What You Need To Know This Week

Photo: Thomas J. Russo, USA Today Sports

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One of the benefits of Footballguys is we save you time. We put five-plus hours in on every team to bring you everything you need to know this week.

One of the best and most comprehensive features we do every year is our Footballguys August Updates. Every week this month, our Bob Henry and Clayton Gray and their team of Footballguys Staffers cover every player that matters from every NFL team. It's 32-plus pages of some of the most comprehensive coverage you'll find. It's probably worth the Footballguys Premium Subscription by itself.

While I encourage you to read every word on every team every week. I also understand Life Happens. And one of the more valuable services Footballguys can add is saving you time.

For this article, I had the idea of taking the full August Updates and asking our team writers to distill them into 100 proof shots of the Need-to-Know material. Some teams will have more news than others because that's how it works in real life. Much of it will be from the August Updates, some of it will be my takes, but all of it will hopefully be useful to you. And make sure to jump on our Premium Subscription to continue seeing this type of stuff all year long. And if this feature is helpful to you, shoot me an email at bryant@footballguys.com and let me know.

Plus, a new addition for this year. I've included a link to our Depth Charts and the Full Camp Report for each team. If you like these bullets and want more detail, check out the Full Camp Report for each team.

Let's get to it.

Arizona Cardinals | Depth Chart | Footballguys Full Camp Report

• QB Kyler Murray called plays in the 4th quarter of the preseason game with the purpose of seeing things as a play caller and building a better relationship with HC Kliff Kingsbury.
• The Cardinals offense was in top gear with backups and third-string players.
• WR Greg Dortch continued his playmaking ways in the game and may have earned his spot on this team.
• TEs Zach Ertz and Trey McBride have missed time due to injuries, and we all need to start getting concerned.
• LB Zaven Collins might lose his starting job to Nick Virgil.

Atlanta Falcons | Depth Chart | Footballguys Full Camp Report

• QB Marcus Mariota efficiently led the starting offense; his rushing potential makes him a dark horse fantasy play.
• QB Desmond Ridder looked comfortable on a game-winning drive.
• RBs Qadree Ollison and Damien Williams split reps with the first team, with Tyler Allgeier coming in during the second half.
• WR Drake London was injured early in the game, though the expectation is the injury is minor.
• The team started in 1-2 personnel with Kyle Pitts and Anthony Firkser at the top TEs.

Baltimore Ravens | Depth Chart | Footballguys Full Camp Report

• QB Lamar Jackson intentionally gained 12-to-15 pounds this offseason but feels as nimble as ever.
• RB J.K. Dobbins returned to individual drills; the team is bringing him along slowly but appears to have a plan for Week 1 in mind.
• RB Gus Edwards likely will not be ready for Week 1 but will be later in the season.
• WR Rashod Bateman is the unquestioned top receiver and gets open regularly in practice.
• WR Devin Duvernay and WR James Proche are battling for the WR2 spot, but Proche will miss a couple of weeks with a soft tissue injury.
• TE Mark Andrews is having a great camp, as expected.
• TE Isaiah Likely is an excellent receiver and is being called “mini-Mark” by Lamar Jackson.

Buffalo Bills | Depth Chart | Footballguys Full Camp Report

• QB Case Keenum’s struggles against the Colts show just how important Josh Allen’s health is to this offense.
• RB Zack Moss continues to see time and look good with the first-string. Devin Singletary was rested against the Colts.
• WR Isaiah McKenzie has been a camp standout and could be a fantasy breakout as the team’s primary slot receiver.
• Rookie WR Khalil Shakir had a strong debut against the Colts and is likely to be the primary backup outside.
• The second-string defense outplayed the Colts starters, and there were some encouraging signs from several rookies.

Carolina Panthers | Depth Chart | Footballguys Full Camp Report

• RB Christian McCaffrey isn’t going to be held back at all and looks as good as ever.
• We should have a true answer on the starting QB competition after their next preseason game against New England.
• The defense has elite playmakers who can make game-changing plays in the secondary.
• The TE position is a wide-open race for who will get targets.

Chicago Bears | Depth Chart | Footballguys Full Camp Report

• QB Justin Fields is locked in as the team’s starter and has looked impressive in camp.
• Injuries to the Bears' WR room are the week's biggest story.
• S Jaquan Brisker has looked extraordinary in camp.
• LB Roquan Smith’s hold-in continues as the team has not made him an offer in good faith.
• DE Robert Quinn is a strong trade candidate before Week 1.