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Either the days are getting shorter, or the NFL season is getting nearer. With the offseason being wrapped up, it's time to look forward to whether the big off-season moves garner as much attention on the field as they did off it.
A couple of NFL teams have made some big moves, while some have made under-the-radar improvements that won't quite stay under the radar by the end of this piece. Here are the five most improved NFL teams this offseason.
NFL teams that made significant upgrades
#1 - Los Angeles Rams
Los Angeles Rams fans will tell anyone in the NFL that Jared Goff has been on the slide since peaking in 2018 when the Rams made it to the Super Bowl. The Rams' front office knew this as well.
To scale the Super Bowl mountain, the Rams needed to rope in a championship-caliber quarterback. They duly shipped Jared Goff off to Detroit for Matthew Stafford and a handful of picks, in a move that's bound to elevate the Rams from a playoff team to a legitimate Super Bowl contender for the next few years.
In the last two seasons, Jared Goff has thrown for 42 touchdowns and 29 interceptions. In that time, Matthew Stafford has thrown for 45 touchdowns and 19 interceptions with a fraction of the offensive firepower Goff had. Under Sean McVay's watchful eye, Stafford should scale new heights in the NFL.
#2 - New England Patriots
The New England Patriots finished 7-9 last season and Cam Newton threw more interceptions than touchdowns in a very un-Patriots-like campaign. When New England is riding in the middle of the pack, you know something's gone wrong.
Fast forward to June, and the Patriots have their quarterback of the future in Mac Jones. In addition to drafting Jones, they signed a bevy of free agents to shore up their ranks.
In came the likes of Jonnu Smith, Nelson Agholor, Kendrick Bourne, Hunter Henry, and Troy Fumagalli to add some sheen to their offense.
The Patriots' offense ranked 27th overall in the NFL in 2020. With these additions, the Patriots have a good shot at jumping into the top 15. Bill Belichick's Patriots could be in for a deep playoff run this year, provided Cam Newton holds his own.
#3 - Tennessee Titans
Two words: Julio Jones. While he is 32 years old, he is still elite enough to elevate the Titans' game to a whole new level.
Last season, Julio Jones battled injuries and still managed 771 yards and three receiving touchdowns per PFF. This is likely to be his floor for 2021, with the iconic wideout touching base in Tennessee in good health.
In the 2019 NFL season, Julio Jones caught 99 balls for 1394 yards and six touchdowns. If he can reach that level in Tennessee, the Titans' passing offense could find itself in the Super Bowl in February.
Paired with AJ Brown, who is coming off back-to-back seasons with over 1,000 yards, Julio Jones will give secondaries nightmares. Add Derrick Henry into the mix, the NFL's modern-day "Beast Mode," and the Tennessee Titans are in the running to be one of the top AFC teams this season in the NFL.
#4 - Chicago Bears
Going into 2020, Chicago Bears fans had little hope. Mitchell Trubisky looked like a dead man walking and Nick Foles was morphing back into the quarterback he was pre-Super Bowl. In 2021, the Chicago Bears have a glimmer of hope again on offense. They will, however, have to sit through a period of Andy Dalton for part of the season.
This is the first time in almost half a decade that Chicago Bears fans have been guaranteed a reason to tune in later in the year. They will either be rolling with Andy Dalton or watching Justin Fields settle in.
If they end up watching Justin Fields, they could see a completely different style of play compared to Mitchell Trubisky and Andy Dalton. They'll get to see what Matt Nagy can do with "his guy."
#5 - Washington Football Team
The Washington Football Team had a complete makeover on offense during the offseason. Alex Smith and Dwayne Haskins are gone. Ryan Fitzpatrick is in. Considering the Washington Football Team's offense was ranked 30th overall in 2020, they should be in for a big jump this NFL season.
They also added wide receivers Curtis Samuel and Adam Humphries for the season. Last year, Samuel earned 851 yards and three touchdowns, while Adam Humphries could be a great third receiver behind Curtis Samuel and Terry McLaurin. His best NFL season came in 2018 when he earned 816 yards and five touchdowns.
