The 10 Best Teams to Rebuild

The Browns start with the worst quarterback situation in the league, and that is exactly why they rank first. Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders are both rated below 71, so the one position that decides a franchise is wide open for you to fill with a draft pick or a free agent of your choosing. Left edge and receiver are the other two high-severity needs.

Everything around that hole is young. Jared Verse (88, Superstar) is already a top-10 right edge at 25, and Carson Schwesinger, Quinshon Judkins and Harold Fannin Jr are all Star development players aged 23 or younger. You are not rebuilding from scratch, you are adding a quarterback to a roster that is ready to grow.

The catch is $99.0M in dead money this season, the third-most in the league. Ride it out for one year: next season the Browns project $162.2M in cap room, second in the league, which is enough to buy a whole offensive line.

Arizona carries a 5 out of 5 Franchise Difficulty score: a 72 overall quarterback ranked 31st in the league, and holes at corner, defensive tackle and edge. That is the hard part.

The good part is a real foundation. Trey McBride is a 99 overall X-Factor tight end, Paris Johnson Jr is an 86 overall left tackle at 25, and Jeremiyah Love (HB, 21) and Walter Nolen III (DT, 22) are both Superstar development players who will be starters for a decade.

You also have room to work right away: $37.9M today, fifth in the league, growing to $123.0M next season. Draft a quarterback, spend on the defensive front, and this team can turn in two seasons.

If you want a rebuild that feels like a contender by season two, start here. Bijan Robinson is a 96 overall X-Factor running back at 24, and Drake London is a 92 overall Superstar receiver at 25. Kyle Pitts Sr rounds out one of the best young skill groups in the game.

The Falcons need a quarterback (Tua Tagovailoa and Michael Penix Jr are both rated 73 or lower), help at WILL linebacker, and depth on the defensive line. That is a short list for a team rated 3 out of 5 on Franchise Difficulty.

With $36.4M to spend now and $144.1M next season, you can fix the defense in free agency and use your early picks on a passer.

Few rebuilds hand you blue-chip talent on both sides of the ball. The Giants have Malik Nabers (WR, 86, Superstar) at 23 and Abdul Carter (LEDGE, 82, Superstar) at 22, plus Cam Skattebo at running back and a 21-year-old Star guard in Francis Mauigoa.

Jaxson Dart is a 78 overall quarterback at 23, so you can develop him instead of replacing him. The biggest needs are center, cornerback and strong safety.

The cap is middle of the pack: $29.2M now and $57.2M next season, 15th in the league. That is enough for one big signing a year, so draft well and spend on the secondary.

Miami is a true teardown. The Dolphins carry $172.8M in dead money, the most in the league, and nine high-severity roster needs, with receiver, safety and tight end all ranked last. Malik Willis is the starting quarterback at 74 overall.

So why rank them? Because next season Miami projects $175.1M in cap room, first in the league, and De'Von Achane (88, Superstar) is 24. Kadyn Proctor, Jacob Rodriguez and Chris Johnson are all Star development players aged 23 or younger.

Treat year one as a draft year: collect picks, play the young players, and let the dead money expire. Year two is the biggest free agency budget in the game.

Geno Smith is 35 and rated 74, so the Jets need a long-term quarterback. After that, the biggest problems are cornerback and tight end, both high-severity needs.

The young pieces are in the right places. Armand Membou is an 83 overall right tackle at 22, Joe Tippmann is a Star guard, David Bailey is a Superstar development edge rusher at 23, and Breece Hall is still one of the best backs in the game.

Dead money is heavy this year at $95.2M, fourth-most in the league, but $34.1M in current room and $98.2M next season (fifth) give you real flexibility.

Brock Bowers is the reason to take the Raiders. He is a 93 overall X-Factor tight end at 23, and Ashton Jeanty (86, Star) is 22. That is a pair of skill players you can build an entire offense around.

Kirk Cousins is 38, so the quarterback question is really about Fernando Mendoza, a 73 overall 23-year-old. The bigger issue is up front: defensive tackle, left guard and right tackle are all high-severity needs.

Money is tight this year at $16.1M, with $51.8M in dead cap. Next season opens up to $59.7M, so plan on drafting linemen early and signing one in year two.

Tennessee flips the usual rebuild timeline. The Titans have $51.0M to spend right now, second in the league, and only $3.8M in dead money. But next season's room shrinks to $15.8M, so this is a win-now cap with a young roster.

Cam Ward is a 74 overall quarterback at 24, which gives you a starter to develop. Wan'Dale Robinson, Peter Skoronski, Cor'Dale Flott and JC Latham are all Star development players aged 25 or under.

Spend this year on the holes before the window closes: center, free safety, left tackle, right guard and tight end are all high-severity needs.

The hardest part of any rebuild is finding the quarterback. Washington already has one: Jayden Daniels is an 80 overall Superstar development player at 25, so his rating will climb as you play.

The roster around him needs work at cornerback, running back and left guard, and the left tackle is late in his career. Leo Chenal and 21-year-old Sonny Styles give you a young linebacker pair to lean on.

Cap is a strength: $44.8M now (fourth in the league), only $17.1M in dead money, and $78.4M next season.

The Saints are here for players who want a real test. New Orleans has $9.5M in cap room, 30th in the league, and $107.6M in dead money, second-most. Every move this year has to be cap-neutral.

There are young starters to build around: Kelvin Banks Jr at left tackle, Jonas Sanker at safety, Kool-Aid McKinstry at corner and Jordyn Tyson at receiver are all Star development players aged 23 or younger. Tyler Shough starts at quarterback at 79 overall.

Cut candidates and contract length matter more here than anywhere else, so check the salary cap breakdown before every release. Next season the room grows to $77.9M.