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NFC East

Dallas Cowboys: HOW ‘BOUT THEM COWBOYS?? It pains me to say it, but Dallas has a good shot at winning the division. The main reason: its offensive line is absurd. The o-line is loaded with previous first-round selections and that in turn keep previously-injured quarterback Tony Romo on his feet. It also doesn’t hurt that he’s throwing to one of the league’s top receivers Dez Bryant. The defense for the Cowboys, however, should be middle-of-the-pack. One question, though: who will take over and replace DeMarco Murray?

Key Acquisitions: Greg Hardy, Darren McFadden, Byron Jones (Draft)

Key Departures: DeMarco Murray, Anthony Spencer

Prediction: 11-5

New York Giants: The Giants were a disappointing team last year. You knew it was going to be a long season when Victor Cruz was lost with an injury. The Giants are getting him back to health, and Odell Beckham Jr. hopefully will continue to progress into arguably the best wide receiver in the game. I really like what they did in the draft getting a big-mauler lineman, Ereck Flowers, and snatching the premier safety, Landon Collins.

Key Acquisitions: Ereck Flowers (Draft), Landon Collins (Draft)

Key Departures: Antrel Rolle

Prediction: 8-8

Philadelphia Eagles: A lot has changed in Philly from last year’s team. The common saying is “In Chip We Trust,” which will certainly be tested this season. The main acquisitions center around a change of quarterback from Nick Foles to injury-plagued Sam Bradford. It has been so long since Bradford was performing well that people forget he won the Heisman at Oklahoma…

Key Acquisitions: Kiko Alonso, Sam Bradford, DeMarco Murray, Nelson Agholor (Draft)

Key Departures: LeSean McCoy, Jeremy Maclin

Prediction: 7-9

Washington Redskins: This could be a very bad team. The “star” quarterback, Robert Griffin III, keeps getting injured and there appears to be no real firepower with this team. RGIII might also be the third string quarterback when the season starts.  The highlight of the Redskins offseason was drafting Brandon Scheriff, who is changing positions from college.  Owner Dan Snyder continues to prove that he is one of the worst owners in all sports.

Key Acquisitions: Brandon Scheriff (Draft), Terrence Knighton

Key Departures: Brian Orakpo

Prediction: 3-13

NFC North

Green Bay Packers: The cheeseheads will once again win the NFC North. Aaron Rodgers is the best quarterback in the league and the defense figures are improving. What will hurt the team is wide receiver Jordy Nelson missing the season after tearing his ACL. The off-season was quiet for Green Bay, but they are a quality team with a real chance of a successful season.

Key Acquisitions: Damarious Randall (Draft)

Key Departures: Tramon Williams, AJ Hawk

Prediction: 13-3

Minnesota Vikings: Teddy Bridgewater will need to put the team on his back if the Vikings are to compete for the playoffs this season. This team is on the rise — and moving into a brand new stadium soon — and should be competitive in a year or two. Overall, the team should hover around .500 for the season, failing to make the playoffs.

Key Acquisitions: Casey Matthews, Terence Newman, Trae Waynes (Draft)

Key Departures: Greg Jennings

Prediction: 7-9

Detroit Lions: The Lions lost the best and most expensive free agent in Ndamukong Suh. The team also lost Suh’s linemate Nick Fairley. Matt Stafford continues to perform, yet seems to fail in the standings every year. The bottom line is that this team is losing a lot of talent and didn’t do much to replace its production values.

Key Acquisitions: Laken Tomlinson (Draft), Ameer Abdullah (Draft)

Key Departures: Ndamukong Suh, Nick Fairley

Prediction: 7-9

Chicago Bears: DAAAAA BEARS could end up being a disappointment this year. Luck clearly is not on Chicago’s side because first-round draft pick Kevin White might miss the entire season with a shin injury. Jay Cutler is making 100 million dollars plus, yet he constantly makes terrible decisions throwing the ball. Alshon Jeffery will probably need 35 touchdowns on his own if this team wants to make the playoffs.

Key Acquisitions: Pernell McPhee, Antrel Rolle, Kevin White (Draft)

Key Departures: Stephen Pea

Prediction: 4-12