| Did you ever say something and immediately
think, "Wait a minute, that's not what I think at all"? So then you wish you
could take back what you said, right? Well, that's the beauty of my job here at Pro
Football Weekly. Back when the Jets named Herman Edwards their new head coach, I got
really excited about the Jets. I think Edwards' news conference psyched me up to write a
"Jets will win it all in 2001" column, which I then wrote for this Web site.
Well, part of that column was serious, and part of it was tongue-in-cheek. The
tongue-in-cheek part lies in the fact that no one in his right mind could truly predict
next year's Super Bowl winner at that time.
Suffice it to say, my thoughts have changed, slightly. Heading into the draft, I see
these four teams battling it out for NFL supremacy: the Bucs, the Ravens, the Giants and
the Jets. Sorry, West Coasters, not yet. The reason these four teams top my list is
because to this point, they've made the moves they needed to make. Let's take a look.
We'll start with my January favorite, the Jets. While they haven't brought in any
superhuman players (sorry, WR Matthew Hatchette isn't superhuman), they did what they
needed to do. They needed a new mindset and a stable mindset. They brought in Terry
Bradway to be their general manager and Herman Edwards to be their head coach. The whole
staff was overhauled. In minicamps, older players such as QB Vinny Testaverde look young
again and are inspired. That inspiration was missing down the stretch last year. The Jets
aren't done working yet, as they have holes to fill from salary-cap purging. We'll see how
they fill those holes during and after the draft.
Next up are two very, very similar teams that made very similar moves, the Ravens and
Bucs. Both teams have superb defenses, but their perceived problems revolved around the
quarterback. The Ravens weren't comfortable in bringing back Trent Dilfer, so instead,
they signed Elvis Grbac. Grbac should be a good fit in Baltimore, and his presence and arm
make them the early favorites of many people. The fashionable pick to make right now is to
say the Bucs are the team to beat. It makes sense, and here's why: Brad Johnson and Simeon
Rice, two big-name free agents, signed with Tampa Bay. Johnson takes over for Shaun King,
who was wearing out his welcome with a few poor performances on the field. King may be
back someday, but for now, he'll have to learn from Johnson. Rice comes in on a defensive
line that was already stellar. His presence should help his linemates, and they, in turn,
could help him have a career year.
The last team in my top four currently is the Giants. They haven't made many huge
waves, but signing DE Kenny Holmes was huge. This gives an underappreciated defense
another solid pass-rushing weapon to throw at offenses. The offense seems to be in good
shape, but that hinges on the feeling that 2000 wasn't a fluke year for QB Kerry Collins.
So, here it is, prior to the draft, and the big-time teams are making the big-time
moves. Does that surprise anyone? With the quality acquisitions these teams are making to
fill needs that have arisen, I think these four teams are proven winners. Come next
December, look to see these four teams mixing it up in the playoffs. My pick right now?
Well, if you insist, Ravens over Buccaneers. |
