Ranking The Teams: 32-22

Okay, well, since there’s limited things to write about this time of year I’ve decided to rank all 32 teams. I’m sure I’ll change my mind a zillion times before the start of the season, and I’ll probably be tempted to delete this post come December, but here goes:

32. Buffalo Bills

New head coach Chan Gailey is really gonna have his work cut out for him. This team is undergoing a major overhaul. The defense is going from a 4-3 to a 3-4 and the offense has absolutely no identity. One would expect the backfield to be quite explosive. It was pretty decent with Lynch and Jackson, so adding C.J. Spiller should be a benefit. They’re definitely going to need that solid running game this year.

31. St. Louis Rams

I’m sorry to tell you this Rams fans but you’re team still has a long way to go. Drafting Sam Bradford was the absolute right move, but it’s going to take some time to develop him and the team around him. Steven Jackson is still the centerpiece of the offense and they’ll ride him a lot this year. Think of it this way, there’s really nowhere to go for this team but up….you’d think.

30. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

It’s a big year for two guys, Raheem Morris and Josh Freeman. Freeman is a real specimen and has 9 starts under his belt coming into the season. There is a possibility for a sophomore slump but he may avoid it if the team doesn’t put too much pressure on him to develop faster than he’s able to. The addition of McCoy and Price to the defensive front should stiffen up the worst run defense from a year ago.

29. Detroit Lions

This is still a young, inexperienced team. They were able to add a few veterans in free agency (Vanden Bosch and Scheffler), but they still need more leadership. Some of the younger guys are going to have to step up and be leaders on this team. Schwartz has the team headed in the right direction and if the offensive line can tighten up this team may actually be able to put on a little bit of an offensive display, much different than the offensive displays the team has been putting on for the last few years.

28. Cleveland Browns

I was very surprised that Holmgren kept Mangini around and didn’t try and hand pick someone to coach the team. But just because he let Mangini stick around doesn’t mean he’s off the hot seat. The Browns ended last year on a high note and Holmgren will want to see some steady improvement. Jake Delhomme is not the answer, but if he can play well he’ll tide them over. Cleveland may be a competitive team next year. But if they spin their wheels Mangini will be headed straight for the unemployment line.

27. Oakland Raiders

I truly think that getting rid of JaMarcus Russell will pay big dividends for the team. Any resentment towards him will be gone and that’s a positive for a team looking to find the right attitude. It’s not clear whether Jason Campbell will be the quarterback they’re looking for, he’s still unproven. But he’s a major step up from what they had. The strength of this team is their defense, and if they can get some of the young talent on offense to step up the Raiders will surprise some teams just like they did last year.

26. Kansas City Chiefs

The biggest additions for the Chiefs came in the new coaching hires, Romeo Crennel and Charlie Weis. They’re trying to do their best New England impersonation and they’re hoping it will turn things around. If the players buy into the system and Matt Cassel plays the way he did in New England this team is in for a big turnaround.

25. Carolina Panthers

Last season was a major disappointment for the Panthers, they were inconsistent all year. Most of that inconsistency stems from the play of Jake Delhomme who had probably the worst year of his career. Matt Moore was able to step in and play well, but not well enough apparently. Carolina drafted two quarterbacks, Jimmy Clausen and Tony Pike, to come in and give the position some competition. No matter who comes in to play quarterback, if they can come in and not make mistakes and compliment the best 1-2 punch backfield in the league the Panthers will be okay.

24. Seattle Seahawks

I’m not sure there’s ever been as much excitement and energy in Seattle as there has been this offseason, even if it is being created by one guy. Pete Carroll is bringing his ra-ra attitude in hopes that it will energize a team that lacked any kind of it last year. He really helped his cause by signing some key free agents and having a great draft. But when the peaks are high, the valleys are low. The team needs to carry the energy onto the field and produce, or they may face a letdown that will be tough to get out of. Luckily for them they have one of the easiest schedules in the league, so Seattle could be in for a major turnaround.

23. Jacksonville Jaguars

Jacksonville is another team that let some people down last year. The bright spot was Maurice Jones-Drew, who should have another great season. The real question mark with this team is quarterback David Garrard. After singing a 6 year $60 million contract in 2008, Garrard has been nothing more than average. If the Jaguars want to find their way in a division that’s getting tougher, he needs to start earning that big contract he signed.

22. Chicago Bears

The Bears have seemed to make all the right moves this offseason. They brought in Julius Peppers to help the pass rush and Chester Taylor to compliment Matt Forte in the backfield. They also signed former Rams head coach Mike Martz to work with Cutler and to try and bring some offense to the table. Martz should be able to work well with Cutler, providing Cutler is more willing to be coached than he has been. If the o-line can keep Cutler clean, and he can keep the ball in the hands of Bear receivers and not opposing teams defenders they should be more competitive this year.

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