Written by Jason La Canfora at CBSSports.com
Save for the Falcons and the Patriots, the rest of the NFL is at a standstill. With one game remaining to be played in the 2016 season, there are 30 teams eager to begin the process of getting better and bolstering their roster so that they may be participating in this game a year from now.
For the Patriots and Falcons, the future is now, this week. For everyone else, the NFL Combine and the start of the new league year and the 2017 NFL Draft can’t come quickly enough. Each franchise knows how much work needs to be done to reach this pinnacle. They can’t wait for this week, and this final game, to be in the past so that the waiver wire can open back up and the transactions can begin anew. Obviously, some teams are closer to this pinnacle than others, and, let’s face it, in a season that was largely defined by the ineptitude of certain franchises and the amount of suspect football being played in prime time and otherwise, there is no shortage of clubs who need major reconstruction before they are anywhere close to Super Bowl-ready.
With that in mind, here’s a team-by-team look at the top offseason priority for each of the 30 teams that aren’t in Houston this week for the big game.
Arizona Cardinals
Above all else, they need to make a quick decision on their quarterback. IsCarson Palmer the guy for 2016, or can they upgrade? Would Tony Romo be a better option? Palmer is a declining asset, for sure, and they need to draft a quarterback of the future, regardless. They’re not going to be able to keep their bevy of free agents on defense (Calais Campbell, Chandler Jones, Tony Jefferson, etc.), so getting more out of the offense is imperative.
Baltimore Ravens
Edge presence. All over the defense. Defensive end. Outside linebacker. Cornerback. The Ravens fell apart on that side of the ball in December and they are still very thin on playmakers there and with Terrell Suggs and Elvis Dumervil long in the tooth, this transition can’t happen quickly enough.
Buffalo Bills
They, too, better sort out QB. They want to keep Tyrod Taylor on the cheap, but he’d be foolish to re-do his deal there instead of actually seeing what kind of money is out there in a shallow free agent quarterback market. With GM Doug Whaley seemingly torn between whether his team is playoff-worthy or totally rebuilding, there’s no better place to start than under center.
Carolina Panthers
When Cam Newton won NFL MVP for the 2015 season he didn’t need an offensive line. But, yeah, he does like most of the time. They need a left tackle and a right tackle. Take some of that money you never gave to Josh Norman and invest in the guys who protect the franchise quarterback.
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