Veteran NFL players know to look around the locker room one final time before each season ends because the same group will never be together again. That can be a welcome realization for the worst teams and a wistful one for the best.
The changes in 2017 will be more sweeping for some teams than for others, based on factors including ownership, front offices, coaching changes, projected free agents and more.
The New York Jets could have no equal among teams headed for massive offseason overhauls. What follows is an effort to place each of the NFL's 32 teams on the franchise-overhaul continuum. The teams most affected appear near the top, starting with the Jets, who outrank even the 1-15 Cleveland Browns and 2-14 San Francisco 49ers. But a high ranking doesn't necessarily mean the team will be bad next season. Turnover affects some of the better franchises as well.
1. New York Jets
Coach Todd Bowles has never been one for hyperbole, but when his Jets surprisingly won 10 games in 2015, some might have gotten the impression that this team was close to contending. The 5-11 record that followed this season cleared the way, politically, for a roster overhaul that has been a long time coming.
Center Nick Mangold, cornerback Darrelle Revis and linebacker David Harris have provided excellent production at various points of their Jets tenures, but all are in their 30s and declining. The team could save more than $22 million in 2017 by releasing them.
There is much more work to be done. The Jets' divorce from quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick is all but final. The team could also move on from both starting tackles (Ryan Clady, Breno Giacomini) and both starting receivers (Brandon Marshall, Eric Decker). Tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins could be another logical subtraction.
The Jets are No. 1 on this list, not just for the volume of expected change but also because so many "name" players at key positions could depart.