The best rosters in the NFC

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CGI_Ram

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http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000484714/article/who-has-the-best-roster-in-the-nfc

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TheSeahawks and the Packers are the class of the NFC until proven otherwise. Free agency didn't change that a bit.

After a fun week recapping all the offseason moves in the NFC during our roster reset series, we have one big takeaway about the second tier of NFC hopefuls: They didn't stand apart. Last year's No. 3 squad, Dallas, took a step back. Philadelphia and New Orleans underwent fascinating makeovers, but are they better? Seattle's former top rival, San Francisco, is going through a mid-life crisis.

The NFL draft will change rosters dramatically, and any mid-April assessment of rosters is bound to look premature. But here's our very early look at what rosters are the best in the NFC:

The Heavyweights
Green Bay Packers, Seattle Seahawks

Writers who pick a team other than Seattle or Green Bay to win the NFC this season will be looking for attention. Of course another team could emerge. Equally surprising stories used to pop up annually in the NFL, although there has been less change among the power elite of late.

The Packers have the best quarterback and retained key free agents like Bryan Bulaga, Randall Cobb, and B.J. Raji. The offense, especially the line, could be in the best shape overall during the Mike McCarthy era. It's hard to see the Packers or the Seahawks fall off hard like the 49ers last season because they have one dominant side of the ball supported with balance.

The Seahawks have a historically great defense with a still-improving quarterback. Jimmy Grahamimmediately upgrades the Seahawks' red-zone offense and fits Russell Wilson's skill set perfectly.Aaron Rodgers has developed into the most reliable weapon in football, but the Packers' defense is talented enough to dominate the NFC championship for 55 minutes. Now they just have to get back in that position.

The Massive Middle
Arizona Cardinals, Philadelphia Eagles, Dallas Cowboys, New Orleans Saints, Minnesota Vikings, Carolina Panthers, Detroit Lions, St. Louis Rams, San Francisco 49ers, New York Giants, Atlanta Falcons

These teams are in order, but the order doesn't matter as much as the size of this group. The 11 teams should all see themselves as playoff contenders. They are also easy to imagine with a losing record if a few things go wrong.

The line between 10-6 and 6-10 in the NFL is a thin one. Dallas had an epic offense last year, but a few less short-yardage pickups in 2015 could expose a defense that is still talent poor. They have one winning season out of four under Jason Garrett. Should we just ignore those other three seasons as indicators for Dallas?

The Cardinals and Eagles lead the list because we believe they have the two strongest overall rosters beyond the top two teams. They can withstand injuries and have strong coaching staffs. Dallas, New Orleans, Carolina and Atlanta all need to be on here because of their quarterbacks. TheFalcons and Saints have major questions on defense, but Drew Brees and Matt Ryan give them a chance to win every week. It's a lot easier to have a bounce-back season when you already have a top-10 quarterback in place.

The Panthers could have the highest ceiling if their defense plays like it did at the end of 2014. TheGiants' offense has the pieces in place to be a top-10 group. Minnesota is building a great defensive line, has a promising young quarterback and should get back one of the greatest running backs of all time in Adrian Peterson. Detroit, St. Louis and San Francisco all still have the pieces in place to have dominant defenses. Nick Foles should be an upgrade on Shaun Hill in St. Louis.

In short: It's April and we don't know anything. But this is a season in which nearly every NFC team should have hope. It wouldn't be crazy to see any of the teams above win 10-12 games. The teams below on the other hand ...

Playing Catchup
Washington Redskins, Chicago Bears, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Yes, these were the three cellar dwellers from a year ago. No, they aren't likely to all remain in the cellar again. That's just not how this works.

The three teams landed in this tier because they have the furthest to go for a playoff spot. We could easily see any of the teams in the tier above winning a playoff game, but it's tougher to imagine with this trio. The Bears and Bucs are in this tier because of roster holes. Tampa continues to re-start on offense, and Lovie Smith's defensive principles hardly took hold last year. Chicago has a quarterback it doesn't want and a defense bereft of talent. Washington brass can't get on the same page regarding their quarterback situation, and the drama feels too familiar.

The top of the NFC feels familiar as well. It's up to the other 14 teams in the NFC to prove us wrong.

The latest Around The NFL Podcast breaks down the latest moves and debates if Michael Bennettshould change his tune on Jimmy Graham. Find more Around The NFL content on NFL NOW.
 

DaveFan'51

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The Massive Middle
Arizona Cardinals, Philadelphia Eagles, Dallas Cowboys, New Orleans Saints, Minnesota Vikings, Carolina Panthers, Detroit Lions, St. Louis Rams, San Francisco 49ers, New York Giants, Atlanta Falcons

These teams are in order, but the order doesn't matter as much as the size of this group. The 11 teams should all see themselves as playoff contenders. They are also easy to imagine with a losing record if a few things go wrong.
I don't agree with this order, but I'm " Bias! ":D
 

snackdaddy

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Unless you have a great defense like Seattle, its all about the quarterback. The Packers have a clear edge with Rogers there, so yes they should be considered a top team. The Saints have a good one too so you can't count them out. Manning can do really well with a good team around him. Romo too.

One thing Seattle did was show everyone you can win without an elite quarterback. Wilson is better than average, but I wouldn't put him in the category of the the QB's I mentioned. I don't think he would be as effective on quite a few other teams. But he fits what they want to do and he doesn't have the pressure of trying to match the other offense.

I do believe the Rams are on the verge of a similar type team with their defense. But I don't care how good the defense is. If the offense doesn't improve they aren't going anywhere. 20 ppg isn't going to get you to the playoffs. Not with today's offenses scoring so much more. And rules always seem to be geared towards an offensive game.

Foles is the guy now. I hope he can be who we think he can be. If not, that fine line will be another 6 or 7 win season.
 

Loyal

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I actually think this article is fair to the Rams....I think the Rams should be more highly rated than a few other teams in the "middle"....

Don't like it? Play better.
 

Memento

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Vikings, Saints, Atlanta, New York, and especially San Francisco (whose only real asset gained this season is Torrey Smith, who will probably struggle mightily with Kaepernick throwing him deep balls instead of Flacco) should be playing catchup. I think you can move the Bucs roster up to "Massive Middle" after the draft, especially if their owners pull their heads out of their asses and draft Winston and build a line around him. Their secondary is actually better without Goldson at safety, they have Lavonte David, Gerald McCoy, and Alterraun Verner as pieces. On the offensive side, they have Evans and ASJ. If the Muscle Hamster bounces back and Charles Sims improves from his rookie year, then they have another piece that's pretty young. And they still have a ton of cap room to play with.

All in all, though...I can't disagree much with this.
 

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Until we prove our promise on the field, we shouldn't and won't get any media hype. We are close, but not there yet.
 

iced

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i can't imagine any nfc south team being ahead of us
 

Memento

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i can't imagine any nfc south team being ahead of us

The Panthers? Definitely ahead of us, especially since they have their franchise quarterback.
 

iced

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The Panthers? Definitely ahead of us, especially since they have their franchise quarterback.

in the biggest joke of divisions that is the NFC South? not in my mind

their only non divisional wins - lions, bears, browns....lions were the only decent team they beat
 

RamFan503

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I may disagree with the ordering of the teams but I do agree with Loyal and FRO. We have to play like we belong at or near the top to be mentioned there. At times, we definitely did. But at times we still found a way to play way beneath what I view as our talent level and abilities. But most of the team will be back and playing together. I think we start flipping the power grid.
 

Robocop

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wow there's a lot of stupidity in that article. SF has the pieces for a dominant defense? ha ok
 

Memento

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in the biggest joke of divisions that is the NFC South? not in my mind

their only non divisional wins - lions, bears, browns....lions were the only decent team they beat

And the season before that, with a healthy Cam Newton, they nearly took it to the eventual Super Bowl champions. They draft for the line, another wideout, and possibly a running back, and they're easily back in business.