NFL Betting: Teams With the Best Offseason Entering 2013
By Loot, NFL Handicapper, Lootmeister.com
San Francisco 49ers: As if they needed more help. After all, they came pretty close to winning the whole thing last season. WR Michael Crabtree’s status is up in the air after an injury, but the acquisition of WR Anquan Boldin figures to be big, unless he grows old overnight. And while they lost a little on “D” with some key departures, who’s to say the guys they brought in won’t be better? They got DT Glenn Dorsey, K Phil Dawson, CB Nnamdi Asomugha, and a potential doozy in S Eric Reid out of LSU.
Losing CB Dashon Goldson isn’t good and losing Ted Ginn, Jr., and a few interior defensive linemen might also hurt. But the front office seemed to do a good job in filling those holes. The offseason likely produced a certain hunger within the organization, after almost winning the big game in 2012. Look for the Niners to have even more of an edge in the 2013 season. After covering 21 of 32 regular season point-spreads over the past two seasons, they might not represent the same betting value as before, but they aren’t ranked the preseason favorite to win the Super Bowl for no reason.
Kansas City Chiefs: While it remains to be seen, new head coach Andy Reid should be a good fit for the Chiefs. With his pistol offense, he has weapons at his disposal, namely RB Jamaal Charles, who has quietly become one of the best backs in the league. Charles is coming off a 1500-yard season and has averaged a robust 5.8 yards per rush in his 5-year career. New QB Alex Smith should be an upgrade. Though he fell into disfavor in San Francisco, he is still a guy who has thrown only 10 picks in his last 25 NFL starts, of which he has lost only 5. Look for the efficient Smith to help a team that was at the bottom of the league in turnover ratio in 2012.
The top pick, Eric Fisher, is a potential great tackle. Look for WR Dwayne Bowe to have a bounce-back year. With a slew of offseason acquisitions, including CB Dunta Robinson, CB Sean Smith, and P Chris Kluwe, look for the Chiefs to take a step forward. Then again, after a 2-14 season, there’s nowhere to go but up. This is more of a set-up year, with the Chiefs looking to get on the right track with their eye more on the future.
Cleveland Browns: After 13 games last season, the Browns were 5-8, with 5 losses by a touchdown or less. They dropped their last 3 games to end up at 5-11, but there were positive signs. If some offseason moves can register well, it’s not outside the realm of possibility that Cleveland could have a good season. And it’s all relative. Having not been to the playoffs since George W. Bush’s first term, even an 8-8 season would be a huge step in the right direction for the Browns.
Both the head coach and quarterback are now in their second season, which is a decent sign, at least on paper. A real difference-maker could be the addition of Norv Turner as the offensive coordinator. As a head coach, his record is under .500, but at 67-45 as an OC, that position may better suit Turner, who remains an innovative offensive mind. The Browns got QB Jason Campbell, a few receiving threats in David Nelson and Davone Bess, and a potential beast in number-three pick LB Barkevious Mingo. If QB Brandon Weeden can round into a more-serviceable field general, the Browns should start seeing better results soon.
Denver Broncos: You can just sense the urgency oozing off the Broncos. After a 13-3 season, Denver didn’t rest on their laurels, as Elway went out and made the Broncos even more loaded. As if having a pair of 1000-yard receivers weren’t enough, they signed Wes Welker, who should give the passing attack even another dimension. Montee Ball was a slick pick in the second round to go along with first-rounder DT Sylvester Williams.
They got corner Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, which should elevate the secondary even more. G Louis Vasquez is a low-key signing that could boost the O-line, which has been iffy on the inside. LB Shaun Phillips should enhance the pass rush. At the end of the day, Denver boosted many different areas in the offseason, which is part of the reason they stand as a preseason co-favorite to win the whole thing.
