Top under-the-radar storylines for all 32 NFL teams

[Juice]

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/page...ahawks-legarrette-blount-new-england-patriots


NFC WEST

Arizona Cardinals
There has been a lot of focus on individuals (such as Tyrann Mathieu, Carson Palmer and Chandler Jones) or position groups (such as wide receiver and defensive line) but the Cardinals have achieved a rare feat in the NFL. They're returning every player who caught a pass from Palmer in 2015 and every player who scored an offensive touchdown last season. Having that type of continuity is rare, especially for a team that came one game away from the Super Bowl. By boasting so many returning players, the Cardinals don't have to spend as much time reteaching their offense. Instead, they can continue building on last season, making an already potent offense -- one that set franchise records for points, touchdowns, touchdown passes, total net yards, first downs and passing first downs and first downs passing -- even stronger. -- Josh Weinfuss

Los Angeles Rams
During the offseason, Rams coach Jeff Fisher repeatedly said the team planned to bring in a legitimate kicker who could push incumbent Greg Zuerlein for his job. At the March owners meetings, Fisher was even specifically asked if the kicker brought in would be "more than a camp leg," to which Fisher replied in the affirmative. By the end of free agency and the draft, the Rams added only one kicker, undrafted rookie Taylor Bertolet of Texas A&M. Bertolet profiles in similar ways to Zuerlein, which is to say he has a strong leg but accuracy hasn't exactly been his calling card. He made five kicks of 50-plus yards in 2015 but converted just 71 percent of his field goal tries. Whoever emerges with the job must offer more consistency. Last year, Zuerlein missed a field goal and an extra point in a three-point loss to Baltimore, missed a 48-yard field goal in an overtime loss to Minnesota and failed to convert two field goals in a three-point overtime loss to San Francisco. For as many close games as the Rams have a tendency to play, a strong, accurate field goal kicker could be the difference between their first winning season since 2003 or continued mediocrity. -- Nick Wagoner

San Francisco 49ers
Who will be the Niners' third-string quarterback? Yes, the guy holding the clipboard. We all know that Blaine Gabbert and Colin Kaepernick will battle it out for the starting gig but the third-stringer, who will run the scout team and should have an intimate knowledge of new coach Chip Kelly's offense, should be one of the more important job descriptions in Santa Clara. So will it be rookie Jeff Driskel, who was drafted in the sixth round out of Louisiana Tech, or Thad Lewis, who was signed as a free agent after spending time with Kelly in Philadelphia? Or might -- gulp -- the loser of the Gabbert/Kaepernick battle be sent out of town? Stay tuned. -- Paul Gutierrez

Seattle Seahawks
Will Michael Bennett's contract situation become a distraction? Last summer, strong safety Kam Chancellor held out of camp, missed the first two games of the regular season, and the Seahawks found themselves in an 0-2 hole. Bennett has two years remaining on his deal but has not been shy about expressing discontent with his current salary. He was one of the most disruptive defensive linemen in the league last season, posting 10 sacks and 19 tackles for loss. Will Bennett and the Seahawks be able to find a middle ground? Or will the organization be dealing with contract drama for the second summer in a row?-- Sheil Kapadia

 

[Billy Baroo]

Could/should of been 10-6 last year. Z's act is getting old.

 

[bubbaramfan]

Had GZ connected in those games, Rams end with a winning record and make the playoffs.

 

[snackdaddy]

I was a hoping for a veteran kicker with some accuracy. I'd rather have a guy who can make every 48 yarder than the guy who can make an occasional 60 yarder but miss shorter ones. At least your offense knows what it has to do. Plus, GZ doesn't have the advantage of indoors anymore. We might not see any of those 60 yarders.

 

[den-the-coach]

IMO, Scott Suisham (Steelers) and either Kai Forbath or Connor Barth (Saints) will be available and I would give strong consideration is signing one of those three.

 

[Fatbot]

I was a huge GZ fan in the past, but I too felt he had a poor season and I jumped off the GZ bandwagon last year. However, I think it's being a little overblown here. Certainly a good kicker matters, but losses, like wins, are ultimately team efforts, not a kicker's fault.

Also note there's some Wagoner spin here -- "Zuerlein missed a field goal and an extra point in a three-point loss to Baltimore") -- should probably be rewritten as, "missed a very long 52-yard try and had an extra point blocked".

One way to be reminded of the limits to kicker impact is to look at the box scores at pro football reference and see what plays had the biggest impact on "win probability". (This is for fun, I'm not trying to argue that methodology is foolproof or scientific or anything...)

Ravens game example of biggest impact plays:
* 24.8% change in Rams favor- Tru INT in third quarter
* 25.8% change in Ravens favor- Flacco completes 46 yd pass to Gillmore in 4th quarter
* 31.0% change in Ravens favor- Keenum sacked and fumbles with 1:00 left in game

GZ's missed FG added just a 7% increase in Baltimore's chances to win, by comparison.

Looking at it the other way, Justin Tucker's FG with 0:03 on the clock "to win the game" was worth just a 21.0% increase in their win probability. In other words, the Ravens had pretty much already won the game at that point, Tucker just sealed the deal. Similarly, the Rams lost that game for bigger reasons than GZ.