Ranking the NFL front offices heading into the season

Since becoming principal owner of the Dolphins in 2009, Stephen Ross has poured a lot of money into the franchise, but under his leadership, the team has made just one playoff appearance. Newly hired head coach Brian Flores will be the team's sixth coach (counting interims) in the last decade as well. That's obviously not a lot of continuity, and while Chris Grier has served as the team's general manager since 2016, he just became leader of the personnel decisions this offseason when Ross fired vice president Mike Tannenbaum and head coach Adam Gase.

To his credit, owner Terry Pegula may have saved the Bills from moving away from Buffalo. He also killed the Toronto series, which was obviously unpopular with the upstate New York faithful. But the Bills have been highly unsuccessful on the field with just one playoff appearance in the last 19 years. General manager Brandon Beane has been on the job for only a year and has spent most of his resources shedding cap space to correct mistakes from previous GM Doug Whaley.

As is the case with most of the teams with first- or second-year general managers, the Raiders are close to the bottom on our list simply because there isn't any sample size with which to judge them. Two of first-year GM Mike Mayock's biggest moves of the offseason, though, were to select defensive lineman Clelin Ferrell much earlier than anyone projected and to trade for All-Pro wide receiver Antonio Brown. Neither decision looked great during the preseason. Head coach Jon Gruden is believed to have a wide range of say in the decision making for the organization too, and his reputation took a hit last year when pass-rusher Khalil Mack and wide receiver Amari Cooper became even bigger stars upon leaving Oakland.

The Kirk Cousins fiasco doesn't look quite as bad as it did a year ago, but this franchise is still one of the poorest run in the NFL. Everything from the nickname controversy to firing the general manager two years ago because he reportedly was an alcoholic , to Bruce Allen being criticized for his decision making, this front office has been at the forefront of some of the biggest off-the-field blunders of recent year. Before owner Daniel Snyder bought the team in 1999, the Redskins won three Super Bowls in 18 years. Since then they've won two playoff games.

Houston owner Bob McNair passed away last November, and the team fired general manager Brian Gaine in June, so it's really too early to judge the new pieces of the Texans front office. However, new acting owner and McNair's wife, Janice, and the organization didn't score any points by firing Gaine after he led the team's free agency and draft strategy. The Texans attempted to hire longtime Patriots director of player personnel Nick Caserio away from New England, but that deal fell through after the Patriots filed tampering accusations. Houston has elected to not fill its general manager opening for the 2019 season.

The Giants front office is another one that could easily be lower, and the reason is rather silly: its stubbornness to move on from quarterback Eli Manning. The two-time Super Bowl MVP has been past his prime for a few years, but the organization has stuck by him. Well, except for that one time when coach Ben McAdoo benched him in favor of Geno Smith and then received the pink slip for the decision. New general manager Dave Gettleman traded away one of the league's bright stars at wide receiver and pinned his Giants tenure to the development of former average college quarterback Daniel Jones.

Maybe the 49ers front office is higher if quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo didn't suffered a torn ACL last year. General manager John Lynch inherited a roster two years ago with tremendous holes, which was the main reason he earned a six-year contract despite no previous managing experience. Having said that, Lynch missed on the 2017 No. 3 overall pick Solomon Thomas and also No. 31 overall selection Reuben Foster. At the time he was heralded for swooping up both. The 49ers still aren't a signal-caller away from competing for a division title.

Hiring Bruce Arians is a big step in the right direction. Of course, despite the somewhat controversial fashion in which it happened, most of us believed the same thing when the Buccaneers promoted Dirk Koetter to head coach three years ago. Tampa Bay general manager Jason Licht invested lots of free agency money and draft capital into fixing the defense over the last couple of years, and yet the Buccaneers remain one of the worst defenses in the NFL. He needs quarterback Jameis Winston to develop under Arians and his latest top defensive pick, Devin White, to actually develop into a star.

The Jets fired their general manager this summer, but unlike the Texans, they filled the vacancy — with Joe Douglas, who has been a part of three Super Bowls as a scout and in player personnel since 2000. That previous success brings hope to a Jets franchise that has seen a lot of upheaval under owner Woody Johnson. However, the Jets do have some promising players and a new head coach in Adam Gase. Former general manager Mike Maccagnan wasn't a great drafter, but he did land Leonard Williams, Jamal Adams and Sam Darnold with first-round picks and signed Le'Veon Bell in free agency.

If not for the historic classy fashion in which the Packers organization conducts business, this front office would be much lower. Just take a look at the franchise's first-round picks since winning Super Bowl XLV.

2011 - Derek Sherrod, T
2012 - Nick Perry, DE
2013 - Datone Jones, DE
2014 - Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, DB
2015 - Damarious Randall, S
2016 - Kenny Clark, DT
2017 - NA
2018 - Jaire Alexander, CB
2019 - Rashan Gary, LB; Darnell Savage Jr. S

No wonder the team fired general manager Ted Thompson. The organization, which relies heavily on the draft to build its roster, has done little to give quarterback Aaron Rodgers new weapons and hasn't selected or developed any defensive stars this decade.

Three years ago, this front office would have easily landed in the top 10, but since the departure of coach Bruce Arians, the roster has crumbled. Exacerbating the problem is the fact the Cardinals have spent two first-round picks on quarterbacks the last two years. General manager Steve Keim appeared to do a better job of rounding out at least the offense in the 2019 draft, but it's no secret his future is pinned to rookie quarterback Kyler Murray and NFL rookie head coach Kliff Kingsbury.

There isn't really anything bad to say about the Lions brass. The days of two or three (or even zero) wins per season appear to be finished, but there's not a whole lot of great things to say about this front office either. General manager Bob Quinn has done a nice job of adding offensive and defensive linemen the last few years, but overall the roster is bland. The hiring of Matt Patricia to bring in a winning culture hasn't worked yet either. But owner Martha Ford remains dedicated to bringing Detroit a Lombardi Trophy, which was evident when she made sweeping changes to the front office when she took over ownership of the team at the passing of her husband a few years back.

With a reputation of cheap ownership under Mike Brown, the Bengals are probably fortunate to be ranked this high. What saves the front office is the recent draft success, but that hasn't been as good lately. This team's last great first-round pick was Tyler Eifert in 2013. New coach Zac Taylor will attempt to breathe new life into this team, which appears to face a steep climb back to the top of the AFC North.

Owner David Tepper and general manager Marty Hurney haven't been in their positions long, so it's a little hard to judge the Panthers. Tepper has at least moved the organization away from the terrible "office culture" reportedly created from previous owner Jerry Richardson. In two drafts, Hurney selected promising prospects, wide receiver D.J. Moore, and defensive end Brian Burns, in the first round.

The Titans are another team with a front office that isn't necessarily bad, but there's nothing sexy about it either. General manager Jon Robinson inherited quarterback Marcus Mariota, so he can't receive credit or blame for that situation (depending on how one feels about Mariota). Robinson's biggest gaffe is probably letting coach Mike Mularkey get away after a surprise playoff appearance in 2017. The two sides reportedly agreed to part ways, but why a team would be content with that after breaking a decade-long playoff drought is anyone's guess.

A year ago, this front office would have been ranked in the top 10, but after a hugely disappointing 2018 season, the Jaguars slip on our list. Vice president Tom Coughlin still appears to have this team heading in the right direction, though, and many believe the addition of quarterback Nick Foles will get Jacksonville right back into the playoffs. Owner Shahid Khan's willingness to pour money into TIAA Bank Field and keep the Jaguars in Jacksonville scores this front office points as well.

General manager Rick Spielman and coach Mike Zimmer have done an incredible job of drafting and developing defensive talent, but the question moving forward is how much depth they can add after handing out huge deals to offensive players, including $84 million guaranteed to quarterback Kirk Cousins. If Cousins doesn't become a legit franchise quarterback, Spielman and the Vikings front office will continue to slide in rankings such as these.

John Elway did a masterful job of adding pieces to the Broncos defense ahead of their Super Bowl 50 run, but since Peyton Manning's retirement, all the talk has been about the quarterback situation. Paxton Lynch, Brock Osweiler, Trevor Siemian and Case Keenum weren't the solution, so it's Joe Flacco's and Drew Lock's turn. Elway is gaining a reputation as a quick-trigger man when it comes to head coaches too, but maybe that will change with the arrival of Vic Fangio.

While general manager Ryan Pace's tenure will be judged by how well quarterback Mitch Trubisky can develop, Pace has done an excellent job of selecting defensive talent. Despite the huge price, trading for Khalil Mack couldn't have gone any better. Of all those good things, though, hiring coach Matt Nagy may have been Pace's best move. The question now is whether that defensive talent can continue to thrive without the aforementioned new Broncos coach Vic Fangio.

Alex Spanos has a reputation as one of the worst NFL owners. That was especially true after he didn't attempt his hardest to keep the team in San Diego. But the direction of the organization under general manager Tom Telesco has this front office approaching the top 10. Telesco has been responsible for drafting Derwin James, Mike Williams, Hunter Henry, Melvin Gordon and Keenan Allen. The question now is: Can this group of players shred the Chargers' loser image forever with a championship?

If the Ravens didn't have a new general manager, they would be sitting in the top 10. Despite some struggles with draft picks in recent years, former Ravens GM Ozzie Newsome did a fantastic job in his role, especially on defense. New general manager Eric DeCosta has been in the Baltimore organization since nearly the beginning in 1996 and played a role with Newsome selecting so many of those heralded defensive stars.

Some may say it's too small of a sample size for general manager Chris Ballard to rank the Colts front office at No. 11. Quarterback Andrew Luck's announcement to retire doesn't help either, as the franchise decided to move on from Peyton Manning to draft Luck seven years ago. But Ballard's short resume speaks for itself. His decision to avoid making a headline-grabbing splash with his first pick landed him guard Quenton Nelson, who may just become the best player from the 2018 draft. Ballard then later added 2018 Defensive Rookie of the Year Darius Leonard in the same class. Those are two foundational pieces who could really help the Colts transition away from Luck. 

Jerry Jones deserves all the criticism he receives, but his run as Cowboys owner has also produced three Super Bowls. He didn't win those titles as general manager, but at least when it has come to identifying players in the first round, Jones and the Cowboys have nailed their selections lately. Dallas picked Travis Frederick, Zack Martin, Ezekiel Elliott and Leighton Vander Esch with four of its last six first-round selections. How the Cowboys handle the contracts of all their young stars will determine where this front office lands three years from now.

New general manager Brett Veach can't receive all the credit for the talent flux in Kansas City, as previous general manager John Dorsey selected quarterback Patrick Mahomes and so many of the other stars. But Kansas City has been a top-notch organization for a long time under owner Lamar Hunt, and the Chiefs are just now becoming one of the NFL's powerhouses on the field. Veach did help Kansas City add defensive end Frank Clark to help replace Justin Houston and Dee Ford this season.

A year ago, the Browns may have been dead last on this list. Owner Jimmy Haslam has been a laughing stock for almost his entire tenure with the Browns, which came to a peak in a winless 2017 season. However, general manager John Dorsey, fresh off his tremendous success with the Chiefs, has the Browns headed in the right direction. He picked quarterback Baker Mayfield first overall when everyone else was debating Josh Allen, Sam Darnold or Josh Rosen, and he pulled off an incredible trade for wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr.  These decisions have the Browns thinking playoffs for the first time in years.

It's a shame the Rams didn't stay in St. Louis, but owner Stan Kroenke's willingness to fund his own stadium project has to be respected. From a football perspective, hiring Sean McVay did wonders for general manager Les Snead's career. Under McVay, running back Todd Gurley has become one of the best backs in the league, while quarterback Jared Goff has gone from bust to MVP candidate. 

Atlanta is the highest-rated front office on this list without a championship, and its blown chance in Super Bowl LI will haunt the organization until the Falcons finally win the Lombardi Trophy. Having said that, owner Arthur Blank and longtime general manager Thomas Dimitroff have brought stability to a franchise that didn't have any prior to their arrivals. Under their direction, the Falcons have earned playoff berths eight times in the last 17 years. Atlanta made the playoffs on six occasions across 36 years before that.

General manager John Schneider should receive as much credit as Pete Carroll does for the last decade of success for the Seahawks. The pair built the "Legion of Boom" defense and identified Russell Wilson as a franchise quarterback. Although the team isn't as dominant as it was in 2013 and 2014, Schneider has helped the franchise continue to experience success despite the departure of so many defensive stars in the last couple of years. Schneider is garnering much attention for his latest move in getting Jadeveon Clowney from the Texans.

Saints owner Gayle Benson took her complaining of the NFC championship game result too far, but she and her late husband, Tom, have developed a winning culture in another franchise that had none prior to their purchase of the team in 1985.  General manager Mickey Loomis tremendously helped his reputation with his 2017 NFL Draft, where he selected Marshon Lattimore, Alvin Kamara, Ryan Ramczyk, Marcus Williams and Alex Anzalone.

The front office took a bit of a hit for the problems of Le'Veon Bell and Antonio Brown over the last year, but it wasn't enough to knock the Steelers down too far. Pittsburgh has a chance to right its ship this year with its sixth playoff berth in seven years — and without Bell and Brown. The Rooney family has always been a class act, and general manager Kevin Colbert is one of the best in the league. While he hasn't hit on as many first-round picks lately, Colbert is a big reason why Pittsburgh has missed the playoffs two years in a row just once since his tenure began in 2000.

Four years ago this front office was in shambles after the firing of Chip Kelly...well, maybe not shambles, but it was certainly embarrassed, having to go back to Howie Roseman running the show. But that decision led to the hiring of Doug Pederson and then the drafting of Carson Wentz. With that combination, and some help from Nick Foles, the Eagles won their first championship since 1960, and they rallied late last year to make the playoffs in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 2009 and 2010.

Owner Robert Kraft is the butt of jokes this year after his solicitation charges , and the team has the reputation of, shall we say, "bending the rules" a bit. But success always starts at the top, and the Patriots have won more games and more championships than any organization in NFL history over the course of two decades. As general manager, Bill Belichick is always one step ahead, moving on from players a year early rather than a year late. Despite repeated media drama — everything from Deflategate to Tom Brady's relationship with Belichick — the Patriots front office is the best in the league.