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It’s that time of year again. Time to take a look at every team in the NFL, and what their lineups might look like for next season. I actually started it the day the draft ended, but figured I’d wait a little while in case there was some movement, and to give the illusion that I have a life. But now that social lives are a thing of the past anyway, let’s get this started with the NFC East.  Let’s start with the best team in the NFL. The Redskins stellar management knew they had to bring a winning culture to the building, so they have decided to exclusively draft players from Ohio State and Alabama. That plus the removal of the ping pong table is sure to get results. But there is no denying this should be one of the pass rushes in the NFL, and the return of the 4-3 defense is sure to bring a smile to Pep’s face. The secondary has a few question marks, but it’s the offense that is the real concern. Can any receiver other than Scary Terry break out? Can Geron Christian or Saadiq Charles replace Trent Williams at left tackle? Is Adrian Peterson really going to be the only running back that stays healthy? But I guess I shouldn’t worry with Dwayne Haskins leading the way. Super bowl here we come. Don’t be fooled by the greenless holes on the Eagles board, this is another strong roster. They may not have any great receivers, but they finally have some depth and explosion for an offense that runs through the tight ends anyway. If Andre Dillard plays like the first rounder he is, then they should return to having one of the best offensive lines in the NFL. They sured up the backend by bringing in Darius Slay and Nickell Robey-Coleman, and maybe Jalen Mill’s move to safety will turn him into an asset. The only place they struggle is linebacker, which is a devalued position anyway. They don’t need to worry that it haunts them every year. Dak’s quest for a new contract is starting to seem like the easiest treasure hunt of all time. While some QBs are just given a map and a compass, Dak is stacked with a private jet with a navigation system. If Ceedee Lamb blossoms into the receiver people expect him to, this should be the best receiving trio in the NFL. Then of course he still has Zeke to hand the ball to behind what is still a very good offensive line. The defense is another story. They are counting on Randy Gregory and/or Aldon Smith to make an impact… preferably not in a way that gets them arrested. Losing Byron Jones is also a huge blow to their secondary, but I’m sure the $35 million quarterback can win them some shootouts, right? Well if the Cowboys want to feel better about their defense, they can just look at what the Giants have. They are an absolute mess at linebacker, cornerback, and edge rusher, but I’m sure all those stockpiled defensive tackles will make up for that. However, they are certainly making progress on offense. They have a good pass-catching group with Slayton, Shepard, Tate, Engram, and Barkley coming out of the backfield. Andrew Thomas coming in should also solidify the offensive line, and give Daniel Jones every opportunity to shine. He probably won’t actually win games, but he could get some points for your fantasy team.
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It might be a little late to call this a forecast, since most teams have already put out fairly accurate depth charts. However, I am not just aiming to predict the week 1 starting lineup, but looking as to who will end up starting most of the year. Now let's look at the NFC West.  Let's start with the defending NFC champs, and you might think there is little more orange on this lineup than you would expect. However, the Rams keep saying how confident they are in their new starting linemen, and the fact that they didn't feel the need to add anyone only underlines that confidence. Normally I'd be skeptical of this, but with Sean McVay, I feel he's earned some rope. Then again, they didn't have a ton of cap space or draft capital this offseason, so they may just be hoping to get lucky. And what is in store for Jared Goff in year 4? Is he on his way to Dak Prescott level money? Or will he continue the level of play we all had to witness in the Super Bowl? From the 2018 NFC champs to the former worst team in football. I don't like when people off-handedly say the Cardinals have a terrible o-line, because I think this is now a solid group if they stay healthy. Sure, the 5 starters combined to miss 46 games last year, but at least they are should be healthy week 1. If a couple of their young receivers step up and Kyler Murray lives up to his potential, this offense could be something special. On defense, I was excited that they finally got some help at corner across from Patrick Peterson, which has been the key to their defensive success over the past several years. However, now with Peterson's suspension and Robert Alford's injury, they are forced to start Tramaine Brock and rookie Byron Murphy, along with either Chris Jones or Nate Brooks at the nickel, both of whom are undrafted players with no NFL experience. However, if Kliff unlocks that offense, and the defense catches up later, this still could be a team worth watching. I really wanted to pick the Seahawks to win the NFC west this year, but the holes in their roster are a little too glaring to ignore. Their lack of passcatchers is even more pronounced this year, with no illusion of Doug Baldwin to trick fantasy owners. Their lack of pass rush is also an issue, and they don't exactly have the Legion of Boom on the backend. They do have one of the best linebacking corps in the league at least, though we still have no idea what is going to happen with Mychal Kendricks. I'm surprised the NFL isn't receiving heat for not having an Insider Trading policy. Could this be the year the 49ers hype train goes somewhere interesting? It's not off to a great start after Nick Bosa's injury and Jimmy G giving his defense some unearned confidence. Still, it's hard to ignore the potential of this team, as they don't have a ton of holes. Their strength lies on the line of scrimmage, with an offensive line headlined by bookend tackles, and a defensive line brimming with the potential the unleash terror among quarterbacks. Also worth noting that Matt Breida is still listed as the starter on their depth chart, despite his limited action in preseason. I have said all along that I like him best out of all their backs, so make sure to draft him as a sleeper in fantasy. This past weekend Pep and I met a guy looking for fantasy advice. He asked for a website he could go to where he could find fantasy rankings so he didn’t have to do any research himself. Naturally, we told him to visit the best site on the internet, profootballjokes.com. We were thrilled that he liked the idea, the only issue was that we now had to come up with some rankings for him to look at. But first, for all you fantasy novices, here is a quick rundown of how to do your draft.
In round 1, you want to go running back if you have a top 6 pick. If the top 6 RBs are off the board, then you go WR. Round two is best RB or WR available, or you can even go with Travis Kelce if you want to go the TE route. Round 3, again RB, WR, or TE (Ertz or Kittle). This probably goes without saying, but you should only be drafting one tight end, but you can never have too many RBs or WRs. If you can only start 1 QB as you do in most leagues, you should draft a QB until round 5 at the earliest, and again, you only need to draft 1 QB. I typically prefer to wait until round 10 or later since you can still get a good QB then. Kicker and Defense should go last two rounds of your draft. The rest of your draft should be loading up with options at RB and WR. So anyway, here are my rankings by position: QB
A theme in my rankings is that a player's fantasy ranking is not alway indicative of how good he is in real life. I had Lamar Jackson as 32nd in my QB rankings for 2019, but his rushing ability moves him up to 17 in fantasy, with the potential to finish much higher if things break right for him. Of course, there is also the possibility that he gets hurt from running too much, or leads an offense so anemic that he can't produce any real fantasy points. RB
A lot of questions up top in the RB rankings. I'm not worried about Zeke yet, but Melvin Gordon and Todd Gurley present tough decisions for fantasy owners. I told everyone before the draft that Darwin Thompson would probably be my sleeper pick, and his preseason debut has only reinforced my take on him. WR
I know I'm in the minority having OBJ as my WR1, but I think the upside for him to have a historic season is too good to pass up. Although you really can't go wrong with any of the top 6 receivers. Also plenty of upside in the mid-late rounds, unless you prefer a safe, steady pick like Larry Fitzgerald. TE
OJ Howard has been my target at TE in every draft I've done. He is just as talented as those top 3, but you can probably get him in round 5 or 6. I like some sleepers like Mark Andrews or Will Dissly in the later rounds, but I haven't had the stomach to risk waiting for one of them. It isn't the draft capital I'm worried about, it's the fact that the teams that get one of those top 7 tight ends will have a huge advantage when they might all be giving strong weekly production, and then you end up having to stream and hope every week. K
DEF
Okay, not much to say on my defense and kicker rankings. I did them purely as a formality. Smart people will stream defenses, and just take a shot at a reliable kicker in a good offense, and if he doesn't work out, you will always be able to pick a good one up. It seems like every division in the NFC could have 3+ playoff teams, speaking to the magic of the offseason. Our statisticians say that is unlikely to occur, but we will still talk about every team because what the hell else are we going to talk about in July? The NFC North is just as loaded as the previous divisions, with the Saints, Panthers and Falcons making strong playoff claims. The Bucs are also here.   My biggest takeaway from the Saints offseason is that their team website is trash, but of course we at profootballjokes set a high bar. Most of their roster remains unchanged from last year, and it’s hard to argue that they still have the best roster in the NFL. Their one major loss is Max Unger, replacing him with rookie Erik McCoy, and their big add was Jared Cook, who should be a big upgrade as essentially their second best receiver. On defense, they have young talent emerging at every level, as well as veterans like Cameron Jordan and Demario Davis playing some of the best football of their careers. This team seems bound to make it right back to the NFC championship game, where they will inevitably lose because of a pass interference call that gets reviewed.
Originally I was completely dismissing the Panthers for this upcoming season, but after this exercise, I am starting to buy into them. They have one of the most fun groups of young skill players on offense, and I am regretting trading away Curtis Samuel in my dynasty league more and more by the day. Also I can’t wait to see the competition between former Redskin deep threats to make the roster (Aldrick Robinson and Rashad Ross). I was worried about the defense more than anything, but adding Gerald McCoy and drafting Brian Burns still makes this front seven look as formidable as ever. The secondary could use some work, but I think they have enough to hold it together. However, none of this matters if Cam can’t throw the ball more than 20 yards downfield, because I don’t see Will Grier or Kyle Allen taking this team to the playoffs. The Falcons are so desperate to regain the magic of their 2016 offense that they have ignored their defense and just hoped that it will get better with players returning from injury. It’s not a bad unit on paper, but even when they got Deion Jones back last year, they didn’t play all that well. Maybe bringing back Adrian Clayborn will solve all their problems. They devoted their offseason to improving their offensive line, and their depth at guard makes me think they will be fine on the interior, but reports of Kaleb McGary struggling at right tackle keep surfacing. Hopefully he will improve, but I doubt Matt Ryan has another MVP type season left in him. The offense will surely be good, but not good enough to win this division. The Bucs are as bad a roster as there is in the NFC. They have one of the best pass-catching trios in the league, but the fact that Breshad Perriman is their third receiver is still a problem. Especially when you look at what they have in their secondary. You can’t blame them for letting a 35 year-old Brent Grimes walk in free agency, but sadly he was still their best corner last year, and now we shall see if any of their young CBs can take a step up into mediocrity (no that’s not a typo). Add the loss of JPP for who knows how long, and this could easily be the worst defense in the league. But hey, at least they have Ronald Jones to tote the rock. It was fun talking NFC East, but we had to move on at some point. However, the NFC North might be even more interesting. The division is full of potential, but no team is without its question marks. Despite all the promise that every team has in the offseason, once the season rolls around, we will have to remember that there will almost certainly be just as many losses as wins overall. However, that doesn’t mean we can’t talk up the improvements made by some of these teams.   The offensive talent on the Packers is as sparse as it has ever been under Aaron Rodgers. Their receiving corps is anchored by Davante Adam, but they will need someone else to step up if they want to be a fearsome passing attack. Their offensive line has always been a strength as well, and while they have maybe the best left tackle in football, they have question marks at guard, not to mention an aging Brian Bulaga on the right side. It looks as if they want their second rounder Jenkins and their free agent addition Turner to solidify the interior of their line, but I’m not fully convinced that these are upgrades over Lane Taylor and Justin McCray, who are still on the team. However, the question marks on offense are mitigated by perhaps the most surprising unit of this exercise, the Packers defense. They bolstered their weaponry on the outside with a couple of Smiths, and then drafted Rashan Gary to boot. That depth combined with a dominant interior should make for a fearsome pass rush. Our fellow South County Stallion, Oren Burks, should get the start at inside linebacker, and if he just remembers all that Coach Neff taught him, he should emerge as a solid starter. Jaire Alexander could easily become one of the league’s top corners this year, and with a host of young potential in the secondary, I can’t imagine this defense isn’t a top 10 unit.
If we were to cut off the top of my chart, the Bears would probably have the best roster in the NFL. The defense is just as loaded as it was last year, with their only major loss being Bryce Callahan at the nickel spot. Sherrick McManus played too well last year when Callahan went down for me to think that Buster Skrine will immediately replace him, but always good to have insurance considering McManus is bound to come back to earth at some point. They are also one of the few teams who don’t need offensive line help, as they are rock solid all the way through. In case you are intrigued by offensive line placement, both the Bears and Lions have been trying out switching their Center and Left Guards from where they played last year, and I went ahead and made the switch for the Lions, but didn’t for the Bears. Just my prediction for how things end up, so try not to get too worked up about it. Anyway, the big question mark for the Bears is really just at Quarterback, and of course whether that defense will continue to dominate without Vic Fangio. The Vikings might be the exact opposite of the Packers. While their starting unit might look impressive, they lack depth everywhere except for cornerback. Dalvin Cook is their only proven back, and I’m sure he can last the whole season being a workhorse. Diggs and Thielen are still essentially their only pass-catchers, unless Irv Smith can progress quickly. They still have a bottom-5 offensive line. They have 3 really good defensive linemen, but they better condition well, because they don’t have anyone to rotate with them. We can at least count on their secondary, since they pour all their picks into there, but as much as I love Kirk, I’m concerned about this team’s ability to overcome any injuries. The Lions are the hardest team to figure out in the division. If Matt Patricia’s goal was to make this exercise as hard on me as possible, then he has succeeded. No one has played multiple defense quite like the Patriots over the past decade, and Patricia seems to be bringing that philosophy to Detroit, making it impossible to nail down a list of starters, or even a list of positions. Snacks Harrison, A’shawn Robinson, and Da’Shawn Hand are all big defensive linemen suited to play inside, but they all are too good to leave off the starting lineup. Even Trey Flowers is an inside-outside hybrid, while their linebackers can all be potential pass rushers off the edge as well. Expect their second-round linebacker, Jahlani Tavai, to work in at multiple spots as well. The rest of the roster is what it has been for years, good but not great. I am excited to see if Kenny Golladay will emerge as a top receiver this year, which I think he can. Now that we are pretty much done with all the offseason activities, I figured I would be a normal person and look at all the new rosters of every NFL team. I don’t judge your hobbies so don’t judge mine. However, I then remembered I have this football blog, so I could pass on my findings to the dedicated PFJ fans. It’s a chance to disabuse ourselves of notions we are all holding onto from last year, and getting a true picture of where a team’s real strengths and weaknesses lie. For example, last year the Giants were a total mess without any talent apart from Odell and SaQuon. This year… well maybe this was a bad example, but go ahead and take a look at the NFC East.   Bruce Allen proved in the draft this year that even a blind squirrel finds a nut every once in a while. The Redskins were able to transform what looked like a lost season into probably another 6 or 7-win wasteland. I pray that Terry McLaurin and Kelvin Harmon will be good enough that Josh Doctson doesn’t have to play anymore, but I don’t trust the Redskins to abandon the lost cause. The offensive line should be a strength as long as someone can fill in the left guard spot. I gave Bergstrom the edge, but Wes Martin and Ereck Flowers (please god no) will have a chance at that spot as well. The injury to Rueben Foster puts a hole at linebacker, leaving us all to wonder why bad things happen to such good people. Jon Bostic was just brought in, and I expect him to get the nod over the Josh Harvey-Clemons and Shaun Dion Hamilton. I didn’t put DRC in the starting lineup, but I wouldn’t be shocked if he made a difference at either the nickel or safety spot. The Eagles are scary with their depth, especially on both of their lines. Andre Dillard and Stefen Wisniewski would be quality starters on most offensive lines, and the Eagles have the luxury of keeping them as backups. And while they might not be quite as fresh on the defensive line as they once were, they still have Derek Barnett and Tim Jernigan/Malik Jackson coming off the bench. They might not have any blue chip players in their secondary, but they have plenty of capable players. Rasul Douglas, Jalen Mills, and Cre’von Leblanc, could just as easily be their starting three corners. And of course there is the rotating door of skill position players with Miles Sanders and JJ Arcega-Whiteside adding to what already seemed to be a strong group. It would be a huge let-down if this team isn’t a Super Bowl contender again. As much as I hate to admit it, the Cowboys have a strong roster. If Travis Frederick comes back, then they should go back to having one of the best offensive lines in the league. Connor Williams struggled mightily last year, but if he does so again, the Cowboys are fully prepared with Connor McGovern and Xavier Sua-Filo waiting in the wings. Same goes for some disappointments on their defensive line. DeMarcus Lawrence leads the group, and the rotation with Antwaun Woods, Christian Covington, Trysten Hill, Randy Gregory, and Taco Charlton coming off the bench makes it difficult for any one player to mess things up. Safety is still an issue, but the biggest concerns are still in the passing game. Amari Cooper seemed to solidify things but I still don’t trust him as a consistent option. I like Michael Gallup to solidify the number 2 receiver role, but Randall Cobb and everyone who comes after him concern me, as does their aging Tight End whose only saving grace is that he can’t possibly be worse at this than he was at his last job. But most of all, I don’t think Dak will ever be an prolific passer, but the good news for him is that he will almost certainly get paid like one. Ever division could use a doormat, and the Giants play that part perfectly for the NFC East. Laughable as their offseason has been, I am starting to think they may have finally fixed their offensive line to be at least an average unit. I like Halapio to win the center spot as he played well as the starter for the first two weeks before he got hurt. Zeitler is a pro-bowl caliber guard, and if Mike Remmers or Chad Wheeler can just be okay at right tackle, then this is a solid unit. The defense is where the team really fall apart though. Completely devoid of difference-makers, they are relying on a solid interior line to be the lone strength of their defense. Their edge rushers, linbackers, and DBs all rank among the worst in the NFL. Looks like they will have to rely on Daniel Jones to come in and save the day. It’s a dark time for Boston sports fans. While the Celtics are on a losing streak, and the Bruins are stuck in second in their division, their beloved Patriots just took a huge blow. Gronk, that big lovable character seen spiking balls and advertising Tide Pods, has just retired from the NFL. The Patriots can’t seem to ever escape the madness of March... Oh sorry, I’m not legally allowed to use those words in the same sentence. Anyway, Trent Brown, Trey Flowers, and even the great Dwayne Allen have found new homes, where they will undoubtedly flourish and earn every penny on their frugal contracts. However, I am here to reassure Patriots fans that there is still a chance for them.
I know what you’re thinking, how can the Patriots still compete in the AFC East? Especially when you have a great arms race between the Jets and Bills, each with promising young quarterbacks at the helm. While the Jets made the splash moves of Le’Veon Bell and Jamison Crowder, the Bills are bringing in John Brown and Cole Beasley. How can the Patriots compete with that kind of firepower? Well I’m here to tell you that they can, and it’s not just because I want to compete with the hot takes of today’s media, it is because I truly believe it. The Patriots have a secret weapon. They signed the great Maurice Harris to their team, and he can take these underdogs all the way back to the Super Bowl. Bill Belichick and Tom Brady might provide some help as well, and finally these Boston fans can taste a championship once again. The Jets and Bills have had their day in the sun, but I foresee the down-on-their-luck Pats making a run at the AFC East, even with Ryan Fitzpatrick coming back to the division. Oh wait, Greg Schiano is stepping down? Nevermind. The Patriots are f***ed. During the Patriots Bears game, the Patriots had a crucial 4th and short play in which Tom Brady threw a jump ball to Josh Gordon, and Gordon made a tremendous catch over the top of the defender. Like any good commentator, Dan Fouts went on to talk about how good Josh Gordon is. However, his actual statement was much more true to character.
“The thing that’s unique about Gordon is his ability to catch the ball away from his body with his hands.” That’s a direct quote from Fouts. Now, I don’t expect a lot from Dan Fouts, and I certainly don’t expect him to correctly use the word “unique,” as many people are loose with the term. While it specifically means one of a kind, I’d be okay if he used it to mean “something rare.” However, since this is the way everyone is taught to catch the football, I don’t think this qualifies. Here are a few other things from the game that Dan Fouts may have thought made people “unique”:
I’m surprised this is the first time ProFootballJokes has written an article about Dan Fouts, but I expect it won’t be the last. Unless of course we decide to spare ourselves and listen to his games on mute. Dez Bryant is still on the open market, and he is exploring all options when it comes to finding a new home. One team that would make sense for Dez to join is the Shanghai Titans. After their heartbreakingly infamous loss in last year’s AFLC (American Football League of China) championship game to the Shanghai Warriors, it seemed like Dez might be the perfect piece to get them over the hump. However, the organization feels like they can explore other options.
We caught up with Titans quarterback Matthew Smith (not to be confused with ex-Tennesse-Titans QB Rusty Smith) to hear his take. “Yeah, we don’t get a lot of NFL games here in China so all I’ve seen about Dez is a bunch of memes of him dropping the ball. I’m confident in the group we have here. Jibril already commands a lot of targets and we expect Cameron to continue to grow as a player as well.” We all witnessed Jibril Rasheed’s impressive championship performance last year, and who could forget Cameron Shubert’s explosive rookie season? Yet, Dez still thinks he would make that receiving group better. “I’m still a number one receiver in this league. I’ll sign a 1-year prove-it deal if I gots to, and I know I can take this Titans team to the top,” said Bryant. Unfortunately for all employers, it looks like Dez Bryant will still be looking for work. Dez, I know you might be tempted to apply for our unpaid intern position, but I don’t think you would be the right fit. You’re a great player though. We complete our projected starters series with the NFC East. It has been a fun exercise but let’s not be too sad that it is coming to an end. Ultimately, most of these lineups will be ravaged by injuries leaving some unexpectedly healthy team to emerge as a contender.  The Redskins have question marks at wide receiver after the failed Terrelle Pryor experiment. However, at least they will have some good highlights with Paul Richardson and Josh Doctson winning some crazy jump balls. The cornerback group is also new, with Kendall Fuller being shipped to Kansas City for a downgrade at QB, and Bashaud Breeland still sitting on the free agent market after the most expensive infected cut in history. Hopefully Da’Ron Payne will finally turn this into a good run defense, and Derrius Guice fixes the rushing offense.
When I said the Saints might have the most complete roster in the NFL, the Eagles were the only thing keeping me from leaving out the “might.” The team is still dominant in the trenches, and they have depth at almost every other position as well, including quarterback. Their wide receiving corp is probably improved as Mike Wallace should be an upgrade over Torrey Smith. I think they will miss LeGarrette Blount, and they should hope that Sidney Jones can unseat Jalen Mills as a starter, but this team is still loaded. The Cowboys might have the worst receiving corp in all of football when you include the tight end. Michael Gallup figures to crack the lineup sooner rather than later, but I’m unsure of how much he can improve this unit. However, don’t sleep on the addition of Connor Williams, who could transform this offensive line back into the dominant unit it was just a couple years ago. The defense has a lot more pieces to get excited about now, but they are trusting a bunch of promising sophomores to hold up on the backend, along with Byron Jones moving to cornerback. The Giants have some transcendent talents on their team, but they also have more holes than any team in the league. Their struggles on their offensive line were no secret last year, and even the additions of Nate Solder and Will Hernandez have not suddenly fixed it, especially since they also lost their only two good linemen in Justin Pugh and Weston Richburg. Their switch to a 3-4 defense should be interesting, but it is their secondary that holds the most questions for a group that was considered one of the best in the NFL just a year ago. Eli Apple’s implosion along with DRC’s departure has left Landon Collins and Janoris Jenkins to try to buoy this backend. |
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