1. Green Bay Packers: 11-5
Hopefully Aaron Rodgers will be sacked less than 51 times.
2. Minnesota Vikings 10-6
With Brett Favre, Super Bowl contender.  Without, barely .500.
3. Chicago Bears: 7-9
Can Mike Martz fix Jay Cutler?
4. Detroit Lions: 6-10
Another year of progress from Stafford and a better defense will help.

Coaches

Mike McCarthy – Packers
A relative unknown when he was hired in ’06, McCarthy has slowly turned the Packers into a contender once again.  Everything was looking up when he had Brett Favre at the helm his first two years.  A 21-11 record isn’t bad.  An appearance in the ’07 NFC Championship had the football world wondering if McCarthy could keep it going.  With Favre’s retirement/departure from Green Bay, that meant Aaron Rodgers was thrust into the starting spot.  McCarthy has entrusted Rodgers with the offense and with a few bumps early on, the Packers are now a contender again after an 11-5 record that ended in a shootout with Arizona in the playoffs.  With some improvements on the offensive line, Green Bay should be a favorite to win the division and possibly the NFC.

Jim Schwartz – Lions
His first season was a relative success (2-14).  When you consider the previous year was a win less one.  Schwartz has a good core to build upon on the offense with Matthew Stafford at quarterback.  Calvin Johnson at wide receiver and Jahvid Best at running back.  Now he just has to get everything together on the defensive side.  Ndamukong Suh is not going to be the lone savior for the Lions defense, but he is a nice–great start.  Schwartz had a game changing tackle at Tennessee when he was defensive coordinator.  His name was Albert Haynesworth.  Suh is potentially better than Haynesworth in many areas.  Doubling last years win total will a point in the right direction, but the defense getting out of the cellar of the NFL will be a welcome sight.

Brad Childress – Vikings
You could say that without Brett Favre, Brad Childress would not be the head coach of the Vikings.  You have to admit that if you were Childress, you would be doing everything in your power to make sure Favre plays for you.  It’s wrong, but can you blame him?  Childress has the right group of players that fit the system he’s implementing.  It also helps to have Adrian Peterson as your running back.  There might be some problems on third downs now without Chester Taylor (Chicago).  This is essentially the make or break year for this Vikings team.  Super Bowl or bust.  The defense is still one of the best in the league.  Especially when it comes to getting the quarterback (48 sacks).  Childress might have to rely more on the defense this year than he would like with Favre banged up and Peterson prone to fumblitis. 

Lovie Smith – Bears
He is proof positive that if you can get a franchise to its first Super Bowl appearance in 21 years in ’06, you will have a free ride.  Even if your record is a combined 23-25 the next three seasons.  This is without a doubt his last chance at a winner in Chicago.  You want to know how he knows it?  He hired Mike Martz, who was the Rams head coach when Lovie was the defensive coordinator.  Martz will be charged with turning around an anemic offense that ranked 23rd in the league.  Lovie Smith is also losing touch with his defense.  Yes, losing Brian Urlacher during the first game of the season didn’t help, but he couldn’t seem to ignite any confidence from his players after the fact.  The boo birds in Chicago will be heard at the first sign of trouble.  The Bears aren’t the type of franchise to yank a coach in the middle of a season, but they might make an exception this year.

Best Acquisition: DE Julius Peppers – Chicago Bears
This was the first sign that Chicago was desperate when they outbid everyone to get the best free agent of 2010.  Peppers is considered a difference maker by most in the league.  He could play in any system, but his true value is taking on double teams.  In Chicago, that means all-pro defensive tackle Tommie Harris will be left with one blocker.  Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs will be free to make plays on the ball.  Peppers will get his double digit sack totals, but he will open everything up for the defense.  The secondary will benefit immensely from a consistent pass rush that ranked 13th last year.  The acquisition was needed not for the future, but for right now.

Quarterback – Grade
Packers – A
Vikings – A
Bears – B
Lions – B

Aaron Rodgers has solidified himself as one of the elite quarterbacks in just two years as a starter.  In just two years he’s thrown 58 touchdown passes and almost 8,500 yards passing.  That’s astonishing numbers from someone who’s replaced a legend in Green Bay.  He has a great group of receivers to throw to.  What’s even impressive is that he doesn’t have an elite running game to take pressure from the passing game.  Plus he’s been sacked more than a quarterback would like to be.  With an added emphasis to fixing the o-line, Rodgers should produce MVP type numbers.
What can I say, he’s Brett Favre.  Ready for another round, its become apparent that Favre is doing this not for the fun of the game anymore.  It appears to me that he just wants to be the man again.  He’s trying to dictate how to end his legacy, but lets be honest.  Not everyone can go out on top like John Elway.  Favre is one of the best, but this dog and pony show in the offseason is waning on his football triumphs.  The Vikings need him.  Unfortunately for Minnesota their chance came and went last year, but the old gunslinger has made us look foolish before.
Chicago does have one of the best young quarterbacks today.  He just needs some fine tuning.  For the Bears sake, they hope Mike Martz can fix it quick.  Cutler has great potential, but his interception totals were a concern to say the least (26).  He had combined for 37 in his first three seasons.  Whether it be a poorest line or hardly any playmakers on offense, the point of the matter is every quarterback has a bump in the road.  Cutler needs to get his confidence back.  The best way is to get the running game going and to better utilize the playmakers the Bears do have to Cutler’s advantage.
Taking the starting job from day one is not something most coaches would do, but in Detroit’s case was there a better one?  Matthew Stafford threw more interceptions than touchdowns (20-13), but he did show great poise under constant pressure and played hurt during their thrilling win against the Cleveland Browns.  That earned him some big points in NFL circles.  This year he has another weapon in 1st round pick Jahvid Best.  The former Golden Bear will be a sight for soar eyes on third down situations and on draw plays.  Getting Stafford more help on offense is the Lions reward for an impressive rookie campaign.

Running Back – Grade
Vikings -B
Bears – B
Packers – C
Lions – C

He’s still considered one of the best running backs in the NFL, but Adrian Peterson has a big flaw that was exposed most of last year and especially in the NFC Championship game, fumbles.  He did put work into fixing the problem, but not in the way that former Pro-Bowl running back Tiki Barber did by not holding the ball out in the open all the time.  Once Peterson realizes that, all will be well in Minnesota.  They will miss Chester Taylor, but gain another bruiser in Toby Gerhart.  The 2nd round pick will be a nice complement to Peterson’s style.
Chicago had a nice running game in ’08 with then rookie Matt Forte rushing for over 1,200 yards.  But ’09 had Forte rush for only 929 yards and his rushing touchdowns were cut in half (8-4).  That was due in large part to the Bears being down early and often in most of their games.  Thus the emphasis on passing the ball.  That has to change, but Mike Martz is a pass first guy.  That should help Forte be more involved as he has excellent skills in that department.  He has 120 receptions in his two seasons in Chicago.  Chester Taylor will an excellent third down back and will help on pass protection as well.
Green Bay has managed to have great seasons out of unknown running backs in the past decade.  Ryan Grant is just the latest example.  His last two seasons he’s rushed for over 1,200 yards and nearly 1,000 in his first season in Green Bay.  Grant doesn’t provide much in the passing game, but is an underrated blocker.  Brandon Jackson has been injury prone in his first three seasons, but is a nice change of pace back.  His value is on third down passing situations.
The Lions have a nice combination in the backfield.  Kevin Smith has been the constant force for his first two seasons.  An injury sidelined his ’09 campaign, but with a new running mate in Jahvid Best, the Lions will be looking for the same success most teams are having in the running game.  Smith will most likely get the bulk of the carries, but Best has shown he can handle his own.  Best will a nice weapon especially in dual-back formations with Smith.  The Lions need to take away some of the pressure from Stafford and put more emphasis on getting the running game on track.  They don’t need the next Barry Sanders, but getting into the middle of the pack would be nice.

Wide Receiver – Grade
Packers – B
Vikings – B
Lions – B
Bears – C

Having Greg Jennings, Donal Driver and Jermichael Finley as your three targets is always a good thing if you’re Aaron Rodgers.  This is the main reason for Rodgers’ early success.  Jennings has continued his breakout performance of ’07 in which he caught 12 touchdowns.  His yards went over 1,100 the next two years.  As did his receptions to over 65.  He has gained a great rapport with Rodgers the last two years.  Driver is all-time leading receiver in Packers history.  It helps having Favre throw you all those footballs and with Rodgers, Driver is sure to shatter the record books.  Finley was a relative unknown is his rookie year of  ’08, but he broke out in a big way in ’09 with 55 receptions, 5 for touchdowns.  Rodgers will continue to look his way in the redzone.
Minnesota suffered a blow when Sidney Rice went for hip surgery during camp.  He will most likely miss the first six games of the season.  Luckily the Vikings have enough weapons to offset that loss for a while.  Bernard Berrian will be thrust into the number role.  A hamstring injury sidelined him last year, but he still has breakaway speed and will continue to be the deep threat.  Percy Harvin was every where for the Vikings.  Whether it be out of the backfield or in the slot, he was a distraction for every defense.  Favre developed a great chemistry with Harvin, but he still has trouble with migraines and that could be a problem throughout the season.  Visanthe Shiancoe had a Pro-Bowl year with a career high 11 touchdown catches.  Favre loves throwing to tight ends in the redzone and Shiancoe is hard to stop when he smells the endzone.
The Lions made a move by signing Nate Burleson early in free agency.  The reason was to have a deep threat to offset the constant double coverage Calvin Johnson was receiving.  Burleson isn’t the best at catching the ball over the middle, but gets good yardage after the catch.  Johnson’s specialty is over the middle.  He is too fast for most corners and too strong for some linebackers.  In Detroit’s case the fourth time was the charm as Johnson was the fourth wide receiver selected in the first round in five drafts by the Lions.  Brandon Pettigrew developed a good chemistry with Stafford, but he struggled at times with the offense and that’s why Detroit acquired Tony Scheffler from Denver to bring some added motivation to Pettigrew going into this season.
Chicago focused on improving the defense in the offseason and decided to stay pat with the receivers they had.  Cutler developed good chemistry with some, but most were either hurt or inconsistent to gain Cutler’s trust.  Greg Olsen was Cutler’s favorite target catching 8 touchdown passes.  Olsen is good enough to play the slot for Chicago, but his numbers might go down with Martz running the offense.  Tight ends are used as blockers more than receivers in his system.  Devin Hester and Johnny Knox will need to learn the system in a hurry as Earl Bennett and Devin Aromashodu are waiting in the wings.  Hester and Knox have the speed Martz craves, but Bennett and Aromashodu have chemistry with Cutler on their side.

Defense – Grade
Packers – A
Vikings – B
Bears -B
Lions – C

Green Bay for the first time turned to the 3-4 defense.  Dom Capers proved that a team that has never used the system before can become a great defense over night as the Packers had the 2nd best defense in the league.  Thanks in large to the ball-hawking secondary led by 2009 Defensive Player of the Year Charles Woodson.  The Packers led the league with 30 interceptions, 9 by Woodson.  Nick Barnett and Clay Matthews were the constant force in the middle.  Barnett was healthy and had a blast running in the 3-4.  Matthews had an amazing rookie year leading the team with 10 sacks.  Look for him to post double digit sack totals most of his career.  The defensive line is big and bulky.  Cullen Jenkins is the workhorse.  Constantly getting into the backfield pressuring both the quarterback and running back.  Ryan Pickett will move to the outside leaving the nose tackle position to last years 1st round pick B.J. Raji.  Pickett will continue to produce, but the key will be Raji who looked lost at times last year.  With a few tweaks the emphasis will still be getting to the quarterback and causing turnovers.
Minnesota perhaps has the best front seven in the league.  Jared Allen, Ray Edwards and the Williams’ wall of Kevin and Pat form the best defensive line in the game today.  Edwards and Allen combine for 23 of the teams 48 sacks last year.  The Williams’ are the best run stuffing tackle combination in the league.  It’s no surprise that they ranked 2nd against the rush last year.  Chad Greenway is an underrated outside linebacker.  His motor is constantly running.  Ben Leber is decent in coverage, but has a knack for causing havoc in the backfield.  E.J. Henderson appears ready to play after a horrific leg injury ended his season late last year.  Once he went down the defense suffered a bit down the stretch.  The secondary has a needed boost of adrenaline with 2nd round pick Chris Cook aboard.  His size (6’2″) and deceptive speed will be trouble for most number one receivers in the near future.  Antoine Winfield isn’t the same corner he used to be, but can still help in run support.  Tyrell Johnson is slowly becoming a great safety.  He is sometimes prone to the deep pass, but is improving in that realm.
Chicago will definitely get and added boost with Julius Peppers on the defensive end.  Most quarterbacks were relaxed against the Bears last year knowing their lack of a pass rush, but they will have trouble sleeping the night before they play Chicago.  Brian Urlacher returning to Pro-Bowl form will be an added bonus.  The life was sucked out of the defense when he went down with an arm injury during the first game.  Two players that must return to form are tackle Tommie Harris and Lance Briggs.  If they have another sub par season fans will be demanding the Bears get a return on their investment from both of them.  The secondary still has some trouble spots, but it can only go up from here on out.  Charles Tillman is healthy.  Zackary Bowman gained valuable experience during last season.  This year figures to be a plus for the safeties as Chris Harris was signed from Carolina and Major Wright, a 3rd round pick out of Florida will help in both coverage and in stopping the run.
The Lions figure the best way to get a great defense is to start from scratch.  They’ve rebuilt the entire defensive line by the drafting of Ndamukong Suh 2nd overall, trading for Corey Williams and signing Kyle Vanden Bosch.  Vanden Bosch and Suh figure to make immediate impacts as their high motors and tough persona will spread throughout the ranks.  Williams was a bust in the 3-4 system in Cleveland, but in a 4-3 in Green Bay the previous year he looks to rebound to his old form.  Julian Peterson is the only viable option at linebacker.  The 11 year veteran is determined to see a winner in Detroit (Michigan State alum).  The secondary is revamped.  Chris Houston was the number one cornerback in Atlanta.  He was acquired to bring some added toughness to the secondary.  Louis Delmas was the lone bright spot as his toughness and tenacity were welcome, but it didn’t translate into much.  This year will different in the Motor City.

1. New Orleans Saints: 11-5
Defending the title is always harder than winning it.
2. Atlanta Falcons: 10-6
Will their defense step up to the plate?
3. Carolina Panthers: 6-10
John Fox is a lame duck coach with no proven QB.
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 5-11
The growing pains continue for the new regime.

Coaches

Sean Payton – Saints
He has the where with all and the swagger to boot.  Sean Payton is an offensive genius, but also knows what buttons to push and at what time to push them.  The first move of the Sean Payton era was signing Drew Brees to be their franchise quarterback.  After the no-win situation of Hurricane Katrina plaguing the city of New Orleans, the Saints kept an upbeat attitude throughout and that’s thanks in large part to Payton.  In his first year (2006) they were one win away from getting to the Super Bowl.  Last year they struggled down the stretch losing their last three games of the season, but Payton kept the goal of a Super Bowl title at the top of the teams goals.  They responded with one of the best playoff performances of recent memory.

Mike Smith – Falcons
We always focus on the players turning around the franchise, but a large part goes to the head coach.  Mike Smith was a relative unknown when he was hired in 2008.  He was the defensive coordinator for the Jacksonville Jaguars the previous five seasons.  Before that he spent time with the Baltimore Ravens coaching staff.  He had a pretty good resume and that showed with the turnaround in Atlanta following the Michael Vick debacle.  Smith was fortunate to have Matt Ryan fall to him at number three overall in ’08.  Together the Falcons have had the best two year run in franchise history.  The talent pool is over-flowing in Atlanta and Mike Smith is doing an excellent job at making the most of it.

John Fox – Panthers
No one likes a lame duck coach.  John Fox unfortunately is that coach.  He has the most wins in franchise history (71).  He has coached the Panthers to three playoff appearances.  And one of those playoff appearances resulted in a trip to the Super Bowl.  The first in franchise history.  It’s amazing that two other potential lame duck coaches, Norv Turner of San Diego and Gary Kubiak of Houston both received contract extensions before the season starts.  What do they have that Fox doesn’t as a head coach?  He has a daunting task with no proven quarterback and a suspect defense.  Not to mention that there are two teams ahead of his, talent wise.  It’s a no win situation.

Raheem Morris – Buccaneers
Eyebrows were raised when first year head coach Raheem Morris fired his offensive coordinator just a week before the season began.  Then it happened on the defensive side when his defensive coordinator resigned.  Morris stepped in and took over that department.  There were too many distractions for Morris and his staff that it’s amazing that Tampa Bay even won three games last year.  Morris will still oversee the defense this year and he does have an offensive coordinator in place.  There is a lot of room for improvement in Tampa Bay, but it will have to wait another year. 

Best Acquisition: CB Dunta Robinson – Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta has been struggling to find a great cornerback since they let DeAngelo Hall go.  Not since Ray Buchanan has the Atlanta Falcons had a legitimate threat to match anybody’s number one receiver.  Dunta Robinson they hope fits that mold.  He’s had a good career, but it has been mired with injuries and protests about his contract in Houston.  Whether the Falcons make a strong push into the playoffs will depend on the defense and whether they can compete with the high powered offenses of the NFC.  Mainly their division rival New Orleans.  Robinson will be a big part of that push they hope.

Quarterback – Grade
Saints – A
Falcons – A
Buccaneers – C
Panthers – D

You could make the argument for many players as being the best free agent acquisition since free agency was first implemented.  Every single time you would bring it up, you would have to mention Drew Brees.  No quarterback has done more for a franchise in such a short period of time.  His career was in jeopardy when he tore his shoulder in a playoff game in his last year with San Diego.  The Chargers chose to go with Philip Rivers and let Brees go.  What’s interesting about Brees is that both he and New Orleans wanted one another.  That sums up his outlook on more than football.  In terms of football, he’s right there with Peyton and Brady.
The Falcons struck gold looking back at the 2008 NFL Draft.  Both Miami and St. Louis passed on Matt Ryan and Atlanta gladly chose him third overall.  Miami has a good quarterback and St. Louis has their franchise quarterback now, but do you think they regret passing on Ryan?  He led Atlanta to the playoffs his first year and nearly clinched another playoff berth in ’09.  Ryan has a great running back to take pressure off him and the passing game, but he has shown the intangibles needed to make it in this league.  If he goes down, the offense suffers.
Tampa Bay has their guy in Josh Freeman.  Everyone figured he would sit out his rookie year, but with the constant personnel changes and the eventual benching of Byron Leftwich, the Buccaneers wanted to see what they had with Freeman.  He showed off his tremendous arm strength, but also surprised with his poise under pressure.  He has a slew of young receivers to get acclimated with and the offense hasn’t changed much.  Freeman has rare ability and the hopes of this regime rest with his right arm.
Carolina did not have a first round pick, but managed to draft one of the top quarterbacks in the draft with their second round pick.  Jimmy Clausen fell all the way to the 16th pick in the second round for reasons still unknown, at least in this writer’s eyes.  He will be competing with incumbent Matt Moore who is 6-2 overall as a starter, but that’s a bit over-hyped since the Panthers have a great running back combination.  Moore will probably get the first chance at the job because of his experience in the offense, but Clausen will be motivated and ready to play when called upon.
 
Running Back – Grade
Panthers – A
Falcons – B
Saints – B
Buccaneers – C

When you have two 1,000 yard rushers on your roster, you damn well better get an A.  DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart complement each other very well.  They both mutually don’t care who gets the ball more.  As long as the team wins, that’s all that matters.  You have to love that if you’re John Fox.  Williams is that speed back while Stewart has deceptive speed, but can run it right up the middle for short gains.  You won’t find a better duo than these two.  They keep each other fresh and it helps to have the kind of cohesiveness that Carolina has on the offensive line.
Atlanta’s one shining moment for their turnaround came with the signing of Michael Turner.  He was the change of pace back for LaDainian Tomlinson in San Diego.  The Chargers have missed him ever since.  Turner exploded for a 1,699 yard rushing season in ’08 and would’ve had well over 1,000 yards again had an ankle injury not sidelined him for most of the ’09 season.  Atlanta has good depth behind Turner in Jerious Norwood and Jason Snelling.  However, the Falcons running game isn’t the same without Turner’s deceptive speed.
At first glance it’s true that New Orleans did win their first Super Bowl through the air.  Looking again, they had a great balance in the running game to free up the passing attack.  Reggie Bush is that secret weapon the Saints will more often use as a decoy, but defenses still have to account for him on the field.  Pierre Thomas and Mike Bell were the workhorses in the backfield.  Bell left via free agency to Philadelphia which does leave a hole as far as depth goes, but Thomas is more than capable of handling a bigger load and Bush will be utilized more in packages that take advantage of his breakaway speed.
The Buccaneers got a healthy season out of their former first round pick Cadillac Williams.  Not a career year by any means, but a productive one.  His 3.9 yards per carry were below average, but Cadillac made up for it with his rushing yards (823).  Derrick Ward was a no show for most of the year.  An added workload seemed to be too much for him.  He’ll have to get used to it quickly or he will be looking for a new team.  Earnest Graham is now the fullback, but look for him to get more carries in short yardage situations.

Wide Receiver – Grade
Saints – A
Falcons – A
Panthers – C
Buccaneers – D

The Saints come at you with many different looks and so many weapons for Drew Brees to choose from.  Marques Colston has continued to succeed in New Orleans.  After an injury plagued ’08 season he bounced back to gain over 1,000 yards and nearly had double digit touchdown scores.  Devery Henderson is the other starter opposite Colston.  More of the deep threat, Henderson is streaky at times, but is still a threat to break away from any defensive back in the NFL.  Robert Meachem finally lived up to his first round potential.  His first two years were marred in injuries and inconsistency, he finally gained the trust of both Brees and coach Sean Payton and it resulted in catching 9 touchdown passes.  Jeremy Shockey was exactly what the Saints needed from him and that was a check down option for Brees when the receivers were covered.  Shockey’s backup David Thomas was an even bigger surprise than Meachem.  His blocking was a big help, but he made some key plays for the Saints Super Bowl run.
Atlanta has the receivers to match with any other team in the league.  Roddy White had a career high 11 touchdown catches and a third consecutive 80+ catch 1,100 yard season.  His running mate Michael Jenkins is well adept to the system and is an above average possession receiver.  Tony Gonzalez burst onto the scene and left his mark by finishing second in receptions (83), yards (867) and touchdown catches (6).  The future hall of famer will continue to help Matt Ryan get better as his career progresses.  Brian Finneran is an excellent possession receiver on third downs.  Harry Douglas will be looking to start what was expected to be a big season last year before he went down with a knee injury in training camp.
Carolina has a legitimate number one receiver in Steve Smith.  A quarterback’s delight to have.  His stats have gone down slightly, but he remains one of the best at getting yards after the catch.  After Smith it is full of question marks.  When will Dwayne Jarrett prove his worth as a first round pick?  This undoubtedly is his last chance in Carolina.  Will rookies Brandon LaFell and Armanti Edwards make an impact?  LaFell has big play potential.  Great size and speed, but will he pick up the offense quick enough to play right away.  Edwards will probably be used as a wildcat quarterback.  He was the quarterback at Appalachian State.  The same one who helped beat Michigan at the “Big House.”  Jeff King and Dante Rosario are good pass catching tight ends, but the tight end is used as a blocker more than a receiver in the Carolina offense.
The turnover at this position is amazing.  Two rookies will look to get plenty of playing time.  Second rounder Arrelious Benn and fourth rounder Mike Williams.  Both have break away speed and amazing potential with Josh Freeman as the quarterback.  Kellen Winslow Jr. was the leading receiver by a mile last year.  He will continue to be Freeman’s go-to-guy this upcoming season.  There are a couple of veterans who will look to make into the rotation.  Michael Clayton and Reggie Brown, both highly touted draft picks, are looking for another chance at making the cut.  Clayton had one good year, but that was in his rookie year (’04).  Brown was banged up for most of his career in Philadelphia and this could be his last chance at making an NFL roster.

Defense – Grade
Saints – B
Panthers – C
Falcons – C
Buccaneers – C

By no means were the Saints an elite defense, but they were the best ball-hawking defense in the NFL.  It starts with pressure and they were amongst the best at it by sacking the quarterback 35 times (tied for 13th).  Will Smith led the group with 13.  He will be good for another double digit sack total as long as he stays healthy.  Sedrick Ellis is turning into one of the best tackles in the league with his push up front on both run and pass plays.  Jonathan Vilma was as happy as can be when he was traded from the Jets 3-4 system into the Saints 4-3 base.  That’s his style and it fits him well.  Losing Scott Fujita (Cleveland) to free agency will hurt, but Scott Shanle has been a great coverage linebacker and underrated in stopping the run.  Darren Sharper was another great acquisition last year.  His 9 interceptions was tied for the league lead.   He will probably be out for the first six games due to knee surgery, but he will welcomed with open arms to help capitalize on quarterbacks mistakes.
Yes Carolina won’t have their best defensive player in Julius Peppers who is now with Chicago.  That doesn’t mean the Panthers won’t be able to stop anyone.  The still have Jon Beason as their middle linebacker.  Chris Gamble is still their number one cornerback.  Everette Brown and Charles Johnson will now get a chance to be the pass rushers they were drafted to be.  Both have excellent speed, but do need to work on their moves to better free themselves from blockers.  Beason has Thomas Davis on the outside with him at linebacker.  Both have tremendous speed to the ball carrier whether it’s the pass or run.  Both are great tacklers and finish every play.  Gamble has a good complement in Richard Marshall.  Marshall isn’t as good a tackler as Gamble against the run, but he is very close as far as coverage goes.  John Fox prides himself on making his defense one of the best in the league.  He usually succeeds.
Atlanta has to get better production out of their defense.  If they want to make it past the first round of the playoffs with the offense they have, they have to stop the other teams offense.  It starts up front with John Abraham and Kroy Biermann.  The top two pass rushers have to be near double digit sack totals for the pass defense to be ranked higher than 28th.  Curtis Lofton did a great job taking over the job of former teammate Keith Brooking.  His awareness was more than what the coaching staff expected.  Sean Weatherspoon their first round pick out of Missouri will bring some added speed to the linebacker unit.  He will be a fixture on passing downs.  Dunta Robinson is now the best defensive back on the roster and will have some nice pieces in Atlanta.  Thomas DeCoud and Erik Coleman are great tacklers, but not the best coverage safeties.  All the pieces should come together though with Robinson as the spark the defense needed to shore up the pass defense.
Tampa Bay still runs that famed Tampa 2 defense, but with a few tweaks.  Morris blitzes more than his predecessors.  That tends to leave the secondary exposed which doesn’t bode well for Ronde Barber and Aqib Talib.  Talib is slowly becoming a great cover corner and Barber still excels against the run, but has lost a step in coverage and doesn’t have that speed to catch up to the elite receivers.  Barrett Ruud fits the mold of Brian Urlacher for Tampa Bay.  Constantly in the middle of the action, Ruud has a nose for the football.  Quincy Black will be looked to be the next Derrick Brooks of the Tampa Bay defense.  Up front the Buccaneers invested a lot of money into their first two draft picks.  First rounder Gerald McCoy and second rounder Brian Price will be given the keys to disrupting the quarterback and running backs of the opposing teams.  That’s asking a lot from two rookies defensive tackles, but McCoy was thought of highly by some more than Ndamukong Suh.  McCoy will be the next generation Warren Sapp and Price will be Anthony McFarland.  At least that’s what the coaching staff thinks.

1. San Francisco 49ers: 9-7
Will this be the start of a new dynasty in San Francisco?
2. Arizona Cardinals: 8-8
How far (if at all) will Arizona drop without Kurt Warner?
3. Seattle Seahawks: 5-11
The Pete Carroll era is under way in the Seattle.
4. St. Louis Rams: 3-13
Anything over 4 wins will be a welcome surprise.

Coaches

Ken Whisenhunt – Cardinals
As head coach of the Arizona Cardinals, Whisenhunt has improved their record by one win each of the past three seasons.  The problem though is that was with Kurt Warner as the quarterback.  The punishment was too much for Warner and he decided to hang up the cleats.  Whisenhunt has to start over and his choices are between Matt Leinart and Derek Anderson.  Whisenhunt doesn’t hide the fact that Leinart is not his first choice for the job, but Anderson isn’t the best option either.  Ben Roethlisberger isn’t walking through that door for the Cardinals coach, who was the offensive coordinator during Big Ben’s first Super Bowl title in Pittsburgh.  This might not be a down year in Arizona with the talent surrounding the quarterback, but it will be a struggle to get some consistency out of the position.

Mike Singletary – 49ers
There isn’t any doubt of who is in charge in San Francisco.  Singletary’s no-nonsense attitude has gone through the ranks and it’s making believers out of the ones who used to cause problems.  Singletary has built a potentially elite defense and has a ball control offense to coincide with his philosophy of controlling the clock.  The 49ers haven’t had a record above .500 since ’02 and that was the last time they made the playoffs.  The team of the ’80s who also stayed in contention through the ’90s has perhaps the most upside of any team entering this season.  Maybe the third coach is the charm since their last playoff appearance to get them back into the competitive mix.

Pete Carroll – Seahawks
With Mike Holmgren out of the picture last year and his hand picked successor Jim Mora Jr. at the helm, Seattle was in a mini rebuilding mode.  Injuries, a 30th ranked pass defense and an inefficient running game led to Mora’s demise and he was let go after one season.  Looking to make a splash, right from the start Seattle had their sights set on USC head coach Pete Carroll.  Pete had already turned down a few jobs that were more appealing than Seattle’s, but he felt it was time and with sanctions coming USC’s way, you can decide if he had legitimate reasons for leaving USC.  Either way he’s back.  This is now his third chance in the NFL head coaching ranks and with the full support of the front office he will be given more time than Mora to build a winner in Seattle.

Steve Spagnuolo – Rams
It has been a rough learning curve for Steve Spagnuolo.  He was a hot commodity when the New York Giants won Super Bowl 42 as the defensive coordinator.  Now is the head coach for perhaps the worst team in the NFL.  Their is plenty of room for improvement.  Now that the Rams have a quarterback and one of the best running backs, they could move themselves out of the cellar.  The defense is the one flaw with the Rams.  Spagnuolo needs to get that side of the ball up to speed quickly or he will be looking for another coordinator job sooner than he thinks.  The Rams want to see improvement this year with their investment in Sam Bradford and with a new owner on the horizon time is running out fast.

Best Acquisition: WR Ted Ginn Jr. – San Francisco 49ers
It’s not so much for his pass catching ability.  He was a top 10 pick of the Miami Dolphins in ’07.  The reason, well I think it was for his big play ability mostly.  He still possesses that big play ability, but only on special teams.  He returned two kick-off returns for touchdowns in one game against the Jets last year.  San Francisco has ranked near the bottom of kickoff and punt returns for a long time.  Last they were dead last in punt returns and 23rd on kickoffs.  Ginn can be used in the slot and on deep pass patterns.  That will bring the big play to the passing attack and keep defenses honest which will help open up the running game. 

Quarterback – Grade
Cardinals – C
49ers – C
Seahawks – C
Rams – D

At first glance this is not the best division of quarterbacks.  Arizona has the slight edge still.  Matt Leinart is still an accurate passer.  Derek Anderson is only 3 years removed from his Pro Bowl season.  The edge is going to Leinart, but Anderson has the stronger arm to throw deep to the Larry Fitzgerald and Steve Breaston.  Leinart just doesn’t have that charisma you want from your starting quarterback.  He seems to be disinterested at times in the game.  Anderson isn’t the ideal replacement for Warner either, but this is what Arizona has to work with.
San Francisco has had a very inconsistent time at quarterback.  Alex Smith has had a different offensive coordinator every year of his professional career.  For the first time he has the same coordinator and the same offense to work with in consecutive years.  That will help immensely.  Smith has developed a good rapport with his receivers.  He has a first class running game.  The only problem has been a suspect offensive line and being prone to turning over the football.  He showed a better touchdown to interception ratio last year (18-12).  With a better line, he could get past the 20 touchdown plateau for the first time.
Matt Hasselbeck like with Jim Mora Jr. is probably playing his last year in Seattle.  Back problems could force him out sooner.  His stats don’t show it, but he struggled to get in sync with the offense.  Primarily with T.J. Houshmandzadeh.  Seattle doesn’t have a viable option if Hasselbeck goes down.  Charlie Whitehurst was acquired from San Diego, but it’s yet to be seen if he is a NFL quarterback.  Pete Carroll would like to have stability here, but without a viable running attack the Seahawks will have constant pressure on the quarterback.
The Rams had no other choice but to select Sam Bradford with the first pick.  It starts at the top.  If you want to get better you have to improve the most important position on the field.  Bradford showed tremendous poise during his college days at Oklahoma.  He will have a huge learning curve in St. Louis.  The offensive line is still a work in progress, but Bradford does have a talented group of receivers to work with.  Not to mention Steven Jackson as his running back.  The Rams won’t be expected to repeat what Baltimore and Atlanta did with Joe Flacco and Matt Ryan respectively.  However, there is an expectation that there will be results in the first year rather than down the road.

Running Back – Grade
49ers – B
Rams – B
Cardinals – B
Seahawks – C

Had injuries not slowed Frank Gore down last year, he might have been the leading rusher in the NFC last year.  He is the rare power back that San Francisco has not had since Tom Rathman in the late ’80s.  Interestingly enough Rathman is the running back coach for the Niners.  Gore is an underrated pass blocker as well.  Very adapt at picking up blitzes.  Gore is the best option for the Niners and their best chance at getting into the playoffs.  Brian Westbrook was signed as the third down back and will help immensely in the passing game.
Steven Jackson was the leading rusher (1,416 yards) in the NFC and the teams leading receiver.  The latter has to change.  To avoid the wear and tear on Jackson, St. Louis has to ease Jackson’s role in the passing game.  It will be difficult with a rookie quarterback.  To add even more problems is the lack of a serviceable backup.  Jackson hasn’t had a decent backup since Marshall Faulk retired.  The Rams lone bright spot will be Jackson getting over 2,000 all purpose yards.
At about the half way point of the ’09 season the Cardinals realized that they had a pretty good running back in Beanie Wells.  Had he been given a chance at the starting job earlier, he would’ve rushed for over 1,000 yards.  Arizona will need to rely more on the running game this year with the question marks at quarterback.  Wells will be strictly used as the bruiser and a decoy on play action.  Tim Hightower has been a great third down back and is excellent in picking up the blitzing defenses.
Seattle’s main offensive problem was with the running game.  It looked as though Julius Jones would be the guy last year, but faded fast.  Edgerrin James was given a chance, but he was way past his prime.  Justin Forsett was a pleasant surprise.  His 5.4 yards per carry led the team and has given him the inside track at the starting job this year.  Leon Washington excels in kickoff returns, but he will be given ample opportunity to get some carries.  Jones is still around, but for how long remains to be seen. 

Wide Receiver – Grade
Cardinals – B
49ers – B
Seahawks – C
Rams – D

Even without Anquan Boldin the Cardinals still have the best wide receivers in the division.  Larry Fitzgerald is still one of the best at getting up the field and coming down with the catch.  His awareness over the middle is unmatched.  Steve Breaston is better suited as the third receiver, but he will do a good job in single coverage with Fitzgerald getting the double teams.  Early Doucet broke out during the playoffs last year and will take over Breaston’s spot in the slot.  Doucet has a bigger frame than Breaston which will help on crucial third down situations.  With these three they will probably have 75+ catches apiece. 
San Francisco has a bright future with this group.  It starts with their tight end Vernon Davis.  Davis solidified his status as an elite pass catching tight end with his first Pro Bowl appearance last year.  He should continue to put up 10+ touchdown seasons from now on.  Michael Crabtree, who is not holding out, has the potential to double his numbers from his rookie year (48 rec., 625 yards) in which he only played in 11 games.  Josh Morgan has a lot of upside, but time is starting to run out on his potential.  Ted Ginn Jr. will be given a chance at being the slot receiver and Delanie Walker is a back up tight end, but runs like a track star.
Seattle has had some disappointing history with receivers lately.  Deion Branch has never panned out since he was acquired in ’06.  Nate Burleson was the same as was let go.  They are hoping the same doesn’t happen with T.J. Houshmandzadeh.  T.J. is one of the best possession receivers in the NFL, but he seems to be distracted and is not the prototypical number one receiver most teams are looking for.  It makes sense because he wasn’t the number one receiver in Cincinnati.  Seattle has two young guns to work into the rotation.  Deon Butler showed a lot of promise, but wasn’t given a lot of playing time last year.  Rookie Golden Tate showed some big play ability at Notre Dame and Pete Carroll loves it from his days at USC.  Former USC standout Mike Williams will be given a chance at redemption during camp.  Tight end John Carlson is a well rounded pass catcher and an above average blocker.
The Rams will continue to use Steven Jackson in the passing game, but they must get more from Donnie Avery.  He had a great rookie year, but struggled with the unrest at quarterback and the lack of adequate pass protection.  Avery must forget about last year and develop good chemistry with Sam Bradford.  Tight end Daniel Fells was a nice surprise.  He will continue to get looks on third down and in the redzone.  Laurent Robinson probably would’ve had a career year had he not suffered a leg injury in the beginning of the season.  Rookie Mardy Gilyard will be given a chance to show what he can do.  For his size (6′ 187lbs) he is a very physical receiver.

Defense – Grade
49ers – B
Cardinals – B
Seahawks – C
Rams – D

The 49ers have slowly developed one of the best attacking defenses in the NFL.  It starts at head coach Mike Singletary’s old playing position, linebacker.  Patrick Willis has been one of the best since he entered the league.  When Takeo Spikes was signed in ’08 it seemed to elevate Willis’ game.  They both complement each other very well in the 3-4 defense.  They get great looks thanks to the defensive line.  Aubrayo Franklin is one of the best nose tackles.  Constantly holds down two offensive lineman which results in Willis or Spikes getting to the ball carrier.  Justin Smith is always running with great tenacity at the quarterback, but is best at stopping the run.  The secondary is the one weak spot on defense.  Nate Clements is slowly on the decline, but still has good coverage skills.  Shawntae Spencer is a solid tackler who does take chances, but knows when not to.  Dashon Goldson has become the teams best coverage safety and reminds those of Merton Hanks.  Michael Lewis is great at run support, but will be pushed by Taylor Mays who was a steal in the second round of the draft.
Arizona has developed a good 3-4 defense since Ken Whisenhunt’s arrival.  With a few tweaks here and there it has become one of the best at getting to the quarterback and getting interceptions.  There still are a few holes though.  The defensive line is anchored by Darnell Dockett and Calais Campbell.  Both are great pass rushers and underrated at stopping the running back.  The problem will be at nose tackle.  First round pick Dan Williams will be given every opportunity to win the job, but they would rather Gabe Watson or Alan Branch keep it secured this year.  The linebackers will be a bit over matched as Karlos Dansby left for Miami.  Now that leaves a hole in the middle, but they went out and signed Joey Porter to fill it on the outside.  Porter is on the downside of his career, but can still get after the quarterback on any given down.  Rookie Daryl Washington from TCU will be given Dansby’s spot.  Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie is one of the best at getting to the ball, but still takes too many chances leaving his safety exposed over the top.  He still carries a lot of respect in the passing game.  Adrian Wilson could easily play linebacker, but he is just as good in coverage as he is in run stopping.  Kerry Rhodes will fill the void left by Antrel Rolle.  Rhodes played in a similar style in New York with the Jets.  He will be used mostly in coverage, but can spell Wilson on run support.
Pete Carroll always had a high octane offense at USC, but he was better known for his defenses.  He has a tall order with turning around one of the leagues worst.  Especially against the pass (30th).  It will have to start with pressure.  Chris Clemons will be tasked with being the prime pass rusher on the line.  He had only 3 last year with Philadelphia, but had 12 in ’07 & ’08 combined.  Perhaps the linebackers will have to do both rush the passer and stop the run.  On paper Lofa Tatupu, Leroy Hill and Aaron Curry are one of the best trios at linebacker.  Injuries have slowed Hill and Tatupu the last two years and Curry came on strong early, but faded fast down the stretch.  All three will need to be healthy to make an impact for Carroll’s defense.  Marcus Trufant when healthy is a great cover corner.  Very near the top, but he hasn’t lived up to the hype on a consistent basis.  Walter Thurmond must have made an impression on Pete Carroll when USC played Oregon.  Thurmond is a fourth round pick who has great coverage skills and was part of a good pass defense at Oregon.   First round pick Earl Thomas was the right pick for Seattle.  In that Bob Sanders mold, Thomas is great at defending the pass and coming up in run support.  Just look at Texas’ defense when Thomas was there.  Jordan Babineaux was the constant force in the secondary last year, but will be thrust back into a more comfortable role with Thomas aboard.
The defensive guru Steve Spagnuolo might have his work cut out for him in St. Louis.  They struggled mightily from stopping the pass to slowing down the run.  They will start over to get the pass rush going.  Leonard Little wasn’t resigned and that means Chris Long will be the lone threat.  Veteran James Hall has had some success, but doesn’t have the same speed of the edge.  James Laurinaitis was a pleasant surprise last year.  He took over the defense and has shown the same leadership from his playing time at Ohio State.  Ron Bartell and O.J. Atogwe are the veteran leaders.  Bartell is looking for some help at the cornerback position and he could get it from third round pick Jerome Murphy.  His size (6′ 196) is perfect for the zone scheme that will involve more blitzing from the front seven.  Atogwe is an adequate cover safety, but makes his name for his tackling ability in the running game.  The Rams will need him and fellow safety James Butler to improve on their subpar seasons if they are to get out of the NFC cellar.

1. San Diego Chargers: 10-6
Is management going to cost them a chance to succeed?
2. Kansas City Chiefs: 7-9
It appears that KC is looking like the New England Patriots of the West.
3. Oakland Raiders: 7-9
Is Jason Campbell all the Raiders need to get into contention?
4. Denver Broncos: 6-10
They took one step forward, but two steps back after a tumultuous offseason.

Coaches

Norv Turner – Chargers
Since Norv was hired in 2007, the Chargers have been prone to slow starts during the season.  Known for being an innovator on offense, San Diego has slowly turned the page on being a running team to being one of the elite passing teams in the NFL.  There was talk that Turner’s job was in jeopardy after the Chargers early exit in the playoffs at the hands of the Jets after a 13-3 finish to the season.  Instead, GM A.J. Smith gave Turner an extension.  A sign that Smith is willing to give Turner more time to get it right.  Something he didn’t do with Marty Schottenheimer.  Turner has been able to turn Philip Rivers into an elite quarterback.  The question is whether San Diego’s window of opportunity has closed.

Josh McDaniels – Broncos
Denver shocked the league with their 6-0 start to the season.  Unfortunately the original expectation for the Broncos came true with their 2-8 finish to the season and missing out on the playoffs.  As soon as McDaniels took over, he immediately butted heads with the teams quarterback Jay Cutler, thus resulting in his departure for Chicago.  It also happened with the teams star wide receiver Brandon Marshall and McDaniels.  Denver’s front office has given him their full support.  Now it is up to Josh McDaniels to make something of the Broncos in his image.  It could back fire this year, but Denver does have some pieces in place to make a run in the AFC West.  The problem is Kansas City and Oakland have improved upon last season.

Tom Cable – Raiders
He was brought in under some difficult circumstances in 2008.  He’s been given a chance to get Oakland over the 5 win threshold for the first time since 2002 (11-5).  He was close, but the team finished 5-11 once again.  Things looked to remain the same until a draft day trade for Redskins quarterback Jason Campbell.  That meant JaMarcus Russell was on his way out.  With the admitted failure of Oakland drafting Russell, it appears that owner Al Davis is letting someone else make decisions or he has come to his senses.  Either way, Oakland has promise.  With Cable running the ship, Oakland can focus on the personnel they have in place.  With stability at quarterback, the Raiders might be able to compete against most of the elite teams.

Todd Haley – Chiefs
Haley had a rough start to his rookie season.  He fired offensive coordinator Chan Gailey a week before the season started.  The offense struggled right out of the gate.  The defense was ineffective running the 3-4 system.  Both should be improved with new offensive coordinator Charlie Weis and defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel on board.  Haley is running a similar scheme like the one used in New England when Weis was there.  Crennel will immediately bring a calm, but firm leadership to a defense that ranked 30th in the NFL.  Haley has two former head coaches on the staff.  Should Kansas City stumble out of the gate like last year, GM Scott Pioli won’t hesitate to replace him with someone he knows from his New England days.

Best Acquisition: RB Thomas Jones – Kansas City Chiefs
He was ranked 3rd in rushing last year.  He has rushed for at least 1,100 yards the last five seasons now.  He was let go in Chicago and was released after a career year in New York.  He has past the prime age for running backs (age 32).  However, he is a motivated individual.  What’s to say he won’t have another 1,000 yard season?  Jamaal Charles is the all-purpose back for Kansas City, which they ranked 11th in rushing last year.  What’s to stop the Chiefs from improving on that number?  They add a Pro-Bowl player to help keep the pressure off their quarterback Matt Cassel. 

Quarterback – Grade
Chargers – A
Broncos – C
Raiders – C
Chiefs – C

Philip Rivers has put himself into the conversation as one of the best quarterbacks in the league.  His arm isn’t the strongest, but his accuracy is what makes him one of the best.  Having big targets to throw to doesn’t hurt either.  Rivers is in a class all by himself in the AFC West.  Since his biggest rival Jay Cutler is out of the picture, it’s his division to rule.
Denver got the best out of Kyle Orton (3,802 yards, 21 TD).  Problem with those numbers is that was with Brandon Marshall on the team.  Without the consistent receiver at Orton’s disposal, it will be harder to duplicate those numbers.  Should Orton struggle mightily, Brady Quinn and Tim Tebow are waiting in the wings.  Quinn will get the first shot at the job, but he is a bit of an unknown.  Cleveland was pretty much a replica of what Denver is now.  Tebow probably won’t see much playing time unless one or both quarterbacks go down.  He is a project, but an intriguing one at that.
Oakland hopes they’ve found their man at quarterback in Jason Campbell.  Al Davis compares him to Super Bowl champion Jim Plunkett.  Not a wise comparison, but there is reason to be optimistic in Oakland.  They have a good running game and plenty of weapons for Campbell to throw to.  The question is if Campbell can make the most of it?  He isn’t a terrible quarterback.  He has shown flashes of brilliance in his time in Washington.  Oakland’s season depends on this position.
Kansas City has invested a lot of money in Matt Cassel.  They haven’t gotten a just reward for their investment yet, but there is still time.  Cassel has only a handful of targets to throw to, but he did look more comfortable in the second half of last year.  If he wants to be considered an elite quarterback, he will have to prove his 2008 season was no fluke.  It will tough considering he had more weapons to throw to than in Kansas City.

Running Back – Grade
Chiefs – B
Chargers – B
Raiders – C
Broncos – C

Their rushing attack has gotten better now that they’ve added Thomas Jones to complement Jamaal Charles.  Charles had a career year for the Chiefs and Jones did for the Jets.  With both of them, Kansas City is hoping for a good mix of power and speed to help take pressure of the passing game.  The system is built for the pass, but Kansas City can’t ignore what they have in the running game. 
San Diego has a new feature back for the first time since 2000.  LaDainian Tomlinson is no longer with the Chargers and they drafted the best running back available in Ryan Mathews from Fresno State.  He’s a big physical back who will be the perfect complement to Darren Sproles who will still be a force on third down and passing situations.  Mathews will look to improve on San Diego’s 31st ranked rushing attack.
Oakland’s one lone bright spot has been their running game.  They no longer have the three headed monster since Justin Fargas was let go, but Michael Bush and Darren McFadden are still a good 1-2 combination.   Combined they ran for just under 1,000 yards.  If McFadden can remain healthy, he will be an excellent force in the passing game as well.  Oakland is hoping they won’t have to release another top 5 pick who couldn’t live up to expectations.
Denver had a nice balance to their offense.  It all fell apart though in the second half.  Their defense couldn’t keep games close and they had to abandon the run.  Knowshon Moreno was a pleasant surprise in the running game.  Not a bruising back, but he did impress in a couple of games.  Correll Buckhalter is a good change of pace back who was a big plus on third down and in the passing game.  Denver won’t wow anyone on the ground, but they can make a splash if they play the right opponent.

Wide Receiver – Grade
Chargers – B
Chiefs – C
Broncos – C
Raiders – D

The Chargers would get an A if Vincent Jackson were not holding out.  Nonetheless San Diego still has Antonio Gates, one of the best tight ends in the game.  Darren Sproles is a matchup nightmare for any defense out of the backfield.  Malcolm Floyd who is another big target for Philip Rivers will be looked to as the number one receiver.  Floyd had a career year last year (45 rec. 776 yards) as the number two receiver.  Look for those numbers to double if Jackson holds out the entire year.  Former 1st round pick Buster Davis and Legedu Naanee will have to step up with bigger roles.
One reason for Cassel’s improvement in the second half was the acquisition of Chris Chambers off waivers.  Chambers was a stable force as the possession receiver in crucial situations.  Dwyane Bowe’s stats dropped off a bit from Kansas City’s liking, but Bowe was constantly double covered.  That should change with Chambers around a full season.  Jerheme Urban was a good slot receiver in Arizona and Haley knows exactly where to put him in critical passing downs.  Rookie Dexter McCluster is a new weapon for the Chiefs not just as a receiver, but also out of the backfield.  He will see a majority of action on returns, but he will be used in multiple packages as a wideout and back. 
Without Brandon Marshall, Denver now has Eddie Royal as the default number one receiver.  He didn’t have a good sophomore season, but now that he’s healthy he should get back to form.  The Broncos will also need a good year from Jabar Gaffney.  He thrived in the system last year as the slot receiver.  He will be bumped to number two with Marshall gone.  First round pick Demaryius Thomas will be given all the time to get comfortable, but he will see plenty of action to get to a level of comfort.  Brandon Stokley and Brandon Lloyd will be the possession receivers on crucial third downs.

Defense – Grade
Chargers – C
Raiders – C
Broncos – C
Chiefs – D

The Chargers have always had an inconsistent defense.  One year they will be great against the run, the next great against the pass.  Never great against both in the same season.  They no longer have Jamal Williams to plug up the running lanes.  Instead they will rely on stopping the pass and go with what they have for the run.  Luis Castillo will be counted on to lead that attack on the defensive line.  The linebacking corps will consist of pass rushers and excellent coverage men.  Shawne Merriman will be given another chance at returning to his Pro-Bowl form.  Shaun Phillips has emerged as the pass rush specialist during Merriman’s absence.  Stephen Cooper and Kevin Burnett are excellent in coverage and are quick to the ball carrier.  Quentin Jammer and Antoine Cason are an underrated duo at cornerback.  Nathan Vasher is an excellent pickup as the nickel back from Chicago.  Safety is a weak spot, but Eric Weddle has shown steady improvement over his first four seasons. 
Oakland been known throughout their history as having a smash mouth defense that doesn’t care about the consequences of their actions.  Those days might be coming back sooner than you think.  Rolando McClain was drafted in the first round to be the new man at middle linebacker.  That sent shock waves through the league as a sign that the Raiders were starting to make the right decisions.  Kamerion Wimbley was acquired from Cleveland to help bring some added pressure on the quarterback and to help in coverage.  Nnamdi Asomugha is one of the best cover corners in the game.  He doesn’t get a chance at many interceptions anymore, but he is the biggest asset the Raiders defense has.  Michael Huff is only average in coverage, but a devastating tackler.  Tyvon Branch is an improved cover safety and is right there with Huff in the run defense.  Richard Seymour seems to be motivated to play for Oakland this year.  He showed up to all of the offseason workouts and was on time for training camp.  That’s good news for the Raiders as they look to see him improve on his sack total (4).  The Raiders have a lot of depth on the line, but they will need more from Tommy Kelly at tackle.
Denver was one of the best defensive units through the first 8 games last year.  They became one of the worst in the last 8 games.  Part of that was attributed to the emergence of linebacker Elvis Dumervil (17 sacks).  He was a constant force for Denver, but has suffered a pectoral injury that will probably cost him the entire season.  That means former first round picks Jarvis Moss and Robert Ayers will have shoulder the load left by Dumervil in the pass rush.  Champ Bailey is getting up there in age, but quarterbacks still don’t throw his way too often.  With Brian Dawkins brought into the mix last year, the defense saw a bit of improvement in their pass defense.  Denver went after experienced pieces on the defensive line in free agency adding, Justin Bannan (Baltimore), Jamal Williams (San Diego) and Jarvis Green (New England).  All three will look to improve Denver’s 26th ranked run defense.
Kansas City struggled mightily to get used to the 3-4 defense.  Most of their players had no experience in the system.  Their defensive lineman Tyson Jackson and Glenn Dorsey, both 1st round picks, were the biggest weaknesses.  Both should be much improved with new defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel putting them in the best position.  Mike Vrabel is back for his 14th season and will have some help from Crennel to pass on to the rest of the linebackers.  Derrick Johnson in particular.  He was lost and eventually benched.  He will be given one more chance to redeem himself.  Tamba Hali has shown he can thrive in the system as a pass rusher.  Crennel probably sees Hali as a Willie McGinest type who can rush, but also can be above average in coverage.  Drafting safety Eric Berry was the smart choice.  They needed someone who could help their cornerbacks Brandon Flowers and Brandon Carr on deep passes.  Rookie Javier Arenas is an excellent cover corner that will be utilized as a nickel back.  He will also be the primary punt returner.

1. Baltimore Ravens: 11-5
Is the offense going to carry the defense to the playoffs?
2. Cincinnati Bengals: 9-7
It’s Carson Palmer’s time to shine with a new array of weapons.
3. Pittsburgh Steelers: 8-8
Will the first month determine the Steelers season?
4. Cleveland Browns: 6-10
Is Eric Mangini ultimately the long term solution as head coach?

Coaches

Mike Tomlin – Steelers
He’s entering his fourth season as the head coach.  So much success has gone his way early one that it was only a matter of time before he was going to hit some bumps in the road.  Being a defensive coordinator in Minnesota before being hired in Pittsburgh, the “Steel Curtain” defense had gone soft on him overnight.  Too many blown leads and late game winning drives last year resulted in the Steelers missing the playoffs for the first time in his tenure.  To make matters worse is his star quarterback could miss the first six games of the season due to suspension by the NFL under the personal conduct policy.  It will be rough, but Tomlin has shown signs of perseverance throughout his time in Pittsburgh.

John Harbaugh – Ravens
No one knew what to think when the Ravens hired Harbaugh in 2008.  He was a special teams coordinator for Philadelphia the previous 9 seasons.  Who would’ve thought he was going to get Baltimore well into the postseason in his first two seasons.  Thankfully for him, Baltimore hasn’t had a lot of turnover on the roster.  The defense has remained mostly intact.  The offense is now ready to breakout.  Harbaugh wasn’t a major coordinator before being a head coach, but he knows what is expected of his players.  It shows every Sunday when the Ravens take the field.

Marvin Lewis – Bengals
It took a long time for Marvin to get a chance at being an NFL head coach.  Now we wonder when he will be let go.  He’s entering his 8th year with Cincinnati and the Bengals have what appears to be a balanced attack on both sides of the field.  Lewis is a defensive guru and with the help of coordinator Mike Zimmer, the Bengals defense ranked 4th in the NFL.  With that to build on, the Bengals will look to improve on their passing attack in which Carson Palmer now has a multitude of weapons to choose from.  Marvin hasn’t won a playoff game in Cincinnati.  This year might be the year he gets that first win in January.

Eric Mangini – Browns
His first year in Cleveland couldn’t have gone any worse than it did.  The quarterback situation imploded.  Their number one wide receiver was traded (Braylon Edwards).  Anything and everything failed on defense.  There was a lot of talk of Mike Holmgren being hired to take control of football operations and possibly hire a new coach.  Thankfully for Mangini the Browns played well down the stretch winning their last four games.  He was kept on as the head coach, but the leash has gotten a little tighter.  Another start like last year and Holmgren won’t hesitate to take him out.  The defense did play better in their last four games which bodes well for Mangini’s chances of success going into this year.

Best Acquisition: WR Anquan Boldin – Baltimore Ravens
The consensus was that Baltimore had a good passing attack, but nobody on the roster that could get positive yardage after the catch.  Boldin brings that and a receiver who isn’t afraid to catch the ball in traffic over the middle.  That brings a smile to Joe Flacco who will no longer have to be looking for Ray Rice out of the backfield when pressure comes his way.  Just ask Arizona how valuable he was for them.

Quarterback – Grade
Steelers – B
Ravens – B
Bengals – B
Browns – C

Pittsburgh does have a two time Super Bowl champion in Ben Roethlisberger.  However, he will miss the first month of the regular season due to his off-field trouble.  The Steelers have enough talent in other areas to over come the loss of Big Ben, but they are a different team with him.  Byron Leftwich will get the first shot at starting, but Dennis Dixon who did start one game for Pittsburgh last year might get some looks to.  It’s too much to say that Roethlisberger being out will cost the Steelers, but they are playing three potential playoff teams in the first month.
Joe Flacco amazed everyone with his arm strength and poise in his first two seasons.  He avoided a sophomore slump last year and now has a legitimate number one receiver in Anquan Boldin.  Flacco will certainly improve on his TD numbers (21) with Boldin around.  Also it doesn’t hurt to have Derrick Mason, Ray Rice and Todd Heap as complements.  Baltimore for the first time since they were founded might have a better offense than their defense.
The Bengals haven’t had a bad quarterback, but merely an inconsistent one.  Carson Palmer has not disappointed since being drafted 1st overall in 2003.  He has been hurt a lot though.  That’s not his fault, but when he has been healthy, he’s been among the elite passers in the NFL.  Last year playing with a thumb injury on his non-throwing hand, his numbers did slide (3,094 yards, 21 TD), but that was due to the emphasis to the running game and the absence of T.J. Houshmandzadeh.  Now he has Terrell Owens and Antonio Bryant to throw to.  No excuses this year.
Cleveland did a complete overhaul of the quarterback position.  They turned heads when they signed Jake Delhomme (Carolina).  He has plenty of experience winning, but his last two seasons have been hard to watch.  Turnovers killed the Browns in the passing game and they can’t afford to let it happen again with Delhomme.  Seneca Wallace (Seattle) was acquired in a trade.  He is small in stature, but can complete almost any pass in any situation.  It’s safe to say that rookie Colt McCoy will not see any action this season, but he does have a promising future with his poise in the pocket.

Running Back – Grade
Ravens – B
Bengals – B
Steelers – B
Browns – B

The Ravens have a three headed monster in the backfield.  Ray Rice is the multi-purpose back.  He excels in passing situations as a receiver or blocker, but he broke out with his 1,339 rushing yards last year.  Willis McGahee is in a perfect situation for his skill set as the short yardage back.  His 14 touchdowns (12 on the ground) led the team.  LeRon McClain didn’t get as many looks as he did in ’08, but he is a great blocker.  Rice and McGahee can’t perform without McClain.
Cincinnati had the 9th best rushing attack in the league last year.  That credit of course goes to the offensive line, possibly one of the best in the league.  Ultimately Cedric Benson, who was the 4th overall pick in ’05 for the Bears, proved his worth in a new environment.  The Bengals had a ground game to go with their franchise quarterback.  The defense carried the Bengals to the playoffs last year, but they couldn’t score any points without Benson’s 1,251 rushing yards. 
Pittsburgh was in a bit of a pickle last year.  They were becoming too reliant on the pass and teams were baiting them to run the ball.  Usually it’s the other way around.  Willie Parker (Washington) flamed out early and was replaced by their 2008 1st round pick Rashard Mendenhall.  That experiment almost failed, but Mendenhall recovered and proceeded to average over 4.5 yard per carry last year.  He salvaged the running game, but Pittsburgh still became too dependent on the pass.  That will have to change with Roethlisberger out the first month.
I mentioned that Cleveland’s defense showed some positive signs in their last four games of the ’09 season.  They also had Jerome Harrison solidify his place as the teams star running back.  With Jamal Lewis (FA) out with an injury, it was time to see what Harrison could do.  In his last three games, Harrison rushed 165 times for 749 yards.  In one of those games he broke Jim Brown’s single game franchise record with 286 yards rushing.  To help lighten the load this year the Browns drafted Montarrio Hardesty to be the “thunder” to Harrison’s “lightning.”  With their quarterback issues, Cleveland will need control of the clock in most of their games.

Wide Receiver – Grade
Ravens – B
Bengals – B
Steelers – C
Browns – C

You know what Boldin can and will do for Baltimore.  The question is whether Derrick Mason (entering his 14th year) still has enough left in the tank to be Flacco’s possession receiver?  Mason was the go-to-guy for Flacco.  He was talked out of retirement before last year and did not disappoint (73 rec, 1,028 yards, 7 TD).  Todd Heap has been injured often, but managed to have a bounce back year.  He will the main target in the redzone (6 TD).  Mark Clayton has been a disappointment since being selected in the 1st round in ’05.  Clayton might be better suited to be the slot receiver in this offense.
Cincinnati was missing that possession guy last year.  Houshmandzadeh was that guy and Palmer had no one to fill the void.  Chad Ochocinco was constantly double covered and Chris Henry’s death came at a time when he was beginning to evolve in the offense.  Enter Terrell Owens who will be counted on to be the possession receiver.  He kept his mouth closed last year in Buffalo and had a decent year (55 rec, 829 yards, 5 TD) with no stability at quarterback.  With Chad being double covered, he still managed to have another 1,000 yard receiving season.  Antonio Bryant has had a lot of stops in the NFL, but his talent is what keeps him in the league.  This will probably be his last chance at a big gig.  Cincinnati’s 1st round pick TE Jermaine Gresham is the first legitimate receiving tight end Palmer’s had in his career.  Too many weapons to not get it together if you’re Palmer.
Pittsburgh had the league’s 9th best passing attack last year.  That will probably go down and it’s not due to Roethlisberger’s suspension.  They traded away their best receiver Santonio Holmes (Jets).  Now Holmes is going to miss the first four games due to conduct off the field, but he was Ben’s favorite target and the MVP of Super Bowl 43.  Remember that catch.  Hines Ward is back to being the number one target, but he is getting a year older (34) and a bit slower.  He still excels in run blocking though.  Heath Miller’s stats have steadily risen every year.  He set career highs in catches (76) and yards (789) last year.  Look for that to continue.  Pittsburgh does have a breakout candidate in Mike Wallace who averaged 19.4 yards per catch and grabbing 6 TD last year.  Antwaan Randle El was brought back as the slot receiver.
Cleveland traded their two best receivers in the last two years.  Kellen Winslow Jr. in 2008 to Tampa Bay and Braylon Edwards during the ’09 season to the Jets.  Their best receiver now is their special teams ace Josh Cribbs.  He is a game changer on returns, but is seen more as a situational player in wildcat formations.  Cleveland doesn’t see it that way and will try to get him more involved in the offense this year.  Mohamed Massaquoi showed flashes of greatness after Edwards was traded, but he still has a long way to go.  Brian Robiskie will be given more touches in the offense to see what he can do.  He has the size and speed to be a difference maker for their quarterbacks.  Ben Watson is an above average blocker, but will be counted on more in the passing attack.  The Browns have potential here, but it must show quickly.

Defense – Grade
Ravens – B
Bengals – B
Steelers – C
Browns – D

Baltimore has had one of the best defenses in the NFL ever since winning their only Super Bowl title in ’00.  That trend is attributed to having Ray Lewis in the middle since he first arrived in ’96.  His leadership and tenacious style has been contagious throughout the roster.  Terrell Suggs and Haloti Ngata have been the newest pieces to the puzzle.  Suggs since being drafted in ’03 has been a sack machine.  He has improved his coverage and run stopping skills along the way, but he has become a force along the line.  Ngata is an immovable wall that will take three guys to move.  Ed Reed is the true definition of a ball-hawk.  He will be hard to replace if he decides to hang up the cleats after this season.  Injuries have slowly caught up with him, but Baltimore needs him in that center field position against the top passing teams.
The Bengals have dramatically improved on the defensive side.  They ranked 7th and 6th against the rush and pass respectively.  The reason for the improvement starts with the defensive line.  They have a seven man rotation that works both against the run and the pass.  Domata Peko is the main clog for the opponents running game.  Antwan Odom was on pace to be the league leader in sacks until a leg injury sidelined him for the year.  He will be looked to restart what he couldn’t finish last year.  The linebackers aren’t the best, but they can sure tackle.  A pair of USC draftees in Keith Rivers (’08) and Rey Maualuga (’09) are turning a weakness into a strength.  The secondary has been the biggest improvement as a pair of 1st round picks Jonathan Joseph (’06) and Leon Hall (’07) each had six interceptions last year.  Both are widely seen as one of the best cornerback tandems in the game.  Safeties Roy Williams and Chris Crocker help in stopping the run, but their strength has spread to the corners Joseph and Hall. 
Looking at the Steelers defense in hindsight, they didn’t have a bad year.  They ranked 5th in total defense and 3rd against the run.  However, their glaring weakness was the pass.  Being 16th against the pass cost the Steelers a playoff spot and it resulted in a five game losing streak last year.  Most of that was attributed to safety Troy Polamalu being injured for most of last year.  A healthy Polamalu will do wonders for their pass defense.  The lost a bit of their pass rush on the defensive line when defensive end Aaron Smith went down with an injury.  His return will help and keep Pittsburgh in the top tier of run defenses.  LaMarr Woodley, James Harrison and Lawrence Timmons are sack machines.  As long as they can continue their production, the pass defense will get back to normal.
There was some serious turnover during the ’09 season for the Browns defense.  Most players were trying out for their jobs down the stretch.  Shaun Rogers will continue to man the nose tackle position.  He was named to his first Pro Bowl last year.  The defense’s one strength was the pass rush and the pass rush will have to come from a variety of players.  Matt Roth was picked up from waivers last year and impressed the coaching staff.  He and veteran David Bowens will be the primary pass rushers.  Scott Fujita was signed as a free agent from New Orleans.  He brings a winning attitude and excellent coverage skills the Browns lack at linebacker.  Their secondary received an adrenaline shot with the trade of CB Sheldon Brown and drafting Joe Haden with their 1st round pick.  Eric Wright was a pleasant surprise and is turning into a great coverage corner.  Coverage isn’t a strength for the safeties, but Abram Elam and Mike Adams are great in supporting the run.