It is that time of the year once again, the time we all love when the smell of freshly cut grass is overshadowed by the odor of sweat. NFL Training Camp. A time we all love.
The brutal banging during Training Camp transitions to the NFL Preseason, where most positions become highly contested, seeking out a roster spot. Those who are good enough to survive the first two brutal rounds become a key part to any NFL team’s success and hopes of winning the ultimate prize.
However, before winning the ultimate prize, a team must first survive their own division. Without key players, no team can even make it that far.
One of the most highly contested divisions is the NFC South where the Carolina Panthers, Atlanta Falcons, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New Orleans Saints lay it all out for seventeen grueling weeks, in hopes of first making the playoffs and then getting, and winning, the ultimate prize.
Before the season starts, predictions can be made on who will have the best season statistical wise, and who will contribute the most to their respective team. However, each season, every team has one “breakout player” – someone who either nobody talked about, or someone who became prominent in contributing to the team, before expected.
This particular player for each team is hard to predict, so lets breakdown some possibilities.
The Carolina Panthers went through a total revamp at the wide receiver position. In 2013, Steve Smith, Brandon LaFell, Ted Ginn, and Domenik Hixon racked up 1,983 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns, which accounted for 59% of Cam Newton’s passing yards and 63% of his touchdown passes. However, all left in the offseason.
So you ask, what do you do? You bring in Jason Avant, Tiquan Underwood, Jerricho Cotchery and drafted Kelvin Benjamin. Not exactly household names that you are going to run out and purchase a jersey. However, the breakout player will come from this new group and ultimately, Kelvin Benjamin will be the one everyone will be talking about at the end of the season.
Benjamin will become “Cam’s Man”. After only two seasons at Florida State, Benjamin totaled 1,506 yards and 19 touchdowns – comparable numbers to what the four departed receivers compiled in one season, and Benjamin did this alone. Kelvin has the hands, the speed and the intensity to become the go to in the red zone, as well as the ability to run the long route and have Cam hit him in stride for a score. He will fight for the yards and who will forget the game-winning touchdown catch he made in the BCS National Championship against Auburn?
Matt Ryan, of the Atlanta Falcons, has always had a security blanket in tight end Tony Gonzalez. But, 2014 brings a change to the team as Gonzalez has hung up his cleats. Now you may say, well that does not matter, Atlanta has such a great receiving group a tight end will only be needed to block. But, what does Ryan do when all those receivers are covered, where does he go with the ball because surely, he is not going to want to take the sack.
Therefore, the Falcons are bringing into camp five tight ends – Bear Pascoe, Jacob Pedersen, Mickey Shuler, Levine Toilolo and Brian Wozniak – a rarity for any team to have that many tight ends in camp. This is a clear indication the Falcons realize they need that security blanket for Ryan and therefore the breakout player will come from this group. It very well could be that we are talking about at the end of the year Levine Toilolo out of Stanford. He stands 6’8” and 265 lbs. – a massive target over the middle for Ryan to be able to go to when needed.
Although only having 55 receiving yards and two touchdowns in 2013, there is no reason why these numbers will not be ten times as much in 2014. I mean, come on, nobody is going to compile numbers behind a future Hall of Fame tight end in Gonzalez.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers always seem to be a wild card – will they have a good season, or will they wilt away and be the teams that others look forward to playing. This year will be different. A new coach, in Lovie Smith, will bring firepower a locker room that seemed to be missing that last year. With that firepower, controversy might also arise.
As Smith entered, it almost appeared he was pushing out the 2013 quarterback starter for 13 games in Mike Glennon, as Smith made it appoint to sign a veteran quarterback in Josh McCown. With McCown coming in, does that mean he will become the breakout player for the Buccaneers – a man who has only started more than seven games in a season twice in his twelve year career?
No, the Buccaneers breakout player will still be on the offensive side of the ball, but with questions behind the center, Doug Martin, who only played in six games in 2013 after a phenomenal rookie season, is the man everyone in Tampa will be talking about. Almost 1,500 yards rushing and 11 touchdowns in his rookie season of 2012, Martin is poised to replicate those numbers of 2012. He will have to be the workhorse for Smith, much like he used Matt Forte in Chicago.
In 2013 it appeared The New Orleans Saints were on the verge of running away with the NFC South and coasting their way to a possible appearance to challenge for the ultimate prize. That faded down the stretch as the Saints limped home. You might ask, was it the quarterback? Not a chance in Drew Brees. The receivers? Marques Colston is pretty good. The run game? Pierre Thomas and Mark Ingram are no joke. But, that brings up an interesting point. What does Brees and the rest of the offense need to be successful – an offensive line.
Therefore, the breakout player for the Saints is going to be second year man out of Washington, guard Senio Kelemete. Although spending most of last season on the Saints practice squad, Kelemete will emerge and take over for the aging guards currently in Saints camp in Ben Grubbs and Jahri Evans.
Kelemete will be key to all aspects of the Saints offense. He will need to lead the charge in both the run and pass game, whether that is giving Brees enough time to hit Colston in stride downfield, or creating holes for Thomas and Ingram to break through for a big gain, or make that push for the crucial first down late in the game.
As we all know, these are only predictions as Training Camp just begins. But, without each team having that breakout player, winning the ultimate prize is out of reach.
