The free-agent flurry gave us a first glimpse of what the NFL will look like in 2019, as big names such as Odell Beckham Jr., Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell, among others, have new homes.
With the offseason transaction carousel having finally quieted down, we’re offering a new batch of NFL Power Rankings. Here’s how we think the league will stack up when next season begins. Plus, our NFL Nation reporters weigh in with three words or less to describe each team’s mindset at this point of the offseason.
How we rank: Our power panel — a group of more than 80 writers, editors and TV personalities — evaluate how teams stack up throughout the season.
2018 record: 13-3
Three-words-or-less description: Replay last season. The Saints did just about everything right in 2018 — right up until the non-call that helped to keep them out of the Super Bowl and led to groundbreaking replay rule changes. It’s a lot to ask them to do it all again and secure the NFC’s No. 1 seed, especially with Drew Brees now 40 years old, but they still have one of the NFL’s most talented rosters. — Mike Triplett
1:07
Dan Orlovsky and John Fox debate the Rams’ chances of making the Super Bowl for a second straight season.
2018 record: 13-3
Three-words-or-less description: Final destination. For a third consecutive season, the Rams have attracted playmakers in the twilight of their careers. Safety Eric Weddle and linebacker Clay Matthews signed with the Rams for three reasons: Sean McVay’s coaching ability, the city of Los Angeles, but perhaps more than anything, a solid chance to go out as Super Bowl champions. — Lindsey Thiry
2018 record: 11-5
Three-words-or-less description: No soy fiesta. Rob Gronkowski‘s retirement leaves a gaping void on the field and in the locker room, where his upbeat approach resonated to all corners. Meanwhile, DE Trey Flowers and OT Trent Brown were big free-agent losses, and the Patriots couldn’t close the deal on several of their top free-agent pursuits, which included WR Adam Humphries (Titans) and TE Jared Cook (Saints). Coach Bill Belichick often points out that there are no games played in March, which is a good thing, because the Patriots have absorbed more significant personnel losses than gains. — Mike Reiss
2018 record: 12-4
Three-words-or-less description: Not about Mahomes. Defense has claimed all of the offseason headlines so far. The Chiefs hired a new defensive coaching staff, led by coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, and then released, traded or lost through free agency several key defenders, including Eric Berry, Justin Houston and Dee Ford. The Chiefs also signed four defensive starters, led by safety Tyrann Mathieu, so if they’re going to provide significant help for their young QB, it will have to come in the draft. — Adam Teicher
2018 record: 12-4
Three-words-or-less description: Where’s the beef? The Chargers got pushed around up front on both sides of the ball in a disheartening AFC divisional playoff loss on the road against the Patriots last season. In order to improve this offseason, the Bolts still need to add talented players up front at defensive tackle and on the offensive line in the hopes of bettering their chances to make a Super Bowl run. — Eric D. Williams
2018 record: 12-4
Three-words-or-less description: Farewell, Vic Fangio. The Bears have a championship-caliber defense, but venerable coordinator Vic Fangio departed in the offseason to coach the Denver Broncos. Chicago returns the majority of last season’s defense — notable newcomers include safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix and nickelback Buster Skrine — but can the unit function as efficiently under new defensive boss Chuck Pagano? Fangio’s loss is likely more significant for the Bears than the decision to trade running back Jordan Howard to Philadelphia. — Jeff Dickerson
2018 record: 10-6
Three-words-or-less description: Selective and patient. Colts general manager Chris Ballard didn’t let last season’s 10-6 record and playoff appearance dictate how he would attack the offseason. He has been selective in how he has used the NFL’s most salary-cap space by signing just two outside free agents — defensive end Justin Houston and receiver Devin Funchess. He has remained patient and is committed to continuing to build the roster through the draft. The Colts currently have nine picks later this month. — Mike Wells
2018 record: 9-7
Three-words-or-less description: Better with age. The Eagles imported several players who are 30-plus years old, including DeSean Jackson (32), Andrew Sendejo (31) and Vinny Curry (30), and re-signed Brandon Graham (30) and Jason Peters (37). The thought process is that it’s better to get experienced, impact players at a lower rate than to pay a premium for less-accomplished players because of their youth. Their roster is more talented for it, but can this group make it to the finish line? — Tim McManus
1:47
Stephen A. Smith slows down the Browns’ hype train by simply asking them to make the playoffs first before getting carried away.
2018 record: 7-8-1
Three-words-or-less description: Feeling dangerous. Excitement and expectations for the Browns are at a level not seen in Cleveland in a long time. The trade for Odell Beckham Jr., combined with the emergence of Baker Mayfield and other talented players, have the team and fans ready for a playoff push in 2019. For the first time in a long time, the hopes are justified by the talent on the field. — Pat McManamon
2018 record: 10-6
Three-words-or-less description: Smart, not sexy. The Cowboys are always linked to high-profile free agents but rarely invest in the deep end of the pool. Earl Thomas is the latest example. The Cowboys weren’t going to pay that kind of price. But they have made smart decisions, such as adding Randall Cobb and George Iloka, trading for Robert Quinn and bringing back Jason Witten. They can still be sexy, which would be keeping DeMarcus Lawrence on a long-term deal and getting Amari Cooper and Dak Prescott under contract, too. — Todd Archer
2018 record: 11-5
Three-words-or-less description: One-year deals. The Texans’ approach in free agency was not about giving long-term contracts — the only multiyear deal awarded to an incoming free agent was to safety Tashaun Gipson — but instead on fixes that will get them through the season. Houston will hope to fill its holes through the draft, with three picks in the first two rounds. — Sarah Barshop
2018 record: 10-6
Three-words-or-less description: Goodbye, Earl. It isn’t just a morbid Dixie Chicks song; it’s also what the Seahawks said to yet another one of their longtime defensive pillars when they let Earl Thomas walk. Even though it was expected, Thomas’ departure was the most significant Seahawks development in free agency, as they stayed true to form and went for value moves over splash signings, none of which included adding a safety. Don’t assume it’s a foregone conclusion the Seahawks will roll with Delano Hill next to Bradley McDougald, even though coach Pete Carroll has been talking up the 2017 third-round pick. They’ve been linked to some of the draft’s top safety prospects. — Brady Henderson
2018 record: 10-6
Three-words-or-less description: Departures dent defense. The Ravens parted ways with their leaders in tackles (C.J. Mosley), sacks (Za’Darius Smith), snaps (Eric Weddle) and games played in franchise history (Terrell Suggs). Baltimore responded by signing playmaking safety Earl Thomas and should address its needs at pass-rusher and inside linebacker in the draft. While the Ravens will be hard-pressed to remain the NFL’s top-ranked defense, Baltimore has finished in the top 10 in four of the past five seasons. — Jamison Hensley
2018 record: 6-9-1
Three-words-or-less description: Welcome, Matt LaFleur. Yes, the Packers spent money — big money — in free agency for a change, but this season will be all about the new coach. The youthful LaFleur replaced longtime boss Mike McCarthy and inherited the responsibility of getting Aaron Rodgers back to being, well, Aaron Rodgers. The Packers are banking on him — and his Sean McVay-Kyle Shanahan-influenced offense — to do the trick. — Rob Demovsky
2018 record: 8-7-1
Three-words-or-less description: Strapped for cash. Financial restrictions pertaining to the salary cap made things difficult for the Vikings in free agency. Minnesota wasn’t nearly as active as it wanted to be, especially in replacing all the parts that departed along the offensive line, and was forced to make either/or decisions with the personnel it retained and let go. Defense was prioritized, with the Vikings ponying up the funds to retain linebacker Anthony Barr and defensive end Everson Griffen, which means adding pieces around quarterback Kirk Cousins will have to come via the draft. — Courtney Cronin
2018 record: 9-6-1
Three-words-or-less description: Bye Killer B’s. One of the league’s most feared offensive trios disbands without a Super Bowl appearance to show for all those yards. Le’Veon Bell turned his yearlong holdout into a new contract with the New York Jets, Antonio Brown forced his way to the Oakland Raiders via trade, and Ben Roethlisberger is the last one stinging in Pittsburgh. The Steelers will gladly welcome less drama and can quietly replenish the roster via free agency and the draft. The Bell and Brown sagas were exhausting for the entire locker room. — Jeremy Fowler
2018 record: 7-9
Three-words-or-less description: On the line. Those words can be interpreted in different ways. First and foremost, it’s an important fifth season for head coach Dan Quinn, who put the burden on himself by taking over as the defensive playcaller. Consecutive playoffless seasons wouldn’t bode well for Quinn or general manager Thomas Dimitroff. And any hope of being in contention starts with improving talent up front on both the offensive and defensive lines, something the Falcons addressed a bit in free agency but need to revisit via the draft. — Vaughn McClure
2018 record: 7-9
Three-words-or-less description: Buddy Ryan reincarnated? Ron Rivera has spent much of the offseason building a defense that can play multiple fronts. As he said when asked whether he sees Bruce Irvin as an end or linebacker, “That’s the point.” He wants to keep teams off balance in the game plan, similar to the way former Philadelphia defensive coordinator Jim Johnson did with a mixture of 4-3 and 3-4 schemes. Perhaps he’s morphing back to his days as a linebacker with the Bears executing Buddy Ryan’s famous 46 defense. — David Newton
2018 record: 9-7
Three-words-or-less description: Focus on physicality. The Titans want toughness to be their calling card. Retaining hard-hitting safety Kenny Vaccaro allows them to keep a sheriff in the secondary who ensures every game will be a fight. Offensively, slot receiver Adam Humphries is a tough player who isn’t afraid to take a big hit and is more than willing to block a linebacker on running plays. Guard Rodger Saffold instantly upgrades an offensive line that will be heavily relied upon in the running game. Cameron Wake‘s physical presence chasing quarterbacks will be another gain. — Turron Davenport
2018 record: 5-11
Three-words-or-less description: Bye-bye Blake. Signing QB Nick Foles closed the door on the Blake Bortles era, which was largely disappointing, inconsistent and mocked — but did include a run to the AFC title game after the 2017 season. Adding Foles was one of the most important free-agency moves in the NFL because pairing him with a top-10 defense from the past two seasons instantly makes the Jaguars a contender in the AFC South again — and they should be a playoff team again if RB Leonard Fournette responds to Tom Coughlin’s challenge and the offensive line stays healthy. — Mike DiRocco
2018 record: 6-10
Three-words-or-less description: Fill glaring needs. That’s how John Elway frames what he wants out of free agency because he wants to use the draft for the best available players — which is why he used the open market to trade for a quarterback (Joe Flacco) and sign a right tackle (Ja’Wuan James) and two defensive backs (Kareem Jackson and Bryce Callahan). Those were the most glaring needs in his mind. It’s also a good time to remember the Broncos have a top-10 pick for the third time in Elway’s tenure — the previous two times he bypassed quarterbacks to select the top defensive player on their board (Von Miller at No. 2 in 2011 and Bradley Chubb at No. 5 last year). That doesn’t mean the Broncos won’t consider a quarterback at No. 10 overall this year — they’ll meet with Kyler Murray, Dwayne Haskins, Drew Lock and Daniel Jones — but they won’t tip their board to do it. — Jeff Legwold
2018 record: 4-12
Three-words-or-less description: Revamp and rehab. Much of the blame for the 49ers’ lost 2018 season centered on the team’s injury issues, most notably losing quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo to a torn ACL. Rather than attributing those injuries to the nature of football, the Niners are attempting to do something about it. They revamped their entire medical and training staffs, replacing their strength and conditioning coach and head athletic trainer and hired Ben Peterson to the newly created position of head of player health & performance. With Garoppolo and running back Jerick McKinnon rehabbing knee injuries and free-agent additions such as linebacker Kwon Alexander (knee) and cornerback Jason Verrett (Achilles) also in the process of getting healthy, Peterson will be busy. For the Niners to take a big step forward in 2019, they’re going to need their new approach to provide better injury luck. — Nick Wagoner
2018 record: 6-10
Three-words-or-less description: Patriots, Midwest style. Bob Quinn and Matt Patricia might not like the constant comparisons to their old employer, the New England Patriots, but so much of what they’ve done — both this year and in years prior — has been in the mold of the current NFL dynasty. That includes the two big moves of signing Trey Flowers and Justin Coleman, who both played under Patricia in New England. With the head coach and general manager often talking about fit and finding the right guys for their program, it has become pretty clear that having a familiarity with how the Patriots operated and the schemes they ran is something the current Lions regime is taking into account with its decisions. — Michael Rothstein
2018 record: 6-10
Three-words-or-less description: Help Josh Allen. The Bills were encouraged with how Allen finished last season, scoring five touchdowns (three passing and two rushing) in a victory over the Dolphins. However, Allen’s overall rookie season can’t be repeated in 2019 if Buffalo wants to get to the playoffs. The offensive line has been rebuilt and help has been added at wide receiver (John Brown, Cole Beasley) and tight end (Tyler Kroft) to aid Allen in taking a step forward. — Mike Rodak
2018 record: 4-12
Three-words-or-less description: Busy. Manic. Exhausting. Or did you miss the Raiders trading for Antonio Brown, giving Trent Brown the biggest contract for an offensive lineman in NFL history, and signing the likes of Vontaze Burfict, Lamarcus Joyner, Tyrell Williams, Brandon Marshall and Isaiah Crowell in free agency? In all, the Raiders have added 15 players … thus far. Indeed, the reimaging of the Raiders in Year 2 of Jon Gruden’s return has been as manic as Gruden’s personality. “Coach Gruden is a freaking genius and it’s really fun working with him because … his energy level just drives me to different energy levels,” new Raiders general manager Mike Mayock said. “And he’s exhausting because he’s so smart, and he’s always ahead of you and you’ve got to kind of try to catch up. I come home every night just mentally exhausted, and it’s a good thing.” — Paul Gutierrez
2018 record: 4-12
Three-words-or-less description: Cold hard cash. To augment a roster bereft of talent, the Jets went on an unprecedented spending spree, doling out more than $120 million in guarantees at signing. It was the biggest splurge under the current collective bargaining agreement (since 2011), according to ESPN Stats & Information research. The additions of RB Le’Veon Bell and LB C.J. Mosley, among others, will definitely help, but the Jets won’t be a playoff team unless QB Sam Darnold makes a big jump in Year 2. — Rich Cimini
2018 record: 7-9
Three-words-or-less description: Need more help. The Redskins did sign safety Landon Collins and traded for quarterback Case Keenum. The first move excited the fan base; the second one produced yawns. But they’ve been mostly silent otherwise and still have a lot of holes to repair after letting players such as receiver Jamison Crowder and linebacker Preston Smith leave via free agency. They have some players who, if they develop, could help — but they don’t have enough. They have too many key pieces who get hurt all the time, but will nevertheless have to rely on them once more. They lack playmakers on offense. In a season coach Jay Gruden will enter on a major hot seat, the Redskins have a long way to go. They have nine draft picks, but that will provide only so much immediate help. — John Keim
2018 record: 6-10
Three-words-or-less description: No surprises here. The Bengals might have changed their coaching staff, but their approach to free agency wasn’t much different than in the past. The team elected to re-sign most of its free agents instead of looking elsewhere, including much-maligned right tackle Bobby Hart, who isn’t a fan favorite. That means the draft will be important for the Bengals’ offensive line, and for the linebacker hole they now have after releasing Vontaze Burfict. — Katherine Terrell
2018 record: 5-11
Three-words-or-less description: Going all-in. That’s what new head coach Bruce Arians said at NFL owners meetings last week, encouraging fans who are on the fence to “dive into the pool” despite the team coming off back-to-back 5-11 seasons and not reaching the playoffs since 2007. He’s done the same with his quarterback, making no secret that Jameis Winston is the guy and everything the Bucs do from here on out is about building him back up. “I just want him to be Jameis,” Arians said. “Jameis is good enough.” — Jenna Laine
2018 record: 5-11
Three-words-or-less description: Odell-less rebuild. The Giants traded perhaps their best player in Odell Beckham Jr. They might not want to use the term “rebuild,” but that’s what they’re trying to do on the fly after also trading their best pass-rusher in Olivier Vernon and allowing their top defensive playmaker in Landon Collins to walk. They remain a work in progress, with 12 picks in the draft available to help the cause. — Jordan Raanan
2018 record: 7-9
Three-words-or-less description: Enter the purge. This is not a test. The Dolphins have spent the offseason dumping veteran players with bigger contracts via trade or release — most notably Ryan Tannehill, Danny Amendola and Robert Quinn. Others such as Cameron Wake and Ja’Wuan James left Miami in free agency, creating huge holes at key positions. But this is all part of the Dolphins’ rebuilding plan to collect future draft picks, build salary-cap space for 2020 (projected at over $100 million) and build a foundation of young players. — Cameron Wolfe
2018 record: 3-13
Three-words-or-less description: Good luck, Kliff. Every move the Cardinals made this offseason has been to try to improve on their 3-13 record of last season, but the splashiest signings have been on defense — even though it was the offense that struggled mightily in 2018, which is why Kliff Kingsbury was hired. Regardless of whom the Cardinals draft No. 1 overall — if they keep the top pick — they need more help on offense, especially at skill positions. So it might not matter whom the Cards draft or how great of an offensive mind Kingsbury is; he might not have the personnel to turn this team around in one year. — Josh Weinfuss