NFL Power Rankings: Post-Initial Free-Agency Signings

Free agency is less than a day old. And Bleacher Report seriously wants me to power rank all 32 teams?

Happy NFL New Year to me, I suppose.

This is no one’s idea of an easy task. In the time it takes to collect my thoughts, Brock Osweiler might be traded another six times. The Jaguars might’ve added yet another star defender, or the Browns yet another big-name lineman.

No one can keep track of who’s signing where, let alone couple those moves with earlier coaching decisions and 2016 season outcomes.

Let’s establish some guidelines to keep everyone on the same page: Because it’s damn near impossible to weigh which teams are winning and losing the offseason, let’s place them on a scale called “franchise direction.” You’ll find my top teams are the ones that have their you-know-what straight. The bottom teams already are starting to smell like you-know-what. So, with how much things are bound to evolve in the days and weeks ahead, you can expect some seismic shifts in these rankings throughout the offseason.

I'm still powering through. It’s time to rank the most fluid rosters immersed in a wave pool of exchanging talent. Buckle up, folks—it’s bound to get bumpy.

32. New York Jets

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Gang Green’s stock is crashing on the open market.

General manager Mike Maccagnan’s only possible response? An asset fire sale.

Darrelle Revis and Brandon Marshall are gone. So are three starting offensive linemen—including longtime center Nick Mangold. And the player who’ll receive snaps from Mangold’s replacement is still very much in question.

This team was built to compete in 2016. It didn’t, and now you’d be hard-pressed to find a less complete roster. They're unquestionably my offseason basement-dwellers.

31. Washington Redskins

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Scot McCloughan’s reported alcohol issues are bigger than the game of football. I wish him nothing but the best.

But let’s face facts: Without their general manager—a team-building genius—these are the same old ‘Skins. Team president Bruce Allen is in charge until owner Daniel Snyder steps in, and vice versa. The front office in D.C. is like a merry-go-round of power-seekers.

And—go figure—you see the aftereffects early on in free agency. DeSean Jackson and Pierre Garcon sped out of town. And from what I hear, Kirk Cousins wants to be next. Not a pretty scene by a team that sat on the playoff cusp in 2016.

30. Chicago Bears

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Chicagoans are upset about the wrong offseason move.

Mike Glennon is not A) the long-term answer at quarterback or B) overpaid at the going rate of $15 million per season. At worst, he’s a high-end backup who can buy some time for a draft pick to develop.

I’d be far more concerned about the other side of the ball. John Fox had to endure 16 games of poor secondary play in 2017; he’ll be out of a job if that happens this fall. Why the Bears didn’t throw a bid into the A.J. Bouye war is mind-boggling to me.

Adding corner depth is a must.

29. Los Angeles Rams

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Sean McVay is 31 years old.

He’ll only be a decade older than his first rookie class. New defensive coordinator Wade Phillips was 38…when he was born. There’s bound to be some growing pains for a guy that inexperienced.

The good news? L.A.’s defense is still intact, albeit different-looking (the Rams are switching to a 3-4.) And the aforementioned Phillips is a Super Bowl-winning mastermind who was a coup for this team to lock in.

McVay won’t need to worry about one side of the ball; the other side could age him like a president. Jared Goff is still raw, and despite new help in his huddle (Andrew Whitworth is a great signing), he’ll still need time and patience.

28. Buffalo Bills

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I see you, Sean McDermott.

Carolina’s former defensive coordinator is molding a roster in the image of his former employer. He’s swapping out cornerbacks that fit a Panthers-esque zone. He’s targeting offensive linemen to pound the football. Hell, McDermott even imported two fullbacks.

It’s amazing what progress can be made once the Bills answered their Tyrod Taylor question. Taylor may never be Cam Newton, but he’s a building block for a team in transition.

27. Indianapolis Colts

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Out went Ryan Grigson and all the friction that came with him.

In came Chris Ballard, perhaps the most qualified general manager candidate in football.

Whatever the Colts accomplish this free-agent period is just a cherry on top. Ballard is a star who knows when to spend and when to walk away. He did just that when Alshon Jeffery and A.J. Bouye reportedly got too pricey.

Indianapolis’ roster still has the same two holes: Luck’s line and pass-rushers. I trust Ballard will get around to fixing both in time.

26. Minnesota Vikings

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Alshon Jeffery might be wearing purple if not for the lure of Carson Wentz.

He’s not, and that’s a problem on an offense without a true “defensive magnet”—a guy who draws the eyes in every helmet across the line of scrimmage. Adrian Peterson was that guy. Jeffery could’ve been that guy. The search for that guy continues.

In the meantime, I’ll applaud general manager Rick Spielman for not letting Riley Reiff out of the building. He’s a mammoth who knows the division and fills a huge need. Spielman’s far from finished on the blocking market, but Reiff’s a great start.

25. San Francisco 49ers

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Kirk Cousins won’t be heading to the Bay Area this offseason.

So tweak Kyle Shanahan’s first mission as Niners boss ever so slightly. Instead of getting his guy in from Washington and building around him, he’ll build around a placeholder (Brian Hoyer) until his guy from Washington arrives.

Shanahan is well on his way to crafting Falcons West. Pierre Garcon and Marquise Goodwin can be Mohamed Sanu and Taylor Gabriel types, respectively. New fullback Kyle Juszczyk will play a big role too. Now how about building that defense?

24. Los Angeles Chargers

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It still feels weird to type out “Chargers” without a “San Diego” in front of it.

You know what’ll be weirder? Watching a team play in a soccer stadium retrofitted for 30,000 fans. Everything about San Diego’s relocation still feels surreal—and you better believe that’ll impact the players.

The Chargers Formerly Known as San Diego made a smart move after their big move, though. Anthony Lynn is great on his own; they surrounded him with Ken Whisenhunt (former head coach) and Gus Bradley (former head coach). They’ll all work on fixing a roster with as much talent as it has holes, particularly on the offensive line.

Adding Russell Okung is not enough.

23. Cincinnati Bengals

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Following a Bengals offseason is getting to be like watching the first 20 minutes of a home renovation show.

In short: Nothing but demolition.

For the second straight year, NFL vultures have picked talent off a once-flush Cincinnati roster. The Bengals smartly returned Dre Kirkpatrick, but other starters are fleeing again. Losing Andrew Whitworth at tackle stings; losing Kevin Zeitler at guard is a tough blow for Andy Dalton and Co.

How Cincy fills that void will define its 2017 success. The Bengals were at their best two seasons ago when they could run over opponents and dearly need that edge back.

22. Arizona Cardinals

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The market giveth, the market taketh away.

Arizona imported and then extended Chandler Jones. It imported Antoine Bethea at safety. These are two good moves.

Then other teams came knocking for defensive help. Arizona’s contract-heavy roster couldn’t pay Tony Jefferson or Calais Campbell enough to stick around. I’m sure Bruce Arians is less than thrilled about seeing those two stars walk.

General manager Steve Keim is great at finding cheap replacement labor. He has his tinkering cut out for him in 2017—and that’s not even factoring in a graying Carson Palmer.

21. New Orleans Saints

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Are free agents allowed to sign with teams?

Then chances are the Saints are interested in big, nasty blockers. Sean Payton’s physical offensive remodel continued when his team added Larry Warford, a mauler from Detroit. He’s perfect for what Payton wants to do.

Speaking of Payton’s plan: Perhaps he realizes his offense is a little too good. Up on the trade block sits Brandin Cooks for any team willing to part with defensive help or picks. It’d be huge if N’awlins could pry away—say—a Malcolm Butler.

20. Cleveland Browns

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Hue Jackson’s team sat in the basement of my in-season power rankings for what felt like forever.

It’ll be well worth the wait when the Browns emerge on the other side. After spinning Brock Osweiler for cap space and picks, Jackson’s roster is poised to receive an injection of draft capital the likes of which we haven’t seen since the Herschel Walker trade. How’d that turn out?

Maybe I’m being hyperbolic. It’s just hard not to get excited when this team has a clear plan for success. Adding free agents like Kevin Zeitler and Kenny Britt are just the first step in that plan.

19. Tennessee Titans

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All is quiet in Nashville on the free-agent front.

I would’ve liked to see the Titans in on the Alshon Jeffery or A.J. Bouye sweepstakes. After all, Tennessee’s just a few defensive pieces away from serious AFC South contention. But that’s not how general manager Jon Robinson—who learned from the best in New England—rolls. He did grab Logan Ryan, though.

Robinson is content to play puppet master over the upcoming draft instead. He’s armed with two first-rounders, and it would shock no one if he wheels and deals his way around the board late next month.

18. Miami Dolphins

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Miami has the luxury of standing still while improving.

A coach like Adam Gase can do that for a team. His system and style will continue to influence the Dolphins; management only needs to tread water, patch a few holes and watch the roster develop.

It’s no surprise, then, that veterans like Kenny Stills, Andre Branch and Reshad Jones are back. And it shouldn’t shock anyone that Gase is importing guys who know him best, like ex-Broncos pupil Julius Thomas.

Gase’s roster needs defensive help across the board, and he can focus solely on that in the upcoming draft.

17. Carolina Panthers

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Family reunions don’t come cheaply in Charlotte.

Ex-Vikings left tackle Matt Kalil nabbed big bucks to come block with big brother Ryan. The latter must’ve vouched for the health of the former before general manager Dave Gettleman pounced.

He’ll need to jump on more cheap blocking options. While he’s at it, Gettleman can also import some cornerback and safety help (that secondary still haunts me) before next season begins. That ought to fix what ailed Cam Newton and Co. in 2016.

16. Baltimore Ravens

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Go win the offseason, Ozzie Newsome.

Nose tackle Brandon Williams is back. Tony Jefferson is teaming up with Eric Weddle at safety. And Danny Woodhead is coming to play a mean third-down back for Joe Flacco. All three moves are a great jumping-off point for Baltimore’s general manager.

Up next: More secondary help, and fast! Baltimore’s once-staunch secondary played in slow motion in 2016. Newsome’s lucky that this is the best year to draft a cornerback I can remember. Veteran help wouldn’t hurt either.

15. Philadelphia Eagles

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The Rocky stairs and the Liberty Bell have nothing on Carson Wentz.

The soon-to-be second-year quarterback is officially Philly’s biggest draw. Why else would guys like Alshon Jeffery, Torrey Smith and Chance Warmack leave more reported money on the table to join the team? They wanted to play with No. 11. This is how great teams begin.

If only Wentz had a similar effect on cornerbacks. Philadelphia needs two starting ones; the Eagles are now in tough cap-space waters and might seek out some college cover men next month instead.

14. Jacksonville Jaguars

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Make no doubt about it: This is Tom Coughlin’s team now.

Jacksonville became bigger and more versatile on defense over a two-day span. On the first, it landed Calais Campbell to anchor down next to Malik Jackson. On the next, it added A.J. Bouye to one deep-as-hell secondary. Both are quintessential, defense-first Coughlin moves.

Blake Bortles should be next on Coughlin’s to-do list. Either the future Hall of Famer finds a veteran QB2 (imagine if the Jags start slowly and have to turn to Chad Henne) or a talent to offset his poor throwing.

One name to watch: LSU’s Leonard Fournette, a Coughlin kind of power back.

13. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

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There are free-agent signings I really like.

Then there are signings I absolutely love. Tampa Bay’s move to add DeSean Jackson fits firmly into that second category.

You’d be hard-pressed to find a better complement to Mike Evans—especially with deep-throw artist Jameis Winston at the helm. All that’s left to do is locate a capable running back to offset deep coverage (hello, Adrian Peterson) and add a lineman here or there.

More defensive work needs to be done. The Bucs brought back William Gholston but still lack a pass-rusher with elite “get-off.”

12. Atlanta Falcons

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The Dirty Birds are keeping the Super Bowl 51 band back together—and it’s both a good and bad thing.

On one hand, one crushing Super Bowl loss shouldn’t be enough to force a roster remodel. Matt Ryan is still the MVP. Julio Jones is still Julio Jones. That defense is still up-and-coming.

On the other hand, a lot of what made Atlanta dominant won’t be returning. Case in point: New Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan, who masked a lot of what ailed his offense by being the best play-caller in football. For instance, Atlanta needs guard help now because Shanahan won’t be around to assist Chris Chester and Andy Levitre.

Atlanta is a very good team. It just has some work to do to recapture what made it great.

11. Seattle Seahawks

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Breathe easy, Russell Wilson.

Seattle knows it needs better blocking for you up front. So general manager John Schneider brought in guard Luke Joeckel (I like the signing) and, potentially, guard T.J. Lang (I’d love the signing). Both would do wonders for Seattle’s stale offense.

Let’s talk about defense and special teams. Earl Thomas will be back to lead the Legion of Boom, but they’re still missing a cornerback opposite Richard Sherman. And for a defensive-minded squad, losing kicker Steven Hauschka looms large.

In short: Seattle is a few moves away from needing defensive help. Who would’ve guessed?

10. Denver Broncos

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Calais Campbell denied us all the opportunity to watch one special defense.

The ex-Cardinals lineman was reportedly weighing a Broncos offer before agreeing to join the Jaguars. We’ll never see what he’d look like as the blocking focal point in a group that still features Von Miller. We’ll only see what that group looks like playing under Vance Joseph (who is not Wade Phillips).

Now onto Tony Romo. Denver’s best path back to dominance is with No. 9 at the helm, not Paxton Lynch. Will John Elway make a last-ditch effort?

9. Houston Texans

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Rick Smith had the cojones to do what few general manages actually would.

He gave up. He admitted a mistake. And he shipped away human quarterback lowlight Brock Osweiler—and a second-round pick—just to turn the page on an era gone sour. Kudos upon kudos.

So what happens next? Unless Smith and coach Bill O’Brien have a big draft-day move planned, Tony Romo is everyone's guess. The soon-to-be ex-Cowboy could enjoy a good running game, solid receivers and a defense that, even after losing A.J. Bouye, is still one of the AFC’s strongest.

8. Detroit Lions

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Detroit isn’t done with its offensive line reshuffling. I, for one, can’t wait to see what the end product looks like.

Perhaps it involves T.J. Lang, one of football’s best guards and a former Packer. It’ll certainly involve Ricky Wagner at right tackle. Any way you slice it, the big uglies in front of Matthew Stafford look good.

The running back situation looks less than ideal, however. Ameer Abdullah will be healthy again; can he carry the load? I’d love to see them scoop up a power back like Latavius Murray, who can take a beating and block.

7. Oakland Raiders

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Few question marks exist on the roster Reggie McKenzie compiled.

Here are three: How will Oakland’s general manager prioritize new deals for Khalil Mack, Amari Cooper and Derek Carr? All three silver and black-clad stars should only be allowed to leave town if the rest of the team follows them to Las Vegas.

That impending move only puts more pressure on McKenzie and his financial acumen. Lose any of those three core players and suddenly a move to the desert looks less fun for area fans. But at the same time, owner Mark Davis might want to pull back on free-agent spending until his stadium deal comes through.

It’s a tricky balancing act.

6. Green Bay Packers

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Green Bay’s rough-as-leather approach to free agency might finally be softening up.

General manager Ted Thompson is a tough man to read, but he’s putting out interesting signals this offseason. Perhaps his reluctance to bring veteran linemen back signals a slightly altered direction in his offseason planning.

After all, Thompson was able to bring Nick Perry back with the money freed up by T.J. Lang and J.C. Tretter. An optimist would see those moves and think Thompson was comfortable enough with Aaron Rodgers behind a new-look line but not comfortable enough to return the rest of his roster as is.

5. New York Giants

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I’ve said it all week.

I’ll say it again.

Brandon Marshall is more than a good fit for the Giants offense. In both his locker room presence and on-field ability, he’s perfect. Big Blue is lucky their stadium neighbor offered him up so easily.

Yes, Marshall will open coverage up for Odell Beckham Jr. He’ll also move inside and give defenses a huge frame to deal with in the slot. Did I mention he’s an excellent blocker, too?

Defensively, Jason Pierre-Paul’s tag puts pressure on general manager Jerry Reese. If both sides can’t reach a long-term agreement soon, the almost $17 million is tacked on the salary cap. Watch this period closely; you’ll figure out how good Reese actually is at his job.

4. Dallas Cowboys

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A storm cloud of Tony Romo questions will rain on some other locker room next year.

That should make all the difference as Dallas bridges eras. Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott won’t face the specter of No. 9 everywhere they turn; this is officially their team now. Dallas should seek to pair them with a tight end who can learn from Jason Witten while he’s still around.

They should also seek any defensive help they can get. Both Dallas cornerbacks are hitting the open market. Safety Barry Church has already left. We also know the front four overachieved as pass-rushers in 2016. Don’t be surprised when Jerry Jones drafts no offensive players next month.

3. Pittsburgh Steelers

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Every move Pittsburgh makes this offseason should be with one question in mind.

Will this help us beat the Patriots?

So big ups for retaining Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell—two necessary pieces of the “beating New England” puzzle. Smaller moves, like bringing Landry Jones back, could prove valuable in that endeavor too.

Now onto the defense, which Tom Brady artfully destroyed in the AFC Championship. Pittsburgh needs to reinvest in its secondary and bring back inside linebacker Lawrence Timmons. Finding enough funds to do both will be tricky, however.

2. Kansas City Chiefs

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Two long-term extensions sealed Kansas City’s spot high atop these power rankings.

The first was a no-brainer. Safety Eric Berry single-handedly won the Chiefs two regular-season contests last season. He’s the best backfield roamer in football and deserved to be paid like it.

The second? An eye-popping deal handed to Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, a guard the average fan knows little about. Here are two facts: LDT played college ball in Quebec, and he just so happens to be one of the freakiest athletes blocking today.

Both moves preserve K.C.’s status as one of the most talented and interesting rosters in football. Let’s see what the Chiefs do next.

1. New England Patriots

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Thirty-one teams play free-agent checkers. Bill Belichick plays free-agent chess with a laser cannon.

That’s how advanced the Patriots’ football czar is when it comes to this time of year. The reigning champions could realistically add a Pro Bowl receiver in Brandin Cooks and multiple first-round selections without forfeiting their spot as AFC favorites. Think about that for a second.

New England expects players to sign at a discount for a true title shot; some do, like Chris Long last offseason and Alan Branch this year. Other won’t (see: Martellus Bennett) and will kindly be shown the door and promptly replaced (see: Dwayne Allen).