32 Teams In 32 Days (49ers)

San Francisco 49ers 7-9, 2nd Place NFC West

Offseason Additions

Dre Bly (CB, Broncos)
Brandon Jones (WR, Titans)
Marvel Smith (OT, Steelers)
Marques Harris (LB, Chargers)
Moran Norris (FB, Lions)
Damon Huard (QB, Chiefs)
Demetric Evans (DL, Redskins)
Maurice Price (WR, Patriots)
Joe Toledo (OL)
Jimmy Williams (S)
Michael Spurlock (WR)

Offseason Subtractions

Bryant Johson (WR, Lions)
Tully Banta-Cain (LB, Patriots)
Keith Lewis (S, Cardinals)
Ronald Fields (DT, Broncos)
Damane Duckett (OT, Patriots)
J.T. O'Sullivan (QB, Bengals)
Sean Ryan (TE, Chiefs)
Donald Strickland (CB, Jets)
Billy Bajema (TE, Rams)
DeShaun Foster (RB)
Jonas Jennings (OT)

Draft

1. Michael Crabtree
3. Glen Coffee (RB, Alabama)
5. Scott McKillop (LB, Pitt)
5. Nate Davis (QB, Ball State)
6. Bear Pascoe (TE, Fresno St.)
7. Curtis Taylor (S, LSU)
7. Ricky Jean Francois (DT, LSU)

Most Underrated Player: Patrick Willis (LB)
Most Overrated Player: Vernon Davis (TE)

2010 Schedule

1. @ Cardinals
2. Seahawks
3. @ Vikings
4. Rams
5. Falcons
6. Bye
7. @ Texans
8. @ Colts
9. Titans
10. Bears
11. @ Packers
12. Jaguars
13. @ Seahawks
14. Cardinals
15. @ Eagles
16. Lions
17. @ Rams

Former Packers: Joe Toledo (OT), Mark Roman (S), Allen Rossum (CB)

2010 Outlook

The Mike Singletary era is alive in San Francisco and it is sure to be an intense, entertaining, and hardcore era for the 49ers. Singletary brings his no nonsense attitude to a team that is in desperate need of direction and a breath of fresh air. It hasn't been a good decade for the 49ers and they are desperately trying to find their way back to the team that they were in the 90's. Whether or not Singletary's hardcore style will survive in an NFL locker room will be an interesting aspect to keep an eye on and if the players do not buy into the system, it will be a major setback for the 49ers and their fans.

The biggest offseason acquisition for the 49ers was supposed to be WR Michael Crabtree who they selected with the 10th overall pick in the draft. Unfortunately for the 49ers Crabtree is not in camp yet because they have not been able to work out a contract. Crabtree wants to be paid like a top 3 pick in the draft, and he was selected at number 10 which obviously is going to cause problems. It is getting to the point where even if/when Crabtree does get into camp it may be too late for him to have any type of significant contribution to their football team this year. Remember Crabtree had his injury in the offseason and wasn't able to participate in much of the 49ers minicamp either. It is getting to be a huge problem for both Crabtree and the 49ers and he needs to get in camp as soon as possible.

As for the rest of the offseason the 49ers had a lot of lesser known players both come and go via free agency. Players like Brandon Jones, Damon Huard, Marvel Smith and Dre Bly all should either contribute or provide valuable depth, but none are significant enough to make a 3-4 win difference. Same goes for the players that they lost, Tully Banta-Cain, Keith Lewis, Ronald Fields, J.T. O'Sullivan and Bryant Johnson are all solid players, but not one of them are irreplaceable and the 49ers will move on easily without them. The biggest decision for Mike Singletary and company will be deciding who will start at quarterback between Shaun Hill and Alex Smith but Hill is the better quarterback and should be the starter on day 1.

Possible Starting Lineups

QB: Shaun Hill
RB: Frank Gore
FB: Moran Norris
WR: Isaac Bruce, Josh Morgan
TE: Vernon Davis
OT: Joe Staley, Marvel Smith
OG: David Baas, Chilo Rachal
C: Eric Heitmann

DE: Justin Smith, Ray McDonald
NT: Isaac Sopoaga
OLB: Manny Lawson, Parys Haralson
MLB: Patrick Willis, Takeo Spikes
CB: Nate Clements, Dre Bly
S: Michael Lewis, Dashon Goldson

K: Joe Nedney
P: Andy Lee

32 Teams in 32 Days (Cardinals)

Arizona Cardinals 9-7, 1st Place NFC West, NFC Champions

Offseason Additions

Bryant McFadden (CB, Steelers)
Jason Wright (RB, Browns)
Dan Kreider (FB, Rams)
Mike Leach (TE, Broncos)
Keith Lewis (S, 49ers)
Oliver Ross (OT)
Dominique Byrd (TE)

Offseason Subtractions

Edgerin James (RB)
Antonio Smith (DE, Texans)
Terrelle Smith (FB, Lions)
J.J. Arrington (RB, Broncos)
Eric Green (CB, Dolphins)
Monty Beisel (LB, Chiefs)
Dirk Johnson (P, Steelers)
Nathan Hodel (LS, Patriots)
Roderick Green (CB)
Travis Laboy (DE)

Draft

1. Chris Wells (RB, Ohio State)
2. Cody Brown (DE, U-Conn)
3. Rashad Johnson (S, Alabama)
4. Greg Toler (CB, St. Paul's
5. Herman Johnson (OT, LSU)
6. Will Davis (DE, Illinois)
7. LaRod Stephens-Howling (RB, Pittsburgh)
7. Trevor Canfield (OG, Cincinnati)

Most Underrated Player: Karlos Dansby (LB)
Most Overrated Player: Matt Leinart (QB)

2010 Schedule

1. 49ers
2. @ Jaguars
3. Colts
4. Bye
5. Texans
6. @ Seahawks
7. @ Giants
8. Panthers
9. @ Bears
10. Seahawks
11. @ Rams
12. @ Titans
13. Vikings
14. @ 49ers
15. @ Lions
16. Rams
17. Packers

Former Packers: Kurt Warner (QB, at least in training camp)

2010 Outlook

Only one team since 1999 lost in the Super Bowl and was able to make it to the playoffs the following year. That team was the Seattle Seahawks and not even the unflappable Patriots were able to break the curse. Needless to say if the Cardinals want to get back in the Playoffs they will have to work to do it. As if they didn't have enough to worry about with the curse of the Super Bowl loser, they also went ahead and challenged the Madden Curse as well. Larry Fitzgerald is gracing the cover of this years Madden 10 game and just about any player who has been on the cover has had some ill will fall his way, or at the very least the way of his team. Just ask Michael Vick, Brett Favre, Shaun Alexander, Daunte Culpepper and Vince Young how it has treated their career.

While the Cardinals were the NFC Champions last year, they certainly didn't act like a Super Bowl team in the offseason. They fired their defensive coordinator, lost their offensive coordinator Todd Haley to the Chiefs, let Edgerin James and J.J. Arrington go, and brought in Chris 'Beanie' Wells and Jason Wright to re-make their running attack. They still boast the best starting receiver set in football with Boldin and Fitzgerald and if Warner can stay healthy there is no reason why this team can't be even more high powered this season than last.

One of the major reasons that the Cardinals were able to reach the Super Bowl last year was the surprising play of their defense. The Cardinals really started to come together as a team last season and although weren't a force defensively, they were good enough to allow their offense to win games for them. The Cardinals have a great mix of youth and experience all throughout their defense and the addition of Bryant McFadden should make them tougher and deeper in the secondary. The real change on defense was hiring Bill Davis as defensive coordinator and it will be up to him to improve this defense enough to make another Super Bowl run.

Possible Starting Lineups

QB: Kurt Warner
RB: Chris Wells
FB: Dan Kreider
WR: Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin
TE: Leonard Pope
OT: Mike Gandy, Levi Brown
OG: Reggie Wells, Deuce Lutui
C: Lyle Sendlein

DE: Bryan Robinson, Bertrand Berry
NT: Darnell Dockett
OLB: Chike Okeafor, Cody Brown
ILB: Gerald Hayes, Karlos Dansby
CB: Bryant McFadden, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie
S: Antrel Rolle, Adrian Wilson

K: Neil Rackers
P: Ben Graham

32 Teams in 32 Days (Saints)

New Orleans Saints 8-8, Last Place NFC South

Offseason Additions

Darren Sharper (S, Vikings)
Heath Evans (FB, Patriots)
Paul Spicer (DE, Jaguars)
Rod Coleman (DT)
Jabari Greer (CB, Bills)
Nick Leckey (C, Rams)
Anthony Waters (LB, Chargers)
Pierson Prioleau (S, Jaguars)

Offseason Subtractions

Josh Bullocks (S, Bears)
Mike Karney (FB, Rams)
David Patten (WR, Browns)
Mike McKenzie (CB)
Deuce McAllister (RB)
Aaron Stecker (RB)
Matt Lehr (C)
Mark Campbell (TE)
Kevin Kaesviharn (S)
Hollis Thomas (DT)
Martin Gramatica (K)
Terrence Holt (S)

Draft

1. Malcolm Jenkins (CB, Ohio State)
4. Chip Vaughn (S, Wake Forest)
4. Stanley Arnoux (LB, Wake Forest)
5. Thomas Morstead (P, Southern Methodist)

Most Underrated Player: Jahri Evans (G)
Most Overrated Player: Reggie Bush (RB)

2010 Schedule

1. Lions
2. @ Eagles
3. @ Bills
4. Jets
5. Bye
6. Giants
7. @ Dolphins
8. Falcons
9. Panthers
10. @ Rams
11. @ Buccaneers
12. Patriots
13. @ Redskins
14. @ Falcons
15. Cowboys
16. Bucaneers
17. @ Panthers

Former Packers: Mark Brunell (QB), Darren Sharper (S)

2010 Outlook

It's not very often that a team can go 8-8 and finish in last place in their division, but that is exactly what the Saints were able to accomplish last season. In what ended up being the toughest division in football the Saints .500 record wasn't able to beat out Tampa, Atlanta, or Carolina for even third place in the NFC South. The Saints do get some consolation for finishing in last by getting scheduled games against Detroit and St. Louis but that is a small consolation for finishing in last place when San Diego (a team New Orlenas beat last year) went to the playoffs with the same exact record.

On offense Sean Payton is one of the best and most creative play-callers in all of football. Nobody utilizes the talents of their individual players and creates mismatches better than Payton and because of that Drew Brees, Pierre Thomas, Marques Colston, Lance Moore, Reggie Bush and Jeremy Shockey should be in for another great year on offense. On defense the Saints have been desperate to find some defensive backs who can keep opposing offenses from scoring points at will. They spent their first overall pick on corner Malcolm Jenkins after drafting Tracy Porter last year. The also brought in Darren Sharper, a known ball hawk, from Minnesota and Jabari Greer from Buffalo. This team still has the feel and look of a team who has a dynamic offense and a below average defense. Their defense will need to step up under new coordinator Greg Williams and more importantly they are going to need to get plenty of help from their high draft choices such as Jenkins, Porter and Sedrick Ellis if their defense wants to be successful enough to make a playoff run.

Possible Starting Lineups

QB: Drew Brees
RB: Pierre Thomas
FB: Heath Evans
WR: Marques Colston, Lance Moore
TE: Jeremy Shockey
OT: Jammal Brown, Jon Stinchcomb
OG: Jahri Evans, Jamar Nesbit
C: Jonathin Goodwin

DE: Will Smith, Charles Grant
DT: Kendrick Clancy, Sedrick Ellis
OLB: Scott Fujita, Scott Shanle
MLB: Jonathan Vilma
CB: Jabari Greer, Randall Gay
S: Darren Sharper, Roman Harper

K: Garrett Hartley
P: Glenn Pakulak

32 Teams in 32 Days (Buccaneers)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers 9-7, 3rd Place NFC South

Offseason Additions

Raheem Morris (Head Coach)

Byron Leftwich (QB, Steelers)

Derrick Ward (RB, Giants)

Kellen Winslow (TE, Browns)

Mike Nugent (K, Jets)

Angelo Crowell (LB)

Kelly Campbell (WR)

Offseason Subtractions

Jon Gruden (Head Coach)

Phillip Buchanon (CB, Lions)

Joey Galloway (WR, Patriots)

Alex Smith (TE, Patriots)

Jeff Garcia (QB, Raiders)

Cato June (LB, Texans)

Jovan Haye (DT, Titans)

Paris Warren (WR, Cowboys)

Derrick Brooks (LB)

Warrick Dunn (RB)

Kevin Carter (DL)

Ike Hilliard (WR)

Brian Griese (QB)

Draft

1. Josh Freeman (QB, Kansas State)

3. Roy Miller (DT, Texas)

4. Kyle Moore (DE, USC)

5. Xavier Fulton (OT, Illinois)

7. E.J. Biggers (CB, Western Michigan)

7. Sammie Stroughter (WR, Oregon State)

Most Underrated Player: Barrett Ruud (MLB)

Most Overrated Player: Kellyn Winslow (TE)

2010 Schedule

1. Cowboys

2. @ Bills

3. Giants

4. @ Redskins

5. @ Eagles

6. Panthers

7. @ Patriots

8. Bye

9. Packers

10. @ Dolphins

11. Saints

12. @ Falcons

13. @ Panthers

14. Jets

15. @ Seahawks

16. @ Saints

17. Falcons

Former Packers: Josh Bidwell (P)

2010 Outlook

Here's the scenario: The Buccaneers were 9-3 with only 4 games to go. They were in complete control of their own destiny, Jon Gruden was in command, and the Buccaneers looked headed for a second straight postseason appearance. They then lost in a blowout to Carolina, lost by a FG to Atlanta, got blown out by San Diego, and then to top everything off lost in the final week of the season by a touchdown to the lowly Oakland Raiders. The Buccaneers missed the playoffs and then in a shocking offseason move fired Jon Gruden and promoted Raheem Morris to head coach. They then said goodbye to Jeff Garcia and Brian Griese, brought in Byron Leftwich and spent their first round draft pick on quarterback Josh Freeman. They also said goodbye to veterans Warrick Dunn, Derrick Brooks, Joey Galloway, Cato June, Phillip Buchanon, Ike Hilliard and Kevin Carter. From 9-3 to a complete and total rebuild all starting with one game against Carolina on December 8th, 2008.

In the NFL that's just how quickly it can happen. One moment the Buccaneers are on top of the world, the next moment they are rebuilding. Then again there are teams like the Miami Dolphins last season who were 1-15 two seasons ago and then made the playoffs in 2008. Things change so incredibly fast that it's not even parity in the NFL anymore, its an all-out free-for-all. On offense the Buccaneers will boast three new weapons, quarterback Byron Leftwich, running back Derrick Ward, and tight end Kellyn Winslow. Ward is coming off his most productive season, Winslow has had his ups and downs but is still ultra talented, and Leftwich showed that he can be the guy when given the opportunity in Pittsburgh last year. Those three new players will have a huge impact on this new look Buccaneers team and whether or not they will be able to make another playoff appearance.

On defense the Bucs will be extremely interesting to watch. On the defensive line the Buccaneers have the potential for a pretty solid rotation on the outside with Gaines Adams, Jimmy Wilkerson and Stylez G. White. In the middle they are a little thin and will be lead mainly by veteran Chris Hovan. Linebacker is the real interesting spot for the Bucs. Gone are Cato June and Derrick Brooks and in is Angelo Crowell who sat out all last season with injury in Buffalo, and possibly Jermaine Phillips who has been a safety for all of his career. If Crowell can come back from injury and Phillips is able to make the transition, the corps should actually be really good, but those are two big ifs. In the backfield Tampa will go with second year corner Aqib Talib and veteran Ronde Barber who both need to have big seasons because there isn't a whole lot of depth behind either of them. Tanard Jackson and Sabby Piscitelli are a good tandem at safety and Will Allen provides solid depth behind both. It should be a very interesting season for Tampa Bay and only time will tell if it was worth starting over with a new coaching staff and bringing in Leftwich and Freeman. With one of the toughest schedules in football and a lot of question marks on their team, it may be a tough season in Tampa but with change also brings hope and excitement.

Possible Starting Lineups

QB: Byron Leftwich

RB: Derrick Ward

FB: B.J. Askew

WR: Antonio Bryant, Michael Clayton

TE: Kellen Winslow

OT: Donald Penn, Jeremy Trueblood

OG: Aaron Sears, Davin Joseph

C: Jeff Faine

DE: Gaines Adams, Stylez G. White

DT: Chris Hovan, Ryan Sims

OLB: Angelo Crowell, Jermaine Phillips

MLB: Barrett Ruud

CB: Aqib Talib, Ronde Barber

S: Tanard Jackson, Sabby Piscitelli

K: Matt Bryant

P: Josh Bidwell

A Multitude of Casualties

Yesterday seemed like the absolute low point of the season for the Brewers with an absolute drubbing at the hands of the San Diego Padres. Apparently the Brewers agreed because today they released Bill Hall, optioned J.J. Hardy to the minors and fired pitching coach Bill Castro. In their place will be Alcides Escobar (the teams top prospect), Chris Bosio (the Nashville Sounds pitching coach) and Jason Bourgeois (a Tiple-A outfielder who was hitting over .300). While not a complete overhaul it changes the mindset of the locker room big time. J.J. Hardy and Bill Hall were players who had been established with the team and Hardy was just an all-star two seasons ago. It sends the message that nobody is untouchable and hopefully should raise everybody's eyebrows to get them playing at their full potential. Here is a breakdown of each move.

J.J. Hardy and Alcides Escobar

Of all the moves the Brewers made today, this is the most significant and in a way most exciting move that they made. Escobar is the Brewers top prospect and this will be his first significant time in the majors. It will be interesting to see if he plays everyday at shortstop, or if he platoons with Counsell and McGehee plays everyday at third. More than likely Escobar and McGehee will be the everyday players at their respective positions, but Counsell will play 2-3 times per week replacing both of them depending on matchups. Obviously the trade market for Hardy was nothing because if he had any trade value the Brewers would have traded him for pitching. There are rumors that the Red Sox are interested, but I'm not exactly sure what the Brewers could expect in return. The bad news in this move is that they are either going to trade him now and not get very much in return or they are going to have him play in the minors for a while, hope he catches fire and bring him back to the majors and then have to decide what to do with him and Escobar. Even if he does return to the majors on fire they would just be showcasing him for a possible trade this summer and I can't imagine many teams willing to give up too much for a shortstop who was in the minors during the season, was batting barely over .210 and has no spot on the roster because of Escobar. Regardless of what happens with Hardy in the minors the Brewers will never again realize their full potential for Hardy as either a player or by getting the value that they once would have received in a trade. The move may have been necessary to shake things up and it was definitely time to give Escobar a shot, but in many ways it was the Brewers giving up on Hardy.

Bill Castro and Chris Bosio

Bill Castro has been a part of the Brewers organization for a long time, the players seemed to like him and he seemed like an overall real quality guy. This is the last type of thing that anybody would wish on Bill Castro, but it was a move that was just. The starting pitching staff has the worst ERA in the NL, the entire staff has underachieved and pitchers like M. Parra, Y. Gallardo, J. Suppan, and D. Bush have all seemed to decline since last year and at the very least haven't gotten any better while Castro has been around. To make things worse for Castro, M. Parra seemed to find himself when he was sent down to the minors and coached by none other than Chris Bosio. The Brewers currently have a full fledged pitching crisis on their hands with Suppan and Bush on the DL, Parra, Gallardo and Looper struggling and no other real options as starters other than Villanueva and Burns. Doug Melvin has tried to improve the bullpen by acquiring David Weathers, J. Calome and Claudio Vargas but hasn't done anything to shore up the starting rotation as of yet. Apparently for the Brewers there were no reasonable starting pitching options so instead they tried to improve their bullpen and fire their pitching coach. Unless the starters can start getting a few quality starts each week though, I can't see the bullpen or the pitching coach change helping as much as they need it to.

Bill Hall and Jason Bourgeois

While this move may be the least significant of the three moves that the Brewers made today, it's still very surprising. This move shows a little bit of mismanagement on the part of Doug Melvin. The Brewers actually got Hall to accept assignment to the minors last week, a move that I would have never thought possible. Hall is making around 10 million per year right now and to get him to accept assignment to the minors was perfect. They weren't forced to release him and eat his entire salary, maybe he gets hot in the minors and starts batting .500, and he wasn't holding up a roster spot in Milwaukee. When Corey Hart went down with his injury though the Brewers quickly recalled Hall and had him play right field. What makes this move even a little bit more puzzling is that Hall had success in the minors and in his last 3 games with the Brewers was 3-11, batting 0.273, with a home run, 2 runs and 3 rbi's. Not incredible numbers by any means, but numbers that showed improvement over earlier in the year. Bourgeois on the other hand has been extremely solid at Nashville hitting .316 with 2 home runs and 36 stolen bases, 41 rbi's and 61 runs in 105 games. He is far from being a top prospect though and isn't even on Brewerfan.net's list of the Brewer's top 50 prospects. What again seems even more surprising is that the Brewers easily could have just released Gerut instead of Hall and it wouldn't have cost them anywhere near the money that it would cost them to release Hall. This move, more than any other shows that the Brewers were adamant about these moves being a complete shakeup of the team because Hall and Hardy were established veterans who weren't performing up to par and by making these two moves in particular it should shakeup the entire roster.

Other Moves on the Way?

While the Brewers definitely made a big splash today, other moves could be coming as well. First of all J.J. Hardy could still be traded through waivers which would be a big move in and of itself, but I wouldn't be shocked to see if maybe the Brewers release Gerut as well and bring up recently acquired Corey Patterson. Patterson has been on fire since joining Nashville going 14/28, 0.500, with 2 home runs, 9 runs, 6 rbi's and 2 stolen bases in just 7 games. It would make sense with the team trying to shake things up that this could be another potential move for the Brewers. I also wouldn't be surprised to see M. DiFelice put on the DL for a short stint with arm soreness, his arm just looks gassed right now and he is unable to get outs. Not sure who the Brewers could pull up from the minors because there aren't exactly any surefire options there either but DiFelice looks like he could use a couple weeks off for sure. Regardless of whether there are any other moves made or not, today was a day to remember for the Brewers. It will be interesting to see if the shakeup does affect the locker room and cause the Brewers to get better or if they will mail it in the rest of the season. If nothing else it may signal the end of A. Escobar's days in the minors and a new era of shortstop in Milwaukee.

32 Teams in 32 Days (Falcons)

Atlanta Falcons 11-5, 2nd Place NFC South

Offseason Additions

Tony Gonzalez (TE, Chiefs)

Mike Peterson (LB, Jaguars)

Brett Romberg (C, Rams)

Edmond Miles (LB, Giants)

Verron Haynes (RB)

Will Svitek (OL)

Offseason Subtractions

Keith Brooking (LB, Cowboys)

Domonique Foxworth (CB, Falcons)

Michael Boley (LB, Giants)

Grady Jackson (DT, Lions)

Laurent Robinson (WR, Rams)

Todd Weiner (Retired)

Harry Douglas (WR, Injury)

Wayne Gandy (OL)

Lawyer Milloy (S)

Marcus Pollard (TE)

Draft

1. Peria Jerry (DT, Ole Miss)

2. William Moore (S, Missouri)

3. Christopher Owens (CB, San Jose State)

4. Lawrence Sidbury (DE, Richmond)

5. William Middleton (CB, Furman)

5. Garrett Reynolds (OT, North Carolina)

6. Spencer Adkins (LB, Miami)

7. Vance Walker (DT, Georgia Tech)

Most Underrated Player: Sam Baker (OT)

Most Overrated Player: Michael Jenkins (WR)

2010 Schedule

1. Dolphins

2. Panthers

3. @ Patriots

4. Bye

5. @ 49ers

6. Bears

7. @ Cowboys

8. @ Saints

9. Redskins

10. @ Panthers

11. @ Giants

12. Buccaneers

13. Eagles

14. Saints

15. @ Jets

16. Bills

17. @ Buccaneers

Former Packers: Robert Ferguson (WR)

2010 Outlook

Coach Mike Smith, quarterback Matt Ryan, and running back Michael Turner lead the Falcons who were one of the feel good stories of 2009. A team whose coach left them unexpectedly in 2008 and whose quarterback Michael Vick was in prison for animal cruelty amongst other things, the Falcons were able to rebuild their entire franchise in one offseason and even made a playoff appearance. Now in his second year Matt Ryan will be a year wiser, will return with almost every starter on offense and will have an added weapon in Tony Gonzalez. The offense is in great hands with Ryan who is an accurate and intelligent quarterback who competes hard in every game he plays. Ryan should only get better in his second year and the offense should go right along with him. There is no reason to believe the Falcons can't be even better on offense this season than they were last.

On defense the Falcons had some pieces that needed replacing. The big loss was Dominique Foxworth to the Ravens, but Keith Brooking's leadership, Grady Jackson's size and Michael Boley's athleticism will be missed as well. In their place the Falcons brought in 1st round pick Peria Jerry, and 3rd round pick Christopher Owens as well as linebacker Mike Peterson who played his best under now head coach Mike Smith. Defensive improvement will rely heavily on how well the Falcons younger players can improve. Jonathan Babineaux, Peria Jerry, Jamaal Anderson, Curtis Lofton, Chris Houston, Thomas DeCoud and Chevis Jackson may not be household names yet, but they are an extremely talented core group of players who are all still very young. It's a lot to ask of a young defense, but the makings are there for a top 10 defense sooner rather than later.

The Falcons have one of the tougher schedules of any team this year. They start off against two playoff teams from a season ago: Miami and Carolina, and then head to New England before getting a very early bye in week four. They then have five straight games against teams who didn't make the playoffs last year, but are teams that easily could make the playoffs this year: 49ers, Bears, Cowboys, Saints, and Redskins. They then have a brutal two game road trip against both the Panthers and the Giants. The end of their schedule isn't as daunting as the beginning but still has games at Philadelphia and against the Saints and Bills at home. The Falcons won't surprise any unsuspecting teams this year and will have to work even harder to get back to the playoffs in Matt Ryan and Mike Smith's second year, but all the makings are there for a team who should compete for another spot in the postseason.

Possible Starting Lineup

QB: Matt Ryan

RB: Michael Turner

FB: Ovie Mughelli

WR: Roddy White, Michael Jenkins

TE: Tony Gonzelez

OT: Sam Baker, Tyson Clabo

OG: Justin Blalock, Harvey Dahl

C: Todd McClure

DE: John Abraham, Chauncey Davis

DT: Peria Jerry, Jonathan Babineaux

OLB: Mike Peterson, Stephen Nicholas

MLB: Curtis Lofton

CB: Chris Houston, Chevis Jackson

S: Thomas DeCoud, William Moore

K: Jason Elam

P: Michael Koenen

32 Teams in 32 Days (Panthers)

Carolina Panthers, 12-4, 1st Place NFC South

Offseason Additions

Justin Geisinger (OG, Falcons)
Marcus Monk (WR)

Offseason Subtractions

Maake Kemoeatu (Injury)
Jeremy Bridges (OG, Redskins)
Frank Omiyale (OL, Bears)
Ken Lucas (CB, Seahawks)
Geoff Hangartner (C, Bills)
J'Vonne Parker (DT, Broncos)
Adam Seward (LB, Colts)
Gary Gibson (DT, Rams)
Mark Jones (WR, Titans)
D.J. Hackett (WR)

Draft

2. Everette Brown (DE, Florida State)
2. Sherrod Martin (S, Troy)
3. Corey Irvin (DT, Georgia)
4. Mike Goodson (RB, Texas A&M)
4. Tony Fiammetta (FB, Syracuse)
5. Duke Robinson (OT, Oklahoma)
7. Captain Munnerlyn (CB, South Carolina)

Most Underrated Player: Jon Beason (MLB)
Most Overrated Player: Jake Delhome (QB)

2010 Schedule

1. Eagles
2. @ Falcons
3. @ Cowboys
4. Bye
5. Redskins
6. @ Buccaneers
7. Bills
8. @ Cardinals
9. @ Saints
10. Falcons
11. Dolphins
12. @ Jets
13. Buccaneers
14. @ Patriots
15. Vikings
16. @ Giants
17. Saints

Former Packers: Na'il Diggs (LB)

The Carolina Panthers were one of the surprise teams during the 2009 season and in 2010 they will not be able to sneak by any team as easily. The Panthers boast one of the best 1-2 punches at running back in all of football with DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart and are a solid team overall from top to bottom. In the offseason they had some major decisions to make with Julius Peppers being a free agent and Jake Delhomme needing a new contract. The Panthers chose to pay Delhomme a ridiculous amount of money to be their long term quarterback when he already showed signs of aging last season, and decided to franchise Peppers and only sign him to the 1 year tender. Giving these two huge contracts to players already on the team really limited their ability to spend on other players in the free agent market and because of that the Panthers stayed very much the same this offseason and only added Justin Geisinger who will likely be a backup offensive lineman for the Panthers.

While the Panthers didn't add much through free agency, they didn't lose tons either. Jeremy Bridges, Frank Omiyale and Geoff Hangartner left via free agency, leaving the depth of the offensive line very much in question, and the loss of Ken Lucas was not insignificant either, but they didn't lose enough to really be too worried. Their biggest loss will be Maake Kemoeatu who they lost early in training camp to injury. He was their defensive tackle that ate up blocks and allowed Jon Beason to be the play-maker that he is. Without Kemoeatu their defense will have to work harder to make up for his loss. The Panthers did add Everette Brown, a potential first round pick who fell all they way to pick 11 in the 2nd round and Mike Goodson, and Duke Robinson were very solid picks in the later rounds but all 3 could take time to develop into every down NFL players.

In the NFL if you aren't getting better other NFL teams will pass you by, even if you were the first place team in the division from a year ago. NFL teams are constantly trying to improve and constantly trying to be the best team and it's harder and harder to just maintain a team and expect to do better than the previous year. With the free agents they lost and the lack of new incoming players along with the injury to Maake Kemoeatu its hard to imagine the Panthers continuing as a 12-4 team like they were a season ago. They may very well be the best team in the division still but will undoubtedly be challenged by a tough division that seemingly has a new first place team every season.

Possible Starting Lineups

QB: Jake Delhomme
RB: DeAngelo Williams
FB: Brad Hoover
WR: Steve Smith, Mushin Muhammad
TE: Jeff King
OT: Jordan Gross, Jeff Otah
OG: Travelle Wharton, Keydrick Vincent
C: Ryan Kalil

DE: Julius Peppers, Tyler Brayton
DT: Damoine Lewis, Babatunde Oshinowo
OLB: Na'il Diggs, Thomas Davis
MLB: Jon Beason
CB: Chris Gamble, Richard Marshall
S: Chris Harris, Charles Godfrey

K: John Kasay
P: Jason Baker

32 Teams in 32 Days (Lions)

Detroit Lions, 0-16, Last Place NFC North

Offseason Additions

Jim Schwartz (Head Coach, Tennessee Titans)
Larry Foote (LB, Steelers)
Julian Peterson (LB, Seahawks)
Anthony Henry (CB, Cowboys)
Phillip Buchanon (CB, Buccaneers)
Grady Jackson (DT, Falcons)
Ronald Curry (WR, Raiders)
Terrelle Smith (FB, Cardinals)
Maurice Morris (RB, Seahawks)
Eric King (CB, Titans)
Bryant Johnson (WR, 49ers)
Will Heller (TE, Seahawks)

Offseason Subtractions

Cory Redding (DT, Seahawks)
Jon Kitna (QB, Cowboys)
Moran Norris (FB, 49ers)
Shaun McDonald (WR, Steelers)
Leigh Bodden (CB, Patriots)
Dan Campbell (TE, Saints)
Mike Furrey (WR, Browns)
Dan Orlovsky (QB, Texans)
Shaun Cody (DT, Texans)

Draft

1. Matthew Stafford (QB, Georgia)
1. Brandon Pettigrew (TE, Oklahoma State)
2. Louis Delmas (S, Western Michigan)
3. DeAndre Levy (LB, Wisconsin)
3. Derrick Williams (WR, Penn State)
4. Sammie Lee Hill (DT, Stillman)
6. Aaron Brown (RB, TCU)
7. Lydon Murtha (OT, Nebraska)
7. Zach Follett (LB, California)
7. Dan Gronkowski (TE, Maryland)

Most Underrated Player: Daniel Looper (OL)
Most Overrated Player: Julian Peterson (LB)

2010 Schedule

1. @ Saints
2. Vikings
3. Redskins
4. @ Bears
5. Steelers
6. @ Packers
7. Bye
8. Rams
9. @ Seahawks
10. @ Vikings
11. Browns
12. Packers
13. @ Bengals
14. @ Ravens
15. Cardinals
16. @ 49ers
17. Bears

Former Packers: Jason Hunter (DE), Grady Jackson (DT)

2010 Outlook

The 2010 outlook can't be any worse then the 2009 review. An 0-16 season, a perfect defeated season, something I never truly thought that I would see during my lifetime. There is too much talent generally on any NFL team to go defeated over 16 regular season games and the fact that the Lions were able to do so is just astonishing. The first thing that the Lions were able to do was fire Matt Millen towards the middle of last season and they followed up with clearing house with the rest of their coaching staff in the offseason. They brought in Jim Schwartz who was a well deserving coach and he may just be the person who is able to turn this franchise around.

As terrible as the Lions were last year they didn't do nearly the amount of cleaning house on their roster as might have been expected. They did bring in some minor free agents and drafted 10 new players, including the 1st overall pick in the draft Matthew Stafford, but overall it wasn't a huge overhaul like what happened in Denver. There is some good news for the Lions potentially. They start off with Matthew Stafford, Kevin Smith, Calvin Johnson, and Brandon Pettigrew at QB, RB, WR, and TE respectively and all are extremely young and talented. If they can play up to their potential, the combination of those 4 alone should go a long way in winning future games for the Lions.

On defense the Lions should gain credibility and respectability simply by hiring defensive coach Jim Schwartz. He will install a tough, physical defense that teams will have to game plan against because he will make opposing offenses earn their yardage. The talent isn't there yet and it will take some time for them to assemble the right pieces but the change in coaching and philosophy should improve them on defense already. The Lions are still a long way from being a good football team and it will take a few offseasons to undo the damage done by the previous regime, but if Jim Schwartz can get their young offensive weapons playing up to their ability starting this year, they will start to surprise some teams and it will be a big step in starting to rebuild their franchise.

Possible Starting Lineups

QB: Matthew Stafford
RB: Kevin Smith
FB: Terrelle Smith
WR: Calvin Johnson, Derrick Williams
TE: Brandon Pettigrew
OT: Jeff Backus, Gosder Cherilus
OG: Daniel Looper, Stephen Peterman
OC: Dominic Raiola

DE: Dewayne White, Cliff Avril
DT: Sammie Lee Hill, Grady Jackson
OLB: Julian Peterson, Ernie Sims
MLB: Larry Foote
CB: Phillip Buchanon, Anthony Henry
S: Daniel Bullocks, Louis Delmas

K: Jason Hanson
P: Nick Harris

Brewers Week in Review

Week of August 3rd-August 9th

Monday August 3rd: @ L.A. Dodgers, won 6-5

Tuesday August 4th: @ L.A. Dodgers, lost 4-17

Wednesday August 5th: @ L.A. Dodgers, won 4-1

Thursday August 6th: Off Day

Friday August 7th: @ Houston Astros, lost 3-6

Saturday August 8th: @ Houston Astros, won 12-5

Sunday August 9th: @ Houston Astros, lost 0-2

Record: 3-3 Runs Scored: 29 Runs Against: 36 Overall Record: 55-56 (Tied 3rd Place NL Central)

Player of the Week

Ryan Braun: 13-30, 0.433, HR, 3 runs, 9 rbi's

-Second time Braun has won player of the week

Pitcher of the Week

Braden Looper: 6.2 innings pitched, 1.45 ERA, 0.97 whip, 4K, win

-Second time Looper has won player of the week

Goat of the Week

Yovani Gallardo: 12.1 innings pitched, 8.18 ERA, 1.82 whip, 11 K's, 0 wins, 2 losses

-First time Gallardo has been goat of the week

Players who played well:

F. Lopez: 8-26, 0.308, 6 runs, rbi, error (3rd time in a row)

M. Rivera: 2-8, 0.250, 2 runs, 4 rbi's

J. Kendall: 4-13, 0.308, HR, 3 runs, 2 rbi's

M. Parra: 13.1 innings pitched, 4.81 ERA, 1.53 whip, 8 K's, 2 wins, 0 losses

T. Hoffman: 2.0 innings pitched, 4.50 ERA, 2.00 whip, 2 K's, 2 saves (6th in a row)

C. Smith: 2.1 innings pitched, 0.00 ERA, 1.43 whip

T. Coffey: 2.1 inning pitched, 0.00 ERA, 0.00 whip (4th in a row)

Players who struggled:

C. McGehee: 4-22, 0.182, 3 runs, rbi

M. Cameron: 5-23, 0.217, run, 2 steals

J. Hardy: 3-16, 0.188, 3 runs

B. Hall: 2-11, 0.182, run, 2 rbi's

C. Counsell: 2-12, 0.167, rbi

M. Stetter: 0.0 innings pitched, 1 earned run, 1 hit against, (whip and ERA incalculable)

M. DiFelice: 1.0 innings pitched, 36.00 ERA, 6.00 whip, K

R. Swindle: 1.0 innings pitched, 45.00 ERA, 5.00 whip, 2 K

C. Villanueva: 5.1 innings pitched, 7.06 ERA, 1.37 whip, 2K, 0 wins, 1 loss

Transactions:

August 7th: Designated R.J. Swindle for assignment

August 7th: Recalled Jesus Calome from Nashville

August 9th: Traded a player to be named later to Cincinnati for David Weathers

32 Teams in 32 Days (Packers)

Green Bay Packers, 6-10, 3rd Place NFC North

Offseason Additions

Anthony Smith (S, Steelers)

Duke Preston (OG, Bills)

Offseason Subtractions

Colin Cole (DT, Seahawks)

Jason Hunter (DE, Lions)

Mark Tauscher (OT)

Draft

1. B.J. Raji (DT, Boston College)

1. Clay Matthews (OLB, USC)

4. T.J. Lang (OL, Eastern Michigan)

5. Quinn Johnson (FB, LSU)

5. Jamon Merdith (OT, South Carolina)

6. Jarius Wynn (DE, Georgia)

6. Brandon Underwood (CB, Cincinnati)

7. Brad Jones (LB, Colorado)

Most Underrated Player: Charles Woodson (CB)

Most Overrated Player: A.J. Hawk (LB)

2010 Schedule

1. Bears

2. Bengals

3. @ Rams

4. @ Vikings

5. Bye

6. Lions

7. @ Browns

8. Vikings

9. @ Buccaneers

10. Cowboys

11. 49ers

12. @ Lions

13. Ravens

14. @ Bears

15. @ Steelers

16. Seahawks

17. @ Cardinals

2010 Outlook

The 2009 Green Bay Packers ended an already frustrating season by going 1-5 in their final 6 games. Their only win was against the already 0-15 Detroit Lions to extend their streak to 16 in a row. There were very few bright spots for the Packers a year ago, but they are trying to put all of that behind them in 2010. Two seasons ago the Packers surprised everybody by making it to the NFC Championship before eventually losing to the Giants, and last season the Packers surprised a lot of people in the opposite way. Not many were expecting the Packers to be a championship team again, but not many were expecting them to be a 6-10 team either.

The Packers didn't panic though and did exactly what they normally do in the offseason, they stayed the course, didn't do anything drastic and continued to build their team from within and through the draft. The biggest move that the Packers made was trading up into the 1st round to grab another first round selection which resulted in linebacker Clay Matthews out of USC. This was after they already used their original 1st round pick on B.J. Raji the massive defensive lineman out of Boston College. The Packers also are hoping to transform their defense by bringing in defensive coordinator Dom Capers and having them transition them from a 4-3 to a 3-4. Both Raji and Matthews will be two huge pieces of the new 3-4 puzzle.

Overall the Packers are still a very young and talented team. Aaron Rodgers proved last season that he can be "the guy" in Packerland and when clicking the Packers have one of the most talented, exciting receiving corps in all of football. If their offense can become more consistent and their defense can transition smoothly to the new 3-4, the Packers should very much improve on their 6-10 season from a year ago. If nothing else the Packers should take advantage of their 3rd place schedule and having only 5 games against playoff teams from a year ago (Vikings twice, Ravens, Steelers, and Cardinals).

Possible Starting Lineup

QB: Aaron Rodgers

RB: Ryan Grant

FB: Korey Hall

WR: Greg Jennings, Donald Driver

TE: Donald Lee

OT: Chad Clifton, Allen Barbre

OG: Daryn Colledge, Josh Sitton

C: Jason Spitz

DE: B.J. Raji, Cullen Jenkins

NT: Ryan Pickett

OLB: Clay Matthews, Aaron Kampman

MLB: A.J. Hawk, Nick Barnett

CB: Charles Woodson, Al Harris

S: Nick Collins, Atari Bigby

K: Mason Crosby

P: Jeremey Kapinos

32 Teams in 32 Days (Bears)

Chicago Bears 9-7, 2nd Place NFC North

Offseason Additions

Jay Cutler (QB, Broncos)

Orlando Pace (OT, Rams)

Frank Omiyale (OT, Panthers)

Kevin Shaffer (OT, Browns)

Josh Bullocks (S, Saints)

Michael Gaines (TE, Lions)

Glenn Earl (S)

Brett Basanez (QB)

Offseason Subtractions

Kyle Orton (QB, Broncos)

Brandon McGowan (S, Patriots)

John Tait (OT, Retired)

John St. Clair (OT, Browns)

Rex Grossman (QB)

Mike Brown (S)

Marty Booker (WR)

Terrence Metcalf (OL)

Brandon Lloyd (WR)

Draft

3. Jarron Gilbert (DE, San Jose State)

3. Juaquin Iglesias (WR, Oklahoma)

4. Henry Melton (DE, Texas)

4. D.J. Moore (CB, Vanderbilt)

5. Johnny Knox (WR, Abilene Christian)

5. Marcus Freeman (LB, Ohio State)

6. Al Afalava (S, Oregon State)

7. Lance Louis (OG, San Diego St.)

7. Derek Kinder (WR, Pittsburgh)

Most Underrated Player: Matt Forte (RB)

Most Overrated Player: Jay Cutler (QB)

2010 Schedule

1. @ Packers

2. Steelers

3. @ Seahawks

4. Lions

5. Bye

6. @ Falcons

7. @ Bengals

8. Browns

9. Cardinals

10. @ 49ers

11. Eagles

12. @ Vikings

13. Rams

14. Packers

15. @ Ravens

16. Vikings

17. @ Lions

Former Packers: Hunter Hillenmeyer (LB)

2010 Outlook

Chicago went 9-7 in 2009 and now has Jay Cutler instead of Kyle Orton. This is the entire Chicago Bear offseason in a nutshell. The Bears have put a ton of stock and money into Jay Cutler and this team over the next 4-5 years will sink or swim because of the move they made this offseason. The NFC North will be an extremely interesting division to watch over the next half decade because the Packers and Lions will be teams who value draft picks and build through the draft and work on getting better from within. The Vikings and Bears meanwhile are not afraid to make huge blockbuster deals such as the deal for Cutler, or the Vikings deal for Jared Allen. Which philosophy wins out over the next 5-7 seasons will be an interesting thing to watch.

The Bears did have some other minor moves such as picking up Orlando Pace who should replace retired tackle John Tait, and draft picks Jarron Gilbert and Juaquin Iglesias were solid picks in the third round but will probably not be a factor for another season or two. While the Bears did mortgage their future by trading away Kyle Orton and a ton of draft picks for Jay Cutler, they do have a relatively young team on offense. Cutler, Forte, G. Olsen and D. Hester are all under the age of 27 and should make up a good portion of there offense for the foreseeable future.

On defense the Bears will maintain basically their entire defense from a season ago. Unlike the offense, the defense isn't getting any younger. This season already has seen the loss of Mike Brown and players like Adewale Ogunleye, Alex Brown, Brian Urlacher, Lance Briggs, and Charles Tillman have all seen their best days pass them by, but all still play at a very high level. If the Bears want to win the NFC North and really make a run at the Super Bowl it's going to be in Jay Cutler's hands. The Bears will still pound the football and play hard-nosed defense, but Cutler will have to carry this team with his arm because the playmakers on offense just aren't there. Devin Hester will be a number 1 receiver when he should be more of a slot receiver or a weapon to use out of their arsenal when they need a big play. None of the other receivers at this point in their careers pose any true threat to any above average defensive backfield. While the Bears should certainly be better with Jay Cutler at QB instead of Kyle Orton they still have plenty of question marks and will need to show that they have a better all around offense before they are considered a serious threat to make a run at the Super Bowl.

Possible Starters

QB: Jay Cutler

RB: Matt Forte

FB: Jason McKie

WR: Devin Hester, Earl Bennett

TE: Greg Olsen

OT: Orlando Pace, Kevin Shaffer

OG: Frank Omiyale, Roberto Garza

OC: Olin Kruetz

DE: Adawale Ogunleye, Alex Brown

DT: Tommie Harris, Anthony Adams

OLB: Lance Briggs, Nick Roach

MLB: Brian Urlacher

CB: Nathan Vasher, Charles Tillman

S: Kevin Payne, Josh Bullocks

K: Robbie Gould

P: Brad Maynard