Super Bowl 50 odds: Seahawks listed as favorites, Giants at 40-1

Super Bowl 49 is history, and now a long offseason awaits. Oddsmakers, like Big Blue View, however never take time off. Odds for the 2016 Super Bowl are already out, and the New York Giants are being given a 40-1 chance of winning Super Bowl 50 by oddsmakers at Bovada.

That puts the Giants right in the middle of the pack, probably right about where they should be at the present time. The just-vanquished Seattle Seahawks are 5-1 favorites to win the 2016 Super Bowl, with the now-champion New England Patriots at 6-1. The Green Bay Packers are 8-1 and Denver Broncos, with oddsmakers obviously assuming Peyton Manning will continue to play, at 10-1.

What do the Giants have to do to have a shot at reaching Super Bowl 50? Pro Football Focus told us recently that the Giants aren't as far away from contending as back-to-back losing season might lead you to believe. With that in mind, let's offer a five-point plan to get the Giants back into contention next season.

1. Get more athletic on defense -- Safety, linebacker, defensive line, you name it. If you watched the Super Bowl, and most of the playoff games, you know that most of these teams were far more athletic, far more dynamic, than the Giants currently are on defense. The Giants have to get rangier and more athletic at safety. Devon Kennard is a good start at linebacker, but the Giants need more athleticism and play-making ability at that position. To simply fall back on 'Jon Beason will be back' isn't good enough because, bluntly, we can't be sure Beason is good enough anymore. The Giants need to get younger and more physical at the defensive tackle spot. If the right pass-rushing defense end falls into their laps they could use one of those, too.
2. Finish remaking the offensive line -- Move Weston Richburg to center, where he belongs. Add one more starting-caliber player, preferably someone capable of being a dominant run-blocker. Add at least one capable veteran reserve who can play the tackle spots.
3. Make sure Jason Pierre-Paul is a Giant -- Franchise tag the guy if you have to. We can argue all offseason long about whether or not JPP is a truly dominant pass rusher (I don't believe he is), but 26-year-old defensive ends with his athleticism, skill set, motor and ability to change games do not grow on trees. If the Giants are going to give Steve Spagnuolo a real chance to turn the defense around, Pierre-Paul has to be a Giant.
4. Get Eli Manning more help -- The Giants have AP Offensive Rookie of the Year Odell Beckham [commemorative Beckham t-shirt] and they are hoping Victor Cruz is still Victor Cruz when he returns from his torn patellar tendon, but that's no guarantee. There's also no guarantee Rueben Randle will continue to play the way he did in the final two games, that Andre Williams (3.3 yards per carry) will show better vision or patience or that soon-to-be 30-year-old veteran Rashad Jennings, who missed five games in 2014, will be healthier, or that Larry Donnell will ever be more than what we saw in 2014. More offensive weapons for Manning at running back, receiver and tight end might not top the priority list this offseason but there is no doubt they belong on the list. After fixing the offensive line, the biggest thing the Giants might be able to do for Manning this offseason is get him a running back who can truly be a weapon catching the ball out of the backfield.
5. Bribe the injury Gods -- Forget praying to them, the Giants have tried that and Tom Coughlin's prayers are falling on deaf ears. Break out the cash! No one knows what the reason is for the Giants' incredible run of injuries the past couple of seasons, but some good fortune in this department for a change would be a huge help in 2015.

Complete 2016 Super Bowl Odds

Seattle Seahawks 5/1
New England Patriots 7/1
Green Bay Packers 8/1
Denver Broncos 10/1
Dallas Cowboys 14/1
Indianapolis Colts 14/1
Philadelphia Eagles 20/1
San Francisco 49ers 20/1
New Orleans Saints 22/1
Pittsburgh Steelers 25/1
Arizona Cardinals 33/1
Baltimore Ravens 33/1
Detroit Lions 33/1
Atlanta Falcons 40/1
Carolina Panthers 40/1
Chicago Bears 40/1
Cincinnati Bengals 40/1
Houston Texans 40/1
Kansas City Chiefs 40/1
Miami Dolphins 40/1
Minnesota Vikings 40/1
New York Giants 40/1
San Diego Chargers 40/1
St. Louis Rams 40/1
Buffalo Bills 66/1
Cleveland Browns 66/1
New York Jets 100/1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 100/1
Tennessee Titans 100/1
Washington Redskins 100/1
Jacksonville Jaguars 200/1
Oakland Raiders 200/1