The 2024 NFL Off-Season has proven to be just as wild as always. Surprise trades, surprise cuts, surprise signings, and the upcoming draft add a sense of excitement we just can’t get over for the upcoming season. So, before the draft sways our opinion, let’s see what the new additions and the losses for these 10 NFL teams foretell for their respective 2024 NFL seasons.
Based on how they did last year, here are 5 NFL teams destined to succeed next season… and 5 teams doomed to fall.
Which NFL team will succeed, and which ones will fall this season?
Doomed to Fall: Los Angeles Rams
The Rams looked pretty good ending the 2023 NFL season strong with a playoff appearance and nearly toppling the up-and-coming Lions in the Wild Card Round. This of course only 2 years after winning the team’s second Lombardi Trophy in franchise history.
However, one key piece for the line of success they had was in All-Pro and future Hall of Famer NT Aaron Donald, who has called it a career after 10 years of wreaking havoc on offenses across the league.
His departure coupled with the aforementioned DC Raheem Morris taking the head coaching gig in Atlanta on top of the numerous holes left by free agency can only result in a possible down year for Sean McVay and crew.
Yes, they still have a talented offense with QB Matthew Stafford and star Wide Receivers Cooper Kupp and Puka Nucua, but this time that won’t be enough to make another post-season run without a fierce defense to balance things out.
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2024 is shaping up to possibly be a repeat of 2022 for the Rams instead of a repeat of last year’s success.
Destined to Succeed: New York Jets
Once again, things are looking up for the often-disappointed Jets fan base.
Future Hall of Famer QB Aaron Rodgers should 100% by the time week one starts, they’ve made some quality signings in free agency with stud WR Mike Williams and Pro Bowl OT Tyron Smith, and some elite trades with the like of the Ravens and Eagles for help on both sides of the ball in OG Morgan Moses and Edge Rusher Haason Reddick, respectively.
One can also argue that signing veteran backup QB Tyrod Taylor should prevent another “Zach Wilson” situation from happening again and prove calculated by Gang Green.
This NFL team is already laced with Pro Bowl talent, too. If they can nail the draft like they did back in 2022, this team should be heavy favorites to be in the playoff mix come January of next year.
Doomed to Fall: Dallas Cowboys
So much for going “All In” this off-season. NFL team owner Jerry Jones made the infamous comment after another embarrassing loss in the playoffs as a promise to make sure that history didn’t repeat itself.
But as of the writing of this article, the only significant signing the Cowboys have made this off-season was for veteran linebacker Eric Kendricks.
However, they have a slew of players who have become free agents and have signed elsewhere, including RB Tony Pollard, OT Tyron Smith, WR Michael Gallup, and former Defensive Player of the Year CB Stephon Gilmore.
It’s almost as if Dallas just slept through free agency. What’s worse is that their star Pro Bowl QB Dak Prescott’s current contract is swallowing cap space, and his less-than-desirable playoff record may lead to the team trading or outright cutting him during or after the 2024 NFL regular season.
Even with the upcoming draft, the Cowboys look destined to play second fiddle to their in-state neighbors, the Texans, in 2024. Sorry, Dallas fans.
Also read: Ranking All 32 NFL Teams As The Prepare For The Draft
Destined to Succeed: Atlanta Falcons
Things look pretty good so far for the Dirty Birds this year. Signing Pro Bowl QB Kirk Cousins and WR Darnell Mooney to help jumpstart an offense with plenty of young potential is just one of 3 things that look promising for Atlanta.
Getting a new head coach in former Rams Defensive Coordinator Raheem Morris to take control of a strong defense also makes the Falcons look more like a potential playoff team.
Add to that a weaker division in the NFC South and a favorable set of opponents and you got a recipe for success in store for the Falcons in 2024.
Who knows? We may be seeing a Super Bowl contender within the next 2-3 years if Atlanta plays their cards right.
Doomed to Fall: Denver Broncos
The Broncos are already in a bad spot, but this off-season in particular has been mostly unforgiving so far.
Former Broncos QB Russell Wilson’s dead cap hit was historic, trading WR Jerry Jeudy away hurts the offense, and the defense took a critical hit with Pro Bowl Safety Justin Simmons becoming a major cap casualty.
All of these losses and a giant hole to dig out of with very limited cap space to work with for the NFL team and Denver will have to begin the rebuilding process through this year’s draft.
Expect plenty of growing pains for the foreseeable future for this team and quite possibly an even higher slot in next year’s draft if things don’t improve immediately.
Destined to Succeed: Chicago Bears
It’s pretty obvious what Chicago is doing this year. Draft Caleb Williams and hope he’s the true answer at quarterback that the Bears have been seeking for decades now.
Trading for long-time Chargers veteran WR Keenan Allen and Bills OT Ryan Bates plus signing talented RB D’Andre Swift and TE Gerald Everett to add to an offense already featuring electric WR DJ Moore, reliable TE Cole Kmet, and hard-nosed RB Khalil Herbert will set Caleb Williams for success pretty quickly.
The NFL team’s defense is looking pretty good featuring star Defensive Backs Jaylon Johnson and Kevin Byard along with LB Tremaine Edmunds and DE Montez Sweat led by head coach Matt Eberflus.
Chicago should be much more competitive in 2024 with all of these smart acquisitions and a good draft haul later in April.
Also read: All 32 NFL Teams’ BEST And WORST Moves Of The 2024 Offseason
Doomed to Fall: Buffalo Bills
Oh boy. Buffalo definitely had one of the worst off-season within their franchise’s recent memory.
Having to cut Pro Bowl Defensive Backs Micah Hyde, Tre’Davious White, and Jordan Poyer destroyed one of the best defensive cores in the league.
Add the loss of WR Gabe Davis and RB Devin Singletary via free agency and WR Stephon Diggs via trade to the Texans has stripped the perennial Super Bowl-contending Bills of many of their key players to their recent success.
With a strenuous cap situation, only the draft to help re-fill holes left by experienced veterans, and a gigantic cap hit in the form of QB Josh Allen’s current monster contract impending, the immediate future does not bode well for Bills Mafia.
Destined to Succeed: Washington Commanders
Possibly the most mysterious team going into the 2024 season, the Commanders have attacked the off-season in a strategic fashion.
Signing multiple star players such as RB Austin Ekeler, LB Bobby Wagner, DE Dante Fowler, and Center Tyler Biadasz to name a few on short one-to-two-year contracts in order to start a win-now kind of team.
With new owner Josh Harris has a Championship pedigree with other teams in other major sports leagues like the NBA and NHL, making one of the smarter business decisions in signing former division rival Cowboys’ Defensive Coordinator Dan Quinn as his new head coach.
The Commanders’ new quarterback of the future from this year’s draft is certainly set up for success for a long time coming and are immediately set up to do much better this year compared to last season. Nice job D.C.
Doomed to Fall: Seattle Seahawks
The Seahawks are a team that borders along the playoff contender/pretender line on a consistent basis and this season is leaning more to the side of pretenders.
Geno Smith is a serviceable QB not a franchise one. The defense has lost multiple playmakers such as linebackers Bobby Wagner and Jordan Brooks along with defensive backs Jamal Adams and Quandre Diggs for this NFL team.
The team has already been struggling to get a winning record for the last 2 years and now are down to one of the better wide receiver duos in DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett and not much else.
New head coach Mike McDonald will have his hands full in building up a team that is now facing a tougher NFC and a tough schedule ahead of them in 2024. If unsuccessful, the Seahawks will have to rebuild through the draft next year as well.
Destined to Succeed: Pittsburgh Steelers
It may be a stretch to say that the Steelers are set for success this upcoming season, but it looks like the Steelers are finally updating their play style after years and years of much of the same.
Getting former Super Bowl champion QB Russell Wilson and trading for Bears QB Justin Fields after sending 1st round pick Kenny Pickett to the Eagles shows they’re ready to switch to a more dual-threat style offense. Adding Pro Bowl LB Patrick Queen from the rival Baltimore Ravens and trading for CB Dontae Jackson will also help to improve the notorious Steel Curtain defense.
Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin has never had a losing record and now has a new veteran presence that could make the NFL team a Super Bowl contender again sooner rather than later.
2024 should be the start of a promising future for a franchise with a storied and highly successful history to keep its consistency as an annual playoff competitor.
Also read: 5 NFL Teams That Will Definitely Contend In 2024… And 5 That Will Completely Fall Off
