[rawkhrdr]

I may be jumping in late on this. But this seems fairly well thought out AV. The Hawks are not declining, I think that they may be still on the rise. They have question marks, as does every team in the division. But they had a lot of injuries this year. And by alot, I mean they had only one offensive starter start every game. And he shouldn't have. Continuity on the offensive line is key and maybe signing a new RG would help that. I think that the other positions on the line are fine.

Defensively, the Hawks are looking fine up front, well except at DE (if Tubbs is out for any length of time), and in the secondary (pending several CB's recovering from injury).

The Rams, looked good down the stretch and will continue to improve under Linehan. I really like what he is doing there. The question is, will Faulk return and screw up the chemistry that Jackson has now with the offense or will Faulk retire (like he should). Can Bulger lead the team in a more controlled offense? Can the defense get better? If the answer to all of the questions is Yes, then the Rams will definitely contend next year. They may even get a wild card.

The whiners could be really scary next year. And I mean really scary. If Gore can prove this wasn't a fluke year and stay healthy, and Smith continues to improve...well, look out. The defense could cause them problems, but in the NFC West where there is almost no defense played, well they could be good.

The Cards are in for another rebuilding year. I like the hirings they have so far in the coaching ranks. But can they put it all together this year. That is the big question. I don't think so, but if the Bidwells actually spend some and stay this course for more than 3 years...they could be good in 5 or so years...until then mediocrity reighns supreme.