NFL.com Power Rankings … 3/25

from NFL Power Rankings: Browns hit top 10 via free agency/trades

Elliot Harrison

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000001023341/article/nfl-power-rankings-browns-hit-top-10-via-free-agencytrades

Forget how the dominoes fell in free agency — where do the teams stand now?

The initial wave of the open signing period started before it officially started, then hit a crescendo at the end of Day 1 on Wednesday. By Friday, Ryan Tannehill getting traded drew a collective yawn. When the free agency frenzy starts with such a bang, subsequent transactions inevitably get reduced to a thud. The mind can only be blown so many times before it turns to mush.

In that flurry of early trades and signings were a few social-media busters, like OBJ relocating to CLE and Le’Veon taking his mixtape to NYC. But don’t sleep on the smaller, less-covered transactions. We didn’t.

Some teams improved a rung or three, others were worse for the wear. Still others were worse for the financial wear, but are making a run at winning now. (Think: The Jags and their new Super Foles quarterback.)

A week after the marketplace maelstrom, now is as good a time as any to reorder the whole lot. Below you will find your team’s significant moves covered, or exposed. Reveal your take to me: @HarrisonNFL is the place.

1

PATRIOTS
Previous rank: No. 1

Draft watch is already on after a (sorta) relatively quiet free-agent period for the Patriots. New England did engineer a trade for DE Michael Bennett, though most of the action consisted of watching various ingredients of the latest Lombardi-winning concoction walk out the door. The departures of OT Trent Brown, DT Malcom Brown and DE Trey Flowers were no small things. Do-everything talent Cordarrelle Patterson, who played the Swiss Army Knife type of role that had been filled in the Patriots’ past by the likes of Mike Vrabel and Troy Brown, is a Bear. If Rob Gronkowski retires? Let’s not think about it. Draft-wise, the idea of Bill Belichick rolling the dice on Kyler Murray (should he fall within range of the Pats, who currently pick 32nd) is admittedly exciting. Murray could contribute in packages, perhaps in ways not too dissimilar from what Taysom Hill does down in New Orleans. Not that they are the same player by any stretch of the imagination; I’m thinking Murray is a get him on the field right now kind of prospect, rather than someone you’d want to sit for three years.

Side note: I was surprised the Pats made no play for Cole Beasley. Wait, they did? He picked the Bills?!

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2

SAINTS
Previous rank: No. 2

The Saints are clearly already circling 2019 as THE season. Drew Brees will be ready, as will the bulk of a roster that pushed the team to the doorstep of Super Bowl LIII. The primary issue regarding free agency was what to do with — and what to pay — veteran running back Mark Ingram, who ended up heading to Baltimore. Though these things rarely matter to organizations anymore, did you know that Ingram only trailed New Orleans’ all-time leading career rusher by 89 yards? (Any non- Saints fans want to guess who the leader is?) Now, recent signee Latavius Murray will presumably fill Ingram’s role complementing Alvin Kamara. So much of New Orleans’ offense is built around Kamara’s flexibility that I would rather have Kamara than Le’Veon Bell, price being equal. The Malcom Brown signing was sharp, especially with DT Sheldon Rankins ending last season hurt.

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DT Ndamukong Suh and RB C.J. Anderson might have their feet out the door as free agents, but the most important offseason question was answered: Would 37-year-old — and four-time Pro Bowler — Andrew Whitworth call it a day? No. The veteran left tackle will lace ’em up for one more go at the Super Bowl. How much running back Todd Gurley will go this season is another issue. With many pundits punditing over Gurley’s knee, it was obvious which Rams RB was most effective down the stretch. (Hint: It wasn’t Gurley.) If the organization doesn’t snag a guy up off the street, look for a slick Day 3 pick to hit this area come draft time. Center and guard should be considered, especially with Rodger Saffold now playing in Tennessee.

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4

CHARGERS 2
Previous rank: No. 6

Feel like the best respite for the Chargers following the horrific ending to the 2018 campaign would have been to head south to Cabo Wabo and guzzle tequila with Sammy Hagar. The Patriots gave the Bolts the boot in an Eddie Van Halen you-can’t-be-in-my-band-and-we-are-gonna-erase-all-memory-of-your-residence-here kind of way. If tomorrow is a new day, last week was an old, fresh start, with the arrival of longtime Panthers linebacker Thomas Davis. The free-agent signee will bring leadership to a defense that can use it; meanwhile, the returns of DT Brandon Mebane and LB Denzel Perryman will maintain continuity on that side of the ball. Was sad to see cornerback Jason Verrett go. The former TCU standout and first-round pick — who signed with San Francisco — could never stay on the field for the Bolts (25 games in four seasons), but when he was able to play, he revealed the makings of an eventual stud. Some players are star-crossed, it seems. Onward and upward.

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5

COLTS
Previous rank: No. 5

So, general manager Chris Ballard has kept pretty quiet in terms of adding talent thus far, and that’s OK. Hope the Colts’ encore to their fun 2018 campaign is not a 7-9 flop. Or worse, like the stuff they used to show on Encore. (Does that channel even exist anymore?) Indy has done its part to keep the personnel consistent, re-signing CB Pierre Desir and DL Margus Hunt, two ample pieces of a defense that contributed a strong (well, stronger) performance last year. Meanwhile, kicker Adam Vinatieri returns for his 55th NFL season. More importantly, Ballard wants to build through the draft. Considering the slick results from last year’s class, which included two starting offensive linemen and Defensive Rookie of the Year Darius Leonard, we will move on from this blurb and let the man do his work.

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6

CHIEFS 2
Previous rank: No. 4

The Chiefs own a championship-caliber offense thanks mostly to their MVP quarterback. The question is, how is Kansas City going to get to the other guys’ quarterback? Alex Okafor aside, with Justin Houston departed and Dee Ford traded, pass rush must be coach Andy Reid’s No. 1 concern. Not to mention the potential patchwork awaiting new defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo. Spags made his name by leading a Giants defense that knocked off the top-seeded Cowboys and the Brett Favre Packers (at Lambeau) in the 2007 playoffs, and then finally the undefeated Patriots in Super Bowl XLII. Great stuff. Well, that ain’t Michael Strahan, Osi Umenyiora and Justin Tuck peeling out after the quarterback out there at Arrowhead. Adding Honey Badger helps the back end. Losing center Mitch Morse to the Bills, though … is not helpful.

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7

EAGLES
Previous rank: No. 7

It seemed GM Howie Roseman wanted seven first-round picks and a third-rounder for Nick Foles this offseason. Then Foles voided his option, and all of the trade chatter became moot. While all that speculation was going on, the front office got busy, re-signing DE Brandon Graham and signing DT Malik Jackson … and suddenly, the Eagles were winning the offseason again. That’s because the defections were not major. Foles (signed by Jacksonville) wasn’t gonna start. DE Michael Bennett (traded to New England) was a luxury member of the D-line rotation. LB Jordan Hicks (signed by Arizona) was often not available (he missed 21 of 64 games in his four-year career). Wait. We almost got out of here without mentioning the return of the home-run ball to Philly. We’ll take a Mike Schmidt and Von Hayes to go with that cup of DeSean.

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8

BEARS 1
Previous rank: No. 9

The rumor mill had company — about 50,000 fantasy teams tried to trade Jordan Howard, too. GM Ryan Pace further tried to address the running game by signing ex-Seahawk Mike Davis, who enjoyed his moments in the sun (rain) in Seattle. He also brought on Cordarrelle Patterson. Who knows if Matt Nagy will employ Patterson in the same manner that Bill Belichick and Josh McDaniels did in New England, utilizing the former first-rounder in a Brad Muster/Dennis Gentry kind of role. It played well to Patterson’s strength and versatility. If you are a bit young to recall Muster (good old No. 25), he was the Bears running back in Tecmo Super Bowl who always busted your guys up when they were trying to tackle Neal Anderson. You would have Anderson on the edge, and this super slow dude would jog over and knock your player halfway up the sideline … while Anderson sprinted 80 more yards. Memories.

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9

BROWNS 7
Previous rank: No. 16

The only thing in greater abundance than the talent up and down the Browns’ roster is the pressure mounting on Freddie Kitchens. Forget about the normal burden facing rookie head coaches — Kitchens might be shouldering heavier expectations than any front man in pro football. Consider: Cleveland went 5-3 under interim coach Gregg Williams, wrapping with a narrow loss on the season’s final day. No franchise contributed more frenzy to the Free Agency Frenzy formula than the Browns did when they hatched the blockbuster acquisitions of Giants receiver Odell Beckham Jr. and defensive end Olivier Vernon, while also signing DT Sheldon Richardson. Kitchens, who served as offensive coordinator for much of 2018, is an in-house hire, which is good in that the nucleus is familiar with him. Not so good if this new-look group gets housed a couple times early in the season, like olden times.

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10

SEAHAWKS
Previous rank: No. 10

Dude, Russell Wilson, Doug Baldwin, K.J. Wright and Bobby Wagner are the survivors from those Super Bowl teams. It’s so crazy how, with so much player movement these days, rosters morph over three years or so. The turnover was seen coming far in advance, as the Seahawks weren’t going to employ Wilson on a cheap rookie contract forever. All those fans who wonder how the Browns are able to accomplish so much in free agency should remember that second-year pro Baker Mayfield is costing Cleveland a mere fraction of what franchise quarterbacks who aren’t on their first contracts cost their teams. Seattle did use its cap room to bolster the interior of the offensive line, re-signing D.J. Fluker and bringing in Mike Iupati. There was also room to retain two key contributors to a defense that was surprisingly effective last season (despite withstanding waves of injuries, defections and retirements over the last two years). Frank Clark and Wright return to the front seven, although the franchise-tagged Clark is, for now, a temporary buy. Expect the Seahawks to hit this side of the ball further in the draft.