Here are five teams I could see climbing the ranks and contending for Vince Lombardi trophy in two years’ time – Benny Diamond
San Francisco 49ers +1200
There are some *cough* Joe Fortenbaugh *cough* who’d argue the Niners are a solid pick to win the Super Bowl this time next year. Jimmy Garoppolo proved he can be an elite quarterback and Kyle Shanahan will only get better as a head coach moving forward.
The future is bright and the Niners are projected to have four picks in the first three rounds of the upcoming NFL draft. San Francisco will be in great shape if GM John Lynch can nail another draft like he did last year.
The Seattle Seahawks will be in full tear-down mode in two years’ time and the Arizona Cardinals are about to begin what looks to be a long overhaul.
Las Vegas Raiders +2400
The move to Las Vegas will be a positive one for the Raiders and the locals will support them. Look, Sin City is going to be the new City of Champions in two years after the Vegas Golden Knights win their second Stanley Cup in a row.
Derek Carr is a much better quarterback than what he showed in 2017 and should round back into form with new head coach Jon Gruden explaining how to properly find receivers in the turkey hole.
Jacksonville Jaguars +2000
The Jags are stacked with talent on the defensive side of the ball and might have the two best corners in football in Jalen Ramsey and A.J. Bouye. Imagine what their offense could do with a respectable quarterback under center.
Jacksonville will be in the market for Kirk Cousins and possibly Super Bowl LII MVP Nick Foles, if he becomes available. The Jags will likely look to add help at tight end and receiver in the draft which would go well with a shiny new franchise quarterback.
Los Angeles Rams +700
This list isn’t complete without including the reigning NFC West champs and the second youngest team in the league last season. The Rams have a boy genius head coach in Sean McVay and a savvy defensive coordinator who’s seen just about everything in his 40 years in the league in Wade Phillips.
DT Aaron Donald is defending Defensive Player of the Year and is coming off a season with 11 sacks and a league-high 91 total pressures in just 14 games. His teammate Todd Gurley enters the 2018 season as the reigning Offensive Player of the Year. Not too shabby.
Jared Goff finished with a 100.5 QB rating while averaging 7.98 yards per pass attempt and throwing for 28 touchdowns compared to just seven interceptions – and that was just in his second year as a pro.
Miami Dolphins +6300
The Phins along with AFC East rivals Buffalo and New York possess among the longest odds to lift the Lombardi Trophy in 2020. That of course is a byproduct of playing in the same division as the New England Patriots. The AFC East has been won by Robert Kraft’s team in 14 of the last 15 years.
But if I was a betting man – and I am – I would bet the under 1.5 seasons Bill Belichick will be coaching the Patriots. The team had to have made a promise to Josh McDaniels that he would take the reins when Belichick walked away, and he must have been given a date to turn down a lucrative offer to be the head coach of the Indianapolis Colts.
Tom Brady will be 42 at the start of the 2019 season. He won’t be playing at the same level we saw in Super Bowl LII by then – even if he gets a surgically-implanted bionic arm. That will open the door for another team in the division and the Dolphins should be best positioned to step up.
Here’s the complete list of odds to win Super Bowl LIV:
Philadelphia Eagles +500
Los Angeles Rams +700
New England Patriots +800
Green Bay Packers +900
Houston Texans +1000
San Francisco 49ers +1200
New Orleans Saints +1300
Minnesota Vikings +1400
Pittsburgh Steelers +1500
Carolina Panthers +1700
Atlanta Falcons +1800
Dallas Cowboys +1900
Jacksonville Jaguars +2000
Kansas City Chiefs +2100
Indianapolis Colts +2200
Denver Broncos +2300
Las Vegas Raiders +2400
Tennessee Titans +2500
Seattle Seahawks +3000
Los Angeles Chargers +3200
Tampa Bay Buccaneers +3300
Detroit Lions +4000
Washington Redskins +4200
Baltimore Ravens +4500
Chicago Bears +5000
Arizona Cardinals +6000
Miami Dolphins +6300
Cleveland Browns +8000
Cincinnati Bengals +8500
New York Jets +9000
Buffalo Bills +9500
New York Giants +10000
