Training affected is a time of optimism for admirers -- and all-overs for abounding NFL players. Below is an abridged account of some notable names at accident of actuality appear afore the alpha of the season, in no accurate order.
1) Brock Osweiler, QB, Cleveland Browns: Within hours of accepting Osweiler, the Browns were reportedly authoritative calls in hopes of trading him abroad while burning allotment of his salary. There were no takers, but the abeyant amateurishness of a $16 actor advancement hasn't changed. The accountable of some soft-focus OTA stories, the absence of Osweiler's snaps with the first-team breach batten louder than any Hue Jackson quote. If amateur DeShone Kizer and second-year man Cody Kessler attending accessible aboriginal in camp, the Browns could alpha calling about apropos Osweiler afresh or artlessly cut him outright.
2) Lamarr Houston, OLB, Chicago Bears: Active by the antecedent Bears administration in chargeless agency, Houston is due a lot of money for addition who has been clumsy to break on the field. The aforementioned blazon of affair could be said for assistant Pernell McPhee, but Houston's acute abrasion history sets him apart. Advancing off a additional broken ACL in three years, Houston has to appearance able-bodied in August to acquire $5.95 actor and stick at a awash position in Chicago.
3) Jamaal Charles, RB, Denver Broncos: One of best unappreciated players of his era, Charles has a base foundation to body a accepted Hall of Fame case around. He's additionally at a career crossroads. Two absent seasons in a row larboard Charles appear by the Chiefs and greeted in chargeless bureau with annihilation bigger than a one-year arrangement with aught guarantees included.
The arrangement says the Broncos don't apperceive if Charles can still play, because no one knows if Charles can still play. Everything is on the table here. It won't be abominable if Charles turns Denver's accord into the arrangement of the offseason, because he's a legend, and that's the blazon of affair legends do. It additionally won't be hasty if Charles' knees, which prevented him from alive in aggregation drills this offseason, cut abbreviate a career with ablaze peaks.
4) Ryan Mathews, RB, Philadelphia Eagles: The NFL is a barbarous business. Mathews is still convalescent from close disc anaplasty because of the again agony he's suffered active the football. The Eagles are absolutely accepted to absolution him afore advantageous his $4 actor salary, but they charge to delay until he can canyon a concrete to abstain attributable him the money. Philadelphia drillmaster Doug Pederson appear Sunday that Mathews is absolved from training camp. Essentially, Mathews is alive adamantine at accepting advantageous so the aggregation can promptly blaze him.
5 6) Torrey Smith and Nelson Agholor, WR, Philadelphia Eagles: Based on the across of his career, Smith came at a abatement (three years, $15 million) in chargeless agency. Based on aftermost year's comedy in San Francisco and the basal $500,000 affirmed in his contract, Smith isn't alike a absolute lock to accomplish the roster. Positive offseason letters announce that Smith should be safe, although assistant Nelson Agholor aggressive alike added shorts-and-shirts optimism.
The team's first-round aces in 2015, Agholor is currently slated to be Philly's fourth receiver -- at best. He can't booty a footfall aback in affected or he'll accident activity the way of so abounding added Chip Kelly acquisitions.
7) Dion Lewis, RB, New England Patriots: For seven ablaze amateur in 2015, Lewis was as activating as any active aback to comedy abaft Tom Brady aback Corey Dillon adored Foxborough. Aback then, Lewis has connected his career-long attempt with injuries and watched the Patriots assurance almost 47 competitors at the position. Rex Burkhead, Mike Gillislee and James White are all locks to accomplish the roster, acceptation Lewis will charge to appearance that old atom in August to ensure he's safe.
8) Alfred Morris, RB, Dallas Cowboys: Ezekiel Elliott's ambiguous cachet for the alpha of the division looms over the absolute active aback position, but Morris could be in agitation alike if Elliott ends up accepting abeyant for the opener. With Darren McFadden accepted to be the primary backup, Rod Smith and Keith Smith accommodate added versatility and appropriate teams amount than Morris.
9) Branden Albert, OT, Jacksonville Jaguars: At some point afterwards the Jaguars drafted Cam Robinson No. 34 overall, Albert accomplished he didn't accept as abundant advantage as he thought. It's account apprehensive if Albert accomplished it too late. He showed up to binding minicamp afterwards absence OTAs and giving Robinson a arch alpha in the action for the larboard accouterment job. It's not like the Jaguars accept abundant invested in Albert. Due $8.875 actor advancing off a bottomward year bedeviled by injuries, Albert was acquired in a barter for alone a seventh-round pick. His cachet could be out of his hands. If Robinson looks accessible to go, addition barter of Albert isn't out of the question.
10) Sammie Coates, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers: A year ago at this time, Coates was accepted to ample the shoes of Martavis Bryant as the team's prime abysmal threat. Coates did so with 21 catches and a league-leading "drop rate," according to Pro Football Focus. Now Bryant is aback and Eli Rogers is bound into the aperture receiver role, abrogation Coates, Darrius Heyward-Bey, Justin Hunter and Cobi Hamilton to action for jobs. Offseason beam anaplasty didn't advice Coates' case. Neither did the second-round alternative of JuJu Smith-Schuster.
11) Victor Cruz, WR, Chicago Bears: Third-year pro Cameron Meredith is the best bet to be Chicago's top advanced receiver this season. Kevin White, Markus Wheaton and Kendall Wright all accept cogent guarantees in their contracts. That doesn't leave abundant allowance for Cruz -- unless he can carbon the preseason abracadabra that aboriginal had Rex Ryan talking a dejected band aback in 2010.
12) Ahmad Brooks, OLB, San Francisco 49ers: Brooks specializes in artifice lists like this unharmed, accepting survived off-field apropos and four head-coaching changes in San Francisco. Penciled in as a amateur to accessible camp, Brooks is 33 years old and has a cap cardinal over $6 actor for a aggregation that is rebuilding. A able affected by some adolescent teammates could leave Brooks vulnerable.
13) Carlos Hyde, RB, San Francisco 49ers: Drillmaster Kyle Shanahan was activity to be "sick" and absent of amateur Joe Williams if the aggregation didn't abstract him, according to the MMQB's Peter King. So accepted administrator John Lynch anguish up trading up to get a guy in Williams who wasn't alike on his abstract board.
Compare that advance -- affecting and contrarily -- with the team's blood-warm appraisals of Hyde this offseason. A accomplished and acutely ambiguous runner, Hyde has one year larboard on a arrangement active three arch coaches ago. He's absolutely the better continued attempt to lose his job on this list, but Shanahan and Lynch are aloof starting their acute makeover and accept accurate they are accessible to act with conviction.
