NFL training camp: Best battle to watch for each team
By John Buhler
It’s the end of July. That means it’s time for all 32 teams to report to NFL training camp. Here is one position battle to keep an eye on with all 32 teams.
With NFL training camps opening up all across the United States in late July, America, it’s football time! Or it’s about to be. While it is fun to get excited about training camps, the real action begins in September when your favorite team starts to play meaningful football games.
In Week 1, everybody but four teams has a chance to make the playoffs. Those four teams know who they are so don’t worry or feel bad for them. To even get there, we’ll have to see some of the 53-man rosters come together in training camp and the four, semi-unnecessary preseason games.
With camp set to break, here is one position battle to pay close attention to on each team through the rest of the summer. Whether it is two or more guys filling a former starter’s vacancy or a young rookie challenging an also-ran veteran, get excited, America. Football is about to be back!
Arizona Cardinals: Justin Bethel vs. Brandon Williams
While the Arizona Cardinals lost two great starters in free agency in Calais Campbell to the Jacksonville Jaguars and Tony Jefferson to the Baltimore Ravens, Arizona could still have one of the better defenses in the NFC. The Cardinals have guys like Chandler Jones, Tyrann Mathieu, Patrick Peterson and rookie Haason Reddick to work with this fall.
That being said, Arizona’s rock-solid 2015 defense took a big step backward in 2016 for one big reason: The Cardinals got close to nothing out of the second cornerback stop opposite Peterson. For as much dime as the Cardinals run for defensive coordinator James Bettcher, Arizona has to figure out the other cornerback spot yesterday opposite Peterson. So who will it be?
The two candidates to start on the other side of the gridiron from Peterson are Justin Bethel and Brandon Williams. Bethel spent his first three years in the league out of Presbyterian as a special teams player for Arizona. He began playing more in the secondary in 2015. While he has decent ball skills with 15 career passes defended, six fumble recoveries, four forced fumbles and three interceptions, he is a hit-or-miss player for head coach Bruce Arians and has only seven starts in the last two seasons.
As for Williams, he played sparingly in his rookie season with Arizona in 2016. He was a former third-round pick out of Texas A&M for the Cardinals. Williams had 23 tackles and three passes defended in 13 games of action for Arizona last year. With Jefferson moving on and Mathieu having a down 2016 after a 2015 knee injury, Arizona needs either Bethel or Williams to step up, possibly both in 2017.