2013 Sleeper Report

Once July 4th comes and goes, NFL fans begin to start thinking about the upcoming NFL season. One of the most exciting aspect of the summer is the hope that each franchise has for that upcoming season. Every year, at least 1 team that lost at least 10 games from the year before turns it around and makes the playoffs the following year. This teams are known as the "Sleeper" teams. Last year, the sleeper teams included: Indianapolis (2-14 to 11-5), Minnesota (3-13 to 10-6), and Washington (5-11 to 10-6.) There were 10 teams that lost at least 10 games in 2012. Here are my candidates for the 2013 Sleeper from this year's crop. The list starts with 10 and goes to number one. The number one team is the team that I think has the best chance to be this year's Sleeper team. Here are this year's Sleeper candidates:

10) Jacksonville (2-14 in 2012): It is hard to get excited about this year's Jags team. The Jags are in a very competitive division and have a real issue at Quarterback (Blaine Gabbert vs. Chad Henne).

9) Oakland (4-12 in 2012): The Raiders have like $50 million in dead money on their cap this season. Plus, they have Matt Flynn starting at Quarterback and trying to save the franchise. This looks like another rebuilding year for the Raiders.

8) NY Jets (6-10 in 2012): It is hard to see how competitive the Jets are going to be this season. Their offense is a mess and Mark Sanchez is on borrowed time as the team's starter. Rex Ryan's defense will be competitive but it will be hard to envision the Jets making the playoffs this year.

7) Cleveland (5-11 in 2012): There is some talent on this team, but the key will be the development of Brandon Weeden. This is a new Browns regime, and none of these guys drafted Weeden, so it will be interesting to see how much leeway he has. Plus, the Browns are stuck in a division with such superior teams as the Ravens, Steelers, and Bengals.

6) Philadelphia (4-12 in 2012): There could be a knee-jerk reaction from the hiring of Chip Kelly. He might be able to light a fire under some of the veterans that were apart of last year's debacle. The Eagles are either going to surprise this year or be a very mediocre team.

5)  Buffalo (6-10 in 2012): I liked the Bills draft, but once E.J. Manuel takes over at QB it will be tough to see the Bills competing for a playoff spot. They will probably be in the mix for most of the season, but I can't see them making the playoffs.

4) Arizona (5-11 in 2012): Bruce Arians could very well turn this franchise around as their new HC. Carson Palmer is an upgrade over anything that they had at QB the last few seasons, so that will certainly help this putrid offense out, and we know that their defense can play week in and week out. The problem is that they are in a very tough NFC West.

3) Kansas City (2-14 in 2012): The Chiefs could be this year's Colts. Andy Reid made some nice moves in his first offseason as KC's coach. The addition of Alex Smith is an upgrade at QB, and the team boasted five Pro Bowl players on their roster in 2012. In a weak division, the Chiefs could definitely make a playoff run this year.

2) Tennessee (6-10 in 2012): The Titans can make a legitimate run at the playoffs this year, but everything boils down to the development of Jake Locker. Locker has looked impressive at times, and the Titans made moves to improve their offensive line, so he will have some chances to run this offense at a high level. Look out for the Titans.

1) Detroit (4-12 in 2012): Last year's Lions were 4-4 at the midway point, and then they imploded and lost their last eight games. They were an unmitigated disaster in the second half of the season. The Lions have a really good chance of being this year's Sleeper team because of three big factors: Matt Stafford, Calvin Johnson, and Ndamukong Suh. To be fair, the Lions did make some nice improvements to their defense, but if they can match the play of Stafford and Johnson, then they can definitely make a run for the playoffs in 2013.