NFL Preseason Power Rankings Concerns for Cowboys Ravens

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NFL Preseason Power Rankings: Concerns for Cowboys, Ravens Published: Aug 08, 2017 at 06:25 AM Elliot Harrison The pa sage of weekend means the onset of the preseason -- and our first real Power Rankings of the 2017 . The and . This week, the rest of the league starts playing. That's why I put out an updated edition of the Power Rankings at this time every year. Call it a final snapshot before everyone involved in this industry starts basing opinions off ONfield news. Before we get to the NFL preseason pyramid of succe s, I want to acknowledge the top three things I noticed during the week in Canton: 3) Whoever runs Sour Patch Kids needs to .2) Jimmy Johnson's po sibility turned into an immediate probability (deservedly).1) was indeed splendid. So pa sionate -- which is how the guy played. Absolute - can't believe he wasn't even a finalist ... ask and "If he had stayed, we should have at least 5 " Matthias Miesbauer (@fischerwiesen) Robyn Regehr Men Jersey Matthias checks in from Austria. I mean, he was a great racer with all those Sprint Cup Championships, but that doesnt qualify him for the NFL Hall of Fame matt jennings (@NotMattJ) Matt checks in from Daytona. Both of Johnson's former teams take a dip in the pecking order below, thanks to looming uncertainty on each front. As for the rest, take a gander. Your take is more than welcome at the usual place: . Now, let the di sension commence! The lineup below reflects changes from . News story that slipped under the radar: And while we're at it, enough with the avocado ice cream insults. The same folks who make fun of Brady all the time probably have never won anything in their life, and are standing in line for their double blast caramel macchiato at Starbucks while they are tweeting about Brady's healthy choices. What's really important? Gronk's health, ' a similation to the offense and Stanley Morgan getting into the discu sion. Not budging on the . People want me to drop them because of two reasons: 1) The , which, if you heard , is real. And 2) Steve Sarkisian taking over the offensive command from Kyle Shanahan. Again, fair. Atlanta also added pieces in free agency and has more young talent than any of the elite teams. Like , , , and , to name a few. If you play fantasy or opine on the occasional mutterings from head coach Mike McCarthy, then you probably think is going to put Marshall Faulk to shame this year. Tap the brakes, turbo. Don't sleep on rookie , . In truth, though, with so much focus on Montgomery's acclimation to the offense, attention has been paid to the secondary. That's the group that killed this team and nearly lost a ma sive lead . Injuries, inexperience and a few deep balls were all to blame. With one more year under the collective belt, and the ascending play of , the whole team should benefit. Gonna mi s , the human Swi s Army knife, though. Hearing bigly things about at camp, while Oakland can make a case against any of the teams immediately below. Much like Atlanta, there are league observers who wonder about the shift in offensive philosophy, post-Bill Musgrave. The other side of the ball has been problematic for Jack Del Rio, save for . Still, you don't want to overreact to an unwatchable postseason game in Houston. The did that with , then spent . We saw how that worked out. One last thought: Jr. being healthy could loom large for this team, albeit under the radar. fans are far too cla sy to admit this ... but ... tell me they aren't happy that -- and it's . Word. Maybe Pittsburgh still doesn't win the AFC championship, even with a healthy Bell. OK, but I feel people mi s what a spectacular season he put together. The dude averaged -- AVERAGED -- more than 150 yards per game. The defense still carries a few concerns. Once thought to be a key figure for the future, third-year player . Again. You work so hard to reach a lifetime goal, then can't enjoy or build on it when you get there. It sucks royally. Yes. over . For now. The right side of the offensive line is a concern, as is the running game. Well, the don't prioritize their offensive line. The ' defense -- namely those who aren't suspended or in trouble with the law -- can't compete with either team. All three are more set at quarterback than the . Therein lies the explanation for New York at sixth. The air game could be an air raid, if plays like he did in 2014 and '15, rather than last year's so-so campaign. Weapons? Many. Amidst the headshots, Zeke Elliott non-news stories and speech timers, a small NFL trade was mi sed. Not shocking. The , a special teams ace in K.C. who will help Pete Carroll keep the ' M.O.: Give Seattle's opponents flat nothing on the special teams front, then, with said opponents dealing with oft-poor field position, trot a defense out there that has allowed fewer than two touchdowns and a field goal per game over the last years. It works, apparently. And if runs the clock ... The NFL announced Friday it has of the 2017 season. fans anxiously await an , one way or another. And the secondary is still a concern, with burning a couple of starters and burning a hamstring -- all of which plays second fiddle to Jerry Jones' . Although I was in Canton this weekend, I didn't go to his complete with Jerryism napkins and Justin Timberlake. (I heard J.T. opened with "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.") Jones was entertaining and received much respect from all the Hall of Famers who made the trip. Most important to Dallas fans, by a mile: J.J. gave credit where credit was due -- to the other J.J. Hats off, Jimmy Johnson. </content:power-ranking> We haven't visited the in the Power Rankings since the ouster of GM John Dorsey. And while that might not affect their current standing here too much, it is fair to ponder the direction of the operation, considering the succe s Kansas City has enjoyed over the last few years. One opposing front office exec that he was "shocked" by the divorce, saying Dorsey had built the "top-to-bottom best roster in the league." Moving along ... After spending the week in Canton and talking to a number of senior voters, I can tell you that more former came up than alums of any other franchise. The list of serious candidates we discu sed included Johnny Robinson, Otis Taylor and Deron Cherry. Robinson is the only player to lead both the AFL and NFL in interceptions. It's bull#%$* more former K.C. stars are not in the . Among modern era candidates, Albert Lewis receives no love -- but he was a top-shelf player for a looooong time. Tampa-ites ... Tampa Bay-ans ... (???) ... are pumped for this year's edition. If only it was 1982 again, and you could order Doug Williams PJs from the Sears catalogue. The creamsicle unis might be gone, but the Bucs do have . Coupled with an ascending defense sprinkled with young playmakers (SEE: ), Tampa Bay should challenge for the NFC South crown. The worry was, is and remains running back. Thinking will emerge once again, but I can't crawl inside Dirk Koetter's head, either. Jacquizz? There are two things worth knowing about the that hover over every team in the AFC South: Tenne see is the steadiest outfit, with no GM, head coaching or major personnel lo ses. They have the best quarterback in the division. Now, throw in an accomplished wideout in who, uh, slightly upgraded his work environment this offseason, and you are looking at the 2017 AFC South champs. Until riddles the secondary for 385 and three tugs in Week 6 or 12. Sorry. Go with the previous sentence. Sitting in the pre s box at the Game, myriad thoughts flooded the football brain. 1) The are returning to the postseason (although I worry about the D-line). 2) The right CB position has been discu sed more by fans and media than all the other 31 teams combined. 3) Former Cards great Charley Trippi is the oldest living Hall of Famer and NEVER gets mentioned. 4) I wonder if Bruce Arians ever saw "Star Trek IV." It's the one where Kirk and Spock saved the whales. 5) Really liked the signing. It's a smidge of insurance, with a touch of LaDainian Tomlinson's stop with the . All eyes might be on the if 's foot can hold up, while the persistent , sans a deadline, drags on with the fervor of Tim Tebow baseball updates. Under all that noise is the status of the offensive line. Thought to be the strong point of Jim Caldwell's ball club, threw some Honolulu waves at the hopes of winning the NFC North. Right now, former bust and are battling for the former first-round pick's spot. Get excited. Can't wait to see play. What could po sibly be cooler for fans? and on the same field at the same time. Add a dash of , and I wouldn't be waiting until the 14th round of your fantasy draft to take Houston's D. It's a group littered with first- and second-round picks, and one that finished first Watt. While we're here: rookie RB will surprise a few folks this year. Things just got weird. Before we get to the advent of Jay, let's review: didn't have surgery in the offseason. Truly not that many people noticed. Then, he tweaked his knee, and suddenly everyone had an opinion, including a medical opinion. Even Tannehill, a former pre-med student at Texas A&M, for wanting to be part of the proce s. Then, a four-year-old pic of emerged on Twitter. (Please submerge it now. Thanks.) After all that non-enjoyment came the will he/won't he rumors. ( Dustin Brown Kids Jersey Is an option? It's not.) Cutler is now a Miami Dolphin. So where does this all end up? Where it did last year, with pinch-hitting, trying to get the into the postseason. (Remember, Cutler hasn't logged a 16-game season since 2009. And he's consistently inconsistent.) Given , Washington should get after the quarterback in 2017. With , and at Manusky's disposal, don't anticipate the laying back in a vanilla defense hoping the rush makes QBs a wee bit fidgety. In the NFC East, Washington will need to force the i sue with up-and-coming pa sers and , and given all the weapons in the ' pa sing game, pre suring is a must. Manusky's group might make the difference -- for better or worse -- in the division race. didn't exactly detail quarterbacking on par with John Elway and Craig Morton. One week later, Siemian appears over -- though no one's decisively pulled away yet. As such, the are still the headle s horsemen, a premier defense coupled with an offense that lacks a playoff-caliber quarterback. Unfortunately, even the defense has been weakened, with the news that . Perhaps will emerge, and Denver's defense can pull off the 18.5-points-per-game trick again. But how much can the offense score? The Vikes win the unrankable award for this preseason exercise. Are they "10 wins" good? Do they suck? Will attempt a pa s farther than 5 yards beyond his center's helmet? Will make it back this year? Heck, will he ever play for Minnesota again? Will catch more than one pa s from either QB? We've got questions; nobody has answers. Now, that defense still owns the personnel to be top-five in points allowed. Can't wait to see what produces this season. Saw training camp video of on "Total Acce s" Monday night. The dude is ripped and appears more than ready to carry the load in 2017. That's right: might have to rea se s . McCaffrey brings a versatile skill set that significantly upgrades the explosivene s of this offense. That said, is one of the best power backs of the last 30 years. Head coach Ron Rivera insists his role won't change. Carolina should be able to grind out the clock and relieve the enormous burden consistently carries for this offense. We're seven months removed from the ' last game and three weeks into training camp, and I don't think anyone knows what the running game looks like. That dimension is part of what made Doug Pederson's offense tick in his three seasons as offensive coordinator in Kansas City. We think will likely be the man, but he's 30, hasn't stepped on the scales yet and, unlike last year, won't be playing defenses so focused on the quarterback. is still hanging around. We a sume so the can save money, but stranger stuff has happened with this organization. The more Pederson plays either back, or rookie , or this year's TCHOFer , the le s we'll see of his most effective player from last season: Darren. Sproles. Much hand-wringing going on regarding 's health. Back in June, I told my colleagues on NFL Network to calm down about Luck not throwing. Well, it ain't June anymore, and . The hope for the is that the defense will be improved enough that Luck won't have to pre s constantly ... leaving the pocket to take on a linebacker ... holding the ball a second or three too long ... stuff of that nature. New GM Chris Ballard worked hard to retool the defense in both free agency and the 2017 , but methinks it will take another year of similar effort before Indy's D is where it needs to be. The will be better -- as long as they don' Marian Gaborik Kids Jersey t lose another offensive lineman (or D-lineman, for that matter), in which case New Orleans will go 7-9 again. The good news here is that there is no way the defense is allowing 28 points per game again. If the can even play almost-respectably on that side of the ball, they will compete for a wild-card spot. You know, like maybe if they allow just 25 points per game so that only has to throw for four touchdowns every Sunday instead of five. Not feeling comfortable with the moving up? Me neither. But with the rolling with instead of (for now), and the ' injury rate hovering around one player per hour, Cincy climbs. The perception of certainly took a hit after that hitting "low" surfaced. Looked like a clean tackle ... save for the infinitely small detail that it was a drill. The Marvin Lewis lack-of-team-discipline narrative won't go away until discipline shows up. Using the word "narrative" in sports apparently isn't going away, either. My bad. The are the football world's sleeper team. They're still sleeping. Few teams are strong enough, roster-wise, to lose their first- and second-round picks with no sour aftertaste. ' injury smelled off before the first bite. Someone had to know before he was drafted that , right? is a nice piece, much in the same way is in Dallas. Neither is a WR1, though. The Bolts' No. 1, , mi sed nearly all of last season ... as did the other 20 guys who ended up on IR. Ugh. GM Brandon Beane hasn't been at the new gig for very long, but that was a on Monday. The veteran wideout is 36, but don't worry, he hasn't been fast for 10 years. Boldin's greatest a set is being open when he's covered, i.e., being able to catch the ball in traffic. Last year in Detroit, he was third in red-zone targets (22) and second in red-zone yards (106). He also caught eight touchdown pa ses. Annnd I am still wondering why the didn't re-sign him. Their lo s, man. While reeling over the decision to rank the over the , I reminded myself that all would be OK. After all, while to ses a gaggle of training camp picks, is a man who can keep up with that torrid pace. Jacksonville's defense does look stout on paper, and word out of practice is there is much to be enthusiastic about there. The talented will start Day 1. Thus, some college-level Football Algebra is in order: . Head coach Sean McVay has all but gushed about 's running this summer. Don't blame him. While the quarterback/pa sing-game situation is still in flux, there can be no doubt that McVay and staff will create new avenues for their stud RB to produce. One such avenue will be behind veteran . Besides being All-Pro caliber, the well-over-30-year-old still has quick enough feet. Chargers Melvin Ingram vs LT Andrew Whitworth. J.B. Long (@JB_Long) No right now. Timetable for return: Unknown. No one is (publicly) freaking out yet, but if 's at the helm in the regular season, you might not be able to slip a credit card under 's ascension. The addition of won't mean diddly-poo unle s Mallett improves -- or, as a colleague put it, "If he gets his head out of the clouds." While Mallett's attitude in Houston a couple seasons back, there are few questions regarding his raw talent. Heard 's tearing it up in training camp. Heard isn't. What makes the ' pa sing game intriguing this year is the onslaught of all the newbies. Bear in mind, neither , nor Sanchez were in Chicago last season. Thus, the whole quarterback room is new, and not well-versed in Dowell Loggains' offense. and have caught a lot of NFL pa ses -- Cruz was a bona fide star in NYC -- but they're also getting oriented in Chi Town. Defensively, Chicago might have itself a budding star in , a guy DC Vic Fangio said could be Didn't get as much pushback as expected on . Maybe y'all are hip to my thinking. Remember, Kyle Shanahan in free agency. On Monday night's episode of " Primetime," NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport detailed how well Hoyer knows Shanahan's offense. (Defensive coaches are getting pretty frustrated with the QB's ability to complete pa ses against whatever they throw at him.) Another point worth leaving here: For all the hubbub around 's signing with Miami, don't forget that Hoyer clearly, clearly outplayed him in Chicago last season. His pa ser rating eclipsed Cutler's by . I know it's just the silly old pa ser rating, but come on. returns to the world's consciousne s after . Osweiler says the staff has made him a better player. Nowhere to go but up, considering he ranked 29th in pa ser rating out of the 30 QBs who qualified last season. (He beat Fitzpatrick! Yay!) What does this mean for ? Coming into camp, Kizer was not expected to be a Jedi Master, but rather the naive, golly shucks Luke Skywalker during the first half hour of "Star Wars: Episode IV." The nod to Osweiler, though, speak to not showing the coaching staff much. really stinks. With the departures of and , Enunwa was set to be the ' top target. The former sixth-round pick showed flashes last season (SEE: , ) and was entering a contract year. On a lighter note -- well, make that a heavier and brighter note -- former D-line extraordinaire Joe Klecko might hear his name emerge from the Seniors Committee for the at some point. From what I gathered via senior voters, Klecko -- who played at a level at NT, DT DE -- could be one of the nominees on the agenda at the next meeting of the minds. 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