Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Obviously, the big news of the Bucs offseason was the signing of Russell Gage.  Well, maybe I’m underestimating the retirement and unretirement of Tom Brady and Bruce Arians stepping down as head coach.  But that Gage signing could be important.  Brady is back for another run before he heads to the Dolphins next year (I may not be kidding about that).  Anyway, the team returns a lot from last season but they need some health and they aren’t off to a great start.  With Bruce Arians stepping aside and Todd Bowles promoted to head coach, this is now unequivocally Byron Leftwich’s offense (don’t worry, Brady will still get the credit though).   

WR Chris Godwin is Brady’s favorite target but he’s coming off a knee injury and isn’t back yet.  Mike Evans remains the steady star who always gets 1000 yards receiving no matter who plays QB for the Bucs.  They signed Russell Gage to be their third WR, he’s a good slot guy who should be more reliable than Antonio Brown (and by that, I mean he won’t strip half naked and run off the field in the middle of a game).   They signed Julio Jones as a depth piece, he’s simply not the guy he once was but he can still be effective while Godwin gets back.  Kyle Rudolph joins Cameron Brate at TE as they look to replace Rob Gronkowski.  No one will have the rapport Gronk had with Brady but Rudolph is a tried-and-true veteran Brady can trust. 

Leonard Fournette was re-signed because he has Brady’s trust too.  He’s a good runner and has proven to be an excellent pass catcher.  He does everything the offense needs.  As long as he gets into shape by the start the season, he’ll dominate the running game.  The offensive line was supposed to return three starters and LT Donovan Smith and RT Tristan Wirfs are back.  However, Ryan Jensen re-signed after Brady recruited him hard to come back and now, he suffered a serious knee injury early in training camp and his season is in serious doubt.  That’s a big blow to the interior of the offensive line already replacing both guards.  They traded for Shaq Mason, he starts at RG. Unfortunately, they lost Aaron Stinnie to a knee injury too and he’s out for the year. It looks like rookie Luke Goedeke will start at LG unless the sign a veteran. Robert Hainsey steps in at center for Jensen, they could sign a veteran at center but they are giving Hainsey every chance to win the job. Wirfs isn’t completely healthy either, it’s getting a bit tough up front. The offensive line issues could derail this offense.

Todd Bowles takes over as head coach and he promoted two guys to coordinate the defense but make no mistake, he’s still running it.  Bowles is an excellent defensive mind and he’s going to have develop a few young guys to replace some important veterans.  The team didn’t re-sign Ndamukong Suh and they drafted Logan Hall at DE in round two.  Clearly, they weren’t convinced he’ll be ready right away because they signed Akiem Hicks to start with Vita Vea and William Gholston.  Vea is arguably the best nose tackle in football and Gholston is solid vet.  Hall will give them some youth but he’s basically the only depth they have. 

The team also failed to re-sign OLB Jason Pierre-Paul who is aging, wasn’t very effective last year, and had shoulder surgery after missing the end of the season.  They will turn to 2021 first-round pick Joe Tryon-Shoyinka to play opposite Shaquil Barrett.  Barrett is the star pass rusher now and they also have veteran Anthony Nelson who was steady yet unspectacular last year.  Devin White and Lavonte David are probably the best ILB duo in the league and they do everything Todd Bowles wants his ILBs to do.  They are undersized guys but Bowles likes them that way and he knows exactly how to play to their strengths. 

Bowles is one of the best secondary coaches in NFL history and the way you know that is he has one elite player in this secondary and yet they are consistently one of the most effective units every year.  SS Antoine Winfield Jr. is quickly becoming one of the best safeties in the NFL and he’s the chess piece Bowles can move anywhere he needs him.  The team lost Jordan Whitehead in free agency but they signed Logan Ryan.  Ryan has moved from CB to safety in the past few years and redefined himself as a pretty good safety, a move that has successfully extended his career.  Carlton Davis III, Jamel Dean, and Sean Murphy-Bunting make a really solid trio at CB.  They are all similar sizes with similar builds and similar playing styles so Bowles can just put them out there and let them play. 

New Orleans Saints

It feels like people are downplaying the Saints because of their QB and new coaching situation, yet plenty of people are picking them for the playoffs because the NFC isn’t exactly stacked.  It seems like them going with Jameis Winston at QB is making people doubt them and people are doubting their offense overall.  Pete Carmichael is taking over play calling duties but he’s not the “new” offensive coordinator, he has been Sean Payton’s offensive coordinator for more than a decade, he had to have picked up something in that time.  Dennis Allen is the new head coach as he moves up from defensive coordinator so Carmichael will be running the offense.

Winston went 4-2 in games he started and finished last year before his injury in game seven ended his season.  He was up and down at times but his starting WRs to begin last year were Tre’Quan Smith, Marquez Callaway, and Deonte Harris.  Those three are still around, none of them will start and there’s a chance one or two of them don’t make the roster. Michael Thomas is back to claim his #1 WR spot on the outside.  They drafted Chris Olave to give them a major playmaker and they signed Jarvis Landry to be the chain mover in the slot.  TE Adam Trautman had a nice October and November before he missed some time at the end of the year.  Also, Taysom Hill as a QB is officially dead and the team is going to try him at TE and maybe use him as a skill position weapon on offense. Winston has way more to work with now than he did to start last year. 

Alvin Kamara had a tough year last season with the offense being on his shoulders.  He had 240 rushes last year and only 47 catches.  That was almost 50 more rushes than his previous career high and about half the passes you want him catching.  Kamara is not a traditional “pound-the-rock” RB, he needs to be in space.  They didn’t have a better option so he got stuck in a bad role.  They still don’t have great options for a traditional back but Mark Ingram II is back after coming home in a trade last season.  They signed Malcolm Brown, they still have Tony Jones Jr. and I think they are ripe for picking up someone’s veteran castoff at some point.  Kamara shouldn’t get 240 rushes this season if they want to succeed. 

The offensive line returns intact after Terron Armstead missed most of last season and now he’s off to Miami.  James Hurst will likely be the starting LT to start the year unless rookie Trevor Penning can beat him out.  It’s going to be hard to do if he keeps getting kicked out of practice for fighting, someone needs to tell him these guys are on his side.  The rest of the line just needs to stay healthy.  LG Andrus Peat, C Eric McCoy, RG Cesar Ruiz and RT Ryan Ramczyk are all quite talented players when they play.  Ruiz struggled at times last year but he’s still their best option at RG. 

Dennis Allen turned around the Saints defense the minute he got there and there is no reason to think they won’t be good.  He’s still relying on a few older vets but these guys can play.  Starting up front with DE Cameron Jordan going into his twelfth year, he’s a still a menace.  He’s the guy that scares everyone up front.  Marcus Davenport missed time early in the year but he finally started to show his promise after a pretty lackluster three years.  He might be the guy they thought they were getting when they traded up for him in the first round of the 2018 draft.  Shy Tuttle and David Onyemata aren’t game wreckers but they are tough in the middle and make life easier for the guys around them. 

LB Demario Davis is still the picture of consistency going into year eleven and he’s the QB of this defense.  He’s a tackling machine and makes plays everywhere.  The team really only uses two LBs because Allen uses a lot of nickel defense so Pete Werner is the other LB who plays a lot.  The team has some depth with Zack Baun and Andrew Dowell but keep an eye on D’Marco Jackson.  He’s a small-school guy who’s a little undersized but he has Demario Davis vibes.

Allen likes to have options in his secondary and he’s got lots of options in this secondary.  Marshon Lattimore can be one of the best corners in the league.  He wasn’t quite at his best last year but he still has it in him.  Paulson Adebo locked down the other starting CB spot and he was pretty good.  Allen likes five DBs and Chauncey Gardner-Johnson is their nickel guy.  He’s a CB/S hybrid and he plays a lot of snaps for this team.  They needed new safeties after Marcus Williams left in free agency and Malcolm Jenkins retired.  They signed Marcus Maye and Tyrann Mathieu as their starters.  Allen will love their versatility.  They also have plenty of backup options for Allen to choose from.  PJ Williams is still around at CB and they drafted Alontae Taylor, a very intriguing rookie. Also, they still have Bradley Roby somehow.  They signed Daniel Sorensen (I don’t know why) as depth at safety. 

Carolina Panthers

Somehow the Panthers have the #1 and #3 picks from the 2018 draft on their roster and it’s not really a good thing.  They finally pulled off the trade for Baker Mayfield once Mayfield took a pay cut and the Brown picked up most of the rest of the contract.  Now Mayfield becomes the likely starter over Sam Darnold after Darnold was pretty bad last year. This offense has a chance to be good if they get good QB play, I’m not sure if they will get good QB play.  I’ve never been a Mayfield fan but he’s better than Darnold (as long as his shoulder is okay).   

Mayfield could find this WR group to actually be better than the one he was playing with at the end of his time in Cleveland.  DJ Moore is an underutilized talent.  Somehow, Moore has never scored more than four TDs in a season, that’s an insane stat for a guy who has had over 1100 receiving yards each of the last three years.  Robbie Anderson may not have been excited to have Mayfield become his QB but maybe he should be.  Darnold has yet to be great and maybe if Mayfield is more consistent Anderson can get back to being a productive receiver.  Terrace Marshall Jr. is a talented guy who just never got going last year.  They also signed Rashard Higgins, a guy who always had a little connection to Mayfield in Cleveland.  Tommy Tremble can be a more productive TE with a more consistent QB. 

RB Christian McCaffrey is the engine to this offense.  He has essentially missed the last two seasons and they need to keep him healthy.  It would help if they don’t give him 1000 touches like they did back in 2019, I understand it’s tempting to give him the ball every play but it’s just not smart.  They do have Chuba Hubbard and now they signed D’Onta Foreman after he played so well in place of Derrick Henry in Tennessee last year.  They have to let those guys handle some of the workload. 

The offensive line was atrocious last season which is why they will likely have four new starters this year.  RT Taylor Moton is the only returning starter and that’s because he’s actually pretty good.  LT Ikem Ekwonu was their first-round pick and he’s going to be a stud, you’re going to have to give him a minute with the pass blocking, but he’ll get there.  He’ll be their first steady starter at LT in quite a while.  C Bradley Bozeman was signed from Baltimore and he should stabilize that spot.  RG Austin Corbett started for the Super Bowl winning Rams and he got a nice big contract in free agency.  The LG spot is going to have some competition.  Pat Elflein is an uninspiring veteran choice, his versatility means he can be the backup guard and center.  Brady Christiansen could win the job but I think he’s the swing tackle.  I think rookie Cade Mays will end up the best option.  He was a sixth-round pick but he’s really tough. It could be scary starting two rookies on the left side but it can’t be worse than their starters there last year. 

The Panthers’ defense wasn’t very good last year.  It’s possible it was the personnel, it’s possible it was the scheme and the coaching, and it’s possible that the offense was so bad it put the defense in terrible position.  It’s actually all of those things. The front four is led by DE Brian Burns.  He had a solid year with nine sacks but he has yet to really break out.  He has the talent; now can they unleash him.  Yetur Gross-Matos is the other starting end, he’s solid but doesn’t excel as a pass rusher so he isn’t taking much pressure off of Burns.  They need someone to help at end.  Derrick Brown is a big man on the inside they would like to see make more plays.  They signed Matt Ioannidis to be the other starting DT because Bravvion Roy and Daviyon Nixon haven’t proven to be ready. 

The LBs are a work in progress.  Shaq Thompson is the only sure thing as long as he’s healthy.  They had veteran Corey Littleton last year, he was fine but not great.  They signed Damien Wilson to play MLB. He’s generally productive but hardly inspiring.  The secondary is where the true upside resides.  CB Jaycee Horn only played in three games before he was lost for the season, he’s got true #1 CB potential.  Donte Jackson is a solid #2 CB and they are hoping their trade for former first-round pick CJ Henderson pays off and gives them a solid trio.  SS Jeremy Chinn is a unique athlete that I’m not quite sure they have figured out how to use just yet.  FS Xavier Woods is a new addition and he should be solid on the back end.  I’m not sure if this defense is holding this team back because they aren’t good or if this team is holding this defense back because they aren’t good.  We may have to wait for them to replace the coaching staff to find out. 

Atlanta Falcons

This Falcons team is pretty rough and it starts at QB.  They traded Matt Ryan and they signed Marcus Mariota to be the stopgap starter.  Mariota has been the backup for the Raiders for a couple of years and he’s not a great choice to start.  They drafted Desmond Ridder but they seem committed to Mariota, this is clearly a team looking for a high draft pick next year.  Arthur Smith has a type of receiver he likes, big.  Last year the team drafted TE Kyle Pitts, essentially a 6’6 receiver that they played outside quite a bit.  This year they drafted Drake London, a 6’4 WR with the versatility to play inside or outside so they can move him around with Pitts.  They traded for Bryan Edwards, a big 6’3 WR from the Raiders. They also signed Auden Tate, a 6’5 WR, that’s not a coincidence.  Olamide Zaccheaus is a small WR they plan to use but that will likely be because they don’t have a ton of choices, it’s not a great depth chart.

The running game looks to be in the hands of Cordarrelle Patterson again after he was the surprise last season.  He had never been a full-time RB until the Falcons had no other choices last year and he excelled at it. They have some help this year with Damian Williams and rookie Tyler Allgeier.  They aren’t great but they can play.  The offensive line has stalwart LT Jake Matthews returning.  C Matt Hennessey also returns to start.  They desperately need the other three spots to get healthy.  RG Chris Lindstrom and RT Kaleb McGary simply haven’t stayed healthy enough to show their talent and they are running out of time.  Both were first-round picks in 2019 and they are quickly approaching the end of their rookie contracts, it’s now or never to prove they are worth keeping around.  LG Jalen Mayfield is fighting a back issue with Bears’ castoff Elijah Wilkinson set to replace him.  If you’re playing a guy the Bears let walk, you should reconsider your life’s direction. 

As bad as I think the Atlanta offense might be, the defense is going to be worse.  Up front they have Grady Jarrett, and while he’s pretty good, they have very little else.  Marlon Davidson has some talent but he simply doesn’t play enough.  Ta’Quon Graham is young guy trying to figure it out and while Anthony Rush looks the part of a nose tackle, he’s bounced around a lot for a reason.  It’s going to be a long year for Jarrett. 

The LB corps is better but still not great.  They have some solid pros but not a lot of playmakers.  Deion Jones should be one ILB as long as he’s healthy.  They signed Rashaad Evans from Tennessee to give them a solid guy inside next to Jones.  Evans isn’t a game breaker but he’s consistent.  They also drafted Troy Andersen, a small-school guy with some upside.  At OLB, they signed Lorenzo Carter from the Giants.  He’s solid but he doesn’t set the world on fire as a pass rusher.  They drafted Arnold Ebiketie and while he might take a minute to adjust to the NFL, he has high upside as a pass rusher, certainly more than anyone else on this roster. 

The secondary has some talent at the CB position. AJ Terrell developed into a top-notch cover guy last season and they added Casey Hayward in free agency.  Hayward is getting older but he’s been pretty consistent over the last several years which is more than can be said for Isaiah Oliver, their other CB.  Richie Grant, Dean Marlowe, Jaylinn Hawkins, Erik Harris is an underwhelming group at safety but there is competition.  If Grant and Hawkins can play up to their potential, the secondary could be the strength of the defense.  It’s a low bar but you have to start somewhere.     

Los Angeles Rams

The Rams went all in for a Super Bowl last year and they won it, now they will try to repeat and they have a lot of guys back.  Matthew Stafford proved he can win as long as he’s not in Detroit.  They put a ton of talent around him and he actually raised the games of some of his guys.  Cooper Kupp had a ridiculous season last year winning the receiving triple crown (receptions, yards, and TDs).  He and Stafford found a connection that is incredible.  He’s arguably the best WR in the league.  Odell Beckham was really good after signing with the team and helped them get to the Super Bowl, but he injured his knee and still hasn’t signed anywhere. The Rams aren’t waiting around, they went out and got Allen Robinson.  Robinson will be a great addition and regardless of his lackluster year in Chicago last year, I think he still has plenty in the tank.  Van Jefferson should be their third guy although he had knee surgery that is going to keep him out a few weeks.  I could see this team re-signing Beckham later in the year if they don’t find any depth before he’s ready to play.  TE Tyler Higbee is a solid player.

The running game should be better with Cam Akers back after a healthy offseason.  He came back in record time after his Achilles injury.  He’s a really good back and they still have Derrell Henderson Jr. backing him up.  The line has a bit of a shake up as Andrew Whitworth retired and Austin Corbett left in free agency.  Joe Noteboom is a young guy they clearly like because they made no effort to find any other replacement for Whitworth at LT.  The OG position was going to have a little competition as Bobby Evans and David Edwards are the holdovers and the team drafted Logan Bruss but he’s out for the year already. It’s actually fourth-year man Coleman Shelton holding down the RG spot with Edwards at LG. C Brian Allen and RT Rob Havenstein return, they aren’t All-Pro guys but they are solid. 

The defense features the best defensive player in the league (no offense to TJ Watt and his DPOY award), Aaron Donald.  He’s simply the most dominate defensive presence in the NFL.  They also have the best defensive back in the NFL, Jalen Ramsey.  It really helps your team when you have two of the three or four best defensive players in the league on your defense.  Donald is joined up front by A’Shawn Robinson and Greg Gaines, solid players but not game wreckers.  They are going to miss Sebastian Joseph-Day. 

The LBs are led by Leonard Floyd on the outside, he’s really found his stride with the Rams.  They are going to miss Von Miller unless either Justin Hollins (the presumed other starter) or Terrell Lewis really break out.  The team did add Bobby Wagner inside and he’s one of the best MLBs the league has ever seen.  He is 32 but the Rams are all about winning now and they don’t care how long he’s around.  He’s an upgrade for them now, that’s what matters.  Ernest Jones played well for them last year so they like him just fine. 

The secondary is built around Jalen Ramsey’s incredible skills.  He can basically play any position in the secondary and he can even play like a LB at times.  They have built the rest of the group with flexibility in mind so they can move Ramsey where he’s needed most and other can fill in around him.  They brought back Troy Hill after his one-year experiment in Cleveland, he knows this defense and he can play inside or outside.  They also have David Long Jr and Robert Rochell to throw out there at CB.  Taylor Rapp, Jordan Fuller, and Nick Scott give them options at safety.  They can do a lot of the same things and give them flexibility when they move Ramsey to the slot or into the box.  Ramsey makes the whole thing work, he’s one of the best defensive backs ever. 

San Francisco 49ers

This is sort of a “believe it before I see it” pick.  The fact that Trey Lance is a major unknown is working in the 49ers favor here.  I know I don’t trust Kliff Kingsbury and Kyler Murray in Arizona and I’m not betting on a Seattle team led by Geno Smith.  So here we are.  The 49ers want us to believe Trey Lance is their QB superstar of the future.  I’m more willing to bet that they can make him good enough to come in second in the division with Shanahan’s running game and that defense.  Lance gets a happy Deebo Samuel (a new big contract will do that for you), TE George Kittle (hopefully staying healthy), WR Brandon Aiyuk, RB Elijah Mitchell and FB Kyle Juszczyk (yep, Shanahan still uses the fullback, it’s like he’s from a different century).

Mitchell was the find last year as he stepped in after a myriad of injuries depleted the RB room.  Mitchell gets the advantage of running in Shanahan’s RB friendly offense and running behind some good to great o-linemen.  LT Trent Williams is arguably the best in the league (and until Green Bay’s David Bakhtiari is healthy, it’s not an argument).  RT Mike McGlinchey is pretty solid too.  The middle of the line is in flux because C Alex Mack retired and G Laken Tomlinson left in free agency.  That would leave Daniel Brunskill as the only returner inside but he’s already being replaced by rookie Spencer Burford.  Jake Brendel will get a crack at center and Aaron Banks was a high draft pick two years ago and should get a chance at one guard spot. It’s not an elite group to say the least but if there is any coach who’s going to figure out his offensive line, it’s Kyle Shanahan. 

The defense is built off their strength up front but they need some guys to get healthy for that to work out for them.  DE Nick Bosa finally got healthy last season and broke out with 15.5 sacks and looks like the star they drafted him to be.  He has top five pass rusher written all over him.  Arik Armstead is a mainstay, he’s banged up at the beginning of camp, they really need him to be healthy all year.  DT Javon Kinlaw missed most of last season and they need him to bring his considerable size and talent to the interior.  Samson Ebukam is the veteran pass rusher opposite Bosa but watch out for rookie Drake Jackson.  He’s a talented kid who just needed to get away from the terrible coaching he got a USC, now he can really show what he can do. 

They build everything off of the strength of their line because they play three LBs who are 230 lbs. or less.  MLB Fred Warner is one of the best in the business (he might be the best).  He flies around like a missile and destroys offenses.  Dre Greenlaw does pretty much the same thing, he just gets less credit because Warner is awesome. Azeez Al-Shaair is similar in size and style he’s just not as good as Warner or Greenlaw. 

The secondary is where things get a little rough.  They did sign Charvarius Ward at one CB spot, he’s a legit NFL starter.  Emmanuel Moseley is solid but is a guy you’re almost always looking to replace but he’s just good enough to hold off the other options.  They did re-sign Jason Verrett who was hurt last year, he’s hurt every year. There are three things in this world you can count on; death, taxes, and Jason Verrett getting injured.  Jimmie Ward returns at one safety spot, he’s 31, he’s not elite but he’s versatile and steady.  The let Jaquiski Tartt go and they have George Odom or Talanoa Hufanga to replace him, I have no idea if that’s good or bad.  I do know that replacing Tartt isn’t exactly asking to replace Ronnie Lott, the bar is much lower. 

Arizona Cardinals

I don’t trust Kliff Kingsbury.  I don’t trust Kyler Murray.  I don’t trust the offensive line to hold up all year.  And I really don’t trust this defense.  Murray may do some dazzling things on the field but he doesn’t always do the mundane things you have to do to play winning football.  I’ve never been a big fan of Kingsbury as a coach and he hasn’t done anything to change my mind.  This team will be without WR DeAndre Hopkins for the first six weeks of the season, while they may think they have a good replacement in Marquise Brown, I don’t see it.  They already have a small, speedy WR in Rondale Moore and they proved last season they had no idea how to use him.  Anyone with Moore’s skills shouldn’t average only eight yards a catch.  The offense might give Brown more opportunities but I’m not sold on that production being useful.  Once Hopkins returns, what’s Brown’s role then?  They also have AJ Green back.  Zach Ertz was re-signed and they drafted Trey McBride, the best TE in the draft, for an offense that generally wasn’t built to use TEs they now have two.  They used Ertz a lot last season after he was acquired from Philadelphia and now, they have to try to incorporate more TE usage.  I really don’t know where this offense is going.

James Connor was a touchdown machine last year.  He didn’t have a ton of yardage but he made the most of his touches.  He had 15 rushing and three receiving TDs.  He’s a good back who’s a tough runner and he’s useful in the passing game.  His TDs are going to regress, there’s no way he’s going to stay that effective at scoring, but he could be a bigger part of the offense overall.  The offensive line is aging.  RG Will Hernandez is the only real young guy and he’s a castoff from the Giants after a few rough years in New York.  LT DJ Humphries is pretty good and he’ll only be 29 at the end of the year, the rest of the line is well past their prime.  LG Justin Pugh is 32, C Rodney Hudson is 33, and RT Kelvin Beachem is also 33.  There’s not much depth and if injuries happen, they’re in trouble. 

This defense leaves a lot to be desired.  Up front they still have JJ Watt.  He’s a big name but he’s well past his time as a game changer.  He played in seven games last year and had one sack, unfortunately, that makes him one of the better pass rushers they still have.  Zach Allen is the other DE and he had four sacks in 15 games, which is a career high for him.  Rashard Lawrence and Leki Fotu are the nose tackles and they don’t pass rush at all. 

Chandler Jones left for Las Vegas leaving Markus Golden and his 11 sacks as the only pass rushing threat left.  Golden had a solid year but in his eight-year career he’s only had double digit sacks three times and it’s never happened twice in a row.  The other OLB spot is either Devon Kennard or Dennis Gardeck at the moment unless they turn to a rookie like Myjai Sanders or Cameron Thomas.  It’s not a great place to be.  Their last two first round picks were ILB Zaven Collins and Isaiah Simmons.  They need both those guys to turn it on because spending back-to-back first-round picks on ILBs is pretty crazy when you think about it.  I’m not sure they have the most faith in them either consider they signed veterans Nick Vigil and Ben Niemann, not household names but guys you could turn to if Collins or Simmons fail. 

The secondary is a mishmash.  FS Budda Baker is one of the better safeties in football and CB Byron Murphy Jr. had a good year.  SS Jalen Thompson put up some big tackle numbers but that will happen when the guys in front of you aren’t very good (I’m talking about the entire front seven).  They ended up playing Marco Wilson a lot last year and he looked like the fourth-round pick he was.  He was fine at times but he had his struggles.  They need another CB so bad they are even taking a flyer on former 2018 Green Bay second round flame out Josh Jackson.  He’s bounced around a bit since the Packers gave up on him but here he is.  He hasn’t been good but if there is anywhere he could stick on the roster, this might be his only chance.

Seattle Seahawks

As much as I don’t trust Kingsbury, Murray, the o-line or the defense in Arizona, I can’t see them finishing behind a team with Geno Smith (or Drew Lock) at QB.  If you’re a Seattle Seahawks fan and you’re just taking the season off from watching football, no one will blame you.  One reason the NFL can’t make “tanking” illegal is that it’s hard to prove a team is trying to lose.  Having Geno Smith, Drew Lock, a Jacob Eason as your three QBs might be the closest anyone has ever come to having actual proof a team is trying to lose.  Geno Smith hasn’t regularly started games since 2014, Drew Lock never should have regularly started games and Eason never will regularly start games.  It’s really unfortunate because WRs DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett are actually a really good pair of receivers to waste.  They also added TE Noah Fant in the Russell Wilson trade, which gives them three really good pass catchers, although that’s all they have, the rest of the WR/TE group is pretty rough.  (And don’t try to sell me on TE Will Dissly)

The running game took a hit when Chris Carson was forced to retire due to his neck injury but the Seahawks knew it was coming and planned accordingly.  They re-signed Rashad Penny after he had a great five out of the last six games last season.  They only gave him a one-year deal but that’s because his first three seasons in the league were awful.  They also drafted Kenneth Walker III in round two of the draft.  He’s really talented and he’s the future at the position.  The team also finally addressed the OT position in draft after putting veteran band-aids on the spot for far too long.  LT Charles Cross is an immediate starter and while Jake Curhan is currently penciled in at RT, it’s only a matter of time before Abraham Lucas takes that job.  The team signed C Austin Blythe and it seems he’ll battle Kyle Fuller for the starting job there.  Gabe Jackson and Damien Lewis return at the guard spots, they are solid players.

It’s going to be a transition year for the Seahawks defense.  Well, let’s be honest, it’s probably going to take more than one year.  This is probably going to have more of a 3-4 look to it although it’s a little bit of a hybrid look in the front seven.  The personnel fits the 3-4 better for sure.  DE Shelby Harris came over in the Russell Wilson trade and he’s been on a three-man line for a while in Denver.  Al Woods and Poona Ford can be DTs but they fit the three-man front just fine.  None of these guys are particularly great pass rushers but Harris can get there on occasion. 

The LBs are missing Bobby Wagner after a decade of elite play from him.  He has moved on to the Rams and the team is hoping Jordyn Brooks can step into his role on the field and as a leader.  Cody Barton is the most likely ILB with Brooks.  Darrell Taylor was always an OLB/DE tweener and now he can play OLB with newly signed Uchenna Nwosu on the other side.  They also drafted Boye Mafe from Minnesota and he gives them a guy they hope can be a double-digit sack guy since none of these other guys have proven to do that.  One guy to watch out for, rookie fifth-round pick Tyreke Smith, he could have some pass rushing chops. 

The secondary features SS Jamal Adams.  They are paying him a ton of money and they paid a hefty price to trade for him two years ago.  They have to get more out of him even if he isn’t great as a coverage guy.  He is an effective blitzer when used correctly.  FS Quandre Diggs is an underrated guy who covers for a lot of mistakes on this defense.  The CB spot is in far worse shape.  Tre Brown and Sidney Jones might be penciled in as starters if they weren’t hurt and that’s not a great thing.  Artie Burns is still somehow earning a paycheck in the NFL too.  Justin Coleman is supposed to be a good nickel corner but you have to have guys playing well on the outside for that to matter.  I think they should give rookies Coby Bryant and Tariq Woolen a really long look.         

Buffalo Bills

The Bills have built the most complete roster in the NFL over the last several seasons and they put the finishing touches on this offseason.  It’s now or never for the Bills to make a run to the Super Bowl and they are rightfully one of the favorites to do so.  It starts with potential MVP candidate QB Josh Allen.  He has progressed every year of his career and he did everything he could do to beat Patrick Mahomes in the playoffs last season and then his defense and a coin took his victory away.  He’s ready, and so is this offense.  WR Stefon Diggs is one of the best in the NFL He and Allen are a dynamic pair.  Gabriel Davis looks poised to step up as the second option and Isaiah McKenzie was quite good when he stepped into the slot role last year.  TE Dawson Knox was a TD machine and he’s become a reliable target Allen really trusts.  The team also signed OJ Howard at TE and while he’s always been more potential than production, they hope he changes that in Buffalo. 

The running game was basically Allen or bust until the last five weeks of the season when Devin Singletary finally decided to show up.  The Bills will still be a pass heavy offense but they need to balance it out a little bit.  Singletary is a solid back and they are hoping Zack Moss can rediscover whatever it was he lost last year when he was ineffective.  They also drafted RB James Cook, probably the best pass catching RB in the draft.  He could have a huge part in this offense with his skillset.  The line returns three starters, LT Dion Dawkins, RT Spencer Brown, and center Mitch Morse.  They were clearly unhappy with the guard play as they signed veterans Ryan Bates and Roger Saffold, both should start. 

The defense collapsed last year in the last 14 seconds of the playoff game and overtime against Patrick Mahomes.  It’s hard to completely blame them, it was Patrick Mahomes after all, however, if they get a stop this team would have been playing in the Super Bowl.  Under head coach Sean McDermott and defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier they play multiple fronts and often in nickel so they need versatility.  Enter Super Bowl Champion Von Miller.  Miller has been an elite pass rusher his entire career and even though he’s 33 he proved last year when he joined the Rams mid-season, he’s still got something left.  He brings valuable experience to a pass rushing group that is quite young.  Greg Rousseau, AJ Epenesa, and Boogie Basham are all young DEs.  The DTs are Ed Oliver and DaQuan Jones.  Oliver is the smaller, quicker guy while Jones brings serious size. 

The team mostly deploys two LBs and uses five defensive backs but with Miller around he can slide back and they can use others up front if necessary.  MLB Tremaine Edmunds is big, fast, and athletic.  He does a little bit of everything and he’s a leader on defense.  Matt Milano is the other do-everything LB.  He and Edmunds are a dynamic duo. 

The secondary will welcome back CB Tre’Davious White from injury, he’s one of the better CBs in the league and fits what Buffalo does perfectly.  He’s been waiting years for an above average partner and the team spent a first-round pick on Florida CB Kaiir Elam, he is an excellent match.  Dane Jackson is listed as the starter early in camp but Elam will win this job eventually.  Elam and White are going to be a tough duo to beat.  Taron Johnson is an underrated nickel corner and he gives them three excellent cornerbacks.  The safeties are Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer.  Generally, Poyer is the SS and Hyde is the FS but, in this defense, these two are essentially interchangeable and that’s what makes them so good.  Neither gets the credit of some of the top safeties in the league but they work so well together it’s like they are one great player playing two positions.

New England Patriots

The Patriots found there new QB last year in Mac Jones and they are starting to surround him with legitimate playmakers to make him better.  The real question is whether they have the coaching staff around to help him after Josh McDaniels left for Las Vegas and took some of the offensive staff with him.  Matt Patricia (the former defensive coordinator) and Joe Judge (the former special teams coordinator) are now running the offensive staff, it’s a concerning development.  I do like the way they are building their WR corps.  The brought in DeVante Parker, he’s a big, physical X receiver.  Kendrick Bourne proved to be a good deep threat and Jakobi Meyers is an excellent slot receiver.  They are really good complements to each other.  They also drafted Tyquan Thornton (even if it was a little too high) and he adds a top-level speed threat, although he’ll miss the first half of the season with a broken clavicle.  Nelson Agholor is still around (he’s a possible trade candidate) and they like youngster Tre Nixon.  Hunter Henry proved to be a reliable target at TE for Mac Jones but they would really like to get Jonnu Smith going too, he can be a playmaker in this offense. 

The running game will be handled by Damien Harris most of the time but he tends to get banged up and that means Rhamondre Stevenson will get plenty of use.  It’s not a bad setup unless you have one of them as your fantasy running back.  James White was supposed to be the pass catching back but he retired.  They drafted Pierre Strong Jr. and signed Ty Montgomery and I think Stevenson might get some of the third-down work.    

The offensive line returns four starters but they might not all be back where they were last year.  In training camp, the team has been playing Trent Brown at LT and Isaiah Wynn at RT.  Wynn needs to stay healthy if he wants to continue his career because he’s become unreliable due to injury.  Michael Onwenu will likely move to RG to replace Shaq Mason while center David Andrews returns in the pivot.  The one new guy is LG Cole Strange, their first-round pick.  He was drafted too high (it was a theme for their draft) but they need him to start at guard.  They don’t have a lot of depth with Justin Herron as their swing tackle and James Ferentz backing up on the interior as the only sure things.  Yodney Cajuste is making a late play for Wynn’s job, I wouldn’t be against that move.

The defense had plenty of issues last season but most of them weren’t up front.  Deatrich Wise Jr., Davon Godchaux, and Lawrence Guy are three very solid players up front.  Godchaux got a little extension because he was good.  Wise and Guy know what they’re doing and that’s mostly what the team asks given the multiple fronts they run.  Guy is getting a little older but the team drafted Christian Barmore last year and he had a good rookie year.  He can play multiple spots so he’s great depth. 

The LB corps wasn’t great last season.  OLB Matt Judon started off the season well but tailed off towards the end when the defense was falling apart.  Kyle Van Noy was effective for some of the year but now he’s gone and as great as Dont’a Hightower was in his Patriot’s career he was awful last year after sitting out the 2020 season due to Covid concerns.  He’s a free agent who hasn’t signed anywhere and the team has moved on.  Chase Winovich was traded meaning they need one of the young guys to step up at OLB and it looks like they are counting on Josh Uche to be that guy.  He looked like he had potential as a rookie two years ago and then had a sophomore slump last year.  They also have Ronnie Perkins, a rookie last year who didn’t play, and Anfernee Jennings, a versatile member of the LB corps.  Any production from either of them would be an improvement over last year.  The ILBs were even worse than the OLB last year.  Hightower was awful and Ja’Whaun Bentley is simply overmatched, he’s a limited player that Belichick seems to love.  They got Mack Wilson in the Winovich trade, he adds some speed and athleticism.  Raekwon McMillan and Cameron McGrone both missed last year with injury and my sincere hope is they step up this year.  McGrone brings the type of athleticism this team has been missing inside for years. 

The secondary took a massive hit with the departure of JC Jackson in free agency.  They brought back Malcolm Butler who wasn’t looking great in camp and then went on injured reserve.  They signed Terrance Mitchell to pair with Jalen Mills and those two starting at CB is a scary thought.  Jonathan Jones is a great slot corner but no one is going to attack the slot if Mitchell and Mills are the outside corners. They are experimenting with Jonathan Jones outside and hopefully that will stick.  The team drafted two corners, Marcus Jones and Jack Jones (I know, that’s a lot of Joneses at CB), they are both undersized and I’m not counting on either to make a huge impact.  Marcus Jones could play the slot if Jonathan Jones can prove he’s solid outside.  I’m not optimistic. 

The safety position is in far better shape.  Devin McCourty may be 35 this year but he’s still excellent.  Kyle Duggar stepped up as a big safety last season and Adrian Phillips is quite good too.  They also signed Jabrill Peppers, and while he’s coming off a knee injury, he could be quite good in Belichick’s defense.  They also really like Joshuah Bledsoe, who’s having an excellent start to training camp.  Maybe they should just play five safeties and no CBs, it’s a whole new defensive approach. 

Miami Dolphins

The Dolphins are one of the teams who made major improvements to their offensive personnel in order to find out if the QB they have is the QB they should keep.  They also got a new head coach who’s bringing in a new offensive system.  Mike McDaniel comes from Kyle Shanahan coaching tree in San Francisco so we have some idea of the type of offense he’ll run.  It should be a bit more run heavy but they didn’t go out and trade for WR Tyreek Hill to use him as a decoy.  Hill joins Jaylen Waddle and free agent signee Cedric Wilson in a rebuilt WR corps.  Add in TE Mike Gesicki and Tua Tagovailoa has no reason to fail at QB.  He hasn’t been good his first few years but that may have been due to the offensive coaching staff’s failures.  As good of a head coach and defensive mind as Brian Flores was in Miami, he never had a settled offensive staff and that works against a young QB.  Hill is a game breaker, while Waddle was excellent as a rookie last year.  He already has a good chemistry with Tua.  Cedric Wilson is a very solid third WR. 

The other thing working against a young QB is an inconsistent running game behind a poor offensive line.  You can’t say the Dolphins haven’t been trying to put together a good o-line, they just haven’t been successful at it.  Enter LT Terron Armstead, a truly excellent LT if he’s healthy.  He allows them to move some other pieces around.  Liam Eichenberg can move inside to LG while they try Austin Jackson at RT.  They also signed Connor Williams from Dallas and they plan to install him at center, a new position for him.  That leaves guys like Solomon Kingsley, Robert Hunt, and Michael Deiter to fight for the RG spot.  The team also signed RB Raheem Mostert from San Francisco (McDaniels’ old team) along with Chase Edmonds and Sony Michel to built an almost entirely new RB corps.  Myles Gaskin returns but if they wanted Myles Gaskin to be the RB, they wouldn’t have signed three free agents.   

The defense was excellent under Brian Flores and his defensive coordinator Josh Boyer so Mike McDaniel did the smart thing and he kept Boyer around.  They return most of the defense and the scheme so they should be pretty good.  Zach Sieler, Raekwon Davis, and Christian Wilkins make a really solid trio up front.  Wilkins is the tone-setter and he probably doesn’t get the recognition he deserves as a playmaker.  Emmanuel Ogbah had another good year at OLB and Andrew Van Ginkel is solid on the other side.  Rookie Jaelen Phillips was excellent as a pass rushing specialist and he should only get better.  They also signed Melvin Ingram III to get some more depth.  Jerome Baker is quite good at ILB and Elandon Roberts is fine but he’s not great. 

The secondary features two of the most expensive CBs in football, Xavien Howard and Byron Jones.  The spendy duo do a great job and they make things easier for the rest of the defense.  However, the CB spot isn’t very deep as Nik Needham is their only real depth.  At safety, Brandon Jones and Jevon Holland have taken over, they are a young but talented pair.  Eric Rowe is the depth; I don’t like Rowe but I guess they still do.

New York Jets

The Jets are one of the other teams trying to surround their QB with talent to give him the best opportunity to succeed.  The difference is, they didn’t wait very long, Zack Wilson is only in year two.  Wilson has all the physical talent you could want, now he just has to put it all together with this offense.  That process hit a snag when he injured his knee in the preseason but he shouldn’t be out too long.  Corey Davis is a solid veteran to rely on.  Elijah Moore got off to a slow start last year as a rookie but he really came on in the second half of the season.  They added Garrett Wilson in the draft to complete the trio and they all fill a role quite well.  Davis is the big, outside guy, Moore can dominate in the slot but also flip outside if needed, and Wilson is dynamic on the perimeter and can also dominate in the slot.  The team knew they needed to get Wilson a nice security blanket too so they signed TE CJ Uzomah from the Bengals, he’s pretty good. 

Speaking of security blankets for young QBs, nothing is better than a good RB, especially one who can catch out of the backfield, enter Breece Hall.  He’s the perfect back for the zone running scheme the Jets use and he’s a natural pass catcher who knows how to get yardage once he has the ball.  Hall is the immediate starter and makes Michael Carter the backup, a better role for him.  The offensive line is where things get interesting.  They wanted to flip-flop OT Mekhi Becton and OG Alijah Vera-Tucker from the left side to the right side.  Only half of that is happening because Becton was lost to an injury for the season, that sucks for this team.  Vera-Tucker moves because the team signed Laken Tomlinson in free agency and they want him at LG.  George Fant played LT after Becton got hurt last year and they planned to give him the job until Becton got hurt this year.  They signed veteran Duane Brown after Becton’s injury and he’s a LT so Fant will go back to RT.  Connor McGovern is the center; they hope he isn’t the weak link. 

The Jets defense was pretty rough last year.  The secondary was a mess, they had some key injuries, and they just didn’t have enough talent.  Up front they lost their big free agent pass rusher Carl Lawson before the season even began.  He’s back and that should help a lot.  John Franklin-Myers did a solid job but he was mostly working alone.  Now they also added Jermaine Johnson in the draft and he’ll really juice the pass rush.  Quinnen Williams is underappreciated inside and Sheldon Rankins is solid too. 

At LB, CJ Mosley finally played after injuries and Covid knocked him out for almost two seasons.  He’s still a tackling machine and they need his leadership.  Quincy Williams mans the other usual LB spot and the team just signed Kwon Alexander hoping to add some talent at the position.  Lamarcus Joyner technically returns but he only played in one game last year and Ashtyn Davis will compete with him for the SS spot, he really hasn’t distinguished himself so far.  The rest of the starting lineup is new.  CB Sauce Gardner was added in the draft, while CB DJ Reed comes in as a free agent along with FS Jordan Whitehead.  Gardner has #1 traits and Reed is a very talented #2.  This pushes Bryce Hall and the other Michael Carter (not the RB) down the depth chart, that’s a good thing.  Hall can play but he’s miscast as the top CB on any team. 

Cincinnati Bengals

It’s hard to pick against the defending AFC Champions when the other three teams in the division have Lamar Jackson coming off an injury, Mitchell Trubisky trying to hold off Mason Rudolph and a rookie, and the Deshaun Watson dumpster fire as their QBs.  The Bengals have Joe Burrow, the best collection of skill position talent in the league, and three new starters on the offensive line.  If you want a blueprint for building your WR corps, it looks exactly like the Bengals.  Ja’Marr Chase is a true #1 WR who’s a great deep threat, Tee Higgins is the big-bodied outside jump ball/red zone killer, and Tyler Boyd is the great slot guy who can move inside to out with Chase to get the best matchups.  They lost CJ Uzomah at TE but Hayden Hurst is a solid starter.  RB Joe Mixon is one of the most underrated RBs in the NFL and don’t sleep on backup Chris Evans, he can have a role in the passing game too. Joe Burrow is an awesome QB with a ridiculous collection of playmakers around him. 

The offensive line was a serious problem last year and this team still made the Super Bowl.  They return LT Jonah Williams, the only guy who wasn’t a travesty last season.  Jackson Carman got his feet wet as a rookie but he likely gets the LG job all to himself this year.  The rest of the line got a complete overhaul.  C Ted Karras comes over from New England, he’s never making a Pro Bowl but he’s an upgrade for this team.  RG Alex Cappa was a free agent expenditure coming over from Tampa Bay where he won a Super Bowl ring a couple years ago.  RT La’el Collins was let go by the Cowboys and now he’s a pretty good RT with a giant chip on his shoulder.  This line is going to be light years ahead of last year’s line simply by showing up.  Imagine what Joe Burrow can do if they keep him upright. 

The defense was better than the sum of its parts.  DE Trey Hendrickson was a great free agent pickup and gave them the elite edge rusher they have been looking for.  His 14 sacks made him one of the most productive pass rushers in the NFL and with Sam Hubbard rebounding to a solid 7.5 sacks, the team got the pressure they needed.  DJ Reader isn’t really the stat-stuffing kind of DT, he’s just the foundation the front four is built on.  BJ Hill actually did put up some nice numbers, including his 5.5 sacks.  He’s the backfield disruptor making things rough for the opposing offense. 

The LBs are about as non-descript as you can get.  Logan Wilson, Germaine Pratt and Akeem Davis-Gaither aren’t making the Pro Bowl any time soon but these guys did a nice job last year.  They do their job and that’s about the most you can say about them.  They have some nice skills but nothing I would consider elite. The secondary is going to be interesting this season.  The best player is FS Jessie Bates III but the team franchise tagged him, they didn’t come to a contract agreement, and Bates says he’s not playing under the terms of the tag.  For now, he’s not in camp and it doesn’t look promising.  Vonn Bell is the other safety, he’s solid but not spectacular.  Eli Apple returns after his less than stellar Super Bowl, they don’t have anyone at the moment to replace him so he’s the starter.  Chidobe Awuzie is the other CB, it’s not a great pair but it’s what they have.  They did draft Dax Hill from Michigan.  Hill can play CB, safety, and nickel so they will find where he’s best, for now, he’s probably replacing Bates.  Keep on eye on Cam Taylor-Britt, their other rookie CB.  He’s probably as talented as the guys they’re starting he just doesn’t have the experience they do. 

Baltimore Ravens

The Ravens went 8-9 last season with Lamar Jackson missing significant time.  With him back healthy this team should give Cincinnati a run for the division but I still have some questions.  Jackson makes the offense go but the team isn’t giving him a ton of help at WR.  They’re clearly counting on Rashod Bateman to step up as the top WR with Marquise Brown traded.  It’s Bateman, Devin Duverney, and James Proche II at the top of the WR group, that’s rough.  Obviously, they will lean heavily on TE Mark Andrews and they hope Nick Boyle gets back healthy.  They drafted two TEs, Charlie Kolar and Isaiah Likely.  Kolar is having surgery on a sports hernia at the start of camp so he’s going to be behind to start the year.  Likely could get some time as a pass catching TE. 

The team usually can count on their running game, at least they did for years before injuries struck hard last year.  They are hoping JK Dobbins and Gus Edwards can return from their injuries and re-establish the running game.  They signed Mike Davis as veteran insurance and drafted Tyler Badie.  They don’t want to get caught shorthanded like they did last year.  It won’t matter who’s running the ball if they don’t get better play up front.  LT Ronnie Stanley basically hasn’t played in two years but when he’s healthy, he’s one of the best LTs in football.  They were extremely short at OT last year when injury struck so this year, they signed RT Morgan Moses to be their starter, they drafted Daniel Faalele, and they still have Ju’Wuan James, the veteran they signed as a stopgap last year.  The interior of the line will have veteran Kevin Zeitler at RG and rookie 1^st rounder Tyler Linderbaum at center, those two should be solid.  The LG spot will be a battle between Ben Powers, Tyre Phillips, and maybe Patrick Mekari.  This line can be good if everyone is healthy.  They can’t possibly have as many injuries as they had last year, it has to be a statistical impossibility.   

The defense gets a new voice as Wink Martindale moved on and Mike Macdonald returns after a year as Michigan’s defensive coordinator.  Macdonald was a Raven’s assistant before his year at Michigan so he knows this defense and he doesn’t have to make major changes.  DE Calais Campbell returns at 36 and while he’s not as effective as he once was, he’s still solid.  Michael Pierce returns after a short stay in Minnesota and he gives them a veteran NT in the middle.  They also drafted Travis Jones after he slipped to round three and he’ll give them some more beef inside.  They really need Justin Madubuike to step up at the other DE spot. 

The pass rush comes from the OLB spot.  Odafe Oweh had a promising rookie year and Tyus Bowser had a solid year until he tore his Achilles.  They are hoping to have Bowser back but they re-signed Justin Houston as insurance.  The ILB spots are manned by Patrick Queen, a promising youngster they like, and Josh Bynes, a veteran everyone tries to replace wherever he is but he just keeps on starting.  Bynes is never great but he’s never terrible either.  The team would love for Malik Harrison or even Kristian Welch to beat out Bynes but it just never happens. 

The secondary is one of the best in the NFL, if they are all healthy.  CB Marcus Peters isn’t as good as he thinks he is but he’s better than most people want to give him credit for.  CB Marlon Humphrey is one of the best in the game but he missed five games last year, they need him on the field.  They gave FS Marcus Williams a huge free agent contract, they drafted Kyle Hamilton in round one to be their new SS, and they already have a good SS in Chuck Clark.  They also signed veteran Kyler Fuller to give them some CB depth and they really like what Brandon Stephens gave them last year as a rookie.   

Pittsburgh Steelers

The Steelers made the playoffs last year with the ghost of Ben Roethlisberger running the show.  Whether it’s Mitchell Trubisky, Mason Rudolph, or Kenny Pickett at QB this offense should actually be better.  The skill position talent is there and they hope they upgraded the offensive line a little.  Trubisky has the QB spot to start training camp and someone is going to have to prove they are clearly a better option for him to lose the job.  Diontae Johnson is the most established WR at this point and if his drops weren’t such a concern, he would be a certifiable #1 option.  He has to be more consistent holding onto the ball.  Chase Claypool wasn’t as effective catching TDs as he was as a rookie and he didn’t take a major step forward like many thought he should.  It didn’t help that he’s a good deep ball receiver and he was playing with a QB that couldn’t throw it more than eight yards.  The X-factor could be rookie George Pickens.  He’s a ridiculous talent who fell to the second round in the draft because he played last season coming back from a knee injury. The team signed guys like Miles Boykin and Gunner Olszewski for depth but keep on eye on rookie Calvin Austin III, he could make some noise.  TE Pat Freiermuth proved to be very effective last year; he’s not going to be confused with Travis Kelce but he’s pretty good. 

The running game is in the more than capable hands of second-year RB Najee Harris.  He had 307 carries and 74 catches last season, that’s insane.  Harris is built to carry a heavy load but if they keep up that pace, he won’t see past year five of his career.  Unfortunately, Benny Snell Jr. and Anthony McFarland Jr. haven’t proven to be effective backups. This team is ripe for a veteran backup RB signing.  The offensive line isn’t made up of household names but they like some of their young guys and signed a couple of veterans to stabilize things.  LT Dan Moore Jr. has some potential and they are going with it for now.  RT Chukwura Okorafor is solid but not spectacular. They are going to give Kevin Dotson another chance to prove he’s starting guard material at LG.  They signed James Daniels to be their RG, he’s their “big” free agent signing on the line, and Mason Cole comes in at center.  Cole has yet to lock down a starting center job for good in multiple places he’s been and here he is going to have to hold off Kendrick Green, a young guy who needs some development. 

The Steelers defense has been their calling card since the 70’s.  Teryl Austin steps in as the new defensive coordinator with Keith Butler retiring.  He should bring some new ideas and play calling even though he’s just moving up from coaching the secondary.  They always have a solid three-man front and this year is no different.  Tyson Alualu and Cameron Heyward both return, they are stalwarts.  They signed Larry Ogunjobi after his bigger free agent deal with the Bears fell through due to a foot issue.  They needed him after Stephon Tuitt announced his early retirement.  If Ogunjobi is healthy, he’s a very solid addition.  Alualu is 35 and Heyward is 33 so this team needs some young guys to start stepping up.  Montravius Adams, Isaiahh Loudermilk, and DeMarvin Leal all have an opportunity to step up. 

The strength of the Steelers defense is always the LBs.  It starts with reigning Defensive Player of the Year TJ Watt.  He had 22.5 sacks last season and he’ll be 28 this year, smack dab in the middle of his prime.  Watt draws the lion’s share of the attention from offenses, the other OLB spot needs to take advantage.  Alex Highsmith is a solid player and maybe if Watt wasn’t getting 22.5 sacks, Highsmith may have managed more than six.  It would be helpful if they had a third pass rusher, the OLB spot isn’t deep.  Devin Bush has a been disappointing after being a first-round pick a few years ago and the team didn’t pick up his fifth-year option, that’s troubling.  They did go out and sign Myles Jack from the Jaguars, he’s a pretty good ILB. 

The secondary features FS Minkah Fitzpatrick, one of the top three safeties in the NFL (arguably the #1 safety).  They are lucky to have him because he covers for the underwhelming nature of the other three spots.  His safety mate is Terrell Edmunds, a very good athlete who has never quite lived up to his billing as a first-round draft pick four years ago.  He’s fine, he’s not elite.  They signed Levi Wallace at CB to replace the aging Joe Haden, Wallace is solid, nothing more.  Ahkello Weatherspoon came over in a trade from Seattle during last season, he’s fine, that’s all, he’s just fine.  Nickel back Cameron Sutton is pretty good in the slot.  It’s a good thing TJ Watt generates so much pass rush and Minkah Fitzpatrick can cover up so much of the field because otherwise this secondary could really get exposed. 

Cleveland Browns

The Deshaun Watson fiasco finally has a resolution, even if it’s an unsatisfactory one for most. The truth is, the outcome was never going to satisfy people.  I’m glad he’s on the Browns because I don’t care about the Browns, I don’t watch the Browns. It would have been great if they would have banned him from the league and given his $230 million contract to his victims but that was never going to happen. Now we move on, as unsatisfied as we knew it would be when we finally got a resolution. That said, from a football perspective, his 11 game suspension hurts the Browns a lot, but it might not kill their season. With Jacoby Brissett set to start for most of the year, this team is going to have problems until Watson is back. 

This is a run-based offense behind Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt (are we really surprised this is the team that took Watson after they got Hunt a few years ago).  They are a frighteningly good duo but they are going to see a lot more eight or nine guys in the box with Jacoby Brissett at QB.  The offensive line is very good with LT Jedrick Wills Jr., LG Joel Bitonio, RG Wyatt Teller, and RT Jack Conklin.  Conklin has had some injury issues and he needs to work through those.  Nick Harris was supposed to step in at center but he went down with an injury early in training camp.  Ethan Pocic steps in for now, he’s a stopgap solution at best.    

The passing game has plenty of questions, beyond Jacoby Brissett at QB.  Amari Cooper comes over from Dallas and is a legit #1 WR.  He didn’t have a great year in Dallas but that wasn’t all his fault.  The problem is who’s #2?  Donovan Peoples-Jones is more projection than production.  They drafted David Bell, whom I love, but he’s starting training camp with an injured foot and he can’t afford to be any slower or not be able to run his routes effectively.  The team gave TE David Njoku a big contract extension and they better hope he has better chemistry with Brissett and eventually Watson because he’s never had more than 56 catches in a season and that was four years ago.  They have some speed with Anthony Schwartz but I’m not sure he’s actually any good.  As much as I hate to say it, this offense needs Watson. 

The Browns defense might be their saving grace.  Myles Garrett is one of the best pass rushers in the game, Denzel Ward is a top cover corner, and they have a deep secondary, all good things to have.  It starts up front with Garrett being a monster on one side.  They re-signed Jadeveon Clowney for the other DE spot and while I’ve never been a fan, he’s a solid player.  I never liked the idea of Clowney as your pass rushing alpha but as the complement to Garrett, he’s pretty good.  They brought in Taven Bryan from Jacksonville to line up inside with Jordan Elliott, Bryan isn’t great but he’ll do.  They also drafted Perrion Winfrey, whom I like a lot.

They use Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah at one LB spot, he’s undersized but he’s got speed to burn.  Anthony Walker mans the middle but he may have to hold off Jacob Phillips.  They don’t use a third LB all the time but they have Sione Takitaki if needed.  The secondary is talented and deep.  Denzel Ward is one of the best CBs in football.  They also have Greg Newsome, Greedy Williams, and now rookie Martin Emerson Jr., that’s some solid size and depth.  John Johnson III is an underrated safety playing deep and they have Grant Delpit and Ronnie Harrison at SS.  If the offense can find a little success without Deshaun Watson, it’s possible the defense keeps this team viable for a playoff spot until he returns, unless he doesn’t adhere to the rules of his settlement and Goodell ends up suspending him for the year, that’s right folks, it might not actually be over yet.                  

Philadelphia Eagles

I am decidedly in the camp of believing that Jalen Hurts isn’t an elite QB and clearly the Eagles are planning on finding out one way or the other.  They went all in for WR AJ Brown during the draft to make sure Hurts has no excuses left, it’s sink or swim time.  Brown takes over as the #1 WR with DeVonta Smith a seriously talented #2.  They also have Quez Watkins, veteran free agent Zach Pascal and Jalen Reagor, if he can find the talent that made him a first-round pick two years ago. TE Dallas Goedert is also a great safety valve for a young QB.

The running game needs to be more effective and the first step would be for the coaching staff to actually use the talent they have, try handing the ball off a little more.  Miles Sanders is a talented back and yet Jalen Hurts had more carries last year, that’s a bad plan.  Kenneth Gainwell and Boston Scott are solid backup guys, especially Gainwell.  Use the running backs to run, not the QB.  The offensive line needs to have all five guys healthy and that especially includes RT Lane Johnson.  He’s 32 years old but when he’s healthy, he’s still one of the best RTs in the game.  LT Jordan Mailata was a development dream, a seventh-round pick who has become a top-notch starting LT.  Jason Kelce is still manning the middle and the team even drafted his potential eventual replacement in Cam Jurgens, that gives them some insurance inside.  Landon Dickerson was great at LG and Isaac Seumalo is fine at RG. 

The Eagles have some new blood coming in on the defensive side but they are still counting on a number of players who are 30 or older, that’s a dangerous game to play.  DE Brandon Graham is 34 and missed most of last season.  They re-signed Derek Barnett but he’s the definition of a middling pass rusher.  They need Josh Sweat to continue to develop into an every-down DE and be a pass rushing force.  Fletcher Cox returns at a cut rate because he’s 31 and not as effective as he used to be.  Javon Hargrave is solid inside next to Cox but he’s 29 this year so they need to prepare for the future.  Enter first-round pick Jordan Davis.  He’s 6’6, somewhere between 340 and 360 lbs. depending on the day, and he’s an athletic marvel.  He’s the future inside. 

The team realized they don’t have much pass rushing outside of Sweat so they signed Hassan Reddick who’s coming off back-to-back double digit sack season (one in Arizona, one in Carolina).  He’ll play LB but they can’t afford to waste his pass rushing skills.  They also finally realized they needed more talent at LB, they signed Kyzir White and drafted Nakobe Dean.  Dean fell in the draft largely because of some supposed injury issue but if I were TJ Edwards, the starting MLB, I wouldn’t get too comfortable. 

The secondary has some veterans they are really counting on.  CB Darius Slay has fended off father time and is still pretty good.  They signed Jaquiski Tartt to be SS and they have the overrated Anthony Harris at FS.  They also signed Giants’ castoff James Bradberry, he’s a solid addition.  Avonte Maddux is a good nickel corner.  This is the definition of team that is pushing all in, their window to win is right now.  They have to really hope Jalen Hurts is the guy they want him to be. 

Dallas Cowboys

I can’t say I’m overly convinced the Cowboys will be all that good this year but the other two teams in the division are led by Daniel Jones and Carson Wentz, I’ll take Dak Prescott over those two.  The Cowboys are far from a sure thing, if things go right, they could be good but they have plenty of questions to answer and not a lot of things to count on.  Dak Prescott is solid but his pass catching group is getting a little thin.  WR CeeDee Lamb is ready to be the legit #1 WR but after him they have Michael Gallup coming off another injury and not much else.  They signed James Washington from Pittsburgh, maybe he’s better with Dak throwing to him but he promptly injured his foot.  Right now, rookie Jalen Tolbert is the #2 WR, that’s not good.  TE Dalton Schultz was good last year as a pass catcher, he’s the next best passing game weapon after Lamb. 

The team will have to use their running backs in the passing game and luckily Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard are both good there.  Statistically, Elliott wasn’t bad last season overall but it’s clear he isn’t the elite player he once was, not surprising considering his career workload.  Pollard should be used more in the run game.  The offensive line was a major strength a few years ago but age and injury have taken a toll.  LT Tyron Smith is elite when he’s healthy and available, two things he hasn’t been often enough the last few years. Rookie Tyler Smith was drafted to start at LG (and probably eventually replace Tyron Smith at LT), he comes from a smaller school but he should be fine.  C Tyler Biadasz is overmatched, he’s the weak link up front.  RG Zack Martin can still be elite but he has to be healthy and stay that way.  RT Terrence Steele finally played well last year and he’s the reason the team felt confident letting La’el Collins go.  He might be the most stable piece right now. 

The defense is much like the offense, a number of really good players and an equal number of question marks.  DE DeMarcus Lawrence renegotiated his contract but he hasn’t been a great pass rusher in three years, he was injured most of last season, and he’s 30.  They had to keep him because they are very thin up front but they need a bounce back season from him, badly.  They lost Randy Gregory in a contract dispute so they signed the very well-traveled Dante Fowler Jr.  They also drafted Sam Williams, and have Tarell Basham and Dorance Armstrong, not an impressive group at DE.  The top three DTs are Neville Gallimore, Carlos Watkins, and Trysten Hill, an even less impressive group. 

The LB group is led by second-year star Micah Parsons. He’s the best defender they have.  He’s a chess piece that Dan Quinn moves all over the formation, he’s pass rushing star, and he’s the leader they need.  Leighton Vander Esch is back, he stayed healthy last year but the jury is still out on him overall.  They will use Jabril Cox and Luke Gifford as their third LB when needed. 

The secondary is led by CB Trevon Diggs, he’s a turnover machine.  He’s big and rangy and gets his hands on a lot of passes.  He gambles a bit much for some but the team needs his playmaking in a secondary that is devoid of difference makers.  Anthony Brown and Jourdon Lewis are the other top CBs.  Malik Hooker and Jayron Kearse man the safety spots, these guys don’t keep offensive coordinators up at night. 

Washington Commanders

 As much as I don’t want to give the team credit for having Carson Wentz, the did win seven games last year with Taylor Heinicke at QB and I do like their roster better than the Giants at the moment.  If they get back a few key players from injury, they won’t be too bad.  Wentz will have Terry McLaurin, one of the more underrated WRs in the NFL, as his top target.  They drafted Jahan Dotson in round one and he specializes in making tough catches, a skill that will serve him well playing with Wentz.  If Curtis Samuel can get healthy, a huge if, he’s a talented playmaker. TE Logan Thomas was hurt much of last season, getting him back would be big. Wentz likes to use the TE spot. 

The offensive line isn’t great but it’s passable.  LT Charles Leno Jr. isn’t winning any awards but he gets the job done.  RT Samuel Cosmi should be better in year two. The interior of the offensive line isn’t stellar but veteran additions Andrew Norwell and Trai Turner are professional blockers who can hold their own.  If Chase Roullier or Tyler Larsen can be healthy at center, they shouldn’t be terrible up front.  Antonio Gibson is a talented playmaker who isn’t your typical full-time back and he has a propensity to fumble.  That is not endearing him to his coach.  He’s probably better in the passing game and they should look to get him his touches in space more.  JD McKissic does a lot of that work too which is why they drafted Brian Robinson out of Alabama.  He’s a guy they should look to use as much as possible.  If Wentz can just not screw it up, I actually think this can be a decent offense.  The line may end up holding them back but they have plenty of skill position talent. 

The defense is built off of their front four and it would really help if Chase Young gets healthy and lives up to his true potential.  Young can be a superstar pass rusher and his presence on one side would make Montez Sweat that much more affective on the other side.  Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne are a great duo inside and Allen is a true disruptive force in the backfield.  The team drafted Phidarian Mathis to eventually replace Payne so they don’t have to pay all these guys but for now, Mathis is just really nice depth inside.

Cole Holcomb and Jamin Davis don’t set the world on fire at LB but they are young guys who are coming along.  They will use David Mayo when they use a third LB, he’s okay.  The secondary is full of veterans who are good enough to start but aren’t good enough to make you any good.  CB Kendall Fuller, CB William Jackson III and safety Bobby McCain do just enough that you can’t hate them but you don’t love them.  Kamren Curl is still young enough (23) that he could breakout and be a star at some point.  They don’t have any great depth to speak of. 

New York Giants

The Giants have one major question that will define their season, is Saquon Barkley good?  Just kidding.  Can Brian Daboll turn Daniel Jones into a legitimate NFL QB?  That’s the question on everyone’s minds.  Jones hasn’t been all that good so far in his career but it’s pretty easy to make the argument that the franchise has failed him with the coaching they have surrounded him with so far.  Daboll is an accomplished QB developer and play caller.  Even if Daboll gets Jones going he’s going to need the WRs to step up.  Kenny Golladay was bad in his first year with the Giants.  Sterling Shepard is coming off an injury, isn’t he always?  Kadarius Toney is a wildcard after a tumultuous rookie year.  Darius Slayton might be his best bet for a productive WR if he can recover after being forgotten by the staff last season.  WR Wan’Dale Robinson is a rookie they hope does something along with free agent TE Ricky Seals-Jones.

They may have finally fixed their offensive line problems now that Andrew Thomas is set at LT and they drafted RT Evan Neal in round one.  Neal is an immediate starter to go with free agent guard Mark Glowinski and C Jon Feliciano.  There will be some competition at LG and maybe center but this line will be much improved no matter who starts.  That should be good news for Saquon Barkley if he’s healthy.  He’s a talented back who started his career like gangbusters but his last two years have been awful.  If Daboll can use his myriad of skills both running and receiving behind this new offensive line, they may actually resurrect his career. 

The defense will also undergo another change and they get a very accomplished coordinator to run things too.  Don “Wink” Martindale from Baltimore comes in and they gave him a shiny new pass rusher to use in first round pick Kayvon Thibodeaux.  There were questions about Thibodeaux’s commitment to football but with Martindale running the defense you’re about to see the full Thibodeaux experience, he’s coming for your QB.  He joins last year’s rookie Azeez Ojulari at OLB and Martindale will build his defense around those two pass rushers.  Ojulari had eight sacks last year in a limited role.  Blake Martinez and Tae Crowder will be the ILBs, they are solid starters but not stars in this defense. 

Up front the Giants have Leonard Williams, a truly disruptive force at DE.  Dexter Lawrence, the immovable object in the middle and then likely a guy like Justin Ellis, a free agent who came over from Baltimore who knows Martindale’s defense.  Three tough players up front who make the LBs better. The secondary lost James Bradberry for salary cap purposes and Jabrill Peppers left in free agency.  That leaves Xavier McKinney and Julian Love to man the safety spots and Adoree’ Jackson as the top CB.  They are going to need guys like Aaron Robinson, Darnay Holmes, Rodarius Williams, or rookie Cor’Dale Flott to step up at CB.  Dane Belton was looking like he would get some playing time at safety until he had an injury that will set him back.