to do.” 
 Said Michaels, “I find it to be exciting in the sense that all of my friends and my kids and my grandkids all think this is about the coolest thing in the world. 
 “So even though it's a different platform, the one thing I think you can count on is that we are not going to reinvent the wheel. We're going to do the games. People are going to tune in to watch the games, and we're not going to do anything that's crazy.” 
 Michaels still will call some games for NBC, but when his contract there expired he ceded his spot in the Sunday night booth to Mike Tirico, who will work with analyst Cris Collinsworth. 
 Fox, meanwhile, will go with Kevin Burkhardt, a former SNY Mets reporter, and analyst Greg Olsen, who is keeping that seat warm until Tom Brady retires (again). They will call this season’s Super Bowl for Fox. 
 Fox’s booth opened up when its longtime lead announcing team of Joe Buck and Troy Aikman moved to ESPN’s “Monday Night Football,” Aikman when his contract was up and Buck when Fox let him out of his a year early. 
 Only CBS’ No. 1 team of Jim Nantz and Tony Romo – whose 2020 contract to re-sign with CBS started the recent wave of mega-deals for announcers – remains intact among the major networks’ lead teams. 
 So in one sense, everything is different. But in another sense nothing is, given the familiar voices that have been mixed and matched. 
 Herbstreit figures to have the biggest learning curve, in that college long has been his focus, and he will continue to be part of the lead college booth for ABC/ESPN on Saturdays. 
 “I’m just going to have to figure it out,” he said. “I've got an idea, but I need to get into a routine. I'll do a couple college football weeks, [Sept. 3]&nbsp;and the 10th, before we get going [on Prime Video]&nbsp;on the 15th, so that'll kind of get me going.” 
 Amazon reportedly is paying at least $1 billion a season for its 11-year deal with the NFL and will use its massive reach with consumers to promote the fact it is carrying the Thursday games. 
 It figures to benefit from a season in which Major League Baseball introduced many fans to the concept of live streaming through its national deals with Apple and Peacock and the Yankees’ local deal with Amazon. 
 Many baseball fans have not been happy with any of that, but it is part of a disruptive transition period in sports media that will take another big step on Thursday nights this autumn. 
 “It's fun, it's exciting,” Michaels said. “I said to somebody, ‘They think we're coming over the Rockies in a covered wagon.’ I said, ‘We're coming over the Rockies in broadband.’ So we are the pioneers.”

Media

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Al Michaels and Kirk Herbstreit, TNF's new Amazon Prime-time team

TNF's new Amazon Prime-time team

Amazon Presentation At 2022 IAB NewFronts

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Bob Glauber

1. IS THIS THE BILLS' YEAR?&nbsp;Sure feels like it. They’ve made that steady climb toward the top with sensible roster moves, starting with quarterback Josh Allen, and they’re easily the class of the AFC. Now it’s a matter of seeing if they can take the next step when the playoff lights come on. Time for this franchise to win its first Super Bowl. 
 2. CAN RAMS REPEAT? Free agency and trades are the great equalizer in the NFL, where parity continues to rule, especially at the highest level of the sport. Case in point: No team has repeated as Super Bowl champions since the 2003-04 Patriots. It’ll take a lot for the Rams to make that happen again, especially with Matthew Stafford’s tender elbow. 
 3. TOM BRADY'S LAST STAND? Brady has long passed the point of not needing to play to prove anything to anyone, but he’s still going at age 45. That said, his retirement, his unretirement&nbsp;and his training camp hiatus make you wonder if this will finally be it for the game’s greatest player. 
 4. HOW MUCH LONGER FOR AARON RODGERS? The Packers’ four-time MVP is still at the top of his game physically, but he is showing signs of emotional fatigue from a sport that demands so much. Rodgers has a diminished cast of receivers without star Davante Adams, but he’s still good enough to carry the Packers. If they win a second Super Bowl under the greatest quarterback in franchise history, we won’t be surprised if he walks away. 
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 5. MORE JOE BURROW MAGIC? If you don’t think the Bengals are still smarting from their Super Bowl loss to the Rams, then you didn’t see the melee when the teams met for training camp practices. Motivation won’t be a problem for this team, but recapturing the vibe from last year’s remarkable out-of-nowhere run won’t be easy. 
 6.&nbsp;AFC WEST: GREATEST DIVISION EVER? Well, we won’t go that far, but top to bottom, this division rocks. Where’s a bad team among Kansas City, Las Vegas, Denver and the L.A. Chargers? It’s the modern-day equivalent of the old NFC East with the Giants, Philadelphia, Washington and Dallas slugging it out every week. Only this division features a spectacular collection of quarterbacks. 
 7.&nbsp;DID THE BROWNS MAKE MISTAKE?&nbsp;Cleveland traded for Deshaun Watson and gave him a fully guaranteed, five-year, $230 million contract. But is all of the&nbsp;justifiable criticism over his off-the-field behavior worth it? The Browns seem to think so, but an 11-game suspension and continued controversy will make this one of the riskiest moves yet. 
 8. JERRY'S WORLD OF DISAPPOINTMENT?&nbsp;Jerry Jones' Cowboys haven't&nbsp;won a Super Bowl since the '90s dynasty, and it looks as if the owner will have to wait even longer.&nbsp;It’s asking too much for this team to get there, and with all those off-season defections, you wonder whether the Cowboys will be looking up at the Eagles at season’s end. 
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 9. WILL MIKE TOMLIN FINALLY HAVE A LOSING SEASON? This is one of the most underrated streaks in today’s NFL, but the Steelers coach hasn’t had a losing season since taking over for Bill Cowher in 2007. That may be about to end now that the Ben Roethlisberger era is finally over and there is a rebuild on offense.&nbsp; 
 10. IS TREY LANCE ANSWER FOR 49ERS?&nbsp;It was a weird training camp for San Francico, which firt told Jimmy Garoppolo he was no longer wanted, but then decided he would be the backup quarterback. It’s Lance’s team, but having Garoppolo on the roster makes things awkward.

SPFBSTORYLINES220908

10 NFL story lines for 2022 season

Rams Football

Of all the things Tom Brady has done to rewrite NFL history —&nbsp;and that list is very, very long — there is one thing that won’t show up on&nbsp;any statistical list. Yet it may go down as one of the most profound transformations of all. 
 His power move to force his freedom from the Patriots after 20 years not only set the stage for the Buccaneers’ Super Bowl season in 2020, but it opened the floodgates for other players to dictate their futures in a way they never could before. Brady not only changed the game on the field, he changed pro football off it as well. 
 And while there may never be another player to accomplish as much as Brady, a seven-time Super Bowl winner who owns nearly every passing record, what he did to rewrite the rules of player movement will likely benefit players, teams&nbsp;and the balance of power in the NFL for generations. 
 A year after Brady moved to Tampa, Matthew Stafford told the Lions he’d had enough of losing and needed to go elsewhere. Cue the blockbuster trade to the Rams in exchange for quarterback Jared Goff and two first-round draft picks and —&nbsp;voila! —&nbsp;the stage is set for the Rams’ first-ever Super Bowl title in Los Angeles. 
 The trend continues, and now another group of elite players will dot the rosters of new teams who are paying big to get a shot at making a Super Bowl run. 
 The headliner of the &quot;Class of 2022 Faces in New Places&quot; is&nbsp;Russell Wilson&nbsp;in Denver. 
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 The 33-year-old quarterback once envisioned playing his entire career in Seattle, and the Seahawks’ Super Bowl title in February of 2014 sure felt as if this could be the NFL’s next dynasty. But after Pete Carroll’s infamous decision not to go with Marshawn Lynch&nbsp;with the game on the line and Wilson’s interception in the end zone dashed those plans in the next year's Super Bowl,&nbsp;the Seahawks haven't been made it back to the big game.&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Wilson has super-charged expectations in Denver, especially after signing a five-year, $245 million extension last week. The Broncos haven't&nbsp;been the same since Peyton Manning delivered a Super Bowl title in his final season seven years ago.&nbsp;But the Broncos’ bold move to trade for Wilson signaled a Super Bowl-or-bust dynamic much the way Tampa’s signing of Brady felt in 2020 and Stafford’s move to the Rams a year later. Could this be three years in a row where the Super Bowl-winning quarterback makes a run in his first year with his new team? 
 It would be an unprecedented hat trick, although we suspect Wilson may not have enough around him to make it happen. That and the fact that Wilson may simply not be as good a quarterback in a pass-first offense as Brady and Stafford. Truth be told, the “let Wilson cook” mantra in Seattle worked at times, but he may not be able to reliably and consistently carry an offense over a prolonged period of time. We’ll see. 
 The other blockbuster quarterback move, of course, was Deshaun Watson to the Browns, but it’s a far different dynamic.&nbsp;Watson was sued by more than two dozen women who accused him of sexual misconduct and/or sexual assault in connections with massages while he was with the Texans. He eventually reached a settlement to serve an 11-game suspension, and he settled civil lawsuits with 24 of the 25 women who sued him. Once he does return, the cloud of controversy will undoubtedly surround him for the rest of the season.&nbsp; 
 Matt Ryan is the other big-name passer to move on, as the Falcons accommodated his request to be traded after the team went all-in on a potential Watson deal. Ryan isn’t the same quarterback he was during his prime,&nbsp;but he joins a Colts team that can protect him with the running game and allow him to use play-action passes to get the team back into playoff contention. It’s not an unreasonable goal, because this team was close last year with Carson Wentz, who flubbed his chance down the stretch and is now in Washington with a mediocre Commanders team. 
 It’s not just quarterbacks who are starting to control where they play. While free agency continues to allow most players at least a chance to cash in elsewhere, teams almost always hold onto their very best players. Key word: almost. Circumstances occasionally dictate changes, as two of the league’s premier receivers found out in the offseason. 
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 Tyreek Hill felt there was no future for him in Kansas City, so he leveraged a trade to the Dolphins after the Jets expressed interest. That means Tua Tagovailoa gets one of the most dynamic playmakers in the game. On the flip side, Patrick Mahomes has to work with a slightly younger and less explosive receiving corps. 
 Ditto for Aaron Rodgers, who loses his go-to guy in Davante Adams. After Rodgers got his new deal with Green Bay in the offseason, Adams wanted his payday, too. And while the Packers were willing to pony up a blockbuster deal, Adams preferred a new home in Las Vegas, where he gets to reunite with Derek Carr, his old college quarterback at Fresno State. They’re hoping to get the Raiders back into the Super Bowl conversation. 
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 Another marquee player who sought greener pastures: Pass rusher Khalil Mack, who worked a trade to the Chargers in hopes of helping Justin Herbert put the Rams’ co-tenants into the mix for a championship. 
 Of course, neither of the two New York teams are in a one-player-away situation, so scratch that idea. But as the season is about to unfold, all anyone asks of the Giants and Jets is improvement. While fans in Denver, Miami, Las Vegas and Los Angeles can think about watching their teams in January, and possibly February, fans in New York at least deserve some indication that the arrow is pointed in the right direction. 
 That means Zach Wilson has to show he can be “the guy,” and if Daniel Jones can somehow flourish with a quarterback-friendly coach like Brian Daboll, then maybe there’s hope. And if not Jones, then the Giants’ next quarterback is playing on Saturdays this fall. 
 Welcome to kickoff 2022. Enjoy the season, everyone.

Columnists

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Russell Wilson headlines NFL's 'Faces In New Places'

Glauber: Wilson headlines NFL's 'Faces In New Places'

SPORTS-FBN-BRONCOS-WILSON-DP

1.&nbsp;Buffalo: It has been a steady ascent for the Bills, whose long-range goal of building Josh Allen into a Super Bowl-caliber quarterback is now here. They came oh-so-close last year in a heartbreaking playoff loss to Kansas City, but they look ready to take the next step and get back to the Super Bowl for the first time since the days of Jim Kelly. 
 2. L.A.&nbsp;Rams: You always look for signs that the defending champ doesn’t have quite what it takes to get back to the Super Bowl, as evidenced by the fact no team has repeated since the 2003-04 Patriots. But on paper, this team looks every bit as good as the one that won it all last season. The biggest issue: How does Matthew . Stafford’s elbow hold up after dealing with soreness throughout the off-season and training camp. 
 3. Green Bay: Aaron Rodgers flirted with retirement before last season and came back to win a fourth MVP award. The one thing missing: a second Super Bowl title. Rodgers will have his work cut out now that Davante Adams has left for the Raiders, but he’s good enough to lift a team by himself. And this defense is good enough to make a deep playoff run. This could be the year. 
 4. Kansas City: The AFC West is now the best division in football – by far – and it will take a lot for Kansas City to maintain its grip. Especially now that Tyreek Hill has been traded to Miami.&nbsp;But Patrick Mahomes is a special player who cannot be underestimated, and Andy Reid is smart enough to find ways to adjust to an offense without Hill. Never a good idea to count these guys out. 
 5. Tampa Bay.&nbsp;Tom Brady is 45 years old, he took an unprecedented training camp leave of absence&nbsp;and the offensive line is gutted by injuries. Will this be it for the game’s greatest player? Could be. Tampa is still the class of the NFC South, but attrition, age and the Bruce Arians-to-Todd Bowles coaching change may be too much to ask for another Super Bowl run. 
 6. L.A.&nbsp;Chargers: This team will go as far as Justin Herbert takes it. A dark horse Super Bowl contender. 
 7. Denver:&nbsp;Russell Wilson takes the Broncos from mediocre to playoff-worthy. 
 8. Cincinnati:&nbsp;Fate hasn’t been kind to Super Bowl losers the following year, so Joe Burrow has his work cut out. 
 9. San Francisco:&nbsp;It’s Trey Lance’s team, but Jimmy G. sticks around for one more year as insurance. 
 10. Baltimore: Lamar Jackson already has an MVP, but it’s the Lombardi Trophy that he’s really after. 
 11. Philadelphia:&nbsp;Is the Nick Sirianni-Jalen Hurts combo ready to dethrone the Cowboys in the NFC East? 
 12. Dallas:&nbsp;Jerry Jones always thinks big with his team, but injuries on the offensive line and an offseason talent drain may doom the Cowboys. 
 13. Arizona:&nbsp;Kyler Murray got his new contract. Now, the Cardinals hope he delivers a deeper playoff run than last year's one-and-done.&nbsp; 
 14. Miami:&nbsp;In comes Tyreek Hill, who&nbsp;should give Tua Tagovailoa a big boost. Now we see if first-year coach Mike McDaniel has the magic touch with his offense. 
 15. New England:&nbsp;It will be a major challenge to fill the void left by offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels’ departure to Las Vegas. 
 16. Las Vegas:&nbsp;McDaniels gets to run the show a second time after his failed run in Denver. He’s a more mature coach for the second go-round. 
 17. Tennesse: Same old, same old in Tennessee: It’s Derrick Henry or bust. 
 18. Cleveland: What will the Browns' record be when Deshaun Watson returns from his 11-game suspension in Week 13?&nbsp; 
 19. Indianapolis:&nbsp;Matt Ryan gets one more – last? – shot in Indy after moving on from the Falcons. 
 20. New Orleans:&nbsp;Jameis Winston hopes for a comeback-player-of-the-year type season after returning from a knee injury. 
 21. Pittsburgh:&nbsp;Life after Ben Roethlisberger won’t be easy. 
 22. Minnesota: Kirk Cousins hasn’t been the answer during his time in Minnesota, and that will continue to be the case. 
 23. Washington:&nbsp;Carson Wentz starts over – again – after flaming out with the Colts in 2021. 
 24. Detroit:&nbsp;Can a throwback coach like Dan Campbell succeed in the modern NFL? Not so sure. 
 25. <a href="http://newsday.com/jets">Jets</a>: That’s two straight injury-impacted seasons for Zach Wilson. He needs to be “the guy” when he gets back in the lineup. 
 26. <a href="http://newsday.com/giants">Giants</a>: Last chance for Daniel Jones to prove he can be a big-time quarterback. 
 27. Chicago: After a terrific preseason, Justin Fields needs to translate what looks like meaningful improvement into the regular season. 
 28. Jacksonville: After a nightmare rookie season under Urban Meyer, Trevor Lawrence hopes for a successful reboot with Doug Pederson. 
 29. Houston: The Deshaun Watson nightmare behind them, Houston looks to move on with coach Lovie Smith and second-year quarterback Davis Mills. 
 30. Seattle: Geno Smith hasn’t been a starting quarterback since his second year with the Jets in 2014. Don’t expect miracles in his second act. 
 31. Carolina: Baker Mayfield joins a Panthers team that has woefully underachieved during coach Matt Rhule’s tenure. 
 32. Atlanta:&nbsp;Marcus Mariota fills in for Matt Ryan, but the Falcons are much, much more than a quarterback away from being a winning team.

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Bob Glauber's NFL power rankings

Broncos Bills Football

Our picks for who will win the major awards at the end of the 2022 NFL season.&nbsp; 
 MVP: Josh Allen, QB, Bills. 
 Coach Of The Year: Sean McDermott, Bills 
 Offensive Player: Justin Jefferson, WR, Vikings 
 Defensive Player: T.J. Watt, LB, Steelers 
 Offensive Rookie:&nbsp;Chris Olave, WR, Saints 
 Defensive Rookie: Sauce Gardner, Jets 
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 Most Improved Player: Trevor Lawrence, Jaguars 
 Comeback Player: Derrick Henry, Titans 
 Executive Of The Year: Brandon Beane, GM, Bills 
<h3> Plus&nbsp;. . .&nbsp; </h3> 
 Underrated team: Jaguars 
 Overrated team: Cowboys 
 Overrated player: Kirk Cousins, QB, Vikings 
 Underrated player: Mike Williams, WR, L.A. Chargers 
<h3> The Most . . . </h3> 
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 TD Passes: Justin Herbert, QB, L.A. Chargers 
 TD Runs: Derrick Henry, RB, Titans 
 TD Catches: Stefon Diggs, WR, Bills 
 Sacks: T.J. Watt, LB, Steelers 
 Interceptions: J.C. Jackson, CB, Chargers 
<h3> First . . . </h3> 
 To 10 Wins: Bills 
 To 10 Losses: Falcons 
<h3> And:&nbsp; </h3> 
 Jets wins: 7 
 Giants wins: 6

SPFBAWARDS220908

And the NFL awards go to . . . 

Steelers Preview Football

SPFBJDREAM220908

Jets Dream Team: Our picks for Gang Green's best ever

Joe Namath,Weeb Ewbank

Game of the Week Analysis Football

SPFBGDREAM220908

Giants Dream Team: Our picks for Big Blue's best ever

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Nick Klopsis

You’ve spent weeks looking at who could be available in the first few rounds of your fantasy draft. Rightfully so — the big names at the top are who you hope can do the heavy lifting each week. 
 Fantasy football rosters aren’t just made up of a few players, though. Championships are won and lost by the names on the back end of the roster: sleepers who were picked in the final rounds of the draft, or sneaky free-agent pickups. 
 Here are seven names who you should target in late in your fantasy draft — or add off waivers before Week 1. 
<h3> Daniel Jones, Giants QB </h3> 
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 It’s put-up-or-shut-up time for the Giants’ fourth-year quarterback, whose option for 2023 wasn’t picked up. Luckily for him, there are plenty of things going in his favor: a new head coach who has experience molding young quarterbacks, a revamped offensive line, seemingly healthy targets&nbsp;and the easiest fantasy strength of schedule at the position. He’s a QB2 with a lot of upside. 
<h3> Kenneth Gainwell, Eagles RB </h3> 
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 Miles Sanders is still the Eagles’ primary ballcarrier, but he’s missed nine games in the last two seasons because of injuries. When he went down last year, both Gainwell and Boston Scott stepped up, with Gainwell scoring six touchdowns (five rushing) as a rookie. He currently projects as the Eagles’ receiving back but has a chance to be even more, especially if Sanders’ injury woes continue. 
<h3> Tyler Allgeier, Falcons RB </h3> 
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 Allgeier finds himself in an interesting spot. He wasn’t drafted until the fifth round in April, but has the profile of a three-down back. His competition on the Falcons’ depth chart includes converted 31-year-old receiver Cordarrelle Patterson, career backup&nbsp;Damien Williams and special-teamer&nbsp;Avery Williams. 
<h3> Joshua Palmer, Chargers WR </h3> 
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 Palmer essentially is the fourth option in Los Angeles behind Keenan Allen, Mike Williams and Austin Ekeler. That said, he showed flashes as a rookie late last year, including five catches for 66 yards and a touchdown against the Giants when Allen was out with COVID-19. He’ll see targets in the Chargers’ high-powered offense and would be in line for even more if Allen or Williams missed time. 
<h3> Nico Collins, Texans WR </h3> 
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 Davis Mills'&nbsp;growth last season included a budding trust in his fellow rookie Collins. The big-bodied Michigan product saw five or more targets in nine games in 2021 — including six of Houston’s last seven games. He’s projected to be the Texans’ WR2 alongside Brandin Cooks. If Mills continues to grow this year, expect Collins to do the same. 
<h3> James Proche, Ravens WR </h3> 
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 Although the Ravens’ offense isn’t known for being very pass-heavy, Proche was having a strong showing at the beginning of training camp before a soft-tissue injury sidelined him. If he can recover, he could see a fair amount of targets alongside top wideout Rashod Bateman and tight end Mark Andrews. 
<h3> Hayden Hurst, Bengals TE </h3> 
<a class="p-smartembed" data-attr-f="3x2" data-attr-q="0.3" data-attr-w="400" data-onecms-id="contentid/ZDM5ZWIzMGItNDJmNC00" data-onecms-type="image" href="javascript:window.parent.actionEventData({$contentId:'contentid/ZDM5ZWIzMGItNDJmNC00', $action:'view', $target:'work'})" polopoly:contentid="contentid/ZDM5ZWIzMGItNDJmNC00"><img src="/image-service/alias/contentid/ZDM5ZWIzMGItNDJmNC00/5118b085-d752-43ac-90f8-43f3b0c3ecbc.jpeg?f=3x2&amp;w=400&amp;q=0.3" /></a> 
 Despite being a first-round draft pick of the Ravens in 2018, Hurst has mostly&nbsp;spent his career as a backup. He gets a fresh start as Cincinnati’s undisputed top tight end. Although he’s nowhere near the top dog in the Bengals’ loaded offense, the athleticism and opportunity certainly are there.

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