Monday camp preview: What kind of reunion will Martellus Bennett have with Jay Cutler, Chicago Bears?

ByESPN.COM
August 14, 2016, 10:20 PM

— -- NFL Nation reporters assess the top storylines to watch for every team on Monday.

AFC EAST

Buffalo Bills

The Bills have lost outside linebacker  IK Enemkpali to a torn ACL, a source told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Caplan, which further depletes their depth at the position as they return to practice on Monday. Veteran Lorenzo Alexander and undrafted rookies Eric Striker and Bryson Albright will get the bulk of the reps in practice until Manny Lawson returns from a pectoral injury. The Bills could also elect to bring in outside help. -- Mike Rodak

Miami Dolphins

Much of the spotlight has been on the Dolphins' starting offensive line since a shaky performance in last week's preseason opener. Despite his struggles, Dallas Thomas continues to get more first-team reps at left guard than first-round pick Laremy Tunsil. Coach Adam Gase said it's early, and he might use the entire preseason before making a final decision about who will start there. -- James Walker

New England Patriots

The Patriots host the Bears for the first of three days of joint practices, which means a reunion for Patriots tight end  Martellus Bennett and his former teammates. Bennett was publicly critical of Bears quarterback  Jay Cutler, so there's no love lost there. Bennett headlines the list of connections between the teams, which also includes Patriots linebacker  Shea McClellin and Bears defensive tackle  Akiem Hicks. -- Mike Reiss

New York Jets

This is a big week for third-string quarterback Bryce Petty, whose practice load has increased in recent days. He might be able to secure a roster spot with a strong week, culminating with Friday's game at the Redskins. The Jets are trying to decide whether to keep three or four quarterbacks. Petty would be the odd man out if it's three. -- Rich Cimini

AFC NORTH

Baltimore Ravens

Could this be the week that linebacker Terrell Suggs returns to practice? Suggs hasn't been on the field since tearing his Achilles tendon 11 months ago, and coach John Harbaugh said Suggs is the furthest along among the five players on the physically unable to perform list. "He's already on me about practice, and I'm holding him back right now," Harbaugh said. "He'll be out there soon practicing." In his past four full seasons, Suggs has averaged nearly 12 sacks per year. -- Jamison Hensley

Cincinnati Bengals

After two humid and physical practices with the Vikings last week -- not to mention Friday night's preseason opener -- the Bengals got a much-needed day off Sunday. But it's back to work Monday, as they embark on a short week of preparation ahead of Thursday's road contest at Detroit. They'll be hoping this week to resume the competition at the receiver position. It was in Friday's opener when undrafted rookie Alex Erickson burst on the scene with two touchdowns (one receiving and one as a punt returner) and fellow rookie Tyler Boyd hauled in a highlight reel-worthy deep pass from AJ McCarron. -- Coley Harvey

Cleveland Browns

Wide receiver  Josh Gordon was on the field for part of Sunday's walk-through as he inches closer to returning to practicing. Gordon has been out with a quad injury since he was reinstated July 25 after a one-year suspension. Coach Hue Jackson would not give a specific day for Gordon to return, except to say, "He's getting close." Jackson has to balance practice time for Gordon, who will be suspended for the first four games of the season. -- Pat McManamon

Pittsburgh Steelers

Left tackle Alejandro Villanueva was brutally honest about his play in the preseason opener against the Lions, who got Big Al with a sack and an illegal hands penalty in 10 snaps. Villanueva said he was "very sloppy" and needs to stop overthinking. Left tackle is a position to watch on an already stout Pittsburgh line. -- Jeremy Fowler

AFC SOUTH

Houston Texans

The Texans are off Monday, but coach Bill O'Brien and the assistant coaches will certainly notice the missed tackles in Sunday's preseason opener when watching film. The game will give the Texans plenty to work on this week in practice, but given the focus so far during training camp on completing tackles, expect that to be a point of emphasis. -- Sarah Barshop

Indianapolis Colts

The Colts return to practice Monday after their victory over Buffalo on Saturday. The backups were responsible for pulling out the win. The starters -- minus key players including quarterback  Andrew Luck, defensive end  Robert Mathis and running back  Frank Gore -- struggled moving the ball on offense and pressuring the quarterback on defense. One of the bigger issues for the Colts was their inability to run the ball without Gore. They only had six yards rushing through the first three series and finished with just 30 yards on the ground for the game. It should be noted that 19 of those yards came from third-string quarterback Stephen Morris. That's not the type of production the Colts were looking for in their search for a backup running back behind Gore. -- Mike Wells

Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jaguars are being careful with first-round cornerback Jalen Ramsey. He did not play in Thursday's preseason game and will end up with five consecutive days off (the Jaguars don't practice on Monday). Gus Bradley said Ramsey told the Jags' coach that his body feels the best it has in a long time. There was no problem with Ramsey's knee, but Bradley said they just wanted to give him a rest in advance of this week's joint practices with the Bucs. -- Mike DiRocco

Tennessee Titans

After a 288-yard rushing effort in their preseason opener against the Chargers on Saturday night, the Titans return to practice on Monday evening. For a team determined to go smashmouth, the success has to build confidence, particularly for the young offensive line. Quinton Spain will remain in place as the left guard, which means he's quite close to wrapping up the job, with no one else pushing to get much of an audition. -- Paul Kuharsky

AFC WEST

Denver Broncos

It will certainly bear watching how the Broncos look Monday after the players had a day off Sunday. Coach Gary Kubiak had not been happy in two recent practices that followed off days -- the second was Saturday, when Kubiak said the team's quarterbacks and offense as a whole didn't practice well. The search for the starting quarterback likely will hit high gear this week, given the Broncos will have two joint workouts with the 49ers on Wednesday and Thursday before they meet the Niners in a game on Saturday. The most important items for those passers are to keep the offense moving -- Kubiak wants to see good pace -- and closing out drives against the aggressive Broncos defense, which has made things difficult on all three of the passers so far in camp. -- Jeff Legwold

Kansas City Chiefs

The Chiefs are hopeful starting cornerback Phillip Gaines, who missed most of last season with a torn ACL, can play in Saturday's preseason game against the Rams. Gaines didn't play last week against the Seahawks, but that was more of a precaution. He has been practicing at training camp, though the Chiefs have held him out of the occasional drill. -- Adam Teicher

Oakland Raiders

With two off days following Friday night's victory at Arizona, the Raiders get back to the business of football with their final two camp practices in Napa, beginning Monday. They also need to lick their wounds, especially those to starting defensive end Mario Edwards Jr., whose hip injury is not considered significant, and backup tight end Gabe Holmes', whose ankle injury is considered significant enough that season-ending Injured Reserve may be an option, per ESPN NFL Insider Adam Caplan. -- Paul Gutierrez

San Diego Chargers

The Chargers are scheduled to hold a light practice on Monday as the team gets ready to host the Cardinals for two days of controlled scrimmage. After giving up 288 rushing yards in a loss to the Titans in the preseason opener, one thing the Chargers need to work on is defending the run. "We'll just [keep] working on it," Chargers rookie linebacker Joshua Perry said. "Arizona has great running backs and a great ground attack, so it's going to be a great challenge for us to make sure we're really shoring up our run fits and making sure we're finishing." -- Eric D. Williams

NFC EAST

Dallas Cowboys

Despite putting up career highs in catches (52) and yards (840), many people view Terrance Williams' 2015 season as a wash because of what he was not able to do in Dez Bryant's absence. Williams was not faultless, but spotty quarterback play was at least part of the reason why things didn't go his way. So far this summer, however, Williams has been in solid form. He had a 32-yard touchdown catch from Dak Prescott on Saturday night, a reminder of his big-play ability: He has seven touchdown catches of more than 20 yards. "Terrance, his mind is on a whole totally different level," Bryant said. "Something outstanding has gotten into his brain." -- Todd Archer

New York Giants

Wide receiver  Victor Cruz's groin didn't feel good when he tried to return to practice on Sunday. That will only feed into doubts that he can return this season, and if he does, what he can bring to the table. Cruz has missed most of the past two years with leg injuries. He has been sidelined since Tuesday with the groin problem. After treatment on Sunday night, the Giants will see what he can do at Monday's practice. -- Jordan Raanan

Philadelphia Eagles

The Carson Wentz injury hangover was in evidence Sunday night at Lincoln Financial Field. When the Eagles held a public practice in the stadium last week, Wentz ran along one side of the field, high-fiving fans. On Sunday, a smaller crowd was denied the chance to see the rookie quarterback. Wentz cracked a rib during Thursday's preseason opener and will be out of action for at least a couple of weeks. That removes whatever buzz there was around this team. -- Phil Sheridan

Washington Redskins

Rookie receiver Josh Doctson will remain sidelined for at least another week or two, according to multiple team sources, because of the Achilles tendon injury he suffered on May 25. The Redskins still hope he'll be ready for the start of the season, but once he's even cleared, he'll have to get into football shape. So Doctson, who is on the PUP list, has a ways to go before truly being available. It's not as if the Redskins needed him immediately, but they certainly expect their first-round pick to contribute this season. -- John Keim

NFC NORTH

Chicago Bears

The Bears kick off a full week in New England with a joint practice against the Patriots in Foxborough, Massachusetts. One of the intriguing storylines is how the Bears interact with their former tight end Martellus Bennett, who now is a member of the Patriots -- and who ripped quarterback Jay Cutler in a recent ESPN The Magazine interview. Bears coach John Fox completely sidestepped a Bennett question on Sunday. "Well, I think we covered [why we traded him]," Fox said. "We felt real confident in Zach Miller, and so far, we haven't had a lot of looks at Zach Miller this year, but he'll be back out there shortly. I think we've kind of exhausted that." The Bears' offensive players are supposed to talk to reporters on Monday. Stay tuned. -- Jeff Dickerson

Detroit Lions

Will tight end  Eric Ebron return to practice? Will the red no-contact jersey come off running back  Ameer Abdullah? As the Lions start to prep for preseason game No. 2 (Thursday night against Cincinnati), those are the two main storylines to watch. It's possible neither sees any action in preseason games, but the return to practice -- be it contact for Abdullah or in general for Ebron -- are two of the most important aspects for the Lions this week. The third? Is linebacker  DeAndre Levy any closer to a return off the NFI list? Those three players have major keys to the success or failure of Detroit's 2016 season. -- Michael Rothstein

Green Bay Packers

Get ready to see plenty of quarterback  Brett Hundley this week. The presumptive backup to Aaron Rodgers returned after missing nearly two weeks because of an ankle injury, and the Packers want to get him plenty of work -- so much so that Rodgers might not play in Thursday's preseason game against the Raiders. Hundley, who shined last summer as a rookie, did not play in last week's game against the Browns and would not have been able to go in the Hall of Fame game, had it not been called off. "It's been a whole year since I've touched the field and had a chance to play," Hundley said. "I'm so excited to get out there and play again." -- Rob Demovsky

Minnesota Vikings

The Vikings' trip to Seattle on Thursday night gives them another chance to evaluate their offensive line against a formidable defense. Coach Mike Zimmer said he was happy with the Vikings' pass protection on Friday against Cincinnati, and even though left tackle Matt Kalil allowed a sack on the first drive, Zimmer said those who are fretting about the left tackle's performance are overstating things. "I thought he played good. We gave up the one sack. Andre Smith got beat around the edge one time," he said. "Those guys are 12 yards deep and we're trying to run them by the damn quarterback. [ Teddy Bridgewater] stepped up and threw the ball at Charles Johnson. We can't block them for 12 yards up the field. So if they want to run that far, let them go; we're going to push them by." -- Ben Goessling

NFC SOUTH

Atlanta Falcons

First-round draft pick Keanu Neal went through a full practice on Sunday after missing the exhibition opener against the Redskins with a "trunk" injury. Neal was all padded up and participated in 11-on-11, so his debut is right around the corner, as the Falcons travel to Cleveland to face the Browns on Thursday night. "I'm back and ready to go," Neal said. "No doubt." While the safety has returned, his backup, Kemal Ishmael, is out this week with a shoulder sprain. -- Vaughn McClure

Carolina Panthers

Just because tempers flared more than coach Ron Rivera wanted on Sunday doesn't mean he's going to tone down and go without pads on Monday. "Oh, heck no. Are you kidding? Wear them out,'' Rivera said jokingly. "Freaking make everything live. We'll stick to the schedule. Tomorrow is planned padded practice.'' One of the players who lost his composure was cornerback Bene' Benwikere, who is fighting for a job against a pair of rookies. Keep an eye on this one. -- David Newton

New Orleans Saints

The Saints are counting on a big push from two young defensive tackles this year. Sean Payton said second-year pro Tyeler Davison has emerged as the team's starting nose tackle during a very strong training camp. Meanwhile, first-round draft pick Sheldon Rankins is still developing -- though he has shown great athleticism and potential. "He can run," Payton said of Rankins. "I thought there were some good moments for him in [Thursday's preseason opener], and then there were some learning moments like there'd be for any rookie. But I think he has got some pretty good awareness and instincts." -- Mike Triplett

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Bucs had a modified padded practice on Saturday and then a full day off Sunday. Some notable players were absent from Saturday's practice, including cornerback Vernon Hargreaves, who has an undisclosed injury, and left tackle Donovan Smith, who is battling the flu. Coach Dirk Koetter is hopeful that they, along with defensive end Will Gholston, who has been out due to a family illness, can all return as preparations begin for Week 2 of the preseason. Two players to watch for this upcoming week when the team practices in Jacksonville are  Russell Shepard and Donteea Dye. Koetter said both stood out in a receivers group that had a whopping seven drops in Philadelphia. -- Jenna Laine

NFC WEST

Arizona Cardinals

The Cardinals pack their bags on Monday for a week in San Diego. They'll practice with the Chargers on Tuesday and Wednesday and then face them in Friday night's preseason game. Coach Bruce Arians said the change of schedule will benefit the Cardinals, who are slated for three prime-time games in their first eight games. But the players can't wait to hit someone else. Pro Bowl defensive tackle Calais Campbell said he has been "cheating" against the Cardinals' offensive line recently in training camp, because he knows exactly what it's doing on every play. This week will also be crucial for tight end Troy Niklas, who impressed during Friday's preseason opener against the Raiders. He'll be able to prove that performance wasn't a fluke. -- Josh Weinfuss

Los Angeles Rams

Rookie quarterback Jared Goff is fine after hurting his non-throwing shoulder in the Rams' preseason opener against the Cowboys. "He'll be practicing this week. There are no concerns whatsoever," Rams coach Jeff Fisher said. "There's nothing to report as far as AC separation or things like that. He's just a little banged up and sore, but was doing well this morning when I saw him in the training room." Fisher said he would like to get Goff some reps with the first team in this week's preseason game vs. Kansas City. -- ESPN.com staff

San Francisco 49ers

Quarterback Colin Kaepernick sat out Sunday's preseason opener against the Texans, which only adds more intrigue to his competition with Blaine Gabbert to win the starting job. The Niners' hope is the extra rest will allow Kaepernick's sore shoulder to recover in time for what should be an important week. The Niners practice twice this week with the Broncos in Denver before playing them in Saturday's preseason contest. If Kaepernick isn't ready to go this week, Gabbert will have a golden opportunity to stake a big lead in this quarterback derby. -- Nick Wagoner

Seattle Seahawks

Running back  Christine Michael was a bright spot in the Seahawks' preseason opener, carrying seven times for 44 yards (6.3 yards per carry). Michael ran well in between the tackles, looked explosive through the hole and, by my unofficial count, piled up 29 yards after contact. Coach Pete Carroll said Thomas Rawls and Michael can provide an exciting one-two punch. Rawls came off the PUP list last week but is still being eased in after offseason ankle surgery. We'll see how much he's able to do as the team returns to practice on Monday. -- Sheil Kapadia