NFL training camps are kicking into gear, and we’re just nine games away from the first preseason game.
While we get excited by this first taste of football, many of the storylines you see coming out of training camp can be misleading. Players are making one-handed catches or looking really fast on the field, but in shorts and t-shirts and without much contact, it can be hard to determine what’s really useful information.
That’s why, this offseason, we’re going to be filtering through the news for you and helping to identify the key training camp storylines that you should be paying attention to for each position. We’re going to kick it off today with the running back position.
How do injured stars – Ezekiel Elliott, Christian McCaffrey, etc. – look?
One of the biggest things to watch for in training camp is simply the health of players who ended the previous year hurt. While some may have posted workout videos on their social media accounts over the offseason, this is the first time we’ll get a look at how they move in competitive football conditions.
More importantly, we’ll see how they respond and recover from the activity. This means we need to look beyond just the first day of training camp when a player may make some nice cuts in shorts but see how he holds up to contact and repeated days of intense practice.
Two of the biggest names to watch when it comes to injury recoveries are Christian McCaffrey and Ezekiel Elliott. One of the most explosive players in the league, McCaffrey was able to play in only seven games last year with ankle and shoulder injuries. Considering he played in only three games in 2020 due to a hamstring injury, there are some concerns about his ability to hold up.
The Panthers have already said that their star running back will not play in preseason games, but it’s important to note that McCaffrey played three straight full 16-game seasons to begin his career before these last two injury-plagued years. Considering his injuries are not related, there is optimism that McCaffrey will be able to return to form as one of the top players in the entire NFL.
There isn’t quite that upside with Ezekiel Elliott anymore. The Cowboys star has had at least 237 carries in all six of his NFL seasons, so there is naturally going to be some minor wearing down over time. With Tony Pollard also emerging as a dynamic weapon in the Dallas backfield, it’s fair to wonder just how big Elliott’s role will be going forward.
However, the first hurdle is his recovery from a PCL injury he suffered in Week 6 of last season. Elliott was able to play the remainder of the year but didn’t look explosive and ceded work to Pollard. The team is reporting that their star has had a tremendous offseason and been “cranking out very impressive” numbers in the weight room, but training camp will be a good test of just how much he looks like the Zeke of old.
Will J.K. Dobbins Be Ready for Week 1?
An injury recovery to watch that doesn’t include a big-name NFL star is in Baltimore with third-year pro JK Dobbins. During his rookie season in 2020, Dobbins was impressive with 805 carries and nine touchdowns on six yards per carry. He also added 120 yards receiving and looked to be the Ravens’ lead back in 2021 before tearing his ACL in the preseason.
Dobbins has been put on the preseason PUP list (physically unable to perform) but, unlike in the regular season, players can be activated from that at any point in the preseason. When Ian Rapoport suggested Dobbins might not be ready for Week 1, the young running back responded with certainty that he’ll be ready to suit up:
Okay I’m tired of being quiet… come to me for your source @RapSheet because I might not even go on PUP because that’s how good my rehab is going and I’m damn sure going to be ready for week 1. https://t.co/gH2TqCFLM4
— Jk dobbins (@Jkdobbins22) July 18, 2022
Considering fellow running back Gus Edwards is also recovering from a torn ACL, a large chunk of carries in Baltimore’s run-heavy offense could go to Dobbins if he’s able to use training camp to prove that he’s ready to go.
Will Cam Akers be the Rams’ lead back?
Speaking of injury recoveries, Cam Akers made a miraculous one last season when he returned from an Achilles tear that was expected to sideline him for up to a year in just six months. Not only did he return early, but he returned to a full role, leading the team with 67 rushing attempts in their four postseason games.
The only problem is that Akers didn’t look particularly good. He rushed for only 2.6 yards per carry and seemed to lack explosion and the ability to make defenders miss. That should be expected for a player who just tore his Achilles six months earlier, but it does raise questions about just how effective Akers can be.
The 23-year-old knows that his performance wasn’t his best and is planning to make big strides this offseason, but he will also have to battle with 24-year-old Darrell Henderson Jr., who looked good as the Rams’ primary running back in 2021, rushing for 688 yards and five touchdowns on 149 carries (4.6 yards per carry). He also added 176 yards and three touchdowns in the receiving game and was a key receiver in the team’s Super Bowl win.
With Henderson recovering from a knee injury of his own, all eyes will be on whether one of these young backs can emerge as the true workhorse for the defending Super Bowl champs.
Is James Robinson Back? How does that impact Travis Etienne?
Another young running back looking to recover from injury is Travis Etienne. The Jaguars’ first-round pick last year, Etienne suffered a Linsfranc injury during the preseason and missed the entire year. He has already gotten back on the field and is apparently impressing his new coaching staff, led by former Eagles head coach Doug Pederson.
It had been expected that Etienne would be the clear lead running back in Jacksonville after James Robinson suffered a torn Achilles in Week 16. However, Robinson is also already back on the field and will not be put on the PUP list to open training camp.
Obviously, this is a good sign for his availability, but we’ll have to see just how involved Robinson is in practices and how he looks when the pads go on. Since this is not the same coaching staff that drafted Etienne in the first round, it’s anybody’s guess how they will choose to deploy the two running backs and if one is more suited to the new scheme than another. As a result, this is one of the key training camp battles to watch in the NFL.
Can Clyde Edwards-Helaire hold off Ronald Jones?
A non-injury training camp battle to watch is in Kansas City where incumbent Clyde Edwards-Helaire will try to hold off newly-signed Ronald Jones. Despite being a former first-round pick, Edward-Helaire has not been overly impactful during his two years in the league. Last year, he battled through injuries but rushed for 517 yards and four touchdowns on 119 carries (4.3 yards per carry).
Part of his lack of effectiveness is due to the Chiefs’ desire to throw the ball, but Edwards-Helaire has also talked about never having a full NFL offseason. COVID forced his first offseason to be virtual, and his second saw him recovering from gallbladder surgery. Perhaps a full offseason can allow him to make good on his draft promise.
However, he will need to hold off another former first-round pick to do so in Ronald Jones. Jones was signed to a one-year deal after losing out to Leonard Fournette in Tampa Bay. After rushing for 978 yards and seven touchdowns on 192 carries in 2021 (5.1 yards per carry), Jones took a clear backseat to Fournette last season. In fact, Jones’ ball security issues seemed to always put him in Bruce Arians’ doghouse.
It’s possible that a fresh start with a future Hall of Fame head coach in Andy Reid is just what Jones needed. He’s just one year older than Edwards-Helaire and still has lots of years likely left in the league. If he can show the explosion he showed in Tampa and pair that with more consistency, he could take over the backfield in one of the best offenses in the entire league.
Who emerges in the Miami Dolphins backfield?
While Miami’s offense doesn’t figure to be as explosive as Kansas City’s, they did make a huge move in stealing Kansas City’s top playmaker Tyreek Hill this offseason. That wasn’t the only big offseason move a the team also signed Chase Edmonds, Raheem Mostert, and Sony Michel to fill their running back room.
Now, it’s highly unlikely that all three players will make the roster ahead of Week 1, so training camp will be crucial in determining who is the best fit for the offense.
Edmonds is the likely favorite to handle the majority of carries due to the financial commitment Miami gave him in a two-year $12 million deal. However, while Edmonds has looked explosive in bursts during his career, he’s never carried the ball over 116 times in a season, so Miami will need to determine if he can be a full-time back.
Mostert has shown similar upside in his career, but the 30-year-old has battled numerous injuries, so it would be unlikely for him to push Edmonds aside. Perhaps he could steal some carries, but he would have to beat out 27-year-old Michel, who just rushed for 845 yards and four touchdowns while helping the Rams win the Super Bowl.
That’s also to say nothing of Myles Gaskin, who remains in Miami after leading the team with 612 rushing yards, 234 receiving yards, and seven total touchdowns last year.
With too many cooks definitely in the kitchen, training camp will be our first chance to really see what this Miami running back room is going to look like in Week 1.
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