AT A GLANCE

Capsules for the 32 NFL teams at the start of training camp. The top six in each conference are last season’s playoff teams, in order of how far they advanced:

AFC

New England

Open camp: Thursday, Foxboro, Mass.

Camp needs: Revamp defensive backfield and linebacking; bring new defensive coordinator Eric Mangini up to speed and find someone for duties that had been handled by former offensive coordinator Charlie Weis.

Pittsburgh

Open camp: July 31, Latrobe, Pa.

Camp needs: Get QB Ben Roethlisberger comfortable quickly with wide receiver Cedrick Wilson, signed from the 49ers, and Fred Gibson, a fourth-round draft pick who could play immediately. G Kendall Simmons, back after missing last season with knee injury, and second-year T Max Starks must settle in quickly on right side of offensive line.

Indianapolis

Open camp: Wednesday, Terre Haute, Ind.

Camp needs: Is RB Edgerrin James, who reluctantly agreed to one-year tender worth more than $8 million, going to hold out for multiyear deal? If he is motivated, Colts offense should be as good as last season. Marlin Jackson, a newcomer at cornerback, must deliver immediately, especially with S Mike Doss suspended for first two regular-season games.

New York Jets

Open camp: Thursday, Hempstead, N.Y.

Camp needs: QB Chad Pennington’s recovery from offseason surgery. He also must learn offensive coordinator Mike Heimerdinger’s system. Also need adequate replacement for defensive tackle Jason Ferguson, more playmakers in secondary. RT Adrian Jones must grow up in a hurry to take over for Kareem McKenzie.

San Diego

Open camp: Thursday, San Diego.

Camp needs: Hope that LB Shawne Merriman, first-round pick who didn’t attend offseason workouts, shows up and starts learning 3-4 defense; position battles along both lines and in secondary must be settled.

Denver

Open camp: Thursday, Denver.

Camp needs: See if 42-year-old Jerry Rice can play as third receiver. Pick starting RB among Tatum Bell, Mike Anderson and Quentin Griffin. Get new group of defensive linemen, all first-round picks who failed elsewhere, to meld. Improve special teams.

Jacksonville

Open camp: Friday, Jacksonville.

Camp needs: Find offensive identity under new coordinator Carl Smith. Get and keep tailback Fred Taylor healthy. Figure out unsettled CB situation.

Buffalo

Open camp: Saturday, Pittsford, N.Y.

Camp needs: J.P. Losman, Buffalo’s second of two 2004 first-round draft picks, takes over at QB. While strong armed and mobile, Losman has potential to rub teammates wrong way. Revamped OL must come together.

Baltimore

Open camp: Aug. 1, Westminster, Md.

Camp needs: New offensive coordinator (Jim Fassel) and new defensive coordinator (Rex Ryan), which means both units will use training camp to adjust. Most importantly, newcomers Derrick Mason and Mark Clayton must work with QB Kyle Boller to revive passing attack that ranked 31st last year.

Cincinnati

Open camp: Friday, Georgetown, Ky.

Camp needs: Coach Marvin Lewis is changing training camp routine to have his team fresh for September, hoping to avoid another slow start. Four of first six games are on road.

Kansas City

Open camp: Thursday, River Falls, Wis.

Camp needs: Improve one of league’s sorriest defenses with bevy of promising newcomers while squeezing one more good year out of aging high-scoring offense. Priest Holmes needs to get healthy and wide receivers need to take pressure off TE Tony Gonzalez, by far the best receiver.

Houston

Open camp: Saturday, Houston.

Camp needs: Coach Dom Capers needs to work with his defense to generate some sort of legitimate pass rush. OL needs to improve to protect franchise QB David Carr.

Oakland

Open camp: Friday, Napa, Calif.

Camp needs: Must improve defense. Veteran DTs Warren Sapp and Ted Washington were major disappointments. Keeping CB Charles Woodson, team’s franchise player, from losing interest will be another key. WRs Ronald Curry and Carlos Francis are returning from serious injuries.

Tennessee

Open camp: Friday, Nashville.

Camp needs: Settle on seven new starters plus new kicker. Pick up cheap veteran help off waiver wire at WR, DE and DB.

Cleveland

Open camp: Friday, Berea, Ohio.

Camp needs: An outside pass rusher in new coach Romeo Crennel’s 3-4 defense. RBs Reuben Droughns, Lee Suggs and William Green will battle for starting job, with one of the losers likely to be traded.

Miami

Open camp: Monday. Davie, Fla.

Camp needs: New coach Nick Saban must shore up offense that averaged just 17.2 points and 275 yards per game, the worst production since 1969. Defense has ranked in top 10 every year since 1998, but showed signs of age in 2004 and could use an infusion of youth.

NFC

Philadelphia

Open camp: Friday, Bethlehem, Pa.

Camp needs: Avoid distraction of All-Pro WR Terrell Owens’ potential holdout. Figure out who’ll take Owens’ place should he not return. RG Shawn Andrews, a first-round pick in 2004, needs to prove he’s healthy after missing last season with leg injury. DE Jerome McDougle, a former first-round pick, has to show he can be starter.

Atlanta

Open camp: Monday, Flowery Branch, Ga.

Camp needs: WRs Roddy White and second-year man Michael Jenkins might begin first session as starters over Dez White and Peerless Price, who could be cut. Major concerns in secondary.

Minnesota

Open camp: Friday, Mankato, Minn.

Camp needs: Must find an offensive identity without Randy Moss drawing double and triple coverage. Also must settle on kicker, with Paul Edinger competing for job with Aaron Elling.

St. Louis

Open camp: Thursday, St. Louis.

Camp needs: Develop replacement at safety for Aeneas Williams, especially important with S Adam Archuleta recovering from back injury. Steven Jackson becomes starter at RB ahead of Marshall Faulk.

Green Bay

Open camp: Friday, Green Bay.

Camp needs: New coordinator Jim Bates takes over defense with plenty of holes, especially if NT Grady Jackson holds out. Loss of two guards means reconstruction of what has been excellent OL.

New Orleans

Open camp: Friday, Metairie, La.

Camp needs: Establish OT Jammal Brown as a starter to open holes for RB Deuce McAllister and protect QB Aaron Brooks, whose accuracy suffers when he throws off back foot. Must identify third WR behind Joe Horn and Donte Stallworth. Will try to resurrect career of DT Johnathan Sullivan, first-round pick in 2003 who dropped to bottom of depth chart last year.

Carolina

Open camp: Friday, Spartanburg, S.C.

Camp needs: Get RB Stephen Davis healthy. Choose backup for QB Jake Delhomme from competition between Chris Weinke and rookie Stefan LeFors. Find spot for first-round draft pick Thomas Davis, who can play either linebacker or in secondary.

Detroit

Open camp: Friday, Allen Park, Mich.

Camp needs: WR Charles Rogers (shoulder) and LB Boss Bailey (knee) have to prove they are healthy. QB Joey Harrington, now without excuses, must show he deserves to start ahead of Jeff Garcia.

Arizona

Open camp: July 31, Flagstaff, Ariz.

Camp needs: Coach Dennis Green is working on offense. QB Kurt Warner will work to find comfort level with WRs Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald, who should be a strength. Cal rookie J.J. Arrington already is listed as starter. Warner, who slipped after good start with Giants last year, has to prove at 34 he can still play at high level.

New York Giants

Open camp: Thursday, Albany, N.Y.

Camp needs: Get Eli Manning, who came on in final three games, familiar with newcomer Plaxico Burress and other receivers. Put together OL, suddenly deep after two years as one of league’s worst. Strengthen DL, where DE Michael Strahan is 33 and coming off pectoral muscle tear that cost him half a season, and DT William Joseph has been first-round disappointment.

Dallas

Open camp: Friday, Oxnard, Calif.

Camp needs: Coach Bill Parcells brought in big guys to switch to 3-4 defense, although his coordinator has never coached it and it’s poor fit for holdovers DT La’Roi Glover, DE Greg Ellis and LB Dat Nguyen. Former Washington State QB Drew Bledsoe needs to get comfortable with OL and WRs Keyshawn Johnson and Terry Glenn, plus emerging TE Jason Witten. Keeping RB Julius Jones healthy is priority.

Washington

Open camp: July 31, Ashburn, Va.

Camp needs: Someone to replace linebacker Antonio Pierce as brain of the defense (Lemar Marshall and Mike Barrow are top contenders), a confident performance by QB Patrick Ramsey, more depth in secondary.

Tanpa Bay

Open camp: Thursday, Lake Buena Vista, Fla.

Camp needs: Improving OL is top priority. First-round pick Carnell Williams finally gives Bucs a back capable of gaining tough yards and big plays. But he’ll still need holes.

Chicago

Open camp: Today, Bourbonnais, Ill.

Camp needs: With their third offensive coordinator in as many seasons, must find way to score while keeping QB Rex Grossman healthy. Grossman was knocked out for season with a third-game knee injury, and backups struggled.

San Francisco

Open camp: Friday, Santa Clara, Calif.

Camp needs: Rookie coach Mike Nolan must install new offensive and defensive systems, and Niners must determine how soon to throw first-round pick Alex Smith behind suspect offensive line. LB Julian Peterson must be healthy after last fall’s leg surgery.

—Associated Press