So what will be the main theme for each of the 32 clubs in the NFL during the 2021 offseason?
The smoke has cleared a bit following the first few days of NFL free agency. Preparation for the 2021 NFL season is certainly underway and the NFL Draft is less than six weeks away.
The moves will continue for months but, at this moment, it’s worth taking a look at each of the 32 franchises and what will be the talking point for each franchise both now and over the coming months.
In total, these are the biggest storylines of the 2021 NFL offseason for every team in the league.
AFC East: Biggest 2021 NFL offseason storylines
Buffalo Bills: Trying to catch the Chiefs in the AFC
After going 16 consecutive years without a postseason appearance, head coach Sean McDermott has had the team in the playoffs three of the past four seasons. The club learn how to win a few postseason games in 2020 before falling hard at Kansas City in the AFC title game. And the Bills were outclassed by the Chiefs twice this past season.
Miami Dolphins: More progress under Brian Flores
In the loaded AFC in 2020, 10 wins were not enough to guarantee a playoff appearance. Still, the Dolphins doubled their victory total from the previous year and now look for a division title/playoff berth for the 1st time since 2016. Much of it will depend on second-year quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who no longer has Ryan Fitzpatrick to lean on.
New England Patriots: Rebuilding via free agency and trades
Bill Belichick and the team went all in this offseason when it came to spending in free agency. The Patriots were limited financially a year ago but the 2021 additions include tight ends Hunter Henry and Jonnu Smith, wideouts Nelson Agholor and Kendrick Bourne and pass-rusher Matt Judon. Cam Newton is back for a second go-around.
New York Jets: End the NFL’s longest current playoff drought
The new head coach is Robert Saleh, who tries to clean up a mess resulting in a 23-57 mark the previous five seasons under head coaches Todd Bowles and Adam Gase. The Jets have not been to the postseason since 2010. General manager Joe Douglas had a solid draft in 2020 and has been adding defensive pieces in free agency.
NFC East: Biggest 2021 NFL offseason storylines
Washington Football Team: Defense on verge of greatness
Ron Rivera’s club wound up winning the NFC East in 2020 with a 7-9 record. But the Washington Football Team will likely have to do much better this upcoming year. Coordinator Jack Del Rio has a unit that is led by NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Chase Young. If the team can be a little more consistent vs. the run, this unit can be fearsome.
New York Giants: Ready to build on last year’s second half
Head coach Joe Judge’s debut with Big Blue began with five straight losses and a 1-7 record after eight games. But the Giants went 5-3 the remainder of the year and a midseason four-game winning streak which included victories over playoff-bound Washington and Seattle. Dave Gettleman snared wide receiver Kenny Golladay in free agency.
Dallas Cowboys: Dak is back but can defense rebound?
The club comes off a forgettable year in which their starting quarterback missed the vast majority of the season. But Dak Prescott is now under contract for the next four years and the Cowboys can address one of the worst defenses in the league. New coordinator Dan Quinn will help and the addition of safety Keanu Neal is a big plus.
Philadelphia Eagles: The Jalen Hurts Era begins?
There’s a question mark attached as Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reports that the Eagles reportedly still have interest in acquiring Deshaun Watson should he actually become available. Earlier this month, ESPN’s Tim McNanus reported that owner Jeffrey Lurie wants to build around 2020 second-round pick Jalen Hurts. Stay tuned.
AFC North: Biggest 2021 NFL offseason storylines
Pittsburgh Steelers; Ben Roethlisberger’s swan song?
Mike Tomlin’s team dropped five of its final six games this past season, including an embarrassing home playoff loss to the Cleveland Browns. That erased the memory of a franchise-record 11-0 start. Ben Roethlisberger is back at a reduced rate and so is wideout Juju Smith-Schuster. But have the Steelers lost too much this offseason?
Baltimore Ravens: In search of a pass rush again
A few years ago, John Harbaugh’s club saw a slew of pass rushers in Za’Darius Smith, Terrell Suggs and versatile linebacker C.J. Mosley leave via free agency. This offseason, defensive end Jihad Ward left for Jacksonville and Matt Judon joined the Patriots. So will GM Eric DeCosta address this concern numerous times in April’s draft?
Cleveland Browns: Ready to win a division title
The team ended quite a few droughts this past season, reaching the playoffs for the first time since 2002 and winning a postseason game for the first time since 1994. Quarterback Baker Mayfield is coming into his own and the offense is balanced. A shaky secondary has added former Rams’ defensive backs John Johnson III and Troy Hill.
Cincinnati Bengals: Defense on the mend
When healthy, quarterback Joe Burrow showed signs of being a big-time player. But the team won’t return to the playoffs for the first time since 2015 unless that defense makes significant strides. The additions this year include pass-rusher Trey Hendrickson (Saints) and cornerbacks Mike Hilton (Steelers) and Chidobe Awuzie (Cowboys).
NFC North: Biggest 2021 NFL offseason storylines
Green Bay Packers: Third time the charm for Matt LaFleur?
Back-to-back 13-3 finishes and NFC North titles added up to consecutive appearances in the conference title game. But the Packers were pounded in 2019 at San Francisco and couldn’t take advantage of numerous opportunities presented by the Bucs this year. The team has been quiet to date but did re-sign star running back Aaron Jones.
Chicago Bears: Hoping for stability at quarterback
General manager Ryan Pace moved up in the draft four years ago to take Mitch Trubisky, who is now a member of the Bills. The Bears signed veteran Andy Dalton earlier this month to a one-year contract and it will be interesting to see how he performs in his 11th NFL season. Wideout Allen Robinson has already signed his franchise tender.
Minnesota Vikings: Young defensive talent must gel
A year ago, Rick Spielman drafted 15 players — a record for seven rounds. Nine of those were for the defensive side of the ball and head coach Mike Zimmer is hoping the experience of last season will pay off for some of those young performers. The Vikings allowed 475 points in 2020, a whopping 172 more than the previous year (303).
Detroit Lions: Starting over (again) in the Motor City
It wasn’t long ago that head coach Jim Caldwell was leading the team to a pair of playoff appearances in four years. Enter Matt Patricia and by late November, both he and GM Bob Quinn were gone. So enter new head coach Dan Campbell. The Lions allowed a disturbing 519 points in 2020, the second-highest season total in NFL history.
AFC South: Biggest 2021 NFL offseason storylines
Tennessee Titans: Overhaul on defense a must
Mike Vrabel’s team captured the AFC South with an 11-5 record, the team’s first division title since 2008. But it was one and done in the playoffs as Tennessee’s defense had no answers for Baltimore’s ground game. Defensive backs Malcolm Butler, Adoree Jackson and Kenny Vaccaro are gone but enter pass-rusher Bud Dupree (Steelers).
Indianapolis Colts: Carson Wentz hopes to revive his career
The second overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft had his ups and downs in Philadelphia. He started all 16 games as a rookie and was putting up big numbers his second season before he was felled by a knee injury. But 19 turnovers in 12 games got him benched in 2020. Now he’s reunited with former Eagles’ offensive coordinator Frank Reich.
Houston Texans: Franchise looking for answers everywhere
The latest signing is wideout Chris Conley, late of the Jaguars (via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle). General manager Nick Caserio has been adding players on nearly a daily basis. But the Texans have also parted ways with the likes of veterans such as J.J. Watt, Benardrick McKinney and Duke Johnson. David Culley is the new head coach.
Jacksonville Jaguars: Urban Meyer hopes to make an immediate impact
While he was highly successful in the college ranks, it may be quite a different story when you take over a team that dropped its final 15 games this past season after a Week 1 victory. Urban Meyer and general manager Trent Baalke do have a pair of first-round picks in April and the Jaguars have been extremely active this offseason so far.
NFC South: Biggest 2021 NFL offseason storylines
New Orleans Saints: Hard times ahead in the Big Easy?
Drew Brees has retired after 20 NFL seasons and due to the club’s yearly salary-cap issues, there have been plenty of departures from a team that has captured the last four NFC South titles. But Sean Payton’s club failed to reach the Super Bowl each of those years. And will quarterbacks Jameis Winston and Taysom Hill both start in 2021?
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Repeating isn’t easy to do, but…
It hasn’t happened since the Patriots (with Tom Brady behind center) turned the tough trick in 2003 and 2004. Bruce Arians’ club owned a 7-5 record after a dozen games this past season but ran the table and got hot in the playoffs. And linebackers Lavonte David and Shaquil Barrett and tight end Rob Gronkowski have re-signed with the champs.
Carolina Panthers: Looking for another year of improvement
The franchise has posted consecutive 5-11 campaigns, the second with first-time NFL head coach Matt Rhule. But the Panthers were a team that made strides in 2020 rather than a club that lost its final eight games after a 5-3 start the previous year. The Panthers gave up 68 fewer points (402) than they allowed one season earlier (470).
Atlanta Falcons: Still looking for that pass-rushing magic
Be it drafting, free agency or trades, the franchise can’t seem to find someone who can consistently put heat on quarterbacks. Hence the Falcons allowed the most passing yards in the NFL in 2020 and wound up totaling just 29 sacks and allowing 34 touchdown tosses. Now veteran defensive mind Dean Pees joins new head coach Arthur Smith.
AFC West: Biggest 2021 NFL offseason storylines
Kansas City Chiefs: Shaking off that Super Bowl shellacking
The Chiefs became the latest defending Super Bowl champion to fail in its attempt to repeat as Andy Reid’s club was humbled in Tampa by the Bucs. The team played that game without tackles Eric Fisher and Mitchell Schwartz and now neither is with the team. Was it too humbling of an experience for Patrick Mahomes and company?
Las Vegas Raiders: Is this the year the team finds its defense?
Jon Gruden and Mike Mayock are in the midst of overhauling the offensive line. The Raiders just added Kenyan Drake to pair with Josh Jacobs. Quarterback Derek Carr comes over a solid season. But the Silver and Black is hoping that new coordinator Gus Bradley can bolster a defene that has been a problem for more than a decade.
Los Angeles Chargers: Looking to build on last season’s late surge
Off a disappointing 5-11 finish in 2019 and off to a 3-9 start this past season, the Chargers had fallen hard after a 12-4 mark and a playoff appearance in 2018. However, dynamic quarterback Justin Herbert was the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year and now new head coach Brandon Staley inherits a club that won its final four games in 2020.
Denver Broncos: Still in search of consistent quarterback play
Vic Fangio’s club won five games and technically went through four different starting quarterbacks this past year. The Broncos have posted four consecutive losing seasons and haven’t been to the playoff since their Super Bowl title year in 2015. Drew Lock has some improving to do and finished with 18 of the team’s NFL-high 32 turnovers.
NFC West: Biggest 2021 NFL offseason storylines
Seattle Seahawks: Is Pete Carroll’s club a team in transition?
The speculation regarding quarterback Russell Wilson leaving the franchise seems to be dying down, at least for now. Meanwhile, the defending NFC West champions have tried to add some pieces to help out an offense that faded as 2020 went on. The Seahawks re-signed running back Chris Carson and have grabbed guard Gabe Jackson.
Los Angeles Rams: Raheem Morris has big shoes to fill
Although the unit was taken apart by the Packers in the divisional playoffs, the Rams allowed the fewest total yards and fewest points in the league in 2020. Brandon Staley is now the head coach of the Chargers. Raheem Morris takes over but defensive lineman Michael Brockers, safety John Johnson III and cornerback Troy Hill are gone.
Arizona Cardinals: Big-name additions mean big-time results?
Big Red hasn’t been to the playoffs since 2015 but Kliff Kingsbury’s team is on the rise. The club squandered a 6-3 start in 2020 but faded late. General manager Steve Keim signed defensive end J.J. Watt and wideout A.J. Green and dealt for center Rodney Hudson. Can they all help the Cards fare better vs. their division rivals (5-13 since 2018)?
San Francisco 49ers: Putting 2020’s nightmare season behind them
The 2020 season kicked off with a home loss to the Cardinals. A week later, the Niners lost defensive linemen Nick Bosa and Solomon Thomas to injuries. The results were a 6-10 finish after an appearance in Super Bowl LIV. The good news is that the team wrapped up left tackle Trent Williams and center Alex Mack comes over from Atlanta.