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1 — New England: The Patriots have no doubt had a tumultuous offseason. Aside from lingering Spygate fallout, there have been the Nick Kaczur, Kevin Faulk and Willie Andrews arrests and a host of key contributors from the '07 team lost to free agency. That said, the Pats bring all the majority of their big dogs back — most importantly Randy Moss — and will be playing with a vengeance in '08. On paper, they have the easiest schedule in the entire league this season. Vegas currently has the Pats listed with 15-1 odds to go undefeated in 2008. It's not a bad bet. New England could be as good as they were last season. This time, they're looking to end the year with a win. Camp: Foxboro, Mass.

2 — New York Giants: It looks as though everyone's crowning Dallas the preseason favorites in the NFC East. Nonsense. The Giants, despite losing Jeremy Shockey and Super Bowl stars Kawika Mitchell, Gibril Wilson and Michael Strahan this offseason, are primed to repeat not only as NFC champions, but Super Bowl kings. Lineman David Diehl told me a few weeks ago, "A lot of people had us picked last in 2007. Where they are picking us now is really nothing new to us. Nobody picked us in the playoffs or the Super Bowl. But we always had high expectation for ourselves. Everyone is committed and dedicated to putting in the hard work it takes to prove ourselves again." In short, this is an angry team, ready to show the world that last year was no fluke. You've got to beat the best to be the best. And until Dallas does that -- New York gets my nod as the NFC favorites. Camp: Albany, N.Y.

3 — San Diego: While discussing FOXSports.com's fantasy football last week, I chatted with LaDainian Tomlinson about the MCL injury that kept him out of the majority of last year's playoffs. He says he's healthy and ready to go. He better be. Backing up L.T. is no longer big-play threat Michael Turner, but rather, a hodgepodge of rookies (Jacob Hester) and unproven backs (Darren Sproles, Marcus Thomas). Lorenzo Neal's gone too, being replaced by fifth-year man Andrew Pinnock. A 100 percent L.T. or not, the Chargers are loaded across the board and start the season with games against five teams that finished under .500 last year. The AFC West isn't quite the division it used to be, either. Unless Denver puts it all together sooner than expected, San Diego should cruise into the playoffs as AFC West champions this season. Camp: San Diego, Calif.

4 — Indianapolis Colts: Peyton Manning's out for 4-6 weeks, Marvin Harrison's future is a bit murky and longtime guard Jake Scott is now with the enemy Tennessee Titans. Reason to worry? Nah. Indy's won five straight AFC South titles and they're going to be near impossible to beat at home in their new stadium. Despite injuries across the board, the defense still ranked tops in the league in '07. As long as Dungy's on that sideline and Manning's under center, the Colts aren't going anywhere but the postseason. Book them for their sixth straight AFC South title and at least one playoff game at Lucas Oil Stadium. Camp: Terre Haute, Ind.

5 — Dallas: For a franchise that hasn't won a playoff game in 12 years, the media sure has a lot of confidence in the Cowboys this off-season. Everywhere you look, pundits are pegging Dallas as the NFC East favorites and the Super Bowl frontrunners out of the NFC. In truth, Jerry Jones did some nice things in the off-season, plucking both Zach Thomas and Adam Jones for 40 cents on the dollar, and re-signing Ken Hamlin to a long-term deal. Wade Phillips is Marty Schottenheimer Lite, though, having never won a playoff game, himself. Anything less than a conference title will be seen as a great disappointment in Big D this season. Is this squad up to the challenge? We'll have to wait and see. Camp: Oxnard, Calif.

20 — Carolina: Two straight seasons have been derailed by Jake Delhomme injuries in Carolina. This year, it may be the last shot for both he and Panthers coach John Fox in Charlotte. After trading future draft picks to secure the rights to mauling lineman Jeff Otah in the draft and spending big bucks on free agent receivers D.J. Hackett and Muhsin Muhammad, the expectations are high in Carolina for 2008. The Panthers need to win now. Delhomme's health — and specifically his elbow — will be key. Camp: Spartanburg, S.C.

21 — Buffalo: FOXSports.com colleague Adam Schein is all about the Bills this season, already labeling them as his playoff sleepers and a squad "cooking with gas". Of course, Schein said the same exact stuff about the Niners last year. In truth, Buffalo hasn't made the playoffs since the Music City Miracle game in 1999, and they're still a bit young to be considered legitimate contenders in the AFC. The Marcus Stroud and Kawika Mitchell acquisitions beef up the defense and the drafting of Leodis McKelvin gives Buffalo a top-flight cover corner/return man. The pieces are certainly coming together, but they're still likely a year away from January football. Camp: Pittsford, N.Y.

22 — St. Louis: The Rams suffered an absurd amount of injuries last season, losing their starting quarterback, running back and left tackle at different points throughout the season. They're all healthy now, and No. 2 overall pick Chris Long joins a young, but promising defensive line. It's no secret that coach Scott Linehan is on the hot seat, though, and the Rams' schedule is no walk in the park. In September and October alone, St. Louis plays the Cowboys, Giants, Redskins, Eagles, Patriots, and Seahawks. The Rams started the season 0-8 last year. There's no guarantee that won't happen again. Camp: Mequon, Wis.

23 — Arizona: The biggest news out of Arizona this summer involved pictures of quarterback Matt Leinart drinking out of a beer bong with a few college co-eds. On the field, Leinart's still splitting snaps with veteran Kurt Warner and there are question marks across the Cardinals defense. Arizona's always a sexy sleeper pick out of the NFC West, but they haven't won a division since they took down the NFC East in 1975. Arizona's got a shot at the playoffs this year, but they're probably on the outside looking in. So pretty much — same old story. Camp: Flagstaff, Ariz.

24 — Chicago: In short, I hate the Chicago quarterback situation, am not crazy about the running backs, don't think any of the receivers are legitimate NFL first or second options, and think the offensive line is simply too young to protect. But other than that, the Bears are just fine. This could be a long year for Chicago fans. Devin Hester may need to do even more than he has the past two seasons. That offense will need all the help it can get. Camp: Bourbonnais, Ill.

25 — Baltimore: Forget their obvious question marks at quarterback. It's the super young, super inexperienced offensive line that scares me most about the Ravens. Long gone are the days of Jonathan Ogden holding the unit together. It's now a mix of journeymen veterans and recent draft picks doing the heavy lifting. The AFC North is a bit of a crapshoot this season and I'm loving what I've heard about coach John Harbaugh. Baltimore could very well be the sleeper pick to steal the division crown. I just wouldn't count on it. They're simply too young. Camp: Westminster, Md.

26 — Oakland: Al Davis was quite generous this offseason. Just ask Javon Walker, Gibril Wilson, DeAngelo Hall, Tommy Kelly, Justin Fargas and Darren McFadden — all beneficiaries of Mr. Davis's desperate commitment to excellence. Who can argue with the money he shelled out? The Raiders are a nauseating 19-61 over the past five seasons and haven't sniffed the playoffs in years. I'm actually pretty excited about the Jamarcus Russell-Darren McFadden combo out of the backfield. The SEC meets the Black Hole. Hopefully, with it, come a few wins along the way. Camp: Napa Valley, Calif.

27 — New York Jets: The Jets opened up their wallets this offseason, adding several big-money free agents across the board. The offensive line — New York's Achilles' heel last season — now features four former first-round picks and is one of the highest-paid units in the league. But questions still linger around the quarterback position. Pennington or Clemens? Ugh. The Jets have already gone public saying they have absolutely no interest in Brett Favre. Umm ... why not? Camp: Hempstead, N.Y.

28 — San Francisco: Everybody's sexy pick of the '07 offseason fell flat on its face. No one's hyping up the young 49ers this summer. But maybe they should be. Mike Martz brings another new offense for Alex Smith, Isaac Bruce serves as a reliable veteran target, and '07 rookies Joe Staley and Patrick Willis were among the league's best first-year players. With a healthy offensive line, perhaps Frank Gore returns to his '06 form. This is the make-or-break year for Smith, though. Is he a David Carr/Tim Couch No. 1 overall pick? A guy who just never put it together? Or is he a late bloomer, like Eli Manning in New York? Camp: Santa Clara, Calif.

29 — Detroit: In every season since Matt Millen took over the Lions in 2001, Detroit has finished under .500, missed the playoffs, and ended the year in either last or second-to-last place in the NFC North. Last season, Detroit's defense gave up more yards and points per game than any team in the entire league, while the squad's quarterback, Jon Kitna, was sacked more than any other signal caller in the league. So, to say the expectations are low in the Motor City for the Lions this year is a bit of an understatement. In truth, Detroit brings in an entirely new offensive gameplan under Jim Colleto, three new starting defensive backs and a new backfield star in rookie Kevin Smith. The postseason isn't likely, but an improvement from last year's dismal November and December output certainly is. Camp: Allen Park, Mich.

30 — Miami: The Dolphins aren't doing anything this year, but they won't go 1-15 either. Miami will be a fun team to watch, both young and hard-working, under the watchful eye of first year coach Tony Sparano. Though it's tough to see Jason Taylor leave, he and Bill Parcells were never going to work and the trade to Washington netted a few solid future draft picks. One intriguing player to watch? Our old friend Ricky Williams. What's he have left? And is he going to make it through the year? Camp: Davie, Fla.

31 — Kansas City: Despite rave reviews for a strong draft, the Chiefs are still 1-2 years away from even thinking about the playoffs. Sorry, K.C. fans, but after tip-toeing around it for years, the franchise is finally in full blown rebuilding mode and there's officially no turning back. The Chiefs are just too young to be competitive in the AFC. If it's wins you want to see, you might want to check back in around 2010. Camp: River Falls, Wis.

32 — Atlanta: The Falcons feature a first-year quarterback, a first-year coach and a first-year general manager. In other words, there's always next year, folks. In truth, the Falcons feature a few nice young pieces, but they are simply too young and too inexperienced to win more than 5-6 games this season. But hey, at least UGA looks good this year. Knowshon for Heisman! Camp: Flowery Branch, Ga.

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