With NFL training camps scheduled to open in less than two weeks, teams are getting ready for an unprecedented season in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. With rosters having finally taken shape, here's a look at the biggest question mark remaining for all 32 teams.
Not unexpectedly, Arizona's defense lagged behind the offense last season, allowing the most yards in the league and fifth most points. The team selected linebacker Isaiah Simmons in the first-round of the draft and also spent in free agency, hoping the unit can make some progress this year under coordinator Vance Joseph.
Poor defensive back play has been a problem in Atlanta over the last few seasons. They finally moved on from cornerback Desmond Trufant, selecting A.J. Terrell in the first round of the draft. The team also hopes safety Keanu Neal can show better health after consecutive injury-plagued seasons.
Baltimore has disappointed in the playoffs in two straight years, with Lamar Jackson putting together performances he'd like to forget. After adding to the front seven on defense, the Ravens are in good position to make another run this year, as Jackson tries to prove the doubters wrong again.
The Bills have given young quarterback Josh Allen all the tools he needs, adding star wideout Stefon Diggs to a talented group on offense. Allen made progress in his second season, but his sub-60 percent completion rate and erratic play in the Wild Card Round of the playoffs left fans holding their collective breath. Much like the Bears did this offseason, Buffalo could be looking for quarterback competition next offseason if Allen doesn't continue to progress.
Few teams have seen more changes this offseason than the Panthers, who have a new head coach, quarterback, and nearly all new defensive personnel. The team lost notables Luke Kuechly and James Bradberry, and spent their entire 2020 draft on defensive players. There are likely to be growing pains, but fans are anxious to see early draft picks Derrick Brown and Jeremy Chinn.
Mitchell Trubisky had a disappointing third NFL season. As a result, Chicago declined his fifth-year option and traded for veteran Nick Foles. Foles would seem to be the favorite to win the starting job entering training camp, but the Bears front office would love nothing more than for Trubisky to show the ability that made him the second overall pick in 2017.
Cincinnati desperately needed changes after going 2-14 last year, and they made some exciting moves in free agency and the draft. The defense looks improved with the additions of D.J. Reader, Mackensie Alexander, and Trae Waynes, while the offense will be led by first overall draft choice and reigning Heisman Trophy winner Joe Burrow. This might not be a playoff team yet, but they should be vastly improved from their two win season.
Cleveland was the most disappointing team of the 2019 season, and much of the blame was placed on head coach Freddie Kitchens. The Browns hired former Vikings offensive coordinator Kevin Stefanski to lead the talented group, but the team won't make much progress unless Baker Mayfield shows vast improvement.
Mike McCarthy's offense had become stale in Green Bay after 13 seasons, but Dallas is hoping his experience and year away from the game can vault the team back atop the NFC East. Dallas has high hopes with a loaded offense and plenty of talent left on defense.
Drew Lock impressed when he got an opportunity late last season, going 4-1 as a starter. The Broncos were aggressive adding more talent around him in the offseason, addressing the offensive line and running back spots in free agency, and then drafting wideouts Jerry Jeudy and K.J. Hamler. The expectations are much higher for Lock entering his second season.
Matthew Stafford got off to a hot start last season before suffering a season-ending back injury at the halfway point. The Lions return much of last year's offensive personnel, and have added rookie running back D'Andre Swift to help. Head coach Matt Patricia likely needs a healthy Stafford this season to keep his job.
Aaron Rodgers had another very good season in 2019, but he didn't have much help beyond Davante Adams and Aaron Jones. Unfortunately, the team didn't do much to help Rodgers in the offseason, losing right tackle Bryan Bulaga and failing to really address the receiver issues. Rodgers' best hope is that the team sees progress from Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Allen Lazard.
Bill O'Brien was very active in the offseason, trading DeAndre Hopkins but adding Brandin Cooks, Randall Cobb, and David Johnson to Deshaun Watson's arsenal. It's unclear if those moves have actually made the team better, but the expectations remain high with O'Brien investing so many draft picks in trades over the last year.
Philip Rivers has gone east to Indianapolis after 16 seasons with the Chargers. He threw 20 interceptions last season, but the expectations remain high as he joins a talented roster and an offense he's familiar with under head coach Frank Reich. Anything less than a return to the playoffs will be a disappointment.
Jacksonville has gone all-in on second-year quarterback Gardner Minshew, trading Nick Foles to Chicago in the offseason. There's some risk with the move, as the 2019 sixth-round pick hasn't convinced everyone he's an NFL starter just yet. If Gardner does falter, the 2021 draft looks rich in quarterbacks at the top.
GM Brett Veach did a masterful job in the offseason bringing back Kansas City's Super Bowl winning roster. He was able to bring back the team's entire offense, and also extend Patrick Mahomes and Chris Jones. The team is got a potential boost from first-round running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire. Back-to-back championships is one of the most difficult feats in sports, but the Chiefs have all the ingredients to make it happen.
Jon Gruden knew he was taking on a rebuild when the Raiders gave him a huge contract to return in 2018, but consecutive losing seasons is still a disappointment. The expectations are much higher now that the team is in Vegas, especially after adding multiple defensive free agents and drafting wideout Henry Ruggs. Anything short of a playoff appearance in Gruden's third year won't make Raider Nation happy.
The Chargers have been set at quarterback for nearly 20 years between Drew Brees and Philip Rivers. After moving on from Rivers, the team drafted Oregon quarterback Justin Herbert, with veteran Tyrod Taylor as a fallback. It sounds like the plan is to give Taylor the starting job until Herbert is ready. The roster certainly has the talent to make a big rebound from 5-11, but not without decent quarterback play.
Todd Gurley's time in LA ended after only five seasons, as he regressed over the last year-plus due to knee issues. Rather than invest in a proven runner, the team drafted Cam Akers and hope either he or incumbents Malcolm Brown and Darrell Henderson can be the answer. It's a risky plan, but one that was necessary with the Rams facing cap issues.
Tua Tagovailoa fell to the fifth pick in the draft due in large part to his injury history, including hip surgery that ended his 2019 season at Alabama. When healthy, Tagovailoa looked like a potential franchise quarterback in college, but the Dolphins have no reason to rush him as they continue their rebuild. Ryan Fitzpatrick played well last season, and should continue to start under center until the Dolphins are sure about Tagovailoa's status.
Stefon Diggs seemed disgruntled in Minnesota for much of last season, so it wasn't a shock to see the team trade him this offseason. While the Vikings were a run-heavy offense in 2019, Diggs' electric ability still provided a threat that made the offense much better. The team is hoping a healthy Adam Thielen and first-round pick Justin Jefferson can adequately replace what they lost by trading Diggs, but the team is also likely to lean on Dalvin Cook again with former Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak now calling plays.
New England's success during the Tom Brady/Bill Belichick era is truly remarkable, with six Super Bowl victories, nine Super Bowl appearances, and 17 AFC East titles in 19 seasons. With the decision to move on from Brady, the division and possible outcomes for the Pats in 2020 look wide open. The Patriots signed Cam Newton late in the offseason, and he has a chance to transform the offense if his foot is healthy after missing most of last season.
Drew Brees is back for one more season in New Orleans, and many speculate it could be his final chapter on the field at age 41 with a broadcasting career to fall back on when he's finished. The Saints return an excellent roster, and added veterans Emmanuel Sanders and Malcolm Jenkins, moves that indicate the team is all-in for 2020.
The Giants made a surprise hire with former Patriots special teams and wide receivers coach Joe Judge, a relative unknown at age 38. He inherits a a roster that's comfortable with its core on offense with Daniel Jones and Saquon Barkley, but is still rebuilding on the defensive side of the ball. The results for coaches from the Bill Belichick coaching tree have been all over the map, and the expectation for Judge's impact is unclear as he enters his first season leading the Giants.
Sam Darnold had an up and down sophomore season under head coach Adam Gase, going 7-6 as a starter but posting unimpressive statistics. The Jets have revamped their offensive line to help Darnold this season, and the expectations are much higher now that he's had a full year in Gase's offense. Quarterbacks often make a jump in their third season, and New York hopes to see a jump from Darnold beginning in training camp.
The wide receiver group was a mess in Philly last year. The team tried to address that area by drafting Jalen Reagor in the first round and trading for Marquise Goodwin. Those moves hardly solve the issues, as Alshon Jeffery will be recovering from a foot injury in training camp and DeSean Jackson missed most of 2019 due to injury. The Eagles need better production from their wideouts for the offense to return to the upper echelon.
Ben Roethlisberger was lost in Week 2 last year with an elbow injury that required surgery, and the team's season went downhill from there. He enters 2020 with high hopes and the support of an elite defense. Last year showed the stark difference in the offense with and without Big Ben, and he will be out to show his arm is healthy as camp opens.
The 49ers progressed well at wideout last year with second-round pick Deebo Samuel and the acquisition of Emmanuel Sanders late in the year. Sanders left in free agency, and Samuel could miss the start of the season due to a foot injury. That means the 49ers will be counting on rookie Brandon Aiyuk and a myriad of other inexperienced wideouts to begin the year, which could make life more difficult for the offense.
Seattle averaged only two sacks per game last season with the loss of Frank Clark and Jarran Reed missing the start of the year due to suspension. This offseason the Seahawks lost Jadeveon Clowney in free agency, and have only replaced him with veteran Bruce Irvin. They will be counting on L.J. Collier to put a disappointing rookie campaign behind him, but ultimately any improvement in the pass rush this season will be a group effort.
The Bucs are the most talked about team of the offseason with Tom Brady coming to town and bringing future Hall of Fame tight end Rob Gronkowski with him. Former quarterback Jameis Winston was highly productive in Bruce Arians' offense last year, but he also threw an embarrassing 30 interceptions. There's little doubt Brady will do better in that area, though the offense could also lose some of its explosiveness. Regardless, Tampa Bay has high hopes to compete this season, especially after bringing back star pass rushers Shaq Barrett, Jason Pierre-Paul, and Ndamukong Suh.
Ryan Tannehill went 7-3 as a starter during the regular season after replacing Marcus Mariota, and helped guide the team to the AFC Championship. Incredibly, he led the NFL with 9.6 yards per attempt during the regular season along with a 117.5 Passer Rating. While productive in his previous days with Miami, Tannehill never showed anything close to that production. Titans fans will certainly be interested to see if Tannehill can repeat.
Washington didn't give in to the temptation to add viable competition at quarterback in the offseason, which can be seen as an endorsement for second-year starter Dwayne Haskins. After his rookie struggles, it's still unclear if Haskins is Washington's future, but he will almost certainly be under center in Week 1. Haskins' progress this season will determine if Washington can take a big step forward under new head coach Ron Rivera.
Seth Trachtman is a sportswriter, digital marketer, and fantasy sports expert based in St. Louis, Missouri. He’s a two-time winner of the Tout Wars Fantasy Baseball Expert’s League, and his work has appeared in hundreds of fantasy baseball and fantasy football newsstand and online publications
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