NFL calendar turns into a period of uncertainty

The NFL Draft is over. The Nashville streets have been swept. The league and its fans have packed up their respective belongings and took off. The night has fallen.

For the NFL, the next three months are the closest thing to an actual offseason the league has. Sure, there are rookie minicamps and OTAs followed mandatory minicamp, but most fans don’t care. Even the most ardent of supporters realize that these events are largely a glorified walkthrough, allowing teams to install a few basic tenets of their playbooks while getting to see who is in shape, and who might need a weight-related bonus in their next deal.

All that said, there are still storylines to watch as we head into spring. Last year, we saw the unfortunate injury to Los Angeles Chargers tight end Hunter Henry, who tore his ACL and missed the entire regular season before returning in the playoffs. In the past, men like Baltimore Ravens corner Tavon Young and Dallas Cowboys middle linebacker Sean Lee also went down with knee injuries. Even though there is no permitted contact, be on the lookout for a freak injury that could derail a contender.

Aside from the catastrophic, OTAs do give a glimpse into who might surprise. For all of the 32 clubs, there are always a few little-known free agents or a late-round rookie who beings to shine and at least, if nothing else, makes a training camp battle a little more interesting. Occasionally, one of these players turns into a star as Denver Broncos running back Phillip Lindsay — an undrafted rookie free agent — did in the Mile High City a year ago.

Finally, there are still some loose ends to be tied up in free agency. There are some major defensive players still on the market, including potential Hall of Famer Ndamukong Suh. Such is looking for his third team in as many years, but he remains a productive, versatile player on the defensive line. Others handouts such as Ezekiel Ansah and Allen Bailey are also looking for new homes, giving a few teams the chance to bolster their roster fairly late in the game.

While the NFL calendar is beginning to get quiet with the draft in the rearview mirror, there are still developments to come and names to learn. Over the next month or two, a few unknowns will turn into names to watch, as a handful of youngsters find their way.