Predicting How 10 NFL Teams Will Reinvent Themselves This Year

In order to compete in the NFL teams must reinvent themselves yearly to adapt to the ever-changing landscape of the league. Adapting to the newest trends and philosophies is the only way teams can stay relevant.

A prime example of a team reinventing themselves is last year’s New England Patriots and their use of a two-tight end system which wreaked havoc on the entire league as the Pats reached the Super Bowl.

This reinvention boosted quarterback Tom Brady’s stats dramatically from 2010 to 2011. In 2010 Brady threw for 3,900 yards and 36 touchdowns, but in 2011, with the focal point on tight ends, Brady amassed 5,235 yards and 39 touchdowns.

Likewise, tight ends Aaron Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski combined for only 1,109 yards and 16 touchdowns in 2010 but totaled 2,237 yards and 24 touchdowns in 2011 with their position as the focus of the offense.

That is just one example of a team finding huge success in the NFL after drastically altering a philosophy. 2012 is sure to see a variety of teams attempt to change themselves entirely whether it be because of new free agents, draft picks or coaches.

Whether said reinventions will be successful or not is difficult to gauge, but one thing is for certain—there's a risk-reward element at play that most teams can’t afford to pass on because the rewards could change the course of a franchise completely.

Here's how eight NFL teams will attempt to reinvent themselves this year:

Cincinnati Bengals’ West Coast Offense Will Primarily Rely on Passing Attack

Last season with rookie quarterback Andy Dalton running the offense, the Cincinnati Bengals only mustered 208 yards per game through the air and only scored 22 points per game.

That will change in 2012 thanks to an excellent free-agency period and NFL draft class. The progression of Dalton and the rest of the offense, along with the evolution of offensive coordinator Jay Gruden’s West Coast offense, will enable the Bengals to rely on the passing game more.

The Bengals acquired former New England Patriots’ running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis in free agency. He fits the offense much better than Cedric Benson as catching passes out of the backfield is a huge element of the West Coast offense. Green-Ellis catches passes with ease and is elusive enough to make players miss after the catch.

The Bengals also added two rookie wide receivers in Mohamed Sanu and Marvin Jones. Both will upgrade the No. 2 wide receiver position across from A.J. Green. Cincinnati also added tight end Orson Charles to the mix through the draft. He’ll be the second tight end on the field with Jermaine Gresham, giving Dalton two massive and sure-handed safety nets on each passing play.

With the AFC North entirely composed of elite defenses, spreading out those defensive units and picking them apart through the air may be the best way to go. The Bengals have the pieces in place to do so and could have one of the more explosive offenses in the league next season.

New York Jets Will Rely Primarily on Running Attack

The New York Jets struggled to do much of anything offensively last season but were especially lacking in the running game with only 105 yards per game, good for a 22 out of 32 ranking.

Starting running back Shonn Greene rushed for 1,054 yards and six touchdowns, but the Jets only compiled a mediocre 8-8 record.

The Jets elected to trade for then-Denver Broncos’ quarterback Tim Tebow in a move that was presumably made to provide competition for incumbent starting quarterback Mark Sanchez. While Tebow will do just that, he’ll also provide another rushing element the Jets can utilize.

Last season with the Broncos, Tebow rushed for 660 yards and six touchdowns, both tied or were better numbers than any player on the Jets’ roster last season not named Shonn Greene.

While the Jets traded up in the draft to select the freakish wide receiver Stephen Hill to boost the passing attack, his acquisition could boost the running game more than anything. He’s a deep threat on every play that will only open up more running lanes for Greene, Tebow and Joe McKnight.

A heavy reliance on the running game could be just what the doctor ordered for New York. It will take pressure off Sanchez and potentially keep the defense well-rested. This is a reinvention that makes too much sense for the Jets to not attempt.

Chicago Bears Will Pass More to Compete with Division

The Chicago Bears find themselves in the same division as two offensive juggernauts in the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions, both who averaged the No. 3 and No. 4 passing attacks last year, respectively.

To compare, the Bears were ranked No. 26 out of 32 in passing yards per game with 188 yards through the air.

The Bears must have realized that in order to stay relevant in their division at all they have to beef up the passing attack. The front office made several offseason moves to do just that.

Chicago acquired wide receiver Brandon Marshall from the Miami Dolphins in exchange for two third-round picks. Marshall is a legit No. 1 wide receiver that quarterback Jay Cutler has been in need of ever since the two were teammates in Denver years ago.

To further improve Cutler’s weapons the Bears drafted Alshon Jeffery in the second round of the draft. Jeffery is a first-round talent that will act as a viable second option to Marshall thanks to his sure hands and outstanding athletic ability.

Finally, the Bears still have running back Matt Forte, who happens to be one of the best pass-catching backs in the NFL. Ironically enough, Forte led the team in receptions last year by a significant amount with 52 catches.

Relying heavily on the passing game makes too much sense for Chicago. Cutler can put up elite numbers with the right weapons around him if he can stay healthy. The Bears now have those weapons in place. The gap between the Bears and the rest of the explosive NFC North just got significantly downsized. 

Buffalo Bills Defense Will Be Drastically Better in Every Area

The Buffalo Bills’ defense last season was simply atrocious. They gave up 27 points and 370 total yards per game. In a division with a quarterback like Tom Brady, that has to change if the Bills want to pull themselves out of the cellar of the AFC East.

Buffalo took one gigantic step forward by signing defensive end Mario Williams in free agency. The former No. 1 overall pick has notched 53 sacks in six seasons and is a force in stopping the run as well. Williams’ services came at a hefty price tag—six years and well over $100 million later to be exact.

Outside of opening the checkbook for who is now the highest-paid defensive player in the NFL, the Bills did an excellent job of grabbing the second-best cornerback available in the NFL draft—Stephon Gilmore. The addition of Gilmore will give pass-rushers like Williams even more time to reach opposing quarterbacks.

The Bills easily have one of the best defensive lines in all of football. The team also signed Mark Anderson in free agency—a defensive end who racked up 10 sacks a year ago. It would also be unwise to forget about defensive tackle Marcell Dareus—the third overall pick in 2010. The new additions will only make him better as well.

Through smart additions the Bills have instantly made themselves a defensive-minded team. That’s not to say the offense is bad, but the defensive resurgence in Buffalo will allow them to compete for a postseason bid as soon as next year. 

Denver Broncos Will Transition to a Pass-Heavy Offense

The Denver Broncos acquired quarterback Peyton Manning via free agency this offseason. It’s only natural that bringing in one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history will result in the offense from a year ago being altered to suit the new captain.

Manning is a far cry from last year’s quarterback duo of Kyle Orton and Tim Tebow—the latter of which transition the Broncos’ offense to a predominantly run-first philosophy.

With Tebow being shipped to the New York Jets after the acquisition of Manning, the offense is going to take another major shift with him at the helm.

Manning was essentially the coach while quarterbacking the Indianapolis Colts for 13 years, and that won’t change in Denver. He’ll utilize the no-huddle offense and call the plays at the line of scrimmage in typical Manning style.

Last year, the Broncos had a horrendous minus-12 turnover ratio, which is sure to improve with Manning calling the shots. He takes care of the ball while leading the team up and down the field and keeping his defense well-rested.

With weapons in the passing game like Demaryius Thomas and Jacob Tamme, the offense is sure to shift to a passing-oriented attack. That will work out perfectly with Manning leading the way.

Seattle Seahawks Offense Will Shift Focus to Passing Attack

The Seattle Seahawks organization decided to finally address the mediocre quarterback position by signing former Green Bay Packers backup quarterback Matt Flynn in free agency.

Last season, Tarvaris Jackson started the majority of the games for the Seahawks and was average at best with 3,091 yards, 14 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. This inconsistency led the team to rely too heavily on running back Marshawn Lynch.

There’s no questioning that Lynch is an elite back, he rushed for 1,204 yards and 12 touchdowns last season. However, it would not be wise for the Seahawks to continue running Lynch into the ground, his career will be over sooner rather than later if the trend continues.

Flynn is the perfect way for the Seahawks to reinvent their offense. He was a backup to Aaron Rodgers, so he doesn’t have much of a stat line yet. When Flynn has had the opportunity, he’s shown he’s capable of being a franchise quarterback.

In one game alone last season, Flynn threw for 480 yards and six touchdowns. Obviously, he isn’t going to do that every time out, but he has all the tools to allow Seattle to have an elite passing attack next season. 

Carolina Panthers Defense Will Drastically Improve

The Carolina Panthers were decimated by injury last season and had an obvious lack of depth at multiple positions. These weaknesses allowed the Panthers to have one of the worst defensive units in every statistical category last season. In response to this horrible showing, the front office made a few moves to address the situation.

The most obvious addition isn’t actually an addition at all—it’s a return. The Panthers are getting the best middle linebacker in the league back from a torn Achilles tendon. Jon Beason is a force that the Panthers missed last season, and his return alone could push the Panthers defense to an acceptable level.

The Panthers knew Beason would be ready but elected to take the best middle linebacker in the draft, Luke Kuechly, with the No. 9 overall selection. He’ll have an immediate impact as he is an extremely productive player that is effective against both the run and pass.

Kuechly’s addition means Beason is moving to the weak-side linebacker position—a transition that shouldn’t be difficult for him in any way. Having both players on the field at the same time will do wonders for Carolina.

Opposing teams had no issues running or passing on the Panthers’ defense last year. With the rejuvenated linebacking unit, the Panthers could have one of the better run defenses in the NFL. 

Jacksonville Jaguars Will Reinvent Passing Attack Thanks to Offseason Additions

The Jacksonville Jaguars struggled mightily last year on offense with rookie Blaine Gabbert under center. They ranked dead last in the league in passing yards per game and total yards per game. The only area the offense excelled in was rushing the football.

That strength was of course due to running back Maurice Jones-Drew who had an amazing season with 1,606 rushing yards and eight scores. The problem is Jones-Drew rushed the ball 343 times. That’s not a good strategy if the Jags hope MJD stays in his prime for an extended amount of time.

This means the Jags needed to go into the offseason looking to beef up their passing attack, and they did just that. In free agency Jacksonville signed wide receiver Laurent Robinson, who had 858 yards and 11 touchdowns a season ago as a member of the Dallas Cowboys.

After that, the Jags used the No. 5 overall pick in the draft to select Oklahoma State wide receiver Justin Blackmon, who was widely hailed as the best receiver to enter the draft.

The duo is a massive upgrade to the horrendous group of receivers that took the field last season and could even be one of the better units in the league now.

The Jaguars will likely pass more than ever next season to take pressure off Jones-Drew. It may not be the most successful endeavor, but it will give Jacksonville a good idea of whether Gabbert is the franchise quarterback of the future or not.

Washington Redskins Will Completely Revamp Offense Around Robert Griffin III

The Washington Redskins selected Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III with the No. 2 overall pick with the hopes that he can be the future of the franchise.

The Redskins weren’t horrible on offense last season, but they had issues scoring points as they averaged only 18 points per game. Griffin is a dynamic player who can change that entirely on his own thanks to his skill set.

The main issue for the Redskins was getting in the end zone when they had the opportunity. Roy Helu was a nice surprise at running back as he rushed for 640 yards, but he only scored twice all season. Wide receiver Jabar Gaffney led the team in receptions and touchdowns with 947 and five respectively, but he left via free agency.

The top two receivers on the team after Gaffney were running backs. That’s not going to cut it, and a large part of that stat is the fact quarterback Rex Grossman struggled to throw the ball down the field.

Griffin won’t have problems spreading the ball around. He threw for a ridiculous 4,293 yards and 37 touchdowns last year with only six interceptions. His 4.3 40-yard dash speed will likely make him one of the team’s leading rushers as well. Last season at Baylor, he rushed for 699 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Griffin will likely be used in the same vein as the Carolina Panthers used Cam Newton last year. He’s just as accurate but more of an elusive runner whereas Newton is a physical runner.

Don’t be surprised if Griffin puts up numbers similar to Newton’s en route to making the Redskins relevant again. 

San Francisco 49ers Will Transition to More Balanced Offense

Last season, the San Francisco 49ers relied on the running game and running back Frank Gore to do the majority of the heavy lifting as the team made it to the NFC championship game. The team was great at running the ball but horrendous in the passing game as they averaged only 183 yards through the air per game.

Part of this issue was quarterback Alex Smith struggled to throw the ball down the field, but the biggest issue was a lack of weapons surrounding him. The 49ers made it clear through their offseason acquisitions that they are serious about rounding out the offense this year into a more balanced attack.

The 49ers signed veteran receiver Randy Moss in the hopes that he can stretch the field deep. Moss is one of the greatest receivers of all time and should be able to have a massive impact in the passing game. He might not put up huge numbers, but the threat of the big play could open up others on intermediate routes.

The same can be said for first-round selection A.J. Jenkins, minus the greatest of all time bit. Jenkins was one of the fastest receivers to enter the draft and put up ridiculous numbers at Illinois a season ago with 1,276 yards and eight scores.

The combination of Moss and Jenkins could open things up for players like receiver Michael Crabtree and tight end Vernon Davis.

Smith needed improved weapons around him to continue his development on this positive trend. The 49ers needed a more balanced attack so it wasn’t so easy to guess what they were doing on most plays.

Thanks to the additions of Moss and Jenkins, the 49ers could make it a bit further than the NFC championship game this season, which is all that matters.

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