Former NFL player and scout Bucky Brooks knows the ins and outs of this league, providing keen insight in his notebook. In today's installment, he spotlights eight organizations with wide-open Super Bowl windows ...
Over the past couple weeks on the Move The Sticks Podcast, Daniel Jeremiah and I have broken down the building blocks for all 32 NFL teams. With the help of NFL Research maven Jack Andrade, we viewed each roster through the prism of a championship foundation, which we defined as the following 12-player formula:
- 1 quarterback
- 3 offensive playmakers
- 3 quality offensive linemen
- 2 pass rushers
- 3 back-seven playmakers
And each player selected as part of a championship foundation received one of the following classifications:
- BLUE: Top 5-to-10 player at his position.
- GREEN: Really solid, dependable starter.
- YELLOW: Potential concern due to age, injury or contract.
- PURPLE: Unproven young player with BLUE potential.
- PINK: Unproven young player who could become a GREEN -- or maybe even a BLUE.
The point of this exercise is to identify which franchises are equipped to make a run at the Lombardi Trophy -- not just in the 2024 season but over the next few years. Below, I've ranked my top eight championship foundations.
NOTES:
- Each player's listed age represents how old he will be on Sept. 5, the day the NFL season kicks off.
- \ Denotes the player is a rookie.*
The presence of Patrick Mahomes alone should keep Kansas City in title contention for the next decade, but head coach Andy Reid and general manager Brett Veach have surrounded the two-time MVP with a supporting cast that's almost unfair to the rest of the league. Starting with a dominant offensive line stockpiled with talent in the middle (Creed Humphrey, Joe Thuney and Trey Smith), the Chiefs have built a fortress around their franchise quarterback that will enable him to throw to a collection of wideouts with speed and playmaking ability. Tight end Travis Kelce remains the top option in the passing game, but he's on the back nine of his career, underscoring the need for Mahomes to foster chemistry with the WR corps. With a defense that features studs on each level -- most notably, DT Chris Jones, LB Nick Bolton and CB Trent McDuffie -- the back-to-back reigning Super Bowl champions are poised to add even more hardware to the trophy case in the years to come.
GM Howie Roseman has mastered the art of team building in the salary cap era. The shrewd evaluator utilizes the standard "draft and develop" model to establish a nucleus, but he also aggressively adds blue-chip pieces via trade or free agency. Philadelphia's star-studded offensive lineup features a smorgasbord of Pro Bowlers acquired through various means. The creative approach throws caution to the wind, as Roseman builds a team with the capacity to win now while simultaneously fostering the kind of development that will keep the Eagles in title contention for years to come. Given Roseman's penchant for accumulating draft capital to select blue-chippers or swap for key assets, Philly will always be in the hunt for the Lombardi Trophy.
Dan Campbell has whipped the Lions into shape as title contenders who reflect the head coach's gritty demeanor, but GM Brad Holmes deserves credit for building a roster that's chock-full of emerging blue-chippers. The offense, in particular, features premier talent in each marquee spot, with Jared Goff, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Sam LaPorta and Jahmyr Gibbs playing behind an elite O-line headlined by first-team All-Pro RT Penei Sewell. With OC Ben Johnson deftly managing one of the most explosive offenses in football, Detroit's defensive playmakers (Aidan Hutchinson, Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph) can feast on over-aggressive quarterbacks forced to chase points in order to keep pace in shootouts. As the Lions continue adding firepower to the defense (SEE: first-round pick Terrion Arnold and second-rounder Ennis Rakestraw Jr.), this long-suffering franchise is quickly becoming one of the envies of the NFC.
The championship window might be closing on this specific iteration of the 49ers, but the roster features enough young studs at premium positions to sustain a title run before eventually transitioning to a new core with a big-money quarterback in place. As GM John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan contemplate how to maintain a championship roster with Brock Purdy due to command an annual salary of $50 million-plus as soon as next offseason, the Niners will need to make some tough decisions as to which blue-chip players to keep for the long haul. First-team All-Pro LT Trent Williams and second-team All-Pro WR Brandon Aiyuk each carry a YELLOW designation above due to current contract disputes. How the 49ers navigate the salary cap with their veteran players will determine whether they remain viable contenders in the Purdy era.
The Ravens are the gold standard for the "draft and develop" process. The franchise has a knack for identifying blue-chip players at various stages of the draft, and then surrounding them with undervalued veterans in key spots. Baltimore's current roster features a handful of elite players entering the prime years of their respective careers. With a two-time MVP quarterback locked in on a long-term deal, the Ravens have the critical piece of the championship puzzle in place. The team has wisely surrounded Lamar Jackson with a collection of playmakers (Derrick Henry, Zay Flowers and Mark Andrews) with skills that perfectly complement his game. In addition, Baltimore has a couple of talented young pass catchers in the stable (Isaiah Likely and Rashod Bateman) who should be able to assume more prominent roles down the road. Defensively, the Ravens are led by a group of homegrown blue-chippers (Kyle Hamilton and Justin Madubuike) who support a high-end trade acquisition (Roquan Smith) on a top-notch unit. Given the talent and overall depth, John Harbaugh’s squad should be a viable contender throughout the 2020s.
C.J. Stroud’s immediate success has sped up the timeline for DeMeco Ryans’ process in Houston. The Texans look like one of the AFC’s heavyweights, with a five-star quarterback tossing the rock to dynamic pass catchers (Nico Collins and Tank Dell) who get to learn from a route-running guru (Stefon Diggs) in 2024. The offensive line shows promise, with Laremy Tunsil and Tytus Howard potentially forming an excellent duo on the edges if Howard can have better health luck. On defense, the Texans’ pass rushers (Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson Jr.) complement a talented secondary anchored by a rare shutdown corner with a well-rounded game (Derek Stingley Jr.). If the Texans can flip some of their players classified as GREENs in the above chart into BLUEs (SEE: Jalen Pitre and Azeez Al-Shaair), Ryans could see his team vault to the top of the AFC.
The Packers’ team-building process has drawn the ire of naysayers in the past, but Green Bay’s success in Jordan Love’s first season as QB1 suggests GM Brian Gutekunst knows how to put the puzzle pieces together. The Packers seemingly have the quarterback in place to keep the franchise in contention for the next decade, after signing Love to a mega four-year, $220 million contract extension on Friday. Love is surrounded by an intriguing group of weapons that will help him showcase his skills as a high-end gunslinger. Although the team lacks an established WR1, the strong performances we’ve seen from a series of young pass catchers suggest the Packers’ developmental approach still works in 2024. A stout offensive line anchored by Elgton Jenkins, Zach Tom and Rasheed Walker keeps defenders from disrupting Love’s rhythm from the pocket. It also will pave the way for free-agent addition Josh Jacobs to bludgeon opponents between the tackles. Defensively, the Packers have invested top picks in players with blue-chip potential at marquee spots (pass rusher, off-ball linebacker and cornerback). If Rashan Gary, Kenny Clark, Quay Walker and Jaire Alexander play to their elite potential, the defense could spark Green Bay to a deeper playoff run this time around.
Do not let Aaron Rodgers’ age and injury history keep you from jumping on the Jets bandwagon. Despite the team’s short-term rental of the four-time MVP, New York has collected enough blue-chip players to emerge as a perennial contender with even decent quarterback play. With a true No. 1 receiver (Garrett Wilson), dynamic running back (Breece Hall) and standout blocker (Alijah Vera-Tucker), the Jets' offense is ready to roll, although it would also benefit from Vera-Tucker staying healthy this season. New York’s star-studded defense is good enough to keep the team in contention even if the offense hits a snag. Led by Quinnen and Quincy Williams, C.J. Mosley, Sauce Gardner and Jermaine Johnson II, the unit has the potential to tilt the game in the Jets’ direction with its stellar play. With a talented collection of players in (or entering) their prime years dotting the roster, the Jets are at least dark-horse contenders in the AFC.