2017 NFL Training Camp: Update on Every Team's Biggest Position Battle

Training camps may be winding down across the NFL, but we are only just getting started.

With the second week of the 2017 preseason now just about in the rearview mirror, the battles for starting roles and roster spots are cranking into high gear. This week brings the dress rehearsals—the most extensive action that starters will see in the exhibition season.

Roster cuts are next. This year, they come in one fell swoop—from 90 players all the way down to 53.

Given all the jostling and scrambling up and down the ladder, this is a good time to get a status report on the biggest training camp battles for each team in 2017.

Who's making a push? Who's sliding down? Who's winning the multiple battles to start at quarterback across the league?

Time for some answers.

CB2: Justin Bethel vs. Brandon Williams vs. Tramon Williams

The Arizona Cardinals have been looking for a dependable starter at cornerback opposite Patrick Peterson for years. It’s far from a sure bet that Justin Bethel is that player, but it’s looking more and more like the sixth-year veteran is going to get a chance to show he’s up to the job.

Bethel entered camp as the favorite to start opposite the Pro Bowler, and to date, he’s done nothing to relinquish that job. In fact, as head coach Bruce Arians told Bob McManaman of the Arizona Republic, if anything, Bethel has strengthened his hold on the gig.

“If he plays at the level he’s playing at right now, he’s going to have a great year,” Arians said.

Bethel started the last two games of the season for the Redbirds in 2016 and had 11 tackles and an interception, which he back 66 yards for a score.

RG: Ben Garland vs. Wes Schweitzer

The fight between Wes Schweitzer and Ben Garland to start at right guard for the defending NFC champions is on.

It was Garland who got the start in Atlanta’s preseason opener, and the 29-year-old fared relatively well against the Miami Dolphins. The problem is that so did Schweitzer, albeit with mostly second-teamers on the field.

It was Schweitzer who drew the start in Week 2 against the Steelers, and just like Garland the week before, Schweitzer was solid with the first-teamers and got good push on a long touchdown drive by the Falcons early in the game.

If this remains a relatively even competition, the best move for the Falcons is likely to start Schweitzer and use the more versatile Garland as a swing guard.

Odds are that whoever draws the start Saturday night against the Arizona Cardinals will also do so in Week 1 when the Falcons travel to Chicago to face the Bears on Sept. 10.

DE: Brent Urban vs. Bronson Kaufusi vs. Chris Wormley

This is another position battle that appears to be just about settled. Brent Urban may have entered the preseason clinging to a slim lead at defensive end, but a dominant performance in Baltimore’s preseason opener cleared some breathing room.

In that game against the Washington Redskins, Urban was a destructive force. The 26-year-old racked up a sack, nearly had a second, logged a tackle for loss and forced two fumbles.

That’s a good stat line for a full game, much less a few series.

Per Edward Lee of the Baltimore Sun, Urban was all smiles after the game.

“It was a lot of fun getting out there and not beating up on each other in practice,” Urban said. “I really enjoyed playing another opponent where I could actually get after the quarterback and hit guys.”

Urban was quieter against the Miami Dolphins last week, but after the Ravens lost both their starting ends from 2016 in the offseason, the team badly needed someone to answer the call.

It appears Urban did.

QB: Tyrod Taylor vs. Nathan Peterman

As recently as one week ago, if someone suggested to me that rookie Nathan Peterman might supplant Tyrod Taylor as the team’s starting quarterback prior to Week 1, I would have politely nodded while backing away slowly.

But that was before Taylor’s horrific effort in Buffalo’s second preseason game. After an OK first exhibition game, Taylor’s start against the Philadelphia Eagles was horrifying: 8-of-18 passes for 53 yards, two interceptions and a 12.0 quarterback rating before leaving with about four minutes to go in the first half.

Head coach Sean McDermott told Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News, “We’re always going to evaluate everything and that goes for everything including the quarterback position."

It’s still pretty unlikely Taylor gets bumped from the No. 1 spot before the season starts.

But I wouldn’t bet against Peterman seeing significant snaps with the starters in Buffalo’s dress rehearsal. And if the youngster outplays Taylor again, anything is possible.

RT: Daryl Williams vs. Taylor Moton

Daryl Williams is hearing footsteps.

Don’t get me wrong, the third-year pro, who started 10 games last year for a Carolina line that struggled mightily, is still the favorite to start the year as the first-team right tackle.

However, rookie second-round pick Taylor Moton is making a charge to claim a spot in the starting lineup. Moton, who has received practice reps at both tackle spots and at guard, has been a quick study.

Back in May, Pro Bowl center Ryan Kalil raved about the youngster while speaking to Bill Voth of the team’s website:

"It’s not an easy playbook we have, and his ability to pick it up as quickly as he has is tremendous," Kalil said. "I’m really, really excited about this kid. It’s still early, but man, this kid is really strong, he’s really athletic and he’s really eager to learn."

Moton has kept that momentum going through training camp and into the preseason. Lucas Ewing of Panthers Wire noted that Moton was impressive this past weekend against the Tennessee Titans. 

That’s keeping the pressure on Williams.

QB: Mike Glennon vs. Mitchell Trubisky

Long live king Mitchell, the greatest quarterback in Bears history!

Yes, I’m being sarcastic. But the same Bears fans who booed the team's trade up to No. 2 in the 2017 NFL draft are now calling for Trubisky to start after his sterling preseason debut.

Granted, it didn’t help that Mike Glennon looked awful in that game against the Broncos. And while Glennon got himself back in the race with a much better showing against the Arizona Cardinals, Trubisky kept the pressure on by completing six of his eight attempts for 60 yards and a touchdown.

After a pair of solid efforts, the calls have started for the rookie to get time with the starters in the next preseason game.

Trubisky himself admitted to Larry Mayer of the team’s website that he still has a lot to learn.

“I’ve still got a lot of work to do,” Trubisky said. “I was pleased with how I played, but plenty more mistakes are going on in practice for me that I need to work on and continue to improve in my game and make sure when I go out there that I’m doing my job to help other people do their job. I think it just showed me that I’m making progress, that I could go out there and lead and do my job like I wanted to show. But it was just a small sample.”

The amount of playing time Glennon and Trubisky get with the first team in the dress rehearsal will go a long way toward showing how the Chicago brass feels about Trubisky’s readiness.

RB: Jeremy Hill vs. Joe Mixon

You may be wondering why Giovani Bernard isn’t included here. That’s easy. Assuming Bernard’s healthy for the regular season, he’ll settle into the same role he’s always had as a change-of-pace and third-down back.

The question then becomes who Bernard will be the change of pace for.

As of right now, Jeremy Hill remains the lead back for the Bengals. And running backs coach Kyle Caskey told Jim Owczarski of the Cincinnati Inquirer that Hill has practiced like a man who doesn’t want to relinquish that job to rookie Joe Mixon.

“He knows that there is some fire behind him and he knows how talented that room is and he’s really taken that to heart,” Caskey said. "But he’s also still the starter, so the biggest thing is come in here and have the confidence of a starter and have the ability to do everything we ask him to do at a high level so we can leave him in that position."

To his credit, Hill has looked good to this point in the preseason with 54 yards on 13 carries. But Mixon has as well, and he’s already mixing in with the first-team.

Hill may start the season as the lead tailback, but his margin for error is nonexistent. 

QB: Brock Osweiler vs. DeShone Kizer vs. Cody Kessler

As of this writing, the Cleveland Browns are one of two teams that hadn’t yet played their second preseason game. But in advance of that contest, we’ve already seen of a shakeup on the quarterback depth chart.

As ESPN.com’s Pat McManamon wrote, veteran Brock Osweiler will once again start for the Browns against the New York Giants despite struggling in a big way in the preseason opener.

After a big showing in his NFL debut against the New Orleans Saints, rookie DeShone Kizer will play with the second-team.

"I still think that right now ... Brock deserves the opportunity to walk out there first," head coach Hue Jackson said. "And I think seeing DeShone, last week it was in the second half. I want to see him now in the first half and see what he can do there. Give him an opportunity there to showcase his talent and ability. And then we'll put Cody (Kessler) in and go from there."

Poor Cody.

None of this is to say that Kizer will start in Week 1.

But if he plays well against the Giants and/or Osweiler faceplants again, clamoring fans of the long-suffering franchise may actually get their wish.

CB: Orlando Scandrick vs. Nolan Carroll vs. Anthony Brown vs. Chidobe Awuzie vs. Jourdan Lewis vs. Marquez White

As things stand, veterans Orlando Scandrick and Nolan Carroll are the starting corners for the Dallas Cowboys. Scandrick’s a versatile corner capable of playing both outside and in the slot, while Carroll’s an experienced eighth-year pro.

However, Carroll also struggled last year with the Philadelphia Eagles, and the 30-year-old faces potential league discipline after being arrested on suspicion of DWI in May.

That might have opened the door for one of the youngsters to make a charge up the depth chart. But things haven’t worked out that way.

Brown tweaked his hamstring in the Hall of Fame Game. All three rookies have missed substantial practice time of late thanks to ankle (Awuzie) and hamstring (Lewis, White) injuries.

The big storyline from Cowboys camp has of course been the Ezekiel Elliott suspension, but the lack of playing time for the team’s young defensive backs is also a real problem.

Because in a secondary filled with new faces, those rookies are going to play.

QB: Trevor Siemian vs. Paxton Lynch

Editor's Note: Brandon Stokley of 104.3 The Fan in Denver reports the Broncos have named Siemian the starter as of Monday. 

Over the first few weeks of camp and the first preseason game, this looked like the battle no one wanted to win.

With little separation between incumbent Trevor Siemian and youngster Paxton Lynch, last week’s intrasquad practices and preseason game with the San Francisco 49ers were seen as a pivotal time in the decision-making process for head coach Vance Joseph and the Broncos.

Lynch told ESPN.com’s Jeff Legwold he was treating this like any other week.

"I'm not adding any extra pressure to it," Lynch said. "For me, it's just another week of getting better, focusing on yourself, making yourself a better player day in and day out and making those guys around you play better.”

Maybe he should have put more pressure on himself.

Denver head coach Vance Joseph gave Lynch the start against the San Francisco 49ers last week, and Lynch proceeded to effectively end the quarterback controversy in the Mile High City.

In favor of Siemian.

Lynch did complete nine of 13 attempts, but for just 39 yards. That's a whopping three yards per attempt.

Meanwhile, Siemian fared much better (8-for-11 with 93 yards and a touchdown).

Lynch just didn't looked ready. He'd lock onto his primary target and if that player was covered, it was over...Lynch would just pull down the ball and take off. 

It might not be what Broncos fans want to hear, but Siemian looks like the starter.

LT: Greg Robinson vs. Cyrus Kouandjio vs. Storm Norton

This is a position battle the Lions never thought they’d have to worry about. But with Taylor Decker on the shelf indefinitely with a labrum injury, Matthew Stafford is in need of a new blindside protector.

It’s looking more and more like the player who will win the battle the Lions didn’t know they'd have is a player from whom much was expected but little has been delivered.

Back in 2014, Greg Robinson was the second overall pick in the NFL draft. That the Rams traded him for a bag of corn chips and a bottle of Powerade shows how that worked out.

After a solid preseason debut against the Indianapolis Colts, Robinson earned the praise of head coach Jim Caldwell, according to Kyle Meinke of MLive.

"Solid," coach Jim Caldwell said. "Yeah, he was solid. In terms of first outing within the system, you know, against another team, I thought he did some good things. But he's still got a ways to go."

Robinson scuffled early in camp, but he's improved steadily as he's gotten acclimated to his new team. Former All-Pro lineman Jackie Slater told Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press he thinks the Lions got a steal.

“As far as talents are concerned, you won’t find a better talent, and now what you’re seeing is a guy who is becoming an educated talent, so I have nothing but great expectations for him,” Slater said. “I think he’s going to eventually be a Pro Bowler and an All-Pro player."

It's not quite a done deal. Kouandjio has received some work with the first team, and Norton has turned a few heads in camp given his UDFA status.

But unless something changes significantly over the next couple weeks, this looks like Robinson's job to lose.

RB: Ty Montgomery vs. Jamaal Williams

With Ty Montgomery sitting out for Saturday’s preseason contest with Washington, the door was open for Jamaal Williams to close the gap even more in the most surprising battle of 2017 for the Packers.

The rookie has impressed in camp so far, with quarterback Aaron Rodgers going so far as to say the former BYU standout has been “spectacular,” according to Darin Gantt of Pro Football Talk (via Yahoo Sports).

“It’s going to be important for him to step in there because running back is a tough position. You’re always dealing with nicks and bruises throughout the season, so we need multiple guys there that can do it,” Rodgers said. “He’s done a nice job mentally. That’s the biggest jump for a running back. They’re asked to do so many things in pass protection, route-running. We’ve got to get him more opportunities to run the ball. But everything else, he’s been spectacular. He’s definitely improving.”

However, Williams didn’t take advantage of the opportunity against Washington last week and managed just 12 yards on seven carries.

QB: Tom Savage vs. Deshaun Watson

The Houston Texans moved up to select Deshaun Watson in the first round of the 2017 NFL draft in hopes he’ll be their quarterback of the future.

It does not look like he’s quite ready to be the quarterback of the present.

Yes, for the second straight game Watson scored a touchdown on the ground, but in the passing game, he looked the part of a first-year player. Watson managed just three completions on 10 attempts against the Pats and failed to recognize the open man on more than one occasion.

Incumbent Tom Savage, on the other hand, was efficient leading the Houston offense. He misfired on just one of his nine attempts for 98 yards with a touchdown.

Savage told Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle he feels comfortable leading the offense.

"Yeah, I'm really, really comfortable with this offense," Savage said. "We have a lot of talent out there and a lot of the guys are making some big plays for me and it's been awesome."

This isn't to say that Savage has absolutely sealed the deal. All it would take are some struggles by Savage in the dress rehearsal next week for the clamoring for Watson to begin anew.

That's the thing with this battle. Even when it appears over it isn't over. It may never be. Savage is skating on thin ice. Playing quarterback on a tight rope.

Any bad performance, whether it's next week or in Week 4, will produce calls for Watson to be the starter...whether he's ready or not.

ILB: Jon Bostic vs. Antonio Morrison vs. Edwin Jackson vs. Anthony Walker vs. Sean Spence

The shoulder injury of starting quarterback Andrew Luck has been the biggest storyline of Colts camp.

To say the offense hasn’t looked good in the preseason is an understatement.

However, that isn’t the team’s only problem. There’s also the matter of the team’s quagmire at inside linebacker.

It’s a situation that appears to be clarifying somewhat. In last week’s tilt with the Dallas Cowboys, free-agent acquisition Jon Bostic (who only recently returned from a hand injury) was sporting the green dot helmet communicator. That would indicate Bostic, who has run with the first team dating back to OTAs, has one of the starting spots more or less locked up.

Antonio Morrison has received the majority of first-team reps next to Bostic, but 2016 starter Edwin Jackson has been sprinkled in liberally as well.

The Colts made a number of changes to a defense that struggled mightily in 2016, but the middle of that defense remains something of a question mark.

QB: Blake Bortles vs. Chad Henne

Frankly, it might be more accurate to label this battle Blake Bortles vs. himself.

Because the 25-year-old is his own worst enemy.

Coming off a down 2016 after finishing second in the NFL in touchdown passes the year before, Bortles has kicked off a make-or-break fourth season by stinking up the preseason so bad that he’s in real danger of losing the job to Chad Henne.

After another stinker last Thursday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Jags head coach Doug Marrone left the starters on the field so Henne could get reps with them. Following the game, he made it clear to ESPN.com’s Michael DiRocco that Bortles’ grip on the job is loosening.

"I'm looking for someone that's going to lead this offense," Marrone said. "I'm not happy with the performance today. I'm not going to sit here and B.S. anyone. Everyone saw it out there. Whatever you want to call it, I'm still trying to evaluate who the best person is at that position."

Bortles looks lost, His confidence appears shot and he’s missed a number of wide open receivers downfield.

It's gotten bad enough that some scribes (like Bucky Brooks of NFL.com) are calling for Bortles to be cut outright.

RB: Spencer Ware vs. Kareem Hunt

Before training camp, there was more than a little speculation that rookie Kareem Hunt could supplant Spencer Ware as the Chiefs’ No. 1 tailback in relatively short order.

To date, that hasn’t happened. Ware has received the overwhelming majority of first-team work, despite the rather lukewarm endorsement he received from running backs coach Eric Bieniemy.

“No. 32, he is obviously a workhorse,” Bieniemy said, per SB Nation’s Pete Sweeney. “He is what he is. It is not anything special, he is just a consistent professional player.”

That’s after Bienemy gushed about Hunt: “We have young Kareem Hunt who has been doing an outstanding job picking up the offense, doing a great job of running the football, doing a great job of learning how to protect the proper way. Also, he is doing a great job of catching the football.”

Hunt got a longer look against the Cincinnati Bengals and picked up 40 yards on eight carries. How the workload is distributed in this week’s dress rehearsal against the Seattle Seahawks will be telling.

FS: Dwight Lowery vs. Tre Boston

There might not be a position battle on this list with more evenly matched combatants than Dwight Lowery and Tre Boston, who are vying to start at free safety for the Los Angeles Chargers.

Lowery is the incumbent, a veteran player who is familiar with the new defense in L.A. from his time with Gus Bradley in Jacksonville. Lowery was a team captain in the exhibition opener, and he told ESPN.com’s Eric D. Williams he welcomes the challenge from Boston, who spent his first three seasons with the Carolina Panthers.

“I think the competition is good,” Lowery said. “There’s things I feel that I can do as a football player that I feel confident in, and obviously there’s things that Tre does well. He comes from a very good defense in Carolina and has a lot of experience playing safety in this league.”

If Lowery has an edge in this competition it’s a wafer-thin one. His experience is offset by Boston’s superior athleticism, and while both players have seen plenty of first-team reps, neither has done anything to separate from the other.

If that wasn’t enough suspense in a competition that will likely go down to the wire, consider this: With rookie Desmond King also waiting in the wings, it’s possible this pair isn’t just fighting for a spot in the starting lineup.

They may be dueling for a roster spot.

TE: Tyler Higbee vs. Gerald Everett

The Los Angeles Rams will use all the help they can get in the passing game. And in that regard, it might just serve the team well to turn over starting tight end duties to rookie Gerald Everett.

The second-round pick certainly isn’t lacking for confidence. He told ESPN.com’s Alden Gonzalez that he believes he and Higbee can be a better duo than Jordan Reed and Vernon Davis in Washington.

"I definitely do, seven days out of the week," Everett said. "I don't have any regret. Jordan and Vernon are great tight ends, both Pro Bowlers, but I feel like our group is just as good. If not, we can be better."

That’s big talk for a couple of unproven players, and neither is an especially good blocker, but while Higbee has been all but invisible in the passing game, Everett has been much more involved. He had four catches on four targets for 30 yards Saturday against the Oakland Raiders.

If neither can block a lick, you might as well get the more athletic pass-catcher on the field.

CB: Bobby McCain vs. Alterraun Verner

In today’s pass-wacky NFL, the nickel has become the de facto base defensive set—and that makes a team’s third cornerback a de facto starter.

So the biggest position fight for the Miami Dolphins is likely at that third spot between incumbent Bobby McCain and free-agent acquisition Alterraun Verner.

While speaking with Derric Turner of FanSided, McCain said that having depth in the secondary was cause for celebration on his part, not alarm.

“Depth is good for you,” McCain said. “It’s good for the team, it’s good for the room, because at the end of the day, something might happen. You never know what could happen. Somebody may go down and the next guy’s got to step up and be there and be ready to play.”

McCain, who had an up-and-down 2016, is the leader over Verner, who had a couple big years in Tennessee. But the 28-year-old has struggled since leaving the Titans.

Those struggles continued into the preseason this year. Neither Verner or McCain has done anything impressive in limited game action so far in 2017.

C: Nick Easton vs. Pat Elflein

The Minnesota Vikings are hoping for a vastly improved offensive line in 2017, but thanks to the injuries that were a recurring theme last year, both participants in the battle to start at center for the Vikes started Friday’s loss to the Seattle Seahawks.

With left guard Alex Boone on the shelf with a knee injury, third-year pro Nick Easton kicked from center over to guard, and rookie center Pat Elflein started in the middle.

As Lindsey Young reported for the Vikings website, Sam Bradford lauded the play of that re-shuffled offensive line.

"I think those guys up front, they played really well tonight,” Bradford said. “I thought they did a really nice job in the run game, just changing the line of scrimmage, opening holes for Dalvin to hit. And I thought they played well in the pass game tonight, too, so I'm really proud of those guys and what they were able to do tonight.”

Easton started the first preseason game ahead of Elflein, and there hasn’t been any indication that the rookie has surpassed him.

But both young linemen also have experience of guard, so regardless of who starts at center, both could see the field quite a bit in 2017.

RB: Rex Burkhead vs. Mike Gillislee

Mike Gillislee better hope his injured hamstring heals quickly.

If it doesn’t, the other newcomer in the New England backfield may relegate him to a reserve role.

Offensive stars like Tom Brady, Rob Gronkowski and Brandin Cooks were all on the field in last week’s preseason loss to the Houston Texans. But it was Rex Burkhead who stole the show. His 20 yards on seven carries were hardly eye-popping, but Burkhead also chipped in 50 yards on three receptions—including a 22-yard score.

Burkhead certainly sounded like a Patriot while speaking to Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald after the game.

“We’ve got a lot of versatility, that’s for sure,” Burkhead said. “The key is just putting it together and making sure we’re all on the same page. Because if we’re not, talent means nothing. We definitely have it. As long as we stick together and try not to be selfish about things, the sky is the limit.”

The Patriots have the deepest backfield in football, and all of their backs will see action given how much Bill Belichick likes to change things up.

But Burkhead staked his claim Saturday to a larger share of the backfield pie.

LB: Craig Robertson vs. Stephone Anthony vs. A.J. Klein vs. Manti Te’o vs. Alex Anzalone

The New Orleans Saints were not a good defensive football team in 2016. In an effort to bolster their linebacker corps in the offseason, they bid adieu to oft-injured veteran Dannell Ellerbe and signed a pair of free agents in A.J. Klein and Manti Te’o.

Klein appears locked into a three-down role as the defensive play-caller at SAM in base sets and kicking inside in subpackages. Star defensive end Cameron Jordan told Josh Katzenstein of the New Orleans Times-Picayune that he likes what he’s seen from the former Panthers reserve.

"A.J. Klein's getting vocal," he said. "It's not even slowly showing that he's a leader; it's automatic. ... The confidence that A.J. brings is huge for us."

After that, things cloud up quickly. Te’o’s been manning MIKE in the base defense but has had zero luck staying healthy in his career. The Saints have tried both Anthony (a former first-round pick) and Robertson at WILL. And Anzalone waits in the wings as a potential contender in his own right.

Against the Los Angeles Chargers Sunday night, it was Klein, Te’o and Anzalone who started, but we may not know with certainty who will be the Week 1 starters at linebacker until it arrives.

DT: Robert Thomas vs. Dalvin Tomlinson vs. Jay Bromley vs. Corbin Bryant

With Johnathan Hankins now in Indianapolis, the Giants have a hole in the middle of their vaunted defensive line. And while it was journeyman Robert Thomas who practiced with the first-team in OTAs and rookie second-rounder Dalvin Tomlinson probably represents the future next to Damon Harrison, third-year pro Jay Bromley and free-agent signee Corbin Bryant are also in the mix.

It's Bromley who defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul expects big things from in 2017, according to Art Stapleton of NorthJersey.com.

"He’s made a tremendous jump," Pierre-Paul said. "The way he gets off the ball, the way he uses his power. The way he’s reading the blocks, he’s not just running up the field. Jay is a totally different player from four years ago. I think he’s ready. I think this is going to be his come-out year."

Bromley was the most impressive of the group in the exhibition opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers. He piled up three stops and a tackle for loss. If he can keep that momentum going against the Cleveland Browns, Bromley could be in position to put this matter to rest soon.

WR: ArDarius Stewart vs. Jalin Marshall

Christian Hackenberg just about settled the Jets quarterback controversy last week with his putrid performance against the Detroit Lions, but it's still to be decided which poor receiver will have to try to reel in the one-hops and overthrows from Josh McCown in Week 1.

With Eric Decker and Brandon Marshall gone and Quincy Enunwa out with a neck injury, the Jets will turn to Robby Anderson at one receiver spot. The other is up for grabs between second-year pro Jalin Marshall and rookie ArDarius Stewart.

It was Marshall who was listed as a starter on the team's first unofficial depth chart, but there hasn't been much that's happened since that suggests he'll stay there.

Marshall struggled in the first preseason game, dropping a pass and drawing a holding penalty. In the second preseason game he failed to make a catch.

Oh, and Marshall will be suspended four games to start the season for violating the NFL's PED policy.

The smart move for the Jets would be to give Stewart significant time with the starters in the third preseason game, A trial by fire, if you will. They're going to need him in September.

Stewart allowed to Mark Inabinnett of AL.com that he has a lot to learn.

"I've done a lot of great things out here, but I've also done a lot of things that I need to improve on," Stewart said. "I'm not as comfortable (with assignments) as I could be or as I should be right now. I'm still in the learning process."

It's time he learned by doing.

ILB: Cory James vs. Marquel Lee vs. Jelani Jenkins vs. Ben Heeney

The Oakland Raiders appear to be a loaded team on offense, but the defense is another story. As Levi Damien reported for Silver and Black Pride, head coach Jack Del Rio wasn’t shy about criticizing that unit after it was abused last week by a Rams offense that struggled in a big way a year ago.

“We’ve got plans, but I’m less concerned really about the play called and more concerned with basic execution right now,” said Del Rio following the game. “I think we’ll go a long way when we clean some of those things up. The things that we’ve talked about for too long in terms of communication errors and eye violations and things like that that just keep you from ever being really good on defense. Those things just have to be cleaned up.”

It's unfair to blame all those struggles on first-team inside linebackers Cory James and Marquel Lee, but neither of those young linebackers played well either.

If that continues in next week’s dress rehearsal, Del Rio may have to do something no NFL coach wants to: make major adjustments to the starting lineup late in the exhibition season.

That could mean turning to Ben Heeney (a slightly slower version of James who has five starts inside over his first two seasons) or Jelani Jenkins (a free agent signee who piled up 110 tackles as a 14-game starter for the Miami Dolphins in 2014).

Whoever the starters are, it looks like the inside linebackers are the weak link for a Raiders defense that's the weak link for the team.

DE: Brandon Graham vs. Vinny Curry vs. Derek Barnett vs. Chris Long

Regardless of who the starters are, all four of these defensive ends are going to see considerable playing time in 2017. Jim Schwartz is a defensive coordinator who likes rotating his linemen to keep them fresh and ready to attack.

And in piling up half a dozen sacks in a 20-16 win over the Buffalo Bills last week, the Eagles showed just how much they want to do that this season.

In that regard Barnett, who the Eagles took in the first round of the 2017 NFL draft may be the key. Barnett had one of those six sacks against the Bills, and Eagles head coach Doug Pederson told Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk that he wants to get the youngster some more time with the starters.

“It’s important,” Pederson said. “Obviously, better tackles, better competition is a sign of where you are in your development process. But you could see how quick he is off the ball. You could see how well he bends. There’s just a relentless finish. He plays to the whistle, and that’s exciting.”

If Barnett continues to shine playing with the ones, it’s only a matter of time before Curry is pushed to a reserve role.

QB: Landry Jones vs. Josh Dobbs

It’s not that often that a player wins a position battle without ever setting foot on the field.

That’s what happened where backing up Ben Roethlisberger in Pittsburgh is concerned. For the second straight week, rookie Josh Dobbs got the nod to start against the Atlanta Falcons Saturday.

And for the second straight week, Dobbs left little doubt that he’s not close to ready to step in if Roethlisberger gets injured.

In Dobbs’ defense, the former Tennessee standout didn’t have the likes of Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell at his disposal.

Just as he was against the New York Giants a week ago, Dobbs was erratic. He completed just over half of his passes for 70 yards. His interception in the second half—when he pitched the ball away in a panic as he was being dragged to the ground—is the sort of knuckle-headed play you simply cannot make in the NFL.

Given that Roethlisberger has missed six games over the last two years, backup quarterback is actually a position of some importance for a Steelers team with Super Bowl aspirations.

Get well soon, Landry—the team needs you.

RDE: Arik Armstead vs. Elvis Dumervil vs. Aaron Lynch

One of the most important players in the 4-3 under front the San Francisco 49ers are switching to in 2017 is the weak side defensive end otherwise known as the Leo.

The Leo lines up wide of the left tackle—often standing up. It’s a slot usually occupied by smaller, faster edge-rushers.

At 6’7”, Arik Armstead is most assuredly not small. But the third-year pro has been dropping weight in an effort to adjust to the role, and DC Robert Saleh told Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com that he thinks Armstead can pull off the move.

"He moves well," Saleh said. "The concern was that he's so big and he doesn't exactly fit the prototype, but he's so athletic. He's so long and he's got a good first step. He just needs to get more comfortable in the things that we're asking him to do physically."

Dumervil looks the part of a Leo, but he’s well on the wrong side of 30, while Lynch is battling an ankle injury.

Armstead may be leading this race, but by no means is this a runaway.

RB: Eddie Lacy vs. Thomas Rawls vs. Alex Collins vs. Mike Davis vs. Chris Carson

After two preseason games, the backfield situation in Seattle is cloudier than ever.

With Thomas Rawls on the shelf against the Minnesota Vikings with a sprained ankle, last Friday’s game appeared to be a golden opportunity for free-agent addition Eddie Lacy to do what many have expected and seize the lead job.

When Lacy barreled for nine yards on his first carry, it looked like he was going to do just that. Instead, Lacy gained just 11 yards on five more carries, including picking up only two yards on three third-and-one carries.

Meanwhile, it was rookie Chris Carson who had the most impressive evening by picking up 27 yards on six totes.

Carson looked like the player the Seahawks thought they were getting when they signed Lacy: a hard-charging, between-the-tackles bruiser.

With Seattle’s third preseason game just a few days away, the team is no closer to knowing who its starting tailback will be against the Green Bay Packers in Week 1 than they were when training camp opened.

S: Keith Tandy vs. Chris Conte vs. J.J. Wilcox vs. Justin Evans

This isn’t the most high-profile position battle on this list, but it’s one of the more interesting, partly because it hasn’t really gone as many expected.

Despite the fact that he started the last five games of the season for the Buccaneers last year (and played well) the belief was that Keith Tandy would be pushed hard in training camp by free-agent acquisition J.J. Wilcox.

Ditto for veteran strong safety Chris Conte with the arrival of rookie Justin Evans, who the Bucs selected about midway through the second round of the 2017 NFL draft.

So far—not so much.

Wilcox has gotten some first-team reps in practice, but those have come more often as a nickel cornerback than at safety. And when the Buccaneers took the field against the Jacksonville Jaguars last Thursday, it was Conte and Tandy who ran as the first-team safeties.

It’s looking more and more likely that will also be the case in Week 1.

WR: Corey Davis vs. Rishard Matthews

When the Tennessee Titans made Western Michigan wide receiver Corey Davis the fifth overall pick in the 2017 NFL draft, they no doubt did so with the hope that Davis would be in the starting lineup in Week 1.

That’s looking less and less likely.

After an impressive start to training camp, Davis suffered a hamstring pull in early August, and he hasn’t seen any action in the preaseason. Per Jim Wyatt of the team’s website, Davis wasn't expected to play at all in the preseason as of Aug. 19.

But, there's been a small measure of good news in that regard. According to Jason Wolf of The Tennessean, head coach Mike Mularkey said Davis is on track to at least see some action in the preseason finale.

This isn’t the end of the world. Things could be much worse. Seventh overall pick Mike Williams has a herniated disc in his back that could cost the Chargers receiver his entire rookie season. And in Rishard Matthews, the Titans have a capable veteran receiver who already has a rapport with quarterback Marcus Mariota. He can start opposite Eric Decker.

There’s no reason to rush Davis and potentially re-aggravate the injury, which means the youngster’s wish to start Week 1 is probably going to go unfulfilled.

ILB: Zach Brown vs. Will Compton vs. Mason Foster

In Washington’s preseason opener, it was Will Compton and Mason Foster who started at inside linebacker, just as they did in 2016. Then Brown took Foster’s place. And then Foster took Compton’s place.

Confused yet?

Per Mike Jones of the Washington Post, head coach Jay Gruden talked up all three of his inside linebackers.

“Obviously, Will Compton’s very smart and has been a great leader for us. He’s a great communicator, which you have to have at Mike linebacker,” Gruden said. “I think Mason Foster can play both positions equally as well—Mike and what we call Mo—and he’s a good communicator. Obviously, Zach Brown has a great skill set for playing linebacker. He can go sideline to sideline probably athletically faster than majority of the linebackers we have.”

Brown, who led the AFC in tackles last year, has looked the best of the three in game action. And while Compton made the play calls last year and knows the scheme, he’s also a liability in coverage.

Give me Brown and Foster for the win, Alex.