Every NFL Teams' Biggest Offseason Priority
With Super Bowl LV behind us and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers crowned as the 2020-2021 Champions, the football world now turns its attention to the 2021 offseason. Free agency begins on March 15th, and the NFL Draft will be at the end of April. Coaching staffs and front offices have already begun strategizing how to improve their rosters. While the term “offseason champs” carries little weight once the season begins, championship rosters in both the near and distant future will be built in these upcoming months.
Here are the biggest offseason priorities for every NFL Team:
AFC East
Buffalo Bills: Depth at the line of scrimmage
Although Buffalo has one of the best rosters in football, there’s no such thing as too much depth. Both Buffalo’s offensive line and interior defensive line could use more capable big bodies to weather the storm of a deep playoff run.
Miami Dolphins: Offensive line
Miami has their future starting quarterback in Tua Tagovailoa. Now, they need to keep him protected. With two first-round picks in the upcoming draft, the Dolphins could use one to acquire a foundational tackle or interior lineman.
New England Patriots: Fix the passing game
Cam Newton had his struggles throwing the ball last season, but simply replacing him won’t fix their entire passing attack. The cupboard is nearly empty of quality receiving threats to thrive in Bill Belichick’s offense, this is a glaring need for the Patriots next season.
New York Jets: Quarterback
While he still possesses some potential, it looks like the Jets will move on from Sam Darnold after a slow start to his career. New York has the second overall pick, putting them in prime position to take their next franchise quarterback in the 2021 NFL Draft.
AFC North
Baltimore Ravens: Wide Receiver
Outside of Marquise Brown, Baltimore lacks playmakers at the receiver position. With such a potent rushing attack, the Ravens’ offense would improve significantly with another serious threat on the outside for Lamar Jackson to throw to.
Cincinnati Bengals: Offensive line
With their future at quarterback set with Joe Burrow, the Bengals need to make sure they can keep him upright. The Bengals allowed 48 sacks last season, tied for the fifth-most in the NFL. Acquiring an offensive lineman should be the number one priority for the Bengals this offseason.
Cleveland Browns: Secondary depth
The Browns were an offensive machine in 2020 but now must address their various needs on defense. While getting back last year’s second-round pick Grant Delpit should help, more depth is needed throughout the entire secondary to improve a bottom-third pass defense.
Pittsburgh Steelers: Finding their franchise quarterback
It was crystal clear during Pittsburgh’s Wild Card loss to Cleveland that Ben Roethlisberger is not the quarterback he was in years past. For the first time in nearly two decades, the Steelers could be looking to draft a quarterback in the first round.
AFC South
Houston Texans: End the Deshaun Watson stalemate
Deshaun Watson no longer wants to play for Houston. The Texans are losing trade leverage and organizational value with each passing day. Maximizing their return for a franchise quarterback is their best option for a proper rebuild this offseason.
Indianapolis Colts: Left Tackle
Now that the Colts have their quarterback in Carson Wentz, protecting his blind side is their top offseason priority. Franchise legend Anthony Castanzo retired after ten seasons leaving a major hole in an otherwise terrific offensive line.
Jacksonville Jaguars: Draft the next big thing
Wielding the number one overall pick gives Jacksonville their choice of the 2021 quarterback class. NFL rookie Urban Meyer is in town to begin a new chapter and most expect it will start with a certain former Clemson Tiger under center.
Tennessee Titans: Build a pass rush
The Titans finished last season with only 19 sacks, the third-worst mark in the league. An edge rusher or interior defensive lineman would benefit a Tennessee squad that struggled to pressure opposing quarterbacks all season long.
AFC West
Denver Broncos: Quarterback
Denver gave Drew Lock a shot, but there will be better options in the trade market and the draft. The Broncos have young skill position players with potential who would benefit from a change at quarterback. With the 9th Overall Pick, the Broncos have an opportunity to go in a different direction under center for the 2021 NFL Season.
Kansas City Chiefs: Offensive line depth
After watching Patrick Mahomes run for his life for most of Super Bowl LV, Kansas City would be wise to invest resources into their offensive line. When the Chiefs’ starters went down, their lack of lineman depth showed. The Chiefs would be smart to get some depth for their offensive line this upcoming offseason.
Las Vegas Raiders: Edge Rusher
The Raiders want to be the team to challenge Kansas City in the division. First, they need to upgrade a defense that allowed nearly 30 points per game last season. That begins with generating consistent pressure on the edges or grabbing a large, physical presence in the interior of their defensive line.
Los Angeles Chargers: Defensive line
While keeping Justin Herbert protected is crucial, the Chargers need to upgrade a defensive line that had a down year in 2020. The interior of the line in particular had trouble generating pressure, and the Chargers should look to draft or sign a defensive tackle during the offseason.
NFC East
Dallas Cowboys: Re-sign Dak Prescott
Yes, the Cowboys need to fix their woeful defense, but nothing is more important than securing their future at quarterback. Coming off a season-ending injury, Prescott could get franchise tagged again, but a long-term deal is what he really wants, and what he really deserves.
New York Giants: Interior offensive line
Even with RG Kevin Zeitler and former first-round draft pick OT Andrew Thomas, the Giants still gave up 50 sacks last season. Quarterback Daniel Jones is a much better player when he’s not facing pressure up the middle like he was so often last season, calling for an emphasis on protecting Jones for the Giants next season.
Philadelphia Eagles: Reconstruct the offensive line
No matter who starts at quarterback next season, the Eagles need major help on the offensive line. Philadelphia gave up a whopping 65 sacks for a combined 401 yards lost, easily the most in the NFL.
Washington Football Team: Quarterback
Add Washington to the list of quarterback-needy teams after cutting 2019 first-rounder Dwayne Haskins. Alex Smith and Taylor Heinicke had good moments last season, but neither appears to be the starter in the long run.
NFC North
Chicago Bears: Quarterback
Mitchell Trubisky floundered and the Nick Foles bandaid didn’t solve their quarterback problems either. Chicago needs a positional reset, through the draft or free agency, so their offense can match the talent of their defense.
Detroit Lions: Linebacker
Detroit had an inconsistent pass rush, finishing 2020 with only 24 sacks. Their linebackers in particular struggled to pressure the quarterback and often got beat in coverage. Acquiring a quality edge rusher would allow Detroit to focus on the rest of the porous defense.
Green Bay Packers: Linebacker
Like their divisional counterpart, the Packers’ linebackers struggled last season, particularly in pass coverage. Green Bay has a recent history of taking defensive players in the first round and should continue that trend with the 29th overall pick.
Minnesota Vikings: Defensive line
What was once a vaunted Minnesota defensive front is now one in desperate need of an upgrade. Losing Danielle Hunter for the 2020 season exposed a lot of problems on a team that lacks the ability to rush the passer and stop the run.
NFC South
Atlanta Falcons: Revamp the secondary
Atlanta allowed the most passing yards in the league last season. Even after drafting cornerback A.J. Terrell in the first round last year, Atlanta needs to use both the draft and free agency to fix the entire secondary.
Carolina Panthers: Tight End
The Panthers have had a glaring hole at tight end since Greg Olsen left after the 2019 season. A big red zone target would fit nicely next to Carolina’s speedy receivers and a healthy Christian McCaffrey. With the 8th Overall Pick, there will be a great prospect in TE Kyle Pitts that the Panthers should try to snag.
New Orleans Saints: Future at quarterback
Drew Brees has yet to officially retire, but even if he returns for one more year, the Saints have to have a plan for the post-Brees era. Jameis Winston is a free agent and Taysom Hill appears to be more of an all-around playmaker rather than a franchise quarterback. Figuring out the future of the Saints quarterback position has to be first on their list of offseason priorities.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Recoup what is lost on defense
The defending champs have several defensive starters hitting free agency this offseason. It’s unlikely they keep them all, so finding replacements for lost production will be paramount for a repeat title run.
NFC West
Arizona Cardinals: Another receiving threat
DeAndre Hopkins was spectacular in his first season with the Cardinals. However, there wasn’t enough consistency among other skill position players. Kyler Murray needs another reliable target, perhaps a tight end, to round out the offense.
Los Angeles Rams: Linebacker
Having the best statistical defense last season, the Rams have elite talent on the defensive line and in the secondary. Their biggest hole is at linebacker, where a high-impact player could potentially vault Los Angeles to the Super Bowl.
San Francisco 49ers: Cornerback
With their top corners, Richard Sherman and Jason Verrett, hitting free agency, the Niners may need to draft their replacements. The quarterbacks in their division are too good for San Francisco to not prioritize this position.
Seattle Seahawks: Cornerback
Coming off a season with the second-worst passing defense in the NFL, Seattle is long past the era of the Legion of Boom. Cornerback is the primary position of concern, as both the safety positions are locked down between Jamal Adams and Quandre Diggs.
