Team Previews

St. Louis

Now that the Rams are two years removed from their 1-15 season. The only place to go is up.  St. Louis has a new owner in Stan Kroenke and he’s a winner.  He currently owns the Denver Nuggets and was the owner of the Colorado Avalanche during their Stanley Cup seasons.  Stan won’t stand idly by if the Rams falter after being just one win short of returning to the playoffs.

One major change this year will be the new offensive playbook from Josh McDaniels.  He replaces Pat Shurmur who left to coach the Cleveland Browns.  Head Coach Steve Spagnuolo knows that he has a winner in QB Sam Bradford.  His tremendous rookie season was better than most first year quarterbacks.  What will help Bradford’s progress this year is if he has a constant threat at wide receiver.  Last year there was promise with WR Mark Clayton until he went down after five games.  A healthy Donnie Avery will help too.  WR Danny Amendola was the new Wes Welker last year for the Rams.  He should have a similar season with more help. WR Mike Sims-Walker is the new addition.  Whether he can live up to his talent is the question.  RB Steven Jackson might be on his last legs.  The Rams are confident that he can continue his consistent production.  In the meantime RB Cadillac Williams is the perfect change of pace back the Rams haven’t had since Marshall Faulk retired.

The Rams had one thing in mind last year on defense.  Pressure the quarterback.  They were among the top 10 in sacks last year. Among the Rams top pass rushers was DE Chris Long who is starting to live up to his billing as the 2nd overall pick in 2008.  DE James Hall recorded 10.5 sacks last year, but it’s hard to think he can repeat that production this late in his career.  Their 1st round pick DE Robert Quinn didn’t play his senior year at North Carolina due to suspension.  But he is a top notch pass rusher that should complement what the Rams already have in place.  LB James Laurinaitis is the leader of the defense.  Since being drafted in 2009 he hasn’t let up for a second.  The secondary has been a weak spot for the Rams.  They hope S Quintin Mikell can help.  He has plenty of experience in Spagnuolo’s defensive attack.  CB Bradley Fletcher could become a top notch corner if he continues to play beyond expectations for the Rams.

San Francisco

The once proud franchise in San Francisco has been one of the most disappointing in the last decade.  One problem has been the head coach.  The other is the lack of a quality quarterback.  The 49ers changed their philosophy and brought in an offensive minded head coach in Jim Harbaugh to run the team.  He made Stanford into a winner in the Pac-10 and will look to do the same in San Francisco.  The 49ers are banking on Harbaugh to bring some new life in an underachieving team.

It will start and end at quarterback for the Niners.  In a perfect world Harbaugh would’ve liked to have brought Andrew Luck from Stanford with him, but Luck decided to stay.  Plus the Niners weren’t guaranteed to draft him either.  So Harbaugh will give QB Alex Smith his last chance to do something in San Francisco. Smith has some competition with 2nd round pick QB Colin Kaepernick, but he probably won’t see much time this year.  The Niners still have one of the best running backs in Frank Gore, but health has always been a concern with Gore.  He was on his way to a career year until a fractured hip shortened his season.  If the Niners can get more out of RB Anthony Dixon maybe Gore won’t miss an entire year.  With TE Vernon Davis the Niners have a consistent threat in the passing game.  He and newcomer WR Braylon Edwards will be counted on to provide the touchdowns through the air.  This will be a make or break year for WR Michael Crabtree.  If Harbaugh can’t get the most out of him no one will.

A good thing for Harbaugh is that he has inherited one of the best defense in the NFL.  Led by LB Patrick Willis the Niners are among the best at stopping the run.  He’s deceptively fast and has a nose for the ball.  San Francisco suffered a setback when they lost NT Aubrayo Franklin to free agency.  Without him it will be tougher to clog the middle of the defensive line.  DE Justin Smith had a career year rushing the passer with 8.5 sacks to lead the team. Don’t expect a repeat of that, but Smith should continue to be a force against the run.  The Niners struggled to get a consistent pass rush last year.  They hope LB Aldon Smith will help solve that problem.  How San Francisco does against the pass will determine their success on defense.  CB Carlos Rogers is a better option than the departed CB Nate Clements.  S Donte Whitner is a solid tackler and adequate in coverage.  Both of those additions should bring life in the struggling secondary.

Arizona

For the first time in three seasons the Arizona Cardinals finished the season with a losing record last year. That’s because a perfect storm came that saw the Cardinals have one of the worst offenses and defenses in the league.  Due to the lockout the Cardinals lost valuable time to search for a new quarterback.  Head coach Ken Whisenhunt is not about to give up on this team which has become one of the best offenses since he arrived.  His hope is that with a reliable quarterback the Cardinals can compete for the division title once again.

It was a woeful time trying to find a competent quarterback last year in Arizona.  The Cardinals hope that Kevin Kolb is that guy. He’s shown glimpses of being a good quarterback when given the chance in Philadelphia.  Arizona signed him long term and are putting all their cards on the table hoping he can lead Arizona to a championship.  He shouldn’t have a difficult time with WR Larry Fitzgerald as his go to guy.  Even with all the quarterback troubles last year Fitzgerald still caught 90 passes for 1,137 yards and 6 scores.  Bringing in TE Todd Heap will help as well.  Injuries have caught up with him, but he’s still a reliable target down the middle of the field.  The one key to the success of the passing game will be the resurrection of the dormant running game.  The Cardinals are counting on a bounce back season from RB Beanie Wells.  If he can bring respectability back on the ground the Cardinals will be a dangerous offensive team.

Arizona has plenty of talent on defense.  It starts with their defensive front in DE Darnell Dockett and DE Calais Campbell. Both are premiere pass rushers and excellent run stuffers that must see a lot of time on the field for Arizona to be successful defensively.  The Cardinals age showed in their linebackers last season.  LB Joey Porter will be strictly a pass rusher at this point in his career.  LB O’Brien Schofield will be given many opportunities to play opposite Porter in passing downs.  Second year LB Daryl Washington grew more comfortable late last season. Expect a big season from him.  Arizona had to give up something in order to get something they desperately needed.  They parted ways with CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie to acquire QB Kevin Kolb.  It’s a good thing they drafted CB Patrick Peterson with their 1st pick.  Peterson is a beast in the making, but Arizona wants to bring him along slowly.  They still have S Adrian Wilson who plays more like a linebacker for the Cardinals and S Kerry Rhodes who is an excellent cover safety.

Seattle

Last year Seattle shocked everyone by being the only team in NFL history to make the playoffs with a losing record.  Even more shocking was that they won a playoff game.  Make no mistake. This rebuilding project by head coach Pete Carroll isn’t over.  He was eventually going to find a replacement for QB Matt Hasselbeck.  But there isn’t a clear cut star at running back or wide receiver.  The defense still doesn’t have an identity.  The only thing going for the Seahawks is that they still play in a winnable division.

The free agency period got off to an interesting start for Seattle. They signed QB Tarvaris Jackson and WR Sidney Rice.  Both were former starters in Minnesota under new offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell.  Jackson was immediately named the starter even though the Seahawks have a potential replacement in QB Charlie Whitehurst.  Jackson has the inside track, but his career has gotten off to a rocky start.  Bringing in Rice helps immediately in the passing game.  WR Mike Williams suffered through nagging injuries towards the end of last season and if Rice can match his 2009 totals the Seahawks will be just fine at wide receiver.  TE Zach Miller was a nice addition, but Seattle already had a tight end in John Carlson.  Expect both to have subpar seasons.  Just because RB Marshawn Lynch went on that epic run against the New Orleans Saints in the playoffs last year didn’t mean the Seahawks had an elite running game.  They were the second worst team at rushing the football last year.  There still isn’t a clear cut favorite, so the Seahawks will see what Lynch can do for them this season.  Expect RB Leon Washington to see time when he’s not returning kicks.

There wasn’t a lot to be happy about last year on defense.  They were able to rush the passer consistently thanks to DE Chris Clemons and DE Raheem Brock.  Both are in a large rotation that includes run stuffers DE Kentwan Balmer and DE Red Bryant.  The secondary was very inconsistent last year.  CB Marcus Trufant and CB Kelly Jennings are better than they have shown in the last couple seasons in Seattle.  S Earl Thomas is a potential star thanks to his ball-hawking instincts and run stuffing capabilities. It’s time to see what LB Aaron Curry can do.  He was billed as a great all around linebacker out of Wake Forest.  With the departure of LB Lofa Tatupu it’s time for Curry to get a bigger role in the defense.  Look for LB David Hawthorne to explode now that he will be starting in the middle due to the departure of Tatupu.

Chargers: S Bob Sanders, LB Takeo Spikes, WR Vincent Jackson (re-signed)

Chiefs: WR Steve Breaston, FB Le’Ron McClain, LB Tamba Hali (re-signed)

Raiders: TE Kevin Boss

Broncos: RB Willis McGahee, DT Brodrick Bunkley, TE Daniel Fells

Key Rookies

Chargers: DE Corey Liuget

Chiefs: WR Jon Baldwin

Raiders: C Stefen Wisniewski

Broncos: LB Von Miller

Team Previews

San Diego

Usually when a team ranks 1st in offense and defense, they make the playoffs.  That wasn’t the case last year for the Chargers. Their 2-5 start last season was too much for them to overcome and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2005.  Head coach Norv Turner has had a lot of success with the Chargers since being hired in 2007.  It will be interesting to see how he manages to get San Diego back into contention with a more competitive AFC West.

The Chargers had the best offense in the NFL thanks in large part to their QB Philip Rivers.  He deserves to be in the conversation as one of the elite passers in the game.  So much was said about his ability to throw the ball down the field and his fiery personality. However his teammates have responded well to his leadership and he can throw the ball down the field with tremendous accuracy. San Diego should benefit greatly from having WR Vincent Jackson playing right away this year.  Rivers and the offense missed his big play ability for half the 2010 season.  If TE Antonio Gates can return fully healthy from plantar fasciitis the Chargers passing attack will be among the best in the league.  The running game was inconsistent at times, but a better year from last years 1st round pick RB Ryan Matthews will help a lot.  RB Mike Tolbert was a big lift during the second half of last season.  Norv Turner will miss RB Darren Sproles, but they feel Matthews will be ready to have a bigger role this year.

San Diego was the best team against the pass last year.  Thanks in part to their pass rush.  Their secondary is among the most cohesive units in the NFL.  CB Quentin Jammer and CB Antoine Cason have become one of the best duos in the league.  S Eric Weddle being re-signed keeps the Chargers secondary intact and with the addition of S Bob Sanders they should be even better against the run.  They ranked 29th against the run last year.  Not only with Sanders, but the addition of LB Takeo Spikes should improve that stat.  LB Shaun Phillips and LB Larry English will be the primary pass rushers off the edge.  Both have tremendous burst off the line and aren’t bad in pass coverage either.  DE Luis Castillo and 1st round pick DE Corey Liuget will be counted on to wreak havoc on the line this year.  Castillo has struggled to stay healthy for a full season, but he and Liuget are ferocious lineman who have a nose for the football.

Kansas City

Success came earlier than many expected for Kansas City last year.  They took advantage of their schedule and were able to hold off a late charge by rival San Diego to win the AFC West.  It became painfully apparent though entering the playoffs that the Chiefs were still a long way from competing for a Super Bowl. Head coach Todd Haley was able to fix many flaws with the Chiefs, but they still don’t have a reliable passing game to win games when the opponent stops their rushing attack.  They have a tougher schedule this year, but still play in a winnable division.

On paper it was easy to see that QB Matt Cassel had a good year. He threw for over 3,000 yards and his TD to INT ratio was impressive (27-7).  However when they needed him to deliver at crucial times there wasn’t much of a rhythm.  It was clear during their playoff loss to Baltimore.  The Ravens stacked the line taking away RB Jamaal Charles and RB Thomas Jones.  Forcing the Chiefs to rely more on Cassel to win the game.  This year the Chiefs hope another year of development with TE Tony Moeaki will improve the passing game.  He reminded so many of TE Tony Gonzalez last year.  WR Dwayne Bowe should have another stellar year with the additions of WR Steve Breaston and 1st round pick WR Jon Baldwin.  Breaston especially since he knows the system from Haley’s coaching days in Arizona.  Remember the Chiefs still have Charles and Jones to run the ball on a consistent basis as well.  They ranked first in the league last year.

Not much has changed defensively for Kansas City.  Keeping LB Tamba Hali long term was the right move for the Chiefs.  He became a prolific pass rusher playing in the new scheme under defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel.  The same goes for DE Wallace Gilberry.  Both Gilberry and Hali will be the main rushers off the edge.  On the inside the Chiefs need more from two 1st round picks, DT Glenn Dorsey and DE Tyson Jackson.  Both haven’t lived up to their potential yet, but another year in this scheme should help them.  Kansas City is hoping for a repeat of last season from LB Andy Studebaker.  He was a breath of fresh air making plays all over the field.  The secondary has a legitimate playmaker in S Eric Berry.  Last years 1st round pick is definitely worth every penny the Chiefs have invested in him.  He will be the best all around safety in the league shortly.  At the corners Brandon Carr and Brandon Flowers are developing into a good duo. And with CB Javier Arenas backing them up the Chiefs have a good young secondary that will only get better.

Oakland

There was actually something to be excited about in Oakland last year.  The Raiders were in first place at one point during the 2010 season.  They finished the season 8-8.  Not since 2002 had the Raiders finished with a winning record.  Then it was all gone when owner Al Davis fired Tom Cable as the head coach.  Cable wasn’t the best man for the job, but he was doing a good job.  Davis’ high expectations seem to be getting in the way again.  But new head coach Hue Jackson, who was the offensive coordinator last year still believes this team can compete not just for the division, but for a title.  Hard to see it with a meddlesome owner.

Oakland had a lot to be happy about last year.  The running game took off and was ranked second behind their rival Kansas City.  RB Darren McFadden was given the reigns full time and didn’t disappoint.  The Raiders have a good complement in RB Michael Bush and together this duo should still be a productive unit.  QB Jason Campbell isn’t the ideal quarterback for Oakland, but he’s a lot better than if they still had JaMarcus Russell.  Campbell will miss TE Zach Miller who left via free agency.  Miller was their best receiver and was an adequate blocker too.  TE Kevin Boss will try to replace that production, but Oakland would have been wiser to keep Miller.  The Raiders need to figure out who is their top wide receiver.  WR Darrius Heyward-Bey so far isn’t living up to the billing.  WR Louis Murphy looks good at times, but is far too inconsistent.  WR Jacoby Ford has become the best deep threat overnight.  How many more looks he’ll see this year will determine the Raiders success on offense.

The Raiders lost their best defensive player in CB Nnamdi Asomugha to free agency.  Oakland will rely heavily on CB Stanford Routt to take the helm vacated by Asomugha.  Also 3rd round pick CB DeMarcus Van Dyke figures to get a chance to play this year.  S Michael Huff was re-signed.  Him and fellow S Tyvon Branch aren’t a bad combination in the secondary, but Branch has been left alone far too many times on deep completions.  LB Rolando McClain will have to be better than advertised when he was drafted in the 1st round last year.  His tackling ability is the best among the linebackers, but he has to get a better grasp of the play calling more this year.  The defensive line is among the deepest in the league.  DT Richard Seymour and DT Tommy Kelly were forces in the middle last year.  Although they weren’t very good stopping the run.  DE Kamerion Wimbley and DE Matt Shaughnessy were Oakland’s best pass rushers.  Look for both to be near double digit sack totals again this year.

Denver

It has gotten so bad in Denver that they asked John Elway to come out of retirement.  Not to be the starting quarterback, but rather the Executive VP of Football Operations for the Broncos. His main goal is to try and get the Broncos back to respectability. It became apparent very quickly that former head coach Josh McDaniels was in over his head as far coaching and personnel decisions.  Denver hired former Carolina Panthers head coach John Fox to bring back some of what was lost on the field.  Mainly the absence of a running game, which Fox knows a lot about from his glory days in Carolina.

Whether the Broncos go with Kyle Orton or Tim Tebow at quarterback, neither seems to be the long term solution.  The Broncos explored trading Orton, but couldn’t find the right deal. Tebow is the fan favorite to win the job, but he isn’t ready for the pressure.  One thing is for sure.  If Orton struggles right out of the gate, Tebow will get his opportunity.  Denver is trying to create a capable running game with the signing of RB Willis McGahee to pair with the faster RB Knowshon Moreno.  This should bode well for Moreno and McGahee as both have struggled with various injuries throughout their careers.  The clear cut number one receiver is WR Brandon Lloyd.  His career year last year showed just how good he can be if given the chance.  He and Orton developed good chemistry last year which favors Orton starting right away this year.  The other problem is who will start on the other side from Lloyd?  Denver would like to see WR Eddie Royal return to his 2008 rookie season, but that might be asking a lot.

The biggest reason the Broncos went with John Fox was because of his defensive prowess.  Fox has had some great defenses in the past with Carolina and New York when he was the defensive coordinator for the Giants.  They should be greatly improved rushing the passer now that DE Elvis Dumervil is healthy and playing as a defensive end rather than a linebacker.  Putting former 1st round pick DE Robert Ayers on the defensive line should help his performance as well.  Acquiring DT Brodrick Bunkley from Philadelphia was a good move that will help both in the run and pass defense.  Denver went to the draft to improve their defense as well.  LB Von Miller and LB Nate Irving figure to be a big part of the rebuilt defense.  Along with veteran LB D.J. Williams this trio should resemble what was built in Carolina under Fox.  Re-signing CB Champ Bailey insures that he retires in Denver and will still be a part of the plans on defense.  Second round pick, S Rahim Moore is good in coverage, but will need to improve in his run support.

Team Previews

Indianapolis

It seemed as though the Colts were going to be passing the baton to the Houston Texans after their Week 1 loss.  However, the Colts only lost one more game within their division and finished the season strong to win their 7th division title in the last 9 seasons.  If head coach Jim Caldwell wants to win another division title and possibly contend for a Super Bowl.  The Colts will need to fix two flaws from last year.  The 29th ranked rushing attack and the defense which ranked 20th in the NFL.  The run defense especially which ranked 25th.

One of the most amazing things to watch in football is how Peyton Manning can adjust to losing his best tight end, his best slot receiver, have no running game and still be the best quarterback in the NFL.  This year TE Dallas Clark is healthy as is WR Austin Collie.  Both were expected to have big seasons, but Clark’s wrist was broken early in the year and Collie was concussed for the last half.  The Colts had viable replacements in TE Jacob Tamme and WR Blair White.  Both should be able to contribute again this year. There’s still WR Reggie Wayne who is among the best in the game. WR Pierre Garcon had a down year, but expect him to bounce back.  Indianapolis brought back RB Joseph Addai whom they need to stay healthy for an entire year. RB Donald Brown had a disappointing year, but he did look more comfortable towards the end of the season with the offense.

Even though the Colts didn’t have the best overall defense, they were still adequate at rushing the passer.  That’s thanks in part to the duo of DE Robert Mathis and DE Dwight Freeney.  Both should be given more rest this year with the addition of DE Jamaal Anderson and an improved season from last years 1st round pick DE Jerry Hughes.  Adding DT Tommie Harris will help as well with the rotation of the rest of the tackles.  Namely Eric Foster who is the best pass rusher on the interior.  The Colts defense was greatly improved against the pass.  CB Jerraud Powers and CB Jacob Lacey have developed well in the Cover 2 scheme.  If S Antoine Bethea can stay healthy for an entire year both the pass and run defense will be improved.  Although the Colts will miss S Bob Sanders who left via free agency.  Look for LB Gary Brackett to have another stellar year and newcomer LB Ernie Sims to fit in perfectly with the scheme.

Houston

They had so many high expectations going into the 2010 season. Their only major flaw was the lack of a running game.  That problem was solved after their first game.  Unfortunately another flaw creeped up and that was their defense.  Specifically their pass defense which was the worst in the NFL.  Head coach Gary Kubiak hired defensive guru Wade Phillips to help fix the problem.  Phillips brings the 3-4 defense to Houston as well, but if it doesn’t translate to success on the field.  Kubiak might be on his way out.

Once again QB Matt Schaub put up tremendous numbers for the Texans.  Expect more of the same now that Houston has a great rushing attack to go with Schaub.  RB Arian Foster averaged nearly 5 yards a carry last year and had 16 rushing touchdowns. Defenses this year figure to stack against the run, but Foster is quick enough to find the hole and speed right on through it. Schaub still has probably the best wide receiver in football in Andre Johnson.  He has struggled to stay healthy for an entire season, but he still manages to play through most injuries.  If TE Owen Daniels can return to his full playing potential, the Texans will be able to score with the best in the NFL.

With a change in personnel on the defensive side, the Texans figure to be a more agressive defense this year switching to the 3-4.  It will be interesting to see how the change will affect LB Mario Williams.  He has played on the line his whole career, but Wade Phillips sees him as a DeMarcus Ware type in Dallas.  Williams will struggle in coverage, but Houston will find a way to maximize his pass rushing skills.  If LB DeMeco Ryans can return from an ACL injury the Texans defense will benefit greatly both in the run and pass.  Houston missed out on getting CB Nnamdi Asomugha, but they still signed a good corner in Johnathan Joseph.  He will immediately improve their pass defense and with S Danieal Manning the Texans defense will matchup better with the elite passing teams.

Jacksonville

Head coach Jack Del Rio is slowly turning the Jaguars fortunes around.  After a 5-11 season in 2008 the Jaguars have gone 7-9 and 8-8 in 2009 and 2010 respectively.  Last year saw the Jaguars competing with the rival Colts for the division title until they were defeated 35-24 by Indianapolis in Week 15.  Jacksonville lost their next two games, thus knocking them out of the playoffs for the 3rd consecutive year.  The Jaguars were an active team in the offseason, but it will have to translate into a playoff appearance this year for the current coaching staff.

QB David Garrard had a nice bounce back season last year. Health will be a concern this year with him though.  Even though the Jaguars used their 1st round pick on QB Blaine Gabbert, the Jaguars are counting on Garrard to keep them in the hunt for the playoffs.  He will have one of the best running backs in the game with Maurice Jones-Drew.  Jacksonville will be using RB Rashad Jennings more often this season to lessen the load on Jones-Drew. Jennings was a pleasant surprise in spurts late last year. Garrard’s favorite target, TE Marcedes Lewis was a touchdown machine last season.  His production should continue to rise with his improved technique off the line of scrimmage.  WR Mike Thomas figures to be the top receiver.  He’s in the mold of a Steve Smith in Carolina.

Jacksonville revamped their linebackers in a big way this offseason.  They signed Paul Posluszny and Clint Session to long term deals.  The Jaguars hope they can help to bring back the Jaguars defense to prominence under Jack Del Rio.  Up front the Jaguars were disappointed with DE Aaron Kampman.  He struggled to stay healthy, but wasn’t as aggressive as in years past with Green Bay.  DT Tyson Alualu was exactly what the Jaguars hoped he would be in his rookie year.  Expect more of the same from him this year.  Jacksonville is going to stay the same in the secondary with CB Derek Cox and CB Rashean Mathis.  However, they brought in S Dawan Landry to help bring a new attitude and improve the pass defense.

Tennessee

There was one word to describe last years season; dysfunctional. Then head coach Jeff Fisher was at his wits end with QB Vince Young.  An ultimatum was made at the end of the season.  It was either Fisher or Young that would stay.  Both ended up going and Tennessee has to start from scratch.  Enter Mike Munchak.  The first time head coach will most likely play it conservatively on offense.  Choosing to rely on the teams proven rushing attack. However the defense will be in a transition period with some key members leaving to play elsewhere.  Patience will have to be taken in Nashville this year.

All the talk was whether the Titans would go with their 1st round pick, QB Jake Locker as the starting quarterback or sign a veteran. They signed a veteran, Matt Hasselbeck to man the helm until they feel Locker is ready to take over.  Hasselbeck is a proven winner and will greatly benefit the Titans offense.  If they can keep him on the field rather than in the training room.  If Tennessee can keep RB Chris Johnson happy by giving him a contract extension, then the Titans will have one of the best running games in the NFL. Johnson still had a great year considering the year before he rushed for over 2,000 yards.  WR Kenny Britt and TE Jared Cook will be counted on to have big seasons for the Titans.  If Britt’s off field troubles don’t affect him on the field Tennessee will finally be able to see why they used a 1st round pick on him back in 2009.

The Titans one strength on defense last year was their pass rush. With the departure of DE Jason Babin the Titans will have to count on DE Dave Ball to duplicate his production from a year ago.  Also last years 1st round pick DE Derrick Morgan will have a bigger role and must become an active pass rusher.  Tennessee lost their defensive captain LB Stephen Tulloch to free agency too.  Barrett Ruud will get a chance to fill that role, but it’s a different scheme than the Cover 2 one in Tampa Bay.  Look for rookie LB Akeem Ayers to have a good season.  He might even line up on the defensive line to take advantage of his pass rushing skills.  CB Cortland Finnegan is one of the best corners in football, but had a down 2010 season.  Whether he can return to his Pro Bowl form will determine their success in their pass defense.

The new coaching staff will begin to implement the long term plan of Mike Holmgren.

Key Acquisitions

Steelers: CB Ike Taylor (re-signed), WR Jerricho Cotchery

Ravens: FB Vonta Leach, RB Ricky Williams, WR Lee Evans

Bengals: CB Nate Clements, LB Manny Lawson, QB Bruce Gradkowski, LB Thomas Howard

Browns: RB Brandon Jackson, CB Dimitri Patterson

Key Rookies

Steelers: DE Cameron Heyward

Ravens: CB Jimmy Smith

Bengals: WR A.J. Green

Browns: DT Phil Taylor

Team Previews

Pittsburgh

With all the questions and supposed turmoil leading up to the 2010 season.  Head coach Mike Tomlin did a phenomenal job with this team.  When QB Ben Roethlisberger returned from his suspension the Steelers kept on winning and the defense kept on dominating. Even with the NFL cracking down on their big hitting philosophy. Pittsburgh has stayed relatively intact and poised for another Super Bowl run.

The Steelers are in a good position at quarterback.  They have Roethlisberger available at the beginning of the season.  If he should go down to injury they do have two capable backups in Byron Leftwich and Dennis Dixon.  Not bad when you consider the state of their offensive line the last few years.  Big Ben will have the same cast around him on offense.  WR Hines Ward, WR Mike Wallace and TE Heath Miller are his favorite targets.   Youngsters Emmanuel Sanders and Antonio Brown figure to have bigger roles after strong performances late last season.  If RB Rashard Mendenhall can keep away from twitter during the season and focus on football he should have another productive year running the football.

There weren’t many weak areas of their defense last year.  They were ranked 1st against the run.  First in points allowed.  And first in sacks.  They should figure on being near the top once again.  On the defensive line they have perhaps the best trio in DE Ziggy Hood, NT Casey Hampton and DE Brett Keisel for a 3-4 defense. All three are great run stoppers and occupy their blockers so linebackers James Farrior, Lawrence Timmons, James Harrison and LaMarr Woodley can make plays.  Re-signing CB Ike Taylor was a big move.  The market was clamoring for cornerbacks, but Pittsburgh was wise to keep Taylor and avoid a drop off in the pass defense.  The health of Troy Polamalu will continue to be an issue going forward, but when he’s on the field the Steelers are more effective in both pass and run defense.

Baltimore

The front office made great strides to get the weapons necessary to help QB Joe Flacco and the Ravens offense before the 2010 season.  Unfortunately it didn’t pan out as the injury bug and inconsistent play attributed to the Ravens having the 22nd ranked offense and the 20th ranked passing game.  Head coach John Harbaugh knows the offense has to be on par with the defense if Baltimore is going to contend for a Super Bowl.  The defenses’ age is going to be a factor.

Even though QB Joe Flacco’s numbers weren’t terrible by any stretch.  The offense was sluggish at times.  They are still a run first team.  That’s indicated by their free agent acquisitions of RB Ricky Williams and FB Vonta Leach.  Williams is the ideal power back they covet and Leach is seen as a better blocker than the departed Le’Ron McClain.  Both should help to keep star RB Ray Rice fresh for crucial parts of the game.  WR Anquan Boldin had a down year by his standards.  He did develop a good repertoire with Flacco, but he was constantly double teamed.  That shouldn’t be the case this year if WR Lee Evans can be the deep threat the Ravens have needed.  With the departure of TE Todd Heap Baltimore is going younger and faster with either Ed Dickson, Davon Drew or Dennis Pitta.  Second round pick WR Torrey Smith figures to get a chance to shine as well.

There is no question as to who is the voice of this franchise.  LB Ray Lewis knows the time is now and how much more he has left might just depend on where the Ravens finish in the standings. The same can be said for S Ed Reed.  Both have been mainstays on defense, but they can’t keep playing at such a high level for much longer.  DT Haloti Ngata is a force on the defensive line.  His return is a plus for the entire defense.  If LB Terrell Suggs can continue to post double digit sack totals.  And LB Sergio Kindle can provide the same on the other side of the field.  The Ravens pass rush will be tough to slow down.  First round pick CB Jimmy Smith was seen as a risk, but he’s in the right situation to succeed immediately in Baltimore.  His coverage skills were seen as among the best of any corner in the draft.

Cincinnati

It was as bad a season as you could get in Cincinnati last year. After a promising outlook after the ’09 season.  And with all the moves the Bengals made to improve going into 2010.  It was still a disaster.  As a result their franchise QB Carson Palmer said trade me or I’m retired.  Head coach Marvin Lewis was still given a vote of confidence and a two year extension.  Now it looks as though the Bengals have now been relegated to the ‘Bungals’ of yesteryear.  Since team president Mike Brown took over in 1991 the Bengals have only been to the playoffs two times.

The first signal that the Bengals were starting over was during the draft.  They drafted QB Andy Dalton with their second pick.  That sent signals throughout the league that Cincinnati was ready to move on from the Carson Palmer era.  With that and the acquisition of QB Bruce Gradkowski the Bengals will have a new look in the backfield.  They will probably go back to being a run first team with RB Cedric Benson re-signed.  The Bengals aren’t short on talent at wide receiver with 1st round pick A.J. Green ready to step in.  Jordan Shipley, Jerome Simpson and Andre Caldwell figure to get plenty of playing time as well.  TE Jermaine Gresham will look to build on a good rookie year, but the quarterback position is in flux.

Whether the Bengals defense will remain in the middle of the pack or begin to fall to the bottom remains to be seen.  What is certain is that head coach Marvin Lewis will have some pieces to fill in on the defensive side.  CB Leon Hall will be without his teammate Johnathan Joseph who left via free agency.  Cincinnati replaced him with Nate Clements who was once considered a top tier corner, but age has caught up with him.  At linebacker the Bengals added Manny Lawson and Thomas Howard who were starters for their previous teams.  Here they will have to compete for playing time, but they figure to be in the mix with Rey Maualuga and Keith Rivers.  DE Carlos Dunlap is primed for a big year if the Bengals can find an adequate complement to Dunlap on the other side of the line.

Cleveland

There was reason for optimism in the middle of the 2010 season for the Browns.  They had defeated the New Orleans Saints and New England Patriots in back-to-back weeks.  And nearly beat the New York Jets to complete the trifecta.  Alas, it was all for not as the Browns finished the season going 2-6.  The Eric Mangini era was over and team president Mike Holmgren hired St. Louis Rams offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur to right the ship.  He brings the west coast philosophy to the offense and Dick Jauron as the defensive coordinator.  Which means no more 3-4 defense.

There is no doubt as to who will lead the Browns offense going forward and that’s QB Colt McCoy.  It’s not Pat Shurmur’s guy, but Mike Holmgren drafted him.  He showed in flashes that he could handle the job last year, but he needs to work on his tendencies as he looked to run first rather than throw.  McCoy has one of the best offensive lines in football in front of him and RB Peyton Hillis to carry the running game.  That and new RB Brandon Jackson to help in 3rd down situations should give McCoy added confidence this season.  If WR Mohamed Massaquoi and TE Ben Watson can continue to produce at a high level the Browns offense will have a nice transition to the west coast playbook.  If they could find better ways to include WR Joshua Cribbs Cleveland would have an easier time moving the ball consistently.

With the change from a 3-4 to a 4-3 defense it should be a welcome to the Browns fans who have seen year after year the 3-4 defense fail.  It should be felt immediately with two rookies.  First round pick DT Phil Taylor and 2nd round pick DE Jabaal Sheard. Both will be looked to make immediate impacts in the rotation. Established DT Ahtyba Rubin was becoming a force in the middle in the 3-4 scheme.  In the 4-3 paired with Taylor, the Browns will tough to run on going forward.  Cleveland’s best pass rusher LB Marcus Benard will now be a DE in the new defense.  It should benefit him as he should approach the double digit sack total this year.  Scott Fujita and Chris Gocong will anchor the linebacker corp in the 4-3.  Both have experience in this type of scheme for previous teams.  The lone bright spot from the Browns defense last year was the maturation of CB Joe Haden and S T.J. Ward.  Haden has quickly risen to the status of a shut down corner as he was unafraid of taking on the opponents best wide receiver.  Ward instantly got the reputation of being a hard hitter after a devastating hit on Bengals WR Jordan Shipley.