The offseason is a great time for NFL fans to feel like their team is back on track, but not every team! Some teams enter the new football season with the same holes they had at the end of the previous one.
Depending on the quality of the roster, some teams can overcome roster issues and still have successful seasons. Here are five teams that could have benefited from upgrading a key component of their roster this offseason.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Quarterback
The Buccaneers are in a position where they still have the bones of a good team, but they lack the quarterback talent to make a significant impact this season. Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Tristan Wirfs, Cade Otton, and Cody Mauch form a strong offensive core, and they also have a few quality defensive players. They are, however, attempting to sell a quarterback rivalry between Baker Mayfield and Kyle Trask. The "competition" aspect seems a little far-fetched given Trask's inability to replace Blaine Gabbert as Tom Brady's backup. Mayfield will be Tampa Bay's starting quarterback unless something unexpected happens during training camp. That could be enough to win what should be a fairly easy NFC title.
New York Jets: Offensive tackle
With their hands tied to the Aaron Rodgers pursuit, it was always going to be difficult for the Jets to be as aggressive as they wanted to be in free agency, but their offensive tackle depth is still shaky. They're counting on some unproven or older pieces to play key roles at tackle. Mekhi Becton, Duane Brown, Mike Mitchell, and Billy Turner are their current tackles. Brown will be 38 years old at the start of the season, Becton and Mitchell are both out with injuries, and Turner is more of a depth piece at this point in his career. This is a situation in which the Jets could benefit because Becton still has a lot of upsides if he stays healthy.
Jacksonville Jaguars: Pass rush
The Jaguars have made significant investments in their defensive line in recent years, with three of their own first-round picks, Josh Allen, K'Lavon Chaisson, and Travon Walker expected to make the team this year. Allen has developed into a quality NFL pass rusher, Walker has the tools to improve, and Chaisson is likely to remain a depth rusher in the future. This gives them one reliable rusher and another player still figuring things out. This is the same team that finished 27th in sack percentage (5.5%) last season. Expecting Walker's development to propel them to the middle of the pack may be asking too much, especially since they had the resources to do so.
Philadelphia Eagles: Linebacker
This is certainly nitpicking, but the Eagles' linebackers have been vulnerable enough for great teams to exploit in recent years. It hasn't hurt their overall defensive efficiency, but they can get blown out in specific in-game matchups against teams that can stand tall against their defensive linemen. If the Eagles can patch this (and they might want to, with Sean Desai as their new defensive coordinator), they'll have a defense that can annihilate any offense.
Arizona Cardinals: Defensive line
Given their current situation, the Cardinals are likely to punt in 2023, but it will take a lot of work to see them slog through the season en route to a top pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. With a defensive background that has really thrived on having elite talent up front, it was a bit surprising for new head coach Jonathan Gannon to see the Cardinals let Zach Allen walk in free agency and not really replace him with a comparable player. Second-round pick BJ Ojulari will have to carry a heavy pass-rush load as a rookie, but the Cardinals don't appear to be putting forth a strong effort this season, so it may benefit him in the long run.
