Most important player on every NFL team in 2017

The Cardinals went 6-8-1 during Palmer's 15 starts last season, and they simply need him to play better. The 38-year-old had 26/14 TD/INT and completed just 61 percent of his passes, and the options behind him don't inspire much confidence.

Last year's MVP is looking for an encore with most of the same players returning. Offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan is a potentially huge loss, but the team's success will ultimately be determined by Ryan.

Suggs is well past his prime but remains the leader on a team built around its defense. The Ravens had only 31 sacks last season and could really use a big year from the 34-year-old pass rusher.

The Bills need to spread the field to prevent teams from loading the box against LeSean McCoy. Acquired from Philadelphia, Matthews immediately becomes the team's top wideout and best threat downfield, replacing Sammy Watkins. Matthews was injured in his first practice with his new team with a reported "chip fracture" in his sternum, so hopefully for Buffalo's sake he won't be sidelined too long.

The 2015 NFL MVP, Newton had a terrible year last season. Returning from shoulder surgery, he should be motivated after completing less than 53 percent of his passes last season.

With the starting quarterback situation in Chicago still playing out after Mitchell Trubisky outplayed Mike Glennon in the first exhibition game, the only sure thing is that Howard will be the team's bell cow back. He had 1,611 yards from scrimmage and seven scores last season despite starting only 13 games.

The Bengals have A.J. Green and Tyler Eifert returning healthy, along with the additions of draft picks John Ross and Joe Mixon. Dalton has his fair share of weapons and played at an MVP level in 2015 before a thumb injury. If he can get back to that level, Cincinnati could get back to the playoffs.

Cleveland has a more competitive roster than its 1-15 squad from last year, but the Browns are still far away from making the playoffs. The development of No. 1 overall pick Garrett will be their most important task this year.

With Ezekiel Elliott suspended six games, the pressure will be on Prescott to maintain the offense. He had a brilliant 23/4 TD/INT rate last season but was cautious with the ball.

Denver's defense remains far superior to the offense. The team showed it could win a Super Bowl with that recipe in 2015, but the Broncos will now try to maintain their strength after losing coordinator Wade Phillips. Miller is still the best player on the squad and the one Denver cannot afford to lose.

With the Lions lacking a running game, they will continue to lean on Stafford to throw the ball downfield. They do hope Ameer Abdullah can rebound after missing nearly all of last season due to injury, but the offense will go as far as Stafford's arm can take it.

Rodgers has proved time and time again that he's the heart and soul of the Packers. The six-time Pro Bowler led the league with 40 touchdown passes last season and also had an impressive 7.3 yards per pass attempt.

Watson might not start the year as Houston's starting quarterback, but the team's ceiling in 2017 will be determined by his success. Tom Savage's upside is very limited, and the team is trying to take a step forward after three consecutive 9-7 seasons.

Luck is questionable for the start of the year following shoulder surgery, and the Colts haven't made it to the playoffs with him fighting through injuries the past two season. The Colts have added to their supporting cast in the offseason, but the team's fate still rests on Luck's shoulder.

The Jaguars don't have much reason to be optimistic about Bortles after a terrible 2016 season, but his play could determine how far they go this year. The team added significant talent on both sides of the ball, though the former first-round pick under center continues to hold Jacksonville back.

The Chiefs have plenty of staples on defense, including Peters, Eric Berry and Justin Houston. However, Peters can singlehandedly cause the team to win the turnover battle, evident by his 14 picks, three fumble recoveries and two touchdowns in his two seasons. His value to the Chiefs can't be overstated.

The Chargers added plenty of solid complementary pieces as they move to their new home in L.A., but Rivers remains their key player. Likely a future Hall of Famer, Rivers has thrown for more than 4,000 yards in three consecutive seasons and had 33 touchdowns last year. Still, he must limit the picks in a difficult AFC West division.

New head coach Sean McVay was hired to develop the offense, including Gurley. While Jared Goff clearly needs more time to grow, Gurley's decline in his sophomore season was befuddling. After addressing the offensive line in the offseason, Gurley needs to bounce back to his rookie level for the offense to have success.

Dolphins fans are lukewarm about the signing of Jay Cutler following Ryan Tannehill's knee injury, but it's another Jay who is key to the offense. The Dolphins were a run-heavy team last season, and Ajayi was their star in 2016 with 1,272 rushing yards and nearly five yards per carry.

The Vikes drafted Cook to help develop their running game after struggling to do anything on the ground last year without Adrian Peterson. With Cook starring in training camp, it looks like he will be the bell cow ahead of Latavius Murray and the possible missing piece in the Minnesota offense.

The Patriots added plenty of great pieces in the offseason, but their success will be determined by their 40-year-old quarterback. He played at an MVP level in 12 games and the playoffs last season and needs to keep it up for the team to return to the Super Bowl.

New Orleans added Adrian Peterson and several young defensive pieces, but Brees is still the leader. He's led the league in passing yards during five of the last six seasons.

The Giants added Brandon Marshall and rookie tight end Evan Engram, but the key will be getting them the ball, along with Odell Beckham Jr. Despite finishing 11-5 last season, Manning struggled with 16 interceptions. He will need to perform better for the team to be a Super Bowl contender.

The Jets are in true rebuild mode and run the risk of going 0-16 with more talent deficiencies on offense. Adams was the team's top pick in the 2017 NFL Draft and will try to hold up a secondary that saw some offseason turnover.

While the Oakland defense continues to develop, the offense continues to have the task of holding up the team. Carr had a breakout 2016 season before a leg injury late in the year with 28/6 TD/INT. If he can continue to manage the game after the Raiders added Marshawn Lynch, Oakland has a chance to claim the AFC West.

Philadelphia signed Alshon Jeffery and Torrey Smith to help Wentz, who performed very well in the team's first preseason game. After the Eagles went 7-9 in Wentz's rookie season, the organization expects to make the playoffs if he can take a step forward.

Le'Veon Bell is holding out early in training camp, but the Steelers proved in recent seasons that they can survive without him. The same can't be said for when they've been without Roethlisberger, who has missed six games over the last two seasons. He remains the key to the offense.

The 49ers made almost as many moves as any team during the offseason with a new front office and coaching staff. Even with all the moves, fans know that the team is a long way from being competitive. No. 3 overall draft choice Thomas is a key part of the future.

Seattle has plenty of great defensive players, but none of them has proved to be irreplaceable. The same can't be said for Wilson on offense. While he struggled at times last season, he's still consistently given the team a chance to win and has a 56-23-1 record in 80 career regular -season games.

Tampa Bay added DeSean Jackson and O.J. Howard to help Winston in his third season. With a shaky running back situation, the Bucs will continue to rely heavily on their quarterback to get over the hump and make them a playoff team.

The Titans had a very talented offseason, including the additions of wide receivers Eric Decker and Corey Davis. Mariota has emerged as the team leader through two seasons with 26/9 TD/INT while the offense showed a power running game last year. There will be more pressure for the former Heisman Trophy winner to throw the ball down the field this year.

Cousins has turned Washington into a respectable team over the last two seasons, going 17-14-1 as a starter. He threw for nearly 5,000 yards last season and will continue to lead the offense with two new wideouts and inconsistency at running back.