Hope abounds throughout summer and spring in the NFL. That first-round pick that has yet to spread his wings is headed for a breakout year. That oft-injured veteran is bound to regain his form and that new coordinator is going to get the most out of your team's talented roster.
Then fall hits and reality starts to set in.
Right now, fans, coaches and front office personnel are talking themselves into the most positive outcomes for every player on the roster. Unfortunately, every team has at least one player who fails to live up to expectations.
To be clear, we are only talking about being a "bust" this season in the sense a player won't live up to their expectations for this year.
Here, we'll take a look at one player on each team who has some underlying reasons to believe they'll carry that dubious distinction for their team.
Arizona Cardinals: WR Marquise Brown
When the Cardinals traded a first-round pick for Marquise Brown last year it was supposed to be the beginning of the transition from DeAndre Hopkins as WR1.
Hopkins was suspended for the first six games of the year which gave Brown the opportunity to shine. Instead, Brown was slightly less productive than he was with the Ravens on a per-game basis and Hopkins was the team's top receiver when he returned to the lineup.
He led the team in receiving despite Brown playing in three more games.
Now Brown will attempt to make good on his potential without Hopkins in the lineup and Kyler Murray facing a murky timeline in his return from an ACL tear.
The 5'9", 180-pound Brown is going to continue to struggle to show that he's a true elite receiving threat with Colt McCoy set to start some games for the Cards.
Atlanta Falcons: Edge Bud Dupree
Bud Dupree is not going to save the Falcons pass rush. Just ask the Tennessee Titans how that plan plays out.