Collaborative efford between Jon Munshaw and Matt Hamilton.
1. Denver Broncos
Just months after getting dominated by the Seattle Seahawks defense in the Super Bowl, the Broncos made an effort to create a defense just as strong. Singing Demarcus Ware, T.J. Ward and Aqib Talib boosts the Broncos defense tremendously.
Not to mention, after losing Eric Decker to free agency, the Broncos picked up Emmanuel Sanders. If they can get Knowshon Moreno to return, the Broncos should easily be the favorites to win it all.
2. Seattle Seahawks
The wide receiver situation is concerning after letting Sidney Rice and Golden Tate walk, but their No. 1 defense largely stayed the same.
Seattle is also in the mix to sign Jared Allen, which would only make their defense better. It also brought back defensive end Michael Bennett.
Until they get a No. 1 wide receiver, the Seahawks won’t be able to get past the Broncos but it’s almost impossible to look past that defense and the combination of Russell Wilson and Marshawn Lynch.
3. San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers were not extremely active in free agency, but, luckily for them, they didn’t need to be. Losing Donte Whitner to the Browns hurt, but the 49ers signed Antoine Bethea to a four-year deal to replace him.
However, the 49ers did not improve on offense. On an already scarce wide receiving corps, the 49ers allowed Mario Manningham to sign with his former team, the New York Giants. They will have to depend on newly re-signed Anquan Boldin to lead the way.
4. New England Patriots
New England made itself a favorite to win the AFC this season, after picking up Darrelle Revis and Brandon Browner at corner, as well as retaining last year’s leading receiver Julian Edelman.
Browner and Revis could be one of the top cornerback tandems in the NFL if Browner can stay out of trouble and Revis can stay healthy. Oh, and they still have Tom Brady as their quarterback, which will always put them in the top five or six teams.
5. Indianapolis Colts
The Colts had one of the best offseasons in the entire league, but it was relatively quiet. Fresh off a Divisional round appearance, the Colts added to both offense and defense.
Yes, they lost Bethea, but they picked up former Raven Arthur Jones to beef up the defense line, a great move. On offense, the Colts lost Donald Brown, but added Hakeem Nicks and still have Trent Richardson.
6. Green Bay Packers
The Packers seemed content to stick with their current course this offseason, re-signing Sam Shields, Mike Neal and running back James Starks.
With their current roster alone, Green Bay should be considered a playoff favorite, but they also added veteran and future Hall of Famer Julius Peppers to their defensive line.
Now that Aaron Rodgers is fully healthy, and their receiving core continues to be one of the strongest in the league (even without James Jones) the Packers will be in the mix for a division win all year.
7. Philadelphia Eagles (assuming they retain DeSean Jackson)
The Eagles were strong last season, so it makes sense that they were relatively inactive in terms of signing free agents. However, two deals with former Saints may have put them in the Super Bowl discussion.
A smaller deal with safety Malcolm Jenkins, followed by the Darren Sproles trade made the Eagles look better on both sides of the ball. Plus, losing Michael Vick and signing Mark Sanchez got rid of any remaining quarterback controversy.
8. New Orleans Saints
For the long term, the Saints may have shot themselves in the foot by signing Jairus Byrd this offseason, but for the short term, the Saints’ defense is looking like one of the four or five best in the league.
Despite trading away Darren Sproles and releasing wide receiver Lance Moore, Drew Brees will provide enough offense for Rob Ryan’s defense to win most games for them.
9. Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals followed another early playoff loss with a disappointing offseason. Cincinnati lost one of their top players, on offense or defense, in Michael Johnson to the Buccaneers. That left a hole on the line that hasn’t been filled.
The Bengals also lost offensive tackle Anthony Collins and wide receiver Andrew Hawkins to free agency. Still, the core of Andy Dalton, A.J. Green and Giovani Bernard will keep them competitive for years to come.
10. Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore did essentially everything it needed to do to improve this offseason. They retained Jacoby Jones, Dennis Pitta, Daryl Smith and Eugene Monroe, and also brought in Steve Smith after he was released by Carolina.
Between Jones, Smith and Torrey Smith, the Ravens now have one of the best group of receivers in the AFC (a group that can stretch the field more than almost anyone).
If Ray Rice can recover from his down 2013 season (and stay out of legal trouble) the Ravens should easily find their way into the 2014 playoffs.
11. Carolina Panthers
The Panthers had one of the most notable offseasons, simply because they gutted their entire wide receiving corps. Steve Smith, Ted Ginn Jr. and Brandon LaFell are all gone, and the only person the Panthers signed to replace them was Jerricho Cotchery.
Plus, Carolina lost safety Mike Mitchell and cornerback Captain Munnerlyn from a powerful defense last year. To give the Panthers a little credit, they did put the franchise tag on Greg Hardy, an integral part of their defense.
12. Arizona Cardinals
Fans have quickly forgotten that the Cardinals were almost a playoff team were they not in the best division in football.
They strengthened their offense line by signing tackle Jared Veldheer, and they signed Antonio Cromartie to a one-year deal. With Rashard Mendenhall retiring, Andre Ellington can now take over the running game, and Ted Ginn Jr. will now line up opposite Larry Fitzgerald at receiver.
Coupled with the Cardinals’ defense, this team has the blueprint of being a playoff team.
13. Kansas City Chiefs
Losing offensive tackles Branden Albert, Geoff Schwartz and Jon Asamoah doesn’t help in protecting Alex Smith, but the Chiefs, overall, had an average free agency period. A few key signings, like Husain Abdullah, Joe Mays and Vance Walker may be able to salvage losing five free agents on one day to start free agency.
Still, with Jamaal Charles and a strong defensive line, the Chiefs still are contenders for the first wild card in the AFC.
14. Chicago Bears
Losing Peppers could turn out to be a good thing for the Bears, as the move freed up a ton of cap space for them. They used that extra money to retain top cornerback Charles Tillman, as well as brining in Lamarr Houston to replace Peppers.
With the emergence of Alshon Jeffery last season, he and Brandon Marshall could become 2014’s most exciting receiver combo, and Matt Forte will once again start the season ranked as one of the five best running backs in the league.
15. Detroit Lions
The Lions did not lose much from a team last year that had high expectations, but failed to meet them. Instead, the Lions made one of the biggest free agents signings so far in Golden Tate. The Lions had been looking for a complementary receiver for Calvin Johnson and they got one with Tate.
Detroit also added James Ihedigbo, a quality safety that knows the system that defensive coordinator Teryl Austin will run.
16. San Diego Chargers
The Chargers didn’t do much this offseason, but they did retain linebacker Donald Butler and offensive guard Chad Rinehart.
The signing of Donald Brown was puzzling with Ryan Mathews and Danny Woodhead already on the roster, but that now makes for probably the deepest backfield in the AFC.
Keenan Allen is looking up to be a top 15 receiver in the league, and as long as Philip Rivers is around, the Chargers still have a chance to be a competitive team.
17. Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh had another underwhelming season in 2013-14, but did not improve. The Steelers allowed defensive end Ziggy Hood and wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders go through free agency. Signees Al Woods and Lance Moore had 23 less tackles and 30 less receptions last season.
The Steelers do show promise in Le’Veon Bell on offense, but the defense is aging and free agency did not help that.
18. Dallas Cowboys
This is shaping up to be another mediocre year for the Cowboys. With virtually no cap room, Dallas didn’t make any major moves in free agency. (But they did manage to sign Brandon Weeden, which even if he never plays a single snap, could still hurt the team.)
Dallas had to release its best pass rusher, Demarcus Ware, and they released Miles Austin, who is just one year removed from having a 900-yard season. The Cowboys are going to be stuck in neutral for a long time with their contract situation.
19. Cleveland Browns
The Browns traded away Trent Richardson, the future of their offense, last season, which was a precursor to an active offseason. Running back Ben Tate had about 200 more yards and one touchdown more than Richardson, who did not live up to expectations in Indianapolis.
Cleveland also improved on defense, signing Donte Whitner, Karlos Dansby and Isaiah Trufant. With an improved offense and defense, the Browns should compete in the AFC North.
20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Although Tampa Bay released Revis, it still had one of the best offseasons out of any team. They picked up center Evan Dietrich-Smith, cornerback Alterraun Verner and defensive end Michael Johnson.
Despite Tampa Bay’s best hopes, Josh McCown is still an un-proven quarterback in this league, and they still have some holes around the roster, but the Bucs’ defense is shaping up to be one of the best in the NFC.
21. Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons finished an extremely disappointing season at 4-12. They should be better in 2014, as they signed Javier Arenas, Devin Hester, Paul Soliai, Jon Asamoah and Tyson Jackson. Plus, Matt Ryan will have a healthy Roddy White and Julio Jones to throw to, so this team will be looking to move its way up on this list.
The pass rush should be greatly improved, with Soliai and Jackson, which should keep the Falcons competitive in most of their games.
22. St. Louis Rams
This was an incredibly boring offseason for the Rams. The only move they made was resigning offensive tackle Rodger Saffold, who tried to sign with the Raiders but failed a physical and went back to St. Louis.
Zac Stacy is shaping up to be a very consistent running back, but the Rams still lack a No. 1 wide receiver, and the offensive line is suspect.
St. Louis’s defense is very strong, but there are some real questions surrounding Sam Bradford and the offense, including Bradford’s ability to stay healthy.
23. New York Jets
The Jets made a splash with the signing of Michael Vick this week, but it won’t turn the team into a Super Bowl contender just yet. Adding Eric Decker and re-signing Jeff Cumberland bolstered a stagnant Jets offense that ranked 25th in the league last season.
However, New York still has no depth at wide receiver, especially if Santonio Holmes signs elsewhere.
24. Washington Redskins
Between Robert Griffin III, Alfred Morris and Pierre Garcon, the Redskins have enough playmakers to score some points.
But this offseason, Washington didn’t do anything to address their biggest need – offensive line. The line was main reason Griffin was benched with four games remaining in the season, and the Redskins didn’t sign a single offensive lineman.
The defense didn’t get much better, either, but they did bring in corner Tracy Porter and linebacker Akeem Jordan. RGIII’s ability will score them some points, but this is still an incomplete team.
25. Oakland Raiders
The Raiders had an extremely active offseason, beginning with the signing and un-signing of Rodger Saffold. It was a mess, but what came after it was positive for the Raiders.
Oakland signed Austin Howard, James Jones, LaMarr Woodley, Justin Tuck and Tarell Brown to erase any doubt that it wanted to win now. Added the trade for Matt Schaub, the Raiders could surprise teams this season.
26. Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins made a push for a Wild Card spot in the AFC last season, but this was in a season when an 8-8 team made the playoffs.
Miami made some minor moves, but they still lack a major playmaker at wide receiver, and they don’t have any running backs that they should feel confident in. It also lost starting defensive tackle Paul Soliai to the Atlanta Falcons.
After this season, if Ryan Tannehill doesn’t show any substantial improvement, the Dolphins could be looking at a rebuilding process.
27. Tennessee Titans
The Titans were dealt a huge blow when cornerback Alterraun Verner signed with the Buccaneers. Verner was a huge part of a successful defense last year and someone who likely cannot be replaced.
Tennessee did add offensive tackle Michael Oher and dual-threat running back Dexter McCluster to help quarterback Jake Locker, but Chris Johnson needs to return to top-notch form if the Titans want to compete. If not, they will end up outside of the playoffs again.
28. New York Giants
Eli Manning definitely has a chance to bounce back from last year, but no matter how well he plays, the Giants are still a seriously flawed team.
They let Hakeem Nicks leave, and despite former Raider Rashad Jennings, there still isn’t a clear-cut No. 1 running back on this team.
The interior of their offensive line got no help in free agency, and they also need to address the tight end position. In the NFC East, the Giants are lagging far behind Philadelphia and even Dallas.
29. Buffalo Bills
The Bills lost star-safety Jairus Byrd to the Saints, but did sign a few quality players with the cap space. Buffalo added offensive tackle Chris Williams, linebacker Brandon Spikes and cornerback Corey Graham.
Buffalo will have a good defense, but E.J. Manuel needs to prove that he can been a quality starting quarterback before it can compete in the AFC East. It will help that the Bills re-signed tight end Scott Chandler, who will be a good target.
30. Minnesota Vikings
Besides signing corner Captain Munnerlyn, the Vikings didn’t make any noteworthy moves in free agency, and they are still one of the most underwhelming teams on paper.
They have no quarterback, and allowed backup running back Toby Gerhart to leave for the Jacksonville Jaguars. Cordarrelle Patterson is a promising playmaker at wide receiver, but he is the only receiver to be excited about in Minnesota.
With Jared Allen on his way out, Munnerlyn is the only defensive playmaker, and the defense looks to be back at the 31st ranking it achieved in pass defense last year. Unless a rookie quarterback can come in and energize this team again, it’ll be back around the five-win mark.
31. Houston Texans
The Texans are coming off a terribly disappointing 2013-14 season and the best signing they made was holding onto tight end Garrett Graham, who replaced Owen Daniels. However, Houston lost three key defensive players: Earl Mitchell, Antonio Smith and Joe Mays.
The Texans also lost Ben Tate, who served as great insurance for Arian Foster and his injury woes. It might be possible that Houston got worse through free agency. It could be hoping to build through the draft.
32. Jacksonville Jaguars
Jacksonville’s defense is actually decent after signing defensive ends Ziggy Hood and Chris Clemons, but most of the team’s issues continue to be unsolved.
Gerhart is a reasonably good running back, but he’s no Maurice Jones-Drew. They have no receivers, and the Jaguars seem content with going with Chad Henne at quarterback after re-signing him.
There are far too many issues with the Jaguars to solve in one offseason.