B/R's NFL Super Bowl Odds After Early Free Agency

It's important to state the obvious: A lot can and will change between now and next Feb. 4, when two NFL teams to be determined will meet in Super Bowl LII.

But Las Vegas sportsbooks have already released odds for who might win that game, and the gap between the heart of free agency and the draft gives us a chance to put together an updated, just-for-kicks alternative. 

With the start of the 2017 regular season still five months away, here's how we view each team in terms of their chances of winning it all next year. 

References to Las Vegas odds courtesy of OddsShark.

Favorites

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New England Patriots: 5-1

History indicates the chips are stacked against the Pats. After all, the last 12 Super Bowl champions have failed to repeat. But if somebody is going to buck that trend, it might as well be New England.

The Tom Brady- and Bill Belichick-led Patriots were the last team to successfully defend their title, way back in 2004. And this spring, New England looks better than it did when it won 17 of 19 regular-season and playoff games last year. Superstar tight end Rob Gronkowski should be back from injury, Brady isn't facing a suspension this time around and they've added several potential key cogs in cornerback Stephon Gilmore, wide receiver Brandin Cooks and running back Rex Burkhead. 

Last year at this time, Bovada listed the Pats as 15-to-2 favorites to win Super Bowl LI, according to CBSSports.com's John Breech. This year, they should be viewed as even larger faves. In fact, it might be worth exploring odds on the Patriots making another run at a perfect season. 

Atlanta Falcons: 12-1

It's easy to assume the Falcons could be victimized by a Super Bowl hangover after blowing a 25-point lead to the Patriots in Super Bowl LI. After all, few expected such a young Atlanta team to get to that game, and they're now dealing with the psychological impact associated with that traumatic experience. 

But quarterback Matt Ryan is coming off an MVP season, and he still has perhaps the NFL's best receiver in Julio Jones. Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman are still in Atlanta, as is that underrated offensive line and a defense that is quickly improving at all three levels. That unit in particular should be even better in 2017, especially after the team signed two-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Dontari Poe in free agency. 

The Falcons added Poe and playmaking return man Andre Roberts without losing anyone of consequence. That should have them in the Super Bowl picture as the favorite in the NFC. At least for now.

Contenders

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Green Bay Packers: 14-1

The injury-plagued Packers struggled mightily during the first half of the 2016 campaign. They figured it out in time to outscore their opponents by more than 12 points per game during a six-game winning streak to finish the regular season, but it was too late. They were forced to go on the road to play Dallas and Atlanta in the playoffs, and that was too high a mountain for a banged-up team to climb.

But there's little reason to think the Packers can't perform that way from the get-go in 2017, especially if the law of averages is kinder to them when it comes to injuries. They suffered some losses in free agency, but they still have the best quarterback in the game and should be healthier next year. 

The Packers finished 2016 as one of the scariest teams in football. Losing guard T.J. Lang and replacing center JC Tretter with Corey Linsley and tight end Jared Cook with Martellus Bennett shouldn't change the way we view them. 

Seattle Seahawks: 16-1

Once upon a time, you couldn't give great Super Bowl odds to anyone in the NFC West because the division was stacked. That has changed.

Because the Arizona Cardinals have been pillaged this offseason while the Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers continue to rebuild, it's fair to consider the Seahawks as an overwhelming favorite to dominate the division. That could make it easier to grab a first-round bye, and the last two times the Seahawks did that, they wound up in the Super Bowl. 

Seattle's offensive line is still a concern, but new running back Eddie Lacy could help superstar quarterback Russell Wilson out quite a bit. Let's not forget that the defense expects to get stud safety Earl Thomas back before the start of the 2017 campaign, too.

The Seahawks have won at least one playoff game in each of the last five years. There's no reason to believe they won't be a prime contender once again come December and January. 

Pittsburgh Steelers: 16-1

We know Pro Bowl running back Le'Veon Bell and All-Pro wide receiver Antonio Brown will be back. And possibly even suspended receiver Martavis Bryant, per Beaver County Times' Chris Bradford. But as long as star quarterback Ben Roethlisberger doesn't abruptly retire, the Steelers have to be viewed as New England's top challenger in the AFC. 

They won 11 games despite not having Bell and Roethlisberger for a pair of tough stretches last season, and they improved at least marginally in a typically quiet offseason by adding underrated deep threat Justin Hunter to the receiving corps. 

Like Green Bay, Pittsburgh came on strong late last season (winning its final seven games) but it was too little, too late. Big Ben and Co. ran into the Patriots on the road in the AFC Championship Game, and they didn't have a shot without Bell. 

Don't be surprised if they get hotter earlier in 2017. 

Oakland Raiders: 18-1

Only the Patriots (14) and Cowboys (13) won more regular-season games last year than the blossoming Raiders (12). They were likely to get better regardless of what happened in free agency, as they're young and loaded with talent on both sides of the ball. But they improved on paper in free agency as well. 

The Raiders effectively swapped mediocre linebacker Malcolm Smith and overrated platoon back Latavius Murray for a former solid Dolphins starter in Jelani Jenkins and the electric Cordarrelle Patterson, while also adding new starting tight end Jared Cook fresh off a breakout stretch in Green Bay. That should make life easier on young Pro Bowl quarterback Derek Carr, who is expected to be back from a broken leg well before training camp arrives. 

As long as their season isn't derailed by distractions related to their impending move to Las Vegas, the Raiders should be in the thick of the playoff race. 

Denver Broncos: 20-1

If the Broncos wind up bringing in four-time Pro Bowl quarterback Tony Romo, they become the favorites in the AFC West and perhaps New England's top challenger in that conference. But they're contenders regardless.

This is, after all, a team that won the Super Bowl just 14 months ago. 

They downgraded slightly from nose tackle Sylvester Williams to Domata Peko in free agency, but that defense is still one of the most talented units in football (Football Outsiders ranked them No. 1 in terms of DVOA, or Defense-adjusted Value Over Average). 

With that unit leading the way, Denver won the Super Bowl despite possessing the second-lowest team passer rating in the NFL in 2015. The Broncos can certainly do it again with Trevor Siemian or Paxton Lynch under center and Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders out wide, which is why their odds remain strong even without Romo. 

New York Giants: 22-1

The Giants were somewhat quietly an 11-win team in 2016, probably because they scored only 26 more points than they allowed. But they beat the NFC East champion Cowboys in both of their meetings, and New York had a much better March than Dallas did.

While the Cowboys lost four defensive backs—Brandon Carr, Morris Claiborne, Barry Church and J.J. Wilcox—who played a combined 2,645 regular-season snaps in 2016, Big Blue brought in veteran wide receiver Brandon Marshall to complement Odell Beckham Jr., as well as potential key cogs D.J. Fluker and Rhett Ellison at guard and tight end.

It wasn't the type of splash they made last year at this time, but they've still gotten better. If they bring back defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins to join re-signed defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul, that'll help even more. Throw in that the Cowboys appear to have taken a step backward and it's enough to label Eli Manning and Co. the NFC East favorite entering draft season. 

Dallas Cowboys: 23-1

Dallas isn't far behind the Giants. Right now, the NFC East looks like it could be a toss-up. Still, it's hard to see a so-so Cowboys defense getting better after suffering those losses on the open market, as the cap-strapped front office added only one veteran player in Nolan Carroll (the league's 106th-best cornerback last season, per Pro Football Focus). 

What quarterback Dak Prescott and running back Ezekiel Elliott did as rookies last season is amazing. They could be just as good if not better in 2017, which is why only eight teams have better Super Bowl odds than the Cowboys. But that duo won't be able to take opposing defenses by surprise next season, and the sophomore slump is real. 

The Cowboys are a boom-or-bust team in a highly competitive division that hasn't had a repeat champion in over a decade. It'll be tough, but a Dallas repeat isn't outside the realm of possibility. 

Houston Texans: 24-1

If the Texans add Romo, these odds could increase to about 15-1. If they don't, they could drop below 30-1. That's how important the quarterback position is, especially when your only signal-callers are Tom Savage and Brandon Weeden and you have every other key piece in place for a Super Bowl run. 

The Texans had the league's stingiest defense last year despite three-time Defensive Player of the Year J.J. Watt missing all but three games. Watt's now coming back. They were also loaded with non-throwing weapons on offense (notably DeAndre Hopkins, Lamar Miller and Will Fuller). This is a good team that can become great with steady quarterback play, but it could be bad without it.

Thus, the Texans' odds are fluid. For now, they're a fringe contender.

Dark Horses

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Washington Redskins: 32-1

Vegas isn't with us on the Redskins (currently at 40-1 on OddsShark), which is weird because they're bringing back franchise quarterback Kirk Cousins after back-to-back winning seasons. They were the NFC East champions just a year ago, and Cousins was even better in his second full season as a starter. 

Because the Redskins have shown Cousins so little respect on the business side, it's easy to lose track of how well he has performed since becoming the starter in 2015. In that span, he's the sixth-highest-rated qualified passer in the NFL. Only three quarterbacks have passed for more yards than Cousins' 9,083 during that stretch, yet 12 have thrown more interceptions. His 7.91 yards-per-attempt average ranks fifth. And it's not as though he's been babied, because nobody in football completed more 50-yard passes than Cousins did in 2016.

The Redskins are a winning team with a Pro Bowl quarterback entering his prime. They lost veteran receivers DeSean Jackson and Pierre Garcon in free agency, and they might also miss defensive lineman Chris Baker, but new arrival Terrelle Pryor has a higher ceiling than either of those wideouts. They also have two other talented young receivers in Jamison Crowder and Josh Doctson, and the addition of potential stud safety D.J. Swearinger should help them forget about Baker. 

This team is in better shape than a lot of folks realize. 

Carolina Panthers: 32-1

Here's another team that did big things just a year ago and could be overlooked as a result of a down 2016 campaign. Not a lot went right for the Panthers their six-win season last fall, but this team hasn't changed much since making Super Bowl 50. They still have 2015 MVP Cam Newton under center to go with a stacked front seven on defense. 

Atlanta and Tampa Bay have gotten better, which hurts Carolina's odds. It also doesn't help that the secondary and the offensive line remain potential liabilities, even with cornerback Captain Munnerlyn and offensive tackle Matt Kalil coming on board. 

But the Panthers have championship pedigree, and they didn't suffer any major losses in free agency. They could do some serious damage if they can stay healthy in 2017. 

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 32-1

The young Bucs were already on the rise—their win total has increased from two to six to nine over the past three years—and then they went out and added experienced deep-threat receiver DeSean Jackson to complement stud Mike Evans. 

Congratulations, Jameis Winston. 

They made Winston's life even easier by boosting the D with defensive tackle Chris Baker and safety J.J. Wilcox, which makes them the second-best all-around team in the NFC South. They need more from the running game and the offensive line, but they have talent in both spots with ball-carriers like Doug Martin (suspended for the first three games of 2017), Charles Sims and Jacquizz Rodgers and guys such as Ali Marpet, Donovan Smith and Joe Hawley on the line.

Though the Bucs haven't made the playoffs in nearly a decade, they're due, and several playoff spots open up every year. Tampa Bay isn't part of the Super Bowl conversation just yet, but teams frequently come out of nowhere and wind up in that game. The Bucs are a strong candidate to do just that. 

Baltimore Ravens: 35-1

Beyond New England, Pittsburgh, Oakland, Denver and Houston in the AFC, there's a group of a half-dozen teams in that conference with solid-to-great quarterbacks and some noticeable strengths and weaknesses. All six of them have no better shot than an average NFL team at winning the Super Bowl, but they each have realistic championship hopes in a parity-happy league.

Those teams are the Ravens and Bengals in the North, the Dolphins in the East, the Colts and Titans in the South and the Chiefs in the West. 

Of that group, we give a small edge to Baltimore. That's mainly because the Ravens have been there and done that with Joe Flacco under center, and because they improved on a five-win 2015 season with an 8-8 2016 campaign. It appears they're trending in the right direction, even if they lost their starting right tackle (Rick Wagner) and their Pro Bowl fullback (Kyle Juszczyk) in free agency. 

That line is a concern, as are the receiving corps and the running game. This team also hasn't managed to stay healthy in recent years. But the Ravens still had the league's seventh-rated defense last season, and a well-coached team with a franchise quarterback and defensive playmakers like Eric Weddle, C.J. Mosley, Terrell Suggs and newbie Tony Jefferson can't be counted out. 

Miami Dolphins: 40-1

The Dolphins have a semi-promising, semi-young franchise quarterback who appeared to make major strides before suffering an ill-timed injury late last season, and they still made the playoffs anyway. That's why they're a part of this conversation. 

Problem is, they're the next-best team in a division that contains the heavy Super Bowl favorite, New England. The Dolphins don't have much of a chance winning the AFC East, which means they have an even smaller chance of getting through the postseason on the road.

Running back Jay Ajayi could build on his breakout 2016 season, Ryan Tannehill could put together his first Pro Bowl campaign under center and that deep receiving corps could become one of the league's best. Top 2016 draft pick Laremy Tunsil could help turn that infamous offensive line into an asset, and defensive weapons Ndamukong Suh, Cameron Wake and Reshad Jones could all stay healthy and productive. 

All of those things could happen, and Miami could be one of the best all-around teams in the league. And yet the Dolphins would still probably need help to win their first Lombardi Trophy in 44 years. 

Indianapolis Colts: 40-1

The Colts have a quarterback named Andrew Luck. He's good. Very good.

It's uncertain whether they can keep him healthy—one of the league's softest offensive lines added no new players in free agency—and a defense that ranked 30th in football last season may not have improved enough to compensate for a lack of balance or consistency on offense. But any team with Luck has a shot. 

That D does look better on paper, especially with potential key cogs Jabaal Sheard, John Simon and Margus Hunt joining an oft-maligned front seven. Indianapolis can continue building up that offensive line in next month's draft. But the Colts aren't winning anything unless Luck can stay upright. 

Tennessee Titans: 40-1

That Colts team will also have its work cut out for it in the AFC South, because the reigning division champion Texans could be better. The Titans also look like they're primed to make it back to the playoffs in 2017. 

After increasing their win total from three in 2015 to nine in 2016, the young Titans were destined to improve without lifting a finger this offseason. Instead, they gave their secondary an injection of talent by adding cornerback Logan Ryan and safety Johnathan Cyprien, and they didn't lose anybody important. 

The Titans also hold the Nos. 5 and 18 overall picks in April's draft. If they don't trade that fifth pick, it'll mark the first time this decade that a team has selected in the top five coming off a winning season. If they hold on to both picks, it'll mark the first time this century that a winning team has selected in the top 10 and again in the top 20.

If third-year quarterback Marcus Mariota can recover fully from the broken leg he suffered in Week 16 and continues to improve, the Titans should be playing meaningful games next January. And once you're at the dance, you've got a chance.

Kansas City Chiefs: 42-1

The Chiefs could easily win more games than every other dark horse listed here, as well as some of the contenders listed earlier. If these odds solely evaluated their chances of making the playoffs, they'd fare better. But they're buried below 18 other teams here because they may not know how to win in January. 

Kansas City hasn't reached a conference title game since the 1993 season. More recently, the Chiefs have won at least 11 games in three of head coach Andy Reid's four seasons, but they lost immediately in the postseason in two of those years. They made it to the divisional round in 2015, but that's largely because they were in the right place at the right time against a broken Texans team in that year's Wild Card Round.

Because they've been strapped for salary cap space, they haven't done much lately to improve. They did keep All-Pro safety Eric Berry with a new contract this offseason, but aside from that, they essentially swapped out Poe for the less accomplished Bennie Logan inside. 

It's hard to trust Reid in a playoff setting because his team has botched big moments in back-to-back playoff losses, and quarterback Alex Smith has his limitations. This team's ceiling doesn't appear to contain confetti. The Chiefs may be in contention all year, but they're close to a long shot for Super Bowl LII. 

Cincinnati Bengals: 48-1

The Bengals would be considered Super Bowl long shots at best if not for their Pro Bowl quarterback-receiver tandem in Andy Dalton and A.J. Green. Otherwise, there isn't much to like about a team that won just six games last season before sleeping through free agency despite having plenty of money to spend. 

While standing pat, Cincinnati lost its top two in-house free agents in left tackle Andrew Whitworth and right guard Kevin Zeitler. Yes, the Bengals woke up in time to sign the washed-up, injury-prone Andre Smith to give the depleted line a boost, but that's not enough for a team that had to get better in March. 

That defense is still talented, especially with linebacker Kevin Minter joining the fray, and Dalton and Green can keep them competitive. But at this point, the Bengals appear to be headed in the wrong direction. 

Long Shots

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Arizona Cardinals: 60-1

Coming off a losing season, the Cards appeared to get worse in free agency.

They lost talented young safeties Tony Jefferson and D.J. Swearinger, plugging that hole with 32-year-old Antoine Bethea. They also let front-seven defenders Calais Campbell, Kevin Minter and Alex Okafor get away. In response, they got even older by adding the 35-year-old Karlos Dansby.

Even with defensive backs Tyrann Mathieu and Patrick Peterson, Arizona's D just isn't what it used to be. That could put too much pressure on 37-year-old quarterback Carson Palmer and 33-year-old top receiver Larry Fitzgerald, neither of whom appear to have much tread left on their tires.

The Cards aren't rebuilding yet, and Palmer, Fitzgerald, Mathieu, Peterson and running back David Johnson all have the ability to change games. As a result, they're at least still a Super Bowl long shot. But they're running out of time.  

Minnesota Vikings: 75-1

A Minnesota defense that ranked third in football last season should be just as good this year, as all of its key players—including age-immune cornerback Terence Newman—are returning.

However, Adrian Peterson is gone, and new back Latavius Murray can't single-handedly fix a running game that averaged a league-low 3.2 yards per carry and 75.3 rushing yards per game. New tackles Mike Remmers and Riley Reiff likewise can't fully fix an offensive line that was responsible for more sacks than all but two other lines in football in 2016, according to Pro Football Focus.

Additionally, Sam Bradford will likely be Minnesota's quarterback again, as franchise signal-caller Teddy Bridgewater continues to recover from the catastrophic knee injury he suffered last summer. With Bridgewater back, the Vikes might be considered something more than a long shot. But with a poor man's Alex Smith under center, they're probably not going far.

Detroit Lions: 80-1

The law of averages always indicated the Lions were due to come crashing back to earth in 2017. That's because Detroit spent most of the 2016 season putting together last-second comebacks in order to beat bad teams. It's not realistic to expect quarterback Matthew Stafford to once again put together an NFL-record eight fourth-quarter comebacks. 

Based on Pro Football Focus grades, the Lions were actually the NFL's sixth-worst team last season, while Football Outsiders ranked them 27th based on DVOA. They ranked dead last in the league with an opposing completion percentage of 72.7 and passer rating of 106.5, they averaged just 3.7 yards per carry, and their defensive sack rate of 4.5 was tied for the NFL's second-worst. 

Stafford is coming off an impressive season, especially with stud wideout Calvin Johnson no longer at his disposal, but the aforementioned comebacks propped up that small sample. None of it is sustainable, and Stafford's body of work indicates he's too inconsistent. 

The Lions were lucky to win nine games last season, and the only key players they added in free agency were offensive linemen T.J. Lang and Rick Wagner, both of whom represent small upgrades at best over the departed Larry Warford and Riley Reiff. They'll likely struggle to get back to the playoffs in 2017, but Stafford gives them hope. 

New Orleans Saints: 80-1

You never want to count out a team with a quarterback as good as Drew Brees, even if that team is coming off a third consecutive losing season, just traded away its best wide receiver and did little in free agency to spruce up a defense that surrendered 28.4 points per game last season. 

Only San Francisco performed worse in that department, and depth front-seven guys A.J. Klein, Alex Okafor and Manti Te'o won't suddenly make that unit respectable. It'd help if they execute a trade for top-end Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler, but that won't save a defense that is still years, not months, from becoming anything but a liability. 

It's amazing the Saints have been able to win seven games in each of the last three seasons. That's mainly on the 38-year-old Brees, and it's the only reason why the Saints have better Super Bowl odds than eight other teams. 

Philadelphia Eagles: 80-1

It's great that the Eagles went out in free agency and added two talented receivers with 1,000-yard seasons under their respective belts to bolster a receiving corps that took a lot of heat and left rookie quarterback Carson Wentz high and dry far too often in 2016. Indeed, Alshon Jeffery and Torrey Smith should help an offense that ranked 22nd in terms of yards per game last season. 

If Wentz emerges under those circumstances, the Eagles have a chance to do something special in the perma-wide-open NFC East. But it's mildly concerning that the No. 2 overall pick struggled as the 2016 season wore on. Among 27 quarterbacks who threw at least 250 passes between Week 6 and Week 17, Wentz ranked dead last—behind even Brock Osweiler!—with a 72.3 passer rating.

Will he continue to regress as a sophomore, or will a full offseason of system work and a revamped receiving corps help get him back on track?

Even if it's the latter, the Eagles—who also lost three defensive starters in Logan, Carroll and Connor Barwin in March—aren't likely making a Super Bowl run. But with a wild-card quarterback in a wild division, there's a (60-1) chance.

Buffalo Bills: 90-1

Returning quarterback Tyrod Taylor is good enough to give the Bills a chance to compete most weeks, especially if top weapons Sammy Watkins and LeSean McCoy are healthy and rolling. And there is some hope for a defense that put up middle-of-the-pack numbers last year but has plenty of young (Shaq Lawson, Reggie Ragland) and old (Marcell Dareus, Kyle Williams, Lorenzo Alexander, Jerry Hughes, maybe Zach Brown) talent. 

So why are the Bills extreme long shots (100-1) in Vegas? They won only seven games last year and they're stuck with New England and Miami in the NFC East, plus they lost a starting corner (Stephon Gilmore) along with three receivers (Robert Woods, Marquise Goodwin and Justin Hunter) in free agency. 

Still, the Bills are being underrated. The uber-athletic Taylor was a Pro Bowler a year ago, and Dareus' 2016 season was derailed by injuries and a suspension. They have plenty of talent on both sides of the ball, and they could have a surprising run in them. 

Los Angeles Chargers: 100-1

It's hard to be terrible with centerpiece players like Philip Rivers, Melvin Gordon, Keenan Allen and Joey Bosa, which is why the Chargers remain the longest of long shots. They have just enough talent to remain enticing more often than not, but they're still coming off a 5-11 season and didn't appear to get any better as they moved from San Diego to L.A. 

The Bolts signed Russell Okung to replace King Dunlap at left tackle, but Okung hasn't been good since 2012, which is the last season he graded out positively at Pro Football Focus. They also cut starters D.J. Fluker and Brandon Flowers and let versatile veteran back Danny Woodhead get away. 

They seem to realize they're rebuilding, but with those four stars complemented by strong players like Tyrell Williams, Antonio Gates, Hunter Henry, Melvin Ingram and Casey Hayward, they could wind up running into some victories. Combine enough of those with some good luck and you never know.

But don't get your hopes up, new Chargers fans, especially in the AFC West.

Impossibles

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Jacksonville Jaguars: 150-1

The Jaguars have more upside than many of the teams listed above them, but they haven't won more than five games since 2010 and are coming off a three-win campaign despite possessing nearly as much upside at this time last year. 

They're the NFL's ultimate "believe it when I see it" franchise, which might make such long odds tempting. Still, even with Calais Campbell and A.J. Bouye joining that defense, Jacksonville won't break into double-digit odds until quarterback Blake Bortles does something to indicate he isn't rapidly regressing. 

The Jags will likely be better next season, but we've been saying that for years. And even if they improve significantly, the rest of the AFC South may also follow suit. 

Los Angeles Rams: 175-1

The Rams roster contains three 25-or-under recent top-15 picks who have been run through the hype machine so much that it's impossible to give Los Angeles the worst odds of any team. That said, they're coming off a four-win season in which two of those kids—quarterback Jared Goff and running back Todd Gurley—were often embarrassingly bad. 

Both Goff and Gurley both have considerable upside, but that doesn't mean they'll suddenly become effective in 2017 and start living up to the hype the way 25-year-old defensive tackle and 2014 first-round pick Aaron Donald has. Regardless, there's some hope there. 

The Rams made things easier on Goff and Gurley by signing one of the game's best left tackles in Andrew Whitworth, but even if those guys make a tremendous amount of progress under slightly better circumstances, this is a rebuild year for a team putting all of its eggs in that duo's basket. 

Cleveland Browns: 175-1

Unbelievably, this is us giving kudos to a Browns team that Vegas is sticking with even longer odds (250-1 at OddsShark). The Browns won't go from 1-15 to the Super Bowl, but their trajectory indicates they might have a better shot than the three dumpster fires listed below them. 

The Browns don't know who their quarterback will be in 2017, but they helped that mystery man out by signing Kevin Zeitler and JC Tretter—arguably the top guard and center on the free-agent market—in order to revamp an offensive line that was responsible for a league-high 33 sacks last season, according to Pro Football Focus. They also added a talented and experienced new No. 1 receiver in Kenny Britt—a 28-year-old former first-round pick coming off a breakout season who at least has a longer resume than the departed Terrelle Pryor. 

They did all of that without selling off any draft picks, which means they're still slated to pick first, 12th and 33rd. That'll give them a chance to improve even more while adding a rookie quarterback to compete with Brock Osweiler and Co. 

With steady play at under center, that offense could surprise next season. Probable top pick Myles Garrett certainly has the ability to transform the defense if the Browns decide to go that route. Suspended star wide receiver Josh Gordon could even be back, per Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal. 

Don't be surprised if the Browns become something other than a punchline in 2017. 

Chicago Bears: 200-1

With Jay Cutler and Alshon Jeffery gone, the rebuilding Bears are slated to enter the 2017 season with starting quarterback Mike Glennon throwing to starting receivers Eddie Royal and Kevin White.

Poor Jordan Howard.

The second-year running back could be a bright spot again for the Bears next season, but a lack of support could also cause him to suffer a fate similar to Gurley's. Fortunately, Chicago has a decent offensive line, but that's about it for a team that severely lacks talent on both sides of the ball and is stuck in a tough division. 

The Bears won just three games last year and didn't get significantly better in March. That's a problem, at least if you're expecting them to bust out of that two-decade-long Super Bowl slump in 2017. 

New York Jets: 250-1

Take a five-win team that Football Outsiders graded dead-last in the NFL in DVOA last season, and then remove veterans Darrelle Revis, Nick Mangold, Brandon Marshall, Ryan Clady, Ryan Fitzpatrick and Geno Smith. Add only so-so starters Kelvin Beachum and Morris Claiborne.

What do you have? A locked-in basement-dweller in a division that contains three far superior teams.

The Jets waved the white flag for 2017 almost as soon as the 2016 season came to a conclusion. In fact, it often looked as though they were waving it in December. This team has some talent up front on defense, but it has to be rebuilt pretty much everywhere else.  

San Francisco 49ers: 300-1

New coach, new general manager, new starting quarterback who likely isn't currently on the roster (and even if Brian Hoyer or Matt Barkley starts, both are also new).

A 49ers team that Pro Football Focus graded as the worst in football by a huge margin last season should be better after making plenty of changes and additions in January, February and March, but don't expect them to significantly increase their win total from two.

Hoyer and Barkley are placeholders, and there'll be growing pains if they go the rookie quarterback route (they have the No. 2 overall pick). Pierre Garcon, Marquise Goodwin and Kyle Juszczyk should help the offense, but it's absurd that those are their top weapons not named Carlos Hyde. 

The new front office hardly touched the league's worst scoring defense and didn't do enough to improve the 31st-ranked offense. This'll be another grin-and-bear-it year in San Francisco.