NFL Power Rankings: Post-draft edition

[YardRat]

http://nfl.si.com/2014/05/21/nfl-power-rankings-post-2014-nfl-draft/

5. New England

“Well, I feel like we improved our team today,” Bill Belichick said to open his post-draft press conference. “We’ll see how it all goes.”
Nonchalant but apropos given the Patriots’ draft strategy, which fell somewhere between speculative and fruitless. A star or two may emerge — Dominique Easley being the leader in the clubhouse. For now, though, the Patriots will go to battle with a roster that’s one Darrelle Revis-for-Aqib Talib switcheroo from looking almost identical to the 2013 version. Of course, that team came within one win of a Super Bowl berth.


16. New York Jets
Good news: Rex Ryan confirmed during the NFL meetings in March that he still had that Mark Sanchez tattoo (https://twitter.com/DonBellONFOX/statuses/367702009064861697) on his right arm. Better news, for the Jets and Ryan: Sanchez’s spot on the depth chart now belong to Michael Vick, who might elevate this team to the playoffs if he can surpass Geno Smith.


22. Miami
The Dolphins have finished 6-8, 7-9 or 8-8 in each of the past five seasons, with the lone .500 mark landing last season. Here’s a prediction: Miami will not be stuck in average-team purgatory this year. Whether that means a 10-win season and postseason breakthrough or a slip down the charts spurred by O-line issues remains to be seen.


29. Buffalo
The trade for Sammy Watkins gives off the impression that the Bills view themselves as far closer to contention than most outside of Buffalo do. Keep in mind that this is still an extremely youthful team and that many key positions — QB EJ Manuel and defensive leader Kiko Alonso were 2013 draft picks — were filled in the past three years. Can the pieces click quickly enough to make this season interesting?

Well, according to SI's 'experts', apparently we spent the off-season getting worse.

[gr8slayer]

Took the words right out of my mouth.
We suck till proven otherwise. It's the only rational way to look at it.

[Ingtar33]

well... i can't say we got noticeably better...

[swiper]

Gotta wait and see.

[Homegrown]

Took the words right out of my mouth.

ah...a Meat Loaf reference

[Meathead]

i got your meatloaf right here

[swiper]

7. The five teams with the longest odds to win the Super Bowl are all in the AFC.


http://usatftw.files.wordpress.com/2013/12/usatsi_7575131.jpg?w=1000&h=784Share this image:








(http://ftw.usatoday.com/2013/12/rex-ryan-new-york-jets-gifs-keeping-job/nfl-new-york-jets-at-baltimore-ravens#main)(USA TODAY Sports)

Every NFC team has better odds to win the Super Bowl than the New York Jets (66/1), Buffalo Bills (75/1), Tennessee Titans (75/1), Oakland Raiders (100/1) and Jacksonville Jaguars (150/1).

http://ftw.usatoday.com/2014/05/nfl-super-bowl-odds-2014-2015-johnny-manziel-prop-bets

The common thread is that all five teams have QB problems.

[Skooby]

We do have a problem, 14 years a running.

[DraftBoy]

You can debate till your blue in the face whether we got better and if you agree we did then by how much. For me the biggest thing was that the team was finally aggressive. Been a long time since we've seen that and that's a positive change.

[TacklingDummy]

You can debate till your blue in the face whether we got better and if you agree we did then by how much. For me the biggest thing was that the team was finally aggressive. Been a long time since we've seen that and that's a positive change.

How exactly can someone debate the Bills got better? By counting on rookies?

[better days]

How exactly can someone debate the Bills got better? By counting on rookies?

Yes. Talented Rookies.

As well as FA's signed such as Spikes, Graham, Williams, & Rivers as well as the trade for Bryce Brown.

[Fletch]

The trade for Sammy Watkins gives off the impression that the Bills view themselves as far closer to contention than most outside of Buffalo do.

Therein lies the key right there.

Objective fans here see what "most outside of Buffalo do" too. Yet, there's something wrong with all of us.

Once again, there is absolutely no NFL precedent whereby a rookie WR comes in and makes the kind of impact to take a losing team to a winning record, much less to the playoffs.

Of course all that's going to change this year in Buffalo. Could be why we're in the situation we're in, constantly playing the worst odds in the business.

I'm just curious what the reaction will be for the Whaley supporters when precedent is, once again, not set here in Buffalo (and it's laughable that it would be) and he'll have whiffed on his first two 1st-rounders directly publicly credited to him.

I suppose it will make the loss of next year's 1st-rounder that much more insignificant.

[Fletch]

You can debate till your blue in the face whether we got better and if you agree we did then by how much. For me the biggest thing was that the team was finally aggressive. Been a long time since we've seen that and that's a positive change.

Depends upon how you define aggressive.

I thought that the Spiller pick was aggressive, as was selecting Manuel last year at 16th.

We traded up for someone not that many years ago who was a bust also, I forget who it was. Was it McCargo? That was aggressive too.

"Aggressive" is just one of those words that's among the Bills' buzzwords du jour. Remember when Trent Edwards was annointed the next great one by Bill Walsh and everyone swooned over the fact that he had poise in the pocket.

Aggressive schmaggressive, ... win or [Whaley] get TF out. You've said that this "aggressive" move was going to propel us to the playoffs, now if you don't make 'em, or at least don't post 9 wins, then you have no credibility left Doug, plain and simple!

Frankly, I'd like to hear the words "common sense" after one of our drafts. Or words like "crafty," or "shrewd." "Gutsy," "aggressive," "bold" don't cut it for me.

As well, I'd love to hear about all of the WRs in the NFL whose success in college was predicated upon bubble screens.

What I don't understand is how "aggressive," "gutsy," and "bold" somehow translate to "positive." Maybe you can explain it to us.

For some reason some seem to think that trading away the future for risky choices is somehow good.

The most appropriate word is "incredibly risky." Two words, sorry. The next words that come to mind are "without any NFL precedent." The next in the logical string are "foolish" and/or "stupid."

[justasportsfan]

I usually don't care for rankings. People on here had the bills winning 2-4 games last year. However, for arguments sake, those who say that we suck until proven otherwise should consider that the same goes for teams like the jags.

Didn't we sweep the fins with Thad Lewis? Didn't we beat the snot out of the jets in our last game? What have they done in the off season to be ranked 16? The writer mentioned the browns having a rookie , HC and QB and NO receivers yet they are ranked above the bills.

[MikeInRoch]

It wasn't all that distant in the past that the Bills had a 3-0 start, and had just beat the Patriots. We were near the top of every power rankings poll. We all know how that turned out.

[justasportsfan]

No one's saying it doesn't apply to the jags. The Dolphins and Jets were better teams last year, regardless of h2h. You are what ur record says u are
If you are what your record says you are then how are the jets ranked higher than the chiefs? How are the jags ,browns ,bucks and vikes ranked higher than the bills?

[stuckincincy]

If you are what your record says you are then how are the jets ranked higher than the chiefs? How are the jags ,browns ,bucks and vikes ranked higher than the bills?

The Bills have had one winning season...9 and 7 in 2004 in 14 years and no playoff games. I'd question the sanity of anybody that would rank the Bills above anybody given history. Ugly truth, but truth nonetheless.

[Fletch]

I usually don't care for rankings. People on here had the bills winning 2-4 games last year. However, for arguments sake, those who say that we suck until proven otherwise should consider that the same goes for teams like the jags.

Didn't we sweep the fins with Thad Lewis? Didn't we beat the snot out of the jets in our last game? What have they done in the off season to be ranked 16? The writer mentioned the browns having a rookie , HC and QB and NO receivers yet they are ranked above the bills.

Some people don't care for baseless reasoning.


Didn't we sweep the fins with Thad Lewis?

The Fins also beat New England. So what's your point again? Is Lewis starting again this year, I must've missed that.


Didn't we beat the snot out of the jets in our last game?

... and lost to them in another. I thought that a loss was a loss? The Jets also beat New England. So what's your point again?


What have they done in the off season to be ranked 16?

Cleveland drafted arguably the most prolific QB this Draft and a genuine and legitimate, not contrived, 1st-rounder. The Jets are far better coached


What have they done in the off season to be ranked 16? The writer mentioned the browns having a rookie , HC and QB and NO receivers yet they are ranked above the bills.

The Jets beat 4 playoff teams. The Fins beat 2 playoff teams. We beat one playoff team only early in the season when that team was struggling.

The Jets signed Giacomini to an already decent OL that battered us last season in the running game to the tune of 316 yards in 2 games by two RBs named Ivory and Powell, not exactly household names in the NFL. They also signed Decker. They also drafted Boyd whom I think is going to be no worse than Manuel. Calvin Prior should start right away for them too.

The Fins signed a whole bunch of solid players in free agency including Brandon Albert OT and two other about average linemen. They also have Tannehill, we have Manuel.

While you may not like it, those are answers to your question.

Both teams have been posting better records than us for years.

[Thunderkyss]

I'm not a Bills fan. I do like Sammy Watkins & think he's going to kill in the NFL.

I don't think there was another WR close to him as a prospect in this "deep WR" draft.

But Calvin Johnson hasn't had a winning season yet, so...

Still, I think things are looking up for Buffalo. I think Ej Manuel is the real deal & I still like your coaching staff. Giving up next year's first is questionable, but you got your guy & that's all that really matters.

Things don't always make sense y'know. In this league, 1+1 isn't always two.

[YardRat]

History has almost a zero effect on how a team might perform in an upcoming season, that's the nice thing about sports...everybody starts with a clean slate, every year. Granted, wild swings in results aren't necessarily the norm from year to year, but every season there are a couple of teams that significantly under or over perform expectations.