‘Hard Knocks’ 2021: Ranking of the five NFL teams qualified to be featured on the HBO summer series

Before you know it, the 2021 NFL season will be knocking on your door. But before that, we will have some other beats: “Hard Knocks”. A year after HBO introduced the two Los Angeles teams – Chargers and Rams – in a heavy COVID season of the annual training camp series, five other franchises can be featured this time: The Broncos, Cardinals, Cowboys, Giants and Panthers.

This is according to an agreement between the NFL and its 32 teams on eligibility for the show: Since 2014, franchises are not required to be included as potential participants in “Hard Knocks” if 1.) have a head coach in the first year, 2.) made it to the playoffs in the past two seasons, or 3.) appeared on the show in the past 10 years. However, teams can also volunteer for inclusion.

With the off-season of 2021 approaching its official start and bringing us one step closer to the camp, here is our initial ranking of the five eligible candidates, ranked from worst to first:

5. Arizona Cardinals

Despite all the firepower of big names they have, namely quarterback Kyler Murray and receiving star DeAndre Hopkins, the Cardinals are kind of … discouraging, aren’t they? Murray and Hopkins are usually a field fireworks show, but Arizona reached 5-10-1 and 8-8 in Kliff Kingsbury’s first two seasons, which is representative of the divide between his hype / upside and actual production . Preventing Kliff’s full heel turn in an effort to outdo his fellow NFC West model trainer Sean McVay in front of the cameras, who else is stealing the cameras from HBO? They would not be a bad choose, but the other contenders offer more drama.

4. Denver Broncos

I can just feel the Cardinals fans boiling. Look, nobody believes that Broncos are more exciting than Cards now, but this one goes beyond the surface. Drew Lock is far from the starting quarterback. An operation by Deshaun Watson would catapult them up the charts, but honestly, even a bargain like Andy Dalton or Ryan Fitzpatrick would make your fourth QB a sight to behold. Add the possibility that John Elway tries not to steal the spotlight (and the front-office authority), Coach Vic Fangio’s slightly warm seat, a young reception group with Jerry Jeudy, and a defense potentially reeling from Von Miller’s departure, and they are attractive.

3. New York giants

There is a strong case that they belong even higher, because they have never appeared on the show before. Most importantly, they have a great cast of characters, from nervous coach Joe Judge to meme generator Jason Garrett, to QB Daniel Jones who can get it right or wrong, to computer genius, general manager Dave Gettleman. The G-Men would be forced to watch TV because of its market, its ending by chance by 2020 and, well, the normal antics that seem to accompany New Jersey football – that is, New York. You know what? If you’re still reading this, let’s pretend that they share # 2 with …

2. Carolina Panthers

At first glance, they do not carry the same circus appeal as the Giants. (Few do!) But the Panthers are rightfully one of the most interesting teams of the 2021 season. They have a lively and fresh coach on Matt Rhule, who is still transforming the franchise as part of his long-term vision of building culture. They have a hot young coordinator at Joe Brady. They have a new aggressive GM at Scott Fitterer. Oh, and they’re hungry for a QB update, which contains all kinds of juicy material. Whether it’s Teddy Bridgewater battling a rookie or getting a call in the middle of the summer saying he’s being sent to Deshaun Watson in Houston, the advantage is huge here.

1. Dallas Cowboys

I mean, how could it be someone else? Dallas has appeared twice on the show, first in 2002 and again in 2008, but “America’s Team” never ceases to be interesting. The Cowboys may have been rubbish for much of the 2020 season, but that makes them even more fun in 2021, with coach Mike McCarthy under pressure to recover and a big QB dilemma in his hands, with Dak Prescott ready to go. play a second straight. year under the franchise brand. Between the Jones family and the inevitable conversation about Dak’s contract and whatever intermediate fashion Ezekiel Elliott tries to make, they would be mandatory TV shows.