The Super Bowl champions get Rashard Mendenhall back. Ben Roethlisberger is now a two-time Super Bowl winner. The Steelers also continue to build their roster depth by training their own young players. It will be hard to hold the top spot with Tom Brady back on the field in New England, but this Steelers franchise does not let success go to its head.

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Brady is back, and there were key additions in free agency that include Fred Taylor, Shawn Springs and a number of other veterans who will add depth. If the Patriots had secured a veteran outside linebacker, they would have been considered for the top spot.

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The offseason put two new offensive tackles on the roster, and insured the pass protection and run blocking will be excellent. Donovan McNabb has plenty of targets to throw to and finally there is a quality running back in LeSean McCoy to back up Brian Westbrook. Despite playing in a tough division, the Eagles appear poised for a run at Super Bowl XLIV.

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The loss of defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo may be harder to overcome than the loss of Plaxico Burress. Still, the Giants have the quarterback, offensive line and pass rush to warrant a top-five spot.

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Holding a top-five spot will be difficult with the recent departure of offensive coordinator Tom Moore and offensive line coach Howard Mudd. Put that together with a new head coach (Jim Caldwell) and there seems to be even more pressure on Peyton Manning than ever before. Indianapolis needs its rookie defensive tackles to help slow the rushing attacks they are sure to face.

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Joe Flacco does not appear to be the kind of player to have a sophomore slump. He is really taking command of the offense, so expect more from the passing attack in 2009. The Ravens defense is still the backbone of this franchise, but it needs the offense to pull more of the weight.

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Coach Mike Smith, general manager Thomas Dimitroff, and quarterback Matt Ryan flipped this franchise around in one year, and the addition of tight end Tony Gonzalez makes them contenders. Smith told me that they needed to get better on defense and the first five draft picks were for that side of the ball.

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Philip Rivers and his teammates are ready to take the big step and get to the final game of the season. The return of Shawne Merriman and the improved health of cornerback Antonio Cromartie could put the defense on solid ground in a weak division.

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The Cardinals had some key losses in offensive coordinator Todd Haley and defensive end Antonio Smith, but they have playmakers on offense and the addition of Chris "Beanie" Wells should help the running game. This is a fragile situation and it remains to be seen if they can handle the success they had in 2008. There might be too many veterans complaining about new contracts to feel comfortable about the placement of the Cardinals at No. 9 on this list.

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The Vince Young debate is now on the backburner, and this team will go as far as Kerry Collins can take them. The loss of Albert Haynesworth can't be underestimated, but coach Jeff Fisher will have his always-physical football team ready to go. Expect the offense to open up a bit with the additions of Nate Washington and first-round draft pick Kenny Britt.

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If Brett Favre winds up on this roster, this team could move up a few spots in the final preseason rankings. The Vikings won the division title without Favre, and the addition of Percy Harvin brings a playmaker to an offense in which no opposing defense worries about anything aside from Adrian Peterson. The Vikings defense will continue to stop the run and get after quarterbacks.

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Every year the NFL proves you can't outscore opponents. You have to be able to stop teams and the Saints defense always has questions. Between free agency and the draft, this defense will have five new faces. However, if high-priced defensive ends Charles Grant and Will Smith don't come through, then the Saints may be ranked too high here.

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Jay Cutler changes everything for the Bears. He's a playmaker with a cannon arm who can win a game with a fourth-quarter drive. The offensive line is better, but are the receivers good enough to take advantage of Cutler's skills? The defense will be better with Rod Marinelli reuniting with his friend Lovie Smith on the Bears' coaching staff.

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The Cowboys let Terrell Owens go, and many think it will help in the long run. Roy Williams has to regain his form from a few years ago in Detroit, and Tony Romo has to take the next step in his development. For the first time in years, this team flew under the radar all offseason. Expectations are lower than usual, which should help the team perform better. The division is brutal, and they need to start fast or the panic button will go off quickly.

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Seattle was a good team that had an injured quarterback, a retiring head coach and issues on defense. Matt Hasselbeck is back, and he has better weapons than he did in 2007. First-round draft pick Aaron Curry will help a defense that also added Cory Redding and Colin Cole. The Seahawks can challenge for the NFC West division crown.

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Much of the offseason talk surrounded Julius Peppers, and it put a negative light on the whole team. Jake Delhomme is one more year removed from his Tommy John surgery, the offensive line and running game is outstanding, and expectations are low enough that few are counting on them to do well. Whenever that happens, the Panthers play well.

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The Dolphins could be ranked higher if they stick with Chad Pennington this season. The addition of Jason Taylor helps the pass rush, and the selection of the two big corners in the draft (Vontae Davis and Sean Smith) help in a division that has Terrell Owens and Randy Moss. The added dimension of Pat White to the "Wildcat" package will win a game or two this year.

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The Packers may be too low here, considering how well Aaron Rodgers played in his first full year as a starter last season. The conversion of the defense from a 4-3 to a 3-4 is right on schedule with the additions of B.J. Raji and Clay Matthews.

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Quarterback Carson Palmer is back under center, and he has weapons to throw to as well as a revised offensive line. If rookie Chase Coffman is healthy, Palmer gets the receiving tight end he hasn't had before. The defense worked its way into the top half of the NFL last year, and got better with the additions of Tank Johnson, and rookies Rey Maualuga and Michael Johnson. Chad Ochocinco could potentially disrupt all the positives that are happening in Bengals country.

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The Texans are a hot team in the minds of many, but the division is brutal. The Texans still need to figure out how to beat Peyton Manning. There should be an improved defense with Antonio Smith and rookies Brian Cushing and Connor Barwin, but the secondary remains a question mark.

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The offseason rumors about replacing quarterback Jason Campbell had to affect his confidence. He's a developing player and should be good enough to win games. The defense improved with Albert Haynesworth and first-round draft pick Brian Orakpo, but the Redskins suffer from the same issues the Texans deal with ... a brutal division.

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The window of opportunity may have passed by this team. Last spring, the Jaguars were being touted as the team ready to dethrone the Colts. This year, expectations are a lot different. The Jaguars need David Garrard and the offense to rebound. Torry Holt will help a passing game that gave up on former first-round picks Matt Jones and Reggie Williams. The Jaguars worked hard in the draft to fix the offensive line, but it might not show up in 2009 wins.

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How fast rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez can develop is how far this team goes in 2009. The defense will be solid under new coach Rex Ryan, but the Jets need playmakers on offense, especially at wide receiver.

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Quarterback Trent Edwards has great targets with speedy Lee Evans and Terrell Owens on the field, but will he have time to throw the ball? Jason Peters is gone and the inside three offensive line positions (guards and center) are being rebuilt. Marshawn Lynch kicks off the season with a suspension, and that doesn't help matters much.

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There could be a quarterback controversy between Brady Quinn and Derek Anderson developing, one of the key playmakers (Kellen Winslow) is gone and running back Jamal Lewis averaged fewer than four yards per carry last year. It will take new coach Eric Mangini more than one season to right this ship.

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The Rams are doing the right things in the overhaul of the once-proud franchise that got itself into personnel problems in recent years. The defense will be aggressive, and the offense will run the ball. At the end of the season, Rams fans will feel like the arrow is pointing up.

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It seems like overnight this franchise fell apart with the loss of long-time coach Mike Shanahan. The Broncos also let Jay Cutler go and many veteran players have moved on as well. The conversion of the defense into a 3-4 package will take two years to complete, which makes things tough on the offense. Time will tell if the players can move on from the departure of Cutler, and the pressure on young coach Josh McDaniels could be brutal if the fans and media turn on him.

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Coach Mike Singeltary could easily push this team to a much higher position. First-round pick Michael Crabtree fell right into the Niners' lap, and he will help quarterback Shaun Hill. Look for the team to return to a 4-3 defense and compete week in and week out. Do the 49ers have enough depth to keep playing well as the season moves on? That is another question.

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There are many changes in Tampa, from the general manager to head coach to the starting quarterback and a new defense. The Buccaneers signed solid veterans in the offseason, but sooner or later rookie quarterback Josh Freeman will take the field. There is a learning curve that Freeman will have to go through before he can consistently win games.

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If JaMarcus Russell takes a big step in his development, this team will be much better than this spot. However, Russell has to prove it first. Oakland can run the ball, but Russell will need to come from behind in at least half of his games and that is an issue. The team might have a better record with Jeff Garcia under center, but that wouldn't help the club in the long run.

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General manager Scott Pioli is not going to go for the quick fix, otherwise he would have never traded Tony Gonzalez. Pioli will build the defense the way he did in New England, and the offense will be conservative until all the pieces are in place.

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The Lions will not go 0-16. Hopefully, Detroit doesn't play Matthew Stafford this season; he's an underclassman on what has to be considered an expansion team. Coach Jim Schwartz will get bigger on defense, Daunte Culpepper will get a few wins and many of the rookies besides Stafford will gain a year of experience.

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