This weekend is our final without real NFL football until February. For all those who have been wishing away the summer to get to this point, may your fridge be full, your recliner in working order, and your family accepting of losing you on game day (or maybe they're right alongside).
In this space next week, I'll give you thoughts from around the league on the 2025-26 Patriots. I have a lot of good intel to share, and I'm looking forward to it. Until then, let's have a little fun and dish out some training camp awards.
MVP: Mike Vrabel - Make no mistake, the optimism you are feeling is because the Krafts righted a wrong and hired someone who has proven he can win games in the league. Vrabel has set a clear course for this organization, one it was lacking not only last season but also in Belichick's final campaign (or three). The 50-year-old is an interesting mix; a player's coach - remember he said he wants to help players maximize their earning potential? - but also someone who drives his players, especially his best ones, hard. That might be a shock to those with country club memberships, but thus far, the majority is buying what Vrabel is selling. And if someone doesn't, they won't be here for long.
The "You Could Have Played In Any Era" award - Robert Spillane. I liked him in Las Vegas. A real blue-collar type. But seeing that guy work every day and be in the middle of the action had me thinking back to the likes of Steve Nelson, Vincent Brown, and Ted Johnson. If the two interior defensive linemen can keep him clean(ish), Spillane is headed for another 150-tackle season.
The "I Wasn't Familiar With Your Game, But I Am Now" award - Elijah Ponder. I can't say as I ever saw any Cal Poly games, and my attempts to study him post-draft weren't easy. I had to pull some strings to get my hands on some tape. What I saw was a guy who looked like he was playing down a level. What I've seen this summer is someone who belongs. Maybe it's not "goosebumps" territory (so sayeth OLB coach Mike Smith), but the kid has made an impact on special teams after having little to no experience playing them in college. Can he crack the edge rotation? Remains to be seen, but Ponder's got a chance.
The "All Juice" award - TreVeyon Henderson. If you went to a competitive practice this summer, or watched him in the first two preseason games, you know what I'm talking about. The Patriots have had speed players at skill positions before, but they were generally one-dimensional. Henderson is not that. You should be excited to see him play.
The "I Need More From You" award - Keion White. I'll probably write more on this next week, but I was expecting him to show he's making the leap this August. But after the opening week of camp, I haven't seen it, and neither has the coaching staff, relegating White to the second team. There's still time, but White needs to find a higher level of consistency in his play.
The "Low-key MIP (Most Improved" Award) - Alex Austin. He had a really good camp and benefited from the injuries to Christian Gonzalez and Carlton Davis to get more first-team reps than he would have. Dude took advantage of it. Even after the coaching changes, the Pats may still have a thing for finding corners, and Austin appears to be the latest.
AS THE STAR TURNS
Jerry Jones has done it again. The Cowboys' owner told Netflix that his team is "a soap opera 365 days a year," likely in part because Jones himself contributes to that perception. Thursday afternoon, the 82-year-old shook up the NFL, trading star defender Micah Parsons for a pair of first-round picks and DT Kenny Clark.
“We did think it was in the best interest of our organization, not only the future, but right now this season as well,” Jones said. “I’m excited. We got what we wanted.”
As part of the deal, Parsons agreed to the largest non-QB contract in league history, signing for $188 million over four years, including $120 million guaranteed.
Parsons took to social media to express his thoughts on the move, writing in part, "I never wanted this chapter to end, but not everything was in my control. My heart has always been here, and it still is. Through it all, I never made any demands. I never asked for anything more than fairness. I only asked that the person I trust to negotiate my contract be part of the process."
Jones thought he had an agreement with Parsons this offseason, but the edge rusher claims he told the Cowboys boss that he needed to go through his agent, David Mulugheta. From there, it became a he-said, he-said situation with little to no communication between the two sides.
Only two players in the NFL have ever recorded at least 12 sacks in each of their first four seasons: Reggie White and Parsons. The last time the Packers had a player with double-digit sacks was Zadarius Smith in 2020.
The two teams play in week four in Dallas.
UNICORN
If you had half a brain, all it took was one look at then-Notre Dame safety Kyle Hamilton to know he had all the skills to be one of the NFL's best safeties. Top-10 talent. Maybe even top-5. Then, Hamilton ran a 4.59 40-yard dash at the Scouting Combine, and between that and some teams questioning the wisdom of selecting that position so high, he fell to 14th overall.
Well, on Wednesday, the Ravens - who were as happy as a pig in poo when Hamilton fell to them - rewarded their best defender, and one of the best in the entire league regardless of position, with a record-setting contract. Four years, $100 million, including $82 million guaranteed. That surpasses the 4-year, $86 million deal that Kerby Joseph got from the Lions in April.
"I think the deal really does speak to how we feel about Kyle," said general manager Eric DeCosta. "The highest-paid safety in the NFL ... that's a responsibility that we don't take lightly. We've had a few players over the years become the highest paid at their position, and I think when you are the highest paid, that's an important distinction. I think Kyle has proven that he's going to carry that very well, and we expect him to continue to be an impact player on our defense for years to come."
Hamilton admitted back in the spring of 2022 that falling out of the top 10 bothered him. Now? There's a bit of revisionist history, but he couldn't be happier that it turned out that way.
"Some people said some things about where I was drafted ... And at the time I think I was the least mad at anybody," he said. "I knew that I came to the right place. Sometimes you got to see the bigger picture."
The Ravens have utilized Hamilton as a chess piece in their defense, lining him up in the slot, playing him as a box safety, or, after injuries and poor performance plagued the Baltimore defense last season, as the deep safety. No sooner did DC Zach Orr make that switch than the Ravens defense hit its stride.
"One of the things you love about Kyle is he's kind of a unicorn," said DeCosta. "He can do many different things. He does them all very well."
Not bad for the 14th overall pick in the draft.
LESSON LEARNED?
For a team that only lost two games, including the Super Bowl, there certainly are a lot of questions about the Chiefs. Can they coax another year outta of that Swiftie, Travis Kelce? Have they settled their left tackle woes with the addition of Josh Simmons? And with Chris Jones no longer being APEX Chris Jones, is there enough along the defensive line to make quarterbacks uncomfortable?
There's also the question of where Rashee Rice's head is at. The team's best wide receiver - and someone Andy Reid believes can be a top-10 player at the position - has accepted a six-game suspension to start the season. The ban is a result of a March 2024 car accident that led to Rice receiving five years of probation and 30 days in jail. Rice was driving his Lamborghini at 119 miles per hour on a Dallas highway. His recklessness caused an accident that resulted in serious injuries to others and led to at least one civil suit that cost Rice a million dollars. Or it will. He's yet to pay for nearly a year since agreeing to the deal.
"I've completely changed,' said Rice earlier this month. "Honestly, you have to learn from things like that. I've taken advantage of being able to learn from something like that."
On the field, Rice has had a good summer. However, the team has wisely integrated several receivers in Rice's spot with the first team, including former Patriots Tyquan Thornton and JuJu Smith-Schuster (I know) and rookie Jalen Royals.
"We've thought it through," said offensive coordinator Matt Nagy. "There's a little bit of juggling, not only just with [a suspension] but also his health, making sure you balance both of those things together."
"I think Xavier [Worthy] can do that stuff, I think Hollywood [Brown] can do that, and then I think Royals can do that," said Patrick Mahomes. "Having a couple guys - a couple versions of guys that can go out there and make those plays happen - it keeps a defense guessing on where we're attacking on the field."
Rice didn't play after a week four knee injury ended his season. Before that, he looked to be making the leap, recording 24 catches and two touchdowns, and showing an ability to take something small and turn it into something bigger.
"It's another threat," added Mahomes. "Rashee gets those screens, and he gets 15-20 yards. That kind of crushes a defense. When they're worried about us going deep and then all of a sudden we're hitting screens and getting the same explosive plays, that completes the offense."
The Chiefs were 10th in the league in offensive DVOA, a true testament to just how good the quarterback is when throwing to a less-than-inspiring group of receivers. After Kelce (97 catches for 823 yards), Worthy (59 catches, 638 yds) and backup tight end Noah Gray (40 recs, 437 yds) were the most productive pass catchers. Perhaps Worthy takes that next step in his development, but Rice's availability and mindset may be the key to KC getting back to the Big Game again.
"GOING HOME"
With injuries to Jalen Nailor and Justin Jefferson, plus a three-game suspension to Jordan Addison, the Vikings were in desperate need of some help at the position. So they decided to swing a deal for a former favorite, Adam Thielen.
The 35-year-old shared the news with his daughter, telling her they were "going home."
"That was pretty raw emotion right there because I had just found out," he said.. "I'm a be-where-your-feet-are guy. At that time, minutes before that, I was a Carolina Panther getting ready for practice and excited about what that looked like.
"Didn't know this was gonna happen until yesterday morning, so yesterday was an absolute whirlwind. But obviously, you guys know, without me saying it, how much this place means to me. This state, this city, this organization, the Wilfs, coaches, players. Couldn't be more excited. There's nothing I could say to tell you how excited I am to be back home."
Thielen is a Minnesota native, played college ball at Minnesota State (Mankato), then made the Vikings as an undrafted free agent who earned a spot in training camp based on a local tryout(!). He went on to star for nine years, and his 534 receptions are third in team history, trailing only Hall of Famers Randy Moss and Cris Carter. Those two are in the Hall of Fame.
The Vikings released Thielen in 2022, declining to pay him nearly $20 million for the following season. The veteran pass catcher went to Carolina and immediately had a 103-catch season. His numbers were cut in half last year (48 rec), but injuries kept him out of seven games.
This offseason, Thielen worked out with Minnesota's new starter, 2024 first-round pick J.J. McCarthy, and has a good understanding of Kevin O'Connell's system.
The Panthers, who have spent a first-round pick on wideouts in each of the last two years (Xavier Legette and Tet McMillan), receive a 2026 fifth-round pick and a 2027 fourth-round pick. The Vikings get a conditional 2026 seventh-round pick and a 2027 fifth-round pick. They'll also pay the remainder of his contract, although they're reportedly trying to renegotiate that number.