CHICAGO

CB JAYLEN JOHNSON’s absence from OTA’s may or may not be contract related.  But he says he will be seen next week.  Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times:

Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson doesn’t plan to remain away from practice for long.

He told ESPN Radio’s “Keyshawn, J-Will and Max” on Thursday morning that he “for sure” plans to attend voluntary OTAs starting next week after spending time with his daughter in his hometown of Fresno, California. He’ll attend a charity golf tournament there Saturday.

The Bears will hold their final OTAs next week and a three-day mandatory minicamp the following week before breaking for the summer.

Johnson has not practiced during the first two weeks of OTAs. Coach Matt Eberflus said Wednesday that Johnson would “hopefully . . . potentially” arrive for the last parts of OTAs. He had been participating in team meetings via Zoom and watching practice film on his own, but Eberflus called being at Halas Hall “invaluable” experience.

Coordinator Alan Williams and new cornerbacks coach Jon Hoke echoed Eberflus, saying on-field participation was important.

A 2020 second-round pick, Johnson is entering the last year of his rookie contract and wants an extension. He told the radio show he felt some pressure entering last season because of the potential for an offseason deal but has learned to focus on the right things.

“With winning comes paychecks,” he said. “I need to focus on winning. That’s what I’m worried about going into Year 4.”

The Bears are eager to see him in person.

“Good football player,” Hoke said Wednesday. “Works at it. You can tell he’s instinctive. He has good athletic ability. He’s a second-round pick for a reason — and it shows.”

Johnson is one of three prominent Bears entering Year 4 — along with tight end Cole Kmet and wide receiver Darnell Mooney — who are in line for an extension before the season begins. The Bears want to see how Mooney recovers from his ankle injury; he has yet to practice this offseason.

DALLAS

Do the Cowboys have enough cap space to sign WR DeANDRE HOPKINS?  You would think $21 million would be enough.  Todd Archer of ESPN.com:

Now that it’s June 2, the Dallas Cowboys find themselves flush with salary cap space.

They have more than $21 million, according to NFL Players Association figures. They had $10.9 million before June 1 and added another $10.9 million because of the decision to part ways with Ezekiel Elliott earlier in the offseason.

The Cowboys can go fulfill any desire they want to make their strong roster even stronger, with wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, recently cut by the Arizona Cardinals, at the top of the list. If the Cowboys had not traded for Brandin Cooks at the start of the offseason, maybe there would be more urgency to add a receiver like Hopkins.

But hold on. This isn’t like finding that extra $20 in a pair of pants that was buried in the back of the closet.

First, let’s revisit how the Cowboys got the $10.9 million boon.

On March 15, they released Elliott, designating him a post-June 1 cut. Instead of counting $16.72 million against the cap, Elliott will count $5.82 million against the cap this year and roughly $6 million against the cap next year.

Second, most of the cap space is already accounted for or at least loosely accounted for. Although, yes, teams can make nearly anything happen regarding the cap if they choose.

Let’s take a look at where most of the money will or could go:

Practice squad, injury settlements and in-season elevations

There isn’t a hard number that can be put on paper, but teams keep a surplus of cap space just for these purposes. Figure that to be around $8 million to $10 million with the weekly elevations from the practice squad to the active roster accounting for most of the money. A player on the practice squad makes anywhere from $16,100 to $20,600. If a rookie gets called up from the practice squad to the active roster, he would make a little more than $44,000 for the week.

Those small differences add up over a 17-game season.

End-of-season incentives

Tyron Smith is set to make $6 million this season between bonus and base salary. Through play-time incentives, he can earn another $9 million. He can earn an extra $2 million if the Cowboys win the Super Bowl and he plays in at least 75% of the regular-season snaps and 51% of the snaps in each playoff round.

That money has to be accounted for somewhere.

As does the money tied up with other players in terms of per-game roster bonuses that might not count fully against the cap at the moment but would as the season goes along.

Extensions for CeeDee Lamb, Trevon Diggs, Terence Steele

Why isn’t Dak Prescott’s name on this list? Because the quarterback’s cap number would likely go down some based on the structure of a new deal.

That might not be the case for Lamb, Diggs or Steele. Executive vice president Stephen Jones said the team wants to get back into the habit of signing players entering their contract years.

Extensions for all three would likely raise their 2023 cap numbers ($4.457 million for Lamb, $4.847 million for Diggs, $4.304 million for Steele) based on the structure of the deal.

The Cowboys have Lamb under contract through 2024 with the fifth-year option at $17.99 million but would like to get their two-time Pro Bowl wide receiver signed long term. For that to happen, he is likely looking at a contract that would average around $24 million a year, if not more. There are seven wide receivers making at least $24 million a season.

Diggs has been named to each of the past two Pro Bowls as well. The cornerback is looking at a deal that could be in the range of $20 million a year, if not more.

Steele is coming back from a serious knee injury, but the Cowboys are confident he will be able to find the form that made him one of the better young right tackles. He is playing this season on the second-round tender as a restricted free agent.

Shorter-length deals lead to higher salary cap figures in the early years. However, the Cowboys could look to stagger those deals from a cash-flow perspective, especially when considering an extension for Prescott down the road or even Micah Parsons as soon as next offseason.

The Cowboys have the room to add a player like Hopkins if they want, but so far it doesn’t look like they want to. It’s as if they know $21 million doesn’t go as far as it used to.

Archer is also reporting that RB TONY POLLARD is saying that he will be cleared for action in training camp.  Pollard suffered a postseason ankle injury.

ARIZONA

Cardinals coach Jonathan Gannon on the departure of WR DeANDRE HOPKINS.  Erik Edholm of NFL.com:

The Arizona Cardinals did not trade wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins leading up to or during the 2023 NFL Draft. Then they flat out released him a few weeks later.

New Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon attempted to explain the franchise’s thinking on the decision.

“Yeah, just all the factors that were in play, we just felt that it was the best thing for the team to play with who we have,” Gannon told reporters on Thursday.

When the Cardinals couldn’t find a trade partner, they cut Hopkins. The timing of Hopkins’ release — prior to June 1 — allowed the team to take the entire salary-cap hit for the 2023 season, which will prevent any dead money from leaking into the 2024 books.

For Gannon, the change of course on keeping Hopkins hasn’t fazed him in his maiden season as a head coach.

“Yeah, it’s really no big deal to me,” Gannon said. “We were operating on the premise that he was going to be here, and now we’re not. So, we’re moving on.”

The Cardinals will have to replace Hopkins’ 64 catches for 717 yards and three touchdowns in his nine games a year ago. So, who do the Cardinals have at receiver now? Veterans Marquise Brown, Rondale Moore, Greg Dortch and Zach Pascal are the most established options, and 2023 third-round pick Michael Wilson brings promise if he can avoid injuries.

Brown, Moore and Dortch combined for 160 catches, 1,590 yards and six TDs in a combined 36 appearances for the Cardinals last season. Pascal caught 15 passes for 150 yards and one TD in 17 games for the Eagles in 2022.

“I’m very pleased with our receivers right now,” Gannon said. “If you carve out a role for yourself, we’ll use you in that role.”

SAN FRANCISCO

GM John Lynch speaks highly of QB TREY LANCE.  Myles Simmons of ProFootballTalk.com:

49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan and General Manager John Lynch have both been consistent this offseason that Brock Purdy is likely going to be the team’s starting quarterback to begin the 2023 season.

But San Francisco still has the 2021 No. 3 overall pick on its roster who was QB1 entering 2022.

In an interview with SiriusXM NFL Radio this week, Lynch said that Trey Lance has done well during the team’s offseason program.

“We’re extremely high on Trey,” Lynch said, via 49erswebzone.com. “The great thing for Trey and for Sam Darnold, that we brought in, is with Brock off to the sideline—Brock had his first session throwing the other day, and everything’s tracking great—but those guys have got the work in the offseason, and they’re both relishing that opportunity.

“Really proud of Trey. Trey came back off a broken and dislocated ankle, and he’s out there, has had a really, really quality offseason. So we still remain very high on Trey.”

Lance, Sam Darnold, and Brandon Allen are handling the duties at QB for the 49ers while Purdy recovers from his elbow surgery. While there were some rumors that the 49ers could trade Lance, it appears he’ll remain on San Francisco’s roster for 2023 — unless someone comes up with an offer the club can’t refuse.

DENVER

Coach Sean Payton isn’t joking when he talks up the abilities of TE GREG DULCICH.  Grant Gordon of NFL.com:

Despite providing promising bursts in his rookie campaign, Greg Dulcich’s first NFL season was ultimately derailed by injuries and overall offensive struggles for the Denver Broncos.

None of the Dulcich optimism has dimmed in the infant days of the Sean Payton era, though.

Following Thursday’s organized team activities, Payton had surely glimpsed Dulcich’s potential and very much liked what he saw.

“I’ve been lucky enough to — I’ve had [former New Orleans Saints tight end Jeremy] Shockey, [former Dallas Cowboys TE Jason] Witten, [former Saints TE] Jimmy Graham, and I’m probably leaving out a few guys,” Payton said, via team transcript. “I’m not saying this young player [will be just like them], but he’s got traits that are exciting and today was one of those days where you begin to have a vision.”

Payton’s vision for Dulcich could potentially be beyond just playing tight end and taking on the “joker” position.

“The ‘joker’ player for us is not a receiver,” Payton explained. “It’s either a running back or a tight end with exceptional ball skills and then you can work matchups. We’ve had that at the running back [position]. [Former Saints RB] Reggie Bush was the ‘Joker,’ [former Saints RB] Darren Sproles and [Saints RB] Alvin Kamara. Those were all unique players, not just in the running game, but they had passing game skill sets that allowed you to do multiple things, and I think Greg does, too.”

Though not mentioned by Payton, the Saints’ Taysom Hill is the name most often associated with the “joker” position. Hill’s overall skillset has made him a dangerous option as a gadget player. Though Dulcich portends to be a more traditional tight end than Hill, he was a wide receiver when he starred for St. Francis High (La Canada, California). He was also a backup QB for the Golden Knights under the late Jim Bonds.

Thus, the versatility is there.

A walk-on at UCLA who blossomed into becoming a 2022 third-round draft choice of the Broncos, Dulcich is a 6-foot-3, 245-pound target with a great head of hair, tremendous ball skills and potential aplenty.

Said potential was unlocked sporadically during the Broncos’ trying 2022 campaign.

After missing the first five weeks of the season, Dulcich sprang loose for a 39-yard touchdown in his NFL debut during a Week 6 defeat to the Los Angeles Chargers. He also had a touchdown in his last game of the season — once again versus the Bolts — in Week 16. He missed Denver’s last two contests with a trip to injured reserve and all told registered 33 receptions for 411 yards and the two scores. Dulcich had a few games where he shined and some where he was rarely involved.

Though it’s the dawn of June, Payton sees the potential for bigger things from his second-year tight end/potential “joker.”

“He’s got unique skill set, and he’s got traits in the passing game,” Payton said. “We use the term ‘joker’ where we can get matchups. The trick sometimes is trying to predict what you’re going to get defensively, if you’re either going to get a nickel package or a base package. But man, he can run, he’s got good ball skills and he had one of his better practices today. Then you begin to build on that. Right now, there’s an install that’s taking place and the players, they go play those spots. When you get into the season, you really get more specific to who’s running what route. I think his menu is going to be lengthy in the passing game and there’s enough stuff that we can do in the run game.”

LOS ANGELES CHARGERS

New OC Kellen Moore on having RB AUSTIN EKELER to work with.  Josh Alper of ProFootballTalk.com:

Running back Austin Ekeler asked for a trade early in the offseason, but he won’t be moving on to another club after agreeing to a new deal with the Chargers last week.

Ekeler wanted a new contract as part of a deal, but no one stepped up to offer the Chargers enough to secure his services and Ekeler wound up agreeing to have $1.75 million in incentives added to his current pact in order to play out the final year of his current contract. The compromise may not have been what he was looking for, but offensive coordinator Kellen Moore made it clear this week that it was good news to hear that he’ll be coaching Ekeler this season.

“Excitement,” Moore said, via Elliott Teaford of the Los Angeles Daily News. “Really excited to get to work with Austin. I think that he’s been, obviously, one of the top guys in this league. He has had such an impact on this place. Really excited to start building this thing together and building his role in this offense. I’m really, really excited.”

There would be high expectations for Moore’s first year with the Chargers with or without Ekeler, but reaching them should be a bit easier with the running back in the fold.

BALTIMORE

Is LB PATRICK QUEEN, whose fifth year option was not picked up, on his way out of Baltimore?  Charean Williams of ProFootballTalk.com:

The Ravens signed Roquan Smith to a five-year, $100 million contract, drafted linebacker Trenton Simpson in the third round and didn’t pick up the fifth-year option on Patrick Queen‘s contract. All signs point to this being Queen’s last season in Baltimore.

General Manager Eric DeCosta said last month the team hopes to sign Queen to a long-term deal.

Queen doesn’t know what his future holds, and he’s finally come to terms with that.

“You go through emotions and at the end of the day, it may take some of us longer to get over,” Queen said, via Clifton Brown of the team website. “I had many talks with many people and different outlooks on it. I just came to the realization that everything is not a bad thing. The front office, [I] talked to them a little bit. They keep me grounded and let me know what it really was and how they feel. At the end of the day, they know that this is the place I want to play. This is the place I want to be. So, however the chips fall, I’m happy with it.

“I’m just focused on right now. I think if I take care of my business and do what I’m supposed to do, all of that will fall into place.”

Queen arrived last week to participate in organized team activities “just trying to get better.”

He had his best season in 2022, setting career highs in tackles (117), sacks (five), interceptions (two) and passes defensed (six). He knows if he has a bigger season in 2023 a big payday will follow.

“It’s a blessing in disguise, really,” Queen said. “You see guys go both sides of it and get paid either way. At the end of the day, I’m just focused on being the best teammate I can be, being the best player that I can be and just going out there and proving myself. Going out there and playing the game that I love to play at a high level.”

TENNESSEE

Longtime Titans P BRETT KERN has retired.  ESPN.com:

Punter Brett Kern, a three-time Pro Bowl selection, is announcing his retirement Thursday after 15 NFL seasons, the Tennessee Titans announced.

Kern, 37, played 13 seasons for the Titans, who released him before last season. He is the franchise’s career leader in punts (923), gross average (45.9 yards), net average (40.8) and punts placed inside the 20-yard line (373). He was also a two-time team captain (2020 and 2021).

“I want to congratulate Brett on an amazing NFL career,” Titans controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk said in a statement. “He was a true professional and one of the important players who helped our organization reach the level of success that we have sustained for a number of years now. After being named to three Pro Bowls, receiving All-Pro honors and setting record after record, he would be on a very short list of the best waiver claims our organization has ever made. Brett will always be considered part of the Titans family, and we wish him continued success in the years to come.”

After being released by the Titans, Kern eventually signed with the Philadelphia Eagles and punted in four regular-season and two postseason games last season while Arryn Siposs was sidelined by an ankle injury. Siposs returned to punt in Super Bowl LVII.

Kern began his career with the Denver Broncos in 2008 and punted in 22 games for the franchise.

He finishes his career with 1,006 punts for 46,136 yards (45.9-yard average) and 396 punts placed inside the 20. His three Pro Bowl selections came in consecutive seasons (2017-19), and he was a first-team All-Pro selection in 2019.

THIS AND THAT

COMPLETE TEAMS

Jared Dubin of CBSSports.com says these are the 10 most complete teams in the NFL.

The NFL offseason is a time of change. Teams spend months trying to improve their rosters so they can come into the next season in the best shape possible to make a run at a Super Bowl. Some of them, obviously, are more successful than others.

Some teams fill out the roster with talent in a way that leaves them with very few holes, and enough depth to paper over potential injury-related absences. We’re going to talk about some of those teams here. In the space below, we’re going to explore the most complete rosters in the league. Which teams have depth charts where they are worried about the fewest number of things heading into the 2023 season? That’s what we’re looking for here.

Without further ado…

Honorable mentions: Cleveland Browns, Denver Broncos, Detroit Lions, New York Jets, Pittsburgh Steelers

10. Seattle Seahawks

    Biggest strength (offense): Wide receiver

    Biggest strength (defense): Cornerback

Seattle’s offense was one of the biggest surprises of last season. I was ready to declare the line the biggest strength after the Seahawks landed bookend starting tackles (Charles Cross and Abraham Lucas) in last year’s draft, but the interior could still use some work, and you’re not going to find many receiver trios better than DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, and rookie Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Adding Zach Charbonnet to a backfield that already included Kenneth Walker and DeeJay Dallas only makes the skill position group better. Geno Smith had by far the best season of his career, but he did slow down a bit toward the end of the year, and the track record is not exactly all that long. Two of the best draft picks of 2022 were Tariq Woolen and Coby Bryant, and the Seahawks added Devon Witherspoon to that group this year. With Bobby Wagner returning to the fold, Jamal Adams healthy, and Julian Love complementing Quandre Diggs, the back seven is strong. But the defensive front is lacking — even after the team signed Dre’Mont Jones to a sizable free-agent deal.

9. Los Angeles Chargers

    Biggest strength (offense): Wide receiver

    Biggest strength (defense): Edge rusher

Stop me if you’ve heard this before, but the Chargers were decimated by injuries last season. Rashawn Slater played just three games. Keenan Allen and Mike Williams were on the field together for only 180 plays. Even Corey Linsley missed some time. But the talent remains, and the offensive line should be better with Slater back from injury, Zion Johnson in his second season, and Jamaree Salyer now an entrenched starter. Throw Quentin Johnston into the mix at wideout, and Justin Herbert is going to be cooking with some gas in Kellen Moore’s offense. L.A.’s defense finally started playing up to its talent level over the second half of last season, but former defensive coordinator Renaldo Hill left for a job with the Dolphins, and there are still some question marks in the defensive backfield. Still, with Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack coming off the edge and Sebastian Joseph-Day, Morgan Fox, and Austin Johnson up front, they should be able to play Brandon Staley’s style of defense.

8. Baltimore Ravens

    Biggest strength (offense): Tight end

    Biggest strength (defense): Linebacker

The Ravens finally turned the page from both the Greg Roman era and from the days of refusing to invest at wide receiver. Todd Monken is here to open up the passing game, and Odell Beckham Jr., Nelson Agholor, and Zay Flowers are here to help him. If Rashod Bateman can actually stay healthy, there are actually a bunch of quality passing-game options outside of Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely. Injuries are a concern at quarterback (Lamar Jackson), offensive line (Ronnie Stanley, Ben Cleveland), and running back (J.K. Dobbins, Gus Edwards), but the pieces are there to be successful. The defense was better than you think last year, especially after adding Roquan Smith via trade. Cutting ties with Calais Campbell hurts the depth along the defensive front, and the edge rushers are more solid than spectacular, but with Smith, Marlon Humphrey, and Marcus Williams anchoring the back seven, the Ravens should still be quite good on that side of the ball.

7. Miami Dolphins

    Biggest strength (offense): Wide receiver

    Biggest strength (defense): Secondary

There is just a preposterous amount of speed on Miami’s offense. Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, Raheem Mostert, Jeff Wilson, Devon Achane, Cedrick Wilson Jr., even Braxton Berrios… Sheesh. With Tua Tagovailoa playing point guard-esque football at quarterback and Mike McDaniel scheming things up, things will be explosive. Ya know, assuming the offensive line can hold up. The Dolphins may have made the two best defensive additions of the offseason by bringing in Vic Fangio as defensive coordinator and landing Jalen Ramsey via trade to add to a defensive backfield that already included Xavien Howard, Jevon Holland, Brandon Jones and Kader Kohou and then brought in Cam Smith in the draft. With a full season of Bradley Chubb across from Jaelan Phillips, the pass rush should be better as well.

6. Buffalo Bills

    Biggest strength (offense): Josh Allen

    Biggest strength (defense): Safety

Take a look at Buffalo’s offensive depth chart and imagine what you’d think of that offense if Josh Allen didn’t exist. It’s not pretty. Stefon Diggs is one of the game’s best receivers, but the rest of the offense is remarkably average. Still, the Bills have one of the NFL’s best defenses, and one that should be back at full health. They barely had the league’s top safety duo (Jordan Poyer and Micah Hyde) on the field together last season. Tre’Davious White took a while to get back from his ACL injury, and then a while to get back to being himself. By the time he did, the Bills lost Von Miller to an ACL tear of his own. With depth up front, stability in the secondary, and Matt Milano still in town at linebacker, there are few units better set up to prevent points than Buffalo’s. We reserve the right to move the Bills up if they are the team that ends up adding DeAndre Hopkins.

5. Cincinnati Bengals

    Biggest strength (offense): Wide receiver

    Biggest strength (defense): Edge rusher

Had Cincinnati not lost both of its starting safeties and/or if there were more certainty about Chidobe Awuzie’s knee, Jonah Williams’ willingness to report if he’s going to play right tackle, and whether or not the team is sticking with Joe Mixon for another year, the Bengals might rank even higher than this. As it is, they have one of the NFL’s best offenses, led by Joe Burrow and arguably the league’s best receiver trio (Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and Tyler Boyd). The offensive line should be better with Orlando Brown on the blind side, and the kinks that needed to be worked out in relation to run/pass tip-offs when they were in shotgun or under center were mostly worked out last season. Lou Anarumo’s defense is always going to be solid, but losing veterans on the back end could affect its ability to play multiple styles as cleanly as they’ve been able to in the past. Adding Myles Murphy to aid Trey Hendrickson and Sam Hubbard up front was a nice move, though, and in general the front is just very strong, if not necessarily all that deep beyond the starters.

4. San Francisco 49ers

    Biggest strength (offense): Skill positions

    Biggest strength (defense): Defensive line

San Francisco’s embarrassment of riches at wide receiver (Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, Jauan Jennings, Danny Gray), tight end (George Kittle, Ross Dwelley, Cameron Latu), and running back (Christian McCaffrey, Elijah Mitchell, Tyrion Davis-Price, Jordan Mason) helps make up for an offensive line that secretly looks slightly shaky outside of Trent Williams, as well as the fact that we have absolutely zero idea who will be playing quarterback for this team come Week 1. Flip over to the defense, though, and these dudes are once again loaded. They signed Javon Hargrave to join Nick Bosa, Arik Armstead, and Drake Jackson up front. The have the best linebacker duo in the league with Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw. And they always manage to make things work in the secondary, even without any stars.

3. Dallas Cowboys

    Biggest strength (offense): The New Triplets

    Biggest strength (defense): Everything but linebacker

The quality of talent on hand has never been the problem for the Cowboys except in the years where their quarterback (whether it be Tony Romo or Dak Prescott) has gotten hurt, and this once again looks like a loaded roster this year. The offensive line should be better with Tyron Smith healthy (assuming Terence Steele can also return from his injury), and the addition of Brandin Cooks protects against Michael Gallup not getting back to form and/or Jalen Tolbert not taking a step forward in his second year. With Prescott throwing to CeeDee Lamb and with Tony Pollard finally, at long last fully anointed as the lead back, even a switch from Kellen Moore to Mike McCarthy calling plays likely won’t slow down the offense too much — except for those frustrating, too-frequent games where it for some reason does. And the defense… good lord. Mazi Smith wasn’t a sexy draft pick, but he filled the biggest hole Dallas had on its defense — a huge run-stuffer to play alongside the absolute banshees they have rushing the passer alongside Micah Parsons. Add Stephon Gilmore to a defensive back room that already included Trevon Diggs, fifth-round find DaRon Bland, a returning Jourdan Lewis, and as many as four starter-caliber safeties, and there is just so much for Dan Quinn to play around with.

2. Kansas City Chiefs

    Biggest strength (offense): Offensive line

    Biggest strength (defense): Defensive line

The formula for Kansas City on offense is now clear: As long as they protect Patrick Mahomes with an above-average or better offensive line, they can be the best offense in the league. And their offensive line is much better than above-average, and they still have Travis Kelce, and they’ll get a full season (on the roster, if not necessarily on the field) of Kadarius Toney, and Isiah Pacheco and Jerick McKinnon are back to split the backfield work, and oh my these guys might even add DeAndre Hopkins soon. K.C.’s defense is also surprisingly stronger than you think, and could be an above-average unit all season. The Chiefs added Charles Omenihu up front and now have multiple pocket pushers from the edge with him and George Karlaftis, plus Chris Jones wrecking things up the middle. Nick Bolton and Willie Gay Jr. are excellent linebackers, and there is good depth behind them. All the investments in Day 2 and 3 defensive back picks (plus Trent McDuffie in Round 1 last year) have paid off as the Chiefs have a strong, versatile, and most crucially, extraordinarily inexpensive secondary.

1. Philadelphia Eagles

    Biggest strength (offense): Offensive line

    Biggest strength (defense): Defensive line

Having the most complete roster doesn’t necessarily make you the best team — just the one with the fewest holes. And that’s the Eagles. They have the league’s best offensive line, and should seamlessly replace Isaac Seumalo up front. They have a quarterback who opens up all kinds of avenues offensively, a pass-catching group that threatens all areas of the field, and a stable of running backs that can give them any type of look they want. Even after letting Hargrave and Chauncey Gardner-Johnson leave in free agency, the defense is still stacked — particularly up front and at corner. The Eagles pass rush comes in waves and waves, and so long as Darius Slay and James Bradberry can stave off age-related regression for another season, the secondary should be just fine while they figure out the best direction to go with their safety reps.