Manchester United’s £52million signing of Leny Yoro was a deal to make European football sit up and take note last week.

Most observers had expected Lille’s teenage defender to end up at Real Madrid, but along came United, offering greater returns and long-term challenges, to win the race for his signature.

It is the biggest transfer of the Premier League’s summer and a sizeable show of faith in one so young. The market in which United chose to invest such a significant sum, however, should not come as a surprise.

Ligue 1, the French top division where Yoro shot to prominence last season, is where the Premier League’s 20 clubs have collectively spent more than any other overseas league in the past decade.

The outlay stood at £1.81billion ($2.34bn) in the previous 10 years ahead of this summer and, in all probability, will soar past the £2bn mark in the next six weeks. The weight of numbers making the move to the Premier League from French clubs — 145 players and counting — is also unsurpassed.

No other European league has received more of the Premier League’s riches through transfer fees than France’s top division since 2014, although Spain’s La Liga and Germany’s Bundesliga are not far behind.

La Liga used to be where Premier League clubs spent most of their money. In the 10 years between 2004-05 and 2013-14, it was Spain’s top division that comfortably drew in most transfer income from the Premier League, with 27 per cent more spent there than in France.

The following decade still saw another £1.76bn spent on La Liga players, but others, most strikingly Germany, have caught up. Bundesliga clubs sold players for a sum totalling £1.72billion between 2014-15 and 2023-24 and last summer was the highest outlay on record.

In a transfer window that saw RB Leipzig sell Josko Gvardiol to Manchester City, Christopher Nkunku to Chelsea and Dominik Szoboszlai to Liverpool, the Premier League collectively spent £378million on Bundesliga players. The running total since 2018, in fact, stands at £1.26billion, marginally ahead of Ligue 1 over that shorter period of assessment.

Serie A was another market to catch Premier League eyes last summer, collecting over £300million in transfer fees, but of the big five European leagues, it remains the least favoured, with a 10-year return of £1.48bn.

For all that, France still stands apart in the overall spending table, having been the most popular place to shop in four of the last nine seasons. And the early moves of this summer, most notably Yoro, would indicate it is anything but a passing fad.

For all it is considered to lag behind rival leagues such as La Liga, Bundesliga and Serie A, trailing in UEFA’s national coefficient rankings, Ligue 1 continues to act as Europe’s chief talent factory. In 19 of the past 20 years, according to the respected website Transfermarkt, there have been at least 10 players bought from Ligue 1 clubs. In 2022-23, that total was 22, with Premier League clubs spending more (£312million) on Ligue 1 players than Ligue 1 clubs did (£153m).

There have been some costly mistakes, such as Arsenal’s £72m deal to sign Nicolas Pepe — also from Lille — in 2019, but in recent seasons there has been a spate of success stories, with Gabriel (Arsenal), Bruno Guimaraes (Newcastle United), William Saliba (signed by Arsenal from St Etienne in 2018 but who spent the next three seasons on loan at Ligue 1 clubs) and former Lille player Amadou Onana, who swapped Everton for Aston Villa in a £50million move yesterday, all thriving.

The Athletic spoke to a number of figures working in football to gauge why Ligue 1 had become the shopping market of choice for English clubs. Those who responded asked to do so anonymously, either because they did not have permission to talk or because of commercial sensitivity, but their answers were revealing.

One senior Premier League figure pointed towards the physicality and athleticism of Ligue 1 and the potential for signings to be developed at pace under better coaching in England. A senior agent, meanwhile, cited the value for money that Ligue 1 has traditionally offered when measured up against data output. Players there tend to tick all sorts of boxes when impressing at a level that demands technical proficiency.

It is hard to pinpoint a precise moment when French football began to command so much attention from Premier League clubs.

Perhaps it was the impact of Eric Cantona, Manchester United’s swashbuckling No 7 from the 1990s, or David Ginola, the dazzling winger with Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur, but more likely it was the deeper marks left on Arsenal by their French connection under Arsene Wenger.

As well as Nicolas Anelka, Emmanuel Petit and Robert Pires, there was Sylvain Wiltord and — via brief spells in Serie A — Thierry Henry and Patrick Vieira. Wenger found technically astute, physically strong players for prices far lower than their equivalents in English football. A total of 28 French players signed for Arsenal during Wenger’s 22 years in charge of Arsenal.

Others soon followed where he had led. Signing players from Ligue 1 — French or otherwise — made sense. Newcastle United signed five players from French clubs in 2012-13 alone, a season notable for becoming the first where Premier League clubs spent in excess of £100million on imports from a single league. It was the year Chelsea signed Eden Hazard from Lille, Olivier Giroud left Montpellier to join Arsenal, and Spurs landed Hugo Lloris from Lyon — three big deals but each strengthening the perceived pedigree of Ligue 1 targets.

Eden Hazard was a gamechanger when he signed for Chelsea (William West/AFP via Getty Images)

French football typically fields younger players, too, offering that potential and promise to suitors from overseas. UEFA’s annual report, The European Club Footballing Landscape, found that 39 per cent of all total domestic minutes played came from players aged 23 or under in France during the 2021-22 season. That made it the youngest profile of the big European leagues, way below the 26 per cent of the Premier League minutes played by under-24s and 20 per cent of La Liga, where spending from English clubs has tailed off in recent years.

Only the Netherlands’ Eredivisie, another league targeted heavily by English clubs in recent seasons, had a comfortably younger demographic than Ligue 1, with 47 per cent of minutes being played by under-24s. At the end of that assessment period covered in UEFA’s report, in fact, Premier League clubs spent £240m on players from the Dutch top flight in 2022-23, including Antony, Lisandro Martinez, Cody Gakpo and Noni Madueke.

The Premier League’s financial might grows harder for European rivals to fight against and it is Ligue 1, with its modern challenges over TV rights, that has become more vulnerable. A newly-struck domestic deal with DAZN and beIN Sports is said to be worth just £420million per season, a figure dwarfed by the Premier League’s total TV packages worth over £3bn annually. The rights for Ligue 1 since their peak in the 2016-20 cycle have actually declined in value.

Spanish, German and Italian clubs feel the same pressures, but nothing like those in France. Selling players has become a fundamental part of the business model and few do it better than Lille, who sold Yoro to Manchester United last week. The last five years have seen Lille, who finished fourth in Ligue 1 last season, sell £250million of players to Premier League clubs, including Sven Botman, Carlos Baleba, Onana, Gabriel and Pepe.

Lille sold Nicolas Pepe to Arsenal for £72m (Jeff Pachoud/AFP via Getty Images)

Lyon, another of French football’s bigger names, have been equally as adept. Their returns have also topped £200m since 2019, with the likes of Lucas Paqueta (to West Ham), Guimaraes (Newcastle) and Tanguy Ndombele (Tottenham) sold on for huge profits.

Ligue 1 still managed to post a net transfer spend of just under £30m in last summer’s transfer window, a feat beyond Serie A and La Liga, but that owed plenty to the lavish spending of Paris Saint-Germain, forever insulated by the backing of their Qatar Sports Investment ownership group.

PSG continue to be the only French club to make the top 10 of Deloitte’s Football Money League, a list of European clubs generating the greatest revenues. Marseille came 20th in the 2024 list, with Lyon 29th, but the rest of Ligue 1, especially those not benefiting from the extra revenue provided by European football, can see incomes transformed by a single sale. It is harder to say no to English overtures.

French football, as a result, has been at the heart of multi-club development plans. Chelsea’s owners BlueCo bought Strasbourg last year and Liverpool owners FSG were also in recent discussions to buy Bordeaux, a historically big club currently languishing in the second tier, before talks collapsed last week. The same reasons for targeting French players in the transfer market underpin the motivation for taking ownership of its clubs.

Little wonder, when so many have made the switch from Ligue 1 to Premier League. A total of 260 players were signed from the French top division between 2004 and 2024, a figure higher than Spain (245), Italy (192) and Germany (171).

The average cost of a signing from Ligue 1 in that time? Just under £9m.

The Premier League’s focus is broadening, with Germany’s Bundesliga gaining increased interest in the Covid-19 years, but Ligue 1 remains the most fertile ground to find a new recruit. Yoro is timely proof of that.

(Top photos: Leny Yoro, Gabriel and William Saliba; all Getty Images)

Someone always wanted something from Shohei Ohtani. An autographed baseball. A special meeting on the field. But often during his time with the Angels, Ohtani could not be bothered. His regimen as a two-way player left him with limited time. His preference was to focus only on baseball.

Virtually every request needed to go through Ohtani’s agent, Nez Balelo of CAA. Many of them were denied. But was it Ohtani actually balking? Was his interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, interceding? Or was it Balelo making the call? The three formed such a united front, such a protective cocoon, the Angels could not always tell.

One Angels official likened Team Ohtani to “a well-oiled machine,” efficient and impenetrable.

Or so people thought.

The insular relationship among Ohtani, Mizuhara and Balelo, marked by immense trust despite a language barrier that hindered their communication, created the landscape for the unthinkable — Mizuhara’s theft of almost $17 million from Ohtani to cover gambling debts, and his plea of guilty last month to charges of bank and tax fraud. The two counts carry a maximum sentence of 33 years.

Could Mizuhara have pulled off such a theft without Ohtani and Balelo knowing? The only way it was even plausible was because of the unusual dynamic among the three, as detailed by more than 25 past and present Angels employees, Dodgers officials and others familiar with the evolution of their relationship. Many of those who spoke to The Athletic were granted anonymity so that they could speak candidly. Ohtani, Balelo and Mizuhara declined to answer questions for this story.

As one Angels employee put it, Ohtani’s whole world was baseball, and Balelo’s whole world was Ohtani. Mizuhara, the only one of the three fluent in both English and Japanese, filled the communication gap and assumed greater responsibility than a typical interpreter. Mizuhara, according to those interviewed, fit a variety of descriptions: Buffer. Blocker. Human wall. The U.S. government, in its 37-page complaint against Mizuhara, referred to him as a de facto manager and assistant, employed by Ohtani.

Ohtani, consumed with his unprecedented effort to succeed as both a hitter and pitcher, placed inordinate faith in Mizuhara to handle his day-to-day affairs. And Balelo, perhaps out of fear of losing Ohtani as a client with a record payday looming, failed to make an issue of the bank account Mizuhara said Ohtani wanted kept private — the account the interpreter plundered.

Ohtani, viewed solely as a victim by the government, weathered the storm as if it was a passing shower. Though he is unable to pitch this season while recovering from major elbow surgery, he is a candidate for his third MVP award because of his continuing prowess as a hitter. Going into Monday, he leads the National League in Wins Above Replacement (5.4), slugging percentage (.638), OPS (1.039) and home runs (30), and ranks in the top three in hits, batting average and on-base percentage.

Off the field, Ohtani is also thriving. In March, shortly before news broke of Mizuhara’s misdeeds, Sportico estimated Ohtani would earn $65 million in endorsements in 2024. Ohtani since has emerged in an even stronger position, nearing $100 million annually in endorsements with the potential to exceed that figure, according to an industry source briefed on his earnings.

With Mizuhara out of the picture, Ohtani also has become more assertive. Before a recent game, Ohtani told teammate Freddie Freeman, “I’m going to be on first when you hit a double today.” Freeman and other teammates have taken note of Ohtani’s comfort with baseball talk in English. During the 5 1/2 weeks when Mizuhara was with the Dodgers, such interactions did not take place, Freeman said. Mizuhara initiated conversations with players, not Ohtani.

“He has blossomed,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said of Ohtani. “He’s become way more independent, way more open, which is ironic given that the person he trusted most deceived him. We’ve seen his true personality come out. I think with that, he’s happier than he’s ever been.”

Joe Maddon, the Angels’ manager from 2020 to June 2022, worried about Ohtani.

“I just didn’t think he had any kind of social life. That was the part that really stood out to me,” Maddon said. “My impression was that he would go back to that apartment in the parking lot of the ballpark. On the road, it was pretty much the same, (hotel) room and back. Was he that married to baseball?”

The answer, those in Ohtani’s orbit say, was yes. Experts say such single-mindedness is not uncommon among Japanese athletes. But while many players who moved from Japan to the majors showed intense focus, Ohtani’s single-mindedness as both a pitcher and hitter is a level above.

“I’ll start with the caveat that you can’t essentialize any culture of any nation,” said Kiyoteru Tsutsui, professor of sociology and director of the Japan program at Stanford University’s Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center. “But to the extent we can talk about ‘Japanese culture, Japanese ethos,’ that is one key component.”

The narrowing of focus starts at a young age, Tsutsui said. Most Japanese schoolchildren play only one sport. Some traditionalists even opposed Ohtani’s initial pursuit of a two-way career, perceiving it as disrespectful to the craft of baseball, in which a player generally tries to succeed either as a pitcher or hitter, but not both.

As Ohtani pressed forward, cultural mores dictated that mere proficiency in those endeavors would not be enough.

“You have to be the best where you are. That has been a tradition in Japan,” Tsutsui said. “Things are slowly changing. But it’s still a very powerful influence on a lot of people’s mindsets. So when people see Shohei crafting his skill in baseball, that kind of focus is highly valued and appreciated. And people really respect him for that.”

How could Ohtani fail to notice millions disappearing from one of his bank accounts? Some who witnessed Ohtani’s devotion to becoming, as former Angels manager Phil Nevin put it, “the greatest player in the world,” were unsurprised by his seeming obliviousness.

One former Angels employee described Ohtani’s work-life balance as “99 to 1” in favor of work. He was so regimented in his daily preparation as a pitcher and hitter, the employee said, “it was not in his mind space to enjoy the moment.” Ohtani would take an iPad home to watch the next day’s starting pitcher. He even monitored his sleep — Sports Illustrated reported Ohtani strives for 10 hours a night, plus a two-hour nap before a game — through a wearable device.

The employee recalled Ohtani setting specific statistical goals. His pursuit of a record free-agent contract reflected, as much as anything, his desire to establish another standard. Ohtani accomplished that by securing the biggest deal by total value in sports history. Yet he deferred $680 million of the $700 million knowing that, by going to the Dodgers, his endorsements only would increase.

Those who know Ohtani say he considers the financial numbers almost incidental, and shows virtually no interest in money. Deals with New Balance and Hugo Boss provide him with most of his clothing. Ohtani secured a prime piece of real estate in Hawaii in exchange for being named as the first resident of a new luxury community. “It is unclear how much, if anything, Ohtani paid for his land,” the Wall Street Journal said. He recently purchased a $7.85 million home in the L.A. area as well. The buyer on the deed is listed as “Decopin LLC.” Decopin is the name of Ohtani’s dog.

With the Angels, Ohtani never even participated in common clubhouse rituals such as NCAA tournament and Master’s pools. The notion that Ohtani would even be interested in international soccer, one of the sports Mizuhara bet on, is outlandish, some team sources said. One guessed Ohtani could not even identify Patrick Mahomes, the NFL’s biggest star. “All he cared about was playing his video game on his phone,” an Angels person said. “And then it was baseball.”

Perhaps Ohtani, 30, will broaden his horizons now that he is settled with the Dodgers and married to Mamiko Tanaka, a former basketball player; Angels people were shocked to see video of him attending the Dodgers’ annual chicken-wing eating contest in spring training. Or perhaps little will change.

Japanese psychoanalyst Takeo Doi, in his 1971 book, “The Anatomy of Dependence,” introduced the concept of amae, describing it as a desire among some in Japan for one person to be taken care of by another, almost in the way a parent takes care of a child. Tsutsui said the term loosely translated to “indulgence.”

“The boundary between children and adults is much blurrier in Japan,” Tsutsui said. “People want to go back to being kids again. Shohei is perceived to be, in areas other than baseball, this man-child. He’s a grownup, but he’s still playing baseball like he’s a kid, chasing baseballs after dark. And that also is an endearing image for a lot of the Japanese public.”

Ohtani and Mizuhara first met in 2013, when both joined the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters, Ohtani as an 18-year-old rookie, Mizuhara as an interpreter for the team’s English-speaking players. When Ohtani made it known he would play in the majors starting in 2018, Mizuhara contacted him and asked to be his interpreter, according to the government complaint.

Both Ohtani and Balelo highly recommended Mizuhara, a former Angels employee said. The Angels, who hired Mizuhara to interpret for one player, not serve in a broad position of responsibility, conducted a perfunctory background check. After the gambling scandal broke, key points in Mizuhara’s publicly available biography were revealed to be either exaggerated or inaccurate.

Ohtani, during his time with the Angels, rarely was seen without Mizuhara. They would arrive at the park together, eat together, appear in the batting cage together, leave together.

“I saw two guys who were the best of friends,” Nevin said.

Mizuhara attended to every detail for Ohtani, down to making sure he had the right food. In the rare times they were apart, Mizuhara might be talking on the phone. Or smoking a cigarette. But while some with the Angels knew he bet, they didn’t see him checking his phone constantly, the way a compulsive gambler might be expected to. When Mizuhara spoke on the phone, he appeared to be conducting business for Ohtani.

“He always seemed to be handling stuff you feel like your agent would kind of handle,” one former Angels player said. “It felt like he was a quasi-agent.”

The government complaint stated that CAA, described as “Agent 1’s agency,” did not employ any individuals who spoke Japanese. The complaint also stated, “Agent 1 did not speak directly to Victim A (Ohtani) or regularly exchange text messages with Victim A. Instead, Agent 1 relayed messages to Victim A through Mizuhara.”

Such was the three-way trust.

“As much as Ohtani trusted Ippei, I can promise you Nez trusted him exactly as much,” a Dodgers official said. “I don’t know any other circumstance that is like this, where this is one guy in the middle. He controlled the dialogue in both directions.”

Ohtani’s knowledge of English, Dodgers people say, is improving, but remains limited mostly to baseball talk. Some Angels officials said they spoke to Ohtani directly, but also only in baseball terms. If Ohtani wanted to do early work, Mizuhara would text an Angels coach to arrange a time. One coach said he did not even have Ohtani’s number. Communicating with Mizuhara was easier and more effective.

Maddon said he enjoyed a “great relationship” with the interpreter. Nevin said he considered Mizuhara a friend. Some with the team, however, thought Mizuhara overly protective of Ohtani and wondered whether the information he relayed to and from the player was always accurate. Others thought Mizuhara at times seemed more loyal to Balelo than the organization that employed him. But those concerns, at the time, seemed minor.

One Angels person recalls Mizuhara saying he bet $10,000 on the Minnesota Vikings, but the revelation didn’t strike him as particularly odd. Betting conversations in major-league clubhouses are hardly uncommon. And if Mizuhara fretted over his gambling losses, he didn’t outwardly show it. On team flights, he usually was fast asleep. “Best sleeper we’ve ever had,” the Angels person said.

Over time, as Ohtani’s stardom grew, Mizuhara’s ability to communicate in both English and Japanese made him not only an invaluable resource, but also increased his power and control.

Balelo, according to the government complaint, was not the only member of Ohtani’s camp to ask Mizuhara about the bank account that belonged to the player, but which the interpreter used for his own gambling money. A bookkeeper employed by Balelo expressed concern about a potential tax liability for Ohtani. A financial advisor sought information for Ohtani’s investment profile. An accountant wanted to make sure he filed the proper tax returns. Mizuhara, the government said, told them all the same thing: Ohtani wanted the account to remain private.

And everyone knew: Ohtani was not to be disturbed.

Ippei Mizuhara (left), Shohei Ohtani and Nez Balelo (right) attended a Los Angeles Rams game together in December. (Sean M. Haffey / Getty Images)

Balelo’s desire for control is well-known throughout baseball. It was never more evident than during Ohtani’s free agent process, which was shrouded in secrecy. And it recently surfaced again when Balelo informed the Dodgers that Ohtani no longer will be available for pre-game access to the media.

In Mizuhara’s absence, Balelo has stepped into the void, taking on even greater responsibility. When necessary, he uses the Dodgers’ new interpreter for Ohtani, Will Ireton, to communicate with his client.

In seeking to shield Ohtani, Balelo is willing to push limits. As an executive told The Athletic last offseason, “Some would say Nez overdoes it with his clients. He’s involved in everything.”

By 2017, when Ohtani decided to leave Japan for the majors,  most of Balelo’s top clients — Andre Ethier, Ryan Braun, Adam Jones — were winding down their careers. Once Ohtani signed with the Angels, Balelo, 61, was uniquely positioned to give him inordinate attention. And it quickly became clear that representing Ohtani would be a full-time job.

During Ohtani’s recruitment, U.S.-based agencies met with his parents, his high school coach and an attorney. His parents are listed as employees of a management company Ohtani formed at the start of his career, but their involvement is said to be limited. Some requests for him from the Japanese media go through that company, but Balelo generally has the final word.

A friend of Balelo’s described him as a “true believer” in his players. Balelo took the same approach with Ohtani he did with previous high-profile clients, diving into the weeds, trying to cover every detail. The approach backfired with Braun, who in 2013 tested positive a second time for using performance-enhancing drugs. Braun, after earlier denials, admitted to his use of PEDs, saying, “I realize now I have made some mistakes.” Two years earlier, he and Balelo persuaded an arbiter to overturn his first positive test, claiming his positive urine sample had been mishandled and attempting to discredit the Wisconsin man who collected it.

Some familiar with Balelo’s all-in style find it curious the government said he did not communicate directly with Ohtani, going through Mizuhara instead. Was Balelo, in his eagerness to serve his client, simply too trusting? Was he concerned that pushing Mizuhara on the Ohtani bank account in question would damage his relationship with his star player?

Balelo’s dealings with Braun were a blow to the agent’s reputation. But the agent seems to have escaped this spring’s tumultuous events relatively unscathed.

Viewed by the usual measures, Balelo’s micromanaging of Ohtani has been an unqualified success. Ohtani is the most prosperous player in the sport, on and off the field. And Mizuhara’s gambling, while initially perceived as a major threat to Ohtani’s standing, barely dented the global superstar. The government’s message was that Mizuhara deceived those who trusted him most.

A less insular relationship among the three might have resulted in a different sequence of events. But Ohtani achieved global stardom while he, Mizuhara and Balelo maintained the tightest of circles.

Now Mizuhara is gone, and Ohtani’s stature continues to rise. He is putting together another monstrous offensive season. He is on track to resume pitching in 2025. And his teammates say he is engaging with them regularly, often without an interpreter.

“He’s been very interactive with the team, talking to everybody,” Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy said.

Roberts, the Dodgers’ manager, sees it too.

“He’s been forced to be his own man, drive his own car, just do things on his own,” Roberts said. “He’s learning things about himself he never knew.”

(Top image: Eamonn Dalton / The Athletic; Photos: Rob Leiter / MLB Photos via Getty Images; Brian Rothmuller / Icon Sportswire; Mitchell Leff / Getty Images)

Football is finally here with training camps commencing across the league this week.

It means the most pertinent questions begin to get answered. How will the rookie quarterbacks like Jayden Daniels or new faces in new places like Kirk Cousins look? How will Anthony Richardson or Joe Burrow fare coming off injuries? Are there any contract impasses to follow? What about the fresh wrinkles from new head coaches like Jim Harbaugh in Los Angeles or coordinators like Kellen Moore in Philadelphia?

The Athletic’s NFL staff compiled one major question for each NFL team as camp begins. These are the talking points to follow with the Hall of Fame Game just 10 days away.

Can Kyler Murray elevate the organization?

Apologies upfront. This question has been presented in this space before but has yet to be fully answered. There are several reasons — an ACL injury, a coaching change, subpar receivers — but Murray himself is the biggest. He has had strong moments, but not nearly enough. Entering Year 6, this is his time. Concerns about Murray’s leadership and preparation have faded. Coaches and teammates rave about the quarterback’s commitment and drive. He is healthy. His supporting cast is better. And he understands what it means to be the face of the franchise. The next step is the biggest. — Doug Haller

Was quarterback really the only missing piece?

The Falcons have lived the last three years under the assumption that if they had consistently good quarterback play, their offense would come alive thanks to its young skill position talent and highly paid offensive line. Matt Ryan’s final year in Atlanta, followed by basically a season each from Marcus Mariota and Desmond Ridder, didn’t provide that. Kirk Cousins, who signed as a free agent in the offseason, should. That’s why Atlanta gave him a guaranteed $100 million. Now the Falcons find out if Kyle Pitts, Drake London and Bijan Robinson are as good as they’ve been saying all this time. — Josh Kendall

Will the Ravens be able to piece together a strong offensive line?

With two-time league MVP Lamar Jackson leading an offense that now has Derrick Henry, an emerging No. 1 receiver in Zay Flowers and two dangerous pass-catching tight ends in Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely, the Ravens have the makings of an offense that could be highly productive and tough to defend. For things to come together, Baltimore must be excellent up front. Yet, the offensive line starts training camp as a work in progress. The Ravens have three starting spots up for grabs and at least two of them, if not all three, could be filled by a first-time starter. — Jeff Zrebiec

Will kicker Tyler Bass avoid the yips?

Perhaps it’s a show of confidence, but the Bills decided not to bring in another kicker this offseason. Once considered automatic, Bass increasingly struggled as last season wore on. He was perfect through the first five weeks and then missed three of his next four field goal attempts, all wide right from 52, 53 and 42 yards. A week after missing an extra point, he made only two of his four FG tries (one blocked, the other wide right again) in a Week 12 overtime loss to the Eagles. Bass was abysmal in the playoffs, making only two of his five field goals. He was wide left from just 27 yards against the Steelers. With the Bills desperate to tie the Chiefs with 1:43 to play, he sent his 44-yard attempt wide right yet again, ending their season. — Tim Graham

Can Bryce Young be the guy?

The Panthers spent a ton of draft capital and traded DJ Moore to Chicago to take Young first overall. Young’s rookie season was a disaster, as the Panthers finished last in total offense and tied with the Patriots as the worst-scoring offense at 13.9 ppg. Young had the league’s worst passer rating but also had poor pass protection and receivers who couldn’t separate from coverage. The Panthers fortified the O-line by signing free agent guards Robert Hunt and Damien Lewis to big contracts. They also gave Young a few playmakers by trading for Diontae Johnson and drafting Xavier Legette and Jonathon Brooks. Now it’s up to Young to prove he can be a franchise QB like friend and former AAU basketball rival C.J. Stroud. — Joseph Person

How well will Caleb Williams play as a rookie?

The Bears have built a favorable situation for Williams to join. He’s surrounded by talent: Moore, Keenan Allen and Rome Odunze, tight ends Cole Kmet and Gerald Everett, running back D’Andre Swift and right tackle Darnell Wright. He has an experienced play caller in Shane Waldron. The Bears should also have one of the better defenses under coach Matt Eberflus. The expectations should be high for Williams and the Bears this season. — Adam Jahns

Will Joe Burrow look like himself?

Ask this question daily for the rest of his career and it wouldn’t be too much. Health feels like the only obstacle in front of Burrow, narrowly missing MVPs and championships in his first four seasons. If he can show the same pinpoint accuracy and necessary velocity in recovering from his rare wrist injury in camp, everyone in Cincinnati will exhale and prepare for a title run. All went well in the offseason program, but now will be the time to judge — not to mention avoiding another random ailment (ACL, appendectomy, calf) clouding his August and September for yet another year. — Paul Dehner Jr.

What are the Browns going to get from Deshaun Watson?

Pardon the exhaustion and repetitiveness; this has been the big question for three summers now. The Browns are coming off a playoff season but Watson is coming off November shoulder surgery. The folks in charge have spent big and feel a sense of urgency to win now, and in a loaded AFC (and AFC North), the Browns will only reach their ceiling if Watson is consistently available and playing at a high level. Amari Cooper’s contract status and Nick Chubb’s rehab are major questions, too, but the Browns know they have a good team. They also know that Watson mixing efficiency with the occasional bit of explosiveness is the best way to return to the playoffs and establish themselves as a true AFC contender. — Zac Jackson

How will Mike Zimmer use Micah Parsons?

Obviously, we can go the easy route with the handful of contract situations, headlined by a potential CeeDee Lamb holdout, but let’s get a little deeper and look at the pending new look on defense. The Cowboys brought back Mike Zimmer following Dan Quinn’s departure to Washington and a lot of attention justifiably goes to how Zimmer improves the run defense. However, how Zimmer goes about using his best defensive player between pass rusher and linebacker, or both, will go a long way in dictating how different the Cowboys’ defense may look than what it’s been in recent years. — Saad Yousuf

Will Bo Nix look the part as a rookie quarterback?

You don’t draft a 24-year-old quarterback with 61 college starts to have him sit for a season, especially when there isn’t an established answer at the position ahead of him. Even if Nix doesn’t win the race with Jarrett Stidham and Zach Wilson to become the Week 1 starter, he’ll undoubtedly see the field at some point during his rookie season. When he does, Nix must show he can push the ball down the field in critical situations, limit drive-altering mistakes like he did at Oregon and generally provide confidence that he’s ready to pilot an efficient offense by 2025. If he can do those things, the Broncos can count the transition year ahead as a success. — Nick Kosmider

Is this the year Detroit’s secondary comes together?

The Lions’ defense has yet to match its explosive offense in the Dan Campbell-Aaron Glenn era. The secondary, in particular, has been brutal. With the team so close to a Super Bowl appearance last season, the front office addressed those defensive needs — bringing in Carlton Davis III, Terrion Arnold, Amik Robertson and Ennis Rakestraw Jr. to bolster the position. All four are DBs with a challenge mindset who fit the man-heavy style Glenn likes to play. It’s a strong position on paper. At the same time, it’s too early to anoint this group. We need to see it perform. — Colton Pouncy

Will a change in defensive coordinator produce better results?

After three years of underwhelming relative to its individual talent, Green Bay’s defense has a new maestro in former Boston College head coach Jeff Hafley. Players have heaped praise on the 45-year-old this offseason and he carries a reputation of playing aggressive, getting after the quarterback and being a back-end specialist. But will all the good offseason vibes surrounding head coach Matt LaFleur’s surprise hire translate to on-field production for a team with Super Bowl aspirations? — Matt Schneidman

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Can C.J. Stroud avoid the sophomore slump?

Last season, quarterback C.J. Stroud delivered one of the most impressive rookie campaigns in NFL history. His efforts helped the Texans win the AFC South and reach the playoffs. Now, he’ll be expected to further elevate his game and his team. Stroud and the Texans won’t be able to sneak up on anyone. Rival coordinators have spent the offseason scheming on ways to contain him. Stroud and offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik must find ways to remain a step ahead of the competition. Questions remain about the Texans’ offensive line quality, but the franchise has invested in wide receivers and defensive playmakers. Can Stroud do his part to keep the ascension going? — Mike Jones

Can Anthony Richardson stay healthy?

Richardson is widely beloved in Indianapolis despite playing just four games, albeit an impressive four games, throughout his rookie season. An unlucky hit cut his first year short, but his inability to stay healthy dates back to high school. An AC joint injury prematurely ended Richardson’s senior season at Eastside High in Florida. He had repeated hamstring issues and underwent knee surgery at Florida. Then, he sustained another season-ending AC joint injury last year. The Colts still view Richardson as their franchise QB, although he must remain on the field to prove it. — James Boyd

Where do the Jaguars truly stand in the AFC pecking order?

They seemed so, so close to establishing themselves as a conference power early in 2023, but a rash of missteps coincided with the Texans’ rapid ascension. Are they still a team that makes too many unforced errors on offense, or was that just a sign of a group that wasn’t truly ready to make the leap? Or was it as simple as Trevor Lawrence’s inability to lift his supporting cast while trying to play through a handful of challenging injuries? If Lawrence stays healthy and the defensive changes yield improvements, the Jaguars should challenge the Texans for the division title. Otherwise, ceding AFC South control after a brief taste of success will be tough to swallow for a fan base that’s been starved for annual consistency. More than that, the wild-card chase in the AFC is expected to be brutal, so a drop into that pool makes it challenging to return to the playoffs. — Jeff Howe

Kansas City Chiefs

Who will protect Patrick Mahomes’ blind side?

The lone major position battle for the Chiefs is at left tackle, the premium position where the player is most responsible for protecting Mahomes’ blind side. The two players competing are rookie Kingsley Suamataia and second-year player Wanya Morris. During mandatory minicamp, the Chiefs gave more first-team repetitions to Suamataia to help prepare him for training camp. Morris was solid in four starts as a rookie but showed he needed to improve as a pass protector. Suamataia appears to be the more athletic option for the Chiefs if he can show progress throughout training camp. The winner of this battle might not be decided until after the Chiefs’ second preseason game, often when coach Andy Reid plays the projected starters for most of the first half. — Nate Taylor

Can Raiders cornerbacks hold up, and when is the new one showing up?

What, you thought we would say something about the quarterbacks? Excuse our skepticism, but does it really matter if Aidan O’Connell or Gardner Minshew is starting the opener? The margin is slim, and both likely start games this season. If the Raiders are going to advance to the playoffs for the third time in 22 years, it will be because of the defense. Maxx Crosby and Christian Wilkins lead a deep, robust defensive line, and the linebackers and safeties are fine. The question is at corner. Jack Jones made many plays in the last half of the season, but are we sure he is a No. 1 corner? Nate Hobbs is a tough player better suited for the slot, while Brandon Facyson has been an inconsistent role player his whole career. Jakorian Bennett hopes to build off a good offseason after a rough rookie year. Perhaps free agents Xavien Howard, Adoree’ Jackson, Stephon Gilmore, Patrick Peterson or J.C. Jackson might be interested in not paying any state taxes. — Vic Tafur

How will Justin Herbert fit into a Jim Harbaugh offense?

Since Harbaugh was hired as head coach in February, he and his offensive staff have been explicit about their offensive plan. They want to run the ball and build what offensive coordinator Greg Roman called a “strong, powerful identity.” The Chargers also have one of the most talented throwers in the league in Herbert. Will Harbaugh be able to maximize Herbert’s arm talent while still cultivating the offense — schematically and philosophically — that he believes in? How will the staff at large create the balance they hope to achieve? That will come into focus during camp when the pads come on and the run game can truly be tested. — Daniel Popper

Can the revived Rams make a real run?

The Rams gutted most of their roster and generally were the butt of the joke of the NFL’s 2023 offseason and preseason. But behind special play from quarterback Matthew Stafford, the breakout of then-rookie receiver Puka Nacua and running back Kyren Williams, the team made the playoffs when most predictions had them winning four to six games total. Momentum can be a fickle friend, but this group certainly had it after their bye week last season and wants to build into an actual contender this fall. Health is always a worry — Stafford and star receiver Cooper Kupp are getting older and have respective lengthy injury histories, and Stafford’s contract situation needs a resolution. Questions also loom about a young, developing defense now minus Aaron Donald, under new coordinator Chris Shula. Still, if the Rams can stay healthy they’ll be a tough out all year. — Jourdan Rodrigue

Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel talks to cornerback Jalen Ramsey (5) during the team’s mandatory minicamp in June. (Sam Navarro / USA Today)

Can Miami finally snap its 24-year playoff drought?

Coach Mike McDaniel’s offenses have taken the league by storm two years running, only to see their hot starts fade into distant memories come January. The Dolphins have been unceremoniously ousted from the playoffs in the wild-card round in back-to-back seasons, including a 26-7 thrashing at the hands of the Kansas City Chiefs last year. The loss pushed their playoff winless streak to 24 years. Will this be the year the Dolphins finally get over the hump? McDaniel isn’t afraid to face his team’s failures — historically and in the present — but if Miami can’t advance to at least the second round of the playoffs for a third straight year, he might have some more difficult questions to answer in January. — Jim Ayello

Are the Vikings finished adding talent for 2024?

The Vikings revamped their defense in free agency. They added two potential franchise cornerstones in J.J. McCarthy and Dallas Turner through the draft. But holes still exist — specifically, on the defensive line, at cornerback, the interior offensive line and potentially at receiver. Minnesota has cap space. Over The Cap currently projects the Vikings around $26 million, though that figure does not include the hits of McCarthy or Turner, nor money budgeted for later in the year. Do the Vikings want to squeeze their available funds for 2024 or add more flexibility for 2025 and beyond? They might do both, but how that looks into training camp will be fascinating to watch. — Alec Lewis

Can Drake Maye beat out Jacoby Brissett?

Success for the Patriots in 2024 isn’t determined by wins and losses but by how Maye, the No. 3 overall pick, looks. For now, they’ve signaled that they are content with Brissett starting and Maye likely replacing him at some point in the season. But this will be Maye’s first extended chance to show coaches what he can do. If the competition between him and Brissett is a virtual tie, Brissett is probably the starter. But can Maye do enough to leave no doubt that he should be under center from the very beginning? — Chad Graff

Can Klint Kubiak bring more life to the offense?

Of all the rumored candidates, Kubiak seemed like the best hire the Saints could make as their offensive coordinator to replace Pete Carmichael. He’ll be the first leading offensive voice without a Sean Payton connection in New Orleans since the 2005 season. So while the voice may be fresh, how much spark can Kubiak provide for players like Derek Carr, Alvin Kamara, Chris Olave, Taysom Hill and company? Carr seemed to be playing his best football in a Saints uniform toward the end of last year. But he’s no longer the best quarterback lurking in the division with Kirk Cousins in Atlanta. Throw in a questionable offensive line and Kubiak’s task to turn a mediocre group into a top flight unit seems challenging. — Larry Holder

Will the offensive line actually be improved?

The Giants have made an annual tradition of trying — and failing — to fix their offensive line every offseason for the past decade. The latest plan involved signing veterans Jon Runyan and Jermaine Eluemunor to mid-level contracts to solidify the guard spots. Meanwhile, the Giants are counting on 2022 first-round pick Evan Neal and 2023 second-round pick John Michael Schmitz to live up to their draft stock at right tackle and center, respectively. The offensive line assuredly can’t be worse than last season when it allowed the second-most sacks in NFL history. But will this group develop into an actual quality unit? The answer to that question will go a long way to determining the fate of the Giants this season. — Dan Duggan

When will Mike Williams return — and how will he look?

The free-agent wideout tore his ACL last September with the Chargers and will open his first Jets training camp on the PUP list. That has been the plan all along, but now it’s fair to wonder when Williams will actually return to the field, when he will be a full-go and how he will look when he’s back. Some players respond better to ACL surgery than others. Running back Breece Hall was stellar in 2023 post-surgery, as an example. Williams’ game is predicated on downfield speed and winning 50/50 balls. The Jets took a gamble signing Williams in hopes that he’d return to form as one of the NFL’s best deep threats and provide support for Garrett Wilson as the No. 2 receiver — as Wilson has gotten little to no support from his wide receiver teammates the last two years. Williams will be an essential part of the offense if healthy. If not, the depth at the position suddenly doesn’t look so good. — Zack Rosenblatt

Philadelphia Eagles

Will the Eagles restore their defense’s reputation?

General manager Howie Roseman and coach Nick Sirianni both said they wanted to regain their toughness and swagger on defense. They plummeted from the NFL’s third-ranked overall defense in 2022 to the league’s 26th in 2023. It was often a disastrous defense under former DC Sean Desai, and it veered deeper into dysfunction when Sirianni replaced Desai with Matt Patricia midseason. Sirianni secured the source of his favored scheme by hiring Vic Fangio, whose old-school approach reveals itself to be a better fit in Philly than in Miami. Roseman invested heavily in defensive players during the offseason. Will a revamped secondary that features C.J. Gardner-Johnson, first-round pick Quinyon Mitchell and second-round pick Cooper DeJean cut down on explosive plays? — Brooks Kubena

Pittsburgh Steelers

Will Russell Wilson find the fountain of youth?

Wilson turns 36 in November and you can pretty much count on one hand how many quarterbacks that age have won championships. Wilson said at the end of offseason workouts that he found the fountain of youth. He looks the part and works harder than anybody but can that be translated onto the field? How will his skills mesh with new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith’s scheme? Wilson doesn’t have to play like he did during his Super Bowl days in Seattle but he needs to be a significant upgrade for the Steelers to have any chance of competing for a playoff spot. All eyes will be on Wilson, and he still has the ability to make enough plays to allow the running game of Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren to succeed, as well as a defense full of Pro Bowlers to dominate games. — Mark Kaboly

Can the 49ers reverse trajectory on defense?

The 49ers dropped from the No. 1 to the No. 10 ranking in defensive EPA per play from 2022 to 2023. Their offense, meanwhile, remained elite. If the 49ers can re-establish themselves as a top-3 or at least top-5 team on both sides of the ball, they should be able to live up to their standing as preseason Super Bowl favorites. But if their defense continues struggling against the run (they were No. 26 in EPA per play there last season), there’ll again be a vulnerability for opponents to exploit. The 49ers fired defensive coordinator Steve Wilks, who was only with the team for one season, after the 2023 slide. They’ve also rehauled their defensive line and deepened their secondary. Will all these moves get the defense back on the right track? That might be the ultimate key for a team facing enormous pressure to win it all. — David Lombardi

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What will the offense look like?

While much of the Seahawks’ offensive personnel will be familiar, everything else is new. Coordinator Ryan Grubb has never worked in the NFL. The offense he ran at the University of Washington provides a general template. Coach Mike Macdonald has never been a head coach previously, so it’s less clear how he might influence offensive style. The most prominent offensive assistant, passing-game coordinator Jake Peetz, has worked under Sean McVay and Norv Turner, but it’s unclear what his influence might be. — Mike Sando

How will coordinator change affect Baker Mayfield and the Bucs’ offense?

Mayfield had a career year under Dave Canales, but there is room for growth with new coordinator Liam Coen, with whom Mayfield worked for a short time with the Rams two years ago. Mayfield will be given more authority at the line of scrimmage than he had, which could make him more dangerous. He also would benefit if Coen could improve the run game, which ranked 32nd in the NFL one year ago. — Dan Pompei

Will Brian Callahan bring out the best in Will Levis, and what would that mean?

Early indications on this pairing of rookie head coach and second-year quarterback are positive, but there’s work to do. Callahan stressed base and footwork with Levis during the spring to elicit more consistent accuracy. Those efforts will continue into camp, for a team with low expectations overall despite investing a lot in helping Levis — Calvin Ridley, Tyler Boyd, Tony Pollard, Lloyd Cushenberry and first-round pick JC Latham. Callahan has worked closely with Peyton Manning, Matthew Stafford and Joe Burrow on the way to this opportunity. This is his first “project,” but if it’s the start of a long-term partnership, the 2024 Titans should be competitive. — Joe Rexrode

Washington Commanders

How will Jayden Daniels perform?

This isn’t the first dual-threat, Heisman Trophy-winning rookie QB drafted second overall to come through Washington this century. Say whatever you want about Robert Griffin III’s career, but the 2012 OROY wasn’t helped by the organization’s persistent chaos. Daniels arrives amid a wave of positivity following an ownership sale and new football leadership. There are some concerns with the offensive line and receiver depth. There is also Terry McLaurin, a solid 1-2 RB combo and an arsenal of offensive assistant coaches hired to help the mature Daniels’ adjustment run as smoothly as possible. — Ben Standig

(Illustration: Eamonn Dalton / The Athletic; Photos of Bryce Young, Caleb Williams and Anthony Richardson: Kevin C. Cox, Jared C. Tilton and Michael Reaves / Getty Images)