Post columnist Steve Serby takes a look at the Top 12 storylines entering NFL training camps

1. Believeland

Coach Hue Jackson is out, Baker Mayfield-to-Odell Beckham Jr. is in. GM John Dorsey has transformed the Browns from laughingstock to Super Bowl contender. Dorsey is counting on rookie head coach Freddie Kitchens to be able to handle more than a few combustible personalities and uncommon great expectations in a division suddenly up for grabs. Beckham gets another chance to be remembered as legendary on a franchise that has never won a Super Bowl with a fiery, rocket-armed quarterback. If the Giants giving up on him because they tired of the distractions doesn’t scare him straight, nothing will.



2. Raiders on “Hard Knocks”

Jon Gruden is betting $50.125 million over three years that Antonio Brown won’t be cutting short his honeymoon if and when Derek Carr can’t get him the ball enough. The HBO cameras will have a field day watching Gruden cater to Brown and chronicling the latest comeback of often-troubled guard Richie Incognito as owner Mark Davis, son of Al, begins the final season in Oakland before the move to Las Vegas in 2020.’

3. Kyler & Kliff

The great experiment in the desert brings us Kyler Murray, the 5-foot-10 quarterback, and Kliff Kingsbury, the rookie head coach with the rookie quarterback he craved — at the expense of Josh Rosen — for his Air Raid system. Murray will make jaw-dropping splash plays with his arm and with his legs, and the Cardinals will be entertaining, but they won’t be any good anytime soon.

Kingsbury you already know. Zac Taylor is the first Bengals coach not named Marvin Lewis since Dick LeBeau in 2002. Broncos GM John Elway, following an 11-21 record the past two seasons under Vance Joseph, has turned to former Bears defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, who will be 61 in August. Former Patriots defensive coordinator Brian Flores should be preparing himself to be the Dolphins’ version of David Fizdale — tanking for Tua Tagovailoa, perhaps?

5. Coaches on the hot seat

You start with Dallas’ Jason Garrett, who has two playoff wins in his nine seasons on Jerry Jones’ sideline. Jay Gruden hasn’t won a playoff game in his five seasons on Daniel Snyder’s sideline, and the Redskins were 4-12 in 2018. Ron Rivera has been to a Super Bowl, but he’s 13-19 the past two seasons, and he didn’t take the Panthers to the Super Bowl under second-year owner David Tepper. Matt Patricia was 6-10 in his rookie season in Detroit, and he’s trapped in a division with the Bears, Vikings and Packers.

6. Life after Gronk

Life begins at 42 next month for Tom Brady, who will be hunting an unprecedented seventh Super Bowl championship with coach Bill Belichick without his future Hall of Fame tight end. Rob Gronkowski has lost considerable weight, casting doubt on whether he might ride back to Foxborough on a white horse down the road. Of course, when it comes to Gronk, nothing should surprise us.



7. Life after Brown & Bell

Antonio Brown is a Raider, and good riddance from Ben Roethlisberger and coach Mike Tomlin, and Le’Veon Bell is a Jet. Big Ben, the last Killer B standing in Pittsburgh, was rewarded with a two-year, $68 million extension to fend off the Browns and Ravens and beat the Patriots to a record seventh Super Bowl championship.

8. The journeymen

Jaguars exec Tom Coughlin was desperate to move on from Blake Bortles and lured former Eagles Super Bowl MVP quarterback Nick Foles with a four-year, $88 million deal to take him back to a Super Bowl. Can Doug Marrone cook up a Jacksonville Special? Desperate Broncos GM John Elway traded a fourth-round pick to the Ravens for Joe Flacco. Don’t forget about Ryan Fitzpatrick, of course, who will be pressing Josh Rosen in Miami.

9. Green Pray

Cheeseheads everywhere will be watching the chemistry between Aaron Rodgers and rookie coach Matt LaFleur. Will their future Hall of Fame quarterback have a better relationship with LaFleur than he did with Mike McCarthy? Or will he be chugging beers with Danica Patrick to drown his sorrow?

10. The Super Bowl hangover

Rams coach Sean McVay was humbled by Bill Belichick for all to see, and QB Jared Goff was overmatched. Of the past 21 Super Bowl losers, just three — including the 2018 Patriots — returned to their conference championship game the next year. Prior to the Patriots beating the Rams, the last team to win a Super Bowl the year after losing one was the 1972 Dolphins. Just eight teams have made it back to the Super Bowl the year after losing it. Get the picture?



What can Patrick Mahomes possibly do for an encore after his eye-popping season (50 touchdowns, 5,097 yards)? Chiefs fans were holding their breath over a Tyreek Hill suspension (child abuse allegations under the NFL’s personal conduct policy), and were relieved when the NFL decided not to suspend him. Get ready for more no-look passes and sidearm throws off-platform from the dynamic young phenom.

12. Moneyball

Russell Wilson’s $140 million contract extension with the Seahawks made him the NFL’s highest-paid player. Carson Wentz (four years for $128 million) needs to stay healthy now that Foles won’t be around to bail the Eagles out. Dak Prescott is up next for Jerry Jones.