The 30 biggest NFL storylines of the 2020 season

BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - JANUARY 11: Lamar Jackson #8 of the Baltimore Ravens gestures during the first half against the Tennessee Titans in the AFC Divisional Playoff game at M&T Bank Stadium on January 11, 2020 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /

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Nick Chubb, Cleveland Browns, Derrick Henry, Tennessee Titans. (Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images) /

16. Now that Derrick Henry got paid, will he still be a rushing savant?

The recent narrative, true or not, is that running backs that have been paid heftily tend to decline soon thereafter.

The frequent examples cited are Todd Gurley and David Johnson. Although those two men saw production downturns, the rhetoric concerning fat halfback contracts largely ignores running backs throughout history that have played up to their contracts. The difference now is that the salary cap continues to increase and the financial numbers seem gaudier.

Anyway, Henry received his payday. He will be 27 years old in January. Will he be closer to Gurley in terms of output? Or will he echo Adrian Peterson, who secured a giant deal in 2011, and go grab an MVP?

15. Is Odell Beckham in his final year with Cleveland?

The enigmatic Beckham has a contract that paid him most of his cash upfront. He was briefly rumored to be in trade talks with the Minnesota Vikings this spring, but those never materialized.

Cleveland doesn’t nicely fit with Beckham’s robust personality, but some winning would probably fix that. The Browns plucked offensive coordinator Kevin Stefanski from the Vikings this offseason, and they hope he can boost the team’s win total, something Freddie Kitchens did not do.

Should Cleveland fledge and fail in 2020, do they finally ship Beckham elsewhere?

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