So we are a week into free agency. Next to the Draft, it is the most exciting part of the off-season. Some people might say it is more exciting than the Draft. I personally enjoy the Draft better. While free agency can be exciting, I get more excited to see the young future of my team.

But this free agency period has been quite fun. Unlike last year when we had a late start to free agency as well as an uncapped year, this free agency period has brought along some exciting surprises as well as some questionable contracts and decisions by teams. When you look at some of the money being thrown around, you have to wonder if these teams know exactly what they are doing. Of course, we have also had two of the biggest free agents ever in the NFL sign with new teams, Peyton Manning and Mario Williams.

So here we will take a look at the winners, the losers, and grade some of the contracts handed out thus far in free agency. While we are only a week into it, most of the big name guys are off the market. Now, teams will be looking to sign either depth players or fill holes on their roster with what is left of the free agent pool.

WINNERS
Chicago Bears: The Bears are winners, and they didn’t even make a splashy signing in free agency. Rather, they made a trade hours before free agency started. The Bears traded two third round picks to acquire Dolphins WR Brandon Marshall. That is a steal for Marshall. Yes, he has a run in with the law that may be the subject of a suspension by the NFL, but a one or two game suspension will be worth it in the long run. When you consider that the Dolphins had to trade two second round picks to get him, it is worth it. Marshall reunites with Jay Cutler from their Denver Bronco days. Cutler will finally be able to throw to a #1 WR, something he has never had in his time in Chicago.

The Bears did make a couple of good moves in free agency. They were rumored to be in the Mario Williams sweepstakes before the money got too high. The Bears did sign Jason Campbell to be there back-up QB. That is a very good move. Campbell could have waited and possibly signed on to be the starter in Miami. But he chose Chicago. Chicago could have used Campbell last year when Cutler went down with an injury. Campbell played well for Oakland last year before being injured himself, and is more than capable of filling in if Cutler went down with an injury. They also re-signed Cornerback Tim Jennings and signed special teamer Eric Weems. Weems and Hester returning kicks? That should scare NFL teams. The Bears definitely did enough to make sure they will not be afterthoughts this year in the NFC North, and may very well compete with the Detroit Lions and Chicago Bears for the Division crown.

Buffalo Bills: The Bills best work came before free agency started when they re-signed some of their own players. They re-signed Kicker Rian Lindell who has been very reliable for them kicking in what can be very bad weather conditions in Buffalo. They also re-signed WR Stevie Johnson to a five year deal worth $36.25 million over five years. Considering the money wide receivers were getting after free agency started, this is a great deal for Buffalo. Had Johnson hit the open market, he would have received much more money. Johnson and QB Ryan Fitzpatrick have a great relationship, so bringing him back was essential.

Then when free agency started, the Bills made the biggest splash in the opening hours when they brought in former Texans DE Mario Williams for a visit. Williams never left and stayed for two days before signing a 6 year, $96 million contract with $50 million guaranteed, the most ever for a defender. Is that a lot of money? Sure. But the Bills has been a franchise that most players often avoided. The city has a bad rap. But signing the best defensive free agent on the market changes the perception about Buffalo. And the Bills struggled to get to the quarterback last season, and Williams, along with DT Marcell Dareus and Kyle Williams, will be a disruptive force for the Bills front four. Mario Williams makes the Bills defense better by himself, and takes pressure off of a struggling secondary.

Denver Broncos: Congratulations to the Broncos for landing the biggest free agent out there in Peyton Manning. Manning is coming off a missed season due to neck surgery, but you have to believe that Peyton’s neck is healed. The Broncos signed him to a 5 year, $96 million contract. That is a good price for one of the best quarterbacks to ever play the game. Manning makes the Broncos the instant favorites to win the AFC West. If Manning is anything like his former self, the Broncos should have no problem taking the division. Manning has a decent running back in Willis McGahee as well as a good young WR in DeMarryius Thomas. You would have to think Dallas Clark would follow Peyton to Denver as well. The Broncos are taking a risk, but you have to think the team doctors did a thorough check and know Peyton is all systems go. While Tim Tebow was a nice story in Denver, he will never be the caliber QB Peyton Manning is.

LOSERS
Miami Dolphins: First the Dolphins were players for the Rams #2 pick to get Robert Griffin, but that failed. Then they had Peyton Manning in for a visit, but Peyton told them “Thanks but no thanks.” So the next logical choice was Matt Flynn. His former offensive coordinator, Joe Philbin, was the teams’ new coach. But the team reportedly low balled Flynn because of it and he went to Seattle. They had Alex Smith in, but he appears ready to go back to San Francisco. Finally, the Dolphins signed option 5: David Garrard. Garrard is coming off back surgery and missed the entire 2011 season.

Oh, and then Steelers Safety Ryan Clark said no one wants to play for this team. Apparently, GM Jeff Ireland isn’t thought highly of by players. I mean, when you ask someone how they feel about their mom being a ho, would do you expect? Then there is Owner Stephen Ross, who is all about the glitz and glamour and gets too involved in the decision making process. The Dolphins are a team spiraling downhill and fast. They traded Brandon Marshall and got back less then traded away for him. At least they re-signed NT Paul Soliai on defense, otherwise they could have been a mess on that side of the ball too. The Dolphins are staring at an empty stadium, last place in the AFC East, and potentially the 1st overall pick in the 2013 NFL Draft. Maybe this year they will finish the job and “Blow for Barkley.”

Washington Redskins: I know some people liked what Washington did, but I’m not one of them. Trading three 1st round picks for one quarterback? That is way too much for my liking. If Griffin doesn’t get this team a Super Bowl then it isn’t worth it. Mortgaging your future on one guy puts a lot of pressure on him right off the bat.

Then the Redskins were hit with a salary cap penalty for front loading contracts during last season’s uncapped year. They were penalized $15 million in cap space this year and the same amount next. So what do the Redskins do? Give WR Pierre Garcon a 5 year, $42.5 million contract with $21 million guaranteed. Garcon had a good year last year, but it was also in a contract year. And Garcon has never been the go to guy for the Colts. He always had Reggie Wayne and Dallas Clark, oh and Peyton Manning was his QB. That is a lot for Garcon. Then they re-sign DE Adam Carriker for $5 million a year when he can barely get to the QB, and they sign WR Josh Morgan when they already have a lot of Josh Morgan’s on the team: under-achieving WRs who have yet to break out. I don’t like how Washington spent their money this off-season.

Minnesota Vikings: The Vikings watched the Bears improve pretty well, and the Lions and Packers are still both really good teams. What did the Vikings do? They signed John Carlson, a tight end from Seattle who didn’t play all of last year, to a 5 year $25 million dollar contract. Tight End is the one position they didn’t need to fill considering they already have Kyle Rudolph. The Vikings will probably take Matt Kalil at #3 to fill their need at left tackle, but their defense is a major liability, especially in the secondary. The secondary was shredded last year and it isn’t going to get any better. Jared Allen can’t do everything on defense. Vikings fans are in for a very long season. At the end of it, they may wish the team would just move to Los Angeles.

The Jury Is Still Out
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Signings: WR Vincent Jackson: 5 years, $55 million, $26 million guaranteed; G Carl Nicks: 5 years, $47.5 million; CB Eric Wright: 5 years, $37.5 million

Okay, first lets talk about the Eric Wright signing. What Da Hell??? Wright was constantly burned in coverage all year and he is given that much money? I know the Bucs had a lot of money to throw around, but they could have used it much better than that. Wright is not worth $7.5 million a year. Never.

Now onto the other two. To some people, those signings scream: “All about the money and not about winning.” Some people think that Nicks and Jackson are just cashing in and will loaf it. While history suggests that is possible, I don’t know if it will be true. At least not for Nicks. Carl Nicks has a lot to prove to New Orleans. He was upset the Saints never made him an offer and basically made him an afterthought after Drew Brees and Marques Colston. Nicks is possibly the best guard in the NFL, and he will be out to show the Saints that they missed out big time on not re-signing him.

Vincent Jackson, however, may be a different story. Jackson just comes off as different to me. I don’t know why, but I would expect Jackson’s numbers to decline each year he is with Tampa Bay, especially after they start losing. Even with these signings, I still think Tampa Bay is the 4th best team in the NFC South. They need some major upgrades on defense and there are three high powered offensive attacks in that division. If Jackson was about winning rather than money, he would have signed on with a contender, wanting to show San Diego what they were missing. But I think Jackson cashed in, and his stats will show that.

San Diego Chargers: Signed OLB Jarrett Johnson: 4 years, $19 million; Signed WR Robert Meachem: 4 years, $25.9 million; Signed WR Eddie Royal: 3 years, $13.5 million; Re-Signed C Nick Hardwick and T Jarred Gathier

The Chargers acted quickly to replace Vincent Jackson, but I’m pretty sure they over paid for Robert Meachem. Meachem has the skills but never stepped up into the #1 WR role in New Orleans. The Chargers paid a lot for a guy that they don’t even know can be their #1 WR. San Diego was sucked into paying a high price for Meachem because the market was set high for WRs early with the signing of Pierre Garcon. The Chargers also signed Eddie Royal, but his skills will be used primarily in the punt return game where the Chargers have struggled mightily the last few years.

Jarrett Johnson will be a steal if he can improve on his numbers from the Ravens. Johnson isn’t the best at getting to the quarterback. He struggled to do it even with Terrell Suggs and Ray Lewis in Baltimore. So having Shaun Philips across from him in San Diego won’t make much of a difference. But Johnson is good in coverage and effective at stopping the run, so if he can keep doing that in San Diego then it will be a big upgrade for them. The Chargers also got Johnson at a bargain.

So What’s Next?
-Where Does Tim Tebow Go?
Now that Peyton Manning is finally on a new team, the focus will turn to where Tim Tebow goes next. Where Tebow lands and what the price will be all depends on what other teams see him as. I don’t think the Broncos will get anything more than a 3rd round pick. There are very few teams that see Tebow as a starting QB. The 49ers already took themselves out of the running. Miami reportedly isn’t interested either. The obvious team would be the Jacksonville Jaguars. If the new owner is all about keeping the team in Jacksonville and selling tickets, bringing in Tebow would help that. Tebow alone would sell out that stadium every week. They could take the tarps off the upper deck. Do you really think Tebow is any worse than Blaine Gabbert? Gabbert showed nothing in his first year. Sure he was only a rookie, but most rookies show at least some promise. Gabbert didn’t. The Jags are apparently committed to him, but I don’t know why. The Packers might be interested according to Adam Schefter as Aaron Rodgers back-up. That’d be an interesting stop for him. But I think when it is all set and done, Tebow finds his way back home to Jacksonville, and the Jags don’t have to worry about blackouts ever again.

Looking Towards The Draft
Free Agency talk will die down in the next week or so. Once Tim Tebow gets traded, all of the focus will shift towards the Draft. The first two picks are set in stone, and the Vikings are likely to select OT Matt Kalil with the 3rd pick. After that it is anybody’s guess. There will be some trade talk heading into the Draft outside of Tebow. The Panthers have 3 quality running backs now that they signed Mike Tolbert. They are kind of stuck with DeAngelo Williams and his massive contract, so Jonathan Stewart is likely the odd man out. There will be other veteran players available as well. I don’t like that the Draft is now spread over 3 days, but the NFL is a business, and they are all about making the money.

There you have it. I didn’t talk about some stuff like the Randy Moss signing, which I like because Jim Harbaugh will keep him under control. Other signings as well. But I think I touched on most stuff.

Until Next Time,
Justin C
Follow Me On Twitter @JCWonka

And so here we are. The last of my off-season previews. For are last stop, we take a look at the division of the Super Bowl Champion New York Giants.The Giants played the best football in the last month of the regular season and rode that momentum to a great post-season and eventually a Super Bowl win. The Giants have a couple key free agents this off-season, but they should be geared up for another run. The Philadelphia Eagles were billed the “Dream Team” heading into the season, but they struggled early on and couldn’t come back late. The Dallas Cowboys? They had high hopes coming into the year, but two losses to the Giants in December kept them from making the Playoffs. And the Washington Redskins just traded away three 1st round Draft Picks for one player. This division usually gets the most talk from the national media because of the big time players in it, and they usually don’t disappoint when it comes to making buzz.

After Week 3 this year it appeared that the AFC East may have a new dog on top. The Bills beat the Patriots for the first time since 2003. But the Bills faltered down the stretch, and the Patriots won the AFC East for the 8th time in nine years. The Patriots offense by the end of the year was a machine that couldn’t be stopped. They have a duel threat at tight end with Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez and the always pesky Wes Welker at WR. The Jets took a step backward last year, failing to make the Playoffs for the first time under Rex Ryan. And there is dysfunction in the locker room. The Bills finally looked ready to make the Playoffs for the first time in a decade, but they faltered down the stretch. The Dolphins started the season 0-7 and appeared poised to draft Andrew Luck first overall, but they finished strong going 6-3 in their last nine games. This is a strong division that only appears to be going up with teams like the Bills and Dolphins getting stronger.

By the time the season ended last year, the Jets were a dysfunctional mess. People were wondering if Mark Sanchez was the long term QB solution. Santonio Holmes was called out for essentially quitting on the team in the last game of the season and players were calling certain players selfish behind the scenes. All of that masks the Jets season. They were 8-5 and seemed destined for another run as a Wild Card team in the Playoffs. But the Jets lost three straight to close the season and missed the Playoffs for the first time under Rex Ryan. Now the Jets face the ultimate task of rebuilding their offense under new coordinator Tony Sparano. The Jets have some key free agents on offense and face the possibility of a down turn if things aren’t fixed behind the scenes quickly. The players will tell you everything is fine, but certain things linger with players and you can bet one wrong thing can cause someone to snap.

Biggest Question: Is Mark Sanchez the Future QB of the Jets?
There is no doubt that Mark Sanchez regressed last year. You could see it in the way he played. Sanchez wasn’t comfortable in the pocket and made some very questionable decisions throwing the ball. While Sanchez had a career high in touchdowns, it was partly because he threw way too much, and the Jets didn’t rely enough on their running game. Sanchez was one time thought of as the long term “Sanchize” quarterback for the Jets. Now people don’t even know if he will be the quarterback next season. With the release of Peyton Manning, the Jets are expected to be in hot pursuit despite support for Sanchez by his coach. If the Jets can’t land Manning, then Sanchez may have one more year to prove himself as the Jets QB. Another regression, and Sanchez is as good as gone.

Top 3 Free Agents
1. Sione Pouha: Nose Tackle
Pouha was a run stopping force up the middle for the Jets last season. He is going to be 33 years of age, but Pouha still showed last year he can be a dominating force up the middle.

2. Plaxico Burress: Wide Receiver
All Burress pretty much did last year was catch touchdown passes. He had eight total. But Burress lacks the same burst he once had years ago, and the Jets may part ways with him.

3. Aaron Maybin: Linebacker
Maybin looked lost in Buffalo, but he found new life with the Jets recording six sacks. Maybin seems to be a pass rushing specialist, that’s it.

Top 3 Needs
1. Wide Receiver
Santonio Holmes may not be brought back, and Plaxico Burress is a free agent. The Jets might need to replace both their starters during free agency. That could hurt Sanchez even more.

2. Quarterback
Even if the Jets decide to go with Mark Sanchez for another year, the Jets need to get a quality back-up in case Sanchez struggles so much that he needs to be benched.

3. Linebacker
Even though Maybin played well for the Jets, you don’t want him to be your leading sack getter. The Jets need an upgrade here.

There are lots of questions surrounding the Jets this off-season. If they can land Peyton Manning, then all of those questions will be resolved. But if they don’t, then the Jets might have to go through another year of Sanchez under center, and hope that he does not regress even further as a quarterback. The Jets need to solve their dysfunction in the locker room before they do anything. If the problems become too big, then they may cause the on field production to struggle, and that could result in a very long season for the J-E-T-S Jets Jets Jets.

The Dolphins started the season 0-7 and appeared to be headed for the #1 overall pick in April’s Draft. Fans appeared ready and excited at the prospect of Andrew Luck as the team’s quarterback of the future. Well, everyone forgot to tell the Dolphins players that. The team went on to win 6 of their last 9 games to finish the season 6-10 and having to settle with the #8 pick in the Draft. Coach Tony Sparano still lost his job late in the season, and he was replaced by Packers offensive coordinator Joe Philbin. Dolphins Owner Stephen Ross is all about the glitz and glamour, so you can bet he will make a hard push for Peyton Manning the second he is released. But you almost have to wonder if new coach Joe Philbin would like to bring in Matt Flynn, a quarterback he worked with in Green Bay. Another thing to remember is that the Dolphins will be switching to a 3-4 scheme on defense this season. They already have some parts for it, but some of them are free agents that need to be re-signed.

Biggest Question: Who Is Under Center Week One?
Despite not wowing anybody, Matt Moore had a pretty decent season last year once he became starter. But he isn’t a long term solution for the Dolphins. Moore may stick around as a back-up, but there will be someone different under center Week 1. Peyton Manning will more than likely be priority 1, 2, and 3 for the Dolphins this off-season. As I said, owner Stephen Ross is all about making news. Manning would make the Dolphins Playoff contenders, but I would still give the Patriots the edge in the division. We have no idea how Manning will play returning from multiple injuries. Even if he does play well, you still only have two, maybe three years left with him. The better long term answer might be Matt Flynn. Flynn knows Joe Philbin’s offense and would fit in right away with the team. They could trade up for Robert Griffin, but that seems like the last option. I would put the Dolphins as the front runners for Manning’s services.

Top 3 Free Agents
1. Paul Soliai: Nose Tackle
Soliai’s stats won’t wow you, but he is a tremendous run stuffer for the Dolphins. He can fit in the middle of the Dolphins 3-4 look and do the same. He must be retained.

2. Kendall Langford: Defensive End
Just like Soliai, Langford’s stats won’t wow you but he can stuff the run and put pressure on the quarterback. He’s a good five technique fit in the Dolphins 3-4 scheme.

3. Vernon Carey: Guard
Carey played well at guard for the Dolphins and did not give up too many sacks. He can open up run lanes as well.

Top 3 Needs
1. Quarterback
Matt Moore will win games and play serviceable, but he isn’t the team’s future at the position.

2. Linebacker
Cameron Wake should be able to transition well to outside linebacker, but the Dolphins will need someone else to play opposite and get to the quarterback.

3. Right Tackle
Marc Colombo was atrocious last year. He couldn’t pass or run block. He needs to be replaced, and the Dolphins could do that with their #8 pick.

If the Dolphins are able to land Peyton Manning, then they become an instant Playoff contender. I don’t think he makes them Super Bowl threats because we don’t know how well Manning will play. He still needs a solid running game and offensive line around him. The Dolphins also need to transition well into the 3-4 defense. If the Dolphins can fill in the missing pieces, they may challenge for a Playoff spot even without Manning. The Dolphins showed some promise late last year, and they hope to continue it under a new coach this year.

The Bills were an exciting team to watch in the first half of the season last year. They came back from down 18 at the half to beat the Raiders, and were down 21-0 to the Patriots in Week 3 before winning on a last second field goal. The Bills were 5-2 after their Week 8 win against Washington, but things went down from there. Injuries decimated the team. Ryan Fitzpatrick suffered a rib injury in the Washington game that affected his play the rest of the season. Fred Jackson, Guard Eric Wood, Tackle Demetrius Bell, Defensive Tackle Kyle Williams and Linebacker Shawne Merriman were all lost to season ending injuries. The Bills struggled in the second half on both sides of the ball. They showed their potential when healthy, but the team still needs to make some talent improvements on both sides of the ball if they want to compete for the AFC East Title.

Biggest Question: How Close Is This Bills Team to Ending Their Playoff Drought?
Being from Buffalo and living here my whole life, I can tell you that hopes were high after the wins against New England and Philadelphia. Needless to say, just like every other Bills season, things took a down turn quickly. But we didn’t know that Ryan Fitzpatrick was hiding a rib injury. And the rash of injuries the Bills had are a rarity to see. The offense should its potential last year. When Fred Jackson went down with an injury, C.J. Spiller stepped up and showed that he could handle the duties of a #1 back. The Bills re-signed Stevie Johnson which was badly needed. The offensive line was one of the most underrated units in the NFL. Improvements, however, are needed on defense. The Bills need two pass rushers. They were awful getting to the QB. With the Bills switching to a 4-3 defense, they already have a great combo of Kyle Williams and Marcel Dareus up the middle. If the Bills add some pieces on defense, and a second wide receiver, they could challenge for a Playoff spot this year.

Top 3 Free Agents
1. Demetrius Bell: Tackle
The Bills re-signed Stevie Johnson, Rian Lindell and Scott Chandler. So Bell tops this list. Bell played well in six games last year, only giving up one sack before suffering a shoulder injury. Bell has shown potential, but his price tag may be too high and the Bills could Draft his replacement.

2. Kraig Urbik: Guard
Urbik was considered the weak point of the Bills line headed into the season, but he didn’t give up a single sack the whole year. Urbik could be decent depth.

3. Chad Rinehart: Guard
Rinehart started as a reserve but filled in well when injuries caused a shuffling up front. Rinehart is still a young talent and should be retained.

Top 3 Needs
1. Defensive End/Pass Rusher
The Bills are switching to a 4-3, so the pass rushing will come from the defensive end spots. The Bills could use two of them. There will be plenty of options at the #10 pick.

2. Wide Receiver
The Bills don’t have a solid compliment to Stevie Johnson. They should look to add one during free agency. There will be solid veteran guys available.

3. Cornerback
Terrence McGee can’t stay healthy, Drayton Florence was average at best last year, and former first round pick Leodis McKelvin hasn’t lived up to potential. 2010 2nd round pick Aaron Williams look to be a starter next year, but the Bills may need another one.

The Bills are a team that are a couple of pieces away from being playoff threats. Chan Gailey has turned the offensive into a formidable threat. If the defense can improve by switching to a 4-3 look, then the Bills will challenge for a Playoff spot this season. They have to be hoping that Peyton Manning doesn’t land in the AFC East. It might be homerism, but I think the Bills are a Playoff team either this year or next.

Seven down, one to go. NFC East Preview this weekend.

Until Next Time,
Justin C
Follow Me On Twitter @JCWonka

The NFC North was dominated by the Green Bay Packers last year. They were undefeated for most of the year and looked unstoppable at times. They ended up losing to the Chiefs, then were taken out at home by the Giants in the NFC Divisional Round. The Lions took a big step last year and made their first Playoff appearance in a decade. The offense was finally all systems go with a healthy Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson. The Bears struggled on offense and couldn’t make it into the Playoffs after winning the division in 2010. And the Vikings had one of their worst seasons in recent memory and still appear to be the 4th best team inside the division. This is still a pretty strong division. The Packers, Lions, and Bears can all make the Playoffs, and with some improvements on defense, the Lions could challenge the Packers for the division title this year.

These are coming at a quicker pace with Free Agency coming soon. Today we look at the AFC North, which might have been the best division in all of football last year. They put three teams in the Playoffs last year. The Ravens and Steelers have been a model of consistency in recent years. They also have the best rivalry in all of football. Every time these two teams get together, you can expect a hard-hitting, smash mouth game of football. Both teams are getting up there in age, however, and may be on a slight decline. I still think both are Playoff teams, but they may not be as infallible as they once worth. The Bengals shocked everyone last year by finishing 10-6 and securing a Wild Card berth. They will only get better. And then there is the Cleveland Browns. Unless they trade up for Robert Griffin, they will be basement dwellers without a doubt. Hell, they probably will still be basement dwellers even with Griffin.

It is Part 4 of my NFL Off-Season Preview, and this time we will look at the NFC West. The West was a division that went the complete opposite way most people saw it going this year. Almost everyone saw the Rams as the favorites to win the division. They were a team on the rise. But a brutal early schedule and injuries put an end to that. The Seahawks struggled early, as did the Cardinals, and both teams’ late season runs weren’t enough to get them in the Playoffs. Then there was the San Francisco 49ers, a team that I am pretty sure no one saw coming. But first year coach Jim Harbaugh completely changed the culture of the team, and he lead the 49ers to the NFC West Title and the NFC Championship Game. All of this was done with pretty much the same roster that didn’t make the Playoffs the year before. What once was considered the weakest division in the NFL is now a decent one that is no longer a laughing stock.

With the NFL Scouting Combine under way and free agency getting close, NFL talk is heating up again. That brings us to Part 3 of our NFL Off-Season Preview. It is time to look at the AFC Tebow. Oh I’m sorry, I mean the AFC West. This division was a big pile of meh last year. The Broncos backed into the division title with an 8-8 record. Two teams fired their head coach while the Chargers retained Norv Turner to the dismay of their fan base. With the emergence of the 49ers in the NFC West, one could argue that this may be the worst division in the NFL. I think the AFC South may be a little worse, but if we are going to argue about that, why would you even continue reading? So lets get to the Preview!

Same division, different conference. It is time for Preview 2 of 8 in my off-season NFL look.

Today we look at the NFC South. This division may be one of the more competitive divisions in football this year. The Saints and the Falcons have been the top dogs in the division for years, but the Panthers may be knocking on the door. Cam Newton showed why he was the #1 overall pick last year, making big plays with his arm and legs. If the Panthers defense can get healthy, they may have a shot at competing for a Playoff spot this year. There were times two years ago that the Buccaneers looked like a young team on the rise, but they took an unexpected nose dive last year and fired Coach Raheem Morris and appear poised for a fresh start with new coach Greg Schiano.

The NFL season may be over, but the off-season is just getting started!

Starting with this Preview, I will be doing previews of each division this off-season. Expect me to pump out one of these a week. Depending on time I may be able to do two. I love writing about the NFL and I didn’t want to stop during the off-season.

Our first preview takes a look at the AFC South. The tide finally turned in the division last year, with the Texans winning their first division title while the Colts, who were mainstays at the top, finished with a 2-14 record and earned the 1st pick in this year’s Draft. But of course, the biggest question surrounding the Colts is the future of Peyton Manning. Is Manning healthy? Will he still be a Colt at the start of the year? No one really knows. Then there are the Titans and Jaguars. The Titans improved towards the end of the year but just fell short of the Playoffs and now face a QB controversy heading into the season. The Jaguars, meanwhile, hired Mike Mularkey to be their new coach and try to fix QB Blaine Gabbert.

I will be doing a team by team preview, with each team’s pending big free agents as well as their biggest needs and questions facing them.