2012 NFL Free Agency: 10 Teams That Can Make the Playoffs with a Solid Offseason

With a productive offseason, which includes free agency and the NFL draft, there are certain teams that are in position to make it back to the postseason. 

A few things have to be set in place for a team to transform into a playoff contender in just one offseason.

The team needs to have the cap room, be set up to have a solid draft, as well as be in position to not lose too many key players via free agency. This is the reason why teams like the San Diego Chargers, Dallas Cowboys or the Philadelphia Eagles will not be on the list. They do not have the resources to make big splashes in the free agent market.

Here's a list of 10 teams who can make it back to the postseason with a productive offseason.

10. Oakland Raiders

If the Oakland Raiders had the resources to become major players in this free agent market, they would be ranked much higher on this list.

However, the fact of the matter is that they don't. The Raiders won't have a ton of cap room to break the bank in free agency, and they also traded their first-round pick for Carson Palmer.

They could lose running back Michael Bush to free agency as well.

But one thing the Raiders will have going for them is time. Palmer will have an entire offseason to get acquainted with the playbook and the rest of the offense. Darren McFadden, who was hurt the majority of the year, will hopefully find a way to stay healthy.

Don't forget that the Raiders were only one win away from actually making the playoffs this year. The battle to win the AFC West next year will be very interesting to watch.

9. Miami Dolphins

When you look at the Miami Dolphins roster, you will see that there are some talented players already in place.

Brandon Marshall, Jake Long, Mike Pouncey and Reggie Bush are all very good players. On defense, Paul Soliai—barring that he re-signs—Karlos Dansby, Cameron Wake, Vontae Davis and Yeremiah Bell are also very talented players.

Yes, there are holes on this team. But every other team in the NFL has them too.

No team is perfect.

The one glaring need, however, is a quarterback. A legitimate one may be hard to come by this offseason, but Matt Flynn would be a very intriguing acquisition if the Dolphins were able to pull that off.

If the Dolphins find a way to get a reliable quarterback on the roster, look out for them in 2012.

8. Tennessee Titans

Despite finishing with a 9-7 record this season, the Tennessee Titans still found themselves watching the playoffs from their couches.

Three-quarters of their entire secondary could hit the free agent market—Jordan Babineaux, Cortland Finnegan, Michael Griffin and Chris Hope—but expect them to bring back at least a couple of them.

Wide receiver Kenny Britt will also be back from injury, and Chris Johnson's production can only go up from here.

The Titans might not have much money to spend this offseason, but simply getting their players healthy and back on track could be enough to get them into the postseason next year.

Plus, it will be interesting to see if/when Jake Locker takes the reins on offense next year. He could easily give this offense, which ranked 21st in scoring this season, the boost that it needs. 

7. Indianapolis Colts

Yes, Robert Mathis and Reggie Wayne are pending free agents. But look at it this way; either Andrew Luck or Peyton Manning will be the quarterback of the Indianapolis Colts in 2012.

That's much better than having Dan Orlovsky or Curtis Painter under center.

Plus, imagine if the Colts for some reason decided to trade the No. 1 overall pick since they thought that Manning could come back healthy.

Can you imagine what they could get in return for the sexiest draft pick in the last 25 years?

Heck, they could even get a lot in compensation for Manning if they decided to go that route.

The possibilities are endless.

If the Colts are able to bring back both Mathis and Wayne, we've all seen how good this team can be with a solid quarterback. This team will get back to the playoffs regardless of whether Manning or Luck leads them there.

6. Seattle Seahawks

The NFC West was widely criticized for being the worst division in the NFL, but that's about to change.

The San Francisco 49ers are now one of the elite teams in the NFC, the Arizona Cardinals finished strong and the Seattle Seahawks are a young, up-and-coming team to keep an eye on.

Their offense is a little suspect, and they relied a little too heavily on Marshawn Lynch this season. However, they must find a way to re-sign him or snag Trent Richardson with the 11th-pick in the NFL draft.

David Hawthorne, Michael Robinson, John Carlson, Marcus Trufant and Doug Baldwin are all pending free agents as well, so the organization will have some financial decisions to make this offseason.

Tarvaris Jackson is not the answer at quarterback either. Finding a replacement should be the top priority for the Seahawks this offseason.

5. Carolina Panthers

Some may not have realized it, but the Carolina Panthers lost their best player during the very first game of the season: middle linebacker John Beason. Having him back in 2012 is instantly going to improve this defense.

The Panthers might not have the funds to make a big splash in free agency, but they also won't need to re-sign too many players either. Jeremy Shockey is the only name that really jumps out at you, and the Panthers already have Greg Olsen under contract.

They also have a top-10 pick, which they can use to give Cam Newton another target to throw to. Alshon Jeffery, the wide receiver from South Carolina, would be an excellent complement to the smaller, but quicker Steve Smith.

The Panthers will be solid in 2012, whether they make a huge splash in free agency. They have most of the pieces already in place.

4. Arizona Cardinals

There weren't many teams that were playing better than the Arizona Cardinals were down the stretch.

They were 7-2 during their last nine games of the season, and their only losses came to the San Francisco 49ers and Cincinnati Bengals. Both were away losses to playoff teams.

Most impressively, they did it all without their starting quarterback Kevin Kolb. Some might not have liked the trade, but Kolb will find a way to make it work. I mean, all he'll have to do is lob it up to Larry Fitzgerald anyways.

The Cardinals must re-sign Calais Campbell. He was one of the major reasons why the Cardinals defense played so well down the stretch. They also must find a way to improve the offensive line, which struggled at times this season.

With a productive offseason, the Cardinals could find themselves contending with the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC West.

3. Buffalo Bills

After an impressive 5-2 start to the season, the Bills got the city of Buffalo talking about football once again. Everyone started to feel especially confident after they beat the New England Patriots at home in Week 3.

However, the wheels fell off and the Bills went on a seven-game losing streak after their hot start.

They will have some money to spend this offseason to fill some of the holes on the team. A top-10 pick in the 2012 NFL draft doesn't hurt either.

They will have some decisions to make like whether to bring back Steve Johnson. He will be demanding a lot of money and might be tempted to test the free agent market.

But if the Bills can shore up their secondary and maybe give quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick another target, don't be surprised to see the them in the playoffs next season.

2. Chicago Bears

I honestly don't get it.

Why haven't the Chicago Bears made an effort to give quarterback Jay Cutler some legitimate receivers to throw to?

I like what I see from Earl Bennett, but I don't see him as much more than a solid No. 2 target in the NFL. And that's his ceiling.

Re-signing Matt Forte is a must. But once they lock him up, they should have some money to throw around this free agency period. The Bears were $19 million under the salary cap at the beginning of the season, and they won't have many pending free agents to worry about.

They do have the 19th-overall pick in the NFL draft, so Kendall Wright from Baylor or Michael Floyd from Notre Dame might still be on the board.

I don't care how the Bears do it. Give Cutler some protection and some receivers to work with, and the Bears could be a dangerous team.

1. Kansas City Chiefs

The Kansas City Chiefs are poised to make it back to the postseason in 2012.

They were $33 million under the salary cap in 2011, which was the most of any team in the NFL. However, the potential re-signings of Dwayne Bowe and Brandon Flowers will certainly take a big chunk out of that figure.

But whether they make a splash in free agency, and they certainly have the funds to do so, the Chiefs will be a vastly improved team in 2012.

They were one of the more injury-ridden teams this year. Jamaal Charles and Eric Berry missed the entire season, and quarterback Matt Cassel missed seven games.

It will also be interesting to see if the team continues to win under head coach Romeo Crennel. The Chiefs were 2-1 under Crennel after Todd Haley was fired.