There’s a lot going on right now in the NFL. The fun of training camp is the bustling enthusiasm of the coaches, the players and the media. But it also makes it difficult to cut away the fiction from fact.
It’s hope season and hype season. It’s also the season for catastrophe and doom.
A perfect example? A.J. Brown dropped a pass in his first practice as a New England Patriot. Brown and quarterback Drake Maye then proceeded to struggle for a few days and on Boston sports radio and social media, it was like The Citgo Sign was falling.
Things turned around as soon as the pads came on. Brown and Maye have been beating up New England’s defense, even with superstar corner Christian Gonzalez in coverage.
So you get it. Things were horrible until they were incredible. There was nothing in between. (And I’ll have more on Brown, Maye and the Patriots.)
That’s happening in all 32 NFL training camps. So let’s do what we always do here with the Sound Smart column. I’m here to spin it forward, dive deeper, think outside the box and read between the lines.
Patriots quarterback Drake Maye recognized the pressure coming off the right side. It was cornerback Marcus Jones, one of the fastest players on the field. The play came in a red-zone drill — 11 on 11 — in full pads last week on the practice fields at Gillette Stadium.
Whether or not Maye knew the blitz was coming before the snap, the QB knew exactly what to do with the ball when it hit his hands. He looked to his right to find A.J. Brown, who’d created just enough separation on a slant route. Maye fired the ball at the star receiver, acquired in June in a trade that included a first-round pick. Brown managed a catch-and-run that put the Patriots inside the 5-yard line.
I couldn’t help but wonder: What might that play have looked like without Brown? It doesn’t take that much imagination.
It was a series of corner blitzes that devastated the Patriots in the Super Bowl, when they fell behind against the Seattle Seahawks. Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon finished with six blitzes, four pressures and one sack. One of the best cover corners in the league, Witherspoon made an effective — albeit shocking — pass-rusher. Maye never seemed to have an answer, not even deep into the game.
Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon forces a fumble by Drake Maye during the fourth quarter of Super Bowl LX at Levi’s Stadium in February. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
But in camp, Maye did. And that’s especially important because … well, guess who the Patriots will see in Week 1. To open the NFL season. On a Wednesday.
Yeah, it’s the Seahawks. It’s also in Seattle, probably the least hospitable stadium in the league.
The last time they saw each other, the Seahawks owned the Patriots. But New England has upgraded its roster sizably since then. Receiver Romeo Doubs is an upgrade at WR2. Defensive lineman Dre’Mont Jones and guard Alijah Vera-Tucker aren’t flashy players, but they will be excellent starters at their respective positions.
Brown is the biggest upgrade. There’s no way around it. Offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels can build a system that gives Maye answers, but somebody has to make a play. Brown is showing the Patriots they can trust him to do just that.
“I want to say I’m 90 percent [comfortable in the offense],” Brown stated final week at Pats camp.
A.J. Brown figures to be QB Drake Maye’s finest good friend within the Patriots’ offense this season. (Photograph by John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe through Getty Photos)
Brown struggled to attach with Maye within the early practices at camp. However that simply goes to point out how tough it’s to make an actual analysis after only a few periods. As a result of Maye and Brown had been firing when the pads went on.
I requested Brown if he needed to change the way in which he performed his place, relying upon his quarterback.
“It’s a must to. It’s a must to do what your quarterback likes,” Brown stated. “So far as my sport, my sport can be my sport. However so far as what he likes and what he wants, that is the factor that I bought to get on the identical web page with him and proceed to work on.”
It’s certainly no coincidence that, simply 24 hours after delivering this quote, Brown caught a fade for a landing towards Christian Gonzalez, the No. 1-rated cornerback in Madden 27. Brown provides the Patriots solutions, particularly towards a protection nearly as good as Seattle’s.
New England is at the moment a 3.5-point underdog for the season-opener. I’d say that underestimates the Patriots.
2.
This appeared — no less than to me — to be a great yr to choose the San Francisco 49ers to go to the Tremendous Bowl. Their protection improved considerably over the offseason. Their offense bought wholesome and added veteran receiver Mike Evans. It simply felt like this might be the yr once they might make their very own luck (or overcome their inevitable dangerous luck) and make a deep run.
However San Francisco appears to don’t have anything however dangerous headlines.
Most not too long ago, there was the information about receiver Ricky Pearsall, whose PCL damage had not healed appropriately and will need season-ending surgery after only a few practices. It looks like the 49ers have been making ready for this risk — drafting receiver De’Zhaun Stribling in Spherical 2 and, instantly after the information broke about Pearsall, signing veteran receiver Deebo Samuel. However after all, Stribling is coping with a hamstring damage.
Then there was coach Kyle Shanahan’s automotive accident. He crashed head-on into one other automotive after taking his consideration off the street by dropping his telephone. He suffered three damaged ribs, a damaged left hand, a concussion and a head wound that required 40 stitches, per ESPN. Shanahan is collaborating on a restricted foundation on the coaching camp.
Lastly, there’s receiver Brandon Aiyuk, whose habits — as far as we will see from social media — is troubling. He has refused to report back to the 49ers’ facility since he suffered an damage, and his outbursts on social media have rendered him completely untradeable. This has gone on lengthy sufficient that Aiyuk is not a lot of a distraction. However even on the again burner, it’s nonetheless there — notably because the workforce kinds by the drama on the receiver place.
This isn’t to say that the 49ers can’t overcome this tumultuous patch. We’re nonetheless over a month from a regular-season sport. However within the aggressive NFC West, a gradual begin seems like a nasty begin.
3.
By all accounts, the Cowboys’ offense is buzzing in coaching camp.
Better of all, there’s no ho-humming.
Right now final yr, we had been ready for the strain to resolve between celebrity Micah Parsons and workforce proprietor Jerry Jones. And it didn’t with Jones buying and selling Parsons in an enormous blockbuster after the All-Professional edge rusher posted repeatedly on social media to supply updates across the failed contract talks with the Cowboys.
It felt like historical past may repeat itself, with All-Professional receiver George Pickens set to play on the franchise tag. Pickens might’ve fought for a brand new long-term deal and induced unrest in lots of the similar methods as Parsons. And Pickens can be justified in doing so.
As a substitute, the receiver has been torching the Cowboys’ protection alongside Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb. And Pickens is remaining affected person and assured that his agent and the Cowboys will get a deal completed.
The offense might be even higher than it was final yr. So if the protection is healthier — and it ought to be, given the additions of safeties Jalen Thompson and Caleb Downs and edges Rashan Gary and Malachi Lawrence — then the Cowboys might win their division.
However Prescott has greater plans. He’s fascinated by the Tremendous Bowl.
He invited dialogue by carrying a Tremendous Bowl XXX shirt (when the Cowboys final gained all of it) to the workforce resort to start out camp.
When he confronted a query about it, Prescott spoke freely.
“The tone’s been set,” he stated. “I knew you [reporters] would love it. Didn’t understand how lots of the teammates would see it. It’s simply the manifesting factor. We wish stuff in life plenty of occasions, however then when folks begin speaking about it, you type of hesitate. Ought to I say that in the event that they’re going to carry me to it? Nicely, completely. Taking part in on this group, being in it 10 years, going into Yr 11, I’m not going to draw back from it.
“While you don’t have it, it sucks. While you don’t get to play for it, if you’re watching different groups play within the playoffs, there’s nothing worse than that. I stated I’d be the quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys after I was 6 years previous, and stated I’d be within the NFL, and I bought right here. A number of issues in my life, I stated I’d do and I did it. And so why draw back from that now? Why draw back from asking folks to carry me to the identical normal that I consider that I can accomplish and this workforce can accomplish?
“I don’t know if the T-shirt was [saying], ‘That is it.’ … It was an power factor.”
4.
The Chiefs will virtually undoubtedly begin cornerback Mansoor Delane at CB1 after buying and selling as much as draft him in Spherical 1. However that transfer — pushing draft items into one huge acquisition — may usually imply {that a} draft class is much less more likely to produce a handful of instant-impact gamers.
But early in camp, the Chiefs are giving children each alternative to show themselves.
Edge R Mason Thomas seems to have a direct path to a beginning spot, getting loads of work with the primary workforce. It’s one thing of a shock {that a} second-rounder has earned the belief of defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo so shortly.
However there’s a fair greater shock: rookie receiver Cyrus Allen.
The Chiefs took Allen on Day 3 of the draft. And he has been sensational, in response to reporters on the scene — and the social-media video clips which have leaked out of camp.
“The quarterbacks belief him,” Andy Reid informed reporters.
Most significantly, Patrick Mahomes trusts Allen.
Cyrus Allen could have been a fifth-round choose, however he is turning heads in Chiefs camp. (Photograph by Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire through Getty Photos)
Kansas Metropolis doesn’t precisely have confirmed entities at receiver, even with Xavier Worthy having his first-round standing and even with Rashee Rice producing when he’s on the sphere. (As a result of Rice can’t appear to remain on the sphere between his accidents and his suspension.) It’s early. However Allen is making a shocking push to get an actual workload and goal share.
After which there are different names popping into the beginning lineup, per The Athletic’s Jesse Newell. The Chiefs are experimenting with deal with Kahlil Benson and receiver Andrew Armstrong, amongst others.
It’s possible that the Chiefs are fascinated by the lengthy haul of the season. That in all probability means the rookie work is to 1) relaxation veterans and a pair of) give younger gamers publicity within the occasion of an damage.
However given the way in which GM Brett Veach tends to search out draft gems past the primary spherical, it’s possible that we’ll see the Chiefs get main contributions from rookies, even perhaps comparatively unknown ones.
For all you fantasy soccer homeowners on the market, Allen may simply be a kind of guys to observe — and draft.
5.
In terms of the 2025 quarterback draft class, Jayden Daniels has became the forgotten man.
There’s all this hype about Drake Maye, who’s recent off a Tremendous Bowl look. There’s all this hype about Bears QB Caleb Williams, showing on the Madden cowl after practically taking down the Rams in additional time. There’s hype for Bo Nix, whose ankle damage left us questioning “what if” because the Broncos may’ve been able to profitable the AFC Championship in the event that they’d solely had their QB.
Even J.J. McCarthy is holding up towards Kyler Murray in a QB competitors in Minnesota. And McCarthy — as tough as he was final yr — is stirring nationwide dialog.
Daniels — who missed 10 video games in 2025 on account of a dislocated left elbow, a knee sprain and a hamstring pressure — isn’t actually making headlines. Expectations are low for him — and his Commanders. I’m not right here to say that Washington goes to shock folks this yr, however I do surprise what Daniels can do for this offense below new OC David Blough. Daniels doesn’t have a confirmed weapon on offense aside from two-time Professional Bowl receiver Terry McLaurin.
How a lot can Daniels do?
The excellent news is that Washington’s protection seems completely rebuilt — and with official starters. So I’d no less than hope the Commanders could be pesky, partially due to their rebuilt protection — but additionally as a result of their younger QB could have reinserted himself into the dialogue as one of many league’ elite sign callers, like he did on the finish of the 2024 season (and playoffs).
