The NFL Draft and bulk of free agency are in the books, with all 32 teams taking shape. Still, each team has questions heading into the 2024 season.
The Cardinals have lost numerous offensive weapons over the last two seasons, led by DeAndre Hopkins and Hollywood Brown. Tight end Trey McBride is coming along, and they used the fourth overall draft choice on Ohio State wideout Marvin Harrison Jr. Harrison immediately becomes the team's No. 1 wideout, and they hope he's up to the challenge.
The pick of Penix Jr. was universally panned after the Falcons paid Cousins. There were also reports that Cousins was upset by the move, so it would be natural if there's friction between the veteran quarterback and rookie. The NFC South appears for the taking this year, but the relationship between the new teammates could be worth watching.
With the hiring of offensive coordinator Todd Monken last offseason, Baltimore became a more explosive offense that didn't lean on the run quite as much. That could change after the Ravens added former Titans superstar Derrick Henry to the fold and lost Odell Beckham Jr.
The Bills have an all-new wide receiver room after moving on from Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis. Khalil Shakir did have a breakout 2023 season, and the team has added rookie Keon Coleman, Curtis Samuel, and Mack Hollins, among others. Diggs's absence is likely to be apparent, and it remains to be seen who will step up to replace his production.
Carolina traded a massive package for the right to draft Bryce Young last season, only to see the rookie flounder. They've hired former Bucs offensive coordinator Dave Canales to get Young on track, and also added receivers Diontae Johnson and Xavier Legette. The progress that Young makes this season could determine the direction of the team in 2025.
The Bears bypassed the opportunity to select a quarterback in the 2023 class but couldn't pass up on Williams this year. The USC superstar has a lot of pressure with a fanbase hungry for a quarterback, but he also has an incredible lineup of weapons around him with DJ Moore, Keenan Allen, Rome Odunze, Cole Kmet, and D'Andre Swift. With a defense that also made progress late last season, it's not impossible that Chicago could compete for a playoff berth if Williams backs up the hype.
It's been an eventful offseason in Cincinnati with Tee Higgins and Trey Hendrickson demanding trades due to contract unhappiness. With Joe Burrow returning from injury, Cincinnati needs both stars on the field to get back to Super Bowl contention. The organization has seen mixed results in similar scenarios, notably Carson Palmer's retirement and subsequent trade to the Raiders in 2011.
After giving Watson a record-breaking guaranteed deal in 2022, Cleveland has only seen mediocre play from their quarterback. In fact, the offense seemed to get better after Watson was lost for the year due to injury last season. This year they've added former No. 1 draft choice Jameis Winston as insurance, but the pressure will be on Watson to regain his old form.
The running game has been at the center of Mike McCarthy's offense, so, curiously, the team didn't fully address the running back spot after losing Tony Pollard. The team did re-add Ezekiel Elliott to pair with Rico Dowdle, but it's clear this isn't the Elliott of old. With Deuce Vaughn and Royce Freeman also in the fold, this could be a full-blown committee.
Denver moved on from Russell Wilson in the offseason, but added former first-round pick Zach Wilson and drafted Bo Nix 12th overall. Nix put up historic numbers in college between Auburn and Oregon, yet there are doubters due to his inconsistent play and lack of size. Sharing a division with Patrick Mahomes, head coach Sean Payton not only needs Nix to succeed but to become a star.
The Lions' defense made progress last season, but the pass rush remained an issue, ranking near the bottom of the league with only 41 sacks. Detroit addressed the issue by adding veterans Marcus Davenport and D.J. Reader to a defensive line that already included budding star Aidan Hutchinson. The team hopes those additions are enough, with several young, developing signal callers competing in the NFC North.
After a slow start last season, Love was a nearly unstoppable force late in the year and nearly took down the 49ers in the NFC Divisional Round. His development is everything the Packers could have hoped, and he continues to grow with the team's young receivers. The next test is to see if Love can produce over a full season.
No team made a bigger leap than the Texans in 2023, going 10-7 and making the playoffs after three consecutive terrible seasons. The incredible play of rookie CJ Stroud and the impact of head coach DeMeco Ryans played a big role, but it remains to be seen if the team can keep the momentum going. The addition of star wideout Stefon Diggs should help.
Richardson showed flashes in his rookie season, but was able to appear in only four games due to injury. Considered a developmental prospect when he was drafted, it's still unclear if Richardson can take the Colts where they'd like to go in the near future. The team added wideout Adonai Mitchell in the draft to help.
Jacksonville couldn't afford to keep Calvin Ridley or Zay Jones, but they've added Gabe Davis and rookie first-round pick Brian Thomas Jr. to help fill the void. Joining Christian Kirk and Evan Engram, the Jags offense would like to keep making progress after an up-and-down season from Trevor Lawrence.
KC's wide receiver room looks vastly improved after the additions of Hollywood Brown and Xavier Worthy, but now the attention turns to the secondary. Sneed was a difference-maker at cornerback for the last several years, and replacing him won't be easy. The Chiefs like what they've seen from Jaylen Watson and Joshua Williams over the last two seasons, and they also added Kamal Hadden in the draft. Kansas City has also done an outstanding job developing young defensive backs under position coach David Merritt.
It was a surprise to see the Raiders avoid the quarterback position in the draft after the problems they saw last year. Las Vegas signed Gardner Minshew as the likely starter in the offseason, but he's proven to be mostly a game manager in his brief career. Still, the team has outstanding weapons with Davante Adams, Jakobi Meyers, and rookie tight end Brock Bowers, so there's hope Minshew can up his game.
Poor coaching was often blamed for the Chargers struggles in recent seasons, and new head coach Jim Harbaugh is a proven winner both in the NFL and college. However, cap issues have forced major roster turnover, so the early efforts to return to the playoffs won't be easy. In particular, the team has lost talent at wideout, and are expected to be a run-heavy squad despite the presence of Justin Herbert.
The Rams have long been able to cover up their defensive blemishes with the play of star pass rusher Aaron Donald. Following his retirement and added to the loss of coordinator Raheem Morris, it remains to be seen how the young defense will fare in 2024. They did add former Bills star corner Tre'Davious White, and have some young building blocks on the defensive line with Kobie Turner and Jared Verse.
With Tua Tagovailoa fully healthy last season, Miami's offense performed at an elite level. Still, the defense held the team back, and head coach Mike McDaniel made a change at coordinator for the second consecutive year. The Dolphins have also seen some major personnel changes, losing Christian Wilkins and Xavien Howard but revamping the secondary.
Minnesota did well to finish 7-10 last season despite the injury to Kirk Cousins. After a 13-win season in 2022, the Vikings hope to rebound with rookie signal-caller J.J. McCarthy taking the reins. It's a lot of pressure for a rookie, but he does have the offensive weapons to succeed with Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, T.J. Hockenson, and former Packer Aaron Jones.
It was time for the Patriots to move on from Bill Belichick after 24 years, but his impact will still be felt throughout the building. His former player and assistant, Jerod Mayo, takes over as the team's head coach, and there are still plenty of holdovers from Belichick's staff and personnel. New England enters a rebuilding year with a rookie quarterback, and it remains to be seen how painful that rebuild will be for the team.
Carr's first season in New Orleans was forgettable, fighting through injury to go 9-8. The team believes he's capable of more, and that's the expectation after making a change at offensive coordinator. The NFC South remains very winnable, but Carr will have to show more consistency for the Saints to return to the top of the division.
The Giants had an opportunity to take a quarterback sixth overall but instead opted to add help for Jones with wideout Malik Nabers. Jones gets a pass after suffering a season-ending injury early last season, but the former first-round pick was also 1-5 as a starter and 22-36-1 over his career. The expectations are high for Jones this season, and the coaching staff's jobs likely depend on it.
There's hope the Jets can rebound this season with a healthy Rodgers under center. However, it's a big risk to assume the future Hall of Famer will regain his old form at age 40, coming off an Achilles injury, especially considering he struggled in his final season with Green Bay.
The offensive line has been the strength of the Eagles roster for some time, but they are set to see big changes in 2024 with the loss of future Hall of Fame center Jason Kelce. There's reason to believe the line will remain in the upper echelon with top performers like Jordan Mailata, Lane Johnson, and Landon Dickerson, but Kelce was the centerpiece of Philly's famous short-yardage effectiveness.
The quarterback position in Pittsburgh has been a mess since Ben Roethlisberger's retirement, with 2022 first-round pick Kenny Pickett failing to fill the void. The team cuts its losses with Pickett this offseason, replacing him with both Russell Wilson and Justin Fields. The quarterbacks bringing intriguing skillsets and track records, though it's still not clear if either is the long-term answer.
The loss of former defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans was clearly felt last season, with Steve Wilks often criticized for his play calling. The 49ers made a change in the offseason by promoting assistant Nick Sorensen, and they've also made some personnel changes. San Francisco's defense finished third in points allowed last season, but their performance in key moments could be key to finally getting over the hump and winning a Super Bowl.
With continued struggles on defense last season, Seattle finally moved on from long-time head coach Pete Carroll. Macdonald is an intriguing hire who helped revitalize Baltimore's defense over the last two seasons, and he has plenty of young talent to work with at all three levels. The defense's performance should determine whether the Seahawks can become an NFC contender in 2024.
Mayfield earned a new contract after his strong performance as Tampa Bay's quarterback last season. The fear is that his revitalization will be halted by the loss of offensive coordinator Dave Canales, though most of Mayfield's key weapons remain intact.
The Titans gave second-round pick Will Levis more work throughout 2023, and have given him significant help this offseason by adding Tony Pollard, Calvin Ridley, and a revamped offensive line led by first-round pick JC Latham. Former Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan now must find out if Levis is up to the challenge as the team's starter after completing less than 60% of his passes in his rookie season.
Washington addressed their offense with second overall draft choice Jayden Daniels and veteran running back Austin Ekeler, but the defense was even more broken last year, finishing last in points allowed. Former Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn has plenty of experience revamping defenses, and he has a tall task ahead in Washington. The team did address that side of the ball with veterans Bobby Wagner, Frankie Luvu, and Michael Davis, among others.
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. He’s a University of Missouri alum and long-suffering turned spoiled Kansas City Chiefs fan. Seth doesn't often Tweet, but when he does, you can find him on Twitter/X @sethroto.
More must-reads:
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!