NFC Training Camp Capsules
Thursday, July 16, 1998 | 10:12 a.m.
Now that the NFC has lost a Super Bowl, what's next?
It was inevitable that an NFC team would eventually lose a Super Bowl. But the Green Bay Packers, going for No. 14 straight, just didn't expect it to be them.
This year could be the second season of an AFC winning streak.
Like Dallas before it, the Packers were raided in free agency. They also play in a very competitive division, the NFC Central, where Tampa Bay and Minnesota both have shots at them and Detroit is troublesome.
So entering training camp, San Francisco looks like the NFC favorite to go to the Super Bowl - they get back Jerry Rice and play in a division that allows them to play on cruise control until the playoffs.
Here's a look at the NFC as training camps open (in order of last year's record):
Green Bay (15-4)
LAST SEASON: Won the NFC Central at 13-3, beat San Francisco on the road in NFC title game but lost Super Bowl 31-24 to Denver, NFC's first loss since 1985.
OPEN CAMP: July 16 (rookies), July 17 (veterans), Green Bay.
ADDITIONS: Antonio London, LB (Detroit); Pat Terrell, S (Carolina); Eric Curry, DE (Tampa Bay); Sean Landeta, P (St. Louis); DL Vonnie Holliday, the No. 1 draft choice and CB Craig Newsome, back after missing year with knee injury.
SUBTRACTIONS: RB Edgar Bennett,(Chicago); CB Doug Evans (Carolina); P Craig Hentrich (Tennessee); DE Gabe Wilkins (San Francisco); S Eugene Robinson, S (Atlanta); G Aaron Taylor (San Diego). WR Don Beebe, retired.
CAMP NEEDS: Rebuild defense, particularly line, where Reggie White has lost a lot and Wilkins is gone. Holliday may have to start immediately.
OPENING EXHIBITION: Aug. 1 vs. Kansas City at Tokyo.
OPEN SEASON: Sept. 6 at home to Detroit.
OUTLOOK: Despite the losses, the Packers will contend for the Super Bowl. "Did they lose Brett Favre?" asks Ron Hughes, Detroit's player personnel director.
San Francisco (13-3)
LAST SEASON: Lost Jerry Rice in first game, a loss in Tampa, but rebounded in a weak division. Had home field advantage in the playoffs, but lost to Green Bay 23-10 in NFC title game.
OPEN CAMP: July 17 (rookies) July 20 (veterans), Stockton, Calif.
ADDITIONS: Rice. CB Antonio Langham (Baltimore); DE Gabe Wilkins (Green Bay); LB Winfred Tubbs (New Orleans); TE Irv Smith (New Orleans). OT Jamie Brown, trade from Denver
SUBTRACTIONS: TE Brent Jones, LB Gary Plummer, Ts Harris Barton and Kirk Scrafford, retired. DT Dana Stubblefield (Washington); FB William Floyd (Carolina); DE Kevin Greene (Carolina) K Gary Anderson, (Minnesota); CB Tyronne Drakeford (New Orleans); CB Rod Woodson (Baltimore).
CAMP NEEDS: Only the 49ers have problems like this - if Rice is healthy, Terrell Owens or J.J. Stokes will have to sit. Biggest job will be putting together offensive line, where injuries and age have created problems.
OPENING EXHIBITION: Aug. 2, at home to New England
OPEN SEASON: Sept. 6, at home to NY Jets.
OUTLOOK: Helped by a week division, they've got another Super Bowl shot if they can straighten out offensive line and keep RB Garrison Hearst healthy.
New York Giants (10-5-1)
LAST SEASON: Went from last to first in East under new coach Jim Fassel, then lost wild-card game to Minnesota, blowing nine-point lead in the last 90 seconds.
OPEN CAMP: July 24, Albany, N.Y.
ADDITIONS: QB Kent Graham (Minnesota); RB Gary Brown (San Diego). WR Ike Hilliard, No. 1 in 1997, who missed last season with neck injury; DB Shaun Williams, No. 1 pick.
SUBTRACTIONS: QB Dave Brown (Arizona); RB Rodney Hampton (released); WR Thomas Lewis (Chicago); CB Thomas Randolph (Cincinnati)
CAMP NEEDS: Continue development of QB Danny Kanell and work on WRs, including Hilliard and draft choices Joe Jurevicius and Brian Alford.
OPENING EXHIBITION: Aug. 8, at home to Cincinnati.
OPEN SEASON: Sept. 6, at home to Washington.
OUTLOOK: Probably won't go unbeaten in division again and schedule is harder. But one of NFL's best defenses and improvement by young offensive players will keep them competitive.
Tampa Bay (10-6)
LAST SEASON: Opened season by beating San Francisco and continued on to first plus-.500 season in 16 years. Beat Detroit in playoffs, lost in Green Bay.
OPEN CAMP: July 19, Tampa.
ADDITIONS: WR Bert Emmanuel (Atlanta).
SUBTRACTIONS: RB Errict Rhett, trade to Baltimore.
CAMP NEEDS: Work on passing game with QB Trent Dilfer throwing to two additions, Emmanuel and second-round draft pick Jacquez Green.
OPENING EXHIBITION: Aug. 1, vs. Pittsburgh at Canton, Ohio.
OPEN SEASON: Sept. 6 at Minnesota..
OUTLOOK: One of the NFL's pleasant surprises. One of league's youngest teams with standouts like Warrick Dunn, Mike Allstott and Warren Sapp. Should contend again and do more if Dilfer improves.
Detroit (9-7)
LAST SEASON: Typical up-and-down season as Barry Sanders became only third player to run for more than 2,000 yards (2,053). Made playoffs by beating Jets in final game, then lost in Tampa.
OPEN CAMP: July 19 (rookies), July 23 (veterans), Saginaw, Mich.
ADDITIONS: LB Allen Aldridge, (Denver); DE Dan Owens, (Atlanta). CB Terry Fair, first round draft choice.
SUBTRACTIONS: LB Reggie Brown (injury); C Kevin Glover (Seattle); LB Antonio Loudon (Green Bay).
CAMP NEEDS: Fit Aldridge in for Brown, who broke vertebrae in final regular-season game against Jets. Try to establish consistency in QB Scott Mitchell, whose inconsistency is one reason for team's ups and downs.
OPENING EXHIBITION: Aug. 1, at home to Arizona
OPEN SEASON: Sept. 6, at Green Bay.
OUTLOOK: Never going too far down as long as Sanders is Sanders, but division is toughest in NFL
Minnesota (9-7)
LAST SEASON: Started 8-2 in contention for division crown, lost five straight before winning finale. Rallied from 10 points down to beat Giants in playoffs before losing in San Francisco.
OPEN CAMP: July 26, Mankato, Minn.
ADDITIONS: Gary Anderson, K, San Francisco. Re-signed four stars - DL John Randle, RB Robert Smith, T Todd Steussie and WR Jake Reed and drafted WR Randy Moss.
SUBTRACTIONS: CB DeWayne Washington (Pittsburgh).
CAMP NEEDS: Establish tranquility between coach Dennis Green and new owners. Work in Moss with Reed and Cris Carter. Get QB Brad Johnson healthy after neck injury.
OPENING EXHIBITION: Aug. 9 at New England
OPEN SEASON: Sept. 6, at home to Tampa Bay.
OUTLOOK: If Johnson is healthy and secondary improves, Vikings can contend for division title with Bucs and Packers.
Washington (8-7-1)
LAST SEASON: Contended for East title, but lost to Giants in 15th game and missed playoffs when Detroit beat Jets final week.
OPEN CAMP: July 20 (rookies); July 26 (veterans), Frostburg, Md.
ADDITIONS: DLs Dana Stubblefield (San Francisco) as free agent and Dan Wilkinson (Cincinnati) in trade to shore up run defense.
SUBTRACTIONS: DL Sean Gilbert, who held out last year, in trade to Carolina.
CAMP NEEDS: Integrate Stubblefied and Wilkinson and motivate Wilkinson, underachiever most of his career. Motivate another underachiever, WR Michael Westbrook.
OPENING EXHIBITION: Aug. 8, at home to Miami.
OPEN SEASON: Sept. 6, at Giants.
OUTLOOK: High marks for getting Stubblefield and Wilkinson, but there are questions on offense, where QB Gus Frerotte had off year, receivers are so-so and RB Terry Allen may not have much left.
Carolina (7-9)
LAST SEASON: Following trip to NFC title game in second year, collapsed as QB Kerry Collins had an awful year and the defense got old all at once.
OPEN CAMP: July 23 (rookies and veterans), Spartanburg, S.C.
ADDITIONS: CB Doug Evans (Green Bay); LB Kevin Greene (San Francisco); G Corbin Lacina (Buffalo), free agents. DL Sean Gilbert (trade with Washington.
SUBTRACTIONS: DB Chat Cota, (New Orleans); G Matt Elliott (Atlanta); LB Sam Mills and NT Greg Kragen (retired). DE Jason Peter, No. 1 draft pick.
CAMP NEEDS: Integrate Gilbert, who signed $45 million deal after sitting out last season; reconstruct defense. Help Collins get his confidence back.
OPENING EXHIBITION: Aug. 8, at home to Jacksonville.
OPEN SEASON: Sept. 6, at home to Atlanta.
OUTLOOK: Probably only team in the NFC West that can stay close to San Francisco. Can make playoffs if Collins regains his form of two years ago.
Atlanta (7-9)
LAST SEASON: Started 1-7, finished 6-2 in Dan Reeves' first season, including five straight. But most of wins were over sub-.500 teams.
OPEN CAMP: July 23, Suwanee, Ga.
ADDITIONS: QB Mark Rypien, (St. Louis); G Matt Elliott, Carolina; C Dave Widell, Jacksonville; S Eugene Robinson, Green Bay. Plus 44-year-old QB Steve DeBerg.
SUBTRACTIONS: WR Bert Emmanuel, (Tampa Bay); LB Keith Brooking, No. 1 draft pick.
CAMP NEEDS: Find backup for oft-injured QB Chris Chandler - DeBerg is insurance if Rypien sits out because of his son's illness. Find replacement for Emmanuel.
OPENING EXHIBITION: Aug. 7 at Detroit.
OPEN SEASON: Sept. 6 at Carolina.
OUTLOOK: Strong finish may have been deceptive, although with Chandler healthy, the Falcons are competitive. The problem is that he hasn't stayed healthy for his nine seasons in the NFL.
Philadelphia (6-9-1)
LAST SEASON: Remained marginally in contention for three-quarters, but had offensive problems. Switched to second-year-man Bobby Hoying at quarterback in second half for future use.
OPEN CAMP: July 19 (rookies); July 22 (veterans), Bethlehem, Pa.
ADDITIONS: DE Hugh Douglas and WR Jeff Graham, trades from New York Jets; DT Bill Johnson (St. Louis) as free agent. OT Tra Thomas, first-round draft choice.
SUBTRACTIONS: RB Ricky Watters (Seattle: Ty Detmer, QB (San Francisco); Jeff Herrod, LB (Indianapolis); Joe Panos, G (Buffalo); Darrin Smith, LB (Seattle).
CAMP NEEDS: Give Hoying a full camp to work with the offense, find a running back to augment Charlie Garner, who's never been a full-timer.
OPENING EXHIBITION: Aug. 6, at home to New York Jets
OPEN SEASON: Sept. 6.
OUTLOOK: Coach Ray Rhodes pasted together playoff teams with mediocre talent his first two seasons, paid the price last year. If anything, there's still less talent now.
Dallas (6-10)
LAST SEASON: Favored to win division for fifth straight season, fell apart, losing last four games. Barry Switzer was fired and replaced by Chan Gailey, former Pittsburgh offensive coordinator.
OPENED CAMP: July 16, Wichita Falls, Texas
ADDITIONS: RB Chris Warren (Seattle); Gailey; DE Greg Ellis, No. 1 draft pick
SUBTRACTIONS: S Brock Marion (Seattle); DE Tony Tolbert, cut.
CAMP NEEDS: Acclimate to Gailey after Switzer's laissez-faire regime. Hope for return to form of injured players like FB Daryl Johnston. Work on aging offensive line.
OPENING EXHIBITION: Aug. 8, at home to Oakland.
OPEN SEASON: Sept. 6, at home to Dallas.
OUTLOOK: Most players, notably QB Troy Aikman, believe Gailey will turn things around. But championship team is aging and holes in offensive and defensive lines may be too much to overcome.
New Orleans (6-10)
LAST SEASON: Worst offense in football - led the league with 55 turnovers - and one of the better defenses. Started 2-7 under Mike Ditka, finished 4-3 as Billy Joe Hobert, cut by Buffalo for not reading playbook, came on at quarterback.
OPEN CAMP: July 23, LaCross, Wis.
ADDITIONS: CB Tyronne Drakeford and LB Kevin Mitchell, (San Francisco)); S Chad Cota (Carolina); RB Lamar Smith, (Seattle); WR Sean Dawkins (Indianapolis). OT Kyle Turley, No. 1 draft choice.
SUBTRACTIONS: LB Winfred Tubbs and TE Irv Smith (San Francisco); CB Eric Allen (Oakland).
CAMP NEEDS: Find quarterback - Hobert is nominal starter with Heath Shuler and Danny Wuerffel competing. None is Brett Favre or even Chris Chandler.
OPENING EXHIBITION: Aug. 8, at Green Bay
OPEN SEASON: Sept. 6, at St. Louis.
OUTLOOK: Until they can find a semi-legitimate quarterback, they have a long way to go. Free-agent "trade" with San Francisco (Drakeford and Mitchell for Tubbs and Smith) is a negative.
St. Louis (5-11)
LAST SEASON: More struggles in Dick Vermeil's first season, doomed by eight-game losing streak in middle of season.
OPEN CAMP: July 18 (rookies); July 23 (veterans), Macomb, Ill.
ADDITIONS: LB Eric Hill (St. Louis); QB Steve Bono (Green Bay); DE Grant Wistrom, No. 1 draft choice.
SUBTRACTIONS: DL Bill Johnson (Philadelphia); QB Mark Rypien, Atlanta; DE Leslie O'Neal (Kansas City).
CAMP NEEDS: Basically the same young team as a year ago, with some of the same holes. But coach Dick Vermeil, in second year, may have more integrated unit.
OPENING EXHIBITION: Aug. 8, at home to Denver.
OPEN SEASON: Sept. 6, at home to New Orleans.
OUTLOOK: A lot of questions marks remain, including Tony Banks, the third-year quarterback who might have been hurt by being played from the start as a rookie.
Chicago (4-12)
LAST SEASON: Lost first eight before finishing 4-4, much too little, much too late. Rick Mirer, obtained to play QB, was major bust.
OPEN CAMP: July 20 (rookies), July 23 (Platteville, Wis.)
ADDITIONS: RB Edgar Bennett (Green Bay); FB Ty Hallock, (Jacksonville); WR Thomas Lewis, (N.Y. Giants); LBs. Andre Collins and Ricardo McDonald, (Cincinnati). RB Curtis Enis, No. 1 draft pick.
SUBTRACTIONS: G Todd Burger (NY Jets); RB Rashaan Salaam, released.
CAMP NEEDS: Get Enis in camp and ready to play by opening day. Find bigger bodies for defensive line.
OPENING EXHIBITION: Aug. 8, at Baltimore.
OPEN SEASON: Sept. 6, at home to Jacksonville.
OUTLOOK: Not good. Perhaps the least talented team in football playing in the toughest division.
Arizona (4-12)
LAST SEASON: Not as bad as their record, which turned out to be huge plus. Enabled them to draft second, then make deal with San Diego down one spot in draft that netted them lots of draft picks and players plus DE Andre Wadsworth, who may have been best prospect.
OPEN CAMP: July 23 (rookies and veterans), Flagstaff, Ariz.
ADDITIONS: RBs Eric Metcalf and Adrian Murrell in trades (San Diego and Jets); QB Dave Brown (Giants); LB Mark Maddox, (Buffalo). Plus Wadsworth and DB Corey Chavous, first-round draft choices.
SUBTRACTIONS: LB Eric Hill (St. Louis); QB Kent Graham (Giants); DT Michael Bankston, Cincinnati.
CAMP NEEDS: Find offensive line to protect second-year QB Jake Plummer, who showed considerable promise as a rookie. Don't let predictions go to the heads of players.
OPENING EXHIBITION: Aug. 7, at Detroit.
OPEN SEASON: Sept. 6 at Dallas.
OUTLOOK: Expectations are very high for a team that was 4-12 and hasn't had winning season since 1984. But no one stands out in the NFC East and last year, Cardinals lost three games in overtime and six by a TD or less. Defense could be awesome.
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