Fearful Forecast 2015: NFC

EAST

(3) Philadelphia: I'm on record as hating the Sam Bradford trade, and letting Jeremy Maclin walk still has me scratching my head. But I'm also a big believer in both the "change of scenery" and the law of averages. A completely rebuilt secondary should be an improvement over last year's model, and IF Bradford can stay upright, this offense could do great things. Plus, there's the fact that I simply can't trust...

(5) Dallas: This happens every time during the Romo era: The Cowboys disappoint the pundits for a few years in a row, then when expectations finally lower, they have a big season, only to slip back into the same old pattern the following year. A committee of unimpressive running backs will try to replace DeMarco Murray, but a defense that overachieved most of last season still has some serious problems to overcome.

N.Y. Giants: Ever since they announced Tom Coughlin was coming back after last season, this season has like Andy Reid's last season with the Eagles, and I don't see any reason it won't end the same way. The offense gets Victor Cruz back to pair with Odell Beckham Jr. for a full season, but the defense, normally a G-Men trademark, has fallen on hard times.

Washington: RGIII's concussion gave coach Jay Gruden the ammo to give the starting quarterback job to Kirk Cousins, who's 2-7 as a starter and was benched last year for Colt McCoy. New defensive coordinator Joe Barry's last DC job was with the 0-16 Lions, so that's what's happening on that side of the ball. Another last-place finish awaits.

NORTH
(2) Green Bay: Yes, losing WR Jordy Nelson hurts. But the Packers still have Aaron Rodgers, which counts for a lot, and Eddie Lacy appears to be becoming the kind of back who can make Rodgers even more dangerous. If we're being honest, the biggest obstacle to the Packers' returning to the Super Bowl is the head coach on their sideline, who gave away the NFC Championship game with ridiculously conservative playcalling.

Minnesota: A trendy pick to trend upward, and with good reason: Teddy Bridgewater appears to be legitimate, the defense improved significantly under first-year head coach Mike Zimmer, and, oh by the way, they're getting Adrian Peterson back. I'm not personally in love with their receiving corps, but if they can find something there as well, the Vikings could take an even bigger step.

Detroit: The Lions will slide back a bit mainly due to losing Suh and Nick Fairley from their defensive line, which will affect their entire defense, and not in a good way. (Though it may help their image.) Rookie running back Ameer Abdullah has people excited.

Chicago: John Fox has Work To Do. The whole operation fell apart last year, to the point where Jay Cutler was benched for Jimmy Clausen, of all people, at one point. Speaking of Cutler, with an all-new and inferior crop of receivers, how many more chances is he going to get?

SOUTH

(4) Atlanta: This was the worst division in football last year with the possible exception of the ACC Coastal. (Coincidence?) With no real standout team, I'm going with the one that has the potential to improve the most -- Dan Quinn's likely a better head coach than Mike Smith, and him being a defensive guy will help a defense that really needs the help.

(6) New Orleans: For the first time in about a decade, I'm questioning Drew Brees. The stats looked like his usual last season, but he made a lot more mistakes than we're used to seeing from him. Is this the start of a decline? The Saints will also need Brandin Cooks to evolve into their new No. 1 receiver, as Marques Colston fell off a cliff last year. The biggest thing: Can they reclaim home field advantage?

Tampa Bay: There will be growing pains for Jameis Winston. It's inevitable. But having Vincent Jackson and Mike Evans around will help. But you wonder how well a rookie will fare in close games, which the Bucs lost more than their share of last year.

Carolina: Cam Newton can't catch a break. He's lost his best receiver (again), his offensive line is still awful (what's happened to Michael Oher?), and his defense has to find a pass rusher to replace the disgraceful and departed Greg Hardy. And they couldn't break .500 last year.

WEST
(1) Seattle: Jimmy Graham will be the best thing that ever happened to Russell Wilson. They could have used him in the Super Bowl, am I right? Sorry, too soon. But he'll give that offense the big-play guy they need in the passing game. The defense lost a f couple guys, but should remain essentially unimpeachable.

Arizona: This all depends on keeping Carson Palmer upright. The rest of the team is transitioning as Michael Floyd and John Brown rise up to supplant Larry Fitzgerald at receiver, and the defense will have to replace tackle Dan Williams and find a pass rush.

St. Louis: The Rams' defense may be as good as the Seahawks', but they have to start winning to get that respect. Will new quarterback Nick Foles get the lift from his new supporting cast that Sam Bradford never did? Is Jeff Fisher anything but a mediocre coach? A lot of people suddenly have a lot to prove.

San Francisco: The 49ers may have had one of the worst offseasons in my lifetime. As much as the multiple losses on defense hurt (including the coordinator, who should have gotten the head job here), they also lost two-thirds of an offensive line that was supposed to anchor them for a decade, which puts the quarterback in more peril, and without a coach with the acumen to get him out of it... do you see where I'm going here? This is going to be a disaster.