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Biggest question mark for each NFL team

Biggest question mark for each NFL team.

 
1 of 32

Arizona Cardinals: Can Carson Palmer rebound?

Arizona Cardinals: Can Carson Palmer rebound?
Norm Hall / Getty Images

Were Palmer's late-year struggles just due to a finger injury or something more? He threw six interceptions in two playoff games and now enters his age 36 season. Arizona has a Super Bowl-caliber roster, but Palmer must rebound from his poor playoff performances.

 
2 of 32

Atlanta Falcons: Can Matt Ryan get over the hump?

Atlanta Falcons: Can Matt Ryan get over the hump?
Chris Graythen / Getty Images

Atlanta took advantage of its easy early season schedule last season, and the offense racked up huge numbers as a result. When the schedule turned, the Falcons collapsed and went 3-8 over their last 11 games. Ryan had a mediocre 21/16 TD/INT ratio and looked lost late in the year.

 
3 of 32

Baltimore Ravens: Can the defense make it back?

Baltimore Ravens: Can the defense make it back?
Gregory Shamus / Getty Images

Baltimore had a forgettable 2015 season, with a laundry list of injuries. Its season opened with Terrell Suggs' torn Achilles, and the aging unit allowed the ninth most points in football. It remains to be seen if the Ravens can rebound.

 
4 of 32

Buffalo Bills: Can Rex Ryan's system work in Buffalo?

Buffalo Bills: Can Rex Ryan's system work in Buffalo?
Brett Carlsen / Getty Images

Ryan arrived with a great defense and made it worse. Buffalo's players, most notably Mario Williams, didn't seem too enthusiastic with his new system, and they struggled to make the adjustment. Now tag-teaming with brother Rob, the Bills need to make progress this season or the Ryans could be looking for another job again.

 
5 of 32

Carolina Panthers: Will the secondary survive without Josh Norman?

Carolina Panthers: Will the secondary survive without Josh Norman?
Otto Greule Jr. / Getty Images

Head coach Ron Rivera and company have worked their magic with Carolina's secondary, finding results with plug-and-play bodies. Now that they've lost their most talented cornerback in Norman, the team will need to work a miracle to maintain last year's elite defense.

 
6 of 32

Chicago Bears: Can Jay Cutler maintain his improvement without Adam Gase?

Chicago Bears: Can Jay Cutler maintain his improvement without Adam Gase?
Joe Robbins / Getty Images

Gase apparently worked wonders with Cutler last season, as the Bears quarterback threw only 11 picks in 15 games and had his best passer rating ever. Now that Gase is off to Miami, it remains to be seen if Cutler can keep it up.

 
7 of 32

Cincinnati Bengals: Can the Bengals find a second wideout?

Cincinnati Bengals: Can the Bengals find a second wideout?
Joe Robbins / Getty Images

Cincinnati decided not to invest in Marvin Jones or Mohamed Sanu, so A.J. Green is left without a clear bandmate. The losses, along with Tyler Eifert's ankle injury, could really hinder Andy Dalton's play.

 
8 of 32

Cleveland Browns: Can Robert Griffin III be an NFL starter?

Cleveland Browns: Can Robert Griffin III be an NFL starter?
Diamond Images

There's no question the Browns are talent-deficient, but they'd at least like to know if they have a long-term quarterback on their roster after they didn't take one in the first round of the draft. They'd love for Robert Griffin III to emerge, but they're also high on the long-term prospects of former USC starter Cody Kessler.

 
9 of 32

Dallas Cowboys: Can the defense keep them in games?

Dallas Cowboys: Can the defense keep them in games?
Mike Stone / Getty Images

The Cowboys bypassed defensive improvements early in the draft to take Ezekiel Elliott. The thought was that greater time of possession would help the defense, but losses and suspensions leave the Cowboys as one of the least talented defensive squads in football.

 
10 of 32

Denver Broncos: Who will play quarterback?

Denver Broncos: Who will play quarterback?
John Leyba / Denver Post

Peyton Manning's retirement and the loss of Brock Osweiler means the Broncos will have a completely new starter. They're having an open competition between veteran Mark Sanchez and 2015 seventh-round pick Trevor Siemian, though first-round pick Paxton Lynch is a dark horse.

 
11 of 32

Detroit Lions: Can they overcome the loss of Calvin Johnson?

Detroit Lions: Can they overcome the loss of Calvin Johnson?
Otto Greule Jr. / Getty Images

Johnson's retirement hit Lions fans like a ton of bricks. Detroit has tried to offset Megatron's loss by signing Marvin Jones and Anquan Boldin, though it remains to be seen if Matthew Stafford can perform well without his favorite big-play receiver.

 
12 of 32

Green Bay Packers: Can Aaron Rodgers rebound with Jordy Nelson?

Green Bay Packers: Can Aaron Rodgers rebound with Jordy Nelson?
Maddie Meyer / Getty Images

Rodgers wasn't quite the same without Nelson on the field last season, along with subpar offensive line play late in the year. While Rodgers made several heroic plays that will be remembered for years, he failed to reach 4,000 yards passing for the first time in his career over a full season.

 
13 of 32

Houston Texans: Is Brock Osweiler a franchise quarterback?

Houston Texans: Is Brock Osweiler a franchise quarterback?
Justin Edmonds / Getty Images

The Texans paid a big price for Osweiler after Brian Hoyer's horrific play against the Chiefs in the AFC Wild Card Round. It's still not clear if Osweiler is an improvement based on what he did in Denver, but the Texans certainly hope so.

 
14 of 32

Indianapolis Colts: Can Andrew Luck rebound from his awful season?

Indianapolis Colts: Can Andrew Luck rebound from his awful season?
Tom Pennington / Getty Images

Luck missed more than half of last season due to injuries, but he was terrible even when he was on the field. That didn't stop the Colts from giving him a lucrative long-term deal, but the Colts need better after he completed only 55 percent of his passes and threw 12 picks in seven games.

 
15 of 32

Jacksonville Jaguars: Are the Jaguars ready to make the playoffs?

Jacksonville Jaguars: Are the Jaguars ready to make the playoffs?
Sam Greenwood / Getty Images

The Jacksonville coaching staff could be entering its final season if the team doesn't deliver this year. The Jaguars did make huge progress on offense last season, led by quarterback Blake Bortles, and the defense has an influx of talent.

 
16 of 32

Kansas City Chiefs: Can they overcome training camp absences?

Kansas City Chiefs: Can they overcome training camp absences?
Scott Halleran / Getty Images

The Chiefs have a deep and talented roster after going 11-5 last season and winning 11 straight games. Still, there are issues during training camp with Justin Houston recovering from ACL surgery and Eric Berry holding out. The Chiefs got out of the gate slowly last season, and these absences won't help this year.

 
17 of 32

Los Angeles Rams: Can the offense do anything with Jared Goff at quarterback?

Los Angeles Rams: Can the offense do anything with Jared Goff at quarterback?
Harry How / Getty Images

The Rams have had a merry-go-round at quarterback but hope they've finally found their man after selecting Goff first overall. There won't be much pressure on Goff considering that he has Todd Gurley and the offense didn't do much prior to his arrival, but all eyes will be on the rookie.

 
18 of 32

Miami Dolphins: Can Adam Gase turn Ryan Tannehill into a star?

Miami Dolphins: Can Adam Gase turn Ryan Tannehill into a star?
Chris Graythen / Getty Images

Tannehill has shown flashes during his four seasons, but he remains far from the top tier of quarterbacks in the NFL. New head coach Adam Gase did a brilliant job with Jay Cutler last season, and Peyton Manning was extremely complimentary of him in Denver. His challenge will be getting Tannehill into the next tier.

 
19 of 32

Minnesota Vikings: Can they overcome Blair Walsh's missed kick?

Minnesota Vikings: Can they overcome Blair Walsh's missed kick?
Jamie Squire / Getty Images

Walsh's chip shot missed field goal to lose in the playoffs last year will be remembered forever. Still, the Vikings have enough talent to win the NFC North again if they can put their frustrations behind them. They expect improvement from Teddy Bridgewater in his third season.

 
20 of 32

New England Patriots: Can they survive without Tom Brady?

New England Patriots: Can they survive without Tom Brady?
Jim Rogash / Getty Images

The Patriots have had time to prepare with Brady suspended for the first four games of the season and hope that Jimmy Garoppolo is ready to take the reins. He has plenty of support in New England's offense, including healthy weapons Rob Gronkowski, Julian Edelman and Dion Lewis.

 
21 of 32

New Orleans Saints: Can the defense stop anyone?

New Orleans Saints: Can the defense stop anyone?
Sean Gardner / Getty Images

The Saints allowed 30 points per game last season, worst in the NFL. Every year they've needed to address the defensive talent, but the squad just continues to flounder. To have any chance to compete, the defense need to improve quickly.

 
22 of 32

New York Giants: Will the defensive additions pay off?

New York Giants: Will the defensive additions pay off?
Diamond Images

Head coach Tom Coughlin was the casualty of an awful defense last season, though the talent issues certainly weren't his fault. The Giants have added plenty of talent this offseason, including Janoris Jenkins and Olivier Vernon. Now it's time for them to deliver.

 
23 of 32

New York Jets: How will Ryan Fitzpatrick play after an eventful offseason?

New York Jets: How will Ryan Fitzpatrick play after an eventful offseason?
Jeff Zelevansky / Getty Images

Fitzpatrick and the Jets were at a contract stalemate for the entire offseason until training camp opened. The Jets are happy to have their starter in camp after a very good 2015 season, but missing OTAs could impact his play, along with the loss of Chris Ivory at running back.

 
24 of 32

Oakland Raiders: Are they ready to be a playoff team?

Oakland Raiders: Are they ready to be a playoff team?
Thearon W. Henderson / Getty Images

The Raiders are en vogue as a playoff possibility this season after making several key additions on defense and hoping that Derek Carr will make strides in his third season. Still, they're in a very tough division contending with the Super Bowl champion Broncos and Chiefs.

 
25 of 32

Philadelphia Eagles: Can Doug Pederson deliver Andy Reid-like results?

Philadelphia Eagles: Can Doug Pederson deliver Andy Reid-like results?
Mitchell Leff / Getty Images

The Eagles set back to the clock, hiring Andy Reid assistant Doug Pederson, hoping he can bring back the Reid glory days. The team's quarterback situation will be interesting to watch between Sam Bradford, system quarterback Chase Daniel and second overall pick Carson Wentz. The defense should show improvement with acclaimed coordinator Jim Schwartz running things.

 
26 of 32

Pittsburgh Steelers: Can the offense deliver after personnel losses?

Pittsburgh Steelers: Can the offense deliver after personnel losses?
Joe Sargent / Getty Images

The Steelers suffered a huge loss when Martavis Bryant was suspended for the year, and now they're also set to lose Le'Veon Bell for four games after he skipped drug tests. Ben Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown remain intact, but they can't do it alone.

 
27 of 32

San Diego Chargers: Can they be competitive in the AFC West?

San Diego Chargers: Can they be competitive in the AFC West?
Donald Miralle / Getty Images

The Chargers kept head coach Mike McCoy around despite an awful 2015 season, but he will have his work cut out for him in the AFC West. San Diego is still capable of competing as long as Philip Rivers is playing at a high level, though.

 
28 of 32

San Francisco 49ers: Who will Chip Kelly choose at quarterback?

San Francisco 49ers: Who will Chip Kelly choose at quarterback?
Ezra Shaw / Getty Images

Most prognosticators believe the 49ers will be very bad this season, lacking much talent on either side of the ball. Still, it will be interesting to see how the offense evolves with Chip Kelly and if he chooses Blaine Gabbert or Colin Kaepernick as his starter.

 
29 of 32

Seattle Seahawks: Can the offensive line protect Russell Wilson?

Seattle Seahawks: Can the offensive line protect Russell Wilson?
Otto Greule Jr. / Getty Images

Seattle's offensive line allowed 46 sacks last season, tied for sixth most in the NFL. The Seahawks haven't done much to address their line play, which is disconcerting for Russell Wilson and the rest of the offense despite their strong production last season.

 
30 of 32

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Can the offense make further strides with Jameis Winston?

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Can the offense make further strides with Jameis Winston?
Cliff McBride / Getty Images

Tampa Bay's offense made huge progress with Jameis Winston in his rookie season, but he was also very mistake-prone. The team fired Lovie Smith and promoted offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter, hoping the offense can continue to move forward.

 
31 of 32

Tennessee Titans: Can they get out of the cellar?

Tennessee Titans: Can they get out of the cellar?
Cliff McBride / Getty Images

Tennessee went just 3-13 last season, yet it retained head coach Mike Mularkey. The biggest move was adding DeMarco Murray at running back, whom the Titans hope will support franchise quarterback Marcus Mariota. However, talent issues on the offensive line and defense could make it difficult for the Titans to progress.

 
32 of 32

Washington Redskins: Can Kirk Cousins lead them to the playoffs again?

Washington Redskins: Can Kirk Cousins lead them to the playoffs again?
Ronald Martinez / Getty Images

The Redskins surprised in the NFC East with Kirk Cousins as their starting quarterback, but he still didn't receive a long-term deal. The team's talent has quickly grown, but it will be on Cousins to deliver another playoff season for the team.

Seth Trachtman is a fantasy sports expert and diehard Kansas City Chiefs fan. He doesn't often Tweet, but when he does, you can find him on Twitter @sethroto.

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