5 TEAMS TO WATCH FOR THIS OFFSEASON

Author: Peter DiPaola
Editor: Nicholas Petersen

The 2017 NFL season starts on Thursday and all 32 NFL teams will be looking to improve - some more than others.  Here's a list of 5 teams to watch as the new league year starts:

CLEVELAND BROWNS

When a team goes 1-15, that generally means that they have plenty of holes to fill and talent to add. Cleveland holds the top pick in the 2017 NFL draft, 5 picks in the top 65, and a total of 11 picks overall, which gives them plenty of flexibility to trade around for a top-level player or for a QB (New England’s Jimmy Garoppolo comes to mind). Not only that, they have the most available cap space in the League heading into the free agency, which starts on March 9th. Expect them to make a big splash there. Let the rebuilding process begin…

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS

Kyle Shanahan will enter 2017 as the latest coach for the 49ers, who hold the league's second highest cap space and the second overall pick in the draft. Aside from their 2-14 record last season, Shanahan will have his hands full crafting their offense, as the 49ers do not have a single quarterback on the roster.  That means that Shanahan can go in a few different directions. He could trade for a QB (Kirk Cousins, anyone?), draft one, sign one, or some combination of the three.  There's not much to work with, but if they spend their money wisely or make a smart trade, then they could see a big rise in their win total next season.

LOS ANGELES RAMS

Because of the trade they made last year to draft quarterback Jared Goff, L.A. will not pick until the 2nd round this year. With limited picks and a salary cap of just over $20 Million, they will need to figure out how to fix their team and build a better roster.  Los Angeles ranked 32 in points scored and total yards per game in 2016, and 31st in both passing yards and rushing yards per game as well. The Rams have plenty of needs to address, and it will be interesting to see how head coach Sean McVay handles the limitations they face in cap space and draft picks. Fixing the offensive line and obtaining more weapons for Jared Goff should be at the top of their list.

NEW YORK JETS

The Jets have already been busy making moves, having cut both Brandon Marshall and Nick Mangold to free up cap space. In order to fill some roster voids, the Jets could make some trades to clear even more cap space and acquire more picks in advance of the draft. Sheldon Richardson would be a good place to start. Jets GM Mike Maccagnan has even stated that the team isopen to trading down from the 6th overall pick to acquire even more picks. In 2016, the Jets saw their win total cut in half from the previous season. New York has plenty of work ahead of them if they want a shot at a winning season.

TENNESSEE TITANS

Tennessee is coming off a 9-7 season where they fell short of winning the AFC south. That may partly be due to Marcus Mariota’s week 16 injury in a loss to the Jaguars. As we’ve mentioned before, Tennessee ran the ball well in 2016 but could use some help at receiver to improve their passing attack - they ranked 25th in passing yards per game - and a few DEs to shore up their passing defense as well.  Tennessee is set to have $61 million in cap space and 2 first round picks (5th and 18th), as well as 4 picks in the top 100. They have the cap room and the picks to acquire the talent they need and there are plenty of wide receiver options in free agency. Expect the Titans to make a move there first.  It’s possible that the AFC South could be up for grabs again in 2017, and if the Titans play their cards right they could win it next year.

Salary Cap information from:  www.overthecap.com
Stats from: www.nfl.com