2017 NFL Power Rankings: Where Do Los Angeles Rams Stand After Free Agency Signings?

Take a look at where the Los Angeles Rams currently stand in the 2017 NFL Power Rankings now that free agency is officially underway.

The Los Angeles Rams may currently sit in the bottom half of the 2017 NFL Power Rankings after finishing with a 4-12 record last year, but thanks to a few key signings in free agency, things are beginning to look up for Sean McVay‘s squad. Even if they still have plenty of areas in need of improvement, at least the Rams are taking the proper steps in the right direction.

Last season was obvious how much of an issue the offensive line was after seeing the constant pressure Jared Goff was seeing at quarterback. Now that Andrew Whitworth is officially on board after signing a three-year deal, the veteran will hopefully have an immediate impact to help make life easier for the second-year quarterback with better protection.

Related Story: Former Rams WR Kenny Britt Defends Joining Browns

As for one of the other weaknesses for Los Angeles, Robert Woods may not have been the top choice since he’s never even broke the 700-yard mark in his career, but the potential seems to be there for the former USC standout. Goff has been looking for a reliable wide receiver to establish a strong connection with, and maybe Woods could end up being that guy after the Rams decided to sign him for the next five years.

When taking all of this into consideration, it’s fair to say the Rams have been taking the necessary steps to make sure they improve from last year’s disappointing finish by already addressing two of their biggest needs. Let’s not waste any more time and see how much these key signings helped Los Angeles in the latest edition of the 2017 NFL Power Rankings.

32. Cleveland Browns

Here’s a statement nobody expected to make during the offseason: the Cleveland Browns have been absolutely killing it so far in the new calendar year, and finally seem to be taking the necessary steps in the right direction for the first time in what seems like forever. Opening up their wallets to sign Kevin Zeitler to a lucrative $60 million deal shows the Browns mean business, and are ready to bounce back from last year’s embarrassing one-win season.

Before that happens though, Cleveland needs to be discussed for pulling off arguably the biggest surprise of the new calendar year by acquiring Brock Osweiler from the Houston Texans. And to top off the surprise move, the Browns have no interest in keeping the former Texans quarterback around, as they will either find a trade partner or simply just release him.

Why would Cleveland go through all of this nonsense if they have no intention of keeping Osweiler around? Clearly, the Browns really wanted that second-round pick the Texans threw in with Osweiler, and when looking at all of the picks in the first two rounds over the next two drafts, there’s reasons to be excited over Hue Jackson‘s squad.

One final note, props to Cleveland for moving on from Robert Griffin III since he clearly was far from the answer at quarterback for this team with his history of being unable to stay healthy.

31. New York Jets

One year after falling just short of reaching the playoffs, the New York Jets took a major step back in 2016 after only winning five games thanks to dealing with plenty of issues at quarterback. At this time last year, the Jets were in a similar situation when it comes to trying to figure out what to do at quarterback, but at least the team entered free agency knowing they would no longer have to worry about Ryan Fitzpatrick.

Last offseason, Fitzpatrick was doing everything in his power to earn a long-term deal from New York, but luckily the organization didn’t give in to the veteran quarterback, and settled for a one-year deal instead. Now that Fitzpatrick is officially out of the picture, the Jets have a big decision to make moving forward by once again trying to figure out who will be the team’s starter heading into Week 1.

Then again, no matter who the team decides to place under center, it still doesn’t take away from the fact that New York also needs help at wide receiver now that Brandon Marshall is a member of the New York Giants. Obviously, the decision to move on from key players like Marshall and Nick Mangold was a clear sign this team is looking for a fresh start in the rebuilding process, but early signs point to a rough next year or two for the Jets.

30. San Francisco 49ers

After being one of the biggest laughing stocks of the 2016 season with only two wins (both of which came against the Los Angeles Rams), the San Francisco 49ers have been keeping themselves busy since the hiring of Kyle Shanahan as head coach. Bringing Brian Hoyer on board was a wise move when looking at his veteran experience, but the 49ers still need to figure out their plans long term at the position.

The upcoming draft has plenty of selections to work with when it comes to potential quarterbacks to build the franchise around, and the best part is bringing Shanahan on board as head coach has helped draw interest from numerous free agents. If it weren’t for Shanahan, there’s a good chance the 49ers wouldn’t have been able to land wide receivers like Pierre Garcon and Marquise Goodwin, but even the new head coach knows the team still has plenty of work ahead.

Shanahan has seen plenty of success as an offensive coordinator in the NFL, and after years of rumors surrounding the possibility of becoming a head coach, he finally has an opportunity to shine. It’s not going to be easy, but if anyone can figure out a way to turn around San Francisco’s offense, it’s Shanahan.

29. Chicago Bears

The Chicago Bears have finished at the bottom of the NFC North three seasons in a row, but at least the team made the right decisions with moving on from Jay Cutler and Alshon Jeffery to help earn a fresh start. While Cutler was recently released by the team after eight seasons, the Bears were wise to save the money by not using the franchise tag on Jeffery for the second year in a row after only finding the end zone twice all of last season.

Speaking of spending money, it’s amazing to see what the team was willing to pay an inexperienced quarterback like Mike Glennon, but the former Tampa Bay Buccaneers backup seems to be making all of the right moves early on. When hearing the approach Glennon is already taking by getting to know the plays and his new teammates, maybe Chicago sees something special in their new quarterback that nobody else realizes.

On the other side of the football, the defense received a major upgrade with the additions of Prince Amukamara and Marcus Cooper at cornerback. After disappointing finishes over the last three seasons, the Bears could end up being one of the surprise teams to keep an eye on in the NFC when looking at all of their key moves so far before the draft.

28. Los Angeles Rams

Don’t be fooled by how last year turned out for the Los Angeles Rams as this team has been making the necessary moves this offseason to build a solid coaching staff around Jared Goff. One of the main reasons why the former No. 1 pick struggled so much in the seven games he started as a rookie was due to a poor offensive line along with having one of the weakest receiving corps in the league.

Lucky for Goff, Los Angeles wasted no time with addressing these two needs on the first official day of free agency with the signings of Andrew Whitworth and Robert Woods. There’s a good chance that no player was more excited over the Whitworth signing than Todd Gurley after the running back failed to record a single 100-yard game during his sophomore season, and the veteran should have an immediate impact with improving the offensive line.

As for Woods, the wideout may not compared to some of the other players at the position from this year’s free agency class, but the Rams hope he can turn out to be a steal. Who knows, maybe a young player like Woods can develop the necessary chemistry with Goff to help improve an offense that only averaged 14 points per game last season.

27. Cincinnati Bengals

The Cincinnati Bengals ranked near the top of the list when it comes to the most disappointing teams from the 2016 season after failing to make the playoffs, despite arguably having one of the top overall teams on paper. For reasons that can never be explained, the organization continues to give Marvin Lewis more chances he deserves, and if the head coach wasn’t already feeling the pressure heading into 2017, just imagine what he’s feeling after losing two of his top offensive lineman in free agency.

Losing Andrew Whitworth (Los Angeles Rams) and Kevin Zeitler (Cleveland Browns) in free agency was a major blow for this unit, and even though Cincinnati believes they will still end up being fine, it doesn’t take away from the fact the team is losing two of the best lineman the NFL has to offer. There’s a reason why the Rams and Browns were willing to pay so much money to land these two stars, as the Bengals will need to make the necessary adjustments to make sure Andy Dalton remains healthy next season.

On another note, at least Cincinnati was able to strike a deal with Dre Kirkpatrick for the next five years to make sure they team doesn’t have any issues at cornerback. He may not be one of the top cornerbacks in the league, but at least it’s better than nothing at this point for the Bengals.

26. Los Angeles Chargers

Should the Los Angeles Chargers be considered one of the winners of free agency with the signing of Russell Okung? Without question, Okung helps improve the team’s current situation on the offensive line, and help take some of the pressure off Philip Rivers at quarterback.

At this stage in his career, it’s tough to tell just how many good years Rivers has left in him as an elite starter in the NFL, but at least bringing on a player like Okung will help make his job easier. Over the last few years, the Chargers have been the unfortunate victims of the injury bug, and it’s taken a toll on them winning games.

When it comes to the franchise tag, at least the team deserves credit for making sure Melvin Ingram will be back for the 2017 season. The last thing Los Angeles could afford to see happen was lose one of their top edge rushers who has recorded 18.5 sacks over his last two seasons.

Hopefully, Ingram’s sixth year with the Chargers turns out to be his best one yet. At the moment, Los Angeles has one of the toughest tasks in the league by competing with the rest of the AFC West, and whether they have a shot at overtaking any of the other three teams could fall on the shoulders of Ingram.

25. Buffalo Bills

Losing a talented cornerback like Stephon Gilmore to the New England Patriots hurts even more since it’s a division rival, but his decision to leave the Buffalo Bills shouldn’t have come as a surprise since it was expected all along. After seeing all of the teams in need of help at cornerback, Gilmore was considered one of the top cornerbacks from this year’s free agency class, and bringing him back for a sixth season would have ended up being quite expensive for the Bills.

The good news for Buffalo is the team was able to make a few key moves of their own, including the restructured contract of quarterback Tyrod Taylor. Despite being the starter over the last two seasons, nobody truly knew what was going to happen this offseason between Taylor and the Bills due to his hefty contract, but at least the two sides were able to work out an agreement.

His numbers may not standout like some of the other big-name quarterbacks in the league, but Taylor deserves credit for the way he’s run the offense over the last two seasons when looking at the lack of weapons he’s had to work with in the passing game. Taylor still has a long way to go when it comes to proving he’s Buffalo’s answer at quarterback, but at least the team doesn’t have to worry about that ridiculous contract moving forward.

24. Baltimore Ravens

The Baltimore Ravens have kept themselves busy so far in free agency, and it doesn’t look like they’re ready to slow down anytime soon when looking at all of the areas, such as cornerback and wide receiver, that still need to be addressed. Instead of using the franchise tag on Brandon Williams, the Ravens were fortunate enough to sign the defensive tackle to a hefty long-term deal (five-year, $54 million) to keep him around for years to come.

Over the years, Baltimore has always been known to have one of the league’s top defenses, and the team knew figuring out a way to make Williams happy was one of their top priorities of the offseason. Williams was one of the main reasons behind the defense being so successful at stopping the run in 2016, and there’s a good chance the Ravens’ unit will rank near the top of the league once again next season.

When it comes to underrated moves made in free agency, the one name to keep an eye on over the next few months is Danny Woodhead, who spent the last four seasons as a member of the San Diego Chargers. Woodhead suffered a devastating torn ACL in Week 2 of last season, but assuming all continues to go well during his recovery process, the running back should turn out to be a nice compliment for Joe Flacco on offense.

23. Jacksonville Jaguars

Just like the Cleveland Browns, the Jacksonville Jaguars seemed like the last team anyone expected to make a big splash early on in free agency, but the team hasn’t been messing around to make sure they have the necessary weapons to compete with the rest of the AFC South. The Jaguars realize having a strong defense is going to be their best chance of bouncing back from last year’s 3-13 finish, and give the team credit for the key signings of A.J. Bouye, Calais Campbell, and Barry Church.

Players don’t just join teams without seeing some sort of potential, and even though a team like Jacksonville would seem to be an unlikely landing spot for most free agents, these three defensive stars clearly see something special. Otherwise, why would they even consider the possibility of joining Doug Marrone‘s squad if the Jaguars didn’t seem like a team ready to take the next step as contenders?

Of course, the only way Jacksonville is truly going to become contenders in the AFC is if Blake Bortles figures out a way to be an elite quarterback at the NFL level. Unfortunately for Bortles, the former first-round pick has established a reputation for being a quarterback that earns most of his numbers during garbage time, and sadly this could be his final chance at proving he deserves to be a starter.

22. Carolina Panthers

Between Julius Peppers and Captain Munnerlyn, the defense of the Carolina Panthers is going to see a few familiar faces in 2017 thanks to the return of a few former players. After seeing how last season played out for Ron Rivera’s squad, it’s safe to say the Panthers’ defense needs all of the help in the world if they’re going to have any chance of returning to their dominant level from a few years ago.

Peppers returns to Carolina after spending the last seven seasons with the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers, and even at 37, the defensive end still seems to have some gas left in the old tank when looking at his numbers from the last few years. During his last three seasons with the Packers, Peppers was able to record 25 sacks, which is amazing for someone at his age.

On the offensive side of the football, Cam Newton most likely wasn’t thrilled over losing Ted Ginn Jr. to the New Orleans Saints, but at least the addition of Charles Johnson will hopefully make up for part of the loss. The wide receiver may not have lived up to the hype over the last three seasons with the Minnesota Vikings since his only two touchdowns came during the 2014 season, but maybe a fresh start is just what Johnson needs with Newton throwing him the football.

21. New Orleans Saints

At the moment, the New Orleans Saints may be one of the most hated teams in the NFL due to the fact they improved the New England Patriots by acquiring Brandin Cooks in a trade. It’s understandable why the Saints were anxious to get rid of Cooks when seeing how unhappy the wideout was, but to send him to the defending Super Bowl champions just seems unfair on all sorts of levels.

On the bright side, at least New Orleans was able to acquire a first-round pick as part of the deal, but getting rid of Cooks could end up backfiring in the long run. For a wideout that has recorded at least 1,100 receiving yards in each of the last two years, there was all sorts of potential surrounding the Saints’ offense heading into next season with Cooks playing alongside Michael Thomas.

Unfortunately, Drew Brees and his New Orleans teammates won’t get to experience the potential anymore now that Cooks is officially out of the picture. Only time will tell when it comes to determining if this was the right decision, but at least the Saints deserves some credit for bringing back Nick Fairley after the defensive tackle recorded 6.5 sacks with the team in 2016.

20. Indianapolis Colts

When looking at the Indianapolis Colts and all of the money invested in Andrew Luck at quarterback, the team has done everything in their power to provide him with the necessary weapons to succeed. But one of the main reasons why the Colts have failed to reach the playoffs over the last two years was due to all of the weak areas on the defensive side of the football.

Luckily, Indianapolis has been taking a different approach this offseason by focusing on improving the defense, and when seeing the early moves that have been made, the team is doing well so far. Signing a talented linebacker like Jabaal Sheard was a huge move for the Colts, and there’s no question he’s going to have an immediate impact after spending the last two seasons with the New England Patriots.

Chuck Pagano will enter the 2017 season on the hot seat once again after watching his team struggle over the last two seasons, but hopefully that will change since the defensive issues seem to be addressed so far in free agency. With a successful free agency period along with a solid draft, maybe Luck and the Colts will figure out a way to compete for the AFC South title for the first time since 2014.

19. Washington Redskins

What on earth is going on with the Washington Redskins? Between the firing of general manager Scott McCloughan to all of the drama surrounding Kirk Cousins failing to receive a long-term deal from the organization, the Redskins have gone from potential contender in the NFC to a hot mess from an organization standpoint.

By using the franchise tag on Cousins for the second year in a row, there’s a good chance Cousins will just pack his bags and leave at this time next year, especially since Washington failed to bring back two of his top weapons from the 2016 season. While DeSean Jackson ended up with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Pierre Garcon decided to join new head coach Kyle Shanahan as a member of the San Francisco 49ers.

Sure, the addition of Terrelle Pryor will help Cousins in the passing game, but he still has plenty to prove as a wide receiver in the NFL, which is why the Redskins were more comfortable signing him to a one-year deal. Of all the teams in the NFC East, Washington seems to be in the worst shape heading into next season when looking at all of the issues the organization is already dealing with before the draft.

18. Arizona Cardinals

Not many teams receive an opportunity to play for the same team with three different stints, but that’s exactly the case for Karlos Dansby and the Arizona Cardinals. The last time Dansby was a member of the Cardinals came during the 2013 season, but whether the linebacker can still be effective at this stage in his career is a different story.

After stints with the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals over the last three seasons, Dansby has only recorded four sacks, and only started seven of 16 games in 2016. Obviously, his veteran leadership can certainly be valuable to the Cardinals’ defense, but for a team that failed to record a winning season last year despite reaching the NFC Championship the year before, this seems like a questionable move for the organization.

From a defensive perspective, at least Arizona was smart enough to lockup Chandler Jones to a new five-year deal that will pay him $53 million guaranteed. To say Jones’ first season with the Cardinals in 2016 was a successful one would be a major understatement after the defensive end recorded 11 sacks in 16 games, and the scary factor is he’s only been in the league for five years.

17. Minnesota Vikings

It’s weird to think about the possibility of Adrian Peterson playing with a different team other than the Minnesota Vikings in 2017, but give the team credit for making the tough decision on his release, and avoid overpaying a running back that only appeared in three games last year. Not to mention, Peterson will be turning 32 at the end of March, so the age factor is going to be a concern for any team showing interest in him moving forward.

If only the Vikings took the same approach with not overpaying their offensive lineman like they did with Peterson, they would be in much better shape so far in free agency. Snagging Riley Reiff away from the Detroit Lions was a huge move for Minnesota, but to reward him with a five-year, $58.8 million deal seems like a bit much.

Offensive line was certainly a major concern for the Vikings in 2016, and it’s easy to understand their desire to bring in a talented player like Reiff, but they better hope he lives up to the hype. For a team that finished 8-8 last year despite a 5-0 start, expectations will be high once again for Minnesota heading into their second season with Sam Bradford under center.

16. Philadelphia Eagles

The Philadelphia Eagles entered free agency knowing the wide receiver was one of the top areas to focus on, and even though it wasn’t a long-term contract, bringing Alshon Jeffery on board for a one-year deal was arguably the best approach they could have taken. Assuming all goes well, there’s every reason in the world to believe Jeffery will have an immediate impact in the passing game, but the talented wideout still needs to prove his history of injuries and suspension for PEDs last year will no longer be an issue.

Either way, Philadelphia realizes they can’t afford to waste any time with the development of Carson Wentz, and after seeing what he was able to accomplish during his rookie year with one of the league’s weakest receiving corps, the addition of Jeffery is exciting. For the first time in his young career, Wentz will finally have a legitimate No. 1 wide receiver to work with to give the Eagles a better chance at competing for the NFC East title.

Along with Jeffery, Wentz should be thrilled over the signing of Torrey Smith as well when looking at what he brings to the table as a deep threat on offense. Don’t be fooled by what happened over the last two years with the San Francisco 49ers, as Smith seems determined to prove he hasn’t lost a step with his blazing speed.

15. Miami Dolphins

One of the most talked about stories from the last few weeks was where Kenny Stills would end up for the 2017 season after seeing how many teams were interested in signing the wideout to a long-term deal, but give the Miami Dolphins credit for reaching an agreement. Stills was looking to get paid, and certainly did so after striking a four-year, $32 million deal with the Dolphins.

Last year, Miami found a way to overcome a disappointing 1-4 start to end up earning one of the Wild Card spots in the AFC after winning nine of their final 11 games. If only Ryan Tannehill didn’t suffer a devastating leg injury towards the end of the regular season, there’s a good chance the Dolphins would have put up a much better fight against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the opening round of the playoffs.

Thanks to last year’s success, expectations will be high for Miami heading into next season, and the good news is the defense should be in good shape once again, especially after inking veteran linebacker Lawrence Timmons to a two-year deal. When looking at all of his success from last year with the Steelers, expect Timmons to pickup right where he left off in 2016, and make an immediate impact for the Dolphins’ defense.

14. Tennessee Titans

The Tennessee Titans knew they were making the right move after trading the top pick to the Los Angeles Rams last offseason in order to earn a first rounder in this year’s draft, but nobody could have predicted that would turn out to be the fifth overall pick. With two picks in the first round, the Titans are in amazing shape heading into this year’s draft, but the team realizes the importance of having a successful offseason in free agency as well.

Losing Kendall Wright to the Chicago Bears is a move with little impact for Tennessee’s offense when seeing how Marcus Mariota will be just fine receiving production from other players, but defense is going to be a key factor for this team competing in the AFC South. Cornerback was one of the team’s biggest needs heading into the offseason, and hopefully Logan Ryan turns out to be the answer the Titans have been looking for.

Not many players are fortunate enough to win two Super Bowls despite only playing in the NFL for four seasons, but that’s exactly been the case for Ryan from his time with the Patriots. That kind of winning experience is just what Tennessee’s defense needs to reach the next level of becoming playoff contenders in the AFC.

13. Detroit Lions

For years, protecting Matthew Stafford has always been one of the top priorities for the Detroit Lions, and even though the team is coming off an impressive 2016 campaign in which they made the playoffs, the offensive line was a major reason for concern heading into free agency. But after seeing the moves made by the Lions over the last two seasons, Stafford has every reason in the world to be thrilled over what’s in store for the team heading into next season.

Not only does Detroit deserve credit for stealing T.J. Lang away from the Green Bay Packers, but Rick Wagner‘s $47.5 million deal was a huge move for the offensive line as well. With these two key additions for the Lions on the offensive line, Stafford has to be thrilled on the improvements considering he’s been sacked 126 times over the last three seasons.

Detroit turned out to be one of the biggest surprises of the 2016 season, and even came close to winning the NFC North title before letting it slip away to the Green Bay Packers in the final weeks. Stafford has always been the type of quarterback that makes the players around him better, and thanks to the Lions coming out strong in free agency, the extra protection will hopefully continue that trend in 2017.

12. Denver Broncos

Even if the Denver Broncos don’t end up landing Tony Romo following a trade or release from the Dallas Cowboys, the good news is the team still feels confident enough to rely on Trevor Siemian heading into Week 1 of next season. Of course, the best for this team to return to the playoffs after missing out last year will come down to the success of the defense.

When the Broncos won the Super Bowl during the 2015 season, the defense was the main reason behind their success, and even though they took a step back last year, all signs point to the unit bouncing back stronger this year. Stopping the run was a major issue for this team last season, but hopefully the addition of former Cincinnati Bengals star Domata Peko will fix that problem.

Keep in mind Denver seemed like a strong contender at the beginning of last year after a 7-3 start before only winning two of their final six games. Once again, the talent will certainly be there for the Broncos to be one of the top teams in the AFC, and hopefully some of their valuable contributions in free agency such as Peko will work out for the best.

11. Houston Texans

Believe it or not, the Houston Texans pulled the unthinkable by finding a taker for Brock Osweiler‘s ridiculous contract to avoid missing out on a ton of money that would have come with the release of the quarterback. The fact that Osweiler threw more interceptions than actual touchdowns during his first, and only, season with the Texans shows how much of a disaster that contract was from the start, but at least the team can start fresh.

The argument can be made that with a different quarterback, Houston could have pulled off the upset over the New England Patriots when considering how well the defense played for the most part against Tom Brady. Only time will tell when finding out whether the Texans next quarterback under center is Tony Romo depending on what the Dallas Cowboys end up doing with the veteran, but unfortunately the defense took a hit in free agency with the departure of a few key players.

To see A.J. Bouye leave one of the top defenses in the league to join another team within the division in the Jacksonville Jaguars obviously hurts for Houston, but the money the cornerback will be making with his new team was simply too much to match. At least for the Texans, the loss of Bouye on defense doesn’t mean they still shouldn’t be considered one of the top teams in the AFC at this point in the offseason.

10. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Last year, it was frustrating for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to just miss out on the playoffs after finishing with a 9-7 record, especially since they controlled their own destiny towards the end of the regular season before losing two tough games to the Dallas Cowboys and New Orleans Saints. As frustrating as this was to deal with at the time, the Buccaneers knew they would still be considered a team to beat in the NFC next season, and when looking at their free agency moves, their odds have all of a sudden increased big time.

It was one thing to land a talented safety like J.J. Wilcox from the Dallas Cowboys, but the biggest headline for Tampa Bay was easily bringing DeSean Jackson on board when considering how many teams were showing interest in the wideout. Jameis Winston already has one of the league’s most dangerous wide receivers in Mike Evans, but now that he’s got a deep threat like Jackson as his second option, one can only imagine the type of year the former No. 1 pick is going to have at quarterback.

The Buccaneers were already considered a team on the rise last year, and the scary thing is their latest moves in free agency makes them even more dangerous of a squad. Don’t look now, but Tampa Bay seems determined to give the Atlanta Falcons a run for their money when it comes to winning the NFC North in 2017.

9. Seattle Seahawks

The Seattle Seahawks have to be kicking themselves on missing out on T.J. Lang when considering he would have been a great addition to an offensive line that struggled for most of the 2016 season. While the team did end up settling for the signing of Luke Joeckel on a one year deal, many believe the Seahawks are overpaying for the left tackle, and rightfully so.

Expectations were high for the former Texas A&M star when he was selected as the second overall pick in 2013, but Joeckel has struggled to live up to the hype, and is coming off a season in which he was only able to play in four games. At least for Seattle, the team was smart enough to give Joeckel one of those “prove yourself” deals in which they only signed him for one year instead of long term.

Obviously, the Seahawks would love nothing more than to see things workout for the best with Joeckel, but he seems like a player the team could easily regret spending all of that money on. As for the rumors surrounding Adrian Peterson‘s interest in Seattle, that’s certainly a name to keep an eye on over the next few weeks.

8. Kansas City Chiefs

Entering the offseason, there was a little concern over how the situation with Eric Berry and the Kansas City Chiefs would turn out after the safety made it clear he didn’t want to play another season under the franchise tag. Lucky for both parties, that never became an issue after the Chiefs were willing to make Berry the highest-paid safety in the league, which he certainly deserves every penny of.

Berry has been one of the biggest reasons behind the success of Kansas City’s defense over the years, and thank goodness the organization realized the importance of making their beloved safety happy. The last thing the Chiefs could afford to see happen was Berry eventually ending up with a different team, but at least that won’t have to become an issue.

On the downside, it’s a shame to see the team fail to work things out with Dontari Poe, as the defensive tackle has visits scheduled with numerous teams. There are plenty of great teams that could use a talented defensive star like Poe, and it’s a shame Kansas City couldn’t figure out a way to work things out.

Then again, who knows what will end up happening over the next week or so on Poe’s end, as anything seems possible at this point.

7. Oakland Raiders

So far, the Oakland Raiders have been quiet in free agency when it comes to bringing new talent on board for the 2017 season, but that doesn’t mean the team won’t be in good shape heading into next year. At the moment, the top priority for the team should be to make sure all goes well with Derek Carr‘s recovery process to make sure he’s fully healthy and ready to go for Week 1.

Depending on what ends up happening with Latavius Murray, who has ben drawing interest from numerous teams, the Raiders could be searching for another running back to lineup behind Carr in the backfield. Even if they do end up losing Murray, the good news is Oakland will still be in good shape thanks to having one of the league’s top receiving corps led by Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree for Carr to work with.

The Raiders finally ended their drought of losing seasons to emerge as one of the top teams to beat in the AFC last year, and easily could have advanced further if it wasn’t for Carr’s late-season injury. Assuming all goes well with his recovery process, expect Carr and Oakland to be serious contenders in the AFC for the second year in a row.

6. Green Bay Packers

Every time there seems to be a reason to freakout over the Green Bay Packers, Aaron Rodgers is always there to remind everyone to relax and assure that it will all turn out just fine in the long run. This time around, Packers fans seemed to be losing their minds after learning that contract talks between the Packers and Jared Cook had broken off.

Instead of signing Cook to a new deal, Green Bay brought two other tight ends on board in Super Bowl champion Martellus Bennett and former Los Angeles Rams tight end Lance Kendricks. While the signing of Bennett turned out to be a huge surprise when considering the interest he was drawing from other teams, the addition of Kendricks, who was recently released by the Rams, will help provide the team with another veteran on offense.

As for Eddie Lacy, it’s still unknown where the running back is going to end up playing next  year, but the Packers will need to address the issue at offensive line after T.J. Lang ended up signing with the Detroit Lions. Protecting their star quarterback in Rodgers is always a top priority, and losing Lang to a division rival makes this move even tougher to accept.

5. Dallas Cowboys

Forget all of the rumors surrounding whether Tony Romo will be traded or released from the Dallas Cowboys because at the end of the day, Dak Prescott is still going to be the one calling the shots under center during the 2017 season. With that being said, the real question for the Cowboys will be if their offensive line can be as effective and dominant next year with all of the shakeups.

Dallas will have to figure out a plan for life without Doug Free after the offensive tackle recently announced his retirement from the NFL, but the good news is the team has plenty of options to choose from. Whether they promote someone within or simply give free agency a shot to replace Free, chances are the Cowboys’ unit will be just fine to remain one of the best in the league once again.

As important as protecting Prescott and opening holes up for Ezekiel Elliott are, it was good to see Dallas address their need at cornerback with the addition of former Philadelphia Eagles starter Nolan Carroll. He may not have been one of the top cornerbacks heading into free agency, but at least Carroll is familiar enough playing in the NFC East to make an impact during his first season with the Cowboys.

4. New York Giants

Despite falling to the Green Bay Packers in the playoffs, the New York Giants were considered one of the best overall teams in the league thanks to the surprise emergence of their dominant defense, but how successful this team is in 2017 will come down to the play of the offense. Eli Manning was already fortunate enough for having one of the league’s most dangerous receivers in Odell Beckham Jr. along with an impressive youngster in Sterling Shepard.

Now that Brandon Marshall is officially on board, the sky appears to be the limit for Manning heading into the 2017 season, as he’s never worked with a talented group of receivers like this before. Following his release from the New York Jets, Marshall didn’t waste any time to express his desire to possibly join the Giants in order to prevent his family from having to move.

Good thing New York was able to make it work with the veteran wideout on a two-year deal to make Manning’s offense one of the most dangerous on paper at the moment. The other three teams better figure out a way to get the best out of their cornerbacks next year, or nobody is going to be able to contain the Giants on offense.

3. Pittsburgh Steelers

The Pittsburgh Steelers made a tough decision to part ways with Lawrence Timmons after 10 seasons, but when looking at how well the defense played in the second half of 2016, the unit will be just fine in the long run. The good news for the Steelers is when addressing the top needs of the offseason, they were able to make sure both Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell would be around for the 2017 season.

Making sure Brown would be around through the 2021 season was a no brainer for Pittsburgh, and while receiving the franchise tag wasn’t the ideal move for Bell, the running back knows his time will come when it comes to receiving a lucrative deal. Bell has wasted no time emerging as one of the league’s top running backs over the last four years, and the argument can be made that Pittsburgh would have been in much better shape in the AFC Championship against the New England Patriots if he was healthy.

There’s a reason why the Steelers are always one of the strong favorites in the AFC at the beginning of the season, and there’s no reason why that won’t be the case once again heading into 2017 thanks to having an offense loaded with talent. There aren’t going to be many teams capable of taking down New England in the AFC, but Pittsburgh could certainly be one of them.

2. Atlanta Falcons

No matter how hard they try, there’s nothing the Atlanta Falcons can say or do this offseason that’s going to help take the pain away from blowing that 25-point lead in the Super Bowl to the New England Patriots. The good news is as long as Matt Ryan is calling the shots under center, the Falcons’ offense will most likely be one of the best in the league once again during the 2016 season.

The defense, however, is a different story for Atlanta, but at least the potential certainly seems to be there when looking at how young some of their key players are. And one of the positives from the first few days of free agency on the Falcons’ end was reaching a contract extension with Courtney Upshaw, who showed a ton of potential during his first season with the team in 2016.

It should also be noted that after having one of the league’s most dominant duos at running back in Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman, it will be interesting to see how fullback Patrick DiMarco signing with the Buffalo Bills impacts Atlanta. Keep in mind DiMarco was one of the main reasons why Freeman and Coleman were able to find so many open holes throughout the 2016 season, as it will be difficult to find another fullback who is just as effective.

1. New England Patriots

Is there even a reason to get into details about how successful the New England Patriots have been this offseason? There’s a popular quote about the rich getting richer, and that’s exactly been the case for the Patriots when seeing the transactions the defending Super Bowl champions have been able to make over last few days.

New England was already considered one of the big winners from free agency after landing former Buffalo Bills cornerback Stephon Gilmore since he was considered one of the top players at his position from this year’s class. But the acquisition of Brandin Cooks from the New Orleans Saints is the one move that has everyone talking about the chances of the Patriots repeating as Super Bowl champions hitting a whole new level.

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Tom Brady was already loaded with talent at wide receiver thanks to Julian Edelman and Chris Hogan, but the addition of Cooks, who has recorded at least 1,100 yards in each of the last two seasons, gives New England’s offense a boost they didn’t even need. Assuming all goes well and everyone stays healthy, the Patriots could be in for a historical season in 2017 when thinking about how many points they’re going to score on a weekly basis.