8 NFL teams with best chance to build a dynasty

[Florida_Ram]

Eight NFL teams with best chance to build a dynasty
Originally posted on Sportsnaut | By Rachel Wold | Last updated 5/29/18

As we prepare to watch the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors once again square off in the NBA Finals, the idea of sports dynasties springs to mind.

The NFL has obviously boasted its own dominating franchises over the course of time.

Obviously, the New England Patriots fall into this category right now. Quarterback Tom Brady and head coach Bill Belichick share 15 seasons of playoff history and five championships together.


But, news flash: This won’t last forever. New franchises within the league are gaining momentum and are poised for some tremendous success down the road.

Here are eight teams that have the best chance of building dynasties of their own.

Los Angeles Rams

The Rams have constructed a crew that is going to be tough to conquer in the NFC. From the youngest head coach in the NFL to a roster loaded with talent on both sides of the ball, this franchise is trending up in a spectacular way.

Quarterback Jared Goff is proving to be worth the first overall pick the team used in 2016 to take him.

He helped the Rams become the highest-scoring franchise last season. His wide receiving group offers tons of upside and shares the field with last season’s Offensive Player of the Year.

We are talking about the young Todd Gurley, who recorded a league-high 2,093 scrimmage yards, topped off with 19 touchdowns.

On defense, the Rams are equally as impressive. A couple of bold trades scored the Rams one of the best cornerback back duos in the league, featuring Marcus Peters and Aqib Talib.

The team also improved its front seven by adding defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh to join Aaron Donald and Co.

This team should be in full overdrive mode by the time it settles into its new stadium in 2020.

Houston Texans

Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports
When all components of this team are healthy, the Texans should not be underestimated as they pave their path for success for years to come. A defense showcasing defensive end, J.J. Watt, linebackers Whitney Mercilus and Jadeveon Clowney, and new safety Tyrann Mathieu will cause opposing offenses to punch the panic button.

On offense, the Texans earned an A+ grade when they drafted quarterback Deshaun Watson 12th overall in 2017. He is on course to return healthy, and at only 22 years old, the league is his to take by storm.

Watson will look to build on his rookie campaign and his record-breaking 19 passing touchdowns, which he accomplished in only seven games. Surely, wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins will continue to help his quarterback out in this department. He scored a league-leading 13 touchdowns in 2017.

This is an up-and-coming Texans franchise that is heading into dynasty mode.

Philadelphia Eagles

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Of course the winner of Super Bowl LII makes our list. The Eagles are stacked in every department, and the rest of the NFC East should be jealous. It was meant to be that quarterback Carson Wentz was thrust into the starting job his rookie year.

He has only continued to improve, passing for 33 touchdowns compared to only seven picks in 11 games prior to tearing his ACL last season. And, what team wins a Super Bowl with a backup quarterback under center? A sound offensive line in addition to a solid rushing game and talented receiver corps helped accomplish this task.

On defense, this is a unit that outfoxed the GOAT in the ultimate championship battle. This game-stopping group consists of stars such as defensive tackle Fletcher Cox, defensive end Brandon Graham and safety Malcolm Jenkins.

There should not be much that slows down this gang — expertly coached by Doug Pederson — for years to come.

Kansas City Chiefs

Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
Talk about an AFC team that will give its competition fits for the foreseeable future. The Chiefs are entering a new era as the young Patrick Mahomes, at the age of only 22, takes over. Mahomes, who passed for an NCAA-high 5,052 yards in 2016, inherits some amazing playmakers.

Wide receivers Tyreek Hill and Sammy Watkins, who both averaged over 15 yards per catch last season, are perfect fits for Mahomes and his strong arm. On the ground, second-year running back Kareem Hunt should continue to exhaust his defenders. He averaged a stout 4.9 yards per carry in his rookie debut. We also must mention tight end Travis Kelce, who is a red-zone beast.

On the other side of the field, the Chiefs made some key offseason moves to stack their defense. They added nose tackle Xavier Williams and linebacker Anthony Hitchens. They also spent five draft picks on some defensive rookie reinforcements.

This group might easily be the franchise to beat in the AFC West starting this fall.

San Francisco 49ers

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
If quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo plays anything like the small sample size we saw last year, the 49ers are in excellent shape. Garoppolo managed a perfect five-game record and completed an impressive 67.4 percent of his passes after taking over as the team’s starter in Week 12.

He is surrounded by plenty of receiving talent, including some second-year guys in that of Trent Taylor and George Kittle, who should only continue to flourish in the years to come. A youthful running back committee headlined by Jerick McKinnon will keep the offense balanced.

Defensively, the 49ers drafted a small army of rookies to stockpile for future success. On top of this, 49ers fans are embracing cornerback Richard Sherman’s next NFL adventure in the Bay Area.

So far, the 49ers organization deserves major kudos for giving Kyle Shanahan a chance to remold a team that was a major dumpster fire three seasons ago.

Cleveland Browns

Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
Speaking of disasters, this might be the season the Browns start getting some things right. Cleveland is staged for future success if everything goes according to plan. The Browns drafted the quarterback they felt was best-suited to become the face of the franchise.

Baker Mayfield has the talent and capabilities to eventually fill the role. In the meantime, quarterback Tyrod Taylor is a suitable starter. He is significantly better than any of the quarterbacks that have been under center in Cleveland over the last several years.

Wide receiver Jarvis Landry teaming up with Josh Gordon is something even non-Browns fans can’t wait to see. There is also everything to love about Carlos Hyde headlining a cast of running backs that includes Georgia’s Nick Chubb and Duke Johnson.

When it boils down to the Browns defense, they scored receiving cornerback Damarious Randall in a trade with the Green Bay Packers. They also did well drafting corner Denzel Ward in the first round. Plus, last year’s No. 1 overall pick, pass-rusher, Myles Garrett, will only get better.

If the Browns cannot start gaining a leg up in the AFC North, they might as well throw in the towel for good.

Minnesota Vikings

Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports
Switching gears to the NFC North, the Vikings are poised for brilliant success. They sport a defense that was downright scary after it gave up only 15.8 points on average per game last year.

A major win this offseason was the team adding defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson to the mix. The Vikings also increased their depth at cornerback by drafting Central Florida’s Mike Hughes in the first round.

On offense, all the chips were moved to the center of the table when the Vikings inked a deal with the most desirable free agent in the league. Quarterback Kirk Cousins has many seasons of play left in him at the mere age of 29. He will benefit from some Vikings playmakers who rate much higher in our book than his former Washington Redskins teammates did.

Vikings fans should be very excited watching Cousins in action with receivers Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen. Second-year running back Dalvin Cook returning is the icing the cake.

This franchise possesses all the components to begin a dynastic run.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
After a tremendous season that last saw the Jags record 65 total points against the Pittsburgh Steelers and New England Patriots, anything is possible moving forward.

The Jaguars should not be underestimated after producing a 10-6 playoff record. Quarterback Blake Bortles should continue to improve after last completing his best percentage of passes to date. Continuing to have running back Leonard Fournette behind him will only help.

Meanwhile, the Jaguars’ defense is top shelf and runs like a well-oiled machine. It challenged any team it met last year and ceded only 16.8 points per contest. Opposing quarterbacks took hits left and right against this fierce unit, which registered 55 sacks in 2017.

Not much should change with this situation any time soon. At the same time, young defensive backs A.J. Bouye and Jalen Ramsey will continue to be nightmares in coverage.

Look for the Jaguars to continue keep trending up in the AFC for the foreseeable future.
https://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/arti...t_chance_to_build_a_dynasty/s1_12680_26522729

 

[RamBall]

Some of that list makes the writer look intelligent, and some of not so much. Cleveland, sf and kc still have a lot to prove if they are going to be winning teams, nowhere close to dynasty material at this time. One could make an argument supporting the rest of the list.

 

[1maGoh]

She lost all credibility when he said Cleveland. I wouldn't trust her opinion on what she wants for breakfast after that.

 

[Faceplant]

Are they not all different contributes per entry? Looks like a different writer per team.

 

[Mackeyser]

Yeah, Ken Blaze from USA Today was the writer for the Cleveland portion.

Also, we don't know. Cleveland has had a TON of draft capital in recent years and if they hit on Ward like NO hit on Lattimore, well, we saw what a huge difference he made.

If a few more young picks really step up, Cleveland is in a nice situation to see some really nice gains and build on those.

And that division isn't the NFC North or South which are just brutal right now.

I mean, I don't think Cleveland is in position to become a dynasty. I don't.

I think from that list, you really have 5 that meet the criteria: LA, Philly, Minny, Houston, and Jax.

KC might make that list if Mahomes pans out.
SF might make that list if Jimmy G pans out.
Cleveland might make that list if a number of their draft picks/trades pan out.

But none of those three ARE SET NOW.

Still, other than that the article got a little ambitious with including some "potentials", no one knows.

 

[wolfdogg]

Well its easy to say the reigning champs with their young qb is a potential dynasty. And the Vikings rams chiefs and jags are pretty easy bets, so I like that the writer went with a few potential up and comers, even though the niner mention makes me wince and want to hate her. But, she's right about the jags and Houston.

I'll abstain from any niner opinion other than to say they will likely get their qb knocked out of at least one game against the rams and that they have no chance of winning the west. The only potential dynasty they are looking at is playoffs via wildcard

 

[1maGoh]

My bad. I saw the name at the top and assumed she wrote it all. I actually started out aiming it was a dude, decided that was sexist, looked at the top, then changed it.

Now it looks like I'm sexist because I said some lady didn't know about football when it was a dude who said it. Everyone is an "it" from now on.

 

[Loyal]

She lost all credibility when he said Cleveland. I wouldn't trust her opinion on what she wants for breakfast after that.

Yeah, I was with the story until i saw the Cleveland Browns uni scroll up......I felt like I got punked..lol

 

[Prime Time]

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap30...st-talented-teams-eagles-jaguars-lead-the-way

NFL's 10 most talented teams
By Gil Brandt

Talent is not necessarily a guarantee of success in the NFL, where injuries, bad luck and, yes, kickers can derail the hopes of even the most imposing preseason juggernaut. But while we continue to count down the days until the on-field chaos can be unleashed, let's consider what we know now, in June, and take a look at the 10 most talented teams overall.

RANK 1


EAGLES

It can be hard for Super Bowl winners to sustain success, especially with other teams flocking to poach your assistants, scouts and coordinators. It's a price you have to pay, and the reigning champs -- who lost Frank Reich and John DeFilippo to the Colts and Vikings, respectively -- are no exception.

Luckily for Philadelphia, this team has tons of on-field talent. Quarterback Carson Wentz was a leading MVP candidate before hurting his knee last season. Zach Ertz is one of the top five tight ends in football. Lane Johnson (one of the top right tackles around), Jason Peters, Jason Kelce and right guard Brandon Brooks (one of the most underrated linemen in the game) anchor the O-line.

The defensive line -- led by Fletcher Cox, Brandon Graham and Derek Barnett -- is very strong. Malcolm Jenkins is a difference-maker, and then there are veterans like Michael Bennett, Chris Long and Nigel Bradham.

Philly also smartly lined up young guys to elevate over the older players on their way out, like second-year player Sidney Jones replacing Patrick Robinson. Or consider Barnett essentially stepping in for cap-casualty Vinny Curry -- if you think about it like a trade, with Barnett coming back in a swap for Curry, you'd do that deal in a minute.

RANK 2


JAGUARS

One year after ranking sixth on offense and second on defense, the Jaguars remain loaded with blue-chip talent at every level -- including cornerback Jalen Ramsey and defensive lineman Calais Campbell, both top-five players at their respective positions. The offensive line got a big upgrade when Jacksonville shelled out big bucks to sign guard Andrew Norwell, who will fit well on a unit that also includes Cam Robinson, a standout player drafted in the second round in 2017.

Quarterback Blake Bortles remains the main question mark, but I think offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett's skill at developing quarterbacks will be made apparent by Bortles' continued improvement in 2018. With Allen Robinson and Allen Hurns both gone, Keelan Cole will have to come through at receiver, though I think Marqise Lee will keep trending in the right direction.

And, of course, there's Leonard Fournette and the top-ranked running game. Finally, the Jags' first four draft picks this year -- defensive tackle Taven Bryan, receiver D.J. Chark, safety Ronnie Harrison and offensive tackle Will Richardson -- were strong and will further boost this squad.

RANK 3


RAMS

The Rams simply made one great move after another this offseason. New additions Marcus Peters and Aqib Talib are excellent cornerbacks, while new receiver Brandin Cooks will further stretch opposing defenses. Free-agent signee Ndamukong Suh is a great player who will team with Aaron Donald up front to make life miserable for offenses across the NFL.

Jared Goff and Todd Gurley headline a Rams roster that was already one of the best in the NFL in 2017 -- adding Peters, Talib, Cooks and Suh should only make this squad better.

And here's an interesting wrinkle to the Rams' moves: Unlike traditional free-agent signings, they won't count against Los Angeles when compensatory picks are awarded for the 2019 NFL Draft, meaning the team was able to bring in big-time offseason help while preserving its chance to be handed some extra choices next year. (Suh's signing doesn't count against the Rams because his previous team, the Dolphins, released him.)

RANK 4


VIKINGS

Case Keenum was a good quarterback for the Vikings in 2017, but Kirk Cousins will, in the long run, be more reliable and consistent, both over the course of the regular season and in terms of playoff potential. It's hard not to like this move for an offense that already ranked 11th overall after having Keenum at the helm for most of last year.

And I think Minnesota made a good contingency move in acquiring backup QB Trevor Siemian. Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen offer serious playmaking ability, but the receiver depth chart beyond those two is probably the weakest part of this team.

Having Dalvin Cook healthy for a full season at running back will only further enhance this attack. As for the No. 1 ranked defense, adding Sheldon Richardson -- who has proven Pro Bowl talent -- is almost unfair.

RANK 5


TITANS

General manager Jon Robinson deserves a lot of credit for taking what was probably one of the worst teams in the NFL in 2015 and turning it into a legitimate Super Bowl contender three years later. The ground attack features a pair of studs in Derrick Henry and Dion Lewis, while the 13th-ranked defense -- which was led by Jurrell Casey and Kevin Byard -- will get a boost from the additions of free-agent Malcolm Butler and rookies Rashaan Evans and Harold Landry.

I'm counting on Marcus Mariota taking another step forward at quarterback, and I'm placing my faith in new offensive coordinator Matt LaFleur to help this offense develop further. The offensive line is very, very good -- Taylor Lewan and Jack Conklin are among the best in football. Receiver is something of a question mark, but I think Corey Davis has a chance to show something if he can stay healthy. Mike Vrabel will be phenomenal as a head coach.

RANK 6


CHARGERS

Age still hasn't caught up with 36-year-old QB Philip Rivers, who led the NFL's top passing attack in 2017. The Chargers should and will be even better in the passing game in 2018, even with Hunter Henry lost to a torn ACL.

2017 first-rounder Mike Williams, whose rookie season was stunted by a back issue, will get a chance to show what he can do alongside Keenan Allen (who is as good as any receiver in the NFL), Travis Benjamin and Tyrell Williams. Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram comprise the best pass-rushing tandem of 4-3 ends working today, while rookie Derwin James should be an immediate starter at strong safety, providing a serious upgrade for a defense that already promised to pose a stout challenge to opponents.

RANK 7


SAINTS

The Saints absorbed much criticism for expending serious draft capital to add an unproven pass-rushing talent in Marcus Davenport in the first round. But to me, it was a good move, because the thing this defense needed was a pass rusher, and Davenport checks all the boxes except for the one next to "high-level experience." If defense has been the Saints' failing in years past, it wasn't last year and shouldn't be this year.

A fantastic batch of rookies -- including Defensive Rookie of the Year Marshon Lattimore and Marcus Williams -- contributed to that unit's surprisingly good showing in 2017. The additions of veterans Demario Davis, Patrick Robinson and Kurt Coleman will only help.

Offense, of course, has never really been an issue during the Asshole Face- Drew Brees era, and that won't change now, even with Mark Ingram suspended for the first four games of the season. With the Bucs, Browns, Falcons and Giants in that stretch, New Orleans should emerge 2-2, at worst. Offensive Rookie of the Year Alvin Kamara remains a shining light. And really, when Brees is under center, you always have a chance to be great.

RANK 8


FALCONS

The offense ranked eighth in 2017 -- and that could be considered a disappointment, given the level of talent on this unit. I think that relative underperformance can partly be blamed on the need to adjust to new offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian. But Sarkisian is a very good coach who is basically doing the same things his predecessor, current 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan, was doing, with rhythm being the main difference -- I figure everyone will be on the same page this season.

The guards also struggled in 2017, so the Falcons went out and got Brandon Fusco, a veteran who can play anywhere on the line. Rookie receiver Calvin Ridley should make the passing game even better.

The key for the ninth-ranked defense will be the continued improvement of youngsters Keanu Neal, Deion Jones and Takk McKinley. Vic Beasley will move back to being a 4-3 edge rusher, which is the position he was in when he racked up 15.5 sacks in 2016. After a down year, quarterback Matt Ryan will revert to the mean -- which, for him, means returning to MVP-status. And then there's receiver Julio Jones, who will go down as one of the top 10 receivers of all time.

RANK 9


STEELERS

The Steelers basically have a Pro Bowl-caliber player at every position on offense other than tight end -- and even there, I think Jesse James is an emerging player. It's tough to find a more imposing set of triplets than Ben Roethlisberger at QB, Le'Veon Bell at RB and Antonio Brown at WR.

Losing linebacker Ryan Shazier to injury does really set the defense back, but the unit still features studs like Cameron Heyward, Stephon Tuitt and T.J. Watt. Defensive backs coach Tom Bradley, meanwhile, is going to further help the defense -- he could be a coordinator somewhere.

RANK 10


GIANTS

It might be shocking to see a three-win team on this list, even with all the buzz generated by rookie Saquon Barkley. But as I've written previously, Barkley is the best RB prospect I've graded in recent memory. Between Barkley and new left tackle Nate Solder, the Giants' offense is on the verge of imitating the defense's own free-agency-and-draft-fueled turnaround of two years ago.

Barkley should top 1,000 yards while pushing for Offensive Rookie of the Year, while Odell Beckham will be healthy again and tight end Evan Engram serves as a real matchup nightmare for people in coverage. Eli Manning might be in his late 30s, but I still think he's three to four years away from the end. In short, New York has a chance to emulate Philly's worst-to-first run from last year -- especially if the Giants can master the Eagles in their head-to-head matches this season.

 

[badnews]

The Jags are a really talented team, but no, they are not more talented than the Rams.

If they want to put the Eagles over us, fine, they are the current champs... but my inner-Homer thinks we will have the most talented 53 men in 2018.

 

[Farr Be It]

The Jags are a really talented team, but no, they are not more talented than the Rams.

If they want to put the Eagles over us, fine, they are the current champs... but my inner-Homer thinks we will have the most talented 53 men in 2018.

The good news is that I agree, Bad News. Top to bottom, I do not think there is a question that we have the best roster. Special teams is often dismissed in these rankings.

You take the 53-man rosters into consideration, it is the Rams, then a handful of arguable #2s.