Pre-Season NFL Power Rankings

This may be a bit premature, but with the soap opera going on down at the Warehouse, it’s time to talk Ravens and NFL Football. Here are my pre-season power rankings…write ‘em down and put it on the board, here’s how it looks going into training camp.

1. New England Patriots: It’s hard to argue against the defending champion Colts, but with the acquisitions of a reborn Randy Moss, Adalius Thomas, and Donte Stallworth (among others), the Patriots have got to be the favorite to win the Super Bowl. Some have talked about a 16-0 season…we’ll see about that.

2. Indianapolis Colts: The defending champs come in at #2 and will be playing in Foxboro for the AFC Championship. They lost some key players on defense, like Cato June and Nick Harper, which is why they don’t rank #1 on my list…but they still have Peyton Manning and that electric offense.

3. San Diego Chargers: Speaking of an electric offense, the Bolts have the best player in the game in LaDanian Tomlinson at running back, an emerging QB in Phillip Rivers who can only get better, and a young, fast, ball-hawking defense. They’ll get ousted in the divisional round by the Pats.

4. Baltimore Ravens: Coming off of the best regular season in franchise history, the Ravens look to repeat as AFC North Champs in an increasingly weak division. Filling the void that Adalius Thomas left will not be a one man job; Bart Scott, who played some safety in college, will fill the void in pass coverage, and Jarrett Johnson will be an improvement over AD against the run. The McGahee acquisition will give the offense a legitimate running threat, which it lacked last year. Demetrius Williams is an emerging star at the WR position, and may steal the starting role from Derrick Mason mid-season. Their brutal schedule may derail the quest for another Super Bowl, but it’s easy to see the Purple City Bird Gang going deep in the playoffs.

5. New Orleans Saints: My pick for the NFC Champion. They added some veteran talent on defense and had a solid draft. It’s all downhill from here for Reggie Bush; with one year under his belt, he’s only going to get better. Look for Drew Brees to start the Pro Bowl.

6. Denver Broncos: AFC West rivals to the Chargers, look for the Broncos to have a 10 win season. The Dre Bly signing makes the three-headed monster of Bly, Champ Bailey, and Dominique Foxworth will make the Bronco’s #1 against the pass this season. Problems on offense will cause an early oust in the playoffs.

7. Philadelphia Eagles: Everytime someone tells Donovan McNabb he can’t do something, they always end up eating crow. With no big names in the receiving corps, the offense will lack explosiveness. But with Westbrook and McNabb, they will be efficient. The Eagles will have a top 10 defense and will win the NFC East, and will probably face the Saints in the NFC Championship game…who else will?

8. New York Jets: The acquisition of Thomas Jones will prove vital to the success of the Jets this season. Eric Mangini is one of the best coaches in the NFL, and they picked up two sure-fire starters on defense in the draft. Jonathan Vilma isn’t the next Ray Lewis as some proclaimed, but he is a good middle linebacker with an underrated defense behind him. Cotchery will have another big year.

9. Chicago Bears: Off-field problems with Lance Briggs and Tank Johnson, and with Tommy Harris repeatedly kicking Rex Grossman in his coin purse (wait, he was just kidding), the Bears will not repeat their 13-3 season. They will win a weak NFC North division, but will not repeat as NFC Champs.

10. Cincinnati Bengals: Again, off-field problems will lead to problems on the field. The defense is average at best, and Palmer won’t have Chris Henry for eight games, but will still have Chad Johnson and TJ Whosyamama. The offense won’t be able to offset the defensive shortcomings, but they will be in the wild card hunt. Instead of investing in better facilities or free agents, the Bengals should buy some good legal advice—or at least half a brain to split amongst the team so they stay out of the slammer.

11. Seattle Seahawks: Seattle made some serious upgrades on the defensive side of the ball by adding Patrick Kerney and Deon Grant. The once formidable offensive line is still in question two years removed from Steve Hutchinson’s departure to Minnesota. The offense should be good, but can Hasselbeck and Alexander stay healthy? If so, look for them to win the JV division of the JV conference, the NFC West.

12. Jacksonville Jaguars: Defensively, Jacksonville should be just as good as they have been in the last three years. There is some healthy competition brewing at the quarterback position between Leftwich and Garrard. Reportedly, Leftwich has the upper hand…he reported to camp in the best physical condition since his arrival. If that’s the case, then why all the talks about Daunte Culpepper? History shows that instability at the quarterback position can be disastrous to a team. Look for Maurice Jones-Drew to have a break out year.

13. Dallas Cowboys: Has anyone heard from Terrell Owens in the past few months? That’s a good sign for the Cowboys, because locker room chemistry is vital to a team that lost in that fashion in the playoffs. Tony Romo has surpassed Troy Aikman celebrity level in the lone star state; the Cowboys are hoping that translates to Aikman-like play on the field, minus all the concussions. Look for them to challenge the Eagles for the NFC East title, but they’ll probably fall short if McNabb stays healthy.

14. San Francisco 49ers: Don’t look now, but the 49ers are on the brink of thriving in the NFL despite York’s ownership. Mike Nolan, another successful Brian Billick protégé, is emerging as a great coach. Alex Smith had a quietly prosperous season last year. Frank Gore is a tank and Vernon Davis is a monster. The addition of Darrell Jackson gives Smith a vertical threat and they’ll be able to stretch the field better. They also had a great draft and Nate Clements will help improve the pass coverage.

15. Carolina Panthers: The under-achieving Panthers look to rebound from a disappointing 8-8 season. Once the favorites to win the NFC, the Panthers have slid under the radar this offseason, but the addition of Chad Lavalais will improve an already stellar defensive line. David Carr may be the best back up quarterback in the league, so the Panthers are set at the QB position.With Keyshawn Johnson beginning a new career as an analyst off the field, the Panthers have questions at the WR position because Steve Smith is their only real threat.

16. Kansas City Chiefs: With Larry Johnson getting so many touches, he’s bound to either burn out or get injured if they don’t start relying more on the passing game. Damon Huard exemplifies what the quarterback position used to represent in Baltimore—just don’t turn the ball over. He’ll be in competition with Brodie Croyle for the starting position. Again, instability at the QB position leaves me skeptical. The WR position lacks explosiveness. The defense will be improved with the additions of Donnie Edwards and Napoleon Harris.

17. St. Louis Rams: Adding Drew Bennet gives Marc Bulger yet another offensive threat—Bulger will be a top 5 fantasy quarterback. Steven Jackson is motivated and is predicting to break the NFL record for yards from scrimmage. I don’t know about all that, but he should have a big year both running and catching the ball. The defense is still questionable as they added some B list free agents like Mike Rumph. But, if the defense holds up, the stellar offense makes them a legitimate threat in the NFC West.

18. Pittsburgh Steelers: Call it a hunch, but I don’t think the Steelers will make the playoffs this season. Hines Ward is entering the twilight of his career. Big Ben is still recovering from that hit from Bart Scott, who straight up broke him in half during that embarrassment of a game vs. the Ravens. Willie Parker should have another big season, but the running game won’t be enough to lift the offense. The defense should be above average, but they lost a leader in Joey Porter. The Bengals and the Ravens will prove to be too much for them in ’07. It will take a few years for the Steelers to thrive under new head coach Mike Tomlin after the departure of local icon Bill Cowher.

19. Arizona Cardinals: The Cardinals had an outstanding draft, but they’re not quite there yet. The defense still needs improvement and the offensive line is unproven. Matt Leinart is about to turn the corner, and Pro Bowl wideouts Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald will certainly help. Edgerrin James is due for another sub par year running behind an untested offensive line and with no fullback to lead block.

20. New York Giants: This season will make or break Eli Manning’s career, it’s do or die time. He will never live up to the hype of his older brother, especially without a solid running game. The Brandon Jacobs/Reuben Droughns combination will prove inefficient, especially behind a sub par offensive line that is sans Luke Petigout. They lost some big names on defensive like LaVar Arrigton. Look for Big Blue to finish near the bottom of the NFC East.

21. Tennessee Titans: The Titans off-field problems surrounding Pacman Jones and the loss of starters Travis Henry and Drew Bennet will prove too difficult to overcome this season. Vince Young is a heck of a football player, but he needs to be surrounded with more talent in order for him to thrive. They had a pretty bad offseason, where they dropped the ball in the draft and have failed to make solid free agent acquisitions. The defense will be below average and will struggle in pass coverage.

22. Atlanta Falcons: Picking up aging Joe Horn was a bit of a head scratcher. Mike Vick is fighting dogs and trying to smuggle bongs through airports. They lost Patrick Kerney. This team is really hard to get a feel for, but they still have the potential to be competitive. Maybe 22 is too high, but maybe it’s not.

23. Miami Dolphins: Another team that’s hard to get a feel for. Picking up Trent Green and Joey Porter will help the team immensely, both from a leadership standpoint and play on the field. Ronnie Brown will make or break this season. If they can establish the run, the pass game will open up and the defense will improve based on field position. The defense is aging, but if they can hold up, the Dolphins could have a good season.

24. Buffalo Bills: JP Losman showed some promise last year at times, and at other times he struggle mightily. Losing Willis McGahee will pose a real problem for a running game that will struggle behind and awful offensive line. Lee Evans is the only real deep threat at wideout, and the tight end position is one of anonymity.

25. Minnesota Vikings: The offensive line is one of the best in the league and Chester Taylor and Adrian Peterson should thrive running behind it. The defense should be solid, but the passing game will be one of the worst in the NFL.

26. Cleveland Browns: The Browns had a great draft, but aren’t quite there yet. Quinn and Thomas are still rookies. Charlie Frye is not the answer at QB for this team. The defense is sub par, but Braylon Edwards and Kellen Winslow can stretch the field on offense. They will finish last in the AFC North.

27. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: The Bucs made some great moves on defense like picking up Cato June. But there is instability at the quarterback position, which, as I’ve said, usually spells trouble. The offense could be good, but it could also be as bad as it was last year. They have improved, but they will still probably finish last in the NFC South.

28. Green Bay Packers: Oh, Brett…why did you come back to play for this team? The pass coverage should be the worst in the league, and there will be next to nothing in the running game. I feel sorry for Brett, really, I do. Last place in the NFC North.

29. Washington Redskins: The defense is just an abomination. The ‘skins only had one first day draft pick and failed to address needs on the defensive line. The offense shows some promise, but they’re going to have to outscore everyone this year to win. The NFC East is a tough division, stocked with good run defenses that can stop Portis. Last place in the NFC East.

30. Houston Texans: Houston continues to ignore needs on the offensive line and the offensive side of the ball in general. I don’t even want to go into the defense…I’m done here.

31. Oakland Raiders: Only because I think JaMarcus Russell is going to be a stud did I rank them about the Lions. This team still needs a lot of help in a lot of areas. Robert Gallery is a bum and is the biggest first round bust of the past five years. They were calling him the next Jonathan Ogden…guess not.

32. Detroit Lions: Just…no…Calvin Johnson will be able to help this team down the road if they surround him with enough talent (i.e. someone to throw him the ball). The offensive line is improved, but is young and needs some seasoning. Losing Dre Bly on the defense is a big problem considering he was the only real star on that side of the ball.