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Free agency changed the complexion
of quite a few teams while the coronavi-
rus pandemic has begun altering offsea-
son programs that will likely never start
while promising to wreak havoc with
training camps and, potentially, the reg-
ular season, too. Could be an especially
tough year for teams making major
changes to get up to speed.
With those thoughts in mind, your
latest league power rankings (previous
ranking in parentheses):
- Chiefs (1):They retained their top
free agent, DT Chris Jones, via the fran-
chise tag ... leaving QB Patrick Ma-
homes’ eventual extension as the most
significant matter on champs’ to-do list. - 49ers (2):It hurts losing team MVP
DeForest Buckner and WR Emmanuel
Sanders. But reinforcements on way
with extra first-rounder and (maybe?)
RB Jerick McKinnon. - Ravens (4):Last we saw them, CB
Marlon Humphrey labeled the dynamic
club playoff chokers. But arrival of DL
Calais Campbell might be enough to
clear Baltimore’s airway. - Saints (7):Acquisition of Sanders,
return of S Malcolm Jenkins give peren-
nially snake-bitten playoff squad bona
fide chance at Super Bowl return for QB
Drew Brees. - Titans (3):Band that reached AFC
title game essentially returns intact ...
unless GM Jon Robinson has another
major move (Jadeveon Clowney?) still
up his sleeve. - Packers (5):Relatively quiet in
free agency, but Pack could improve
nonetheless after melding so many new
elements in Year 1 under rookie coach
Matt LaFleur. - Colts (24):Arguably free agency’s
winners after landing Buckner, CB Xavi-
er Rhodes and QB Philip Rivers, who has
mastered this offense under Frank
Reich and OC Nick Sirianni before and
should execute it at high level behind
elite offensive line. - Buccaneers (17):Would be nice if
new QB Tom Brady had more time to in-
tegrate into the program, but smarter
decisions might be all this team needs
after its average loss in 2019 came by 7.
points.- Vikings (6):They jettisoned WR
Stefon Diggs and most of their corners,
but GM Rick Spielman can address
those issues with three of draft’s first 58
selections. - Steelers (13):Even with (in spite
of ?) QBs Mason Rudolph and Duck
Hodges, last year’s team would have
been good enough for 2020 NFL play-
offs. How good can it be with return of
Ben Roethlisberger plus its top-five de-
fense? - Bills (12):Buffalo paid a very steep
price for Diggs’ services, but this might
well be year to make go-for-broke push
to win first AFC East crown for first time
since 1995. - Seahawks (8):Just about every-
thing broke right for this team in 2019.
Still waiting for word if Clowney’s 2020
decision breaks their way, too.- Eagles (9): Darius Slay, Nickell
Robey-Coleman should solve last year’s
corner catastrophe, but Philly could still
use another wideout and safety. - Falcons (16):They’re poised to
deploy offense that starts a first-round-
er at each position. And with a defense
bolstered by DE Dante Fowler? Beware. - Cowboys (14):Picked up nice
pieces (DT Gerald McCoy, S Ha Ha Clin-
ton-Dix) in free agency despite losing
CB Byron Jones, DE Robert Quinn. Now,
how quickly can new coach Mike Mc-
Carthy meld Dallas’ talent with his ap-
proach? - Rams (15):Time arrived to pay
piper after several salary-cap gambles.
Debts continue into draft, where their
first selection is scheduled at No. 52. - Chargers (28):Will replacing Riv-
ers’ gun-slinging tendencies with QB
Tyrod Taylor’s risk-averse approach get
Bolts back to postseason? Or might a
first-round passer be taking reins of ros-
ter with ample voltage? - Patriots (11):They didn’t just lose
Brady. Also gone is cap space plus three
guys who gave 2019’s No. 1 defense at
least 650 snaps. Dynastic death knell? - Cardinals (21): Trading RB David
Johnson for WR DeAndre Hopkins
solved two problems for team that was
pretty tough by final month of Kliff
Kingsbury’s maiden voyage. - Broncos (20): Plenty of buzz
around QB Drew Lock after 4-1 finish to
his rookie year. Should be more for de-
fense entering second year under Vic
Fangio. - Texans (10):They lost Hopkins
and blossomed DL D.J. Reader ... and,
thus, maybe any reasonable chance to
keep division crown from Colts or Ti-
tans. - Dolphins (27):GM Chris Grier
went on wild free agent spending spree
and is still sitting on loads of draft cap-
ital. Squad that finished 2019 with flair
under rookie coach Brian Flores should
start 2020 much faster in what projects
as wide-open AFC East. - Jets (19):Quietly went 7-6 with
healthy Sam Darnold in 2019 but chose
not to spend all of their cap Benjamins
in order to keep pace with AFC’s Benja-
mins. - Raiders (23): They were out-
classed as often as they
were competitive in 2019. How do you
improve on that while trying to relocate
your entire franchise in midst of one of
the most turbulent times in American
history? - Bengals (30):They took unusual
step of spending in free agency. They
tagged WR A.J. Green and are poised to
welcome QB Joe Burrow in draft. This
could be quite a reset for group that con-
sistently played hard for rookie coach
Zac Taylor in 2019. - Lions (25):They were tough with
QB Matthew Stafford in 2019 but 0-
without him. Could be dangerous if haul
of ex-Patriots pick right back up in Matt
Patricia’s program. - Browns (22):Talent that tan-
talized pundits last year mostly returns.
But new coach Kevin Stefanski likely
won’t have sufficient time to blend it for
a 2020 resurgence. - Bears (18):Could be on verge of
coming completely unglued by import-
ing competition (Nick Foles) for QB
Mitchell Trubisky but no weapons to
help his cause. - Redskins (31):Kudos for general-
ly measured way Ron Rivera’s new re-
gime has approached offseason. Still,
would be nice to see impasse surround-
ing LT Trent Williams finally bridged. - Giants (26):Bill Belichick’s pro-
tégés have generally been apples who
tend to fall quite far from the masterful
tree. Joe Judge could get off to especial-
ly rocky start given how belated it will
be. - Panthers (32):New coach. New
quarterback. New-look defense. For a
team that lost its last eight games in - What could possibly go wrong?
- Jaguars (29):There’s probably
some kind of long-term strategy here.
But good luck making heads or tails of it.
DE Yannick Ngakoue is also perplexed.
NFL POWER RANKINGS
Big changes arrive along with free agency
Nate Davis
USA TODAY
Calais Campbell boosts the Ravens to
No. 3 in the power rankings.
DOUGLAS DEFELICE/USA TODAY SPORTSAldon Smith hadn’t played an NFL
game in 1,599 days.
That didn’t stop the Dallas Cowboys
from signing the former All-Pro defen-
sive end on Wednesday night.
Smith and Dallas agreed to terms on
a one-year deal worth up to $4 million, a
person with knowledge of the deal con-
firmed to USA TODAY Sports. The per-
son spoke on condition on anonymity
because they were not authorized to
publicly disclose the team’s plans. The
deal includes a $2 million base salary
with an additional $2 million worth of
incentives based on sack count.
“Life is good,” Smith wrote in an In-
stagram post Wednesday night. “I’m
thankful. I’m blessed. I’m a Cowboy.”
Smith, who will turn 31 in September,
has shown an uncanny high ceiling for
wreaking havoc on passers. He amassed
471 ⁄ 2 sacks and 89 quarterback hits in
five seasons. His 33^1 ⁄ 2 sacks across his
first two seasons in the league is an NFL
record. Trailing closely are Reggie White
(31), Von Miller (30) and Derrick Thom-
as (30).
But Smith hasn’t played a game since
November 2015, when he was last sus-
pended for violating the league’s poli-
cies on substance abuse and personal
conduct. To trigger any part of the deal,
Smith must win his reinstatement bat-
tle to overturn his league suspension.
He has begun that process, a person
with knowledge of his application told
USA TODAY Sports. The person said
Smith has been clean for nine months.
He also has participated in a program
that pairs former NFL players and com-
bat veterans to help each other with
transition challenges including mental
health struggles. Fox Sports NFL insider
Jay Glazer, who co-founded the Merging
Vets and Players (MVP) program, tweet-
ed that Smith has helped veterans deal
with sobriety issues while “getting help
himself.” Glazer said Smith hasn’t
missed a session in eight months.
“There is beauty in the struggle,”
Smith wrote in his Instagram post. “Life
will always present us (with) tests. I’ve
learned how to take a different perspec-
tive on the adversities of life. Instead of
looking at life as a victim, I have em-
braced the journey as God has planned
it, making exponential strides toward
becoming a better man.”
The NFL updated its policy on sub-
stances of abuse with the ratification
last month of its next collective bargain-
ing agreement. Smith was eligible to ap-
ply for reinstatement after he had
served a one-year suspension.
The league factors in criminal activ-
ity, arrests and convictions in determin-
ing whether a player merits reinstate-
ment. Smith’s off-field issues also have
included arrests on suspicions of do-
mestic violence, a hit-and-run and DUI.
There are clinical requirements for
reinstatement and the league mandates
players continue participation in a
treatment plan.
“The commissioner, in his sole dis-cretion, will determine if and when the
Player will be allowed to return to the
NFL,” according to a copy of the league’s
2020 policy obtained by USA TODAY
Sports. “A Player’s failure to adhere to
his Treatment Plan during his banish-
ment will be a significant consideration
in the Commissioner decisions.”
Should Smith win his bid for rein-
statement, he will reunite with Cowboys
defensive line coach Jim Tomsula,Smith’s defensive line coach all four
years he played for San Francisco. The
49ers selected Smith out of Missouri in
the first round, seventh overall, of the
2011 NFL draft.
Suspended Cowboys defensive end
Randy Gregory is also seeking reinstate-
ment.
The Cowboys lost four defensive
starters in free agency including start-
ing right defensive end Robert Quinn,
whom the Bears signed to a five-year
deal worth up to $70 million.
The Cowboys have also signed defen-
sive tackles Gerald McCoy and Dontari
Poe in free agency. Like Smith, each has
been to a Pro Bowl in the past. And like
Smith, each was a first-round draft se-
lection.
The Cowboys hired Mike McCarthy
in January as their first new head coach
in nearly a decade. McCarthy brought
along Mike Nolan as defensive coordi-
nator and Tomsula for the defensive
line. The defense will undergo a scheme
change, McCarthy has said.
“The way (former defensive coordi-
nator) Rod (Marinelli) formatted each
position on where certain guys fit, it’s
going to be different here,” McCarthy
said Feb. 26. “When you’re throwing
away good players because they don’t fit
your system, you got to take a hard look
at your system.
“If the guy is a good football player, he
can play for me.
“I want to be much better on defense
at this spot than I was at my last oppor-
tunity.”Cowboys acquire Aldon Smith, out since late ’
Jori Epstein
USA TODAY
Aldon Smith, who posted two double
digit sack seasons with the 49ers, last
played in 2015 with the Raiders.
KIRBY LEE/USA TODAY SPORTS