What a Super Bowl the league just gave us...congratulations to the Philadelphia Eagles on their dominant performance! There was never a doubt, as they denied history to Patrick Mahomes and the rest of the Chiefs Kingdom.
Now that the Lomardi's been hoisted, we can finally shift to offseason mode, mapping out what each of the 32 teams can do to try and ascend to greatness next season...or at least mediocrity in some cases. Make sure to let us know what you think!
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| Photo: Brynn Anderson/ AP |
Atlanta Falcons: How can they dump Kirk Cousins?
After spending big bucks on the 36-year old QB last offseason, the Falcons claim they're content with him as a backup-- a historically pricy one-- but there's no way they'd keep him if any remotely acceptable offer came through. Given the bevy of quarterback needy teams out there, it wouldn't be shockin' if someone comes knockin'.
Arizona Cardinals: Get healthy up front
Injuries to Paris Johnson Jr., Will Hernandez and Jonah Williams, among others, forced Arizona to do a ton of shuffling on the offensive line throughout the year. With Hernandez, Kelvin Beachum and others set to hit free agency, the Cardinals will have to plug some holes in the trenches this offseason. If they don't, lookout for another middling season. Finding a solid WR2 wouldn't hurt either.
Baltimore Ravens: Shore up the offensive line
The Ravens' roster really doesn't have any glaring weaknesses, outside of the fact that it can't finish when it matters most. Some help at guard, and possibly tackle with Ronnie Stanley's impending free agency, would only help the league's best offense click next season.
Buffalo Bills: Upgrade from Sean McDermott
Possibly an overreaction, and it won't happen this offseason with the coaching cycle all but through, but it sure feels like this team has hit their ceiling with him at the reins. You're never guaranteed to upgrade when you make such a drastic move but sometimes you've got to take a risk to get over the top, especially with an MVP-caliber talent like Josh Allen at QB. Just doesn't feel like McDermott's the guy to get them there.
Carolina Panthers: Weapons and Blockers
Bryce Young started showing some promise over the last two months of 2024, tossing 13 touchdowns to 4 picks while looking as consistently competent as he has in his career. But he needs help in order to take that next step. His top receiver's 34-year-old Adam Thielen, Xavier Legette probably isn't that great and the offensive line is porous. It's a long to-do list, but having the #8 pick should allow for a nice infusion of talent.
Chicago Bears: Caleb Williams needs to gel with Ben Johnson
Not a good year for the top selection in last year's draft, but it wouldn't be easy for anybody who had to deal with the Shane Waldron/Matt Eberflus tandem. With so much hope lying in Williams, Johnson needs to tailor a game plans that maximizes his talents. Otherwise, it'll just be one more failed QB project on a long list for Chicago.
Cincinnati Bengals: Tee Higgins or the defense?
If this is the last we see of Tee Higgins in Cincy, he sure went out with a bang, posting an impressive 28/330/5 line over their final four weeks. It can't be easy to let a talent like Higgins just walk, but the Bengals offensive line is bad and their defense is worse. With so many areas of need, how can they justify tying so much money into two receivers?
Cleveland Browns: What to do with Deshaun?
The oft-maligned quarterback's confidence was reportedly as low as ever after this year, as he struggled to understand why Cleveland's fan base hated his perverseness, exorbitant contract and a thorough lack of production on the field. Wonder why? Now he's dealing with a re-ruptured Achilles that'll take away his 2025 season and may cost him $92 million in guaranteed money, if the team determines he was not following his recovery plan. Hard to muster any sympathy for the man, or the Browns, as they have some big questions to answer over the coming months.
Dallas Cowboys: Extend or trade Micah Parsons
It was evident that the Cowboys defense drastically improved once Parsons returned from injury in November, racking up 11 sacks over the final nine games while helping the unit play well above their previous levels. Very few people in the building would want to part ways with him, but there's a ton of holes on the roster that need filling. Trading the 2021 first rounder would certainly provide a bevy of draft picks to try and help fill those gaps-- but not sure there's anyway that'll happen.
Denver Broncos: Improve the backfield
The run game's never been a staple in Sean Payton offenses, at least with a regular bell cow, but Denver's was tough to watch for most of 2024. Javonte Williams and Jaleel McLaughlin unexcitingly split duties for the first half of the year until rookie Audric Estime returned from injury to provide a modest spark. None looked like a true RB1 at any point, which probably capped their impressive offense's potential some. Get Bo somebody dynamic to hand it off to!
Detroit Lions: Defense. Defense. Defense.
There may be questions about Jared Goff's ceiling, but there's nothing wrong with the offense in Detroit. The other side of the ball has some more glaring concerns though, particularly at cornerback. Terrion Arnold will probably end up being decent but there's a clear lack of depth and quality behind him. If they get another starting caliber corner or two, plus maybe one more pass rusher, then look out!
Green Bay Packers: Get Jordan Love a WR1
Love's second full season as a starter wasn't quite as impressive as his first go round, some of which can be blamed on the injury issues he was dealing with for much of the year. But Green Bay's lack of talent in the receiving core isn't talked about enough. Jayden Reed's their top guy but he's small and inconsistent. Romeo Doubs is only decent, Christian Watson's dynamic and always hurt, Tucker Kraft is a safety blanket but not a game changer. Some are questioning the quarterback's talents after a down 2024, but it'd be nice to see him with a true WR1 before being fully out on him. And Josh Jacobs seems to agree.
Houston Texans: Fix the interior offensive line
Laremy Tunsil loves getting called for penalties, but he at least does his part to open some running lanes and keep CJ Stroud upright. That's more than the rest of the Texans' offensive line can say, particularly on the inside, who regularly allowed pass rushers access to their second year QB with minimal resistance. Stroud didn't shine in his sophomore campaign, but few quarterbacks would while being flushed from the pocket every other drop back.
Indianapolis Colts: Anthony Richardson or...?
It was pretty evident by the end of this year how the Colts felt about their 2023 first rounder, with vocal concerns about his previously unknown back issues and overall lack of fire. The grass ain't always greener, so Indy may ride it out another year, but it's hard to imagine whoever they'd bring in to replace Richardson wouldn't complete over 47.7% of his passes. It's always been all or nothing with AR-15-- and last season was a whole lot of nothing.
Jacksonville Jaguars: Overhaul the secondary
The Jaguars didn't do many things well this year, but their pass defense was particularly abysmal, allowing a league worst 257 yards per game. Tyson Campbell is a decent piece, but he's far from able to hold down opposing air attacks alone. Revamping the secondary needs to be atop Jacksonville's to do list over the next few months.
Kansas City Chiefs: Offensive lineman
This was a problem all season for KC, but the Super Bowl really put an emphasis on how horrible their offensive line play was. Jawaan Taylor's a living, breathing false start, Joe Thuney got demolished by Philly at left tackle-- when in reality he's a guard-- and the rest of the bunch fared equally poor. The run blocking was consistently terrible down the stretch while Patrick Mahomes far too often made up for the bad pass protection with miraculous improvisations. They'll always have a chance with #15 out there, but the Chiefs have to give him some time in the pocket.
Las Vegas Raiders: Fix the run game
Finding a solution at quarterback could easily be the priority here, but the Raiders boasted a historically bad backfield this year, averaging a paltry 79.8 yards per game-- 12 yards fewer than the 31st ranked team. Zamir White and Alexander Mattison clearly aren't world beaters, but they had no shot with a terrible offensive line attempting to create space for them. It's a multi-layered problem, but the hiring of Pete Carroll should be a good start to the turnaround.
Los Angeles Chargers: Get Ladd some help
McConkey had himself more than a solid rookie campaign, but it was abundantly clear that the Chargers needed more help at receiver. 2023 first rounder Quentin Johnston had as many impressive flashes as he had drops, and the depth chart behind him couldn't be less imposing. Justin Herbert's a good quarterback, but you'd need to be an all-timer to elevate this bunch.
Los Angeles Rams: Get younger and cheaper on offense
Curious how happy or upset the Rams would be if Matthew Stafford decided to hang it up? He's coming off one of his worst statistical outputs ever and will be 37 at the beginning of next season-- neither of which instill confidence for this team to truly compete. Between Stafford and the declining play and high price tag on Cooper Kupp, this offense could use a facelift. Luckily for them, some pretty outstanding building blocks are already in place with Puka Nacua and Kyren Williams. Just a matter of maximizing the talent around them.
Miami Dolphins: Toughen up
Mike McDaniel and Tua Tagovailoa...two of the softest people in the league. Literally born to play in Miami. This team will never get past the divisional round if these two can't figure out how to make things work in the cold, but not anticipating any major change on that front anytime soon. Don't be surprised if Jalen Ramsey, Tyreek Hill and Bradley Chubb are playing elsewhere next year.
Minnesota Vikings: Sam or JJ?
This question looked a lot more daunting in the middle of December than now, but Minnesota does have a big decision to make at quarterback. Logic seems to imply that JJ McCarthy should get the first look come training camp, especially since he looked decent in very limited action last summer. Sam Darnold should absolutely be franchise tagged though, if for no other reason than trade bait in a QB strapped league. Somebody's going to get ripped off bringing Darnold in to start, the Vikes just need to find a sucker.
New England Patriots: Receivers
Drake Maye had himself a really good rookie season but was clearly hampered by a lack of talent at wideout. Kendrick Bourne, Demario Douglas, Kayshon Boutte...they'd all be fine as WR4's. But when those are the top three names on your depth chart, you end up scoring just 17 points per game. The Patriots need to address this problem early and often to get the most out of Maye's rookie window.
New Orleans Saints: How much time ya got?
The Saints are old all over. When Derek Carr's been healthy, he's been mediocre at best. There's really not anyone on this roster, other than maybe Chris Olave, whose worth building around at this point in New Orleans. The fact that they were the last franchise to land a new head coach seems to indicate that those around the league agree too. Occasionally scrappy, bottom dwellers for the foreseeable future.
New York Giants: Get a quarterback
The fact that Malik Nabers finished seventh in the league for receiving yards would warrant him Offensive Rookie of the Year honors most seasons, considering that Daniel Jones, Drew Lock and Tommy DeVito were the ones throwing him the ball. This Giants team has a few decent pieces to work with, but they won't go anywhere unless they can find some competency under center.
New York Jets: Break free from Rodgers' grasp
How could anybody have paid attention to the circus that was the Jets' season want to run it back with Aaron Rodgers at the helm? The grass ain't always greener when it comes to quarterbacks, but this is as good a time as any for New York to smash the reset button and try to correct the franchise. We'll see if Woody Johnson's capable of it. (Don't hold your breath)
Philadelphia Eagles: Replace Kellen Moore
The best roster in football really doesn't need to pull off a ton of fixer uppers to get back into contention. They'll need to reload at linebacker and on the defensive line if Zack Baun, Josh Sweat and/or Milton Williams bounce, but there's enough depth at those positions that they could get by. Making sure that they bring in a solid replacement at offensive coordinator will be key though, as Moore had this group humming down the stretch.
Pittsburgh Steelers: Russell Wilson, Justin Fields or ____?
Pittsburgh finds themselves in a pretty unenviable spot here, with two average-at-best guys filling out the quarterback depth chart. Fields has more upside, but he wasn't benched midseason for no reason. Russell Wilson is relatively safe but generally unimpressive on the field. And corny as hell off of it. Whoever they keep shouldn't be more than a one year bridge, really highlighting the purgatory of mediocrity that the Steelers have become.
San Francisco 49ers: How much is Brock Purdy worth?
The Niners are already tight against cap, with more than a few bloated contracts. Brock Purdy has proven to be above average, at least in Kyle Shanahan's offense, but it remains to be seen if he can be the guy to lead a franchise to the Promise Land. Will the team think he's worth the big money the market says he should command or will they roll the dice again in the draft?
Seattle Seahawks: Get the run game going
Former first rounder Charles Cross is workable at left tackle, but he's about the only guy on this Seattle offensive line we can compliment. There's a reason they finished 28th overall in rushing, despite talented backs like Kenneth Walker II and Zach Charbonnet handling the rock and a trio of solid receivers to keep the defense honest. The O-line needs to be upgraded this offseason to help this team get back to the postseason.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Fix the pass defense
Even with Liam Coen spurning the Bucs for Duuuval, they should be in fine hands offensively next year. But boy, that secondary is bad, hurt, aging or all of the above. With a pretty respectable front seven already in place, a few hits on the back end of the D could really catapult Tampa into contention in 2025.
Tennessee Titans: Don't mess up this #1 pick
The Titans are in a tricky spot with a need at QB with no surefire starter in this class. New GM Mike Borgonzi has to avoid getting caught in the flashy lights and keep his focus on taking the absolute best player, or trade offer, available with this top selection-- no matter the position. As we've seen recently in Tennessee, even a slight misstep could land him in the unemployment line sooner than later.
Washington Commanders: A second receiver and defense
Okay, so maybe this is two, but both are pretty important if the Commanders want to take the get back to the NFC Championship and beyond. Terry McLaurin is incredible, and quarterback proof, but can you imagine if he had a dynamic pass catcher opposite of him to keep the safeties honest? Dark horse team to land Tee Higgins.
Shifting to the defensive side of things, I mean...you all saw Washington's season ending loss to the Eagles. The run defense sucks and the pass defense is mediocre at best. They surely regret passing on Christian Gonzalez for Emmanuel Forbes, but the past is the past. Time to find some adequate pieces to shore up the D and keep the Commanders competing.
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@Choppinglines
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