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One of the best and most comprehensive features we offer every year is our Footballguys Preseason Updates. Every week this month, Dave Kluge, 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.
Updates from Week 1
Preseason Updates: Quarterbacks
Justin Herbert is locked in as the franchise quarterback, with Trey Lance his backup. DJ Uiagalelei is the only other quarterback on the roster, back after spending 2025 on the practice squad. Herbert has been sharp, according to all camp reports. New OC Mike McDaniel asked Herbert to alter his footwork in the offseason, starting with a left-foot-forward stance to allow quicker releases in the short passing game. McDaniel helped Matt Ryan with a similar adjustment before Ryan's 2016 MVP season. The Athletic's Daniel Popper went deep on the mechanical adjustments. McDaniel's arrival marked a reunion with Lance; McDaniel was San Francisco's offensive coordinator during Lance's rookie 2021 season. Lance had his most productive NFL season, throwing 71 passes over two starts with a 5-to-2 touchdown-to-interception ratio before McDaniel became Miami's head coach in 2022.
Preseason Updates: Running Backs
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Popper noted McDaniel's run game focuses on attacking laterally on outside zone runs and jet sweep actions. Omarion Hampton has emerged as a star entering his second season. McDaniel on his top running back: "From the first day we've gotten on the field to [Tuesday], you could argue and crown he's had as much, if not the most growth, of any player." Keaton Mitchell signed as a free agent after leaving Baltimore. ESPN's Kris Rhim noted Mitchell's struggles in camp, pointing to multiple drops and a fumble in a full-speed 11-on-11 session. Despite mixed reports, McDaniel remains high on Mitchell, telling ESPN's Dan Graziano: "He's as dynamic as they come with the ball in his hands in space. He's a matchup issue for every defense. I think he has a lot of pass-game value that he hasn't been able to really represent in his career, but it's showing so far in camp. He's a playmaker that I'm very excited about." Mitchell has become a regular next to established kick returner Darius Davis on special teams. The team is comfortable with Kimani Vidal in a three-down role as a backup. All in all, Hampton is getting recognition for his rapid development in McDaniel's new scheme, but there seems to be a strong worry about sharing time with Vidal and Mitchell.
Fullback Alec Ingold followed McDaniel from Miami as part of an effort to instill versatility in the run game. Ingold wrote a piece for The Athletic about lessons he learned from his mentor, Tony Neal, who recently passed away. The top lesson Ingold learned: "You spend literally years of your life on the road to be looked at as a high performer, and you can never get that time back. The plaques don't sit with you in this room. What I did with my kids, the moments I missed — that's the stuff that actually matters."