Cameron Brate is the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ starting tight end through the first two weeks of training camp. Brate is young and talented, but the Harvard product isn’t the tight end the Buccaneers organization envisioned as a difference-maker alongside quarterback Jameis Winston. 

Tampa Bay spent a second-round pick during the 2014 NFL draft to acquire Austin Seferian-Jenkins. The 23-year-old target hasn’t exactly responded well to criticism during his career, though. As such, he finds himself as the team’s third tight end behind Brate and veteran Luke Stocker on the team’s first depth chart, per Buccaneers on Scout.

Head coach Dirk Koetter kicked Seferian-Jenkins out of OTAs two months ago because he “didn’t know what he was doing,” per ESPN.com’s Jenna Laine. 

Instead of pouting about losing his spot, the Washington product actually used the dismissal as motivation. 

“I’m just thankful to be out here playing football and doing what I love,” the tight end told Tampa 620 WDAE. “I don’t care what the depth chart is. I don’t care what I’m on. I’m going to enjoy it and I’m going to seize every opportunity that I get because that’s the most important thing.”

A motivated Seferian-Jenkins could develop into a dangerous weapon. He flashed over the last two seasons with 559 receiving yards and six touchdowns in 16 career games, but he never developed into the dominant option the team surely expected. The possibility still exists.

“Every single day since Day 1, to Day 2, to Day 3, to Day 4, to Day 5, to Day 6, to Day 7 to Day 8, whatever day it is now, I’ve gotten better,” he told Laine. 

If Koetter finally broke through and the offense harnesses Seferian-Jenkins’ vast potential, Winston will be smiling from ear-to-ear because of the numerous talented targets at his disposal. 

Sam Bradford might start behind center for the Philadelphia Eagles, but all eyes will be on this year’s No. 2 overall pick, Carson Wentz. 

The North Dakota State product is expected to play the bulk of the second half, per Philly.com‘s Zach Berman. The step up in competition is important for Wentz. No matter how well a player prepares and practices, live-game situations are different. 

As Eagles head coach Doug Pederson noted, the first-year signal-caller’s primary goal should be efficiently executing the offense: 

He’s been exposed to all the situations in practice. It’s just now execution. I want to see the timing, the accuracy, and the decision-making with him. I want to see him being able to move our offense. Especially coming out of the locker room the second half of a game and starting fast, depending on whatever happens at the coin toss.

Questions lingered throughout the draft process about whether the North Dakota native could handle the massive jump from the FCS level. This didn’t prevent the Eagles from trading up to acquire the 23-year-old quarterback.

One preseason game won’t prove doubters wrong, but it serves as an opportunity to showcase his talent and show he won’t be overwhelmed by an NFL defense—even if it’s a stripped-down version. 

“I’m just gonna go out there and show what I can do,” Wentz said, per Philly.com‘s Paul Domowitch. “The rest will take care of itself. I’m not gonna try and blow anybody away. I’m just gonna go play ball.”

A good performance will only heighten interest in the rookie, even if the organization isn’t prepared to start him.

Cornerback Josh Norman earned first-team All-Pro honors last year, yet he still has a lot to prove as a member of the Washington Redskins. 

Of course, Norman previously played for the Carolina Panthers. After Super Bowl 50, the organization decided to place the franchise tag on the cornerback. The two sides couldn’t agree to a long-term deal, and Panthers general manager Dave Gettleman chose to rescind the tag. 

As a free agent, Norman signed a five-year, $75 million contract with the Washington Redskins, per Spotrac. The deal made the 28-year-old defender the league’s highest-paid cornerback. 

However, Norman’s drive to be the best isn’t incentivized; he wants to show he can be a complete performer. He’s not at the moment. The fifth-year defender is generally viewed as a zone corner. After signing with the Redskins, Norman described how he’ll experience more freedom in Washington’s scheme, per The MMQB‘s Emily Kaplan: 

In Carolina everything was defined. It was black and white and some gray. Here everything is gray—it’s more free. I can not just be in a scheme, but be a football player. I have a little more freedom. The shackles have been broken off, and man, I’m going to show them something they’ve never seen before.

The extra freedom came with the responsibility of covering DeSean Jackson and Pierre Garcon every day in practice, and Norman struggled. 

“It’s practice,” Jackson said, per ESPN.com‘s John Keim. “That’s what we’re out here for. It’s not like he’s going against a guy that’s not capable of winning matchups one-on-one.”

Norman’s next opponent will be even more difficult to cover. The Atlanta Falcons’ Julio Jones led the league last season in receptions (136) and receiving yards (1,871). These two already experienced epic battles in the NFC South, but Jones has nothing to prove.

These two might not be on the field long Thursday, but it’ll be the game’s best matchup when they are. 

Offensive linemen never get their fair share of credit, but their value cannot be overestimated. This is exactly why a blocker the caliber of Alex Mack warrants a massive contract once he hits free agency.

Last season, center became a massive sore spot in an otherwise talented Atlanta Falcons offense. To solve the problem, the organization decided to sign the best option on the market to a five-year, $45 million contract, according to Spotrac.

The three-time Pro Bowl center immediately assumed a leadership role among Atlanta’s big boys.  

“We are following his lead at center,” left tackle Jake Matthews said, per the Atlanta Journal-Constitution‘s D. Orlando Ledbetter. “It’s something that we’re doing a good job of. He’s proven that he’s a baller. He’s going to lead that front five. I’m glad he’s on our side.’

Atlanta’s offense started fast last year and looked to be one of the league’s best, but it faded down the stretch. This, of course, isn’t entirely the offensive line’s fault. However, general manager Thomas Dimitroff identified a weakness and addressed it.

“Alex Mack makes great calls,” wide receiver Julio Jones said last week, per the team’s official Twitter account.

Mack’s presence in the middle of Atlanta’s offensive line can be invaluable for the offense’s success, but he still needs time to become accustomed to a new situation and teammates. This type of knowledge doesn’t happen overnight, and preseason games can be a valuable tool for a player’s ingratiation.

How can the Carolina Panthers be any better this year after finishing with a 15-1 regular-season record and reaching Super Bowl 50? The addition of a 6’5″ wide receiver—one that accumulated more than 1,000 receiving yards during his rookie campaign—certainly helps. 

Kelvin Benjamin is back after he tore his ACL during last year’s training camp. The Panthers wide receiver corps overachieved without Benjamin, but it’s a far superior group with the Florida State product leading the way. 

First, he’s a massive target with a tremendous catch radius. 

“His strike zone is ridiculous,” a teammate told Sports Illustrated‘s Greg Bedard. 

This allows more room for mistakes. Cam Newton doesn’t have to throw every pass perfectly for Benjamin to make plays. As such, he’ll serve as a security blanket for the quarterback. 

Even as a rookie, the former first-round pick led the team with 146 targets. Veteran Ted Ginn led the team’s wide receivers a year ago with 96 targets, but he can expect to take a back seat to Benjamin. 

“Looks like he never skipped a beat,” a Carolina coach said of the third-year receiver, per The MMQB‘s Albert Breer. “Mentally and physically, he’s full go.”

Benjamin’s return to the field Thursday is important, but he won’t be asked to do too much in his first game action since December of the 2014 campaign. 

“It’s about introducing him back into the game first and foremost, but in the right situation and circumstances,” head coach Ron Rivera said, per the Charlotte Observer‘s Joe Person. “The biggest thing about this is a grass field, which is outstanding for us. So having him out on the field, you feel pretty comfortable and confident.”

When discussing the Baltimore Ravens defense, images of Ray Lewis and Ed Reed immediately come to mind. But both of those superstars left the organization years ago. They’re now found on television or coaching for another franchise.

However, those memories invoke hard-nosed defenses of yesteryear. Since moving to Baltimore, the Ravens built their team around stingy defenses.

Yet Baltimore finished 25th in opponent’s points per game last season. A rash of injuries swept through the team and ultimately destroyed the 2015 campaign. The entire organization rebounded with a strong offseason.

“It’s a championship organization from the top down, and it’s just run a different way, with everyone working in the right direction with one goal in mind,” former Pro Bowl safety Eric Weddle—the team’s biggest offseason signing—said Monday, per Sports Illustrated’s Don Banks. “They play tough, smart, physical football, and last year was an anomaly I believe, with all their guys going down.”

Weddle isn’t the franchise’s only defensive addition. General manager Ozzie Newsome invested heavily on that side of the ball during the draft. Three of the team’s first four picks were defensive prospects. Two of them should provide immediate help.

Outside linebacker Kamalei Correa and cornerback Tavon Young are ready to crack the team’s defensive rotation.

“The Ravens have always been known for the hard-nosed mentality that they have around here,” Correa told NFL.com’s Conor Orr. “I’m just really fortunate that they’ve seen that in us and all the free agents that they’ve picked up.”

Head coach John Harbaugh does plan to slow play the return of veterans Terrell Suggs and Elvis Dumervil from injuries, but they’re expected to be ready for the regular season, according to Ryan Mink of the team’s official site.  

With the infusion of Weddle and a couple of talented rookies, the Ravens should be swarming to the ball during preseason, and they’ll be even better when their veterans return to action.

Another highly anticipated debut will occur when Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Dante Fowler Jr. finally takes the field against the New York Jets. 

Fowler tore an ACL in his first professional practice after being selected third overall in the 2015 NFL draft. The disappointment of missing his entire first year can’t be overlooked, but all good things are worth the wait. 

For fellow Jaguars, they’ll be happy when someone else has to deal with the second-year defensive end. 

“They believe former No. 3 pick Dante Fowler is going to be a star,” NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport tweeted last week. “He’s been embarrassing [offensive linemen] all camp.”

Here’s the scary part: According to Fowler, he’s not even operating at 100 percent. 

“I’ve still got to get my explosiveness back,” he said, per the Associated Press’ Mark Long (via Pro Football Weekly). “I feel faster, so I can only imagine how it’s going to be when everything comes back. I still have work to put in. … I’m not saying I’m 80 percent. I’m there, but I just know where I can be.”

The young defender will face a stiff test in his first action against veteran left tackle Ryan Clady, who is also coming off a season-ending knee injury. The two might not be the same players right now as they were before those injuries, but Thursday’s matchup should be a good litmus test for both.

Week 5 can’t come soon enough for the New England Patriots. Until then, Jimmy Garoppolo is the team’s starting quarterback, and Tom Brady must wait his turn. 

Of course, how much Brady will actually play during the preseason is still in question. Last year, head coach Bill Belichick continued to start Brady even though a suspension hung over the four-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback. 

This year is a little different, though. Brady will be suspended for the first four games, and he’s no longer appealing the sentence. 

As such, Garoppolo needs to be ready for the start of the regular season. Brady knows every nuance of the offense, while the young signal-caller needs time to jell with his teammates. 

“It’s all going well,” All-Pro tight end Rob Gronkowski said, per NESN‘s Doug Kyed. “The chemistry is definitely there, and we’re all on the same page of where we need to be, how we need to run things, so it’s all going smooth.”

The Eastern Illinois product is now in his third year, and he’s built a comfort level with some of the veterans even though he’s only attempted 31 carer passes. 

Gronkowski elaborated on his rapport with Garoppolo: 

I would say after a few years now of being together, going into our third year, we definitely have the feel of each other. I definitely know when I come out of a break where the ball is going to be with him. He knows where I’m going to be, so we’re definitely on the same page, and we definitely felt each other out now to the point where we know what to expect.

The Philadelphia Eagles’ Carson Wentz won’t be the only highly regarded rookie quarterback taking the field Thursday. The Denver Broncos’ Paxton Lynch will do the same against the Chicago Bears, and he’s expected to play the majority of the second half, too. 

Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak named Mark Sanchez the team’s starting quarterback for the first preseason contest, per Andrew Mason of the team’s official site. 

Sanchez’s performance is important, because he’s the veteran option the team should rely on to start the season. However, the team’s long-term viability will eventually be placed in Lynch’s massive hands. 

As such, Lynch’s play will be under a microscope since he’s the only first-round rookie quarterback on a team with high expectations. Wentz and the Los Angeles Rams’ Jared Goff have a different type of pressure to revive stagnant franchises. For the Memphis product, it’s about developing into a facilitator instead of a savior.

By playing the bulk of, if not the entirety of the second half, Denver’s coaching staff will gain a better understanding of Lynch’s readiness.

“The more I can play [Lynch], the more I can find out about him,” Denver head coach Gary Kubiak said. “If the game is rhythmic like I hope, then hopefully he plays a whole half. We’ve kind of been practicing that way, too; he practices a lot at the end of practice. So we’ll keep that same rhythm.”

Despite concerns about the rookie’s game after coming out of a collegiate spread offense, he might be further along than anyone expected.

“From personal observation and talking to others, Paxton Lynch is the closest to ‘starter’ ready, followed by Wentz [with] Goff a distant third,” CBS Sports’ Benjamin Allbright tweeted.

A strong initial performance from Lynch will certainly muddy the Broncos’ quarterback picture.