All 32 NFL teams graded on their five-year potential

B GRADES:

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Arizona Cardinals: (Arrow Up)

Arizona is a team on the rise. Throughout the next few years look for them to steal a couple NFC West division crowns from the Seattle Seahawks. Running back Andre Ellington has come on strong for the Cardinals and will only continue to develop over the next few years. Carson Palmer has settled in nicely and in my estimation will finish out his career in Arizona. But do not be surprised if he puts together a few exciting seasons for the Cardinals before he’s through. The real strength of this team, and the biggest reason why I see them putting together a good five-year stretch, is the defense. Patrick Peterson and Tyrann Mathieu give this team one of the toughest defensive backfields in the NFL.

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Atlanta Falcons: (Arrow Level)

In recent years the Falcons have been looked at as a serious contender in the NFC, but last year they stumbled due to some bad injury luck. Numerous times they’ve put together nice seasons and made the playoffs, but never made a run to the Super Bowl. I expect that trend to continue, unless they can finally get all their parts moving in the same direction. Matt Ryan is a very good quarterback, but he’s not elite. Running back Steven Jackson’s career can’t last forever, and their defense isn’t exactly overwhelming. Julio Jones is quite an exciting receiver to watch and this offense could be dynamic for the next few years. If they add a few pieces on defense this team could go on an exiting run in the near future.

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Baltimore Ravens: (Arrow Level)

Baltimore is an interesting team. It doesn’t always look like one of the best teams in the league, but it certainly has the potential to reach that level at seemingly any moment. The Ravens are led by Joe Flacco, a fairly consistent quarterback with a little bit of a turnover problem as of late. But he is capable of raising his game, especially with weapons like Steve Smith Sr. and Dennis Pitta at wide receiver. Of course Smith Sr. won’t be around too much longer. Baltimore is recovering from the sad and unfortunate Ray Rice situation and look to be moving on fine without him. Their defense is the biggest question mark heading into the future. How much more time Terrell Suggs have left? He and this defense are good enough to bring the Ravens back to the Super Bowl over the next few years. Will it happen? That we will find out.

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Cleveland Browns: (Arrow Up)

Browns fans are gearing up for their first real success since the team came back to Cleveland in 1999, and they should be. Brian Hoyer is playing some good football right now and could lead this team for the next five years. But you know Johnny Manziel is going to get his shot, too. Either way Cleveland has better options at the quarterback position than a lot of teams. Also the running back duo of Terrance West and Isaiah Crowell could turn into the best two-headed monster in the NFL over the next few seasons. Not to mention, the Browns are getting Josh Gordon back which will make their offense even more potent. Cleveland could win a few divisions before 2020 and maybe even snag some postseason success.

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Chicago Bears: (Arrow Up)

The Monsters of the Midway are a tough team to assess. They seem to feature all of the parts of a Super Bowl caliber team, but seemingly get in their own way — at least recently. Interestingly though, the strength of the team is the offense, despite Chicago typically being a defensive-minded franchise. Jay Cutler has all the tools, but some question his mental toughness. Not to mention his knack for throwing the ball to the other team. His receivers Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery are one of the best duos in the NFL and Matt Forte will be a great running back for at least the next few seasons. If their defense can get back to its usual level it would not surprise me to see them lift a Lombardi Trophy in the next few years. It would also not surprise me to see them go 7-9 multiple times. But I think their arrow of potential is certainly pointing up.

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Denver Broncos: (Arrow Down)

The Broncos are a serious contender for the Super Bowl this year. They’re a talented squad with a deep roster. At quarterback they feature one of the all-time greats in Peyton Manning. He hasn’t slowed down a bit despite his age (38). Their defense is strong, led by Von Miller and their offense features many weapons. Tight end Julius Thomas, running back Montee Ball, and Emmanuel Sanders at wide receiver are all playmakers. We can’t forget Wes Welker either, coming off a substance-related suspension. But the reality is that Peyton doesn’t have five years left. Once he’s gone this team will suffer a drop off, it just has to. I’m projecting Manning plays through the 2016 season and then hangs ’em up for good. Beginning in 2017 the Broncos will be forced to rebuild, at least at the quarterback position.

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Miami Dolphins: (Arrow Up)

The Dolphins are a part of the shifting tide of the AFC East. They’re also one of the reasons why that division will be one of the most competitive divisions in football over the next few years. Miami has built around quarterback Ryan Tannehill and that decision seems to be paying off. As he continues to grow, the next few seasons could be quite special for the Dolphins. Running back Knowshon Moreno and wide receiver Mike Wallace give this offense more than enough fire power for the next chunk of years. If Miami’s defense can continue to improve they could be one of the most dangerous teams in 2016 rolls around.

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New England Patriots: (Arrow Down)

New England has been atop the NFL for almost 15 years, but it’s impossible to stay there forever. Tom Brady is a major reason why they’ve been so successful, but he can’t play forever. He’s an all-timer, but everyone has to retire sometime. There is no way he plays, or plays at a high level, for five more seasons. When he’s done the Patriots are definitely going to have to regroup, as it’s incredibly rare for a young quarterback to step in and have immediate success following a legend. But over the next couple years the Patriots could see more success. Tight end Rob Gronkowski is an incredible talent, but has battled injuries throughout his career. The defense is still strong and with Bill Belichick at the helm, you can never count out the Patriots.

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New Orleans Saints: (Arrow Level)

The Saints have seen a lot success in recent years and they have a few elite-level players on their team. One of those players is quarterback Drew Brees and he says that he wants to play until he’s 45. That’s a great goal, but it certainly doesn’t mean that he’ll play at an elite level for the next five years — or ten like he said. Although the Saints still have a chance to win with Brees in the next couple years. Especially when he’s throwing the ball to his main target (and future Hall of Fame inductee) Jimmy Graham at tight end and Marquise Coltson at wide receiver. But this team’s potential isn’t growing anytime soon and if they want to win another Super Bowl with Brees, they better hurry.

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New York Jets: (Arrow Up)

The Jets showed some improvement last year, impressively with rookie Geno Smith at the helm. As he continues to grow and make less mistakes look for New York become a very competitive team. The combination of running backs Chris Ivory and Chris Johnson will help Smith’s development and his chemistry with wide receiver Eric Decker will only grow. Rex Ryan is absolutely crazy, but if the players buy in (which it looks like they have) the Jets could be a real force in a couple years. Remember Ryan has led the Jets to two conference championship games before.

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San Francisco 49ers: (Arrow Level)

The 49ers are an very talented squad, but they don’t give off the same elite-level swagger they did even two years ago. Things seem to be going a bit awry. Although they do have the ability to get hot and take home a Super Bowl within the next few years. Colin Kaepernick is dynamic, but inconsistent. Frank Gore is aging and doesn’t have a ton of time left, the same goes for linebacker Patrick Willis and wide receiver Anquan Boldin. Aldon Smith is a liability (and currently suspended) and the defense isn’t as dominating as it has been in the past. Suddenly the Niners’ window may be closing, at least a little, but with Kaepernick’s athletic ability, they’re always a threat. That said, I do not think they will be as competitive for the next five years as they have been the last three. But they’ll still be a very tough squad to beat for years to come.