Offseason questions for all 32 NFL teams for 2016

With Tony Romo limited to just four games last season due to a collarbone injury, the Cowboys went 4-12. In the four games that Romo started, they went 3-1. Although the Cowboys have issues with their running game and pass rush, clearly their success is largely contingent on whether starting quarterback Tony Romo can stay healthy. If he can’t stay on the field in 2016, Cowboys fans could be in for another long season.

New Giants head coach Ben McAdoo has all the tools he needs to succeed on the offensive side the ball. The defense is another story. The Giants had one of the worst pass rushes in the NFL last year, recording just 23 sacks in 16 games. If McAdoo and the Giants want to return to the playoffs for the first time since 2012, developing a solid pass rush is a must.

With Chip Kelly now gone, new head coach Doug Pederson takes over a Philadelphia Eagles team that faces many questions, none more important than who will be starting at quarterback next season. The Sam Bradford experiment could hardly be considered a success, but Pederson may look to re-sign the former No. 1 overall pick in the offseason. It’s either that or taking a rookie QB in the draft to build around.

Despite having may doubters, Kirk Cousins established himself as a quality NFL quarterback last season. Leading the Redskins to a division title, there is no question head coach Jay Gruden and Co. want to re-sign the free agent, Cousins. The only question is how much will it cost to keep Cousins in the nation’s capitol.

The Arizona Cardinals are ridiculously close to being a Super Bowl-winning team. After falling short against the Panthers in the NFC Championship Game, Cardinals brass must wondering what moves it can make this offseason to ensure that Arizona is once again a Super Bowl contender. Adding a pass rusher and drafting a few offensive linemen could help in that process.

As of today, the starting quarterback of the Los Angeles Rams is Case Keenum. No disrespect to Keenum, but does anyone actually believe that this arrangement will work out in the long term? The Rams would be wise to draft a new QB to groom in their new/old home of Los Angeles.

The Chip Kelly era has begun in San Francisco, and the first question the new coach must address is whether Colin Kaepernick is the quarterback he wants. At the surface, Kaepernick would appear to be a perfect fit for Kelly’s up-tempo offense, but since taking the 49ers to the Super Bowl a few years ago, “Kaep” has regressed. Kelly may look to bring in a quarterback like Robert Griffin III to give Kaepernick some competition in training camp. At this point, it’s anyone’s guess who will be starting go the 49ers on opening day.

With the retirement of Marshawn Lynch, the Seattle Seahawks have a massive hole to fill in their backfield. Thomas Rawls will likely be the man to fill the void, but with a player like Matt Forte on the open market, the Seahawks may look to bring a few new faces at the running back position. Regardless of what they choose to do, replacing “Beast Mode” will be no easy task.

After eight seasons, 8,602 rushing yards and 64 touchdowns, stud running back Matt Forte and Bears will part ways this offseason. So whom are the Bears going to replace the Pro Bowl runner Forte with? Jeremy Langford played well at times last season, but in all likelihood Chicago will look to replace Forte via the draft.

The Detroit Lions received devastating news this offseason with the retirement of former All-Pro wide receiver Calvin Johnson. Johnson had been the Lions' best player since they drafted him in 2007, so finding quarterback Matthew Stafford a new No. 1 target on the outside should be Detroit's top priority this offseason.

After showing up to training camp overweight and out of shape, running back Eddie Lacy had a miserable 2015 season. Lacy was expected to be the Packers' bell cow but failed to live up to expectations. The Packers may look to unload him this offseason and look for a new starter in their backfield.

The Minnesota Vikings and quarterback Teddy Bridgewater appear to be on the rise in the NFC. After losing a heartbreaking Wild Card game against the Seahawks, expectations will be high in Minnesota. If the Vikings can continue to surround Bridgewater with players who help him succeed, the Vikings could be a Super Bowl contender next season.

After beginning the 2015 season 5-0, the Atlanta Falcons stumbled to an 8-8 finish. This might be hard for the Atlanta front office to face up to, but Matt Ryan had his worst season as a pro last year. Perhaps the offense installed by coordinator Kyle Shanahan just wasn’t a fit, but something needs to change on offense for Ryan (or another quarterback) to succeed in Atlanta.

The offseason question for the Carolina Panthers is obvious: How does this team respond after a devastating loss to the Broncos in Super Bowl 50. If the team is able to re-sign All-Pro cornerback Josh Norman and wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin is able to regain his form on the outside from his rookie season, the Panthers will more likely than not be stronger than ever.

At 37 years old, Saints quarterback Drew Brees in nearing the end of his Hall of Fame career. With the Saints in rebuild mode, this upcoming season may be Brees' last in the NFL. The Saints should probably be looking for a quarterback whom Brees can mentor and pass the torch to.

There is no question Jameis Winston is the quarterback to lead the Buccaneers into the future, but the question of whether he can become an elite QB still remains. With maturity issues still lingering, new head coach Dirk Koetter needs to stay on top of his franchise quarterback 24/7.

Tyrod Taylor came out of seemingly nowhere last season to nearly lead the Bills to the playoffs. If the Buffalo truly feels Taylor is its long-term solution at quarterback, it needs to sign him to a long-term contract sooner than later.

Ryan Tannehill is one of the most confounding quarterbacks in the NFL. At times he looks like a stud, while at other times he looks downright awful. Many believed Tannehill was handcuffed by former coach Joe Philbin and new head coach Adam Gase will be man to finally get through to the talented 27-year-old. Only time will tell.

At this point we all know that barring a catastrophic injury to Tom Brady, the New England Patriots will be contenders in the AFC. It’s just a fact of life. However, the Pats don’t have the strongest offensive line in the world, as they were exposed in the AFC championship game against the Broncos. With an aging quarterback, expect improving the O-line to be a top priority for the Pats this offseason.

Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick outperformed all expectations last season to lead the Jets to a 10-6 record and nearly a playoff appearance. That being said, journeymen signal callers in their 30s are almost never the answer at quarterback in the NFL. The Jets will likely bring back Fitzpatrick as their starting QB, but they would be wise to draft a successor now that Geno Smith appears to be a lost cause.

Super Bowl 50 MVP Von Miller is set to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason and is in store for a huge payday. Although the cost will be steep, the Broncos must find a way re-sign Miller if they hope to contend next season. It appears Peyton Manning will be gone, freeing up some additional cap space, but regardless, Miller could draw the most lucrative contract ever for a defensive player this offseason.

The Kansas City Chiefs have a slew of quality running backs on their roster. Jamaal Charles, Charcandrick West and Spencer Ware could all start on many teams, but alas, they all find themselves on the same roster. It will be interesting to see if head coach Andy Reid decides to bring all three back and set the Chiefs' offense up to have a massive running back rotation.

After years of torment, it appears the Oakland Raiders are finally headed in the right direction. They have a quarterback in Derek Carr, a stud wideout in Amari Cooper and a head coach who appears to know what he’s doing in Jack Del Rio. Unfortunately, this is the Raiders were talking about. Success for them is too often a smoke screen. The Raiders must have a quality draft and resist the temptation to give out any ludicrous contracts in free agency if they hope to build off of a successful 2015 campaign.

The 15th overall pick of the 2015 NFL Draft, Chargers running back Melvin Gordon had a miserable rookie season. Gaining just 641 yards on 184 carries, the Wisconsin running back looked out of his depth playing in the NFL. If the Chargers don’t do something drastic to help develop their young running back, Gordon will become a bust sooner than later.

What do Joe Flacco, Steve Smith Sr., Breshad Perriman, Justin Forsett and Dennis Pitta have in common? They were all expected to be starting at the skill positions for the Ravens last season but all ended the year on the injured reserve list. Perriman and Pitta didn’t even play in a single game. The Ravens are usually contenders in the AFC, so the only real question to ask is whether this team will remain healthy enough to compete next season or if the 2015 woes are a sign of things to come.

After imploding in their Wild Card matchup against the Steelers, the Bengals have to take a hard look at whether it’s worth having Adam Jones and Vontaze Burfict on their roster. They’re both great players, but they also cost Cincinnati a playoff victory with two of the dumbest penalties you'll ever see. It’s hard to sell to your fans with players like that on your team.

Now that we know the Johnny Manziel experiment in Cleveland is over, the time has come for the Browns to find their quarterback of the future, again. New head coach Hue Jackson has the second overall pick the in 2016 NFL Draft, and a signal caller is what he needs to find. Expect that player to be either Carson Wentz or Jared Goff.

With one of the most dynamic offenses in the NFL, the Steelers are not far away from being Super Bowl contenders. However, their 30th-ranked pass defense is holding them back. Pittsburgh must find new players for the secondary this offseason if it wants to get back to the promised land.

Could you imagine how good the Texans would be if they had an elite quarterback? Instead they have Brian Hoyer. No disrespect to Hoyer, but there will surely be better options available at the quarterback position this offseason for the Texans to acquire. With Bill O’Brien now entering his third year as Houston’s head coach, the time has come to find a franchise quarterback.

Shocking just about everyone in the football world, Colts quarterback Andrew Luck was awful in 2015. Sure, he had a below-average offensive line and was hurt most of the time, but his play on the field was shockingly bad at times. The only real question for the Colts is whether the former No. 1 overall pick can rebound from a terrible season and regain his form of a few years ago.

The Jacksonville Jaguars have quietly put together a pretty good team on the offensive side of the ball. Blake Bortles looks well on his way to becoming one the NFL’s better quarterbacks, and Allen Robinson is an absolute demon playing outside the numbers. If running back T.J. Yeldon can build off of a successful rookie season, the Jags offense could turn into one of the NFL's best.

After finishing with a 3-13 record, the Tennessee Titans have the No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. So who will they take? If protecting Marcus Mariota’s blind side is the team’s top priority, left tackle Laremy Tunsil should be the guy, but if the Titans want to improve their porous defense, Joey Bosa would be great coup. That being said, the Titans have a ton of holes to fill all over the roster, so trading the No. 1 overall pick for slew of other draft picks isn’t out of the question either. You’re on the clock, Tennessee!