[actionjack]

https://www.nfl.com/news/nfl-power-rank ... ree-agency

Rankings are pretty much a nothing burger, but it is annoying that the Rams are consistently disrespected. I mean you have Minnesota with a rookie QB who we beat badly 2x last year above us?? We are the 10th best team but played the SB Champ down to the last play.


Rank
1
Philadelphia Eagles


Life's good in Philly, where the Eagles have taken some hits this offseason -- as expected -- but no one seems all that concerned. One reason for that: General manager Howie Roseman has drafted so well and seems to have planned out, years in advance, how the big picture should and will look. The Eagles could allow Milton Williams and Josh Sweat to leave via free agency because they've drafted Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis and Moro Ojomo inside and Nolan Smith Jr. and Jalyx Hunt on the edges. They can trade C.J. Gardner-Johnson (saving money and snagging a lottery ticket in Kenyon Green) because they drafted Sydney Brown. Green and mid-round picks Tyler Steen and Trevor Keegan can all compete at right guard to replace the departed Mekhi Becton. See a pattern here? And it all puts the Eagles in line to get more compensatory picks, which could keep the gravy train running for a few more years. That's how you build a team, folks.
Rank
2
Kansas City Chiefs


The Chiefs wasted no time addressing their perceived biggest need at left tackle, signing ex-49er Jaylon Moore, although it's fair to ask if Moore is indeed the answer there, given that he's played a little less than a full season of snaps (827) over four years in the NFL. The good news is that most of those snaps were at left tackle, and he played well down the stretch for San Francisco in place of the injured Trent Williams, which helps the projection. Of course, the Chiefs also potentially weakened another position by trading away All-Pro left guard Joe Thuney, leaving Kingsley Suamataia in line to be his presumptive replacement. And wasn't it just a year ago that Suamataia, a second-round pick in 2024, was going to be the left tackle? I laid all this out merely to demonstrate the point that we won't know if the Chiefs have solved their OL issues until, say, Week 3, which was when Suamataia was first benched last season. But they're the Chiefs, and they tend to solve problems better than almost every other team, which is why they get the benefit of the doubt here.
Rank
3
2
Baltimore Ravens


The Ravens were already an offseason winner for me when they retained left tackle Ronnie Stanley. I'm not quite as enamored with Stanley as others are, but there's no doubting his value to this team -- and the replacement options weren't great. The DeAndre Hopkins signing was a nice little surprise, even if the 32-year-old is going to have some quiet games these days. Even the Cooper Rush signing was a smart addition, giving the team one of the stronger backups in the NFL and another layer of insurance after Lamar Jackson. Most of the band is back together, and the Ravens should be right up there among the elites in the league. It was a bit curious that they didn't tender Ar'Darius Washington at the second-round level. He played a pretty big role for them at safety last season, and the right-of-first-refusal tender at least opens the possibility of another team giving him an offer sheet. We'll see.


Rank
4
Buffalo Bills


The Bills were off to a smart start to the offseason, re-signing core players during a down year for free-agent talent. Even so, Josh Allen's new contract offered enough additional immediate flexibility to spend a little more, and they appeared to boost the D-line with Joey Bosa, Michael Hoecht and Larry Ogunjobi. But there's a big catch. Bosa isn't the rusher he once was, and his health is a concern. And perhaps more pressing, both Hoecht and Ogunjobi are facing six-game suspensions for violating the league's performance-enhancing drug policy. Even for a team that has made the postseason six straight years, that leaves Buffalo awfully thin early in the season. I thought at one point that the Bills had more draft flexibility, but now I wonder if they don't have to go defensive line in Round 1. Even if they add another (likely inexpensive) veteran or two, there's only so much they can ask from the current top three inside (Ed Oliver, DaQuan Jones and DeWayne Carter). There's suddenly added pressure on GM Brandon Beane to nail the draft a year after they traded down twice before making a pick (passing on Xavier Worthy in the process).
Rank
5
1
Detroit Lions


Everyone knows how injury-depleted the defense was late last year, so it's no shock that the Lions' first few volleys this offseason have been aimed at adding and shoring up depth on that side of the ball. I expect that to be the main focus over the next few months, with a young pass rusher likely the next order of business in the draft. After that, they might want to add depth at receiver and on the offensive line. The reality is that the Lions have the core of their team in place; very few starting jobs are up for grabs. They'll be considered among the top contenders for the Super Bowl, and rightfully so. Losing both coordinators is a scary reality, considering how good Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn were while helping the team get to this point in the first place. Just look at the Eagles as a prime example of how coordinator turnover can impact a team. Philly had to replace both coordinators in 2023 and started 10-1 before finishing the season with a thud. Then the Eagles replaced both again in 2024 and won it all.
Rank
6
Washington Commanders


The Commanders likely were always going to be aggressive this offseason, but when Jayden Daniels started balling out last season and the team moved into the ranks of presumptive contenders, their focus apparently tightened. That's why you're seeing targeted, go-for-it trades for Deebo Samuel and Laremy Tunsil. Those have been the two biggest moves so far, but the remainder of their additions (and there have been plenty) to this point have been on the defensive side of the ball, which still needs help, while the offense is pretty darned close. Most of these acquisitions on D were smaller upgrades at best, and don't forget that Washington also released Jonathan Allen. So we have to keep our expectations fair here, especially knowing the Commanders have used up a good amount of draft capital via trades, both for this year and next.
Brooks: Commanders have made the best individual move so far this week | 'Free Agency Frenzy'

Rank
7
Minnesota Vikings


You can't say the Vikings have been passive, that's for sure. The defensive line was an issue, so they added defensive tackles Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave. The O-line wasn't how they wanted it, so they dropped two starters and added Will Fries and Ryan Kelly. They also kept Byron Murphy Jr. and Aaron Jones -- paying up to do so -- and made a savvy trade with the 49ers for RB Jordan Mason. And, of course, there was the Big One: letting Sam Darnold walk. I wondered how the Vikings would approach the offseason after going 14-3, and as it turns out, they're being very aggressive. But for now, the aggression has stopped at quarterback, where most signs point to 2024 first-round pick J.J. McCarthy taking over as the starter. Sure, there's risk in that approach, but it's always felt like their North Star, even with the Aaron Rodgers option available to them. This is a delicate situation, but so far, the Vikings haven't done anything to upset it, which is commendable.


Rank
8
Green Bay Packers


Years of inactivity in March conditioned Packers fans to feel disappointment at this juncture of the calendar. So perhaps 2024's veritable free-agent frenzy -- Green Bay signed Josh Jacobs and Xavier McKinney -- reset expectation levels a bit too high. Some harbored dreams of trading for Trey Hendrickson or DK Metcalf, but neither of those moves materialized, with the actual additions of nickelback Nate Hobbs and guard Aaron Banks paling in comparison. Then again, those could end up being fairly important when we look back later. Cornerback still seems like a spot where the Packers could add, and they have the flexibility to do so. And it continues to feel likely they'll move on from Jaire Alexander at some point. But the thing about this team under GM Brian Gutekunst is that it has found ways to get the roster in good shape more often than not by training camp. I suspect these Packers will do the same by the time we get to July.

Rank
9
Tampa Bay Buccaneers


Getting Chris Godwin back was a coup, and Baker Mayfield could have an even better season in 2025 than he did in '24. Godwin, Mike Evans and Jalen McMillan are a good top three at receiver, and Bucky Irving emerged as a starting back by season's end. The defense should benefit from the pass-rush help brought by the addition of Haason Reddick. Yes, he's turning 31 in September and coming off his worst campaign in five years. But there were extenuating circumstances, including his holdout and the fact that the Jets' defense arguably started falling apart before he set foot on the field for them. The NFC South remains a division in flux, and the Bucs feel like the kings until proven otherwise. Are they championship contenders? I'm not quite there yet.

Rank
10
Los Angeles Rams


I'm on board with essentially swapping out Cooper Kupp for Davante Adams, even if Adams is six months older and has more NFL mileage. If you watched both, you know it looks like Adams has more juice at this stage, even if he's still good for a maddening drop every other game. Adams and Puka Nacua are also a more explosive duo; plus, what defensive coordinator wants to single-cover Adams? Adding Adams while ensuring Matthew Stafford and Sean McVay will be back together for another year keeps the Rams in the upper reaches here, and their footing will be further solidified if that young defense can continue making strides after some encouraging developments following last season's slow start.

Rank
11
Cincinnati Bengals

Joe Burrow has his receivers back. Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins will be Bengals for the long haul, and this team has a more urgent feel to it. Cincinnati came close to winning it all once, fell back, and now appears to be making another push around its newly secured Big Three. The obvious follow-up question is what happens with Trey Hendrickson. I am not entirely convinced the Bengals earnestly want to trade him. The lack of any concrete progress on a deal -- along with news that Cincinnati has been in contact with his reps -- appears to back me up on that. How the Bengals plan to make this all cohere is still going to be fascinating to watch. With or without Hendrickson, this moderately talented defense needs improvement. The offensive line doesn't yet feel like a complete unit, either. I can't fault the go-for-it approach, but I'm curious to see the short- and long-term ramifications.

Rank
12
Denver Broncos

Evan Engram can be one of the pieces Sean Payton adds to his skill-position arsenal this offseason, but he can't be the only one. This is not a knock on Engram, who has been seriously busy as a pass-catching tight end over the years, ranking third at the position in targets (734) since he entered the NFL in 2017. But he's a short and intermediate receiver only at this stage of his career, and I don't think that quite fits the "joker" mold Payton was describing this offseason. Maybe that player will arrive in April. The Broncos made two other big moves in March, adding Dre Greenlaw and Talanoa Hufanga to a defense that was already in the upper tier of the league. They are coming off injury-shortened seasons (as is Engram), but even with the risk, I love both defensive additions. The offseason is off to a nice start overall.

[ramsman34]

We should be no lower than #6. Fine, being #1 at the end of the season will be sweet!?

[actionjack]

We should be no lower than #6. Fine, being #1 at the end of the season will be sweet!?

Agreed have no issue being behind those teams....

[HarRam]

Unless they're following the Rams on a detailed basis, these pundits and know-it-alls are not going to give the Rams any credit because there is nothing that the Rams have done that would merit moving them up in the power rankings.

We signed Devante Adams, but lost Cooper Kupp. We resigned our left off. tackle, but that's expected and merely keeps you at the same level. We lost one mediocre linebacker and signed another.

Our defense was weak up the middle and while Poona Ford may be an upgrade over Bobby "I'm on roller skates" Brown, he is undersized and was a role player at the Chargers.

Our CB's and safeties are nothing to write home about. No indictation that that those positions will be improved unless a really talented rookie falls to us in the upcoming draft.

So, overall it's hard to say we've addressed the problems with our defense. It's still showing a weakenss up the middle which Philadelphia and Detroit will very much be able to exploit. And, despite all the happy talk about our succes this past year, we still were suseptible to injury. Our QB is very good, but, seemingly underrated, but gives off the perception that he's disgruntled, always looking for greener pastures and a bigger payday.

So, yeah, we're going to be overlooked and "disrespected." We don't have any star power beyond the fading stars of Stafford and Adams and the nothing flashy Nacua.

Still, the Vikings are rated ahead of us? That's pure BS.

[WaddyWasWideOpen]

Legit questions remain regarding the LA off, which was meh last season. Hopefully these moves work out, but it hasnt been seen yet. Then on D, unless they do something about the terrible LB cor, then mobile QBs will continue to be a major problem. Not surprised LA odds for Ws is around 9. Sure, they could be a 13 win team, but they could also be a 7 W team.

[Dare]

YAWN

All the normal negativity this time of year fueled by idiot in mainstream and social media who know shit.

This team was one tired old QB away from being in the SB last year. If they don't concede that last game, they probably win a Lombardi but everyone one of the so called prognosticators don't look at the team only their betting lines.

Having worked in a casino gaming commission I can tell you that betting lines are bogus.

The Rams have a very good front 7 defensively. Don't underrate the additions of Ford and Landman. These are only rotational positions anyway. Speights as a rookie made mistakes but was pretty good for a rookie starter. Was he a "star" drafted rookie? He was an UDFA because he was undersized. As if being drafted actually means anything. Look at Kupp, look at Nacua.

The Ram OL was one of the better units in the NFL and should be better. Limmer played well for a rookie but like all rookies made mistakes. The Rams signed Shelton who they should never have allowed been allowed to walk. But now they have rectified that OL weakness. When Limmer returns he's going to be so much better for having the development time.

For all his faults (i.e. fumbles and no breakaway speed) Williams was one of the better RBs in the NFL last year. Nacua has picked up where Kupp left off. Adams is a clear upgrade to Kupp.

Durant's development was retarded by Morris. But last year he again showed why he has promise. This will be the defining year for him. The Rams signed Forbes and gave him a complete red shirt year and feel confident in what they see enough to push Williams and Witherspoon into reserve roles.

They extended Alaric Jackson to nail down their LT revolving door. Havenstein is starting what looks to be his final year but is still playing well.

The Rams are 3 deep at safety with Lake, Curl and Kinchens all three are better than most seem to realize. People were critical of Shula and the defense, but they proved that the criticisms were wrong. The closed out the season as a strength of the team not a liability.

This team is better than the 2021 team on both sides of the ball. But they still don't get the recognition. Why? Because of the East coast bias in both college and NFL. That is where most of the media morons are based and where their bias is. Hey these are the same morons who thought the Niners were a SB contender last year. That's why I don't give the morons the time of day.

So I tell people just take an honest hard look at the team you support. Understand what you are seeing.

Speights is an upgrade to Jones, that has been proven on the field. I can't understand why people seem to morn the loss of Hummel and Rozeboom who couldn't beat out a limited Jones. Landsman is a true MIKE LB, and it will allow Speights to play to his strengths.

I've been critical of Brown since the day he was drafted. He's a one-gap DT who lacks functional strength, and he hasn't shown any improvement in that area. Ford is exactly the kind of early down/run stopping NT they need. Combined, Ford and Landman are going to make those early inside runs far more difficult for the opposition.

Verse, Fiske, Turner and Young are an outstanding 4 man front and give Shula a lot of options. Power rankings are dumb the fact that they are week to week shows they are nothing but a tool of the gaming industry to influence the betting lines, nothing more.

[HarRam]

Dare, I like what you have to say. And, in large measure I agree. But my point is, and I think your analysis proves, that unless you do an in-depth analysis of our team, you come away not being impressed because we don't have any "stars" and didn't do anything flashy or splashy, other than trading out Kupp for Adams, in this year's free agency.

[Dare]

Exactly

[Elvis]

The Rams are 10th, i don't find that overly disrespectful. I think the media generally likes the Rams these days.

If you go by season win totals, pretty similar:

KC 11.5
BUF 11.5
BAL 11.5
SF 10.5
DET 10.5
LAC 9.5
TB 9.5
LAR 9.5
DEN 9.5
HOU 9.5
WAS 9.5
GB 9.5
CIN 9.5

[actionjack]

The Rams are 10th, i don't find that overly disrespectful. I think the media generally likes the Rams these days.

If you go by season win totals, pretty similar:

KC 11.5
BUF 11.5
BAL 11.5
SF 10.5
DET 10.5
LAC 9.5
TB 9.5
LAR 9.5
DEN 9.5
HOU 9.5
WAS 9.5
GB 9.5
CIN 9.5

Yes not overly disrespectful , but we seem to be consistently underrated which is odd when you have the best HC in the league. We had a good offseason yet we have fallen behind the GB, MINN and Tampa. Hard for me based on last season and this offseason why you would do that.

Anyway doesnt matter just odd to see under McVay and what we accomplished the last two seasons. I say our win total is about right (tough schedule) we could win 11-12 or we could win 8. I do think our floor is higher as we should have a good to very good defense.