RADIO
If this NFL season taught us anything, it was to expect the unexpected. Various storylines caught fans by surprise while simultaneously morphing the power dynamic throughout the league. With the 2023 NFL season officially over, it's time to both reflect on teams' performances and also analyze their current position ahead of a key offseason.
The best way to analyze every team's current position is by grading the entire league on a scale from A to F, with plus (+) and minus (-) marks as necessary. These grades consider how a team performed in 2023 and how well prepared they are to be competitive in 2024.
How does each team look entering the 2024 offseason? Which grade does each team deserve? Let's dive into all 16 NFC organizations.
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NFC East
Dallas Cowboys: A-
The Cowboys' inability to perform in the playoffs is obvious, and it's also the main reason why they didn't earn a higher grade. Legitimate doubts about Mike McCarthy's head-coaching abilities also raise some eyebrows heading into the 2024 campaign.
With that said, Dallas feels like the early favorite to win the NFC East next year. Dak Prescott gets plenty of hate, but he's still an undisputed Pro Bowl-caliber quarterback. CeeDee Lamb's sudden rise to the NFL's top tier of wide receivers can't be ignored, either. Meanwhile, the Cowboys continue to have a top-three defense anchored by Micah Parsons. This team is really, really good, even if they don't show up in the playoffs.
New York Giants: D-
Bettors, fantasy managers, and football fans alike will want nothing to do with the Giants in 2024. Even a healthy Daniel Jones isn't worth anywhere near $40 million per year, and this team as a whole will continue to struggle as long as the offensive line remains porous. Saquon Barkley's potential departure would be the icing on the cake for this offense's demise.
If the Giants recognize they aren't going to be contenders for a few years, don't be surprised if they move on from Darren Waller just one year after trading for him. He is an above-average tight end when healthy, but he's also getting older and is far from a lock to play 17 games in a given year.
The franchise tag window opened Tuesday. Not expecting the Giants to have Saquon Barkley play on the $12.1 million tag this season. He played on an adjusted franchise tag this past season for $10.1M. But there are some scenarios a tag can be used, including as a placeholder for a… pic.twitter.com/493vyKCkoU
— Jordan Raanan (@JordanRaanan) February 20, 2024
Philadelphia Eagles: B+
Maybe this is an overreaction, but it's hard to feel good about the Eagles after the last few months. Culture matters in the NFL, and it sounds like there's some ugly stuff going on behind closed doors that has started to impact player performance.
With that said, there's no denying that this is still a very talented team. They're Super Bowl contenders if they resolve some of this locker-room stuff, but if they don't, Nick Sirianni's job will be on the line. Without a doubt, 2024 is a make-or-break year in Philly.
Washington Commanders: F
Finding Sam Howell's replacement is one thing, but it's going to take more than a new quarterback to get the Commanders back on track. Trading Chase Young and Montez Sweat at the trade deadline weakened an already suspect defense, and there is a major need for upgrades of all pass-catchers not named Terry McLaurin.
The Commanders' newest owners and executives have some impressive resumes, and therefore deserve plenty of trust. They can turn this team around. However, it's going to take time.
NFC North
Chicago Bears: B-
The Bears looked quite sloppy at times last year. (Remember when firing Matt Eberflus seemed like a foregone conclusion?) However, Chicago managed to bounce back for a variety of reasons, with players like Montez Sweat and Justin Fields warranting the most credit.
The Bears' quarterback question affords the front office a massive luxury. They have so many options, including Fields and Marvin Harrison Jr., Fields and a massive haul of draft picks via trade, or Caleb Williams and whatever Fields is worth (presumably Day 2 and Day 3 picks). With plenty of young playmakers on defense, a promising pass-catching tandem of DJ Moore and Cole Kmet, and limitless options at quarterback, the Bears are headed in the right direction.
Get Justin Fields some weapons. 🐻⬇️ pic.twitter.com/Mxirvx7NoD
— Justin Fields Fan Club (@JustinFieldsFC) February 24, 2024
Detroit Lions: A-
The Lions are here to stay. They parlayed a promising 2022 campaign and a dominant 2023 draft into a fantastic season, bringing a much-needed playoff game to the football fans in Detroit.
The defense, anchored by Aidan Hutchinson, slowed down many teams this past season, and the offense looked nearly unstoppable with the likes of Amon-Ra St. Brown, Sam LaPorta, David Montgomery, and Jahmyr Gibbs. Detroit remains the favorite to win the NFC North next year.
Green Bay Packers: B
The Packers' first year post-Aaron Rodgers went about as well as they could have asked for. Jordan Love played like a potential Pro Bowler, the backfield remained efficient despite Aaron Jones' increasing age, every wide receiver provided key contributions, and the rookie tight end pairing of Luke Musgrave and Tucker Kraft looked very solid.
It might be hard for this team to reach the level of dominance that the Lions have displayed, but at the very least, they can be one of the top Wild Card teams for years to come.
Minnesota Vikings: C-
The Vikings defense wasn't great, and they also struggled to get much production out of the running back position. As much as the Minnesota offense runs through Justin Jefferson, having a strong backfield is imperative (as we saw when Dalvin Cook was still a Viking).
The elephant in the room, of course, is Kirk Cousins. His Achilles injury creates a natural opportunity for the two sides to part ways, but doing so hurt the Vikings' chances of keeping Jefferson long-term. Key decisions await Minnesota this spring.
NFC South
Atlanta Falcons: D+
The Arthur Smith Show was a total disaster, but the Falcons are still a very strong team on paper. Their defense, led by A.J. Terrell and Jessie Bates III, is trending up rather quickly. Meanwhile, you can't ignore the upside of an offense with Bijan Robinson and Kyle Pitts.
Other than Smith, the main factor for the Falcons' struggles in 2023 was Desmond Ridder. He's not the answer for Atlanta, so replacing him with a prominent signal-caller this spring could be the Falcons' only chance at contending next season.
Carolina Panthers: F
Carolina limped to the finish line in 2023. Their selection of Bryce Young at No. 1 overall last year can't be declared a total failure yet, but it's certainly headed that way. Defensive superstar Brian Burns continues to play terrific football, but he's probably not signing a long-term deal with the Panthers.
The Panthers' ugly year looks even worse when you remember that the Bears own their first overall draft selection. The Carolina front office is going to have difficulty recruiting free agents, but they also can't add prominent rookies without significant draft capital.
New Orleans Saints: D+
Going all-out to sign Derek Carr felt like an ill-advised decision when it happened, and his shaky 2023 season confirmed such a fear. Beyond poor quarterback play, the Saints suffered from having a mediocre defense. They finished the year with a -0.8 percent defensive DVOA. New Orleans also has the least cap space and will need to shed roughly $50 million by mid-March.
On a positive note, Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed are both bright spots, and Alvin Kamara wasted no time returning to stardom after serving his suspension at the start of the year.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: C+
This grade could raise some eyebrows. The Buccaneers exceeded expectations in 2023 as Baker Mayfield led them to an NFC South title in the first year after Tom Brady's retirement. However, it's hard to put full faith in Mayfield after one strong year, and the impending free agency of Mike Evans, Devin White, and Antoine Winfield Jr. cannot go unnoticed.
Like it or not, there's also no denying that the Buccaneers had a relatively easier schedule, playing the Falcons, Panthers, and Saints twice each. It's not fair to use a team's winning record versus NFC South opponents against them, but their place in the NFL's least competitive division provides important context.
🚨| Mike Evans is reportedly waiting to see what the Buccaneers do with Baker Mayfield before re-signing in Tampa.#GoBucs pic.twitter.com/TIVdu9y9xp
— Go Bucs (@GoBucs_) February 20, 2024
NFC West
Arizona Cardinals: C-
The Cardinals didn't have a great year by any means, but things certainly started to click when Kyler Murray returned mid-season, taking over for the roller coaster ride of Joshua Dobbs. Trey McBride looks like a star in the making, too.
Arizona enters this offseason with the luxury of owning the fourth overall draft pick. They could spend this selection on a playmaker or trade it to a quarterback-needy team in exchange for a plethora of picks. The Cardinals do have some holes on defense and at wide receiver, but they should be active through free agency and the draft. Cardinals football is trending (back) up.
Los Angeles Rams: B-
The Rams traded away Jalen Ramsey and survived injuries to Matthew Stafford, Cooper Kupp, and Kyren Williams. Aaron Donald continues to be a mauler on defense, Sean McVay remains one of the brightest minds in football, and Puka Nacua was the steal of last year's draft.
Los Angeles deserves credit for making the playoffs despite playing in a tough division and facing questions about Stafford, Donald, and McVay's long-term outlooks. The Rams aren't headed to the Super Bowl, but their window to remain competitive is still open.
San Francisco 49ers: A
Kyle Shanahan's inability to avoid another Super Bowl choke was painful to watch, but claims that the 49ers' window has passed are simply misguided. The 49ers might still have the best roster in the NFL, boasting talent on both sides of the ball while continuing to make effective draft picks, signings, and trades.
The status of Brandon Aiyuk, a potential trade candidate, will remain a storyline to watch this offseason. He had a big 2023 campaign, and his presence as a reliable WR2 injected an extra element of lethal playmaking into the Niners offense. Losing him would be considered a major loss.
Patrick Mahomes in shock at the 49ers let him have the ball second in overtime.
Kyle Shanahan strikes again
— Savage (@SavageSports_) February 15, 2024
Seattle Seahawks: C+
Geno Smith is an interesting quarterback in the sense that he deserves credit for keeping the Seahawks competitive, but at the same time, he deserves blame for limiting Seattle's potential. The Seahawks are going to need a new quarterback eventually, especially if they want to keep DK Metcalf and Jaxon Smith-Njigba together long-term. (Tyler Lockett is a candidate to be released.) Out of the backfield, Kenneth Walker III just didn't look the same after returning from injury.
From a coaching perspective, new head coach Mike Macdonald is a terrific young mastermind, but forcing Pete Carroll out of his role didn't feel like the right decision.
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