NFL: Tampa Bay Bucaneers

[monoxide]

If we don't win the division, Tampa Bay will. Mark my words, they will have a better record than the Saints. Adding Vincent Jackson should make Freeman relevant again, and I'm a fan of the other two young receivers Williams and Benn. Carl Nicks is one of the best overall football players in the NFL, and him/Davin Joseph should make an even scarier guard duo than Evans and Grubbs (Donald Penn is also a perennial pro bowl lineman). That mean offensive line won't only protect Freeman, but the 1-2 punch of Blount and Doug Martin has the potential to be scary. Defensively, Gerald McCoy should be back to health, I like the Eric Wright signing, Mark Barron was a palpable top 8 pick, and 2nd rounder Lavonte David helps out the sub-par linebacker corps.

All in all, Atlanta wins 11, Tampa Bay wins 10, and New Orleans finishes at around 500. This is my optimistic prediction, and I'm still not huge on Carolina taking the next step just yet.