2011 Post-Free Agency NFL Power Rankings
Now that the dust has all settled from free agency and the quickest NFL offseason ever (sort of), let’s formulate a list of the best teams in the NFL. These rankings will be organized in order of toughest division in my opinion, and then in parentheses I will put the team’s overall ranking. It will be kind of weird, but it’s a new spin on it and I don’t like power rankings anyways, so here it goes.
1. NFC South
1. Atlanta Falcons (4)
The Falcons added Ray Edwards to their pass rush with John Abraham, and I love what they were able to do in this year’s draft. This is an elite team that will contend for the Super Bowl, and in my opinion, they are the best team in the best division in football, a division that features three legitimate playoff contenders and two sure-fire Super Bowl contenders.
2. New Orleans Saints (5)
The Saints ended the Reggie Bush experiment, and brought in Darren Sproles to replace him. They have added depth on the defensive side of the ball, and I love what they have been doing this offseason. They could provide the NFL with one of the best rivalries this year between them and Atlanta.
3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (16)
Tampa Bay has barely spent a dime in free agency after being considered one of the top teams in the Nnamdi Asomugha race for a while. They are going with a youth movement in Tampa, and as of last season, it’s working.
4. Carolina Panthers (26)
The Panthers spent a ton of money this offseason on their own players, and they also acquired two pretty good tight ends in Jeremy Shockey and Greg Olsen. I really like those two moves, but they remain weak at wide receiver, and I’m not quite sure what they are going to do about it with a young quarterback. Cam Newton will be heavily relient on the tight ends as well as his running backs to make things happen this year.
2. NFC North
1. Green Bay Packers (1)
In my opinion, the Packers are the best and deepest team in the NFL. They can afford to cut players like Nick Barnett, and they can afford to let guys like Cullen Jenkins and Justin Harrell go without getting anything in return. With Aaron Rodgers at the helm and key players returning from injury, they look like the team to beat.
2. Chicago Bears (9)
The Bears haven’t gotten a ton of big name free agents, and they got rid of Greg Olsen, but they have added some nice pieces. They upgraded at wide receiver, running back, and defensive tackle when they brought in Roy Williams, Marion Barber, and Amobi Okoye, but losing Greg Olsen and Danieal Manning hurts.
3. Detroit Lions (18)
The Lions have made serious strides this offseason, in my opinion. I love what they have done on the defensive side of the ball, adding Stephen Tulloch and Justin Durant. Nick Fairley is hurt right now, so we will have to wait and see the fearsome duo up front, but for now, this is a team that I really like and one on the rise.
4. Minnesota Vikings (24)
The Vikings are going through a “re-tooling” stage, and in my opinion, they are finally doing it the right way. Bringing in Donovan McNabb is an excellent one year stop-gap for first round pick Christian Ponder, and if he can play up to his potential, he might not only rejuvenate his career but also the Minnesota Vikings.
3. AFC East
1. New England Patriots (2)
The Patriots are the Patriots. They still have Belichick and Brady, what more do they need? They are arguably the best team in all of football, and they are very balanced on both sides of the ball, at least on paper. Barring serious injuries, they are my favorites to come out of the AFC.
2. New York Jets (7)
The Jets are guaranteeing a Super Bowl appearance–again. They have come very close the last two years, but haven’t done quite enough to get off the schnide. I am pretty positive Rex Ryan’s club will once again be among the top teams in the AFC, even if it is ugly. I think Mark Sanchez is extremely overrated, and the defense has been mostly filled with average players that overachieved, save for guys like Revis, Cromartie, Harris, and Bart Scott.
3. Miami Dolphins (25)
If not for the Dolphins’ defense, they’d be fourth on this list. They have not done much to make me a believer this offseason. They failed to acquire a decent quarterback, they let go of their top two running backs (and replaced them with Reggie Bush, who is more of a WR than RB), and the biggest free agents they brought in were Marc Colombo and Jason Taylor, two veterans who are past their prime.
4. Buffalo Bills (27)
The Bills haven’t made any blockbuster moves, but they upgraded their backup quarterback situation and also brought in a new starting linebacker to replace Paul Posluszny in Nick Barnett. They also signed former Chargers bust, ironically named “Buster” Davis to bolster their receiver group. They are going with a youth movement, so I like what they have done in the last couple of drafts better than what they’ve done in free agency. This is a young team with a bad quarterback, who could vie for Andrew Luck.
4. AFC North
1. Pittsburgh Steelers (3)
The Steelers are the reigning AFC champions, and I don’t see many glaring holes on their roster/depth chart. They have great ownership, great front office, great coaching, and great players. This is a team primed to make a deep run in the playoffs. The Steelers’ biggest move was keeping one of their own in-house, signing Lamarr Woodley to a new six-year deal. The majority of moves they make are cutting guys who are past their prime. They also re-signed cornerback Ike Taylor. Keeping the core of this team in-tact is key.
2. Baltimore Ravens (11)
The Ravens have been surprisingly active on the free agent market, bringing in veterans like Ricky Williams (RB), Vonta Leach (FB), and Bernard Pollard (S). They are still in the market for a veteran receiver after losing Derrick Mason to the Jets, and Malcom Floyd was on their radar before he re-upped with the Chargers. The Ravens are a good team, but they have to get past the Steelers when it matters.
3. Cleveland Browns (22)
The Browns haven’t made any huge moves at all this offseason in terms of free agency, which is interesting because they are a team undergoing changes in the front office and coaching staff. They let go of some key guys like Matt Roth, but this is a solid young team who will likely make most of their moves via the waiver wire.
4. Cincinnati Bengals (32)
The Bengals have brought in some guys like Thomas Howard and Manny Lawson, but they have lost the likes of Jonathan Joseph, Carson Palmer, Terrell Owens, Chad Ochocinco, and Antwan Odom. They are going with a youth movement and as a result might be the worst team in the NFL.
5. NFC East
1. Philadelphia Eagles (10)
The Eagles have been one of the most active teams in free agency, and not only have they been active, they have dominated the headlines. Nnamdi Asomugha, Jason Babin, Ryan Harris, Ronnie Brown, Vince Young–the list of big names could go on for this team that is being dubbed the “Super-team” but I think they still have issues on the front seven defensively that they have to address. This should be a very entertaining team, and I love what they have done this offseason.
2. Dallas Cowboys (12)
Dallas is looking to rebound this season. They didn’t make a huge splash in free agency other than cutting a bunch of big named veterans like Marion Barber, Roy Williams, Marc Colombo, and Leonard Davis. They brought back some key players like Doug Free and Marcus Spears, and I think they can make a run this year if they can stay healthy, and of course anything will be better than last season.
3. New York Giants (13)
This could be a weird year for the Giants. They lost Kevin Boss, and they are close to possibly losing Steve Smith, two key components of their offense. They have good depth defensively but their top rookie broke his foot and in my opinion, they failed to upgrade at linebacker but we will have to see how everything plays out. I think they are still a good team, and could be in line for double-digit victories.
4. Washington Redskins (29)
The Redskins could also be the worst team in the NFL right now. Their quarterback group is the worst I have probably ever seen, and Mike Shanahan’s arrogance could once again get the best of him. They made some moves in free agency–none that I like–and I think this could be another embarrassing season for this hallowed organization.
6. AFC West
1. San Diego Chargers (8)
The Chargers have–by my watch–had a great offseason. They kept their core in place, and other than their terrible running back situation, they have a pretty freaking good team. They over-paid for Eric Weddle, but at least they kept him around, and they added veteran Takeo Spikes to the defense. They were also able to keep Malcom Floyd and Vincent Jackson around.
2. Kansas City Chiefs (14)
The Chiefs had a solid offseason, supplementing their solid draft by adding some key pieces like Le’Ron McClain and Steve Breaston to the offensive fold. I think the Chiefs might get a wake-up call early this season, but with their running game and an improved defense, they should once again contend in the AFC West.
3. Denver Broncos (19)
The Broncos upgraded their defensive line significantly in the free agent period by trading for Brodrick Bunkley (Eagles) and acquiring Ty Warren, Derrick Harvey, Jeremy Jarmon, and re-signing both Marcus Thomas and Kevin Vickerson. The Broncos also upgraded at running back and tight end, bringing in Willis McGahee, Daniel Fells, and Dante Rosario. They should have a much better team this year than a year ago.
4. Oakland Raiders (31)
The Raiders had the worst free agency of any team in the NFL. They lost their three best players–period. Losing Zach Miller, Nnamdi Asomugha, and Robert Gallery is embarrassing. The Raiders are headed back to the bottom of the NFL unless they figure something out–quick.
7. AFC South
1. Indianapolis Colts (6)
The Colts made Peyton Manning rich this offseason, and they also brought in Tommie Harris. They never make a ton of moves, but they are always in the mix at the end of the season. This year should be no different, even though it looked like they were regressing last year.
2. Houston Texans (17)
The Texans had a great offseason, and they should be primed for a run this year. Bringing in Jonathan Joseph and Danieal Manning to bolster the secondary were fantastic moves. I also really liked Houston’s draft, and I think they have the pieces in place to finally make a playoff run.
3. Jacksonville Jaguars (23)
The Jaguars could be in for a down year. They made a great sign by bringing in Paul Posluszny, but it’s going to be tough to keep focus with Blaine Gabbert knocking on David Garrard’s door as the starting quarterback. Can Jack Del Rio keep these guys focused?
4. Tennessee Titans (28)
The Titans are re-tooling, and it’s pretty obvious. They will be a strong opponent, but it’s only a matter of time before they start breaking in a quarterback. They signed Matt Hasselbeck, Daniel Graham, among some other players, but I don’t think this is going to be the greatest year for the Titans.
8. NFC West
1. St. Louis Rams (15)
I know Seahawks fans won’t like this, but I am giving the top spot to the team that should win the division this year, mainly because they have the best quarterback by far. I like what the Rams are doing to re-tool the defensive line, and they brought in Jerious Norwood and Cadillac Williams to take pressure off of Steven Jackson.
2. Seattle Seahawks (20)
The Seahawks made some HUGE moves in free agency, bringing in Sidney Rice, Brandon Mebane, Robert Gallery, and the best tight end on the market (in my opinion) in Zach Miller. I gave this team an A for their efforts in free agency, and an F- in their pursuit of a legitimate stop-gap quarterback. Tarvaris Jackson is not a great player, but we’ll see how he can sling it to these new targets.
3. San Francisco 49ers (21)
The Niners have bolstered their secondary by adding guys like Carlos Rogers and Donte Whitner, and I like the pickup of Braylon Edwards to team up with Michael Crabtree. This is undoubtedly the best set of targets that Alex Smith has had in his career, so they are setting him up to succeed.
4. Arizona Cardinals (30)
The Cardinals made one of the most far-fetched trades I have ever seen when they traded a Pro Bowl caliber CB and a 2nd round pick to the Philadelphia Eagles for a backup quarterback. Then they turned around and paid him $63 million. This team has had a pretty awful offseason, so we will see if Kolb is the real deal. As of now, the jury is out.
FINAL POWER RANKINGS (Pre-season week one)
1. Packers
2. Patriots
3. Steelers
4. Falcons
5. Saints
6. Colts
7. Jets
8. Chargers
9. Bears
10. Eagles
11. Ravens
12. Cowboys
13. Giants
14. Chiefs
15. Rams
16. Buccaneers
17. Texans
18. Lions
19. Broncos
20. Seahawks
21. 49ers
22. Browns
23. Jaguars
24. Vikings
25. Dolphins
26. Panthers
27. Bills
28. Titans
29. Redskins
30. Cardinals
31. Raiders
32. Bengals