Jeff Risdon - Football Analysis

These Eagles will have a new QB, RB, top wideout, guard tandem, sack leader and a radically overhauled secondary. The influx of talent doesn't seem to equal the outflow, not on paper anyway. Yet this could be a tighter, more functional team. Read more »

With how well they're equipped to handle the rigors of a playoff run, the Ravens are one of the few teams that can actually win Super Bowl 50. Read more »

If the Cardinals are to get back to the playoffs, Carson Palmer and the offense will have to be better. The defense cannot regress much, if at all. The special teams will have to be more special. Read more »

The Bills look strong on paper, but there are reservations with an inexperienced quarterback and a thin depth chart. The coaching overhaul could produce an immediate bump, but it could also include bumps on the road. Read more »

The Lions have one of the most talented rosters in the league and they're coming off a playoff appearance where they more than held their own. Perhaps no other returning postseason participant has lost less, either through player movement or preseason injury. Read more »

Peyton Manning doesn't have his fastball with any consistency any longer and depth is an issue. The defense is good enough to finish in the top 10 again, and that might be enough to get them into the playoffs. Read more »

Ron Rivera lived up to his Riverboat Ron moniker in 2014. Mired in a major slump that had some calling for his head, Rivera made some radical changes to the defense. It worked, and it catapulted Carolina to an improbable NFC South title despite a losing record. Read more »

The Titans don't appear to be a team positioned for a quick rebuild. Expect many bumps in the road as the young offensive core learns the NFL ropes together. There are still a lot of questions on defense, too. Read more »

A lot of pieces are in place for the widely anticipated climb in the standings. The arrow is up in Minnesota, but the Vikings are likely a year away from getting back to the playoffs. Read more »

Joey Bosa, Ronnie Stanley, Connor Cook, Jalen Ramsey and A'Shawn Robinson headline the top-5 picks of our first mock for the 2016 NFL Draft. Read more »

The Steelers look completely different these days with their high octane offense and weak defense. If Pittsburgh is going to make it back to the playoffs, they're going to need to overcome a lot of adversity against a very difficult early schedule. Read more »

The fluky scoring defensive success, the major spikes in Romo's efficiency, Murray's running and the impressive run of health outside of linebacker are all outliers from the norm. There is still a lot of appreciable talent but it's unlikely everything will break as well in 2015 as 2014. Read more »

Losing Darrelle Revis and Brandon Browner means Bill Belichick will have to once again re-tool his defense around a different strength. Meanwhile, the offense is heavily dependent on Tom Brady and oft-injured Rob Gronkowski to carry an otherwise middling cast. Read more »

Twitter posts on Christian Hackenberg were included in ESPN The Mag's college football preview. Here's the deeper context on how the viewpoint materialized and how the prospect is still writing his NFL resume. Read more »

This defense, while depleted, still has real teeth. Colin Kaepernick is a variable capable of unexpected greatness, and he's got what looks like a sound run game supporting him. These Niners are going to lose more than they win, but they're going to be competitive. Read more »

Dan Quinn can only take the defense up after a horrible season on that side of the ball. There is some intriguing potential all-around, but the line and the depth are troubling. Read more »

Miami features one of the more talented young rosters in the league. With Ryan Tannehill steadily improving and some intriguing new weapons on the perimeter, the offense has the potential to put up a lot of points. Read more »

As long as the quarterback can effectively manage the offense and not lose games on their own, a good receiving corps and tough defense can keep this team right in the mix in the wide-open AFC. Read more »

Green Bay is the odds-on favorite to win both the NFC and the Super Bowl. The offense is absolutely loaded with a perennial MVP candidate running the show. They've made several playoff runs with this core group, and expectations are higher than simply making it back once again. Read more »

The defense is good enough to win as a legit top 10 overall unit with depth and playmakers. Running back is also above average, but the passing game could slow them down. Read more »