NFC East

Philadelphia Eagles – This team has all the necessities of a Super Bowl champion including quarterback play, veteran leadership, depth on both offensive and defensive lines and coaching.   Last year Jeff Garcia, a journeyman quarterback resurrected his career and led the team to the Conference Semi-finals where they lost to the New Orleans Saints led by QB Drew Brees and rookie RB Reggie Bush.

This team boasts the multitalented running back Brian Westbrook, returning starting QB Donovan McNabb and defensively is led by Brian Dawkins at safety. New additions on the field include Takeo Spikes at LB, Jeremy Bloom at kick returner and rookie Tony Hunt (Penn State) at running back who should contribute as a rookie. The Eagles shocked many by released Jeremiah Trotter This is my pick for the big dance in the desert.

Dallas Cowboys – This team has a new head coach in defensive guru Wade Phillips and a full-season of QB Tony Romo to look forward to. Romo supplanted Drew Bledsoe during the 2006 season with mixed results leading the team to the playoffs but costing the team a second round playoff game with his muffed snap of a field goal versus Seattle. Terrell Owens leads the offensive weapons that also include Terry Glenn, Julius Jones and Jason Whiten. Offensive Line is a concern although the team did add guard Leonard Davis from Arizona.

The defensive will stick with the 3-4 defensive formation brought on by former coach Bill Parcells but will be more aggressive and attacking under Phillips who will also serve as Defensive Coordinator by using a one gap technique instead of a two gap. This team will make the playoffs and compete for the big game.

New York Giants – This team lost its franchise's greatest running back in Tiki Barber and questions have surfaced about its all-time sack leader Michael Strahan and whether he will retire. Eli Manning is the team QB and he must show he's a leader this year. RBs Brandon Jacobs and Reuben Droughns will try to pick up Barber's production and Tight End Jeremy Shockey is always a threat over the middle of the field. Wide receiver is a questionable position on offense with little depth behind Plaxico Burress and Amani Toomer returning from injury. Sinorice Moss and rookie Steve Smith are unproven in the NFL and will be depended on more this season.

On defense Usi Umenyiora and Strahan (provided he's there) led the defense and Antonio Pierce is steady at Middle Linebacker. The secondary is questionable with Sam Madison getting older and Corey Webster being undersized. Will Demps always makes plays on the ball and is a heady player. Head Coach Tom Coughlin is on the last year of his contract and many consider him a lame duck.     

Washington Redskins – The Skins had a dismal 2006 and lost many players to injury including RB Clinton Portis. This Joe Gibbs lead team has plenty of pieces on offense and defense but never seems to build consistency, which is important in the NFL. New starter at QB Jason Campbell will continue to grow in coordinator Al Saunders offense and the offensive line is one of the leagues best with Jon Jansen and Chris Samuels on the ends.

Defensively, London Fletcher-Baker was added to the LB Corps and Marcus Washington is one of the best strong LBs in the league. The secondary is the one of leagues best but is also one of its most undisciplined featuring Sean Taylor, Carlos Rogers, Fred Smoot and Shawn Springs. Safety LaRon Landry is a rookie who should start from day one and Joe Gibbs is a hall of fame coach who has yet to relive any those earlier Redskin moments.

NFC North

Chicago Bears – The defending NFC champions return with many keys of their 2006 team. Lovie Smith is a defensive-oriented head coach and will replace Ron Rivera as defensive coordinator. Rex Grossman will again be the starter at quarterback despite his poor Super Bowl performance and the team will now hand the ball carrying responsibilities over to Cedric Benson after Thomas Jones was traded to the New York Jets in the off-season. The team's wideouts are good if not spectacular and are led by Muhsin Muhammad, Mark Bradley and Bernard Berrian. TE Desmond Clark is Grossman's safety value and rookie TE Greg Olsen will most assuredly assume that position soon. Kick/Punt Returner Devin Hester scored 6 touchdowns on returns during the regular season and one in the Super Bowl and is a true game breaker.

The defense features two great linebackers in Brian Urlacker and Lance Briggs and down linemen Tommie Harris and Alex Brown are excellent at getting to the opposing team's QB. Mike Brown is back at safety and is a ball hog always coming up with key interceptions. This team will be in the hunt for the trophy but will fall short.

Green Bay Packers – Brett Farve returns for another season and the Packers will continue to teeter between rebuilding and competing for the playoffs. Farve has steady contributors in WR Donald Driver, TE Bubba Franks but lost RB Ahman Green in the off-season and will have to hope WRs Greg Jennings and RB Vernand Morency will be able to contribute heavily. The offensive line is adequate at best and will be a key in '07.

The defense is lead by hard working DE Aaron Kampman and its strength is in cornerbacks Al Harris and Charles Woodson. Rookie RB Brandon Jackson is expected to play well from the start of his career and second year LB A.J. Hawk is being touted as one of the league's best young players.

Minnesota Vikings – Rookie RB Adrian Peterson is expected to be the league's next great running back and 2 nd year QB Tarvaris Jackson will continue develop in Head Coach/Offensive Coordinator Brad Childress's version of the West Coast offense. The defense has improved over the years and is led by the Williams boys at defensive tackle Pat and Kevin. The secondary is above average with CB Antoine Winfield and S Darren Sharper leading the way.

Its left side with Bryant McKinnie and all-world guard Steve Hutchinson leads the offensive line. The receiving corps production will be important and free agent signee Bobby Wade and rookie Sidney Rice will be asked to contribute early. No playoffs just mediocrity.

Detroit Lions – This team is led by its offense with former St. Louis Rams head coach Mike Martz running the show. This offense has the underrated Jon Kitna at QB and boasts number one pick Calvin Johnson at wideout joining WR Roy Williams. This pairing could rival Arizona's pairing of Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin in the future. The running game is led by Kevin Jones, who is oft injured so he will be pushed by former Denver Bronco Tatum Bell. T.J. Duckett is a banger who will try and hang on in Detroit as a fullback.

The defense is lead by defensive tackles Shaun Rogers and Cory Redding. Ernie Sims has turned heads at the WLB position and the weak secondary is led by Travis Fisher at CB. CB Dre' Bly was let go in the off-season in surprising fashion.   The Lions have an excellent special teams with Jason Hanson and Nick Harris at kicker and punter respectively and Shaun McDonald will split time at kick/punt returner. This team will surprise a number of teams but not enough to make it to the second season.

NFC South

New Orleans Saints – The Saints wowed all in the NFL with their quick upstart from last to first in the division from '05 to '06. Head coach Sean Payton led a resurgence in attitude and especially offense last season and looks to continue. Rookie RB Reggie Bush is threat out of the backfield and in the receiving game. RB Deuce McAllister is a pound it out running back that is hard to bring down. The wide receivers are led by 2 nd year WR Marques Colston and rookie Robert Meacham. The offensive line was a huge surprise last season and is led by Jammal Brown, Jeff Faine and Jahri Evans.

The defensive line is led by Will Smith and Charles Grant and the addition of S Kevin Kaesviharn should help the secondary. The special teams are a big boost for the team with recent signees K Olindo Mare, P Chris Hanson, PR Bush and KR Michael Lewis leading the way.   Will the Saints return to the playoffs? Yes. Further than last year? No.

Carolina Panthers – The Panthers are a team in flux: are they more like the team at went to the Super Bowl in 2003 or the team that missed the playoffs in 2006? Injuries are an important factor in the answer. The team boasts Steve Smith at WR and he's top five at his position and also Julius Peppers at DE who's top five at his position. Besides that there are a lot of question marks. Kris Jenkins and Mike Rucker are often injured and can't be depended on these days on the defensive line.

QB Jake Delhomme played really shaky last season and will be watching his back as former Texans franchise QB David Carr was brought in as a backup. On offense, the running game is led by DeAngelo Williams and the secondary on defense is shaky and will be tested early and often.  

Atlanta Falcons – The Michael Vick situation aside this team has other problems in its quest for the playoffs in 2007. A new head coach is rarely a smooth transition and Bobby Petrino will struggle despite his high offensive acumen. The defensive is led by LB Keith Brooking, DE John Abraham and CB DeAngelo Hall but rarely makes plays when times get rough.

The offense has TE Alge Crumpler, RB Warrick Dunn and change of pace RB Jerrious Norwood to brag about but has struggled to get a top-notch wideout over the years. Joe Horn will hope to help out despite his age. The offensive line is below average and will be important to Atlanta competing in this division. Especially with QB Joey Harrington taking the reigns over from Vick. This team will wallow in the Vick glaze and finish out of the playoffs.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Head Coach Jon Gruden has a QB dilemma before the season starts with Chris Simms, Jeff Garcia and Luke McCown all going for the top slot on the team. Garcia looks to be the odds on favorite to start and he will have some non-descript players joining him save RB Carnell "Cadillac" Williams and WR Joey Galloway. Luke Petitgout will help the offensive line at LT and B.J. Askew will be asked to replace FB Mike Alstott as he fades into retirement.

On defense Derrick Brooks continues to shine at LB and rookie DE Gaines Adams will look to replace the recently released Simeon Rice. Ronde Barber is always making plays on the ball at the cornerback position and former Indianapolis Colts LB Cato June should help the aging core of the defense. No go on the second season for the Bucs.

NFC West

Seattle Seahawks – The Seahawks can be one of the elite teams in the NFC if injuries don't occur. Head Coach Mike Holmgren has implemented his run heavy version of the West Coast offense led by QB Matt Hasselbeck, RB Shaun Alexander and WR Deion Branch. Alexander was injured often last season so his staying on the field will be key to the Seahawks success.

On defense former Atlanta Falcon Patrick Kerney joins a defensive line with no one great player but a lot of good ones led by Chuck Darby, Bryce Fisher and Marcus Tubbs. The linebackers are a strength on the team led by MLB Lofa Tatupu and Julius Peterson and Marcus Trufant is the best man in the secondary. The special teams is led by kicker Josh Brown is extra clutch late in games. Definitely a top three team in the NFC and will make the playoffs.

St. Louis Rams – QB Marc Bulger is quietly one of the best in football and receiver Torry Holt and RB Steven Jackson are the offense's main weapons. The offensive line is lead by future hall of famer Orlando Pace and TE Randy McMichael should help in this Head Coach Scott Linehan leads the offense.

The defense is lead by coordinator Jim Haslett and player Leonard Little at defensive end and little else. Will Weatherspoon is a nice LB and should help against the run and LaRoi Glover is always a gritty leader no matter what team is on. Special teams should be boosted by the addition of former Kansas City Chief Dante Hall at KR/PR.   No defense no playoffs.

San Francisco 49ers – This team is poised to make the playoffs in 2007 led by its improved offense led by QB Alex Smith and RB Frank Gore. Head coach Mike Nolan is a defensive guy and the 49ers' defense added CB Nate Clements as a free agent to bolster its already improving defense. Also on defense are CB Walt Harris, former Philadelphia Eagle S Michael Lewis and LB Derek Smith.

On offense the team has added WR Ashley Lelie, and former Seattle Seahawks WR Darrell Jackson to join the previously mentioned players and TE Vernon Davis will look to stay healthy in his second year of NFL action and could be a X factor in the teams playoff hopes.     Wildcard birth for the 49ers.

Arizona Cardinals   - This team has explosive players on offense and looks to improve its defense in 2007. QB Matt Leinart will look to improve on his successful rookie campaign and RB Edgerrin James will look to return to his Pro Bowl form. The wideouts are among the best tandems in the league with Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin and Bryant Johnson leading the way. The new head coach Ken Whisenunt brings his offensive style to the desert and hopes his assistant head coach Russ Grimm will improve the offensive line, which is his specialty.

The defense is led by safety Adrian Wilson and defensive end Darnell Dockett. The secondary should be improved by the new coaching staff and the addition of Roderick Hood who brings toughness from his Philadelphia Eagles playing days. An improved season but no second season.

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