The second week of the preseason continues Friday night with four games. Here's what to watch for:
Nick Foles has reportedly looked average in his first full training camp as the Eagles starter. He'll want to get some positive momentum going after an ugly preseason effortlast week. Jeremy Maclin won't play because of an hamstring injury. Tom Brady will get his first preseason action for New England, but we'll be watching running back James White closer. Bill Belichick likes to mess around with playing rotations in the preseason. Don't be surprised if White starts or gets starter-worthy snaps in this game to see what he has. Offensive tackle Nate Solder and quarterback Ryan Mallett are two veterans struggling for New England -- the latter might need to improve just to make the team. Darrelle Revis could make his Patriots preseason debut.
Bishop Sankey played as the third-team running back last week for Tennessee. Fantasy owners, who can watch him on our Preseason Live app, would like to see him move up the depth chart. He showed quick feet in last week's game but didn't "wow" with his inside running. We also want to see how Jake Locker looks in Ken Whisenhunt's system; he barely passed last week in a monsoon. Drew Brees is expected to sit out for New Orleans -- backup Ryan Griffin from Tulane will continue his path toward the 2019 NFL MVP award.
Will Lions defensive tackle Nick Fairley's demotion continue? He has been lining up with the backups all week. Matt Schaub and Derek Carr will try to bounce back from disappointingpreseason openers, but this isn't a competition. It's Schaub's job. However, the Raiders' running back and wide receiver positions are more wide open. Raiders pass-catcher Andre Holmes can solidify his starting job with a big game.
Seahawks rookie receiver Paul Richardson has impressed throughout camp; it would be great to see him perform in the preseason and lock down a big role among Seattle's top-three receivers. Marshawn Lynch seems likely to sit out once again, giving Christine Michael a chance to impress. Our Making the Leap candidate is still No. 3 on the Seahawks running back depth chart.
*The latest "Around the League Podcast" broke down the biggest position battles and ranked the best backup QBs in the league. *
