The future looks bright for the Houston Texans after a pair of rookies led them to a division title and a wild-card win over the Browns. (USA Today)
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Editor's note: Tony Grossi is a Cleveland Browns analyst for TheLandOnDemand.com and 850 ESPN Cleveland. He has covered the Browns since 1984.
(Second of two parts.)
My rankings of NFL organizations focus on the past five years and include the franchise records in that period, number of division titles, playoff appearances, Super Bowl wins and losses. They also include an arrow pointing up, down or level.
I also list the most recent valuation of each franchise as estimated by Forbes magazine.
On Friday, I posted the rankings from 1 to 16. Here are 17 through 32.
17. Houston Texans
Forbes valuation: $5.5 billion
Ownership/management: Janice McNair is owner and eldest son Cal is chairman and CEO.
5-year record: 31-51-1
Division titles: 1
Playoff appearances: 2
Super Bowl wins: 0
Super Bowl losses: 0
Arrow: Up.
Analysis: The Texans have climbed out of purgatory in large part because of six draft picks – including three No. 1s -- replenished via the trade of Deshaun Watson to the Browns. When spot-on 2023 No. 2 overall draft pick C.J. Stroud strafed the Browns’ defense in the wild-card game, it symbolically pushed the Texans past the franchise most responsible for its quick turnaround.
18. Cleveland Browns
Forbes valuation: $4.62 billion
Ownership/management: Dee and Jimmy Haslam are owners.
5-year record: 43-40
Division titles: 0
Playoff appearances: 2
Super Bowl wins: 0
Super Bowl losses: 0
Arrow: Level.
Analysis: At a time the Haslams need a Super Bowl appearance to bolster their a $1 billion+ stadium agenda, the franchise seems suffocated by ongoing uncertainty about Watson’s return to form. It’s a critical year for all involved.
19. Jacksonville Jaguars
Forbes valuation: $4.0 billion
Ownership/management: Shahid Kahn is owner.
5-year record: 28-55
Division titles: 1
Playoff appearances: 1
Super Bowl wins: 0
Super Bowl losses: 0
Arrow: Up.
Analysis: The second year of the partnership of coach Doug Pederson and quarterback Trevor Lawrence was a disappointment, yet they still won nine games. Reinforcements on defense and an expected rebound by Lawrence merit the Jaguars an arrow up.
20. New Orleans Saints
Forbes valuation: $4.08 billion
Ownership/management: Gayle Benson is owner.
5-year record: 50-33
Division titles: 2
Playoff appearance 2
Super Bowl wins: 0
Super Bowl losses: 0
Arrow: Down.
Analysis: Two years removed from the Sean Payton era, the Saints are a middling team on the field, loaded with older players with high salaries and no quarterback of the future. GM Tom Loomis has performed salary cap voodoo in recent years to postpone a total reboot. End result: They’re not getting better.
21. Indianapolis Colts
Forbes valuation: $4.35 billion
Ownership/management: Jim Irsay is owner, chairman and CEO.
5-year record: 40-42-1
Division titles: 0
Playoffs: 1
Super Bowl wins: 0
Super Bowl losses: 0
Arrow: Up.
Analysis: Granted it was a short sample size as a rookie, but Anthony Richardson appears to end the five-year search for a successor to franchise quarterback Andrew Luck. If they can keep him healthy, a Richardson-Shane Steichen partnership could move the Colts back into the playoff picture.
22. Tennessee Titans
Forbes valuation: $4.4 billion
Ownership/management: Amy Adams Strunk, daughter of franchise founder Bud Adams, is controlling owner and co-chair.
Division titles: 2
Playoff appearances: 3
Super Bowl wins: 0
Super Bowl losses: 0
Arrow: Level.
Analysis: The dismissal of Mike Vrabel as coach will shape Strunk’s legacy as a second-generation owner. On Thursday, the Titans break ground on a $2.1 billion indoor stadium, which includes a record $1.26 billion in public funding. Now the team must build from the ground up.
23. Los Angeles Chargers
Forbes valuation: $4.15 billion
5-year record: 36-47
Ownership/management: Brothers Dean and Michael Spanos are owners; Dean is chairman and chief decision-maker.
Division titles: 0
Playoff appearances: 1
Super Bowl wins: 0
Super Bowl losses: 0
Arrow: Up.
Analysis: The selection of Jim Harbaugh as coach could launch the Chargers into NFL elite. Harbaugh has won everywhere – he has a .725 career record at University of San Diego, Stanford, Michigan and the San Francisco 49ers. His combination of toughness and offensive acumen may be the perfect tonic for an underachieving franchise.
24. Denver Broncos
Forbes valuation: $5.1 billion
Ownership/management: In October, controlling ownership was transferred from Rob Walton to son-in-law Greg Penner, who is also CEO.
5-year record: 32-51
Division titles: 0
Playoff appearances: 0
Super Bowl wins: 0
Super Bowl losses: 0
Arrow: Down.
Analysis: Sean Payton is so determined to move past quarterback Russell Wilson, he convinced ownership to eat $85 million in salary cap room – broken up over the next two years -- despite owing Wilson $39 million in cash. It figures that the team will get worse before it gets better.
25. Atlanta Falcons
Forbes evaluation: $4.7 billion
Ownership/management: Arthur Blank, co-founder of The Home Depot, is owner and chairman.
5-year record: 32-51
Division titles: 0
Playoff appearances: 0
Super Bowl wins: 0
Super Bowl losses: 0
Arrow: Level.
Analysis: Blank reportedly was talked out of handing over the franchise to Bill Belichick by his team executives. The alternative choice of Raheem Morris as coach was lauded in many quarters despite Morris’ 21-38 career record as Tampa Bay coach and a stint as Falcons interim in 2020.
26. New York Giants
Forbes valuation: $6.8 billion
Ownership/management: John Mara is principal owner and is the third generation of his family in that role. Steve Tisch is co-owner and chairman.
5-year record: 29-53-1
Division titles: 0
Playoff appearances: 1
Super Bowl wins: 0
Super Bowl losses: 0
Arrow: Down.
Analysis: At least Brian Daboll made it to a third season as Giants coach. He’s the first to do that following Joe Judge (two years), Pat Shurmur (two) and Ben McAdoo (almost two).
27. Chicago Bears
Forbes valuation: $6.3 billion
Ownership/management: Virginia Halas McCaskey, daughter of Bears founder George Halas, is principal owner.
5-year record: 32-51
Division titles: 0
Playoff appearances: 1
Super Bowl wins: 0
Super Bowl losses: 0
Arrow: Up.
Analysis: A 6-3 finish, plus possession of the top pick in the 2024 draft, has injected hope into this lifeless, bedrock NFL franchise.
28. New York Jets
Forbes valuation: $6.1 billion
Ownership/management: Brothers Woody and Christopher Johnson are co-owners.
5-year record: 27-56
Division titles: 0
Playoff appearance: 0
Super Bowl wins: 0
Super Bowl losses: 0
Arrow: Up.
Analysis: Effectively turning over the franchise to quarterback Aaron Rodgers proved disastrous last year after Rodgers suffered an Achilles injury on the fourth play of the season. He would have to have a near-MVP comeback season to justify the investment in him and save another reboot.
29. Las Vegas Raiders
Forbes valuation: $6.2 billion
Ownership/management: Al Davis widow Carol Davis and son Mark are principal owners. Mark is managing general partner.
5-year record: 39-44
Division titles: 0
Playoff appearances: 1
Super Bowl wins: 0
Super Bowl losses: 0
Arrow: Level.
Analysis: Davis’ move to Las Vegas in 2020 set him up for life. While he lives large among the high rollers of Sin City, his football team is lost in the desert. Antonio Pierce is Davis’ fourth coach in four years. They don’t have a quarterback plan.
30. Washington Commanders
Forbes valuation: $6.05 billion
Ownership/management: Josh Harris is managing general partner. He also owns the NBA Philadelphia 76ers and NHL New Jersey Devils.
5-year record: 29-53-1
Division titles: 1
Playoff appearances: 1
Super Bowl wins: 0
Super Bowl losses: 0
Arrow: Up.
Analysis: Harris spent 2023 studying and evaluating the mess created by former owner Daniel Snyder. Harris enlisted the help of former Golden State Warriors GM Bob Myers and former Minnesota Vikings GM Rick Spielman to help form a new management team. They settled on Adam Peters as GM and Dan Quinn as coach.
31. Arizona Cardinals
Forbes valuation: $3.8 billion
Ownership/management: Michael Bidwill is principal owner, chairman and president.
5-year record: 32-50-1
Division titles: 0
Playoff appearances: 1
Super Bowl wins: 0
Super Bowl losses: 0
Arrow: Level.
Analysis: Another third-generation owner, Bidwill has come under attack recently from disgruntled employees charging a dysfunctional culture of fear inside the organization. The team has won eight games in two seasons under two coaches.
32. Carolina Panthers
Forbes valuation: $4.1 billion
Ownership/management: David Tepper, a billionaire hedge fund manager, is owner.
5-year record: 24-59
Division titles: 0
Playoff appearances: 0
Super Bowl wins: 0
Super Bowl losses: 0
Arrow: Down.
Analysis: In six years of ownership, Tepper has burned through three full-time head coaches and three interim coaches, and traded two first-round picks, two seconds and a No. 1 receiver to move up eight spots in the 2023 draft to select 5-foot-10 Alabama quarterback Bryce Young. Good luck to new coach Dave Canales.