The NFL Offseason has flown by. Although only 58 days have passed since the Kansas City Chiefs took down the San Francisco 49ers to officially commence their dynasty, teams have begun to return to their practice facilities.
Three teams have already begun their offseason activities, and another four will open theirs this week. All seven of these clubs face critical junctures this offseason as they look to get off on the right foot with their new Head Coaches.
NFL Offseason: Who is Starting Team Activities?
Per NFLPA rules, clubs that have hired a new head coach cannot start their offseason programs until the first Monday of April. These programs are also voluntary for the time being, but will eventually become mandatory the further the rest of this offseason progresses.
Three teams commenced their offseason programs last week: the Washington Commanders, Los Angeles Chargers, and Atlanta Falcons. This week, the New England Patriots, Carolina Panthers, Seattle Seahawks, and Tennessee Titans will join them.
All seven changed head coaches this offseason. While Raheem Morris, Dan Quinn, and Jim Harbaugh have been NFL coaches before, the other four — Dave Canales, Jerod Mayo, Mike Macdonald, and Brian Callahan — are engaging in a new world as they start their tenures as Head Coaches for the very first time.
These Teams Have Already Made Major Moves This Offseason
All seven clubs have made some form of significant move this offseason. Perhaps the biggest of all of them was former Vikings star Kirk Cousins leaving to join Atlanta, a move he hopes will allow him to finish his career there. Dan Quinn and the Commanders have paved the path that will most likely end with the club drafting a rookie at the second overall pick. The Titans traded for Calvin Ridley.
The Panthers and Chargers made significant trades to send some of their best players to other clubs. The Panthers engaged with the Giants to send Brian Burns to New York early in Free Agency, and the Chargers followed suit by sending Keenan Allen to Chicago not long after.
What Comes Next For these Teams in the NFL Draft?
The NFL Draft is the next step of this offseason, and we can already state that the Carolina Panthers will not get to select any top-flight players after the franchise’s trade for Bryce Young in 2023. The Washington Commanders and New England Patriots are highly likely to consider selecting quarterbacks at the 2nd and 3rd overall selections, while the Seahawks face an uncertain future at their signal-caller position with Geno Smith presumably holding down the fort at the position for the time being.
The Falcons and Titans may not opt to draft a quarterback this time around, but they will seek to address their other skill positions of importance. The Chargers–of whom new coach Harbaugh has openly suggested “has the #1 pick”, will likely be in the business of selecting a Wide Receiver or Georgia’s Brock Bowers.
2024 NFL Season Outlooks for these Seven Teams
The current over/under win totals for these teams are as follows:
Washington Commanders: 6.5
New England Patriots: 5.5
Carolina Panthers: 4.5
Tennessee Titans: 6.5
Atlanta Falcons: 9.5
Los Angeles Chargers: 8.5
Seattle Seahawks: 7.5
The Falcons presently stand the best chance of finally seeing a turnaround in 2023, after three consecutive seasons of only recording seven victories and failing to win a weak NFC South. The Panthers and new HC Dave Canales need to work closely with Bryce Young to finally start turning him in the right direction for year two. Jim Harbaugh will look to turn the Chargers around as fast as he had done with the 49ers a decade ago, while Seattle and Mike Macdonald look to make it a third consecutive winning season.
Regardless of what is to happen as the rest of this offseason wears on, watch these seven clubs very closely in 2024 and beyond.