With a new Super Bowl champion crowned and the 2015 season all wrapped up and officially in the books, it’s time to gaze forward and see what the landscape might look like for next season. One Vegas site recently proclaimed the Patriots as the favorites to win Super Bowl LI next year, along with the Seahawks and Panthers. To get there, they’ll first have to outlast their AFC counterparts. Here’s an early look at how that goal may shape up:
PATRIOTS
2015 record: 12-4 (AFC East champs)
2015 finish: Lost AFC title game to Broncos
Housekeeping: Linebacker Dont’a Hightower, defensive end Chandler Jones, cornerback Malcolm Butler and linebacker Jamie Collins all have contracts that expire after the 2016 season, and how they’re dealt with is more significant than any of this year’s free agents (Akiem Hicks, Nate Ebner).