NFL Teams That Need to Reap Immediate 2016 Draft Rewards
The 2016 NFL draft is quickly approaching, as prospects and scouts attend pro days to help answer any remaining questions. Evaluations are being double-checked and finalized before coaches and general managers produce their final strategy for the seven-round madness of the draft.
Some franchises will look to build for the long term as they develop cheap talent in hopes of finding stars of the future. Others face higher stakes in 2016 and must reap immediate rewards from their rookies. Those teams have the toughest challenge because they have to execute while under the microscope.
Finding early contributors can be the difference in fielding a playoff team in 2016 or finishing in the cellar of a division. We’ve identified six organizations that must be effective in their drafting efforts this year or face heavy consequences. We’ll dive into each situation to see exactly what the team needs and why there’s so much urgency.
New York Giants
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The New York Giants entered the offseason needing a massive influx of talent to revamp their roster. Finishing 6-10 in 2015 was unacceptable, because the NFC East was one of the worst divisions across the league. This prompted a change at head coach, as offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo took the reins from Tom Coughlin.
Knowing the clock is rapidly ticking as quarterback Eli Manning’s four-year, $84 million extension kicked in this year, the Giants spent heavily to become more competitive. The 35-year-old quarterback is a rare older veteran on this roster, as the average age on the team is just 24.9 years, per Spotrac. That makes the Giants the ninth-youngest roster in the NFL.
General manager Jerry Reese spent $39 million on defensive upgrades to help the woeful unit. By adding talent along the defensive line and cornerback positions at such a cost, the Giants have massive pressure to perform in 2016. But they still have significant holes to fill in the draft before realistic expectations can be set. Wide receiver, running back, right tackle, linebacker and free safety need upgrades and depth.
It’ll be difficult to add all of that talent in one class, so the Giants must prioritize three positions and find early contributors. A starting free safety and wide receiver are absolute needs, and adding depth to the offensive line would be wise, given the number of injuries along the unit in recent years. Reese must find talent more effectively this year than in recent drafts for his team to make a strong playoff push in 2016.
Seattle Seahawks
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It’s been a tough offseason for the Seattle Seahawks in terms of losing talent. Their already below-average offensive line lost two starters in left tackle Russell Okung and guard J.R. Sweezy. Factor in the loss of running back Marshawn Lynch to retirement, and there are major doubts around the franchise.
The Seahawks will need all the offensive help they can find for 2016, as well as add depth to a defense that lost linebacker Bruce Irvin. Tight end Jimmy Graham’s status for Week 1 is still uncertain as he returns from a patellar tendon injury, according to Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times. Finding day-one impact players is a priority for the Seahawks.
General manager John Schneider has found quality players throughout his tenure with the team. His track record of unearthing undervalued players gives reason to believe this franchise can handle the pressure. Falling short in the playoffs because quarterback Russell Wilson is not properly protected is simply unacceptable.
The Seahawks must spend multiple picks along the offensive line and then add defensive tackle and cornerback depth. Years of quality drafting have stocked the cupboard at most other positions, but finding good, young talent at those three positions could be difficult.
Jacksonville Jaguars
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The hot seat in Jacksonville is starting to rival a summer swell in Duval, Florida, as general manager Dave Caldwell and head coach Gus Bradley have won just 12 of 48 games during their tenure. It’s time to win as quarterback Blake Bortles enters his third season and the front office spent serious cap space this past free-agency period. Their new additions will cost about $29 million in 2016 alone.
That includes cap hits for defensive end Malik Jackson, cornerback Prince Amukamara, left tackle Kelvin Beachum, free safety Tashaun Gipson and running back Chris Ivory, per Spotrac. These signings seem promising and will accelerate the expectations put on the team.
Finishing below .500 again shouldn’t be acceptable.
Even after their recent splurge, the Jaguars have some holes to fill. The linebacker position is weak outside of Telvin Smith, and finding another edge-rusher would help alleviate pressure on Jackson and Dante Fowler Jr. With the fifth overall pick, the Jaguars have a great chance to add an impact player.
Whether they add UCLA linebacker Myles Jack or Ohio State defensive end Joey Bosa, the selection would instantly boost the athleticism on this defensive unit, as well as improve the overall talent. It’s imperative the Jaguars come away with a potential star, as they may not be in this position in the draft for the next few years.
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Tampa Bay Buccaneers
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Similar to other young teams across the NFL, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers invested in several veterans to help this roster take the next step in 2016. With quarterback Jameis Winston showing star qualities as a rookie and an explosive set of playmakers around him, the Buccaneers desperately needed to improve a defense that finished 26th in points per game allowed.
Defensive end Robert Ayers and cornerback Brent Grimes are certainly talent upgrades over the players the Buccaneers were using in 2015. This defense now has the ability to rotate situational contributors instead of relying on limited role players. New guard J.R. Sweezy will also help seal a left guard spot that was woeful last season.
There was risk in the Buccaneers’ moves, however. Grimes aged poorly in 2015, and the cornerback-needy Miami Dolphins decided he was not worth keeping around. Sweezy struggled in pass protection for the Seattle Seahawks, which could be a problem next to left tackle Donovan Smith. If the signings pan out, though, this team would just need to add depth and two starters on defense.
The strong-side linebacker position is still unsettled with Danny Lansanah as a placeholder. The same can be said for each safety position, as neither spot has a bona fide starter. Finding early contributors at these spots is a realistic goal for general manager Jason Licht.
New Orleans Saints
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Looking at the New Orleans Saints roster from top to bottom is not a fun endeavor. The Saints have few positions secured long-term, with only a small handful of young players to build around. Head coach Sean Payton and quarterback Drew Brees can only uplift this franchise so much without proper surrounding talent.
Recent drafts have brought rewards such as left tackle Terron Armstead and linebackers Stephone Anthony and Hau’oli Kikaha. They’re a good start to this rebuild. Undrafted free agent cornerback Delvin Breaux and defensive end Bobby Richardson help highlight an effective scouting department as well.
New Orleans is still hampered by dead-cap chargers from restructuring contracts so often during it Super Bowl pushes. The Saints have just $2.6 million available with the draft nearing and will likely need to make more adjustments to sign their rookies. This puts significant stress on the front office to draft effectively.
The current roster just needs impact talent on both sides of the ball, which should allow the staff to select the best available talent throughout the draft. Keying in on one position is dangerous when a roster needs to hit on a few big swings on players who could become more than average starters. Brees’ advanced age (37) also factors in, as the Saints need to capitalize on their window with him.
Indianapolis Colts
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For all of the blunders that general manager Ryan Grigson has amassed in his four seasons with the Indianapolis Colts, this franchise still has the opportunity to revamp its limited roster. The Colts have the 10th-youngest roster in the league, have a star quarterback in his prime and possess $19 million in cap space that can be rolled over into 2017. Now, Grigson must show better execution in the draft.
The most obvious need is to find a capable edge-rusher to help a respectable secondary. Too often the Colts secondary had to cover for a half-dozen seconds as quarterbacks had enough time to scan the field multiple times until a receiver broke free. The current trio of Erik Walden, Trent Cole and Robert Mathis is one of the worst in the NFL, if not the very worst.
Finding more help along the offensive line would also be a wise investment. The interior offensive line benefited from Jack Mewhort playing more guard in 2015, but the rest of the unit is average at best. Keeping Andrew Luck healthy will require a more effective running game as well, so adding a tackle and another guard to compete and develop could help.
If Luck is healthy, the Colts are arguably the favorite to win the AFC South. But reducing the massive weight on his shoulders must happen sooner than later for this staff to continue with the team. Being known as the regime that wasted Luck’s prime is a career-killer.
All stats used are from Sports-Reference.com. Cap space per Spotrac.com.
Ian Wharton is an NFL Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report.
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