NFL · 1 year ago

Ranking the Future Outlook of the 9 NFC Non-Playoff Teams

Ben DiGiacomo

Host · Writer

1. Chicago Bears
Super Bowl LIX Odds: +4000

There hasn't been a team better situated to build a championship-caliber roster in a short period in recent history than the Chicago Bears. They have some of the most cap space in the league heading into this offseason, but they hold the rights to the No. 1 overall pick from the Panthers to potentially draft Caleb Williams. With Justin Fields still in Chicago, the Bears can trade Fields for a first-round pick or trade down in the draft to get a generational haul of draft capital from a desperate team that needs a quarterback. It's genuinely a can't-lose situation for the Bears, but knowing how the Bears' luck has gone over the past two decades, we can't put it past them to mess this situation up. Still, it's as good of a setup as you can ask for.
9. New York Giants
Super Bowl LIX Odds: +15000

I don't know where the New York Giants are headed. Daniel Jones is horrific; their offensive skill players outside of Saquon Barkley are garbage, and outside of Dexter Lawrence, there isn't anyone on the defense who is coming off a good season. Brian Daboll still appears to be the right man to get the most out of this roster, but this team lacks quality football players. It will be interesting to see how the Giants' front office elects to proceed this offseason. Running it back cannot be an option.
8. Carolina Panthers
Super Bowl LIX Odds: +25000

No owner in football is more desperate to be good than David Tepper, so we'll see if his third head coach in three years works out with David Canales set to take over the team. Nothing matters for this organization more than Bryce Young's development after an ugly rookie season. All of their draft capital is tied up in him, specifically this season's No. 1 overall pick. Still, Canales could be the man to get the most out of him. The Panthers are still a ways away from being good, so this is a crucial season to see if they can continue to go forward with Young and the solid players they have on the roster.
7. Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are still rebuilding, but their first season under Jonathan Gannon went way better than most expected. Their defense outperformed their talent, Kyler Murray looked solid when under center, and Gannon had the team playing inspired football until the very end. It seems inevitable that they'll be landing Marvin Harrison Jr. in the upcoming draft, so it will be a crucial season to see if Murray can be the quarterback of the future. This team is still a few years away, but things are trending in the right direction.
6. New Orleans Saints
The Saints keep patching holes throughout their roster, and time and time again, it gets them nowhere. Derek Carr proved that he's a below-average NFL quarterback, so even though the Saints are running it back this season, expect them to look for a new head coach to oversee their eventual rebuild.
5. Atlanta Falcons
Super Bowl LIX Odds: +5000

The Atlanta Falcons have all the talent in the world at their offensive skill positions and enough playmakers on the defensive side of the ball to win the NFC South next season without question. Still, they will not win anything if they don't find an upgrade at the quarterback position. Desmond Ridder cannot be the quarterback of this team next season. There are rumors that Russell Wilson could land in Atlanta, which would be an excellent fit, but I'd like to see the Falcons dangle some picks at Chicago to land Justin Fields. A Georgia native, the fit would be natural.
4. Washington Commanders
Super Bowl LIX Odds: +15000

This will be the first offseason where the Washington Commanders enter the offseason cycle without Dan Snyder owning the team, which is a win in and of itself. Still, there are plenty of reasons to be excited about this team going forward. Dan Quinn's hiring as the head coach may have come as a surprise, but he'll bring the stability and toughness that were nonexistent with this team last season. They hold the No. 2 overall pick in the draft to land their next franchise quarterback and currently have the most cap space in the league heading into the offseason. The Commanders are still a few years from genuinely competing with Dallas and Philadelphia, but this is the most hope that their fans have had in a while.
3. Minnesota Vikings
Super Bowl LIX Odds: +4000

After the Minnesota Vikings had a brutal start to the season, their turnaround was one of the league's most exciting developments. They lost Kirk Cousins for the season just as they were on a winning streak, and Justin Jefferson missed most of the season, but they were still winning games despite a quarterback carousel. This is a talented team, especially if Cousins returns healthy or the Vikings try their luck by trading up in the draft to land a quarterback. They'll be in the thick of things in what should be a tight NFC North.
2. Seattle Seahawks
Super Bowl LIX Odds: +7500

The Seattle Seahawks are a playoff-caliber team that dealt with some untimely injuries this season but could compete if things break their way next season. Mike MacDonald is ushering in a new era of Seahawks' football, and it's exciting to see what he can do with his defensive expertise. Offensively, they need a healthy and productive Geno Smith before anything else. However, with arguably one of the league's deepest skill position groups led by DK Metcalf, they can hide many of Smith's inevitable mistakes. As we saw this season, the NFC's wild-card spots are entirely up for grabs, so this Seahawks team has enough talent to make some noise for one of those spots.
1. Chicago Bears
Super Bowl LIX Odds: +4000

There hasn't been a team better situated to build a championship-caliber roster in a short period in recent history than the Chicago Bears. They have some of the most cap space in the league heading into this offseason, but they hold the rights to the No. 1 overall pick from the Panthers to potentially draft Caleb Williams. With Justin Fields still in Chicago, the Bears can trade Fields for a first-round pick or trade down in the draft to get a generational haul of draft capital from a desperate team that needs a quarterback. It's genuinely a can't-lose situation for the Bears, but knowing how the Bears' luck has gone over the past two decades, we can't put it past them to mess this situation up. Still, it's as good of a setup as you can ask for.
9. New York Giants
Super Bowl LIX Odds: +15000

I don't know where the New York Giants are headed. Daniel Jones is horrific; their offensive skill players outside of Saquon Barkley are garbage, and outside of Dexter Lawrence, there isn't anyone on the defense who is coming off a good season. Brian Daboll still appears to be the right man to get the most out of this roster, but this team lacks quality football players. It will be interesting to see how the Giants' front office elects to proceed this offseason. Running it back cannot be an option.

Ranking the Future Outlook of the 9 NFC Non-Playoff Teams

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