When does my team get going??

Yesterday we had the amazing news that football is back, and we heard how the signings of free agents and undrafted free agents was going to work.  But the main question on any fans lips is, 'When is my team starting training camp?'  Well, here is your answer:

Training camps opening Wednesday 27th July:

Baltimore Ravens
Dallas Cowboys
Denver Broncos
Jacksonville Jaguars
New England Patriots
Oakland Raiders
Philadelphia Eagles
San Diego Chargers
Seattle Seahawks

Training Camps opening Thursday 28th July:

Arizona Cardinals
Atlanta Falcons
Cincinatti Bengals
Detroit Lions
Kansas City Chiefs
Miami Dolphins
New Orleans Saints
Pittsburgh Steelers
San Francisco 49'ers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Washington Redskins

Training Camps opening Friday 29th July:

Buffalo Bills
Carolina Panthers
Chicago Bears
Cleveland Browns
Green Bay Packers
New York Giants
St Louis Rams
Tennessee Titans

Training Camps opening Sunday 31st July:

Houston Texans
Indianapolis Colts
Minnesota Vikings
New York Jets




Make sure you keep checking into nflgbview for all the latest training camp news, as well as everything else NFL related.

Sights and Sounds of 49'ers Training Camp

So what actually goes on at NFL training camp??

Take a look at this video that shows a few samples of whats going on at the San Francisco 49'ers camp.  The 49'ers are your host for this years NFL London game at Wembley.

Training Camp Update!

So the first week of training camp is complete for most teams now, there can't be much to talk about right?  You couldn't be more wrong.  There are stories braking all over the US all the time.  So lets take a look at a sample of them.

T.O Finds a team!

T.O and new teammate Ochocinco

The first major news that broke in the NFL around training camp was the fact that WR Terrell Owens, who had been searching for a team all off season, finally found a home in Cincinnati.  T.O had been to visit with the Bengals at the beginning of the free agency period, but left without a contract.  Just a few days later the Bengals signed former Buccaneer's WR Antonio Bryant.  This looked to kill off any chance of seeing the T.O and Ochocinco combo - to which I was very upset.  So Training Camp began and something changed the Bengals minds.  Within minutes of this news leaking out Chad Ochocinco was publicly trying to convince everyone, including T.O, that this was a great idea.  T.O signed a 1 year $2 million deal, with the prospect of receiving an additional $2 million in incentives.  T.O himself though understands that those contract incentives are almost impossible to reach, but he doesn't care, he just wants to play football.

Palmer also wanted T.O in

This team looks very exciting on paper now in the passing game. They have a great QB in Carson Palmer.  Palmer actually spent time in the off season working out with T.O, and was also rumoured to be putting pressure onto the Bengals organisation to sign him.  He now believes that he has the weapons around him to take the Bengals back to the playoffs, and maybe to a Superbowl.  Lets think about the offence for a second.  You have Ochocinco on one side, T.O on the other.  In an ideal world you would like to see double coverage on at least one of these players.  But here's the problem.  The Bengals can also put in Antonio Bryant as a slot receiver, and Jermaine Gresham, drafted in the first round this year and a very good pass catcher, in at TE.  Now what do you do as a defence?  I've got it!  You sit back in a zone coverage!  Not possible, don't forget the running presence of RB Cedric Benson.  This team has a huge amount of talent on offence, and if the defence can hold up to last years high standards, then this team WILL win the AFC North.


Defensive troubles in Baltimore

Ed Reed is on PUP

As all the excitement was building in Cincy, the Ravens injury worries kept going from bad to worse.   The first piece of bad news came as it was announced that pro bowl safety Ed Reed would begin the season on the PUP list.  The 'Physically Unable to Participate' list is used by teams so that they don't have to use up a roster spot.  All teams are limited to the amount of players they can have on their roster at any time.  During the season this is 53.  If the Ravens did not declare Reed as PUP, they would either have to name him as one of the 53 players (in essence wasting a roster spot) or put him on IR (Injury Reserve).  If you go on the IR list, you cannot play for the rest of the currant season.  PUP can be used up until week 6 of the season.  It is not clear when Reed will be able to play, but there is no doubt that his presence in the Ravens secondary will be missed.

Foxworth suffered injury

 The next piece of bad news came as the Ravens 2nd round draft pick LB Sergio Kindle could not report to camp.  The reason for this was that Kindle had fell down 2 flights of steps, and suffered a fractured skull.  Kindle is in a stable condition now, but the Ravens are unsure when he will come back.

The news kept coming once camp opened as starting CB Domonique Foxworth suffered a season ending knee injury.  These injuries have seriously damaged the Ravens defencive capabilities for the coming year.  This is not a good thing for the Ravens, as their division rival Bengals, are just getting better.



Darrelle Revis holds out

Revis wants more cash

The Jets defence is seen by many, including myself, as one of, if not the, best defences in the entire NFL.  The additions of Antonio Cromartie and Jason Taylor to an already fantastic defence, has everyone excited.  When they turned up for training camp though there was a big name missing, pro bowl CB Darrelle Revis.  'Revis island' is seen by many as the best CB in the league.  He proved this thought time and time again last season as he was matched up one on one with teams top WR, and completely shut them down.  The reason Revis is not at camp is because he is unhappy with his contract.  Revis is due to make $1 million this year.  To me and you that seems like a hell of a lot of money, but when you consider the fact that CB Nnamdi Asomugha is making over ten times more that that this year in Oakland, you can perhaps see Revis's point.  Just to prove how annoyed he is with the contract, consider the fact that everyday of camp he misses, he is fined over $16,000.  The Jets will be desperate to get Darrelle in camp as his one on one match up skills are a vital part of this defence.  Watch this space!


Albert Haynesworth can't run

Haynesworth fails again

If you have kept in touch with nflgbview over the off season you will have heard about the problems in Washington.  Basically Albert is unhappy in Washington, and has not turned up at all during the off season.  So the time comes - training camp!  The first day all players who have not been in during the off season - just Haynesworth - have to complete a fitness test.  This test involves 2 sprints, with a slight rest in between, that have to be completed in a certain amount of time.  Surprise, surprise, Haynesworth hasn't been keeping hiself in shape during the off season, and fails the test.  Head coach Mike Shannahan Tells Haynesworth he cannot practice until he passes the test.  We are now 7 days in, and Haynesworth is still not practicing.  He has not been taking the test every day, and has also claimed that he has a knee problem.  If you ask me, 'Fat Alb' needs to grow a pair, and get into shape.


Cowboys lose Bryant

T

Bryant out for 4-6 wks

The Dallas Cowboys took WR Dez Bryant in this years draft, which caused a huge amount of interest.  The Cowboys are 'America's team' and Bryant is a very gifted player, who happened to be suspended for most of his senior year in college due to meetings that took place with Deon Sanders.  With all this hype, and the Cowboys opening camp first, everyone wanted to see Dez.  The first few practices were great, Bryant making plays, beating CB's and catching passes from QB Tony Romo.  He also looked very talented in the kick / punt return game.  Then disaster struck!  Bryant went up to catch a pass, came down funny, and suffered a high ankle sprain.  Bryant is currently wearing a protective boot on his right foot, and is likely to be out for between 4 - 6 weeks.  This will see him miss most of training camp.

As you can see the first week of training camp has been anything but dull.  I will now be writing updates more regular so make sure you keep checking back to nflgbview for the latest news.  You will notice I have not wrote about a certain QB that wears number 4.  This is because the whole story is up in the air at the moment, I will cover this story in detail, when more details are avaliable.

The Keys to Training Camp - NFC West

Arizona Cardinals

 The Arizona Cardinals finished the 2009 season with a 10 - 6 record that saw them win the NFC West.  They hosted the Packers on 'Wildcard Weekend' in the playoffs, winning an extraordinary game 51 - 45.  The game winning play came in overtime as MLB Karlos Dansby (now with the Dolphins) returned a fumble for a TD.  The Cards then travelled to New Orleans, and got embarrassed 45 - 14 by the eventual Superbowl winning Saints.  How do the Cardinals get back to the playoffs?

How will the offence look?

The Cardinals offence is going to look a lot different this year due to players retiring and being traded.  The biggest blow to the team will be the retirement of QB Kurt Warner (pictured).  This offence has been a pass heavy one for years now, and the talented Warner has been instrumental in their success.  The NFC West is seen as one of the worst divisions in football, but 2 division wins and a Superbowl appearance in the last 2 years, is a very impressive display.  Another reason that this passing game was so effective was the play of star WR's Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin.  Boldin though was traded to the Ravens this off season.  How will this team adapt to losing 2 of its key players in 1 year?  Matt Leinart will step in at QB, which WR will fill in for Boldin?  Will they run more?  These are questions to be answered at training camp.

How will the defence look?

As well as losing key offensive players, the Cardinals have also lost major players on defence.  LB Karlos Dansby has signed with Miami, and CB's Antrel Rolle and Bryant McFadden have joined the Giants and the Steelers respectively.  To try and replace these players the Cards have bought in former Dolphins LB Joey Porter (pictured) and S Kerry Rhodes - formerly of the Jets.  I believe that both areas though are downgraded, and I worry how this defence will adapt this year.

Will they hold on to their division crown?

With all this change in the Cardinals in all phases of the game, it is quite easy to come to the conclusion that they will not be as good as last year.  But they play in a weak division, so they will be fine, right?  Not necessarily.  The rest of the division is catching on to the fact that they are seen as terrible, and are making moves to get better.  The Rams are rebuilding - but have a long way to go, the Seahawks have just bought in a new head coach - who will take a while to mould the team to his liking, but the main challenge will come from the 49'ers.  Head coach Mike Singletary (pictured) is doing a fantastic job with the 49'ers, and they are many peoples pick to overthrow the Cards this year.  Will the new team gel in time to hold off the 49'ers??



St. Louis Rams

 OK, here goes!  The Rams had the worst season of all in 2009, finishing with a 1 - 15 record.  This record obviously left them at the bottom of the division - the so called worst division in football.  This record also though left them as the worst team in the league.  This though, in some peoples eyes, can be seen as a bonus.  As the Rams are the worst team in the league, they now get to select first, as the college talent comes into the NFL.  I say that this is viewed a blessing by 'some' people, as I believe it can also be a disaster.  Not only do you have to pay this player a ridiculous amount of money (they usually become the highest payed player in the NFL) but who's to say he will be as good at this level.  This though was the situation the Rams were in - and they selected QB Sam Bradford.

When will Sam Bradford start?

Throughout the build up to the draft, people that read my articles, will recall that I didn't want the Rams to select Bradford.  To read more see here and join the facebook  That talk though is over now as they drafted Sam, and gave him a HUGE contract.  The question now is - when will he start?  Last year, 3 rookie QB's got starts in the NFL.  The Lions drafted Matt Stafford, and announced he was the starter before camp.  The Jets drafted Mark Sanchez, and let him battle for the job in camp (he won).  And the Buccs bought Josh Freeman in halfway through the season.  What do the Rams do?  In my eyes they have to see how good the O Line looks through camp.  I don't see the point of throwing Bradford in if the line is shaky, just to get beat up.  If this happens it might knock the young QB's confidence, and damage his career before it has chance to get started.

Can they play 'Spagnuolo' football?

Head coach Steve Spagnuolo (pictured) built his reputation as a coach in New York, with the Giants.  As their Defensive coordinator in their Superbowl win year, Spagnuolo was seen as a defensive genius.  He used a scheme that heaped the pressure on opposing QB's.  He would bring pressure almost every play, and you would not know where it was coming from.  The Rams did not play this way last year.  Now with a full season and another training camp behind them, will they come out like that this year?

What happens should Steven Jackson get injured?

 RB Steven Jackson (pictured) is without doubt the best player that the Rams have got.  He is probably one of the top 5 RB'sOgbonnaya.  I know absolutely nothing about either player, so look out for this at training camp.


San Francisco 49'ers

The 49'ers had a good year last year finishing 8 - 8, its first non losing season since 2002.  This record left them in 2nd place in the NFC West but they missed out on a wildcard spot.  With the Cardinals losing key players from their roster this year, the 49'ers are many peoples choice to be the NFC West champions this year.  They also have the added bonus of being the host for this years NFL London game against the Broncos.


Can Alex Smith improve?

At the beginning of last season, QB Alex Smith was seen as the back up to Shaun Hill.  Hill did not have a great start to the season so after 5 and a half games, Smith was put in, and kept the starting position.  Smith started 10 games last year, and threw for 18 TD's.  Imagine what he could have done if he had started all 16 games.  The 49'ers have also got talented players around Smith.  WR Michael Crabtree came into the starting lineup halfway through last year following a holdout, but was very impressive once there.  TE Vernon Davies also had a huge year, and will provide a big, middle of the field target for Smith.  All of the pieces seem to be coming together for this passing game to be very effective this year.

Will they be able to run the ball better?

Mike Singletary want his team to be a hard hitting, run first team.  Last year though, their pass attempts out weighed their run attempts almost 2:1.  The reason for this was that they just were unable to get the tough yards.  This was not down to the RB Frank Gore, who is a very talented player, this was down to the O line, who failed to get the push they needed.  The 49'ers were very aggressive in the draft in order to sort this problem.  They had 2 1st round picks (pick 11 and pick 17).  They used these on OT Anthony Davies (pictured) and OG Mike Iupati. Singletary will be hoping that these 2 new young prospects will bring the run blocking that Gore needs.

How will Ted Ginn fit in?

During the off season the 49'ers traded for former Dolphins WR Ted Ginn.  You may be wondering why I am bringing this up, as there is no chance Ginn will beat out Crabtree or Morgan.  This may well be true, but Ginn will be a valuable 3rd option at WR, but that is not the main reason the 49'ers have bought him in, in my opinion.  The 49'ers had a very poor kick return game last year.  In fact they were 22nd in kick return, and dead last in punt return.  Ted Ginn has proven since he come into the league that he is a very good kick returner.  Just ask the Jets - he had 2 kick returns for TD's against them in one game last year.  These kind of final pieces help make a successful franchise, and I don't think the 49'ers are far away.


Seattle Seahawks

The Seahawks finished the 2009 season with a 5 - 11 record, which saw them finish in 3rd place in the NFC West.  This was the first season since legendary coach Mike Holmgren left town, and Jim Mora failed miserably.  The Seahawks have bought in former USC head coach Pete Carroll to begin rebuilding the franchise.


What will happen in the run game?

It is quite obvious that the first thing that coach Carroll thought he had to fix in Seattle was the run game.  He traded for both former Jet RB Leon Washington (pictured) and former Titan RB LenDale White (who has since been cut).  Washington is a very quick, elusive back, who they hope will be a perfect compliment to Julius Jones and Justin Forsett.  It will be interesting to see how the time and carries will be split between these 3 RB's.  Expect a real battle between Jones and Forsett for the number 1 role.  I think Washington will be the change of pace back, and may well return kicks.  This should be an interesting battle through camp.


Can the O Line improve?

Pete Carroll and the Seahawks realise that the RB's weren't the only reason for their run game problems last year. Some of that blame can lay on the O Line.  Because of this coach Carroll has bought in very talented OL coach Alex Gibbs.  Gibbs has a very good track record at improving teams run games, as soon as he arrives.  The Seahawks also drafted T Russell Okung (pictured) with their 1st round pick (6 overall).  They hope that between the coach, the rookie and newly acquired Ben Hamilton, can help open up holes for those RB's.

How will they get pressure on the QB? 

Another area of the game that the Seahawks struggled with last year was pressuring the QB.  To make things worse this year 2 DE's have left the team (Patrick Kerney - retired / Darrel Tapp - Traded) and they only selected 1 DE in the draft, in the 4th round.  They will hope that 2nd year player Aaron Curry (pictured) will be able to perform better this year.  It will be interesting to see how coach Carroll will attempt to bring pressure.

That is the final division previewed for Training Camp.  Camps have now been underway for around a week.  Check back tomorrow for the first 'Training Camp Update!'

The Keys to Training Camp - NFC South

Atlanta Falcons

The Falcons finished last season with a 9 - 7 record which left them in 2nd place in the NFC South.  This record though did see them missing out on the playoffs.  They struggled quite a lot with injuries last year, and will hope for more luck this time round.  So what do they need to do to get back to the playoffs, and challenge the Superbowl winning Saints?


Can Matt Ryan take the next step?

The Falcons go into the 2010 season expecting that their young QB will be able to take his game to the next level.  Ryan (pictured) has been in the league for 2 seasons now, and in his time here he has played very well.  Last year Ryan threw for 14 TD's in 14 games, to follow up his impressive rookie numbers - 16 TD's in 16 games.  Whats also very impressive about Ryan is that his INT numbers are quite low - 25 in his 2 seasons (not bad hey Jake Delhomme).  Atlanta have a solid run game with Michael Turner, but if they are to step up and compete with the Saints, they will need more from the young QB.  Is he up to the challenge? 


Will the secondary be improved?

During 2009, a major problem the Falcons had was in the secondary.  They finished 10th against the run last year, compared to 28th against the pass.  This is obviously a big problem for a team that has Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints in its division.  During the draft the Falcons did not select a CB until the 5th round - Dominique Franks.  They did also though trade for Texans CB Dunta Robinson (pictured).  Dunta needs to step in and make a difference in a poor area for the team if they are to take this division. 


What impact will rookie Sean Weatherspoon have?

As well as struggling in the secondary last year, the Falcons also had trouble getting pressure on the QB.  Their only real threat to do this was John Abraham, who ended up with 5.5.  There selection of highly rated LB Sean Weatherspoon in the first round of the draft led many people to believe that he may be plugged into the defence on 3rd down, to go get the QB.  Although this may be correct, I believe that Weatherspoon will be in on 3rd down, but for his covering ability.  At the draft Weatherspoon was probably the most impressive LB.  He was fast and explosive, and I believe he is the perfect man to cover TE's, and maybe even slot WR's in time. 


Carolina Panthers

The Panthers finished 2009 with a 8 - 8 record, that saw them finish in 3rd place in the NFC South and missed the playoffs.  There has been a lot of turnover of players as coach John Fox tries to get it right, has he?





How unstable is the QB position?

Following an impressive end to the 2009 season, and following the release of Jake 'interception machine' Delhomme, Matt Moore has been named the starting QB for the 2010 season.  Moore came in for Delhomme last year and played the final 5 games, the Panthers going 4 - 1 in that time.  Moore's numbers were also impressive, throwing for 8 TD's and just 2 INT's.  These numbers obviously give coach Fox the confidence to start Moore from the get go this year.  But here is where is gets tricky.  The Panthers did not have a 1st round draft pick, but their first pick of the draft was used on QB Jimmy Clausen.  Veteran WR Muhsin Muhammad has retired and Steve Smith is currently injured, so who does Moore throw to?  If Moore and the Panthers struggle early on, how long before people start shouting for Clausen?  This is a very similar situation to Denver.

Will change and youth hurt this team?

The Panthers felt like it was time to move on this year.  Muhammed retired, Peepers was traded, Delhomme along with many others left as the Panthers looked to freshen things up.  Helping this thought, was the fact that the Panthers had a huge number of picks in the draft - 10 in total, and if you were to believe rumours coming out of training camp, they may all make the final 53 man roster.  This is a huge number of young new players.  They will have a minimum of 6 new starters on the team come opening weekend.  Can a team that's been overhauled this much be good?  On thing that the Panthers have got going for them is the amazing double headed monster at RB - DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart will be able to keep the Panthers close in many games, will Moore and the youngsters be able to take them over the finishing line though?

What will happen with coach John Fox?

John Fox has had a great history with the Carolina Panthers.  He joined them for the  2002 season, following a shambolic 2001 season for the Panthers organisation - going 1 - 15.  In Fox's first year they wen 7 - 9, a huge improvement, but it was in his second year he would create his legacy.  The Panthers went to the Superbowl in 2003, losing to the Patriots on a last minute field goal.  He also took the Panthers to a NFC title game in '05.  Even with all this success, Fox does not have a contract with the Panthers past this season.  The problem is, how can he win one?  With this very young team he may well struggle this year, and if that happens, I think his contract would not be renewed.  This would be a sad end to an amazing career.


New Orleans Saints

I think we all know how the 2009 season finished up for the Saints!  Following a 13 - 3 regular season the Saints, the Saints demolished the Cardinals in the divisional round.  They then beat the Vikings in the NFC championship game before that INT return for a TD in the Superbowl against the Colts.  So can the Saints repeat?

Can the Saints repeat?

The biggest question that the Saints have to answer this year is of a mental aspect.  The winners of the Superbowl historically find it extremely difficult to get back to the big game and repeat.  There are many thoughts to why this is.  The main reason, and the one that I think is correct, is that every team in the league is now up for the fight, and wants to take down the Superbowl champs.  Even though the Saints had a great record last year, most teams would have still thought of them as the 'same old' Saints, incapable of winning it all.  Now they are seen as the best - how will they handle the pressure.

Will the defence be as effective?

A big reason for the Saints vast improvement last year was the improvements made by their defence.  The Saints offence has been very effective for a few years now, scoring points for fun.  Last year was no exception as they came out 1st in points scored, 1st in yards gained, 4th in passing yards and 6th in rushing yards.  The reason for their sudden Superbowl winning run though - Darren Sharper (pictured) and the defence.  They were not spectacular defensively, but if they needed a turnover, they managed to get it.  One of the main reasons for this was the fact that they score so many points, puts huge pressure on the opposing team to score often.  To deal with this the other team throws more, leaving lots of opportunities for Sharper, and others in the secondary, to make INT's.  Sharper is not the youngest player, and some wonder if he will be as good this year.  But if he gets anywhere near the 9 INT's he had last year, they should be in good shape.

How will the loss of Mike Bell effect them?

 The Saints managed to find time and carries for all of their RB last year - Reggie Bush, Pierre Thomas (pictured) and Mike Bell.  All 3 of these players played their part.  Mike Bell has left this off season and joined the Eagles.  Will this have a big impact on their running game?  There is no doubt that Reggie Bush is the number 1 RB, he will start.  Pierre Thomas will come in as a spell back now and then and will this year have to deal with all the short yardage plays.  This was where Bell most most effective last year.  Bell actually had over 650 yards and 5 TD's this will be hard to replace.  Also the Saints will have to hope that the injury bug doesn't bite, as it did with Thomas last year.

 
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 

The Buccaneers finished 2009 with a poor 3 - 13 record that left them at the foot of the NFC South.  This obviously was hugely disappointing for the Bucs, but they did have one day that we all remember the 2009 NFL London game against the New England Patriots.  Sadly though the Bucs had another poor day, losing the game 35 - 7.

How will the new DT's fit in?

The Buccs were the worst team in the league against the run in 2009.  They were conceding almost 160 yards per game rushing.  The Bucs understood that this had to stop if they were to progress as a team, and drafted 2 DT's with their first 2 picks in the draft.  Gerald McCoy (pictured) was their first round pick, and Brian Price was their 2nd.  Both of these 2 rookies are expected to start this year.  It is vital that these 2 perform well in camp, and fully understand the system before the season starts.  If these players perform well this year, maybe the Buccs can improve, if they don't, they won't.


Will Josh Freeman improve?

Josh Freeman was selected by the Buccaneers in last years draft.  They wanted to give him a red shirt year last season, but they struggled so badly in the first 6 games, that he was bought in against the Patriots in the NFL London game, and then started all games after the bye week.  Freeman had an average year, throwing for over 1,800 yards, 10 TD's and 18 INT's.  This is obviously not bad for a rookie thrown into a bad team.  He was also the starting QB for each of the 3 Tampa Bay wins last year.  The Bucs will be hoping that following a full training camp, and with last years experience behind him, Freeman can push on and become a franchise QB.


Will the rookie WR's step up?

The Buccaneers struggled in the pass game last year.  Some of this was down to the rookie QB, but most of it was down to a lack of talent.  TE Kellen Winslow had most catches (77) followed by Antonio Bryant (39).  Bryant though has been traded to the Bengals, so a lot of pressure is now on Winslow.  The Buccs though have also identified this as a major problem and following the selection of the 2 DT's, they then took Arrelious Benn (pictured) in the 2nd round, and Mike Williams in the 4th.  These 2 are also expected to start in this very young team.  It will be interesting to see how quickly they can pick up the system, and build an understanding with QB Freeman.  This improvement though is vital if they want to move forward.

Check back tomorrow for the final division - the NFC West. 

The Keys to Training Camp - NFC North

Chicago Bears

The Bears finished 2009 with a 7 - 9 record.  This record left them in 3rd place in the division behind the Vikings and Packers, and also out of the playoffs.  This is not good enough for this sports crazy city.  During the off season they have bought in the innovative Mike Martz as their offensive coordinator.  Will his system help the Bears get back to the Superbowl?


What will the offence look like?

It is no secret that the Bears offence struggled a lot last year.  They came in ranked 17th in the pass game, and a really poor 29th in the run game.  This stat is particularly shocking of a Chicago team, that are always so well known for their run game.  QB Jay Cutler (pictured) was bought in at the beginning of last year to be their saviour, he struggled throwing almost as many INT's as TD's (26 : 27).  This has led the Bears to bring in new OC Mike Martz.  Mike is known as an offensive genius around the league.  He was in charge of the Rams offence that became known has the 'greatest show on turf'.  Will Martz be able to recreate this kind of offence in Chicago, and does he have the pieces in place?

Who are the receivers?

 This is a major question in Chicago at the moment.  The Mike Martz system is very aggressive, very explosive, and relies on big plays from WR's.  It also does not include many passes to TE's, which is a shame, as the Bear with the most catches last year was TE Greg Olsen.  In fact, after Olsen came WR Devin Hester (pictured) and after him came RB Matt Forte.  Only 1 WR in the top 3??  The Bears have also failed to address this situation in the draft.  Devin Hester is a very exciting football player.  His returns are a joy to watch.  He was the player that ran the opening kick off of Superbowl 41 back for a TD.  The Bears have tried to mold him into a WR, but he is struggling slightly with the transition.  After Hester are Johnny Knox and Earl Bennett.  Both players are decent, but neither is a star WR.  How will these players fit the new system?

Can they get back to 'Bears defence'?

The Bears over the years have been known as a dominant football team.  When you look at last years stats - 13th against the pass, 23rd against the run - they aren't to bad, but they aren't Bears defence.  A major reason for the struggling defence was the injury to star MLB Brian Urlacher.  He missed a big section of the season last year, and in my mind, this is the reason they struggled so bad against the run.  It will be interesting to see how close to 100% he looks in camp.  Also it will be interesting to see how the Bears plan on using big off season acquisition DE Julius Peppers (pictured).  Peppers on his day is one of the best pass rushers in the NFL.  His presence can make the whole defence look better.  Can Chicago get the best from him?



Detroit Lions

The Lions had another poor year last year, finishing at the bottom of the NFC North with a 2 - 14 record.  The Lions have been struggling for a number of years now, but because of this have managed to get quite a few very high draft picks, and this year was no exception.  So what are the major talking points going into camp.


Can the defence improve?

O dear!!!  The Lions defence was absolutely horrid last year.  They came in dead last in points per game, total yards per game, pass yards per game and 25th in run yards per game.  This was a very bad defence.  But, lets give the owners credit, they went out this off season, and completely changed this defence.  At the very opening of free agency the Lions bought in talented DE Kyle Vanden Bosch (pictured).  He and first round draft pick (2nd overall) Ndamukung Suh will certainly improve this D line, and will get pressure on opposing QB's.  The interesting thing will be to see how the rest off the defence comes together.


How good can the Stafford - Johnson combo be?

As I mentioned earlier, the Lions have had a lot of very early picks in the draft in recent years.  One benefit of this is that they are gathering a number of very talented individuals.  On the offensive side of the ball there is no doubt that the most exciting combination is QB Matt Stafford and WR Calvin Johnson (pictured).  Last season both players had their injuries, so we didn't really see how good this could be.  Both players are incredibly talented and if this combo works out, could be the best QB - WR combo in the league - potentially.

Can the mentality be changed?

If I was a member of the coaching staff, or a fan of the Lions, the thing that would worry me is that the team are just so used to losing.  The Lions have not had a winning record since 2000, and have only won 33 games since then.  This is a major concern.  In sports, especially football, so much of what you do on the field is achieved by believing you can do it.  If you go out thinking you will lose, you defiantly will.  This is what is happening in Detroit, and it needs to change.


Green Bay Packers

The Packers finished 2009 with a 11 - 5 record, which saw them as runners up in the NFC North, but the record was good enough for a place in the playoffs through a wildcard entry.  The Packers went out to Arizona on wildcardKarlos Dansby returned INT in overtime to win the game.  So how do the Packers get back to the playoffs, and make the next step?

Can the O Line improve?

Rodgers goes down again.

When it came to writing this piece about the Packers the first thing that jumped into my mind about last year was how often it seemed Aaron Rodgers got sacked.  I went to look at the numbers and found that the Packers actually gave up the most sacks in the NFL last year with 51.  Most embarrassingly they actually had 14 against the rival Vikings.  When you add to this the fact that Julius Peppers and Ndamukung Suh have also moved into the NFC North, this becomes a real concern for Packers fans.  The Packers will hope that first round draft pick Brian Bulaga will help to solve this problem.  Also the Packers will hope to have Mark Tauscher fit and healthy for the season.  T Tauscher only managed to start 8 games in '09.

How much of an impact will the Johnny Jolly suspension have?

The Packers had a fantastic defence last year.  After the initial struggle of changing from a 4 - 3 team to a 3 - 4 team were passed, the Packers defence went on to become one of the best units in the league.  This statement was backed up by the numbers - 5th pass defence, 1st run defence.  A big part of that great run defence was DT Johnny Jolly.  This year though the Pack will have to play without Jolly.  Jolly has been suspended for the entire season following an arrest do to drug possession.  This could be of huge consequence for the Packers, as the NT is a massive piece in the 3 - 4.  There is talk that 2nd year pro B.J Raji will move to NT.  Can he be as effective?


Where will the pass rush come from?

Even though Green Bay had a great defence last year, they did seem to struggle when they came up against an elite QB.  Farve on 2 occasions, Big Ben, Carson Palmer and Kurt Warner all torched the Packers defence last year,and the Packers lost all 5 games.  A huge part of this is down to the fact that the Packers struggle to get a pass rush.  With the Jolly suspension, and Aaron Kampman now being a Jaguar, a lot of this responsibility will now fall on 2nd year pro Clay Matthews (pictured).  Clay had a fantastic rookie year scoring 10 sacks in total.  The Packers will need at least a repeat of this performance from Matthews if they are to move forward this year.



Minnesota Vikings

The Minnesota Vikings finished last year on top of the NFC North with a 12 - 4 record, which not only gave them a spot in the playoffs, but also gave them 2nd seed in the whole NFC.  The Vikings then welcomed the Dallas Cowboys to Minnesota, and swiftly sent them back to Texas with their tail between their legs following an impressive 34 - 3 beating.  The Vikings then travelled to New Orleans for the NFC Championship game, a nail biting game that they eventually lost 31 - 28 to the eventual Superbowl winners.  So can the Vikings get one step further this year?



Will Brett Farve return? (and when?)

 There is only really one place that you can start when talking about the Minnesota Vikings for the upcoming season.  I believe that Brett Farve is the difference between the Vikings being a Superbowl team, or not.  The Vikings have the talent both on defence and offence, they just need somebody to steer the ship.  Welcome Captain Farve.  People continually say that Farve is past it, he can't play another year, but he keeps on proving them wrong.  Last year Farve had a great season throwing for over 4,200 yards, 33 TD's and only 7 INT's.  Are you trying to tell me that these numbers could be achieved by Tarvaris Jackson?  Not a chance!  If Farve comes back this year he will get the right people involved at the right time, and I believe, get the Vikings back to the NFC Championship at least.

How will they replace Chester Taylor?

 There is no question whatsoever that Adrian Peterson is an every down RB.  He is a fantastic talent both running the ball, and receiving coming out of the backfield.  Even AP though cannot be expected to play every single down during a game.  This is where Chester Taylor came in last year.  He would spell Peterson when he needed a break, and production would not drop off.  Taylor though was traded to the Bears during the off season, and I'm looking forward to finding out how the Vikes plan on replacing him.  They took RB Toby Gerhart in the 2nd round of this years draft, but he won't be as effective as a pass catcher.  There is also rumours that WR Percy Harvin may fill in at times.  I'm looking forward to seeing how this plays out during camp.

Who will play at CB?

 The main area of weakness in the Vikings defence is against the pass.  Last season they ranked 19th against the pass, their worse ranking in any major category.  The projected 2 starting CB's Antoine Winfield (pictured) and Cedric Griffin are both coming off injuries and so are a concern.  The Vikes did though bring in Lito Sheppard from the Jets, and draft Chris Cook in the 2nd round.  Camp will be very interesting to see which of these CB's will step up and take the starting role for the opening game of the 2010 season against the defending champion New Orleans Saints on Thursday 9th September.


Check back tomorrow for a look at the NFC South.