A new idea I had in order to help me go through the NFL team’s rosters and examine all the personnel and coaching changes, etc., one-by-one. I’m going to look at two teams head-to-head in seven key categories (my bias on what is ‘key’). The team that gets my vote in each category gets a ‘win’…the first team to 4 wins moves on to the next round. Just a quick, hopefully fun, way to take the temperature of each team heading into the 2023 preseason.
The seven categories…it’s actually six because one category is so important that it’s worth double:
1-2) The quarterbacks comparison…the winner of this gets 2 wins, or if too close to call it could be a 1-1 split.
3) O-Line -- Judging which team has the better O-Line…the most critical aspect of a team after the QB.
4) Cornerbacks -- After O-Line, I think the most critical position is shutdown corners (or not having any).
5) Head Coach/Organization -- A battle of which coaches will get in the way less, to some degree but also an edge given to teams that will attract free agents or be a desired destination in trades…and what teams are filling the stadium for home games, etc. Everything rolled into one judgment call.
6) Offensive Weapons -- Which team has the better, scarier RB-WR-TE group.
7) Kicker -- If it comes down to #7, of course the kicker should make the determination...as the kicker often determines the winner of a 59+ minute war prior with a last second make/miss.
As we lead into each category and tap a winner -- I’m also listing the major add/loss for each team in the offseason so far, just to eyeball it as a list.
Is this a brilliant way to judge teams over another? Who knows! But it struck me as something fun to do while studying each team this preseason, after the majority of offseason moves have been made.
DEN major adds: OT McGlinchey, OG Powers, DE Z. Allen, LB Singleton, QB Stidham, RB Perine, WR Mims, LB Sanders, CB Moss, SAF Skinner
DEN major losses: DE Dre’Mont Jones, PK McManus
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KC major adds: OT J. Taylor, DE Omenihu, DE Anudike-Uzomah, WR R. Rice, OT W. Morris, PT Donv. Smith, LB Tranquill, SAF M. Edwards
KC major losses: OT O. Brown, WR JuJu, OT Wylie, SAF Thornhill, DT K. Sanders
QB (2x): No contest here, obviously. KC is off to the races.
KC leads (2-0).
O-Line: Denver has definitely boosted their O-Line this offseason, and they needed it. BUT they still aren’t where KC is at with O-Line talent.
KC leads (3-0).
CBs: Denver gets themselves a win…Surtain-Mathis/Moss and the quietly very good K’Waun Williams. That’s a stout CB group, especially if rookie Riley Moss hits as fast as I think he will.
Denver gets on the board, but still trails (3-1).
HC/Organization: Denver had a ton of free agents turn them down this offseason…they’ve lost whatever mojo they had, and Sean Payton is an interesting hire, but he’s been trending down for years. KC has all the momentum between these two organizations. Players WANT to play for KC and Andy Reid (and mostly with Mahomes). Big edge here for KC.
KC puts it away (4-1)
Weapons: KC deeper at RB and Javonte is a question mark returning from a major knee injury. KC is more interesting/talented at WR. And obviously KC has the TE edge. Not even close. KC over DEN.
KC leads (5-1).
Kicker: Denver got rid of Brandon McManus, which was smart…but they don’t really have his replacement yet, so Butker/KC by default here.
KC wraps it up (6-1).
