The 2024 NFL season begins in 94 days, and before teams take a summer break before training camps in late July, they will gather for mandatory minicamps.
Ten teams have scheduled theirs for this week: Chicago Bears, Miami Dolphins, Tennessee Titans, Dallas Cowboys, Detroit Lions, Minnesota Vikings, Philadelphia Eagles, San Francisco 49ers, Indianapolis Colts and Houston Texans. Minicamps for the remaining 22 teams will be held next week.
This will give everyone a chance to see who shows up after missing voluntary workouts, how the rookies perform against the veterans and what the offensive and defensive systems look like under the new coordinators.
Here's something key our NFL Nation reporters will be watching from each team that takes the field this week:
One thing to look at: Caleb Williams' comfort level in the Bears' offense
There is no way Chicago's rookie quarterback will be a polished product by the time the team takes summer break. However, having the entire offense together for three days (Williams' worst OTA practice came without wide receivers Rome Odunze and Keenan Allen and two starting offensive linemen) will allow the Bears to see what the No. 1 pick has mastered and where you need to do it. improve before training camp. Is Williams willing to get rid of the ball when he can't find anything open instead of running off the field? Does he seem to have improved his execution in the red zone? Those are some questions the Bears hope to have answered by the end of minicamp. -Courtney Cronin
One thing to look at: The defense of the dolphins
The Dolphins' offense remains more or less intact after leading the NFL in yards per game last season. However, the other side of the ball has some questions, starting with their front seven rotation. Christian Wilkins left and Miami signed seven defensive tackles to compete for his vacant spot. Miami also drafted two edge rushers (first-rounder Chop Robinson, fifth-rounder Mohamed Kamara) with Jaelan Phillips and Bradley Chubb recovering from season-ending injuries suffered in 2023. Add a new defensive coordinator in Anthony Weaver and the team Dolphins defense. Cohesion will be a focal point in both minicamp and training camp. — Marcel Louis-Jacques
One thing to look at: How will the offensive line be reshaped under assistant coach Bill Callahan?
The Titans added center Lloyd Cushenberry III and offensive guard Saahdiq Charles in free agency and used the seventh pick to select left tackle JC Latham. The offensive line should have a new look with at least two new starters in Cushenberry and Latham. Perhaps the most important addition is Callahan as position coach. He brought some of his patented blocking sleds to use in practice. How Callahan helps Latham transition from right tackle to left tackle will determine the O-line's level of success in 2024. The mandatory minicamp will be another opportunity for Callahan to take a step toward significant improvements. — Davenport Nougat
One thing to look at: Will CeeDee Lamb attend?
Minicamp is mandatory and the wide receiver could face a fine of nearly $100,000 if he misses every day, but the receiver has not participated in voluntary offseason work as he seeks a new contract. There hasn't been much movement toward a new deal this spring, but that could start to change with a flurry of receiver deals around the league since the draft. Lamb has been working out alone and has had some throwing sessions with Dak Prescott outside of The Star. The Cowboys aren't worried that his absence will affect production when the season begins. -Todd Archer
One thing to look at: Has Jameson Williams really improved?
Can the third-year receiver break out this season? Williams is off to a less than ideal start in his first two seasons due to an injury and a one-game suspension, but he should be available in 2024 and has a chance to take on a larger role in the Lions' offense. Williams has struggled at times with dropped passes and lining up properly in formations, but he is looking to pick up where he left off last season, when he scored two touchdowns in the NFC Championship Game against San Francisco. All eyes will be on the 2022 No. 12 pick at the Lions' mandatory minicamp. –Eric Woodyard
One thing to look at: the quarterbacks
All eyes will remain on the Vikings' quarterback situation and that applies to the spring, summer and beyond. Veteran Sam Darnold will continue to work in the first team while No. 10 pick JJ McCarthy works on a development plan that has no specific timeline. The immediate question to answer is not when McCarthy will start, but can Darnold credibly hold the job until that (indefinite) point? –Kevin Seifert
One thing to look at: How quarterback Jalen Hurts is adjusting to the new offense
After a 1-6 implosion down the stretch last season, the Eagles fired offensive coordinator Brian Johnson, a longtime friend of the Hurts family, and hired Kellen Moore to replace him. The Eagles are implementing a hybrid system that will attempt to merge Moore's playbook with concepts and verbiage used by coach Nick Sirianni over the past few years. Hurts has had little schematic consistency throughout his college and professional career. The only time he had the same player in consecutive seasons was Shane Steichen for 2021 and 2022, which led to a near-MVP campaign for Hurts and a Super Bowl run for Philadelphia. -Tim McManus
One thing to look at: How is the defense going under the new leadership?
Coach Kyle Shanahan fired defensive coordinator Steve Wilks after one season and hired Nick Sorensen from within in an attempt to return the defense to its previous levels of success. Shanahan also hired Brandon Staley as assistant head coach to provide some new aspects that could better bridge the pass rush and coverage. While full-team minicamp is still a long way from the regular season, it's a good indicator of where things are headed for a defense aiming to return to dominance in 2024. -Nick Wagoner
One thing to look at: How will the Colts deploy their talent on the defensive line?
They have a new position coach (college assistant Charlie Partridge) and top prospect in first-round pick Laiatu Latu. Now the question is who plays, where and when. DeForest Buckner and Grover Stewart will continue to primarily occupy the interior, but attackers such as Latu, Samson Ebukam and Kwity Paye, as well as interior and outside players Dayo Odeyingbo and Tyquan Lewis, will share snaps in a rotation that has yet to be determined. The Colts finished 2023 fifth in sacks, but believe there is room for improvement. -Stephen Holder
One thing to look at: How the Texans add wide receiver Stefon Diggs
The Texans' most notable offseason acquisition was Diggs. He joins an offense led by Pro Bowl quarterback CJ Stroud, and minicamp will show how the former Bills player could fit into a talented wide receiver room. Nico Collins, who signed a three-year, $72.75 extension last week, had 1,297 receiving yards in 2023, and Tank Dell was on pace for 1,205 yards before breaking his leg in early December. Diggs is a four-time Pro Bowler, so this trio of Stroud wide receivers could lead to one of the best offenses in the NFL. — DJ Bien-Aime
