Nov 23, 2014; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indianapolis Colts running back Trent Richardson (34) runs in the second half against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Lucas Oil Stadium. Colts won, 23-3.Mandatory Credit: Thomas J. Russo-USA TODAY Sports
This is an NFC edition to my NFL offseason predictions. In this article, you will notice that we will make some suggestions on what each individual team will look for this offseason, and in some cases we even talk about some direct connections between players and teams. Remember, feel free to leave your predictions for the NFC teams and what I am missing in your teams offseason plans.
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NFC West:
Arizona Cardinals – Every sign points to the Colts cutting Trent Richardson, and there might not be much of a market for him. The Cardinals, with a limited salary cap, are going to make an offseason push for Richardson and I expect him to have some success if he lands there.
Seattle Seahawks – I expect Sunday to be the last game that Marshawn Lynch plays in the NFL. I love Lynch and I think he definitely is still at a level of dominance. However, if you look at the way he is behaving in his interviews, it seems as if he is going to be on his way out. Seattle will have to roll with a combination of running backs next season.
San Francisco 49ers – The Niners are currently in a transition plan and I believe that this transition plan involves letting go of Frank Gore. Yes, that would indeed make Carlos Hyde a lone wolf running back. This means that Carlos Hyde’s fantasy value should skyrocket in value this offseason. Of course, we have to wait and see what the Niners do with Frank Gore.
St. Louis Rams – The Rams are a quarterback away from being contenders, and I expect them to sign one of the top quarterbacks on the market this offseason. Sam Bradford will get the first crack at the starting job, however, I expect the Rams to be more prepared than ever in preparing for a Sam Bradford injury.
Jan 18, 2015; Seattle, WA, USA; Green Bay Packers wide receiver Randall Cobb (18) celebrates his first quarter touchdown catch with Jody Nelson against the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC Championship Game at CenturyLink Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports
NFC North:
Chicago Bears – With the John Fox hire, I expect the Bears will become more reliant on the run this season. Last year, the Chicago Bears threw on 56% of their plays. The Bears were too reliant on the passing game this year and that caused them to struggle. They need to learn to run the football and play defense, which they will learn to do under new head coach John Fox.
Green Bay Packers – The Packers need to improve on defense, meaning that they will likely allow Randall Cobb to walk in free agency this offseason. The Packers drafted rookie Davante Adams in the second round of the NFL Draft last season, and he will be a nice replacement for Cobb within this Packers’ offense.
Minnesota Vikings – Adrian Peterson is going to be done in Minnesota. Big suprise, I know. Where he plays football again next season is going to be difficult to define this early in the offseason process, but I do expect the Cowboys to contend for him. It is really sad how it all ended for Peterson in Minnesota, but it doesn’t make sense for Minnesota to keep him around with the current roster that they have in place.
Detroit Lions – Last year around draft time, there was talk about the Lions trading up for Sammy Watkins in last year’s draft. However, they ended up waiting until the 10th pick and selecting Eric Ebron. Well, even after they signed Golden Tate last offseason, I still expect them to make another push to acquire another wide receiver this offseason. Perhaps a player like Percy Harvin is on their target list.
January 10, 2015; Seattle, WA, USA; Carolina Panthers wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin (13) reacts after catching a touchdown pass against the Seattle Seahawks during the first half in the 2014 NFC Divisional playoff football game at CenturyLink Field. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
NFC South:
New Orleans Saints – The Saints will need to replace Marques Colston as a wide receiver. They need to get younger, quicker and significantly more healthy at receiver if they want to have success. Drew Brees is in the twilight of his career, and is going to need all the offensive help that he can get if they would like a shot at the Super Bowl again.
Atlanta Falcons – The Denver Broncos should allow Julius Thomas to walk this offseason, which may cause Atlanta to chase after him. The Falcons have hired Kyle Shanahan to become their next offensive coordinator, and I believe that Julius Thomas would be a perfect fit in his offense. The question remains, will Denver let him walk this offseason?
Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Whoever is Tampa Bay’s quarterback next year may just become fantasy relevant. I realize that this didn’t happen last year, but there is good reason for that. Right before the season started their offensive coordinator, Jeff Tedford, was recovering from a health condition and didn’t coach a game all season. This year, they are getting an offensive coordinator and the wide receiving corps are only getting more and more experienced.
Carolina Panthers – The Panthers must provide Cam Newton with help. Cam Newton needs a receiver who can stretch the field, and that receiver may just be Torrey Smith. Right now, the Panthers are extremely thin at wide receiver and still reached the playoffs this year. Expect them to go wide receiver strong on day two of the NFL Draft.
Dec 28, 2014; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; Philadelphia Eagles head coach Chip Kelly talks with quarterback Mark Sanchez (3) in a timeout against the New York Giants during the game at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports
NFC East:
Dallas Cowboys – The Cowboys can’t sign both DeMarco Murray and Dez Bryant from what I see when I examine their cap situation. Which leads me to believe that the Cowboys and DeMarco Murray will decide to part ways this offseason. They may give chase in the Adrian Peterson sweepstakes, but I have a hard time believing that they can make both Bryant and Peterson work in their cap situation. One thing in their favor is that a lot of teams will shy away from Peterson, driving his price down some.
New York Giants – The Giants were way too unbalanced for Tom Coughlin’s liking. I expect the Giants to get back to the formula that won them their two Super Bowls. The formula is a heavy dose of good line play and a solid running game.
Philadelphia Eagles – I think it’s clear that the Eagles will be in the market for quarterback this offseason. I’m not sure if they will do that through free agency or through the draft, but it seems like they will be doing everything that they can to trade up for Marcus Mariota. If the Eagles can draft Marcus Mariota or Brett Hundley then a rookie quarterback may have fantasy value for next season.
Washington Redskins – I don’t know if Robert Griffin III is the answer for the Washington franchise, but I do know that if they can’t protect him that he won’t last all season. This year, the Washington offensive line was amongst one of the worst in the NFL. Washington has to bring in help to protect their quarterback if they want a chance of having Robert Griffin III save the franchise.
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