NFL Trade Speculation: Top 10 Teams Just 1 Trade Away from a Super Bowl Run
Football, more than any other sport, is a team game. Eleven players on offense and 11 players on defense, all working for a common goal: to win the Super Bowl.
Only one of 32 teams can win in a given season, causing history to forget some of the game's most talented teams in the process.
Players win games in the NFL, and it's that realization that has B/R counting down the top 10 teams that are one trade away from making a championship run next season.
No. 10: Miami Dolphins
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The Dolphins' 2010 campaign kicked off with so much promise, but ended with a thud after Miami finished 7-9 and out of the playoffs for yet another year.
The most likely culprit for Miami's poor play: quarterback. Chad Henne began the season as Miami's starter and floundered after the first few games.
Henne threw 19 interceptions to just 15 touchdowns in 2010, and Miami as a team threw 21 interceptions to its opponents' 11—a telling statistic that explains why the Dolphins missed out on a better record last season.
The Dolphins need an upgrade at quarterback if they want to improve. And who knows? Maybe they can compete for it all?
No. 9: Oakland Raiders
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The Oakland Raiders finished at .500 in 2010...shocking right? Well, just imagine how well they would have done if they were able to win outside of the AFC West division (6-0 vs. Broncos, Chargers and Chiefs).
Though you could argue that Oakland has more than one need in the offseason, the Raiders are most likely a playoff team with a little boost to their run defense.
The Raiders ranked 29th last season in opponents' rushing yards, allowing over 130 yards per game, and though their passing game was mediocre, defense wins championships.
If Oakland could trade for a dominant run-stopping defensive lineman, or a quality linebacker, don't doubt its success in 2011.
No. 8: Houston Texans
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The Houston Texans have one huge, glaring problem that must be addressed this offseason: their secondary.
The Texans were torched through the skies in 2010, ranking dead last in opponents' passing yards, allowing over 267 per game.
Opposing quarterbacks had a quarterback rating of 100.5 against the Texans, and Houston's opposition racked up nearly 4,500 receiving yards on the season.
Defensive back is one position that cannot go unchanged this summer. If the Texans can patch up things in the secondary, their offense gives them a chance to win.
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No. 7: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
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Tampa Bay was 7-3 after 10 games last season and in prime position to grab a playoff spot in the NFC. Unfortunately for Bucs fans, it was .500 football down the stretch and Tampa Bay missed the postseason with a 10-6 record.
The offense was solid for most of 2010, scoring well and keeping position with the league's eighth-best rushing attack.
The focus should instead be placed on the defensive line. Tampa Bay lacks an outside run stopper off of the edge and sometimes gives up big yards to mediocre backs. The Bucs gave up more than 100 yards in the first half to Washington's Ryan Torain in a December 12 meeting (I know because I was there).
If the Bucs can pick up a powerful defensive end or even a tackle who can plug up running lanes, they have a chance to make a run at the Lombardi Trophy in 2011.
No. 6: Dallas Cowboys
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The Cowboys have been a favorite by many to win it all for several seasons in a row now. Dallas entered 2010 with high hopes only to finish 6-10 without the services of quarterback Tony Romo.
Romo was injured in a Monday night loss to the New York Giants halfway through the season. However, quarterback isn't necessarily what's holding Dallas back.
The Cowboys secondary was atrocious last season, ranking 26th in the league against the pass. Dallas allowed more than 243 yards through the air in its six-win season—far too many for a championship-caliber team.
Dallas must address its secondary this offseason, not with a big-name superstar, but with good old-fashioned talent.
No. 5: San Diego Chargers
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Philip Rivers and the Chargers lit up the skies above San Diego in 2010, finishing the season with the second-ranked passing attack in the league.
However, the ground game was nothing if not average. San Diego ranked 15th in rushing offense, with just over 113 yards per game. Mike Tolbert led the Chargers with over 700 yards on the ground in 2010, which isn't enough unless you're the Green Bay Packers.
San Diego has been battling character issues for years now, and obviously has the talent to win the Super Bowl year in and year out, but sometimes motivation takes you further than talent alone.
The Chargers should look into a game-changing running back this summer, in hopes of recapturing what they had with LaDainian Tomlinson years ago.
No. 4: New York Giants
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Perhaps the best trade the New York Giants can make this offseason is one for ball security and end-of-game poise.
The Giants beat themselves more than once in 2010, finishing 10-6 and missing the playoffs after having the NFC in their grips at midseason.
Though New York turned the ball over far too often last season (25 interceptions and 17 fumbles), it still needs to improve its roster.
The Giants defense looked horrible late in the season, giving up 45 points to Green Bay in a must-win game in Week 16.
The secondary would be a good place to improve, as the Giants ranked just ninth in the league in 2010 in opposing passing yards, allowing around 210 per game.
No. 3: Kansas City Chiefs
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The Chiefs' brilliant 2010 season was all for naught as they bowed out in the Wild Card Round to the Baltimore Ravens.
Kansas City was the proud owner of the league's best rushing attack last season, racking up over 164 yards on the ground per game. Still, offense is the problem for the Chiefs.
Kansas City ranked 30th in the NFL in passing offense, accumulating less than 190 passing yards per game and becoming way too predictable to opposing defenses.
Matt Cassel was spectacular last year, though, throwing 27 touchdown passes to only seven interceptions. Cassel also threw for more than 3,100 yards in 2010.
It's yet to be determined if Cassel is a premier starter in the NFL, but if all else fails, the Chiefs need to at least look for an elite offensive lineman this summer to give Cassel more time to be a threat.
No. 2: Indianapolis Colts
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Like the Chiefs, the Indianapolis Colts were a playoff team in 2010, also losing at home in the Wild Card Round.
The Colts blueprint for success is simple, however. Surround Peyton Manning with a solid defense and he'll do the rest. Manning can make any wide receiver look good, and carry an offense even without any trace of a running game.
But even Peyton Manning can't cover up a porous run defense. The Colts ranked 25th against the run in 2010, allowing 127 yards per game on the ground. Although they can address many issues in April's draft, a quality defensive lineman could help them win now.
Bottom line, the Colts must seek a dominant defensive tackle this offseason, and if they get one, Manning makes them a threat every Sunday.
No. 1: Philadelphia Eagles
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If you're beginning to sense a theme here, you aren't mistaken. Most of these teams have needs on the defensive side of the ball. It's no surprise that every season, the Super Bowl champion wins with a dominant or opportunistic defense.
Philadelphia was 10-6 last season with Michael Vick as its engine. Vick led the Eagles to the NFC East crown and nearly helped them win a playoff game over the Packers in the Wild Card Round.
Vick and the offense are fine for now, but it's the defense that concerns Eagles fans. The NFL's 15th-best rushing and passing defense failed them in the postseason and must be addressed this offseason.
The Eagles would be wise to bring in a proven defensive back to shore up their secondary in 2011. If they are going to have to go through the Green Bay Packers' aerial attack, they need to build up their defenses, and quickly.
Philadelphia's threat to score at any point in time with playmakers like Vick, LeSean McCoy, Jeremy Maclin and DeSean Jackson make them No. 1 on this list. Even an average defense can win a championship with that type of offense.
Patrick Clarke is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report and a student at Towson University.
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