On Wednesday, the Carolina Panthers will host the Houston Texans in the first non-Hall-of-Fame-related NFL game on the 2017 schedule. It won't count for much, but it'll be football and we're all starving.

You know when you're really hungry and anything will taste good? That's all of us this week. But 14 more teams are in action Thursday night and the other 16 play Friday, Saturday and Sunday, so we'll get clarity on depth charts and position battles and we'll get to peek at new systems. But most importantly, we'll be watching football. 

As the entire league preps for the first full week of preseason pigskin, plenty is happening at all 32 training camp locations. Here's a rundown from Tuesday, Aug. 8. 

Kareem Hunt's Stock Is Rising

Looking for a potential sleeper rookie running back to grab in your fantasy football draft? There's usually at least one every year, and it's beginning to look as though Kansas City Chiefs third-round pick Kareem Hunt could immediately become a household name at that lighting rod position. 

Hunt, who put together two 1,400-yard seasons and scored 44 touchdowns during his four seasons at Toledo, has been getting more and more work with the first-team offense at Chiefs camp, according to Arrowhead Pride's Pete Sweeney. 

That comes days after Chiefs head coach Andy Reid told Josh Tolentino of the Kansas City Star that Hunt "picks it up quick."

"He's a smart kid,” Reid said. "He's picking it up. … I’ve been around a lot of good backs and smart backs and he's right in there."

So could Hunt wind up starting? Could he become the back they've been looking for since age and injuries started to catch up to Jamaal Charles? It would be fitting considering that the Charles era just came to an end this offseason, and Hunt is a well-rounded, elusive back with the ability to become an every-down guy. 

But he'll still have to battle Spencer Ware, who was the team's top back with 1,368 yards from scrimmage in just 13 games last season. 

Expect both to play key roles, with the versatile Charcandrick West also in the mix. The point is the Chiefs have plenty of high-quality options as they move on from Charles. And it's becoming clear that Hunt's ceiling is higher than many might have expected. 

Jay Cutler Debuts in Miami, Is Joined by Jay Ajayi

On Sunday, veteran quarterback Jay Cutler became a member of the Miami Dolphins. On Monday, he showed up for his first day of work. And on Tuesday, the 34-year-old took the field for the first time since coming out of retirement to replace the injured Ryan Tannehill. 

So far, so good. Dolphins head coach Adam Gase, who served as Cutler's offensive coordinator in Chicago in 2015, told the media that the 11-year veteran looked the same as he did back then. 

"He said he felt good," Gase said, per ESPN.com's Josh Baumgard. "He is not going to sugarcoat anything with me. It was good that he felt right back in it."

But that's not the only good news coming out of Dolphins camp, because Cutler was joined by stud running back Jay Ajayi, who who took part in the non-contact portion of practice while remaining in concussion protocol after suffering a head injury last week. 

Jay the quarterback also threw some passes to Jay the running back, according to Baumgard. That said, don't expect either to play when the Dolphins open up their preseason schedule Thursday against the Atlanta Falcons. 

I'm rarely accused of being optimistic, but I am looking forward to seeing Jay and Jay in that Miami offense, especially considering how much support they're likely to receive from a deep and talented receiving corps. 

Jarvis Landry Speaks

A cloud was cast over that receiving Miami corps Monday when it was revealed that superstar Dolphins wideout Jarvis Landry is being investigated for possible domestic battery charges stemming from an alleged incident with his girlfriend earlier this year. 

As we detailed on Monday evening, Landry's girlfriend released a statement claiming she wasn't harmed by the Pro Bowl receiver. And on Tuesday, the 24-year-old addressed the situation. When asked by reporters if he feels he did nothing wrong, Landry said "exactly" before elaborating. 

"I've been very upfront with the team,” he said, per Joe Schad of the Palm Beach Post. "I've been very upfront with the law enforcement. I'm here at training camp to help my guys get better. I don't want any bad attention to me, this organization, (coach) Adam (Gase), nobody. And I don't believe that this is the place for it or the time for it.”

Even if Landry is never charged, the NFL could conduct its own investigation and impose discipline. So this won't likely go away quickly, but Landry and his girlfriend have done a lot to quickly calm the storm that was inevitably coming when this story broke.  

Branden Albert Is Back...or Something Like That

The largest and weirdest stories of the week continue to come out of the state of Florida, where Cutler, Ajayi and Landry are making headlines in Miami while indecisive/scheming offensive tackle Branden Albert is keeping the Jacksonville Jaguars in the national conversation. 

One week after retiring from the NFL, the 32-year-old two-time Pro Bowler apparently had a change of heart early this week. He determined Monday he wants to return to the Jags, according to ESPN.com's Michael DiRocco. But per DiRocco, the team is "unlikely to allow him to do so," and it turns out there's more to the story.

The team announced on Twitter Tuesday that Albert had been placed on their reserve/retired list after the two sides came to a mutual agreement, so it looks as though Albert was playing games. The Jaguars traded a 2018 seventh-round pick to Dolphins in order to add Albert to the fray at offensive tackle in March, but with no guaranteed money left on his contract, he sat out the offseason program in hopes of landing a new deal. That never came, and it's unclear whether he'll eventually be willing to play for the measly $8.875 million base salary he's due in 2017. 

Now the question is whether he's done for good. The Jags own his rights and can trade him to a tackle-needy team, and if said team is willing to give Albert a new deal, there's a chance everybody wins. 

Doug Pederson Isn't Down on Jordan Matthews

The Philadelphia Eagles had receiver problems last year, which is why they appeared to go out of their way this offseason to spruce up their depth at that position. Two-time 1,100-yard receiver Alshon Jeffery probably becomes the top option in that offense after signing a one-year deal in March, while veteran Torrey Smith (also a former 1,000-yard receiver) is also in the mix for a starting job. 

With Jeffery and Smith on board and third-year first-round pick Nelson Agholor generating plenty of buzz this offseason, there are questions as to what kind of role Jordan Matthews will have on opening day. 

Matthews (73 catches for 804 yards last season) was the only wide receiver on the roster to hit the 400-yard mark last season, but Eagles offensive coordinator Frank Reich suggested on Monday that Matthews could have to fight to keep getting those reps in 2017.

"Right now, the whole receiver room is more competitive,” Reich said, per Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer. “So yeah, I think it is a little bit different than last year.”

But on Tuesday, Eagles head coach Doug Pederson had Matthews' back. 

"A reduced role?" Pederson said, per CSN Philly's Reuben Frank. "No, I don't see that."

It's complicated, but keep in mind, Eagles fans, that compared to last year, this is a good problem to have. 

Packers Part Ways with Letroy Guion

The Green Bay Packers officially ran out of patience on Tuesday with veteran defensive tackle Letroy Guion, who remained employed until now because he's a talented dude and professional football is a business. But the 30-year-old was hit with a four-game PED suspension in March and was arrested for drunk driving in June.

And those weren't his first brushes with trouble. Guion started 15 games last season but was a mess in 2015 after being arrested on drug and weapons charges in the offseason. Put it all together and the Packers had more than enough reason to release the 2008 fifth-round pick on Tuesday, per ESPN's Adam Schefter. 

It's surprising it took this long, because there are high expectations already for second-year defensive tackle Kenny Clark and they also used used a third-round pick on defensive lineman Montravius Adams in this year's draft. With Mike Daniels also there, they didn't need Guion.

Now we wait and see if another team that's more desperate for defensive line help will want to gamble on a skilled and experienced player who could help them but is facing a suspension and can't seem to stay on the straight and narrow. 

Marcus Mariota Will Play This Weekend

A broken leg cost Tennessee Titans franchise quarterback Marcus Mariota the end of his breakout 2016 season and most of his 2017 offseason, but the 23-year-old superstar-in-the-making appears to be fully healthy just in the nick of time. 

After missing much of the offseason program, Mariota has been a full go at Titans training camp. And now Jim Wyatt of the team's official website reports that he'll participate in the team's preseason opener against the New York Jets on Saturday. 

The coaching staff is apparently determining how much Mariota will play, and it won't likely be a lot. But that's not the point. What matters is he's fit enough to take part, which is a promising sign for a young quarterback coming back from a major injury. 

Fans of the Indianapolis Colts, Carolina Panthers and Baltimore Ravens may be getting stressed about their teams' quarterback situations, but there's little reason for Titans fans to worry about Mariota. 

But Jamaal Charles Will Not

Meanwhile, Denver Broncos fans hoping that veteran running back Jamaal Charles will revive his career as well as their team's running game in 2017 will have to wait to see the four-time Pro Bowler in game action. 

Per Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post, Broncos head coach Vance Joseph stated on Tuesday that Charles won't participate in the team's preseason opener Thursday against the Chicago Bears. 

It's a long preseason, but that's still a bit of a shame because it'll be interesting to see how Charles looks in live action after missing so much time the last couple years. 

Charles tore his right ACL in 2015, underwent meniscus surgery on the same knee in 2016 and had arthroscopic surgery on his other knee a few weeks later. He’s carried the ball just 83 times the last two years and is on the wrong side of 30, but he was cleared for the start of training camp and is hoping to get to a point where he can contribute with eight to 10 carries a game, according to Peter King of the MMQB.

It's a shame because the Broncos running game struggled last year and will also be without second-year fourth-round back Devontae Booker (fractured wrist) to start the preseason. 

Rally for Colin Kaepernick?

In chapter 47 of the Colin Kaepernick saga, Spike Lee is endorsing a rally in support of Kaepernick at NFL headquarters in New York on Aug. 23. That's assuming, of course, that Kaepernick hasn't signed an NFL contract by then. 

Whether or not you support Kaepernick's stance and tactics, it's fair to wonder if this will help or hurt his quest to find work. It doesn't appear as though he has any involvement in the rally, but teams concerned about his presence creating a distraction won't exactly be assuaged by a large public rally in which the free-agent quarterback is the center of attention. 

Maube Kaepernick will find work before that date and everybody will come away somewhat satisfied. 

Fred Taylor's Son Gets a Shot

Ordinarily, we wouldn't include an item here about the Atlanta Falcons signing a second-year, sixth-round pick named Kelvin Taylor to join the fray at running back. After all, it's August, Taylor is probably a long shot to make a talented roster and the Falcons already have two strong backs hogging all of the reps and attention. 

But the novelty in this case is that Kelvin Taylor is Fred Taylor's son. 

That Fred Taylor. 

Following in his dad's footsteps at Florida, Kelvin Taylor ran for over 1,000 yards as a junior in 2015 and was drafted by the 49ers, but he failed to catch on with San Francisco, Seattle and Kansas City before landing in Atlanta.