10 Teams Headed for Major Rebuilds in 2017
The dawn of a new year often means wholesale changes for some sports organizations.
Whether a contender ran its course or a botched building job requires a reset, teams in every sport occupy this stage of the process at one point or another.
In 2017, the teams that are resetting to this bottom rung of the ladder take an optimistic outlook promising a brighter future. These teams either have several major names leaving or the option to punch the reset button while gaining plenty of future assets in the process.
Though the decision to rebuild isn't easy, picking the right time to begin often determines whether the efforts succeed. Let's take a look at 10 teams headed toward perfectly timed rebuilds in 2017.
Indianapolis Colts
1 of 10
The Indianapolis Colts could be heading toward cleaning house on multiple levels of the organization.
That makes sense, really. The Colts went 8-8 in 2015 and are a .500 club through 14 games this year. The building job around Andrew Luck has been an absolute botch, and resetting now will save plenty of years of his prime for actual contention.
Think about it. The Colts have two, maybe three holes to fill along the offensive line, a unit that has allowed 37 sacks this year. The backfield is old, and the targets outside of T.Y. Hilton look replaceable. Outside of Vontae Davis and Clayton Geathers, the defense doesn't boast major talent.
Luck has been with the Colts for five years now, and the team is on a steep decline, hardly posting strong seasons in the laughable AFC South. It's best for Indy to shield Luck while it blows everything else up and does things the right way.
Sacramento Kings
2 of 10
The Sacramento Kings (13-17) have bumbled through a building process about as terribly as the Colts have.
Even with a generational talent in DeMarcus Cousins, the Kings have looked lost at best. While failing to surround the game's best center with talent, Sacramento has never hit.500 to finish a season during his tenure and has burned through multiple coaches.
The team's latest (and probably last) attempt at building around Cousins involved quick washouts such as Rajon Rondo (last year) and odd fits such as Rudy Gay. Don't forget drafting multiple centers with Cousins still on the roster as opposed to stocking up at other spots and letting the team grow together (see: the Los Angeles Lakers).
Cousins has one year left on his contract after this season, per Spotrac. Trading him won't be easy because everyone knows he is gone one way or the other, but the Kings can't afford to start another rebuild by getting nothing in return.
Chicago White Sox
3 of 10
Was this so hard to see coming?
The Chicago White Sox haven't had a season at .500 or better since 2012. Even the other team in the city has gotten its act together since then.
A full commit to a rebuild would be a tough sell to anyone in the organization or the fans. After all, the White Sox don't have a ton of attractive talent to dangle in a trade, particularly not after moving Chris Sale and Adam Eaton.
But 2017 is when the White Sox need to fully commit. That means moving Jose Quintana, even though his departure would ruffle more than a few feathers while the team loses a ton of games.
The White Sox have done an incredible job of rebuilding the farm system so far. But now the organization sits in the danger zone, where teams often rebuild only halfway and wonder where it all went wrong.
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Los Angeles Rams
4 of 10
It's all going according to plan for the Los Angeles Rams.
The Rams had their big move to a larger market and used a top pick on a quarterback, Jared Goff. Then the organization gave Jeff Fisher the chance to guide the transition before firing him.
This is all about the vacant spot at head coach. Everything resets under a new coach, and some of the rumors involving big names have been downright crazy.
No matter who ends up taking the job, this is a rebuild. Goff is something to build around, and wideout Tavon Austin might have promise under a different coach. Defensive tackle Aaron Donald is one of the best in football. But everything else is a work in progress, from the lack of offensive weapons to the dearth of talent in the offensive trenches.
Now is the time for the Rams to have a youthful reset. Depending on who takes the gig at head coach, it could be one of the fastest turnarounds NFL fans have seen in a long time.
Detroit Tigers
5 of 10
This might be the most polarizing team on the list.
After all, though the Detroit Tigers have gone without a postseason appearance two years and running, they finished 86-75 last year and still look like a playoff hopeful moving forward.
Alas, the Tigers might trend more toward acquiring prospects and freeing up cash, with guys like Miguel Cabrera only getting more expensive by the minute. Playing in the same division as the Cleveland Indians and Kansas City Royals might make it seem like being a wild-card contender isn't enough.
If the Tigers want to get crazy with it, guys like Ian Kinsler and Justin Verlander could go on the block.
The Tigers need to go ahead and hit the "start over" button. Too much of the team's core is older than 30, and the trade value on those guys will never be higher. It's a bold decision, albeit one that could ensure another decade of playoff contention after a smooth makeover.
Atlanta Hawks
6 of 10
Just do it already, Hawks.
The Atlanta Hawks flirted with the idea of a rebuild and settled for a half measure. Out went Al Horford, in came Dwight Howard. Out went Jeff Teague, so Dennis Schroder got a promotion. Kent Bazemore rightfully stuck around, but it's mostly business as usual around him.
The Hawks have been in the playoffs every year since 2007-08 but made the Eastern Conference Finals once and got spanked 4-0. The risk of finally blowing it all up is breaking a nice run of postseason appearances despite not having enough to win a title.
The reward is accruing the upside to win a championship.
The Hawks (15-15) are flirting with a .500 record so far this year, which means the best move is to treat D12 like a stopgap and blow everything up around Bazemore. The process needs to start in 2017 while tradeable players still have value.
New York Jets
7 of 10
Folks knew it when Ryan Fitzpatrick tossed six interceptions in a game back in September—the New York Jets are headed for a rebuild.
New York squabbled with Fitzpatrick all offseason long instead of just getting him under contract and has suffered the consequences, going from him to Geno Smith to Bryce Petty.
Petty might be something. Or maybe not, seeing as he's thrown three touchdowns to six interceptions. Painting in broad strokes, the offense is too old at all the skill positions, the line has several holes to fill, and the defense has names ready to retire (Darrelle Revis) or move on (Muhammad Wilkerson).
A team that once prided itself on defense doesn't even do that so well anymore, which explains the four-win campaign through 14 games thus far. The Jets need a few drafts to build a competent offense and restock the defense—a process sure to begin in 2017.
Miami Heat
8 of 10
The Miami Heat didn't fully commit to a rebuild after Dwyane Wade's departure, which was an easy-to-see mistake.
The Heat sit on a 10-21 record. Chris Bosh's future remains up in the air. Per Spotrac, the Heat are doling out more than $15 million per year for Goran Dragic to average 19.1 points and 6.7 assists.
Miami's best bet is rebuilding around the electric Hassan Whiteside, though it's important for the team to keep in mind he's already 27 years old. Bouncing Dragic's odd fit out of town and letting Tyler Johnson play while praying Justise Winslow can stay healthy makes the most sense.
Look for the Heat to jump-start a rebuild with trades in 2017. The fans of an expected contender each year won't wait long—something the Heat have shown they understood in the past.
Chicago Bears
9 of 10
The Chicago Bears look ready to rid themselves of some of their most notable faces and start anew.
This process halfheartedly started a year ago when the team let running back Matt Forte walk. Now it looks like the Bears will ditch quarterback Jay Cutler as well, and the chances wideout Alshon Jeffery sticks around don't seem too hot.
Sitting on three wins through 14 games, the Bears will likely draft a new franchise quarterback in 2017. With Jeffery gone and Kevin White always hurt, a new supporting cast seems likely, including upgrades along the offensive linemen, given the miserable play of the tackles.
Chicago's defense needs wholesale changes as well after draft busts such as Kyle Fuller. The unit has a few promising linebackers such as Leonard Floyd, but everything else needs some work.
Luckily for the Bears, they have been bad enough this year to dive into the rebuilding process without hesitation.
Buffalo Bills
10 of 10
Call the Buffalo Bills another rebuild victim of Tom Brady and the New England Patriots in the AFC East.
The Bills thought they had something in quarterback Tyrod Taylor, though he hasn't done enough to get the team better than .500. LeSean McCoy is still LeSean McCoy, but top wideout Sammy Watkins can't stay on the field. The line needs a lot amount of work after coughing up 41 sacks, too.
Like the Jets, the Bills prided themselves on defense. But Marcell Dareus isn't getting much help from the rest of the unit—one in need of wholesale changes.
Unfortunately for the Bills, doing away with head coach Rex Ryan and some of the struggling core pieces to start over is risky, considering how rough the team has had it in drafts (remember EJ Manuel?). But the Bills have no other options at this point, so look for the rebuild to begin in earnest in 2017.
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