Silverman: NFL Prepares To Command The Stage With Training Camp Around The Corner

By Steve Silverman
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The midpoint of the baseball season is approaching, and most fans are compelled by the pitching exploits of the Mets and imbued with hope that the Yankees can get back in the race in the American Leage East.

But when the calendar turns from June to July, it means that our true national obsession is just around the corner. In another three weeks or so, all 32 NFL teams will report to training camp, and another season will begin.

The 2016 season will have a dramatically different look than previous years, and here are some of the key offseason changes.

The Baltimore Ravens signed safety Eric Weddle in the offseason. The Ravens have not had a signature safety since Ed Reed departed, but the addition of the former Charger gives them a sheriff who will label opposing running backs and receivers and deliver the big hit. The presence of Weddle means opponents will be thinking about the consequences of running across the middle instead of making plays.

After a solid start, the Atlanta Falcons faded badly last season and turned what looked like a sure playoff season into another empty postseason. One of the issues was an inability to protect quarterback Matt Ryan sufficiently. It was often a jailbreak up the middle, and the Falcons responded by adding center Alex Mack from the Cleveland Browns. Look for Mack to give the Atlanta offensive line a major upgrade and watch Ryan have a much-improved season. Now if the Falcons' defense could only stop the run.

While those two moves were among the best in free agency, the Houston Texans may have made one of the worst moves in bringing in Brock Osweiler to be their No. 1 quarterback. Osweiler signed a four-year, $72 million contract even though he has made seven professional starts. He couldn't hold off a limited Peyton Manning and retain his starting position in last year's playoffs for the Broncos, and he will be a scatter-armed disappointment in Houston.

While the Texans may have gambled too much on Osweiler, they appear to have made a brilliant pickup by signing running back Lamar Miller from the Dolphins. Miami is in serious trouble without him, because he is a 25-year-old stud who should be good for at least five more excellent years. New Dolphins coach Adam Gase was brought in to help make quarterback Ryan Tannehill a star, but without Miller's consistency running the football, his job became much tougher.

The New England Patriots were unable to defend the Super Bowl title they won in 2015 largely because they were unable to hold off the pass rush of the Denver Broncos in the AFC championship game. The Broncos would use that aggressive defense to assert their will against the Carolina Panthers in the Super Bowl, but Bill Belichick proved unwilling to accept that his offensive line was simply not as good as Denver's defensive front.

He has brought back veteran offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia to get the Patriots' offensive line back up to championship level. If he can help former Cardinal Jonathan Cooper turn into a stud at guard, and bring back the high standards he has always demanded, the New England offensive line could be much improved.

Look for the sudden decision by the San Francisco 49ers to hire so-called genius Chip Kelly to backfire badly as the season progresses.

The 49ers should have known better after following the arc of Kelly's tenure in Philadelphia, as his team got worse instead of better. In a business that is all about the team, Kelly is most interested in doing things his way and cementing the belief that he is smarter than all his compatriots.

Kelly certainly has some innovative ideas, and it would not be a surprise if the 49ers are more competitive in the first half of the year than they were last year. But as the season goes along, Kelly's personality and need for ego glorification will rub everyone the wrong way and Niners general manager Trent Baalke will regret having Kelly on the sidelines.

The Giants are at the opposite end of the spectrum with the hiring of Ben McAdoo as their head coach. After four consecutive non-playoff seasons, the Giants made the right move in cashiering Tom Coughlin, who basically left kicking and screaming.

Coughlin may have been a two-time SuperBowl winner, but the Giants were done in by their own mistakes that got repeated consistently. McAdoo understands that the Giants have to improve in the game's basic fundamentals and avoid the strategic errors and repetitive mistakes that marked the end of the Coughlin era.

The NFC East is there for the taking, and the Giants have the talent to run away with the division if the team's fundamental play improves.

Follow Steve on Twitter at @ProFootballBoy