The Tribune

By INIGO 'NAUGHTY' ZENICAZELAYA

The Hall of Fame game takes place on Thursday night between my Dallas Cowboys and the Arizona Cardinals. Mind you neither squad will look remotely close to what their true identities will be on opening day.

Thursday's game and the weekend's festivities are just a part of the NFL Hall of Fame enshrinement of the class of 2017 - headed by the greatest owner in sports, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, and former TCU and San Diego Chargers great LaDanian Tomlinson, along with five other NFL greats, Morten Andersen, Terrell Davis, Kenny Easley, Jason Taylor and Kurt Warner.

So as Thursday's kickoff draws near, let's continue our preseason breakdown, division by division.

This week the AFC EAST:

• BUFFALO BILLS

Training camp report dates: rookies and veterans (July 26).Location: St. John Fisher College, Rochester, New York.

HOTTEST POSITION BATTLE IN CAMP:

Linebacker: If I were a Bills fan attending camp, I wouldn't take my eyes off the linebacking corps.

This position will be fascinating for several reasons.

New Head Coach Sean McDermott, will bring his 4-3 from Carolina).

Therefore the competition will be bustling for a smaller number of spots.

Reggie Ragland, a 2016 second-round pick, returns after tearing his ACL in camp last year.The Bills also drafted two linebackers/potential hybrid players in Matt Milano and Tanner Vallejo.

BIGGEST OFFSEASON ADDITION:

CB Tre'Daveious White. The team's 2017 first-round pick represents McDermott's first shot at developing a shutdown corner from scratch in Buffalo.

White is worth watching because if he's able to play at an intermediate level, this defence won't be as ho-hum as projected.

After losing Stephon Gilmore to the rival Patriots via free agency, the Bills' secondary needs someone with White's thumper instincts to come in and energise the unit.

BIGGEST Camp Question Mark:

Which Sammy Watkins are the Bills getting?

Watkins made plays, that led some to believe he was going to quickly validate the hefty price the Bills paid to draft him.

Injuries and unhappiness with the way his role developed have dampened those expectations, with Buffalo declining to pick up his fifth-year option.

The potential is there for an monster comeback season, as Watkins is still the best option at WR for the Bills.

• MIAMI DOLPHINS

Training camp report dates: rookies (July 20) and veterans (July 26).Location: Baptist Health Training Facility, Davie, Florida.

HOTTEST POSITION BATTLE IN CAMP:

Linebacker. The Dolphins seem oddly settled for this time of year, despite a complete makeover of the linebacking corps.

The addition of FA LB Lawrence Timmons and the selection of Raekwon McMillan in the Draft could point to a tactical change as well.

BIGGEST OFFSEASON ADDITION:

DE Charles Harris. The first-round pick has Dolphins fans dreaming of an outright swarm on defence.

Harris will have a lot of protection across the line and could see more than his fair share of one-on-one matchups. Given the attention paid to Ndamukong Suh, Harris could be an early favourite to win the rookie sack race.

BIGGEST Camp Question Mark:

Does QB Ryan Tannehill hit the ground running?

This is a playoff team. (I can't believe I just typed that). Tannehill grew under first-year head coach Adam Gase last season, momentarily fending off questions about his ability to become a franchise quarterback. However, this year - Tannehill's sixth in the NFL - needs to see him break away from his modest reputation and take a crack at the Playoffs and Pro Bowl.

• NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS

Training camp report dates: rookies (July 24) and veterans (July 26).Location: Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts.

HOTTEST POSITION BATTLE IN CAMP:

WR Just consider the race for Tom Brady's affection. With Danny Amendola, Julian Edelman, Brandin Cooks, Chris Hogan and Malcolm Mitchell all making a play for snaps, the early weeks of camp could bear out what type of personnel New England typically rolls with in its most frequently used sets.

BIGGEST OFFSEASON ADDITION:

Where do we start? WR Brandin Cooks. Newly acquired from the Saints, Cooks is quite possibly the most dynamic receiver Brady has worked with since Randy Moss. Assuming he stays healthy, because injuries always seem to catch up to him, the Patriots might come out of camp with more hype surrounding this offence than they went in with.

BIGGEST Camp Question Mark:

Is this the year? This Patriots team can win the Super Bowl. However after stockpiling this offseason, they are drawing comparisons to the 2007 team that finished 18-1 after choking in the Super Bowl, one win away from a perfect season. The lethal combination of best coach, GM and quarterback in NFL history might be able to get them there again, with a different result.

• NEW YORK JETS

Training camp report dates: rookies and veterans (July 28).Location: Atlantic Health Jets Training Center, Florham Park, New Jersey.

HOTTEST POSITION BATTLE IN CAMP:

Quarterback. If the Jets start veteran Josh McCown, he gives you the best chance to win games this year. Or start youngster Christian Hackenberg. Head Coach Todd Bowles said ahead of camp that there is no current favourite among his potential starters.

However, the safe money would be on McCown, I don't think the Jets like not hurling Hackenberg back into the fray, as he wasn't ready to take the field with far better players around him a year ago.

BIGGEST OFFSEASON ADDITIONS:

A pair of safeties, S Jamal Adams and S Marcus Maye. Jets fans are looking to rebuild for tomorrow and Adams might have been the best player in the draft - falling into their lap at #6 in the Draft. The Jets are looking for talent wherever they can get it, and if they emerge from 2017 with a pair of playmaking safeties, they will have something to smile about.

BIGGEST Camp Question Mark:

How will Head Coach Todd Bowles motivate the team? The team clearly has an eye on the future, but he must keep an eye on the present.

There will be 53 players, some on expiring contracts, some just starting their careers, Bowles must prevent a mutiny, and keep the team focused and energised, to have any chance of a future in NY.