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Gene J. Puskar/Associated Press
With the NFL draft in the rearview and the vast majority of top free agents under contract, we’re entering a bit of a dead period in the offseason. Training camps are still over a month away, and the preseason won’t kick off until August.
However, while the NFL news cycle has slowed to a crawl, teams are hard at work preparing for the 2022 season. The majority of them will hold organized team activities (OTAs) this week—a full schedule can be found at NFL.com—and many of them are searching for answers.
While positional battles and roster spots aren’t settled during OTAs, teams can get a good idea of how they’re shaping up ahead of camp. Here, we’ll examine the biggest questions around the league that could find early answers during OTAs or at least in the coming weeks.
Let’s dig in.
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Jameis WinstonButch Dill/Associated Press
Quarterback Jameis Winston was more than serviceable in seven starts for the New Orleans Saints last season. He threw 14 touchdown passes and three interceptions, posted a career-best 102.8 quarterback rating and went 5-2 as the starter before a torn ACL cut his season short.
While Winston isn’t likely to do much at Saints OTAs—with the first round scheduled to take place May 24-26—New Orleans should get a good idea of how he’s progressing in his recovery. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, Winston appears on track to participate in training camp.
“Saints QB Jameis Winston is progressing on his ACL rehab, and he recently began planting and throwing off play action,” Fowler tweeted.
“Saints will likely take it easy with him this offseason, but he’s working as if he’ll be a full go for training camp.”
Winston’s health will be crucial to the success of the Saints’ 2022 season. New Orleans signed an excellent contingency plan in three-time Pro Bowler Andy Dalton this offseason, but Winston is expected to lead the offense as the team transitions from Sean Payton to new head coach Dennis Allen.
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Desmond RidderJohn Bazemore/Associated Press
The Saints aren’t the only NFC South team with quarterback questions heading into OTAs. The Atlanta Falcons traded Matt Ryan this offseason and are set to hold a competition between Marcus Mariota and third-round rookie Desmond Ridder.
The Falcons will hold their first round of workouts May 24-26, and Atlanta might get an idea of the early leader.
Mariota has a significant edge in the experience department—the 2015 second overall pick has 61 starts on his resume—but Ridder is determined to push the veteran for the starting job.
“Marcus is a guy who’s played a lot of games in the NFL, and obviously, had a tremendous college career,” Ridder said, per Armando Salguero of OutKick. “You have to give respect where respect is due … but at the end of the day—and he knows this, too—it’s obviously a competition, or else we wouldn’t be here.”
Mariota represents a potential feel-good redemption story after fizzling out with the Tennessee Titans. Ridder, who led the Cincinnati Bearcats to the College Football Playoff, could wind up being one of the draft’s biggest steals.
This is shaping up to be one of the most exciting quarterback battles of training camp, and we’ll get a preview at OTAs.
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Kenny PickettKeith Srakocic/Associated Press
The Pittsburgh Steelers are also poised to hold a highly-anticipated signal-caller competition of their own. The Steelers made Pittsburgh’s Kenny Pickett the only quarterback drafted in the first two rounds, and the rookie will presumably have a shot at the starting gig.
Standing in Pickett’s way will be Steelers backup Mason Rudolph and 2017 second overall pick Mitch Trubisky. Rudolph has made 10 starts for the Steelers, while Trubisky has started 50 games and holds a 29-21 record.
Experience may trump potential in Pittsburgh, at least when it comes to starting in Week 1.
“Camp and preseason games are one thing, but Trubisky has NFL game experience,” Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette wrote. “I’m not saying Pickett sits for long, but he’d have to blow their doors off to beat out Trubisky to start the season opener.”
First-round quarterbacks always generate offseason buzz, and Pickett represents the future of one of the league’s marquee franchises. The Steelers should get an early idea of whether he can challenge Rudolph and Trubisky during OTAs. Their first round will run from May 24-26.
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JuJu Smith-SchusterGene J. Puskar/Associated Press
The Kansas City Chiefs won’t have quarterback questions for the foreseeable future, as Patrick Mahomes is under contract through 2031. Kansas City’s passing attack will still look a little different this year after the franchise traded No. 1 receiver Tyreek Hill to the Miami Dolphins.
To help replace Hill, the Chiefs signed JuJu Smith-Schuster and Marquez Valdes-Scantling while adding Skyy Moore in the second round. However, Hill is one of the fastest players in the game and a six-time Pro Bowler who made the offense hum.
The offense won’t be the same without Hill, but this doesn’t necessarily mean it will be worse. Though tight end Travis Kelce will still be the focal point, look for Mahomes to spread the ball around a bit more while relying on the respective skill sets of the new additions.
“It’s going to be a little different, but it’ll be different with the personalities of the kids that we have now. And they’ll write their own little story to this thing,” head coach Andy Reid said, per Pete Grathoff of the Kansas City Star.
The Chiefs will hold their first round of OTAs on May 25 and 26. There, they should get an idea of just how players like Smith-Schuster, Valdes-Scantling and Moore will fit into the new-look offense.
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Christian WatsonAssociated Press
The Green Bay Packers and Aaron Rodgers are in a similar situation as Mahomes and the Chiefs. Green Bay traded top target Davante Adams to the Las Vegas Raiders this offseason, leaving Rodgers without his go-to guy.
Despite missing a game on the reserve/COVID-19 list this past season, Adams logged 28.5 percent of the team’s total targets.
The battle to be Rodgers’ new favorite target won’t be settled until the regular season, but the Packers should get an idea of what they have during their first round of OTAs on May 23 and 24.
Returning receivers Allen Lazard and Randall Cobb will be in the mix, along with free-agent addition Sammy Watkins and rookie second-round pick Christian Watson. The rookie is unproven but has the tools to be an early contributor.
“He shows enough athleticism and polish to be useful working outside or on vertical routes from the slot, and he could be a good No. 3-type weapon for NFL teams looking to add size in their receiver room,” Nate Tice of the Bleacher Report Scouting Department wrote.
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Rob GronkowskiAlex Menendez/Associated Press
Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady may be without one of his favorite targets in 2022, as tight end Rob Gronkowski remains undecided about returning or retirement.
“Bucs HC Todd Bowles says it’s ‘status quo’ with Rob Gronkowski, who remains undecided about whether to play in 2022. He said he’s been no timetable when Gronk will make a decision,” Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times tweeted.
Recently, Gronkowski may have hinted that he’s not planning to come back for another run with Brady.
“I’ll represent a 7 jersey in the stands for ya!” Gronkowski commented on an Instagram post by Bucs running back Leonard Fournette (h/t ESPN’s Jenna Laine).
Despite missing four games to a chest injury and one to back spasms, Gronkowski finished 2021 with 802 yards and six touchdowns. The Bucs would love to have him back and may be inclined to put pressure on him if their current crop of tight ends—which includes Cameron Brate and rookie fourth-round pick Cade Otton—underwhelms during OTAs.
Tampa is set to hold its second round of OTAs from May 24-26.
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Odell Beckham Jr.Julio Cortez/Associated Press
Wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr.’s future remains in the air. The three-time Pro Bowler, who suffered a torn ACL in Super Bowl LVI, is still unsigned heading into OTAs.
While Beckham likely won’t be ready to start the season, he proved with the Los Angeles Rams last year that he can be a big-time contributor in the postseason. He appeared in all four of L.A.’s playoff games and finished with 21 catches, 288 yards and two touchdowns.
Rams coach Sean McVay would love to have Beckham back this season.
“Oh, of course. I really want Odell back on our team,” McVay said on the Rich Eisen Show (h/t NFL.com’s Coral Smith). “He’s a guy that, in a short amount of time, we were able to develop a really special relationship. I thought he brought a great spark to our team.”
Whether Beckham returns to Los Angeles or signs with another team, it would behoove his next employer to get him under contract soon. He wouldn’t be a practice participant, but he could at least familiarize himself with the playbook and the team’s training staff ahead of camp.
Beckham remains one of the biggest names on the market, and it would be a mild surprise if he doesn’t have a new home before June minicamps.
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Jadeveon ClowneyNick Cammett/Associated Press
Pass-rusher Jadeveon Clowny is another big name on the remaining free-agent market who might sign in the next few weeks. The 29-year-old had a resurgent season with the Cleveland Browns in 2021, finishing with 37 tackles, nine sacks and 32 quarterback pressures.
However, Clowney appears uninterested in signing with a team until after OTAs.
“Jadeveon Clowney, as I understand it, doesn’t have a great deal of interest in being under contract right now and either voluntarily reporting to OTAs or having to report to mandatory minicamp in the first, second week of June,” Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports HQ said (h/t Matt Howe of 247Sports).
If Clowney is hoping to skip offseason workouts, we might not see him sign until after June minicamps. At the very least, he appears poised to wait until after OTAs—Cleveland’s final round of OTAs will run June 6-9.
However, Clowney is a high-end player at a premium position. Expect teams to move quickly on him once he’s ready to put pen to paper.
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Baker MayfieldDavid Richard/Associated Press
The next chapter of Baker Mayfield’s career could alter the immediate future of multiple franchises.
The 2018 first overall pick had his fifth-year option picked up last year and will earn $18.9 million in 2022. However, Cleveland traded for Deshaun Watson this offseason, even though he still faces 22 civil lawsuits from women who have accused him of sexual assault and misconduct and could face league discipline under the personal conduct policy.
Watson met with NFL officials this past week, and his lawyer, Rusty Hardin, expects to “know what their position is” sometime in June, according to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com.
The Browns could be inclined to keep Mayfield as an insurance policy—whether he has any interest in that role is another story—or could try trading him to a team without an established starter like the Carolina Panthers or Seattle Seahawks. For now, though, Mayfield’s future is unclear, and his recovery from a torn left labrum hasn’t helped add clarity.
“The Panthers and Seahawks still haven’t ruled out acquiring Mayfield, but they’ll need the Browns to take on a much greater portion of his contract than they’ve offered so far,” The Athletic’s Jeff Howe wrote. ” … His inability to currently practice has probably tempered the urgency to acquire him to foster a quarterback competition. Therefore, everyone remains stuck in a holding pattern.”
The Seattle and Carolina could be inclined to make a move if they aren’t happy with their quarterbacks in OTAs—both teams kick off workouts on May 23. Meanwhile, any significant Watson suspension could force Cleveland to try convincing Mayfield to audition for his next franchise while playing for the Browns in 2022.
*Contract information via Spotrac. Advanced statistics from Pro Football Reference.
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