Top Five Turnaround Candidates of 2010

posted by cochise April 7, 2010

Every season in the NFL, a few teams seem to completely turnaround from a disastrous previous season. In the past four years alone, there has been an average of three teams a season that have gone from a losing record in one year to the playoffs in the next.

The exact nature of the turnaround can vary. For instance, the 2008 Panthers, who finished 12-4 with a division crown, ended the 2007 year at 7-9, just a game under .500. On the other hand, the 2008 Dolphins, who finished 11-5 with a division crown, ended the 2007 season worst in the NFL, at 1-15.

With that in mind, here are the five most likely teams, in my opinion, to go from a losing record in 2009 to the playoffs in 2010, ranked from least likely to most. (Note: the record in the parentheses after each team is their 2009 record.)

Kansas City Chiefs (4-12) – The Chiefs are more talented than most people give them credit for. They have a good, young quarterback in Matt Cassel who should only get better. They have a good duo of receivers in Dwayne Bowe and Chris Chambers, and they have a playmaking running back in Jamaal Charles.

If this team drafts smartly, which most expect as they are managed by Scott Pioli, they could be very dangerous in 2010. Their defense might still be a work-in-progress, but as many teams have shown in the past, a great offense can lead a team into the postseason.

Seattle Seahawks (5-11) – The Seahawks are far from the team that once was a perennial playoff team in the mid-2000s, but they play in one of the weakest divisions in the NFL, where any team can have a quick turnaround.

With two draft choices in the top-fifteen of the upcoming NFL draft, the Seahawks can significantly improve if the right choices are made. In my opinion, they either need to focus solely on defense with Berry, if available, and a defensive-end, or on offense with an offensive-linesmen and either C.J. Spiller or Ryan Matthews. Being very good on one side of the ball is more likely to win games than being average on both.

Jacksonville Jaguars (7-9) – I hate putting this team on the list, because in truth there is a lot to dislike about them. Their 7-9 record from 2009 is deceivingly good because the team had so few quality wins. But by finishing last in their division, the Jaguars are guaranteed another comparatively easy schedule to the rest of their division. It isn’t hard to see them winning three more games and going 10-6 next year.

But it also isn’t hard seeing them lose three more games and going 4-12 next year either.

Washington Redskins (4-12) – The Redskins already added Donovan McNabb to their roster, and still have a top-five pick to use in the draft as well. The team also added a new coach, Mike Shanahan, who knows how to create effective offenses. Washington had a good defense last year, and significantly improving their offense could be a great recipe for success in 2010.

Chicago Bears (7-9) – Year one with Jay Cutler was mostly a failure. But now it’s over and the Bears need to forget about it. The truth is that Cutler needs more help on offense, his receivers were mediocre and his running back, Matt Forte, had a very disappointing sophomore slump. But even with so=so performances out of their offensive stars and a season-ending injury to their best defensive player, Brian Urlacher, the Bears still finished 7-9.

Urlacher will be back in 2010, and he’ll be playing next to the Bears’ big free agent addition Julius Peppers. Chicago does play in a division with two other serious playoff threats, but there are no excuses for not making the postseason this year.

So there you have it, five teams that finished with disappointing records in 2009 that may be able to turn it around in 2010. What do you think?

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Bears Spend Frivolously

posted by cochise March 8, 2010

After reaching the Super Bowl in 2006, the Chicago Bears have progressively regressed. They have averaged under eight wins a year in the three years since their loss to the Indianapolis Colts in the big game. So, for the second year in a row, the Bears have once again became the big story of the free agency period.

Last year, the team made its big move by trading for disgruntled Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler. Unfortunately, Cutler turned out to be a turnover machine in Chicago and the team stumbled to a third-place finish in their division. But it wasn’t just Cutler who failed the team. Matt Forte’s steady runs of his rookie year seemed like a distant memory, as he faltered in a sophomore slump. And the team’s defense suffered injuries all year, none more critical than the season-ending one suffered by Brian Urlacher.

Perhaps with all these problems on the back of his mind, Chicago general manager Jerry Angelo signed Julius Peppers, the prize defensive end of the summer, Chester Taylor, a running back who thrived in a backup role in Minnesota for the past three years, and Brandon Manumaleuna, a tight end mainly known for his pass blocking.

Now the Peppers signing was addressed earlier, and if the Bears did indeed tamper it will be a costly contract for them. But the other two moves were both good, and somewhat underrated, moves. The offense should be vastly improved by an improved running game and better blocking.

But the Bears have yet to address their most pressing issue; which is to find Cutler a reliable wide receiver. In Denver, Jay had both Brandon Marshall and Eddie Royal. Cutler’s struggles were not caused by a lack of help, but it sure didn’t help him to go from that pair to Devin Hester and Johnny Knox.

If there is anything clear about Cutler, it is that he cannot thrive in a short-pass offense. He gets too impatient and throws bad passes. Rather than trying to change his mentality, which is very difficult to do, the Bears should bring in personnel to help him. The aforementioned Marshall is on the trading block and available. And even without a first-round pick, the team could find help in the draft as well.

But for now, this is a good start.

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Bears Sign Peppers, Perhaps Tampered

posted by cochise March 5, 2010

In just about every sports league there are rules that govern the contact a player can have with management for other teams. In short, teams are not allowed to talk to players on other rosters to try and entice them to force a trade or sign with them. The problem with this rule, however, is that it is very difficult to enforce. There is no telling what sort of contact a general manager has with a player or his agent. In this day, almost no one is dumb enough to put an under-the-table deal in writing.

Just last year, the Redskins completed a free agent deal with Albert Haynesworth so quickly that tampering was thought to have occured. Haynesworth’s contract had such complicated stipulations, it was next to impossible for Washington to have negotiated and drafted the agreement between the start of free agency and the time he was signed. But, unable to prove anything beyond a doubt, the Tennessee Titans had to eventually let the matter drop.

The truth is that Haynesworth’s and, now, Julius Peppers’ deals are commonplace. Tampering is an offense that I would believe every team in the league is guilty of, that’s just what happens when the rules can’t be enforced. In Peppers’ case, the Chicago Bears were said to have met with his agent, Carl Carey. This wouldn’t be suspicious if Carey had more NFL clients other than Peppers, but he doesn’t. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out what, or who, the Bears and Carey were discussing. And the fact that Peppers signed a six-year deal with Chicago on the first day of free agency, despite being a marquee player that many teams were interested in, should be particularly damning.

But, like other cases before it, there is little doubt in mind that this matter will be forgotten and filed away by the NFL soon enough. Because when it comes to enforcing tampering rules, the league just does not care enough to make an example of an organization. And until they do, the trend of the last few years will continue.

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