Mike Freeman's 10-Point Stance: NFL Insiders' Takes on Every Team Before Kickoff

It is finally time.

The 2019 NFL season starts Thursday, and it can't get here soon enough.

But before you settle into your couch with your fried chicken sandwich, fantasy roster and the mute button for the broadcasters you hate, dive into what a scout, an assistant coach and a team executive from each conference think will be some of the key storylines this season.

From the sound of things, this season could feature a dominant Le'Veon Bell, a resuscitated Raiders franchise, the end of Eli Manning's career and an excellent Ben Roethlisberger. 

First, some logistics. For this special edition of the 10-Point Stance, we asked an NFC scout about the AFC East and AFC North, an NFC assistant coach about the AFC South and an NFC team executive about the AFC West.

Then, we had an AFC scout break down the NFC East and NFC North, an AFC assistant coach examined the NFC South and an AFC team executive looked at the NFC West.

The thoughts below are direct from those we asked, with editing for grammar and curse words. (Scouts say "f--k" a lot.)

Got it?

Here we go...

Duane Burleson/Associated Press

AFC East (NFC scout)

Bills: A lot of media think the Jets have the best chance to knock off the Patriots. It's actually the Bills. That defense is extremely underrated. I also believe we'll see [quarterback] Josh Allen take a huge step forward this year. Letting go of [running back] LeSean McCoy was the right move...nothing left.

Dolphins: Not kidding when I say this: I'm not sure [quarterbacks] Ryan Fitzpatrick or Josh [Rosen] will survive five or six games. It's not just that they have a bad offensive line [after trading Laremy Tunsil to Houston], it's that they have a pretty bad everything. One of the few openly tanking NFL teams that I've ever seen. 

Patriots: We don't talk about their defense much, but when we look back at the Patriots' season, we're gonna say, "This time, that defense won the Super Bowl for them, not Tom Brady." That's how good they will be. What will also help them is how more than half of their schedule is filled with mediocre to trashy QBs.

Jets: I know some people in the league aren't [head coach] Adam Gase guys, but I am. One thing that he does well is he lets loose trusted guys on offense. That's what will happen with [running back] Le'Veon Bell. If he stays healthy—big if, I know—he's an MVP candidate. Gase will run him until his d--k falls off. (Writer's note: If that happened, it would be a first in NFL history.)

AFC North (NFC scout)

Todd Olszewski/Getty Images

Ravens: [Quarterback] Lamar Jackson is one of the most impressive rookies I've ever seen. I see him more as Steve Young than Mike Vick. ... The other guy I like on that team is [tight end Mark] Andrews. He's more athletic and dangerous than people give him credit for. 

Steelers: [Quarterback Ben] Roethlisberger will be the best we've seen in probably the last four or five years. He looks refreshed. He'll be helped by a massively talented front seven on defense. They are better than people think. 

Browns: The offense in the preseason has been surprisingly mediocre. The defense has been spectacular. It's been the most surprising thing about the Browns. Last season, they didn't generate a ton of sacks or turnovers. That will definitely change this year.

Bengals: This is probably [quarterback] Andy Dalton's last season in Cincinnati. He's been mostly ineffective. It's not all his fault, but he'll get the blame. [Dalton has one more season after this one on his deal.] You look at the roster, and it's not that far ahead of the Dolphins.

AFC South (NFC assistant coach)

Joe Robbins/Getty Images

Titans: There were little things schematically the coaching staff did last year to give [quarterback] Marcus Mariota more time to throw. They also gave him easier routes to complete. He looked better last season but still struggles at times with throwing accurately deep. I don't see that improving much, and as long as that's a problem, that offense won't do much.

Colts: They're not as screwed as people think [without retired quarterback Andrew Luck]. I have tremendous respect for [head coach] Frank [Reich]. He's extremely creative, and one of the best things he does is put his players in a position to succeed. You will see a drop-off from Luck to [Jacoby] Brissett, but it won't be as steep as people think.

Texans: That team is all over the place and they need a front office, but getting [offensive tackle Laremy] Tunsil was really important. If [quarterback] Deshaun Watson gets protection, he'll be very good. He at least has a chance now. He didn't have that before.

Jaguars: They will get destroyed in their opener against Kansas City. But then they'll rebound. This is one of the most intriguing teams in football to me. I don't have a good feel for how they're going to do. They are the only team like that for me. Things could go really well or really bad. If [Nick] Foles is the quarterback I think he is, then things will go really well.

AFC West (NFC team executive) 

David Zalubowski/Associated Press

Raiders: They win 10 or 11 games and [head coach] Jon Gruden will be seen as a Coach of the Year candidate. He'll have [quarterback Derek] Carr playing at a really high level. That running game [with Josh Jacobs] will shock people. He could get 1,000 yards easy this year.

Broncos: [Quarterback Joe] Flacco is an 8-8 or 9-7 quarterback. That's about it. That's where he'll take the team. There's little special about this team outside of Von Miller and a few other pieces. A lot of personnel people revere John Elway the player but don't understand what John Elway the GM is doing. 

Chargers: My Super Bowl favorite for the AFC. They have everything. [Quarterback] Philip Rivers is a proven veteran. Really good receivers. They improved their defense from last season—it's fast and good. They still have a good running game despite not having [running back] Melvin Gordon III. If he's not traded, he'll only add to that roster. Their coach [Anthony Lynn] is also really underrated. They're the most complete team in the conference. 

Chiefs: My concern for the Chiefs is the health of [quarterback Patrick] Mahomes. It's hard to overstate how he threw for 50 touchdowns, was exposed so many times to hits and pressures and didn't get seriously hurt once. Some of it is scheme and how [head coach] Andy Reid protects him, but I still worry about him getting hit. If he again stays healthy, this is easily an 11-win team.

NFC East (AFC scout)

Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

Giants: Eli [Manning] will get benched five or six games in. You can see the writing on the wall. He's dramatically declined physically. That's the big thing. You watch him and think, that can't be the same guy. The Giants have to see this as well. It won't be a question if [rookie] Daniel Jones is ready or not. The Giants may not have a choice but to play him.

Cowboys: [Quarterback] Dak Prescott will make a huge leap forward this year. I think he becomes a top-five or -six quarterback. Everything is there for him, and he'll continue to connect with Amari Cooper. The biggest improvement I think you'll see is with his accuracy. He'll make a lot more precision throws.

Washington: [Quarterback] Case Keenum will be on a short leash. We all know how things work there. [Owner] Dan Snyder will be pushing for Dwayne Haskins to start, and he'll get his wish. I think it'll happen after two or three weeks, and it should. He's a starter and better than Keenum.

Eagles: The deepest team in the NFL by far. The biggest story of the Eagles will be [quarterback] Carson Wentz, but what will get them into the playoffs and beyond is a talented defense. Most people don't think of the Eagles as a great defense, but I think this year, they have one of the best in football.

NFC North (AFC scout)

Tony Avelar/Associated Press

Vikings: The problems with their offense in the preseason aren't a fluke. It's a trend. They have too much talent to badly falter, but don't expect that offense to be better than average. I'd be a little worried about Kirk Cousins if I was that team.

Packers: I've heard nothing but good things coming out of there. The issue won't be Aaron Rodgers [and if he can get along with head coach Matt LaFleur]. Rodgers will be Rodgers. The issue with the Packers is that defense. It's still not good. They will have to rely on Rodgers as they always do.

Bears: Will be one of the most explosive teams on the both sides of the ball. You have Khalil Mack on one end and Tarik Cohen on the other. I think Cohen will have an even bigger impact than Mack.

Lions: They're gonna win four games. An awful roster.

NFC South (AFC assistant coach)

Bill Feig/Associated Press

Buccaneers: One of the worst defenses in the NFL. That means more pressure will be put on [quarterback] Jameis Winston. He already has the problem of [trying] to do everything by himself, and he's not capable of doing that. He's not Mahomes. He's not a savior. ... They will also badly miss the deep threat [wide receiver] DeSean Jackson gave them.

Panthers: They are going to see more of what they saw last season where defenses crowd the line to stop [running back Christian] McCaffrey and they dare Cam Newton to throw it. I think Newton is more than capable of making those plays. The problem is the receiving group. Which one of those receivers can you bank on to make defenses consistently pay for attacking Cam and McCaffrey? I don't see any. (Writer's note: cough—Curtis Samuel—cough.)

Saints: They made an already good offensive line better [by drafting offensive lineman Erik McCoy in the second round]. If you give [quarterback] Drew Brees more time, plus that receiving group, they'll be really hard to stop.

Falcons: [Quarterback] Matt Ryan will be OK. [Receiver] Julio Jones will be great. The defense will be Swiss cheese. ... 8-8.

NFC West (AFC team executive)

Mitchell Leff/Getty Images

Seahawks: The Seahawks getting [defensive lineman] Jadeveon Clowney won't just change what happens with them. It could change the course of the entire division. That's how good I think he is, and a lot of people do. He will lift the game of every Seahawk.

49ers: That offensive line is a problem. It was a problem all during their preseason, and I'm guessing it will continue to be. If they don't figure things out, that entire offense could dramatically slow down.

Rams: Someone who always seems to go under the radar is [quarterback] Jared Goff. He had a horrible Super Bowl [19-for-38 for 229 yards, zero touchdowns and one interception], but that doesn't change that he's still a good player. It'll be Goff who makes that offense this year. Not [Todd] Gurley II or any other player.

Cardinals: [Quarterback] Kyler Murray is going to struggle, and not because of anything he does. There isn't much talent there. They are rebuilding. It will take a while. It would be a miracle if they won more than four or five games.

Mike Freeman covers the NFL for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter: @mikefreemanNFL.