It’s almost a week until Super Bowl Sunday, the most exciting American sporting event of the year. Like you and I, the bottom 10 teams of the league will be watching the game, wishing they were good enough to play in it. So, what do these teams need to be good enough next year? Let’s take a look.
1. Carolina Panthers
This was the worst team in the NFL this year by a long shot. Arguably one of the worst NFL teams we’ve seen in a while. After making a crazy trade to get Bryce Young last year, they forgot it takes more than just a QB to win games. The poor rookie was playing with an XFL level team—in the NFL. So, the Panthers wish list is easy. They need to get as many offensive players as possible to help Bryce Young. But without a first round pick, Panther fans shouldn’t get too excited for next season to be much different.
2. New England Patriots
This is the first time in 24 years the Patriots will have a new coach at the helm. Losing Bill Bellicheck is a true sign that this next season will be a rebuilding year. Like many teams this season, offense should be the focus for the draft. The Patriots must decide if Mac Jones is really a franchise quarterback. And with a good QB draft class this year, there’s no better time than now to pick up a new one. However, there’s also an abundance of wide receivers on the board that could help Jones perform better.
3. Washington Commanders
Like many of these bottom teams, the Commanders are looking for a new head coach as well as an improved roster. The coach that is picked will decide whether Sam Howell is worth keeping or not. With five top 100 picks in the draft, the Commanders can keep Sam Howell and really build a new young team. This could be a rebuilding year—or a year with lots of good rookies who take them to the playoffs.
4. Arizona Cardinals
This may be the most unpredictable team this offseason. Kyle Murray performed very well at the end of the season after his knee injury, so it’s hard to say they should trade him. Add the 10 picks they have in this draft, and they could build a brand-new team around him. Then the question becomes: do you keep the high pick and get a standout player—like wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr.—or trade the pick and get even more draft picks? If Harrison Jr. is available when the Cardinals pick, it could be very hard to stop this team next year.
5. Los Angeles Chargers
The Chargers find themselves in an interesting position this offseason, with a lot of their players’ contracts needing to be restructured. There is an expectation for them to have a high salary cap hit. The draft will be important, but free agency could result in some huge pickups for them. Their focus should be on improving their passing defense and rushing offense, both of which were near the bottom of the league this past season.
6. New York Giants
Not much is expected from the Giants this offseason. It should be a lot of the same team next season with a few new players. With Daniel Jones coming back from an injury, I expect the Giants to look more in free agency for somebody to compete with him for the position or maybe use a late draft pick on a QB. The focus for the Giants in the draft needs to be getting wide receivers who can take the load off Saquon Barkley and some sort of offensive line improvement to protect whoever is at QB.
7. Tennessee Titans
After an emotional speech that seemed like a goodbye from Derrick Henry, the Titans are looking at a rocky offseason. The only semi-comfortable position on the team seems to be Will Levis at QB. Besides that, the Titans need a whole new team—and it will take more than this offseason and draft to put that together. Especially if DeAndre Hopkins follows Derrick Henry into free agency.
8. Atlanta Falcons
It’s a very simple task for the Falcons and new head coach Raheem Morris: get a QB that will make a difference for the team. There are many options from free agency or the draft. However, with the 8th pick in the draft, there are a lot of teams in front of them who could pick the highest rated quarterbacks. So, should the Falcons trade up in the draft to pick a young QB like Jayden Daniels or get a veteran like Kirk Cousins? Either way, the Falcons need this QB choice to go right in order to take advantage of a weak NFC South.
9. Chicago Bears
For all Bears fans, there should be nothing but excitement for the draft. Getting to see your team have two top ten picks is rare and could really turn the team around, especially when a QB isn’t the main priority. The Bears could decide to cut ties with Justin Fields, but I think this team could have a good chance at a much-improved team if they use one pick for a wide receiver and one for an offensive lineman. If done right, the Bears can have a solid season in 2024.
10. New York Jets
With the hope of a healthy Aaron Rogers next season, the Jets can set their sights on an offensive lineman or a wide receiver, depending on what’s available. If the picks fall differently than expected, and a top QB prospect is still left on the board when it comes to their pick, it might be a good investment to pick one up. Either way, if Aaron Rogers can stay healthy for one last season and they get an offensive line to protect him, the Jets should expect to be good.
As expected, this offseason will be nothing less than exciting from free agency through the draft. With some teams just a few players away from being contenders, we could see a big change in the NFL and the bottom 10 teams.