10 biggest questions for the 2014 NFL season
Super Bowl XLVIII is in the books and the NFL offseason is underway — which just means business as usual at team headquarters around the league.
Waivers resumed Monday. Draft meetings are underway. The scouting combine starts in a little more than two weeks. Then it’s on to the new league year and the start of free agency March 11.
What are the biggest questions for 2014? USA TODAY Sports’ Tom Pelissero ponders them.
1. Can the Seattle Seahawks repeat?
The short answer: Absolutely. They showed Sunday their intimidation can travel and their defense can dominate even the best. There are some tough decisions ahead for general manager John Schneider, who must trim the fat to lock up the likes of cornerback Richard Sherman and safety Earl Thomas for the long haul. But the core will be intact for 2014, and it’s hard to argue that alone won’t make Seattle the best threat in years to go back-to-back.
2. Has the Denver Broncos’ time has passed?
Not unless quarterback Peyton Manning decides to call it quits after one of the worst games in his illustrious career. But the Broncos sure seemed to lack juice on both sides of the ball in Sunday’s Super Bowl against a younger, faster, more physical team. That may have an impact on how John Elway tweaks the roster going forward, given his commitment thus far to investing in experienced depth as long as Manning’s under center.
3. What kind of market will develop in free agency?
Mega-deals were scarce last year and it could be more of the same come March, depending how many of the top players get taken out of the pool via franchise tags and extensions. New Orleans Saints tight end Jimmy Graham tops a list that includes numerous notable names: Michael Vick, Knowshon Moreno, Maurice Jones-Drew, Darren McFadden, Hakeem Nicks, Eric Decker, Anquan Boldin, Branden Albert, Eugene Monroe, Greg Hardy, Michael Johnson, Jared Allen, Brian Orakpo, Brent Grimes, Alterraun Verner, T.J. Ward and Jairus Byrd, among others.
4. Who will be the No. 1 pick?
New Houston Texans coach Bill O’Brien needs a quarterback and can take his pick of Teddy Bridgewater, Johnny Manziel or someone else. But the best player in this draft may not be a QB, raising the possibility Houston could go another direction — Jadeveon Clowney on the same defensive line as J.J. Watt? — or deal down for more bites at the apple. After last season’s plummet to 2–14 that got Gary Kubiak canned, they need plenty of help.
5. Who will be this year’s Kansas City Chiefs?
Don’t sleep on Lovie Smith using his steady personality and experience to straighten out a talented Tampa Bay Buccaneers team, just as Andy Reid did last year in Kansas City. In both cases, the big question is the quarterback — a hole the Chiefs filled via trade for Alex Smith. The Minnesota Vikings don’t have a long-term answer at QB either, but they have enough young play-makers to give them a chance if Mike Zimmer can fix the defense.
6. Who is bound to take a step back?
Losing both coordinators — Zimmer to Minnesota, plus Jay Gruden to the Washington Redskins — will challenge Marvin Lewis and the Cincinnati Bengals to continue their ascent in a division that doesn’t figure to be down for long. Pressure has never been higher on quarterback Andy Dalton after a third straight playoff flop. The Baltimore Ravens should be back in the hunt after a transition year. The Pittsburgh Steelers improved down the stretch. And the Cleveland Browns, for all the weirdness, are building a solid nucleus.
7. Will the Dallas Cowboys finally make their move?
If they don’t, Jason Garrett should be put out of his mediocrity — but the same could’ve been said this past season, when they couldn’t keep the rebuilding Philadelphia Eagles from taking the NFC East. Garrett has to rank near the top of any preliminary hot-seat rankings, alongside fellow 2013 survivors Joe Philbin of the Miami Dolphins and Dennis Allen of the Oakland Raiders.
8. When will young studs get paid?
The window opened Dec. 30 for teams to negotiate extensions with 2011 draft picks — the first group subject to new restrictions under the collective-bargaining agreement. Will teams put enough on the table to secure the likes of Cam Newton, A.J. Green, Patrick Peterson, Julio Jones, Watt, Robert Quinn or Colin Kaepernick for the long haul a year early? The window for exercising fifth-year options on first-round picks’ rookie deals closes May 3.
9. Will instant replay get a facelift?
Commissioner Roger Goodell acknowledged Friday the competition committee will consider whether to centralize at least some aspects of the replay review process. That has the potential to not only improve consistency, but shorten delays as well.
10. Is the NFC poised to regain dominance?
Everyone who said Seahawks-49ers was the real Super Bowl looked smart Sunday in a game that resembled the NFC-dominated mismatches of the 1980s and ’90s. Manning and New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady remain capable of elevating the players around them, but for how long? Andrew Luck is the best hope for the next generation, but there’s work to be done before the Indianapolis Colts can be considered title contenders. Four of the past five titles have gone to NFC teams.
