The 2019 NFL offseason has been a wild one, featuring major
shakeups across the board and some blockbuster trades few saw coming. As such,
the landscape has changed across the league, and new teams suddenly find
themselves in positions of power.
But which teams have made the greatest strides? Which teams
have positioned themselves for a run at the playoffs? And which teams appear
poised to take it all the way to the Super Bowl?
Here’s a look at which 10 teams have improved the most this
offseason (so far).
10. JACKSONVILLE
JAGUARS
Despite a miserable 2018 season, the Jaguars feel like
they’re a team close to breaking out. One of their downfalls has been
less-than-stellar production at the quarterback position, which was immediately
improved when the Jags signed former Super Bowl MVP Nick Foles to take control
under center. That alone makes Jacksonville better, but the little pieces may
add up as well. Geoff Swaim gives Foles a big tight end target over the middle,
and Alex McGough provides depth at quarterback. There are still some key
players to replace, but quarterback was clearly the big fix in Jacksonville.
9. NEW ENGLAND
PATRIOTS
Considering New England has lost Trey Flowers, Trent Brown,
Malcom Brown, Cordarrelle Patterson, Eric Rowe and Dwayne Allen this offseason,
you may find yourself wondering how they’ve improved. Well, it’s simple …
they’re the Patriots. They have this remarkable ability to plug and play while
bringing in quality talent at a low cost. Such was the case when the Pats
acquired defensive lineman Michael Bennett from the Philadelphia Eagles. The
team also added Patriots-like fits with running back Brandon Bolden, tight end
Matt LaCosse, defensive lineman Mike Pennel, wide receivers Bruce Ellington and
Maurice Harris, cornerback Terrence Brooks and others. The Pats also re-signed
cornerback Jason McCourty, which was an important move. Oh yeah, and they will
be loading up on compensatory picks in the future.
8. TENNESSEE
TITANS
Compared to the moves made by other teams on this list, the
Titans have flown under the radar in free agency. However, the moves the team
did make should have a big impact in 2019. The trade to acquire quarterback
Ryan Tannehill should not be overlooked as it provides Tennessee solid
insurance behind injury-prone Marcus Mariota. Meanwhile, adding Adam Humphries
not only gives the Titans a potential 1,000-yard receiver, but should help open
things up for Corey Davis on the other side. The team also shored up a weakness
at guard by adding Rodger Saffold and re-signing Kevin Pamphile. But the big
moves came on defense. Tennessee added a quality pass rusher in Cameron Wake
and re-signed big-hitting safety in Kenny Vaccaro, who tends to be a tad
underrated.
7. DETROIT LIONS
To begin free agency, the Lions appeared to focus on
surrounding QB Matthew Stafford with offensive talent, adding running backs
Kerwynn Williams and Mark Thompson, wide receivers Danny Amendola and Brandon
Reilly, tight end Jesse James and offensive lineman Oday Aboushi. But the
Lions' biggest strides came on the defensive side of the ball. Detroit changed
its defensive landscape with the additions of pass rusher Trey Flowers,
cornerback Justin Coleman and safety Andrew Adams, who has showed a steady
improvement in recent years. There are still some in-house decisions to be made
for Detroit, but if the Lions are able to bring back their key role players,
they’ll find themselves in a good position entering the 2019 season.
6. WASHINGTON
REDSKINS
Under owner Daniel Snyder, the Redskins are frequently
champions of the offseason, and 2019 will be no different. Their first big
splash came when they signed safety Landon Collins to a mega-deal, giving
Washington a big-time talent in the secondary. The Redskins were also able to
lure veteran cornerback and former Collins teammate Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie
out of retirement. On the offensive side of the ball, the Redskins made a smart
decision in re-signing running back Adrian Peterson, and acquiring quarterback
Case Keenum from the Denver Broncos. Keenum could very well start for the
Redskins in 2019, but if nothing else, will provide quality depth and
experience.
5. GREEN BAY
PACKERS
The Packers have a few needs on the offensive side of the
ball that will likely be addressed in the draft, but with Aaron Rodgers under
center, that’s rarely a concern anyway. The addition of guard Billy Turner was
a solid one, but there’s more to be done. However, where Green Bay really needed
help was on defense, which is exactly how the Packers approached free agency.
In addition to adding linebackers Za’Darius Smith and Preston Smith, the
Packers also signed free safety Adrian Amos. If the Packers can find themselves
one more big-time defensive playmaker, they’ll be in business.
4. SAN FRANCISCO
49ERS
The 49ers feel like a team on the rise, and believing they
are just a few pieces away, general manager John Lynch came out firing. San
Francisco signed a potential starting running back in Tevin Coleman and added
wide receiver Jordan Matthews as an extra weapon for quarterback Jimmy
Garoppolo. However, it’s on defense where the 49ers made the biggest impact,
acquiring pass rusher Dee Ford from the Kansas City Chiefs and adding
linebacker Kwon Alexander to complement him. The Niners also signed linebacker
David Mayo and cornerback Jason Verrett for good measure.
3. NEW YORK JETS
It has been an odd offseason for the Jets, who started by
hiring Adam Gase as their new head coach before adding Dowell Loggains and the
infamous Gregg Williams as their offensive and defensive coordinators,
respectively. They started aggressively in free agency, only to find
themselves rebuffed by linebacker Anthony Barr. But that didn’t
discourage Gang Green, who pressed forward by signing Le’Veon Bell, the best
running back available, as well as receivers Jamison Crowder, Joshua Bellamy
and Stacy Coley. Additionally, the Jets acquired starting offensive lineman
Kelechi Osemele from the Raiders, and signed linebacker C.J. Mosley to anchor
their defense. Add in kicker Chandler Catanzaro, defensive end Charles Tapper
and cornerback Brian Poole, and it’s been a busy offseason for New York.
2. OAKLAND RAIDERS
Not only did the Raiders acquire Antonio Brown in a trade
with the Pittsburgh Steelers, but they also signed Tyrell Williams and J.J.
Nelson, giving them one of the best wide receiver corps in the NFL. Offensive
lineman Trent Brown was added to help protect Derek Carr, while Johnathan
Hankins was re-signed on the defensive side of the ball. He is joined by former
Giants defensive end Josh Mauro, who is projected to start, and safety Lamarcus
Joyner. There’s still some work to be done, but Oakland is off to a solid
start.
1. CLEVELAND
BROWNS
The Browns began the offseason by naming Freddie Kitchens as
their head coach and hiring Todd Monken and Steve Wilks as their offensive and defensive
coordinators, respectively. But that was just the tip if the iceberg. At the
onset of free agency, Cleveland made an AFC-altering trade with the New York
Giants, acquiring linebacker Olivier Vernon and superstar wide receiver Odell
Beckham Jr. They also took a chance and signed running back Kareem Hunt, who
will be suspended the
first eight games of the regular season, and added defensive tackle Sheldon
Richardson to shore up things in the trenches. Things are shaping up nicely for
the Browns, who are considered by many to be an AFC North favorite.
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