WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — With the baseball at the All-Star break, these are indeed the dog days of summer for sports fans. But it's never too early to start thinking about the NFL. Some big questions to ponder ...
 CURTIS COMPTON/Cox Newspapers Cardinals wide receiver (11) Larry Fitzgerald scores a touchdown last season over Falcons safety (36) Lawyer Milloy. For a larger, high resolution image, click HERE |
Can the Dolphins recapture the initial success of the Wildcat formation?
The Dolphins unleashed the Wildcat in Week 3 to shock New England — and the NFL. They scored eight touchdowns out of the formation in Weeks 3-9, but none in the final seven games.
In the Week 12 rematch, the Patriots held the Dolphins to 26 rushing yards on nine Wildcat plays and rolled 48-28 on the road.
Coach Tony Sparano said the Dolphins barely scratched the surface with the Wildcat. Rookie Pat White, who set the NCAA record for rushing yards by a quarterback, is expected to add a passing threat that running back Ronnie Brown didn't offer.
Will New England's Tom Brady recapture the magic of 2007?
Although he is less than 1 1/2 years removed from a 50-touchdown season, his last two games are ones he would like to forget. Brady struggled as the New York Giants shocked his 18-0 Patriots in Super Bowl XLII. Seven months later, he suffered a season-ending knee injury in the '08 season opener.
he Patriots clearly are confident he is ready, having traded Matt Cassel, who had a breakthrough season in Brady's absence. But even a three-time Super Bowl winner will have to prove himself after a major injury.Brady, 31, said he hopes to play another 10 seasons. First, he'll have to make it through one.
What kind of impact will former Gators star Percy Harvin make?
Even though he wasn't drafted until No. 22, he is this year's most explosive rookie. Minnesota coaches reportedly have devised 20-30 plays for him, including some out of the Wildcat formation.
He also brings a lot of questions: a history of injuries, lack of experience at wide receiver and modest size (5-11, 194). On top of that, he tested positive at the scouting combine for marijuana and has fallen ill twice in the past couple of months and missed mandatory events.
With defenses forced to key on 2008 rushing champion Adrian Peterson, Harvin could exploit matchups to make a run at offensive rookie of the year. Or he also could become a situational player who can't stay on the field.
Did the Chicago Bears give up too much for quarterback Jay Cutler?
The Bears have bet their future that Cutler will become the Windy City's best quarterback since Sid Luckman in the 1940s.
Chicago shipped three high draft picks, including two first-rounders, and starting quarterback Kyle Orton to Denver for Cutler, who made last year's Pro Bowl but couldn't connect with new coach Josh McDaniel.
Cutler piled up big numbers last season, including 25 touchdowns and an AFC-high 4,526 passing yards. But with the playoffs in sight, he managed just two touchdown passes in three losses to end the season.
Cutler will have the NFL's easiest schedule to get him off to a good start with Bears fans. Odds are he will become Chicago's first Pro Bowl quarterback since Jim McMahon in 1985. For the price the Bears paid, Cutler will need to become a winner like McMahon, too.
What will wide receiver Terrell Owens do for Buffalo?
The ever-quotable Owens should enliven the weeks leading up to games, but his addition might not make the Bills much better on Sundays. He'll be 36 before the season ends and will be working with an unproven quarterback (third-year pro Trent Edwards) and an offensive line with new starters at all five positions.
Owens will receive $6.5 million for his trouble. But if things turn south in Buffalo, 90-year-old owner Ralph Wilson might regret his gamble to make the Bills relevant again.
Can Roy Williams become an elite wide receiver for the Cowboys?
With Owens gone, Dallas needs Williams, 27, to become the player everyone expected him to become as a top-10 pick in 2004 out of the University of Texas. After all, Tony Romo can't throw to tight end Jason Witten every time he drops back.
Williams has size (6-3, 211) and speed, but admitted recently that he rarely lifted weights until this off-season. Since he had 1,310 yards and seven touchdowns in 2006 under Mike Martz in Detroit, Williams has 1,258 yards and seven touchdowns in two seasons. This includes just 198 receiving yards and one touchdown in 10 games for the Cowboys, who sent a first- and third-round pick to the Lions for Williams.
To replace T.O, Williams will have to be a lot more dedicated and productive.
Is Vince Young done at age 26?
The Titans' quarterback went from rookie of the year in 2006 to an NFL pariah last season. He enters camp as the backup to 36-year-old journeyman Kerry Collins, who signed a two-year, $15 million extension in the off-season.
It will take time for Young to live down last season. Upset by booing fans, he had to be prodded to re-enter a Week 1 matchup against Jacksonville and suffered a knee injury four plays later. The next day, Young disappeared with a gun and ignited fears that he was suicidal. He later admitted to struggling with depression.
Young is a big, talented runner, but an erratic passer with erratic behavior is not the combination an NFL club will embrace.
Were the Arizona Cardinals a fluke or are they poised for another Super Bowl run?
No one ever imagined Arizona being separated from the Lombardi Trophy by nothing more than the tippy-toes touchdown catch of Santonio Holmes. These aren't the Cardinals of the past, but they also aren't necessarily Super Bowl contenders.
The 2006 Colts proved that high-powered offense and an average defense could win a Super Bowl. But as good as Kurt Warner, Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin are at scoring points, the 2008 Cardinals were equally capable of giving them up (28th in scoring defense).
To address that, coach Ken Whisenhunt fired defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast. His replacement, Bill Davis, has some playmakers to work with, including linebacker Karlos Dansby and safety Adrian Wilson.
The Cardinals were 3-7 out of division last year, but have a favorable 2009 schedule (the NFL's seventh-easiest). If Arizona is legit, it should be obvious this time before January arrives.
Will a disgruntled wide receiver change the balance of power prior to Week 1?
Arizona's Boldin and Cleveland's Braylon Edwards have wanted out for a long time. Now, Brandon Marshall wants to leave Denver a la Cutler.
Teams one playmaker away with the requisite salary-cap space will be monitoring each situation.
The price to acquire one of these stars will be high, given that underachiever Roy Williams commanded three draft picks and a new, $45 million deal in Dallas.
With four 1,000-yard seasons, Boldin, 28, is the most productive of the three. Edwards showed his big-play potential during a 16-touchdown season in '07 season. And Marshall is one of the most physical, sure-handed receivers in the game.
If the Redskins, Giants or Eagles don't see what they want out of their young receivers in training camp, a move could be on the horizon.
And what about Brett Favre?
He might end his retirement at any moment to join Minnesota. What the Vikings would get is a bigger question.
Favre, who had two minor procedures on his throwing shoulder after the season, was a wreck down the stretch for the New York Jets, going 1-4 with nine INTs and only two touchdown passes. But until he suffered a shoulder injury, he had the Jets in the playoff hunt and had completed nearly 70 percent of his passes.
If he can play like that for the Vikings, Adrian Peterson and a top-five defense could do the rest and give Favre, who turns 40 on Oct. 10, the sendoff he desires.
Edgar Thompson writes for The Palm Beach Post. E-mail: edgar(underscore)thompson(at)pbpost.com.
