NFL Power Rankings: Where do Steelers rank ahead of free agency?
By Tommy Jaggi
We are about to enter the thick of the offseason following the 2023 NFL Combine, and a plethora of moves will soon have us glued to our smartphones and computer screens when free agency kicks off. The Pittsburgh Steelers ended the 2022 season on a high note, but it wasn't enough to enter the tournament.
Eventually, the Kansas City Chiefs would go on to become Super Bowl champions, and they seem to be the prototype team to model after in the NFL right now. The decisions made over the next two months will greatly impact which teams will ultimately help and hurt their roster heading into the 2023 season. As of now, here are my NFL power rankings just ahead of free agency.
NFL Power rankings: Steelers climb the ladder
32. Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are currently a dumpster-fire organization. The only thing they somewhat have going for them is the potential of Justin Fields, but even he struggled mightily in 2022. We're just glad the Steelers were able to poach their second-round pick for Chase Claypool. The good news is that they just traded the first overall pick away to the Panthers for a king's ransom that includes WR DJ Moore. This is at least a great start.
31. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Oh, how the mighty have fallen. This Buccaneers team was already falling off a cliff. Now with Tom Brady retiring and no viable options at quarterback, things are about to get even worse. I wouldn't be surprised if Tampa Bay was the worst team in the league in 2023, and their roster is severely lacking quality youth as we head into free agency.
30. Las Vegas Raiders
Without Derek Carr, it's hard to believe that the Raiders have a lot going for them right now. They are likely to target a quarterback in the first round of the NFL Draft, but with the 7th overall pick, they might get stuck with the leftovers. As much as the team struggled last year, it's hard to expect a rookie to make much of a difference from the gate anyway.
29. Los Angeles Rams
Just like the Buccaneers, the Rams have taken a massive step backward since their Super Bowl win -- so much so that their talent has essentially been cut in half from that time. A healthy Matthew Stafford and Cooper Kupp could help, but not enough to be a relevant team. I still think we have to project them as bottom-dwellers at this point in time.
28. Arizona Cardinals
If Kyler Murray doesn't turn things around fast, this organization will be doomed for the foreseeable future. The Cardinals have one of the biggest contracts in the NFL tied up into their QB, and they still had the third-worst record in the NFL last year. They do have the third overall pick this year, but there's so much work to do on this roster.