Voluntary activities have just begun for NFL teams but some important news has already shifted the landscape. Washington Redskins linebacker Reuben Foster tore his ACL on Monday and is out for the season. Meanwhile, the Cleveland Browns are already dealing with a little bit of drama as Odell Beckham Jr. isn’t on-hand for his team’s activities as he works out on his own.
Following free agency and the NFL Draft, let’s take a look at the updated odds to win the Super Bowl:
New England (+700)
It should be no surprise that New England (+700) is right back here at the top of this list. Despite a busy offseason that has included a rotating door of talent both entering and exiting the franchise, the Patriots are still led by Tom Brady and a stable of veteran talent that understands what it takes to win it all. The additions of wide receivers Demaryius Thomas, Dontrelle Inman and rookie first round pick N’Keal Harry should help offset the loss of Rob Gronkowski on offence. Meanwhile, the defence looks even deeper after New England brought back linebacker Jamie Collins and traded for defensive lineman Michael Bennett. Shrewd moves have put them in position to contend again.
Kansas City Chiefs (+800)
While they’re holding steady, we’ve seen the Kansas City Chiefs (+800) slip a little bit. Kansas City’s roster has been hit hard from a player personnel perspective in the offseason, first with running back Kareem Hunt and now the pending absence of wide receiver Tyreek Hill, who could be facing a long league-imposed suspension following an alleged domestic situation. The Chiefs did acquire Frank Clark from the Seattle Seahawks to offset the losses of pass rushers Dee Ford and Justin Houston. But the question is can this team maintain their level of success?
Cleveland Browns (+1200)
One team that’s shot up the board are the Cleveland Browns (+1200), who are now among the favourites to win the AFC. No team has been busier as they acquired wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., Kareem Hunt and also upgraded on defence with Olivier Vernon (trade), Morgan Burnett (free agency) and Greedy Williams (draft). They haven’t made the playoffs in 21 years but after winning five of their final seven games last season and strengthening the roster in the offseason, they look like a team on the rise.
It’ll be unusual seeing the Browns enter the season with better betting odds at the sportsbooks to win the Super Bowl than the Green Bay Packers (+1800). However, the Packers are coming off a disastrous finish to Mike McCarthy’s tenure and missed the playoffs in back-to-back seasons. The Packers have turned to Matt LaFleur as the 15th head coach in franchise history and the early reviews have been good with an offensive mind that helped the Los Angeles Rams and Tennessee Titans develop their passing attacks over the last two seasons. They loaded up on defence in free agency (Preston Smith and Za’Darius Smith) and in the NFL Draft (Rashan Gary and Darnell Savage). If LaFleur and Aaron Rodgers can get the offence back on track, this Packers team could again be a threat in the playoffs.
Other Futures Changes
Some other notable changes include the Oakland Raiders (+6000), who received a sizable bump after acquiring star receiver Antonio Brown. The Jacksonville Jaguars (+3300) also inched up after signing Nick Foles to hopefully upgrade their passing game.