Rootability Grade: In sports media, we absolutely love to attach arbitrary grades to almost anything. We grade how teams do in drafts, how players develop, even which team has the best uniforms.
What is rootability, other than a ridiculously made-up word? Good question. Rootability grades how easy it is to root for a team, how many storylines are intriguing surrounding a team, what chance of success the team has. All of that is rolled into each team’s rootability grade.
Check out my AFC primer and rootability grades. Where does your team rate?
NFC East: Other than the AFC East, the NFC East has been in the news more than any other division. But that is no different than any other off-season. Having some of the most traditionally polarizing teams in some of the NFL’s biggest markets is a deadly combination for press and attention, good and bad.
Dallas Cowboys – America’s Team. No other team in the NFL is loved like the Cowboys. No other team in the NFL is hated like the Cowboys. That is no different this year. Despite their successful season last year, winning the division and being a blown call away from advancing to the NFC Championship game, there are a ton of doubters. Most experts have it being a tight race for the division with the Eagles. How much will the Cowboys miss DeMarco Murray? That is the big question entering their Sunday night kickoff against the Giants. My prediction… the Cowboys go for 200 yards on the ground on Sunday night and prove the system and offensive line are bigger than any one player. Rootability Grade: A
New York Giants – Odell Beckham Jr. took the league by storm last year after returning from his injury. This year, Victor Cruz will return at some point from his nasty injury and the two of them could develop a really nasty one-two punch for Eli Manning. They better hope those two receivers can stay healthy and score a lot of points, because the defense is going to be atrocious and the running game may be close to non-existent. It has always boggled my mind how boring of a team the Giants can be in such a big market. Rootability Grade: C+
Philadelphia Eagles – The Eagles are that girl at a party that you can’t keep your eyes off. The whole night you are staring at the same girl, trying to figure out if she is attractive or unattractive. You can’t figure it out, but you can’t look away. Coach Chip Kelly has brought a culture and attitude to the NFL that is pretty foreign. He traded away on of his best players in LeSean McCoy. He continues to stockpile University of Oregon guys. He traded his starting quarterback for eternally injured Sam Bradford. He made us all endure the Tim Tebow experiment once again this pre-season. Whether the Eagles win the Super Bowl, or are terrible this season, I won’t be able to look away. Rootability Grade: A+
Washington Redskins – Dan Snyder should have sold this team a few years ago to cut his losses. The controversy surrounding the name of the team just won’t die. Good news is, no one has talked about that for a couple weeks. Bad news is, no one is talking about it because they are talking about how Robert Griffin III has been thrust out of the organization and may be endangered of being released less than 4 years after they mortgaged the team’s future to move up and select him with the #2 pick. Coach Jay Gruden has never seen eye-to-eye with management and is probably on the hot seat. This is going to be another tumultuous season in D.C. Rootability Grade: D
NFC North: Is this the year of the NFC North? Other than the Packers, there is no real consensus of what the rest of the division will look like. This division has some of the most offensive talent in the league. In the North there is quite possibly the best quarterback (Aaron Rodgers), best running back (Adrian Pederson) and best wide receiver (Calvin Johnson) in the entire league. While the Packers are the favorites, all three other teams have the chance to be a factor come Playoff time.
Chicago Bears – Jay Cutler is one of the most hated-on quarterbacks in the league. He is immensely talented, with an incredibly strong arm. The thing is, he has been a habitual underachiever. Brandon Marshall is in New York, which leaves Alshon Jeffrey to be the number one option for Cutler in the Bears’ offense. Jeffrey is entering the season with a couple nagging injuries and may not be at full strength. Matt Forte is another year older and is trying to avoid the inevitable decline. Under new offensive coordinator Adam Gase, this could be a dangerous offense. If it’s not, the Bears will struggle to win 8 games. Rootability Grade: C
Detroit Lions – Calvin Johnson and Golden Tate form one of the best one-two punches in the entire league. Matthew Stafford has continually stockpiled statistics but hasn’t been able to come through in the clutch. This defense will take a step back because of the loss of Ndamukong Suh, but the arrival of Haloti Ngata will help bolster that defensive line. If Ngata can stay healthy and be a leader for that defense, the Lions will be able to be a force in the NFC. The running back battle between Joique Bell and Ameer Abdullah will be interesting to watch. Rootability Grade: B
Green Bay Packers – Coming into the season, the Packers were one the consensus contenders to win the Super Bowl. Following the Jordy Nelson knee injury, there seems to be some people pumping the brakes on the Packers. They still have Aaron Rodgers, Eddy Lacy, Randall Cobb, and a veteran defense. Overall, this is probably the most well-rounded roster in the NFL. If they can avoid any more major injuries, they should find themselves with the NFC North crown and playing for the Super Bowl. One guy to watch for is DeVante Adams. He will step into the #2 receiver role after the Nelson injury. Adams was an exciting rookie last year who, at times, struggled with drops. If he can become a bit more sure-handed, he could have an enormous year. Rootability Grade: A+
Minnesota Vikings – The Vikings are one of the nominees for breakout team of the year. Young quarterback Teddy Bridgewater will come into the season more prepared and seasoned, ready to lead an NFL team. Adrian Pederson is back in the backfield after a tumultuous 12 months. Charles Johnson and Mike Wallace will be targets on the outside all year. Playing in a tough division like the North will hurt the Vikings, but they are still looking at a huge step in the right direction. A Wild Card berth is not too far fetched for the Vikings. Rootability Grade: B+
NFC South: This is one of the most confusing divisions in the entire league. On paper, there is a ton of talent in this division, yet, the division champion from last season had a losing record. This year this division will produce at least one team with a winning record, that is almost a given, but what else comes from this division is a total crapshoot.
Atlanta Falcons – Julio Jones comes into this season with all kinds of crazy expectations surrounding him. Some have said that they expect Jones to have the best season that any wide receiver has ever had. That is a crazy expectation to have before the season even kicks off. Quarterback Matt Ryan is looking to put together another impressive campaign, numbers-wise, but needs to find a way to win games. The running situation will be one to watch. Rookie Tevin Coleman and Davonte Freeman will make an interesting running back by committee, until one of them takes the job. If the defense and running game can be competitive, the passing game will do the rest and the Falcons will be a very good team. Rootability Grade: B
Carolina Panthers – The reigning division champions are coming off of a 7-8-1 record. Building off of the momentum that they had last year is going to be tough, missing their #1 wide receiver. Kelvin Benjamin went down with a torn ACL and left Cam Newton with a really thin group of pass-catchers. Jonathon Stewart, Greg Olson and Devin Funchess are going to need to shoulder a lot of the load to repeat as division champions. Luke Kuechly and that Panther defense are going to have another solid year. If the offense can find a rythym and a target or two develops, the Panthers may find themselves back in the Playoffs. Rootability Grade: B-
New Orleans Saints – Is addition-by-subtraction a real thing? The Saints hope so. Jimmy Graham had been a main-stay in New Orleans, and a crucial piece to their offense. The reported issues in the locker room may not have been worth it. If that is the case, the Saints may just take a big jump forward this year. Drew Brees has at least a year or two left as a top 5 quarterback in the league. If he can develop rhythm with Brandin Cooks and Brandon Coleman, this could be a really potent offense once again. The continually underachieving defense needs to find some way to stop an opponent. That will be something pretty interesting to watch throughout the season. Rootability Grade: B
Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Crab Legs!!! OK, we can get over that now. Jameis Winston is now an NFL quarterback so I guess we can’t continually heckle him for his past transgressions. But it is so fun… Anyways, Winston comes into the NFL in a decent situation for a quarterback. Although the Bucs were the worst team in the NFL last season, there is a decent set of pass-catchers in Tampa. Mike Evans and Vincent Jackson on the outside, and Austin Sepharian-Jenkins at tight end make a deadly trio. Add in there a reinvigorated Doug Martin and the Bucs offense may not be as bad as a rookie-led offense normally is. Not saying this is a Playoff team, but they will win more than 2 games. Rootability Grade: C+
NFC West: The NFC West has been represented in the Super Bowls each of the past 3 seasons, twice by the Seahawks and once by the 49ers. Trying to keep the streak intact, it looks like it may be one team alone at the top of the division. All four teams in the division are known for their tough defenses but have had almost anemic offenses at times. Some addition offensive firepower has joined the division and the defenses look as tough as ever, but will it be enough to put another team in the Super Bowl?
Arizona Cardinals – A healthy Carson Palmer will be a huge help for the Cardinals. At one point, before Palmer’s injury, the Cardinals had the best record in the NFC. With Palmer back at the helm, the offense looks to be as loaded as it has been. Larry Fitzgerald is back, and will be a very important veteran leader to the younger receivers on the team, especially John Brown. Andre Ellington looks to stay healthy and carry the load. The defense looks every bit as tough as last year. If the Seahawks falter at all, the Cardinals look poised to win the division. Rootability Grade: B
St. Louis Rams – Coach Jeff Fisher has built one of the most dominant run defenses in the league. The front-7 looks as tough as the league has ever seen. The problem is, other than that group, the Rams are subpar in almost every other position. New quarterback Nick Foles is an improvement over the backups that have had to lead the Rams the past few years. Once Todd Gurley healthy, he could be a fun back to watch. Rootability Grade: C
San Francisco 49ers – What is going on in San Francisco? I don’t have enough room or time to get into all of the drama, retirements, and suspensions that have gone on in the Bay this past few months. The only things that we really know is Colin Keapernick is the quarterback, Jim Tomsula is the head coach, and basically everything else has changed. Jim Harbaugh, gone. Frank Gore, gone. Patrick Willis, gone. There really isn’t much chance that the 9ers are very competitive this year. Rootability Grade: C-
Seattle Seahawks – The team that has been in the Super Bowl the past two years is back again, and with very little turnover. Jimmy Graham joins the Hawks as a legit weapon for Russell Wilson to look towards in the red zone. Marshawn Lynch is back and looks to add another dominant year. The defense is basically all back, besides Kam Chancellor and his contract issue. Until the Seahawks fall, it is tough to think that they won’t dominate the NFC West and head to the Playoffs as a contender. One major factor that has been huge for the Seahawks is that they have stayer extremely healthy during the past two seasons. If they can find the same health this season, no telling what they can do. Rootability Grade: A
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
