The NFL's true offseason is now upon us, but that doesn't mean that the league won't still try to keep fans engaged with several events interspersed throughout the summer months.And the first of those gentle reminders that the NFL is still lurking is coming on Thursday.The NFL is set to release its schedule for 2023, which has become an early-May custom for the league in recent seasons.The purpose of the schedule Marwin Gonzalez Jersey release is twofold. One, it helps keep some attention on the NFL in the weeks after the draft when interest would otherwise be waning. And two, it allows fans to know when their favorite teams are playing each opponent and allows them to plan which games they might attend in 2023.NFL POWER RANKINGS:It's also a time that many will use to begin to make predictions about the upcoming NFL season. After all, most of the notable offseason player movement has been completed. There may be a couple of trades here and a few notable free agent signings there as the offseason drags on, but for the most part, the core rosters of the league's 32 teams have been built.The building of the schedule helps NFL analysts to further a se s how each team will do in 2023. It gives everyone a snapshot of what the easier or tougher stretches in each team's season will entail and which teams are granted the most favorable bye weeks.Of course, the NFL is noted for its parity, so not all of the analyses and projections made in May will hold up. And we already knew the 17 opponents each team would face during the 2023 season; so while the order of opponents faced may make a minor difference in how each team's schedule is viewed, it's not something that will entirely sway the opinion of how a team might fare.So, who, with all that said, has the easiest-looking schedule on paper as the NFL releases its schedule? Here's a look at the five least difficult schedules based on the projected over/under win totals of their 17 opponents.MORE: 1. New Orleans SaintsStrength of schedule:0.476Projected opponents' record: 129.5-142.5It shouldn't surprise anyone to see an NFC South team perched atop this list. The NFC is considered the weaker of the two conferences ahead of the 2023 season, and the NFC South is likely to be the worst division in the NFL.In fact, the Saints are the only team playing in the division that are projected to have a winning record. As such, it's only natural that the Saints have the easiest divisional schedule of any team in the NFL, as they get to play the Buccaneers, Falcons and Panthers twice each.That said, the Saints also have a favorable-looking interdivisional schedule. They get to face twos teams from the AFC South the Colts and Texans that are expected to be weaker in 2023 as they break in rookie quarterbacks and another in the Titans that has lost a lot of talent on both sides of the ball. All three of those contests are certainly winnable.So too is the Saints' home game against the Bears. While Chicago figures to be better in 2023, they still have a young quarterback in Justin Fields and are in the proce s of rebuilding their offensive line. The Saints have plenty of veterans who will give them the edge in that contest.Finally, the team's two road games against the Patriots and Rams don't look Alex Bregman Jersey quite as intimidating as they would have a few years ago. The Patriots are dealing with questions on the offensive side of the ball while the Rams have lost several pieces of the core that helped them win Super Bowl 56.If Matthew Stafford continues to be injury-prone, Derek Carr may get a chance to duel Stetson Bennett in that contest, so that would give an edge to New Orleans.The Saints aren't guaranteed to be a succe sful team in 2023, but if they have any i sues competing in the NFC South, it won't be because of their schedule. It will likely be to other i sues with the team, whether they are due to Carr, the team's depth at receiver or the fact that they have had to let several key veterans go in recent offseasons to stay under the salary cap. (Getty Images) 2. Atlanta FalconsStrength of schedule:0.483Projected opponents' record:131.5-140.5The Falcons are in a similar boat to the Saints. They are in the NFL's weakest division and will get a chance to play the teams from the NFC North and AFC South, so that sets the table for them to have a rather easy schedule in 2023.But why are the Falcons behind the Saints in terms of strength of schedule? Well, it's largely related to the fact that the Saints have an over/under win total of 9.5 while the Falcons' total is an even eight. That makes the strength of Atlanta's opponents slightly more difficult.That said, the Falcons finished fourth in the NFC South, so they get the luxury of facing a last-place schedule while the Saints play a slightly more difficult third-place schedule. No matter how you slice it though, both teams have an easy draw.The Falcons get to face the Buccaneers and Panthers two teams projected to be sub-.500 twice each. They also get to face the Commanders, Colts, Packers and Texans at home. All of those teams are also projected to have sub-.500 records, so the Falcons should be able to remain competitive in those contests. And they should win their easy road contest against the Cardinals while keeping it close with the Titans.Beyond that, the Falcons are playing just four games against teams that made the playoffs last year. Two of those are coming against the Bucs, who went 8-9 last season and lost Tom Brady; the other two are against the Vikings who are still a work in progre s on defense and the Jaguars.All that's to say that the Falcons should be positioned to give the Saints a run for their money atop the NFC South because of their draw of opponents. Perhaps their decision to start Desmond Ridder at quarterback will handcuff them in this pursuit, but like New Orleans, Atlanta will have nobody to blame but itself if the team can't take advantage of George Springer Jersey a favorable schedule.2023 NFL DRAFT:||3. Indianapolis ColtsStrength of schedule:0.504Projected opponents' record:137-141And here we have it: the first non-NFC South team among the easiest schedule rankings! The Colts instead play in the AFC South, a weak division in its own right, but one that at least contains within it the Jaguars and their over/under win total of 9.5.Still, the Colts will get to face off against the Texans and Titans in 2023 while reaping the rewards of playing against the four teams in the NFC South. Their matchup with the four teams in the AFC North is a bit le s favorable, but Indianapolis will benefit from playing a third-place schedule that features a couple of key breaks.The Colts will face the Patriots, Rams and Raiders as part of their third-place schedule. Had they finished last like the Texans, they instead would have faced the Jets, Cardinals and Broncos. Dodging Aaron Rodgers in favor of Mac Jones is certainly worth it, while the shift from the Cardinals and Broncos to the Rams and Raiders are perhaps lateral moves.All that's to say that Anthony Richardson won't be placed Tyler Clippard Jersey in too many situations where he is at a significant disadvantage in 2023. That could end up helping his development and while it may not make the Colts playoff contenders in the loaded AFC, it will perhaps allow the team to exceed the low-bar expectations set for it. They currently have an over/under win total of 6.5. (Getty Images) 4. Carolina PanthersStrength of schedule:0.506Projected opponents' record:137.5-140.5Noticing a trend yet? Yes, the NFC South will produce three of the easiest schedules in the conference. E sentially, the Saints, Falcons and Panthers all get to beat up on the Brady-le s Buccaneeers as they start Baker Mayfield or Kyle Trask, so that puts them at an advantage over many other teams.Like New Orleans and Atlanta, the Panthers also will get to face the AFC South. The battles with the Colts, Texans and Titans drop their strength of schedule a couple of ticks below the .500 mark.But why are the Panthers ranked third here? It's because they finished second place in the NFC South, so they will have to play the second-hardest non-divisional schedule behind the Buccaneers. That sets them up for dates with the Cowboys, Seahawks and Dolphins, all of whom made the playoffs last season.Comparatively, the Falcons get the Cardinals, Commanders and Jets as part of the scheduling rotation while the Saints get the Giants, Patriots and Rams. Thus, the advantage clearly does not lie with the Panthers.Even still, Carolina has plenty of reason to believe that it will be able to put together a quality campaign during Bryce Young's rookie season. He may endure some growing pains, but if the Panthers get lucky and their schedule is frontloaded with easier games, then they may have a chance to join the Saints and Falcons in the race for the NFC South title.MORE: | 5. Chicago BearsStrength of schedule:0.518Projected opponents' record:141-131The Bears round out the five easiest schedules for the NFL at the time of the schedule release. They mark the fourth NFC team to crack the top five, and once again, their easy calendar is bolstered by four matchups with teams from the NFC South.Chicago will play the Buccaneers, Falcons, Panthers and Saints once each as part of its rotational schedule. The Bears will also square off against the four teams in the AFC West, a decidedly more difficult task.Even still, the Bears manage to sneak into the five easiest schedules because they are playing a last-place schedule after finishing with the NFL's worst record last season. That will set Chicago up for dates with the Cardinals, Commanders and Browns; all are projected to have records of .500 or worse while the Cardinals' 5.5 over/under win total is the lowest in the NFL.Add in that the Packers no longer have Aaron Rodgers and Chicago's intradivisional schedule no longer looks quite as daunting as it once did. Sure, the Vikings made the playoffs last year and the Lions have playoff aspirations in 2023 and beat the Bears twice last year.But with reinforcements arriving on the offensive line and at all levels of the defense, the Bears will be better equipped to compete in those divisional Justin Verlander Jersey contests.Like all of the other teams mentioned, Chicago having an easier schedule doesn't guarantee that it will be competitive. But if the team can gel in Matt Eberflus' second year and take a leap forward with the influx of talent it has added, the perhaps the Bears can become a surprise wild-card contender in the wide-open NFC.
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