Tuesday NFL preview: Chargers' Joey Bosa says he's 'ready to play'
— -- NFL Nation reporters assess the top storylines to watch for every team on Tuesday.
AFC EAST
Buffalo Bills
The Bills are getting healthier. After losing several players to injuries over the final week of camp, the team got safety Aaron Williams (concussion), left tackle Cordy Glenn (ankle), wide receiver Marquise Goodwin (concussion) and running back Mike Gillislee (concussion) all back at practice this week in some capacity. While the losses of Shaq Lawson and Reggie Ragland to injury -- as well as Marcell Dareus to suspension -- still loom large, the Bills shouldn't have any major health concerns entering Week 1. -- Mike Rodak
Miami Dolphins
Dolphins coach Adam Gase hinted that he's leaning toward sitting quarterback Ryan Tannehill in Thursday's preseason finale. That means this is a big week for backup quarterbacks Zac Dysert and Brandon Doughty. Both will get a lot of playing time against the Titans in hopes of being named the No. 3 quarterback behind Tannehill and Matt Moore. -- James Walker
New England Patriots
Patriots QB Tom Brady is expected to address reporters on Tuesday for what it likely going to be the final time before serving a four-game suspension to open the season. One of the obvious questions revolves around what Brady plans to do to stay sharp during the suspension, which begins on Saturday. Brady said last week that he hadn't thought much about it, but with the date fast approaching, perhaps that has changed. -- Mike Reiss
New York Jets
Coach Todd Bowles said he will decide on Thursday whether to play two or three quarterbacks against the Eagles during the preseason finale that evening. Bryce Petty and rookie Christian Hackenberg are no-brainers. If he plays Geno Smith, the presumptive No. 2, it could mean the job still is unsettled. It doesn't make sense to expose your No. 2 quarterback to injury unless he's not your No. 2 quarterback. -- Rich Cimini
AFC NORTH
Baltimore Ravens
Wide receiver Breshad Perriman will make his long-awaited Ravens debut in Thursday's preseason finale at New Orleans, if he is cleared by doctors. Perriman has yet to play in a preseason or regular-season game since being the No. 26 overall pick 16 months ago. He has been sidelined by two knee injuries. The Ravens want to see what he can do in the preseason so they can gauge what he can do in the regular season. "If he can play, he will play," coach John Harbaugh said. -- Jamison Hensley
Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals cut 11 players on Monday, including kicker Zach Hocker, giving Mike Nugent the job. They'll have to decide between leading kick returner Brandon Tate and Alex Erickson when they host the Colts in their fourth preseason game on Thursday. Also of interest are injuries incurred by Adam Jones and A.J. Green on Sunday. Both players said postgame that they were fine. -- Katherine Terrell
Cleveland Browns
The Browns will make the unusual move of playing their starters in the fourth preseason game. Coach Hue Jackson's decision takes some courage, given the risk of injury, but with this team, it's a wise move. The Browns' starting units need all the time they can get to generate continuity and perhaps some success. -- Pat McManamon
Pittsburgh Steelers
Tight end Ladarius Green has graduated to jumping and pool work as he rehabs his injured ankle. Though Green is a candidate for the regular season's physically unable to perform list, his presence in the lineup would elevate an offense that was impressive in Friday's preseason matchup against the Saints. The team is pleased with the development of tight end Jesse James. Eventually, the two should form an intriguing tandem. -- Jeremy Fowler
AFC SOUTH
Houston Texans
The Texans' offensive line struggled against the Cardinals in Sunday's preseason game, in part because Houston was without three starters -- rookie center Nick Martin (ankle) and tackles Derek Newton (hamstring) and Duane Brown (quadriceps). Help could be on the way for the line, as both Newton and Brown could return by Week 1 against the Bears. Coach Bill O'Brien said Newton could even return to practice this week. If that is the case, Newton's presence could provide a boost to the injured line. -- Sarah Barshop
Indianapolis Colts
The Colts are again dealing with tight end Dwayne Allen being dinged up. That's the last thing they can afford. Allen was given a rest day from practice on Friday, then played in Saturday's preseason game against Philadelphia. But Allen returned to the sideline on Monday because of soreness in his hip. He has missed 21 games over the past three seasons. The Colts only have Jack Doyle and Erik Swoope, who is a former college basketball player, behind Allen on the depth chart. -- Mike Wells
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jaguars made several cuts on Monday, and the most notable was CB Demetrius McCray, a seventh-round pick in 2013 who has started 16 games. He was fighting an uphill battle to make the roster, especially with Dwayne Gratz getting reps at nickelback, in addition to the outside. It's a sign the Jaguars' secondary has become significantly more talented than it has been, because McCray had played a crucial role at times over the past three seasons. -- Mike DiRocco
Tennessee Titans
Wide receiver Kendall Wright re-strained his hamstring after returning to practice on Monday for the first time since straining it on Aug. 2. It's highly unlikely he will play on Thursday night in the preseason finale. While he spoke confidently about making it back for the season opener Sept. 11 against Minnesota, it will probably be hard for the Titans to count on him for too much or to go in without a backup plan should he have problems. Harry Douglas is looking pretty safe for the 53-man roster. -- Paul Kuharsky
AFC WEST
Denver Broncos
The Broncos officially named Trevor Siemian the team's starter on Monday, and coach Gary Kubiak said he expected rookie Paxton Lynch to play every snap on offense in Thursday night's preseason finale in Arizona. So, that means Mark Sanchez's future with the team is decidedly in question, and the most likely scenario is Sanchez would be released by the Broncos when rosters go to 53 players later this week. Not only is Sanchez scheduled to count $4.5 million against the salary cap if he's on the roster -- a salary, as a vested player, would be guaranteed if he was on roster for the season opener -- but the Broncos do not have to surrender a draft pick to the Philadelphia Eagles if Sanchez is not on the roster at the start of the season. -- Jeff Legwold
Kansas City Chiefs
The challenge facing Eric Berry is a formidable one. The Pro Bowl safety, who practiced for the first time on Monday after signing his one-year contract, has less than two weeks to prepare for the Sept. 11 opener. While his teammates were practicing at training camp, Berry worked out at the same time at his home near Atlanta and scheduled those sessions to replicate football practice. He is confident he will be ready for the regular season. "The only thing is just getting used to having so many bodies flying around, NFL bodies," he said. "You try to fill it in with high school players and other people that are just around playing. But it's different when you have 11 guys on the field that know what they're doing and know where to be. Things tend to move a little faster." -- Adam Teicher
Oakland Raiders
While Raiders QB Derek Carr understands QB Colin Kaepernick's right to protest by sitting down during the national anthem before 49ers games, Carr won't sit it out. "To me, he's been awesome," Carr said. "Nothing but genuine and nice and kind. Very friendly to me. ... I've had some family that were in the military and things like that; I'll always stand to just respect it ... he has that right to choose what he wants to do, whether you agree or not, he's standing up for something he believes in." -- Paul Gutierrez
San Diego Chargers
Now that Joey Bosa signed, the Chargers have already said he will not play in the final preseason game on Thursday against the San Francisco 49ers. Coach Mike McCoy would not say if Bosa will play in the regular-season opener at Kansas City. However, Bosa said he's in great shape, and if it were up to him, he would be on the field. The problem is, the Chargers have only one padded practice between now and Sept. 11 to get the Ohio State product ready to play. "I'm obviously a step behind the other guys being this late into the game," Bosa said. "But I trust the coaches, and they obviously have a plan ready for me. I'm not 100 percent sure what that is, but I trust them to get me ready to play whenever I'm ready to play." -- Eric D. Williams
NFC EAST
Dallas Cowboys
Jason Witten is a tough veteran to impress, but the 14-year tight end and 10-time Pro Bowler has been impressed with what quarterback Dak Prescott has done in the preseason. Witten wants to help rookies, but he wants them to earn the help, as well, and Prescott has done that with what he's done in practice and preseason games. But it goes beyond that. "When he hasn't [been right], he's accountable for it and he moves on," Witten said. "In the huddle, he's good. In meetings, he's good. Obviously, his ability to make plays on the field has been really good. I'm proud of him for that, and I think he'll continue to build on that." -- Todd Archer
New York Giants
Veteran cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie might be playing a new position for most of his snaps come Week 1. Rodgers-Cromartie was the first-team slot cornerback at practice on Monday, with Leon Hall sidelined with a concussion. It's something we've seen more and more as the summer has progressed and could be in the plan throughout this season. The reason is the Giants have been impressed with first-round pick Eli Apple and they're trying to find ways to get him on the field. They experiment will continue on Tuesday, when Hall is again expected to miss practice. -- Jordan Raanan
Philadelphia Eagles
Starters typically rest during the fourth preseason game, but coach Doug Pederson might make an exception for linebacker Mychal Kendricks. Pederson said he would "love to see" Kendricks have a short role on Thursday against the Jets, due to the fact he missed action earlier this offseason with a hamstring injury. Other veterans, such as linebacker Stephen Tulloch and wide receiver Josh Huff, could play, according to the head coach, and wideout Dorial Green-Beckham is expected to get some reps, as well. -- Tim McManus
Washington Redskins
Newly signed Cullen Jenkins echoed what coach Jay Gruden said: He adds versatility to the defensive front. Jenkins, 35, can play inside in the nickel packages or end in their base. He has to make the roster first, but Jenkins said if he does, "I still have a lot of quickness and experience and the ability to still get after the quarterback and be versatile. That's what I've been my whole career. That's still my goal." -- John Keim
NFC NORTH
Chicago Bears
There is no denying how poorly the Bears performed against Kansas City over the weekend. But instead of panicking, the Bears plan to use their two-day practice window as a pick-me-up before the games count for real next week. "I don't care how many days it is that we have to practice, you've got to take advantage of it," Bears linebacker Danny Trevathan said. "I know it's a short week or whatever, but at the same time, we've got to take advantage of it. We're not out here too many times, so you've got to make them count. Great defenses, great teams make them count. When you're out here flying around and you know what you are doing, you do it fast." Tight end Zach Miller and receiver Eddie Royal are expected to practice on Tuesday, but it's unknown whether the veterans will play in Thursday's preseason finale. -- Jeff Dickerson
Detroit Lions
DeAndre Levy made his preseason debut on Saturday, and after playing his first true snaps in almost a year, Levy said "I feel like I'm good." Levy had two tackles in 23 snaps -- more snaps than he had in all of the 2015 season. And he came out of the game feeling good about his previously injured hip and a different existing injury that had been bothering him to start the preseason. "That was what the big test was, to see how my body responds after running around in pads for more than I have in a year, going to the ground, having collisions," Levy told ESPN. "It responded well, so I just want to continue to take steps forward to get ready for Sept. 11." -- Michael Rothstein
Green Bay Packers
The Packers will hold their final training camp practice of the summer on Tuesday. If they practice for two hours and 45 minutes, which would be unlikely, considering their longest practice to date has been 2 hours, 42 minutes, it would be the most time on the field over the past three training camps. They're at 32 hours, 46 minutes after Monday's practice. They've already surpassed last year's tally of 31 hours, 48 minutes. In 2014, they spent 35 hours, 30 minutes in the field during camp. As one former player from the 1980s once put it, "We used to practice that much the first week [of camp]." -- Rob Demovsky
Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings' final preseason practice is on Tuesday, and by the time they take the field in the afternoon, they'll be down to 75 players. The players who are still fighting for roster spots will get a chance to make their final push on Tuesday, and it sounds as though the Vikings will rest many of their starters on Thursday against the Los Angeles Rams. For those players on the bubble, the first of two final opportunities to make an impression is on Tuesday. -- Ben Goessling
NFC SOUTH
Atlanta Falcons
Julio Jones didn't practice for the second consecutive day on Monday while coming off an ankle injury, but Falcons coach Dan Quinn still doesn't seem too concerned. Quinn said he'll likely hold Jones out of Thursday night's final preseason game against Jacksonville, a game which is typically a showcase for bubble players anyhow. Jones was nowhere to be seen the past two days. Asked when Jones might return to the practice field, Quinn said, "Likely Wednesday or then, at the latest, Monday. That's when we'll start our work week for Tampa." The Falcons open the regular season at home against the Buccaneers on Sept. 11. -- Vaughn McClure
Carolina Panthers
Panthers coach Ron Rivera said seven spots on the 53-man roster were up for grabs, and that was before Carolina traded with Cleveland for punter Andy Lee. Among the battles to watch is the one between Wes Horton and Ryan Delaire for the last defensive end spot. Horton is a proven run-stopper, but Delaire has more potential as a pass-rusher. The problem is, Delaire hasn't show he's ready to take potential to production. -- David Newton
New Orleans Saints
Less than two weeks before the season opener, the guard position is still a work in progress for the Saints. Coach Sean Payton said the team will try moving last season's first-round draft pick Andrus Peat to left guard after he struggled to adjust to right guard this summer. Tim Lelito and Senio Kelemete are still competing at the other guard spot. But the team signed versatile veteran Khalif Barnes on Monday as another possibility and could consider more outside help. Without specifying the guard position, Payton said the Saints will keep a close eye on cuts that take place around the NFL over the next week. -- Mike Triplett
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
With cuts looming, the Bucs parted ways with 12 players, including last season's starting safety Major Wright and punter Jacob Schum. The team still has two more cuts to make to reach 75 for Tuesday. Coach Dirk Koetter said it's safe to say that the Bucs are "probably going to keep three quarterbacks" on the active roster. "We put a lot of work into Ryan Griffin, and I think he's proving that he's capable of being a backup in this league," Koetter said. "The second thing is, obviously, it's not a big secret that Mike Glennon is going into the last year of his contract." Also, Evan Spencer (knee) returned to practice on Monday, as did Clinton McDonald and Luke Stocker. Ali Marpet's walking boot is off, so that's a good sign for a banged-up offensive line. -- Jenna Laine
NFC WEST
Arizona Cardinals
With the news that cornerback Mike Jenkins is out for the year with a torn ACL, the Cardinals are left with either Brandon Williams or Justin Bethel as their starting corner opposite Patrick Peterson. With cuts coming down this week, they might add a veteran corner, but with options limited, it looks like Williams and Bethel will fight it out to be the starting cornerback job. -- Josh Weinfuss
Los Angeles Rams
The Rams have a star-studded defensive line, but with the regular-season opener now only 13 days away, coach Jeff Fisher still has not seen enough from his run defense. It will continue to be a focus. "We're still giving up too many yards," Fisher said. "We gave up some big runs with guys that are going to be on our roster in the second quarter [against the Broncos on Saturday], and we've got to get those things fixed before Week 1, or else we'll have some problems in the regular season." -- Alden Gonzalez
San Francisco 49ers
The firestorm surrounding quarterback Colin Kaepernick slowed just a bit on Monday, after he explained himself for nearly 20 minutes on Sunday. But now much of the attention is turning toward his future with the team. Kaepernick hasn't been healthy for a key chunk of the preseason and didn't fare well in his first preseason game last week. Niners offensive coordinator Curtis Modkins said Monday he expects Kaepernick to be on the roster when the season starts, but there's a lot for the 49ers to sort through before trimming down to the 53-man roster. -- Nick Wagoner
Seattle Seahawks
Jimmy Graham continues to make progress from his ruptured patellar tendon injury, and cornerback Richard Sherman likes what he's seen from the tight end at practice during team drills. "He looks good, he's moving smooth," Sherman said. "I think he's going to be a big weapon for us." Coach Pete Carroll has acknowledged Graham could miss the beginning of the regular season, but Graham has done more and more each week and has yet to suffer a setback. -- Sheil Kapadia
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