Football!!! There Will Actually Be Football!!!!

For the past 5 years or so, I have printed off the entire NFL schedule when it is announced in April, and predict every single one of the 512 games in the regular season. Each year, I go through the depth charts of every team, and give them grades, average them and have a score for each team. Using that score, I play out each game (giving some weight to home-field advantage), and come up with a record for each team.

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to do that in April of this year (or May or June or July...), due to the NFL lockout. But, after a hectic week or two of free agency (Nnamdi!!!!), I've got the schedule printed out and ready to go. I'll have multiple posts over the next few days as I go through the schedule itself, but today's posts will be a chart of my grades for each team. Keep in mind that this is not an exact science; while I'd ideally weight offense and defense equally, as well as include some other intangible aspects to the teams, this is the system I've used over the past few years, and it works for me.

Here's how it works: there are 8 categories (quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers, offensive line, defensive line, linebackers, secondary, and coaching/special teams). Each team will receive a grade for each category, which will correspond to a numerical value. These values will be added up for one total grade given to each team. Grades can range from an F (worth 0 points) to an A (worth 11 points). Therefore, the highest possible grade a team could have would be an 88. Now, let's get to the grades:

AFC:

• Buffalo Bills- 57: QB (B-/C+); RB (C+); WR (B-); OL (B-); DL (B-); LB (B); S (B+/B); C/ST (B-)
• Miami Dolphins- 57: QB (C+); RB (C+); WR (B/B-); OL (B+); DL (C+); LB (B+/B); S (B); C/ST (C+)
• New England Patriots- 66.5: QB (A/A-); RB (C+/C); WR (B-); OL (A-/B+); DL (B); LB (B+/B); S (B/B-); C/ST (A-)
• New York Jets- 68: QB (B); RB (B/B-); WR (B); OL (B+); DL (B-); LB (A-/B+); S (A-); C/ST (B+)
• Baltimore Ravens- 67.5: QB (B/B-); RB (B); WR (B-); OL (B+); DL (A-/B+); LB (B+); S (B+/B); C/ST (B+)
• Cincinnati Bengals- 48.5: QB (C); RB (C+/C); WR (C+); OL (B-/C+); DL (B-); LB (B-/C+); S (C+); C/ST (C+)
• Cleveland Browns- 52: QB (C+/C); RB (B-/C+); WR (C+); OL (C+); DL (C+); LB (B/B-); S (B); C/ST (B-/C+)
• Pittsburgh Steelers- 72: QB (B+); RB (B+); WR (B); OL (B+/B); DL (B+); LB (A-/B+); S (A-/B+); C/ST (A-/B+)
• Houston Texans- 65: QB (B); RB (B+); WR (A-); OL (B-); DL (B/B-); LB (B+); S (B/B-); C/ST (B-)
• Indianapolis Colts- 69: QB (A-); RB (B); WR (B+); OL (B+); DL (B+); LB (B); S (B-); C/ST (B+)
• Jacksonville Jaguars- 55.5: QB (C+); RB (A-/B+); WR (B-); OL (C+); DL (B-); LB (C+); S (B-); C/ST (B-)
• Tennessee Titans- 57.5: QB (B-); RB (A-); WR (C+); OL (B-/C+); DL (C+); LB (B-); S (B); C/ST (B-)
• Denver Broncos- 58: QB (B/B-); RB (B/B-); WR (B/B-); OL (B-); DL (B); LB (B-); S (B/B-); C/ST (C+)
• Kansas City Chiefs- 64: QB (B-); RB (B+/B); WR (B); OL (B); DL (B/B-); LB (B); S (B+); C/ST (B)
• Oakland Raiders- 56.5: QB (B-/C+); RB (B/B-); WR (B-/C+); OL (C+); DL (B); LB (B); S (C+); C/ST (B)
• San Diego Chargers- 67: QB (A-/B+); RB (B-/C+); WR (A-/B+); OL (A-); DL (B/B-); LB (B); S (B); C/ST (B)

NFC:

• Dallas Cowboys- 65: QB (B); RB (B-); WR (B); OL (B); DL (B); LB (A-/B+); S (B); C/ST (B+/B)
• New York Giants- 64: QB (B+/B); RB (B/B-); WR (B-); OL (B+); DL (B+/B); LB (B/B-); S (B); C/ST (B)
• Philadelphia Eagles- 69.5: QB (A-/B+); RB (B); WR (B+/B); OL (B/B-); DL (B+/B); LB (B); S (A/A-); C/ST (B+)
• Washington Redskins- 53.5: QB (C); RB (B-); WR (B-/C+); OL (C+); DL (C+); LB (B); S (B); C/ST (B-)
• Chicago Bears- 65.5: QB (B+/B); RB (B+/B); WR (B-); OL (B-); DL (B+); LB (B+/B); S (B); C/ST (B+)
• Detroit Lions- 61.5: QB (B-); RB (B-/C+); WR (A-); OL (B-); DL (A-/B+); LB (B-); S (B-/C+); C/ST (B)
• Green Bay Packers- 70.5: QB (A/A-); RB (B-); WR (A-/B+); OL (B+); DL (B+/B); LB (B+); S (B); C/ST (B+)
• Minnesota Vikings- 64: QB (B-/C+); RB (A-); WR (B); OL (B); DL (B+/B); LB (B/B-); S (B-); C/ST (B+/B)
• Atlanta Falcons- 65.5: QB (B+/B); RB (A-/B+); WR (B); OL (B-); DL (B+); LB (B-); S (B/B-); C/ST (B+)
• Carolina Panthers- 55.5: QB (C+/C); RB (B); WR (B-/C+); OL (B-); DL (B/B-); LB (B); S (B-/C+); C/ST (B-/C+)
• New Orleans Saints- 68: QB (A-); RB (B-); WR (B); OL (B+); DL (B); LB (B+/B); S (B); C/ST (A-/B+)
• Tampa Bay Buccaneers- 56.5: QB (B/B-); RB (B-/C+); WR (B-); OL (B-/C+); DL (B-); LB (B-); S (B/B-); C/ST (B/B-)
• Arizona Cardinals- 63: QB (B-); RB (B-); WR (A-); OL (B-); DL (B); LB (B/B-); S (B); C/ST (B+/B)
• San Francisco 49ers- 61.5: QB (C+/C); RB (B+/B); WR (B+/B); OL (B); DL (B-/C+); LB (B+); S (B-/C+); C/ST (B+)
• Seattle Seahawks- 58.5: QB (C+/C); RB (B/B-); WR (B); OL (B+/B); DL (B-/C+); LB (B); S (B-); C/ST (B/B-)
• St. Louis Rams- 64: QB (B/B-); RB (A-/B+); WR (B/B-); OL (B-); DL (B); LB (B); S (B/B-); C/ST (B)

Once again, I'd like to emphasize that this isn't an exact science. These are based entirely on my opinions of these players/teams; however, I would like to mention that I considered players' ages, injury history and personalities, as well as backups at various positions (particularly quarterback). Expect another post in the next few days with regular season win totals, and possibly some gambling advice.