1. Pittsburgh Steelers
The likely loss of Randle El will hurt, and they may lose some of the intensity with Jerome Bettis’ retirement. Still, as long as they have Ben Roethlisberger, they have a shot at the Super Bowl.
2. Indianapolis Colts
Another promising season, another playoff collapse. The window is starting to close on the Colts – especially now that they have lost the services of Edgerrin James.
3. Seattle Seahawks
Signing Shawn Alexander gives the Seahawks a legitimate shot at repeating as NFC Champions.
4. Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals are only ranked this high based on the idea that Carson Palmer will be returning, and good to go. If he’s not, then the Bengals are probably around 11th or 12th. They’re in a tough division but should give the Steelers a run for their money. If Palmer hadn’t gone down, they very well could’ve beaten the Steelers. But he did, and they didn’t.
5. New England Patriots
It’s hard not to like the chances of any team lead by Tom Brady. He played less than spectacular against the Broncos, which wasn’t like him. Losing McGinest will hurt on defense, which for a while had been New England’s strong point. The other 17 free agents aren’t helping their cause, either.
