Will Reggie Bush hold up as a legitimate NFL running back?
Define legitimate. As we've seen with Brian Westbrook and Maurice Jones-Drew, smaller backs can be big-time performers in this league. Bush is probably tired of hearing he's a "change of pace" guy, but that's necessarily not a bad thing. Teams can benefit from having a speedy game-breaker, and that's Bush's best role. He's not built to be pounded 25 times between the tackles.

He needs someone else to do that -- even if it's not a healthy Deuce McAllister. That gives Bush the opportunity to get 15-20 open-field touches a game whether they're carries or catches. Jeremy Shockey joining Marques Colston as a daunting intermediate threat is huge, because it allows Bush to turn more would-be short plays into long gains.

Can Bill Parcells turn around the Miami Dolphins in three years?
He has much to do, starting with his two signature reconstruction areas -- finding his type of reliable quarterback and installing an effective 3-4 defense. Chad Pennington as the starting QB is only a stopgap. On defense, it will be a challenge to rebuild with the end of the Jason Taylor-Zach Thomas era. Parcells also isn't overseeing things directly on the field, leaving that to new coach Tony Sparano.

At least Parcells' new team has a promising running game with an underrated line and the 1-2 punch of backs Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams. That will need to be the foundation if the Dolphins are to contend three to four years from now.

How improved are the Minnesota Vikings?
You know the story by now. They run and stop the run. It's exactly the opposite with passing - the quarterback, pass rush and secondary are big questions. At least their pass rush should be a lot better after the trade for Jared Allen.

If Tarvaris Jackson is healthy, confident, improved and ready for his breakout, watch out. The secondary will continue to give up some big yards because teams can't run on the Vikes. The overall key is staying aggressive defensively and Jackson leading a much more efficient offense -- where Minnesota ranks in turnover margin will be a good indication of how well they'll do in '08.

Is Derek Anderson the Cleveland Browns' long-term answer at quarterback?
Anderson had quite a coming-out party to earn Cleveland's starting job last season with his five-TD Week 2 against the Bengals. But then against the same Bengals in Week 16, he had a terrible four-interception game.

There is no doubt Anderson has a strong arm, great competitiveness and fine frame at 6-6, 229. But he's still young, can be erratic and is a bit streaky. The Browns have big plans for '08 with their strong, balanced offense, and they need Anderson to be steadier. He also has '07 first-rounder Brady Quinn lurking behind him. We'll know a lot more about Anderson after half a season, as the Browns play five '07 playoff powers in their first seven games.

Will this be another "off" year for Washington Redskins and Tampa Bay Buccaneers?
Looks like it. Both teams have enough coaching and talent in place to take advantage of other teams' underachieving. The New Orleans Saints and Philadelphia Eagles were among those underachieving teams last season. In '05, it was the Cowboys and the Falcons. It'll be hard for Washington to compete in the tough NFC East with a new coach, and in the weak South, New Orleans, Carolina and Atlanta all seemed to have improved more than Tampa Bay.

Is Chad Johnson for real?
This week in La Vida Loca of Ocho Cinco: The end of his local media boycott and the declaration that he could beat Michael Phelps -- in swimming. It has to be hard on Johnson with Phelps dominating U.S. sports headlines from all the way in the Far East.

Slide show   Week in Sports Pictures Pain on the skating rink, flying high on the hardwood, upsets on the football field, and more. more photos

Seriously, it doesn't take Freud to figure out Johnson. He likes attention, and he likes being the best. After the Cincinnati Bengals showed so much promise in '05, one can see how things could get so frustrating for one of their elite talents. Simply put: Good Bengals, good Chad. Bad Bengals, not-so good Chad.

Were the Super Bowl-champion Giants the "for real" Giants?
If I hear that Eli Manning needs to improve his completion percentage. ... Give the guy a break. He excelled in the playoffs, and converted a game-winning TD pass to win it all. What more can he do to convince people he's arrived? I guess in New York, it's never enough. Climbing Everest isn't impressive unless you remember how to get back up there.

This team is more than Manning. It's about an elite pass rush; a strong, deep running game; Steve Spagnuolo's aggressive defense; Tom Coughlin's new approach to coaching; and fearlessness on the road. The Giants looked good early last season, too, but now they are lot more confident. Swagger and skill will keep the Giants near the top, right next to those Cowboys in both the East and the entire NFC.

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