An Early Look at the Top 10 Super Bowl Contenders

With the patented unpredictability that the NFL has to offer, all 32 teams and their fans will enter the 2012 season with a clean slate. There will be teams that fall short of expectations and teams that come out of nowhere to shock the world, leaving befuddled, underachieving teams in their wake.

Furthermore, we can count on freak injuries, unforeseen cuts to expected key players, free agent acquisitions and other similar happenings to subvert our  our expectations.

In order to add some sizzle and speculation to the fresh season, here are 10 teams capable of making a Super Bowl run in 2012.

10. Philadelphia Eagles

The Dream Team moniker is in the past, and this team has had the offseason to reflect on finishing 8-8 despite being considered a heavy Super Bowl favorite. The front office also had time to adjust its strategy, perhaps returning to former GM Tom Heckert's insistence on building teams through the draft instead of blowing a lot of money in free agency.

Heckert built the nucleus of the current Eagles team before leaving for the Cleveland Browns. The Eagles swung big in free agency in 2011, but they still missed the playoffs.

In 2012, the Eagles must reenter the Super Bowl discussion. LeSean McCoy morphed into arguably the best all-around back in the league last season, and he should continue his strong play.

Michael Vick, on the other hand, suffered from bad decision making last year and finished with a mediocre 18-14 ratio of touchdowns to interceptions.

Vick must get better in that regard for this offense to thrive. Hopefully another year of experience and another offseason has allowed him to establish a deeper chemistry with top targets Jeremy Maclin, Brent Celek and DeSean Jackson.

The Eagles struggled mightily on defense under the embattled tenure of first-year coordinator Juan Castillo, but they wasted no time addressing personnel issues through the draft.

Fletcher Cox provides help at defensive tackle, and linebacker Mychal Kendricks and defensive end Vinny Curry will work to create havoc for opponents' offensive lines with their speed and athleticism.

The addition of middle linebacker DeMeco Ryans also helps the defense immensely. He has served as the heart and soul of the Houston Texans defense for his entire career, and he will prove to be a significant upgrade from incumbent Eagles starter Jamar Chaney.

9. Carolina Panthers

Here's the sleeper.

The obvious positive for the 2011 Panthers was the offense led by Cam Newton. The No. 1 overall pick exceeded the hype as he accounted for a shocking 35 total touchdowns, but he also threw 17 interceptions. This shows that Newton has plenty of room to improve. If he can cut down on some poor decision making and forced throws, he could have an even more special second year.

Newton also recently stated he felt like he was a "bad teammate," according to Yahoo!'s Jason Cole. Newton said he recognizes his immaturity and pouting last year didn't do any good, which suggests that he is on the right track in his development as a pro quarterback both on the field and in the locker room.

In exchange, their glaring weakness was the defense, which ranked near the bottom of the league in every major category and allowed 26.8 points per game. The failure can be attributed to a weak defensive line, a thin secondary beyond Chris Gamble, and the season-ending injury to Jon Beason, who is the heart and soul of the Panther defense.

The Panthers used this year's draft to address defensive concerns, and the returns are looking good thus far. Luke Kuechly, the No. 9 pick, is a high-motor player. NFL.com draft guru Mike Mayock says Kuechly's "instincts and his pass-coverage ability might be the best of any linebacker I've seen come out of the draft."

High praise was also given by Beason, who, according to NFL.com's Jon Beason, implied Kuechly was the surest thing in the draft and was even more certain to succeed as a pro than top picks Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III.

Fourth-round selection Frank Alexander of Oklahoma was brought in to hopefully put some pressure on opposing quarterbacks—something the Panthers have sorely missed since the departure of Julius Peppers.

The biggest potential bang-for-the-buck player the Panthers picked up was fifth-rounder Josh Norman out of Coastal Carolina. He may not have faced the best competition college football had to offer, but the Panthers saw a physical corner with sure hands and outstanding ball skills.

It's also reasonable to believe head coach and defensive guru Ron Rivera will use the full offseason to be more involved on defense this year, which can only help the team moving forward.

With the Tampa Bay Buccaneers going through a huge transition with many new faces, the New Orleans Saints being stepped on by the Bountygate scandal and the Atlanta Falcons having issues getting over the hump, look for the Panthers to be an upstart team this season and seriously contend for the NFC South divisional crown.

8. Cincinnati Bengals

One professional Ohio football team managed to successfully install a brand new West Coast offense in a lockout-shortened offseason with a rookie quarterback and a rookie No. 1 wide receiver. That team was the Cincinnati Bengals.

Entering Week 1 of the 2011 season, the Bengals were ranked dead last of 32 teams in the ESPN.com NFL Power Rankings. Once all was said and done, though, one could make a convincing case that they were a Leon Hall Achilles injury away from reaching the AFC Divisional Playoffs.

The chemistry between the dynamic duo of Andy Dalton and A.J. Green will only improve in their second year under the guidance of offensive coordinator Jay Gruden. Although the team lost Jerome Simpson and Andre Caldwell, both of whom were never consistently productive, Jordan Shipley returns from injury. Green and others really high on Rutgers product Mohamed Sanu as well, whom the Bengals drafted in the third round of the draft this year. Although it's still early, he's allegedly drawing comparisons to former Bengals All-Pro receiver TJ Houshmandzadeh.

The defense should remain stellar under beloved orchestrator Mike Zimmer. The addition of cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick, No. 17 overall pick out of Alabama, also won't hurt matters, as it's expected he and Leon Hall will form a wonderful corner tandem for years to come. The Bengals were also able to re-sign free safety Reggie Nelson, and they boast an extremely athletic linebacker corps that should continue to improve.

This young, tough team proved it could compete with the best in the AFC North last season, and it seems the up-and-down nature of the Marvin Lewis era has finally stabilized. The Bengals should be perennial contenders for at least the next five years.

7. Green Bay Packers

Aaron Rodgers had a field day nearly every game last season, and he ran away with the MVP award. However, the Packers fell short in the playoffs because he didn't quite bring his A-game.

The highly suspect defense of the Packers, after being ranked fifth in yards allowed per game in 2010 on its way to the Super Bowl, ranked dead last in the league last year in the same category.

Some could argue that this was because the offense scored so much and teams hung points on them late in the game. However, with essentially the exact same personnel as the year before and the same coordinator in Dom Capers, that amount of leakage was inexcusable and cost the Pack a chance at defending the Lombardi Trophy.

Rodgers still has a plethora of playmakers at his disposal, as the offense enjoyed a relatively healthy season last year. The hope is that the good fortune continues into 2012 and that the many stars on the defensive side of the ball step up and do their part. When those two units are on their game, there is no better team in football.

It's just a question of whether or not the offense can maintain such a high level of excellence and whether or not the defense can rise to the occasion this year.

6. Denver Broncos

Winners of the AFC West [Pillow Fight] Division in 2011, the Broncos shipped off the quarterback who threw for 316 yards against the No. 1 pass defense in winning an overtime playoff game: some guy named Tebow, whose fourth-quarter heroics were thought by many fans to be the work of divine intervention, according to a USA Today poll.

Hard to blame the Broncos for the move they made after they got the best regular season quarterback of all-time in Peyton Manning. No red flags have been raised recently with regard to his health, so he should be the Peyton Manning everyone knows.

Curiously, the team didn't draft much in the way of offensive weapons for its new prized quarterback, but they did sign Manning's former tight end in Indianapolis, Jacob Tammie, and the underrated Joel Dressens from the Houston Texans. The Bengals' Andre Caldwell also came to provide depth at wide receiver with the departure of injury-ridden Eddie Royal.

There are plenty of holes on the Denver defense, but Manning is used to dragging mediocre defenses to the top. Between 2003 and 2009, when the Colts made their historic run of having 12 or more wins in each of those seasons, he was able to win even when the defense wasn't so good. The Colts gave up 21 points per game in 2003, 21.9 in 2004 and 22.5 in 2006.

The fact that Peyton Manning can still win in those situations is a testament to his ability to wear down another team by keeping its defense on the field for a long time and preventing the opposing offense from getting into a better rhythm.

The Broncos let up 24.4 points per game last year, but that number should automatically go down with Manning at QB. Denver's effectively rushing offense last year allowed the to rest during the clock-chewing drives that kept the chains moving. However, when Denver had to pass, Tebow's low completion percentage stopped the clock, forced many three-and-outs and led to the defense remaining on the field for much longer stretches of time.

No. 36 overall pick Derek Wolfe will be counted on to contribute immediately as the first pick in the Broncos' draft. He projects to start as nose tackle of the Broncos' 3-4 attack, replacing the aging Jamal Williams. The addition of Mike Adams at safety, due to Brian Dawkins's recent retirement, should provide a respectable veteran presence on the back end alongside future Hall of Famer Champ Bailey.

Look for this team to take advantage of a weak AFC West, win the division, and be in at least the divisional playoffs again this season, mostly thanks to the resurgence of No. 18.

5. New York Giants

The defending champs certainly won't lack incentive to reach the Super Bowl once again, and who's to say they can't? They have the most clutch fourth-quarter quarterback in the league as of now, who, sort of like his brother, overcame a suspect defense to lead his team to a winning record and, ultimately, to its second championship.

The offense will have a new look next season. Brandon Jacobs and Mario Manningham both signed with the San Francisco 49ers, and breakout tight end Jake Ballard tore his ACL in the Super Bowl. The Giants addressed all these needs, drafting Virginia Tech RB David Wilson, LSU WR Rueben Randle, and Cincinnati TE Adrien Robinson.

Eli's weapons are bolstered, and hopefully Wilson can provide an extra spark to a running game that ranked last in the league in 2011.

However, the suspect defense looms. Unless Eli can pull out games on final drives as he did on many an occasion this past season, it's going to be trouble for the G-Men.

The Giants hope third-round pick Jayron Hosley can contribute to the secondary, as well as Antwaun Molden, who was signed once the Patriots released him in the offseason. The Giants ranked 29th against the pass in 2011. Their rushing defense was in the bottom half of the league, too, so Shaun Rogers was signed for added depth on the interior of the defensive line.

A 9-7 team that won the Super Bowl makes gauging the Giants' fortunes for 2012 so difficult. Although, if Victor Cruz stays happy financially, Hakeem Nicks's recently broken foot heals well from his surgery (it looks as though it will) and the defense can shore itself up just a little, the Giants have a great chance to repeat as world champions.

4. Detroit Lions

Matthew Stafford finally stayed healthy for an entire season, and did it ever pay dividends for the troubled Lions franchise. The third-year quarterback threw for over 5,000 yards and 41 TDs. Much like Eli Manning, Stafford didn't have the benefit of a strong running game or a solid defense.

Questions loomed about Stafford's accuracy, consistency and durability. All those concerns were addressed thoroughly, but not without some mega-assistance from Megatron, of course. Calvin Johnson had 96 catches for nearly 1700 yards and 16 TDs.

The combination of Stafford and Johnson was among the most exciting to watch in recent memory, as they connected on so many bombs late in games to keep the team pushing toward the playoffs for the first time since 1999. Stafford also had a resurgent Nate Burleson, rookie Titus Young, and two reliable tight end pass-catchers in Brandon Pettigrew and Tony Scheffler.

If the Lions are to take the next step from mere playoff participant to Super Bowl contender, the defense must improve, as it was ranked in the bottom third of every major category. Surprisingly, Detroit seemed content to stay pat until the third round of this year's draft to address defensive needs.

The secondary needs more depth at cornerback, and the team wisely let Eric Wright go to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in free agency. This was smart because he's the sixth-worst cover corner in the league, according to profootballfocus.com. The team drafted Dwight Bentley in the third round out of Louisiana-Lafayette, and his impressive performance  at the beginning of minicamp has the franchise expecting an immediate impact out of him.

It remains to be seen how the Lions will plug their sieve of a defense, but even some minor tweaking may be enough to get this explosive team to football's Promised Land.

3. Pittsburgh Steelers

As Troy Polamalu mulls retirement more realistically these days, it seems that the Steelers' Super Bowl window is closing. Polamalu is the cornerstone of the entire defensive scheme masterminded by Dick LeBeau, as it is dependent on Polamalu's reckless abandon and creative disruption of an opposing offense's rhythm.

However, a look up and down the roster suggests Pittsburgh may have more time left for a  title run than most people think. The offensive side of the ball consists of Ben Roethlisberger, who is 30 years old but should have four or five good years left, Isaac Redman, who is the oldest running back at 27, and 23-year-old Antonio Brown and 25-year-old Emmanuel Sanders, who they make up the future foundation of the receiving corps.

Lawrence Timmons and LaMarr Woodley, two linebacker anchors, are 26 and 27, respectively. Free safety Ryan Clark is 32 and Polamalu is 31.

Many are quick to dismiss the Steelers due to their age, and it seems this has been going on for a few years now. However, the same thing keeps happening: they come back, they play hard, they consistently make the postseason and they just flat out win.

Until Polamalu stops walking through that door at Steelers headquarters or until I see irrefutable evidence upon further review that the Steelers' age is affecting their play, I will continue to view them as a perennial Super Bowl contender.

2. New England Patriots

The Patriots offense exploded this past season as the Gronk was unleashed. Tight end Rob Gronkowski had a record-setting 17 TDs on 90 receptions from all-world QB Tom Brady, as he to be a matchup nightmare that could only be slowed by an unfortunate ankle injury in the AFC Championship game.

Gronk wasn't the only one getting in on the action. The Patriots also heavily integrated former University of Florida standout Aaron Hernandez into the offense in unique ways. He could line up out wide, in the slot, at tight end, or even take handoffs out of the backfield, showcasing unprecedented versatility and emphasizing the sudden vitality that tight ends signify in football today.

Although the Patriots' D had the "bend don't break" label down to a tee, the unit ranked 31st in the NFL in yards allowed per game.

Brady needed more wide receiver talent on the outside, and the defense needed a makeover. So, the Patriots went out and signed Brandon Lloyd, Jabar Gaffney, and Donte Stallworth in free agency. Then, they drafted all defensive players except one seventh-round selection. The headliners were defensive end Chandler Jones and linebacker Dont'a Hightower, who will infuse more talent into the patchwork Patriots defense than it has had in years.

The pieces are in place for the defense, and Terrific Tom has even more ammo on offense. Sounds like a contender to me.

1. San Francisco 49ers

Head coach Jim Harbaugh has infused a kick of adrenaline and a culture of winning back into the San Francisco 49ers franchise. A lot of plays happen throughout a football game, but it's pretty difficult to overlook not one but two muffed punts by 49ers wide receiver Kyle Williams during last year's NFC Championship Game.

Even though the 49ers were an agonizing three points away from reaching the Super Bowl, Harbaugh's accomplishments in a lockout-shortened season with a brand new coaching staff seem impossible.

Perhaps most impressive, Harbaugh took a presumed-bust No. 1 overall draft pick in Alex Smith, intimated to him that he trusted him and turned him into a solid NFL quarterback. Smith proved he could get it done in crunch time in the postseason, and proved he belonged in this league all along. What a story.

If there was another team that played more physically, more emotionally and more as a cohesive unit than the 49ers did last year, I didn't see it. I have never seen such a turnaround in one year in my entire life. Harbaugh somehow struck a balance between his incredibly intense desire to win and being one of the most popular player's coaches the game has ever seen.

The team was offensively limited last season due to a lack of explosive weapons on the outside. With the defensive side of the ball plentifully stacked with speed and depth, the 49ers went all-in on upgrading its skill players this offseason.

The team drafted wide receiver AJ Jenkins out of Illinois in the first round, signed a reinvigorated Randy Moss to a one-year contract, and picked up Super Bowl hero Mario Manningham in free agency. Talk about a revamped receiving corps.

To bolster the brutish backfield, LaMichael James was drafted in the third round. James is a home run threat in the same vein as Kendall Hunter, but he is perhaps even more dangerous. Brandon Jacobs was picked up in free agency as another between-the-tackles bruiser a la  Frank Gore, starting 49ers running back .

Throw in Vernon Davis and that is one heck of a set of skill players for a defensive coordinator to account for. Beyond that, the 49ers gave up the second-fewest points per game in the league last year (14.2).

After victories, Harbaugh asks the question,"WHO'S GOT IT BETTER THAN US!?"

The answer his players give rings as true as the sky is blue: "NOOOOBODY!"

Seriously, who has it better than the 49ers heading into the 2012 season?

Nobody.