Once again, a "startup" professional football league hits the sports world.  This time, however, there's very little fanfare, and almost no publicity.  You have to look pretty long and hard to get any information regarding this little league.  It does have, however, a television contract with the cable channel Versus, and some ideas that may allow it to be a successful league.  The league's entire premise is an interesting one - essentially it will be a "minor league" football league.  That by itself may make allow it to succeed where other leagues have failed miserably.

The only league that successfully challenged the NFL was the AFL.  But, drawing parallels between that war won't work here.  The AFL was an 8-team league starting in major cities, and quickly drew interest before the days of the internet and access to instant information.  The USFL, born before the days of the internet as well, attempted to fight the NFL on a level playing field.  Ultimately they lost because summer football interested few people, and while it was a drain on talent for a year or two, it didn't get a serious football because no one took it all that seriously.  Finally, the XFL was a collosal failure because it was more of a gimmick from the word go than anything else.  The "He Hate Me" guy may be the enduring image of this league, although the over-field camera innovation was one quickly copied by the entire NFL.

The UFL is starting small, working diligently, and most importantly, making sure that they don't do anything to startle the 800-pound gorilla that is the NFL.  One thing is certain regarding the NFL - they attack vigorously anything it perceives to be a threat to its existence - or revenue flow.  The UFL won't do anything like that.  It won't attempt to do battle with the NFL on Sunday or Monday - where it would lose anyway.  It won't attempt to strip the NFL of its elite talent - which given the salary parameters of the league, it can't do anyway.  No, it's entire being is to be a "try out" place, where the coaches are all NFL-caliber, and the league office and teams are stocked with NFL-caliber or ex-NFL people.  The league is starting small, aiming high, but right to the self-imposed ceiling.  It won't attempt to go through that ceiling because if it does, it then becomes a challenger to the NFL, and that's not something the UFL can afford.  Now, or ever.

What the UFL will offer is professional-quality football between four current teams.  The players won't be widely known.  The draft won't be covered by the NFL Network, ESPN, FoxSports or any other national media outlet.  The league will get a few off-handed remarks here and there, perhaps only with its "inaugural championship" game, but otherwise it'll remain strictly minor league.  Which, if it plays its cards correctly, will satisfy a niche that has gone unfilled for a long time.

When it comes to the NFL, a "rags to riches" story is virtually unheard of.  It just doesn't happen - there is too much at stake to take a chance on a "maybe" guy and give him the time to flesh out his skills and make something of himself.  Kurt Warner is only the most famous of the rags to riches stories, and yes, they do occur, but not with any regular frequency.  It leaves borderline guys without any future prospects.

Let's say that you're a very talented athlete, but raw in many ways.  The NFL gives you a long, hard look, but for various reasons you're neither drafted nor offered a free agent shot at making the team.  Your football career is over.  Now, however, you are offered a shot at making a UFL team.  There, working with top coaches, you are given your opportunity.  Let's say that you are able to make an impression.  Now, you've gotten an opportunity to show the big market that you're capable of playing the game, that your perceived strengths are stronger than people thought, and your perceived weaknesses are not as bad.  You are now offered a free agent contract with the NFL, and if things work out...who knows?  The point is that without the UFL you don't get that opportunity.  So, if I were Chase Daniel or Harrell, I'd think long and hard about playing in the UFL if I got the opportunity.  It's not like I'm going to hitch onto an NFL team.  And maybe I never will; but without the UFL's existence, I'd never get a chance to prove that I'm capable of playing, reading and recognizing in NFL-type offenses and defenses. 

That's what will probably make the UFL a semi-successful league for some time to come.  If it takes off, and finds followers, and sees some promotions from the UFL to NFL, then you can bet that the UFL will find a wider following.  Some football-mad towns (or those large enough to support a team) will get expansion franchises.  It wouldn't one day surprise me to see a 16-team league and have some kind of transfer agreement in place between the UFL and NFL.  Imagine the fears that would subside in the NFL level - now you can theoretically take a supremely talented but exceptionally raw athlete and stick him in the minors for a year or two of seasoning.  He won't make NFL-level salaries, won't cost you more than whatever the UFL's limit is, and maybe even not cost you a cent if he's immediately designated for assignment in the UFL.  Either way, you have secured his rights should this player blossom into a true talent.  For that, you have incurred virtually no costs at all. 

When the 4-team league (San Fran, Vegas, NYC & Orlando) kick off their inaugural season, you can bet NFL brass will be watching with some level of interest.  It's a one or two-year tryout, this UFL.  If they succeed, do some good things, and show that it's capable of standing on its own and offer a way to build future talent, the NFL will get even more interested.  Just don't expect a lot of national attention here.  Even though this country is nuts about football, a minor-league game between Vegas and Orlando won't generate a ton of interest.  But it might generate enough; for the UFL, "enough interest" is the same as the NFL's "standard interest."  For the UFL, "enough" is truly enough.

Who are the most overrated players in the NFL right now?

5. Jay Cutler.  Physically, he's got all of the tools.  But one has to question both his head and maturity.  Maybe I'm not being entirely fair, but it seems to me that Cutler has a bit of Jeff George in him - million dollar arm, five-cent head.  He's going to have to play out of his mind to get people to forget the massive hissy fit he threw, and if he falters - especially in a division that's pretty equal among the top 3 teams - he's going to hear it.

4. Matt Cassel - This isn't entirely fair to put him here, but when you're earning Tom Brady-like money after only 1 season of above-average success, you're in danger of being overrated.  Add to it that Cassel is going to a team in rebuilding mode, with a new head coach, and a star running back that's prone to throwing his own hissy fits.  This may turn out to be a mistaken opinion, but right now it doesn't look that way.

3. Tony Romo - Romo probably has more detractors than supporters, even in Dallas, and possibly in his own locker room.  His "easy going" personality is far too much like Wade Phillips personality.  That's not a flattering comparison.  Romo's got an offense surrounding him that should be able to move the ball and score, but if he keeps killing his team at the end of the season then the hype machine that was Romo will turn on him.

2. Terrell Owens - no player has gotten more headlines for off-field activities than he.  I mean, the fact that he can't find a house in Buffalo makes the freaking news!  Too bad that doesn't translate into football performance.  Owens was beaten last year by well-designed defensive schemes, and wasn't able to simply beat the other guy.  He's always been known to have alligator arms at times.  Now, put him on an iffy team, with an iffy QB and coach, and the potential for outright destruction is there.

1. Brett Favre - look, Favre has a hall of fame career, and for a while was the most dangerous quarterback in the game.  No one was more electric.  But seeing as how he's over the hill and grasping at straws - almost transparent in his attempt to crow "I told you so" to Packers brass - puts him squarely atop this list.  Maybe the Vikings are better top to bottom than the Jets were last year, but Favre's injury wasn't his only problem.  He's a shell of his former self, and for that he's atop this list.

Teams in Transition

I think 3 teams bear extra attention this year, and not all together for great reasons.

3.  Arizona Cardinals.  If I was a Cards fan, I'd have lost my lunch several times over, chewed off every fingernail I had and begun working on my toes, and the damn season hasn't even started yet.  If there was ever a poster child franchise for "Super Bowl Hangover," Arizona seems to be it.  Starting with the maybe yes/maybe no with Warner and blossoming into the outright war between the franchise and Anquan Boldin, this team has all the elements in place to fall flat on its face.

2.  Seattle Seahawks.  Of the two teams that made pre-planned coaching changes, this one is going smoothly, and therefore the 'Hawks are in my opinion a team to watch.  I think that team totally believes that last year's 4-12 record was an anomoly.  They're better than that.  They have tools to be dangerous, and Matt Hasselbeck can be a deadly quarterback when things are clicking along.  Couple that with the impending implosion in Arizona, and it's not outside the realm of possibility that the 2009 NFC West Champs are the Seahawks.

1.  Indianapolis Colts.  Things have been all quiet on the Indy Front since Manning's public airing of frustration with the changing of the guard.  This could be treacherous for Indy.  The Titans, Jags and Texans are all making strides, and all 3 of those teams are building offenses and defenses designed to beat Manning's Colts.  Add to that the loss of Marvin Harrison, and a new head coach who's abilities truly aren't yet known, and one can more easily envision the growing dark cloud over Indy.  Does this mean they'll implode like the Cards?  No - that's not likely, not with Manning's singular talents.  But I think this is a somewhat weakened team, and therefore deserves closer inspection.

Teams missing 2008 playoff spots that will be in contention for 2009 playoff spots.

3.  Seattle Seahawks - see above.

2.  Cincinnati Bengals.  I have a weakness.  Every year since 2005 I've said that the Bengals look dangerous and they blow it.  But there's reason for more than mere outside hope this year.  The Bengals defense rose into the middle ranks last year - this after years of residing near the bottom.  If Palmer and 85 get on a roll, along with Coles and Benson, the Bengals offense will be a top flight unit.  And, if that defense at least matches what it did last year, then the Bengals have to be put into the playoff mix.

1.  New England Patriots.  Brady's back.  Need I say more?  He's going to have to find his 2007 form, though - there are now holes in the vaunted Pats defense that weren't there before.  That won't much matter in the end, however - Brady himself will guide the Pats to 1 or 2 more wins they didn't get last year, and that will be enough to get them into the postseason.

Honorable Mention - Bears, Packers, Cowboys

Teams making 2008 playoff spots in danger of losing out in 2009

3.  Minnesota Vikings.  With or without Favre, returning to the playoffs could be a tall order for this team.  Yes, they're great and dominant on defense, but having to play the AFC's two best, nastiest defenses (PIttsburgh and Baltimore) are tall orders.  The only good news is that the rest of their division has to do the same.  Still, without a true quarterback, few will respect the Vikings passing game and with other teams making more strides, and the NFC East looking top-to-bottom equally dangerous or more dangerous...making a spot will prove to be a daunting challenge.

2.  Miami Dolphins.  Say what you want, but a resurgent Brady puts the Dolphins in second place.  The AFC's "second tier" top teams are all likely better than Miami.  They're in some danger I think.

1. Arizona Cardinals.  I said my piece on them already.

QB Discussions

3 rookies were taken in the first round this year: Josh Freeman (TB), Mark Sanchez (NYJ) and Matt Stafford (DET).  I would expect virtually no success from any of these three this year.  Freeman's the rawest talent, but has arguably the best supporting cast behind him because fellow QB Byron Leftwich has gone through it all, and comes of a season in which he won a Super Bowl.  Sanchez I think could be interesting one day, but after only 1 year running USC's offense and exiting early as a junior may prove that he's not ready yet to run the offense.  The Lions may toss Stafford to the wolves, which could derail him completely.  If Stafford gets the nod, I cringe to think what Pittsburgh's and Baltimore's defenses will do to him.  It will hurt.

Philip Rivers is clearly entering the discussion of the game's best quarterbacks.  Not young QBs - not after 5 years in the league.  But purely among the game's best.  He's made strides every year, and last year had a great season.  The QB class of 1983 is widely regarded as the best ever with Marino, Kelly and Elway.  6 total QBs were taken.  Together, they amassed only a 2-9 Super Bowl record, however.  If Rivers gets to the Super Bowl - and for the fun of it, assume he wins - then not only would the 2004 QB class also have 3 QBs to get to the Super Bowl, but their combined SB record would only get better.  The 2004 Class is already 3-0! 

That's right, a never-before-done (that I can find) Top 10 list!  What are the top 10 "top 10's" that football fans debate???

10.  Top 10 running backs.  Everyone loves to argue running backs, right - which is better, the smaller, elusive, slasher type or the big bowling-ball thunder guy?  Who's the best running back ever?  This is the 10th top 10 in my list because there simply aren't that many current RBs out there with a pedigree like an Emmitt, Barry or even Walter.

9.  Top 10 Best Defense Ever.  Oh, this is a big one around year, because usually the Steelers are at the top of that list.  But it's a good argument - comparing stats, players, and the style (and era) of play.  It's all moot, of course, because defense doesn't play defense, but it's fun to debate.

8.  Top 10 Best Super Bowls.  This too gets higher billing these days because the last two Super Bowls are now arguably the 1-2 punch of great games.  In 42, the big underdog won complete with the sensational, amazing, almost-indescrible catch by David Tyree, and in 43 the twin comebacks first by Arizona then Pittsburgh to win it made for an exciting game that exceeded all expectations.

7.  Top 10 Best Linebackers.  NFL fans love their big-hitting, tooth-jarring hits, and what better way to celebrate that with a top 10 list of the best linebackers of all time!  When you get guys like Butkus, Huff, Lambert, Singletary and Taylor, you have a great list and a fun debate.

6.  Top 10 Best Coaches.  While Lombardi is almost always number one on the list and in your hearts, a list containing the likes of Noll, Shula, Landry, and Walsh make for a pleasant diversion.

5.  Top 10 Greatest Nicknames.  Take your pick - team edition or player edition.  But any guy named Night Train has to be as scary as my personal favorite nickname - The Purple People Eaters!

4.  Top 10 Best Wide Receivers.  Why is this so high?  On the field right now we have Randy Moss.  Jerry Rice is recently retired (relatively speaking).  And there's a long, LONG list of fantasic receivers so the battle of inclusion/exclusion may get more debate than the actual ranking. 

3.  Top 10 Best Draft.  The gold standard is the 1974 Steelers draft - only 4 Hall of Fame players.  But - making this more interesting, which is better overall, the 74 Steelers draft or the 83 quarterbacks drafted?  Hmmm...now opening this to debate makes this far more interesting doesn't it?

2.  Top 10 Best Plays Ever.  Whether you're looking follies (Marshall runs the wrong way), excellence (Montana to Clark's "The Catch") or sheer disbelief (Immaculate Reception and the Music City Miracle) you have people that will debate which was the greatest play ever until time immemorial.

1.  Top 10 Best Quarterbacks.  Man, people love this one.  Since the QB is the most important player on the offense - some might argue the entire field - this one gets a ton of attention.  Plus, in this era we've seen three guaranteed lock HOFers on the field (Favre, Manning, Brady) and plenty of others that are awfully good in their own right.  You've gotta begin asking now - where does Favre, Manning and Brady end up on that particular list (if they make it at all?)?

And a bonus Top 10!

What are the top 10 ways of avoiding work?  #1 in a bullet - writing up the Top 10 "Top 10s" in football, of course!

I love this argument - which conference is better, the AFC or NFC?

Let's start at the bottom.  Who has the weakest teams?

AFC - Oakland Raiders, Kansas City Chiefs
NFC - Detroit Lions, St. Louis Rams

OK, so the Raiders are a chinese firedrill team, and the Chiefs are rebuilding.  I put them here because I don't think that Matt Cassel alone will lift up this team.  I'm thinking a 4-12 record is dead in their sights.  The same is true for Oakland - that's a team that as long as Al Davis has any say in football operations will be awful.  The Lions, coming off their 0-16 season, cannot possibly be worse.  But they've made some decent moves, and one has to think they'll earn 2, 3 maybe 4 wins this year.  The Rams may be the NFL's worst team - they seem to be in a state of complete disarray.

What about teams that are a step above awful?

AFC - Cleveland Browns, Buffalo Bills
NFC - San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Maybe this isn't fair to any of these five teams - especially perhaps Seattle since they were so devastated by injuries last year.  But the fact remains that either their moves won't pay off for another year, they've taken a step backwards, or I'm just doubting their abilities to win consistently.  The funny thing is that all 5 of these teams are capable of winning games.  They have some real talent on the team.  They have some good situations - coaches, owners, players - but there is always a group that simply can't get it done.  You're expecting 5-7 wins here.

Dead-range average

AFC - Denver Broncos, Houston Texans, Cincinnati Bengals, New York Jets
NFC - Washington Redskins, Green Bay Packers

Even among these teams you can see windows of opportunity opening or closing.  In the AFC, the Texans, Bengals and Jets all have windows that appear to be opening.  They're not there yet, or their past performance doesn't allow me to put them higher.  With any of these teams, with the right mixture of injuries or overachievement you could see playoff potential.  But they are yet a step behind one, two or even three teams in their own division, and in that situation you can't project them much higher than this.

Above the line - but with a closing window of opportunity

AFC - Miami Dolphins, Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars
NFC - Arizona Cardinals, New Orleans Saints, Carolina Panthers, Dallas Cowboys

These teams all were in the playoffs last year, or competed to the end-stage of the season to get there.  My look is that their core talent isn't quite there (say in Miami) or their core talent is beginning to show age (Indy) or they've never quite lived up to expectations (New Orleans, Carolina, Dallas).  The Jags are an interesting team here - one that's probably good enough to compete for a playoff despite a tough division and conference - but one that has such a razor thin line between success and failure that you could easily see them bumped off and out.  The Cowboys are in the same position.  The Giants will be a very strong team again, and the Eagles improved.  The Cowboys jettisoned TO, but will that be enough?

Above the line - with an opening window of opportunity

AFC - Tennessee Titans, Baltimore Ravens, Miami Dolphins
NFC - Atlanta Falcons, Minnesota Vikings, Chicago Bears, Philadelphia Eagles

Now it gets interesting.  These are all teams that have many, many pieces in place.  They are teams that had a great year last year (or at least a pretty good one) and few if any expect them to take steps backwards.  Philly has the strangest situation with an aging QB, but with the additional weapons he got this year, and his maturation into a top QB, you can't hardly think the Eagles won't be there for a few more years yet.  The Titans will continue to be strong, and the Ravens are probably the fasting-coming AFC team out there.  The Falcons, Vikings and Bears all have extreme reasons for hope with their improvements (or possible ones).

At the top and determined to stay there

AFC - New England Patriots, Pittsburgh Steelers
NFC - New York Giants

Call these three teams 1a, 1b and 1c.  The Steelers have the best defense.  The Patriots should have the best offense.  The Giants should have the combination of both.  All three teams have the best possible situations in ownership, football operations, coaching and talent.  All three teams have won or been in Super Bowls recently, and all three teams are ready to tackle the challenge of an upcoming season.  No other teams in either conference look ready to unseat these three simply because these three have elements none of the others have. 

What I really think is that the scales are tipping slightly towards the NFC.  For many years in the AFC, there were one or two truly top teams and then about eight that annually competed for playoff spots.  The competition was fierce among those teams.  Now I think that same situation is emerging in the NFC.  The AFC will likely be dominated by five teams - The Pats, Steelers, Ravens, Chargers and Titans.  The Colts and Jags are next in line probably - with the Dolphins an outside chance.  The others are facing long odds because of extremely strong divisions (AFC East, North, South) or because the rest of the division sucks or the teams are falling apart (AFC West).  In the NFC, the Giants have the best overall team, but Philly is chasing them down.  The NFC South could be fascinating - arguably perhaps the most talented division assuming both the Saints and Panthers play up to their expectations.  The West could be topsy-turvy if the Seahawks really rediscover their past form - they could easily challenge the Cardinals for the top slot.  So it's close, but I think that this year the NFC begins to slowly emerge as the better, more competitive of the two conferences.  The AFC is growing more top-heavy by the year, and that kills some of the interest - especially if both New England and San Diego run away with their divisions as I expect them to do.  The South and North will have the tightest battles which very well may last to the season's end.

The excitement will slowly build in Pittsburgh from now until the first day of training camp.  Some fans will no doubt be in a frenzy by the time that camp opens, eagerly awaiting the day that the season kicks off and they can begin their trash talking once again.  The NFL "silly season" is always the first four games - someone will jump out to a 3-1 record that will be a total surprise but then fall back to earth later.  One team will start 2-2 and all the locals will be going utterly insane, but that team will recover and make the playoffs.  That's what always happens, right?

Some things that I think will bear watching in Pittsburgh this year.

1.  Is the offensive line simply that bad (again)?  The OL was an oft-maligned unit last year despite the success of the team.  How many sacks are directly attributable to Ben himself is somewhat debatable, but there's no doubt he contributes to his own high sack total.  Yet the line played poorly overall, and the fact that the Steelers were so far down the list in terms of running game production speaks to those problems.  The Steelers drafted three lineman this year, including an interesting pick with Penn State's A. Q. Shipley.  Undersized for a center, but athletic and very smart, I think the Steelers believe he may be a high value player at some point.  The line - if totally healthy - isn't one that generates a lot of respect.  But they've shown that at times they can get the job done.  Whether they can over a long season will be the single biggest question about this team.

2.  Super Bowl hangover part 2?  The Pats were the last team to win back-to-back Super Bowls.  They seem to be able to cast off the effects of the prior year, concentrate and win in the succeeding year.  I believe that since the core of talent that has won their second Super Bowl returns, they'll be better able to avoid the Super Bowl hangover.  So far Ben's stayed away from his motorcycle this summer, preferring his Porchse instead.  He's older, wiser, better and entering what has to be the pure prime of his career.  Troy and Hines remain top team leaders, and they'll keep their respective units in line.  The Steelers recognize that every single team they will face this year will be up for the game, looking to knock them off.  But the Steelers character guys on the team will likely ensure that they remain very competitive.

3.  Can Mike Tomlin continue improving?  It was something to see, how Tomlin's maturation process from his first to second year went so quickly and dramatically.  He was really only outcoached once.  His message seems to resonate with his team, and even his post Super Bowl comments suggested that he had already put the win behind him and was now looking to the next year.  Going from "who the hell is he?" to attaining near "legend" status in Pittsburgh took all of two years.  Success does that.  But locals demand success, and Tomlin will have to devise a way to craft a new message this year that continues to resonate with his team.  I think he'll do that.

4.  Willie Parker is 28.  He had a bad year last year due primarily to injury but in part due to sub-par offensive line play.  The word is that Parker has returned to the training form that got him the free agent contract with the Steelers in the first place.  This will be an interesting year.  Conventional wisdom regarding backs is that by the age of 28 they have already started the decline.  By age 31 they are mere shells of their former selves in terms of production.  Parker is likely hoping to get another big contract, and will need a "career" year to assist his argument.  But entering the latter stages of his career will work against him, and the notoriously careful Rooneys will not overspend on Parker especially if Mendenhall works into the game a lot this coming season and is productive.  It will be an interesting year, and Parker deserves some extra attention this year.

5.  Ben Roethlisberger's last post-Super Bowl off-season consisted of trips to Switzerland with his family, a near-fatal motorcycle accident, and emergency appendectomy and a season that was his poorest in terms of production.  This post-season he's been a regular at Pens playoff games, shot an 81 at Bethpage Black on the "Sunday US Open" setup and has been keeping in shape.  A bad season and the taste it left, plus just the usual maturity, have all combined to ensure that he won't have a bad season this year because of poor off-season decisions.  He's entering the prime of his career, and he's such a different quarterback that he defies easy description.  He can run, but doesn't.  He's an adept scrambler, and often times makes his best and biggest plays outside of the pocket and on the run.  Yet he can still throw with accuracy from the pocket.  If his accuracy improves in pure pocket-passing, then he's entered yet another level of skill, and then he would right earn a place among the elite QB discussions.

6.  Lawrence Timmons and Limas Sweed enter their third and second years, respectively.  Timmons has been elevated to starter, and Sweed figures to become the "third" receiver in the 3-wide sets, replacing Nate Washington (departed via free agency).  While both players have high expectations upon them, Timmons has so far been the only one to show really what he's capable of doing.  I think his transition to starter will be almost seamless, and by putting him in there it will take the Steelers linebacking corps to the single best unit in the entire NFL.  For Sweed, his rookie season was generally forgettable.  He didn't dress for the first eight games, and only did so later due to some injuries.  When he was in the game, he made more drops than catches, including the memorable sure-TD drop in the AFCCG.  However, in the eyes of at least this fan, he partially redeemed himself when he ear-holed a Ravens player on a special teams play.  If you can't catch the damn ball, then at least act like Hines Ward and hit the snot out of somebody.  But he'll be expected to contribute this year, and he'd better be prepared for it.

7.  Improvements in the AFC North.  The Ravens, Bengals and Browns have all gotten better in some fashion.  The Bengals had a talented (if character-spare) draft, and their big name stars are working harder than ever this year.  They had an underappreciated defense that slowly got better all year long - a result of some recent good drafts.  If their defense solidifies to within 4 slots of the 16th ranking, the Bengals will be in position to win some games.  Their offense should be dangerous, and putting Coles opposite Ochocinco (I hate writing that, by the way) creates a formidable one-two receiving punch, and a totally healthy Carson Palmer is a dangerous quarterback.  The Ravens lost some key players, and their biggest stars are a year older.  But they again had a highly-regarded draft including picking a cornerstone offensive lineman that very well might start this year.  Ngata is getting better, and anchoring a strong defensive line that protects a great group of LBs.  Ed Reed is still a dominant force in the secondary.  And with a running back by committee approach (all good backs, by the way) plus expectations that Joe Flacco will only improve his play in his second year, the Ravens have the look of a "coming" team.  The Browns defense was simply awful last year and the fact that Romeo Crennell couldn't get his team to play for him probably cost him his job.  They haven't made many splashy moves, but if Brady Quinn begins to show production, then the Browns have a prolific offense that can move the ball against any defense.  Eric Mangini will probably shore up the defense along with Bob Ryan, and like Cincinnati, if that unit improves from cellar-dwellar to mid-range team, the Browns too will be in a position to win.

8.  The Patriots/Tom Brady factor.  Even with improvements in the AFC North, and facing a supposedly "weaker" division in the NFC North and AFC West (okay...that one is the weakest) the Steelers will likely have to keep pace with the offensive juggernaut that will again be the Patriots.  This is a team that most people expect to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl, and the reason for that expectation comes down to Tom Brady.  Without him the Pats were a good 11-5 but missed the playoffs.  With him, they'll be more like 13-3 or 14-2, and in the mix for the AFC's #1 seed.  Getting to the playoffs through Foxboro is not an easy task.  So anyone that thinks the Steelers will walk through the season, the playoffs and into the Super Bowl has to rethink that position.

9.  The Steelers schedule - the 2008 "most difficult" - is now among the easier based upon W/L records of 2008 teams.  Yet I see some trouble.  The Steelers have the first-place record, which pits them against Miami, Tennessee and San Diego.  The NFC North could feature three playoff-competing teams (Minnesota, Chicago and Green Bay).  The AFC West could be a one-horse race now since Denver seems to be disintegrating completely from within.  The Chiefs and Raiders are rebuilding, and while they should be improved (at least KC should be) neither of them are expecting great things this year.  That all being said, it's not an "easy" schedule.  The NFC North teams are getting better, and the first-place teams are all going to be pretty tough.  Don't think it's a cake-walk, and then not playing Baltimore until late in the season will likely create two HUGE games.

10.  Overall, I'd say the outlook for the Steelers is very positive.  Their coaching staff is among the best in the NFL.  Dick LeBeau is the NFL's best defensive coordinator - and if Jim Johnson doesn't recover from cancer (which by the way I hope and pray that he does) - then there isn't a D-coordinator that comes close to LeBeau.  Tomlin's highly regarded - not like Belichick - but has the look of a coach that will taste nothing but success for a long, long time.  The Steelers players are still extremely talented, and having a QB like Roethlisberger pretty much means that the Steelers are almost never out of a game despite the score and time left.  Barring injury (of course and as usual), they should be in the mix for the AFC title this year once again, and easily have the talent to win another Super Bowl.