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NFC: North East West South Ranks AFC: North East West South Ranks There's no need to pretend that free agency rocked the NFC's power structure. Teams will rise and fall in 2017 because teams rise and fall every season, but the last two months have included few dramatic changes. 2017 NFL DRAFT▹ Future All-Pros, Pro Bowlers in '17 class▹ Draft Do-overs:▸ 2008 | 2011 | 2014 | 2015▹ AFC Draft Needs:▸ West | North | South | East▹ NFC Draft Needs:▸ West | North |South | East SCOUT'S NOTEBOOK▹ Coach: Chiefs can win SB with Smith▹ Malcolm Butler worth first-rounder? 2017 NFL SCHEDULE RELEASE▹ What you need to know▹ Toughest schedules ▹ Easiest schedules▹ Top 7 revenge games▹ Nine best prime-time games▹ Top 17 games of '17 season END AROUND▹ Bucs on 'Hard Knocks'? Giddy up! As we wrap up NFC Offseason Overhaul week Sergei Plotnikov Jersey, it struck me that few teams truly underwent an overhaul. "Offseason Minor Adjustments" doesn't have the same ring to it, but most teams lightly pruned their rosters rather than chopping them down. With salary cap space having exploded, there were fewer game changers changing addresses. So how does the NFC stack up before 2017 NFL Draft begins on April 27? Not so different than it did at the end of last season. Playoffs or bust Green Bay Packers, Seattle Seahawks, Atlanta Falcons and Dallas Cowboys. A year ago at this time, I asked if the Panthers and Cardinals were ready to to join the ranks of teams that contend for a championship every season https://www.pitpenguinsfanatics.com/38-kris-letang-jersey. They both finished with losing records. The Seahawks and Packers -- the other half of my top tier a year ago -- each made the NFC's Final Four for a sixth time in the last seven seasons. That incredible stability starts at quarterback and extends to two front offices that deserve the benefit of the doubt. Both teams have taken some hits this offseason. The Packers lost a number of contributors (Julius Peppers, T.J. Lang, Eddie Lacy, Micah Hyde) and the Seahawks' dangling of Richard Sherman is a sign that Seattle's defensive cohesion might be turning stale. Yet both teams deserve to be penciled in as playoff teams until proven otherwise, something no other NFC teams can claim. The Cowboys and Falcons boast offensive firepower. Now they must prove they have staying power. The departure of Falcons coordinator Kyle Shanahan overshadows any additions like DT Dontari Poe, but an improving defense should keep the Falcons soaring. The Cowboys have to show they can handle success, a quality that has eluded them since the Barry Switzer era. The potential for a sophomore slump from Dak and Zeke -- along with a completely re-formed secondary -- makes the Cowboys the shakiest bet of this tier. Still, anything less than a playoff spot from any of these squads would qualify as a huge disappointment. The fat middle Carolina Panthers, New York Giants Nick Bonino Jersey, Arizona Cardinals, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Minnesota Vikings, New Orleans Saints, Detroit Lions, Washington Redskins and Philadelphia Eagles. The difference between 6-10 and 10-6 in the NFL is overstated. All nine of the teams in this tier have the rosters to put together a playoff season or division title if everything breaks right, but even a .500 record is far from assured. No one can convince me there's much separating this group in early April, so why pretend there is some phony Power Rankings gap? The Cardinals probably had the worst offseason of any team here because three defensive starters left, but they have more "blue chip" talent than most Trevor Daley Jersey. Their window shouldn't be closed. The Eagles did a stealthy job upgrading their defense in addition to adding receiver threats. The Giants will have done well to keep their defensive line intact if Johnathan Hankins returns Carl Hagelin Jersey. The Panthers and Saints have the best quarterbacks of this tier, which should keep them in the mix. Carolina did a laudable job building pass-rushing depth, even if Cam Newton's surgery is a nagging worry. Detroit and Minnesota spent the offseason trying to fix their offensive lines, with the Lions getting the better players. Tampa made two smart signings in DeSean Jackson and Chris Baker, but the roster is thinner than general manager Jason Licht would like. Fans of any of the teams above should believe they have a potential contender to root for. Still rebuilding Los Angeles Rams, Chicago Bears and San Francisco 49ers. The NFL tries to sell hope in every city, but some teams enter the season just hoping to be competitive. Some "7-9 bulls---" would qualify as a victory for new Rams coach Sean McVay. This Rams season is about developing quarterback Jared Goff and hoping that defensive coordinator Wade Phillips can work his magic yet again. The Bears carpet-bombed free agency with signings, but most of them (outside of starting quarterback Mike Glennon) were role players. Coach John Fox needs a quality draft class to help out this talent-poor roster, and even that might not be enough to save him. Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan has the luxury of time in San Francisco with a six-year contract. He doesn't have the luxury of a franchise quarterback like he had in Atlanta. The NFL makes these offseason predictions look silly year after year, but it would be legitimately stunning to see any of these three teams make the playoffs.
The future of baseball, a Masters plan and the new running club The future of baseball, a Masters plan and the new running club12dMike Vorkunov for REDEFReal or not? Orioles-Red Sox rivalry heats up, Rockies team to beat in NL3hDavid SchoenfieldCollege football's best (and worst) NFL factories19hLuke KnoxPower Rankings: Tight race for No. 117hESPN.comOlney: Giants wise not to punish underpaid Madison Bumgarner2dBuster OlneyFuneral held for Hernandez; family to get notes16hESPN.com news servicesNFL mock draft provides plenty of fantasy football intrigue14hMike ClayNFL draft honesty and Prince's jumper20hMike Vorkunov for REDEFWhere things stand as Maria Sharapova prepares comeback19hJohnette HowardFour-Ball: Sorting through Tiger's future20hESPN.comThe future of baseball, a Masters plan and the new running clubFrank Jansky/Icon Sportswire/Getty ImagesFacebookTwitterFacebook MessengerEmailcommentApr 13, 2017Mike Vorkunov for REDEFFacebookTwitterFacebook MessengerPinterestEmailprintcommentsports + biz + culture + lifeGet REDEF delivered to your inboxrantnrave:// This is a critical moment for the NCAA. College sports' governing body is playing a game of chicken with the state of North Carolina and holding a responsibility it likely never wanted https://www.shopfornyrangers.com/66-sergei-nemchinov-jersey. The state legislature continues to push for anti-gay legislation, seemingly unchecked by its governor. The NCAA has been the only bulwark. North Carolina repealed and replaced HB2 (although seemingly in name only) when the NCAA took away the NCAA tournament and the ACC moved other tournaments out of the state. North Carolina is ready to push back, trying to pass a bill that would force UNC and NC State to exit the ACC if the conference boycotts the state again. The state might also pass a law that bans gay marriage Nathan Gerbe Jersey. Even if it doesn't become law, it's clear that another standoff with the NCAA is coming. What will the organization do then? How far is NCAA president Mark Emmert willing to go to maintain the moral authority the organization has wielded so far? ... Stewart Hagestad was the low amateur at The Masters this weekend. He might have a bright future, but not in golf. He's hoping his success on the links can land him in a top business school. Hagestad's pursuit of a business career is a reminder that life for golfers outside the PGA Tour can be difficult. There is so little money and no glory to be found outside the top circuit. Sometimes it's not even worth chasing. ... Without Charlie Murphy, we wouldn't have known that Prince is incredible at basketball. Game, blouses. RIP.Why Francisco Lindor is baseball's futureAs the sport struggles to attract a new generation of fans Jeff Beukeboom Jersey, the Cleveland Indians shortstop shows how the game might be able to draw classicists and young viewers alike.Robert O'Connell | The AtlanticHeather 'The Heat' Hardy's revolution inside and out of the boxing ringHeather "The Heat" Hardy, who started her boxing career at 28 years old, is trying to change how female athletes are treated and paid.Cara Hoffman | Rolling StoneLow amateur at the Masters lines up his next shot: business school (Subscription required)26-year-old Stewart Hagestad finished tied for 36th at Augusta National https://www.shopfornyrangers.com/32-jaromir-jagr-jersey. Now he wants to go back to school.Brian Costa and Rebecca Davis O'Brien | Wall Street JournalInside the scouting report where the Cubs compared Kyle Schwarber to Babe Ruth and called their shotLongtime Cubs scout Stan Zielinski saw Kyle Schwarber and compared him to Babe Ruth, calling his shot with a franchise-altering player.Patrick Mooney | CSN ChicagoPaying to run with -- and for -- OiselleFor $100 a year, fans of the cult running brand can meet fellow runners https://www.shopfornyrangers.com/33-jarret-stoll-jersey, get early access to limited items, and be living, breathing billboards.Jen A. Miller | Racked"It's not enough to be smart. You have to be curious."Get REDEF delivered to your inboxFacebookTwitterFacebook MessengerEmailcommentSponsored Headlines Comments ABOUT COOKIES We use cookies to offer an improved online experience. By clicking "OK" without changing your settings you are giving your consent to receive cookies.