NFL: Five Training Camp Battles to keep Your Eye On

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Training camp 2018. It is where NFL teams begin their quest for the coveted Lombardi Trophy. Battles will take place within many positions to see what player will come out as the starter. Many teams this year have several battles that could be taking place. Here we look at some of those battles and give our prediction as to who will likely come out on top.

  1. Buffalo Bills – QB Battle (Nathan Peterman, A.J. McCarron, Josh Allen)

When mini-camp ended back in June, there were several reports that Nathan Peterman was leading the QB battle up in northern New York. However, with the results that the Bills suffered last season with him under center, I do not see this happening.

McCarron has a small starting sample from a couple of years ago when Andy Dalton went down with a thumb injury. This even includes a playoff game. Thus I would think that his experience would eventually play out and land him the starting job.

Let us not forget that the Bills also jumped up in the 2018 NFL Draft to nab Josh Allen out of Wyoming. He looks like the real deal and could eventually find his way into the starting role.

Camp Prediction – A.J. McCarron

  1. Cleveland Browns – QB Battle (Tyrod Taylor and Baker Mayfield)

Back when the new league year began the Cleveland Browns executed a trade for Tyrod Taylor with Buffalo. Many, including me, believed that this could be the beginning of a beautiful coach/QB relationship. Hue Jackson, a QB guru and a talented young veteran who is smart with the ball could turn around the Browns QB woes.

Hold on a minute. The Browns proceeded to shock the Draft Nation and select Baker Mayfield out of Oklahoma. He has a strong-arm and brings a lot of spunk to the table. Ala Johnny Manziel. However, his upside is much larger than Manziel’s.

Camp Prediction – Tyrod Taylor

  1. Washington Redskins – RB Battle (Rob Kelley and Derrius Guice)

This really should be no contest. For the past two or three seasons, the Redskins have struggled to run the ball. They would have some gusto here and there with a back or two, but they would eventually fade away to nothing. Last season the third-down specialist, Chris Thomson, was leading the way. They could not get him off the field. The only way he came off was a broken leg, he suffered in a game against the New Orleans Saints.

That brings us to the rookie out of LSU, Derrius Guice. He is a three-down back who can carry the load of the Redskins running game. He has been very impressive in shorts and pots. I cannot wait until he gets behind some pads and starts popping. I believe the Redskins may have finally found a franchise RB.

Camp Prediction – Derrius Guice

  1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – QB Battle (Ryan Fitzpatrick and Ryan Griffin)

I put this on the list because of the suspension to incumbent Jameis Winston. Nonetheless, this battle will heat up as camp progresses. The Bucs do not know what they have in Griffin. They knew from three games last season that Fitz is more than capable of winning the job. Will this small camp sample be enough for Griffin to win the job? Probably not. Stay tuned.

Camp Prediction – Ryan Fitzpatrick

  1. Denver Broncos – RB Battle (Royce Freeman and Devontae Booker)

When the Broncos drafted Booker out of Utah, many thought they had got a steal. He was one of the best RBs in the Pac-12. However, he was injury plagued. So the question became how would that translate into his NFL career? Not well as he has been timid and slow to hit the hole.

The Broncos drafted Freeman in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft out of Oregon. He is a quick, slashing runner who hits the hole hard. He runs downhill behind his pads and is willing to give punishment rather than receive it. The Broncos have not had a runner like this since Terrell Davis.

Camp Prediction – Royce Freeman

This is five of many camp battles I will be keeping my eye on in the coming weeks. This list is not in any particular order.

How do you feel about the above training camp battles? Are there any you would add? Leave a comment below.

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Follow Sean on Twitter @NFLWBLZ.

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