Teams Set at QB for the Future
Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins are comfortable going forward with Ryan Tannehill and while he isn’t in the upper echelon of QBs he is a young player that had a good season last year and could do even better as the talent around him improves. After throwing for over 4,000 yards and 27 TDs the Dolphins decided to remake Tannehill’s pass catching group. WR Jarvis Landry is the only real holdover as veterans Greg Jennings and Kenny Stills were added at WR along with rookie DeVante Parker and Jordan Cameron replaces Charles Clay at TE. This is an upgrade and Tannehill could really break out this year with this group. The one thing that could hold this offense back is the offensive line. They need LT Branden Albert to stay healthy so Ja’Waun James can stay at RT where he could excel and they need to get better play from their OGs.
The Dolphins’ defense got a major upgrade in the middle with DT Ndamukong Suh and he should team with DT Earl Mitchell and DEs Cameron Wake and Olivier Vernon to form a very good defensive line. Suh and Wake will cause headaches for every offensive coordinator they face. The LB corps was terrible last year and they finally cut bait with free agent busts Dannell Ellerbe and Phillip Wheeler and they move Koa Misi to MLB hoping the changes provide better results. They are hoping Brent Grimes can squeeze one more good season out of his 32 year old body and that either Will Davis or Jamar Taylor can step up on the opposite side.
Biggest Off Season Move: Signing DT Ndamukong Suh
Bringing in the biggest free agent of the off season has rarely been the best move for any team as it usually just means you spent a lot of money on a guy that needs to fit into your team. Suh is an absolute beast and paired with Cameron Wake on the outside they will create major problems for every opponent. He can basically do everything well so while he was a very costly addition the Dolphins were in a position to make a move and really help their team so it was and understandable expense.
Player to Watch: WR Jarvis Landry
Landry caught a lot of passes last year for not a lot of yards and only 5 TDs but this season he is Tannehill’s only returning receiving threat. He played great out of the slot and became Tannehill’s security blanket, evidenced by his short 9 yards/ catch average. Tannehill should be most comfortable with Landry and while he may still catch a lot of short passes he really didn’t get a lot of playing time early last year so over an entire season he should really excel.
Sleeper of the Season: WR DeVante Parker
Parker had foot surgery this summer and just recently was taken off the physically unable to perform (PUP) list. He won’t be ready to start the season but I think he could be this year’s Odell Beckham, a rookie that misses the beginning of the season but once he’s ready to contribute he will explode. Parker may not make the same crazy catches like Beckham but he’s a superior talent and while Greg Jennings and Kenny Stills are veterans Jennings is past his prime and Stills lacks Parker’s overall talent. Landry will dominate in the slot but the team will need a better deep threat than Stills or Jennings outside and Parker will flourish there.
Atlanta Falcons
Whether you love him or are indifferent to him the Falcons are going with Matt Ryan at QB and he’s been pretty solid. He hasn’t been the problem on the offense that has been the offensive line and the running backs and staying healthy and replacing Tony Gonzalez, yeah they have had their issues. Ryan has a superstar WR Julio Jones that the Falcons just gave a major five year extension to and that’s a nice start. WR Roddy White isn’t getting any younger and injuries are starting to affect his ability not only to be a difference maker but also just getting on the field. They moved on from RB Steven Jackson and it’s a battle of the hamstring injuries between Devonta Freeman and rookie Tevin Coleman. Freeman has the experience (although not that much) but Coleman has the skill set to be huge in new offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan’s offense. The signing of veteran TE Jacob Tamme was a sneaky good addition because Ryan needs a good TE as a safety net. The offensive line hasn’t been good the last few years and they didn’t really add any help so that could hinder any offensive improvement.
The Falcons’ defense has been terrible and the team brought in Dan Quinn and a number of veterans and a playmaking rookie to help rescue it. DL Adrian Clayborn, LBs Justin Durant, Brooks Reed and O’Brien Schofield and rookie DE Vic Beasley are being tasked with turning around a front seven that wasn’t very good. Beasley should bring a lot of pressure even if he only plays on passing downs and Clayborn, Reed and Schofield can also get to the QB. CBs Desmond Trufant and Robert Alford struggled at times last year and that had a lot to do with having to cover all day and they will benefit from more pressure up front and rookie CB Jalen Collins should also help out. The LB corps was completely overhauled as Paul Worrilow takes over in the middle and newcomers Reed and Durant flank him.
Biggest Off Season Move: Hiring Dan Quinn as the new head coach
Mike Smith was one of the more successful coaches in Falcons’ history but he just couldn’t get them past being just a playoff team and then when the team fell apart last season it was time for a change. Quinn was the architect of the Seattle Seahawks defense the past couple years and the Falcons wanted him so much they waited until after the Super Bowl to finally hire him. He has a herculean task in fixing a Falcons’ defense that has been bad for a number of years and hasn’t had a decent pass rush since John Abraham was a star. He is also transitioning the team back to a 4-3 alignment after the ill-advised switch to a 3-4 was a disaster.
Player to Watch: RB Tevin Coleman
Davonte Freeman is a solid back but Coleman fits Shanahan’s scheme and he’s a game breaker that could take a lot of pressure off of QB Matt Ryan. Coleman is used to running behind suspect offensive lines and making big plays anyway because that’s what he did his entire college career at Indiana. Once he gets over his hamstring injury, and I think he’s crazy for trying to play through it, he will seize the starting job and be a major upgrade at the position.
Sleeper of the Season: WR Justin Hardy
Julio Jones is the big dog at WR and that isn’t a question but after him things get murky. Roddy White has been a mainstay but he’s 33 years old and questionable to start the year. Veteran free agent Leonard Hankerson was signed from Washington but he’s never been a consistent contributor. Devin Hester is 32 and has never excelled as a WR. The team lost slot receiver Harry Douglas to free agency which means they need someone to step up there and possibly to replace White. Hardy caught everything at East Carolina even though every opponent knew he was the go-to WR. He can be a perfect complement to Jones’ downfield big play ability and he will be a reliable target for Ryan.
Detroit Lions
The Lions are locked into Matthew Stafford at QB and he is just entering his prime years with Calvin Johnson and Golden Tate as his primary weapons. Tate had a very good year as Megatron was never really himself and Stafford finally found someone else that could play. The rest of the offense has its question marks with the offensive line needing a RT, TE needing Eric Ebron to rebound from a disappointing rookie year and the running game looking to rookie Ameer Abdullah for a shot in the arm. Rookie OG Laken Tomlinson should also help clear the way for a better running attack. If Calvin Johnson can get back to being his dominant self this offense has potential.
The defense is dealing with the loss of free agent DTs Ndamukong Suh and Nick Fairley and while Haloti Ngata isn’t a long term solution he fills a major need for now. Tyrunn Walker was a solid addition at DT too and Ezekiel Ansah could break out after a solid year at DE. The LB corps will be pleased to get MLB Stephen Tulloch back after he missed almost all of last season but unfortunately they still won’t get back Kyle Van Noy as he is fighting an injury again. They did well extending the contract of OLB DeAndre Levy because he has been an underrated player and is a steadying presence. CB Darius Slay stepped up big time last season and assumed the #1 CB spot while Rashean Mathis continues to fight off father time and the Lions refuse to find a replacement. The drafting of CBs Alex Carter and Quandre Diggs adds some depth but one of them will have to take a big leap to replace Mathis.
Biggest Off Season Move: Losing DT Ndamukong Suh in free agency
Suh is a destructive force on the field and the Lions will miss that but his contract was cost prohibitive and the Lions couldn’t afford to keep him around. They made a trade to bring in Haloti Ngata from Baltimore and he’ll hold the fort for now but they will have to look for long term solutions at DT soon.
Player to Watch: RB Ameer Abdullah
I am admittedly not Abdullah’s biggest fan but he seems to have taken control of the RB position and he does have skills. He’s an all-around back although I question if he can hold up to the rigors of the NFL. At Nebraska he seemed to have a habit of going out of the game with an injury only to return a short time later and he would do this repeatedly. If he got nicked up that many times in college he’ll spend a lot more time on the sidelines in the NFL. He could be a huge key to the season as the Lions’ running game has been pretty hit-or-miss throughout Stafford’s tenure.
Sleeper of the Season: OLB Kyle Van Noy
He missed half of last season with a hernia and was never quite healthy and now he’s fighting injury again so it’s tough to see him making a big difference. However, if Van Noy can get healthy the only thing standing between him and playing time is Tahir Whitehead and while he’s alright he is nowhere near the playmaker Van Noy could be.
Carolina Panthers
The Panthers were unlucky enough to win their division while only finishing 7-9. I say unlucky because it caused them to pick lower in the draft where the otherwise could have gotten franchise QB Cam Newton some real help. The team desperately needs help on the offensive line, especially at OT and at WR, especially now that Kelvin Benjamin is injured. They can talk all they want about how much they love Devin Funchess but they really could have used one of the top WR prospects. The offensive line is counting on Michael Oher at LT and Mike Remmers at RT and that should concern everyone especially Cam Newton. Funchess and Corey Brown are penciled in to start at WR and Brown has had a really rough preseason. TE Greg Olsen is the only pass catching threat Newton has at the moment. RB Jonathan Stewart is finally the unquestioned starter now the DeAngelo Williams is gone but what will the Panthers do for the four or five games Stewart is injured.
Ron Rivera and defensive coordinator Sean McDermott have done a fantastic job even after losing DE Greg Hardy last year to a “roster exemption” because of his domestic violence incident. This year starting DE Frank Alexander went down with a season ending injury already and they need Kony Ealy to step up. Second year DTs Star Lotulelei and Kawann Short form a fantastic inside duo that frees DE Charles Johnson up on the outside. MLB Luke Kuechly and OLB Thomas Davis are the dynamic duo and while AJ Klein might hold down the other spot rookie Shaq Thompson could take it away. The secondary added CB Charles Tillman for a veteran presence but they need more talent to get better.
Biggest Off Season Move: Signing Michael Oher and thinking he can play LT
When Jordan Gross retired after the 2013 season the Panthers decided to replace him with Byron Bell and he was ill-suited for the job and now he’s playing guard in Tennessee. The Panthers decided to double down on ill-suited left tackles and they signed Michael Oher who has struggled to even play right tackle very well in the NFL. Oher signed a big contract a year ago to be the Titans RT but they cut him after a year and now the Panthers are going to line him up on the left side (I refuse to use Michael Oher and blind side together in a sentence, per Oher’s wishes).
Player to Watch: RB Cameron Artis-Payne
Jonathan Stewart has always been a tease with his size, speed and vision and people have always blamed his lack of breakout numbers on sharing his workload with DeAngelo Williams but I think Stewart is just good enough to not be replaced but he isn’t elite. He also has a tendency to get banged up and so the Panthers will need someone to start four or five games. There is a reason why Fozzy Whitaker and Jordan Todman aren’t NFL starters and Artis-Payne has the ability to step in when Stewart is unavailable.
Sleeper of the Season: DE Kony Ealy
Ealy was the less talked about Missouri DE in the 2014 draft but he was the better prospect. Greg Hardy and Frank Alexander were supposed to be ahead of him last year and now that Hardy is in Dallas and Alexander is on IR Ealy is going to get a chance to play. He isn’t the speed rusher teams dream about but he can hold his own and I think he’ll play well especially since the other three guys on the defensive line will command great attention.
Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens signed Joe Flacco to a massive contract after they won the Super Bowl a couple years ago so they are set at QB. They also have one of the best offensive lines in football led by arguably the best lineman in football RG Marshall Yanda. Yanda even stepped in at RT last season when Ricky Wagner was injured and they didn’t miss a beat. RB Justin Forsett can thank that offensive line for his breakout year running the ball and his new contract with the team. The passing game is in a state of flux as Flacco’s weapons change. WR Steve Smith came over last year and he says this is it for him, Torrey Smith left for a big contract in San Francisco and the Ravens replaced him with rookie Breshad Perriman (a workout warrior if nothing else). TE Dennis Pitta is injured again so holdover Crockett Gillmore and rookie Maxx Williams will be counted on to contribute.
The Ravens defense has always been their calling card and this season shouldn’t be any different but they are starting to replace the old parts with new ones. NT Brandon Williams stepped up last season and they are expecting DE Timmy Jernigan to replace Haloti Ngata this season. They drafted DL Carl Davis with an eye towards replacing aging DE Chris Canty eventually. ILB CJ Mosley stepped in as a rookie last year and was very good but they need to look at younger replacements for ILB Daryl Smith and OLBs Elvis Dumervil and Terrell Suggs. They drafted Za’Darius Smith out of Kentucky hoping he can fill the role vacated by Pernell McPhee and potentially replace either Dumervil or Suggs in the future. Free safety Kendrick Lewis was signed last year and strong safety Will Hill replaced the ineffective Matt Elam and he played very well. The CBs just need to be healthy as they both (Ladarius Webb and Jimmy Smith) should be in their prime.
Biggest Off Season Move: Replacing DE Haloti Ngata and WR Torrey Smith with Timmy Jernigan and Breshad Perriman
The team moved on from Ngata because defensive linemen over 30 have a short shelf life and the Ravens have always been willing to look to the next guy. Jernigan was drafted last year and showed them enough to think he can handle the job. Smith was a free agent that the team knew would get a big enough offer that they wouldn’t want to match. The Ravens know the value of a player like Smith and knew they could replace him. Perriman was a workout star and his blazing speed will fill Torrey Smith’s role just as soon as he is healthy enough.
Player to Watch: OLB Terrell Suggs
Suggs replaced Ray Lewis as the leader of the Ravens defense after Lewis retired and while Suggs was still an affective pass rusher last season the end is coming sooner rather than later for him. He is the straw that stirs the drink for the defense but they need other playmakers to step up to give him a hand and they have to hope Za’Darius Smith can rotate in for both Suggs and Dumervil to keep them fresh.
Sleeper of the Season: TE Maxx Williams
Joe Flacco has always liked a good pass catching TE and he’s really missed Dennis Pitta the last couple of years as he has been out with multiple hip injuries. Crockett Gillmore is listed as the starter but Maxx Williams brings a nice skill set to the table and I think he’ll become Flacco’s security blanket. A good TE can be a QB’s best friend.
Seattle Seahawks
Russell Wilson has led the Seahawks to one Super Bowl title and one Super Bowl loss in his three years in the league and while you can make a case he wasn’t the driving force you can’t let a QB that has done that get away. Wilson has Marshawn Lynch carrying the load on offense but he fits what Pete Carroll and offensive coordinator Derrell Bevell want to do so his contract extension while expensive was understandable. The team has gotten along without great playmakers in the passing game but it came back to haunt them in the Super Bowl so they traded their starting center Max Unger and a 1st round pick for TE Jimmy Graham. Graham gives them a great target especially in the red zone but they are still going with Doug Baldwin, Jermaine Kearse, Richardo Lockette and rookie Tyler Lockett at WR so Wilson will have to make plays. He will likely also have to rely on his legs a bit more as the offensive line is in major transition. LT Russell Okung is the only sure then in front of Wilson and that could affect the passing game but more importantly could disrupt their formidable running game. Marshawn Lynch’s “Beastmode” won’t work as well if the blocking up front is suspect.
Pete Carroll has built the Seahawks into one of the most impressive defensive teams in the league and they have sustained it through Gus Bradley and Dan Quinn as the coordinators and now it’s up to former DB coach Kris Richard to carry on. The Legion of Boom (the secondary) has lost guys like Brandon Browner, Walter Thurmond III and Byron Maxwell the last two years and they are counting on Tharold Simon and newcomer Cary Williams to step up beside star Richard Sherman. The holdout of SS Kam Chancellor could really affect the play of the unit overall. DEs Michael Bennett and Cliff Avril bring pressure as does OLB Bruce Irvin and MLB Bobby Wagner is the unsung hero of the group.
Biggest Off Season Move: Trading for TE Jimmy Graham
Giving up their starting center and a first round pick could come back to haunt this team even if Jimmy Graham is as good in Seattle playing with Russell Wilson as he was in New Orleans playing with Drew Brees. Seattle gave up a pretty good center in Unger and a draft pick they could have used to get a WR or more help on the line for a TE that won’t help their run blocking.
Player to Watch: TE Jimmy Graham
Graham is a fantastic pass catching TE and he gives the Seahawks a major red zone weapon and a guy that will command attention in the passing game. He cost this team quite a bit in a trade so the pressure is on and he doesn’t have the same type of passing offense in Seattle that he had in New Orleans where guys like Marques Colston and other WRs took focus away from him. The Seahawks still don’t have a true #1 WR and Russell Wilson is not Drew Brees throwing the ball.
Sleeper of the Season: Rookie WR Tyler Lockett
Lockett is a playmaker and he will make the team’s roster simply because he’s an excellent return man. The Seahawks WR depth chart is far from formidable so he could make a move. Richardo Lockette and Chris Matthews both played in the Super Bowl but they are far from sure things at this point. After Doug Baldwin and Jermaine Kearse no one is a safe bet.
Indianapolis Colts
No team in the league is as set for the present and the future at QB as the Colts. Andrew Luck is 25 years old, a Pro Bowl player, a threat to win the MVP award and he took his team to the AFC Championship game last season. He threw for over 4700 yards and had 40 TDs to 16 INTs those are incredible numbers that he could actually surpass this year. No team has the depth of weapons the Colts offer Luck this year either. WRs TY Hilton, Andre Johnson, Donte Moncrief, Phillip Dorsett and Duron Carter are the most impressive collection of WRs 1-5 in the league. TEs Coby Fleener and Dwayne Allen are two very good players that make Luck’s life easier. RB Frank Gore was brought in to solidify the running game and they hope Vick Ballard can return to health to give them depth. The biggest issue facing the Colts offense is the line protecting Luck. LT Anthony Costanzo is solid but they need new RG Todd Herremans and new RT Jack Mewhort to play very well. Lance Louis and Khaled Holmes are slated to be the starting LG and C and they are fine but not great players.
The defense needs either a couple of old war horses to step up or a couple of young bucks to do it. The defensive line is solid with DEs Kendall Langford and Arthur Jones flanking behemoth NT Josh Chapman but they don’t make a lot of plays so it falls on the LBs. OLB Robert Mathis isn’t young and he’s coming off a torn Achilles tendon and OLB Trent Cole just came over from Philadelphia. Young OLB Bjoern Werner needs to step up and former free agent signee Erik Walden needs to make more plays. The secondary was surprisingly good as Vontae Davis, Greg Toler and Darius Butler make a very solid group at CB. The safeties aren’t great but they got they are veterans.
Biggest Off Season Move: Signing veterans RB Frank Gore and WR Andre Johnson
The team went through a number of running backs last year and they needed some consistency at the position and consistent is Gore’s middle name. He’s been a stalwart in San Francisco and he’ll have a nice end to his career in Indy. Johnson comes in to replace long time Colt Reggie Wayne and while he isn’t a top WR anymore he is a perfect veteran complement to young star TY Hilton. Johnson gets to play with Andrew Luck and finally gets to play with a top notch QB.
Player to Watch: WR Donte Moncrief
Last year the Colts needed a WR to step up opposite TY Hilton when Hakeem Nicks and Reggie Wayne were out and Moncrief did a nice job. He is fighting off Phillip Dorsett and Duron Carter for the third WR spot behind Hilton and Johnson but he showed he can handle the role. Moncrief is the best bet to be a consistent playmaker after Hilton and he doesn’t have to transition like Johnson does.
Sleeper of the Season: WR Duron Carter
Duron Carter is the son of Vikings legend Cris Carter and his career path has been anything but easy. He went to multiple colleges and never really accomplished much at any of them because of his off the field issues. He didn’t get drafted several years ago when he was eligible and he spent some time in the Canadian Football League. He dominated the CFL last year and the Colts signed him before they signed Andre Johnson or drafted Phillip Dorsett and now he has to fight for playing time. He has speed and big play potential and he has great size at 6’5 205 lbs. He could break out if he gets enough playing time.
Green Bay Packers
The only team in the league with a better QB than Indianapolis is Green Bay with reigning MVP Aaron Rodgers but the Colts are in a slightly better overall position because Luck is almost as good and six years younger. Rodgers has plenty of time left and he is at the top of his game now which makes the Packers one of the best teams in the league no matter what. The offense rolls right along with Rodgers at the controls and Eddie Lacy toting the rock. Lacy is the type of big back that has become the norm in the league and pounds defenses into submission. The Packers had one of the best WR corps until top WR Jordy Nelson went down with a torn ACL. The Packers will be fine but it means Randall Cobb and Devante Adams have to step up into more prominent roles. The offensive line is talented but thin and injuries could take a toll.
The Packers defense is led by the pass rush of LBs Clay Matthews and Julius Peppers and they need some others to step up either inside (Carl Bradford or Jake Ryan) or outside (Nick Perry). The defensive line is pretty good but it’s not deep. DEs Mike Daniels and Datone Jones do their jobs well and the return of a healthy BJ Raji helps since Letroy Guion is suspended for the first three games. CBs Sam Shields and Casey Hayward are pretty good but they need rookies Damarious Randall and Quinten Rollins to add quality depth. Safeties Morgan Burnett and Ha Ha Clinton-Dix form a pretty nice pair and Micah Hyde can play just about anywhere in the secondary.
Biggest Off Season Move: Not addressing their needs at LB
To me this could be a move that comes back to haunt them because they need have Clay Matthews free to rush the QB and if he’s playing ILB it limits his options. I’m not sure rookie Jake Ryan is much of an answer and while I like Carl Bradford they need more help than that. They resigned RT Bryan Bulaga and WR Jordy Nelson and those were great moves but sometimes it’s the ones you don’t make that matter most.
Player to Watch: WR Devante Adams
I love Adams and what he brings and with Nelson out for the year with a torn ACL they are going to need someone to replace his production. Randall Cobb obviously is a top notch WR and he becomes Rodgers’ favorite target but he had 91 receptions last year so asking for much more is unfair. Adams had 38 receptions and he is capable of producing much more and if he goes for 90 catches I won’t be surprised.
Sleeper of the Season: WR Jeff Janis
If Adams steps up into a much bigger role then someone has to step into his #3 WR spot and I think it’s Janis. The small school product didn’t do much last year but he’s very talented and being Rodgers’ #3 WR is a pretty good gig. A lot of people are expecting Ty Montgomery to be the guy but I see Janis filling the spot.
The Hott Read 