Every year in the NFL there is turnover and surprises of new playoff teams that weren't in that spot the year prior. It will be the same case again in 2021, it always is.
For a league that has a lot of the same characters winning year in and year out, there is still a good amount of parity in the NFL compared to that of the NBA, for example.
With plenty of shifting this offseason and some teams opting to step on the gas in free agency, this year figures to be another unpredictable one in some divisions.
Here are three teams that have to take the next step this season in the NFL.
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals went all out this offseason. They signed two big veteran pieces, one on each side of the ball.
Defensively they brought in J.J. Watt on a two-year deal in which $20 million is guaranteed. There's the possibility for Watt to make more but $20 million over a two-year span at his age and the point he's at in his career is good money.
On the offensive side of the ball, the Cardinals went out and added A.J. Green. Green has had a really successful NFL career and this will be his first season not in a Cincinnati Bengals uniform.
It's a critical year for Kyler Murray and the franchise has done everything possible to give him more than enough pieces to work with. Having DeAndre Hopkins and Green is a solid one-two punch at wideout. Considering they added speedster Rondale Moore in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft and have Christian Kirk as well, and it's clear to see how loaded Arizona is at wide receiver.
Arizona finished 8-8 last year and their playoff fate came down to a Week 17 game against the Los Angeles Rams, a game they would ultimately lose.
With all the pieces in place on offense and Kliff Kingsbury entering year three in the desert, it's time for the Cardinals to break out and make at least an appearance in the NFL playoffs. Everything is in place, now they must take the next step.
Los Angeles Rams
Why leave the division when you don't have to?
The Los Angeles Rams are coming off a 10-6 year in which they won on Wildcard Weekend in Seattle against the Seahawks before falling to the Packers in Lambeau Field in the divisional round of the NFL playoffs.
Instead of sitting back this offseason, the Rams went big boy swinging, acquiring Matthew Stafford from the Detroit Lions. Gone is the Jared Goff era and in comes Stafford, who has been so good throughout his career but was stuck in purgatory by being in Detroit.
Stafford is a clear upgrade at quarterback for the Rams and the move is an indicator that the Rams feel they have all the pieces to win a Super Bowl in the next couple of years.
With Aaron Donald and Jalen Ramsey leading the charge on defense, Sean McVay will undoubtedly be getting creative on offense with Stafford.
Last year they went 10-6, this year the Rams should focus in on making a legitimate run to win the NFC. They have all the ingredients to do so and should take the next step this year in the NFL.
Dallas Cowboys
Last but not least, the Dallas Cowboys.
Dallas could almost land on this list every single year but now there's even more emphasis to dial it up after the offseason they had.
Dak Prescott landed a four-year, $160 million deal in the offseason from the Cowboys. Jerry Jones and Co. finally invested in their young, star quarterback and they did so with him coming off a gruesome season-ending injury.
Prescott now has long-term job security and the Cowboys will aim to tee off on what should still be an average NFC East. Last year the Cowboys went 8-8 and were right in the race up until its bitter end. With Prescott back and healthy and tons of weapons to distribute the ball to offensively, the Cowboys should be taking aim at winning the NFC East at a minimum.
Even though Dak was injured and missed most of the season, the secondary didn't help matters for the Cowboys either in 2020. The defense as a whole was very average, the secondary well below it. So, the Cowboys used their first SIX picks all on defense in the 2021 NFL Draft, a group that included two cornerbacks in rounds 2 and 3.
The NFC East isn't a top notch division and Prescott now has long term reassurance with his gig in Dallas. The Cowboys should take the next step this year and win the NFC East and go from there.
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