The 2021 NFL season is right around the corner, and everyone is excited to see what their favourite team is able to accomplish. The season is bound to have some new twists and turns as the NFL continues to battle it out with a few players regarding the COVID-19 vaccine. However, on a more positive note, the stadiums are expected to be full again after a disappointing year without fans in 2020. This upcoming season is looking to be one of the best we have had in a long time, with so many different teams out there ready to step up and contend for a title.
So Who Are the Potential Contenders?
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are an obvious contender. Not only are they the reigning Super Bowl champions but they were somehow able to bring back all 22 starters from last season. Led by the seven-time Super Bowl champion, Tom Brady, it is safe to assume this team will be back and better than ever.
The Kansas City Chiefs are another unsurprising pick. Mahomes always gives his team a fighting chance and their ridiculously talented offense only helps him out. Plus the team found a way to load up his offensive line even more than it was before, to protect their franchise quarterback.
Besides the two obvious selections, there is one more team I think could be a real contender here… The Los Angeles Rams! The addition of Matthew Stafford takes them over the hump they’ve been desperately attempting to surmount. They already have Jalen Ramsey and Aaron Donald on the defensive end, so they don’t need to worry about that. They just weren’t able to run the offense they wanted with Jared Goff at the helm. Now, Stafford can run exactly what Sean McVay is looking for and has been paired with Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods in what should be an exhilarating offense.
Who’s Had the Biggest Offseason?
The media hasn’t talked enough about what the Cleveland Browns have been able to accomplish during the offseason. They were already considered a playoff calibre team, barely losing to the Chiefs last season in the Divisional Round, but now they are fringe Super Bowl contenders. They picked up Jadeveon Clowney and Malik Jackson to bolster their pass rush alongside Myles Garrett, then snagged Troy Hill and John Johnson III to round out the secondary. They also drafted cornerback Greg Newsome II and Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, a line-backer that fell way too far in the draft for his talent. I don’t know how a franchise can have such a successful offseason and nobody hears a word about it.
The Los Angeles Chargers also had themselves an offseason. Not only did they grab a defensive minded coach in Brandon Staley for the first time in over two decades, but their pickups and draftees are terrific. The team has been on the brink of competing for a long time now and they may have made that next step here. The signing of Jared Cook isn’t a flashy signing, but it fills the void left behind by Hunter Henry. They picked up Corey Linsley from the Green Bay Packers to finally improve an average offensive line for their franchise quarterback Justin Herbert, then they draft the best lineman in the draft outside of Penei Sewell by nabbing Rashawn Slater. The team also drafted Asante Samuel Jr., who many said was one of the top cornerbacks in the draft class and has shown it so far in preseason. Watch out for Los Angeles this year.
So there you have it, some of the biggest offseason moves, and my thoughts on the contenders for the Super Bowl. Ready for that first, first down?
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