NFL Teams That Improved the Most in 2015 Offseason

At this stage of the NFL offseason, all 32 teams feel like they have made strides. With free agency and the draft comes renewed optimism.

Of course, it never really turns out that way for every team. There are injuries, players who don’t perform as expected despite a change of scenery and rookies who are not quite up to the task just yet.

So here are eight teams that are on the upswing. These are the clubs that have made the most strides the last few months based on acquisitions, coaching changes and departures. Some have further to go than others, and we aren’t guaranteeing that all of these clubs are playoff-bound.

Still, things are looking up for all of these franchises, who did well this offseason and figure to be much bigger factors in 2015.

Chicago Bears (5-11 in 2014)

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It was time for massive changes in the Windy City, and judging from what we have seen so far, the Chicago Bears have a different look to them.

From a new general manager (Ryan Pace) to a new head coach (John Fox), offensive coordinator (Adam Gase) and defensive coordinator (Vic Fangio) and system, a team that comes off its worst season since finishing 5-11 in 2004 is ready to see some changes on the field.

One thing that hasn’t changed is the presence of quarterback Jay Cutler, who comes off a troubling season in which he produced almost as many turnovers (24) as touchdown passes (28). The cast around him has changed a bit in the sense that wide receiver Brandon Marshall is now with the New York Jets, while free agent Eddie Royal and 2015 first-round pick Kevin White will now team with Alshon Jeffery. Gase’s biggest job could be changing Cutler’s mindset.

It’s on the defensive side of the ball that the Bears expect to make an impression, as they make the switch to Fangio’s 3-4 defense. The free-agent additions of outside linebacker Pernell McPhee, inside linebacker Mason Foster and strong safety Antrel Rolle should all play big-time dividends.

Of course, making significant improvement and knocking the Green Bay Packers off their perch in the NFC North may be a totally different story. But this is a Chicago team that will be much different under Fox.

Houston Texans (9-7 in 2014)

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It wasn’t that long ago that the Houston Texans were back-to-back AFC South champions. A disastrous 2-14 showing in 2013 erased plenty of those recent memories.

However, under first-time NFL head coach Bill O’Brien, the team won seven more games in 2014 than the previous year, and with some changes this offseason, the Texans look significantly better.

The quarterback situation appears to be a bit vague as Brian Hoyer and Ryan Mallet will vie for the job. O’Brien got the most he could out of this position in 2014, watching four different men play the position and combine for 22 touchdown passes and only 16 turnovers.

While defensive end J.J. Watt was Mr. Everything in 2014, including a red-zone threat as a tight end, the Houston passing attack figures to benefit from the free-agent additions of Cecil Shorts and Nate Washington as well as 2015 third-round pick Jaelen Strong. The offensive line is sound, and veteran Arian Foster and second-year pro Alfred Blue anchor the league’s fifth-ranked ground attack from a season ago.

While the Texans did lead the NFL with 34 takeaways in 2014, their defense was spotty at times, especially against the run. The addition of free-agent defensive lineman Vince Wilfork was a solid move, and rookie outside linebacker Benardrick McKinney figures to be an immediate contributor.

Do the Texans have enough to challenge the Indianapolis Colts for a division title? This is a team pointed upward.

Miami Dolphins (8-8 in 2014)

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While some people have chosen to focus on just how much the Miami Dolphins will be paying defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, it seems like that the real point in terms of signing the four-time Pro Bowler has been missed.

The Miami defense has gotten a whole lot better. Joe Philbin’s squad slumped down the stretch last year, especially when it came to stopping the run. The addition of Suh should help remedy that quickly, while defensive ends Cameron Wake and Olivier Vernon figure to be even more effective as pass-rushers. The Dolphins totaled 39 sacks this past season but also surrendered 165.3 yards per game on the ground in their final six outings.

Improving quarterback Ryan Tannehill has a new-look receiving corps in wideouts Kenny Stills, Greg Jennings and 2015 first-round selection DeVante Parker, as well as former Pro Bowl tight end Jordan Cameron.

There are still some questions at linebacker, but this looks like a much more formidable team on the defensive side of the ball. Tannehill has more weapons at his disposal, and running back Lamar Miller is coming off a solid year.

All the pieces are in place for the Dolphins to enjoy their first winning season since 2008.

Minnesota Vikings (7-9 in 2014)

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This offseason, the Minnesota Vikings were their usual somewhat quiet themselves when it came to adding veteran players.

And as had been the case in recent years under general manager Rick Spielman, the franchise waited until the draft to make plenty of noise.

First-round pick Trae Waynes has a chance to contribute as a rookie and also learn behind seasoned cornerback Terence Newman, who was picked up from the Cincinnati Bengals this offseason. Spielman opted for a UCLA linebacker in the draft for the second straight year, and second-round selection Eric Kendricks is already penciled in to patrol the middle. The team’s other eight selections, three on the offensive line, figure to grow with this young club.

Second-year quarterback Teddy Bridgewater has a new big-play wideout in Mike Wallace and by all indications will be handing off the ball to Adrian Peterson.

More importantly, all of the talent that Spielman has added through the draft in recent years is primed to bloom. The Vikings won two more games in 2014 than they did the previous season, and head coach Mike Zimmer has this club in line for a promising showing.

New York Jets (4-12 in 2014)

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The critics will point to the New York Jets and their quarterback situation and ask how they could possibly be on this list.

Let’s give new sideline leader Todd Bowles, the 2014 NFL Assistant Coach of the Year, the benefit of the doubt. He has veteran college and NFL teacher Chan Gailey to help with quarterbacks Geno Smith and Ryan Fitzpatrick, an offseason pickup.

There are a lot of new faces too.

Thanks to new general manager Mike Maccagnan, the Jets swung a trade for wide receiver Brandon Marshall and added cornerbacks Darrelle Revis, Antonio Cromartie and Buster Skrine via free agency.

Talk about filling a few needs? The Jets scored just 16 times through the air in 2014, while New York’s defense allowed 31 touchdown passes and managed only six interceptions.

There is improved depth in the backfield as Stevan Ridley and Zac Stacy join Chris Ivory and Bilal Powell. Only two teams in the league gained more rushing yards than the Jets this past season.

First-round pick Leonard Williams can help all along the team’s talent-laden defensive front, and second-round selection Devin Smith could prove to be a big-play component in Gailey’s offense.

This is a team not as far away as some may think.

Oakland Raiders (3-13 in 2014)

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When you have been down as long as the Oakland Raiders have been, any semblance of progress can be considered major improvement.

Still, for the first time in more than a decade, the team comes off a year in which it had nailed the draft early and often, and now how it has done the same thing in 2015.

Last year, outside linebacker Khalil Mack, quarterback Derek Carr and left guard Gabe Jackson, the Raiders' first three selections in 2014, all cracked the starting lineup. We could see something similar in wide receiver Amari Cooper and defensive end Mario Edwards, general manager Reggie McKenzie's first two selections this spring.

Free agency was also kind to the silver and black. The addition of running back Roy Helu and wide receiver Michael Crabtree should provide Carr with some more help. If third-year pro Latavius Murray can pick up where he left off late last season and Trent Richardson can revive his once-promising career, this could be an interesting ground attack.

But it is really the Raiders defense that bears watching with new head coach Jack Del Rio and new defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr. at the helm. This was an Oakland team that totaled only 22 sacks and forced only 14 turnovers this past season. The team is hoping ball-hawking strong safety Nate Allen (seven takeaways with the Eagles in 2014) can help with the latter.

After a 0-10 start a year ago, the Raiders split their final six games. Could that finish be the springboard to a successful 2015?

San Diego Chargers (9-7 in 2014)

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After making a late-season run in 2013 and reaching the playoffs, the San Diego Chargers come off a roller-coaster season despite finishing 9-7 for the second straight year.

Still, this is a team that is solid along the offensive line, and the decision to move up on the first night of the draft and added University of Wisconsin running back Melvin Gordon figures to be a wise one. He could give quarterback Philip Rivers a dimension he hasn’t seen since LaDainian Tomlinson (and perhaps occasionally with Ryan Mathews).

The passing attack should also benefit from the additions of wide receivers Stevie Johnson and Jacoby Jones, who also brings the Bolts a much-needed big-play threat on punt and kickoff returns. A healthy Danny Woodhead will also help Rivers' cause as well.

The defense underperformed a bit this past season, but look for a much more balanced offense its cause. This team figures to look a lot more like the ’13 Chargers that beat the Cincinnati Bengals in the Wild Card Playoffs and made the Super Bowl-bound Denver Broncos nervous one week later.

Washington Redskins (4-12 in 2014)

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When you finish last in your division six of the past seven seasons, even a winning campaign is a step in the right direction.

John Keim of ESPN.com reports that Washington Redskins head coach Jay Gruden likes what he sees from his 2015 draft class, one that includes first-round tackle Brandon Scherff and outside linebacker Preston Smith.

Bolstering the offensive line with Scherff will aid a running game that despite the presence of reliable Alfred Morris finished 19th in the NFL in rushing yards this past season. Meanwhile, Smith joins a defense that added free agents such as defensive linemen Stephen Paea and Terrance Knighton and cornerback Chris Culliver. New general manager Scot McCloughan also traded for two-time free safety Dashon Goldson, late of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The increased emphasis on defense, a unit that has allowed 98 offensive touchdowns in its last 32 games, should make life easier for quarterback Robert Griffin III, who may be primed for a big bounce-back year.

All free-agent information and player signings/transactions are courtesy of Spotrac. Depth chart information comes via Ourlads. Unless otherwise noted, all player and team statistics come from Pro Football Reference and ESPN.com.