My summer training-camp tour ended late last week. I got to see 14 teams, watched loads of good players, saw plenty of wide-eyed rookies, had hours of tapes that needed transcribing, saw more corn in the Midwest than I ever care to see -- and loved every minute of it.
At CBSSports.com we don't get the luxury of traveling in fancy buses with our pictures on the side. It's travel just like you would do, complete with annoying security lines, over-priced car rentals, tight seats on airplanes and too many aggravating travelers.
For a man with Adult Attention Deficit Disorder -- hey, I don't need a doctor to diagnose myself -- being crammed into an airplane seat with people all around is like watching an entire game with nothing but Wildcat formations.
Sheer torture.
But I made it through, and now it's on to the regular season, which means we get season picks coming up next week, and then our weekly picks -- including video -- each and every week.
Oh, and the Power Rankings. You can't wait for those. Coming up next week.
Before then, it's time for a look back at my trip and glance at the 14 teams I got to see in detail.
One more thing: Here's hoping we have a training camp tour in 2011. The league's owners and players can't be dumb enough to ruin what is the most popular thing going. Can they?
Five best teams I saw
1. Indianapolis Colts
2. Dallas Cowboys
3. Atlanta Falcons
4. New Orleans Saints
5. Cincinnati Bengals
Five worst teams (worst at the top)
1. St. Louis Rams
2. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
3. Carolina Panthers
4. Jacksonville Jaguars
5. Chicago Bears
Five breakout players on the teams I saw
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| Keep an eye out for the Falcons' Kroy Biermann. (US Presswire) |
2. Terrance Knighton, DT, Jaguars -- He is a force in the middle of their line. His nickname is "Pot Roast." Remember it.
3. Zack Bowman, CB, Bears -- This tall, lanky corner flashed in his first year as a starter in 2009. Watch out this season.
4. Glover Quin, CB, Texans -- Quin played as a No. 2 corner last season and now moves to the No. 1 corner. That's a challenge, but he's talented.
5. Quincy Black, LB, Bucs -- Black is a big, fast player who is ready to take his game to the next level -- maybe even Pro Bowl level. The athletic ability is there. The Bucs are raving about him.
Three players being over-hyped
1. Mark Sanchez, QB, Jets -- He wasn't great last season, but that was overlooked. Maybe his poor preseason will open some eyes as to how far he has to go.
2. Dez Bryant, WR, Cowboys -- You would think he was Jerry Rice the way they talked about him before his injury. He will be good -- but it will take time.
3. Jason Taylor, OLB, Jets -- If his name were Jason Williams, nobody would pay him much attention. But his name earns him some clout.
Five players I love interviewing
1. Peyton Manning, QB, Colts -- He's insightful, analytical and he loves the game.
2. Brandon Marshall, WR, Dolphins -- Some media members rip him. I like him. Call me crazy.
3. Tony Gonzalez, TE, Falcons -- He's been around a long time and can offer a candid look at the league. Plus, he's great for fitness tips. Just read his book.
4. Matt Ryan, QB, Falcons -- Like Manning, he's a fan of the game who always seems to have time to chat. He gets it.
5. Clint Session, LB, Colts -- OK, so I played high school football with his father. But even so, he's a great quote. Ask the Colts beat writers. Plus, he likes that I call him the best chubby linebacker in the league.
Five players with new teams who will have a big impact
1. Marshall -- The Dolphins finally have their big-play receiver. Forget the drops. He gets open.
2. Dunta Robinson, CB, Falcons -- His ability to play man coverage will really help a defense that needs it.
3. Julius Peppers, DE, Bears -- Did they overpay? Yeah. Is his best football behind him? Probably. But he has something left and he seems like a new man in Chicago.
4. Terrell Owens, WR, Bengals -- His ability to get deep will help open up the offense. Hey, he averaged 15.1 yards per catch last season.
5. Karlos Dansby, LB, Dolphins -- He's another player who got overpaid, but he will really help in the middle of the Miami defense. His ability to play the pass will really help.
Five players who will have bounce-back seasons
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| Matt Forte looks ready to return to his rookie form. (US Presswire) |
2. Matt Forte, RB, Bears -- Provided the line improves, he seems to have his quickness and explosion back and should put up some big numbers again.
3. John Abraham, DE, Falcons -- His pattern during his career has been to bounce back after a bad year. He wasn't good last season, but a groin injury slowed him.
4. Bob Sanders, S, Colts -- He has missed more games than he's started in his career. So far, he's looked good in the preseason. The Colts have to keep their fingers crossed.
5. Brian Urlacher, LB, Bears -- He is coming off an injury-shortened season and has missed time this preseason because of a calf injury. But he looked active and fast on the days I watched him practice.
Two coaches sitting pretty
1. John Fox, Carolina. -- Win or lose, he's out in Carolina. But he will have a new job next season, no matter what. If the Panthers are good, he will cash in big.
2. Marvin Lewis, Bengals. -- He is in the final year of his contract. If the Bengals get to the playoffs, Lewis will hit the lottery.
Two coaches in trouble
1. Lovie Smith, Bears -- If the Bears don't make the playoffs, he's out. It's that simple.
2. Jack Del Rio, Jaguars. -- He will have $10 million left on his deal after this season. But he needs to get close to eight victories.
Five best rookies I saw
1. Mike Williams, WR, Bucs -- Seeing him on the practice field was impressive. Seeing him in games -- even more so.
2. Sam Bradford, QB, Rams -- There was no doubt he would be starting, even if A.J. Feeley didn't get hurt. He just looks the part.
3. Stephen Williams, WR, Cardinals -- How he didn't get drafted is mystifying. He is big and has good speed. He will play as a rookie, even with a deep group of receivers.
4. Corey Peters, DT, Falcons -- He won't start, but he will be in the rotation. He's better than even the Falcons expected.
5. (tie) Greg Hardy, DE, Panthers; Geno Atkins, DT, Bengals -- Two years ago, some scouts thought Hardy and Atkins might be first-round picks, but they slipped. Both will play as rookies.
Five most annoying things about the trip
1. NFL paranoia. I joked at one camp that all of us reporters might one day need electric dog collars, which would get us zapped if we went the wrong way. One team's PR man said that might not be a bad idea. He was joking. I think.
2. Seeing 24 cameras in Dallas for opening day. You get tired of trying to talk to a player and constantly hearing a TV guy saying, "How does it feel to be back?" One day, I'd love to see a player say: "It sucks. I'd rather be on a beach in Aruba."
3. PR men who baby players. It's their job to talk. Make them do it. Too many players are handled with kid gloves.
4. Security people who think they are working for the CIA. It's only football, guys. If a kid wants an autograph, please let him get it.
5. Being told to stand in a certain spot while watching practice by some teams and not being able to use a cell phone during practice. Talkin' about you, Indianapolis. What's the point? There are fans everywhere who can see what you're doing. That's stupidity. Bill Polian, you are too good a football man to be that paranoid.
Five trip surprises
1. Peppers talking openly and candidly. He has been a recluse in the past. It's nice to see.
2. Andre Johnson told me Matt Schaub sometimes tells jokes in the huddle. Doesn't seem right, does it?
3. Falcons coach Mike Smith telling me he makes his own beef jerky. Mapped out the entire process. Too bad he didn't have any with him.
4. Chad Ochocinco being a little ornery when I talked with him. Hey, I'm not Gregg Doyel. I didn't write that scathing column about you.
5. Getting inside the Saints building -- hey, that's tough to do in their paranoid world -- to see the Lombardi Trophy. Man that thing shines.
Five toughest things about the tour
1. Trying to eat well. I've vowed to lose 25 pounds by my 50th birthday in October. I'm close and might be there, but eating on the road is a challenge.
2. Not eating the good food of New Orleans. That's torment. Try it. I had a Mothers po-boy calling my name every day. And I resisted.
3. Driving in a nasty storm in Indiana. I couldn't see a thing for 10 minutes. I half-expected the Tin Man and Scarecrow to show up.
4. Trying to stay awake driving through cornfields in Indiana and Illinois. One time my GPS told me to take a left turn in Illinois. I ended up on a two-lane road with corn on both sides. I swore I was on somebody's private road.
5. Sitting in an airport with "Mr. I'm a Businessman." All he does is talk loud on his cell phone earpiece so we all hear him. Dude, you're not that important.
Things that stood out
1. Jerry Jones reminding me his isn't only an owner, but also general manager. I get it, Jerry. You helped put the team together. For that, you do deserve credit. We haven't forgotten.
2. Gonzalez giving me tips on how to eat clean. He's a mad man who tries to eat all organic. At least now we know why he's stayed in the league so long.
3. Owens talking about his Hall of Fame chances candidly. He thinks they will be hurt by his reputation. They shouldn't be.
4. Diagramming a pass play on the Rams' grease board and showing it to coach Steve Spagnuolo. By the way, it was a pass play out of an unbalanced-line formation. PS: It was erased.
5. Sitting on a plane watching live preseason games on NFL.com in HD. I was in the air. That's amazing. I love technology.
Quick predictions
1. Jets won't be as good as expected. This is a passing league. They don't throw it well enough. I don't care how good that defense plays.
2. Bengals are better than you think. Don't go to sleep on them in the division. Baltimore is the trendy pick, but the Bengals have improved. They won it last year.
3. Bengals coach Mike Zimmer will be a "hot" coaching candidate after the season. His time has come.
4. Tennessee will be better than Houston. They're tougher. Houston is a trendy playoff pick. I don't see it.
5. The Falcons defense will be a top-10 unit, good enough to push for the division title. That unit is fast.
Trends to watch
1. Unbalanced line. Every team is using it now. It's a way to run the football. But I think a smart coach will get creative on the weak-side with the pass. That's the play I drew up.
2. Players worried about the pending lockout. I asked around. How many players do you think could handle not getting a game check next September? The answer: Between 10 and 20-percent. Of course they're concerned.
3. The complaining about the umpire being moved to behind the line of scrimmage. It will impact the teams that play fast, like the Indianapolis Colts.
4. Concussion safety. There is a great concern now about head injuries, so the precautions being taken are extreme. And they should be. There were a lot of games during the preseason stopped for long periods of time. It's the right thing, but get used to it.
5. More exotic blitzing on defense. The Saints won a Super Bowl that way. This is copycat league. We saw a lot more of it in the preseason, when it used to be you didn't see any blitzing. Quarterbacks beware.
