2020 NFC PROJECTIONS

KEY: 16/16=Games played/Games started

Updates were made when news was made available.

Due to COVID-19 and the expectation that the 2020 NFL season may not even take place or that there will be a different season played than in past seasons, I am evaluating the teams a little differently for this season. There will not be a position by position evaluation on every team like in past seasons. Instead, there will be evaluations based on players that are added and subtracted from each team and how it affects that team going forward. Also, players that continue to excel and add extra value at particular positions will also be evaluated which without them the team’s performance would drop significantly.

NOTE: OPT-OUTS which are occurring with every team will be posted when they are available. They certainly will alter how a team performs and will alter their W-L record. However, the projections are based on full squads. 

NFC EAST

New York Giants

HC Pat Shurmur is out after two disappointing seasons. I never thought he fit in anyway but 1^st time HC Joe Judge is in. He was formerly the Special Teams coach at NE, go figure. Judge has no HC coaching experience and has never been an OC or DC. Also, former DAL HC Jason Garrett has become the NYG OC. Yes, he will run the OFF.  At QB, Eli Manning 4/4 has officially retired and it is now the Daniel Jones 13/12 show. Jones was thrown into the fire during the season and made the best of a tough situation. Hopefully he will have learned from his rookie season. At RB, Saquon Barkley 13/13 is a lifesaver but can’t get wins for this team all by himself. RB Dion Lewis signed with NYG from TENN but has familiarity with HC Judge from his time both shared in NE. RB Wayne Gallman 10/1 should see more time with a new coaching staff. The O-LINE which has been a big concern for BIG BLUE, gave up 43 sacks in 2019. This was actually better than the 47 sacks given up in 2018. But it is still bad and they need to do a lot better. LT Nate Solder 16/16 had an off year and opted out for 2020. OT Andrew Thomas who was drafted in the 1^st round out of Georgia may be penciled in as the starter by default. OT Matt Peart who was drafted in the 3^rd round out of Connecticut may see action at RT due to the need for Thomas at LT. LG Will Hernandez 16/16 should bounce back after an off season. OT Nick Gates 16/3 can play all positions but is best suited for G. G Shane Lemieux who was drafted in the 5^th round out of Oregon could be competing for a starting C role because of player movement and uncertainty. C Jon Halapio 15/15 is recovering from a ruptured Achilles tendon suffered in the last game of the season and is currently a FA. He could be signed later in the season if things don’t work out at the position for NYG. C Spencer Pulley gets a shot here but, hasn’t been a starter since 2017 with LAC 16/16. OT Cameron Fleming 14/3 who was not retained by DAL and signed with NYG can play either side. RT Mike Remmers 14/14 was not retained and signed with KC. T/G Eric Smith 2/0 will be in competition to provide depth. At WR, Cody Latimer 15/10 left for WASH. Golden Tate is the #1 WR but must stay healthy. WR Darius Slayton 14/9 had a nice rookie season and should see better numbers in his 2^nd season. WR Sterling Shepard 10/10 is the slot receiver and also contributes on the outside. WR Corey Coleman was out all of 2019 but will be able to compete for a spot and may be used as a return man. At TE, this is a make or break year for Evan Engram 8/6 who needs to show that he can stay healthy because when he is in the lineup he is hard to stop. TE Levine Toilolo 13/0 was signed from SF as a blocking TE to replace the retired Rhett Ellison. TE Kaden Smith 9/6 should see a lot of action in multi TE sets and packages. The DEF for NYG was #28 vs the PASS. They couldn’t stop anyone and didn’t. The DEF alignment runs a 3-4 & LDE Leonard Williams 8/5 who came over mid-season was given a prove it contract for 2020. DT Austin Johnson 16/1 was signed for backup but the rest of the front line has stayed the same. However, they need to do a better job. The LB crew went through a major shakeup in the off-season. LB Markus Golden 16/16 with 10.0 sacks was recently re-signed after being a restricted FA. LB Alec Ogletree 13/13 was cut after another disappointing season. DE Kareem Martin 5/0 was not retained. LB Kyler Fackrell 16/0 was signed from GB on a prove it contract and will play OLB. RILB David Mayo 16/13 who was signed right after the 2019 season started is looking to get more sacks. LB Blake Martinez 16/16 was also signed from GB and will play ILB. ROLB Lorenzo Carter 15/12 had a nice year and is looking to improve on 2019. LB Ryan Connelly 4/3 is coming back from a torn ACL and will be competing for a starting spot. OLB Oshane Ximines 16/2 needs to step it up in yr 2. LB Cam Brown who was drafted in the 5^th round out of Penn State can play inside and out. LB Carter Coughlin who was drafted in the 7^th round out of Minnesota is also versatile. LB TJ Brunson who was also drafted in the 7^th round out of South Carolina may end up on special teams. LB Tae Crowder who was also drafted in the 7^th round out of Georgia is a long term project. In the secondary, CB James Bradberry 15/15 was signed from CAR. CB DeAndre Baker 16/15 had a very nice 2^nd half of the season but is facing potential discipline for an incident off the field. This may leave a hole in the CBs. CB Sam Beal 6/3 opted out. CB Grant Haley 15/3 started at the slot but may see competition. CB Darnay Holmes who was drafted in the 4^th round out of UCLA may be the competition for the slot. CB Julian Love 15/5 is another CB in competition for the slot. CB Chris Williamson who was drafted in the 7^th round out of Minnesota is also in the running for the slot. At S, Antoine Bethea 16/16 was not retained. S Xavier McKinney who was drafted in the 2^nd round out of Alabama will be penciled in where Bethea was. S Nate Ebner 14/0 who plays mostly on special teams and certain defensive packages was signed from NE. SS Jabril Peppers 10/10 was injured part of the year but also returns punts. S Sean Chandler 13/0 will be competing to stay on the roster. S Michael Thomas 16/2 was not retained by NYG and signed with HOU. S Julian Love 15/5 has played both positions but could be looking at slot cover in 2020. Another questionable move by GM Dave Gettleman was bringing in Joe Judge who has no HC or high level coordinating experience. How will the O-LINE hold up? It has been a major concern for a few seasons and it has only been addressed sparingly each season. Plus, they may have two rookies starting on the O-LINE because of Solder’s opt out. How will they mesh? Will Daniel Jones show more maturity in 2020? Will the DEF step up and stop teams when they need it? Will the revamped LB crew mesh well enough to stop opposing teams? Will the secondary stop anyone? They have a lot of guys at CB, so who will step up? We’ll see but, there is a big learning curve for Judge and I don’t see much improvement here as GIANT fans will be shaking their head often during the season. Plus, OC Jason Garrett has been known to run a stagnant OFF. Will he change it up so it is not predictable?   

OPTED OUT: LT Nate Solder, CB Sam Beal, WR Da’Mari Scott

PROJECTED 2018 (7-9), ACTUAL 2018 (5-11), PROJECTED 2019 (6-10), ACTUAL 2019 (4-12), PROJECTED 2020 (7-9)

Dallas Cowboys

Jason Garrett’s tenure as DAL HC is finally over. Former GB HC Mike McCarthy was named DAL HC after Garrett was fired after the season. McCarthy was the GB HC from 2006-2018 with one SuperBowl title in 2010. But, he brings a lot of knowledge and experience. We will see if he can take DAL deeper in the playoffs and upgrade Prescott’s skill level to elite status. Even though McCarthy will run the OFF, he kept Kellen Moore as OC because of his relationship with QB Dak Prescott. Also, joining the staff is special teams coach John Fassel who is regarded as the tops when it comes to special teams. At QB, Dak Prescott 16/16 is on the franchise tag for 2020 but, looking for BIG payday. However, he still makes certain mistakes that he shouldn’t make anymore. QB Andy Dalton 13/13 was not retained by CINNCY and signed with DAL to backup Prescott. But he could be inserted if Prescott falters. At RB, Ezekiel Elliott 16/16 is the workhorse and takes a lot of pressure off of Prescott. RB Tony Pollard 15/0 is a capable backup and return man. FB Jamize Olawale 16/5 has opted out for 2020. At WR, Micahel Gallup 14/12 has gotten better in his first two seasons. WR Amari Cooper 16/16 signed a big extension in the off-season. WR Randall Cobb 15/6 was not retained by DAL and signed with HOU. WR CeeDee Lamb who was drafted in the 1^st round out of Oklahoma will certainly take the place of Cobb but is expected to bring an added dimension to the receiving corps. WR Cedric Wilson 6/0 may need to show something more to stick around. WR Noah Brown who didn’t play in 2019 because of injury may be gone by wk 1. WR Devin Smith 4/2 was inactive most of the season. He is also on the bubble. WR Ventell Bryant 12/0 could also be gone soon. WR Jon’Vea Johnson is a FA looking to get noticed. WR Tevin Jones 5/0 is another one on the bubble. At TE, Jason Witten 16/16 came back from retirement for one season, was not retained by DAL and signed with LV. TE Blake Bell 15/7 was not retained by KC, signed with DAL. He will be used more in blocking situations. TE Blake Jarwin 16/7 will be the main guy now that Witten is gone. TE Cole Hikutini hasn’t played in a game since 2017 is looking to find some kind of role. TE Dalton Schultz 16/0 needs to show more to hang on. The O-LINE which is considered one of the best in the NFL gave up 23 sacks in 2019. This was considerably better than the 56 sacks they gave up in 2018. At LT, Tyron Smith 13/13 is very solid even though he hasn’t played a full season since 2015. OT Cameron Fleming 14/3 was not retained by DAL and signed with NYG. T Mitch Hyatt was on the practice squad but is getting a second chance to show more. LG Connor Williams 11/11 will see competition at the position and may even move to C. OG Xavier Su’a-Filo 11/4 was not retained by DAL and signed with CINNCY. G Connor McGovern was on IR all of 2019 will be competing at C & G. C Travis Frederick 16/16 retired. C Joe Looney 16/1 will get every opportunity start at C but may see competition from C Tyler Biadasz who was drafted in the 4^th round out of Wisconsin. RG Zack Martin 16/16 is solid as ALL-PRO. OG Adam Redmond was on IR all of 2019 but, may have to show something to stick around. RT La’el Collins 15/15 is solid at the position. OT Brandon Knight 7/1 could be a swing T and is good for depth. LT Cam Erving 13/8 was not retained by KC and signed with DAL is a good backup option with experience. The DEF runs a 4-3 alignment. But, at times it may look like a 3-4. At DE, Aldon Smith who hasn’t played in a game since 2015 due to drug suspensions and what not, was signed to fill the void left by DE Robert Quinn 14/14 who was not retained by DAL and signed with CHI. DT Gerald McCoy 16/16 who was not retained by CAR and signed with DAL was cut August 18^th with a ruptured quad. DE/DT Tyrone Crawford 4/2 who had an injury plagued season will probably start. DT Maliek Collins 16/16 was not retained by DAL and signed with LV. DT Neville Gallimore who was drafted in the 3^rd round out of Oklahoma should see definite time in the rotation with all the player movement on the D-LINE. DT Antwaun Woods 10/10 is a valuable contributor. DT Dontari Poe 11/10 was not retained by CAR and signed with DAL. DL Trysten Hill 7/0 needs to show more to stick around. DE DeMarcus Lawrence 16/16 had a big drop in sacks in 2019 and DAL needs his leadership upfront. DE Randy Gregory didn’t play in 2019 due to suspension but may be reinstated for 2020. If not, DE Bradlee Anae who was drafted in the 5^th round out of Utah should see time in the rotation with DE Randy Gregory out. DE Dorance Armstrong 15/0 has been limited and needs to step up. DE Joe Jackson 5/0 needs to show more to stick around. On the LB crew, WLB Leighton Vander Esch 9/9 was found to have cervical spinal stenosis that could affect his career going forward. LB Joe Thomas 15/2 can play all LB spots and contributes on special teams. MLB Jaylon Smith 16/16 should be looking better in his 4^th season. LB Justin March-Lillard 16/0 plays mostly special teams but is good for depth. LB Sean Lee 16/13 had his first full season in his ten year career. However, when Lee is on the field the DAL DEF is definitely better. But, he needs to stay healthy. LB Luke Gifford 6/0 was injured most of the season and should be ready for wk 1. In the secondary at CB, Chidobe Awuzie 16/16 is a solid tackler. CB Byron Jones 15/14 was not retained by DAL and signed with MIA. CB Jourdan Lewis 16/5 is in a contract year, so look for big things. CB Anthony Brown 9/4 was injured part of the season but is good for depth and sees plenty of time in the rotation. CB Trevon Diggs who was drafted in the 2^nd round out of Alabama and is highly touted, may be penciled in as the starter opposite Awuzie. CB Reggie Robinson who was drafted in the 4^th round out of Tulsa should see time in the rotation. CB Maurice Canady 8/2 who was not retained by NYJ and signed with DAL opted out for 2020. CB Daryl Worley 15/15 who was not retained by OAK, signed with DAL could see a starting role in DAL. Deante Burton 3/0 may need to show more to stick around. CB CJ Goodwin 16/0 plays mostly on special teams but is good for depth. CB Chris Westry was on IR all of 2019 but should be able to showcase himself for 2020. At S, FS Xavier Woods 15/15 faded in 2019 and needs to step it up in 2020. SS George Iloka didn’t play in 2019 and wasn’t retained. He is currently a FA. SS Ha Ha Clinton-Dix 16/16 wasn’t retained by CHI and signed with DAL for an upgrade in the secondary. S Kavon Frazier 4/0 was not retained by DAL and signed with MIA. S Jeff Heath 13/13 was not retained by DAL and signed with LV. S Donovan Wilson 11/0 needs to show more to stick around. S Darian Thompson 15/4 plays in packages and on special teams. With a new coach and a new attitude, DAL should go deeper into the playoffs then they did under Garrett. But McCarthy only won one SuperBowl with one of the greatest QBs, Aaron Rodgers. Also, it was rumored that they didn’t always get along. How will Prescott get along with McCarthy? Will Prescott take his game to the next level? DAL is very thin at RB and right now no FB. This could be a disaster if injuries pop up. If Prescott has to go it alone with a RB that he can depend on, it will be a down season for DAL. Without RB Elliott, this team goes nowhere. Also they are very thin at WR past their BIG 3. That is not good either. The O-LINE looks solid but lost a few guys from 2019. We’ll see how they adjust. The D-LINE will show different schemes depending on the situation. The secondary has made some changes as well but can’t be invisible late in games and late in the season. Plus, they are thin at S which means some CBs may have a shot but may be on a learning curve. This is a talented team but for owner Jerry Jones, they must go deeper into the playoffs and eventually the SuperBowl. Since they are thin at depth in a lot of places, they need to stay healthy to have a shot at a deep run, otherwise it will be mediocrity for DAL.    

OPTED OUT: CB Maurice Canady, WR Stephen Guidry, FB James Olawale

PROJECTED 2018 (8-8), ACTUAL 2018 (10-6), PROJECTED 2019 (11-5), ACTUAL 2019 (8-8), PROJECTED 2020 (11-5)

Philadelphia Eagles

PHILLY OFF has stagnated since they won the SuperBowl two seasons ago. HC Doug Pederson has done a good job keeping PHILLY relevant the last two seasons but they haven’t gone as far in the playoffs as people would have expected. Pederson got rid of OC Mike Groh and replaced him with Sr. Offensive consultant Marty Mornhinweg & Sr. Offensive Assistant Rich Scangarello. We’ll see who calls the plays going forward. At DC, Jim Schwartz should improve on #23 TOT DEF & 30 PASS DEF in 2019. At times the DEF was picked apart. At QB, Carson Wentz 16/16 played a full season, then was injured in the playoff game vs SEA. He had 16 fumbles in 2019 which is a lot. He needs to hold on to the ball better and be aware of his surroundings. He was given a big contract extension in the off-season. Let’s see if he lives up to it. QB Nate Sudfield is the backup but hasn’t been in a game since 2018. QB Josh McCown 3/0 was the backup in 2019 and did play in the playoff game when Wentz was injured but, he has officially retired. QB Jalen Hurts who was drafted in the 2^nd round out of Oklahoma could have Wentz looking over his shoulder. Hurts may see action in packages. At RB, Miles Sanders 16/11 catches passes well and runs well. RB Jordan Howard 10/4 was not retained by PHILLY and signed with MIA. RB Boston Scott 11/2 could be compared to Darren Sproles as Scott can do it all. RB Cory Clement 4/0 was injured most of 2019 and needs to get healthy to contribute. At WR, Nelson Agholar 11/10 wasn’t retained by PHILLY and signed with LV. WR Mack Collins 12/3 was waived by PHILLY late in the season and then picked up by MIA. WR Jalen Reagor who was drafted in the 1^st round out of TCU is speedy and should see a lot of touches. WR John Hightower who was drafted in the 5^th round out of Boise State needs to bulk up a little bit. WR Quez Watkins who was drafted in the 6^th round out of Southern Miss had a good combine and should see some time in the rotation. WR Marquise Goodwin 9/6 was acquired in a trade from SF but has opted out for 2020. WR Alshon Jeffery 10/10 missed games because of injury and is currently on the active PUP list healing from a Lisfranc injury to his left foot. WR DeSean Jackson 3/3 was out most of the season because of injury and needs to come back strong in 2020. WR JJ Arcega-Whiteside 16/5 didn’t see many throws and needs to get noticed quickly. WR Greg Ward 7/3 was activated late off the practice squad and should be in the mix for 2020. WR Deontay Burnett 1/1 needs to show more to stick around. WR Robert Davis 3/2 also needs to show more to stick around. WR Marcus Green was waived in July but signed a 2yr deal in August. He should see touches and time in the rotation. At TE, Zach Ertz 15/15 is solid but is in a contract year. Look for him to have better number in 2020. TE Dallas Goedert 15/9 does it all with blocking and catching. TE Alex Ellis 3/0 was recently waived by PHILLY and signed with NE. TE Joshua Perkins 5/0 could see more time in the rotation if injuries mount. The O-LINE allowed 37 sacks in 2019. This was down from 40 sacks in 2018. But, they need to do better. At LT, Jason Peters 13/13 was re-signed for 2020. OL Andre Dillard 16/4 was expected to start for Peters but Peters was re-signed. T Jordan Mailata was on IR for 2019 with a back injury and is currently on the COVID list. LG Isaac Seumalo 16/16 is solid at the position. C Jason Kelce 16/16 is ALL-PRO. C Nate Herbig 2/0 needs to show more to stick around. T Halapoulivaati Vaitai 16/3 was not retained by PHILLY and signed with DET. RG Brandon Brooks 16/16 is solid but will be out all of 2020 with a torn left Achilles tendon. OT Jack Driscoll who was drafted in the 4^th round out of Auburn may see time at LT due to the injury by Brooks. OT Matt Pryor 12/0 may be fighting for the start but is a capable backup. RT Lane Johnson 12/12 is solid at the position. OT Prince Tega Wanogho who was drafted in the 6^th round out of Auburn is raw and may be a long term project. The DEF runs a 4-3 alignment. At DE, Brandon Graham 16/16 has been a starter for the last 4 ½ years but needs to show he hasn’t aged or PHILLY may be looking for a new END. DT Fletcher Cox 16/16 also had a down 2019 and needs to come back strong. DT Hassan Ridgeway 7/5 is good for depth and sees time in the rotation. DT Malik Jackson 1/1 was out most of the season with a foot injury and is looking to come back strong. DT Timmy Jernigan 10/9 was not retained by PHILLY and signed with JAGS. DT Javon Hargrave 16/13 was not retained by PITT and signed with PHILLY. He should help with the pass rush but right now his status is up in the air because of a minor pectoral strain. NT Anthony Rush 9/0 has run stopping abilities and should see more time in the rotation in 2020. DE Derek Barnett 14/14 came on strong at the end of last season and should continue in 2020. DE Josh Sweat 16/0 should see more time in the rotation. DE Vinny Curry 16/2 was recently re-signed and is good for depth and that added spark. DE Casey Toohill who was drafted in the 7^th round out of Stanford could see time in the rotation if he shows something in camp. DE Genard Avery 8/0 was acquired in the middle of the season but needs to show more to stick around. DE Daeshon Hall 9/0 is recovering from a previously torn ACL. DT Bruce Hector 3/0 was waived by PHILLY and signed with CAR. DE Joe Ostman 0/0 was on IR all of 2019 and should look to get a chance in 2020. In the LB crew, OLB Zach Brown 6/6 was cut during the season. OLB Nathan Gerry 16/12 got his chance to start, let’s see what he does in 2020. OLB Jatavis Brown 13/1 was not retained by LAC and signed with PHILLY. However, right now he is on the IR/retired list. MLB Nigel Bradham 12/12 was not retained by PHILLY and signed with NO. MLB TJ Edwards 16/4 was mostly on special teams in 2019 but is getting his best chance now. LB Alex Singleton 10/0 plays mostly special teams but is good for depth. LB Kamu Gruiger-Hill 10/6 was not retained by PHILLY and signed with MIA. OLB Duke Riley 12/0 was acquired during the season from ATL, played mostly on special teams but should also get his chance to start. OLB Davion Taylor who was drafted in the 3^rd round out of Colorado should see time in the rotation but might end up on special teams. LB Shaun Bradley who was drafted in the 6^th round out of Temple led Temple in tackles and will be competing for time in the rotation. In the secondary, at CB, Darius Slay 14/14 was traded from DET to PHILLY for draft picks. He will fill the void left by CB Ronald Darby 11/11 who was not retained by PHILLY and signed with WASH. CB Avonte Maddox 12/6 is undersized but can play anywhere in the secondary. CB Sidney Jones 12/4 needs to stay healthy to see more action. CB Rasul Douglas 16/6 needs to show something extra to stick around. CB Nickell Robey-Coleman 16/3 was not retained by LAR and signed with PHILLY. He is best suited for the slot. S/CB K’Von Wallace who was drafted in the 4^th round out of Clemson could see a lot of time in the rotation in his rookie season. CB Craig James 14/1 is in the mix for playing time. CB Cre’Von LeBlanc 4/1 is a nickel corner but may be out after the signing of Coleman. CB Trevor Williams 2/0 was cut by ARZ during the season and signed by PHILLY after the season but might not make the wk 1 roster. At S, Jalen Mills 9/9 moves from CB to S to replace Malcolm Jenkins 16/16 who was not retained by PHILLY and signed with NO. S Andrew Sendejo 9/1 was not retained by PHILLY and signed with CLEVE. SS Rodney McLeod 16/16 will look to be more of a leader in the secondary. S Rudy Ford 10/1 plays mostly on special teams. S Will Parks 14/7 who was not retained by DEN signed with PHILLY and should see plenty of time in the rotation. S Marcus Epps 7/0 needs to show more to stick around. We’ll see if the OFF has any changes to it in wk 1 and if it is moving faster than last season. Can QB Carson Wentz stay healthy enough to play a whole season and lead this team to the SuperBowl? What role will QB Jalen Hurts play? Thin at RB. A lot of new guys at WR but they need to get on the same page as Wentz in a hurry. Thin at TE. The O-LINE needs to do their jobs better then before to get this team deeper in the playoffs. The D-LINE & LB crew made some changes. We’ll see how they mesh. In the secondary there is not much depth at S but there is a lot of competition at CB, so don’t be surprised if you see a lot of packages in the secondary. A lot of guys have left the club and we’ll see how the new guys mesh with HC Doug Pederson and his system? Will the DEF get better? We’ll see if HC Pederson can get this team back to the SuperBowl. But, it won’t be this season.  

OPTED OUT: WR Marquise Goodwin  

PROJECTED 2018 (11-5), ACTUAL 2018 (9-7), PROJECTED 2019 (9-7), ACTUAL 2019 (9-7)√, PROJECTED 2020 (9-7)

Washington Football Team

Once again, WASH has cleaned house all the way up to and including their name. HC Jay Gruden is out and Ron Rivera is in. Also gone are the DC & OC. I am not a big fan of Ron Rivera because I really don’t think he knows what he is doing. With all the talent that CAR had under his tutelage they should have won more and certainly have gone deeper into the playoffs more often. WASH has had a lot of players coming and going this off season and they are not done yet. At QB, Dwayne Haskins 9/7 needs to stay focused and play better. QB Case Keenum 10/8 was not retained by WASH and signed with CLEVE. QB Kyle Allen 13/12 was acquired by WASH after the season from CAR to be the backup. QB Alex Smith who hasn’t played since his injury in 2018 is working his way back to try to be game ready. He is on the roster as the 3^rd QB. At RB, Adrian Peterson 15/15 showed that he still has what it takes to get the job done. RB Derrius Guice 5/1 had an injury plagues rookie season than was cut August 10^th by WASH for an off the field incident. RB Chris Thompson 11/0 was not retained by WASH & signed with JAGS. RB JD McKissic 16/3 was not retained by DET and signed by WASH to fill the void left by Thompson as a RB who can catch. RB/WR Antonio Gibson who was drafted in the 3^rd round out of Memphis will be looking to be prevalent at both positions. RB Peyton Barber 16/7 was not retained by TB and signed with WASH to backup Peterson. At WR, Paul Richardson 10/6 was not retained by WASH and is currently a FA. WR Trey Quinn 12/6 needs to stay healthy to stick around. WR Terry McLaurin 14/14 has speed and could turn into a #1. WR Cody Latimer 15/10 was not retained by NYG and signed by WASH but is facing a possible suspension due to an off the field incident. WR Kelvin Harmon 16/8 will miss the entire 2020 season with a torn ACL. WR Cam Sims 7/1 needs to show more to stick around. WR Steven Sims 16/2 needs to focus more to see more time on the field. WR Antonio Gandy-Golden who was drafted in the 4^th round out of Liberty made need to show something to stick around. At TE, Vernon Davis 4/1 retired. TE Jordan Reed who didn’t play in 2019 due to injury, signed with SF. TE Logan Thomas 16/3 was not retained by DET and signed with WASH. TE Jeremy Sprinkle 16/13 needs to show more but has a good chance to start with all the departures. TE Marcus Baugh was signed for depth. TE Richard Rodgers 1/0 has been injured a lot lately was not retained by PHILLY and signed with WASH. He is looking to get healthy and get back on track. TE Hale Hentges 11/4 needs to show a lot to stick around. TE Thaddeus Moss, son of Randy Moss was signed as a FA. The O-LINE gave up 50 sacks in 2019. That is terrible and up from 44 in 2018, which is not much better. The left side of the O-LINE has been a problem and changes were made. LT Trent Williams who sat out all of 2019 was traded to SF for a draft pick. LT Donald Penn 16/15 filled in at that spot but was not retained by WASH and is currently a FA. OT Cornelius Lucas 16/8 who filled in nicely in CHI was not retained by CHI and signed with WASH to start at LT. OT Geron Christian 16/2 needs to step it up to stick around. LG Ereck Flowers 16/16 was not retained by WASH and signed with MIA. LT Wes Schweitzer 15/7 who was not retained by ATL signed with WASH to start at the position vacated by Flowers. G/C Wes Martin 9/5 could be competing for a starting spot. C Chase Roullier 14/14 is solid. C/G Keith Ismael who was drafted in the 5^th round out of San Diego State should see time in the rotation. RG Brandon Scherff 11/11 is solid. LT Morgan Moses 16/16 needs to cut down on holding penalties. OT Saahdiq Charles who was drafted in the 4^th round out of LSU has talent but, needs to stay focused on football. The team is going from 3-4 DEF alignment to a 4-3 alignment. DE Montez Sweat 16/16 had a nice rookie season but should only get better. DE Matt Ioannidis 16/15 saw a lot of starts in 2019 but is best at a backup role. NT Da’Ron Payne 15/9 is a run stopper. DT Tim Settle 15/1 will be fighting for time in the rotation. DT Jonathan Allen 15/15 is a leader on the D-LINE. DE Chase Young who was drafted in the 1^st round out of Ohio State is penciled in as the starter on the outside. WASH should see results from Young right away. DE James Smith-Williams who was drafted in the 7^th round out of NC State should see time in the rotation. DE Ryan Kerrigan 12/12 will see a lot of time in the rotation as Mr. Dependable. DE Noah Spence 7/0 was not retained by WASH but was signed by NO. In the LB crew, LB Khaleke Hudson who was drafted in the 5^th round out of Michigan should see time in the rotation. LB Thomas Davis 16/16 who was cut by LAC after the season signed with WASH to lead the younger players. LB Kevin Pierre-Louis 14/3 who was not retained by CHI signed with WASH to add depth and see time in the rotation. OLB Ryan Anderson 16/4 needs to step it up to stick around. LB Reuben Foster didn’t play in 2019 due to injury but might not see action in 2020 either. LB Shaun Dion Hamilton 16/0 may find more time in the rotation and a possible shot at starting. MLB Jonathan Bostic 16/16 proved himself in 2019 and needs to do it again. LB Cole Holcomb 16/15 will see a lot of time in the rotation. LB Jarred Norris didn’t play in 2019 but was signed by WASH for depth. OLB Nate Orchard 5/0 needs to show more to stick around. In the secondary at CB, Josh Norman 12/8 was not retained and signed with BUFF. CB Quinton Dunbar 11/11 was traded after the season to SEA. DB Fabian Moreau 12/7 needs to take a step up after others have left. CB Greg Stroman 1/0 was injured most of the season but can see some time in the rotation in the secondary. CB Ronald Darby 11/11 was not retained by PHILLY and signed with WASH. CB Kendall Fuller 11/4 was not retained by KC and signed with WASH is penciled as a starter. CB Jimmy Moreland 14/5 looks to take the next step forward. CB Simeon Thomas 12/0 needs to show something to stick around. At S, Montae Nicholson 13/13 was cut after the season and is currently a FA. S Kamren Curl who was drafted in the 7^th round out of Arkansas could play either S or CB which makes him valuable. S Landon Collins 15/15 is solid. S Troy Apke 15/2 is good for depth and plays special teams. S Sean Davis 1/1 had an injury plagued season and was not retained by PITT. He signed with WASH and will compete for a starting position. S Jeremy Reaves 9/3 could see more time in the rotation. HC Ron Rivera knows that he needs to show improvement with this team this season and that there is hope for winning ways in WASH. There has been a lot of shifting of players and they all need to be on the same page. This team is very young and very hungry. At QB, Haskins has to stay focused or Allen will be playing. The WR core is very thin and not very talented. The TE crew needs to find a consistent blocker and catcher among those competing. The O-LINE needs to do a better job, period. If injuries hit this crew, they are thin at depth and it could spell trouble. The DEF should be better than in 2019 when they were #27 TOT DEF & #31 RUN DEF. Changes have been made on the D-LINE and stops need to be made up front when after last year it seemed as if anyone could rush at will vs this team. The LB crew has some question marks. The secondary has a lot of young guys and they need experience. This team should get better but so did everyone else in the NFC EAST. It will be tough for WASH but they will be better but not playoff better. 

OPTED OUT: DE Caleb Brantley, LB Josh Harvey-Clemons

PROJECTED 2018 (8-8), ACTUAL 2018 (7-9), PROJECTED 2019 (9-7), ACTUAL 2019 (3-13), PROJECTED 2020 (6-10)

NFC NORTH

Green Bay Packers

HC Matt LaFleur had a very good rookie season in 2019. He did a better job than expected. GB had a healthy squad and made it to the NFC Championship game. The 2020 team could be better on paper but, if injuries start to crawl up it could devastate this team where they are thin. At QB, Aaron Rodgers 16/16 had another fine season and led the team back to the NFC Championship game. Unfortunately, they couldn’t get past SF during the season and then in the title game. L8 GB vs SF incl playoffs, is 2-6. Rodgers doesn’t make mistakes too often and is looking to get back to the SuperBowl. QB Jordan Love who was drafted in the 1^st round out of Utah State is definitely the heir apparent in GB. This pick sends a clear message to Rodgers that he will not finish his career in GB. Sort of like what happened to Favre. At RB, Aaron Jones 16/16 had a very good season with 16tds and established himself as the go to guy for GB. RB Jamaal Williams 14/2 is reliable because he can also catch passes. RB AJ Dillon who was drafted in the 2^nd round out of Boston College should get his chance early and see time in the rotation. At WR, Geronimo Allison 16/6 was not retained by GB and signed with DET. WR Devin Funchess 1/1 was not retained by INDY and signed with GB but has opted out for 2020. WR Davante Adams 12/12 has become Rodgers’s go to guy. WR Allen Lazard 16/3 is becoming more reliable. WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling 16/10 needs to step it up in the crowded WR corps. WR Jake Kumerow 14/4 is a big guy who gets open. WR Equanimeous St. Brown was injured all of 2019 but looks to make it back. At TE, Jimmy Graham 16/10 was not retained by GB and signed with CHI. TE Josiah Deguara who was drafted in the 3^rd round out of Cincinnati could see time as the FB. TE Jace Sternberger 6/1 is currently on the COVID list but when he gets back could see significant time in the rotation. TE Marcedes Lewis 16/11 is great at being a blocking TE. TE Robert Tonyan 11/1 needs to make a jump in his 3^rd season. TE James Looney is making a change from DE to TE. The O-LINE gave up 36 sacks in 2019 which was much better than the 53 allowed in 2018. Certainly the OFF was allowed to get more on track with more time allowed. At LT, David Bakhtari 16/16 is solid. LG Elgton Jenkins 16/14 had a great rookie season. G Lane Taylor 2/2 had a torn bicep that limited him. C Corey Linsley 16/16 is in a contract year. C/G Lucas Patrick 14/0 is good for depth. C Jake Hanson who was drafted in the 6^th round out of Oregon should see time in the rotation. G/T Jon Runyan who was drafted in the 6^th round out of Michigan has versatility and should see time in the rotation. RG Billy Turner 16/16 had his 1^st season starting the whole season. OT Alex Light 13/0 needs to step it up if he sticks around. RT Bryan Bulaga 16/16 was not retained by GB and signed with LAC. RT Rick Wagner 12/12 was cut after the season by DET and signed by GB to fill the slot vacated by Bulaga at RT. The DEF runs a 3-4 alignment. At DE Dean Lowry 16/16 is solid. DL Kingsley Keke 14/0 needs to step it up in his 2^nd season. DE Jonathan Garvin who was drafted in the 7^th round out of the U of Miami may need to change his attitude to stick around. NT Kenny Clark 16/16 just signed a huge extension. DL Tyler Lancaster 16/10 has become a very big part of the D-LINE. DE Montravius Adams 14/2 is facing a possible suspension for an off the field incident. In the LB crew, OLB Za’Darius Smith 16/16 is a leader in this crew and led in sacks with 13.5 for GB. LB Rashan Gary 16/0 needs to step it up in his 2^nd season. ILB Oren Burks 12/0 needs to step it up this season or GB could be looking at a replacement. LB Kamal Martin who was drafted in the 5^th round out of Minnesota should find time in the rotation. ILB Blake Martinez 16/16 was not retained by GB and signed with NYG. OLB Kyler Fackrell 16/0 was not retained by GB and also signed with NYG. ILB Christian Kirksey 2/2 who had an injury plagued season with CLEVE was not retained and signed with GB to fill the void left by ILB Martinez. LB Ty Summers 16/0 mostly plays on special teams but is good for depth. OLB Preston Smith 16/16 is the other bookend in the LB crew and had 12.0 sacks in 2019. LB Tim Williams 1/0 was added to the practice squad but needs to show something in training camp to stick around. LB Jamal Davis 3/0 wasn’t retained by MIA and signed with GB and needs to show something to stick around. In the secondary at CB, Jaire Alexander 16/16 is solid. CB Tramon Williams 16/7 wasn’t retained by GB and is currently a FA. RCB Kevin King 15/14 is also solid. CB Josh Jackson 14/0 needs to step it up to see more time in the rotation. CB Chandon Sullivan 16/0 is turning into something special. CB Ka’Dar Hollman 4/0 needs to step it up. At S, Adrian Amos 16/16 brings leadership to the squad. S Darnell Savage 14/14 had a solid rookie season. S Vernon Scott who was drafted in the 7^th round out of TCU is fast but raw and may need some more development. S/LB Raven Greene 2/1 didn’t play much as he suffered from an ankle injury. S Will Redmond 13/4 is good for depth and plays special teams. Everything went right for HC Matt LaFleur in his 1^st season in GB. There were no major injuries and GB made it all the way to the NFC Championship game. However, they can’t get past SF. Also, will the team stay healthy again? The O-LINE is thin if injuries start to pile up. The D-LINE needs to play better against the run. This team looks great on paper and the DEF cannot get lost late in games. They should be able to make it deep into the playoffs if everyone stays healthy. Rodgers knows that his time is limited in GB so he has to get this team back to the SuperBowl but, will he do it? GB doesn’t have an easy schedule and may take some hits along the way.

OPTED OUT: WR Devin Funchess

PROJECTED 2018 (13-3), ACTUAL 2018 (6-9-1), PROJECTED 2019 (10-6), ACTUAL 2019 (13-3) PROJECTED 2020 (11-5)

Minnesota Vikings

There is big pressure on HC Mike Zimmer to get deep in the playoffs or to the SuperBowl. For one reason or another MINN keeps tanking in the playoffs. Players play for this guy but they don’t win games they need to win and turn that corner. At QB, Kirk Cousins 15/15 had his first full season with under 10 INTS, (6INTS). But he needs to win big games and games on MNF. At RB, Dalvin Cook 14/14 is a great rusher and can catch passes too. RB Alexander Mattison 13/0 has developed into a very capable backup. RB Mike Boone 16/2 doesn’t get too many chances but makes the most of them. FB CJ HAM 16/7 is a great blocker and can open holes where needed. At WR, Stefon Diggs 15/15 was traded by MINN after the season to BUFF for draft picks. WR Laquon Treadwell 13/1 was not retained by MINN and signed with ATL. WR Justin Jefferson who was drafted in the 1^st round out of LSU will take Stefon Diggs place in the lineup. WR KJ Osborn who was drafted in the 5^th round out of U of Miami will be the return guy and add depth at WR. WR Tajae Sharpe 15/6 who was not retained by TENN was signed by MINN, looks to get back on track after some injuries and disappointments. WR Adam Thielen 10/10 was injured for part of the season but is looking to regain his form. He certainly has become Cousin’s go to guy. WR Chad Beebe 3/0 needs to bounce back from a foot injury to see time in the slot. WR Olabisi Johnson 16/6 is looking for more touches after impressing as a 7^th round pick. WR Alexander Hollins 4/1 was activated late but needs to show more to stick around. At TE, Kyle Rudolph 16/16 is consistent as a blocker and receiver. TE Irv Smith 16/7 had a nice rookie season and should complement Rudolph in different sets. TE David Morgan 0/0 was cut after the season and is currently a FA. TE Tyler Conklin 10/8 is listed as the 3^rd TE but should see more action with the loss of WRs. The O-LINE gave up a total of 28 sacks in 2019. LT Riley Reiff 15/15 needs to step it up or he may be replaced. OT Ezra Cleveland who was drafted in the 2^nd round out of Boise State is being groomed to start in the future. LG Pat Elflein 15/15 had moved from C but is still learning the position. OL Dakota Dozier 16/4 is versatile in that he can play all O-LINE positions. C Garrett Bradbury 16/16 got better as the year went on. C Brett Jones 2/0 can sub for Bradbury if needed. RG Josh Kline 13/13 was not retained by MINN and is currently a FA. RG Dru Samia 2/0 is penciled in as the starter but has not had a lot of experience. OG Aviante Collins 2/1 has had injuries but MINN feels there’s talent. RT Brian O’Neil 15/15 has improved each season but may move to the left side in the future. OT Rahsod Hill 15/1 could be seeing time in the rotation in 2020 as a swing T. OT Blake Brandel who was drafted in the 6^th round out of Oregon State is seen as a long term project. G Kyle Hinton who was drafted in the 7^th round out of Washburn and may see time in the rotation. OT Olisaemeka Udoh 1/0 has the feeling of potential here and want to see if they can work him into the rotation. The DEF for MINN runs a 4-3 alignment. DE Danielle Hunter 16/16 is solid with 14.5 sacks in 2018 & 2019. DT Shamar Stephen 15/15 needs to step it up a little. NT Linval Joseph 13/13 was not retained by MINN and signed with LAC. NT Michael Pierce 14/14 was not retained by BALT and signed with MINN to fill Joseph’s spot on the D-LINE but, opted out for 2020. DE Ifeadi Odenigbo 16/0 came on strong in the 2^nd half of 2019 and is penciled in as the starter on the other side. He would be filling the slot vacated by DE Everson Griffin who was not retained by MINN and signed with DAL. DE Stephen Weatherly 16/1 was not retained by MINN and signed with CAR. DT Anthony Zettel 1/0 was not retained by SF and signed with MINNN for backup. If MINN gets production out of Zettel it will be gravy. DE Jalyn Holmes 6/0 needs to step it up if he wants to stick around. DT Jaleel Johnson 16/3 is good for depth. DE Hercules Mata’afa 6/0 needs to show something to stick around. DE DJ Wonnum who was drafted in the 4^th round out of South Carolina is raw but should see time in the rotation. DT James Lynch who was drafted in the 4^th round out of Baylor should fill a need at inside pass rusher. DE Kenny Willekes who was drafted in the 7^th round out of Michigan State should also see time in the rotation. DT Armon Watts 7/1 showed flashes when he got his chances but needs to do more with a crowded camp. DE Eddie Yarbrough didn’t play in 2019 but was signed by MINN and is good for depth. The D-LINE has had some big guys exit so everyone in camp will get a hard look at, even the late round draftees. If guys impress, they will see action. In the LB crew, WLB Ben Gedeon 8/5 had an injury plagued season and is a run stopper. He is currently on the PUP list. MLB Eric Kendricks 15/15 was ALL-PRO in 2019 and has been solid through his career. OLB Anthony Barr 14/14 is also very solid. LB Cameron Smith 5/0 is on IR for 2020 with a non-football illness. LB Eric Wilson 16/6 has improved and could see more action with Smith out indefinitely. LB Troy Dye who was drafted in the 4^th round out of Oregon will help out on special teams but should see some time in the rotation. LB DeMarquis Gates was signed from the XFL and should provide some depth. LB Hardy Nickerson 7/0 was not retained by CINNCY and recently signed by MINN for depth. In the secondary at CB, Mackensie Alexander 13/4 was not retained by MINN and signed with CINNCY. Xavier Rhodes 15/15 was cut after the season by MINN and signed with INDY. CB Trae Waynes 14/14 was not retained by MINN and also signed with CINNCY. CB Mike Hughes 14/3 is penciled in as the starter where Rhodes left off. CB Jeff Gladney who was drafted in the 1^st round out of Texas Christian is penciled in as the starter where Waynes was. CB Holton Hill 8/1 was suspended ½ of 2019 but is looking to compete for a starting position. CB Kris Boyd 16/0 could see more time in the rotation in 2020. CB Cameron Dantzler who was signed in the 3^rd round out of Mississippi State will be in the mix to start. DB Harrison Hand who was drafted in the 5^th round out Temple could find himself on special teams. At S, Jayron Kearse 15/3 was not retained by MINN and signed with DET. S Andrew Sandejo 15/3 who was not retained by MINN, signed with CLEVE. Josh Metellus who was drafted in the 6^th round out of Michigan will see a lot of action on special teams but needs to impress. S Brian Cole who was drafted in the 7^th round out of Mississippi State gives depth at S. FS Harrison Smith 15/15 is solid and consistent. SS Anthony Harris 14/14 has become a constant performer. HC Mike Zimmer is certainly on the hotspot. This team needs to go deeper into the playoffs and not fall backwards. The talent is there but they have to be ready. No fall backs. If MINN doesn’t go deep into the playoffs, he may be gone. QB Kirk Cousins has to win the big games, period. He gets paid enough so he should find a way to win otherwise he may be gone after the season too. At WR there is not a lot of experience past Thielen which means he will be targeted by opposing defenses. They need more out there to balance it. The O-Line needs to do their job because MINN may be run heavy with no one to throw to. They need to open up rushing holes. The D-LINE will have new faces due to departures. How they mesh and excel will be determined. But, it cannot be a weak spot for MINN. The secondary is thin at depth which could be a big problem when they face big armed QBs who certainly like to throw and will test these guys now that big names have left. This team let a lot of good players get away in the off-season. Fortunately they had a lot of draft picks to replenish in areas that they lost personnel. But the rookies will need time to learn and grow and HC Mike Zimmer needs to keep winning to keep his job. Rookies make mistakes and a lot of them need time to learn the pro game. This may be a disappointing season for MINN with Mike Zimmer losing his job.

OPTED OUT: DT Michael Pierce

PROJECTED 2018 (12-4), ACTUAL 2018 (8-7-1), PROJECTED 2019 (10-6), ACTUAL 2019 (10-6)√, PROJECTED 2020 (9-7)

Detroit Lions

HC Matt Patricia is definitely on the hotseat this season in DET. His two year record as HC is 9-22-1, not god and not promising. This season has to show improvement and hope for the next season, otherwise a major house cleaning will take effect in DET. For this season there were a lot of players coming and going and we will see if it has any effect on the wins and losses. At QB, Matthew Stafford 8/8 was injured half the season. QB Jeff Driskel 3/3 wasn’t retained by DET and signed with DEN. QB David Blough 5/5 was rushed in and it showed. QB Chase Daniel 3/1 was not retained by CHI and was signed by DET to be the quality backup. At RB, Kerryon Johnson 8/7 had an injury plagued season and will be in competition in 2020. RB Bo Scarbrough 6/5 could be a viable backup as he showed talent. RB D’Andre Swift who was drafted in the 2^nd round out of Georgia could be starting wk 1. RB Ty Johnson 16/1 can do both catching and rushing but is on the bubble. RB Jason Huntley who was drafted in the 5^th round out of New Mexico State is slated to return kicks. At WR, Geronimo Allison 16/6 was not retained by GB and signed with DET. He has opted out for 2020. WR Quintez Cephus who was drafted in the 5^th round out of Wisconsin should find time in the rotation. WR Kenny Golladay 16/16 is the #1 receiver for DET. WR Marvin Jones 13/11 is a good complement and is solid. WR Danny Amendola 15/10 knows how to get open and is a leader. WR Geremy Davis 7/1 was not retained by LAC and signed with DET. He will probably land on special teams. WR Marvin Hall 9/0 is big play guy off the bench. At TE, TJ Hockenson 12/7 is looking better and better. TE Logan Thomas 16/3 wasn’t retained by DET and signed with WASH. TE Jesse James 16/11 needs to step it up this season or he will be gone. TE Isaac Nauta 6/0 could also be seen at FB. The O-LINE gave up a combined 43 sacks in 2019, not very good. They gave up 41 sacks in 2018, not very good either. This O-LINE needs to do better at protecting whoever is the QB and opening up rushing lanes. At LT, Taylor Decker 15/15 needs to be a little more consistent. OT Tyrell Crosby 16/5 is a swing T and can play inside too. LG Joe Dahl 13/13 started all season after being a reserve, he will be tested. OL Kenny Wiggins 14/3 can play either side of the O-LINE. OG Jonah Jackson who was drafted in the 3^rd round out of Ohio State is looking like a starter at RG. C/G Graham Glasgow 15/15 was not retained by DET and signed with DEN. C Frank Ragnow 15/15 has adjusted to the position after moving over from G. OG Logan Stenberg who was drafted in the 4^th round out of Kentucky should see time in the rotation. RT Halapoulivaati Vaitai 16/3 was not retained by PHILLY and signed with DET to start on the right side for the departed Wagner. OT Oday Aboushi 7/2 is an experience backup and good for depth. RT Rick Wagner 12/12 was cut after the season and signed with GB. The DEF runs a 4-3 alignment. At DE, A’Shawn Robinson 13/9 was not retained by DET and signed with LAR. DE Romeo Okwara 14/1 fell a little in the depth chart after excelling in 2018. DE Da’Shawn Hand 3/2 needs to stay healthy but may be competing to start. DT Damon Harrison 15/15 was cut after the season by DET and is currently a FA. DT Danny Shelton 161/4 was not retained by NE and signed with DET. DT John Atkins 12/6 has opted out for 2020. DT Nick Williams 16/5 was not retained by CHI and signed with DET and DET should see results right away. DE Trey Flowers 15/15 is the only reliable so far on this D-LINE. DE Julian Okwara who was drafted in the 3^rd round out of Notre Dame should see time in the rotation right away. DT Josh Penisini who was drafted in the 6^th round out of Utah is looking to take his rugby skills to the NFL. DE Jashon Cornell who was drafted in the 7^th round out of Ohio State should find some time in the rotation and is good for depth. DT Kevin Strong 8/0 had an injury plagued season but should see more playing time in 2020. DT Mike Daniels 9/2 was not retained by DET and signed with CINNCY. At LB, OLB Devon Kennard 16/15 was cut after the season by DET and signed with ARZ. OLB Jamie Collins 16/14 wasn’t retained by NE and signed by DET to fill the slot vacated by Kennard. LB Austin Bryant 4/0 had an injury plagued season but should be ready wk 1. MLB Jarrad Davis 11/11 needs a bounceback season. LB Steve Longa 10/0 was cut after the season and is currently a FA. LB Jahlani Tavai 15/6 should take a step forward in his 2^nd season. LB Elijah Lee 8/1 was not retained by SF and signed with DET is good for depth and will play on special teams. OLB Christian Jones 13/13 will face competition at the spot in training camp. LB Reggie Ragland 14/7 was not retained by KC and signed with DET and should see time in packages. OLB Jalen Reeves-Maybin 16/3 will probably end up on special teams. In the secondary at CB, Darius Slay 14/14 was traded from DET to PHILYY for draft picks. CB Rashaan Melvin 13/12 was not retained by DET and signed with JAGS. CB Desmond Trufant 9/9 was not retained by ATL and signed with DET. He will be in the slot vacated by Slay. CB Jeff Okudah who was drafted in the 1^st round out of Ohio State is penciled in as the starter on the other side. CB Justin Coleman 16/11 signed a big contract then didn’t deliver. He needs to step it up and he is figured for the nickel back. CB Amani Oruwariye 9/2 developed well and will probably be a backup. CB Tony McRae 16/2 was not retained by CINNCY and signed with DET to fill in on special teams and provide depth CB Daryl Roberts 13/10 was not retained by NYJ and signed with DET and should provide depth and experience. DB Mike Ford 15/2 plays mostly special teams. CB Dee Virgin 15/0 also plays special teams and is good for depth. At S, S Tracy Walker 13/12 played well in his 1^st season as a starter. S Tavon Wilson 16/13 was not retained by DET and signed with INDY. S Duron Harmon 16/8 was acquired from NE for a draft pick. S Will Harris 16/6 filled in where Diggs was but needs more time. S Jayron Kearse 15/3 was not retained by MINN and signed with DET but will be out the 1^st three weeks due to a violation of the substance abuse policy. S Miles Killebrew 15/1 plays special teams. S CJ Moore 16/0 plays mostly special teams but will see competition. HC Matt Patricia has a lot of pressure to get this team righted very quickly. The team has a lot of former NE players that know what Patricia is all about. But the DEF has to play better as a whole. #31 TOT DEF will not cut it and certainly not get any wins. The D-LINE was supposed to be one of the best in the NFL in 2019, instead it was one of the worst. Pressure is on theses guys to perform and since Patricia is a defensive guy, they need to perform from wk 1. DET cannot fall behind in games and expect Stafford to pull rabbits out of a hat. WR is thin at talent and depth which could be a problem. The O-LINE has gone through some changes but, it’s not that easy. They need to mesh well, protect and open rushing lanes. This OFF can’t just depend on Stafford’s arm. There has been a lot of comings and goings with players this off season. Whether or not they put it all together on the playing field is another question. There are a lot of former NE players on this roster so they know HC Patricia well. However, they need to step it up a notch. DET is in a tough division and every team is looking to get better. I don’t know if DET has gotten better. If they don’t show some type of improvement, there will be a house cleaning and no one will be safe.

OPTED OUT: WR Geronimo Allison, C Russell Bodine, DT John Atkins

PROJECTED 2018 (7-9), ACTUAL 2018 (6-10), PROJECTED 2018 (9-7), ACTUAL 2019 (3-12-1), PROJECTED 2020 (7-9)

Chicago Bears

CHI had a down year in 2019 after posting a 12-4 record in 2018. The DEF went from #3 in 2018 to #8 in 2019. That is a big jump even though CHI was still in the top ten. HC Matt Nagy has to get this team back to being competitive and their winning ways. He has to show everyone that 2018 wasn’t a fluke. At QB, Nick Foles 4/4 was acquired in a trade from the JAGS. He had an injury plagued season with the JAGS and they decided to move on. QB Mitch Trubisky 15/15 may be at the end of his rope in CHI. He has many deficiencies as a QB and the competition for the starting QB with Foles may get him either more focused and better prepared or faster out the door, we shall see. At RB, David Montgomery 16/8 is the #1 rusher. RB Tarik Cohen 16/11 catches more passes than gets rushing attempts. He is however a good second option for the running game. At WR, Taylor Gabriel 9/7 was cut after the season and is currently a FA. WR Ted Ginn 16/9 was not retained by NO and signed with CHI. WR Allen Robinson 16/15 seems to be #1 go to guy with a committee of WRs behind him. WR Darnell Mooney who was drafted in the 5^th round out of Tulane will need to show something to see touches. At TE, Trey Burton 8/5 had an injury plagued season and then was cut after the season. He later signed with INDY. TE Jimmy Graham 16/10 who was not retained by GB was signed by CHI. He gives instant credibility to the position and an upgrade but, how much does Graham have in the tank? He has been in decline but CHI signed him for 2 years. TE Cole Kmet who was drafted in the 2^nd round out of Notre Dame will certainly see a lot of action as a blocker in the run game. The O-LINE which gave up 45 sacks in 2019 has to do better. This is way down from 33 sacks allowed in 2018. OT Cornelius Lucas 16/8 who filled in nicely, was not retained by CHI and signed with WASH. At LT Charles Leno 16/16 needs to cut down on penalties. G/C James Daniels 16/16 & G/C Cody Whitehair 16/16 are interchangeable and can play either position well. RG Germain Ifeldi 16/16 who was not retained by SEA was signed by CHI will be playing G instead of T. G Kyle Long 4/4 who had an injury plagued season, retired. RT Bobby Massie 10/10 has the right side. T Bradley Sowell 6/1 wasn’t retained by CHI and is currently a FA. C Ted Larsen 12/1 was not retained by CHI and is currently a FA. T Rashaad Coward 13/10 learned the position in 2019 and should see valuable time in the rotation in 2020 with his new found experience. T Jason Spriggs who didn’t play in 2019 due to an injury was signed for depth. OL Cory Levin who didn’t play in 2019 also provides depth. OL Alex Bars 5/0 has a surgically repaired knee but will battle for a G position. The DEF runs a 3-4 alignment. LDE Akiem Hicks had an injury plagued season and should be back strong. DT Nick Williams 16/5 was not retained by CHI and signed with DET. LDE Roy-Robertson Harris 15/7 played a critical role with injuries to the D-LINE. He should see more time with Williams gone and NT Eddie Goldman opting out. DT Eddie Goldman 15/15 has opted out. RDE Bilal Nichols 13/12 is needed desperately on the D-LINE now that it may be shorthanded. DE Brent Urban 9/0 was picked up mid-season by CHI but needs to step it up in 2020. In the LB crew, OLB Khalil Mack 16/16 is solid. ILB Danny Trevathan 9/9 should be 100% for this season. ILB Roquan Smith 12/12 should be even better in 2020. OLB Robert Quinn 14/14 was not retained by DAL and signed with CHI. Quinn takes over for ROLB Leonard Floyd 16/16 who was cut after the season by CHI and signed with LAR. ILB Nick Kwiatkoski 16/8 was not retained by CHI and signed with LV.  LB Kevin Pierre-Louis 14/3 was not retained by CHI and signed with WASH. OLB Barkevious Mingo 16/1 was not retained by HOU and signed with CHI for depth. LB Aaron Lynch 16/0 was not retained by CHI and signed with JAGS. In the secondary, CB Prince Amukamara 15/15 was cut after the season and signed by LV. CB Artie Burns 10/1 was not retained by PITT and signed with CHI for depth. CB Jaylon Johnson who was drafted in the 2^nd round out of Utah is penciled in where Amukamara started. CB Kyle Fuller 16/16 is solid. DB Buster Skrine 16/4 is a hard hitter. CB Kindle Vildor who was drafted in the 5^th round out of Georgia Southern could compete for the slot position. S Ha Ha Clinton-Dix 16/16 was not retained by CHI and signed with DAL. S Tashaun Gipson 14/14 was not retained by HOU and was signed by CHI to fill the void left by Dix. S Jordan Lucas 14/0 was not retained by KC and signed with CHI but has opted out for 2020. If Foles is the QB, he needs to stay healthy. If Trubisky is the QB he needs to make better choices. Either way, CHI doesn’t have a long term QB solution and may look for one in the next draft. The O-LINE must to a better job protecting and opening up rushing lanes. The DEF is solid but needs to say healthy and cut down on penalties. If this team stays aggressive and stays healthy, they should definitely be in the mix for the playoffs.      

OPTED OUT: NT Eddie Goldman, S Jordan Lucas

PROJECTED 2018 (8-8), ACTUAL 2018 (12-4), PROJECTED 2019 (12-4), ACTUAL 2019 (8-8), PROJECTED 2020 (10-6)

NFC SOUTH

New Orleans Saints

HC Sean Payton has to be on the hotseat. After two 13 win seasons and no SuperBowl appearances, you have to wonder if he has prepared his teams for that playoff run. 2009 was a long time ago and it is looking more and more like a lucky streak. Everyone blames the 2018 loss to the RAMS on a missed pass interference call. Well, NO was up 13-0 and blew the game. Then in 2019 they lose @HOME again, this time to MINN. NO was completely outplayed. The window is closing on Drew Brees and HC Sean Payton because when a team is so talented on paper and has a 37-11 regular season record the last three seasons without a SuperBowl appearance, something is wrong. At QB, Drew Brees 11/11 was injured for part of the season with a broken hand. This may be his last season but, no one is talking. QB Teddy Bridgewater 9/5 who filled in nicely while Brees was out went 5-0 but signed a nice deal with CAR in the off season. QB Jameis Winston 16/16 who led the league with 30 INTS was not retained by TB, signed a 1yr deal with NO to be the backup. Winston needs to find his skills. QB Taysom Hill 16/5 who is Mr. Everything on NO is used in particular situations and as an option QB. At RB, Alvin Kamara 14/9 catches a lot of passes out of the backfield. He is in a contract year so look for Kamara’s numbers to improve. RB Latavius Murray 16/8 is a complement to Kamara and can catch passes too. RB/WR Ty Montgomery 16/2 was not retained by NYJ but signed with NO for backup and depth. RB Dwayne Washington 16/0 plays mostly on special teams but is listed as the 3^rd RB. FB Zach Line 12/2 was not retained by NO and is currently a FA. FB Michael Burton 10/2 was not retained by WASH and was signed by NO to replace Zack Line. At WR, Michael Thomas 16/15 is the definite #1 receiver for Brees. He catches everything and sometimes it’s impossible to stop him. WR Ted Ginn 16/9 was not retained by NO and signed with CHI. WR Emmanuel Sanders 10/9 who was acquired during the season from DEN was not retained by SF signed with NO. He should be an exciting #2. WR Tre’Quan Smith 11/6 needs to be consistent in his 3^rd season. WR Deonte Harris 14/1 is the return specialist but can catch passes too. At TE, Jared Cook 14/7 is a big reliable target for Brees. TE Josh Hill 16/11 is also very dependable. TE Garrett Griffin was injured in 2019 but is working hard to become the 3^rd TE. TE Adam Trautman who was drafted in the 3^rd round out of Dayton has good blocking and pass catching skills and should see time in the rotation. The O-LINE gave up a total of 25 sacks in 2019. This, after giving up only 20 sacks in 2018. They are solid protectors and open up rushing lanes. At LT, Terron Armstead 15/15 is solid but, has battled many injuries during his career. LG Andrus Peat 10/10 is versatile because he can also play T. C/G Nick Easton 10/6 can play dual roles but is in competition for backup. C Erik McCoy 16/16 had a solid rookie season but may move to G for Ruiz. RG Larry Warford 15/15 was cut after the season by NO and is currently a FA. C/OG Cesar Ruiz who was drafted in the 1^st round out of Michigan is penciled in as a starter and can play either position. OL Will Clapp 14/3 will be fighting competition for time in the rotation. RT Ryan Ramczyk 16/16 is solid and an ALL-PRO. OL Ethan Greenidge will look for a backup role at T and try to find time in the rotation. C Cameron Tom didn’t play in 2019 but was signed for depth. OT James Hurst 16/2 was not retained by BALT and signed with NO. But he will have to sit out the first four games due to PED suspension. The DEF runs a 4-3 alignment. At DE, Cameron Jordan 16/16 is solid and a leader on the D-LINE. DE Tre Hendrickson 13/3 had a nice season after a dropoff season. DT David Onyemata 15/15 is another solid part of the D-LINE. DE Mario Edwards 14/0 was limited in the rotation but needs to show more. DT Sheldon Rankins 10/0 is working his way back from injuries. DT Malcom Brown 16/16 is great against the run. DT Taylor Stallworth 4/0 was just cut by NO and signed with INDY. DE Marcus Davenport 13/13 is getting better each season. DE Carl Granderson 8/0 has showed that he can rush the passer. DE Margus Hunt 16/5 who was not retained by INDY, signed with NO for backup and depth. DE Noah Spence 7/0 was not retained by WASH but was signed by NO. However, he will be out all of 2020 with a torn ACL. DL Shy Tuttle 16/1 found time in the rotation and was successful. He should see more playing time in 2020. In the LB crew, LB AJ Klein 15/15 was not retained by NO and signed with BUFF. LB Zack Baun who was drafted in the 3^rd round out of Wisconsin will add to depth and can pass rush. LB Alex Anzalone 2/0 who had an injury plagued season, needs to stay healthy to get back into rhythm. LB Kaden Ellis 3/0 was also on IR in 2019. MLB Demario Davis 16/16 is a leader on this team on and off the field. LB Craig Robertson 15/1 mostly plays special teams but fills in nicely when needed at LB. LB Nigel Bradham 12/12 was not retained by PHILLY and signed with NO. He should bring something extra to the crew. At Nickel Back, DB PJ Williams 14/8 has played different positions on the field but may have found a home at S. DB Patrick Robinson 11/0 provides valuable depth. CB Eli Apple 15/15 was not retained by NO and signed with CAR. CB Marshon Lattimore 14/14 bounced back in his 3^rd yr after a dropoff. CB Janoris Jenkins 2/1 was acquired during the season off waivers from NYG. He will start where CB Apple left. CB Johnson Bademosi 6/0 was acquired during the season after being cut by MIA but is currently on the PUP list as he recovers from a foot injury. CB Justin Hardee 16/0 plays mostly on special teams but is good for depth. At S, Malcolm Jenkins 16/16 was not retained by PHILLY and signed with NO. He fills the spot vacated by S Vonn Bell. S Vonn Bell 13/13 was not retained by NO and signed with CINNCY. S Marcus Williams 15/15 needs to stay consistent to be effective. DB JT Gray 16/0 plays mostly on special teams but is limited in the secondary. S C Gardner-Johnson 16/7 will see more time in the rotation due to his well playing. S Saquan Hampton 5/0 needs to show more to stick around. S DJ Swearinger was brought in late in the season and signed for 2020 for backup. This may be the last hurrah for Brees. The OFF is loaded but the DEF has to make the stops. There is not a lot of depth at WR past the obvious. This could be a problem if injuries crop up. The O-LINE is very good and should continue to do so. LB crew is the thinnest and weakest of the positions on the team. It really hasn’t been addressed and NO is vulnerable in this area. There is talent here but it is thin in the depth chart. The secondary is loaded with talent and should not get burned at all. They need to help in the LB area but they have guys that can step up. HC Sean Payton and NO need to go to the SuperBowl because the fans and ownership are tired of excuses. Anything less may see a change at HC.

OPTED OUT: TE Cole Wick, TE Jason Vander Laan 

PROJECTED 2018 (12-4), ACTUAL 2018 (13-3), PROJECTED 2019 (13-3), ACTUAL 2019 (13-3)√, PROJECTED 2020 (14-2)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

So, Bruce Arians is going into his 2^nd season as TB HC. It was a rocky 1^st season for TB & Arians but, TB did make some progress. However, at QB, Jameis Winston 16/16 is gone after throwing 33tds. But he also threw 30INTS. TB could have won more games but Winston’s indecision and poor judgment led to costly turnovers and lost games that TB should have won. TB made a big decision not to resign Winston. In comes Tom Brady 16/16. He signed as a FA for this season and there certainly is a heightened buzz in and around Tampa. However, this is not the Brady of 5yrs ago and come opening day Tom will be 43 yrs old. Tom is great but wasn’t what we expected in 2019. He had some un-like Tom moments and they added up. He didn’t look particularly sharp in the season ending loss to MIA or the playoff loss to TENN. Plus, the O-LINE in TB gave up 47 sacks in 2019. Tom hasn’t experienced 40 sacks since 2013 when he was a kid at 36 yrs old. We’ll see how he holds up with a definitely inferior O-LINE. At RB, Peyton Barber 16/7 signed with WASH & Ronald Jones 16/9 moves into the starting spot. He caught 31 passes out of the backfield in 2019 and we all know how Brady likes to throw to his RBs. RB Dare Ogunbowale moves into the 2^nd slot after mostly playing on special teams and rushing for only 17 yds but, caught 35 passes in 2019. RB LeSean McCoy who was not retained by KC signed with TB. Let’s see how much he has left after being used very sparingly last season in KC. The O-LINE is the same on the left side & C. RG Alex Cappa 13/13 solidified the position as RT Demar Dotson 15/15 was not retained and OT Tristan Wirfs who was drafted in the 1^st round out of Iowa is slotted for the RT position. At TE, Rob Gronkowski came out of retirement to join his favorite QB and give it another go. He joins TEs OJ Howard 14/14 & Cameron Brate 16/6. At WR, Breshard Perriman 14/4 signed with the NYJ but WRs Mike Evans 13/13 & Chris Godwin 14/14 are as reliable as they come. Brady will have a lot of options as long as the O-LINE holds up. The DEF runs a 3-4 and DT Beau Allen 13/0 signed with NE. The front line is the same but needs to put more pressure on the opposing QB. TB was #30 vs the PASS. In the LB crew, Carl Nassib 14/8 wit 6.0 sacks signed with LV. ROLB Shaq Barrett 16/16 had a great year with 19.5 sacks after coming over from 5 years in DET. He got the franchise tag in 2020. LOLB Jason Pierre-Paul 10/8 needs to be more durable. In the secondary, it is pretty much the same except for S Antoine Winfield Jr who was drafted in the 2^nd round out of MINN. He is penciled in as a starter ahead of S Mike Edwards who seemed to be out of place at times. This group certainly needs to turn things around and do better in coverages. Everyone is picking this team high because of the addition of Brady & Gronk. Brady is older and his skill set took a noticeable decline in 2019 partly due to his age. How the O-LINE holds up is also a question, can Brady take the pounding? The secondary has to do a better job because the NFC SOUTH has the passing arms to attack. This team will certainly do better in 2020 but is not going to the SuperBowl.             

OPTED OUT: 

PROJECTED 2018 (6-10), ACTUAL 2018 (5-11), PROJECTED 2019 (6-10), ACTUAL 2019 (7-9), PROJECTED 2020 (10-6)

Carolina Panthers

HC Ron Rivera is out after 9 seasons and a 76-63-1 record. The new HC is Matt Rhule who was previously the Baylor HC. Rhule got a whopper of a contract with seven years and his only NFL experience was with the NYG in 2012 as their ASST O-LINE coach. All his HC experience has been with Temple & Baylor. The OC & DC are brand new as well. At QB, the Cam Newton 2/2 era is over. CAR cut him in the off-season and he signed with NE. QB Kyle Allen 13/12 who filled in with some ups and downs was traded to WASH for a draft choice. QB Teddy Bridgewater 9/5 was not retained by NO and signed a nice deal with CAR to be the starter going forward. At RB, ALL-PRO Christian McCaffrey 16/16 became the 3^rd man in NFL history to rush for over 1,000 yards & catch passes for over 1,000 yards. He signed a nice extension in the off-season. However, CAR does not have a legitimate #2 and that could be a problem when McCaffrey is not in there. RB Reggie Bonnafon 16/0 is being groomed to be the #2 RB so McCaffrey will not be so worn down but, we’ll see. At WR, Chris Hogan 71/1 had an injury plagued season and was not retained. WR Jarius Wright 16/9 was not retained by CAR and is currently a FA. WR Robby Anderson 16/15 did not re-sign with NYJ and signed with CAR. WR Pharoh Cooper 13/1 was not retained by ARZ and signed with CAR. He will probably takeover the PR/KR spot. At WR, Seth Roberts 16/0 was not retained by BALT and signed with CAR. He is good for depth but may be fighting for playing time. WR Tommylee Lewis who didn’t play in 2019 signed with NO to bring some speed. At TE, Greg Olsen 14/14 was cut by CAR and signed with SEA. TE Ian Thomas 16/3 will step up as the penciled in #1. TE Chris Manhertz 15/6 will continue as the blocking TE. The O-LINE has a gone through a little bit of a shakeup. In 2019, the O-LINE gave up a combined 58 sacks. Changes were made in the off-season. At LT, Russell Okung 6/6 had an injury filled season but was traded by LAC to CAR. CAR is looking for consistency at the position after Dennis Daley 14/9 & Greg Little 4/3 played inconsistent at LT in 2019. LG Michael Schofield 16/16 was brought in to compete for the position with the leaving of LG Daryl Williams 16/12 who was not retained by CAR and signed with BUFF. OG Greg Van Roten 11/11 was also not retained by CAR and signed with NYJ. RG Trai Turner 13/13 was sent to LAC for Russell Okung. C stays the same with Matt Paradis. RG John Miller 13/13 was signed by CAR after he was cut by CINNCY to fill the vacancy left by the trading of RG Trai Turner. RT stays the same with Taylor Moton. The DEF runs a 4-3 but has gone through some re-tooling in the off-season. DE Brian Burns 16/5 is penciled in as the starter after some time as a starter in 2019. DE Mario Addison 15/15 was not retained by CAR and signed with BUFF. DT Gerald McCoy 16/16 was not retained by CAR and signed with DAL. DT Kawann Short 2/2 had an injury plagued season but is looking to bounce back. DT Derrick Brown who was drafted in the 1^st round out of Auburn is penciled in as the starter at the position. DE Stephen Weatherly 16/1 was not retained by MINN and signed with CAR. He fills a big hole left by DE Bruce Irvin 13/12 who was not retained and signed with SEA. DE Yetur Gross-Matos who was drafted in the 2^nd round out of Penn State will have every opportunity to compete for a starting position on the D-LINE. DT Bravvion Roy who was drafted in the 6^th round out of Baylor will be competing to see time in the rotation. NT Zach Kerr 12/3 was not retained by ARZ and signed with CAR for depth. DT Bruce Hector 3/0 was waived by PHILLY and signed with CAR. He also should provide depth. DT Jalen Jelks who was on IR for 2019 with DAL was waived and signed by CAR. He could be good for depth. In the LB crew, LB Luke Kuechly 16/16 retired after the 2019 season, he will surely be missed. OLB Shaq Thompson 14/14 takes over the leadership role vacated by Kuechly. LB Tahir Whitehead 16/16 was not retained by OAK and signed with CAR he will have big shoes to fill at MLB. OLB Jermaine Carter 16/5 is primed to step up as a full time starter in 2020. In the secondary CB James Bradberry 15/15 was not retained and signed with NYG. CB Troy Pride Jr who was drafted in the 4^th round out of Notre Dame is penciled in as the starter where Bradberry left. CB Donte Jackson 13/10 should assume more of a leadership role with a lot of rookies in the secondary. CB Eli Apple 15/15 was not retained by NO and signed with CAR. He will provide valuable depth if he doesn’t start. SS Eric Reid 16/16 was cut after the season and is currently a FA. SS Justin Burris 14/9 was not retained by CLEVE and signed with CAR. He will compete with S Jeremy Chinn who was drafted in the 2^nd round out of Southern Illinois for the starting position. S Kenny Robinson who was drafted in the 5^th round out of West Virginia and played in the XFL will look to see time in the rotation. This team is in a transitional mode. There have been a lot of changes in every part of this team and we have to see if they are going to mesh and succeed. How a rebuilt O-LINE responds and protects Bridgewater who is going into the season as a starter for the first time in quite some time is a question mark as well. There are a lot of nobodies at WR without much experience or depth which could be a big problem. The DEF may be doing a lot of standing around. There may not be a lot of winning this season like in seasons past for CAR but, HC Matt Rhule is trying to establish something for the long term. It should be interesting. Welcome to the NFL.                   

OPTED OUT: LB Christian Miller, LB Jordan Mack

PROJECTED 2018 (10-6), ACTUAL 2018 (7-9), PROJECTED 2019 (7-9), ACTUAL 2019 (5-11), PROJECTED 2020 (6-10)

Atlanta Falcons

HC Dan Quinn is on the hotseat. After leading ATL to the SuperBowl in 2016 it has been a decline and disappointment the last three seasons. Time is running out for Quinn. Quinn was supposed to be a defensive specialist but in 2018 the ATL DEF was #28 and in 2019 the ATL DEF was #20. This season there have been a lot of changes on both sides of the ball and Quinn has to get ATL on the winning side and a possible playoff berth to keep his job. At QB, Matt Ryan 15/15 is at the helm of the OFF. At RB, Todd Gurley 15/15 who was cut by LAR after the season signed with ATL. He needs to show that his knee is 100%. RB Kenjon Barner 14/0 who was not retained by ATL signed with BALT. RB Devonta Freeman 14/14 was not retained by ATL and is currently a FA. RB Ito Smith 7/0 is coming back from a neck injury that limited him. RB Qadree Ollison 8/0 is a good zone runner. RB Brian Hill 12/2 can be used in any situation and plays special teams. At WR, Julio Jones 15/15 is the go to guy for QB Ryan. WR Calvin Ridley 13/10 is a good complement to Jones and takes pressure away from him with his own skills. WR Justin Hardy 16/1 was not retained by ATL and is currently a FA. WR Laquon Treadwell 13/1 was not retained by MINN and signed with ATL to revive his career. WR Russell Gage 16/4 has been used mainly as the slot receiver. WR Christian Blake 9/3 plays mostly special teams but is good for depth at WR. WR Brandon Powell who didn’t play in 2019 is slated to be the KR/PR. WR Olamide Zaccheaus 10/0 could see more time in the rotation because of his speed. At TE, Austin Hooper 13/10 wasn’t retained by ATL and signed with CLEVE. He was a reliable target and safety net for Ryan. TE Luke Stocker 15/9 was retained by ATL after the departure of Hooper. Stocker will play a bigger role than before and can block as well. TE Hayden Hurst 16/4 was acquired from BALT for draft picks. He could be competing with Stocker for game time. TE Jaeden Graham 16/0 is good for depth and is a good blocker. TE Khari Lee played in the XFL but was signed by ATL and is a good blocker and pass catcher. Unfortunately for him, the TE position is a little crowded. The O-LINE gave up 50 sacks in 2019 which is way too much with all this OFF on the field. Ryan can’t get settled in the pocket if he is being rushed all the time. He was also sacked 42x in 2018. OT Ty Sambrailo 13/0 was not retained by ATL and signed with TENN. G Wes Schweitzer 15/7 was not retained by ATL and signed with WASH. G/T Justin McCray 15/4 was not retained by CLEVE and signed with ATL. He brings depth and flexibility. At LT Jake Matthews 16/16 is solid but needs to cut down on holding penalties. OT Matt Gono 5/0 should see more time in the rotation in 2020. C/G Matt Hennessy who was drafted in the 3^rd round out of Temple is versatile and should see plenty of time in the rotation. LG James Carpenter 11/11 had some injuries this past season but will see some competition for the start. C Alex Mack 16/16 is solid. RG Chris Lindstrom 5/5 had a broken foot which sidelined him. He should be ready to go. OG Jamon Brown 10/9 is good for depth. RT Kaleb McGary 16/16 should be even better in his 2^nd season. OG Sean Harlow 1/0 needs to show more to stick around. The DEF runs a 4-3 alignment. At DE, Takkarist McKinnley 14/13 needs to have a big season or he may be playing somewhere else. DE Adrian Clayborn 15/1 was not retained by ATL and signed with CLEVE. DT Jack Crawford 16/4 was not retained by ATL and signed with TENN. DE Steven Means was out all of 2019 with an injury but should be ready to go wk 1. DT Tyeler Davison 16/12 is solid. DL Allen Bailey 15/5 plays well vs the pass and run. DT Deadrin Senat 2/0 may need to show more to stick around. DT Marlon Davidson who was drafted in the 2^nd round out of Auburn will be competing for a starting spot on the D-LINE. DT Grady Jarrett 16/16 is a leader with his play. DE John Cominsky 10/0 should see more time in the rotation with his abilities. DT Jacob Tuioti-Mariner 8/1 showed flashes and should see more time in the rotation. DE/LB Vic Beasley 16/15 was not retained by ATL and then signed with TENN. DE/LB Dante Fowler 16/14 was not retained by LAR and signed with ATL. Fowler needs to regain his game that he has seemed to have lost. DE Charles Harris 14/5 was acquired from MIA after the season for a future draft pick. He also needs to step it up. In the LB crew, LB Mykal Walker who was drafted in the 4^th round out of Fresno St. should see a lot of time in the rotation. De’Vondre Campbell 16/15 was not retained by ATL and signed with ARZ. LB/S Kemal Ishmael 14/3 mostly played on special teams but was not retained by ATL and is currently a FA. LB Edmond Robinson hasn’t played in the NFL since 2017 but played in the XFL. He will be good for depth. MLB Deion Jones 16/16 continues to grow every season. LB LaRoy Reynolds 15/0 was not retained by CINNCY and signed with ATL for special teams and depth. OLB Foyesade Oluokun 16/3 should see more starts in 2020. In the secondary at CB, Desmond Trufant 9/9 had an injury plagued season and then signed with DET. CB AJ Terrell who was drafted in the 1^st round out of Clemson is penciled in as the starter where Trufant was. CB Isaiah Oliver 16/16 needs to step it up, now that he is the starter. CB Blidi Wreh-Wilson 14/2 is a zone coverage guy. CB Josh Hawkins didn’t play in 2019 but played in the XFL, provides great depth. CB Jordan Miller 10/0 will be starting the season with a four game suspension for PEDs. CB Kendall Sheffield 16/11 could be competing for a starting spot, very talented. CB Darqueze Dennard 9/5 who was not retained by CINNCY signed with ATL. He should see time in the rotation. S Jaylinn Hawkins who was drafted in the 4^th round out of California should see time in the rotation. S Keanu Neal 3/3 had an injury plagued season but needs to show that he hasn’t lost anything. S Ricardo Allen 16/16 is coming off post season shoulder surgery. S Damontae Kazee 16/14 plays a lot in the three S packages. S JJ Wilcox who didn’t play in 2019 was signed for depth and experience. S Sharrod Neasman 15/0 is good for depth and special teams. S Jamal Carter 11/0 is good vs the run. HC Dan Quinn knows that he has to have a winning season with some shot at the playoffs to stick around for 2021. Since their SuperBowl run, ATL has been a disappointment and he needs to turn it around fast. The O-LINE has to do a better job at protecting Ryan and opening up rushing lanes. There are too many talents on the OFF to go wasted away. Barring injuries the O-LINE has to do better. The DEF has seen a lot of guys leave and a lot of new brought in. How the D-LINE performs with the newcomers needs to be answered. The LB crew is thin at experience and depth should injuries pop up. The S position is a little thin too. There are a lot of new faces in ATL and they need to buy what HC Dan Quinn is selling or otherwise there will be a major house cleaning after this season. There is just too much talent on this team not to have a winning season and some kind of run in the playoffs. But ATL is in a tough division and they need to win some of those games. Which team comes to play will determine what happens after the season.

OPTED OUT: 

PROJECTED 2018 (10-6), ACTUAL 2018 (7-9), PROJECTED 2019 (8-8), ACTUAL 2019 (7-9) PROJECTED 2020 (10-6)

NFC WEST

Seattle Seahawks

SEA was 10-2 after 12 games in 2019 and they looked very strong. They looked like they were headed to the SuperBowl after a lot of people thought they were in a rebuild. Well, SEA lost 3 out of the last 4 games and ended up losing @GB in the Divisional round. HC Pete Carroll knows how to keep this team winning but, can he get them back to the SuperBowl? At QB, Russell Wilson 16/16 had another very good season and is very mobile. However, he becomes a little less mortal when the DEF has a spotter on him and keeps him in the pocket. At RB, Chris Carson 15/15 rushed for 1230 yds but SEA added RB Carlos Hyde 16/14 on a 1yr deal from HOU. Hyde rushed for 1070 yds and this 1-2 punch in SEA will be very dangerous for opposing DEFs that try to stop the run consistently. At WR, DK Metcalf 16/15 had a nice rookie season and Tyler Lockett 16/16 is Wilson’s go to guy. WR Phillip Dorsett 14/4 was not retained by NE and signed with SEA. At TE, no one really established themselves at the position in 2019. Greg Olsen was cut after the season by CAR and signed a 1 yr deal with SEA. Olsen still has something left in the tank and gives instant credibility and an extra target for Wilson plus he can block. The O-LINE for SEA has seen its problems. In 2019, they gave up 48 sacks, down from 51 sacks in 2018. This is still very high and they need to do a better job at protecting their franchise QB. Besides LT Duane Brown 12/12, the O-LINE for 2020 will look a lot different. At LG, Chance Warmack 0/0 sat out 2019 with a hand injury and only played 9/0 in 2018 will be competing with LG Mike Lupati 16/15 for the start. C BJ Finney 16/4 was signed from PITT as C Justin Britt 8/8 had an injury prone season and was not retained by SEA and is currently a FA. C Joey Hunt 14/8 may give BJ Finney some competition for the starting job at the position. OL George Fant 16/7 wasn’t retained by SEA and signed with NYJ. OG Damian Lewis who was drafted in the 3^rd round out of LSU is slotted to start where RG DJ Fluker 14/14 was last season. Fluker was not retained by SEA and signed with BALT. RT Brandon Shell 15/11 was signed from NYJ to start at the position where RT Germain Ifedi 16/16 was. Ifedi was not retained by SEA and signed with CHI. OT Cedric Ogbuehi 14/0 who was not retained by JAGS signed with SEA and is good for depth or a blocking TE role. The O-LINE needs to be able to gel and protect Wilson because he certainly has taken too much of a pounding in the past. The DEF runs a 4-3 alignment. At DE, Jadeveon Clowney 13/11 is asking for too much money and is currently a FA. DE Bruce Irvin 13/12 was not retained by CAR and was signed by SEA to fill Clowney’s spot. DE Alton Robinson who was drafted in the 5^th round out of Syracuse will work hard to find time in the rotation. The DTs stay the same. DE Benson Mayowa 15/0 was not retained by OAK and signed with SEA but may see competition at the position from DE Rasheem Green 16/8. DE Darrell Taylor who was drafted in the 2^nd round out of TENN is coming off of a stress fracture but will be looking to get time in the rotation. DL/LB Quinton Jefferson wasn’t retained by SEA and signed with BUFF. DT Al Woods 14/5 was not retained by SEA and signed with JAGS. In the LB crew, ALL-PRO MLB Bobby Wagner 16/16 is a captain on DEF and probably headed for the Hall of Fame. RLB KJ Wright 16/16 has also been a solid performer. OLB Jordyn Brooks who was drafted in the 1^st round out of Texas Tech is expected to start at the position. In the secondary, CB Quinton Dunbar 11/11 was acquired from WASH for a draft pick after the season but is awaiting disciplinary actions for an alleged off-season incident. He is penciled in as a starter. CB DJ Reed 16/0 was not retained by SF and signed by SEA. But he has a torn pectoral and is expected to mis the entire 2020 season. S Quandre Diggs 5/5 who was acquired mid-season from DET plays well and is looked at as a starter in 2020. With Diggs at FS, Bradley McDougal 15/14 is best suited for SS. July 25^th, 2020, FS Bradley McDougald was traded to NYJ & 3 picks for S Jamal Adams and a 4^th round pick in 2022. This will certainly bolster the secondary for SEA. This team is very talented all around. The 1-2 tandem at RB should wear opposing teams out. The gelling of the O-LINE has always been a concern for SEA so, let’s see what happens. Without DE Clowney the DEEF is a little weaker, but not by much. Hopefully the additions on DEF in the secondary w/Adams, succeed because it was a soft spot last year late in games. Let’s see who steps up there. This team should make a deep run into the playoffs as long as everything clicks.              

OPTED OUT: G Chance Warmack  

PROJECTED 2018 (7-9), ACTUAL 2018 (10-6), PROJECTED 2019 (10-6), ACTUAL 2019 (11-5), PROJECTED 2020 (12-4)

Los Angeles Rams

2019 was a down year for LAR after going all the way to the SuperBowl in 2018. HC Sean McVay and the RAMS didn’t make the playoffs in 2019 and the team looked weaker against opponents. He needs to turn it around this season or it will look like he was just lucky. At QB, Jared Goff 16/16 didn’t have as good a season as in 2018 and threw the ball more. He is the kind of QB that needs a rusher he can rely on to take some of that pressure off. At RB, Todd Gurley 15/15 didn’t have as a productive season as season’s past and it had to do with his knee. LAR felt that they couldn’t count on him because of it and cut him after the season. He was signed by ATL. RB Cam Akers who was drafted in the 2^nd round out of Florida State is currently the heir apparent to Gurley. But it will be tough to replace Gurley because at his best, he was unstoppable and could also catch passes. Behind Akers you have Malcolm Brown 14/1, John Kelly 4/0 & Darnell Henderson 13/0 all needing to take that next step forward. At WR, Brandin Cooks 14/14 was traded to HOU for a draft pick. WR Mike Thomas 16/0 was not retained by LAR signed with CINNCY. WR Van Jefferson who was drafted in the 2^nd round out of Florida should see time in the rotation. WR Robert Woods 15/15 has become very reliable for Goff. W Cooper Kupp 16/14 had a nice bounceback season in 2019 after being injured half of 2018. WR Josh Reynolds 16/2 will see more touches now that Cooks is gone. At TE, Tyler Higbee 15/15 & Gerald Everett 13/2 are the 1-2 punch at the position but LAR are waiting for Everett to take a leap forward. There are other TEs in training camp but they need to impress to stick around. The O-LINE only gave up 22 sacks in 2019 which is fantastic considering that Goff was throwing the ball 65x more in 2019 than in 2018. This was after allowing 33 sacks in 2018. They will have their hands full this season as Goff will certainly be in the pocket more often looking for that open receiver. LT Andrew Whitworth 16/16 is solid but, will turn 39 years of age during the season. A replacement should be on the minds of LAR in the near future. LG Austin Corbett 8/8 was acquired mid-season and is battling to start in that position. T/G Joseph Noteboom 6/6 was injured during the season hence the acquisition of Corbett. They may be battling it out for that LG position. OL Bobby Evans 9/7 took over and did a good job when RT Rob Havenstein 9/9 got injured. C Brian Allen 9/9 was injured and may have to battle to get his job back with C/G Austin Blythe 15/15 who moved from G to C when Allen’s injury occurred. RG David Edwards 16/10 did very well and looks to be the starter in 2020. OT Jamil Demby 6/1 will have to show something to stick around. The DEF runs a 3-4 alignment. DC Wade Phillips was not retained and Brandon Staley was hired to run the DEF. This is his 1^st coordinator job so there may be a little learning curve which LAR cannot afford. DE Michael Brockers 16/16 is solid. DL Morgan Fox 16/3 is a solid reserve and backup. DT Aaron Donald 16/16 continues to be ALL-PRO. DT Tanzel Smart 13/0 was cut after the season. NT A’Shawn Robinson 13/9 was not retained by DET and signed with LAR. However, he is on the non-football injury list with a cardiovascular condition and his return is unknown. DT Sebastain Joseph-Day 16/15 could be the starter on the side where Robinson would have been. DL Greg Gaines 10/0 may see more time in the rotation but, needs to step it up. In the LB crew, LB Dante Fowler 16/14 was not retained by LAR and signed with ATL. LB Cory Littleton 16/16 was not retained by LAR and signed with LV. LB Clay Matthews 13/13 was cut after the season and is currently a FA. OLB Leonard Floyd 16/16 was cut by CHI after the season and signed by LAR to take the spot vacated by Matthews. LB Samson Ebukam 16/5 is expected to take it up a notch after so many losses in the LB crew. LB Terrell Lewis who was drafted in the 3^rd round out of Alabama needs to stay healthy and will find time in the rotation. LAR is looking for bigger things from LB Ogbonnia Okoronkwo 10/0 in 2020. ILB Micah Kiser was out all of 2019 with a shoulder injury but may see competition for a staring job. LB Travin Howard 16/0 needs to show more. ILB Clay Johnson who was drafted in the 7^th round out of Baylor will look to find time in a crowded LB crew. ILB Troy Reeder 16/8 is penciled in as the starter after filling in nicely. LB Natrez Patrick 12/0 is good for depth. In the secondary, at CB Jalen Ramsey 9/8 who was traded for in the middle of the 2019 season is a very big talent and can lead the secondary. CB Nickell Robey-Coleman 16/3 was not retained by LAR and signed with PHILLY. CB Troy Hill 14/9 will be the starter on the other side. CB David Long 8/0 should be making that talent jump. CB Darious Williams 12/3 needs to show more to stick around. S Eric Weddle 16/16 retired. S Taylor Rapp 15/10 was a nice surprise in his rookie season and should only get better. S John Johnson 6/5 had an injury plagued season but looks to get back on track. S Marqui Christian 16/1 was not retained after the season and is currently a FA. S Nick Scott 16/0 usually plays special teams but is good for depth. S Terrell Burgess who was drafted in the 3^rd round out of Utah should see a lot of time in the rotation. S Jordan Fuller who was drafted in the 6^th round out of Ohio State should also see time in the rotation. HC Sean McVay is on the hot seat to make sure that this team rebounds in some way in 2020 from a disappointing 2019. If there is a decline from 2019, McVay may be out the door. QB Jared Goff needs to play better and make better decisions. Goff will have a tougher time because there aren’t any established rushers that he can fall back on for LAR. Goff is not a scrambler and is lanky which makes him vulnerable. He needs to be tougher and take charge. We will see what Goff is really made of. The WR crew is talented but very thin. It could be a problem if injuries start to mount. The TEs are solid and there is depth there. The DEF went through a transition with a lot of changes in the LB crew. We’ll see how they mesh and who stands out. The secondary needs to cover and tackle because there are a lot of young guys there that could be picked on, come game time. LAR is in a tough division and every game is tough. LAR may be on the downside in their 1^st season in their new home. If it is a disaster and LAR look like a total collapse, McVay may be gone. If LAR are competitive and they barely lose games and the record is not so bad, McVay will be back. But I don’t see this team making the playoffs.    

OPTED OUT: OT Chandler Brewer  

PROJECTED 2018 (12-4), ACTUAL 2018 (13-3), PROJECTED 2019 (12-4), ACTUAL 2019 (9-7), PROJECTED 2020 (8-8)

Arizona Cardinals

There is promise & hope about ARZ in 2020 even though they finished last season with a losing record. There is a lot to be excited about because ARZ has made some moves to shore up positions to help them turn back into a winning team. At QB, Kyler Murray 16/16 certainly went through some ups and downs and made some mistakes that he would like to take back. But hopefully he has learned and in his 2^nd season he will be better. Murray had some bright spots especially that convincing win @SEA in wk 16. At RB, Kenyon Drake 8/8 was a mid-season pickup and boy did he deliver. RB David Johnson 13/9 was traded after the season to HOU. At WR, ALL-WORLD DeAndre Hopkins 15/15 came to ARZ for David Johnson. Hopkins catches everything and Murray probably can’t wait to throw passes to this guy. WR Larry Fitzgerald 16/16 returns for his 17^th season and should be excited about pairing with Hopkins as well. WR Damiere Byrd 11/3 was not retained and signed with NE. WR Pharoh Cooper 12/1 who mostly returns kicks was not retained and signed with CAR. The rest of the WR crew stays the same. At TE, Charles Clay 15/10 was not retained and currently is a FA. Maxx Williams 16/10 is slotted at the #1 TE because of his run blocking & pass catching skills. The O-LINE gave up a combined 50 sacks in 2019 which is slightly better than the 52 they gave up in 2018. The O-LINE for the most part is returning their five starters from 2019 but should do better knowing more about Murray’s tendencies. C AQ Shipley 16/16 who had started the last three seasons was not retained and currently is a FA. ARZ is high on C Mason Cole 16/2 who needs to jell at the position and is being given every opportunity to succeed. The DEF has a 3-4 alignment. Injuries to the D-LINE ran havoc for ARZ in 2019 and only NT Corey Peters 16/16 was a consistent leader. DT Jordan Phillips 16/9 with 9.5 sacks was not retained by BUFF and signed a nice deal to fill the slot on one side of the D-LINE. On the other side of the D-LINE DT Zach Allen 4/1 had intentions of starting but a neck injury ended his season. DT Trevon Coley 7/0 was with INDY but signed with ARZ for backup. DT Leki Fotu & DT Rashard Lawrence who were both drafted in the 4^th round out of Utah & LSU respectively will be pushing for time in the rotation. In the LB crew, ALL-PRO OLB Chandler Jones 16/16 with 19.0 sacks continues to be a force. ILB Isaiah Simmons who was drafted in the 1^st round out of Clemson is slotted for the starting position at SLB and should makes inroads immediately. ILB Joe Walker 16/11 was not retained by ARZ and signed with SF. OLB Devon Kennard 16/15 was signed by ARZ after he was cut after the season by DET. He is penciled in as the starter on the outside.  ILB De’Vondre Canpbell 16/15 was not retained by ATL and signed with ARZ, will be competing for that SLB spot with Simmons. In the secondary, CB Patrick Peterson 10/10 remains the leader even after a 6-game suspension at the beginning of the season. CB Byron Murphy 16/16 started in place of the injured CB Robert Alford 0/0 who was on injured reserve with a broken tibia. Alford is penciled in as the starter. But now he has a pectoral strain which will keep him out longer only making the CB position thinner. S Budda Baker 16/16 is an all-star at the position. SS Jalen Thompson 15/9 was pressed into starting service and is penciled in as the starter in 2020. The OFF is going to be exciting to watch with the addition of WR Hopkins. RB Drake takes a lot of pressure off of QB Murray because he can do so much. The DEF which has added some more firepower needs to be consistent because at times it seemed, they disappeared. They are in a tough division and every game is a battle but there will be improvement for ARZ and maybe a wild card berth.                

OPTED OUT: OL Marcus Gilbert  

PROJECTED 2018 (7-9), ACTUAL 2018 (3-13), PROJECTED 2019 (6-10), ACTUAL 2019 (5-10-1)√, PROJECTED 2020 (9-7)

San Francisco 49ers

This team was eight minutes away from beating KC and winning the SuperBowl. Then they fell apart and KC won. Recently teams that lost in the SuperBowl had a hangover the next season. To be so close and lose it all can be devastating. HC Kyle Shanahan and his coaches can’t let that happen. They have to go forward and make sure that they make it back. On paper, this team is strong but they still have to play the games. At QB, Jimmy Garappolo 16/16 had his first full season and went to the SuperBowl. But in the fourth qtr of the SB, he was horrible. He also needs to cut down on his INTS. Otherwise he can lead this team back. At RB, Matt Breida 13/5 was re-signed by SF after the season then traded to MIA for a draft pick. RB Tevin Coleman 14/11 is solid. RB Raheem Mostert 16/0 is a fast runner that complements Coleman. FB Kyle Juszczyk 12/12 blocks well and makes catches. RB Jeff Wilson 10/0 delivers in an abbreviated role. At WR, Emmanuel Sanders 10/9 who was acquired during the season from DEN was not retained by SF and signed with NO. WR Travis Benjamin 5/2 was not retained by LAC and then signed with SF, opted out for 2020. WR Brandon Alyuk who was drafted in the 1^st round out of Arizona State is explosive and should break into the starting lineup. WR Jauan Jennings who was drafted in the 7^th round out of Tennessee may find his way into the slot position. WR Dante Pettis 11/4 needs to show something or he will be gone. WR Deebo Samuel 15/11 is expected a large part of the 2020 season after having surgery to repair a Jones fracture in his left foot. WR Marquise Goodwin 9/6 also opted out for 2020. WR Kendrick Bourne 16/0 is mostly used on 3^rd downs. WR Jalen Hurd was out all of 2019 with a stress fracture but could be used in the slot if healthy. WR Trent Taylor also did not play in 2019 but if healthy could be used in the slot. At TE, George Kittle 14/14 is ALL-PRO. TE Garrett Celek 5/1 had an injury plagued season and retired. TE Ross Dwelley 16/6 can also play FB. TE Levine Toilolo 13/0 was not retained by SF and signed with NYG. TE Jordan Reed who was out all of 2019 with an injury was signed by SF after being cut by WASH. When he is healthy, Reed gives Jimmy another viable option when Kittle is on the field. TE Charlie Woener who was drafted in the 6^th round out of Georgia is a blocking TE that will be fighting for time in the rotation. The O-LINE which gave up 36 sacks in 2019 did a better job than they did in 2018 when they surrendered 48 sacks. However, this O-LINE can do better. They had a lot of injuries in 2019 that may have contributed to some uncertainty and some sacks. At LT, Joe Staley 7/7 retired. LT Trent Williams, who held out all of 2019, was acquired from WASH in a draft day trade. He will replace Staley. LG Laken Tomlinson 16/16 played every snap in 2019. OL Tom Compton 14/5 was not retained by NYJ and signed with SF to compete for the RG position. C Weston Richburg 13/13 is on the PUP list with a torn pectoral and his return is uncertain. C Ben Garland 9/3 is good for backup and may see more action with Richburg out. LT Justin Skule 15/8 filled in nicely. RG Mike Person 14/14 retired after the season. OT Daniel Brunskill 14/7 could be starting at RG. RT Mike McGlinchey 12/12 is solid on the right side. OT Colton McKivitz who was drafted in the 5^th round out of West Virginia can play either G or T. The DEF runs a 4-3 alignment. DE Dee Ford 11/2 needs to stay healthy. DE Nick Bosa 16/14 is solid on the outside. DT Arik Armstead 16/16 led the team in sacks with 10.0 DT DeForest Buckner 16/16 was traded to INDY for a 1^st round draft pick. DT Javon Kinlaw was drafted in the 1^st round out of South Carolina and is penciled in to start where Buckner was. DT Sheldon Day 16/2 was not retained by SF and signed with INDY. DE Anthony Zettel 1/0 was not retained by SF and signed with MINN. DE Kerry Hyder 16/0 was not retained by DAL and signed with SF for depth. DE Ronald Blair 9/0 is good for depth but is currently on the PUP list rehabbing from a torn ACL. DE Solomon Thomas 16/3 needs to have a good campaign to stick around. DT Jullian Taylor 6/0 is on the PUP list rehabbing a torn ACL. DT DJ Jones 11/11 was looking good until he suffered an ankle injury. In the LB crew, LB Mark Nzeocha 16/0 mostly plays special teams but is good for depth. LB Elijah Lee 8/1 was not retained by SF and signed with DET. LB Dre Greenlaw 16/11 is a threat to start somewhere in the LB crew. LB Kwon Alexander 8/8 had an injury plagued season but should be healthy for wk 1. LB Fred Warner 16/16 is only getting better. LB Joe Walker 16/11 was not retained by ARZ and signed with SF but, needs to show something extra to start. LB Azzez Al-Shaair 15/4 needs to show more to see more time in the rotation. In the secondary, CB Richard Sherman 15/15 continues to be a leader. CB Jason Verrett 1/0 was on IR most of 2019 but, if healthy could challenge for time in the rotation. CB Emmanuel Mosely 16/9 didn’t have a good SB but should be better in 2020. CB Ahkello Witherspoon 10/8 needs to show something to get back into the rotation. CB K’Waun Williams 15/8 is the slot CB. CB DJ Reed 16/0 was not retained by SF and signed by SEA. S Jimmie Ward 13/13 & S Jaquiski Tartt 12/12 are solid. S Tarvarius Moore 16/3 gives good depth. S Marcell Harris 13/4 should step it up this season. S Antone Exum 7/0 was cut after the season. The O-LINE has certain question marks going into 2020 and that is not good. New faces and thin at depth doesn’t help a team trying to get back to the SuperBowl. WR is thin as well but they have plenty of talent and depth at TE. The D-LINE & the LB crew are tough but the fact that there is not a lot of depth at S could be a problem. This team has a lot of talent but in recent years there has been a hangover for the SB loser. Will SF break that trend?

OPTED OUT: WR Travis Benjamin, WR Marquise Goodwin

PROJECTED 2018 (9-7), ACTUAL 2018 (4-12), PROJECTED 2019 (8-8), ACTUAL 2019 (13-3), PROJECTED 2020 (12-4)