Rating which teams are closest to being Super Bowl contenders

ByESPN.COM
January 25, 2016, 10:40 AM

— -- With the Super Bowl matchup set -- Carolina vs. Denver on Feb. 7 -- we asked the NFL Nation reporters covering the 30 teams that won't be playing in February to answer a question:

On a scale of 1-10, how close is the team you cover to being a Super Bowl contender?

Here are their responses, with 1 being nowhere near close to being a contender and 10 being on the brink of playing in the 2017 Super Bowl:

10: On the cusp of a Super Bowl appearance

Arizona Cardinals: Despite a lopsided loss in the NFC title game, Arizona is one of the most complete teams in the NFL with the highest-scoring offense to complement one of the best defenses. This season, the Cardinals were still on the cusp of a Super Bowl appearance without two of their top defensive players, safety  Tyrann Mathieu and outside linebacker  Alex Okafor. They'll be among the best teams next season. -- Josh Weinfuss

9: Most of the pieces to contend

Seattle Seahawks: The core is intact. Quarterback  Russell Wilson made great strides in 2015, leading the NFL in passer rating, and he is only 27 years old. The defense is young and has finished first in fewest points allowed for four straight years. There are issues to be ironed out -- most notably on the offensive line -- but the Seahawks should go into the 2016 season as one of a handful of Super Bowl favorites. -- Sheil Kapadia

8: Close, but injuries, free agency loom

7: Talented but missing critical pieces

Green Bay Packers: The Packers were one of eight teams still playing on divisional playoff weekend, and they made it that far even though it was one of their worst offensive teams in years. They'll get Pro Bowl receiver Jordy Nelson back next season, and general manager Ted Thompson will surely add another weapon or two for quarterback  Aaron Rodgers. The defense is finally back to being serviceable, and if the offense returns to its usual production, this team will be right there again. -- Rob Demovsky

6: More questions than answers

Cincinnati Bengals: Ask how close the Bengals were to a Super Bowl a year ago and the answer probably would have been an 8 or 9. But considering the personnel changes that are coming (and that already have come) to Cincinnati in the next few months, it doesn't appear the Bengals will be as good as they were during this past 12-4, AFC North-winning season. Not to mention, there's the fact the Bengals haven't been to the Super Bowl in 27 years. Cincinnati still will have a talented team in 2016. But five straight wild-card round exits make it hard to believe it is a true Lombardi trophy contender. -- Coley Harvey

5: In the middle of the pack

Baltimore Ravens: The Ravens are difficult to gauge. Two seasons ago, Baltimore was leading eventual Super Bowl champion New England by two touchdowns in the divisional playoffs. Last season, the Ravens had the fifth-most losses in the NFL with 11. Their Super Bowl hopes come down to whether they can stay healthy, draft a couple of impact players and get strong seasons from their older playmakers (wide receiver  Steve Smith and outside linebackers  Terrell Suggs and Elvis Dumervil). -- Jamison Hensley

4: Lots of work to do

Atlanta Falcons: The Falcons still have some major rebuilding to do in order to get the roster to compete with a difficult 2016 schedule, let alone compete for a Super Bowl. Getting a secondary receiving threat opposite Julio Jones, bolstering the interior of the offensive line and adding playmakers on the defensive line and at linebacker could help the cause, but that likely can't all be fixed in one year. -- Vaughn McClure

3: Talent, depth needed

2: Big rebuilding job ahead

Tennessee Titans: It's not a 1 only because the Titans got quarterback  Marcus Mariota in the 2015 draft. Tennessee is the worst team in the NFL over the past two seasons, as far as can be from the title game. New general manager Jon Robinson is charged with rebuilding a terrible roster. -- Paul Kuharsky

1: Nowhere close

Cleveland Browns: No long-term solution at quarterback, another new coach, seven seasons of at least 11 losses in the past eight and one playoff game (one!) since 1999. The Browns arrow isn't close to pointing up, not even in a league where one-season turnarounds are possible. -- Pat McManamon