Never Too Early: A Glance at the NFC

All right all you NFL fans out there, here is the break down of your favorite teams heading into summer workouts.

Part II: NFC

NFC East

New York Giants: All you Giants fans are still riding the Super Bowl win, and I don't blame you. Your Giants figured out the Patriots' offense by holding them to only 14 points. The pass rush was there all game, and Eli proved his critics wrong not only in the Super Bowl, but the entire playoffs. The trio of running backs proved to be the perfect one-two-three punch against opposing defenses. Great story in 2007.

Ross the Boss: It may have taken rookie safety Aaron Ross a few weeks, but he proved that he was worth his draft status in the dog days of November, and throughout the duration of the playoffs. He was a ball hawk, and became a sure tackler. A pleasant surprise for the Big-Blue faithful.

'08 Outlook: If Strahan and the rest of the D-line can obliterate O-lines like they did last season, look out. Eli is no longer baby Manning, and Ahmad Bradshaw is the perfect compliment to punishing runner Brandon Jacobs. Loses on defense may prove to be costly in the latter part of '08. It will be difficult to replace a defense that just won you the Super Bowl. Good team in 2008.

Dallas Cowboys: What a dramatic year the Cowboys endured in '07. The debate over who was the best team in the NFC was answered when they Cowboys beat the Packers at home. They had a boatload of players named to the Pro Bowl, and Tony Romo looked like the next coming of Troy Aikman. Not to mention Marion the Barbarian delivered punishing blows to every defense he faced.

Offseason drama: Jerry Jones is trying to bring in the best players available, and he started the offseason right with the signing of veteran Zach Thomas from the Dolphins. But then he offered a contract to still suspended Pacman Jones, adding more drama to the locker room. TO combined with Pacman brings a lot of talent with a whole lot of baggage. This, coupled with the recent bashing of Roy Williams, won't help come playoff time.

'08 Outlook: The Cowboys will put points on the board this upcoming season with the likes of Barber, TO, and Romo. Their defense, anchored by DeMarcus Ware, will stop opposing offenses. The question that must be answered is: Will all of the off-field drama spill onto the field? Also, can Romo win a playoff game?

Washington Redskins: The Redskins overcame so much in their 2007 campaign. The injuries alone were enough for the Skins to deal with, and then they had the death of Sean Taylor. No one thought the Redskins would make the playoffs. They the rode the arm of veteran Todd Collins, and used their loss as fuel, winning four straight to the playoffs. One of the best stories in 2007.

Draft steals: As everyone waited until the second round for a receiver to be taken, the Redskins grabbed both wide outs with first-round potential, Malcolm Kelly and Devin Thomas. Kelly provides the 'Skins with good route running, coupled with sure hands, and Thomas brings more electricity to their offense.

'08 Outlook: If the boys from Washington can use their draft picks to their benefit instantly, and Clinton Portis has a solid year, this team should be among the contenders in the competitive NFC East. LaRon Landry provided the big hits as expected, and he will only grow as a player. Jason Campbell needs to further prove himself. They could be a surprise team in '08.

Philadelphia Eagles: The 2007 Philadelphia Eagles showed how badly they needed a quality wide receiver. D'Nabb was somewhat consistent, as they lost a few close games late. Brian Westbrook displayed his versatility, and was a big point-scorer for all fantasy owners. Their record did not indicate how good of a team they were.

Playmaker: DeSean Jackson, burner out of Cal, slipped all the way to the second round, and the Eagles could not pass him up. If he can help on special teams, as well as be the receiver McNabb has been dieing for, then the Eagles again will fly high in 2008.

’08 Outlook: If the defense, which isn’t getting any younger, can still tighten up in the red zone, and the rest of the team relies on D'Nabb, the Eagles stand a chance in the upcoming season. Big things are expected out of Jackson, and Brian Westbrook should remain one of the greatest pass-catching tailbacks of his time.

NFC East Predictions

—Dallas Cowboys 12-4
—Philadelphia Eagles 10-6
—New York Giants 9-7
—Washington Redskins 8-8

NFC SOUTH

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 2007 saw the Bucs returning to the top of the NFC South, with consistent offense and a stout defense. Jeff Garcia continued his remarkable play in the latter part of his career, and although Cadillac Williams did not play, Earnest Graham provided the Bucs with exactly what they needed. The defense was underrated, but kept teams out of the end zone with decent regularity.

 Can't get over the hump: Again, the Bucs couldn't get over the playoff hump, as they were bounced by the eventual Super Bowl champion, New York Giants, at home to kickoff the playoffs. What needs to be done in order to battle through the first playoff game?

'08 Outlook: Can Jeff Garcia continue to make plays, and will Dexter Jackson be the next coming of Joey Galloway? Fourth-rounder Josh Johnson has great upside, and may be the QB of the future. '08 could be a year that defines the Bucs franchise for years to come.

Atlanta Falcons: With the Mike Vick saga interrupting their locker room throughout the year, the Falcons didn't soar very high, only compiling four wins in the '07 season. Chris Redman relieved the injury-plagued Byron Leftwich, and played well down the stretch. Roddy White developed into a No. 1 target. Besides that, the Falcons weren't scaring anyone.

Living up: That is what QB of the future, and $35 million man, Matt Ryan must do in the A-town, as he is under immense pressure to succeed. The guy who will be receiving the majority of Ryan’s tosses, Roddy White, must also show the Falcon faithful that his 1,000 yard season last year was not a fluke.

'08 Outlook: Losing Alge Crumpler will not help a young, inexperienced offense, but the talent and potential is there. Michael Turner has his first opportunity to shine as a starter, and will provide much needed speed on the outside. If Matt Ryan can live up to expectations, the Falcons may be better than most think.

New Orleans Saints: At the start of the '07 season, the Saints were a popular choice to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl. However, they vastly underachieved, only finishing 7-9 and missing out of the playoffs.

Drew Brees didn't put up his Purdue-like numbers, and Colston was a bit quieter than his rookie year. Reggie Bush got hurt, and all of those aspects tied together made it not so fun in the NO.

'06 form: The Saints faithful couldn't understand why they played so poorly offensively in 2007. They made minimal changes on the field and with the coaching staff, but things just didn't click.

'08 Outlook: If Brees and company returns to their ways of '06, and Reggie Bush comes off his injury and finally lives up to his lofty expectations, the Saints will contend not only in the NFC South, but also in the entire NFC.

Carolina Panthers: Somewhat of an afterthought, post-Super Bowl run, the Panthers have never been able to return their offensive performance to the quality of ‘04. Steve Smith rarely got the ball, and the aging Vinny Testeverde became the signal caller late in the season. Injuries, injuries, injuries, they'll sneak up on you quietly, but in the end, viciously devour you.

Best WR: During the Panther's reign atop the NFC, Steve Smith was regarded as the best WR in the NFL. But when balls aren't thrown his way, it's tough to make grabs and explode for extra yardage.

'08 Outlook: Part of the reason why Steve Smith wasn't getting any balls gunned his way was because of double coverage, and lack of respect for the Panther's other receivers. Crowd favorites Mushin Muhammad and D.J. Hackett should provide size and experience that will fit well into John Fox's system. Johnathon Stewart could be the next coming of Steven Davis, but quicker. Carolina could be a surprise team in '08.

NFC SOUTH PREDICTIONS

   —New Orleans Saints 10-6
   —Carolina Panthers 9-7
   —Tampa Bay Bucs 9-7
   —Atlanta Falcons 5-11

NFC WEST

Seattle Seahawks: Another season, another NFC West title for the Seahawks. No big surprise there. Matt Hasslebeck had another great season, and the defense continued to get the job done. Maurice Morris sparked the running game, as Shaun Alexander never got the wheels turning in '07. The Seahawks proved how hard it was to win at Qwest Field, but then faced a winter blast of Brett Favre's passing and Ryan Grant's downhill running in the Divisional Game.

What Happened?: Two years ago Shaun Alexander competed with LT as the best running back in the game, and broke the single-season TD record. His size and agility made him to be hard to take down at the second level. After his worst season to date, Alexander was released and Cowboys tailback Julius Jones was brought in. How quickly things can change in the NFL.

'08 Outlook: With Matt Hasslebeck as confident as ever, and the defense anchored by Patrick Kerney and Lofa Tatupu, the Seahawks should glide right through the NFC West as usual, but the gap is closing.

Arizona Cardinals: The QB shuffle actually worked out well for the Birds in '07. Kurt Warner showed that he can throw it like he was still in the Arena league. Not too difficult when you have Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin pulling down almost every ball. They won a few close ones, and lost a few others, but for the most part, this young team came together.

Shutdown corner: The Cards have been looking for a shutdown corner to sit opposite Antrell Rolle for a while now. Welcome in Dominque Rodgers-Cromartie, cousin of Charger's star Antonio Cromartie. His 6'2" frame and athletic ability will help the Cards in the secondary in '08.

'08 Outlook: The Redbirds first need to decide who their QB will be, and then hope that Edgerrin James can revert back to who he was in Indy. He has fallen short of expectations, and with a decent running attack, Arizona could be deadly. Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin, and rookie Early Doucet come together as one of the best, young receiving corps in the NFC.

St. Louis Rams: Who would have thought that it would have taken the Rams nine games to put together their first win? Steven Jackson was taken first in most fantasy leagues, and Marc Bulger was deemed to have another great year through the air. Yet another underachieving NFC team.

Critical Draft: St. Louis had a very interesting draft, as they picked motorized DE Chris Long at No. 2, which seemed perfectly fine. They then "reached" for first wide-out taken overall Donnie Avery out of Houston. Something must have caught management's eye.

'08 Outlook: With the team somewhat aging, the Rams have brought in two young talents in Avery and Burton to help sure-handed Torry Holt. With Pro-Bowler Orlando Pace and Steven Jackson back, look for a more "Rams-like" team in 2008, though it may take some time to gel once again.

San Francisco 49ers: Tough season for a team with such great tradition. Alex Smith looked like a rookie again, and the defense, even with $80-million corner Nate Clements didn't stop anyone. Frank Gore couldn't even run like he did in '06. A lot was wrong with this team in 2007.

What can be done: With the deep hole they dug for themselves, the only place the 'Niners can go is up. They signed the shadow of Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin, Bryant Johnson, and veteran Isaac Bruce, which can only help, right?

'08 Outlook: Will Alex Smith finally live up to his No. 1 draft status? Bay area fans surely hope so. If the new wide-out corps can impress, and if Frank Gore can put the team on his back again, the 'Niners can win a few more games in '08.

NFC WEST PREDICTIONS

   —Seattle Seahawks 10-6
   —Arizona Cardinals 9-7
   —St. Louis Rams 6-10
   —San Francisco 49ers 4-12

NFC NORTH

Chicago Bears: The Bears were another NFC team that was nowhere near the performance level they were on in '06. Rex Grossman heard boos from the entire Chicago-land area, and the menacing defense wasn't so menacing. You can thank Adrian Peterson for some of that. The QB shuffle didn't work, and Ced Benson averaged a tad over three yards per carry. Watching Devin Hester sure was fun though.

Added offense: Yes, the Bears rid themselves of Bernard Berrian and Mushin Muhammad, but they added underrated Matt Forte and the speedy Earl Bennett in the draft. These players will be used instantly in the Bears' offense.

'08 Outlook: Get the ball to Devin Hester! Offense, defense, special teams, whenever you can. He is the key, not only to scoring points, but his play-making ability will open up running lanes for Benson and Forte, and allow his fellow teammates to get open.

Minnesota Vikings: A team totally focused on the run game. They ran for a plethora of yards, and they didn't allow their opponents to move an inch. Adrian Peterson blew off all his “high-runner” and “leg-issue” critics on his way to a Rookie of the Year award. Tavaris Jackson did enough, but needs to fling the ball more accurately in order for this team to add more Ws.

Who’s the QB: Will Tavaris Jackson remain under center, or will John David Booty fill the quarterback void in Minnesota? If either of these guys can put up decent numbers, Adrian Peterson will do the rest.

'08 Outlook: Jared Allen on that defensive line isn’t even fair. The twin towers that are Kevin and Pat Williams will make it nearly impossible to run a play up the gut, and Allen will get to opposing quarterbacks. If you have Adrian Peterson on your team, there is no telling how far your team can journey.

Green Bay Packers: All the cheeseheads in Wisconsin were overjoyed to see Brett Favre come back for 2007, and were even more ecstatic with the numbers he put up. It seemed as if every game he was slinging the ball down field for a late TD, and Ryan Grant decided he wanted to prove to everyone that he was the next great, Notre Dame running back.

Replace a Legend: You knew I had to put this here. The biggest actual on-the-field-controversy this offseason has been trying to figure out if Aaron Rodgers can step into the cleats of a first ballot Hall-of-Famer and perform.

'08 Outlook: I believe Aaron Rodgers will step in and do just fine. Though the Green Bay fans will never forget number four, after the Pack win a few games to start, Aaron Rodgers will move to the front of everyone’s mind. Ryan Grant runs like a man possessed, and this wide-out group is amongst the leagues best. Green Bay will be another good team in 2008.

Detroit Lions: Right after Jon Kitna guaranteed ten wins, things went south. The Lion’s roar on defense was as loud as Simba, the cub, and their offense couldn’t find their way. The running game never really got going, with Kevin Jones only showing flashes of his Va-Tech days once in a while.

Super-star: Man, Roy Williams is hard to cover. His big frame, speed, and lanky arms make him a wide receiver with the perfect build. Calvin Johnson had a decent rookie season, and hopes to learn from his 6'3" veteran teammate.

'08 Outlook: Jon Kitna can be a good quarterback. If you think about it, he is the best quarterback in the NFC North after Favre’s retirement. The nation's leading rusher Kevin Smith is in as the starting tailback. With his running attack, the Lions can be Colts-like through the air. The only issue that remains is if the defense can stand strong.

NFC NORTH PREDICTIONS

—Minnesota Vikings 10-6
—Green Bay Packers 10-6
—Detroit Lions 8-8
—Chicago Bears 6-10