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Shutdown Corner NFL Power Rankings: Way-too-early ranks for 2015
By Frank Schwab
Shutdown Corner
And the long wait begins.
At least the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks gave us a classic Super Bowl to remember over the long seven months that await before we get another competitive football game. The fans of 30 other teams had started thinking about the 2015 season a while ago.
To help pass the time through the combine, draft, free agency, training camp and preseason, here are the way-too-early NFL power rankings heading into the offseason. Think of it as a snapshot of where each team is at the moment, with a few guesses as to free agents re-signed, draft picks made and whether certain future Hall of Fame quarterbacks will come back for another year.
It will change dramatically over the next few months. But why not have some fun? It’ll be a long time before we have actual football again. So here are the insanely early 2015 NFL power rankings:
32. Tennessee Titans
Will they grab a quarterback with the second pick? Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariotahave (much different) flaws. Zach Mettenberger showed some good things as a rookie. Whatever they do, they need to resist the urge to make a trade offer for Jay Cutler.
31. Washington Commanders
Just copy and paste all the “Can Robert Griffin improve if he stays healthy?” stuff from last offseason. Nobody knows who the quarterback will be. And after one year of Jay Gruden, we can probably bet on an in-season change or five being made at the position anyway.
25. New York Giants
It’s no guarantee that Victor Cruz returns to his old form. But if he does, he and Odell Beckham are a lethal 1-2 combination. It will be interesting to see what they do with free agent-to-be Jason Pierre-Paul, their fantastically talented defensive end.
11. Philadelphia Eagles
I know there’s probably a plug-and-play attitude with the Eagles’ offense, but that rarely works in the NFL. They might need to find a way to bring back receiver Jeremy Maclin. They need corners and pass rushers, but those won’t come cheap.
4. Dallas Cowboys
I think Dez Bryant returns. I have no idea on DeMarco Murray, but I don’t know if anyone will pay him enough to pry him from the Cowboys. If both come back, I don’t have any reason to believe they’ll regress too much.
3. Green Bay Packers
NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers is still in his prime, so they’ll be in the mix again next year. And probably for the next five or so years. They will need to re-sign receiver Randall Cobb, who can become a free agent.
2. Seattle Seahawks
I think they figure it out and bring Marshawn Lynch back, even with Russell Wilson getting his big contract extension. This is still a young team. They could use a true No. 1 receiver, but that’s not easy to find.
1. New England Patriots
No real reason to move them out of this spot, as long as Bill Belichick and Tom Brady are around. The Patriots will have to try to find a way to bring back cornerback Darrelle Revis. Even if they can’t, you have to assume the organization will have an answer.
Read more: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-s...--way-too-early-ranks-for-2015-221259297.html
By Frank Schwab
Shutdown Corner
And the long wait begins.
At least the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks gave us a classic Super Bowl to remember over the long seven months that await before we get another competitive football game. The fans of 30 other teams had started thinking about the 2015 season a while ago.
To help pass the time through the combine, draft, free agency, training camp and preseason, here are the way-too-early NFL power rankings heading into the offseason. Think of it as a snapshot of where each team is at the moment, with a few guesses as to free agents re-signed, draft picks made and whether certain future Hall of Fame quarterbacks will come back for another year.
It will change dramatically over the next few months. But why not have some fun? It’ll be a long time before we have actual football again. So here are the insanely early 2015 NFL power rankings:
32. Tennessee Titans
Will they grab a quarterback with the second pick? Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariotahave (much different) flaws. Zach Mettenberger showed some good things as a rookie. Whatever they do, they need to resist the urge to make a trade offer for Jay Cutler.
31. Washington Commanders
Just copy and paste all the “Can Robert Griffin improve if he stays healthy?” stuff from last offseason. Nobody knows who the quarterback will be. And after one year of Jay Gruden, we can probably bet on an in-season change or five being made at the position anyway.
25. New York Giants
It’s no guarantee that Victor Cruz returns to his old form. But if he does, he and Odell Beckham are a lethal 1-2 combination. It will be interesting to see what they do with free agent-to-be Jason Pierre-Paul, their fantastically talented defensive end.
11. Philadelphia Eagles
I know there’s probably a plug-and-play attitude with the Eagles’ offense, but that rarely works in the NFL. They might need to find a way to bring back receiver Jeremy Maclin. They need corners and pass rushers, but those won’t come cheap.
4. Dallas Cowboys
I think Dez Bryant returns. I have no idea on DeMarco Murray, but I don’t know if anyone will pay him enough to pry him from the Cowboys. If both come back, I don’t have any reason to believe they’ll regress too much.
3. Green Bay Packers
NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers is still in his prime, so they’ll be in the mix again next year. And probably for the next five or so years. They will need to re-sign receiver Randall Cobb, who can become a free agent.
2. Seattle Seahawks
I think they figure it out and bring Marshawn Lynch back, even with Russell Wilson getting his big contract extension. This is still a young team. They could use a true No. 1 receiver, but that’s not easy to find.
1. New England Patriots
No real reason to move them out of this spot, as long as Bill Belichick and Tom Brady are around. The Patriots will have to try to find a way to bring back cornerback Darrelle Revis. Even if they can’t, you have to assume the organization will have an answer.
Read more: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-s...--way-too-early-ranks-for-2015-221259297.html
