10 Biggest Stories for the NFL Off-Season

It's only been four days since the Pittsburgh Steelers and Arizona Cardinals played the final meaningful game of the 2008 NFL season, but it's never too early to start thinking about the big stories that will impact teams for 2009. Here are my ten biggest storylines (and I reserve the right to change these as more momentous matters develop!).

These are in no particular order!

10. Kurt Warner - does he stay or does he go?

Immediately following the Cardinals' loss to the Steelers in Super Bowl XLIII, rumors started flying around that quarterback Kurt Warner was considering retirement. No big shocker there since nobody really expects Arizona to make it back to the big game anytime soon, but I think if Warner comes back he'll easily retain the starting job. His main concern has to be his health - more specifically, concussions. His offensive line was absolutely stellar in the Super Bowl so I'm of the opinion that he should come back.

9. What can Tom Brady do to turn around the Patriots?

New England was doomed to regress in 2008, but what team wouldn't a a year after finishing 18-1? Tom Brady's injury simply made the regression worse, but any "expert" could tell you that the Patriots were still a playoff-worthy team in 2008. Matt Cassel played well, well enough to earn a Franchise tag and a 14 million+ dollar contract. That's a lot of money to pay for a player who will most likely spend 2009 on the bench, so it's clear that Bob Kraft and Bill Belichick think very highly of their backup signal caller. If New England doesn't suffer any other major losses I would expect them to be back in the playoff hunt in 2009. The Jets and Dolphins really overachieved last year and I can't imagine that they'll win 10+ games again.

8. Can Arizona repeat their Super performance?

With Warner, I say yes. Without him, the starting quarterback role falls to Matt Leinart and we've all seen how that has played out in the past. Larry Fitzgerald seems satisfied with his status in Arizona but Anquan Boldin has been making it clear that he'd rather be playing ball elsewhere, and his departure would take away a significant piece of their offensive scheme. The Cardinals were a 9-7 division champion in an incredibly weak division and if their west coast opponents manage to improve in 2009 they'll be in big trouble without that potent aerial attack. Additions need to be made to bolster the defense so that Adrian Wilson isn't the only solid player in the secondary...some help at linebacker would do wonders.

7. Where will Byron Leftwich be playing?

I know this seems like a bit of a non-story, but consider this: Byron Leftwich is by far the best backup quarterback in the league. There are plenty of teams that could use a player of his caliber, and he has to be aware of that fact. Leftwich could make an immediate positive impact on any team, much like the Dolphins' addition of Chad Pennington. He could be the difference between 6-10 and 10-6 for teams like Cleveland, Oakland, San Francisco and Minnesota.

6. What will the Lions do with the first overall pick in the draft?

Take it from a recovering Lions fan: any time there's a star wideout on the draft board, Detroit's management starts to get excited. Michael Crabtree needs to spend his time between now and the draft praying that Detroit's new executives are able to see that they have many bigger needs than another fast receiver. If the Lions are smart they'll trade that #1 pick for several other good picks...they already have another 1st round selection that they can use to address their weaknesses on defense. This year's quarterback class isn't strong enough to deserve a top pick.

5. Can the Colts make it to the playoffs without Dungy?

Tony Dungy and Peyton Manning made the Colts tick. Manning without Dungy is like Montana without Walsh or Marino without Shula, so it is imperative that Indianapolis finds a head coach who is willing to work with the existing playbook that the Colts have executed so well in recent years. If they can do this, they'll be back in the playoffs. If they sign on a dud of a coach who wants to take apart a system that has been working well, they'll be looking up at Tennessee and Jacksonville in the standings.

4. Will Brett Favre retire? Should he retire?

Brett Favre should have just stayed retired. His 2008 campaign was not worthy of a Pro Bowl nod, and the Jets will absolutely not be making a playoff push in 2009. Time to jump ship. Like Kurt Warner, Favre also needs to be keeping a close eye on his health...it would be a shame to see him get forced out of the league against his own will.

3. Will the Wildcat be back in 2009?

Innovation helped several teams improve drastically in 2008. The Dolphins (and several other teams) installed Wildcat plays in their offensive strategies and saw success. I do think that the Wildcat will be back, and I hope that teams like Cincinnati and Detroit begin designing other creative plays that could jumpstart their offenses. Necessity is the mother of invention, and there are a lot of teams out there that need some fresh ideas.

2. Will Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco do it again?

The Atlanta Falcons and Baltimore Ravens both surprised fans and experts in 2008, and a lot of credit is given to their rookie quarterbacks. But not all of the credit is deserved, in my opinion. Atlanta made huge progress in their rushing attack by adding former San Diego backup Michael Turner. Baltimore saw a resurgence from its incredible defense. The quarterbacks were good, yes, but not the only reasons that their teams made it to the playoffs. That said, I do think that Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco will be around for a long time. I like the fact that they appear to be good leaders, commanding the respect of their teammates and instilling faith in their fans. Neither made horrendous rookie mistakes that we see so often when players are thrown into the fire too early in their careers. Both should have the same support systems in place next year. Could these two be the next Brady and Manning? Time will tell, but all signs indicate that the potential for greatness is certainly there.

1. Can the Cowboys right the ship?

Huge expectations were heaped on Dallas before the 2008 season, and when their performance did not meet those expectations we started to see some cracks forming in the unity of the team. It wasn't a big shock when Terrell Owens and Tony Romo began making headlines by opening their big mouths when they should have been practicing harder and mentally preparing for the games. The Cowboys won nine games, but no good deed goes unpunished and head coach Wade Phillips was shown the door even though the 'Boys were 22-10 in his two years at the helm. It will take a monumental paradigm shift among the players and management to right this ship, but it can be done. Step one has to be removing the cancer that is Terrell Owens...every team he has played for has collapsed, and while he can't be solely responsible I think it's a fact that he brings out the worst in his teammates.

Check back later as newer stories develop!