Mailbag: The NFL’s Best Training Camp Sites and the Best Rookie QB

The Steelers and Packers are at the top of the list. Plus, which rookie QB is playing the best and updates on Brandon Aiyuk, CeeDee Lamb, Ja’Marr Chase, Dak Prescott and more.

Caleb Williams has looked the part of a No. 1 overall draft pick in Bears camp. / David Banks-USA TODAY Sports

The 17th and final NFL training camp of my initial swing is today in the Twin Cities to check out the Minnesota Vikings. You all had questions on all of the other places I’ve already visited. I have answers. …

From Dr. Hank J. Scorpio (@KingHankScorpio): Which team has the best training camp set up/experience?

Hank, that’s a great question. It’s hard to beat the Pittsburgh Steelers in Latrobe, Pa, with the big hill rolling down to the practice fields and the rolling mountains in the background. Peter King used to call it the Wrigley of NFL training camp sites, and that’s the perfect way to describe it—it harkens back to what camp was like when Chuck Noll was lifting Lombardi trophies in Pittsburgh. The other older one that I thought was massively underrated, and on par with Latrobe, was Flagstaff, Ariz., but the Cardinals stopped going there years ago.

After that, Green Bay is really fun. The temperatures are usually good there, and the players riding bikes from Lambeau Field to the practice field is another great scene. And I actually think where the Los Angeles Rams are doing camp this year is pretty cool, even if it creates some challenges for the coaches—a single field, with fans right on top of the action on the stunning campus of Loyola Marymount just a few miles north of LAX. The Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, West Va., where the New Orleans Saints and Houston Texans used to go, and the Cleveland Browns go now, is really cool, but very difficult to get to.

Beyond those, most camps are at team facilities. As someone who grew up going to training camps as a fan, I always advise folks to take their kids (I took mine this year). It’s just that at a team’s headquarters, you’re going to get a lot less in the way of the intimacy and charm you used to when so many more teams were going away to camp.

From Kevin Kistner (@KistnerKev28995): Was there a player in your travels that nobody is really talking about, that made you think, “Wow, this guy is primed for a huge year?”

Kevin, you want a few? O.K., here we go …

Steve Avila, C, Los Angeles Rams: He’s moving inside this year from left guard, with the team having brought in big-money guards, and the 2023 second-rounder has taken to the change in a big way. That position is vital in Sean McVay’s offense. Avila looks like he’s up for the challenge.

Tre Tucker, WR, Las Vegas Raiders: A lot of fast guys have been compared to Tyreek Hill in the past few years, so take this with a grain of salt. Whether or not he’s that good, it sounds like a lot of opportunity is coming his way. (Throw DE Malcolm Koonce in there as another Raider in that category).

Baron Browning, OLB, Denver Broncos: A highly explosive athlete that Denver is counting on to turn the corner (literally and figuratively) in Year 4, the question with Browning has always been about how you use him to get the most out of him. The Broncos feel like they’re there with Browning.

Devonte Wyatt, DT, Green Bay Packers: New defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley’s attacking base four-man front is a better fit for Wyatt than their old 3-4 scheme. And while he had a nice year in 2023, the hope is that the scheme change will unleash him to wreak havoc in opposing backfields.

Cam Taylor-Britt, CB, Cincinnati Bengals: He’s been banged up through his first two years, but has flashed enough high-end potential for Cincinnati to view him as the bedrock for a position in transition. Also, having Vonn Bell back at safety to direct traffic should benefit him (and everyone else in the secondary) in a very big way.

Michael Wilson, WR, Arizona Cardinals: The big, physical second-year wideout already carries himself like a seasoned pro, and has reminded some in Arizona of Adam Thielen—whom Jonathan Gannon and a bunch of guys on the Cardinals staff were familiar with in Minnesota.

And one more: I’d say Indianapolis Colts wideout Josh Downs, though he suffered a high-ankle sprain the other day, which will sideline him for the next month or so.

From Jay (@skoltheboat): Best-looking rookie quarterback in your eyes?

Jay, it’s really hard not to immediately say Caleb Williams. He’s the most talented of the group, and he’s also the guy who’s been installed as the starter and ramped up since before he was drafted. Plus, he’s playing with D.J. Moore, Keenan Allen, Rome Odunze, Cole Kmet, D’Andre Swift and an improving line.

I’d bet he wins Offensive Rookie of the Year, so there’s your answer.

Ja’Marr Chase has yet to fully ramp up at training camp due to his contract situation. / Phil Didion/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK

From Kent Schrag (@TheBlockO): What’s up with Ja’Marr Chase? Is this a hold-in?

Yes, Kent, it’s a hold-in.

I think the tough thing right now is there hasn’t been a whole lot of back and forth between the sides. Chase wants to keep playing in Cincinnati, and with quarterback Joe Burrow. The Bengals certainly want to lock him up. What it’ll take is still a moving target, which is why I think it might take San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk or CeeDee Lamb of the Dallas Cowboys getting done to start moving the ball down the field.

My guess? Lamb’s eventual deal affirms that Chase should be right around Justin Jefferson's $35 million-per-year number, and that winds up prompting more substantive talks and, in time, a deal. But it’s no sure thing it happens before the season (that said, I don’t think the hold-in carries on for that long).

From Nouri M. Marrakchi (@nmmarrakchi21): Are you calling for Bo Nix to start in Denver?

Nouri, I’m calling for Sean Payton to do what he sees fit.

Will that be playing Bo Nix? Maybe. The kid did start a record 61 games over five years at Auburn and Oregon, so he’s as prepared as anyone could be at that position to play right away. But Payton’s never really been down this road with a first-round quarterback before, so there’s an unpredictability to the situation that shouldn’t be discounted. Jarrett Stidham’s acquitted himself well, too.

From Mike (@mike_swaggin_u): When is Aiyuk coming to Pittsburgh?

Mike, maybe now, maybe never.

But I would applaud the Steelers for their effort, because this is way outside of their comfort zone. The last time a non-homegrown player was their leading receiver was during World War II. The difference with Aiyuk comes with the fit he is for the Steeler offense—he’s a tenacious blocker, a rock-solid route runner, and absolutely dynamite down the field and with the ball in his hands.

What’s tougher to ascertain is where the Niners stand on moving Aiyuk. Let’s say the Steelers’ offer is, hypothetically, right around $28 million per year (a number I heard earlier in the week). Is that enough to get Aiyuk to go there? Or could that provide the framework for a deal with the Niners? To me, that’s the benefit of taking this route if you’re San Francisco. One way or the other, you’re driving toward a conclusion, and giving yourself another shot at keeping him. Which is what Plan A always was for the Niners.

From Ed (@Edstripe): What’s the ceiling for the Seahawks this season?

Ed, I think the Seattle Seahawks’ season swings, one way or the other, on how the second- and third-year players play. There’s a ton of talent in that mix including Charles Cross, Abraham Lucas, Kenneth Walker III, Riq Woolen, Boye Mafe, Devon Witherspoon, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Derick Hall, Zach Charbonnet and on and on. It’s a phenomenal group with plenty of room to grow.

As I see it, the baseline should be right around .500 with room to grow. So if I’m you, expect at least eight or nine wins and hope for a few more, even in a division with the powerhouse Niners and Rams, and the feisty Cardinals. The nice part is there’s a good shot that where they are in Mike Macdonald’s first year could be the tip of the iceberg for that crew of players.

From Scott Kelly (@TheScottKelly): Will the Packers defense finally reach average, or dare I dream, better than average now that it has Jeff Hafley as defensive coordinator?

Scott, I think maybe you remember the defenses there being worse than they actually were—but, yes, Hafley has a shot to get more out of the considerable talent on hand. That, to me, will come down to how the guys up front play.

The back seven should be good. Competition at corner has been heated, and Xavier McKinney’s addition at safety has been huge. Quay Walker is anchoring the linebacker group, sans De’Vondre Campbell. And presuming the attacking style Hafley will employ takes with the linemen, the Packers defense could really take off.

There’s a belief, too, that guys such as Wyatt, Kenny Clark and Rashan Gary are going to thrive with the freedom to create mayhem. Should be fun to watch.

From Dennis Valandingham (@TheregoesDen): It’s way too early to be making any decisions on anything but have you noticed any trends so far?

Dennis, one that I wrote about Monday is that more and more coaches are going back to old-school camping. More two-and-a-half hour practices. More contact. More conditioning. For some teams, data brought them there—showing that going easy in the summer might save you an injury or two in camp, but will cost you in the long run. Maybe others saw the success with teams such as Detroit, San Francisco, Kansas City and Baltimore doing it that way.

So that was one interesting trend.

The Cowboys are facing uncertainty about their two biggest stars on offense. / Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

From David Kromelow (@dkrom59): Do you expect the Cowboys to extend both CeeDee Lamb and Dak Prescott by the eve of Week 1?

From Bernie Bahrmasel (@BernieBahrmasel): After your visit to Oxnard, Calif., which direction do you believe the Dak contract situation goes? Signing before season or play out and become a free agent? Thanks.

David and Bernie, I feel like there’s a really good likelihood that Lamb is signed before the Cowboys break camp and go back to Texas. He’s in a contract year. He’s holding out. Dallas typically takes care of its guys. They’ll figure it out.

The Prescott situation is different. It feels like progress has been stagnant, and the team is resistant to reset the market. So where things go from here is unpredictable. That said, that they’ve talked recently is good, and generally once teams make an effort to sign their quarterbacks, the fear of what’d happen if they don’t adds up to deals getting done. Also, there’s some framework now, in that $55 million per year isn’t some outlier number, with Trevor Lawrence, Jordan Love, Tua Tagovailoa and Jared Goff all at or near there.

The question would be to what point Prescott wants to push the issue. Would he take $53 million per year with favorable structure and guarantees? How set is he on resetting the market? To me, that’s the stuff that will determine whether something gets done. And for what it’s worth, I think Micah Parsons is waiting until next year, when his ask could get close to $40 million per year.

From Brandon Loree (@Brandoniswrite): If Prescott hits free agency next offseason, could $62 million a year be a low number by that point, and he could be closer to the $65 million-plus range?

Brandon, it’s a fair question, because it’s so rare that a quarterback of his level hits the open market. But I’d imagine it’d be around $60 million per year. To me, if there are real breakthroughs he makes contractually, it’ll be like it was with Kirk Cousins in 2018, when the signature elements of the deal came in the guarantees.

From Aaron Maas (@RonnyNextLevel): Hey Albert! Which player has surprised you the most that has the potential to make an impact this year?

Aaron, I’ll give you Elijah Moore, the Browns’ slot receiver. He’s a really good fit for the elements that offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey is bringing to Cleveland—and the slot is a very important spot within the Patriot-centric concepts Dorsey is adding from his days working with Brian Daboll in Buffalo. Moore’s smart, has great feel, and should be a big factor on option routes for Deshaun Watson, who played in that style of offense for Bill O’Brien in Houston.

I’m not saying he’s going to be Justin Jefferson. But we’ve seen 100-catch seasons out of guys playing those sorts of roles. And Moore could well grow into a valuable safety valve for Watson as he comes back from the shoulder injury.