6 complicated NFL groups who may very well be nice or horrible this season

At this level we’ve a reasonably good concept of who the superb groups within the NFL might be, and who remains to be constructing for the longer term. Nevertheless, in 2024 greater than ever there’s a large swath of groups which are completely complicated. These are organizations who might win 5 video games and it wouldn’t shock us, or win 11 and we nonetheless wouldn’t be shocked. A part of this speaks to the parity of the NFL proper now, and half is because of the truth that some groups have made such wild choices within the final eight months that it’s made them virtually unattainable to parse.

The target right here isn’t to attempt to decide whether or not we suppose these groups are good or unhealthy, however quite simply admit that we’ve completely no clue what to anticipate out of them this season.

Los Angeles Chargers

There is no such thing as a doubt the Chargers employed the suitable coach on the proper time. Jim Harbaugh’s model of hard-nosed, inside out soccer on either side of the ball returns to the NFL at exactly the time groups are starting to worth guard play and defensive tackles above all the pieces else.

The place this turns into so confounding is the quantity of change the Chargers have gone by means of in a brief time frame. One among Harbaugh’s first strikes after arriving was to principally kick Keenan Allen and Mike Williams to the curb, the highest two receivers on the group — then let Austin Ekeler depart with them.

This was a weird alternative when you might have top-of-the-line quarterbacks within the league in Justin Herbert, who’s now left with principally no person to throw to. Critically, his No. 1 receiver in 2024 is slated to be Joshua Palmer — and past that it’s loads of unknowns.

Make no mistake: In the long term this Harbaugh factor actually can work, however till then we’re left with a group that’s simply plain complicated.

Picture by Mitchell Leff/Getty Photographs

New York Jets

Are you aware if the Jets might be any good? You’re mendacity, no matter what you mentioned.

The reality is that Aaron Rodgers is a superb unknown at this level. A 40-year-old quarterback can fall off the cliff at a second’s discover, and that’s assuming we’ve truly seen them play. Now Rodgers is getting back from a season-ending harm, to a group we actually don’t know so much about aside from potential — and it’s both going to be a mammoth success or an utter failure, with out a lot room in between.

Rodgers has had loads of latitude to name his photographs on the offensive personnel round him, for higher and worse. He’s hand-picked loads of the blokes on this roster, which has led to a reasonably fascinating combine of fellows. On paper this groups seems to be fairly unimaginable, particularly with the additions of Mike Williams at WR and Tyron Smith at LT, however we nonetheless don’t know whether or not this combination of components will style good in the long run.

Every little thing comes all the way down to how nicely Rodgers can play. If we get Packers-level efficiency out of him then the Jets may very well be top-of-the-line groups within the AFC. If he has taken a big step again then .500 is perhaps the perfect the Jets can hope for.

Both approach they’re complicated as hell.

New Orleans Saints

A yr in the past many — myself included — appeared on the New Orleans Saints and instantly topped them because the winners of the NFC South. Whereas the opposite three groups within the division confronted some intriguing quarterback conditions, corresponding to Atlanta using with Desmond Ridder, Tampa Bay choosing Baker Mayfield, and Carolina turning to Bryce Younger, New Orleans appeared in essentially the most steady place on the sport’s most necessary place, with the addition of Derek Carr.

A lot for that.

Now Carr is again hoping to reclaim the promise of 2023. Due to a reasonably favorable schedule, which incorporates some groups which are additionally complicated, such because the Los Angeles Chargers and the Las Vegas Raiders, the Saints might certainly reside as much as that promise.

However would we guess on that? Completely not. It is a roster that also poses many questions, primarily alongside the offensive line the place accidents are a problem. Plus, after final yr are any of us really satisfied that Carr is the reply at QB? Pleasure round rookie mid-round decide Spencer Rattler may reply that query.

Then after all there’s the annual “What are we doing with Taysom Hill, precisely” query.

This group simply is not sensible.

Compels us, although.

Picture by Kevin Sabitus/Getty Photographs

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Bucs had been the stunning winners of the hilariously unhealthy NFC South a yr in the past. An entire lot of credit score goes to the miraculous offensive turnaround which noticed Baker Mayfield grow to be a 4,000-yard Professional Bowl passer, opening up Mike Evans and Chris Godwin to have bounce-back seasons.

Nevertheless, the problem for 2024 is that we don’t understand how this can function with out the braintrust being there. Offensive coordinator Dave Canales took the pinnacle teaching job in Carolina, and took WR coach Brad Idzik with him. Within the wake of those departures the Bucs went for a younger, dynamic coach in Liam Coen, most not too long ago the offensive coordinator at Kentucky and earlier than that he had expertise with the Los Angeles Rams.

At this level everybody has anointed the Falcons because the champions of the division, however the Bucs nonetheless have a very stable roster with out loads of participant turnover. All of it comes all the way down to how they will handle their teaching adjustments. That makes this a reasonably complicated group to attempt to parse, with the likelihood for fulfillment or failure each being on the horizon.

Dallas Cowboys

Water is moist. Taxes are due. The Cowboys are complicated.

It didn’t was once this fashion, however over the span of the final two years Dallas has slowly slipped into being a complete crapshoot of a corporation. There appears to be no confidence on this group’s route coming down from the highest, and it exhibits of their resolution making.

Is Dak Prescott the quarterback Jerry desires? Is CeeDee Lamb the No. 1 he needs? Heck, is Mike McCarthy even a coach he thinks he can win with? For these causes it feels so much just like the Cowboys might both win the NFC East or be drafting within the High 5.

The issue with a insecurity is that it will probably permeate all the pieces inside a corporation. Jerry’s anxieties might have poisoned the nicely, and that’s grow to be we all know whether or not Lamb will play a down of soccer this yr.

Picture by Justin Casterline/Getty Photographs

Cincinnati Bengals

It’s make or break time for the Cincinnati Bengals. It seems like a lifetime in the past they had been within the Tremendous Bowl, destined to cement themselves as probably the most promising younger groups within the league.

Now in back-to-back seasons the Bengals have underperformed vs. expectations, Joe Burrow has gotten banged up, and now there’s contract drama with Ja’Marr Chase for the braintrust to cope with.

Are the 2024 Bengals nonetheless one of many class groups of the AFC, able to push the Chiefs to find out who’s greatest — or are they destined to get misplaced within the shuffle of a brutal AFC North the place any group might conceivably win? That questions largely comes all the way down to Burrow, and whether or not he can rebound after his accidents to show he’s nonetheless a High 5 quarterback within the NFL.

There’s no doable final result that will be stunning on the subject of Cincinnati, and that’s a disgrace contemplating the promise they confirmed a number of quick years in the past.