Super Bowl LV is a distant memory, the dust of the early days of free agency has settled a bit, and the focus is shifting to the 2021 NFL Draft. Add it all up, and it’s a perfect time for our expert panel to take the temperature of the league.
For this special off-season edition of our power rankings, the panel includes editors Geoff Lowe and Craig Battle, and staff writers Mike Johnston and Emily Sadler.
1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
2020 record: 11-5
Best off-season move: Re-signing Shaq Barrett
Having Tom Brady and his offensive weapons back is bad news for the rest of the league, but Tampa re-signing Barrett was massive for the other side of the ball. Barrett would’ve been tough to replace, and getting him for less than $20 million per season is considered a bargain, which speaks to his immense talent. (MJ)
2. Kansas City Chiefs
2020 record: 14-2
Best off-season move: Signing Joe Thuney
Not only did the Chiefs sign the player who many pegged as the best free-agent guard on the market, but they stole him away from a New England Patriots team hungry for a bounceback. Thuney (and possibly the return of Laurent Duvernay-Tardif after a year away from the game) will shore up a line that became a major liability down the stretch. (CB)
3. Green Bay Packers
2020 record: 13-3
Best off-season move: Re-signing Aaron Jones
Just when it looked like one of Aaron Rodgers’ best weapons was walking out the door, the Green Bay Packers re-signed the RB1 to a totally reasonable deal. Paired with A.J. Dillon, who showed tons of promise as a rookie last year, Green Bay’s got itself a solid run game to give this strong offence another dimension.
Another great off-season move: They reportedly restructured the contract of linebacker Za’Darius Smith, which gave them the cap space to keep Jones in the first place. (ES)
4. Buffalo Bills
2020 record: 13-3
Best off-season move: Re-signing Daryl Williams
Like with the Super Bowl–winning Buccaneers, the theme of the off-season in Buffalo has been running it back. The Bills focused on retaining their own free agents – which they did with outstanding success – while adding nice pieces at low cost like Emmanuel Sanders, Matt Breida and Mitch Trubisky. But the best value deal is re-signing Williams, one of the better right tackles last season, to a contract with an average annual value of $8 million – eighth-highest at the position. (GL)
5. Baltimore Ravens
2020 record: 11-5
Best off-season move: Signing guard Kevin Zeitler
They finally got their wide receiver with last week's signing of Sammy Watkins, but it's the three-year deal for Kevin Zeitler that wins what’s been a relatively quiet off-season for the Ravens. Keeping quarterback Lamar Jackson protected should always be the top priority here, and the absence of retired guard Marshal Yanda last season was felt. Zeitler’s veteran presence — not to mention his strong run blocking abilities — will be key in filling that spot. (ES)
6. Cleveland Browns
2020 record: 11-5
Best off-season move: Signing John Johnson III
A vocal leader on the Rams' excellent secondary last season, Johnson was the best safety on the market. That he chose to go to Cleveland, along with ex-Rams cornerback Troy Hill, is a feeling Browns fans could get used to.
Getting Johnson, Hill, and having a healthy Grant Delpit makes what was Cleveland's biggest weakness last year a much-watch secondary in 2021. (ES)
7. Indianapolis Colts
2020 record: 11-5
Best off-season move: Acquiring Carson Wentz in a trade with the Eagles
Getting Wentz allows the Colts to reunite the starting QB with Frank Reich. The two helped contribute to Philadelphia’s Super Bowl championship just four seasons ago when Reich was the Eagles’ OC. (MJ)
8. Los Angeles Rams
2020 record: 10-6
Best off-season move: Trading for Matthew Stafford
Fifth among active quarterbacks in career passing yards (and 16th on the all-time leaderboard), Stafford is a big upgrade over Jared Goff, who went the other way in this off-season’s biggest blockbuster trade. The draft picks the Rams gave up may hurt down the road, but this team has an all-world defence in need of consistent offence, and Stafford could be just the guy to help provide it. (CB)
9. San Francisco 49ers
2020 record: 6-10
Best off-season move: Re-signing Trent Williams
It was an expensive deal, but it needed to be done. Williams is one of the best players in the game, let alone one of the best offensive linemen, and whoever plays under centre next year and moving forward — whether it’s Jimmy Garoppolo or someone else — is lucky to have him. (CB)
10. Pittsburgh Steelers
2020 record: 12-4
Best off-season move: Restructuring Ben Roethlisberger's contract
This is a several-birds-with-one-stone agreement for the cap-strapped Steelers, who keep their window of contention open by keeping Big Ben in the fold while also making room to bring back players like Tyson Alualu and JuJu Smith-Schuster. It also buys them another year to figure out the future of the QB position in Pittsburgh. (ES)
11. Seattle Seahawks
2020 record: 12-4
Best off-season move: Rejecting trade offers for Russell Wilson
The Bears’ reported offer of three first-rounders, a third-rounder and two starters was huge. But finding an all-pro QB is one of the most difficult tasks in all of sports (see: the Chicago Bears). This might be a controversial take, but the Seahawks would be better served trying to patch up the relationship with their star QB than giving him up and hitting the reset button. The post-Wilson era will almost assuredly be painful — picks or no picks — so why hasten it along? (CB)
12. New Orleans Saints
2020 record: 12-4
Best off-season move: Re-signing Jameis Winston
The Drew Brees era is officially over so retaining Winston on another one-year deal was an important move for the Saints. The first-overall pick from 2015, one year removed from leading the NFL in passing yards (and interceptions), Winston attempted only 11 passes in his first season in New Orleans. But with a year in the system under his belt, perhaps we’ll see Winston 2.0. The Saints also have Taysom Hill and Trevor Siemian, but Winston’s ceiling is the highest of the three. (MJ)
13. Los Angeles Chargers
2020 record: 7-9
Best off-season move: Signing Corey Linsley
The Chargers hit the jackpot when they drafted Justin Herbert last year. The 2020 NFL offensive rookie of the year arrived on the scene way ahead of schedule ... but, then again, so did the defensive pass rush every time he dropped back to pass. (HEYO) So the Chargers did what any organization would do — they went out and dropped a boltload of cash on a couple of offensive linemen. First-team All-Pro Linsley is the biggest get as L.A. tore him away from the Packers. (CB)
14. Tennessee Titans
2020 record: 11-5
Best off-season move: Signing Bud Dupree
The Titans lacked intensity on defence at times in 2020, so adding Dupree on a five-year deal ($35 million guaranteed, worth up to $85 million) could have a noticeable impact. The linebacker had 19.5 combined sacks over the past two seasons in Pittsburgh despite missing five games last year. (MJ)
15. Miami Dolphins
2020 record: 10-6
Best off-season move: Trading the No. 3 pick to the 49ers
The decision to use one of the two first-round picks acquired from the 49ers to move back up to No. 6 may face some scrutiny depending on how the eventual player chosen turns out, but trading out of the third spot to get those two first-rounders was another solid move from GM Chris Grier, who continues to stockpile picks and build up the Dolphins through the draft. (GL)
16. Washington Football Team
2020 record: 7-9
Best off-season move: Signing William Jackson
The Football Team has had a nice off-season so far, with a handful of signings we like, but bringing Jackson into the fold is the pick of the litter. Washington signed Jackson, the best cornerback available, to solidify a secondary that was already one of the league’s best last season and did so without having to break the bank. Alongside Kendall Fuller, Jackson gives Washington one of the league’s top cornerback duos. (GL)
17. New England Patriots
2020 record: 7-9
Best off-season move: Re-signing David Andrews
The Patriots have been the story of the off-season thus far, spending at a historic pace that is wildly uncharacteristic of Bill Belichick. Only time will tell if shelling out all those dollars was sound strategy – and there are a couple of contracts that had us scratching our heads – but re-signing 28-year-old centre Andrews on a four-year, $19-million deal most definitely was a savvy move. No matter who lines up at QB this season for New England, the offensive line will be anchored by one of the best at the position. (GL)
18. Arizona Cardinals
2020 record: 8-8
Best off-season move: Letting Kenyan Drake walk
This is nothing against Drake. And it’s also nothing against the addition of J.J. Watt, which could have a major impact. But the Cardinals didn’t need Drake for what the Raiders paid to pry him away, and now the backfield is clear for Chase Edmonds to prove he can be the bell cow. As proof he’s ready, Edmond averaged 4.6 yards per carry last year, and added 35 catches. (CB)
19. Dallas Cowboys
2020 record: 6-10
Best off-season move: Locking up quarterback Dak Prescott
Let’s not overthink this one. The Cowboys haven’t been all that active so far this off-season, but they did sign one of the league’s best quarterbacks to a deal that makes a lot of sense for both sides. While questions still remain on defence for this Dallas team, the offence should get back to being one of the most explosive with Prescott under centre long-term. (GL)
20. Chicago Bears
2020 record: 8-8
Best off-season move: Tagging Allen Robinson
If you’re a Bears fan, and you think you’re gonna trade for Russell Wilson, how are you feeling when you see this tweet?
The Bears’ replacement of Mitch Trubisky isn't exactly inspiring, but hanging on to star wide receiver Allen Robinson at least gives QB1 a shot at success. (ES)
21. Minnesota Vikings
2020 record: 7-9
Best off-season move: Signing Patrick Peterson
Defence was Minnesota’s biggest downfall last season, and they addressed exactly that with players like Peterson and ex-Cowboy Xavier Woods. (ES)
22. Carolina Panthers
2020 record: 5-11
Best off-season move: Signing Haason Reddick
Placing the franchise tag on tackle Taylor Moton way key but so was the addition of Reddick. The linebacker had a career-high 12.5 sacks last season with the Cardinals. He played college at Temple under current Panthers head coach Matt Rhule. (MJ)
23. Atlanta Falcons
2020 record: 4-12
Best off-season move: Signing Mike Davis
Davis was a decent fill-in option at running back when Christian McCaffrey was injured in Carolina, and it’s a nice cost-friendly move for the Falcons. Atlanta was one of six teams that failed to average 100 rushing yards per game in 2020. Davis can be productive in a two-back system, so thumbs up to this low-cost, low-risk addition. (MJ)
24. Las Vegas Raiders
2020 record: 8-8
Best off-season move: Signing Yannick Ngakoue
Since trading Kahlil Mack, the Raiders have struggled mightily to get after quarterbacks. Reuniting defensive end Ngakoue with new defensive coordinator Gus Bradley (who was head coach when Ngakoue was in Jacksonville) could help change that. (CB)
25. New York Giants
2020 record: 6-10
Best off-season move: Signing Kenny Golladay
The Giants were, maybe surprisingly, among the biggest spenders over the last 14 days, handing out hefty contracts to Golladay, Leonard Williams and Adoree’ Jackson. Golladay stands out among this group though, as he signed a much bigger contract than his fellow free-agent wide receivers, and could go a long way in the development of quarterback Daniel Jones. (GL)
26. Denver Broncos
2020 record: 5-11
Best off-season move: Rebuilding the secondary
The Broncos were middle of the pack last year in passing defence, so they brought back safety Justin Simmons and added cornerbacks Ronald Derby and Kyle Fuller. With a full off-season to integrate them (fingers crossed), they could be a much-improved unit in 2021. (CB)
27. Cincinnati Bengals
2020 record: 4-11-1
Best off-season move: Just wait and watch
Yes, they made some cap-friendly moves in the secondary, all in the name of what is looking like a promising rebuild, but the biggest prize is still to come. (ES)
28. Philadelphia Eagles
2020 record: 4-11-1
Best off-season move: Trading the No. 6 pick to the Dolphins
The Eagles have a lot of roster holes to fill, and as good a player as the team likely could’ve picked at sixth overall, the acquisition of an extra first-rounder in 2021 – which could give Philadelphia three Day 1 picks next year — is too good an opportunity to pass up for a team in the current state the Eagles are. This move may not be felt for a year, but it’s the right one to make as the team looks to rebuild. (GL)
29. New York Jets
2020 record: 2-14
Best off-season move: Signing Carl Lawson
The Jets have been a busy team over the first two weeks of free agency, adding some intriguing playmakers at wide receiver in Corey Davis and Keelan Cole. However, the most impactful signing will be that of defensive end Lawson, one of the best pass rushers available who could flourish in 2021 on the front line of Robert Saleh’s defence. (GL)
30. Detroit Lions
2020 record: 5-11
Best off-season move: Hiring this guy:
“We’re gonna kick you in the teeth. When you punch us back, we’re going to smile at you. When you knock us down, we’re gonna get up, and on the way up, we’re going to bite a kneecap off.”
New @Lions coach Dan Campbell bringing the at his introductory presser. pic.twitter.com/GKAoCgojZI— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) January 21, 2021
But seriously, the former Lion and new head coach brings instant identity to this rebuilding franchise, leaving no mysteries about his vision for what will surely evolve into an old-school, defensive club. (ES)
31. Jacksonville Jaguars
2020 record: 1-15
Best off-season move: Signing Shaquill Griffin
The rebuilding Jags are hoping Griffin can get back to his 2019 Pro Bowl form after giving the cornerback a three-year, $44.5-million deal ($29 million guaranteed). Jacksonville invested even more in the defensive backfield by signing safety Rayshawn Jenkins to a four-year deal. (MJ)
32. Houston Texans
2020 record: 4-12
Best off-season move: Signing Tyrod Taylor
Things in Houston could get really ugly this upcoming season, but adding someone like Taylor was a positive move. The veteran pivot should be well respected in the room, and he’s still a capable QB and a decent short-term solution if Deshaun Watson is traded or doesn’t play for off-field reasons. (MJ)
