NFL Power Rankings: How Each Team's Offseason Stacks Up

The NFL offseason has been an eventful one with the Peyton Manning sweepstakes— which led to the Tim Tebow sweepstakes—and the upcoming NFL Draft.

Some teams have made some drastic changes that seem to have improved them on paper, while others have made some subtle tweaks to improve what's already a good thing.

Others have taken a step or two in the wrong direction.

This list is based off teams' performances from last season combined with their offseasons so far.

So where are the defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants, and how far have the New Orleans Saints fallen since the "Bounty Gate" scandal?

We answer all of those questions and more as we stack up all 32 teams.

No. 32: Miami Dolphins (6-10, 3rd in AFC East)

A couple of months ago, the Miami Dolphins would not have been this low on the list.

The Dolphins actually showed some signs of improvements near the tail end of 2011 and with a few tweaks here and there (cough, Peyton Manning, cough), could have been a dark horse contender for a wild-card spot in 2012.

But the Dolphins lost more times during this offseason than they did during the regular season.

First, they trade away their best receiving option in Brandon Marshall. Sure, Marshall is bit of a headcase, but he's still one of the more talented pass catchers in the game.

Then they lose out Manning, but it was okay because they still had a shot at Matt Flynn.

Well, they lost out on that, too. They also missed a chance to sign Alex Smith.

Now they're left with Matt Moore, who did play well last season (with Marshall I might add), a new head coach in Joe Philbin and a team that seems to be headed nowhere fast.

All of this has led to Dolphins fans wanting the scalp of general manager Jeff Ireland.

I'm not sure the draft could save such a tumultuous offseason.

No. 31: Indianapolis Colts (2-14, 4th in AFC South)

There aren't a whole lot of places to put the team that finished tied for the worst record in football last season.

The Colts are in an obvious rebuilding period after letting go of essentially every member of their glory years.

The list of people who they lost/got rid of is as long as the river of tears Colts fans cried after seeing Peyton Manning leave. It starts with Manning of course, but also continues with Dallas Clark, Jeff Saturday, Joseph Addai, Pierre Garcon and Gary Brackett, among others. The only player the Colts  managed to keep was the aging receiver, Reggie Wayne.

Sure, the Colts will more than likely select Andrew Luck with the first overall pick in hopes that he will rescue the franchise, but that will not happen in year one.

Expect the same futility for 2012.

No. 30: Minnesota Vikings (3-13, 4th in NFC North)

The Vikings have fallen so far so fast that it's hard to think that this team was just in the NFC Championship Game a couple of seasons ago.

The Vikings are also in a bit of rebuilding phase with second-year quarterback Christian Ponder getting his first full season as a starter.

Ponder could turn out to be a solid quarterback, but the Vikings have so many holes in other areas such as the secondary, the receiving corp and the offensive line that it's hard to put them higher on this list.

No. 29: Cleveland Browns (4-12, 4th in AFC North)

The Browns may be a little higher on this list after the draft, but at this point this is where they stand.

The Dawg Pound suffered through yet another losing season in 2011 thanks to multiple injuries, especially on offense.

They re-signed linebacker D'Qwell Jackson, but lost running back Peyton Hillis. Losing Hillis could turn out to be a bad thing or a blessing in disguise depending on how you look at it, but it doesn't help in the short term.

Based off their season last year and the minimal additions made during the offseason, the Browns are relegated to the bottom third of this list.

However, if they draft a receiver like Justin Blackmon in a couple of weeks, they could become a sleeper pick for a wild-card spot.

No. 28: Jacksonville Jaguars (5-11, 3rd in AFC South)

The Jaguars have made some nice additions during the offseason by bringing in wide receiver Laurent Robinson and cornerback Aaron Ross, but those additions aren't quite enough to make them instant contenders in the AFC.

The Jaguars' hopes essentially hinge on the success of quarterback Blaine Gabbert and the type of players they pick up in the draft.

The Jaguars are notorious for average-at-best selections, so we'll see if they make any startling improvements.

As of right now, Robinson and Ross aren't enough to get the Jaguars higher on this list.

No. 27: St. Louis Rams (2-14, 4th in NFC West)

The Rams finished 2-14 last season, but hiring Jeff Fisher and making that trade with the Washington Redskins places them higher on this list.

The Rams still have many holes to fill at offensive line, wide receiver and defense. The suspension of new defensive coordinator Greg Williams will also be an issue during the regular season.

A healthy Sam Bradford, along with possibly drafting a receiver in the first round, could make the Rams a contender in the weak NFC West. But as of right now, they sit at No. 27.

No. 26: Arizona Cardinals (8-8, 2nd in NFC West)

Losing out on the Peyton Manning sweepstakes also hurt the Cardinals. Not as much as the Dolphins, but it still hurt.

The Cardinals have weapons on offense, defense and special teams and finished a solid 8-8 last season, but they have one huge hole, and it's at the spot you don't want to have holes in and that's quarterback.

If they landed Manning then this would have been solved. But the Cardinals are forced to decide between John Skelton, who won a lot of games for them last season, and the $60 million dollar man Kevin Kolb.

As the old saying goes, if you have two quarterbacks, you don't any quarterbacks. If one of them steps up and takes over the starting job, then Arizona may move up on this list. But if they have a similar situation to last year, then it will be another missed postseason for the Cardinals.

One positive for Cardinals fans is that their team re-signed some key pieces and brought in William Gay from the Steelers to put in the secondary.

No. 25: Oakland Raiders (8-8, 3rd in AFC West)

Another team that had a solid 2011 season was the Oakland Raiders.

Their offseason has not been as kind.

First they fire their coach for the second consecutive season, and then they lose quarterback Jason Campbell, running back Michael Bush and defensive back Stanford Routt.

The Raiders still have a good defense, but will now have to worry about Peyton Manning along with Phillip Rivers in the AFC West.

A healthy Darren McFadden would help the Raiders, but that is a big "if."

No. 24: Tennessee Titans (9-7, 2nd in AFC South)

The Titans quietly finished with a winning record last season and was in the thick of the playoff race until Week 17.

Things could have been even better if they didn't lose wide receiver Kenny Britt early in the season.

Britt returns this year, but besides that, things haven't gone all that great during the offseason.

The Titans were another team in hot pursuit of Peyton Manning, but it cost them defensive end Mario Williams, who they desperately needed to fill a void in the pass rush.

The Titans also lost Cortland Finnegan to free agency, which doesn't help either.

Their lone saving grace is that they don't have to worry about another contract issue with running back Chris Johnson. What they do have to worry about is whether he will return to his 2009 and 2010 form instead of what he was last season.

No. 23: Washington Redskins (5-11, 4th in NFC East)

I know, the Redskins do well every offseason only to do nothing during the regular season, but they have made some solid additions this time around.

Besides the blockbuster trade which landed them the No. 2 spot in the draft, they also picked up receivers Pierre Garcon and Josh Morgan and re-signed Adam Carriker.

So why the low ranking? They are the Redskins after all, and the quarterback situation is still unknown even if they select Robert Griffin III this spring.

No. 22: Seattle Seahawks (7-9, 3rd in NFC West)

The Seahawks are another team with quarterback situation to worry about with Matt Flynn and Tarvaris Jackson.

The biggest thing they did, however, was re-sign Marshawn Lynch.

Lynch is essentially the team's MVP at this point and Seattle has to build the offense around him. If Flynn/Jackson can be a consistent option at quarterback, the Seahawks could be another sleeper contender in the NFC West.

Their one problem may be on defense where they lost defensive tackle Tony Hargrove and linebacker David Hawthorne. Hawthorne, in particular, was a big reason for the Seahawks' success on defense.

Seattle seems to be one of many teams that are just a quarterback away from making some serious noise.

No. 21: Dallas Cowboys (8-8, 3rd in NFC East)

Despite having a ton of injuries last season, the Cowboys were only one game away from winning the NFC East.

The injuries wouldn't have made the Cowboys much better, however.

They still have issues on defense, especially in the secondary. They cut Terrance Newman, who was overrated as a No. 1 cornerback in the NFL, and picked up Brandon Carr and Brodney Poole. However, they still haven't made the necessary sweeping changes to a unit that needs some serious improvements.

Dallas is talented, but also overrated. The team will compete if Tony Romo and Miles Austin can stay healthy, but they are not going to threaten any of the elite teams in the NFC.

No. 20: Kansas City Chiefs (7-9, 4th in AFC West)

If you want to talk about a team that was just ravaged by injuries, look no further than the Kansas City Chiefs.

The Chiefs went from division champions in 2010 to 7-9 and missing the playoffs in 2011.

The Chiefs quietly brought in some talent during the offseason. Their new additions include cornerback Stanford Routt, offensive lineman Eric Winston and tight end Kevin Boss.

On top of that, the Chiefs will bring back a healthy Matt Cassel, a healthy Jamaal Charles and a re-signed Dwayne Bowe.

Those additions can make the Chiefs a threat once again in the AFC West.

With Romeo Crennel at the helm, the defense should definitely improve, especially with the return of safety Eric Berry.

The Chiefs are at this spot given what they did last season, but if they manage to stay healthy, we could be seeing a shakeup in the rankings.

No. 19: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-12, 4th in NFC South)

The Bucs have been busy during this offseason and for good reason.

They played so bad last year that they might as well have donned the cream sickle uniforms again.

But they've hired a new coach in Greg Schiano, brought in Vincent Jackson to be opposite of Mike Williams, and pilfered Carl Nicks from the division rival Saints to protect Josh Freeman.

The one big concern Tampa has is their secondary. Aqib Talib seems to be in some serious legal trouble and despite being in the twilight of his career, the Bucs re-signed Ronde Barber.

Both players were part of a defense that gave up a league-high 30 points per game last season.

The Bucs have gone after defensive linemen in their recent drafts, but they may concentrate on the secondary this year.

No. 18: San Diego Chargers (8-8, 2nd in AFC West)

Another team that has quietly put together a good off season is the Chargers.

Despite losing Vincent Jackson, the Bolts picked up Robert Meachem, Eddie Royal and Roscoe Parrish to go along with a hopefully healthy Antonio Gates.

The Chargers also re-signed center Nick Hardwick and brought in Jared Gaither to replace Marcus McNeil.

On defense, where they need some serious help, they signed Jarret Johnson.

If Phillip Rivers refrains from throwing an excessive amount of interceptions, the Chargers can return to the top of the AFC West.

No. 17: New York Jets (8-8, 2nd in AFC East)

The New York Jets proved that you can't talk your way into a Super Bowl, failing to do so the last couple of seasons.

The Jets are still a pretty talented team, but brought the circus to town by adding Tim Tebow.

Bringing in Tebow completely overshadowed the fact that they signed safety LaRon Landry.

For a team that had its share of distractions already (part of the reason why they finished a disappointing 8-8), bringing in Tebow will only add to them.

Tebow will add some dimensions to the offense, but that might not be enough for the Jets to overtake the Patriots in the AFC East.

The Jets also still need to address the linebacker position before that defense is complete.

No. 16: Carolina Panthers (6-10, 3rd in NFC South)

The Panthers could be one of those sheikh teams that people pick to make the playoffs in 2012.

They didn't make any huge offseason additions outside of fullback Mike Tolbert and defensive back Haruki Nakamura.

The Panthers are more about improving on what they already have, particularly in the case of quarterback Cam Newton.

With a year professional of football under his belt, Newton could very dangerous against opposing defenses. I know Carolina fans are praying that he does not fall victim to a sophomore slump, or possibly the Madden curse if he makes it on the cover.

One big thing for the Panthers is getting back linebacker Jon Beason, who suffered a season-ending injury in the first game of the year.

He will come back and help a defense that struggled without him.

No. 15 Buffalo Bills (6-10, 4th in AFC East)

The Bills stumbled to a 6-10 finish in 2011. They got off to a hot 5-2 start, but began to slide after giving quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick a contract extension.

The Bills re-signed a lot of members of their receiving corp, including Stevie Johnson.

The also filled a major void in putting pressure on the quarterback by signing defensive Mario Williams.

If Fitzpatrick can bounce back after such a horrid second half in 2011, the Bills will look more like the 5-2 team that beat the Patriots, not the 1-8 team that finished the season.

No. 14: Atlanta Falcons (10-6, 2nd in AFC South)

The Falcons are a team that has a good amount of talent, especially on offense, but they don't seem to know how to use it. .

They severely lack an offensive identity and it hurts them.

They tend to get away from pounding the football and try to become an explosive passing offense, undermining the fact that they have one of the best running backs in football in Michael Turner.

The Falcons haven't made any sweeping changes during this offseason, but they did re-sign John Abraham, which was a good move.

The Falcons are team that could make deep runs in the postseason year in and year out if they get back to letting the offense run through Turner.

I believe Matt Ryan is a talented quarterback, and they do have weapons in Roddy White, Julio Jones and Tony Gonzalez, but Turner gives them the best chance to win games.

No. 13: Cincinatti Bengals (9-7, 3rd in AFC North)

The Bengals are a team that don't have many holes in their game.

They have solid quarterback play, a good running game, good receivers and a good defense.

Their problem is that they do not beat anyone elite.

They lost to the Steelers, Texans and Ravens twice last year and feasted on weaker opponents.

Maybe it's their youth (especially at the skill positions) that prevents them from taking the next step.

On top of that, they lost Andre Caldwell to the Broncos and fellow receiver Jerome Simpson is facing some serious legal trouble.

The Bengals did sign BenJarvus Green-Ellis to help Cedric Benson in the backfield.

No. 12: New Orleans Saints (13-3, NFC South Champions)

This is very low for what is considered one of the best teams in the NFL, but the Saints' tumultuous offseason has knocked them back considerably.

The "Bounty Gate" withstanding, the Saints still have to worry about the contract situation of their franchise quarterback Drew Brees.

An unhappy Brees will not pay dividends for "Who Dat" Nation.

We still don't know the full ramifications of "Bounty Gate." There could still be player suspensions, which would hurt a defense that already wasn't all that great. The Saints tried to patch this up with the signings of linebackers Curtis Lofton, David Hawthorne and defensive lineman Broderick Bunkley.

The Saints also lost Carl Nicks, but have tried to rectify that with Ben Grubbs.

The Saints also lost Super Bowl hero Tracy Porter and receiver Robert Meachem, but they did re-sign Marques Colston.

The only hope for the Saints is that Brees sets aside his contract gripes and helps the offense remain among the best in football.

No one seems to know how to stop that offense, so I'm not ready to completely give up on the Saints just yet.

But their offseason has them taking a serious hit in these rankings.

No. 11: Pittsburgh Steelers (12-4, 2nd in AFC North)

The Steelers have done more cutting away at their roster than adding to it so far this offseason.

They've cut ties with key members of recent Super Bowl teams such as Hines Ward, James Farrior, Aaron Smith and Chris Kemoeatu. They also lost defensive back William Gay to the Cardinals.

Pittsburgh is not in a complete rebuilding phase, however.

Injuries clearly hurt their chances for advancing further into the playoffs, so getting healthy again will be a major factor during the regular season.

Also, getting younger is never a bad thing in a young man's game such as football. The Steelers may not be as good as they usually are, but they are still a team that has to be respected.

One major issue for the Steelers, however, is the contract situation of receiver Mike Wallace. Wallace is still a restricted free-agent and teams can make offers for him.

No. 10: Baltimore Ravens (12-4, AFC North Champions)

The Ravens were a botched field goal away from sending the AFC Championship Game into overtime last season, but they may have taken a step back during the offseason.

The Ray Rice situation is still up in the air, and he is definitely a crucial piece to a sometimes inconsistent offense.

The defense gets yet another year older with the return of Ray Lewis for his 17th season.

The team also brought back center Matt Birk, who is just as old if not older than Lewis.

The Ravens lost some key pieces such as Ben Grubbs, Cory Redding and Jarret Johnson.

The window of opportunity to get to a Super Bowl doesn't stay open forever, and for Baltimore their window seems to be closing with each passing season.

The Ravens will be in the hunt as long as Lewis is on the roster, but only time will tell how long this can last.

No. 9: Denver Broncos (8-8, AFC West Champions)

Some may say this is too high for the Broncos, some may say this is too low.

But I am not one to overrate the Broncos and make them favorites to win the AFC because of the signing of Peyton Manning.

I do believe they will improve from last season, but as Bill Parcells once said, let's not break out anointing oil just yet.

The Broncos still have some work to do. They have already signed Andre Caldwell and Jacob Tamme to help Manning, and added Tracy Porter to a very good defense.

If Manning's as healthy as every Broncos fan hopes he is, this team will have no trouble making it to the playoffs for a second straight season.

No. 8: Philadelphia Eagles (8-8, 2nd in NFC East)

Despite the dream becoming a nightmare last season, the Eagles still have one of the most talented rosters in the league heading into 2012.

The Eagles finally took care of DeSean Jackson and filled a gaping hole in the middle of the defense by trading for linebacker DeMeco Ryans.

Expectations to be an elite team are somewhat gone as far as a national point of view, but they remain high in Philadelphia.

Last season was a lesson learned for the Eagles and they will be much-improved this year.

The Eagles also seemed to have solved the Jason Peters problem by signing Demetrius Bell.

No. 7: Detroit Lions (10-6, 2nd in NFC North)

The Lions returned to prominence last season by making its first trip to the playoffs since 1999.

They entered the offseason with the daunting task of re-signing All-Pro receiver Calvin Johnson.

They got that done by giving Megatron a mega deal and also brought back some crucial parts such as Clint Avril and Jeff Backus.

The only problem may be the trouble defensive tackle Nick Fairley and running back Mikel Lashour have gotten into recently.

Their issues could land them suspensions depending on what comes of these incidents.

If the ramifications aren't as bad as the Lions fear, expect Detroit to be right back in the thick of things in 2012.

They must address their secondary situation. Outside of Louis Delmas, the Lions' secondary is almost non-existent.

Aside from that, the Lions have a young group of talent that will keep in the top 10 in the league for quite some time.

No. 6: Chicago Bears (8-8, 3rd in NFC North)

The Bears have had an interesting offseason to say the least.

First they trade for receiver Brandon Marshall, who is in legal trouble of his own, and then bring in running back Michael Bush, angering their best offensive weapon in Matt Forte.

On paper, the Bears seemed to have finally figured it out.

If Jay Cutler remains healthy, the Bears could be right back in the playoffs in 2012. Cutler may receive a lot of flack from fans, but the fact of the matter is that the Bears were not the same after he suffered his injury in the middle of 2011.

With him, the Bears were 7-3. Without him, they went 1-5.

A healthy Cutler being reunited with his former Denver teammate Marshall could mean some scary days for opposing defenses.

Don't forget the Bears' defense, which played their hearts out and did everything they could to keep the Bears in games after Cutler went down.

No. 5: Houston Texans (10-6, AFC South Champions)

The Texans could be one of the most complete teams in the NFL.

They have a very good running game, a strong defense, talented receivers and if Matt Shaub stays healthy, a good quarterback as well.

I for one, believe that consistent quarterback play prevented them from a trip to the AFC Championship Game last season.

T.J. Yates filled in admirably for the Texans, but it simply wasn't enough to get them over the hump.

The loss of Mario Williams won't hurt that much at all because they were very good without him last season. The bigger loss is linebacker DeMeco Ryans.

Giving running back Arian Foster a new contract was the biggest off season move for the Texans.

The health of Shaub and receiver Andre Johnson is crucial. If they manage to stay healthy, the Texans could be a force in the AFC in 2012.

No. 4: Green Bay Packers (15-1, NFC North Champions)

The Packers were the league's most dominant team during the regular season, but their playoff letdown soured me a little bit.

The Packers could easily go 15-1 again, but before they do that they need to seriously address their secondary.

Despite having the league's best record, the Packers showcased the league's worst pass defense.

The injury to safety Nick Collins definitely hurt, but it's still no excuse for giving up as many yards as they did in 2011.

They have yet to make any major additions to that secondary during the offseason.

Their biggest move was signing center Jeff Saturday to help protect league MVP Aaron Rodgers.

The Packers haven't made any sweeping changes to the offense mainly because they don't have to. Green Bay still has one of the best offenses in football, but they have to get back to running the ball in order to get back to the promise land.

No. 3: San Francisco 49ers (13-3, NFC West Champions)

The 49ers have been very active during the offseason.

They lost the Peyton Manning sweepstakes and almost lost their quarterback Alex Smith in the process.

They signed running back Brandon Jacobs, who will help an already potent rushing attack, and receiver Mario Manningham, who gives the Niners much-needed receiver help.

They also added Randy Moss, which could turn out to be a great idea or a horrible one.

The Niners also re-signed key members of one of the league's best defenses from last season.

With new weapons for Smith to throw to, and the return of a smothering defense, the 49ers seem primed to make another deep postseason run.

No. 2: New York Giants (9-7, Super Bowl Champions)

I know, the Giants won the Super Bowl last season and they deserve all the praise that people give them, but they haven't done much to improve their team from last year.

They Giants have lost more than they have gained with the departure of Mario Manningham, Aaron Ross and Brandon Jacobs.

Now, I was never a huge fan of Jacobs and think the Giants did the right thing in cutting ties with the mouthy running back, but that's still another guy out the door from last year's championship team.

There is still a need at linebacker that New York may have to address in the draft, and the suspension of second-string running back Andre Brown has left a hole in the backfield.

Nonetheless, the Giants still have a stout front four on defense, an elite quarterback in Eli Manning and one of the deadliest receiver tandems in Hakeen Nicks and Victor Cruz.

They are still a very dangerous team that could make another run to the Super Bowl.

No. 1: New England Patriots (13-3, AFC Champions)

The Patriots may have made it to the Super Bowl last season, but you wouldn't know by the number of moves they have made this offseason.

They franchised their star wideout Wes Welker and brought in Brandon Lloyd as a much-needed deep threat.

There are still some glaring holes on defense, but that didn't stop them from being a Hail Mary away from winning the Super Bowl.

The biggest loss came in the form BenJarvus Green-Ellis and defensive end Mark Anderson.

They will get back veteran defensive Andre Carter, who was the team's best pass rusher when he was healthy.

The Patriots are always at or near the top of the league year in and year out.

Expect nothing different in 2012.