Atlanta
Man I’m still feeling for this team. No one is going to stop talking about the blown lead in the Super Bowl. I’m sure every Falcon fan and player has had enough. It’s time to move on. The great news is this team could move on to repeat as the NFC Champions. This offense is stacked. While Kyle Shanahan has moved on to San Francisco, new offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian comes into an ideal situation. The best thing he can do is nothing. This was the top scoring offense in the NFL with MVP Matt Ryan leading the way. Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman both return from arguably the best 1-2 punch in the NFL. These two combined for nearly 1,600 yards rushing and just under 900 yards receiving. They should surpass that 2,500 all purpose mark and threaten the 3,000 mark. On the
outside they still have one of the best receivers in the league in Julio Jones. Jones eclipsed 1,400 yards last year. Second behind him was veteran Mohamed Sanu with 653 yards. Matt Ryan has so many weapons to work with, but I do see some issues. For one, right guard Chris Chester retired. I’m also slightly concerned about the rest of the depth along the line. Last year all 5 starters played every game. I don’t see that happening again this year. Another concern for me is the tight end position. I’m not a big fan of Austin Hooper or Levine Toilolo. While the tight end won’t be asked to do much it’s still worth mentioning. Plus if Sarkisian makes any moves it could effect this offense’s production. They’ll still be good, but not repeat as the number one scoring offense in the league
Carolina
What happened to this panther team? From a team that only lost 1 regular season game the year before, the Panthers plummeted. They went 6-11 in 2016 and made the Super Bowl appearance the year before a distant memory. Carolina’s offense starts and finishes with Cam Newton. Not only was 2016 a down year for Cam, but he also had surgery on his throwing arm. He’ll need to come back 100% for this team to bound back in 2017. The front office spent their first 2 picks in the draft helping Cam out. They added running back Christian McCafferey in the first round and wide out Curtis Samuel in the second. Both look to get significant time this year, but McCafferey could be the starting running back day one. They also added a very capable receiver in Charles Johnson from Minnesota. The
panthers need all the help they can get at receiver. While Benjamin has shown he can make plays, his inconsistencies and injuries make him a far cry from a reliable number one. The loss of Ted Ginn means Devin Funchess is behind him and he provides no more depth than a rookie wide out. The strongest receiving threat they have is Greg Olsen. The tight end surpassed a 1,000 yards last season and is making a case for the best tight end in the league. The line will be an issue. Last year they put players out of position and couldn’t find a working combination. They rewarded Matt Kalil with a big contract in the offseason, but there are still a lot of questions and holes to fill. They’ll need to protect Cam to go anywhere in this division. Plus Jonathan Stewart tends to get hurt and between McCafferey taking over and their lack of talent at receiver this offense may be in trouble.
New Orleans
Tampa Bay
This Tampa Bay team is on the rise. After only 8 wins in the two previous years the Buccaneers mustered up 9 wins last season and just missed the playoffs. Dirk Koetter stepped in and all of the sudden this team is a contender. Much of the credit has to go to Jameis Winston. In his second season Winston put up over 4,000 yards passing and had a 28/18 TD/Int ratio. He’ll have to cut back the interceptions, but a very good sophomore year. Mike Evans was a huge part in Winston’s success. His 1,300+ yards and 12 touchdowns earned him a Pro Bowl spot. This year Evans won’t be carrying the load alone. The Buccaneers did a good job of bringing in weapons in the offseason. They brought in Desean Jackson from Washington to compliment Evans. Jackson is a deep threat with a lot of experience and should draw coverage to help keep defenses honest. Another weapon they added was tight end O.J. Howard in the first round of the draft. This kid is an athlete and a freak physically. At 6’6 250 he not only can
get up on defenders, but with his 4.5 speed he can outrun them too. With Cameron Brate still here the Buccaneers have a great 1-2 at tight end and receiver. Defenses will have their hands full on the back end. As for the backfield I’m a little concerned. I like Doug Martin, but I don’t see him as a reliable number one. His injuries and inconsistencies are alarming. Behind him is Jacquizz Rodgers. A back built like Martin with just as many questions. Behind them Charlie Sims. A back that did well at times, but can’t be relied on to carry the load. All in all I see three sub par backs and even at running back by committee there’s going to be issues. I think the Bucs dropped the ball here. There was plenty talent to help them, but they didn’t go for it. They’ll move a couple people around at line, but overall they should be fine. They aren’t on the elite level, but they’ll be better than last year and so will Jameis and this offense.