With the 2023 NFL regular season over, it’s the perfect time to analyze which teams need to undergo a new course of action.
With that said, let’s dive into five NFL teams that need to finally rebuild this offseason, and five up-and-coming teams that need to go all in.
Rebuild: New England Patriots
It’s time for Robert Kraft to overrule every other voice inside Gillette Stadium and hit the “reset” button.
The problem with the Patriots is they’re still too well-coached and have such a dynamic defense that it’s going to be hard to accumulate those franchise-changing top-five draft picks. At the same time, they’re a seven-to-eight win team at best, obviously nowhere close to title contention.
The Patriots need to basically plan a scorched-earth tank-job for 2024. The main thing is rebuilding the entire offense from scratch. A whole new offensive line. Adios to Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe…and goodbye to just about every offensive weapon except Rhamondre Stevenson and Demario Douglas.
Christian Gonzalez should be the only untouchable on defense. If you can get a day two pick for Christian Barmore or Matthew Judon, you do it.
Click on ‘Follow Us’ and get notified of the most viral NFL stories via Google! Follow Us
The Patriots just need to save their money, trade any veteran player with value and, most importantly, get a new QB with their first-round pick.
Go All In: Chicago Bears
The Bears finally started coming together and showed some legitimate long-term promise in the final half of 2023. Justin Fields looked like a future Pro Bowl quarterback, thanks to the arrival of superstar wide receiver DJ Moore.
Along with Fields, Khalil Herbert and D’Onta Foreman formed a dynamic three-headed monster at running back. After a sluggish start, the defense showed remarkable improvement thanks to the arrival of trade deadline pickup Montez Sweat.
Sweat, Tremaine Edmunds, TJ Edwards, Jaquon Brisker and Tyrique Stevenson are a promising nucleus to build the defense around.
So, we ask this: What are the Bears waiting for? This is their chance to finally go all-in and close the gap with the Detroit Lions in the NFC North.
Chicago can either trade Fields and use the top pick on Caleb Williams or Drake Maye. Or they can use the first overall pick on Marvin Harrison Jr. Or they can trade the first overall pick and acquire more draft capital — which in turn can be used to make another blockbuster move.
Either way, Ryan Poles and Matt Eberflus have plenty of enticing options here. One way or another, they’ll have plenty of draft capital to make a move. And with plenty of long-term cap space, why shouldn’t they spend lavishly in free agency?
Chicago has a good mix of young talent and veteran stalwarts to be a playoff team in 2024. If they get aggressive and add one or two more big-named veterans via trade or free agency — Mike Evans, Davante Adams or Tee Higgins, anybody?! — the Bears will be on the verge of emerging as a Super Bowl contender in the NFC.
Rebuild: Denver Broncos
We would have endorsed the idea of the Broncos going all-in with Russell Wilson as their starting QB in 2023.
But clearly, Sean Payton and company no longer view Russ as “the guy.” The club’s curious decision to bench him for their final two games over disagreements with injury guarantees in his contract says it all.
The Broncos threatened to bench Wilson during their bye week if he wouldn’t adjust the injury contracts. He didn’t bite, so here we are.
If Denver wants to cut Wilson this offseason, then the choice is simple: Take one of the many promising QB prospects with your first-round pick. They won’t be in Caleb Williams or Drake Maye territory, but JJ McCarthy, Jaden Daniels, Bo Nix and Michael Penix Jr. will be options.
Trade Jerry Jeudy, because it’s not working out here. Trade Justin Simmons while his value is high. Rebuild the offense from scratch, the way coach Payton envisions it. Retool the receiving corps around Courtland Sutton, but have no other untouchables on offense.
Not wanting Wilson anymore, 2024 is the time for the Broncos to blow it all up and restart entirely.
Go All In: Indianapolis Colts
Rookie QB Anthony Richardson was limited to four games, and superstar running back Jonathan Taylor was practically sidelined for half of 2023.
And yet, in what was supposed to be a rebuilding year for Indy, the organization finished with a winning record in the gauntlet that is the AFC. It’s a testament to the job of first-year head coach Shane Steichen.
So here is where the Colts stand heading into next season: Richardson, Taylor, Josh Downs, Ryan Kelly, Quenton Nelson, DeForest Buckner, Samson Ebukam, Kwity Paye rounding out a promising core.
The bottom line is that the Colts’ rebuild is already over. They’re locked in and ready to contend in the AFC now. Just imagine how much more scary this offense will be with a healthy A-Rich and Taylor next year.
This just feels like the perfect time for the Colts to get aggressive and make several win-now moves. The defense needs some work, so why not target the big fish like Josh Allen, Chris Jones, Brian Burns, Jaylon Johnson and Antoine Winfield Jr. if they hit the open market?
Wanna upgrade Richardson’s supporting cast? Mike Evans, Tee Higgins, Gabe Davis, Calvin Ridley and Marquise Brown are among the big-named pass-catchers that could hit free agency, too.
The Colts just need a couple of more game-changers on defense and one more Pro Bowl-caliber pass-catcher to help Richardson and the passing game. Do that, and they might emerge as a new conference heavyweight.
Rebuild: Tennessee Titans
Truth be told, the Titans should have rebuilt last year. Bringing back Ryan Tannehill for another year and refusing to trade Derrick Henry got these guys…where exactly again?
Anyway, better late than never. Tannehill certainly isn’t coming back next year, and a 30-year-old Henry needs to be cut loose as well. Star pass-rusher Denico Autry can walk to free agency as well as he prepares to enter his age-34 year.
Honestly, the Titans should trade just about any notable player over the age of 30 this offseason. Nobody except Jeffery Simmons should be off-limits in trade talks.
Trade DeAndre Hopkins in his contract year. Get some value for him. See if you can get something of value for Harold Landry and Amani Hooker, too.
The Titans are a bottom-10 team with these productive veterans on their roster. So why not trade them for draft picks and tank for a year or two? The Titans’ three AFC South rivals all have young stud quarterbacks and other franchise cornerstones — not to mention Mike Vrabel’s group is nowhere close to competing with the AFC’s top heavyweights.
Tennessee blew it last year by not beginning when they had the chance. But hey, it’s better late than never. They have to start now — pure and simple.
Go All In: Atlanta Falcons
Hmm…What exactly do the Falcons have here?
- A borderline top-10 defense…and defense wins championships
- A loaded set of offensive weapons: See Bijan Robinson, Drake London, Kyle Pitts and Tyler Allgeier
- A top-10 offensive line
And yet, this team just suffered its third straight losing season under head coach Arthur Smith and GM Terry Fontenot? Playing in football’s worst division? How could that be?
Oh yeah…the lack of a capable starting quarterback. Marcus Mariota and Desmond Ridder last year…then Ridder and Taylor Heinicke this year. That will do it to ya.
Other than having one of football’s worst QB rooms, the Falcons roster is loaded and practically ready to win now. In other words, it’s long overdue for the front office to enter the win-now approach…by getting a new franchise QB.
Maybe they can win the Kirk Cousins sweepstakes. Maybe they take a chance on Russell Wilson. Maybe they trade for Justin Fields if the Bears decide to draft a new QB? Or maybe the Falcons shoot their shot in round one on a QB with their first-round pick.
The bottom line is that the Falcons have to be aggressive to get their next QB. Even if it means trading valuable draft capital. The rest of the roster is ready to win now. Get yourselves a new competent starting QB, and they’ll be set up nicely to dominate the NFC South for years to come.
Rebuild: New Orleans Saints
Yeah, it’s nice to have a shot at your division every year with the opportunity to host a playoff game. But the Saints just wrapped up year three of the post-Drew Brees era…and they’re still not really on a clear long-term path.
They’re built to win….like seven to 10 games a year. That’s nice, but they’re not anywhere close to long-term contention like the San Francisco 49ers, Philadelphia Eagles, Detroit Lions or Dallas Cowboys in the NFC.
The other issue? Veterans like Derek Carr, Alvin Kamara, Michael Thomas, Cameron Jordan, Demario Davis, Marshon Lattimore and Marcus Maye are still productive and thus ensure the Saints won’t bottom out.
Most of those guys are on the wrong side of 30 and nearing the end of their primes. That means the Saints oughta just trade or cut most of their pricy veterans and start the tank job for 2024 or 2025.
They can load up on picks by trading those guys mentioned above. Chris Olave is the only young franchise pillar that should definitely be part of the long-term picture. Everyone else should be on the table, because seven-to-10 wins and one playoff game shouldn’t be this club’s only goal anymore.
Go All In: New York Jets
The Jets went all-in last year by trading for Aaron Rodgers and signing a ton of his ex-teammates…as well as other offensive weapons in Dalvin Cook and Mecole Hardman.
Unfortunately, their highly-anticipated season came crashing down minutes into Rodgers’ debut when he tore his Achilles in Week 1. The Jets were doomed from there.
The good news: Rodgers has already vowed to return in 2024. Franchise cornerstones like Quinnen Williams, CJ Mosley, Sauce Gardner, Garrett Wilson and Breece Hall are returning next year.
So the job is simple for the Jets front office: Stay aggressive and keep trying to build around the four-time league MVP next year. Add some more offensive firepower, and for the love of humanity please actually address that offensive line for once.
With competent QB play, the Jets would have been a playoff team this year. Rodgers does more than provide competent QB play. He’s a winner and a needle mover all on his own.
But given that he’ll be 41 next season, the Jets’ window to win is now. They need to retain last year’s all-in aggressive approach and recruit whatever other pieces they can to complete the championship puzzle.
Side note: How fun would it be to reunite Rodgers with Davante Adams?!
Rebuild: Las Vegas Raiders
After one fluky playoff trip to the postseason in 2021, the Raiders — Mark Davis at least — have fooled themselves into believing that they’ve nearly closed the gap with the Kansas City Chiefs and other AFC powerhouses.
The Josh McDaniels and Dave Ziegler hirings were disastrous. The Chandler Jones free agent signing might go down as the worst in franchise history. The Davante Adams trade has been “meh” at best.
And to cap off the circus: Derek Carr’s 2022 contract extension, 2023 release and the subsequent signing of Jimmy Garoppolo…how did all of that go again?
Davis has long been okay with mediocrity. That needs to stop.
This is the time for the Raiders to accept that they can’t be stuck in the mud — that a tear-it-all-down rebuild is necessary.
That means trading Adams, and getting out of Hunter Renfrow’s contract. That means getting rid of Garoppolo one way or another, and not overpaying to keep Josh Jacobs long-term.
The Raiders are like the Saints. If all goes well, they can sneak into the playoffs. They have too many quality veterans to prevent the team from tanking, but what’s the point of that? How about committing to a tank-job, getting a new franchise QB in this loaded 2024 class and slowly-but-surely construct a team that can compete in the long run?
Go All In: Green Bay Packers
Jordan Love has had a spectacular first full season as Green Bay’s starter. A 30-TD season without a single weapon that threatened for 1,000 yards rushing or receiving? Sign us up for that.
Love pieced together a fantastic year with guys like Christian Watson, Aaron Jones, Luke Musgrave all missing considerable time — and with top offensive lineman David Bakhtiari missing all but one game.
Love is indeed the guy in Green Bay, but he’s got lots of enticing pieces to help along the way, too. Watson, Jones, Jayden Reed, Romeo Doubs on offense. Rashan Gary, Preston Smith, Quay Walker, De’Vondre Campbell, Jaire Alexander, Kenny Clark and Devonte Wyatt on defense? Where do we sign?!
Love is only going to get better from here. The Packers’ new window is just beginning to open, and they can’t afford to waste it. I mean, they never really went all-in again for Aaron Rodgers after winning Super Bowl 45, and how did that work out?
The Packer brass must learn from its past mistakes and try to build up a winner ASAP. Dip your feet into the deep class of free agent receivers. Get two of them, if you can. Get another playmaking defensive back to shore up the secondary, too.
Address those, and the Packers will have quickly re-emerged as a top NFC contender. Only this time, they’ll have an in-his-prime young QB steering the ship to keep the window open for a long, long time.
What other NFL teams need to rebuild, and which clubs should go all in
