NFL championships are not won in the offseason. But the foundations for championships are certainly laid. There are rare instances of teams going “all-in” and hoisting the ultimate prize as a result; the Tampa Bay Buccaneers did it with Tom Brady and the Los Angeles Rams did it with Matthew Stafford. But even the most sustainable title contenders — the New England Patriots and Kansas City Chiefs dynasties, for example — draft, develop and swing big for veteran help.
So which teams are best suited to make noise during the 2024 offseason? Well, the first step to “winning” an offseason is defining expectations. Here, we’re looking to sort all 32 teams into one of five rough tiers — contenders sitting pretty, contenders with questions, rebuilders with resources, uphill climbers and purgatory peddlers. That way, when the frenzy of signings and trades and draft picks unfolds, we can return to the 32-team rundown and grade activity within expectations.
So join us now as we venture into the offseason, and identify which clubs appear to have the quickest paths to success:
