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TheFootballHub.com NFL Power Rankings as of (3/21/2009) - Andrew Suvak

Rank	Team (Previous)	Comments
1	Pittsburgh Steelers (2)	Defending champion Steeler waters have justly been calm this offseason. Re-signing OT Max Starks was wise and I’m sure a long term James Harrison extension is on its way. The only open item is backup QB as I just cannot understand why GoodBurger still remains unsigned…especially given 1) how he filled in nicely last year and 2) Big Ben’s parade of concussions.
2	New York Giants (1)	Love the Giants commitment to the 4-3; they thrive on depth and don’t mess around. This offseason, adding FAs Chris Canty and Rocky Bernard coupled with Osi Umenyiora’s return should give their d-line yet another shot in the arm. Ahmad Bradshaw should minimize the damage of Derrick Ward’s departure, and as long as the young wide-outs are ready to step up the NYG won’t lose a beat.
3	New England Patriots (5)	Did the Pats get enough in the Cassel deal? Maybe not, but I think harvesting a one-year wonder for a high 2nd rounder is acceptable. Their FA moves impress me. They retained their safeties intact and addressed their CB situation with Leigh Bodden and Shawn Springs. If Springs adds anything he’s a steal for the Pats.
4	Arizona Cardinals (12)	The Cardinals are very similar to Kurt Warner’s wife’s hair…I’m not sure if it is for real but I am curious to see more of it. Re-upping Dansby, Bag Boy, and Bertrand Berry was key and I think CB Bryant McFadden will be a decent upgrade. On paper, the 2009 Cards should have no problem spreading teams out and waxing their division yet again.
5	Carolina Panthers (6)	I am going to assume that Julius Peppers is not going anywhere. While I think that fantasy owners who draft DeAngelo Williams in the first 5 picks this year are going to end up kicking themselves, I still love the Williams/Stewart combo. Good thing they’ll still have Jordan Gross around.
6	Indianapolis Colts (8)	As usual, I’m marking out over the Colts. Cutting ties with Marvin Harrison is a smart move, as it opens the door for another wide-out addition. Could you imagine Percy Harvin joining Wayne, Gonzalez, and Clark? Who are you going to cover? And who would beat them on turf? Let’s hope the Colts o-line stays healthy this season, maybe Joe Addai can get through a whole season intact.
7	Tennessee Titans (3)	Must downgrade the Titans thanks to Albert Haynesworth’s bolt to the capital. I don’t remember much about Jovan Haye, their DT replacement FA from Tampa, but I certainly do know that he’s not the defensive anchor Haynesworth was. Where was Tennessee on the Terrell Owens saga? Given the current hefty bags that masquerade as wide-outs for the Titans, Owens would have been a big time upgrade. With Owens’ downfield blocking abilities, this could have been an excellent short-term fit.
8	Washington Redskins (16)	It amazes me how the ‘Skins are able to somehow remain under the salary cap after offseason kid-in-candy store behavior. I am upgrading the ‘Skins mainly because Jason Campbell will have another full season to digest the offense, and I think his cannon arm will finally be unleashed in 2009. We know what Haynesworth will bring, but what about DeAngelo Hall? He needs to prove his worth.
9	Baltimore Ravens (10)	If I'm Ravens fan I'm feeling pretty lukewarm on the offseason that was just had. Flacco with another year under his belt...will he be more polished or will other teams have decent enough tape on him to limit his already shaky offense even further? As Ravens fan, I am concerned that my best signing was a Ray Lewis consolation prize. Finally, as a Ravens fan, I'm wondering where and how to treat my newly acquired VD.
10	Dallas Cowboys (7)	I actually like the direction the Cowboys are going in. They finally severed ties with T.O. and safety Roy Williams, two guys who's running subplots were more interesting than their play on the field. Can't complain about the defensive signings of Olshansky and Brooking. Also, I am a fan of Marion Barber returning to his non-workhorse role.
11	San Diego Chargers (26)	Amazing to see how much money Darren Sproles played his way into with one monster playoff game. I love his talents, but don't love the salary he's going to eat up...and to me the backfield is still an issue that needs resolved. His signing handicapped the Chargers into being one of the least aggressive free agent players. Another positive is Shawn Merriman conducting Venice Beach spots for ESPN. Fantastic.
12	Philadelphia Eagles (18)	Unless you are a twittering Eagle employee or Sean Jones' biggest fan there wasn't much to get excited about in Philly. Will this team ever address its gaping hole in the receiving corp? I look forward to another full season where every other word about the Eagles is "McNabb" or "benching."
13	Atlanta Falcons (13)	The Falcons brought back much of their FA class and made a nice low-risk high-potential move in bringing in Jaguar-jettisoned Mike Peterson. With Boley and Brooking departed, I look for the Falcons to address their linebacker depth in the draft.
14	Miami Dolphins (11)	Can Miami duplicate their success of a year ago? Did Ronnie Brown secretly attend a QB camp so that the wildcat could morph into an unstoppable 2.0 version? I say yes on both counts. I feel that if not for the personality conflict between Parcelles and Owens that T.O. could have fit in perfectly in Miami. He could have complemented Ginn and allowed this offense to take the next step.
15	New York Jets (9)	Not sure the level of success Rex Ryan will bring in 2009, but I am excited to watch it unfold. The offense will be the issue, with question marks littering most skill positions. Beyond QB, the Jets are void of wide-out talent. If I'm the Jets, I'm targeting Sanchez, Maclin, or Harvin come draft day.
16	Buffalo Bills (23)	The Bills are positioned in the draft to secure a pass rushing end or D-tackle. The Owens signing makes sense, and I look forward to him either making or breaking Trent Edwards. I'll say right now the scales tip closer to "breaking."
17	New Orleans Saints (19)	I liked the Darren Sharper signing; he still has something left in the tank. If the Saints get ANYTHING from this defense they can be dangerous...although as of today they still need more corner depth. Hard for me to imagine that Sean Payton will go defense given his philosophy.
18	Chicago Bears (20)	The Cutler trade signifies commitment to offense, but with the lack of picks and various WR free agent prizes already spoken for, how will they address? I personally look for Cutler to struggle amid increased pressure and lack of weaponry. I'm setting the over/under on Cutler press-conference collapses at 1.5.
19	Tampa Bay Buccs (4)	Where to start. The Raheem Morris hiring was "interesting," and this organization wasted little time in cleaning house, ditching Warrick Dunn, Derrick Brooks, and several other Buc lifers. I'll give them the #19 spot given their ability over the years to win ugly, even with rosters lacking in depth.
20	Green Bay Packers (14)	If the Packers don't draft a DE with their 1st pick I will be shocked. Otherwise, they'll be wheeling out absolute pass-rushing garbage this fall and their aging secondary better get their oxygen tanks ready. The offense should be settled, but I look for the Pack to take one more step backwards before they are ready to again perennially contend in the North.
21	Denver Broncos (15)	The McDaniels era is off to a roller coaster start. Let's start with the defense, where they bolstered the secondary with Brian Dawkins, Andre Goodman, and Renaldo Hill. I like these moves but am still concerned with their ability to pressure the QB. I wasn't in love with the one-dimensional offense with Cutler, much less without. McDaniels and the Denver fans are in for a long 2009. Could all this have been avoided if Shanahan could have limped them into the '08 playoffs?
22	Seattle Seahawks (25)	The Hawks have knocked out this year's offseason, leading off with the signings of Houshmandzadeh and Redding. If Seattle hopes to reclaim a spot in the playoffs, they better address their O-Line and at least pretend like they are a threat running the ball. I wonder how pleased Hasselbeck is with his "Now We're Done" EAS spots?
23	Jacksonville Jaguars (21)	Free agency was not kind to the Jags, given the losses of Spicer, Peterson, and Khalif Barnes. Signing Tra Thomas would have been really great if it were the year 2000. The Jags still have talent on their D-line, but I don't see much else to get excited about.
24	Houston Texans (22)	I could easily see this Texans team finishing the year near to the playoffs, but I need visual confirmation that the offense and running game can be consistent. Bold Texan prediction for 2009: Andre Johnson files suit against Calvin Johnson for the rights to the Megatron nickname.
25	Minnesota Vikings (17)	After losing Matt Birk and Darren Sharper, the Vikes were too busy licking their wounds to make any upgrades. I have no confidence in their quarterback or wide-out play.
26	San Francisco 49ers (24)	Did I see correctly that the 49ers signed Jamel White this off-season? Are additional comments even necessary?
27	Kansas City Chiefs (30)	I don't blame Chiefs fans for being excited about Cassel, but I'm not read to work on his Hall of Fame bust just yet. Drafting Aaron Curry if available would upgrade their changes in 2009. Also, I saw Glenn Dorsey on a milk carton the other day.
28	St. Louis Rams (28)	At least Kyle Boller is working again.
29	Oakland Raiders (27)	Re-signing Asomugha was the right move, despite the lavish cost. The recent Garcia signing was also wise, insurance for JaMarcus is a necessary evil. Don't have much love for this time otherwise.
30	Cincinnati Bengals (31)	Coles, Tank Johnson, and a healthy Carson will help. This team needs to show and prove now or never.
31	Cleveland Browns (29)	Pains me to put the Browns here, but this team is in absolute shambles. The Winslow trade may have been smart value-wise but lowers the general intensity. The Rogers situation disappoints as he is one of the best players in the NFL and one of the only Browns to play hard ever down. All aboard the Mangini bus, destination AFC doormat!
32	Detroit Lions (32)	Let's run this to 0-32!