NFL Free Agency Fallout: Super Bowl Contenders

With virtually all significant free agents signed—though Tiki Barber’s still out there!—we can now take a look at how the NFL shapes up heading into 2011.

While everyone and their dog seems ready to pencil the Eagles in for the NFC’s Super Bowl bid, there’s still 17 weeks of football to be played, and winning the offseason doesn’t necessarily mean you win the regular season.

With that in mind, here are the three teams from each conference we think has the best shot at reaching Super Bowl XLVI in Indianapolis.

AFC

1. New York Jets – The Jets didn’t add too many significant pieces to last year’s squad but resigned top receiver Santonio Holmes and took a flier on Plaxico Burress to be Mark Sanchez’s go-to red-zone target. First-round pick Muhammad Wilkerson should boost the pass rush while third-rounder Kenrick Ellis should add excellent depth to Rex Ryan’s defensive line. This young Jets team could be right there with their rival Patriots near the top of the NFL standings in 2011.
2. New England Patriots – The Patriots made some interesting additions in free agency, adding potential impact veterans in Chad Ochocinco and Albert Haynesworth while allowing long-time DE Ty Warren to leave. Haynesworth could be a major game-changer on defence, lining up beside another huge, athletic tackle in Vince Wilfork. Their presence should hopefully free up the linebackers to get a better pass rush than they did in 2010 and ease the pressure on the secondary. Whether Ochocinco brings much to the offence remains to be seen, but as long as Bill Belichik and Tom Brady are running the show in New England, they’ll be contenders.
3. Pittsburgh Steelers – The Steelers will once again be in a slugfest with the Ravens in the AFC North, but a full season of Ben Roethlisberger, seemingly past his offseason troubles of the past couple of years, should make them even better in 2011. OLB James Harrison might talk more ridiculous smack than a WWE heel, but he’s the anchor of a dangerous attacking defence that should be even better with the addition of first-round pick Cameron Heyward.

NFC

1. Philadelphia Eagles – One of the most exciting teams in the NFL just went out and had one of the best offseasons in recent memory. Snapping up lockdown cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha from Jets GM Mike Tannenbaum’s nose was either a stroke of incredible genius or incredible luck, but either way, the Eagles suddenly have the best trio of cornerbacks in football. Acquiring both CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and a second-round pick for relatively untested QB Kevin Kolb could end up looking like highway robbery if Kolb doesn’t pan out in the desert. RB Ronnie Brown adds depth and versatility in the backfield, while QB Vince Young is a more-than-capable backup when Michael Vick misses a few games. DEs Cullen Jenkins and Jason Babin should boost the pass rush. Massive first-round pick Danny Watkins should immediately solidify the interior offensive line. All told, an already-dangerous team just went and shored up any weaknesses you could name. While comparisons to the NBA’s Miami Heat are unfair, they really are the odds-on favourite at this point.
2. Green Bay Packers – The Packers didn’t have a lot of cap room to work with but didn’t really need it, given the wealth of talent that carried them to a Super Bowl only seven months ago. They have inconsistent receiver James Jones too much money, but he’ll still be a contributor in three-WR packages. The Pack did add three contributors with their top draft picks, and the return of TE Jermichael Finley from injured reserve should make their dominant pass offence even better. All the key pieces are still in place, and if it weren’t for the Eagles ridiculous offseason, they’d still be the NFC favourite.
3. Atlanta Falcons – The Falcons finished 13-3 in 2010 but were crushed in the second round of the playoffs by the Packers. So instead of standing pat, GM Thomas Dimitroff made a couple of aggressive moves, trading up to draft elite WR prospect Julio Jones and signing former Vikings DE Ray Edwards to play opposite John Abraham. Dimitroff was also able to retain several key free agents, maintaining continuity on a team that’s only going to get better. The Falcons could be scary in 2011.