It is the last chance for players to prove they belong or deserve a higher spot on the depth chart as preseason comes to a conclusion and the 100th NFL regular season is ready to kick off as September is almost upon us.
New England Patriots: Jarrett Stidham
Who will be Tom Brady’s backup? Will Brian Hoyer remain in the role or has rookie Jarrett Stidham, a fourth-rounder out of Auburn via Baylor, earn the coveted spot. So long as the G.O.A.T. remains healthy, it would provide a perfect spot for Stidham to learn.
Indianapolis Colts: Parris Campbell
The Colts don’t have enough going on, right? They have Jacoby Brissett in charge and with any luck he will get second-round pick Parris Campbell for the regular season. There is hope after missing three weeks with a hamstring, the wideout will see some time against the Bengals.
Seattle Seahawks: Shaquem Griffin
Shaquem Griffin has missed a lot of time due to a bruised knee. That has given Austin Calistro some run and he has done the most with it. Calitro has the best coverage grade on Seattle in the preseason. That’s where he had to improve from last year, and he has. Now, he’s going to force the Seahawks to make a decision.
Philadelphia Eagles: Greg Ward Jr.
Give Greg Ward Jr. credit as he has done his best to push Mack Hollins, someone the Eagles like, for the fifth WR spot. Talk about getting a compliment from someone who rates in Philly, former Eagles great wideout Mike Quick is in Ward’s corner: “He’s ready, There’s a transition period for a guy like that who’s moving from [college] quarterback to receiver. But he’s so talented. He’s ready.’’ Ward played QB at Houston. Seems like a perfect option for a new version of the Philly Special.
New Orleans Saints: Taysom Hill
Taysom Hill has his place on the Saints’ roster. He can do everything, including play QB. That makes it intriguing whether New Orleans would make him Drew Brees’ backup and dangle Teddy Bridgewater or keep the former Viking behind Brees and have Hill continue to do anything and everything. Hill threw for 343 yards and three touchdowns in the first three preseason games, completing 64.3 percent of his passes and generating a 103.6 passer rating. If nothing else, Sean Payton is deep and rich at quarterback.
Cleveland Browns: Braxton Miller
Former Ohio State QBs don’t seem to have a lock on much of anything other than intrigue this preseason. There is Cardale Jones, who is trying desperately to be the Chargers’ third-string QB, Dwayne Haskins, Washington’s first-round pick who will play this week but isn’t going to be the starter, and Braxton Miller is in Cleveland trying to find a home in the Browns’ deep receiving corps.
Oakland Raiders: Nathan Peterman
Plenty of people had fun with Nathan Peterman’s performance in Buffalo. However, the former Pitt QB has rebounded in a big way and is pressing Mike Glennon for the slot behind Derek Carr in Oakland. The Raiders face the Seahawks and Peterman seems to have caught Jon Gruden’s fancy.
New York Giants: Reggie White Jr.
Can someone who played his college ball locally (at Monmouth) stick with Big Blue? Reggie White Jr. has six catches for 100 yards, including a 36-yarder. The challenge for White is his ability to double-up on special teams as Russell Shepard and Alonzo Russell thrive in that area. It’s a key responsibility for someone deep on the receiving depth chart.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Jordan Leggett
O.J. Howard is the leader by a long margin at tight end for the Bucs. Cameron Brate has been banged up this preseason. Anthony Auclair left last week’s game in the first half with a calf injury and spent the beginning of the week in a walking boot. That has created quite the battle between Tanner Hudson and Jordan Leggett, who has caught Bruce Arians eye with his stellar blocking ability.
Minnesota Vikings: Kyle Sloter
It feels as if Sean Manning has a solid edge over Kyle Sloter for the No. 2 slot. Sloter is in a better position than former Washington star Jake Browning, who looks like a practice squad hope. Sloter is exciting when he gets on the field in the preseason. However, his practice work has Mike Zimmer concerned. “He’s got to get a lot better in a lot of the other parts of being a quarterback,” Zimmer said ;ast week. “Making the right checks, getting people in the right formation, making sure the motion is there, not missing the time clock when it’s eight yards in front of you. There’s a lot of things that he has to get better at if he wants to be the backup quarterback.” That could slow sales of SLOTER HOUSE shirts.
Denver Broncos: Brett Rypien
A familiar last name in the NFL is trying to wrestle a spot in Denver away from Kevin Hogan. What makes this intriguing is the health of Drew Lock, the second-round pick out of Missouri. If Lock is done for the year with his injured thumb, that would put Joe Flacco’s backup on the hot seat if the Super Bowl winner with the Ravens goes down. Brett Rypien is doing his best to make his case. Will Vic Fangio risk going with an undrafted rookie? Or could both Hogan and Rypien be cut and a different vet picked up? The Cardinals could be the perfect team for both Rypien and Hogan to look good.
