Check out all of our 2009 NFL team previews.

Offseason Additions: Derrick Burgess (DE/OLB); Leigh Bodden (CB); Chris Baker (TE); Joey Galloway (WR); Fred Taylor (RB); Paris Lenon (LB); Tully Banta-Cain (LB).

Offseason Losses: Richard Seymour (DE); Matt Cassel (QB); Rodney Harrison (S); Heath Evans (FB); Jabar Gaffney (WR); LaMont Jordan (RB); Deltha O’Neal (CB); Lewis Sanders (CB).

Player to Watch: Tom Brady, QB.
After missing virtually all of last year following a season-ending knee injury in Week 1 of the season, Brady is completely healthy again and ready to pick up where he left off in 2007 when he led the Patriots to an undefeated regular season. In preseason, Brady looked like the same quarterback that gives coordinators and defensive backs nightmares, routinely hooking up with receiver Randy Moss and showing no ill effects of the injury. By all accounts, it seems like nothing has changed and considering Brady will be protected by the best offensive line in football, New England is once again a Super Bowl favorite.

Team Strength: Thanks to Brady, receivers Moss and Wes Welker, and the best pass-protecting offensive line in football, the Pats’ passing game will once again be lethal. Will it be as explosive as it was in 2007 now that Brady is playing on a repaired knee and former offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels is now in Denver? It’s definitely a possibility. Brady is completely healthy and even though Moss is another year older, he still commands double teams and that allows Welker to get underneath coverages and burn defenses once he gets into open space. Plus, losing McDaniels isn’t as crippling as one would think because Bill Belichick does such a great job of grooming his assistants that when one moves on, another one takes his place without missing a beat. New England might not average 37 points a game like it did in ’07, but Brady and company will be feared again.

Potential Weakness: The Patriots secondary isn’t a weakness per se, but teams will definitely try to beat them through the air this season. That’s because it’ll be extremely hard to run against New England’s stout front seven. The Pats will have two new starting cornerbacks this year, although both players are well traveled, especially Shawn Springs, who signed in the offseason after spending the last couple years in Washington. Springs has a hard time staying healthy, so watch for Terrence Wheatley, Jonathan Wilhite or rookie Darius Butler to get a shot to start sometime this season. On the other side, newcomer Leigh Bodden is familiar with New England’s scheme after playing under former Cleveland head coach (and former Pats’ defensive coordinator) Romeo Crennel, so he should be a good fit despite his troubles in the Cover 2 last year in Detroit. At safety, Brandon Meriweather has a ton of potential but must be more aggressive when coming up to defend the run. Free safety James Sanders is steady, although his potential is maxed out.

Outlook: If you’re looking for differences between this year’s version of the Patriots and the one that went 16-0 in 2007, you won’t find many. Brady is completely healthy and as long as he doesn’t suffer any setbacks, this team is going to light up the scoreboard again this year, with or without a top rushing threat. No offensive line works better together as a unit then the starting five of Nick Kaczur, Stephen Neal, Dan Koppen, Logan Mankins and Matt Light in New England. The Patriots traded longtime defensive stalwart Richard Seymour, but also acquired Derrick Burgess from the Raiders in order to boost their pass rush and Adalius Thomas will once again aid in that area as well. Former Defensive Rookie of the Year Jerod Mayo will again be the rock in the middle of the Pats’ defense.

After missing the playoffs last season despite winning 11 games, it’s probably safe to say that Belichick is on a mission again this year. With his multiple Super Bowl-winning quarterback back under center, New England isn’t going to miss a beat and while the Steelers, Chargers, Ravens, Colts and Titans are going to challenge them in the conference, the Patriots are the favorites to represent the AFC in Miami this season.

2009 Prediction: First, AFC East.

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Offseason Additions: Shaun McDonald (WR); Keiwan Ratliff (CB).

Offseason Losses: Bryant McFadden (CB); Jamel White (RB); Larry Foote (LB); Nate Washington (WR); Byron Leftwich (QB), Anthony Smith (S).

Player to Watch: Lawrence Timmons, LB.
While defensive teammates Troy Polamalu, James Harrison, James Farrior, LaMarr Woodley, Aaron Smith and Casey Hampton will receive more accolades heading into the season, Timmons will be one of the reasons why the Steelers will be even better defensively in 2009. Timmons replaces Larry Foote at the inside linebacker position next to Farrior and immediately provides an upgrade in the pass-rushing department. Foote was primarily used as a run-stopper on first and second downs, but Pittsburgh will make Timmons an every-down linebacker and exploit his speed and quickness in order to cause havoc in opponents’ backfields. Timmons could become a star in the NFL very soon.

Team Strength: If the Steelers win the Super Bowl again this year, it’ll be because they have one of the fastest and most ferocious defenses in the entire league. Pittsburgh returns 9 of its 11 starters on the defensive side of the ball this year and at least one of the new starters (Timmons) is better than the player he’s replacing (Foote). Polamalu continues to be the backbone of the Steelers’ defense, although he wouldn’t nearly be as good as he is without the rest of his teammates executing their jobs to perfection. The heat-seeking missile posing as a NFL safety gets to roam around the field at will and use his excellent athletic ability because he knows that the 10 other guys will always be where they need to be. In turn, that allows defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau to draw up schemes that constantly suffocate opponents’ running games and get consistent pressure on the quarterback. From Poloamalu and Ike Taylor, to Harrison, Woodley and Farrior, to Smith, Hampton and Brett Keisel, the Steelers defense is the most star-studded unit in the league.

Potential Weakness: Not many people realize that the Steelers won the Super Bowl last year despite having the 23rd overall rushing game. Willie Parker gained only 791 yards last year and a measly 3.8 yards per carry and part of that was because the Steelers’ offensive line didn’t gel until late in the season. Parker needs to stay fresh throughout the year and in order to do that, 2008 first round pick Rashard Mendenhall needs to return to health after breaking his shoulder in Week 4 last year. If Mendenhall can cash in on some of the ability that made him a first round prospect, then the Steelers are going to have a decent 1-2 punch in their backfield and their weakness will actually turn out to be a strength.

Outlook: Besides the play of their outstanding defense, the main reason the Steelers won the Super Bowl last year was because their offensive line gelled. The unit was viewed as a potential weakness earlier in the season and it wasn’t until it became a cohesive unit that Pittsburgh reached its full potential. Now it appears that the Steelers don’t have any weaknesses, outside of maybe a running game that fell flat last season. But this team doesn’t even have to have a dominating rushing attack to get back to the Super Bowl, because as long as quarterback Ben Roethlisberger stays healthy, then he’s going to put the Steelers on his shoulders and deliver in the clutch like he has so many times before.

The Patriots, Chargers, Colts, Ravens and Titans all have reason to believe that they’ll emerge in a tough conference and make an appearance in Miami. But the defending champs are improved and barring injury, they’re going to be incredibly tough to beat come January, especially if they can nab home field advantage.

2009 Prediction: First, AFC North.

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Offseason Additions: Jason Peters (OT); Stacy Andrews (OT); Michael Vick (QB); Leonard Weaver (FB); Sean Jones (S).

Offseason Losses: Brian Dawkins (S); Tra Thomas (OT); Jon Runyan (OT); L.J. Smith (TE); Correll Buckhalter (RB); Sean Considine (S).

Player to Watch: LeSean “Shady” McCoy, RB.
McCoy will get plenty of opportunities to be a playmaker in Philadelphia’s offense and there’s always a chance that Brian Westbrook will miss time throughout the season. McCoy has tremendous playmaking ability, is shifty, and is gaining valuable experience with Westbrook sidelined with knee and ankle injuries. But what has impressed his coaches and teammates the most so far has been his toughness and blitz-pick up ability. One of the knocks on him coming out of PITT was that he might not be able to survive running in between the tackles in the NFL. But so far, he is dispelling that notion and has been awfully impressive.

Team Strength: The Eagles got younger and better on the offensive line this offseason when they replaced tackles Tra Thomas and Jon Runyan with Jason Peters and Shawn Andrews. Peters was acquired via a trade with the Bills and is one of the more dominating left tackles in the game. Quarterback Donovan McNabb will have plenty of protection (even though Peters gave up a league-worst 11.5 sacks last season, which stemmed from a training camp holdout) and Westbrook and McCoy should have no problem running directly behind Peters’ 6’4”, 340-pound frame. Guard Stacy Andrews excels at getting under defensive linemen’s pads and driving them straight back, while left guard Todd Herremans is vastly underrated.

Potential Weakness: The Eagles have limitations at receiver – what else is new? The team drafted Jeremy Maclin in the first round this year and expects the explosive, speedy wideout to pair up with DeSean Jackson to become a lethal 1-2 combination at receiver. But Maclin didn’t play in a pro-style offense at Missouri and is going to need time to develop. That said, Jackson developed into a solid playmaker for McNabb last season and a team could do much worse than having speedster Kevin Curtis line up as the No. 2 wideout. So while receiver might still be one of the weaker positions for the Eagles, the players they do have aren’t bad by any means. In fact, if Maclin can develop as fast as Jackson did in his rookie year, receiver could become a strength for Philly this season.

Outlook: The Eagles play in one of the toughest divisions in football, so their road to the playoffs won’t be easy. But they might have the best overall talent in the NFC East from top to bottom after the additions they made this offseason. Peters dramatically upgrades the offensive line, while McCoy and Maclin give the Eagles’ offense more playmakers. Michael Vick (once he returns from suspension) will give the offense an added wrinkle when he comes into the game in select packages. Sadly, defensive coordinator Jim Johnson lost his battle with cancer this offseason and will be replaced by former secondary coach Sean McDermott, who inherits an excellent defense. Losing veteran safety Brian Dawkins hurts, but Quintin Mikell is great in the box and is a solid run-stopper. Thanks to Brodrick Bunkley, Trent Cole, Mike Patterson and Victor Abiamiri, Philly has a fast, tenacious front four that fits perfectly with McDermott’s (who learned under Johnson) blitz-happy approach. The Eagles love to have extra defensive backs on the field at all times so that when they blitz, their corners (like playmaker Asante Samuel) and safeties can make game-changing plays. The Eagles did receive a huge blow defensively when middle linebacker Stewart Bradley was lost for the season due to an injury he suffered in practice. Omar Gaither is a decent replacement, but Bradley was starting to emerge as a rising young star.

The Eagles are set up for a Super Bowl run, but they’ll only go as far as McNabb takes them. He’s surrounded by talent and the defense is built to win. Can Philly pick up where they left off last year and get to Miami?

2009 Prediction: First, NFC East.

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Offseason Additions: Kevin Burnett (LB).

Offseason Losses: Igor Olshansky (DE); Mike Goff (G); Jeremy Newberry (C).

Player to Watch: Vincent Jackson, WR.
Once thought of as a player that would never reach his full potential, Jackson is a star in the making after hauling in 59 receptions for 1,098 yards and seven touchdowns last season. Built like a body builder, Jackson has drawn comparisons to the Cardinals’ Larry Fitzgerald because of his size (6’5”, 230 pounds) and athletic ability. He gives quarterback Philip Rivers a legit deep threat in the passing game.

Team Strength: After excelling in the pass-rushing area during their deep playoff run in 2007, the Chargers struggled to get after the quarterback last year. Now that linebacker Shawne Merriman is back after missing virtually all of last season following knee surgery, the Bolts can get back to terrorizing quarterbacks. The player happiest to see Merriman back is outside linebacker Shaun Phillips, who struggled with his teammate on the sidelines last year. And if Merriman is slow to recover or suffers a setback, first round pick Larry English will take his place after excelling as a pass rusher at Northern Illinois.

Potential Weakness: The Chargers secondary was brutal last year, so the unit will be their biggest question mark until it proves it can get back to its ’07 form. A hip injury exposed Antonio Cromartie last year and after intercepting 10 passes the season prior, he made a fine whipping boy for opposing quarterbacks last year. Strong safety is also a major concern, as Clinton Hart battled a broken hand as he was repeatedly toasted in coverage. The good news is that if Cromartie can rebound, the secondary will be in good shape because left cornerback Quentin Jammer and free safety Eric Weddle are both returning. The aptly named Jammer excels in bump-and-run coverage and Weddle has emerged as a versatile playmaker in his short career, racking up 125 tackles, a sack and an interception last season.

Outlook: The Chargers have the easiest road to the playoffs of any team in the AFC since they play in the horrible West. But besides that, this is a solid overall team and one that will contend for the Super Bowl this season. Rivers is coming off a fantastic season and will once again lead a pass-first offense. Jackson and tight end Antonio Gates are excellent weapons for Rivers to throw to, as are running backs LaDainian Tomlinson and Darren Sproles. Speaking of Tomlinson, LT is no longer the back he used to be, but that doesn’t mean he’s washed up like some are suggesting. He still finished fourth in the AFC in rushing and will get plenty of rest with the explosive Sproles ready to spell him at a moments notice. The offensive line must give a better run-blocking effort, however, or else the backs won’t be nearly as productive as they can be. Defensively, as long as the secondary bounces back and Merriman can return to health, there’s a good chance that the Bolts will return to their ’07 form when they were knocking on the door of the Super Bowl.

They’ll make the playoffs and they might even be the No. 1 seed given how easy their schedule is. But can the Chargers get past the Steelers and Patriots? If they get home field advantage throughout, don’t be shocked if San Diego winds up in Miami this year.

2009 Prediction: First, AFC West.

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Offseason Additions: Adam Seward (LB/released in preseason).

Offseason Losses: Marvin Harrison (WR); Dominic Rhodes (RB); Keiwan Ratliff (CB); Josh Thomas (DE).

Player to Watch: Anthony Gonzalez, WR.
Now that longtime veteran Marvin Harrison is no longer in Indy, Gonzalez is going to get a ton of passes thrown his way in 2009. The former first round pick runs excellent routes and has displayed soft hands throughout his short career. He becomes a first-time starter in his third season, which is the perfect time because most pro receivers don’t develop until year three. Playing across from Reggie Wayne and receiving pinpoint passes from Peyton Manning only adds to the excitement surrounding Gonzalez this season.

Team Strength: The Colts lost two important pieces to their offense when offensive coordinator Tom Moore and offensive line coach Howard Mudd retired in the offseason. Or at least so it seemed. Both were re-hired (they had to retire to protect their pensions) by Colts owner Jim Irsay as consultants, so while their titles are different, they’ll essentially still have the same roles. The point is that the Colts will have the same potent offense that they’ve had for years, led of course by Manning. Wayne, Gonzalez and tight end Dallas Clark give Manning three excellent weapons to throw to and Peyton is so good at getting the ball out of his hands quickly that he could have five chipmunks blocking for him and he’d still throw 30-plus touchdowns. The key will be whether or not Joseph Addai can bounce back after rushing for only 544 yards last season behind a suspect run-blocking unit. Either way, rookie first rounder Donald Brown is going to get a fair amount of touches.

Potential Weakness: The health of safety Bob Sanders is constantly a concern. Sanders was held out of all on-field activities this offseason after having surgery on his knee and has already been ruled out for Week 1. In fact, he’ll probably miss the first five or six games as he continues to rehab the injury. That’s incredibly unfortunate news for the Colts, who depend on Sanders to be their primary run-stopper. If he isn’t healthy, the entire unit suffers, even though new defensive coordinator Larry Coyer’s scheme trusts that his defensive tackles will be stout against the run and less dependent on the safety position. Still, not having Sanders is a blow to Indy’s defense.

Outlook: Many pundits believe the Colts will take a step back this year and they very well might. The defense was banged up in preseason and Sanders’ injury puts a damper on Coyer’s plan of making Indy more of an attacking-style defense. Another concern is that the Colts have to replace Tony Dungy, although something to keep in mind is that new head coach Jim Caldwell has been groomed for the position and not much changes between he and the well-liked Dungy. The Colts are still going to put up tons of points and Manning won’t let this team fail. The running game has to improve, but the Colts are going to be in contention this season and should hold off the Titans and rising Texans.

2009 Prediction: First, AFC South.

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Offseason Additions: Matt Birk (C); L.J. Smith (TE); Domonique Foxworth (CB); John Beck (QB).

Offseason Losses: Bart Scott (LB); Jason Brown (C); Chris McAlister (CB); Jim Leonhard (S); Lorenzo Neal (FB).

Player to Watch: Ed Reed, S.
Some believe that Reed is one of the more overrated players in the league because he’ll take too many chances attempting to make the big play and will often get burned because of it. He’s also not the greatest in run support because he’ll drag ballcarriers down as opposed to always running full speed and laying a thundering hit. But the bottom line is that Reed is the best playmaking safety in the league and he often masks mistakes (not his, but his teammates) with his tremendous speed and playmaking ability. Reed isn’t overrated – he deserves all the accolades that he receives and he’s one of the best – period.

Team Strength: Baltimore’s successful running game starts up front. Massive left tackle Jared Gaither and mobile left guard Ben Grubbs are two rising starts along the Ravens’ offensive line, one in which that improved this offseason with the addition of veteran center Matt Birk. The former Viking Birk is one of the smartest centers in the game and his pre-snap adjustments will help promising rookie right tackle Michael Oher make a smooth transition from college to the pros. Throw in a trio of capable starting running backs in Ray Rice, Le’Ron McClain and Willis McGahee and the Ravens will once again be near the top of the league in rushing.

Potential Weakness: It’s no secret that the Ravens don’t have many playmakers at the receiver position. When Derrick Mason announced his retirement this summer, panic set in and there was talk that Baltimore would put a trade package together for disgruntled Denver wideout Brandon Marshall. Panic set in…over a 35-year-old. That’s not a knock on Mason because he has been one of the more productive receivers in the NFL over his career. But it just goes to show that the Ravens are desperate for playmakers at the wideout position if they’re panicked about losing an aging veteran to retirement. Fortunately, Mason is back, but Mark Clayton is the other starter, and his ceiling has been met. And considering tight ends Todd Heap and L.J. Smith are both injury prone, quarterback Joe Flacco will go through another season without having a big play target to throw to in the passing game.

Outlook: As long as Flacco doesn’t suffer a sophomore slump, there’s no reason to think that the Ravens can’t make a repeat appearance in the playoffs. Losing defensive coordinator Rex Ryan to New York (along with former starters Bart Scott and Jim Leonhard) hurts, but the pieces for an aggressive, attacking defense are still there. Ray Lewis proved last year that he still has plenty left in the tank, although his role will change a bit as the team shifts more towards a 4-3 front. The Ravens aren’t thrilled with their other inside ‘backers Tavares Gooden or Dannell Ellerbe, so it’ll be important that Lewis continues to play at a top level. Of course, the key to this Ravens team is safety Ed Reed and a tenacious front seven, led by outside linebacker/defensive end Terrell Suggs. Suggs totaled eight sacks and two interceptions last year and was a thorn in the sides of many opposing quarterbacks. Kelly Gregg had microfracture surgery last year, but he’s back and there’s solid depth behind him in Justin Bannan. Haloti Ngata will once again command double-teams from his tackle position.

The two main concerns that this team has are what kind of an affect Ryan’s departure will have on the defense and whether or not Flacco can fully succeed without a having a legit No. 1 receiver to work with. Otherwise, the defense and running game will keep this team in contention all season.

2009 Prediction: Second, AFC North.

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Offseason Additions: Chris Canty (DE); Michael Boley (LB); C.C. Brown (S); Rocky Bernard (DT).

Offseason Losses: Plaxico Burress (WR); Derrick Ward (RB); James Butler (S); Amani Toomer (WR); Reuben Droughns (RB); R.W. McQuarters (CB).

Player to Watch: Kenny Phillips, S.
The Giants stole Phillips at the end of the first round in the 2008 draft. Following his rookie season, he added 16 pounds in hopes that the added weight will make him a more ferocious hitter and given his solid coverage ability, the Giants could use him the same way the Ravens use Ed Reed in that Phillips will move around the field at will. While expectations should be tempered considering this is only his second year, he reportedly is already making strides as a leader on the Giants’ defense and it appears that the sky is the limit in terms of his potential.

Team Strength: GM Jerry Reese has a philosophy that a team can never have enough pass rushers, so he spent this offseason bringing in free agents like Rocky Bernard and Chris Canty, both of whom can shoot the gap from their tackle positions. While Barry Cofield and Fred Robbins will remain the starters because of their run-stuffing abilities, Bernard and Canty will see plenty of action in a rotation and they add to an already excellent pass-rushing defensive line that also features ends Justin Tuck, Osi Umenyiora and Mathias Kiwanuka. Tuck wore down at the end of the year last season (as many Giants did) and Umenyiora didn’t play after having season-ending knee surgery in preseason. So the Giants plan on using a three-man rotation at end to keep everybody fresh. Even Dave Tollefson will see a fair amount of playing time for a Giants team that will once again get after the quarterback.

Potential Weakness: With Plaxico Burress now gone, the Giants need someone to emerge as a viable deep threat for quarterback Eli Manning. Domenik Hixon and Steve Smith will open as the starters, but rookies Hakeem Nicks and Ramses Barden will get opportunities to unseat them, as will Mario Manningham and Sinorice Moss. Of the group, nobody is a legit No. 1 option and while all six wideouts are serviceable, none can match Burress’ skill set. Barden has the size (he’s 6’6”), speed and leaping ability to become a pretty good deep threat, but he’s raw and needs to develop as a route runner. Nicks had a great finish to the preseason and was drafted in the first round, so he’ll get plenty of opportunities to shine. But he’s also raw and is currently stuck behind Hixon, Smith and Manningham on the depth chart. This group of receivers is underwhelming to say the least.

Outlook: The Giants are going to win games this year the same way they’ve won games the past two years: By running the football and playing good defense. Fortunately for them, those are two ingredients that breed success in the NFL. But the problem is that the G-Men don’t have an imposing passing game and that’s the very thing that hindered their success last year. Brandon Jacobs is a monster and the offensive line is excellent. But Manning needs someone else to throw to, because he can’t work tight end Kevin Boss all the way up the field. That said, the defense is absolutely stacked from top to bottom and Reese brought in tons of quality depth in the offseason. The secondary is one of the more intriguing units on this team, thanks to Phillips and young corners Aaron Ross and Corey Webster.

The Giants are going to be competitive this year and Tom Coughlin isn’t going to allow them to lose focus. This is a playoff team depending on how they do against the teams in the stacked NFC East. But the lack of a passing game is a concern and the G-Men could be in trouble against teams that find success against their stout defense.

2009 Prediction: Second, NFC East.