Which teams will reach the playoffs thanks to their free-agent moves?
Matt Williamson is a former scout for the Cleveland Browns, and spent the last 10 years at ESPN as a scout and co-host of the podcast "Football Today."
Optimism springs eternal this time of year. Free agency was very good to several teams, and their respective fan bases now think their favorite team is ready to take a big step forward. Below are several non-playoff teams from 2016 that might just be ready to make such a jump based on what they have accomplished in free agency.
Philadelphia Eagles
Prediction: By this time next year, the general public will recognize Carson Wentz as the most promising young quarterback in the entire NFL. If you are on board with just that principle alone, it is easy to see the Eagles in the playoffs this upcoming season. But by adding reinforcements to the offensive line and bringing in a true No. 1 receiver in Alshon Jeffery, the Eagles' offense is now just a power running back away from being complete.
Philadelphia’s defense should get a shot in the arm at the cornerback position via the draft - and this is an exceptional class of incoming rookie corners. The Eagles could also use defensive line help at end and tackle, but the defense was already a very good unit overall last season and returns mostly in place.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Many have been praising what the Buccaneers have done in free agency, and rightfully so. Tampa Bay had a lot of money to spend under its salary cap, but also had many of its own players whose contracts were expiring. In this case, that was a good thing, as the Bucs allowed many of their own to depart without really losing many quality assets.
The addition of DeSean Jackson is the headline here, but adding Chris Baker could pay equal dividends. If you recall, the Buccaneers' defense ended the season very strong and should be much better in 2017. They also could add another playmaker on this side of the ball - at safety would make the most sense - early in the draft.
The offense isn’t complete yet, as they could use a lead running back and offensive line depth, but there is certainly much more around Jameis Winston now than when we last saw this team on the field. Atlanta remains the favorite in the NFC South, but the Buccaneers could be nipping at the Falcons' heels.
Los Angeles Chargers
The Chargers play in the league’s toughest division and just went through a coaching change. They actually haven’t even done all that much in free agency to make us think that they are primed for a huge jump forward. However, Keenan Allen returns as Phillip Rivers' top target, Hunter Henry is primed for a massive step forward in his second season, and Los Angeles is in the midst of rebuilding its offensive line and getting more athletic up front.
Rivers remains a premier starting quarterback, and the Chargers have the league’s most promising young star on the defensive side of the ball in Joey Bosa. They also wisely didn’t allow Melvin Ingram to test free agency and brought back Jahleel Addae to help one of their weakest positions: safety.
The Chargers have an excellent pair of starting cornerbacks in Casey Hayward and Jason Verrett who, like Allen, will be very welcome returns from injury. They also possess early-round draft capital to infuse their offensive line and safety positions with young talent. The coaching change might also be an improvement on game day for a franchise that lost many heartbreakers in 2016.
Honorable Mentions: Denver, Jacksonville, New Orleans, Tennessee