NFC EAST

1. Philadelphia Eagles:10-6 The Eagles had an interesting offseason. From trading a top 10 RB, to signing a Top 10 RB from their division rival. Chip Kelley sured up that atrocious secondary, but is it going to be enough to compete with the NFC juggernauts Green Bay and Seattle?

2. New York Giants Record: 10-6 This Eli Manning led offense is going into year number two. Add in that the salsa king Cruz is fully healthy, and this might be an offensive explosion. Too bad not enough, pieces were added on the Defense to take this team to another level.

3. Dallas Cowboys Record: 8-8 Their fans won’t admit it, but the loss of Demarco Murray is crucial. Dallas’ offensive line is great (and that’s putting it lightly) but they are still going to need a good RB to run behind it. McFadden and Randle are not the answer. On the other side of the ball, the loss of Orlando Scandrick is one that will be felt all season long.

4. Washington Redskins 4-12: The circus that is Washington doesn’t seem to be leaving town anytime soon. All we have heard about this offseason is RG III, RG III, RG III !!! Captain Kirk comes in to try to save the day for this team, but he won’t be enough. He doesn’t play CB, LB, OG, or DE. Washington is looking at another Top 5 draft choice in the 2016.

NFC North   

1.Green Bay Packers 13-3: Jordy Nelson tearing his ACL is a blow to the cheese heads, but with Aaron Rogers at the helm, they can overcome that. Devante Adams will be relied on heavy this year. Don’t underestimate the signing of James Jones. This defense will only get better as the year goes on. Things are looking SUPER in Green Bay.

2.Detroit Lions 10-6: Reggie Bush gone? No problem. The Lions drafted RB Ameer Abdullah in this year’s draft. The kid has wheels. Pairing him up with the hammer Joique Bell could pose problems for many teams. Megatron is also fully healthy and Golden Tate is a reliable second option. This offense could be very scary.

3.Minnesota Vikings Record 9-7: With the emergence of Teddy Bridgewater last year, and the return of the best RB in the game, Adrian Peterson, Minnesota is looking like a very balanced team. The addition of WR Mike Wallace is one may aren’t talking about, but could become big. The pieces are in place on Defense as well…they are just very young. Minnesota is about a year or two away from doing damage in this league.

4.Chicago Bears Record 3-13: This team is nowhere in terms of competing. Jay Cutler is so up and down, and the Defense is horrible. Add in that Cutlers favorite target, Brandon Marshall, is wearing Jets green, and you can understand why this will be a long season in Chi-Town.

NFC South

1.New Orleans Saints 11-5: This Division is one that is hard to gauge. Every team finished under .500 last year. The Saints though, lucked out with a pretty easy schedule this year. Drew Brees and company are going to give it one last shot to bring another Super Bowl to the city of New Orleans. Brees to Cooks…You’ll be hearing that a lot this season.

2.Atlanta Falcons  8-8: The hire of Dan Quinn as Head Coach was a move in the right direction. The thing they lacked most last year was a defense. Quinn is a defensive minded coach who put together that fierce Seattle Secondary we have seen the past few years. Add in that the team drafted Tevin Coleman(RB from Indiana) and you can see why the dial is pointing up for the dirty birds. Give this team two years, and you will see a change of guard in the NFC South.

3.Carolina Panthers 6-10: The theme that this article seems to have is injuries. Costly injuries. That’s what happened to the Cardiac Cats in training camp, as second-year WR, Kelvin Benjamin tore his ACL. This injury will be felt all season long for this team. The main option now is TE Greg Olson, and that isn’t going to cut it.

4.Tampa Bay Buccaneers 4-12: This may be the last season for Lovie Smith as Head Coach for this ball club. The Defense is getting there, and the offense seems ready to go with the emergence of Mike Evans and drafting QB Jameis Winston, but it won’t happen this year. The running game has to get going if the Bucs want to at least crack six wins. With a tough schedule ahead of them, Tampa Bay is doomed before the season even gets underway.

NFC West

Seattle Seahawks Record 12-4: The Seattle Seahawks only got better in the offseason. Bringing in one of the NFL’s best TEs is a great way to get the passing game going. Drafting WR Tyler Lockett is also a great move. The Defense basically stayed the same, other that S Kam Chancellor’s holdout. The Seahawks will once again be tough to beat this year.

2.Arizona Cardinals Record 8-8: This is a different team than last year. The signing of Mike Iupati was great, but the Offensive Line is still bad. Carson Palmer and Larry Fitzgerald are a year older, and the Cardinals running game somehow got worse. Look for the team in the dessert to take a step back this year.

3.St. Louis Rams 7-9: St. Louis on the other hand, improved this year. While the record won’t show that, the stats should. Nick Foles fits this offense, and the drafting of RB Todd Gurley could take this team to the next level. The defense is there. The offense just has to put it all together.

4.San Francisco 49ers Record 6-10:If you are looking for a place with a great 401k, look no further than the 49ers. Well at least that’s what it seems like after this offseason. LBs Patrick Willis and Chris Boreland and OT Anthony Davis abruptly retired. The cowboy himself, Justin Smith, did also. Add in that ¾ of their secondary is new, and the 49ers defense will look nothing like we are accustomed to seeing. I would get into the Aldon Smith saga but I don’t have all day. Just know he is off the team as well. Offensively, the line is a work in progress and the heart of the team, Frank Gore went from the Bloods(49ers) to the Crips(Colts). This is going to be a long season for San Fran.

Playoffs

WildCard Round

3. New Orleans Saints over 6. New York Giants
4. Philadelphia Eagles over 5. Detroit Lions

Divisional Round

1. Green Bay Packers over 4. Philadelphia Eagles
2. Seattle Seahawks over 3. New Orleans Saints

NFC Championship Game

1. Green Bay Packers over 2. Seattle Seahawks