NFL Report Cards: 2014 Grades for Every Team
The final assignments are done, it's time to find out who's at the top of the class.
With the 2014 NFL season over and done with, this column will focus as much on the season-long grades as the Week 17 ones. All season long, we've worked with a bit of a bell curve that has matched the NFL's love of parity, with plenty of haves and have-nots, but the bulk of the teams centered around the middle as C- and B-caliber teams.
To help sort out the teams one last time, we've added a "Class Rank" at the end of each slide to show where the various grades play out among the 32 teams. Remember that this isn't who the best team is "right now," but rather from week to week over the whole season. There are a number of teams I'd love to artificially move up or down based on recent play, but I'll leave that to Matt Miller and his power rankings.
We've also added "Offseason Homework" for each non-playoff team to help them catch up to the rest of the class next year.
One last time, let's go over the grading process:
Criteria for Grading
- Coaching decisions and how a team performed on offense, defense and special teams
- The caliber of opponent the team was facing
- The atmosphere played in: at home, away, weather, etc.
Not Considered
- Excuses. I grade the team on the field, not the ideal squad that could have been out there without injuries, suspensions, etc.
- Expectations. If everyone picked your favorite team to lose and it won, that doesn't mean it gets an A+ grade.
- Results. A team can look really bad and win a game, while another team can look great in defeat. While it's true that winners will often trend higher than losers from week to week, that doesn't mean all of the winners get good grades, while the losers get bad ones.
Each team also gets a cumulative mark, which averages the grades thus far in the current season. This will be a running metric all season long. A reminder, though, that this is simply an average.
Teams that are playing well right now but did poorly in the past (and vice versa) will have those past efforts equally rated in their grades.
Grab your red pens. We're on to the grades!
Arizona Cardinals (11-5)
1 of 32
Week 17 Outcome: Lost to San Francisco 49ers 20-17
Week 17 Grade: C-
This was a tough loss for the Cardinals and echoes what I've said just about all season about them. The fact that they're winning (or are even close in games) is a huge testament to how fantastic this team is regardless of who is under center.
The Arizona defense finished the season allowing just over 18 points per game. It's extremely difficult to be a playoff team with two backup quarterbacks doing as much heavy lifting as Drew Stanton and Ryan Lindley had to do this season, but the Cardinals found a way, and Bruce Arians will be getting my vote as coach of the year because of it.
2014 Final Cumulative Grade: B
Class Rank: 8
Atlanta Falcons (6-10)
2 of 32
Week 17 Outcome: Lost to Carolina Panthers 34-3
Week 17 Grade: F
This loss was a microcosm of the Falcons' season.
They were arguably the better team on the field, but when the chips were on the line, they fell about as flat on their face as humanly possible. Following the firing of Mike Smith, the next head coach of this team (and presumably two new coordinators) are going to have a heckuva group to work with, but getting them to be more consistent will be job No. 1.
Offseason Homework:
Work on protecting quarterback Matt Ryan and rushing the opposing passer. These are the tenets to success in today's NFL, and the Falcons were terrible at both of those for most of the season.
2014 Final Cumulative Grade: C+
Class Rank: 19
Baltimore Ravens (10-6)
3 of 32
Week 17 Outcome: Defeated Cleveland Browns 20-10
Week 17 Grade: B-
This should've been a much easier win for the Ravens with Browns undrafted rookie Connor Shaw at quarterback, but the Ravens haven't let anything be that easy for themselves this season. So, they're headed to the playoffs, and they may not have backed in, but they will clearly need more effort if they'd like to actually, you know, win some games.
Overall this season, I've been bullish on the Ravens talent on the field, but they've never been quite as dominant defensively as their depth chart makes one think they could be, and injuries along the offensive line have kept the offense from being very consistent.
2014 Final Cumulative Grade: B-
Class Rank: 12
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Buffalo Bills (9-7)
4 of 32
Week 17 Outcome: Def. New England Patriots 17-9
Week 17 Grade: B-
Beat the Patriots while keeping them out of the end zone and that's almost assuredly an A+ kind of day, but this wasn't the Patriots. It was—for the most part—a Jimmy Garoppolo-led crew on offense and a defense that treated the rotation like it was a preseason game. The Patriots had no desire to actually win this game, and the Bills may have "taken care of business," but they don't get a lot of bonus points for it.
Offseason Homework:
This is clearly a team that is driven by defense. If they want to improve on this season and make a leap into the playoffs next season, they need to fix what's going on at the quarterback position. It may not be EJ Manuel's job to lose anymore, but if anyone is thinking Kyle Orton would have truly deserved a shot to start there in 2015, they deserve the mediocrity that would cause.
2014 Final Cumulative Grade: B-
Class Rank: 14
Carolina Panthers (7-8-1)
5 of 32
Week 17 Outcome: Def. Atlanta Falcons 34-3
Week 17 Grade: A+
This game wasn't an offensive showcase from quarterback Cam Newton and the Panthers, but it gave me hope that they can go further in the playoffs than just winning their first matchup against the Arizona Cardinals. No, if the defense plays this well into the future, they can be an awfully tough out for every single team.
That's been the biggest problem with the Panthers this season and why they're not .500. We can hem, haw and complain about the issues the Panthers knew they were going to have with protection and the passing game, but in the end, the defense was supposed to carry them and spent much of the year underachieving.
2014 Final Cumulative Grade: C+
Class Rank: 18
Chicago Bears (5-11)
6 of 32
Week 17 Outcome: Lost to Minnesota Vikings 13-9
Week 17 Grade: D+
What a terrible game for the Bears and what a perfect game to put forth as exhibit A as to why Marc Trestman is no longer the head coach. This was zero effort. This was offensive ineptitude. This was a team that had seemingly given up weeks ago, and a quarterback in Jay Cutler who couldn't have led this Trestman offense out of a paper bag let alone to a win—even against the Vikings.
Mistake...after mistake...after mistake.
Offseason Homework:
I think moving Cutler is probably the preferred assignment most fans would hand out at this point, but failing that, the Bears need to bring in a coach who can get something out of him. Mike Shanahan is available, though he may not be the kind of personality to put the locker room back together.
2014 Final Cumulative Grade: C-
Class Rank: 26
Cincinnati Bengals (10-5-1)
7 of 32
Week 17 Outcome: Lost to Pittsburgh Steelers 27-17
Week 17 Grade: C+
This was everything people love to say about the Bengals in a nutshell. In prime time, in a must-win game, the Bengals (specifically quarterback Andy Dalton) folded like a house of cards.
Frankly, while the narrative may be that Dalton or head coach Marvin Lewis simply can't win under pressure (and that may be true), the full truth is that the Bengals spent most of the season as a talented but disjointed mess, and that was on display against the Steelers as well.
2014 Final Cumulative Grade: B
Class Rank: 11
Cleveland Browns (7-9)
8 of 32
Week 17 Outcome: Lost to Baltimore Ravens 20-10
Week 17 Grade: C-
This wasn't a game the Browns were supposed to win in any way, shape or form. Click back to the intro slide, though, if you think that factors into the grade at all (spoiler alert: it doesn't). Still, the Browns do get some bonus points for making life hard for the Ravens by playing tough defensively.
Honestly, the season grade is buoyed by a lot of games out of Brian Hoyer when he was at his best, and it probably would be a lot lower if things were representative of how the team looks right now.
Offseason Homework:
Figure out how to handle Johnny Manziel both on the field and off. Add talent and become more consistent defensively so that unit can carry the team when the offense is having an off day.
2014 Final Cumulative Grade: C
Class Rank: 24
Dallas Cowboys (12-4)
9 of 32
Week 17 Outcome: Def. Washington 44-17
Week 17 Grade: A+
Trying to discuss "why" the Cowboys are good this season is a bit of an endless loop of logic. Is it running back DeMarco Murray? Sure, but he couldn't do it without his offensive line. Is it because of the offensive line? Absolutely, but they wouldn't look nearly as good without skill position players who can balance the run and pass so well and allow them to have that advantage over the defense.
Is it quarterback Tony Romo? Yeah, he's having a near-MVP season, but the defense has been worlds better, which takes a ton of pressure off of him to come back week after week. Is it the defense? No...it's probably not the defense, but they've chipped in as much as they have in a long time in Big D.
The Cowboys are a good all-around team, and that's why they've been one of the best teams in the league this season.
Enough said.
2014 Final Cumulative Grade: A
Class Rank: 1
Denver Broncos (12-4)
10 of 32
Week 17 Outcome: Def. Oakland Raiders 47-14
Week 17 Grade: A+
It's important not to write off this blowout completely as "just the Raiders" because the Raiders defense had been much tougher in recent weeks. The Broncos were dominant in a lot of different facets of the game (even without Peyton Manning throwing a touchdown), and that bodes well for their playoff future.
Winning without Manning has been a bit of a subhead for this season in Denver. No, that's not saying they have to win without Manning at his best, but it's been something they've looked to do more this year than last, as off days do happen, and the team has a lot more both in terms of defense and the running game to pressure teams when the G.O.A.T. isn't on his game.
2014 Final Cumulative Grade: A-
Class Rank: 3
Detroit Lions (11-5)
11 of 32
Week 17 Outcome: Lost to Green Bay Packers 30-20
Week 17 Grade: C
For an entire season, this has been the Lions—good enough to beat the teams they should (albeit in inexplicably close games) but not nearly good enough to consistently eke out wins against the NFL's best...especially on the road.
Offensively, the Lions shot themselves in the foot time and time again in this game (and all season long) by not making the plays that were there. Defensively, they got outclassed by a hobbled Aaron Rodgers, which says something both about the Lions D and the Packers QB.
Looking forward, the worst omen here was how poorly the Lions tackled. Next week, against Cowboys running back DeMarco Murray, life isn't going to be much easier.
2014 Final Cumulative Grade: B
Class Rank: 9
Green Bay Packers (12-4)
12 of 32
Week 17 Outcome: Def. Detroit Lions 30-20
Week 17 Grade: A-
As shouts of M-V-P rang out over Lambeau Field on Sunday night, the juxtaposition was pretty stark. Yes, Rodgers returned from injury to have a gem of a game against a tough Lions defense, but the real story was everything this Packers team did besides Rodgers (who, as the best QB in the NFL today, is a bit of a known commodity) to win this game.
See, Rodgers can be the MVP-caliber player that he is and the Packers could still lose a bunch of football games. But the stepping up of the defense over the second half of the season, the number of fantastic receivers Rodgers has and the emergence of Eddie Lacy as one of the best backs in the league have all built this team up as one of the best all-around teams in the NFL.
Rodgers being the best is true, but that's not the whole story in Week 17 or in 2014 overall.
2014 Final Cumulative Grade: B+
Class Rank: 4
Houston Texans (9-7)
13 of 32
Week 17 Outcome: Def. Jacksonville Jaguars 23-17
Week 17 Grade: B-
I was actually relatively surprised the Texans won this one while watching it. They turned the ball over a number of times and couldn't get the running game going. Defensively, they rushed the passer well, but against the Jaguars that's a bit of a given.
Honestly, like the rest of the season, the Texans could've been better at almost every spot on the field not manned by J.J. Watt.
Offseason Homework:
They need a quarterback...like, a real one. They should also focus on finding even more help defensively for Watt, as linebacker Jadeveon Clowney's injury makes him a big old question mark moving forward.
2014 Final Cumulative Grade: B-
Class Rank: 15
Indianapolis Colts (11-5)
14 of 32
Week 17 Outcome: Def. Tennessee Titans 27-10
Week 17 Grade: A
We didn't learn anything about the Colts in Week 17...both because it was a meaningless game for them, and because the Titans are a terrible opponent—even against the Colts backups.
A "B" seems low for the Colts, but check out the "Class Rank" below that and realize they've still been one of the better teams in my grading all season long.
Indianapolis is a good team with a great quarterback, but it is flawed in a number of big ways (offensive line, running back, defensive backfield outside of Vontae Davis, etc.) that could doom them in the playoffs.
Still, with Andrew Luck under center, anything can happen in the postseason.
2014 Final Cumulative Grade: B
Class Rank: 6
Jacksonville Jaguars (3-13)
15 of 32
Week 17 Outcome: Lost to Houston Texans 23-17
Week 17 Grade: C
The Jaguars lost here because their defense couldn't maintain consistent pressure against whatever warm body the Texans had at quarterback (I'm told it was Case Keenum, it doesn't matter though) while their offense was tepid at best.
That's the Jaguars' season, where the defense was good at times, though never quite as great as one would expect a Gus Bradley-led team to be. The offense is inept and simply doesn't have enough firepower around quarterback Blake Bortles to give a real, honest assessment of his play.
I've said it before and it's still true: the fact that he lost out on preseason snaps to Chad Henne makes the assessment that much more difficult.
Offseason Homework:
The Jaguars are still an average team, at best, even at their best positional groupings, but the time for patience is likely fading fast. They need impact players on both sides of the ball. Most importantly, they need better protection and a running game for Bortles to give him a real shot at success.
2014 Final Cumulative Grade: D+
Class Rank: 28
Kansas City Chiefs (9-7)
16 of 32
Week 17 Outcome: Def. San Diego Chargers 19-7
Week 17 Grade: B-
The Chiefs were close to finally scoring that elusive touchdown with one of their wide receivers, but Dwayne Bowe fumbled in the end zone, which was scooped up by tight end Travis Kelce. They finish the season as the 16th-ranked scoring offense, and had they gotten anything more than the bare minimum out of their passing game, they would've been one of the better teams in the league.
Offseason Homework:
The offense needs to be fixed, whether that's more weapons for quarterback Alex Smith or a replacement for Alex Smith, I don't care. The offense cannot continue to be so putrid under a supposed offensive mastermind.
2014 Final Cumulative Grade: B-
Class Rank: 13
Miami Dolphins (8-8)
17 of 32
Week 17 Outcome: Lost to New York Jets 37-24
Week 17 Grade: D+
Quarterback Ryan Tannehill had a rough game with seven sacks against him here, but (like all season long) he wasn't the issue. This Dolphins team is just good enough to play any team (and I do mean any team) tough in the entire league, but when things start to go awry, they can also look terrible in any number of ways.
Offseason Homework:
Honestly, I think the Dolphins did a good job building a foundation in general manager Dennis Hickey's first year, and though fans are growing impatient, there's a good chance this team finishes with double-digit wins and is a playoff contender next season. More help for Tannehill (both protection and weapons he can trust) would be huge.
2014 Final Cumulative Grade: B-
Class Rank: 16
Minnesota Vikings (7-9)
18 of 32
Week 17 Outcome: Def. Chicago Bears 13-9
Week 17 Grade: C+
Over the last couple weeks of the season, few quarterbacks played as well as Teddy Bridgewater. Though he had next to no help around him, he still showcased great decision-making and an arm that looked a heckuva lot better on an NFL field than it did at a lightly thought of pro day last spring—it's almost like those don't matter.
It was just the Bears, yes, but the defense also looked impressive in Week 17 and over the second half of the season as well. There is clearly work to do, but things are looking up after head coach Mike Zimmer's first year.
Offseason Homework:
Figuring out the running back position is important, whether that's Adrian Peterson, the combo of Matt Asiata and Jerick McKinnon or someone new. After that, some offensive line help would be great, as well as praying that left tackle Matt Kalil returns to form after a rough (injury-riddled) season.
2014 Final Cumulative Grade: C+
Class Rank: 21
New England Patriots (12-4)
19 of 32
Week 17 Outcome: Lost to Buffalo Bills 17-9
Week 17 Grade: C+
The Patriots didn't want to win this game, and they didn't. The Week 17 story is about as simple as that.
For the playoffs, though, the Patriots need to play their best football with a number of good (but not great) opponents that could end up playing them at Foxborough in a few weeks.
Though the Patriots are, objectively and easily, better than any other team outside of Denver on the AFC side of the playoff bracket, teams like the Indianapolis Colts and Pittsburgh Steelers can catch fire and be awfully dominant on any given Sunday, while the Patriots have a few games of mediocrity on their resume this season.
Still, the fact that the Patriots' only other loss since September was against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau means there's reason to believe the Patriots might just be the best team in the league.
2014 Final Cumulative Grade: A-
Class Rank: 2
New Orleans Saints (7-9)
20 of 32
Week 17 Outcome: Def. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 23-20
Week 17 Grade: C-
Quarterback Drew Brees was not as bad all season long as he was in this game, but a big reason the Saints lost so many games this year is that they gave him so little help. When he was off (everyone has bad days, though typically not against the Buccaneers), the rest of the team was not good enough to pick up after him.
The fact that the entire team (not just Brees) was so terrible against Tampa Bay, even in a win, is the perfect bookend to the incredibly disappointing 2014 season.
Offseason Homework:
The Saints failed this season not solely because of coaching, but the execution at almost every single position was less than ideal. Accountability has to be the name of the game, and players who underachieved (like linebacker Curtis Lofton as a good example) need to be replaced.
2014 Final Cumulative Grade: C-
Class Rank: 25
New York Giants (6-10)
21 of 32
Week 17 Outcome: Lost to Philadelphia Eagles 34-26
Week 17 Grade: C
For much of the year, watching the Giants was a chore. Well, it still is, but at least they have an exciting young player in wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. to watch. He's the lone, long-term bright spot on the Giants offense and honestly, with head coach Tom Coughlin coming back next year and quarterback Eli Manning about to turn 34, this could be the definition of a lame-duck team in 2015.
Offseason Homework:
The team needs to get back to doing what they do best defensively, and that means getting more out of their run defense and their pass rush. I think the offense will (somewhat) fix itself with another offseason under offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo, but the Giants aren't getting back to the playoffs with such an unimposing defensive front.
2014 Final Cumulative Grade: C
Class Rank: 23
New York Jets (4-12)
22 of 32
Week 17 Outcome: Def. Miami Dolphins 37-24
Week 17 Grade: A
This is an almost inexplicable win for those of us who have watched every game of the Jets' 2014 season. Their offense looked, *gulp*, good, and the defense lived up to its end of the bargain and then some against a pretty tough matchup in Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill. The win is completely meaningless, but if the new coaching staff can get this kind of effort more consistently out of this team, the Jets would obviously be a lot better off.
Offseason Homework:
Where do we start? Finding a general manager and head coach are obviously jobs No. 1 and 2. After that, there are major needs at every level of the field, and that might include a new regime deciding if Geno Smith is really their guy moving forward.
2014 Final Cumulative Grade: D+
Class Rank: 2
Oakland Raiders (3-13)
23 of 32
Week 17 Outcome: Lost to Denver Broncos 47-14
Week 17 Grade: F
A fitting end to the Raiders' season and (hopefully) the Tony Sparano era of interim coaching. The Raiders need a fresh outlook on life, and though there's clearly talent there, there's not nearly enough to even contend with teams like the Broncos on a regular basis, let alone win football games.
Offseason Homework:
After finding a head coach, the Raiders need to find a lot more talent on both sides of the ball. That will come with more cap space, but it has to come through the draft as well. The Raiders have a lot of aging players who are serving as stopgaps, but finding good young talent like Derek Carr and Khalil Mack is what is going to buy Reggie McKenzie more time running this team.
2014 Final Cumulative Grade: D
Class Rank: 31
Philadelphia Eagles (10-6)
24 of 32
Week 17 Outcome: Def. New York Giants 34-26
Week 17 Grade: B+
The Eagles were a better team overall than a handful of teams still playing this season, but there was also clear regression almost across the board for an Eagles team that had hoped to be building off of last season. The running game was not as dominant, and the defense did not improve at the same level as they added talent to it.
Quarterback, though, was the biggest problem and it was a problem that so many tried warning Philadelphia about, as Nick Foles' 2013 success was not sustainable.
Offseason Homework:
Neither Foles nor Mark Sanchez is the Eagles' long-term option at quarterback, but they both may have a shot at manning the position in 2015. I think the bigger, more immediate concern is continuing to build a defense that can set Kelly's offense up for success. Remember, the goal of Kelly's scheme is not to get into a bunch of shootouts, but to demoralize the opponent on both sides of the ball.
2014 Final Cumulative Grade: B
Class Rank: 7
Pittsburgh Steelers (11-5)
25 of 32
Week 17 Outcome: Def Cincinnati Bengals 27-17
Week 17 Grade: B+
The Steelers were better than just about anyone thought they would be in 2014, and that continued right up to a win in Week 17 against the Cincinnati Bengals, getting them into the postseason.
They still have some pretty fatal flaws on both sides of the ball, but the improvement of the offensive line this season (though they could still use a bunch of talent) as well as at every level of the defense means there is work to do.
Still, we've seen that the Steelers at their best is as good as just about anyone this season.
2014 Final Cumulative Grade: B
Class Rank: 10
San Diego Chargers (9-7)
26 of 32
Week 17 Outcome: Lost to Kansas City Chiefs 19-7
Week 17 Grade: D+
The stars seemed to be aligning for the Chargers heading into Week 17, but they dropped the ball against the Chiefs and are left watching the playoffs at home. Yet, for stretches of the 2014 season, they looked as talented as any team in the AFC. The goal for the future will be to make those stretches longer and far more consistent.
Offseason Homework:
Offensive line is still a big issue, and one gets the impression from tape that the Chargers defense played above its talent level, so another player in the front seven would go a long way to making sure that unit takes a step forward in 2015 as well.
2014 Final Cumulative Grade: C+
Class Rank: 17
San Francisco 49ers (8-8)
27 of 32
Week 17 Outcome: Def. Arizona Cardinals 20-17
Week 17 Grade: B-
The last game of Jim Harbaugh's tenure was of "meh" proportions, barely downing a team with a barely capable NFL quarterback starting for the Cardinals. Harbaugh didn't deserve to be fired after an 8-8 season considering the success he's had in San Francisco, but he clearly didn't endear himself to his bosses and didn't get nearly enough out of the offense for a supposed guru.
Yet it's difficult to imagine the 49ers getting someone better for 2015.
Offseason Homework:
Finding the head coach is mission No. 1, but getting Colin Kaepernick some more help has to be No. 2. Kaepernick wasn't the solution for the 49ers offense like a franchise quarterback should be, but he's hardly the problem, as just about every receiver on the roster underachieved this season.
2014 Final Cumulative Grade: C
Class Rank: 22
Seattle Seahawks (12-4)
28 of 32
Week 17 Outcome: Def. St. Louis Rams 20-6
Week 17 Grade: A-
The Seahawks defense has been absolutely dominant down the stretch, but there are still slight concerns about the offense that make me question if they could win against the toughest NFC competition week to week in the playoffs on the road.
Thankfully for the Seahawks, they're not worried about that, as the road to the Super Bowl goes straight through Seattle again this season.
That said, they need to continue to play fantastic defense (and hope their key defenders stay healthy) if they want to repeat.
2014 Final Cumulative Grade: B+
Class Rank: 5
St. Louis Rams (6-10)
29 of 32
Week 17 Outcome: Lost to Seattle Seahawks 20-6
Week 17 Grade: D+
This season, the Rams had one of the most impressive stretches of defensive play we've seen—up there with the Seahawks, Detroit Lions and Kansas City Chiefs. The reason they're 6-10, however, is the poor play from the quarterback position and the fact that the offense didn't have enough talent to get by without fantastic play at that position.
Offseason Homework:
Quarterback Sam Bradford was injured this season (for, what, the 20th time?) and is owed a ton of money next season, so if he ends up back in St. Louis, it will likely be in a competition and with a restructured contract.
Other than that, the Rams still need a legit No. 1 receiver and could use a few improvements along the offensive line as well to help budding star running back Tre Mason.
2014 Final Cumulative Grade: C+
Class Rank: 20
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-14)
30 of 32
Week 17 Outcome: Lost to New Orleans Saints 23-20
Week 17 Grade: C-
The Buccaneers are drafting No. 1 overall in April, but they weren't the worst team on the field most Sundays—though they were usually close. I think defensive tackle Gerald McCoy put it best when he said, "Last year was madness. This year was just losing."
The Bucs have a lot of solid building blocks for the future, but considering the depths from which this team came, this year was, at least in small part, somewhat of an improvement.
Offseason Homework:
It starts at the quarterback position, and it's difficult not to foresee Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota starting in place of Josh McCown in Tampa next season. After that, it's just staying the course.
2014 Final Cumulative Grade: D+
Class Rank: 29
Tennessee Titans (2-14)
31 of 32
Week 17 Outcome: Lost to Indianapolis Colts 27-10
Week 17 Grade: F
I've said it before, I'll say it again: The Titans are a bad football team.
It's not any one thing one can point to as the issue in Tennessee. From talent acquisition, to coaching, to quarterbacking, all along the offense to the defense, this was a bad football team with very few bright spots. That was as true in Week 17 as it's been all season long.
Offseason Homework:
I've been a Zach Mettenberger fan for a while, but the Titans need to do due diligence on the quarterbacks in this draft just to make sure there's not a franchise passer for them out there.
Following that, this team still needs a lot of help on the offensive and defensive lines (though they've spent draft picks there and lots of free agency money recently) and need to have a best-player-available mindset, as very few positions can be left out.
2014 Final Cumulative Grade: D
Class Rank: 32
Washington (4-12)
32 of 32
Week 17 Outcome: Lost to Dallas Cowboys 44-17
Week 17 Grade: F
I understand that Jay Gruden has only had a year in Washington, but I don't understand how he still has a job following "Black Monday." He's mismanaged games, mismanaged the quarterback position, mismanaged team messaging, doesn't see a problem with the defense and coordinator Jim Haslett and believes quarterbacks can be judged solely on wins and losses.
Gruden's resume to be a head coach was shaky before he got to Washington; following 2014, it's even worse.
Offseason Homework:
Almost every position on the field could be upgraded in the offseason, but quarterback is the most important. They can't head into training camp with the same three guys in some sort of three-way competition. It would be a disaster. Hilarious to watch? Yes, but a disaster nonetheless.
2014 Final Cumulative Grade: D+
Class Rank: 30
Michael Schottey is an NFL National Lead Writer for Bleacher Report and an award-winning member of the Pro Football Writers of America. Find more of his stuff on his archive page and follow him on Twitter.
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