Division Breakdown: NFC East

Dallas Cowboys

This team is loaded with talent.  Tony Romo commands a load of skill players including Marion Barber, Felix Jones, Miles Austin, Dez Bryant, and Jason Witten.  The defense is talented with Jay Ratliff manning the nose and DeMarcus Ware terrorizing quaretbacks off the edge.  Mike Jenkins and Terrance Newman are as good a corner duo as there is.  Wade Phillips will likely be on the hot seat again all year and that might increase pressure on this team who must perform and make a deep playoff run this year.  The offensive line is old and worrisome.

Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles have a ton of young talent and I think Kevin Kolb is ready to be a good starter.  He will be aided by young studs DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin, not to mention second-year running back LeSean McCoy.  The offensive line is talented but inconsistent.  Brandon Graham fits the Eagles' system perfectly and should really help their pass rush.  Trent Cole is a Pro Bowl defensive end and Brodrick Bunkley and Mike Patterson are a nice, young defensive tackle duo.  Ernie Sims joins the fold, improving a decent linebacking core.  Asante Samuel is still a top corner; unfortunately safety Marlin Jackson is out for the year.  This team has a load of talent but may be a year away from winning the division.

New York Giants

The Giants' offensive and defensive lines were absolutely dominant two years ago, but have struggled recently.  Eli Manning has plateaued as a good-but-not-great QB.  Steve Smith and Mario Manningham are nice, young receiving threats.  Running backs Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw have to be more productive than they were a year ago.  First-round pick Jason Pierre-Paul may not be ready to contribute this year.  Chris Canty, Justin Tuck, and Mathias Kiwanuka need to be consistent.  Kenny Phillips and Antrel Rolle are a talented safety duo.  Despite a handful of talented players, no one overwhelms and overall this is a team on the decline.

Washington Redskins

Donovan McNabb makes the Redskins a better team, but not as much as people think.  He is aging and will be playing behind a poor offensive line without great offensive weapons.  Albert Haynesworth is going to be a problem.  If he plays motivated, a big 'if,' a $100 million 'if,' he is a huge force that complements pass rusher Andre Carter.  Brian Orakpo is a beast off the edge and London Fletcher is still productive.  LaRon Landry is a hammer at safety and Carlos Rogers and Deangelo Hall are talented but inconsistent corners.  McNabb will have his work cut out for him leading this team of oversized personalities.  The talent is there but I think this team will struggle with all the changes.


Final Standings

Dallas Cowboys 11-5
Philadelphia Eagles 9-7
New York Giants 9-7
Washington Redskins 7-9

Division Breakdown: NFC North

Green Bay Packers

The Packers should be potent offensively with Aaron Rodgers dishing to Jermichael Finley, Greg Jennings, Donald Driver, and Ryan Grant, and receiving improved protection.  Mark Tauscher and Chad Clifton held up nicely last year but both appear to be on their last legs.  If they can make it through this year and Bryan Bulaga, first-round tackle, can slide in to play guard, we could see a much improved unit.  The defense should be stout with a nice front of BJ Raji, Ryan Pickett, and Cullen Jenkins holding up blockers for Clay Matthews and Nick Barnett at linebacker.  Corner is a concern with aging Al Harris coming of an ACL tear and Charles Woodson not getting any younger.  Nick Collins and Atari Bigby bring the pain at safety and make a lot of plays.  With health and some luck this team could win the Super Bowl.

Minnesota Vikings

Brett Favre is coming back and joins a very talented offense, yet he will not be as productive after taking another year of hits, and teams watching the blueprint provided by the Saints in the NFC title game: hit Brett hard.   Adrian Peterson is a super star, but this team will miss do-everything back Chester Taylor.  Sidney Rice and Percy Harvin are ultra talented, both deep threats, and should continue to improve.  Visanthe Shiancoe is a nice tight end.  The offensive line is aging and played inconsistently down the stretch last year, a bad sign when you start a 41-year-old quarterback.  The defense should be dominant again with Jared Allen and the Williams boys forming the best defensive line in football.  EJ Henderson is declining and injury prone but Chad Greenway is a nice young linebacker.  Antoine Winfield is on a major decline and Cedric Griffin is just so-so in coverage.  Draftee Chris Cook will help this secondary somewhat but may not be ready yet.  If Favre is great again this team can win the whole deal, but I say we see a slip in production.

Chicago Bears

Jay Cutler had an enormously disappointing 2009 but I think that was more of an aberration.  He still will take snaps from a shaky line and does not seem to have a go-to receiver.  Look for Devin Hester to go back to a more slot receiving/kick returning role.  Mike Martz comes in to run the offense but is notorious for minimizing the tight end, which would be a mistake given that Greg Olsen is the Bears' most talented receiving threat.  Hopefully Martz won't abandon the run either as Matt Forte and Chester Taylor create a formidable duo.  Defensively, Julius Peppers can be an absolute force when motivated, and if he plays at the top of his game he can open things up for super talented but oft-injured defensive tackle Tommie Harris.  Brian Urlacher returns from a wrist injury but may actually have benefited from a year away from the football grind and could come back better than ever.  Lance Briggs is good but slightly overrated.  The secondary is patchwork.  This team has some talented players but too many holes to overcome.
 

Detroit Lions

The Lions finally have promise coming into a season, but don't expect a playoff run just yet.  I think Matthew Stafford will eventually be a better player than Mark Sanchez; the kid has huge ability and a competitive fire.  Calvin Johnson is as talented and athletic as any player in football.  Although they had to trade Ernie Sims to get him, Tony Scheffler is a very nice receiving tight end and will complement emerging second year player Brandon Pettigrew.  Kevin Smith is solid at running back but nothing special.  Jahvid Best could be the playmaker this offense needs; he is lightning quick and can help enormously in the return game.  The offensive line still needs fixing, but this young crop of playmakers could eventually form one of the best offenses in football.  I love what the Lions have done defensively, save for trading Ernie Sims.  Ndamukong Suh is going to be a great player, and the Lions surrounded him with veteran help up front signing Kyle Vanden Bosch and Corey Williams. This defensive line has the potential to be very good this year.  The linebacking corps is suspect outside of Julian Peterson, as is the secondary.  However, second year safety Louis Delmas could be a Pro Bowler this year.  This is a team on the rise; with one more good draft they could be playoff bound.

Final Standings

Green Bay Packers 11-5

Minnesota Vikings 11-5

Chicago Bears 7-9

Detroit Lions 6-10

Division Breakdown: NFC South

Atlanta Falcons

I love the Falcons' offensive personnel.  Matt Ryan will be a Pro Bowler this year, and with the cast of Michael Turner, Roddy White, and Tony Gonzalez, this offense could be truly dynamic.  I also love the Falcons signing Dunta Robinson, a top corner in his prime.  First round linebacker Sean Witherspoon is a dynamic athlete that should start from day one.  Defensively, the Falcons need second year man Peria Jerry to step up, and they need to get something from former first rounder Jamaal Anderson.  John Abraham is a great pass rusher but must stay healthy.  Curtis Lofton is totally solid at middle linebacker.  Outside of Dunta Robinson, the secondary is worrisome, but if they can generate pass rush everything should work out.  This is a team with a very high ceiling, and I like them to take the division.

New Orleans Saints

Repeating as champs, or much less making the playoffs consecutively is incredibly difficult in the NFL.  Drew Brees and his arsenal of Pierre Thomas, Reggie Bush, Marques Colston, Robert Meachem, Jeremy Shockey, and Devery Henderson are as explosive as it gets, and the offensive line is better than most.  I think the defense slid by a bit last year, getting by on taking chances and employing an overly aggressive scheme.  This year I think teams will catch up with Gregg Williams and the Saints will be in more shootouts than they would like.  Sedrick Ellis, Jonathan Vilma, and Tracy Porter give the Saints talent at each level of the defense, but there is not enough quality or depth for this team to reach the Super Bowl again.

Carolina Panthers

The Panthers get major props from me for getting Jimmy Clausen in the second round.  The guy can play, his touchdown-to-interception ratio on a pass-happy Notre Dame team was 29-4 last year.  He has the arm, the pedigree, and has played in an NFL system.  I think he will start some games this year.  If he does he will be aided by the best running back duo in football, DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart.  Steve Smith just broke his arm, and is getting older, but should be ready for the season and is still a dynamic wideout.  The offensive line is big and talented.  Ryan Kalil is one of the league's better centers and ditto for Jeff Otah and Jordan Gross at the tackle positions.  Still, the offense will struggle with its inexperienced quarterbacks without great receiving weapons.  The defense has lost a lot of talent with the defection of Julius Peppers and the season-ending injury to linebacker Thomas Davis.  Jon Beason is a stud at linebacker but he is the only real playmaker on the front seven.  The corners are solid with Chris Gamble and Richard Marshall.  This is a team that needs some more playmakers and to replenish the defense.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

I like Josh Freeman and think if nothing else he will be a solid QB in this league.  Cadillac Williams had a nice bounce back last year but is incredibly injury prone.  Ernest Graham is a serviceable backup.  This team has almost nothing at receiver after Antonio Bryant left for the Bengals.  Kellen Winslow is their best talent but is injury prone and not the athlete he once was.  The offensive line is solid with underrated Donald Penn at left tackle, Jeff Faine playing well at center, and Davin Joseph as one of the league's best guards.  The defense got a boost with the arrival of top picks, defensive tackles Gerald McCoy and Brian Price.  Both are top talents, although they will have their growing pains adjusting to the NFL game.  The linebacking core is subpar.  The secondary is so-so but young corner Aqib Talib is very good.  This is a team that is a long ways from contention.

Final Standings

Atlanta Falcons 11-5

New Orleans Saints 10-6

Carolina Panthers 6-10

Tampa Bay Buccaneers 4-12

Division Breakdown: NFC West

San Francisco 49ers

Kurt Warner is no longer in the Niners' way of winning the division.  With the Cardinals in transition, the Niners just needed to steadily improve on last year's 8-8 record, and that's exactly what they did.  By drafting two offensive linemen in the first round they have turned last year's biggest weakness into a potential strength.  Alex Smith had his best season a year ago and for the first time in his career will have the same coordinator in consecutive years.  Also, he will have the most talent at his disposal that he has ever had.  Michael Crabtree is going to be a star receiver perhaps as early as this year, Vernon Davis is unguardable at tight end, and Frank Gore is a top-8 NFL running back that can do everything.  The defense was excellent last year.  Abrayo Franklin and Justin Smith are incredibly stout up front.  Patrick Willis is football's best defensive player, and he is flanked by an athletic trio of Manny Lawson, Ahmad Brooks, and Parys Haralson.  Dashon Goldson quietly produced like a Pro Bowler at safety last year and will be joined by free athlete Taylor Mays.  If Mays can produce up to his potential, this can be a top-5 defense.
 

Seattle Seahawks

The Seahawks will be refreshed by Pete Carroll's optimism, but still have a ton of holes on both sides of the ball.  Matt Hasselbeck is on his last legs and Justin Forsett and Leon Washington do not make a good enough running back tandem.  On the outside, TJ Houshmandzadeh will be joined by impressive rookie Golden Tate, and John Carlson is a nice option over the middle as a tight end.  Russell Okung will start from day one at left tackle but the rest of the offensive line is suspect.  This defense that has struggled to play consistently as an eleven man unit will benefit from rookie playmaker Earl Thomas.
 

Arizona Cardinals

Losing Warner, Anquan Boldin, Antrel Rolle, and Karlos Dansby will not be easily overcome.  Matt Leinart is not the answer at QB nor is Derek Anderson.  Beanie Wells and Larry Fitzgerald are great talents, but the offensive line and QB situation will make it tough for them to excel.  Dan Williams was a steal as the twenty-sixth pick in the first round and he joins Pro Bowler Darnell Dockett on the defensive line.  Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie is an excellent athlete and Kerry Rhodes plays solidly at safety.  This is a team in transition and it will show.

St. Louis Rams 

The Rams are starting to climb out of a deep, dark hole, but they are still at the beginning stages of rebuilding.  First overall pick Sam Bradford will get killed if he starts right away, although the offensive line is surprisingly talented with good center Jason Brown, last year's second overall pick Jason Smith, and solid guard Jacob Bell.  Donnie Avery needs help at receiver.  Steven Jackson takes a backseat to nobody at the running back position.  Chris Long and James Laurinaitis are really the only promising players on this defense; the rest is patchwork.  It will be another long year for Rams fans, but talent is starting to accumulate.

Final Standings

49ers 9-7

Seahawks 6-10

Cardinals 6-10

Rams 3-13

Division Breakdown: AFC East

New England Patriots

Many pundits are looking for the Jets to breakout and win the Super Bowl, but I foresee them struggling to integrate all their additions and Mark Sanchez is still only a second-year guy.  Tom Brady will be back and is now two years removed from a bad knee injury.  Brady's numbers were great last year, but he just did not look the same as in years past.  It will be running back-by-committee once again in New England, which may be a problem, but I think Randy Moss bounces back, Julian Edleman will play well until Wes Welker comes back, and Aaron Hernandez will make a big splash as a rookie tight end.  The defense has been rebuilding through the draft the past two years, this year adding Devin McCourty (first round corner) and Jermaine Cunningham (linebacker from Florida) in round two.  The offensive line is good but aging.  If the Patriots first- and second-year players can make an impact, this team should rest atop the division.

New York Jets

How many times have we seen teams win the offseason and then struggle during the real season?  The Jets have as much talent as any team in football, and on paper, adding Ladainian Tomlinson, Santonio Holmes, Antonio Cromartie, Brodney Pool, and Jason Taylor looks like a tremendous haul.  Integrating this many veterans though, many of whom were cast off for poor attitudes, could easily backfire on Rex Ryan, a coach that tends to place his foot in his mouth daily.  Still, the defense should be tenacious with a wonderful front seven boasting Kris Jenkins, Shaun Ellis, Bart Scott, David Harris, and Calvin Pace.  Behind that dominant unit is perhaps an even more impressive secondary with Darrelle Revis (best corner in football), Cromartie, and first-round pick Kyle Wilson.  Pool and Jim Leonhard are solid at safety.  Sanchez looks promising but his QB rating was only 62 last year, and Braylon Edwards has a career-long case of the drops.  Replacing the released Alan Faneca will be difficult and Holmes will miss the first four games this year.

Miami Dolphins

The Dolphins made a huge splash by landing Brandon Marshall, one of the most talented and productive wideouts in the game.  Ronnie Brown is a very good back but must stay healthy.  Ricky Williams runs hard but is aging.  Chad Henne showed impressive flashes last year, but faded a bit down the stretch.  I think with Brown, Marshall, and Anthony Fasano, Henne can take that next step toward stardom.  The offensive line is solid with Jake Long making the Pro Bowl every year of his career.  The defense is a bit of a no-name unit.  Karlos Dansby joins the fold and forms a nice tandem with Channing Crowder.  Vontae Davis and Sean Smith both started last year as rookie corners and should be much more comfortable moving into this year.

Buffalo Bills

Buffalo is in big trouble again this year with a patchwork offensive line and no definitive answer at quarterback.  Trent Edwards has not been consistent.  CJ Spiller is a huge talent but was probably about tenth on the Bills list of needs.  Lee Evans is still a nice deep threat, and Fred Jackson is a talented and bruising running back.  Terence McGee and Leodis McKelvin are a very nice corner duo, and Paul Posluzny is a good, young linebacker.  Outside of those three guys, this defense has many holes.  This team will be picking among the top-5 next year.

Final Standings

New England Patriots 11-5

New York Jets 10-6

Miami Dolphins 8-8

Buffalo Bills 5-11