Reason for hope (and fear) for every team

Be happy: Jerry Jones has added a Jones (Adam) who gives the Cowboys great depth in pass coverage and another Jones (Felix) who should be quite a change of pace at running back after the battering efforts of Marion Barber.

Start worrying: Based on the egomaniacal history of some employees, the Dallas locker room could become more combustible than an uncensored reunion of "The View."

Be happy: Your coach and quarterback will not begin the season on adjacent hot seats.

Start worrying: The pass-rushing capacity that enabled the Giants to knock off New England has been diminished by the retirement of Michael Strahan.

Be happy: They now employ cornerback Asante Samuel and they're telling us that shutting down Donovan McNabb in mini-camp was just a precaution.

Start worrying: Reggie Brown still qualifies as the go-to receiver.

Be happy: The arrival of head coach Jim Zorn should be a developmental boon to quarterback Jason Campbell.

Start worrying: Defense-budget spending has not created a unit that can stop anybody.

NFC North

Be happy: Special teams really are and the defense may be prepared to once again be among the league's best. The departure of Cedric Benson also could be seen as a reason to dance.

Start worrying: Rex Grossman and Kyle Orton allegedly will battle for the honor of throwing to Marty Booker behind a line with a rookie prepared to work at left tackle.

Be happy: Calvin Johnson should be better prepared to make life easier for Roy Williams and rookie Kevin Smith has the potential to create a running game.

Start worrying: Mike Martz no longer is around to perform Gepetto duties for Jon Kitna.

Be happy: The Pack that came within a whisker of a Super Bowl date returns almost every important blocker, tackler or playmaker.

Start worrying: The starting quarterback will be under more pressure than Gilbert Brown's waistband. After a friendly North home-and-home, Green Bay's out-of-division schedule offers the AFC South and Dallas.

Be happy: The Vikings usually hand the ball to Adrian Peterson and have a terrific run defense.

Start worrying: The guy handing Peterson the ball is Tarvaris Jackson and the pass defense has been awful.

NFC South

Be happy: They drafted the top-rated, draft-eligible quarterback in college football.

Start worrying: Their top free-agent acquisition is a sub from San Diego (although I really like Michael Turner) and the new head coach is a rookie.

The Panthers may have to put Steve Smith at running back if they want their Pro Bowl receiver to touch the ball in 2008. (Al Messerschmidt / Getty Images)

Be happy: Rookie Jonathan Stewart has the strength and speed to revitalize the running game, while the pass rush has the potential to save the defense.

Start worrying: Getting the ball to Steve Smith may require putting the Pro Bowl receiver at running back.

Be happy: They don't need Brett Favre, rookie Sedrick Ellis is capable of securing the defensive middle and vets who can play have been added to the defense.

Start worrying: Franchise-saver Reggie Bush has gained fewer yards per carry than that soft-drink machine he was matched against during his rookie year.

Be happy: They're sure to start a proven veteran at quarterback and Cadillac Williams may be ready to roll.

Start worrying: We're not sure how much Cadillac has depreciated since getting hurt and several other key players have expired warranties.

NFC West

Be happy: Coaching and talent upgrades are obvious on both sides of the ball. It's also good to know that Antrel Rolle doesn't have to play cornerback anymore.

Start worrying: Will their quarterbacks make plays when it matters?

Be happy: Howie Long's kid can rush the passer and Steven Jackson will begin the season in uniform.

Start worrying: The blockers and pitch man seem healthy, but a now-shaky receiving corps rests on the shaky knees of longtime great Torry Holt.

Be happy: Martz has arrived to add a little zing to an offense built around running back Frank Gore.

Start worrying: Alex Smith had more fanfare than young Kurt Warner, but appears to have far less game. And the draft seemed to provide less than this long-dormant franchise needs.

Be happy: The QB is solid and the defensive front seven is Super Bowl caliber.

Start worrying: Matt Hasselbeck's skill-position buddies won't scare anyone and the defensive secondary looks pedestrian.

AFC East

After taking over for J.P. Losman, Trent Edwards is one of the main reasons the Bills could surprise in the AFC East. (Rick Stewart / Getty Images)

Be happy: Marcus Stroud has been added to strengthen the defensive front and the emergence of QB Trent Edwards pulled the plug on J.P. Losman. But the steadiest unit in Buffalo is special teams.

Start worrying: Edwards has a long way to go and while the talent has generally improved, last year's production didn't.

Be happy: Bill Parcells is in town and shopping for all of the groceries.

Start worrying: Parcells isn't doing the cooking and has yet to find the Quality Quarterback aisle.

Be happy: Tom Brady isn't dating Jessica Simpson and Randy Moss has been re-hired. Playing in the East should almost guarantee six wins right off the bat.

Start worrying: Samuel's departure leaves a hole at cornerback and coach Bill Belichick now only seems slightly smarter than whoever qualifies as No. 2.

Be happy: The free-spending Jets now employ Alan Faneca and Damien Woody on the offensive line, while a trade added defensive tackle Kris Jenkins and the draft supplied pass rusher Vernon Gholston.

Start worrying: All of the wheeling and dealing did nothing to solve the quarterback issue.

AFC North

Be happy: Jim Harbaugh's brother has replaced a guy who pretended to be the smartest coach in football. The defense is getting older, but young stars have been moving into key roles.

Start worrying: Jonathan Ogden has retired, the receivers are nothing special and — unless rookie Joe Flacco takes the learning curve on two wheels — they'll still be bad at QB.

Be happy: The defense has added a few athletes, Carson Palmer remains one of the league's elite quarterbacks and the starting wide receivers are first-rate.

Start worrying: The Chad Johnson Circus could destroy that last happy item and youth still makes the defense vulnerable. A recent history of character issues has wrecked the depth on both sides of the ball.

Be happy: Considerable assets were used to beef up the defense, the draft was solid and the Cleveland passing game is one of the league's best.

Start worrying: Jamal Lewis has slipped at running back and QB Derek Anderson didn't exactly inspire confidence during the closing weeks of last season.

Be happy: Rookies Rashard Mendenhall and Limas Sweed figure to be nice playmates for QB Ben Roethlisberger, and the back seven should lead to solid defense.

Start worrying: Losing Alan Faneca may signal an offensive line decline and the schedule will be no hayride.

AFC South

Be happy: Picking pass-rusher Mario Williams a couple of years ago now seems extremely wise and linebacker DeMeco Ryans is another young star.

Start worrying: Quarterback Matt Schaub still must convince the jury and a poor running game may turn to former Titan Chris Brown and rookie Steve Slaton.

Be happy: Peyton Manning's inflamed bursa sac was dealt with in time (we presume), Bob Sanders looks healthy as the QB of the defense and Indy seems way above average on both sides of the ball.

Start worrying: Manning may start slowly and injury returns of Dwight Freeney and Marvin Harrison will help define this season.

Be happy: The Jags have a solid QB, running back depth, Jerry Porter at receiver and the owner says the team is staying put.

Start worrying: Depth at receiver hasn't been established and a good defense may lack the upgrades to become elite. OK, so this is a rising team with few brow-furrowing weaknesses.

Be happy: Vince Young may, indeed, be more accurate than a weather man, the defense is pretty good and rookie back Chris Johnson has blistering speed.

Start worrying: Vince needs to be more consistent throwing to a receiving corps that provides few reasons for cartwheels. And playing in this division doesn't do much to inspire playoff-return dreams.

AFC West

Be happy: Their pass coverage is stellar, their quarterback has the ability to be really good and they play in a division with two potentially shaky teams.

The Chiefs and Raiders won't put up much of a fight, but the Broncos will need QB Jay Cutler to continue to improve if they want to contend for the AFC West title. (Steve Dykes / Getty Images)

Start worrying: The Broncos didn't stop the run last year, Jay Cutler has to take another step forward and one of many receiving additions must step forward to assist Brandon Marshall.

Be happy: The Chiefs drafted very well, Larry Johnson returns at running back and three veteran linebackers could stabilize the defense.

Start worrying: The draft didn't yield a quarterback, Jared Allen now works in Minnesota and the offensive line has several new parts that need time to gel.

Be happy: This year's off-season theme has been "Just spend, baby!" The draft brings a potentially dynamic playmaker in RB Darren McFadden.

Start worrying: The Raiders seem to have overpaid at some positions (that makes affording depth awfully tricky) and will rely on inexperienced JaMarcus Russell at QB.

Be happy: LaDainian Tomlinson is healthy (and presumably happy), the defense is full of playmakers and Norv Turner may actually be able to excel as a head coach.

Start worrying: Receiving depth could be an issue and returning as a loaded team will require successful post-surgery seasons for about a dozen key players. Was Norv's Big 2007 Adventure an aberration or portent of things to come?