NFC West
Anal at Bandcamp (Manager: Analatbandcamp)
2005 Final Record: 11-2, NFC West Champion, Lost in Conference Championship
Coming off of the best regular season record, Bandcamp is off to get back into the NFC Conference Championship and into the Super Bowl. This team was strong last year with sleepser Carson Palmer and Willie Parker, and no major changes have been made to this already championship-calliber team. This off-season there have been a few new arrivals to help Bandcamp get over the hump and into the big dance. The new faces include T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Brad Johnson and Adam Vinateri. Bandcamp did a good job last year looking ahead to the future to find stars in the making, as they have Dominic Rhodes who after spending time on the Bandcamp bench will get significant playing time with a new starting position opened up. With fantasy studs at every position, Bandcamp will be carried to another playoff berth and contend for the Super Bowl once again.
Off-Season Grade: B-
Vilma=GOD (Manager: nyiaregods)
2005 Final Record: 7-6, Missed Playoffs
Once hailed as the team with the top quarterbacks in the league before last season, injuries cost this team a shot at the playoffs despite a decent record. Vilma enters this season with Dante Culpepper and Chad Pennington again, but without healthy years from at least one of these two, might find himself in a similar situation to last year. This season he has a good backup from the start in Kurt Warner so that with the news of Culpepper's progress should give Vilma a strong year out of the quarterback position. However, this team has some holes at runningback. Vilma has only one starting runningback in Kevin Jones while his others are burried on the depth chart and looking to be traded. A Michael Bennett or T.J. Duckett trade would help, but Vilma should look to add another runningback to be a true contender. The recievers at the Vilma camp look to have a strong year with a Andre Johnson comeback combined with Hines Ward and Mushin Muhammad. This team was devistated by injury last year, but a some-what healthy season and another runningback could make this team a real contender.
Off-Season Grade: B
Helsel's Demons (Manager: zapp135)
2005 Final Record: 4-9, Missed Playoffs
A team seemed doomed for the cellar last year won four more games than expected. This team is on its fourth owner in about one year, with zap135 just taking over. The team he has inherited has had a make-over a few times, but now looks to make a few teams to sweat it out for a playoff spot. The team appears to be decent at quarterback with Aaron Brooks and a pair of rookies. Brooks will have to hold out for now, but Jay Cutler and Kellen Clemens look to be producers as early as mid-season. The only possible starter at runningback on this team right now is Ahman Green who is a big injury risk. Past Green this team has Duce Staley and Mike Anderson. Don't look for this team to do much from this position, but it has a decent chance to steal some touchdowns and put up some decent numbers. The recievers look to be the relative strength of this team, with Brandon Lloyd, Brandon Stokley, Reggie Brown and Santonio Holmes. This team is much improved, but don't expect this team to be dangerous, a .500 record would be a pretty big push for this squad.
Off-Season Grade: B-
N.E. Chowderheads (Manager: rooster)
2005 Final Record: 2-11, Missed Playoffs
Last year's worst team in the league is under new managment, and there have been improvments made. The Chowderheads won the Reggie Bush sweepstakes, and unlike the Texans, took full advantage. Along with Bush the Chowderheads have added Dom Davis for a good 1-2 punch at runningback. However, this team lacks depth at the runningback position with Lamar Gordan as the only other runningback on the roster. The quarterbacks should be fun for rooster to manage with the new starting Billy Volek returning with Byron Leftwich and Kyle Orton. New to the squad at the position are Brett Farve and Drew Bledsoe. Expect the everyone except for Orton to get a shot right off the bat to start for the Chowderheads. With the right matchups, this team could successfully rotate these quarterbacks into a solid unit. Wide reciever will be dragging this team down this season with their bigger name being Nate Burleson. This team has made improvments, but don't expect these guys to contend this season.
Off-Season Grade: C-
NFC East
Flaming Stewies (Manager: Ben)
2005 Record: 9-4, NFC East Champion, Goal Line Football Super Bowl Champion
The defending champion took to the off-season looking to improve the running game. The wide recievers carried this team last year, and the Stewies traded from that strength to get running help. The new arrivals at runningback are Willie Parker and Joseph Addai joining Travis Henry and Ron Dayne. While the runningbacks needed help desperately, they did get better, but not much above mediocre, lacking a big-time back. The quarterbacks might be a bigger question mark this year with Ben Roethelisberger recovering from his accident, and Alex Smith and David Carr coming off awful years. If the quarterbacks don't come around this year, this team will struggle, but should be picked up by the strong wide recievers. Santana Moss and Steve Smith had breakout seasons last year and were key to the Stewies' success. This season they are joined again by Donald Driver, Laveranues Coles and Michael Jenkins. With five starting wide recievers, four of them the #1 option on their team, this team looks to be carried by the recievers again. An off-year or injury to this group of wide-outs would spell disaster for the Stewies.
Off-Season Grade: B
Eagles in 07 (Manager: psykopanda13)
2005 Final Record: 8-5, NFC Wild Card, Lost in First Round
This playoff team is under new managment, as is the entire division other than the Stewies, will be tough to beat despite losing its top player. LT left the team via free agency but this team is still strong at runningback with Rudi Johnson, Deuce McCallister and Curtis Martin. Quarterback is a different story as this team has gone from Matt Hasselbeck to a second-year starter, a likely backup and an unempolyeed veteran. Chris Simms will produce decent numbers, but in a tough matchup might hurt the Eagles. J.P. Losman might get the starting Bills job, but it is still the Bills, who are expected to have one of the worst passing attacks this season. Kerry Collins still doesn't have a team and might be in line for a backup job at best. This wide-reciever staff will be anchored by Terry Glenn and Lee Evans. This duo won't make a opposing team tremble and could be a strain on the team this year. Unless this team pulls off a deal to bring in more talent at any position, they won't be contenders
Off-Season Grade: D+
Hotsauce (Manager: hotsauce)
2005 Final Record: 8-5, NFC Wild Card, Lost in First Round
Hotsauce took over late in the off-season and made his biggest impact in the draft picking up Laurence Maroney and Vernon Davis. Past that, this team has failed to improve. The runningbacks have gone from Willis McGahee and Ronnie Brown to Fred Taylor and Ricky Williams. Clinton Portis is the sole remaining back from last year and will have to lead this team to make them contenders. The quarterbacks stayed exactly the same with Jake Plummer and Michael Vick. These two will combine to give Hotsauce a consistant income of points every week, but they will turn to their wide recievers to give them a push. The recievers are the most improved part of the team from last year, adding Jerry Porter while holding onto Torry Holt. There are some decent backups behind these two, but without good years from these guys, hotsauce could find themselves in the cellar this season. Quality out of the tight end, kicker and defense positions might be the force to keep this team around through the first ten weeks of the season.
Off-Season Grade: C
Damn Penguins (Manager: awchampion)
2005 Final Record: 2-11, Missed Playoffs
This team was hopeless last season from start to finish. This team has since had to total renovation to attept to make this bottom-dweller a top team this season. The quarterback position looks to hold this team back with the only current starter being Mark Brunell. This team will have better odds at this position next season with Matt Leinart moving into a rookie's dream in Arizona. The wide recievers are led by Koren Robinson, which is never a good sign. Past Robinson is Joe Jurevioucis, Robert Ferguson and Ernest Wilford. There are some experts who say Ferguson and Wilford will excell this coming year, but without those predictions coming true, the Penguins will be without much production at wide reciever. The runningback situation is similar with Julius Jones leading a group of backups. This position will hamper the team this season, but have improved this season and expect to continue to improve next off-season before becoming a true threat.
Off-Season Grade: C-