NFL training camp battles lackluster, except with Dolphins and Redskins

Every NFL team has lots of competition in training camp, but are there any NFL training camp battles that fans should care about? Miami and Washington offer our only salvation.

There are only a few interesting position battles going on in NFL camps right now. Sure, there are actually a lot of NFL training camp battles, but how many fans care about the starting guards or fourth wide receivers for teams they aren’t fans of? Literally no one.

Seriously, according to the ESPN beat writers who were tasked with choosing the top position battle for the squads they follow, an amazing 18 chose offensive line or a non-starting wide receiver spot to highlight as the most interesting battle. Where’s the hype? Another three chose backup spots or… punter. These battles all stink!

Thankfully the Miami Dolphins and Washington Redskins have quarterback competitions worthy of debate.

Two brothers from New York, Dan Salem and Todd Salem, debate NFL training camp battles in today’s NFL Sports Debate.

Todd Salem:

The main battles that should catch the eye of the league are obvious. It’s Miami Dolphins quarterback and Washington Redskins quarterback. All others fall by the wayside in terms of interest, even if they may have a larger say in the playoff picture.

In Miami, the choice comes down to Ryan Fitzpatrick — the mercurial veteran — or Josh Rosen, the second-year man not given a chance to succeed in year one. For the betterment of the franchise, it would seem that starting Rosen is the way to go. The Dolphins have to see what they have in him for the future. Fitzpatrick doesn’t have that long-term outlook.

But I would guess that Fitzpatrick is the best bet if Miami wants to try to win Week 1. Maybe it doesn’t. That 2020 No. 1 draft pick looks mighty enticing even this far out.

More from NFL Spin Zone

• Dallas Cowboys made the trade everyone else should have made
• Pittsburgh Steelers rookie sleeper everyone should be talking about
• Anthony Richardson putting jaw-dropping talent on display immediately
• Denver Broncos’ stud wide receiver might be out for a while
• Washington Commanders: Three takeaways from win over Ravens

I actually like Rosen. I thought he was set up for failure in Arizona and should still be treated as the top-10 prospect he was coming out of college. Putting him behind center shouldn’t be conceding wins. Rather than starting with the veteran and seeing where things go, I think Miami should do the opposite. Start with Rosen and give him as long a leash as management can bear.

The situation in Washington is a little more complicated. There are three players — Colt McCoy, Case Keenum, and Dwayne Haskins — fighting for the starting spot. McCoy is the most experienced in the Redskins system. Keenum has had the most past NFL success. Haskins is the hopeful future. What to do?

It is hard to believe that 2017 is the real Keenum. It is an outlier magical season in his otherwise pedestrian career. Even still, McCoy is a career backup unless pressed into action by events and injuries around him. And Haskins only had one year of starting duties in college. Sure, he threw 50 touchdowns to just eight picks in that one season while averaging more than nine yards per attempt.

But still, it’s a 14-game sample against Tulane and Rutgers and Northwestern. Give the young man some time. Put Keenum in there for Week 1. The Skins aren’t winning the NFC East this year regardless.

Dan Salem:

That ESPN article felt like total clickbait after I “read” the best position battles for each team. More specifically, I scrolled as fast as I could past each team who listed offensive line as its battle of choice. Thankfully we are here to debate the real position battles of note, the quarterback competitions in Miami and Washington.

All others bow down in deference to the two champions of inter-squad competition during the preseason.

Both the Dolphins and Redskins are expected to be quite awful this season. It’s debatable whether they are legitimately tanking, or simply easing into a complete rebuild that needs another year to turn a corner.

Regardless of the truth, these are two bad football teams that have no business playing their veteran quarterbacks unless their young player is so ill-equipped to lead their team that it will stunt their growth as a player. That being said, I fully expect both Haskins and Rosen to be their team’s starting quarterback by the first week of October.

What are the Dolphins and Redskins waiting for? Why let Fitzpatrick or Keenum lead your football team? Perhaps you think they give you a better chance to lose, but that is foolish. Rosen and Haskins both need to develop further in real games.

I too am a Rosen fan who wants to see what he can actually do when given a chance to succeed. He might not be better than Fitzpatrick, but if he’s at all competent, then he needs to start for the Dolphins all year. That “competition” is open and shut, because Miami is tanking and must play the player with actual long-term potential.

Washington is a bit different, only because their young quarterback is a rookie who may or may not be ready to start. You don’t want to rush Haskins onto the field, which is why I believe Keenum starts the season for the Redskins. He likely plays a month of games before Washington throws its rookie to the wolves. McCoy is simply insurance, since he knows the offense so well and is a solid backup. I don’t believe he poses any real competition for the starting job.