It might appear as if -- and his , his friendships with Floyd Mayweather, Justin Bieber and LeBron James, his maybe/almost/can you imagine near-mi s as , his -- owned the entire NFL offseason. It's not true, but Manziel and the klieg lights he seems to travel with pushed everything else into small type, from the development of an extraordinary defensive prospect () to the barrier-breaking of the NFL's first openly gay player ().Manziel's consignment to the ' bench for the start of the season -- however brief his stay there might be -- gives us just enough time and oxygen to ponder all the things we'll be watching this year. Here are 49 to count down until we board the plane for XLIX in Arizona:The storylines we'll be talking about through DecemberI. Uh ... Johnny Football. Yup, who am I kidding? There are so many layers here -- What does owner Jimmy Haslam want? Can play well enough to hold off what seems like Manziel's inevitable ascension? Could Hoyer parlay this into a starting opportunity elsewhere next season? Can Manziel stay in one piece whenever he starts playing? -- that it almost doesn't even matter if the are any good.II. Just how low can the ' defense go? It was , and because of a toxic brew of salary cap constraints, injuries and suspensions, it appears to have suffered a slow-trickle talent leak that could bring about historic-level awfulne s. What's left of the unit will face , which includes the loaded NFC West plus the , and . Good luck, . And it's probably not too early to start wondering about coach 's job security, regardle s of what .III. Denver and New England engaged in what John Elway dubbed an in free agency, with both paying special attention to beefing up on defense. There's not much question these are the AFC's premier teams, but who won the arms race? And how much will the departure of guard on the eve of the regular season impact a offensive line that is already absorbing the retirement of longtime coach Dante Scarnecchia? Tune in to the AFC Championship Game to find out.IV. At what point will we start lining up available college quarterbacks with the in mock drafts for 2015? The selection of with the first overall pick this year was a no-brainer, but the surprised the league when they didn't try to move into position to get an NFL-ready quarterback in the early rounds. They opted to wait until Day 3 to take , settling in with journeyman , who has been uneven in the preseason.V. How adapts to the first offensive switchover of his pro career -- there was finally a sign of slow acclimation in one drive of -- will go a long way toward determining whether the rebound from a disastrous season to contend in a weak NFC East or set up another offseason with the kind of sweeping change this franchise doesn't make lightly.VI. Who goes from worst to first this year? In 11 straight seasons, at least one team finished first in its division the season after finishing last. Last year, two teams -- Philadelphia and Carolina -- did it. This year's candidates: Buffalo, Cleveland, Houston, Oakland, Washington, Minnesota, St. Louis, Tampa Bay and Atlanta (the and shared the NFC South cellar at 4-12, though Tampa did officially finish last via tiebreakers).The trends we'll be watching forVII. The slow demise of the read option probably began last September, when that read-option quarterbacks can be hit like every other runner. But the final death knell might come this season. Washington coach already has declared that he will use the read option with , who made the tactic so compelling in 2012 before it also made him an injury-based cautionary tale.VIII. Traditional pocket pa sers could enjoy the start of the latest offensive explosion, thanks to the officiating emphasis on illegal contact. The avalanche of flags thrown in the preseason is likely to regulate as defensive players get used to how closely the game is being called, but that probably means more receivers will be running free. It's hard to imagine how many more yards people like , , and can throw for, but consider that the last time such contact was a point of emphasis was a decade ago -- ironically, after Manning's were foiled by the physical play of the in the playoffs. That launched the era of record-setting aerial attacks that we're in right now. Good luck, defensive backs.Stock watch: Rookie quarterbacksOur resident scouts, Daniel Jeremiah and Bucky Brooks, provide preseason grades for BlakeBortles and his fellow rookie QBs. IX. Barring a last-minute change -- and if 's arm doesn't heal up, -- this will be the first time since 2007 that a rookie quarterback is not starting in Week 1. That might be a statement about the relative readine s of this cla s, though has looked more than capable in the preseason. That said, Jacksonville's been adamant all along about wanting to give the No. 3 overall pick plenty of pre sure-free time to learn the position. Just two years after the rookie trio of , and took the league by storm, might Bortles, Manziel, and Co. convince coaches that it is sometimes better to wait to serve youth?UPDATE:NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reported Monday that the in Week 1 against the .X. The future of the is as murky and fascinating as ever, with real uncertainty about their stadium situation (the lease is up after the season), their quarterback situation (Schaub or Carr, as touched on just above), and the job security of general manager Reggie McKenzie and head coach . Making matters harder to predict: The have entering the season and will travel 36,078 miles, over 11,000 miles more than any other team.XI. Enjoy your bathroom breaks and refrigerator runs while you can, because this could be the last time you can count on the extra point to give you a respite. The preseason experiment with a 33-yard extra point was a succe s because it produced failure -- eight of them were mi sed, dropping the conversion rate to 94.3 percent. That is well below the 99.6 percent conversion rate last year on all extra points from 20 yards out. Reviews of the experiment were mixed among coaches and kickers, but Blandino believes a permanent change is on the way, and John Mara, the ' president and a member of the Competition Committee, thought the experiment went well. Most importantly, Commi sioner Roger Goodell has been clear that he wants the extra point to be a meaningful play again. So pay particular attention to how teams do with the two-point conversion this year, because we are likely to see more of it if the kick is lengthened next season.XII.But don't try to take that bathroom break during replay reviews or penalties. The point of emphasis on illegal contact would seem to make it likely that games would last longer because of all the stoppages of play. That was a major point of conversation among league officials and Competition Committee members, because game management and time of game are major concerns for Cedric Ogbuehi Jersey the league (which likes games to run about three hours, to fit neatly into television programming windows). But Blandino anticipates that delays for reviews will drop significantly, now that he can communicate from New York with officials. After the first two weeks of the preseason, the time per review already had been reduced by nine seconds from last season's average -- in large part because Blandino is often talking into the ear of the referee about what he sees on the replay before the referee even gets under the hood. The other things Blandino has emphasized to officiating crews: Don't let timeouts last longer than 30 seconds, get the teams on the field for kickoffs on time and limit crew conferences (which should be helped by the wirele s headsets officials wear now).XIII. The almost certainly will have a new owner by the end of the season. The threat of relocation seems to have subsided, but how long of a leash will a new owner give GM Doug Whaley and coach to continue their franchise makeover, particularly with a mediocre-looking starting quarterback and no first-round draft pick next year?The peopleXIV. We renew our annual plea: Please come back, . We mi s you -- and so does .XV. For the love of Dr. James Andrews, please learn how to slide this season, .XVI. Cue up and remember were only from practice.XVII. And also wonder if is a good enough quarterback to take advantage of Watkins.XVIII. has been agitating for the no-huddle offense for years. is on board. These are not your dad's .XIX. Whither ? will put Vick, who could likely be starting for a handful of other teams, on the ' bench. Can keep him there?XX. might be the best rookie quarterback this year. This 22-year-old and his new team are on the rise, even as the roster gets restocked, and he could be so good that he forces veteran to the bench much earlier than the anticipated.XXI. is helping to rejuvenate the ' offense. That's nice. But this is what we really care about: , Sept. 28. You can probably hear the chirping already.XXII. The most maligned star quarterback in the NFL -- that's you, -- has plenty of weapons and, finally, an offensive line that might be able to keep him and his twice surgically-repaired back intact. Romo shoulders an unfair burden -- the aforementioned defense -- but if he can't lift Dallas out of its 8-8 divot, will fans regret that someone reportedly ?XXIII. is back to good health -- ask , who on the third day of camp -- and here's something that should alarm opposing quarterbacks: has never had a cornerback this good to play around with.XXIV. The ' offensive line was at the center of a bullying scandal that shook the team, elicited a scathing report from the league and generally called into question the culture of the NFL and . The line has since been rebuilt, but is it any better than the fractured group that gave up last season?XXV. and his flying Sharpie are unquestionably succe sful ... and also a little oddly unstable. His future comes up at the end of every season -- right after another NFC Championship Game appearance by San Francisco, it seems. And considering that in February there were , it's worth keeping a close eye on how Harbaugh traverses this season, because he and the toward an extension until after it is over.Maquinana: Foiling Father TimeFrankGore's injury-plagued college career is a distant memory. Ryan Maquinana studies the San Francisco back's rare longevity. XXVI. And take a moment to appreciate Harbaugh's agele s running back, . The 31-year-old Gore is entering the final year of his contract with the at an age when running backs usually are falling off a cliff. He needs just 33 yards to become the 29th running back in history to reach 10,000.XXVII. What kind of magic might work with , given that the new coach before he even got the job?XXVIII. While we're on the subject ... Will new coaches Caldwell, (Tampa Bay) and (Tenne see) start to craft slightly greater succe s than they did the last time they were head coaches? All three led their former teams to the , but lost.XXIX., at 34, might finally give ' defense the right pa s rusher to bookend with .XXX. has to overcome recent ankle surgery (and suffered in the preseason) before he can start managing a revamped receiving corps. Rookie might bail out the slow leak of receivers that threatens to send the off their perch as defending division champs.XXXI. has had a year to get fully acclimated in Indianapolis and to take some of the burden off behind a stitched-together offensive line.XXXII. Can new offensive coordinator take and his new contract extension to new heights in Cincinnati and, perhaps, a playoff victory or two? If so, Jackson could earn himself another shot at head coaching in the proce s.XXXIII. proved the NFL was ready for an openly gay player. Can he prove he belongs on the field?What we'll be happy to not hear about againXXXIV. A question of whether or not a field goal was good because it sailed over the upright. The Franken-uprights -- the bolts that connected the extensions were visible at training camp practices -- should eliminate any gue s-work about where the ball is.What we'd like to not have to hear about again -- but will anywayHarrison: 2014 All-Pro projectionsWhich players will define the 2014 campaign? Elliot Harrison glances into his crystal ball for preseason All-Pro picks. XXXV. Whether the ball cro ses the plane of the goal line. There are tablets on the sidelines, Wi-Fi in the stands and vegan hot dogs at the conce sion stand, but we can't have a laser or sensor to tell if a touchdown has been scored?What we're looking forward toXXXVI. This perhaps being , because that would mean only the top seed would get a first-round bye, lending even more urgency to late-season games for even the best teams.Games to watchXXXVII.: A superb early test for the ' dominant secondary and hopes of repeating. And perhaps a very early preview of the NFC Championship Game.XXXVIII.: The look poised to make the jump to / AFC elite territory if they can put up the bunches of points that the do. Reminder: in 's emotional homecoming.XXXIX.: The wanted to get tougher after the beatdown they suffered in . They'll find out how much progre s has been made here.XL.: A cla sic offense-vs.-defense battle is also an early look at two NFC playoff favorites.XLI.: The ' first game after their bye, which would be a natural time to make a quarterback change ...XLII.: Wouldn't be a surprise to see weeping at the sight of playing for the other side in one of the NFL's most absurd rivalries. Memo to : Do not throw to Revis' side of the field if you value your job.XLIII.: The epic Manning-Brady rivalry is winding down with each pa sing year, so we must enjoy every last showdown. And we'll probably see the AFC's best teams again in the conference title game. Reminder: The won in 2013, while the won .XLIV.: Both teams will be coming off their bye week, meaning this all-important meeting of fierce rivals will be played with as much rest and as few injuries as po sible.XLV.: Why? Because since 2010, the ' opponent on the final Sunday of the season has wound up being the NFC East champion.XLVI. Any game between two NFC West teams: From the first () to the last ( and ), every game in football's best division should be close and will definitely be significant.Stories to make you smile ... even if your team makes you cryXLVII., who emerged from a medically induced coma 13 months ago in the midst of a long battle with anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis. Okoye, a former first-round draft pick, was last in a game in December of 2012 and lost 78 pounds when he was ill.Battista: What it means to be QB2Backup quarterback: It's a thankle s job, but someone has to do it. Judy Battista explores what it's like to be forever standing by. XLVIII. The return to the starting lineup of , the Tampa Bay quarterback who, while out of the league four years ago, rejected a chance to join the because he had given his word to the United Football League (he didn't want to teach his children a bad le son) and then coached at a local high school.XLIX. The triumph, however brief, of , who grew up just a few miles from where the are headquartered and then bounced around as a backup for four years before his hometown team signed him as a reserve QB. Last year, thrust into the starting job as the flailed, he led them to two victories before leaving his third game early with a torn ACL. Now, 10 months later, he is the ' starter -- although probably not for very long, with Manziel waiting in the wings.Follow Judy Battista on Twitter . Gabe Jackson Jersey