Are You Ready For Some Football?

Head Coach: Jon Gruden

2020 Record: 8-8

First Round Draft Pick: Alex Leatherwood, OT (17)

Derek Carr had a very good year, but the Raiders defense did not, landing the Raiders at 8-and-8, and out of the play-off hunt. We are generally in favor of beefing up a team's offensive line, and we hope that Leatherwood (who did a very good job protecting Mac Jones at Alabama) is worthy of this pick, but where the Raiders really need help is on the other side of the ball. We were relieved to see Mike Mayock and co. use their next five picks on defensive players, including the excellent Safety Trevon Moehrig, and possibly the best named rookie: Divine Deablo. But it's one thing to draft them, it's quite another to meld them into a consistently-winning team. Dare we say it: it's time for Gruden to earn his record-breaking contract.

Head Coach: Brandon Staley*

2020 Record: 7-9

First Round Draft Pick: Rashawn Slater, OT (13)

* new head coach

Fire the doctor, not the coach! Puncturing the lung of your starting QB 15 minutes before game time can't be OK, but the Chargers stood firmly behind their medical staff when Tyrod Taylor had to be rushed to the hospital and Justin Herbert was rushed onto the field. That freak injury turned into a stroke of luck, because Justin Herbert played lights out, starting 15 games, throwing for 4,336 yards and breaking the rookie record for both touchdown passes (31) and completions (396). But that wasn't enough to save head Coach Anthony Lynn's job, who was fired after missing the play-offs for the second year in a row. With Herbert set as the all-in starter for year two, with Mike Williams and Keenan Allen as his go-to wide receivers, and with the addition of Corey Linsley to shore up the offensive line, the arrow is definitely pointing UP for the LA Chargers.

Head Coach: Sean McVay

2020 Record: 10-6

First Round Draft Pick: No first-round pick

We know Sean McVay is an offensive genius, so we're taking his word on the quarterback swap that sent Jared Goff to Detroit and brought Matt Stafford to LA. McVay transformed the Rams into a consistent play-off contender, and now he's got a gun-slinger behind center. So, step up to the plate, Matt (apologies for the sports cross-over). It's time for you to prove you can be part of a winning franchise. The Rams certainly have some superstars on the defensive squad, with Aaron Donald and Jalen Ramsey - but are there enough offensive tools in the shed for Stafford and McVay to build a Superbowl winning team? Fans are onboard, and football in Los Angeles has suddenly become must-watch TV.

Head Coach: Brian Flores

2020 Record: 10-6

First Round Draft Pick: Jaylen Waddle, WR (6); Jaelen Phillips, Edge (18)

Flores has earned our trust as a talented head coach, but the jury is still out on Tua. We like the decision to draft Jaylen Waddle and reunite the young QB with one of his favorite receivers from college, but we still have to see a level of consistency from Tua that was lacking in his rookie year. The fins were middle of the pack in most stats last year, and it will take a major improvement to keep up with the Bills in their division, never mind the other heavy-hitters in the AFC.

Head Coach: Mike Zimmer

2020 Record: 7-9

First Round Draft Pick: Christian Darrisaw, OT (23)

Always a bride's maid, never a bride? The Vikings enter 2021 pretty much as they have for the past three seasons: good, but not great. Kirk Cousins is ... good. Mike Zimmer is ... good. Dalvin Cook, Justin Jefferson, and Adam Thielen are very good. But the Vikings just can't seem to close the deal. Truth is, despite Mike Zimmer's defensive bona fides, this team was far worse on defense than offense, ranking 27th in yards allowed per game, 29th in points allowed per game, and 28th overall. Signing CB Patrick Peterson is a step in the right direction, and hopefully that will work out better than the short-lived experiment with Yannick Ngakoue last year, but we're not convinced it will be enough to get Minnesota down the aisle.

Head Coach: Bill Belichick

2020 Record: 7-9

First Round Draft Pick: Mac Jones, QB (15)

Tear up those tickets, fellas. Belichick bet on Father Time over Brady and lost. The Patriots didn't win their division for the first time in 12 years, they had a losing season for the first time in 18 years, and - oh yeah - Tom Brady won the Super Bowl. It doesn't get clearer than that. We thought Cam Newton would step in and win, but whether it was a complicated system or a lingering injury, Cam didn't perform. Will he be the guy in 2021? We doubt it. Mac Jones is the perfect QB for Josh Daniels and the Patriots, and we expect him to take the reins before the season is even half-way through. Whether he can become a Super Bowl winning franchise quarterback is another question entirely. Let's face it, TB12 left some very big shoes to fill.

Head Coach: Sean Payton

2020 Record: 12-4

First Round Draft Pick: Payton Turner, Edge (28)

Hats off to Drew Brees. He played extraordinary football in the NFL for 20 years, was an exemplary leader, a fearless competitor, a model father, and a first-ballot Hall of Famer. The records he holds are incredible: most career passing yards (80,358); most seasons with 5,000+ passing yards (5); most completions (7,142); best career completion percentage (67.7%). While records are made to be broken, it will be a long time before one player not named Drew Brees holds all these records. So, now what? Is it Jameis Winston, or Taysom Hill? We vote for Winston, but the Saints seem to have more faith in Hill, if the contracts signed are any indication. (The Saints guaranteed Hill $12 million; and only $5.5 million for Winston.) Either way, Drew Brees is a tough act to follow.

Head Coach: Robert Saleh*

2020 Record: 2-14

First Round Pick: Zach Wilson, QB (2); Alijah Vera-Tucker, OL (14)

* new head coach

We love the hiring of Robert Saleh as the Jets new Head Coach and think he will bring some much-needed leadership, clear-thinking, and a winning-mindset. But is Zach Wilson ready for prime time? By sending Sam Darnold to Carolina, the Jets have pretty much declared that Wilson will be under center Week 1, which is an awful lot to ask for a QB from BYU whose toughest opponent last year was the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers. I mean, when your resume boasts how well you played in the Potato Bowl, maybe it's time to pump the brakes just a bit. The Jets stocked up on young talent in the draft, and even if it takes time for the team to gel, the long-term future looks promising... after drafting 9 rookies in 2021, they have another 11 picks in 2022 -- including two in the first round and two in the second round. Fans just hope some of those top picks turn into long-term starters for the Jets, rather than someone else.

Head Coach: Nick Siriani*

2020 Record: 4-11-1

First Round Draft Pick: DaVonta Smith, WR (10)

* new head coach

Wait, so who is the new Head Coach for the Eagles, again? For that matter, who is the starting quarterback? Having shipped off their Super Bowl winning coach, and both Super Bowl winning quarterbacks (Wentz got them there, and Foles got the win), Philly has clearly hit the reset button for 2021. We like first-round draft pick DaVonta Smith's skillset, but we are worried about him getting mauled in the NFL. More importantly, we're worried about whether Jalon Hurts has the mastery to place the ball where Smith can get it without getting creamed. Eagles fans are relieved the scheduling gods handed them the easiest schedule in the league for 2021, but Coach Siriani will still have hands full turning this team in the right direction again.

Head Coach: Kyle Shanahan

2020 Record: 6-10

First Round Draft Pick: Trey Lance, QB (3)

The Niners made a bold move, trading up to #3 in the draft to take their future franchise quarterback: Trey Lance. While Lance has not matched up against NFL-ready talent by playing at North Dakota State, his impressive ball skills and just-as-impressive football IQ made football-whisperer Kyle Shanahan a believer. And we're inclined to agree. We're also on board with Shanahan's handling of incumbent QB Jimmy Garoppolo, who looks to be handling this draft pick with un-Aaron-Rodgers-like grace and maturity. If Garoppolo can play well enough - and stay healthy enough - to give Lance time to adjust to pro ball, not to mention the healthy return of George Kittle, Nick Bosa and Javon Kinlaw, we are bullish on the 49ers' future.

Head Coach: Pete Carroll

2020 Record: 12-4

First Round Draft Pick: No first-round pick

We've heard the first rumble. After letting Russ cook for the first few games of the 2020 season, Head Coach Pete Carroll shut it down and went back to his run first, (run second, and sometimes run third) offense. And it's finally getting to Russell Wilson. The normally respectful and team-first QB voiced his dissatisfaction with the direction of the team and his lack of opportunity for input. He even hinted he might like to play... somewhere else. Is this the beginning of the end, a la Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers? Unlike the late-career moves by Payton Manning, Brett Favre, and Joe Montana, Wilson is still at the top of his game and fully capable of putting a team on his back on the way to a Super Bowl. Question is: will that team always be the Seattle Seahawks?

Head Coach: Mike Vrabel

2020 Record: 11-5

First Round Draft Pick: Caleb Farley, CB (22)

Tennessee followed up their surprisingly strong 2019 season with a very impressive record in 2020. But some timid decisions (what? we're punting again?) handed the Titans a Wild Card loss and some soul searching for Head Coach Mike Vrabel. So what did Tennessee do? They brought in one of the best receivers in the league: Julio Jones. Combined with the best running back in football, Derrick Henry, that gives the Titans a one-two punch that could just win them the AFC South. The Titans have their work cut out for them on defense, especially when it comes to pressuring the passer, but if Vrabel can shore that up, we see Tennessee punching their ticket for post-season play.

Head Coach: Ron Rivera

2020 Record: 7-9

First Round Draft Pick: Jamin Davis, LB (19)

There were plenty of heart-warming story lines for Washington last year. Head Coach Ron Rivera battled through cancer and chemo, never missing a game; while QB Alex Smith overcame a horrific injury (and life-threatening recovery) to retake the field and play well. But you are what your record says, and for Washington, that meant a sub-500 season and plenty of questions going into 2021. Bringing in Ryan Fitzpatrick makes sense if you have a promising young QB to mentor, but we don't see that guy on the roster yet. (We were rooting for Kellen Mond at pick #51, but Washington chose a tackle in the second round ... and by round 3, all the next level QBs were gone.) So WFT fans are hoping for some Fitz-magic to help keep pace in the NFC East. Washington's stout defense should help them again this year, but we think the 'boys down in Texas are the clear favorites in the division for 2021.