5 NFL teams that took major step forward this offseason: * Jets * , Dolphins lead way

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Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz, USA TODAY

Sat, June 3, 2023 

The NFL offseason can be a time of transformation – at least for the teams with the means and motivation to remake themselves.

This spring, however, was far more muted in player movement relative to last year, when a horde of big names were dealt or signed to splashy deals. But while the bulk of teams opted for modifications rather than full-blown reconfigurations, the past few months reinforced that there is no such thing as status quo in the NFL. Several franchises took advantage of the opportunity by addressing key deficiencies or bolstering their overall outlook with upgrades to their roster or coaching staffs.

Here are five teams that took a significant step forward for 2023 this offseason:

New York Jets

Aaron Rodgers didn't even need to take his first snap to recalibrate everything for the Jets. Gang Green, of course, owns the NFL's longest active postseason drought at 12 years – a franchise worst – and last won the AFC East in 2002. Yet coach Robert Saleh hasn't been afraid to set a much higher bar, saying last week that in any given year, "realistically there's maybe six or eight teams that have an actual chance to (win the Super Bowl), and I do think we are one of those teams."

Rodgers' arrival reshaped what previously looked to be a promising young nucleus into a group going all in for a title in the next year or two. The excitement from within Florham Park is already palpable, with his new teammates raving about the standard that the four-time NFL MVP is setting. Even if Rodgers doesn't recapture his outright elite form of 2020-21, providing upper-echelon quarterback play could be the boost the team needs to join the AFC's top class of contenders. The Jets began last year 7-4, but Zach Wilson proved to be too heavy of an anchor for the rest of the offense to overcome. After enduring two seasons of Wilson finishing last in the NFL in quarterback rating among qualified passers, a New York roster dotted with burgeoning talent is poised to make a significant leap with Rodgers at the helm.

Merely making the postseason or even claiming the divisional crown, however, likely won't cut it for Rodgers or Jets fans as the 39-year-old looks to follow the championship precedent set by Tom Brady and Matthew Stafford when the veteran quarterbacks joined their new teams in recent years. Still, there's no question it's a new day in New York.

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