Green Bay Packers
Aaron Rodgers Excited about Davante Adams Upside
As the Packers' OTA's begin to wrap up, quotes from the locker room start to emerge. Early practices are when we first get a gauge of some young players to watch out for and Rodgers mentioned his second-year receiver. As Rodgers told ESPN Wisconsin, "In my mind, he has humongous upside – and he's starting to reach that upside".
A season after surpassing Jarrett Boykin on the depth chart and emerging as Green Bay's third receiver, it's time for Adams to take another step forward as a sophomore. He is an excellent talent and will see his role in the passing game grow. After Rodgers comments last year about young players needing to earn their respect, it appears Adams has earned that from his quarterback.
Eddie Lacy Set for Another Big Year
Green Bay lucked out when Lacy fell to them in the second round. They landed the thumper the running game desperately needed, a ground and pound threat to bring the offense balance. Lacy was a work in progress in the passing game, but Green Bay got what they needed form him as a rookie.
Last season, Lacy emerged as an excellent three-down back. He made tremendous improvements in pass-protection, doing more than just the casual chip on oncoming rushers. Lacy also established himself as a very good receiving back, dropping into open space and showing reliable hands. He finished the year with over 1,500 total yards and 13 total touchdowns.
While Green Bay wants to be cautious with Lacy's workload sand set him up for the long-run, expectations from the coaching staff are set at another big year. We could be looking at a 1,600-yard, 15-touchdown season combined.
Chicago Bears
Kevin White Getting Familiar with Jay Cutler
The Bears are a work in progress – with a new head coach and general manager, the 2015 NFL Draft was all about grabbing the best players available. After trading away Brandon Marshall, Chicago scooped up White with their first round pick. Putting together a young, physical pairing of White and Alshon Jeffery.
As OTA's kicked off, it was key for White to spend some time with Cutler and develop some early chemistry with the Bears' quarterback. White has come to understand what Cutler demands out of his wide receivers, "everything done on time" as he told the Chicago Sun Times
Jeffery Catches John Fox's Eye
The first days of OTA's are always more intriguing when there's a new head coach in town, you always want to grab their attention. Fox walked into OTA's and it didn't take long before Jeffery caught his eye, "He's got a great catch radius. He's got a knack for the game." Fox also told reporters that he has been impressed by Jeffery's work ethic, something that was a concern on scouting reports coming out of college.
With Marshall out of town, many are expecting Jeffery to take a big leap forward this season. He can dominate coverage thanks to all of the traits Fox mentioned and the Bears will be relying on their new No.1 receiver often this season. In a time where everyone is looking for that next great wide receiver, Jeffery is it.
Minnesota Vikings
Jerick McKinnon and Adrian Peterson Shine
When Peterson returned to the Vikings for the upcoming season, many fantasy football addicts assumed it would be a crushing blow to McKinnon's fantasy value. Matters were only made worse when Vikings' coaches shared with the world how great Peterson looked after months away from the team. With Peterson set to hit free agency next year, many thought the Vikings would run Peterson into the ground, also known as the "DeMarco Murray treatment".
But if you ask Vikings' running backs coach Kirby Wilson, Peterson and McKinnon will each have a role this season. Peterson will be the workhorse but Minnesota is going to limit his workload and what touches he doesn't get, they will go to McKinnon. As Wilson told reporters, " I think he's going to continue to grow and mature, not only as an NFL starter-caliber runner, but as a premier, dynamic playmaker for X amount of plays". One thing is for certain, the Peterson-McKinnon dup will be an exciting pair to watch this season.
Detroit Lions
Could Ameer Abdullah be the top fantasy rookie running back?
While Joique Bell lets his body heal from offseason surgeries, it's opened the door for Abdullah to get extra reps during practice. You can never discount reps for a rookie, every little snap counts as a chance for them to learn the offense and the nuances of what the coaches will ask of them. While it can be overwhelming to some, Abdullah has thrived.
As Abdullah continues to improve, he could quickly emerge as an impact rookie. Abdullah was well respected for his skills as a receiver coming out of college and could even be an option as a slot receiver on occasion. He's already set to serve as the Lions' kickoff returner and is drawing the attention of his teammates as well. The Lions have put together an impressive offensive line and with the weapons around Abdullah, he could be an excellent offensive weapon as a rookie.