6 complicated NFL groups who could possibly be nice or horrible this season

At this level we have now a reasonably good thought of who the superb groups within the NFL will likely be, and who continues to be constructing for the long run. Nevertheless, in 2024 greater than ever there’s a large swath of groups which can be totally 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 selections within the final eight months that it’s made them virtually not possible to parse.

The target right here isn’t to attempt to decide whether or not we suppose these groups are good or unhealthy, however somewhat simply admit that we have now 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 appropriate 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 the whole lot else.

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

This was a weird selection when you may have the most effective quarterbacks within the league in Justin Herbert, who’s now left with principally no person to throw to. Severely, his No. 1 receiver in 2024 is slated to be Joshua Palmer — and past that it’s a number of unknowns.

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

Picture by Mitchell Leff/Getty Pictures

New York Jets

Are you aware if the Jets will likely be any good? You’re mendacity, no matter what you stated.

The reality is that Aaron Rodgers is a good 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 really seen them play. Now Rodgers is getting back from a season-ending harm, to a workforce we actually don’t know so much about apart 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 a number of latitude to name his photographs on the offensive personnel round him, for higher and worse. He’s hand-picked a number of the fellows on this roster, which has led to a fairly attention-grabbing combine of men. On paper this groups seems to be fairly unbelievable, 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 ultimately.

Every little thing comes all the way down to how properly Rodgers can play. If we get Packers-level efficiency out of him then the Jets could possibly be the most effective groups within the AFC. If he has taken a big step again then .500 may be the very best the Jets can hope for.

Both approach they’re complicated as hell.

New Orleans Saints

A yr in the past many — myself included — regarded 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, reminiscent of 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 recreation’s most vital place, with the addition of Derek Carr.

A lot for that.

Now Carr is again hoping to reclaim the promise of 2023. Because of a reasonably favorable schedule, which incorporates some groups which can be additionally complicated, such because the Los Angeles Chargers and the Las Vegas Raiders, the Saints might certainly dwell 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 would possibly reply that query.

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

This workforce simply is senseless.

Compels us, although.

Picture by Kevin Sabitus/Getty Pictures

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Bucs had been the shocking 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 turn into 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 know the way this can function with out the braintrust being there. Offensive coordinator Dave Canales took the top 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 lately 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 extremely stable roster with out a number of participant turnover. All of it comes all the way down to how they’ll handle their teaching adjustments. That makes this a fairly complicated workforce to attempt to parse, with the likelihood for achievement or failure each being on the horizon.

Dallas Cowboys

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

It didn’t was this manner, however over the span of the final two years Dallas has slowly slipped into being a complete crapshoot of a company. There appears to be no confidence on this workforce’s route coming down from the highest, and it reveals of their choice making.

Is Dak Prescott the quarterback Jerry needs? Is CeeDee Lamb the No. 1 he wishes? 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 might permeate the whole lot inside a company. Jerry’s anxieties might have poisoned the properly, and that’s turn into we all know whether or not Lamb will play a down of soccer this yr.

Picture by Justin Casterline/Getty Pictures

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 one of the vital 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 workforce 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 end result that will be shocking in terms of Cincinnati, and that’s a disgrace contemplating the promise they confirmed a couple of quick years in the past.