The Free Agency is already very small in the rear-view mirror, in the post-processing of the drag the dust settles slowly but surely – the long off-season summer is imminent. First there is the final ranking: The SPOX Power Ranking according to Draft and Free Agency!
Placement according to the Free Agency: 32
The evaluation of the Colts is and remains difficult, as we still don’t know when Andrew Luck can play again. After all: With Jacoby Brissett behind it you have a very capable backup, should Luck not be fit for the start of the season this year. Whichever quarterback it ultimately becomes: The offensive line should be very stable, especially in the center with Quenton Nelson, Ryan Kelly and Jack Mewhort. The receiver corps, on the other hand, is now quite thin at its peak, even after Deon Cain, among others, has been drafted. But the big problem child is the defense, with construction sites still on every level, even if the Colts invested in the draft early in the pass rush. The upheaval on this side of the ball will continue for a while and the Colts will still be very vulnerable in the course of this process in 2018.
Placement after the Free Agency: 30
The Bills are facing a potentially very difficult season in 2018. You might think what you want of Josh Allen – personally I still see him clearly outside the quarterback top 4 of this drag – but almost everyone will agree on one thing: Allen’s not ready for the NFL. So the Bills will probably start the season with A.J. McCarron as starting quarterback, behind an offensive line that looks like a big construction site after the departure of Glenn, Woods and Incognito. There are also question marks in the WR-Corps, while defensively at least Tremaine Edmunds fits perfectly into the defense and the secondary still has a lot of quality – all the more if Vontae Davis can actually gain a foothold again. But the state of the offense washes the Bills to the penultimate place.
Placement after the Free Agency: 28
The offensive line and above all the right side should still drive jet fans even bigger worry lines into their faces, also the tight-end situation and the pass rush remain larger construction sites. All of these are of course marginal phenomena in perspective when Sam Darnold actually turns out to be the franchise quarterback many experts saw in him before the draft. Until then it’s Josh McCown Under Center with three arguments for Gang Green: a highly talented secondary, a deep running back corps with versatile backs around Crowell, Powell and Rawls as well as a very talented wide receiver corps – to Robby Anderson (should he get his problems off the pitch under control) and Jermaine Kearse come with the injured Quincy Enunwa and newcomer Terrelle Pryor two big, physical weapons.
Placement according to the Free Agency: 31
The departure of Ndamukong Suh in particular is still difficult to digest from Dolphins’ point of view and sometimes it was difficult to see a clear plan behind the off-season in South Beach. Little by little, the picture looks much more coherent: With Mike Gesicki Adam Gase receives the ultra-athletic passport-catching tight end, which he can set up isolated in the formation – and with Durham Smythe a blocker. The backfield duo Kenyan Drake/Kalen Ballage is extremely versatile and explosive, the Interior Offensive Line was stabilized by Josh Sitton and Daniel Kilgore. Laremy Tunsil can stay on the left side. Defensively, Inside Linebacker Raekwon McMillan, who missed the entire pre-season, is a rookie and together with Minkah Fitzpatrick and Jerome Baker should give the front a completely different face. However, the concerns in the defensive line remain, Miami is betting on a deeper rotation instead of on Suh.
Placement after the Free Agency: 29
The Browns may have finally found their quarterback with Baker Mayfield – but first, as Coach Hue Jackson has confirmed again, Tyrod Taylor is the quarterback: A good game manager who doesn’t lose any games in Cleveland, and that’s worth a lot. Directly starting number 4 pick Denzel Ward, the aggressive man-cover corner fulfils an immediate need and fits into the philosophy of defense. This also applies to the new Safety Tandem, in which Jabrill Peppers can finally play closer to the line of scrimmage. Otherwise, the Browns and Running Back Nick Chubb have made a luxury pick, Chubb will probably dominate First and Second Down together with Carlos Hyde, while Duke Johnson is the trio’s clear pass catcher. The Interior Offensive Line is brilliantly filled, the tackle positions still have a few question marks: Should rookie Austin Corbett really hit the left side? Either way, Cleveland’s medium- and long-term outlook, but also the outlook for the coming season was not so good for a long time.
Placement after the Free Agency: 27
I’ve been thinking for a long time about giving Oakland an even deeper rating – that’s how unenthusiastic I am about the developments at the Raiders. The draft class is full of athletic projects on the one hand and risk picks on the other, without really addressing the biggest construction sites – linebacker and secondary. Martavis Bryant’s engagement gives Derek Carr a dynamic offense weapon, while the role of Jordy Nelson is still difficult to predict. I had guessed the slot, but the trade for Ryan Switzer makes that questionable. At least there are more weapons that should also fit into the Scheme of Gruden. In the offensive line, however, I expect a clear step back, then Marshawn Lynch must shine again as an after-contact runner. All in all, I see a large range for the season forecast in Oakland; but ultimately a lot depends on Gruden Derek Carr’s development steering in the right direction again.
Placement after the Free Agency: 25
Just like Washington’s draft overall, I don’t get quite warm with the entire off-season in the capital. The wide receiver corps has a lot of quantity after the draft, but at the top it has a few question marks. Can Paul Richardson convince as the number two outside-receiver? Will Josh Doctson succeed in taking the next step? And can tight end Jordan Reed finally stay fit? The run game should be improved with Derrius Guice and Chris Thompson recovered – but what version of Alex Smith will Washington get? Pre-season aggressive Smith? Or the conservative Passer, which needs ideal conditions around it? Outside of Andy Reid’s grand scheme, Smith could turn out to be a downgrade to Kirk Cousins. In the defense, Da’Ron Payne immediately has to perform much more consistently than in college. Otherwise the Run-Defense will be a problem again in 2018. A new problem may be the slot corner post after Fuller is submitted.
Placement according to the Free Agency: 17
The offensive explosion potential in Kansas City with Patrick Mahomes, Tyreek Hill, Sammy Watkins, Travis Kelce and Kareem Hunt is huge – but also the question marks, especially when it comes to the role of Mahomes in his first season as a starter. KC also had a very unspectacular draft and I wouldn’t be surprised if none of the rookies started at least in the first half of the season. So the bottom line is that there are still very big question marks in the defense, both in the defensive line, the pass rush and the cornerback corps. The Chiefs are a bag of wonders before the coming season, which could develop extremely in both directions in 2018. After all: Mahome’s first impressions and the combination with Andy Reid as coach and play caller give hope. But it is also clear that Mahomes will make some mistakes in his first starter season. And then, with a view to their defense, the Chiefs could quickly get into some unwanted shootouts. The Chiefs aren’t slipping here because they’re suddenly a bad team – other teams have just improved noticeably over the past few weeks, and I honestly don’t see that happening with Kansas City.
Page 1: From Indianapolis to Kansas City
Page 2: From Arizona to Tennessee
Page 3: From Detroit to Los Angeles
Page 4: The top group – 3 teams climb to the top