The NFL is a cold harsh place. A team can go from being a contender to being at the top of the NFL draft faster than a blink of an eye. Whether it be from injuries, fatigue or other factors, teams will never be the same after each off-season. But the teams that do continue to flourish and be better are the teams that maintain consistency or player happiness.
Arizona Cardinals
Ahhh Larry Fitzgerald, the Cardinals never treated you like the star player you are. You were the life and soul of the team, but the QB situation never seemed to work out. Last year, the Cardinals took Josh Rosen in the draft, and he struggled enormously. Even the ever talented running game seemed to fail.
However, as with rookie QBs, there is a learning curve and I truly think that Josh Rosen will get better as time goes on. This will take time, and I don't expect the Cardinals to be picking out of the top five next year either.
San Francisco 49ers
This was the year that Jimmy Garoppolo took the league by storm. After marinating in Bill Belichick's offense for years, this was the year he was supposed to take the league and never look back. Yet it never happened due to injuries, a constant that have plagued the 49ers since their Super Bowl run in 2013, six years ago. However, the future seems bright for this team if Jimmy G can stay healthy and coach Kyle Shanahan work together. They have a chance to be a great Qb-Coach duo, similar to an early Patriots dynasty.
New York Jets
The Jets have consistently been the butt of NFL fans jokes everywhere. The 2010s have not been the best time for the Jets as they never seem to get better. But all can be forgiven if Sam Darnold can become the QB he is expected to become. He is the first Qb with potential for the Jets and has a chance to take the league, and never look back into the worst years of the Jets franchise. This franchise has their savior, and I believe that he will take the group far for the next seven or eight years.
Oakland Raiders
Derek Carr has always played well; it's just that his team continues to underwhelm his status as a good quarterback. How is he expected to make a splash in the league when his team just fails him back to back?
There is nothing Carr could do but watch as Jon Gruden traded Khalil Mack and Amari Cooper. I think it will take the Raiders a few years to get back to their pre-Gruden year levels, and this will be a problem with their impending move to Las Vegas, but sometimes, one must look far into the future to look for hope.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Jameis Winston has continually shown that he is too immature to be an NFL QB. This is repeatedly shown when he fails to understand that the NFL requires more than just pure talent, and he actually needs hard work to flourish. Again, Winston was beaten out by Ryan Fitzpatrick for the starting job, and then he failed to use this as motivation. I don't see how Winston can help the Bucs win games when he only seems to put himself first. I don't see Winston staying with the team and maybe in the 2019 draft, they take someone like Dwayne Haskins.
