There’s a long way to go before the 2026 NFL season is over, but for a handful of rebuilding teams, the real conversation is already drifting toward what comes next.
That doesn’t mean the upcoming year is pointless. It just means the bar has to be set differently. For the four clubs sitting at the longest preseason odds to win Super Bowl LXI, success is going to look less like a playoff push and more like proof that the foundation is finally taking shape.
Arizona is first in that group, and the question there starts with Jeremiyah Love. The Cardinals used the No. 3 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft on the rookie running back, a 2025 Heisman Trophy finalist and one of only five backs taken with a top-three pick this century, alongside Ronnie Brown (2005), Reggie Bush (2006), Trent Richardson (2012) and Saquon Barkley (2018).
Love flashed in preseason Week 1, but that debut was wiped out when the former Notre Dame back suffered a high-ankle sprain. On Tuesday, first-year coach Mike LaFleur said Love wouldn’t practice this week.
When the injury was announced, ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter reported that the Cardinals were "hoping he can return for the Sept. 13 regular-season opener [versus] the Chargers," but with two weeks left before the season kicks off, Arizona is running out of time to get its prized rookie back on the field. Given what the Cardinals invested in him, the mission is obvious: protect the asset, get him healthy, and then see him produce at the level that justified the pick.
In Cleveland, the picture is messier, but there’s at least a path to something better by season’s end. The Browns look rough right now, especially after dealing All-Pro defensive end Myles Garrett, but they got Jared Verse back in the trade and now have the last two Associated Press Defensive Rookie of the Year winners on the roster, with Verse joining linebacker Carson Schwesinger, who won the award last season.
The offense also has a few young pieces worth watching. Tight end Harold Fannin posted 72 catches, 731 receiving yards and six touchdowns as a rookie, while running back Quinshon Judkins finished with 230 carries, 837 rushing yards and seven scores.
If both take another step, they could become real building blocks. Cleveland then spent its first three picks in April on offense, including No. 9 offensive tackle Spencer Fano, plus wide receivers KC Concepcion at No. 24 and Denzel Boston at No.
- If those three are starting by Year 1 and holding up, the Browns’ outlook could look very different heading into the 2027 draft.
Miami’s path is the most alarming of the bunch, and it begins with Malik Willis trying to settle into the quarterback job. If Tuesday was any indication, the Dolphins may be headed for a rough ride. Early in the day, ESPN Dolphins reporter Marcel Louis-Jacques wrote that first-head coach Jeff Hafley is "'still evaluating' whether the team has enough NFL talent at safety -- and the same could be said for multiple positions."
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Dolphins Suddenly Have A Backfield Squeeze Fans Didn't See Coming
The Dolphins have taken one major piece of uncertainty off the table by signing De'Von Achane to a three-year extension, locking in their top running back and giving the offense a clearer anchor in the backfield. But with that decision made, the rest of the room has suddenly become a crowded evaluation, and Miami is still sorting through a mix of young backs and versatile depth pieces as roster cutdown season approaches.
Jaylen Wright, Ollie Gordon II, Donovan Edwards and Carlos Washington Jr. are all in the mix for the remaining jobs, while some of them may ultimately end up on the practice squad or on the outside looking in. Even D.J. Herman, who brings fullback-tight end flexibility, is part of the discussion depending on how the offense wants to shape itself, which makes this one of the more interesting competition battles left on the roster. [Read more 🡒]
Dolphins May Have A New Camp Strength Despite One Lingering Concern
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Even so, the position is not fully settled. Kenneth Grant remains sidelined by injury, leaving the Dolphins to sort through practice reps and evaluate the group without one of the players they were counting on for the mix inside. The latest reports from multiple beat writers point to a unit that is encouraging overall, but still carrying one obvious concern as camp moves along. [Read more 🡒]
Rams Make Surprising Move To Reload Sean McVay's Offense
The Dolphins latest roster shuffle comes with a familiar name heading back to Los Angeles, as the Rams and Miami completed a trade that sent wide receiver Tutu Atwell back to Sean McVays offense in exchange for running back Jarquez Hunter. Atwell, who was originally drafted by the Rams in 2021, now returns to the place where his NFL career began, while Miami adds a young back as it continues to reshape a roster that is still being rebuilt.
For the Dolphins, the move is less about the player leaving and more about what Hunter can bring to a backfield that needs depth as the team works through its reset. Trades like this do not usually dominate the conversation in South Florida, but they matter for a team trying to balance immediate roster needs with a longer-term plan, especially when pieces are being moved around to fit a new phase. [Read more 🡒]