5 teams that could kick-start a rebuild after the 2020 season

Here, theScore uses relevant factors such as roster composition, expected salary-cap situation, and potential changes in coaching and management to project five teams that could embark on a rebuild after the 2020 season.

New Orleans Saints

With a championship in reach, the Saints are going all-in for a fourth consecutive season. But after this one, the picture could get bleak. It took weeks for Drew Brees to commit to playing the coming campaign, and there's a good chance that the 41-year-old will ride off into the sunset once it's over. The future Hall of Famer has already lined up a post-playing career, signing a deal with NBC Sports to become a broadcaster. The Saints have no obvious heir apparent in the building.

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Moreover, New Orleans is on track to be more than $30 million over the salary cap in 2021 unless the budget goes up. But the cap could decrease with COVID-19 threatening to keep stadiums nowhere near maximum capacity, thus sinking league revenues. Meanwhile, several Saints stars, including Alvin Kamara, Marshon Lattimore, and Ryan Ramczyk, will need or want extensions before next season, putting the club in a bind that could force it to blow up the roster and start over.

Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jaguars already possess a young roster, and they're set up for another major injection of youth in 2021. Thanks to the Jalen Ramsey trade, Jacksonville holds two first-round picks in the next draft. Its own pick could yield a top-five selection if it plays to national expectations this season. The Jaguars also project to have the second-most cap space next offseason, putting them in position to splurge in free agency like they did in 2017 when they netted building blocks in Calais Campbell and A.J. Bouye.

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If the Jaguars endure another poor season, it won't be David Caldwell or Doug Marrone picking the players to spend money or draft picks on. The general manager and head coach are already on the hot seat and won't survive the type of season they seem likely to have. The next regime will have to fill a roster short on established players and determine whether it can build around young quarterback Gardner Minshew.

Detroit Lions

The Lions have disappointed under Matt Patricia, who almost certainly won't be granted a fourth season if this one doesn't go well. The same could apply to Bob Quinn, who's built one playoff team since becoming general manager in 2016. With new leadership comes new systems and usually a roster overhaul.

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Even if new decision-makers keep Matthew Stafford beyond 2020, there would probably be significant change around him. The Lions' defense is littered with underachieving draft picks and unheralded veterans, while the offense lacks long-term depth at every position and will need a new left tackle if Taylor Decker doesn't get an extension. Couple the lack of game-changers on both sides of the ball with the philosophical reset that a new GM and/or head coach would bring, and it looks like Detroit could be headed for another painful rebuild.

New York Jets

If Sam Darnold can't overcome his turnover problems in Year 3, it could be time for the Jets to start over - again. Jamal Adams has already reportedly requested a trade, Le'Veon Bell and Jamison Crowder have no guaranteed money on their hefty deals after 2020, and C.J. Mosley will become movable with only $8 million guaranteed left, so there is a path for the Jets to clean house and start afresh.

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The Jets expected to contend for the playoffs in their first season under Adam Gase but flopped. In fact, Gase was responsible for the NFL's worst-ranked offense in 2019 despite being touted as an offensive wizard. He survived a tumultuous debut in New York but can't afford a repeat performance.

Los Angeles Rams

Nearsighted transactions in 2018 helped the Rams reach a Super Bowl but mortgaged a chunk of their future. In 2019, general manager Les Snead kept his foot on the pedal despite signs that his team didn't have the juice to contend, and now Los Angeles is beginning to pay for it. The trade-happy Rams haven't drafted in the first round since taking Jared Goff first overall in 2016 and employ a thinning, expensive core as a result. They don't have a top-32 selection in 2021 either, as they dealt two first-rounders to Jacksonville for Ramsey.

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While Goff has developed, he hasn't proved worthy of his four-year, $134-million contract. With him and Aaron Donald occupying so much cap space, and with the Rams eating Todd Gurley's $60-million extension before it kicked in, the Rams have neither the pieces nor the money to build a balanced team like they had two years ago. Los Angeles is on a downward trajectory, and it should shock nobody if Snead - one of the most creative and aggressive executives in the industry - tries to move Goff's contract or some other major pieces for future assets after the 2020 season.

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