Every NFL Team's Biggest Offseason Priority

Super Bowl XLIX is over, so we turn our full attention to the upcoming offseason. The NFL never sleeps, after all.

With the scouting combine around the corner and free agency to follow thereafter, here is a snapshot of the state of affairs on every team. Let's look at each team's biggest offseason priority based on salary-cap situations, needed upgrades or ways to stay competitive.

Arizona Cardinals

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Biggest Priority: Find a way to keep Larry Fitzgerald

The Arizona Cardinals are in trouble when it comes to the salary cap. 

They are currently in the second-worst situation at around $10 million over a projected $142 million cap—the New Orleans Saints are worse—with some tough decisions to make in the near future.

One of those that have been bandied about is releasing or trading star wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald.

The big receiver has been the face of the Cardinals franchise since they drafted him, but he has a ridiculous $23.6 million cap number for 2015. With Arizona around $10 million over the cap, it seems fated that Fitzgerald will be gone, right?

Trading or cutting him would be a massive loss for the Cardinals offense, but it's going to take some finessing—he will need to restructure his contract in a big way to make room.

Atlanta Falcons

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Biggest Priority: Fix the pass rush

The Atlanta Falcons needed an exorcism at the top, but the roster leaves plenty to be desired.

Newly minted head coach Dan Quinn was the perfect hire to help fix the defensive side of the ball, but he is going to need some help with personnel. He doesn't exactly have Richard Sherman, Earl Thomas, Kam Chancellor, Cliff Avril and Michael Bennett in Atlanta.

The pass rush has been particularly suspect for the Falcons—they had just 22 sacks on the year, second-fewest in the league—and that is going to be the biggest priority this offseason if they are going to contend in the NFC South again anytime soon. 

Baltimore Ravens

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Biggest Priority: Figure out what to do with Haloti Ngata

The Baltimore Ravens have a bit of a pickle on their hands when it comes to deciding what to do with Haloti Ngata.

The big defensive lineman has been an integral part of that front, and his absence was felt when he served a four-game suspension near the end of the 2014 season. He is on the wrong side of 30, however, and that $16 million cap number is searing.

An extension would help both sides—Baltimore gets cap relief with a new contract structure, and Ngata gets one last contract to stay a lifelong Raven.

It may not be that simple, though. The two sides may not agree on Ngata's value going forward, which could lead to an acrimonious split like the dozens we have seen in the past decade.

Buffalo Bills

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Biggest Priority: Find a viable starter at quarterback

Now that the great Kyle Orton has hung up his cleats, what will the Buffalo Bills do?

There may not be much they can do in the near future. That defense buoyed the team to a second-place finish in the AFC East, after all, which means they are likely going to be too far down in the NFL draft order to select a viable starting quarterback.

That leaves them with free agency to try to upgrade—or at least tread water—at the quarterback position. The Bills should have their pick of the litter from this tantalizing list of free agents:

• Mark Sanchez
• Brian Hoyer
• Jake Locker
• Colt McCoy
• Christian Ponder
• Matt Hasselbeck
• Ryan Mallett

And more!

This must be what it feels like to go to the dollar store on Black Friday.

Carolina Panthers

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Biggest Priority: Upgrade the offensive line

The Carolina Panthers didn't have much spending power last offseason, which is why they couldn't upgrade the offensive line in free agency after left tackle Jordan Gross retired.

Granted, they could have made an effort in the draft, but then they may not have had any receivers. 

By hook or by crook, the Panthers must address the offensive line this offseason. Despite missing two games because of injuries, quarterback Cam Newton was sacked 39 times last season—tied for seventh-most in the league, per Pro Football Focus.

The free-agent market isn't stacked with talent, but many options would be better than what Carolina put out there to block for Newton last season. Maybe some of those injuries would have been prevented too.

Chicago Bears

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Biggest Priority: Fix the secondary

With Charles Tillman potentially retiring, Tim Jennings on the brink of decline and Chris Conte being perennially poor at his job, the Chicago Bears need some help in the secondary.

Once considered a strength—like many other things on that defense—Chicago's back line has been atrocious the past couple of seasons. Injuries played a part, but the Bears allowed the third-most passing yards and second-most touchdowns last season.

Kyle Fuller was a bright spot at times as a rookie, but he was exposed as the season wore on. Hopefully, his second season will be less volatile, but the Bears need to upgrade the safety and other cornerback positions in a big way if they are going to bounce back defensively.

Cincinnati Bengals

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Biggest Priority: Upgrade the pass rush

The Cincinnati Bengals sure missed Michael Johnson last season.

At least that's what the numbers tell us. They went from 10th in sacks in 2013 to dead last last season, getting to the quarterback just 20 times. Perhaps opening up the checkbook for their best pass-rusher would have changed things.

Owner and general manager Mike Brown's infamous frugality will be tested this offseason—the Bengals need to spend money to stay competitive in the NFC North. Andy Dalton needs all the help he can get, and that includes having a strong defense.

Cleveland Browns

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Biggest Priority: Get Johnny Manziel to get serious

It seems the Cleveland Browns are getting their wish already.

Johnny Manziel reportedly checked into rehab the week before the Super Bowl, per ESPN.com's Jeremy Fowler.

Cleveland took a chance on drafting Manziel in the first round last year, and it backfired spectacularly in his rookie season as Johnny Football didn't seem interested in playing much at times.

If Manziel gets straightened out and motivated, Cleveland's quarterback conundrum could become a thing of the past. Hopefully, his rehab stint won't be veritable lip service and proves to be a step in the right direction.

Dallas Cowboys

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Biggest Priority: Keep the gang together somehow

It was a banner year for Jason Garrett, who shook off detractors and led his squad to a 12-4 finish and the NFC East title. He did it despite a roster that hadn't changed much from those that had an 8-8 record in previous years, to boot.

Now the hard part comes: keeping the roster intact, at least as far as key players go.

The Cowboys don't have a ton in the way of cap space, and they have Dez Bryant, DeMarco Murray and Doug Free set to hit free agency this offseason. With just over $7 million in cap space right now, it seems like a far-fetched notion that they will be able to keep all three, let alone be big spenders on the free-agent market.

Denver Broncos

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Biggest Priority: Keep that window open a little longer

Can the Denver Broncos win a championship? Right now that championship window is being held open by some duct tape and a prayer.

That's because we're not sure whether or not quarterback Peyton Manning will even be back. There is a real possibility he will retire after playing through injury at 38 years of age.

Even if Manning comes back, his skills are atrophying through no fault of his own. Father Time has his hooks in him, and it won't be long now before Manning will have no choice but to call it a career.

So how do the Broncos keep the championship window open? For starters, they need to ensure Manning returns regardless of physicals or fatherly advice. Then they need to make sure he stays healthy and engaged.

That means shoring up the offensive line—though it wasn't bad—and keeping Manning upright as much as possible.

The best way to preserve a chance at a championship is to field an elite defense, which could be more problematic. That unit played well at times last season, but it could hardly be called elite despite Von Miller, Aqib Talib and T.J. Ward staying healthy most of the year.

An elite defense means less pressure on Manning, which could lead to January success. There just isn't much time to get it there. This is a crucial offseason.

Detroit Lions

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Biggest Priority: Keep Ndamukong Suh

Having the best defensive tackle in the league is a luxury, one the Detroit Lions have enjoyed for five years. Now, the luxury tax bill is due.

That's a figure of speech of course—this isn't the NBA—but Suh is going to cost a pretty penny to keep. The former No. 2 overall pick may break J.J. Watt's record contract for a defensive player, but that hasn't stopped Jim Caldwell from making him a top priority this offseason, per SI.com:

"

That will continue to be one of our highest priorities. That's going to be addressed constantly here until we come to some conclusion...

There's no question about it. He's a dominant, dominant player who we benefit greatly from having his services. He's a tremendous asset to our team, and I'll leave it at that.

"

Figuring out how to do that while simultaneously carrying a $38 million cap number for quarterback Matthew Stafford and wide receiver Calvin Johnson will be an interesting trick for the Lions front office.

Green Bay Packers

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Biggest Priority: Re-sign Randall Cobb

The Green Bay Packers have done a nice job of keeping their top talent and letting go of quality players when the time was right.

This is one of those situations where they should absolutely keep Randall Cobb.

Questions linger about his size and durability even as he comes off a fully healthy season—his first in the NFL—but Cobb is a Swiss army knife for that offense. He had 1,324 yards from scrimmage and 12 touchdowns lining up outside, in the slot or in the backfield for quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

Green Bay needs to lock him down before free agency hits.

Houston Texans

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Biggest Priority: Say goodbye to Andre Johnson

The Houston Texans need to get younger and free up cap space. With Andre Johnson having a cap number over $16.1 million for next season, it's time to think about letting the longtime No. 1 receiver go.

Johnson hasn't exactly been happy in Houston the past couple of seasons, and fielding another mediocre squad isn't going to alleviate those issues. There is little reason to believe the Texans won't be in the middle of the pack next season, especially with a nebulous quarterback situation.

Cutting or trading Johnson outright would save Houston nearly $9 million, which would be a huge boon for a team with just about $11 million in cap space heading into the offseason. It would also be a mercy to let Johnson chase a ring with a contender, though the Texans would never admit that.

Of course, the thought of defending him as an Indianapolis Colt probably turns many a Houston fan's stomach, so a trade to a non-divisional team is probably in order.

Indianapolis Colts

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Biggest Priority: Shore up the trenches

The Indianapolis Colts have yet to give Andrew Luck a great offensive line, and the defensive front may have been worse.

Twice, New England running backs pounded the Colts into submission—Jonas Gray in the regular season and LeGarrette Blount in the playoffs—highlighting a need to upgrade that defensive line.

They weren't terrible all around, but upgraded defensive and offensive fronts will get the Colts to the next level—a trip to the Super Bowl, perhaps.

Jacksonville Jaguars

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Biggest Priority: Fix the offensive line

The Jacksonville Jaguars have a long way to go before becoming relevant, but they can travel a long distance in a short amount of time with a good offseason.

The best way to get there is to fix the offensive line.

There wasn't much to love about that offensive front last season. Former No. 2 pick Luke Joeckel had another disappointing year—though he was still coming back from injury in the preseason—and the best player was rookie guard Brandon Linder.

A solidified front will do wonders for second-year quarterback Blake Bortles, not to mention for the run game behind him. Joeckel isn't going anywhere, but some solid pickups and perhaps some reshuffling are necessary to get the offense on the right path this offseason.

Kansas City Chiefs

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Biggest Priority: Fix the mess at receiver

Perhaps the Kansas City Chiefs will find a receiver who can catch a touchdown next season.

The wide receiver corps didn't catch a single one last year. Kansas City fans weren't even mad—they were impressed.

Well, not really. That was something awful.

The worst part about it is the Chiefs will likely need to part ways with Dwayne Bowe, who has failed to live up to that big contract with which he is due to slice $14 million off the cap this season. That will leave the Chiefs in dire straits. Hopefully, they can find some upgrades in the bargain bin and the draft.

Miami Dolphins

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Biggest Priority: Upgrade at linebacker

The Miami Dolphins have a problem at middle linebacker.

Dannell Ellerbe missed nearly the entire 2014 season, a year removed from being one of the worst inside linebackers in the league, according to Pro Football Focus. He has a cap number at nearly $10 million, and the Dolphins don't have much cap space.

It all adds up to Ellerbe getting cut, a move that would save Miami nearly $8.5 million if it classifies him a post-June 1 cut. The question is how the Dolphins can replace him. There aren't a ton of options, but the draft class has some good prospects at the top.

Either way, Ellerbe must go.

Minnesota Vikings

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Biggest Priority: Say goodbye to Adrian Peterson

Adrian Peterson will be the highest-paid player on the Minnesota Vikings this season.

He is also going to be a 30-year-old running back one year out of football carrying heavy off-field baggage playing a position that is increasingly less valuable in today's NFL.

The Vikings have a decent amount of cap space at about $16 million, but the $13 million they could free up by cutting or trading Peterson could go a long way toward replacing him—perhaps with this year's rushing leader, DeMarco Murray—and restocking at other positions.

New England Patriots

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Biggest Priority: Keep Darrelle Revis

The New England Patriots are on top of the world, and Darrelle Revis is a big reason they got there. Now they have to figure out a way to keep him.

Revis is due $20 million this season with a $25 million cap hit if the Patriots pick up his option. That's a lot of cheddar, especially considering the Patriots are about $4.5 million over the projected cap at this stage. They can make moves to free up some space, but keeping Revis will likely require a new contract.

Now, it seems as though the Pats really want Revis to continue playing in New England—Bleacher Report's Jason Cole reported they were looking to sign him to an extension before the season even began—but the siren song of free agency may be calling. As much as he may like the Patriot Way, Revis has shown a propensity to like money above all else.

Winning a championship may have altered his perception of the situation, and the Patriots should capitalize if that's the case.

New Orleans Saints

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Biggest Priority: Get under the salary cap

The offseason is going to be painful for the New Orleans Saints.

A year after making a deal with the devil, he has come to collect—the Saints are in cap hell. No longer will they be able to pull contract tricks to re-sign players to big contracts or unexpectedly pull a Jairus Byrd out of the free-agency hat.

No, the Saints are almost three times as far over the cap as the next-worst squad, the Arizona Cardinals. They are going to need to trim the roster with a chainsaw to get back to even.

The question is how they do this without compromising a roster that couldn't win a weak NFC South last season.

New York Giants

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Biggest Priority: Keep Jason Pierre-Paul

The New York Giants haven't had the benefit of Jason Pierre-Paul's health for most of the last few years, but that doesn't mean they shouldn't try to keep him.

After all, just a few years ago he had 16.5 sacks as a 22-year-old phenom.

Pierre-Paul is just 25 years old, and the Giants would take a huge hit in the pass rush if they let him go. He may have some injury risk, but there is no reason to let him go.

New York Jets

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Biggest Priority: Fix the secondary

The New York Jets could use improvement at the quarterback position—and that well could be the team's top priority if it doesn't have faith in Geno Smith—but fixing the secondary may be a bigger issue.

For starters, there are no guarantees Jameis Winston or Marcus Mariota will be there with the No. 6 pick in the draft. The Jets could feasibly bet the farm to move up, but Smith hasn't been bad enough to merit such a move. Free agency won't provide a better quarterback, either.

Had the Jets fielded a halfway decent secondary last season, Rex Ryan might still have his job. Injuries ravaged the back seven, to be sure, but front office ineptitude certainly contributed to the 31 passing touchdowns that defense gave up.

After all, it wasn't that long ago when Darrelle Revis and Antonio Cromartie locked down opposing receivers.

Oakland Raiders

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General manager Reggie McKenzie has plenty of money to burn again.

Biggest Priority: Spend better

Once again, the Oakland Raiders have a ton of cap space heading into the offseason. General manager Reggie McKenzie needs to spend it better in 2015.

Last year, the Raiders signed a bunch of relatively low-cost free agents to fill out a roster that needed patching like a road with a sinkhole. The results on the field didn't change much—Oakland was a game worse in the standings and remained trapped in the cellar.

This year, McKenzie must be more aggressive to get impact players. That doesn't necessarily mean a glamorous list of big names will "win" free agency, but the GM will need to spend wisely to make the Raiders competitive in 2015.

Philadelphia Eagles

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Biggest Priority: Avoid quarterback purgatory

It may not seem obvious, but the Philadelphia Eagles are dangerously close to being stuck in quarterback purgatory.

Nick Foles had a magical 2013 season, only to crash back to earth like a modern day Icarus. His 2014 season was cut short, leaving the Eagles at the mercy of Mark Sanchez.

While both played well at times, it became increasingly clear that neither is a viable long-term solution at the position. That leaves Philadelphia in a sticky situation.

Head coach Chip Kelly has been able to succeed in his first two years despite his quarterback situation, but his team's ceiling could be depressed.

Pittsburgh Steelers

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Biggest Priority: Fix the defense

That is a broad priority, but for a franchise with such a storied history on that side of the ball, the Pittsburgh Steelers have lacked defensive grit over the past few seasons.

They ranked in the middle of the pack in scoring and total defense; you can blame a thin secondary and an aging pass rush. James Harrison isn't getting any younger, despite how well he played at times last season.

The problem, as it has been in recent years, is the Steelers don't have a ton of spending power. They will likely need to part ways with stalwart safety Troy Polamalu—once an embodiment of Pittsburgh's staunch defense—to improve their cap situation.

That means the secondary is going to need even more work than it already does.

San Diego Chargers

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Biggest Priority: Fix the offensive line

According to Pro Football Focus, the San Diego Chargers had the ninth-worst pass blocking and second-worst run blocking in the league last year.

Those numbers encompass the entire offense, but the offensive line was certainly a big problem. Of course, it wasn't just the personnel—injuries were an issue, per Chargers.com:

"

Since the merger in 1970, not one single team had to deal with the type of adversity the San Diego Chargers' offensive line faced in 2014. The Bolts became the only team in those 44 years to ever have to start five centers as injuries ravaged the position. Furthermore, two stalwarts for nearly a decade (Nick Hardwick and Jeromey Clary) virtually missed the entire season, making Johnnie Troutman the longest tenured member of the line even though he only joined the team in 2012 and missed that entire season recovering from a pectoral injury.

"

Hardwick is retiring to boot. The Chargers are going to need to shore up the middle of that offensive line if they want to keep quarterback Philip Rivers cleaner next season.

San Francisco 49ers

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Biggest Priority: Bolster the receiving corps

If one thing has been lacking in San Francisco in recent years, it's consistency in the passing game.

Some of that can be traced to quarterback Colin Kaepernick and his development, naturally, but he hardly can be blamed for the lack of talent he has had at wide receiver.

Anquan Boldin is still chugging along at 34, making the occasional mind-boggling play while disappearing for games at a time. Michael Crabtree has been a shell of himself—and perhaps a bad fit for the offense—since tearing his Achilles in 2013.

The 49ers may bring Crabtree back, but they will need to upgrade the position in a big way to open the passing game.

Seattle Seahawks

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Biggest Priority: Re-sign Russell Wilson

The Super Bowl hangover has only just begun in Seattle, but the Seahawks have plenty to look forward to—if they can keep the team together, anyway.

They have done a nice job of locking up core players over the past couple of seasons, but the biggest one of them all is slated for free agency in 2016.

That would be quarterback Russell Wilson, who isn't going to re-sign for cheap. Whether or not he is a top-five quarterback, there is no doubt he is a franchise quarterback who is worth keeping at all costs.

It would behoove the Seahawks to try to sign him to an extension this offseason, when they could feasibly front-load his contract to eat up some of the $25 million in cap space they are slated to have.

St. Louis Rams

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Biggest Priority: Say goodbye to Sam Bradford

The St. Louis Rams need to get rid of Sam Bradford and his $16.6 million cap number for 2015. They have stuck by their former No. 1 overall pick and his albatross of a rookie contract for far too long.

Why would the Rams willingly plant themselves in quarterback purgatory? Simply put, they are already there. Nothing from the past few seasons indicates Bradford is in for a dramatic turnaround, least of all his ability to stay on the field.

With no cap space heading into the offseason, there is no reason to keep Bradford even if he is the best option at this point. It's better to roll with Austin Davis or a free agent—perhaps praying for one of the top two quarterbacks to fall in the draft—than to hamstring the roster with that contract.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

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Biggest Priority: Draft a quarterback

The mission is simple—draft a quarterback.

That's what the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are going to do, right? They're not going to outsmart themselves into thinking they can improve with Josh McCown or Mike Glennon under center, are they?

Prevailing opinion states that Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota are the top two quarterbacks in the 2015 class, and that the gap between those two and the rest of the field is the length of a football field. 

With the top pick in the draft, the Buccaneers will be able to choose who they like best. Whatever deconstruction of those two quarterbacks we see over the next two months, there is little reason for the Buccaneers to approach the top pick differently.

Tennessee Titans

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Biggest Priority: Draft a quarterback

After the Tampa Bay Buccaneers draft their quarterback—assuming they take my advice—the Tennessee Titans need to follow suit.

The situation is even more dire in Tennessee than it is in Tampa Bay, unless the Titans really believe in sixth-round pick Zach Mettenberger. He didn't show much as a rookie, but there is always that glimmer of false hope that he is the next Tom Brady, right?

If you don't have a quarterback, you draft one until you find one. Mettenberger is an unknown quantity going forward, and there aren't any quarterbacks outside the top two who are liable to pan out, at least according to many draft experts.

Washington

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Biggest Priority: Shore up the trenches

As usual, there has been plenty of handwringing over the state of affairs in Washington after the 2014 season. From head coach Jay Gruden's commitment to the team to whether or not Robert Griffin III is the right man for the quarterback job, there is never a shortage of drama in the nation's capital.

In reality, the problems are far simpler for Washington: The roster needs improving.

The biggest area of concern is the pass rush. If it weren't for Ryan Kerrigan, Washington would have ranked near the bottom of the league in sacks. As it stands, it was the 10th-worst team at bringing down the opposing quarterback.

With Brian Orakpo perennially injured and likely on his way out, Washington needs to find some help for Kerrigan.

All salary cap and contract information courtesy of OverTheCap.com, with an assumed salary cap of $142 million.

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